Tag Archives: Passover

Messiah and the Jewish Festivals … An Extraordinary Connection!

24 Saturday Sep 2016

Posted by in Prophecy in General

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Jesus and the Jewish Religious Leaders

The greatest event in the history of mankind took place in the first century when God, at the appointed time, sent his Son into the world as both God and man. Jesus the Christ (Messiah) is the Son of God, the Jewish Son (descendant) of David, and the global Son of Man. His astonishing Virgin-birth arrival on the earth changed the measurement of time itself (B.C. to A.D.), and he continues to change the lives and eternal destiny of those who have believed in him for their personal salvation.

The most tragic event of all time also took place in the first century, continuing to this very day. It was and is the widespread refusal of most Jews and Gentiles to believe that Jesus is the Messiah and, therefore, to reject him as Savior and Lord, the only way to God. Tragic, because this disbelief will result in eternal separation from God. Yet, God, as he so often does, turned this tragedy into triumph over sin and death that has plagued mankind since the day that our original parents defied their Creator … to do their own thing and go their own way.

One of the paramount proclamations in all of the Bible to unequivocally affirm the eternal existence of Messiah Jesus as (the Living Word of) God, is the first verse of the Gospel of John.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (New American Standard Bible).

Followed by: “He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him … In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it” (John 1:2-5, NASB).

Throughout the Gospels it’s crystal clear: Despite his profound teaching and the awesome miracles Jesus performed to prove his divine power and his God-given authority, the religious leaders scorned him for two indefensible reasons:

First, they could not tolerate anyone usurping or even sharing their position and prestige among the common people. Secondly, they deliberately declined to search their own Hebrew Scriptures to objectively determine if this man from the region of Galilee (whom they mistakenly thought was born in Nazareth, instead of Bethlehem—the prophesied birth place of the Messiah), just might be the long-awaited Messiah.

Among other things, they did not:

  • Bother to resolve if Jesus was from the lineage of King David (Son of David).
  • Carefully examine Daniel’s prophecy (Chapter 9) that the Messiah would arrive 483 years after Nehemiah began to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Jesus’s triumphant entrance into Jerusalem on a donkey precisely fulfilled this spectacular prophecy.
  • Study the Scriptures (Old Testament) that show Messiah would also be a humble, suffering servant of a lowly birth, as found especially in Isaiah and the Psalms, but also other books such as Micah.
  • Match up specific things that Jesus said and did, or that were done for or to him such as crucifixion on a cross—during Jesus’s life, death, burial, and especially his resurrection—to dozens of Messianic prophecies.
  • Out-of-hand dismissal of Christ’s resurrection.
  • Then later, after the 2nd Temple was destroyed in 70 AD, to again review Daniel 9 which confirms that Messiah would come BEFORE the Temple would be destroyed.

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Said Jesus to the Jewish religious authorities:

“I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life. And I assure you that the time is coming, indeed it’s here now, when the dead will hear my voice—the voice of the Son of God. And those who listen will live. The Father has life in himself, and he has granted that same life-giving power to his Son. And he has given him authority to judge everyone because he is the Son of Man” (John 5:24-27).

Jesus went on to say to the Jewish leaders: “But I have a greater witness than John—my teachings and my miracles. The Father gave me these works to accomplish, and they prove that he sent me” (John 5:36 … John here is John the Baptist).

Then Jesus drives home the point:

“You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me! Yet you refuse to come to me to receive this life” (Verse 39).

This scene ends with these astonishing words of Jesus:

“For I have come to you in my Father’s name, and you have rejected me. Yet if others come in their own name, you gladly welcome them. No wonder you can’t believe! … Yet it isn’t I who will accuse you before the Father. Moses will accuse you! Yes, Moses, in whom you put your hopes. If you really believed Moses, you would believe me, because he wrote about me. But since you don’t believe what he wrote, how will you believe what I say?” (John 5:43-47).

When Jesus said that they didn’t believe what Moses wrote, he was referring to what Moses—and also by extended implication what all of the prophets—had written about the coming Messiah. If they would set aside their pride and prejudice, then carefully and impartially match the prophecies with Jesus, they would plainly see that he was the Messiah.

Many Have Believed Jesus is Messiah … Many More Have Not

It was not just the religious leaders. Although most Jews didn’t have the same hang-up that their clerical leaders did—the incomparable power and authority of Jesus usurping the influence of the religious authorities—they, nevertheless, dismissed Jesus for another reason. He did not fit the image of a conquering Messiah who would deliver them from the oppression of the Roman Empire. To be sure, the Messiah would one day deliver Israel from all Gentile domination, but not until he first freed the people from themselves. Until the human heart is supernaturally changed by the righteousness that only God can give (as opposed to sin induced self-righteousness that only enslaves people), a kingdom (nation) cannot be changed from one of darkness to one of light.

Let’s read about one of the incidents between Jesus and the common folk of Israel:

“When Jesus had finished telling these stories and illustrations, he left that part of the country. He returned to Nazareth, his hometown. When he taught there in the synagogue, everyone was amazed and said, ‘Where does he get this wisdom and the power to do miracles?’ Then they scoffed, ‘He’s just the carpenter’s son, and we know Mary, his mother, and his brothers—James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas. All his sisters live right here among us. Where did he learn all these things?’ And they were deeply offended and refused to believe in him…” (Matthew 13:53-57).

The stories and illustrations referred to were no less than nine parables in this one chapter alone to explain “The Kingdom of Heaven.” As alluded to in last week’s article, the Kingdom of God and Kingdom of Heaven are occasionally used interchangeably by Jesus. They both apply to the King of those Kingdoms, which is the Triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. However, the immediate context of the Kingdom of Heaven applies more directly to the rule and presence of the Lord universally in the hearts and minds of those who believe and receive the King (Messiah) as personal Savior.

Whereas the Kingdom of God pertains comprehensively to the actual physical kingdom of God on earth when Christ returns to rescue Israel from annihilation and defeat at the hands of Satan, Antichrist, and the False Prophet. Satan’s worldly kingdoms will be decisively crushed, and the Kingdom of God will be centered in Jerusalem, from where Messiah Jesus and all believers will rule and reign.

Kingdom of Heaven: Personal relationship to God.

Kingdom of God: Global governmental administration by God.

