FEAST SEASON 1 – FEAST 2: UNLEAVENED BREAD 2026 – including Tabernacle imagery & Gifts

April 2026

THE FIRST SEASON FEASTS OF YHVH

FEAST 2: UNLEAVENED BREAD

The Feast of Unleavened Bread called Matzah in Hebrew, takes place on 15-21 Abib (Aviv in Hebrew) of the Biblical calendar each year.  YHVH the Father called the first month of the year Abib (Aviv), but it was later changed in some Bible translations to Nisan. The date always remain the same on YHVH’s calendar but changes each year on the Gregorian calendar, due to the calendar months differing in days per month, THEREFORE, the corresponding date this year on the Gregorian calendar that we follow, is sundown on 1 April to sundown on 8 April 2026 (you will remember a day on the Biblical calendar starts at sundown and not at midnight as we are used to).

We find the instruction of Abba Father for the FEAST of UNLEAVENED BREAD in:

Leviticus 23:6-8 “On the fifteenth of the same month (the first month, Abib) is the festival of matzah (Unleavened Bread); for seven days you are to eat matzah (unleavened bread). On the first day you are to have a holy convocation; don’t’ do any kind of ordinary work. Bring an offering made by fire to YHVH for seven days. On the seventh day is a holy convocation; do not do any kind of ordinary work.”

THE PURPOSE OF THE FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD

The Feast of Unleavened Bread serves to remind us:

Believers must be separated from Egypt; representing the world of sin we live in – a world with philosophies and ways contrary to the Word of God. God has CHOSEN US to be a PEOPLE SET APART and DIFFERENT from the world. We are to be IN THE WORLD but not OF THE WORLD. This is the Biblical meaning of being “holy”.

BIBLICAL HISTORY AND MEANING

God gives instructions in Leviticus 23:6-8 to eat unleavened bread for seven days with the first and last day to be celebrated as a Sabbath wherein no work should be done. The 15^th (see John 19:31) and 21^st of Abib (Nisan) on the Hebrew or Biblical Calendar (falling this year on 2 and 8 April 2026 on our Calendar), was therefore regarded as High Sabbath Days (days celebrated as a Sabbath due to their special meaning although it did not fall on a Saturday/ the Seventh Day as a normal Sabbath would). On these days people had to refrain from work and meditate (ponder/ think about, reflect) on the greatness and goodness of God. Passover on the 14^th of Abib (Nisan) was the Preparation Day for the 1^st day of Unleavened Bread on 15 Abib that had to be celebrated as a Sabbath.

When God delivered the Hebrews from Egypt, He brought them out with such a haste that they did not have time to bake their bread with leaven. Over time LEAVEN became symbolic of the Hebrews’ OLD LIFE of bondage in Egypt under the Pharaoh and the Egyptian worldly system, which was contrary to YHVH their God. The Feast of Unleavened bread was to be kept as a memorial to their separation from Egypt. No leavened bread could be eaten during Passover on the 14^th and neither on the 15^th to 21^st of Abib (Nisan) (Exodus 13:3 & 7). Before the Feast of Passover and Unleavened Bread could be celebrated ALL leaven had to be removed from the Hebrews’ houses. This required a great amount of spring cleaning. Everything in the house was thoroughly washed, scrubbed and cleaned and thereafter the head of the home thoroughly searched the house for any leaven that was possibly left behind. When any was found it was scooped up and burned outside. Finally, he would say a prayer, asking God to forgive his family for any hidden leaven they may have overlooked. With the leaven that had been purged from the household, the family was ready to celebrate Passover and Unleavened Bread.

It served as a REMINDER to the people of ISRAEL that God called them to be a separate people unto Himself. It was a permanent memorial of their DELIVERANCE from Egypt and the BONDAGE, OPRESSION, SORROW and SUFFERING that was part of their OLD LIFE.

