/s_1224530109942https://static.secure.website/wscfus/80182/uploads/shade.jpg" objtype="0" border="0" height="198" width="492"
Pesach 5989
Passover 5989
Passover 5989
Pesach is a reminder of God as Yahweh, our Creator, the Author of God’s Blood Covenant with His people, and Yeshua’s gift of Redemption––making permanent atonement for all mankind’s sin as the last Pesach Lamb.
Pesach (Passover)
“On the fourteenth day of the first month at twilight is Yahweh’s Pesach,” (Leviticus 23:5). Matsot (Unleavened Bread) is a seven-day holiday, and together with Pesach, Jewish tradition (not Scripture) calls these two Feasts of God, the “Eight Days of Pesach.” The Jewish people celebrate these two Feasts together since matsah is also eaten on Pesach.
BUT, they are actually Two Completely Separate Appointments with God.
The Pesach of Yahweh is in fact the stand alone rite that He gave to Adam and Chavah (Eve)––this was the Original Threshold Blood Covenant that God gave to them. God continually refers to the Pesach of God in a manner suggesting that He expects His people to know of what He is speaking. It is God’s Pesach (Passover or crossover, as in crossing or passing over the blood into Covenant with Yeshua/Jesus).
The phrases Pesach of Yahweh (Yahweh shows as Lord in our Bibles) or Yahweh’s Pesach or the Pesach unto Yahweh set this feast apart from the other Feasts, and it is referring to God’s original Blood Covenant. In most cases, the Scripture uses one of these phrases instead of the lamb when referring to killing the offering of the lamb for Pesach. It is this distinction which gives this festival a completely separate meaning from Matsot, and should be treated as such. Pesach is all about God’s Blood Covenant.
Yahweh’s Pesach is the offering of the blood-sacrifice for God’s Blood Covenant with His people––that which Yeshua fulfilled (made perfect). It represents Today, it is a meal offered to Yeshua in honor of His gift of Redemption, purchased as the last Pesach Lamb offering for sin.
What most know as the Lord's Supper was actually Yeshua’s last Pesach meal on Earth. It was a Feast that He and His disciples celebrated once every year. When Yeshua said "Do this in remembrance of Me....” He was telling His disciples to remember Him whenever they came together for the Pesach meal, because He was about to become the perfection of Pesach––just as stated by John the Immerser in John 1:29 “Behold, the Lamb of God!”
Yeshua and all His disciples (and later also grafted-in believers) continued to celebrate all of God’s Feasts (Matthew 26:17, Mark 14:12, Luke 22:15, John 10:22, Acts 2:1, 18:21, 20:6, 1Corinthians 5:7-8). Pesach is an eternal Commandment of God.
Even though it appears in a couple of verses as if God mixes Pesach and Matsot together in Scripture, we cannot trust our English translations. More accurately, it actually appears that believers are to keep these two Feasts distinct. Although matsah is eaten on Pesach (Passover), and also during the seven days of Matsot (Unleavened Bread), these two Festivals are not to be combined as one. God created these seven Appointments with Him for seven distinct reasons.
God Himself continually refers to this day as Yahweh’s Pesach, and it represents the beginning of God’s separating His people for His Appointments (Feasts). The ancient meaning for the Hebrew word Pesach will help you to know the true meaning of this word and thus understand it better: Pey means a beginning. Samech means support (as in God’s support). Chet means a fence of protection, or separation (thus the ancient meaning of the word Pesach is opening day of His Feasts).
So Pesach is the beginning of God’s Appointed Seasons, and it is the beginning of God separating His people, the ones He supports and protects. And this beginning also refers to the very beginning of time, when Yahweh gave Adam and Chavah (Eve) His Blood Covenant. It serves not only as the offering for sin, the use of hyssop also makes it the purification rite that separates God’s people from the rest of all mankind, causing them to become a separated people unto God––because of God’s Appointed Seasons.
Purification and separation are very important to Yeshua, because they represent those holy people He has separated for Himself, and purified them for His use. We can find out more about what purification means to God by looking up the Hebrew word for hyssop, which is ezob. The ancient meaning of ezob is strong weapon bound by the House.
Having been purified by Yeshua to be a part of those separated unto God is the most powerful weapon against the devil, God’s enemy. The devil only has power against a believer if they have allowed sin to enter into their lives. If you have allowed Yeshua to purify you in order to separate you for God’s use, then you can stand against the enemy and use God’s Word against the devil and his cohorts. The devil will run away angry because he knows that you are one of God’s people––and he won’t be able to touch you.
Yeshua told His disciples to remember Him whenever they came together for this Pesach celebration because He wanted them to remember that His gift of Redemption was the result of His Blood offering––He didn’t want them to remember His dying, but His Blood Covenant, and that He is the Blood Covenant. Yeshua shed His Blood, not only to atone for all mankind’s sin, but also to seal His Covenant with His people.
