Deuteronomy 12:32 

“Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it.

Leviticus 23:37 ‘These are the feasts of the Lord which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire to the Lord, a burnt offering and a grain offering, a sacrifice and drink offerings, everything on its day—

The Sabbath

The Sabbath is the Crown of Creation.

Genesis 2:2-3 | By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because on it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.

Leviticus 23:4 | ‘Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of solemn rest, a holy convocation. You shall do no work on it; it is the Sabbath of the Lord in all your dwellings. ‘These are the feasts of the Lord, holy convocations which you shall proclaim at their appointed times.

God has set aside the last day of the week as a day of rest. It is also a day to remember that He is Creator. It is a day that we spend time in a relationship with Him and our brethren. It is also a day of promise.

Isaiah 58:13 | “If you turn away your foot from the Sabbath, From doing your pleasure on My holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight, The holy day of the Lord honorable, And shall honor Him, not doing your own ways, Nor finding your own pleasure, Nor speaking your own words, Then you shall delight yourself in the Lord; And I will cause you to ride on the high hills of the earth, And feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father. The mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

Isa.56:2 Blessed is the man who does this, And the son of man who lays hold on it; Who keeps from defiling the Sabbath, And keeps his hand from doing any evil.”
Ezek.20:12 Moreover I also gave them My Sabbaths, to be a sign between them and Me, that they might know that I am the Lord who sanctifies them.

Ezek20:13 Yet the house of Israel rebelled against Me in the wilderness; they did not walk in My statutes; they despised My judgments, ‘which, if a man does, he shall live by them’; and they greatly defiled My Sabbaths. Then I said I would pour out My fury on them in the wilderness, to consume them.

Ezek.2-:19-20 I am the Lord your God: Walk in My statutes, keep My judgments, and do them; hallow My Sabbaths, and they will be a sign between Me and you, that you may know that I am the Lord your God.’

Time is a precious commodity in our crazy world! Something we all wish we had more of - you know that time for kids, family and especially (if you are a believer) time for quiet prayer to the One who comforts us. God’s Sabbath is a day for building our relationship with Him. We have seen in scripture that the Sabbath reminds us who is Creator and identifies us as His people. The Sabbath is also a pattern for observing the other Holy Days of God’s appointed times.

The Passover

Exodus 12:14, 26-27 | Now this day will be a memorial to you, and you shall celebrate it as a feast to the Lord; throughout your generations you are to celebrate it as a permanent ordinance… And it will come about when your children will say to you, “What does this rite mean to you?” that you shall say, “It is a Passover sacrifice to the Lord who passed over the houses of the sons of Israel in Egypt when He smote the Egyptians, but spared OUR homes.”

Passover is a remembrance! It is a TESTIMONY of what God has done and a PROMISE of what He will do! God's instruction mandates that we educate our children in every generation about its significance to us. In the origin of Passover God delivers the nation of Israel from both slavery and death. The first observance of Passover teaches us about the deliverance of God’s people. The Prophets also teach us that this first Exodus is a promise, a prophecy and a pattern of deliverance (Jer.16:14) for God’s people during the end times Tribulation when we are enslaved by the unrighteousness of the last generation just before Yeshua”s return. We are also taught about the Lamb of God Sacrifice which God had ordained from the very foundations of the world. (1Pet.:19)…but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.

Passover is about our redemption from sin and our deliverance in times of trouble. The Lamb of God sacrifice was not about appeasing an angry god! The Lamb of God sacrifice is about redeeming our lives from the consequences of sin. The Lamb of God sacrifice is about reconciliation with our Creator and restoration of our relationship with Him through our Savior. By observing Passover on a yearly basis we are remembering how the Israelites were redeemed and their relationship with the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob was reconciled and restored. We are learning that redemption and deliverance is both corporate and individual as well as past, present and future. Moses clarifies this instruction by emphasizing that each successive generation should observe the Passover in the same way as those who were physically present during the exodus from Egypt.

