The Prophetic Significance of the Feasts of the Lord

 

Image credit: The Feasts of Israel – Passover – Bible.org Blogs

Have you ever heard of the feast of Passover and its prophetic connection to the death of Jesus as the spotless Lamb of God? I am sure that you have. Did you know there are 6 other feasts of the Lord, and just as the feast of Passover had prophetic significance, so I believe the other feasts do also. 

In fact I believe that the spring feasts aligned with and were fulfilled by major prophetic events at the First Coming of the Lord Jesus and thus I believe the fall feasts will align with and will be fulfilled by major prophetic events involving the 70^th Week and Second Coming of the Lord. 

Therefore to help us establish a chronology of the 70th week we need take a more in depth look at the feasts of the Lord and their prophetic significance and implications. We will first examine the meaning of the word feast, which alludes to their significance. 

The Hebrew word translated ‘feasts’ means appointed times. The idea is that the sequence and timing of each of these feasts have been carefully orchestrated by God himself. Each is part of a comprehensive whole. Collectively, they tell a story. These feasts are also called ‘holy convocations’; that is they are intended to be times of meeting between God and man for ‘holy purposes.’^[1] 

God instituted seven yearly feasts for the Israelites to observe. There were four spring feasts and three fall feasts. The feasts, in calendar order with their associated Hebrew dates, are:

 

Spring Feasts (March to June) 

1. The Feast of Passover—14 Nisan

2. The Feast of Unleavened Bread. 15 – 21—Nisan

3. The Feast of First Fruits—16 Nisan

4. The Feast of Weeks—50 days after first fruits.

 

Fall Feasts (September to October) 

5. The Feast of Trumpets—1,2 Tishri

6. The Day of Atonement—10 Tishri

7. The Feast of Tabernacles—15 – 21 Tishri

 

Not only are these feasts significant from a relationship standpoint between God and man, but they also have prophetic implications: 

These seven feasts typify the sequence, timing, and significance of the major events of the Lord’s redemptive career. They commence at Calvary where Jesus voluntarily gave Himself for the sins of the world (Passover), and climax at the establishment of the messianic Kingdom at the Messiah’s Second Coming...^[2] 

Paul alluded to this prophetic connection in Colossians 2:16,17 when he said. 

16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: 17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. 

Let’s expound upon this thought and see exactly how each feast points to a prophetic event. Without going into too much detail, we will summarize the prophetic implication of each feast. For a more thorough understanding of the feasts of the Lord, I would recommend Kevin Howard and Marvin Rosenthal’s excellent book The Feasts of the Lord. 

1. The Feast of Passover points to Christ as the spotless Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, and was fulfilled when Christ died on the cross for our sins on Passover on Friday Nisan 14, 33 A.D. 

2. The Feast of Unleavened Bread shows that Christ’s sinless body would not undergo decay, and was fulfilled when Christ’s body did not decay while in the grave. 

3. The Feast of First Fruits shows that Christ had power over death and was the first fruit of the resurrection and was fulfilled when Christ rose from the dead on the day of the feast of first fruits on Sunday Nisan 16, 33 A.D. 

4. The Feast of Weeks alludes to the pouring out of the Holy Spirit upon the initiation of the historical church period and was fulfilled on Pentecost on Sivan 6, 33 A.D. 

It is clearly evident that the first four feasts were fulfilled at the time of Christ’s First Coming and thus we can reason that the last 3 feasts will be fulfilled in events surrounding Christ’s Second Coming. Let’s examine the three remaining feasts, which occur in the fall, and see how they may be fulfilled. 

The fifth feast, the Feast of Trumpets, or Rosh Hashanah, is practiced as a two-day feast. 

Rosh Hashanah (Hebrew: ראש השנה‎, literally "head [of] the year") is the Jewish New Year. The Biblical name for this holiday is called Yom Teruah (Hebrew: יום תרועה‎, literally "day [of] shouting/raising a noise") or the Feast of Trumpets… It is the first of the High Holy Days or Yamim Nora'im ("Days of Awe")…Rosh Hashanah is a two-day celebration, which begins on the first day of Tishrei.^[3] 

I believe that since it is a two-day feast that it may have two separate and different fulfillments, one on the first day and one on the second.  One of the events I believe this feast may align with, though I am not dogmatic about this, is the rapture. The trump that is referred to at Christ’s coming to the clouds at the rapture may be a reference to the trumpet blown at this feast. 

