The Feast of Unleavened Bread: Sanctification
Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. (1 Corinthians 5:8)
Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. (1 Corinthians 5:8)
Each of the Seven Feasts prescribed by the Lord throughout the Torah have their own specific purpose. The Feast of Unleavened Bread, being one of them, should hold a special place in the calendar of all believers and truth seekers. It is a time that the Lord has appointed His people to come before Him.
Last year, we went in depth with the concept of sanctification for the Feast of Unleavened Bread. This year, we want to explain the “why” behind it.
The length of the Feast of Unleavened Bread is particular in nature. To begin, it is a feast that lasts a total of seven days. During those seven days, you are to remove all of the yeast from within your homes and to not eat anything that has the product within it (Deuteronomy 16:3). The perplexing number here is seven, a number that represents completeness and holiness. That should already spark something within you, as it's the number of days that God has given in the week. But also, around the Bible, there are numerous sevens, from seven feasts (Leviticus 23) to the seven titles given to the Hebrews by Paul as well Book of Revelation, which tells of 7 churches, 7 angels, 7 thunders, 7 seals, etc.
What also stands to be important is the timing of the Feast. Remember, the Feast of Passover is only meant to be lived from sunset to evening (Number 9:3, Joshua 5:10). When it ends, the Feast of Unleavened Bread begins (Leviticus 23:5 - 6). That means that the Lamb has already died for your sins and you have consumed it, in remembrance of what Yahweh has done in Egypt, at Golgotha and in your life. The sins have been transmitted onto the animal and you are now, theoretically, sanctified. From that point on, you do not eat yeast for the appointed days, something that was explained last year as being representative of sin, in a bid to continue that sanctification. That is something seen in Revelations 22:11, where it is written:
Let the one who is doing harm continue to do harm; let the one who is vile continue to be vile; let the one who is righteous continue to live righteously; let the one who is holy continue to be holy.”
- Revelations 22:11
The importance of this feast can be found in what one could call the “precedence of sanctification”. As it is the beginning of the calendar year for Yahweh, He is inviting you to live out your year in sanctification. In that same spirit of sanctification, you must be willing to abstain of what is wrong in the eyes of the Lord and present yourself to Him as a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1). When you reach the feasts that follow, you will be able to present your first offerings, receive the Holy Spirit, hear the trumpets, ask for atonement for your sins and celebrate His holiness because you are sanctified. Remember that Unleavened Bread is the first feast that the Lord says that you must present yourself to Him: that is so that you may continue your year in sanctification.
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Christ in the Seven Feasts
These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. (Colossians 2:17)
These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. (Colossians 2:17)
Many churches today talk about the Old Testament as something that has lost all of its meaning and importance. It is regarded as being justifiably old, and relegated to the past. That being said, every so often, these same churches will preach about the revelation of Christ in the Seven Feasts of the Lord detailed in the Covenant that Yahweh has with Israel. What they say, in that regard, is true: Christ is revealed in the Seven Feasts of the Lord.
To understand Christ in the Seven Feasts, we must return to Genesis. In the beginning, Yahweh created the Heavens and the Earth. On the fourth day, He created the stars. The verse is important as the stars and all of the luminaries were created to
And God said, "Let there be lights in the vault of the sky to separate the day from the night, and let them serve as signs to mark sacred times, and days and years,
- Genesis 1:14
Their purpose is so that the true followers of Christ are able to know when are the sacred times of the year. These sacred times are elaborated upon after Israel is released from captivity in Egypt during the book of Exodus. These seven feasts are truly explored in Leviticus 23: they are Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, Pentecost, Trumpets, Atonement and Tabernacle. All of these different feasts are linked and point directly to the person of Christ.