And so, Yahweh’s Pesach is the offering of a Lamb in remembrance that Yeshua was the permanent atonement for ALL the sin of mankind. His Blood, being the Blood Covenant of God, gave all mankind Redemption and eternally sealed His Covenant with His people. Pesach is only one day and is equivalent to opening day for the Feasts of God.
Another passage where it shows Pesach as a stand-alone, one-day offering is in Numbers 9:1-14. This is speaking of someone who has become defiled because of touching a dead person, or someone who was away on a journey and could not bring his Pesach offering to Jerusalem. It gives permission for these people to give their offering to Yahweh on the 14th day of the second month, rather than the first month. And it is still on the 14th. None of the other festivals are included with this particular Commandment. And in verse 13, it is referred to as “the offering of Yahweh,” as in the Pesach offering only (the Blood Covenant offering).
Concerning Abib: Although Exodus 12:2 states the month of Abib (called Nisan today) is to be the beginning of God’s (Hebrew) months, the Jewish sages decided (after many Greek debates that can be found the Talmud) this would mean it is only the counting of the months that begins with Abib, but that the year begins with the seventh month, Etanim (today called Tishrei).
But Etanim being the head of the year is impossible when you read Deuteronomy 1:3, and you know that Pesach is in Abib––in other words, the forty years wandering in the wilderness began and ended in Abib, and the Israelites crossed over the Jordan on the tenth day of Abib (Joshua 4:19). God considers Abib to be not only the first month in the year, but also the beginning of the year. Because of this, I labeled this page "Passover 5989"––as of Abib 1, it is the new year.
The Hebrew word Abib is said to mean Spring, so why would God have the year begin in the fall just before everything dies for the winter? God has always surrounded His Feasts with the harvests of the year, and they begin in Abib, and end in Etanim, the seventh month. God intended Spring to be the first of the year––a time when everything comes back to life, and the harvests begin to be taken in.
To clarify all this, the words first and beginning in Exodus 12:2 both use the Hebrew word rosh which means head, as in head of the month and head of the year. Although it is not in Scripture, it would be more appropriate to celebrate Rosh Hoshannah on the first of Abib.
Incidentally, the ancient meaning of Abib is the Father’s House or family. The Feasts are celebrated in God’s Temple; they are His Feasts and the months are His months. If God says the beginning of the year is Abib, then we should not argue with Him––we should fear Him!
Celebrating Pesach (Passover)
We can find how to celebrate Pesach in several places in the Bible, with a little more detail in each passage. The following list is a good example of how to celebrate this day:
• This day of Pesach (Passover) is a celebration of God’s Blood Covenant, and is the true communion of Yeshua. Is to be celebrated only once a year.
• The actual day of Pesach is not a day off from work, so we can work on this day and have our meal at the end of the day.
• Based on Exodus 12:6, the Passover Lamb is to be killed at twilight on the 14th of Abib. In some Scripture verses the Hebrew word for twilight is erev, which today means evening. But in this particular verse the word neshef is used which means a breeze, in reference to when the evening breeze prevails on into the morning breeze, in which both of them the sky is dark. This is the very early morning. (While it is not recommended that you actually kill a lamb, I felt this was important to know).
• In verse 8 it states to eat the flesh in that night. The Hebrew word for night shows as lailah, but is most likely neshef (because of changes by the Hebrew sages) which again, means closer to midnight. This is implying that the meal is eaten the same night that the Lamb is killed, but closer to midnight. Thus, the Pesach meal is killed and eaten on Abib 14th.
• What seems to be a recurrence in all the verses concerning Pesach, is that they all state we are to “eat the flesh of the lamb and bitter herbs.” Pesach is a day of offering a meal of Lamb to Yeshua in remembrance of Him as the Lamb of God. A meal of Lamb steaks from the leg (I think) are the most tender and delicious, but you can eat any cut of the Lamb.
• The only change Yeshua made was to ask that His disciples remember Him each time they come together for Yahweh’s Pesach offering and meal.
• The Spirit of God has revealed that the bitter herb spoken of in Scripture is hyssop. Hyssop was used in all of God’s purification rites for the Hebrews. God’s Pesach, the Blood Covenant offering of an unblemished Lamb to take away sin, also included this hyssop as a purification rite because Pesach also represents God’s Blood Covenant, which represents a separation unto God.
The hyssop was dipped into the blood of the lamb and used to put the blood on the doorway and lintels. A similar ritual is used in the purification rites (Leviticus 14:49-53). The hyssop is to be eaten with the meal of Lamb (possibly mixed in a sauce or in a vegetable dish).
