Meaning and celebration of the Feast of Pesach
פסח
The Feast of deliverance to become holy priests!
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Pesach פסח, means, "To pass". This is the day G-d passed over the houses of the sons of Israel because of the blood of the lamb.
The blood will serve you as a sign marking the houses where you are; when I see the blood, I will pass over, pasachti פָסַחְתִּי you-- when I strike the land of Egypt, the death blow will not strike you. Exodus 12:13
Pesach is made of three Feasts:
The sacrifice of the lamb, on the 14th of the month of Nisan Exodus 12:1-27
The Feast of the matzot, on the 15th of Nisan, lasting for 7 days Exodus 12:15
The offering of the Omer, the sheaf of barley and the counting of the seven weeks until the receiving of the Torah, the Feast of Shavuot Leviticus 23:10-16
Pesach is the deliverance from Egypt and the start of the process of sanctification to receive the Torah which is engraved on the stone Tables and then engraved on the flesh Tables of our hearts.
It is a new beginning, a vital one which leads us to holiness and spiritual maturity.
Context:
THE GATHERING OF ALL THE PEOPLE TO JERUSALEM:
Pesach was the only Feast that required the presence of all the people to Jerusalem because everybody was to partake of the lamb.
A NEW CALENDAR:
You are to begin your calendar with this month; it will be the first month of the year for you. Exodus 12:2
The month of Nisan became the first month of the birth of a people, the people of Israel. Israel entered History on the first of Nisan through its deliverance. The month of Nisan is considered as the first month of freedom!
From this day forward, Israel will no longer align itself with the timing of the nations (solar cycle), but will depend on the lunar cycle which will become its symbol: In its history, Israel will either be in shadow or at its apogee as the star of the night.
As the celebration of the renewal of the month, each month, Israel is submitted to a constant renewal, its lunar cycle differing from the solar one. The nations which joined the House of Israel are also under this spiritual principle of Havdala, SEPARATION.
THE FIRST OF NISSAN:
The dedication of the Mishkan in the desert occurred on the first of Nisan:
On the first day of the first month of the second year, the tabernacle was set up. Exodus 40:17
That day was also an eighth day; the eighth day followed the seven days of consecration of Aaron and his sons and according to Jewish tradition, that day was a Sunday.
THE TRIBE ASSOCIATED TO THE MONTH OF NISAN:
It is Judah, the fist of the Tribe of Israel. The Tribe of the King, and also the New Year for the counting of the king's reign and the Feasts (Mishnah Rosh HaShana 1:1).
SHABBAT GADOL:
The Shabbat preceding Pesach is called, Shabbat Hagadol.
At the time of the coming out of Egypt, the 10th of Nisan was the day when every family had to take a lamb and tie it to its bed until the sacrifice on the 14th of Nisan. That year, the 10th of Nisan fell on Shabbat and since then we celebrate the Shabbat before Pesach as the Great Shabbat.
PESACH TORAH PORTION:
We read the portion called Acharei mot, after the death (of Aaron's sons), Leviticus 17-19.
It talks of YOM KIPPUR, the Day of Atonement when all the sins of the people are forgiven.
From this we discern many hints concerning the Messiah:
The month of Nisan bears an anointing of spiritual renewing!
This is the month of deliverance and springtime!
A dedication of the Mishkan and of the Cohen Gadol...!
It is the month of the Tribe of Judah!
Yom Kippur, forgiveness is granted!
The picture of the redeeming plan of the Lamb unveils before us:
He accomplished everything 2000 years ago on the 14th of Nisan!
His blood was shed and set upon the doorposts of our hearts!
He is the Kohen Gadol, Who officiated once for all and made kappara (expiation) for our sins giving us access to the Kodesh Hakodashim (Holy of Holies), His heart through the veil which was torn in His flesh!
He is the King of Judah, Who will come back as the King of kings and L-rd of lords!
One of the elders said to me, "Don't cry. Look, the Lion of the Tribe of Y'hudah, the Root of David, has won the right to open the scroll and its seven seals. Revelation 5:5
THE SEDER: (See our Messianic Passover Haggadah for a full description of the Seder.)
