Should Non-Jewish Believers Celebrate the Passover?

Dr. John D. Garr

Jewish and Christian leaders, both in history and in the present day, offer considerable objection to Christian observance of the Passover. It seems that neither official Judaism nor official Christianity is very tolerant of Christians who confuse and confound the clear delineation between these two faiths by attempting to observe the traditional Passover, with or without including the Calvary experience.

Christian Concerns

Most Christian objection to Passover observance is based on ecclesiastical anti-Judaism that developed after the Church’s first century. Before the Church fully opened the door to the Gentiles at the Jerusalem Council, the vast majority of its communicants were Jews; therefore, there was no question as to whether Christians should observe Passover. Its celebration was a significant part of the biblical heritage upon which the early Jewish leaders of the Church had founded a faith and polity that recognized Yeshua (Jesus) as the fulfillment of the Messianic expectations of His People and as the Savior of the world.

As Gentiles came to prominence in the Church, they were influenced by traditions which they had brought with them and by pressures from the political powers of the day to disassociate themselves from the Jews and things “Jewish.” At the same time a controversy raged in the Church over whether complete obedience to the Law of Moses was essential to salvation in addition to faith in Jesus. Of particular concern was the practice of circumcision, whether it should be physically enforced on new converts to this Judeo-Christianity or whether the circumcision of the heart that God had described to Moses, Jeremiah, and Paul was sufficient without the physical procedure.

In some of Paul’s writings, he openly attacked that part of the Jewish community (both in traditional Judaism and in the Church) that believed salvation resulted from submission to and ritual observance of God’s law. This social criticism, an intramural exercise among fellow Jews, was misunderstood and generalized by later Gentile Church leaders.

Rather than maintain Paul’s balanced position on the interrelationship of Christian faith and the Law, subsequent Church leaders adopted an increasingly antinomian posture, ultimately insisting that Christians have nothing in common with Jews and Judaism. This was particularly true in relationship to ecclesiastical holy days which had been changed from their original First-Century construct to accommodate the various societies into which the Christian faith had expanded. Passages such as Colossians 2:16-17 were enlisted to assure Christians that all “Jewish” holy days and Sabbaths had been abandoned by the Church.

Additionally, virtually all of the Christian Church, including the reform movements that began in the sixteenth century and afterward, maintained a supercessionist view toward Jews and Judaism, which asserted that Christianity had forever replaced Judaism in God’s economy of salvation and that Christians had forever replaced the Jewish People, who had been cursed because of their rejection of Jesus.

Having been ripped from its moorings, Christianity drifted on the tide of human tradition, often swirling in the maelstrom of a pagan-based world view that allowed violent conduct toward the Jewish People. In this kind of environment, it was unthinkable that a Christian would celebrate a “Jewish” festival, including the Passover. Even today, in an age of enlightenment, much of the Church is wary of any involvement in “Jewish” practices.

Growing numbers of Christians, however, are rejecting these historical arguments and are rediscovering Christianity’s Jewish connection. They are saying to themselves, “If it was right for Jesus and the apostles, it must be right for me.” They are embracing teachings and practices that were clearly a part of the First Century Church’s system of praise, worship, and service. And, they are discovering rewarding and fulfilling experiences as they immerse themselves in this clearly biblical and “New Testament” heritage.

Christian Passover: A Jewish Interpretation

Both Jews and Christians need to recognize the fact that Christian understanding of prophecies and practices in the Hebrew Scriptures rests on interpretations of those Scriptures by Jews of the First Century who came to see Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah of Israel. Jesus Himself was a Torah-observant Jew. All of the apostles on whom the Church was built were Torah-observant Jews. Virtually the entire constituency of the Church’s first decade were Jews who were faithful to the Law. Indeed, many of their number were and continued to be Pharisees (Acts 15:5) and Temple priests. (Acts 6:7) As Jews, they had a clear and distinct right to interpret their Scriptures apart from any overarching dogma or systematic theology imposed upon them by another part of the traditional Jewish community, for no one branch of Judaism was dominant at that time.

Christian interpretations of the Passover and its manifestation in the death and resurrection of Jesus are established on the solid rock of Jewish interpretation. These Jewish followers of Jesus celebrated the Passover Seder traditions of their day, imbuing each part with additional meaning from the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus. When the early Jewish leaders of the Christian Church interpreted the Passover events allegorically as pointing to Jesus, they did so on the basis of Jewish hermeneutics. Later Gentile Christians’ allegorical interpretations of the Exodus Passover events merely expanded upon the foundation that their Jewish predecessors had laid. These ideas, then, were birthed in the fertile hearts of observant Jews: Jesus and His Apostles. They are, therefore, Jewish interpretations, not Gentile interpolations that can be casually dismissed as lacking authenticity.