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The people looked only for the Kingdom of God that would be preceded by God’s judgment of ungodly Gentile nations (at that time, the Roman Empire). They missed entirely the clear evidence of the Old Testament (completely revealed in and accomplished by the New Covenant) that first must come the Kingdom of Heaven in the hearts and minds of those who had been redeemed by the final sacrifice of the High Priest, Messiah. Their own sins must first be mediated and forgiven, which would spare them from the coming judgment of all people … Jews and Gentiles alike.

They had forgotten or had chosen to ignore the fact that the Temple and all of its instruments, the ceremonial laws, and even the Levitical sacrificial system, were only pictorial patterns of a greater Temple (Christ himself), a more-enduring (once and for all) Sacrifice for their sins, and the ultimate promise that God would live (tabernacle) among them. The sacrifices had become entirely ritual with strict observance to the letter of the law, not the real underlying spiritual purpose of the law.

They were too short-sighted to see that the seven festivals God gave them to celebrate would also be a pattern precursor to a new and better relationship with God through their Messiah.

Which leads us the theme of todays and the next two Eye of Prophecy articles: the Seven Festivals given by God through Moses for the people of Israel to observe annually and the remarkable prophetic correlation of these High Holy Days to Messiah Jesus.

Passover (Pesach in Hebrew) … Where It All Began!

God instructed the Hebrews to stop the daily routine of their lives seven times each year to memorialize the remarkable things that the Lord had done for them, not the least of which was deliverance from slavery and creation of the nation of Israel from the twelve sons of Jacob. The festivals were special times to reflect on the profound privilege afforded them through God’s providence, power, protection, provision, and even his very presence among them.

Observant Jews, especially the Orthodox and Conservative, keep all of the festivals in some fashion. So, too, does the Reformed branch of Judaism, but with more flexibility in their observance. Even many non-observant Jews (secular mostly) celebrate Passover, Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year), and Sukkot (Festival of Shelters) because, in their view, these holidays pertain to Israel collectively as a nation. Not much different than Americans celebrating the Western New Year, Easter, Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, and Christmas … whether the person is a Christian or not.

There are two other Jewish holidays celebrated as much or more than Passover and Rosh Hashanah. They are not among the seven festivals because the events that led to these festive occasions took place centuries later. They are: Purim and Hanukkah. The reason why virtually all Jews take part in these two celebrations is because there are more secular Jews in today’s world than religious.

Passover is the first festival God commanded the people to observe annually. Next to the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, no event on earth is as well-known and remembered down through the ages as the Exodus. Jews and Gentiles, believers and unbelievers, rich and poor, young and old, religious and secular alike have heard or read or know something about the dramatic deliverance of the Hebrews from Egypt, complement of ten miraculous plagues on the Egyptians.

Followed by one miracle after another: Parting of the Red Sea; Return of the waters to drown the Egyptian pursuers; Pillar of Cloud by day and Pillar of Fire by night; Bread (Manna) appearing every morning from nowhere; Meat (Quail) falling out of the sky; Water gushing from solid rock; The Finger of God writing the Ten Commandments on stone tablets; and more.

(Note: I’m not so sure about the young in today’s world. For example, a recent survey showed that 71% of Millennials in America, 18-26 years of age, didn’t even know where to look for Israel on a global map)!

Next to being alive in Israel when Jesus walked the earth, if I could have lived in another time and place in history, I would, without hesitation, select the Exodus. (As an Israelite, not an Egyptian!)

The Ten Commandments (Charlton Heston, Yul Brynner, and Anne Baxter) is still considered one of the greatest movies of all time. Other films have been made of the Exodus; numerous books, articles, and commentaries written; and countless sermons preached about this monumental historic milestone.

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(Depicting Moses Receiving The Ten Commandments on Mt. Sinai)

Many know that it all began when God struck Egypt with ten spectacular plagues to demonstrate that he, alone, was the true and living God. But most likely not that many could identify all of the first nine of these divine judgments necessary before Pharaoh’s hard-hearted pride would finally be crushed. However, a great number of people recall the tenth plague, one that shook the very foundation of the mighty Egyptian empire, one that would take centuries for Egypt to recover.

You remember:

“And that night at midnight, the Lord struck down all the firstborn sons in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh, who sat on his throne, to the firstborn son of the prisoner in the dungeon. Even the firstborn of their livestock were killed. Pharaoh and all his officials and all the people of Egypt woke up during the night, and loud wailing was heard throughout the land of Egypt. There was not a single house where someone had not died” (Exodus 12:29-30).

The Passover Changed the Hebrew Calendar

Whatever calendar the Hebrews had used to measure time was changed to accommodate and acknowledge this phenomenal event in Israel’s history. Then subsequently to regulate the months of the Hebrew year; a lunar calendar still used by the Jews today, instead of the Julian turned Gregorian solar calendar that came along much later.

“From now on, this month will be the first month of the year for you” (Exodus 12:2). The month is called Nissan (originally Abib in the Bible) corresponding to the Gregorian calendar months of March/April.

Also amazing: God through Moses instructed the Hebrews to commemorate Passover on the 14th day of the first month of every year, before this catastrophic calamity actually took place! In other words, it was a sure thing that God would do what he said would be done. That’s also true with hundreds of other Biblical prophecies.

In fact, let’s read what God told Moses to announce to Pharaoh (God through Moses warned Pharaoh of this final catastrophic judgment, just as Pharaoh had been warned before all the preceding plagues).

“…This is what the Lord says: At midnight tonight I will pass through the heart of Egypt. All the firstborn sons will die in every family in Egypt, from the oldest son of Pharaoh, who sits on the throne, to the oldest son of his lowliest servant girl who grinds the flour. Even the firstborn of all the livestock will die. Then a loud wail will rise throughout the land of Egypt, a wail like no one has heard before or will ever hear again. But among the Israelites, it will be so peaceful that not even a dog will bark. Then you will know that the Lord has made a distinction between the Egyptians and the Israelites” (Exodus 11:4-7).

*Note: We’ll see in a moment what this distinction was and what it was meant to be and do.

To this very day, Jews enthusiastically celebrate the Passover; with, however, primary emphasis on their deliverance from Egypt … with minimal or no reflection why the blood of innocent lambs had to be spread on the doorposts of every Hebrew house. Even before, but especially after Israel’s second Temple was destroyed by the Romans and their Levitical Sacrificial System eliminated, there had not been nearly as much attention paid to the very heart of Passover, itself. Instead, the Passover has been representatively reduced almost exclusively to remembering the emancipation from Egypt; which is, according to the Lord, to be observed in and by the 2nd Festival ordained by God … the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

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(Passover Today with Emphasis on the Meal … Unleavened Bread)

Let’s read the actual account in Scripture which reveals the more exact meaning of Passover and the purpose for its remembrance. For sure, the seven-day Unleavened Bread Festival that follows the day after Passover is an extension of Passover itself. However, this following feast served a different purpose and possessed a different meaning to God and (should) also to the Jews and now to Gentile Christians and Messianic Jews.

