part Five
Easter Displaces Biblical Feast of Firstfruits
Includes Short Summary of the Biblical Spring Feasts of Passover and Unleavened Bread
The depth of Yahveh’s (LORD’s) heart is expressed in the fulfillment of these biblical feasts that are outlined in Leviticus 23. The Almighty Creator says, “These are My appointed times and they are … a perpetual statute” (vv. 2,31). These are divine appointments by which Yahveh (the LORD) calls His people to meet with Him.
The Feast of Passover
Our Savior Was Born in order that He would die as our PASSOVER LAMB Shedding His Sacrificial holy blood for the covering and removal of our sins.
- 1 Corinthians 5:7 -
Yahshua’s (Jesus's) death was the fulfillment of the holy Feast of Passover. What is commonly known as the “Last Supper” was a Passover Seder, (the biblically prescribed commemorated meal with which Passover begins). Messiah and His Jewish disciples were celebrating the Passover, reflecting and remembering the miracle of the lamb’s blood placed on the doorposts of their forefather’s homes, which caused the angel of death to see the blood, spare their lives, and deliver them from Egyptian bondage. At this most important history changing Passover, Yahshua (Jesus) was making known to His disciples then, and to future generations of Jews and Gentiles in all nations, that He is the sacrificial Lamb whose blood covers sin in all repentant hearts, sparing them from eternal death. HalleluYah to the Lamb of Yahveh who’s blood takes away the sins of the world! Our Savior in essence was saying, “From now on when you take this unleavened bread and this cup of wine you will do this in remembrance of the original Passover lamb’s body and blood fulfilled by the final sacrifice of My life as your ultimate Passover Lamb. In doing so you will remember the love of My Father to give a sacrifice—My life, that you might be delivered from bondage to your sin nature, the prince of this world Satan, and the wages of sin which is eternal death. (See 2 Corinthians 5:21, Romans 6:23) "For God (Yahveh) so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
The Almighty One of Israel prophesied through the prophet Isaiah more than 700 years prior of His suffering Son who would be our sacrificial Lamb, “But He was pierced through for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him, and by His scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray… But Yahveh has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him … Like a lamb that is led to slaughter … So He did not open His mouth. By oppression and judgment He was taken away … He was cut off out of the land of the living for the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due … But Yahveh was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering … Because He poured out Himself to death … He Himself bore the sin of many, and interceded for the transgressors.” (Isaiah 53:5-6,8,10,12)
The New Covenant in Yahshua’s (Jesus's) Blood”
Additionally and equally important at the Passover Seder (the Last Supper), Yahshua (Jesus) proclaimed, "This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood.” (Luke 22:20) He was revealing to His Jewish disciples that this was the fulfillment of His Father’s promise through the prophet Jeremiah over six hundred years prior. “The days are coming,” declares Yahveh, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt … “This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares Yahveh. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.” (Jeremiah 31:31-33) This was reiterated through the book of Hebrews, with this addition, “Their sins and lawless acts I will remember no more.” (see Hebrews 10:16-17)
A special note: After Israel received the Commandments Yahveh asked His chosen people to construct the ark to house them. In the last days the prophet Jeremiah prophesied, 'The ark of the covenant of Yahveh' it will not come to mind, nor will they remember it, nor will they miss it, nor will it be made again” (Jeremiah 3:16) because the ark is the throne of Yahveh in the hearts of His people that house His ark and everything that was housed in it! The redeemed heart is now the dwelling place of Yahshua (Jesus) by His Spirit as well as the place where He has written His Fathers Commandments “…behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke 17:21)
The Old Covenant was written on tablets of stone, but the New Covenant, through our Savior's “once and for all sacrifice”, (Hebrews 10:10) is written on the hearts and minds of all redeemed, so they, by His Spirit of truth and empowering grace, will not sin against Him. So when we take of this privileged, sacred, intimate communion with our Savior we are remembering that He is the ultimate Passover Lamb whose body “hung on the tree”, (commonly referred to as the cross) for all sinners as He died to take our place. (Acts 5:30, Galatians 3:13) We are to rightfully discern the body of Yahshua (Jesus), “For as often as [we] eat this bread and drink the cup, [we] proclaim the Master’s death until He comes. Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of [our Savior]. But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly.” (1Corinthians 11:26-29) We are to take communion with wholehearted reverential awe as we behold, honor and uphold our Lamb’s sacrificial holy blood that covers all our repentant sin and delivers us from eternal death.