FULFILLED BY YESHUA

Yeshua fulfilled the feast as the BREAD OF LIFE from heaven who had no sin (leaven) in Him (read 2 Corinthians 5:21 and 1 John 3:5). Because of the fermenting and permeating nature of leaven, it is often used as a metaphor for sin.

Isaiah gave a preview of the Messiah who would be smitten, bruised and pierced for our sin (Isaiah 53:4-5 & 8-10). Yeshua pointed to Himself as the fulfilment of this FEAST when He used the miracle of the multiplication of the five loaves of barley and two fishes, as a sign to tell the people of their need to come to Him as the TRUE BREAD OF GOD who would give them ETERNAL LIFE. (John 6:32-58).

Yeshua our Messiah was crucified on 14 Abib (a Wednesday in the actual year of crucifixion), His body was taken down before sundown that evening, which would be the beginning of the next day (15 Abib) on the Hebrew calendar. Yeshua the Messiah the UNLEAVENED BREAD of GOD, the FATHER from heaven, took on all our leaven of sin and was buried on the same day ISRAEL celebrated this FEAST for centuries. While the people were removing the physical leaven from their houses, Yeshua our Messiah removed the SPIRITUAL LEAVEN of SIN from our houses – that is our lives. Yeshua took our LEAVEN OF SIN, in HIS SPIRIT, our LEAVEN OF SORROWS in HIS SOUL and our LEAVEN OF SICNESS, DISEASE and DEATH in HIS BODY (read Psalm 103:1-5). He who knew no leaven (sin, sickness and death) became leaven for us. Our WORDLY ATTITUDES and SINFUL WAYS were buried with Him. The bondage, oppression, sorrow, suffering, sicknesses and diseases that were part of our old lives went with Him to the grave. He took the full burden of all the liabilities of our human condition with Him.

PERSONAL SIGNIFICANCE FOR US/ APPLICATION

We as believers are to “put off” the old leaven of sin (our sin nature inherited from Adam) that was crucified and buried with Yeshua our Messiah (Ephesians 4:22). The sinful nature or inclination toward sin keeps us from having an intimate relationship with God, brings sorrow and heartache to our soul, and brings disease and death to our body. As long as the OLD NATURE is the RULING FORCE in our life, we will commit outward acts of sin. Yeshua said in Mark 7:21-23 “For from within, out of the HEART of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornication, murder, theft, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride and foolishness. All these things come from within and defile a man.”

Paul warns us to PUT OFF the “ Lazarus grave clothes of the flesh”, which he also describes in Galatians 5:19-21 as the works of the flesh: “Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissentions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in times past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” Yeshua the Messiah took this old man of sin or old garment of the flesh (with other words the desire to sin) with Him into the grave and that is why we can PUT OFF this old garment of the flesh. In this way the POWER OF SIN HAS BEEN BROKEN. When we realize this, God begins to work change in our life. He changes our: CONDITION and our CHARACTER and we are TRANSFORMED into the MORAL IMAGE and LIKENESS OF YESHUA.

Paul requests us to take serious note of this in Romans 12:1-2 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of the mind, that you may prove what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God.” And in 2 Corinthians 6:17 he said: “Therefore, come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord.”

John wrote in 1 John 2:15-17 “Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world – the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.” Peter said in 1 Peter 2:11 “Beloved, I beg you as sojourners and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul.”

 THE PROPHETIC ASPECT

God worked through John and Charles Wesley, two brothers, to restore the SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

The Feast of Unleavened Bread relates to our condition – that is our character. God used the Wesley brothers to show us that there is much more to being a follower of Yeshua the Messiah than just having our sins forgiven. John and Charles Westley were born in England to devoted religious parents and both attended Oxford University where Charles started a small gathering of like-minded men called the “holy club” who desired to live a disciplined life for the purpose of developing INWARD HOLINESS. John became the leader of the group and as he meditated on the Word of God, he began to see that TRUE RELIGION was SEATED IN THE HEART and that GOD’s LAW extended to ALL OUR THOUGHTS, WORDS and ACTIONS. The two brothers’ preaching focused on the NECESSITY for PERSONAL HOLINESS in the lives of those who profess Yeshua the Messiah as their Master and Saviour.

