The Passover
ThePassover April 7, 2011
Background
One of the greatest turning points in man’s history was the events surrounding the advent of the Passover. It is perhaps one of the most amazing stories of YHVH’s intervention in human affairs. The story tells of a people (the Israelites) who came as a rather small group to the land of Egypt during a great drought. One of the son’s of the Israelites, Joseph, had previously been sold by his brothers into the hands of Midianite traders, who later sold him as a slave to the Egyptians. This Israelite later rose (through a series of amazing events) to a place of prominence in a position directly under the Pharaoh. His job was primarily to save the Egyptians from the famine that YHVH showed to Joseph via a dream or vision was going to befall Egypt 7 years prior to the actual event. The first 7 years were to be a time of excess followed by seven years of drought. Joseph was told by YHVH how he must stock up with reserves of food during the 7 years of plenty in preparation for the 7 years of drought. It turned out to be a most severe drought, which affected the entire civilized world at the time and many were going to Egypt to purchase whatever food they could.
The father of Joseph, Israel (formerly Jacob/Yaccov), who believed the report that his other sons had delivered him concerning the death of Joseph, had sent several of his sons to Egypt to purchase food. Although they did not recognize Joseph, Joseph recognized them and played upon that fact to entice his brothers to bring their father to him. Once the whole family was in Egypt, Joseph revealed himself to them and separated a land for them known as Goshen. It was here that the Israelites grew into a huge multitude and this fact coupled with the obvious favour of YHVH which they appeared to possess, caused the Egyptians to eventually fear and despise them. When the next Pharaoh came to power, he forgot the incredible blessings that the Israelites brought with them to the land and began to persecute and enslave them. For the remainder of their 430 year stay, the Israelites served their masters under incredibly harsh treatment.
Finally YHVH heard their cries and brought forth one who would lead them out of the land of Egypt into their own land, which they were promised would be their eternal inheritance. This man’s name was Moshe (Moses). YHVH was about to demonstrate that He does indeed work in mysterious ways.
Moses was born at a time when a very cruel edict had come down from the Pharaoh that all the male children of the Israelites were to be killed at birth. Through a series of miracles, Moshe was not only saved from death, but was made a prince in the court of the Pharaoh and his mother raised him as his nurse. His mother made him aware of his Hebrew heritage and when, at the age of forty, he witnessed the cruelty of an Egyptian against one of his fellow Israelites, Moses rose up and slew the Egyptian and had to flee the land of his birth and seek refuge in the land of Midian. In Midian, Moshe married the daughter of one of the priests and lived and prospered there for forty years. At the ripe old age of 80, YHVH appeared to Moshe in the form of the burning bush to order him to return to Egypt and deliver his brethren from the hand of bondage they were under there. Moshe was fearful and obstinate and sought a way out of doing what was required of him. His stubbornness almost got him killed before he even left Midian, for he had not yet circumcised his son as he was commanded to do.
Once he was back in the land of Egypt, Moshe sought out his brother, Aaron, and told him of all that had befallen him and together they went before the Pharaoh to implore of him to let the Israelites go. The Pharaoh refused and Moshe had to demonstrate the almighty power of YHVH to him by a series of plagues before the Pharaoh gave him the permission he sought. The day before they began their journey has become known as the Day of the Passover. The following day is now known as the First Day of Unleavened Bread and first high (or holy) day of the Hebrew calendar.
The First Passover
Exodus 12:1 And YHVH spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying,
2 - This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.
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 YHVH’s Passover.
12 - For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am YHVH.
13 - And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.
14 - And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to YHVH throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance forever.
15 - Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.
16 - And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be done of you.
17 - And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance forever.
18 - In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at even, ye shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the month at even.
19 - Seven days shall there be no leaven found in your houses: for whosoever eateth that which is leavened, even that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he be a stranger, or born in the land.
20 - Ye shall eat nothing leavened; in all your habitations shall ye eat unleavened bread.
YHVH first established that the month they were in was to be considered as the beginning of months for them. In other words, that is when the year began. It made perfect sense since it was in that month that life returned to the earth following a winter’s rest. It was a new beginning; a fresh new year. Since he did not, at that time, specify how to determine the beginning of the month, it may be supposed that they were already determining the beginning of a month correctly. How else could they have determined when the 10th day was, or the 14th.
Today there are two arguments for determining the beginning of the month from a lunar point of view. One way has the month beginning when the moon is totally black, which our society today calls the New Moon. The other determines the beginning of the month by the first visible new crescent. The number of days of the month remain the same (29 ½ days). Of course the Roman calendar is a solar one and the beginning of the month can occur on any day. Seven months have 31 days, 6 have 30 days and one has 28-9 depending on whether it is a “leap” year, which occurs every four years. Because of the inaccuracy of the solar calendar, it has to be corrected every so often. Also, the Roman calendar always has 365 days and 12 months. The Hebrew calendar normally has 360 days and 12 months, but every 3rd year there are 13 months. Therefore, every 3rd year, there are 390 days in that year. This offers a more regular update of the Hebrew calendar than the Roman one. Therefore, the beginning of a Roman month rarely coincides with a Hebrew month.
