Spring & Fall Ordinances
There are certain parallels between the ordinances of the law which pertain to the spring of the year, and those which pertain to the fall of the year. For example, in the spring was the seven day feast of unleavened bread, Nisan 15-21; in the fall was the seven-day feast of tabernacles, Tishri 15-21. In the spring, Nisan 10, the passover lamb was selected; in the fall, Tishri 10, the atonement day sacrifices were offered. In the spring a cycle of 49 days lead to Pentecost; in the fall a cycle of 49 years lead to the Jubilee.
But there were also differences. The slaying of the passover lamb, Nisan 14, and the waving of the firstfruits offering, Nisan 16, have no parallel in the fall. And the seven-day feasts, which both opened with an “holy convocation,” closed differently. In the feast of unleavened bread, the 7th day was an holy convocation. But respecting the feast of tabernacles, the 8th day, the day following the feast, was specially holy. In the chart below, the shaded days are those described as an “holy convocation.”
The question arises, are there any general distinctions, antitypically, between the spring and fall ceremonies? In a letter to the editor on Rep. 3575 there is a suggestion that the spring ceremonies pertain primarily to the Church, while those in the fall pertain primarily to the world [1]. At least respecting the two seven-day feasts, this suggestion seems to bear out. For the feast of unleavened bread is generally understood to picture the Church rejoicing in the provision of the lamb of God. “We celebrate that feast antitypically, continuously feasting and rejoicing in the grace of God toward us.” (Rep. 2918) With this accord Paul’s words,
“Purge out therefore the old leaven. . . Christ our Passover is slain for us: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” (I Corinthians 5:7, 8)
The feast of tabernacles, however, is to be observed (antitypically) by the world of mankind in the kingdom.
“Everyone that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles” (Zechariah 14:16)
There are other aspects of the feast of tabernacles which show it to represent a Millennial Age rejoicing of mankind:
It was called the feast of “tabernacles:’ (Leviticus 23:34) or “booths” because during it the Israelites were to build temporary dwelling places, “booths” to live in during the seven days of the feast. This was to be in remembrance of the 40 years’ wilderness wandering when the Israelites lived in temporary dwellings. (Leviticus 23:39-43) So mankind will remember with appreciation the sojourn of the Church, which will then be history.
It was also called the “feast of ingathering,” because it expressed Israel’s thankfulness to the Lord for the ingathering of their crops. Three particular staples are mentioned: wheat, wine and oil. (Deut. 11: 14, 16: 13) So the world of mankind will express thanks to God for providing the completed Church (wheat), the blood of atonement (wine), and the Gospel age ministry of the holy spirit (oil) to the saints, which will all benefit mankind in the kingdom.
The sacrifices which were observed during the feast picture the sacrifices of the Gospel age, which will be remembered by the world in the kingdom. The bullocks, rams, lambs and goats do not picture sacrifices of the world (as the “after day of atonement sacrifices” do). The seven days of the feast commemorate Gospel age activities rather than activities actually occurring in the kingdom.
WHY 7 DAYS?
The Gospel age is represented in seven divisions in the seven days’ consecration of the priesthood. The priests were to “abide at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation day and night seven days, and keep the charge of the Lord.” (Leviticus 8:35) So it is not surprising that the Gospel age feast, the feast of unleavened bread, lasts seven days also. And as the feast of tabernacles pictures mankind’s commemoration of the Gospel age (then past), it is of the same duration. All of this reminds us of the seven time divisions of the Church in Revelation, and we think the seven days tie in directly with the seven stages of the Church.
This helps to explain why the feast of unleavened bread and the feast of tabernacles closed with holy convocations on different days. The Church has special cause for rejoicing and celebration in its 7th stage, for it is raised and completed then. So the feast of unleavened bread closed with a holy convocation on the 7th day. But the world of mankind have their special cause for rejoicing after the Gospel age is completed, in the kingdom which follows. So their special day is the 8th day, which follows the seven day commemoration (feast of tabernacles) of the Gospel age.
Another ordinance which supports this meaning of the 8th day appears in Ezekiel 43:18-27. It describes the sacrifices to be given to prepare the altar of Ezekiel’s temple to accept the individual offerings of the Israelites. Those sacrifices evidently represent the sacrifice of Christ and his Church, which are necessary before mankind’s offerings in the kingdom can be accepted. (Most agree that Ezekiel’s temple represents matters as they will be during the kingdom.)
The first sacrifice was a bullock for a sin offering, representing our Lord. Next we might expect a goat for a sin offering, representing the Church, as we had on the Day of Atonement. But instead we have seven sin offering goats, one each on seven days. This indicates the seven stages of the Church during which the Church, goat class, is offered. And on the day following, “upon the eighth day, and so forward, the priests shall make your [mankind’s] burnt offerings upon the altar, and your peace offerings; and I will accept you, saith the Lord God.” (vs. 27) That eighth day is a picture of the kingdom which follows the “seven days” (stages) of the Gospel age.
