THE SIGNIFICANCE OF JEWISH FESTIVALS
(Part 1 if 3)

Note to the reader: This study is merely a segment of our study titled Breaking Spiritual Strongholds.

Even Webster acknowledges the triune state of man. Trichotomy as found in the 1967 unabridged version is a "division into three parts; specifically, the theological division of human nature into (body, soul, and spirit." Whereas the differentiation between the soul and spirit may seem to be blurry in Old Testament references, New Testament readings show distinct differences between the two. Now if we have been created in the very image of our triune God (Genesis 1:26-27), having three parts (i.e. body, soul, and spirit) (I Thessalonians 5:23), and presuming that God would have had a GOOD reason for choosing to do so, why isn't the trichotomy of man and the reason for it being taught in our churches? Even in the few remaining churches where the trichotomy of man is being taught at all, the extended understanding of its purpose has none the less been lost over a period of time. The early church understood much that we are no longer taught. The full understanding of God's purpose in creating us with a body, a soul, and a spirit MUST be uncovered immediately, as the body of Christ is in immense peril! Today's "church" is caught up in a severe spiritual stronghold which is so powerful that it is strangling the body of Christ, and creating the very apostasy (falling away) we were warned would come about in II Thessalonians 2:3. This stronghold must be broken if God's body of Believers is to understand the essentials of God's total Truth.

Mankind has become so entrenched in the pleasures offered by the world today, that we have developed the "itching ears" syndrome mentioned in II Timothy 4:3, and our ministers are now preaching to our "itching ears". Don't blame our ministers though; they are simply feeding the church the same spiritual pabulum that they were taught in the seminaries. The time of training in Seminary is so intense, the "minister to be" does not have much time to seek God's Word for his own understanding, he must simply digest and regurgitate the teachings he has received by the "powers that be" who will grant him his credentials. Long ago the seminaries seemed to become geared toward creating the "successful church", and thus their goal was to produce "successful ministers". They "tailored" the Word of God being taught to our ministers to say what they knew the people would want to hear, so as to create "successful ministers", and "successful churches". "Perverting the gospel (Galatians 1:7) to turn it into the gospel of the "end days" that our "itching ears" will joyfully receive was not "out of bounds" to achieve their worldly goal of success. They conveniently scrapped any verses and/or passages that did not align with this distorted view of God's Word, and refashioned it to suit their purposes. The various distorted versions of God's Truth have been taught as "gospel" for so long now, that theyare the only one known to most of the body of Christ in this era (seminary instructors, ministers, and parishioners alike), and anything that opposes the "theologically correct" view of the age is considered heretical. Never mind that the widespread teaching of this perverted "gospel" and the apostasy that would result were foretold. (That can always be explained away somehow.) Never mind that the teaching of it was so abhorrent to God that not once, but twice Paul admonished that he who taught it was to be accursed. (Galatians 1:8).

This perversion to the intended meaning of God's Word has created such a stronghold on the "church" today that the body of Christ is entrenched in crisis, but we have been so lulled to sleep by the "Rock-a-bye Baby" lullaby from our church pulpits that we don't see the consequences that lie ahead.

I apologize for what may seem like a harsh attack on the coprorate church. I do realize that they provide a valuable service to mankind. However, the Body of Christ has become so enamoured by these teachings that it fails to see how the church has fallen prey to the seductions of the world, and the shepherds (pastors) have failed to protect their sheep (paritioners) from wolves in sheep's clothing! If I sound a bit caustic in my comments, it is not due to anger, but rather a result of alarm, and it is so worded in attempt to jar the paritioner out of complacency and into awareness!

Those who are trying to awaken the Body of Christ are often jeered as being sensationalists, while Believers continue to stick their heads in the sand, believing what they have been told to believe. The choice is ours; we can continue to be lulled to sleep, or we can wake up and choose to watch. Tremendous consequences will result from this choice (II Thessalonians 5:6 and Revelation 3:3)! The work you are about to read will contest the very foundations of the "gospel" you have been told to believe. I challenge you as a true Berean (Acts 17:10-11) to put aside what you have been taught, and let God's Word do the teaching instead of MAN (Colossians 2:8), and to seek God's Word in attempt to disprove the information found herein. I would ask that you not allow yourself to become antagonistic toward the information that you will read in this work, but rather that you use it to help you approach God's Word with the commitment to truly discern God's Truth, whole Truth, and nothing but the Truth, so help you God!

