Although the Law of Moses has not been abolished,
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. (Matthew 5:17 [NIV])
Nor can any command of the law be disobeyed,
Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:19 [NIV])
The Law of Moses is also a shadow, which means that certain commands have a symbolic meaning foreshadowing greater future realities,
The Law is only a shadow of the good things to come, not the realities themselves. It can never, by the same sacrifices offered year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. (Hebrews 10:1 [BLB])
In which case, commands such as,
“You shall not murder. (Exodus 20:13 [ESV])
"You shall not steal. (Exodus 20:15 [NIV])
“You shall not see your brother’s ox or his sheep going astray and ignore them. You shall take them back to your brother. (Deuteronomy 22:1 [ESV])
“A woman shall not wear a man’s garment, nor shall a man put on a woman’s cloak, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the LORD your God. (Deuteronomy 22:5 [ESV])
Are plain commands that still must be obeyed plainly, whereas commands such as,
but the seventh day is a sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. (Exodus 20:10 [NIV])
Nevertheless, among those that chew the cud or part the hoof, you shall not eat these: The camel, because it chews the cud but does not part the hoof, is unclean to you. (Leviticus 11:4 [ESV])
On the day of your gladness also, and at your appointed feasts and at the beginnings of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings. They shall be a reminder of you before your God: I am the LORD your God.” (Numbers 10:10 [ESV])
Are specifically identified as shadow commands that have symbolic meanings, each command foreshadowing and pointing to a specific reality, hence,
Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. (Colossians 2:16-17 [NIV])
In which case, these realities began with the first coming of Jesus Christ, hence why these realities are said to be found in Christ. As such, it is in observing the reality foreshadowed by a shadow command that the command is then fulfilled, hence,
...the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. (Matthew 5:17 [NIV])
In which case, as a first example, the commands to observe the Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread,
Speak unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month let each man take a lamb... The lamb shall be without blemish, a male of one year; ye shall take it out from the sheep or from the goats; and ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month, and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it between the two evenings. And they shall take of the blood and put it on the two side posts... it is the LORD's passover. (Exodus 12:3-11 [JB2000])
Foreshadowed the reality of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, in which case he became the true Passover lamb, hence,
Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch--as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. (1 Corinthians 5:7 [NIV])
Which relates to why the bones of Jesus Christ were not broken,
These things happened so that the scripture would be fulfilled: "Not one of his bones will be broken," (John 19:36 [NIV])
Just as the bones of the Passover lamb were commanded to not be broken,
"It must be eaten inside the house; take none of the meat outside the house. Do not break any of the bones. (Exodus 12:46 [NIV])
Which also relates how the Passover lamb was required to be a male without defect, just as Jesus Christ was a male without blemish or defect,
but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. (1 Peter 1:19 [NIV])
"He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth." (1 Peter 2:22 [NIV])
Which relates to how Jesus Christ died around the ninth hour, or 3pm on the date of the Passover, in correlation to Passover lamb having to be sacrificed between the evenings in the afternoon on the date of the Passover,
About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" (which means "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?")... And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. (Matthew 27:46-50 [NIV])
In which case, even the Festival of Unleavened Bread, which was commanded to be observed by not eating yeast right after the Passover,
For seven days you are to eat bread made without yeast. On the first day remove the yeast from your houses, for whoever eats anything with yeast in it from the first day through the seventh must be cut off from Israel. On the first day hold a sacred assembly, and another one on the seventh day. Do no work at all on these days, except to prepare food for everyone to eat; that is all you may do. "Celebrate the Festival of Unleavened Bread, because it was on this very day that I brought your divisions out of Egypt. Celebrate this day as a lasting ordinance for the generations to come.
(Exodus 12:15-17 [NIV])
Is now fulfilled by removing sin, which is what the yeast symbolizes,
So let us celebrate the festival, not with the old bread of wickedness and evil, but with the new bread of sincerity and truth. (1 Corinthians 5:8 [NLT])
And even the command to observe Festival of First Fruits,
And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, When you come into the land that I give you and reap its harvest, you shall bring the sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest, (Leviticus 23:9 [NIV])
Foreshadowed the resurrection of Jesus Christ as the first fruits of all those who have died and are to be resurrected at his second coming,
But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. (1 Corinthians 15:20 [NIV])
But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. (1 Corinthians 15:23 [NIV])
And the command to observe the Festival of Weeks, otherwise known as Pentecost,
Count off seven weeks from the time you begin to put the sickle to the standing grain. Then celebrate the Festival of Weeks to the LORD your God by giving a freewill offering in proportion to the blessings the LORD your God has given you. And rejoice before the LORD your God at the place he will choose as a dwelling for his Name--you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, the Levites in your towns, and the foreigners, the fatherless and the widows living among you. Remember that you were slaves in Egypt, and follow carefully these decrees. (Deuteronomy 16:9-12 [NIV])
Foreshadowed the sending of the holy spirit on the date of Pentecost,
On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. (Acts 1:4 [NIV])
I am going to send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high." (Luke 24:49 [NIV])
When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.