On the 10th day of the first month, the Israelites are to take a male lamb of the first year, without spot or blemish, and prepare it to be slaughtered on the 14th day of that month. This lamb was representative of the coming Messiah (the Lamb of YHVH), who would also be sacrificed without spot or blemish. The lamb was to be killed at evening time on the 14th day. Evening in Hebrew means the time at the end of the 14th day at twilight (or when the sun is going down). However, the Israelites later would come to consider the beginning of evening to be at 3 o’clock in the afternoon and would traditionally have the high priests kill the lambs at that time. This would later coincide with the time of day that the Messiah’s physical manifestation would come to an end. The method of cooking the lamb was to be by fire, tied to a spit. The lambs entrails would be wrapped around its head as a type of crown, symbolic of the crown of thorns that later would be placed on Yahshua head. And, of course, the Messiah would also be fastened to stake. The meal was to be eaten with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. By the first holy day all leaven was to be put out of the houses and only unleavened bread was to be consumed throughout the seven day festival.
Some of the blood of the lamb was to be put on the door posts of the Israelite homes to identify them when the death angel came to smite all the firstborn of the Egyptians. This represented the future shed blood of the Messiah which would cover the sins of His followers and keep them from the second death.
The lamb was to be roasted whole, also representative of the coming Messiah, whose body would remain whole (with not a single broken bone) until placed in the tomb. The lamb had to be fully cooked and was not allowed to be soaked or boiled with water. Any portion of the lamb that was not consumed that night was not to be saved and eaten later. It had to be destroyed by fire by morning.
YHVH makes it clear that this was not to be a one-time observance, but was to be kept annually FOREVER. This was because so many of the symbols represented the future coming of the Messiah. Therefore, this festival was kept for two reasons, to remind them of their deliverance from Egypt (physically symbolic of sin) and the coming Saviour, Yahshua (the spiritual reality of the forgiveness of sin). It must also be realized that Yahshua, in His pre-incarnate form, WAS the Angel of YHVH (YHVH’s spokesman) who was really the one that Moshe was in communication with and who led the Israelites out of Egypt by a pillar of smoke during the day and fire by night. It is also made clear here that whosoever did/does not partake of this special feast, along with all of its symbolism was to be cut off from the nation of Israel. This symbolized being cut off from and rejected by YHVH – FOREVER.
It must also be realized that it was indeed Yahshua (as the Angel of YHVH, or Michael) who delivered to Israel all the Laws of YHVH as they pertained to their system of worship and the civil laws that they would adhere to. These laws taught mankind the nature of YHVH and how to incorporate YHVH’s nature into their own carnal one, thus making them righteous and fit to enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Both the first and seventh days were to be holy or set apart convocations, wherein no work was to be done apart from preparing food. To reduce the amount of work done on that day to a minimum, they would later prepare the meals the day before. For this particular Passover, at least, they were to eat it while being fully prepared to move out. Their sandals were on their feet. Their bags were packed with any belongings they wished to take with them, along with 7 days worth of unleavened bread and other food that they could eat on the way. They had all of their herds ready to move as well. We can only imagine what a slow procession this must have been. The first day was/is also representative of the creation day. The first 6 days are symbolic of the 6,000 years allotted to man to rule over himself. The 7th day represents the coming millennial rule of Yahshua when he returns.
The Christian celebration of Easter in no way entertains any of these symbols. Easter, rather, stems from the worship of Tammuz, the supposed son of Nimrod. Tammuz was the world’s first anti-messiah, whom the Christian faith worships to this day through their customs and traditions. Since they do not keep the clearly spelt out customs and traditions of Israel, they are a people cut off from YHVH. They are without excuse as they all possess the word of YHVH; yet prefer to listen to the lies of their corrupt leaders instead. They remain obedient to a 4th century Roman Emperor; and serve the Beast rather than YHVH. Unless they repent, their fate will be in the lake of fire, which will be the second and final death.
Exodus 12:43 - And YHVH said unto Moses and Aaron, This is the ordinance of the passover: There shall no stranger eat thereof:
44 - But every man’s servant that is bought for money, when thou hast circumcised him, then shall he eat thereof.
45 - A foreigner and an hired servant shall not eat thereof.
46 - In one house shall it be eaten; thou shalt not carry forth ought of the flesh abroad out of the house; neither shall ye break a bone thereof.
47 - All the congregation of Israel shall keep it.
48 - And when a stranger shall sojourn with thee, and will keep the passover to YHVH let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one that is born in the land: for no uncircumcised person shall eat thereof.
49 - One law shall be to him that is homeborn, and unto the stranger that sojourneth among you.
No man who is uncircumcised can keep the Passover. This commandment is abundantly clear. Circumcision is the sign of the covenant between man and YHVH. The covenant was delivered and agreed to by Abraham.
Genesis 17:1 - And when Abram was ninety years old and nine, YHVH appeared to Abram, and said unto him, I am the Almighty Elohim; walk before me, and be thou perfect.
2 - And I will make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee exceedingly.
3 - And Abram fell on his face: and Elohim talked with him, saying,
As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be a father of many nations.
4 - Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee.
5 - And I will make thee exceeding fruitful, and I will make nations of thee, and kings shall come out of thee.
6 - And I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be an Elohim unto thee, and to thy seed after thee.
7 - And I will give unto thee, and to thy seed after thee, the land wherein thou art a stranger, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession; and I will be their Elohim.
8 - And Elohim said unto Abraham, Thou shalt keep my covenant therefore, thou, and thy seed after thee in their generations.
9 - This is my covenant, which ye shall keep, between me and you and thy seed after thee; every man child among you shall be circumcised.
10 - And ye shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin; and it shall be a token of the covenant betwixt me and you.
12 - And he that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every man child in your generations, he that is born in the house, or bought with money of any stranger, which is not of thy seed.
13 - He that is born in thy house, and he that is bought with thy money, must needs be circumcised: and my covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant.
14 - And the uncircumcised man child whose flesh of his foreskin is not circumcised, that soul shall be cut off from his people; he hath broken my covenant.
