Passover/Easter/Seder
Passover
PART 1
Exodus 12:3 Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house: (4) And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb. (5) Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats: (6) And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. (7) And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it. (8) And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. (9) Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof. (10) And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire. (11) And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD’S Passover.
And so Moses conveyed these details to the Hebrews in Egypt. However, this was not to be a unique event in Egypt, for Yeshua told us He was the Passover Lamb.
Looking at the details, we find the who, what, when, where, and why laid out for us.
Who: the congregation of Israel. Notice, it is not house of Jacob, and the Hebrew definition enlarges the meaning to a group gathered for a common purpose, a multitude, or witnesses. This definition opens the door taking us beyond just the descendants of the twelve tribes to the adopted multitude in Revelation.
What: Each household is to select a spotless one year old male lamb or goat which they will slaughter, roast, and eat. The animal will be eaten by those in the household. Multiple persons may partake in each house. They are to catch some of the blood of the animal and put it on the doorposts and lentil of their houses. The slaughter will involve all the people at their homes.
They are to eat the lamb (or goat) that night with unleavened bread and bitter herbs and to stay inside until morning. Any leftover meat must be burned in the morning.
When: The selection is to happen on the 10th of the first month, and the slaughter is to come on the 14th at evening (3:00 PM)
Where: This is to happen at one’s home since protection is provided by the blood on the doorposts.
Why: The consequence of not being obedient was/is death.
Is it a sacrifice? The translators have a choice here. Consider the choices they have (BDB definitions):
1a1) to slaughter
1a1a) beast for food
1a1b) sacrifice
SINGULAR EVENT?
Some teach this event was a one-time-only event. Those haven’t considered the following:
Exodus 12:24 And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever. (25) And it shall come to pass, when ye come to the land which the LORD will give you, according as he hath promised, that ye shall keep this service.
Since forever is not over yet, it seems Father wants it to continue. However, for those who say it is only a Jewish Feast, be reminded Paul tells the Corinthians to keep the feast in this excerpt:
1st Corinthians 5:7 …. For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us: (8) Therefore let us keep the feast….
As mentioned above, Yeshua identified Himself as the Passover Lamb. One would say we are honoring Him by keeping the feast. In addition, by Paul saying Christ is our Passover, he is indicating our Bible is not New Testament Only. All of it applies.
PASSOVER TODAY
In our day, PETA is telling us we shouldn’t eat meat at all. Others say it is cruel to slaughter an animal on your own place and suggest getting your meat from the grocery store. Still others tell us, since the Temple has been destroyed; we cannot have lamb any longer. Their argument is, in the absence of the priesthood and temple, we cannot offer sacrifice. Therefore eating lamb is forbidden. (More on this later)
In light of the latter arguments, the Seder was created by the Rabbis. It began at Yavni, a short distance south of Tel Aviv, after the destruction of the Temple and Jerusalem in 70 AD. The Sanhedrin had moved there, thus providing a base for the survival of the Pharisees and what would become Rabbinic Judaism. The Seder became their substitute for the Father’s Passover.
Today, since lamb is forbidden, beef or chicken is usually served. In the retelling of the Exodus story, they justify their deviation from the Father’s mandated service. Remember, the Rabbis teach the Father has submitted Himself to their mandates (takanot) on earth.
….the root meaning of the word takanot is “to correct”, which implies that these Jewish leaders didn’t believe God’s way was enough, feeling He needed their help to get His own laws right.
BUT, DON’T I HAVE TO TAKE MY LAMB TO THE TEMPLE?
Victor Schultz (Facebook)
This little male Lamb whose momma is named Yael, keeps telling me he is not old enough to be offered as a passover offering to Hashem. He pointed out one of the bigger Lambs that is a couple weeks older.
I let him know that none of our little lambs would be offered for many reasons.
1. It would have to be slaughtered by the Alter in Jerusalem.
2. It’s blood would have to be splashed on the alter in Jerusalem..
3. A Kohen would have to be the one carrying the blood and splashing it on the alter.
4. Being in a ritually defiled state, I would need to have the ashes of the red heifer sprinkled on
me first.
