Passover & Unleavened Bread
All who dwell on the earth will worship the beast, those whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Revelation 13:8
From the very beginning, Yah had a plan for redemption. He who knows the end from the beginning ordained and decreed the order in which humanity would be saved and given everlasting life. The Son, the Lamb who was predestined to be High Priest, would be the way in which Israel would find mercy. He who knows the end from the beginning appointed significant moments throughout history to express the Gospel of His Kingdom. He shared these appointed times with His chosen people and called them festivals of joy! Check out Feasts & Prophecy to see how they are all interconnected and teach us about the Gospel of the Kingdom. These times are to be a memorial- a time of reflection of the goodness and severity of God’s covenant..
Therefore consider the goodness and severity of God: on those who fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in goodness. Otherwise you also will be cut off. Romans 11:22
THE FIRST UNLEAVENED BREAD
The festival of Passover that leads into the days of Unleavened Bread has an incredible history as well as a prophetic telling of the Gospel in its entirety. This festival can be traced all the way back to Abraham, a significant moment where Yahuah provides. In Genesis 22, Abraham is asked to sacrifice his only son, Isaac.
But Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” Then he said, “Look, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?” And Abraham said, “My son, God will provide for Himself the lamb for a burnt offering.” So the two of them went together. Genesis 22:7-8
And He did provide! The messenger of Yahuah spoke to Abraham these words from above. . .
And He said, “Do not lay your hand on the lad, or do anything to him; for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your son, your only son, from Me.” Genesis 22:12
The book of Jubilees shares this story nearly word for word but it adds a detail that we don’t get in Genesis. Abraham was asked to sacrifice Isaac on the 12th day of the first month. . .Jubilees and Genesis say that on the third day, he saw the place and went up with Isaac to worship- the 15th day! The 15th day of the first month is the beginning of the festival of Unleavened Bread. Jubilees says that Abraham kept a festival for seven days . . .
Abraham dwelt by the "Well of the Oath". And he celebrated this festival every year, seven days with joy, and he called it "The Festival of YAHUAH" according to the seven days during which he went and returned in shalom. And accordingly has it been ordained and written on the heavenly tablets regarding Israel and its seed that they should observe this festival seven days with the joy of festival. Jubilees 18:18-19
Abraham called that place “Yahuah Yireh” (Jehovah Jireh) which means ‘on the mountain Yahuah provides.’ It is speculated that the mountain in the land of Moriah is where the temple would later be built- the temple where the Son of God would stand across from to provide His life.
THE FIRST PASSOVER
Approximately 500 years later, Moses is raised up to deliver Israel out of the bondage of Egypt. On the tenth day of the first month, the people were instructed to pick a one year old lamb or goat without blemish and hold it until the fourteenth day. On the fourteenth day, at sunset, the lamb or goat was to be roasted with fire and eaten during the night with bitter herbs and unleavened bread. When the animal was killed, some of the blood was to be swiped on the doorposts and lintel of the house with hyssop so that when the angel of death came through Egypt, the obedient homes would be passed over, sparing the first borns from Yahuah’s wrath. This was the first recorded Passover. The evening of the fourteenth day is the start of the fifteenth day, the beginning of Unleavened Bread. It was perfectly appointed by Yahuah to fall on the eve of the seven day festival that had been ordained since Abraham’s son was passed over.
Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Pick out and take lambs for yourselves according to your families, and slay the Pesah. And you shall take a bunch of hyssop, dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin. And none of you shall go out of the door of his house until morning. For Yahuah will pass through to strike the Egyptians; and when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, Yahuah will pass over the door and not allow the destroyer to come into your houses to strike you. And you shall observe this thing as an ordinance for you and your sons forever. It will come to pass when you come to the land which Yahuah will give you, just as He promised, that you shall keep this service. And it shall be, when your children say to you, ‘What do you mean by this service?’ that you shall say, ‘It is the Passover sacrifice of Yahuah, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt when He struck the Egyptians and delivered our households.’ ” So the people bowed their heads and worshiped. Exodus 12:21-27
And Moses said to the people: “Remember this day in which you went out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the LORD brought you out of this place. No leavened bread shall be eaten. On this day you are going out, in the month Abib. And it shall be, when the LORD brings you into the land of the Canaanites and the Hittites and the Amorites and the Hivites and the Jebusites, which He swore to your fathers to give you, a land flowing with milk and honey, that you shall keep this service in this month. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a feast to the LORD. Exodus 13:3-4
The Exodus out of Egypt marks just one of the greatest miracles of deliverance recorded in history. The festivals of Yahuah testify of not only His faithfulness throughout history, but also prophesy of His promises for the time to come. The first Passover and the Exodus truly shows both the goodness and severity of God, as we continue our study, we’ll see this truth continue to be proven.
