The Appointed Feasts of Yah

Pasach Shamayach!! (That Means Happy Passover in Hebrew)

This week I am observing Passover.  It is a beautiful reflection of the creator's power, mercy, and providence.   It is a time, like most of the feasts for remembering and re-dedicating one's self to the things of Aluhym. 

Passover/Pesach/Pashach: 

Passover falls in the 2nd/3rd month timeframe on the Gregorian calendar: Leviticus 23:5 tells us: "'In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, between sundown and complete darkness, comes Pashach for YHUH."

This Feast celebrates the deliverance of the Hebrew slaves from Mastsarym (Egypt). It is a tale of redemption through the killing of the Passover Lamb whose blood was to be applied to the doorposts of their houses (an act which would spare their firstborn from the tenth curse against Pharoah). YHUH promised that the Angel of Death would "pass over" those houses with the blood on the doorposts, and spare the first born (Exodus 12:1-13). This foreshadowed Yahushay, YHUH's "Passover Lamb" who fulfilled Passover when he was crucified and willingly allowed his own blood to be shed on humanity's behalf in order to become their redemption (should they take heed annd obey). In other words, the innocent died for the guilty; and sacrifice not only means death but also life (Isaiah 53.)

Yahushay took our bitterness so that we might be able to live an abundant life. During the celebration of Passover, we remember and identify with the bitterness of slavery by eating bitter herbs and matzah (unleavened bread).

How does one celebrate Passover?

Before Passover begins, one must clean all items containing leaven out of the house, because leaven represents "sin". Don't cheat and put your leavened items in the garage or barn; the purpose of this exercise is to OBEY the command to get "the sin" out of your life! If you put your leavened items in the garage you are, in essence, hanging onto your sin....

The Feast of Passover encompasses a total of 8 days, including the Feast of Unleavened Bread (which is an actual Shabat/Holy Day), which starts at sunset on Abib 14 (it is the day after Passover). On the day of Passover, Abib 14, one prepares food to eat that evening (which kicks off the Feast of Unleavened Bread). Note that Yahushay, the Passover Lamb who was without sin, died around 3 pm on 14th day. He had to be taken down off the cross before sunset - because of the Shabat/Holy Day of Unleavened Bread which was to start at sunset....The 15th day of the month, the Seventh Day, is a holy day.

Exodus 12:1-13 tells about the first Passover in which the Israelites in Mastsarym were told to bring a lamb into their houses on the 10th day and raise it until the 14th day upon which they had to slaughter and eat it - around sunset on the 14th (when it becomes the 15th). Yahushay ultimately was THE PASSOVER LAMB! Halaluyah! This does not mean He abolished the need to celebrate Passover; it simply meant He fulfilled one of the Feasts that YHUH's people are to celebrate each year.

Unleavened Bread/Hag HaMatzot:

which is a SHABBAT/holy day, is celebrated on 15th day and marks the beginning of a seven day period during which the eating of leavened Bread is forbidden as leaven is a symbol of sin (I Cor. 5:6-8). Messiah Yashua fulfilled this Feast when he was buried and became our righteousness (Rom. 6:4, II Cor. 5:21).

Exodus 23:14-16: "Three times a year, you are to observe a festival for me. Keep the festival of matzah: for seven days, as I ordered you, you are to eat matzah (unleavened bread) at the time determined in the month of Aviv; for it was in that month that you left Egypt. No one is to appear before me empty-handed. Next, the festival of harvest, the firstfruits of your efforts sowing in the field; and last, the festival of ingathering, at the end of the year, when you gather in from the fields the results of your efforts."

On the 22nd day at sunset (which all day long was the Holy Shabat following the feast of Unleavened Bread) you start counting the omer. (This is sunset from 22nd to 23rd day of the first month, that is when you say: "This is the first day of omer...")

Firstfruits/Yom HaBikkurim:

Celebrated on the 23rd day, is the feat of Firstfruits. This Feast celebrates the bringing of the firstfruits of the harvest to the Temple. This Feast was fulfilled ("fulfilled" does NOT mean abolished!) when Yahushay rose from the dead (I Corinthians 15:-20-23). Please note, the first three Feasts were fulfilled through the crucifixion, burial and resurrection of Yahushay haMashayach!

Pashach Shamayach!!!