Exod. 23: speaks of a feast of harvest, as distinct from the feast of the sunteleia. The

answer is suggested by the presence of the word "firstfruits", and by the particular kind of

harvest in view--"which thou hast sown in the field". A reference to Exod. 34: 22,

however, makes all plain: "Thou shalt observe the feast of weeks, of the firstfruits of thy

wheat harvest, and the feast of the ingathering at the year's end."

Now, the disciples being Jews and taught in the law, knew the order of their feasts and

much of their typical nature. Unless the reader has definitely studied the feasts of Israel

he is at a disadvantage here, and before we can hope to appreciate the teaching of

Matt. 24:, we must supply the deficiency. There is one chapter in the law that sets out

the feasts of Israel in their order, namely, Lev. 23:, and to that we must turn.

The sabbaths (Lev. 23: 1-3). The first of the feasts to be mentioned is the weekly

sabbath. This underlies the whole of God's dealings with Israel. There are the following

sabbaths mentioned:--

This emphasis is too insistent to be avoided. Underlying the whole history of Israel is

this sabbatic element. From verse 4 of Lev. 23: feasts "in their seasons" are recorded,

which also conform to the sabbatic character. We have, in verse 5, the feast of the first

month detailed, and in verses 34 and 39 that of the seventh month described. Between

these two all the other feasts are found, so that while Israel's year had twelve months,

with an intercalary thirteenth month at intervals, its typical year took note only of seven

of these months.

We must now tabulate the feasts in order to place the sunteleia:--