To begin, the first feast is that of Passover (Leviticus 23:4 - 5): the person “passes over” from death to live by eating the lamb and commemorating the escape from slavery and Egypt. All the while, Yeshua is the firstborn from the dead (Colossians 1:18) and the lamb of God, the perfect sacrifice (John 1:29, Hebrews 10:14). It’s immediately followed by the feast of Unleavened bread (Leviticus 23:6 - 8), a feast where we remove the yeast - representative of sin - from our homes and eat unleavened bread. Yet, Christ is the bread of life, perfect and sinless (John 6:35, 2 Corinthians 5:21). The Feast of First Fruits of Leviticus 23:9 - 14 is representative of Yeshua, who was first fruit as well (1 Corinthians 15:20). As well, Yeshua said that the Holy Spirit would come during Pentecost (John 14:26), a feast that has its roots in Leviticus 23:15 - 22.
The second wave of Feasts, that come in the autumn months in the Northern hemisphere, also point to Yeshua. The feast of Trumpets (Leviticus 23:23 - 25) is often associated with the Rapture, and Yeshua relates to this because He will take His bride at the sound of Trumpets (1 Corinthians 15:52). To continue, the Feast of Atonement (Leviticus 23:26 - 32), when the sins are atoned yearly, Yeshua can do so permanently as the Lamb of God and perfect sacrifice (Hebrews 9:12). Finally, the Feast of Tabernacle (Leviticus 23:33 - 43) is a celebration of Yahweh being with us and rallying with His people who lived in booths, like Yeshua who came for His people to wipe the tears from their eyes (Revelations 21:4)
Where many modern preachers stop is by saying that because they all point to Yeshua, then we do not need to live them, referring to it to be a shadow of things to come (Colossians 2:17). However, is a man living in the light complete without their shadow behind them? No. The Feasts are meant to still be lived today, as they are meant to be lived in perpetuity (Exodus 12:24). Examples of people who lived them include Yeshua, who lived the Sabbath and the Seven Feasts, a reality that can be seen throughout the Gospels. Paul himself said that he must go to Jerusalem for the Feast (Acts 18:21).
The Feasts are moments in the year that have been sanctified and rendered holy by Yahweh Himself: moments of consecration and connection. Yeshua was pointed in each and every single one of them. And if we are to follow Yeshua, we must follow and do what He does, celebrate what He did and be the believers that He wanted us to be through these Feasts.
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A Tale of Two Extremes: Hyper Legalism
These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. (Deuteronomy 6:6 - 7)
These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. (Deuteronomy 6:6 - 7)
The modern church is a church that is divided between many different theologies and beliefs. Some follow proper doctrine while others follow false ones; the proper one is Yeshua, as He is the only way to the Father (John 14:6). True believers will know the way as they will know the sound of their Shepherd and follow Him (John 10:27). During His lifetime, Yeshua talked extensively of the Pharisees and the Sadducees and how they were wrong: in part, he was denouncing their hypocrisy as well as the false doctrine of hyper legalism.
In the previous article, the topic of hyper-grace and its place in the church of today was discussed. Its antithesis is hyper legalism. This could be defined as taking the law to its utmost extreme. There are many branches of hyper legalism, but a brief summary can conclude them as being:
Believing that the Law is the way to the Lord
Detaching the spirit and love from the Law
Adding human laws to what the Lord has defined as Law
Every one of those concepts of hyper legalism is dangerous and has been denounced in the Word. To begin, the only way that has been given to us to reach the Father is Yeshua (John 14:6). The laws and commandments that were prescribed to us are a reflection of the divinity of Yahweh (1 Peter 1:6, Romans 13:10). While the Bible clearly states that His Laws and commandments are not burdensome (1 John 5:3), humanity has difficulty to abide by them due to our carnal nature always wanting to oppose God’s will. It’s why we need the Holy Spirit, which is given to us by God’s grace and love for those who love Him. In all, we can only abide by the law through the Holy Spirit and grace.