The Feast of Unleavened Bread - “Perfecting Holiness in the Fear of Yahveh”
The Feast of Unleavened Bread symbolizes our walks as new creations who are daily purging out our leaven-sin (symbolized in the seven days of eating unleavened bread).
- 1 Corinthians 5:8, 2 Corinthians 5:17-
Messiah, our Passover Lamb, died after only six hours rather than the usual three days on the stake. He had a limited time in which to be buried, in order to sovereignly fulfill the second spring feast, the Feast of Unleavened Bread. (see Leviticus 23:6 and 1Corinthians 5:7-8) The Feast of Unleavened Bread starts the day after Passover “for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread.” (Leviticus 23:6) We have a new beginning through the death of our Passover Lamb. “Therefore if anyone is in Messiah, he is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17) We are now to live as new creations as apostle Paul said, “knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin.” (Romans 6:6) The reality of being crucified with our Passover Lamb is again magnified in apostle Paul’s words, "I have been crucified with Messiah; and it is no longer I who live, but Messiah lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.” … “May it never be that I would boast, except in the cross [the crucifixion stake] of our Master Yahshua Messiah, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.” (Galatians 2:20, 6:14) This feast symbolizes our walks as new creations who are wholeheartedly “working out our salvation with fear and trembling” (Philippians 2:12) by daily purging out our leaven-sin (symbolized in the seven days of eating unleavened bread). “How will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?” (Hebrews 2:3) We are to walk like Yahshua (Jesus) and as Apostle Paul said, “…I implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called.” (1 John 2:6, Ephesians 4:1) Paul’s words in 1Corinthians 5:6-8 refer to the Feast of Unleavened Bread, “Don’t you know that a little bit of sin works through the whole batch (our redeemed life). Get rid of the old yeast (sin), so that you may be a new unleavened batch−as you really are (a born again new creation in the Spirit!). For Messiah, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Let us therefore celebrate the feast…” “Let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of Yahveh.” (2 Corinthians 7:1)
“As obedient [redeemed] children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, "You shall be holy, For I am holy. For Yahveh impartially judges according to each one’s work, conduct yourselves in fear during the time of your stay on earth; knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver or gold from your futile way of life inherited from your forefathers, but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Messiah.” (1 Peter 1:14-19)
With the Feast of Unleavened Bread, Yahveh is pointing out that we have been set free and delivered from bondage as the children of Israel were in order to worship and serve Him in “spirit and in truth.” (John 4:24). The Passover Lamb died to deliver and redeem us to be true worshippers and children of the Most High. We are to reflect Him, by His spirit in and through us, in holy conduct, words, and deeds to the glory of His Father. (see Colossians 3:17) As His children, we are making pilgrimage to the Promised Land, which is His Eternal Holy Kingdom, “the blessed hope” of all the redeemed who are longingly looking up and “waiting for Him.” (Titus 2:13, Hebrews 9:28)
The Feast of Firstfruits -
Refers to the First Portion of the Harvest that is Given to Yahveh
- Deuteronomy 26:1-1 -
Yahshua (Jesus) “the Firstfruits” to Rise from the Dead
- 1 Corinthians 15:23 -
The incomparable miraculous resurrection of our Savior was the fulfillment of the third spring feast, the Feast of Firstfruits
- Leviticus 23:9-14 -
Our Savior is the “sheaf of the first fruits of harvest” (Leviticus 23:10) presented before Yahveh, the Mighty One of the harvest. He rose as that "first fruit” — as that wave offering. As the Israelites were bringing in the spring harvest, the harvest of Yahveh could not be touched until the first fruits of it were offered to Him. Yahshua is “the firstfruits” of those to rise from the dead (1Corinthians 15:23) promising resurrection and eternal life to those who have come forth cleansed from sin in the Lamb’s blood. There will be a resurrection of all souls, “some to everlasting life but … others to disgrace and everlasting contempt (death).” (Daniel 12:2) Messiah our “first fruits”, is the fulfillment of Yahveh’s promise that there is hope for those who walk in His ways.