• The meal was eaten with the Hebrews fully dressed and packed, because they were to be ready to leave at a moment’s notice (Exodus 12:11). It would be proper, but not commanded, for believers too to be symbolically ready to leave at a moment’s notice while we eat our Passover meal. We need to observe these Holy Days as they are written.
Not long after the meal was eaten that same night, at midnight when the 15th began, is when Yahweh struck down all the firstborn of Egypt. Pesach was NOT the day God took the Israelites by the hand out of Egypt. The first day of Matsot (Unleavened Bread) was the day the Israelites were freed from their Egyptian slavery.
• We are to enjoy this day and this meal, in remembrance of and in reverence for Yeshua’s gift of Redemption for all mankind in His Blood Covenant offering on this day two thousand years ago. Until Yeshua came, this Feast was the representation of the Blood Covenant Offering to Yahweh. Now Yeshua is that Blood Covenant Offering, and thus this day is a holy day.
There are supposedly two cups of wine (or grape juice) according to Luke 22:17 & 20: one during the meal, and one after the meal (there is never any mention in Scripture of four cups, nor of the cup for Elijah––these are additions from the Talmudic traditions).
It is the cup after the meal that represents the Redemption of God’s Covenant in Yeshua’s Blood. We share the Cup of the Covenant of Yeshua’s Blood––not because it was poured out for all mankind’s sin, but because His Blood represents our Redemption in the Covenant of God.
• During the meal, teach about the breaking of the bread representing Yeshua’s first coming. In the gospels we find Yeshua teaching throughout the Pesach meal (Matthew 26:26-30 & John 13––Yeshua teaches throughout the whole meal, and afterward too).
There are some verses that the children can be involved in reading, just as they are at Matsot, which is Exodus 12:2-14 & 18-28 and is more appropriate for Pesach.
• The second prayer is to be said after the meal. Breaking the bread, and sharing the Cup of the Covenant after the meal is in representation of Redemption in God’s Blood Covenant, and in remembrance of Yahweh’s sealing the Covenant of His Blood in order to reconnect us to Him, and that the promised Messiah has come. When Yeshua broke the unleavened bread, He was saying “Hinneh! bo!” which means, “Lo! Behold! I have come!” (Psalm 40:7-9 & Hebrews 10:5-7)
Thus, the breaking of the bread represents the (first) coming of the Messiah. And Yeshua did it on Pesach, with its prophetic significance pointing to His Blood Covenant being restored at His first coming.
• When you pass the Cup of the Covenant around, each person is to raise their glass to Yeshua and take a sip of the Cup of the Covenant after the meal and second prayer. This Cup is to be passed around to be shared by all who belong to Yeshua. There is to be only one cup––the Cup of the Covenant that Yeshua tells His disciples to drink from (Matthew 26:27-28, Mark 14:23 & Luke 22:16). This cup after the meal represents the Redemption of God’s Covenant in Yeshua’s Blood. We are to share the Cup of the Covenant of Yeshua’s Blood - not because it was poured out for all mankind’s sin, but because it represents God’s gift of Redemption in the Blood Covenant of God.
• Pray a Psalm or the prayers below, and then after the first prayer, the meal can be eaten. There is Lamb, hyssop, perhaps mixed in a sauce poured over vegetables, and roasted grain (Joshua 5:11). Pesach is a meal eaten with reverence for Yeshua, the Blood of the Covenant of God.
Before the Pesach Meal Prayer
Baruch atah Yahweh Yeshua Eloheinu Melekh haOlam!
(Blessed are You Yahweh, our Salvation, our God, King of Eternity!)
As we come together to celebrate Your Pesach (Passover),
We remember Your gift of Redemption in Your Blood Covenant offering.
And we remember Your Dam Berit (Blood Covenant)!
May You be glorified through all creation!
After the Meal: Breaking of Bread & Sharing the wine (or grape juice)
Baruch atah Yahweh Elohei Atenu Yishee, Melekh haOlam!
Todah Abba Dam Berit! (Thank you Abba for Your Blood Covenant!)
Hinneh! bo! (Psalm 40:7-9 & Hebrews 10:5-7) (Behold! I have come!)
Atah lechem hachaiyim! (You are the Bread of Life!)
Todah (Thank you) Abba for the lechem (bread) that represents the breaking with our past sins,
and that You have come to be our King!
The second prayer is to be said after the meal. Breaking the bread, and sharing the Cup of the Covenant after the meal is in representation of Redemption in God’s Blood Covenant, and in remembrance of Yahweh’s sealing the Covenant of His Blood in order to reconnect us to Him, and that the promised Messiah has come.
This would be an appropriate time to raise your glass to Yeshua and take a sip of the Cup of the Covenant after the meal and second prayer. This Cup is to be passed around to be shared by all who belong to Yeshua. There is only one cup––the Cup of the Covenant that Yeshua tells His disciples to drink from (Matthew 26:27-28, Mark 14:23 & Luke 22:16).
