Damascus

Acts Part 1 

Chapter 9

In our lesson today about Acts Chapter 9, the main event was Saul (later Paul)  meeting Jesus on the road to Damascus.  Once Saul believes, is baptized and the Holy Spirit indwells in him, then he starts preaching Jesus and proving that Jesus is the Christ (Messiah).

Later in Chapter 9, Saul, who once went to Damascus to get a list of Christ followers to persecute them, became the one who is persecuted.  (quite a contrast!) And he is lowered through a hole in the wall of Damascus to escape.

I was thinking about the structure of the ancient city.  What did it look like?  Was there a true wall around the city?  What hole was there?  Why did everyone have to go through a gate - wasn't there any other way out? 

Some interesting facts about Damascus:

* Now it is the largest city and capital of Syria;

* Damascus is located in a desert oasis;

* The City is 50 miles from the Mediterranean Sea;

* The City is on a plateau 2200 feet above sea level;

* The Old Damascus is surrounded by walls and it had at least 7 gates.  Here's a diagram showing the city with its gates.

 * It may be the world's oldest continually inhabited city.  Excavations around the outside of the city have been dated to between 10000 to 8000 bc.

This image is of the Kisan Gate located on the wall of Old Damascus.  

 The final picture is, I believe, is part of the Old City of Damascus' wall.  There's a hole in this wall, due to the current war.  So when Paul was lowered through a "hole", it was probably a window opening.

Why did the Holy Spirit come through the laying of hands by the apostles

Acts Part 1, Lesson 6

Acts Chapter 8

 

 

I read the passage in Acts 8:14-16:

Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent them Peter and John,  who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit.  For He had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.



A thought came to me - why did the apostles have to lay their hands on the believers for them to receive the Holy Spirit?  Now, of course, as soon as we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, we receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  And earlier in Acts, the Spirit came on soon after believing/baptizing.(Acts 2:2-4, Acts 4:31).

Let's look at location:
Acts chapter 1-6 - Everything was taking place in Jerusalem;
But in Acts Chapter 7 - the Gospel is spread into Samaria, at first through Philip.

So back to Acts 8:14 - the apostles heard that people were hearing the Gospel, believing, and being baptized. So the apostles sent Peter and John to Samaria, so that by the laying of hands, they could give the Holy Spirit to the new believers.

We do not know the answer to this from the text (at least through Acts Chapter 8).  The only thing that I thought of is that generally, things were done a little differently in the early church.  So I looked at John MacArthur's commentary and here's what he said:

"This was a transitional period in which confirmation by the apostles was necessary to verify the inclusion of a new group of people into the church.  Because of the animosity that existed between Jews and Samaritans, it was essential for the Samaritans to receive the Spirit, in the presence of the leaders of the Jerusalem church, for the purpose of maintaining a unified church.  The delay also revealed the Samaritan's need to come under apostolic authority.  The same transitional event occurred when Gentiles were added to the church. (Acts 10:44-46; Acts 15:6-12; Acts 19:6).

How God uses people who don't believe in Him to fulfill his Word.

Precept Acts Part 1

Lesson 6 - Acts Chapter 8

So, I was doing my homework for Acts Chapter 8 (lesson 6) and I had an "a-ha" moment.   When I read the verse in Acts 8 that talks about how Saul was persecuting the church, I realized that even though Saul was not a believer at that time (obviously),  God still used him to fulfill Jesus' command in Acts 1:8.

 

Command or Prophecy	Fulfilled by
In Acts 1:8, Jesus told his disciples "but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”	Acts 8:4 - "But Saul began ravaging the church, entering house after house, and dragging off men and women, he would put them in prison.  Therefore, those who had been scattered went about preaching the word."

After this "A-ha" moment, it brought to mind a few other times when God used unbelievers to carry out His Word.