When Yahshua (Jesus) the “first fruit” rose, He appeared to Miriam (Mary Magdalene) and said, “Touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father.” (John 20:17) That first fruit offering could not be touched by humanity until it was waved before the Master of the harvest. Our Savior was waved in the presence of Yahveh declaring to all humanity that there is resurrection for all who believe. And there is resurrection for those who don’t believe. The truth will testify against you, some to everlasting life and some to everlasting torment. (Daniel 12:2, Matthew 25:46)
“For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you who through Him are believers in Yahveh, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.” (1Peter 1:20-21) “If you confess with your mouth Yahshua as Yahveh (footnote NASB Study Bible states Lord here means Yahweh), and believe in your heart that Yahveh raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.” (Romans 10:9-10) But Yahshua (Jesus) said to the compromised, hypocritical, religious, “you confess Me with your lips but your hearts are far from Me.” (Matthew 15:8) So many people look at the Romans 10 Scripture as a one time confession and a ticket to heaven, when Yahshua (Jesus) is very explicit about the confession of our lips. It has to come from such a sincere heart that will follow and obey Him at all costs, in gratitude and surrender for all He did to give His life to ransom us from our sins and eternal death.
Yahshua (Jesus) said, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die” (John 11:25-26). Apostle Paul in speaking to those who have faith in the Passover Lamb’s cleansing blood encourages us with these words, “Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep (die), but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, … the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.” (1Corinthians 15:52) We will all have resurrected eternal holy bodies!
The man made tradition of Easter replaced the truth that the resurrection was the fulfillment of the Feast of Firstfruits; it also dramatically diminished and striped away the powerful reality of beholding our sacrificial Passover Lamb and the requirement for us to take very seriously our daily walk symbolized by the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
With that said, it is important to understand that Easter, the commemoration of Yahshua’s (Jesus’s) resurrection, was the man made traditional replacement nullifying the reality and value of the celebration of Firstfruits. Sadly the name Easter and its modern celebration are derived from an unholy root of the pagan worship of the Babylonian fertility goddess Ishtar−Easter eggs and all! We are not to be “unaware of the enemy’s schemes.” (2 Corinthians 2:11) With one swipe of the hand, this man made tradition not only replaced the truth that the resurrection was the fulfillment of the Feast of Firstfruits; it also dramatically diminished and stripped away the powerful reality of beholding our sacrificial Passover Lamb and the requirement for us to take very seriously our daily walk, as we “work out our salvation with fear and trembling”, symbolized by the Feast of Unleavened Bread. (Philippians 2:12) Our holy walk is not to be a lip service of religious participation and rituals. It is to be a wholehearted sincere “godly sorrow that leads to true repentance.” (1 Corinthians 7:10) True repentance is more than saying, “I am sorry;” it must be such a deep wholehearted sorrow over our sin that out of love for Yahshua (Jesus) we will humbly repent, thank Him for His sacrificial blood that covers our sins, and remember His words, “Go, and sin no more.” (John 8:11) This wholehearted act of true repentance, with the blood of our Savior cleansing us, and then our turning to righteousness leads to receiving the gift of eternal life instead of the deserved wages of sin—which is eternal death, alive forever in the everlasting never ending fires of hell.
The Almighty God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob has not changed. He says, “you are to be holy to Me, for I Yahveh am holy (Leviticus 20:26 and 1Peter 1:16) and without holiness no one will see the Lord [Yahshua (Jesus)].” (Hebrews 12:14) Instead of the pure biblical importance of Passover, Unleavened Bread and Firstfruits we are left with the pagan goddess Ishtar’s translated name— “Easter,” a man-made date and man tainted commemoration in their place. This is a blatant example of the replacement of that which originated from Yahveh and is “holy to Yahveh” with that which originated with man. The early messianic believers determined their date for the celebration of the resurrection of Yahshua (Jesus) appropriately by the date of the biblical Passover and the following Feast of Firstfruits.
