The festivals of the Lord in Leviticus 23 are among the most enlightening passages in the Old Testament as they contain a prophetic programme on the future revelation of the Messiah in New Testament times. A blueprint of His plan to redeem humanity is evident from the different activities and rituals. The feasts are highly instructional in teaching believers what the Messiah would do during His first and second coming, and also highly devotional through demonstrating to Israel, as well as all future believers, how the Messiah should be followed, worshipped and served. It constitutes, in typological form, an early doctrinal basis for the redemptive work of the Messiah as well as the ultimate revelation of His kingdom after a spiritual harvest has been gathered for His kingdom among all nations.
In his authoritative and widely read book on the feasts, Edward Chumney (1994:1) says: “The festivals of the Lord found in Leviticus 23 were given to us by God so His people could understand the coming of the Messiah and the role that the Messiah would play in redeeming and restoring both man and the earth back to God following the fall of man in the Garden of Eden. Although most non-Jewish Bible readers have heard of the feasts, the deep meaning and importance of these feasts are almost universally not understood. The apostle Paul wrote to the Gentile believers in Colossae that the feasts of the Lord, the new moon and the Sabbath days were a shadow of things to come to teach us about the Messiah (Col. 2:16-17). Yeshua (the Hebrew name for Jesus, which means Salvation) was the substance or fulfilment of the greater plan that God revealed and foreshadowed in these seven important festivals.”
The seven feasts and their fulfilment are indicated in the table below:
|
Old Testament Shadow |
New Testament Fulfilment |
|
1. Passover |
Sacrificing of the Lamb of God |
|
2. Unleavened Bread |
Burial of Messiah |
|
3. Feast of Firstfruits |
Messiah’s resurrection |
|
50
days between Firstfruits and |
50 days between the resurrection |
|
4. Pentecost (celebrating the receiving of the Law) |
Pentecost (celebrating the |
|
Four
months during which |
Dispensation of world evangelism
to |
|
5. The Feast of Trumpets Final gathering of the harvest |
Sounding of the trumpet God’s harvest of souls is gathered |
|
The
seven days of awe: a time |
The seven years of the Tribulation |
|
6. Day of Atonement |
Second coming of the Messiah |
|
7. Feast of Tabernacles |
Messiah’s millennial reign |
* The seven days of awe referred to in the table are part of the ten days of awe from 1 to 10 Tishri, of which the first two coincide with the Feast of Trumpets and the tenth one with the Day of Atonement. The seven days in between refer to the time of Jacob’s trouble (the tribulation period).
The first four of these festivals, which are Passover (Pesach), Unleavened Bread (Hag Hamatzah), First Fruits (Bikkurim), and Pentecost (Shavuot), teach us about significant events in the first coming of the Messiah (Mashiach), while the last three feasts, which are the Feast of Trumpets (Yom Teruach or Rosh Hashanah), the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), and the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) relate to important events associated with the second coming of the Messiah.
The feasts reveal to us the deeper things concerning our relationship with God and His Son, the Messiah, who gave Himself to be a propitiation for our sins. We will marvel at the wonderful way in which the feasts are fulfilled in New Testament times, and gain new appreciation for the inerrancy of the Bible as God’s Word – particularly with regard to the fulfilment of biblical prophecies and Old Testament types of Christ.
The shadowy practices of the feasts in their original form, and their deep spiritual significance after their fulfilment in the Messiah, are a perfect reflection of God’s plan of salvation for humanity, while also alluding to the final destination of believers in His kingdom. The symbolic acts in the first four feasts during springtime have a literal antitype in the Messiah’s sacrifice for the salvation of sinners at His first coming. Practices in the last three feasts during the fall, give an indication of what the future holds when the Messiah will come again and reveal Himself in other capacities.
The most significant symbolic act, or shadowy practice, of the Jewish Passover was the slaying of the paschal lamb. The context of this ceremony was the situation of Israel’s deliverance from their Egyptian bondage. The antitype of this event was the sacrifice of the Lamb of God for the redeeming of people from their spiritual bondage caused by their slavery to sin. Another context of this feast of liberation was its celebration during the spring month, which fixes attention on the beginning of a new life under the care of God.
In the Feast of Unleavened Bread, leaven is used as a symbol of sin. Only the Messiah’s life was sinless and perfect, and for that reason only He could fulfil the symbol of unleavened bread. He gives us grace to overcome sin.
The Feast of Firstfruits introduced the harvest season in Israel. It was symbolic of the beginning of a spiritual harvest that would be introduced by the Messiah’s crucifixion and resurrection from the dead.
The Feast of Pentecost was an occasion of consecration in which two loaves of bread which were baked from the first wheat of the season were dedicated to the Lord with a view to sanctifying the entire nation. During the feast, the giving of the law at Mount Sinai is commemorated, but that only pointed to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, Who writes the words of the Lord on the tables of believers’ hearts (2 Cor. 3:3).
In the annual cycle of seven feasts there is a gap of four months between the spring and autumn festivals. The people of Israel were always conscious of the importance of the three harvest festivals as indicative of interventions by God (now and in the future) to reward believers during Rosh Hashanah, (the Feast of Trumpets), to judge unrepentant sinners during the seven days of awe following Rosh Hashanah, to save Israel on Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement) and to institute the promised Messianic kingdom during Sukkot (the Feast of Tabernacles).
In the light of these prophetic expectations, a time of humbling and repentance starts a month ahead of the harvest festivals in Israel, on the first day of the month Elul. This period extends for 40 days. After 30 days, on 1 Tishri, the Feast of Trumpets is celebrated for two days, followed by an intensive time of repentance during the ensuing seven days of awe, and concluded on Yom Kippur on 10th Tishri when the high priest made atonement for the sins of the nation. If the people fully repented from all their sins they found favour in the eyes of the Lord and could look forward to the celebration of the seventh feast, Sukkot, which is a joyous occasion after the final ingathering of the harvest.
