Yeshua...
Appointed Time: Passover... Introduction: And ye shall observe
this thing [Passover] for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons
for ever. ...And it shall come to pass, when your children shall
say unto you, What mean ye by this service? That ye shall say,
It is the sacrifice of the Lord's Passover, who passed over the
houses of the children of Israel in Egypt... (Exodus
12:24,26-27).
God declared Passover to be a permanent celebration for all
eternity. Historically, Passover celebrates God's deliverance of
the children of Israel from bondage in Egypt, where they were
slaves to the Egyptians. The spiritual application that God
wants us to understand is this: Egypt is a type of the world and
the world's system. Its ruler, Pharaoh, was a type of Satan. The
bondage people are in when they live according to the ways of
the world's system is sin. Historically, the children of Israel
were delivered from the bondage in Egypt by putting the blood of
a lamb upon the doorposts of their houses. Spiritually, this is
a picture of Messiah and how those who believe in Him are
delivered from the bondages of sin and the rule of Satan in
their lives. Yeshua (Jesus) is the Lamb of God (John 1:29). He
is also our Passover (I Corinthians 5:7). Those who follow
Yeshua are the house of God (Hebrews 3:6). The doorposts are our
hearts. It is only through trusting by faith in the shed blood
of Yeshua, our Passover, that we are free from the bondage of
sin (Galatians 4:3-5,9).
During Passover, the head of each household was to take a lamb
of the first year on the 10th day of the first month known as
Nisan and set it aside until the 14th day. In the evening of the
14th day, at exactly 3:00 PM, the lamb was to be killed. The
blood of the lamb was to be sprinkled on the lintel and two side
posts of the household door. The lamb was to be roasted with
fire, with bitter herbs, and with unleavened bread, and the
entire household was to feast upon the body of the lamb. The
people were instructed by God to eat the lamb with haste and to
be dressed and ready to leave Egypt at the midnight hour. This
would be the 15th day of Nisan. At midnight on that fateful
evening in Egypt, death passed through the land. Every house
that did not have the token of the blood on the doorposts and
lintel suffered the judgment of God. The Hebrew word for
Passover is Pesach, which means "to pass or hover over." This
word speaks to us about two things. First, it shows the passing
over in judgment from death and sin to life in Yeshua. Second,
it tells us about allowing, by faith, the blood of Yeshua to
hover over our lives and give us divine protection from the evil
one.
Significant Points About Passover... 1. Passover was the
beginning of months. Just as receiving Jesus into our lives is
the beginning of a New Covenant, Nisan was to be the first month
of the religious calendar. Repenting of our sins and believing
in the shed blood of Jesus is our first step in our relationship
with God. 2. The lamb was hidden for four days. Messianic
fulfillment--God commanded Israel to take a lamb on the 10th day
of Nisan and set it aside until the 14th day. These four days
were fulfilled by Jesus during the Passover week. Remember,
Jesus is the Lamb of God. He entered Jerusalem and went to the
temple, which is the house of God, and went on public display
there for four days from Nisan 10 to Nisan 14. Regarding the
Second Coming of the Lord (Eschatology), these four days that
the Lamb was hidden is prophetic of the people's expectations
that the Messiah would come 4,000 years from the creation of
Adam as part of the 7,000-year plan of God to redeem both man
and the earth back to how things were in the Garden of Eden
(Mishnah, San Hedrin 97-98). These four days are prophetic of
the Messiah being hid from the world and not coming to earth for
four days or 4,000 years from the creation of Adam. A day is
understood to be prophetic of a 1,000 years, based upon Psalm
90:4 (II Peter 3:8) to each day in creation. God ordained each
day in creation to be prophetic of a thousand years of time and
the entire redemption to take 7,000 years to complete from the
fall of man in the Garden Eden (Genesis 1:1, 5, 8, 13, 19, 23,
31; 2:1-3). 3. The lamb was to be without blemish (Exodus 12:5).