The trichotomy of man is the very root and core of the essence of the Christian life. When we begin to understand the concept that the early church understood regarding this trichotomy, we see how 100% of God's Word works together, hand in hand. There are no longer any verses and/or passages that don't FIT, and all apparent contradictions vanish. Let's take a look at what they understood that we are no longer taught. Early teachings show us that the spirit was the part of us that relates to eternity.

The body is the outer covering we possess while we are here on this earth. The desires of the flesh are associated with the five senses we acknowledge within the capacity of these earthly bodies. Many of the pleasures of this world are connected with these five senses, and abuse of these pleasures come into play when the desires of the flesh are indulged in unhealthy proportion to God's intent. This can be as simple as overindulgence at the dinner table (Philippians 3:19).

The soul is the portion of our being that determines when such overindulgence will take place. It is the self-will of mankind. God in His sovereignty deemed that man would have a free self-will. He did not want us to be robots, He wanted us to CHOOSE to love and honor Him in obedience. Just as we have connective tissue in our body, the mind and emotions (heart) link the spirit to the soul and also link the soul to the body. The mind and emotions are most often, however, associated with the soul, as our soul tends to indulge impure thoughts and emotions.

Before becoming a Believer, the Holy Spirit prompts us gently from outside our body. His spirit speaks to our spirit, and our mind processes the input we receive. Some who respond to an altar call do so because their mind acknowledges what is heard; they understand that they need a Savior. However, until the self-will of the individual comes to a state of repentance (regretting past sins and choosing to try to walk away from them in the future), the spirit may remain unchanged. The Greek word for "believeth" as found in John 3:16 implies an active form of belief, rather than a mental acknowledgment. (John 1:12) equates this "belief" with "receiving", an active verb which indicates a choice or decision as well as acknowledgment. Only God knows the sincerity of our heart, and He chooses at the point of our sincerity to grant us Salvation unto eternal life with Him. This is the salvation of our spirit. It is without question a free gift of God, and can never be taken from us (John 10:28-29). Works are not a factor (Ephesians 2:8-9). The Holy Spirit then comes to live within us (I Corinthians 3:16), sealing us to the day of redemption (Ephesians 4:30). His Spirit within us helps us to see clearly the changes we need to make to please Him. As we choose to listen to Him, we begin to discern the perimeters of sin, and see the need to remodel our lifestyle. A part of the gift of the Holy Spirit is the power to BECOME the Sons of God (John 1:12). (Note here that we are not AUTOMATICALLY Sons of God!) The power of the sin nature which we had inherited is broken, and we are given the power to align our soul (i.e. our self-will) to the new Spirit within us. Romans 8:12-14 should help us understand that we are no longer under the power of sin, but must still choose not to live by it. It should also alert us to the jarring awareness that there is a penalty of death if we choose to continue to live after the flesh, ignoring the power we now have within us to overcome it. No, this is not a contradiction to the eternal life guaranteed to us when we became a Believer. The eternal life we received then was the salvation of the spirit, which IS eternally secured! Romans 8:12-14 is not referring to the life or death of the spirit, it is referring to the life or death of the soul. What would at first appear to be a contradiction is not a contradiction at all. The spirit and the soul are treated individually.

We find that God uses the triad consistently in His Word, and once the concept is realized, the links are unmistakably vivid. We have body, soul, and spirit; we have the Holy Spirit, Yeshua the Son, and God the Father; and we have the Present Kingdom, the Millenial Kingdom, and the Eternal Kingdom. Let us begin by comprehending the basics of some triads in God's Word. The body relates to the Holy Spirit and to the Present Kingdom. The soul relates to Yeshua the Son and the Millenial Kingdom. The spirit relates to the Father and the Eternal kingdom (the Kingdom that ushers us into eternity). As the triad nature of the pattern of God is unraveled, the picture becomes very clear.

We are now in the Present Kingdom of God (Luke 17:21). The kingdom of God in this present world is within the Believer when we keep the Holy Spirit on the "Throne" of our heart. This present world is related to the body. The five senses of the human body interact with the world we now live in, and it is during our time in this Present Kingdom that we as Believers are to CHOOSE to bring our bodies under the control of the Holy Spirit within us. This is done by bending our self-will to allow the Holy Spirit to guide and rule in our lives. As we choose to do so, we utilize the power He gives us to achieve the submission He desires of us. We are told that if we love God, we will keep His commandments (John 14:15). This requires our commitment and diligence, and is the first step toward gaining control over the body in this Kingdom age. As we first begin to bring our bodies under the Holy Spirit's control, we find that it is easier to relate to God, and that our self-will becomes more easily adjusted by Him. As we persist in this diligence God will continually provide challenges in order to build our stamina, and help us grow in strength. Test upon test of our willingness to allow the Holy Spirit to reign in our lives will bring us to a point where our self-will will be broken, and we will no longer even desire to have our own way, we will understand that God's will for us is perfect for us, and will want His will for our lives at all cost. This is where the Millennial Kingdom comes into play. Just as today's "church" has stopped teaching us to differentiate between spirit and soul, it has stopped teaching us to differentiate between the Millennial and the Eternal Kingdoms. They also are entirely separate and have different functions and purposes.

