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The Holy Festivals 
Chapter 18    Leviticus 23

Their social, political, and commercial benefits . . . Their value in a religious aspect . . . Congregational worship . . . The Passover . . . The Feast of Unleavened Bread . . . The First                          Sheaf of Barley Harves . . . The Feast of Weeks or Pentecost, and the two loaves of Wheat harvest . . . The Corners and the Gleanings . . . The Feast of Trumpets, or Gospel call . . . The Feast of Tabernacles . . . The Sabbath.

In earlier Chapters, the Levitical Law had been mainly about holy persons, holy things and holy places; in Chapter 23 we see the establishment of holy times, many of which had been mentioned occasionally before, but here they are all put together . . . only the new moons are not mentioned. All the rest of the feasts of the LORD are: #1. The weekly feast of the Sabbath (v. 3). #2. The yearly feasts: 1. The Passover, and the Feast of Unleavened Bread (v. 4-8), to which was annexed the offering of the Sheaf of First-fruits (v. 9-14). Pentecost (v. 15-22). The solemnities of the seventh month. The Feast of Trumpets on the first day (v. 23-25), the Day of Atonement on the tenth day (v. 26-32), and the Feast of Tabernacles on the fifteenth (v. 33-44).

The Seven Feasts of Israel

  • The Feast of Passover (Lev.23:4-5)
  • The Feast of Unleavened Bread (Lev.23:6-8)
  • The Feast of the Sheaf of Firstfruits (Lev 23:9-14)
  • The Feast of Weeks/Pentecost (Lev. 23:15-22)
  • The Feast of Trumpets (Le. 23:23-25)
  • The Feast Day of Atonement (Lev.23:26-32)
  • The Feast of Booths or Tabernacles (Lev.23:33-44)

These ceremonies were briefly mentioned before, but are here brought together in one place, that their relationship to each other, and their general importance, might be more clearly understood. There are three over-all aspects in which these remarkable festivals may be considered. They had important relationships to the peace and prosperity of the Jews as a nation; they embodied a great religious idea; and they presented a chronological foreshadowing of the great facts of our redemption.

<><><>1. Commentators usually, on this part of Hebrew Law, have remarked upon the social, political and commercial benefits to the Jewish people from these national festivals and assemblies.
These festivals helped unite the nation, cementing them together as one people, and preventing them from forming separate groups and conflicting clans or states. Three times each year these feasts brought huge multitudes together from ALL sections of the country to meet each other on a common religious ground, requiring them to acknowledgment their descent from a common father, and their dedication to the same God, of heirship to the same Promises, and subjecting to the same theocratic system (government in which priests rule in the Name of God).

Persons of different tribes and distant localities met on terms of brotherhood and fellowship, encouraging old and creating new relationships, and acquainting all with each other.
PURPOSE of the Feasts:
#1. To remind the priests who officiate before God, that God must be treated as holy and honored before all the people.
#2. To instruct individuals that they must come before God in worship through atonement, cleanness and holy living.
#3. To remind the nation of their covenant obligations which are required for their continued occupation of and blessing in God's Holy Lands.
#4. To instruct Israel to establish their culture by re-minding them of the first steps in approaching God's Presence as well as the revelation of living with God.
#5. There were conditions: To present His redeemed, covenanted people with a collection of cultic, civil, social, moral and economic conditions so that the Holy God may continue to dwell within an unholy people as He continues His work through them in the world. These terms were intended to prevent the withdrawal of God from His people who will bring about defilement of the sanctuary.
#6. To reveal Almighty God in His holiness, righteousness, mercy and sovereignty who blesses Israel with His Presence dwelling in the midst of their nation, directing specific instructions for approaching God's Presence and for living in the community of God's people.
#7. To demand that the Israelites live in a way that would show to the modern Near Eastern nations the true nature of holiness.

If hostility had sprung up between any of the tribes, the occurrence of these holy assemblies required them to lay down their arms, and come together as brethren around the same altar of their common God, to offer the same sacrifices, sing the same outstanding songs, and bow down with each other before the same Almighty God. It was impossible for a people to obey such regulations and become divided. The actual split of the ten tribes from Judah, under Rehoboam and Jeroboam, could and did not become serious until they set aside that part of the Law relating to these national festivals.

These assemblies also had great effect on the internal commerce of the Hebrew people. They furnished facilities for mutual exchanges and opened the ways of trade and business between the various sections. Such festivals have always been attended with this effect. Perhaps, more of the affluence of the Jews and of the greatness and glory of Jerusalem, can be traced to the simple Laws of Chapter 23, than to all the wisdom and power of all their kings. We can therefore see a wisdom and knowledge in these Laws, even apart from their religious significance, for these Laws bear the touch of our Holy God.

Doubt may boast as it will, but before the infidel starts to extract the mote from the Christian's eye, it would be well for him to first remove the beam from his own. "Physician, heal thyself" (Lk.4:23), is answer enough to all the arguments and ridicule of unbelief and atheism.

