Spring Feasts of Yahuweh – Part 2: Passover and Shavuot (Pentecost)

Shabbat Shalom

This blog will continue the discussion on Passover from “Spring Feast of Yahuweh – Part 1” and introduce Shavuot (Pentecost). If you did not see our post on Part 1, you may access it here: Part 1

When is Passover 2015 according to Father’s calendar?

As we mentioned before, this feast is mandatory according to Exodus 12:14-17 and Leviticus 23. Besides these two passages, we find in the Renewed Covenant (New Testament) that Messiah kept the Passover Festival including the Seder, Feast of Unleavened Bread and First Fruits. In fact, Messiah WAS the fulfillment of the Spring Feasts of Yahuweh.

To determine the timing of this festival, we have to find barley in the Aviv stage in or around Jerusalem before the new (renewed) moon of the month of Aviv AND the renewed moon must be sighted in Jerusalem. We do not follow the rabbinic calendar or anyone else’s timing that violates the requirements above to determine His festival calendar for the whole year. It is documented that these requirements were in place at the time of the 2nd Temple Period.

We have confirmed through sources living in Tekoa (a suburb of Jerusalem), that the barley was in fact in Aviv before the “new” moon. The “new” moon was sighted on March 21^st in southern Israel and near Haifa, but not in Jerusalem! It was confirmed that cloud cover prevented the sighting on March 21^st in Jerusalem, so we know that means the “new” moon defaults to March 22^nd at sunset. (See 2 Kings 21:4; 2 Chronicles 6:6; Exodus 23:15 and 34:18; Deuteronomy 16:1; verses which describe the barley in abib/Aviv stage Leviticus 2:14; Leviticus 23:14; Joshua 5:11; 1 Samuel 17:17; 1 Samuel 25:18; 2 Samuel 17:28; Ruth 2:14)

March 22^nd at sunset was the Renewed “new” Moon and the beginning of Father’s Festival Calendar year…Chag Sameach (Happy Holiday) and Shanah Tovah (Happy New year)!

Based on this confirmed information and from Scripture, Passover 2015 (which is comprised of Preparation Day, the Passover Seder, Feast of Unleavened Bread and First Fruits) is from the 14^th day of Abib (Nisan) through the 21^st day of Abib, which is sunset April 4^th to sunset April 12^th on the Gregorian/World calendar. The first and last days of the Feast of Matzot (Unleavened Bread) are considered “Holy Convocations.” This means that we are to do no servile work other than minimal food preparation on sunset April 5^th to the 6^th and sunset April 11^th to the 12^th. (Read Exodus 12 and Leviticus 23 for details)

Here are the specifics of the 8-day feast/festival of Passover:

As mentioned above, this 8-day holiday includes the Preparation day, Passover Seder, Feast of Unleavened Bread (Matzot) and First Fruits. Below, we break down any specifics, but here, we want to discuss the reason to celebrate this feast. Without going into the details, please research Passover vs. Easter/Resurrection Day on your own. You will find that the word “Easter” was never in the Scriptures. The one time it is in the King James Version, it was incorrectly translated from Pesach, which is Passover in English. The Roman Catholic Church thought that it was too “Jewish” to celebrate the entire feast of Passover but since all early believers in Messiah celebrated His resurrection, they had to still have a holiday for this. They introduced Pagan activities and called the holiday Easter. Please do your own research so you can speak to those who question whether we should celebrate Passover or not.

The point of celebrating Passover is to remember/commemorate how Father took us out of Egypt, which represents bondage/slavery/idol worship, to make us apart of His family and sent His Son to save us. We are to:

• Remove all leaven and leaven products from our homes (leaven represents sin)
• Prepare and search our hearts by repenting of all sin
• Remove any sin we have in our lives
• Remember what Messiah did for us on the stake (cross) – Him being the final sacrificial Lamb.

We remember by getting ourselves right before Him and partaking of “communion” at the Seder Meal—eating the unleavened bread in remembrance of His broken body and drinking of wine in remembrance of Him shedding His blood so we can have atonement for our sins and eternal life (allowing the death angel to “pass-over” our lives – seeing the blood and not our sin).

We may partake of this if we believe and accept Him as our Savior. (See Matthew 26:26-30; 1 Peter 1:18-21; John 1:29).

