"God tells Moses to speak to the Israelites and tell them about God's appointed times; the holy days of the Lord that shall be proclaimed as sacred assemblies. This chapter mentions the Passover, the Day of Atonement, the Sabbath Day, The Festival of Unleavened Bread, and other holy days."
Leviticus 23 Amplified Bible (AMP)
Laws of Religious Festivals
23 The Lord spoke again to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘The appointed times (established feasts) of the Lord which you shall proclaim as holy convocations—My appointed times are these:Laws of Religious Festivals
The Sabbath
3 ‘For six days work may be done, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of complete rest, a holy convocation (calling together). You shall not do any work [on that day]; it is the Sabbath of the Lord [a]wherever you may be.
- TRUE REST IS IN JESUS. More than the physical rest, what we need is the spiritual rest of our souls in the Lord Jesus Christ.
"Now it happened that He went through the grainfields on the Sabbath; and as they went His disciples began to pluck the heads of grain. And the Pharisees said to Him, “Look, why do they do what is not lawful on the Sabbath?”
But He said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and hungry, he and those with him: how he went into the house of God in the days of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the showbread, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests, and also gave some to those who were with him?”
And He said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. Therefore the Son of Man is also Lord of the Sabbath.” Mark 2:23-28
The Passover and Unleavened Bread
4 ‘These are the appointed times of the Lord, holy convocations which you shall proclaim at their appointed times: 5 The Lord’s Passover is on the fourteenth day of the first month [b]at twilight. 6 The Feast of Unleavened Bread to the Lord is on the fifteenth day of the same month; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. 7 On the first day you shall have a holy convocation (calling together); you shall not do any laborious work [on that day]. 8 But you shall present an offering by fire to the Lord for seven days; on the seventh day there shall be a holy convocation; you shall not do any laborious work [on that day].’”
- MINDFULNESS ABOUT SIN. Galatians 5:9 says, "A little leaven leavens the whole lump." This feast is a reminder that sin in our life is like the 'leaven or yeast' that can make the bread rise, or that can corrupt or take over our lives, if we are not careful or mindful.
9 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 10 “Speak to the children of Israel and say to them, ‘When you enter the land which I am giving you and reap its harvest, you shall bring the [c]sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest. 11 He shall wave the sheaf before the Lord so that you may be accepted; the priest shall wave it on the day after the Sabbath. 12 Now on the day when you wave the sheaf you shall offer a male lamb one year old without blemish as a burnt offering to the Lord. 13 Its grain offering shall be two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with [olive] oil, an offering by fire to the Lord for a sweet and soothing aroma, with its drink offering [to be poured out], a fourth of a [d]hin of wine. 14 You shall not eat any bread or roasted grain or new growth, until this same day when you bring in the offering to your God; it is a permanent statute throughout your generations wherever you may be.
- JESUS IS THE FIRST FRUIT. All the festivals that God established to the Israelites while they were still in the wilderness, before entering the Promised Land, was a foreshadowing of who our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is. He is the firstborn, and the first fruit. The One who was, and is and is to come.
"But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ." 1 Corinthians 15:23
"Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce; then your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will be bursting with wine." Proverbs 3:9-10
"Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the firstfruits of all your produce;" Proverbs 3:9
The Feast of Weeks
15 ‘You shall count from the day after the Sabbath, from the day when you brought in the sheaf (tied bundle of grain) of the wave offering; there shall be seven complete Sabbaths (seven full weeks). 16 You shall count [e]fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall present a new grain offering to the Lord. 17 You shall bring in from your places two loaves of bread as a wave offering, made from two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour; they shall be baked with leaven as first fruits to the Lord. 18 And you shall offer with the bread seven unblemished lambs, one year old, and one young bull and two rams. They are to be a burnt offering to the Lord, with their grain offering and their drink offerings. It is an offering by fire, a sweet and soothing aroma to the Lord. 19 And you shall sacrifice one male goat as a sin offering and two male lambs, one year old as a sacrifice of peace offerings. 20 The priest shall wave them before the Lord as a wave offering, together with the bread of the first fruits and the two lambs. They are to be holy to the Lord for the priest. 21 On this same day you shall make a proclamation, you are to have a holy convocation (calling together); you shall not do any laborious work [on that day]. It is to be a permanent statute throughout your generations wherever you may be.
22 ‘When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the edges of your field, nor gather the gleaning of your harvest; you are to leave them for the poor and for the stranger. I am the Lord your God.’”
The Feast of Trumpets
23 Again the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 24 “Say to the children of Israel, ‘On the first day of the seventh month (almost October), you shall observe a day of solemn sabbatical rest, a memorial day announced by the blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation. 25 You shall not do any laborious work [on that day], but you shall present an offering by fire to the Lord.’”
