Sunday, March 29, 2009

Leviticus 23 - The Lord’s Appointed Festivals - Intro

   Read Leviticus Chapter 23.


   Of the seven festivals in Leviticus 23, the first four feasts are linked together, and the last three feasts are also linked - and there is a separation of time between these two groups of feasts.


   The group of the first four feasts relate to the work of Jesus in His first coming, of His earthly ministry.



  1. Passover clearly presents Jesus as our Passover (1 Corinthians 5:7), the Lamb of God who was sacrificed, and whose blood was received and applied, so the wrath of God would pass us over.

  2. Unleavened Bread relates time of Jesus' burial, after His perfect, sinless sacrifice on the cross, during which He was received by God the Father as holy and complete (the Holy One who would not see corruption, Acts 2:27), perfectly accomplishing our salvation.

  3. Firstfruits relates to the resurrection of Jesus, who was the first human to receive resurrection; He is the firstborn from the dead (Colossians 1:18) and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep . . . Christ the firstfruits, afterwards those who are Christ's at His coming. (1 Corinthians 15:20, 23).

  4. Pentecost obviously is connected with the birth of the Church and the "harvest" resulting (Acts 2); significantly, in the ceremony at the feast of Pentecost, two unleavened loaves of bread are waved as a holy offering to God, speaking of the bringing of "unleavened" Gentiles into the church


   Between the first set of four feasts and the second set of three feasts, there is a significant time gap - almost four months, which, significantly, was a time of harvest in Israel; even as our current age is a time of harvest for the church, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. (Romans 11:25).


   The second group of the last three feasts relate to events connected with the second coming of Jesus.




  1. Trumpets speaks of the ultimate assembly of God's people at the sound of a trumpet - the rapture of the Church (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17), and of the gathering of Israel for the special purpose God has for them in the last days.


  2. Atonement not only speaks of the ultimate, perfect atonement Jesus offered on our behalf, but also of the affliction - and salvation - Israel will see during the Great Tribulation. It will truly be a time when the soul of Israel is afflicted, but for their ultimate salvation; as Jeremiah 30:7 says regarding that period: Alas! For that day is great, so that none is like it, and it is the time of Jacob's trouble, but he shall be saved out of it.


  3. Tabernacles speaks of the millennial rest of comfort of God for Israel and all of God's people; it is all about peace and rest, from beginning to end. Tabernacles is specifically said to be celebrated during the millennium (Zechariah 14:16-19).


   Significantly, there is good evidence that each of the four feasts relevant to the first coming of Jesus saw their prophetic fulfillment on the exact day of the feast. Jesus was actually crucified on the Passover (John 19:14). His body would have been buried, and His sacrifice acknowledged by God the Father during the Feast of Unleavened Bread following, and He would have risen from the dead on Firstfruits, the day after Passover's Sabbath. Additionally, the church was founded on the actual day of Pentecost. For this reason, many speculate it would be consistent for God to gather His people to Himself at the rapture on the day of the feast of trumpets - on the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah.




Chart from The Seven Feasts of Israel by Gavin Finley: http://endtimepilgrim.org/7feasts.htm




Chart from The Seven Feasts of Israel: http://www.clarion-call.org/yeshua/feasts/intro.htm





Charts from Israelite Annual Festivals: www.wcg.org/lit/bible/law/festiv.htm



See also Larkin's charts and hand-outs which I can't reproduce here because they are trademarked:

www.blueletterbible.org/study/larkin/dt/30.cfm,

www.blueletterbible.org/study/larkin/dt/charts.cfm?c=83&w=670

www.blueletterbible.org/study/larkin/dt/31.cfm




  1. Passover: Redemption: 14th day

    The Passover speaks of redemption by blood from Egypt, a type of the world, and is a type of our redemption from sin by the blood of The Lamb of God, Christ being our "Passover".

    1 Corinthians 5:7b: ...Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed for us.

  2. Feast of Unleavened Bread: Holy Walk: Sabbath: 15th day:

    Leaven in the scripture is a type of evil and was not to be used for holy purposes. Paul uses it as a figure of malice and wickedness and not befitting a Holy Walk, which should follow redemption.

    1 Corinthians 5:8:     Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth. (NIV)

  3. Feast of First Fruits: Day after Sabbath: Resurrection: 16th day:

    Sheaves of barley waved. Jesus rose on the "First Day of the Week", and thus became the "First Fruits" of the resurrection of the dead, of which the resurrection of the "Dead in Christ" shall be the harvest.

