Jesus by the lake charcoal drawing by Kate Orr. The Messiah Beyond a Shadow of Doubt

Introduction to the Appointed Times

Lesson 1

This lesson introduces the concept of the Messiah, as taught in the Bible. It also introduces the Appointed Times and briefly explains how they are shadows of the Messiah.

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Lesson 1 - Frequently Asked Questions

What is the meaning of Messiah?

“Messiah” means anointed one, referring to one who is anointed by pouring oil over his head. People in the Bible were anointed to show that they were designated by God to hold a specific office or role.

Which types of people in the Bible were anointed with oil?

Kings and priests were the only types of people that were anointed in ancient Israel. Anointing indicated that their office or role was sanctioned by God.

Was Jesus anointed with oil?

No, Jesus was not anointed with oil, since He was not a Levitical priest, nor was He an earthly king of Israel. The apostle Peter taught that God anointed Jesus with the Holy Spirit – a divine anointing.

Why are the terms Messiah and Christ used interchangeably?

Both words have the same meaning. Messiah is the Hebrew word for anointed one and Christ is the Greek word for anointed one.

Do the Appointed Times define all of the Jewish holy days?

No, they define the holy days that the Lord decreed to Moses while the Israelites were in the wilderness. The Jewish people have other holy days, including Purim, which was decreed by Queen Esther during the Babylonian Captivity, and The Feast of Dedication (aka Hanukah), which came about during the time period between the Old and New Testaments.

Why doesn’t Leviticus 23 provide information about how the Appointed Times should be observed?

It seems that Leviticus 23 was written with the intent of clarifying the timing and the chronology (i.e. the chronological order) of the Appointed Times, rather than to provide the details about how they should be observed. It is up to the reader to search the other books of the Law of Moses in order to gain the bigger picture and the details of each event.

Some of the Appointed Times contain the word yom, such as Yom Teruah, or Yom Kippur. What is the meaning of yom?

Yom is a Hebrew word that can mean day or age. Thus, Yom Teruah is the Day of Teruah and Yom Kippur is the Day of Atonement.

Why should I be interested in learning about the Messiah?

The Scriptures make it very clear that the Messiah will one day return and ascend His heavenly throne as the Divine Judge of the nations. These Scripture passages give plenty of reason to prepare ourselves for His return. One such passage is Revelation 11:17-18, which reveals the future event when the elders around the throne of God will fall on their faces and worship, saying “…We give You thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who are and who were, because You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign. And the nations were enraged, and Your wrath came, and the time came for the dead to be judged, and the time to reward Your bond-servants the prophets and the saints and those who fear Your name, the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth.” We can view these passages as prophetic threats and remain defiant toward God and His Messiah, but on the other hand we can view them as benevolent appeals to change our ways so we can prepare to meet Him in peace and avoid the wrath to come.

What are other names for the Appointed Times?

The Appointed Times are also known at the Jewish Holy Days and the High Holy Days. Since three of the seven Appointed Times are feast days or festivals, some people refer to them as the Jewish Festivals, which is only partially correct, since the majority of them are not feasts or festivals.

Where can I find a concise listing of the Appointed Times in the Bible?

Leviticus 23 lists the Appointed Times in chronological order, which refers to the timing in which they occur. The Law of Moses refers to the Appointed Times in various places, but Leviticus 23 provides a somewhat concise listing of each, along with the timing of each. Leviticus 23 could be considered the keystone chapter in which the Lord, through Moses, instituted the Appointed Times.

Why are the Appointed Times referred to as shadows?

The Appointed Times are a type of prophecy that scholars refer to as shadows. The apostle Paul makes this connection in Colossians 2:16-17 when he tells us that festivals, new moons¸ and Sabbath days, are mere shadows of what is to come, but their substance belongs to Christ (i.e. the Messiah). When he mentioned festivals, new moons, and Sabbath days, he was referring to the Appointed Times in Leviticus 23 which define these events. I recommend that you highlight Colossians 2:16-17 in your Bible!

What is meant when we say that the substance of the Appointed Times is about the Messiah?

The substance of the Appointed Times refers to their true meaning. Their meanings, on the surface, generally teach about events in Israel’s history, such as the exodus, the crossing of the sea, etc., but their substance or true meaning are about the Messiah.

Why would prophesies about the Messiah be somewhat hidden in the form of shadows, rather than direct statements about things that will occur in the future?

We can learn a great deal about an object by observing its shadow, while not being distracted by its many details. I believe this is part of the reason for using shadow prophesies. For reasons that I do not fully understand, the Lord conveyed many prophesies in a somewhat mysterious manner that requires seekers to investigate and study in order to find His truths. This is certainly true with the Appointed Times, which intimate truths about the Messiah through somewhat cryptic shadows.

