Jewish Feasts

Jewish Feasts

Jewish Feasts

The futurist / dispensational interpretation- wrong way!

 The futurist / dispensational interpretation of the feasts and how they tie them into their teaching on the rapture, 7-year tribulation, and second coming.

In the 19th century, a man named John Nelson Darby became the father of what is now called Dispensationalism,  the teaching that divided God’s plan into separate ages and placed the fulfillment of prophecy into a distant future. Darby’s ideas of a secret rapture, a seven-year tribulation, and a postponed kingdom were unknown to the church for eighteen centuries. They were later popularized by the Scofield Reference Bible (1909), written by Cyrus I. Scofield, whose notes reinterpreted entire sections of Scripture through Darby’s futurist lens. Scofield’s work was heavily promoted in American seminaries and churches, reportedly backed by wealthy elites such as the Rockefellers, who saw political and religious value in pushing a theology that focused Christians on escaping the world rather than transforming it through the finished work of Jesus. What had always been understood by the fathers of the faith as Jesus completed redemption and kingdom inaugurated at the cross was twisted into a system of fear, delay, and speculation. Instead of unveiling Jesus as Revelation intended, this teaching created a false narrative of escape and terror, blinding generations to the truth that the Lamb already reigns.

The timeline-style breakdown showing how the futurist/rapture teaching developed - it’s a recent invention, not historic Christian doctrine:

This timeline-style breakdown (Darby → Scofield → modern prophecy conferences → Left Behind books) show just how recent and manufactured this futurist view really is!

Timeline of Futurism, Dispensationalism, and the Rapture Teaching

Early Church (1st–4th Century)

The church fathers (Irenaeus, Augustine, etc.) interpreted Revelation symbolically or as fulfillment in Jesus first coming and the fall of Jerusalem (70 AD).
No record of a secret rapture, seven-year tribulation, or dispensational “ages.”

16th Century – Counter-Reformation Futurism

A Jesuit priest, Francisco Ribera (1585), wrote a commentary that placed Revelation’s prophecies into the far future, as a way to deflect accusations that the papacy was the Antichrist.
This “futurist” interpretation planted seeds later used by Protestants.

1830s – John Nelson Darby

An Anglo-Irish preacher, Darby of the Plymouth Brethren, systematized futurism into Dispensationalism.
He taught:
A secret rapture of the church (before tribulation).
A literal 7-year tribulation (Daniel’s 70th week).
A postponed kingdom for Israel separate from the Church.
His teachings were rejected by most churches at the time as novel and dangerous.

Late 1800s – Darby’s U.S. Tours

Darby toured the U.S. repeatedly, influencing pastors and Bible teachers, especially in conservative evangelical circles.
His theology fit well with 19th-century anxieties and political upheavals, and he found fertile ground.

1909 – The Scofield Reference Bible

Cyrus I. Scofield published his reference Bible, filled with footnotes teaching Darby’s system.
It presented dispensational futurism as if it were Scripture itself.
Scofield’s work was backed by wealthy industrialists (Rockefellers and others), ensuring massive distribution.
For many American Christians, Scofield’s notes became as authoritative as the Bible text.

20th Century – Prophecy Conferences & Bible Schools

Dispensational teaching spread through Moody Bible Institute, Dallas Theological Seminary, and prophecy conferences.
Teachers like Lewis Sperry Chafer, Harry Ironside, and later Hal Lindsey (The Late Great Planet Earth, 1970) mainstreamed rapture theology.

1995 Onward – The Left Behind Series

Tim LaHaye and Jerry Jenkins’ Left Behind novels sold tens of millions of copies worldwide.
They cemented the futurist rapture/tribulation narrative in the popular imagination as if it were biblical fact.

The Result

For 1,800 years the Church never taught a secret rapture or seven-year tribulation.
In less than 200 years, a man-made system, fueled by wealth, politics, and fear, became the dominant view in many evangelical circles.
Instead of unveiling Jesus finished work, it veiled Him again, keeping believers looking to the future for what He has already accomplished at the cross and resurrection.

