How did Jesus fulfill the biblical feasts in Leviticus 23? The seven feasts are divided into two groups. This post examines the four spring feasts that look to Jesus's first coming. Here are the three fall feasts that look to Jesus's Second Coming. Each feast was fulfilled when celebrated: Jesus was crucified on Passover (Pesach), Jesus's sinless (unleavened body) was buried during Unleavened Bread (Hag Hamatzot), Jesus was resurrected on Firstfruits (Hag HaBikkurim), and the church was born on Pentecost or Weeks (Shavuot). 

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How did Jesus fulfill the biblical feasts? The fall feasts, Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits, and Pentecost look to the First Coming.

Table of contentsLooking to Jesus's First ComingThe First Biblical Feast, Passover (Pesach), Looked Forward to Jesus’s CrucifixionThe Second Biblical Feast, Unleavened Bread (Hag Hamatzot), Looked Forward to Jesus’s Unleavened Body in the GraveJesus's Unleavened Body Couldn't Remain in the GraveThe Third Biblical Feast, Firstfruits (Hag HaBikkurim), Looked Forward to Jesus’s ResurrectionWhat Are Firstfruits?The Fourth Biblical Feast, Pentecost or Weeks (Shavuot), Looked Forward to the Church's “Harvest”The Seven Weeks Between the Third and Fourth FeastsThe Sabbath Looked Forward to the Rest Christ OffersChrist's True and Greater RestWhat Did the Hebrews Understand?

The seven biblical feasts are divided into two groups. The four fall feasts fall feasts look to Jesus’s First Coming, and all were fulfilled when they were celebrated:

Jesus was crucified on Passover

Jesus’s sinless, or unleavened body, was buried during the Feast of Unleavened Bread

Jesus was resurrected on Firstfruits

The church began on Pentecost

The three spring feasts, Trumpets, Atonement, and Tabernacles, look to Jesus's Second Coming, and because the fall feasts were fulfilled when the feasts were celebrated, it is reasonable to expect the spring feasts to be fulfilled when they are celebrated.

The first feast, Passover, began the first month of the Hebrew calendar, Nissan 14, our March 30.1

The feast of firstfruits is below the feast of unleavened bread, because firstfruits took place during unleavened bread.

Seven weeks passed between the third and fourth feasts looking forward to the seven weeks between Jesus’s resurrection and ascension when He revealed himself to over 500 witnesses.

There is a six-month gap between Nisan, when the fall feasts begin, and Tishri, the seventh month when the spring feasts begin. This six-month gap represents the church age or gap between Jesus’s two comings.

Looking to Jesus's First Coming

Leviticus 23:4 “These are the appointed feasts of the Lord, the holy convocations, which you shall proclaim at the time appointed for them.

The Hebrew word for feasts is môʿēḏ, which means “appointed times,” which is why many Bibles refer to the feasts as appointed feasts instead of only feasts. This is the first of four times in verses two through four that the word appointed is used. God wants us to know these feasts are appointed. Why the repetition? God carefully planned their timing and sequence to point toward Christ and the work He would accomplish in His First and Second Comings.

The First Biblical Feast, Passover (Pesach), Looked Forward to Jesus’s Crucifixion

Leviticus 23:5 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight, is the Lord's Passover.

1 Corinthians 5:7b Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.

Every Passover looked forward to Christ, our Passover lamb, who was crucified on Passover:

Matthew 26:2 the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.”

John 19:13 Pilate…brought Jesus out, and…14 it was the day of preparation of the Passover.

At the same time the lambs were being prepared to be slaughtered for the Passover meal, Jesus was being prepared to be slaughtered for our sins.