The LORD said to Moses, “Speak to the Israelites and say to them:
‘These are my appointed festivals, the appointed festivals of the LORD,
which you are to proclaim as sacred assemblies.’”
Leviticus 23:1-2
The Jewish people held festivals that were ordained by God to commemorate important events in the history of their people. Jesus also symbolically and literally fulfilled or will fulfill them all. This is crucial to understand.
Over the next two days, let’s look at the Jewish festivals as they relate to Jesus’ First Coming and Second Coming. They paint a beautiful picture of how He has fulfilled the spring feasts and will fulfill the fall feasts. The first three spring feasts occur over eight days in our months of March or April. Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection also happened during this window of time. The fourth feast is called the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost and is 50 days later in May or June.
Here is a basic summary (which does not nearly do them justice) of the four feasts in the spring:
- Passover begins on the 14th day of the first month of the Jewish religious year (Exodus 12:1-14, Leviticus 23:5, Numbers 28:16-23, Deuteronomy 16:1-7). It commemorates the Jews’ deliverance from Egypt, and when they put the blood of unblemished lambs on their doorposts. Jesus fulfilled this feast by being the unblemished lamb that was slain for us (John 1:29, 1 Corinthians 5:7, 1 Peter 1:18-19, Revelation 5:6, etc.).
- The Feast of Unleavened Bread is celebrated right after Passover, starting on the 15th day of the first month of the Jewish religious year (Exodus 12:15-20, Leviticus 23:6-8, Numbers 28:17-25, Deuteronomy 16:8). It commemorates the hasty escape of the Jews from Egypt (Exodus 12:31-34). During the feast, all leavened bread was removed from the homes to signify removing sin (leaven or yeast) from their lives. Jesus fulfilled this by declaring Himself the Bread of Life (John 6:26-58), and encouraging us to remove the sin, or leaven, from our lives (Luke 12:1, 1 Corinthians 5:6-8, Galatians 5:7-9).
- The Feast of Firstfruits (Leviticus 23:9-14). The Jews offered the first fruits of their barley crops to the Lord on one day. 1 Corinthians 15:20-23 declares that Jesus is “the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep”, or died, in the faith. It is believed that Jesus was resurrected on this feast day. And as a result, we will also be raised from the dead at His Second Coming should we not be alive at the point of His return.
- The Feast of Weeks is one day that is seven weeks after Passover (Leviticus 23:15-21, Numbers 28:26-31, Deuteronomy 16:9-12). The people joyfully made an offering to the Lord from the wheat harvest. The New Testament fulfillment took place in Acts 2:1-4, which is called Pentecost, the time of the Holy Spirit’s arrival. A great spiritual harvest also took place. This occurred on the exact day of the Feast of Weeks.
Tomorrow we will look at the Fall Feasts, and how Jesus will fulfill them all at His Second Coming.