So for me, knowing what I know about the Babylonian origin of rebellion against God, the nature of Nimrod’s rebellion at the Tower of Babel, the historical (traditional Protestant) understanding of Revelation, which sees the Roman system ultimately of Satan; and also learning my Hebrew roots and Torah: I cannot any longer participate in Roman holidays. That means Christmas and Easter, primarily, but also anything originating with the Roman church: Lent, for example. For me to do so would be to stay in Babylon when the Lord is calling me to leave Babylon.
In Daniel, it is prophesied of the antichrist that he will change the times and laws. That is “appointed times,” if you look up the original Aramaic, which is the exact term used to describe the Lord’s feast days in Leviticus 23:2. We know from Daniel that the antichrist comes out of the Roman kingdom – he is the “little horn.” We know from Revelation that the name of the beast is ROMAN, and its number is 666. We have the evidence of history and the Roman church’s own testimony that they replaced the “Jewish” holidays (which are the biblical holidays, YHVH’s feast days) with others rooted in Babel.
I am the Lord’s. but have spent my life celebrating Christmas and Easter, not Passover and the other biblical holidays. I thought Roman thoughts. Thus I have been marked on my hand and forehead with the mark of the beast, with his name: ROMAN. But as the Lord has been showing me all this, I have been endeavoring to learn all I can about the biblical feast days, how they are shadows cast by the substance of Yeshua Messiah, Jesus Christ, what that means, and my legitimate Hebrew heritage. I have been trying to learn to think like a Hebrew, not like a Roman. I want to be the Lord’s, not in name only, but I want to be marked on my hand and forehead with His name, YHVH, by observing that which He commanded which marks me as His. I am making my way out of Babylon.
What that means for me: we have for many years celebrated Passover. Last year we celebrated all seven of the annual feasts, and we began celebrating Sabbath as Scripture commands (more on that coming up). I have also begun distancing myself from Roman practices. Last year at Christmas we were not at home, so I had an easy out for not decorating the house or putting up a tree. This year I am not going to decorate a tree. I am going to decorate the house with candles for Hanukkah, but no evergreens. We did not celebrate Easter last week. We will celebrate Crucifixion day on Passover (evening of April 20 this year), and Resurrection day on the Feast of Firstfruits (Sunday, April 27 this year).
What about Sundays? What about family? What about presents? To be continued …
Christine,
This is a little off topic, but I've seen so many different dates for celebrating Passover online that I'm becoming a little confused. We're new at this in our home, and we don't know when to celebrate. I've seen Saturday evening (Apr. 19), Sunday evening (Apr. 20) and even one site that recommended Friday evening (Apr. 18). Also, why do you say that Jesus rose on the Feast of First Fruits? I guess I thought He would have risen in the middle of the week, "three days and three nights" after Passover.
Thanks so much for any direction you can give! 🙂
~Anne
The Passover meal is to be eaten on the 14th in the evening, at twilight. That is the 14th of the biblical month of Abib (Nissan), which hasn't started yet. We are in the dark of the moon right now. I am looking for the first sliver of the new moon tonight and tomorrow night. When we see it, that begins the 1st day of the month, then count 14 days, and that is the day that the Passover meal is eaten. When we see the new moon here, or when it is seen in Jerusalem (usually about 12 hours ahead of us) I will post our date for Passover.
The Feast of Firstfruits is always the Sunday ("day after the Sabbath") that falls during the week of Unleavened Bread. The year Jesus was crucified, Passover was on a Wednesday. He spent Wed, Thurs, and Fri night in the ground, and was raised at the end of Sabbath, at the beginning of the first day of the week, which, in biblical reckoning, begins on what we think of as Saturday night – when the sun goes down on the Sabbath. We know that when the women got there as dawn approached Sunday morning, Jesus was already alive. That is my opinion – at any rate, the year He was crucified, He was crucified on Passover, and raised from the dead on the Firstfruits.
This makes a lot of sense. Oh, so much to learn!
Thanks,
~Anne
This was really interesting, but to come completely out of Babylon we will have to stop using their names for the days of the week, and their clocks that change days in the middle of the night, not at sunset. This will be difficult alot of prayer required.
Thank you for visiting today and for sharing your insight Anita! God bless you –