1 Corinthians 5:6-7…For Christ our Passover has been sacrificed.
What are the instructions for the Passover? How will knowing these instructions help us understand the importance of the symbolisms of the Passover?
The Apostle Paul expressed an important feature of the Passover when he identified Christ Jesus as having been sacrifice as the Passover victim. The fact is that the Passover foreshadowed the events that have now taken place as respects to what some people have called the Lord’s supper. What were some of the important facets as we review the Passover instructions as outlined here in Exodus?
The Passover Instructions
Exodus 12:1-5… Yahweh now said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt: “This month (Abib / Nisan) will be the start of the months for YOU. It will be the first of the months of the year for YOU. Speak to the entire assembly of Israel, saying, ‘On the tenth day of this month (Nisan 10th) they are to take for themselves each one a sheep for the ancestral house, a sheep to a house. But if the household proves to be too small for the sheep, then he and his neighbor close by must take it into his house according to the number of souls; YOU should compute each one proportionate to his eating as regards the sheep. The sheep should prove to be sound, a male, a year old, for YOU. YOU may pick from the young rams or from the goats.
Gathering for the Passover was done in smaller family groups or even possibly with your neighbors. Notice also the Passover victim was a male, in good health and coming of age.
What was the purpose of bringing the Passover victim into the house on the 10th of Nisan four days before the Passover? When was the victim slaughtered?
Exodus 12:6-7… And it must continue under safeguard (Strong’s #4931 guard, watched) by YOU until the fourteenth day of this month, (Nisan 14th) and the whole congregation of the assembly of Israel must slaughter it between the two evenings. (Strong’s #6153 evening or twilight) And they must take some of the blood and splash it upon the two doorposts and the upper part of the doorway belonging to the houses in which they will eat it.
Having the animal brought into the house would be a way of safeguarding the Passover victim. This would ensure good health and preventing it from becoming maned or killed by another animal before Passover.
Can you imagine bringing that animal into your house and your family begins to form an attachment to the Passover victim, and now you are going to need to slaughter it?
The time of the slaughter was done after what you and I would call afternoon, but the Jewish people would call it evening, this is according to the Rabbis. You would then have about 6 hours to kill, then ready for cooking the kid of the goat or sheep, then put it on the fire to cook it. The last thing you would need to do is to put on the blood to the door post and threshold above the entrance before the setting of the sun or twilight but, take note this was just a onetime event of putting the blood on the door post.
What were some of the instructions for eating the Passover victim?
Exodus 12:8-11… And they must eat the flesh on this night. (Nisan 15th) They should eat it roasted with fire and with unfermented cakes along with bitter greens. Do not eat any of it raw or boiled, cooked in water, but roast with fire, its head together with its shanks and its interior parts. And YOU must not leave any of it over till morning, but what is left over of it till morning YOU should burn with fire. And in this way, YOU should eat it, with YOUR hips girded, sandals on YOUR feet and YOUR staff in YOUR hand; and YOU must eat it in haste. It is Yahweh’s Passover.
After reading these passages of Scriptures, does this sound like the Passover was a Sabbath day? No, it was not a Sabbath yet because they were still slaves and had to leave Egypt but in time it did become a Sabbath day as we will see. What were the Sabbath days, or should I ask was there ever a time that the Sabbath was moved, adjusted or had a reset?
The simple answer is yes. They were never the same day from year to year, but why? It had to do with the resetting of the lunar calendar with the solar solstice. In the history of Israel, the resetting of the Sabbath would correspond to the month of Nisan first at the spotting of the new moon and that would establish the time for the day of Nisan 1st. Then they slaughter the Passover lamb on Nisan 14th, and this was the first day of the festival of unleavened bread.
When did the Israelites leave Egypt?
Numbers 33:3-4… And they proceeded to pull away from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month. Directly the day after the Passover the sons of Israel went out with uplifted hand before the eyes of all the Egyptians. All the while the Egyptians were burying those whom Yahweh had struck among them, that is, all the first born; and upon their gods Yahweh had executed judgments.
What were some of the facets of the Passover and the symbols with their deeper meanings?