Now, according to my way of thinking, either the commandment to circumcise remains in effect to this day, or YHVH’s word cannot be trusted. I have explained the confusion over Acts 15 in more than one other article so I won’t go through that lengthy explanation again. I will only state here that the act of circumcision in New Testament times (as it applied to Gentile converts) was merely postponed until the new converts had time to learn all of the law and knew and understood terms of the covenant they were committing themselves to. The “strangers” mentioned here represent the future Gentile converts in New Testament times. There was no mention made in the decision of the Jerusalem counsel in regards to the Passover.
Exodus 13:1 - And YHVH spake unto Moses, saying,
2 - Sanctify unto me all the firstborn, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast: it is mine.
The firstborn male of each family is consecrated to YHVH. This includes all clean animals as well. I qualify under this commandment, since I opened my mother’s womb. As circumstances worked out, I was denied my just physical inheritance; however, spiritually speaking, no one but YHVH can deny me my spiritual inheritance. Rather than dwell on and lament over the loss of my physical inheritance, I strive to keep my focus on the spiritual. After all, the physical is fleeting and will be gone at death anyway. The spiritual inheritance is eternal.
Exodus 13:3 - And Moses said unto the people, Remember this day, in which ye came out from Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand YHVH brought you out from this place: there shall no leavened bread be eaten.
4 - This day came ye out in the month Abib.
Here the name of the month is given. YHVH assigned the month of Abib as the first month of the year. It has always been curious to me why the Jews celebrate their new year in the month of Tishri instead – at the end of the harvest rather than at the beginning. Actually the Jews made a number of changes to the Hebrew calendar under Hillel in the 4th century (the same century as when the Christian faith was born through Constantine). These changes all involved calculating the holy days. They began to calculate the Passover by counting backwards from Tishri 1(the Feast of Trumpets). They began to calculate the beginning of a month by the dark new moon rather than by the first visible crescent. They established the Day of Pentecost on Sivan 6 instead of counting 50 days from the wave sheaf offering. Their reasoning was that the wave sheaf offering followed the 1st Day of Unleaven Bread rather than the weekly Sabbath. However, I believe that YHVH would have been more specific if that were the case. The following passages confirm how the Day of Pentecost is to be calculated:
Leviticus 23:10 - Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest:
11 - And he shall wave the sheaf before YHVH, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the Sabbath the priest shall wave it.
15 - And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete:
16 - Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto YHVH.
The Day of Pentecost must always land on a Sunday, the day after the 7th Sabbath from the wave sheaf offering. This year (2011) the wave sheaf offering occurred on April 23rd; therefore the Day of Pentecost will occur on June 12th. The Jews will be celebrating it on June 7th instead. Perhaps since the Jews called a curse on themselves when condemning Yahshua to death, YHVH allowed them to be caught in this error as a sign that they have been cut off from the kingdom of heaven for unbelief.
It is my belief that any changes to Law of YHVH are inspired by HaSatan. The annual holy days are of the utmost prophetic value. Also, breaking any one of the Laws of YHVH is a salvational issue. How Hillel ever convinced the Jewish congregation to make these changes is a great mystery to me. Surely there must have been some who stayed the course that YHVH set out for them. YHVH does not always make laws that make sense to man, because man is incapable of knowing what YHVH’s purposes are. However, it is my belief that the altering of any of the annual holy days means that one will miss out on whatever prophetic value these days hold. For example, if the apostles were not celebrating the Day of Pentecost on the correct day, they may have never received the Ruah Kodesh (Holy Spirit). If the Israelites did not follow YHVH’s instructions to the letter, the exodus may have been a disaster.
Yes, humanly speaking it makes more sense to begin a month at the moment of the dark new moon. The dates can then be calculated many centuries into the future. However, YHVH alone knows the beginning from the end and we must have faith that He knows what He is doing.
In the days of Yahshua, the chief rabbi Gameliel would send men out to various positions in the land with charts showing the various stages of the moon. These men had to OBSERVE and IDENTIFY which stage the moon was in. The stage they were looking for was the first visible crescent. They would not have been able to observe a dark new moon. By the time they observed the first visible crescent, the dark new moon would have been past history for at least 18 hours or more. One can read the New Testament from cover to cover and not find any instance where either Yahshua or his apostles ever questioned the Jewish method of calculating the beginning of a month or holy days. If there was such an issue at the time, there would have definitely been much controversy and discussion about it. Just look at what an uproar the question of circumcision caused.
I truly believe that one must have these days correct. One of the criteria is the relationship of the new moon to the spring equinox. I don’t have all my resources handy at the moment, but I believe that the full moon must occur within 5 days of the spring equinox (before or after) otherwise things are put off till the following month. The other criteria is being able to find green ears of grain for the wave sheaf offering. It is clear that the months have to be established by observance, not calculation.
One other comment I would like to make concerning the sun and the moon is that they remind us all of the Father and His Son. The moon phase lasts approximately 30 days. Yahshua life on this earth was approximately 30 years. Yahshua was in the tomb for 3 days and nights. The moon is dark and invisible for 3 days. The dark period of the moon represents death. The first crescent represents resurrection from death. The sun that sustains our lives clearly represents the Creator in all His magnificence and glory – the light of the world. Naturally I am not suggesting that they be worshipped as in pagan practices. However, all of nature tells the story of YHVH’s master plan and even if we did not have a Book of Scriptures, the proof of YHVH is all around us. When Yahshua was questioned after all the people came out of Jerusalem and sang praises to him, he said that if those people did not praise him, the rocks and trees would have. What I am saying is that YHVH’s spirit is all around us in every living thing, and if man did not praise YHVH, then the other living things would (and indeed do).
