Passover 2026

Passover (Hebrew: Pesach) this year begins late afternoon on Thursday, 2 April. The Festival of Unleavened Bread begins a little later, at sunset, which kicks off the High Shabbat, making 3 April a High Holy Day on which no work is to be done. We celebrate Passover because of this command:

Exodus 23:14-16: "Three times a year, you are to observe a festival for me. Keep the festival of matzah: for seven days, as I ordered you, you are to eat matzah (unleavened bread) at the time determined in the month of Aviv; for it was in that month that you left Egypt. No one is to appear before me empty-handed. Next, the festival of harvest, the firstfruits of your efforts sowing in the field; and last, the festival of ingathering, at the end of the year, when you gather in from the fields the results of your efforts."  (CJB)

Passover/Unleavened Bread marks the beginning of a seven-day period during which the eating of leavened bread is forbidden, as leaven is a symbol of sin (I Corinthians 5:6-8; see also Exodus 23:14-16; Romans 6:4 and II Corinthians 5:21).

Passover celebrates the deliverance of the slaves from Egypt. It is the story of redemption by the killing of the Passover Lamb, the blood of which was applied to the doorposts while the Israelites were still in Egypt, shortly before their Exodus.

Obedience to the command to take a lamb into their homes for a few days and then kill it for the purpose of spreading its blood on the doorposts ensured that their firstborn would be spared the Tenth Curse against Pharoah who refused to let God's enslaved Chosen People leave Egypt. When the Angel of Death passed through the land and saw the blood, he "passed over" those houses and spared the first born within (Exodus 12:1-13).

Passover not only serves as a reminder of the events leading up to the Exodus from Egypt; but it is also the story of redemption through Messiah Yeshua, whose shed blood on the cross freed Believers from the slavery of earthly bondage to "the world!"

Yeshua fulfilled this event when he was crucified. However, please note, he was NOT "the Passover Lamb!' per se. Why? Because (1) the original Passover lamb in Egypt was not a "sin "sacrifice"; it was a "substitute", a "redemption"; and (2) no one "sacrificed" Yeshua, as he martyred himself to shed his divine blood on our behalf to take away our PAST sins...

So, this is the whole connection: Yeshua was our substitute, our redemption - and by believing and always following YHWH's Torah to help us to lower our tendency to sin and do our best to NOT sin anymore, we have the chance for eternal life!

NOTE 1: Some people insist you are to clean out your "yeast" before Passover, but this is not true. There is no way to get rid of all yeast, because yeast spores are everywhere, including in every breath we take. For an indepth explanation, check out my article entitled, Yeast or Leaven.

NOTE 2: For those interested, I offer a free downloadable haggadah (liturgy) for Pesach/Passover on our website. Just click on the Articles and Studies, and scroll down until you see "Free calendars, Siddurs & Pesach Seder" and choose one of the final two links...

FOR THOSE NEW TO TORAH AND GOD'S 7 APPOINTED TIMES, you can find an overview on my website.

May God richly bless you for your willingness to dig ever deeper into His Word so that you can learn HIS Truth and begin an eye-opening journey you never realized existed!

 

YOU can become a warrior for Yahweh/Yeshua/Torah!

DO YOU REALIZE THAT YOU CAN BECOME A WARRIOR FOR YHWH/YESHUA/TORAH IN THESE ENDS TIMES WE'RE FACING? In order to do that, though, you have to learn to not just give your opinions to this lost and decadent world of ours; but to actually be able to prove what you say, and backing it up with Scripture.

If you don’t, then all you’re doing is presenting just another “opinion” …

A quick example of this would be if someone tries to tell you that MONEY is the root of all evil. You – KNOWING what the Bible says – can respond with: “That's not true. First Timothy 6:10 says the LOVE of money is the root of all evil.”

