Leviticus – Page 3 – The Superior Word

Leviticus 23:33-44 (The Feasts of the Lord, Tabernacles)

Charlie Garrett Leviticus, Leviticus (written), Old Testament, Sermons, Torah, Torah (written) Sunday, January 28th, 2018Sunday, January 28th, 2018 0 Comment

Leviticus 23:33-44
The Feasts of the Lord
Tabernacles

The most common thing for me on Sunday night, and then again as I rise on Monday morning, is to wonder if I will be able to complete a sermon that is worthy of the day I must put into it, of the ears that must eventually hear it, and of the God whose word I am trying to explain to others. I am always unsure if what I hope for will come about, and it is almost scary to open up the Bible, the 10 or so references I start with, and then put my hands on the keyboard to start typing.

I so desperately want there to be something interesting, edifying, and yes, new, to present. It is no joy at all to repeat something that someone else may have presented. And it is always a delight, when I type, to come across something, or some things, that I am pretty sure have never been presented the same way before – at least not that I know of.

The Feast of Tabernacles is one of the fall feasts. As I’ve said before, lots of people want to claim that there is a future fulfillment in these fall feasts for the nation of Israel. This is incorrect in as far as the feasts are fulfilled – completely and in their entirety – in Christ Jesus. The only future fulfillment is anytime someone realizes that He is who the Bible proclaims, and they receive Him for who He is. There are things that lie ahead for us that also may be a part of these feasts, but they are only so much so as they are guaranteed because of what has been done by Him already.

We are waiting to be glorified, but according to Paul, in God’s mind that is already done because of Jesus’ work. We will just catch up to what is already accomplished. Such is the case with these fall feasts. Understanding this already, I came at today’s verses expecting one thing, and yet I realized they mean something entirely different than what I had expected. That is why we are to always put our presuppositions aside when looking at Scripture. Otherwise, everything presented here would have been a repeat of what has already been said. Thank goodness the sheet is blank in my head when I get going.

Text Verse: “So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, ¹⁷which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.” Colossians 2:16, 17

What a surprising word we have. While going through these verses, and studying them word by word, marvelous patterns of what is said here kept coming up from Paul’s hand in the New Testament. I doubt if it was intentional, but his training as a Pharisee meant that he was fully versed in the Old Testament. As he wrote, he probably just put down in ink what was already stored up in his mind.

At the same time, the Holy Spirit was influencing him to draw out those wonderful things, and to bring them out into an epistle to this group of people, and another to that group of people. Eventually, everything that needed to be said in order to reveal Christ Jesus had come out. And there it sits, waiting for people to sit down and study and make the necessary connections.

What a marvel! What a gift we have in the pages of the Bible. It is the mind of God, revealed in letters and words through the hand of chosen men. It’s a hard thing to grasp, but things that pop up from the most obscure of words suddenly form patterns and pictures which simply cannot be random. We’ll see some of those today. Great stuff lies ahead, and it is all to be found in His superior word. And so let’s turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. Tabernacles (verses 33-44)

³³Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

The words initiate a new sequence of thought, and thus what lies ahead is separate from what has thus far been presented. In other words, as a feast will be next named, we know that it is one which is separate from the others. It is not conjoined to another such as was the case with the Firstfruits and Weeks.

³⁴“Speak to the children of Israel, saying:

The words are to be conveyed to all of the people. This final Feast of the Lord is to be observed by all to the Lord, and so Moses is directed to speak to the people concerning it. The Lord, as their Sovereign, is now mandating this final annual feast be on…

³⁴^(con’t)‘The fifteenth day of this seventh month

This is the third designated feast in the seventh month of the year. Again, this is based on the redemption calendar. Thus, this is the same as the first month of the year in the creation calendar. But because the feasts signify the redemptive acts of the Lord, the calendar used is that which begins in the springtime, not the fall. The commencement date is set at the fifteenth of the month of Ethanim, later known as Tishri. This, like Unleavened Bread, commences at the time of the full moon and lasts a week.

^{34 (con’t)}shall be the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days to the Lord.

Here the word khag, or “Feast” is used for only the second time in the chapter. The first was in verse 6 when naming the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Now this particular word is used again for the second, seven day feast, Tabernacles. The word khag comes from khagag, which in turn, indicates “to move in a circle” or specifically “to march in a sacred procession.” From there you have the implication of being giddy; to celebrate, dance, and feast. It is to be a time of worship, celebration, and sacrifice. It is a pilgrim feast. Later in Scripture, the Feast of Weeks will also be noted as a part of a khag, or pilgrim feast, as well.

The term here is khag ha’sukkoth, or “Feast, the tabernacles.” The word sukkah, or tabernacle, signifies a shelter. It is variously translated as tent, tabernacle, cottage, lair, booth +etc. It comes from sok, which carries much the same meaning. Twice in the psalms, the word is used to speak of the tabernacle of the Lord. And finally, sok comes from sakak which signifies “to weave together.” That word hints to us what this feast is pointing to. It is used in Psalm 139 when speaking of the weaving together of the human form –

“For You formed my inward parts;
You wove me in my mother’s womb.
¹⁴I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Wonderful are Your works,
And my soul knows it very well.” Psalm 139:13, 14 (NASB)

As a point of reference for understanding the fulfillment of this feast, the Greek Old Testament uses the word skenon for “tabernacles.” It means “tent” or “tabernacle” as well. This feast is also detailed and reviewed in Numbers 29 and Deuteronomy 16. Deuteronomy 31 adds in a specific requirement to this feast which is well worth citing –

And Moses commanded them, saying: “At the end of every seven years, at the appointed time in the year of release, at the Feast of Tabernacles, ¹¹when all Israel comes to appear before the Lord your God in the place which He chooses, you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing. ¹²Gather the people together, men and women and little ones, and the stranger who is within your gates, that they may hear and that they may learn to fear the Lord your God and carefully observe all the words of this law, ¹³and that their children, who have not known it, may hear and learn to fear the Lord your God as long as you live in the land which you cross the Jordan to possess.” Deuteronomy 31:10-13

It is hard to imagine that the people were read the law only once every seven years. If one were to ever consider a famine in the land, that would be it to me. Nehemiah 8:18 notes that this requirement was accomplished by the people after their return from exile to Babylon –

“Also day by day, from the first day until the last day, he read from the Book of the Law of God. And they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day there was a sacred assembly, according to the prescribed manner.”

Not having read the law during this feast, if the feast was held at all, was certainly the standard. And it is for a lack of knowledge of the law that the people suffered the shame of punishment and exile. This is certain to be true, because In 2 Kings 22, the Book of the Law was “found” in the house of the Lord by the high priest Hilkiah. It had been completely forgotten, and thus its precepts were wholly unknown to king, priest, and commoner alike.

³⁵On the first day there shall be a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work on it.

miqra qodesh – “convocation holy.” Like the other holy convocations, it signifies a day on which no regular, servile work was to be done. Meals could be prepared, and so it is not a Sabbath.

³⁶For seven days you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord.

The required offerings are listed in Numbers 29:13-39.

³⁶^(con’t)On the eighth day you shall have a holy convocation, and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord.

In the feast of Unleavened Bread, there were seven days, the first and the seventh were holy convocations. In this feast, there are seven days, the first being a holy convocation, and then an added eighth day is also a miqra qodesh, or holy convocation. However, because the Passover is tied to Unleavened Bread, they are both actually eight days in duration.

³⁶^(con’t)It is a sacred assembly, and you shall do no customary work on it.

Here, a new word is brought into Scripture, atsereth, or sacred assembly. The word comes from atsar which signifies to shut, restrain, etc. Some scholars say that this eighth day doesn’t specifically belong to the feast, but it is rather the solemn close of the whole circle of yearly feasts, and so it is appended to the feast. This isn’t wholly correct. It is recorded as an ending portion of the feast in Nehemiah 8:18, 2 Chronicles 7:9, and John says the following about this eighth day of the feast –

On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. ³⁸He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” John 7:37, 38

It both belongs as an addendum to the feast, and it also closes out the festal year of Israel. From there, the people would have to wait for the Passover until this set cycle would begin again. Later however, the Feast of Purim would be added at the time of the exile recorded in Esther. This would occur in the twelfth month. And then after that the Feast of Dedication, or Hanukkah, was instituted for the ninth month of the year. That occurred during the intertestamental period, but it is recorded in John 10.

³⁷‘These are the feasts of the Lord which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations,

This is a summary of the entire chapter. The feasts are all considered miqrae qodesh, or “convocations holy,” as was first stated in verses 2-4. These feasts then include the Sabbath, the Passover and Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Firstfruits, the Feast of Weeks, the Feast of Acclamation, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles.

^{37 (con’t)}to offer an offering made by fire to the Lord, a burnt offering and a grain offering, a sacrifice and drink offerings, everything on its day—

Exodus 29 details the daily offerings to be made, every day of the year. Along with those, the feasts had their own offerings added onto the daily offerings. These are recorded in Numbers 28 & 29. The “sacrifice” mentioned along with the burnt and grain offerings would be the sin-offerings noted there, but which are simply called here “a sacrifice.” The sin-offering being the principle sacrifice necessary to atone for the sins of the people.

³⁸besides the Sabbaths of the Lord, besides your gifts, besides all your vows, and besides all your freewill offerings which you give to the Lord.

The term “besides the Sabbaths of the Lord” is a metonym which speaks of the sacrifices of the Sabbaths. In other words, the required offerings of the feasts did not set aside those required sacrifices. They were to be made in addition to them. The same is true with the people’s gifts, and vow and freewill offerings. Anything which is prescribed or promised for the Lord was to not be set aside just because the feasts had their own offerings.

³⁹‘Also

Like verse 27, the verse begins with the Hebrew word akh, translated here as, “also.” It is often used as a restrictive, or limiting word, translated as “only.” Only Yom Kippur and Tabernacles contain akh. Thus, like it, this is a peculiar feast. As it is a limiting word, one must contemplate what is being set apart.

As this is an addendum to the feast which has already been described, it will be that which sets it apart as unique. It would be that which is then recorded in verse 40. A particular rite is directed for the people which is being given for them to remember the past, but it is also for them to look ahead to the future.

³⁹^(con’t)on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the fruit of the land,

The words here look to the other name of this particular pilgrim feast, ha’asiph, or “The Ingathering.” That name was designated in Exodus 23:16, and it is repeated in Exodus 34:22. It is obvious that the feast is intended to be celebrated in the land of Israel, not during the time of the wilderness wanderings. The people were supposed to go straight into Canaan and take possession. However, their disobedience kept them out of that inheritance for 40 years. During this time, the feast could not be kept as intended.

³⁹^(con’t)you shall keep the feast of the Lord for seven days;

takhogu eth khag Yehovah shivat yamim – “feasting a feast (of) Yehovah seven days.” The idea here is one of great celebration.

³⁹^(con’t)on the first day there shall be a sabbath-rest, and on the eighth day a sabbath-rest.

Both the first and eighth day were previously called “holy convocations,” and it was said of them that no regular work could be done on them. But the preparation of food is not forbidden. Thus, these are not Sabbaths. The word translated here is shabathon. It is used only 11 times in the Bible, all in Exodus and Leviticus, and all but three are conjoined to the word shabath, or “Sabbath.” That then indicates a sabbath of complete rest. Because this is not conjoined with the word Sabbath, it is not a Sabbath per se, but rather simply a rest. Make a note in your Bible.

⁴⁰And you shall take for yourselves on the first day the fruit of beautiful trees,

The word akh, or only, of verse 39 is now defined with the instructions of these words. At the feast’s commencement, the people were to take, as it says, “the fruit of beautiful trees.” The word peri, or fruit, is used, but it seems that the term is defined next, and in Nehemiah 8. Rather than speaking of fruit specifically, the idea is the product of the beautiful trees, and thus its branches, and even branches which may still have fruit on them. The word used to describe the trees is hadar. It is introduced here, and it gives the idea of beauty, majesty, glory, splendor, and so on. Thus, these would be ornamental.

⁴⁰^(con’t)branches of palm trees,

The word “branches” is literally kaph, or “hands.” It is what the appearance of temarim, or palms, looks like. The palm is a symbol of righteousness. Because it stands upright.

⁴⁰^(con’t)the boughs of leafy trees,

The word anaph, or branch, is introduced here. It will be seen just seven times. It comes from a root meaning “to cover,” just as a branch would cover the limbs beneath them. The word, aboth, or leafy, is also new, and it will be seen just four times. It comes from a root meaning to weave or wrap up, and so you get the idea of a branch filled with intertwining leaves.

⁴⁰^(con’t)and willows of the brook;

The arav, or willow is also new. It comes from the word arav, which means “pledge” or “surety.” That is connected to the word aravon, or pledge which is found 3 times in Genesis 38, and three times in the New Testament. Though Hebrew, it is transliterated directly into the Greek there in the NT. The word brook is nakhal. That comes from the verb nakhal which indicates to take possession, or inherit. And that in turn comes from nakhalah, or inheritance. These particular branches are specified here and not others. In Nehemiah 8:15, others are mentioned by name, but for now, the Lord is having us focus on these.

⁴⁰^(con’t)and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days.

The feast is a seven-day feast of rejoicing, as it says, liphne Yehovah elohekem, or “in the face of Yehovah your God.”

⁴¹You shall keep it as a feast to the Lord for seven days in the year.

v’khagotem otow khag l’Yehovah shivat yamim ba’shanah – “and feasting it a feast to Yehovah seven days in the year.” The year is that which contains the cycle of redemption. Seven is the number of spiritual perfection.

⁴¹^(con’t)It shall be a statute forever in your generations.

The words khuqat olam l’dorotekem, or “statute forever in your generations,” indicate to the vanishing point. Israel was to observe this feast forever, until it reached its fulfillment in Christ. What was mere shadow, is now substance in Him.

⁴¹^(con’t)You shall celebrate it in the seventh month.

The fifteenth of the seventh month is exactly six months after the beginning of the Feast of Unleavened bread. Thus, there is this marvelous pattern of the two feasts beginning on the day of the full moon, and lasting seven days – exactly one half a year apart from one another.

⁴²You shall dwell in booths for seven days.

The dwelling in booths was for only seven days. The eighth day was the conclusion of the feast, and the booths were no longer used. In other words, the rejoicing in the temporary booths was in anticipation of the day when they would be removed from them into their permanent dwellings. The number eight in the Bible always signifies “new beginnings.” It is this day which was anticipated by the people; awaiting their “new beginning.”

⁴²^(con’t)All who are native Israelites shall dwell in booths,

The term ezrakh, or native, comes from the word zarakh, or rise, as in when the sun rises. The meaning is that of one who rises out of Israel. All who rose up from Israel were to dwell in booths. The term, however, is used in Exodus 12:48 when speaking of a stranger dwelling among Israel who participated in circumcision, and then kept the Passover – both of which point Christ’s work.

⁴³that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt:

Every translation says basically the same thing here, and they are all certainly incorrect. It never says anywhere that they dwelt in sukkoth or “tabernacles” when they were brought out of the land of Egypt. Instead, it says in Exodus 12:37 that the Israelite’s were brought out of Egypt and, “Then the children of Israel journeyed from Ramses to Succoth…” This is what they were remembering.

It wasn’t because they dwelt in temporary booths after leaving Egypt. It was because they had left Egypt! Their first stop was Succoth. They were to make booths because they had left Egypt to stay in a place called “Booths,” The verse should read, “… that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel dwell in Sukkoth when I brought them out of the land of Egypt.”

Sukkoth, the name of the location means “Tabernacles.” That day corresponded to the first day of Unleavened Bread, and they passed through the Red Sea on the seventh day of Unleavened Bread. Corresponding to that, is this feast, looking back on that great redemption and deliverance.

⁴³⁽^con’t⁾I am the Lord your God.’”

ani Yehovah elohekem – “I am Yehovah your God.” The Lord proclaims His name and position. In essence, what we are being told with these words is, “I am the self-existent Creator. When you see these things fulfilled by Someone in the future, you will know that it is Me. I am Yehovah your God, come to dwell among you.”

*⁴⁴So Moses declared to the children of Israel the feasts of the Lord.

The word here is moed, and it should be translated as “appointed times” rather than “feasts.” These are the appointed times of the Lord Jesus. Certain things were to occur at appointed times, because they would occur at set times each year, and they would again occur at set times in the future, when He came.

We are here in Your presence, dwelling in temporary tabernacles
And we are rejoicing in all that You have done for us
A fire is inside to warm us as each ember burns and crackles
We are safely secure as we await the Lord Jesus

Oh to dwell in our eternal home; for this we long
May that day be soon, but we will rejoice until then
Hear our praises; hear our joyous song
Coming forth from the lips of Your redeemed among men

Thank You for our great hope, and the peace it does provide
Thank You for the surety we have in Christ Jesus
In His hope we now patiently abide
Anticipating all that He has prepared for each of us

II. Fulfilled in Christ

This feast, like that of Unleavened Bread, points to Christ’s work as it is displayed in us. Unleavened Bread followed the Passover, and it signified our life in Christ; the process of sanctification. That went from the day after the Passover, and it lasted seven days until the passing through of the Red Sea. It pictured our redemption in Christ (Passover – His sacrificial death), and then our life of sanctification until we pass through death, and the rapture (Unleavened Bread), and are then brought into the Lord’s presence.