Naturalized Citizens

One of the key concepts that was advanced when the Jewish founders of the Christian Church purposed to open the door of faith to the Gentiles was that this action was also a fulfillment of the Hebrew Scriptures, which had predicted that Israel’s light would be carried to the Nations of the world. (Isaiah 42:6; 49:6; cf. Luke 2:32; Acts 13:47) It was also a cardinal principle that all those Gentiles who were added to the Church were, in effect, added to the Commonwealth of Israel (Ephesians 2:12-16) or the Tabernacle of David (Acts 15:15), albeit on the basis of less restrictive initiation requirements.

The bottom line is that all the Gentiles who came to faith in Jesus were considered by their Jewish brethren to have been grafted into God’s family tree of salvation and Covenant relationship (the theme of Romans 11). They were also considered to have become naturalized citizens in the Commonwealth or Nation of Israel, a teaching clearly set forth in Ephesians 2. They were “no more strangers and foreigners” but “fellow citizens with the saints and of the same body.” Even in ancient Israel, a proselyte was to be considered as though he had been born to Jewish parents.

Paul made this clear in 1 Corinthians 10:1 when, writing specifically to Gentile Christians, he declared: “For I do not want you to be ignorant of the fact, brothers, that our forefathers were all under the cloud and that they all passed through the sea.” Coupled with his declaration to Gentile believers in Romans 4:12, 16 that Abraham is “the father of us all [Jew and Gentile],” it is clear that the apostle considered the Gentiles who had come to faith in the Messiah to be children of the patriarch, Abraham.

With this in mind, it is only natural that there is a longing in the heart of Christians to rediscover the roots of their faith, to find their way back home. Clearly Gentiles by birth, they have been added to the Nation of Israel by faith in Jesus. As fellow citizens with the saints of Israel, they are entitled to the entire heritage of God’s Chosen People. If one immigrates into a nation of the modern world, he can either remain a foreigner or he can go through the process of naturalization. In the United States when one takes the Oath of Allegiance, he is as much a citizen as the person whose ancestors signed the Declaration of Independence, and he has the same rights. Virtually every other nation has just such a memorial day for its statehood in which naturalized citizens share equally with the native-born.

Passover is the yearly memorial of the liberation of Israel, the event that set them on the path toward Sinai and their incorporation as God’s Chosen Nation of Priests. It is foundational to Judaism, but it is also foundational to Christianity, for if there had been no Passover, there would have been no nation of Israel to have produced Jesus, nor would there have been a Nation of Israel into whom Gentile Believers could be added as naturalized citizens.

To Celebrate of Not to Celebrate

Should Christians celebrate Passover? This is a legitimate question to which much of the Church and most of Judaism have said no. But the answer for believers must be what is given in Holy Scripture.

Should Christians celebrate Passover? When we remain faithful to the Bible, the answer is clear and unequivocal: “Because Christ our Passover has been sacrificed for us; therefore, let us observe the festival [Passover and Unleavened Bread] ... with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (1 Cor. 5:7-8). This directive is from a Christian apostle who even then was still a Jewish rabbi, and it was given to Gentiles. What could possibly be more apparent?

The next question is, How should Christians observe the Passover? Again, the Bible gives a clear answer. What better example could we have than that of our Lord Jesus Himself? According to the Gospels, He celebrated the Passover with His Disciples in the traditional Seder that the sages had prescribed for His time. The core of the modern Seder predates the time of Yeshua and was the order which He employed in the Last Supper. Christians are free to imitate Jesus’ way of life at any time; however, they are bound to no specific ritual for their salvation. Freedom in the Messiah permits great flexibility of practice.

Should any remain confused, Paul gives the liturgical order for recognizing Yeshua’s sacrificial death in the Passover celebration: “For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you: that the Lord Jesus on the same night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, ‘Take, eat; this is My body which is given to you; do this in remembrance of Me.’ In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the New Covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.’ For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.” (1 Cor. 11:23-26)

Passover? Celebrate!

For more great articles check out:  Jewish Voice

THE MEANING OF THE PASSOVER SYMBOLS

Today I want to share with you some detail into the symbols used during the Passover Seder, and how each of these symbols have been fulfilled through Jesus Christ. It amazes me that the Jewish people are still waiting for Messiah, however I shouldn't be surprised as we are reminded in Romans 11:25 that God has a plan, a purpose and His own timing:

I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in...

 I found this great article written by Kimberly Rogers of The Messianic Message.  Ms. Rogers speaks about the roasted egg that is found on the Seder plate; and I did find some additional information that I found quite interesting about the addition of the roasted egg. You can read that following her article.