Those with eyes to see and ears to hear (Matthew 13:9-16) will understand that they were wrong and correct themselves. The blind and stubborn will keep on proclaiming to the world that “Money is the root of all evil.” They don't even realize that they will one day stand before YHWH to explain why they kept leading people astray with their falsehoods.

Even Yeshua, when “tested” by the Adversary (Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 4) responded with “It is written.” What was “written” during his time? Torah and Tanach…. (Early manuscripts of the biblical texts did not contain the chapter and verse divisions in the numbered form familiar to modern readers.)

Anyway, as you all know, most opinions are pretty much worthless because they’re not necessarily based on facts. All it takes is a little effort on your part, though. Knowledge is power!

You don’t have to be a Bible expert or scholar; you just have to be familiar enough to know exactly what the Bible says and doesn’t say – and then Google the pertinent passages for context.

Proverbs 18:15 An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge. (ESV)

Proverbs 15:14 The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge, but the mouths of fools feed on folly. (ESV)

Proverbs 1:22 “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge?  (CJB)

WE CAN ALL BE WARRIORS FOR YHWH, telling the world not only what we THINK on any given Bible subject, but gain some respect by being able to back it up with actual Scripture references to show that we DO know what we're talking about. That is all part of how the "sheep" are separated from the "goats"....

One of many reasons why Jews don’t wish to “believe in Jesus”…

Reading Leviticus 6:17-23 (in some versions verses 24-30), one can certainly understand why traditional Jews refuse to recognize Yeshua as a SIN Sacrifice because, nowhere did Yahweh ever demand human sacrifices, and nowhere did He ever demand we eat human flesh...

Leviticus 6: 24 ADONAI said to Moshe, 25 "Tell Aharon and his sons, 'This is the law for the sin offering: the sin offering is to be slaughtered before ADONAI in the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered; it is especially holy. 26 The cohen who offers it for sin is to eat it -it is to be eaten in a holy place, in the courtyard of the tent of meeting. 27 Whatever touches its flesh will become holy; if any of its blood splashes on any item of clothing, you are to wash it in a holy place.

28 The clay pot in which it is cooked must be broken; if it is cooked in a bronze pot, it must be scoured and rinsed in water. 29 Any male from a family of cohanim may eat the sin offering; it is especially holy. 30 But no sin offering which has had any of its blood brought into the tent of meeting to make atonement in the Holy Place is to be eaten; it is to be burned up completely. (CJB)

Reading the Hebrew context, however, reveals the following:

Offerings "qurbana" and sacrifices "dabekha" are two different entities. Although there are certain aspects to Mashiyach's death that are utterly unique to him (Zechariah 12:10, etc.), his death nevertheless echoes aspects of offerings and sacrifices that came before. The qurbana is the human life (nefesh/soul) that Yeshua voluntarily offers up on the stake. The result of that offering is his blood put out on the "altar"; hence dabekha.

However, this is certainly not, as some critics suggest, human sacrifice. Rather, this indicates Y'shua's status as Mashiyach ben Yoseph. Per strict accordance with Isaiah 53 and Genesis 22:8, Mashiyach ben Yoseph was required to suffer and die.

After his death, the offering of himself became a sacrifice that was taken up, and he was resurrected three days later. Many of Yahweh's prophets also suffered and were martyred at the hands of those who fought against the Malchut Elohim (Kingdom). In the case of Mashiyach, his shed blood is counted as the acceptable sacrifice, the Lamb of Yahweh, which is most Set Apart unto Yahweh. (SOURCE:  AENT)

Was Yeshua advocating cannibalism?

SOME QUICK THOUGHTS TO PONDER: Many anti-God types attempt to use the following passage to show that Yeshua was advocating cannibalism when he said to drink his blood and eat his body ... but those who truly know Yahweh and have studied His Word realize this was an ALLEGORY:

Matthew 26: 26. And while they were dining, Y'shua took bread and blessed it and broke it and gave it to his disciples and said, Take eat. This is my body. 27. And he took the cup and gave thanks and gave it to them and said, Take drink from it all of you. 28. This is my blood (see 1 Corinthians 11:27) of the renewed covenant, which for the sake of many is shed for the forgiveness of sins. (CJB)

Our Mashiyach was simply demonstrating that his coming sacrifice was to be for us! He in NO WAY meant to literally eat and drink of him!