    Matthew 27:52-53 : and tombs opened. The bodies of many godly men and women who had died were raised from the dead. They left the cemetery after Jesus’ resurrection, went into the holy city of Jerusalem, and appeared to many people.

    Ephesians 4:8:     Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (KJV)

    1 Thessalonians 4:14-17:     For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring back with him the believers who have died. We tell you this directly from the Lord: We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God. First, the Christians who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever.

  4. Feast of Weeks (Week of Sabbaths - 50 days):

    Counting of the Omer. 7 X 7 = Fullness.

    The Feast of Weeks began with the offering of the barley harvest and ended with the ingathering of the wheat harvest. The first day was the Feast of First-Fruits; the last day, The Feast of Pentecost. Only the first and last day were celebrated.

  5. Pentecost: Holy Spirit (49 days + 1 = 50):

    Waving of the two wheat loaves containing leaven.

    The wave loaves contained leaven because they typified the union of Jew and Gentile (in whom the leaven of sin still abides).

    The 3000 converts on the day of Pentecost were the First Fruits of the Harvest of the church.

    50 = the day of redemption. Israelite slaves and the land were freed.

  6. Feast of Trumpets: Regathering of Israel:

    Israel is to be gathered back to their own land Jeremiah 16:14-15, 38:10-11; Isaiah 11:11; Amos 9:14-15.

    We are told in Matthew that they are to be summoned by angelic trumpeters.

    It will be to observe the Feast of Trumpets at Jerusalem.

    Matthew 24:29-31: “Immediately after the anguish of those days, the sun will be darkened, the moon will give no light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. And then at last, the sign that the Son of Man is coming will appear in the heavens, and there will be deep mourning among all the peoples of the earth. And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with the mighty blast of a trumpet, and they will gather his chosen ones from all over the world - from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven.

  7. Feast of the Day of Atonement: Atonement for Israel:

    Historically, the fountain of Zechariah 13:1 was opened at Calvary, but rejected by Israel.

    After they are regathered, they shall look upon Him Whom they pierced (Zechariah 12:10) and accept the atonement nationally.

    Zechariah 12:10: “Then I will pour out a spirit of grace and prayer on the family of David and on the people of Jerusalem. They will look on me whom they have pierced and mourn for him as for an only son. They will grieve bitterly for him as for a firstborn son who has died.

    Zechariah 13:1: “On that day a fountain will be opened for the dynasty of David and for the people of Jerusalem, a fountain to cleanse them from all their sins and impurity.

  8. Feast of Tabernacle: Israel's millennial rest:

     Amos 9:13-15: “The time will come,” says the Lord, “when the grain and grapes will grow faster than they can be harvested. Then the terraced vineyards on the hills of Israel will drip with sweet wine! I will bring my exiled people of Israel back from distant lands, and they will rebuild their ruined cities and live in them again. They will plant vineyards and gardens; they will eat their crops and drink their wine. I will firmly plant them there in their own land. They will never again be uprooted from the land I have given them,” says the Lord your God.

    Zechariah 14:16-21: In the end, the enemies of Jerusalem who survive the plague will go up to Jerusalem each year to worship the King, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, and to celebrate the Festival of Shelters. Any nation in the world that refuses to come to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, will have no rain. If the people of Egypt refuse to attend the festival, the Lord will punish them with the same plague that he sends on the other nations who refuse to go. Egypt and the other nations will all be punished if they don’t go to celebrate the Festival of Shelters. On that day even the harness bells of the horses will be inscribed with these words: Holy to the Lord. And the cooking pots in the Temple of the Lord will be as sacred as the basins used beside the altar. In fact, every cooking pot in Jerusalem and Judah will be holy to the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. All who come to worship will be free to use any of these pots to boil their sacrifices. And on that day there will no longer be traders in the Temple of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.



God's family of true believers are:



  1. Ransomed at the Passover and liberated by the blood of His Son - the
    Passover Lamb    .

  2. Purged of sin, hypocrisy and false doctrine during the Days of Unleavened
    Bread     to become a holy Temple of God.


  3. Filled with the power of the Holy Ghost at Pentecost in order to bear fruit for all
    eternity.

  4. Victoriously gathered and defended at the Feast of Trumpets when the trumpets
    of God will sound throughout the earth    .

  5. And finally on the Great Day of Atonement, brought into the very presence
    of the Almighty     by his Son the High Priest to be at-one with Him for all
    eternity    .