I Samuel 16:7 tells us that the Lord doesn't consider the outward appearance as does man, but that He looks upon the heart. We are we to understand that when He returns for us and we face the Bema Judgment seat He will look upon the heart to see whether we have allowed our soul to come under the submission of the Holy Spirit. As we proceed, we will see that entrance to the Millennial Kingdom itself is a reward for the submission of the soul. The two alternatives to the entrance of the Millennial Kingdom for a Believer will be discussed later. Bear in mind now, that our entrance to or denial of entrance to this 1,000 year Millennial Kingdom has nothing whatsoever to do with the eternal security of our spirit in the Father's Kingdom. Again it must be stressed that these two kingdoms are entirely separate with different functions and purposes. Whereas the present kingdom is the testing ground for our submission of the body through the breaking of the self-will, we find that entrance to the Millennial Kingdom is the reward for achieving this goal.

As the Present Kingdom relates to the trials of the body, and the Millennial Kingdom relates to the Reward for the proper alignment of the soul, so the Father's Kingdom relates to the spirit. We must realize that God the Father sees things differently than we do, for His thoughts and His ways are higher than ours (Isaiah 55:9). He is omniscient, i.e. He knows everything from eternity past throughout eternity future. When we become Believers, He sees our spirit from that time forth as the finished product we will become. Thus, He sees us in respect to what the "church" today refers to as "positional righteousness". It is ESSENTIAL that we note here that His view of us regarding "positional righteousness" is BECAUSE He is seeing the END PRODUCT. We are sealed to the day of redemption (which occurs just prior to entrance of the Eternal Kingdom), thus He sees that at this point in time we WILL exhibit the RIGHTEOUSNESS OF CHRIST! The process wherein we become purified (sanctified) unto God (and thus exhibit the Righteousness of Christ) WILL be completed. It is ORDAINED BY GOD upon our initial belief unto eternal salvation, and thus WILL be accomplished!!! We are given a chance to complete that process while we are in this Present Kingdom, but if we fail to do so, the process will be completed FOR US by GOD during the Millennial Kingdom. This will be discussed more later. After being sanctified, we stand fit in the Righteousness of Christ our Savior to enter the Father's Eternal Kingdom. This occurs after the White Throne Judgment, and is recorded in I Corinthian 15:24-28. It is this end that we long for, this home not made by hands, and life eternally with our God.

It is this gift that we were given when we initially believed unto the salvation of our spirit, and Praise the Lord, He is faithful. Every last sheep of the fold of Believers will eventually enter into Eternal Kingdom of the Father, receiving his inheritance as a child of the Living God.