Spring Feasts — Already Fulfilled in Jesus’ First Coming (Futurist View)

Futurists say the first four feasts were fulfilled literally in Jesus’ first coming, and therefore the last three will be fulfilled literally in His second coming.

Passover → Jesus’ Crucifixion
OT: Exodus 12 (the lamb’s blood).

Exodus 12:5,7,13
“Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats… And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it… And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.”

NT: John 1:29; 1 Corinthians 5:7 (“Jesus our Passover is sacrificed for us”).
Fulfilled at the cross.
John 1:29
“The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”

1 Corinthians 5:7
“Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us.”

Unleavened Bread → Jesus in the Tomb
OT: Exodus 12:15–20.

Exodus 12:15
“Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.”

NT: 1 Corinthians 5:8.
Fulfilled when Jesus’ body lay in the grave (sinless, unleavened).

Firstfruits → Resurrection
OT: Leviticus 23:9–14.

Leviticus 23:10–11
“Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest: And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it.”

NT: 1 Corinthians 15:20–23 (“Jesus the firstfruits”).
Fulfilled in resurrection.
1 Corinthians 15:20–23
“But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.”

Pentecost → Church Age Begins
OT: Exodus 19–20 (Law given).

NT: Acts 2 (Spirit poured out).

Acts 2:1–4
“And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”

They say this marked the “birth of the Church,” beginning the “Church Age” which ends at the rapture.

Truth:First we need script proof that the church age will never end.

Truth:The birth of the church was the cross, we  united in Jesus in marriage

Truth:No rapture- the earth is eternal inheritance to the saints

Fall Feasts — Yet to Be Fulfilled in the Future (Futurist View)

Trumpets (Yom Teruah / Rosh Hashanah) → Rapture of the Church

OT: Leviticus 23:23–25 (trumpet blasts). Truth:Trumpets in Revelation is warning for judgement made on the cross!

Leviticus 23:24
“Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation.”

NT scriptures used:

1 Thessalonians 4:16–17
“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”

1 Corinthians 15:51–52
“Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”

Revelation 4:1
“After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven: and the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me; which said, Come up hither, and I will shew thee things which must be hereafter.”(they interpret John being called up with a trumpet voice as a picture of rapture).

They teach that this feast predicts the rapture, happening suddenly, secretly removing the Church.

Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) → 7-Year Tribulation & Israel’s Repentance

OT: Leviticus 16 (high priest, blood sacrifice).

NT scriptures used:
Zechariah 12:10
“And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.”

Matthew 24:21
“For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.” (“great tribulation”).

Romans 11:26–27
“And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.”

Futurists say this feast pictures Israel’s national repentance during the 7-year tribulation, at Jesus’ visible return.

Tabernacles (Sukkot) → Millennial Kingdom

OT: Leviticus 23:33–44 (Israel lived in booths).

NT scriptures used:
Zechariah 14:16
“And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.” (nations keeping Feast of Tabernacles in millennial reign). Truth: Jesus reign on cross "1 Day = 1000 years"

Revelation 20:4
“And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.” (the 1,000-year reign).

Zechariah 14:16–19
Revelation 20:1–6
John 1:14 (Jesus “tabernacled” among us as a preview). Truth: The veil was torn and God live among His people, living temple of  we are building stones

They teach this feast will be fulfilled in the 1,000-year reign of Jesus on earth.

How They Tie It Together (Futurist Prophetic Timeline)

Spring Feasts = First Coming (fulfilled).
Church Age = gap (mystery).
Trumpets = Rapture (before tribulation).
Atonement = Tribulation → Israel saved. Truth: Scripture state there is no natural Israel, but only a spiritual one in Jesus- "Jew and Gentile as one in Him, a holy nation."

Tabernacles = Millennium → God dwells on earth.  Truth:God already dwells on earth-Scripture proof!

Extra Scriptures They Use for This Theology

Daniel 9:27

“And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate.” → interpreted as the 7-year tribulation.