The spiritual significance of the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) is explained as follows by John Parsons (2012:4) of Hebrew for Christians: “From a spiritual perspective, Sukkot corresponds to the joy of knowing your sins were forgiven during Yom Kippur, and also recalls God’s miraculous provision and care after the deliverance from bondage in Egypt (Lev. 23:43). Prophetically, Sukkot anticipates the coming kingdom of Yeshua the Messiah wherein all the nations shall come up to Jerusalem to worship the Lord during this festival (Zech. 14:16). ... In light of the work of Yeshua as our High Priest (Kohen Gadol) of the New Covenant, we now have access to the Heavenly Temple of God (Heb. 4:16). We are now members of the greater Temple of His body; we are now part of His great Sukkah!”
Downie (1994:53) notes that five of the seven feasts were one-day feasts: Passover, Firstfruits, Pentecost (Feast of Weeks), Trumpets, and Atonement; the other two, Unleavened Bread and Tabernacles, being seven-day feasts. The one-day feasts speak of certain acts of God completed once and for all, e.g. the death and resurrection of Christ, which could only take place once. The seven-day feasts speak of the blessed results of those feasts, and contain meticulous guidelines on how people should conduct their lives in the light of God’s deliverance.
Knowledge of the feasts will add greater appreciation of the New Testament institution of the Lord’s Supper, which is based on the first three feasts. As often as we observe this ceremony (as frequent as we like, regardless of the occasion) we reflect on God’s redemptive work through the Messiah, which was first revealed to us in these ancient festivals.
Believers in the Messiah stand to gain much spiritually from studying the Old Testament feasts of the Lord, particularly in paying attention to the detail of the various ceremonies and rituals, as that will guide us into probing the deep significance of the Messiah’s atonement for sins on the cross. When the Old Testament shadows are well understood we have more appreciation for the New Testament substance.
In the next chapter we will first discuss the basic nature of biblical prophecies, as well as the fulfilment of biblical types, as that will help us understand the typological nature of the paschal lamb and all the ceremonies connected to it, as well as the chronological fulfilment of the seven feasts in New Testament times.
Paying attention to the fulfilment of biblical prophecies will keep us from becoming involved with the continued perusal of shadowy practices which have already been fulfilled in the Messiah. When such rituals and practices are observed in a legalistic way without considering their prophetic significance as preliminary institutions aimed at preparing Israel on the coming of the Messiah, there is a very real danger that Jesus may be denied as Messiah. Such people might be inclined to view the feasts and laws of the Old Testament as their final means of salvation.
If we are fully aware of the prophetic nature of the seven feasts, they will unlock a wonderful future scenario on the Messiah, who alone can give full substance to the promises and typological images of the Old Testament. An unshakeable faith in Christ is the basis of an unbroken relationship with Him, by which we daily remain in contact with Him through our prayers and by walking in the Spirit. We are called upon to pray always (Eph. 6:18), thereby underscoring the fact that the intermittent holy days of the Old Testament have been replaced by a form of continuous worship which is not confined to certain holy days or seasons of the year.
The temple service with all its rites and ceremonies was abolished under the New Covenant of the Messiah, as the atoning death of the Saviour offers all believers frequent access to the throne of grace (Heb. 10:19-23). The personal relationship that we are enabled, through the Holy Spirit, to maintain with the Messiah after His once for all sacrifice on the cross, does not need mediation by priests. They offered typological sacrifices and also made a host of symbolic gestures to demonstrate reverence for God.
The religious life of New Testament believers has been enhanced through faith in Christ, on the basis of which we enjoy an infinitely deeper dimension of spiritual fellowship by being drawn close to God through the Messiah. Because of this, religious observance has been simplified and detached from multiple ritualistic expressions. In our spiritual worship we only observe the rituals of baptism and the Lord’s Supper, which are both symbolic acts pointing to a definite religious experience.
The New Testament is the fulfilment of promises made in the Old Testament. Much spiritual benefit can be derived from studying the unfolding of God’s plan with humanity in the Old Testament, as well as reviewing the persons, practices and experiences that foreshadowed the Messiah and our life of faith. We can, for instance, comprehend more fully all the implications of being a temple of the living God ourselves (cf. 1 Cor. 3:16-17) if we make a detailed study of the Old Testament temple service. The first is a type of the new, spiritual temple and instructs us more on what is expected of us. Likewise, a study of the feasts will help us to fully appreciate the way in which God introduced Israel to His divine plan of salvation, what He demands from people to enter into a relationship of faith with Him, and how He demonstrated His timeless demands towards holy living to His people.
A study of the God-given feasts of Israel sheds much light on the divine calling and spiritual destiny of this special people who, by the grace of God, survived four thousand years of a highly turbulent history. The fact that they were temporarily set aside by God due to their unbelief in the Messiah, by no means suggests that they ceased to be part of God’s plan for humanity, and have been replaced by a “spiritual Israel” which is not of Jewish origin (the church). The Bible does not teach replacement theology.
Israel was, and still is, a blessing to the Gentiles since the Word of God was entrusted to them (Rom. 3:2), and particularly because the Messiah, the Saviour of the world, was born from the tribe of Judah in Israel (Luke 3:23-31; Rom. 9:4-5). The salvation which they refused by rejecting the Messiah was offered to the Gentile world during the past two millennia. This means that, in their fallen state, Israel is already a blessing to us. Paul also makes the important remark that if Israel were as great a blessing to us during their spiritual blindness, how much more will they be a blessing to the world in their fullness as a truly Messianic people! (Rom. 11:11-12).
In the meantime, pending their national spiritual rebirth as a nation during the second coming of the Messiah, we should demonstrate to Israel the real and lasting difference which the Messiah’s salvation can bring about in a believer’s life. While studying the feasts of the Old Testament, which are God’s feasts and not an invention of Israel, we should explain the Messianic symbolism of these feasts to the Covenant People.
By comparing the message of the feasts with the life and works of Jesus of Nazareth, strong evidence can be presented that all seven of them find their final fulfilment in Him. Four of the seven feasts have already been fulfilled in a remarkable and undisputed way, and we are on the verge of the fulfilment of the last three when the Messiah comes again – first for His bride and then to judge the world and bless the remnant of Israel and the nations.
