Shalom to the House of Ysrayl, the 12 tribes scattered worldwide. It is that time of year for us Hebrews, the month of Abib, and with it our new year is approaching. With the coming of the new year begins Yah’s festivals or "feast days." This time of year is a true delight to many Israelites the world over.

The first of those set apart days is called "the Passover," which is followed by the Feast of Unleavened Bread. This article will focus on the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, along with the Feast of Weeks and Tabernacles.

I thought this initially to be a divisive topic. However, it occurred to me that this subject is not at all controversial, that it deals simply with the obedience of a people to their Mighty One. It was our disobedience to Yah that put us in the situation we are in today. Rightly so, it will be our obedience that will free us from it.

Obedience is the key to understanding this article. Once we were brought into the truth of who we are, of who Yah is, of who Yahoshua is, we realized it was necessary to let go of a lot of things that were contrary to the Word of Yah. In so doing, we open our hearts to being obedient to our Father. TO OBEY IS BETTER THAN SACRIFICE:

Ysrayl is still a stiff-necked, hardheaded people who delight individually and collectively in doing its own will.

For example, one topic of discussion among Israelites around this time of year is how to calculate the correct date for Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The Scriptures tell us how to do so, but many of us do not follow this mandate. Instead, we choose our own timeframes. One camp of Israelites is keeping Passover on one date, another group is keeping it on a different date; one group celebrates it one way, another group in a different manner. Why is there so much confusion? Yah is not the author of confusion.

The issue we should be discussing is this: WHETHER WE ARE TO KEEP PASSOVER IN THIS LAND AND IN ANY LAND TO WHICH WE HAVE BEEN SCATTERED – IN OTHER WORDS, CAN WE PROPERLY KEEP YAH’S FEASTS OUTSIDE OF JERUSALEM?

Even today Ysrayl refuses to submit to Yah, to look to His Word and see what He has to say. This is the primary reason so much confusion arises.

What I intend to show you from Scripture is that not only can we not keep the Passover outside of Jerusalem, but we also cannot truly keep the Passover without the Levitical priests and the temple, that any Passover observed absent any of Yah’s mandates is, in fact, not a feast to honor Him; rather, it is a sacrifice to devils. If there exists a true controversy surrounding our annual Feasts, here it is, my Brothers and Sisters.

Once this information is given to you, you must decide what you will do with it. It is my duty to show you what Yah has shown to me and the understanding he has given to me. I pray that He do so with every Israelite who reads this article. Please read on and learn what Scripture tells us.

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I have made many attempts over the years at keeping the feast days. As I reflect, however, I realize my tremendous ignorance. Having no idea of what I was doing and being unable to find the answers necessary for correcting my error, I stopped keeping the Feasts and firmly believe Yah has turned my heart in this direction.

Before I continue, allow me to remind you of something very critical: THOSE WHO ARE A PART OF THE BODY OF MESSIAH, THE REDEEMED AND RANSOMED OF YAH, WILL BE THOSE WHO FULLY OBEY YAH’S VOICE, THOSE WHO PROFESS THE FAITH OF ABRAHAM, WHICH IS TOTAL OBEDIENCE TO YAH’S WILL.

I cannot overemphasize the importance of our obedience to Yah. Once the Scriptures are presented and you see what Yah has to say about our trying to keep His set apart days without following Him, your obedience will become your decision.

The Passover was an event ordained by Yah for the children of Israel to commemorate our FREEDOM from Egyptian bondage (read Exodus (Shemoth) 12).

The Passover is not a feast day. The Passover is the event of sacrificing the lamb or goat and preparing it for the Feast of Unleavened Bread. As you might know, the Passover is not a high Sabbath day; the first and last day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread are high Sabbath days. A "high Sabbath" is a Sabbath day other than our weekly Sabbath.

Yah says the Passover lamb or goat used must be of the first year (a year old) and be without spot or blemish. To sacrifice an all white lamb or goat for Passover, this means there must not be one black, red or yellow hair or one cut or bruise found on the sacrifice; otherwise it cannot be used for the Passover.