- TRUMPETS. "The sound of the trumpet has always denoted military strength, whether this was as a signaling instrument in battle or in a military band. ... The image of the trumpet as a symbol of authority and social standing goes hand in hand with its association with warfare." https://www.vsl.co.at/en/Trumpet_in_C/Symbolism
"Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ, and he shall reign forever and ever.” Revelation 11:15
"But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord." 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
"And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other." Matthew 24:31
"Blow a trumpet in Zion; sound an alarm on my holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the Lord is coming; it is near," Joel 2:1
The Day of Atonement
26 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 27 “Also the tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement; it shall be a holy convocation for you, and you shall [f]humble yourselves [by fasting] and present an offering by fire to the Lord. 28 You shall not do any work on this same day, for it is the Day of Atonement, to make atonement on your behalf before the Lord your God. 29 If there is any person who will not humble himself on this same day, he shall be cut off from his people [excluding him from the atonement made for them]. 30 If there is any person who does any work on this same day, I will destroy that person from among his people. 31 You shall do no work at all [on that day]. It is a permanent statute throughout your generations wherever you may be. 32 It is to be to you a Sabbath of complete rest, and you shall humble yourselves. On the ninth day of the month at evening, from evening to evening you shall keep your Sabbath.”
- HUMILITY. The Lord made it clear that the people should humble themselves. They should recognize their need for atonement, sacrifice and salvation. We should recognize our need of the Lord Jesus Christ, the only One who can save us from all our sins. Who is our greatest model of humility? The Lord Jesus Christ Himself, who is fully God and fully man, who left His divinity to live as a lowly, human being, just to save and redeem us to be reconciled back to the Father.
"Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." Colossians 3:12
"Humility is the fear of the Lord; its wages are riches and honor and life." Proverbs 22:4
"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7:14
"Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time." 1 Peter 5:6
"Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom." James 3:13
"Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:29-30
"Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, “Anyone who wants to be first must be the very last, and the servant of all.” Mark 9:35
"You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love." Galatians 5:13
The Feast of Booths
33 Again the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 34 “Say to the children of Israel, ‘On the fifteenth day of this seventh month, and for seven days, is the Feast of Booths (Tabernacles) to the Lord. 35 The first day is a holy convocation (calling together); you shall not do any laborious work [on that day]. 36 For seven days you shall present an offering by fire to the Lord. On the eighth day you shall have a holy convocation and present an offering by fire to the Lord. It is a festive assembly; you shall not do any laborious work [on that day].
37 ‘These are the appointed times (established feasts) of the Lord, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to present an offering by fire to the Lord, a burnt offering and a grain offering, sacrifices and drink offerings, each on its own day. 38 This is in addition to the [weekly] Sabbaths of the Lord, and in addition to your gifts and all your vowed offerings and all your freewill offerings, which you give to the Lord.
39 ‘On exactly the fifteenth day of the seventh month (nearly October), when you have gathered in the crops of the land, you shall celebrate the feast of the Lord for seven days, with a Sabbath rest on the first day and a Sabbath rest on the eighth day. 40 Now on the first day you shall take for yourselves the foliage of beautiful trees, branches of palm trees, and boughs of thick (leafy) trees, and willows of the brook [and make booths of them]; and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days. 41 You shall celebrate it as a feast to the Lord for seven days in the year. It shall be a permanent statute throughout your generations; you shall celebrate it in the seventh month. 42 You shall live in booths (temporary shelters) for seven days; all native-born in Israel shall live in booths, 43 so that your generations may know that I had the sons of Israel live in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God.’” 44 So Moses declared to the Israelites the appointed feasts of the Lord.
Footnotes: Leviticus 23:3 Lit in all your dwellings and so throughout the chapter.
Leviticus 23:5 Lit between the two evenings.
Leviticus 23:10 I.e. a tied bundle of stalks of freshly harvested grain.
Leviticus 23:13 I.e. approx one gal.
Leviticus 23:16 This is the origin of the name “Pentecost,” Greek for “fiftieth.”
Leviticus 23:27 See note 16:29.
- NUMBER 7. The word 'seventh' or 'seven' was mentioned 19 times here."When it comes to the biblical meanings of number 7, we have to say that it is the number of perfection and completeness." https://angelnumber.org/what-does-the-number-7-mean-in-the-bible/
After reading, I always check out the Study Guide Commentary from David Guzik (very helpful!):
a. The feasts of the LORD: This chapter introduces us to the seven annual feasts Israel celebrated. These feasts are rich with symbolic and prophetic significance.
b. The Lord's Passover: Passover was meant to commemorate Israel's deliverance from Egypt, and with the sacrifice of the lamb for each family, show how the blood of the lamb averted the judgment of God for each Israelite family.
a. The Feast of Unleavened Bread to the LORD: The feast of unleavened bread was a week-long celebration the week immediately following Passover (from Nisan 15 to Nisan 21). This feast showed the purity Israel was to walk in (illustrated by eating only bread without leaven, a type of sin) after the blood-deliverance of Passover.