<><><>2. There was also a direct religious value and foresight in the appointment of these festivals. They arranged for public union in worship. Man is a worshipping being. It is not only his duty, but also his nature and native instinct to worship. His very position in the Universe, is a creature, dependent, needy and the receiver of so much good, calls for it. The best and the great majority of men, in all ages, have given their approval and example to it; but isolated worship, without association in services, soon declines and corrupts. It never does reach that majestic and intense motivation which comes from a congregation in the same great acts of devotion. "As iron sharpeneth iron, so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend" (Pro.27:17). And because the multitude of these mutual sharpeners is increased, their common devotion will be deepened and increased. There is something in a great congregation to impress, move and invigorate; and when it beats with one thought, one feeling, one aim, in the direction of the infinite and divine God, the impulse is like that of the gathered strength of the waves of the sea, profound, majestic and overwhelming. I know of nothing earthly that is more beautiful, more impressive, more soothing to the innermost soul, and more kindly in its effects, than a passionate assembly, convened for the worship of Almighty God. The congregation of such a number of precious souls, filled with holy reverence, their differences all forgotten, the hearts of all classes mingled together as one, and all their diversities of position and workplace melted away before the Majesty of the Maker of them all, brings a heavenly respect upon the spirit, and a kindness to cleanse the soul. It is like a great home gathering of children to receive the benedictions of a gracious Father. The Spirit of the Almighty One is there. He who died on Calvary's cross walks unseen among them all, laying His Hand on the heads of the contrite, and whispering quiet encouraging, comfort to them that mourn. Mat. 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. (KJV)

For the sake of religion, as well as for politics and commerce, it was a wise and gracious arrangement which called the tribes of Israel together three times a year in a beautiful congregation, to acknowledge their common LORD, to wait before Him in the services of His Temple, to adore, praise, honor and worship Him who made them. And it was from those festivals there went forth a religious life, which was felt to the utmost extremities of the land, and which made the great LORD love the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.

<><><>3. But I will speak more particularly of the typical relations of these holy feasts and seasons. They have an interest and value far above that of their immediate uses and effects. They were prophecies and portrayals of good things to come. We have in them a system of types, chronologically arranged, to set forth the true Course of Time . . . to prefigure the whole history of redemption, in its leading outlines, from the beginning to the close . . . so, in this light, let us briefly examine them.
The first in the list of these holy assemblies was the Passover. This was a sacramental observance, first instituted in Egypt, and first kept on that dreadful night when the destroying angel went through the land slaying the first-born of every house which had not been sprinkled with the blood of the slain lamb. It was a kind of perpetual memorial of their deliverance from the oppressor and from death . . . a standing testimony that their salvation was by the Blood of the Lamb. It was the 'basis' of the Christian system, sounding in the dim depths of remote ancient times. The bondage in Egypt referred to a still deeper and a more degrading slavery of the spirit. That redemption was the foreshadow of a much greater deliverance. That slain lamb and its sprinkled blood, pointed to a meeker, purer and higher Victim, whose Body was broken and His Blood shed for us and for many for the remission of sins. It was another form of setting forth "Christ and him crucified" (1 Cor.2:2). It was the crystal-clear foreshadowing of "Christ our passover sacrificed for us" (1 Cor.5:7). Just as God found Israel in bondage, so too He finds ALL of us in the slavery and filth of sin. And as He began Israel's redemption by holding up to them the slaughtered lamb, so too the spirit and essence of all His gracious communications to our fallen race has been, to point out "the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world" (Jn.1:29). The sprinkled blood of the lamb saved Israel from the dreadful destruction which overwhelmed their enemies; and so too are we "justified through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood" (Rom.3:24). The Passover Feast occurred just once a year . . . so "Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many" (Heb.9:28). In all time there shall NEVER be any repetition of His Sacrifice.

The Passover
Lev. 23:1-4 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts. 3 Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest, an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings. 4 These are the feasts of the LORD, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons. (KJV)
The feast of the Passover was to continue seven days; not idle days, spent in sport, as many professing Christians spend their holy days. Offerings were made to the LORD at His Altar; and the people used their time in prayer, praise and Godly meditation. The sheaf of firstfruits was symbolical of the LORD Jesus, who is risen from the dead as the firstfruits of them that slept (1 Cor.15:20,23). Our Lord Jesus rose from the dead on the very day that the firstfruits were offered. We are taught by this Law to honor the LORD with our substance, and with the firstfruits of all our increase (Pro.3:9). The people were not to eat of their new corn, until God's part was offered to Him; and we too must always start with God: start every day with Him, start every meal with Him, start every affair and business with Him; and always seeking first the kingdom of God (Mat.6:33).

