There were seven feasts that the Lord proclaimed for the nation of Israel. The language of Leviticus chapeter 23 is that these are “The feasts of the Lord… These are My feasts…”
Leviticus 23:1-2 And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘The feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts.
These seven feasts are:
- Passover
- Unleavened Bread
- First Fruits
- Pentecost
- Trumpets
- Atonement
- Tabernacles
It is interesting that Jesus perfectly fulfilled each of the first four feasts of Israel in His first coming to earth.
- Jesus became the Passover Lamb on the 14th day of the month, sacrificed at twilight, unblemished.
- Jesus lay in the earth un-raised as the “Bread of Life” during the feast of Unleavened Bread.
- He rose on the third day, the exact day that the feast of first fruits was celebrated. Jesus became the “First Fruits of all those who would raise from the dead.” (1 Corinthians 15:20)
- Fifty days later Jesus appeared to the disciples in the upper room on the day of the feast of Pentecost as the church is born in acts chapter 2.
After the fulfillment of this fourth feast and the birth of the church, Jesus ascended back to heaven as recorded in the Book of Acts:
Acts 1:9 Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.
Between the fourth and fifth feast there was a four month summer period of time called “The Harvest”. This harvest period is a shadow of the current period in which we live when Jesus is gathering all those who will come to Him as Lord and Savior, into His church, during and event He described as “The Harvest.”
John 4:35 Do you not say, “There are still four months and then comes the harvest’? Behold, I say to you, lift up your eyes and look at the fields, for they are already white for harvest!
At the end of the four month harvest period, God would gather all of His people together in one place during the feast of Trumpets.
It is for certain that when Jesus returns for His church at the Rapture as described in 1 Thessalonians Chapter 4, it will be in fulfillment of the feast of Trumpets or “Rosh Hashanah“.
A seven year period of time will then begin after the Rapture that will be the fulfillment of the feast of Atonement.
The final seventh feast called “Tabernacles”, will be fulfilled by Jesus as He brings to a conclusion, all the events of human history and begins to dwell with His people in Heaven and on earth, forever.
This 35th old testament prophecy that Jesus fulfilled comes from the book of Leviticus chapter 23, in which the “Drink Offering” is portrayed as being a part of these seven feasts of Israel.
Leviticus 23:37 “These are the feasts of the LORD which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire to the LORD, a burnt offering and a grain offering, a sacrifice and drink offerings, everything on its day—
When we arrive at the new testament, we discover that not only did Jesus perfectly fulfill each of the first four feast of Israel on the exact day that they were called for, He fulfilled them in the exact way they were called for.
The drink offering of Leviticus chapter 23 was a part of these seven feasts and offered up to the Lord on the eighth day.
This drink offering of Leviticus 23 was a shadow or picture of the time when Jesus would comes as the complete fulfillment of these first four feasts, and become the “Drink Offering” to God for all of us.
On two occasions, Paul used the Drink offering of Leviticus 23 to describe a great sacrifice that was being made on behalf of many.
Philippians 2:17 Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all.
2 Timothy 4:6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand.
In the book of Ephesians, Paul described the sacrifice that Jesus would make of His own life a being “An Offering” for all of us:
Ephesians 5:2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.
This 35th Old Testament Prophecy is seen in it’s fulfillment by Jesus statement in John 4:
John 4:13-14 Jesus answered and said to her, “Whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.”
Jesus became the “Drink Offering” to God for each one of us who would believe in His sacrifice for our our sins. He poured out His life unto death on the cross and brought His sacrifice into the holy of hollies in heaven where He presented it to the Father. His sacrifice was fully acceptable to God and made it possible for anyone to have eternal life who believes upon and receives Jesus as their Savior.
Rob Robinson
