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The Set Apart Days are often thought of as
Jewish Holidays, this however is not correct,
they are in fact the Feast Days of Yahweh.
Exodus 31:13
“Speak thou also unto the children of
Israel, saying, Verily My Sabbaths ye
shall keep: for it is a sign between me
and you throughout your generations;
that ye may know that I am Yahweh that
doth sanctify you.”
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The reason many believe that the weekly Sabbath and Sabbath High Feast days,
were only meant for the Yahudim (Jews) is because many believe that the
Yahudim are Israel. While it is true that all the Yahudim are Israelites, not all
Israelites are Yahudim. There were twelve tribes of Israel, Yahudah (Judah) is
just one tribe of Israel, combined with the Tribe of Benjamin, they constituted
the Southern Kingdom of Biblical Israel, these are the people known as the Nation
of Israel today.
However the nation of Israel today is not biblical Israel, they are merely a part
of Biblical Israel. The Northern Kingdom of Biblical Israel, headed by the Tribe of
Ephraim, are the other Ten tribes spoken of by The Messiah as the lost sheep of
Israel. Those ten tribes are still scattered across the earth, you may belong to
one of them.
The return of those ten tribes to the land (the Promised land) along with Yahudah
and Benjamin will be completed at Yahushua’s return. Along with those who have
joined themselves to the Renewed Covenant by Yahushua’s shed blood. If you are
uncertain about who Israel is please read our page The Re-Gathering.
The weekly Sabbath and Set Apart Days were given to us by Yahuweh, for
all generations. The Messiah kept them, as followers of Him, so also do we.
Many indications in the Renewed Covenant Scriptures reveal that the Apostles
did also. The Set Apart Days are more than mere feasting days, they tell us the
plan of Salvation, without knowledge of the meaning of these days we cannot
fully grasp Yahweh’s plan to redeem mankind.
Following is a brief outline of each day that Yahweh has given us to celebrate,
real learning and understanding of these days only comes with the celebrating
them; each year seems to bring greater understanding of Yahweh and His
magnificent plan.
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The weekly Sabbath is; always has been and always will be, the seventh day of
the week. This was never changed by the death and resurrection of the Messiah.
Genesis 2:1-3
“Thus the heaven and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.
And on the seventh day Elohiym ended his work which he had made; and He
rested on the seventh day from all His work that He had made.
And Elohiym blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it He
had rested from all His work which Elohiym created and made.”
The Observance of the Sabbath is the 4th Commandment.
Exodus 20:8-11
“Remember the Sabbath day to keep it qodesh.
Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
But the seventh day is the Sabbath of Yahweh thy Elohiym: in it thou shalt not
do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy
maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates.
For in six days Yahweh made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them
is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore Yahweh blessed the Sabbath day,
and set it apart.”
So we see that the Sabbath day was created by Yahweh as a rest day and a
memorial of creation week. The Sabbath day is important to Yahweh.
ISAIAH 56:2
“Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold on
it; that keepeth the Sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from
doing evil.”
ISAIAH 56:6
“Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to Yahweh, to serve Him,
and to love the name of Yahweh, to be His servants, every one that keepeth
the Sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of My covenant.”
ISAIAH 58:13-14
“If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my
qodesh Day; and call the Sabbath a delight, the qodesh of Yahweh,
honourable; and shalt honour Him, not doing thine own pleasure, nor speaking
thine own words:
Then shalt thou delight thyself in Yahweh; and I will cause thee to ride upon
the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy
father: for the mouth of Yahweh hath spoken it.”
The Sabbath was created for man, it is a part of Yahweh’s creation therefore no
man can change it to the 1st day of the week or any other day of the week, it is
the seventh day. It was a day made for mankind to rest and refresh themselves
in Yahweh. Therefore no work is allowed on the Sabbath, what a blessing ‘no work.’
Yet man has managed to view the Sabbath as an annoyance, saying a blessing
is a curse.
AMOS 8:4-5
“Hear this , O ye that swallow up the needy, even to make the poor of the
land to fail,
Saying, When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? and the
Sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, making the ephah small, and the
shekel great, and falsifying the balances by deceit?”
The Messiah was not happy with the manner in which the Pharisees taught the
Sabbath. Was this because something was wrong with the Sabbath? No it was
the way that they reduced the Sabbath to a day of ‘do not’s” and made the
Sabbath a burden to the people, by making rules of observance in the minutest
detail.While they themselves profaned the Sabbath.
The Pharisees had accused Yahushua of breaking the Sabbath by healing a man
on the Sabbath, they called it ‘work’ when it was ‘mercy’. ‘Work’ is your daily grind,
it is what you do six days a week to earn a living, or to keep the house in order.
What did Yahushua say?
Matthew 12:11-12
“ And He said unto them, What man shall there be among you, that shall
have one sheep, and if it fall into a pit on the Sabbath day, will he not lay hold
on it, and lift it out?
How much then is a man better than a sheep? Wherefore it is lawful to do well
on the Sabbath Days.”
Matthew 12:8
“For the Son of man is Master even of the Sabbath day.”