Every Christian should be committed to esteem biblical prophecies and devote himself to studying them. Peter says: “And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts; knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private [or personal] interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Pet. 1:19-21).
Four important principles are evident from this scripture and should be regarded:
Firstly, biblical prophecies have a clear message on the future. Peter says that the prophetic word is made more certain and we will do well to pay attention to it. Biblical prophecy does not contain any human speculation but is a trustworthy word which deserves full acceptance since it was spoken by God Himself who is the highest authority in the universe: “God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” (Num. 23:19). His Word is truth (John 17:17), and “there is no variation or shadow of turning” with Him (Jas. 1:17). He holds the future in His hands and none of His promises or warnings will ever pass away unfulfilled – in Jesus Christ they are Yes and Amen and will all be fulfilled (2 Cor. 1:20).
Secondly, biblical prophecies are absolutely unique and in a category of their own. God revealed them to people through His Holy Spirit and had them recorded in His Word. This information should be distinguished from all other forms of prophecy. Extra-biblical prophecies do not carry the divine mark of authenticity and truth, since they are either of human or of occult origin. Prophecies of the latter kind are not derived from a study of the prophetic word in the Bible but originate from dreams, visions, divination, fortune-telling, strange voices that talk to people, or from extra-biblical prophets and seers such as Nostradamus and others. Many nations have their own prophets who prophesy independently from the Bible what people want to hear. In some cases these extra-biblical prophecies are tied to the Bible in an effort to make them more credible, but in such cases they become even more deceptive. Biblical prophecies only have one origin: “... holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Pet.1:21). Authors of the Bible recorded prophecies under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. These direct revelations ended in the year 95 AD, after the book of Revelation, the last of the Bible books, was completed. The whole counsel of God, as far as He wished to reveal it, was then declared to us (cf. Acts 20:27). We should only consult the Bible for information on what the future holds.
Thirdly, biblical prophecies are not a matter of personal interpretation. No person on earth – regardless of how learned he may be – can interpret biblical prophecies in terms of his own insight and understanding. These prophecies were given by the Holy Spirit, and for that reason only He can guide you into all truth by giving you enlightened eyes of the mind to understand the true meaning of His words (John 16:13; Eph. 1:18). You have to be born again and study the Word under the guidance of the Holy Spirit before you will be able to comprehend its full meaning. Even if you are born again you have to ensure that your interpretation of prophecies has not been influenced by the church fathers or theologians of your own denomination. They may be mistaken, and if you follow them you are not necessarily guided by the Holy Spirit. It is evident that people who do not understand the true meaning of the prophetic word usually offer fanciful interpretations. Since these prophecies do not really make sense to them, they do not regard them seriously and literally, but rather interpret them symbolically or allegorically. That is essentially an indication of unbelief in the prophetic word since they do not accept the fact that, in the end-time, the large body of biblical prophecies will be fulfilled literally. They refuse to believe that there will be a serious falling away in the church and in the world, that Israel will be restored in their land during times of great distress, that there will be a personal Antichrist and a great tribulation, that true Christians will physically escape the tribulation period, and that Christ will establish a thousand-year reign of peace on earth after His second coming. They rather spiritualise the Bible to evade these hard facts, thereby making room for their own views which are then carried over from one generation to another in the form of theological traditions of men.
Fourthly, Peter says that we should study the prophetic word until the morning star rises in our hearts. According to Revelation 22:16 the morning star refers to the Lord Jesus and specifically the fact that He comes again. The morning star appears during the last night watch and proclaims the message that the night is far spent. To Christians, this message is embodied in our future expectation in the second coming of Jesus Christ, and that this time He will come as the Sun of Righteousness to illuminate the whole world and establish His millennial reign of peace here. At present it is, spiritually speaking, still dark but soon the night of sin and unrighteousness will have passed away and everlasting righteousness will prevail. Did the morning star of hope and the glad expectation of the coming of Christ rise in your heart? If not, you should make an intensive study of biblical prophecies on the end-time and the second coming of the Lord Jesus. Without this knowledge you cannot claim to be an informed Christian who walks in the light in all respects, and who understands contemporary world affairs in the light of the Word. With the Bright and Morning Star in your heart you separate yourself from the present, evil world, and join in building a kingdom which is presently not of this world, but will soon be revealed here when the King comes.
Apart from biblical prophecies there are also various types in the Old Testament that foreshadow New Testament persons or events. In his foreword to Hugh Downie’s book on Israel’s harvest festivals (1994:9-10), J. Boyd Nicholson says that the study of typology may be applied to certain persons, objects and events. In Romans 5:14 it is clearly stated that Adam is a type of Christ: “Adam ... is a type of Him who was to come.” The first Adam is the head of a sinful race of people but Jesus Christ (the last Adam) is the Head of a spiritually regenerated race of people: “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive” (1 Cor. 15:22). There are many other Old Testament persons who were types of Christ, e.g. Melchizedek (Heb. 6:20), Joseph, Moses, Joshua and David.
Furthermore, there are various Old Testament events, objects and practices that likewise are of great typological and prophetic significance. Israel’s deliverance from their bondage in Egypt is rich in examples and types which point to the New Testament deliverance of lost humanity from the spiritual tyranny of Satan. The first Passover was celebrated in Egypt, and the paschal lamb was a distinct type of Christ: “For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us” (1 Cor. 5:7; cf. 1 Pet. 1:18-19). Many of the experiences of Israel during their exodus were also shadows of God’s future dealings with His people, and for that reason believers under the New Covenant are referred back to these events and experiences for further instruction:
“Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptised into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ ... Now all these things happened to them as examples (Gr. tupos), and they were written for our admonition, on whom the ends of the ages have come” (1 Cor. 10:1-4, 11).
