Passover 2020 – 5780

(7:00) 1. Passover Is For Everyone

Why should you observe Passover? Why is it important for Christians?

How did sin enter the world? A meal. One bite and a conversation about who God is. A retelling of what He said and did.

Passover is a meal and a conversation with and about God, retelling His story of redemption.
It’s about Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Moses, the Pharaoh, 10 plagues, amazing miracles, deliverance, the mountain of God, the promised land, but most of all it’s about Jesus, the last supper, the cross, resurrection, the Lamb on the throne, His Book of Life, a wedding, a wedding supper

The Lamb is definitely the central character

In Egypt the Passover is held and the lambs are slain. 1,500 years later Jesus is revealed

“The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world”

Jesus would die at the moment of the Pesach sacrifices.

The Jews were commanded to eat this meal so that their generations would remember the story of redemption – they have the 1st part of the story – Deliverance from Egypt

As Christians we eat because we were saved in the middle of the story. At the cross with the Death and resurrection of Jesus – the Lamb of God

But there is more – we know the end of the story too – We can look forward – past our time – to the end of the ages and into eternity

Revelation 5: And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain

Eating Passover isn’t about tradition or law. It’s prophetic. We are declaring what is to come.

The entire reason we eat Passover is encounter Him.

Why does Passover exist?
“He will again have compassion on us, and will subdue our iniquities. You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.”

He sees our sins as our enemies. Micah 7:19 describes a sea of forgetfulness.

Passover in Egypt changed everything about sacrificial offerings and everything about their relationship to God.

Before then, God walked through the pieces of the sacrifice with Abram, or they placed it on an altar and burned it entirely. It was consumed by God.

But at the first Passover, for the first time the people were told to eat the sacrifice.
Why, because Jesus was the Passover Lamb

They were now consuming the Lord – they were now the fire
Hebrews 1:7 says, “In speaking of the angels he says, “He makes his angels spirits, and his servants flames of fire.”

We are called flames of fire (fire consumes things) and so we consume the sacrifice like the fire of the Lord.

The Passover meal is not a sacrifice that you can just watch burn. It has to enter you, to become one with you, to save you.

The sacrifice was not just to deal with their sins, it was now a meal that gave them life. 

 

(7:15) 2. Every Passover is Unique

Rabbis in Israel are pointing to signs occurring on three major Jewish holidays this year as an indication that redemption is imminent. They don’t believe or follow Jesus. And many Muslims believe it will bring their Redeemer Mahdi. We assume that would be the anti-christ.

There are in fact several compelling things going on in the heavens right now. The largest supermoon of the year is occurring during Passover tonight. But where the moon is in the midst of the constellations makes it even more interesting. I’ll tell you more about that later. There was also a supermoon last month during the holiday of Purim. But that’s not all: A third supermoon will return at the beginning of Rosh Hashanah in September.

Rabbi Berger, the religious leader who presides over King David’s tomb on Mount Zion, told BIN. “The supermoon on Passover is not happenstance. God brought the Children of Israel out of Egypt on a specific day, a day that from the beginning of creation was imbued with special powers of redemption. The Midrash say that the first redemption of Israel took place on this night and the final redemption will as well.”

As it happens, the first Passover in Egypt happened on a Wednesday night. The Passover with Jesus called the Last Supper was on a Wednesday before his crucifixion on that Thursday. And tonight it’s on a Wednesday.

“And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; 26 men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.” Luke 21:25

And there is a pretty profound sign in the heavens that started on Saturday that is right out of the Book of Revelation. It also connects to what the Wise Men saw 2,000 years ago.
I’ll tell you all about that in the next hour or so.
And there is a very logical spiritual reason while the corona virus has caused everyone to be (set aside) and alone.

Tonight, is the first Passover where the JEWISH people are confined to their homes since the night of the Exodus from Egypt at THE FIRST PASSOVER.

Like 3,500 years ago in Egypt, we are all dealing with a plague that is killing many.

Passover is unique every year because every year is unique. This is not “let’s do Passover like normal – one more time”.

I’m going to share a Passover specific to 2020 / 5780 this year. I’m going to look at the prophetic significance of this Passover in the midst of the Wuhan Plague and pandemic.

I think the whole world today can you relate to what it’s like to experience a plague? Everyone is wondering, “What’s Next?” Has the world changed forever? Is it the end times? What should we expect to see next?

Passover is a lot more than the story of Moses and the Exodus
Passover is the story of how God chose to bring salvation to man thru Jesus on the cross. Passover was when they ate the Last Supper, Jesus was betrayed and arrested, and then crucified.

But it’s not just history – It’s an invitation that need to accept

When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table.  And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired (longed) to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. 

For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.” (Luke 22)

 Jesus, the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread: and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. (1 Corinthians 11:23-24)

Jesus longs to eat this meal with you to help you remember Him and what He did for us.
What He did from the beginning of time – to the cross – to what He will do in eternity.

It’s 3 Celebrations in 1

• The Feast of Unleavened Bread is 7 days with no yeast – It’s a Fast
  Which represents your walk with Jesus day to day with no sin or pride in your life.

In the Fall at the Feast of Trumpets we celebrate creation and remember the fall of man into sin 10 days later when they ate the wrong meal with the wrong snake.
This is 7 days of fasting from bread to focus on Jesus and His word.

• Passover is when you taste and see that He is good – every food points to Him and the cross
• The Feast of Firstfruits – The resurrection of Jesus and all the saints in Hades – It’s your birthday

It’s Personal
Passover is the one time of year we must forget that we are all unique. Passover is never about what “someone” did back then.
It’s about what happened to “me” in Egypt and in the Garden of Eden, etc. Passover isn’t a history story,

It’s a realization that you are in the story and the story is about you. There is one man/woman and they need a Savior.
That one person is you. You need a Savior. Nothing else is more relevant.

  

(7:30) 3. The Word Passover

Exodus 12 [in English] On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn of both people and animals, and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the Lord. The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. [the Hebrew root word is pesach]”

It’s usually translated as “I will pass over, have compassion, or protect”.
William Tyndale invented the word Passover for his first English translation.
It’s inadequate because it focuses on just one aspect of the event: The judgement of Egypt.

P-S/X-CH is a Primitive Root

• Peh/Pey essentially means word or breath (in this case the Spoken Word of God.) Jesus was called “the Word made flesh”

The fact that the letter pey is present this year is one of the reason that this Passover may be one of the most important in recent history – more on that later

• Samech means to lean upon, to uphold or to support.
  The root is part of the word for when the priest would cross his hands (like an x) to lay them on the head of a sacrificial animal to transfer sin to it. In ancient Hebrew the letter s was an X.

Because Greek came partly from ancient Hebrew, it is equivalent to the Greek X or chi, which is the letter and symbol of Christos (Christ) – Anointed One.

• The 3^rd letter in Pesach is the Cheth – it means change. Its pictograph looks like a wall or a boundary.

