Should we keep the biblical feasts outside the land of Israel?

According to some individuals who assert the validity of a Torah-obedient lifestyle for modern saints, the biblical feasts aren’t able to be kept except in the land of Israel and specifically in Jerusalem. Since they live outside the land of Israel, they use this as a justification for not celebrating the seven biblical holidays. They also maintain that YHVH didn’t require the Israelites to celebrate his feasts outside of the Promised Land. They reason that since they are in “exile” outside the land of Israel, it is impossible to properly keep the feasts, and they’re, therefore, exempt from having to do so.

The following is a list of scriptural truths that show the fallacy of this reasoning. Doubtless, many more scriptures could be given, and we will add more in the future.

  1. When Genesis 1:14 uses the word seasons, the Hebrew word seasons is moedim and can also mean feasts. This is a clear reference to the biblical feasts and indicates that YHVH’s feasts were from the foundation of the world.
  2. Genesis 26:5 tells us that Abraham was Torah-obedient including YHVH’s commandments, statutes and laws. This would include the biblical feasts.
  3. The children of Israel kept Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread before coming to Mount Sinai and receiving the law of Moses and before entering the Promised Land (Exodus 12 and 13). This indicates that YHVH wanted his people to keep the feasts even while still outside the Promised Land.
  4. In Leviticus 23, the Sabbath is mentioned at the head of the list as one of  YHVH’s feasts along with the other seven annual high holy day feasts (Lev 23:1–3). The implication here is that the Sabbath and biblical feasts come as an indivisible unit. If the seventh day Sabbath is to be kept, then so are the feasts.
  5. When Leviticus 23:4 states that the biblical feasts (i.e., the holy days, not the weekly Sabbath) are to be at their appointed times or “in their season” as some Bibles translate this phrases, this indicates that YHVH created the seasons around the biblical feasts. That is to say, in YHVH’s order of creation, the feasts predate the four seasons. Except at the equator and perhaps at the poles, the seasons are a global phenomenon, and therefore, it would seem, wherever seasons occur, YHVH’s feasts should be celebrated.
  6. Several times in Leviticus 23 and elsewhere in several places (Lev 23:21, 31, 41; Exod 12:14, 17, 24), YHVH’s word states that the feasts are forever. There is no indication that they are to be kept only in Jerusalem.
  7. Nowhere in the Scriptures is there a command to celebrate the feasts only in the land of Israel or in Jerusalem. Rather, in several places in Deuteronomy YHVH commands his people to celebrate the pilgrimage feasts where he has chosen to place his name (Deut 16:2, 6, 11). At that time, his name was where the tabernacle and latter the temple resided. However, both the tabernacle and temple are gone. Paul teaches us that the saints are YHVH’s temple because his presence, in the form of the Holy Spirit, now resides in them as opposed to the holy of holies in the former temple (1 Cor 3:16; 6:19). Based on this, it can reasoned that the saints can now celebrate the biblical feasts wherever YHVH leads them to do so whether in the land of Israel or not, for as Yeshua said, where two or more are gathered together in his name, he is in their midsts (Matt 18:20). Furthermore, YHVH is in the midst of his people wherever they are, for the psalmist tells us that he inhabits the praises of his people (Ps 22:3). Where YHVH is, that is where is name and anointing will be.
  8. In Ezekiel 20, we see that YHVH’s feasts (or sabbaths) are a covenantal sign between YHVH and his people (Ezek 20:12) that they were to live by (Ezek 20:11), yet which Israel, in rebellion, refused to do while in the wilderness. Instead they defiled his sabbaths by, presumably, not doing them and doing other things on those holy days (Ezek 20:13). Israel’s rebellion against YHVH with regard to their refusal to keep his sabbaths brought upon them YHVH’s judgments (Ezek 20:13). In other words, it was YHVH’s will for the Israelites to keep his sabbaths in the wilderness, but because of their idolatrous rebellion, they refused to do so.  In fact, YHVH calls refusing to observe his sabbaths idolatry and for this sin (along with other sins), the Israelites had to wander in the wilderness for forty years (Ezek 20:15–16). In profaning his sabbaths, YHVH accuses the Israelites of despising his Torah (Ezek 20:16). YHVH then goes on to urge his people to not follow the example of their rebellious forefathers, but rather to walk in all of his Torah commands (including his sabbaths, Ezek 20:18–20). Because of their profaning his sabbaths, he punished them by scattering them in exile among the heathens. Those modern saints who refuse to keep YHVH’s Sabbath and feasts are walking in the same sin as the ancient Israelites. Often people who refuse to keep YHVH’s  feast days holy do so because the feasts conflict with their secular activities (such as their jobs). YHVH calls this idolatry and being like the heathen (Ezek 20:30, 32). In the end times, YHVH is going to separate his people out from the heathen and bring them back into covenantal agreement with him including obedience to his sabbaths (Ezek 20:33–38). He will purge from his people those rebels who refuse to obey him including keeping his sabbaths (Ezek 20:38), which are a sign of his covenantal relationship with them.
  9. In Matthew 5:18, Yeshua says that not one yud or tag of the Torah would pass away until heaven and earth ceased to exist. Clearly, in Yeshua’s mind, the biblical feasts along with the rest of the Torah are still for his people today.
  10. Yeshua told his disciples to celebrate the Passover in remembrance of him (Luke 22:19; 1 Cor 11:24, 25). Nowhere does he qualify this statement by saying that the Passover can only be done in Jerusalem or the land of Israel. In fact, when Paul is giving these instructions to celebrate the Passover to the believers in Corinth he doesn’t say that it can be done only in the land of Israel, and that this feast can’t be celebrated outside the land of Israel.
  11. In the book of Acts, it is mentioned that Paul hastened to Jerusalem in order to keep Pentecost (Acts 20:16), which was one of the four pilgrimage feasts (along with Passover/Unleavened Bread and the Feast of Tabernacles). Yet at the same time, he commands the believers in Corinth to celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread (1 Cor 5:7), which was one of the pilgrimage feasts. He also celebrated the Feast of Unleavened Bread outside of Jerusalem (Acts 20:6) even though it, like Pentecost, was one of the pilgrimage feasts. Obviously, he didn’t make going to Jerusalem a condition for observing this feast.
  12. Two of the seven feasts weren’t kept in Jerusalem, but at home. These were the Day of Trumpets and the Day of Atonement. There is no command in the Torah to go where YHVH has placed his name to celebrate these feasts. Therefore, those who say that we can’t celebrate the feasts except in the land of Israel and specifically in Jerusalem should at least celebrate these two feasts at home. In fact, Acts 27:9 indicates that Paul celebrated Yom Kippur on the island of Crete, not in Jerusalem. If he didn’t celebrate this holy day, why mention it?
  13. Moses in the Torah prophesied that the Israelites would forsake YHVH’s Torah covenant and serve foreign, pagan gods resulting in YHVH having to punish them with captivity in “another land” (Deut 29:25–27). Moses then goes on to prophesy that from the nations where Israel had been scattered because of its sin of Torahlessness, the Israelites would “return to YHVH your Elohim and obey his voice, according to all that I commanded you today” (Deut 30:2). As a result of their repentance and return to Torah-obedience (including keeping YHVH’s sabbaths or feasts, which they had forsaken along with the rest of the Torah), YHVH promises to bring them back (to the land of Israel) from captivity and regather them from all the nations where they have been scattered (Deut 30:3–5). This passage makes it clear that conditional to Israel’s regathering and return to their land would be a whole-hearted repentance and return to the Torah (Deut 30:2) including the biblical holidays, while still in the land of their exile.
  14. Interestingly, the religious Jews to this day have no tradition mandating that the biblical feasts can’t be kept outside the land of Israel. In synagogues all over the world, the Jews still celebrate all the biblical feasts.