The Original Passover and Its True Purpose

First, an unblemished (without defect of any kind) one-year old male lamb or goat must be set aside by each Jewish family four days ahead of the Passover. One of the main reasons for selecting a lamb or goat four days before Passover was so each family would become more personally attached to the animal. Which, in turn, would make it even more difficult to (sacrificially) kill their lamb. Invariably, it was to impress on the people the high price of atonement … the shedding of innocent blood.

“Take special care of this chosen animal until the evening of the fourteenth day of this first month. Then the whole assembly of the community of Israel must slaughter their lamb or young goat at twilight. They are to take some of the blood and smear it on the sides and top of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the animal” (Exodus 12:6-7).

Why must the blood of their innocent slain lamb be applied to the doorframes? Many know the answer to that. Because the Lord said:

“On that night I will pass through the land of Egypt and strike down every firstborn son and firstborn male animal in the land of Egypt. I will execute judgment against all the gods of Egypt, for I am the Lord! But the blood on your doorposts will serve as a sign, marking the houses where you are staying. When I see the blood, I will pass over you. This plague of death will not touch you when I strike the land of Egypt” (Exodus 12:12-13, italics for emphasis).

So … easy answer to the question. Right? God would pass over the Jews as long as they displayed the blood of the slain animals as directed by the Lord.

But wait a minute. That summary answer still doesn’t fully explain what’s going on here. Which is why virtually all Jews, except those who believe in Yeshua as Messiah, focus on the Pesach supper more in the context of and reason for the Feast of Unleavened Bread during their celebration of Passover.

Logically, that makes sense; because they no longer observe the all-important feature of Passover, which is the shed blood of a sacrificial lamb. Scripturally, however, the Jews are not obeying and following God’s original commandment, i.e. sacrificial slaying of innocent animals. That’s particularly true for Passover, but also for the entire Levitical Sacrificial system where sin, guilt, peace (thanks), grain, and other sacrifices were required, including the weekly Sabbath.

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(The True Essence of Passover)

Thanks be to our Sovereign God and His Glorious Son, Messiah Jesus. Although the Jews are not truly keeping the full Scriptural essence of the Passover (slain animal), what most of them don’t know or won’t accept is that God has taken care of that problem! Which will be more fully developed in next week’s article.

In the interim, you might want to read Eye of Prophecy articles, Where Is the Temple? Part I, II, & III, posted 11-19, 12-6 & 12-13-14. They explain in great detail the ongoing disbelief (in denial) of non-Messianic Jews regarding the real reasons for and results of the destruction of the 2nd Temple.

To better understand the very core of Passover, let’s ask some probing questions.

Sacrificial Blood Must Be Shed

Why did it have to be blood (of an innocent unblemished animal)? Why not the juice of grapes, or dye, or paint, or chimes, or anything else that could easily be seen?

For that matter, why must the blood be spread on the entrance to their homes at all?

Does anyone think for a moment that the angel of death sent by God to destroy the firstborn sons of Egypt couldn’t distinguish between Egyptian homes and Hebrew homes (even though it was dark)? Plus, the Hebrews lived in Goshen, completely separated from the Egyptians. Not only that, but all of the previous plagues (a couple partially, most entirely) had not touched nor affected the Israelites. Why wouldn’t or shouldn’t the Lord give his people carte blanche protection during the worst, by far, of the ten plagues?

Have you ever thought about these reasons/questions?

The answers, as always, are found in Scripture.

The Lord specifically states the purpose was to: “execute judgment against all the gods of Egypt, for I am the Lord!”

Egypt had numerous man-made deities, most of which were gods representing specific parts of nature … worshipping creation not the Creator. Their chief god was Ra, the sun god. During the passage of time (400 years of captivity) many of the Hebrews had begun to worship some of these Egyptian gods. They had forgotten that it was the God of their fathers—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—who had called them to be his special possession.

Thus, the Hebrews would also have been struck down by the angel of death; as a whole, they no longer believed in or trusted the true and living God. Which is why God sovereignly said, “I am the Lord.” Repeat those four words aloud three times. With each announcement successively emphasizing “I”, then “AM,” then “The Lord.” Then, you’ll get the full meaning of what God impressed on the Hebrews and why he would not pass over them if they did not follow his instructions.

Because they believed God and followed the angels out of Sodom, Lot and his two daughters were spared from God’s destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. Lot’s wife would also have lived, but she chose to “look back” with the obvious meaning that she longed to go back to this wicked city (her home). Noah and his family were delivered from the Great Flood because their trust in God had made them righteous in God’s sight. Righteousness by and through faith (as opposed to self-righteousness and good works and keeping of laws) alone was already a universal truth long before the Mosaic Law was given.

“And Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith” (Genesis 15:6).

When it comes to God dispensing his wrath on entire cities or nations and his mercy to spare those who love and trust him, there must first be obedient trust in God and his directions to be exempted from divine judgment. Even the Hebrews in the land of Goshen, which was part of Egypt proper, must agree with the Lord’s instructions in order to be spared from, “the plague of death … when I strike the land of Egypt” (Exodus 12:13, italics for emphasis showing that all of Egypt would be judged).

Thus, Passover is first and foremost God sparing his people from judgment, not precisely their departure from Egypt. The “Exodus” itself would be celebrated by the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

Getting back to the distinction God would make between the Egyptians and the Israelites, we again ask the question:

Why blood? Because as Scripture teaches: without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin. Nor pardon from sin’s ultimate penalty … eternal separation from God. From the beginning when Adam and Eve sinned and infected all of humanity with that dreadful disease, God’s plan was to remedy the problem by the shedding of innocent blood. The Lord spilled the blood of innocent animals to make clothing for Adam and Eve to cover their nakedness, which became a source of guilt and shame to our original parents the instant they sinned. It was the fall of innocence.

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The very life of all created beings on this planet is in the blood. We can transplant the human heart and other organs, we can substitute arms and legs with artificial limbs, and we can do skin grafts. But drain the blood of any human being without replacing it, and we’re goners within minutes.