Jesus was without spot or blemish (I Peter 1:18-20). During the
crucifixion week, Jesus was examined by many in fulfilling this
Scripture, including the chief priests, Pilate, Annas the High
Priest, Caiaphas, Judas, the Centurion, and the repentant thief.
4. The lamb was of the first year (Exodus 11:4-7; 12:5). The
firstborn of both man and beast was to be set aside and given to
God. The theme of the firstborn runs throughout the Bible. Cain
was set aside for Abel. Ishmael for Isaac. Esau for Jacob, and
Egypt for Israel. You see, the firstborn after the flesh is set
aside to bring forth the firstborn after the spirit. In this
process, God distinguishes between the first or natural birth
and the second or spiritual birth. The first birth constitutes
us as sinners and the second birth makes us believers and
children of God. Jesus was the firstborn of Mary (natural) and
the firstborn of God (spiritual). 5. It is a male. It was
through one man's sin...Romans 5:12. Adam the first male sinned;
therefore, a firstborn male must make atonement for man's sin.
6. It is a lamb for a house. God's intention was that all
(households) men should be saved. The lamb was a lamb for a
house. By believing the Lamb of God, we become members of the
household of faith. Prophetically, this is progressive. For
example, Jesus was first a Lamb for a house, then a Lamb for a
nation (Israel), and then a Lamb for the world. 7. A Passover
lamb was to be killed between the evenings. The Biblical day
goes from evening to evening, from sundown to sundown, which is
roughly 6:00 PM to 6:00PM. The day is divided into two 12-hour
periods. Each 12-hour period is further divided into two smaller
portions--6:00 AM to noon is the morning part of the day. From
noon to 6:00 PM is the evening part of the day. The phrase,
"between the evening" refers to the period of the day that goes
from noon to 6:00 PM, which is exactly 3:00PM. This would be the
ninth hour of the day. 8. The whole assembly shall Kill it.
Every person who has lived on this planet, except Jesus Christ,
has sinned. We are all guilty of our sin before God. It was you
and I, the world, that murdered Jesus. He died for the guilty
ones--you and I. 9. The blood must by applied to the door. We
who believe are the house of God. The only way into the house of
God is through the door. Jesus said that He is the door. His
blood was applied on our behalf to enter the house of God. 10.
The body of the lamb must be eaten. It must be eaten the same
night--Jesus was crucified, suffered, and died the same night.
It must be eaten with unleavened bread. Leaven speaks of sin.
Unleavened bread is without sin. As believers, we are instructed
to live holy lives before God. It must be eaten with bitter
herbs. This speaks to the grevious burdens carried by our sin.
It also speaks to our lives after accepting Jesus--Those who
will live godly in Christ Jesus, shall suffer persecution. 11.
The lamb must be eaten in haste. (Self explanatory). 12. It's
the Lord's Passover. God provide everything in our redemption,
even the faith to believe. 13. It is a memorial. God remembers
us throughout the generations. We must pass along His word to
every generation. 14. It is to be observed at the going down of
the sun. 15. It is the place where God would put His name.
16. Not a bone of the lamb was to be broken. 17. There was to be
an explanation of the service. Jesus explained each part of the
Passover as He did the service at His last meal. 18. The
Egyptians were spoiled at the Exodus. Satan was spoiled by the
death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. 19. The males must be
circumcised to eat the Passover. Inward circumcision of the
heart happens when we receive Jesus. 20. The Passover feast was
to be a holy convocation, and no work was to be done. Matthew
11:28 21. The Passover must be killed outside the gate of the
city. 22. There is healing power in the lamb (Exodus 15:26).
Jesus carried our sicknesses and diseases in His own body upon
the tree. 23. The Exodus was on eagle's wings (Exodus 19:4). Has
God promised to carry us on eagles wings? 24. They sang a song
of rejoicing to the Lord. When we are delivered from bondage, we
are made new and now have reason to "make melody in our hearts."
25. Israel is the firstborn of God.
(sources cited and available on request)
Keep the faith. Stay the course. Jesus is passing your way
today.