Every word of God is tested… Proverbs 30:5

 When God established the major Hebrew feasts He did so as prophesy of the coming Messiah.  Jesus and the NT writers recognized and recorded His fulfillment of these prophesies.

 7 Annual Feasts  Holy convocations – Formal gatherings of people.  Divided between three seasons of the year.

 Leviticus 23:5-- In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight is the Lord’s Passover.  Spoke of deliverance, salvation.  Involved a sacrifice.  Fulfilled in crucifixion.

 1 Corinthians 5:7 - Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed.

Leviticus 23:6 -- Then on the fifteenth day of the same month there is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the Lord; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread.

Leaven represented the infiltrating nature of sin. 1 Corinthians 5:8 -- Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. Fulfilled in burial Born in Bethlehem…

Leviticus 23: Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When you enter the land which I am going to give to you and reap its harvest, then you shall bring in the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest.

Fulfilled in resurrection Third day after Passover 1 Corinthians 15:20 -- But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep.

Leviticus 23: ‘You shall also count for yourselves from the day after the sabbath, from the day when you brought in the sheaf of the wave offering; there shall be seven complete sabbaths. You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh sabbath; then you shall present a new grain offering to the Lord.

Two loaves Leaven Wave offering Fulfilled in Acts 2 Leaven of the indwelling Holy Spirit Breaking down of the barrier wall Ephesians 2:14 – “For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall.”

Leviticus 23: Again the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘In the seventh month on the first of the month you shall have a rest, a reminder by blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation.

When was/will this be fulfilled? Premillenialism Amillenial view Preterist view Matthew 24:31 – “And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other.” The final resurrection

1 Thessalonians 4:16 – “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first.” Feast of trumpets foretells coming day of Judgment and final redemption.

Leviticus 23: The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “On exactly the tenth day of this seventh month is the day of atonement; it shall be a holy convocation for you, and you shall humble your souls and present an offering by fire to the Lord.

Day of greatest atonement for priests, people, Holy of Holies, tent of meeting and the altar. One day when the Holy of Holies could be entered by the priest. High priest function fulfilled by Jesus. Hebrews 4:14 – “Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.”

Some say still to happen. But…Hebrews 9:6-8,11 – “Now when these things have been so prepared, the priests are continually entering the outer tabernacle…but into the second, only the high priest enters once a year…The Holy Spirit is signifying this, that the way into the holy place has not yet been disclosed while the outer tabernacle is still standing….But when Christ appeared as a high priest…He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle….”

Preterist view The destruction of Jerusalem = The Second Coming = Fullness of redemption Which would mean the Day of Atonement has its fulfilment. Or – final redemption on Judgement Day.

Leviticus 23: Again the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘On the fifteenth of this seventh month is the Feast of Booths for seven days to the Lord.

Seventh Feast Seventh Month Lasted Seven Days Grand Finale Feast Most mentioned feast in Scripture Celebrated the end of the wanderings in the wilderness

Traditionally began with lighting of candles at sunset. Time of thankfulness and joy. Time for reading from Old Testament. Water libation from pool of Siloam

7:37-38 – “Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” Holy Spirit

Revelation 21:3 – “And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He shall dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be among them.”

So we see just a few of the many prophecies which had to be fulfilled by Jesus at the proper time and in the proper manner. We see how perfectly God prepared the people for the coming of Messiah through sacrifices and feasts.