God ordered Abraham to sacrifice his son, Isaac, to demonstrate among other things that the death of the promised son (Isaac as opposed to Ishmael) whose descendants would bring us the Messiah, must die for the sins of Israel and the whole world. God spared Isaac by providing a nearby (innocent) ram in his place. But God did not spare his own (Promised) Son, the One for whom Isaac was a pattern and preview.

Which brings us to Messiah’s fantastic fulfillment and profound perfection of the original Passover. But that will need to wait until next week’s article, which will further distinguish between the festivals of Passover and Unleavened Bread. Then we’ll look at the 3rd and 4th Jewish Festivals … their extraordinary connection to and completion by Messiah Jesus when he came to earth the first time. Finally, week after next we’ll examine the amazing perfection by Messiah Jesus of the last three Jewish Festival to be accomplished at his second coming.

Things to Ponder

All who personally agree with God and accept the sacrificial redemption of Messiah’s shed blood and death, will be saved (spared) from the judgment of God. That includes those who have died in Christ and those still alive seven years before Messiah Jesus physically returns to this earth, “…with power and great glory” (Matthew 24:30).

At the spectacular Rapture, the dead in Christ will be raised and the living will be caught up from the earth to meet the Lord (I Thessalonians Chapter 4).

God’s Pre-Millennial Tribulation wrath and Post-Millennial final judgment of the dead and living will then Passover all who believe in God’s perfect Sacrificial Passover Lamb.

Messiah Jesus, the sinless innocent Son of God, dying in our place. Paying the ultimate price for our sins. Doing for us what we could not for ourselves.

As said in a previous Eye of Prophecy article: It is the Greatest Sacrifice Ever Made, by the Highest Price Ever Paid.

A Third Jewish Temple?

26 Saturday Apr 2014

Posted by in Current Events

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A THIRD JEWISH TEMPLE? (Part I)

On Sunday, April 13, two days before the seven-day Passover celebration began, Israeli security forces were dispatched to Jerusalem’s Temple Mount (Dome of the Rock) to quell a riot instigated by Palestinians who were throwing stones at visiting Israelis. Police, too, were pelted with rocks and with Molotov cocktails; they responded with stun grenades and rubber bullets. The Arab rioters brandished Hamas flags and barricaded themselves inside the Dome of the Rock. Presumably, these Muslim extremists were trying to prevent any Jewish presence on the Temple Mount during Passover, as that would clearly mean the Jews were there to worship on this High Holy Day. Though dispelled, the rioters succeeded, as Jews were banned from Temple Mount during most of the Passover seven-day observance.

Unrest and confrontations on Temple Mount are anything but new; however, this pre-Passover incident was more violent than most. Plus it was the latest of several incidents that seem to be increasing in number and intensity. On March 20th, while ascending Temple Mount, MK (Member of the Knesset) Moshe Feiglin and his group were attacked by stone-throwing Arab youths who screamed “Allah Akbar” during the assault. Prior to that (March 16th), Israeli Housing Minister Uri Ariel was forced to leave the Temple Mount when Palestinian Muslims turned violent.

In February, Israeli security personnel were accosted by Arabs throwing stones and firecrackers. In another incident, dozens of Palestinian teenagers attacked Israeli police on duty at Temple Mount. As noted in a very recent article by journalist David M. Weinberg, writing for the newsletter Israel Hayom, “…Arab youths regularly accost Jewish visitors to the site (Temple Mount), and have taken to almost-daily stoning of Israeli police. The Arabs have even been caught stocking stones and other riot gear inside the mosques. Outrageously, the police response to these attacks has been to close the site to Israeli-Jewish visitors and tourists, instead of closing it to Arab visitors.”

Weinberg goes on to say, “And of course illegal Waqf excavations continue on the Temple Mount without Israeli archaeological supervision. We know that over the past decade the burrowing-out by the Waqf of the underground Solomon’s Stables has wantonly destroyed thousands of years of Jewish relics and history. It seems that the Palestinians are neither willing to countenance live Jews on the Temple Mount nor dead Jews on the Mount of Olives.” (Here, Mr. Weinberg is referring to hundreds of Jewish graves). *Note: During my trip to Israel in March, 2006, I would have been extremely disappointed had I been prevented from stepping foot on the Mount of Olives or the Temple Mount, two of my favorite holy sites.

David Weinberg’s conclusion: “Israel’s control (never mind sovereignty) over the united city is fraying.”

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Israeli Security Forces on Temple Mount

Displaying the height of hypocrisy that makes suspects victims and victims the perpetrators, Jordan accused Israel of violations against the al-Aksa Mosque (Dome of the Rock) and assault against innocent Palestinians shortly after the April 13th skirmish. Jordanian Foreign Minister Amman advised the Israeli Ambassador Daniel Nevo that, “assaulting Muslim worshippers and allowing (in) Jewish extremists must stop … that Jordan holds Israel as the ‘occupying power’ responsible for the security of the mosque and its Muslim worshippers.”

To further demonstrate this hypocrisy, the Jordanian Waqf maintains ultimate authority over who is allowed (or not allowed) to enter the confines of Temple Mount; and, under no circumstances are Jews permitted to pray or exhibit any signs or gestures or acts of worship while on Temple Mount. If a Jew were seen with his head bowed and lips moving, the response would be immediate expulsion from Temple Mount, as that would be indicative of praying. Frankly, that would be no different from a Muslim organization in America (or any other organization) refusing a United States citizen permission to visit the Statue of Liberty. Or if, visitation was allowed, by then attacking American citizens or foreign tourists once they set foot on the premises. It all would depend on whether there were any rioters present at the time.

In reaction to his forced evacuation, Housing Minister Uri Ariel stated, “The reality where there are disturbances on the Temple Mount and these prevent Jews from ascending is unacceptable. I went up this morning and I intend to continue to do so in the future, and I demand from the security forces to secure Jewish sovereignty and allow any Jew to go to the Temple Mount freely.”

In response to Ariel’s stated intentions and increasing demand by several Israeli MKs and government officials, as well as by an increasing number of Israeli citizens, the Knesset has recently begun to listen to Jewish demands to pray and worship on Temple Mount.