5. I did not register with the court in Israel to participate in the Passover.
6. I would have to eat him within the walls of Jerusalem.
7. If I ate him here in the USA and splashed his blood on my door post I would be committing
Avodah Zara.
What about earlier Passovers?
2nd Kings 23:21 And the king commanded all the people, saying, Keep the Passover unto the LORD your God, as it is written in the book of this covenant.
Here Hezekiah orders a return to the observance of Passover. Notice, it is not the symbolic observance of a Seder. They actually did slaughter lambs. However, although Hezekiah orders them to do it by the book, there is still a variance.
2nd Chronicles 30:2 For the king had taken counsel, and his princes, and all the congregation in Jerusalem, to keep the Passover in the second month. (3) For they could not keep it at that time, because the priests had not sanctified themselves sufficiently, neither had the people gathered themselves together to Jerusalem.
It seems, from this account, the people had stopped observing the pilgrimage feasts . But, the reason for the second month’s observance says “the priests had not sanctified themselves.” Going back to the original, which we are ordered to observe in detail, no priests are mentioned, in fact priests didn’t exist then. Neither was there a temple, therefore, the people were not required to go to the Temple in Jerusalem to observe it.
So, it is being done in the wrong place and the priests are doing the slaughter instead of each householder. And they are not putting the blood on the doorpost; the priests have substituted sprinkling it.
2nd Chronicles 30:16 And they stood in their place after their manner, according to the law of Moses the man of God: the priests sprinkled the blood, which they received of the hand of the Levites. (17) For there were many in the congregation that were not sanctified: therefore, the Levites had the charge of the killing of the Passovers for every one that was not clean, to sanctify them unto the LORD.
BLOOD ON THE DOORPOST
Considering the blood on the doorpost, from the standpoint of reality, the blood will congeal or coagulate in a few minutes. There would be no way to have it spreadable on the doorpost if not done immediately. This is another reason why it had to be an at home event.
Some say the commandment to let a slaughtered animal’s blood go to the ground, which comes after the “blood on the doorpost” commandment, modifies and negates the former. Paul teaches no scripture negates other scripture.
To determine whether putting the blood on the doorpost is a continuing aspect of the Passover observance, twice the Father tells Moses to command His people to keep Passover annually. And twice it says to put the blood on the doorpost , with the latter coming one verse prior to this commandment.
NULLIFICATION OF THE PASSOVER DETAILS
It seems Paul’s statement is not born out by the following scripture . . . or is it?
Deuteronomy 16:1 Observe the month of Abib, and keep the Passover unto the LORD thy God: for in the month of Abib the LORD thy God brought thee forth out of Egypt by night. (2) Thou shalt therefore sacrifice the Passover unto the LORD thy God, of the flock and the herd, in the place which the LORD shall choose to place his name there. (3) Thou shalt eat no leavened bread with it; seven days shalt thou eat unleavened bread therewith, even the bread of affliction; for thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt in haste: that thou mayest remember the day when thou camest forth out of the land of Egypt all the days of thy life.
Careful reading shows no conflict. In Exodus 12, the initial instructions for both Passover and the seven days of Unleavened Bread are given. However, Unleavened Bread, as a separate pilgrimage feast has not yet been named or detailed. And so, we have the source of the sacrifices in this Deuteronomy passage as the flock or herd. Herd indicates the addition of cattle to the sacrifice. As a pilgrimage feast, His people will gather in Jerusalem and offer these sacrifices at the temple. These sacrifices are not limited to sheep or goats as specified for Passover.
Another important distinction here, during Unleavened Bread the sacrifices are being administered by the Priests at the Temple. This aspect should not be overlooked when considering the rabbinic substitution of the Seder for Passover, for what we see in 2nd Chronicles above seems to indicate the transition of Passover to a priestly function. In the first verse of this section, Hezekiah is saying the Passover should be done according to what is written in Torah (verse 23:21), but then he obviously turns it over to the priests.