Roasting the victim on the fire and what was left over was to be burned up. This represented a complete consumption of the sacrifice; nothing was left over so what was not eaten by men was not allowed to be left over for the animals to eat but was to be consumed by fire. Also, no bone should you break in it. Exodus 12:46
The eating bitter greens symbolized the hardship that they underwent in Egypt as they worked the land.
Eating it in haste dressed and standing in this way showed you were ready and willing to leave.
What was the purpose for the Passover? Was the Passover going to be a one-time celebration or was it to last this?
Exodus 12:12-15… And I must pass through the land of Egypt on this night (Nisan 15th) and strike every firstborn in the land of Egypt, from man to beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I shall execute judgments. I am Yahweh. And the blood must serve as YOUR sign upon the houses where YOU are; and I must see the blood and pass over YOU (Exodus 12:29), and the plague (Strong’s #5063 a blow, a striking) will not come on YOU as a ruination (Strong’s #4889 destruction) when I strike at the land of Egypt. “And this day must serve as a memorial (Strong’s #2146 remembrance) for YOU, and YOU must celebrate it as a festival (Strong’s #2282 gathering, feasts) to Yahweh throughout YOUR generations. As a statute to time indefinite (Strong’s #5769 long duration) YOU should celebrate it.
The purpose for the Passover was to provide a deliverance for the people of God but an execution of judgment upon Egypt and its Gods. It was a plague of ruination to all the first born of mankind or livestock found unprotected by the blood sacrifice. Exodus 12:24-27
God said that this day should serve as an event of remembrance, that it was to be celebrated as a festival forever. So, today many people remember it as a memorial and celebrate this special event as is has become known as The Passover or Pesach.
The Passover was to be passed on in time from one generation to the next, but would it ever end or change? Exodus 12:42-51
As we can see the Passover was only for the assembly of Israel to eat. If you were going to celebrate the Passover as a male, you had to be circumcised.
At this point we should see the hidden and obscure aspect of the Passover; it was a type of judgment that was to be executed upon all the first born who were in association with Israel.
How many days was the Passover festival to last? When was the festival of unleavened cakes to start?
Festival of Unfermented Cakes
Exodus 12:15-18… Seven days YOU are to eat unfermented cakes. Yes, on the first day YOU are to take away sourdough from YOUR houses, because anyone eating what is leavened, from the first day (Nisan 14th) down to the seventh, (Nisan 21st) that soul must be cut off from Israel. 16 And on the first day there is to take place for YOU a holy convention, (Strong’s #4744 convocation) and on the seventh day a holy convention. No work is to be done on them. Only what every soul needs to eat, that alone may be done for YOU. “And YOU must keep (Strong’s #8104 preserve) the festival of unfermented cakes, because on this very day I must bring YOUR armies out from the land of Egypt. And YOU must keep this day throughout YOUR generations as a statute (Strong’s #2708 enactment) to time indefinite. (Strong’s #5769 everlasting) In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, in the evening YOU are to eat unfermented cakes down till the twenty-first day of the month in the evening.
These two festivals are connected, Passover and the days of unfermented cakes. So, how serious was it to break these instructions?
Exodus 12:19-20… Seven days no sourdough is to be found in YOUR houses, because anyone tasting what is leavened, whether he is an alien resident or a native of the land, that soul must be cut off from the assembly of Israel. Nothing leavened are YOU to eat. In all YOUR dwellings YOU are to eat unfermented cakes.
From the Sabbath on the 14th to the Sabbath on the 21st the nation would eat unleavened bread.
Should we keep the Passover observing it forever or have these instructions changed? Are there any more Scriptures to help us, by giving us more or clear instructions?
Extra Passover Details
As for most of us who are reading this, we are not Jewish, but we are Gentiles, and we are unfamiliar with a lot of the customs and the intricacies of these festivals from the nation of Israel. So, here are some additional Scriptures to help clarify timelines of the events surrounding the Passover along with some of the terminology and catchphrases.
Exodus 34:25… You must not slaughter along with what is leavened the blood of my sacrifice. And the sacrifice of the festival of the Passover should not stay overnight until the morning.
So, when was the Passover victim slaughtered? And what day was the unfermented cake festival to start? The answer to these two questions might surprise you. You could not slaughter the day before Preparation Day. There was no getting a head start for Passover.