The Passover of Exodus 12 was done in the wilderness as the Israelites were freed from bondage. However, Yah told them that once they enter the land, they could only keep the Passover at the place He chose to place His name. This applies to not only the Passover, but also to our burnt offerings, food tithes, vows, etc. All these things are to be done in the place YAH chose to place His name.

We could not take our sacrifices and burnt offerings to a place of our choosing, but only to the place where Yah shall place His name. These things had to be done according to the will of Yah.

Yah tells us not to do what is right in our own eyes. This disobedient practice is echoed in our time, as we can see with those who attempt to keep the feasts. They are doing what is right in their own eyes. Yah is laying out the plan to Israel as to how these things are to be done. We must do them either His way, or NO WAY AT ALL.

Notice Yah continually tells us to bring these things to the place He shall choose to place His name. WHERE IS THAT PLACE? SCRIPTURE WILL TELL US.

YAH HAS GIVEN US A COMMANDMENT TO NOT OFFER OUR BURNT OFFERINGS IN ANY PLACE WE SEE BUT IN THE PLACE HE CHOOSES. PAY ATTENTION BECAUSE HE SAYS THE EXACT SAME THING ABOUT THE PASSOVER SACRIFICE.

AGAIN WE SEE WE CANNOT DO WHAT IS RIGHT IN OUR OWN EYES. WE MUST BE OBEDIENT TO THE COMMANDMENTS OF YAH.

IF HE SAYS YOU CANNOT DO THIS AS YOU SEE FIT, IN THE PLACE YOU DESIGNATE, THEN YOU CANNOT DO IT.

IF YOU CHOOSE TO BE DISOBEDIENT TO YAH AND TO TRANSGRESS HIS LAWS AND COMMANDMENTS, THEN YOU ARE SINNING (I JOHN 3:4; I SAMUEL 15:24). HEBREWS 10:26 SAYS IF WE WILLFULLY SIN, AFTER KNOWING THE TRUTH, THERE REMAINS NO MORE SACRIFICE FOR OUR SINS.

PAY CLOSE ATTENTION – THIS CONCEPT GOES DEEPER.

Let see what Yah says about those who are disobedient to His commandments, those that do what they want to do and not do as He says.

Yah is telling us that when we fail to bring our sacrifice to Him in the manner He commands us, we are sacrificing to devils. Keep that in mind as we look at what He says about the Passover and how it should be done.

Deuteronomy 16:1 Observe the month of Abib, and keep the passover unto YAH: for in the month of Abib Yah brought thee forth out of Egypt by night.

Once again we see Yah speaking about a place where He shall put His name and the Passover can only be sacrificed there.

Not only was Passover to be kept in this sacred place that carries Yah’s name, but three feasts are to be kept there also.

The Feast of Unleavened Bread follows the Passover. It is the Feast of Unleavened Bread where the Passover lamb is to be eaten along with the bitter herbs and unleavened bread. Yah says you can only keep this feast in the place He choose to place His name.

Let us see where this place is He choose to put His name, the place where we must keep Passover and the feasts.

Yah has chosen Jerusalem as the place to put His name. Remember He told us to keep the Passover in the place He chooses, along with unleavened bread, Feast of Weeks (Pentecost) and Tabernacle. Yah tells us not to sacrifice the Passover in any of our gates but only do it in Jerusalem.

Deuteronomy 16:5 Thou mayest not sacrifice the passover within any of thy gates, which Yah giveth thee:

6 But at the place which Yah shall choose to place his name in, there thou shalt sacrifice the passover at even, at the going down of the sun, at the season that thou camest forth out of Egypt.

YAH’S WORD CANNOT BE MORE CLEAR ON THIS, MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS. THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE GOING TO THE CORNER MEAT MARKET TO BUY LAMB CHOPS, OR HALF LAMBS AND ATTEMPTING TO KEEP PASSOVER ARE TRANSGRESSING THE COMMANDMENTS OF YAH.

