Ezekiel 45:18-25
At the beginning of the year the sanctuary (temple) is to be purged, and on the seventh day of the month there will be a repetition of the sacrifice for everyone that erreth, and for the simple. A week later the passover is to be celebrated as of old (Exodus 12:14-20), only that the prince is to offer for himself and all the people, a bullock for a sin offering, and during each of the seven days a burnt offering-and a sin offering, together with a meat (or meal) offering. The passover as then observed will be a remembrance, not of the deliverance of Israel from Egypt so much as it will be of the sacrifice of Christ on the cross, and this, no doubt, explains the offering of seven bullocks, and seven rams daily for seven days—telling of the infinite worth of His death in the sight of God.
Verse 25 renews the feast of tabernacles (or booths) reminder then of the centuries when Israel was without a home.
Leviticus 23 names the seven fixed “feasts of Jehovah”, given by Him to Israel. Four of these are omitted in the Millennium.
There is to be no feast of the first fruits, because that foreshadowed the resurrection of Christ (1 Corinthians 15:23).
The feast of weeks or Pentecost had its fulfillment on what has been called the Church’s birthday (Acts 2), when the Church of God was formed at the descent of the Holy Spirit to indwell all who believe in the Lord Jesus, receiving the present message of God’s unfathomable grace which is offered to Jew and Gentile without distinction.
The feast of trumpets will have been fulfilled in the great ingathering of all Israel in their land.
And the day of atonement could not have a place after the cross of Christ. (see Hebrews chapters 9, 10) bearing in mind that redeemed Israel in the Millennium will not have all the blessings and privileges that are the Christian’s.
There will be a visible priesthood, which God will own, to come between the people and Himself, and there will be constant sacrifices, not in view of a redemption to be accomplished, but having a memorial character, looking backward to the atoning death of Christ.
ML 04/19/1936