Newsletter: 2006-04 Spring Holy Days

Holy Day Greetings from Homeworship 101™

“…The feasts of the Lord,
which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations,
these are My feasts.” - Leviticus 23:1
“These are the feasts of the Lord,
holy convocations which you shall proclaim at their appointed times.” - vs.4.

Just a few days ago I was wishing some Christian Bible teachers I know a Happy New Year, after I turned away I overheard someone whispering a question to their friend asking what was I talking about. The Bible teacher quietly answered, “Oh he is just talking about the Jewish holidays.” Some people listen to me but do not really hear me, the above Bible verse clearly states that these are YHWH’s Holy Days; nowhere does it state that these are Jewish Holy Days. And from the above verse it also appears to me that we Bible teaches should be proclaiming the Holy Days at their appointed time, which means that it is not man’s appointed time, but we watch the signs for YHWH’s appointed times.

The Bible tells us in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 that there is a time for everything. These days beginning YHWH'S New Year are a busy time of spiritual reflection and making preparations for the start of the first annual Holy Days.

Observing the Holy Days is not done for salvation. It is done out of love and respect for our CREATOR and HIS Covenant with us (1Jno.5:3). Just as any skilled professional is required to take additional training or annual refresher courses, these are the annual spiritual refresher courses designed by our CREATOR. They are for a-l-l of HIS Believers to practice their spiritual training and maintain a high level of performance - lest we forget and lose our way (Mat.25:1-13).

Today faith has evolved into spectator event, where the clergy perform and the laymen observe, Sunday service is nothing but a religious production, and the church buildings with their bigger is better design have more of a country club mentality then mirroring the early church. Jew or Christian the similarities run the same, the faithful have forgotten that YHWH’s Holy Days are not just religious obligations; they are a treasure trove of our CREATOR'S Wisdom. YHWH in HIS infinite wisdom designed the Holy Days to have many in-depth and multilevel meanings, all with perfect symmetry leading to one place, HIS Kingdom. Through the spiritual opera of the Holy Days HE is trying to help us understand HIS plan for humanity and HE wants us to actively participate.

In years past, I have tried to teach some of the multi-level meanings of the Holy Days. For example, the Holy Days have historical lessons - which we should honor by their remembrance. They teach current day character building lessons - which we should learn. They teach us health lessons for the mind and body. They are a “shadow of things to come” as they picture a prophetic, Messianic message of hope. They are future prophecies of events (some on a planetary scale) yet to unfold (Col.2:16-17) - which we a-l-l should watch for. And now during this year’s series of Holy Days I’ll explain how the Holy Days relate to Covenant theology.

On the 10^th Day…GOD-Test (April 9)

On this day, the 10^th day of the first month, the Jews were required to examine and set aside the lamb that would be sacrificed on Passover. The sacrificial lamb must be "without blemish" which would require very close and careful examination, to be sure of its quality. By analogy, the followers of YAHWEH and Yahshua were to examine the Covenant teachings of the Kingdom very carefully to be sure of the quality of its truth. And Yahshua's teachings were based on His FATHER’S Words given in the Torah and the Prophets of the Hebrew - Old – Testament (Heb.8:8-10) – he did not come to change or do away with His FATHER’s Laws (Mat.5:17-19).

Covenants usually have a preamble or a prologue, describing the relationship or history, identifying the author and participating parties. In ancient times, during this season, YHWH was performing miracles to free the Hebrew people from their evil Egyptian bondage (Exo.ch.7-11). Through all the spectacular miracles that were performed, YHWH identified HIMSELF, and showed the world HIS superior authority and power. The ancient Hebrew people were the participating party and YHWH showed the world that he would protect those people included in HIS Covenant.

As it was written in the Messianic Hebrew Testament, aka The New Testament, on this day called Palm Sunday by today's Christians, Yahshua presented himself to the Jews as the Messiah. The spiritual symbolism is easy to see, His followers were to examine His spiritual lessons very carefully. It was a stunning time. Just as the Prophets foretold, Yahshua rode into Jerusalem on a donkey (Mat.21:1-11; Zec.9:9). As He rode in, the people called out “Hosanna,” which means in Hebrew “save us.” They shouted praises to YAHWEH - HalleluYAH! - for the miracles they had seen Yahshua do.

“True religion is the life you lead,
not the creed you possess.”

