Feast of Unleavened Bread

Illustration of Feast of Unleavened Bread

Right after Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread lasts seven days beginning the fifteenth of Nisan, during which no leaven could remain in the homes and only unleavened bread was eaten to mark the hurried exit from Egypt. The removal of leaven, which stands for sin and corruption, vividly portrays the sanctification and separation from sin that redemption demands of God's people. This feast thus highlights the ongoing call to holiness in the redemptive story, finding its true fulfillment in Christ as the sinless Bread of Life.

0:00

Details

Category
Spring Feasts
Hebrew Name
Chag HaMatzot
Timing
15th-21st of Nisan (7 days following Passover)
Calendar
Nisan, 15th-21st
Season
Spring
Observance
Remove all leaven from homes, eat only unleavened bread for seven days, holy assemblies on first and last days.

Significance

Leaven symbolizes sin and corruption. Removing it pictures sanctification and separation from sin after redemption.

New Testament Fulfillment

Christ's sinless body was buried (the unleavened bread). Believers are called to purge out the old leaven of malice and wickedness.

Key Passages

The Command

Exodus 12:15-20

S15even days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.

16 And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be done of you. 17 And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance for ever. 18 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at even, ye shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the month at even. 19 Seven days shall there be no leaven found in your houses: for whosoever eateth that which is leavened, even that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he be a stranger, or born in the land. 20 Ye shall eat nothing leavened; in all your habitations shall ye eat unleavened bread.

Purge the Leaven

1 Corinthians 5:6-8

Y6our glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?

7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: 8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Jesus the Bread of Life

John 6:35

A35nd Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

Related

Characters

Timeline Events

Prophecies

Did You Know?

1

Leaven (yeast) symbolizes sin in Scripture. Removing it represents purification.

2

The Israelites left Egypt so quickly their bread had no time to rise. Hence unleavened bread.

3

This feast lasts 7 days. The number of completion. Representing a complete break from sin.

4

Jesus called himself 'the bread of life' and was buried during this feast. The sinless bread in the earth.