Guest Writer Jim Coetzee - Home Worship101

YHWH's Plan of Salvation for all Mankind
as seen in the Feast Days of YHWH our Elohim.
By: Jim Coetzee, a Nazarene Christian from South Africa.

From the very beginning our Father YHWH planned to bring forth beings that could become his children. These children would be like Him in every respect. They would have His character reproduced in them by His Set-apart Spirit. YHWH's character is love and righteousness. Each one of these created beings would have freedom to choose what is right. YHWH commenced His plan to reproduce Himself by creating powerful spiritual beings called angels. These angels were free moral agents, with the ability to choose to go YHWH's way – the way of giving and sharing, or the wrong way - which is in essence a way of get. For many years these angels followed the correct way, until one day, a third of the angels followed the archangel Lucifer in rebellion against YHWH to take over YHWH's throne in the third heaven. They fought against the other two thirds of the created angels, still loyal to the Eternal. However, they were overcome and thrown down to earth, where they are now living as fallen angels or demons. These angels, who are spiritual beings, could not change once they have decided to follow a life of wrongdoing (Isaiah 14).

The result of war between the angels and demons left the world formless and void (Tohu and bohu in Hebrew). This is the condition we see the earth in when we open our Scriptures at Genesis1: 2. At that point in time YHWH decides to recreate the heavens and the earth. YHWH also at this point chose not to create his future children as spiritual beings. He decided to initially create human kind from physical matter, in His image with the mind power to think and plan and create. They too would have free moral agency to decide between good and evil. They had to prove through their lives that they would follow YHWH's way of life and develop YHWH's perfect character. However, we know that Adam and Eve did sin – induced by the lies and temptation of Satan. Since then all humankind have sinned and fall short of YHWH's glory. Death spread to all humankind through the sins of our forefathers. YHWH has allowed all of mankind to be led into sin by Satan, thus allowing us to see for ourselves where sin leads us. In the first part of Romans 6: 23 we see that the wages of sin is death. So as opposed to Satan's lie that after disobeying YHWH our forefathers would not die, death was introduced. This was indeed a bleak picture, which left humankind in a miserable condition.

YHWH is dealing with humanity over a 7000-year period. During the first 6000 years, YHWH is allowing humanity to experiment with different forms of government, culture, education and religion. YHWH is allowing us to learn that by living life free of His leadership only leads to failure. This sounds unfair, but the good news is that YHWH wants everyone that He has ever created to be in His family one day. As seen in 1Timothy 2: 4, He desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. YHWH does not want to force us to be saved. He gave us free moral agency allowing us once called to come to HIM out of our own free will. However, to become sons of YHWH takes more than just joining the local church on the corner. It also takes more than just "accepting Jesus" in some evangelical revival meeting filled with emotion. We need to fully surrender our lives to our heavenly Father by means of a personal relationship with Yahshua the Messiah. We need to follow in the footsteps of Yahshua and learn to keep the Torah Commandments to the best of our ability, with the help of the Set-apart Spirit. It must also be understood that no one can come to Yahshua unless the Father who sent Him (Yahshua) draws him - See John 6: 44 & 65. Yahshua Himself said in John 10: 1 - 2: "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs in some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep."

How then would YHWH succeed to make for Himself a family of sons and daughters, with perfect character like His own? YHWH's redeeming plan gives us the answer. Sinners, meaning all of mankind would be redeemed at a price, of greater value than the value of the lives of all humankind put together. The price was as high as the life of our Creator himself. For this reason we read of Zechariah's prophecy in Luke 1: 68 "Blessed be YHWH the Elohim of Israel, for He has visited us and accomplished redemption for His people." As explained in the plan of YHWH below, mankind still has the potential of becoming sons of Elohim, as Yahshua the visible image of the invisible Elohim, died for us and was the first being to be resurrected as a Spirit Being. He made it possible for us to go through the same process to be born again. The very Elohim YHWH died as Yahshua and was resurrected, to give us a second chance. Almighty YHWH did all this by Himself - without any elohims besides him. This is in line with what we read in Psalm 49: 7 "No man can by any means redeem his brother, Or give to YHWH a ransom for him -" & Psalm 49: 15 "But YHWH will redeem my sole from the power of Sheol; For He will receive me."

