1. I Thessalonians 5:1-28 Safety of The Believer In Relation to The Coming Lord

4. The Feasts of The LORD Lev. 23 First Advent Feasts – Began their religious year. 1)Passover – Christ’s death.  Ex. 12 – The LORD finds Israel in bondage & makes him free, that he may serve Him.  “The Lamb slain” – “Behold the Lamb of God” – Gen. 4:4; 22:8, 13; John 1:29; Rev. 5:6ff.  The Cross must come before the Crown.  Spring equinox – Aries, the Ram. Approximately the first of April.  Christ, our Passover – I Cor. 5:7.  Emphasizes Redemption – the “Cup” of Communion.  Deliverance begun – Phase #1 – the spirit.

5. The Feasts of The LORD Lev. 23 2)Unleavened Bread – Christ’s person.  Christ’s perfect humanity.  Application for us is a separated, holy life & walk, in communion & fellowship with Christ.  Cf. Gal. 5:7-9; II Cor. 7:1; I Cor. 5:6-8; Matt. 13:33.  The “bread” of communion.  This never became real to Israel – they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years because of no capacity!  Deliverance working – Phase #2 – the soul.

6. The Feasts of The LORD Lev. 23 3)First-Fruits – Christ’s resurrection.  First Sunday after Passover, during the Feast of Unleavened Bread.  Cf. John 12:24; I Cor. 15:23, 20.  A Thank Offering with anticipation of God’s blessing on the harvest.  Deliverance completed – Phase #3 – the body.

7. The Feasts of The LORD Lev. 23 4)Pentecost – Christ’s Ascension.  Also called The Feast of Weeks (Deut. 16:9, 10) & the Feast of Harvest (Ex. 23:16).  50 days after First Fruits, on a Sunday.  Brings a fulfillment of what was anticipated in the 3 rd Feast – The fullness of the Spirit (cf. Rom. 8:23; Eph. 1:13, 14).  Beginning of the Church (with leaven) (Acts 2:1…).

8. The Feasts of The LORD Lev. 23  Beginning of the 5 th Cycle of Discipline for Israel (but 40 years of grace warning 1 st ).  Lev. 23:17 “two wave loaves…baked with leaven.”  Two loaves – Jews (Acts 2) & Gentiles (Acts 10) (Eph. 2:14-18).  The ministry of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost authenticates the ascension of Christ (John 14 & Acts 2).  This Feast is also at the position of the servant candle in a Menorah.

9. The Feasts of The LORD Lev. 23 Gap – 4 months.  From the end of May to the middle of September – no feasts.  Speaks of Jews under the 5 th Cycle of Discipline (dispersion in 70 A.D.).  The Church replaces Israel (temporarily) – that is why the Church began on the Day of Pentecost.  The cursing (5 th Cycle of Discipline) can be turned to blessing by means of salvation.  The Rapture occurs at the end of this gap.