The feasts – part 1
Leviticus 23:1-2 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2 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.
Seven feasts of the Lord:
There are many types and shadows in Scripture and the feasts of the Lord are also types and shadows of special events and workings of God. They are probably also involved in prophetic events yet to occur. The first four were literally fulfilled in Christ’s first coming, death and resurrection and the coming of the Holy Spirit. The last three will be fulfilled in the future events to take place on this earth.
Passover – Jesus died on the Passover which was typified by the death of the Passover Lamb by Israel. It is rooted in their deliverance from Egyptian bondage and the blood preventing the death of all first born when the death angel went thru the land. It typifies the forgiveness of sin thru the blood of Christ.
Unleavened bread – this began the day after Passover and continued for seven days. There was to be no leaven found in houses. This began the day after Passover; however, leaven had to be eliminated for the Passover celebration as well. This type (no leaven for the Passover and the following week) indicates the absence of sin in the lives of believers and also the absence of corruption in Christ when he died and was buried (1 Cor 5:7-8; Psa 16:10). It also typifies the nature of the church – jesus said it was to be spotless and pure Eph 5:27.
First fruits – this was celebrated on the “morrow after the Sabbath”. The priest would take the first ripened sheaf from the barley harvest and wave them before the altar—only after the death of Christ they were waved before a torn veil. Christ arose on the first day of the week – the morrow after the Sabbath – as the first fruits from the dead (1 Cor 15:20, 23).
Feast of weeks – this was the time period between the first fruits and the feast of Pentecost – it numbered fifty days.
Feast of Pentecost – this was a Holy Convocation day – no servile work was to be done. Two loaves were presented before the Lord but they were to be made with leaven (Lev 23:17). Leaven typifies sin and corruption and has a couple significant relations to us. The Holy Spirit came on this day and indwelt the believers. Believers still reside in bodies that are affected by the fall and corrupt, but the inner man was cleansed by the blood of Christ. Another type was referencing the fact that both Jews and Gentiles were joined together in the church as the Body of Christ.
All four of these feasts were literally fulfilled by Christ and other events associated with His sacrifice and first coming. Four months interval separated these four feasts with the last three. The time between them are indicative of this present time period we are living in.