Jewish Studies....Part One (Feasts)

I have been passionate about this topic for quite some time now, and I thought I would jot down some of my thoughts. It gets me so excited...I don't know why I love to study this stuff, but praise God for the little bit of understanding that I am getting as I delve into it! It is fascinating...our God is such a God of order and a God of fulfilling His promises. When God instituted the feasts that the Israelites were to celebrate (marked down in the dreaded book of Leviticus!) He did it so that they would already be celebrating something that WAS to come! Jesus Christ would fulfill all of the feasts! Each Jewish feast, in its own way, would demonstrate the work of redemption thru Christ. What are these feasts? Well, I am so stinkin' glad you asked!! First of all, the Hebrew word for feast is "moadim," which means "appointed times." 4 of the 7 feasts have been literally fulfilled on THE EXACT DAY that the Jewish people celebrate them! How amazing is that?? The other 3 feasts are waiting to be fulfilled. The first four feasts happen in the spring and the last three are in the fall. More on that later...

1. Passover---fulfilled at Jesus' death

Jesus was crucified at the same time the lambs were being slaughtered in preparation for the Passover meal...why Jesus is called our Passover Lamb. In Exodus, the Israelites were instructed to take a lamb that was unblemished and kill, cook, and eat it, and take the blood and wipe down their doors with it. When God was striking the Egyptian first borns, he passed over the homes that were covered in the blood. (See Exodus Ch 12...so awesome!)

2. Unleavened Bread--fulfilled at Jesus' Burial

Jesus' body was actually in the grave during the first days of this feast. Unleavened meant without yeast...which signified without sin. His sinless life was the perfect sacrifice and he is the bread of life.

3. First Fruits--fulfilled at Jesus' Resurrection

His resurrection guarantees our resurrection!

4. Feast of Weeks (Pentecost)---fulfilled in Acts when God poured out His Holy Spirit

This ushers in the church age...birth of the church.

(There is a break between the spring feasts and the fall feasts (summer...duh!!) This is a symbolic time that represents the dispensation of grace...the church age.) The next 3 feasts all occur within 15 days of one another and are all yet to be fulfilled. Seems to me that if the first 4 were all fulfilled on the exact day of the feast, then the next 3 will be as well! Cool.

5. Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah)---many believe this feast will be fulfilled at the Rapture

(Rapture being when Christ snatches His bride from this earth and takes us HOME! Glory!)

This feast starts on September 30th this year...but more on that topic in a different post.

6. Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur)---Christ's actual 2nd coming

This also will be the day of salvation for the NATION of Israel....perhaps even the battle of Armageddon when the enemy of Israel will be destroyed. (Passover is celebrated for personal salvation and the Day of Atonement is celebrated for national salvation.)

7. Feast of Tabernacles (Booths) (Sukkot)---Christ's millennial reign on earth

In the Wilderness, when the Israelites were wandering for 40 years, they set up "booths" to live in...devout Jews will to this day set up outdoor booths to live in during this feast. The feast represents the day that God Himself will "tabernacle" with his people once again and dwell among us. (Oh, be still my heart!!) This festival is all about CELEBRATION!! It points to the marriage supper and Christ's reign on earth.

In Part Two, I want to share some cool stuff about Jewish weddings and how many of the rituals point to Christ and things to come!