The bottom line why  people don’t want to keep YHVH’s feasts is this:

Because  the carnal mind is enmity against Elohim; for it is not subject to the law of Elohim, nor indeed can be. So then those that are in the flesh cannot please Elohim. (Romans 8:7–8)

 

 

67 thoughts on “Should we keep the biblical feasts outside the land of Israel?

  1. Why in the Book of revelation does it say that the Egyptians must come to Jerusalem to the feast? Why does the Savior say that to inherit eternal life one must only keep the ten commandments in which the annual holy days are not mentioned?

    • The Book of Revelation doesn’t say this. This passage is in Zech 14:16–21. Egypt in this case is a biblical metaphor for the whole world. In the Millennium, all the world will be expected to follow the Torah including the Sabbaths and Feasts. There are many biblical prophecies that talk about this.

      Yeshua makes no mention of keeping the ten commandments when it comes being saved. The Scripture you’re referring to is Matt 19:16-22. The Jewish man asked Yeshua what he had to do to inherit eternal life. Yeshua told him to keep the commandments including the sabbaths (weekly and annual). There are 613 in the Torah. The ten commandments are just the cornerstone or beginning of it. He just lists several of them to make a point. The point is this: If truly, if one can keep all of Elohim’s laws perfectly from birth until death without sinning, then the penalty of death wouldn’t fall on a person and one could conceivable live forever. In his pride, the Jewish man figured he had kept all the comm, commandments perfectly. Yeshua revealed to him that actually he was covetous and idolized money and material possessions which is a violation of a couple of Torah commandments. Yeshua also taught the man that keeping the commandments perfectly wasn’t enough. He had to become a follower of the Messiah.

      When one really digs into this exchange between Yeshua and the Jewish man, there’s a lot more going on than you realize. It doesn’t say what most people who read it casually think it says.

      • You totally ignored the question as to why the scriptures state that in the millennium the whole world will be required to go UP TO JERUSALEM to keep the feast. They can’t stay in their own lands. You chose to not elaborate on this. And yes, Jerusalem is the city of the solemnities and God HAS placed His name there. He is not the author of confusion. Nowhere in the Bible does it tell us that we can go wherever we want during the feasts and keep them however we see fit, and follow whatever calendar we think is the right one. There was a specific time, place, and method in which they were to be kept. And when Jesus returns, He will teach us His ways and we will walk in His paths. Then and only then will His feasts be kepts properly.

      • So what is your main point?

        1) We shouldn’t keep the feasts except in Jerusalem or the land of Israel?

        2) We shouldn’t keep the feasts because we can’t keep them perfectly as YHVH intended, so why try?

        3) Or some other point that I missed?

        I have a few more questions for you. We’re going to let the light of truth shine on this important subject. (Should one wish, I can give chapter and verse for every point I’m about to make below!)

        What does Scripture really say about what will go on in the Millennium that you failed to mention in your comment? Zechariah 14:16–19 specifically mentions going up to Jerusalem to keep the Feast of Tabernacles; no mention is made of any of the other biblical feasts. Yet in your comment, you cherry-picked this fact out of the Scriptures, and then you went on to conflate this prophetic tidbit with the supposed scriptural command (which doesn’t exist) to go up to Jerusalem to keep all of the feasts. Then it appears that you leveraged this conflation and twisting of Scripture to infer that one is not really keeping the feasts in this present age unless one goes up to Jerusalem. Again this is an illogical twisting of Scripture and making it say something that it doesn’t. What is your motive for doing this? What is your agenda? Are you trying to find a reason for not taking the time off of work to keep YHVH’s commanded and eternal feasts? Or is there some other reason? I have heard other people make this argument who, for one reason or another, refuse to keep YHVH’s commanded feasts here and now. Why is this? You’ll have to answer this question for yourself before YHVH.

        More questions for you:

        What did the Israelites go up to Jerusalem to keep the feasts? What was there then that isn’t there now? What presence was in Jerusalem at that place that isn’t there now? Where its that presence now? If we’re to keep the feasts where that presence is, then where do we go to keep the feasts? These are basic and elementary questions that one with a simple understanding of Scripture should know and are extremely pertinent to the issue.

        Here are some more questions that are related to this issue:

        What does it mean to be the temple of the Holy Spirit?
        What does it mean when Yeshua said that he would be in the midst of two or three of his people who are gathered together?
        What does the Torah mean when it tells YHVH’s people to celebrate his feasts wherever he has placed his name?
        Did the Israelites always go to Jerusalem?
        Where did the Israelites go to keep the feast for the first few hundred years in the Promised Land before David conquered Jerusalem?
        Where did the Israelites keep the first Passover and Feast of Unleavened Bread? Hint: Not in Jerusalem.
        Where did the saints in Corinth keep Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread when Paul told them all to celebrate it? Did they all go to Jerusalem? If so, give me chapter and verse on that.
        And if we do go to Jerusalem, where are we to keep the feasts now? With whom? In what building or place? Hint: the temple doesn’t exist anymore and the Muslims won’t let you celebrate the feasts on Mt. Moriah!
        If we can’t afford to take our families seven times a year to keep all seven feasts in Jerusalem, does that mean we ignore the feasts and disobey YHVH commands to keep them?
        Is YHVH Elohim more pleased with us if we try to keep his commandments the best we can, as imperfectly as it may be, wherever we may be and whatever our circumstances may be, or is he more pleased if we just ignore his commands all together?
        Does a loving parent appreciate and bless his or her children when they try to do what is right and obey them, or when they make no effort at all?
        Was Yeshua more pleased with the servant who buried his talent in the ground or those who took their talents and did the best they could with them?
        What blesses the Father’s heart more? Those who have a heart to serve and obey him the best they can, or those who make excuses and refuse to do so?
        What does the Scripture say about keeping the commandments of Elohim? A) That they’re impossible to do (as many in the Christian church demonically and blasphemously teach), or B) that they’re not impossible to keep (as Deut 30 asserts)?

        Finally, in your comment, you’re making some pretty strong and false accusations against me. This is not acceptable. I was kind enough to allow your comment to come through. If you want to post again, I will expect you to be more polite and respectful.

        Blessings to you in Yeshua!

    • Was wondering how one does the feast as there is no way to to offer offerings or sacrifices, or are you saying we can do that now? As some say God places His name in us and we are the temple. Or do we just gather?

      • We can’t feast now there is a full instruction we aren’t in the land Deuteronomy 12 & 16, Exodus 12:25, Daniel 10:1-4 (Daniel mourned when in captivity), Psalm 137:1-4, Acts 18:19-21 & Acts 20:16 Paul travels to Jerusalem, Tobit 1-3 (he becomes blind), don’t have the day (calendar has been changed Jubilees 6:33-38 & Enoch 79, Lamentations 2:6 show us this), supposed to be a holy convocation where we all gather together, and we don’t have our bridegroom Yeshua have you ever read Luke 5:35? Some more scriptures 2 Chronicles 30:1-5, Isaiah 1:13-15, Ezekiel 22:23-29 (don’t mix holy with profane), Hosea 8:11-14, Amos 5:21-25, Micah 6:6-8, Zephaniah 3:18 (people are mourning over feasts because they can’t kept them). Let me know if you receive this and what you think

      • How dare you people toy with the Word of Elohim and cherry pick out a few Scriptures that YOU hope will fit what YOU really want to do or not do as long as it’s in line with the dictates of your carnal hearts vis-à-vis the commandments of Elohim. Where is the fear of Elohim and the trembling before his word?

