The Hebrew Feasts (in brief) was to come through the fulfillment of the Passover

lamb, who is Christ. Let us notice just a handful of the

For a more detailed treatment of this subject, the following characteristics associated with the Passover lamb, and
resource is highly recommended: how they were fulfilled in Christ:
Stephen Bohr: Anchor Class on Hebrew Feasts • A male without blemish - Ex 12:5 - Jesus is the
Video: https://tinyurl.com/bohrfeasts only man who never sinned. 1 Peter 1:18,19; 2:22; 2
Written notes: https://tinyurl.com/bohrfeastnotes Corinthians 5:21
• Slain on the 14th of Nisan - Ex 12:6 - Jesus was
killed on the fourteenth of Nisan, the day of the Passover.
Luke 22:7
• Slain at twilight - Ex 12:6 - Literally “between the
evenings,”2 a phrase denoting about 3pm; which is also
called the ninth hour of the day. Luke 23:44-46
• Not a bone could be broken - Ex 12:46 - When they
came to break the legs of the men on the crosses, they
passed by Jesus, and not one of his bones was broken.
John 19:31-34; Psalm 34:20
• Not allowed to remain overnight - Ex 12:10 - So it
was that Christ was taken down before evening; before
Figure 1: Hebrew Festal Calendar the Sabbath began. Luke 23:54

Paragraphs are numbered for ease of reference. 6. Thus we find that Christ meets the criteria of the
Passover, and the New Testament identifies Him as
1. Leviticus 23 is the primary passage where the feasts our Passover. Whereas the earthly passover lamb
can be seen together, in order, in one place. signified the deliverance from the bondage of Egypt,
2. It can be seen from Exodus 23:14-17 and Deuteron- the fulfillment of this symbolic service teaches us of
omy 16:16-17 that the feasts were lumped together deliverance from sin through the death and blood of
into three groups according to the time of year they Christ. 1 Corinthians 5:6-8; Isaiah 53:7; John
took place. There were three spring feasts, commonly 1:29,36; Hebrews 9:13-14; Romans 6:1-7
called “The Days of Unleavened Bread.” There was the
Pentecost not too far after. Finally, in the fall, we find Unleavened Bread
“The Feast of Tabernacles” which generally includes the
7. Primary passage: Exodus 12:14-20,31-34,39; 13:3-
days of trumpets leading up to the Day of Atonement.
10.
These texts also reveal that, three times a year during
8. Leaven is something which works from within and influ-
these periods, a pilgrimage to the temple was required.
ences the whole of whatever it is included. In the sense
3. From the above passages, it can be readily seen that the that it is connected with the Passover, leaven is symbolic
feasts were intimately connected with the sanctuary, the of the spirit of Egypt, which is corruption or sin. This
nation of Israel, and the agricultural cycle of that land. is apparent by Paul’s usage in 1 Corinthians 5:6-8.
Jesus also uses leaven to represent traits of the flesh
4. As these things are “shadows,” of which the substance
in Matthew 16:6,11-12 and Luke 12:1. Paul uses
is Christ1 we will briefly examine each one to see its
leaven in Galatians 5:7-9 to represent a false gospel
fulfillment in Christ.
which produces disobedience.
9. Bitter herbs were included with the Passover lamb and
The Spring Festivals the unleavened bread, marking that the experience was
bitter, and not a delight. We see this fulfilled in the
Passover bitter experience of the disciples, who were greatly disap-
5. The primary text for the Passover and it’s institution pointed because of their misunderstanding of prophecy;
is Exodus 12:1-13, 21-28, 43-51. Had the Lord only but later rejoiced in the truth as Jesus revealed what
intended to give the Israelites deliverance from physical had actually taken place. John 20:19; Mark 14:50;
bondage, the ordinance of the Passover would not have Luke 24:44-53
been necessary; and therefore the fact the Lord gave them 2 In the Hebrew mind, there are two evenings. There is first the evening

the ordinance of the Passover shows that He intended of the day, which is from 12 noon to 6pm. Then there is the evening of
the night, which is from dusk to dawn. Thus, between the evenings is
their deliverance to be typical of a greater spiritual
a phrase which denotes the time between 12pm and dusk, roughly 3pm.
deliverance from spiritual bondage. That deliverance Josephus confirms that the lambs were slain at about 3pm in his day.
1 Colossians See SDA Bible Commentary, volume 1, pg 550.
2:16