The feast days that we as Nazarene Messianic Israelites are commanded to keep, pictures YHWH's plan of salvation for all mankind. In Leviticus 23 we read: YHWH spoke again to Moses saying: "Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, YHWH's appointed times which you should proclaim as Set-apart convocations - My appointed times are these." These days were given to Israel, but notice, even though most other religions think that these are the feast days of the Jews or Israel, YHWH says in Leviticus 23: 4 that "These are His appointed times, Set-apart convocations which you shall proclaim at the times appointed for them."

Passover/Pesach

In verse 5 of Leviticus 23, YHWH says: "In the first month on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight is YHWH's Passover." YHWH displayed his power to deliver the Israelites from slavery in Egypt through a series of plagues. After nine plagues YHWH gave Israel special instructions through Moses about the final plague. The children of Israel had to follow a series of steps to the letter to escape this final plague (Exodus 12). On the 10 day of the first month, each head of family had to select a lamb or goat large enough to feed his family. The lamb was to be a male lamb a year old, without any blemish or defect. This lamb had to be kept until the fourteenth day of the same month at which time it was to be killed at twilight. The blood of this lamb was to be taken and put on the two doorposts and lintel of the house in which they eat it. The Israelites had to eat the lamb the same night, roasted with fire, and they had to eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. The lamb had to be eaten in haste, whilst the partakers had their loins girded, with sandals on their feet and with staff in hand. YHWH told the Israelites that this night He would kill all the firstborn of Egypt to convince Pharaoh to let the Israelites go from slavery. The firstborn of Israel would be protected if the sign of the blood were seen on their houses. YHWH said that the Passover should be a memorial, which they shall keep as a feast to HIM throughout their generations.

We know from Scriptures that the slaying of the Passover Lamb pictures the sacrifice of Yahshua the Messiah. In John 1: 29 Yohanan the immerser saw Yahshua coming to him and said, "Behold, the Lamb of Elohim who takes away the sin of the world!" In 1Cor.5: 7 Paul (Shaul) wrote that "Messiah our Passover was sacrificed for us." Yahshua's death atoned for our sin. Whoever accepts that Yahshua died for their sins can be redeemed. This pictures that we are justified freely by the redemption that is in Messiah Yahshua. Yahshua was put to death on the very day of the Passover. By humbly partaking of the Passover, we show that we accept the shed blood of our Saviour for our sins. We use the symbols instituted by Yahshua: eating unleavened bread representing His broken body and drinking the fruit of the vine, as the symbol of His shed blood. We act out our love for Yahshua and humility among our brethren, by a foot washing ceremony as instructed by our redeemer and Saviour. By His shed blood Yahshua reconciled us to the Father, making it possible for us to have direct access to the very throne of YHWH. We believe that repentance, immersion in the Name of Yahshua and accepting the sacrifice of YHWH as Yahshua the Messiah, constitutes a covenant with YHWH. The terms of this covenant is sealed with the shed blood of Yahshua the Messiah (Hebrews 9: 11 - 12 & 15). The covenant is renewed every year when we partake of the Passover. In John 6:48 – 51 Yahshua said: "Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread, which comes down from heaven that one may eat of it and not die. I am the living bread, which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is my flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world." By partaking of the Passover annually we are reminded of this covenant and rededicate our lives to Yahshua the Messiah and His Father.

Feast of Unleavened Bread

Immediately after the Passover comes the next festival, depicting the next step in YHWH's plan of salvation for all humankind. As the leavening process which makes bread rise, takes time, YHWH told His people that: "for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread." They took unleavened flat bread with them and ate of it for the next seven days. What started out of necessity became a lasting ordinance. YHWH instructed the Israelites concerning this festival as they prepared to leave Egypt. For seven days you shall eat unleavened bread made without yeast. Remove all the leavening agents from your house from the first day and eat no leavened products during the next seven days. On the first day you shall hold a Set-apart convocation and also on the seventh day. Do not work on these two Set-apart days, except to prepare food to eat (Exodus 12:14 - 16).

Every year that the Israelites kept the days of unleavened bread they were and are still reminded that YHWH delivered them from Egypt. The Israelites coming out of Egypt foreshadows us coming out of a life of habitual willful sin. Partaking of unleavened bread for seven days in our case means coming out of sin completely – seven meaning complete. We gladly get rid of the leaven in our houses for seven days to remind us of cleansing ourselves of false doctrine, which leads to sin. By performing the physical we learn a spiritual lesson. Unleavened bread is eaten for seven days, allowing us to partake symbolically of the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. Observing the days of unleavened bread helps us realize our need for Yahshua in overcoming our sins. Yahshua the lamb of Elohim was sacrificed for the forgiveness of our sins, thus de-leavening, or cleaning our lives. Yahshua continues to help us live Torah obedient lives, through the Set-apart Spirit dwelling in us after our repentance and immersion into His saving name. This brings us to the next feast in the plan of salvation of YHWH our Elohim.