If you read Matthew as well as other places throughout the Renewed Covenant, you will find that Messiah kept Passover and the other feasts/festivals. So, why do some believers not keep them if we are to do what He modeled for us?

If you want to read all the Scriptures on Passover, see this link http://www.openbible.info/topics/passover

Preparation Day – For 2015, this day begins sunset April 4^th and ends at sunset April 5^th – Messiah was crucified, died and went into the tomb this day by twilight. You should begin preparing your home (removing leaven, cleaning, preparing your heart, buying food for the Seder and Matzah/Unleavened Bread or the ingredients to make your own) a few days before this day. This is your final day to double check that all leaven is out of your home and your lives, and to prepare your food for the Seder (See Exodus 12, Leviticus 23, and 1 Corinthians 5:6-8).

Passover Seder—For 2015, have your Seder after sunset April 5^th. According to Scripture, you eat lamb from a sheep or goat, not boiled in water or raw, but roasted by fire, and we are to eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. This means to eat bread without the leavening agent (rising agent) and to eat something bitter too. We do our best but don’t stress about the meal. The point is not what you eat, but to remove all sin from your life and remember what Father and Messiah has done for us.

Feast of Matzot/Matzah (Unleavened bread) – For 2015, begins sunset April 5^th and ends sunset April 12^th – we eat unleavened bread for seven days to remember how He brought us out of “Egypt” (in haste) — out of bondage to sin and slavery to men and gave us the freedom to serve and worship Him. As you eat unleavened bread each day, remember Messiah’s death, resurrection and suffering (He suffered so we could have peace and healing). See Isaiah 53:4-6. Do no occupational/servile work on the first day (sunset April 5^th – 6^th) and the last day (sunset April 11^th – 12^th).

First Fruits – For 2015, begins sunset April 11^th and ends sunset April 12^th – Messiah was resurrected and presented the “First Fruits” to the Almighty – His Father. In the Tanakh (Old Testament), First Fruits was a wave offering of the barley harvest to Yahuweh, to thank Him for giving us The Promised Land and the fruit of the Land (See Leviticus 23:9-14). In the Renewed Covenant (New Testament), Messiah took the “First Fruits” (those believers who had died before He came) and presented them along with Himself to Father (See Matthew 27:50-54; John 20:16-18; 1 Corinth 15:20; 2 Thess 2:13). Since this is also the last day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, do no occupational/servile work this day.

Feast of Weeks/Shavuot (Pentecost) – begins sunset May 30th and ends sunset May 31^st – Messiah baptized His disciples with Fire (filled them with Father’s Spirit). According to Scripture, from the day after the first Sabbath (Friday sunset to Saturday sunset) that occurs during the Feast of Unleavened Bread, you count seven completed Sabbaths plus 1 day – total of 50 days.

See Leviticus 23:15-22; Exodus 34:22; Deut 16:9-20.

We commemorate this day by not doing any occupational work and remembering that Messiah said we would do greater works than He did and would be able to successfully walk out our salvation because He was bringing us Father’s Spirit as a Helper, Guide, Comforter, and Teacher. This is a form of “First Fruits” too. See John 16:5-15; Acts 1; Acts 2; 2 Thess 2:13; Romans 8:23. In Acts 2, it shows that Father’s Spirit filled the disciples on the Day of Pentecost also known as the Feast of Weeks.

Interesting that this is also the day of the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai. Yahuweh knew that we could not keep such a covenant, so to commemorate THAT day, He sent His Spirit, via His Son, on the same day to “help” us keep such a covenant. His Spirit in us helps us keep His commandments and to avoid sinning.

Please note that according to Exodus 23:14-19, males in Israel were required to go up to Jerusalem for the Feasts of Unleavened Bread, Feast of Weeks and the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot- a Fall Feast). If you are able to go to Israel during these feasts, then go! You will never be the same as the Scriptures come alive in the Land and where He put His Name!!

This concludes our discussion of the Spring Feasts of Yahuweh. We hope this has helped clear up some misunderstandings regarding the Spring Feasts – of what is Scriptrual and what is not.

To keep up with all the festival dates, see our calendar HERE:

Shalom,

Derek and Rivkah