Nazarene Israelite Two House Congregation of Port Elizabeth

The Last Day of Unleavened Bread.

After repentance and immersion into Yahshua’s saving name,  all our past sins are forgiven by the sacrifice of Messiah our Passover, as witnessed in Romans 3: 21 – 25, as follows: ‘But now apart from the Law the righteousness of Elohim has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, (22) even the righteousness of Elohim through faith in Yahshua Messiah for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; (23) for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of Elohim, (24) being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Messiah Yahshua; (25) whom Elohim displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of Elohim He passed over the sins previously committed.’ As explained during the First Day of Unleavened Bread, when believers keep the Passover, yet fail to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread, they have symbolically accepted Messiah’s sacrifice and then continued in the slavery of sin.

The problem with most believers who come from Churchianity is that they have difficulty to believe that Elohim forgave all their sins and that they truly received the Set-apart Spirit, considering the simplicity of the immersion procedure that we as Nazarene Israelites follow. However, we have the example of returnees from the house of Israel asking Rav Kepha what they should do to also receive the Set-apart Spirit like Yahshua’s disciples did in Acts 2: 36 – 39, as follows: “Therefore let all the house of Israel (all ten tribes) know for certain that Elohim has made Him both Master and Messiah—this Yahshua whom you crucified (because of our disobedience to Elohim’s commandments).” (37) Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Kepha and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?” (38) And Kepha said to them, “Repent, and let each of you be immersed in the name of Yahshua Messiah for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Set-apart Spirit. (39)For the promise (made to Abraham[1]) is for you and your children, and for all who are far off, as many as Adonai our Elohim shall call to Himself.” The phrase ‘far off’ means the house of Israel dispersed into the nations, as used by the Prophet Daniel in his prayer for the commonwealth of Israel towards the end of the house of Judah’s captivity in Babylon, as recorded in Daniel 9: 7, as follows: “Righteousness belongs to Thee, O Adonai, but to us open shame, as it is this day—to the men of Judah, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and all Israel, those who are nearby and those who are far away in all the countries to which Thou hast driven them, because of their unfaithful deeds which they have committed against Thee.” This clearly shows that only the house of Israel (including a number of Gentiles) should be immersed in Yahshua’s name – since His first advent was only for us and not for the Jews.

In addition those who are immersed should have hands of teaching elders laid upon them, as witnessed in Acts 8: 12 – 17, in this way: ‘But when they believed Philip preaching the good news about the kingdom of Elohim (to be established on earth when Yahshua returns) and the name of Yahshua Messiah they were being immersed, men and women alike. (13) And even Simon (Magus) himself believed; and after being immersed, he continued on with Philip; and as he observed signs and great miracles taking place, he was constantly amazed. (14) Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of Elohim, they sent them Kepha and Yochanan, (15) who came down and prayed for them, that they might receive the Set-apart Spirit. (16) For He had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been immerses in the name of the Master Yahshua.(17) Then they began laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Set-apart Spirit.’Even though most of us did not experience the euphoria that some claim they have at immersion, I assure you that after you have been suitably immersed you will receive the Set-apart Spirit once a teaching elder has laid hands on you as described in verse17 above, but also that all your past sins have been forgiven as Rav Shaul tells us in Romans 6: 5 – 7 and 14 - 18, saying: ’For if we have become united with Him (Yahshua) in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection, (6) knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, that our body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin; (7) for he who has died is freed from sin. (14) For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law (meaning the punishment of the Law due to your past sins), but under grace.  (15) What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but grace? May it never be! (16) Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? (17) But thanks be to Elohim that though you were slaves of sin, you became obedient from the heart to that form of teaching to which you were committed, (18) and having been freed from sin (not Torah), you became slaves of righteousness.’

In addition we have the assurance of King David that YHVH forgive all our sins if we return to Him, as he wrote in Psalm 103: 7 – 18, saying: ‘He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the sons of Israel. (8) YHVH is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness, (9) He will not always strive with us; nor will He keep His anger forever. (10) He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. (11) For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him. (12)As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. (13) Just as a father has compassion on his children, so YHVH has compassion on those who fear Him. (14) For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust. (15) As for man, his days are like grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourishes. (16) When the wind has passed over it, it is no more; and its place acknowledges it no longer. (17) But the lovingkindness of YHVH is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him, and His righteousness to children’s children.(18)To those who keep His covenant, and who remember His precepts to do them.’ What a wonderful promise do we as believers in YHVH the Elohim of Israel have? Let’s forget our old ways and drop the baggage of past sins that we tend to hang on to and carry around with us.

