Finding Jesus in the Jewish Festivals of the Bible

The Appointed Times are not simply human inventions or imaginings. The Bible presents them as the Lord’s Appointed Times, suggesting that their meanings are significant in God’s sovereign plan. When we refer to the Appointed Times, we are speaking of the special days that are commonly referred to as the Jewish holy days, Jewish festivals, Jewish feasts, feasts of the Bible, and Feasts of the Lord, in the Old Testament.

What are the Jewish Feasts and Holy Days?

The more precise term for the Jewish feasts and holy days is the Appointed Times, which are introduced in the Law of Moses.  But you should know that only three of these seven events are actually feasts, which are the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Weeks (also known as Pentecost), and the Feast of Booths (also known as the Feast of Tabernacles).  The remaining four events could be referred to as days, such as the Day of Trumpets or the Day of Atonement, neither of which are feast days. The Bible lists the Appointed Times in chronological order in Leviticus 23.  By chronological order, we mean the order in which they are to be observed by the nation of Israel.

It is significant that the Appointed Times are divided into two distinct seasons of the year: the spring and the fall.  The spring Appointed Times foreshadow the first coming of the Messiah, which occurred some 2,000 years ago, while the fall Appointed Times cast shadows of the Messiah that are yet to come – events that are still future.  

The spring  Jewish holy days include:

• Passover
• The Feast of Unleavened Bread
• First Fruits and
• The Feast of Weeks, which is also known as Pentecost

The fall Jewish holy days include:

• The Day of Trumpets
• The Day of Atonement and
• The Feast of Booths, which is also known as the Feast of Tabernacles.
  

You should know that other festivals are mentioned in the Bible, such as The Feast of Purim and the Feast of Dedication (Hanukkah), but we find the clearest foreshadowing of the Messiah in the Appointed Times that were given in the Law of Moses that are mentioned above.

How do the Appointed Times relate to Jesus?

As we explore these biblical feasts and holy days in light of the rest of the Scriptures, it becomes apparent that their timing and meanings precisely match the key events of the final days of Jesus’ ministry on earth – they reveal His worthiness as a sacrifice, His crucifixion, burial, and resurrection from the dead, in addition to the sending of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. Briefly stated, Jesus’ precise fulfillment of the spring Appointed Times confirm, beyond a shadow of doubt, that  He is truly the Lord’s Messiah.

With this fact established, every person should give close attention to the fall Appointed Times, since they give insight into the Messiah’s return to earth and His coronation as the divine king. It is in these shadows that we learn about His return, about His redeeming work of mankind, and about the paradise that is to come on a fresh, newly created planet earth.