We know the Passover victim was to be slaughtered on Nisan 14th in the afternoon which fell between the setting of the Moon at noon and before complete darkness of the setting of the Sun. This day became known as preparation day, as soon as it was dark this would be the next day, Nisan 15th and they would be eating the Passover meal with unleavened bread or unfermented cakes.
So, preparation day was the day they prepared for the Passover and as they prepared for the festival of unleavened bread or as they later on called it the Sabbath day of the festival of unfermented cakes. The 14th would be the day of preparation for the 15th day of Passover.
When did God kill the first born of mankind and of the beast in Egypt?
Exodus 12:29-33… about midnight of the 15th!
We must remember how these events begin, and they have been transformed by God into a greater celebration, these events are intertwined with one another and have a lot of symbolism to them.
New Instructions
Leviticus 23:4-14… These are the seasonal festivals of Yahweh, holy conventions, which YOU should proclaim at their appointed times: In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, between the two evenings is the Passover to Yahweh. (Nisan 14) And on the fifteenth day of this month is the festival of unfermented cakes to Yahweh. (Nisan 15) Seven days YOU should eat unfermented cakes. On the first day YOU will have a holy convention (Strong’s #4744) occur. No sort of laborious work may YOU do. But YOU must present an offering made by fire (New instructions) to Yahweh seven days. On the seventh day there will be a holy convention. No sort of laborious work may YOU do. (sound like Sabbath) And Yahweh continued to speak to Moses, saying: “Speak to the sons of Israel, and you must say to them, (New instructions) ‘When YOU eventually come into the land that I am giving YOU, and YOU have reaped its harvest, YOU must also bring a sheaf of the first-fruits of YOUR harvest to the priest. And he must wave the sheaf to and fro before Yahweh to gain approval for YOU. Directly the day after the sabbath (Nisan 22nd) the priest should wave it to and fro. And on the day of YOUR having the sheaf waved to and fro YOU must render up a sound young ram, in its first year, for a burnt offering to Yahweh; and as its grain offering two tenths of an ephah of fine flour moistened with oil, as an offering made by fire to Yahweh, a restful odor; and as its drink offering a fourth of a hin of wine. And YOU must eat no bread nor roasted grain nor new grain until this very day, until YOUR bringing the offering of YOUR God. It is a statute to time indefinite for YOUR generations in all places where YOU dwell.
Where was the nation of Israel when they got these instructions from God? And when were these new instructions going to be instituted?
The Israelite nation was still in the wilderness where they celebrated the Passover for about 40 years. These new instructions were not going to be instituted until they were to have settled into the promised land and began to reap the harvest of their crops.
These new instructions were the:
- Offerings made by fire
- Along with the first-fruits ceremony of the wave offering
They were to begin on Nisan 22nd.
Preparation Day
So, what is the Day of Preparation? When was the day of preparation?
Numbers 9:1-5…And Jehovah proceeded to speak to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai in the second year of their coming out of the land of Egypt, in the first month, saying: “Now the sons of Israel should prepare (Strong’s #6213 make or do) the Passover sacrifice at its appointed time. On the fourteenth day in this month between the two evenings YOU should prepare (Strong’s #6213 make or do) it at its appointed time. (Nisan 14) According to all its statutes and all its regular procedures YOU should prepare (Strong’s #6213 make or do) it.” So, Moses spoke to the sons of Israel to prepare (Strong’s #6213 make or do) the Passover sacrifice. Then they prepared the Passover sacrifice in the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month between the two evenings, (Nisan 14) in the wilderness of Sinai. According to all that Jehovah had commanded Moses, so the sons of Israel did.
What is the meaning of the word prepare? To prepare is to make something ready for use, provide what is needed or to put together.
Preparation day really came to signify the time they made things ready for the Passover or Sabbath. So, we see by this passage of Scripture that the day to get ready for Passover was Nisan 14th. Read the following passages of Scripture: Mark 15:42, Luke 23:54
Exodus 12:15-16… Seven days YOU are to eat unfermented cakes. Yes, on the first day YOU are to take away sourdough from YOUR houses, because anyone eating what is leavened, from the first day (Nisan 14th) down to the seventh, (Nisan 21st) that soul must be cut off from Israel. And on the first day there is to take place for you a holy assembly, (Strong’s #4744 convocation) and on the seventh day a holy convention. No work is to be done on them. Only what every soul needs to eat, that alone may be done for YOU.