The Passover was a feast for the whole nation of Israel, of which all were called to partake; for "Jesus, by the grace of God, tasted death for every man" "He died for all, that we which live might not henceforth live unto ourselves, but unto him that loved us and gave himself for us" (Heb.2:9). The paschal lamb was to be eaten as food by those who kept the feast; for Christ's flesh is meat indeed (Jn.6:55). He is "the living bread which came down from heaven, of which, if any man eat he shall live for ever " (Jn.6:41, 50-51).
The Passover was the first of the feasts intended for Israel. Jesus is "the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." (Rev.13:8). The Passover is the primary feast.

The Feast of Unleavened Bread
Lev. 23:6-8 And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread. 7 In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. 8 But ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD seven days: in the seventh day is an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. (KJV) 
The next in the list of Festivals was the Feast of Unleaveled Bread,which was a kind of an extension of the Passover, following the Passover the very next day. In both Matthew and Mark, these two festivals are counted as one; the Passover being regarded as the first day of the feast of Unleavened Bread. The Passover refers to what Christ did and does, and what He IS to the believer, and the Feast of Unleavened Bread refers to what the TRUE believer does in return. The Passover refers to our redemption by Jesus' Blood and our deliverance from condemnation; the Feast of Unleavened Bread to our repentance and consecration to a new life of obedience, that is separated from the leaven of unrighteousness. 1 Cor. 5:7-8 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: 8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. (KJV)

It is clear why both were joined together as one. Redemption is nothing to us IF it does not lead us to a cleansing of our filthy ways and our relationships with the wicked. In vain do we eat of the paschal lamb or sprinkle its blood, IF it is not immediately followed with the purging out of the old leaven. Our salvation only begins in Christ's sufferings and death; it then remains to be carried out in a new life of dedication to God by our forsaking or sin and obedience to Him. The Passover must succeed the feast of unleavened bread. Christ's Sacrifice places us in a position, and equips us with motives and reasons to leave the land of bondage and go to the Holy Land. A redeemed man must have a deep desire be holy. We can only successfully keep the Gospel Feast by purging out the old leaven of malice and wickedness.
Seven days was this feast of unleavened bread to be kept . . . a full period of time. We are to "serve God in righteousness and holiness all the days of our life" (Lk.1:75). Our work to obey God is not done until the week of our stay in this world ends. We must be faithful until death.

Merged with the Passover and the feast of unleavened bread, was the additional service of presenting before God the first sheaf of the barley-harvest. The Jew was not allowed to touch his crop until he had first gathered a sheaf, and presented it, along with the usual burnt and meat-offerings, as a gift to the LORD. This was a beautiful establishment, to teach the Israelites that it was not the soil, not the rain, not the sun, not the dew, not their skill of farmers that they had to thank for their bountiful produce; but that they must SEE that it was God, the Giver of the golden harvest, and make His praise the heart of the matter and the point of the Feast.

Christ Jesus Himself is the Chief Sheaf; for He was in all respects "made like unto his brethren" (Heb.2:17). He is "the first fruits" (1 Cor.15:20,23). He was gathered first, and received into the treasure-house of Heaven. It was the Passover time when He came to perfect ripeness. It was during these solemnities that He was "cut off" (Isa.53:8). And when the Spirit of God lifted Him from the sepulcher, and the Heavens opened to receive Him, then did the waving of the sheaf of first fruits have its truest and highest fulfilment. 1 Cor. 15:20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. (KJV) . . . Until this sheaf was thus offered along with the blood of atonement, there could be no harvest for us. It is as our Representative and Forerunner that Jesus has been in this way, lifted up before God.

There is a coming harvest of man . . . a gathering of saints into the garner of Heaven, and the unbelievers to an eternal Hell. The whole Earth (world) shall be harvested! The time is come means that God has a precise time for ALL events on His time table. When, NOT if, judgment comes, ALL peoples shall be harvested, to Heaven or Hell.
Rev. 14:15-16 And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. [16] And he that sat on the cloud thrust in his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped. (KJV)
There is a coming harvest of man . . . a gathering of saints into the garner of Heaven, and the unbelievers to an eternal Hell. The whole Earth (world) shall be harvested! The time is come means that God has a precise time for ALL events on His time table. When, NOT if, judgment comes, ALL peoples shall be harvested, to Heaven or Hell.
At present, we are no further than the waving of the first fruits of barley-harvest . . . the lifting up of Christ as the pledge and pattern of our own resurrection someday.

