Peter Sammons contemplates the two Jewish ‘years’ revealed in Scripture. How do they speak of Jesus?
Thy Kingdom Come
The Jewish year has two beginnings, or perhaps we should say there are simultaneously two Jewish years, a religious year and a civic year. These ‘years’ are derived from the ancient Jewish calendar, revealed in Scripture, and based on the lunar cycle.
For Christians these two years are emblematic of the commencement of the two regimens of Jesus – His first incarnation, as bringer of peace through being God’s sacrificial Lamb – and His second future incarnation as ruler of this world.
In His first incarnation and throughout the church age Jesus is PRINCE OF PEACE. His peace is conferred upon all those who place their faith and trust in Him – a peace that passes human understanding. Whilst Jesus is not yet ruler of this world in the sense conveyed by the phrase “thy Kingdom come”, yet like any earthly prince Jesus carries royal authority and He can, and does, bestow blessings amongst His people. In His second incarnation He will be KING of righteousness, ruling on His rightful throne in Jerusalem.
The illustration at the head of this article, repeated below, helps plot the two Jewish years in our mind’s eye.
Prince or King?
In the Bible we learn that Jesus is “King of the Jews”; He was, and He still is. When Jesus was born as the Son of David, He was born into a land where the temporal throne was held by a usurper – that usurper being ‘Herod the Great’. As Herod was a usurper (a non-Jew and not of the line of David) he may have held temporal power but he certainly held no divinely granted legal power. The throne was, by human inheritance right, that of Jesus.
In this world today Jesus is still not ‘King’ because this world resists and rejects Him. But when Jesus returns He will then have untrammeled authority as King. No wonder we are told He will reign with a rod of iron (Revelation 2:27). Praise God indeed !
Reflecting upon the schematic (above) we can say emphatically that each ‘new year’ reminds us of Jesus’ salvific purposes and achievement, albeit one of these lies in the future.
Where we are today
Today we live in the latter first fruits period, until the whole harvest is gathered-in, at the end of the harvesting season. That is a key theme underscored by the Moedim, collectively. Each Moed reflects the glory of Jesus. The latter first fruits period is also, broadly, the church age, when the church is empowered to witness to Jesus and to draw men, women and children into Jesus’ Kingdom. We need to remind ourselves, Jesus’ Kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36).
Above: the Moedim, collectively. Leviticus chapter 23 opens up the Moeds to us. Christians understand each Moed to speak of the life, ministry, mission and achievement of Jesus (in Hebrew, Yeshua).
In the age to come Jesus will rule in a temporal sense – at least during what theologians refer to as the millennial age. His rule will be civic in nature, and will govern laws, norms and behavior. It seems likely (and we can put it no more strongly than that) that this rule will commence at Trumpets – certainly, theologically, within the autumn feasts. Later, and finally, Jesus will tabernacle with His people eternally. Again it seems likely, (and we can put it no more strongly than this) that this wonderful age will commence at Tabernacles, as the final point in God’s profound wonderful seven-point revelation of His salvation task. We can only say, Praise God!
Above: how the Moedim practically prophesy the life, ministry, mission and achievement of Jesus (in Hebrew, Yeshua).
No plan B
Why does all this matter? The answer – quite simply – is that the Moedim collectively demonstrate that God has a single plan of Salvation worked out solely through Jesus. There is no ‘plan B’. God does not have multiple plans, nor does God masquerade through the guise of ‘all religions and none’, as some would have it. No, the God of Jacob has set out types and shadows of His Son throughout the revelation of Scripture, but especially in the Old Testament. Indeed it is no exaggeration to say that all Scripture is ultimately about Jesus. This is obvious to see in the New Testament, but sometimes requires a plumb line in the Old – these things have to be pointed out!
The two ‘years’ of Israel, one religious, and the other civic, speak powerfully of the Lord Jesus’ present role as Saviour and of penal substitution.
Jesus is Saviour precisely because He gave his life in exchange for mine (and yours!). That is the heart of the gospel. Today is the eternal harvest period when Jesus is adopting into His family all those who place their faith and trust in Jesus’ finished work upon the cross of crucifixion. We might add, to all of those who place their faith and trust in the resurrection of Jesus ‘on the third day’, at the Moed of Firstfruits.
Jesus is, after all, the first fruit of the eternal harvest, the first (but not the last) to be resurrected from death – and resurrected to eternal life. This is affirmed powerfully in 1 Corinthians 15:23 and 1 Thessalonians 4: 13-18.
Israel’s religious ‘year’ marks the eternal harvesting period. Israel’s civic year anticipates that period which Christians (generally) refer to as the Millennial Age, that period in the future when Jesus will rule as civic King across this world. Remember, “thy Kingdom come”. It’s what the Lord taught us to pray, and remains our joyful expectation. Praise Jesus!
Above: how the Moedim remind us of our past, our present, and the future prophesied for us in this world, and in eternity.
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Illustrations from “The Messiah Pattern – The Biblical Feasts and How they Reveal Jesus”:
http://www.christian-publications-int.com/default-23.html?ID=142
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