Here are a few walls that are unique to Pesach:

• The door covered in blood became a wall that the Destroyer could not enter
• The Red Sea became a wall to hold back the water to let the Israelites walk thru
• God became a wall of fire to protect them from the Egyptian army

In Egypt, God’s anointed mouthpiece was Moses – He spoke and God brought plagues
But we know Passover was always pointing to Jesus as the Lamb

Since Jesus was the Word of God and the Christ and the Passover Lamb who takes away the sins of the world, then something He said is the real essence of Pesach

Beyond the events in Egypt – What does Pesach mean?
The Spoken Word of God (or the breath) – By The Christ – Brings Change to a Wall or Boundary

His last statement on the cross was…It is finished…Tetelestai…
When He said it…the curtain/door/wall was forever removed between God and man

With it He breathed His last breath (pey)

His first breath three days later brought resurrection into a dead body

 Tetelestai was a common word in the Greco-Roman culture

• An artist would say Tetelestai! to say, “the picture is perfect.”
• A judge might say Tetelestai! when he sentenced someone. The judge would say, “Justice has been served.”
• A priest might have said Tetelestai! To declare that an offering was acceptable.
• A merchant might have said Tetelestai! after stamping a bill “the debt has been paid.”
• A soldier might have yelled Tetelestai! in battle when defeating his enemy.
  • The Artist had the last word – not the art critic.
  • The Judge determined the sentence, – not the convicted criminal.
  • The Priest determined if one’s sacrifice was acceptable to God—not the sinner.
  • The Merchant determined if a debt was paid—not the debtor.
  • The Victor determined the victory – not the defeated enemy.

So Pesach isn’t just about the angel of death angel in Egypt but about the Son of God destroying sin and death for humanity

The word Passover is about Egypt…Pesach is about the Kingdom of God

 

(7:45) 4. Shadows and Types

Shadows and Types:  Light  ›  Object  ›  Shadow

The shadow is evidence that the object and the light exist. Even if you can’t see either one.

Studying shadows and types like Passover show us how God’s plan for redemption was not an afterthought but in motion from the beginning

Before we knew Him as Yeshua or Jesus – He was the Son of God Eternal, with no beginning, He was and is and always will be God

We know Passover is a shadow and type of Jesus the Lamb of God on the cross because Jesus told us so

We also know Passover doesn’t begin in Egypt –
Revelation 13:8 All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast—all whose names have not been written in the Lamb’s book of life, the Lamb who was slain from the creation of the world

 That’s important because that tells us that it’s not JUST a Jewish thing – It’s a human thing

The fact that He is “Slain” tells us that there is a battle raging from the very beginning (we can expect there to be blood and violence and death)

Why does all this have to happen? We were His creation – His sons – but Jesus was forming a bride

The Shadow of a Wedding
On the 6^th day God creates Adam and then later puts Adam to sleep to pull a rib out of his side which eventually becomes his bride Eve.

On the cross a spear goes into the side of Jesus (there is death) and then and blood and water pour out

His bride the church is born.

The physical creation of both Adam and Eve (as sons of God) was on Rosh Hashanah the New Year

But now God is about to do something brand new –

2,500 years later a new calendar is created with a new year or new beginning called Passover. God tells Pharaoh to let His children go free

Then say to Pharaoh, ‘This is what the Lord says: Israel is my firstborn son, and I told you, “Let my son go, so he may worship me.” But you refused to let him go; so I will kill your firstborn son.’” Exodus 4:22-23

God sends plagues and death and we meet the Passover Lamb – Notice blood and death

And as God leads His people out of Egypt you’ll notice He starts calling them His bride

“The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them,” declares the Lord.” Jeremiah 31:31-32

At Mount Sinai He plans a wedding but they refuse, but with the death and resurrection of Jesus we become the Bride of Christ

 

(8:00) 5. The Shadow of Isaac & Abram (who becomes Abraham) 

Isaac	Jesus
Only son of promise	Only begotten of Father
Carried wood for his own sacrifice	Bore his own cross
Submitted willingly to father	Submitted willingly to the Father
Problem Issues	Problem Issues
To be sacrificed on Moriah	Sacrificed outside the city
His life spared	Died on cross

So, Isaac is not a perfect picture of Jesus. So what is Isaac a picture of then?
Isaac has a son named Jacob who must flee his family, marries and has 12 sons.

God changes his name to Israel and his descendants are known by that name. Was Israel ever bound up and taken captive but then rescued by a lamb? Yes

So, Isaac is the perfect shadow and type of Passover. And his story is a very good indirect shadow/type of Jesus and the cross.

Now let’s watch this Passover story play out in a bunch of pictures or shadows and types. So, we know the Passover/Crucifixion story begins at creation (He is slain from the foundation)

Passover is very present in the story of Noah. But then it gets very active beginning with Abram.

At age 75 God tells him to leave his country and moves him to the land called Canaan.
He brings Sarai his wife and Lot his brother’s son

God says leave and makes promises to him and uses the language or marriage (by blessing him and making his seed into a great nation (offspring).

Now look at this Passover picture:

There was a famine in the land, so Abram goes to Egypt.

The Pharaoh takes his wife Sara because Abram says she was his sister

God sends plagues on Egypt until the Pharaoh returns Abram’s wife

Pharaoh throws him out and Abram returns to the promised land.

This is 400 hundred years before the same picture plays out with Moses with Israel as the bride

Back in the promised land, Abram and Lot split up and Abram moves to Hebron
Lot chooses Sodom and Gomorrah to live in which is filled with wickedness

We get another amazing Passover picture:
The kings of the area that will be known as Babylon/Persia invade and conquer the south and take Lot off into captivity

Abram then travels all the way into southern Persia to defeat them and get Lot and his stuff back

Remind you of anything? Look at the picture.
God brings Israel out of Egypt into the promised land, but they fall into sin (God often compares them to Sodom) and refuse to repent.

God stirs up the Babylonians and King Nebuchadnezzar to conquer Israel and take them into captivity. God then stirs up Cyrus (his anointed) to set them free and God reestablishes Israel in the very part of the land that Abram chose: Judah and Hebron. It was 1,300 years after Abram and Lot cast that original shadow and picture.

Back 1,300 years again to Abram. God again promise to give him a son and then seals the covenant with a sacrifice
that involves cutting animals in half and God walking between the pieces, which is an ancient way of saying, if you or I break this promise, they will be divided in half like the animals.

This is a marriage ceremony – meaning “till death do us part.” So again, God is the husband.

And it’s also supposed to show that the promise can’t be unmade just like you can’t put the pieces of the animals back together.

When God changes His relationship with Abram from father/son to marriage, He immediately introduces the Passover story (which is a marriage story) and tells Abram the plan for his descendants:
“Then the Lord said to him, “Know for certain that for 400 years your descendants will be enslaved and mistreated. But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions. In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.” Genesis 15:13-16

  

(8:15) 6. Blood – Wine – Unleavened Bread

Passover didn’t just happen out of nowhere. The story started in the garden and reaches throughout history, especially in the life of Abraham. We pick up his story a decade after God first tells him that his descendants will be slaves in Egypt. Abram still has no son, so Sarai convinces him to take her servant Hagar and she has a son with him called Ishmael.

Notice, he still has his wife. He just added a second option.

Again this is a picture that plays out with Israel forever, they choose other false gods (Baal) and are not faithful to God alone, which as we will see eventually leads God  back to that ceremony of cutting the animals in half when God literally divides the nation into two pieces (into northern and southern tribes).

Genesis 17

13 more years pass without the promised baby being born – Abram is now 99 and God establishes a new everlasting covenant – He again promise him a son – changes his name to Abraham so the blessing is not just a great nation but now he will be the father of many nations.

“And you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you.” He introduces blood to seal it and says the blood is between us and Him

The Passover Lamb one day will become the very Son of God who shares blood of the Father and that of man (Mary)

As a side note, this blood symbol will be replaced by wine and the wine will not only be part of the covenant with us. The cup of wine will be part of the Jewish marriage ceremony.

The cup is smashed by the groom just like the animal’s parts were cut in pieces and walked through. It symbolized to death do us part and that the promise can’t be unmade any more than you could put the pieces of the animals back together and it would live. So, you can’t put the pieces of the broken glass cup back together

So in all these shadows of Passover they introduced the promise/covenant and the blood which becomes wine

The other really important symbol pretty unique to Passover is matzah or unleavened bread

You may think that it started in Egypt, but it didn’t. Like the blood of Passover, and the promises of Passover, the bread of Passover started with Abraham.