FATHER’S COMMENTS ON THE CHANGE
Now consider what the Father told Jeremiah about the list of Passover details coming from the Rabbis:
Jeremiah 7:22 For I spake not unto your fathers, nor commanded them in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices:
In the context of chapter 7, Father is berating the House of Judah for changing His word. He indicates great punishment for those who enter into covenant with Him and then ignore what He says.
Jeremiah 7:4 Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, are these.
The modern equivalent of the person swearing by “the temple of the Lord”, might be, “and the Lord says…” or “thus sayeth the Lord” as we hear from some prophets (or is it profits?).
Jeremiah 7:9 Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not
Jeremiah says the House of Judah was worshipping Baal. It seems with this statement, we find a link to the House of Israel (and their descendants in the Church). Notice the connection: Baal, of course, is the sun god whose birthday is December 25. The day designated to worship him is Sun-day. His wife who is Easter in English, is the world’s fertility goddess. She is Ashtoreth in the Bible and Dianna in Roman mythology. The Catholic Church transitioned from Passover to Easter in order to absorb her worshippers into the Church. This seems to be why Mary, the mother goddess receives so much reverence. Here’s another reference.
Jeremiah 7:18 The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke me to anger.
These cakes would be hot cross buns. More on the Church of Rome later.
FATHER’S PUNISHMENT AND REDEMPTION – RABBIT TRAIL
After considering the Rabbinic dictates in Victor Shultz’s information above, it bears noting Jeremiah seems to give us a direct commentary about the penalty for this evolved practice and this is directed at the House of Judah:
Jeremiah 7:15 And I will cast you out of my sight, as I have cast out all your brethren, even the whole seed of Ephraim.
History shows us, this warning to Judah was fulfilled and didn’t end until 1948. Notice, in Joel’s account, verse 3:1 mentions Judah, and indicates the end of the captivity of Judah. Then, the next verse indicates Ephraim’s (my heritage Israel) return as well.
Joel 3:1 For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again (end) the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, (2) I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.
Both houses return to the land at separate times…a timeline: 1948-Judah; 1967-Jerusalem; ???-House of Israel.
SECOND PASSOVER
There is another thing which seems to contradict the transition of Passover to a priestly function: the Second Passover.
Numbers 9:10 Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, If any man of you or of your posterity shall be unclean by reason of a dead body, or be in a journey afar off, yet he shall keep the Passover unto the LORD. (11) The fourteenth day of the second month at even they shall keep it, and eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. (12) They shall leave none of it unto the morning, nor break any bone of it: according to all the ordinances of the passover they shall keep it.
The second Passover applies to us just as Paul was saying to the Corinthians above. The person “afar off” undoubtedly will not have access to the temple or a priest and yet he is supposed to keep the feast . . . just as it is laid out in Exodus 12 (all the ordinances). Of course following the original instructions provides no obstacle to following the details, but if we insert man-made doctrines into the mix, it becomes impossible for one “far away” to observe the second Passover.
CONCLUSIONS
The Father’s instructions are clear and concise. Paul told us the things of old are End Times prophecy. The fact that Jeremiah 7 targets the Jews (House of Judah) directly for their complete disregard of the Father’s instructions is a picture. The anti-Semitic Church loses sight of the log in its own eye. The Rabbinic Oral Torah’s doctrinal substitution for the Father’s word is condemned throughout the scripture, but the twisting and outright shaking of their fists at Him, makes the Church today a more shining example. We see a direct parallel of what Father condemns.
What does all this mean? As Paul says, Therefore let us keep the feast….(1st Corinthians 5:8).
Part II
PASSOVER MEANING
Exodus 6:6 Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments:
Before the 3 ½ years of judgments came on Egypt, Father explained what the result would be: redemption! The Exodus began immediately after the Passover events. Once the bondage was ended, we see Salvation being mentioned. Remember, Pharaoh decided to pursue and re-enslave the Hebrews. But, once Pharaoh had given the Hebrews their freedom, he had no claim on them again. Thus, when he attempts it, Father intervenes to destroy him and his minions:
Exodus 14:13 And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you today: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more forever.