THE MEANING OF THE PASSOVER SYMBOLS 

By Kimberly Rogers 

Passover is traditionally viewed as a Jewish holiday. It is, a Biblical Feast that has been performed the same way for over 3,500 years starting with the Hebrews and Gentiles that left Egypt together during the first Exodus (Exodus 12:38).

Several items are placed on the Passover Seder (supper) plate. Each of these has specific meaning associated with our Messiah, Yeshua, and the Children of Abraham, also referred to as The Children of Israel.

Passover, as with all the Feasts, are associated with prophecies of Yeshua, both for His first coming and His Second. There is great knowledge associated with the symbolism of the Passover and wonderful blessings for Believers who keep God's appointed times (moedim: pronounced mow-ed-eem) - the times He said we were to have "an appointment" with Him.

Lamb Shank bone:

 The unbroken, unblemished shank bone reminds us of Yeshua's crucifixion in that it always remains an unbroken bone. During Roman times, ALL crucified people were to have their leg bones broken, but God gave the Messiah's unbroken legs as one of the signs of His identity because the Passover Lamb's bones were never broken (Exodus 12:46 and Numbers 9:12). Yeshua is our Passover Lamb.

John 19:36 For these things were done, that the scripture should be fulfilled, A bone of him shall not be broken. 

So, it is that this bone represents first the miracle of the unbroken legs of our Messiah. Second, the shank bone also represents the outstretched arm of Adonai during the first Exodus, but even more astounding it represents how He will deliver us during the second Exodus yet to come. The second Exodus is referred to in Jeremiah 23:

Jeremiah 23:7 Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that they shall no more say, The LORD liveth, which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt;

8 But, The LORD liveth, which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land. 

So, the shank bone refers to God's deliverance of His people at both ends of the ages.


Matzah (Unleavened Bread):

Unleavened bread has the properties in its appearance of being beaten, striped and bruised. For the last 3,500 years, these have represented Yeshua's physical state at the time of His crucifixion.

 Each Seder table is provided with 3 Matzahs hidden in a 3-pocketed "napkin". One whole piece of Matzah is placed in each pocket. The 3 Matzah's represent God's 3 manifestations as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The first Matzah represents God, the Father. The middle Matzah represents Yeshua. At a point during the ritual, middle Matzah is broken, then hidden by adults to be found by children later at a specified time. The Matzah, Yeshua who is our unleavened bread, was broken for our sins, wrapped in a white burial cloth, placed in a tomb (hidden), and then arose from the dead (was found again).The hidden Matzah is called the "afikomen", a Greek word meaning "that which comes last". It also represents Yeshua's final return to earth. The 3rd Matzah represents the Holy Spirit.

Maror (Bitter Herbs):

Maror symbolizes the bitter lot of the Israelites during their enslavement in Egypt, but it also symbolizes the bondage and burdens we experience while living in the world (spiritual Egypt) before we asked Yeshua to accept us into His Kingdom.


Karpas & Salt Water:

 The salt water is also used to symbolize the tears the Israelite shed while in slavery and the water they passed through when God divided the Red Sea. This passing through the Red Sea was the second step in their salvation process. The first was, of course, the acceptance of the Passover Lamb. All Believers are baptized as a confirmation of passing from one way of life - Gentile ways - to God's way of life - Hebrew ways.

1 Corinthians 10:2 And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; 

Roasted Egg:

It was interesting to me, when I first found the Messianic Movement and attended my first Passover, to discover how Satan had usurped a symbol given by God to His people for their understanding of His plan of salvation. The egg, which has nothing to do with bunnies, symbolizes new birth in Messiah Yeshua. The doctrine of being "born again" is a Torah doctrine that is symbolized this way at Passover.

Yeshua was amazed that Torah teacher and leader, Nicodemus, did not understand this doctrine.

John 3:1 There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews:
2 The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him.
3 Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
4 Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born?
5 Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again.
8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.
9 Nicodemus answered and said unto him, How can these things be?
10 Jesus answered and said unto him, Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things? 

You see, Nicodemus failed to fully comprehend the complete meaning of the life symbol of the Passover egg. It doesn't symbolize earthly life, but spiritual life - the life that is only found by becoming "Ivrit" like Abraham. Abraham was a Gentile who "crossed over" (the meaning of the word Ivrit) from his Gentile ways to God's ways. The word "Ivrit" is the ancient root word for "Hebrew".

Charoset:

Charoset is a sweet ritual food that symbolizes the mortar the Children of Israel were compelled to make for their Egyptian taskmaster during their period of enslavement in Egypt. To the Believer, the Charoset reminds us that even the worst of circumstances can be sweetened when have the hope of Messiah in our lives.