The Feast of Weeks
Lev. 23:15-22 And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete: 16 Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD. 17 Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals: they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baken with leaven; they are the firstfruits unto the LORD. 18 And ye shall offer with the bread seven lambs without blemish of the first year, and one young bullock, and two rams: they shall be for a burnt offering unto the LORD, with their meat offering, and their drink offerings, even an offering made by fire, of sweet savour unto the LORD. 19 Then ye shall sacrifice one kid of the goats for a sin offering, and two lambs of the first year for a sacrifice of peace offerings. 20 And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits for a wave offering before the LORD, with the two lambs: they shall be holy to the LORD for the priest. 21 And ye shall proclaim on the selfsame day, that it may be an holy convocation unto you: ye shall do no servile work therein: it shall be a statute for ever in all your dwellings throughout your generations. 22 And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not make clean riddance of the corners of thy field when thou reapest, neither shalt thou gather any gleaning of thy harvest: thou shalt leave them unto the poor, and to the stranger: I am the LORD your God. (KJV)

The Feast of Weeks was also called Pentecost,and was held in remembrance of the giving of the Law, fifty days after Israel's departure from Egypt; and looked forward to the outpouring of the Holy Ghost, fifty days after Christ our Passover was sacrificed for us. It was on that day the apostles presented the firstfruits of the Christian church to God. To the establishment of the Feast of Pentecost, is added a repetition of that Law, by which they were required to leave the gleanings of their fields. Those who are truly sensible of the mercy they received from God, will show mercy to the poor, willingly and without complaining.

The modern Jews have this festival celebrate the giving of the Law from Sinai; although there is nothing in the Mosaic record to give it such a connection. It was properly a harvest festival, at which the Jews were to render their thank-offerings for the bounties of the field, along with the first fruits of the same, before the beginning of the general reaping.

The Feast of Weeks is the second of the three "solemn feasts" where all Jewish males were required to travel to Jerusalem to attend (Ex.23:14-17; 34:22-23; Deut.16:16). This important feast gets its name from the fact that it starts seven weeks, or exactly 50 days, after the Feast of Firstfruits. Since it takes place exactly 50 days after the previous feast, this feast is also known as "Pentecost" (Acts 2:1), which means "fifty."

Each of three "solemn feasts" . . . Passover, the Feast of Weeks, and the Feast of Tabernacles . . . required that all able-bodied Jewish males travel to Jerusalem to attend the feast and offer sacrifices. All three of these feasts required that "firstfruit" offerings be made at the Temple as a way of expressing thanksgiving for God's provision. The Feast of Firstfruits celebrated at the time of the Passover included the first fruits of the barley harvest. The Feast of Weeks celebrated the first fruits of the wheat harvest, and the Feast of Tabernacles involved offerings of the first fruits of the olive and grape harvests.

Since the Feast of Weeks was one of the "harvest feasts," the Jews were commanded to "present an offering of new grain to the LORD." This offering was to be "two wave loaves of two-tenths of an ephah" which were made "of fine flour . . . baked with leaven." The offerings were to be made of the first fruits of that harvest. Along with the "wave offerings" they were also to offer seven first-year lambs that were without blemish along with one young bull and two rams. Additional offerings are also prescribed in Leviticus and the other passages that outline how this feast was to be observed. Another important requirement of this feast is that, when the Jews harvested their fields, they were required to leave the corners of the field untouched and not gather "any gleanings" from the harvest as a way of providing for the poor and strangers.

To the Jews, this time of celebration is known as Shavuot, which is the Hebrew word meaning "weeks." This is one of three separate names that are used in Scripture to refer to this important Jewish feast. Each name emphasizes an important aspect of the feast as well as its religious and cultural significance to both Jews and Christians. Besides being called the Feast of Weeks in Leviticus 23, this special feast celebration is called the "Day of the Firstfruits" (Num.28:26) and the "Feast of Harvest" Ex.23:16).

The Feast of Weeks takes place exactly 50 days after the Feast of Firstfruits. It normally occurs in late spring, either the last part of May or the beginning of June. Unlike other feasts that begin on a specific day of the Hebrew calendar, this one is calculated as being "fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath" (Lev.23:15-16; Deut.16:9-10).

Like other Jewish feasts, the Feast of Weeks is important because it foretells the Coming Messiah and His ministry. Each and every one of the seven Jewish Feasts indicates an important feature of God's plan of redemption through Jesus Christ.

Jesus was crucified as the "Passover Lamb" and rose from the grave at the Feast of Firstfruits. After His resurrection, Jesus spent the next 40 days teaching His disciples before ascending to
Heaven (Acts 1:9-11). Fifty days after His resurrection and after ascending to Heaven to sit at the right hand of God, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit as promised (Jn.14:16-17) to indwell the disciples and empower them for ministry. The promised Holy Spirit arrived on the Day of Pentecost, which is another name for the Feast of Weeks.

The spiritual meanings of the Feast of Weeks are many. Some see the two loaves of leavened bread that were to be a wave offering as looking forward to the time when the Messiah would make both Jew and Gentile to be one in Him (Eph.2:14-15). This is also the only feast where leavened bread is used. Leaven in Scripture is often used symbolically of sin, and the leavened bread used in the Feast of Weeks is thought to represent the fact that there is still sin within the church (body of Christ) and will be until Christ returns again.