        Thus says the LORD: “Heaven is My throne, And earth is My footstool. Where is the house that you will build Me? And where is the place of My rest? For all those things My hand has made, And all those things exist,” Says the LORD. “But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word.” (Isa 66:1–2)

        So in my article, I present conclusive proof that YHVH commands his servants then and now to keep his feasts, you still refuse to hear and obey! You’re kicking agains the pricks!

        The truth is that YOU DON’T WANT TO KEEP THE FEASTS! That’s because when it comes to the word of Elohim, to many of you people are minimalists, not maximalists. That is, you want to do as little as possible that you think you can get by with when it comes to obeying YHVH. You twist the word of Elohim like silly putty and form it into your own image and according to your carnal scruples to suit the dictates of your carnal hearts. That’s the bottom line, and it’s because you are rebellious against the Word and Truth of Elohim. This is the sin of Adam and Eve as they listened to the serpent who said, “Does Elohim really mean what he says? You don’t really have to obey him…” That’s it. Period.

        So was Paul an ignorant false teacher when he told the saints in Corinth to keep/celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread in that Greek city, and instructed them on how to celebrate the Passover? Should Christians worldwide stop doing the Lord’s Supper/Passover because they can’t go to Jerusalem?

        People! Wake up!!!! Stop making excuses why you don’t want to submit to the commandments of Elohim. People can twist the Word of Elohim to make it say anything they want to placate their sin natures. It’s easy to do. Just cherry pick a few verses out of the Bible and ignore the rest of Scriptures on that subject, and voila, you have a doctrine that fits your own viewpoint. Oy vey and enough already!!! Take your crappola to another blog site. You will not get away with it on this site. You’re playing with the big boys now! And the sword of the Spirit of Elohim is sharp and it will quickly slice between your soulish, sinful desires and the Word/Truth of Elohim and expose your sin for what it is. The profane will be separated from the holy and the dark lies exposed to the light of Truth.

        The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? (Jer 17:9)

        Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be.(Rom 8:7)

    • Because the feasts are to be kept in the land where Yahs name dwells. And because Ten Commandments is His Covenant He gave to us. We mourn now not feast not without our bridegroom

      • The Torah in Deuteronomy says that the feasts are to be kept wherever YHVH has placed his name. The Torah says nothing about keeping the feasts in land where he dwells. Right now, where does YHVH dwell? In his blood-bought saints through his Holy Spirit, since the saints are the temple of the Holy Spirit, as Paul in the Scriptures tells us. Obviously, YHVH is not presently dwelling in the modern land of Israel as you suggest, except in the lives of his redeemed saints. Therefore, your argument is invalid and unscriptural for NOT keeping the feasts except in the land of Israel. Blessings!

  2. THANK YOU THANK YOU! I’m helping a young fellowship learn about the feasts, Torah, and the Torah lifestyle (the Jesus’ lifestyle!) I have volunteered to help them keep a passover feast this year and they are SO EXCITED! I’ve been helping people for 10 years.You are definitely someone who i will recommend for them to read, since you are also Spirit filled. I struggled for years to find someone who taught Biblical Torah and who was Spirit filled. I finally found Barbara Richmond, who was recommended by someone and went to her web site and she had denied Yeshua! :…(
    Shortly after that, I found [name edited out] who has some excellent articles on his website HMM…
    From there, God took me an an amazing journey to the tap root of Christianity, which is the Jewish roots…
    I am now taking several weeks before Passover to explain the 4 W’s and the H of Passover. I have taught “what” is passover, and also “when” is passover, and next week, “where” is passover.
    Hopefully, this week, i can teach “where” is Passover! It’s SO rich! Shalom and Toda Raba!!! (I'[m also a Hebrew addict!)

    • i had to change my website address. Right now, the fellowship is disbanded because the lady’s house we met at decided to sell her house. I still pay for this web site in order to keep it going should the Lord give me another opportunity for home fellowship.

    • I don’t know how to defend the biblical feasts against the following article:

      [URL edited out. The rules of this blog do not allow website links to be published without prior approval.]

      He gives good points on how Israelites did not celebrate the appointed times when they were outside the land. He points to both Daniel and Esther for his support, as well as Lamentations and Hosea. Acts 20 and 27 didn’t say that Paul was celebrating the appointed times outside Israel, but possibly they were mentioned as time markers. He could have been celebrating them, but the Scriptures don’t state it clearly. How would you directly address the points from white feather?

      • Can I be blunt without hopefully offending? After decades in this battle as a Bible teacher, I am fed up with uncircumcised fruit (novice Bible teachers) who do not know what they are talking about, and who misrepresent YHVH Elohim’s Truth, turn it into a lie, and then end up leading many people astray. Unless they repent, YHVH’s judgment will be upon them to their own shame. It is truly sad. The issues you bring up based on what someone out there is teaching regarding the biblical feasts is a case in point. let me explain.

        People can cherry pick scriptures out of the Bible and make the Bible say anything they want to substantiate their deceived and rebellious hearts because they do not want to obey YHVH. Blunt? Yes. But that is the bottom line truth. We are rebellious creatures by nature and want the benefits and blessings of serving YHVH without obeying him as he commanded. This is the lie of the serpent at the tree: you don’t really have to do what YHVH said, but you can still have eternal life. The devil always over-promises and under-delivers as the last 6000 years of human history has proven.

        First. The biblical feasts are forever and are for the Israelites and the sojourning aliens/Gentiles. That has never changed. The saints are now Israel that has been grafted into the olive tree of Israel (Rom 11 and Eph 2 to name a few). So the feasts are for us.

        Second. Elohim does not change. His standards of righteousness are eternal and immutable despite the theological philosophies of humans that make of non-effect the word of Elohim by their man-made traditions.

        Three. Yeshua did the feasts. Paul said that he imitated Yeshua, and commanded us to imitate him, thus if we call ourselves Christians (literally little Christs), then we will be doing the same as Paul and Messiah (1 Cor 11:1).

        Fourth. In numerous places in the Book of Acts and Paul’s own writings, we read that he was Torah obedient. This means he kept the feasts which were central to Torah obedience. He cannot have broken the Torah by profaning the feasts and not observing them and at the same time being Torah-obedient. You can’t have it both ways. Either the Bible is a lie or those who say that Paul didn’t keep the feasts are the liars. I will die on the hill of the former, not the latter.

        Fifth. To say that since there seem to be no examples of Paul actually being in Jerusalem to keep the feast this is proof that he didn’t keep them is another sleight of hand lie and an illogical argument. In rhetoric, this is called an argument out of silence, or something like that. That is to say, that just because we don’t have a record that something occurred, means it didn’t occur. This is a specious argument and has no basis in logic. That’s like saying that because Yeshua didn’t specifically condemn homosexuality or bestiality that he approved it, and maybe even practiced this. No one in their right mind would make this argument, or would they? The mainstream Christian church has been making this same argument forever. How? Example: Since Yeshua never commanded us to keep the Sabbath, we don’t have to do it. Ever heard that one? I have. I could give many more examples. On the other hand, the NT never commands tithing, yet churches still teach it. Bottom line is that deceitful humans pick and choose what they want to obey out of the Bible and ignore the rest and then construct deceitful and lying arguments to justify their delusions. Pathetic. YHVH is not fooled by their chicanery.

        Sixth. If the Feasts were not kept outside of Jerusalem, then why did Paul instruct the Corinthians to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread and Passover (1 Cor 5:8; 11:20). This one point should end all arguments against celebrating the feasts outside of Jerusalem!

