I am writing this after the Jewish celebration of Shavuot, the last of the major Spring feasts, during the fairly long interval before the Autumn feasts occur in September. For further study, I would encourage readers to peruse the rich vein of teaching by Helen Belton on ‘The Jewish Feasts’ in the Prophecy Today study archive.

Leviticus 23 starts by reminding us that these feasts are not really Jewish feasts at all, but they are the “feasts of the Lord” (Lev 23:2) – and God quite clearly says: “these are My feasts”.

Leviticus 23:3 reminds us of the importance of observing every seventh day as a Sabbath of solemn rest, and then the pattern of seven is repeated as the remainder of the chapter lists seven annual feasts which are to be observed at their appointed times. Whilst each of these seven holidays is in many ways a memorial of God’s faithfulness to the children of Israel in the time of Moses, theys are also rehearsals for the seven most important predetermined events in God’s great plan of salvation. Seven is the number of completeness, and God’s plan of salvation will be complete only when all seven of these holy convocations have been fulfilled.

The Appointed Times as Dress Rehearsals

Whilst, in English, we speak of the seven major holidays in Leviticus 23 as ‘the Feasts of the Lord’, they are not all ‘feasts’ in the sense of eating, drinking and making merry. Yom Kippur, for example, is the most serious fast day on the whole Jewish calendar. The Hebrew word ‘moedim’, which is commonly translated in this chapter as ‘feasts’, really means appointed times, appointments, fixed times or set times. They are key dates fixed in advance by God.

The Hebrew word ‘moedim’, which is commonly translated in this chapter as ‘feasts’, really means appointed times, appointments, fixed times or set times. They are key dates fixed in advance by God.

Leviticus 23:2 also describes these appointed times as “holy convocations” or “sacred assemblies”. The Hebrew word ‘miqra’, which is generally translated as a convocation or an assembly, can also mean a rehearsal. The seven appointed times in Leviticus 23 are sacred dress-rehearsals for the key events in God’s plan of salvation. Four of these dress-rehearsals occur in the Spring, and each has now all been fulfilled. The four appointed times in the Spring represent Phase One of God’s plan of salvation, and Phase One was fulfilled by Jesus almost two thousand years ago. The three remaining dress-rehearsals occur in the Autumn, they represent Phase Two of God’s plan of salvation, and they will be fulfilled when Jesus returns.

The Lord’s Passover

Leviticus 23:5 specifies that the Lord’s Passover is to be held at twilight on the 14th day of the first month (Nisan). The preparations for Passover are specified elsewhere in Scripture. The Passover lamb was to be brought into the house on the tenth day of the month (Exodus 12:3), and all the (old) leaven was to be cleansed from the house. Jesus fulfilled these requirements as the Lamb of God when he entered his Father’s house (the temple) on the 10th of Nisan, and when he cleansed it by expelling the merchants and money-changers (Mark 11:15).

Eventually, on the day of Passover, the High Priest would bind the Passover lamb to the horns of the altar in the temple at the third hour. When Jesus was crucified, these dress-rehearsals became the real thing – and Jesus was fixed to the cross at the third hour (Mark 15:25), bang on schedule.

In the temple, at the ninth hour, the High Priest would ritually slaughter the Passover lamb, and he would exclaim in Hebrew: “Kalah”, meaning ‘It is completed’ or ‘It is finished’. Likewise, Jesus died at the ninth hour, saying “It is finished” (John 19:30).

Jesus fulfilled the appointed time of the Lord’s Passover in every single detail, and everything was fulfilled at the exact hour – just as the Jews had rehearsed it for many centuries.

The Feast of Unleavened Bread

Leviticus 23:6-7 stipulates that the 15th of Nisan is to be observed as a special Sabbath at the beginning of the seven-day Feast of Unleavened Bread. Throughout this time the Jews are only allowed to eat bread made without leaven (yeast). All leaven, which represents sin, is banished from the house.

The 15th of Nisan was fulfilled by Jesus when he lay in the tomb, having been “wounded for our transgressions and bruised for our iniquities” (Isaiah 53:5) and having carried all our sins to the grave. Jesus took all our ‘leaven’ right away from us.

The Jews (unknowingly) rehearse the concept of Jesus lying in the tomb via a specific ritual at Passover. A broken piece of matzah (unleavened bread) is wrapped in a clean white linen cloth. This carefully wrapped piece of matzah, called the ‘afikomen’, is then hidden – just as the body of Jesus was wrapped in fine linen and laid out of sight in the tomb (Mark 15:46). Later, the children search for the afikomen – and hopefully one of them finds it, just like Mary found the risen Lord Jesus (John 20:16).

The Feast of First fruits

Leviticus 23:10-11 specifies that an omer (or sheaf) of the first fruits of the harvest (which refers to the barley harvest, the first harvest of the year) was to be brought to the priest and lifted up as a wave-offering to God on the day after the Sabbath in the week of Unleavened Bread. This thanksgiving offering to the Lord of the harvest served as a pledge that the rest of the harvest would be realised.

Jesus fulfilled this appointed time when he rose from the dead on the Feast of First fruits (Easter Sunday) and became “the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Cor 15:20). When Jesus was raised (lifted up or ‘waved’) from the dead, his resurrection served as a pledge that the rest of the harvest of souls would also be realised.

Leviticus 23:12 adds that a male lamb without blemish should then be given as a burnt offering to God. After his physical resurrection from the dead, the Lamb of God (who is totally without blemish) ascended to the Father just like the smoke of the burnt offering (Acts 1:9; John 20:17).

The Feast of Weeks

Leviticus 23:15-16 instructs the children of Israel to count seven Sabbaths from the Feast of First fruits, a process known as ‘counting the omer’, after which they should make a new grain offering to the Lord on the fiftieth day, the Feast of Weeks (Shavuot or Pentecost).

The Feast of Weeks coincides with the second major harvest of the agricultural year, the wheat harvest, and it is a time when the children of Israel traditionally give thanks to God for the gift of the Torah (the teaching, guidance and instruction of God). At the third hour (9 a.m.), the time of the morning sacrifice in the temple, when the Jews were indeed thanking God for his gift of the Torah, the Lord God fulfilled the Feast of Weeks by pouring out his Living Torah, the Holy Spirit, upon the faithful disciples in Jerusalem (Acts 2:15). Yet again, the fulfilment of an appointed time occurred at the precise hour on the exact day that had been rehearsed for many centuries.

When the Jews were indeed thanking God for his gift of the Torah, the Lord God fulfilled the Feast of Weeks by pouring out his Living Torah, the Holy Spirit, upon the faithful disciples in Jerusalem.

On that very special Pentecost, when the Feast of Weeks was fulfilled, the “new grain offering to the Lord” (Lev 23:16) was in the form of “about three thousand souls” who were saved (Acts 2:41). It is interesting to note that the number who were saved on that day matched the number who died due to their rebellion against God during the very first Feast of Weeks (Exodus 32:28).

What next?

The Feast of Weeks is the last of the appointed times that occur in the Spring. There is then quite a long gap before the remaining appointed times, which occur in the Autumn. To me, this long gap symbolises a period of roughly two thousand years.

Just as the Lord’s appointed times in the Spring are all associated with the first coming of Jesus, so the appointed times in the Autumn are all associated with the second coming of Jesus. But more on that next time …