SZ's Twist on Blogging: The Passover Revealed

PASSOVER REMINDS US HOW THE LORD DELIVERS HIS PEOPLE

Jesus our Passover (Pesach) Lamb

Freedom and Food ~ Spiritually and Literally

“Passover our freedom , culminating with the birth of the Jewish nation: A healthy, liberating experience for both body and soul! Our ancient customs at the Seder and the special foods we eat - tell the amazing story of our freedom.” **

Jesus is the Bread of Life our Passover Lamb & the Ideal explanation of our eternal salvation.

At the Last Supper the night of the Passover the evening before His crucifixion, He said, as He picked up the bread and wine, “Do this in memory of Me”.

*He told us to celebrate the Passover until He returns again.

If it was important to HIM, and it was, then He would we want us to follow HIM in all HE did, and told us to do... and so we shall. Then, i would like to talk about how He valued the Feast Days. He went for miles to Jerusalem for all feast days every year, including the three most important ones: Passover, Pentecost (First Fruits).

The Feast of Trumpets, Atonement and Tabernacle: These last three Feasts, interestingly enough, Jesus, will I believe, fulfill as He already had done with the others, including all the festivals and feast days except theseslast three: TRUMPETS, ATONEMENT & TABERNACLE)... When He comes again, He will fulfill these three as I explain below.

All festivals were celebrated but it was not necessary for everyone to go to Jerusalem for the journey. There were only three, that were important enough for God to have His people take the journey, the three main Feast days. (Passover, Pentecost & First Fruits) For some it was a very long journey.

Jesus traveled on foot over 75 miles to get to these feast at some times... knowing there was a so called bounty on HIS head... HE went, sending the others ahead at one time, and followed in secret... He knew that the time was not yet, so He knew how to get lost in the crowd not to be seen until the timing was right for every experience… Ihave to say here that God is never late, He is always on time for everything... Ex.12:3 (He was The Lamb of God “without blemish, a male... ) Lev. 23; Acts 2:5; Lev 23:29,30; ( Jesus MORE, than, kept the law. The Bible did not require HIM, anyone to observe the national Israeli festival of Chanakuah, the Feast of Dedication, but He, our Lord Jesus went to Temple with His presence even on this relatively MINOR occasion : John 10:22) so... therefore as we follow Jesus, he tells us to keep this Feast Day:

Paul said: 1 Cor. 5: 7-8: 7 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. 8 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.

John the Baptist said when he saw the lord, “Behold the Lamb of God which takes away the sins of the world. The word LAMB, to the Jew was significant and they understood what that meant. The lamb had been God's preference for sacrifice from Able.

Passover ~ understanding the cleansing: You can really understand the cleansing out of the leaven so the house is purified for Passover and how it is greatly extended in 2 Kings where it is said how a KING Josiah raged the and through Israel like a tornado cleaning out the pagan altars from the land. The people really noticed when Josiah went through the town. The result was a wonderful Passover, held in a land finally cleansed from false worship and apostasy. God even took notice an it was credited to them in this verse:

2 Kings 23:22:

“22 Surly there was not Such a Passover in all the days of the judges who judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel and the kings of Judah!”

Passover begins with the memories of the horrors of slavery in Egypt ( a symbol of the world without GOD ) and in our day the horrors of life without Christ and the gift of Eternal Life; and ends with Freedom, by Jesus the Christ, Messiah and the Birth of the Jewish Nation... a promise fulfilled. God keeps all HIS promises. Jesus kept the feast days including the Passover, which HE became for us.

His Blood covers us today as the Blood of Lambs in the past covered the door post to protect them from the death Angel that was passing over them... they were protected then and we are protected today with HIS blood shed once for all.

Passover starts weeks before the Feast by cleansing the house of leaven used as an example of sin in the bible, as the family search the house and grounds for any signs of leaven, cookies, cakes, breads, anything with leaven (SIN) after cleaning the whole house then a prayer is said to bless the home before the Seder

Mom is in kitchen preparing for the Seder, while the Father plays game with children spreading bread crumbs and they shout when they find them all over the house, as he brushes them up with a feather into a wooden spoon and tosses them into the fire to burn.“...each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. “1 Cor.3:13

The White Linen is synbolic of the Righteousness in the Bible of the Saints:
Rev. 19:7-8:
7 Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready.” 8 And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints.