The typology is very clear. By following Moses who led Israel out of Egypt, they were baptised into Moses, and therefore united with their spiritual leader who was the mediator of the Old Covenant. Similarly, we are baptised into Christ who is the Mediator of the New Covenant. The food that Israel ate and the water that they drank in the wilderness were supernaturally provided and refer to spiritual nourishment for God’s people. To us, Christ is the water and bread of life. The cleft rock alludes to Christ as the Rock of Ages who was cleft for us, while the stream of water that flowed from the rock refers to the Holy Spirit (John 7:37-39).
Many other types were also given for the edification of both Israel and New Testament believers: “And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:14-15). Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Serpent by becoming a curse for us on the cross (Gal. 3:13). By looking up to Him in faith we are spiritually quickened and imputed with God’s righteousness and eternal life.
The tabernacle, as well as the temple that was built much later, were also rich in symbolism and typological activities which referred to the Messiah, His sacrifice for sins, and His divine attributes as the light of the world and the bread of life. The daily prayers which are to be offered at His throne of grace were also foreshadowed by the temple service. AB Simpson (2009:5-6) says:
“The tabernacle is the grandest of all the Old Testament types of Christ. It was all one great object lesson of spiritual truth. In its wonderful furniture, priesthood, and worship, we see, with a vividness that we find nowhere else, the glory and grace of Jesus, and the privileges of His redeemed people. ... So in this pattern from the mount (Ex. 25:8-9), we can understand as nowhere else, that glorious temple of which Christ is the corner-stone and we also, as living stones, are being built up in Him ‘as a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ’ (1 Pet. 2:5).”
Downie (1994:15) says: “The typical part of the Bible is just as important as the historical, biographical, prophetical, poetical, doctrinal, or practical parts. All are necessary to a complete Bible, and the study of all is essential to a mind well stored with the truth of God.”
When conducting a study of biblical typology we should avoid two common dangers. Firstly, there is the danger of disregarding the type by not interpreting it in terms of its New Testament fulfilment. Secondly, there is a danger of exaggerating the type and making unjustified conclusions. There are aspects of the type which can never be applied to the antitype. All fanciful interpretations should be shunned, and Scripture is to be closely adhered to.
Complex scenarios are sometimes used as types of future situations that will be of a similar nature: “And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed” (Luke 17:26-30).
When studying this typology, and specifically also the utter indulgence in sin by entire communities, it becomes evident that those people openly rebelled against God’s authority and His insistence on living morally decent lives, thereby inviting the divine wrath that was poured out upon them. In the end-time, a similar situation will prevail. Since the depravity which characterised the time of both Noah and Lot is typical of the spiritual, moral and social decline of the last days, the following correlation between the historical and end-time situations can be made:
· In the times of Noah and Lot anarchy prevailed as people in these lawless and promiscuous societies did just as they pleased. Violence was the most common means used to resolve conflicts (Gen. 6:13; 19:9). So will it be again.
· In the times of Noah and Lot moral depravity was widespread. People became so corrupt that all the intents and thoughts of their hearts were only evil continuously (Gen. 6:5; 19:5). So will it be again.
· In the times of Noah and Lot people were excessively materialistic and adopted permissive lifestyles involving all sorts of licentiousness, including sodomy (derived from the name Sodom). So will it be again.
· In the times of Noah and Lot people scoffed at the believers and chose to ignore the prophetic warnings of forthcoming judgements. They regarded them as far-fetched speculations and continued with their reckless lives. So will it be again.
· In the times of Noah and Lot God gave the degenerate sinners reasonable time to repent of their evil ways. They refused to repent, thereby sealing their own fate. They had only themselves to blame for their downfall and punishment. So will it be again.
· In the times of Noah and Lot God offered a way of escape to the believers at the critical moment before He turned in wrath to punish the wicked. The order of events was: First the prophetic warnings about the impending judgements, then the safeguarding of the believers who took heed of the appeal to repent, and ultimately the outpouring of divine wrath upon the wicked. So will it be again.
· In the times of Noah and Lot there was no security for nominal believers whose hearts were still devoted to the things of this world. Lot’s wife was a type of those believers who only have an outward form of godliness, but are still spiritually dead. This false pretence cost her her life at the last moment. So will it be again.
· In the times of Noah and Lot an awful disaster struck this world soon after the evacuation of the believers. Death and destruction occurred as never before in history. So will it be again.
· In the times of Noah and Lot the wicked did not realise how many privileges and blessings they enjoyed due to the presence of a few believers in their midst (Gen. 18:23-32). God was prepared to pardon a whole city if there were only ten believers in it. When these believers, who shone like lights in a wicked and perverted generation, were taken out of the way, complete spiritual darkness characterised the godless, and provoked the anger of God. So will it be again.
· In the times of Noah people scoffed at the builders of the ark, and in their ignorance were unaware of their peril “until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be” (Matt. 24:39).
It is reasonable to expect that amid all the depravity and sin which characterise fallen humanity, a loving God would also, right from the beginning, offer a plan of salvation aimed at spiritually restoring lost sinners. However, the Saviour only came in the fullness of time, after about four thousand years of human history since Adam and Eve. That explains the many symbolic and typological actions introduced to the religious practices of people in the pre-Christian era to prepare them for the fulfilment of God’s salvation in the atoning death of the Messiah. All the countless sacrifices in the Old Testament point to the once for all sacrifice of the Lamb of God, and were ultimately fulfilled in it. In many ways God highlighted His insistence on righteousness and His promise of forgiveness to repentant sinners.
Many of the religious rituals and ceremonies observed by Israel, form part of the seven feasts which were instituted in Leviticus 23 and were annually celebrated. These are not Israel’s feasts but the Lord’s feasts, ordained by Him to prepare Israel on the first and second coming of the Messiah. The Lord said to Moses: “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” (Lev. 23:2). The seven feasts are all types of the Messiah’s future work of grace in Israel and also among all the nations of the world, and therefore contain a very clear prophetic programme of future events.