FOR EXAMPLE, take the story of the slow tortoise beating a fast hare in a race. It didn't literally mean that the tortoise was faster; it was simply an ancient story designed to teach a moral lesson about character and behavior. It tells the story of an arrogant, overconfident, fast-moving hare and a slow, persistent tortoise.

Yeshua sacrificed himself to become our Redemption, our Divine Substitute. We must remember, Father Yahweh has always required all types of sacrifices (including the ones we see in Leviticus 7:37 - burnt, grain, sin, guilt, consecration and peace. (Note that Yeshua was only our SIN Sacrifice!)

As strange as that might sound to our modern ears, the bottom line in all this is "obedience." Obedience separates Yahweh's people from "the world" - something that was reiterated throughout both "Testaments" such as the following from the Prophets and the Brit Chadashah/New Testament:

Jeremiah 7: 21 Thus says ADONAI-Tzva'ot, the God of Isra'el: "You may as well eat the meat of your burnt offerings along with that of your sacrifices. 22 For I didn't speak to your ancestors or give them orders concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices when I brought them out of the land of Egypt. 23 Rather, what I did order them was this: 'Pay attention to what I say. Then I will be your God, and you will be my people. In everything, live according to the way that I order you, so that things will go well for you.' (CJB)

What happens when "all does NOT go well" because people refuse to OBEY God? Take a look at just these two examples:

Jeremiah 8: 10 "'Therefore I will give their wives to others, and their fields to those who take them over; for from the least to the greatest, all are greedy for gains; prophets and cohanim (priests) alike all practice fraud; 11 they dress the wound of the daughter of my people, but only superficially, saying, "There is perfect shalom (peace"," when there is no shalom. 12 They should be ashamed of their detestable deeds, but they are not ashamed at all, they don't know how to blush. So when others fall, they too will fall; when I punish them, they will stumble,' says ADONAI.(CJB)

Jeremiah 9: 23 Here is what ADONAI says: "The wise man should not boast of his wisdom, the powerful should not boast of his power, the wealthy should not boast of his wealth; 24 instead, let the boaster boast about this: that he understands and knows me - that I am ADONAI, practicing grace, justice and righteousness in the land; for in these things I take pleasure," says ADONAI. (CJB)

 Author and Bible scholar Jeremy Chance Springfield adds the following interesting info:

A parallel in Jewish thought is found in the text of the Zohar, where, upon the death of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, his disciples did something interesting. The work reads: “…his companions, they all drank blood.” While on the surface it sounds horrific, it is understood idiomatically in Judaism to mean “they internalized his teachings.” It appears Yeshua was likely using that same idiomatic concept when he uttered his words: “The covenant must be internalized.” Just like the Tanakh speaks of physical circumcision as well as “circumcision of the heart”—the vital obligation of the believer is to make the spiritual work of trust infuse every part of our beings.

A dire warning from Romans 21 concerning the state of man

Romans 21 has a warning message that resounds into today’s world and definitely applies to “modern man” as we are continuing to sink into the abyss of deliberate sin…

Romans 1:18. For the wrath of Elohim from heaven is revealed against all the iniquity and wickedness of men who hold the truth in iniquity 19. Because a knowledge of Elohim is manifest in them; for Elohim has manifested it in them.

20. For, from the foundations of the world, the hidden things of Elohim are seen by the mind in the things he created even his eternal power and divinity, so that they might be without excuse 21. Because they knew Elohim and did not glorify him and give thanks to him as Elohim, but became vain in their imaginings and their unwise heart was darkened. 22. And, while they thought within themselves that they were wise, they became fools.