JOSHUA GENERATION
It’s estimated that nearly 600,000 people left Egypt, a mixed multitude with their livestock and the riches of the Egyptians. They saw and experienced first hand the powerful hand Yahuah as they were delivered and given passage through the sea. Unfortunately, prideful hearts and fleshly desires quickly turned the people away. They missed comforts of their old life and the normals of lukewarm worship, despite the reality of being enslaved. This story is a beautiful example of how being saved from the bondage of sin isn’t always a seamless transition into a life of freedom. Time and time again throughout Israel's history, there would be moments of faith followed by times of rebellion; moments of desperation followed by times of forgetting. We can see this still evident in the church today. Leaving the world behind to follow the Father and His Son is a process, while some aspects may happen all at once, other areas require growth and continual learning.
Yahuah brought the children of Israel out of bondage and into the wilderness, not to forsake them as they believed at times, but to teach them. He spoke through Moses His servant the laws and testimonies, not to put them back under bondage but to reveal to them what sin is so that they never have to be in bondage to it again; so that they understand how to worship the Almighty and not turn back to false gods of Egypt. After the deliverance of the passover and the journey through the sea, they completed the days of unleavened bread in the wilderness, signifying leaving behind their old life and taking up a new life in covenant with Yahuah.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 2 Corinthians 5:17
The generation that saw miracles and experienced deliverance were subjected to wonder forty years in the wilderness because of their hardened hearts and disobedience. Out of nearly 600,000 people, only Josha and Caleb were permitted to enter the Promised Land. Joshua was raised up in Moses’s stead to lead the next generation into the land. In Joshua 5 it says they camped in Gilgal and performed the Passover meal on the fourteenth day of the first month at evening in the desert plains of Jericho. While here, Joshua looked up and saw a man- the captain of the hosts of Yahuah (captain of the angel army). He gave Joshua the instructions for marching around the city for 6 days and on the seventh, with a loud blast of the shofar and a shout the walls of Jericho would fall. This is where I have to stop and tell you BATTLES ARE WON when we keep the appointed feasts of Yahuah! This generation kept the Passover then passed over the Jordan River with the Ark of The Covenant and marched according to the commands given for seven days. Because of their obedience and faith that Yah was sending a messenger before them, they saw literal strongholds break.
Now the children of Israel camped in Gilgal, and kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight on the plains of Jericho. Joshua 5:10
So it was, when Joshua had spoken to the people, that the seven priests bearing the seven trumpets of rams’ horns before Yahuah passed over and blew the trumpets, and the ark of the covenant of Yahuah followed them. Joshua 6:8
So the people shouted when the priests blew the trumpets. And it happened when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat. Then the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city. Joshua 6:20
STIFF-NECKED PEOPLE
The next chapter tells us that immediately after this victory, the children of Israel committed a trespass. The cycle of obedience to rebellion, desperation to forgetting continued. Generation after generation, waxed and waned in alignment with the covenant. But even in the disobedience, Yahuah has a plan for redemption, a way for Israel to repent and be saved.
All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, everyone, to his own way; And Yahuah has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. Isaiah 53:6
But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Matthew 15:24
We will come back to the work of the Messiah but first let's look at another example of the goodness and severity of Yahuah as it relates to His feast days. Israel continuously mixed the holy with the profane, calling on the name of Yahuah for deliverance and recognizing His feasts but doing it alongside pagan worship. Take some time to consider what holidays and traditions you may be accustomed to keeping because it’s the cultural norm, pray and seek the word to find out if they are in alignment with the appointed times Yahuah gives to His people. This is important because again, only Yah’s feasts, not cultural holidays, teach us about His goodness and severity. As we have seen with the previous Passover and Unleavened Bread stories there are aspects of salvation as well as destruction associated with these appointed days. For those who have faith and obey, goodness and deliverance; for those who disobey and harden their hearts, severity and destruction.
Is not the day of Yahuah darkness, and not light? Is it not very dark, with no brightness in it? “I hate, I despise your feast days, and I do not savor your sacred assemblies. . . Did you offer Me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel? You also carried Sikkuth, your king and Chiun, your idols, the star of your gods, which you made for yourselves. Amos 5:20-27 (Acts 7:42-43)
You stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit; as your fathers did, so do you. Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers, who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it. Acts 7:51-53
HEZEKIAH’S PASSOVER
In stark contrast, we can look at an example of repentance. Approximately 180 years after the kingdom of Israel split and the northern tribes were dispersed, one king sought to bring them back together to keep the feast of Passover. Hezekiah, king of Judah, sent messengers to scattered Israel, from Ephraim and Manassah all the way to Zebulan, Asher, and Issacar. Many from the scattered tribes humbled themselves to gather together with Judah, Benjamin, and Levi to keep the feast. Hezekiah cleansed the land of idols, prepared the temple, and set apart the Levites. When the brethren gathered, not all had been properly cleansed but their hearts were pure, so Hezekiah made intercession and his prayers were heard.