The seven feasts were given to Israel to observe in order to prepare them on the coming of the Messiah. Paul describes them as “a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ” (Col. 2:17). They are all Messianic feasts and therefore have strong prophetic significance. The first four have already been fulfilled during the first coming of Christ and up to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. We are now close to the end of the long interval between the two groups of feasts, and therefore close to the end of the church age.
The church of Christ does not celebrate these feasts. We celebrate the Lord’s Supper (Holy Communion) which replaces the feasts of Passover, Unleavened Bread and Firstfruits. Every Sunday we also reflect on the reality of Jesus having risen from the grave on the first day of the week. Pentecost is observed in a way which is different from the shadowy practices of the Old Testament. Many Christians follow the examples of the early disciples who humbled and searched themselves before the Lord prior to them being endued with power from on high on the Day of Pentecost.
As for the fulfilment of the last three feasts, we do observe their prophetic significance and heed the signs of the times by preparing for the coming of the heavenly Bridegroom. We do not celebrate the Day of Atonement, which will be fulfilled at the national conversion of Israel. The crucifixion of Christ was our Day of Atonement, and we keep on commemorating that until He comes again. By then, the last of the seven feasts will be fulfilled.
We should be mindful of the fact that there is always infinitely more in the antitype than in the type, as there is more in the substance than in the shadow. Many believers overly involve themselves with the practising of shadowy rituals, thereby missing vital elements of the full, New Testament revelation that has become part of our Christian heritage.
We as Christians have not been commissioned to celebrate the seven feasts in the new dispensation following the coming of the Messiah, since we are supposed to concern ourselves with the Messianic substance of the feasts rather than with their original, shadowy nature. Nevertheless, the feasts have great typological and prophetic significance and we can benefit much from studying Old Testament promises and types which have already partly been fulfilled in New Testament times. The absolute literal fulfilment of the first four feasts during events which centre around the first coming of Jesus, not only confirm the credibility of biblical prophecy in general but also render ample proof of the fact that the remaining three feasts will equally be fulfilled literally during events related to His second coming.
Many books have been written to emphasise the important relationship between the feasts and the Messiah, e.g. The seven festivals of the Messiah by Edward Chumney (1994), The gospel in the feasts of Israel by Victor Buksbazen (1954), Harvest Festivals by Hugh Downie (1994), and The feasts of Israel: Seasons of the Messiah by Bruce Scott (1997).
Outlined below, we see that the first four feasts (Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits and Pentecost) were not only fulfilled in the chronological order in which they were given, but also on the very same day on the religious calendar of the Jews in which they were instituted. In a New Testament context these feasts relate to the crucifixion of the Messiah, His burial, His resurrection, and also to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. We have every reason to believe that the last three feasts (Trumpets, Atonement, and Tabernacles) will be equally literally fulfilled.
A very important fact about the feasts is that they were given to Israel to prepare them on the coming of a Messiah who was not only to be their Saviour but also the Saviour of all mankind. The prophet Isaiah explicitly prepared Israel on the fact that the Messiah will be the Saviour of all nations in order to also gather many people from outside Israel into His kingdom: “Look to Me, and be saved, all you ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other” (Isa. 45:22). In connection with the Messiah, the heavenly Father said:
“And now the Lord says, Who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant, to bring Jacob back to Him, so that Israel is gathered to Him. ... Indeed He says, It is too small a thing that You should be My Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved ones of Israel; I will also give You as a light to the Gentiles, that You should be My salvation to the ends of the earth” (Isa. 49:5-6).
Even before the crucifixion of Jesus, John the Baptist said that He was the Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world (John 1:29). After His crucifixion, and shortly before His ascension, Jesus commissioned His disciples to preach the gospel to all nations, even to the uttermost parts of the earth (Mark 16:15; Acts 1:8).
At the fulfilment of the fourth feast (Pentecost) the universal extent of the Messiah’s redemptive work was again strongly emphasised by bestowing a divine gift on the disciples to speak in different languages. In this way it was demonstrated that the message of the Messiah’s salvation was not only to be proclaimed to Israel but indeed to all nations.
In the light of these indisputable facts it is obvious why New Testament believers partake in the Lord’s Supper to commemorate the coming of the Messiah, when the first three feasts were fulfilled. Pentecost is experienced as a daily reality, and the historic event of the outpouring of the Spirit is often remembered by way of special services on the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
Enlightened by the New Testament revelations of the Messiah we know infinitely more about Him and His message of salvation and sanctification than Israel did in Old Testament times. It would be completely irrational if we were to neglect or abandon our New Testament way of worship and start observing the shadowy practices which Israel observed during the previous dispensation of the Law. Orthodox Jews who do net recognise the Messiah still observe these institutions today.
Adherents of the Hebrew Roots Movement are mistaken when they argue that we are grafted into Israel when we become believers, thereby spiritually becoming Jews who are obliged to start observing the feasts in a typical Jewish way. The Lord Jesus is the Source of our life – not Israel. He is the true vine into which we have been grafted, as He Himself explained to His disciples: “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). Also in the practical expression of our faith we should follow in His footsteps and become conformed to Him.
Some people, however, wrongly interpret the symbol of the olive tree used in Romans 11:16-24, by concluding that we as believers have been grafted into the people of Israel. Instead of becoming more like Christ, these people now become more like Israel. They observe Old Testament laws and celebrate Jewish festivals, including the Sabbath, and also use Hebrew names for the Lord. In this way they are compromising the salvation and liberty which they have in Christ.
A return to the law as the source of their life can have highly detrimental consequences in people’s spiritual lives. Paul says, “You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace” (Gal. 5:4). If Jesus Christ is no longer the absolute centre of our lives, major problems follow. People who live under the New Covenant of the Messiah are not under the law but under grace (Rom. 6:14; 10:4). The Messiah did not abolish the laws and feasts of the Old Covenant but fulfilled them (Matt. 5:17).
