The first day

[Watchman555]

Shalom All ~

It is commanded to have a set-apart gathering on the first day. Do the Scriptures confirm what this first day is?

Exodus 12:6:
"And you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then all the assembly of the congregation of Yisra'el shall kill it between the evenings.

The killing of the lamb takes place on the 14th between the evenings - ?

Exodus 12:8:
"And they shall eat the flesh on that night, roasted in fire with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs they shall eat it.

Exodus 12:15:
"Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. Indeed on the first day you cause leaven to cease from your houses. For whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that being shall be cut off from Yisra'el.

Notice very carefully "on the first day you cause leaven to cease from your house". Now, most of us go through a process of getting the leaven out of the house but according to Scripture, on what is described as the first day, leaven must cease from your houses. Now, if the 15th is the first day, this is the day in which the leaven must cease. In all honesty, is there anyone here who follows this command? In other words, do you wait until the 15th to get the last of the leaven out or do you do this before the 15th because traditionally, by the time the 15th starts, you are already in the midst of performing the "roasting in fire and will eat it that night". That night is the 15th - right?

Exodus 12:16:
"And on the first day is a set-apart gathering, and on the seventh day you have a set-apart gathering. No work at all is done on them, only that which is eaten by every being, that alone is prepared by you.

Exodus 12:18:
"In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, in the evening, you shall eat unleavened bread until the twenty-first day of the month in the evening.

This Scripture says "on the 14th day of the month you will eat unleavened bread", yet it seems tradition has placed this date to the 15th. If the beginning of the day begins at evening, why would this verse say the 14th and not the 15th? I don't buy the "everyone knows", because this Scripture clearly says the 14th. This Scripture clearly confirms that you will eat unleavened bread on the 14th.

Exodus 12:22b:
And you, none of you shall go out of the door of his house until morning.

Deut. 16:7:
"And you shall roast and eat it in the place which Yahuah your Elohim chooses, and in the morning you shall turn and go to your tents.

Now, the first day is a set-apart gathering, right?

Exodus 12:4:
And if the household is too small for the lamb, let him and his neighbor next to his house take it according to the number of the beings, according to each man’s need you make your count for the lamb.

It seems by default here that there will be a gathering of individuals who are required to stay in his house until morning.

1) On the first day the lamb is killed between the evenings.
2) On the first day leaven must cease from your house.
3) On the first day is a set-apart gathering.
4) On the 14th day of the month in the evening you shall eat unleavened bread.
5) Eat the flesh on that night.
6) In the morning return to your tents.

Leviticus 23:5-7:
5 "In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, between the evenings, is the Passover to Yahuah. 6 "And on the fifteenth day of this month is the Festival of Unleavened Bread to Yahuah - seven days you eat unleavened bread. 7 " On the first day you have a set-apart gathering, you do no servile work.


This Scripture is clearly talking about two separate days. The 14th and the 15th.

If you had to chose between these two days to determine which is the first day; which one would it be?

a) the 14th
b) the 15th

Oh, by the way, here again: the first day you have a set-apart gathering.

Numbers 28:16-18:
16 "And in the first month, on the fourteenth day, is the Passover of Yahuah, 17 and on the fifteenth day of this month is a festival. For seven days unleavened bread is eaten. 18 "On the first day is a set-apart gathering , you do no servile work.

Uh, no quiz here, it says the same thing.

Now here's the possible eye-twitcher:

Deut. 16:4:
"And no leaven should be seen with you in all your border for seven days, neither should any of the meat which you slaughter in the evening on the first day stay all night until morning.

The day that the Passover lamb was slaughtered was the 14th and this verse refers to it as the first day. Now was the Passover lamb slaughtered on the 14th or the 15th?

Maybe that explains the six more days because the 14th began the eating of unleavened bread. The Feast of Unleavened Bread begins the 15th.

Again - please compare:

Deut. 16:8:
" Six days you eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there is a closing festival to Yahuah your Elohim - you do no work.

Lev. 23:3:
"color=yellow] Six [/color] days work is done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, a set-apart gathering. You do no work , it is a Sabbath to Yahuah in all your dwellings.

Now what does the 14th represent? I mean, what took place on the 14th? Was not our Passover Lamb slain for us?

Now what does the 15th represent? A release from bondage?

