Understanding Revelation

The Three Harvests: Understanding the Three High Holy Days

Why are the Three High Holy Days so Important?

In ancient Israel, three times a year, all Israelites were required to travel to Jerusalem. This was a commandment from God, not merely a suggestion. These special holy days not only marked significant agricultural events but also symbolized God’s plan of salvation. Each feast corresponds with a harvest and points to a deeper, prophetic meaning.

The Three High Holy Days are actually three harvest days of souls

  1. Passover: Celebrated during the Barley Harvest
  2. Pentecost: Celebrated during the Wheat Harvest
  3. Tabernacles (Booths): Celebrated during the Grape Harvest

Passover: (Barley Harvest)

Passover takes place in early spring during the barley harvest. During this feast, Moses commanded the Israelites to sacrifice a lamb and use its blood to mark the doorposts of their homes. This act protected the Israelites from the plague of death, symbolizing deliverance and salvation.

Prophetic Significance:

  • Jesus is the true Passover Lamb. His sacrificial death on the cross and His shed blood save believers from the second death.
  • Passover marks the first harvest of the year, symbolizing the resurrection. Jesus, as the first to be raised from the dead and ascend to heaven, is the first fruits presented to God.

The Apostle Paul declares that Christ resurrection means that all shall rise again.

But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept. (1 Cor. 15:20 )

Pentecost: (Wheat Harvest)

Pentecost, also known as the Feast of Weeks, occurs during the wheat harvest. This feast was a time of thanksgiving to celebrate the completion of the harvest season.

“You shall celebrate the Feast of Weeks, that is, the first fruits of the wheat harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering at the year’s end.”(Exodus 34:22:)

Prophetic Significance:

“When the grain is ripe, He puts the sickle to it, because the harvest has come” (Mark 4:29)

The wheat harvest represents the resurrection of the dead in Christ, who will rise from their graves at the second coming of Jesus.

Booths (Grape Harvest)

The Feast of Tabernacles, also known as Booths or Sukkot, takes place during the grape harvest. During this time, Israelites were commanded to live in temporary shelters or booths, a reminder of their time wandering in the desert after leaving Egypt. It is a period of reflection, repentance, and remembrance of God’s provision. The grape harvest in Israel is in the fall

Prophetic Significance:

  • This feast looks forward to God’s final plan of salvation for the entire house of Israel. Ezekiel’s vision of the very dry bones coming back to life representing the whole house of Israel. a time of repentance a time of reconciliation and the future dwelling of God with His people

For I would not, brethren, that you should be ignorant of this mystery, lest you should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.
And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:
For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.
(Rom. 11:25-27 )

Conclusion

The three High Holy Days — Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles — are not only historical celebrations but also provide a prophetic picture of God’s plan for humanity. They represent key moments of a physical harvest, from the sacrifice of Christ (Passover), the gathering of the church (Pentecost), to the final restoration of Israel (Tabernacles). Together, they form a powerful illustration of God’s redemption, resurrection, and ultimate reconciliation with His people.