Can you see that Preparation Day begin at the sun rise, of the 14th day even though this was a Sabbath you were to get ready for the Passover along with the unfermented cakes.
Remember what we just read at Exodus 34:25…That you must not slaughter along with what is leavened the blood of my sacrifice.
This passage of Scripture in context reveals that God did not want the Passover victim to be slaughtered on a day that you were going to be eating leavened bread. That means do not slaughter the Passover victim a day earlier, but it was to be slaughtered on the day it was to be eat as a meal.
Are there any other adjustments or changes to the instructions for the Passover celebration?
A Provision Was Made
Numbers 9:6-14…Now there happened to be men who had become unclean by a human soul so that they were not able to prepare the Passover sacrifice on that day. Hence, they presented themselves before Moses and Aaron on that day. Then those men said to him: “We are unclean by a human soul. Why should we be restrained from presenting the offering to Yahweh at its appointed time in the midst of the sons of Israel?” At this Moses said to them: “Stand there and let me hear what Yahweh may command regarding YOU.” Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying: “Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘Although any man of YOU or of YOUR generations should happen to be unclean by a soul or off on a distant journey, he too must prepare the Passover sacrifice to Jehovah. In the second month, on the fourteenth day between the two evenings, they should prepare it. Together with unfermented cakes and bitter greens they should eat it. They must not let any of it remain until morning, and they should break no bone in it. According to the whole statute of the Passover they should prepare it.
How merciful God is in allowing a provision to be made for those that could not celebrate the Passover at the appointed time. As we just read 30 days later, they could celebrate or observe the event known as Yahweh’s Passover.
Were there to be any more stipulations or changes to the Passover?
Numbers 9:13-14… But when the man was clean or did not happen to be off on a journey and neglected to prepare the Passover sacrifice, that soul must then be cut off from his people, because the offering of Yahweh he did not present at its appointed time. For his sin that man will answer. And in case an alien resident should be residing with YOU as an alien, he also must prepare the Passover sacrifice to Yahweh. According to the statute of the Passover and according to its regular procedure is the way he should do. There should exist one statute for YOU people, both for the alien resident and for the native of the land.
We should never neglect the festival of the Passover and how it should be observed or celebrated. We must maintain our cleanliness never allowing the leaven of this world to affect us nor be left around us, do not partake of what is leaven my friends.
More Passover Changes
Once again, the Passover instructions were modified before the nation moved from the wilderness into the promised land. So, what were some of these changes that God gave to Moses to his people that changed?
Deuteronomy 16:1-12… Let there be an observing of the month of Abib, and you must celebrate the Passover to Yahweh your God, because in the month of Abib Yahweh your God brought you out of Egypt by night. And you must sacrifice the Passover to Yahweh your God, of the flock and of the herd, in the place that Yahweh will choose to have his name reside there. You must eat nothing leavened along with it for seven days. You should eat along with it unfermented cakes, the bread of affliction, because it was in haste that you came out of the land of Egypt, that you may remember the day of your coming out of the land of Egypt all the days of your life. And no sourdough should be seen with you in all your territory seven days, neither should any of the flesh, which you will sacrifice in the evening on the first day, stay all night until the morning. You will not be allowed to sacrifice the Passover in any one of your cities that Yahweh your God is giving you. But at the place that Yahweh your God will choose to have his name reside there, you should sacrifice the Passover in the evening as soon as the sun sets (Midday or afternoon Nisan 14th) at the appointed time of your coming out of Egypt. And you must do the boiling (Strong’s #1310 cooking) and the eating in the place that Yahweh your God will choose, and in the morning, you must turn around and go to your own tents. Six days you should eat unfermented cakes; and on the seventh day there will be a solemn assembly (Strong’s #6116 assembly) to Yahweh your God. You must do no work.
Okay what month is the celebration of the Passover, Abib or Nisan? The answer is both months, Abib means the Green Ears, and this is referring to the Barley in the fields. When the nation finally settled into the promised land, and they begin to harvest their own grains, and this expression Abib would be an indication of what month and when they would celebrate the Passover.
Nisan was the name used for that month of the solar solstice and the nation of Israel picked up and began using this name to signify the first day of the month of Green Ears of the grain.