This feast is a parallel to that. It follows two other feasts in the seventh month. The first was the Day of Acclamation, picturing Christ’s birth where He came to dwell among us. Then came the Day of Atonement where He died among us, becoming our Sacrifice for sin. With our atonement behind us, we have a new life to live, pictured by Sukkoth, or Tabernacles.

The first thing to understand is that this feast is fulfilled for us in the work of Christ. This is made explicit in John 1:14 (YLT) –

“And the Word became flesh, and did tabernacle among us, and we beheld his glory, glory as of an only begotten of a father, full of grace and truth.”

There John uses the word skénoó, or dwelling in a tent. It is from the same word as that of the Greek translation of the Old Testament for “booths,” or “tabernacles” here in Leviticus 23. In other words, Christ came, put on a tent of flesh, and became a Man. What allows us to participate in this Feast of Tabernacles is that Christ first did so.

The seven days of Unleavened Bread pictured us as unleavened before the Father, living out lives purged of sin. The seven days of Tabernacles pictures us, living in temporary booths, or tabernacles before the Father, awaiting our permanent dwelling. It is the same time frame in both feasts – our life after receiving Christ Jesus. The two feasts simply portray two different aspects of this.

Both occur on the fifteenth day of the month, the time of the full moon. Our true life begins as the brightest moment in our life, represented by the brightly lit night which starts the new day. As the moon begins to wane, so our lives in Christ as mortals do as well, but we are not to despair as we approach the darkness.

The first day is a holy convocation, as is the eighth day. The two holy convocations bracket the feast. They stand as representative of the entire period of the feast. Like Unleavened Bread which is tied to the Passover, the feasts both last seven days. But with an additional day added, thus making eight. The last day for both are a new beginning.

The significance of the sukkah, or tabernacle, is tied into our position in Christ. He came and tabernacled among us. Now for those who are in Him, we are positionally new beings in Christ. Paul explains this in 2 Corinthians 5 –

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17

Paul uses this same terminology 4 more times to show us that if we are in Christ, we will be like Christ, and we are thus to live as Christ lived. This is our time of dwelling in Sukkoth – redeemed from spiritual Egypt (Passover), sins atoned for (Day of Atonement), and awaiting our new beginning. The mentioning of the required offerings and sacrifices for each day of the feasts, along with the other sacrifices, offerings, and so on, is to show us that the work of Christ was accomplished for us, but it continues to be effectual for us throughout our life in Christ. There is no lack in our spiritual needs, and our salvation is on-going and eternal.

After that, it again returned to the Feast of Tabernacles, also known as the Feast of Ingathering. As it says, “when you have gathered in the fruit of your land.” This doesn’t necessarily mean that all of the harvest is gathered in, and such was not the case in Israel at this time of year, but is reflective of the gathering in of the harvest of the church from beginning to end. Keep thinking of the church age leading to the rapture.

In Deuteronomy 16:15, it specifically says that they were to observe this feast, “…because the Lord your God will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, so that you surely rejoice.” It was a time of rejoicing because of the blessing of an abundant harvest.” Again, keep thinking of the church age.

The Jews use the term, “Ingathering,” to say that it is representative of the regathering of Israel to the land today. This is wholly incorrect, and it has nothing, zero, zip, nada to do with that. This is a Feast of the Lord, looking to His redemptive work in the church, be it for Jew or Gentile. It is a spiritual harvest, not a physical regathering of Israel. It is the abundance of life in Christ, terminating in our glorification, that is being anticipated here.

Next in verse 39, it said, “on the first day there shall be a sabbath-rest, and on the eighth day a sabbath-rest.” As the first and final days stand as representative of the entire feast, this then teaches us that our rest is in Christ and His work. The entire time of our life in Christ, we are free from working for salvation, because we have been saved.

After noting that, came the directive, that on the first day the people were to take “the fruit of beautiful trees.” They were to select specific named trees which would reflect the hadar, or majesty, of what the Lord would do in, and for, us. The word peri, or fruit, is used to signify the product of these beautiful trees in our lives. Paul explains this several times, but Philippians 1 gives a beautiful example of it –

“And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, ¹⁰that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, ¹¹ being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.” Philippians 1:9-11

Next were named the kapot temarim, or hands of palm trees. This reflects a state granted to us by the hand of God, Christ’s righteousness, all because of our faith in Christ. That is seen many times in the New Testament, but Romans 4 speaks of it in exacting detail. We are granted Christ’s righteousness; it was imputed to us.

After this were anaph ets aboth, or boughs of trees leafy. The leaves being so abundant, they form a cover. The New Testament parallel is obvious. Paul explains it in Romans 4 –

“But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness, ⁶just as David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works:

⁷“Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven,
And whose sins are covered;
⁸Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin.” Romans 4:6-8

And then next were noted arve nakhal, or willows of the brook. As I said, the arav, or willow, comes from the word arav, which means “pledge” or “surety.” That is connected to the word aravon, or pledge which is found transliterated three times in the New Testament. It means pledge or guarantee. All three times in the New Testament, it speaks of the pledge of the Holy Spirit, given to believers who put their faith in Christ. In one of the three times, Paul directly ties our being in a tent with the aravon, or guarantee. In fact, the words of Paul here show us the complete fulfillment of the Feast of Tabernacles… all because of the work of Christ –

“For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. ²For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed with our habitation which is from heaven, ³if indeed, having been clothed, we shall not be found naked. ⁴For we who are in this tent groan, being burdened, not because we want to be unclothed, but further clothed, that mortality may be swallowed up by life. ⁵Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee.” 2 Corinthians 5:4, 5

You talk about eternal salvation! Here it is in these Old Testament pictures! The second word used, nakhal, signifies an inheritance. That is used, in conjunction with aravon, in Ephesians 1:13, 14 –

“In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, ¹⁴who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.”

It is more than amazing, but rather it is of divine perfection that the same Old Testament words that are joined together here in Leviticus are joined with their New Testament counterparts in 2 Corinthians and Ephesians. The trees specifically named here were chosen because of what the root words they come from signify. In turn, what they signify is then used in the New Testament to then point us specifically to the work of Christ. This is all the more evident, because other trees could be used, but they go unnamed here. In Nehemiah, we read this –

And they found written in the Law, which the Lord had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths during the feast of the seventh month, ¹⁵and that they should announce and proclaim in all their cities and in Jerusalem, saying, “Go out to the mountain, and bring olive branches, branches of oil trees, myrtle branches, palm branches, and branches of leafy trees, to make booths, as it is written.” Nehemiah 8:14,15

In the law, explaining the feasts, the trees are named for a reason, unlocking the reason leads us directly to the fulfillment in Jesus Christ.

Next in verse 40, the people are directed to rejoice. They are not asked to do so; it is an imperative – “you shall rejoice before the Lord your God,” and they are to do it for seven days, signifying the entire time of their dwelling in their temporary tent. That is literally fulfilled in the words of Paul in Philippians 4:4 –

“Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!”

There, the words are present, imperative, active. You shall rejoice, you shall do it now, and you shall continue to rejoice. We are to rejoice in the Lord, meaning Jesus – the Fulfiller of the Feast. Paul repeats the sentiment in 1 Thessalonians 5:16, the shortest verse in the Bible – pantote chairete, “Rejoice always!” Let us ever do so!

The word then tells us that we are to be feasting a feast to Yehovah for seven days in the year. In other words, in the prophetic plan of redemption, there is a moment in time when we exist. When we come to Christ, we are to feast our feast to Jesus during that moment in time. Again, let us ever do so!

The Feast of Tabernacles is fulfilled by Christ for us, just as the Feast of Unleavened Bread is. Even though we have not seen the consummation of it yet, it is His completed work which allows it for us. Israel of old was told to observe the feast as a statute forever throughout their generations. In Christ is the fulfillment of the shadow. Now we have the substance to keep for all our lives.

Verse 42 again said that they were to dwell in booths for seven days. We are to dwell in these temporary, and yet beautiful bodies in Christ, throughout our earthly lives. We are to live in anticipation of that great eighth day when we receive our “house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” This is speaking of our permanent, glorified bodies. It will be on the eighth day, the day of new beginnings.

Verse 43 then ended with the thought that “All who are native Israelites shall dwell in booths.” I explained then that the term ezrakh, or native, comes from zarakh, or rise. The meaning is that it is one who rises out of Israel. For those who are grafted into Israel, as Paul explains in Romans 11, we are included in this admonition. We have been circumcised not of the flesh, but of the heart, because Christ our Passover was sacrificed for us.

The last verse of the feast instructions, verse 43 was given as a reminder that we are to dwell in booths because when the Lord brought us out of Egypt, meaning spiritual bondage, He first delivered us to Sukkoth. We were made new creatures in Christ at that moment, and so we are to live as new creatures in Christ until we are brought to our final state of glorification.

The verse ended with the words, “I am the Lord your God.” In proclaiming His name and position in conjunction with these feasts, we are to know that Christ Jesus, who fulfilled these feasts, is the Lord our God. So ends the Feast of Tabernacles, and indeed all of the feasts of the Lord.

In the waving of the palm branches, and in the cries of “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord,” Israel was proclaiming what this feast anticipates. But so few of them followed through with it. And so God turned His eyes to the Gentiles until the time when Israel would again be grafted into the olive tree. And in the millennial reign of Christ, the one feast which will be mandatory to be observed by all nations is this Feast of Tabernacles. That is recorded in Zechariah –

“And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. ¹⁷And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, on them there will be no rain. ¹⁸If the family of Egypt will not come up and enter in, they shall have no rain; they shall receive the plague with which the Lord strikes the nations who do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. ¹⁹This shall be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.” Zechariah 14:16-19

It will be a thousand year long reminder that the Lord who came to tabernacle among us, is there with them, dwelling in their midst. But that is not the end of the story. In the book of Revelation, the final chapter of this marvelous story is written. Young’s Literal Translation of the Bible takes us to the glory which lies ahead for the redeemed of the Lord –

“…and I heard a great voice out of the heaven, saying, ‘Lo, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will tabernacle with them, and they shall be His peoples, and God Himself shall be with them — their God.” Revelation 21:3

Concerning the Feast of Sukkoth, or Tabernacles, in Christ we proclaim, “Feast fulfilled.” Concerning all of the Feasts of the Lord named in Leviticus 23, in Christ we proclaim, “Feasts fulfilled.” As I have said repeatedly through these Feast of the Lord sermons, they are fulfilled. They are done, and we are exhorted by Paul to not worry about observing them in a physical manner. In doing so, all that can do is put up a wall between us and our Creator.

Instead, we are to trust in Christ, rest in Christ, and be thankful to God for the finished work of Christ. And in fact, we are, if living properly as Christians, living out these feasts as they were fully intended to be by observing them in our spiritual walk. We are in a temporary booth, covered with the glory of Christ, and awaiting our final, eternal tabernacle.

If you have never taken the step of faith and received Jesus as Savior, you are not a part of what God is doing in this world, nor will you share in heaven’s riches when Christ comes for His people. I would ask you today to consider what you have heard and to do the wise thing by being reconciled to God through the work of Jesus Christ.

Closing Verse: Look upon Zion, the city of our appointed feasts;
Your eyes will see Jerusalem, a quiet home,
A tabernacle that will not be taken down;
Not one of its stakes will ever be removed,
Nor will any of its cords be broken.
²¹But there the majestic Lord will be for us
A place of broad rivers and streams,
In which no galley with oars will sail,
Nor majestic ships pass by
²²(For the Lord is our Judge,
The Lord is our Lawgiver,
The Lord is our King;
He will save us); Isaiah 33:20-22

Next Week: Leviticus 24:1-9 Beautiful verses to fill your head...(The Holy Oil and the Holy Bread) (43^rd Leviticus Sermon)

The Lord has you exactly where He wants you. He has a good plan and purpose for you. Even if you have a lifetime of sin heaped up behind you, He can wash it away and purify you completely and wholly. So follow Him and trust Him and He will do marvelous things for you and through you.

Tabernacles

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying
These are the words He was then relaying

“Speak to the children of Israel, saying:
‘The fifteenth day of this seventh month, hear now this word
Shall be the Feast of Tabernacles
For seven days to the Lord

On the first day there shall be a holy convocation, so I submit
You shall do no customary work on it

For seven days you shall offer an offering
Made by fire to the Lord, according to this word
On the eighth day you shall have a holy convocation
And you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord

It is a sacred assembly, according to the sacred writ
And you shall do no customary work on it

‘These are the feasts of the Lord
To be holy convocations which you shall proclaim
To offer an offering made by fire to the Lord
A burnt offering and a grain offering, each by its name

A sacrifice and drink offerings, everything on its day—
Besides the Sabbaths of the Lord, so hear the word
Besides your gifts, besides all your vows
And besides all your freewill offerings which you give to the Lord

‘Also on the fifteenth day of the seventh month
When you have gathered in the fruit of the land
You shall keep the feast of the Lord for seven days
On the first day there shall be a sabbath-rest, please understand

And on the eighth day a sabbath-rest
As to you I now attest

And you shall take for yourselves
On the first day the fruit of beautiful trees
Branches of palm trees, the boughs of leafy trees
And willows of the brook; choose as many as you please

And you shall before the Lord your God rejoice
For seven days you shall raise a festive voice

You shall keep it as a feast to the Lord
For seven days in the year
It shall be a statute forever in your generations
You shall celebrate it in the seventh month
——- when the seventh month does appear

You shall dwell in booths for seven days as to you I tell
All who are native Israelites shall in booths dwell

That your generations may know
That I made to dwell in booths the children of Israel
When I brought them out of the land of Egypt:
I am the Lord your God, and so to you these things I tell

So Moses declared to the children of Israel
The feasts of the Lord; so to them these things he did tell

Lord God, you came and did tabernacle among us
You put on garments of flesh, and with us You did dwell
Praises to You for our Lord, the Lord Jesus
What an incredible story the Bible does tell

Now we too dwell in a temporary tent
Living out our lives with an eternal guarantee
And when our lives are over; our last breath is spent
We shall be glorified forever; throughout eternity

Hallelujah to the Lamb of God
Hallelujah to our atonement covering
Hallelujah, to Christ our King we applaud
And to His majesty we shall forever sing

Hallelujah and Amen…

Leviticus 23:26-32 (The Feasts of the Lord, The Day of Atonement)

Charlie Garrett Leviticus, Leviticus (written), Old Testament, Sermons, Torah, Torah (written) Sunday, January 21st, 2018Sunday, January 21st, 2018 0 Comment

Leviticus 23:26-32
The Feasts of the Lord
The Day of Atonement

In 1967 Thomas A Harris wrote a self-help book which became a best seller. Does anyone remember the name of it? It was “I’m OK – You’re OK.” It sold over 15 million copies. The main theme and idea of the book is, “I feel good about myself and feel you’re pretty OK as well.”

The LA Times said, “Extraordinary. Harris has helped millions find the freedom to change, liberate their adult effectiveness, and achieve joyful intimacy with others.” Self-help books like this may make us feel good in a shallow way, just as a Joel Osteen sermon may do, but they certainly don’t do anything in helping us achieve joyful intimacy with God. In fact, they will inevitably leave us in a worse condition than when we began because the ever-nagging idea which is in all of us is that there is a God, and we can never know if we are OK with Him or not.

This is true with every religion on the planet as well. In the end, all of them but one attempt to resolve this problem in an upward way. We do things in order to appease God. In theological terminology, it is called “works-based salvation.” Works-based salvation is the defining element of every single religious expression known to man with but one exception – biblical Christianity.

It defines many sects within the greater umbrella of Christianity as well, but these cannot be considered “biblical Christianity,” meaning that which is based on what God has stated in His word. Although offensive to many to list these various subsects, it is actually inappropriate to not do so. Unless someone knows they are not acting in accord with God’s rules, they will never know how to act and respond accordingly.

A classic example of works-based salvation is Roman Catholicism. Their faith is defined in their own canons, and these canons of Roman Catholic law state explicitly that which is contrary to the Bible. An example of this is found in seven of the canons from their Counsel of Trent. Some of them are a bit wordy, but one will suffice to demonstrate this –

“Canon 12. If any one saith, that justifying faith is nothing else but confidence in the divine mercy which remits sins for Christ’s sake; or, that this confidence alone is that whereby we are justified; let him be anathema.”

What they have declared anathema is the very heart of the gospel message. If you’re not sure if I’m telling the truth, take a moment to read Ephesians 2:8, 9, or Galatians 2:16, or a host of other verses which clearly teach this.

Canon 12, along with several other canons from Trent actually declares the Apostle Paul anathema, or consigned to damnation. One of the canons would do the same to Jesus. But as Jesus is the ultimate Author of Scripture, all of the same canons implicitly damn Him as well – not a good place to be in when one must stand before the One they have damned with their words, but who will do the actual damning of their eternal souls.

My brother, Ethan, once drove by a billboard that had a picture of Christ on the cross on it. Along with that was the question, “If I’m OK and you’re OK, what am I doing up here?” Think it through. If we could work our way back to God, and I mean if even one person on this planet and in all ages of human history could work his way back to God, then what would be the point of sending Jesus? If one person could do it, then it would entirely negate the purpose of the cross. The God/Man would have wasted His time, spent His effort vainly, shed His blood without need, and given up His breath in futility. But God is wiser than that.

He saw the need, He understood man’s inability to meet that need, and He sent His only begotten and beloved Son to take care of the problem. The pain of the cross is the only way that God can say to us, “I’m Ok – You’re OK.” It is this, and no other way. God did the work, man must do the believing – so the Bible does say. Why is that so hard for people to understand?

