And in the fifteenth day of this month is the feast: seven days shall unleavened bread be eaten.
The feast begins on the fifteenth day of the first month Abib or Nisan and continues for seven days of eating unleavened bread through the twenty-first, distinct from the Passover on the fourteenth when the lambs were slain and preparation was made. Its first day and its seventh day are annual sabbaths kept as holy convocations in solemn rest with no servile work except what must be eaten, able by the lunar calendar to fall on any day of the week, and each day has its appointed offerings including the obligatory Chagigah with burnt offerings and sin offerings. It belongs to the calendar of additional offerings for the annual feasts as part of the continual daily ministration in the holy place by the priesthood of Aaron's family with the continual burnt offering, incense, lamps and individual offerings, which was the example and shadow of Christ's more excellent ministry in the true tabernacle in heaven and stands apart from the high priest's once-a-year work alone in the most holy place. As one of the spring types its grand event meets its antitype on the very day of the type, as proved by the Passover, firstfruits and Pentecost fulfilled exactly as to time in Christ's death, resurrection and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, yet the antitype commences on the day of the type and extends forward so that believers are still feeding on Christ our Passover and still keeping the feast of unleavened bread. The need to offer and eat the Chagigah and attend to the feast sacrifices explains why the Jewish leaders avoided entering the judgment hall for fear of defilement at Christ's trial, and in the year of His crucifixion this festival Sabbath coincided with the weekly Sabbath making that Sabbath a high day, while those who held it teach that Jesus was crucified on this yearly sabbath.
Date and Observance
The feast is appointed for the fifteenth day of the first month, Abib or Nisan, and unleavened bread is to be eaten for seven days, beginning on that fifteenth day and continuing through the twenty-first. The fifteenth is the first day of the feast of unleavened bread and the first in order of the annual sabbaths, with the seventh day of the feast on the twenty-first as the second. Its directions belong to the calendar of additional offerings appointed for the annual feasts and give the later observance after the temple was built.
It is distinct from the Passover on the fourteenth, when the lambs were slaughtered and preparation was made. The Passover meal was eaten after the fifteenth had begun, the previous night being past, and the feast began that evening. The fifteenth was therefore the first feast day and the first Passover yearly sabbath, following the killing of the Passover lamb.
Its first day on the fifteenth and its seventh day on the twenty-first are annual sabbaths, kept as a holy convocation and solemn rest. No manner of work was to be done on them and no servile work, except what every man must eat. Being governed by the lunar calendar, the yearly festival sabbath could fall on any day of the week.
Each day of the feast had special appointed offerings, with additional burnt offerings and sin offerings through the days between the two sabbaths. These included the obligatory festive offering called the Chagigah, which a person who had contracted Levitical defilement could not offer, so that ceremonial defilement would hinder attending to the sacrifices and eating the offering. The days between the first-day holy convocation when work ceased and the seventh-day solemn rest were feast days to be kept with cheerfulness. Compared with the original Passover directions, these instructions include additions associated with the later observance.
Sanctuary Service and Shadow
Numbers 28:17 belongs to the calendar of added offerings appointed for Israel's annual feasts, alongside the daily, Sabbath, new-moon, and other feast sacrifices. It marks the fifteenth day of the month as the beginning of the seven-day Feast of Unleavened Bread. These yearly feast services were distinct from the daily and individual offerings of the earthly sanctuary, yet formed part of its regular ministration carried on throughout the year.
This added work for the Sabbaths of the Lord and the annual sabbaths, new moons, and feasts belonged to the continual daily ministration in the holy place of the earthly sanctuary. It was accomplished by the Levitical order of priesthood, the tribe of Levi set apart by divine direction for that work, with the priesthood restricted to Aaron's family, clothed in special dress for holy office, standing as mediator between God and man and representative of the people in things pertaining to God. It stood together with the regular morning and evening continual burnt offering of two lambs of the first year for the whole congregation, the morning and evening burning of sweet incense on the golden altar when the lamps were lighted, and the particular offerings of individuals through the year, besides Sabbath and new-moon offerings. That morning and evening sacrifice was called the continual burnt offering because it was offered every day of the year and was not omitted on account of other offerings.
