Christ in the Seven Feasts
These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. (Colossians 2:17)
Many churches today talk about the Old Testament as something that has lost all of its meaning and importance. It is regarded as being justifiably old, and relegated to the past. That being said, every so often, these same churches will preach about the revelation of Christ in the Seven Feasts of the Lord detailed in the Covenant that Yahweh has with Israel. What they say, in that regard, is true: Christ is revealed in the Seven Feasts of the Lord.
To understand Christ in the Seven Feasts, we must return to Genesis. In the beginning, Yahweh created the Heavens and the Earth. On the fourth day, He created the stars. The verse is important as the stars and all of the luminaries were created to
And God said, "Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years,
- Genesis 1:14
Their purpose is so that the true followers of Christ are able to know when are the sacred times of the year. These sacred times are elaborated upon after Israel is released from captivity in Egypt during the book of Exodus. These seven feasts are truly explored in Leviticus 23: they are Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, Pentecost, Trumpets, Atonement and Tabernacle. All of these different feasts are linked and point directly to the person of Christ.
To begin, the first feast is that of Passover (Leviticus 23:4 - 5): the person “passes over” from death to live by eating the lamb and commemorating the escape from slavery and Egypt. All the while, Yeshua is the firstborn from the dead (Colossians 1:18) and the lamb of God, the perfect sacrifice (John 1:29, Hebrews 10:14). It’s immediately followed by the feast of Unleavened bread (Leviticus 23:6 - 8), a feast where we remove the yeast - representative of sin - from our homes and eat unleavened bread. Yet, Christ is the bread of life, perfect and sinless (John 6:35, 2 Corinthians 5:21). The Feast of First Fruits of Leviticus 23:9 - 14 is representative of Yeshua, who was first fruit as well (1 Corinthians 15:20). As well, Yeshua said that the Holy Spirit would come during Pentecost (John 14:26), a feast that has its roots in Leviticus 23:15 - 22.
The second wave of Feasts, that come in the autumn months in the Northern hemisphere, also point to Yeshua. The feast of Trumpets (Leviticus 23:23 - 25) is often associated with the Rapture, and Yeshua relates to this because He will take His bride at the sound of Trumpets (1 Corinthians 15:52). To continue, the Feast of Atonement (Leviticus 23:26 - 32), when the sins are atoned yearly, Yeshua can do so permanently as the Lamb of God and perfect sacrifice (Hebrews 9:12). Finally, the Feast of Tabernacle (Leviticus 23:33 - 43) is a celebration of Yahweh being with us and rallying with His people who lived in booths, like Yeshua who came for His people to wipe the tears from their eyes (Revelations 21:4)
Where many modern preachers stop is by saying that because they all point to Yeshua, then we do not need to live them, referring to it to be a shadow of things to come (Colossians 2:17). However, is a man living in the light complete without their shadow behind them? No. The Feasts are meant to still be lived today, as they are meant to be lived in perpetuity (Exodus 12:24). Examples of people who lived them include Yeshua, who lived the Sabbath and the Seven Feasts, a reality that can be seen throughout the Gospels. Paul himself said that he must go to Jerusalem for the Feast (Acts 18:21).
The Feasts are moments in the year that have been sanctified and rendered holy by Yahweh Himself: moments of consecration and connection. Yeshua was pointed in each and every single one of them. And if we are to follow Yeshua, we must follow and do what He does, celebrate what He did and be the believers that He wanted us to be through these Feasts.