Finding Jesus in the Feasts of the Old Testament
Last time in Christ in Leviticus, the Offerings, we discussed the Old Testament sacrificial system and how God, through this system, revealed to the Israelites how to get in His presence and fellowship with Him. Here, we will talk about the Old Testament Feasts ordained by God through which He shows the Israelites how to maintain their newly founded fellowship with Him. God appointed certain times of the year as sacred and commanded the Israelites to hold feasts during those times (Leviticus 23). Each Feast commemorated a particular part of their history and pointed them directly to the coming Messiah, Jesus Christ. There were seven feasts, three in the Spring, one at harvest time, and three in the Fall. Together, these feasts paint a beautiful picture of the coming Messiah. As you will see, Jesus fulfills each Feast in a unique, evident way. Passover Leviticus 23:4-5 The Israelites observe Passover for seven days. Passover marks the deliverance of Israel from Egypt. Jesus fulfilled Passover in that He was the perfect Passover lamb, offering himself as a sacrifice to save all those who turn to Him. Unleavened Bread Leviticus 23:6-8 As part of the Passover celebration, the Festival of Unleavened Bread commemorates the Israelite’s hasty departure from Egypt: they had to leave so quickly, they did not have time to put yeast in the bread. The Israelites celebrate this occasion on the day after Passover. Christ is the unleavened bread, without sin (1 Corinthians 5:8). Christ is the bread of life (John 6:35) Firstfruits Leviticus 23:9-14 The Feast of the Firstfruits is a Jewish harvest feast where Israelites offer the first products of the harvest to God, and the priests wave the firstfruit before God, showing Israel’s gratitude and dependence on the Lord. This Feast occurs the day after the Sabbath Leviticus 23:11. It points us to Christ as the resurrection, the first fruit of the dead (1 Cor 15:20-23), and the first of the great harvest of souls (Luke 22:20). Like the Feast, Christ was raised on the first day of the week. Pentecost (Feast of Weeks) Leviticus 23:15-21 Pentecost, also known as the Feast of Weeks, celebrates the end of the grain harvest. It occurs fifty days after the Feast of First Fruits. Two baked loaves of new, fine, leavened flour are brought out, and the priests wave the loaves before the Lord, along with the animal sacrifice offering for sin and peace offerings. Pentecost for Christians is when God poured the Holy Spirit on the people, and the church was born (Acts 1:5, 2:4). The two loaves in the original ceremony represent both the Jews and the Gentiles who come together in Christ. Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah) Leviticus 23:23-25 The Feast of the Trumpets is a day for solemn rest and holy convocation. It encourages the Israelites to reflect on the harvest and the sins accumulated during the previous year. The Feast is the first day of the seventh month of the Jewish year. Trumpets are sounded on the first day, signaling they are beginning a sacred month. Throughout the Bible, trumpets are used to announce God’s presence. In fact, Jesus told us that the judgment of humanity would be announced by trumpets (Matt. 24:31). Additionally, Paul taught the day of resurrection (rapture) would be introduced by trumpets (1 Corinthians 15:52). This Feast represents the regathering of Israel by Christ. Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) Leviticus 16, Leviticus 23:26-32 Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the Jewish year, also known as the Sabbath of Sabbaths. It falls ten days after the Feast of Trumpets. On this day, the Israelites ask God for forgiveness for their sins. The priests used two sacrificial goats to atone for God’s chosen people’s sins: one goat to be slain as the substitutionary death needed for the forgiveness of sins. The other is a scapegoat representing the complete removal of sin. The High Priest placed his hands on the scapegoat, transferring Israel’s sins to the goat, and then sent the goat off into the wilderness, carrying away Israel’s sin. This dual sacrifice represents what Jesus ultimately did for us on the cross: He died a sacrificial, substitutionary death and took all of our sins with Him on the cross. Feast of Tabernacles (Booths or Sukkot) Leviticus 23:33-44 During the Feast of Tabernacles, the Israelites leave their homes and live in tents. The Feast takes place a few days after the Day of Atonement and celebrates God’s provision and protection of Israel’s people during their 40 years of wandering in the desert. The Lord was in the desert with the Israelites in the Tabernacle, so the Feast also celebrates His presence dwelling with His people. All nations will celebrate this Feast during the Millennium when Christ reigns here on earth (Zechariah 14:16-19). Christ has already fulfilled the Spring feasts of Passover, Unleavened Bread, and First Fruits. The harvest feast of Pentecost is ongoing today; through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the church continues to harvest new believers. The final three Fall feasts are yet to be fulfilled through Christ in his Second Coming. Believers eagerly await Christ to gather the elect with a loud trumpet call, for unbelievers to be judged, and for Christ’s elect to dwell with God forever and ever and ever!