Genesis 18
Then the Lord appeared to him by the terebinth trees (oak trees) of Mamre,

**Mamre was one of the Amorites that were close friends of Abram and went with him to get Lot when he was carried away – remember that as he was sitting in the tent door in the heat of the day. So he lifted his eyes and looked, and behold, three men were standing by him.

He recognizes that it is God invites them in and fixes them a meal of lamb, milk, butter and bread. There are two kinds of bread in the bible – with yeast and unleavened. This is the first appearance of unleavened bread – but when it happened is even more important. And then God told him, “I will certainly return to you according to the time of life, and behold, Sarah your wife shall have a son.” And of course, Sarah laughed because she was 90 years old.

And God said, “Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.”

 At the appointed time – mow`ed (mōw·āid)

That word is used almost exclusively of the day that would eventually be called Pesach (Passover).

So, we have God, unleavened bread, Isaac in the womb, and it’s the date of Passover (but it’s 400 years before Moses)

They tell Abraham they are on their way to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. Two angels show up in Sodom, and Lot takes them in and bakes a feast with unleavened bread. It’s here we get another picture of the Exodus
Lot and his family have to escape and just as the sun rises, they destroy Sodom and Gomorrah. And when does this happen – on the Passover date (400 years before Moses)

Exactly 1 year later (again on the Passover date (some 400 years before Moses).
And the Lord visited Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as He had spoken. For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time [mow`ed (mōw·āid)] of which God had spoken to him.

So Passover pictures in history before Egypt are about a meal with unleavened bread, a set time when a new life begins.

One last important connection of the shadows and types from Abraham. Where are the Israelites in captivity and need delivered from? Egypt. Remember when Abraham slept with Hagar and Ishmael was born with the birth of Isaac, it’s time to separate and send them far away. Where is Hagar from? She is an Egyptian

 

 (8:30) 7. Pesach 5780

Why is this the most important Passover you will probably ever eat?

I’ve been waiting anxiously since the fall for this day because prophetically speaking this Passover is huge. The year is 2020 and the biblical year is 5780.

80 – Pey (pay) – The pictograph looks like a mouth so Pey means mouth, speech, breath,
It’s the 17th Hebrew Letter which symbolizes “overcoming the enemy” and “complete victory.”

5780 – The Year of the Mouth or breath – is about the power of agreement or declaration

It’s rather amazing how Americans so easily agreed to quarantining and sheltering at home.

80 has a significant tie to Passover because of the first letter of pesach, the pey – But also Moses was 80 when he spoke to Pharaoh. (Ex 7,7)

“As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years, or if due to strength, eighty years, yet their pride is but labor and sorrow; for soon it is gone and we fly away.” Ps 90:10 (overcoming)

The Flood started on the 17th day of the 2nd month in the Hebrew calendar. The Ark of Noah and 8 passengers came to rest on Mount Ararat on the 17th day of the 7th month.

In Egypt when God changes the calendar, the 7^th month become the first month. The 14^th day become Passover – the 17^th becomes First Fruits. 1500 years later Jesus is crucified on Passover and is Resurrected on First Fruits

Let’s take a Prophetic Look at 5780

The meaning of Hebrew letters comes from the first time they are used in Scriptures.

The 1^st use of the letter pey in the Torah is Genesis 4:11 when Cain kills Able.
Now you are cursed because of the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother’s blood from your hand. [A Curse, A Grave, Blood]

So mouth (pey) is the grave. There is death and curses and a last breath.
Six months ago, in September, when the year became 5780 the scriptures pointed to this year being somewhat dominated by death and the grave

We also know that this Passover is very significant because pey is the first letter of Pesach and Passover is all about death and graves.

The meaning of Hebrew letters comes from the first time they are used in Scriptures, but Pey is a little complicated.
The letter Pey is not used “visibly” until Genesis chapter 4.

But when you write the letter Pey, the empty space inside the letter forms the letter Bet (bait). The letter Bet is literally hidden within the letter Pey (pay).

Pey and bet and forever connected. So, part of the meaning of pey can be found from the first time bet is used in scripture. Bet is the first word in Scripture in Genesis 1, Beginning.

In Genesis 1, the invisible bet inside pey is the Word of God that created the heavens and earth. Since in bet you have beginning and pey is breath we have the first breath

It is believed by some that the letter pey is composed of the letters kaf and yod [pronounced yode].

The meaning of yod is an arm or hand. It is the smallest letter, so it is the first and last dot a scribe makes on a paper when he is writing, so it is actually a part of every other letter/number.

It’s a prominent part of the very first letter aleph which represent God who is one. There is no zero because there was nothing before Him. The Aleph denotes the first position in all things.  Aleph is depicted as an ox head and is the symbol of leadership.

Aleph has a yod (י) [pronounced yode] above (the right hand of God), and a yod (י) below(the left hand of God), divided yet connected by the mediator vav (ו), which means the nail. The vav is called ben Elohiym (Son of God The Messiah/Anointed One).

The letter kaf connects us to the year 2020 on our Gregorian Calendar. Kaf is the letter/number 20 in Hebrew and it means the palm (hand). It’s why we face our palms toward someone when we pray for them so they will be blessed. In Hebrew, the palm facing up signifies giving freely, while the palm down signifies covering sin. When Christians pray for someone or bless them, we stand in the role of the ancient priest and extend our hand toward them.

“Pray passionately in the Spirit, as you constantly intercede with every form of prayer at all times. Pray the blessings of God upon all His believers.” Ephesians 6:18 TPT

The 20^th Letter/number in the Hebrew alphabet is “resh” (with a numerical value of 200). Its pictograph is a head, which signifies the authority or the highest leader.

2020 is also the measurement of perfect vision. This year what we see is crucial, but even more so, how we see.

“When Isaac was old and his eyes were dim so that he could not see, he called Esau his older son and said to him…“Behold, I am old; I do not know the day of my death…prepare for me delicious food, such as I love, and bring it to me so that I may eat, that my soul may bless you before I die.” Genesis 27

Isaac wasn’t dying; He would live two more decades, but the lies the devil whispered in his ears made him act anxiously and that fear altered his family’s destiny. If our vision is marred or imperfect, then we bump into things, pass by things, miss things, misunderstand things and misinterpret things. In the spiritual realm, everything is defined by how we see Him. The Passover story exposes fear on every side and helps us refresh our faith.

(8:45) 8. The Cross Roads

 We Are at a Cross Roads Literally

The first Passover changed the Hebrew calendar and when Jesus was Crucified at Passover 2,000 years ago – it split time again – BC AD – It changed everything

I believe that this Passover Pesach 5780 has significant End Time Relevance

The end time connection of Passover 2020/5780

• 80 is pey – mouth – breath – Pey is part of the word Pesach Passover
• Pey is related to The grave and death
• 17th Letter “overcoming the enemy” and “complete victory.”
• Hidden bet (bait) inside Pey – Beginning of something – first breath
• Aleph points to the messiah on the cross and leadership
• the yod(the right hand of God), the other yod (the left hand of God) and the vav which means the nail (the mediator The Messiah/Anointed One).
• kaf is palm (hand)
• Worldwide Plague – Corona (crown)
  • There are several Hebrew words for crown. One is nezer (nay-zer).
  • Nexer means crown, authority, and set apart
  • This plague isn’t about a virus as much as it’s about changes crowns/authority.