On the Day of Pentecost or the Feast of Weeks, the "firstfruits" of the church were gathered by Christ as some 3,000 people heard Peter present the Gospel after the Holy Spirit had empowered and indwelt the disciples as promised. With the promised indwelling of the Holy Spirit, the first fruits of God's spiritual harvest under the New Covenant began. That harvest continues as people continue to be saved, but there is also another coming harvest whereby God will again turn His attention back to Israel so that "all of Israel will be saved."
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: 27 For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins. (KJV)
Some say "All Israel will be saved" means that the majority of Jews in the last generation before Christ's return will turn to Christ for salvation.
While others say that "all Israel" means Israel as a whole will have a role in Christ's Kingdom. Their identity as a people will not be discarded. God chose the nation of Israel, and He has never rejected it.
Paul does NOT mean that every Jew will be saved. In Elijah's day only a remnant was saved; in David's day only a remnant was saved; in Paul's day only a remnant was saved; in today's time only a remnant is saved and in the Great Tribulation there will be just a remnant saved. ALL of the remnant will be saved. Isaiah 59:20 And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the Lord. [KJV] . . . The LORD says to His people, "I will come to Jerusalem to defend you and to save all of you that turn from your sins." This message is to every individual in the nation Israel! They must "turn from their transgression" and TO the Redeemer (the Messiah, the Christ). It is exactly the same way we Gentiles receive salvation. There is only ONE God. There is NOT one God for the Jews and another for the Gentiles. WE ALL HAVE THE SAME GOD!

The Feast of Pentecost, known as the birthday of the Church, marks the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and the bestowal of the Spirit's gifts that enables the apostles to leave the Upper Room and preach the Gospel. The grace imparted by the Spirit causes the apostles to proclaim the Good News, and in turn, baptize over three thousand souls. However, it is important to bear in mind that the importance of Pentecost in the ceremonial calendar, does not just begin on that first Pentecost Sunday in the Upper Room, but can be traced back to the time of Moses.

The sheaf of first fruits shows us Christ raised from the dead and lifted up to Heaven as our
Forerunner. And the Pentecostal feast, with its two leavened loaves, shows us Christ in the gracious effects of His Spirit molded into the hearts and lives of those who establish His earthly Church.
This spiritual meaning took its highest and most active form on the Day of Pentecost; when the disciples "were all with one accord in one place," and the Holy Spirit came down upon them with gifts of mighty power. Three thousand souls were that day added to the Church. It was a glad and glorious day for Christianity. It was the first fruits of wheat harvest brought in with joyous thanksgiving to God. But that was only the first fruits . . . the earnest (down payment) of a vast and plenteous harvest of the same kind ripening on the same fields. Then the world was to be filled with glad reapers gathering in the sheaves, and with laborers kneading the contents of those sheaves into loaves for God. And this same reaping and kneading is to go on, until God shall say, "It is enough. The mystery is finished" (Rev.10:7).
There was a strange requirement connected with these laws for the wheat harvest.
Lev.23:22 And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not make clean riddance of the corners of thy field when thou reapest, neither shalt thou gather any gleaning of thy harvest: thou shalt leave them unto the poor, and to the stranger: I am the LORD your God. (KJV)
This was a beautiful feature in these arrangements. It gives us a good lesson, which we should never lose sight of. We also have this Law in Lev.19:9-10. This is to remind the people, that when they brought their first-fruits, suggesting to them that to obey even in this small matter was better than sacrifice, and that, unless they were obedient, their offerings would not be accepted. It also taught them that the joy of harvest should express itself in charity to the poor, who must have their due out of what we have, as well as God His. Anyone that is truly grateful of the mercy they receive from God, will willingly and without complaining show mercy to the poor.

When I consider the history and activities of the Church. I see faithful men everywhere presenting themselves, body and soul, as living sacrifices on God's altar (Rom.12:1). But sad to say, I see multitudes whose hearts will NOT be moved . . . their brothers, friends and family continue on in unrighteousness, who shall die unrepentant.
Only Two Gates to Eternity
Matthew 7:13-14 Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: [14] Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. (KJV) 
There are only TWO gates leading to eternity. To me, it is so sad that millions CHOOSE the broad way that leads to Hell. That wide gate leads to a big broad road. Actually, BOTH these roads picture a funnel. Think about it. If you enter the funnel at the broad end, it keeps getting smaller and smaller. The longer a person stays on the broad, dark road, the harder it is to get off! It is dark because it is the devil's road! That road keeps narrowing until you come to deeper darkness, death, destruction, and finally Hell. Now, consider the narrow road. Picture it too, as a funnel. On this narrow road, that only a few ever walk, you enter the funnel at the narrow part. That's where Jesus is! He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. He says, "… I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly" (John 10:10). Now, on this narrow road, the longer you walk with Him, the wider it gets. Remember that Jesus is Light (John 1:4,9; 8:12), and as long as we walk with Him, the road is brightly lit. In Ezekiel's prophecy (Ch. 47) there was a river flowing out from the throne of God which began as a little stream and widened out until it became a great river. That pictures the life of a child of God . . . it gets better every day. And the longer we stay on that narrow road, the wider it becomes, and the easier it is to stay on. Words of wisdom: When you pray, thank God, in Jesus' Name, for His blessings each day.

