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Biblical Feasts

© Virginia Marin

"Come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord our Maker. For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand" (Psalm 95:6-7).

In Leviticus 23, are found seven important biblical feasts given to the Jews by God, which brought them together to worship Him. These appointed times are collectively known as the mo'adim and are:

• Passover
  
• Unleavened Bread
  
• Firstfruits
  
• Feast of Weeks (Shavuot)
  
• Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah)
  
• Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur)
  
• Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot)

What is of special interest to Messianic Jews and to Gentile Christians is that the first three major events for Believers - Jesus' death, burial, and resurrection fell exactly on the first three Jewish feasts.

That is to say, as the Passover was being celebrated, which included the slaying of an unblemished Lamb, Jesus was on the cross (I Corinthians:5-7). Passover represents the sacrificial death of Christ and the value of His blood. Passover originated in Egypt with the last plague, with the slaying of the first born in all of the land. It was brought to fulfillment the night Messiah was arrested after He had observed the Passover with His disciples. Some believe Luke 22:16 teaches that the Passover will be observed in the Kingdom "For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God."

Then, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, Massoth pictures sanctification as Jesus was buried. Unleavened bread was eaten for seven days beginning the day after Passover. Unleavened bread speaks of a believer's walk and fellowship with Christ based on His redemptive work (I Cor. 5:7-8).

Thirdly, the Feast of Firstfruits, celebrated the morning after the first Sabbath following the feast of Unleavened Bread, and always on the first day of the week (Leviticus 23:10-11). It is symbolic of Jesus being the first of Firstfruits (I Corinthians 15:23), and represents the Resurrection.

The next big event for Believers, the coming of the Holy Spirit, fell exactly on the next feast fifty days later, the Feast of Weeks, and known to Christians as Pentecost.

Now, the interesting thing to consider at this point is this: If the first four major events of the New Testament Church happened EXACTLY on the first four Jewish feasts, is it not reasonable to expect that the next big event for Believers would fall on the next scheduled Jewish feast of Rosh Hashanah, the Feast of Trumpets? And, what is the next big event for which Messianic Jews and Gentile Christians are looking? They are looking for the Rapture. Perhaps the Rapture will occur on a Rosh Hashanah, the Feast of Trumpets. To the Believer in Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Feast of Trumpets has great prophetic significance, for we are told in I Thessalonians 4:16-17:

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