Exodus 13:8 - And thou shalt show thy son in that day, saying, This is done because of that which YHVH did unto me when I came forth out of Egypt.
9 - And it shall be for a sign unto thee upon thine hand, and for a memorial between thine eyes, that YHVH’S law may be in thy mouth: for with a strong hand hath YHVH brought thee out of Egypt.
10 - Thou shalt therefore keep this ordinance in his season from year to year.
Rev. 13:16 - And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads:
17 - And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.
18 - Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.
When it comes to understanding the mark of the Beast, it is the exact opposite of the mark of YHVH. YHVH’s mark is seeing, thinking, speaking and doing His Laws. The mark of the Beast is seeing, thinking, speaking and doing the laws of HaSatan. In the coming New World Order, true Believers will not be able to buy or sell anything because we will be either dead, in prison or in hiding. To openly confront the Beast (as any true Believer must) means that we will be severely persecuted.
It is obvious when the first day of the Passover began that year, but what is not obvious is when the 7th day occurred. Moshe did not record how many days it took to travel to their final resting spot by the sea. However, it would seem to me that it must have been the morning of the 7th day that YHVH destroyed the Egyptian army, signifying the future victory over sin and the beginning of the millennial rule of Yahshua. Naturally there would have been much rejoicing in the Israelite camp for the rest of that day. Since there is no time lapse indicated from that point until the Song of Moses in chapter 15, one would assume they all took place on the same day. So, the first Passover ended in a great victory over the Egyptians.
The Passover in Yahshua’s Day
In the days of Moses, following the exodus, Moses was considered the chief judge of Israel. A number of lesser judges would later be established under him. His brother Aaron was the high priest and under him were the regular priests. The priesthood was assigned by YHVH to the tribe of Levi alone, of which both Moshe and Aaron were members. Between that time and the time of Yahshua, many changes to this hierarchy would be instituted.
The first attempt to corrupt the priesthood came within two months of the Israelites leaving Egypt when, while Moses was on top of Mt. Sinai receiving instruction from YHVH for some forty days, the people began to think that he was not coming back. They demanded of Aaron that he make an idol for them to worship. We all know the result of that fiasco. The second attempt to corrupt the priesthood came from none other than the two sons of Aaron, who burnt “strange fire” on the altar. They were killed directly by YHVH.
After that, in the days of Samuel, the people demanded a king over them in rejection of the leadership of YHVH. They wanted a king like all of their pagan neighbours – a human scapegoat whom they could dispatch if he did not act according to their wishes. YHVH warned the people through Samuel what would befall them under a king. His warning came true, of course, and the number of unrighteous kings that followed far outweighed the number of righteous kings. The end of this was military defeat and captivity in foreign lands.
The northern tribes, under the nation of Israel, were taken first and removed to the north of the Caspian Sea. They would later migrate from that area in different directions into a host of other nations (mostly to the west). They never did return to the Promised Land.
The southern tribes, under the nation of Judah were later taken away in captivity to Babylon, where they remained for 70 years. Following the conquest of Babylon by the Persians under Cyrus, the Jews were allowed to return to Jerusalem to rebuild the city and the temple. Not all the Jews returned, as a good number of them enjoyed life in Babylon and decided to stay. At first, they had no king over them, only a governor. The governor, of course, had nowhere near the power of a king. He was more or less simply a liaison between the king of Babylon and the People in Jerusalem. The high priest was actually the highest authority in the land. The system of Moshe was basically restored and the first Passover since leaving Babylon is recorded in the book of Ezra.
Ezra 6:19 - And the children of the captivity kept the Passover upon the fourteenth day of the first month.
20 - For the priests and the Levites were purified together, all of them were pure, and killed the Passover for all the children of the captivity, and for their brethren the priests, and for themselves.
21 - And the children of Israel, which were come again out of captivity, and all such as had separated themselves unto them from the filthiness of the heathen of the land, to seek YHVH Elohim of Israel, did eat,
22 - And kept the feast of unleavened bread seven days with joy: for YHVH had made them joyful, and turned the heart of the king of Assyria unto them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of Elohim, the Elohim of Israel.
It would seem that this system remained intact until the Greek occupation. By the time of Yahshua there were three groups vying for supreme authority over the religious beliefs of the Jews. Parsons Bible Dictionary gives this report of the three groups.
Pharisees SEPARATISTS (HEB. persahin, from parash, “to separate”). They were probably the successors of the Assideans (i.e., the “pious”), a party that originated in the time of Antiochus Epiphanes in revolt against his heathenizing policy. The first mention of them is in a description by Josephus of the three sects or schools into which the Jews were divided (145 B.C.). The other two sects were the Essenes and the Sadducees. In the time of our Lord they were the popular party (John 7:48). They were extremely accurate and minute in all matters appertaining to the Law of Moses (Matt. 9:14; 23:15; Luke 11:39; 18:12). Paul, when brought before the council of Jerusalem, professed himself a Pharisee (Acts 23:6-8; 26:4, 5). There was much that was sound in their creed, yet their system of religion was a form and nothing more. Theirs was a very lax morality (Matt. 5:20; 15:4, 8; 23:3, 14, 23, 25; John 8:7). On the first notice of them in the New Testament (Matt. 3:7), they are ranked by our Lord with the Sadducees as a “generation of vipers.” They were noted for their self-righteousness and their pride (Matt. 9:11; Luke 7:39; 18:11, 12). They were frequently rebuked by our Lord (Matt. 12:39; 16:1-4). From the very beginning of his ministry the Pharisees showed themselves bitter and persistent enemies of our Lord. They could not bear his doctrines, and they sought by every means to destroy his influence among the people.