This day represents Yeshua, and we should honor Him with reverence for His Blood Covenant and His gift of Redemption.
All of God’s Feasts are to be joyful and celebrated as joyful events. The Jews remember the bad and bitter times in their lives, and the bitter herb is one of those things that has been changed many times over the years. Please take the time to read all about the Feasts of God in your Bible and you will see that God never told His people to remember the bad times. We are to enjoy this day and this meal, in remembrance of Yeshua’s gift of Redemption for all mankind in His Blood Covenant offering on this day––it is to be done only once a year.
The Truth About Afikomen
Since most Messianic believers are still being taught the false teaching of the Afikomen, I dug deep to find the true meaning of this word and of the bread being broken at this particular time––Yeshua’s last Pesach meal on Earth. This was a custom that had only been introduced within the three hundred years prior to Yeshua’s birth––something God allowed to be added because it fit perfectly into His Plan of Salvation.
While it could be suggested that the Greek words Idou Heko (“Lo! Behold! I have come!” Hebrews 10:5-7) might have gone through some sort of metamorphosis to become Afikomen, in reality, no one can agree on whether this word Afikomen is a Greek, Yiddish, Aramaic or a Hebrew word.
The word afikomen appears in the Mishna in Pesachim 10:8: “Ein maftirin achar ha-pesach afikomen.” Some Rabbis state this sentence means that you cannot get up at the end of the meal and go join someone else's Pesach group, as one is not to leave the house during the Pesach meal (Exodus 12:22). This bears witness with my spirit, so I believe the word afikomen has nothing at all to do with the matsah, nor taking a piece of the bread and hiding it. This word and ritual has somehow been confused with matsah over the years, and is completely fabricated.
To take this even further, let’s look at the Greek word for bread, in relation to the manna and Yeshua’s being the Bread from Heaven. That Greek word is artos, and refers to showbread. The Hebrew word for showbread is paniym or paneh (from the root word panah meaning to turn and face, to come), and it also means presence, as in God’s Presence.
The showbread, which is matsah, is God’s Presence, and when Yeshua broke the matsah (unleavened bread eaten with the Pesach meal) at His last Pesach meal, He was most likely saying “Hinneh! bo!” (Psalm 40:8) which also means, “Lo! Behold! I have come!” (matsah actually means a coming out or a going out––see Matsot for more deatails about this). Yeshua could have also been saying that “God’s Presence is here before you, and I am He! Your Messiah has come!” Thus, the breaking of the bread has a huge significance in that it represents the (first) coming of the Messiah. And it was done on Pesach, with its prophetic significance pointing to God’s Blood Covenant being restored at His physical coming. Yeshua was in effect saying, “I have come, and My Covenant, My Way and Torah, will be completely restored.”
A Menu For Pesach
Leg of Lamb, Lamb Steaks or Lamb Sirloin Chops (Exodus 12:3)
Sauce with Hyssop (Exodus 12:8)
Roasted Potatoes
Matsot (see recipe on Matsot page) (Exodus 12:8)
Green Vegetable or Salad
Grape Juice or Wine
Desert
********************************************************
God’s Divine Timing
As with the year really beginning in the Spring, we should also consider when the day actually begins. We have been trusting in what the Jews have told us, based on Talmudic teachings. But a lot of their conclusions are based on confusing rationalizations within Rabbinic debates.
Darkness covered the earth in Bereshit verse 3. There is darkness all around all the planets, but Earth is the only planet God said to it, “Light be!” He called the Light “good,” then He separated the Light from the darkness in verse 4. Nothing more was said about the darkness. In verse 5 God called the Light “Day,” and the darkness He called “Night.” God just called the darkness Night, so why would He begin to use the word for evening at the end of this same verse? A Rabbinic debate (before the 19th century) determined the Jewish day to begin at sundown because of the end of verse 5. But the Hebrew word erev (evening) is a modern word, and was never in the Scriptures. The day never began at night (Exodus 16:23-34).
Light is an idiom for Salvation, so Yeshua is the Light. The Jews do not know Yeshua, because they are without His Light - their day begins at night because they are full of darkness - there is no Light in their lives.
But for believers, who know Yeshua and have His Light in them, know the difference. They know that the day begins with the morning because the day comes alive, everything in nature wakes up and it is a bright new shiny day in the morning (Exodus 12:10, 16:23-24, 18:13).a 5:11).
Pesach (Passover)
“On the fourteenth day of the first month at twilight is Yahweh’s Pesach,” (Leviticus 23:5). Matsot (Unleavened Bread) is a seven-day holiday, and together with Pesach, Jewish tradition (not Scripture) calls these two Feasts of God, the “Eight Days of Pesach.” The Jewish people celebrate these two Feasts together since matsah is also eaten on Pesach.
