The Feasts of Israel


      The feasts of Israel should be studied because:

  1. They are part of scripture, which are given by inspiration of the Holy Spirit. (2 Tim. 3:16-17)
  2. They are a "shadow of things to come." (Col. 2:16-17)
  3. They set forth "patterns" of heavenly things on earth. (Heb. 8:5)
  4. The believer will find things written therein for his learning. (Rom 154)

Definition of the word "feast":
English "Festival" - a religious festival of rejoicing as opposed to a fast.
Hebrew "Chagag" - to dance, indicating occasions of joy and gladness. To move in a circle. To march in a sacred procession. By implication, to be giddy. (Strong's H2287)
Greek "Heorte" - of uncertain affinity. A festival. It it translated "feast, holy day." (Strongs G1859)

 The Feast of Passover

Passover, the beginning of months Exo 12:1-14; 21:29; Lev 23:4, 5; Num 33:3, Deu 16:1-8       The Feast of Passover was the beginning of the year for Israel. God changed their calendar for them.

The four days of the hidden lamb (Exo 12:3-6)

       God commanded Israel to take a lamb on the tenth day and set it aside until the fourteenth day of the first month. It was ordained to die in due time.

    Jesus entered Jerusalem on the tenth day and was slain on the fourteenth day, four days later. (Luke 19:37; Matt 22:15-24)

Without spot or blemish (Exo 12:5)

       The Israelites were to inspect the lamb that was to die for them and to see that it came up to God's standard: that it was perfect, and without spot or blemsh.

    Jesus Christ, God's lamb, was found to be perfect, without fault, without spot or blemish.

The whole assembly shall kill it. (Exo 12:6)

      The whole congregation of Israel was involved in the Passover lamb.

     The gospels show how the sanhedrin, priests and people all clamoured for the crucifixion of Jesus and for His blood to be shed (John 19:15; Luke 23:23; Mark 15:33; Matt 27:4, 25)

The body of the lamb must be eaten (Exo 12:8-10)

      It was to be eaten in the one and same night. It was to be eaten with unleavened bread. It was to be eaten with bitter herbs. It was not to be eaten raw - but to be roasted with fire. It was not to be sodden with water. Anything remaining over was to be burnt after the feast.

     Jesus, our passover lamb, suffered and died in the same night. He experienced the burning fires of calvary (Heb 12:29). He also experienced the bitter sufferings of the cross.


  The Feast of Unleavened Bread

The feast of unleavened bread Exo 12:8; 15-20; 31-39; 13:3-10. Deu 16:1-8. Num 28:17-25. Lev 23:6-8     The next part of the Feast of Passover, and the main burden of it, is called the Feast of unleavened bread.

      With the coming of the Passover Festival, the head of the house must clenase his house of all leaven. For seven days no leaven was to be seen in his dwelling. Every person in the house must eat unleavened bread from the first day until the seventh day. Anyone found with leavened bread would be cut off from the congregation of Israel. This ordinance was to be kept  each year in all households.


 The Feast Day of the Sheaf of Firstfruits

The feast day of the sheaf of firstfruits Lev 23:9-14       This is the final part of the Passover Feast. The only specific scripture which deals with this is found in Leviticus 23:9-14.

     When Israel entered into the promised land, they were commanded to keep this festival. It involved the harvest period under Passover and Pentecost. The custom was carried out in this manner:

    The standing, ripe harvest, barley and wheat, would soon be reaped. A person would go to the standing harvest, take one sheaf and bring it to the priest. The lone sheaf was called "the sheaf of firstfruits." The priest would take this one sheaf and wave it before the Lord in His house. This was done "on the morrow after the sabbath." Certain prescribed offerings were also presented along with this sheaf. None could eat of the bread or roasted grain of the corn harvest until that sheaf had been presented to the Lord and accepted for Israel.

Bring a sheaf of the harvest

      See Lev 23:10. A sheaf in scripture ususally typifies persons or a person. Joseph dreamed about eleven sheaves bowing down to his sheaf. It was a prophetic dream which showed that his eleven brothers would bow down to him in the appointed time (Gen 37:5-11).

    The single sheaf speaks of the person of Jesus Christ, our Lord. He is the sheaf of firstfruits. (I Cor 15:20-23).