In God's pictures of the time to come, He shows corners that have not been reaped and gleanings still not gathered after the present gatherers have done their work. Are the poor too lazy to go and get what could be theirs? The Gospel is able to gather up a people for the LORD, to be the kings and priests of "the world to come" (Mat.12:32, Lk.18:30; Heb.6:5; Eph.1:21), but only a few, take advantage of God's offer of salvation! WHY is this? We must have love and motive to work hard for the LORD, because there are corners which cannot be reached, and gleanings which cannot be gathered.

The Feast of Trumpets
Lev. 23:23-25 And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 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. 25 Ye shall do no servile work therein: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD. (KJV)

The next in this list of festivals, was the Feast of Trumpets. This was held on the first day of the seventh month of the ecclesiastical year, which was the same as the first month of the civil year. So, it really was a new-year festival, and at the same time, it was the feast of introduction to the sabbatical month. Its main uniqueness was the continual sounding of trumpets from morning till evening. It was the grand type of the preaching of the Gospel. Christ having been sacrificed and raised again, as shown in the Passover and its connected services, and the organization of grace having been completed, is anticipated in the Feast of Weeks, the next great step was, to let the world hear of it, and to call the people to come and rejoice in it. And this call is what the Feast of Trumpets foreshadowed. In one way, it began a new year . . . introducing a new dispensation.

The Feast of Trumpets marked the beginning of ten days of consecration and repentance before God. It is one of seven Jewish feasts or festivals appointed by the LORD and one of three feasts that take place in autumn. The Feast of Trumpets began on the first day (at the new moon) of the seventh month. Its name comes from the command to blow trumpets (Lev.23:24; Num.29:1-6). It is also called Rosh Hashanah, which means "Head of the Year," because it marks the beginning of the Jewish civil calendar. During this celebration, no kind of work was to be performed, but burnt offerings and a sin offering were to be brought before the LORD.

In the Leviticus Passage, the words trumpet blasts are a translation of the Hebrew word teruah, which means "a shout" or "a blowing." It appears that the shofar (ram's horn) was to be blown at this time, as it was on the other new moons (Ps.81:3). Jewish tradition indicates that both the ram's horn and the priestly silver horns (hazozerah) were used in the Feast of Trumpets.

The Feast of Trumpets was important for several reasons. First, it honored the end of the agricultural and festival year. And too, the Day of Atonement fell on the tenth day of this month, and the Festival of Booths began on the fifteenth day. The blowing of the trumpets on first day of the month signaled a solemn time of preparation for the Day of Atonement; this preparation time was called "Ten Days of Repentance" or the "Days of Awe." The trumpet sound was an alarm of sorts and can be understood as a call to self-examination and repentance.

The Feast of Trumpets, along with the other six festivals of the LORD, foretold certain aspects of the ministry of Christ Jesus. The prophets linked the blowing of trumpets to the future Day of Judgment.
Joel 2:1 Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand; (KJV)
Zep. 1:14-15 The great day of the LORD is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of the LORD: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly. 15 That day is a day of wrath, a day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and gloominess, a day of clouds and thick darkness, (KJV)
Zep. 1:18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD'S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land. (KJV)

The Coming Judgment on Judah
Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming.
Zep. 1:2-6 I will utterly consume all things from off the land, saith the LORD. 3 I will consume man and beast; I will consume the fowls of the heaven, and the fishes of the sea, and the stumblingblocks with the wicked; and I will cut off man from off the land, saith the LORD. 4  I will also stretch out mine hand upon Judah, and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and I will cut off the remnant of Baal from this place, and the name of the Chemarims with the priests; 5 And them that worship the host of heaven upon the housetops; and them that worship and that swear by the LORD, and that swear by Malcham; 6 And them that are turned back from the LORD; and those that have not sought the LORD, nor enquired for him. (KJV)

In the New Testament, we see that the LORD'S Second Coming will be accompanied by the sound of a trumpet (Joel 2:1; Mat.24:30-31; 1 Cor.15:51-52; 1 Thes.4:16-17). Each of the judgments in Revelation Chapters 8 and 9 is also signaled by a trumpet. Just as the shofar called the Jewish nation to turn their attention to the LORD and ready themselves for the Day of Atonement, so too shall the "trump of God" call us to Heaven and warn the world of coming judgment. Our God clearly tells us that there shall be a Judgment Day for all peoples, and all the world! Have you really thought about it? Are you ready for Judgment Day?

