Three Transforming Experiences - Part 2
Feasts of the Lord
These three transforming experiences can also be clearly seen in the three main Feasts of the Lord:
**1. Passover ** (also referred to as the Feast of Unleavened Bread)
**2. Pentecost ** (also referred to as the Feast of Harvest, Feast of Weeks, or Feast of First Fruits)
**3. Tabernacles ** (also referred to as the Feast of Ingathering or the Feast of Booths)
“Three times a year you shall celebrate a feast [dedicated] to Me. You shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread… . Also [you shall observe] the Feast of Harvest (Weeks, Pentecost, or First Fruits), acknowledging the first fruits of your labor, of what you sow in the field. And [third] the **Feast of Ingathering (Booths or Tabernacles) **at the end of the year when you gather in [the fruit of] your labors from the field.”—Exodus 23:14-16 (AMP)
Some believers may question the validity of looking at Old Testament Feasts to confirm New Testament truth, but Paul made it very clear that though we do not practice the feasts anymore after the Jewish traditions, the Feasts of the Lord were prophetic symbols and models of what is now being fulfilled in the New Testament Church age.
“So why would you allow anyone to judge you because of what you eat or drink, or insist that you keep the feasts, observe new moon celebrations, or the Sabbath? All of these were but a prophetic shadow and the evidence of what would be fulfilled, for the body is now Christ!”—Colossians 2:16-17 (TPT)
In 1 Corinthians 5:7-8, Paul indicated that not only are the Feasts of the Lord relevant for our time, but we New Testament believers are the ones who can truly keep the feasts in their fullness, as God intended.
“Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” (NKJV)
Each feast commemorates what God did in the past, but has its ultimate fulfillment in:
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The life of Jesus (our forerunner)
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The life and history of the Church, and
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The life of the individual believer
These three main feasts are described several times throughout the Old Testament. Specific instructions for these feasts are given in Exodus 23, Leviticus 23, Numbers 28-29, and Deuteronomy 16.
Feast of Passover
The Feast of Passover was originally instituted by God to commemorate events in the history of the people of Israel. Passover commemorated the time when God delivered Israel from Egypt. Passover also looked forward to its ultimate fulfillment in the death of Jesus on the cross. Just as the blood of the lamb saved the Hebrew households in their time, the blood of Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, saves us when we place our trust in Him.
This feast represents the first transforming experience of Salvation and new life in Christ.
Passover took place in the first month of the calendar that God gave to the Jews. Since it took place in the first month of God’s calendar, it represents a *beginning. *There are many traditional churches that basically teach that once you receive Salvation, you have “arrived.” They speak of it as if it is a destination, but on God’s calendar, it is only the beginning! There is much, much more to experience in God!
The Israelites were instructed to eat the Passover feast with their shoes on, staff in hand, fully dressed and ready for their journey (Exodus 12:11). This feast represents the beginning of a new journey—a new life.
Passover is a feast of unleavened bread. Israelites were to eat unleavened bread for seven days to keep this feast.
“Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses. For whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel.”—Exodus 12:15 (NKJV)
Leaven speaks of mixture. No mixture is allowed in our Salvation experience. There is one way, one truth, one life, one mediator between God and man, and that is the man, Christ Jesus. No one comes to God but through Jesus (John 14:6, 1 Timothy 2:5). There is only one way to God, not many.
Unleavened bread also speaks of the importance of feeding on the pure Word of God for the new believer. The foundation of teaching that the new believer receives is very important and must be pure, without being mixed with error.
“Like newborn babies you should crave (thirst for, earnestly desire) the pure (unadulterated) spiritual milk, that by it you may be nurtured and grow unto [completed] salvation,”—1 Peter 2:2 (AMPC)
The Feast of Passover was only for the circumcised. No uncircumcised foreigner could participate in this feast. Only slaves and foreigners who were first circumcised could eat it with Israelites (Exodus 12:43-45). This speaks of covenant. Circumcision was the evidence that an Israelite had entered into covenant with God. When we enter into Salvation—the Passover experience—we enter into covenant with Almighty God.
No work was allowed on the 1st and 7th days of the feast of Passover. This speaks to the fact that Salvation is a free gift. It is a work of God, not of man.
“For it is by grace [God’s remarkable compassion and favor drawing you to Christ] that you have been saved [actually delivered from judgment and given eternal life] through faith. And this [salvation] is not of yourselves [not through your own effort], but it is the [undeserved, gracious] gift of God; not as a result of [your] works [nor your attempts to keep the Law], so that no one will [be able to] boast or take credit in any way [for his salvation].—Ephesians 2:8-9 (AMP)
There is nothing we can possibly do to save ourselves. Christianity is the only “religion” that tells people the truth about salvation. We cannot save ourselves. Our works count for nothing when it comes to being saved from Hell and spending eternity in Heaven with God. Salvation is not based on a “point system” of doing more good works than bad works. It is impossible to save ourselves through our own efforts. The ONLY way to Salvation is through faith in Jesus Christ and the sacrifice He made for us when He died on the cross.
**Fulfilling the Feast of Passover **
This Feast of Passover was fulfilled in Church history when Jesus died on the cross.
“You know that the day after tomorrow is the day of the Passover Feast. On that day the Son of Man will be given to his enemies to be killed on a cross.”—Matthew 26:2 (ICB)
Jesus’ Crucifixion opened the door for the Salvation experience to be made freely available to everyone who believes.
When you enter into the Salvation experience, you enter into the personal fulfillment of the Feast of Passover in your own life.
This allows a believer to enter into the Outer Court experience of God’s Tabernacle. This is a wonderful experience, but it is only the beginning of the journey! There is still much more to experience in our journey with God!
**Three Transforming Experiences **
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