Pentecost/Shavuoth

Pentecost or the feast of weeks is the third annual Sabbath, a holy convocation, counted from the day after the weekly Sabbath that falls during the days of unleavened bread. Seven complete weeks are counted, bringing us to the day after the weekly Sabbath, i.e. Sunday or the first day of the week. When celebrating Pentecost our Jewish brothers recall one of the greatest events in history, YHWH's giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai. However, Pentecost doesn't only picture the giving of the Law; it also shows - through a miracle of the giving of the Set-apart Spirit which occurred on the first Pentecost after Yahshua's death - how to keep the spiritual intent of YHWH's laws (instructions).

YHWH chose to pour out His Set-apart Spirit on 120 believers as given in Acts1: 15. According to Acts 2:1 - 4: "Now when the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all in one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were filled with the Set-apart Spirit and began to speak with tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance"

The miracle was not in the speaking of the various languages, but with each visitor hearing the speech of the disciples in his own native language. The people of Jerusalem, who witnessed this miracle, were astonished and some attributed it to drunkenness. Peter soon told the onlookers that the miracle was not as a result of drunkenness, but as a result of the pouring out of the Set-apart Spirit on Messianic believers. Peter filled with the Set-apart Spirit, explained the event to the crowd as a fulfillment of the prophecy in Joel 2: 28: "And it shall come to pass in the last days, says Elohim that I will pour out MY Spirit on all flesh." When the listeners asked Peter what they should do to receive the Set-apart Spirit, Peter said unto them: "Repent and let each of you be immersed in the name of Yahshua Messiah for the forgiveness of your sins and you shall receive the gift of the Set-apart-Spirit."

Pentecost or Shavuoth points to the initial harvest of souls, a kind of first fruits unto YHWH. Romans 8: 29 speak of Yahshua Messiah as the "firstborn of many brethren". We who are called now are also considered to be a type of first fruits. In James 1: 18 we: "Having purposed it, He brought us forth by the Word of truth, for us to be a kind of first fruits of His creatures." The significance of the scriptures calling these people first fruits becomes evident when we consider John 14: 6, where Yahshua said: "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

How many people throughout the ages, have really accepted and practiced the way Yahshua taught? Few people today know and understand that YHWH follows a plan depicted by his Set-apart Days, to save all humanity by offering them eternal life in His Kingdom. We are at this juncture only the beginning or foundation of the harvest for YHWH's kingdom to come. The Set-apart Spirit is the power of YHWH working in our lives, allowing us to be led by YHWH. The same power that transformed early believers is also working in messianic believers today. Pentecost is a yearly reminder that YHWH still works miracles in our lives, granting His Set-apart Spirit to the first fruits of His spiritual harvest, giving us a portion of His power to carry out His work in this world. However, we have to follow the precise steps given to the apostles before we can receive the Set-apart Spirit of YHWH. The people who are called during this dispensation who overcome Satan, the world and self, will be given power to rule over nations. (Revelation 2: 26)

An analogy of us being first fruits can be found in every family of humankind on the earth. If you are the firstborn son or daughter in your family and are part of a family comprising a number of children, then you will recall that your parents were much stricter, in the way they reared you. You were corrected more often. Once your brothers and or sisters arrived on the scene, you felt that your siblings were spoilt. However, you as the firstborn became responsible for the well-being of your siblings, when your parents were away for some reason. You had to take care of them when your parents went shopping, etc. You taught them their first word and showed them the ropes in life in general. As the first fruits of YHWH we will have a similar role to play, with our brethren who live during the Millennium and thereafter. We will be kings and priests during the Millennium and beyond, teaching our younger siblings – those who live during the Millennium and beyond – about YHWH’s teachings and the way of give.

We as human beings are made up of body, soul and spirit, According to 1 Thessalonians 5: 23. When we repent and are immersed into the saving name of Yahshua, essentially accepting that His death removed the record of our transgressions, YHWH gives us a portion of His Set-apart Spirit. The Set-apart Spirit combines with the spirit in humanity and we are begotten anew. This gives us the opportunity like YAHSHUA to be resurrected at His return. When we die our spirits goes back to the Father who gave it, during which time it is perfected in Heaven by our Father. When Yahshua returns He will bring back our perfected spirits and will resurrect our bodies. Our perfected bodies will merge with our perfected spirits from heaven, and we will become kings and priests under Yahshua's ruler ship during His Millennial rule.