Significance of Temple Mount

For readers of this article that may not be fully aware of the importance of the Temple Mount to both religious and secular Jews, let me paraphrase what has been stated in a couple of previous Eye of Prophecy articles: Jerusalem is the very heart and soul of Israel, and the Temple Mount is the heart and soul of Jerusalem. It is none other than Mount Moriah, where Abraham nearly sacrificed his only son, Isaac; and later the site where Solomon’s Temple and the 2nd Temple were built. Unfortunately, it is also the location of the Muslim Dome of the Rock, built some 1600 years after Solomon’s Temple and 1150 years after Ezra and Nehemiah’s Temple. The Muslims knew full well what they were doing when they erected the Dome of the Rock: deliberately replacing the most holy site of the Jews with a mosque that would usurp all Jewish religious and historical rights to Mount Moriah and to Jerusalem itself. Today, Islamists are rewriting history by teaching Arabs (and all others who will listen) that the Jewish Temples never existed in the first place.

It’s true that Israeli officials have (ever since Israel won the Six-Day War including recapture of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount) disallowed Israelis from worshipping on the Mount, but only to maintain some semblance of peace and prevent the very kind of viciousness that is becoming all too common … violence that is always instigated by Palestinian Arabs. That’s why Israeli police were stationed at Temple Mount in the first place: To first and foremost enforce the rule that Jews cannot worship there. In other words, to comply with and enforce an edict that comes straight from a foreign country … Jordan. But, as indicated, the ever-growing attacks by Palestinians are directed against Israelis just for being on Temple Mount regardless of the reason, which they are allowed to do at certain hours of the morning, as long as no praying or worship is displayed.

It would be tantamount to British activists trying to prevent Americans from seeing the Washington Monument in our nation’s capital under the alleged pretense that British sovereignty and history was being desecrated just because America won the Revolutionary War and made Washington D.C. our permanent capital. What kind of reasoning is that? Would you tolerate such convoluted logic and intimidation and simply bypass the Washington Monument?

Just contemplate for a moment: What would be the reaction of Americans if Mexico issued a proclamation that United States citizens could visit the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas only under strict conditions and only during certain hours of the day? Plus, after stepping foot in the confines of the Alamo, they could not, under any circumstances, salute the American flag or even carry a flag or utter a single word about the brave Americans who died defending the Alamo. And woe betide them if they bowed their heads and uttered a prayer, one that God himself gave as a model to Israel and any nation that seriously wanted God’s blessing: “Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land” (II Chronicles 7:14).

Your immediate response might be: “Now you’re talking about the need for Americans to humble themselves before God, acknowledge our wickedness (such as government sponsored abortions), and seek God’s forgiveness and guidance.” And you would be right … but only because of a little rabbit trail departure! My main emphasis was an analogy between a foreign nation imposing political, religious, and cultural demands on American citizens in the same fashion that citizens of Israel are prohibited from exercising their God-given rights to freedom of worship in their own land, at the holiest site in all of Judaism, whenever they choose, without fear of racial insults or bodily harm or death.

How important is the Temple Mount to the Jews and to Israel? I’ll tell you how priceless and precious it is. Although President Mahmoud Abbas of the Palestinian Authority has imposed several conditions on the Israelis before he will even sit down at the negotiating table, Prime Minister Netanyahu has imposed only one condition: Recognition of Israel as a Jewish State. And, incorporated in that stipulation is the implied and default component that Jerusalem is Israel’s undivided capital. Virtually all other issues are negotiable to the Israelis. But Jerusalem will not be divided between east and west, and the Temple Mount must not be (permanently) annexed by a people who aren’t even citizens of Israel.

Even though I understand why, it’s nevertheless completely amazing to me that Israel relinquished a single square foot of Jerusalem to Jordanian or Palestinian control after re-capturing the holy city in the Six-Day War of 1967 at the highest price possible—the blood and lives of their soldiers and civilians. Why did they give back part of what they won in battle? Sad, but easy answer: To maintain a semblance of peace through appeasement of the Arabs but mostly as a concession to global pressure, including the United States.

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Aerial view of Temple Mount

Things Are Changing

It’s apparent that Israelis are growing tired of constant unrequited demands of conciliation not only from the Palestinians, but by Middle East Muslim nations; and not only by Muslim enemies who have sworn to destroy Israel such as Iran, but also by allies of their enemies, i.e. Russia, China, North Korea, Indonesia. But the worst of all: Western nations, especially European, whose citizens are displaying overt and ominous signs of Anti-Semitism almost on a daily basis. And, with a great deal of alarm, I’m beginning to wonder about the loyalty of the Unites States toward Israel.

Many Jews, especially the observant Jews, but also non-observant (secular) Israelis—some who are MKs or State officials—are beginning to question the right of the Israeli government and certainly the right of a foreign nation or non-Israeli citizens such as the Palestinians of the West Bank and Gaza Strip to place strict regulations (or any regulations at all) against freedom of movement and worship on Temple Mount.

But the recent and renewed interest in the Temple Mount is not just based on an increasing discontent with these restrictions. I firmly believe the primary reason for this resurgent passion toward Israel’s revered and venerated holy site has much more to do with the crescendo of enthusiasm over the coming of Messiah. An integral part of this desire for His appearance is the eagerness to rebuild the Temple. There are several organizations in Israel whose members are devoted to this 2000-year old dream, none more so than The Temple Institute.

A Rebuilt Temple … just a matter of time?

In the introductory pages of their website, The Temple Institute states, “THE SCHOLARS OF THE TEMPLE INSTITUTE have dedicated their lives to raising public awareness of the importance of the Holy Temple in the life of all mankind, both Israel and the nations of the world. The Institute seeks to disseminate this knowledge, rekindle the desire and yearning for the rebuilding of the Holy Temple, and help to prepare as much as possible for the actual rebuilding.”

The Temple Institute considers it their mission to, “…educate about the great significance of Mount Moriah, the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, the only site in the world that is considered holy by the Jewish people, and the only site in the world which G-d chose to rest His presence through the establishment of the Holy Temple.” *Note: Most observant Jews do not insert the vowel when they write the English name of God … this out of total reverence for Hashem (The Name). I’m referring to the Old Covenant name of God that he gave to Moses … I AM who I AM or Yahweh. Or more accurately: YHWH.

Referencing the April 13th attack at the Temple Mount and blasting the Jordanian Waqf (Muslim Trust), Temple Institute International Director, Rabbi Chaim Richman declared, “In the middle of Jerusalem there is a city-state with diplomatic immunity where the enemy flag is unfurled and where plans are being made to attack Jews … that is absolutely unspeakable.” Of course, the city-state referenced by Rabbi Richman is the Muslim Dome of the Rock—compared to the Vatican (city-state) that has complete control over all people and activities conducted in Vatican City. Among other things, the Vatican has diplomatic immunity and separate sovereignty from the Italian government.

