What were the seven feasts of Jehovah in the Old Testament?
The seven feasts of Jehovah appear in Leviticus 23 as Israel's annual feast days in temple worship, progressing through the year. The passage names only the first three: Passover, then unleavened bread, then the feast of firstfruits, tied to the barley harvest shortly after Passover.
Les teaches that understanding New Testament firstfruits language requires going back to the Old Testament, specifically Leviticus chapter 23. There the seven feasts of Jehovah were feast days for the nation of Israel in their temple worship as they progressed through the year. Israel was an agrarian people, living off the land with herds, flocks, and grain. The barley harvest was the first crop harvested in Palestine, shortly after Passover. In Leviticus 23:9-10, the third feast is firstfruits: the Lord told Moses to speak to the children of Israel, saying that when they came into the land and reaped its harvest, they were to bring a sheaf. The context names Passover, unleavened bread, and firstfruits, but it does not enumerate the others.