 Passover, as with all God's appointed Feasts, is rife with symbolism that God gave us to deepen our walk with Him. Symbols speak louder than either words or pictures. And symbols are God's language. Practicing the rituals God gave us to remind us of His ways is how we gain the deeper knowledge of Him - called "the meat of the Word".

An additional interpretation of the roasted or boiled egg found on the Seder plate is that it is a symbol of mourning for the loss of the two Temples, the first of which was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 B.C.E. and the second of which was destroyed by the Romans in 70 C.E. Hard boiled eggs were traditionally the food of mourners and hence they were an appropriate symbol for the loss of these sacred sites.

Shalom!
Kelly

Passover ~ The Crown Jewel of Biblical Feasts

Welcome today as I begin a talk on the origin and significance of Passover. This feast, the crown jewel of biblical feasts begins at sunset on Monday, April 14, 2014.  

What is Passover?  Here is a brief explanation from Mary Fairchild about Passover: 

Joseph, son of Jacob, after being sold into slavery in Egypt, was kept by God and greatly blessed. Eventually he was put into a high position—second-in-command to Pharaoh. In time, Joseph moved his entire family to Egypt and protected them there. 400 years later, the Israelites had grown into a people numbering 2 million. There were so many Jews in Egypt that the new Pharaoh was afraid of their power. To maintain control, he turned them into slaves, oppressing them with harsh labor and ruthless treatment. 

Yet, through a man named Moses (great, great grandson of Jacob), God came to rescue his people. 

At the time Moses was born, Pharaoh had ordered the death of all Hebrew males, but God spared Moses when his mother hid him in a basket along the banks of the Nile. Pharaoh's daughter found the baby and decided to raise him as her own. Later Moses fled to Midian after killing an Egyptian for cruelly beating one of his own people. There God appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush and said, "I have seen the misery of my people. I have heard their cries, I care about their suffering, and I have come to rescue them. I am sending you to Pharaoh to bring my people out of Egypt." (Exodus 3:7-10, paraphrased) 

After making some excuses, Moses finally obeyed God and confronted Pharaoh. But when Pharaoh refused to let the Israelites go, God sent a series of plagues to persuade him. With the final plague God promised to strike dead every first-born son in Egypt at midnight on the 15th day of the month of Nissan. But to Moses, the Lord provided instructions so his people would be spared. Each Hebrew family was to take a Passover lamb, slaughter it, and place some of the blood on the door frames of their homes. When the destroyer passed over Egypt, he would not enter the homes covered by the blood of the Passover lamb.These and other instructions became part of a lasting ordinance from God for the observance of the Passover Feast, so that the generations to come would always remember God's great deliverance. 

At midnight, the Lord struck down all the firstborn of Egypt, and that very night Pharaoh called Moses and said, "Up! Leave my people. Go." They left in haste and God led them toward the Red Sea. After a few days Pharaoh changed his mind, and decided to send his army in pursuit. When the Egyptian army reached them at the banks of the Red Sea, the Hebrew people were afraid and cried out to God. 

Moses answered, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today."Moses stretched out his hand and the sea parted, allowing the Israelites to cross on dry ground, with a wall of water on either side. And when the Egyptian army followed, it was thrown into confusion. Moses then stretched out his hand over the sea again and the entire army was swept away, leaving no survivors.

The oldest of the 7 feasts, it was given to Moses on Mount Sinai and has been celebrated every year in the same manner for more than 3,500 years. Jesus celebrated the Passover the evening before his death.

Passover is the feast of Salvation.

For the Hebrews, they were delivered from bondage, the blood of the Lamb delivered them from slavery. For the Christian today, the blood of the Lamb delivers us from sin.

• Passover always falls on a full moon.

• It is no coincidence that our Lord was sacrificed on the Passover. 
• John 1:29: “Behold,the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

• Christian communion comes from the Passover.

• Passover is the first relationship between God and the Jewish Nation, prior to Passover, God dealt with individuals.

The story of Passover is to be told from generation to generation, a joyous celebration of deliverance.  Passover is a family table celebration using special foods placed on the Passover Seder (supper) plate. Each having a specific meaning associated with the Exodus and pointing to the Messiah of the New Testament.  The special foods of Passover are:

• The Lamb Shank Bone
• Matzah (unleavened bread)
• Maro (bitter herbs)
• Karpas and Salt Water
• Roasted egg ~ NOT REFERRING TO THE EASTER BUNNY!
• Charoset
• 4 Cups of Wine

Over the next few weeks leading up to Passover, I will go in depth as to how each of the elements of the Passover Seder detail the historical meaning of the Old Testament  and point to the New Testament Messiah Jesus Christ.  

