Read Leviticus 22:1-23:44 at Bible Gateway.
The teaching tools of scripture
Gen 1:1-2:3 and the teaching tools of scripture part one and part two
Gen 1:1-6:8 and finding the topic themes of scripture
Hebrew paragraph divisions
22:1-16 {p} The law of the separation of the holy things + offerings given to YHVH
22:17-25 {s} No sacrifice with a defect shall be offered as the bread of God;
22:26-33 {p} Sacrifices become acceptable on the eighth day + YHVH sanctifies Israel
23:1-3 {p} The law of the Sabbath
23:4-8 {p} The law of Passover and Unleavened Bread
23:9-14 {s} The law of the Firstfruits of the Barley Harvest
23:15-22 {p} The law of the Firstfruits of the Wheat Harvest
23:23-25 {s} The law of Trumpets
23:26-32 {p} The law of Atonement
23:33-44 {p} The law of Tabernacles
Strong themes of the parashah
21:1-22:16 {s+p+p} The law of separation: priests who offer the bread of God, and the holy things, offerings given to YHVH
22:17-33 {s+p} The Acceptable Sacrifice sanctifies Israel
23:1-8 {p+p} The law of the Sabbath, Passover, and Unleavened Bread
23:9-22 {s+p} The law of the Firstfruits of the barley and wheat harvests
23:23-44 {s+p+p} The law of Trumpets, Atonement, and Tabernacles (Trumpets announces Atonement, Tabernacles)
Lev 22:1-23:44 Chiastic Structure
Download the fully expanded Lev 22:1-23:44 Triennial Daber El-Aharon chiasm pdf (Coming …).
Theme of the parashah
Separation of the holy things: offerings, sacrifices, feasts
Finding Messiah in Triennial Daber El-Aharon
And YHVH spoke unto Moses, saying, “Speak unto the children of Israel, and say to them, ‘Concerning the feasts of YHVH, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are My feasts.’” Lev 23:1-2
If we write out a table of the moedim or feast days of YHVH, an interesting pattern emerges. The cycle of annual feasts not only forms a chiastic structure, but if the table was rotated counterclockwise 90 degrees and the As, Bs, and Cs matched with drawn lines, you would have an exact representation of a menorah! The menorah is the seven-branched candelabrum, which was to be kept lit continually in the Holy Place.
Light in Scripture is often representative of truth, or witness.
Then Yeshua spoke again unto them, saying, “I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.” Joh 8:12
“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.” Mat 5:14
Yeshua is the Light of the World, and we are to be lights in the world, shining forth like a city set on a hill, which can be seen from a distance. Our lives bear witness, and that witness shines like a light. Since the annual feast days form a picture of the menorah, a light shining as a witness, we can conclude that each day shines a light that bears witness.
—– THE SPRING FEASTS —–
1A) 23:4-5 Passover PRECEDES;
1B) 23:6-8 The WEEK-LONG FEAST of Unleavened Bread; {p}
1C) 23:7-14 Firstfruits, when Yeshua rose from the dead, the firstfruits of the RESURRECTION (1 Cor 15:20-23); {s}
—– THE CENTRAL FEAST BY ITSELF —–
CENTRAL AXIS) 23:15-22 WEEKS (PENTECOST), ON WHICH THE TORAH AND THE SPIRIT WAS GIVEN (Exo 19-20, Act 2); {p}
—– THE FALL FEASTS —–
2C) 23:23-32 Trumpets announces Atonement, when will be the RESURRECTION of those who are His at His coming (1 Cor 15:52, 1 The 4:16); {s+p}
2B) 23:33-44 The WEEK-LONG FEAST of Tabernacles; {p}
2A) 23:36B, 39B Eighth Day of Assembly FOLLOWS.
Passover bears witness to the Passover Lamb, who was crucified on this day, and shed His blood for our sins, that the angel of death might pass over us.
Unleavened Bread bears witness that we have been forgiven of our sin by the blood of Messiah Yeshua. Therefore we cleanse our lives of sin, which yeast represents, and keep our lives free of sin.
Firstfruits bears witness of the resurrection from the dead of Yeshua Messiah, who was raised from the dead with new life on this day. All the spring feast days were fulfilled in Messiah Yeshua at His first advent.