Feast of Trumpets/Yom Teruah

The Feast of Trumpets begins at the new moon on the seventh month and is a Set-apart convocation. We look forward with eager anticipation to the return of Yahshua the Messiah, for he will return at the sound of the last trumpet and the shout of the archangel. The blowing of trumpets was also used to call Israel to assemble together to prepare for a journey or for war. When Yahshua our Messiah returns to the Mount of Olives, the nations of the earth will gather together to fight against Him. Satan has deceived the whole world (Revelation 12: 9) and they will try to destroy the Messiah at His return. Satan will influence the nations to fight against Yahshua Messiah at His return.

The feast of Trumpets also signals the resurrection of the dead in Messiah. Paul wrote about this in 1 Corinthians 15: 21-23: "For since by man came death, by Man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Messiah all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order: Messiah the first fruits, afterward those who are Messiah's at His coming." In 1 Thessalonians 4: 16 & 17 Paul explained that Yahshua Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of Elohim; and the dead in Messiah will rise first, followed by the people of Elohim who are alive at the time. Yahshua will resurrect the first fruits, those who are called now, to reign with Him for a thousand years. We need to pray that Yahshua will soon return, to this fast deteriorating world, ushering in the Kingdom of YHWH and bringing His perfect government on earth as it is now in heaven. This is what the feast of Trumpets depicts and this is what Yahshua taught us to pray for in Matthew 6: 10. What must be understood is that when Yahshua returns, at the feast of Trumpets, He is not coming back as a baby in a manger, but to put down a rebellious world and to usher in YHWH's Kingdom.

Day of Atonement/Yom Kippur.

Atonement is the fifth annual feast day and is considered the most Set-apart day of all YHWH’s feast days. Atonement points to Yahshua who has made atonement for us. Through Yahshua’s death on the stake, we can be reconciled back to our Father YHWH Elohim. With gladness we tell fellow believers and others about Yahshua’s marvelous saving work and how, at His return He will rule the world for a thousand years. We are reminded of our carnality and how we need the atoning sacrifice of Yahshua, when we partake of a fast that commences on the ninth day of the seventh month at sun set and ends the next day at sun set. We do not eat or drink anything during this period of 24 hours. Atonement also looks forward to the day when Satan will be bound and thrown into the bottomless pit for duration of a thousand years. It pictures the marriage of the Lamb to His Bride, chosen by His Father, at which time we will become at one (atonement) with Elohim.

The Feast of Tabernacles/Sukkoth

Once Satan has been bound hand and foot and thrown into the bottomless pit the thousand-year reign of Yahshua will commence from Jerusalem. During Yahshua’s thousand-year rule from Jerusalem, He will restore all things to their former glory. Those of us, who are first fruits and will be part of the first resurrection, will serve under Yahshua as kings and priests, assisting Him in the restoration of all things. With Satan out of the way things will happen much better. Satan will not be able to influence the minds of men to rebel against the laws that will be in force during Yahshua’s rule. These laws will be none other than the Torah commands that we are familiar with today. That is why we need to keep the Torah Commands fully in this age, so that we will be able to teach those people living during the Millennial rule of Yahshua, to do the right thing. People will still be able to sin during this time, despite the absence of Satan, as they will still have free moral agency to choose what they want to do. The reason for us having free moral agency now and in the world tomorrow is that YHWH does not want robots in His Kingdom. He wants us to follow him of our own free will. However, we will be around with the ability to appear behind people planning to go off the rails, guiding and instructing them to correct their steps (see Isaiah 30: 20 - 21). During the thousand years things will improve from the mess that it will be left in prior to the Messiah’s return to perfection. Whereas, the world will be on the brink of total disaster, just prior to Yahshua’s return, He will restore all things during His Millennial rule to what it was like in the Garden of Eden, before the fall of man.

In Isaiah 11, we get a foretaste of this period. In verses 6 - 9 we read: "And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the kid, And the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And the little boy will lead them. Also the cow and the bear will graze; Their young will lie down together; And the lion will eat straw like the ox. And the nursing child will play by the hole of the cobra, And the weaned child will put his hand on the viper's den. They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth will be full of the knowledge of YHWH As the waters cover the sea."

