The Lord’s appointed times, also known as the feasts of the Lord, are outlined in Leviticus 23. These feasts were given by God to the Israelites to observe throughout their generations as holy convocations. They served as signs to point to God’s work of redemption through the coming Messiah. There are seven major feasts described in Leviticus 23 that reveal God’s plan of salvation and foreshadow the life and ministry of Jesus Christ.
The Sabbath
The first feast mentioned is the Sabbath day. This was to be a day of rest and remembrance of God’s work of creation (Leviticus 23:3). God commanded the Israelites to do no work on the seventh day of each week, just as He Himself rested after creating the heavens and the earth (Genesis 2:2-3). The Sabbath signifies ceasing from our own works to rest in what God has accomplished. When Jesus came, He declared Himself to be Lord of the Sabbath (Matthew 12:8). Through His finished work on the cross, Jesus fulfilled the Sabbath rest we could never attain by our own efforts.
Passover
The Passover feast was instituted by God to remember and celebrate the Israelites’ deliverance from slavery in Egypt (Leviticus 23:5). The night before their exodus, each household killed an unblemished lamb and spread its blood on their doorposts. Seeing the blood, the angel of death “passed over” their homes, sparing their firstborn sons from death. The Passover lamb served as a sacrifice and atonement for sin. When Christ was crucified, He became our sacrificial Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7). Through His blood spread on the cross, God’s judgment passes over us and we are freed from slavery to sin.
Feast of Unleavened Bread
The seven-day Feast of Unleavened Bread began the day after Passover (Leviticus 23:6-8). The Israelites were to remove all leaven, or yeast, from their houses for the duration of the feast. Leaven symbolizes sin, and this feast signified the removal of sin from their lives now that they had been set free from Egypt. For believers in Jesus, it represents removing the sin from our lives after being freed from the penalty of sin by His sacrifice. Jesus’ body was without the leaven of sin, making Him the perfect, unleavened bread of life (John 6:35).
Feast of Firstfruits
During the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Israelites were told to bring the early crops and firstfruits of their spring harvest as a wave offering to the Lord (Leviticus 23:9-14). This acknowledged that the harvest belonged to God and was made possible by His provision. The feast took place on the Sunday after Passover and pointed to Jesus’ resurrection. As Paul explains, Christ has been raised from the dead as the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep (1 Corinthians 15:20). Believers in Jesus have also been raised with Him as a kind of firstfruits of all creation (James 1:18).
Feast of Weeks (Pentecost)
Fifty days after Firstfruits, the fourth spring feast is the Feast of Weeks, also called Pentecost (Leviticus 23:15-22). This feast celebrates the wheat harvest in Israel. On Pentecost, two leavened loaves baked with yeast were presented to the Lord. In contrast to the Feast of Unleavened Bread, these loaves represent the church, which is made up of sinners saved by grace. On the original Pentecost, God poured out His Holy Spirit on believers in Jesus, empowering the church to carry the gospel to the nations (Acts 2:1-4).
Feast of Trumpets
In the seventh month of the year, three fall feasts were observed. The Feast of Trumpets on the first day (Leviticus 23:23-25) was a solemn assembly announcing the arrival of a new agricultural year. Trumpets were blown to call the people to repentance in preparation for the Day of Atonement. This feast foreshadows the future day when trumpets will announce Christ’s return and the resurrection of the righteous (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17). The trumpet blast will summon the earth to stand before God’s judgment seat.
Day of Atonement
The most holy day on the Hebrew calendar is the Day of Atonement on the tenth day of the seventh month (Leviticus 23:26-32). This was the only day when the High Priest could enter the Most Holy Place in the tabernacle to make atonement for the sins of the people. The elaborate sacrificial system on this day foreshadowed Jesus’ once-for-all sacrifice that fully atoned for our sins (Hebrews 10:1-18). Jesus fulfilled the Day of Atonement by shedding His blood to cleanse our consciences and give us access to God (Hebrews 9:11-14).
