The Feasts of Isreal - God's Picture of the Seven Most Significant Events of History
The Spring Festivals of Israel – Prophecy Fulfilled
Introduction
The word “Feast” in Hebrew is found in Leviticus in two forms. The first word for ‘feast’ in Leviticus 25:2 is mo’ed, as it is written: “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.” The word mo’ed means ‘an appointment, a fixed time or season, an appointed time, a set time or an appointment.’ By understanding the meaning of the Hebrew word, we can see that God is telling us that HE is ordaining a ‘set time or exact time or and appointed time when He has an appointment with humanity to fulfill certain events in the redemption. In fact, Yeshua came to earth at the exact time ordained by God [Gal 4:2,4] and G-d has an exact time, or set appointment when, in the future, He will judge the world [Acts 17:31]. Edward Chumney, The Seven Festivals of the Messiah, p.4
The Biblical Calendar
In order to understand and appreciate the feast God has appointed it is important to understand the Biblical calendar. We have all heard of the Jewish new year, which occurs in September or October, in the month of Tishrei, called Yom Kippur. Tishrei is the first month of the civil year, and is remembered as the anniversary of the creation of the world, the creation of Adam, the fall, and numerous other significant events. However, in Exodus 12:2, commemorating the Exodus, God established the religious calendar, which begins six month earlier, in the Spring, in the month of Nisan. In this way, the first civil month, Tishrei, is the seventh religious month, and the first religious month, Nisan, is the seventh civil month.
Characteristics of all Seven Messianic Festivals
There are several important characteristics to remember about each of the great festivals of the Lord.
ü Like much of scripture, you will find that each of the feasts is historic, commemorating an actual event. That is the surface layer, and for those without wisdom, it is the only layer required.
ü Each of the festivals is also prophetic in nature, and for those with eyes to see and ears to hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches, much more is revealed. The second important point that we find is that each of the festivals is prophetic about Yeshua, the Messiah.
ü The third aspect of the festivals is that each marks an agricultural event, typical of parables used by Yeshua as He walked the earth, to help make the message clearer. The Harvest festivals speak not only of the physical harvest, but also of the harvest at the end of this Age, the great spiritual reaping of more souls than ever before in the history of the earth.
ü Another important aspect of the festivals is that the timing of the festivals is based on the Jewish lunar calendar of about 354 days. To make up for the difference between the lunar and solar years, which govern the seasons, every three years or so, the Jewish calendar will have a thirteenth month. This is why the Jewish festivals do not fall on the same day each year as measured by our solar based calendar.
ü The fifth aspect of the festivals is that each speaks of your personal relationship with God, and our walk with him, as we grow in faith and spiritual maturity.
ü Another very important aspect of the feasts is that they typify the sequence and timing of the significant major events of the Lord’s redemptive plan. Beginning with Passover, where Yeshua gave Himself as the Lamb, and climaxing in the coronation of Yeshua and the beginning of the 1,000 year Messianic Kingdom at Succoth, the Feast of Tabernacles. Edward Chumney, The Seven Festivals of the Messiah, p.11., and Howard and Rosenthal, The Feasts of the Lord, p14.
Overview of the SPRING Festivals
1) Pesach, or Passover occurs on the fourteenth day of the first month of the religious calendar, Nisan. The Israelites slew the Passover Lamb on the afternoon of the 14th of Nisan, and before midnight, which would have been on the fifteenth since the new day starts at sunset, the Israelites left Egypt.
2) The Feast of Unleavened Bread, [Hag HaMatzah] is a seven day feast that begins on the fifteenth of Nisan and continues to the twenty-first of Nisan, commemorating the passage through the desert without the time to bake leavened bread.
3) The Feast of Firstfruits of the barley harvest, occurs on the seventeenth day of Nisan, or three days after Passover. This feast celebrated the early barley harvest, or first fruits of the year, with a wave offering to God.
4) The Feast of Weeks, [Shavuot] is also known as Pentecost, the Greek word for fifty. It is not tied to a specific day of the calendar, but is determined by counting seven weeks plus one day, or fifty days from the feast Firstfruits to the Feast of Pentecost.
Note that all four festivals were LITERALLY fulfilled within the space of two months - from the time of the Crucifixion until Pentecost. This is applicable as well to the Fall Feasts, PROPHECY UNFULFILLED, BUT SOON TO BE FULFILLED. THIS WILL BEGIN IN YOUR LIFETIME.
Overview of the FALL Festivals
5) Rosh Hashanah, or Trumpets occurs on the first day of the sacred seventh month, of the religious calendar, Tishrei. It is a picture of the Lord's Second Coming, described by Yeshua [Jesus] himself in Matthew 24, where the Lord will descend with the sound of the Trump and gather together first, those who have died in the Lord, and then those who remain, so that we will ever after be with Him.
6) Yom Kippur or The Day of Atonement or Judgment Day, occurs on the tenth day of the sacred seventh month, of the religious calendar, Tishrei. The days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are called the Ten Days of Awe. Yom Kippur is depicted in Matthew 25: 31-34, where all living flesh will stand before the returned Lord Yeshua and be separated into sheep and goats. The sheep will enter the 1,000 year millennial kingdom, and the goats will be summarily thrown into hell. Romans 11:26 tells us that all Israel will be saved.
7) Succoth, or the Feast of Tabernacles, occurs on the fifteenth day of the sacred seventh month, of the religious calendar, Tishrei. It is the most joyful and festive of all Israel’s feasts. It is a picture drawn for us by the Holy Spirit of the joyous beginning of the seventh Millennium, and is the Wedding of the Lamb, and the Wedding Supper celebration.
It is my firm belief, based on extensive study of the Holy Scriptures, that these three Feasts will LITERALLY be fulfilled in one fall in the year of our Lord's return, at the eve of the seventh Millennium, in which the Lord Yeshua will physically live in the Temple in Jerusalem, and will reign as the King of the Earth for 1,000 years, and we will be with Him here. Never heard that before? Read on, and let the Holy Spirit witness to the truth.
Coming Soon: The Fall Feasts - Prophecy of our Future
