Overall layout of the three feas

Overall layout of the three feasts of Israel

THE THREE FEASTS OF ISRAEL

THIS IS OVERALL LAYOUT AND TIMINGS OF THE REQUIREMENTS

OF THE (3) FEASTS OF GOD

EACH FEAST IS TO BE EXPERIENCED BY ALL OF HIS PEOPLE

GOD COMMANDED ALL HIS PEOPLE TO CELEBRATE THREE FEASTS

and it extends to all generations which includes US.

(Deuteronomy 16:16, Leviticus 23: 14,21,41.)

THE 3 FEASTS THE 7 FESTIVALS

1. THE FEAST OF PASSOVER 1. PASSOVER DAY

in the 1st. Month 2. FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD

3. SHEAF OF FIRSTFRUITS (wave offering)

2. THE FEAST OF PENTECOST 4. THE DAY OF PENTECOST

in the 3rd. Month

3. THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES 5. THE BLOWING OF TRUMPETS

in the 7th. Month 6. THE DAY OF ATONEMENT

7. THE FEAST OF TABERNACLES

i] The Feast of UNITY

ii] The Feast of JOY

iii] The Feast of INGATHERING

iv] The Feast of REST

v] The Feast of GLORY

vi] The Feast of RESTORATION

vii] The Feast of HIS APPEARING.

THE FEAST OF PASSOVER

Exodus 12: 1-17 . . . introduction

(1) And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, (2) This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you. (3) Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house:

(13) And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt. (14) And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever. (17) And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have

I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance for ever.

A NEW BEGINNING THROUGH SALVATION

Exodus 3: 7,8 . . . God said that He would DELIVER HIS PEOPLE OUT OF THE HAND OF THE EGYPTIANS and BRING THEM OUT FROM THAT LAND and TAKE THEM INTO A NEW LAND . . .

Experiencing the Feast of Passover will be a beginning for us which equates with your salvation experience of meeting the Passover Lamb, Jesus Christ. What follows that ? We go to the natural pattern and we shall see that it will speak to us today as the Spirit of God, who is our Teacher, unveils it to us.

“EGYPT” stands for the bondage of the ‘world’, the ‘flesh’ and the ‘devil’ . . . all that is NOT from God.

Romans 6:18 Being made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

PASSOVER SETS ONE FREE. . . because . . .

I Corinthians 5:7 Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us.

THE 7-FOLD FOUNDATION OF PASSOVER to bring a new beginning

1) THE LAMB IS SELECTED Exodus 12:3. A lamb for an house

Hebrews 3:6 but Christ as a son over His own house; whose house we are ...

John 1:29 Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world.

The chosen lamb is sufficient for you . . . sufficient provision.

II Corinthians 9:8 . . . all grace . . .

The lamb had to be selected on the 10th. Day of the First Month (Abib).

2) THE LAMB HAS TO BE WITHOUT BLEMISH - Exodus 12:5 - to bring forth a people ‘without blemish’.

I Peter 1: 18,19 Christ a Lamb without blemish or spot.

Speaking of Jesus . . . Ephesians 5: (26) That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, (27) That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish.

Hebrews 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

In John 19:6 even Pilate said that he could find no fault in Jesus.

3) THE LAMB MUST BE KILLED - Exodus 12:6 - in the evening of the 14th. Abib.

Hb. says ‘between the evenings’ . . . which means between the EVENING SACRIFICE in the Temple, which was at 3.00 pm (or the 9th. hour of the day) and the EVENING OF THE ACTUAL DAY which was at 6.00 pm. (The Jewish day started at 6.00 pm to 6.00 pm.)

Jesus was crucified at 9.00 am and died just after 3.00 pm. (the 9th. hour of the day) and buried before 6.00 pm as that started another day which was the first day of the FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD and the FIRST day of that Feast was a SPECIAL SABBATH when no work was to be done.

Hebrews 9:22 . . . without the shedding of blood, there is no remission (forgiveness).

4) THE BLOOD MUST BE APPLIED - Exodus 12:7 - applied to the house for those in it.

It was applied to the DOOR frame. Jesus is the ‘Door’ in John 10:7 . . .

The upper door post (lintel) and the TWO SIDE POSTS (side jambs) . . . the BLOOD provides access to heaven (‘upwards’) and the same quality of fellowship sideways with man.