Exodus 12:42 | It is a night to be observed for the Lord for having brought them out from the land of Egypt; this night is for the Lord, to be observed by all the sons of Israel throughout their generations.

In the same manner means that we are to tell our children as the first generation did that God has passed over us.

Exodus 13:8, 14 | And you shall tell your son on that day, saying, “It is because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt.”… And it shall be when your son asks you in time to come, saying, “What is this?” then you shall say to him, “With a powerful hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery.”

‍ ‍Jer.16:14 “Therefore behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “that it shall no more be said, ‘The Lord lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt,’ 15 but, ‘The Lord lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north and from all the lands where He had driven them.’ For I will bring them back into their land which I gave to their fathers.

Jesus/Yeshua did eat the Passover meal even as the people of Israel did in Egypt but that He also initiated a ceremony to reveal His part in our redemption. Luke 22:14-20… 7Then came the Day of Unleavened Bread, when the Passover must be killed. And He sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and prepare the Passover for us, that we may eat.”… 14 When the hour had come, He sat down, and the twelve apostles with Him. Then He said to them, “With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves;  for I say to you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.”  And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.

The apostle Paul kept the Passover because of the instruction Yeshua gave him. In these verses Paul confirms the keeping of Passover as well as instructing us about how to keep it. The Passover and the Lord’s Supper are not two separate events!! They are one and the same. It is during the observance of Passover that Yeshua teaches us the remembrance of His sacrifice.

1 Corinthians 11:23-30 | For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Yeshua in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it, and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” In the same way He took the cup also, after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes. Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself, if he does not judge the body rightly. For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep.

Keeping Passover in a worthy manner simply means that before we partake of this meal and the symbols Yeshua gave us we must evaluate our thoughts, words and deeds! We must judge ourselves clearly. Does our behavior reflect our salvation or do we still act like we are not saved? d 1Cor11:17-22 Paul is teaching us that our behavior must not be divisive or selfish. Paul is illustrating the corporate observance of Passover - that how we behave affects our congregation. He is encouraging us -”Let us keep the Feast”!!!!!

As followers of the Messiah, it is essential to recognize that God has ordained our salvation from the foundation of the earth. He planned to redeem us from the very beginning. The four cups of Passover teach us of His plan to Sanctify, Deliver, Redeem us to His Praise and glory. God has “passed over our sins to sanctify us. He has delivered us from evil. He redeems our lives from the enemy’s hand and in turn we give Him praise for all He has done. This is the transition from death to life, just as the Messiah promised.

John 5:24 | Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life.

Our faith in the Messiah and accepting His forgiveness is intertwined with the instruction to commemorate the Passover and inform our children that we were among those who were "passed over” and delivered.

Partaking in the Passover means remembering what God has done for you. The instruction connects back to our forefathers, and it is essential for us to bear witness to our own children that they too are among those who were "passed over."

1 Corinthians 10:1-4 | For I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea; and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and all ate the same spiritual food; and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from a spiritual rock which followed them; and the rock was the Messiah.

This instruction is not limited to the Jewish community, as even Paul emphasized its significance to the Gentiles in Corinth. In his letter to the Corinthians, Paul connects the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

1 Corinthians 5:7-8 | Clean out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Messiah our Passover also has been sacrificed. Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Despite his primarily Greek Gentile audience, the Apostle Paul urges them to incorporate the Passover into their spiritual testimony. This instruction applies to all followers of the Messiah. If one believes in Him, they are part of the original Passover narrative, which recounts the story of redemption. We become children of Abraham when we have the faith of Abraham to believe that what so ever God has promised, He is able to do!