HE SAYS IN DEUTERONOMY 16:5 NOT TO SACRIFICE IN ANY OF YOUR GATES (DWELLINGS/TOWNS) BUT TO DO IT IN JERUSALEM. The lamb we buy from the grocery store could be 1, 2 or 15 years old; we do not know whether it was without spot or blemish.

IF WE ARE NOT TO SACRIFICE THE PASSOVER IN THIS LAND, THEN NEITHER ARE WE TO KEEP THE FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD OUTSIDE OF JERUSALEM, AS BOTH GO HAND IN HAND. YAH TOLD US TO KEEP UNLEAVENED BREAD IN JERUSALEM.

Allow me to give you some history on this matter.

As I mentioned, the Passover is not a Sabbath or feast, the Passover is the sacrifice made of the lamb or goat. Our people would take a male lamb of the first year, without spot or blemish, on the 10^th day of Abib, keep that lamb until the 14^th day, go to Jerusalem and sacrifice the lamb. The priest sprinkle the blood upon the altar, then we roast it. At the going down of the sun on the 14^th day, which will begin the 15^th, we begin the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, in Jerusalem, which lasts for a total of seven days. The killing of the Passover began at the 9^th hour and lasted until the setting of the sun, which would be about the 12^th hour. These correspond with 3pm-6pm solar time.

Yahoshua was sacrificed at this exact time.

Yah also tells us that if we cannot keep the Passover in the month of Abib for whatever reason, then we can keep it the second month. But it still must be kept in Jerusalem.

Our people knew these ordinances of the Passover must be kept according to the commandments of Yah. Look at how our people kept Passover during the time of King Hezekiyah:

They could not keep the Passover in the first month of Abib because the priests were not ready and the people had not yet come to Jerusalem. They had to postpone the Passover to the second month. As you will see they still had to keep the feast in Jerusalem.

THE FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD WAS CELEBRATED IN JERUSALEM FOR THE ENTIRE SEVEN DAYS.

Oh, how Yah blessed Israel for OBEYING His commandments of PROPERLY KEEPING Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread!

Now, let us ask ourselves whether we have experienced a celebration such as this. NO, WE HAVE NOT. WHY? Because Yah has not blessed our hand in this matter. Yah listened to Hezekiyah’s prayer as they partook of this great celebration in the manner Yah commanded.

The reason so much confusion arises among Israel about how to keep Passover is that it attempts to keep Passover in places where YAH HAS NOT CHOSEN TO PUT HIS NAME. Israel’s attempted Passover celebrations are an abomination to Yah. He told you not to do this, but we stiff-necked ones have not hearkened unto His voice.

If you need to have further proof, let’s go back to Scripture.

Yahoshua celebrated Passover in Jerusalem just as the law states:

First lets notice something, Passover is not a feast, it’s the sacrificing of the lamb, calling Passover a feast is a mistake. Next it says his PARENTS MIRIAM AND YOSAFE WENT TO JERUSALEM EVERY YEAR TO KEEP THE PASSOVER. IT WAS THEIR CUSTOM TO GO TO JERUSALEM EVERY YEAR FOR THE PASSOVER. VERSE 43 SAYS AFTER THEY HAD FULFILLED THE DAYS, THEN THEY LEFT JERUSALEM.

They spent a week in Jerusalem partaking in the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which Yah said we are to observe for seven days in Jerusalem (the place He chose to put His name). Therefore, they were keeping the law. If it was all right for anyone to keep Passover and the Feast outside of Jerusalem, wouldn't it have been Yahoshua, and his earthly parents? Yahoshua was a man without sin (spot) He kept every commandment and ordinance of Yah.

Not only was Jerusalem chosen as the place, but Yah also put His name on the temple Solomon built for his honor.

Jerusalem, along with the temple, is the place Yah chose to place His name. Not only do you need to be in Jerusalem in order to keep the feasts, but the temple must also be there. Notice what King Hezekiyah said:

The house of Yah is a reference to the temple that stood in Jerusalem. In order to keep Yah's feasts, we need to have the temple, and Jerusalem must be under true Israelite control.

