Happy last day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Chag HaMatzot) — a high holy day Shabbat (Sabbath) to you all!
We are in the first week of seven weeks of the counting of the omer. Today is the second day of 50 days in the counting of the omer leading up to the biblical Feast of Weeks (Pentecost). (Lev 23:15:16)
The Feast of Unleavened Bread Is a Commemorative Ritual
Passover going into the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread is the birthday of the nation of Israel. In ancient times, universal Israel came together in Jerusalem to celebrate this event. Today, redeemed Israelites come together to celebrate these divine appointment sacred convocations.
Abstaining from leavened bread for seven days is symbolic of Elohim’s people separating themselves from sin and turning towards a holy relationship with him.
Removing leavening from our homes is a symbolic activity just like taking communion, being baptized for the remission of sins, or building a sukkah during the Feast of Tabernacles. As humans, we need symbolic commemorative occasions for several reasons. They give us a sense of history by helping us to understand the past, so that we can move forward into the future knowing who we are and where we’ve come from. They give us guidance so that we’ll learn from the lessons of history, both the good and bad ones. Our culture is full of symbolic rituals and commemorative acts and markers (Christmas, Easter, birthdays, anniversaries, Independence Day, Memorial Day, Veterans Day, Thanksgiving Day, statues, historical markers, monuments, museums, heritage sites, etc.). Likewise, Biblical commemorative rituals help us in several ways.
It’s that time of year again! Passover will be on the evening of Monday, April 14, and the first high holy day (it’s a Sabbath day of rest) of the Feast of Unleavened Bread will be on Tuesday, April 15 with the last day of Unleavened Bread (also a high holy day Sabbath) will be on Monday, April 21.
To help you to understand the significance of these days and to learn how to properly celebrate them, here are some links for with further instructions on this.
Below is a link to the Hoshana Rabbah website where you’ll find practical instructions on celebrating Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Included is a free downloadable Passover haggadah and tips on how to deleaven your house among other things.
http://hoshanarabbah.org/pesach.html
The following link will take you to a number of teaching articles that I’ve written on Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. After you’ve read them, you’ll have an excellent understanding about the historical and future prophetic implications of these special observances as well as how they relate to the believer’s life presently.
http://hoshanarabbah.org/teaching.html#feast
This is a link to the Hoshana Rabbah YouTube channel. Scroll down through the 120 some videos and you’ll find a number of video teachings on Passover and Unleavened Bread.
https://www.youtube.com/user/HoshanaRabbah?feature=mhee
Enjoy getting your mind and heart ready to walk out these divine, appointed times of YHVH when he meets with his people in a special way!
When Yeshua declared that he’d be in the tomb for three days and three nights, did he mean what he said, or did he mean parts of three days and nights as most believe? When you connect the burial and resurrection of Yeshua to its Hebraic understanding, suddenly everything falls into place and the Scriptures make perfect sense as this video shows in graphic detail.
What is leaven? Why does YHVH command his people to deleaven their homes for Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread? What are the important spiritual lessons to be learned from this physical exercise? How will this help you in your walk as a follower of Yeshua the Messiah? This video answers these questions and more.
Passover is coming soon. Now is the time to prepare to meet Yeshua at Passover. Here are some points to consider that will help get you ready for Passover.
Exodus 9:31, The barley was in the head. Barley was cultivated as a grain crop in ancient Egypt, as well as in Israel, and grows wild like a weed throughout the region to this day. Several passages in the Scriptures witness to the fact that the barley was the indicator of which month was to be the first month of the year for the Israelites, so that they could determine when the biblical feasts were to be observed.
Observe the month of Abib, and keep the Passover unto YHVH your Elohim: for in the month of Abib YHVH your Elohim brought thee forth out of Egypt by night. (Deut 16:1, emphasis added)
Please notice, the definite article the proceeding the phrase “month of Abib.” The state of the barley indicates a specific month in the spring. Months in the biblical Hebrew calendar have always been determined by the first visible sliver of the new moon from antiquity. This specific month is to be the beginning the biblical new year (Exod 12:2). The month of the Abib is not so much the name of a month as it is a description of the month. Below are listed the other three places in the Scriptures where this phrase is found.
This day came you out in the month Abib. (Exod 13:4)
You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread: (you shall eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it you came out from Egypt: and none shall appear before me empty). (Exod 23:15)
The feast of unleavened bread shall you keep. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, in the time of the month Abib: for in the month Abib you came out from Egypt. (Exod 34:18)
What does the word abib in the phrase “the month of the Abib (or Aviv)” mean? Continue reading