Another entity called, The Temple Mount Organizations is an umbrella group promoting Jewish rights to the Temple Mount. On April 10, they conducted their third annual “dry run” of a Passover sacrifice. That date was the tenth day of the Hebrew month of Nisan, the day instructed by God for the Hebrews to begin preparation of their lambs for the first sacrifice (Exodus Passover). To then be observed on an annual basis.

Many Rabbis in Israel—indeed, all over the world—believe the Messiah could arrive any day. Accordingly, they contend that members of the priestly families who will be responsible for conducting Temple services need to be ready. Currently, there are those in Israel (in the family tree of Levi) training for the priesthood. Sacred Temple vessels have already been crafted by the Temple Institute, and priestly garments are being fashioned to precise Biblical specifications.

Referencing the 3rd Temple’s prophetic past and future, The Temple Institute relays, “…it is a story still unfolding, the most exciting chapters being written now, in our own times.”

How right they are! End time prophecies are, indeed, unfolding before our very eyes. I’ve sometimes fancied myself born in previous generations. What would I have done, have become? What would it have been like to follow George Washington into battle with the very future of the United States of America at stake? Or a pioneer in a covered wagon on a dangerous, but victorious journey to beautiful California. Or alongside of Christopher Columbus on his way to a Brave New World? So many possibilities, so many quests. But if God gave me a choice to live in a dozen past generations with a hundred exhilarating (but safe!) adventures, I would turn them all down to live right now, for such a time as this!

No, I wouldn’t trade any time in history for the present day … hopefully for the awesome thrill and privilege to be transfigured and transported directly to heaven in the Rapture. To watch daily events through the prophetic binoculars of the Word of God, and to watch as the hope of fellow believers increases exponentially for that final trumpet to sound. The entire earth is being prepared for the awesome return of our Lord and Savior, Messiah Jesus.

Nearly every month another piece of the prophetic puzzle is assembled. But to our Almighty God in Heaven, it is not a puzzle at all. It is a beautiful, magnificent tapestry intricately woven together from the ancient past. It is like a very long parade seen only one float at a time by humanity, but viewed in its entirety from above by our Glorious God. Everything from the salvation of souls all over the world (including Israel) to the planning and preparation for the coming 3rd Temple, right down to the utensils used!

Recently, two men, Moshe Hachim and Eli Yorav requested permission from Israeli police officials to conduct a sacrifice on Temple Mount, by means of a portable alter, wood (for the fire), vessels for collecting the blood, and other needed instruments. And, of course, a lamb! I do not know the result of this petition. Undoubtedly, it will be rejected. But only for now. One day it will happen. When it does the time will be very, very short for Messiah’s majestic return to the Mount of Olives, not much more than a stone’s throw from Temple Mount!

Things to Ponder

“After this, the man brought me back around to the east gateway. Suddenly, the glory of the God of Israel appeared from the east. The sound of his coming was like the roar of rushing waters, and the whole landscape shone with his glory. This vision was just like the others I had seen, first by the Kebar River and then when he came to destroy Jerusalem. I fell face down on the ground. And the glory of the Lord came into the Temple through the east gateway” (Ezekiel 43:1-4). Can the glory of the Lord (Messiah, himself) enter a Temple that hasn’t yet been built?

Don’t miss next week’s article: Part II of the Jewish Temple, beginning with: Will there be a Third Temple. If so, When and Why?

Passover … an Enduring Legacy

12 Saturday Apr 2014

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PASSOVER … AN ENDURING LEGACY

Try to visualize our state and federal highways built without overpasses found on hundreds of clover leafs and interchanges throughout the country. There would be instant and ongoing traffic gridlock that would make a twisting, turning roller coaster ride at Disneyland seem like a perfectly straight path. And standing in line to get to that ride would seem like only a minute or two. Not to mention the hazardous traffic conditions created, so I won’t mention that. Instead, we are able to enter or exit an Interstate highway bypassing high-speed traffic below or above us. We pass over those obstacles on a path that keeps us moving toward our destination.

One of the greatest events in human history took place when God, himself, passed over the descendants of Abraham while the angel of death traveled through the land of Egypt killing the firstborn son in every Egyptian family. Virtually all Jews know the story, as do hundreds of millions of Gentiles throughout the world. Even Hollywood has told the tale that has survived some 3200 years of human history. You remember, don’t you? The Ten Commandments, featuring Charlton Heston as Moses. The first Passover marked the birth of the Jewish nation.

The Passover plague was the tenth and the most devastating in the line of miracles God performed against the Egyptians, who’s Pharaoh stubbornly refused to free God’s people … ordered by God, through Moses and Aaron. It was the plague to end all plagues. It was the, “what does it take to get your full attention, to fully understand that I am the true and Almighty God and I mean business,” catastrophe. It was, what part of “let my people go” don’t you understand?

The stakes were incredibly high—deliverance from oppression, brutality, deprivation, and often times death at the hands of cruel task masters. Lest you think that the demise of every firstborn Egyptian was too harsh, there were some two million Israelites held in unbearable bondage. It was slave labor for an entire race of people. Would you be willing to continue sixth or seventh generational back-breaking, soul-sapping, poverty-stricken labor for someone else who couldn’t care less whether you lived or died or how much you suffered between birth and death?

In this country, a mere thirteen colonies composed of only a few thousand people revolted against the mighty empire of England. Do you think the American Revolutionary Army would have shamefully given up the fight if they had been ordered to kill the firstborn of every English family to gain their freedom? Though the task would have been grim, they certainly would have done what was necessary for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Economic, cultural, and political repression by England was no longer tolerable. And this subjugation by “taxation without representation” had gone on for only a few decades; whereas the Israelites had been in submissive enslavement and abject poverty for 430 years! Enough was enough. God heard their desperate cry for help. It was time to return to the land promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; a land given to them by God, himself … time to be the head, and not the tail.

Read with me God’s instructions to Moses and the Hebrews: “On that night I will pass through the land of Egypt and strike down every firstborn son and firstborn male animal in the land of Egypt. I will execute judgment against all the gods of Egypt, for I am the Lord! But the blood on your doorposts will serve as a sign, marking the houses where you are staying. When I see the blood, I will pass over you. This plague of death will not touch you when I strike the land of Egypt. This is a day to remember. Each year, from generation to generation, you must celebrate it as a special festival to the Lord. This is a law for all time” (Exodus 12: 12-14).