White Linens garnish the home, table settings, candles, napkins, etc...including dishes being white and kept only for the Passover, and the father wears a white robe called a kittel, and white crown.lending an atmosphere of purity and the costume of the father of the High Priest in the Tabernacle who wore a pure white robe, and the effect that part of the official Temple worship has been brought home for Passover. The Father also symbolizes the risen Christ, the High Priest, who glowed white after His resurrection.

Then the Woman only light the canles symbolizing bringing us the Christ Child into the world.

And so a woman still brings light to the passover table.

The First Cup of Wine: of the four cups of wine, the first cup is called the
CUP OF SANCTIFICATION: simply sanctifies the table and all the preparations. (note the service has still not begun, everything is still being mad ready. As the father certifies all has been done in preparation he gives his blessings with the first cup of wine for the families labors and the tabel itself his blessing with his prayer over the wine.

The four cups of wine are drunk while reclining like kings - a royal beverage celebrating our newly found freedom. Interesting they always (the Jews) have an extra cup of wine for Elijah... which we know the WORD tells us has already come, in part as John the Baptist, and is to come in the end with signs and wonders... and we have the Elijah ministry as soldiers for Christ to spread the Gospel throughout the world. The Wine, again symbolizing the Blood of Christ, shed for our sins.

We are in Christ and HE in US as John 17 says, and we are also to reign with Him, Jesus as Kings and Priests in the Millennium... We are celebrating the Freedom we already have knowing HIM as our Savior being sealed with the Holy Spirit as a Guarantee of our Freedom and Eternal Life.

THE HIDDEN BREAD: 3 loaves of unleavened bread ~ father put it into a linen napkin with

different compartments. He take the one from the middle and brakes it and wraps it in another napkin and hides it away “buries it” some where in the home, chair cushion, etc.

FOUR QUESTIONS: Youngest member of the family that can read asks these questions a sort of teaching of the family of the reason for the Passover Celebration having to do with the Exodus from Egypt and that great event. (all parts of the family participate because all have once been a child.(Every Jew knows at least a little part of the Passover, whatever the strength of his religious views)

Why is the night distinguished from all other nights? On this night we eat only unleavened bread.
On all other nights we eat any kinds of herbs, but on this night only bitter herbs. Why?
On all other nights we do not dip, but tonight we dip twice. Why?
On this night we all recline in our chairs at the table. Why?

Then the Father begins to chant the whole Haggadah, the Passover Book... As the story unravels the questions are all answered.

Answers:

The unleavened bread symbolizes purity, of course, since leaven is sin. On he very night of deliverance, Passover, unleavened bread is completely appropriate. 1 Cor. 5:8 “Therefore, let us keep the feast, not with the old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth”
The Bitter herbs remind us of the bitterness of slavery in Egypt. Other foods displayed on a center Seder Plate at the beginning of the meal, also sypbolize parets of the Exodus. (explained later)
The Dipping, by which Jesus identified His betrayer, Judas, (“The one who dips after me”) has several traditional meanings. The one I Like best conserned the traveling across THE RED Sea on dry land. Since the parsley is dipped twice in salt water the image is exciting to me. THE FIRST DIP IS ISRAEL ~ the second , going into the Sea and coming out unharmed. THE SECOND DIP is for the Egyption army who tried to follow them—the parsley is dipped and then immediately eaten. Don the hatch with the Pharoah's persecutors! (Other dippings also the dipping into the Charoses, a sweet mixture of apples, nuts and spices, which I talk about later).
The Reclining of the chairs—this has to do with freedom. The Jews are no longer slaves and they can relax (though bein a Jew through the ages hasn't been so relaxing after all). They sit on pillows... symbolic of what if eels like to be assured of your salvation. Just feel it put a nice soft pillow on a nice soft dining room chair and sit on all that nice softness. That's salvation. Imagine Jesus Passover on the Floor at a low table... sitting on hard surface or the Jews in Egypt

These are four simple answers to the questions... the whole story of the Exodus is told by the father.

One of the best examples is Ex 12 one of the most stunning moments in the entire O.T.

The delivery of a nation to freedom has ever been inspired the world (the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia is inscribed with Lev. 25:10, “Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof.”

Leviticus 25:10 (Amplified Bible)

10And you shall hallow the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout all the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; and each of you shall return to his ancestral possession [which through poverty he was compelled to sell], and each of you shall return to his family [from whom he was separated in bond service].