Let us put aside our prideful deeds and trust in the finished, and all sufficient atoning work of the Lord Jesus. It is a moment in history which was prefigured by a particular Feast of the Lord, the record of which is found in His superior word. And so let’s turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

Yom Kippur, The Day of Atonement

²⁶And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:

The words indicate that an entirely new feast is introduced. In other words, this is not a continuation of the Feast of Acclamation which was detailed in the previous three verses. Instead, it is a stand alone feast day which is to be heralded in as such.

²⁷“Also

The verse begins with the Hebrew word akh, translated here as, “also.” It is often used as a restrictive, or limiting word, translated as “only.” Only this feast, and the next-to-be-described feast of Sukkoth, begin with akh. It thus signifies that this is a peculiar feast. As it is a limiting word, one must contemplate what part of the verse is being set apart. Is it “Only on the tenth day of the month;” is it “Only it shall be a holy convocation;” is it “Only you shall afflict your souls;” or is it, “Only there shall be an offering by fire to the Lord.”?

As a specific day is set apart for other feasts, it is surely not referring to the set day. On other feasts there are holy convocations, and on other feasts there are offerings by fire to the Lord. Therefore, it appears that the stress is laid upon the words, “you shall afflict your souls.”

This alone is unique to the feast days recorded here. And in fact, the term is used three times in these six verses. There is a stress upon it that is not to be overlooked or ignored. In fact, the word anah, or afflict, is used five times in the book of Leviticus, and all five are in either Chapter 16, or in these eight verses, all dealing with the Day of Atonement.

The word carries several meanings, but it gives the sense of looking down or browbeating. Thus, it here signifies to humble or abase oneself. There was to be no self-exaltation on this day, but rather the people were to avow their lowly state before the Lord.

²⁷^(con’t)the tenth day of this seventh month

The specific day is selected, it was to commence at evening of the ninth day of the month of Ethanim (later known as Tishri), and continue until the evening of the tenth day. This is not because it has a future fulfillment in Christ, but because of what it signifies in Christ. As we have already gone through the Day of Atonement guidelines which were given in chapter 16, we know that this day was fulfilled in Christ’s crucifixion. That did not occur on the tenth day of the seventh month. Rather it occurred on the fourteenth day of the first month. However, atonement logically follows redemption. A person is redeemed, and then the sins are atoned for, even if these things happen simultaneously in God’s mind.

The Day of Atonement is logically prior to the Feast of Sukkoth, which commences on the fifteenth day of this same month. Sukkoth, as we will see, pictures Christ dwelling in a tabernacle of flesh, and His people dwelling with Him. This could not be realized, in its fullest, until after our sins are atoned for. Thus, this feast precedes that of Sukkoth.

This is an important point to remember because, as we have noted before, it is a common claim that the three fall feasts are not yet fulfilled in Christ, and they will only be fulfilled in His second advent. This is false, and it is heresy. To say that Christ has not fulfilled these feasts is to say that Christ did not fulfill the law. Thus, the law is still binding on us. But Christ is the end of the law for all who believe. There is no future fulfillment of these feasts, even if there are continuing applications of them. Christ died once for all sinners, but each sinner’s Day of Atonement comes on whatever day they come to Christ. It is gigantic error to say that these feasts are yet to be fulfilled.

²⁷^(con’t)shall be the Day of Atonement.

The Hebrew is only three words, yom ha’kippurim hu – “Day Atonements it.” Yom means “day.” Ha’kippurim means, “the expiations,” or “the atonements,” it being a plural word.

This word is identical with kopher, which has several interconnected meanings, all of which signify a covering. It can be a bribe (where a bribe covers the eyes of the one bribed); it can be pitch – as in bitumen; it can be henna – as in dyeing; or it can be a ransom, or a satisfaction. Each of these is connected to the word kaphar from which kopher comes. Kaphar indicates “to appease,” or “to atone.”

Considering all of this, we can see that this is a day in which sins are covered over, carried away, and a ransom is made in order to satisfy or appease the wrath of God. If one looks at Christ’s work in this light, he can see that before the covering, God saw flaw. Once the covering is made, God only sees that which made the covering.

This is why Paul uses the term “in Christ.” When God looks at us, He does not see us in the state we are – fallen and wayward. Rather, He sees Christ’s covering of us and nothing more. We have been ransomed, we are covered, we are deemed as flawless – all because of Another; all because of Christ.

In order for this to happen though, Christ first had to cover us. It is in His cross that this atonement occurred. It is the most solemn day in all of human history. Therefore, in anticipation of that day, each year Israel would observe the Day of Atonement. They were informed that on this most holy and particular day…

²⁷^(con’t)It shall be a holy convocation for you;

miqra qodesh yihyeh – “convocation holy it shall be.” This repeats verse 2 of this chapter which said, “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘The feasts of the Lord, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts.” The Lord designated certain days to be holy convocations, and this particular day was to be one of them. However, unlike all of the others, this one has a very specific and important guideline…

²⁷^(con’t)you shall afflict your souls,

v’initem eth napshotekem – “and you shall afflict your souls.” These words are exactly repeated four times in Leviticus and Numbers, and all refer to the Day of Atonement. The mandate was first given in verse 16:29. It is generally accepted that “afflict your souls” means to fast. The people were to deny themselves food. However, it certainly also included refraining from any other pleasures, and also an active affliction of remembering the sins of the past year and mourning over them. In Acts 27:9, this day is referred to as tēn Nēsteian, or “the fast,” thus signifying the manner in which this day was conducted. But the word has a greater meaning in Christ where the word anah, or afflict, is used twice concerning this exact scene –

“Surely He has borne our griefs
And carried our sorrows;
Yet we esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten by God, and afflicted.
⁵But He was wounded for our transgressions,
He was bruised for our iniquities;
The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,
And by His stripes we are healed.
⁶All we like sheep have gone astray;
We have turned, every one, to his own way;
And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

⁷He was oppressed and He was afflicted,
Yet He opened not His mouth;
He was led as a lamb to the slaughter,
And as a sheep before its shearers is silent,
So He opened not His mouth.
⁸He was taken from prison and from judgment,
And who will declare His generation?
For He was cut off from the land of the living;
For the transgressions of My people He was stricken.” Isaiah 53:4-8

As Christ was so afflicted, the people were to anticipate that august life and atoning sacrifice with the afflicting of their own souls. They were not to do any work of any kind as well, acknowledging that they were in a state of affliction. Nothing regular was to be done, but rather this was to be a high Sabbath.

²⁷^(con’t)and offer an offering made by fire to the Lord.

v’hiqravtem isheh l’Yehovah – “and offer an offering by fire to Yehovah.” The offerings mentioned here are more than just those given in Leviticus 16. Others were required, in addition to the regular daily offerings. Numbers 29 gives the specific offerings which were to be presented to the Lord –

“You shall present a burnt offering to the Lord as a sweet aroma: one young bull, one ram, and seven lambs in their first year. Be sure they are without blemish. ⁹Their grain offering shall be of fine flour mixed with oil: three-tenths of an ephah for the bull, two-tenths for the one ram, ¹⁰and one-tenth for each of the seven lambs; ¹¹also one kid of the goats as a sin offering, besides the sin offering for atonement, the regular burnt offering with its grain offering, and their drink offerings.” Numbers 29:8-11

These then are the total offerings which were presented to the Lord. In type and picture, every detail points to the Person and work of Christ.

²⁸And you shall do no work on that same day,

v’kal melakah lo ta’asu b’etsem ha’yom ha’zeh – “and all work no shall you do the bone the day that.” It sounds odd when literally translated, but the word etsem, or bone, means “the same.” This goes back to Genesis 2:23 when Adam declared that Eve was “bone of my bones.” In other words, they were of the same substance. That then carries on in the Hebrew language to reflect that which is the same. And so, on this same day which has just been described, no work was to be done. This is more than regular work, but all work. Though not a Saturday Sabbath, it was to be a high Sabbath of resting unto the Lord.

²⁸^(con’t)for it is the Day of Atonement,

ki yom kippurim hu – “for Day Atonements it.” Again, the word kippurim is plural. It signifies “expiations.” On this day, all sins and transgressions for all the repentant souls were atoned for.

²⁸^(con’t)to make atonement for you before the Lord your God.

l’kapher alekem liphne Yehovah elohekem – “to cover you before the face Yehovah your God.” The words are not uncommon, but they should be explained. When the Lord’s face is turned towards someone, it can be a bad thing or a good thing. In Leviticus 20:6, it says –

“And the person who turns to mediums and familiar spirits, to prostitute himself with them, I will set My face against that person and cut him off from his people.” Leviticus 20:6

That is bad news. However, the Lord’s face can signify blessing as well. This is seen, for example, in the Aaronic Blessing found in Numbers 6 –

“The Lord bless you and keep you;
²⁵The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
²⁶The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.”’ Numbers 6:24-26

That is good news. The difference in the two is how the person is viewed by the Lord. In the case of a sinner, one cannot stand before the face of the Lord and find blessing. But when one’s sins are covered, or atoned for, then what He sees is the covering, not the one covered. This is the purpose of atonement. It is to bring warring parties back together again, and hence it is an act and rite of at-one-ment in a very real sense.

It should be obvious, that the term “make atonement for you” is referring only to the people of Israel. They were the chosen nation, and they alone were covered by the Lord’s annual provision which occurred on this sacred day. However, this is the type, and then there is the Antitype. The atoning sacrifice of Christ, the fulfillment of what is seen here, is sufficient for all people and at all times who will come to Him by faith. John clearly and specifically states this in his first epistle –

“My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. ²And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.” 1 John 2:1, 2

The Greek word translated there as “propitiation” means, “atoning sacrifice.” It is Christ who is the atoning sacrifice for the whole world; for any who will simply come. The word “propitiation” in English literally means “to appease.” Thus one can again see how God’s wrath is appeased in Christ’s covering of us, thus allowing us to be acceptable as we stand in the face of the Lord.

²⁹For any person who is not afflicted in soul on that same day shall be cut off from his people.

The Hebrew begins the verse with ki kal ha’nephesh asher lo t’unneh, or “For all the soul which no be afflicted.” The soul stands for the person, but it is the soul which shall be cut off from the people. The phrase is used six times in Leviticus to indicate excision from the people of Israel, and it is important that consistency of these words be maintained. What is important here is what this pictures. In the Antitype, Christ, there is the truth that any who will not come to Him will be cut off from the presence of God. It is the soul which is eternal, and that soul will be lost unless the afflictions of Christ are imputed to him. If not, then only the option of eternal separation from the presence of God is left.

All of this effort in presenting to the world these ancient types and pictures, and all of the centuries of Israel’s history, has been compiled to show us the immense importance of not missing what God would do in the Person of Jesus. When we hurriedly read through these often difficult passages, we miss the importance of what God is attempting to relay to us. But every word is calling out to us to consider and act. This then makes it so immensely sad when people reject Christ’s work, as if it is somehow insufficient to save, and they fall back on observing these mere shadows. What a dishonor to God to do so. What a rejection of the horrors of the cross! And so, what a horrifying place to find oneself.

³⁰And any person who does any work on that same day, that person I will destroy from among his people.

Again, instead of “person,” the word “soul” is used twice in this verse, and it is for the same reason as before. The soul is eternal. The doctrine of anthropological hylomorphism teaches that a person is a soul/body unity. The soul can be, and is, separated from the body when the body dies.

However, the soul lives on in an unnatural state. But though unnatural, it does live on. A soul which is destroyed then means “lost.” One can get a future taste of what Revelation speaks of with the words, limnen tou puros, or “Lake of Fire.” Everything that Israel faced in a physical manner is realized in a spiritual reality for the greater world. Scary stuff for those who should care, but as of yet still don’t, or for those who do care, but have been misled about the way to avoid that terrible fate.

The prohibition here is for any and all kinds of work. This day alone was set aside as a special Sabbath-type day. Not even meals could be made, which was something allowed on the other holy convocations. This was to be a unique and awesome day for the people to remember and keep. This is made explicit with…

³¹You shall do no manner of work;

kal melakah lo taasu – “all work no shall you do.” The repetition is a Hebraic way of stressing the point. We might stress this by saying, “You are absolutely not to do any work on that day.” But in the Hebrew manner, repeating the same thing is such a stress.

Two points about this. First, by default, the priests were exempt from this absolute prohibition, because it is they who had to do the work for the people in conducting the rituals for atonement. Secondly, as the priests are representatives of the Lord, then the work that they do is all-sufficient for the accomplishment of the needed atonement.

In other words, right here in this prohibition is seen the doctrine of salvation by grace through faith – an all-sufficient salvation. The priest’s work is, in type, that of Christ Jesus, our true High Priest. That was exta-supercalifragilisticexpialidociously seen in our evaluation of Leviticus 16. Every detail of what the priest did was, point by point, fulfilled in the life and work of Christ.

Therefore, as the admonition to do no work, of any kind, at all, in any way, and without exception, is given to the people of Israel, then it is a clear, precise, and absolute picture of our not doing any work, of any kind, at all, in any way, and without exception, in order to be saved. There is no “I” in this equation. It is completely and absolutely the work of the High Priest, and His work alone, which brings about our atonement and the propitious, blessed relationship that we experience with God. Will somebody please say, “Amen.”

³¹^(con’t)it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

khuqat olam l’dorotekem b’kol mo-she-vo-tekem – “statute forever to your generations in all your dwellings.” The phrase khuqat olam, or “statute forever,” has been explained quite a few times, but it must be explained again just in case its meaning has leaked out of your ear. The word olam gives the sense of “to the vanishing point.” “Throughout your generations” means that it was to be continuous and without interruption. “All your dwellings” means that it applies to all Israel without exception. As a Feast of the Lord, it was an annual anticipatory look to the time when Christ would come and fulfill it. At that time, the shadow would become substance. With the introduction of the New Covenant, this has come to its vanishing point; it is fulfilled and annulled in Christ.

However, what it pictures continues on in Christ. No person may work in order to receive the blessing of entering the presence of God. All people must rest in the finished work of Christ alone, and none can receive His mediation as our High Priest without receiving His all-sufficient atoning sacrifice by faith alone. The pattern is set, the word is written, the decision is final. All Christ, only Christ, and in Christ alone.

³²It shall be to you a sabbath of solemn rest,

shabbath shabbathon hu lakem – “Sabbath complete rest it to you.” This exact same phrase, with one minor difference, is given in Leviticus 16:31 as well. Here it says, shabbath shabbathon hu lakem; there it says shabbath shabbathon hi lakem. Why is it a hi and not a hu? What with this are we to do? If you’re not sure, then why am I asking you?

Not understanding the nuances of this, and as not one scholar that I know of has commented on this difference, I picked up the ipad and called Sergio in Israel. Fortunately, he was having a pastor’s conference at his house, and with a little back and forth, the explanation rose up to meet my ears. The word hi or hu in either form means “it.” However, hi in verse 16:31 is tied to the feminine word Sabbath. Here in 23:32 it is tied to the masculine word shabbaton, or “complete rest.” Why did the Lord change hi to hu? Again, if you don’t know, then why am I asking you?

The reason why is because in Leviticus 16:31 the focus is on the Sabbath; here it is on Rest. Christ is our Sabbath rest, that is made explicit in Hebrews 4:3 – “For we who have believed do enter that rest…” That was explained, in detail, in our Sabbath sermons, including the one from Leviticus 23:3.

However, the change from hi to hu here is obvious from the context. What has been the constant admonition during these instructions? No work! God has given us an amazing insight into Christ and His work. First, He is our Sabbath Rest – we rest in Him positionally. But Christ is also the end of the law for all who believe. He has done the work, we find our rest in Him actually. The focus goes from Christ our place of Rest, to Christ because of Whom we rest.

³²^(con’t)and you shall afflict your souls;

This is the third and final time that anah, or “afflict,” is mentioned in this passage. The repetition is given to demonstrate to the people that simply fasting is not enough to meet the demands of this holy day. Not only were they to not work, but they were to actively afflict their souls. Doing one, but not doing the other was insufficient. Not working anticipated our not working for salvation; afflicting their souls anticipated our acceptance of Christ’s afflictions for our atonement.

³²^(con’t)on the ninth day of the month at evening,

The words here explain the words of verse 27. The tenth day of the month means the ninth day of the month at evening. If this went unstated, then one might assume that it was meant to be commenced on the evening of the tenth. Such is not the case. Instead, a day goes…

³²^(con’t)from evening to evening,

m’erev ad erev – “from evening to evening.” The day starts in the evening of the ninth, and goes through until the evening of the tenth. The pattern was established at the creation. A day is from evening to evening according to the Hebrew reckoning of a day.

This is why, even from the first day of creation, and even before the sun and the moon were set in place to show us an evening or a morning, that the record says, “So the evening and the morning were the first day.” The pattern was set in God’s mind before creation, so that we would know that in the creation, a literal day is meant for each day of the creation. The logic is not to be missed, and yet often is. It is in this unchanging 24-hour period that the day is reckoned, and so it is with the evening of the ninth day of the seventh month at evening…

*³²^(fin)you shall celebrate your sabbath.”

tishbetu shabatekem – “resting in your day of rest.” These words explain exactly what was referred to earlier with the change of hi to hu when speaking of the Sabbath of complete rest. Christ is our Sabbath rest, and we are to rest – meaning not work – in Him. Instead, we are to live by faith in what He has done and not attempt to merit God’s favor through deeds of the law.