As far as the symbol of the olive tree in Romans 11 is concerned, it should be noted that it is actually only the branches that represent the people of Israel. They were broken off because of unbelief, and we have definitely not been grafted into the severed branches but through faith we are in Christ! Israel originated from God (Heb. El), the One who made them (Deut. 32:15) and thus fathered them (Deut. 32:18). He is the same God who was incarnated through the Messiah (John 1:1-14) and was described as Immanuel – God with us (Isa 7:14; Matt. 1:23). In this sense the Lord Jesus, as one of the members of the triune God, could say: “I am the Root and the Offspring of David” (Rev. 22:16). Although, as a human being, He was born into the royal lineage of David, He is also the Root, or origin, of David as well as the Root of Israel as the Chosen People.
Abraham, as the founding father of Israel, is only important because he had a relationship of faith with God as his spiritual root: “And he [Abraham] believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him as righteousness” (Gen. 15:6). The deep meaning of the root, to Israel and the nations, is not the Jewish people that descended from Abraham, as well as their laws and rituals, but the Messiah who was born from this people. Jesus is the Seed of Abraham, and could therefore say to the Jews: “Before Abraham was, I AM” (John 8:58). That is the reason why the Lord said to Abraham: “And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Gen. 12:3). The Messiah, who is the Saviour of the entire world, would be born from Israel. Paul refers to the great significance of the Messiah’s crucifixion, “that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Christ Jesus, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit by faith” (Gal. 3:13-14).
Christ is the source of all blessings, and because Israel has rejected Him, they have been scattered all over the world. Only after they have been reunited with Him, will they be grafted back into the olive tree in which we already are (Rom. 11:23-26). Then, they will be a blessing to all nations in the Messiah (Rom. 11:11-12). We should not try to imitate them now, but only follow in the footsteps of the Messiah. We must provoke them to jealousy by the way in which we serve the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob through the Messiah. We should not nullify this command in trying to win Israel’s favour by participating in cultural and religious activities in which Jesus Christ is not unequivocally recognised as the Messiah of Israel.
As far as the last three feasts at the end of the harvest season are concerned, we have much more information in the New Testament on events pertaining to the second coming of the Messiah and the establishment of His reign of peace on earth than has been revealed in the Old Testament harvest festivals. We should study these prophecies and foster an active expectation of His second coming, rather than reverting to the observance of Old Testament types. However much we can learn from these types they can never be compared with the substance of New Testament revelations.
Love is the fulfilment of the entire law – that includes ceremonial as well as moral laws. According to the Strong’s Concordance (1990: Gr. 4137) the word “fulfil” means “to finish (a period or task), to accomplish, end, or conclude.” All references to the commandments of Christ in the New Testament emanate from only one basic command, and that is to have a heart filled with divine love (Matt. 22:37-39). This blessing can only be obtained by faith in the finished work of Christ on the cross. Such a life may be described as “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Col. 1:27). He is the personification of God’s love for us.
If we are rooted and grounded in the love of Christ we will fully know His divine love which passes knowledge, so that we may be filled with all the fullness of God (Eph. 3:17-19). Such a person will never revert to the elementary principles and shadowy practices of the Old Testament law because he who truly loves has fulfilled the law (Rom. 13:8-10). He is challenged to pursue the more sublime demands of God’s love such as following Christ, being filled with the Holy Spirit, complete holiness, continuous prayer, evangelising the world, preaching the Word on every occasion, denying the corrupt practices of the depraved world, and engaging in spiritual warfare by putting on the full armour of God and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. The Old Testament law does not even come close to commanding or fostering these Christian virtues.
We are not convicted of sin by the Torah but by the Holy Spirit who is our guide and tutor. The standard against which we are measured is not the law but the sinless life of Christ. The ways in which we give expression to His law of love determine the nature of our spiritual life. We only observe the singular command of love, although it has many different applications. Jesus said to His disciples: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another” (John 13:34). A changed heart is needed to live up to this challenge, and that is exactly what the Holy Spirit wants to do for us (Rom. 5:5).
In a similar way, we study Old Testament feasts to better understand how we should devote ourselves to God and better serve Christ on a daily basis. This is done without reverting to the actual celebration of the feasts described in Leviticus 23. We focus on their typological and prophetic nature and then probe the New Testament to see how the first four feasts were fulfilled, and also to determine how the last three will be fulfilled. Although new aspects of God’s plan for humanity are revealed, certain principles as well as His basic programme remain unchanged.
Unfortunately, there is a rapidly growing movement among certain Christians in the world to become more legalistic in the practising of their faith. Consequently, Torah observance, which also includes honouring and keeping the Jewish Sabbath, is pursued. The Messianic Jew, Victor Buksbazen (1954:61-62), emphasises the fact that circumcision and the Sabbath have only been imposed upon Judaism:
“The Sabbath is deeply imbedded in the heart of Judaism, a pivotal point of Jewish life. Sabbath and circumcision are two distinguishing marks of Judaism. None can be thought of as a truly religious Jew in the rabbinical sense unless he observes both. Sabbath means rest. It is pre-eminently and distinctly a Jewish holiday, given by God to the children of Israel through His servant Moses on the Mount of Sinai. ... The Sabbath is exclusively Israel’s heritage, given under the law to the people of the law. The observance of the Sabbath as originally ordained by God presupposes the existence of a holy temple, a God-appointed priesthood, and a sacrificial system (cf. Num. 28:9-10). As things stand today, a Jew cannot observe the Sabbath in its Scriptural setting, because the essential conditions for such observances are absent. What the Jews of today try to observe is the rabbinical version of the Sabbath. But this much changed Sabbath is even more impossible of strict observance.”
In the early church there was a fierce struggle against the Judaisers who believed that in order for a Gentile to become a Christian he first had to become a Jew and conform to all the demands of the law. However, the main group understood that believers were under no such obligation to the law. On a special meeting of apostles in Jerusalem it was ruled that Gentile believers were not under the law (Acts 15:1-29). Guidelines for proper moral behaviour were given but no mention whatsoever was made of the Torah and the Sabbath.