You may also enjoy the following video from Zola Levitt Ministries providing a visual of the Passover Seder by Myles Weis (current host of ZLM) and a brief talk from Zola Levitt himself during a 1999 broadcast on the Passover topic.  

Shalom!

Kelly

Festival of Purim

Festival of Purim begins at sundown on Saturday, March 15, 2014 and 

ends at nightfall on Sunday, March 16, 2014.

What is Purim:

Purim is one of the most joyous and fun festival celebrations on the Jewish calendar. It remembers a time when the Jewish people living in Persia were saved once again from extermination. A brief summary of the Book of Esther:

• King Xerxes (Ahasuerus) has his Queen expelled and Esther, the adopted daughter of Mordecai, a Jew, is chosen as queen.

• Mordecai learns of a plot to assassinate King Xerxes who informs Esther who in turn tells the king.
• *Prior to speaking to the King, Esther prepares herself with 3 days of fasting. We see a Messianic reference here: Jesus was away 3 days before His resurrection and triumph over evil. 

• A man called Haman is promoted by King Xerxes who plots to exterminate the Jews, including Mordecai.

• Haman's plot goes wrong and he is hanged on the gallows that he intended for Mordecai.

• Mordecai is promoted in place of Haman but he cannot revoke the legislation to exterminate the Jews.

• Moredecai therefore has a law passed that the Jews may defend themselves and retaliate on the day and the Jews destroy their enemies.

The word "Purim" means "lots" and refers to the lottery (Esther 3:7) that Haman used to choose the date for the proposed massacre of the Jews.  The Lord God intervened and saved His chosen people.  Although Gods name is not mentioned in the Book of Esther, “the finger of God is directing many minute events for the bringing about of His people’s deliverance.” (Matthew Henry)

 “In the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, on its thirteenth day ... on the day that the enemies of the Jews were expected to prevail over them, it was turned about: the Jews prevailed over their adversaries. ( Esther 9:1)And they gained relief on the fourteenth, making it a day of feasting and gladness.(Esther 9:17)[Mordecai instructed them] to observe them as days of feasting and gladness, and sending delicacies to one another, and gifts to the poor. (Esther 9:22)” These days of feasting and are known as Purim, or Festival of Lots. 

How is Purim celebrated today? It begins at the synagogue with a complete reading of The Book of Esther.  During the reading the children are prepared with gragger (noise makers) and every time the name of Haman is mentioned, everyone boos, hisses, stamps their feet and twirls their graggers.  

Gods Deliverance is Cause for Celebration

Following the time at the synagogue, families hold parties and the children and adults wear costumes and masks. The masks signify a hidden aspect to Purim.  As mentioned before, the name of God is never mentioned in the Book of Esther, yet God is very much behind the scene, preserving His people.

Christians are not commanded to celebrate Purim, however when we have an understanding and knowledge of the significance of this festival we build a connection with our Jewish family.  We recognize that Haman was not the first to plot for the destruction of God’s chosen people, nor will he be the last.  The world believes that there is a Jewish problem and many plot evil to get rid of them.  Theologically this is even happening in Christian circles.  When we lack knowledge of the roots of our faith, we lose the significance and debt that we owe to the Jewish people ~ our very Christian faith is Jewish!

I love this quote by Elizabeth George found at the end of my study of Esther:

In the Book of Esther, we clearly see God at work in the lives of individuals and in the affairs of a nation. Even when it looks as if the world is in the hands of evil men, God is still in control, protecting those who are his. Although we may not understand everything happening around us, we must trust in God’s protection and retain our integrity by doing what we know is right. Esther, who risked her life appearing before the king, became a heroine. Mordecai, who was on “death row” (so to speak), rose to become the Prime Minister of the nation. No matter how hopeless our condition, or how much we would like to give up, we need not despair. God is in control of our world.

God always rescues His people!

Shalom!

Kelly

Four Blood Moons ~ Signs In The Heavens

The first of the four blood moons is set to occur in just a little over 45 days, on the First Day of Passover, April 15, 2014.  What will happen? I have no idea, but I am certainly going to be praying and watching for something spectacular in the days, weeks,  and months to come.  After all, that is how we should be living our lives, waiting, watching and expecting.

I personally believe that heavenly, or celestial signs and warnings get a bad rap these days because satan has twisted and perverted the viewing of the cosmos. We are warned in Deuteronomy 4:19  that "God's people  must not seek guidance from the stars, nor worship them." This is astrology, and yes that is against God.  However astronomy is different. Astronomy is an investigation into God's creation. The reason God placed stars and planets in the heavens was to reveal knowledge about His Son, Jesus Christ.  The wise men followed a star!  Job too studied the stars. The book of Job has more to say about the cosmos than any other book of the Bible.  Let's not ignore the signs in the heavens, God still speaks through his creation.

