Week of Unleavened Bread Final Great Day Service

In the Books of Moses, the week long Feast of Unleavened Bread commemorates the escape of Israel from slavery in Egypt. This process of release began with our God Jehovah and one man: Moses. Then it grew until it led to the Passover and the death of all the Egyptian first-born. This initiated a temporary release of the Israelites from Egypt’s control while they began their flight out of Egyptian territory. But while Israel fled, the Egyptians regretted releasing them and began their pursuit to recapture them.

This Final Holy Day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread─an annual Great Sabbath─commemorates the crossing of the Soph Sea (also called the Red Sea) as recorded in Exodus, which we shall read now: (Exodus 13:17 to 15:21)

Then it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, “Lest perhaps the people change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt.” So God led the people around by way of the wilderness of the Soph Sea.1 And the children of Israel marched2 out of the land of Egypt. And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for he had placed the children of Israel under solemn oath, saying, “God will surely visit you, and you will carry up my bones from here with you.”

So they took their journey from Succoth3 and camped in Etham4 at the edge of the wilderness. And Jehovah went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night. He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of fire by night from before the people.5

Now Jehovah6 spoke to Moses, saying: “Speak to the children of Israel, that they turn and camp before Pi Hahiroth,7 between Migdol8 and the sea, facing Baal Zephon;9 you will camp opposite it by the sea. For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, ‘They are bewildered by the land; the wilderness has closed them in.’ And I have strengthened Pharaoh’s heart, so that he will pursue them; and I will gain honour over Pharaoh and over all his might, that the Egyptians may know that I am Jehovah.” And they did so.

Now the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, and the heart of Pharaoh and his servants was turned against the people; and they said, “Why have we done this? Why have we let Israel go from serving us?” So he made his chariot ready and took his people with him. Also, he took six hundred choice chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt with captains over every one of them.

And Jehovah strengthened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued the children of Israel. And the children of Israel went out with boldness. So the Egyptians pursued them with all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, his horsemen and his might, and they overtook them camping by the sea near Pi Hahiroth, facing Baal Zephon.

And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to Jehovah. Then they said to Moses, “Because there were no graves in Egypt, you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you dealt with us like this, bringing us up out of Egypt? Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, ‘Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians?’ For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness.”

And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of Jehovah, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you will not see again forever. Jehovah will fight for you, and you will hold your peace.”

And Jehovah said to Moses, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward. Now lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and split10 it. And the children of Israel will go on dry ground through the midst of the sea. And I indeed will strengthen the hearts of the Egyptians, and they will follow them. So I will gain honour over Pharaoh and over all his might, his chariots, and his horsemen. Then the Egyptians will know that I am Jehovah, when I have gained honour for Myself over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen.”

And the Envoy of God, who went before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud went from before them and stood behind them. So it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. Thus it was a cloud and darkness to the one, and it gave light by night to the other, so that the one did not come near the other all that night.

Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and Jehovah caused the sea to depart by a mighty spirit from the east that night. He made the sea into dry land, and the waters were split.11 So the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dry ground, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.12 And the Egyptians pursued and went after them into the midst of the sea; all of Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen.

Now it came to pass, in the morning watch, that Jehovah looked down upon the Egyptian forces through the pillar of fire and cloud, and He troubled the Egyptian forces. And He took off their chariot wheels, so that they drove them with difficulty; and the Egyptians said, “Let us flee from the face of Israel, for Jehovah fights for them against the Egyptians.”

Then Jehovah said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, that the waters may come back upon the Egyptians, on their chariots, and on their horsemen.” And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and when the morning appeared, the sea returned to its full depth, while the Egyptians were fleeing into it. So Jehovah overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. Then the waters returned and covered the chariots, the horsemen, and all the might of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them. Not so much as one of them remained. But the children of Israel had walked on dry land in the midst of the sea, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.

So Jehovah saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. Thus Israel saw the great work which Jehovah had done in Egypt; so the people feared Jehovah, and believed Jehovah and His servant Moses.

Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to Jehovah, and spoke, saying:

“I will sing to Jehovah, for He has triumphed gloriously! The horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea! Jah is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation; He is my God, and I will praise Him; my father’s God, and I will exalt Him. Jehovah is a man of war; Jehovah is His Name. Pharaoh’s chariots and his might He has cast into the sea; His chosen captains also are drowned in the Soph Sea.13 The depths have covered them; they sank to the bottom like a stone.