1 Corinthians 10:11 | Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.

The Feast of Unleavened Bread

Leviticus 23:6-8 | And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the Lord; seven days you must eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall do no customary work on it. But you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord for seven days. The seventh day shall be a holy convocation; you shall do no customary work on it.’ ”

The Feast of Firstfruits

9 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 10 “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘When you come into the land which I give to you, and reap its harvest, then you shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest. 11 He shall wave the sheaf before the Lord, to be accepted on your behalf; on the day after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it. 12 And you shall offer on that day, when you wave the sheaf, a male lamb of the first year, without blemish, as a burnt offering to the Lord. 13 Its grain offering shall be two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, an offering made by fire to the Lord, for a [b]sweet aroma; and its drink offering shall be of wine, one-fourth of a hin. 14 You shall eat neither bread nor parched grain nor fresh grain until the same day that you have brought an offering to your God; it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

The Feast of Weeks

Leviticus 23:15-17, 21 | ‘And you shall count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering: seven Sabbaths shall be completed. Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall offer a new grain offering to the Lord. You shall bring from your dwellings two wave loaves of two-tenths of an ephah. They shall be of fine flour; they shall be baked with leaven. They are the firstfruits to the Lord. …21 And you shall proclaim on the same day that it is a holy convocation to you. You shall do no customary work on it. It shall be a statute forever in all your dwellings throughout your generations.

The Feast of Trumpets

23 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 24 “Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a sabbath-rest, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation. 25 You shall do no customary work on it; and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord.’ ”

The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur)

Lev.23:26-32  And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying:  “Also the tenth day of this seventh month shall be the Day of Atonement. It shall be a holy convocation for you; you shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire to the Lord.  And you shall do no work on that same day, for it is the Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before the Lord your God.  For any person who is not afflicted in soul on that same day shall be cut off from his people. And any person who does any work on that same day, that person I will destroy from among his people.  You shall do no manner of work; it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.  It shall be to you a sabbath of solemn rest, and you shall afflict your souls; on the ninth day of the month at evening, from evening to evening, you shall celebrate your sabbath.”

Biblical Command

Fasting was a commanded practice on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), observed by all the Israelites and sojourners as a day of solemn self affliction and rest. The Day of Atonement, or Yom Kippur, is explicitly described in the Bible as a day when the Israelites were to “afflict your souls” and refrain from all work. The term “afflict your souls” has historically been interpreted as fasting, meaning abstaining from food and drink for the full 24-hour period. This fast was a divinely instituted act of self-denial to express repentance, humility, and dependence on God. Every Israelite, whether native-born or a sojourner living among them, was required to observe the fast. The fast began at sunset on the ninth day of Tishri and continued until sunset on the tenth day, coinciding with a Sabbath of solemn rest where no work was permitted. Violating the fast or performing work on this day was considered a serious offense, with severe consequences described in the Torah. (Lev.16:29; 23:27-32, Num29:7) bibleresearch.org

Fasting on Yom Kippur served multiple purposes:

Spiritual reflection and repentance: It was a time to evaluate personal conduct and seek atonement for sins. seekingscripture.com.

Participation in the high priestly ritual: The high priest entered the Holy of Holies to make atonement for the nation, and the community’s fasting mirrored this solemnity Bible Hub.

Humility and dependence on God: Physical abstinence symbolized spiritual humility and acknowledgment of God’s mercy Bible Hub+1.

Covenant solidarity: The fast united the community in a shared act of obedience and devotion Bible Hub. The practice of fasting on the Day of Atonement continued from its institution at Sinai through the Second Temple period and into first-century Jewish observance, as referenced in Acts 27:9, which calls Yom Kippur “the Fast” Today, both Jewish and some Christian traditions maintain the 24-hour fast as a way to honor the biblical command and focus on spiritual reflection. In summary, fasting on the Day of Atonement was a central, commanded observance, intended to cultivate repentance, humility, and communal devotion, and it remains a significant practice in religious observance today. Biblehub.com

Restoration of the Sacred Space

Lev.16:15-19 “Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering, which is for the people, bring its blood inside the veil, do with that blood as he did with the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it on the mercy seat and before the mercy seat. So he shall make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions, for all their sins; and so he shall do for the tabernacle of meeting which remains among them in the midst of their uncleanness.  There shall be no man in the tabernacle of meeting when he goes in to make atonement in the Holy Place, until he comes out, that he may make atonement for himself, for his household, and for all the assembly of Israel. And he shall go out to the altar that is before the Lord, and make atonement for it, and shall take some of the blood of the bull and some of the blood of the goat, and put it on the horns of the altar all around. Then he shall sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times, cleanse it, and consecrate it from the uncleanness of the children of Israel. “And when he has made an end of atoning for the Holy Place, the tabernacle of meeting and the altar.