For a multitude of the people, many from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet they ate the Passover contrary to what was written. But Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, “May Yahuah who is good provide atonement for everyone who prepares his heart to seek God, Yahuah God of his fathers, though not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary.” And Yahuah listened to Hezekiah and healed the people. So the children of Israel who were present at Jerusalem kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with great gladness; and the Levites and the priests praised Yahuah day by day, singing to Yahuah, accompanied by loud instruments. And Hezekiah gave encouragement to all the Levites who taught the knowledge of Yahuah; and they ate throughout the feast seven days, offering peace offerings and making confession to Yahuah God of their fathers. 2 Chronicles 30:18-22
After years of separation and tribulation, the children of Israel were heard for keeping the feast with humble hearts. Because of their obedience, Yah again made a way for atonement and rewarded them with great joy. This same mercy is apparent today with even greater witness.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16
LIVING HOPE
The Messiah came to preach the good news that there is a way for atonement, there is a way to enter the Kingdom of Yahuah. Remember the context from all of the stories above- Abraham was promised many descendants from his beloved son Isaac; Israel left Egypt with a mixed multitude of native born and strangers; Joshua led Israel into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites and Jebusites; Hezekiah gathered the tribes that had scattered and assimilated into the nations. During the days of the Messiah’s ministry on earth, God’s people weren’t just in Jerusalem, but scattered all around and mixed with people of pagan cultures. Those who were in Samaria and Galilee were looked down upon and considered gentiles which literally means ‘out of covenant.’ But Yahuah knew who His people were and had compassion on them being scattered without a shepherd, so He sent His Son.
He said to them, “I must preach the kingdom of God to the other cities also, because for this purpose I have been sent.” Luke 4:43
But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Matthew 15:24
He came for the lost sheep of Israel which includes those who became Israel by faith! He came to preach good news to the poor, bind up the broken hearted, proclaim liberty to the captives, and freedom to the prisoners. He came to comfort those who mourn and to proclaim the day of favor & vengeance. (Isaiah 61 and Luke 4). Oftentimes, the Messiah is referred to as our Passover lamb because of Paul’s reference but we’re going to look a little deeper into what this means in light of the Isaiah 53 prophecy about Him.
Therefore purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. 1 Corinthians 5:7
We all like sheep have gone astray, each one has turned to his own way; and Yahuah has laid upon Him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so He did not open His mouth. Isaiah 53:6-7
As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” Romans 8:36 and Psalms 44:22
We are all likened to sheep going to the slaughter but only He is compared to a lamb without blemish. This is a representation of His complete righteousness, though tempted in every way humanly possible, He was found without sin. He accomplished complete obedience to the Father through His suffering. And before He laid down His life, He ate the Passover meal and spoke these words to the disciples:
“I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before My suffering. For I tell you that I will not eat it again until it is fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” After taking the cup, He gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among yourselves. For I tell you that I will not drink of the fruit of the vine from now on until the kingdom of God comes.” And He took the bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is My body, given for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” In the same way, after supper He took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is poured out for you. Luke 22:15-20
You are the ones who have stood by Me in My trials. And I bestow on you a kingdom, just as My Father has bestowed one on Me, so that you may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. Luke 22:28-30
Yahusha’s entire ministry pointed toward the fulfillment of the Passover and the Kingdom of God. I won’t get too in depth but I want to share a few points I see commonly brought up about Passover and Yahusha/ Jesus. The Last Supper was called Passover 15 times in the three synoptic gospels, He did eat the actual Passover lamb as it is written in the command. If He ate the Passover lamb, we should, too. The Passover meal takes place on the evening of the fourteenth day (Tuesday night) which begins the fifteenth day, kicking off Unleavened Bread. Just as Israel ate the Passover and left Egypt in the day, so also Messiah ate and was crucified on the same day (which now is a Wednesday). There is confusing terminology surrounding the preparation days and Sabbath-
#1 The Jews follow a lunar calendar according to tradition; the Pharisees were not keeping Passover the same night Yahusha was.
#2 The first day of unleavened bread is a Sabbath but is also referred to as a preparation day because it’s the day to throw out leaven from the home.
#3 Yahusha was buried at sunset on Wednesday and rose at sunset on Saturday as the Sabbath ended, 3 full days and 3 full nights in the heart of the earth.
Yahusha is a metaphorical lamb, not a literal sacrificed lamb just as wine is not literally His blood and unleavened bread is not literally His body- all of these are aspects of His character! A lamb without blemish represents obedience to the Father. The blood of the Covenant represents His righteousness, see New Covenant Promises for a more complete explanation of how “life is in the blood” and His life was completely righteous. The unleavened bread represents Him being sinless. All of these aspects are what qualified Him to be resurrected as a kind of first fruits so that He could obtain His literal position as High Priest in the heavenly temple. Paul’s reference to Him being our Passover lamb that was sacrificed for us is a point to say He fulfilled the Isaiah 53 prophecy. The context of 1 Corinthians 5 is urging the church to put off old ways- to come out of Egypt!- and be made new, to keep the feast of Passover and Unleavened Bread with sincerity and truth.
