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Verse:“These are the feasts of the LORD, holy convocations which you shall proclaim at their appointed times.” —Leviticus 23:4
People usually like to celebrate birthdays and holidays with family and friends. In addition, many people enjoy celebrating after completing a special project.
In ancient times, God set apart several annual feasts for the Israelites. They were divided into two main cycles (see Leviticus 23).
First came the spring feasts —Passover, Unleavened Bread, and Pentecost. Later were the autumn feasts— the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles. All the men of Israel were supposed to celebrate three of them in Jerusalem—Passover, Pentecost, and the Feast of Tabernacles. Of special relevance in interpreting the significance of the Hebrew feasts was a letter from William Miller published in the Millerite periodical Signs of the Times on May 17, 1843. He suggested that as the spring feasts were fulfilled at Christ’s first advent and in His suffering, the autumn feasts should be fulfilled in relationship to Christ’s second advent. Regarding the first cycle of feasts, the New Testament declares that Christ died on the cross as “the Lamb of God” (John 1:29) and as “our Passover” (1 Corinthians 5:7).
He was raised from the dead as “the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:20). And the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 1:8; 2:1–4). Similarly, the second cycle of feasts started being fulfilled at the beginning of the end-time era of Christ’s second coming. As the Feast of Trumpets announced the soon arrival of the Day of Atonement, the great Second Advent movement proclaimed that the twenty-three hundred symbolic year-days of Daniel 8:14 would end in 1844 when the sanctuary should be cleansed. That year marks the beginning of the antitypical Day of Atonement.
In turn, the Feast of Tabernacles is still to be fulfilled during the thousand years, when the saints will remain in heaven (Revelation 20) before they settle permanently on this earth made new (Revelation 21:1–4). We are living today in the great antitypical Day of Atonement. Just as the ancient Israelites were expected to “afflict” their souls (Leviticus 16:29; 23:27), we should consecrate our lives in full commitment to the Lord and be ready for His soon appearing!