BUT, they are actually Two Completely Separate Appointments with God.
The Pesach of Yahweh is in fact the stand alone rite that He gave to Adam and Chavah (Eve)––this was the Original Threshold Blood Covenant that God gave to them. God continually refers to the Pesach of God in a manner suggesting that He expects His people to know of what He is speaking. It is God’s Pesach (Passover or crossover, as in crossing or passing over the blood into Covenant with Yeshua/Jesus).
The phrases Pesach of Yahweh (Yahweh shows as Lord in our Bibles) or Yahweh’s Pesach or the Pesach unto Yahweh set this feast apart from the other Feasts, and it is referring to God’s original Blood Covenant. In most cases, the Scripture uses one of these phrases instead of the lamb when referring to killing the offering of the lamb for Pesach. It is this distinction which gives this festival a completely separate meaning from Matsot, and should be treated as such. Pesach is all about God’s Blood Covenant.
Yahweh’s Pesach is the offering of the blood-sacrifice for God’s Blood Covenant with His people––that which Yeshua fulfilled (made perfect). It represents Today, it is a meal offered to Yeshua in honor of His gift of Redemption, purchased as the last Pesach Lamb offering for sin.
What most know as the Lord's Supper was actually Yeshua’s last Pesach meal on Earth. It was a Feast that He and His disciples celebrated once every year. When Yeshua said "Do this in remembrance of Me....” He was telling His disciples to remember Him whenever they came together for the Pesach meal, because He was about to become the perfection of Pesach––just as stated by John the Immerser in John 1:29 “Behold, the Lamb of God!”
Yeshua and all His disciples (and later also grafted-in believers) continued to celebrate all of God’s Feasts (Matthew 26:17, Mark 14:12, Luke 22:15, John 10:22, Acts 2:1, 18:21, 20:6, 1Corinthians 5:7-8). Pesach is an eternal Commandment of God.
Even though it appears in a couple of verses as if God mixes Pesach and Matsot together in Scripture, we cannot trust our English translations. More accurately, it actually appears that believers are to keep these two Feasts distinct. Although matsah is eaten on Pesach (Passover), and also during the seven days of Matsot (Unleavened Bread), these two Festivals are not to be combined as one. God created these seven Appointments with Him for seven distinct reasons.
God Himself continually refers to this day as Yahweh’s Pesach, and it represents the beginning of God’s separating His people for His Appointments (Feasts). The ancient meaning for the Hebrew word Pesach will help you to know the true meaning of this word and thus understand it better: Pey means a beginning. Samech means support (as in God’s support). Chet means a fence of protection, or separation (thus the ancient meaning of the word Pesach is opening day of His Feasts).
So Pesach is the beginning of God’s Appointed Seasons, and it is the beginning of God separating His people, the ones He supports and protects. And this beginning also refers to the very beginning of time, when Yahweh gave Adam and Chavah (Eve) His Blood Covenant. It serves not only as the offering for sin, the use of hyssop also makes it the purification rite that separates God’s people from the rest of all mankind, causing them to become a separated people unto God––because of God’s Appointed Seasons.
Purification and separation are very important to Yeshua, because they represent those holy people He has separated for Himself, and purified them for His use. We can find out more about what purification means to God by looking up the Hebrew word for hyssop, which is ezob. The ancient meaning of ezob is strong weapon bound by the House.
Having been purified by Yeshua to be a part of those separated unto God is the most powerful weapon against the devil, God’s enemy. The devil only has power against a believer if they have allowed sin to enter into their lives. If you have allowed Yeshua to purify you in order to separate you for God’s use, then you can stand against the enemy and use God’s Word against the devil and his cohorts. The devil will run away angry because he knows that you are one of God’s people––and he won’t be able to touch you.
Yeshua told His disciples to remember Him whenever they came together for this Pesach celebration because He wanted them to remember that His gift of Redemption was the result of His Blood offering––He didn’t want them to remember His dying, but His Blood Covenant, and that He is the Blood Covenant. Yeshua shed His Blood, not only to atone for all mankind’s sin, but also to seal His Covenant with His people.
And so, Yahweh’s Pesach is the offering of a Lamb in remembrance that Yeshua was the permanent atonement for ALL the sin of mankind. His Blood, being the Blood Covenant of God, gave all mankind Redemption and eternally sealed His Covenant with His people. Pesach is only one day and is equivalent to opening day for the Feasts of God.
