Page 23 - The Messiah Beyond a Shadow of Doubt

Part 1: The Appointed Times

The Form of the Appointed Times
The Spring Appointed Times

As we read about the Appointed Times in the 23rd chapter of Leviticus, we find that they
are divided into two distinct seasons of the year—the spring and the fall. The spring Appointed Shadow Appointed Time Substance
Times speak of the first coming of the Messiah, highlighting key aspects of His ministry on earth Abib 10
2,000 years ago. They speak of His purity and worthiness as a sacrifice, His death, His burial, His Inspect the Lamb for Purity
resurrection, and the giving of the Holy Spirit. The fall Appointed Times add further insights into In preparation for Passover, each
household was to take an
His work, including His coronation, the resurrection and judgment of the dead, and the Messiah unblemished male lamb and observe
it for its purity until the 14th. In a
and His bride taking up residence in eternal homes. similar way, Jesus entered Jerusalem
on the 10th day and was tested by
the religious leaders regarding His
purity in God’s truth. He
The Spring Appointed Times demonstrated such pure wisdom
and truth that no one dared to
The Time Signature of the Messiah continue questioning him.

What do we mean by the time signature of the Messiah? You may be thinking of a Abib 14 (Passover)
musical time signature, but this time signature refers to the well-defined schedule of messianic Kill the lamb and publicly
display its blood
events that must be accomplished in perfect timing. As you would expect, the spring Appointed The lamb was to be killed between
Times occur in the springtime of each year, beginning in the month of Abib , which is also called 3:00pm and sundown, and its blood
3
Nisan. When these events are studied together as a unit, it becomes clear that their timing was to be applied to the doorposts
and lintel of each house. In the
forms a time signature that defines the timing of key events in the life of the Messiah. same way, Jesus was crucified on
Passover and died at 3:00pm—the
The identity of the Messiah will become obvious when a person steps forward who same time that the Lord stipulated
for the Passover lamb to be killed.
fulfills these events in their prescribed timing. If someone claims to be the Messiah but does not
accomplish these feats on schedule, then that person does not meet the criteria of the Messiah.
Jesus, however, fulfilled the shadows of the Appointed Times perfectly, in their exact timing,
Abib 15–21
proving beyond a shadow of doubt that He is the Lord’s Messiah. The Feast of Unleavened Bread
When the sun set on Abib 14, the
The components of the spring Appointed Times are listed in The Spring Appointed Times date changed to the 15th, which was
table on the next page. Careful examination shows how the timing and the events correspond the first day of the Feast of
Unleavened Bread. On this evening,
to the life of Jesus. For the sake of brevity, I have omitted the details since it is provided in the people were to eat the lamb
following chapters. with bitter herbs and unleavened
bread. Jesus was placed in the tomb
on this same evening—the Lamb
tasting the bitterness of death.

The Sunday during the Feast of
Unleavened Bread First-Fruits
First Fruits was to be observed on the day
3 Abib is the first month of the Jewish year for religious observances. It is synonymous with Nisan, which was adopted during the after the weekly Sabbath (i.e., on Sunday)
Babylonian captivity. See Nehemiah 2:1 and Esther 3:7. We will use Abib throughout this book. during the seven-day Feast of Unleavened
Bread. Thus, on the same day that the
Israelites offered the sheaf of the First
Fruits offering, Jesus rose from the dead as 11
the first fruits of many brothers and sisters.
The timing is stunning – the Israelites also
arose alive from the sea at daybreak on
First Fruits, and almost 1,500 years later
Jesus arose alive from the tomb at
daybreak on First Fruits.

50 Days after First Fruits
The Feast of Weeks
(i.e. Pentecost)
Fifty days after the Israelites arose
alive from the sea on First Fruits, the
Lord met them at Mount Sinai in a
terrifying way and gave His Law to
the people. Almost 1,500 years
later, on the day of Pentecost, the
Lord met with His disciples in the
upper room in Jerusalem and loving-
ly indwelled them with His Holy
Spirit.