“Your right hand, O Jehovah, has become glorious in power; Your right hand, O Jehovah, has dashed the enemy in pieces. And in the abundance of Your excellence You have overthrown those who rose against You; You sent forth Your wrath which consumed them like stubble. And with the spirit of Your anger the waters were heaped together; the liquid stood upright in a heap; the depths congealed in the heart of the sea. The enemy said, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide the spoil; my soul will be satisfied on them. My sword is hungry, my hand will seize them.’ You blew with Your spirit, the sea covered them; they sank like lead in the mighty waters.

“Who is like You, O Jehovah, among the gods? Who is like You, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders? You stretched out Your right hand; the earth swallowed them. You in Your mercy have led forth the people whom You have redeemed; you have guided them in Your strength to Your holy habitation.

The people will hear and be afraid; sorrow will take hold of the inhabitants of Philistia. Then the chiefs of Edom will be dismayed; the mighty men of Moab, trembling will take hold of them; all the inhabitants of Canaan will melt away. Fear and dread will fall on them; by the greatness of Your arm they will be as still as a stone, until Your people pass over, O Jehovah, until the people pass over whom You have purchased.

“You will bring them in and plant them in the mountain of Your inheritance, in the place, O Jehovah, which You have made for Your own dwelling, the sanctuary, O Jehovah, which Your hands have established.

“Jehovah will reign forever and ever. For the horses of Pharaoh went with his chariots and his horsemen into the sea, and Jehovah brought back the waters of the sea upon them. But the children of Israel went on dry land in the midst of the sea.”

Then Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took the timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances. And Miriam answered them: “Sing to Jehovah, for He has triumphed gloriously! The horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea!”14 Exodus 13:17 to 15:21

This epic of fleeing from slavery into miraculous salvation also applies to us, and we are still to sing Moses’ song: (Revelation 15:1-4)

Then I saw another great and marvellous sign in heaven: seven envoys having the last plagues with them, for in them the wrath of God is finished.

And I saw a sea of glass as if mingled with fire, and those who are victorious over the beast and over its image and over the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, having God’s stringed instruments with them. And they sang the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying: “Great and marvellous are Your works, Lord Jehovah God! Your works uphold all that is just and true, O King of the universe! Who will not revere You, O Lord Jehovah, and glorify Your Name? For only You are holy. Therefore all the nations will come and worship before You, because You are True.”

Therefore, my brethren, I want you to know that all of our fathers were under the cloud, and all of them passed through the sea and all of them were immersed by Moses in the cloud and in the sea, all of them, they ate the one food of the Spirit, and all of them, they drank the one drink of the Spirit. For they drank of that Rock of the Spirit which was with them, and that Rock was the Messiah. But God was not pleased with the majority of them, for they fell in the wilderness.

Now these things are examples to us, that we should not lust after evil just as they lusted. Nor should we serve idols as some of them also served. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” Nor should we commit sexual immorality, as some of them committed fornication, and in one day twenty-three thousand of them fell; nor should we tempt the Messiah, as some of them tempted, and serpents destroyed them; nor should we complain, as some of them complained, and they were destroyed by the destroyer.

Now all of these things happened to them for our example, and they were written for our warning, for the end of the age is coming upon us. From now on, whoever thinks he stands, let him beware lest he fall. No temptation has come to you except those of the children of man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make an escape, so you can endure it. Because of this, my beloved, flee from serving idols.

Interwoven with the Exodus was the symbolism of the Wave Sheaf Offering, marking the beginning of God’s Harvest, first the physical and ultimately the spiritual. Thus the Resurrection of our Anointed is also a key component of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

But this raises another issue. We are not to appear empty before God: (Exodus 23:14-16)

“Three times you will celebrate unto Me in the year: You will keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread. You will eat unleavened bread for seven days, as I commanded you, at the appointed time in the new moon of Abib, for in it you came out of Egypt. No one will appear before Me empty. And keep the Feast of Harvest, the firstfruits of your labours which you have sown in the field; and the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you have gathered in the fruit of your labours from the field.

Jeshua is our Passover, who died to free us from our sins and give us new lives: (1 Corinthians 5:7)

Purge the old leaven out of you, that you may be a new lump, since you are unleavened. For our Passover is the Messiah, who was sacrificed for our sake.