        Seventh. True. We may not be able to keep the feasts perfectly as they may or may not have done so in Bible times, but don’t you think that it blesses YHVH when we do the best we can to love him by obeying his commandments (John 14:15, 21)? Our righteousness must exceed that of the Pharisees, not be less than that (Matt 5:20). I want to be a maximist, not a minimalist when it comes to loving, serving and obeying YHVH!

        Eighth. Those who keep YHVH Torah commands (including the feasts) including all the jots and tittles as best they can (Matt 5:17–18) will receive a higher reward in the kingdom of heaven over those who don’t (Matt 5:19).

        Finally, ninth. The feasts are the seven steps in YHVH’s plan of salvation from initial salvation to glorification. These are markers in our spiritual progression into the family of Elohim as his glorified sons and daughters. Why would we not want to learn about these things, celebrate them and use them as teaching tools to teach new converts and our children this glorious truth around which the message of the gospel of Yeshua circumnavigates?

        If a person can’t wrap their brain around these nine points that I have given, then there is nothing more to be said. They can take up the matter with YHVH Elohim at the judgment seat and attempt to convince him that their word trumps that of the Creator of the universe.

        Blessings and keep up the good fight!!!

        Finis.

  3. Deuteronomy 12 is a chapter that has been left out here. It clearly states that Israel was to keep the feasts in the LAND of the TRIBE where He puts His name which became Judah since Christ is the Lion of the tribe of Judah and where God put his name. It also states that if you could not be at the place to observe the feasts that your command was to eat what you have weather feast friendly or not and just be thankful for all that God has given you. The times that Israel celebrated the feasts outside of the promised land were still done as a nation together and not scattered and before he had a land designated for them. It clearly states that ALL feast technicalities must be met in order to partake of the feasts and that this command was forever. Can we as a 4 person family sacrifice 12 bullocks? They were to be all done together at the same time. This is why Paul stated that he needed to be back to Jerusalem to celebrate the feasts according to Acts 18:21. This is why all nations will come to Jerusalem in Revelation and why after the exodus all feasts were only recorded as being celebrated at Jerusalem. The Sabbath was made for man not Jews, the feasts were made for Jews not man so they are not completely the same commands. That being said certain things have clearly been given exceptions, like the Passover and feast of unleavened bread which is to be observed where ever you are Numbers 9:10-13.

    • Thank you for your thoughts, but I strongly disagree with much of what you’re saying.

      The Epistle to the Hebrews clearly teaches that the sacrifices and Levitical system was fulfilled in Messiah. These things we don’t have to do. However, if you study the Word deeply and study the numerous teachings I have done on the feasts (both written and video), you will see that the feasts are the seven steps in YHVH’s plan of salvation. How can these steps not be applicable to us today? Can we not still learn about how to become a child of the Almighty by doing them? Paul says so in Col 2. Not only that, the fall feasts point to events surrounding the second coming of Yeshua. These have not been fulfilled yet.

      We’re to keep the feasts where YHVH has placed his name. At this time, his name is wherever two or more of his people are gathered together. Since there is no temple in Jerusalem now, there is no place there to celebrate the feasts as per exact biblical instructions.

      You’re also mistaken in calling them the Jewish feasts. They are the feasts of YHVH given by him to all the 12 tribes of Israel of which the Jews (from the tribe of Judah) were but one-twelfth. They were not invented by the Jews only for the Jews.

      I have discussed these issues before in many places for those who care to look more deeply into this issue. Here are several links to get you started. I could easily give a couple dozen more.

    • http://www.hoshanarabbah.org/teaching.html#feast
    • http://www.hoshanarabbah.org/pdfs/why_study_feasts.pdf
    • http://hoshanarabbah.org/blog/2016/03/26/25-reasons-to-celebrate-the-biblical-feasts/
    • http://hoshanarabbah.org/blog/2014/06/03/feasts-outside-the-land-of-israel/
      • I agree I should not have called them Jewish feasts. However you will notice in Deuteronomy 12 it states that we cannot practice the feasts but we can still remember them and still because they have their own Sabbaths that we still honor them as Sabbaths. This is how we keep it alive when we are not in a place to keep the feasts. He gives us direction to eat anything we do have and be grateful for how he has blessed us in far away lands and we can still teach about the feasts. He warns that every single feast must be kept to every single point. The sacrifices were not all abolished only sacrifices for sin were abolished. Many sacrifices were for gifts like the peace offering which Christ does not replace. And many of those offerings like during the feast of tabernacles in Numbers 29 were not for atonement and would require a city to eat and yet everything had to be done to the tee. It is also mentioned in Ezekiel that sacrifices would remain into the millennial kingdom. All nations in that time will come to Jerusalem for the feasts. Remember if we add or take away from those commands we sin. So if we do our own Feast of Tabernacles but leave a bunch of the rules, we are failing. This is why Deuteronomy tells us what to do if we are in such a scenario. His name is not where two or more are gathered together, it is in the land of the tribe where he puts his name. He says he is in the midst of us when we gather, not that he puts his name there. This is why Paul and Christ returned to Jerusalem for the feasts, because it is the land of the tribe of Judah and Christ is the Lion of that tribe. We know He is the God of the universe and of everyone in the world but He calls himself the God of Israel. So saying where two are more are gathered there i am in the midst does not mean that’s where He put his name. He told us that he puts his name in the land of the tribe that He chooses which became and has not changed to Jerusalem, hence why into the millennial reign we all go there to worship. If he was only talking in spirit and had no need of a physical representation anymore then why couldn’t everyone stay at their own countries and lands and celebrate them from there?

      • I don’t agree with you in much of what you have said, and I have addressed these issues many times in many places over the years, and my responses are in the public arena. So I won’t repeat myself here. It sounds like your mind is made up, so it’s pointless for me to say more. I refuse to argue. But you are welcome to your opinions, and hopefully we can disagree without being disagreeable.

        Those who are keeping the feasts outside the land of Israel the best they can by YHVH’s grace are receiving great blessings and divine revelation in doing so. Good fruits of righteousness are being produced as a result. Yeshua is being lifted up, the gospel is being preached and lives are being transformed. This is not sin! On the contrary, it is sin not to obey YHVH’s commandments as best we can wherever we are. The mark of true bride-of-Yeshua saints in the end times will be to keep his Torah commandments and have the testimony/faith of Yeshua (Rev 12:17; 14:12). I want to be in that group. I want to be the greatest in the kingdom, not the least as per Yeshua’s Matt 5:19 instructions. This will be determined by whether I keep all of his commandments and teach them, or vice versa. It seems pretty clear to me.

        I started celebrating the feasts in 1960. My parents and grandparents started doing them long before that. Some years ago when I walked away from the Sabbath and feasts for a season, I asked YHVH what would keep me from falling prey to the end times antichrist delusions. He clearly told me to follow his Torah including the feasts and this would keep me from falling victim to demonic delusions. Maybe YHVH is telling you to do something else, but I doubt it. At this point, I’m reminded of Rom 8:7.

        Shalom and blessings.

      • Obedience is better than sacrifice. Deuteronomy shows us how we obey when we cannot complete the feasts. Only the day of Atonement, Passover and Feast of Trumpets is outside of the land permissible. Doing your best to complete the feasts is like Saul trying to please the Lord after God gave instructions to not keep any of the enemies spoils. It’s adding to the word. I understand you have a background in celebrating the feasts and i feel this could potentially make it difficult to stop. If you keep doing what is commanded you do keep the feasts and his commands and that means outside of the land of Israel you keep only those that are doable and like Deuteronomy says in chapter 12 we do not do it outside the land if we cannot complete it. It specifically says not to do it in your own way and this gives real meaning to the words obedience is better than sacrifice. I have no intention of hurting you or getting you to fall away from God. I believe we should be ready at any time like the word says to test what we believe. I also used to celebrate the feasts to the best of my abilities but it’s like the word says our righteousness is like filthy rags. That speaks to when we try and do extra for God that he did not ask us to do. In love I only urge you to take on what Deuteronomy 12 is saying and then realize why Paul says he needed to return to Jerusalem for the feasts and why in the future it will all be in Jerusalem even though we live in Spirit.

