• “For the Lord GOD does nothing without revealing his secret to his servants the prophets.” - Amos 3:7

It is of interest that God’s meeting with Israel’s representative at the “mercy seat” (kappōret) is an appointed meeting (Exodus 25:22). So also were the other times when God met with the people before the tabernacle. The people were expected to come and God promised to meet them there. God keeps his appointments.*

festival

banquet

meeting

R. Laird Harris, Robert Laird Harris, Gleason Leonard Archer and Bruce K. Waltke, Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, electronic ed. (Chicago: Moody Press, 1999). 388.

Function (shadow)

• “In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight, is the LORD’s Passover. ” - Leviticus 23:5

• Commemorates night before the Exodus when the death Angel passed over all the Israelite homes protected by the blood of the lamb (Exodus 12)

Prophetic Significance (substance)

• Jesus is the final Passover lamb whose blood was shed for the sins of the elect

God’s Word

• “knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.” - 1 Peter 1:18–19

Function (shadow)

• “And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the LORD; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread.” - Leviticus 23:6

• To commemorate the haste with which the Israelites left Egypt

Prophetic Significance (substance)

• Jesus’ sinless life

God’s Word

• “that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,” - 1 Corinthians 15:4

• “He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth.” - 1 Peter 2:22

Function (shadow)

• ““Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you come into the land that I give you and reap its harvest, you shall bring the sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest,” - Leviticus 23:10

• To celebrate God’s gift of the harvest

Prophetic Significance (substance)

• Jesus’ resurrection

God’s Word

• “But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” - 1 Corinthians 15:20

Function (shadow)

• “You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath. Then you shall present a grain offering of new grain to the LORD.” - Leviticus 23:16

• To celebrate the joy and thankfulness to God for the harvest & the giving of the Law to Moses on Mount Sinai (Exodus 19)

Prophetic Significance (substance)

• Harvest of souls / gift of the Holy Spirit

God’s Word

• “But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people.” - Jeremiah 31:33

• “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.” - Acts 2:4

Passover Unleavened Bread Firstfruits

Jewish Feasts

Fulfillment in Jesus Christ

Death of Lamb Sinless and

buried Raised from the

dead

Weeks or Pentecost

Holy Spirit descends (50 days after the beginning of Feast of Unleavened Bread)

Day 1 Day 2 Day 3

Night Day Night Day Night Day

Fri Begins at sundown Thu.

Fri Ends at sundown

Sat (Sabbath) Begins at sundown Fri.

Sat (Sabbath) Ends at sundown

Sun Begins at sundown Sat.

Sun Ends at sundown

Crucifixion (9am-3pm) Burial (prior to sunset)

Resurrection (morning)

Passover Unleavened Bread Firstfruits

Jewish Feasts

Fulfillment in Jesus Christ

Death of Lamb Sinless and

buried Raised from the

dead

Weeks or Pentecost

Holy Spirit descends (50 days after the beginning of Feast of Unleavened Bread)

1

+50

3 1

Passover Unleavened Bread Firstfruits

Jewish Feasts

Fulfillment in Jesus Christ

Death of Lamb Sinless and

buried Raised from the

dead

Weeks or Pentecost

Holy Spirit descends (50 days after the beginning of Feast of Unleavened Bread)

1

+50

3 Fri Sun

Sun

1 Fri

Function (shadow)

• “Speak to the people of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe a day of solemn rest, a memorial proclaimed with blast of trumpets, a holy convocation.” - Leviticus 23:24

• To celebrate the anniversary of the week of re-creation and day of rest to be commemorated with the sound of trumpets

Prophetic Significance (substance)

• Rapture of the church

God’s Word • “in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at

the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.” - 1 Corinthians 15:52

Function (shadow)

• “Now on the tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. It shall be for you a time of holy convocation, and you shall afflict yourselves and present a food offering to the LORD.” - Leviticus 23:27

• To cleanse the high priest and the nation

Prophetic Significance (substance)

• Jesus’ second coming

God’s Word

• “And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and pleas for mercy, so that, when they look on me, on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.” - Zechariah 12:10

Function (shadow)

• ““Speak to the people of Israel, saying, On the fifteenth day of this seventh month and for seven days is the Feast of Booths to the LORD.” - Leviticus 23:34

• To commemorate the way the nation lived when they had just left Egypt and thanksgiving for God’s protection / care

Prophetic Significance (substance)

• Jesus’ return and reign with His people

God’s Word

• “It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and it shall be lifted up above the hills; and peoples shall flow to it, and many nations shall come, and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob…”

- Micah 4:1–2a

Feasts OT Reference Prophetic Significance Prophetic Reference

Spring

Alr

ead

y Fu

lfill

ed

Passover Leviticus 23:5 JC as Passover lamb whose blood was shed for our sins

1 Corinthians 5:7 1 Peter 1:18–19

Unleavened Bread

Leviticus 23:6 JC’s sinless life 1 Peter 2:22 1 Corinthians 15:4

First Fruits Leviticus 23:10 JC’s resurrection 1 Corinthians 15:20

Weeks or Pentecost

Leviticus 23:16 Harvest of souls / Gift of Holy Spirit

Acts 2

Fall

Yet

to b

e F

ulf

ille

d Trumpets Leviticus 23:24 Rapture of the Church 1 Corinthians 15:52

1 Thessalonians 4:13–18

Day of Atonement

Leviticus 23:27 JC’s second coming Zechariah 12:10 Romans 11:1–6 Romans 11:25–36

Booths Leviticus 23:34 JC’s reigns with His people Micah 4:1-7

The Great Jewish Feasts…