Jeshua was also raised again to life as the Wave Sheaf Offering (First Fruit), as an example for us and the proof that one day Jehovah God will also raise us to everlasting life: (Romans 8:11)

But if the Spirit of Him who raised our Anointed Lord Jeshua from the house of the dead dwells in you, He who raised Jeshua Messiah from the house of the dead, He will also give life to your dead bodies because of His Spirit who dwells in you.

Jeshua was the one who led the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt and into freedom, as we have read in 1 Cor 10:4. He wants to do the same for us, setting us free from our slavery to sin: (Romans 8:3-8)

For the Instructions were weak because of the infirmity of the flesh. God sent His Son in the form of sinful flesh, because of sin, to condemn sin in His flesh, that the righteousness of the Instructions would be fulfilled in us, that we would not walk according to the flesh but in the Spirit. For those who are of the flesh are governed by that flesh and those who are in the Spirit are governed by that Spirit. For the mind of the flesh is death, and the mind of the Spirit is life and peace. Because the mind of the flesh is enmity towards God; for it is not subject to the Instructions of God, for that is not possible. And those who live in the flesh are not able to please God.

Just as God destroyed the enemies of the Israelites at the Soph Sea, He will destroy our enemies when He returns to establish His Kingdom: (Revelation 19:11-21)

Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on it was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and He makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. And He had a name written that no one knew except Him. He wore a garment soaked with blood, and His name is called The Word of God. And the armies in heaven followed Him on white horses clothed in linen, white and pure.

Now from His mouth came a sharp sword, by which He will kill the nations. And He will shepherd them with a rod of iron and He will tread the winepress holding all the wrath of God. And on His garment, over His thigh, a name is written: The KING of KINGS and The LORD of LORDS.

Then I saw another envoy, standing in the sun; and crying in a loud voice, he said to all the birds flying in the midst of heaven, “Come, gather for the supper of the great God, to eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains of thousands, and the flesh of warriors, and the flesh of horses and of those sitting on them, and the flesh of freemen and slaves, small and great.”

And I saw the beast and its armies, and the kings of the earth and their soldiers, who gathered to make war with Him who sat on the horse and with His soldiers. Then the beast was captured, and the false prophet with him; he who worked signs before it, by which he seduced those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshipped its image. And both were taken down and cast into the lake of fire that burns with brimstone. And the rest were killed with the sword of Him who sat on the horse, which came from His mouth. And all the birds of prey were filled with their flesh.

And when a multitude of people had gathered together, so many that they began to trample one another, Jeshua said to His disciples, “First of all, beware of allowing the leaven of the Pharisees into yourselves, which is hypocrisy. For there is nothing covered that will not be revealed, nor hidden that will not be known. Therefore everything you say in the darkness will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in the ear in inner rooms will be proclaimed on the roofs.

“And I say to you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that they have nothing more to do. But I will show you whom you should fear: Him who after he has killed, has authority to throw you into Gehenna. I say to you, Yes, fear him!

The Feast of Unleavened Bread talks of removing the leaven of sin and malice from ourselves so we can become like the Anointed: (1 Corinthians 5:6-8)

Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? Purge the old leaven out of you, that you may be a new lump, since you are unleavened. For our Passover is the Messiah, who was sacrificed for our sake. Therefore let us keep the feast not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of bitterness or wickedness, but with the leaven of purity and holiness.

And now, let us take the Eucharist of Thanksgiving for what Jeshua has done for us: (1 Corinthians 11:23-32)

For I received from our Lord that which I also handed down to you: that our Lord Jeshua on the night in which He was betrayed took bread; and He blessed and broke it and He said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for yourselves; you will do this for my memorial.”

Likewise, after they had eaten, He also gave them the cup, and He said, “This cup is the New Covenant in my blood. Every time that you drink this cup, you will do it for my memorial.” For every time you eat this bread and drink this cup, it is our Lord’s death you commemorate, until His Coming. Therefore whoever eats this bread of Lord Jah and drinks from His cup and is unworthy of it will be guilty of the blood of Lord Jah, and of His body. Because of this, let a person search their soul, and then let them eat of this bread and drink of this cup. For whoever eats and drinks while unworthy eats and drinks condemnation to his soul for not discerning the body of Lord Jah. Because of this many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep. For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. But when we are judged to be chastened by our Lord, we are chastened lest we are condemned with the world.