And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. (Matt. 24:30–31) 

The shofar blown on Rosh Hashanah is known as the last trump, which the apostle Paul mentioned in I Thes 4:16-17 and I Cor 15:52 in connection with the rapture. 

For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. 

In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

This last trump of God will signal the beginning of the Day of the Lord in which the righteous will be delivered and the wicked will be judged. In fact, ancient Jewish tradition held that the resurrection of the righteous dead would occur on Rosh Hashanah with the blowing of the shofar (trumpet), which is why a shofar was engraved on Jewish gravestones. These two major occurrences signaled by the blowing of the trumpet are consistent with the historical use of the trumpet in Israel as explained by Marvin Rosenthal: 

The blowing of the trumpet in ancient Israel had two primary functions. The first was to call a solemn assembly; that is, when the children of Israel were to be summoned to God’s presence, the trumpet was blown (Ex 19:13,17,19; Num 10:2). And second, when Israel, under divine direction, was to go to war, the trumpet was to be blown (Num 10:9; Jud 7; Jer. 4:19-21).^[4] 

Kevin Howard has this to say about the judgment aspect of the Feast of Trumpets 

Rosh Hashanah was often referred to as Yom Ha-Din (“Judgment Day”) by rabbis since it began the Days of Awe, the traditional time of God’s judgment.^[5] 

The prophet Zechariah tells of the judgment that will transpire when the trumpet is blown: “And the Lord shall be seen over them, and his arrow shall go forth as the lightning: and the Lord God shall blow the trumpet, and shall go with whirlwinds of the south” (Zech 9:14). The benediction given for the last 2,000 years during synagogue services on Rosh Hashanah also speaks of the trumpet being blown at Rosh Hashanah at the Lord’s return, as explained by Kevin Howard: 

The benediction also speaks of the end of days when God will again reveal Himself through fire and the sounding of the shofar as He sends the Messiah: ‘The Lord shall appear over them; his arrow shall go forth like lightning. The Lord shall sound the shofar and march amid the storms of the south. (cf Zech 9:14)^[6] 

Another interesting fact about the Feast of Trumpets that correlates it to the rapture is that, in the ancient observance of the feast, no one knew the exact start of the feast. It always started on the first day of the Jewish year, which is the first day of the month of Tishri, but no one knew the exact day when a Hebrew month started. 

The Hebrew months start by the sighting of the new moon, and it was the job of the Sanhedrin to announce the beginning of the month when the new moon was observed. Of course, one could calculate an approximate time by counting 29.5 days since the last new moon, but it did not officially start until the Sanhedrin observed the crescent moon, and then declared it so. 

This correlates beautifully with the truth that no one knows the exact time of Christ’s return. Some even feel that Christ’s own words, “No one knows the day or hour” is a direct reference to this feast for this reason. In Jewish tradition Rosh Hashanah is also known as Kiddushin/Nesu'in or the wedding ceremony of the Messiah.^[7] 

In fact the practices involving the ancient Jewish wedding ceremony closely parallel the Messiah’s redemptive work. Pointing to the fact that the bridegroom/Christ will come for his bride—the church—at the rapture.^[8] Thus these facts are a strong indication that this feast may be fulfilled at the rapture and also since it has aspects of judgment, possibly at another event, namely Armageddon. 

Thus in conclusion; in regards to the prophetic significance of the 2 day feast of Rosh Hashanah. Since the feast involves aspects of deliverance and judgment and has rapture associations. I believe it is possible that this feast may align with the rapture of some unknown year, and the return of Jesus to the earth at Armageddon. 