This Passover Pesach 5780

• The plague (named after a crown) rages across the earth
• Everyone is being set apart (nezer ) or quarantined
• Something is hidden (the bet) – it is the beginning of something (their first breath)
• Someone is in the grave
• The Messiah is about to be revealed to them
• They are about to overcome the enemy and experience complete victory
• Passover is all about this person being set apart for a nezer corwn

 Ezekiel 37
“The hand of the Lord came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the midst of the valley; and it was full of bones. Then He caused me to pass by them all around, and behold, there were very many in the open valley; and indeed they were very dry. And He said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” So I answered, “O Lord God, You know.”

Again He said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them, ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! Thus says the Lord God to these bones: “Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live.”

I believe this Passover may mark the beginning wave of the Jews finding their Messiah Yeshua.

 Amos 5 tells us to, “Seek the Lord and live…He who made the Pleiades and Orion.”

The Constellation Taurus the Bull (Shur in Hebrew) is one of the constellations that tell the complete story of the gospel. Shur” means “to return” or “to come back”. It includes two star groups the Pleiades “gathering” and the Hyades “congregated”.
Pleiades are believed to be the 7 churches of Revelation in the Heavens.

On Saturday April 3^rd (The 10th day of the first month – The day when the lamb is chosen for Passover)
The Pleiades had The Bright Morning Star (Venus) in the midst of them.

Revelation 22:16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star.”

Is it a picture of Revelation 2 and 3 with Yeshua talking to the 7 churches and saying what is about to happen.

Revelation 1 “I turned around to see the voice that was speaking to me…In his right hand he held seven stars…The mystery of the seven stars that you saw in my right hand and of the seven golden lampstands is this: The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven lampstands are the seven churches…

For what it’s worth, The Bright Morning Star was also a part of the event that the Wise Men saw that revealed that the King of the Jews was to be born.

What star did the Magi likely see to recognize the King of the Jews was to be born?
In August of 3 BC, when Gad the King planet (also called Jupiter by that time)
became visible above the eastern horizon as a morning star, it was seen by the Magi ‘in the rising.’
The bright new star appeared in the head of Comah (The baby of the Virgin Bethulah – Immanuel).

On August 12, Gad came into conjunction with Meni (the Bright Morning Star – also called Venus by that time), in the constellation of Ariel The Lion (the sign of Judah). It would take over a year for the Magi to arrive in Bethlehem.

 

(9:00) 9. What is the Enemy Doing?

 I believe that it’s no coincidence that the virus seemed to explode during the holiday of Purim, when we remember the courage of Esther who risk her life to save the Jews in Persia from destruction at the hands of Haman. In the end, the gallows he built to kill Esther’s uncle was instead used on him.

Every day of 2020 has been marked by attacks against authority to sow division in America and Israel (elections and leadership). There is great division among the parties, attempted impeachment. But the corona virus pandemic is the greatest attack. The president is now being led by medical experts instead of his instincts and cabinet.

Quarantines – shelter in place – shutting down of everything – the church called non-essential – it’s all about attacking authority to shift agendas

Daniel 7

The devil was warring “against the saints, and prevailing against them, until the Ancient of Days came, and a judgment was made in favor of the saints of the Most High and the time came for the saints to possess the kingdom.”

The intention of the enemy it says is: “to change times and law.”
This is the Aramaic word for the Hebrew idea of [the appointed time – mow`ed (mōw·āid)]

“Then the saints shall be given into his hand for a time and times and half a time. But the court shall be seated, and they shall take away his dominion, to consume and destroy it forever.”

The Pey of pesach is the mouth – the power is there. Choose to speak life, blessing, and prosperity over our cities and nation.

We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12)

“Behold, I have created the blacksmith Who blows the coals in the fire, who brings forth an instrument for his work; and I have created the spoiler to destroy. No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is from Me,” says the Lord. Isaiah 54:16-17

Blessing

Is this or anything else too difficult for God or a reason to fear?
Of course not! Like in the days of Elijah, when God told the prophet to confront the false priests of Jezebel, He did it because God’s heart was yearning for the salvation of His people.

Elijah the prophet came near and said…Answer me, Lord, answer me, so these people will know that you, Lord, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again (around).” 1 Kings 18:37

The concept of turning their hearts back around, is not just spiritual, but literally. He wants us to turn our hearts literally around – to turn our bodies back facing God. It’s not about a virus. It’s not about a shortage of toilet paper. It’s about God’s desire to bless us all.

Many years earlier God needed to wrestle Jacob to turn his heart around. And God will always desire to wrestle because we are the Jacobs He has raised up for this generation. We are the hands of Jesus still at work saving the whole world; He loves us and longs to give us the name that best describes our purpose and destiny.

“Then he said, “Let me go, for the day has broken.” But Jacob said, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” And He said to him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Jacob.” Then He said, “Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel, for you have striven with God and with men, and have prevailed…And there He blessed him.” Genesis 32

Why did Jacob refuse to let go until He blessed Him? The same reason every child of God can assert, “We are descended from those who wrestle angels and kill giants. We are chosen.”

A blessing isn’t just something to do before eating a meal. Blessing is the hidden strength of the Christian life. It’s part of the grace and strength that sustain us, and the faith and courage that enable us to overcome anything.

“Pray passionately in the Spirit, as you constantly intercede with every form of prayer at all times. Pray the blessings of God upon all His believers.” Ephesians 6:18

The Hebrew word bless is:

בָּרַךְ Barak (buh-rack) to bless, kneel, praise, celebrate, adore, salute, Kneel in reverence.

The Priestly Blessing is performed by Jewish Kohanim with both hands.
Each hand is held in a V-shaped position (Spock from Star Trek).
Now touch your thumb to thumb and then touch the edge of the tips of your forefinger.
The two V’s should now make a W.
That is the shape of the Hebrew letter “shin (ש) [Sheen], which has three upward strokes similar.

It’s the primary word in “El Shaddai,” meaning “Almighty (God)”,
Shekinah, the glory of God
Shalom, the Jewish word for hello, goodbye, and peace.

The Priestly Blessing
Numbers 6:22-27 ‘This is the way you shall bless the children of Israel.
Say to them: “The Lord bless you and keep you;
The Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you;
The Lord lift up His countenance upon you (Look upon you with favor), and give you peace.” ’
“So they shall put (invoke) My name on the children of Israel, and I will bless them.”

We see this in the 2^nd use of pey in the Torah in Genesis 8:11
The dove came back to him at evening, and, behold, in her mouth was an olive leaf plucked off. So Noah knew that the waters were abated from the earth. [A Flood, A Dove, New Growth, A New Beginning]

 The 2^nd use of pey occurs when God destroys the earth with a flood –
the mouth that is used is a dove who brings evidence of their salvation

Here we see the mouth is now redemptive – there judgment but also great hope. It’s Passover – pesach – God is bringing a new beginning – a new world.

 

(9:15) 10. The Armies of God

 This Passover meal is prophetic

Earth looks different than heaven – Shadows and types look different

 In Egypt they ate the lamb – In Jerusalem they did not bite or eat Jesus – They received His Spirit

In eternity we eat this meal again with Him at our wedding

This meal has not JUST been about Egypt for 2000 years – It’s now about the Spirit and the Bride

Outside the doors in Egypt what was happening – The Death angel was killing millions

In eternity Jesus on a white horse with us will kill millions – The Blood 4 feet high

Eating this meal is prophesying that day. Communion is dangerous because it’s part of the Passover meal.

This meal represents the salvation and judgment of mankind – It’s prophetic. That’s why Paul warned not to eat it with sin in you.

It’s like eating Passover with the door open – Death angel has an agenda for sinners

The first Passover and Passover meal occurs in Egypt about 3,500 years ago.

