Seven Holy Feasts of Israel (Part II)

Now back to the topic of celebration and the feasts of Israel. In this blog post, I will touch on the next three feasts: Feast of Firstfruits, Feast of Pentecosts/Weeks and Feast of Trumpets.

Feasts of the Jews	In Relation to Jesus
3.   Feast of Firstfruits (Lev 23:10) ·    Occurs on the 2nd day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread ·    Barley, which is the first crop to be planted in winter, is now beginning to ripen for its spring harvest. The first sheaf or firstfruits of the harvest is subsequently cut, and presented to the Lord. The Lord's acceptance of the firstfruits is a pledge on His part of a full harvest to come	·    Firstfruits speak of the Lord's triumphant resurrection; death simply could not hold her foe. On the third day (Easter Day), Jesus rose victoriously from the grave. ·    Jesus was the first to be resurrected from death and the grave, never to die again. He alone is the "Firstfruits." When we believe in Him, we will be like Him, resurrected and never to taste death again.
4.   Feast of Pentecost/Weeks (Lev 23:16) ·    Occurs 50 days after Firstfruits ·    Happens usually in May or June every year ·    Festival of joy and thanksgiving celebrating the completion of the harvest season (last of the spring feasts) ·    2nd major feast in which all Jewish males were required to attend (the other two being Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles). ·    The Jews had to bring not the firstfruits of the wheat but two loaves of bread, to be used as a wave offering to the Lord ·    The feast was concluded by the eating of communal meals to which the poor, the stranger, and the Levites were invited.	·    A symbolic festival which pointed to the coming of the Holy Spirit and the birthday of the Church. The Son of God arose from the grave on Firstfruits. He then spent 40 days with His disciples in post-resurrection ministry ·    After 40 days, He ascended to heaven but told the disciples to wait for the Holy Spirit (helper) to come on them. They then waited for 10 more days before the Holy Spirit descended on them ·    Although it was not specifically mentioned, this feast could have also coincided with the day that Moses received the Law at Mt Sinai
5.   Feast of Trumpets (Lev 23:24) ·    Occurs on the 1st day of the seventh month of Jewish (religious) calendar ·    Also known as Rosh Hashanah, the start of the Jewish civil new year ·    Happens around late Aug or Sep every year ·    The first of the fall feasts ·    The celebration consisted of a time of rest, "an offering made by fire," and the blowing of the trumpets (ram horns)	·    The interval of time between the last of the spring feasts (Pentecost) and the first of the fall feasts (Trumpets) corresponds to the present Church Age. We are presently living between Israel's fourth and fifth feasts. ·    The outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost started the Church Age; and Trumpets, which will signal Christ's second coming to rapture the Church and judge the wicked, will end the Church Age