Matthew 24:29–31
“Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” → linked to feast of trumpets.

1 Thessalonians 5:2
“For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.”

Revelation 3:10
“Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.” → used to argue the Church is raptured before tribulation.

Summary of Futurist Feast Theology

Passover → Crucifixion
Unleavened Bread → Burial
Firstfruits → Resurrection
Pentecost → Birth of the Church
Trumpets → Rapture (before tribulation)
Atonement → 7-Year Tribulation & Israel saved at Jesus’ coming
Tabernacles → Millennial Kingdom on earth

Their main claim: because the spring feasts were fulfilled literally, the fall feasts must also be fulfilled literally in the end times, proving, they say, that “Jesus is coming soon.” Truth: The irony is the the fall feasts was fulfilled literally!

The Jesus-Centered interpretation- Right way!

The feasts of Israel were never just cultural holidays, they were prophetic shadows given to the fathers of faith (Abraham, Moses, David, etc.), pointing directly to the Messiah. Here’s a list with their customs + Christ-centered meaning:

Spring Feasts (First Coming of Messiah Fulfilled in Jesus)

Passover (Pesach) — Deliverance by the blood of the lamb
Commemorates Israel’s deliverance from Egypt (Exodus 12).
Lamb’s blood saved the firstborn from death.
Messianic meaning: Jesus = the true Passover Lamb (John 1:29; 1 Corinthians 5:7). His cross = deliverance from sin and death.

Unleavened Bread (Chag HaMatzot) — Separation from sin
Israel ate bread without leaven for 7 days after leaving Egypt (Exodus 12:15–20).
Leaven = symbol of sin.
Messianic meaning: Jesus’ sinless body laid in the tomb (John 19:40–42). Believers walk unleavened = sincerity and truth (1 Corinthians 5:8).

Firstfruits (Reshit Katzir) — Promise of new life
First sheaf of harvest offered to God (Leviticus 23:9–14).
Messianic meaning: Jesus = firstfruits of the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:20–23). His resurrection guarantees ours.

Pentecost (Shavuot / Feast of Weeks) — Harvest and Law
50 days after Passover, Israel celebrated harvest and remembered the giving of the Law at Sinai (Exodus 19–20).
Messianic meaning: Fulfilled when the Spirit was poured out on Pentecost (Acts 2). Law written on tablets → Spirit written on hearts (Jeremiah 31:33).

Fall Feasts (Pointing to Fullness in Jesus Reign & Covenant)

Trumpets (Yom Teruah / Rosh Hashanah) — Awakening call
Trumpet blasts announced the new year, calling people to repentance (Leviticus 23:23–25).
Messianic meaning: Jesus voice awakens His people (1 Thessalonians 4:16; John 5:25). Spiritually, fulfilled at Pentecost and ongoing in the gospel call.

Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) — Covering / cleansing of sin
High priest entered Holy of Holies once a year with blood (Leviticus 16).
Messianic meaning: Jesus, our High Priest, entered once for all with His own blood (Hebrews 9:12). Atonement = finished at the cross.

Tabernacles (Sukkot / Feast of Booths) — God dwelling with His people
Israel lived in booths to remember wilderness wandering and God’s provision (Leviticus 23:33–44).
Messianic meaning: Jesus is Emmanuel, God tabernacled among us (John 1:14). Fulfilled in the Spirit’s indwelling now, and fully when “the tabernacle of God is with men” (Revelation 21:3).

Other Important Customs Linked to Messiah

Hanukkah (Feast of Dedication) — Commemorates temple rededication (John 10:22).
Jesus stood in the temple during this feast and declared Himself the Light of the World (John 8:12).
Purim (Book of Esther) — God delivers His people from destruction.
→ Symbol of Messiah’s deliverance from the plots of the enemy.

The Thread

Every feast points:

From Egypt’s lamb → to Jesus the Lamb.
From Sinai’s law → to Spirit’s covenant in hearts.
From wilderness booths → to God dwelling with His Bride.

All were customs of the fathers that found their completion in Jesus.