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Understanding Passover
Bob Widmer
Revision date: 3/23/2007
Preface: This is not a calendar study. This article assumes that a
day, like the Sabbath day, begins at evening; sunset, dusk, the
beginning of twilight (see Nehemiah 13:19). The article assumes you
believe the teachings of Yahshua/Jesus, Messiah. If you do not
believe both of these, the Passover cannot be understood completely.
Many articles have been written about this subject. Much of it is
supposition, and not from scripture alone. Look up the references in
your Bible and prove what you are reading. Please do that if you
want to really understand this subject, otherwise this is just
another Passover article; one of hundreds.
The goal of this brief article is to explain the following:
1. The Passover timing, the Night to Be Much Observed, which is the
Passover;
2. That Yhashua/Jesus was not a Passover sacrifice, and did not die
at the time of any Temple sacrifice that was taking place;
3. That the Jews were not killing lambs at the Temple at the same
time Yahshua died;
4. That Passover is early on the 14th of the first month;
5. That there is nothing we today should keep at the end of the 14th
or the evening of the 15th of the first month;
6. That there is no such thing as the “Lord’s Supper”.
This subject has been the focus of tons of paperwork, books, and
discussions. The first thing, while reading this information, is to
place your pre-conceived ideas and traditions on the shelf until you
have read all of this and have heard the end of this point of view.
This approach may likely be quite different from what you have ever
heard in the past. Read it carefully, and check your Bible to see if
you find fault with it. John 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth:
thy word is truth.
Ways the Passover is kept:
1. At the going down of the sun on the late afternoon of the 14th
day of the first month.
2. Early on the 15th because that is the way the Jewish tradition
observes it.
3. Late on the 14th because that is when the Jews of the day were
killing the Passover sacrifices at the Temple, and Yahshua/Jesus
died at that exact time.
4. Early on the 14th because that was the night of the “Lord’s
Supper”, a commemorative meal, as found in Paul’s writings, and the
real Passover was actually the next night.
5. Early on the 14th because that is the night Yahshua/Jesus kept
it, knowing he would be unable to keep it at the correct time the
next night.
6. Early on the 14th because he would die later on at the time the
Jews sacrificed the lambs at the Temple.
7. Since there are only 7 days of “Unleavened bread”, The Passover
has to be late on the 14th or else there would be eight days
unleavened, and Scripture says 7 days.
8. Yahshua kept Passover early on the 14th, called “the night he was
betrayed”, so that is when we should keep it and hope to have it
right until he returns and lets us know for sure.
Guess what? None of the above is valid. Which one do you observe? I
observed it 3 of the ways listed.
The whole story of Passover is laid out in Exodus 12. It establishes
the timing, the story, how it was done originally in that day, and
what and who it was for. The Passover animal was to be a kid of the
flock, and not one of the herd animals, and was killed at home, or
at a house, not at the Temple. There is no mention that it was a
sacrifice, rather a killing of the kid, a goat or lamb. It was to be
kept without food from the tenth of the first month, UNTIL the 14th
day, killed just after the sun had set, and roasted (not boiled or
oven cooked) over a fire whole, minus the entrails. The first
Passover was the only one of its kind, and later was to be a
constant memorial of that event. The reason for the Passover was to
judge the gods of Egypt, and specifically for the preservation of
the first born. It was not for sin. The following seven days were
about sin and leaven. That ancient theme is the same for today
because there are those who are referred to as the firstborn, or
first fruits from the dead. Messiah is the first of the firstfruits.
Yahweh has passed over them, and they will never die in the second
death.
1. The Exodus Account
Exodus 12:6 And it shall be for you to keep until the fourteenth day
of this month. And all the assembly of the congregation of Israel
shall kill at evening.
12:8 They shall eat the flesh in that night (after evening), roasted
with fire, and unleavened bread. They shall eat it with bitter
herbs.
12:10 You shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; but that
which remains of it until the morning you shall burn with fire.
12:14 This day shall be to you for a memorial, and you shall keep it
a feast to Yahweh: throughout your generations you shall keep it a
feast by an ordinance forever.
