Hello Friends,
To understand the Seven Feasts of the Lord, we need to remember that Jesus is a Jew, His heritage is Jewish, and He taught in Aramaic/Hebrew to His disciples and to the people. Also, just as we have certain “terminology” or “sayings/slang” in whatever part of the world we live in, so did Jesus and the Jewish people. To truly understand the Seven Feasts, and especially the prophetic books of the prophets, including Daniel and Revelation, we need to understand Messiah’s roots, the Hebraic/Jewish roots, in order to understand the Holy Bible the way God meant for us too. In the Torah (first five books of the Holy Bible), God gave the Jews and the Gentiles Seven Feasts to celebrate each year; Passover, Unleavened Bread, FirstFruits, Shavuot, Trumpets, Yom Kippur, and Tabernacles. Most Christian believers celebrate Passover and Shavuot, but do not keep or recognize the other five feasts. Why did God give us these Seven Feasts? Could these Seven Feasts represent important “divine appointments” by Messiah Himself in the future? As we explore the hidden mysteries of the Lord’s Seven Feasts, let us remember what our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ said about the Torah. Matthew 5:17-18, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Torah or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.” Amen. Without question, Messiah states that He will fulfill every “jot and tittle,” of the Torah, including His feasts.
Leviticus 23:1-2, “And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘The feasts of the Lord, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts.” The Lord told Moses to tell the children of Israel about His feasts. Before we can discover these prophetic Seven Feasts, we need to define the English words with the original Hebrew meaning of the words.
The Hebrew word for “feasts,” is Mo’ed, which means “divine appointments.” Strong’s Dictionary, H-4150. mow’ed, mo-ade’; or mo’ed, mo-ade’; from H-3259; prop. an appointment, i.e. a fixed time or season; spec. a festival; conventionally a year; by implication, an assembly (as convened for a definite purpose); also a signal (as appointed beforehand):–appointed (sign, time), (set, solemn) feast, (appointed, due) season, solemn (-ity), synagogue, (set) time (appointed).
The Hebrew word for holy convocations is Miqra, which means “rehearsal.” Strong’s Dictionary, H-4744. miqra’, mik-raw’; from H-7121; something called out, i.e. a public meeting (the act, the persons, or the place); also a rehearsal:–assembly, calling, convocation, reading.
Also, the Lord stated that these were His feasts, not Israel’s feasts, not the Jewish people’s feasts, but His feasts. So, it is very important for Jew and Gentile to “proclaim” and celebrate His feasts yearly.
The Torah was original written in Hebrew. When we substitute the original Hebraic meaning into this Scripture, it would read something like this. (I am paraphrasing to common English). “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: “The divine appointments of the Lord, which you shall proclaim to be rehearsals, these are My divine appointments.” What is this Scripture telling us? It is telling us that God has pre-ordained when He will have His divine appointments with us, and He has given us, Jew and Gentile, the Seven Feasts to observe as “rehearsals.” By “rehearsing” these feasts, we will understand and recognize His prophetic meanings, which occur on specific dates found on His calendar, the Hebrew calendar. Just like we rehearse for a wedding, or any other activity, He wants us to rehearse and keep these Seven Feasts, because at the final wedding, Messiah’s wedding, He is the groom, and we are His bride! Again, it is very important to remember, the Lord clearly states that these are His feasts, and they are to be observed.
God pre-ordained exactly when Messiah’s First Coming would be, during the four Spring Feasts. He pre-ordained when he died (Passover), when he was buried (Unleavened Bread), when he arose (FirstFruits), when he ascended into heaven, and when the Holy Spirit was poured out (Shavuot/Pentecost). God is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Hebrews 13:8, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” So if we believe that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, then He will fulfill the three fall feasts (Second Coming Events), Trumpets, Yom Kippur, and Tabernacles, to the exact day, just as He fulfilled the four Spring Feasts (First Coming Events) to the exact day. He also has pre-determined exactly when the rapture will be, when the 7 year tribulation will begin, when the Day of Judgment will be, the wedding of Messiah, the coronation of Messiah, and when He will set up His 1000 year reign on earth in Jerusalem to “tabernacle” among mankind! We have to remember that the Almighty did not speak in secret. Isaiah 45:19, “I am the Lord, and there is no other. I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth; I did not say to the seed of Jacob (Israel), ‘Seek Me in vain‘; I, the Lord, speak righteousness, I declare things that are right.” 2 Peter 20:-21, “Knowing this first, that no prophesy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophesy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” Amen. The Torah (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Number, Deuteronomy) is very important today, just as it was in Moses’ day. Messiah himself said He came to fulfill the Torah and even elaborated saying “absolutely everything” would be fulfilled, including His feasts. God tells us in Isaiah 46:9-10, “Remember the former things of old, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure.” The Lord stated He has declared the end (Revelation/End Times) from the beginning (Torah), from ancient times (Torah), things that are not yet done (End Times). So if we would like to know what God is telling us, we need to focus on the Torah and Jesus, including His Seven Feasts. Isaiah 55:11, “So shall My Torah be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent (Jesus).”
