Greetings, my friend,
Welcome to The Arsenal, your bi-monthly resource for training and equipping you to live a set-apart lifestyle and do mighty things for the Kingdom of God!
🐑🫓🍷 Chag Pesach! Tonight is Passover!
Shalom to everyone partaking of the Passover meal tonight! At long last after a brutal winter here in the Midwest, the first of the appointed times on our Creator’s calendar has arrived, with the second being right on its coattails. And I’m stoked!
🤔…what is the Passover for exactly?
Passover, known in Hebrew as Pesach, is one of the seven appointed times Yahweh commanded His people Israel to observe every single year through the giving of His Torah to Moses at Mount Sinai. All of these appointed times can be found in chapter 23 of the Book of Leviticus, and some of them are mentioned in several other places in Scripture as well. Here’s a comprehensive list with verses for your reference:
• YOU ARE HERE 👉 Passover/Pesach - Exo. 12:6-14, Lev. 23:5
• YOU ARE HERE 👉Feast of Unleavened Bread/Feast of Matzot - Exo. 12:15-20, Lev. 23:6-8
• First Fruits/Yom HaBikkurim - Lev. 23:9-14
• Feast of Weeks/Shavuot/Pentecost - Lev. 23:15-22
• Day of Trumpets/Yom Teruah - Lev. 23:23-25
• Day of Atonement/Yom Kippur - Lev. 23:26-32
• Feast of Tabernacles/Sukkot - Lev. 23:33-44
📖 How is Passover and Unleavened Bread observed per Yahweh’s commands in Scripture?
PASSOVER
Passover is a memorial meal Israel is commanded to observe every single year in the spring in remembrance of the night of their supernatural deliverance from slavery in Egypt.
The Passover meal is eaten on the evening of the 14th day of the first month on the biblical calendar, which Yahweh calls Aviv (or Abib) (Exodus 13:4). This first month of Aviv always lines up with March/April on our modern Gregorian calendar.
According to the instructions in the Book of Exodus, all of Israel is to select a male lamb on the 10th day of the first month that has no blemishes whatsoever. Interestingly, this lamb is to dwell in their household with them until the 14th day, when the lamb is slaughtered, prepared, and roasted for the Passover meal that night. Unfortunately, modern Western culture and law makes this part impossible for most people.
The Passover meal must contain roasted lamb (it cannot be boiled or eaten raw), unleavened bread, and bitter herbs, each of which bear unique significance and symbolism in the exodus story: unleavened bread representing the Israelites’ incredibly speedy departure from Egypt that their bread had no time to rise, the bitter herbs as a reminder of the bitter slavery they were delivered from, and the lamb as a reminder of Yahweh’s protection of His people during His judgement through the ten plagues on Egypt. This lamb also has incredibly strong Messianic significance, which we’ll discuss later. You are also to leave none of the lamb until the following morning, and anything that’s left by then must be burned with fire.
Finally, it’s commanded that you must be circumcised AND ritually clean in order to eat the Passover meal. This means having no recent contact with corpses, touching unclean things like feces, having bodily discharges, etc.
FEAST OF UNLEAVENED BREAD
Passover also kicks off the second appointed time of the year, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, a seven-day celebration which begins on the 15th day of the first month, and lasts through the 21st day of the same month.
During this seven-day Feast, nothing with leaven is to be found in anyone’s home, and no one is to eat anything with leaven in it. This Feast serves as another reminder of Israel’s exodus story and how Yahweh brought them out of Egypt in haste. Leaven itself also has biblical and theological symbolism behind it, which points to why we’re commanded not to eat it during the Feast. We’ll also touch on this later.
The first and last day of this Feast are known as “holy convocations,” or holy assemblies. On these days, no regular/servile work is to be done, and many believers often gather together for corporate celebrations and worship.
This Feast is also the first of three of Yahweh’s appointed times in which all of Israel’s males are to present themselves before Him at “the place He chooses to put His Name,” which the events told in Scripture later reveal to be Jerusalem. When the Temple there was still standing and the Levitical priesthood was still active, all of Israel’s males would embark on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem to present a gift or offering to Yahweh “according to the blessing of Yahweh your God which He has given you.” (Deuteronomy 16:17). He also commands that “none should appear before Him empty-handed.” (Exodus 23:15). The men also had to be ritually clean to appear before Yahweh at the Temple.
Finally, in addition to the daily morning and evening sacrifices during the Feast, the Levitical priests were also to offer a special sacrifice twice each day consisting of two young bulls, one ram, seven one-year-old lambs as burnt offerings, and one male goat as a sin offering. There were also special grain offerings mixed with olive oil for each animal offered, with the portion of fine flour being different depending on the animal the grain offering corresponded to.