Did you catch that part about “atoning for the Holy Place”? Read those verses again and you will notice the instructions for cleansing and consecrating the Holy Place, the Tabernacle and the altar. This part of the Day of Atonement is often overlooked but clearly it is about making sure that we as a people and the place where we meet with God is cleansed.

Dr. Michael Heiser in his book “The Unseen Realm” points out a concept we overlook. “Sacred space and realm distinction are not just Old Testament concepts. …But New Testament language takes the reader in fascinating directions. Believe it or not, You are sacred space. Paul in particular refers to the believer as the place where God now tabernacles - we are the temple of God, both individually and corporately.” (Dr. Michael Heiser.)

1Cor.3:16 Do you not know that you are the temple of God and the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are. 1Cor.6:19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?

The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) ritual was about “resetting” the Sacred Spaces of the tabernacle/temple, its priesthood, and the Israelite people to the state of ritual purity (holiness) evident when the entire Levitical system and the Tabernacle was originally sanctified in Leviticus 8.

The Day of Atonement in Leviticus 16: A Goat for Azazel

Posted by Dr. Michael S. Heiser | Nov 7, 2013 | AAG, Biblical Study & Translation, Biblical Theology & Doctrine, Divine council, Hebrew Bible (OT), Leviticus, Naked Bible,

Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement described in Leviticus 16, is an important element of Judaism familiar to many Christians. Though not practiced today as it was in ancient times in the absence of the temple and Levitical priesthood, this holy day is still central to the Jewish faith. But while numerous Christians have heard of the day, most would be startled to learn that a sinister figure lurks in the shadows of Leviticus 16. There’s a devil in the details.

The Day of Atonement ritual required a ram, a bull and two goats (vv. 3-5). The ram was for a burnt offering, a general offering aimed at pleasing God (Lev. 1:3-4). The bull, taken from “the herd” served as a sin offering for Aaron, the high priest, and his family. The purpose of the sin offering was purification—restoring an individual to ritual purity to allow that person to occupy sacred space, to be near God’s presence. Curiously, two goats taken “from the congregation” were needed for a single sin offering (v. 5) for the people. Elsewhere the sin offering involved only one animal (e.g., Lev 4:1-12). Why two goats?

The high priest would cast lots over the two goats, resulting in one being chosen for sacrifice “for the Lord.” The blood of that goat would purify the people. The second goat was not sacrificed and was not “for the Lord.” This goat, the one that symbolically carried the sins away from the camp of Israel into the wilderness, was “for Azazel” (ESV; vv. 8-10).

Who or what was Azazel?

The Hebrew term azazel occurs four times in Lev 16 but nowhere else in the Bible. Many translations prefer to translate the term as a phrase: “the goat that goes away” (the idea conveyed in the KJV’s “scapegoat”). Other translations treat the word as a name: Azazel. The former option is possible, but since the phrase “for Azazel” occurs in parallel to “for Yahweh” (“for the Lord”), the wording suggests that two divine figures are being contrasted by the two goats.

Two other considerations argue in favor of Azazel being a divine being—in fact, a demonic figure associated with the wilderness. First, Jewish texts of the Intertestamental period show that Azazel was understood as a demonic figure.2 The Mishnah (ca. 200 AD; Yoma 6:6) records that the goat for Azazel was led to a cliff and pushed over to kill it, ensuring it would not return. This association of the wilderness with evil is evident in the NT, as this was where Jesus met the devil (Mat 4:1). Second, in Lev 17:7 we learn that some Israelites had been accustomed to sacrificing offerings to “goat demons.” The Day of Atonement replaced this illegitimate practice.