Sabbaths and Feasts: This section concerns religious duties of the people of God as they worship by giving thanks to God for their blessings.


   Are we required to keep the feasts as laid down in this chapter? We do not keep the feasts because we are Gentiles and we do not possess the land. We owe no ‘rent’. We do not offer the sacrifices because they have been superseded in the one Sacrifice made for all for all time.


   "The spring holidays of Passover, Unleavened Bread, and Firstfruits are a portrait of the death and resurrection of Y'shua (Jesus). He sacrificed Himself on Passover, was buried on the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and was resurrected on Firstfruits. The Feast of Weeks (Shavuot or Pentecost) was the day the Holy Sprit fell on believers. Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread are held in immediate sequence. The lamb was slain on the fourteenth and the Feast of Unleavened bread began on the fifteenth day of the first month. And in the fourteenth day of the first month is the Passover of the LORD. And in the fifteenth day of this month is the feast: seven days shall unleavened bread be eaten (Numbers 28:16-17). This passage might account for why Jesus began His Passover seder on the fourteenth. These are distinctly different holidays falling on different days; however, due to their closeness they are usually treated as one festival. (The scriptures seem to teach that these are two names for the same festival. See Exodus 13:3-8.) As you study the Spring Festivals, you will see the plan of God fulfilled in such dramatic detail that you cannot help but be stricken by the awesomeness of our Eternal King. The spring festivals clearly prophesy the first coming of Messiah and the fall festivals are prophetic of His second coming." - biblicalholidays.com/spring_holidays.htm


   Three agriculture-related pilgrimage festivals are mandated in Exodus 23:14-17:



  1. A seven-day springtime festival of Unleavened Bread, around the barley harvest;

  2. An early summer festival of Harvest, when the wheat ripens;

  3. An autumn festival of Ingathering, when olives, grapes, and other fruits are harvested.


   The book of Leviticus gives regulations for feast days that are to be celebrated "with a sacred assembly," including the weekly sabbath (Leviticus 23:1-4) and seven annual feast days: Passover (7 days, including unleavened bread), First fruits, Pentecost or Weeks, the New Year, the Day of Atonement, the first day of Booths, and the eighth day of Booths. These festivals are later transformed and combined with commemorations of historical/religious events; originally the people could bring their offerings to any major sanctuary, but later they are required to go to the Jerusalem temple, especially for three main pilgrimage festivals.


Exodus 23:14-17: “Each year you must celebrate three festivals in my honor. First, celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread. For seven days the bread you eat must be made without yeast, just as I commanded you. Celebrate this festival annually at the appointed time in early spring, in the month of Abib, for that is the anniversary of your departure from Egypt. No one may appear before me without an offering. “Second, celebrate the Festival of Harvest when you bring me the first crops of your harvest. “Finally, celebrate the Festival of the Final Harvest at the end of the harvest season, when you have harvested all the crops from your fields. At these three times each year, every man in Israel must appear before the Sovereign, the Lord.


Exodus 34:18-23: “You must celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread. For seven days the bread you eat must be made without yeast, just as I commanded you. Celebrate this festival annually at the appointed time in early spring, in the month of Abib, for that is the anniversary of your departure from Egypt. “The firstborn of every animal belongs to me, including the firstborn males from your herds of cattle and your flocks of sheep and goats. A firstborn donkey may be bought back from the Lord by presenting a lamb or young goat in its place. But if you do not buy it back, you must break its neck. However, you must buy back every firstborn son. “No one may appear before me without an offering. “You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but on the seventh day you must stop working, even during the seasons of plowing and harvest. “You must celebrate the Festival of Harvest with the first crop of the wheat harvest, and celebrate the Festival of the Final Harvest at the end of the harvest season. Three times each year every man in Israel must appear before the Sovereign, the Lord, the God of Israel.


Deuteronomy 16:16: “Each year every man in Israel must celebrate these three festivals: the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the Festival of Harvest, and the Festival of Shelters. On each of these occasions, all men must appear before the Lord your God at the place he chooses, but they must not appear before the Lord without a gift for him.




(1) The Lord said to Moses,


(2) “Give the following instructions to the people of Israel. These are the Lord’s appointed festivals, which you are to proclaim as official days for holy assembly.


(3) “You have six days each week for your ordinary work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath day of complete rest, an official day for holy assembly. It is the Lord’s Sabbath day, and it must be observed wherever you live.