 

Command or Prophecy	Fulfilled by
Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for 400 years.” (Genesis 15:13)	We know from later Scripture in Exodus that the Israelites did leave Egypt.  We’re all familiar with the facts of the Exodus, Pharaoh wouldn’t let them go, Moses was the deliverer.  Pharaoh eventually did let them go, even though he was not a Jew. Ex 12:29-32
Isaiah 44:28: “It is I who says of Cyrus, ‘He is My shepherd! And he will perform all My desire.’ And he declares of Jerusalem, ‘She will be built,’ And of the temple, ‘Your foundation will be laid.’” (Note: This was written by the prophet Isaiah about 740-700bc)	This fulfillment is recorded in 2 Chronicles 36:22-23, Ezra 1:1-8, Ezra 3:7, Ezra 4:3.  Cyrus the Great became king of Persia in 559bc and conquered the Medes in 550bc.  In 538bc, Cyrus granted to the Jews (whom King Nebuchadnezzar had taken to Babylon in captivity in 586bc) to return to Palestine and rebuild Jerusalem and the temple. So this prophecy was roughly 150 years before Cyrus was even born.  That’s why Bible skeptics claim that Isaiah was written much later than it actually was.
In Acts 2, Peter gives a sermon to the crowd who had gathered on the day of Pentecost.  He states very eloquently about Jesus: “Men of Israel, listen to these words:  Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know— 23this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. 24“But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power.” So God had a predetermined plan, before the creation of the world, to bridge the gap between himself and man that happened during the first sin in the Garden of Eden.  God knew He had to sacrifice His Son, Jesus, the Messiah, to die for our sins.  By Jesus dying, a perfect white lamb without spot or blemish, to be our Passover Lamb.  But this plan, was in fact, carried out by the Jews and Roman rulers, who were not believers in the Son of God.

 

 There are obviously, many hundreds and probably thousands of times in Scripture about when God used those who did not believe to carry out His will.  These were just a few that came to mind while we've been studying Acts.

The Lesson of Simon

Precept Acts Part 1, Lesson 8

Acts Chapter 8

In Acts chapter 8:9-24, there is a recounting of an encounter with a man from Samaria named Simon.  Our homework asked us whether, from the text, if we can tell whether Simon was a true follower of Christ.   Our homework says "does 'he believed" mean that he was saved"?  After reading this passage many times, I think this is a very difficult passage to answer. 

Let's make a list of what we learn about Simon:

8:9 - man named Simon;
8:9 - formerly practiced magic in the city (Samaria)
8:9 - astonished the people of Samaria;
8:9 - claimed to be someone great;
8:10 - they all gave Simon attention, saying that this man is what is called "the great power of God";
8:11 - they gave Simon attention because Simon astonished them with his magic arts;
8:13 - Simon believed (Philip preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and name of Jesus Christ) and was baptized;
8:13 - Simon continued on with Philip and observed signs and miracles taking place, being amazed;
8:14 - 17 - Peter and John (apostles) were sent to Samaria to lay hands on the believers, so the Spirit could come upon them;
8:18 - Simon offered Peter and John money for the power to lay hands on believers to receive the Holy Spirit;
8:20-23 - Peter saw through Simon's actions (through the Holy Spirit) and observed about Simon:
i - your heart is not right before God;
ii - you are in the gall of bitterness;
iii - you are in the bondage of iniquity;
8:24 - Simon asked Peter to pray to the Lord themselves for him so that nothing of what Peter said would come upon him.



Argument for Simon not being saved:

After my first few readings, it seemed that perhaps Simon wasn't saved.   Before Simon encountered Philip, he performed many magic arts.  He liked being the center of attention.  Philip came to town and Simon believed.   So Simon stayed with Philip and wanted to be around those who were performing signs.  He was putting on a show of hanging out with the right crowed.  John MacArthur says "his belief was motivated by purely selfish reasons and could never be considered genuine.  Simon saw it as an external act useful to gain the power he believed Philip possessed.  By following Philip, he also was able to maintain contact with his former audience."

