Biblical Feasts of Israel
Leviticus 23 lists seven annual feasts given by G-d to Israel. These ancient
holy days are still in observance today. They bring understanding to both
Jews and Gentiles as they reveal the nature and the heart of G-d.
PASSOVER
Passover comes in the spring, and commemorates the miraculous exodus
of the Children of Israel from Egyptian slavery.
Christians should be interested to know that Jesus was crucified on Passover,
and the New Testament--or New Covenant--refers to Jesus as "our Passover Lamb" (1 Corinthians 5:7).
For more on Passover, click here.
UNLEAVENED BREAD
The Feast of Unleavened Bread goes hand in hand with Passover. It starts the day after Passover, and continues for seven days. During this time, we put all leavening out of the home, and eat unleavened bread, a reminder of the bread eaten in the wilderness. Deliverance from slavery was so fast, the Israelites didn't even have time to allow their bread to rise. Because the two Feasts are connected, the term Passover is often used to include both Passover and Unleavened Bread.
For Christians, the New Covenant uses leavening as a picture of sin. Unleavened bread reminds us of the sinlessness of Jesus. Removing leavening from our homes during the feast reminds us to search our hearts and remove hidden sin from our lives.
FIRST FRUITS
The Feast of First Fruits is celebrated the day after the first day of Unleavened Bread. It is a thanksgiving feast for the first barley harvest, a sign of the larger harvest to come.
The New Covenant teaches that Jesus raised from the dead on the Feast of Firstfruits, a promise of resurrection and eternal life to all who trust in him.
SHAVUOT
Christians know this day by its Greek name Pentacost, which means "fifty". Shavuot comes fifty days, or seven weeks, after Passover. Shavuot is a thanksgiving feast for the wheat harvest. Tradition says that G-d gave Moses the law on Mt. Sinai on Shavuot.
The New Covenant says that G-d gave the Holy Spirit to believers in Jerusalem on Shavuot. For more on Shavuot, click here.
ROSH HASHANA
Rosh HaShana, means "The Head of the Year". It is a Fall holiday and begins the Jewish religious year. Also called the Feast of Trumpets, because the blast of trumpets summons Jews to assemble on this day. According to tradition, Rosh HaShana begins ten days of judgment, when people search their hearts and try to make things right before G-d, who will judge on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur).
The New Covenant says that when Jesus calls the body of believers to himself (commonly referred to as "The Rapture of the Church"), it will be to the trumpet call of G-d. (1 Corinthians 15:52) This leads some to speculate that perhaps the "rapture" will occur on Rosh HaShana, though Jesus said that no one could know the day or the hour of his return (Mark 13:32).
For more on Rosh HaShana, click here.
YOM KIPPUR
Yom Kippur, The Day of Atonement, was the only time when the high priest could enter into the Holy of Holies in the Temple, where the glory of G-d resided. Leviticus 17:11 says that blood is the atonement for sin. Once a year, on the Day of Atonement, a priest approached the L-RD with the blood of a sacrificed animal, acting as an intercessor, asking forgiveness of sins on behalf of the people. Now that there is no Temple and no sacrifice, Jews hope to be forgiven by repentance, fasting and prayer.
The New Covenant says that when Jesus was sacrificed, he offered his own blood as a sin atonement for all people (Romans 3:25). It records that at the death of Jesus, the veil of the Temple was torn in two. (Matthew 27:51). His intercession on behalf of the people of the world opened the way that whoever would trust him could safely approach the glory of G-d and obtain mercy. (Hebrews 4:16)
SUKKOT
Sukkot, the Feast of Booths, is the final fall harvest festival. Jewish people build temporary dwelling places, or booths, as a remembrance of the time Israel spent wandering in the wilderness, without a permanent home. The booths are decorated with tree boughs and fruits of the harvest. At the end of the holiday, water is poured out as a symbol of prayer and faith for winter rains.
On this last day of the Feast, when water was poured out, Jesus stood up and said with a loud voice,"If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." (John 7:37-38, NIV).
For more on Sukkot, click here.
IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT THE BIBLICAL FEASTS OF ISRAEL FROM A MESSIANIC PERSPECTIVE, CHECK OUT THE FOLLOWING RESOURCES:
Visit the Precious Holidays Blog at www.PreciousHolidays.wordpress.com
