The Passover: It’s True Meaning Then and Today for Both Christians and Jews

 

(Israelites place blood from a slain lamb on the door post on their homes. As God pours out His plague on Egypt, whichever He house that has the blood of the lamb on it, He will passover those homes.)

     When we talk about the miracles that God has performed in past times, the ones most often recognized by the masses, we must include the parting of the Red Sea, the Manna falling from the sky (in the Old Testament), Jesus’ raising of Lazarus from the dead, His walking on water, changing water into wine, and the great provision where He broke a few loaves of bread and multiplied the fish to feed over five thousand people, mentioned in the New Testament. We are of the opinion that next to the miracle of Jesus’ resurrection, the most magnificent miracle ever performed by God is the one known throughout millions of Jewish homes as The Passover. 

     As the story goes, the nation of Israel cried out to God to free them from their oppressor, Pharaoh, and deliver them from Egypt’s bondage, and also to fulfill (as they perceived then) His promise concerning the Promised Land.  God responded to Israel’s cry and used the great patriarch Moses as His instrument for their rescue.  In Exodus 11:1-10, we see where God tells Moses to inform the Pharaoh that if he doesn’t free the Israelites from their bondage, God will pour out a horrible plague, one that will result in the loss of every person’s firstborn, from Pharaoh’s own children on down to the slave girl, including all the firstborn of the cattle. 

     God knew all along that Pharaoh would not listen to the warning (vs. 9) so He commenced to carry out His promise.  Before the Lord poured out the awful plague, He told Moses that the Israelites should prepare itself for this plague in a very unique manner, one which would insure their protection.

     This Old Testament account of the Passover describes a ritual that is still practiced and celebrated throughout Jewish homes all over the world, for what it represented and accomplished:  Freedom from slavery!  Unfortunately for the majority of Jews (those who still practice the Judaic laws) the true significance of this event has been missed or rejected.  Many great Bible scholars (and spirit-filled Christians, alike) have accepted it as possibly the most significant event ever recorded in history, with the exception of Christ’s atoning work at Calvary and His subsequent resurrection.  Christians, by virtue of various gifts from the Holy Spirit, has been given them the power to understand God’s mysteries (Matthew 13:11; Luke 8:10; 1 Corinthians 4:1, 13:2; 14:2); and, the event known as The Passover is probably one of the greatest mysteries ever revealed to believers.  Unfortunately, many have not taken the time to study this phenomenon and learn many of its truly inspiring truths.

     To better understand how God will provide believers protection during the time known as The Great Tribulation (and even a special covering from God’s wrath) both Christians and Jews have to understand how this historical event relates to the greatest Passover ever, the one where Almighty God sacrificed His own Son to pay the price for our sins.  Because unbelieving Jews (and the lost in general) have yet to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, nor have they experienced the revelatory powers of the Holy Spirit, the ability to understand this reality does not exist in their lives.  They have not the power of the Holy Spirit which reveals truth: 

“The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned, (1 Corinthians 2:14, NIV).”

     Unfortunately, many Christians themselves do not understand the symbolic aspect or meaning of the Passover, and how it relates to God’s protective powers and His overall redemption program.  To the biblically learned student of God’s word, the Passover ritual spoken of in the Old Testament not only was God’s legal and religious requirement to remind His people of their deliverance, it was also God’s way of prophetically revealing to all mankind how He would eventually provide a way of escape from persecution and eternal damnation for those who believe in Jesus Christ, God’s sacrificial Lamb.  As you and your family begin to celebrate what is called Easter Sunday, hopefully you will find time to read today’s blog to see deeply what it is we truly celebrate today, and should celebrate each and every day of our lives.
     Following is an excerpt (Chapter 10, The Passover Lamb) from our book, “Why Christians Will Suffer Great Tribulation (the sequel to The End Times Passover),” which explains in explicit detail the true meaning of this special event we Christians call Easter, and Jewish folks call Passover.

     Please click on the following link to read and view insights very few people understand about the Passover, as it provides scripture (especially to the Christian who believes that God has to Rapture people from earth to Heaven) that God has the power to protect those who believe and trust in Him from the imminent horrors spoken of in the Book of Revelation. Click below to view this excerpt:

The Passover Lamb - Chapter 10 - Why Christians Will Suffer Great Tribulation by Joe Ortiz

For information about the author and his books, web sites and blogs, please click on Joe Ortiz