God could have taken many ways to deliver his people, but no... he chose to involve them and teach them... He decided to give the people an important part in their own deliverance.

He had them choose a young, male lamb, without blemish, four days before Passover.

They were to examine it carefully over those days, a lamb to each household or rwo, and be for sure that the lamb was perfect in evry way.

(And who among us did not Examine Jesus Christ with Great Care before we entrusted HIM with our own salvation?)

Jesus completed this symbol when He came into Jerusalem riding the donkey four cays before the Passover. The people examined Him and many said, “Hosanna...” (Save Us!”)

Then, God sprinkles that blood on each house back in Egypt.

We're still doing that, except that in the N.T. The body is the House (“the house of the Spirit”). We each place the blood on ourselves, as it were, instead of on our doorposts.

God said the avenging angel, passing over Egypt killing all the first -born in each Egyptian household, would see the blood of the lamb on the Jewish houses and would pass over hose houses.

The Jews would be spared by the blood of the lamb (as is now true for everyone, the Lamb of GOD Jesus is the Lamb of GOD being Christ... over our house, our bodies.)

The father goes on talking about the giving of the law at Sinai, wondering in the wilderness and finally the Promised Land at Jericho.

As the story is told the festival foods on the center plate are eaten. For example:

The centerpiece of the Seder table is the Seder plate.

The Seder is not considered to be a Seder without the Seder plate being on and in the center of the Seder table. On the Seder plate rests the symbolic foods of Passover or Pesach:

Other items on the Seder Plate in regard to meaning for us today as Christians are:

The Seder meal represents the Marror (bitter herbs), of the harsh and bitterness of slavery and Matzoh, the "poor man's bread" eaten by the slaves. Also, it has no leaven, NO SIN! Our Lord was Perfect and had no sin in when he became flesh for us and dwelt among men... which is why he could and was the perfect sacrifice.

The Horseradish is offered as the father talks about the bitterness of slavery then he serves it to each person from the center plate.

The Roasted Egg represents Sadness “DEAD” USELESS or the hardness of
Pharoahs heart (hard as a billiard ball having been roasted in an oven said to represent Pharoah's heart. The egg is “dead'” roasted—and useless... and the Bone represents the Lamb anyway.
Some believe the egg crept onto the Seder plate as it did into Easter from the Babylonians pagan egg worshipers the fertility god rites every spring... the goddess, Ishtar, who was coaxed every spring to bring forth a new issue of children to continue the tribe.

Ishtar did not only leave us her egg but her name as well. The biblical name of the feast day we now refer to as Easter is the First Fruits (Lev 23:10; 1 Cor. 15:23).

Easter, obviously comes fro m “Ishtar:. By not calling it First Fruits we miss the point of the celebration—WE, THE CHURCH, are the second fruits, third fruits, etc... down into the millions. Easter is supposed to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and our own resurrection to come.

The Resurrection of the church is barely mentioned in an Easter worship service, which tend to be like a memorial service rather than looking ahead to our great triumph in Christ over death. That the supernatural Christ rose is wonderful, but mere eartly men will rise-- that's the miracle.

So, to quote Zola: “ … the egg, sitting there on the center plate, has most Jews stymied. They usually don't eat it and they don't paint it; it just sits there. Perhaps God is trying to tell us something.

It should be noted that the idea of eating various foods to symbolize various scriptural lessons impresses those lessons upon the sense of taste as well as upon the brain. Anyone who has partaken of a table spoon of the Jewish red horseradish will never forget the concept of bitterness, I can tell you.

And here, too, are some wonderful symbols of Passover sometimes overlooked.

That bitterness of the herbs is like your life before your salvation>

The sweetness of the Charoses reflects sin you once enjoyed.

The salt water for the dipping represents your tears of repentance when you came to the Lord.

The Red Sea is your baptism; you wet into the water but you came out again, safely, raised to he newness of life.

The Lamb BONE: The father talks about the Lamb and points toward the Unbroken shank bone of a lamb

*Lets now connect the idea of the Exodus, and Joshua 6:5 and 1 Thess. 4L16,17 the Trumpet was blown by both Joshua and then the Trump of GOD … and so shall we ever be with the Lord!

