We observe 7 Abib, the Sanctification for and of the Simple and the Erroneous (Ezek. 45:20). On this day we fast. Why do we do this? Why do we fast? Was not Christ's Sacrifice enough for the process for all time? Are we trying to do something that was done by Christ and usurp Christ's prerogative?

Ezekiel 45:20 And so you shall do on the seventh day of the month for everyone who has sinned unintentionally or in ignorance. Thus you shall make atonement for the temple.

(cf. also Heb. 5:1-2.)

The answer is that we do this because it was part of the sanctification process of the Temple system commanded by God, and that which Christ undertook to do when he prepared for the Passover. He undertook this cleansing and sanctification of the Temple. This was symbolised, physically, by the fact that he drove the moneychangers from the Temple. This process led up to the setting aside of the lamb on the Tenth day of Abib, ready for its slaughter on the Fourteenth day of Abib and its consuming in the Night of Watchings on the Fifteenth day of Abib.

Do we no longer keep the Sabbath because Christ kept it, or the Lord's Supper because he fulfilled it, or the Wave Sheaf because he was the Wave Sheaf? Do we no longer keep Unleavened Bread because he was sinless and had entirely removed the leaven of malice and wickedness? We still keep the Passover because it was an ordinance of God forever and a sign of our participation in the process. Part of that sequence is the sanctification process, which must take place before the Passover is undertaken.

The last day of the primary phase of the Sanctification of the Temple – which Temple we are – is the Seventh of Abib. Once that has happened the sanctification continues on until the end of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

The Seventh day of Abib is the sanctification of those that erred or were too simple in mind to understand that the Sanctification of the Temple had to be done. This process is for those people who have not yet come to understand the glory and mysteries of the Kingdom of God: those people who fall short and do not undertake their full spiritual responsibilities. As Moses and Aaron stood between the wrath of God expressed in Christ and the people in supplication for their safety, so too do we stand so that they may be helped and we may also stand together in safety for our nations.

How do we undertake this? Why do we fast?

The way to sanctify and reconcile to the Lord in ancient Israel was by sanctifying a fast to reconcile the congregation or solemn assembly to God and to gather the elders and inhabitants of the land.

Joel 1:13-15 Gird yourselves, and lament, ye priests: howl, ye ministers of the altar: come, lie all night in sackcloth, ye ministers of my God: for the meat offering and the drink offering is withholden from the house of your God. ¹⁴ Sanctify ye a fast, call a solemn assembly, gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the land into the house of the LORD your God, and cry unto the LORD, ¹⁵Alas for the day! for the day of the LORD is at hand, and as a destruction from the Almighty shall it come. (KJV)

Joel goes on to deal with this subject of the sanctification of the congregation (see also the paper The Day of the Lord and the Last Days (No. 192)).

Joel 2:15-27 Blow the trumpet in Zion, sanctify a fast, call a solemn assembly:¹⁶ Gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children, and those that suck the breasts: let the bridegroom go forth of his chamber, and the bride out of her closet. ¹⁷ Let the priests, the ministers of the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar, and let them say, Spare thy people, O LORD, and give not thine heritage to reproach, that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people, Where is their God? ¹⁸Then will the LORD be jealous for his land, and pity his people. ¹⁹ Yea, the LORD will answer and say unto his people, Behold, I will send you corn, and wine, and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith: and I will no more make you a reproach among the heathen: ²⁰ But I will remove far off from you the northern army, and will drive him into a land barren and desolate, with his face toward the east sea, and his hinder part toward the utmost sea, and his stink shall come up, and his ill savour shall come up, because he hath done great things. ²¹Fear not, O land; be glad and rejoice: for the LORD will do great things.²² Be not afraid, ye beasts of the field: for the pastures of the wilderness do spring, for the tree beareth her fruit, the fig tree and the vine do yield their strength. ²³ Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month. ²⁴ And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the fats shall overflow with wine and oil. ²⁵ And I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpiller, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you. ²⁶And ye shall eat in plenty, and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, that hath dealt wondrously with you: and my people shall never be ashamed. ²⁷ And ye shall know that I am in the midst of Israel, and that I am the LORD your God, and none else: and my people shall never be ashamed. (KJV)

Note here that the sanctification of the congregation is to restore the congregation to the Lord God, and to ensure the latter rain in the First month so that we may be given a bountiful wheat harvest, which harvest we are.

Christ was the first-fruits of the barley harvest, and he sanctified himself through God so that we may be sanctified and so that we in turn could sanctify Israel through the power of the Living God.

We are sanctified through the truth of God, and as Christ sanctified himself so do we sanctify ourselves for God.

John 17:17-19 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. ¹⁸ As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. (KJV)

Christ sanctified himself in God through the Holy Spirit as head of the Church, and so we should submit to one another, sanctifying each other in God through the Holy Spirit under Christ as High Priest.

Hebrews 13:12-16 Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. ¹³ Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach. ¹⁴ For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come. ¹⁵ By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. 16 But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased. (KJV)

It is God that sanctifies us, in and through Christ.

1Thessalonians 5:23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (KJV)

He who sanctifies and they who are sanctified are all of one origin.

Hebrews 2:11 For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren, (KJV)

For this reason we submit one to another through the Holy Spirit under Christ.

Ephesians 5:20-28 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; ²¹ Submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. ²² Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. ²³ For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body^{. 24} Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing. ²⁵Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; ²⁶ That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, ²⁷ That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. ²⁸ So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. (KJV)

In this way we sanctify each other and the children of Israel among all nations not yet called. For, through the efforts of the elect as the Temple of God all men are called and the City of God is built (see the paper The City of God (No. 180)).