Before continuing with Exodus 12, here is an explanation of the
biblical day: Each day has four segments. A day ends and also
begins with evening, sundown; later it becomes night, then
morning occurs
before sunrise; then daytime. If you are in doubt, refer to Nehemiah
13:19. Also, see the charts at the end. The Passover is the 14; of
the month. Nowhere does the Bible call for Passover on the 13th or
the 15th. Also, in every scripture containing 14th Passover
instructions, there is not one statement that the animal is to be
slaughtered on one day and eaten another (i.e. 14th/15th). If you
truly believe that a day begins at the precise moment of sunset,
then all of the events of the 14th Passover occurred on the 14th day
only and none of it on the 15th, indeed none on the 13th either.
Later, we will see how the term “Passover” and the next seven days
are all called either Passover, or the Days of Unleavened Bread
interchangeably.
Exodus 12:22 You shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the
blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two
side-posts (on the house) with the blood that is in the basin; and
none of you shall go out of the door of his house until the morning.
(sunrise)
12:24 You shall observe this thing for an ordinance to you and to
your sons forever.
12:29 It happened at midnight (the 14th), that Yahweh struck all the
firstborn in the land of Egypt…
Exo 12:31 He called for Moses and Aaron by night (still the 14th),
and said, "Rise up, get out from among my people, both you and the
children of Israel; and go, serve Yahweh, as you have said! They did
not go out at night, they went out in the morning, after daylight
appeared as they were instructed. They were set free that night when
Pharaoh sent out his decree. See verse 22. Morning is “boqer”, which
in Hebrew means daybreak, dawn, and the end of night.
The following will demonstrate that Passover is a separate time from
the following seven days:
Num 33:3 They traveled from Rameses in the first month, on the
fifteenth day of the first month; on the next day after the Passover
the children of Israel went out with a high hand in the sight of all
the Egyptians 33:4 while the Egyptians were burying all their
firstborn....
The above verse makes it plain that they did not leave Egypt until
daylight, or at least some part of the daytime, in plain view of the
Egyptians that were burying their dead. Who would bury their dead at
night? There were a couple million people involved with “going
forth” and it took some time even with a full moon. Don’t forget,
they lived in Goshen and had to travel to Rameses before they could
travel from there.
All of this seems plain enough if we take it at face value, but
instead people listen to the tradition of the Jews, the
misunderstanding of Deuteronomy 16:1-8, and John 18:28, and a whole
lot of other ideas, and the facts found in scripture become
corrupted. What would we expect Yahshua, Messiah to do when it comes
to keeping Passover? Keep it improperly, even at the wrong time? Not
a chance. Most of the people I have come in contact with make some
kind of excuse for Yahshua on the night he was betrayed, and refuse
to believe what he said in Matthew 26:18, Mark 14:14, and Luke
22:11. More later on that.
Above, I left out Exodus 12:18, and now want to make an interesting
comment about it.
Exo 12:18 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at
evening, you shall eat unleavened bread, until the twenty first
day
of the month at evening.
Emphasis is on the words “twenty first day”. Now, we know the 21st
day is the last day of Unleavened “Bread”. Including the 21st day,
count backwards until you have included seven days. You find that 21
minus 7 equal 15. Unleavened Bread indeed includes the 15th through
the 21st, but Passover is on the 14th. If this is not clear at this
point it will be made even more clear later. Now, how do we know the
above is true: Num 28:16 In the first month, on the fourteenth day
of the month, is Yahweh's Passover. Num 28:17 On the fifteenth day
of this month shall be a feast: seven days shall unleavened bread be
eaten. Simple, if 14th day is Passover, and the 15th begins the
first of seven days, then the 21st is included making 7 full days,
the total then is 8 days. See chart at the end
2. New Testament Examples
The following are what I refer to as my two witnesses to the truth
of what occurred during the Passover the year that Yahshua died.
These two verses confirm the fact that the whole Jewish community in
that year, kept Passover the same evening, and at the same time that Yahshua and his disciples did. Here’s proof:
Mar 14:12 And the first day of unleavened bread, when “they” killed
the Passover, his disciples said unto him, Where wilt you that we go
and prepare that you may eat the Passover? This statement was not
contested by anyone. Emphasis on the words “they”, “we”, and “you”.