Buksbazen (1954:72) offers the following comparison between the Sabbath of the Jews and Sunday observance of Christians:
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The Jewish Sabbath |
The Christian Sunday |
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The Sabbath or the seventh day of the week commemorates a complete physical creation – Gen. 2:1-3. |
The first day of the week is the day of resurrection and signifies a completed redemption – Matt. 28:1-6. |
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The Sabbath is a covenant sign between God and His people Israel: “Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you” (Ex. 31:13). |
The first day of the week signifies the fellowship between the church and her Lord: “Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight” (Acts 20:7). |
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The Sabbath observance was commanded by the law. The punishment for non-compliance was death (Ex. 31:14). |
Sunday is a day of voluntary, spontaneous worship without any commandment – a day of witness and labour for the Lord. |
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The Sabbath is an essential part of the covenant of works. |
Sunday is representative of the covenant of grace. |
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The Sabbath is the crowning day of the week which rewards man for his toil. |
Sunday emphasises what God has done for man through His only begotten Son. |
In Jesus Christ we have entered the rest of the Lord, thus explaining the fulfilled meaning of the Old Testament Sabbath which is also mentioned together with the seven feasts of the Lord in Leviticus 23:3.
God’s programme of feasts did not merely serve the purpose of preparing Israel on the coming of the Messiah but it also suggests that Israel, as a nation, would only be saved at the end of the New Testament harvest season on the Day of Atonement. The fulfilment of Passover should have been their Day of Atonement, but the Lord knew that the great majority of Israelites would reject the Lamb of God and hand Him over to the Romans to be crucified. In consequence, a new dispensation would dawn in which believers from all nations would be witnesses of the Messiah in the world.
Israel will only be saved as a nation after a harvest has been gathered among the Gentiles; hence the Day of Atonement will be the penultimate festival to them. Paul says “that hardening in part has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: The Deliverer will come out of Zion, and will turn away ungodliness from Jacob” (Rom. 11:25-26). That will happen after the church dispensation when the Gentiles will have had ample opportunity to enter into the kingdom of God.
The final three feasts are celebrated in the seventh month on the religious calendar of Israel. This month marks the end of the harvest, and is concluded when the aftercrop is reaped. When this very critical period of Israel’s history dawns at the end of the church dispensation they will, as a nation, still be unsaved: “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved!” (Jer. 8:20).
Although it will be a very late hour in the harvest season, a special opportunity to be saved will nevertheless be offered to the Jews: “Also, O Judah, a harvest is appointed for you, when I return the captives of My people” (Hos. 6:11).
After the church has been glorified and gathered in heaven, and the unbelievers on earth have been judged by the Messiah, the entire remnant of Israel will be saved and established in their land during the reign of the Messiah. That will be the fulfilment of the seventh feast, the Feast of Tabernacles.
The chronological order in which the seven feasts were instituted is very significant: “These are the feasts of the Lord ... which you shall proclaim at their appointed times” (Lev. 23:4). The scheduling of the feasts was done within the framework of Israel’s annual agricultural cycle. In their prophetic application they reveal the unfolding of God’s redemptive purpose through the ages, starting at the atoning death of the Messiah and consummated in His second coming and millennial reign.
The feasts are divided into sections of four and three, which represent the beginning and end of the harvest season. Seven is the biblical number of perfection, which is frequently used in Revelation – e.g. the seven churches, the seven seals, the seven trumpets, etc. The specific times of the feasts, as well as their significance and typological message, are as follows:
The Passover is held on the 14th day of the spring month (Nisan or Abib), and is the first month on the religious calendar. This feast typifies the death of Christ.
Unleavened Bread directly follows the day of Passover and is celebrated on the 15th day of Nisan. It was fulfilled in the burial of the Messiah who, through His sacrifice and sinless life, became to us the unleavened Bread of Life.
Firstfruits consists of a wave offering before the Lord on the day after the Sabbath in the spring month, and typifies the resurrection of Christ. It introduced the beginning of the Feast of Weeks.
Pentecost marks the end of the Feast of Weeks, 50 days after Firstfruits. This feast foreshadowed the descent of the Holy Spirit and was followed by a four-month interval during which the harvest was to be gathered.
Trumpets is celebrated on the first day of the seventh month and marks the end of the harvest season. Prophetically, it refers to the gathering of God’s harvest of saved people in the heavenly barn at the end of the Messianic age.
The Day of Atonement is celebrated on the 10th day of the seventh month and looks forward to Israel’s national repentance and reconciliation with their Messiah.
Tabernacles is celebrated from the 15th day of the seventh month for one week, and concludes the harvest season. This joyous feast typifies the Messiah’s millennial reign of peace when He will be in the midst of the saved remnant of Israel as well as His glorified church.
By presenting the feasts to Israel in an agricultural context, God uses natural activities to demonstrate spiritual principles to His people. The spring festivals teach about the life-changing and world reforming consequences of the Messiah’s coming to the world, leading to the destruction of spiritual slavery and the assurance of freedom to God’s people. The fall festivals focus on the glorification of God’s people, judgements upon the unbelievers, as well as the establishment of a government of righteousness on earth.
The Jews use a lunar calendar in which each month starts after the first sliver of the new moon has appeared in the sky. Since the length of a lunar month is only 29½ days, the length of a lunar year is 354 days, compared to the 365¼ days of a solar year or seasonal year. This shortfall presented Israel with a problem, since certain of their months are closely associated with the seasons of the year. Nisan, when the first three feasts are celebrated, must always be in spring since they have to cut a sheaf of barley for the wave-offering of the Feast of Firstfruits. Tishri is the month when the harvest is finally gathered, during which the last three feasts of the gathering of the harvest are celebrated.
Israel developed an elaborate system of leap-years to ensure that their lunar years elapse concurrent with seasonal years. Within every cycle of 19 years, the following are leap-years: 3, 6, 8, 11, 14, 17, and 19. To all these years a 13th month is added at the end of the religious year between Adar and Nisan, called Ve-Adar (2nd Adar). Because of these leap-years the dates of Jewish feasts may vary considerably on the solar calendar, even up to a month, but they nevertheless keep track with the seasonal cycle.