We know that Scripture tells us we can tell someone's true heart by their actions and words.  By asking to pay for the power of the Holy Spirit, that shows us Simon's true heart.  That Simon had not been saved - he was still in the grip of his addiction to the magic arts.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 My Precept leader guide says the following:

Peter's answer to him tells Simon's true spiritual condition:
* He was perishing;
* He had no part or portion/lot in the matter;
* His heart was not right before God;
* He needed to repent and be forgiven;
*He was in the gall of bitterness and bondage/bond of iniquity.
This is a description of an unsaved man.

John 2:23-25 - True salvation is a matter of the heart - what is inside a person.  Jesus didn't entrust Himself to some who believed in His name because He knew what was in them.

Compare this with those who believed in van in 1 Corinthians 15:1-2.  Verse 2 says some believe in vain as they don't hold fas the word preached to them.  These are not truly saved.

Romans 8:9.  If there is no Spirit of Christ within, there is no salvation - that one does not belong to Christ.  Simon, like Ananias and Sapphira, was not truly saved because he had not repented and been forgiven.  He was still in wickedness and iniquity.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Argument for Simon being saved:



But there are a couple really good arguments for Simon being saved. 

1)  The text says in Acts 8:13 "Simon believed".  We know from John 3:16 that says ""For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.  The text says "Simon believed".  If he believed, then he has eternal life and was saved.

2)  Many times, new or baby Christians are not immediately able to eliminate an addiction.  It's clear that Simon was addicted to magic and being proud of performing these acts.  So when he says he believed, he could still sin.  We know from Scripture that only Jesus was sinless.  

3)  Next, let's look at Acts 8:20:  But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money.".   Let's look back at the Greek word for "perish".  This is Strong's #684.ἀπώλεια apōleia.  It means "utter destruction".  

Let's look at another place in Acts where there was an incidence of perishing.  We just studied Acts 4:32 - 5:11 - the story of Ananias and Sapphira.    In that Scripture, we learned that Ananias lied to the Holy Spirit and God.  Sapphira put the Spirit of the Lord to the test.  Both were killed instantly by God and the Spirit.  The penalty for lying to the Holy Spirit was death.  This was the first recorded event of this happening in the new church - this was discipline in the early church.   It was very important in the early church that punishment be swift and all evil rooted out immediately.  The early church had to have a firm foundation.

When we studied this 2 weeks ago in Acts 5, we learned that this pattern of the death penalty was probably based on the Old Testament, right after the children of Israel left Egypt.  This is the incident of the first sacrifice and the death of Aaron's sons for not following God's commands. 

So in Acts 8:20, when Peter said "May your silver perish with you..."  Peter may have been talking about actual physical death.  Physical death as a form of punishment or discipline for breaking God's laws.  So in Acts 8:24 when Simon says “Pray to the Lord for me yourselves, so that nothing of what you have said may come upon me."  Simon is asking Peter to intercede on his behalf so that God would not terminate his life.

Conclusion:

So aside from the issue of whether Simon was saved or not - what is the point of this passage?  I think it shows us 3 things:

1)  The Gospel of Christ was being proclaimed and people were believing, being baptized and the church was growing.
2)  You can't obtain a spiritual gift by paying money;
3)  God decides which gifts He gives and to whom;
 

People have been debating this passage of scripture for 2000 years.  John MacArthur & Precepts leader guide says he was not saved.  I think you can decide for yourselves. 

The rulers in the times of Jesus

Precept Acts Part 1

Lesson 3 - Book of Acts Chapter 3

 

 

 

So in Acts chapter 3, we started seeing events that were happening that involved the rulers in Jerusalem.  Since we obviously don't have this kind of government today, I decided to start looking into the governmental structure of Jerusalem during the times of Jesus and the apostles.

 

First of all, Jesus was a Jew in Palestine.  (Palestine was the word for the Jewish land, first used by Herodotus, the well known Greek historian,  in the 5th century bc). 

 

Roman Rulers

 

But, during Jesus' time, that land was governed by the Roman Empire.

The Emperor of Rome from 14-37AD was Tiberius.  John the Baptist began his ministry in the 15th year of Tiberius' rule.