Many seem to forget that Yahshua also had a prickly side to Him, and He often irritated the religious leadership. It is not talked about too much, but Yahshua was also a religious reformer (Mat.3:7, 5:20, 7:6-13, 22:15-46, 23:1-36; Luk.11:37-54, 18:9-14; Jno.8:44). In these last days He presented His most controversial and challenging teachings which immediately began ringing the alarm bells at the halls of the ruling religious elites (Mat.21:12-27; Mar.11:15-33). The lesson is clear; what is spiritually important to YHWH and Yahshua is how you live your everyday life with a proper heart for your fellow man or women, then holding to religious reticules (Rev.ch.2-3). Log on to learn more: http://www.homeworship101.com/bb-c7b_are_you_the_messiah_ministry.htm

The first Covenant lesson to remember is that on this day, YHWH is teaching humanity to be critical thinkers. Question your teachers and leaders! True wisdom is based on the foundation of the Bible as opposed to mans spontaneous logic, which is built on sand and will not stand the test of time - test everything (Acts 17:11), and be cautious not make a covenant with impersonators.

On the 14^th day… The Passover (April 13)

On the original Passover night YHWH showed the faithful that the pagan rulers and their evil world have no future. Surviving the Passover night means one has been found 'justified and redeemed' (Exo.ch.12-13). Redeemed means that something has been bought back from the marketplace. Justification means that someone has been judged and found not-guilty. In other words, humanities sins washed away in the sea of forgetfulness, and that is a good thing for the spiritual bank account. Your position before YAHWEH now changes - for the better!

This also is important to the Christian church, as there are many New Testament references teaching justification, Romans 3:24-28, 4:25, 5:1-9, 8:30; Galatians 2:16-17. If we accept the ruling than we must respect HIS (YHWH) position of authority. We are justified, found not guilty - for the time being. Now we have to stay that way, and we do that by accepting YHWH'S guidance and “putting on” a new person to insure our freedom and await our Covenant rewards.

We have seen YHWH’s power and authority, and we heard HIS teachings or proposal, the next step is ratification of the Covenant. Ratification means to publicly swear allegiance or commitment to it. And that is accomplished by drinking of the cup of the covenant, or the cup of wine in the Passover ceremony, in Christianity it is called communion.

Humanities redemption began with the ancient Israelites by the blood of Passover. The blood of Passover that saved them was the blood of the lamb that the ancient Israelites were told to put on their doorposts. And some centuries later, humanities redemption was fulfilled when Yahshua, the innocent “lamb of GOD,” was sacrificed on Passover. The faithful symbolize this by drinking red wine during the Passover, and communion rite, by doing so one is symbolically ratifying the Covenant with YHWH. To learn more log on to: http://www.homeworship101.com/bb-c10_mystery_of_the_bride.htm

On the 15^th day… Days of Unleavened Bread (April 14)

"Divine Knowledge: humbles great men,
astonishes the common man,
and puffs up the little man."

Too many people think the sun shines through their bellybutton - so to speak, and with that haughty attitude one will never learn anything. Participating in the Holy Days means one is about to receive the Wisdom of YHWH'S Kingdom and that Wisdom cannot be misused. So the these first Holy Days begin with a warning lesson about the sin of pride which was played out for all the world to see long ago in ancient Egypt between Moses and Pharaoh. The Divine message is: Be humble, and temper your lofty pride or you will wind up in ruin like Pharaoh (Exo.ch.13-15).

“When pride comes, then comes shame;
but with the humble is wisdom.” - Proverbs 11:2

The first moral lesson of the Holy season is showing humanity that pride is the worst sin of all, and must be brought under control before any spiritual learning can begin. The faithful are justified through the Passover blood but they must learn how to remain that way. The Bible has many verses that teach humility because people cannot learn how to remain justified and sanctified if one is too prideful to heed YHWH’s teachings. To remind humanity of this, the preparations for these first Holy Days means removing all food leavening products from your house and diet. And while we are cleaning out our houses of puffed up foods, symbolically, we must make the effort to remove the leaven of prideful sin from our hearts because the body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1Cor.5:7-8); and we should also clean out the bad doctrines we follow because they will lead us astray (Heb 13:9). For further study log on: http://www.homeworship101.com/holy_days_spring.htm

On the first Sunday after Passover… Day of Firstfruits (April 16)

‘I love it when a plan comes together.’ – YAHWEH

The prophecies of the mystery of the Messiah was known way back in time. To send a redeemer to save humanity from the curse of sin was the first promise YHWH made to Adam & Eve after they left the Garden of Eden, and they passed it on through their generations. Later in time, YHWH once again renewed the promise to Noah in the Rainbow Covenant. All the supernatural beings in the heavenlies knew of the promise but were not quite sure how it would actually come to pass. YHWH withheld the exact details because Satan also hears the prophecies and he would do all he can to stop the redemption of humanity. When Yahshua finally fulfilled HIS mission on earth the whole population of the heavenlies was happily watching with amazement – the only unhappy ones were Satan and his followers.

