“Wait patiently therefore, brethren, till the coming of the Lord. Behold! the husbandman expects the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it, till he receive the early and latter harvest” (James 5:7, Wilson Diaglott).

In the 0ld Testament God appointed special times for the nation of Israel to celebrate and remember certain important events. In Leviticus 23 He commanded Israel to observe seven special holy convocations. The word “convocation” means a gathering of people. In this case these were holy gatherings for special religious purposes. Five were one day observances while two lasted for seven days. These were grouped together in the spring and fall of the year.

Spring Observances

(1) Passover (Nisan 14, First month of religious year)
(2) Feast of Unleavened Bread (Nisan 15-21)
(3) Feasts of Weeks (Later called Pentecost, 50 days after Passover Sabbath)

Fall Observances

(4) Blowing of Trumpets (Tishri 1, Seventh month of religious year)
(5) Day of Atonement (Tishri 10)
(6) Feast of Tabernacles (Tishri 15-21)
(7) 8th Day (Tishri 22), following immediately after the Feast of Tabernacles

The Observances of Israel

God gave these seven special observances to illustrate His plan for the blessing of the world. Both the spring and fall celebrations included offering of the first-fruits of the seasonal harvests. This is significant and illustrates what James mentions in the above text. In antitype we see a celebration of the precious fruit of the earth, harvested at different times in God’s plan.

THE SPRING OBSERVANCES

In order for God’s blessings to come in all their fullness, justice must first be satisfied. That is why this picture begins with the Passover. The 14th of Nisan became a pivotal point in human history, as it was the day that Jesus died on the cross. It was the day that began the process of harvesting the fruitage that the earth would eventually produce. Mankind, in one form or another, would be that fruitage.

As Leviticus 23 gives instructions for the Passover we see a lovely detail that points to the very first harvest fruitage, the raising of Jesus himself. “When you enter the land which I am going to give to you and reap its harvest, then you shall bring in the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest. He shall wave the sheaf before the LORD for you to be accepted; on the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it” (Leviticus 23:10, 11 NASB).

In the spring, the first grain that was harvested in Israel was barley. The above passage is referring to the offering of the first-fruits of barley to God on the day after the Sabbath. What makes this so interesting is on what day this occurred in the year AD 33. From year to year the Sabbath falls on different days of the month. But in AD 33 it was on the 15th of Nisan. This was the day after the Passover. So the day after this Sabbath would have been the 16th of Nisan. 0n that day the barley first fruit was waved before God.

God designed this beautiful little picture to illustrate the resurrection of our Lord. He died on the 14th of Nisan as the antitypical Passover Lamb. After being in the tomb for parts of three days he was raised from the dead on the 16th of Nisan. He was pictured by the first-fruits of the spring harvest to be offered to the Lord, perfect, unblemished, without leaven.

According to the law of grain offerings found in Leviticus 2:12, 13, this offering was to be seasoned with salt. In addition, it was not burned on the altar but waved before God. Subsequently, it was given to the priest for his use.

Because salt is associated with the making of a covenant, this wave offering, seasoned with salt, tells us that the raising of Jesus was in preparation for fulfilling the great Abrahamic Covenant. We also see that the resurrection of Jesus was not a sacrifice to be burned on the altar. By giving the barley to the priest for his use the raising of Jesus was the first act of assembling the priesthood. It was to strengthen and nourish the priesthood. We will see this same picture in another wave offering yet to come.

This offering of barley was done during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. That week was a time of rejoicing over the special deliverance of the first-born. Although the entire nation of Israel was also delivered and is a picture of the greater deliverance of mankind, in this particular application we see a focus on the Gospel Age.

The deliverance of the world is celebrated later, during the Feast of Tabernacles. And so, the seven days connected with the saving of the first-born highlights the Gospel Age, comprised of seven stages. Here is a picture of the time period that the first-born would rejoice in their salvation, appreciating the antitypical Passover Lamb and his resurrection.

From the Feast of Unleavened Bread we then count to the next feast, the Feast of Weeks. It counts seven weeks beginning from the 16th of Nisan. Then on the next day, the 50th, the Israelites presented to the Lord an offering of the first-fruits of the wheat harvest (Leviticus 23:15-17). Two loaves of wheat bread were baked with leaven and waved before the Lord. Like the barley wave offering these were also given to the priest for his own use.

The antitype is clear. The Feast of Weeks, later called Pentecost, saw a very significant event transpire. It was on this very day that the early disciples were given the holy spirit by God. This was a sign that they were now accepted, in spite of the fact that the wheat was baked with leaven, a symbol of sin.

The act of giving the baked bread to the priest for his use illustrates the same lesson we saw with the barley. This too was an act of building up the priesthood as the two Gospel Age classes, the Church and Great Company, are presented to the Lord.