The Feast of Trumpets also starts the time period known as the Days of Awe. The Days of Awe are a 10-day period between Rosh Hashanah and the Day of Atonement in which observant Jews are to engage in a solemn time of self-examination. Tradition holds that these days are the last chance to repent before God’s judgment is finalized.^[9] 

Prophetically, I believe these days may be fulfilled when after the last trumpet of the Feast of Trumpets, which calls for a solemn assembly; Israel will assemble for seven days and will receive Christ as their savior on the eighth day, which will be the Day of Atonement. This may happen directly after the rapture when Israel and all the world see Jesus in the sky. 

Yom Kippur or the Day of Atonement is the most solemn and important holy day of the Jewish calendar. In the Old Testament, the Day of Atonement was the day the High Priest made an atoning sacrifice for the sins of the people. This act of atonement brought reconciliation between the people and God.^[10] 

I believe this feast will align with the time after Israel repents and officially recognizes Christ as Messiah and will be saved. And when will this occur? Most likely after Israel flees into the wilderness after the abomination of desolation and after the rapture. 

The final feast is the Feast of Tabernacles and is associated with Israel’s time in the wilderness. 

Sukkot, Succot or Sukkos, Feast of Booths, Feast of Tabernacles is a week-long biblical Jewish holiday celebrated on the 15th day of the month of Tishrei… The sukkah is intended as a reminiscence of the type of fragile dwellings in which the Israelites dwelt during their 40 years of travel in the desert after the Exodus from slavery in Egypt. ^[11] 

I believe this feast will align with the time when Israel will once again find themselves in the wilderness after fleeing the antichrist. And once again God will watch over and provide for them for 3.5 years.

 

Putting It All Together 

I view the prophetic implications of the fall feasts as follows: 

1. The Feast of Trumpets is practiced as a two-day feast that alludes to the return of Christ during the event known as “The Day of the Lord” in which the righteous will be raptured and the wicked will be judged. I believe this feast will start to be fulfilled at the beginning of the Day of the Lord when Christ comes to the clouds for His bride and will be totally fulfilled after God’s enemies will be vanquished at the battle of Armageddon and Jesus takes His throne in Jerusalem. 

Note: I am not dogmatic about the rapture aligning with Rosh Hashanah—I see other possibilities such as Pentecost, the day of Ascension, or at no feast at all. 

2. The Day of Atonement speaks of the shed blood of Christ and the substitutionary work it accomplishes in covering our sins and restoring us to fellowship with God. This feast will be fulfilled after Israel repents and recognizes Christ as Messiah and are saved on the Day of Atonement. 

3. The Feast of Tabernacles is a seven-day celebration in which the Israelites dwell in “booths” or shacks reminiscent of their journeying in the wilderness. This feast will be fulfilled when Israel will once again find themselves in the wilderness after they flee the antichrist after the abomination of desolation where God will protect and provide for them for 3.5 years. This feast may also align with the beginning of the Millennium in which God will dwell with man which starts with the marriage supper of the lamb. 

In summary this is the way I see it happening; 

Feast of Trumpets (1^st day): Rapture. 

Feast of Trumpets (2^nd day, years later): Armageddon.

Day of Atonement: Ethnic Israel will recognize Christ as Messiah and be saved. 

Feast of Tabernacles: Israel in the wilderness/beginning of the Millennium. 

I am certain that the fall feasts will have prophetic significance, whether or not I have all the details and nuances correct, I do not know. As the scriptures say, we see through a glass darkly. One thing is for sure, it is going to be fascinating to see how all this works out. 

Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man. Luke 21:36 

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[1] Howard, K and Rosenthal, M. The Feasts of the Lord. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc. 1997.

[2] Ibid. p.14.

[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rosh_Hashanah

 

[4] Howard, Rosenthal. p.26

[5] Ibid. p.110

[6] Ibid. p. 111

[7] http://www.linkjesus.com/rosh.htm

[8] http://lloydpulley.com/2008/12/14/the-ancient-jewish-wedding--a-picture-of-christ--his-bride-the-church.aspx

[9] Ibid. p. 108

[10] http://christianity.about.com/od/biblefeastsandholidays/p/dayofatonement.htm

[11] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sukkot