The Feasts of Israel

It's impossible to understand the New Testament without the old or the Old Testament without the new. Because the New Testament is the fulfillment of the Old Testament...And within the Old Testament, the new is concealed. You can never understand the new in fullness without understanding the old. The New concealed in the old and the old revealed and fulfilled in the new.

Why study the feasts of Israel? Seven reasons...

1.They reveal Christ Jesus
2.There are present truths revealed that the Holy Spirit will use to quicken your life.
3.In them we hear the voice of the Holy Spirit
4.They are a shadow of things to come.
5.They are prophetic types and examples
6.They are for our learning
7.They reveal heavenly things



Just as the rainbow has three major colors and seven in all...seven in three, so do the feasts. Three major feasts with seven parts. Seven revelations to seven feasts. We call them the seven feast but in fact they are three major feasts. Three major events with more to each event...

The first feast of Passover is also called Passover (Leviticus 23:4,5). The second part of the feast of Passover is the Feast of Unleavened Bread in Leviticus 23:6-8. The third feast also part of the first, is called the Feast of First Fruits (Leviticus 23:9-14). These three which are one major feast took place on the first month. When Passover started God said this will be the beginning of the year unto you. This is the new beginning. The second major feast, which only had one feast to it is the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost. In the old covenant it was called the Feast of Weeks, but we call that feast Pentecost (Leviticus 23:15-22). And that took place on the third month. Every year on the first month they would celebrate Passover, Unleavened Bread, and First Fruits. The third month they would celebrate the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost. The third major feast which is three feasts attached in one is called the Feast of Trumpets (Leviticus 23:23-25). Attached to that feast is the Feast of Atonement or the Day of Atonement (Leviticus 23:26-32). These two happen together in the same month just like Passover. And finally the Feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23:33-44). That last major feast took place on the seventh month.

So in the first month we have Passover which equals Passover, Unleavened Bread, and First Fruits. The second major feast is the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost. The third is the Feast of Trumpets which includes Atonement and Tabernacles. All of these feasts are mentioned in Leviticus 23. We should all realize something important here... In Israel history observed those feasts, in Christ they are fulfilled, and in you and I they are applied. We can have victory in our lives everyday if we apply these feasts... Eight times in Leviticus 23 God said to Israel that they were to do no work during the feasts. So it is applied to us. We are to cease from our own works, the works of the flesh (Galatians 5:19-21), and the works of the Law (Romans 3:27,28) and commanded to find rest in Jesus Christ. In Matthew 11:28-30 Jesus said come unto me all ye that labor and I will give you rest. This rest belongs to us as Christians and to all who will give their hearts to Jesus Christ. This rest belongs to us...rest from sin, rest from bondage, rest from hardships, rest from persecution, rest from sickness, rest from all that will come against us is ours by faith in Christ. Even when the enemy of our souls persecutes us, we should be at rest. Even if we should be killed...we should be at rest, at peace. It is possible...

Back during the days of Nero....When precious saints were fed to the lions and burned the amazing truth of history tells us that upon examining the bodies of the dead saints, they found each one smiling. They could not understand how men, women, and children could smile after being tortured, torn asunder.....and every face had a smile. They came into rest. Even while tortured, even while cut to pieces they smiled...why? It was His grace, the grace that belongs to all of us.

Now, unbelief will not allow you to rest. Unbelief will not cease from self effort. As long as we question and doubt we will work and work and work. But the moment we believe, the moment faith is born we will rest. He that is free from sin is experiencing the Sabbath. A Sabbath belongs to the people of God Hebrews says. And they (Israel) could not enter in for unbelief Hebrews 4 says. Jesus on the cross in John 19:30 said it is finished. If we are not resting we are not feasting. We are called to a feast...come and dine the master calls. One day we will be welcomed into a feast, the Supper of the Lamb. What is that feast? It's rest.... Only those that know how to rest in Christ can experience Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, Pentecost, Trumpets, Atonement, and Tabernacles. Understand that we've got to rest in order to feast. And may the Lord give us all rest, in Jesus' name.