Page 129 - Bible Geography and Near East Studies

It was on Mount Sinai that God gave Moses the dates and observances for the seven major feasts for the
Jewish people to observe. Here are their names:

Weekly Feast
The Sabbath Day (Shabbat, a weekly feast)

The Hebrew word for feast is miqra (mik-raw), and it means “something called out, that is, a public
meeting; a rehearsal for what is to come; an assembly, calling, convocation, reading…

The word rehearsal means to practice in preparation for a public performance. Evidently, these feasts
were a way Israel could practice the significance of each feast until GOD performed the truth of the
feast in reality. Each feast can be associated with something God has done historically or is going to do
in the future.

Seven Annual Feasts

The Spring Feasts – fulfilled in the Past TO THE DAY in Christ’s first coming.
1. Passover (Pesach) – Nisan 14: a picture of Jesus’s Death on the Cross.
2. Unleavened Bread (Chag hamotzi) Nisan 15-22: a picture of the burial of Jesus.
3. First Fruits (Yom habikkurim) – Nisan 16: a picture of the resurrection of Jesus.
4. Pentecost (Shavu’ot) – Silvan 6: pictures the coming of the Holy Spirit and the birth of the Church.

The Fall Feasts – prophetic in nature and may be fulfilled TO THE DAY in Christ’s second coming.
5. Trumpets (Yom Teru’ah) – Tishri 1: a rehearsal for the Rapture of the Church
6. Atonement (Yom Kippur) – Tishri 10: a rehearsal for the Second coming of Jesus Christ and perhaps
the date of the first coming of Christ
7. Tabernacles (Sukkot) – Tishri 15: a rehearsal for the Millennial Reign of Jesus Christ.

Some Details about those Feasts Practiced in Israel Today
Passover
The most important holiday (Hebrew: Pesach) commemorates the famous event of the exodus of the
Children of Israel from Egypt. Passover eve is called “Leil Haseder”, celebrated in a grand dinner with the
extended family and telling the exodus story, known as the “Haggada”. Other common names: festival
of Matza, festival of spring. It lasts seven days; however, students are off school for up to 18 days, and
many Jewish people are on vacation from work as well, thus this is a common time of traveling around
the country or abroad.

Symbolic food: regular flour food is not allowed (nor is it sold in public), the Matza (flat unleavened
bread) is the traditional food that symbolizes Passover more than anything else.

Date: around April.
Season: early spring.
The basis for this holiday is found in the Bible.

Exodus 12:12 On that same night, I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn of both
people and animals, and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD.

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