The Biblical Feasts, Pt. 2: Seasons... of History

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." - Matt. 11:28

If you have not read Part 1 of this series on the Biblical Feasts, you can find it here.

You’ve heard the evangelical cliche that “history” is aptly named because it is “His Story.” But have you ever thought about the outline of that story? History feels full of non-sequiturs and unremarkable events. Even now (well, some would argue up until the last few years) it feels as though we are suspended in time with no indication that God is up to anything but a great pause in the fulfillment of biblical prophecy. And many would claim that there is such a great pause.

If you read part 1 of this series on the biblical feasts, you know how far from the truth that is. Prophecy and the biblical feasts are realized every day as sinners repent. But part 1 only addressed the gospel aspect of prophecy: Christ’s historical fulfillment as it occurred 2,000 years ago and it’s present and ongoing repetition in the church via the proclamation of Christ’s work on our behalf and it’s effect in us.

As a friend of mine summarized it so well: “The first half of the feasts is Christ’s work; the second half is Christ’s work in us.”

History moves in seasons

As a reminder, our hypothesis is that the feasts appointed by God and their respective seasons find their fulfillments in all three tenses: past, present, and future. They also find fulfillments in the three major eschatological positions, which also consist of these three tenses. In part 1, we covered the present reality. Today we will look backwards to the time leading up to this present age of the church and the proclamation of the gospel, focusing more on the time preceding the Incarnation.

In a sense, we have already covered the past tense—Christ, the One “who was.” He came in the flesh and fulfilled the feasts in due season. Each appointed feast foreshadowed some aspect of the gospel; nature and the seasons are rooted in the proclamation of this work of God. All things testify. In contrast to specific feasts, we can zoom out and see that history moves in seasons. All things have their appointed times and seasons. As Ecclesiastes 3:11 says, “He has made everything beautiful in its time.”

Consider Ecclesiastes 3:1-8:

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:
a time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
a time to kill, and a time to heal;
a time to break down, and a time to build up;
a time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
a time to seek, and a time to lose;
a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
a time to tear, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
a time to love, and a time to hate;
a time for war, and a time for peace.”

A time of rest or death

Winter is a time of darkness. It’s a far-removed concept for most of us who can go to the store for our food any time. But it was not so for the vast majority of history. So let’s put ourselves in the shoes of most of mankind who preceded us.

For those who worked steadily through the year to prepare for these dark and cold months, winter could be a time of great rest. Though there is no harvest or growth, those who have prepared have their provisions to peacefully make it through this time of darkness until new life arrives in the spring once again. But for those who did not prepare in the spring, summer, and fall, while it was the “daylight” of the year, winter setting in meant death.

In Proverbs we are called to reflect on this reality:

Go to the ant, O sluggard;
consider her ways, and be wise.
Without having any chief,
officer, or ruler,
she prepares her bread in summer
and gathers her food in harvest.
How long will you lie there, O sluggard?
When will you arise from your sleep?
A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest,
and poverty will come upon you like a robber,
and want like an armed man.”
- Proverbs 6:6-11

As history opens, we find God resting in the darkness over the face of the waters. And then he speaks: “Let there be light!” and out of this darkness, life begins (Gen. 1:1-3).

The following diagram is explained at length below. Refer to it as needed.

Creation of the first heaven and the first earth

Spring

Life came to be when God spoke. Life as we know it, at least. Life in this body on this earth. Why? God could have been content to exist forever in his triune state without ever speaking forth all that we see around us. But revisiting Romans 1, we remember why:

“For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.” - Romans 1:20

God created all things visible to express his invisible attributes. All created things are visible images of God’s invisible qualities. Why do any of us create anything? To express the invisible qualities of ourselves. What we find beautiful, what we think on, what we want and like and enjoy. Or show teach or show others something. And we do this precisely because we are made in God’s image.

Why in the spring do flowers bloom, hibernating animals awaken, and the warmth and light of the sun dawns? To display invisible attributes of God. Or, to display the excellencies of Christ, who is THE image of God (Col. 1:15-17). He is Creator, Life and life-giver and Light. And so, God creates the heaven and the earth and everything in them (Gen. 1). In a manner of speaking, it is spring. New life has burst forth from the darkness.

Summer

Along with the heavens and the earth and all that is in them, God creates Adam in his image and Adam is given the commission to work; that is, to tend the garden and to keep or guard it (Gen. 2:15). Again, in a manner of speaking, summer is here. Life is in full bloom and the harvest is ripe to enjoy. God’s place is dwelling with man as he freely works to the glory of God, taking dominion in the earth.

Yet in his work, Adam fails. He does not guard the garden, but let’s the serpent gain access to God’s dwelling place and deceive his bride. Sin enters the world (Gen. 3).