They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. (Acts 2:1-4 [NIV])
In which case, those who received the holy spirit fulfilled the festival, since the place that God chose as a dwelling for his name was inside the body, hence,
Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; (1 Corinthians 6:19 [NIV])
Since just as the angel that guided the Israelites had the name of God, so does the holy spirit that now guide the elect also have the name of God,
"See, I am sending an angel ahead of you to guard you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared. Pay attention to him and listen to what he says. Do not rebel against him; he will not forgive your rebellion, since my Name is in him. (Exodus 23:20-21 [NIV])
And even the command to observe the Festival of Trumpets, otherwise called Rosh Hashanah,
"'On the first day of the seventh month hold a sacred assembly and do no regular work. It is a day for you to sound the trumpets. (Numbers 29:1 [NIV])
Foreshadows the second coming of Jesus Christ, where he will fulfill the festival when he comes again with the sound of trumpets,
For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. (1 Thessalonians 4:16 [NIV])
Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to sound them. (Revelation 8:6 [NIV])
The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down on the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up. (Revelation 8:7 [NIV])
The fourth angel sounded his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them turned dark. A third of the day was without light, and also a third of the night. (Revelation 8:12 [NIV])
“And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken.(Luke 21:25-26 [ESV ])
In which case, at the seventh trumpet, which is the third and final woe of the last 3 trumpet blasts,
As I watched, I heard an eagle that was flying in midair call out in a loud voice: "Woe! Woe! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels!" (Revelation 8:13 [NIV])
Jesus Christ will finally descend and take ownership of the world,
And the seventh angel trumped. And there were great voices in the heaven, saying, The kingdom of the world is become of our Lord, and of his Christ, and he shall reign into the eons of the eons. (Revelation of John 11:15 [ABP])
And although we do not know which Festival of Trumpets Jesus Christ will come in, nor the exact hour of his coming,
"But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. (Matthew 24:36 [NIV])
Based on the seasons, festivals, and prophecies, we can come to know the proximity and events leading to his coming,
"Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. (Matthew 24:32-33 [NIV])
For just as the spring festivals correlated with the exact dates of events during his first coming, so do the autumn festivals correlate with the exact dates of events during his second coming. As such, he will indeed come on the ninth and final day of the Festival of Trumpets, hence why the ninth day is also sabbath rest right before the great Day of Atonement,
It is a day of sabbath rest for you, and you must deny yourselves. From the evening of the ninth day of the month until the following evening you are to observe your sabbath." (Leviticus 23:32 [NIV])
And also why the heavenly temple will be opened at the seventh trumpet, because Jesus Christ will have descended on that day,
Then the temple of God in heaven was opened, and the ark of His covenant appeared in His temple. And there were flashes of lightning, and rumblings, and rolls of thunder, and an earthquake, and a great hailstorm. (Revelation 11:19 [BSB])
Since he is high priest that entered that heavenly temple, and will leave it to finally descend on the earth,
We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. (Hebrews 6:19-20 [ESV])
They serve a copy and shadow of the heavenly things. For when Moses was about to erect the tent, he was instructed by God, saying, “See that you make everything according to the pattern that was shown you on the mountain.”
(Hebrews 8:5 [ESV])
In which case, after the Festival of Trumpets, on the tenth day is the command to observe the Day of Atonement, otherwise called Yom Kippur,
"However, on the tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. It's a sacred assembly for you. Humble yourselves and bring an offering made by fire to the LORD. You are not to do any work that same day. It's the Day of Atonement, because your atonement is made in the presence of the LORD your God. Anyone who doesn't humble himself that same day is to be eliminated from contact with his people. I'll eliminate anyone who does work that day from among his people. (Leviticus 23:27-30 [ISV])
Which foreshadows the gathering of the elect from the four corners of the earth, wherein the festival will begin to be fulfilled by the elect being assembled together to meet the Lord in the air,
[51] Behold, I speak a mystery to you; we shall not all indeed sleep, but all shall be changed, [52] in an instant, in the blink of an eye, at the last trumpet. For it shall trump, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. [53] For it is necessary this corruption to put on incorruptibility, and this mortal to put on immortality. [54] But whenever this corruptible should have put on incorruptibility, and this mortal should have put on immortality, then shall come to pass the word having been written, Death was swallowed down in victory.