Notice that the sacrifices could only happen in Jerusalem, that meant people had to come from all over Israel to Jerusalem to have the animal sacrificed at the temple and the eating of the Passover meal would occur in the vicinity of Jerusalem. And the unleavened or unfermented cakes were now referred to as the bread of affliction because of having to leave in haste.
What was the most significant change to the way the Passover was conducted? The Passover was now to be held where God’s name was going to reside. People were now going to be obligated to come to where the place that God resides for the festival, his gathering for the feast. They were not allowed to celebrate it in their own cities.
Next, let us look at the Scriptures and see how these events played into the next observance that was to be celebrated by the nation of Israel.
What a powerful point; the new observance was for them to reflect on how they had become slaves to Egypt.
Has Yahweh God made any other changes to the Passover that you and I need to know about? Will the Passover be celebrated forever?
Let us look at what Ezekiel prophesied about this celebration of the Passover for the future. We know that this is going to be a future event because the instructions do not call for a priest to offer up the sacrifice but for it to be done by a chieftain, he is the one to offer up the sacrifice.
Ezekiel 45:16-24… As for all the people of the land, they will be responsible for this contribution to the chieftain in Israel. And upon the chieftain will devolve the whole burnt offerings and the grain offering and the drink offering during the festivals and during the new moons and during the sabbaths, during all the festal seasons of the house of Israel. He will be the one to provide the sin offering and the grain offering and the whole burnt offering and the communion sacrifices, in order to make atonement in behalf of the house of Israel. This is what the Sovereign Lord Yahweh has said, ‘In the first [month Nisan], on the first [day New Moon] of the month, you should take a young bull, a son of the herd, a sound one, and you must purify the sanctuary from sin. And the priest must take some of the blood of the sin offering and put it upon the doorpost of the House and upon the four corners of the surrounding ledge belonging to the altar and upon the doorpost of the gate of the inner courtyard. And that is how you will do on the seventh [day Sabbath] in the month because of any man making a mistake and because of any inexperienced one; and YOU people must make atonement for the House. “‘In the first [month Nisan], on the fourteenth day of the month, there should occur for YOU the Passover. As a festival for seven days unfermented cakes are what should be eaten. And on that day, in his own behalf and in behalf of all the people of the land, the chieftain must provide a young bull as a sin offering. And for the seven days of the festival, he should provide as a whole burnt offering to Yahweh seven young bulls and seven rams, sound ones, daily for the seven days, and as a sin offering a buck of the goats daily. 24 And as a grain offering an ephah for the young bull and an ephah for the ram he should provide, and as regards oil, a hin to the ephah.
Has there ever been anyone celebrating the Passover in this way now or in the past and if not, when will they start to do so?
The answer will be varied depending on who you ask. Like If you ask a Jewish family, they will answer you: “necessity along with what the rabbis have instructed us to do, we have made some changes over time. Like no longer do we need to go to Jerusalem, because there is no longer a temple to go celebrate the Passover.”
Also, the rabbis have added many traditions to the Passover meal to help the people come to a deeper understanding and relevance to the celebration today.
The biggest change was added believing that Elijah will come before the Messiah will. They have even added an extra chair and a glass of wine to the celebration, and then they will call out from the entrance of the house “Elijah are you there?” If no answer, then their hope was for him to show up the next year, for the coming of Elijah and their Messiah is their greatest hope.
If you were to ask a Christian the same question, they will say “Jesus fulfilled the Law and we are under the new Covenant, so we are waiting on Jesus’ return as the King of God’s Kingdom. So, we celebrate the Lords Supper not the Passover”.
Frankly no one has celebrated the Passover in the way that Ezekiel has described in the past nor at present. We need to identify and take note that what Ezekiel wrote about the celebration of the Passover as; it is for our future.
So, are we willing to adjust the celebration of the Passover as described by Ezekiel? Now if so when will these changes to the Passover be made, and by whom?
Calculating for the Passover
Calculating for Nisan can be done by observing the new moon closest to the Spring equinox at the time the barley harvest is ripe around Jerusalem. The barley harvest would be the first fruits offered up at the temple. Also, the full moon must fall after the equinox, not before it. The celestial sign or prominent constellation will be Aries to identify the season of that time.
Elijah are you there? Yes, Come Lord Jesus!
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