Passover 2021*

The arbitrary decision to separate Passover from its relevance to Christ's death and resurrection was made by men in the early history of the Church. However, this was never so in scripture, or in the prophetic and powerful redemption plan of God. Passover, a commanded Feast of the LORD, clearly exemplifies Jesus Christ as the Lamb who shed His blood to cover us, as the lamb's blood covered and protected the Hebrew slaves' households from the judgment of death that plagued Egypt. The account of Passover is told in Exodus 12. Moses was told by the LORD what the Israelites must do to survive the final plague that was about to spread through Egypt. It would be this last plague, the death of the firstborn, that would finally convince Pharaoh to let the people of God go. God instructs that each household, on the tenth day of the month, is to choose a year old lamb from their flock that is without blemish. They are to keep the lamb for four dqys, and on the fourteenth day, they are to kill it. Each household must use a hyssop branch to strike the doorposts and lintels of their homes with the blood of the lamb (which would make the shape of a cross on the front of their homes). They must roast and eat the lamb and unleavened bread wearing their outer garments, with their shoes on their feet, and their staffs in their hands, ready to make a hasty departure. The LORD then said, "It is the LORD's Passover. For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where you are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt." (Ex. 12:11-13). The LORD also commanded the Israelites that they are to keep a remembrnce of this Passover forever: "And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and you shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; you shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever." (v. 14, see also v. 17, v. 24,). Pssover is not a feast of Israel. It is the Feast of the LORD, to be kept by each generation. We can see the fulfillment of Passover as John the Baptist identified Jesus as the Messiah: "The next day, John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sins of the world." (Jn. 1:29, 35-36). The gospel recorded John the Baptists's testimony of Christ: "I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God." (v. 31-34). John identified Jesus as the Lamb of God, and as the Son of God. The Book of Revelation continually refers to Jesus as the Lamb. It one exmple, it says, "And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him (the beast/antichrist), whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world." (Rev. 13:8). It is revealed here that Jesus was the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. As the Lamb, Jesus is found in the Hebrew opening words of the Book of Genesis: Barashiet Elohim aleph-tav..., translated in our Bibles as "In the beginning, God...". "Bareshiet" in ancient pictographic Hebrew letters means "Behold the hand, behold the nail". In Revelation, Jesus refers to Himself as the "aleph-tav". From the Greek, we read it as "Alpha and Omega": "I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty." (Rev. 1:8, see also, 1:11, 22:13). As the prophet Isaiah described the Redeemer of Israel, he wrote: "Hearken unto me, O Jacob, and Israel my called; I am he; I am the first, I also am the last (see Rev. 1:11). Mine hand also hath laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spanned the heavens: when I call unto them, they stand up together." (Isa. 48:12-13). As we can see, although the Lord made Himself as a Lamb, and gave Himself into the hands of men, scripture identifies Him as the Aleph-Tav, the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, the One who laid the foundation of the earth. He is the "I AM" who identified Himself to Moses. Isaiah wrote: "Therefore my people shall know my name: therefore they shall know in that day that I am he that doth speak: behold, it is I." (Isa. 52:6). It is this same I AM who brings forth good tidings and proclaims salvation (v. 7). "The LORD hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God." (V. 10). Before He was lifted up on the cross, scripture prophesied of the Lamb, Jesus, "Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high. As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men. So shall he sprinkle (nazah- to sprinkle (the blood of expiation), to startle) many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider. Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm (meaning: power, strength, arm or forearm stretched out, shoulder (of animal sacrificed), son of "arm"; Root: sow/sower, produce, yielding seed, conceive) of the LORD revealed? (Isa. 52:13-15, 53:1). The sacrifice of the Passover lamb in the temple, and the death of Jesus on the cross occurred at the same time of day on that Passover: "Behold, the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." *Based upon Dr. Kenneth E. Stevenson's 3/28/21 message to the church. To contact: PO Box 154221, Waco, TX 76705 OR Everlastingcovenant@ymail.com Recommended: Dr. Stevenson's new book: "NAZAH: White Linen and the Blood of Sprinkling" Find us on Facebook, Twitter, and endtimesschool.com