(4) “In addition to the Sabbath, these are the Lord’s appointed festivals, the official days for holy assembly that are to be celebrated at their proper times each year.



   "The weekly sabbath had begun at Creation. God worked six days and then he rested on the seventh day. God did no work on the sabbath. This was reinstated and renewed in the giving of the Law on Mount Sinai when God reminded his people that the sabbath was at the heart of all his work.


   "I often hear Sunday referred to as "the sabbath." And perhaps you think that is just an old-fashioned word for Sunday. But that is completely wrong. Sunday is never the sabbath, and never was the sabbath! A transference is made of these ideas which is totally unbiblical. The seventh day was Saturday. The first day was Sunday. And Saturday was to be observed as the sabbath, as it still is in Israel today.


   "In the book of Colossians the Apostle Paul specifically tells us that the observance of a day is one of those shadows which, for the believer, ended at the coming of Christ {Colossians 2:16-17}. But then what is it that God is after? It does no good to do away with an observance if you don't find what it is pointing toward and begin to fulfill that. For the reality of the sabbath has always continued. It is given to us, among many other places in Scripture, in Hebrews Chapter 4, where the apostle reminds us that sabbath means "rest," and that this is a reference to the secret of life. Humans were made to operate out of rest, not out of tension, not out of anxiety, out of pressure, not in a rat race where we are always hounded and harassed and driven and hassled. These are exactly the opposite of what God intended when he made man. We were to operate in activity which proceeds out of rest.


   "What is that rest? Again Hebrews 4 tells us. In Verse 10 it says, "He who has entered into rest has ceased from his own labors, as God did from his," {KJV}. That is, on the seventh day of creation, God ceased from all work. He who enters into rest has stopped his own work and is resting on the work of another. So if you learn the principle of operating out of dependence upon God at work in you, and if you don't try to do it all yourself -- don't feel as if everything depends upon you, don't stew and fret and aren't anxious and troubled because you have got to get it done -- but instead learn to rest on what God is ready to do in you and through you and around you, and expect him to do it, then you are observing the sabbath as God intended it to be observed.


   "Rest is at the heart of everything that God does. All these feasts are a form of the sabbath and consist of one sabbath or of several. All this is to indicate that this is the greatest secret of humanity. The indispensable but largely unlearned secret of our humanity is to learn how to operate out of rest. That is what the sabbath is all about. Notice, by the way, how Jesus stresses this idea in the Sermon on the Mount."


Quoted from God's Calendar: www.pbc.org/library/files/html/0520.html



   On this day at the Central Sanctuary two lambs instead of one would be offered for the morning and evening sacrifices (Numbers 28:9), and twelve loaves of showbread were presented to God (Leviticus 24:5-9; 1 Chronicles 9:32). However far they may be from that Sanctuary they would be aware that ‘the Priest’ was offering these on their behalf.


   With regard to the Sabbath being a day of complete cessation of all work, it is difficult for us in our day, when we have so much free time, to recognize what it must have been like to live in days when some had no free time at all, and when many could find themselves literally worked without respite until they died of exhaustion. The Sabbath ensured that this could not happen to anyone in Israel. No exceptions were allowed specifically for this reason. Men must not be allowed to find a way round it. All men, slave or free, must every seventh day have that one day of total rest.


Mark 2:23-28: One Sabbath day as Jesus was walking through some grainfields, his disciples began breaking off heads of grain to eat. But the Pharisees said to Jesus, “Look, why are they breaking the law by harvesting grain on the Sabbath?” Jesus said to them, “Haven’t you ever read in the Scriptures what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He went into the house of God (during the days when Abiathar was high priest) and broke the law by eating the sacred loaves of bread that only the priests are allowed to eat. He also gave some to his companions.” Then Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is Lord, even over the Sabbath!”


Matthew 12:12: And how much more valuable is a person than a sheep! Yes, the law permits a person to do good on the Sabbath.”


Luke 13:14-16: But the leader in charge of the synagogue was indignant that Jesus had healed her on the Sabbath day. “There are six days of the week for working,” he said to the crowd. “Come on those days to be healed, not on the Sabbath.” But the Lord replied, “You hypocrites! Each of you works on the Sabbath day! Don’t you untie your ox or your donkey from its stall on the Sabbath and lead it out for water? This dear woman, a daughter of Abraham, has been held in bondage by Satan for eighteen years. Isn’t it right that she be released, even on the Sabbath?”



Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from the New Living Translation of the Bible.



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