(I Corinthians 15:51-54 [ABP])
"Then will appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven. And then all the peoples of the earth will mourn when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. (Matthew 24:30-31 [NIV])
For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 [ESV])
For the last trumpet to be sounded at his second coming is not the seventh trumpet, but the trumpet that will be sounded on the Day of Atonement that will also correspond with a Year of Jubilee,
Then have the trumpet sounded everywhere on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the Day of Atonement sound the trumpet throughout your land.Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; each of you is to return to your family property and to your own clan. The fiftieth year shall be a jubilee for you; do not sow and do not reap what grows of itself or harvest the untended vines. (Levitus 25:9-11 [NIV])
And after the Day of Atonement, on the fifteenth day is the command to observe the Feast of Booths,
“On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the produce of the land, you shall celebrate the feast of the LORD seven days. On the first day shall be a solemn rest, and on the eighth day shall be a solemn rest. And you shall take on the first day the fruit of splendid trees, branches of palm trees and boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days. You shall celebrate it as a feast to the LORD for seven days in the year. It is a statute forever throughout your generations; you shall celebrate it in the seventh month. You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All native Israelites shall dwell in booths, (Leviticus 23:39-42 [ESV])
Which foreshadows the time shortly after the second coming and after all the elect have been gathered, where just as the Israelites dwelled in booths before they received their inheritance, so will the elect fulfill the festival by dwelling in booths before receiving an inheritance on the earth apportioned to each, hence,
that your generations may know that I made the people of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.” (Leviticus 23:43 [ESV])
“As for you, go your way till the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days you will rise to receive your allotted inheritance.” (Daniel 12:13 [NIV])
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. (Matthew 5:5 [NIV])
To the one who is victorious and does my will to the end, I will give authority over the nations— that one ‘will rule them with an iron scepter and will dash them to pieces like pottery’ –just as I have received authority from my Father. (Revelation 2:26-27 [NIV])
The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne. (Revelation 3:21 [ESV])
It was not through the law that Abraham and his offspring received the promise that he would be heir of the world, but through the righteousness that comes by faith. (Romans 4:13 [NIV])
And the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High; his kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him.’ (Daniel 7:27 [ESV])
And there is also the command to circumcise the flesh, which was a sign of the old covenant,
This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you. (Genesis 17:10 [ESV])
Foreshadowed the circumcision of the heart, which is the sign of the new covenant, which is fulfilled by the baptism of the holy spirit,
No, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a person's praise is not from other people, but from God. (Romans 2:29 [NIV])
In Him you were also circumcised in the putting off of your sinful nature, with the circumcision performed by Christ and not by human hands. (Colossians 2:11 [BSB])
In which case, the outer foreskin symbolizes the inner sinful nature of the heart that desires evil, which Paul calls the "flesh", which is then instantly removed when a man receives the holy spirit, hence,
“Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. “I will put My Spirit within youand cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances. (Ezekiel 36:26 [NASB])
And spirit of the LORD shall spring upon you, and you shall prophesy with them, and you shall turn into another man. (1 Samuel 10:6 [ABP])
Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. (1 John 3:9 [KJV])
But you are not in flesh, but in spirit, if indeed spirit of God lives in you. But if anyone does not have the spirit of Christ, this one is not of him. (Romans 8:9 [ABP])
You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. (Romans 6:18)
For by one offering he has perfected in perpetuity the ones having been sanctified. (Hebrews 10:14 [ABP])
We know that every one being engendered of God does not sin; but the one engendered of God keeps himself, and the wicked one does not touch him. (I John 5:18 [ABP])
for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. (1 John 5:4 [NIV])
No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him. (1 John 3:6 [NASB])
Which is why the circumcision of the flesh is no longer of any avail,
For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. (Galatians 5:6 [NIV])
Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is the new creation. (Galatians 6:15 [NIV])
Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing. Keeping God's commands is what counts. (1 Corinthians 7:19 [NIV])
Because perfection is not possible by doing works of the law on our own, but it is caused by choice God through sanctification of the holy spirit that comes by mere belief,
But we should always thank God for you, brothers who are loved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning to be saved by the sanctification of the Spirit and by faith in the truth. (2 Thessalonians 2:13 [BSB])
And also the commands to abstain from certain foods, in which case only animals that chew the cud and are cloven footed are clean,