It is important to note that this goat was not a sacrifice. It was not sent into the wilderness as an act of sacrifice to a foreign god or demon. Rather, the act of sending the live goat out into the wilderness - unholy ground - was to send the sins of the people where they belonged - the demonic domain. By contrasting purified access to the true God of the first goat with the goat sent to the domain of demons, the identity of the true God and his mercy and holiness was visually reinforced. https://drmsh.com/day-atonement-leviticus-16-goat-azazel/

Remember that Lamb of God sacrifice at Passover? The sacrifice that redeems, restores and reconciles us to be God’s Holy Place. That Lamb of God is our High Priest Yeshua who enters The Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement to make atonement for us and to present us as cleansed and purified.

Another perspective on the redemption, reconciliation and restoration of Atonement

Lev.25:9-17 Then you shall cause the trumpet of the Jubilee to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the Day of Atonement you shall make the trumpet to sound throughout all your land. And you shall consecrate the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a Jubilee for you; and each of you shall return to his possession, and each of you shall return to his family. That fiftieth year shall be a Jubilee to you; in it you shall neither sow nor reap what grows of its own accord, nor gather the grapes of your untended vine.  For it is the Jubilee; it shall be holy to you; you shall eat its produce from the field. In this Year of Jubilee, each of you shall return to his possession.  And if you sell anything to your neighbor or buy from your neighbor’s hand, you shall not oppress one another.  According to the number of years after the Jubilee you shall buy from your neighbor, and according to the number of years of crops he shall sell to you.  According to the multitude of years you shall increase its price, and according to the fewer number of years you shall diminish its price; for he sells to you according to the number of the years of the crops.  Therefore you shall not oppress one another, but you shall fear your God; for I am the Lord your God.

Biblical Foundation - (BibleHub.com)
The concept of the Jubilee is introduced in Leviticus 25:8-12, where God commands the Israelites to count off seven sabbatical years, totaling forty-nine years. The fiftieth year is then proclaimed as the Jubilee year. The Jubilee begins on the Day of Atonement, a solemn day of repentance and reconciliation with God. Leviticus 25:9 states, "Then you are to sound the horn loudly in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month; on the Day of Atonement you shall sound the horn throughout your land."
The Jubilee year is marked by several key features:
1. Rest for the Land: Similar to the sabbatical year, the land is to lie fallow during the Jubilee. This rest for the land underscores the principle that the earth belongs to God, and His people are stewards of His creation.
2. Release of Debts and Slaves: One of the most profound aspects of the Jubilee is the release of debts and the liberation of Hebrew slaves. Lev. 25:10 declares, "And you shall consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a Jubilee for you, when each of you is to return to his property and to his clan."
3. Restoration of Property: The Jubilee ensures that land sold due to economic hardship is returned to its original family owners. This provision prevents the permanent loss of ancestral inheritance and promotes economic balance within the community.
Theological Implications
The Jubilee reflects God's heart for justice and compassion….. The Jubilee is a time of renewal, where relationships are restored, and the community is realigned with God's intentions for His people.
Symbolism and Messianic Fulfillment
The Jubilee holds deep symbolic meaning, pointing to the ultimate redemption and freedom found in Jesus Christ. In Luke 4:18-19 , Jesus reads from the scroll of Isaiah, proclaiming, "The Spirit of the Lord is on Me, because He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor." This declaration is seen as a fulfillment of the Jubilee's promise, offering spiritual liberation and restoration through Christ.

https://biblehub.com/topical/ttt/t/the_feast_of_jubilee--began_upon_the_day_of_atonement.htm

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The Feast of Tabernacles

33 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 34 “Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days to the Lord. 35 On the first day there shall be a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work on it. 36 For seven days you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord. On the eighth day you shall have a holy convocation, and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the Lord. It is a sacred[e] assembly, and you shall do no customary work on it.

37 ‘These are the feasts of the Lord which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire to the Lord, a burnt offering and a grain offering, a sacrifice and drink offerings, everything on its day— 38 besides the Sabbaths of the Lord, besides your gifts, besides all your vows, and besides all your freewill offerings which you give to the Lord.