Nov 3rd Night Study

Why should we as pay attention to the Livitical festivals? The ceremonial law with its regulations for ritual and sacrifice no longer apply. We know Christ is the Word and fulfills the Law, He also is the sacrificial Lamb-by being so rendered the old rites unnecessary. The church inherits the covenant and promises made to the people of God in the Old Testament making Hebrew Scriptures highly relevant to us.

The cycle of feasts celebrated by Israel is laid out in the Pentateuch. The festival calendar was commanded by the Lord as a means for the people to maintain its obligation to the God who had so graciously made His covenant with.

The biblical feasts were tied to the rhythm of agriculture, provided remembrance and reenactment of historical events, showed God's dominion over His land, His creation, and His ownership of time, celebration God's kingship, reaffirm their corporate commitment to God.

Spring Holidays Justification

Passover (Pesach)-Jesus' death, 8 day barley harvest, recalls Exodus out of Egypt. We are released from death the bondage of sin-slaves to sin by Jesus, the Lamb of God's, death as the Israelites were released from the bondage of slavery and passover by death by slaying a perfect lamb and marking above the doors, the two sides with the lambs blood-creating a cross. Jesus was rejected at the Messiah, the Israelites wanted physical deliverance and not spiritual. The first step is the cross.

Unleavened Bread (Mazzot)-Jesus' burial. For seven days no leaven was to be in the house. It speaks of purging all things that are leavened in order to feed up Christ who is the Bread of Life. Unleavened bread speaks of consecration and separation unto the Lord. Once the passover Lamb releases us from the penalty of sin-something we cannot do on our own-we are required to get rid of the "leaven." Leaven is worldliness, sin, anything corrupting. The second step is the surrender of our sinful lifestyles.

First Fruits-Resurrection. The feast day of the sheaf of first fruits. This points to the resurrection day-Christ, "the first fruits of the resurrected one" (1Corin 15:20), appeared before God and was accepted before God for us. We are new creatures to live in newness of life with Him. Step three is dedicating our lives to the Lord in sincerity and truth.

Sanctification
Pentecost Festival of Weeks (Shavuot)-Holy Spirit wheat harvest commemorates God's revelation of the Torah on Mt. Sinai empowering His people. The ascension is the transition of Christ's redemptive work on earth to His intercessory work in the heavenly sanctuary. Israel, freed from the bondage of Egypt, delivered by God's mighty hand, baptized in the Red Sea, fed with living water and manna from heaven, fifty days later, encamped at the foot of Mt. Sinai preparing to go into a covenant relationship with God. First God delivers, then He opens up before them the way of His commandments. Why we can not do baptism at birth-we must be delivered, have prepared hearts, wash and consecrate themselves to meet God. God came to them and established a special relationship with them. Christ comes in the Spirit, He abides in us and we in Him-that is a relationship. The commandments on stone symbolizes their indestructible nature but unless they are engraved on our hearts and minds they have no value. The Israelites were to bring two loaves of leavened bread. We are washed of the old leavened and now the leaven of truth makes a change in mind and heart. The whole character is conformed to the character of Christ, the power of the Spirit is working like the leaven to change our entire being. 2 Cor 3:3 written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not in tables of stone but in fleshy tables of the heart. Step four-entering into a covenant relationship with God-total commitment and dependence upon Him and His Spirit Who writes his law upon our hearts and minds.

Fall Holidays Consummation Not yet fulfilled by Jesus

Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah) Final call-7 months pass and 7 trumpet blasts announcing the day of atonement. Prophetic-Revelation 11-7 trumpet blows, the inner door of the Most Holy of Heaven open and we see the ark, and 24 elders declare the time of judgement has come.

Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) Final cleansing all sin is dealt with. The one day the High Priest entered the Most Holy of Holies. A final time of judgement.

Tabernacles or Booths (Sukkot)-8 day fruit harvest, commemorates 40 years wandering in the wilderness The people had to give up security and place themselves under the protection of God. A celebration of how God protected them and lead them through the wilderness. A celebration of the final harvest gathered in with palm branch waving-why the Catholic church celebrates a mistake when they have Palm Sunday. Victory in Jesus taking us to the promised land. Isaiah 12:3 with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. The water reminds us of the river of life flowing from the throne of God down the middle of the great street of the city . also the temple and the court were so ablaze with light that the whole city was illuminated.

Rain-The Holy Spirit
Rainy Season-The first rain of the season-mid October softened the ground and held seeds germinate. The later rain came before the harvest-early march-this rain contributes to the maturation of the crop. Rain was extremely important and considered a gift from God. Amos 4:7 God would use the lack of rain to get the people's attention. Drought-the Holy Spirit is not being poured out. No rain, no grain, no harvest. Rain is associated with the power of God over nature and with His blessings and favors toward man. In the bible rain became a symbol for the divine outpouring of the Holy Spirit-both rain and the Holy Spirit were sent by God as a demonstration of His concern for life. Isaiah 44:3 "I will pour water on him who is thirsty and floods on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants and My blessings on your offspring. The image of the early and later rains can be applied to two different powerful works of the Spirit within the church. One is related to the events of Pentecost-3000 saved on Pentecost, the day the Torah given-3000 fell , when the Holy Spirit given 3000 saved. This is the early rain. The period of no rain in Israel is the time of the gentiles Luke 21:24 and Romans 11:25. The later rain the before return of Christ-the out pouring of the Holy Spirit in preparing the ground for the end time harvest. Rev 14:14-20.