Weeks or Pentecost bears witness that the Torah—i.e., God’s Word, who is Messiah Yeshua—and God’s Spirit, are one. YHVH spoke the Ten Words from Mt. Sinai on the exact day of the Feast of Weeks, and the Spirit came upon the Church on the exact day of the Feast of Weeks. We need the Spirit in order to walk in Torah, and we need the Torah in order to walk in the Spirit. By the Torah and the Spirit, we are to walk as we await the coming of Yeshua our Bridegroom.
And He said unto them, “Truly, I say unto you, that there are some that stand here who shall not taste of death, till they have seen the kingdom of God come with power.” Mar 9:1
Then Mark 9 vs. 2-7 describes the Transfiguration. The vision of the transfiguration is the vision of the kingdom of God come with power. In the vision, Yeshua’s appearance becomes shining with brilliant white light, that is, His glory as Messiah, as the Living Word, becomes outwardly evident. Moses and Elijah appear with Him. Moses represents the Torah, the Word, and Elijah, the Spirit. Of all the prophets in the Hebrew Scripture, Elijah operated in the power of the Spirit. Moses represents Judah, and Elijah represents Ephraim, as he was of the tribe of Ephraim, prophesying to the northern kingdom, the kingdom of Israel (Ephraim). Moses represents Jews, and Elijah Christians. The Jews were returned to their land following their captivity, and kept the Torah. Ephraim as representative of the northern kingdom, was not returned to his land following his captivity, and was dispersed to the four corners of the earth, becoming indistinguishable from the Gentiles in whose lands they dwelt. It is primarily Gentiles who have become Christians in the past two thousand years. When the two are united in Israel’s Messiah, then the kingdom of God will come with power. Another way to put it: when the Torah and the Spirit are joined in His people, Messiah Yeshua will be revealed in glory!
Trumpets which announces Atonement proclaims prophetically that Yeshua is returning, and that we will likewise be raised from the dead as He was, at His coming.
But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who are asleep, that you sorrow not, even as others who have no hope. For if we believe that Yeshua died and rose again, even so those also who sleep in Yeshua, God will bring with Him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not precede those who are asleep. 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 Messiah shall rise first. Then we who are alive and re-main shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall ever be with the Lord. 1 The 4:13-17
The angel will blow the trumpet blast, the announcement to the body of believers that the Bridegroom is returning. Remember the parable of the ten virgins (Mat 25:1-13) where the virgins sleep, waiting, until the announcement is heard, ‘Behold, the Bridegroom is coming?’ Yeshua told this parable in the same discourse in which He taught “of that day and hour no one knows,” the Hebrew idiom for the appearing of the new moon. The fall feasts, beginning with the new moon of Trumpets on the first day of the seventh month, proclaim the second advent of Messiah Yeshua.
Tabernacles bears witness prophetically that Yeshua is returning as a Bridegroom for His Bride. Wedding feasts in ancient Hebrew culture were seven-day affairs. It is no coincidence that in the prophecy of the return of the Lamb, the angel says,
“Let us be glad and rejoice and give honor unto Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” And to her it was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white, for the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints. Rev 19:7-8
At His return, Immanuel will dwell, or tabernacle, with us, and we with Him.
The Eighth Day of Assembly proclaims prophetically that we will spend eternity with God.
Look at it this way. Hebraicly, the parable of the seven-day week, that we work for six days and rest on the seventh, is a mini picture of God’s timetable. If the history from Genesis is accurate (it is) then for 6000 years, from 4004 BC at the Creation, through 2004 AD, or roughly our present day, the earth has labored under sin. But, it has been revealed, that the earth will enjoy a rest in the seventh millennium under the kingship of Messiah. We are on its doorstep! The Eighth Day, then, is a picture of the millennium beyond the Millennial Reign. That is, after spending the Messianic Age with us, the Lord desires that we remain behind for another day; it is His invitation to us to remain with Him forever.
Additional readings for this parashah
Psa 86 (my notes) | No Prophet this week | Col 2 (my notes)
Studies in Triennial Daber El-Aharon
Leviticus 22, Bible for Beginners
Leviticus 23, Bible for Beginners
Lev 22 and 23, YHVH’s appointed times
Lev 23:26-32, Chiastic structure, and the solemn sabbath
The Feasts of YHVH index of studies
SCRIPTURE REVEALED SERIES by CHRISTINE MILLER:
THE LAW of LOVE | FINDING MESSIAH in TORAH | LEVITICUS in CHIASTIC STRUCTURE
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