Throughout our reading of the Gospel of, we have seen several mentions of the feasts of the Jews. We have also seen disputes arising over the Sabbath, and what Jesus did on the Sabbath. It would be good to stop and take a look at what these feasts and Sabbaths are, so we can better understand the events surrounding the life of Christ. For the next three weeks, we are going to study the various feasts and the importance of them in the life of Christ and to the Jewish society. DAY ONE 1. There are a couple of charts that are at the end of this lesson that will be important to your study over the next three weeks. They are going to be the following... a) Holy Days chart on pages 76-79 b) Feasts of Israel on pages 80-81 c) God s Plan of the Ages on pages 82 2. Throughout Scripture, the feasts and the Sabbath are considered holy days. The first month of Israel s holy days starts in the month of Abib - the Hebrew name. Read through Exodus 13:4; 23:15; 34:18 and Deuteronomy 16:1. These Scriptures talk about the month of Abib. In the later books (Nehemiah 2:1 and Esther 3:7) the Babylonian name of Nisan is used for this same month. Nisan would be somewhere from the end of March - beginning of April. 3. Read 23 and fill out as much of the chart Holy Days as you can. Right now, you are only going to use 23. Be thorough in your study and record the details. You may not find much for every box, but do what you can do. Simply record what you learn (even though it may be a bit sketchy). You will fill in the details over the next couple of weeks. 71
DAY TWO AND THREE 1. After reading through 23, you have probably noticed that there is a weekly holy day and then there are seven feasts. Each of these feasts have not only served the purpose of a reminder of how God delivered His people from bondage and provided for their needs, but there is a spiritual significance to the church as they unveil God s plan of redemption and future hope for believers. Here is a list of what was mentioned in 23. a) The Sabbath b) The Seven Feasts 1) The Passover 2) The Feast of Unleavened Bread 3) The Feast of First Fruits 4) Pentecost (50) or the Feast of Weeks 5) The Feast of Trumpets 6) The Day of Atonement 7) The Feast of Tabernacles or Booths 2. Each feast had a threefold significance: a) It is a seasonal holiday of religious significance. b) It was a memorial of how God dealt with the nation of Israel. c) Each feast was a prophetic symbol of how God will deal with His people, the church. At the end of this lesson on pages 80-81 there is a chart on the Feasts of Israel. 3. Keeping this threefold significance of the holy days in mind, we are going to study each of these in depth. Below are the steps that we are going to follow as we study this topic. a) First there will be Scripture to look up. Take good notes as you read. b) From these passages, add information to the Holy Days chart. Under the column of When Day Begins you want to note the day of the month that the feast begins. c) You may see in some passages the prophetic (future) significance of the feast. Record this. 72
d) You may want to study the chart God s Plan of the Ages which can help you understand how God s prophetic plans will be fulfilled. 4. The Sabbath a) 23:3 b) Exodus 20:8-11; 31:13-17 c) Deuteronomy 5:12-15 d) Mark 2:23-27 e) Hebrews 4:9-10 73
DAY FOUR AND FIVE The Passover 1. 23:5 2. Exodus 12:1-14 3. Deuteronomy 16:1-2 4. Luke 22:1-2 (The Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread are linked) 74
5. Luke 22:7-20 6. Matthew 26:1-2 7. I Corinthians 11:23-26 8. I Peter 1:18-19 9. I Corinthians 5:6-8 75
Scriptures Name of Holy Days Holy Days When Day Begins Length of Feast When Celebrated 23:3 23:5 23:6-8 23:10-14 76
Details Holy Days Temporal Significance for Israel Future Events It Pointed To and How 77
Scriptures Name of Holy Days Holy Days When Day Begins Length of Feast When Celebrated 23:15-21 23:23-25 23:26-32 23:34-44 78
Details Holy Days Temporal Significance for Israel Future Events It Pointed To and How 79
80
81
RAPTURE He is coming for His bride! I Thessalonians 4:13-18 I Corinthians 15:51-58 First Coming of Christ The Calling Out of the Church Jew and Gentile in one body Jn 3:16 Revelation 2-3 JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST II Corinthians 5-10 Romans 14:!0 SECOND COMING OF CHRIST Revelation 19:11-21 GREAT WHITE THRONE JUDGMENT Revelation 20:11-15 Judgment of nations Matthew 25:31-46 Nations gathered at Har-magedon Revelation 16:12-16 ABRAHAM'S BOSOM PARADISE Vacated and taken to the third heaven after Jesus' death and resurrection II Corinthians 12:2-4 Ephesians 4:8-10 SHEOL Luke 16:19-31 Daniel's 70th Week Revelation 6-19 Daniel 9:24-27 Man of Lawlessness reigns 3 1/2 3 1/2 Years Years Matthew 24:15 1000-year Reign of Christ BOTTOMLESS PIT (Abyss) Revelation 20:1-3 New Heaven New Earth Revelation 21-22 HADES Place of Torment LAKE OF FIRE Revelation 20:10-15 Matthew 25:41-46 God's Plan of the Ages 82