What is so amazing about the Torah is that Jesus will be teaching it during His 1,000 year reign (Feast of Tabernacles). Isaiah 2:1-5, “Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the Lord’s house (Jerusalem) shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it (1,000 year reign). Many people shall come and say, “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, To the house of the God of Jacob (Israel); He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths.” This clearly puts Messiah on earth during the 1,000 year reign. “His ways,” is the Torah (Matthew 5:17-18, fulfill the Law). For out of Zion (Jerusalem) shall go forth the Torah, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and rebuke many people; They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.” This Scripture is definitely referring to the period of time that follows the Battle of Armageddon (Yom Kippur), when there is peace among all nations (above) and Jesus’ 1,000 year reign (Feast of Tabernacles) begins on earth. Micah 4:1-2, “Now it shall come to pass in the latter days (end times) that the mountain of the Lord’s house (Jerusalem) shall be established on the top of the mountains, And shall be exalted above the hills; And peoples shall flow to it. Many nations shall come and say, “Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, To the house of the God of Jacob (Israel); He will teach us His ways, And we shall walk in His paths.” For out of Zion the Torah shall go forth, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.” It is clear Messiah is teaching the Torah during His 1,000 year reign. Please refer to Micah 4 and Revelation 20. So, if the Torah was important in the beginning, and Jesus will be teaching the Torah during His 1,000 year reign, we can agree that the Torah is important to understand and obey today as well!
One word of caution to Jews and Gentiles as we explore the Lord’s Seven Feasts. As a nation, the Jewish people who lived in Messiah’s time (First Coming) missed the appointed time! The Jewish people kept Passover (Exodus) every year for 1,500 years, but as a nation, they did not recognize the prophesies of the prophets or the Lord’s feasts. As a nation, they totally missed what the great prophets prophesied concerning the coming of Jesus, the Messiah. Today, we need to prepare ourselves so we do not miss the signs and warnings in the holy Scriptures for His Second Coming. Luke 12:56, “Hypocrites! You can discern the face of the sky and of the earth, but how is it you do not discern this time?” Luke 19:41-44, “Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.” Wow… Messiah cried for Jerusalem and the Jewish people because “they did not recognize the time of their visitation, His first coming! Even though they kept Passover, they totally missed Jesus’ First Coming. They should have known, because of the prophetic scriptures of Isaiah, Ezekiel, Daniel and others. These prophesies clearly reveal the details of Messiah’s First Coming. Furthermore, the people failed to heed Jesus’ prophesies concerning the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in AD70. As we explore the Seven Feasts, let us remind ourselves of this Scripture, “you did not know the time of your visitation.”
The Seven Feasts of the Lord
Leviticus 23:1-2, “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: “The divine appointments of the Lord, which you shall proclaim to be rehearsals, these are My divine appointments.”