It is often said that the New Testament is in the Old concealed, and the Old Testament is in the New revealed. One would think that this would point to the importance of seeking out the significances of the Old Testament that were revealed in the New and the shadowing of the New Testament in the Old. Again, however, the "church" does not know how to deal with the Shadowing found in the Old Testament because it points to things that don't align with the "theological" groove that has been developed. Therefore, they simply ignore it. The Old Testament is rarely taught today unless the minister wants to use a particular reference to highlight point he is trying to make. In Matthew 5:17 Yeshua tells us that He did not come to destroy the Law, but to fulfill it. No, we don't make sacrifices today; Yeshua was the "once and for all" sacrifice. But should we be honoring the Lord by observing to some degree the feasts of the Old Testament? They had a purpose. If we had continued to observe them throughout time, we would understand the significance they hold for us. Twenty-seven times in the New Testament the word mystery/(ies) is used. It should be clear to even the most novice of Believers that there is much depth to the Word of God, and that a mere superficial viewing of it will not reveal all that He intends for us to know. Again, this more in-depth understanding is what the "church" should be helping us to find, but they aren't using it. Isaiah 28:9-10 indicates that doctrine is to be built precept upon precept, but rarely is that approach to Scriptural interpretation used today. A fluent understanding of Greek and Hebrew would be very helpful in this respect, but there are some wonderful reference guides on the market today that can help any Believer understand some of the most basic Hebrew and Greek words. For the Greek of the New Testament, the Textus Receptus or "Received Text" is highly recommended. Researching the original Old Testament Hebrew in the Masoretic Text is especially helpful, because there are often multiple meanings for the same word, and so often more than one meaning applies to a word in the Hebrew text, whereas in the English text of our Bible, only one word can be used, and the additional meanings that we need to know are not shown. For instance, the Hebrew word for "feasts" (or festivals) is "mowed" and does not just mean feast. Although it DOES mean feast (and there is nothing wrong with that translation in the context of the texts where it is found), it is very important to understand that it also carries the connotation of an "appointed time"; a "sign"; a "season". The Hebrew word for "holy convocation" is "miqra'" which also means a "rehearsal". The Feasts (festivals) of the Old Testament are also often referred to as Holy Convocations, so this meaning would apply as well. This is tremendously important to the knowledge of the Believer in these end days. We NEED to understand the "typology" of these feasts in order to see where we are in the prophetic time table of God's plan for creation. Yeshua repeatedly told us to watch in the New Testament, and He chided the Pharisees in Matthew 16:23 for being unable to discern the signs of the times. Yet, we cannot effectively "watch" or understand the implications of the signs of the times unless we have some knowledge of the Lord's Feasts (Festivals) of the Old Testament.

The following will be a VERY brief overview of the Biblical Festivals. The key passages where Pesach (Passover) can be found would be Exodus 12:1-14, Exodus 34:25, Leviticus 23:5, Numbers 9:2-14, Numbers 28:16, and Deuteronomy 16:18. The symbolism in this festival is so tremendous! When the Hebrew nation was in Egypt, the Lord miraculously enabled Moses to bring about a series of ten plagues in order to convince Pharaoh to let them go to worship. The last and decisive plague was the killing of the first-born of every living thing that did not have the mark of salvation in order to be spared. This mark of salvation was to be blood on the two side posts and the upper door post of the home. The blood was to be of a sacrificial lamb, perfect, without blemish). The Lord killed all of the firstborn men and beasts that night, unless the home was marked by the blood of the sacrificial lamb. The Old Testament instructs the Lord's people to celebrate the Passover each year on Nisan 14. The Hebrew calendar fluctuates greatly when compared to our own, but the Hebrew month of Nisan is in the vicinity of March or April on the Gregorian calendar. The Hebrew people perform many rituals during the Passover that they do not understand because they do not acknowledge Yeshua as Messiah, but they were instructed to perform them so one day they would understand, and to this very day, they still do perform them. Some portions of these rituals are so rich in symbolism that they bear mentioning here.

We can easily see from the actual Passover as related above that the perfect sacrificial lamb (represents Yeshua who came to die for our sins, and if we have the blood of Christ upon all of the door posts of our heart, the death sentence for our sins is bypassed. This symbolism is expanded upon in great detail as the meal progresses. Throughout the Passover meal, it is the father that performs all of the duties except for the lighting of the menorah (candles). The woman of the house does this. (It was woman rather than man who gave birth to Yeshua who was the "light" of the world.) She lights them from right to left just as the Hebrew text is read. (Yeshua was also the "WORD" in the flesh per John 1:14.) Four cups of wine (for reasons too numerous to mention, nonalcoholic wine is advised) are served to each participant throughout the course of the meal. (We will see the symbolism of each cup later.) A full place setting and a cup of wine is set at the table for Elijah in hopes that he will grace their table before the end of the Passover. They know he was taken to heaven in a fiery chariot, and are told that he will return just before the Messiah comes. (Indeed he may be one of the two witnesses to return prior to Christ in Revelation 11:3). During the Passover feast, three pieces of matzo are used. These matzos are a cracker style of bread with no leaven, which are now typically made of flour. In some Jewish cultures, however, the original barley matzos are used. Matzos are striped and pierced, due to the baking process. Each of the three pieces of matzo are tucked into a separate compartment of a bag called a unity bag which has three sections. It is then closed and reopened. The center piece of matzo is removed, broken, and one part is wrapped in a linen napkin. It is called the Afikomon, and is hidden away by the father of the house when the children aren't watching. At the end of the meal, the children search the house for the Afikomon. The one who finds it is promised a special gift by the Father. After the Afikomon is found, it is broken into pieces, and a small piece is eaten by everyone present along with the third cup of wine. Now lets take a closer look at the Matzos.