We know that since Pentecost of 30 CE the Temple of God has been a Temple made up of living stones, which Temple we are (1Cor. 3:17; 6:19).

From the First day of the First month we began to sanctify the House of God (2Chr. 29:5, 17, 34; 30:17; 35:6) and ourselves as the congregation of God, which is the Temple of God and the City of God (see the paper Sanctification of the Temple of God (No. 241)).

Isaiah has much to say about this process of sanctification. For by it we not only sanctify and set ourselves apart, but we also sanctify God who saves us.

Isaiah 8:11-18 For the LORD spake thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people, saying, ¹² Say ye not, A confederacy, to all them to whom this people shall say, A confederacy; neither fear ye their fear, nor be afraid. ¹³Sanctify the LORD of hosts himself; and let him be your fear, and let him be your dread. ¹⁴ And he shall be for a sanctuary; but for a stone of stumbling and for a rock of offence to both the houses of Israel, for a gin and for a snare to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. ¹⁵ And many among them shall stumble, and fall, and be broken, and be snared, and be taken. ¹⁶ Bind up the testimony, seal the law among my disciples. ¹⁷ And I will wait upon the LORD, that hideth his face from the house of Jacob, and I will look for him. ¹⁸ Behold, I and the children whom the LORD hath given me are for signs and for wonders in Israel from the LORD of hosts, which dwelleth in mount Zion. (KJV)

Also, this process is to sanctify the name of God and the Holy One of Israel.

Isaiah 29:23But when he seeth his children, the work of mine hands, in the midst of him, they shall sanctify my name, and sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and shall fear the God of Israel. (KJV)

This sanctification process must be done correctly, as we see from Isaiah 66:17, or those people will suffer destruction.

So we see that, whilst it is God who sanctifies and Christ who sanctifies, it is we also who sanctify with God as the Temple of God (see also Ezek. 20:12; 36:23; 37:28).

Where formerly this task rested with the sons of Levi, and then in the physical sense with the sons of Zadok (see Ezek. 44:15-24; cf. 46:20), this function now rests with the Church as the priesthood of Melchisedek (see the paper Melchisedek (No. 128)).

Thus we fast.

The Fast

How do we know that the fast is appropriate? The answer lies in the purpose of fasting as expressed in Isaiah 58:1-14. The first section of this text requires the lifting up of the voice like a trumpet, showing Israel their transgressions. In this we all err, and there is none righteous save Messiah.

Isaiah 58:1-14 Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins. ²Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance of their God: they ask of me the ordinances of justice; they take delight in approaching to God. ³ Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted our soul, and thou takest no knowledge? Behold, in the day of your fast ye find pleasure, and exact all your labours. ⁴ Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice to be heard on high. ⁵ Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day for a man to afflict his soul? is it to bow down his head as a bulrush, and to spread sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to the LORD? ⁶ Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? ⁷ Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? ⁸Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy reward. ⁹ Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity; ¹⁰ And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday: ¹¹ And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not. ¹² And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in. ¹³ If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words: ¹⁴ Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it. (KJV)

Our people seek God daily and delight to know His ways as a nation that did righteousness and one that forsook not the ordinances of their God. They ask of Him the ordinances of justice and take delight in approaching unto God, but they are deceived. God does not see the nation. Why have they fasted and He sees them not? Why do they afflict their souls and God takes no knowledge? He says through Isaiah: “Behold in the day of their fast they find pleasure and exact all their labours”. When Israel should be before God in prayer and supplication they work, both on the Feasts and the New Moons and on the Sabbaths. They work at Atonement, and they know not that they sin.

They fast for strife and debate and to smite with the fist of wickedness, and God says they shall not fast as they do on such days just to make their voice heard on high. Also, this type of righteousness of these people is not heard, because they spread sackcloth and ashes under them and bow down as bulrushes, and their fasts and prayers are not acceptable to God.

The fast that God has chosen is this:

To loose the bonds of wickedness, undo the heavy burdens, and let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke.

We are to deal our bread to the hungry and bring the poor that are cast out to our house, to cover the naked and hide not ourselves from our own flesh. Then shall our light break forth as the morning and our health shall spring forth speedily, our righteousness shall go before us and the glory of the Lord shall be our rearguard. The glory of the Lord is Messiah. Then shall we call and the Lord shall say: “Here I am!”

Is not this our purpose in the sanctification of the simple and the erroneous? Is it not to appeal for those who know no better and are unable to keep these days?

Do we not also benefit from this activity?

If we take away from among us the yoke and the pointing of the finger and speaking vanity; if we draw out our spirit and being to the hungry and satisfy the ones who are afflicted, then will our lights rise from obscurity and our darkness shall be as the noon day.

In afflicting ourselves for those who know no better, or who have not been given stewardship of the Mysteries of the Kingdom of God as yet, we also advance our own cause in the eyes of God and protect our people as the Holy Seed within the Covenant People.

When Moses stood by Israel and lifted up his arms, he also needed help, and Levi and Ephraim stood by and held his arms. Both priest and war-leader helped save Israel by their supplication. So too are we given to Christ to help save Israel and to bring it to righteousness.

What other process in the Bible can be used more effectively than that process God has given us through His servants the prophets, namely the fast? We know from the prophets that sanctification is obtained through the fast and assembly of the congregation of the Lord.

Fast for the righteousness of our people and that they may be given the gift of the calling of God, and that the power of the Holy Spirit is poured out on our people as God has promised us through His servants the prophets. It was commenced from Messiah, and it is due to occur now in power and strength in the Last Days, when he comes to save us who eagerly wait for him.

May God hear us and bless our supplications in the power of the Holy Spirit.

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The Fast