THE TABERNACLE PICTURE

The pictures/ imagery of the TABERNACLE and its furniture in the TORAH (Genesis tot Deuteronomy) improve our understanding and help us in taking practical steps in our journey to YHVH the Father through Yeshua our Messiah who is THE WAY, THE TRUTH and THE LIFE (according to John 14:6);

The TABERNACLE is YHVH THE FATHER’S PLAN and BLUEPRINT for SALVATION, PORTRAYING YESHUA THE MESSIAH from the beginning to the end.

The TABERNACLE on earth was just a copy and shadow of the heavenly original (Hebrews 8:3-8).

• The TABERNACLE is a picture of Yeshua our Messiah who is indeed IMMANUEL, “God with us” and He Himself is God the everlasting Father according to Isaiah 7:14 and 9:6, living with us. Also read John 1:14, 2:21, Hebrews 10:19-22 and Revelation 21:3.

• Entering the gate of the TABERNACLE was the beginning of the journey of forgiveness and only the high priest had the privilege to enter into the presence of YHVH with fear and trembling on behalf of the people of Israel. But today we know, Yeshua our Messiah is the way (the gate) leading to ABBA FATHER. “Yeshua said, ‘I AM the WAY – and the TRUTH and the LIFE; no one comes to the FATHER except through Me.’” (John 14:6)

He says in John 10:9 “I am the gate; if someone enters through Me, he will be safe and will go in and out and find pasture.”

And in John 5:37 & 39 He says: “…the Father who sent Me has Himself testified on My behalf…You keep examining the Tanakh (the Old Testament) because you think that in it you have eternal life. Those very Scriptures bear witness to Me, but you won’t come to Me in order to have life!”

• Yeshua the Messiah is the GATE standing between the things of YHVH the Father in the OUTER COURT and the WORLD – His desire is to LET us IN not to hold us out. He is the gate, the way to ABBA Father.

• And just as in the picture of the TABERNACLE, entering the gate is the important beginning of our journey in our relationship with ABBA Father.

AFTER ENTERING THE GATE (through YESHUA OUR MESSIAH) WE HAVE TO FOLLOW SEVEN STEPS AS PART OF EVERY BELIEVER’S SALVATION AND SANCTIFICATION PROCESS

STEP 1: Made PEACE with YHVH the Father through the sacrifice of our Messiah Yeshua.

PICTURES:

• Feast 1: Passover/ Pesach
• Tabernacle Furniture: The Bronze Altar in the Outer Court, a picture of the Cross
• Redemptive Gift: The Prophet

Then we are ready for:

STEP 2: To die to the old nature and being buried with Yeshua our Messiah in the water of baptism – with other words being baptized with water for repentance/ dying with the sinless Lamb of YHVH the Father, Yeshua our Messiah, to our slavery to sin/ the old self/ the flesh.

PICTURES:

• Feast 2: Unleavened Bread/ Matzah
• Tabernacle Furniture: The Bronze Washbasin in the Outer Court, a picture of Baptism and daily repentance for accidental sins
• Redemptive Gift: The Servant

TABERNACLE FURNITURE: THE BRONZE WASHBASIN, IS A PICTURE OF WATER BAPTISM AND DAILY REPENTANCE OF ACCIDENTAL SINS

STEP 2 of the JOURNEY through the Tabernacle therefore consist of 2 PHASES:

PHASE 1 (commencing on DAY 1 but to be fully completed only on DAY 3):

We stop at the Bronze Wash Basin in the OUTER COURT

Meaning: WE ARE BAPTISED INTO THE DEATH OF YESHUA THE MESSIAH

We are BAPTIZED in the DEATH of YESHUA our MESSIAH – and we choose to let the OLD SINFUL SELF, doing and enjoying willful sin under the leadership of Satan and his evil forces (doing things against the will and ways of YHVH the Father, like those mentioned in Galatians 5:19-21), DIE IN THE WATER and REMAIN BEHIND in THE WATER GRAVE (read John 3:11 and Romans 6:3-11).