For the previous 11 months and 29 days, the Israelites had worked under the law to obtain God’s favor, and none of them succeeded. For them, only wrath and indignation could result from their inability to keep the law. But God gave them grace. On this momentous and august day which came each year, they were to do nothing but rest and afflict their souls.

And this was totally up to them. They would be scattered throughout the land of Israel, and for many, nobody but they alone would know if they had actually refrained from work and food, and if they had also actively afflicted their souls.

In other words, this Day of days was a day of faith. It would be between their hearts and God. Would they come by faith in their minds to Jerusalem and accept the atoning sacrifice which was being made for them? Or would they continue on in their own futile attempts at pleasing God and/or just living life without regard to Him, ignoring His word, and find only deserved condemnation lay ahead?

The choice was theirs, and the same choice is ours today. For you, what will it be? Will you rest in the complete rest which is found in Christ? Please, come to the cross of Christ and put away the vain struggle which separates you from Him. The Day of Atonement was only a picture of what was to come in the Person and work of Christ. Concerning the Day of Atonement, in Christ we proclaim, “Feast fulfilled.”

There is no future fulfillment of this feast in the nation of Israel. If you have been taught that, you have been misled. Christ is the end of the law, including this portion of it. Atonement has been secured, and each may now access that gift of God, but you must act. There is no blanket covering. God expects you to reach out by faith and receive the work of His Son. And then He expects you to rest in that completed work, once and for all. Come to the cross, give up the law which died there, and be reconciled once and forever to our heavenly Father.

Closing Verse: “In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. ¹⁰In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. ¹¹Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.” 1 John 4:9-11

Next Week: Leviticus 23:33-44 Forever in the presence of God, free from the devil’s shackles… (The Feasts of the Lord, Tabernacles) (42^nd Leviticus Sermon)

This week’s lesson to remember: For those in Christ, God can say to us “I’m OK – You’re OK – All is AOK.” And as a point of commendation for God, Thomas Harris sold 15 million copies of a book that is now all but forgotten. The Bible has been printed over 5 billion times, probably much over, and it is still being sold, downloaded, internet searched, and printed billions of times a year. The most printed, read, studied, and loved book in all of human history is the Word of God! Go God!

The Day of Atonement

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:
These are the words He was then relaying

“Also the tenth day of this seventh month
Shall be the Day of Atonement
It shall be a holy convocation for you
This is how it shall be spent

You shall afflict your souls, according to this word
And offer an offering made by fire to the Lord

And on that same day you shall do no work
For it is the Day of Atonement, such is this day
To make atonement for you
Before the Lord your God, as to you I now say

For any person who is not afflicted in soul in this way
On that same day shall be cut off from his people, so I say

And any person who does any work
On that same day, pay heed to my word
That person I will destroy from among his people
When my anger he has stirred

You shall do no manner of work
It shall be a statute forever
Throughout your generations in all your dwellings
From this statute, you shall deviate never

It shall be to you a sabbath of solemn rest
And you shall your souls afflict
On the ninth day of the month at evening, from evening to evening
You shall celebrate your sabbath, according to this edict

O God, through Christ we are restored to You again
Our sins are covered, we have atonement
The gift of the cross shouts out to all men
The enmity is ceased, and the wrath has been spent

Thank You for what our Lord has done
Thank You that we are no longer laden with guilt
Through Calvary’s cross, our victory is won
There when Christ’s precious blood was spilt

Praises to You, endless praises, even forevermore
Praise to You from here on earth, and even to heaven’s shore

Hallelujah and Amen…

Leviticus 23:23-25 (The Memorial of Acclamation)

Charlie Garrett Leviticus, Leviticus (written), Old Testament, Sermons, Torah, Torah (written) Sunday, January 14th, 2018Monday, December 18th, 2023 0 Comment

Leviticus 23:23-25
The Feasts of the Lord
The Memorial of Acclamation

We are given rather sparse information concerning this particular feast day. Just three verses to explain it, and not much detail is provided. It is short, concise, and will require a lot of back and forth to try to figure out what it was intended to reveal to the people of Israel.

One thing is for sure, this day – known as the Feast of Trumpets by some, Rosh Hoshanna by others – is not a picture of the rapture of the church. How do we know this? Well, are we members of the church? And are we still awaiting the rapture? Then this feast day is not a picture of the rapture.

It has become popular since the time of the early dispensationalists to state that the spring feasts of the Lord were fulfilled in Christ’s first advent, and that the fall feasts will be fulfilled in His second advent. CI Scofield, an early dispensationalist, says that this date “is a prophetical type and refers to the future regathering of long-dispersed Israel.” John Darby, of the same period, agrees with this.

This is the beginning of error. Eventually, other such error crept in, assigning this day to the rapture of the church. Along with that have come so many false teachings about this particular day that it is almost impossible to know what is true and what isn’t. People make stuff up all the time and each false teaching gets passed on so many times that eventually, it appears to be true.

The best way to correct this is to simply ignore pretty much everything that is out there about this day and start from scratch. One good starting point to correct such things it so understand that this feast is a part of the Law of Moses. The Law of Moses is fulfilled in Christ. It is, according to the book of Hebrews, annulled, set aside, and obsolete. Paul says it is nailed to the cross. A law which is all of those things is no longer in effect. We are now under a New Covenant. The old is gone.

As we are the church, and the church is still here, and as the Law of Moses is done away with, then this cannot be something future to us now. This is how heresy starts. Logically, if the feasts aren’t fulfilled, then we should be observing the feasts. Along with that then comes tithing, giving up pork, requiring circumcision, Sabbath observance, and other pick and choose items from the Law of Moses. Why heresy? Because this mindset says that Christ is not the fulfillment of the law for all who believe, and that we must continue to work deeds of the law in order to be pleasing to God. A little yeast, and the whole loaf is leavened.

Rather, the feast we will look at today is fulfilled, in Christ, and in a splendid way. This doesn’t mean the rapture won’t happen on this day. Maybe it will. But it could happen on any of the other 364 days of the year as well. We’ll leave that up to the Lord, and not attempt to usurp His right to choose, and we won’t be disobedient to His word which tells us to not bother doing so.

GK Chesterton said the following about New Years –

“The object of a New Year is not that we should have a new year. It is that we should have a new soul and a new nose; new feet, a new backbone, new ears, and new eyes. Unless a particular man made New Year resolutions, he would make no resolutions. Unless a man starts afresh about things, he will certainly do nothing effective. Unless a man starts on the strange assumption that he has never existed before, it is quite certain that he will never exist afterwards. Unless a man be born again, he shall by no means enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.”

Charlie, if we are looking at a feast which occurs in the seventh month of the year, then why are you citing something about the new year? Well, the reason is that there are several things going on in the annual cycle of Israel which need to be figured out in order to properly understand why the Lord selected the first of the seventh month to be the day of this particular feast. In the end, the term “new year” applies to it as well. We’ll see that soon enough.

As the law points us to Christ, then we need to look for Him in the things of the law, including this which is described in the Bible as Yom Teruah, or the Day of Acclamation. It was a day, according to Jewish tradition, of sounding the shophar, or ram’s horn trumpet, and rejoicing in the Lord. The only thing is, Israel wasn’t told why they were doing this. They were just told to do so.

Though only three verses, it is a rather complicated study, but it is one which will explain why the feast was given, and how it is fulfilled in Christ. Understanding this, anyone who has their mind set on a future fulfillment of this feast will probably never agree that it is fulfilled, despite what the Bible says about the law actually being done away with. I would hope this wouldn’t be the case, but time and experience have shown that minds are not easily swayed, even when things are made explicit.

As far as introductions go, we’ve gone on too long already. Let’s jump into these verses and look for Christ. He is there, ready to be found in His superior word. And so let’s turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. The Memorial of Acclamation (verses 23-25)

²³Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

As with the Feast of Firstfruits, an entirely new section is introduced, implying that the feast now to be described is logically disconnected from the previous one. As the feast following this one also begins with such an introductory statement, it is a stand alone feast. This is in contradistinction to the Feast of Firstfruits and the Feast of Weeks which were united in a particular way. No independent introduction was given at the announcement of the Feast of Weeks, showing the connection between the two.

²⁴“Speak to the children of Israel, saying:

The words of the Lord are to be transmitted to all of the people. This is a Feast of the Lord, to be observed by all to the Lord, and so Moses is directed to speak to the people concerning it. This is no different than the public proclamations made by presidents when calling for days of national fasting, holidays, etc. The Lord is their sovereign Ruler, and He is now mandating the next feast in the year to be observed. It is specified as…

²⁴^(con’t)‘In the seventh month, on the first day of the month,

It is important to understand that there are two distinct calendars in the Bible. The first is the creation calendar, and the second is the redemption calendar. This same pattern of creation/redemption is seen throughout the Bible. God creates and then He redeems. The reason for giving of the Sabbath in the Ten Commandments in Exodus is based on creation, “For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth…” (20:11). However, it is based on redemption in the giving of the Ten commandments in Deuteronomy, “And remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm” (5:15).

The same pattern of creation and redemption is seen in Revelation when praises to God are based first on creation in Chapter 4 –

“You are worthy, O Lord,
To receive glory and honor and power;
For You created all things,
And by Your will they exist and were created.” Revelation 4:11

They are then given based on redemption in Revelation 5 –

“You are worthy to take the scroll,
And to open its seals;
For You were slain,
And have redeemed us to God by Your blood
Out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation,
¹⁰And have made us kings and priests to our God;
And we shall reign on the earth.” Revelation 5:9, 10.

Throughout the Bible, one must properly track the calendar which is being used to avoid confusion in what is going on and when. This seventh month in the redemption calendar today is known by the Aramaic name, Tishri. However, it was originally known by its Hebrew name as Ethanim. This is recorded in 1 Kings 8:2. The name Tishri was adopted after the Babylonian exile when the names from that calendar were assimilated into the Hebrew culture.

The seventh month was originally the first month of the year based on creation, but that was changed at the time of the exodus when the Lord declared the first month to commence in the springtime in the month of Aviv (later known as Nisan). That is recorded in Exodus 12:2, and it is based on redemption.

Further, despite being the seventh month of the calendar year in Judah, it was also the first month of the royal, or civil, year in Judah, matching the creation calendar. In other words, the beginning of the reign of the kings of Judah are aligned not with the ceremonial, or redemption, year beginning in the first month of Aviv/Nisan (in the spring time), but with a royal year beginning in the seventh month of Ethanim/Tishri (in the fall time).

To more fully grasp this dating system, one can refer to the book The Mysterious Numbers of the Hebrew Kings by Edwin R. Thiele. His work resolves many once-believed errors in the biblical chronology. And, as the seventh month was originally the first month since the time of creation, we can know that Adam was created at this time. Though not in the Bible, the commentary on this from Chabadba provides us invaluable insight into this –

“The 1st day of creation, on which G-d created existence, time, matter, darkness and light, was the 25th of Elul. (Rosh Hashanah, on which we mark “the beginning of Your works”, is actually the 6th day of creation, on which the world attained the potential for the realization of its purpose, with the creation of the first man and woman, Adam and Eve. Rosh Hashanah is therefore the day from which the Jewish calendar begins to count the years of history; the 1st day of creation thus occurred on the 25th of Elul of what is termed -1 from creation.” Chabadba

This commentary is actually supported by an anagram which occurs between the first word in the Bible, which concerns creation, and the first day of the month of Tishri. They are both spelled with the same letters, but when rearranged the letters reflect one or the other. bereshit or “in the beginning” is simply rearranged into aleph b’tishri, or “the first of Tishri.”

Understanding that this is both the day of the creation of Adam, and the commencement of the regal, or kingly, year is important in understanding the true meaning of why the Lord chose this day for this particular feast. Three other times in Scripture, this particular day, the first of the seventh month, is mentioned. In Genesis 8:13, it is the day that the waters were dried up from the earth, and Noah removed the covering of the ark and looked upon the new world. At that time it was exactly 1657 years after the creation of the world. Man had been in the world 596,520 days.

Ezra 3 mentions this same day as the day that Jeshua and Zerubbabel, after their return from Babylon, built the altar of the God of Israel and began to offer burnt offerings to the Lord. And one last time this day is mentioned is in Nehemiah 8 when Ezra brought forward the Law of Moses and read it to all the people.

In these three occurrences of this month, we can see several readily apparent pictures of Christ. Noah looking upon the new world signifies new life in Christ who is our ark of safety in this life. The building of the altar and sacrificing on it signifies Christ our Altar of sacrifice, and our Sacrifice. And the reading of the Law of Moses pictures Christ, the fulfillment of the law. Each occurrence on this date points to the Person and work of Christ.

²⁴^(con’t)you shall have a sabbath-rest,

The word translated here is shabathon it is used only 11 times in the Bible, all in Exodus and Leviticus, and all but three are conjoined with the word shabath, or “sabbath.” That would then indicate a sabbath of complete rest. Because this is not conjoined with the word Sabbath, it is not a Sabbath per se, but rather simply a rest. This is explained later in this same verse. It would better be translated as a “solemn rest.”

The reason for using this word shabathon here is because the seventh month of the year, like the seventh day of the week, and the seventh year of the Sabbatical year cycle, is considered a month of resting. In other words the entire month is consecrated as a special month to the people. On the tenth day of this month is the Day of Atonement. Later in the month is the pilgrim feast of Ingathering which encompasses the feast of Sukkoth. And the 50^th year jubilees were to be proclaimed during this month as well. Everything about the seventh month has an elevated sense to it. However, unless this day fell on an actual Sabbath day, it was simply a day of rest, and not a Sabbath.

²⁴^(con’t)a memorial of blowing of trumpets,

ziqaron teruah – “memorial acclamation.” The Hebrew doesn’t say “blowing of trumpets.” It is true that this is surely what occurred, but that isn’t what is stated here. The words simply mean that the people were to raise a tumult of joy. The name of the day is actually stated in Numbers 29 where it is called Yom Teruah, or Day of Acclamation. In Job 38, the root of teruah, the word rua, is used when speaking of the angels rejoicing at creation –

“Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth?
Tell Me, if you have understanding.
⁵Who determined its measurements?
Surely you know!
Or who stretched the line upon it?
⁶To what were its foundations fastened?
Or who laid its cornerstone,
⁷When the morning stars sang together,
And all the sons of God shouted for joy? Job 38:4-7

This is the sense of the word, and of what is to occur. Teruah can be a war cry, an alarm, a shout of joy, the blast of the trumpet, and so forth. In this case, it is a memorial of acclamation. The Greek translation of the Old Testament specifically translates this as the salpiggon, or “trumpets.” This day has been variously labeled in history as the Feast of Trumpets and the Feast of the New Year. In modern Israel, the day is known as Rosh Hoshana or “Beginning of the year.”

²⁴^(con’t)a holy convocation.

miqra qodesh – “convocation holy.” The entire day was to be a day of festive occasion. As this is the first of the month, it would coincide with the New Moon celebrations which are mentioned at various times in the Bible, but this day in Leviticus, the first of the seventh month, is surely what is mentioned in Psalm 81 where the word rua is again used –

“Sing aloud to God our strength;
Make a joyful shout to the God of Jacob.
²Raise a song and strike the timbrel,
The pleasant harp with the lute.
³Blow the trumpet at the time of the New Moon,
At the full moon, on our solemn feast day.” Psalm 81:1-3

In this psalm, the New Moon solemn feast would be this particular feast of Leviticus 23. The full moon solemn feast would be that of the beginning of the Feast of Unleavened bread which immediately follows the Passover. It was on these holy convocations, and others like them, that the joyful shouts were to be raised.

²⁵You shall do no customary work on it;

kal meleket abodah lo taasu – “all work servile no shall you do.” These words show us that the translation of “Sabbath” is not correct. On a Sabbath, no work at all was to be done. However, on this day, no regular work could be done, but people could prepare food and do other things which would otherwise be forbidden on a regular Sabbath.

*²⁵^(fin)and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord.’”

Three particular sets of offerings were actually to be made on this day. First, the regular daily morning and evening sacrifices already mandated in the law were to be made. Second, as this is the start of a new month, the offerings of Numbers 28:11-15 were to be made. And a special set of offerings were to be made for this particular feast as well. They are detailed in Numbers 29:1-6.

Shout out to the Lord! Shout with acclamation
It is He who is our King, and He who rules over us
Shout out to the Lord you holy nation
Shout out to the King, our Lord Jesus

Let the sound be loud, shout out joyfully
Let the land be filled with noise to herald the King
Don’t sit and be silent, don’t act so coyfully
Get up people, raise your voices and sing

It is He who has created, and He who has redeemed us
It is He who sits as King upon the throne of heaven
It is He who rules, even our King Jesus
So shout aloud at the beginning of month number seven

II. Fulfilled in Christ

Unlike the other feasts of Leviticus 23, this one is a bit harder to pin down what it is pointing to. It needs to be fleshed out of what is provided and pieced together. First, it is the only feast which falls on the first of the month, the time of the New Moon. This is when skies are the darkest, having no light from the moon to illuminate them, the significance of which will be seen as we continue.

Now, not to confuse you, but so you can begin to see the pattern develop, we will go to 1 Chronicles 24. This chapter tells us the order of the 24 details of priests which served at the Temple in Jerusalem. The division of Abijah was the 8^th division –

“And the scribe, Shemaiah the son of Nethanel, one of the Levites, wrote them down before the king, the leaders, Zadok the priest, Ahimelech the son of Abiathar, and the heads of the fathers’ houses of the priests and Levites, one father’s house taken for Eleazar and one for Ithamar.