In that same vein, hyper legalism comes into play when one detaches the spirit from the Law. Yeshua speaks about this blatantly when He healed during the Sabbath, in Matthew 12:9 - 14. The Doctors of the Law were so attached to the specificity of the word, that they had removed the spiritual aspect of helping your brother and neighbor - the love needed to accomplish the law. The modern believer needs to have love and respect for the Lord and their neighbor in order to live the law and its blessings in their entirety (Matthew 22:36 - 40). That lack of spirit and love is the reason why the third concept - that of adding to the Law - even happened. It’s the works of the Law that Paul talks about in Galatians 2:16, that have been added needlessly, something that Yeshua talks about in Matthew 15:3, when He says:
He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition?
- Matthew 15:3
While there seems to be less people who subscribe to the idea of hyper legalism than there are who follow hyper grace, the consequences are still damnation. The reality of the situation is that the Law and Grace come together. It’s why the word grace can be found in both testaments, as well the Law. One does not usurp the other. When Paul says that we are no longer under the law (Galatians 5:18), it means that we are no longer under the condemnation of the law but living within the confines through the grace of the Lord.
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A Tale of Two Extremes: Hyper-Grace
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. (Romans 3:23 - 24)
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. (Romans 3:23 - 24)
There are many false doctrines that have permeated the modern church. Whether one qualifies them as minor or major is inconsequential, as all false doctrines lead us away from Yahweh. There are teachings that divide believers across the world in a tale of two extremes: hyper-grace and legalism. But to understand the divide between the two groups, one must understand grace: what does it mean, what’s the context and what the Bible has to say.
In biblical context, grace is an undeserved kind favor of God to men for their salvation (Ephesians 2:8 - 9). It was given to man by Yahweh to forgive them of their transgressions and their sins. It’s a gift given by love, as presented in Ephesians 2:4 - 5:
But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved
- Ephesians 2:4 - 5
The theology of hyper-grace can be summarized as being a new age movement that supposes that God’s grace is so abundant, that one doesn’t need to repent or confess. They are already forgiven and holy, as all sin has already been forgiven. Anyone who isn’t in accordance with this is considered as being a hyper legalist. The verse that is mainly used to support this is Romans 6:4, which says: “For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace”.
However, there are serious logical fallacies in the theology of hyper grace that destroy the entire premise. Firstly, in legal sense, for someone to receive grace, there must be a law to follow. It’s like a cop who pulls someone over for going faster than the speed limit posted. If they let you go with a simple warning, that means they gave you grace, not that the speed limit and the law has been abolished. John 1:17 states that “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ”: it doesn’t mean that grace replaces the law, but is added to it, so that salvation can be found.
The second serious theological issue that presents itself when discussing hyper grace is the ever present reality of the final judgement. Matthew 25:31 - 46 tells us what Yeshua will do once He returns for the final judgement. He will separate the righteous from the unrighteous like sheep from goats; the sheep will have eternal life and the goats eternal punishment (Matthew 25:32, 45). This account is reiterated in Second Corinthians 5:10. But if there is judgement, there must also be a law to be base said judgement on. Therefore, we must still follow the laws and what Yeshua said so that we may be sheep and not goats.
What stands as the final impediment in the hyper grace theology is the concept of repentance. In hyper grace, the belief stands that there is no need to ask for forgiveness, for grace abounds. However, when studied, repentance is the first and part of the main message brought by both John the Baptist and Yeshua himself. John says “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near” (Matthew 3:2). In Revelations, Yeshua would call five of the seven churches to repentance (Revelation 2:5, 14–16, 20; 3:3, 15–16). In truth, repentance and confession is capital for all believers, because all have sinned (Romans 3:23, James 5:16).
After all, the concept of hyper-grace is very important to understand so as to not fall to this doctrine. The writings and laws of the Lord are meant to be followed, not completely erased and replaced with grace (Matthew 5:17, Romans 3:31). What stands at a complete opposite of hyper grace is hyper legalism. Both aspects in the tale of two extremes lead to perdition and eternal punishment, when a true believer of Yahweh should be searching for Him and His kingdom with all that they have (Matthew 6:33, Proverbs 8:17).
