Word of Truth Fellowship

Shalom everyone! Welcome to another teaching where we cut straight to the truth. These are your warnings—straight from Scripture—so you can decide for yourself what to believe. It’s not our job to change anyone’s heart; that belongs to the Almighty and to each individual. We simply present the Word so you can be fully convinced in your own mind. That’s the beauty of Scripture!

Let’s dive in—Exodus 12, Leviticus 23, and Deuteronomy 16. Grab your Bibles; we’ll move quickly but clearly.

Exodus 12 – “This Shall Be the Beginning of Months for You”

Yehovah spoke to Moses and Aaron in Egypt:
“This month shall be for you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year for you.” (Exodus 12:1-2)

Father had to re-acquaint Israel with His calendar because they had lost it in slavery. He sets the stage:

• Pick the lamb on the 10th day
• Sacrifice it on the 14th at twilight (the Passover meal)
• Leave Egypt on the 15th
• Immediately begin the seven days of Unleavened Bread

Passover is a meal, not a day. You can’t “eat a day,” so the 14th is clearly the Passover supper, and the 15th starts Unleavened Bread. Simple. No religion—just Scripture.

Leviticus 23 – “These Are the Appointed Feasts of Yehovah” (Not the Jews)

This is where we spend most of our time. Leviticus 23 opens with the weekly Sabbath as the foundation:

“Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work. It is a Sabbath to the LORD in all your dwelling places.” (Leviticus 23:3)

Then verse 4:
“These are the appointed feasts of the LORD, the holy convocations which you shall proclaim at the time appointed for them.”

Important: These are Yehovah’s feasts—not Jewish feasts, not Israel’s feasts, not “the feasts of the Jews.” When the prophets later say “your feasts” and Yehovah says He hates them, it’s because Israel had twisted His feasts into something else. Keep that straight.

The very first appointed time after the weekly Sabbath is Passover/Unleavened Bread:

• 14th day of the first month at twilight = Yehovah’s Passover (a meal)
• 15th day = Feast of Unleavened Bread (seven days)
• On the first and seventh days: holy convocations—no ordinary work
• Each day: a food offering to Yahweh

Deuteronomy 16 adds that you are not to appear before Yahweh empty-handed during these feasts. Bring an offering—whatever you decide. It’s not a tithe; it’s an offering from the heart.

First Fruits – The Smallest, Most Powerful Offering

Verse 9-11:
“When you come into the land… you shall bring the sheaf (omer) of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest. He shall wave the sheaf before Yehovah…”

An omer is roughly two to four quarts—or even just a handful depending on the source. Think half a gallon of milk in size. That’s it.

You bring this tiny first sheaf on the day after the Sabbath after Unleavened Bread. The priest waves it. You also bring a male lamb, grain offering, and drink offering.

Key point: You shall eat neither bread nor grain (parched or fresh) until you have brought this offering. That alone shows First Fruits is after the start of Unleavened Bread—another reason many (including the Dead Sea Scrolls community) see it as its own distinct appointed time.

Later in the same chapter (verse 17) we see the same “two-tenths of an ephah” of fine flour used again for the two wave loaves at Pentecost—also called “firstfruits.” Father is consistent.

Deuteronomy 16 – “Guard the Month of Aviv”

“Observe the month of Aviv and keep the Passover to Yehovah your God… for in the month of Aviv Yehovah your God brought you out of Egypt by night.” (Deuteronomy 16:1)

“Aviv” means green ears/barley just beginning to ripen. This is the month when the firstfruits offering becomes possible. Deuteronomy emphasizes celebrating at the place Yehovah chooses (Jerusalem later), but the heart of it is the same: remember your deliverance.

Why These Feasts Matter Today

These are Yehovah’s appointed times—set by the sun, moon, and stars from creation (Genesis 1). They are reminders that we were once slaves (to Egypt, to sin, to addiction) and now we are free. They point to Messiah who perfectly fulfilled every detail and elevated them—not abolished them.

They are simple, doable, and powerful:

• Passover meal on the 14th
• Seven days of Unleavened Bread starting the 15th
• First Fruits sheaf waved the day after the weekly Sabbath

No one has to be rich, no huge production—just obedience and remembrance.

I pray this quick overview blesses you as we head into this season. If you have questions about how to celebrate, timing, or anything else, feel free to ask!

Prayer

Father, we thank You, bless You, and glorify You for Your Word and Your feasts. Thank You for reminding us of where we came from and where You have brought us. Help us walk in Your ways, not the ways of the world. Teach us to proclaim Your appointed times with joy and truth. Guard Your people this week. Give us strength to declare Your name to all nations.

Yehovah bless you and keep you.
Yehovah make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you.
Yehovah lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace—in Yeshua’s name. Amen.

Shalom Holy Ones!
Javier Holguin