We will during the next three days DAILY REMIND OURSELVES that THE OLD SELF (old nature / sinful flesh) IS DEAD and BURRIED with Yeshua our Messiah. This will help us in the days coming when Satan and his evil forces try to TEMPT us to turn back to our evil WAYS/ old SELF/ sinful FLESH, which he controlled.

PHASE 2 (DAY 4 to 7 and thereafter in our daily lives until our first death that all people dies):

The Bronze Wash Basin (DAILY WASHING HANDS & FEET to REPENT of ACCIDENTAL SINS)

We will practice during the SEVEN DAYS of the FEAST of UNLEAVENED BREAD to DAILY REPENT of ACCIDENTAL SINS, to enable us to OVERCOME and CONQUER sin day-by-day and step-by-step in following in the footsteps of our Messiah Yeshua (1 John 1:1-10).

We will use Scriptures like Galatians 5:19-21 as evaluation tool to ensure that we do NOT fall back into the traps of our old sinful nature again. We willingly and deliberately reject this old nature (sinful flesh) that died in the water of our baptism. We aspire to fully become who we are meant to be in Messiah Yeshua in our journey of sanctification with the aim of bearing the FRUIT of the HOLY SPRIT in accordance to Galatians 5:22-23.

REDEMPTIVE GIFT: The Servant

As one enters the Gate of the Tabernacle and accept forgiveness for their sins at the Brazen Altar (representing the Cross) they come to the Brazen laver. As the priests came into the Tabernacle their feet would have been dusty. Their hands would have needed cleansing after their very bloody work. The Brazen Laver had two washing basins, one for the hands and one for the feet.

The Servant is involved in helping people to wash their souls (their minds and emotions leading them to make new decisions in line with the Word of YHVH with their free will) so that they can go into the Holy Place, into the presence of Abba Father and be satisfied and nourished by the LIVING BREAD of THE WORD, and BE BAPTIZED with the FIRE of the HOLY SPIRIT and WORSHIP HIM.

As the Brazen Altar (the CROSS of YESHUA the MESSIAH) is all about JUSTIFICATION (the gracious and judicial act of YHVH, granting complete absolution to a person from all shame, fear and guilt and a full release from the penalty of sin), the Bronze Laver (BAPTISM, REPENTANCE, DYING to SELF and being RESURECTED as a NEW PERSON) is all about SANCTIFICATION (being set-apart as holy, purified and being dedicated to YHVH’s purpose and service).

Exodus 38:8 He made the laver (basin) of bronze and its base of bronze, from the mirrors of the women serving at the entrance of the tent of meeting (the Tabernacle).”

Mirrors in those days were made from highly polished bronze, not glass. Imagine moving forward from the Brazen Altar, where the blood of an innocent animal has been shed for your sins, to the Brazen Laver where you now wash your feet and hands. As you do so, you are confronted with your reflection in both the water of the Laver and the bronze mirrors holding the water.

The Word of God exposes. Once you are at the Laver you are confronted with your reflection. You are exposed. This is exactly what the Word of God does. As we read, study and meditate on it we behold ourselves as in a mirror. James chapter 1 speaks of how being a hearer of the word without being a doer of the word makes you like one who looks in the mirror but walks away and forgets what they’ve just seen. It is our priestly privilege before God to grow deeper in the revelation of Yeshua our Messiah as revealed in YHVH the Father’s Word.

Paul says in 2nd Corinthians 7:1 “Therefore, my dear friend, since we have these promises, let us purify ourselves from everything that can defile either body or spirit, and strive to be completely holy (set-apart) out of reverence for YHVH (our God).