On this day when Yahshua was resurrected to immorality he made a wonderful entrance into the Kingdom. They were cheering Yahshua as He entered the Throne Room shouting, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain. To receive power and riches and wisdom. And strength and honor and glory and blessing,” Revelation 5:12. He was making His way through all the well-wishers when suddenly a hush fell over the Throne Room, and all eyes turned to the Throne. YAHWEH the FATHER was standing up to make a pronouncement, HIS voice thunders through the Kingdom, as HE announces to all in the Universe, that HE now gives Yahshua His Covenant reward for faithful service, a highly exalted position in the Kingdom.

Yahshua kneels, and YAHWEH bestows a triple anointing: He is a Prophet (Deu.18:18), He is a High Priest (Heb.ch.7-8), and He is King (Ps.45:6-8). YAHWEH now gives Him a Name above any other, not only in this world, but also in that world which is to come. YAHWEH hath put all things under His feet, and made it known that at every knee should bend, of those in Heaven, and those of the Earth, and of those under the Earth, and that every tongue should confess that Yahshua is the Messiah, to the glory of YAHWEH the FATHER (Phi.2:9-11; Eph.1:22-23).

Yahshua rises, and YAHWEH hands Him the keys to death and hades (Rev.1:18). Yahshua then takes His seat, at the right hand of YAHWEH (Mar.16:19). As the trumpets mark the event, praise and cheer erupts from the Throne Room, on this day of Firstfruits, it was one of those most-excellent moments in the Kingdom. All is well in the Universe!!!

Just to prove YHWH’s superiority to the faithful here on earth, there is also another odd story that goes with the resurrection. Writings collected in the Ante-Nicene Library (a large volume of books containing the writing of the first and second century church), describe that more then twelve thousand of the Old Testament Assembly walked thru Galilee for forty days (Mat.27:52-54). Just think of it, these are dead people resurrected to life that the living people recognized. Most Bible teachers skip over this passage because the account of this amazing supernatural event seems so bizarre.

After the forty days they were taken to a holding place in YAHWEH’S Third Heaven, and are now asleep with the righteous dead that have died since that event (2Cor.5:8). They are awaiting their immortal bodies, given when Yahshua calls them near the end of the Age of Grace.

. . . and the universe awaits
for the revealing of the Covenant Children of YAHWEH
from New Earth . . .

<>< <>< ><> ><>

“Why do you call me Lord, Lord
and do not do the things which I say?” – Luke 6:46

What I have just briefly described here is a wonderful spiritual story, rich in history and heavenly symbolism. And Yahshuas’ fulfillment as the innocent lamb of YHWH to fulfill the Blood of the Covenant was one of those stunning mysteries of YHWH. It may not occur to many people today, but in these Holy Days Yahshua through His physical life, spiritually fulfilled, all the Heavenly symbolism precisely. Yahshua as the lamb of GOD, was crucified on Passover, buried on Unleavened Bread, raised on Firstfruits, and He had sent the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. Four coincidences are really hard to explain away, thereby confirming that YAHWEH is in control and there is hope for the future! To simply dismiss all this and just call this day an Easter celebration with Easter eggs and bunnies is an insult to YHWH and Yahshua. Please, in our modern age let us have enough spiritual honesty to take the pagan Easter out of the blessed Resurrection Sunday.

In closing remember, YAHWEH'S Holy Days are home Worship family days where everyone is encouraged to participate. There is a time and place for “formal” ceremony and Worship during the high Holy Days, but home Worship is less rigid, more down-to-earth and from-the-heart. In the time of the Apostles, there might be a service at the synagogue or Temple, but then the faithful would go home, prepare a Sacred meal, and continue their Worship with family and friends. In Christianity it is called "Table Fellowship," and it is modeled after the Last - Passover - Supper. Log on: http://www.homeworship101.com/holy_day_observance.htm

Please remember to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, and for all those who stand with Israel (Ps.122).

Take care. Wishing all Holy Day Blessings, Errol.
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Errol Mueller, chronicler extraordinaire
e-mail: errol@homeworship101.com
website: www.homeworship101.com
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Scripture quotations are from the New King James Version of the Holy Bible.
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#WSC 2006-04, posted 04/08/06.
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