Israel has two lunar calendars – the one a religious calendar which starts in the spring month (Nisan, formerly Abib), and the other one a civil calendar which starts with Rosh Hashanah on 1 Tishri. The names of the months are as follows, with approximate equivalents on the Gregorian or solar calendar:
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Names of months |
Corresponds with |
Number of days |
Month of civil year |
Month of religious year |
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Tishri Cheshvan Kislev Tevet Shevat Adar Nisan Iyar Sivan Tammuz Av Elul |
Sept–Oct Oct–Nov Nov–Dec Dec–Jan Jan–Feb Feb–Mar Mar–Apr Apr–May May–Jun Jun–Jul Jul–Aug Aug–Sep |
30 29 or 30 29 or 30 29 30 29 or 30 30 29 30 29 30 29 |
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 |
7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 |
Days in Israel elapse between sunset and the following sunset. Nights are divided into four watches: from sunset to 9 pm, from 9 pm to midnight, from midnight to 3 pm, and from 3 pm to sunrise. Days are also divided into four watches: sunrise to 9 am, 9 am to noon, noon to 3 pm, and 3 pm to sunset.
In the counting of days, a system of inclusive reckoning is followed in which any part of a day is also counted as a full day. A week (e.g. from Wednesday afternoon to the next Wednesday afternoon) may be described as eight days as both Wednesdays are counted as full days. The Feast of Tabernacles in Israel is celebrated for one week, from the 15th to the 22nd day of the seventh month: “Speak to the children of Israel, saying: The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days to the Lord. On the first day there shall be a holy convocation. ... For seven days you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord. On the eighth day you shall have a holy convocation” (Lev. 23:34-36). The last day of this week, i.e. the eighth day, was the great day of the feast (cf. John 7:2, 37).
Leviticus 23 says, among others, the following on the feast of the 50th day: “And you shall count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath … seven Sabbaths shall be completed. Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath” (Lev. 23:15-16). These 49 days between a Sunday and a Sunday seven weeks later, are referred to as 50 days because the first and last Sundays are both counted as full days. In the New Testament, these two feasts were fulfilled during the resurrection of the Lord Jesus on a Sunday, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit seven weeks later, again on a Sunday. “Pentecost” means “Fiftieth” – that is the Feast of the Fiftieth Day.
Apart from Israel’s lunar calendar the Bible also uses a prophetic calendar in which every year has 12 months of 30 days each – i.e. a year of 360 days. From Genesis 7:11, 24 & 8:4 it is evident that the Flood lasted five months of 30 days each, i.e. 150 days. In Revelation 11:2-3, 12:6 and 13:5, a period of 42 prophetic months – the two halves of the tribulation period – equals exactly 1 260 days, hence every month is 30 days long. This calendar is very specific and cuts across all other calendars. The reason for the use of the prophetic calendar was to ensure that despite the use of any other calendars (e.g. Israel’s lunar calendar or the solar calendar of the Romans) it would still be possible to arrive at a specific date – e.g. for the crucifixion of the Messiah.
Daniel 9:24-27 offers a clear prophecy on the time of the Messiah’s crucifixion, which was the fulfilment of the Feast of the Passover. During the Babylonian exile of Israel, Daniel prophesied on the restoration of Jerusalem, and indicated that from the command to rebuild Jerusalem, a count-down of 69 year-weeks would follow until the crucifixion of the Messiah: “... from the going forth of the command to restore and build Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince, there shall be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks” (Dan. 9:25). The rebuilding of Jerusalem took up 7 year-weeks, followed by another 62 year-weeks until the Messiah was “cut off” by Israel and the Roman authorities (Dan. 9:26).
69 year-weeks (483 prophetic years) had elapsed since the day when King Artaxerxes, on 1 Nisan 445 BC, gave Nehemiah permission to go and rebuild Jerusalem (Neh. 2:1-8), and the day of the Messiah’s crucifixion on 14 Nisan, 32 AD. Prof. J.M. Schepers of the University of Johannesburg indicated in an article (1984:7-10) that 483 prophetic years of 30 days each, represent 173 880 days. Divided by 365¼, this period equals 476 06 years on the Gregorian calendar. On this calendar, the 69 year-weeks elapsed between 23 March 445 BC and Friday 11 April 32 AD, ending on the Friday when Jesus was crucified.
The very same prophetic calendar will also be used for the counting down of the coming 70th year-week of Daniel (the tribulation period). This seven-year period will be the fulfilment of the seven awful days between the Feast of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement. It will, therefore, be possible to keep track with the progress of this very dark year-week, which will begin when Israel concludes a covenant with the false messiah (Dan. 9:27). In the middle of the week, after 42 months or 1 260 days, he will profane the temple by setting up an image of himself in the Holy of Holies and declaring himself to be God. After another 42 months, the true Messiah will set foot on the Mount of Olives and bring an end to the false messiah’s reign of terror.
The Lord, therefore, has given Israel two exact dates: one on the first coming of Christ and another one on the time of His second coming. The first one has already been fulfilled, almost two millennia ago. The second one will also be fulfilled on its fixed time, but the final countdown of seven years can only begin after the false messiah has been revealed and concluded a covenant with Israel and the nations. The Bible does not reveal to us when the time of Jacob’s trouble will begin, but the advanced stage of Israel’s restoration suggests that it cannot be far off.
Another date on which many people try to speculate is that of the rapture, when the heavenly Bridegroom will come secretly to meet his bride and take her away to her heavenly mansion. This event does not form part of the 70th week and can therefore not be scheduled. Although the signs of the times indicate that the rapture may be close at hand, the specific date has not been revealed to us in the Bible. The Lord wants us to walk with His Son in such a way that we will be ready for His coming every day.
When we embark on a journey through the seven festivals we will always have the correct historical perspective on the first coming of Christ where our new life started, as well as a Biblical future expectation which is based upon prophetic promises on His second coming when we will be glorified and become co-heirs of a heavenly kingdom.