All the Old Testament feasts pointed beyond themselves to a new covenant fulfillment. In this third session, Ken Boa looks at the fulfillment of the Feast of First Fruits, Pentecost, and Feast of Trumpets.
Feast of First Fruits
After reviewing the feasts of the Passover and Unleavened Bread, Ken introduces the Feast of First Fruits. This feast occurred on the third day of Passover and celebrated the first harvest of the season. It was a day of thanksgiving to God for the abundance of His provision. Likewise, it was a day of expectation for the harvests to come.
As the Passover looked forward to Christ’s redemptive death and the Feast of Unleavened Bread looked forward to our sanctification that proceeds from our burial with Him, so the Feast of First Fruits looked forward to Christ’s resurrection and our new life with Him. Indeed, Christ’s resurrection occurred on the same day as the Feast of First Fruits—the third day of the Passover.
As Paul teaches in 1 Corinthians 15:20, Christ’s resurrection is “the first fruits of those who are asleep.” Just as the Feast of First Fruits marked the expectation for further harvest, so Christ’s resurrection marks the certainty that we, too, will rise from the dead on the last day.
The Feast of First Fruits also pointed to the new quality of life we now have in Christ. As we abide in Christ, we participate in His resurrection. Because He rose from the dead, we are able to consider ourselves dead to sin, but alive to Christ (Romans 6:11).
Pentecost
The Israelites celebrated Pentecost seven weeks after the Feast of First Fruits. It was a feast of thanksgiving to celebrate the completion of the wheat harvest. In other words, it celebrated the completion of what began at the Feast of First Fruits.
Pentecost pointed to God’s harvest of both Jews and Gentiles together. This began to be fulfilled when the Holy Spirit descended on the disciples on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2).
Feast of Trumpets
This feast (known today as Rosh Hashanah) occurred in the early fall. It featured the sounding of trumpets that signaled a holy convocation of all Israel in order to prepare for the Day of Atonement that would come nine days later.
The Feast of Trumpets had a threefold purpose:
- Call people to repentance.
- Ask God to remember His covenant with Israel.
- Thwart Satan’s work of accusing Israel before God.
While the first four feasts of Israel looked forward to events fulfilled through Christ’s first coming, the last three, beginning with the Feast of Trumpets, have not yet been fulfilled. Thus, the Feast of Trumpets signifies the reassembling of God’s people at Christ’s second coming. At this time, God will fulfill His covenant with us, declare us righteous because of Christ’s righteousness, and quench Satan’s accusations against us once and for all.
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