But Passover doesn’t begin there. Let’s jump back 4 centuries before Moses to Abram and Joseph:

Chosen

How did Joseph overcome slavery and prison where there was no reason for hope?
He knew something that the rest of the world didn’t know. He was chosen.
He was from the line of Abram, who defeated mighty armies of giants to rescue his nephew Lot. Hundreds of years before Joseph was even born, God told Abram that His plan included affliction in Egypt. “Then the Lord said to him, “Know for certain that for 400 years your descendants will be enslaved and mistreated. But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves, and afterward they will come out with great possessions. In the fourth generation your descendants will come back here, for the sin of the Amorites has not yet reached its full measure.” Genesis 15:13-16

Afterward

So often we plead with God to be rescued from our battles, but His plan is for “afterward”. I love the way God describes this massive group of beaten down slaves walking out of Egypt, “And it came to pass at the end of the four hundred and thirty years – on that very same day – it came to pass that all the armies of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt.” Exodus 12:41

That’s why they were in afflicted in Egypt – to become a great army. God led them and fought their battles, but tragically, they couldn’t see themselves the way God saw them. They couldn’t believe God would save them from the giants lurking in the new land, let alone use them to bless and save the whole world. They were terrified, so their graves are strewn across miles of desert outside the land that held God’s promises for them.

They came out of Egypt as a great army – They were called to destroy the Amorites 400 years before. That’s why they were in Egypt – To become a great army.

The Israelites didn’t understand why they were in Egypt and they didn’t understand why they were leaving. They certainly didn’t have a concept of themselves as warriors.

God was leading them and fighting their battles:

• The Death Angel in Egypt – there was not a house without someone dead.
• At the Red Sea: So the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea…Not so much as one of them remained.
• At Jericho – Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?” “Neither,” he replied, “but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.”

Joshua 6: “And they utterly destroyed all that was in the city, both man and woman, young and old, ox and sheep and donkey, with the edge of the sword.”

• 1,500 years later in Jerusalem, Jesus gathered with His Disciples to eat that same meal, to prepare them for His arrest, torture, crucifixion. Then He rose again triumphing over death and hell forever. He gave us this meal to help us remember that He is our only answer and to get our eyes off the fears of this present world.
• Passover is the gathering of the armies of God to prepare them for the coming battles. The Israelites in Egypt were thinking about escaping their situation, not preparing for war, and that’s why they failed. But God was focused on their enemies.

We are always His army – Passover is ultimately the gathering of the armies of God
That’s what all the blood is about

 

 (9:30) 11. Choosing a Lamb

 On the 10th day, Palm Sunday, four days before Passover, every family obtained a lamb so they could inspect it to make sure that it was “without spot or blemish.” This allowed each family to become attached to their lamb,

In Exodus 12:3 God says, “every man shall take for himself a lamb.”

Then in Exodus 12:5 God says, “Your lamb shall be without blemish.” It’s now your lamb.

But then in Exodus 12:6 God refers to “the” Lamb of God, as if there was only one:
“You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of this month, when the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall slaughter him (אתוֹ) at twilight.

This word “Him” in Hebrew is Aleph-Tav (את) Vav (ו), which specifically identifies the “him” as the “First and Last”.

In Egypt the lambs were to be publicly sacrificed by the “whole assembly.”
Each family was to apply the blood of their lamb to the doorpost as a sign of their faith in the Lord
The Passover Lamb was the first sacrifice that Israel, as a nation, was commanded to make.

The 10^th Day is Palm Sunday

For four days, Jesus appeared for inspection among the people before His crucifixion.

Jesus was thoroughly examined and proved Himself perfect, without defect.

• “…the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching” (11:18)
• “…(the Pharisees and Herodians) were amazed at him” (12:17)
• “Then Pilate announced to the chief priests and the crowd, ‘I find no basis for a charge against this man.’” (Luke 23:4)
• Peter declared Jesus, a “lamb without blemish or defect.” (1 Peter 1:19)

When He entered Jerusalem through the Eastern Gate, “the multitudes who went before and those who followed cried out, saying: “Hosanna to the Son of David! ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ Hosanna in the highest!”

Why did they choose these words? The word “Hosanna” in Hebrew is “Hoshia Na” or literally “save, please” and is part of the Hallel (Psalms113-118).
These were the songs of praise and thanksgiving always used during this Feast.

Jesus would read from the Hallel during the Last Supper and He would hear it echoing over and over while He hung on the cross, as it was chanted by the priests as they slaughtered hundreds of thousands of lambs.  Some of the words of Hallel: [Kelly]

“This is the gate of the Lord through which the righteous shall enter.
The stone which the builders rejected has become the Chief Cornerstone.
This was the Lord’s doing; It is marvelous in our eyes.
Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!
Bind the sacrifice with cords to the horns of the altar.
Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.”

 

(9:45) 12. Crowing and Betrayal

“And the Lord said, ‘Simon, Simon! Indeed, Satan has asked for you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, that your faith should not fail; and when you have returned to Me, strengthen your brethren’. But he said to Him, ‘Lord, I am ready to go with You, both to prison and to death’. Then He said, ‘I tell you, Peter, the rooster (‘cock’ in KJV) will not crow this day before you will deny three times that you know Me’”. (Luke 22:31-34)

Later that same night, Peter did deny knowing the Lord: “And immediately, while he was still speaking, the rooster (cock) crowed. And the Lord turned and looked at Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, ‘Before the rooster (cock) crows, you will deny Me three times. Then Peter went out and wept bitterly”. (Luke 22: 62).

The Talmud and the historian Josephus, both say that chickens were not allowed in Jerusalem because they are filthy and go where they are not invited and they could make everything unclean or even desecrate the holy places so the priests simply forbid anyone in Jerusalem from having chickens.

The Hebrew word for rooster may not have been “rooster” at all. The King James translates the word as “cock,” which was a common in those days. But some scholars say the word was not a bird, but a man, specifically the priest who was in charge of locking the Temple doors at night and then unlocking the doors each morning just before dawn.

As he opened all the doors in the Temple he would cry out in a loud voice three calls to attendance: “All the Cohanim (priests) prepare to sacrifice”. “All the Leviim (Levites) to their stations”. “All the Israelites come to worship”. This man is was the Temple Crier, or the alektor in Greek, which can refer to either a cock or a man. It’s possible that alektor here, was incorrectly assumed to be a rooster instead of the Temple Crier.

Does it matter? The crowing of a rooster would have had no spiritual significance to Jesus or Peter. But if it was the call to sacrifice, the call to service, and the call to worship, then he would feel deep guilt for failing on all three counts.

John 21:16-17 “When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.” They repeat this two more times and Jesus says, “Feed my sheep. Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.”

Three times He says: “Do you love me?

• “Feed my lambs.”
• “Take care of my sheep.” “Tend my sheep.” “Shepherd My sheep.”
• “Feed my sheep.
  • When you are old you will stretch out your hands
  • And someone else will dress you
  • And lead you where you do not want to go.”
    • The call to sacrifice
    • the call to service
    • the call to worship

 

(10:00) 13. The First Things of Passover

• The First Symbol You Remove: Leaven

You Remove It From The House The Day Before Passover (The 14^th)
So It’s A Symbol That Not Really Present,
But The Fact That It’s NOT Present, Makes It VERY Present.

In order to be Passover matzah, the bread dough must be baked less than eighteen minutes after the flour is moistened with water because it begins to ferment from leavening agents that occur naturally in the atmosphere. (Sin creeping at the door?)

In ancient times, there were only two ways to leaven bread dough.
One way was to let it stand until it began to ferment naturally.
The other way was the sourdough method: to use already leavened starter dough from the previous day’s batch and toss a small piece in the new dough. The old leaven quickly spread through the new batch of dough.