a. Then you shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest: The day following Passover's Sabbath was a time to give the firstfruits of the harvest to God. The idea was to dedicate the first ripened stalks of grain to God, in anticipation of a greater harvest to come.
i. "The firstfruits at Passover would be barley, which ripens in the warmer areas as early as March." (Harris)
a. A memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation: On the first day of the month Tishri on the Jewish ceremonial calendar, the feast of trumpets was held; trumpets were blown to gather together God's people for a holy convocation.
a. Also the tenth day of this seventh month shall be the Day of Atonement: On the tenth of Tishri, the people gathered again for a holy convocation; but this was not a celebration feast, but a day to afflict your souls in humble recognition of one's sin and need for atonement.
a. The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the Feast of Tabernacles: On the fifteenth day of the Jewish month Tishri (on the Jewish ceremonial calendar); the Feast of Tabernacles was a time to rejoice in God's deliverance and provision for Israel during the time of wilderness wandering; a time when having come into the promised land, looking back with gratitude on all God had done to deliver and provide in the tough times of the wilderness.
b. On the first day there shall be a sabbath-rest, and on the eighth day a sabbath rest: The Feast of Tabernacles began and ended in rest; it was all about celebration and rest and refreshment.
i. We see here also the great social good God intended in the Sabbath and in the Feasts; in other ancient cultures, there was no day off, and there were no holidays. Here, God commands both holidays and "vacation days" - all centered on Him!
B. The prophetic significance of the feasts of Leviticus 23.
1. Structurally, the first four feasts are linked together, and the last three feasts are also linked - and there is a separation of time between these two groups of feasts.
2. The group of the first four feasts relate to the work of Jesus in His first coming, of His earthly ministry.
a. The feast of Passover clearly presents Jesus as our Passover (1 Corinthians 5:7), the Lamb of God who was sacrificed, and whose blood was received and applied, so the wrath of God would pass us over.
b. The feast of Unleavened Bread relates time of Jesus' burial, after His perfect, sinless sacrifice on the cross, during which He was received by God the Father as holy and complete (the Holy One who would not see corruption, Acts 2:27), perfectly accomplishing our salvation.
i. We may regard the burial (or actually, entombment) of Jesus as a small thing in God's redemptive plan; but it was an essential part of Paul's gospel: For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures. (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)
c. The feast of Firstfruits relates to the resurrection of Jesus, who was the first human to receive resurrection; He is the firstborn from the dead (Colossians 1:18) and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep … Christ the firstfruits, afterwards those who are Christ's at His coming. (1 Corinthians 15:20, 23)
d. The feast of Pentecost obviously is connected with the birth of the Church and the "harvest" resulting (Acts 2); significantly, in the ceremony at the feast of Pentecost, two unleavened loaves of bread are waved as a holy offering to God, speaking of the bringing of "unleavened" Gentiles into the church.
3. Between the first set of four feasts and the second set of three feasts, there is a significant time gap - almost four months, which, significantly, was a time of harvest in Israel; even as our current age is a time of harvest for the church, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. (Romans 11:25)
4. The second group of the last three feasts relate to events connected with the second coming of Jesus.
a. The feast of Trumpets speaks of the ultimate assembly of God's people at the sound of a trumpet - the rapture of the Church (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17), and of the gathering of Israel for the special purpose God has for them in the last days.
b. The Day of Atonement not only speaks of the ultimate, perfect atonement Jesus offered on our behalf, but also of the affliction - and salvation - Israel will see during the Great Tribulation.
i. It will truly be a time when the soul of Israel is afflicted, but for their ultimate salvation; as Jeremiah 30:7 says regarding that period: Alas! For that day is great, so that none is like it, and it is the time of Jacob's trouble, but he shall be saved out of it.
c. The feast of Tabernacles speaks of the millennial rest of comfort of God for Israel and all of God's people; it is all about peace and rest, from beginning to end.
i. Tabernacles is specifically said to be celebrated during the millennium (Zechariah 14:16-19).
5. Significantly, there is good evidence that each of the four feasts relevant to the first coming of Jesus saw their prophetic fulfillment on the exact day of the feast.
a. Jesus was actually crucified on the Passover (John 19:14). His body would have been buried, and His holy and pure sacrifice acknowledged by God the Father during the Feast of Unleavened Bread following, and He would have risen from the dead on Firstfruits, the day after Passover's Sabbath. Additionally, the church was founded on the actual day of Pentecost.
b. For this reason, many speculate it would be consistent for God to gather His people to Himself at the rapture on the day of the feast of trumpets - on the Jewish holiday of Rosh Hashanah. This can certainly be regarded as a possibility.
Reference and credits to https://www.blueletterbible.org/Comm/guzik_david/StudyGuide2017-Lev/Lev-23.cfm © 2004 David Guzik
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