THE FALL OBSERVANCES

From Pentecost, we journey to the fall of the year. The Blowing of Trumpets brought in the fall observances. However, the events of this day are not clearly described in scripture. “Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘In the seventh month on the first of the month you shall have a rest, a reminder by blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation. You shall not do any laborious work, but you shall present an offering by fire to the L0RD’ ” (Leviticus 23:23-25).

Silver Trumpets announced a new month

This day was to be a reminder by blowing trumpets, but a reminder of what? We are not specifically told. The first day of the 7th month was the beginning of the civil New Year. When Israel was led out of Egypt the Lord directed that they should change their reckoning and begin observing the New Year in the spring, at Passover time (Exodus 12:2). Spring time then became the beginning of the religious year. So, to an observant Jew, there are two New Year days, the civil year in the fall, and the religious year, in the spring.

But why would God want the New Year to be observed in the spring rather than the fall? He likely did this to connect the celebration of a new year with the most important event in human history, the giving of the ransom, pictured in the Passover Lamb. This fits well the events of nature, as spring is the season of rebirth and new life, while fall begins a time of dormancy. The offering of the antitypical Passover Lamb marked a new beginning for the world, a time that promised life. The apostle Paul says that Jesus has “brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel” (2 Timothy 1:10).

Following 10 days after the Blowing of Trumpets was the Day of Atonement, which is followed 5 days later by the Feast of Tabernacles. When we examined the spring observances we saw that the antitype of those events occurred at the beginning of the Gospel Age. Now after the summer months, the Blowing of Trumpets begins the high holy days of the fall observances. There appears to be significance in the timing of these events.

In them we see a lovely picture of the two ages of salvation. The spring observances begin the Gospel Age. The fall observances correspond to the work of the Messianic Age. The trumpets blew on the first day of the civil year. This may correspond to the words of Paul when he wrote, “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first” (2 Thessalonians 4:16). So, in the antitype we see that the blowing of trumpets, proclaiming the new civil year, pictures our Lord’s return as he came to begin the kingdom work of restitution.

On the first day of the month there was a crescent moon, just a sliver of white. Watchfulness then was a critical ingredient of this feast. If there was a cloud cover it could be easily missed. In order to ensure that this event would not be missed, Jews later added a second day to this observance.

This need for watchfulness seems significant. 0ur Lord’s second advent also calls for watchfulness. Jesus said, “Watch, therefore; for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come” (Matthew 24:42). It also reminds us of the parable of the wise and foolish virgins, a parable about watching for the Lord’s return (Matthew 25:5-7).

The Lord has returned to begin the work of restitution. But before that task can be fully accomplished another important work must be done. We see this in the sequence of the fall observances. Following 10 days after the Blowing of Trumpets was the Day of Atonement. The Day of Atonement is traditionally a picture of the entire Gospel Age. The reason for this conclusion is that the Church presents her sin-offering, pictured in the Lord’s goat. This is a work that encompasses the Gospel Age.

In this picture however, because the Day of Atonement follows the Blowing of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement pictures the time when the blood of Christ will be applied on behalf of the world of mankind. After all, that is the goal of the Atonement Day sacrifices.

Also interesting is the date the jubilee trumpet sounded. “You shall then sound a ram’s horn abroad on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the Day of Atonement you shall sound a horn all through your land” (Leviticus 25:9).

The Jubilee is here connected to the application of blood. This indicates that there are important aspects of restitution that cannot happen until the atoning blood is applied. When the blood is applied the general resurrection can begin and the kingdom swing into full operation.

THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES

This then leads to the Feast of Tabernacles on the 15th day of the 7th month, just a few short days after the Day of Atonement. During the seven days of this feast the Israelites were commanded to live in makeshift booths as a remembrance of their deliverance from Egypt and their time of wandering in the wilderness (Leviticus 23:42, 43).

These booths, or tabernacles, were erected next to people’s homes, in their yards, on rooftops, in the public squares, and even in the court of the temple. All people, both rich and poor, would dwell in these booths covered with tree branches. It pictured the great leveling of society that will take place in the next age. No one will be allowed in any way to lord it over another.

In Zechariah, the Feast of Tabernacles will be part of mankind’s worship. “Every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the L0RD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles” (Zechariah 14:16).

That is the appropriate feast for mankind to observe, because the Feast of Tabernacles was instituted to celebrate Israel’s deliverance from Egyptian bondage as well as from the perils of the wilderness. The first-born celebrated their deliverance during the Feast of Unleavened Bread, a picture of the Church’s deliverance during the Gospel Age. The Feast of Tabernacles will be expanded to commemorate mankind’s deliverance from the bondage of sin and death. They will remember how God will have delivered them from their 6000 years of wilderness experience.