Another passage where it shows Pesach as a stand-alone, one-day offering is in Numbers 9:1-14. This is speaking of someone who has become defiled because of touching a dead person, or someone who was away on a journey and could not bring his Pesach offering to Jerusalem. It gives permission for these people to give their offering to Yahweh on the 14th day of the second month, rather than the first month. And it is still on the 14th. None of the other festivals are included with this particular Commandment. And in verse 13, it is referred to as “the offering of Yahweh,” as in the Pesach offering only (the Blood Covenant offering).
Concerning Abib: Although Exodus 12:2 states the month of Abib (called Nisan today) is to be the beginning of God’s (Hebrew) months, the Jewish sages decided (after many Greek debates that can be found the Talmud) this would mean it is only the counting of the months that begins with Abib, but that the year begins with the seventh month, Etanim (today called Tishrei).
But Etanim being the head of the year is impossible when you read Deuteronomy 1:3, and you know that Pesach is in Abib––in other words, the forty years wandering in the wilderness began and ended in Abib, and the Israelites crossed over the Jordan on the tenth day of Abib (Joshua 4:19). God considers Abib to be not only the first month in the year, but also the beginning of the year. Because of this, I labeled this page "Passover 5989"––as of Abib 1, it is the new year.
The Hebrew word Abib is said to mean Spring, so why would God have the year begin in the fall just before everything dies for the winter? God has always surrounded His Feasts with the harvests of the year, and they begin in Abib, and end in Etanim, the seventh month. God intended Spring to be the first of the year––a time when everything comes back to life, and the harvests begin to be taken in.
To clarify all this, the words first and beginning in Exodus 12:2 both use the Hebrew word rosh which means head, as in head of the month and head of the year. Although it is not in Scripture, it would be more appropriate to celebrate Rosh Hoshannah on the first of Abib.
Incidentally, the ancient meaning of Abib is the Father’s House or family. The Feasts are celebrated in God’s Temple; they are His Feasts and the months are His months. If God says the beginning of the year is Abib, then we should not argue with Him––we should fear Him!
Celebrating Pesach (Passover)
We can find how to celebrate Pesach in several places in the Bible, with a little more detail in each passage. The following list is a good example of how to celebrate this day:
• This day of Pesach (Passover) is a celebration of God’s Blood Covenant, and is the true communion of Yeshua. Is to be celebrated only once a year.
• The actual day of Pesach is not a day off from work, so we can work on this day and have our meal at the end of the day.
• Based on Exodus 12:6, the Passover Lamb is to be killed at twilight on the 14th of Abib. In some Scripture verses the Hebrew word for twilight is erev, which today means evening. But in this particular verse the word neshef is used which means a breeze, in reference to when the evening breeze prevails on into the morning breeze, in which both of them the sky is dark. This is the very early morning. (While it is not recommended that you actually kill a lamb, I felt this was important to know).
• In verse 8 it states to eat the flesh in that night. The Hebrew word for night shows as lailah, but is most likely neshef (because of changes by the Hebrew sages) which again, means closer to midnight. This is implying that the meal is eaten the same night that the Lamb is killed, but closer to midnight. Thus, the Pesach meal is killed and eaten on Abib 14th.
• What seems to be a recurrence in all the verses concerning Pesach, is that they all state we are to “eat the flesh of the lamb and bitter herbs.” Pesach is a day of offering a meal of Lamb to Yeshua in remembrance of Him as the Lamb of God. A meal of Lamb steaks from the leg (I think) are the most tender and delicious, but you can eat any cut of the Lamb.
• The only change Yeshua made was to ask that His disciples remember Him each time they come together for Yahweh’s Pesach offering and meal.
• The Spirit of God has revealed that the bitter herb spoken of in Scripture is hyssop. Hyssop was used in all of God’s purification rites for the Hebrews. God’s Pesach, the Blood Covenant offering of an unblemished Lamb to take away sin, also included this hyssop as a purification rite because Pesach also represents God’s Blood Covenant, which represents a separation unto God.
The hyssop was dipped into the blood of the lamb and used to put the blood on the doorway and lintels. A similar ritual is used in the purification rites (Leviticus 14:49-53). The hyssop is to be eaten with the meal of Lamb (possibly mixed in a sauce or in a vegetable dish).
• The meal was eaten with the Hebrews fully dressed and packed, because they were to be ready to leave at a moment’s notice (Exodus 12:11). It would be proper, but not commanded, for believers too to be symbolically ready to leave at a moment’s notice while we eat our Passover meal. We need to observe these Holy Days as they are written.
Not long after the meal was eaten that same night, at midnight when the 15th began, is when Yahweh struck down all the firstborn of Egypt. Pesach was NOT the day God took the Israelites by the hand out of Egypt. The first day of Matsot (Unleavened Bread) was the day the Israelites were freed from their Egyptian slavery.