Additionally, the Jewish people have several notable traditions associated with the Passover:
The Search for Leaven
On the night before Passover, a formal search is conducted to ensure the home is entirely free of leaven. Armed with a candle, a wooden spoon, and a feather, the head of the household searches for the final crumbs of bread (often 10 small pieces hidden intentionally so the blessing isn't said in vain). The crumbs are collected and burned the next morning, followed by a legal declaration nullifying any leaven that might have been missed.
The Seder Plate
In addition to the meal items commanded in Scripture to be eaten, the Jews make the Passover meal into a ritual containing what’s known as the Seder meal. It is centered around a plate containing six symbolic items, each representing an aspect of the Exodus:
Maror & Chazeret: Bitter herbs (usually horseradish and romaine) to recall the bitterness of slavery
Charoset: A sweet paste of fruits, nuts, and wine, representing the mortar used by the Israelite slaves
Karpas: A vegetable (often parsley) dipped in salt water to represent the tears of the oppressed and the rebirth of spring
Zeroah: A roasted bone, symbolizing the Passover sacrifice
Beitzah: A roasted egg, symbolizing the festival sacrifice and the circle of life.
The Four Cups of Wine
During the Seder, participants drink four cups of wine (or grape juice) while reclining to the left. Reclining symbolizes the luxury and freedom of a "king," contrasting with the status of a slave. Each cup corresponds to one of the four "I will" promises of redemption found in Exodus 6:6-7:
I will bring you out.
I will deliver you.
I will redeem you.
I will take you to Me.
The Afikoman and the Children
To keep children engaged during the long retelling of the story (The Haggadah), a piece of matzah (unleavened bread) called the Afikoman is hidden.
The game: Children compete to find it or "steal" it, and the leader must "ransom" it back with a small gift or candy, as the meal cannot be officially finished until the Afikoman is eaten.
The meaning: It represents the Passover lamb, which was the final thing eaten in ancient times. In Messianic Judaism (religious Jews who believe Yeshua/Jesus is the Messiah), the Afikomen also represents the body of Yeshua hidden in the tomb before He rose from the dead.
Elijah’s Cup and the Door
Near the end of the Seder, a cup is filled for the prophet Elijah, and the front door is opened. This expresses the hope that Elijah will arrive to herald the coming of the Messiah. It also serves as a physical reminder that this is a "night of watching" under Divine protection.
🤷♂️ But I’m not Jewish, and I believe in Christ as my Savior. What do these “appointed times” in the Old Testament have to do with me?
Great question. Believe it or not, they actually have everything to do with us followers of Messiah! Here are some key points to consider:
✝️ In His famous Sermon on the Mount, in chapter 5 of Matthew’s Gospel, Yeshua explicitly told us He didn’t come to do away with the Torah: He doesn’t even want us to think He did! But rather, He came to fulfill it, complete it, and bring it to full meaning.
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”
He also gave us a dire warning about His second coming: pay attention to the wording. What would “lawlessness” refer to, coming from a religious teacher to an Israelite in the first century?
“[21] “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. [22] On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ [23] And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’”
He also made this important point to a man asking Him about eternal life:
“[16] And behold, a man came up to him, saying, ‘Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?’ [17] And he said to him, ‘Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.’”
🤝 There’s an important detail about the New Covenant Yahweh makes with His people that so many believers miss or overlook. During the Last Supper, Yeshua and His disciples took communion for the very first time, and during this time He mentions the cup of wine represents the blood of this new covenant that is poured out for many through His sacrifice. This is a huge fulfillment of one of the biggest prophecies in the Old Testament, found in chapter 31 of the book of the prophet Jeremiah. Chapter 8 of the Epistle to the Hebrews goes into detail about this.
Another huge prophecy fulfilled through Yeshua’s sacrifice was that in the last days, Yahweh would pour out His Spirit upon all the earth. The prophets Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Joel all foretold of this ground-shaking event (Isa. 44:3, Ezek. 36:28, Joel 2:28-29), as well as Yeshua Himself (John 14:26). And as most believers know, the Holy Spirit was poured out on the Feast of Weeks, also known as Pentecost, a very short time after Yeshua’s ascension to Heaven. Now, anyone who accepts Yeshua as their Savior and is baptized will receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38).
Why does all of this matter? Because the standard theological belief is that through this new covenant and outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon the believers, it’s believed that the conditions of the “old covenant,” such as keeping the laws in the Torah, are now eradicated through the grace of Yeshua. It’s also believed the Torah isn’t needed because the Holy Spirit is here to guide us now.
