Lesson date: 8/21/5856AA
Every chapter in Scripture is important but this chapter is very special to us a believers, following the way of YHVH, because it actually defines who we are and also reveals Yah’s Plan of Redemption of His people who are called by His Name. Look at the top of the page at the title of this Book in Torah – Wayyiqra which means “And He called out”, which is the first word found in the book called Leviticus. Lev 1:1 And יהוה called to Mosheh, and spoke to him from the Tent of Appointment, saying,
It shows us that YHVH called out to Mosheh and if we follow Mosheh we are called out also. Why did I say that this chapter, more many others defines us? Because let’s look at words and look for their meanings: H4150 – מוֹעָדָה מֹעֵד מוֹעֵד – mô‛êd mô‛êd mô‛âdâh – mo-ade’, mo-ade’, mo-aw-daw’
From H3259; properly an appointment, that is, a fixed time or season; specifically a festival;
H4744 – מִקְרָא – miqrâ’ – mik-raw’ -From H7121; something called out, that is, a public meeting (the act, the persons, or the place); also a rehearsal: – assembly, calling, convocation, reading.
H6944 – קֹדֶשׁ – qôdesh – ko’-desh – From H6942; a sacred place or thing; rarely abstractly sanctity: – consecrated (thing), dedicated (thing), hallowed (thing), holiness, (X most) holy (X day, portion, thing), saint, sanctuary.
If we put this together we are talking about appointed times, or appointments, that are gatherings or rehearsals that are set apart. So, what is wrong with the KJV: Lev 23:2 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts.
Any other problems?
M mem – people, nations, water, chaos
o ayin – eye, to see, perceive
d dalet – the tent flap, the door
The nations will see the Door. Joh_10:7 יהושע therefore said to them again, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.
M mem – people, nations, water, chaos
q quph – back of the head, arch, circuit, gather, surround
r reysh – head, leader, highest, supreme
a alef – leader, strength, primary, sum
The nations gather to our Supreme (Strong) Leader.
Q quph – gather, surround, circuit
d dalet – tent flap, door (of the tent)
s sheen – front teeth, to devour, to consume, sharp, spoken word
We gather at the Door of the tent to consume (the Word).
Verse 3 – Our first, and therefore, foremost appointed time is the weekly sabbath. Of the 10 Words in Shemoth 20 it is the fourth word and is also the longest command and in the KJV consists of 97 words. It must be important. It is actually the seventh day of Creation and is therefore prophetic of the time that we will join our Creator and worship Him. It is probably the most straight forward of all appointed times but even then people try to twist or pervert its simplicity – Lev 23:3 Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath of rest,
There is nothing about the moon changing the counting of seven days. This is supposed to follow the natural progression of Creation and since there was no confusion or interruption in Creation there should not be any chaos or interruption in the cycle of Creation. Gen 1:31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
Gen 2:3 And Elohim blessed the seventh day and set it apart, because on it He rested from all His work which Elohim in creating had made.
Don’t try to change YHVH’s orderly Creation into something of chaos or confusion because, there is another god that is the god of confusion and chaos.
Verse 4-8 – This is the place people get tripped up. The Passover is not a feast but is an eternally appointed time: Exo 12:11 ‘And this is how you eat it: your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And you shall eat it in haste. It is the Pěsaḥ
Exo 12:14 ‘And this day shall become to you a remembrance. And you shall celebrate it as a festival to יהוה throughout your generations – celebrate it as a festival, an everlasting law.
The word “Chag” H2282 can mean feast but it also means festival and solemn day of sacrifice. Now, which meaning seems more appropriate, feast – people, pardon the word, pigging out have a good time or huddled with your family under the roof of the house whose door has been marked with the Blood of the Lamb? I go for solemn day of sacrifice.
Notice also, there is no restriction from working because it is the preparation day for the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
When do we celebrate Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread? Passover is the 14th day of the first month, Abib or Aviv, and Unleavened Bread is the 15th day of Aviv. But that is not all because, we celebrate the 15th Day and also seven days later, the 21st day of the month: Lev 23:8 ‘And you shall bring an offering made by fire to יהוה for seven days. On the seventh day is a set-apart gathering, you do no servile work.’ ”
Verses 9-14 – The Festival of First Fruits is another day which is misunderstood so let’s look at it closely. Notice that so far the only Sabbath mentioned is the weekly sabbath. In verse 8 the words “seventh day” are not referring to the Shabbat but a counted number of days: H7637 – שׁבעי / שׁביעי – shebı̂y‛ı̂y / shebi‛ı̂y – BDB Definition: 1) seventh 1a) ordinal number
Now, look at the word for sabbath: H7676 – שׁבּת – shabbâth – BDB Definition: 1) Sabbath
And, also look at the word for rest because it too is very important: H7677 – שׁבּתון – shabbâthôn – BDB Definition: 1) Sabbath observance, sabbatism
This is the word that the Greeks borrowed from Hebrew to indicate the Sabbath and you find it used here in the B’rit Hadasha: Heb_4:9 So there remains a Sabbath-keeping for the people of Elohim.