God’s calendar is the Hebrew/Jewish calendar. Most of us go by the Gregorian/Caesar calendar, but there are many different calendars used around the world. However, God’s calendar, the Hebrew calendar, is based off of the sun and the moon, just as He commanded. Obviously we need to be on the Gregorian calendar to keep up with our daily obligations, etc. So, why should we understand the Hebrew/Jewish calendar, God’s calendar? We need to know God’s calendar in order for us to recognize when God’s events, His Feasts, will occur. Genesis 1:14, “Then God said, “Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and seasons, and for days and years.” There are Seven Feasts; Passover, Unleavened Bread, FirstFruits, Shavuot, Trumpets, Yom Kippur, and Tabernacles. They are divided into Spring Feasts and Fall Feasts. The Spring Feasts were fulfilled with Messiah’s First Coming; Passover, Unleavened Bread, FirstFruits, and Shavuot. The Fall Feasts, Trumpets, Yom Kippur, and Tabernacles, have not been fulfilled yet. We will explore the fulfilled feasts first, the Spring Feasts, and we will conclude with the unfulfilled feasts, the Fall Feasts.
The Four Spring Feasts (Divine Appointments)-Passover, Unleavened Bread, FirstFruits, and Shavuot/Pentecost-All Fulfilled in Messiah’s First Coming
1st Feast-Passover
Leviticus 23:5, “On the fourteenth day of the first month at evening is the Lord’s Passover.” This day is Nisan 14, and usually falls on the Gregorian calendar in early April. Passover weekend is usually called the pagan name, Easter. The Jewish people have kept Passover since the first Passover in Egypt. Exodus 12:1-30,” Now the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, “This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you. Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying: ‘On the tenth of this month (Nisan 10) every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household. And if the household is too small for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next to his house take it according to the number of the persons; according to each man’s need you shall make your count for the lamb. Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year. You may take it from the sheep or from the goats. Now you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month (Nisan 14). Then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at twilight. And they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it. It is the Lord’s Passover. ‘For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord. Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. ‘So this day shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord throughout your generations. You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting ordinance. This was the first Passover. The description of the lamb as “unblemished,” symbolizes Messiah, the unblemished Lamb of the world. God commanded them to keep this day as a “memorial.” Also, He commanded them to celebrate this feast “throughout your generations.” Why? He was training the people to understand when to look for Messiah. This was a “rehearsal,” and it was to be continued as a rehearsal, so they would recognize “their time of visitation.” God is not going to command us to do a rehearsal if it is not relevant to His divine plans and appointments. Numbers 9:2-3, “Let the children of Israel keep the Passover at its appointed time. On the fourteenth day of this month (Nisan 14), at twilight, you shall keep it at its appointed time (rehearsal). According to all its rites and ceremonies you shall keep it.”
Messiah’s Fulfillment of Passover – The 1st Feast-Fulfilled
On Nisan 10, four days before Passover, the people were commanded to take a lamb. Exodus 12:3, “On the tenth of this month (Nisan) every man shall take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household.” In Jesus’ day, all of the sheep were raised in Bethlehem, just as our Lamb, Jesus, was born in Bethlehem. Ironic? As the lambs were coming from Bethlehem into the north gate to be sacrificed for Passover, Messiah was coming in the eastern gate, the Lions Gate, as the Passover Lamb of the world. They entered into Jerusalem at the same time for Passover, both to be killed. John 12:12-13, “The next day a great multitude that had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees and went out to meet Him, and cried out: “Hosanna! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ The King of Israel!” Hosanna means “save now.” Messiah was coming to Jerusalem to be killed in order to save mankind. Also, when Jesus and the lambs were coming into Jerusalem, the Jews were singing Psalm 118:24-26, “This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it. Save now (Hosanna), I pray, O Lord; O Lord, I pray, send now prosperity. Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! We have blessed you from the house of the Lord.“
Furthermore, before Passover (Nisan 14), the Jewish people were commanded to inspect the lambs and make sure they did not have any blemishes. Exodus 12:5, “Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year.“ As they were inspecting the lambs without blemish, the Pharisees and Chief Priests were inspecting Jesus. Mark 12:13, “Then they sent to Him some of the Pharisees and the Herodians, to catch Him in His words.” They did not find anything wrong with Jesus, as He was without blemish. Matthew 26:59-60, “Now the chief priests, the elders, and all the council sought false testimony against Jesus to put Him to death, but found none. Even though many false witnesses came forward, they found none.” Even Pilate found Him without “blemish.” Luke 23:13-15, “Then Pilate, when he had called together the chief priests, the rulers, and the people, said to them, “You have brought this Man to me, as one who misleads the people. And indeed, having examined Him in your presence, I have found no fault in this Man concerning those things of which you accuse Him; no, neither did Herod, for I sent you back to him; and indeed nothing deserving of death has been done by Him.” Luke 23:4, “So Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowd, ‘I find no fault in this Man.