23. And they changed the glory of the incorruptible Elohim into a likeness to the image of a corruptible man,[1] and into the likeness of birds and four-legged animals and reptiles on the earth. 24. For this cause, Elohim gave them up to the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies with them. 25. And they changed the truth of Elohim into a lie; and worshipped and served the created things, much more than the Creator of them, to whom belong glory and blessing, forever and ever: Amen. 26. For this cause, Elohim gave them up to vile passions: for their females changed the use of their natures[2] and employed that which is unnatural.

27. And so also their males set aside the use of females, which is natural, and burned with lust toward one another; and, male with male, they did what is shameful, and received in their core substance[3] the just recompense of their error. 28. And as they did not determine with themselves to know Elohim, Elohim gave them over to a vain mind; that they might do what they should not.

29. Being full of all iniquity and lewdness, and bitterness and malice, and covetousness and envy, and slaughter and strife, and deceit and evil machinations 30. And backbiting and slander; and being haters of Elohim, scoffers, proud, vain-glorious, devisers of evil things, destitute of reason, disregardful of parents.

31. And to whom a covenant is nothing, neither affection, nor peace, and in whom is no compassion. 32. These, while they know the judgment of Elohim, that he condemns those to death who perpetrate such things, are not only doers of them, but the companions of such as do them.   (AENT)

---

[1] Rav Shaul (Paul) rejects the idea of making a deity out of a human being, something he himself is often being wrongly accused of. The key is the phrase “corruptible man” which is put in contradistinction of Y’shua who fulfilled prophecy by virtue of having the Ruach haKodesh, the Spirit of YHWH, inside him.

If Rav Shaul did not approve of others turning images of men into false deities, he would certainly not approve of what Christendom has done today. The Son did the Father YHWH’s will; his human side submitted to the divine.

This is what opened the door for repentance for all of us; therefore, all who follow Y’shua must also yield unto YHWH rather than follow a deity who lessens the Name of YHWH and abolishes Torah.

[2] The Image of Elohim is both male and female (B’resheet/Gen. 1:27). To deny the distinctions of male/female gender is to spurn the One who created male and female according to His own Image.

[3] The word translated as “themselves” by Murdock is much better rendered as “core substance” ‑ one of several important meanings for qnoma, which also refers to an occurrence (not a separated “person”) of a nature. This verse states that punishment for sexual sin is not in the external body, but in a foundational place where the very essence of humanity resides.

The significance of the Tabernacle…

THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE TABERNACLE BECOMES CLEAR ONCE WE RECOGNIZE that YAHWEH not only sent us His Messiah who chose to martyr Himself on our behalf (NOTE: nobody “sacrificed” Yeshua - there was no altar on which to “sacrifice,” and he allowed himself to be murdered on mankind’s behalf to become our Final SIN Sacrifice” to wash away our PAST sins); but you can be sure that he will be meting out justice from the Third Temple, once it is built:

Hebrews 9: 1. Now, under the first (covenant), there were ordinances of ministration and an earthly sanctuary. 2. For in the first tabernacle which was erected there was the menorah and the table and the bread of the presence; and this was called the Sanctuary. 3. But the inner tabernacle which was within the second veil was called the Kadosh Kadoshim (Holy of Holies). (AENT)

NOTE: Kadosh Kadoshim (Set Apart of the Set Aparts) translated as "Holy of Holies"; however, it is important to note that many religions use "holy" as a term to denote what is sacred unto them. In the Malchut Elohim (Kingdom of Elohim), the term Kadosh denotes the "nature" of Yahweh, who is the sole Creator and sustainer of Life. He has made distinct "boundaries" in Himself which He reveals according to His Word and through the Ruach haKodesh (Holy Spirit).