Luk 22:7 Then came the day of unleavened bread, “when” the Passover
must be killed.
Luk 22:8 And he sent Peter and John, saying, Go and prepare us
the
Passover, that we may eat. This statement was not contested by
anyone. It should be obvious to anyone that this eating was indeed a
supper. Passover includes a supper, a meal, we eat it. Emphasis on
the words “when”, “us”, and “we”.
I ask a plain and blunt question; is the above the truth, or is it a
lie? This is the heart and soul of this article; the bottom line.
Did they eat the Passover, or did they do something else?
In Mark 14:12, the focus word is “they”. Who were “they”? They were
everyone that kept Passover. It is no mystery, but this is not what
we have been taught. In Luke 22 we see the same thing. It explains
the time that the Passover is killed; the key word is “when”. Verse
8 plainly says that it was the Passover the group was going to eat,
not some other event or time. Everyone else in the community ate
Passover at that same time. I will demonstrate this later (see #4,
Passover of the Jews).
2Co 13:1 In the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be
established.
In order to show there is no doubt that Messiah meant something
different than the Passover, we have witness number three:
Mat 26:18 He said, "Go into the city to a certain person, and tell
him, 'The Teacher says', "My time is at hand. I will keep the
Passover at your house with my disciples.
Mat 26:19 the disciples did as Yahshua commanded them, and they
prepared the Passover.
Mat 26:20 Now when the evening was come, he sat down with the
twelve.
The person who’s house they went to, knew that it was Passover. No
one suggested, “hey, you have the wrong day and time”. Just to
reiterate that Passover is a domestic, or a home or “house” event,
here are two proofs.
Exo 12:3 Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the
tenth of this month they shall take to them each man a lamb for a
father's house, a lamb for a house.
Luk 22:10 Follow him into the house where he enters.
Luk 22:11 And you shall say to the master of the house, The Teacher
says to you, Where is the guest room where I shall eat the Passover
with My disciples?
Notice, there is no temple mentioned, no “place where Yahweh shall
place his name” is mentioned. This is real important to keep in
mind. The temple has nothing to do with Passover, but the next seven
days does.
Thanks to a lady on my forum who made the following observation that
is just another proof that Passover is what Yahshua, his disciples,
and the entire community were keeping together that same night. She
said:
In John 13:27, Yahshua tells Judas, "That which you do, do quickly."
Some of the disciples think that Yahshua is telling Judas, "Buy
those things that we have need of against the Feast..." (v. 29).
This simple passage is proof that they were keeping Passover early
on the 14th, because if they had done it late on the 14th, the
disciples would never have thought that Yahshua was telling Judas to
go buy anything – because it would have been buying on the 15th, the
first Day Unleavened, and a High Day, something which is against the
Law. Unless someone says that this occurred early enough before
sunset that Judas might buy before sunset and before the High Day
began, we can look at the next verse: "He then having received the
sop went immediately out: and it was night." See the charts at the
end.
What we find above are some good details of the events including
information as to when a day begins. Each day has one evening and
one night. There are many questions that arise, but the events are
entirely simple to understand if we remove false traditions, and
dispose of them. Matthew, Mark, and Luke, our three witnesses agree,
it was Passover, the night before he died. In addition, if they kept
Passover the night before the Days Unleavened, Yahshua did not eat
it two days early as some believe.
3. Passover is a night moed
The Passover is the only night "moed" (appointment), but all of the
"Feasts" last for 24 hours. Not much happens at night in those
ancient days because electricity did not come into use until the
20th century. Passover is a night activity at home; the daytime of
the 14th is not holy time. Atonement on the other hand is for the
whole 24 hours. Of course, all days begin at sunset, and they last
24 hours.
Many will disagree, but Scripture is silent on anything that is done
late on the 14th other than to un-leaven their homes after morning
begins on the 14th, until sundown which begins the 15th. The 15th is
the beginning of the Days Unleavened, and it specifically says it is
for seven days, not eight. See chart.