Let us meditate upon these things, our thankfulness for what Jeshua has done for us, and our readiness for taking the Bread and the Wine.

[Taking Bread and then Wine using Matt 26:26 to 28—using unleavened bread and red wine (or red grape juice).]

Matthew 26:26 And as they were eating, Jeshua took bread, and blessed and broke it, and He gave it to His disciples and said, “Take, eat; this is My body.”

[Rise up and offer the unleavened bread to Jehovah and give thanks for it, using Jeshua’s words. Then break the unleavened bread into pieces and pass them around. Wait for everyone to get their bread and eat it.]

Matthew 26:27-28 And He took a cup, and He gave thanks, and He gave it to them, and He said, “Take, drink from it, all of you. This is My blood of the New Covenant, which is shed in exchange for the many for their release from sins.”

[Rise up and offer the wine to Jehovah and give thanks for it, using Jeshua’s words. Then pour the wine into glasses and pass them around. Wait for everyone to get their wine and drink it. Then thank Jeshua for offering us His body and blood for our healing, cleansing and salvation.]

Lunch Break—shared meal, without leaven! Nearly our last meal during the Feast of Unleavened Bread this year. But not eating leaven is not enough! We are commanded to eat the unleavened bread which represents us becoming like Jeshua’s pure and sinless body.

Afternoon Service

The next day John saw Jeshua coming to him, and he said, “Behold! He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world! This is the One about whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who is before me, for He preceded me.’ And I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came immersing in water.”

And John testified and said, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and remaining upon Him. And I did not know Him, but He who sent me to immerse in water, He said to me, ‘He upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining upon Him, this is the One who immerses in the Holy Spirit.’ And I have seen and I testify that this One is the Son of God.”

Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is everlasting life in the Anointed Jeshua, our Lord.

Our Creator had to die in our place, thus paying the price in full for our sins, otherwise we could not be given life. And His death showed how much He loves us: (Romans 5:5 to 6:18)

But hope does not produce shame, because the overflowing love of God has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. Truly, the Messiah, due to our weakness at the time, died for the sake of the wicked. Though it is improbable that a man will die for the sake of the wicked, yet for the sake of the good perhaps a man would dare to die. But here God demonstrates His own sure love for us, that while we were sinning, the Anointed died in our place.

Therefore, how much more, having now been even more justified by His blood, we will be saved from wrath by Him. For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God in the death of His Son, therefore, how much more, through His reconciliation, we will live by His Life. And not in this way only, but we also rejoice in God through our Anointed Lord Jeshua, for it is through Him that we have now received the reconciliation.

Therefore, just as by the hand of one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and in this way death spread to all the children of men, because all of them have sinned.16 For until the Instructions, sin was in the world but it was not counted as sin, because there were no Instructions. But death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the transgression of the Instructions by Adam,17 who was an image of Him who was to come. But the gift is not like the fall. For if by the fall of one many died, therefore so much more is the grace of God and His gift which by one Man, Jeshua the Anointed, became superabundant to many.

And the gift is not like the offence of one. For the judgement which came from one offence resulted in condemnation, but the gift which followed the sins of many led to righteousness. For if, because of one’s offence, death reigned, all the more will those receiving an abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life by the hand of the One, Jeshua the Anointed. Therefore, because of one’s offence there was condemnation for all the children of men, in a similar way the righteousness of One is the triumph of life for all the children of men. For just as through the disobedience of one man the many became sinners, in this way also because of the obedience of One, the many will become righteous.

But the Instructions were introduced so sin would increase. And where sin increased, grace became superabundant there, so that as sin reigned in death, in this way grace will reign through righteousness to everlasting life through our Lord Jeshua the Messiah. Then what shall we say? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? It cannot be so! For those of us who died to sin, how will we live in it again?

Or do you not know that all of us who were immersed into the Anointed Jeshua were immersed into His death? We were buried with Him through immersion into death, and as Jeshua our Messiah rose from the dead through the glory of His Father, so we also will walk in new life. For if we have been planted with Him in the likeness of His death, in this way we will also be in His resurrection, for we know that our old person was impaled with Him, that the body of sin will be destroyed, so we will not serve sin again. For the one who has died has been freed from sin.

