FEASTS OF THE LORD AND THE CHRISTIANS

Most Christians think that the seven Feasts are Jewish and hence have nothing to do with them. The reality is that they are not Jewish, but the Lord said they are “My Feasts” (Lev. 23:2). Hence, they apply to Jews, Christians and Gentiles alike as they radically change the history and destiny of all mankind. They are not just part of Mosaic Laws but built into the creation story. God created the sun, moon and stars for times and ‘seasons’ (Gen. 1:14). The Hebrew word moed for seasons is the same word for Feasts. Moed is also the root word for month and moon. The Hebrew calendar is lunar based while we follow solar calendar. All the Feasts and events like the Jubilee are based on Lunar Calendar. Jews celebrate mere shadows while we Christians observe the real deal, as each Feast unfolds Yeshua and its implication for the world. 

The four Spring Feasts that have been fulfilled by Yeshua:

THE PASSOVER (Pesach)

To the Jews Passover means liberation from the slavery of Egypt. To Christians, the full and final sacrifice of the Lamb of God means liberation from sin. (Exo. 12.1-14; Heb. 9:22; 10:10)

THE UNLEAVENED BREAD (Chag ha Matzot)

To the Jews, it means literal cleansing of the leaven of corruption and decay from their houses. To Christians, it means that Yeshua’s Body was sinless and therefore even in the grave, was not subject to decay and corruption (Acts 13:36-38). It also means we are sown in corruption and raised in incorruption (Exo. 12:15; 1Cor. 15:42). Just before his crucifixion, Yeshua took a whip and cleaned the Temple precincts reserved for the Gentiles, taken over by greedy merchants selling animals and exchanging money and cheating pilgrims (Mark 11:15-17).

 THE FIRST FRUITS (Bikkurim)

To the Jews, it means bringing first fruits of their produce to the Temple as a Thanks Offering. To the Christians, it means Yeshua was the first fruit to resurrect from those who slept, so shall we also be made alive at his coming (Deut. 18:4; 1Cor. 15:20-23).

THE PENTECOST (Shavuot)

To the Jews, the Pentecost is a harvest celebration. They brought the tithe of grains, animals, oil, wine, fruits etc. to the Temple and ate it with the widows, orphans, the strangers and the Levites (Deut. 14:22-29). To the Christians, it means the descent of the Holy Spirit, with the baptism of three thousand souls, turning it into a huge harvest of souls. (Acts 2:1-3; 41). It signifies the beginning of church era.

Three Fall Feasts to be fulfilled at Yeshua’s second coming:

THE FEAST OF TRUMPETS (Rosh Hashanah=Terruah)

This day the Jews blow the Shofar in memory of the thunder, lightning, a thick cloud and very loud trumpet sounds when God came down to Mount Sinai to meet His people (Exodus 19:13, 16-19). For us this is “Rapture”, when Yeshua returns in the clouds with loud trumpet sounds. His angels will gather his people from the four corners of the earth (Matt. 24: 30,31). The Trumpets is the end of ‘church age’ when the true church will be raised up to meet her Lord in the clouds. 

THE FEAST OF ATONEMENT (Yom Kippur)

The ten days following the Feast of Trumpets are the Days of Awe. They fast, repent and pray because they believe this is the day their names will be sealed in the Book of Life. Many eschatologists believe that this is the period when myriads of Jews will repent and accept Yeshua as their Messiah. The High Priest entered the Holy of Holies once a year on this day and sprinkled the blood of the first goat on the Ark of the Covenant as a sin offering for Israel. On the second goat he confessed all the sins and wickedness of the world and sent it out into Azalel (wilderness) as the Scape goat. 

Beware! if you are still around on planet earth during this Feast then you have missed the Rapture and will face, “the great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, nor ever will be (Matt. 24:21). 

For Christians, the goats sacrificed as sin offering, carrying the sins of the world represent the Lord who was sacrificed for the sins of the whole world outside the city (Lev. 16:10, 21; Heb. 13:11-14).