Feast of Tabernacles
The last feast is the joyful eight-day Feast of Tabernacles, also called Sukkot or Booths (Leviticus 23:33-43). The Israelites camped in temporary shelters made of branches to remember God dwelling with them in the wilderness after the exodus. Jesus tabernacled among us when He took on human flesh and “made his dwelling among us” (John 1:14). This feast represents the future restoration of God’s presence with redeemed humanity on a renewed earth. One day, “He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God” (Revelation 21:3).
In summary, the feasts of Leviticus 23 are dress rehearsals that rehearse God’s redeeming grace enacted through the Messiah Jesus Christ. He fulfills the meanings behind the various sacrifices, offerings, and ceremonies. By participating in these holy convocations, the Israelites cultivated anticipation for the redemption to come through the promised seed and Lamb of God.
The feasts trace the rhythm of God’s redemptive plan: from Sabbath rest, to redemption from sin through the Passover Lamb, to resurrection life in the firstfruits, to the outpouring of the Spirit on Pentecost, and finally the restoration of God’s presence with His people. Jesus is the substance that gives reality to the shadows of the law. The entire festal calendar finds its focus in the person and work of Christ.
Under the new covenant, believers are not obligated to observe these ceremonial feasts in the specific ways prescribed to national Israel. However, studying their prophetic significance helps us understand God’s redemptive mission throughout history. The appointed feasts of the Lord in Leviticus 23 give us a glimpse into the mystery of Christ, in whom all God’s redemptive purposes find their ultimate fulfillment and delight.
The feasts outlined in Leviticus 23 provide a fascinating foreshadowing of the coming of the Messiah and the fulfillment of God’s plan of redemption. Jesus’ ministry corresponded with these feasts in significant ways, confirming He was the promised Savior. While the specific observances of Leviticus 23 do not apply under the new covenant, studying their symbolism enriches our understanding of the continuity of God’s mission across both old and new covenants.
The Sabbath, Passover, Firstfruits, Pentecost, Trumpets, Atonement, and Tabernacles give us a calendar that tells the redemptive story. They rehearse the conceptual universe about atonement for sin and new life through faith in the Lamb of God. These feasts remind us of profound truths in shadows that find their substance in the person of Jesus Christ.
The spring feasts (Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits, Pentecost) focus on the first coming of Jesus to deal with sin through His perfect sacrifice. The fall feasts (Trumpets, Atonement, Tabernacles) focus on the second coming of Jesus to restore all things and dwell with redeemed humanity forever.
This calendar of appointed times proclaims the Messiah’s finished work, celebrates new life in Him, and sustains hope for the day when heaven and earth unite under Christ’s reign. As we reflect on their prophetic significance, may our worship and wonder grow ever deeper.
The feasts of the Lord in Leviticus 23 give us a panoramic view of the grand story of redemption. Through Jesus, we have been set free from slavery to sin, resurrected to new life, brought near to God’s presence, and filled with the firstfruits of the Spirit. Someday we will dwell face to face with our God, as Christ’s return makes all things new. Until then, we celebrate each step of the redemption accomplished through the Lamb of God.
The cyclical, agricultural rhythm of Israel’s calendar wove together creation, redemption, and restoration. With every turning of the seasons, they rehearsed God’s saving purposes through feasts that symbolized new life sprouting from death. As we reflect on their foreshadowing of Christ, may we gain insight into the comprehensive scope of God’s mission.
One final aspect worth noting is that these feasts involved corporate worship, not just individual observance. Thrice a year all Israel was to gather in unity to remember God’s faithfulness. For us under the new covenant, this underscores the vital role of the church in retelling the story of redemption. We rehearse the gospel, give thanks for new life in Christ, and sustain hope in His return through liturgy rooted in the symbolic framework of Leviticus 23.
In conclusion, the feasts of Leviticus 23 give us a God’s-eye-view of history’s trajectory from creation to new creation. They orient our lives around the rhythm of redemption through foreshadowing the life and work of Jesus Christ. As we reflect on these holy convocations, may we respond in worship and order our days around His accomplishments and promised return.