⁷Now the first lot fell to Jehoiarib, the second to Jedaiah, ⁸the third to Harim, the fourth to Seorim, ⁹the fifth to Malchijah, the sixth to Mijamin, ¹⁰the seventh to Hakkoz, the eighth to Abijah…” 1 Chronicles 24:6-10

We next go to the New Testament, to Luke 1 to see that Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, was a member of Abijah and was serving at the Temple and was given the promise of a son –

There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah. His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. ⁶And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless. ⁷But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.

⁸So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, ⁹according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord. ¹⁰And the whole multitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense. ¹¹Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. ¹²And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.

¹³But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. ¹⁴And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth. ¹⁵For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. ¹⁶And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. ¹⁷He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’[b] and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

¹⁸And Zacharias said to the angel, “How shall I know this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.”

¹⁹And the angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings. ²⁰But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time.”

²¹And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he lingered so long in the temple. ²²But when he came out, he could not speak to them; and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple, for he beckoned to them and remained speechless.

²³So it was, as soon as the days of his service were completed, that he departed to his own house. ²⁴Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid herself five months, saying, ²⁵“Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people.” Luke 1:5-25

Later in Luke 1:36 we read that Mary was visited by Gabriel in the 6^th month of Elizabeth’s pregnancy –

“Now indeed, Elizabeth your relative has also conceived a son in her old age; and this is now the sixth month for her who was called barren.” From this point, we can easily see when Jesus was born. It’s not a secret and its right there in black and white –

Mar/Apr Apr/May May/June Jun/July

Month Nisan Iyar Shivan Tamuz

Division 1 & 2 3 & 4 5 & 6 7 & 8 Abijah

*Zechariah would have been at the temple in Jun/Jul (Tamuz)
*Add 6 months until Gabriel spoke to Mary – Dec/Jan (Adar)
*Add 9 months until Christ the Lord was born – Sep/Oct (Tishri)

We have to make an obvious assumption here, that Zechariah got his wife pregnant rather quickly. But that is hardly an assumption at all. First, he couldn’t speak until the child was born, something that may have made Elizabeth rather happy, but which he would want corrected right away. Secondly, if they had been hoping for a child for so long, they would have wasted no time in fulfilling this prophecy. The assumptions are obvious. Further Luke continues with the timeline in an uninterrupted fashion, asking us to look at the dates based on the other time frames he provided in a united fashion – a very important point to consider.

Based on the Bible evidence, we see that Christ Jesus was born between September and October which corresponds with the Hebrew month of Tishri. From here we can determine that Jesus was born on the first of Tishri. We can do this in several ways.

First, we look to 1 Corinthians 15 to see a pattern based on the tradition showing that Adam was created on the first day of Tishri, the 6^th day of creation. It would follow reasonably that Jesus, the “second Adam,” was born on the same day 4000 years later, thereby completing a biblical pattern. 1 Corinthians 15:45-48 tells us Jesus is the last Adam –

“And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.

⁴⁶However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. ⁴⁷The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. ⁴⁸As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly.”

When Adam was created, the Lord who created him became, in effect, his King at that moment. That He is the King is reflected then in the 47^th Psalm –

“God has gone up with a shout,
The Lord with the sound of a trumpet.
⁶Sing praises to God, sing praises!
Sing praises to our King, sing praises!
⁷For God is the King of all the earth;
Sing praises with understanding.” Psalm 47:5-7

However, there is also the truth that man would turn from his King. This was known to God before He created the world. Both Peter, and John in Revelation, state this unambigulously. Speaking of Christ Jesus, Peter says –

“He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you ²¹who through Him believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.” 1 Peter 1:20, 21

And so, in order to redeem man, God sent forth Christ into the world, using the same pattern as is found throughout Scripture – creation and then redemption. He created Adam on the first of Tishri, and He sent the Redeemer on that same day. It was the first of the month of the creation calendar, and the first of the seventh month on the redemption calendar. And, as I said, this is the only feast designated specifically as occurring on the New Moon which is the first day of the month. It is the darkest day of the month, and thus the best day for the “glory of the Lord” to be highlighted –

“Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.” Luke 2:8, 9

In 1 Kings 1:34 it is seen that the shofar, the ram’s horn trumpet, is blown at the coronation of the king, in that case it was Solomon. As this was the case at coronation, it then becomes obvious why the Lord mandated this feast on this particular day. It is the day when all of Israel would be joyously shouting with acclamation, and blowing shofars throughout the land. On this day, the King of the Universe was being born among men. Little did they know that they were heralding in the true, great King of Israel – Jesus Christ.

The patterns are simply too rich, too many, and too well orchestrated to be by mere chance. Again, in Numbers 23:21 we read these words –

“He has not observed iniquity in Jacob,
Nor has He seen wickedness in Israel.
The Lord his God is with him,
And the shout of a King is among them.” Numbers 23:21

There the term for “shout of a King” is “teruat melekh.” It is the same word, teruah, used here in Leviticus to signify this particular day in the redemptive calendar. This was certainly fulfilled in the shouting of the heavenly host at the birth of the great King, Jesus! And again, Psalm 47, a psalm read on this same day each year in Israel, it says the following –

“Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples!
Shout to God with the voice of triumph!
²For the Lord Most High is awesome;
He is a great King over all the earth.” Psalm 47:1, 2

Once again, the idea of rua or shouting to the King, is identified with this day. Three verses later, the psalm then says –

“God has gone up with a shout,
The Lord with the sound of a trumpet.” Psalm 47:5

There the teruah, or shout of acclamation, is combined with the sound of the shofar, all pointing to this one particular day in history when Christ was born and the King of the universe was made manifest among us.

As a marvelous pattern of creation followed by redemption, we have seen that Christ was born on the same day that Adam was created, on the first day of the first month of the creation calendar. This is the first day of the seventh month of the redemption calendar. But did anything happen in the Bible on the first day of the first month of the redemption calendar? The answer is that Exodus 40:17 says, “And it came to pass in the first month of the second year, on the first day of the month, that the tabernacle was raised up.”

The tabernacle, every detail of which points to Christ and His ministry, was erected on the first day of the first month of the redemption calendar. Thus we again have, as has been seen many times in Scripture, the pattern of creation being followed by redemption. The Creator is our Redeemer.

The King has come, shout aloud and rejoice
He has come to redeem fallen man
Let your shouts be heard, even with a resounding voice
Blow the trumpets aloud; as hard as you can

He has come! The King of the ages is here
We gather around Him, He the King of the Jews
Yes, all people come, see the sight, draw near
And then go forth and spread the glorious news

The Baby born in a manger is the King of Israel
This Child laying helplessly shall rule all the world
It is the most marvelous news, go forth to all and tell
Spread the word, and may joy from the heart now be unfurled

III. The Significance of Christmas

When you ask a Korean person how old they are, they will give you an answer which doesn’t fit with what we understand as age. The reason why is they consider their age from conception, not from birth out of the womb. Until you get this, it is often hard to grasp why what they tell you at one time doesn’t seem to match with what you find out at other times. At least the Koreans get the idea of sanctity of life within the womb, even if democrats don’t.

Understanding that Christ, the second Adam, and the King of the universe, was born on this feast day, there is one more point which obviously needs to be addressed. If Jesus was born on the first of Tishri as the Bible shows, then what on earth are we celebrating on 25 December? Over the years, people have said this was a Catholic attempt to align the holiday with a pagan festival to accommodate their older beliefs as they became Christianized.

Whether this occurred or not has nothing to do with Jesus. The eqinoxes and solstices were created by God, and they reflect what God is doing in the world of creation and redemption. If this has been misused by other religions, it doesn’t change the true intent for when these things occur. The significance of 25 December is far more beautiful than a crude attempt by the Catholics to harmonize pagan beliefs with those of Christianity.

The human gestation period is approximately 270 days. It does vary, but this is right at the average. If you go back 270 days from the first of Tishri you will quite often come up to 25 December.

What this means, is that Christ was conceived on this day, approximately 270 days before His birth into the world. And so, what is probably the true celebration on this day is not the birth of Jesus from the womb. What we’ve been celebrating is the birth of Jesus in the womb, when God united with human flesh.

Understanding that, 8 times in the past 117 years, both Christmas and Hanukkah, or the Festival of Lights, have occurred at the same time – 24/25 December. This is the same day as the Feast of Dedication mentioned in John 10:22. In John’s writings, He cites Jesus’ words concerning His fulfillment of this festival –

Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.” John 8:12

And again –

That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. John 1:9, 10

As incredible as it might seem, Jesus was probably conceived on the Festival of Lights, or Hanukkah, and He was certainly born on Yom Teruah. The prophetic patterns of the Bible completely and amazingly support the wonderful fulfillment of the Feasts of the Lord in Jesus!

There is no reason to look for a future fulfillment of this particular feast. It is fulfilled in Christ. And there is no reason to look for a different time of birth for Christ as some have recently done, placing it during the spring time. Incorrect! The Bible has carefully recorded special circumstances which occurred in one particular line of priests, that of Abijah for a reason. It then carefully and methodically gives exactly the other time frames necessary to pinpoint the time of year Christ was born. It also gives numerous patterns which confirm the exact date within this time of year for us to know, with all certainty, that He was born on the 1^st of Tishri.

None of this is by chance. Rather, these things are recorded because God is alerting us to the fact that Jesus is the Christ anticipated in all of these redemptive pictures, and that He is the fulfillment of them all. As this is so, then He is obviously asking us to follow through with what the Bible says is necessary for our lives concerning Christ.

It says that He is God’s gift to the world, and that all who believe in Him will be saved. It says that He is the only path to salvation, and that no one can come to the Father but through Him. It even says that He is the one and only Mediator between God and men. In other words, God doesn’t hear the prayers of anyone, except those who come to Him through Jesus.

If you have never accepted Jesus, but think you are right with God, you are wholly mistaken. Think it through, look at what God has done in Christ, and call out to Him for salvation. This is your obligation. God has done all the work. Now He asks you to simply believe that, and by faith receive what He has done. And it is glorious.

He was born on the darkest night of the month, the night of the New Moon. On that night, God’s glory lit up the heavens – it was a picture of the true Light, entering into the spiritual darkness of the world. And then He died just before the start of the brightest night of the month, the night of the full moon. Again, a spiritual picture was given to us – our Hope is not extinguished by darkness. As it says in John 1:5 –

“And the Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it”

Let us remember this and carry with us the true Light always. May the Light of Christ shine upon you now and forever. May it be so!

Closing Verse: Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. ¹¹For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ¹²And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” Luke 2:10-12

Next Week: Leviticus 23:26-32 Sins can’t be forgiven by paying off God, even with your very last cent (The Feasts of the Lord, The Day of Atonement) (41^st Leviticus Sermon)

The Coming of the Second Adam

Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying
These are the words He was then relaying

“Speak to the children of Israel, saying:
‘In the seventh month, as to you I attest
On the first day of the month
You shall have a sabbath-rest

A memorial of blowing of trumpets is what you shall do
A holy convocation; observe this day as I instruct to you

You shall do no customary work on it according to this word
And you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord

Lord, You planned it all, and then laid it out
In feasts for Israel to observe each year
To leave us with certainty; without a doubt
Seeing their fulfillment in Christ; it all becomes clear

It is true with the Day of Acclamation, we now know
We see that the angels praised God on that marvelous day
When Christ came into the world, there was a heavenly show
While the trumpets of Israel were blowing away

Thank You, O God, for the giving of Your Son
Thank You, O God, for the coming of our King
We praise You for the marvelous things You have done
And to You, forever, we shall shout aloud and sing

Hallelujah and Amen…

Leviticus 23:15-22 (The Feasts of the Lord, Weeks)

Charlie Garrett Leviticus, Leviticus (written), Old Testament, Sermons, Torah, Torah (written) Sunday, January 7th, 2018Tuesday, January 15th, 2019 0 Comment

Leviticus 23:15-22
The Feasts of the Lord
Weeks

Though disputed by some, for all intents and purposes, the Church Age began on the day of Pentecost in the year AD32, 50 days after the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Today we’re going to look at the significance of this occurrence, how it was prefigured in the Old Testament, and how it is fulfilled in the New. We’ll also look at its significance in our own lives.

Before we do, there’s something we should understood concerning the giving of the Spirit – and that is to be derived from a proper interpretation of the Bible. There are a million things to know about interpreting the Bible, but I will give you a few simple rules to get you started. I bring them up from time to time in Bible studies and today’s sermon is a great day to bring them up again. When you’re evaluating verses, you should constantly ask yourself the first two rules, and make sure you carefully apply the third –

1) Is this Prescriptive – does it actually prescribe something for me? 2) Is this Descriptive – does it merely describe something to me. And, 3) What is the context of what I am reading or studying.

Let’s review – prescriptive, descriptive, and context, context, context! Context is king, and we simply cannot rip verses out of context without producing a pretext. It is certainly the greatest source of error in Christianity. Most error comes from using a passage which only describes something as if it was prescribing something. This type of error covers most of the bad doctrine that revolves around what happened at Pentecost and how we are to apply it in our lives now.

To help you get this right, I’ll give you an actual example to consider. Before we got into today’s sermon, I read you Leviticus 23:15-22. For you as a Christian, are those passages Prescriptive or Descriptive? In other words, do they prescribe something for us to do, or do they merely describe something for us to read and contemplate?

If you said they prescribe something for us to do, you have mishandled Scripture. You have reinserted the law which is fulfilled and obsolete. It is annulled in Christ. Further, if you say we are to observe this feast, then you must observe it as it is written. But nobody can do so, and nobody does do so. It is pick and choose theology, and it is a very poor handling of Scripture.

Today we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. This is something that happened one time, at one location, and for a specific reason. It is a non-repeatable event. Yes, the Holy Spirit also came upon on those in Samaria in Acts 8 and on the house of Cornelius in Acts 10 – but neither occurred on Pentecost, and both were in the presence of Peter to demonstrate that all (Jew, Samaritan, and Gentile) are accepted by God through faith in Christ. After these occurrences, something different now happens.

The Holy Spirit still fills believers today, but according to Paul’s writings, which are prescriptive, He comes at the moment we profess faith in Jesus. The Spirit now baptizes and fills the believer in all His fullness at that moment. We cannot “get” more of the Spirit, but the Spirit can get more of us as we submit to Him.

Improperly applying Pentecost to our own conversion has led people to bark like dogs, lie on the ground and kick around like children, act in ways that would even embarrass animals, and has – and I mean this sincerely – brought great discredit upon the name of Jesus and the glorious work of the Holy Spirit in the world.

If you’re into theatrical Christianity, you should know that it is an insult to the beauty and majesty of the Person of our Lord, Jesus. So please remember and consider always these rules – Prescriptive, Descriptive, and Context, Context, Context – to the glory of the Lord who called you into His wonderful kingdom.

Our verses today have all kinds of wonderful things tucked away in them, or they point to all kinds of wonderful things elsewhere in Scripture. And every verse is there leading us to the Person and work of Christ. Pentecost was a one-time event, but it has a continuing application even today. Every time a person comes to Christ, the results of that first Pentecost are realized in that person.

He is sealed with the Spirit, and his eternal destiny goes from one of separation from God to one of adoption into the family of God. It is true for both Jew and Gentile, and it is a one-time non-repeatable event. One is sealed upon belief, and that seal is, according to Paul, a guarantee of our future redemption.

There is eternal salvation in Christ, and it is based on mere faith in what He has done. The things He has done are recorded in the Old Testament in anticipation of His coming, and they are recorded in the gospels, Acts, and the epistles to show that His coming was fully effective in accomplishing those things and reconciling us to God. These are the wonderful truths which are found in His superior word. And so let’s turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. Count Fifty Days (verses 15-22)

¹⁵‘And you shall count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering:

The “day after the Sabbath” is speaking of the Sabbath mentioned in verse 11 in the explanation of the Feast of Firstfruits. As we saw, that pictured Christ’s resurrection on the Sunday (the first day of the week) after the Sabbath. The waving of the sheaf of the wave offering looked forward to the presentation of Christ Jesus alive and well before the Father. It is from this starting point that a set counting was to take place.

Unlike the previous feast, the Feast of Firstfruits, no new introductory statement is made here. In verse 9 it said, “And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying.” That showed a completely different thought was being introduced into the scheduling of the feast, and that the Feast of Firstfruits was a separate thought than that of Passover.

The reason for this was to avoid the mistake in thinking that the Sabbath referred to in verse 11 is the same as the holy convocation of verse 8. It is an error very common among scholars, and one which has led to a very confused understanding of the timing of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. All we can go by is what Scripture gives us. Despite the fact that Jewish tradition aligns with the specific timing of Jesus’ resurrection on the year He rose, it also had to align with the Sabbath of the week, something that would not happen if the Passover occurred on any day but a Friday. The details are significant, and tradition cannot override Scripture.

Now, without a new introductory statement, we can see that the Feast of Firstfruits and the Feast of Weeks are united in their timing. Though no specific date was given for the Feast of Firstfruits, a specific date for the Feast of Weeks is given, and is based on the Feast of Firstfruits, whenever that would occur each year. These keys are given for us to unlock the specifics of Scripture. When ignored, the doors we pass through are unscriptural ones.