The Blood of Jesus must be applied to our “house” — our life. See . . . Leviticus 17:11

For the life of the flesh (Hb. Soul) is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.

Jesus most definitely had the LIFE OF GOD in Him . . . He was the Son of God without sin and as the Son, He had the Life of His Father in Him. He was a Living Soul in the image of God.

When we are born from above, we receive the lifeblood of Jesus . . . its full effect that causes our life to be acceptable to God.

Romans 3:(25) Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation (=substitute) through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; (26) To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.

1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

We are born again by the INCORRUPTIBLE SEED, THE WORD OF GOD. . . Jesus, the Living Word. (I Peter 1:23).

5) THE FLESH MUST BE EATEN - Exodus 12:8-10 - that night. . . in the very first hours of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

The BLOOD = the provision while the FLESH = the outworking of the provision. (Life is seen via a flesh body). . . for LIFE = flesh with blood in it.

Flesh and blood make up the BODY of CHRIST which is us. . . His Body will have the effects of His Blood and His abilities seen there.

John 6: 53-55

(53) Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.

(54) Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.

(55) For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.

Eat His ‘flesh’ and drink His ‘blood’ . . . this becomes real as ‘THE COMMUNION SERVICE’ is walked in.

The Blood = the Provision of the Life while The Flesh = the arena where that life operates. This equates with an outworking of GRACE . . . the God-given ability to use (by the Body) the God-given provision (the Blood).

Again, ‘flesh’ speaks of ‘desire! As one desires HIS life to be first in their lives, then one claims the provision (the blood) by faith and HIS LIFE BECOMES OUR LIFE. . . . ‘roasted with fire’, it is easily entreated.

6) THE PEOPLE MUST DEPART . . . Exodus 12:11 . . . got to leave ‘Egypt’ quickly.

Eat the Passover Feast with — your loins girded ......... Ephesians 6:14

— your shoes on your feet ..........you have to WALK out of the old life into the new.

— your staff in your hand........... the ‘word of God’ releasing His Authority in your hand (= service with Him).

— eat it quickly.........don’t put off entering into the new life, take into your being the full provision and do it NOW.

YOU MUST LEAVE EGYPT . . . it is a part of the Passover Feast’s conditions.

‘Egypt’ = the world’s ways, the world’s pleasures, the world’s reasonings, the world’s standard of entertainment, the world’s language.

Romans 8:(1) There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

(2) For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

(3) For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

(4) That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

(5) For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.

(6) For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

(7) Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

(8) So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

7) THE BLOOD IS THE SIGN . . Exodus 12:13,14 . . . when I see the Blood, I will pass over you.

The SIGN (token or miracle) of the BLOOD encompasses all of the previous parts or conditions.

II Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Jesus became THE SIN OFFERING for us . . . . . . . that WE MIGHT BE . . .The Righteousness OF GOD. Wow!!!

THE BLOOD RELEASES HIS LIFE TO THE PEOPLE . . . ONE LIFE INTO ONE BODY WITH ONE HEAD WITH ONE PURPOSE.

His life will cause you to want to . . . desire truth, desire to walk away from ‘Egypt’, desire to have His Lordship and a desire to go quickly forward. . . ALL provided by the Passover Lamb, Jesus . . . Rev. 5:12 .

Exodus 12:23 The Lord will passover (you) as the ‘door’ and will not allow the destroyer to come into your house to smite you with death.

The ‘passover’ verb = like a mother hen covering her chicks with her wings.

REMEMBER, IT IS THE LORD THAT PASSES OVER YOU, NOT THE ENEMY

The blood has washed away your sin, therefore no death can result from that sin which is forgiven.

The Passing Over those under the blood took place at MIDNIGHT. It was then that the FIRST-BORN of Egypt died and the FIRST-BORN of Israel lived to experience the NEW day that was before them.

THE SEVEN DAY FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD

Deuteronomy 16:16

Three times in a year shall all thy males appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose; in the feast of unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of tabernacles: and they shall not appear before the LORD empty:

1 Cor 10:11 Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

The Old Covenant people had to literally obey these commandments . . . today, we also have to obey and/or experience the same commandments but in the Spirit. . .

1 Cor 15:46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.

In the FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD (Passover), we were saved . . .

In the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost), we are being saved . . .

In the Feast of Tabernacles (Tabernacles), we shall be saved.

UNLEAVENED BREAD . . . Its origin.

