The Appointed Feasts of the Lord
The Voice of the Lord unto Moses
And the Lord spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying,
“Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the Lord, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are My feasts” (Leviticus 23:1–2).
These were days appointed by the Most High, sanctified by His Word, and sealed with remembrance, that Israel might not forget the works of His hand nor the covenant which He made with their fathers.
Of the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread
In the first month, on the fourteenth day at even, was the Passover of the Lord (Leviticus 23:5). For on that night, the Lord smote the firstborn of Egypt, but passed over the houses of Israel that were marked with the blood of the lamb.
And from the fifteenth day, they did eat unleavened bread for seven days, with no leaven to be found in their dwellings, for the Lord had brought them forth in haste from the land of bondage (Exodus 12:17–20).
The Sheaf of Firstfruits and the Feast of Weeks
On the morrow after the Sabbath, the priest waved the sheaf of the firstfruits, that it might be accepted for them (Leviticus 23:10–11). This was a token of thanksgiving at the beginning of harvest.
And seven Sabbaths were numbered, even fifty days unto the Feast of Weeks—Shavuot, wherein the people brought offerings of the firstfruits of their wheat, and rejoiced before the Lord, remembering how He gave them the law at Sinai (Exodus 19:1, Leviticus 23:15–21).
The Memorial of Trumpets
In the seventh month, on the first day, was a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation (Leviticus 23:24). The shofar sounded long and loud, calling the people to repentance, for the Day of Atonement was nigh.
The Day of Atonement
On the tenth day of the seventh month was the Day of Atonement, a solemn fast, wherein the high priest entered once into the holy of holies, with the blood of sacrifice, to make atonement for the sins of the people (Leviticus 16:29–34).
No work was to be done, for it was a sabbath of solemn rest, a time to afflict the soul and seek the mercy of the Lord.
The Feast of Tabernacles
On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, they kept the Feast of Tabernacles, also called Sukkot, for seven days they dwelt in booths made of palm and willow, remembering how the Lord made them to dwell in tents in the wilderness (Leviticus 23:39–43).
It was a time of rejoicing, a festival of harvest and of remembrance, when all Israel came up to Jerusalem to worship.
Of Their Significance and Fulfillment
These feasts were not only for remembrance, but for prophecy. For in the Passover, Christ our Passover was sacrificed for us (1 Corinthians 5:7). In the Firstfruits, He rose from the dead, the firstborn from among the dead (1 Corinthians 15:20).
In Pentecost, the Spirit was poured out, and in the Trumpets, we await the sound that shall call forth the resurrection. In Atonement, we see the blood that speaketh better things than that of Abel. And in Tabernacles, we look to the day when God shall dwell with man, and the Lamb shall be their light.
A Perpetual Witness
And it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations: that the feasts of the Lord are holy convocations, full of meaning, full of glory, and pointing unto the fullness that is in Christ.
Blessed be the Lord, who gave Israel the seasons of joy, the times of repentance, and the memorials of His mighty acts.