“Let lights come to be in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and appointed times, and for days and years, (Genesis 1:14)

Fox News Report on Four Blood Moons

Please note that this is not a post or advertisement for or about Pastor John Hagee, love him or despise him, the information he and many others have presented is true, and not just some "goofy" preachers trying to predict end times. Pastor Hagee himself says that he is not predicting the return of Christ or end times, he is merely pointing to the facts of the blood moons in the past and how they coincided with significant events in Jewish history. 

This data can be confirmed at www.nasa.gov, and it could mean that God is preparing those who are watching for something spectacular.



History of the Four Blood Moons and the significant impact that coincided with Israel and the Jewish people:

The Spanish Inquisition — 1492

* Passover, April 2, 1493
* Sukkoth, Sept. 25, 1493
* Passover, March 22, 1494
* Sukkoth, Sept. 15, 1494 

The War of Independence — 1948

* Passover, April 13, 1949
* Sukkoth, Oct. 7, 1949
* Passover, April 2, 1950
* Sukkoth, Sept. 26, 1950 

The Six-Day War — 1967

* First Day of Passover, April 24, 1967
* First Day of Sukkoth, Oct. 18, 1967
* First Day of Passover. April 13, 1968
* First Day of Sukkoth, Oct. 6, 1968 

What will occur in the 2013–2015 time period?

* First Day of Passover, April 15, 2014
* First Day of Sukkoth, Oct. 8, 2014
* First Day of Passover, April 4, 2015
* First Day of Sukkoth, Sept. 28, 2015 

Myles Weiss of Zola Levitt Ministries sums this topic up very well: "I am not putting a date on the unfolding of the Book of Revelation, nor am I setting any dates for the coming of the Bridegroom of Heaven — only the Father knows the time. Rather, I see before us an incredible opportunity to watch the Lord of Creation reach for lost loved ones and confirm not only His love for Israel but also our need to stand with the Jewish people!" ~

Shalom!

Kelly

Overview of the Seven Feasts of Israel ~ The Holy Days of Our Lord

“Leviticus 23 is the single chapter of the entire Tanakh that sums up everything. God's eternal plan -- from chaos to eternity -- is ingeniously revealed through the nature and timing of the Seven annual Feasts of the LORD.”

• The Feasts were given by God, not the government. (Columbus Day, Labor Day, July 4th ~ these are government “feasts”). 

• Gentile Believers are not required to “keep” the feasts, however having a knowledge of them will certainly enhance your faith.

• Our Lord kept every one of them without fail, even celebrating Passover on His last earthly night.  AND he will fulfill the remaining feasts in the near future!

• To each feast there is a:
• Historical meaning ~ relating to Israel  
• Prophetic meaning ~ pointing to Messiah 
• Personal meaning ~ always something for you and me, a teaching for our lives

• God meets us in time.

• Israel lived by the feasts as their calendar. By watching the moon, you can keep the calendar. 2014-2015 brings Four Blood Moons that correspond to the feasts. Very interesting and I will blog about that soon.
  

The feasts are still celebrated today by the Jews, however in an “altered form”. Without the proper Temple of God in Jerusalem, the original meaning efficacy of the feasts has been completely lost. And without a knowledge of the New Testament, even the fulfillments of the feasts—the most far reaching and momentous features of their meanings—are lost. 

Today, we are living between two of the feasts; Pentecost and Trumpets ~ we are living in the long summer of the church age, anxiously awaiting the blowing of the Trumpet!

Next time, I will further detail each feast, beginning with Passover.

Shalom,

Kelly

Quotes: Zola Levitt Ministries

To Whom Do We Bow?

I have been studying the life of Esther and learning a great deal more about the ignorant King Ahasuerus, the evil Haman and the courageous Mordecai.  You are likely familiar with the story:

 Esther was a Jewish woman who was selected by the Persian King Ahasuerus to be his wife. His former wife, Vashti had been banished and Esther was chosen as her replacement. However, the king did not know she was a Jew. (Esther 1-2) 

Some time later King Ahasuerus began to single out Haman the son of Hamdata the Agagi for advancement; eventually he gave him precedence over all his fellow officers.  All the king’s servants at the King’s Gate would kneel and bow down before Haman, because the king had so ordered. But Mordecai would neither kneel nor bow down to him.  The king’s servants at the King’s Gate asked Mordecai, “Why don’t you obey the king’s order?”  But after they had confronted him a number of times without his paying attention to them, they told Haman, in order to find out whether Mordecai’s explanation that he was a Jew would suffice to justify his behavior.  Haman was furious when he saw that Mordecai was not kneeling and bowing down to him.  However, on learning what people Mordecai belonged to, it seemed to him a waste to lay hands on Mordecai alone. Rather, he decided to destroy all of Mordecai’s people, the Jews, throughout the whole of Ahasuerus's kingdom. (Esther 3)

What Haman was plotting was a pogrom; a bloodbath, holocaust, and massacre against the Jews.  It indicates butchery, carnage, and killing. It signifies slaughter and bloodshed "against all the Jews, both young and old, little children and women, in one day." (Esther 3:13). Total annihilation of the people is what the plot was designed for. This was not the first, nor will it be the last pogrom plotted against the Jewish people.  