We can now see that the day that the First Fruits offering is to be waved is the day after the weekly Sabbath, not the Feast of Unleavened Bread being counted as a sabbath. In other words we wave the sheaf of the First Fruits on the First Day of the week ((called Sunday on the Gregorian calendar.))
Verses 15-22 – Shavuot – We are about to engage in some Scriptural math.
7X7 = 49.
We are counting weekly Sabbaths NOT feast days that may or may not fall with a given period of time. How do we know? Verse 16 tells us we are to count 50 days total! 7X7=49 and the morrow after the seventh Sabbath will make 50 days. To count the Day of Unleavened Bread or the 7th day of Unleavened Bread you won’t end up with 50 days at the end of counting seven Sabbaths. I know that parts of speech and conjugation are not fun subjects but they are essential so that we can keep Sha’ul exortation: 2Ti_2:15 Do your utmost to present yourself approved to Elohim, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly handling the Word of Truth.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
8 9 10 11 12 13 14
15 16 17 18 19 20 21
22 23 24 25 26 27 28
29 30 31 32 33 34 35
36 37 38 39 40 41 42
43 44 45 46 47 48 49
50 = first day of the week = Shavuot a.k.a. Feast of Weeks not sabbaths. Also called Pentecost: G4004
πεντήκοντα – pentēkonta – pen-tay’-kon-tah – Multiplicative of G4002; fifty: – fifty.
YHVH’s system of counting is 7 based just like ours is ten based or the decimal system. The Roman system of counting is 5 based I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, IX, X, etc. A carpenter’s ruler or tape measure is a 12 based counting system. We must know and understand this system of counting so that we can understand Wayyiqra Chapter 25 and also Daniel 9 and many other Scriptures.
What does Shavuot commemorate? The time between the barley harvest celebrated at First Fruits of Unleavened Bread and the wheat harvest First Fruits. On the first Fruits of Unleavened Bread a sheaf of barley was waved to represent the barley harvest but for the First Fruits of Shavuot two loaves of leavened bread will be baked and waved by the priest. Lev 23:17 ‘Bring from your dwellings for a wave offering two loaves of bread, of two-tenths of an ěphah of fine flour they are, baked with leaven, first-fruits to יהוה.
Verses 23-25 – Feast of Trumpets/Shouting/Blasting – The first day of the 7th month also known by the idiom “the day and hour that no man knows”. Why is this day so important to us?
Verses 26-32 – Yom Hakippurim/Kippur/Day of Atonement – We have already looked at the Day of Atonement in Chapter 16. This is a designated day of fasting not feasting
Notice in verse 32 that it is specifically stated that the day begins evening and ends on the evening on the 10th day.
Verses 33-44 – Feast of Tabernacles/Booths/Sukkot – Having just celebrated the Feast of Sukkot it should be fresh on our minds.
So what? What does all of this mean? Are we just supposed to do what we are told and not understand what we are rehearsing? No! Our Father (Avinu) wants us to understand His Plan so that we can rejoice or even weep on these days. Like I have mentioned many times Dr. G.A. Miles got me started on this journey of discovery 41 years ago by telling me “that if you understand “God’s” feast you will understand the ministry of “Jesus” (Yeshua). Alright, how does this tie into the ministry of Yeshua, you ask?
Yeshua – Being the Lamb of Elohim had to die on Passover Day. Joh_1:29 On the next day Yoḥanan saw יהושע coming toward him, and said, “See, the Lamb of Elohim who takes away the sin of the world!
Yeshua died on the Gregorian Wednesday before sunset. They had to hurry because the next day was a Feast of Unleavened Bread. Let’ count; Wednesday night = night 1; Thursday day = day 1; Thursday night = night 2; Friday day = day 2; Friday night = night 3; and Shabbat Day = day 3; and He arose as the sun set on Shabbat evening making Him the wave sheaf of First Fruits, on the first day of the week.
Yeshua is the Unleavened Bread (without sin).
Yeshua sends the Comforter to His Disciples on Shavuot and restores the ability to hear Yah’s Voice.
Yeshua will come at a Day and Hour that No man knows to prepare His Bride for the Feast.
Yeshua makes Atonement for the sins of the Bride on the Day of Atonement so that the wedding can take place.
Yeshua takes His Bride and the Marriage Supper takes place.
Yeshua will restore the Booth of Elohim and on the Eighth Day YHVH will dwell on Earth with mankind once again. Rev_21:3 And I heard a loud voice from the heaven saying, “See, the Booth of Elohim is with men, and He shall dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and Elohim Himself shall be with them and be their Elohim.
Ahavah,
CahalTx 