Therefore, purge out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, since you truly are unleavened. For indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us. Therefore, let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. 1 Corinthians 5:7-8
For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. Romans 5:10
Yahuah again made a way, through His Son’s Priesthood, for Israel to be atoned for. In Christianity we often hear phrases about “the finished work of the cross,” but this phrase can’t actually be found in the bible. When Yahusha hung on the stake, His last words were “it is finished” then He gave up His spirit and breathed His last breath. But we know the whole story wasn’t actually finished at that moment, so what was he referring to? When He went to John to be baptized, He told him that it must be done so that all righteousness would be fulfilled. When He spoke to the crowd in Matthew 5, He assured them that He did not come to abolish the Law and the Prophets but to fulfill. His “it is finished” statement on the cross was His declaration that all prophecy regarding His first coming was completed, His purpose for coming to proclaim the Kingdom to the lost sheep was accomplished, and every righteous requirement of the law was fulfilled in order for Him to enter the heavenly temple once and for all. Everything necessary for the end of days and the Kingdom to come was prepared, hints why our new testament writers wrote as if they were in the last days.
MARANATHA
During this season of anxiously awaiting the return of the Messiah, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit as a guarantee of our hope and redemption. He pours out unto us a deposit of what’s to come in the Kingdom. Follow along with these scriptures to see the finality of the Passover. . .
We know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until the present time. Not only that, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved; but hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he can already see? But if we hope for what we do not yet see, we wait for it patiently. Romans 8:22-25
At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and all the tribes of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. And He will send out His angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other. Matthew 24:30-31
Your dead will live; their bodies will rise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in the dust! For your dew is like the dew of the morning, and the earth will bring forth her dead. Isaiah 26:19
But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own turn: Christ the firstfruits; then at His coming, those who belong to Him. 1 Corinthians 15:20-23
Go, my people, enter your rooms and shut your doors behind you. Hide yourselves a little while until the wrath has passed. For behold, the LORD is coming out of His dwelling to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity. The earth will reveal her bloodshed and will no longer conceal her slain. Isaiah 26:20-21
The nations were enraged, and Your wrath has come. The time has come to judge the dead and to reward Your servants the prophets, as well as the saints and those who fear Your name, both small and great— and to destroy those who destroy the earth. Revelation 11:18
For God has not appointed us to suffer wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with Him. 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10
The return of Messiah brings forth the wrath of Yahuah to be poured out upon the earth, but the elect are not appointed wrath. The saints being resurrected and hidden away while wrath passes over, is the fulfillment of the Passover. HalleluYah! Yahuah tested Abraham and provided a ram in the place of Isaac; He passed over Israel with the sign of the blood and led them out of captivity; He brought Joshua into the Promised Land and honored Hezekiah gathering scattered Israel; He brought forth His Son in our midst to complete the righteous requirements and resurrect as a High Priest: Yahuah, through the priesthood of His Son, will resurrect all who died in faith who were counted worthy to give them eternal life and thrones and a covenant of peace forever! This is our SALVATION!
Behold, I bring them from the north, and will gather them from the end of the earth to the feast of the passover: and the people shall beget a great multitude, and they shall return hither. Jeremiah 38:8 LXX (31:8 in Masoretic excludes ‘passover’)
But this is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD. I will put My law in their minds and inscribe it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they will be My people. No longer will each man teach his neighbor or his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ because they will all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquities and will remember their sins no more. Jeremiah 31:33-34
I will take the Israelites out of the nations to which they have gone, and I will gather them from all around and bring them into their own land. I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel, and one king will rule over all of them. Then they will no longer be two nations and will never again be divided into two kingdoms. They will no longer defile themselves with their idols or detestable images, or with any of their transgressions. I will save them from all their apostasies by which they sinned, and I will cleanse them. Then they will be My people, and I will be their God. My servant David will be king over them, and there will be one shepherd for all of them. They will follow My ordinances and keep and observe My statutes. They will live in the land that I gave to My servant Jacob, where your fathers lived. They will live there forever with their children and grandchildren, and My servant David will be their prince forever. And I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant. I will establish them and multiply them, and I will set My sanctuary among them forever. My dwelling place will be with them; I will be their God, and they will be My people. Then the nations will know that I the LORD sanctify Israel, when My sanctuary is among them forever.’ Ezekiel 37:21-28
Worthy are You to take the scroll and open its seals, because You were slain, and by Your blood You purchased for God those from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign upon the earth. Revelation 5:9