So starting this year, because of Scriptural reasons, we are keeping the 14th day of the first month as a set-apart gathering. We will cause the final leaven to cease from our houses and most important of all, we will remember all the sufferings that Yahusha suffered on our account, to be that unblemished Lamb of Elohim. On the 15th, after we have stayed in the house all night, we will celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread in which we will remember Yisra'el's release from bondage and the application of being released from bondage in the spiritual context.

~Greg

[ErichMatthewJanzen]

Shalom, Gregg,

I believe the first day is the 15th, and that the holy convocation should take place on the 15th. Here are a couple of reasons why:

(1) Exodus 12:14-17 - "And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever. Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel. And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be done of you. And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance for ever."

Notice the bold terms above. "This day" is equivalent with "the first day" and also with the "selfsame day." The text says to observe the feast of unleavened bread for in this selfsame day YHWH brought the Israelites out of Egypt. This would have to be the 15th (Numbers 33:3).

You asked about removing leaven from your house on the 15th - my wife and I actually do this. We leave a little leaven in the house to remove on the 15th so that we can abide by the command here which says it is to be put away on the 15th. I have heard one argument which states that within this command the term "first day" should be translated "the before day" or "the day before" and this is a possibility, but I currently do not believe it.

(2) In the Hebrew Masoretic text Leviticus 23:11 states that the wavesheaf is to be offered on the morrow after the Sabbath. However, the Septuagint text states that it is to be waved on the morrow of the first day, i.e. the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. This gives us the following:

14th - Passover Lamb Slain
15th - Weekly Sabbath / Annual Sabbath
16th - Morrow after Sabbath / Wavesheaf

This type in Scripture has an anti-type in Yeshua's death and resurrection. Yeshua was said to have died, been buried, and resurrected the third day according to the Scriptures. If we say that the first day is the 14th, then that would make the wavesheaf be on the 15th thus destroying the typology pointing us to Yeshua's resurrection.

You did write this that I wanted to reply to:

This Scripture says "on the 14th day of the month you will eat unleavened bread", yet it seems tradition has placed this date to the 15th. If the beginning of the day begins at evening, why would this verse say the 14th and not the 15th? I don't buy the "everyone knows", because this Scripture clearly says the 14th. This Scripture clearly confirms that you will eat unleavened bread on the 14th.

The Scripture in Exodus 12:18 says that on the 14th day of the month - at evening - ye shall eat unleavened bread. The understanding is that at the end of the 14th unleavened bread is eaten with the Passover lamb. The same terminology is used for the Day of Atonement where Scripture tells us the 10th day is Atonement, but it begins on the 9th day at even, i.e. the end of the 9th (Leviticus 23:30-32).

Shalom friend,
Matthew Janzen

[chuckbaldwin]

I honestly think the Scripture isn't real clear on the 14th-15th issue, but here's my current OPINION:

The 14th "BETWEEN THE EVENINGS" is the twilight period immediately after sunset, BEGINNING the 14th. The 14th "AT EVEN" is sunset ENDING the 14th & starting the 15th. SO...

The Passover/last supper service is during the twilight beginning the 14th.
During the daylight of the 14th, the last remaining leaven is removed. (This "removal" may include eating it. )
Sunset at the end of the 14th starts the High Day of the 15th, which is a holy convocation.
Unleavened bread is eaten from the 15th thru the 21st.

I realize i'm probably in the minority, so please don't throw large stones.

[BrotherArnold]

I honestly think the Scripture isn't real clear on the 14th-15th issue, but here's my current OPINION:

The 14th "BETWEEN THE EVENINGS" is the twilight period immediately after sunset, BEGINNING the 14th. The 14th "AT EVEN" is sunset ENDING the 14th & starting the 15th. SO...

The Passover/last supper service is during the twilight beginning the 14th.
During the daylight of the 14th, the last remaining leaven is removed. (This "removal" may include eating it. )
Sunset at the end of the 14th starts the High Day of the 15th, which is a holy convocation.
Unleavened bread is eaten from the 15th thru the 21st.

I realize i'm probably in the minority, so please don't throw large stones.

RESPONSE; the scripture very clear on this, it is tradition of men that foggs our minds. Brother Mathew made it plain in his above post.

Brother Arnold

[chuckbaldwin]

RESPONSE; the scripture very clear on this, it is tradition of men that foggs our minds. Brother Mathew made it plain in his above post.