The doctrines that Yahshua brought to the table were the original ones that had become corrupted over the years. They highlighted the true original intent of the Law. They were not new changes to the Law. The Law as first delivered, of course, is eternal and cannot be changed. Yahshua did not come to change or do away with the Law in any shape or form. The Law as it was delivered to Moshe is perfect and does not need to be changed, added to or subtracted from. Any such changes would amount to declaring that YHVH was not perfect and does not know what He is doing. That, of course, is blaspheme.
Sadducees The origin of this Jewish sect cannot definitely be traced. It was probably the outcome of the influence of Grecian customs and philosophy during the period of Greek domination. The first time they are met with is in connection with John the Baptist’s ministry. They came out to him when on the banks of the Jordan, and he said to them, “O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” (Matt. 3:7.) The next time they are spoken of they are represented as coming to our Lord tempting him. He calls them “hypocrites” and “a wicked and adulterous generation” (Matt. 16:1-4; 22:23). The only reference to them in the Gospels of Mark (Mark 12:18-27) and Luke (Luke 20:27-38) is their attempting to ridicule the doctrine of the resurrection, which they denied, as they also denied the existence of angels. They are never mentioned in John’s Gospel. There were many Sadducees among the “elders” of the Sanhedrin. They seem, indeed, to have been as numerous as the Pharisees (Acts 23:6). They showed their hatred of Jesus in taking part in his condemnation (Matt. 16:21; 26:1-3, 59; Mark 8:31; 15:1; Luke 9:22; 22:66). They endeavoured to prohibit the apostles from preaching the resurrection of Christ (Acts 2:24, 31, 32; 4:1, 2; 5:17, 24-28). They were the deists or skeptics of that age. They do not appear as a separate sect after the destruction of Jerusalem.
Essenes A Jewish mystical sect somewhat resembling the Pharisees. They affected great purity. They originated about 100 b.c., and disappeared from history after the destruction of Jerusalem. They are not directly mentioned in Scripture, although they may be referred to in Matt. 19:11, 12, Col. 2:8, 18, 23.
The Sanhedrin was the supreme authority in Judah as described below.
Sanhedrim MORE CORRECTLY SANHEDRIN (GR. synedrion), meaning “a sitting together,” or a “council.” This word (rendered “council,” AV) is frequently used in the New Testament (Matt. 5:22; 26:59; Mark 15:1, etc.) to denote the supreme judicial and administrative council of the Jews, which, it is said, was first instituted by Moses, and was composed of seventy men (Num. 11:16, 17). But that seems to have been only a temporary arrangement which Moses made. This council is with greater probability supposed to have originated among the Jews when they were under the domination of the Syrian kings in the time of the Maccabees. The name is first employed by the Jewish historian Josephus. This “council” is referred to simply as the “chief priests and elders of the people” (Matt. 26:3, 47, 57, 59; 27:1, 3, 12, 20, etc.), before whom Christ was tried on the charge of claiming to be the Messiah. Peter and John were also brought before it for promulgating heresy (Acts. 4:1-23; 5:17-41); as was also Stephen on a charge of blasphemy (Acts 6:12-15), and Paul for violating a temple by-law (Acts 22:30; 23:1-10). The Sanhedrin is said to have consisted of seventy-one members, the high priest being president. They were of three classes (1.) the chief priests, or heads of the twenty-four priestly courses (1 Chr. 24), (2.) the scribes, and (3.) the elders. As the highest court of judicature, “in all causes and over all persons, ecclesiastical and civil, supreme,” its decrees were binding, not only on the Jews in Palestine, but on all Jews wherever scattered abroad. Its jurisdiction was greatly curtailed by Herod, and afterwards by the Romans. Its usual place of meeting was within the precincts of the temple, in the hall “Gazith,” but it sometimes met also in the house of the high priest (Matt. 26:3), who was assisted by two vice-presidents.
The king over Israel when Yahshua was born was an imposter and not one of the royal lineages at all. The following reveals his true origin.
Herod the Great (Matt. 2:1-22; Luke 1:5; Acts 23:35), the son of Antipater, an Idumaean, and Cypros, an Arabian of noble descent. In the year B.C. 47 Julius Caesar made Antipater, a “wily Idumaean,” Procurator of Judea, who divided his territories between his four sons, Galilee falling to the lot of Herod, who was afterwards appointed tetrarch of Judea by Mark Antony (B.C. 40), and also king of Judea by the Roman senate. He was of a stern and cruel disposition. “He was brutish and a stranger to all humanity.” Alarmed by the tidings of one “born King of the Jews,” he sent forth and “slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under” (Matt. 2:16). He was fond of splendour, and lavished great sums in rebuilding and adorning the cities of his empire. He rebuilt the city of Caesarea (q.v.) on the coast, and also the city of Samaria (q.v.), which he called Sebaste, in honor of Augustus. He restored the ruined temple of Jerusalem, a work which was begun B.C. 20, but was not finished till after Herod’s death, probably not till about A.D. 50 (John 2:20). After a troubled reign of thirty-seven years, he died at Jericho amid great agonies both of body and mind, B.C. 4, i.e., according to the common chronology, in the year in which Jesus was born. After his death his kingdom was divided among three of his sons. Of these, Philip had the land east of Jordan, between Caesarea Philippi and Bethabara, Antipas had Galilee and Peraea, while Archelaus had Judea and Samaria. See table of descendants:
As you can see these kings were not even Jews, but Arabs. Herod the Great was appointed by Mark Anthony in 40 BC. They might have intermarried with Jewish wives, and certainly had to become familiar with Jewish law, but they remained Arabs at heart.