The sheaf of firstfruits

       This one sheaf is distinctly alled "the sheaf of the firstfruits." The nation of Israel was familiar with the concept of firstfruits, or firstborn. The firstfruits were always the choicest, the first, the best, the pre-eminent of all that was to follow. They were holy to the Lord. The same truth applies to both man and beast.

  1. The firstborn of man and beast were sanctified and presented to the Lord. They were uniquely and distinctly His. (Exo 13:2, 11-13; 22:29).
  2. The firstfruits were to be presented to the Lord at His altar in praise and thanksgiving. Sometimes they were presented to the priests and Levites. (Deu 26:1-11; 18:3-5; Lev 19:23-25).

     The New Testament show beautifully how Jesus is the fulfilment of all the truth symbolized in the firstfruits and especially as the Sheaf of Firstfruits:

  1. He is the firstborn of Mary (Matt 123-25)
  2. He is the first-begotten of the Father (Heb 1:6)
  3. He is the firstborn from the dead (Col 1:18)
  4. He is the first-begotten of the dead (Rev 1:5)
  5. In all things, He is the pre-eminent one (Col 1:18)
  6. He is the beginning of the creation of God (Rev 3:14)
  7. He is the firstborn among many brethren (Rom 8:28)
  8. He is the firstfruits of the resurrected ones (I Cor 15:20, 23)


  The Feast of Pentecost 

The feast of pentecost Exo 19-20:24; Deu 16:9-12; Exo 23:16, 17; 34:22, 23; Lev 23:15-21       This is the feast of Weeks or Feast of Pentecosts. It is the feast the Lord seemed to have in mind when He told Moses that Pharoah was to let the people go, so they could "hold a feast to Me in the wilderness." (Exo 5:1; 10:9).

Names of the feast

       This particular feast was known by different names, each of which set forth some facet of truth:
  1. The Feast of Harvest - Exo 23:16
  2. The Feast of Weeks - Exo 34:22; Deu 16:10, 16
  3. The Day of Firstfruits - Num 28:26; Exo 34:22
  4. The Feast of Weeks, the Firstfruits of Wheat Harvest - Exo 34:22
  5. The Feast of Harvest, the Firstfruits of Israel's Harvest - Exo 23:16
  6. The Feast of Pentecost (in the New Testament) - Acts 2:1; 20:16; I Cor 16:8

The old testament fiftieth day

      From Passover to Pentecost can be traced to the required 50 days. Passover took place on the 14th day of the first month (Exo 12:18; Num 28:16; Lev 23:4, 5). Israel left Egypt on the 15th day of the same month, in the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Lev 23:6; Num 28:17, 18; Exo 12:18).

     After the exodus they crossed the Red Sea (Exo 16:1; 19:1). At Mt. Sinai the Lord spoke to Moses to tell Israel to sanctify themselves against the third day. Then Moses went to the mount and the Lord wrote the Ten Commandments on tables of stone. In all, there are 50 days:

First month, Abib or Nisan 15 days
Second month, Zif 30 days
Third month, Sivan 4 days

Total

 49 days or 7 weeks (7x7-49)

     Then we come to the next day which was the 50th day when the Lord wrote with His finger the Ten Commandments.

The new testament fiftieth day

     After Christ's resurrection at the close of His 3 days and 3 nights in the tomb, He was seen by His disciples for 40 days, speaking to them of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God. At the close of this period of 40 days, He ascended back to the Father. The disciples tarried in Jerusalem in the upper room for 10 days and then "when the Day of Pentecost was fully come" the Holy Spirit was outpoured on the believing and waiting apostles. Thus we have:

Post-resurrection ministry of Jesus 40 days
Tarrying of the diciples 10 days

Total

 50 days to Pentecost

Old Testament Pentecost New Testament Pentecost
The fiftieth day The fiftieth day
Writing of Ten Commandments on two tables of stone Writing of commandments of love on tables of heart and mind (Matt 22:34-40)
By the finger of God By the Spirit of God (Luke 11:20; Matt 12:28)
Three thousand people slain Three thousand people live (Acts 2:41)
A ministration of death A ministration of life
The letter The Spirit 
Glory on the face of Moses Glory on the face of Jesus
Face veiled so people could not behold the glory Unveiled faces so we can be changed into the same glory
Glory to be done away Glory that remaineth
Ministers of the Old Covenent Minsters of the New Covenent
Mt. Sinai Mt. Zion (Heb 12:22-24)

 The Feast of Tabernacles 

The feast of Tabernacles Lev 23:23-44; Num 29:1-40; 10:1-10; Hebrews

     Between the Pentecost and Tabernacles there was an interval of three months, these being the 4th, 5th and 6th months. Passover and Pentecost were linked together by a few weeks but Tabernacles stood alone at the end of the year, separated from the previous feasts by several months.