Passover is not a day unleavened, nor is it a Feast day. It is very
important to note that the bread used on Passover is different bread
used for a different symbol. The bread on the Passover, as Yahshua
said, is a symbol of the Master (His) Yahshua's body, and that bread
does not represent sin. Being Unleavened seven days does represent
the removal of the sin of malice and wickedness. The day portion of
the 14th is not unleavened, but we are to remove leaven by the end
of the 14th day. In John 19:31, this is called the “preparation”,
and that is how they prepared by removing leaven. More on that
preparation later….
The Bible says Passover is to be kept at "twilight "on the 14th.
Twilight is between the evenings, after the sun sets, and the space
of time before it gets dark coming out of day 13 and into day 14.
Twilight is not rocket science. Your dictionary says that twilight
is after sunset. A day begins when the sun goes down. The remaining
twilight is the included with the beginning of the next day until it
becomes night. Between the evenings is twilight. Also, it is not the
time from noon to sundown like the late 14th proponents advocate.
What is written in the Bible, is all that counts if it is a true
book. What the Jews say, or what anyone says that is not found in
scripture, is just a waste of time. This subject is just too
intricate and emotional to involve guesswork.
4. The Passover of the Jews
Num 28:16 And in the fourteenth
day of the first month is the
Passover of Yahweh.
Num 28:17 And in the fifteenth day of this month is the Feast: seven
days shall unleavened bread be eaten.
One would think the above two verses would clarify the entire issue
from the Law, but almost no one believes it. Each day has one
evening, one night, one morning, and one daytime.
Taken at face value, are the above two verses confusing? No, they
are as plain as the nose on your face. There are two separate days,
and two separate events that occur, one event on each day. The whole
day of the 14th (verse 28:16) comes before the 15th. The animal was
killed at evening, blood sprinkled, eaten, Yahweh passed over,
morning came, they went out, and the rest of the day of the 14th
went by till evening when the 14th ended, and the 15th began as in
verse 17.
Before moving on, let’s take a look at the term “preparation”. This
can be very confusing because there are actually two preparations.
One preparation is for Passover night, and the other is before the
“high day”, or Sabbath of the First day Unleavened. For Passover:
Exo 12:6 And you shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the
same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel
shall kill it in the evening. In light of Numbers 28:16 above, this
“until” is at the beginning of the 14th. It can’t be any other time.
The next preparation is for the seven Days Unleavened, where leaven
is to be removed: John 19:31 The Jews therefore, because it was the
preparation, that the bodies should not remain upon the stake on the
Sabbath day, (for that Sabbath day was an high day,) besought Pilate
that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away.
This preparation was not to kill animals, but was to un-leaven their
homes before the “high day” began. See Numbers 28:17 above.
Next, I want to look at three verses that make you wonder just who
was tending the Temple on the afternoon of the 14th? This is the
time we have always been told that all of the priests were to kill
the “Passover sacrifices” at the Temple that fateful day. The fact
is there is no such activity recorded in scripture, only what is
claimed by men that do not believe the words of Matthew, Mark, Luke
and also Yahshua, Messiah.
Mark 14:53 And they led Yahshua away to the high priest: and with
him were assembled ALL the chief priests and the elders and
the
scribes.
Mark 15:30 Save thyself, and come down from the stake. 31 Likewise
also the chief priests mocking said among themselves with the
scribes, He saved others; himself he cannot save. 32 Let Christ, the
King of Israel, descend now from the cross, that we may see and
believe. And they that were crucified with him reviled him. (They
were all there.)
Mat 27:1 says: When the morning was come, ALL the chief priests and
elders of the people took counsel against Yahshua to put him to
death: (All?)
Put on your thinking cap.
These next two verses should show you something you may never have
considered:
Mat 27:41 Likewise also the chief priests mocking him, with the
scribes and elders, said, 42 “He saved others; himself he cannot
save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the
cross, and we will believe him”.
When reading these accounts one must ask who are “they” and “we”?
They and we are the chief priests who service the Temple affairs,
not your average citizen on the streets of Jerusalem.