Down through the ages, that’s exactly what the Jews have done. The Jewish Passover is still celebrated to this very day. It will be observed next Tuesday, April 15th and continues for one week as the feast of unleavened bread. Somehow, in some inexplicable way, the Jews never forgot how much Passover means to them. Despite being ruthlessly conquered by the Assyrians in 722 BC, by the Babylonians in 586 BC, and finally by the Romans in 70 AD, driven out of their land, and exiled to virtually every nation on the earth for some 2000 years, they faithfully kept Passover. You would think that the Jews, who were no longer a people or a nation (as nations are defined by a people living in a certain land), would have eventually forgotten or dismissed the importance of an observance that, among other things, required a personal journey to Jerusalem every year to celebrate this ordained festival.

Yet, millions of Jews in Israel and millions more throughout the world have already begun their meticulous preparation for Passover Seder. Tens of thousands will travel to Israel, reborn as a nation in 1948; tens of thousands more will fly from Israel to their families in the United States, Russia, France, Germany and countries all over the earth. Many Seders consist of extended families with twenty or thirty in attendance.

Why? Is it because God ordained Passover as an annual ritual to be remembered and observed by the Jews? Yes, but that is not the complete picture or reason, as confirmed by the fact that many Jews who celebrate Passover are not observant Jews who practice Judaism on a regular basis … meaning they are secular, or at the most, reformed or liberal in their leanings. It’s ceremonial, but it’s more than a ritual. To better understand the deep meaning and relevance of Passover to even secular Jews in today’s post-modern non-religious or even anti-religious society, we need to identify what really took place in this tenth and final miracle that led to deliverance of the Jews.

Redemption

Why were Israelite families required to sacrifice a lamb or a goat and then, “take some of the blood and smear it on the sides and top of the door frames of the houses….”? (Exodus 12:7). Then, as we already have read, the Lord would, “see the blood. I will pass over you…” (Verse 13). By now the Hebrews fully understood that their God was the true and living Almighty God. Nine previous miracles attested to God’s omniscience and omnipotence, as well as remembrance that he was the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Wouldn’t it suffice to deal with the Egyptians in one ultimate, miraculous demonstration of power? Why must the Jews participate through a visible display of blood to exempt them from this final devastating plague? And, why must it be repeated as an annual observance forever?

The answer: God’s deliverance of the Jews was more than liberation from corporeal slavery in Egypt. For sure it was physical redemption (akin to the ancient purchase of a slave in order to grant freedom to the slave). Redeem has a twofold meaning: “to buy back … to free from that which distress or harms … to free from captivity” (Webster’s dictionary). But also to: “release from blame or debt.” Biblical redemption, therefore, generates deliverance from external harm or captivity or judgment (whether deserved or not), but also from internal enslavement to selfishness and sin.

In the Exodus, for the first time the redemptive price was the sacrifice of thousands upon thousands of otherwise innocent lambs and goats throughout the land. But even that was not enough. For it was necessary that each Israelite (family) personally apply the blood of this sacrifice to his/her dwelling place. This served as a “sign” that each man, woman, and child would be spared the plague of death that would strike Egypt.

This personal application of the blood would demonstrate and represent individual responsibility of choosing to obey the Lord; to recognize that, without the shedding of blood, there would be no escape from God’s wrath and judgment—which is administered only against those who refuse to acknowledge the true and living God and trust him exclusively for their redemption (salvation). Thus, there was no relief for the Egyptians, as they had made it all too clear that they would not (even after nine horrible plagues) listen to God and let his people go.

Less than two years later, all of God’s laws and decrees were given to the Israelites through Moses, including the extraordinary Levitical sacrificial system that established a relationship to/with God on God’s terms. The bedrock cornerstone of this system: without the shedding of blood, there would be no atonement for sin. There would be no redemption. The high-priced guilt and consequences of sin required an equally high price in order for God to forgive wrongdoing against him and against humanity.

This God-given principle of life (and death) was necessary for God’s chosen people as much or more than the pagan nations who deliberately ignored and even defied the true and living God, choosing instead to worship man-made gods of fertility and prosperity. No different from people today who follow hard after (worship) the gods of money, power, pleasure, prestige, sex, and greed. Thus, the Lord God made it clear that deliverance of the Israelites from slavery was not only liberation from Egyptian bondage, but an ultimate release from the penalty of personal and national sin. Both required a sacrificial offering. Both required trust in God and God alone.

Later, through King David and the prophets, God made known to Israel in more detail that a Messiah would come who would redeem Israel … to the fullest meaning and extent of the very idea of redemption. “The Redeemer will come to Jerusalem to buy back those in Israel who have turned from their sins, says the Lord” (Isaiah 59:20). And, “The Lord has sent this message to every land: Tell the people of Israel, ‘Look, your Savior is coming. See, he brings his reward with him as he comes.’ They will be called, ‘The Holy People’ and ‘The People Redeemed by the Lord’” (Isaiah 62: 11-12).

God wanted the Jews to never forget who it was that rescued them from miserable, hopeless, endless servitude. And, he wanted them to remember what exactly it was that accomplished this delivery from otherwise certain death during the 10th plague… the blood of an innocent lamb. And then to understand that serving the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob would result in true freedom from personal enslavement to sin with all of its ugly consequences.

One of my favorite passages in all of Scripture records God’s amazing guarantee to King David that concludes with, “Your house and your kingdom will continue before me for all time, and your throne will be secure forever” (II Samuel 7:16). Because the succession of Israel’s kings ended with the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in 586 BC, it’s all too obvious that this everlasting promise could only be fulfilled by the coming Messiah, a descendant of David who would one day rule and reign forever.

I love King David’s reaction to God’s remarkable promise. The very heart of that response focuses on his keen remembrance of and tribute to Israel’s spectacular emancipation from what (at the time) seemed to be perpetual slavery. Listen to David’s stirring prayer of gratitude: “How great you are, O Sovereign Lord! There is no one like you. We have never even heard of another God like you! What other nation on earth is like your people Israel? You made a great name for yourself when you redeemed your people from Egypt. You performed awesome miracles and drove out the nations and gods that stood in their way. You made Israel your very own people forever, and you, O Lord, became their God” (II Samuel 7: 22-24, italics for emphasis).

But David knew, as did many of Israel’s prophets, that God’s Passover redemption of Israel would (later) also include a “people that were not God’s people” in God’s majestic plan of salvation. That it would be God’s Messiah who would accomplish this purpose.

