The sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross was the fulfillment of all the sacrifices: sin, transgression (guilt), peace, etc. His death in history fulfilled what God had already ‘done’ before time: the Lamb was slain from the foundation of the world (Rev 13:8) Therefore, all of the sacrifices given to Israel in the Torah were based upon that eternally ‘efficacious’ once-for-all sacrifice to be.
Since our salvation is of grace through faith in that sacrifice of Yeshua (Lev 16:30; 17:11; 23:28-29; Rom 5:1-11), so has this been the lesson to be learned by the Jewish people through the Law and the Prophets, and by Christians through the Gospels and Apostles. Passover was a ‘grace thing’. NOTHING was spoken about sin. It was simply a matter of believing and obeying YHVH God, trusting Him to carry out what He was saying to deliver them from a real and felt bondage. All who simply repent and believe the gospel are saved: it is all of grace. Sinners are justified through faith in the Word of God concerning the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The sacrifice and the shed blood of Jesus differs from, and is greater than, the Passover in that it was also a sin and trespass offering, thus fulfilling the Day of Atonements for all who believe. The Passover occurs during the time of the barley harvest. (Ex 9:31-32)
After Passover and the crossing of the Red Sea, the Law of Moses was then given around Shavuot, the season of the wheat harvest (Ex 34:22). The blood of the covenant was sprinkled upon the whole people, bringing them into their relationship with YHVH. The law for sinners was given on external tablets of stone to bring us to know we are in need of God’s grace to forgive us if we are going to have rest and peace within ourselves, and to demonstrate this to others through love of God and of our fellow-man.
After the resurrection of Jesus, the Holy Spirit was given to the born-again Jewish people at Shavuot/Pentecost. The Holy Spirit filled and dwelled within the believers, bringing them/us into a more personal and intimate covenant relationship with God, as members of the Body of Messiah. The law of Messiah on the ground of His death, and His resurrection from among the dead, becomes the basis for our living.
NOW (that is, after knowing the laws and regulations by which to live), Israel — and the Church — have been given lots of time to figure out that they are not living up to the standard which we have been given, whether under the Old Covenant, or under the New. We have all been disobedient, needing God’s mercies. (Those outside God’s covenants are just that — outside — and are called to come inside. This includes Jewish people too, since the New Covenant was, and still is, for them. (Jer 31:31-37; Rom 9:4; 11:27)
SO, what did the prophets do? What did John the Baptizer do? What did Yeshua do? What do the apostles who wrote most of the N.T. still do, since the Scriptures are written for us living at the end of the age? They called — and still call — firstly the people of God, i.e., Jewish people and Christians to repent – and come back home to the Father — for the Kingdom of God/Heaven is near — for the coming of the Lord [to judge and to establish the Kingdom of God on the Earth] is near! Based on what? . . .on the Law and the Prophets; on the Sermon on the Mount and the Epistles.
The New Covenant, first offered to Israel, but rejected in the sovereign wisdom of God in order to take the offer to all peoples, brings both Jews and Gentiles to accountability to the one true living God of Abraham, of Isaac, of Jacob/Israel, who is Creator of the Heavens and the Earth, and the Redeemer through His Son, Yeshua the Nazarene.
Gentiles being brought into the Commonwealth of Israel through faith in the King of the Jews (but not becoming Jews or Israelis), both Israelis (Jewish people) and Christians (whether Jewish or Gentile) are being called to get ready through repentance and sanctification as the Memorial of the Blowing of Trumpets is nearing its fulfillment. While God begins His judgment within His own household first, He is still working through the Great Commission to bring ever more people into His household. Many more Gentiles will be saved before ‘all Israel’ will be. (Rom 11:25-27)
BEING SAVED BY GRACE (Passover) IS NOT TO BE TAKEN FOR GRANTED. THE LAW, THE INDWELLING HOLY SPIRIT, AND THE WHOLE WORD OF GOD, TELL US PLAINLY THAT WE ARE SINNERS WHO NEED TO EXPRESS HEART-FELT THANKS FOR SUCH GRACE AND MERCY (Day of Atonements), AND LIVE OUR LIVES OUT OF LOVE FOR GOD AND JESUS, AND BECAUSE OF THAT, WE LOVE THE BRETHREN ALSO, AND EVEN OUR ENEMIES.
This being pretty difficult (understatement) to live out, Israel (and also the Church through a corresponding spiritual awakening) has the fulfillment of the Day of Atonements coming (Zech 12:10-14), when they deeply know and are afflicted in soul, both personally and collectively, for their sin and rebellion against YHVH God and against Jesus (Lev 26:40-43), against His commandments and judgments. (Rom 1:28,32; Jude; Rev 2:18 – 3:22, for some examples).
Yom Kippur is the conviction and the confession that we are sinners, that it is only the grace of God through His own righteousness, demonstrated by the foundational Passover sacrifice to bring us into that relationship with Him through faith expressed through obedience, which grants us forgiveness and life.
There is only one atonement for all — accomplished on the cross — but God in His love and wisdom has worked out His redemptive plan to bring us humans into a knowledge — no longer innocence — of Him and His ways so that we mature into sons and daughters — and even to being the Bride of the Lamb for those who “overcome [the devil] by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death”. (Rev 12:11)
On this ground of a cleansed and forgiven people — not only as a matter of doctrine or covenant promise, but of living faith in God’s provision of His blood sacrifice — YHVH, whose name is Holy, can dwell in the midst of His chosen people, and they will be then a blessing to the other nations, glorifying Him who has done it! This is the fulfillment of the Feast of Booths (a temporary, semi-enclosed covering; not really ‘tabernacles’, which is another word, and carries a different connotation) for Israel as the Israel of God during the Millennial Kingdom yet to come. This final feast/appointed time of YHVH for Israel celebrates the joy of all the harvests with the final fruit ingathering, and the prosperity which God supplies to and through His people. (Dt 16:13-15)
For the Church, the Bride of Christ, it is possible to say that we are already a ‘tabernacle’ of the Holy Spirit — an enclosed dwelling place for God — and those who have that blessedness to have part in the first resurrection will truly have the fullness of the Spirit (rather than ‘mere’ firstfruits Rom 8:23), and will rule and reign with Messiah over Israel and the nations during that final Sabbath Day of history and time, to bring everything to its culmination of the final harvest of souls, either to live forever with Yeshua in the New Heavens and New Earth, and New Jerusalem, in the abundant life God has planned for all who love Him (1Cor 2:9; Is 64:4; Jn 10:10); or else to exist forever separated from God in outer darkness, where the worm does not die, and there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.
“You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should abide, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. These things I command you, that you love one another.” (Jn 15:16-17)
Yes, thank-you, Gavin. The Creator has always had in His plan and purpose to be the Redeemer of all who come to Him through the faith in His faithful Servant, His only-begotten Son, Yeshua the Messiah/Jesus Christ. Praise to God!
Your message concerning the Feasts of Israel, the Commonwealth of Israel, the global calling and inclusiveness of the Gospel to both houses of Israel, and beyond that, to the Gentiles from every nation, race, and tribe, was declared right back at the beginning. The prophet Isaiah tells the big global story of God’s worldwide agenda for salvation, sanctification, and glorification in Isaiah 49:5-6.
5 And now, saith the LORD that formed me from the womb to be his servant, to bring Jacob again to him, Though Israel be not gathered, yet shall I be glorious in the eyes of the LORD, and my God shall be my strength.
6 And he said, It is a light thing that thou shouldest be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel: I will also give thee for a light to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.