 

The Emperors were also called The Caesars.  Then the Emperor would set up his own local rulers.  They were the Herods.  Herod the Great ruled from 37 - 4 bc.  Then rule was divided up between his 4 sons.  Herod the Great was, of course, the ruler who had the Jewish Temple rebuilt in Jerusalem.

 

Then there were Prefect/Procurator/Governors who ruled the cities.  In 26AD, Emperor Tiberius appointed Pontius Pilate to be Procurator of Judea.  Pontius Pilate is the one who was involved with the trials and crucifixion of Jesus.

 

Jewish Leaders

 

Priests of the Temple

- High Priest was a political appointment.  He lived in luxury;

-  the average Jewish peasant struggled to survive.  They had to pay temple taxes and Herod's taxes;

-  Josephus, was the famous first century Jewish historian.  He wrote that things went so far as the priests authorized a daily sacrifice to Caesar in the temple.

 

The Pharisees

-  a group set out to preserve Jews from Gentiles;

-  Pharisee means "to separate";

-  They were guardians of the oral traditions that scholars had developed over generations;

 

The Sadducees

- Wealthy ruling class;

-  many were in the priesthood & the Sanhedrin;

-  Only believed in the 5 books of Moses;

-  Tried to get along with Rome;
-  Were greatly disturbed by Peter & John's preaching because it directly opposed the Sadducees' denial of Jesus' resurrection;

 

The Sanhedrin

-  Jewish Supreme Court;

-  They ruled over the civil matters in the land;
-  There were 71members, including the High Priest;
-  Most of these 71 members were Sadducees.

 

 

Acts 4:1 - Priests & Captain of the Temple Guard & Saducees put Peter & John into jail for teaching people in Jerusalem after healing a man lame from birth;

 

Acts 4:7 Peter & John were brought to Jerusalem Council regarding the healing of the lame man.  Rulers, elders & scribes were there.  Also there was Annas, the high priest; and Caiaphus & John & Alexander - all of priestly descent.

 

Acts 5:17 - the High Priest and his associates (part of the Sadducees) put the Apostles in jail because of their miracles & healing in Jesus' name and teaching;

 

Acts 5:21 - The High Priest, his associates, The Council, the Senate of the Jews got together to question the Apostles.  They had the Apostles flogged & then released them.

 

I found several internet articles that shed a lot of light on this issue:

 

*  http://catholic-resources.org/Bible/History-RomanEra.htm (great chart!)

* http://www.pbs.org/empires/romans/empire/jews.html

* http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/14303-temple-administration-and-service-of

* https://clas-pages.uncc.edu/james-tabor/the-jewish-world-of-jesus-an-overview/

*  http://catholicexchange.com/the-rulers-of-jesus-time

* http://www.thebiblejourney.org/biblejourney1/21-the-romanojewish-world-of-the-new-testament/roman-emperors-in-the-new-testament/

 

 

 

 

 

 



I want to live like that!

 

Precepts Acts Part 1

Acts Chapter 4 & 5

Our lesson this week was to study the end of Acts Chapter 4 and all of Acts Chapter 5.    There's a couple sections throughout Acts that talk about the how the early church members were so filled with the Holy Spirit.  And being filled with the Holy Spirit, how that affected their daily lives and how, by their lives, they were witnesses of Jesus to those around them.

Acts 2:41-42 - So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. ⁴² They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

Acts 2:44-47 -and all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; ⁴⁵ and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. ⁴⁶ Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their ^]meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, ⁴⁷ praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Acts 4:32-35 - ³² And the congregation of those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that anything belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them. ³³ And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all. ³⁴ For there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales ³⁵ and lay them at the apostles’ feet, and they would be distributed to each as any had need.

Acts 5:41-42 - ⁴¹ So they went on their way from the presence of the Council, rejoicing that they had been considered worthy to suffer shame for His name. ⁴² And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.