For Passover and the week-long feast, all leaven was removed so the sourdough method was impossible. This is the imagery that Paul is referring to when he says, “Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed. Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (1 Corinthians 5:7-8).

Passover is an annual reminder and an opportune time to break with our past and start over as new creatures. Since we are free from the past, we need to set aside those things in our lives that continue to enslave us. When the children of Israel left Egypt, they were leaving behind their old culture. While in Egypt they had absorbed much of the wickedness and idolatry of Egyptian society. The unleavened bread symbolized a new beginning. They were starting over.

• The Second Symbol You Also Remove: Work

Passover Is a Part of The 7-Day Feast of Unleavened Bread. The Feast of Unleavened Bread Includes 2 High Sabbaths.
No Work Is To Be Done The First Day or the Last Day of the Feast. Plus the Normal Friday Sabbath.

Why Does God Hyper-Focus On Rest?
Rest Represents How God Deals With Our Sin. He Deals With It From First To Last

Our Part is Repentance. To Stop the Action of the Sin. And to Stop Heaping on Guilt and to stop Shaming Ourselves.
They Are All Actions. They Are All Work.

If You Are in Ministry, You Owe It to Yourself and Your Family to Rest Once Every Week. Sunday Doesn’t Count. It’s The Busiest Day For People In Ministry.

Warning! The Jews Turned Resting Into Performance. They Literally Turned Rest Into Work.
They Focused On How Resting Made Them Holy. It Didn’t. God made them rest so they could experience intimacy with Him in a place of no performance.

The word for Sacrifice in Hebrew is “Korban“; its Root Comes From The Word “Karov” Which Means Closeness, Or Relative.

So Sacrifice Produces Closeness.
The sacrifice eliminated the chasm of sin and death that separated us from God and it produced closeness between man and God. He longs for intimate relationship with us.

There a 2 Kinds of Rest

• Literally Physically Stopping What We Do in Our Normal Week of Work
• Spiritually Repent. Don’t Bear The Weight Of Our Sin
• The Next Symbol Is The First Thing You Add: Light

Light is a symbol of God’s presence.

Exodus 27 (The Lampstand in the Tabernacle)
“And you shall command the children of Israel that they bring you pure oil of pressed olives for the light, to Cause The Lamp To Burn Continually.

 Matthew 5 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.

Acts 13 For so the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have set you as a light to the Gentiles, that you should be for salvation [literally Yeshua] to the ends of the earth.’”

Every Friday night at sunset at Jewish Sabbath meals, and at Passover, The Woman Lights the Candles and Leads the Prayer.

Pray (A basic prayer focused on Light)
Blessed are You, Lord God of Israel, our Father, forever and ever. You are the Light of the World.
You are Holy and You have made us holy through the shed blood of Jesus and cause us to be a light to the nations

Why does a woman light the candles?
Eve led the human race into sin,
but God chose Mary to be the mother of Jesus who would redeem mankind.
Eve was the first to fall. And the first to be redeemed.

 

 (10:15) 14. The Meal

Exodus 12 Lists 5 Things That Are Important About The Meal (Which Is Jesus):

1. “Then they shall eat the flesh [of the Lamb] on that night; Roasted in Fire,
2. with Unleavened Bread
3. and with Bitter Herbs they shall eat it.
4. Do not eat it [the Lamb] raw, nor boiled at all with water, but roasted in fire – its head with its legs and its entrails. You Shall Let None Of It Remain Until Morning, and what remains of it until morning you shall burn with fire.
5. And thus you shall eat it: With A Belt On Your Waist, Your Sandals On Your Feet,
   And Your Staff In Your Hand. So You Shall Eat It In Haste. It is the Lord’s Passover.” 

• Why Is It Roasted In Fire?
  Hebrews 12: Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire.

• Why Is There No Leaven?

Bread without leaven means To live without pride and sin.
“Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore, let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” 1 Corinthians 5:7-8

• Why Do You Eat Bitter Herbs?
  It makes us recall the bitterness of slavery.
  Sin like the bitter herb tastes sweet at first, then bitter.
• Why Must You Eat All Of The Lamb?
  It’s not about still being hungry.
  You can’t pick and choose the parts of Jesus you like and neglect the others.
  You can’t come and go.
  It’s not just your presence inside the house with blood on the door that keeps you safe,
  but the presence of the lamb inside of them.
  The Symbol of Symbols is the Lamb – Many just place a bone on the plate says there is no temple to make a proper sacrifice – it is a Reminder of the Passover Lamb.
• Why Do You Eat It Clothed And Ready To Leave?
  We live clothed in Christ and no longer see sin as our home.
  We can’t let little sins creep into our lives, and go unchecked because if we get distracted we may find ourselves in the world (Egypt) while our people and God have left with our destiny.

The Old Testament priests had an elaborate bathing process to become clean so they could serve. The law said the unclean had to stay separate from everyone else.

The priests thought that the laws meant that they were better than others and too clean to touch the unclean and hurting people. But the washing was a shadow of the Messiah who would touch us to make us all clean.

The Bible says, “Jesus got up from the Passover meal…poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet.

Peter protests for several reasons. Mostly he’s confused. Washing hands is logical.
Jesus was about to touch the food and serve it to them. You need clean hands.

Jesus was showing that being clean or holy enables you to serve the unclean and hurting.
Jesus was the meal. He was the water. He was what it was all about. God serving fallen man. Rescuing redeeming. Becoming their Passover.

• Another Symbol is Salt – Salt Preserves, It Purifies. We Are the Salt, Jesus Is the Bread.
  
  Mark 9:49-50 “For everyone will be seasoned with fire, and every sacrifice will be seasoned with salt. Salt is good, but if the salt loses its flavor, how will you season it?
  Have salt in yourselves, and have peace with one another.”

Colossians 4:6 “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.”

 

 (10:30) 15. The Four Cups of Juice/Wine

These Represents the Blood of the Lamb – Jesus
(Be Different [Holy] – I Will Free You – Redemption – Cup of Praise/Joy)

You Don’t Fill The Cups All The Way Full, because you have to drink everything in the cup four separate times. Emptying the cups symbolizes that our joy is full.

Wine or Juice Mixed with Water

• Blood and Water John 19:33-35 But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water.
• MISHNA: Passover wine was red and mixed with warm water.
  Why? It reminded them of the blood of the Passover lamb:
  • On the eve of any Passover it is not lawful for a person to eat anything from the time of afternoon prayer until after dusk…nor shall a person have less than four cups of wine, even if they must be given him from the funds devoted to the charitable support of the very poor.
  • The Earliest references to these mixtures has a ratio of two-parts water and one-part wine. Later, in the Talmud, the ratio is three to one.
  • Early Christians mirrored that of Judaism. In Justin Martyr’s First Apology, the elements of the Lord’s Supper are bread and “wine mixed with water”.
• The First Cup (Kiddush)
  This First Cup means “Be Different or Holy”
  It’s what the angels are saying in heaven (Holy, Holy, Holy [In Greek hag’-ee-os])

This cup corresponds to the verse:
“I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians.

Being different is the first step to being saved.
Everybody is a sinner, but God is holy and we cannot be close to Him with sin.
The punishment for sin is death.
Jesus died for us (was punished for us), so we can be close to God.

First Cup – Then God Blessed the Seventh Day and Called It Holy, for God rested on that day, having completed the work of creation. (Genesis 1:31-2:3)

The Soul is in the Blood
Why all the blood? The blood is said to carry the “soul” of the person. “The soul of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to atone for your souls” (Leviticus 17:11).

When a person sins, his soul becomes unclean. The soul of another is then given to make atonement for the sinning soul: to pay the punishment and to purify it. The unclean soul under the death penalty is redeemed, “bought back” by the death of an innocent soul.