During this reign of Yahshua it will be a time of peace and prosperity, as He will put the Laws of His Father into effect. We read in Isaiah 2: 2&3 " Now it will come about that In the last days, The mountain of YHWH Will be established as the chief of the mountains, And will be raised above the hills; And all the nations will stream to it. And many peoples will come and say, 'Come let us go up to the mountain of YHWH, To the house of the Elohim of Jacob; That He may teach us concerning His ways. And that we may walk in His paths.' For the Law will go forth from Zion, And the word of YHWH from Jerusalem."

We cannot imagine what the world will be like where everybody knows and lives by YHWH's law. We see in Isaiah 35: 5-6 that YHWH will open the eyes of the blind and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. The lame will leap like a deer and the tongue of the dumb will sing.

The Last Great Day

After the Millennium is over, YHWH will again allow Satan to test the inhabitants of the earth. Satan will be loosed from his place of restraint to test and deceive those who are not in perfect agreement with YHWH's way of life. We read about this in Revelation 20: 7 - 10: "And when the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison, and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore. And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them. And the devil that deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also: and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever."

If YHWH is omnipotent, why have so few people who ever lived heard the good news of salvation? Despite all the work that the Christian missionary workers have done over many years, we must concede that there are far more human beings 'lost' than what there are 'saved'. If we look at the alleged contest between YHWH and Satan for human 'souls', then we must acknowledge that YHWH seems to be on the 'losing' side. What will happen to the millions of people who never even heard the name of Yahshua, let alone all the ones who never heard or understood the truth of our Father?

Looking at history, do we doubt YHWH's saving power? We have seen previously in Timothy 2: 4, that YHWH desires all men to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth. So what will happen to the millions who have never known YHWH's plan of salvation for mankind? We can read what happens to these people in Revelation 20 verse 5 "The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed." In verse 11 to 12 we read: "And I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books was opened, which is the book of life; the dead were written in the books, according to their deeds." This describes a time in history during which all people who ever lived will come to realize the reason for being born. The Scriptures will be opened to their understanding at this time. These people will then have their first opportunity to understand and know YHWH's way of life. They will be given a chance to make an informed decision as to whether they want to repent of their past sins. They will also be given the opportunity to accept Yahshua as their Adon and Saviour, or reject His way of life. Eternal life will be offered to the entire multitude who ever lived. Those who accept Yahshua as their Saviour will be immersed into His saving name. However, there might be some that will never accept YHWH's way of life. Their fate is to be burned up once and for all. They will not be tormented forever. Only spiritual beings such as Satan and his demons have that fate facing them. Human beings who are made from flesh and blood will burn until they are turned to ashes. The Last Great Day pictures the fact that our Father YHWH will give all these millions of people a chance to be judged, only after they have learnt the truth about HIM.

This concept is further explained in Ezekiel 37. This passage essentially speaks about the members of the lost ten tribes of Israel being raised and united with Judah. Most of the Israelites were deceived through the past centuries. They died believing in a false messiah and a three-headed deity called God. However, YHWH reveals in Ezekiel 37 that He will resurrect these Israelites and give them His truth, so that they will receive His Set-apart Spirit to lead them to salvation. YHWH first deals with His chosen people Israel, and then He will deal with all other peoples. YHWH is a merciful Elohim and He will give all human beings a chance to come to repentance. YHWH will bring the vast majority of mankind back to life and will fill those who out of their own violation are willing to live His way of life, with his Set-apart Spirit. We read in Romans 11 verse 32 -36: "For YHWH has shut them all up to disobedience, in order to have compassion on all. Oh, the depth of riches, and wisdom and knowledge of Elohim! How unsearchable His judgments and untraceable His ways! For who has known the mind of YHWH? "Or who first gave to Him, and it shall be given back to him?" Because of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all, to whom be esteem forever. Amen."

Judgement is now (during this age) upon the household of YHWH (1 Peter 4: 17). The great multitude not called at this time will be resurrected at the end of the Millennium, during which time they will be given a change to repent and accept Yahshua as their Saviour. What fantastic news this is. Yes, those members of our families who died after living their lives their own way - like the late Frank Sinatra used to sing: "I did it my way!" They too will get a chance to repent. Baruch Hashem YHWH who has revealed to us his plan of salvation for all mankind, through His Set-apart Days - HalleluYah!