Hi Arnold,

My views aren't based on "tradition" any more than yours are; it's just that we have different "traditions", AND a different understanding of various Scriptures. "Traditions" can be good or bad, as shown by these verses (same Greek word in both):

Col 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition <3862> of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
2Th 2:15 Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions <3862> which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.

My "traditions" were taught "by [The] word", both through teachers, and more recently, through my own studies.

So, your accusation of "tradition" is both without merit, without substance, and beneath your dignity.

[BrotherArnold]

RESPONSE; the scripture very clear on this, it is tradition of men that foggs our minds. Brother Mathew made it plain in his above post.

Hi Arnold,

My views aren't based on "tradition" any more than yours are; it's just that we have different "traditions", AND a different understanding of various Scriptures. "Traditions" can be good or bad, as shown by these verses (same Greek word in both):

Col 2:8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition <3862> of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
2Th 2:15 Therefore, brethren, stand fast, and hold the traditions <3862> which ye have been taught, whether by word, or our epistle.

My "traditions" were taught "by [The] word", both through teachers, and more recently, through my own studies.

So, your accusation of "tradition" is both without merit, without substance, and beneath your dignity.

Shalom Brother Chuck,
it was not an accusation, I just stated an absolute fact. All I said was the scripture is very clear on this, it is tradition of men that fogs our minds. Brother Mathew made it plain in his above post.

I stand by my statement and cannot see how anyone could disagree with what I said, except maybe disagree with what Brother Matthew wrote and if that be the case, they should address that with Scripture and show where he is wrong so he can change.

I cannot see how anyone would disagree that it is tradition of men that fogs our minds. And if the Scripture were not clear on how to keep these feasts etc. no one would know how to do it. Just because it's not clear to you or me does not mean it is not clear. Hope you can understand that and Hope I made myself clear. The Scripture says it is written for our learning. There is always going to be some that is void of understanding and there's nothing that any of us can do about that.

Brother Arnold

[chuckbaldwin]

The dialog thus far:

I honestly think the Scripture isn't real clear on the 14th-15th issue...

RESPONSE; the scripture very clear on this, it is tradition of men that foggs our minds.

My views aren't based on "tradition" any more than yours are; it's just that we have different "traditions", AND a different understanding of various Scriptures. "Traditions" can be good or bad,... My "traditions" were taught by The Word, both through teachers, and more recently, through my own studies.
So, your accusation of "tradition" [obviously intended in the negative sense] is both without merit, without substance, and beneath your dignity.

It was not an accusation, I just stated an absolute fact. All I said was the scripture is very clear on this, it is tradition of men that fogs our minds. Brother Mathew made it plain in his above post.

Arnold,

There's 1 of your big problems. All your beliefs are "absolutes", while anyone's beliefs that differ from yours are "traditions". Well you just contradicted your own "absolute", which is nothing of the kind. If the Scriptures were clear on the 14th vs 15th issue, then it wouldn't require Matthew (or you or anybody else) to "make it plain". And also, if they were truly clear, Bible students wouldn't have been debating it for the past 1900+ years.

I cannot see how anyone would disagree that it is tradition of men that fogs our minds.

I agree that negative tradition is one of the things that fogs our minds. But there are other things as well, such as (1) faulty translations, (2) not understanding the original languages & related cultures, (3) + an excessively exalted opinion of one's own understanding.

And if the Scripture were not clear on how to keep these feasts etc. no one would know how to do it.

I think you just proved my point -- NODOBY DOES KNOW HOW TO DO IT. And even if somebody has accidentally stumbled upon the correct understanding, there's no way they can KNOW for a certainty that it IS correct.

There is always going to be some that is void of understanding and there's nothing that any of us can do about that.

Well, if all my studies over the last 45 years has only made me "void of understanding", i might as well trash the Scriptures and move on to something less stressful, like skydiving or auto racing or air traffic control.

And 1 thing we CAN do about it is NOT to always assume it's the OTHER person that's "void of understanding", and when we do, how about keeping it to ourselves? It's all about TACT & Brotherly Love.

And just for the record, my understanding of the 14th/15th Passover issue (whether right or wrong) is diametrically opposed to the Jews' "tradition" of eating the lamb on the 15th after killing it at the end of the 14th.