The Three Pilgrimage Festivals
16: 1-17
Along with the giving of tithes, celebrating the Year of Release, dedicating their firstborn animals to YHVH, these three feasts represent part of the worship due to ADONAI. These feasts were so important to Isra’el’s religious life that after the Diaspora some Jews living far from Palestine still attended one or more of these festivals whenever possible. Attending these festivals gave the Israelites opportunity to acknowledge the LORD as their Deliverer and Provider. It also gave them the opportunity to express their faith in Ha’Shem as they left their families in God’s care to journey to the sanctuary. These festivals demonstrated that worshiping YHVH should be a joyful experience in which the people gratefully shared in the bounty of His blessing (16:11 and 14-15, 12:7, 12 and 18, 14:26).369
Three times a year all your males are to appear before ADONAI your God in the place He chooses (Jerusalem) – at the Feast of [Pesach] Matzot, the Feast of Shavu’ot, and the Feast of Sukkot. No one should appear empty-handed, the gift of each man’s hand according to the blessing ADONAI your God has given you (16:1-17).
A. Each of these feasts’ points to the beginning of a new dispensation.
The festival of Pesach points to the Dispensation of Torah (see the commentary on Exodus, to see link click Da – The Dispensation of Torah).
The festival of Shavu’ot points to the Dispensation of Grace (see the commentary on Hebrews Bp – The Dispensation of Grace).
And the festival of Sukkot points to the Dispensation of the Messianic Kingdom (see the commentary on Revelation Fh – The Dispensation of the Messianic Kingdom).
B. Furthermore, these three feasts point to the three offices of the Messiah.
At His death at the festival of Pesach, Yeshua fulfilled the office of prophet ( see Dk – A Prophet Like Moses).
At the birth of the Church at the festival of Shavu’ot, Yeshua fulfilled the office of priest. The Spirit of God could only come after the Son of God was sitting at the right hand of the Father, fulfilling His role as our mediator. He is our Great High Priest forever (see the commentary on Hebrews Bc – We Have This Hope as an Anchor for the Soul).
During the Messianic Kingdom when the festival of Sukkot is celebrated, Yeshua will fulfill the office of King. During His thousand-year reign, Yeshua will rule and reign from the Most Holy Place in Jerusalem, fulfilling His office of King (see the commentary on Isaiah Db – The Nine Missing Articles in the Messiah’s Coming Temple).370
C. In addition, these three feasts are part of the seven feasts of Isra’el.
The first four feasts were fulfilled by the program of the First Coming of Christ and occur within fifty days of each other.
Passover or Pesach: This feast was fulfilled by the death of Messiah.
Unleavened Bread or Hag ha’Matzah: It was fulfilled by the sinlessness of His sacrifice.
First Fruits or Rasheet: This feast was fulfilled by Yeshua’s resurrection to life.
Pentecost or Shavu’ot: It was fulfilled by the birth of the Church.
Between the first four feasts and the last three feasts, there is a four-month interval mentioned in passing. When you reap the harvest of your land, do not reap to the very edges of your field or gather the gleanings of your harvest. Leave them for the poor and for the foreigners residing among you. I am ADONAI Your God (Leviticus 23:22).
During the pause between the two sets of feasts, life is to continue as normal. This interval is pictured as a summertime of labor in the fields in preparation for the final harvest of the summer and before the fall harvest. This verse is not related to any feast. Unless one understands what is really happening, it almost seems like an unnecessary interruption. However, it is the pause between the feasts that fulfilled the program of the First Coming as opposed to the festivals to be fulfilled by the program of the Second Coming. This internal of four months does have a messianic implication.
The messianic implication is the insertion of the Dispensation of Grace interrupting the program of feasts of Isra’el. Indeed, the gleanings for the poor and the foreigner residing among you is a very good picture of the mission of the Church itself in gospel evangelism. For example, Jesus states: Look to the fields! They are ripe for harvest (John 4:35)! Thus, it becomes a fitting symbol of the obligation of the Church to do the work of gospel evangelism. Leviticus 23:22, being a parenthetical verse interrupting the discussion of the feasts of Isra’el, is significant in that it symbolizes the present age in which we now live and in which the program of the feasts of Isra’el has been temporarily interrupted.
The last three feasts in the second cycle of festivals also come close together, even closer than those of the first cycle of feasts. In fact, they all come within two weeks of each other. The last three feasts of the second cycle are to be fulfilled by the program of the Second Coming.
Trumpets or Rosh ha-Shanah: will be fulfilled by the Rapture of the Church.
The Day of Atonement or Yom Kippur: will be fulfilled by the future affliction of the Jews in the Great Tribulation.
Tabernacles or Sukkot: will be fulfilled by the thousand-year Messianic Kingdom.
Dear Great and Powerful Heavenly Father, Praise You that You are the Almighty King of kings and You will reign forever! You are greater than any power and You also have infinite love for Your children. Thank You for blessing us with these festivals. They remind us of Your greatness. Your holiness is shown at Yom Kippur (Leviticus 23:26-32). Your great power is remembered on Sukkot. You are to live in sukkot for seven days. All the native-born in Isra’el are to live in sukkot, so that your generations may know that I had Bnei-Yisrael to dwell in sukkot when I brought them out of the land of Egypt. I am Adonai your God” (Leviticus 23:42-43).
Your greatness and power is shown by what you will do on these holidays in the future. After You rapture your church on a future Day of Rosh ha-Shanah, comes seven years when you seek to draw Isra’el back to loving You. They will be years of great affliction for Isra’el (Mark 13:5-25), but when she recognizes You as the Jewish Messiah (Isaiah 53) You return and rescue Isra’el. Then You will reign from Jerusalem for 1,000 years in the Messianic Kingdom.
As sure as your death on Pseach and Your rising from the dead on Rasheet, will be the fulfillment of Your promises on the fall Jewish Festival days. We know You will return soon, though we do not know the year and so we set no dates. We have heavy hearts for our family, friends, and neighbors who though they are nice, have not yet chosen to bow the knee to worship you. He is being patient toward you – not wanting anyone to perish, but for all to come to repentance (Second Peter 3:9). We love you dearest Father, and we so desire You to work in the hearts of our family and friends that they see how wonderful You are and how short the time is for them to respond. Please let them know that they need a personal relationship with You to enter heaven. May they move from knowledge about You, to heart love for You. May we use these few years till You come being busy for You. In Yeshua’s holy name and power of His resurrection. Amen
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