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Firstfruits is going on not only on the earth but in the courts above
while we await the harvest to come at the end of the
11. Primary passage: Leviticus 23:9-11. The firstfruits
world. Matthew 13:38-39
were offered the day after the Sabbath following the
Passover. They were the first cuttings of the early harvest
at the beginning of the year. These were waved before The Fall Festivals
the Lord in both gratitude and anticipation of the greater
harvest to come. Trumpets
12. Christ is the firstfruits of the great harvest which is to 20. Starting on the first day of the seventh month, trumpets
come at the end of this world. 1 Corinthians 15:20-23. were blown as a signal that the Day of Atonement, or
He is the pledge and anticipation of all those redeemed Day of Judgment, was coming. Leviticus 23:23-25
who will be raised up at His second coming.
21. We can see trumpets being used in other cases as a call
13. Just as the law declares, Christ was raised up the day to obedience, repentance, and an alarm that judgment
after the Sabbath. Mark 16:1-7 is coming. Joshua 6:2-5; Ezekiel 33:1-11; Joel 2:1-
14. Also, just as the priest waved a sheaf before the Lord; 2,15-17
a small company was resurrected with Christ to be pre- 22. The first angel in Revelation 14 goes forward proclaiming
sented before the Father. Matthew 27:52-53 that the hour of His judgment has come, calling all men
everywhere to repentance. Revelation 14:6-7
Pentecost 23. The time when Christ entered the Most Holy place
15. Fifty days counting from the day of the firstfruits marks and the Day of Atonement began is signified by the
the day of Pentecost. Leviticus 23:15-17. At this time, prophecy in Daniel 8:14. Applying the year day principle,
a special batch of leavened bread is made, and the first and starting from the date of 457BC, this prophecy
harvest of the year is commenced. terminates in 1844.4
16. Just as leaven is used to denote a fowl or corrupting 24. We ought then, in fulfillment of this type, to see a
spirit, leaven is also used as a symbol of the Holy Spirit. movement arising before 1844 to declare that the hour
Matthew 13:33 of His judgment had come, and that the 2300 days were
coming to a close. This we see fulfilled in what is known
17. Jesus spent forty days with His disciples after the res- as The Great Second Advent Movement.
urrection before He ascended. Acts 1:1-3. On the
very day of Pentecost, fifty days after the day of the 25. Daniel 12:4-9 together with Revelation 10 reveal the
firstfruits, the Holy Spirit descended upon the budding catalyst for the movement to be the unsealing of the
church. Acts 2:1-4. This resulted in a great early har- book of Daniel at the “time of the end,” which Daniel
vest of souls for the kingdom of God. Acts 2:41,46-47 12 makes synonymous with the end of the 1260 days. In
this movement, the type of the feasts of Trumpets and
18. Comparing Revelation 4:5 and Revelation 5:6, we the proclamation of the first angel finds their match.
can see that Pentecost commemorates Jesus’ entry and
inauguration into the holy place and priesthood of His
ministry in the heavenly sanctuary above, where He The Day of Atonement
was anointed as High Priest. See also Hebrews 8:1-6; 26. Our primary passages are Leviticus 23:26-32 and
Exodus 30:25-30; and Psalm 133. Leviticus 16.
27. Throughout the year, sacrifices on behalf of sin were
The long, dry summer
continually offered, and blood would be taken into the
19. Thus far, we have seen that the spring feasts commemo- sanctuary and sprinkled. Leviticus 4:1-7 gives us an
rate the work of Christ while He was on the earth, with example of this. It was necessary, then, that the sanctu-
the day of Pentecost marking His inauguration into His ary should be cleansed; and this took place on the Day
High Priestly ministry in the courts above. of Atonement, once per year. Leviticus 16:30 reveals
that not only was the sin being cleansed from record
The land of Canaan experienced what was referred to
in the sanctuary, but also they were cleansed from the
as the early and latter rains.3 In the spring time, there
people themselves.
would be plenty of rain. Then, all throughout summer,
there would be essentially a dought. Following this, when 28. Leviticus 16:8-10 shows the separating of the two
fall came, there would be the latter rain, which would goats; one, a self sacrificing victim on behalf of the
prepare the ripening second harvest for, well, harvest! transgressors and the other blamed as instigator for
the sins committed. When the high priest came out of
So it is, then, that the fall feasts teach us concerning
the sanctuary after receiving cleansing for the sins of
Christ’s work in the courts above at the close of this
world’s history. In this way, by faith, we may see what 4 This is covered in another lesson. For more on this, see
https://tinyurl.com/AFrightontime
3 Some Bible texts mentioning these: James 5:7; Deut 11:14; Prov
16:15; Jer 3:3; Jer 5:24 Hos 6:3; Joel 2:23; Zech 10:1.