It is then also for this reason that the Feast of Unleavened Bread pictures the believer’s part in Elohim’s plan of salvation; i.e. keeping of Elohim’s commandments and thereby setting aside all previous sinful ways. Anyone found eating leavened bread or had leaven, a symbol of sin, in his home during the Feast of Unleavened Bread, was put out of the nation (or congregation), as recorded in Exodus 12: 15, in this way: ‘Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, but on the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses; for whoever eats anything leavened from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel.’ Similarly, Elohim will not allow unrepentant sinners in the Kingdom of Elohim, as witnessed in 1 Corinthians 6: 9 & 10, as follows: ‘Or do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of Elohim? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulteress, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, (10) nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of Elohim.’In a similar way in which Pharaoh pursued the Israelites after they left the land of Egypt, Satan does not want sinners to escape his bondage, which is slavery to sin. It is for this very reason that he convinced Churchianity that they need not obey Torah any longer. But it is also for this reason that he continues to pursue newly immersed believers, by setting stumbling blocks in their way in an attempt to make them fall and discourage them from obeying Elohim. Satan will do everything in his power to keep Elohim’s Spirit begotten children from receiving eternal life. He will continually deceive them into thinking that Elohim’s way is too difficult, to get them to give up striving to overcome and to return to a life of sin. As it was humanly impossible for Israel to escape from Pharaoh’s army, Elohim through His divine nature indwelling us makes our obedience, overcoming and growth possible. If we start by keeping Elohim’s Sabbaths (weekly and annual), eating only kosher food, and learning to obey the rest of His commandments, He will continue to lead us by His Set-apart Spirit as witnessed in Acts 5: 32, in this way:“And we are witnesses of these things; and so is the Set-apart Spirit, whom Elohim has given to those who obey Him.”

Yahshua predicted that the modern society living during the end-time generation would be much like the wicked city of Sodom in Luke 17: 28 - 30, saying:“It was the same as happened in the days of Lot; they were eating, they were drinking, they were buying, they were selling, they were planting, they were building; (29) but on the day that Lot went out from Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. (30) It will be just the same on the day that the Son of Man is revealed.’ Yahshua warned believers living in the end time in verse 31 & 32, saying: “On that day, let not the one who is on the housetop and whose goods are in the house go down to take them away; and likewise let not the one who is in the field turn back. (32) Remember Lot’s wife.” Yahshuawas referring to the destruction of sinful Sodom and Gomorrah, the escape of Lot and his two daughters from Sodom and Lot’s wife being turned into a pillar of salt. Tradition has it that these events occurred during the Feast of Unleavened Bread (several centuries before it was commanded by Elohim), sinceunleavened bread is mentioned in connection with Lot’s departure from that sinful society in Genesis 19: 3, in this way: ‘Yet he urged them strongly, so they turned aside to him and entered his house; and he prepared a feast for them, and baked unleavened bread, and they ate.’ We see that Lot’s wife and their two daughters were warned not to look back in Genesis 19: 17, as follows: ‘And it came about when they had brought them outside, that one said, “Escape for your life! Do not look behind you, and do not stay anywhere in the valley; escape to the mountains, lest you be swept away.”’ But Lot’s wife looked back, as recorded in verse 26, in this way: ‘But his wife, from behind him, looked back; and she became a pillar of salt.’ When Lot’s wife disobeyed, looking back longingly to sinful Sodom, she became a pillar of salt as a perpetual witness of one who was not willing to permanently forsake sin and submit to Elohim. We read from Hebrews 6: 4 – 6, what Elohim says about believers who begin to follow His way, but later returns to the slavery of sin, in this way: ‘For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy (Set-apart) Spirit, (5) and have tasted the good word of Elohim and the powers of the age to come, (6) and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of Elohim, and put Him to open shame.’’ Even though we are required to live in this evil world, we must not be overcome by this evil world, as Yahshua prayed in John 17: 14 & 15, as follows: “I have given them Thy word; and the world has hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. (15) I do not ask Thee to take them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one.”