Whether redemption and salvation are one in the same is a question for another time. The example however, is when a person is redeemed, the Father protects them and more explicitly, since the word salvation in Hebrew is Yeshua, it would appear when a person is redeemed Yeshua becomes their protection from the one who had enslaved them. Our example then is our escape from the bonds of slavery to Satan. And, it should be noted, the redeemed still had thoughts of going back into bondage as they ignored the pain of slavery and only remembered the foods of slavery in Egypt. Of course, this is also a picture of the backsliding we find in some saved person’s lives.
ARE THERE TWO PARTS TO SALVATION?
We’ve seen how salvation is first mentioned at the Red Sea, but we find another aspect which follows Passover. The Exodus seems to be a picture of one’s journey from redemption and salvation to the marriage. It is as though we are seeing Pilgrim’s Progress being played out in scripture…or is it visa-versa? We know, for instance, they met a separate adversary before they met God. We also know it took seven Sabbaths to reach the Father. They then entered into the Covenant at that time, and we later learn this would be the feast of Shavuot, confirming the concept of Father doing His important works on His Feasts . . . His daytimer!
Acts 8:14 Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: (15) Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit: (16) (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) (17) Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
Clearly, from this passage, being baptized in the name of Jesus was not the totality of one’s conversion. Just as in the Exodus, they had received salvation and then went to Sinai to meet the Lord. The latter then involved the redeemed entering into the Covenant. This raises a question concerning the Holy Spirit and the Covenant.
In order to sort this out, we need to define terms. The Covenant is the Commandments of the Lord:
Exodus 34:28 And he was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments.
The New Covenant is the same as the First Covenant.
Jeremiah 31:31 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah: (32) Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: (33) But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.
The new of the New Covenant is defined here:
Strongs #2319: AHLB#: 2151
(N) Renew co: New moon ab: New: The first crescent of the moon as the renewal of the moon, the first day of the month.
Secondly, we see Father referring to it as my law and not new law which is consistent with the concept of renewal.
But now, we see the translators saying Holy Spirit came after the Samaritans were prayed for. Yeshua identifies the Comforter as the Holy Spirit:
John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
And what was Yeshua teaching?
John 14:24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father’s which sent me.
The Word taught the Word of God. And, the Word of God is the Covenant. Then we see the picture lived by those in the Exodus is the same two-step process described in Acts. Since the beginning of the book is End Times prophecy , we see a description of the Acts Samaritans and the Exodus group in Revelation.
Notice how John describes himself…the two parts:
Revelation 1:9 I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.
And now, the ones whom the Antichrist goes after in Revelation.
Revelation 6:9 And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held:
Revelation 12:17 And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.
Revelation 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
All these verses from Revelation seem to be examples of those who exhibit both aspects of Salvation. And so, we see Passover is related to Salvation and at the same time related to following the Word of God.
At this point, one has to wonder where those who have a testimony of Jesus but deny the word of God are in Revelation…“the law has been done away with.”
This being said, as mentioned above, the Church today has substituted not Rabbinic teaching, but pagan teaching for Passover observance. Easter is the English name of the fertility goddess, Ishtar, or Ashtoreth. In order to punish the pig that killed Tamuz, Easter’s son, historically part of the celebration was to eat pig on the day of the Sun-God when Easter returned fertility to the earth. And, by the way, that day began at sunrise with the welcoming of her return. Child sacrifices were offered at the first rays of the sun and eggs, as a symbol of fertility, were dipped in the blood and distributed to the attendees. Of course none of this has any relationship to our Messiah but was instead adopted by the Catholic Church in order to accommodate the pagans who had converted.
Remember, Paul said:
1st Corinthians 5:7 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:
He called Christ our Passover. It would follow then, to observe some other feast, one would be denying Christ. The substitution of a priestly function did not go well for Judah. Does the Father judge equally?
As in Rabbinic Judaism, traditions die hard for Christianity.
