Video 1.1: Introduction to the Feasts
Video 1.1: Introduction
(Readings: Leviticus 23; John 14:6; Colossians 2:16-17)
This video’s teaching on the seven feasts in Leviticus 23 reveals God’s eternal plan of redemption and salvation. Readers can explore Old Testament teachings on the biblical feasts through a series of lessons. These teachings reveal prophetic instructions from the Old Testament, highlighting their vital role in humanity’s redemption.
Sacrifice, especially through blood offerings, remains at the heart of these festivals, marking a key element of these holy convocations. These Old Testament feasts directly point to Jesus Christ and ultimately foreshadow His atonement through His earthly ministry.
As these feasts find their ultimate fulfillment in Christ, they continue to hold valuable insights for believers today. Though believers in Christ need not observe these feasts, they offer insights that deepen their faith. Beyond their spiritual symbolism, the annual feasts commemorate the birth of the nation of Israel and its deliverance from Egyptian bondage.
By understanding their prophetic nature, believers can see how these feasts ultimately found their typological fulfillment in Christ. The history of Israel’s deliverance mirrors the greater one found in Christ, who fulfills these prophecies. With this purpose in mind, the prophecy of the feasts connects to the seven festivals, foreshadowing things to come. Based on the prophetic timeline, the chart below demonstrates the period between Christ’s first and His second comings. The Church falls in between creation and recreation of heaven一a 2000-year span between the cross and the crown.
Through these symbols, Israel was taught that redemption and restoration would come only through Christ. Thus, Jesus, Israel’s Messiah, came to redeem and restore what was lost due to Adam’s sin. In summary, these feasts not only recall Israel’s history but also point to the ultimate redemption through Christ, the fulfillment of God’s eternal plan.
The Feasts in the New Testament
Building on the prophetic significance of these feasts and their fulfillment in Christ, the apostle Paul emphasizes their deeper meaning to the Gentile believers in Colossae. He highlighted how each celebration foreshadows the redemptive work accomplished through Jesus Christ. He wanted them to understand the importance of these feasts and how each pointed to the redemptive work of Jesus Christ. Paul reinforces this truth with Scripture, saying,
“Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of a holiday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days; which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ” (Colossians 2:16-17 KJV).
In pointing to Christ’s redemptive work, these feasts hold both prophetic and instructional significance. God instituted these holy convocations and required Israel to observe them annually. These feasts provide a clear pathway leading to Israel’s redemption and salvation. Each points to Jesus. He declared, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).
Therefore, Paul reminds the Christians at Colossae that the Mosaic law prescribed these festivals as God’s holy convocations and connected them to Israel's spiritual calendar. Because of their connection to Christ's redemptive work, these feasts stood as commemorations for all generations, revealing God’s eternal plan fulfilled in Jesus, the promised Messiah.
In fulfillment of God’s redemptive plan, the Old Testament describes three major feasts that became part of Israel’s annual calendar. Each feast held unique theological significance for the Jewish people, representing divine provision, protection, and guidance for the Jewish community. Thus, Jewish men in Jerusalem presented themselves three times a year for these appointed feasts.
Conclusion
The Lord divided the feasts into three distinct groups: Passover, Unleavened Bread, and Firstfruits (spring feasts); Pentecost (summer feast); and Trumpets, Day of Atonement, and Tabernacles (fall feasts). Each group aligns with His prophetic timeline, marking key moments in the redemptive plan. Fulfillment of these feasts occurred on the exact day and time specified in the law of Moses. While the spring feasts found their fulfillment in Christ’s first coming, the fall feasts point to His second coming. Future events will bring literal fulfillment to the final three feasts. As of now, the fall feasts remain unfulfilled, awaiting their prophetic completion. Thus, these feasts, instituted by God, not only commemorated Israel’s deliverance from Egypt but also served as a means to worship Yeshua, their Messiah, who embodies their ultimate fulfillment.
Big Ideas
- Prophetic and Redemptive Significance: The seven feasts in Leviticus 23 reveal God’s eternal plan of redemption, foreshadowing Jesus Christ’s atonement and highlighting their role in humanity’s salvation.
- Christ as the Fulfillment: Each feast points directly to Jesus, with the spring feasts fulfilled through His first coming and the fall feasts anticipating His second coming. The feasts not only recall Israel’s history but also symbolize ultimate redemption through Christ, the promised Messiah.
- Paul’s Teaching on the Feasts: The apostle Paul taught the Gentile believers in Colossae that these feasts, prescribed in the Mosaic law, were shadows pointing to Christ.
- Structure and Timeline of the Feasts: God divided the feasts into three groups—spring (Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits), summer (Pentecost), and fall (Trumpets, Day of Atonement, Tabernacles). The spring feasts found literal fulfillment in Christ’s first coming, while the fall feasts remain unfulfilled, awaiting prophetic completion at His second coming.
Summary
This teaching on the seven feasts in Leviticus 23 highlights their prophetic role in God’s eternal plan of redemption, with each feast pointing to Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul emphasized the feasts' deeper meaning to the Gentile believers in Colossae, explaining that they were shadows pointing to Christ, who fulfilled their prophetic significance.
The spring feasts (Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits, and Pentecost) were fulfilled through Christ’s first coming, while the fall feasts (Trumpets, Day of Atonement, and Tabernacles) anticipate His second coming. Though believers are not required to observe these feasts, they offer valuable insights into Christ’s redemptive work.
The feasts also commemorated Israel’s history, marking divine provision, protection, and guidance. Structured into three groups—spring, summer, and fall—they align with God’s prophetic timeline. The spring feasts have been fulfilled, while the fall feasts await their literal fulfillment in the future, completing God’s redemptive plan through Jesus, the promised Messiah.
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