This year, Passover falls on what we now call Good Friday, and the Passover week will include Resurrection Sunday. A breach occurred centuries ago between the Gentiles of the Christian faith, and its Jewish roots. These Jewish roots are a foundation to our relationship with the Messiah, Jesus being the Chief Cornerstone. The Feasts of Israel, both those commanded by the LORD, and the Rabbinical feasts, are observed and taught in the New Testament, as well as the Torah.
This breach between Gentile Christians and Jews is documented back to the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD. The Emperor Constantine, a convert to the Christian faith, urged a complete separation from the Jews and our connection in faith to them. After the reading of a letter from the Emperor, the Council established the separation of "Easter" from Passover. This declaration of separation was a blatant anti-Semitic rant. These words are disturbing to read, but necessary in order to expose the ethnic hatred and scriptural ignorance that were the causes of the breach:
". . .relative to the sacred festival of Easter. . . it was declared to be particularly unworthy for this holiest of all festivals to follow the custom of the Jews. We ought not therefore, to have anything in common with the Jews. We desire to separate ourselves from the detestable company of the Jews..."
With the adaptation of the Nicene Creed, the ekklesia, the called out assembly of God's people, which is translated as "church", was rent in two. The ekklesia is composed of people from every nation, tongue and tribe. It is composed of both Jew and Gentile (Greek). In fact, the Gospel, which is the power of God unto salvation, is for the Jew first, and also to the Greek (Rom. 1:16). The Jews are the natural branches of the tree that grows from the root of our faith. The Gentile believers are unnatural, wild branches that have been grafted into that holy root:
"For I speak to you Gentiles, inasmuch as I am the apostle of the Gentiles...For if the casting away of them (the Jewish branches) be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be but life from the dead? For if the first fruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches...For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree? For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part has happened to Israel, until the fullness of the gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved..." Rom. 11:13-26 (excerpt)
Paul described the Gentiles' feeling of spiritual superiority over the Jew as being "ignorant" regarding God's plan from the beginning. That very willful ignorance can result in those grafted in Gentile branches being cut off from the root! (v. 21-22). When those Jewish natural branches are grafted back into the root of faith which is Christ, as is the stated will of God when He says "All Israel shall be saved", it will mean life from the dead. This is the very miracle of "Easter", the resurrection of Christ, Who is the First Fruits of the resurrection of the dead. The Church chose the unfortunate label of "Easter" to specify the day of Christ's great resurrection victory over death. "Easter" is a form of the name of a vile pagan goddess known as Ashtoreth, or Ishtar, but the obvious misnaming of this holy day is yet another effort to separate from the Jewish and Biblical foundation.
The verses above mention the timing of the grafting back in of Israel as being connected to when "the fullness of the Gentiles be come in". We are seeing that in the events of this generation. Jerusalem, including the Temple Mount, which was trodden of the Gentiles (Lk. 21:24), has once again come into the possession of Israel. This is a sign to us that the fullness of the Gentiles has been accomplished.
The Apostle Paul urges the church of Corinth to observe Passover in its truest meaning:
"Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us: Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth." 1 Cor. 5:7-8
Christ is the personification and the prophetic fulfillment of Passover. He is represented in the elements of the Seder meal of Passover. There is no separation between the crucifixion of Christ Who is the Lamb of God, and the Passover.
The Church has also separated itself from the other feasts proclaimed by the LORD, and from the true understanding of the sabbath, when these very things from our Jewish roots of faith testify of Christ.
Our role in this time, as the fullness of the Gentiles has come in, is to mend the breach between the natural Jewish branches and the wild Gentile branches of the tree of faith in Christ- to play our part in the grafting back in of those Jewish branches. Isaiah prophesies this word of the LORD:
"And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in...and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD...Then thou shalt delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth..." Isa. 58:12-14
One way that we have begun this repairing of the breach is through the new book, "NAZAH". This book details the scientific, medical, cultural, and Biblical facts that support the authenticity of the Shroud of Turin as the burial cloth of Jesus Christ, and the physical evidence of His resurrection, and according to the mentions in scripture (1 Cor. 13:12, Gal. 3:1, Isa. 52:13-15). See in "NAZAH" how these scriptures point us to the truth of the Shroud.
"NAZAH" plays a vital role in repairing the breach, and restoring the natural branches into the tree of faith, and the root of Christ.
*The above is based upon the 4/7/19 message to the Church from Dr. Kenneth Stevenson.
To Contact/Submit prayer requests/Support the ministry/Order the book, "NAZAH":
https://twitter.com/everlastingcov8
http://endtimeschool.com/
Dr. Stevenson's newest book is now available:
"And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places: thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called, The repairer of the breach, The restorer of paths to dwell in...and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD...Then thou shalt delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth..." Isa. 58:12-14
One way that we have begun this repairing of the breach is through the new book, "NAZAH". This book details the scientific, medical, cultural, and Biblical facts that support the authenticity of the Shroud of Turin as the burial cloth of Jesus Christ, and the physical evidence of His resurrection, and according to the mentions in scripture (1 Cor. 13:12, Gal. 3:1, Isa. 52:13-15). See in "NAZAH" how these scriptures point us to the truth of the Shroud.
"NAZAH" plays a vital role in repairing the breach, and restoring the natural branches into the tree of faith, and the root of Christ.
*The above is based upon the 4/7/19 message to the Church from Dr. Kenneth Stevenson.
https://twitter.com/everlastingcov8
http://endtimeschool.com/
To watch/hear Dr. Stevenson's complete message:
https://twitter.com/everlastingcov8
Prayer of Salvation for all who desire to receive Jesus as their Savior: Lord Jesus, I desire to know You, and to know Your salvation. I believe that You died for me, and that You were resurrected for me. Forgive me of my sins. Come into my heart, change me, fill me with Your righteousness. Inscribe my name in the Lamb's book of life. Baptize me in Your Holy Spirit, so that I can learn the truth of Your Word and ways, and be strengthened in my walk all the days of my life. You are the hope of my life, and You are my eternal life. I place my trust in You, Lord, for myself, and my whole household. Use me to do the will of the heavenly Father, Who sent You, in Whose name You came. In Your name, and in thanks and praise I pray, Amen.
https://twitter.com/everlastingcov8
Prayer of Salvation for all who desire to receive Jesus as their Savior: Lord Jesus, I desire to know You, and to know Your salvation. I believe that You died for me, and that You were resurrected for me. Forgive me of my sins. Come into my heart, change me, fill me with Your righteousness. Inscribe my name in the Lamb's book of life. Baptize me in Your Holy Spirit, so that I can learn the truth of Your Word and ways, and be strengthened in my walk all the days of my life. You are the hope of my life, and You are my eternal life. I place my trust in You, Lord, for myself, and my whole household. Use me to do the will of the heavenly Father, Who sent You, in Whose name You came. In Your name, and in thanks and praise I pray, Amen.
To order "NAZAH": https://twitter.com/everlastingcov8 http://endtimeschool.com/
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