5.1 First Month's Feasts and Shavout
Byblical Feasts
1. New Year's Day
(Exo 12:1) And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying,
(Exo 12:2) This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.
It is evident that this was the start of Yahweh’s new year on month 1. (New Year)
We also know now that the new year must start on the 4th day. (from the creation week)
2. Pesach (Passover) and
3. The feast of unleavened bread
Pesach was established with the ten plagues when Israel was removed from Egypt.
The First Month
According to Lev 23:7, the 15th and 21st day are holy feast days and no work can be done.
This is repeated here.
Establishment of Pesach (Exodus from Egypt) Exodus 12
(Exo 12:3) Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house:
(Exo 12:6) And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening.
(Exo 12:10) And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire.
(Exo 12:14) And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.
(Exo 12:18) In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at even, ye shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the month at even.
(Exo 12:42) It is a night to be much observed unto the LORD for bringing them out from the land of Egypt: this is that night of the LORD to be observed of all the children of Israel in their generations.
The Pesach was to be kept even after the exodus from Egypt.
According to Exo 12:14-17 and Lev: 23:5-8 the 15th and 21st day of the first month is to be a Sabbath day.
(Num 9:1) And the LORD spake unto Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they were come out of the land of Egypt, saying,
(Num 9:2) Let the children of Israel also keep the passover at his appointed season.
(Num 9:3) In the fourteenth day of this month, at even, ye shall keep it in his appointed season: according to all the rites of it, and according to all the ceremonies thereof, shall ye keep it.
(Num 9:4) And Moses spake unto the children of Israel, that they should keep the passover.
(Num 9:5) And they kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the first month at even in the wilderness of Sinai: according to all that the LORD commanded Moses, so did the children of Israel.
In case the Hebrews could not have Pesach in the first month, it was to be moved to the second month.
(Num 9:10) Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If any man of you or of your posterity shall be unclean by reason of a dead body, or be in a journey afar off, yet he shall keep the passover unto the LORD.
(Num 9:11) The fourteenth day of the second month at even they shall keep it, and eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs.
(Num 28:16) And in the fourteenth day of the first month is the passover of the LORD.
(Num 28:17) And in the fifteenth day of this month is the feast: seven days shall unleavened bread be eaten.
(Num 28:18) In the first day shall be an holy convocation; ye shall do no manner of servile work therein:
(Num 28:25) And on the seventh day ye shall have an holy convocation; ye shall do no servile work.
(Num 33:3) And they departed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the morrow after the passover the children of Israel went out with an high hand in the
sight of all the Egyptians.
(Jos 5:10) And the children of Israel encamped in Gilgal, and kept the passover on the fourteenth day of the month at even in the plains of Jericho.
(Jos 5:11) And they did eat of the old corn of the land on the morrow after the passover, unleavened cakes, and parched corn in the selfsame day.
(Jos 5:12) And the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land; neither had the children of Israel manna any more; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.
(2Ch 35:1) Moreover Josiah kept a passover unto the LORD in Jerusalem: and they killed the passover on the fourteenth day of the first month.
(Ezr 6:19) And the children of the captivity kept the passover upon the fourteenth day of the first month.
(Ezr 6:22) And kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy: for the LORD had made
them joyful, and turned the heart of the king of Assyria unto them, to strengthen their hands in the
work of the house of God, the God of Israel.
(Eze 45:21) In the first month, in the fourteenth day of the month, ye shall have the passover, a feast of seven days; unleavened bread shall be eaten.
The Perfect Lamb
The crucifixion of Yeshua Hamashiach can be juxtaposed over the Pesach with astounding accuracy. He was the perfect lamb.
We must consider that during the time of the crucifixion of Yeshua, the Julian calendar was in use in Jerusalem (from 46 BC) by the Romans.
Yeshua's entrance into Jerusalem on the donkey as King of the Jews
(Joh 12:1) Then Jesus six days before the passover came to Bethany, where Lazarus was which had been dead, whom he raised from the dead.
(Joh 12:2) There they made him a supper; and Martha served: but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him.
Remember that the feast of Unleavened bread begins on the 15th day of month 1. But the feast are to begin with Passover (pesach) on the evening of the 14th day (an exception). Six days before that are therefor DAY 9 (15 – 6)
(Joh 12:12) On the next day much people that were come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem,
(Joh 12:13) Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord.
(Joh 12:14) And Jesus, when he had found a young ass, sat thereon; as it is written,
(Joh 12:15) Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass's colt.
The “next” day (Joh 12:12) must therefor be Day 10.
Note: As shown before, during the feast of Pesach, the lamb is chosen on day 10 of the first month.
Therefore – Yeshua is the perfect Lamb.
Yeshua was completely obedient to his Father, up to his death. He would surely have followed his Father's calendar. Yeshua did also say that he does nothing in his own.
(Joh 5:19) Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.
(Joh 7:16) Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.
(Joh 7:17) If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.
(Joh 14:9) Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?
(Joh 14:10) Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.
(Joh 14:28) Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.
(Joh 18:37) Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.
From early childhood, Yeshua and his family followed the tradition to go to Jerusalem for the Pesach and the feast of Unleavened bread.
(Luk 2:40) And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.
(Luk 2:41) Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover.
(Luk 2:42) And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast.
Why is it important to understand the significance of Pesach the Feast of Unleavened bread?
- It is the first time that Yahweh, the God of Israel, revealed himself to the world as being far greater than any other of the gods that were worshipped during that time.
- It was a prophetic representation of God's final plan to redeem and save His children from an everlasting bond of sin that we were born into.
Yeshua is the fulfillment of this prophecy of the the lamb.
(Exo 12:3) Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house:
(Exo 12:5) Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats:
(Exo 12:6) And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening.
(Exo 12:7) And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it.
(Exo 12:12) For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD.
(Exo 12:13) And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.
The power of Yahweh was confirmed by these events of prophecy that came to fullfilment through Yeshua for being the perfect lamb.
(1Co 5:7) Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:
(1Co 5:8) Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
(Joh 1:29) The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
(Joh 1:30) This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me.
(Joh 1:31) And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.
Just like the lamb in Exodus, so was Yeshua, without blemmish.
(Luk 3:23) And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli,
(1Pe 2:22) Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:
Just like the lamb in Exodus...
(Exo 12:46) In one house shall it be eaten; thou shalt not carry forth ought of the flesh abroad out of the house; neither shall ye break a bone thereof.Did Yeshua fullfill the word?
(Joh 19:36) For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken.Yeshua died for our sins.
(1Co 15:3) For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
(1Co 15:4) And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
Yeshua is the perfect lamb!
(1Pe 1:18) Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers;
(1Pe 1:19) But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
(1Pe 1:20) Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,
(1Pe 1:21) Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.
Because of Yeshua and what he did for us, can the Father now say to us as he once did in Exodus 12:13...
"and when I see the blood, I will pass over you"
The blood of Yeshua was poured out for us, so that we can be covered by it and therefore not be subject by the wrath of the Father in the appointed time.
This is precisely why Pesach and the feast of Unleavened bread is special and why we should not take it for granted without examining it.