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Being "Nice"
Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger (Ephesians 4:25 - 26)
Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members of one another. Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger (Ephesians 4:25 - 26)
There are specific aspects of the faith that all believers live at some point or another. One of the key concepts is that of fraternity; a concept that was lived by the apostles and that Yeshua must’ve considered important (Romans 12:20 ; John 15:13). In those moments with other believers, it is normal for theological discussions to arouse amongst yourselves. In these times, it is important to know how the true believers of Yahweh are supposed to react and speak to one another.
The general consensus is to speak with respect and softly, almost as if it were a secret. Some would say that we aren’t supposed to hurt anyone with our own beliefs. This is based on biblical truth, that can be found in verses such as Proverbs 15:1 and 1 John 3:18. The best example comes from Colossians 4:6, which says: “Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person”. In that perspective, the true believers of Yahweh will be soft in their responses and try to be as loving as possible.
Am I allowed to get mad during a theological debate?
The best way to answer that question is to refer ourselves to our Lord and Savior Yeshua. While it may seem out of context, the story of Yeshua in the temple, as recounted in Matthew 21:12 - 13 helps answer that question:
Yeshua entered the temple courts and drove out all who were buying and selling there. He overturned the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves. “It is written,” he said to them, “‘My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you are making it ‘a den of robbers.”
- Matthew 21:12 - 13
There was definitive anger in what Yeshua was doing. The reason for it was because the people who were buying and selling there had perverted the Temple. Paul is also blatant in calling out Elymas in his perversion of doctrine, saying: “You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord?” (Acts 13:10). In similar contexts, one can therefore assume that one is allowed to be angry if there is a perversion of the doctrine. In fact, as children of the Most High God, it is imperative to call out doctrine that has been perverted and falsified.
Therefore, where do we stand? In fact, we must always stand to defend the right doctrine of the Lord. Stand on the side of truth. True believers do not use gentleness as an excuse to not bring people to Yahweh: in fact, they use it to bring people to Him. Proper doctrine should not take a backseat to emotions, because salvation is what’s at stake.
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Discovering False Doctrines
When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. (John 16:13)
When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. (John 16:13)
The life of a true believer hinges on the Word of the Lord. Yahweh directs the path of those who acknowledge Him and who follow Him. To follow Him is to be able to follow His commandments and His word, applying them to your everyday. Yet, to be able to apply the right thing, you must be knowledgeable on what is the wrong and how to avoid them. In theological terms, you must therefore be able to decipher and understand false doctrines.
In a previous article, titled False Doctrines, we explored the idea of false doctrines and their biblical origins. It revealed that the false doctrines are teachings that do not coincide with Yahweh’s Word or vision; oftentimes, they are sentences that have been misconstrued in a sinister way. This continued with elaborating the first time that a false doctrine is seen in the Bible: that is in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:3 - 8). It’s used as an example of how the enemy misconstrues the word of the Lord and lures in the children of the Lord to perdition.
But how does one decipher what is false doctrine?
Discovering a false doctrine within yourself is a hard task. It requires introspection and critical thinking. Above all else, you must be willing to read the Bible critically and use it as a mirror: who you are versus who you should be (James 1:23 - 25). Therefore, look at anything that you do and ask yourself:
Is whatever practice I’m doing in accordance with what the Bible says?
What Bible verse can be applied to this practice?
Who am I glorifying in what I am doing? Myself, the enemy or the Lord?
If you are able to answer these questions without fail and whatever you do is in accordance with what the Lord has asked of you, then continue. If not, repent immediately so that you may not fall again into that same sin (Acts 3:19).
Let’s take an example: the idea of statues of Marie and Jesus. Believers are split on the issue. Ask yourself: is it in accordance with what the Bible says? No it is not: , in fact, it is contrary to Exodus 20:4 - 5. You are not glorifying God when you bow to those statues: you give glory to the enemy through idolatry.
