These are the feasts of the Lord, holy convocations which you shall proclaim at their appointed times. [Leviticus 23: 4]. Leviticus 23 is the single Chapter of entire Tanakh that sums up everything. God’s eternal plan – from chaos to eternity – is ingeniously revealed through the nature and timing of the Seven Annual Feasts of the LORD.
The feasts celebrate a historical event in Israel’s past, but also are a prophecy of future events, four of which have already come to pass. It is very important to note that the Feasts that symbolize a sequence of events, were given by God in a set chronological order. Therefore, the events that they symbolize will take place in the same exact order.
The four spring feasts, (1) Passover (Pesach), (2) Unleavened Bread, (3) First Fruits, and (4) Shavuot – Pentecost powerfully illustrate the truth and fulfilment of our salvation in Messiah. Indeed, the depth of LORD’s heart is expressed in the fulfilment of these biblical feasts that are outlined in Leviticus 23. The Almighty Creator says, “These are My appointed times, and they are … a perpetual statute” (Leviticus 23:2,31).
These are divine appointments by which the LORD calls His people to meet with Him. When He calls you can know for certain He will show up and bring a blessing to the obedient that come. These feasts were not just to bless Israel to become a holy people with the privilege of meeting with Him on these Holy Days.
The focal point of every feast was the sacrificial altar covered with the blood of a sacrificed unblemished animal—a substitute whose blood would atone for their sins and give them peace and reconciliation with their holy God and Creator. These feasts were given to Israel as a preview of the ultimate sacrifice and how important that sacrifice is, for without the shedding of blood our sins separate us now and eternally from a holy Creator.
The LORD gave us the blood to make atonement for our sins and the feasts point to that and they are fulfilled “through the offering of the body of Yeshua the Messiah once for all” (Hebrews 10:10). Therefore, every feast is most important and relevant to lead and draw both Jews and Gentiles who seek to know and behold Yeshua their Lamb.
The three fall feasts of Leviticus 23, (1) The Feast of Trumpets (Yom Teruah), (2) The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), and (3) The Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) are yet to be fulfilled. These three Fall Feasts are the conclusion of what began with Passover and exemplify and foreshadow Yeshua our Lamb and the LORD’s plan of redemption.
Yeshua often pointed to the “beginning” (Genesis), the Law of Moses (first five books) and the prophets (Jeremiah through Malachi) to reveal God’s plan for mankind and clues to recognize the Savior.
For the Jews of his time, understanding the Old Testament was key to discovering that Yeshua is their promised Messiah. And if you have heard the Good News from the New Testament and received Yeshua as your Savior, Old Testament prophecies and symbolism provide further proof and assurance that Yeshua is the Messiah, the son of the living God.