There were three pieces (representing the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit), which were in a bag together, but each in individual compartments (representing the heavenly home of out triune God). The center one (the Son) was taken out (sent from heaven to earth), and broken (Yeshua was broken for our sins). The matzo is unleavened, striped, and pierced . (Leaven represents sin due to its rising and puffing up, thus unleavened represents the sinless or perfect and unblemished state of Yeshua, who was striped by Roman whips, and pierced by the Centurian's spear). It was wrapped in a linen cloth (He was wrapped in linen after He was taken off the cross) and was hidden away (He was buried). The children search for it (we are to search to find Yeshua), and the one who finds it is promised a special gift by the Father (the one who finds Yeshua receives the gift of eternal life from the Father). The Afikomon is eaten and the cup is taken as in communion, symbolizing that indeed the Afikomon represents the body of Yeshua and the wine, His blood. Though this same ritual is repeated year after year, the significance is not seen by those who participate. The focus of the Passover to the Hebrew people is still in reference to their escape from Egypt.

HaMatzot (Unleavened Bread) is found in Exodus 12:15-20, Exodus13:6-7, Exodus34:18, Leviticus 23:6-8, Numbers 28:17-25, and Deuteronomy 16:3-8. It is usually blended together with Passover as it follows immediately after on the next day (Nisan 15), and lasts for seven days. The symbolism of the bread without leaven has already been covered under Passover. However, there is a broader spiritual significance here as well. The day before Passover, the woman of the house is to thoroughly clean the home in preparation for this week, removing any sign or crumb of leaven from the home, and even the property! For this entire seven days, no leaven is to be consumed (or even present) or that one will be cut off from being among God's chosen ones. Now in the early church they realized that there was eternity past and eternity future, but between the two was a space called "TIME" that was to consist of 7,000 years. It was to correspond precisely with the creation of the earth in seven days as related in Genesis, using the 1,000 years being equal to 1 day key given to us in II Peter 3:8. (Though we were warned NOT TO BE IGNORANT OF THAT KEY, and it is clearly linked to the end of time, many Believers today still don't see it). His chosen ones were not to partake of leaven (sin) during that seven days (7,000 = years called TIME), or they would be cut off as His chosen ones.

Bikurim (First Fruits) is found in Exodus 34:19-20, and Leviticus 23:10-14. Many Jews interpret "the morrow after the Sabbath" in Leviticus 23 to mean that Bikurim would always fall on a Sunday (the day after the weekly Sabbath). However, Feast days were also considered to be annual days of Sabbath, so many Jews believe Bikurim is always to be celebrated the second day of Unleavened Bread (Nisan 16). For no apparent reason related to Jewish tradition many Jews now celebrate First Fruits on Nisan 17. This is of interest when related to the resurrection of Yeshua.

Weekly vs. annual Sabbaths has also caused endless confusion to the Believer in reference to the resurrection of Christ. It is now understood that the Sabbath in Luke 23:54 and the other gospel accounts was not referring to Saturday, but rather the annual Sabbath of Passover. Some Jews celebrated Passover on the traditional day of Nisan 14, but others combined the festival day of Passover with the first day of Unleavened Bread and celebrated it on Nisan 15. The Jewish day begins at sundown, so some Jews were preparing for the Sabbath of Passover for Nisan 15. It now appears that Yeshua actually died for us and was buried just prior to sundown on Passover (Wednesday, Nisan 14). His body was in the ground three days and three nights (Matthew 12:30) (just prior to sundown on Wednesday, Nisan 14 through the approach of sundown on the Sabbath, Saturday Nisan 17.) In reality, the victory of First Fruits was Nisan 17, and the celebration of it was Sunday Nisan 18 when it was found that Yeshua had been raised from the dead. Further, He appeared before Mary Magdalene that Sunday, and He told her not to touch him because He had not yet ascended to the Father (John 20:17). As our High Priest, He still needed to present Himself to the Father with a First Fruits barley offering. He was the only unleavened sacrifice that could possibly be acceptable, but Hebrews 8:3 tells us that as our High Priest, even Yeshua must still present an offering (a First Fruits barley offering). But what would He be able to wave before the Father as an offering? Let's examine for a moment those who were resurrected from the dead in Matthew 27:52-53. This reference indicates that many bodies of the saints which slept arose. According to Holman's Bible Dictionary, the early church considered witnesses who were  martyred for their testimonies to be saints. We know that people were in fear of persecution for believing upon Yeshua during His ministry from verses like John 9:22. We know that Saul (who later became Paul), among many others, actively persecuted (killed) those Jews who viewed Yeshua as Messiah, and we are never told that such persecution was limited to the time AFTER the crucifixion of Yeshua. Revelation 6:9 tells us that the souls of those that are slain for the Word of God, and for the testimony which they held were given white robes to represent purity. Revelation 20:4 again emphasizes that those in the white robes were slain. Revelation 7:14 explains that these robes were washed and made white by the blood of the Lamb. Thus they were made pure in God's eyes through the witness they bore in their death. Though they may not HAVE BEEN pure (without leaven), they were purified in God's eyes when they died for their testimony of Yeshua, and would be fit to wave before God as the First Fruits barley offering. This would have occurred yet that day [the morrow after the weekly Sabbath] just as the Priest was to waive the First Fruits before the Lord on Nisan 18.)