It should be noted now that, in a similar manner to Passover and Unleavened Bread, this is the only other coupling of feasts in Leviticus 23. All others are introduced with introductory thoughts except these. The Feast of Firstfruits leads naturally and directly into that of Weeks. One points to the next like an arrow heading toward a target. From the resurrection, a counting will now begin…

¹^{5 (con’t)}seven Sabbaths shall be completed.

sheva shabbatot, or “seven Sabbaths,” is forty-nine days. It is an ancient trick, not using fingers to figure this out. If we know the result, and memorize the tables, we can do it in our heads. Seven times seven is forty-nine. Works every time!

The word “Sabbaths” here signifies “weeks.” It is a synecdoche where the unit stands for the whole. This will be seen in the words of the next verse, and as is seen in Deuteronomy 16:9. Further, this explains the same term used in the New Testament. Though in Greek, in Matthew 28:1, it says –

“Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.”

It is from the day after a Sabbath day, and to a day after a Sabbath day. It is pointing to a day during that week which is a particularly chosen day. Thus, we derive from this the name of the feast. It is “The Feast of Weeks.” We are being directed to a particular day during a particular week as is seen next…

¹⁶Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath;

A period of seven weeks would bring us to about early June on our calendar. The Hebrew says, ha’shabat ha’shevyit, or the Sabbath the seventh. There is a definite article in front of Sabbath to ensure that the mistake is not made that this is merely a period of weeks, but a period of weeks which ends on a Sabbath day. It is the day after this Sabbath that the attention is now being directed.

Despite the name “Weeks,” the feast actually is more commonly known from the Greek translation of the Old Testament of this verse. One was to count the seven weeks, but more exactingly, it was to be fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath, on whatever day that Sabbath was. The Greek translation translates the words, “fifty days” as Penteconta. In the New Testament, it is called, Pentékosté, or Pentecost. On this day, the people (the verb is plural) are required to do something particular…

¹⁶^(con’t)then you shall offer a new grain offering to the Lord.

v’hiqravtem minkhah khadasah la’Yehovah – “And you shall offer grain-offering new to Yehovah.” This is a new grain offering of the wheat-harvest which stands distinct from the omer, or sheaf, of the barley harvest which was presented at Firstfruits. Thus, this feast is described as “the Feast of Harvest” in Exodus 23:16. In Exodus 32:22 & Deuteronomy 16:10, it is specifically called the Feast of Weeks, and in Numbers 28:26, it is called “the Day the Firstfruits.”

The word “new” here is khadash. It has been used but once so far in the Bible. It means fresh, or new thing. It comes from the verb khadash which signifies to renew or repair. This new grain offering is then described next…

¹⁷You shall bring from your dwellings two wave loaves of two-tenths of an ephah.

From the people’s dwelling places, they were to bring two wave loaves. This is not to be assumed, as John Calvin and some others state, that every house was to bring two loves. Rather, two loaves total are brought, but they were to be made out of daily household food, and not prepared from wheat solely used for sacred purposes. In other words, it is the common which is being highlighted here.

The word “wave” is tenuphah. It is means to offer in a waving motion. It comes from the word nuph which was seen in verse 11, which means “to quiver.” The waving would be to vibrate up and down, or to rock to and fro. These two loaves were to be of two tenths, meaning two omers, of an ephah.

¹⁷^(con’t)They shall be of fine flour;

The tenths were to be soleth, or processed grain; thus fine flour.

¹⁷^(con’t)they shall be baked with leaven.

This is the second of only two times in the Bible where an offering was to be made to the Lord with khamets, or yeast. The other time is that of the thanksgiving peace-offering found in Leviticus 7:13. Yeast, or leaven, in the Bible pictures sin. It is what causes bread to puff up, and sin is what causes man to puff up. The addition of yeast also causes corruption and putrefaction to occur, the same is true with sin in man. So why was leaven added to the thanksgiving offering, and why is it added to this one? They are, after all, to be presented to the Lord.

Well, as I know you remember the details of the thanksgiving offering perfectly, I don’t need to explain it, but for those who may not have heard that sermon, the reason for offering leaven was that it was an acknowledgment that the Lord accepts such an offering despite man’s sin-nature. The Lord will not turn away an offering of thanks, even from a fallen, sin-filled man. Now, for the second and last time in the Bible, an offering with leaven is brought before the Lord. Therefore, this must have something to do with sin in man as well.

That is the pictorial meaning, and it will be explained more later, but for the feast itself, it may also have been to teach the people a lesson about the Lord’s blessing. At the Passover, no yeast was added. The reason is specifically stated that the people departed in haste, and didn’t have time to leaven their bread. Here, the people are not in haste, but in rest. Their harvest is ended, and they are having a feast before the Lord in relaxed gratitude for what He has provided.

¹⁷^(con’t)They are the firstfruits to the Lord.

The word here for “firstfruits” is bikkurim. It is not the same as the word translated as firstfruits in the Feast of Firstfruits in verses 9-14. There the word was reshith. This word comes from bakar, meaning properly, “to burst the womb.” Thus, firstborn. And therefore, bikkurim would be the hasty fruits, or those which ripen first. They stand for the whole of the crop which follows.

What is to be understood here is that the wheat harvest by this time is almost completed, and therefore, the presentation of these loaves, though at the end of the harvest cycle, are representative of the entire harvest cycle. This day of Pentecost is a day representative of the whole harvest.

¹⁸And you shall offer with the bread seven lambs of the first year, without blemish, one young bull, and two rams.

For this same feast, instead of one young bull and two rams, Numbers 28 says “two young bulls and one ram.” No explanation for the change is given. Because of this, some scholars see that error has crept into the text. That is not likely with something so obvious. Especially when this feast was celebrated year by year. What this means is that these offerings were distinct from those in Numbers. The ones here belong to the loaves. The ones in Numbers are for the day of the feast itself. Thus, there is a total of these special offerings on this day of fourteen lambs, three young bulls, and three rams. The reason for giving these numbers separately, was because in Numbers the feast was observed as required, but only after they entered the land of promise would the offerings mandated here be made, because they accompany that which came from the produce of the ground.

For the offering with the loaves, there are first seven kebes, or lambs. The word comes from an unused root meaning to dominate. These are bene shanah, or sons of the first year, implying innocence. And they are to be without blemish. Also, there was one par ben baqar, or “bull, son of oxen.” The word comes from parar, meaning to defeat. Baqar means to seek out. Also, there were to be two rams. The Hebrew is ayil, which indicates strength.

¹⁸^(con’t)They shall be as a burnt offering to the Lord, with their grain offering and their drink offerings,

These animals were to be offered as burnt offerings to the Lord. Along with them were to be the standard grain and drink offerings explained in previous sermons. All of those details point to Christ and His work.

^18 (con’t⁾ an offering made by fire for a sweet aroma to the Lord.

Together, the sum of these offerings were to be raised up to the Lord as a reakh nikhoakh la’Yehovah, or a sweet aroma to the Lord. The word reakh comes from ruakh, which gives the sense of acceptance. The Lord smells and is pleased. The word nikhokh gives the sense of that which is quieting, or tranquilizing. It comes from nuakh, meaning “to rest.”

¹⁹Then you shall sacrifice one kid of the goats as a sin offering,

Along with the burnt offerings was to be a saiyr izzim, or “kid of the goats.” This was for a sin offering. The sayir was also the sin offering of the people on the Day of Atonement. The word izzim is derived from azaz, meaning “to prevail.”

¹⁹^(con’t)and two male lambs of the first year as a sacrifice of a peace offering.

These two lambs are the same animals as the seven lambs of the burnt offering of verse 18. They are to be made a part of the peace offering as next described…

²⁰The priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits as a wave offering before the Lord, with the two lambs.

These two lambs were to be waved before the Lord together at the same time as the leavened loaves of bread which were offered as firstfruits. The symbolism here is marvelous to contemplate.

²⁰^(con’t)They shall be holy to the Lord for the priest.

Both the waved lambs, and the leavened bread of the firstfruits were considered qodesh la’Yehovah, or “Holy to the Lord,” and they were reserved for the consumption of the priest alone. The word “priest” is singular. Normally only the breast and shoulder of the peace offerings was for the priests, and the offeror would receive back the rest to eat. It was thus a mutual sharing of a meal. However, in this case, the lambs were on behalf of the entire congregation, and so the lambs were deemed as Holy to the Lord and consumed wholly by the priest.

As a point of clarity, the NKJV, following the KJV, is punctuated incorrectly. The entire verse should read, “And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits for a wave offering before the Lord; with the two lambs they shall be holy to the Lord for the priest.” Otherwise, the verse is obscure and makes no sense.

²¹And you shall proclaim on the same day that it is a holy convocation to you.

To proclaim a holy convocation means to initiate the day with trumpet blasts. This is recorded in Numbers 10:10. Although the trumpets have not yet been made, when they are, this is one of the specific purposes for them. As it says there, sounding the trumpets in this manner is to “be a memorial for you before your God.” On this particular day, there was to be more than just a gathering of the people, but like the first and last day of Unleavened Bread, it was to be a holy convocation. This is then described with the words…

²¹^(con’t)You shall do no customary work on it.

kal meleket abodah lo taasu – “all work regular no shall you do.” Regular work was not to be conducted on this day. However, this is not a Sabbath. It is rather a day, on which according to Exodus 12:16, food could be prepared. Other Sabbath regulations would likewise not be enforced. Instead, it would be like one of our holidays.

²¹^(con’t)It shall be a statute forever in all your dwellings throughout your generations.

The words khuqat olam, or statue forever, signify “to the vanishing point.” They do not mean that we still must observe this feast. What it means is that until it was fulfilled in Christ, it was to be observed year by year. All Israel was to observe this feast at its appointed time.

²²‘When you reap the harvest of your land,

Affixed to the end of the feast is this seemingly unrelated verse. It appears to have nothing to do with the feast at all, and it is a repeat of Leviticus 19:9. It seems superfluous and cumbersomely placed here, and yet it is perfectly placed and a remarkable verse, both in the Hebrew wording, and in what it is pointing to.

u-b’qusrekem eth qetsir artsekem – and in your reaping harvest of your land. The verb for “when you reap” is 2^nd person plural as is its corresponding noun, “your land.” The words are spoken to all of Israel. There is a time when they would reap their land’s harvest. It is this time which is being highlighted.

^{22 (con’t)}you shall not wholly reap the corners of your field when you reap,

Listen carefully and see if you can hear what is odd in these words – lo tekaleh peat sakdekha b’qusrekha. Anyone? Really odd. Isn’t it! “No shall you make clean riddance of the edges of your field when you reap.” For only the second and last time in the chapter, words in this verse suddenly become second person, singular. “No shall you make clean riddance (meaning “you singular”) of the edges (of) your field (singular) when you reap (singular). The only other verse where this happens was verse 3 when speaking of working six days. “Six days you shall do work,” second person, singular. And it continues…

^{22 (con’t)}nor shall you gather any gleaning from your harvest.

v’leqet qetsirekha lo telaqet – “and the gleaning (of) your harvest (singular) no shall you gather” (singular).

^{22 (con’t)}You shall leave them for the poor and for the stranger:

l’ani v’lager taazov otam – “to the poor, and to the stranger you shall leave (singular) them (plural, speaking of the things defined).” This is the last time in the entire chapter that it speaks in the singular. The Lord goes from speaking to all the people in the beginning clause, to just one in the middle, and then He will close speaking to all. What is going on here? We’ll try to figure it out before we finish. But for now, it is a reminder to the people that there is to be mercy upon the poor and the stranger. As Matthew Henry says, “Those who are truly sensible of the mercy they received from God, will show mercy to the poor without grudging.” See the book of Ruth for this law being practiced.

*^22 (fin)I am the Lord your God.’”

ani Yehovah elohekem – “I am Yehovah your God.” The noun “your God” is plural. The Lord is speaking to all Israel. And so ends the instruction for the conduct of the feast. It is with this word of declaration that they have been instructed by Yehovah.

II. Fulfilled in Christ

The first thing that we need to get, is that there is a parallel to the timing of the first Passover to the giving of the Law of Moses and with the day of Firstfruits (meaning the resurrection of Christ) and the day of Pentecost. Each was an interval of fifty days.

The Lord told Moses on the 48th day after their departure from Egypt that He would appear to the people “on the third day.” Thus, He would appear to them on the 50th day. As the Lord appeared to the people on the 50^th day and gave them the law, so the Holy Spirit came down upon the people in Jerusalem 50 days after Christ’s resurrection. That is recorded in Acts 2 –

“When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. ²And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. ³Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. ⁴And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” Acts 2:1-4

In type then, the giving of the law prefigures the giving of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost because of the 50-day interval. As there was no Feast of Firstfruits at the time of the exodus, the feast is counted from the first day after the Passover rather than from date set here in Leviticus. Both events are preceded by a fifty-day period of learning from the Lord and anticipating a meeting with Him. This is why the calendar day for the Feast of Firstfruits is not given. It is based on a Sabbath, whenever that Sabbath would occur. What is important is the 50-day interval.

It is on this day that a new grain offering was to be made. As I said, the word “new” is khadash. It means fresh, or new thing. It comes from the verb khadash which signifies to renew or repair. It is on this day that the spiritual reconnection to God, which was lost at the fall of man, was to be repaired. Signified by this grain offering.

From this grain offering, gathered from the common stores of the people, two loaves of bread, with leaven, were to be presented to the Lord as a wave offering. The word “wave” signifies to move back and forth, coming from a word meaning to quiver. This root was the same used to describe Christ’s resurrection in the Feast of Firstfruits. As He became vibrant and alive again, we are spritiually made vibrant because of His work. It is the rebirth through the work of the Spirit. Paul explains this in Ephesians 2:4-6 –

“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, ⁵even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), ⁶and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus…

They were to be two loaves of fine flour, signifying that they are pure. And yet, they were to be baked with leaven. That there were two of them signifies a contrast. In the Bible, this is what the number two signifies – a contrast, and yet a confirmation of something. There is day and there is night. They contrast, and yet they confirm the duration of a day. There is the Old Testament and there is the New. They contrast, and yet they confirm the totality of the word of God. There is Jesus – divine and human. They contrast, and yet the confirm that He is the God-Man.

In this, the two loaves are filled with yeast, and yet they are fine flour – and there are two of them. Fine flour signifies purity; grain which is processed and acceptable. Yeast signifies sin. The loaves are the redeemed of the Lord, deemed as pure, and yet still bearing sin. And more, they reflect Jew and Gentile being presented as acceptable to Him, signified by the sealing of the Spirit. This is actually seen in the writings of Paul. He twice mentions people as being firstfruits of an area known as Achaia. The first is Romans 16:5; the second is 1 Corinthians 16:15 –

“Greet my beloved Epaenetus, who is the firstfruits of Achaia to Christ.”

“I urge you, brethren—you know the household of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia…”

Epaenetus is a Jew. The name is the same as the Hebrew Judah or “praise.” And so it is believed he used his Hebrew name among the Hebrews and his Greek name among the Greeks as often happened in those days. Stephanas was a Gentile.

More interestingly, the name Achaia where both were from has the same general meaning as the Hebrew name of Egypt. Egypt or mitsrayim is a plural word which means “double distress.” Achaia means “grief.” These are called the Firstfruits of Grief. They are a picture of the first redeemed out of the world of grief, just as Israel was redeemed out of Egypt, or double distress.

These then show the fulfillment of the two loaves of bread with yeast being presented to the Lord at this feast, Jew and Gentile. Returning the firstfruits to the Lord is a picture of the firstfruits of the redeemed being noted as such in the New Testament. As the Day of Pentecost stands for the entire church age, these two are noted out of Jew and Gentile as examples of all who would likewise be a part of this great harvest. As it said in verse 17, “They are firstfruits to the Lord.”

The seven lambs of the first year for the burnt offering picture Christ. Seven is the number of spiritual perfection, emblematic of His spiritually perfect work. The first year signifies innocence, just as Christ was innocent. The lamb or kebes means “to dominate.” Through His innocence He dominated over sin and destroyed it.

Along with that was a par ben baqar, or “bull, son of oxen.” Par comes from parar, meaning to defeat. Baqar comes from a word meaning to inquire or seek out. Christ defeated the devil, seeking out those He would redeem, just as the Lord is said to seek out His sheep in Ezekiel 34.

The two ayil, or rams, indicating strength, shows that Christ’s strength was expended for both Jew and Gentile. They reflect the total commitment of Christ who offered all of His natural strength to His Father. He is fully sufficient to redeem all. These were returned to the Lord as a burnt offering.

After this came the grain and drink offerings. They have been fully explained in past sermons, and so suffice it to say that every detail of them points to the finished work of Christ. In short, as a refresher concerning the drink offering, it is poured out in its entirety to the Lord. No part of it was drank by the priests or the people, signifying that the people were partially excluded from the full blessings of the Lord while still under the Law of Moses. This is what Jesus was referring to in Matthew –

“Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins break, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.” Matthew 9:17

Jesus was speaking of the law and grace. The new wine is the new dispensation of grace to come. The old wine was the dispensation of the law. If one were to introduce the new concept into the old, it would not work because the two were incompatible. Putting new wine in new wineskins is emblematic of putting new doctrine into renewed minds. Only in Christ does man truly enter into God’s victory and rest. It is a rest guaranteed by the sealing of the Spirit on Pentecost, and for each believer since that first day.

All of these offerings were considered a reakh nikhoakh la’Yehovah, or a sweet aroma to the Lord. As I said reakh comes from ruakh, which gives the sense of acceptance. The word nikhokh gives the sense of that which is quieting, or tranquilizing. It comes from nuakh, meaning “to rest.” Through the work of Christ, we are accepted, and the anger of the Lord is quieted. Now we enter His rest because of the work of Christ, who is our Rest.