The Final Judgment
Mat. 13:37-43 He answered and said unto them, He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; 38 The field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; 39 The enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world; and the reapers are the angels. 40 As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. 41 The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; 42 And shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear. (KJV)

Mat. 25:31-34 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: 32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: 33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 
Mat 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: 
Mat. 25:46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal. (KJV)

The Feast of Trumpets was, to a great extent, an introductory to the great Day of Atonement. We have already considered the peculiarities of this solemn day in Chapter 15. Its leading thought is contained in its name . . . at-one-ment; that is, agreement, reconciliation, harmony, and peace with God. The Feast of Trumpets was a call to this at-one-ment. The Gospel is an appeal to men to be reconciled to God. One of its great objects is to urge sinners to afflict their souls, to repent of their sins and to accept remorsefully of the forgiveness found in the Blood of Jesus.

Dear one, the trumpets have been sounding in our ears. And still they sound. From the battlements of the heavenly Jerusalem their clear tidings of salvation ring over land and sea, saying, O careless sinner; come to the feast of pardon; get rid of your haughty spirit and your pride, and enter those everlasting gates which now stand open to receive you!

The Feast of Booths
Lev. 23:33-44  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 34 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the LORD. 35 On the first day shall be an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. 36 Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein. 37 These are the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD, a burnt offering, and a meat offering, a sacrifice, and drink offerings, every thing upon his day: 38 Beside the sabbaths of the LORD, and beside your gifts, and beside all your vows, and beside all your freewill offerings, which ye give unto the LORD. 39 Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days: on the first day shall be a sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a sabbath. 40 And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days. 41 And ye shall keep it a feast unto the LORD seven days in the year. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month. 42 Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths: 43 That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God. 44 And Moses declared unto the children of Israel the feasts of the LORD. (KJV)

The Feast of Tabernacles, also known as the Feast of Booths and Sukkot, and is the seventh and last feast that the LORD commanded Israel to observe and one of the three feasts that Jews were to observe each year by going to "appear before the Lord your God in the place which He shall choose" (Deut.16:16). The importance of the Feast of Tabernacles can be seen in how many places it is mentioned in Scripture. In the Bible we see many important events that took place at the time of the Feast of Tabernacles. For one thing, it was at this time that Solomon's Temple was dedicated to the LORD (1 Ki.8:2).

It was also at the Feast of Tabernacles that the Israelites, who had returned to rebuild the Temple, gathered together to hear Ezra proclaim the Word of God to them (Neh.8). Ezra's preaching resulted in a great revival as the Israelites confessed their sins and repented of them. It was also during this Feast that Jesus said, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water" (Jn.7:37-39).

The Feast of Tabernacles takes place on the 15th of the Hebrew month Tishri. This was the seventh month on the Hebrew calendar and usually occurs in late September to mid-October. The feast begins five days after the Day of Atonement and at the time the fall harvest had just been completed. It was a time of joyous celebration as the Israelites celebrated God's continued provision for them in the current harvest and remembered His provision and protection during the 40 years in the wilderness.

As one of the three feasts that all "native born" male Jews were commanded to participate in, the Feast of Tabernacles is mentioned many times in Scripture, sometimes called the Feast of the Ingathering, the Feast to the LORD, or the Feast of Booths (Ex.23:16; Deut.16:13). As one of the pilgrim feasts (when Jewish males were commanded to go to Jerusalem), it was also the time when they brought their tithes and offerings to the Temple (Deut.16:16). With the influx of people coming to Jerusalem at that time, we can only imagine what the scene must have been like. Thousands of people coming together to remember and celebrate God's deliverance and His provision, all living in temporary shelters or booths as part of the requirements of the feast. During the eight-day period, so many sacrifices were made that it required all twenty-four divisions of priests to be present to assist in the sacrificial duties.

The Feast of Tabernacles, like all the feasts, was instituted by God as a way of reminding Israelites in every generation of their deliverance by God from Egypt. The feasts are also important in that they foreshadow (look forward to) the work and actions of the Coming Messiah. Much of Jesus' public ministry took place in union with the Holy Feasts set forth by God.

There are also some who believe that it was likely during the Feast of Tabernacles that Jesus was born. While we celebrate Christ's birth on December 25, most scholars admit that this that the exact day of Jesus' birth is unknown. Some of the evidence that Jesus might have been born earlier in the year during the Feast of the Tabernacles includes the fact that it would be unlikely for shepherds to still be in the field with their sheep in December, which is in the middle of the winter, but it would have been likely they were in the fields tending sheep at the time of the Feast of Tabernacles. The strong possibility that Jesus was born at the time of the Feast of Tabernacles is also seen in the words John wrote: John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. (KJV) . . . The word John chose to speak of Jesus "dwelling" among us is the word tabernacle, which simply means to "dwell in a tent."

