YHWHPASSOVER

The remembrance meal which Yahushua instituted is a full day before the arrival of the 15^th, and I’ve been studying the texts of Shemoth 12 & Luke 22 for the correct way of looking at this. Yahushua sat down with His students at the beginning of the 14th and told them to remember Him, so the night of the 14^th has to be observed - there’s no way to ignore it. The day of the 14^th remains a “preparation” day for the annual festival. Because Yahushua instituted that we take bread and wine at the beginning of that day, we can reflect on His suffering during the entire preparation day, and have something to do on both nights.

The main thing I’ve seen by studying the events in Shemoth 12 concerns which night Yahuah slew the firstborn in Mitsrayim. I’ve always understood that their deaths were on the night portion of the 14^th of Abib, but further study reveals it was on the 15^th that He slew the firstborn, and on the same day brought Israel out.

Exo 12:17 ‘And you shall guard the Festival of Unleavened Bread, for on this same day I brought your divisions out of the land of Mitsrayim. And you shall guard this day throughout your generations, an everlasting law.”

Exo 12:18 ‘In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, in the evening, you shall eat unleavened bread until the twenty-first day of the month in the evening.”

Exo 12:51 “And it came to be on that same day that Yahuah brought the children of Yisra’ĕl out of the land of Mitsrayim according to their divisions.” ~ Notice it says “that same day”; in order to be the Festival of Unleavened Bread, it had to be on the 15th.

If Yahuah had brought Israel out of Mitsrayim on the 14^th, it would not yet be the Unleavened Bread (Feast of Matsah). The thing that was confusing me was the mention of the 14^th “at evening”, because I was sure that days begin at evening. However, look at the way Yahuah uses the same way of expressing Himself for another very important annual Sabbath, the 10^th day of the 7^th moon, Yom Kaphar: The “evening” of the ninth until the “evening” of the 10^th – completely encapsulating the “10^th” 24-hour period:

Lev 23:32 ‘It is a Sabbath of rest to you, and you shall afflict your beings. On the ninth day of the month at evening, from evening to evening, you observe your Sabbath.”

Yahushua indeed instituted a memorial meal as the Passover Lamb at the beginning of the 14^th. Yahushua’s statement that He desired to eat this Passover with them before He suffered can still be very troubling, however when the word “Pesach” is used it can refer to the general time around the festival. As we see the Pagan culture around us perceives that “Christmastime” embraces a large span of days, yet it is only one day, so also the word Pesach is used to refer to a span of time.

We are corrrect in observing the memorial meal at the beginning of the 14^th, because Yahushua Himself did so. We also observe the 15^th as a Sabbath, so generally much is still the same; what has been altered is our understanding of when the Israelites put the blood on the lintel and doorposts, and that the “passing-over” occurred on the night of the 15^th. The night of the 15^th is commanded to be a vigil in Shemoth 12, so we have the 14^th and the 15^th to consider as vigils. The 14^th at midnight recalls the time of Yahushua’s arrest, and the 15^th at midnight recalls the time of the death of all the firstborn. The thing to do is obey first, then the meaning will be revealed. That is my advice for everyone.

QUESTIONS RECENTLY POSED:

I realized through our communication there are very few people keeping the feast the way we do. Most are crescent keepers, and don't even want to hear what we have to say.

Q: Do you think these are salvation issues?
Lew's response: No, our salvation is infinitely sure, and certainly covers unintentional errors in our understanding. No one is intentionally rebelling against what Scripture says if they have given their lives to the pursuit of the Truth, and wish to serve Yahushua. We are not all on the same level of understanding, even those who may have closed their eyes to listening are not rebelling intentionally.

The Sabbaths, new moons, and other instructions are "shadows", and one day we will see the reality of what is casting those shadows.

Another question is from 1 Cor 11:27:

Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of Yahshua in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of Yahshua.

Q: What's your understanding on this verse?

Lew's response: The simple answer would be that anyone who is not Israel cannot and should not partake of the Passover observance. Our circumcised male children (circumcised at birth) who have been trained in the Covenant and observe Torah would certainly be Israel. We as adult males, or females, coming from outside the Covenant with Israel must be immersed into the Name of Yahushua before partaking. As Natsarim, we are a very special remnant group within Israel. Eph. 2:8-13 and 1Cor. 11:27-30 directly relate to these considerations.

The reason we have so many differences in understanding is because we are all inclined to accept a popular view based on how a few people once understood a passage of Scripture. We must search out the Truth of every matter to thoroughly test what we have accepted. I've been wrong in some of my opinions and had to change them to align with Scripture, but at the same time I cannot judge another in their understanding. A brother or sister that Yahushua died for does not become our enemy because we have differences in understanding. We have to suspect all the "old wine" (teachings) we have accepted, and test them carefully as we grow in the mind of the Messiah.

The "new wine" represents Yahushua's fresh teaching. This fresh, new teaching is be put into new wineskins.

The "new wineskins" represent the students who are untaught, and ready to receive the knowledge, or "new wine".

The "old wine" represents the teaching of former men, mixed with traditions of men. The "old wine" is in the old wineskins.

The "old wineskins" represent students that have already been taught.

You cannot put "new wine" (Yahushua's fresh teaching) into old wine skins (students that have already been taught), because they will say "the old wine" (teachings) are good enough for them. I've seen this in many people, and it's probably what is going on here with (the brother). You are a new wine skin, receiving the new wine. As it ferments, you will not burst. (The brother) has been taught differently, so the new wine is being rejected in favor of the old wine (what he was taught previously).

See: TRANSLATION ALERT CLICK HERE

2008: (for more insight about the equinox, click this line)

Wave-sheaf (omer) offering is traditionally thought of as being Abib 16, however Yahushua IS the omer, and ascended to perform this on the morrow after the weekly Sabbath. The count to Shabuoth (7 x 7 complete weeks) is determined by getting this correct.

There's quite a difference between Yahushua's way, and the religion "about" Him.

Strawberry Islands Messianic Publishing / Institute for Scripture Research, USA