Christ in Leviticus, the Offerings
The Bible from Genesis to Revelation beautifully weaves the story of God’s salvation plan within its pages. Genesis informs us about man’s fall into sin and God’s plan to redeem humanity (Genesis 3:15). Then, Exodus goes on to tell us about how God delivered Israel from Egypt (Exodus 20:2) and chose Israel as “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation” to be set apart from all other nations (Exodus 19:6). Finally, Leviticus shows Israel how they can become the holy nation God called them to be. When reading the Old Testament, many skip right over Leviticus, claiming it is outdated and does not apply to us today. However, understanding Jewish sacred worship in Leviticus helps us shine a light on the New Testament, giving it a deeper, richer meaning. Leviticus is often called “God’s Instruction Manual for Worship.” After all, God created us to be worshipers, and the offerings in Leviticus are about worship. As you will see, Leviticus’s sacrifices, rituals, and ceremonies point us right to Christ. LEVITICUS IN A NUTSHELL Leviticus begins with Moses talking to God from outside the Tabernacle, God’s dwelling place. Although God’s desire was to commune with His people, they could not approach Him because He was holy, and they were not. God wanted His people to be closer to Him than outside the Tabernacle; He wanted them to be in His tent. In the book of Leviticus, God shows Israel how they can begin to atone for their sin and enter His presence. “Be holy, for I am holy.” Leviticus 11:44, Leviticus 11:45, Leviticus 19:2, Leviticus 20:7 Moses divides Leviticus into two main themes. First, it details the sacrifices which show the Israelites how to gain access to God. Secondly, it describes the laws and festivals, which show the Israelites how to maintain fellowship with God. Here, we will focus on the sacrificial system. SACRIFICES God began to lay down the divine principle of sacrifice in Genesis. After Adam and Eve sinned, God covered them with animal skins, but not without cost. Animals had to die to provide their cover. This first sacrifice demonstrated that sin must be paid for: innocent blood had to be shed for the guilty. Sacrifice is the currency that pays for man’s sin. It is how sinful man can approach a holy God. God further developed this principle of sacrifice when He approved Abel’s offering of a first-born animal but not Cain’s offering because it was not a blood sacrifice. The Old Testament sacrificial system foreshadows the ultimate sacrificial death of Jesus. Old Testament sacrifices were inadequate, covering up sins rather than washing them away. However, Jesus offered one sacrifice, and it was enough. It was all that was needed for eternity ( Hebrews 10:12). God made a way for the Israelites to draw near to Him through sacrifice. These sacrifices were called offerings. The noun “offering” is the Hebrew word “corban” which is related to the verb that means “to draw near.” When a person made an offering to God, they drew closer to Him. Their offering was a type of worship. There are five different types of offering in the Hebrew sacrificial system. Burnt Offering Leviticus 1, 6:18-13, 8:18-21, 16:24 The Israelites would make a burnt offering to God for various reasons: including asking for forgiveness, expressing thanks, or renewing their relationship with God. To make an offering, the Israelite would find a male bull, ram, or bird, then kill it, and finally, present it at the Tabernacle gate. The animal could not have any defects, and it had to be a whole animal. Once the offeror presented the sacrifice, the priest placed the animal on the altar. The offeror laid his hands on it to identify with the sacrifice and show thankfulness that the animal took the offeror’s place on the altar of sacrifice. “The righteous suffered for the unrighteous” (1st Peter 3:18). Unlike other offerings, the burnt offering was voluntary. The fire completely consumed the burnt offering on the altar, leaving nothing but ashes. The burnt sacrifice offering illustrates how we should approach God in worship. Like the offeror in ancient times, we don’t have to worship God; we choose to worship Him. Our worship is a voluntary, complete surrender to God. We are the living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to Him (Romans 12:1). Like the smoke of the sacrifice, our worship rises like a sweet aroma to God. The burnt offering points us directly to Christ. Jesus completely surrendered to God and even to death on the Cross. Like the sacrificial animal, Jesus did not have any defects. He took our place on the Cross, the righteous for the unrighteous. He “gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God (Ephesians 5:2). Because Jesus died on the Cross as our innocent, flawless substitution, we don’t have to offer animal sacrifices over and over again. Grain Offering Leviticus 2, 6:14-23 The grain offering consisted of grains and olive oil mixed; the offering was split between God