      • Okay Aaron, you’ve made your point on my blog. I’m shutting down this discussion. Your antagonism against the feasts is too much for me. It is not helping to advance the cause of truth. You are now being a stumbling block to those who want to love YHVH with all of their hearts, souls and minds by keeping his commands as best they can. You are twisting the truth of Elohim and using it back against righteous people who want to act righteously. You are calling righteousness unrighteousness. I cannot permit this any longer. I’ve given you fair say. Enough. At this point, I will refrain from resorting to stronger biblically-mandated language in addressing this issue.

        I have been where you are at. In 1992, I too fell under the delusion that the feasts are no longer relevant for the modern believer to observe. A few years later, I came to see the feasts in a different light and I returned to the truth. I know of at least two Sabbath-keeping denominations that have also fallen under this delusion. While I respect them as brothers, I don’t agree with them.

        After having studied the Bible for many decades, I long ago came to a major conclusion. One can prove anything they want to from of the Bible one way or the other.

        You see Aaron, it all gets down to what’s in your heart. The idols in our heart determine the viewpoint with which we will filter out the truth of the Bible. The biggest idol each of us will face is our innate antagonism against simple obedience to the laws of Elohim (see Rom 8:7 and Jer 17:9). YHVH knows we can’t obey his commands perfectly. That’s why we need the righteousness of Yeshua imputed to us at the time of our initial salvation and all the way up until the time we, only by his grace, receive our glorified bodies. That’s why we can’t be saved by our own works. But does that mean we shouldn’t try to obey him the best we can out of a sincere heart of love and devotion? I would rather be a maximalist rather than being a minimalist when it comes to obeying YHVH. Period.

      • I disagree that Hebrews teaches that the sacrificial system was done away with…I take Yeshua at His word when He says not a jot or a tittle has passed from Torah…meaning, no exceptions.
        Secondly Paul was offering sacrifice. You can read in Acts 18:18 he had taken a nazarite vow and had shaved his head, then in Acts 21, which may be a year or two later, picking up in verse 18 through verse 26 shows he was concluding his vow and that he was making sacrifice and offering in the temple (vs. 26).
        Now specifically in the book of Hebrews chapter 5…Hebrews being some 30 years after the death, burial and ressurection of Yeshua, it speaks in present tense that the Levitical High Preists ARE making sacrifice and offering for sin…this is not condemned but spoken of just in accordance with Torah. In Hebrews 8:3-5…again according to Torah. Heb. 9:9 makes it even more clear “It was symbolic for the PRESENT TIME in which both gifts and sacrifices ARE offered which cannot make him who performed the service perfect in regard to the conscience-concerned only with foods and drinks, various washings, and fleshly ordinances imposed UNTIL THE TIME OF REFOMATION.”
        So the fact that they didn’t make us perfect, did not bring them to an end (until the destruction of the Temple).
        Yeshua plainly said not a jot or a tittle, without exception. Sacrifice and offering continued and eventhough it is not happening now, does not mean it has been done away with.

      • You are both correct and incorrect. Correct that Yeshua stated that not one yud or tag would pass from Torah.

        Incorrect in assuming that the sacrificial system as an atonement for sin was the ultimate or full expression of the Torah. It was merely a prophetic road sign that the people passed by en route to the full expression of what it pointed to——namely Yeshua’s death on the cross. The yudim and taggin of the Torah are more in force today than they ever were under the sacrificial and Levitical systems, since these were merely temporary systems to point the people to Yeshua’s work on the cross. The psalmist and prophets even allude to this in numerous places in the Tanakh. If we still needed the sacrificial system, then Yeshua’s death was pointless.

        The sacrificial system was not the ultimate expression of the full Torah. We have to wrap our brain around this and reorientate our thinking accordingly. This is what the writer of Hebrews is trying to tell us.

        Furthermore, the sacrificial and Levitical systems were added to the base of Torah at the golden calf incident and we’re designed to a permanent fixture attached to the eternal Torah. I have addressed this issue elsewhere. This is why a proper understanding of the Epistle to the Hebrews is so vital.

        Also you’re incorrect in thinking that Paul’s nazarite vow offering wasn’t a sin offering. There are five to six main types of offerings outlined in the Torah depending on how you count and quantify them. A couple of them weren’t sin offerings at all (i.e. the fellowship/peace offering and possibly the drink offering depending on how you understand it).

        Thanks for the push back. These are valid questions and issues with which many people struggle, and they need to be addressed.

        Blessings.

  4. Deut 16 doesn’t say just that. It also says right below that Passover is NOT to kept in any of your gates, but ONLY in where he chooses. In Exodus 12 it says to commemorate the Passover with the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Lev 23 says the even of the 14th is Passover, and then details Unleavened. Then in Deut 16 it specifies the Passover in the place he chooses, and not in any of thy gates. Passover doesn’t sound like it is do be acted out unless we have the tabernacle or temple, which we don’t. Unless there’s a fancy explanation for ‘any of the gates, but only…’

    • I have biblical answers for all or your questions. You’re not the first one to have asked this. This may not apply to you, but in my long experience, I find again and again that many people are always looking for an excuse to not to have to do the things YHVH has as commanded. It gets down to the point Paul made in Rom 8:7. Read it!

      Now, I have a question for you? Do you think the Father will be more pleased with people who are doing the best they can to obey him even though it is done imperfectly, or those who are looking for excuses not to obey him? As a father and employer, I would much rather have children and employees who are trying the best they can to learn, grow and follow instructions, rather than the opposite. Wouldn’t you? I’ll take baby steps any day over stubborn belligerence and refusal to do anything.

      Now to answer your question. I address this in a previous blog post at

    • https://hoshanarabbah.org/blog/2014/06/03/feasts-outside-the-land-of-israel/
    • I will close with this. In all the decades that I have been doing the biblical feasts outside the land of Israel, I have never not been blessed by YHVH in wonderful ways for it. Doing so has greatly enriched my spiritual walk, my understanding of the Scriptures and my relationship with YHVH Elohim and the fellow saints. Not only that, I can’t tell you how many times YHVH has blessed us with his manifest Presence showing up to move in supernatural, miraculous and life-changing ways. Many lives have been transformed, salvations and healings have occurred. I could write a book. In Matt 7, Yeshua told us to judge things by their fruit. Let’s be fruit inspectors, not legalistic, letter-of-the-law nitpickers. The letter killeth, but the spirit maketh alive (2 Cor 3:6). This is the river of life that I want to be in.

      Blessings!

  5. A few questions: In Zach 14:17 Is it a Representative from each family that travels to Jerusalem or the entire family? Is this during the Millennial reign or the time of new Heaven and Earth….Then there comes the question about sin – I thought sin was done away with at HIs reign…I’m confused.

    • Re Zech 14:17, I don’t know the answers to your questions without speculating, since Scripture doesn’t tell us.

      In answer to your second question, physical people will be living on the earth during the millennium. They will live physical lives and will be able to make choices to obey YHVH or not. Obviously, to disobey YHVH will be an option, or else Yeshua wouldn’t have to be ruling with a rod of iron, and those who sin by not coming up to Jerusalem wouldn’t have to be punished as per Zech 14:17. So yes, sin will still be a possibility (see also Isa 65:20). The only difference will be that Satan will be in the bottomless pit during this time, so he won’t be tempting people to sin. Moreover, the world will be under Yeshua’s rule and people will be taught the ways of YHVH, so sinning will be more difficult, but not impossible.

