09_03 The Feasts of the Lord

Document #09_03, The Feasts of the Lord, reveals through the yearly holy days of the Jews, the waymarks of the Plan of Salvation! In a “storacle of prophecy” – a historic recounting of the release of the children of Israel from Egyptian slavery, is the story that reveals the universal Plan to release all of us from the slavery of sin and death! Points of the historic deliverance are celebrated and illustrate the great moments that take us to eternal life and life in heaven with Jesus our great King!

Please read each text given as you come to it, for real comprehension of the messages the Feasts carry.
THE FEASTS OF THE LORD AND
THEIR NEW TESTAMENT FULFILLMENT

In one year’s Sanctuary services, there was typified the gospel plan from the time of Christ’s earthly ministry and sacrifice on the cross, continuing His ministry as our High Priest in the Sanctuary in heaven, to the climax of the gospel at His Second Coming and beyond, in the Paradise in heaven! The services of the Sanctuary on earth and the feast days were “a shadow of things to come” and they pointed to the ministry of Jesus in the entire gospel plan. See: Col. 2:14-17; Hebrews 9:6-15; Revelation chapter 4; and also Hebrews 10, verse 9; where we read:
“He taketh away the first, that He may establish the second.” The first, or earthly services of the Sanctuary, dealt with the “blood of bulls and goats” (v. 4) but the second (the real services in the heavenly Sanctuary, to which the earthly services pointed) dealt with “the offering of the body of Jesus once for all.” (v. 10).

Numbering the feasts is only correctly accomplished by using the words “holy convocation” as indicators.
Leviticus 23, verse 4, states:
“These are the feasts of the LORD, even holy convocations…” (a summoning to assemble for the day – ceremonial Sabbaths).

Thus, the feasts are: the feast of Passover (the first day of the feast of Unleavened Bread) – a holy convocation; next, the feast of Unleavened Bread (the seventh day of the feast of Unleavened bread is the Sabbath convocation that belongs to that feast); next, Pentecost. These are the spring festivals.

Next, the first day of the seventh month – the feast of Trumpets; which both warns of, and announces the soon-to-come Day of Atonement, which comes on the tenth day of the seventh month. Then the fifteenth day of the seventh month is the feast of Tabernacles for seven days; and finally, the Eighth Day of the feast of Tabernacles, on the twenty-second day of the seventh month, with its own “holy convocation.” These are the Fall festivals.

THE SEVEN FEASTS AND THEIR SIGNIFICANCE

1. PASSOVER – Exodus 12:1 to 13:16; Leviticus 23:5-8:

Fulfilled in Christ – 1 Corinthians 5:7 – “Even Christ our Passover” Matthew 27:50, 51 – “the veil of the Temple torn in two,” signifying that the earthly Sanctuary and its services were no longer in effect, but now to be fulfilled in Christ’s ministry in the Sanctuary in heaven. It was at the very moment of the sacrificing of the Passover lamb at the Temple that Jesus died on the cross and the veil of the Temple was torn, not with human hands, since it was torn from top to bottom. (The veil was thick – to occlude the light of the presence of God behind it – and several times the height of a man.)

The death of the lamb had typified the death of Jesus. John the Baptist proclaimed when he saw Jesus (John 1:29-34) the day after he had baptized Him, “Behold, the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world,” (and also, “…this is the Son of God!”) Jesus died on the preparation day for the Passover, [when the lamb was to be killed and roasted – to be eaten with the blood, not washed out. Exodus 12:8, 9.]
Jesus was buried just before sunset. Passover Sabbath – the Feast Sabbath – a “holy convocation,” began immediately following the sunset, as, in the Bible, the day begins with the sunset, not at midnight as we do. (see Genesis chapter 1). In Egypt, at midnight, the angel of death “passed over” the homes, and the people, that were covered by the blood of the sacrifice.

Jesus rested in the tomb over the Passover Sabbath, which was also the first day of the feast of Unleavened Bread, which, that year, happened to be also on the weekly Sabbath. (The women “rested…according to the Commandment.” Luke 23, v. 56.)

2. FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD
This seven-day feast commemorated the first days of the Exodus, when the people of Israel fled Egypt, and while on their march to the Red Sea, ate only unleavened bread (see Exodus 12:15-20, 33,34, and 39). They took their journey day and night till they encamped “…in Etham, in the [far] edge of the wilderness” (Exodus 13, verse 20), the only encampment they took on the way to the Red Sea. [NOTE WELL verse 21].
Included in the Feast of Unleavened Bread, after they were settled in the Promised Land and before the Barley harvest was taken in, was added the “wave sheaf…on the day after the Sabbath” (our Sunday, that year, the second day of Unleavened Bread). Leviticus 23:9-14.
FULFILLED – Matthew 27:57 – 28:8 – Jesus died at about 3 PM on the preparation for Passover Day (the latter started at sundown). He rested in the tomb over the Sabbath, and arose in the early part of Sunday (“the day after the Sabbath”). Then, as in the ritual of the “wave sheaf,” a firstfruit of the harvest of barley was presented before the Lord; Jesus became the firstfruit of all the resurrected ones that will come from earth (see 1 Cor. 15:20), the firstfruit from those who were dead.

