Lev 23:1-2 | KingComments | STEP | In the previous chapters we read about holy persons, holy garments, holy gifts and holy places. In this chapter we read about seven holy times or feast times. The feasts are presented in this chapter in their context, through which the feasts give a prophetic description. Three feasts are called a feast: the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks and the Feast of Booths ( ; ). The seven feasts – seven is the number of perfection or of a full period – describe the way through which God will bring His people from the cross, to the peace of the great sabbath that will dawn for creation: the millennial kingdom of peace. This is the time when everything that God has planned for the earth has come to fulfillment. The chapter begins and ends with the sabbath ( ). If we want to study the prophecy in Scripture, we find many indications in the so-called “three great sevens”: the seven feasts here, the seven parables about the kingdom of heaven in Matthew 13, and the seven letters to the seven churches in Revelation 2-3. An overview of the feasts and their prophetic meaning: 1. The Passover ( ) – The death of the Lord Jesus. 2. The Feast of Unleavened Bread ( ) – The sanctified life of the redeemed. 3. The sheaf of the first fruits ( ) – The Resurrection of the Lord Jesus.4. The Feast of Weeks ( ) – The coming of the Holy Spirit on earth, through which the church came into existence. Interim ( ) – The time that the church is on earth is the time that Israel is scattered among the nations. When the time of the church on earth is over, a remnant of Israel will be saved, that will be new Israel ( ). They will receive the promised blessing, in which the Gentiles will also have a share through them. 5. The Feast of the trumpet ( ) – There is a spiritual awakening of a remnant in Israel. The scattered Israelites return to their country. 6. The day of atonement ( ) – Repentance and conversion and acceptance of the remnant by the LORD. 7. The Feast of Booths ( ) – The remnant, which is the whole of the new Israel of God, enjoys the promised blessing of the millennial kingdom of peace. God has His appointed times, He destined them for Himself. God has determined them in this way and in that order because in those feasts He shows His ways with His people. Numbers 28 and 29 also mention these feasts, but there the emphasis is more on the offerings that have to be brought. Here the emphasis is on the holy convocations that must take place on those days. This indicates that these feasts are not experienced individually, but as a people. The application for us does not lie in keeping Christian holidays, but in the one meeting that the church knows: “our own assembling together” ( ), the meeting of the church, which we will not forsake. In the meeting of the church, the aspects of all appointed times are dealt with in a spiritual sense. The appointed times or feasts are those of the LORD. He calls them here “ My appointed times” because they are determined or purposed by Him. On those days the people must come together and it is especially important what the LORD gets. For that purpose, these feasts must be ‘proclaimed’ and on those days God’s people are called together. It goes out from the LORD and He is the center of it. What Jeroboam does, who organizes a feast for Israel “in the month which he had devised in his own heart” ( ), is therefore rebellion against God.

‏ Leviticus 23:1-2

Introduction

In the previous chapters we read about holy persons, holy garments, holy gifts and holy places. In this chapter we read about seven holy times or feast times. The feasts are presented in this chapter in their context, through which the feasts give a prophetic description. Three feasts are called a feast: the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks and the Feast of Booths (Exo 23:14-16; Deu 16:16).

The seven feasts – seven is the number of perfection or of a full period – describe the way through which God will bring His people from the cross, to the peace of the great sabbath that will dawn for creation: the millennial kingdom of peace. This is the time when everything that God has planned for the earth has come to fulfillment. The chapter begins and ends with the sabbath (Lev 23:3 ; 39).

If we want to study the prophecy in Scripture, we find many indications in the so-called “three great sevens”: the seven feasts here, the seven parables about the kingdom of heaven in Matthew 13, and the seven letters to the seven churches in Revelation 2-3.

An overview of the feasts and their prophetic meaning:

1. The Passover (Lev 23:5) – The death of the Lord Jesus.

2. The Feast of Unleavened Bread (Lev 23:6-8) – The sanctified life of the redeemed.

3. The sheaf of the first fruits (Lev 23:9-14) – The Resurrection of the Lord Jesus.4. The Feast of Weeks (Lev 23:15-21) – The coming of the Holy Spirit on earth, through which the church came into existence.

Interim (Lev 23:22) – The time that the church is on earth is the time that Israel is scattered among the nations. When the time of the church on earth is over, a remnant of Israel will be saved, that will be new Israel (Rom 11:25-26). They will receive the promised blessing, in which the Gentiles will also have a share through them.

5. The Feast of the trumpet (Lev 23:23-25) – There is a spiritual awakening of a remnant in Israel. The scattered Israelites return to their country.

6. The day of atonement (Lev 23:26-32) – Repentance and conversion and acceptance of the remnant by the LORD.

7. The Feast of Booths (Lev 23:33-43) – The remnant, which is the whole of the new Israel of God, enjoys the promised blessing of the millennial kingdom of peace.

The Appointed Times Are the LORD’s

God has His appointed times, He destined them for Himself. God has determined them in this way and in that order because in those feasts He shows His ways with His people.

Numbers 28 and 29 also mention these feasts, but there the emphasis is more on the offerings that have to be brought. Here the emphasis is on the holy convocations that must take place on those days. This indicates that these feasts are not experienced individually, but as a people. The application for us does not lie in keeping Christian holidays, but in the one meeting that the church knows: “our own assembling together” (Heb 10:25), the meeting of the church, which we will not forsake. In the meeting of the church, the aspects of all appointed times are dealt with in a spiritual sense.

The appointed times or feasts are those of the LORD. He calls them here “My appointed times” because they are determined or purposed by Him. On those days the people must come together and it is especially important what the LORD gets. For that purpose, these feasts must be ‘proclaimed’ and on those days God’s people are called together. It goes out from the LORD and He is the center of it. What Jeroboam does, who organizes a feast for Israel “in the month which he had devised in his own heart” (1Kgs 12:33), is therefore rebellion against God.