‘ ” Why did God command the people of Israel to take the lamb four days before Passover (10th-14th)? From Adam to Christ is 4,000 years. 2 Peter 3:8, “But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” The four days symbolized the 4,000 years that had passed from the time of Adam until the time of Jesus. The Almighty has a timetable for which everything has been and will be fulfilled, just as with the Passover. Ephesians 1:4-7, “Just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love, having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.“
During all of the Seven Feasts, the Jewish people sing the Psalms 113-118, in that order. So before Passover, after the Lord’s supper and before He was betrayed, the Jewish people were singing Psalm 118, the last song. They didn’t realize they were singing about Messiah’s rejection and crucifixion. Psalm 118:21-23, “I will praise You, for You have answered me, and have become my salvation. The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone. This was the Lord’s doing; It is marvelous in our eyes. Psalm 118:27, “God is the Lord, And He has given us light; Bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar.” The Jewish people were singing this in their “rehearsal” and didn’t realize that “the time of their visitation,” had come! Jesus was about to fulfill this prophesy right in front of their eyes! They were about to “bind the sacrifice to the horns of the altar (Jesus).”
Nisan 14-When Passover came, the High Priest’s “rehearsal” was to sacrifice the Lamb. They had been rehearsing this for 1,500 years prior to Messiah. So at the third hour (9am), the morning sacrifice, the High Priest would bind the lamb for Passover. So, at the exact hour, as the High Priest was binding the lamb for sacrifice for Passover, they were also binding Jesus to the cross. Mark 15:21-25, “Then they compelled a certain man, Simon a Cyrenian, the father of Alexander and Rufus, as he was coming out of the country and passing by, to bear His cross. Now it was the third hour, and they crucified Him.” Again, God’s timing is exact, as was the timing of the crucifixion of His Son, Jesus. However, after keeping Passover for 1,500 years, and the prophesies of Messiah’s First Coming, the people did not recognize “the time of their visitation.”
As they were lifting Jesus’ nailed body up on the cross, the people were singing the last song commanded by God. Psalm 118:14-16, “The Lord is my strength and song, And He has become my salvation. The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tents of the righteous; The right hand of the Lord does valiantly. The right hand of the Lord is exalted; The right hand of the Lord does valiantly.” Matthew 27:45-47, “Now from the sixth hour (12 noon) until the ninth hour (3pm, evening sacrifice) there was darkness over all the land. And about the ninth hour (3pm evening sacrifice) Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?” that is, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” Some of those who stood there, when they heard that, said, “This Man is calling for Elijah!” John 19:30, “So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.” When the High Priest was killing the lamb for Passover (the evening sacrifice-3pm), Jesus gave up the Ghost on the cross, and He died for all of mankind’s sins. Amen. Also, when Jesus said, “It is finished,” this is a direct reference to the High Priest, as he would say those exact words when he finished killing the lamb. The symbolism is undeniable. God had pre-ordained all of these events to the exact detail, just as the prophets prophesied. Passover was a rehearsal for Messiah’s First Coming, and the people did recognize the times. So, Messiah fulfilled Passover to the exact day and hour.
2nd Feast – The Feast of Unleavened Bread – Fulfilled
Leviticus 23:6, “And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the Lord; seven days you must eat unleavened bread” This feast begins the day after Passover, Nisan 15, for seven days. Why is this feast for seven days? It symbolizes the 7,000 years of mankind. Genesis 2:2-3, “And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.” 2 Peter 3:8, “But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” From Adam to Jesus, was 4,000 years, and from Jesus to now, is 2,000 years. So we are about to enter into the 7,000th year, 7th millennium, the “year of rest, on Tishri 1 (September 14).” God created the world in six days and rested on the 7th day. Also, every seven years, He commanded Israel to have a year of rest. Leviticus 25:1-7, “And the Lord spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When you come into the land which I give you, then the land shall keep a sabbath to the Lord. Six years you shall sow your field, and six years you shall prune your vineyard, and gather its fruit; but in the seventh year there shall be a sabbath of solemn rest for the land, a sabbath to the Lord. You shall neither sow your field nor prune your vineyard. What grows of its own accord of your harvest you shall not reap, nor gather the grapes of your untended vine, for it is a year of rest for the land. And the sabbath produce of the land shall be food for you: for you, your male and female servants, your hired man, and the stranger who dwells with you, for your livestock and the beasts that are in your land, all its produce shall be for food.“ So if the 7th day is a day of rest, and the 7th year is a year of rest, then the 7th millennium is a “millennium of rest.”
