Notes:
1. When studying any topic influenced by the Jewish calendar, it is important to remember the Jewish day begins at sundown not at midnight like our own. Also, the Jewish calendar is a lunar calendar which means that it does not synchronize exactly with our solar calendar. The phase of the moon is central to calculating when the month begins. A month begins with the new moon. In fact, the word “month” in the KJV is the English translation of the Hebrew word chôdesh which means “the new moon.” It is also interesting to note that when Jesus said “Are there not twelve hours in the day?” (Jn. 11:9) He was acknowledging the fact that the Jews divided the daylight into 12 equal divisions not matter the time of year so that the winter “hour” would be much shorter than in the summer “hour.’
2. First Fruits (Hebrew Bikkurim) takes place on the day after the first Sabbath (Saturday) during the 7 days of Unleavened Bread (Lev. 23:11).
3. The Counting of the Omer begins on FirstFruits (Lev. 23:15). Seven Sabbaths were counted and the next Sunday was Shavout.
4. The Feasts of Trumpets (See also Numbers 29:1-6) at the opening of the seventh month is also known as Rosh HaShanna and begins the Jewish New Year. Ten Days (Tishri 1-10) of Repentance began with the blowing of the ram’s horn, the shofar, and assembled the children of Israel to the most solemn day of their year, the Day of Atonement. The Hebrew word translated “blowing of trumpets” (Lev. 23:24) is teruah and means “an acclamation of joy or a battle cry.” It is translated “shout” in the story of the destruction of the walls at Jericho in Josh 6.
5. Leviticus 16:1-34, describes in detail, the Day of Atonement. Hebrews 9 identifies Jesus as the Great High Priest who has entered the heavenly Tabernacle to offer a blood sacrifice for trespasses. The word “atonement” is the translation of the Hebrew word kaphar, “to cover.” Gen. 6:14 gives the essential meaning. The English “at-one-ment” has no connection whatever with the Hebrew word kaphar.
6. Tabernacles is referred to as the “ingathering” in Ex. 23:16. In the LXX it is called sunteleia (“entire completion”) because it is the completion of the sacred year. The phrase “the end of the world” in Mat 13:39, 24:3, 28:20 and Heb. 9:26 all are a reference to the “entire completion” of the aion not “world” but “age.” This is the completion of the Jewish prophetic calendar when Israel will have been purged of the “weeds” and will have come into her kingdom and intended postion as a “kingdom of priests” (Ex. 19:6). Eight is the number of new beginnings. The eight day of the feast of Tabernacles typifies the “new heaven and a new earth” of Rev. 21 when all things are made new.
The Sabbath and its Significance to the Feasts of the LORD
While the Sabbath is identified as “a feast of the LORD” (Lev. 23:2-3), it is set apart from the rest of the feasts by the introductory phrase “these are the feasts of the LORD” in Leviticus 23:4. The Sabbath is the “the seventh day.” The number seven is foundational to the seven Feasts of the LORD. The three first feast take place in the first month of the Jewish calendar, Nisan, and the last three feasts take place in the seventh month, Tisri. Passover takes place on the fourteenth (2 x 7) day of the first month. Unleavened Bread last for seven days. Seven weeks are counted from First Fruits to Pentecost. The fall feasts of Trumpets, Atonement and Tabernacles all fall in Sivan, the seventh month on the Jewish sacred calendar. The feast of the LORD are identified in Leviticus 23. These “appointed times” have multiple purposes. They acted as a remembrance to Israel of God’s active involvement in their national life. They served as an agricultural calendar for planting and harvesting. Most importantly from the Church’s perspective, they are prophetic signposts revealing the plan of God.
The feasts are introduced in Leviticus 23:4: “These are the feasts of the LORD, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons.
1. Passover — Leviticus 23:4-5
2. Unleavened Bread — Leviticus 23:6-8
3. First Fruits — Leviticus 23:9-11
4. Pentecost — Leviticus 23:15-17
5. Trumpets — Leviticus 23:23-25
6. Day of Atonement — Leviticus 23:26-32
7. Tabernacles — Leviticus 23:33-36
Passover was instituted by God through Moses as Israel began its Exodus from Egypt. It started on Nisan 14. Its theme is redemption. In the life of our Lord Jesus Christ this was fulfilled in the Upper Room where He announced His death and the New Covenant. This also began the Crucifixion sequence. Redemption was sealed.
Unleavened Bread was established along with Passover at the beginning of the Exodus. It is celebrated on Nisan 15. Its theme is sanctification. It was fulfilled in Christ’s Crucifixion and burial. Leaven represents sin. Redemption removes this leaven from those who are redeemed.
Early Firstfruits takes place on the day following the first Sabbath during the week of Unleavened Bread . Its theme is Resurrection. It was fulfilled in Christ’s resurrection when He became the Firstfruits of the resurrection (1Cor. 15:20).
Feast of Weeks, also called Pentecost, because it takes place seven Sabbaths (weeks) after Firstfruits. Its theme is the giving of revelation. Fifty days after Israel departed Egypt, Jehovah desented to Mt. Sinai and revealed the Mosaic Law to Israel.
Day of Trumpets is celebrated on the first day of the seventh month, Tishri 1. It is also called Rosh HaShanah (“head of the year”) today though the name “Rosh Hashanah” is not used in the Bible. It is the first day of Israel’s secular calendar. Its theme is gathering of Israel and the return of Christ. Prophetically, this feast will be fulfilled at Christ return. the ‘shout’, the ‘voice’ and the ‘trumpets’ are all used in the New Testament in connection with the Second Coming of Christ will show how closely this festal year keeps pace with the order of prophetic fulfilment (1 Thess. 4:16;Matt. 24:31; 1 Cor. 15:52). The hope of the Church of the Mystery, finds no place in this prophetic forecast.
Day of Atonement is celebrated on Tishri 10. The initial redemption of Israel set forth in the Passover, is completed by the offerings of the Day of Atonement. This day is also called Yom Kippur. Its theme is atonement by substitution. On this day, the High Priest was permitted to enter the Holiest of All in the Temple to sprinkle blood on the “Mercy Seat,” (better, “the place of atonement”) for the sins of Israel. The Day of Atonement served as a reminder that the daily, weekly, and monthly sacrifices could cover sins only temporarily. It pointed toward Jesus Christ, the perfect atonement, who could remove sins forever. The word “Kippur” is kafar (כָּפַר), which probably derives from the word kofer, meaning “ransom.” This word is the equivalent of the word “redeem” (Psalm 49:7) and means “to atone by offering a substitute.” The great majority of usages in the Bible concern “making an atonement” by the sprinkling of sacrificial blood to remove sin or defilement. The life blood of the animal was was shed in exchange for the life blood of the worshiper; the innocent life given for the guilty life.
Tabernacles is celebrated on Tishri 15. Its theme is ingathering. The Hebrew word Sukkoth, meaning a ‘booth’, a temporary shelter made with ‘boughs’.The essential feature of the ‘booths’ for the feast of tabernacles, was their frailty. As a protection against enemies they were useless, but this is most important, for in the antitype of this feast the enemy will have gone, and peace at length be enjoyed It was fulfilled in the past with our Lord’s birth on the first day and His circumcision on the last. The Son became a man and tabernacled with men.