On that same day, Jesus presented Himself before the Father as the firstfruit (John 20:11-20) and this was a promise of a great harvest of resurrected ones. It is significant that when Jesus died, there was an earthquake, and “the graves were opened: and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised: and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared unto many.” Matthew 27:51-53. This was the promise of a greater resurrection, as the wave sheaf was a promise of a greater harvest.

3. FEAST OF WEEKS (HARVEST OR FIRSTFRUITS) also called PENTECOST
(from the word “pente,” meaning fifty). This was at the presenting of the “wave loaves” made with leaven, which represented saved mortals, saved from sin by Jesus (Leviticus 23:15-21). This was at the beginning of the wheat harvest, and again was the promise of a bigger harvest.
FULFILLED – At the ascension of Jesus to heaven (Acts 1:9-11) He led to heaven with Him, a multitude of captives of the grave, those who arose with him at His resurrection, which He presented to the Father (see again Matthew 27:51-53 and compare to Ephesians 4:8).

This time, Jesus appeared before the Father to present them as the firstfruits or type of the Great Resurrection Day, when He will lead all of the resurrected redeemed ones of all the ages into heaven at the great final harvest. This great gathering is typified by the Feast of Tabernacles, which we will note in Section 6.
Of course, also fulfilled at this time, was Ephesians 4:8 – “Wherefore He saith, when He ascended up on high (see Acts ch.1, vs. 4,5, and 9), He led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.” Holy Spirit was poured out at Pentecost after the presentation of the firstfruits. Holy Spirit gave them many gifts, listed in verse 11, “For the perfecting of the saints for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ.” For the Christian era, we see this Pentecost as the “former” rain” given by Christ to develop the wheat till He comes for the harvest. For the Christian Jew, however, this was indeed the Latter Rain, that brings the seed to the perfect moisture content needed for the harvest to be of the best quality. It prepared the disciples for the work of the 3 1/2 years remaining to “confirm the Covenant with many for one week” (Daniel 9:27) that, if it had been fully received by the Jewish nation, would have brought the perfected harvest!

The FALL Feasts at the end of the agricultural year.

4. THE FEAST OF TRUMPETS – Leviticus 23:23-25:

Trumpets are usually associated with an announcement of, and warning of an important event that is coming. Here it is an announcement to prepare or get ready for the great Day of Atonement, a very solemn day, as we shall study in the next section, and which was just ten days away.
FULFILLMENT – This was fulfilled in the first angel’s message of Revelation 14:6,7, in which the beginning of the Judgment hour was announced!

This message sounded around the world in the messages of William Miller and many others just prior to 1844, when Jesus our High Priest entered into the Most Holy apartment of the heavenly Sanctuary to begin the work of Judgment for “the cleansing of the Sanctuary” (see Daniel 8:14 and the 2300 days prophecy). This work would be typified by the Day of Atonement, as explained in the next section.
As we near the end of this Day of Atonement, the Trumpet Judgments of Revelation 8 and 9 will come, warning mankind of the great Judgment by “the Ancient of Days” (Daniel 7:9-11) that is coming to a close in heaven.

5. THE DAY OF ATONEMENT – Leviticus 23:27-32:

“Ye shall afflict your souls…” This was not a feast of joy, but rather a very solemn day. The service of this feast is more fully described in Leviticus 16 (read the whole chapter) and here it describes the only time yearly that the High Priest ministered in the Most Holy apartment of the Sanctuary (which was the apartment “within the veil” [verse 12] and where the “mercy seat” [verse 13] was located.

He entered the Most Holy place to “make an atonement for the Holy place” (the entire Sanctuary) where the record of the confessed sins of the people
accumulated through the year, now to be cleansed from the Sanctuary. Two goats [verse 8] were taken – one was sacrificed as a sin offering [verse 9] which represented the death of Christ for the confessed sins of His people. The Jews were blind to the meaning of the first goat – it represented the Messiah when He came to die for their sins!
The other goat dies in the wilderness away from the camp [verse 10]. The banishment (on earth) of this second goat to certain death, represented the final destruction of the originator of sin and all sinners from the world, that will be completed at the end of the millenium [the 1,000 years].

“For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among His people.” Leviticus 23:29. This signified that the door of probation will finally close on the living! (see Rev.22:11,12).

The Day of Atonement symbolized the day spoken of in Daniel 8:14, where it reads, “then shall the Sanctuary be cleansed” at the end of the “two thousand and three hundred days.” [Key-word “cleanse” leads to Leviticus 16:3o and its context – the whole chapter].

A study of Daniel 9:24-27 establishes that the 2300 days is 2300 years [see Ezekiel 4:6 and Numbers 14:34].
Those years began in B.C. 457 and ended in A.D. 1844.