• We are to enjoy this day and this meal, in remembrance of and in reverence for Yeshua’s gift of Redemption for all mankind in His Blood Covenant offering on this day two thousand years ago. Until Yeshua came, this Feast was the representation of the Blood Covenant Offering to Yahweh. Now Yeshua is that Blood Covenant Offering, and thus this day is a holy day.
There are supposedly two cups of wine (or grape juice) according to Luke 22:17 & 20: one during the meal, and one after the meal (there is never any mention in Scripture of four cups, nor of the cup for Elijah––these are additions from the Talmudic traditions).
It is the cup after the meal that represents the Redemption of God’s Covenant in Yeshua’s Blood. We share the Cup of the Covenant of Yeshua’s Blood––not because it was poured out for all mankind’s sin, but because His Blood represents our Redemption in the Covenant of God.
• During the meal, teach about the breaking of the bread representing Yeshua’s first coming. In the gospels we find Yeshua teaching throughout the Pesach meal (Matthew 26:26-30 & John 13––Yeshua teaches throughout the whole meal, and afterward too).
There are some verses that the children can be involved in reading, just as they are at Matsot, which is Exodus 12:2-14 & 18-28 and is more appropriate for Pesach.
• The second prayer is to be said after the meal. Breaking the bread, and sharing the Cup of the Covenant after the meal is in representation of Redemption in God’s Blood Covenant, and in remembrance of Yahweh’s sealing the Covenant of His Blood in order to reconnect us to Him, and that the promised Messiah has come. When Yeshua broke the unleavened bread, He was saying “Hinneh! bo!” which means, “Lo! Behold! I have come!” (Psalm 40:7-9 & Hebrews 10:5-7)
Thus, the breaking of the bread represents the (first) coming of the Messiah. And Yeshua did it on Pesach, with its prophetic significance pointing to His Blood Covenant being restored at His first coming.
• When you pass the Cup of the Covenant around, each person is to raise their glass to Yeshua and take a sip of the Cup of the Covenant after the meal and second prayer. This Cup is to be passed around to be shared by all who belong to Yeshua. There is to be only one cup––the Cup of the Covenant that Yeshua tells His disciples to drink from (Matthew 26:27-28, Mark 14:23 & Luke 22:16). This cup after the meal represents the Redemption of God’s Covenant in Yeshua’s Blood. We are to share the Cup of the Covenant of Yeshua’s Blood - not because it was poured out for all mankind’s sin, but because it represents God’s gift of Redemption in the Blood Covenant of God.
• Pray a Psalm or the prayers below, and then after the first prayer, the meal can be eaten. There is Lamb, hyssop, perhaps mixed in a sauce poured over vegetables, and roasted grain (Joshua 5:11). Pesach is a meal eaten with reverence for Yeshua, the Blood of the Covenant of God.
Before the Pesach Meal Prayer
Baruch atah Yahweh Yeshua Eloheinu Melekh haOlam!
(Blessed are You Yahweh, our Salvation, our God, King of Eternity!)
As we come together to celebrate Your Pesach (Passover),
We remember Your gift of Redemption in Your Blood Covenant offering.
And we remember Your Dam Berit (Blood Covenant)!
May You be glorified through all creation!
After the Meal: Breaking of Bread & Sharing the wine (or grape juice)
Baruch atah Yahweh Elohei Atenu Yishee, Melekh haOlam!
Todah Abba Dam Berit! (Thank you Abba for Your Blood Covenant!)
Hinneh! bo! (Psalm 40:7-9 & Hebrews 10:5-7) (Behold! I have come!)
Atah lechem hachaiyim! (You are the Bread of Life!)
Todah (Thank you) Abba for the lechem (bread) that represents the breaking with our past sins,
and that You have come to be our King!
The second prayer is to be said after the meal. Breaking the bread, and sharing the Cup of the Covenant after the meal is in representation of Redemption in God’s Blood Covenant, and in remembrance of Yahweh’s sealing the Covenant of His Blood in order to reconnect us to Him, and that the promised Messiah has come.
This would be an appropriate time to raise your glass to Yeshua and take a sip of the Cup of the Covenant after the meal and second prayer. This Cup is to be passed around to be shared by all who belong to Yeshua. There is only one cup––the Cup of the Covenant that Yeshua tells His disciples to drink from (Matthew 26:27-28, Mark 14:23 & Luke 22:16).
This day represents Yeshua, and we should honor Him with reverence for His Blood Covenant and His gift of Redemption.
All of God’s Feasts are to be joyful and celebrated as joyful events. The Jews remember the bad and bitter times in their lives, and the bitter herb is one of those things that has been changed many times over the years. Please take the time to read all about the Feasts of God in your Bible and you will see that God never told His people to remember the bad times. We are to enjoy this day and this meal, in remembrance of Yeshua’s gift of Redemption for all mankind in His Blood Covenant offering on this day––it is to be done only once a year.
