Israel's Fall Feasts

Christians benefit from a closer look at the Biblical Fall Feasts, because, among other things, they foreshadow Christ's work in days to come. We have hindsight to help us see how Christ fulfilled Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, and Pentecost. We need foresight to see how he will fulfil Trumpets, Atonement, and Shelters. 

Feast 5) The shofar Trumpets signal an arrival, like a communal alarm clock. The time has come: a new Sabbath, or that a bridegroom is now coming for his bride. 
In this feast the trumpets sound to signal: a new yearly cycle of faith; the anniversary of Creation; God providing a ram in place of Isaac; and God descending to give the Law to his people. 
It is also a reminder to prepare for the Day when this age will end, to ponder, repent, pray. Hence ten 'Days of Awe’ follow the feast of Trumpets leading up to the Day of Atonement when the Trumpet will sound again. 
Christians are further reminded that on that Day the Trumpet will sound and Jesus will physically return. So how will we be ready? We can also remember that Jesus is our ultimate Sabbath, our Bridegroom, The Creator, and the bringer of the New Covenant, the fulfilment of this feast. 

Feast 6) The Day of Atonement is actually a fast. It calls to mind Judgement Day, at the end of which the shofar signals the closing of the Book of Life, in which we want our names written. So Atonement Day focusses on how our sins are to be atoned for, or ‘covered,’ on that Day.
Since the destruction of the Temple in 70AD, the Temple priests can’t make the Levitical sacrifices of atonement, so there is a lot of repenting and prayer for God’s mercy on this day. 
Christians know how our sins will be covered on Judgement day by Christ's sacrificial work at Passover. Plus The Judge on that Day will be none other than Christ himself. So we best trust what he has done, in order to have our names written in His Book of Life. 

Feast 7) The Feast of Shelters (or Tabernacles /Tents) celebrates God-with-us, just as God travelled with the Hebrews when they slept under makeshift tents in the wilderness in Exodus. For a week meals are taken outside under simple shade. This reduces dependancy on consumerism by celebrating his presence. And that’s why we feast on our finest and favourite foods over these 8 days.
Because the feast starts on the first Sabbath after the Day of Atonement, it foreshadows God-with-us forever after the Day of Judgement - Heaven, where God will be with his people, in the ultimate way.
Christians also know that Jesus is ‘God is with us,’ as Emmanuel in the flesh, by his Spirit now, through death, and in Heaven forever. 

This helps us understand why there are two New Years in the Jewish calendar: the religious-year cycle of teaching starts with Trumpets, but the calendar-year starts just before Passover. Some people start their spiritual lives at the beginning with Creation and the Old Testament (Jewish), but some start with Jesus the Passover lamb (Christians). 
The religious annual cycle begins with Creation, the First era:

• Trumpets recall Creation, God speaks; a ram for Isaac; the Law of Moses.
• Atonement is made (or foreshadowed) through the sacrifices
• Shelters thanks God for his presence and provision.
• Passover, & Unleavened Bread recalls God's action through the Exodus.
• First Fruits celebrates bringing in the first harvest
• Pentecost celebrates the second harvest.

And thus people lived... until the New era.

• Prophets Trumpet the Messiah / Christ
• Exiles show the need for Atonement, because Judgement Day does come
• Christ Shelters with us in person (Scriptural clues even suggest Jesus' birth around the time of Shelters: God-with-us in the flesh.)
  
• Passover - Christ makes the necessary sacrifice for sin & death to pass over us
• Unleavened Bread - Christ's sinless body, broken and buried, to return later
• The First Fruits of the resurrection harvest, is Christ
• At Pentecost, Christ's Spirit descends for the second harvest - of Gentiles.

And thus people live now… until the Final era!

• Trumpets will herald Christ's return
• Christ's Atonement covers us on Judgement Day
• His people will Tabernacle with Christ in the new heaven & earth

And thus people will live - forever.
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Whether you start with Creation, or start with Christ, the Feasts commemorate the whole of history, from the very beginning to the very end of the age.​