OK, here is the question. Why were ALL these chief religious leaders
tied up all day with this crucifixion? Why were none of these evil
doers at the Temple killing all those animals they were supposed to
be killing? The reason is that they were OFF DUTY. They had kept
Passover the night before, but now have nothing necessary to do
until sundown on the beginning of the 15th. They were not killing
lambs, goats, or anything else that afternoon; they were just
killing our savior, Yahshua Messiah. They had all partaken of
Passover the previous night. The day of the 14th is the preparation
for the seven Days Unleavened; remove the leaven. Try to keep this
in mind while studying this subject.
Luk 23:44 And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness
over all the earth until the ninth hour.
I can just see all these rotten priests trying to kill several
thousands of the so called sacrificial lambs in the dark around the
time that Yahshua died. The fact that Yahshua was not a even
Passover sacrifice (emphasis on the word sacrifice) is for another
study. The Passover is for the first born, not for sin. I will say
again, that all sacrifices were to be done at the Temple, and the
blood poured out at the base of the alter. Yahshua’s blood equaled
more than all sacrifices for all time, and his blood was not poured
at the alter. He was killed outside the gates of the city, just like
the Passover animal was killed outside, at home, not at the Temple.
Temple sacrifices begin at sundown on the 15th and services are
provided by the priests.
5. The Cause of the Confusion
This is the tough one.
Let’s take a look at two of the most misunderstood areas that cause
people to believe that Yahshua did not know what he was saying or
doing that last Passover, by observing it at the time and date that
he kept it. Referring to Mark 12:14, and Luke 22:7, we see that the
terms for Passover and the Days Unleavened are used interchangeably.
You will find this to occur throughout the New and Old Testaments.
Use extreme caution when you read the word “Passover”, because it,
many times, can mean “the Days of Unleaven”, or it can mean
Passover, or both.
The first of these two confused areas are the following:
Deu 16:1 Observe the month of Abib, and keep the Passover unto YHWH
your God: for in the month of Abib YHWH your God brought thee forth
out of Egypt by night.
What you just read is not the way it appears to be. Notice, entire
chapter of Deuteronomy 16 is not discussing the Day of Trumpets, the
Day of Atonement, nor is it discussing the night event that occurs
on the 14th of the first month, which is the Passover. Even though
that is the way it tends to read, verse 2 below qualifies what I am
saying. What you are about to read has to do with “offerings” at the
temple, it begins on the 15th, “herd” animals are boiled and eaten,
and all of this is done by the priesthood. It is not a domestic
activity as is the case with Passover night.
Deu 16:2 Thou shalt therefore “sacrifice the Passover” unto Yahweh
thy God, of the flock and the herd, in the place which Yahweh shall
choose to place his name there.
Deu 16:3 You shall eat no leavened bread with it; seven days shall
you eat unleavened bread therewith, even the bread of affliction;
for you came forth out of the land of Egypt in haste: that you may
remember the day when thou came forth out of the land of Egypt all
the days of your life.
In verse 2, there is a small problem with the word “herd” as stated
above. This is not a Passover night animal. When have you seen a cow
“sacrificed” for Passover night? Only flock animals can be “killed”
for Passover night. Exo 12:5 Your kid shall be without blemish, a
male of the first year. You shall take from the sheep or from the
goats. (not the cattle)
Deu 16:4 And there shall be no leavened bread seen with thee in all
thy coast seven days; neither shall there any thing of the flesh,
which thou sacrificed the first day at even, remain all night until
the morning.
It would seem that verse 4 is talking about Passover, but it is not,
it is talking about the
“first day” as we see in these next verses. Remember that there are
two “kodesh, or high days” during the Days Unleavened.
Verse 1 – 8 are dealing with the seven days Unleavened, and not
Passover, Trumpets, or Atonement which are also “moeds” (appointed
times). Verse 16 of this chapter makes the whole chapter clear as to
the subject, notice:
Deut 16:16 Three times in a year shall all your males appear before
Yahweh your God in the place which he shall choose: in the feast of
unleavened bread, and in the feast of weeks, and in the feast of
tents; and they shall not appear before Yahweh empty.