The Seder of Pesach unfolds in fifteen steps, which speak of the steps of deliverance and the process of sanctification.
We drink four cups of wine which corresponds to the steps of deliverance mentioned in the following verses from Exodus:
Exodus 6:6: I will free you from the forced labor of the Egyptians, rescue you from their oppression, and Exodus 6:7: I will take you as my people, and I will be your God. Therefore, say to the people of Isra'el: 'I am ADONAI
1. I will free you from the forced labor of the Egyptians, and
2. Rescue you from their oppression and
3.Redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments and
4. I will take you as my people, and I will be your God, Then you will know that I am ADONAI your God, who freed you from the forced labor of the Egyptians.
The four cups symbolize four different events:
The four empires that will enslave Israel: Babylon, Persian Empire, Greeks and Romans.
The cups of anger G-d will spill on the enemies of Israel in its time.
The deliverance occurred in four steps:
The Covenant with Avraham and the physical birth of the Jewish people and its calling.
The second deliverance with the coming out of Egypt.
The third one with giving of the Torah and also with the many deliverances G-d gave His people in history.
At the end, the final deliverance and salvation, that of the Geula, Redemption, which will be given by the Messiah.
The red wine symbolizes:
The blood of circumcision and the blood of the lamb.
The blood of all the Jewish, Israelites and Gentile martyrs.
THE OMER:
Right after the second day of Pesach, on the 16th of Nisan, or on the next Shabbat according to the sources, the Bible commands us to count seven weeks:
"'From the day after the day of rest-- that is, from the day you bring the sheaf (barley) for waving-- you are to count seven full weeks, until the day after the seventh week; you are to count fifty days; and then you are to present a new grain offering (wheat) to ADONAI.- Leviticus 23:15-16
The sheaf was made of barley and the next offering (after the counting of the seven weeks) was of wheat: A SYMBOL OF EVOLUTION AND SPIRITUAL MATURITY!
The day the sheaf was waved was on the first day of the week, Sunday, the day our Resurrected Savior was seen!
At the end of this counting started the Feast of Shavuot, Pentecost!
The Feast of Pesach, the necessary deliverance. Salvation was granted after a seven-week process of sanctification to receive the Torah on Mount Sinai! It was this Feast that Moshe referred to when speaking to Pharaoh:
They said, "The God of the Hebrews has met with us. Please let us go three days' journey into the desert, so that we can sacrifice to ADONAI our God. Otherwise, he may strike us with a plague or with the sword. Exodus 5:3
Pesach, the Feast which sets us free:
TO SERVE THE L-RD!
He is the Lamb that delivers us from the grasp of the devil and allows us to enter into the kingdom of light by anointing us as Cohanim for the glory of the Father:
To Him, the One who loves us, who has freed us from our sins at the cost of His blood, who has caused us to be a kingdom, that is, cohanim for God, his Father-to him be the glory and the rulership forever and ever. Amen. Revelation1:5-6
BE HIS WITNESSES!
Sh'ma, Yisra'el! ADONAI Eloheinu, ADONAI echad
{Hear, Isra'el! ADONAI our God, ADONAI is one} Deuteronomy 6:4
שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ יְהוָה אֶחָד
The two enhanced letters in the original text shape the word EDעד, which means: witness!
With great power the emissaries continued testifying to the resurrection of the Lord Yeshua, and they were all held in high regard. Acts 4:33
To be His witnesses in the earth and for the whole world to be filled with the knowledge of G-d. His reign endures forever! Amen!
Chag Sameach Happy festival!
חג שמח
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The celebration of the Feast of Pesach, followed by that of Matzot are everlasting commandments of the Word of G-d. They will be celebrated this year starting on the evening of April 18th. (Exodus 12:11-20)
Exodus 12:14 'This will be a day for you to remember and celebrate as a festival to ADONAI; from generation to generation you are to celebrate it by a perpetual regulation. Exodus 12:17 You are to observe the festival of matzah, for on this very day I brought your divisions out of the land of Egypt. Therefore, you are to observe this day from generation to generation by a perpetual regulation.
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