This sounds great and makes sense on paper, but what do the terms of this “new covenant” actually say? And how does the Holy Spirit actually guide us? Let’s look to Jeremiah 31 and Ezekiel 36 for some answers to these questions. The Scriptures speak for themselves!
“[31] Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, [32] not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. [33] For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. [34] And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”
“[26] And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. [27] And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.”
🇮🇱 The Bible states that as believers in the Messiah, we have been grafted into the commonwealth of Israel! That means that the covenants, commandments, prophecies, and promises made to Israel are for us too! And that may clear up some confusion that you may have received from seeing the new covenant Messiah instated is for the house of Israel. We of the nations have been grafted into Yahweh’s chosen people through the renewed covenant He made with us through His Son Yeshua. The Apostle Paul explains all of this in his epistles to the Roman and Ephesian churches of his time:
“[13] Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry [14] in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus save some of them. [15] For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead? [16] If the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump, and if the root is holy, so are the branches. [17] But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root, [18] do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. [19] Then you will say, ‘Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.’ [20] That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear. [21] For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. [22] Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off. [23] And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. [24] For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree. [25] Lest you be wise in your own sight, I do not want you to be unaware of this mystery, brothers: a partial hardening has come upon Israel, until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. [26] And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, ‘The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob’; [27] ‘and this will be my covenant with them when I take away their sins.’”
“[11] Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called ‘the uncircumcision’ by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— [12] remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. [13] But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. [14] For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility [15] by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, [16] and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. [17] And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. [18] For through him we both have one Spirit to the Father. [19] So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, [20] built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, [21] in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. [22] In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.”
📩 In the Apostle John’s first epistle to an assembly of believers living in what is now modern-day Turkey, he told them how we prove we love the Messiah is in keeping His commandments. This is John repeating what Yeshua said Himself (John 14:15). And because we know Yeshua told us He only speaks what The Father taught Him (John 8:28), and because we know Yahweh doesn’t change (Malachi 3:6), it’s very safe to assume that “the commandments” being spoken of are Yahweh’s commandments found in the Torah!
“[1] My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. [2] He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. [3] And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. [4] Whoever says ‘I know him’ but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, [5] but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: [6] whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked. [7] Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. [8] At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.”
And as a final nail in the coffin, John makes a very important distinction, also in his first epistle: We believe that the Messiah atones for our sin. But what exactly is sin according to the Bible? Turns out, it’s breaking the Law, the commandments in the Torah! Some English translations say lawlessness, others refer to it as transgression of the Law. But the meaning is the same: if we want to be obedient followers of Yeshua, truly learn to be like Him and know Him on a deeper level, and not to unintentionally sin against Him, it’s in our best interest to know and keep the same commandments He kept, and the ones that lead us away from what the New Testament calls sin! NOT for salvation, as that comes through faith alone, but because of our immense love for Him and our calling to walk just as He walked.
“[4] Everyone who makes a practice of sinning also practices lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. [5] You know that he appeared in order to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. [6] No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him.”
🌾 So what’s the significance of this Feast for Christians today?
Believe it or not, all of the biblical festivals/appointed times have a very strong Messianic significance tied to them! By closer examination of Scripture, we can see how Yeshua’s sacrifice and atonement for our sins, as well as His prophesied return and rule on this earth, adds another level of meaning to these fall Feast Days in addition to their historic significance!
Below is how Yeshua fulfilled the appointed times in the spring season through His first coming to this Earth:
• Passover: Yeshua died on Passover, and at the exact time the Passover Lamb for the Torah’s required sacrifice was being slain at the Temple in Jerusalem, which we know from historical records was the ninth hour, around 3 PM (Matt. 27:45-50). Yeshua is known as our Passover Lamb according to the Apostle Paul (1 Cor. 5:7), the ultimate sacrifice. The key here is that Passover is a memorial of the Israelites’ freedom from slavery in Egypt. In the same way, by becoming the spiritual Passover sacrifice, Yeshua has freed us from the slavery of sin and condemnation to eternal punishment and separation from Yahweh through faith in His mighty power to save us and subsequent repentance.
• Feast of Unleavened Bread: Leaven represents sin in the Bible (1 Cor. 5:6-8). During the Feast, no leaven bread is to be eaten or even found in your home. This Feast is tied to Passover, and because of His death on Passover, Yeshua cleansed us from our sins, removing the spiritual leaven from us, as we do from our houses before the Feast. He was the sinless One, and when He took communion with His disciples, He symbolically used unleavened bread, which contains no leaven, to represent His body, and ultimately, His perfection.