The soul of an animal can’t truly make atonement for the soul of a human. The animal’s blood points to the blood of Jesus the Messiah, who made atonement for us: soul for soul. This exchange allows a soul to enter into covenant with God and it is the seal that keeps and protects that covenant.

At the Passover in Egypt, the blood was put over the doorway, and down each side
above for salvation, and on either side for protection.
This is an amazing foreshadow of the sign they hung on the cross of Jesus.

“Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Jews”
Latin – IESVS (INRI)
Greek – Iēsoûs (INBI)
Hebrew – Yēšū́a

The Romans wrote, Jesus the Nazarene, King of the Jews/Judeans in Latin, Greek and Hebrew.

Whether they used the 4 letter Hebrew initialism pictographs: Yode Nun Mem Yode
or the Hebrew words Yeshua Nazarene Melek (meh-lek) Ioudaios (You-deans)

It enraged the Jewish leaders for a very good reason:
In Hebrew Yeshua is not just a name – it’s the word for salvation
Nazarene (which comes from ne·tser (branch) was a messianic title from Isiah:
“There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots.”
Melek (meh-lek) is King and Ioudaios (You-deans) is Judeans

But for the Pharisees and the religious Jews crucifying Jesus – the sign was blasphemous
It essentially said This is Salvation – the Messiah – King of the Judeans

 

(10:45) 16. Blood on the Door & Blood on the Altar

John 10:7-10: Then Jesus said to them again, “I am the Door of the sheep.
The Man of the house would look into the face of the lamb and slit its throat.
Blood would run down on his feet and into the ditch at the foot of the doorway.

He would take the hyssop branch with one hand to put blood on each side of the door – blood ran down one arm, then the other arm and finally he would wipe blood on the header that sprinkled down onto his own head.

The most important lesson of Pesach is the Power of the blood. The blood (the door) lets us enter in as sinners and exit as saints. The house is a grave. When they come out in the morning they are not dead but alive. (Lazarus / Jesus)

Death visits every house in Egypt. He takes every first son of Egypt. But The Lamb stands guard at the Israelite Houses.

Death doesn’t examine their righteousness, obedience, or passion for God. The blood and the blood alone prevents the destroyer from entering.

When we sin, it’s like leaving the house. The destroyer is lurking – God is inviting us back in to safety.

It’s about His love for you – not your love for Him. It’s about His sacrifice for you not your sacrifice for Him. Focusing on His love for you keeps you stable. It’s hard to betray love. 

The Blood on the Altar

On the morning of the 14^th Jesus is hung on the cross at the third hour, 9:00 AM.
The Temple was crowded with pilgrims bringing their lambs for the Passover slaughter.

Because of the great number of lambs to be slaughtered, the afternoon Daily offering was performed early, so the slaughter of the Passover Lamb could be performed during the ninth hour (3:00).

The lambs were killed and their blood applied to the altar. Lines of priests stood with gold and silver basins for passing the blood from priest to priest. Each one received a full basin and handed back an empty one. The priest nearest the altar tosses the blood in a single act.” (Pesachim 5:6)

The Passover lambs were killed in three consecutive waves. The gates to the inner court were opened, and the first crowd of Israelites with their lambs ready rushed in. Within minutes, the courtyard was stained red with blood. The dead lambs were hung on hooks, forearms spread in a crucifixion pose as they were skinned and prepared for roasting.

When the 9th hour arrived, (3pm) a long blast of the shofar signaled the Levites to begin chanting the Hallel (Psalms 113-118). They were joined by the voices of the thousands of Pilgrims gathered at the Temple. The sound filled the entire city of Jerusalem, and echoed outside the walls, where Jesus was hanging on the cross.

“The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came over me; I will lift up the cup of salvation [literally Yeshua] and call on the name of the Lord. I will fulfill my vows to the Lord in the presence of all his people. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful servants.  The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.

Not only would Jesus be serenaded with the Hallel as He hung upon the cross. According to the Mishnah and Talmud, the “Eighteen Benedictions,” were also being prayed.

Jesus prayed part of the 6^th Benediction on the cross, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do.” Here’s a taste of those:

• “Forgive us, O our Father, for we have sinned; pardon us, O our King, for we have transgressed; for You pardon and forgive. Blessed are You, O Lord, who is merciful and always ready to forgive.” (6th Benediction)
• “Look upon our affliction and plead our cause, and redeem us speedily for Your name’s sake, for You are a mighty redeemer. Blessed are You, O Lord, the redeemer of Israel.” (7th Benediction)

It was the 9th hour, as the Passover lambs were slain in the temple As the sky grew black, the earth quaked, the Veil was torn, and Jesus, the Lamb of God, died.

(11:00) 17. Outside the Camp & The East Gate

The Jews might have thought they were in charge –
but God had set this up – especially the location – from the beginning of time

• Execution of a criminal in the time of Jesus was acknowledged as the criminal’s own
  “sin offering” for himself – instead of a substitute animal sacrifice
  • So criminals (as sin offerings) were executed “in the presence of God” just “outside the camp” (Numbers 15:35) near the Red Heifer altar. This was also the spot where Stephen was executed.
  • Since Jesus was counted as a criminal He was taken to the summit of Olivet across the Kidron Valley. The Jews called it the Valley of Jehoshaphat where they believe God would judge all people for their sins.
  • There Jesus died “as a sin offering”, not for himself, but for the sins of the world.
• The path east from the temple up the Mount of Olives was a very common path and has lots of history. It may be where the tree of knowledge of good and evil was.
• It was the path Adam and Eve would have walked to leave the Garden in banishment.
• It was the place a young boy named David buried Goliath’s head

So the spot of the great trophy became well known. Goliath was from Gath so the summit was call as Golgotha the place of the skull.

• For Jesus to be crucified there brought extra meaning and irony fulfilling Genesis 3:15
  “He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel”.
• The Shekinah glory of God left the temple (in Ezekiel) over this same path on the Mount of Olives.

• On the feast of Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement two goats are involved in the sacrifice.
  • The blood of the first goat was placed on the mercy seat of the Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies.
  • The other, or “scapegoat” was released into the wilderness, signifying that our sins were not only covered, but also removed.
  • In the days of the Temple, this “scapegoat” was led through the Eastern Gate toward the Mount of Olives where it would disappear from view, as it fulfilled the removal of sins from the people.
• This same spot was the location of the ascension of Jesus into heaven.
  • He ascended and disappeared in the same way as the “scapegoat” showing that our sins are removed as far as the east is from the west!
• Where Jesus will return, split the mountain in two and where a river will flow from the altar.

 

(11:15) 18. The Second Cup – Plagues & Iniquity

This cup corresponds to the verse: “I will free you from being slaves to them.”

The gods of Egypt [1446 BC] (Part 1)

1. The Very First Plague, Turning the Nile into Blood, was a direct hit on quite a few gods:

And it would remain blood for 7 days, an entire week to prove God’s complete dominance.

Khnum was the guardian of the Nile sources.
Hapi was the spirit of the Nile and a water bearer
They sang songs of adoration to His idol was shaped like a crocodile.
Osiris was the god of the underworld – the river Nile was considered his bloodstream.

When the Nile turned to blood, the fish died. Several of their gods protected the fish.
It was probably the first plague because the Nile had protected Moses when he was placed in its waters by his mother as a baby.
Moses himself was highly regarded in Egypt by Pharaoh’s officials and by the people.)
God was saying that He had protected Moses, not these false gods. Moses was His prophet.

2. The Plague of Frogs: The Egyptians deified frogs.
   They were sacred and could not be killed – it was actually a crime punishable by death.

So the plague forced the Egyptians to tread on them and watch them all die and rot.
The frog goddess was called Heket who assisted women in childbirth.