Did Moses explain that the Appointed Times teach about the Messiah?

No, Moses did not give any indication that the Appointed Times teach about the Lord’s Messiah, at least not explicitly. It seems that the Lord buried these mysteries in the Law of Moses to confirm to seekers that Jesus is truly the Lord’s Messiah.

At what point in time could people understand that the Appointed Times spoke of Jesus as the Messiah?

It was only after Jesus’ resurrection from the dead and after the Day of Pentecost which followed that people had enough information to understand that the Appointed Times taught about the events of Jesus' life, thus confirming that He is the Messiah. The Time Signature of the Messiah becomes illuminated when we carefully compare it to the timing of the events of Jesus’ ministry and the following Pentecost.

Was Pentecost a messianic event?

Pentecost was indeed a messianic event, even though Jesus was not physically present. John 15:26 records Jesus telling the disciples that He would send the Helper to them, confirming that the Spirit was sent at His direction, thus classifying it as a messianic event. “When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me,” John 15:26 [NASB]

What is meant by the Magnificent Hope that we have in the Messiah?

The Magnificent Hope refers to the enormous blessings that are offered to those who believe in the Messiah for forgiveness of sin. The blessings begin with being forgiven, raised from the dead, and given glorified immortal bodies. Jesus further promised that He was preparing eternal dwelling places (homes) in His Father’s house. We will have free access to the river of the water of life and live as immortals in paradise with God as our loving Father.

Why are the Appointed Times grouped into the spring and the fall?

The Appointed Times are grouped into two seasons, the spring and the fall, to teach about the first and second comings of the Messiah. The spring Appointed Times, which begin in the March-April timeframe, cast shadows of the first coming of the Messiah, which occurred some 2,000 years ago. The fall Appointed Times, which are observed in the September-October timeframe, cast shadows of the return of the Messiah at the end of this age – an time that is yet to come.

What are the names of the spring Appointed Times?

The spring Appointed Times consist of Passover, The Feast of Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, and the Feast of Weeks, which is also known as Pentecost. They begin in the March-April timeframe and conclude with the Feast of Weeks, which is observed exactly 50 days after First Fruits.

What are the names of the fall Appointed Times?

The fall Appointed Times consist of The Day of Trumpets, The Day of Atonement, and The Feast of Booths, which is also known as the Feast of Tabernacles.

What is meant by The Time Signature of the Messiah?

The Time Signature of the Messiah refers to the combination of dates, times, Sabbath days, and weekdays that are built into the Lord’s instructions for the Appointed Times. They define activities and events that must be fulfilled in perfect timing by His Messiah as a sign of authenticity, thus enabling people to know the identity of His Messiah. When an individual arises who fulfills all the times and substances of the time signature, then we can be confident that He is truly the Lord’s Messiah. You should know that the term Time Signature of the Messiah is not found in the Scriptures. The term was coined so people could easily refer to this phenomenon of the spring Appointed Times.

Does the Time Signature of the Messiah also apply to the fall Appointed Times?

No, the Time Signature of the Messiah is unique to the spring Appointed Times. I am not aware of a similar phenomenon for the fall Appointed Times.

In what way is Christ our Passover?

In 1 Corinthians 5:7, Paul tells us that Christ is our Passover. Jesus’ death occurred on the same exact day and in the same timeframe in which the Israelites were to kill the Passover lamb, thus fulfilling the timing shadow. He also fulfilled the substance shadow since He was also a lamb – the Lamb of God – who died so that others would live.

How long before the time of Christ were the Appointed Times given to Israel?

The spring Appointed Times, which define the Time Signature of the Messiah, were given to Israel almost 1,500 years before Jesus walked the earth. It can be argued that Israel exited Egypt in 1446 BC, and when we add the 33 years of the life of Jesus,* we arrive at 1479 years. For the sake of simplicity, we use say it is approximately 1,500 years before the time of Christ. Note: the 1,500 years is not a Biblical timing – it simply refers to the amount of time that elapsed from the giving of the Appointed Times until the time of Christ. The odds of the events of Jesus’ life aligning with the Appointed Times after a 1,500 year delay are astronomically large, yet they aligned perfectly, proving that they are truly divine appointments, rather than a series of coincidences.

* We add 33 years since the shadows of the Appointed Times were fulfilled at the end of Jesus’ earthly ministry, probably when He was 33 years old.

What is the significance of Jesus’ perfect fulfillment of the Time Signature of the Messiah – what does it mean to me?

Since Jesus perfectly fulfilled the Time Signature of the Messiah), we should realize that these are truly divine appointments or prophecies and, we should therefore, carefully examine the fall Appointed Times to learn what they teach about His future return and how those events will affect us – how we can be prepared for His return.