• First Fruits: Per the biblical accounts of the time of Yeshua’s death and resurrection, and His sign of the prophet Jonah that states He was to be in the heart of the earth for three days and three nights, many believe Yeshua rose from the dead on First Fruits that year. This is significant because just as the Israelites gave their first portions of their harvest to the High Priest as an offering, Yeshua, being the first to rise from the dead, was the firstfruits of the future resurrection (1 Cor. 15:20). Specifically, the first fruits of the “harvest” of souls in the future resurrection that will be brought to the ultimate High Priest: Yeshua Himself (Heb. 4:14-16) when we meet Him in the air upon His glorious return to Earth (1 Thess. 4:16-17).
• Feast of Weeks: In the Book of Acts chapter 2, we read that the Holy Spirit, which was prophesied to be poured out on Yahweh’s people in the last days, finally descended upon humanity on Shavuot that year (Acts 2:1-4). Historically, many believe Shavuot was the day the Torah was given on Mount Sinai to all of Israel. On the same day, the Spirit was poured out and is given to all believers in Messiah, who are grafted into Israel as explained earlier. This also fulfills Yeshua’s words, who said that people will worship Him in spirit AND in truth (John 4:23-24), where “truth” is defined as the Word, or the Torah (Psalm 119:160, John 17:17).
This is a perfect example of how Yeshua fulfills the Law: He doesn’t get rid of what was already put in place: He brings a new, fresh, beautiful meaning to the standard of holiness Yahweh has set in place for all who love Him and wish to know Him!
The fall’s appointed times, however, have yet to be fulfilled through Messiah. But they will be through His second coming and the events to follow! For example, the Day of Trumpets/Yom Teruah is extremely prophetic of Messiah’s second coming, which will be announced by a loud shofar blast as one would perform on Yom Teruah.
In addition to the reasons listed above why Passover is significant in the context of our Messiah, we know that Yeshua kept the Passover Himself! We know this because some believe that the Last Supper was actually a Passover meal, but mainly because we know Yeshua kept the Torah! He wore tassels (Matthew 9:20, Mark 5:27), kept the Sabbath (Luke 4:16), and went up to Jerusalem for the appointed times (Luke 22:1, 8, John 2:13, 5:1-2, 7:10-11), just to name a few examples. And He told others to keep the commandments! (Matthew 5:17-20, 8:4, 19:17, 23:2-3, 23, Luke 17:14).
As 1 John 2:6 tells us, we who profess to believe in and follow Messiah ought to walk just as He walked. So it’s in our best interest to keep the commandments of God!
🙌 So, how do we observe Passover and Unleavened Bread today?
For believers in Yeshua as the Messiah, the Passover season is one of the greatest opportunities to remember His eternal sacrifice for our sins, the resurrection, and to honor and worship the Lamb of God (1 Cor. 5:7)!
One of the best ways to honor Yeshua through the Passover meal is to take communion during the meal with unleavened bread and wine, as He did with His disciples at the Last Supper and as He commanded us to do in remembrance of Him.
Another great way to honor Messiah through the Passover is to make an effort to invite others into your home to share the Passover meal with you and your family, including non-believers! Not only does this help create unity and fellowship among others in your social circles, but it creates a perfect opportunity to share the Gospel message behind why you keep Passover in the first place. What better way to spend Yahweh’s appointed times than to spread the Good News of His Son coming to earth in order to grant us eternal life?
Some other great activities to engage in during the Feast of Unleavened Bread specifically are gathering with like-minded believers on the first and last day of the Feast for corporate worship, Bible studies, and fellowship meals. These two days of the Feast specifically are designed for us to gather together and remember and celebrate the mighty works Yahweh has done in the past, and also looking forward to what’s to come!
Finally, a popular practice among many believers in Messiah who keep this Feast is creating recipes and making meals with matzah (unleavened bread)! Rebecka and I’s families have both spent a lot of time doing this, and not only have we learned to make some delicious unleavened bread for use throughout the Feast, but we also have learned to make recipes like matzah pizza, matzah ball soup, and even a chocolate-covered toffee dessert with matzah as the bottom layer! You would be amazed with how creative you can be when you’re only allowed to eat unleavened bread with your meals for a week.
It's my prayer that this Passover season is one to remember, and that you have a powerful encounter with our Heavenly Father during this time. Give Him your heart, and unconditionally praise Him for all of the wonderful things He's done for you! He'll show up. And make sure all of that includes the death and resurrection of our Messiah, who gives us an eternal hope we should always be rejoicing over!
Be blessed.