  6. It seems to me that Leviticus 16 outlines the service and keeping of Yom Kippur, eventhough it is not formally called that in the chapter, that certainly appears to be just exactly what it is.

  7. So help a brother out, you say we can perform the passover one question. How? How does one perform the Passover if one cannot do every aspect of it? You have to sacrifice Passover and then you are right into unleavened bread. Which means you have to offer everyday Lev 8. So while most say this is ok to perform Passover they never say how or what is acceptable before Him. What is ok to leave out? What is ok to do?

    • I have a number of videos and teachings on doing a Passover seder where I answer and explain all these questions. Some of them I have posted on this blog in the last couple of weeks.

      In brief, Yeshua did a seder at his last supper, including communion (the third of four cups of wine of the seder), plus a foot washing ceremony.

      How many Christian churches do even the basics of this? Few if any do a seder, almost none a foot washing service at the same time (even though he explicitly commanded us to follow his example and do the same——the church is so rebellious that most can’t even do the basics of what he commanded!!!), and he did communion at Passover, NOT any other time but Passover as the churches typically do. Oy vey! When are his people going to wake up and start doing what he commanded them to do when he commanded them to do it!!!???!!

  8. I have been a spirit filled Christian for nearly 30 years..only recently I discovered Torah teachings…a whole new world birthed..it is soooo exciting …never have I had a explained in such depth what I am learning now….there is so much more to glean and discover…all praise and thank you to my Lord and saviour..Jesus….Jeshua

    • Well, I have some 2600 of these teachings on this blog, and I’m posting more all the time, so stay tuned. Glad we can be a blessing…all glory to the Almighty YHVH Elohim who is the source of all wisdom, truth, inspiration and revelation!

  9. I appreciate all of your comments. I am wondering how the feasts were/are actually celebrated? Other than eating and reading scripture what did/do they actually do?

    • Obviously we can’t do all the things the Israelites did in the Bible, since the tabernacle and temple are gone, and the sacrificial and Levitical systems have been fulfilled by Yeshua. The feast days are Sabbaths, so we rest from our secular work, and they are commanded assemblies and divine appointments between YHVH and his people, so we gather together. When we come together, we do what the early NT church did: Teach and discuss Scripture, pray, fellowship, worship and praise, and eat food together. Some of the feasts have specific things you do on them that we can do today. On Passover we have a seder. On Unleavened Bread we eat unleavened bread and so on. On our Hoshana Rabbah website I have a whole series of articles on each of the feasts that spell all these things out in detail at

    • https://www.hoshanarabbah.org/teaching.html#feast
    • . Happy reading!

  10. These feasts that we keep outside the land of Israel, IF we are not there, are dress rehearsal’s for the REAL DEAL. So we are to keep them to the best of our ability, and if not in the land then keep them abroad and rehearse them, learn them and allow them to become part of our very being. Just my 10 cents. Inflation you know…

  11. What about Neh 8:;14-16 — And they found written in the Law, which the Lord had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths[a] during the feast of the seventh month, 15 and that they should announce and proclaim IN ALL THEIR CITIES and in Jerusalem, saying, “Go out to the mountain, and bring olive branches, branches of oil trees, myrtle branches, palm branches, and branches of leafy trees, to make booths, as it is written.”

    16 Then the people went out and brought them and made themselves booths, each one on the roof of his house, or in their courtyards or the courts of the house of God, and in the open square of the Water Gate and in the open square of the Gate of Ephraim..

  12. Neh 8:14f Kept feast ON THE ROOF OF THEIR HOUSES .v.16

    14 And they found written in the Law, which the Lord had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths[a] during the feast of the seventh month, 15 and that they should announce and proclaim in all their cities and in Jerusalem, saying, “Go out to the mountain, and bring olive branches, branches of oil trees, myrtle branches, palm branches, and branches of leafy trees, to make booths, as it is written.”

    16 Then the people went out and brought them and made themselves booths, each one on the roof of his house, or in their courtyards or the courts of the house of God, and in the open square of the Water Gate and in the open square of the Gate of Ephraim.

  13. Thank You for the understanding for keeping the feasts, a big help for my understanding, and on that note I gathered thoughts together to expound on this topic. Our creator works in dispensations of time. We now are in the dispensation of time concerning the church age and are still in the book of acts when the elect are raptured that will end the dispensation of time for the church age hence we enter a new age the judgment of nations and millennial reign. Concerning the keeping of feast in Jerusalem a different dispensation of time therefore a new requirement. The requirement to go up to Jerusalem during this time to keep the feast is in a new dispensation of time.

    • Where does the Bible state that Elohim divides his work among humans into dispensations of time? Chapters and verses please? Many in the church have made much ado about this concept, yet I’m hard-pressed to see it in Scripture. Yes, YHVH deals in covenantal agreements, yet the Bible reveals that one covenant is built upon the previous one, or otherwise stated, the previous covenant unfolds and expands into the next one. This, however, is a different concept than the Christian theory of dispensations. Blessings!

      • I did a search for scriptures and this is what I found: Just Knowing that the church age will not be the same is what I draw on and that the sacrifices currently are not required which give credence to before the time of the cross.
        The phrase is derived from a passage in Ephesians 1:10 (KJV), which reads: “That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him.”
        The Bible uses the word dispensation in several places as follows:

        1 Corinthians 9:17 (KJV) “For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of the gospel is committed unto me.”
        Ephesians 3:2 (KJV) “If ye have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which is given me to you-ward:”
        Colossians 1:25 (KJV) “Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God;”

      • Is it wise to make a doctrine on one or two verses based on a word or two?

        In the so-called church age, Yeshua’s last instructions to his disciples before ascending to heaven were for them to go to those lost sheep of the house of Israel starting in Jerusalem, then to Judea, then to Samaria and finally to the world. He commanded them to gather in the lost sheep of the house of Israel who had scattered themselves among the gentile nations of the world, and once gathered in, they were no longer Gentiles (Eph 2:11–19) but were now the sons of Abraham (Gal 3:29, etc., etc.) and are now the Israel of Elohim (Gal 6:16) and part of the 12 tribes of Israel, since the gates in the New Jerusalem are named after the 12 tribes and there is NO gentile gate (Rev 21:12). How do these biblical truths fit to the typical church age/dispensational view of eschatology?

  14. “Jerusalem” is a people, not a place. Paul explains this in Romans 2 and 3, John saw “New Jerusalem coming down OUT OF HEAVEN adorned as a bride for her husband (its a people, not a place).” Throughout the Prophets, they identified “Jerusalem as “the People of Yahweh.” It is NOT a city or place, its a people. We are to keep the feasts and commandments wherever we go, not only in Jerusalem.

    • Come on. Scripture is clear. Jerusalem is both a place and ultimately the bride of YHVH unless one wants to allegorize all of the biblical geographical references to Jerusalem including Revelation chapters 21 and 22 to the point of twisting Scripture into absurdity. If one can make this leap, then it seems that one can make the Bible say just about anything one wants. If that’s the case, then let’s just toss it out the window and all go on our merry way eating and drinking and making merry, for tomorrow we die. I doubt this is what you meant to say, but our words must be put out there thoughtfully and carefully or else others will get a wrong impression. Blessings!

      • Clearly you haven’t read in Isaiah where Yahweh says “Jerusalem has played the harlot, and Served other gods, when I alone was her husband.” YAHWEH didn’t marry a “piece of land.” The whole earth is His. He married a people. Learn how to understand prophecy and Scripture.

