A Journey Through The Old Testament - Elmer Towns

A second area of interest in the Book of Leviticus is the religious calendar of Israel as
expressed in the seven feasts of the year (23:1-44). Each of these feasts has a spiritual fulfillment
in the historic roots of Christianity or its future anticipations. The annual calendar of Israel was
for many centuries a prophetic witness to the ministry of Christ in a new age. Much of the
calendar of Israel is yet to be fulfilled.
The Book of Leviticus gets its name from the tribe of Levi which was the priestly tribe of
Israel. Though all Levites had priestly duties, only the physical descendants of Aaron qualified to
hold the office of priest. Because the office of the priest is one of the three anointed offices of
Christ, the details concerning the priesthood in this book are typical of our Great High Priest.
Leviticus 26 cites the conditions of the blessing of God on Israel as they lived under Law
in the land. These included rain, an abundance in the harvest, peace, military victories, and a
population increase (26:3-13). But the chapter also identifies the six evidences of the
chastisement of God if the people did not obey the commandments. These chastisements
included distress, drought, wild beasts, disease, famine, and ultimately a dispersion (vv. 14-39).
But even in His discipline, God would not leave His people without hope. “If [literally “and” in
the Hebrew] they confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their fathers, with their unfaithfulness