The Truth About Afikomen
Since most Messianic believers are still being taught the false teaching of the Afikomen, I dug deep to find the true meaning of this word and of the bread being broken at this particular time––Yeshua’s last Pesach meal on Earth. This was a custom that had only been introduced within the three hundred years prior to Yeshua’s birth––something God allowed to be added because it fit perfectly into His Plan of Salvation.
While it could be suggested that the Greek words Idou Heko (“Lo! Behold! I have come!” Hebrews 10:5-7) might have gone through some sort of metamorphosis to become Afikomen, in reality, no one can agree on whether this word Afikomen is a Greek, Yiddish, Aramaic or a Hebrew word.
The word afikomen appears in the Mishna in Pesachim 10:8: “Ein maftirin achar ha-pesach afikomen.” Some Rabbis state this sentence means that you cannot get up at the end of the meal and go join someone else's Pesach group, as one is not to leave the house during the Pesach meal (Exodus 12:22). This bears witness with my spirit, so I believe the word afikomen has nothing at all to do with the matsah, nor taking a piece of the bread and hiding it. This word and ritual has somehow been confused with matsah over the years, and is completely fabricated.
To take this even further, let’s look at the Greek word for bread, in relation to the manna and Yeshua’s being the Bread from Heaven. That Greek word is artos, and refers to showbread. The Hebrew word for showbread is paniym or paneh (from the root word panah meaning to turn and face, to come), and it also means presence, as in God’s Presence.
The showbread, which is matsah, is God’s Presence, and when Yeshua broke the matsah (unleavened bread eaten with the Pesach meal) at His last Pesach meal, He was most likely saying “Hinneh! bo!” (Psalm 40:8) which also means, “Lo! Behold! I have come!” (matsah actually means a coming out or a going out––see Matsot for more deatails about this). Yeshua could have also been saying that “God’s Presence is here before you, and I am He! Your Messiah has come!” Thus, the breaking of the bread has a huge significance in that it represents the (first) coming of the Messiah. And it was done on Pesach, with its prophetic significance pointing to God’s Blood Covenant being restored at His physical coming. Yeshua was in effect saying, “I have come, and My Covenant, My Way and Torah, will be completely restored.”
A Menu For Pesach
Leg of Lamb, Lamb Steaks or Lamb Sirloin Chops (Exodus 12:3)
Sauce with Hyssop (Exodus 12:8)
Roasted Potatoes
Matsot (see recipe on Matsot page) (Exodus 12:8)
Green Vegetable or Salad
Grape Juice or Wine
Desert
********************************************************
God’s Divine Timing
As with the year really beginning in the Spring, we should also consider when the day actually begins. We have been trusting in what the Jews have told us, based on Talmudic teachings. But a lot of their conclusions are based on confusing rationalizations within Rabbinic debates.
Darkness covered the earth in Bereshit verse 3. There is darkness all around all the planets, but Earth is the only planet God said to it, “Light be!” He called the Light “good,” then He separated the Light from the darkness in verse 4. Nothing more was said about the darkness. In verse 5 God called the Light “Day,” and the darkness He called “Night.” God just called the darkness Night, so why would He begin to use the word for evening at the end of this same verse? A Rabbinic debate (before the 19th century) determined the Jewish day to begin at sundown because of the end of verse 5. But the Hebrew word erev (evening) is a modern word, and was never in the Scriptures. The day never began at night (Exodus 16:23-34).
Light is an idiom for Salvation, so Yeshua is the Light. The Jews do not know Yeshua, because they are without His Light - their day begins at night because they are full of darkness - there is no Light in their lives.
But for believers, who know Yeshua and have His Light in them, know the difference. They know that the day begins with the morning because the day comes alive, everything in nature wakes up and it is a bright new shiny day in the morning (Exodus 12:10, 16:23-24, 18:13).a 5:11).
Updated August 7, 2018
See Pesach and all the other
Feasts in I AM The WAY,
Discipleship
Feasts in I AM The WAY,
Discipleship
March 30, 2018
(Abib 14)
(Abib 14)
To discover how to celebrate the
Seven Days of Matsot
(Unleavened Bread)
Click Here
Seven Days of Matsot
(Unleavened Bread)
Click Here
Torah Way of Life
The Authentic Voice of Hebrew Roots Knowledge
The Authentic Voice of Hebrew Roots Knowledge
formerly Razzberry Press
Bringing both Hebrew and grafted-in Hebrews together into One Body of Messiah
and into one Way of belief through the same knowledge of God
and into one Way of belief through the same knowledge of God
To discover how to celebrate
Yom Bikkurim
(Day of Firstfruits)
Click Here
Yom Bikkurim
(Day of Firstfruits)
Click Here
At-a-glance Chart
Pesach
(Passover)
(Passover)