      • Yes, critically-minded people can always find something to criticize. Look, my friend, cheap shots are not appreciated. Of course, I’ve read the entire Bible many times including Isaiah as I’m sure you have. The biblical subject of Jerusalem and how it is used in the Bible in both a poetic, metaphorical as well as a literal sense, along with the subject of YHVH marrying his people is a huge subject. It’s not possible to cover all of the facets and ramifications of such complex subjects in short blog articles, or else they’d be too long and people would not read them. Next time, take your cheap shots somewhere else. We can have a polite and respectful discussion without cheap shots being lobbed. Have a nice day.

  15. I wasnt “taking cheap shots.” I’m flat out being honest. You confuse Scripture, and make whatever you want “metaphorical,” then render other passages as “literal.” Prophecy is literal. I was given the gift of Prophecy at a younger age, and as all gifts, it takes time and discipline to be developed. There isn’t a single “prophecy” that is metaphorical, they are literal. That’s the problem with the Pagan seminary schools, they dont know Scripture. Jerusalem (YahroShalom) is a people, always has been, always will be. The “land” was named for the people that were there. The problem with humanity Is the Genesis 11 curse, they always want to “make a name for themselves” to “be somebody,” and that goes against everything Yahweh created, and wants. Did you know that the original “Babel and tower” were in America? I can prove it in Scripture. Because Prophecy speaks of the literal original Babel being rebuilt, and it is in the process right now in America. That is what the Deep State (or Secret Governments) have been working on for the last 50 years. Paul understood this perfectly, and explained it exactly and clearly in Roman’s 2 & 3, and to Corinth and Galatia. We are a people, and the Jerusalem above which is free is our literal mother, and we are her daughter. We are a people, not a place. Yahoshoa will return for us His people wherever we are gathered, He isn’t going back to the land that is forsaken. Do some research on the actual land of Israel. Before Israel fell away from Yahweh, the land was a paradise, it grew all manner of fruits and vegetables, it rained all of the time, it saw snow, it was superior to the surrounding nations. When Israel sinned, Yahweh forsook the land, and said “I will go to a people that are NOT a people, and they shall be called MY PEOPLE.” The land is not Jerusalem.

    • You contradict yourself by your own words and practice that which you’re accusing me of. If you cannot see this, then there’s no reason to continue this conversation. Looks like you have it all figured out and everyone else is wrong. Please enjoy living in your own prophetic bubble. It’s a wonderful, albeit lonely, place to exist until things don’t quite work out the way we thought. Be blessed.

  16. I read 8 days in Passover week.1st Passover a memorial to freedom from Egypt on the 14th. This memorial is the Passover Jesus was keeping.
    2nd Passover is a Temple Passover “take from the flock and the herd” sheep & cattle, on the 15th. a assembly day. Crucifixion day.
    16th., 17th., 18th., 19th., 20th., days of the 7 day, feast of Unleavened Bread.
    21st. Last day of Unleavened Bread, also a day of assembly.
    Finally, THE SECOND CHANCE PASSOVER is on the 14th. of the next Month. For anyone Unclean, or A long journey from Jerusalem.
    I can’t get to Jerusalem, Don’t see why you couldn’t celebrate Passover on the Second Month, 14th. Day. A day Moshe asked for us who couldn’t keep it as commanded, but wanted to. Communion on this day is what I do.

  17. Natan, thank you so much for your article. I will be reading more of what you have to say as I have time. I am fairly new to understanding following the Torah and so still researching and studying a lot. I pretty much agree and follow you, however I may see Hebrews a little differently. I think the author of Hebrews is not saying that the old system was done away with, more so I think he is saying that in order for Jesus/Yahshua to be the High priest it necessitated a new order, one of the type of Melchizedek, who was not of the earthly offspring of Aaron. The earthly temple is a symbol of the heavenly temple. The law states you must be Aarons descendent to be a High Priest in this Earthly temple. The Messiah was from Judah. The Messiah by Law cannot be the High priest in the earthly temple but He can be one of a new order. The order of Melchizedek and now servers as our High Priest in the Heavenly Temple. Any way thats my current take on it. I am studying and learning all the time and there is much to learn!! Thank you for your insights!

    • I don’t think we have a disagreement on this issue. I have never taught that the old Levitical system was done away with. That’s what the church teaches, not me. I teach that the old system pointed forward to Yeshua’s higher Melchizedek system, which was the original system that predated the Levitical priesthood is now again being reinstated. Presently and obviously, the Levitical system has not been in operation since AD 70. However, it, along with the Melchizedek system will be reinstated in the Millennium. Both will be operating simultaneously together. In the mean time, only the Melchizedek system with Yeshua as the Great High Priest is operational. Presently, the saints are priests in training preparing to rule and reign with Messiah when he returns. That’s what I teach because that’s what I find the Scriptures saying.

  18. I read in the scriptures that YHVH Wants His feast to be done exactly how he says to do them. Where does it say do the best you can? Now YHVH is not the author of confusion and people get confused on what calendar to use and How to do the feast . Now I have heard over and over again that he sees at least we are trying. But is that a good thing to do things the way we think they should be done? In the scriptures it’s his way and his way only there’s no guessing on what to do. In the scriptures he doesn’t look too pleased with people not doing things exactly how he said to do them.
    YHVH does not change. I’m sorry but I don’t see in scripture where YHVH Says do the best you can. We are to do exactly what he say to do .
    we are supposed to be doing things YHVHs way. exactly how he says to do them.

    • Come on now! Let’s reason this out together and parse out your viewpoint against the backdrop of the whole truth of Scripture and the father heart of Elohim.

      In Matthew 5:48 Yeshua tells his disciples and us to be perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect. The Greek tense here actually means “to be becoming perfect.” It’s a present progressive or ongoing kind of a thing. Maybe you have already attained perfection like Elohim is perfect and are walking out the his Torah-law perfectly, but the for the rest of us, we are still in the process of becoming perfect—of being transformed or literally metamorphosed into the fulness of the stature of Yeshua (Rom 12:2; Eph 4:13). We ARE COMING (it’s a process) into the knowledge of YHVH’s Truth, the unity of the faith, the knowledge of the Son of Elohim, to the perfect man and to the measure of the stature and the fullness of Yeshua (Eph 4:13), and are slowly learning to walk first in the good, then the better and finally the perfect will of Elohim (Rom 12:2). So, I don’t know about you, but I am doing the best that I can to come up to the high level of walking in YHVH’s perfect will in all areas of my life as I struggle to swim upstream against the powerful currents of the world, the flesh and the devil.

      You see friend, I was born and raised in church full of a bunch of legalistic Torah-obedient Pharisees who judged everyone else if they didn’t live up to all the standards of YHVH’s Torah perfectly AS THEY VIEWED IT. If you missed the mark in even the smallest detail, you were severely and critically judged. If you continued to miss the mark, you were excommunicated and shunned. I was one of those Pharisees until I was the one who was judged and shunned. It was a critical, loveless, harsh, cruel and judgmental system. I fled that system more than 30 years ago in favor of the weightier matters of YHVH’s Torah-law. Yes, the letter of the law is important, but just as important in the eyes of YHVH is the Spirit of the law as Yeshua so clearly elucidates in his Sermon on the Mount. The Father is seeking those who will worship him in BOTH spirit and truth, i.e., both the spirit and the letter, not just the letter only.

      In conclusion, I praise Yah that he is my judge, and NOT you. The Bible clearly teaches in many places that Elohim’s mercy triumphs over his judgment.

