Lev. 23, Ordained Feasts

The following list of feasts is from both Leviticus 23 and 25. They were ordained by God for the Israelites. The information below is taken primarily from the NIV Study Bible with additional information from Barry Setterfield and some internet searching.

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Feasts and Sacred Days ordained by the Lord God in Leviticus 23 and 25

Name of feast/sacred day: Sabbath

Old Testament time: 7th day

Modern equivalent: same

Description: Day of rest; no work

Purpose: Rest for people and animals

Old Testament References: Exodus 20:8-11; 31:12-17, Leviticus 23:3; Deuteronomy 5:12-15

New Testament References: Matthew 12:1-14; 28:1, Luke 4:16, John 5:9, Acts 13:42, Colossians 2:16, Hebrews 4:1-11

Christ Connection: Christ is Lord of the Sabbath (Matthew 12:1-8). As the fourth commandment, the Sabbath Commandment, is the bridge between the first three regarding worshipping God and the last six regarding relationships among men and women, so Christ Himself is the bridge between God and man and thus, in a second sense, is in this way Lord of the Sabbath as well.

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Name of feast/sacred day: Sabbath Year

Old Testament time: 7th year

Modern equivalent: Same

Description: year of rest; fallow fields

Purpose: rest for land

Old Testament References: Exodus 23:10-11, Levicus 25:1-7

New Testament References: none

Christ Connection: same as above

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Name of feast/sacred day: Year of Jubilee

Old Testament time: 50th year

Modern equivalent: same

Description: canceled debts; liberation of slaves and indentured servants; land returned to original family owners.

Purpose: Help for poor; stabilize society

Old Testament References: Leviticus 25: 8-55; 27:17-24; Numbers 36:4

New Testament References: none

Christ Connection: as the Jubilee year freed slaves, so Christ frees us from our enslavement to sin.

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Name of feast/sacred day: Passover

Old Testament time: Nisan (first month) 14

Modern equivalent: fourteenth day of Nisan, as figured by first of Nisan which is the day after the evening of the first appearance of the crescent moon after the vernal equinox. (normally in April)

Description: Slaying and eating of a lamb, together with bitter herbs and bread made without yeast, in every household.

Purpose: Remember Israel’s deliverance from Egypt

Old Testament References: Exodus 12:1-14; Leviticus 23:5; Numbers 9:1-14; 28:16; Deuteronomy 16: 1-3a, 4b-7

New Testament References: Matthew 26:17; Mark 14:12-26; John 2:13; 11:55; ! Corinthians 5:7; Hebrews 11:28

Christ Connection: Christ is the lamb slain from the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8) and is the true and final Passover Lamb slain for us so that we will not be touched by the final death.

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Name of feast/sacred day: Unleavened Bread

Old Testament time: Nisan 15-21

Modern equivalent: Starting day after Passover and continuing for a week (normally in April)

Description: Eating bread made without yeast; holding several assemblies; making designated offerings

Purpose: Remember how the Lord brought the Israelites out of Egypt in haste.

Old Testament References: Exodus 12:15-20; 13:3-10; 23:15; 34:18; Leviticus 23:6-8; Numbers 28:17-25; Deuteronomy 16: 3b, 4a, 8

New Testament References: Mark 14:1,12; Acts 12:3; 1 Corinthians 5:6-8

Christ Connection: The full week recalls the full week of creation before sin, and unleavened bread is bread without the yeast that is used as a symbol of sin in the Old Testament. This also looks forward to Christ’s sinless offering of Himself.

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Name of feast/sacred day: Feast of Firstfruits

Old Testament time: Nisan 16

Modern equivalent: third day after Passover

Description: Presenting a sheaf of the first of the barley harvest as a wave offering; making a burnt offering and a grain offering.

Purpose: To recognize the Lord’s bounty in the land.

Old Testament References: Leviticus 23:9-14

New Testament References: Romans 8:23; 1 Corinthians 15:20-23

Christ Connection: This was the day of the Resurrection; Christ rising from the dead becomes the firstfruit of ‘those that slept’ (1 Corinthians 15:20)

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Name of feast/sacred day: Feast of Weeks also known as Pentecost or the Feast of Harvest

Old Testament time: Sivan 6 (third month)

Modern equivalent: 50 days after Feast of Firstfruits

Description: A festival of joy; mandatory and voluntary offerings, including firstfruits of wheat harvest.

Purpose: to show joy and thankfulness for the Lord’s blessing of the harvest

Old Testament References: Exodus 23:16a; 34:22a; Leviticus 23:15-21; Numbers 28:26-31; Deuteronomy 16:9-12

New Testament References: Acts 2:1-4; 20:16; 1 Corinthians 16:8

Christ Connection: Coming of the Holy Spirit among the disciples and the women in the upper room (Acts 2); beginning of the active church.

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Name of feast/sacred day: Feast of Trumpets

Old Testament time: Tishri 1 (seventh month)

Modern equivalent: Sept/ Oct – Rosh Hashanah (secular Jewish new year)

Description: an assembly on a day of rest commemorated with trumpet blasts and sacrifices.

Purpose: to present Israel before the Lord for His favor.

Old Testament References: Leviticus 23:23-25; Numbers 29:1-6

New Testament References: none

Christ Connection: possible reference to the events connected with the Second Coming, but more specifically, some time during the holy days which are marked in these last four sections, Christ was born, as it is written in John 1, that he ‘tabernacled’ among us (John 1:14). For an in depth study, please reference
http://www.ldolphin.org/birth.html

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Name of feast/sacred day: Day of Atonement or Yom Kippur

Old Testament time: Tishri 10

Modern equivalent: September/October

Description: Day of rest, fasting, and sacrifices of atonement for priests and people and atonement for the Tabernacle and Altar. It is the one day of the year when the High Priest enters the Holy of Holies.

Purpose: Cleanse priests and people (the entire nation) from their sins and purify the Holy Place.

Old Testament References: Leviticus 16:23, 26-32; Numbers 29:7-11

New Testament References: Romans 3:24-26; Hebrews 9:7; 10:3, 19-22

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Name of feast/sacred day: Feast of Tabernacles also known as the Feast of Booths or Succot or Ingathering

Old Testament time: Tishri 15-21

Modern equivalent: September/October

Description: A week of celebration for the harvest; living in booths; offering sacrifices (the total number of specified sacrifices is 70, which ‘coincidently’ is the same number of nations listed in Genesis 10, the Table of Nations )

Purpose: Memorialize the journey from Egypt to Canaan when they had to live in tents for forty years; give thanks for the productivity of Canaan.

Old Testament References: Exodus 23:16b; 34:22b; Leviticus 23:33-36a; 39-43; Numbers 29:12-34; Deuteronomy 16:13-15; Zechariah 14:16-19

New Testament References: John 7:2, 37

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Name of feast/sacred day: Sacred Assembly

Old Testament time: Tishri 22

Modern equivalent: Last day of Feast of Tabernacles

Description: Day of convocation, rest, and offering sacrifices

Purpose: Commemorate closing of the cycle of feasts

Old Testament References: Leviticus 23:36b; Numbers 29:35-38

New Testament References: none

[ December 26, 2002, 10:27 PM: Message edited by: Helen ]