*”Passover then tells your whole story, from your bitter life of slavery before you met the LORD to your final trip to be with Him in the Promised Land. Israeel did everything you've done and will do.”

*The Second Cup is spilled into the individual plates in front of each person, a drop at a time. Each drop remembers a plague God visited upon Egypt while the implacable Pharoah's heart hardened.

THOSE TEN DROPS fall into the empty white plate in front of each person and they are clearly representative of hose terrible ten smitings of Egypt. The father somberly chants the name of each plague:

“Blood...Frogs...Vermin...Beasts... etc.” while each person at the table stares into that dropping “blood”. It's well to remember what we were saved from.

THE MEAL the sadness is dispersed quickly as the meal comes out. Mom has prepared an amazing feast for the Celebration; a large meal called for in the bible (THE WHOLE LAMB).
Lamb is not the main dish anymore, although it was in the days of the Temple. The Jews feel it would be inappropriate to partake of the sacrificial lamb when the Temple , GOD's House of Sacrifice is not in Jerusalem, so they eat chicken or beef or whatever.
The meal is happy, and like Thanksgiving or Christmas as a dinner. The entire family, and in-laws, cousins, etc... much joy and conversation with good cheer with the feasting. Over a period of two hours or so with much worship and prayer in between.
The Third Cup the most beautiful and touching symbolic part of all--- the third cup, which is THE CUP OF REDEMPTION. The time to bring forth that buried loaf of unleavened bread, which will serve as the desser to the meal. (The 3^rd Cup after a bit)
The Afikomin, as it is called (literal meaning = festival procession, or arrival, and it makes one think of Jesus triumphantly entering Jerusalem under the Palm Branches)

sometimes recovered by a child. Father must redeem it in silver (example a silver nickle). That buried unleavened bread—middle piece! – is then eaten with the third cup of wine.

THIS IS WHERE WE GET COMMUNION...

(THE DISCOVERED PIECE OF UNLEAVENED BREAD (“Bread of Life”)

Interestingly enough, it is amazing that there are three pieces of unleavened bread, the middle one, (trinity) Jesus, broken for you, sound familiar??? wrapped in white linen and buried, as was the body of Jesus; and now brought forth to eat with the CUP OF REDEPMTION (HIS BLOOD) (the term is a Jewish term for this cup) and Everyone must partake of it, t(“THE BREAD OF LIFE”) AND IT IS THE LAST THING EATEN, AS THOUGH THE EATING OF THIS PIECE OF BREAD WILL SUSTAIN EVERYONE FROM HERE ON.

Then the Father breads off pieces from this loaf the “size of an olive” says one Haggadah and passes the pieces around the table, Each person eats his piece ad drinks the third cup with it.

Then the Father pronounces blessings over both the bread and the wine individually and these blessings have great meaning for us. Central to N.T. Meaning of Passover...

Jesus, as “father” at His own Passover table, also said these blessings, and it should be noted hat the Jewish blessings do not change—they have been said the same way for a very long time.

Matthew 26:26 Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread and, [a]praising God, gave thanks and asked Him to bless it to their use, and when He had broken it, He gave it to the disciples and said, Take, eat; this is My body.

Any Jewish Person knows that blessing what did Jesus say in His blessing over the Bread?

“Jesus said: “Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, Who brings forth bread from the earth.

Then HE Said: This is my body. Get the connection??? He was saying, “Brothers, I know you're concerned about me and all the threats being mad about me.

I know you've heard me say, “ the hour is come.” But don't worry.

God has been bringing forth bread from the earth since the beginning of creation, and this bread, as I've just told you, represents my body. God will bring my body forth from the earth!”

*Jesus foretold HIS resurrection in that blessing over the bread!

His body has stripes like the bread (“By His stripes we are healed”)

It's pierced (“They shall look upon Me Whom they have pierced:)

it's pure, containing no leaven (no sin)

Just look at a box of the Jewish Matzoh, the unleavened bread and look at it...

Its the only picture we have of Jesus!

Do yourself a favor and prepare a study on the bread though out the bible:

Ex 25:30 in the Tabernacle, where God wanted a piece of bread on display at all times...

He was born in Bethlehem, in Hebrew –Beth Lechem = House of Bread.

He continually used the image of bread and growing of grain in His teachings:

“if a kernel of wheat go into the ground... it brings forth much fruit”

He was born in the House of Bread, raised in The Branch (Nazareth in Hebrew = Nezteret, branch), was baked in the fired (judged by God on our behalf), wrapped in white linen and buried, and finally “brought forth from the earth.”