Haman went to King Ahasuerus with news that "there is a certain people scattered and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of your kingdom; their laws are different from all the other people's, and they do not keep the king's laws. Therefore it is not fitting for the king to let them remain." (Esther 3:8)

King Ahasuerus listened to Haman, and agreed to his plan; the king said "the money and the people are given to you, to do with them as seems good to you."  AND then the part that really struck me, "the king and Haman sat down to drink, but the city of Shushan was perplexed." (Esther 3:15)  
  
King Ahasuerus simply took Haman's word regarding the Jewish people. Obviously if the city of Shushan was perplexed by the decree to have these people slaughtered, the king should have been moved to investigate before listening to Haman.  The king was ignorant and simply took Haman's word.

Christians today seem to be just as ignorant as King Ahasuerus regarding knowledge of our biblical roots, our Jewish roots.  Christians can converse intelligently about the latest Facebook news, movies, fashion, music and sports, but far too few give evidence of a deep understanding of their spiritual heritage.  We seem to be more focused on our daily lives, rarely looking outside our own box. And this ignorance is dangerous, very dangerous.

The news surrounding modern day Israel is overwhelming. Israel is in the midst of a current pogrom plotted by Iran (and their many allies).  I myself do not understand much of what is going on with these foreign haters of Israel. Is my ignorance excusable? Absolutely not!  We can be like King Ahasuerus and simply take the word of those we hear on the radio, television and social media as to what is going on in Israel and surrounding OR we can educate ourselves, step out of our ignorance and join forces with truth.  

The world's news media is prejudiced against God's work and God's people.   "Only those who are God-followers can properly assess history, politics and government. Everything in human history, every current event, is moving forward in His (God) timing."  Therefore, when you listen to the news, listen with discernment, ask yourselves questions: "what is the real story behind this report? What is the Lord doing? How am I to be praying here? Is He expecting me to respond?

When Mordecai heard the news of what Haman was plotting, he didn't return to his daily life, or keep quiet because it was so overwhelming and much larger than himself. NO, "When Mordecai learned everything that had been done, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and ashes and went out through the city, lamenting and crying bitterly." (Esther 4).  Mordecai responded! Are you a modern day Mordecai?  Are you crying out and lamenting over the hatred and plots of destruction for Israel and today's Jewish people? 

You can't say you love God and not love what He loves ~ He loves Israel.

We must watch, investigate, understand and pray.  We have been seated in heavenly places for a reason, at such a time as this!  

Praying for Israel impacts: The World, Our Country and Our Lives!

Coming soon, the whole world will take a stand against Israel. "All nations will gather against Jerusalem and bow to a godless ruler. At that point, our earthly nationality no longer matters, all that matters is that we are born-again-into-the-kingdom fellow citizens with Israel."  To whom do you bow?

Pray for peace for Jerusalem: "May those who love you be at peace!



 Kelly

Your People Shall Be My People ~ Don Finto

What Is Replacement Theology?

Replacement theology is a doctrine (set of beliefs) that has been around nearly as long as the church.  Those who support the doctrine of replacement theology believe many of the following:

1. Israel (the Jewish people and the land) has been replaced by the Christian Church in the purposes of God, or, more precisely, the Church is the historic continuation of Israel to the exclusion of the former.


2. The Jewish people are now no longer a "chosen people."


3. Apart from repentance, the new birth, and incorporation into the Church, the Jewish people have no future, no hope, and no calling in the plan of God.


4. Since Pentecost of Acts 2, the term "Israel," as found in the Bible, now refers to the Church.


5. The promises, covenants and blessings ascribed to Israel in the Bible have been taken away from the Jews and given to the Church, which has superseded them. However, the Jews are subject to the curses found in the Bible, as a result of their rejection of Christ.

Replacement theology has caused much confusion, and we know who the author of confusion is, right? Satan is the author of confusion; "For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints." 1 Cor. 14:33.  Why does Satan  provoke such hatred for the Jews? Satan "knows something that many Christians have not yet discovered - that the promises of God will not be realized if Satan is successful in destroying Israel."  