Did Yahushua mean that we can do anything we like on the Sabbath day? No, not
exactly, the Sabbath is Yahweh’s Day that He created for man to rest in Him and
with Him. A day to rejoice in, a day to spend with family and like minded believers
in fellowship with them, the Father and Yahushua. But to fail to help a person in
need, because it is the Sabbath day is not in keeping with Yahweh’s ways. How
would we feel if Yahweh were to decide not to listen to our urgent prayers because
it was the Sabbath? What if we were hungry would we like it if Yahweh had failed
to supply us with food? We should try to be as prepared as possible for the Sabbath
and not use it as shopping day, however the unexpected happens sometimes, we
have to use careful judgement in these things, tempered always with Yahweh’s
mercy.
King David knew how to rejoice before Yahweh, let us see a little of what he had
to say.
PSALM 66:1-2
“ Make a joyful noise unto Elohiym, all ye lands:
Sing forth the honour of His Name: make His praise glorious.”
PSALM 95:1-2
“O come, let us sing unto Yahweh: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of
our salvation.
Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise
unto Him with psalms.”
PSALM 149:1-4
“Praise ye Yahweh. Sing unto Yahweh a new song, and His praise in the
congregation of saints.
Let Israel rejoice in Him that made him: let the children of Zion be joyful in
their King.
Let them praise His Name in dance: let them sing praises unto Him with the
timbrel and harp.
For Yahweh taketh pleasure in His people: He will beautify the meek with
salvation.”
All to often, even among Sabbath keeping groups, the Sabbath is not really
celebrated the way that Yahweh meant it to be. All to often it is about turning up
to a Sabbath service, sitting rigidly for a couple of hours listening to a minister
expound his ideas on scripture, singing a couple of hymns (same ones year in
year out for thirty years or more) then going on their merry way home.
Where is the joy, the dance, the sharing of the spirit, the oneness of fellowship
with Yahweh? It maybe there in small doses, it could be so much more, how sad.
Did Yahushua observe the Sabbath? Oh yes, without doubt.
LUKE 4:16
“And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up: and, as His
custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up for to read.”
Should we observe the Sabbath? If we are going to claim to be followers of Messiah
then we must do as He did, and He did. Many scriptures reveal that the Apostles
continued to keep the Sabbath after Yahushua’s death. The Sabbath will always
be the SEVENTH DAY.
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Passover is a subject of controversy. Yahushua became Yahweh’s Passover Lamb.
Orthodox Judaism observes Passover, with the Passover Seder
 on the fifteenth
of Abib at evening, that is; the night time after the fourteenth day.
Yahweh’s days begin at sunset. It must be remembered that Orthodox
Judaism does not accept Yahushua as Messiah. Are they wrong in observing this time and date? No, they are not, for they are observing a night that Yahweh commanded them to observe.
EXODUS 12:5-7
“Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye
shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats.
And ye shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole
assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening.
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.”
EXODUS 12:13-14
“ 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.
And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to
Yahweh throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by ordinance
forever.”
So we see quite clearly this was to be observed for all time, on the night following
the fourteenth daylight.
So then what of those who observe ‘Passover’ on the evening before the daylight
of the fourteenth, are they wrong? No! those of us who observe the evening of
the fourteenth (the night before the day of the 14th) are observing the ‘Passover
Memorial Service’ of Messiah Yahushua’s sacrifice on our behalf as he told us to.
LUKE 22:15-20
“And He said unto them, With a desire I have desired to eat this Passover with
you before I suffer:
For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the
Kingdom of Yahweh.
And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, Take this, and divide it among
yourselves.
For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine, until the Kingdom of
Yahweh come.
And He took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them saying,
This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me.
Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the renewed covenant
in my blood, which is shed for you.”
So we see that this observing of the evening of the fourteenth is also
correct for the believers in Yahushua Ha Mashiach, who have accepted His
shed blood and the terms of the Renewed Covenant. We also celebrate the
following evening as does Orthodox Judaism, as the ‘night of Passover to be much
remembered” it begins the Days of Unleavened Bread.
It is important that believers stop judging one another. Both evenings are correct
to observe. When Yahushua gave His life for us, by His shed blood he brought
forgiveness and opened up the way for us to return to the tree of Life. He nailed
the “evil” of the “tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil” to His stake by forgiveness.
It was our ‘evil sin’ that was nailed to the stake, not the Torah, for the Torah is
all good.
LUKE 23:34
“Then said Yahushua, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.
And they parted His raiment, and cast lots.”
Yahushua went about teaching people, healing people, feeding people, at no time
did He ever do any harm to anyone, yet they killed Him. Not only did they kill Him,
but they tortured Him viciously first. This has to be the greatest EVIL ever done
anywhere to anyone. Yahushua was totally innocent of harming anyone. Yet out
of this ‘Greatest Evil’ act came the ‘Greatest Good’ for mankind; forgiveness and
The Narrow Path back to the Tree of Life. Back to Eden where it was “All Good.”
We must repent of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, and return to the
Tree of Life.
ROMANS 8:28
“And we know that all things work together for good to them that love
Yahweh, to them that are called according to His purpose.”