In Christianity being "holy" is often thought of as "being like Jesus" although most Christians wouldn't dare to live like Yeshua and His Talmidim (Disciples) for fear of being "too Jewish," or being labeled as legalists! Yeshua and His followers were Torah Observant; and it is within Torah Observance that one can truly define what it means to be "Set Apart unto Yahweh." "But know that Yahweh has Set Apart for Himself those who are Chasid (righteous): Yahweh will hear when I call unto him." (Psalm 4:3).

Hebrews 9: 4. And there were in it the golden censer and the ark of the covenant which was all overlaid with gold; and in it were the golden urn which contained the manna and the rod of Aaron which sprouted, and the tables of the covenant; 5. and over it were the cherubim of glory which overshadowed the mercy seat. But there is not time to speak particularly of each of the things which were so arranged. 6. And into the outer tabernacle the priests at all times entered and performed their ministration.

7. But into the inner tabernacle, once a year only, the high priest entered, with the blood which he offered for himself and for the sins of the people. 8. And by this the Ruach haKodesh indicated that the way to the Set Apart (places) was not yet manifested so long as the first tabernacle was standing: 9. and it was a symbol for that time during which oblation and sacrifices were offered that could not make perfect the conscience of him who offered them: 10. but (they consisted) only in food and drink and in the ablutions of diverse things which were flesh ordinances, and were set up until the time of restoration. (AENT)

Hebrews 9: 11. But the Mashiyach who came was a High Priest of the good things which he created: and he entered into the great and perfect tabernacle which was not made with hands and was not of these created things. 12. And he did not enter with the blood of goats and calves; but with the blood of himself he entered once into the sanctuary and obtained eternal redemption.

13. For if the blood of goats and calves, with the ashes of a heifer, was sprinkled upon them that were defiled and sanctified them as to the purification of their flesh; 14. then how much more will the blood of the Mashiyach, who by the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to Elohim, purge our conscience from dead works so that we may serve the living Elohim? 15. And for this reason he became the Mediator of the renewed covenant, that he might by his death be redemption to them who had transgressed the first covenant; so that they who are called to the eternal inheritance might receive the promise. (AENT)

Now take a look at what's to come:

Revelation 11: 1. And a reed was given to me, like a rod; and the Messenger stood, saying, Arise and measure the temple of Elohim, and the altar, and them that worship inside it. 2. But the court which is without the temple, leave out, and measure it not, because it is given to the Gentiles; and they will tread down the Set Apart city forty and two months. 3. And I will give my two witnesses; and they will prophesy a thousand and two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth. 4. These are the two olive-trees and the two menorahs which stand before Master YHWH of the earth.

5. And if any person will harm them, fire comes out of their mouth and consumes their adversary; and if any one will harm them, thus must he be slain. 6. They have power to shut up heaven so that the rain will not fall in those days: and they have power over the waters, to turn them into blood; and to smite the earth with all plagues as often as they please.

7. And when they will have completed their testimony, the beast of prey that came up from the abyss will make war upon them and will overcome them. 8. And their dead bodies (will be) in the open street of that great city which is spiritually called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Master (Y'shua) was executed on the stake. 9. And (they) of the nations and tribes and peoples and tongues will look upon their dead bodies, three days and a half; and will not suffer their dead bodies to be laid in the grave.

10. And they who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and will be merry, and will send presents to one another; because those two prophets tormented them who dwell on the earth. 11. And after these three days and a half, the Spirit of Life from Elohim entered into them, and they stood upon their feet: and great fear fell on those who saw them.

12. And they heard a great voice from heaven, which said to them: Come up here. And they ascended to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies saw them. 13. And in the same hour there was a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell: and the persons killed in the earthquake were seven thousand names: and they who remained were afraid and gave glory to Elohim. (AENT)

The Father has always reached out to His people … and the stipulations were always the same…

It is interesting to note how YHWH constantly reached out to His people - and that His stipulations were always the same:

1 Kings 6: 11 Then this word of ADONAI came to Shlomo: 12 "Concerning this house which you are building: if you will live according to my regulations, follow my rulings and observe all my mitzvot and live by them, then I will establish with you my promise that I made to David your father- 13 I will live in it among the people of Isra'el, and I will not abandon my people Isra'el."

