The seven feasts of Israel, as found in Leviticus 23, provide a prophetic preview of the vital future events relating to Christ and the Church. The seven feasts are important to comprehend so the believer can have a basic understanding of God’s calendar.
Passover, the Feast of Redemption, Leviticus 23.5. A lamb without spot or blemish was to be sacrificed and his blood shed for deliverance and salvation. It was by divine design from the beginning of time our Lord Jesus was to be sacrificed on Passover Day. Passover represents our salvation in that The Lamb of God, John 1.36, takes away the sin of the world.
Feast of Unleavened Bread begins on the night after Passover, Leviticus 23.6. God commanded the Jews to eat unleavened bread during the week following Passover, symbolizing a holy walk with the Lord. The unleavened bread of the New Testament is the body of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is called the Bread of Life, John 6.35 and His body was buried during this feast.
Feast of Firstfruits, Leviticus 23.10-11, is held on the Sunday following Unleavened Bread. In it, Israel would acknowledge Him as the One Who gave them the fertility of the land. They were to bring the firstfruits of the early crops to the priest in the Temple to be waved before the Lord on their behalf. Jesus became the "First Fruits" out of the grave (1st Cor. 15:20).
Pentecost, connoting fifty days, was to occur fifty days after Firstfruits, see Leviticus 23:15-17 and involved taking two wave loaves baked with leaven and of equal weight. Since they are baked with leaven, which symbolizes sin, they represent sinful men. God was predicting the Church would be comprised of two equal parts, Jews and Gentiles. When the Holy Spirit came on Pentecost, there was a harvest of 3,000 spirits. Acts 2:41 represented only a small part of the harvest that was to come.
Feast of Trumpets, Leviticus 23:23. Trumpets were to be blown at the commencement of the feast, which finds its exact parallel in the consummation of all things (1 Corinthians 15.51-52 and 1 Thessalonians 4.16-17). When that great trumpet sounds, the graves will give up those who died in faith and believers who are alive will rise from the earth. All the believers will be mysteriously changed and outfitted for immortality (1st Cor. 15).
Day of Atonement was a solemn holy day when the high priest of Israel entered into the Holy of Holies and made a sacrifice on his behalf as well as for all the sins of Israel, see Leviticus 23.27. Jesus is the final atonement for all sins once and forever, see Hebrews 9 and 10. The Day of Atonement will be fulfilled in a wonderful way when the Lord returns at His Second Coming.
Feast of Tabernacles celebrates that God wanted to provide shelter for the Israelites in the wilderness, see Leviticus 23.39-43. Each year, devout Jews build little shelters outside their houses in which to worship God. The Lord's home will be in heaven and all the world will go to Him for shelter.
by Lane Rogers