But if we died with the Anointed, we believe that we will also live with the Anointed, knowing that the Anointed, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death has no further dominion over Him. For when He died, He died to sin once for all; but now that He lives, He lives to God. So you also, count yourselves as dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in our Lord and Messiah, Jeshua.

Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, to obey it in its lusts. Nor yield your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but yield yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin will not have dominion over you, for you are not under the Instructions but under grace. What? Will we then sin because we are not under the Instructions but under grace? It cannot be so! Do you not know that to whoever you present yourselves to obey, you are bonded as slaves to him who you obey, if your ear listens to sin or if to righteousness?

But thanks be to God that though you were slaves of sin, you obeyed from the heart that form of teaching to which you were delivered. And having been freed from sin, you became slaves of righteousness. (Romans 5:5 to 6:18)

We must accept Jeshua’s sacrifice on our behalf, be immersed and receive the Holy Spirit to be given everlasting life: (Acts 8:26-39)

Now an envoy of Lord Jah spoke to Philip, saying to him, “Arise and go to the south on the desert road which goes from Jerusalem down to Gaza.” So he arose, went and met one eunuch who had come from Cush.18 He was an official under Queen Candace of the Cushites, who had authority over of all her treasury, and had come to worship in Jerusalem. And when he had turned to go, he sat down on his chariot, and he was reading in Isaiah the prophet.

And as he approached, he heard what he was reading in Isaiah the prophet, and he said to him, “What do you understand of your reading?”

And he said, “How can I understand, unless someone instructs me?” And he asked Philip to come up and sit with him. But the place in the Scripture which he read had this in it: “He was led as a lamb to the sacrifice; and as a ewe is silent before the shearer, so He also did not open His mouth. He was lead, in His humility, from imprisonment and from judgement, and who will declare His time? For His life is taken from the earth.”19

So that eunuch said to Philip, “I beg of you, about whom does the prophet say this, about himself or about another man?”

Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture, he preached to him about our Lord Jeshua.

Now as they went down the road, they arrived at one place that had water. And that eunuch said, “Behold, water! What is preventing me from being immersed?”

So he commanded the chariot to stop. And the two of them both went down into the water and Philip immersed that eunuch. Now when they came up from the water, the Spirit of Lord Jah took Philip up, and the eunuch did not see him again; but as he went down the road, he rejoiced.

Then Simon opened his mouth and said: “In truth I perceive that God does not show partiality. But in every nation whoever worships Him and works righteousness is acceptable to Him. For the word which He sent to the children of Israel announced peace and tranquillity to them through Jeshua the Anointed. This One is Lord Jah of all.

You also are aware of the word which has been proclaimed throughout Judea, which went out from Galilee after the immersion which John preached: About Jeshua from Nazareth, Whom God anointed with the Holy Spirit and with power, who travelled about and He healed those injured by the evil one, for God was with Him. And we are His witnesses of all the things which He did in all the land of Judea and in Jerusalem. This One is He whom the Jews hung on a tree and they murdered Him. And God raised Him up the third day, and allowed Him to be seen in the public’s eye, but not to all the people, but to those of us chosen as witnesses by God; we who ate and drank with Him after His resurrection from the place of the dead.

“And He commanded us to preach to the people, and to testify that this is He who is appointed by God as the Judge of the living and of the dead. And about Him all the prophets witness that everyone who believes in His Name will receive forgiveness of sins.”

While Peter was speaking these words, the Holy Spirit rested upon all of them who were hearing the word. And the circumcised brethren who came with him; they were stunned and they were astonished, because the gift of the Holy Spirit rushed upon the Gentiles also. For they heard them while they spoke from language to language and they were magnifying God.

Then Peter said, “How can anyone forbid water, that these should not be immersed? For behold, they have received the Holy Spirit just as we did.” Then he commanded them to be immersed in the name of our Lord Jeshua the Anointed. Then they begged him to stay some days with them.

Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain which Jeshua had appointed for them. And when they saw Him, they worshipped Him; though some of them had doubted.

Then Jeshua spoke with them, and He said to them, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and in the earth. Just as My Father sent Me, so I am sending you. Therefore go and disciple all the nations, immersing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teach them, so they keep everything that you have commanded them. Behold, I am with you, every day until the end of the universe.” Amen.