As we grow in our understanding of God’s Word, we must beware of the devil’s efforts to ensnare us in pride. Accomplishments lead to judgments when we lack humility. Relational accomplishments can lead to relational judgments causing us to secretly harbor feelings about people and these feelings can easily show up in conversations with others as gossip. Personal health accomplishments can easily become judgments about others who struggle with their health etc.

It makes sense that when we seem to master an area in our lives that the temptation of an attitude of supremacy can creep in. This can very easily begin to happen in our spiritual lives. When we establish a strong and faithful pattern of reading our Bibles it becomes very natural to think others who don’t are simply immature and they need to be more like us. The truth is we all need to be more like Yeshua our Messiah and the more judgmental we become the less we are like him even in the place of great accomplishment!

Important note: The GOOD NEWS is for the poor (the humble) and likewise, we need HUMILITY in our WALK WITH GOD, the moment we get prideful, we will lose our ability to proclaim the GOOD NEWS successfully to other people. A prerequisite for sharing the Gospel is to FIRST LOVE PEOPLE with 1 Corinthians 13 LOVE which includes HUMILITY. Without it, people will not trust a believer, neither listen to them. Yeshua our Messiah reminds us of this IMPORTANT KEY TO SUCCESS in our LIFES and RELATIONSHIPS of YHVH the Father’s important LAW OF LOVE in Matthew 22:37-40 “You are to LOVE YHVH your God with all your HEART (emotions/ spirit), and with all your SOUL (thoughts/ free will) and with all your STRENGTH (body). This is the greatest and most important mitzvah (Commandment). And a second is similar to it, ‘You are to LOVE your neighbor (other people) as yourself.’ All of the TORAH (Genesis to Deuteronomy) and the Prophets are dependent on these two mitzvoth (Commandments).

The importance and power of HOLLINESS (being set-apart) are highlighted in the Word:

• Leviticus 20:7-8 “Therefore consecrate yourselves – your people must be HOLY, because I am YHVH your God. Observe My regulations and obey them; I am YHVH, who sets you apart to be HOLY.”
• John 17:17 “Set them apart for HOLINESS by means of the TRUTH”
• Romans 12:1 “Do not be conquered by evil but conquer evil with good.”
• 1 Corinthians 6:11 “Some of you used to do these things. But you have cleansed yourselves, you have been set-apart for God, you have come to be counted righteous through the power of the Lord, Yeshua the Messiah and the Spirit of our God.”
• 2 Corinthians 7:1 “Therefore, my dear friends, since we have these promises, let us purify ourselves from everything that can defile either body or spirit, and strive to be COMPLETELY HOLY, out of REVERENCE for GOD.”
• Ephesians 1:3-4 “Praise be to YHVH, Father of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah, who in the Messiah has blessed us with EVERY SPIRITUAL BLESSING in heaven. In the Messiah, He chose us in LOVE before the creation of the universe to be HOLY and without defect in His presence.”
• 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5 What God want is that you be HOLY, that you keep away from sexual immorality, that each of you know how to manage his sexual impulses in a HOLY and honorable manner, without giving in to lustful desires, like the pagans (non-believers) who don’t know God.”
• 2 Timothy 2:21-22 “If a person keeps himself free of defilement by the latter (stand apart from wrongdoing), he will be a vessel set aside for honorable use by the master of the house and ready for very kind of good work. So, flee the passions of youth; and, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart pursue righteousness, faithfulness, love and peace.”
• Hebrews 12:14 “Keep pursuing shalom (peace) with everyone and the HOLINESS without which no one will see the Lord.”
• 1 Peter 1:13-17 “Therefore, get your minds ready for work, keep yourselves under control, and fix your hopes fully on the gift you will receive when Yeshua the Messiah is revealed. As people who OBEY God, do not let yourselves be shaped by the evil desires you used to have when you were still ignorant. On the contrary, follow the HOLY ONE who called you, become HOLY yourselves in your entire way of life; since the Tanakh (the Old Testament, Leviticus 11:44-45, 9:2 & 20:7) says, ‘You are to be HOLY because I am HOLY.”