SIN OFFERINGS DURING THE FEASTS
Noting that the sin offerings during the seven days of Ezekiel 43 were goats (the Church as a sin offering), we wonder if the sacrifices during the feast of unleavened bread and feast of tabernacles show the sacrifice of the Church in the same way. And they do. Numbers 28:16, 17, 22, 24 show that during the feast of unleavened bread one goat for a sin offering was to be offered daily (the only sin offerings sacrificed during the feast.) Numbers 29:16, 19, 22, 25, 28, 31, 34 show that it was likewise during the feast of tabernacles.
Still another feast is consistent with this. That is, the feast of passover to be kept with Ezekiel’s temple. On the 14th of the first month a bullock (Jesus) for a sin offering was sacrificed, and on each of the seven days of the feast which followed a goat for a sin offering was sacrificed [2]. (Ezekiel 45:21-23)
The numbers of animals as burnt offerings differed on the various occasions. We think all of the numbers of animals is significant, but it is more detailed and more interpretive and we will not mention our thoughts on the numbers here.
THE OTHER CEREMONIES COMPARED
Comparing the passover with the day of atonement seems to bear out the spring – Church, fall – world pattern also. For most of the types connected with the passover relate specially to the Gospel age. The household eating the lamb, the firstborn under penalty of death if they should come out of the house which had the blood sprinkled, eating with staff ready and shoes on their feet, were all types relating to the Gospel age. (Volume 6, pp. 459-460) By way of distinction, the secondary keeping of the passover in the second month more aptly fits the world of mankind. It was designed for those who were unclean by contact with death, or were away on a journey. (Numbers 9:10-12) This represents the condition of mankind, who are still contaminated with Adamic death, and are “in a journey” away and estranged from God.
That they must wait until the second full moon, shows that the world will eat of the passover lamb when Israel is favored a second time, when the New Covenant is in operation. But the Church has been privileged to partake of the passover sacrifice from the time of the first advent. That was the time of the first full moon, when Israel’s favor was full and the Messiah was sent to them. The observance of passover on Nisan 14 relates specially to the Church.
The Day of Atonement also benefits both classes, the Church and the world, but the primary purpose of that type was to show how God makes atonement for mankind in general (pictured by Israel). While the first application of blood was for “Aaron … and his house”, the faith class of the Gospel age, this was more or less to illustrate the process by which the Atonement comes to the world.
So we think the Passover and Day of Atonement types do, in their primary significance, relate to the Church and world respectively. And therefore they do conform to the spring – Church, fall – world pattern. Further evidence is that the feast following the passover sacrifice shows the Church rejoicing over the passover provision for them, and the feast following the Day of Atonement pictures the world rejoicing over the atonement provision for them.
The 50th day, Pentecost, represented the time when the Church would be accepted by God. That is why the holy spirit came to the Church on the day of Pentecost after Jesus had ascended 10 days earlier. And the offerings of that day ordained by the Law show this. There were two loaves of the first ripe wheat harvest to picture the two spirit-begotten classes, the Church and Great Company. They were baked with leaven, showing that the spirit-begotten classes, though justified, are still in sinful bodies. A goat for a sin offering was sacrificed to illustrate the Church sacrificed as a sin offering at Pentecost. (Leviticus 23:16-21, Numbers 28:26-30) This all pertains to the beginning of the Gospel age.
But the 50th year counted from the fall of the year, and the Jubilee represents the restoration of mankind to their earthly rights and privileges. The sabbath years leading to the Jubilee each seem to apply to mankind also.
[1] Brother Hemery of London mentioned to me some time ago that he had noticed that events which occurred in the Spring foreshadowed blessings for the Church, while those which occurred in the Autumn foreshadowed blessings for the world. This appears to me to be a natural arrangement, as Spring is the beginning of the ecclesiastical year, whereas Autumn is the beginning of the civil year. Applying this thought, we find that the Passover and Pentecost, etc., foreshadowed blessings for the Church, whereas the Atonement, the Feast of Tabernacles and the Jubilee foreshadowed blessings for the world.” Rep. 3575
[2] There were also many burnt offerings on these various days. A burnt offering indicates God’s acceptance of another offering. (Tabernacle Shadows pg. 73) The burnt offerings on these feast days were of three kinds: bullocks, rams, lambs. The bullocks we think pictured God’s acceptance of Christ as a sin offering. The lambs pictured God’s acceptance of Christ as the ransom price. The rams, God’s acceptance of the goat sin offering which was being offered day by day.