We are to become spiritually focused now, and eventually we will receive spiritual bodies: (1 Corinthians 15:44-58)

They are sown as an animal body, it is raised as a spiritual body. For there is an animal body, and there is a spiritual body. And so it is written, “The first man Adam was a living soul.” And the last Adam is the life-giving Spirit. But the spiritual was not first, but the animal, and then the spiritual.

The first man was from the dust of the earth; the second Man is Lord Jah from heaven. So just as he was a being from dust, so also are those of dust; and just as He is a being from heaven, so also are the heavenly. And as we have worn the image of him from the dust, thus we will also wear the image of Him from heaven.

Now this I say, my brethren, flesh and blood are not able to inherit the Kingdom of Heaven; nor can corruption inherit indestructibility. Behold, I tell you a mystery: Not all of us will sleep, but we will all be transformed; suddenly, like the blink of an eye, at the last trumpet. For it will sound, and the dead will rise without corruption, and we will all be transformed. For this destructible is going to wear indestructibility, and this mortal will wear immortality. And when this destructible puts on indestructibility, and this mortal, immortality, then these written words will come to pass: “Death is swallowed by victory.”20

Death, where is your sting? O Sheol, where is your victory? For the sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the Instructions. But thank God, who gives us the victory through our Anointed Lord Jeshua.

Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast and do not be shaken, but always be abounding in every work of Lord Jah, for you know that your labour in Lord Jah is not worthless.

And these things we write to you that our joy in you may be full. This is the Good News which we have heard from Him and we declare to you, that God is light and there is not any darkness in Him at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and we walk in darkness, we lie and we do not understand the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of His Son Jeshua cleanses us from all of our sins.

If we say that we have no sin in us, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and He will cleanse us from all our evil. And if we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

Children, I write these things to you, that you will not sin. And if anyone sins, we have the Redeemer of the cursed with the Father, Jeshua the righteous Messiah. For He is in Himself the Atonement because of our sins, and not in our place only but also in place of the whole world.

Now by this we can tell that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. For he who says, “I know Him.” and does not keep His commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is completed in them. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says “I am in Him.”, it is necessary for him to walk just like He walks.

Beloved ones, I do not write a new commandment for you, but an old commandment which you have had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word which you have heard. Again, a new commandment I write to you, that which is true in Him and in you, because the darkness has passed away, and the true light is beginning to shine.

Therefore, whoever says that he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. But he who loves his brother dwells in the light, and there is no offence in him. And he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

I write to you, children, that your sins are forgiven to you because of His Name. I write to you, fathers, that you have known the One who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, that you have overcome the evil one. I have written to you, boys, that you have known the Father. I have written to you, fathers, that you have known Him who is from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, that you are strong, and the word of God dwells in you, and you have overcome the evil one.

Do not love the world or the things that are in it, for whoever loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything that is in the world; the lust of the body, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of this life; these are not from the Father but these are from the world. The world is passing away, and its lusts; but he who does the will of God will dwell forever. 1 John 1:4 to 2:17

Behold how greatly the love of the Father abounds to us, that He has called us and He has made us children! Because of this, the world does not know us, because it does not know Him either. Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we are going to be, but we know that when He is revealed, we will be like Him, and we will see Him as He is. And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.

But whoever sins commits evil, for sin is entirely evil. And you know that He was revealed to take away our sins, and there is no sin in Him. And everyone who remains in Him does not sin. Everyone who sins has not seen Him nor have they known Him.

Children, let no one deceive you. He who does righteousness is righteous, just as He, the Messiah, is righteous. He who commits sin is from Satan, for Satan has sinned from the beginning. Because of this the Son of God appeared to destroy the works of Satan.21

Whoever has been begotten from God does not sin, for His seed is in him; and he is not able to sin, because he has been begotten from God. In this the children of God are distinguished from the children of Satan: Everyone who does not do righteousness nor loves his brother is not from God. For this is the commandment that you heard from the beginning, that you will love one another.

Don’t be like Cain, whose nature was from the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his works were evil and his brother’s righteous. Do not be surprised, my brethren, if the world hates you.

We know that we have departed from death to life, because we love the brethren. He who does not love his brother remains in death. For every person who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer can have everlasting life abiding in him. By this we know His love toward us, for He gave His soul in our place. And it is right that we also would give our souls for the sake of our brethren.