In this search for truth, you must be willing to abandon your pride, for God graces the humble (James 4:6). Yahweh may talk to you and correct your ways: you must be open to that, for He does it out of love for you and for your betterment (Hebrews 12:5 - 11). He may send others to talk to you about false doctrines, be open to listening to them as whoever ignores instruction despises himself, but he who listens to reproof gains intelligence (Proverbs 15:32). We need to decipher true and false doctrine, as it is the difference between eternal life and eternal damnation.
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Frequently Asked Questions II
Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known. (Jeremiah 33:3)
Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known. (Jeremiah 33:3)
The Bible 101 Team has decided to return to a concept from last year: they scoured the internet and listened to people in order to find some frequently asked questions to believers of Yahweh. These questions cross the fields of religion, denomination and individual church communities to answer the most people as possible. We hope that you are satisfied with the questions found and the answers that were given. While these “Frequently Asked Questions” articles are a tonal shift for the content of Bible 101, it’s in the hopes that people who read can feel satisfied, and to facilitate reading once every so often. Therefore, sit back, relax and enjoy it all. Viewer discretion is advised.
Why did God say “Where are you?” to Adam and Eve after they sinned in the Garden if He knows everything?
That is a question that is asked by newcomers to the faith and experienced theologians. The reason why there is no concrete answer is because none of us can ever truly grasp why Yahweh does what He does. His thoughts are too big (Isaiah 55:8 - 9). Therefore, to answer the question, in the best way possible, is to give you context. We find ourselves in the book of Genesis. Man just sinned and disobeyed the Lord’s direct order to not eat from the tree. They hide behind the tree. Yahweh, being all powerful and all-knowing asks them this question. This can be in relation to them having sinned and therefore died, as death is the punishment of sin (Romans 6:23). Secondly, it can be because He wanted them to come forward with what they did, for confession is the first step in repentance (1 John 1:9). There are so many ways that this can go, and I pray that He will reveal it to us and to His servants so that we may get to know Him better.
How could a loving God send anyone to Hell?
This is a subject that has been covered in a plethora of books and texts. We will try to answer in the most concise answer possible. Yahweh is a loving God, as proven in John 15:19. However, He doesn’t love everybody. He hated Esau, “turning his hill country into a wasteland and left his inheritance to the desert jackals” (Malachi 1:3). To go to Heaven is because you follow His commandments with love, as prescribed in Deuteronomy 6:5 and Luke 10:27. It’s about loving God with everything that you have and accepting that His son Yeshua came to save you. Those who do not do those things - who live in cruelty, sin and selfishness - are considered the wicked. The Lord does not take pleasure in the wicked falling if they can tun their lives around (Ezekiel 18:23), but He presented us the choice between life and death (Deuteronomy 30:19): we must choose what we want. It’s not because He wants to, but it’s the punishment for not accepting Him.
Why should I believe, when the worst hypocrites are in the church?
To answer that, one must acknowledge that there is a certain amount of truth to it. There are hypocrites in the church (Matthew 7:1 - 5). There are also hypocrites outside the church. In truth, the best thing to do is to follow the belief, not the believer. Seek the Kingdom and not the riches (Matthew 6:33). In fact, Yeshua says “So you must be careful to do everything [the pharisees] tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach” in Matthew 23:3. Your job, as a believer, is to read scripture diligently and apply it to your life; what others do is not your concern, but that of the Lord. And I understand, it will be tempting to call people out when they do wrong. However, you do not know when or if you will fall to that same sin, therefore, bide your tongue and pray for them in private. It’s the best advice that can be given to you.
And there ends our second edition of Bible 101’s Frequently Asked Questions. If you have any questions that you would like to ask, please send them to our questions page. We hope that you were able to learn from this shorter article type and that we will do this again soon.