      A question for you. Do you really keep all of YHVH’s commandments perfectly despite your best efforts to do so? If you said yes, then you are an arrogant liar. There is only one Person who has ever done this, and you know who that is, don’t you. Since you need YHVH’s mercy as much as the rest of us, please consider extending that same mercy to your brothers and sisters who are just learning to walk in Torah and are still taking baby steps, even as a child who is learning to walk. No loving parent would harshly rebuke their child for trying to learn how to walk though imperfectly and haltingly. This is the heart of a loving parent who rejoices as his child is learning to take steps in the right direction toward him. The same is true of our Father in heaven.

      Now there’s another deceptive, carnal spirit moving around out there among the people of Elohim that I must address and confront. I suspect that some people who are reading this article my be under the influence of this lawless spirit. This foul spirit incorrectly lies to YHVH’s people and says that since we can’t keep Elohim’s laws perfectly, like the biblical feasts outside the land of Israel for example, the saints are therefore not obligated to do them. As I point out in this same article, this does not line up with the Truth of YHVH’s Word. Behind this false teaching is a foul, demonic spirit that goes back to the snake in the tree that lied to Adam and Eve by declaring that obeying YHVH’s law is optional. The mainstream church has carried this serpent’s venom forward and institutionalized this lie into its theology by declaring in one way or another that since the law of Moses was impossible for the Israelites to keep, we, therefore, no longer have to do it. Again, the lie of the serpent. This turns YHVH Elohim into a liar when he says to do it and that it’s not an impossibility (see Deut 30:11–20 cp. Rom 10:5–8) and is therefore a blasphemous concept.

      These are harsh words, but backed up by the full authority of Scripture. The sword of the Spirit is sharp dividing between joint and marrow or the soul (the carnal mind of man) and the Spirit of Elohim.

      Selah.

  19. We can only do the feasts inside the promised land and where God put his name.

    Place God puts his name

    We are commanded to keep God’s holy days only in the place where God has chosen to place His name (Deut. 16:16).

    Where did he put his name?

    Deuteronomy‬ ‭12‬:‭10‬-‭11‬
    “But when ye go over Jordan, and dwell in the land which the LORD your God giveth you to inherit, and when he giveth you rest from all your enemies round about, so that ye dwell in safety;

    then there shall be a place which the LORD your God shall choose to cause his name to dwell there; thither shall ye bring all that I command you; your burnt offerings, and your sacrifices, your tithes, and the heave offering of your hand, and all your choice vows which ye vow unto the LORD:”
    ‭‭

    “In Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, will I put My name for ever” (2 Kings 21:7).

    “For now have I chosen and hallowed this house, that My name may be there for ever” (2 Chronicles 7:16).

    “In Jerusalem shall My name be for ever” (2 Chronicles 33:4).

    When Yeshua bent down to write in the sand when the Pharisees brought the adulterous woman. He was writing the word, Jerusalem.
    ‭‭

    • Then, based on your argument, I guess Paul was ignorant of the Torah and a false teacher when he told the saints in Corinth to keep celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread. You can’t both be right. Someone is out of sync the Word of Elohim, and it ain’t Paul!

    • The old Jerusalem was sacked by the Romans and the temple was destroyed in 70 A.D., this was what Yeshua was saying was going to happen when he talked about how the old Jerusalem ( in this context the people ) murdered the prophets and those sent to them, and so that’s why it was a need for new Jerusalem spoken of by the prophet Isaiah in chapter 40 and in 65 when he explained the new heaven and the new earth

  20. Wow! So glad I found this post. Both it and the comments were helpful and gave me much to think/pray/search the Scriptures about.

    We presently do remember the moedim, but the question of whether we SHOULD outside the land IS one we, too, have pondered in years past– especially when we started to learn about all the calendars out there.

    Brother Nathan, I just wanted to offer one thing, if I may …

    In numerous replies, you suggest that people are cherry-picking because they are rebellious and do not want to keep the appointed times. While I certainly agree that can be– and is– the motive for many, I also believe that there are some who question this out of holy/set-apart fear … fear of offering a ‘strange fire’ of sorts by keeping the moedim in any other way than expressly and precisely Rx’d in the Scriptures.

    “What if,” they may ask or wonder, “the CITY of Jerusalem– whether or not there is a temple– is STILL the ‘forever’ PLACE where He puts His Name?”

    I just wanted to encourage you to *consider* that– even if you disagree with what they say– many are only wanting to be exceedingly cautious and *not presume* where they are uncertain.

    The example you give of Paul’s letter to the Corinthians concerning Passover and ULB is a very important and strong one, but Paul did also say that he MUST BY ALL MEANS keep the Feast IN JERUSALEM … in Acts 18:21.

    It may be possible that He understood this was incumbent upon Him as a ‘natural branch’ in a way it was not incumbent upon those coming into the Family of Elohim from the nations? Besides this, there IS the historical context to consider: The believing Corinthians would not have been allowed to keep it WITH and AS Paul is as a Yahudi. Still, this DOES appear to support the position that the Corinthian observation of the Passover-ULB where they were OUTSIDE Jerusalem IS affirmed by the Word of Elohim.

    May Elohim have mercy on us and help us, by His Spirit, to read, understand, and apply the Scriptures rightly.

    Thank you …

    Grace, Shalom & Philia~

    • I appreciate your comments and thank you for your respectfulness and kind diplomacy. While I don’t doubt what you say about some people not wanting to offer up “strange fire”, I have two comments. First, the strange fire that Nadab and Abihu offered up had nothing to do with the observance of YHVH’s Sabbaths except maybe in some indirect and rather tangential way. Therefore, I see no biblical or logical connection between the two. YHVH killed them because they were drunk while ministering. That is the context of the Scriptures. Second, in all of my decades (nearly 60 years) of keeping the biblical feasts including several years in the Sunday churches where I didn’t keep them, and all of my some 25 years of pastoring, I have never heard anyone give the argument brought up that someone doesn’t observe the feasts because they don’t want of offer up strange fire. This, frankly, is a new one on me, and therefore, I have to believe that it is a rare line of reasoning. While I don’t doubt what you are saying, I still maintain that the bottom line why most people don’t keep them is either out of ignorance, bad teaching they have heard and/or what Paul says in Romans 8:7.

      Blessings!

  21. I saw you mention 613 commandments in a previous comment. This I know is a number from the talmud, promoted by unbelieving false teachers/rabbis.
    A number of commandments in this list are not commandments of elohim, such as the lighting of sabbat candles, or that every male has to write a complete torah scroll.

    • I have read the list listing all 613 Torah commandments along with the Scriptures in the Torah that contain them. The list that I saw (I went through every commandment) did not contain any non-biblical commandments such as lighting of candles. I do my homework and don’t make statements without having done my research. Perhaps you saw another list that contained other things.

  22. Collosians 2:16 also proves that Paul was teaching the saints to keep the feasts outside the land, he was saying to the saints, don’t let the pagans mock you for keeping the feasts days and the sabbaths and in respect to the foods being eaten.

    Colossians 2:16
    [16]Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:

    Ive had someone arguing and saying that,..in actual fact Paul was actually saying to the church of collesea “if the collosians wanted to come to Jerusalem to observe the feasts they could of”, and of course there is no scripture to back this claim.

    The collosians were clearly observing the feasts in collosea outside the land, the fact that someone has just conjured something that is not in the Scriptures is worrying to say the least, why would you say Paul was saying to the collosians you can come to Jerusalem to celebrate the feasts and not let anyone mock you for doing so, is complete and utter disgusting, not even twisting the Scriptures but making up new ones, these people really don’t want to obey his feasts, if they go too these lengths to avoid them.

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