Everyone who believes that Jeshua is the Anointed is born from God and everyone who loves the Parent also loves the one who is begotten of Him. And in this we know that we love the children of God, whenever we love God and we do His commandments. For this is the love of God—to keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdens.

For everyone who is born from God conquers the world for himself. And this is the victory that conquers the world; our faith. Who is he who conquers the world for himself, but he who believes that Jeshua is the Son of God? This is He who came by water and blood; Jeshua Messiah; not only by water, but by water and blood. And the Spirit bears witness because the Spirit is Truth. And the three of them bear witness: the Spirit, and the water, and the blood; and the three of them are as one.

If we receive the witness of men, how much greater is the witness of God? For this is the witness of God which He testifies about His Son. Everyone who believes in the Son of God, there is this witness in his soul. Everyone who does not believe God makes Him a liar, because he does not believe the witness that God testifies about His Son. And this is the witness: that God has given us everlasting life, and these lives are in His Son. Everyone who takes hold of the Son also takes hold of life; and everyone who does not take hold of God’s Son, there is no life for him.

These things I have written to you, so you will know that you have everlasting life; you who believe in the name of the Son of God. Now this is our confidence toward Him; that everything we ask Him according to His will, He hears us. And if we are convinced that He hears us about whatever we ask from Him, even now we trust that we will receive the desired things that we ask from Him.

If anyone sees his brother sinning a sin which does not condemn him to death, let him ask, and his soul will be given to him, to those whose sin is not of death. And there is the sin of death. For this, I say do not pray for the man. For every evil is sin, and there is a sin that is not of death.

We know that everyone who is born from God does not sin; for he who has been born of God keeps his soul, and the evil one does not touch it. We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the evil one. And we know that the Son of God has come and He has given us a mind that knows the True One; and we are in Him, the True One, in His Anointed Son Jeshua. This One is the True God and everlasting life.

This service concludes the Feast of Unleavened Bread services. The next Holy Day, which is fifty days from the day of the Wave Sheaf Offering, is the First Fruits (in plural), also known as the Feast of Harvest and Pentecost. It was the day on which the faithful disciples were blessed with the gift of Jehovah’s Holy Spirit dwelling within them.

Permission is given to copy and distribute this service provided it is copied entirely and distributed without charge.

Scripture quotes are from the CHCoG translation, based on the Aramaic Peshitta New Covenant.

1 Hebrew is יַמ־סוּף Yam Soph, meaning “Sea of Ending” or “End of the Sea”. Various Bible verses confirm this is the sea called the “Gulf of Aqaba” today, such as Exo 10:19 and 1 Kings 9:26. Solomon’s shipyard has been located at the northern end of this gulf and Israelis call it the Gulf of Elat(h) today. Soph Sea probably also includes all of the Red Sea, the Arabian Sea and the Persian Gulf. See Fritz, The Lost Sea of Exodus for more detail.

2 The Hebrew indicates that they marched out in an orderly manner organised like an army. There is nothing to indicate that they obtained weapons until after crossing the Gulf of Aqaba.

6 This is one of the fifty places where Jehovah is fully vocalised in the Leningrad Codex.

7 The Hebrew פִּי~הַחִירֹת may mean “Mouth of the Gorge”. The location is probably where the Wadi opens onto Nuweiba Beach on the Gulf of Aqaba.

9 בַּעַל~צְפֹן ‘Lord of the North’, likely a mountain on the east side of the Gulf of Aqaba.

10 From בְקָעֵ baqa, the same word used to describe the splitting apart of the earth’s crust that released the Fountains of the Deep to initiate the Great Flood (Gen 7:11).

11 Verse 16 shows that the splitting of the sea was done miraculously by God when Moses obeyed Him. The east spirit/wind was used to dry the newly exposed seabed so they could cross easily.

13 Literally End of the Sea or Sea of Ending, known as the Gulf of Aqaba today. As this event marks the ending of the Israelites’ slavery to the Egyptians, it may be why they called this the Sea of Ending.

17 This passage confirms that Adam had to have received Instructions from God prior to his fall, so the time prior to the Instructions (aka Torah or Law) was very brief.

21 Satan is a transliteration from the Aramaic. It translates as “the adversary”.