The Feast of First Fruits is the story of the victory of Yeshua over death, but we should also note some unique "quirks of fate" regarding this date of Nisan 17, now observed by most Jews as First Fruits. We find that those spared from death during the flood came to rest on dry ground in the ark on Nisan 17 (Genesis 8:4), and we find that in the days of Esther, the entire Hebrew race in that kingdom was spared form extinction on Nisan 17 (Esther 3:7&12 & 5:1&8). Indeed even the date of the victory to be won by Yeshua over the sentence of death was foreshadowed long before it occurred.

God is so marvelous! He knew that after the fall of man by Adam that we could not walk that path of TIME without sinning (as shadowed in Unleavened Bread), so He provided the way for us to accomplish it. Yeshua not only died for us, He rose from the dead. Through His victory over death, Believers are given His power so we can achieve victory over sin. As we choose to be crucified with Christ (Galatians 2:20), we are raised to new life in this body, so we can live the resurrected life He intends for us to live. Baptism by immersion is symbolic of this very thing, the death and resurrection of Christ, and our commitment as Believers to be figuratively crucified and resurrected in this Present Kingdom to live for Him. Then, we must proceed to fulfill the commitment we made upon our Baptism! However, we must note that He was not just PARTIALLY crucified, so neither are we to be. It is ONLY by choosing to totally put off the old man, and to put on the new (Romans 6:6 & Colossians 3:6-10) that we can live the resurrected life we are expected to live. Again, in order to do this, we must submit to the Holy Spirit, allowing His power to accomplish it through us. As we continue to confess (implying also to turn from) our sins (I John 1:9), He will continue to cleanse us, so we remain spotless before Him.

Because the Jewish people do not acknowledge Yeshua as Messiah, the symbolism of this Feast remains a mystery to them. It is simply seen as the spring barley harvest when they are to gather in the crops, take the First Fruits (the first of the harvest) to the Priest so he can present them to the Lord. (I Corinthians 15:20 tells us that Christ is now risen from the dead, and become the First Fruits of them that slept.) He and those He raised then represent the First Fruits of the barley harvest. The barley was to be cut on Passover, just as Yeshua was cut down upon the cross, and the original matzos were of barley, signifying His body as the First Fruit sacrifice of the barley harvest. The first three Feasts listed above all occur within a matter of days in the month of Nisan, and are considered to be the spring Feasts associated with the spring barley harvest. We will soon see that there are three fall Feasts as well.

Regarding the four of the seven major Feasts which we have yet to look at (Shavuot, Rosh HaShannah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot) the objective of this overview will simply be to familiarize the Believer with the facts and traditions surrounding the Feasts. The amazing significances of each will emerge later as we discuss them in view of the present and future of the "church" era. Shavuot (Pentecost) is found in Exodus 34:22, Leviticus 23:15-22, Numbers 28:26-31, and Deuteronomy 16:9-12. Though Shavuot is often associated with the spring feasts, it actually occurs part-way between spring and fall in the month of Sivan on the Hebrew calendar (May or June on ours). It is often referred to as the Feast of Weeks. Shavuot is to be the day after the completion of seven weeks (or exactly 50 days) from the giving of the omer of the barley harvest to the Priest. (The omer can be a "measure", but is also simply "First Fruits"). This period of 50 days is referred to as the counting of the omer (or thus could be called the "counting of the First Fruits"). It is often thought of as the end of the Passover Festival. The counting of the omer serves as the 50-link chain that connects the two together. The date Shavuot is celebrated is dependent upon whether the Sabbath (on which the counting is to begin) is considered to be the weekly or the annual Sabbath (among other factors). Accordingly, there are various dates used to honor Shavuot. However, since many Jews present the barley First Fruits to the Priest on the second day of the Unleavened Bread (Nisan 16), the counting is usually said to begin on that day, thus Shavuot is normally acknowledge to be Sivan 6.