Just like Lot, Elohim’s people must come out and utterly forsake the sins of this world to escape the plagues He will pour out upon the rebellious, as witnessed in Revelation 18: 4& 5, in this way: ‘And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, “Come out of her, my people, that you may not participate in her sins and that you may not receive of her plagues; (5) for her sins have piled up as high as heaven, and Elohim has remembered her iniquities.”’ Those who heed the warning before it is too late, will be protected by Elohim, as promised in Revelation 3: 10, as follows: “Because you have kept the word of My perseverance, I also will keep you from the hour of testing, that hour which is about to come upon the whole world, to test those who dwell upon the earth.” Elohim wants those whom He called and begotten to overcome sin and to grow in His character by striving to put sin out of their lives through obedience to Him. That is how we are doing our part in His Master Plan. That is also how we let our light shine into the world as Yahshua commanded us in Matthew 5: 14 - 16, saying: “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. (15) Nor do men light a lamp, and put it under the peck-measure, but on the lampstand; and it gives light to all who are in the house. (16) Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” Yes, it might come as news to some; good works are not only giving help to the poor amongst our brethren, even though it certainly forms part of it, but also to keep the Sabbath, eating only kosher food and obeying all of Torah applicable to each one of us individually.

The departure of ancient Israel from Egypt is a physical type of the spirit-begotten believer’s departure from sin and his/her renewal with the Covenant with YHVH our Elohim. But why is this commemorated by seven days without leavened foods. We all know that leaven is not harmful, since Elohim allows us to eat it for 51 weeks of the year. But, He prohibits the presence and use of leaven during the Feast of Unleavened Bread,since Egypt is a symbol of sin, as we’ve seen from 1 Corinthians 5: 8. For those who have been called to Yahshua by the Father, putting all leaven and leavened products out of their dwellings and off their properties for the seven days of Unleavened Bread, pictures their putting sin out of their lives. Since seven is the number Elohim uses to denote completeness and perfection, the seven days of Unleavened Bread remind us that He wants us to put sin out of our lives completely. Elohim wants believers to continually strive to put the leaven of sin out of their lives, as witnessed in Hebrews 12: 1 – 4, ‘Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance, and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, (2) fixing our eyes on Yahshua, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of Elohim. (3) For consider Him who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself, so that you may not grow weary and lose heart. (4) You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin.’

The Feast of Unleavened Bread starts on the 15th of Aviv, the day after Passover. It continues for seven days, ending on the 21st of Aviv. Both the 15th and the 21st are annual Sabbaths, days of rest from regular work, though the preparation of food is permitted, as recorded in Exodus 12: 16, as follows: ‘And on the first day you shall have a holy assembly, and another holy assembly on the seventh day; no work at all shall be done on them, except what must be eaten by every person, that alone may be prepared by you.’ Normal work may be done during the days between these two Set-apart Days, except for on the weekly Sabbath during this time. A ‘holy convocation’ is a commanded religious assembly, commanded by Elohim Himself. Those who live too far to attend weekly Sabbaths; should make every effort to meet together with Elohim’s called out congregation on Elohim’s annual Set-apart Days. In addition to the annual Passover, Elohim also told the Israelites in Exodus 12: 42 to have a special celebration on the evening of the First Day of Unleavened Bread, in this way: ‘It is a night to be observed for YHVH for having brought them out from the Land of Egypt; this night is for YHVH, to be observed by all the sons of Israel throughout their generations.’Gathering in small groups for an evening meal, Elohim’s people give thanks to Him for having called them out of slavery of sin into His congregation of called out believers. They rejoice in the fact that Elohim has revealed to them His Torah and renewed them with the Covenant from which their ancient fathers had been cut off for their rejection of His Torah, but also because He gave them His Set-apart Days and revealed their meaning to them.

Then in the daylight portion of the 15th of Aviv (or Nisan) they assemble for the service or Holy convocation to be held as YHVH commanded. Even though most of the leaven in the homes of believers should be removed before the Passover, the day part on the 14th of Aviv is a convenient time to finish removing the last bit of leaven from their homes. We should also be mindful that Elohim does not only require us to remove all leavened products from our homes, He also requires that every believer eat unleavened bread every day during this Festival. The seven days of the Feast of Unleavened Bread pictures the putting away of sin and keeping Elohim’s Torah after past sins are forgiven. We read from Romans 4: 25 and 5: 10, ‘He (Yahshua) who was delivered up because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification. (5: 10) For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to Elohim through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.’  Meaning the life that Yahshua now live in us! Yes, Yahshua’s death does not save us –it merely reconciles us to Elohim. Immersion pictures our death and resurrection, similar to Messiah’s death and resurrection, as witnessed in Romans 6: 3 & 4, as follows: ‘Or do you not know that all of us who have been immersed into Messiah Yahshua have been immersed into His death? (4) Therefore we have been buried with Him through immersion into death, in order that as Messiah was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.’  In the context of immersion we are saved through Messiah’s resurrection, as we read from 1 Peter 3: 21 & 22, in this way: ‘And corresponding to that, immersion now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to Elohim for a good conscience—through the resurrection of Yahshua Messiah, (22) who is at the right hand of Elohim, having gone into heaven, after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him.’

