Ancient Bible Feasts: A Telescopic View of Israel, Christ and the Church

By Albert Bailey

Ancient Bible Feasts opens hidden Bible truths concerning Israel, Christ, and the church. These seven feasts given in their order and days of the year in Leviticus 23 are symbolic of the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ, the decent of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost; the future rapture of the church; and the great tribulation and second advent of Christ; concluding with His thousand-year millennial reign here on earth.
Other books written about these feasts deal with the same events, but none has gone into detail or explained the meaning of the celebrations and sacrifices God commanded the Israelite's to celebrate so many years ago.
Dr. Bailey explains the meaning of certain numbers in the Scriptures and shows their importance in these feasts and how these numbers prove the accuracy of the fulfillment of these feasts. He also prove from Scripture that Jesus Christ died at the time the Passover Lamb was killed in Egypt; the meaning of the blood being put on the doors of the houses that the Israelite's were in; that Jesus resurrected at the same time the last Israelite came out of the Red Sea centuries earlier; that the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples the exact time God came down on Mt. Sinai some fourteen hundred years earlier. He also explains the sacrifice at Mt. Sinai that points to the fact that Jew and Gentile will become one in Christ. This book is a treasure to all students of the Holy Scriptures.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Oct 15, 2015
• ISBN: 9781504955447

Albert Bailey

Dr. Bailey lives in the New Orleans area with his wife and three children. He is the founder and president of River Region Theological College, located in the New Orleans suburbs. He has conducted seminars in various parts of the country and is well-known for his knowledge in biblical history, doctrine, and prophecy. He has been writing for over twenty-five years and has both published and non-published works to his credit. He received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Christian Bible College of Louisiana and his doctoral degree from A. P. Clay Theological College, both located in Kenner, Louisiana. His passion to write and teach are two of his greatest achievements. In his latest work, "Ancient Biblical Feasts," he has put together up-to-the-minute historical facts along with detail accuracy concerning prophecy of past and future events. In doing so, he proves that the Bible is no ordinary book.

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© 2015 Rev. Albert Bailey. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 01/21/2016

ISBN: 978-1-5049-5545-4 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5049-5544-7 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2015916707

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the Holy Bible, King James Version (Authorized Version). First published in 1611. Quoted from the KJV Classic Reference Bible, Copyright 1983 by the Zondervan Corporation.

CONTENTS

Introduction

Chapter 1 The Jewish Sabbath

Chapter 2 The Feast of Passover and Unleavened Bread

Chapter 3 The Feast of Firstfruits

Chapter 4 The Feast of Pentecost

Chapter 5 The Feast of Trumpets

Chapter 6 The Feast of Atonement

Chapter 7 The Feast of Tabernacles

The book is

dedicated to the memory of my loving parents, Jessie and Augustine Bailey.

INTRODUCTION

Moses wrote in Psalm 90:9b, We spend our years as a tale that is told. Some thirty-five hundred years ago, the Lord instituted seven sacred feasts recorded in Leviticus 23. At that time, neither Moses nor the children of Israel had any idea of their symbolic significance. We can now look back into history and conclude that these feasts were and are symbolically significant. While more than half of them have been literally fulfilled, those that remain will follow in God’s own time in the future. When we see the fulfillment of these feasts and the sovereign power of our God, they will become to us as a tale that has been told.

We know that Satan is the god of this world, which means he directs the minds of many. We also know his will is to seek and destroy. Darkness has no power over light; light causes darkness to flee. The two have nothing in common; one reveals while the other conceals. The devil, the Prince of Darkness, convinced Balak, the king of Moab, who in turn got Balaam the prophet for a price to curse the children of Israel. However, light overwhelms darkness, and whomever or whatever God has blessed, nobody can curse. Therefore, instead of cursing Israel, God put blessings in the mouth of the money-loving prophet, and Israel received a sevenfold blessing. Satan received a confirmation that his most feared enemy was to come from Israel. God gave Balaam this prophecy concerning Israel’s Messiah: There shall come a star out of Jacob, and a Scepter shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab (Num. 24:17b). Israel gave birth to the Messiah, and the Messiah gave life to His church.

However, the church was a mystery to the Old Testament prophets, but we can see through the fulfillment of Scriptures that God had already put together the groundwork for His church. What we see in the feasts recorded in Leviticus 23 is a telescopic picture of the connection between Israel, Christ, and His church. These feasts, when studied in their context, can also be, if rightfully applied studied outside of their context reveal God’s wonderful future for Israel and the church as the two unite as one in Christ.

The fulfillment of these seven feasts of Leviticus 23 centers on the finished work of Christ. The first four are the Feast of Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Firstfruits, and the Feast of Pentecost. These four feasts, celebrated in the spring, foreshadowed God’s tremendous plan for Israel and the present church age. They clearly revealed the gospel message of Christ. The last three, the Feast of Trumpets, the Feast of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles, conclude the seven. Celebrated during the fall, they foreshadow future events that have to do mostly with the Jews as they come into restoration with God. Remember, The first shall be last, and the last shall be first.