Exodus 12:15, Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses. For whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel.“ Leaven bread symbolizes sin. God wanted them to remove the leaven (sin) out of their house, to remove it from their lives. He commanded this in the foreshadow of Messiah’s First Coming, as He was without sin. (unleavened). Exodus 13:7-10, “Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days. And no leavened bread shall be seen among you, nor shall leaven be seen among you in all your quarters. And you shall tell your son in that day, saying, ‘This is done because of what the Lord did for me when I came up from Egypt.’ It shall be as a sign to you on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes, that the Lord’s law may be in your mouth; for with a strong hand the Lord has brought you out of Egypt. You shall therefore keep this ordinance in its season from year to year.”
Messiah’s Fulfillment of the 2nd Feast – Unleavened Bread
After Jesus was crucified on Nisan 14, the day after, Nisan 15, is the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Messiah was unleavened, without sin, and fulfilled the Feast of Unleavened Bread. 2 Corinthians 5:21, “For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” Hebrews 4:15, “For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” Also, He was laid in the tomb (buried) on the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Mark 15:46, “Then he bought fine linen, took Him down, and wrapped Him in the linen. And he laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock, and rolled a stone against the door of the tomb.” The “rehearsal” of this feast was after the first Passover in Egypt. The Egyptians buried their firstborn on Nisan 15, just as God Almighty “buried” His Son on Nisan 15, the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Numbers 33:3-4, “They departed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month (Nisan 15); on the day after the Passover the children of Israel went out with boldness in the sight of all the Egyptians. For the Egyptians were burying all their firstborn, whom the Lord had killed among them,” So, Messiah fulfilled the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the exact day.
God wants us to remove sin (leaven) from us as well. 1 Corinthians 3:16-17, “Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.” 1 Corinthians 5:2, “And you are puffed up, and have not rather mourned, that he who has done this deed might be taken away from among you. Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?” Leaven “puffs up,” like sin, and God wants us to remove it from our lives. Paul was telling them to get the sin (leaven) out of their life. 1 Corinthians 5:7-8, “Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.“
Although Jesus was crucified and buried, he would rise on the third day. John 20:1-2, “Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene went to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. Then she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.“ Psalm 16:10, “For You will not leave my soul in Sheol (Hell), nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Jesus fulfills this in the third feast, the Feast of FirstFruits.
3rd Feast – The Feast of FirstFruits – Fulfilled
Leviticus 23: 10-12, “And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When you come into the land which I give to you, and reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest. He shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, to be accepted on your behalf; on the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it. And you shall offer on that day, when you wave the sheaf, a male lamb of the first year, without blemish, as a burnt offering to the Lord.” This was clearly a “rehearsal” as God commanded a “male lamb, without blemish.” So while the High Priest was waving the sheave to the Lord, a lamb was to be sacrificed. A sheaf represents a person or people. (Strong’ s Dictionary, 6016, Sheaf ‘omer, from OT 6014, properly, a heap, i.e a sheaf represents a person and sheaves, people.) This was clearly a symbolic foreshadow of Messiah. (When you wave the sheaf, a male lamb (Messiah) of the first year, without blemish). God was training them to “rehearse” the Feast of FirstFruits, for Jesus’ First Coming.