    Most expositors of the Bible recognize that there is a definite significance in the time lapse between Pentecost and Tabernacles. Hence, this feast is generally recognized as the Feast of Prophecy - that is, a feast which has yet to find fulfilment. Does this feast pertain to the nation of Israel or the New Testament church?

Feast for Israel Only

Feast for the Church and Israel
      One school of thought is that the feasts strictly pertain to the chosen nation of Israel and have nothing to do with the New Testament church. Passover and Pentecost are spoken of as being the Jewish feasts and then the Mystery Body of Christ comes in between the first two feasts and the Feast of Tabernacles.

    This school holds that after Pentecost God's "prophetic clock" stopped because of Jewish unbelief. During the period of the church age, the Jews have been set aside and God is doing a new thing in the formation of the church. It is said that the church comes in during a parenthetical period of time, while the Jews have been set aside. Once God has finished with the church, then He will turn again to the Jews and they will have their eyes opened to accept Christ in the Feast of Tabernacles.

      The general teaching of the second school is that Passover was fulfilled in Christ, Pentecost ws fulfilled in the church, while the Feast of Tabernacles finds fulfilment in Israel. Or, the first four feasts pertain to God's heavenly people, the church, while the last three feasts pertain to God's earthly people, the Jews.

The Feast of Trumpets It finds fulfilment in the future regathering of long-dispersed Israel.
The Day of Atonement It is interpreted to be symbolic of the national day of cleansing from sin for Israel after their regathering.
The Feast of Tabernacles It is interpreted to be both a memorial as well as prophetic: memorial to Israel's redemption out of Egypt and prophetic as to the kingdom rest after her regathering and restoration.


 The Feast of Trumpets 

The trumpets of ram's horns Exo 19:16, 19; 20:18; Lev 25:9; Jos 6:4-13, 20; I Sam 2:1; I Chron 25:5       These trumpets were made of ram's horns. They were especially used to blast out the note of shouting at the fall of the walls of Jericho. It was the trumpet of Jubilee (Lev 25:10-54).
The trumpets of silver Num 10:2, 8, 9; 29:1; II Chron 5:12, 13, 7:6; Psalm 98;6       These trumpets were made of silver. Silver was the symbol of the price of redemption of the soul. It was used as ransom or the atonement money (Exo 30:11-16).


 The Day of Atonement

The day of atonement Lev 23:26-28; 25:9       The day of atonement was the most solemn of all days in Israel. It was:
  1. A day of holy convocation (Lev 23:27-32)
  2. A day of fasting (Lev 23:26-32; Num 29:7; Lev 16:31)
  3. A day of solemn assembly (Joel 2:15-17; Num 10:10)
  4. The tenth day of the seventh month (Lev 23:27; Num 29:7)

Ceremonies of the day of atonement - Lev 16

The golden censer (Lev. 16:1, 2; 12-14; Heb 9:4)