Another Celebration of Passover

Christians also celebrate Passover every year, in a different way; but with the same emphasis of applying blood to the doorposts of our hearts and minds. We call it Easter, although I personally prefer Resurrection Day or Resurrection Sunday, as it really has nothing to do with bunnies and a search for eggs! How on earth did we ever go from, “Hallelujah, He is Risen,” to “Happy Easter.” Oh, I know the story of Easter and all that … I’m just lamenting the change in name, prominence, and meaning of a magnificent Holy Day in which our Great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, arose from the dead; to one where we hide eggs for our children to find, without telling them that they can find the greatest treasure of all time in Jesus, who loves them and died for them. But, I digress!

The difference is that true born-again Christians believe that God’s chosen Redeemer has, indeed, come to this earth. That Jesus of Nazareth is the very Messiah predicted by the prophets, as proclaimed by the first prophet to have come to Israel in over 400 hundred years (since the last prophet, Malachi), John the Baptist: “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! He is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘A man is coming after me who is far greater that I am, for he existed long before me. I did not recognize him as the Messiah, but I have been baptizing with water so that he might be revealed to Israel” (John 1:29-31).

Indeed, Jesus was revealed to Israel, and to the whole world as God’s Messiah, the very Son of God. He proved this beyond any doubt by willingly dying an excruciating death on a cruel cross for the sins of the whole world and then rising from the dead! But to be forgiven, to pass from death (eternal separation from God) to life, to live forever with God and the host of heaven, each person must apply the shed blood of Christ to the threshold of their heart. How is this done? According to Scripture, it’s really very simple: “For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood…” (Romans 3:25). But this universal truth must be personalized.

Before Christ miraculously raised Lazarus from the grave, Jesus and Lazarus sister, Martha, had one of the most poignant, but powerful and precious conversations ever recorded in the Bible. “Jesus told her, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?’” (John 11:25-26). Can and will we reply with Martha, “Yes, Lord, she told him. I have always believed you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who has come into the world from God” (John 11:27).

Passover is to be celebrated each year on the 14th day of the Hebrew month of Nisan (our months of March or April). On precisely that day in 32 AD Jesus was crucified on a Roman cross. That was beyond mere coincidence. God deliberately chose that day to sacrifice his beloved Son, as the final atonement for every man, woman, and child who has ever lived. Nor was it a coincidence that the Temple curtain that enclosed the Holy of Holies (the place where the annual sacrifice took place) was inexplicably torn down. Nor was it mere happenstance that the Temple itself was destroyed 40 years later just as Jesus predicted. Each of these remarkable events took place to demonstrate that Jesus was the supreme sacrifice once and for all time and for all people. It was no longer necessary to sacrifice animals. Sins were no longer just covered, they were completely removed from all who believe in so great a salvation.

Listen now to the words of the apostle Paul, formerly known as Saul—a once devout Jewish Pharisee steeped in the Mosaic Law—who persecuted the followers of Christ, “Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law” (Romans 3:27-28).

When God delivered the Hebrews from captivity in Egypt, there was no Mosaic law. That came later and primarily for the purpose of educating the Jews to the fact that no one is capable of keeping the whole law. The law was given as a written record, written proof of what the human conscience already knew (the difference between right and wrong). It also served as a tutor, pointing the way to the coming Messiah … training them to fully grasp the God-given spiritual law, “…without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness” (Hebrews 9:22). When God passed over the Hebrews, he didn’t just pass over the entire populace at once. Rather, the angel of death passed over each and every house where the blood had been applied.

Israel’s Fervent Longing for Messiah

The Passover Seder is still the most widely celebrated Jewish festival in today’s world, eclipsing even Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. Most Jews reenact the fateful hours of that night long ago. And, as indicated in several past Eye of Prophecy articles, there is a growing awareness and increasing expectancy that Moshiach (Hebrew for Messiah) will come at any time. To varying degrees, non-religious and religious Jews alike believe the time is very short for Messiah’s triumphant arrival. They refer to this time simply as The Redemption that will take place in the Messianic Era.

As noted by reporter, Ahuva Balofsky in a Breaking Israel News article, “In fact, the 12th century sage, Maimonides, listed belief in his (Messiah’s) imminent arrival as one of the thirteen Principles of Faith that separate true believers from heretics. When he comes, tradition dictates, all Jews will be gathered back to the land of Israel and an era of peace, prosperity, and understanding for all mankind will be ushered in. It is precisely for this reason that some individuals outside the country (Israel) own and maintain property there.”

What is Ms. Balofsky referring to? She is explaining a unique condition that many Jerusalem homeowners have inserted into rental contracts … the Moshiach clause! This clause stipulates that when Messiah arrives renters must vacate the home to allow the landlord to return and live there. In other words, these absentee landlords want to guarantee themselves a place to live in Jerusalem when Messiah appears in Israel. Some landlords will rigidly enforce this clause; however, others will apparently work with their tenants depending on the language of the contract. For example, one renter who didn’t like the contract (“Where would we go? What would we do?” the renter said), persuaded the owner to provide one room of the two-room apartment for the tenant to live, with the landlord occupying the second room!

This is nothing short of astonishing! Because it demonstrates both the ideal and the practical longing and expectancy held by many Jews that Messiah is soon to come. For the Christian, it will be the return of Yeshua ha Mashiach. (Jesus the Messiah).

Jews and Gentiles who have been redeemed (passed over) by the Lamb of God, will not experience the wrath of God during the Great Tribulation. (See I Thessalonians 5:9). We will be taken in the Rapture and spared from the greatest calamity ever experienced by mankind, much like Noah and his family escaped the Great Flood, and just like the Hebrews were passed over by the angel of death.

Meanwhile we all remember: Without the shedding of blood, there would be no Passover. There would be no forgiveness of sin and no protection from God’s judgment, which includes eternal separation from God after death.

The first Passover led the Jews to the Promised Land of Israel. Though exiled, they have returned in great numbers. For hundreds of years the Passover Seder has included the utterance by Jews all over the world, “Next year in Jerusalem.” Today, millions of Jews have seen that dream come true.

The last Passover (sacrifice) was made by a prophet greater even than Moses. None other than a man from Galilee willingly laid down his life and shed his blood to deliver us from our trespasses. He made us right with God. Do you believe that?

Hallelujah to the Lamb of God! Great glory and power to the Lion from the tribe of Judah!

Things to Ponder

What is meant by the last Passover? Does that mean it’s no longer important to celebrate Passover? Or does it mean that blood sacrifices are no longer necessary? Or both?