Messiah’s Fulfillment of the 3rd Feast – FirstFruits
Matthew 28:1,5-6, “Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. But the angel answered and said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said.“ The Sabbath is our Saturday and the first day of the week would be Sunday. See how the Scripture states at “dawn.” Messiah wasn’t in the tomb at dawn because He had risen. So, as the High Priests were waving their first fruits (sheaf) to the Lord, at dawn on Sunday, Messiah rose from the dead at the same time and He became the FirstFruits of mankind. The first sheave that the High Priest would wave, is a representation that the entire harvest would be fulfilled. And since Messiah rose from the dead, then we know that we will rise from the dead as well. 1 Corinthians 15:20, “But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” Acts 26:33, “That the Christ would suffer, that He would be the first to rise from the dead, and would proclaim light to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles.” The Christian believers are the “sheaves,” and they will be coming back with Messiah for His Second coming. Psalm 126:6, “He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.” Amen. This Scripture describes the Second Coming (Yom Kippur) of our Lord Jesus Christ with His saints. Messiah is the First Begotten Son, Firstborn of Mary, First begotten of the dead, Firstborn of all creatures, Firstborn of mankind, FirstFruits of the resurrection, and the beginning of the creation of God. Without question, He is the FirstFruits and fulfilled the Feast of FirstFruits to the exact day.
4th Feast – Shavuot/Pentecost/The Feast of Weeks – Fulfilled
Leviticus 23:15-17, “And you shall count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering: seven Sabbaths shall be completed. Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall offer a new grain offering to the Lord. You shall bring from your dwellings two wave loaves of two-tenths of an ephah. They shall be of fine flour; they shall be baked with leaven. They are the firstfruits to the Lord.” So right after FirstFruits, they were to count seven sabbaths (7 x 7=49), and on the 50th day, they were to celebrate Shavuot/Pentecost. On this day, the Torah was given to the children of Israel at Mount Sinai. The Jewish people have kept Shavuot for the last 3,500 years, and 1,500 years before Messiah. God wanted them to “rehearse” every year, so they would be ready to receive the pouring out of the Holy Spirit on this day (Shavuot), after Messiah’s ascension.
The counting of the Omer is the ancient unit of measure which was originally used by the Jewish people to measure barley (spring harvest) as an offering in the Temple in Jerusalem. So, the counting of the Omer is important because it is a verbal counting of each of the forty-nine days (seven weeks) between Passover and Shavuot. The Omer is counted, because God commanded it to be done in Leviticus 23-15-16. For hundreds of years, the Jewish people lived in Egypt, a pagan society. They were not ready to receive the Torah, God’s “instruction.” So during this 49-day period between Passover and Pentecost, God was re-training them, spiritually and mentally, by giving them different instructions to follow in order to create obedience and discipline among the people. Even though they witnessed all of God’s miraculous events in Egypt (10 plagues, Red Sea miracle, etc), God knew permanent spirituality had to come to the Jewish people. This change only comes from adjusting one’s mindset towards God and by practicing His laws. The counting of the Omer is a count, a journey, from Passover to Shavuot. Passover is a symbol of our salvation through Messiah, and Shavuot completes the process with the remembrance of the pouring out of Messiah’s Spirit, the Holy Spirit. The 50 days is a time of reflection, thankfulness, growth, purification, and preparation.
Messiah’s Fulfillment of the 4th Feast – Shavuot/Pentecost
All of Messiah’s appearances after His resurrection came during the counting of the Omer to Shavuot. On the first day of Omer, the Holy Bible says that Messiah appeared to Mary, as she wept at the empty tomb of Jesus after his resurrection. At first, she did not recognize him. When he asked why she was weeping, she told him she wept because they had taken away her Lord, and she did not know where they had laid him. When he spoke to her, she turned and saw it was him. This was His first appearance. John 20, 18-19, “Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her. Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, “Peace be with you.” On the eighth day of the counting of the Omer, Messiah appeared to “doubting Thomas” and the disciples. John 20:24-28,”Now Thomas, called the Twin, one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” So he said to them, “Unless I see in His hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe.”And after eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, “Peace to you!” Then He said to Thomas, “Reach your finger here, and look at My hands; and reach your hand here, and put it into My side. Do not be unbelieving, but believing.” And Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord and my God!” During the counting of the Omer, Jesus was seen by more than 500 people. 1 Corinthians 15:6-7, “After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.” Also during the counting of the Omer, Jesus appeared to several as they were fishing on the sea. John 21:1-3, “After these things Jesus showed Himself again to the disciples at the Sea of Tiberias, and in this way He showed Himself: Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of His disciples were together.“
On the 40th day of the counting of the Omer, Messiah ascended to heaven. Acts 1:3-4, “To whom He also presented Himself alive after His suffering by many infallible proofs, being seen by them during forty days and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God. And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me.” Acts 1:9, “Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.“ Why did Messiah tell them to stay in Jerusalem? Because they were commanded by God to be there three times a year, and Messiah told them to “wait for the Promise of the Father, the pouring out of the Holy Spirit.” Deuteronomy 16:16, “Three times a year all your males shall appear before the Lord your God in the place which He chooses: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks (Shavuot), and at the Feast of Tabernacles; and they shall not appear before the Lord empty-handed.”