3. The Plague of Lice: Geb was the Egyptian God over the dust of the earth.
   Aaron was told to stretch forth his rod and smite the dust of the earth.
   When he did the dust became lice throughout all the land, on both people and beasts.

The magicians of Pharaoh profess, “this is the finger of God.”
This was the last plague that required Aaron’s involvement – Moses steps up.
It’s also the last plague that affected the Israelites.

4. The Plague of Flies: Khepri – Egyptian God of creation, had the head of a fly.
   Pharaoh begins bargaining telling them they may sacrifice “in the land” not a “three days journey”.
5. The Plague of Cattle Disease: There were a lot of cow gods in Egypt:
   Hathor was the goddess of love, beauty and joy – and was represented by a cow.
   Ptah and Mnevis, were sacred bulls.
   This plague created a huge economic disaster (food, transportation, military supplies, farming, and economic goods that were produced from cattle).
6. The Plague of Boils:
   Sekhmet was supposed to have the power of both creating epidemics and ending them. Serapis was the deity charged with the responsibility of healing.
   Imhotep was the god of medicine and guardian of the healing sciences.
   Isis– Egyptian Goddess of Medicine and Peace.
   This plague made the people & the magicians “unclean.”
   They can’t even stand before Pharaoh; this is their last appearance in the story.
7. The Plague of Hail and Fire Raining Down:
   Nut was the sky goddess. Flax and barley were ripening in the fields.
8. The Plague of Locusts:
   Isis and Seth had responsibilities relating to agricultural
   Seth was the god of Storms and Disorder. This wonder definitely affected their life source. By hitting them in their food supply, the Lord displayed the possibility of eminent death if a change of heart did not occur. Yet still, Pharaoh would not listen.
9. The Plague of Darkness:
   Ra was the sun god – considered one of Egypt’s greatest gods because they thought he provided life‐giving light and warmth every day.
   Three days of palpable darkness, that was so immense it could be physically felt, covered the land of Egypt.The sun, the most worshipped God in Egypt other than Pharaoh himself, gave no light. Darkness was a representation of death, judgment and hopelessness.
   Darkness was a complete absence of light.
   Can you imagine Moses walking out as the shadow of darkness follows him out of the palace to leave Pharaoh in the dark until he acknowledged the living God.
   

(11:30) 19. Death

10. Death of Firstborn:

Jesus, The Lamb, Can Not Save You Without Your Cooperation.
We Are Saved By Grace Through Faith. God Acts And We Act.
The 10^th Plague is The First Plague That Requires The Israelites To Do Something

 The Foolishness of Sacrificing a Lamb in Egypt

Did God ask the Israelites a harder thing than we realize when He asked them to sacrifice lambs in Egypt for Passover? It was an unforgivable insult to the Egyptians who worshiped them as gods.

Exodus 8 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, “Go, sacrifice to your God in the land.” And Moses said, “It is not right to do so, for we would be sacrificing the abomination of the Egyptians to the Lord our God. If we sacrifice the abomination of the Egyptians before their eyes, then will they not stone us?

The Egyptians worshipped Aries, and therefore abstained from killing sheep, and held shepherds in contempt. Sacrificing the Egyptian gods and smearing the blood of their gods on their doorposts was an amazing act of bravery and trust in God.

To the Egyptians eating lamb was an abomination. Joseph’s brothers were fed separately from the other Egyptians,
and He encouraged his brothers to list their occupations as shepherds in order to allow them to live in Goshen and isolated from the rest of Egypt.

The astrological symbol of the month of Nissan is Aries, the ram, The 15th day (Pesach) is the full-moon,

They were slaughtering hundreds of thousands of their ram-god when it was supposed to be at the height of its powers.

Pharaoh was considered a god so the death of his firstborn was the death of the son of god!

• God’s judgment was not against pharaoh but against the first born son of pharaoh and every other first born.
• Why not pharaoh? Most likely he was the first born.
• To tempt him to attack later to destroy entire army in the Red Sea.
• He would go in thinking that he could not be killed by God because he survived the 10th plague.

Moses Releases And Stops The Plagues As God Directs Him

Fast forward to the end of time. The Tribulation is mostly against the Antichrist.

Like Moses and the Israelites in Goshen partnering with the Lord in prayer,
the end time church releases and stops plagues as God directs.

• The Trumpets Are Hail, Fire, Blood
• Then Seas Turn to Blood, Death of Sea Creatures and Destroyed Ships
• Bitter Water from A Meteorite,
• The Sun, Moon and Stars Are Struck and Darkness Comes
• Locusts Like Scorpions the Size of Horses
• Four Angels Bring Death (Worldwide Not Just in Egypt)
• Two Witnesses Preach, Are Killed and Resurrected
• Earthquake and War
• Dragons and Two Beasts / 666 – 144,000 Redeemed
• The Great Harvest / The Winepress of the Wrath of God

The Rapture is at the end, not the beginning of the Tribulation, otherwise the hands and feet of Jesus would be gone when the great harvest arrives.

 

 (11:45) 20. Taste and See

The Unleavened Bread (Matzah). Three Matzos Are Stacked Together.

The Middle Matzah is Removed and Broken.
The larger piece is wrapped and hidden, it is called the Afikoman (Greek)

Afikoman is Greek: They think it means “He Is Coming.”
It’s the only Greek word in the Seder and no one knows where it came from historically.

Why Are There Three Matzos? It’s a picture of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
The Son left heaven, was broken, buried, and then rose again alive.
And whoever finds Him, or asks Jesus to forgive them and come and live in their heart, they receive a great reward, Eternal Life in heaven.

• We single out this piece of bread because Jesus was foreordained to die for us.
• We break it because He was broken for us.
• We hide it because He was buried with our sin.
• We will bring it out later because He rose again.
• We will eat it before the 3^rd cup of wine because He was 3 days in the grave.
• And we will eat it because you must accept Jesus into your life to be saved.

When you bring back The Afikoman – The one who finds it receives a great reward.
The Bread itself reminds us of Jesus.

The Rabbis have rigid codes as to the appearance of the matzah:

1. It Must Have Stripes – Jesus Was Afflicted and Striped
   b. It Must Be Pierced – Jesus was Pierced
   c. It must be Without Leaven – Jesus was Without Sin

Isaiah 53:5 “But he was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.”

Sailors would often save some of the Afikomen to keep with them because it was believed to calm the sea.
As it happens this was one of the miracles that Jesus did to help end the disciples’ unbelief (many of them were fishermen)

It was during the eating of this Afikoman (and the blessing of it) that the Bible tells us: Jesus, the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread: and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. (1 Corinthians 11:23-24)

The Third Cup – The Cup of Redemption / The Cup of Blessing:
With this cup Israel remembers their deliverance from slavery, and their redemption from the plague of death by the blood of the first Passover Lamb.

This cup corresponds to the verse: “I Will Redeem You”
If the Afikomen was His body, then obviously the third cup is His blood.

“In the same way, after the supper He, took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you. (Luke 22:20)

The apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthians “A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup.” (1 Corinthians 11:28)

The 4^th Cup is The Cup of Praise / The Cup of Restoration
This cup corresponds to the verse “I will take you to be my people”.

After they drank this cup at the last Super, the Word says:
When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
Why does He leave?
After closing the Passover dinner, Jesus had to leave the city because the atonement Lamb’s body was always offered up to God outside the city’s walls. (Hebrews 13:11-14)

Next Year in Jerusalem! The Seder customary ends by everyone saying the Benediction.

May the Lord bless you and protect you.
May the Lord deal kindly and graciously with you.
May the Lord bestow His favor upon you and grant you peace.