SO, IN SUMMARY

UNLEAVENED BREAD (Matzah):

Takes place on 15-21 Abib, that is this year sundown on 1 April to sundown on 8 April 2026.

Unleavened Bread – DAY 1 to 3, we remember Yeshua our Messiah in the grave

On DAY 1 (15 Abib, sundown 1 to sundown 2 April 2025), we remember Yeshua the Messiah’s first day in the grave. This day is kept as a SABBATH (read Leviticus 23:8).

We think with GLADNESS, JOY and THANKSGIVING about how MUCH ABBA FATHER LOVES us and the HUGE PRICE our Messiah Yeshua was willing to  pay for us with HIS PRECIOUS BLOOD/ HIS LIFE to SET us FREE from SIN, ILLNESS and DEATH (both SPIRITUAL and the second death in accordance to Revelation 2:11, 20:6 & 14 and 21:8).

And we CONSTANDLY REMIND ourselves and we REJOICE that our OLD SELF/ SINFUL NATURE DIED with YESHUA our MESSIAH!

We read and remember with sadness but also with thankfulness the following Scriptures:

• The guard at the tomb (Matthew 27:62-66).
• Paul confirming the Messiah died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried and that He was raised on the THIRD DAY according to the Scriptures (1 Corinthians 15:3-4).

We bring OFFERINGS to YHVH our God from Day 1 to 7, namely:

1. The daily offering – We spend time with Him by reading the Word and praying in the morning and evening.
2. Fire offering – Taking a decision to re-dedicate our lives to YHVH our God as a pleasing living sacrifice (Romans 12:1-2), showing our love and commitment to Him by following in the footsteps of our Messiah Yeshua in obedience to the Father. And we also pray for fellow believers and those still lost or spiritually blinded (Deuteronomy 6:5-7 and John 14:15).
3. Grain offering – Acknowledging Abba Father as our Provider and out of gratefulness we also give to other people in our circle of influence.
4. Sin offering – Praising Abba Father and Yeshua our Messiah for being our once and for all offering and atonement for all our sins as a free gift to all mankind willing to accept this gift. And all we now have to do thereafter are daily refraining from willful sin and repenting of accidental sins (1 John 1:1-10).
5. Meal offering – We enjoy being in the presence of Abba Father and Yeshua our Messiah and bring Him our praises and thanksgiving with a heart full of admiration and joy.

DAY 4 to 7:

We spend special time in the Word of YHVH (serving as a mirror) and in prayer during these SEVEN DAYS and with the guidance of the Holy Spirit we make SURE we have purged all the leaven (sin) from our lives and we commit to live a life without willful sin for the rest of our lives and repenting all accidental sins immediately and putting actions in place to overcome and avoid it.

We eat unleavened bread for the SEVEN DAYS of this feast to REMEMER to keep our lives FREE of leaven (sin) in accordance with the Word of YHVH.

We practice dying daily with Yeshua our Messiah and we pick up our cross and FOLLOW Him (Matthew 16:24-25 and 1 Corinthians 15:31).

We keep on repenting of accidental sins each day and learn to overcome and conquer it by RENEWING our minds with the WORD of YHVH and taking EVERY THOUGHT captive and making it OBEDIENT to YESHUA. And in so doing, over time we develop the MIND of our MESSIAH, THINKING like Him and following His example in the way we live in OBEDIENCE to YHVH the Father (2nd Corinthians 10:4-6 and 1st Corinthians)

Day 7 (21 Abib, sundown 7 to sundown 8 April 2026) is again celebrated as a SABBATH in line with YHVH the Father’s instructions