He was the “First Fruits” out of the ground and He now provides life— “The Bread of Life” to all who partake of Him.

Jesus even managed to be buried on the feast day called Unleavened Bread, sundown following Passover (Lev. 23:5,6)

That bread was his body, and this His body was actually buried, like that bread on the holy day.

HE HAD A FEAST TO KEEP<3 HE KEPT EVERY ONE

back to the third cup:

The Third Cup the most beautiful and touching symbolic part of all--- the third cup, which is THE CUP OF REDEMPTION. The time to bring forth that buried loaf of unleavened bread, which will serve as the dessert to the meal.

The wine is very as significant as the bread.

The Lord said, “Unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood, you have no part with me,” and He identified the wine as HIS BLOOD>>>

Matt. 36:27,28 ~ it is written, as the Lord raises the cup of Redemption:

“And He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, drink ye all of it; for this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.”

He gave another one of those Jewish Blessings: He “gave thanks”

God is hidden in the Jewish Blessings... the O.T. Is a foreshadowing of the N.T. And things to come.

Just like the Jewish Wedding tradition, the Groom would have a covenant of marriage, and they would both sign, there was money the groom would pay a price to the father and the signing the groom would drink a toast with the bride.

The cup of wine sealed the covenant!!!

(read about the Tradition of the marriage Pg. 26,27 of Zola Levitt's book The Mriacle of Passover)

Part of the tradition:

At home the bride waiting for her groom to come now loyal wearing her veil wherever she went, would keep an oil lamp and plenty of oil standing by, for her groom might well come at midnight and she had to be ready to travel, even in the dark. In fact, that was the idea the groom would try to surprise the bride by coming at an unexpected hour. All the Jewish brides were “stolen,” and took great pleasure in the romance of it.

Meanwhile back at the grooms house, he counseled with his father about the time that was right while building their home. With his fathers approval, he would then go, but if you asked him during the year as he prepared for his bride when's the big day, he would reply: “ONLY MY FATHER KNOWS>”

Of course, she was warned by a shout, so she could be ready... when he finally did arrive... someone in the grooms party would shout something like “behold, the bridegroom comes!”

when the bride heard that shout she was as good as married. The consummation confirmed by the groom awaiting the call from the groom in the chamber and then a 7 day feast would begin outside... The marriage feast was at the end of the week... and all would want to stay to be there.

Now if you think about it, and know your bible, you would recognize that Jesus performed every it of it. After all, He was a Jewish bridegroom come to take a bride. He carried out the laws and customs of His people to the letter.

Jesus approached us with a contract – the New Testament, or Covenant, announced in Jeremiah 31:31-34 and Hebrews 8:8-12.

Jeremiah 31:31-34 (Amplified Bible)

31Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah,(A)
    32Not according to the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was their Husband, says the Lord.
    33But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel: After those days, says the Lord, I will put My law within them, and on their hearts will I write it; and I will be their God, and they will be My people.
    34And they will no more teach each man his neighbor and each man his brother, saying, Know the Lord, for they will all know Me [recognize, understand, and be acquainted with Me], from the least of them to the greatest, says the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will [seriously] remember their sin no more.

Hebrews 8:8-12 (Amplified Bible)

8However, He finds fault with them [showing its inadequacy] when He says, Behold, the days will come, says the Lord, when I will make and ratify a new covenant or agreement with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.
    9It will not be like the covenant that I made with their forefathers on the day when I grasped them by the hand to help and relieve them and to lead them out from the land of Egypt, for they did not abide in My agreement with them, and so I withdrew My favor and disregarded them, says the Lord.
    10For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord: I will imprint My laws upon their minds, even upon their innermost thoughts and understanding, and engrave them upon their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.
    11And it will nevermore be necessary for each one to teach his neighbor and his fellow citizen or each one his brother, saying, Know (perceive, have knowledge of, and get acquainted by experience with) the Lord, for all will know Me, from the smallest to the greatest of them.
    12For I will be merciful and gracious toward their sins and I will remember their deeds of unrighteousness no more.(A)

This very advantageous contract for the bride stated that all the bride's sins would be forgotten, Jehovah had previously endured a difficult time with HIS wife, Israel, who was adulterous (see the book of Hosea) but HE, in effect, did what no man would do-- He came back to the same bride with a new Contract. How forgiving HE really was!