Leviticus 23: 6-8

And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread. (7) In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. (8) But ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD seven days: in the seventh day is an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.

Following the Passover Day (14th. Abib) when they slew and ate the passover lamb, they had the 7-DAY feast of eating bread that was not leavened. . . hence UNLEAVENED bread for its title. The ladies in their bread-making routine, had made their dough but, because of their obedience to leave Egypt immediately, did not have the opportunity to complete their batches. They left taking their dough without its yeast or leaven.

THEIR LEAVING WAS ALL IMPORTANT . . . in fact one could call it an URGENT situation!

Exodus 12:39 And they baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they brought forth out of Egypt, for it was not leavened; because they were thrust out of Egypt, and could not tarry, neither had they prepared for themselves any victual.

as long as the child of god is pressing on with god in obedience to his will and fleeing the corrupting influences of the world (‘Egypt’) and the LAW (Pharaoh), he will be free from sin and therefore its influences too. He will not have time for sin to work in him.

Remember that OBEDIENCE is very dependent upon one’s VISION. Without the vision of God’s glory being brought forth in me, I will slip back into the old ways of sin and the world’s influences etc.

Gal 5:9 A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump.

Just a very small bit ‘of the world’ and the whole loaf (life) becomes affected. The ‘whole loaf’ = the one Body of Christ.

1 Cor 5:6 Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? (7) Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:

LET US KEEP THE FEAST

Verse (8) Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

THE UNLEAVENED BREAD OF SINCERITY AND TRUTH

The ‘old leaven’ brought from Egypt (world- KOSMOS will be the Gk. word) such as . . . the world’s ways of doing things; the world’s logic that usually put ‘me’ first; the world’s motives and dependency upon finances etc.

This FEAST of UNLEAVENED BREAD is the basis of our COMMUNION SERVICE which is usually partaken with unleavened bread and wine.

We are instructed to feed on Him (Jesus) by taking Him (the Living Word) into our beings, so His life becomes our life. . . He is the Bread that came down from heaven (John 6:35) . . . back to the I Corinthians 5 scripture,

I CORINTHIANS 5:8 (see above) The OLD leaven — made in Egypt and brought from there — is referred to in other places as

THE LEAVEN OF MALICE: Gk. for malice = depravity (Rt. hurtful) = any hurting of someone else so that you can go forward, be first or receive more attention.

THE LEAVEN OF WICKEDNESS: Gk. for wickedness = badness or trouble (Rt. worthless) = doing or saying something of no positive value, which is often bad and can lead to trouble.

Summarizing then, OLD LEAVEN, which we are to leave behind in Egypt, is my old ‘Egyptian’ or Adam nature complete with its inherited weaknesses and methods, national pride that tends to segregate and affect one’s choices, stubbornness, fear of change, uncontrolled emotions including shyness, sin and rebellion ,and so on.

NOT THE ‘OLD’ LEAVEN BUT THE ‘NEW’ unleavened Christ-Life which is never influenced by the world.

UNLEAVENED BREAD OF SINCERITY - Gk. = judged by sunlight.

UNLEAVENED BREAD OF TRUTH - Gk. = not to lie hidden.

Here in Matthew 16:6 is some more ‘leaven’ . . .

Matthew 16:6 Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

This leaven equates with the RELIGIOUS INFLUENCES of their day and of our day! Verse 12 of the same scripture includes the leaven of their teachings.

Just how much of the old ‘religious system’ is still in us?

The emphasis of this Feast in our lives = the lordship of Christ within

John 5:19 Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.

(20) For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.

(30) I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

This festival/feast of unleavened bread is a PART OF THE overall PASSOVER FEAST. The Passover Day represents one’s salvation of receiving Jesus as one’s SAVIOUR and the next INSEPARABLE PART is the feast of unleavened bread which declared truly the LORDSHIP of Christ.

Saviour and Lord as Peter declares or Saviour and Lord as here . . . either way, they go together . . . they cannot be separated or postponed from one’s partaking of the Feast of Passover.

“Communion” is a daily walk. As we eat bread naturally, the life in that bread is taken up into our life: feeding on Jesus Christ, the Bread of Life, we take Him in and His life becomes ours’.

Jesus, the bread of Life, is UNleavened . . . untouched by the world, because He overcame the world.

I John 4:15 + I John 5:4,5.

John 6:51-58

I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.

(52) The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?

(53) Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.