This harvest Festival goes by other names as well. It is called Chag Hashavout (Festival of First Fruits) and Chag Habikurim (Harvest Festival). It is also referred to as the "Wheat Harvest", but in reality, only the First Fruits of the wheat are harvested at Shavuot and the harvest will continue to ripen until the ingathering of the wheat harvest about the time of Rosh HaShannah. The First Fruits of the wheat harvest are gathered now and given to the Priest. He is to use them to offer a "meat" (significance of this terminology will be discussed later) or "meal" offering to the Lord. He was to make two loaves from very finely ground flour from the First Fruits of the wheat crop and bake them WITH leaven, then wave them before the Lord. The entire second chapter of Leviticus is about the meat offerings. The flour is to be mingled with or anointed with oil and baked, then frankincense was to be put upon them. It was expressly stated that no meat offering was to be made with leaven until Leviticus 23:17 when a new type of meat offering was specified that WAS to be made with leaven. (Therefore, the First Fruits meat offering of Bikurim WAS NOT to have leaven, but the new First Fruits offering for Shavuot WAS to have leaven.) Thus the counting of the omer or First Fruit is to link the First Fruit offering of Passover (the barley) to the First Fruit offering of Shavuot (the wheat). The Talmud refers to Shavuot only as Atzeret which means "assembly". It is also associated with the confirmation of loyalty. The Jewish people confirm their thirteen to sixteen year old sons and daughters on this day. The Book of Ruth is read on Shavuot, homes and synagogues are decorated with green foliage, and the most spectacular promenade (parade) of the year occurs in the streets after the midday meal, with everyone in festive attire. In the late afternoon, the celebrants pour pitchers of water on one another, disregarding their festive clothing. Many people stay up all night on Shavuot, (as though waiting for something). This tradition is called Tikkun Shavuot, and means "preparing (perfecting oneself) for Shavuot". There is an emphasis on holiness, reading Scripture, and prayer.

The giving of the Law at Mount Sinai is seen as the marriage of the Hebrew people to God. They are thereafter referred to as the wife of God. Exodus 19:1 states that it was the third month and the third day when they came to Sinai. Now they were to prepare for three days to go meet the Lord,  which would make this mountain experience occurring on Sivan 6, or Shavuot. During this three day period, they were to wash their clothing and to abstain even from marital sexual activity so they would be "ready" against the third day. The voice of the trumpet sounded long to announce His arrival, then God spoke to Moses and came down to the mount at the "appointed time". Historical sources other than the Bible will verify that the giving of the Law to Moses on Mount Sinai occurred exactly 50 days after the crossing of the Red Sea on Shavuot. The Law was given to the Hebrew people to direct them. The body of Believers likewise received their source of guidance on Shavuot exactly 50 days after the resurrection of Yeshua, when the Holy Spirit was poured out upon them (Acts 2:17). This was the date know as the "birth" of the "church".

Historical documentation shows that King David, (a man after the heart of God, per (I Samuel 13:14) was born on and died on the same date. By a "quirk of fate" it happens that it was Sivan 6. Now we know from Biblical account in Genesis 5:24 that "Enoch walked with God: and "he was not; for God took him". By another "quirk of fate" historical documentation also places his birth and the time of being "taken" on the same date, i.e. Sivan 6. The first of the three great trumpets is blown at this Feast. The blowing of the trumpet can signify a number of things, such as to declare war, to confuse and intimidate the enemy, to gather the people for a proclamation, and to petition God not to forget His chosen people. On Shavuot, the shofar that is blown is from the left horn of the ram, and is called the "first trump".

Rosh HaShannah or Yom Teruah is often called the Feast of Trumpets and is found in Exodus 23:24-25, and Numbers 29:16. It is the only Biblical Festival that falls on the new moon on the first day of the month. Until recently, the exact day of the celebration was never known in advance, but was determined when the decree was issued that the new moon had been observed. Due to the slow communication process, many were notified late, and their festivities did not begin on time. Thus many people began to celebrate for two days in order to be sure not to miss any of the festivities. It is said that when Yeshua said nobody would know the day or hour He may have been referring (parable fashion) to Rosh HaShannah, since virtually all events of significance occurred on Feast days, and Rosh HaShannah was the only such day that nobody could anticipate in advance. Psalm 47 is read seven times throughout the day, which speaks of the shout, the trump, and being caught up. Though some still celebrate Rosh HaShannah on two days, our calendars are now more scientifically predictable, and most celebrate only on Tishri 1.