1JOHN 2:5
“But whoso keepeth His word, in him verily is the Love of Yahweh perfected:
hereby know we that we are in Him.
So all things work together for good to those that love Yahweh, and we love Yahweh
by keeping His commandments.
Let us forget about judging one another in which evening we observe, knowing all
will come to understanding eventually. Let us return to the Tree of Life that was
opened up to us by Messiah’s Passover Sacrifice for us
If you are reading this and you are not yet a Sabbath keeper (you will be one day)
and you believe that Easter is a suitable replacement for Passover in the eyes
of Yahweh, please read our Page “Yahushua Did Not Do”.
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LEVITICUS 23:6-8
“ And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread
unto YHWH: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread.
In the first day ye shall have an Set Apart Convocation: ye shall do no servile
work therein.
But ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto YHWH seven days: in the
seventh day is an Set Apart Convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.”
For what purpose were the Seven Days of Unleavened bread given?
EXODUS 13:3-4
“And Moses said unto the people, Remember this day, in which ye came out
of Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand YHWH brought
you out from this place: there shall no leavened bread be eaten.
This day came ye out in the month of Abib.”
EXODUS 13:6-8
“Seven days thou shalt eat unleavened bread, and in the seventh shall be a
feast to YHWH.
Unleavened bread shall be eaten seven days; and there shall no leavened
bread be seen with thee, neither shall there be leaven seen with thee in all
thy quarters.
And thou shalt show thy son in that day, saying , This is done because of that
which YHWH did unto me when I came forth out of Egypt.”
DEUTERONOMY 16:3-4
“Thou shall eat no leavened bread with it; seven days shalt thou eat
unleavened bread therewith, even the bread of affliction; for thou camest forth
out of the land of Egypt in haste: that thou mayest remember the day when
thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt all the days of thy life.
And there shall be no leavened bread seen with thee in all thy coast seven
days; neither shall there anything of the flesh, which thou sacrificed the first
day at even, remain all night until the morning.”
EXODUS 12:14-20
“And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to
YHWH throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance
for ever.
Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put
away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from
the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.
And in the first day there shall be an Set Apart convocation, and in the seventh
day there shall be an Set Apart convocation to you; no manner of work shall be
done in them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be done of you.
And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day
have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye
observe this day in your generations by an ordinance for ever.
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.
Seven days shall there be no leaven found in your houses: for whosoever
eateth that which is leavened, even that soul shall be cut off from the
congregation of Israel, whether he be a stranger or born in the land.
Ye shall eat nothing leavened; in all your habitations shall ye eat unleavened
bread.”
Clearly then the week of Unleavened Bread was to be a memorial of the Israelites
being brought out of the captivity and slavery of Egypt. The Feast of Unleavened
Bread was to be kept forever. This is all clearly evident from scripture and needs no
further explanation.
Does the Feast of Unleavened Bread have further meaning for the believers in The
Messiah Yahushua? Was it still observed after Yahushua’s death? The answer is, yes,
to both questions.
The Feast of Unleavened Bread now also represents our deliverance from sin,
through the Messiah’s shed blood. We are no longer under the Pharaoh ‘Ha Satan’
but have freedom from the bondage of sin.
1 CORINTHIANS 5:6-8
“Your boasting is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the
whole lump.
Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are
unleavened. For even Messiah our passover is sacrificed for us.
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.”
The above scripture shows that not only did the week of Unleavens now have more
meaning; but also that the feast was observed after Messiah’s death.
Yahushua talked of leaven.
LUKE 12:1
“In the mean time, when there were gathered together an innumerable
multitude of people, insomuch that they trode one upon another, he began
to say unto His disciples first of all, Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees
which is hypocrisy.”
MATTHEW16:6
“Then Yahushua said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the
Pharisees and of the Sadducees.”
MATTHEW 16:11-12
“How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning
bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the
Sadducees?
Then understood they how he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread,
but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.”
MARK 8:15
“And He charged them, saying, Take heed, beware of the leaven of the
Pharisees, and of the leaven of Herod.”
So clearly the the Feast of Unleavened Bread has importance for the followers of
Messiah, the eating of Unleavened Bread is symbolic of us replacing our old sinful
habits, with the sinless habits of Messiah who is the Bread of Heaven, and walking
in Him in the newness of life.
There need be no doubt that the Apostles continued to observe the Feast of
Unleavened Bread after the death of Messiah, anyone who believes that these
“old testament feasts” are no longer required are sadly mistaken.
ACTS 12:3
“And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.)”
ACTS 20:6
“And we sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread, and came unto them to Troas in five days; where we abode seven days.”
We have let scripture speak for itself, there really is no need for us to go into
long explanations Scripture is quite clear on this. If you still cannot see that we
need to keep these appointed times still. All we can suggest is that you beseech
The Father for eyes to see and ears to hear.
MARK 8:18
“Having eyes, see ye not? and having ears, hear ye not ? and do ye not remember?”
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Go to “PENTECOST”
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Congregation of YHWH, Lower Hutt, NZ. Page Last updated: 11th day, 1st month 2008
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