Eight Feasts of the Lord

If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable. But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ's at His coming.

(1 Corinthians 15:19-23)

In the passage above, the apostle Paul teaches that Christ was the first to be raised from the dead and that the saints will be raised at His second coming. In this section, we will discuss Christ’s resurrection, for without it there could be no resurrection of the saints.

Under the Old Covenant, the Lord instituted eight feasts: the Feast of Passover, Feast of Unleavened Bread, Feast of Firstfruits, Feast of Weeks (Pentecost), Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, Feast of Tabernacles (Leviticus 23), and the Feast of Dedication (John 10:22). Each of these feasts pointed to a future event that would ultimately be fulfilled in Christ. Of the eight, five have already been fulfilled, while three remain to be fulfilled.

The first feast fulfilled in Christ is the Feast of Passover, for Scripture teaches that “Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us” (1 Corinthians 5:7).

The second feast fulfilled in Christ is the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for believers are called to “keep the feast, not with the old leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (1 Corinthians 5:8).

The third feast fulfilled in Christ is the Feast of Pentecost, for Scripture records that “when the Day of Pentecost had fully come,” the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the church, and the believers began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance (Acts 2:1–4).

The fourth feast fulfilled in Christ is the Feast of Firstfruits, as the passage above declares that “Christ is risen from the dead and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Corinthians 15:20). This feast is the subject of discussion in this section.

The fifth feast fulfilled in Christ is the Day of Atonement, for Scripture teaches that Christ Himself is the atonement for our sins—“and not for ours only, but also for the whole world” (1 John 2:2).

The sixth feast, yet to be fulfilled, is the Feast of Trumpets. This feast will be fulfilled at the rapture of the church, when “the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God.” Then “the dead in Christ will rise first,” and those who are alive will be caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:16–17).

The seventh feast, also awaiting fulfilment, is the Feast of Dedication (Hanukkah). This feast originated in the cleansing of the Second Temple after the first abomination of desolation (Daniel 11:31). Although it was not among the feasts given to Moses, the Lord acknowledged it by observing it during His earthly ministry (John 10:22–23). This feast will be fulfilled when Jesus returns to begin His millennial reign, for Scripture declares that the sanctuary will be trampled underfoot by the host of the Antichrist for 2,300 days, after which it will be cleansed (Daniel 8:13–14). Thus, this feast will find its ultimate fulfilment in the cleansing of the Third Temple after the second abomination of desolation (Daniel 12:11).

The eighth and final feast yet to be fulfilled is the Feast of Tabernacles. This will be fulfilled when the holy city, New Jerusalem, descends out of heaven from God, “prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” In that day, “the tabernacle of God will be with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God” (Revelation 21:2–3).

Michael E.B. Maher

Resurrection of the Dead

Buy Now

Donate

Payoneer