and the priest. The priest would reject grain offerings mixed with yeast because yeast represented sin, and the offering had to be free from sin. The grain offering, by itself, was not enough. It could never be offered alone; it always had to accompany a blood offering. Once the offeror made the blood offering, the grain offering became acceptable to God. As with the burnt offering, the grain offering was a voluntary act of worship. It was also the recognition of God’s goodness and provision. Like the grain offering without yeast, Jesus was without sin. Jesus is our sinless sacrifice. Because of what He did for us on the Cross, we now can present ourselves to God mixed with sin without fear of being rejected. Peace Offering Leviticus 3 7:11-34 The peace offering was for thanksgiving, a vowel payment, or free expression of a worshiper’s goodwill towards God. It was the only offering that could be any breed of an animal without defect. The offering was to be the best part of the
The Tabernacle as a Picture of Christ: Part 2 – The Inner Court and Holy of Holies
Through studying the Tabernacle’s design—its design, purpose, and use—we see that Jesus perfectly fulfilled its purpose. Just as the Tabernacle was a place for God to dwell with His people, Jesus came so God could be with us. In Part 1, we explored the Outer Court, where sacrifice and cleansing took place. In Part 2, we step into the Inner Court and the Holy of Holies, the most sacred place of the Tabernacle. Here, we will uncover how the lampstand, the table of showbread, the altar of incense, and the Ark of the Covenant all foreshadow Christ’s work as our High Priest and the ultimate fulfillment of God’s presence with His people. The Holy Place – The Inner Court of the Tabernacle Only priests could enter the inner court into the Holy Place. Within the Holy Place, there were three pieces of furniture: the lampstand, the table of showbread, and the altar of incense, each significant to Old Testament worship and New Testament truths. The Golden Lampstand (Exodus 25:31-40) The Lampstand’s Design Lampstand Artisans crafted the lampstand with pure gold. It was a hammered work, designed as a tree, with the top and each branch made like an open almond flower, each flower holding an oil lamp. A hammered work meant that the lampstand was beaten into shape to achieve its design. Similarly, God allowed Jesus to be beaten and bruised (Isaiah 53:5) to accomplish the plan of salvation that God had put in place before the beginning of time. The Almond Tree and the First Fruits The almond tree was always the first to blossom and bear fruit in the spring. For that reason, it was called the “first fruit.” Jesus was also the first fruit because He was the first to rise from the dead to everlasting life (1st Cor 15:20). Because of His resurrection, we will all be raised to life (Romans 8:23). The Lampstand as the Only Light Seven lamps were on the lampstand; seven represent God, completion, and fullness. Man is only complete in Jesus (John 15:5). The lampstand was the only light source in the Tabernacle, and it was to burn continually (Exodus 27:20-21). Likewise, Jesus is the only true light for the world (John 8:12, John 9:5), and He will be our light forever. The Oil and the Holy Spirit The lampstand burned with pure, beaten olive oil. “You shall charge the sons of Israel, that they bring you clear oil of beaten olives for the light, to make a lamp burn continually” (Exodus 27:20). Olives had to be pressed to make pure olive oil. In Hebrew, “Garden of Gethsemane” means the garden of the olive press. Interestingly, the Garden of Gethsemane is the same garden where Jesus agonized over His impending death so much that he sweated drops of blood. Jesus had to be crushed to produce oil for the rest of us. This oil represents the Holy Spirit. Jesus says, “Unless I go, the Holy Spirit won’t come” (John 16:7). Because of Jesus’ willingness to be beaten and crushed, we now have the gift of the Holy Spirit, who marks us for salvation when we believe. Our Call to Shine as Lights Just as the lampstand was continually filled with oil, we must be continually filled with the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). Our fire for God should never go out. Because the lampstand was the only light in the Inner Court, we as Christians are the only lights in a dark world. “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16). We need to be the light! The Table of Showbread (Exodus 25:23-30) Table of Showbread Per God’s instructions, artisans made the Table of Showbread out of acacia wood, overlaid with pure gold. Twelve loaves of bread were placed on the table to represent the twelve tribes of Israel. The bread served as a reminder of how God sustained the Israelites during their wanderings in the wilderness. The Bread of the Presence The bread placed on the table was called the bread of the presence (Exodus 25:30). It was ever-present before God and could only be eaten by Aaron and his sons in