Now you can see that these are “Temple” activities. The 14th
Passover is a domestic activity. It is very important to understand
this point.
Exo 23:17 Three times in the year all thy males shall appear before
Yahweh Almighty.
Exo 23:18 Thou shall not offer the blood of my sacrifice with
leavened bread; neither shall the fat of my sacrifice remain until
the morning.
What was mentioned in Deut 16:4 is the same thing in Exodus 23:18.
In both instances there are remains of the animal that should not
remain until morning. The same goes Passover night, nothing shall
remain, and the sacrifices on the Days Unleavened, the fat shall not
remain.
The second of the misunderstood areas is:
John 18:28 Then led they Yahshua from Caiaphas unto the hall of
judgment: and it was early; and they themselves went not into the
judgment hall, lest they should be defiled; but that they might eat
the Passover. Once again, consider who “they” are.
What you read in John 18 is the same event covered above in Deut
16:1-8. It is the eating of the meat from the sacrifices offered by
the priests in the temple. It is the animals from the herd and the
flock that the priests would eat during the Days Unleavened. This
eating occurs at the Temple, not at home like the Passover goat or
lamb are eaten. The Passover is not an official sacrifice either; it
is a domestic killing at home. I know this is redundant, but during
the Days of Unleavened certain special sacrifices are offered on
each of the seven days. These special sacrifices required that they
be eaten by the High Priest and his Sons (the chief priests) in the
Tabernacle/Temple precincts. They could return to their tents in the
morning as in Deut 16:7. Please check the commentaries John 18:28.
Adam Clark, Barnes notes, Robertson's Word Pictures, and others have
relevant information.
Understanding what we have just covered clears up the discrepancy
between John, and the other three gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke.
With this in mind, we can now see that there is no discrepancy in
the Bible. It was the beginning of the 15th duties that “they”, the
chief priests, would be defiled at the Temple if they went into the
Praetorium. Just to keep the interchangeability of Passover and the
Days Unleavened in perspective, I want to repeat: Luk 22:7 Then came
the day of unleavened bread, when the Passover must be killed.
Passover can mean either, or both, and vise versa.
Again, thanks to my Eqipministry forum, the continuing argument over
the early 14th and the late 14th/15th brought up this telling verse,
and I was enlightened by it.
Eze 45:21 In the first month, in the fourteenth day of the month,
you shall have the Passover, a feast of seven days; unleavened bread
shall be eaten.
Now, I have to admit I did not know what to do with this verse. I
read it, and for the first time I felt that, like Matthew, Mark, and
Luke, the prophet Ezekiel meant something other than what he wrote
down. This one verse was very hard for me to understand until I
considered exactly what it said. The first part of this verse says
it all. I thought for sure I had been stumped on this issue, until I
read:
Eze 45:21 "In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month,
you shall have the Passover…
It does not say the 15th day. If it actually meant the Passover, and
the seven days of Unleaven bread were a packaged deal which is
claimed by the late 14th proponents, then the end of the Feast would
be on the 20th of the first month. Just include the 14th and count
seven and see. We know it includes the 21st day.
Num 28:16 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, is
Yahweh's Passover.
Num 28:17 On the fifteenth day of this month shall be a feast: seven
days shall unleavened bread be eaten.
The 14th inclusive plus seven days is the 20th, not the 21st!
Neither of the verses above mentions anything about evening.
Passover is night part of the whole day of the 14th. Go back and
look at the last paragraph of topic #1.
6. The Night to be Much Observed
What is a moed? It is an appointed time. What is the only night moed?
Passover is. Is it to be observed? Yes, and if one misses it for
some reason, they may keep it on the 14th of the second month at
evening. Would that be at night? Of course. The date of the second
Passover is the same as the first Passover, on the beginning of the
14th of the second month. See Numbers 9:10-12
Lets take a look at what happened at night:
Exo 12:31 And he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, Rise
up, and get you forth from among my people.
Exo 12:42 It is a night to be much observed unto Yahweh for bringing
them out from the land of Egypt: this is that night of Yahweh to be
observed of all the children of Israel in their generations.