Every animal that parts the hoof and has the hoof cloven in two and chews the cud, among the animals, you may eat. Yet of those that chew the cud or have the hoof cloven you shall not eat these: the camel, the hare, and the rock badger, because they chew the cud but do not part the hoof, are unclean for you. And the pig, because it parts the hoof but does not chew the cud, is unclean for you. Their flesh you shall not eat, and their carcasses you shall not touch. (Deuteronomy 14:6 [ESV])
And only fish that have scales and fins are clean,
“Of all that are in the waters you may eat these: whatever has fins and scales you may eat. (Deuteronomy 14:9 [ESV])
And the following birds are unclean,
“...But these are the ones that you shall not eat: the eagle, the bearded vulture, the black vulture, the kite, the falcon of any kind; every raven of any kind; the ostrich, the nighthawk, the sea gull, the hawk of any kind; the little owl and the short-eared owl, the barn owl and the tawny owl, the carrion vulture and the cormorant, the stork, the heron of any kind; the hoopoe and the bat.(Deuteronomy 14:11-18 [ESV])
And all insects that have wings and creep on all fours are unclean except,
“All winged insects that go on all fours are detestable to you. Yet among the winged insects that go on all fours you may eat those that have jointed legs above their feet, with which to hop on the ground. Of them you may eat: the locust of any kind, the bald locust of any kind, the cricket of any kind, and the grasshopper of any kind. But all other winged insects that have four feet are detestable to you. (Leviticus 11:20-23 [ESV])
In which case, every group of animals, birds, insects, and fish that are unclean exhibit distinctive behaviors that symbolize behaviors of the wicked. For example, a dog, which is an unclean animal, returns to its own vomit to symbolize those who came to know the truth but then turn from it,
It would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than to have known it and then to turn their backs on the sacred command that was passed on to them. Of them the proverbs are true: "A dog returns to its vomit," and, "A sow that is washed returns to her wallowing in the mud." (2 Peter 2:21-22 [NIV])
Or a serpent, which is also an unclean animal, that carries venom in its mouth to symbolizes those who are violent and look for ways to cause trouble with their lips,
For the choir director: A psalm of David. O LORD, rescue me from evil people. Protect me from those who are violent, those who plot evil in their hearts and stir up trouble all day long. Their tongues sting like a snake; the venom of a viper drips from their lips. Interlude (Psalm 140:1-3 [NLT])
As such, this is why the requirement to abstain from these foods is fulfilled by, in summary, not being friends with and yoking with the wicked and unbelievers, which are all symbolized in various ways by each unclean living creature,
Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness? What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: "I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people."Therefore, "Come out from them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you."(2 Corinthians 6:14-17 [NIV])
You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world means enmity against God? Therefore, anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. (James 4:4 [NIV])
This is also why abstaining from foods is no longer of any avail,
They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth. (1 Timothy 4:3 [NIV])
Because the commands to abstain from foods were given to foreshadow realities symbolized by each living creature, yet before these commands came, all living creatures were given by God as food to Noah, hence,
Everything that lives and moves about will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything.
(Genesis 9:3 [NIV])
And the command to rest and do no work on the sabbath,
For six days, work is to be done, but the seventh day shall be your holy day, a day of sabbath rest to the LORD. Whoever does any work on it is to be put to death. Do not light a fire in any of your dwellings on the Sabbath day." (Exodus 35:2-3 [NIV])
In which case, the seventh day sabbath foreshadows the seventh thousand year for the millennial kingdom of Jesus Christ,
Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years. (Revelation 20:6 [NIV])
Where each day in the beginning of creation corresponds with a thousand years,
But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. (2 Peter 3:8 [NIV])
Adding up to a total of seven thousand years before this heaven and earth vanishes away,
Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. (Revelation 20:11 [NIV])
In which case, the command of the sabbath will be fulfilled by those who enter into this future long sabbath rest,
For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. (Hebrews 4:8 [NIV])
And even Satan will be bound during this thousand year sabbath rest,
He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. (Revelation 20:2 [NIV])
Which is why observing the sabbath is of no avail, since even the disciples picked up grain in transgression of the command of the sabbath, yet were still innocent,
At that time Jesus went through the grainfields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry and began to pick some heads of grain and eat them. When the Pharisees saw this, they said to him, "Look! Your disciples are doing what is unlawful on the Sabbath." He answered, "Haven't you read what David did when he and his companions were hungry? He entered the house of God, and he and his companions ate the consecrated bread--which was not lawful for them to do, but only for the priests. Or haven't you read in the Law that the priests on Sabbath duty in the temple desecrate the Sabbath and yet are innocent? (Matthew 12:1-5 [NIV])