(54) Whoso eats my flesh, and drinks my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day.

(55) For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.

(56) He that eats my flesh, and drinks my blood, dwells in me, and I in him.

(57) As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eats me, even he shall live by me.

(58) This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eats of this bread shall live for ever.

In ‘the last supper’ Jesus fulfilled the righteousness of the law and brought in

the new covenant.

Luke 22:1 equates the Feast of Unleavened Bread with the Passover

Luke 22:1 Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the Passover.

The New Covenant has replaced the Old Covenant.

Hebrews 10:9 Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second.

The Lordship of Christ in our lives has an emphasis on UNITY.

1 Cor 10:16 The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? (17) For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.

THE LORD’S BODY IS UNLEAVENED BREAD . . . are we a part of His Body ? not influenced at all by Egypt?

The word ‘communion’ - Gk. KOINONIA = partnership; fellowship; sharer . . . i.e. one who participates with.

1 Cor 11:29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.

THE CHALLENGE

What life are you feeding on ?

When we feed on the ‘unleavened bread of sincerity and truth, we express the ONENESS of the Body of Christ moving in UNITY. The Church at large (us) are not yet walking in obedience to the prayer of Jesus (the ONE loaf/Bread) in John 17:21

That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.

Do we cry out for all the old leaven to be removed ?

How much of your life is Jesus truly LORD over ?

THE FESTIVAL . . . THE SHEAF OF BARLEY FIRSTFRUITS

Leviticus 23:9-12

(9) And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

(10) Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest:

(11) And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it.

(12) And ye shall offer that day when ye wave the sheaf, an he lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt offering unto the LORD.

Being as this is a part of the Passover Feast in the third month of the year, then the harvest about to be brought in would be BARLEY. The Priest would go out into the fields of grain to see if the crop was ready to be harvested. If it was or almost ready, he would take a sheaf (very large handful) and come and wave it before the Lord. The people when they saw the first-fruits being waved, they knew that they could make arrangements to bring in their personal harvest . . . the rest of the harvest.

If the priest did not wave any first-fruits, then they would know that they would have to wait another month before harvesting the barley crop. That year would then have another month added into it.

The first picture that this WAVING OF THE SHEAF OF FIRST-FRUITS equals is the resurrection of Jesus as the FIRST-FRUITS (First-born) of a new Harvest in RESURRECTION. The sheaf of first-fruits was the evidence and guarantee that the rest of the harvest would follow.

JESUS WAS THE FIRSTFRUITS TO RISE FROM THE DEAD

. . . AND it shows that there are more to come as the harvest of Himself is gathered in. Remember that He was called THE SEED. Jesus tasted death for each one of us . . . that we might also follow Him even in this overcoming death. IT WAS A SHEAF . . . made up of many ripe stalks etc. showing the corporateness of Christ’s Body.

1 Cor 15:20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. (23) But every man in his own order: Christ the first-fruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.

When the barley Sheaf is ready for harvest, it is GOLD in colour. Gold speaks of the nature of God.

There is a principle of ‘DYING TO LIVE’. John 12:24

Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat (seed of kernel) fall into the ground and die, it abides alone: but if it die, it brings forth much fruit.

The ‘corn of wheat’ was JESUS. . . i.e. He was the Seed (I Peter 1:23). Every seed brings forth after its kind.

II Corinthians 3:18

Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.

The Sheaf of First-fruits was instituted by God for Israel as they walked towards the Promised Land. Jesus fulfilled this type, pattern or template. As the sheaf was waved before the Lord to release the harvest, so was Jesus shown upon the earth after He rose from the dead. Therefore we know that there will follow a harvest of Barley-Firstfruits who experience the gold mature, ready to harvest, firstfruits of Himself . . . those who by His grace have been brought into His image. . . and overcome death. There will be a people (within the people of God) who will come to the fullness of Christ first. It is a Sovereign work of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:14).

YOU ARE A PART OF THE HARVEST. . . FIRST-FRUITS, SECOND and so on.

QUESTIONS:

1. Explain Deuteronomy 16:16 as it touches your life and the life of the Church.

2. How do you apply the seven foundations of ‘Passover’ to your walk ?

3. What does ‘the Sheaf of First-fruits’ stand for now ?

4. Saviourhood and Lordship of Christ . . . can they be separated ?

Ray and Sheila Knight
2544 Summit Drive
Blind Bay BC V0E 1H1
Canada