Next described are the sin and peace offerings. The sin offering here is the saiyr izzim, or “kid of the goats.” As I said, this is the same as is seen on the Day of Atonement. Rather than a specific sin, this is a general sin offering for the people. It again pictures Christ. Sayir is the hairy goat. Hair signifies awareness. It is an offering for the awareness of sin. Izzim is derived from azaz, meaning “to prevail.” Those with an awareness of sin prevail over it in Christ.

After that came the two lambs of the peace-offering. They were waved with the two loves of bread. The loaves, picturing both Jew and Gentile sinners sealed with the Spirit of God, and the lambs picturing the innocent Christ who dominated over sin on their behalf – meaning both Jew and Gentile – are waved as one before the Lord. Together, not separately, they are made a peace offering. It is because of Christ that the one offering of both is termed qodesh la’Yehovah, or “Holy to the Lord.”

This holy offering was reserved for consumption by the priest alone. That is why the word “priest” is singular here. It is an indication of the priesthood of believers. We have only one Mediator between God and man, and that is Christ Jesus, and there is no mediator between Christ and man. The symbolism of the Old shows us the folly of the supposed mediatorial priesthood of the Roman Catholic Church. Christ is our Priest, and together with Him we are made a peace offering to God.

It was after noting these final offerings that the people were told this was a holy convocation on which they were not to work. Such a holy convocation is a reminder that Christ has done the work, and that we enjoy the benefits of it. The preparing of food, which is allowed, can be equated with our spiritual growth, but all forms of works meriting salvation are accomplished solely by the Lord

With this, the rites of the Feast of Weeks were completed, but then came that obscure verse, repeated from Leviticus 19:9. Both of them bear the same odd pattern of being addressed in the plural and then moving to the singular.

It cannot be an error. The Hebrew is so obvious that anyone reading it would immediately see the change. And yet, other than one off-handed remark by one scholar that notes it is in the 2^nd person singular, the matter is completely ignored.

But ignoring this leaves out any possibility of solving the enigma. What is happening here is that the Lord is speaking to the entire congregation. Imagine Him waving His hand over all of them and saying, “I want all of you to do this when you reap the harvest of the Land.” And then with the same breath, He stops, points at one person, and says, “You shall not make clean riddance of the edges of your field when you reap. And neither shall you gather any gleaning of your harvest. You shall leave them for the poor and the stranger.” And then He waves His hand to the entire congregation again and says, “I am the Lord your God.”

It is obvious to Israel that these words are intended for all at all times, but it is equally obvious that He is singling out a specific instance, in conjunction with the Feast of Weeks, and saying, “I am giving You alone specific instructions.”

As this feast is pointing to the giving of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, and as this feast represents the entire church age, and all who are included in it, then this must be referring to leaving something behind after the church age. The Lord is directing Christ concerning what is to be done at the rapture. The answer is found in Revelation 7.

At some point, after the rapture, there will be 144,000 Jews who will be sealed with the seal of the living God. It is they who will evangelize those left behind who will come looking for what is left over after the harvest is complete. They are the poor and the strangers who have come to glean from the merciful God who has instructed His Son to leave behind a blessing for them.

The natural question then is, “Because this is yet future, doesn’t this mean that this portion of the Law is not yet fulfilled?” The answer is “No.” The Feast is fulfilled in the giving of the Spirit, not in the rapture of the church and what comes after it. Those are merely a part of the feast, just as each new believer in Christ is. There is one fulfillment through Christ’s work, and there is the continuing application of that fulfillment, just as there is one day of birth, but many birthdays.

This is why James, writing to the Jews of the end times, says to them, “Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures” (1:18). They will be their own kind of firstfruits, being a part of this feast, and yet a separate and distinct part nonetheless. It is also why the book of Revelation uses the same term for them in verse 14:4 –

“These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb.”

The feast continues though the feast is fulfilled. What we have seen is the truth that the law has been completed by Christ, and that He is the fulfillment of it on our behalf. We can either trust in Him, and in His finished work for us, or we can trust in the law to save us. To show us the severity of the choice, there is another pattern that goes along with the previous one of the fifty days leading up to the giving of the law, and the fifty days leading up to Pentecost.

At the time of the giving of the law, the people of Israel rejected the Lord and built a golden calf, bowing down and worshiping it. At that time, Exodus 32:28 tells us that about three thousand of the people fell before the Lord for their violation of the law.

However, at the time of the giving of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2, it says, “those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.” Paul then provides us an explanation of this in 2 Corinthians 3:6. There he says that the letter, meaning the law, kills, but the Spirit gives life. There is a complete contrast to the two. It is the continuous lesson of the Bible. We can work our way towards God and be found guilty before the Lord, receiving our just condemnation. Or, we can trust in Christ, be granted His Spirit, and be saved. The choice is clearly laid out for us, and it is left up to us to decide which we will pursue.

This is why we don’t observe these ancient feasts anymore. They are fulfilled by Him. We are merely participants in this great unfolding drama of His beautiful work. Remember our text verse for today – “So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, ¹⁷which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.”

These feasts of the Lord are given to show us Christ and His work on our behalf. In Him we live in the substance, not the shadow. If you are trying to find God’s favor through shadowy rituals, obsolete dietary laws, and spending your Saturday as the Jews of old did (and failed by the way), then you have put up a wall – a giganticus maximus wall – between you and God. Tear it down, and pass freely and without hindrance into the arms of Christ by receiving His completed work as your own.

Closing Verse: “For we know that the whole creation groans and labors with birth pangs together until now. ²³Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. ²⁴For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? ²⁵But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.” Romans 8:22-25

Next Week: Leviticus 23:23-25 Lots of shouting on this day in Israel the nation… (The Feasts of the Lord, The Memorial of Acclamation) (40^th Leviticus Sermon)

The Giving of the Spirit

‘And you shall count for yourselves
From the day after the Sabbath, the day when death is defeated
From the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering:
Seven Sabbaths shall be completed

Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath
———-According to this word
Then you shall offer a new grain offering to the Lord

You shall bring from your dwellings
Two wave loaves of two-tenths of an ephah, according to this word
They shall be of fine flour; they shall be baked with leaven
They are the firstfruits to the Lord

And you shall offer with the bread seven lambs
Of the first year without blemish, one young bull, and two rams

They shall be as a burnt offering to the Lord
With their grain offering and their drink offerings
An offering made by fire for a sweet aroma to the Lord
Such shall be these profferings

Then you shall sacrifice one kid of the goats
As a sin offering, so you shall do
And two male lambs of the first year
As a sacrifice of a peace offering, as I instruct to you

The priest shall wave them with the bread
Of the firstfruits as a wave offering before the Lord
With the two lambs as I have said
They shall be holy to the Lord for the priest, according to this word

And you shall proclaim on the same day
That it is a holy convocation to you, without alterations
You shall do no customary work on it
It shall be a statute forever in all your dwellings throughout your generations

‘When you reap the harvest of your land
You shall not wholly reap the corners, so I attest
Of your field when you reap
Nor shall you gather any gleaning from your harvest

You shall leave them for the poor and for the stranger
I am the Lord your God, your feast-day Arranger

And so we thank You Lord Jesus, for having fulfilled this feast
You poured out your Spirit on the sons of men
Upon Jew and Gentile, and upon the greatest and the least
All who call on You, are at that moment born again

The Spirit is given; a divine guarantee
We have the surety of God, upon us sealed
Eternal salvation is granted; from condemnation we are free
Marvelous salvation; we are brought in as crops from the field

Thank You, O glorious God, for this that You have done for us
To give us new life, You sent Your only begotten; our Lord Jesus

Hallelujah and Amen…

Leviticus 23:9-14 (The Feasts of the Lord, Firstfruits)

Charlie Garrett Leviticus, Leviticus (written), Old Testament, Sermons, Torah, Torah (written) Sunday, December 31st, 2017Friday, December 29th, 2017 0 Comment

Leviticus 23:9-14
The Feasts of the Lord
Firstfruits

Today we turn to the Feast of Firstfruits. It is a small number of verses, but it points to the second half of the greatest event in all of human history. As it is a part of the Law of Moses, we know that it is fulfilled, and all sound Christian scholars will admit this. It is one of the spring feasts of the Lord, and the agreement is that all of the spring feasts are fulfilled, completely and entirely, in Christ’s first advent.

The disagreement on the feasts of the Lord in relation to fulfillment doesn’t arrive until we come to the fall feasts – known to most as Trumpets, Atonement, and Tabernacles. It is best to not get too ahead of oneself in analyzing the Bible for others, because whatever I say would then fill the hearer’s mind with presuppositions about what is being said when we finally arrive at whatever passage I previously referred to.

However, in the case of the feasts of the Lord, there should be no problem with coming to the fall feasts with a presupposition that they are already fulfilled. And so, as I have done several times already, especially when we looked at the Day of Atonement passage of Leviticus 16, I would like to again remind you that the Law of Moses is fulfilled in Christ. This is made explicit time and time again in the New Testament.

As the feasts of the Lord, both spring and fall, are a part of the Law of Moses, then they – by default – must be fulfilled. If they are not, then Christ… didn’t fulfill the law. If so, then it is not fulfilled. And if this is so, then Christ is not the end of the law for all who believe. And if this is so, what are we doing in church? If the law is not fulfilled in Christ, then we of all men are the most pitiable.

But such is not the case. We are not to be pitied, but emulated! We have a hope which is grounded in the truth of God as is revealed in the Person and work of Jesus Christ! We have the hope of glory, and we have the assurance of salvation. Praise God for what He has done in Jesus!

Paul tells us there that the feasts of the Lord are mere shadows of the true Substance which is found in the Person and work of Christ. Isaiah wrote of what was coming in Christ, including a hint at what would be fulfilled concerning the Feast of Firstfruits. The shadow would find its substance. Here is what he says –

“After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light and be satisfied. My righteous servant will justify many by the knowledge of himself; and he will bear their iniquities.” Isaiah 53:11 (World English Bible)

For this verse, I switched from the usual preaching Bible that I use, the NKJV, to the World English Bible. The NKJV, like the older KJV, is based upon a source text which dropped out some rather important information. The oldest copy of that text, the Masoretic Text, comes more than 1000 years after the work of Christ, and it was a text maintained by the Jews.

There are several places where it is rather apparent these Masoretes purposefully manipulated the text to hide something wonderful; to hide Christ. Isaiah 53:11 is one of those passages. Mark that down and go compare the incorrect reading of the KJV to what is corrected by modern Bibles. And how do we know the correction is correct? Because in 1947, a group of documents was found in Qumran, Israel which predate the coming of Christ. Included in these documents, now known as the Dead Sea Scrolls, was the Great Isaiah scroll. In Isaiah 53:11, lo and behold, the words which match the Septuagint, another copy of the Old Testament, written in Greek, and also which predates the coming of Christ, says the same thing – “After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light and be satisfied.”

The direct object in both the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Septuagint is the word “light.” Something magnificent, symbolized by the word “light,” would happen to the Servant after the suffering of His soul. It is in this, and not the suffering, in which satisfaction would come. The suffering would lead to the light. What was Isaiah saying? He was saying the same thing that the Bible has said from the very beginning. It is something which is said again, in a different way, in today’s verses.

What are we to see in these six verses of Leviticus 23? Something wonderful. Something filled with hope for fallen man. Something directly from the mind of God which points to the future work of Christ Jesus. This is what we are to see. These things are all to be found in His superior word. And so let’s turn to that precious word once again and… May God speak to us through His word today and may His glorious name ever be praised.

I. That Which Is First (verses 9-14)

⁹And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,

The words given here are here are identical to verse 1, and they have not been spoken since verse 1. In other words, there was the mandated weekly Sabbath which was considered its own feast. Then there was the introduction of the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. But both of these fell under the original introduction of verse 1. Now a new introduction is given. Why would this be?

The answer is found in what the following verses proclaim. As we saw, the Sabbath, the Passover, and the Feast of Unleavened Bread had already been proclaimed to the people of Israel. They were simply re-explained to the people here in Chapter 23, and defined as feasts of the Lord.

What will now be proclaimed is not only a new feast of the Lord, not specifically mandated before, but it is also a feast which could not be observed during their time in the wilderness. The Sabbath, Passover, and Unleavened Bread were feasts to be held anywhere at any time. Such was not the case for Firstfruits. Israel was on the way to Canaan. Their expected arrival was yet ahead. That their time in the wilderness would last 40 years was merely a result of coming disobedience.

Had that not occurred, they would have gone into Canaan in a very short amount of time, and the very next year at approximately this same time, they would be observing their first year of these feasts. This was the intent, but it would not actually happen for a full 40 years. Despite this, it is a feast for those dwelling in the land, when the ground was set to produce its spring harvest.

¹⁰“Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When you come into the land

ki tabo-u el ha’arets – There is assurance in these words. “When come you into the land” signifies arrival – sure and guaranteed. For Israel, this was their immediate expectation. For them, there was expected to be a short time of preparation, and then they would boldly march in and receive their inheritance.

That the amount of time until their arrival would extend beyond the lives of almost every adult in the camp is of no matter to the Lord. He has said it would come to pass, and so it shall. If a time of refinement, chastisement, and learning was necessary for these people before they entered, so be it. But enter they would.

¹⁰^(con’t)which I give to you,

asher ani noten lakem – The implication here is that this is the Lord’s land. One cannot bestow what he does not possess. Further, as the owner, giving it to Israel signifies that it is Israel’s inheritance. Conditions for dwelling in the land accompany the grant, and if those conditions are not met, the negative results are also stated. But the land is for Israel. When they are obedient, the land is theirs, and they may dwell in it. When they are disobedient, the land is theirs, and they may not dwell in it. But it is the Lord’s land, set apart for Israel. When Israel is in the land, they were to observe this feast to the Lord.

As a point of note, this is the third of only four times in the book of Leviticus that a command is given in a prospective manner. It is something expected only in the future, when the people have arrived in their promised inheritance.

The four times this type of command are given are found in Leviticus 14:34 when speaking of the Lord putting a leprous plague in a house. Again in Leviticus 19:23 when the people enter the land and plant fruit trees, they were to be considered as uncircumcised for three years. Then this note in Leviticus 23 concerning this Feast of Firstfruits. Finally, in Leviticus 25:2 will come the mandate of the seventh-year Sabbath of the land.

¹⁰^(con’t)and reap its harvest,

u-qetsartem eth qetsiyrah – “And shall reap the harvest.” As Israel was to be an agrarian society, their lives would be centered on the annual cycle of planting and harvesting. The Lord is anticipating this and directing them according to such a schedule. At the time of reaping, the feast of the Lord would be celebrated.

The word “reap” here is qatsar. It means to cut down. It can be used figuratively in the sense of being discouraged, mourning, being troubled and so on. At a harvest, one may mourn the labor, but it is a mourning which leads to joy. That which results from the labors is what one actually anticipates.

The word harvest, qatsiyr, is derived from qatsar. It is that which grows, and which is to be reaped. Even more, what is later stated about this reaping, is that it is the very beginning of the harvest. In Deuteronomy 16, while explaining terms of the Feast of Weeks, the next feast to be celebrated after Firstfruits, we will read this –

“You shall count seven weeks for yourself; begin to count the seven weeks from the time you begin to put the sickle to the grain.” Deuteronomy 16:9

This then is the very commencement of the harvest; the first of that which is reaped.

¹⁰^(con’t)then you shall bring a sheaf

Here, the word translated as “sheaf” is omer. It is a word which carries two distinct meanings. The first is a specific dry measure of something. In this case, it would be grain. If this is the intent, then it is the same measure as the amount of Manna which was stored up in the golden pot which was recorded in Exodus 16. An omer is one-tenth of the standard measure known as an ephah.

The second meaning of omer is simply a sheaf. This is the meaning which is found in Deuteronomy 24:19, and also in Ruth 2:7. There are good scholarly commentaries which favor either meaning of the word. Jewish commentaries state that this is a set measure. Flavius Josephus agrees, saying it is a measure which has been dried, beaten, and had the barley purged from the bran.

Because of the symbolism being pictured, I would personally agree with the translation which says “sheaf.” It is a single sheaf, cut down – the first of the harvest. But more, this is barley, not wheat. Barley is the first crop to ripen each year.

Barley is the crop of the poor people, being a lesser grain than wheat. It is known as the crop of hairy ears because of its hairy appearance. The word “barley” in Hebrew is seorah which is closely related to the word se-ar or hair.

Hair in the Bible indicates an awareness of things, especially that of sin. The goat for example, which is used in Leviticus for the sin offering, is known as sair. We have an awareness of sin in the hairy goat sin offering. In Numbers there is a type of person known as a Nazirite. This is someone who made a vow or was consecrated to the Lord.

During the time of that vow, they were never to cut their hair. Samson was a Nazirite from birth as were Samuel and John the Baptist. Paul took a Nazirite vow in Acts. The hair on their head was a reminder of their state, just as the hairy goat is a reminder of sin. It is man’s place to be aware.

¹⁰^(con’t)of the firstfruits of your harvest

The word translated as “firstfruits” is reshith. It means, “the beginning,” “the first,” “the chief,” “the finest,” etc. It is the first word used in Scripture, b’reshith, or “In the beginning.” It comes from the same root as rosh, which is the first in time, place, order, or rank. It is the principle thing. In this verse, the term reshith, or “firstfruits” is singular.