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 the people, he sent the latter goat into the wilderness. marriage supper of the Lamb.5 They live and reign with
Leviticus 16:20-22 Him a thousand years. Revelation 15:2-4; 20:4-6;
3:21; 4:6. They then sing the “song of Moses and of
29. Revelation 11:19 presents to us the central vision of
the Lamb,” just like the song of Moses was sang after
the book of Revelation that reveals for the first time the
the Red Sea. Exodus 15:1-20
Most Holy place, signifying a transition from the holy
place to the Most Holy in the sanctuary above. The
next portion of the book of Revelation, from chapters
12 through 15, present a picture of the final crisis that
divides the world into two categories: The saints, and
the worshipers of the beast and his image. Matthew
13:24-30. These events take place between 1844 and
the coming of Christ.
30. In the heavenly sanctuary, the sanctuary of the New
Covenant, there is also a cleansing of the sanctuary.
Hebrews 9:22-24. This means that there is also a
cleansing of the people who partake of this ministry
from their sins. Hebrews 9:13-14.
31. When Christ comes the second time, having left the
heavenly sanctuary and finished His work, the world is
made into a “wilderness.” It is returned to that state
of being “without form and void.” The whole place
is destroyed. Jeremiah 4:23-26; Isaiah 24; Isaiah
34:8-12; 2 Peter 3:10-12. It is at this time that Satan
is left, “bound”, for a thousand years in this wilderness
in fulfillment of the scapegoat. Revelation 20:1-3

The Feast of Tabernacles

31. Leviticus 23:33-43 tells us what we know about the
Feast of Tabernacles. It coincides with the great harvest
at the end of the year (verse 39). The people were
to take palm branches and celebrate before the Lord.
(verse 40). There is also the dwelling in booths, or tents,
commemorating the sojourn of the children of Israel as
they were coming out of bondage into the promised land.
(verses 42-43).
32. The palm branches perhaps point us back to Elim, the
place where the children of Israel arrived just after they
had passed through the waters of the Red Sea and their
deliverance was accomplished. Exodus 15:27
33. Revelation 7:9-14 shows us those who come out of the
great tribulation, that final crisis, waving palm branches
in their hands and celebrating their deliverance. Their
deliverance is portrayed in Revelation 19 in connection
with the second coming of Christ to reclaim His bride
who has been made ready and purified for the Marriage 5 Make of it what we will, the Bible describes waters above the firma-

Supper of the Lamb. ment of the sky. See Genesis 1:6-8; Psalm 148:4; Job 37:18. The story
of Noah tells us that windows in the firmament were opened to let the
34. The great harvest of the redeemed takes place at the waters above come down and rain upon the earth. Genesis 7:11; 8:2. See
second coming, after the final crisis which divides the also Ezekiel 1:22,26; 10:1. It is these waters above the firmament that
constitute the "Red Sea" that the redeemed pass through in the final
world into those who worship God and those who worship Exodus from this sinful world when Jesus comes. Concerning these things,
Him not. 1 Thessalonians 14:13-17; Revelation I quote Martin Luther speaking of this very subject: “We Christians
14:9-20 must be different from the philosophers [i.e. scientists] in the way we
think about the causes of these things. And if some are beyond our
35. Just as Moses led the children of Israel through the Red comprehension (like those before us concerning the waters above the
Sea and brought them to Elim, Jesus leads His people heavens), we must believe them and admit our lack of knowledge rather
than either wickedly deny them or presumptuously interpret them in
through the sea of glass and takes them to celebrate the
conformity with our understanding.” "Here I, therefore, take my reason
captive and subscribe to the Word even though I do not understand it."
Luther’s Works Vol. 1, Lectures on Genesis