Let us look at another example of Israelites’ keeping the festival days in Jerusalem as was commanded. Look at Acts 2:

Interesting. Who was in one accord and in what place were they on the day of Pentecost (or "The Feast of Weeks")? Let us read on and see.

They were Hebrews who came from every nation under heaven to keep the festival of Pentecost. Let’s see from what nations some of the brothers had come:

These brothers returned to Jerusalem from Egypt, Iraq, North Africa, Rome, Iran etc., in order to keep this feast.

Why did they come from so many places and from so far? Why didn’t they keep the feast in the lands of their birth? You are keeping the feast in the United States, Jamaica, Canada, South America, etc. What makes you different from them? If you can do it, why didn’t they? Could it be those brothers lost their minds to journey all the way from their distant lands in order to keep the Festival of Weeks when they could have been like us in the U.S. and stayed at home. "NO!," SAYS YAH IN DEUTERONOMY 16:

THE FEAST OF WEEKS IS CALLED PENTECOST IN THE GREEK TONGUE. The brothers were being obedient. Scripture says they were devout, meaning they were serious about being obedient to Torah. They traveled from far away lands to keep this commandment; but notice once again we see Yah blessed them with the outpouring of His set-apart spirit.

Have any of you ever experience anything like that at your Pentecost celebrations? I know I have not. WHY? Because Yah’s hand is not involved in our celebrations. He told us not to do this in any other place other than the place He shall choose. We see that Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread is to be kept in Jerusalem, as is the Feast of Weeks. But, what about the third required feast, Tabernacle? After Israel is returned to the land, after Yahoshua returns, all of mankind will be required to keep the Feast of Tabernacle in Jerusalem.

Yet another interesting point here. Where shall the nations go to keep this Feast,? Is it another place other than the one Yah told us about in Torah? Let’s look to Scripture:

So, the Feast of Tabernacles will be in Jerusalem, just as Yah commanded us to keep it. This is speaking about a future time when the kingdom of Yah has come to earth, AFTER THE GREAT BATTLE, AFTER SATAN IS UNDER CHAINS, This Feast will be reinstated. JERUSALEM ONCE AGAIN WILL BE THE SOVEREIGN NATION OF YAH'S CHOSEN.

But what if the nations do not want to keep the feast in Jerusalem? What if they do like we do and keep the Feast anywhere they please? If we can do it, why can’t the nations? What does Yah say about this?

So we see the nations will be punished for not keeping the Feast in the place Yah choose to place his name FOREVER (Jerusalem). So if the nations are being punished, what about us? Yah said He has to punish us for all our sins.

ALL YOUR INIQUITIES ISRAEL, IF HE WILL PUNISH THE NATIONS FOR BEING DISOBEDIENT WHAT DO YOU THINK HE WILL DO TO US FOR DOING THE EXACT SAME THING? CAN THIS BE THE SOLE REASON WE ARE SO CONFUSED ABOUT THESE FEAST DAYS. WE DON’T KNOW HOW TO KEEP THEM, WE DON’T KNOW HOW TO CALCULATE THEM? MANY OF US FOLLOW JEWISH TRADITIONS, AND OUR OWN UNDERSTANDING. WHICH IS AN ABOMINATION TO YAH.

In closing let me say this, remember the Passover was the act of sacrificing the lamb or goat, that was to be eaten during the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. In the book of Corinthians it states Yahoshua is our Passover sacrifice.

If He is our Passover and was sacrificed for us, question: WHERE WAS HE SACRIFICED? ANSWER: JERUSALEM. WHY? BECAUSE THIS IS THE ONLY PLACE THE PASSOVER CAN BE SACRIFICED, IN THE PLACE WHERE YAH CHOOSE TO PLACE HIS NAME.

Brothers and Sister this is not being written to condemn anyone. I was in that same boat, trying to keep these days without any knowledge on how to do so. But Yah has shown me better, so now I have to do better.

There remains much more to this lesson that time will permit I will make available via audio tape. Look for it soon.

Shalom.