So today I was listening to KLove and one of my favorite songs came on "Live Like That" by the Sidewalk Prophets.    To me, this song is all about Acts being lived out by everyday people today.   It's something to contemplate and do some inner reflection.   When people see me, do they see You?  Here's the lyrics:

Sometimes I think
What will people say of me
When I'm only just a memory
When I'm home where my soul belongs

Was I love
When no one else would show up
Was I Jesus to the least of those
Was my worship more than just a song

 

I want to live like that
And give it all I have
So that everything I say and do
Points to You

If love is who I am
Then this is where I'll stand
Recklessly abandoned
Never holding back

I want to live like that
I want to live like that

 

Am I proof
That You are who you say You are
That grace can really change a heart
Do I live like Your love is true

People pass
And even if they don't know my name
Is there evidence that I've been changed
When they see me, do they see You

 

I want to live like that
And give it all I have
So that everything I say and do
Points to you

If love is who I am
Then this is where I'll stand
Recklessly abandoned
Never holding back

I want to live like that
I want to live like that…

 

The Glory of God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit

Precept Acts Part 1 - Lesson  2

 Acts Chapter 2

 

Acts chapter 2 was all about Pentecost and when the Holy Spirit came and indwelt the believers.  So I started thinking about where the Holy Spirit was – because the Bible said that the Holy Spirit couldn’t come until Jesus ascended. (John 16:7).  Then I started thinking about The Glory of God.  Then I started thinking about how they were all interconnected and to see if I could lay it out visually.  Then see, by looking at it in chart form, if I could discern anything.

 

Arnold Fruchtenbaum defines Shechinah Glory as…

the visible manifestation of the presence of God. It is the majestic presence or manifestation of God in which He descended to dwell among men. Whenever the invisible God becomes visible, and whenever the omnipresence of God is localized, this is the Shechinah Glory.

 

	Location	Bible Verse
The Spirit of God	At creation	The earth was formless and void, and darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was moving over the surface of the waters. Gen 1:2
The Glory	God appeared as a smoking oven and flaming torch to make a covenant with Abram	It came about when the sun had set, that it was very dark, and behold, there appeared a smoking oven and a flaming torch which passed between these pieces. 18 On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram… Genesis 15:17-18a
The Glory	Pillar of smoke by day, pillar of fire by night that led the Israelites from Egypt until they reached the Promised Land.	The Lord was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night. Exodus 13:21
The Glory	The light on the mercy seat of the Ark of the Covenant.  The Ark was in the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle while the Israelites were wandering for 40 years in the Wilderness.	Let them construct a sanctuary for Me, that I may dwell among them. 9 According to all that I am going to show you.  Exodus 25:8   There I will meet with you; and from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are upon the ark of the testimony, I will speak to you about all that I will give you in commandment for the sons of Israel. , Exodus 25:22
The Glory	The Ark of the Covenant was moved to Solomon’s Temple	It happened that when the priests came from the holy place, the cloud filled the house of the Lord, 11 so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord. 1 Kings 8:10
The Glory	The Glory leaves the Ark of the Covenant and the Temple before 586bc – when Solomon’s Temple is destroyed by the Babylonians.	18 Then the glory of the Lord departed from the threshold of the temple and stood over the cherubim. 19 When the cherubim departed, they lifted their wings and rose up from the earth in my sight with the wheels beside them; and they stood still at the entrance of the east gate of the Lord’s house, and the glory of the God of Israel hovered over them. Ezekiel 10:18   22 Then the cherubim lifted up their wings with the wheels beside them, and the glory of the God of Israel hovered over them. 23 The glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the city and stood over the mountain which is east of the city. Ezekiel 11:22-23
Silence	400 years of silence when God did not speak through the prophets.  Last prophet was Malachi (430bc).  Next Word from God came Gabriel’s announcement of John the Baptist’s birth to Zechariah.	Behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord God, “When I will send a famine on the land, Not a famine for bread or a thirst for water, But rather for hearing the words of the Lord. 12 “People will stagger from sea to sea And from the north even to the east; They will go to and fro to seek the word of the Lord, But they will not find it. Amos 8:11-12
Spirit of God	Spirit descends on Jesus at the start of Jesus’ ministry	After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him.  Matthew 3:16
Glory of God/Jesus	The picture of the glory of God in the Temple (shekinah glory) had a future fulfillment in Jesus.   Shekinah (Shechinah) is a transliteration of a Hebrew word meaning “the one who dwells” or “that which dwells	And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.  John 1:14
Glory of God/Jesus	Christ is visible presentation of the Shekinah Glory or the radiance of His glory.	And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power.  Hebrews 1:3
God/Jesus	God dwelt in Jesus while on earth	19 For]it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, 20 and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross;  Colossians 1:19   For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, Colossians 2:9
Holy Spirit	The promise of the Holy Spirit to those who believe in Jesus	I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; 17 that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. John 14:16   8 but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”  Acts 1:8
Cloud/Jesus	The transfiguration of Jesus – God speaks through a cloud	5 While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!”  Matthew 17:5
Holy Spirit	The Holy Spirit cannot come until Jesus ascends	“But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you.  John 16:7
Jesus/Holy Spirit	Jesus ascends (along with Holy Spirit indwelling in Him)	And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight  Acts 1:9
Holy Spirit	Holy Spirit indwells believers at Pentecost	When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance. Acts 2:1-4