So, this was the situation that greeted Yahshua when He came on the scene. Parson’s Bible Dictionary has this to say concerning the Passover:
Passover - THE NAME GIVEN TO THE CHIEF OF THE THREE GREAT HISTORICAL ANNUAL FESTIVALS OF THE JEWS. IT WAS KEPT IN REMEMBRANCE OF THE LORD’S PASSING OVER THE HOUSES OF THE ISRAELITES (Ex. 12:13) when the first born of all the Egyptians were destroyed. It is called also the “feast of unleavened bread” (Ex. 23:15; Mark 14:1; Acts 12:3), because during its celebration no leavened bread was to be eaten or even kept in the household (Ex. 12:15). The word afterwards came to denote the lamb that was slain at the feast (Mark 14:12-14; 1 Cor. 5:7). A detailed account of the institution of this feast is given in Ex. 12 and 13. It was afterwards incorporated in the ceremonial law (Lev. 23:4-8) as one of the great festivals of the nation. In after times many changes seem to have taken place as to the mode of its celebration as compared with its first celebration (Compare Deut. 16:2, 5, 6; 2 Chr. 30:16; Lev. 23:10-14; Num. 9:10, 11; 28:16-24). Again, the use of wine (Luke 22:17, 20), of sauce with the bitter herbs (John 13:26), and the service of praise were introduced. There is recorded only one celebration of this feast between the Exodus and the entrance into Canaan, namely, that mentioned in Num. 9:5. (See JOSIAH.) It was primarily a commemorative ordinance, reminding the children of Israel of their deliverance out of Egypt; but it was, no doubt, also a type of the great deliverance wrought by the Messiah for all his people from the doom of death on account of sin, and from the bondage of sin itself, a worse than Egyptian bondage (1 Cor. 5:7; John 1:29; 19:32-36; 1 Pet. 1:19; Gal. 4:4, 5). The appearance of Jerusalem on the occasion of the Passover in the time of our Lord is thus fittingly described: “The city itself and the neighborhood became more and more crowded as the feast approached, the narrow streets and dark arched bazaars showing the same throng of men of all nations as when Jesus had first visited Jerusalem as a boy. Even the temple offered a strange sight at this season, for in parts of the outer courts a wide space was covered with pens for sheep, goats, and cattle to be used for offerings. Sellers shouted the merits of their beasts, sheep bleated, oxen lowed. Sellers of doves also had a place set apart for them. Potters offered a choice from huge stacks of clay dishes and ovens for roasting and eating the Passover lamb. Booths for wine, oil, salt, and all else needed for sacrifices invited customers. Persons going to and from the city shortened their journey by crossing the temple grounds, often carrying burdens... Stalls to change foreign money into the shekel of the temple, which alone could be paid to the priests, were numerous, the whole confusion making the sanctuary like a noisy market” (Geikie’s Life of Christ).
The Word did not afterward come to denote the lamb. Rather the lamb denoted the Word (Yahshua) including the fact that He was going to be sacrificed for sin and the exact day that He would be sacrificed. One has to remember that the New Testament was not canonized until near the end of the 4th century. For almost 350 years the Believers proved the authenticity of the Messiahship of Yahshua solely by what was written concerning Him in the Old Testament. In those days, thousands were converted in a single day strictly from the Old Testament teachings. Yet the Christian religion would have us believe that the OT is done away with and that it has been replaced by the NT. Nowhere in either the New or Old Testaments can such authority be found.
The Christians know that the Saviour was crucified on the Passover day, yet they celebrate His sacrifice on the pagan festival of Easter. The only symbolism that Easter holds is towards the worship of the ancient antichrist, Tammuz. Christianity itself comes straight out of the ancient religion, Mystery Babylon, and in no way resembles the Hebrew faith. It totally misses the mark of knowing the plan of YHVH and the prophetic events about to unfold upon the world. They are going to be caught totally unawares when the Messiah returns.
It is easy to see also by the above reading that this most holy convocation became commercialized by the greedy merchants in much the same way Christmas has become. The focus was on making money rather than praising the Most High. Yahshua showed His contempt for this practice when He threw the money changers out of the Temple. The Passover is not about merchandise. It is not about bribing our children with gifts to look forward to this festival. It is about deliverance and humbling ourselves before the only One in the universe capable of saving us and granting us eternal life.
I used to be a Christian. I used to celebrate Christmas and Easter. So did most of you who may be reading this. We all know exactly what the focus of those holidays are. For the merchants it was about making money. Their profits for the entire year are dependent on those holidays. The marketing geniuses have done a magnificent job of brainwashing everyone into believing these holidays are about spending money and showering our loved ones with gifts. I have witnessed people on welfare and disability insurance skip paying their bills and even their rent during those months, just so that they could shower their children with expensive gifts and try to match the gifts that the working class can afford to give their children. One woman I know does all of the above plus borrows money to buy her children the expensive gifts they were clamoring for. Working class people run all of their credit cards to the limit to buy gifts for their families. Then they spend the rest of the year paying the credit card off. Most do not even go to church on those days. Most do not even believe in the Messiah or YHVH. It is all about gift giving and getting paid holidays from work.
In Yahshua day, the Passover was a weeklong event. The city of Jerusalem would be filled to capacity and beyond. Jews from around the known world would occasionally make pilgrimages to the holy city and enjoy the festivities. Yahshua’s death on the stake was a grim reminder of how solemn an occasion this was meant to be.