Some believe it is very likely that John intentionally used this word to associate the First Coming of Christ with the Feast of Tabernacles. Christ came in the flesh to dwell among us for a temporary time when He was born in the manger, and He IS coming again to dwell among us as LORD of Lords. While it cannot be established with certainty that Jesus was born during the Feast of Tabernacles, some believe there is a strong possibility the Feast of Tabernacles not only looks forward to His Second Coming but also reflects back on His First Coming.

The Feast of Tabernacles begins and ends with a special Sabbath day of rest. During the days of the feast all native Israelites were "to dwell in booths" to remind them that God delivered them out of the "land of Egypt" and to look forward to the Coming Messiah, Jesus Christ, who would deliver His people from the bondage of sin. This feast, like all of the feasts of Israel, constantly reminded the Jews and should remind Christians as well that God has promised to deliver His people from the bondage of sin and deliver them from their enemies. Part of God's deliverance for the Israelites was His provision and protection of them for the 40 years they wandered in the wilderness, cut off from the Promised Land. The same holds true for Christians today. God protects us and provides for us as we go through life in the wilderness of this world. While our hearts long for the Promised Land (Heaven) and to be in the Presence of God, He preserves us in this world as we await the world to come and the redemption that will come when Jesus returns again to "tabernacle" or dwell among us in bodily form.

We are pilgrims and strangers here, tarrying for a little while in temporary tents and booths, which we must soon vacate and leave to decay. 2 Cor. 5:1-2 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 2 For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: (KJV)

It was only once in a year that Israel kept the Feast of Tabernacles. The places that know us now, shall soon know us no more. "Seven days" = a full period . . . the people of Israel were to remain in these temporary tabernacles. And so shall we be at the inconvenience of a tent-life for the full period of our earthly stay. And so, when we once leave the flesh, we shall never return to it again. Our future bodies shall be glorified, celestial, spiritual bodies (1 Cor.15:44).
2 Cor. 5:1 For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. (KJV)
Phil. 3:20-21 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ: 21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself. (KJV)
1 John 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. (KJV)

When our earthly house shall be dissolved, we will have a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. IF we are the people of God . . . we have listened to the call of the trumpets, and kept the day of atonement by a godly affliction of the soul for our sins.
Our stay in these poor shelters is a joyous and a blessed estate, for it is a continuous feast upon God's forgiveness and our blessed hope of eternal life. Christ gives wings to the soul by which we may mount up as eagles (Isa.40:31). It brings light into the darkest houses, and joy into the weakest and humblest tent. It gives a sacred resilience to the steps of youth, and is a rod and staff to the feebleness of old age. It adds a hope to the saddest lot, and a lining of silver to the blackest clouds. It can separate us from vain men, but it joins us to the assembly of those whose peace flows like a river, and whose songs of praise shall never end.

There is also a precious thought connected with this subject, that when the Jews left their tents at the conclusion of the Feast of Tabernacles, it was the Sabbath morning. The Sabbath is the most sacred of the days. It is a part of the moral code delivered on Sinai, and written on the granite rock to last as long as the world. It is a sweet remembrance of God and His great works of power and goodness.

The Sabbath carries our thoughts back to when the whole Earth was sinless, and man in his innocence was blessed. It now celebrates the Saviour's triumph over death . . . His bursting forth from Joseph's tomb.
The Sabbath is the seed of another Creation brighter than the first . . . the bringing of eternal life to light. It tells of rest that was, and of rest that is yet to be. We should love this holy day . . . for it is a solemn pause in the midst of our worldly offensiveness and disobedience to God.

It is the channel of Heaven's most beautiful gifts to man. God makes this whole round of sacred festivals both begin and end with the Sabbath. It was the first feast which God appointed for man, and it is to be kept when all other feasts have passed. It was given before sin had touched or soiled our nature, and is the crown of that redemption that removes those stains. It was the inheritance of man in his innocence at the beginning; and when we leave these earthly tabernacles, it shall meet us with a soothing calm on every breeze, and a heavenly sweetness and quiet on every ray, transcending all that ever attached to it before. The Sabbath of life's weary week brings after it an everlasting Sabbath in the skies. Whatever may be the sorrow, disability and weaknesses of Earth, our comfort is, that "there remaineth a Sabbath for the people of God" (Heb.4:9).

The Lord's Day is the Sabbath in Christianity, usually Sunday, the principal day of public worship. It is observed by most Christians as the weekly memorial of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, who is said in the canonical Gospels to have been witnessed alive from the dead early on the first day of the week. Rev. 1:10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, (KJV)

The Gospel IS in Leviticus.

Moses clearly brings the GOSPEL in the Book of Leviticus!
He brings us a crystal-clear picture of Jesus!
The Gospel most certainly is in Leviticus.

Is the Gospel in the Book of Leviticus? YES, it is!!!

Leviticus

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