It stood apart from the once-a-year work of the high priest alone in the most holy place for the sins of the people and the cleansing of the sanctuary. That whole first-apartment ministration was the example and shadow of Christ's more excellent ministry in the true tabernacle in heaven, and the continual service of the earthly sanctuary was a figure of the heavenly sanctuary. As part of Israel's church laws regulating worship and sacred assemblies, its specific festival requirements are not binding as law on other nations, though their underlying principles remain.
Type Fulfilled in Christ
The seven-day Feast of Unleavened Bread beginning on the fifteenth day of the first month belongs to the spring types with its prescribed burnt offerings and other offerings in Numbers 28:16-31. Those added offerings were mere preliminary and circumstantial offerings, like those on the day of firstfruits and the feast of weeks and on the Day of Atonement, and they did not prevent the grand event of each day from meeting its antitype on the very day pointed out in the type. This is proved by the Passover on the fourteenth, firstfruits on the sixteenth, and Pentecost on the fiftieth day being each fulfilled exactly as to time in Christ's death, His resurrection, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The antitype commences on the day of the type but extends forward and may extend forward a great distance, so believers are still feeding on Christ our Passover and still keeping the feast of unleavened bread.
Special offerings were presented on that feast day, including the obligatory festive offering called the Chagigah, which a person who had contracted Levitical defilement could not offer or eat, and the need to offer it and to attend to the feast sacrifices explains why the Jewish leaders avoided entering the judgment hall so they could remain able to eat the Passover, meaning the Chagigah. Jesus was crucified on this yearly sabbath on the fifteenth, following the slaughter of the lambs on the fourteenth and the eating of the Passover meal after the fifteenth had begun, while the weekly Sabbath followed the preparation day. Its first day was a yearly festival Sabbath governed by the lunar calendar so it could fall on any day of the week, and in the year of His crucifixion it coincided with the weekly Sabbath, making that Sabbath a high day.
The feast begins on the fifteenth day of the first month Abib or Nisan and continues for seven days of eating unleavened bread through the twenty-first, distinct from the Passover on the fourteenth when the lambs were slain and preparation was made. Its first day and its seventh day are annual sabbaths kept as holy convocations in solemn rest with no servile work except what must be eaten, able by the lunar calendar to fall on any day of the week, and each day has its appointed offerings including the obligatory Chagigah with burnt offerings and sin offerings. It belongs to the calendar of additional offerings for the annual feasts as part of the continual daily ministration in the holy place by the priesthood of Aaron's family with the continual burnt offering, incense, lamps and individual offerings, which was the example and shadow of Christ's more excellent ministry in the true tabernacle in heaven and stands apart from the high priest's once-a-year work alone in the most holy place. As one of the spring types its grand event meets its antitype on the very day of the type, as proved by the Passover, firstfruits and Pentecost fulfilled exactly as to time in Christ's death, resurrection and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, yet the antitype commences on the day of the type and extends forward so that believers are still feeding on Christ our Passover and still keeping the feast of unleavened bread. The need to offer and eat the Chagigah and attend to the feast sacrifices explains why the Jewish leaders avoided entering the judgment hall for fear of defilement at Christ's trial, and in the year of His crucifixion this festival Sabbath coincided with the weekly Sabbath making that Sabbath a high day, while those who held it teach that Jesus was crucified on this yearly sabbath.
Date and Observance
The feast is appointed for the fifteenth day of the first month, Abib or Nisan, and unleavened bread is to be eaten for seven days, beginning on that fifteenth day and continuing through the twenty-first. The fifteenth is the first day of the feast of unleavened bread and the first in order of the annual sabbaths, with the seventh day of the feast on the twenty-first as the second. Its directions belong to the calendar of additional offerings appointed for the annual feasts and give the later observance after the temple was built.
