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The Feast of Israel: God’s Commanded Feasts and National Feasts

The feasts of Israel are divided into two categories: the feasts commanded by God and the national feasts. The Sabbath, Passover, and Feast of Tabernacles are the feasts commanded by God, while Purim and Hanukkah are national feasts. The feasts commanded by God were fulfilled by Jesus, while the national feasts were fulfilled by the people.

1. The Feasts Commanded by God and the Fulfillment of Prophecies

1. Passover and Liberation - Jesus, as the Passover Lamb, sacrificed Himself on the cross, liberating us from sin.

2. The Unleavened Bread of Suffering (The Process of Being Chased by the Soldiers and Passing Through the Red Sea) - This was fulfilled through Jesus' death and burial, and the fleeing disciples who were chased by soldiers. 1 Corinthians 10:1-2 shows that passing through the Red Sea was a form of baptism, or a burial.

3. Firstfruits - Jesus was the first to be resurrected from the dead, fulfilling the Firstfruits festival.

4. Pentecost (The Feast of Weeks) - After Jesus' resurrection, all the saints who had been asleep in their graves rose from the dead (Matthew 27:52-53).

5. Feast of Trumpets - This was fulfilled when Jesus ascended to heaven and the disciples prayed for ten days, leading to the coming of the Holy Spirit.

6. Day of Atonement - Jesus ascended to heaven, casting out Satan, fulfilling the Day of Atonement prophecy, where the sins of the people were symbolically transferred to a goat and sent into the wilderness (Revelation 12:9).

7. Feast of Tabernacles - Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, made the bodies of the saints into temples, fulfilling the prophecy of the Feast of Tabernacles.

2. Israel's National Feasts: The Feast of Purim (A Commemoration of the Events During the Persian Era)

To understand the fulfillment of the prophecy of Purim, we must first understand the history of Israel, which began with David. The history of Israel, beginning with David, foretold the history of the churches that began with Jesus. Just as David laid the foundation for the temple, Jesus also laid the foundation for the temple with the 12 apostles. Just as Solomon completed the temple, Jesus also completed it by giving the Holy Spirit, which formed the early church.

However, toward the end of the early church, it became divided into the Eastern Church, centered around Jerusalem, and the Western Church, centered in Rome, due to the absorption of heretical doctrines. This division mirrors the division of Israel into the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah at the end of Solomon’s reign due to his idolatry. Similarly, the early church split into the Eastern and Western Churches, which are symbols of the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah.

The history shows that the Roman Church became corrupt under the authority of the Roman emperor, and after conquering the Jerusalem Church, it established a new religion called Catholicism, fulfilling the prophecy of the fall of both the northern and southern kingdoms.

Thus, Catholicism symbolizes Babylon, and the reformers, such as Luther and Calvin, who fought against Catholicism, fulfilled the prophecy of the Medo-Persian Empire, which overthrew Babylon.

3. The Fulfillment of the Feast of Hanukkah (A Commemoration of the Miracle During the Reign of Antiochus IV in 170 BC)

The Feast of Hanukkah commemorates the victory of Judah Maccabee over the Syrian King Antiochus IV around 170 BC. After Israel’s liberation from Babylon, they returned to their land and built the temple, but they were under foreign domination until 170 BC. During this time, the king of Syria, Antiochus IV, invaded Israel, forcing religious oppression and idolatry. Antiochus erected a statue of Zeus in the temple and abolished daily sacrifices, as prophesied in Daniel 11. Judah Maccabee led a revolt and after 3.5 years of fighting, he drove the Syrian army out of Jerusalem and repaired the temple. During the repair, there was only enough oil to light the menorah for one day, but miraculously, it burned for eight days. This miracle was celebrated, and the Feast of Hanukkah was instituted.

The Feast of Hanukkah involves lighting nine candles, with the ninth candle used to light the others. This is a symbol of the coming of God’s kingdom at the end of the world. In the Book of Revelation, nine candles are mentioned: seven are known, and the other two are represented by the two witnesses. When the two witnesses appear, it signifies that the end of the world is near, and when their candles are lit, God's kingdom will arrive.

[Revelation 11:3-15] "And I will give power to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth... (15) The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, 'The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Messiah, and He will reign forever and ever.'"

4. Conclusion

Therefore, the seven feasts established by God were all fulfilled by Jesus, the descendant of David. The feasts of Purim and Hanukkah will be fulfilled in the time of the reformers and the last days.