GOD SIGNED HIS COVENANTS WITH men in BLOOD (Abraham and Moses, had to sacrifice animals at the signing of the Abrahamic and Mosaic Covenants) And so Jesus came with His Blood, ready to ratify God's New Covenant with Israel.

He drank the CUP with HIS Bride, stating clearly,

“THIS IS MY BLOOD OF THE NEW TESTAMENT (or New Covenant – same words) shed for many for the remission of sins.”

HE paid a high price on the cross for us Luke 22:42 and then He Told His bride, “I go to prepare a place for you,” and He went to heaven to prepare our bridal chamber.

Only His Father Knows when He will come for us, but we're waiting, consecrated, set apart, “bought with a price” (1Cor. 6:19-20).

The Lord will come again with a shout for al.l who will receive and believe Like

Wouldn't it be just like Jesus to come for His Church on the Feast of Trumpets and fulfill another prophecy and feast day like HE did so many other times... and so on... Roma 11:26 then all Israel would be saved, the day of Atonement... and the Kingdom would presumably start on the Tabernacle and then all 7 Feast days would have been fulfilled by Jesus Himself... Just a thought... interesting...

In any case, we're still wating for our Bridegroom, Jesus the Christ with a shout... We have Oil in our lamps (Oil = Holy Spirit) and we'll be ready to go at a moment's notice, too...

(see Mat 25:1-13 for the story of those not waiting with their lamps and oil ready).

To really understand the blessing of the bride and the third cup, you must study the complete Jewish wedding tradition...

He really did toast His Bride, as was the custom. Here it is:

Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, Creator of the fruit of the vine.

That's the blessing, in all its simplicity. But what meaning it has!

Yousee, Jesus had already said, “I am the true vine.” Now He blesses “the fruit of the vine.” Well, that's us! The disciples were the branches and we're HIS FRUIT.. And so He drank a toast to US, the CHURCH, the Fruit of the VINE, the Bride of Christ.

When you accept Christ as your Messiah, Jew & Gentile alike, you are HIS the Gentile gets grafted in... we become ONE Jewish Olive Tree Romans 11 will explain. What a blessing you inherited!

Now once the blessing over the WINE Jesus presented it as His blood of the New Covenant, or Testament, certifying for once and all that all who drank this cup with Him would have their sins remitted.

That's just what God promised in the New Covenant: “I will remember their sins no more: (Jer. 31:34; Heb. 8:12)

Then HE WENT TO SPILL HIS LITERAL BLOOD at the Crucifixion. It fell to the earth like the blood of the sacrificial lambs of old, setting the new arrangement between God and man in motion.

That is Communion, with the all it's glory the bread and the wine.

A very interesting note to me is the difference between the celebration of the Passover being so happy and joyful, and the communion of the church being so solemn....We are Free we should be rejoicing... HE SAID REJOICE AGAIN I SAY REJOICE!!!!!!!!

So, going back our communion is our Passover Celebration... in effect... I think we should celebrate with SUCH JOY>>> knowing the whole truth... After all they are only symbols, and whatever we do we should do in remembrance of HIM> <3 and HIS LOVE FOR US...

THE FOURTH CUP: Jesus did NOT drink the fourth cup, and there's a good reason why He did NOT>

the fourth cup—the CUP OF PRAISE-- is sometimes called Elijah's Cup.

It is at this point in the Passover Service that the Jews look for the literal fulfillment of Malachi 4:5, “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.”

and an empty chair has been left at the table throughout all these procedures and even a wine goblet.

Elijah is expected to enter, on some Passover night, take his seat, drink his cup and say, “well, the waiting is over. The Messiah has come!

The wine is even poured into Elijah's cup as well as the others. A place setting for food as well for his journey throughout all the Jewish homes that evening... as they believe... assuming that he might be hungry..

The youngest child in this tradition, goes to the door to see if Elijah is making his way down the street at this electrifying moment. The family waits, until the report comes back from the front door—either, “I don't see him,:” or “Wait!: Here he comes!: ( And thus the youngest child learns to anticipate the coming of the prophet, and the Messiah as well).