It is distinct from the Passover on the fourteenth, when the lambs were slaughtered and preparation was made. The Passover meal was eaten after the fifteenth had begun, the previous night being past, and the feast began that evening. The fifteenth was therefore the first feast day and the first Passover yearly sabbath, following the killing of the Passover lamb.
Its first day on the fifteenth and its seventh day on the twenty-first are annual sabbaths, kept as a holy convocation and solemn rest. No manner of work was to be done on them and no servile work, except what every man must eat. Being governed by the lunar calendar, the yearly festival sabbath could fall on any day of the week.
Each day of the feast had special appointed offerings, with additional burnt offerings and sin offerings through the days between the two sabbaths. These included the obligatory festive offering called the Chagigah, which a person who had contracted Levitical defilement could not offer, so that ceremonial defilement would hinder attending to the sacrifices and eating the offering. The days between the first-day holy convocation when work ceased and the seventh-day solemn rest were feast days to be kept with cheerfulness. Compared with the original Passover directions, these instructions include additions associated with the later observance.
Sanctuary Service and Shadow
Numbers 28:17 belongs to the calendar of added offerings appointed for Israel's annual feasts, alongside the daily, Sabbath, new-moon, and other feast sacrifices. It marks the fifteenth day of the month as the beginning of the seven-day Feast of Unleavened Bread. These yearly feast services were distinct from the daily and individual offerings of the earthly sanctuary, yet formed part of its regular ministration carried on throughout the year.
This added work for the Sabbaths of the Lord and the annual sabbaths, new moons, and feasts belonged to the continual daily ministration in the holy place of the earthly sanctuary. It was accomplished by the Levitical order of priesthood, the tribe of Levi set apart by divine direction for that work, with the priesthood restricted to Aaron's family, clothed in special dress for holy office, standing as mediator between God and man and representative of the people in things pertaining to God. It stood together with the regular morning and evening continual burnt offering of two lambs of the first year for the whole congregation, the morning and evening burning of sweet incense on the golden altar when the lamps were lighted, and the particular offerings of individuals through the year, besides Sabbath and new-moon offerings. That morning and evening sacrifice was called the continual burnt offering because it was offered every day of the year and was not omitted on account of other offerings.
It stood apart from the once-a-year work of the high priest alone in the most holy place for the sins of the people and the cleansing of the sanctuary. That whole first-apartment ministration was the example and shadow of Christ's more excellent ministry in the true tabernacle in heaven, and the continual service of the earthly sanctuary was a figure of the heavenly sanctuary. As part of Israel's church laws regulating worship and sacred assemblies, its specific festival requirements are not binding as law on other nations, though their underlying principles remain.
Type Fulfilled in Christ
The seven-day Feast of Unleavened Bread beginning on the fifteenth day of the first month belongs to the spring types with its prescribed burnt offerings and other offerings in Numbers 28:16-31. Those added offerings were mere preliminary and circumstantial offerings, like those on the day of firstfruits and the feast of weeks and on the Day of Atonement, and they did not prevent the grand event of each day from meeting its antitype on the very day pointed out in the type. This is proved by the Passover on the fourteenth, firstfruits on the sixteenth, and Pentecost on the fiftieth day being each fulfilled exactly as to time in Christ's death, His resurrection, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. The antitype commences on the day of the type but extends forward and may extend forward a great distance, so believers are still feeding on Christ our Passover and still keeping the feast of unleavened bread.
Special offerings were presented on that feast day, including the obligatory festive offering called the Chagigah, which a person who had contracted Levitical defilement could not offer or eat, and the need to offer it and to attend to the feast sacrifices explains why the Jewish leaders avoided entering the judgment hall so they could remain able to eat the Passover, meaning the Chagigah. Jesus was crucified on this yearly sabbath on the fifteenth, following the slaughter of the lambs on the fourteenth and the eating of the Passover meal after the fifteenth had begun, while the weekly Sabbath followed the preparation day. Its first day was a yearly festival Sabbath governed by the lunar calendar so it could fall on any day of the week, and in the year of His crucifixion it coincided with the weekly Sabbath, making that Sabbath a high day.