The Four Species

And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs [fruit] of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days.

Leviticus 23:40 (KJV)

On Sukkot (Feast of Booths), God instructs us to take up four elements from four different species of trees. We hold these in our hands… for what? To understand this, we need to reflect on the details of this verse and contrast it with another one earlier in the Bible.

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Judge Ourselves

For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.

1 Corinthians 11:31 (KJV)

Judge ourselves – During the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur, these words of Paul ring loudly. If we examine ourselves and discern our own actions, then we’d be free of the final judgment. God’s punishment today is accepted as merciful and loving compared to what is coming upon the world.

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Day of Atonement Procedure

And this shall be an everlasting statute unto you, to make an atonement for the children of Israel for all their sins once a year. And he did as the Lord commanded Moses.

Leviticus 16:34 (KJV)

Everlasting statute – Not many of us understand the gravity of this most solemn day for Israel. The effort and preparation for this day exceeded all other days, especially for the High Priest. Let us review the service in whole as written down in the Mishnah Yoma.

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Firstborn and Only Begotten

And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the Lord, Israel is my son, even my firstborn:

Exodus 4:22 (KJV)

Firstborn – As a follower of Yeshua, it is easy to forget history when you believe the history of the faith began with the advent of Jesus in the first century. When all we read is the New Testament, the history prior to it becomes irrelevant. If I believe that Yeshua completely absolved everything written in the Old Testament to create a new religion called Christianity, then I have lost perspective.

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Passover in the Home

And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take, eat: this is my body.

Mark 14:22 (KJV)

Imagine for a second that Yeshua went to a synagogue or church to break bread on the Passover evening. Walking in, Yeshua would be invited to sit somewhere special as a recognized rabbi. His disciples would sit elsewhere among the crowd of strangers. Those heading the service may not even give Yeshua an opportunity to speak during the occasion. This is most likely the experience of everyone who gathers in a church during Passover.

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COVID-19 and the plagues

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.

Exodus 12:13 (KJV)

Where ye are – The first quarantine was established by God during the time of a plague. He instructed all of Israel to stay in their homes while a plague ravished the land. And here we are today, on the verge of Passover, practicing quarantine to remove ourselves from a virus spreading throughout the land. How fitting.

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2020 Spring Holy Days

The new moon was sighted in Israel on the evening of March 25th and the barley is confirmed to be in the aviv stage. This means we start counting today to determine God’s calendar and His Holy Days.

Happy New Year!

Sighted New MoonMarch 25
PassoverApril 8 (sunset)
Feast of Unleavened BreadApril 9 – 15
Feast of WeeksMay 31

This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.

Exodus 12:2

Observe the month of Abib, and keep the passover unto the Lord thy God: for in the month of Abib the Lord thy God brought thee forth out of Egypt by night.

Deuteronomy 16:1

2019 Fall Holy Days

The new moon was sighted Sunday evening, September 29, 2019, in Israel by multiple witnesses. That makes today, Monday, September 30, the Memorial of Trumpets in accordance with Leviticus 23:24. The fall holy days work out like this:

Memorial of Trumpets (Yom Teruah)September 30, 2019
Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur)October 9
Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot)October 14 – 21

Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation.

Leviticus 23:24 (KJV)

Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: […]

Leviticus 23:27

Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the Lord.

Leviticus 23:34

2019 Spring Holy Days

2019 Holy Days (first set)

A sufficient amount of aviv was not found in Israel to declare this new moon as the beginning of the new year. This year will end with a 13th month. The next estimated visible new moon will be April 6 dictating the dates below.

Updated on 4/8/19 with correct dates!

Sighted new moonApril 7
PassoverApril 21 (sunset)
Feast of Unleavened BreadApril 22 – 28
Feast of WeeksJune 16

This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.

Exodus 12:2

Observe the month of Abib, and keep the passover unto the Lord thy God: for in the month of Abib the Lord thy God brought thee forth out of Egypt by night.

Deuteronomy 16:1

(updated) 2019 Fall Holy Days

Contradictions

I absolutely love contradictions in the Bible. Yep, you heard me right. When I find a contradiction in Scripture, I know there’s something deeper going on that isn’t visible on the surface.

And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission. (Hebrews 9:22)

But if he be not able to bring two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, then he that sinned shall bring for his offering the tenth part of an ephah of fine flour for a sin offering; he shall put no oil upon it, neither shall he put any frankincense thereon: for it is a sin offering. (Leviticus 5:11)

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