Fall

The sound of God is heard walking in the garden, a warning, like a trumpet. The first Adam is found wanting and is judged. For us English speakers, we ironically call this “the fall” of man. He is cast out of the garden, out of God’s dwelling place, but God is merciful. He atones for Adam’s sin temporarily by covering him with the blood and skin of an animal, a spotless lamb, with the promise that one day one would be sent who would redeem the work that Adam failed to fulfill (Gen. 3).

Winter

Humanity is plunged into darkness. But it is not a restful darkness as the night is for those who work well by day.

Life after the fall is full of toil, grief, sin. Through the long night that enveloped humanity, only one people were led by a dim light reminiscent of the moon: Israel, carrying the Law of God. More accurately, it carried them. (It’s no accident that the Mosaic covenant and her feasts and calendar centered around the moon’s cycle. It’s also no accident that we no longer live by these feasts or this standard of time in the new covenant.)

Making all things new through the Gospel

(For a more comprehensive explanation of this section, see part 1.)

Spring

But after the the earth endures this long dark night, when the light of God was veiled, the sun rises. Again, new life. Christ, the Morning Star (Rev. 22:16), comes to earth in the flesh. Called the root of Jesse and the Branch (Isa. 11:1-16), he shoots forth, growing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man (Luke 2:52).

Summer

Christ grows quietly through his youth until the age of 30 when he is baptized and enters the desert to be tempted (Matt. 3:14-4:17). Christ, the second Adam, has the same commission as the first: to tend and to guard the dwelling place of God, which, in this instance, is his body. His work is fruitful. The second Adam does not fail to tend and to guard. He begins his ministry. The summer of his life has come and he works on our behalf.

Fall

Christ spends his life perfectly fulfilling the requirements of the law (Matt. 5:17). In the final days of his life, he rides triumphantly into Jerusalem (Matt. 21). It’s reminiscent of the trump of victory sounding. The people have assembled together, singing “Hosanna!” We know in retrospect judgment is coming.

And a few days later, it does. Christ atones for the sin of his people on the cross (Matt. 27). Taking sin, judgment and death upon himself, streams of living water flow from him to the world (Zech. 14:8).

Winter

Christ has labored and declares, “It is finished” (John 19:30). The sun’s light fails (Luke 23:44-45). Death has come. Christ is laid in the grave (Luke 23:50-56) and, for three days, there is darkness.

The creation of the new heavens and the new earth

Spring

But Sunday comes. The day dawns yet again in the course of history. On the first day of the week, the Firstborn of all creation rises, and he begins the work of making all things new.

“And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” - Revelation 21:5

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” - 2 Corinthians 5:17

Summer

After Christ ascends, the Holy Spirit is given and the church is born (Acts 1-2). Christ has been seated on the throne and come into his kingdom (Col. 3:1). And we have lived in this time of growth and harvest for the last two thousand years. Summer is here.

“Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few;”
- Matthew 9:37

Fall

But the last harvest of the fall season is approaching. In these last days before darkness falls in its finality and no man can work (John 9:4), the trumpets of victory are sounding, warning of judgment to come; simultaneously announcing the victorious reign of Christ from his throne at the right hand of God.

Until that short season of final harvest falls upon us, we labor and we sweat for a kingdom harvest. Until that trumpet sounds for the last time.

“In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.” - 1 Corinthians 15:52

Winter

After this final harvest and the close of history, a type of winter will set in again. There will be those who were sluggards and did no sowing, no work, and no reaping while it was day; those caught unprepared will be plunged into an everlasting darkness; an eternal night when no man can work, where there is no feasting, where there is no rest. They did not place their trust in the atonement of Christ and chose, rather, to atone for their own sin by their rejection of him.

But for those who were crucified with Christ, their portion is rest forevermore. The outer darkness cannot touch them and death has no power over them, for they have passed through death and into new life in Christ (John 5:24), where there is feasting and rest from all their labors. Where there is no night (Rev. 21:25).

Winter is a time of rest or death. In Christ, history ends just as it began: with rest.

Working by day to prepare for the night

The difference between those who pass through the darkness unharmed and enter that rest and those who are cast into outer darkness is this: preparations made while it is still light. And we abide in that season right now. Christ said to his disciples:

“We must work the works of him who sent me while it is day; night is coming, when no one can work.” - John 9:4

Are you making preparations while it is summer, dear sinner? There is a time and a season for everything under the sun. What an amazing time to be alive and witnessing the vast harvest of this season while the sun is high. Are you working, sweating, to build the kingdom of God while it is day? Or do you fold your hands and prefer to take your rest in this life? Are you ready for the coming night and the close of history?

“Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry, ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those virgins rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he answered, ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” - Matthew 25:1-13

Photo by Christian Grab on Unsplash