¹⁰^(con’t)to the priest

el ha’kohen – “unto the priest.” It is to the priest ministering before the Lord that this beginning offering was to be brought.

¹¹He shall wave the sheaf before the Lord,

Without being argumentative, whether set dry measure, or whether sheaf (but we shall go with sheaf), the priest was to take the omer and wave it before the Lord. The Lord was to personally see the waving of this sheaf; it was to be waved there in His presence.

The word translated as “wave,” nuph, gives the sense of “to quiver.” Thus it means to vibrate up and down or to rock to and fro. To get the idea of what the priest does, the word means elsewhere “to wave,” “to beckon,” “to sprinkle,” “to rub,” “to saw,” and so on. Each of these implies motion and vibrancy.

¹¹^(con’t)to be accepted on your behalf;

The words here are more appropriately translated as, “so that you may be accepted.” The offering was made not for the offering to be accepted, but for the acceptance of those offering. The word “your” is plural, speaking of all of the people of the land.

¹¹^(con’t)on the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it.

One of the greatest divisions of interpretation of this entire feast is answering the question, “What Sabbath is being referred to here?” The answer was a dividing line between the Sadducees and the Pharisees of the Second Temple times. The vast majority of commentators agree with the Pharisees and say it is referring not to the weekly Sabbath, but to the first day of the holy convocation which follows immediately after Passover.

In other words, the Passover began, as verse 5 states, “On the fourteenth day of the first month at twilight.” The next day, the first day of Unleavened Bread, or the fifteenth day of the month, was a holy convocation where no regular work was to be done. Thus, the day after this supposed “Sabbath” would be the 16^th, and it would be on this day that the offering was to be presented.

This is incorrect for several reasons:

1) The feast now being looked at began with its introductory words, “And the Lord spoke to Moses saying.” There is thus no scriptural reason for tying the two feasts together in this way. Any such alignment would be incidental, not purposeful.

2) The first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread is not a Sabbath (oops), nor is ever termed as such. It is a “holy convocation.” No work of any kind was to be conducted on a Sabbath. However, the preparation of food, something not allowed on a Sabbath, was allowed on this day according to Exodus 12:16 (oops). Further,

3) all yeast was to be removed from the house on this same day, another work which would not be authorized on a Sabbath (oops).

4) If the day now in question was a weekly Sabbath, following the holy convocation, which would occur every seventh year or so, then the people – if not priests – bringing this sheaf to the temple on that weekly Sabbath day, would be a violation of that Sabbath which was now being observed. But Leviticus 23:3 was specifically placed first in order of the feasts to show that no feast celebration was to interfere with the regular weekly Sabbath. But this would have to be the case if the Sabbath referred to in this verse was the holy convocation referred to in the previous feast (one more oops).

I’m sad, you see
For the Pharisee
Because he failed to exegete carefully
He did contemplate his Scripture improperly

The correct answer is that this is a weekly Sabbath which would fall into the time of the harvest season when the first grain became ripe, whenever that occurred. As the Passover is during this season, it would more often than not occur on the day after whatever weekly Sabbath occurred during the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

Why is this so important to understand? It is because when this is taken incorrectly, as has been done continuously by modern scholars, it causes the timeline of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection to be improperly manipulated. It introduces a false reading of Scripture, and thus a false rendering of the Passion week timeline. It may seem like hair-splitting to worry about this, but the timeline of Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection is so carefully detailed by the Lord, that He really wants us to not botch it up when we look at it. This is certain.

¹²And you shall offer on that day, when you wave the sheaf, a male lamb of the first year,

On the same day as the waving of the sheaf, a kebes, or male lamb of the first year was to be offered. The first time the kebes was mentioned was in the initial instructions for the Passover found in Exodus 12:5. The word comes from an unused root meaning, “to dominate.” It is a ram just old enough to butt. Being in its first year implies innocence. But there is more…

^{12 (con’t)}without blemish,

There was to be no defect. It was to be perfect in all ways.

^{12 (con’t)}as a burnt offering to the Lord.

A burnt offering is one which signifies a life dedicated wholly to the Lord. The entire animal is burnt up as a sweet smelling aroma to Yehovah.

¹³Its grain offering shall be two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour

Along with the lamb was to be a grain offering of solet, or fine flour. This is from an unused root meaning to strip; flour, as chipped off; and thus fine. It is generally considered, even when not specifically stated, that wheat was the flour used in such an offering. It would be the best of things offered to the greatest of Beings, meaning the Creator.

Normally, a grain offering along with an animal would be one-tenth of an ephah of flour, but this one requires two. The reason is probably because it being a harvest feast, it implies greater liberality in the anticipation of a great harvest ahead. One tenth would be the regular offering, the second would be in anticipation of the plenty which lay ahead. Along with any grain offering, frankincense was also offered, though not stated here.

¹^{3 (con’t)}mixed with oil, an offering made by fire to the Lord, for a sweet aroma;

The grain offering was to be balal, or mixed, with oil. When it was properly prepared, it was to be made an offering by fire to the Lord, as it says, for a sweet aroma.

¹^{3 (con’t)}and its drink offering shall be of wine, one-fourth of a hin.

The only three times that nesek, or drink offerings, are mentioned in Leviticus are here in this chapter. This is the first of them. The word means “cover.” The idea is that when the drink offering is poured out, it will cover that onto which it is poured. The fourth part of wine was the standard amount of the drink offering (Exodus 29:40). As this is not the time of the vintage harvest, the same amount as normal was offered.

¹⁴You shall eat neither bread nor parched grain nor fresh grain until the same day that you have brought an offering to your God;

The prohibition against partaking of any of the produce of the field is given. Not until the firstfruits is offered were any of these things to be eaten by the people, implying from the new harvest. Qali, or parched grain, is introduced here. It is rather rare, being seen only six times in the Bible. It is roasted grain. Along with bread, no parched grain, or fresh grain was to be eaten until the rite was accomplished.

*¹⁴^(fin) it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

The words here are all-encompassing, but they must be taken in context of the greater biblical themes. Khuqat olam, or statute forever, does not mean “forever to eternity.” Olam simply signifies, “to the vanishing point.” This was to be a statute forever, until the symbolism was fulfilled in Christ. “Throughout all your generations” means that it was to be continuous and without interruption. “All your dwellings” means that it applies to all Israel without exception. This is, after all, a Feast of the Lord. It was an annual anticipatory look to the time when Christ would come and fulfill it. At that time, the shadow would become substance.

A Sheaf of grain brought to the Lord
It was the first cut down in the field
Our duty in presenting it, we have not ignored
Now it is hoped that our land will greatly yield

When presented, the Sheaf is waved, vibrant and alive
The Lord has accepted it, as the best of the field
The harvest will be abundant; we shall surely thrive
Yes it is hoped that our land will greatly yield

This Sheaf surely represents all that will follow it
There will be the most magnificent harvest from the field
All will be like the First, not a stalk unfit
Surely because of the Firstfruits our land will greatly yield

II. Fulfilled in Christ

As was noted, this was a feast only intended to be observed by Israel in the land which the Lord gave to His people. So much for people observing it today. It doesn’t apply, nor can this precept be met by the people of the church. It is absurd to even consider mandating the observance of this feast during the Gentile-led church age.

The omer, or sheaf, was to be the first ripe grain of the harvest. However, the term reshith, indicates more than simply the first, but the best, the preeminent, the head. The word is singular. One sheaf is presented. Each of these concepts speaks of Christ. He is the one, preeminent, first, and best.

As we saw, though not specifically stated, this sheaf is of the barley crop. It is the crop of the poor. Paul points us to the significance of this in 2 Corinthians 8 –

“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich.” 2 Corinthians 8:9

Further, it is the crop of hairy ears, signifying a likeness to sinful man. This is reflected in Paul’s words of Romans 8 –

“For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, ⁴that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” Romans 8:3, 4

This grain is cut down, or harvested, and then presented to the Lord. As I noted, it was to be waved by the priest before the Lord. The grain which had been cut down is caused to move, vibrancy is seen, and the semblance of life is found in it. It is the priest who conducts this. Thus, we have a picture of Christ our true High Priest causing this preeminent sheaf to be vibrant before the Lord. It is the resurrection, where life reanimates that which was cut down. To see the fulfilled symbolism of this, we need go no further than 1 Corinthians 15 –

“But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.” 1 Corinthians 15:20

Christ was dead, He was cut down, but he was brought back from the dead, having arisen, filled with vibrancy before the Lord. As there is but one sheaf, it signifies that Christ is the one and only Representative of, or means of, future resurrection. He is the one and only Mediator; the one and only example for emulation.

And yet, a sheaf is composed of many stalks, and so this indicates the fullness of the work which He accomplished. Every aspect of Christ the Man was cut down and buried, but in His resurrection, all of who He is was resurrected.

But in this verse, Paul shows us that this is not the end of the story. He uses the term aparché, or firstfruits, which is also a singular noun. He is the first, but Paul continues by saying, “of those who have fallen asleep.”

This is why the Hebrew of verse 11 says, “so that you may be accepted.” It is in the plural, speaking of those who are accepted because of the Firstfruits, Christ. It is Christ’s resurrection that then justifies us, and thus guarantees our resurrection as well. This is seen first in Paul’s words of Romans 4 –

“It shall be imputed to us who believe in Him who raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead, ²⁵who was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.” Romans 4:24, 25

Christ died for our sins, seen in His atoning death, and He was raised for our justification. Once justified, Paul continues to explain what will occur because of this. Again to 1 Corinthians 15 –

“For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. ²²For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. ²³But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming.” 1 Corinthians 15:21-23

After noting what was to be done, the words then tell when it was to be done. It was to be on the day after the Sabbath. I went into painful detail explaining why the term “the Sabbath” means a weekly Sabbath and nothing else. It does not in any way point to the holy convocation of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The reason this is important, as I said, is because of the timeline of Christ’s Passion. In Luke 23 we read the following –

“Then he took it down, wrapped it in linen, and laid it in a tomb that was hewn out of the rock, where no one had ever lain before. ⁵⁴That day was the Preparation, and the Sabbath drew near.” Luke 23:53, 54

No doubt that this is speaking of a Sabbath, not a convocation. The term Sabbath is specific. However, John says the following –

“Therefore, because it was the Preparation Day, that the bodies should not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.” John 19:31

The reason why this was a “high day” was because the holy convocation and the regular Sabbath occurred on the same day, not because the holy convocation is a Sabbath day. As I said, any such alignment would be incidental, not purposeful. And this was correct for about 1500 years. Anytime the two lined up, it was an incidental occurrence. However, for it to be lined up when Christ would suffer and die was purposeful. It was God’s intent that Christ would die on a Friday and raise on a Sunday. The types and pictures found in the Old Testament which He fulfills are many. In the end, God’s divine selection caused that particular Sabbath to be a high day in order to accomplish this.

Next we were instructed on the burnt offering, a kebes, or lamb. The word signifies “to dominate.” It is Christ who dominates all, verified by the resurrection. He has gained the victory over death, as Paul says again from 1 Corinthians 15 –

“Death is swallowed up in victory.”

⁵⁵“O Death, where is your sting?
O Hades, where is your victory?” 1 Corinthians 15:54, 55

There, Paul is writing of our victory over death, but it is a victory only made possible because of Christ’s victory first. As the firstfruits; so with the entire harvest. This lamb was to be of the first year, signifying innocence. It is the innocence of Christ who is without sin. And it was to be without blemish. Peter explains the fulfillment in Christ –

“…knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver or gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, ¹⁹but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” 1 Peter 1:18, 19

This lamb was to be a burnt offering to the Lord. As we have seen, the burnt offering is as a life dedicated wholly to God. Such is the life of Christ. It is a perfect representation of what He has done. Following the mandate for the lamb came that of the grain offering. The solet, or fine flour is is a picture of Christ, the first and finest grain of wheat, as He alluded to Himself in John 12:24 –

“Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.”

It is a fitting emblem of Christ who is the Bread of life, and the One who thus provides everlasting life to those who partake of Him. Thus the offering is an acknowledgment of this to God. That there were two tenths instead of one speaks of the abundance of the harvest to come. It would not be just a single portion, but it is a double portion which is anticipated.

This grain offering was to be balal, or mixed, with oil. Oil is typical of the Spirit. It is a picture of Christ, the Bread of life, completely infused with the Spirit of God. And as is the Firstfruits, so shall be the whole of the abundant harvest to come. This entire offering was to be an offering made by fire to the Lord, for a sweet aroma. This is explained by Paul in Ephesians 5 –

“Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. ²And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.” Ephesians 5:1, 2

As it can be inferred, the double portion of the grain offering points to the fullness of the grain harvest, which includes us. It should be noted that the grain which is offered came from God, but it has been modified by man in the grinding process. Thus a type of work is involved in the picture. It is a confession that the works we do are to be performed in Christ, and are due only to Him.

And finally came the drink offering. The drink offering is of yayin, or wine. In the Bible, wine symbolizes the merging together of cultural expressions into a result. The thing that ought to happen can happen, symbolized by wine. In the case of a drink offering, it signifies rest and celebration.

A drink offering is one only offered in the Land of Promise, a land of defeated enemies. Thus it is a land of rest. Only when rest is provided, would the Lord accept the wine libations. All during the time of the wilderness wanderings, they were not offered.

Further, a drink offering is poured out in its entirety to the Lord, even in the land of Israel. No part of it was drank by the priests or people. This signifies that the people were partially excluded from the full blessings of the Lord while still under the Law of Moses. This is what Jesus was referring to in Matthew –

Jesus was speaking of the law and grace. The new wine is the new dispensation of grace to come. The old wine was the dispensation of the law. If one were to introduce the new concept into the old, it would not work because the two were incompatible. Only if one put the new wine in the new wineskins, and received the new wine, would the mind be changed. Only in Christ does man truly enter into the God’s victory and rest. This is why Paul could say in Philippians 2 –

“Yes, and if I am being poured out as a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice with you all. ¹⁸For the same reason you also be glad and rejoice with me.” Philippians 2:17, 18

Paul’s labors in the vineyard anticipated his victory and rest in Christ. This is made all the more evident in his words to Timothy –

“For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. ⁷I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. ⁸Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.” 2 Timothy 4:6-8

These things that we can claim now are because of what Christ has done. We have the victory and we rest because He first obtained it for us. This is the lesson of the Feast of Firstfruits. He, our Lord Jesus, is holy, and therefore we who are in Him are deemed as such as well. Again, to Paul in Romans 11 –

“For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches.” Romans 11:16

In summary, the Feast of Firstfruits is a picture of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is explicit in the New Testament, but it will be seen more fully when we next look at the Feast of Weeks. That feast is based on the dating of the Feast of Firstfruits that we looked at today. On a given day, but not on a set day according to the Hebrew calendar, Christ rose from the dead. From that momentous event, however, a specific event would occur fifty days later. Stay tuned for those exciting details.

Until then, let’s close with the thought that Paul says “Christ rose again the third day according to the Scriptures.” He didn’t rise on the fourth day, He rose on the third day. Scripture testified to this occurrence coming, and Scripture is fulfilled exactly as it said this would occur. This is the most reliable, and testified to occurrence in antiquity. No other event has such a vast and overwhelming body of evidence to support it. And more, no event has such a vast and overwhelming body of evidence to say, “It is coming.”

Both before and after the event, Scripture and history testify to the resurrection of Christ. The death, burial, and resurrection of Christ is the most singular event in all human history, and it makes possible the absolute surety that those who receive Him will likewise be resurrected. It is the hope of the redeemed, and it is founded on the solid ground of God’s infallible word. Concerning the Feast of Firstfruits, in Christ we proclaim, “Feast fulfilled.” If you haven’t yet called on Christ, it is high time that you do. Eternity awaits, we will all spend it somewhere, and for those who know Christ, it will be in a land of wonder and delight. For the rest, not so much. Settle your eternity today!

Closing Verse: He is risen! Mark 16:6

Next Week: Leviticus 23:15-22 Great stuff in these verses when for Christ one seeks… (The Feasts of the Lord, Weeks) (39^th Leviticus Sermon)

Christ, the Firstfruits

And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying
These are the words He was then relaying

Speak to the children of Israel, and to them say:
All the things I relay to you today

‘When you come into the land which I give to you
And reap its harvest; that which the land has increased
Then you shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits
Of your harvest to the priest

He shall wave the sheaf before the Lord
To be accepted on your behalf; so to you I submit
On the day after the Sabbath
The priest shall wave it

And you shall offer on that day
When you wave the sheaf, so hear My word
A male lamb of the first year, without blemish
As a burnt offering to the Lord

Its grain offering shall be two-tenths of an ephah
Of fine flour mixed with oil, so I say
An offering made by fire to the Lord
For a sweet aroma; so it shall be this way

And its drink offering of wine shall be
One-fourth of a hin to offer it correctly

You shall eat neither bread nor parched grain
Nor fresh grain until the same day
That you have brought an offering to your God
To these instructions careful heed you shall pay

It shall be a statute forever, as instructed by Me
Throughout your generations in all your dwellings it shall be

Firstfruits to the Lord, is Christ Jesus
He was crucified and buried for our sins
But He was raised for the justification of us
Yes, through the Lord, the victory He wins

And so, O God, we sing out great praises to You
Because of Christ Jesus and the work He wrought
Through Him, marvelous things You did do
And through His work we stand perfect, without spot

Hallelujah to You, yes, again we say it from the heart!
Hallelujah to You, for Christ who to us eternal life does impart!

Hallelujah and Amen…