Remember that the events that brought about these feasts actually occurred in Israel’s history. Events such as the killing of the Passover lamb and the crossing of the sea occurred in Israel’s history and had their fulfillment in the birth of the church and the gospel message. At the time the Lord gave these feasts for the children of Israel to keep yearly, their fulfillments were in the future. Neither Moses nor the children of Israel knew of their spiritual or symbolic implications. We have the blessing with the fulfillments of the first four feasts and with the aid of God’s Spirit to see and comprehend the complete prophetic picture.

We shall see, with the Feast of Passover and the week of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the message of deliverance from sin through the death of Christ. In the Feast of Firstfruits, we will follow the children of Israel on their three-day journey toward the sea and see Israel’s baptism as its people came up from the sea early on the first day of the week, a foreshadowing of the resurrection of Christ.

You might say, I’ve read Leviticus 23 and have knowledge of these feasts, but nowhere did I read about the death and resurrection of Christ. That is because these are treasures hidden deep in the Word of God. Never take a word or number in the Scriptures for granted. Every word that proceeded from the mouth of God must be valued more than any earthly treasure because eternal life is within the Word of God. Often, we read a verse or passage of Scripture with the mind-set that we know what it means. We should approach every verse and passage as if we were seeking a deeper revelation in God’s Word.

In addition, the Scriptures reveal to us His knowledge and His sovereign power over everything. God is always in control of present and future events, which He has ordained. Isaiah wrote,

Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying my counsel shall stand, and I will do my pleasure. (Isa. 46:9–10)

God said that He had revealed future events in ancient times and end-time events in beginning-time events. The apostle Paul magnified Him with these words: O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and His ways past finding out (Rom. 11:33). It takes much time, prayer, and dedication to have these feasts revealed. I have been studying them for years, and it seems that the more I study them, the more God adds to my understanding. I call them the hidden and orderly things of God because He is indeed a God of order.

In the Feast of Pentecost, we will follow the children of Israel as they journeyed from the sea to Mount Sinai, where they became a covenant people. Here, God came down and spoke to the people. In this feast, we will see a picture of the church being born and Jews and Gentiles made one in Christ. Past events clearly fulfilled these first four feasts.

The Feast of Trumpets foreshadows the rapture of the church. The Israelites had four months between Pentecost and the Feast of Trumpets; it was the time of the wheat harvest. At the end of the harvest, we will see the church age ending with the rapture and the glorious appearing of Christ. The trumpet also speaks of the re-gathering of Israel after the out-gathering of the church as the nation prepares to receive her Messiah.

The Feast of Atonement foreshadows the time of Jacob’s trouble, the great tribulation (Jer. 30:7), the national cleansing of Israel. We will first study the time between the rapture of the church and the great tribulation. Will the tribulation take place immediately after the sounding of trumpet when Christ gathers His wheat, the church? On the other hand, will time pass before the tribulation period begins? This book attempts to answer questions such as these.

The Feast of Tabernacles foreshadows the millennial reign or earthly rule of the glorified Christ. This period starts with the second coming of Christ and ends as we enter the eternal state.

These last three feasts are still in the future; the first four have been fulfilled to the very moment and in every detail. There is no reason to believe the last three will not be fulfilled in the same manner as well. We will see how the children of Israel celebrated these feasts. Not realizing their spiritual nor symbolic significance, they just obeyed God.

From the very start and throughout this book, you will notice many numbers, such as one, two, three, four, six, seven, eight, ten, and thirteen along with use of number combinations. Without having a clear understanding of how God uses numbers in the Scriptures, it becomes almost impossible for us to comprehend the full spiritual significance and up-to-the-minute timing and fulfillment of these feasts, which God ordained so many centuries ago.

I pray this book will be a blessing to seminary students and others who want to obtain a deeper level of faith through knowledge of the hidden mysteries in the Word of God. The Bible is a book like no other book because it contains the mind of God.

Before studying these seven feasts of Leviticus 23, the chapter starts with God giving Moses instructions on His weekly Sabbath. There are misunderstandings on the reason for the Sabbath. To whom does the Sabbath apply, and when should we worship? Should it be on Saturday or Sunday? In reality, we can worship God on any day and at any time. The worship God desires must be done in spirit and in truth (John 4:24). When we worship God is not as important as how we worship Him. Yet, one day of the week is set aside for rest and worship, is that day Saturday or Sunday? We will begin our study in an attempt to this answer this question.

The chapter begins with Leviticus 23:2: Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, concerning the feasts of the LORD. This verse introduces us to the Lord’s feasts. These seven feasts (Lev. 23:5–36) are figurative and symbolize future and historical events concerning Israel, Christ, and the church.

All Scriptures in this book are from the Authorized King James Version unless otherwise stated.

CHAPTER 1

The Jewish Sabbath

Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the Sabbath of rest, an holy convocation: (Holy gathering together), ye shall do no work therein: it is the Sabbath of the LORD in all your dwelling.

—Leviticus 23:3

In Leviticus