There is a tradition that is taken from the scripture written: “ NO man seeketh after GOD", but every Jewish youngster seeks after the announcer of the Messiah...*

Jesus and His men did NOT partake of that cup because the Messiah was already there, of course...

Isaiah 7:14
Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel.
Isaiah 7:13-15 (in Context) Isaiah 7 (Whole Chapter)

Jesus made it very clear and said, that John the Baptist had come in the spirit of Elijah and had already announced the Messiah.

Jesus made it very clear the third cup would be the last cup he would drink when He put down that cup of the New Testament He said, “But I say unto you, I will NOT drink again of this fruit of the vine , until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's Kingdom.”

The Third CUP, – HIS BLOOD-- would be sufficient to get us all to the Kingdom. No further sacrifice would be necessary... or ritual, or coming prophets.

ON THE CROSS HE SAID “ IT IS FINISHED”

The Jewish reading of Malachi 4:5 does not take into account that the Messiah has already come, of course.

Isaiah 53 and many other O.T. Verses testify of the Messiah's coming “as a lamb to the slaughter,” as : intercessor for our transgressions, : etc., Jesus coming this time will be of TRIUMPH and VICTORY The King of Kings and Lord of Lords, they did not expect Him to come as a babe as prophecied first but as the King … it is missed in the teachings that it is prophecied he will first be born of a virgin... and PSALM 22 talks of HIS crucifixion...

He will come to those who have drunk HIS CUP OF REDEMPTION and trusted in HIS BLOOD For salvation.

That “Great and Dreadful day” is coming, and refers tot he second coming of MESSIAH!

Very sadly, so, Elijah does not appear on Passover night for the Jewish believer... That night is to the Jew, the night of Salvation, accurately enough, and if Elijah does not come, then another year must pass until the Messiah can reasonably be expected to come.

Father says at the Passover Celebration, in a melancholy way, “L'shanah haba;ah b'yrushalayim”--Meaning: “Next year in Jerusalem.”

That is a fascinating prayer-- “Next Year In Jerusalem.”

It is still. Said today, as if it were not possible for the Jew to just go to Jerusalem next year.

An actual appeal is made to God for something that is already granted.

The Jews have Jerusalem now, though of course more Jews could gather there. The vast majority of Jews are still dispersed, rather than gathered in the holy land. But, except for the Jews behind the Iron Curtain, they are all free to go to Jerusalem.

WHY, then, is the traditional appeal, much more appropriate through the long centuries of total dispersion, still made? WHY DO THE JEWS STILL ASK GOD FOR WHAT HE HAS ALREADY GIVEN THEM?

WELL, IT MAY BE JUST TRADITION, A PRAYER OF SOME 1900 YEARS.

In light of all this, Passover today, we might speculate that the Jew is really saying, “Next year in the New Jerusalem!” (Rev. 21:2)

Revelation 21:2 (Amplified Bible)

2And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, all arrayed like a bride beautified and adorned for her husband;

Perhaps today's Jew is without realizing it, praying for the Kingdom and eternity to come, in the manner that he honors the Lord by taking the bread and the wine.

If the Jews are saying, in that unique plea, “God, we've had enough! Bring on the Millennium!” – then certainly join them in that prayer! Amen, come Lord Jesus !

The CONCLUSION of the Passover, “And when they ad sung an hymn, they went out into the Mount of Olives (Matt. 26:30) And so it was... a hymn was most likely not just one simple song but a lot of them, with great joy.. and happiness, shouting and singing with expectancy.

“It's one thing to sing the praises of the Messiah who has already come and you believe in and having your guaranteed salvation, with your faith, but quite another thing to hang in there as the Jews have, with no guarantees... You've got to hand it to them – they've kept their faith...

Am Yisroel Chai! The Jewish People live!

I believe that I can speak so frankly about this subject, being of Jewish decent, myself... I feel confident and hope that you have enjoyed and it is my prayer that you hide HIS WORD in your heart and meditate on it... and see for yourself... don't take my word for it... study for yourself... as I did... and others do and still are...

May the Lord Bless you and Keep you and Make His Face to Shine upon you and bring you Peace!

Blessings, SZ

Shalom and Selah'

Happy Passover ~ That is Passover in all it's Glory... If you already knew all of this, then Praise the Living GOD; if you did not, please share it with someone, you love, and a Jew please, at the request of Zola Levitt <3

Look for another Study coming soon, Lord Willing on the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.