Naturally Jews today like to forget about and even deny that Yahshua was sacrificed on this day – or that He even was the Messiah. Since they were primarily responsible for His death, that is perfectly understandable. Yet the prophesies in the OT predicting that Yahshua would come in the flesh and be sacrificed for sin are abundantly clear and undeniable. His life paralleled the ancient prophesies perfectly. Since belief in the Messiah is so crucial to salvation, I often wonder if there will be a movement in the last days to convert the nation of Israel into the multitude of Believers. I am not talking about Christianity, but rather the true faith. Even some of the Messianic Jews follow the Christian traditions and doctrines rather than the Hebrew. Amongst the Christians there is an ever growing number striving to rediscover their Hebrew roots and the true Messiah. I am not aware of any such movement amongst the Jews.
If we claim to follow Yahshua and set Him up as our example, should we not FOLLOW that example? Yahshua did not come to start any new religion. Rather, He came to exemplify the Hebrew faith and show us how to properly follow it – seeking out the spiritual meaning of these days, not focusing on the physical aspects of it. Yahshua, on a number of occasions demonstrated how the Pharisees measured their righteousness by the physical keeping of the law rather than focus on the spiritual intent. Most times their spiritual understanding was severely out of whack if existent at all. Yahshua called these supposed spiritual leaders “den of vipers”, “hypocrites”, and “clouds without substance”.
It is not to be so with the true Believers and followers of Yahshua. We are to be focused on and developing our spiritual nature at all times. All Christianity has done is take the Jew out of the Messiah and make Him fit into their pagan ideology. They took all their former statues and symbols and “Christianized” them. They took the true Messiah and made Him a pagan, rather than convert themselves.
We also have as examples the apostles who followed after the Messiah. They were closer to him than anyone else. They knew that He did not come to start a new religion. They would be horrified today to learn that so many would profess to follow Yahshua, yet have turned to another Messiah of their own making. The apostles always kept the 7th day Sabbath. They always kept the annual festivals. They always were obedient to the Law. They knew that any deviation would cost them their salvation. Yet the world prefers to follow after their false, pagan messiahs than the one and only true Saviour. Most do not even know the name of the Jewish Messiah and call Him by a name that honours Zeus over YHVH. Christianity is the pinnacle of HaSatan’s grand deception and he has succeeded in deceiving the whole Christian world into following after him.
Christianity singles out Shaul (Paul) as the one disciple who taught that the law was done away with. Nothing could be further from the truth. If Shaul had in any way violated the Law, the Jews would have been justified in putting him to death. However, he declared the following in his own defense.
Acts 24:11 - Because that thou mayest understand, that there are yet but twelve days since I went up to Jerusalem for to worship.
12 - And they neither found me in the temple disputing with any man, neither raising up the people, neither in the synagogues, nor in the city:
13 - Neither can they prove the things whereof they now accuse me.
14 - But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the Elohim of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets:
Acts 25:8 - While he answered for himself, “Neither against the law of the Jews, neither against the temple, nor yet against Caesar, have I offended anything at all”.
The following definition of the law according to Christian theology is as follows:
Law A RULE OF ACTION. (1.) The Law of Nature is the will of God as to human conduct, founded on the moral difference of things, and discoverable by natural light (Rom. 1:20; 2:14, 15). This law binds all men at all times. It is generally designated by the term conscience, or the capacity of being influenced by the moral relations of things. (2.) The Ceremonial Law prescribes under the Old Testament the rites and ceremonies of worship. This law was obligatory only till Christ, of whom these rites were typical, had finished his work (Heb. 7:9, 11; 10:1; Eph. 2:16). It was fulfilled rather than abrogated by the gospel. (3.) The Judicial Law, the law which directed the civil policy of the Hebrew nation. (4.) The Moral Law is the revealed will of God as to human conduct, binding on all men to the end of time. It was promulgated at Sinai. It is perfect (Ps. 19:7), perpetual (Matt. 5:17, 18), holy (Rom. 7:12), good, spiritual (Rom. 7:14), and exceeding broad (Ps. 119:96). Although binding on all, we are not under it as a covenant of works (Gal. 3:17). (See COMMANDMENTS.) (5.) Positive Laws are precepts founded only on the will of God. They are right because God commands them. (6.) Moral positive laws are commanded by God because they are right.
In contrast to the law of Moshe they say:
Law of Moses IS THE WHOLE BODY OF THE MOSAIC LEGISLATION (1 Kings 2:3; 2 Kings 23:25; Ezra 3:2). It is called by way of eminence simply “the Law” (Heb. Torah, Deut. 1:5; 4:8, 44; 17:18, 19; 27:3, 8). As a written code it is called the “book of the law of Moses” (2 Kings 14:6; Isa. 8:20), the “book of the law of God” (Josh. 24:26). The great leading principle of the Mosaic law is that it is essentially theocratic; i.e., it refers at once to the commandment of God as the foundation of all human duty.
“This law was obligatory only till Christ, of whom these rites were typical, had finished his work”.
This is a bold, out and out lie. It grossly contradicts what HaMashiyack Himself said.
Matt. 5;17 - Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
18 - For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.
19 - Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
20 - For I say unto you, that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Yahshua’s work will not be finished “Till heaven and earth pass”. These words are simply spelt out for all to clearly read. We are without excuse and without defense. Righteousness is measured by obedience to the law. A righteous man obeys the law. An unrighteous man does not obey the law. Unless our righteousness exceeds that of the Pharisees (speaking spiritually) we will NOT see the Kingdom of Heaven. That is the bottom line – period. By doing away with the law, Christianity did away with any form of righteousness. They claim to cling to what is known as the Ten Commandments; however they don’t even do that. Let’s examine theses ten (Gen. 20:3-17).
