Feasting on the Blessings of God

So how many feasts are there in the bible? Some people say 8, some 7 and because of this it gets a little confusing.  The big picture lesson may get a  little blurred. God is always teaching, either directly or through foreshadowing, proverbially or in figures. So when I ran across the following verses in Exodus, things seemed to simplify for me.

Exodus 23:14 Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year. 15 Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread: (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it thou camest out from Egypt: and none shall appear before me empty:) 16 And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field: and the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field. 17 Three times in the year all thy males shall appear before the Lord God.

In the first feast listed, the Feast of the unleavened bread, Passover and the barley harvest can be included. It was a feast celebrating the Exodus from Egypt. This meant deliverance and an escape for God's people. Jesus Christ is our passover today.

The second feast is called: the Day of Harvest and the Day of Firstfruits. A good study of 'firstfruits' yields utter perfection and reason for this description. The Feast of Weeks is involved the wheat harvest. For the Hebrews it was a day commemorating the giving of the law on Mt. Sinai and God's presence in the holy of holies in the Exodus tent. In the New Testament, those that are Christ's are considered the 'firstfruits' of God's beautiful grace through a spiritual relationship. The veil to the holy of holies dividing God from His people was ripped in half.

The last feast was The Ingathering. It was the celebration of the final harvest. This included the trumpet announcement, day of atonement and the Feast of Tabernacles (booths). For the Hebrew this was a remembrance of God's oversight throughout the 40 years in the wilderness. The parallel under the New Covenant involves the gathering together of 1st Thessalonians, the judgements, and the ultimate reign of Christ.

I like the way God maps out his plan: deliverance, firstfruits and conclusion. God has provided an escape out of bondage and corruption. Those who believe in his provision are blessed and receive power. Finally, in the grand scheme of all things everything is set right and we all live happily ever after!

Maybe I'm being a little simplistic, but it is a simple framework and a story of eternity. Each feast has additional embellishments and plans, but basically the big picture and results are the same. It fits nicely into my brain!

Check out Leviticus 23!!

What is Pentecost?

The celebration of Pentecost originated in the Old Testament times during the Exodus.  It is the celebration of the end of Passover. It occurs 50 days after Passover. The word 'Pentecost' comes from the Greek-speaking Judeans and translates into the 'fiftieth day'.

It is one of the three major  feasts celebrated by Judeans. Interestingly, these feasts coincide with harvests: the barley harvest (Feast of the Unleavened Bread), the wheat harvest (Pentecost) and the final harvest of all crops at the end of the year (Feast of Ingathering).

Barley and wheat were planted during the winter months. Barley was harvested  in the first month of spring (Nisan 15-21). It was at this time that the Feast of the Unleavened Bread was celebrated which commemorated the exodus from Egypt (Exodus 12:15-20). During this 7 day feast, the firstfruits of the barley harvest were offered on Sunday, the day after the regular sabbath which was on Saturday. Jesus Christ as the firstfruit from the dead was resurrected on Sunday during this time.

²⁰ But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits (singular in interlinear)
 of them that slept. (I Corinthian 15:20)

Counting that Sunday as day one, the Hebrews would count 7 weeks plus one day to equal 50 days. On the fiftieth day Pentecost was celebrated. This coincided with the wheat harvest. This feast was also sometimes called the Feast of Weeks, Feast of Harvest, or Day of the Firstfruits (wheat).  In the Old Testament the Hebrews commemorated the giving of the law on Mt Sinai (Exodus 23:15-17) at Pentecost. Fifty days after the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ, the outpouring of the gift of Holy Spirit was given initiating the firstfruits of the spirit.

²³ But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits (singular in interlinear); afterward they that are Christ's at his coming. (I Corinthians 15:23). 

The feasts in the Old Testament were shadows of things to come.  A shadow projects and provides a vague outline of an image. Christ's resurrection  and what happened on the day of Pentecost  50 days later are no longer shadows but actual reality. The Word of God is a beautiful tapestry that fits together with an intricate view of God's heart to provide us with power  in our life to handle whatever we need to handle.

This weekend, this holiday will barely be noticed in Hallmark circles. There is no fat jolly ole bearded guy or cute little bunny rabbit to mark it out . There will be no easter egg baskets teaming with glucose and fructose taken to the altar to get blessed. 

The last thing Jesus Christ said to his apostles before his ascension says it all about our blessing on Pentecost and it's meaning:

⁸ But ye shall receive power, after that the holy spirit is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. Acts 1:8

To be 'witnesses unto me' is to manifest the prince of peace. The power of Pentecost goes beyond human will-power  It is a settling, calmness that overrides the storms. Think of the 12 apostles on the Sea of Galiliee in that horrible storm. Christ came to them and the first words out of his mouth were "Be of good cheer, be not afraid".  Paul describes this effect as the 'peace that passes all understanding'.  That is what Pentecost is really about.