That year marked the beginning of the “cleansing of the Sanctuary” where Christ is ministering as our High Priest in the heavenly Sanctuary. This work will end, as stated by Jesus to the prophet John in Revelation 22:11 and 12. Judgment shall have finished then, as there will be no more change from evil to righteous or vice versa, and He says, “behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me,” indicating that the Judgment is over before Christ comes the second time. The Second Coming is symbolized by the Feast of Tabernacles, in the next section.

6. FEAST OF TABERNACLES – Leviticus 23:39-43:

During the Exodus, and all the way to the entering into the Promised Land, the people dwelt in tents or in booths made of branches and boughs. Their every need was supplied by God (water, food, and shelter) which they were to remember yearly, in this Feast.
This Feast is also called the Feast of Ingathering, and came at the end of the grape and olive harvest, which was the last harvest of the year. Because the harvest was now all gathered in, it was a time of great celebration. (Leviticus 23:34-36a)

FULFILLMENT – This represents the grand climax of the gospel at Christ’s
Second Coming (see Matthew 25:30,31). Here we have described the final harvest of souls or Ingathering. This is the time of John 14:1-3; of Isaiah 25:8 and 9; of Revelation 6:14-17, and of 1 Thessalonians 4:17. This is the type of the grand trip to heaven itself, with God supplying all of our needs till we get there, the antitypical Promised Land. Halleluyah!

7. THE LAST GREAT DAY of the FEAST (of Tabernacles):

On this 8th day, attached onto the end of the Feast of Tabernacles, in the ritual on earth, water is offered on the altar of sacrifice, with prayer for rain (water) to replenish the earth after the harvests.
FULFILLMENT – in the anti-type, this is the great day after arrival in heaven! Jesus will bring us to the water of life that flows from the Throne. After that, we will sit down to the Marriage Feast in heaven! (see Revelation 21, verse 6, Revelation 22:1 and 2, and compare that with John 7:2 and NOTE WELL verse 37, and the last part of Leviticus 23, verse 39).

Thus, the Feasts of the Lord reveal the way-marks of the entire plan of salvation; from the time of Christ’s earthly ministry and sacrifice on the cross, continuing His ministry as our High Priest in the Sanctuary in heaven, to the climax of the gospel at His Second Coming and beyond, into the Paradise in heaven.
Our understanding of apocalyptic prophecy must be modified by comparison of prophecy with the way-marks of the Feasts [which are also prophecy!]. The Trumpets shall sound, (the Loud Cry) and be experienced (the terrible Judgments of the Trumpets of Revelation chapters 8 and 9) as we near the end of “the hour of His Judgment” and His Judgments fall upon the nations in the “time of trouble, such as never was since there was a nation, even to that same time: and at that time thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book.” Daniel 12:1.

Our understanding of the “Investigative Judgment” is shown to be correct, by the anti-typical Day of Atonement, with the close of probation falling upon the living.
The Feast of Tabernacles points to the travel to the final “Promised Land,” the very Paradise of God in heaven, where there are “many mansions” (John 14:1-3) where Jesus has gone to prepare a place for us!

The 8th day, the “last great day of the Feast” (John 7, verses 2 and 37), and the final feast of the year, points us to the great final feast, the Marriage Feast of the Lamb. At that time, “the Lamb, which is in the midst of the throne, shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters” (Revelation 7, verse 17, compared with Revelation 21, verse 6).

Even the 1000 years of Satan imprisoned upon this earth, desolated by the Coming of Jesus in the “wrath of the Lamb” (Revelation 6, verse 16) is taught by the taking of the “scapegoat” into the wilderness, there to perish after a time. At the end of the 1000 years, there will be a resurrection of the wicked (Revelation 20, end of verse 4 and the first part of verse 5) and Satan is thereby loosed “a little season” (verse 3 and verse 7) and shall deceive all of the sinners of the second resurrection, into attempting to take the Holy City, New Jerusalem, by war (verses 8 and 9).
All of this is the glorious Plan of Salvation designed by our heavenly Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ, before time began on this earth. The sin problem will be summarily dealt with, and the saints will inherit the earth made new.

Are you striving to be among the saints? Is Jesus your Friend and advocate in the heavenly Investigative Judgment? Are you preparing to play your part in the final movements of the Trumpets (the Loud Cry) and of the Day of Atonement? You must know your message – the Three Angel’s Messages of Revelation 14, plus the Fourth Angel’s Message of Revelation 18 – and stand against the Beast (the New World Order!) and even Satan himself, regardless of persecution, even unto death! (But fear not at all, gentle Christian, you have eternal life, NOW, if Jesus is your Saviour from sin, and you endure unto the end!
“Blessed are they that do His Commandments, that they may have right to the
tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city!” Revelation 22, verse 14.) Again I say, you must know your Message, or you will be deceived along with most of the world!
Only the Truth of Prophecy protects you from the great deception. “For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall show signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.
But take ye heed:
behold, I have foretold you all things.” Mark 13, verses 22 and 23.

The great day of His wrath is at hand. LEARN YOUR MESSAGE!!

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