a holy place. The Unleavened Bread and Christ The bread was to be made of fine flour, ground and baked without leaven. The Jewish people ate unleavened bread on the night of the Passover. The wheat had to be ground, and the bread passed through fire to be baked. The showbread is a type of Christ. In Scripture, leaven often represents sin. The unleavened bread depicts the body of Jesus, who was completely sinless (Hebrews 4:15). Jesus was the bread that fed the Israelites daily in the wilderness. He declares: “I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh.” (John 6:51) Jesus, the Bread of Life Like the showbread, Jesus is holy before God. He provides true sustenance. He is always present. Jesus alone can satisfy us. Jesus declared, ‘I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry’” (John 6:35). Altar of Incense (Exodus 30:1-16, 34-38) Altar of Incense The altar of incense was made of acacia wood, overlaid with pure gold, and placed right in front of the veil, the curtain separating the Holy Place from the Holy of Holies. Burning coals from the brazen altar were brought to light the incense every day and every night. The incense rose to the Lord, just like our prayers. The Psalmist cries out in Psalm 141:2, “May my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.” Revelation 8:4 describes the sanctuary of God, saying, “The smoke of the incense, mixed with the prayers of God’s holy people, ascended
The Tabernacle in Exodus: God’s Dwelling Place
Three months after God freed the Israelites from their bondage to Egypt, they arrived at Mount Sinai. There on top of the mountain, God gave Moses the Ten Commandments and instructions for building a tabernacle, a dwelling place for His presence. God had set the Israelites apart as His holy nation, but the Israelites were far from holy. The Ten Commandments and God’s instructions for the Tabernacle were to teach the Israelites holiness and how to receive His presence. Most of us are familiar with the term “tabernacle” but have no idea what the Old Testament tabernacle was and its importance to God. The Hebrew word for “tabernacle” is “Mishkan,” which means dwelling place. The Tabernacle was a portable sanctuary, sometimes called the Tent of Meeting, that could be moved from place to place. The Israelites used the Tabernacle for 500 years until Solomon built the Temple, an immovable, permanent place of worship. Designed and Planned By God Every detail of the Tabernacle was designed and planned by God (Exodus 25:9). The Tabernacle was not an afterthought to God. More than fifty chapters in the Bible are devoted to detailing its careful construction and sacred use. God envisioned the building of the Tabernacle even before the Israelites’ exodus from Egypt. In fact, He planned for it by instructing the Israelites to take silver, gold, and clothing from the Egyptians (Exodus 25:1-9), the very things they would need to build and furnish the Tabernacle. (Exodus 12:35-36). Not only did God design and plan the Tabernacle, but it was also essential to His plan for humanity. From the beginning, God desired to dwell with His people and have a relationship with them. However, because of Adam’s one act of disobedience that brought death, guilt, and condemnation to the entire human race, sin divided humanity from a holy God: God could not dwell with His people because His holy presence would destroy humanity. Dwelling Place for God Nevertheless, God found a way around humanity’s sin problem, a Tabernacle where He would dwell with His people (Exodus 25:8). Through the Tabernacle, God could relate, meet, and commune with the Israelites (Exodus 25:22). The Tabernacle was sacred. It was the only place the Israelites could make sacrifices. However, because God’s presence was so holy and man was sinful, God could be accessed only once per year and only by the High Priest. By studying the Tabernacle, its design, and its use, we discover that Jesus fulfilled its purpose perfectly. Like the Tabernacle, Jesus came so God could be with us. “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). God designed the Tabernacle in all its glory as a dwelling place for Him and as a shadow of the Savior to come. Be sure to visit the Tabernacle series, where we will talk about the parts of the Tabernacle, its implements, and how Jesus perfectly fulfilled each.
More Types of Jesus in Exodus
Exodus provides us a glimpse into the very nature of our Messiah, Jesus Christ. In “Finding Jesus in Exodus,” we see Jesus in a burning bush, as the Great I Am, and as a promise-keeping God. But these aren’t the only images we discover in the ancient pages of the second book of the Bible; we also see Jesus in the “Exodus” of the Israelites from Egypt and in the “manna” that God provided during their wanderings.
5 Ways Jesus is Like the Passover Lamb
From Adam to Jesus, we see that innocent blood must be shed for the guilty. Sin must be paid for, and payment must be made through a sacrifice that only God can provide.