82. What the Bible Says About the Feasts (pt1)

What The Bible Says.Fortnightly Bible Study.Episode 82 - 01/08/25In this week's study we begin to look at the topic of the Jewish feasts.1. Biblical prophecy is not man-made; it is the Spirit-inspired revelation of God’s redemptive plan. True prophecy never originates from human imagination or desire but comes as men are moved by the Holy Spirit to speak God’s word (2 Peter 1:20–21). It must align fully with Scripture and be tested by it. As God said in Deuteronomy 18:20–22, a prophet who speaks presumptuously or whose words do not come to pass is false. The group emphasised the danger of modern "soothsayers" who preach comfortable, flattering messages rather than the truth, and reminded each other to be discerning and rooted in Scripture when evaluating what is called prophecy today.2. The feasts in Leviticus 23 form a divine calendar, prophetically revealing God’s plan through Christ. These seven appointed times were not merely Jewish traditions but holy convocations commanded by God for remembrance, worship, and prophetic fulfilment. Leviticus 23 outlines them like a spiritual year planner—three in spring, one at summer, and three in autumn—each pointing forward to key moments in the gospel. Just as God established the lights in the heavens to mark seasons and days (Genesis 1:14), so He set these feasts in place to teach, remind, and prepare His people for the Messiah.3. The Feast of Passover is fulfilled in Jesus Christ, our perfect and sacrificial Lamb. As Israel once marked their doorposts with lamb’s blood to be spared from death (Exodus 12:5–13), so we are saved from judgment by the blood of Christ, who is our Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7). Jesus was crucified at the same time the Passover lambs were being offered in the temple (Mark 14:12), fulfilling the prophetic picture in perfect detail. His sinless life and willing sacrifice were foreshadowed in the Exodus and foretold in prophecy (1 Peter 1:19). Just as the blood delivered Israel from Egypt, so His blood sets us free from the bondage of sin and death (Romans 8:2).4. The Feast of Unleavened Bread teaches us about holiness, repentance, and the sinlessness of Christ. For seven days following Passover, Israel was to remove all leaven—symbolic of sin—from their homes and eat only unleavened bread (Leviticus 23:6–8; Exodus 12:15). Leaven puffs up by fermentation, which spiritually represents pride and corruption. Jesus, the sinless one, is the true Bread of Life (John 6:35), the fulfilment of this feast. Just as Israel cleansed their homes, we are called to cleanse our lives through repentance and walk in holiness. This feast illustrates that salvation is not only about being delivered, but also about being sanctified.5. The Feast of Firstfruits foreshadows Jesus’ resurrection as the guarantee of ours. Taking place on the Sunday after Passover, this feast involved waving the first sheaf of the harvest before the Lord as a declaration of the harvest to come (Leviticus 23:10–11). At the same time that the high priest was presenting the first fruits, Jesus was rising from the dead. He is the “firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:20), the proof and promise that all who are in Him will likewise be raised. This feast points not backward, but forward in hope—a thanksgiving for what God is about to do, fulfilled perfectly in the resurrection.6. The Feast of Pentecost marks the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the Church. Also called the Feast of Weeks or Shavuot, Pentecost came fifty days after Firstfruits and celebrated the completion of the wheat harvest (Leviticus 23:15–16). On this day, the Holy Spirit was poured out on believers in Jerusalem, empowering them to proclaim the gospel and bringing in a harvest of 3,000 souls (Acts 2:1–4, 41). Pentecost thus fulfils the picture of spiritual harvest, just as the earlier feasts marked deliverance and new life. As Jesus promised, the Spirit came as our Helper and indwelling presence (John 14:16–17), sanctifying and equipping the Church for its mission.7. These spring feasts are typological prophecies—shadows of Christ that are fulfilled precisely and meaningfully. A typological prophecy points forward through historical events and institutions to their ultimate realisation in Jesus. Each spring feast—Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits, and Pentecost—was fulfilled on its exact calendar day in the life, death, resurrection, and empowering of Christ. As Colossians 2:16–17 states, these feasts were shadows, but the substance belongs to Christ. The study concluded by noting that the autumn feasts (Trumpets, Atonement, Tabernacles) remain yet to be fulfilled, likely in the same precise manner. Just as Jesus came once to fulfil the spring feasts, He will return to fulfil the rest.