       The Lord commanded that Aaron not come into the Holiest of Holies except on this one day of the year. As he entered the veil, placing the incense on the fiery coals of the censer, a cloud of incense ascended, covering the Ark of Glory. Incense always speaks of prayer and its essential ingredients.
Washing of water (Lev 16:4, 24)      On this day there was the special washing of water in preparation for the sacrificial offerings. Aaron washed before he entered the sanctuary and then washed again in the Holy Place after the sanctuary had been cleansed. The ceremonial washing of water in the Old Testament pointed to the "washing of water by the Word." It also involves the washing of regeneration (Eph 5:26, 27; Titus 3:5; John 3:1-5; 15:3; 1 Cor 6:11; Heb 10:22; Psalm 51:7)
The sacrifices (Lev 16:3, 5-11, 14-28; Num 29:7-11)
  1. A young bullock for a sin offering - for Aaron himself and his house
  2. A ram for a burnt offering - for Aaron himself
  3. Two kids of the goats for a sin offering - one goat for the Lord and the other goat for the people
  4. One ram for a burnt offering - for the people
Additional offerings as in Numbers 29:7-11:
  1. Burnt offering - young bullock, a ram and seven lambs a year old
  2. Meal offerings appropriate to each of the blood sacrifices
  3. Sin offering - a kid of the goats
  4. The daily sacrifice of a burnt, meal and drink offering.
Atoning ministry (Lev 16:3-14-23)
  1. Atonement for Aaron and his household
  2. Atonement for the nation
  3. Atonement for the sanctuary
Atonement for Aaron alone (Lev 16:17)       When Aaron the High Priest fulfilled the atoning work, he was to enter alone - no other person was to be with him.
Entrance within the veil (Lev 16:2, 12, 15)      Only on this day did Aaron enter "within the veil." The veil of the tabernacle as a divider between the Holy Place and the Holiest of Holies. It signified a separation between God and man that could only be bridged by the work of atonement (Exo 26:31, 32).
Seven times sprinkling of blood (Lev 16:14)       The sprinkling of blood seven times on the mercy seat was prophetic of the perfect atonement that Christ would bring to His people.
The scapegoat (Lev. 16:8, 10, 20-22, 26)       When the atonement was completed as to his household, the nation and the sanctuary, then the live goat fulfilled its function in the ceremony.

     After Aaron had come out of the Tabernacle of the Congregation, he laid his hands on the head of the goat. As he did this, he confessed over the goat all the sins, iniquities, transgressions and uncleanness of Israel. (Note) When this was completed, the Scapegoat (or "goat for sending away") was taken by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness. The goat was to bear away all the iniquities of the people into a land uninhabited, or a land of separation. There the fit man would release the goat. Upon his return to the camp he was to bathe himself wholly in water and then take his place in the camp of the Lord and of Israel.
The bodies without the camp (Lev 16:23-28)      After the scapegoat had been sent into the wilderness, Aaron entered into the Holy Place, washed himself and changed his garments. Then he took the fat of the sin offering, burnt it on the altar in the Outer Court, for the fat belonged exclusively to the Lord for His altar (Lev 4:9, 10; 1 Sam 2:16).

     However, the bodie  of the sin offering, both the bullock and the goat, were taken by a fit man outside the camp where all was burnt. The skins, flesh and dung were wholly burnt. The person who did this returned to the camp, washed his clothes, bathed his flesh in water and then enter again into the fellowship of the Israel nation.

    The writer of the book of Hebrews takes this up and explains how Jesus fulfilled the sin offering. He went "outside the camp" of Jerusalem, outside of Judaism, after His rejection. In Golgotha He was crucified. His body was indeed outside the camp. It was not burnt physically as it was incorruptible, but it did suffer the consuming fire of God's holiness and righteousness against sin (Heb 12:29; 13:10-13).
Iniquity Vanity, perverseness of spirit (Matt 23:38; Titus 2:14; Isaiah 53:5, 6; 10; 59:12)
Sin To err, to miss the mark, to go astray, to fall (I John 5:17; James 4:17; Rom 14:23; I John 3:4
Transgression Rebellion, lawlessness, deception, trespass (Isaiah 58:1; I John 3:4; Daniel 8:23)
Uncleanness Foulness, defiled, pollution (moral and physical) (Lev 14:57; Num 19:7-22; II Cor 12:21)
Return to where you were


 The Feast of Tabernacles 

The feast of tabernacles Lev 23:33-34       With the closing of the year - the fruit harvest - gathered in, the people of Israel were to set aside seven days unto the Lord. From the fifteenth day till the twenty-first day there were to be seven days of rejoicing before the Lord. They were to leave their houses and dwell in booths made of various trees and rejoice before the Lord their God.

     On the first and eighth day, there were to be extra sabbath days or holy convocations. The whole feast pointed back to the first feast, the Feast of Passover, because the Feast of Tabernacles was the consumation of that which began in the Feast of Passover.
Names of the feast  

      There were several significant titles for the feast:

  1. The Feast of Tabernacles - Lev 23:34; Deu 16:13; Zech 14:16; Ezra 3:4
  2. The Feast of Ingathering - Exo 23:16
  3. The Solemn Feast - Deu 16:15; Hosea 12:9; 9:5; Psalm 81:1-3
  4. The Feast of the Seventh Month - Neh 8:14
  5. The Feast of Booths - Neh 8:14-15


The information in this document were adapted from "The Feasts of Israel" by Kevin J. Conner.