On the day of Shavuot, exactly 50 days from FirstFruits, the Holy Sprit was poured out among the people who accepted Jesus as their Messiah. Acts 2:1-13, “When the Day of Pentecost had fully come (50th Day), they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, “Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born? Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs—we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.” So they were all amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “Whatever could this mean? Others mocking said, “They are full of new wine.” When Jesus ascended into heaven He promised that He would send the helper, the Holy Spirit. This is what the people in this passage were experiencing, the Holy Spirit of God. John 14:15-17, ““If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray to the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever, the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.” Luke 24:46-49, “Then He said to them, “Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem (Deuteronomy 16:16). And you are witnesses of these things. Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you (Holy Spirit); but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.“
Messiah fulfilled the Feast of Shavuot/Pentecost, to the exact day of the first Shavuot/Pentecost (Exodus 19), which marked the giving of the Torah, from God through Moses, to the Jewish people after their Exodus from Egypt. Acts 2:41, “Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.” The first believers numbered 3,000 people. After some time, thousands more believed. Acts 4:4, “However, many of those who heard the word believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.” Acts 21:20, “And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord. And they said to him, “You see, brother, how many myriads of Jews there are who have believed, and they are all zealous for the law.” Ironically, at the first Shavuot, the giving of the Torah, Moses came down from Mt. Sinai to find the people worshipping a golden calf. That day, 3,000 Jewish people died on Mount Sinai. Exodus 32:27-28, “And he said to them, “Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘Let every man put his sword on his side, and go in and out from entrance to entrance throughout the camp, and let every man kill his brother, every man his companion, and every man his neighbor. So the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses. And about three thousand men of the people fell that day.” The first Shavuot, the giving of the ten commandments, was written on stone tablets by God, and the Holy Spirit was poured out on the tablets of our hearts and souls. Amen
Summary of the first Four Spring Feasts, Passover, Unleavened Bread, FirstFruits, and Shavuot
Jesus fulfilled all four Spring Feasts to the exact day and hour. Do we see the pattern of the “rehearsals,” the divine appointments? God wanted the people to rehearse the feasts, so they would recognize and understand Messiah’s First Coming. Most of the people simply did not “understand the time of their visitation.” Only a few faithful people actually did understand it. (Luke 19:41-44). Before the foundation of the world, God pre-determined exactly when the Exodus Passover and the giving of the Torah would be. He also pre-determined when Messiah’s First Coming would be. He pre-ordained when Messiah would be born, when he would die, when he would be buried, when he would be resurrected, when he would ascend into heaven, and when the Holy Spirit would be poured out, to the exact day of the “rehearsals,” the divine appointments. This is absolutely incredible! Hebrew 13:8, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” Just as the four Spring Feasts were rehearsals for Messiah’s First Coming, the three Fall Feasts are the “rehearsals” for His Second Coming, the divine appointments. Please note that the four Spring Feasts happened exactly in order; Passover (died), Unleavened Bread (buried), FirstFruits (arose), and Shavuot/Pentecost (Holy Spirit poured out). So, if Messiah fulfilled the four Spring Feasts to the exact day, and in the exact order, we can be assured the three Fall Feasts (Second Coming Events) will be on the exact days and will happen in the exact order, according to the Scriptures. At God’s choosing, the events of Messiah’s Second Coming will be fulfilled during the Fall Feasts, just as His First Coming was fulfilled during the four Spring Feasts. They will occur in the exact order His prophets have foretold throughout the Holy Scriptures.