The separation of Jews and Gentiles has been a gradual thing. In 400 A.D. a major error came into the church.  St. Augustine wrote a treatise called The City of God. Augustine concluded that God was through with Israel and the church was its replacement, this was the start of replacement theology as church doctrine.  One can hardly blame Augustine for this error in his writing as the Jews had been dispersed and there was not a Jewish Israel to be seen at this time.  Even the name of the land was changed in 135 A.D. to Palestine-"Philistia," after the Philistines. ("THIS NAME HAD NOTHING WHATSOEVER TO DO WITH ARAB PEOPLES. THE MOSLEMS WEREN'T TO COME ON THE SCENE FOR 500 YEARS. THE ROMANS RENAMED THE LAND TO WIPE OUT JUDAISM.")  Arab Moslems are not the original Palestinians!

The church picked up on this replacement theology doctrine, and "the original Catholic church began to think that it was Israel.  This belief has been carried down through the centuries and has cut Israel and the Jews completely out of Christianity, even though the Jews were the original Christians!" How preposterous is that?  Martin Luther eventually called on Christians to return to the scriptures, unfortunately the idea of replacement theology continued.  With each new reformation, Christians split into various denominations. "By breaking from those who birthed us, the Church has produced one division after another. Every new movement has resulted in a new church; each reformation, a new denomination." There is still a "family resemblance, but a mutation has entered our bloodstream. Mutations may produce only a slight change in the first generation but can ultimately bring about "great changes such as severe deformities or diseases."  All of this confusion and rejection of the Jews because the Gentile Church assumed a superior position.  Didn't Paul warn us about taking this superior attitude? "Then don’t boast as if you were better than the branches!...Remember that you are not supporting the root, the root is supporting you." Romans 11.

Thankfully today there are "Bible Churches" beginning to emerge, churches that are getting back to verse-by-verse study of the Scriptures.  The Rapture has been uncovered again, and a greater understanding of the role that a physical Israel plays in this.  True Bible churches are actively involved and excited about the return of Jews to the land of Israel.  Israel is crucial, it is God's timepiece!  God has created an everlasting covenant in Genesis 17:7-8   

“I am establishing my covenant between me and you, along with your descendants after you, generation after generation, as an everlasting covenant, to be God for you and for your descendants after you.  I will give you and your descendants after you the land in which you are now foreigners, all the land of Kena‘an, as a permanent possession; and I will be their God.” 

 Although the Jews have been dispersed, this covenant did not end.  What we are seeing today is a fulfillment of God's covenant:  

"At that point, Adonai your God will reverse your exile and show you mercy; he will return and gather you from all the peoples to which Adonai your God scattered you.  If one of yours was scattered to the far end of the sky, Adonai your God will gather you even from there; he will go there and get you.  Adonai your God will bring you back into the land your ancestors possessed, and you will possess it; he will make you prosper there, and you will become even more numerous than your ancestors." Deut. 30:3-5

"God's covenant with Israel did not depend on their behavior, just as our salvation in Christ does not depend on our behavior.  God is not keeping score and trying to keep people out.  To be accurate, He said that He is not willing that any should perish (2 Peter 3:9). He is trying to get people in, for heaven's sake! His love for Israel, His forbearance with them, is unshakable." As long as the sun, the moon and the stars are in the sky, the nation of Israel is still before the Lord!

Some people believe that modern day Israel is not the same nation as the biblical Israel. Fact is, the modern nation of Israel is the ONLY nation that "can trace by language, by religion, by prayers and songs and costumes -- by everything -- that it does go back to the biblical era."  Fascinating facts: America goes back 200 years, Englishmen 800-1000 years. "ONLY Israel goes back thousands of years to the Scriptures, saying the same words every Sabbath as written there 3,500 years ago.  This the biblical Israel and you cannot cast it out. God has NOT cast it out."  Paul saw the error of replacement theology in his own time and wrote about it in Romans 11:  "I say then, Hath God cast away his people? God forbid. For I also am an Israelite, of the seed of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. God hath not cast away his people which he foreknew."

Because of Israels falling away, there was room for the Gentiles to come in.  Israel is judicially broken off from the good olive tree called Christ, but they are to be grafted in again.  Israel also has a very specific role to fulfill in End Times prophecy.

I urge you to not be influenced by replacement theology, which leads to a twisted understanding of the Scripture. Open your Bible and read the word, pray and ask God to open your eyes to the debt we owe the Jewish people, and how we need to stand up for Israel now. Your future hope really does depend on this.

Shalom!

Kelly 

Quotes from: Your People Shall Be My People ~ Don Finto and Broken Branches ~ Zola Levitt