THE FEAST OF TABERNCLES (Sukkot) 

Also called Feast of Ingathering Jews build temporary tabernacles, and spend a week there with friends and family, recalling forty years spent in the wilderness. Many believe that Yeshua was born in such a tabernacle where he was kept in a feed box (manger). Seventy oxen were offered during this Feast for the Gentiles. Yeshua, the Lord of the harvest, sent the seventy disciples to reap the harvest from all nations soon after this Feast (Luke 10:1). On the last Great Day of the Feast, the High priest along with a large crowd of rejoicing priests and people went down to the pool of Siloam and brought back a jugful of water and poured it on the Altar. Yeshua stood at the top of the now recently excavated tunnel and shouted, “If anyone thirst, come unto me and I will make you rivers of living water” (John 7:37-39). All the Feasts will vanish, but this Feast will remain, as nations will go to Jerusalem to worship the King of kings. On the way they will stay in tabernacles where they will be provided free hospitality. (Lev. 23:41; Jer. 3:17). 

THE TABERNACLE – THE SHADOW OF YESHUA

It had a door of entrance. Yeshua said, “I am the door (John 10:79). Next to the door was an altar where an animal carrying the sins of the people was offered as sacrifice for their atonement. Yeshua as the Lamb of God became the full and final sacrifice for the atonement of the sins of the world (Heb. 10:10). The blood was splattered on the four corners of the altar symbolizing that one day Yeshua will gather His elect from the four corners of the earth (Matt. 24:31). There was a Laver where the priest washed his hands to enter the Holy Place. Now we get cleansed through baptism in water, so we can enter relationship with Yeshua. 

Inside the Holy Place there was the Menorah. Yeshua said, “I am the light of the world” and made us little lights to shine where people sit in darkness and in the shadows of death (John 8:12; Matt. 3:16; 5:14). There was a table opposite with twelve loaves of bread. Yeshua said “I am the bread of life…” (John 6:35). Next on the Golden Altar, incense was burnt, and intercession was offered for the nations. Yeshua is now sitting on the right hand of God and interceding for us (Heb. 7:25). Then there was the thick veil that separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy place. The veil represented the Body of Christ, torn on the cross.  The Spirit of God dwelt on the Mercy seat covering the Ark of the Covenant inside the Holy of Holies. The High Priest entered once a year to offer blood for the “atonement” (propitiation) of sins. Yeshua, our High Priest, is now our “mercy seat” (hilastērion), where He made atonement with His own blood, once and for all (Rom. 3:25). 

Thus, the whole Tabernacle (Temple) was a shadow of Yeshua who was to come. That is why God told Moses not to change the pattern shown to him. Now we are the walking and talking temples of the living God and people must come to us to find God and worship Him. We must not change the pattern shown by our Lord so that He can build His Ekklesia with living stones. (2Cor. 6:16; 1Pet. 2:5)

ONLY ACCORDING TO PATTERN - THE ICHABOD CHURCH

After losing the Ark to the Philistines, Eli, his two corrupt sons and his daughter-in-law died. His newborn grandson was named ‘Ichabod’, meaning that ‘the glory has departed from Israel.’ Just like Eli changed the pattern and made the Ark, a symbol of peace into a weapon of war that made Israel ichabod, Constantine replaced Menorah the light, the symbol of the Ekklesia with the cross, a symbol of death. Later other religious leaders came and turned it into a completely man-made ichabod structure that lost its original form and function.

GEMS:

• Wisdom lies in rebooting the pattern shown by the Lord (Rev. 1:20). 
• God moved around in a temporary tabernacle for 480 years.
• Yeshua came to raise up the fallen tent of David (Acts 15:16)
• “We in this tabernacle groan, being burdened; so that the mortal might be swallowed up by the immortal (2Cor. 5:4).
• I heard a great voice from Heaven, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God (Rev.21:3).  

 Copyright © 2023 Dr. Victor Choudhrie

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