1 - Thou shalt have no other Elohim before me.
Christianity simply made over their former gods, changed their names and kept all the same symbolism associated with their former worship. Therefore they still worship Zeus and all the gods associated with him. They never worship in the true names; therefore they are worshipping other gods.
2 - Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I YHVH thy Elohim am a jealous Elohim, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
Walk into any Catholic Church today and you will see all sorts of symbols depicting their former worship of the sun. The statues, paintings and reliefs all formerly depicted the pantheon of gods they worshipped. Statues of their “Jesus” were formerly attributed to Tammuz, Adonis, Apollo and Bacchus. All images of the Virgin and her son are really of Semiramis (Isis) and her illegitimate son, Tammuz (supposedly the son of Nimrod). The first thing they do when they walk into the church is bow before the statue of “Jesus” (really Tammuz). Symbols of the trinity, which comes straight from paganism, are everywhere.
3 - Thou shalt not take the name of YHVH thy Elohim in vain; for YHVH will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
Changing the names of YHVH and Yahshua equates to taking their names in vain.
4 - Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Christianity rejected the 7th day Sabbath of YHVH in favour of the pagan day previously honouring sun worship – Sunday. Included in the Sabbath command are all 7 of the annual Sabbaths. None of which are kept by Christians. Now that merchants are allowed to stay open Sundays, many do not even honour their own (false) Sabbath day.
5 - Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which YHVH thy Elohim giveth thee.
In the days of ancient Israel, dishonouring one’s father or mother would have resulted in death by stoning. Today it is done all the time.
6 - Thou shalt not kill.
The number of people killed in the name of Christianity over the past two thousand years would likely total in the trillions. We have the various crusades, the inquisitions, the civil wars in Ireland, the two world wars. The only time that murder is an option is in self defense.
7 - Thou shalt not commit adultery.
I am not going to pick only on the Christians for this one. Violation of this commandment is common to all religions and even sacred name groups. We have all heard the news reports of various priests and ministers getting caught with their pants down. One Cabbalist that I know even declares that Lesbianism is ok, but not homosexuality.
8- Thou shalt not steal.
9 - Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
10 - Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour’s.
These last three are also common to all religions and are somehow considered minor infractions. There is no such thing as a minor infraction when it comes to the Law of YHVH.
All of YHVH’s Sabbaths, both weekly and annually, were kept by the Messiah, his apostles and all his followers for 300 years after the resurrection of Yahshua. It did not change until Emperor Constantine gave the command to all Roman citizens that they were not to follow the customs and tradition of the Jews. He backed that up with a second order that Sunday was the official day of worship of the Roman Empire. Rather than face continued persecution, Christians willingly obeyed.
Conclusion
The Passover, like all of the annual holy days, is not only a memorial of past events, but current and future as well. We currently remain in a world of sin. We have YHVH’s promise of salvation to look forward to. The Passover season is a constant reminder of who we are and what the plan of YHVH is for us. It is also a reminder of how important it is to keep the Laws of YHVH in our minds and hearts, for it is only by adherence to His Laws that redemption will be granted us.
The Christian faith has done away with these holy days, the weekly Sabbath and the Law of YHVH altogether. They have no sense of what YHVH’s plan for mankind is and when it will occur. For some reason they believe our future is to become angels not Elohim. That is far short of the mark that YHVH intends for us. Yahshua was our example. We are to become what He became – an entirely new creation. Angels are yet an incomplete creation just as man is. Why would YHVH change us from one incomplete creation to another. It just doesn’t make sense.
Christians will not be prepared when the prophesied future events unfold on these most holy days. The Passover symbolizes a future event when YHVH is once again going to pass over our homes and select who is going to be saved from the curses of YHVH. True Believers must be prepared; else they will miss out too. We must be keeping these festivals on the days that YHVH has appointed and not follow any man-made changes. No one knows for sure which year the Saviour will return. He said His coming would be as a thief in the night. The death angel that passed over the homes of the Israelites on that fateful night was indeed Yahshua. He came upon the Egyptians like a thief in the night and stole all their firstborn. If we are found keeping YHVH’s holy days at their properly appointed times, we will be ready and will witness the glory of His coming and the promise of our salvation.
These days are not for the Jews only. The Jews are but one of the tribes of Israel. They also include Benjamin and Levi. The other tribes went into captivity almost 3,000 years ago and have lost their identity. Yahshua mentioned on several occasions that He had come to salvage the lost sheep of Israel. He was talking about the descendants of those lost tribes. They are spread all over the world in every nation. They may not know who they are but YHVH knows. There is an excellent chance that most of those called into the faith are descendants of the lost tribes. Our forefathers were cut off from the tree of life but now YHVH is attempting to graft us back in. What Christianity has done is plant their own tree apart from YHVH’s. Theirs is a counterfeit tree that attempts to resemble the true tree and graft all non-believers to it. They put on an outward image of righteousness, while underneath is nothing but corruption and unrighteousness. Their tree will wither and die but YHVH’ while flower, bear fruit and live forever more. This is the tree we want to be a part of and the way is to follow YHVH’s instructions for us to the letter. There is no way around it if we are seeking salvation. It is not the popular way according to the world and we will certainly not be popular for following it. Satan thinks were are his and wants us back. He will do everything in his power to either win us back or kill us.
We are in a spiritual battle for our spiritual existence. Physically keeping these days is a start but we must learn the spiritual meaning of these days and keep that in remembrance over all. As the end days draw closer, it is all the more important that we get this right. We must be both physically and spiritually prepared for the glorious day of His coming.
May YHVH bless and keep us and cause His glorious light to shine up all His true Believers.