This is the first of the fall harvest (fruit harvest) Festivals, and begins the High Holy Days when God is honored as creator of the universe. The new year is celebrated on Rosh HaShannah, but it is a time of mixed feelings for the Jewish people. The festive air is broken with the somber realization that it is also a day of judgment (Yom HaDin). At this time it is said that three books are opened, and that everyone's name is found in one of the three books. One book lists those who have been judged to be righteous or good (thus approved), another lists those who have been judged to be wicked or bad (thus condemned), and the third indicates those who are considered to be neither very good nor very bad. Judgment for these "line-walkers" is to be deferred for ten more days, giving them this grace period to prepare for the final verdict. This ten day period is called "Teshuvah" the (Days of Awe). The last seven days of this period (after the Fast of Gedalia on Tishri 3) are spent in seclusion and affliction (Days of Affliction). Tishri 1 is a day of holy convocation, and its morning services are several hours long, stressing the idea of "returning to God", with an emphasis on spirituality and holiness. Even the preceding month is a prelude to the Days of Awe. The trumpet is blown each day of the month of Elul with the exception of the last day when there is silence. The sound of the trumpet each day is a reminder to repent and begin to draw nearer to God. Rosh HaShannah is festive yet somber as they look forward to the new year, but diligently search their lives to see if they need to make any moral adjustments. Many abstain from a particular fruit until Tishri 2 so they can eat it for the first time that year at the appropriate Festival meal. The trumpet (shofar) is blown 100 times throughout the day on Tishri 1, at which time the "last trump" is sounded. It is blown on the shofar made from the right horn of the ram.

Yom Kippur is found in Leviticus 16:1-34, Leviticus 23:25-32, and Numbers 29:7-11. It is observed on Tishri 10, and is the most sacred day of the year for Jews, a day of prayer and fasting. In spite of the Biblical mandate to acknowledge Yom Kippur on Tishri 10, there is evidence that it may for a time have been observed on Tishri 1. For many years, the monthly configuration of the calendar seems to have been slightly different, and it appears that the Days of Awe may have been tacked onto the end of Elul as a part of the adjustments to complete the calendar year, thus the observance of Yom Kippur was then celebrated on Tishri 1 and acknowledged as the New Year. Then calendar alterations made it possible to Make Tishri 1 a separate festival (Rosh HaShannah) and put Yom Kippur on Tishri 10 (where the Bible says it SHOULD be) so the people would feel the freedom to celebrate the New Year more joyfully on Tishri 1.

Another term for this most sacred day is "face to face". The temple contained a chamber called the Holy of Holies, into which only the High Priest could ever enter, and even he could only enter it one day a year, i.e. Yom Kippur. He practiced the intricate patterning of the rituals of Yom Kippur for the seven days prior to Tishri 10 so there would be no error during their implementation. If he was found to be inadequate for the job through sin or blemish, he was to be replaced, therefore an understudy also rehearsed these rituals. The high Priest wore bells when he entered the Holy of Holies so the people could be reassured that he was still alive while he performed the sacred rituals, because while in the Holy of Holies he was considered to be in the very presence of God and could be slain if he was found to be unworthy. The Priest had to wash himself at intervals, and performed much of the ritual dressed in pure white linen, only rarely appearing in the golden and elaborate vestments of the traditional Priesthood roles. The rituals performed on this day were to make atonement for the year for the nation of Israel. Three times he would make confession, and enter the Holy of Holies on this day, and each time the people would prostrate themselves and exclaim praises to God. The sacrifices included a young bull and two goats. The bull was to be slain to make atonement for the high priest and his household, (including the house of Levi, i.e. the other priests), and the blood is sprinkled upon the veil of the Temple and the mercy seat. The two rams were to make atonement for the congregation of the people of Israel. These rams had to be virtually identical and of equal value.

Two lots (one saying "La Adonai" which means "to the Lord", and one saying "La Azazel" which means "to the scapegoat" or Satan) were presented to the High Priest. He was to draw one in each hand, and thus assign the destiny to each of the two goats. It was considered a favorable omen for Israel if the "La Adonai" lot was drawn in the right hand. A red ribbon was tied to the horn of the goat "to Azazel" in order to tell one from the other. The goat "to Adonai" is slain, and the blood was likewise sprinkled upon the veil of the Temple and the mercy seat. The blood of the bull was then mixed with the blood of the goat, and sprinkled on the golden incense altar and poured on the cornerstone of the great altar.