If Messiah had not been raised from the dead, we would still be in our sins,cut off from the Covenant as Rav Shaul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15: 17, saying: ‘And if Messiah has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins.’ Even our Torah observance would have been of no avail for us; no longer being in aCovenant relationship with YHVH.Messiah was the first resurrected Son of Elohim, the first harvest of Elohim’s Master Plan, as recorded in Colossians 1: 18, in this way: ‘He is also head of the body, the congregation; and He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead, so that He Himself might come to have first place in everything.’ Messiah Yahshua was the first to be born from the dead, during the festival that pictures the absence of sin. Therefore the Feast of Unleavened Bread, in addition to picturing the putting of sin out of our lives, also through the symbolism of the resurrected first-born Messiah, living His life in us, we receive the Spiritual nature required to overcome sin.We see further from 1 John 1: 9 and 2: 1 & 2, how we can be forgiven the sins we commit after immersion, in this way: ‘If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (2: 1) My little children, I am writing these things to you that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Yahshua Messiah the righteous; (2) and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.’ In addition we read from Romans 8: 34, ‘Who is the one who condemns? Messiah Yahshua is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of Elohim, who also intercedes for us.’  Yahshua our ever-living High Priest, Advocate and Intercessor, acts as a mediator between imperfect human beings and our perfect Father in heaven. He can sympathize with our weaknesses because as a ‘human being’ He was tempted just as we are, yet He overcame and promised to help us overcome too, as He told His disciples in John 16: 33, saying: “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”

Therefore, through Yahshua our High Priest, we can come boldly to Elohim’s throne and find grace, mercy, and forgiveness and help for we have now been renewed in a Covenant relationship with Him, in continuing putting sin out of our lives. This is also why we pray directly to the Father, using Messiah’s name in making our requests, as Messiah told His disciples in John 15: 16, saying:  “You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask of the Father in My name, He may give to you.” A second more graphic witness comes from Hebrews 10: 15 - 22, in this way: ‘And the Set-apart Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying, (16) “THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THEM AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS YHVH: I WILL PUT MY LAWS UPON THEIR HEART, AND UPON THEIR MIND I WILLWRITE THEM, He then says, (17) “AND THEIR SINS AND THEIR LAWLESS DEEDS I WILL REMEMBER NO MORE.” (18) Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for sin. (19) Since therefore, brethren, we have confidence to enter the holy place by the blood of Yahshua, (20) by a new and living way which He inaugurated for us through the veil, that is, His flesh, (21) and since we have a great priest over the house of Elohim, (22) let us draw near with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.’”The returning lost sheep from the house of Israel’s hope of glory, the hope of being in the Kingdom of Elohim, is in Messiah our Savior living in us through the Set-apart Spirit. Messiah is not only the Author or Beginner of our Salvation, He is also the Finisher. He is the one who completes our salvationas we’ve read before in Hebrews 12: 2.

Yahshua told His disciples in John 16: 7 that He had to die and go to His Father’s throne, to send them the Set-apart Spirit. It is not through our own strength that we are striving to keep Elohim’s Law. It is the living Messiah in us, in spirit, keeping the Father’s commandments. Even though we cannot obey Elohim on our own power and strength, Messiah in us can! He gives us the power to become righteous children of Elohim – to become spiritually unleavened. Elohim’s law is spiritual (as per Romans 7: 14). Consequently, in agreement with 1 Corinthians 2: 11 - 13, we must have Elohim’s Set-apart Spirit to understand and keep it, as follows: ‘For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man, which is in him? Even so the thoughts of Elohim no one knows except the Spirit of Elohim. (12) Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from Elohim, that we might know the things freely given to us by Elohim,  (13) which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.’ This also makes it easier to understand what Rav Shaul wrote in Romans 11: 33, saying: ‘Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of Elohim! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! Think about it!

 

[1] YHVH made a two-fold promise to Abraham; firstly that he and his descendants who remain loyal to Him and His Torah will live eternally in the Promised Land (as Spiritual children of Elohim), and as a sign of the covenant they circumcise their sons at eight days old. The second part of the covenant was that those descendants of the house of Israel (including a number of Gentiles) who return to YHVH and the covenant that they made together with the house of Judah at Mount Sinai, through Abraham’s one seed, Yahshua, will also inherit the same promise, provided they are suitably immersed in His saving name for the forgiveness of their past sins, after which they will also be required to remain loyal to YHVH and His Torah.