The Three Fall Feasts (Divine Appointments) – Feast of Trumpets, The Day of Atonement, and The Feast of Tabernacles
Just as it is important to celebrate the four Spring Feasts for the remembrance of Messiah’s First Coming, it is equally important to celebrate the “rehearsals,” the divine appointments, for the three Fall Feasts, for His Second Coming. Why? Matthew 5:17-18, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Torah or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the Torah till all is fulfilled.“Why did Messiah say these words? One of the reasons is that the Torah has not been completely fulfilled, including the three Fall Feasts. Isaiah 55:11, “So shall My word (Torah) be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent.” “The thing for which I sent,” is referring to Jesus. He will “accomplish and fulfill” the Torah, just as this scripture states. Let’s not forget, God declared the end from the beginning (Torah), and expects us to understand His Feasts. Isaiah 46:9-10, “Remember the former things of old, for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, And I will do all My pleasure.” Amen. Also, we need to remember that God has not spoken in secret when it comes to Bible prophesy. Isaiah 45:19, “I am the Lord, and there is no other. I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth; I did not say to the seed of Jacob (Israel), ‘Seek Me in vain‘; I, the Lord, speak righteousness, I declare things that are right.” 2 Peter 20:-21, “Knowing this first, that no prophesy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophesy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” Remember, most of the people did not recognize Jesus’s first coming, even though they had been “rehearsing” for His coming by observing the first four Feasts. The people were commanded to keep the Feasts, and, additionally, they also had the prophetic scriptures of the prophets that told them how to look for the signs of Messiah’s First Coming. However, “they did not recognize the time of their visitation.” Luke 12:56, “Hypocrites! You can discern the face of the sky and of the earth, but how is it you do not discern this time?” Luke 19:41-44, “Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, saying, “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes. For days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment around you, surround you and close you in on every side, and level you, and your children within you, to the ground; and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not know the time of your visitation.” As we journey through these three fall feasts, keep in mind that the people who were living during Messiah’s First Coming should have known the prophetic signs and times, but, most of them, just did not recognize the signs. They just did not understand the time. On God’s appointed year, Jesus is coming back for His Second Coming, and He will fulfill these three Fall Feasts to the exact day, and in the exact order, just as He did in His First Coming and the four Spring Feasts.
Symbolization of God’s 7 Feasts
Messiah’s First Coming: Passover (died), Unleavened Bread (buried), FirstFruits (arose), and Shavuot (Holy Spirit poured out). According to the Holy Scriptures, these four Feasts have been fulfilled.
Messiah’s Second Coming: Trumpets (repentance), Yom Kippur (redemption), Tabernacles (rejoicing). According to the Holy Scriptures, these three Feasts have not been fulfilled.
5th Feast – The Feast of Trumpets/Yom Teruah/The Feast of the Day and Hour Nobody Knew/The Day of Blowing – Unfulfilled
God gave a command for all seven of His Feasts to be observed. Leviticus 23:1-2, “And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘The feasts of the Lord, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations (rehearsals), these are My feasts (divine appointments).” From the Hebrew definitions above, holy convocations means “rehearsals,” and feasts mean “divine appointments.” These feasts are for Jew and Gentile to celebrate and proclaim, as they are the Lord’s feasts. The Feast of Trumpets is a two day feast, Tishri 1 & 2, which represents repentance. Why are the three fall feasts not proclaimed and kept by some people? One reason is that Satan has tried to keep us from following God’s calendar, the Hebrew calendar, so that we do not understand the Lord’s feasts and observe them. Daniel 7:25, “He shall speak pompous words against the Most High, shall persecute the saints of the Most High, and shall intend to change times and law.” The Hebrew word for “times” is Mo’ed, which means “divine appointments.” Why would Satan want to change the divine appointments (feasts) of the Lord? He understands the Scriptures very well, and he knows that these three fall feasts, the divine appointments, are to prepare God’s people for Messiah’s Second Coming. Satan also knows these divine appointments (feasts) will bring his ultimate destruction. Satan wants to deceive as many people as possible, and keep Christians from understanding and being aware of God’s calendar so that they will miss Messiah’s Second Coming events, “the time of our visitation.” Throughout history, Satan has influenced different world leaders to create different calendars, in order to minimize the Hebrew calendar. Although the Gregorian/Caesar calendar is the most widely used calendar, it is not the calendar God uses. God uses His calendar, the Hebrew Calendar. Satan has been successful at deceiving people and steeri