The 7 Major Jewish Feasts

Christian History “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” Hosea 4:6

Passover is the first of the 7 major Jewish Feasts. The feasts are in 3 groups:

In the Spring are the Feast of Passover; the Feast of Unleavened Bread; and the Feast of First Fruits.

50 days later is the Feast of Pentecost at the beginning of the harvest. “Pente” means 50.

At the end of the summer harvest are celebrated the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement; and the Feast of Tabernacles

Let’s look at these:

1. Passover was first observed around 1,400 BC, the night before the exodus from Egypt:

The Pharaoh had previously enslaved the Israelites and made them throw their baby boys into the Nile River. God judged Egypt with plagues, the final one, sending the angel of death to kill the firstborn.

On the 15th day of the Hebrew month Nisan, each Israelite family killed a lamb and put its blood over the doorposts of their house so that the angel of death would “pass over” their home, as the lamb took the judgment in their place. God said to specifically put the blood on the top and two sides of the door frame, thus showing the image of a cross.

In 33 AD, Jesus celebrated the Passover meal with his disciples in the evening and then in the morning he was crucified — on the day of Passover.

The Apostle Paul wrote in First Corinthians 5:7: “For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.”

The lamb is considered the most innocent of animals. John the Baptist saw Jesus and exclaimed: “Behold, the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world!”

Crucifixion was the most painful Roman torture, reserved for slaves and rebels. Dr. Alexander Metherell, M.D., Ph.D. wrote: “The pain was absolutely unbearable … In fact, it was literally beyond words to describe; they had to invent a new word: excruciating. Literally, excruciating means ‘out of the cross.’”

Cicero called crucifixion, “the most cruel and hideous of tortures.” Historian Will Durant wrote that “even the Romans … pitied the victims.”

Isaiah chapter 53 described the Messiah’s suffering:

“Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed … The Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent … He was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was punished … Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer … The Lord makes his life an offering for sin … My righteous Servant will justify many, and He will bear their iniquities … For He bore the sin of many and made intercession for the transgressors.”

2. The next Jewish Feast after Passover was the Feast of Unleavened Bread.Jews would get all the leaven or yeast out of their homes. Leaven is symbolic of sin.

On the exact Feast of Unleavened Bread, Jesus was in the tomb – He “who takes away the sins of the world!”

Paul wrote in I Corinthians 5:6–8:

“Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough? Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed. Therefore, let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”

3. Next is the Feast of First Fruits marking the earliest harvest of the spring,the winter barley, which is the first grain to ripen in Israel’s growing season.

As soon as it appeared above ground it was harvested and brought to the temple.

Leviticus 23:9-14: “When you enter the land … and reap its harvest, then you shall bring in the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest … The priest …shall wave the sheaf before the Lord.”

Jesus rose from the dead on the exact day of the Feast of First Fruits! Jesus was the FIRST FRUITS in conquering death and raising from the dead!

Paul wrote in I Corinthians 15:20–23: “But now Christ has been raised from the dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died… But there is an order to this resurrection: Christ was raised as the first of the harvest; then all who belong to Christ will be raised when he comes back.”

Sir Lionel Luckhoo (1914- 1997) was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s most successful criminal attorney. He wrote:

“The bones of Muhammad are in Medina, the bones of Confucius are in Shantung, the cremated bones of Buddha are in Nepal. Thousands pay pilgrimages to worship at their tombs which contain their bones… But in Jerusalem there is a cave cut into the rock. This is the tomb of Jesus. IT IS EMPTY! YES, EMPTY! BECAUSE HE IS RISEN! He died, physically and historically. He arose from the dead, and now sits at the right hand of God.”

4. 50 days after First Fruits was the Feast of Pentecost,or Feast of Weeks(seven weeks of seven days), officially marking the beginning of the main harvest season (the end of barley harvest and the beginning of wheat harvest.)

50 days after Jesus rose from the grave was the Feast of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit was poured out on the Apostles, the Church was birthed, and the harvest of souls began. 3,000 men were saved the first day, and 8,000 men by the end of the week, not counting the wives and family members. Then the new believers in Christ spread the harvest around the world. His harvesting is still going on today with all those who are being saved and following Jesus… and through the resurrection power of Jesus will also conquer death and have eternal life with Him!

The world had been divinely set up for this moment:

1400 BC — Moses and the Children of Israel celebrated first Passover, came of Egypt in the Exodus into the Promised Land, and began the tradition of observing the Seven Feasts.

732 BC — The Ten Northern Tribes of Israel were taken captive by Assyria and scattered, resulting in pockets of Jewish communities being established around the known world.

509 BC – The Roman Republic was founded and began to expand with a road system connecting the known world.

335 BC — Alexander the Great conquered and spread the Greek language around the known world.

285 BC – The Old Testament was translated into the Greek language, called the Septuagint.

27 BC — Pax Romana began a century of world peace.

33 AD — Jesus was crucified and resurrected, and at the end of the Pentecost week, Jewish believers, filled with the Holy Spirit, traveled from Jerusalem during the Pax Romana peace, on Roman roads to their communities around the world, speaking to people they met in the Greek language, harvesting souls, proclaiming that the Old Testament verses, which could be read in the Greek Septuagint, were fulfilled in the risen Christ!

We are now awaiting the fulfillment of the last 3 Jewish Feasts!

The Israelite farmers waited for the early and late rains, their harvesting seasons… as we are now waiting for the late rain and harvest, as the apostle James wrote (James 5:7-8):

“Therefore, be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.”

5. At the end of the summer harvest, the Feast of Trumpetscalled people to gather from the fields to the Temple – The harvest was complete! And this may reflect the Lord’s harvest completion of this age – of all those on the earth who would be saved and follow Him – the great rapture of His people, meeting the Lord in the air (1Thess. 4:16-18)!

“For the Lord Himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet call of God! First, the believers who have died will rise from their graves. Then, together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air! Then we will be with the Lord forever! So, encourage each other with these words.”

6. But then came the solemn Day of Atonement! Unlike all the other festivals where there is eating, drinking, and celebrating – the Day of Atonement was to be a day of fasting, where all the people’s sin was judged and atoned by the blood sacrifice. This may reflect Jesus’ second coming to the earth. But this time when He comes back, He will be coming with all His angels and His Bride (all His Believers), to rule and reign with Him over all the earth for a 1000 years… and a glorious time this will be!

7. Finally, the Feast of Tabernacles,where all the Israelites dwelt in booths or tents to be reminded of their pilgrimage in the wilderness after being forever freed from the bondage of Egypt. This could foreshadow all Believers dwelling with the Lord Jesus forever. Jesus said (John 14:2-3):