The First Feast: Passover

It memorializes the account in Exodus concerning the blood and the eating of the passover lamb, followed by the eating of the unleavened bread. "When I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt." Ex12:13. Hence the name "Passover".

They didn't know anything about the coming of the Lamb of God, Jesus, but they dutifully selected their lamb on the 10^th day of that first month and took it home. Four days later, on the 14^th (could be any day of the week, but it occurred at full-moon), they killed that lamb, and smeared the blood over the doorposts of their homes, and then ate the lamb! "Eat all of it", "eat it in haste, with your loins girded" and "don't break a bone of it", were also included in their instructions. Nothing was said about fancy tablecloths or extra seating for guests, and they certainly couldn't know how the legs of Jesus would be unbroken at Calvary, Jn19:31, as added confirmation to his identity. It's essential to be aware of how Jesus is not only the Lamb, but according to Scripture is also the Bread, the Lion, the Vine, the Door, the Cornerstone, the Light of the World, the Resurrection, the Alpha & Omega, etc.

"Passover" was on the 14^th so it coincided with the full moon, and the seven days of eating unleavened bread followed immediately afterwards. No specific reason for eating this "flat" bread was given, nor why that leaven must be removed from their premises for those seven days. Perhaps the Children of Israel had no understanding of how people (individuals) could be "bread". The apostles didn't seem to understand when Jesus told them "beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees", Mt16:6. Christians, on the other hand, are well aware that the leaven of the Old Testament was sin and hypocrisy, and that now in the Church Age we are "one bread and one body", 1Cor10:17.

"Therefore let us KEEP THE FEAST, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavening of sincerity and truth." 1Cor5:8 The Apostle Paul didn't (did NOT) follow up this statement by telling about the new leaven. Instead, he tells the Church at Colossus about how the mystery of the ages is "Christ within you, the hope of glory" ! Col 1:27. This is the New Leaven for those who become New Creatures! Old things are passed away; behold all things are become new. John the Baptist was first, and he said of Jesus, "He must increase, but I must decrease".

"For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us", 1Cor5:7. Without the Exodus account to tell us about the passover lamb, we wouldn't have this tremendous metaphorical analogy showing how the New Testament explains what the Old Testament contains!

What does PASSOVER mean to the Christian? It's the beginning of a life committed to Christ. He recognizes the truth of the sacrifice made by the Lamb of God and figuratively puts that blood over the doorway to his house, just as Pilate called for a basin and water to wash his hands of the blood of Christ [we won't discuss whether that worked or not (whether he did it in vain, or not) --it's the principle and the figure I'm calling attention to].

Right after this is when we begin eating the bread. Not the unleavened bread for us, but rather the true and living bread which is the Bible; the Word of God incarnate (in the flesh then, and now in print). And not just for seven days, but for life. Paradoxically we do "get the leaven out" by resolving to turn from our worldly ways, and speak the truth in sincerity and love. Recognizing the New Commandment to "love one another as He loved us", Jn13:34, and noting that Death & Life are in the power of the tongue, Prov18:21. Speaking in tongues is often disparaged as the least of the spiritual gifts, whereas scripture depicts it as the first evidence of being filled with the person of the Holy Spirit, or you could say with the Living Water of the Holy Spirit. Acts 10:45, 19:6, 1Cor12,14.

This was the Harvest Feast, also called the Feast of Weeks, and in the New Testament called the Feast of Pentecost. This was the feast which had no set date, but counting began when the first of the crops appeared, and then seven weeks (fifty days) later culminated in that final great "Day" of Pentecost. Dt16:9, Lev23:10. Devout Jews would, of course, be in the Temple that day--in the place where God had chosen to place his name, and not in some upper room as some teachers claim.

"Every man in his own order; Christ the firstfruits; afterwards they that are Christ's...", 1Cor15:23. Jesus IS the Resurrection, and he WAS resurrected--he was planted, but he arose!

Remember how the Genesis Joseph dreamed of his brothers sheaves bowing down to his sheaf? This is part of the "sowing & reaping" allegory -- don't criticize Joseph for telling his dream because "whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning", Rom15:4, and the precept of how a person could figuratively be bread or grain is what leads to the logic of how Jesus is both the Living Bread, Jn6, and also the incorruptible seed that was planted (in the womb and in the tomb) so that God would beget sons and daughters. 1Jn3:2.

"And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting". Acts2:2.

What does PENTECOST mean to the Christian? This is the essence of our faith--that because Christ rose from the dead and went to heaven, we have confidence we'll do the same. On that great Day of Pentecost those were Jews who converted to the cause of Christ when they recognized the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies such as Psalm 22 and Deut 18:15. The Gentiles didn't begin to accept Christ until after Peter was sent to Cornelius, and they weren't called Christians until Acts 11:26 after Paul had taught in Antioch. "The Jew first, and also the Gentile" (or Greek) is an expression found in Romans 1:16 and 2:9,10 and supports the age of mankind proposition whereby the "Children" followed the Pre-Law dispensation of the Genesis "Infancy" and in turn were followed by the "Adult" dispensation of the Church Age.

Now the "times of the Jews" (two millennium) has been succeeded by the "times of the Gentiles" (also two millennium), similar to the account of the seven years of Rachel & Leah, and the seven years of putting the bread into the storehouse followed by the seven years of feeding on that bread. Figuratively we've competed our "7 weeks" (or 50 yrs of Jubilee) and now the time of the full harvest is upon us. The "perilous times" of 2Tim3 are here!

The Third Feast: Tabernacles

Israel's final feast of the year was in the 7^th month (Tishri) and, curiously, begins with the Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashana) being recognized by Rabbi's as the "Jewish New Year". (In our year 2010, Jewish year 5771, it's supposed to occur on the 10th of September). I say curious because God decreed the first month of the year was Abib, and you'd think that New Years would be the 1st day of Abib.

Tabernacles, or Booths (Heb: Succoth), speaks symbolically of a residence; exemplified in the Gospels as "building our house upon the Rock or upon sinking sand". Mt7:24. It's akin to the contemporary saying about having to lie in the bed that you made yourself -- scripture says you need to build your eternal dwelling place on the firm foundation of the Word of God. Don't believe the evil report of scoffers and unbelievers! Jesus says "Take up your bed, and Walk", John5:8.

There were three parts to this final feast. On the first day of the seventh month was "Trumpets", then on the tenth was the "Day of Atonement", and the 15th (full-moon) began the seven days of Succoth: of dwelling in the house you've made for yourself. Neh8:17. (Maybe Jesus is building it according to YOUR spiritual specifications??) Figuratively or allegorically we're now looking for the Lord to descend from heaven with the trumpet of God, 1Thes4:16 -- that's when Christians will truly begin this final feast.

"For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air..."

Compare the above verse in 1Corinthians with this verse in Joshua 6:5 -- "...when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him."