 

So in summary what I learned from this:

 

Before Jesus, The Glory of God was in the temple and seen only by the high priest of the House of Aaron;  After Jesus, the Glory of God is seen by all believers through the Holy Spirit that dwells in them.  And we are all priests unto God.

The Feasts of Israel point to Jesus as Messiah

Precept Acts Part 1 - Lesson  2

 Acts Chapter 2

So..... this past week we studied Acts Chapter 2, which is all about the arrival of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost.  My "a-ha" moment this week was that I didn't understand that Pentecost was also a Feast. 

The 7 Feasts of Israel were set up by God.  Ultimately, they were a picture of the Messiah. So that when The Messiah came, the Jewish people would recognize Him.   The Messiah was Jesus, our Savior.  And the 4 Spring Feasts all were fulfilled at Jesus' first coming.

I've studied the Feasts briefly before, but decided to go a little more in-depth this time.  (The names of the feasts are listed in English.  The bracketed names are Hebrew.

The Spring Feasts:

Fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ

1)  Feast of Passover - (Pesach) - Originally set up to remember freedom from slavery in Egypt.  Perfect white lamb slain and blood on the doorpost.  This was fulfilled when Jesus died on the cross.

2)  Feast of Unleavened Bread -(Hag Hamatzot) - Originally set up to remember leaving Egypt quickly.  Leaven was a sign for sin.  So this was fulfilled in Jesus' sinless life and burial.

3)  Feast of First Fruits - (Hag HaBikkurim) - Feast that celebrates and offers the first fruits of the harvest.   Jesus is the "First Fruit" of those that will rise from the dead.  Because Jesus is accepted before God, we are also now accepted.

4)  Feast of Weeks/Pentecost (Shavuot) -  Pentecost is the Greek word for Weeks.  This feast was a remembrance of the giving of The Law on Sinai.  This was fulfilled in the coming of the Holy Spirit into believers.

The Fall Feasts:

To be fulfilled at Jesus' 2nd coming

(We're not covering this in the Book of Acts, so I won't cover them in-depth here.)

5)  Feast of Trumpets - (Rosh Hashanah)

6)  Feast of Atonement - (Yom Kippur)

7)  Feast of Tabernacles - (Succoth)

If you want more information I found two really good, easy to understand websites:

1)  Discovering the Jewish Jesus. http://discoveringthejewishjesus.com/category/teaching-notes/
Rabbi posts his teaching notes here that goes along with his tv show.  He has several notes on the feasts.   These are great to understand the Feasts from a Jewish perspective.

2)  Jesus Plus Nothing:  http://www.jesusplusnothing.com/studies/online/FeastsIntroduction.htm
There's easy to understand explanations along with two really good charts.