Now watch how Yeshua fit into the grand scheme of things!

Hebrews 8: 1. Now the sum of the whole is this; we have a High Priest who is seated on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven: 2. And he is the minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which Elohim has pitched, and not man. 3. For every high priest is established to offer oblations and sacrifices; and therefore, it was proper that this one should also have something to offer.[1] 4. And if he were on earth, he would not be a priest because there are priests (there) who offer gifts[2] in accordance with Torah: 5. (namely) they who minister in the emblem and shadow of the things in heaven: as it was said to Moshe when he was about to build the tabernacle; see and make every thing according to the pattern which was showed you in the mount.

6. But now, Y'shua the Mashiyach has received a ministry which is better than that: as also the covenant of which he is made the Mediator is better, and is given with better promises than the former. 7. For, if the first (covenant) had been faultless, there would have been no place for this second (one).[3] 8. For he rebukes them and says: Behold the days come, says Master YHWH, when I will complete with the family of the house of Israel and with the family of the house of Yehuda, a renewed covenant;[4] 9. not like the covenant which I gave to their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand and brought them out of the land of Egypt; (and) because they continued not in my covenant, I also rejected them, says Master YHWH.

10. But this is the covenant which I will give to the family of the house of Israel after those days, says Master YHWH: I will put my Torah in their minds and inscribe it on their hearts; and I will be to them a Elohim, and they will be to me a people. 11. And one will not teach his son of the city nor his brother, nor say: You shall know your Master YHWH: because they will all know me, from the youngest of them to the oldest. 12. And I will forgive them their iniquity; and their sins will I remember no more. 13. In that he said a Renewed (Covenant), he made the first old; and that which is old and decaying, is near to disappearing.[5]

Footnotes:

[1] The references relate to Torah (instruction) about the priestly services, not the Torah (Revelation at Sinai), even though both are referenced by the same word in both Hebrew and in Aramaic.

[2] Present tense, clearly indicating the Temple in Jerusalem was standing when this Epistle was written.

[3] Most Christians seem to forget that without the first covenant, the second one is impossible! In very short order Rav Shaul will quote Jeremiah 31:31-34, indicating that the Renewed Covenant is a contingency triggered by, and deriving authority from, the first covenant. YHWH declared that the Ancient Covenant He made with Israel was good; it was to bring life, but the people of Israel chose to willfully break this Covenant and treat it as a vain thing. See Deuteronomy 32:46, 47.

[4] Paul makes reference to the Renewed Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34) nine times in this letter.

[5] THE CONTEXT IS JEREMIAH 31:31-34. What is "near to disappearing" is the sinful nature of man that breaks Torah, not the standard of Torah. Remember that MEN broke Torah, not YHWH.

YHWH did not drop the standard of Torah because Israel chose disobedience; rather, He installed a Renewed Covenant to write Torah upon the heart through the work of the Ruach haKodesh (Holy Spirit), according to Mashiyach (Messiah).

The fact of the matter is that in Mashiyach, YHWH raised the bar; He magnified Torah; see Isaiah 42:21. Because mankind broke Covenant, YHWH requires complete renovation on our part, not YHWH's part of the Covenant.

This verse in its twisted form, became one of the "crown jewels" of the false teaching that Torah is decaying and is near to disappearing, but nothing could be farther from the truth!

The fact of the matter is that in Mashiyach, YHWH raised the bar; He magnified Torah; see Isaiah 42:21. Because mankind broke Covenant, YHWH requires complete renovation on our part, not YHWH's part of the Covenant. This verse in its twisted form, became one of the "crown jewels" of the false teaching that Torah is decaying and is near to disappearing, but nothing could be farther from the truth!