This feast of Tabernacles was also called the “Festival of Ingathering” because it celebrated the large fall harvest (Exodus 23:16). In this we see that mankind will be the final precious harvest of the earth.

THREE HARVESTS

In these special observances of Israel then we see three harvests: the harvest of the barley, the wheat, and the large multi-crop harvest in the fall. These depict the harvesting of Jesus, the Church and Great Company, and the world of mankind; the wonderful fruitage of the Plan of God.

One Jewish tradition of interest is that during the Feast of Tabernacles the Book of Ecclesiastes is read on the Sabbath of the week. The reason for this seems insightful. The theme of Ecclesiastes is how everything in this world is vanity. Solomon says that he studied and searched out everything in this world and found nothing new and nothing good. The book ends with a powerful conclusion. The last two verses say, “The conclusion, when all has been heard, is: fear God and keep His commandments, because this applies to every person. For God will bring every act to judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:13, 14 NAS).

We may someday hear Father Adam reciting those very words as he remembers how he hid himself from God because he was naked. He knew he had done wrong and was afraid of God’s response. Along with Adam, mankind will learn to appreciate the sentiments of Solomon’s words, honor God, keep his commandments and understand his righteous principles. Those principles will be validated by the experience with sin and death. Mankind will finally learn that everything outside of God is vain and empty, and no unrighteousness can be hid from our righteous judge.

Jesus said that there is joy in heaven when one sinner repents (Luke 15:7, 10). Imagine the joy when one world of sinners repents. The law of God will be planted in man’s heart through the difficult lessons of personal experience, and then through the wise instruction of the kingdom. As a result, the spiritual fruitage that Adam and Eve were lack- ing will be developed in all the willing and obedient. This is shown in the abundance of the great fall harvest.

THE 8TH DAY

The day following the seven day Feast of Tabernacles was called the 8th Day. It too was a holy convocation. No laborious work was to be done. It was the last celebration given by God (Leviticus 23:36). We see, by its designation as the 8th day, that this observance is linked to the Feast of Tabernacles. And so we also see a vital connection in the antitype.

In scripture, the 8th day pictures what comes after the Messianic Kingdom. As a result of kingdom work, pictured by the 7 day Feast of Tabernacles, mankind will finally enter into God’s 8th day rest. They will rest safely from the threat of death. They will rest from the anxiety of sin and imperfection, and their previous alienation from God.

As a holy convocation, or sacred gathering, the 8th day observance may indicate that once the kingdom work is finished, a grand public meeting will be convened where every heart will bow in thanksgiving. This convocation may coincide with the time that Jesus makes a formal presentation to God. “Then the son himself also will be subjected to the One who subjected all things to him, so that God may be all in all” (1 Corinthians 15:28).

THREE PILGRIMAGE FEASTS

In the 7 “appointed times” that we have reviewed we observe that three are termed “Feasts” (Exodus 23:14-17). They are the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Tabernacles. During these three feasts all males were required to appear before the Lord, either at the tabernacle or later the temple. For many, this required a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. This obligation served many purposes. This unique religious practice often formed a bond between the journeying pilgrims as they came to pay homage to their great Lord. It was a recognition of where their blessings came from as they celebrated God’s goodness.

Consecrated Christians likewise share a common bond as they worship God. We gather in fellowship as we share the treasures that the Lord has “lavished upon us” (Ephesians 1:8 Weymouth). It is our privilege to celebrate God’s goodness as we journey together in the Narrow Way.

As the Israelites came to worship they were also instructed not to appear before God “empty-handed” (Exodus 23:15 NASB). They were to bring some free-will offering as a token of their respect and gratitude to their great benefactor. In this we see another wonderful lesson for the our worship. This is part of the way we convey our heart-felt dedication. With such sacrifices God is well-pleased.

SUMMARY

These special appointed times and feasts of Israel picture the two ages of salvation. Passover illustrates the sacrifice of Jesus and the benefit the saints receive from the blood. The Feast of Weeks shows the special place held by the spirit begotten, presented to God at Pentecost.

The Blowing of Trumpets heralded the high holy days of the fall observances. It pictures the Lord’s return and the preparation of all the elements of society for the work of the kingdom. This was then followed by the great Day of Atonement, picturing the actual application of atoning blood.

The Feast of Tabernacles shows the conversion and rejoicing of the world that has been wandering in a difficult wilderness condition. As the last observance, the 8th Day sees a race at peace in their renewed relationship with God.

We thank God for designing this amazing sequence of pictures. How wonderful it will be to see the world come to Jerusalem to observe the Feast of Tabernacles. Billions of individual memories will recall their personal experiences through the wilderness of sin and pour out their heart appreciation for the Lord’s deliverance. And finally, the precious fruit of the earth will be fully developed and harvested.

– Br. Tom Ruggirello

 

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