What night was Yahweh involved with, the Passover night, or some
other night? Please ponder this.
Exo 12:11 ... it is Yahweh's Passover.
Exo 12:12 For I will go through the land of Egypt in that night, and
will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and
animal. Against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am
Yahweh.
Yahweh was the “death angel”. Passover was the “night of Yahweh”.
Deu 16:1 Observe the month of Abib, and keep (observe) the Passover
unto YHWH your God: for in the month of Abib YHWH thy God brought
you forth out of Egypt by night.
The question is, what night? Passover night. The fact is that they
did not leave Egypt until some seven days after the Passover; not
until they crossed the Red Sea into Arabia. At night Yahweh killed
the firstborn of the households that had no blood on the doorpost.
It was at night that Pharaoh set Israel free, before daybreak. That
night, the night of Passover is the one to be “much observed” and no
other night can be found in either the NT or OT to be observed. It
was so important that Yahweh gave us a second opportunity to observe
that night. There are many people that observe a different night,
the 15th, when nothing is commanded or suggested for any other night
besides the 14th. Please, find an example of any celebration or
service that all of the people are to observe on the night of the
15th. You will not find one.
7. The “Lord’s Supper”
1Co 11:20 When ye come together therefore into one place, this is
not to eat the Lord's supper.
Can this statement be more plain? To thousands of believers this is
not plain. It is not the “Lord’s Supper”, because there is no such
thing. The Lord’s Supper, mentioned one time in a negative comment,
is a myth. As Yahshua said. and his Apostles recorded, they ate the
Passover, not just some commemorative supper as many would like you
to believe . Read Matthew 26:18&19, Mark 14:12, 14, & 16, Luke 22:7,
8, 9, 11 and then the statement in verse 15 make it plain. It was
His last Passover.
Here is the conclusion I have come to concerning the Passover
timing, which is the Night to Be Much Observed. Yahshua was not a
Passover sacrifice, rather, a perfect sacrifice for all time. The
Jews were not killing lambs at the time Yahshua died. Passover is
early on the 14th. There is nothing we should keep at the end of the
14th, or the evening of the 15th of the first month, and finally
that there is no such thing as the “Lord’s Supper”.
It does not require an entire book to explain the simple facts of
Passover. All we need to do is look at our perfect example, and
simply believe what He said and did. If one will simply start with
what Yahshua and the disciples said and did, and then make every
scripture fit that example, you can come to the truth of
understanding Passover once and for all. It is not all that
complicated.
Indeed there are a few other points of scripture to be considered in
a full discussion of this subject. We have covered all of the points
necessary to clarify what to do and when to do it, and most
importantly why. Yahshua, our Messiah, is the fulfillment of the
Law. He is our example, and not a liar. He is the way, the truth,
and the life. Did you get that?
1Jo 2:6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk even
as He walked.
1Pe 2:21 For you were not called to this? For Messiah also suffered
on our behalf, leaving us an example, that you should follow His
steps,
Psa 85:13 Righteousness shall go before Him and shall set us in the
way of His steps.
Joh 13:15 For I have given you an example, that you should do as I
have done to you.
The Bottom line is this, the
question that clears up Passover observance; will we believe
Him. Did Matthew, Mark, and Luke lie? Josephus, the Jews, or
religious experts are not who we should look to for answers because
they don’t know. Yahshua Messiah knew.
Addendum
There are problems for some people understanding what exactly a
biblical day is. Leviticus 23:27 is an often misunderstood
scripture. Below is a chart to explain what is meant by this verse.
Also refer to Nehemiah 13, verse 19 to understand a day. A day both
ends and begins at evening (ba erev in Hebrew). In Leviticus 23:32 a
“ba erev” occurs at the end of the ninth, and another “ba erev”
occurs at the end of the tenth day. In most Bible versions, the
Hebrew “ba erev” and “erev” are translated “evening”, that is why
the chart uses evening instead of “at evening”. Understanding what
is in the chart below may help in understanding the chart for
Passover and the Days Unleavened shown above.
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