The LORD Of Passover

As holds true for all of the LORD's genuine Holy Days (see The True Christian Holy Days: Lesson 1, Lesson 2, Lesson 3, Lesson 4, Lesson 5, Lesson 6, Lesson 7 and Lesson 8), Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread (which are singular in purpose - see Christ's Passover and Christ's Feast of Unleavened Bread; listen also to the Sermons Christ's Passover: The Death And Birth Of The Saviour, First Day of Unleavened Bread: Beginning The Journey To Salvation and Seventh Day of Unleavened Bread: The Road To Life) prophetically portray elements of the present stage of salvation.

Christ is the Passover lamb:

"^1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." (John 1:29 KJV)

"^5:9 And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; ^5:10 And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth." (Revelation 5:9-10 KJV)

The Days of Unleavened Bread (see studies and Sermons above) represent the Exodus of God's people out of the carnal world (the literal meaning of "church" is called out ones - see What Is The Church?; humbly and obediently observing Christ's symbolic Holy Days are a part of the coming out):

"^18:3 For all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. ^18:4 And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues [see Plagues Of The Pharaohs: Past and Future]." (Revelation 18:3-4 KJV)

And that ancient Pharaoh? He was merely chosen by the LORD to be symbolic of the carnal political and economic systems (again, see Plagues Of The Pharaohs: Past and Future) of Satan's world that hold people captive in sin.

"^12:9 And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him." (Revelation 12:9 KJV)

"^2:26 And that they may recover themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will." (2 Timothy 2:26 KJV)

^4:4 In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. (2 Corinthians 4:4 KJV)

"At midnight the LORD smote all the firstborn"

After all else had been done (see Let My People Go), the final instructions for Passover were then given to Moses. Note that it was the "government" of Egypt that opposed the Exodus, not the people themselves - people of all nations want to be truly free, not merely live under a brutal, oppressive regime that calls itself "freedom" (e.g. see Paul and The Chief Captain; also When Will Freedom Come?). That's why some of the Egyptians took part in the Exodus as well (i.e. "a mixed multitude went up also with them" Exodus 12:38 KJV).

"^11:1 And the LORD [i.e. Christ - see 'Before Abraham Was, I AM'] said unto Moses, Yet will I bring one plague more upon Pharaoh, and upon Egypt; afterwards he will let you go hence: when he shall let you go, he shall surely thrust you out hence altogether. ^11:2 Speak now in the ears of the people, and let every man borrow of his neighbour, and every woman of her neighbour, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold. ^11:3 And the LORD gave the people favour in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh's servants, and in the sight of the people." (Exodus 11:1-3 KJV)

The LORD then made them aware of His calendar, that has existed right from the time of Creation (see Do We Have The Original Calendar?; also Christ The Creator) and when and how His Passover is to be observed.

"^12:1 And the LORD spake unto Moses [see also The Trysting Tent] and Aaron [see Aaron: The Prophet's Prophet] in the land of Egypt, saying, ^12:2 This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.

^12:3 Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house: ^12:4 And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb. ^12:5 Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats:

^12:6 And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month [for the Christian observance of Passover, listen to the Sermon How To Observe Passover]: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. ^12:7 And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it. ^12:8 And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. ^12:9 Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof. ^12:10 And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire. ^12:11 And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the LORD'S passover." (Exodus 12:1-11 KJV)

The Passover judgment ("I will execute judgment") was based upon whether or not His sacrifice was accepted (see the Fact Finder question below).

"^12:12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the LORD. ^12:13 And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt." (Exodus 12:12-13 KJV)

Observance of the LORD's Passover is forever. Even Christ Himself will observe it in the Kingdom of God i.e. "^26:28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. ^26:29 But I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom." (Matthew 26:28-29 KJV).

"^12:14 And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever. ^12:15 Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread [see the Days of Unleavened Bread studies and Sermons listed in the opening paragraphs]; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel. ^12:16 And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be done of you.

^12:17 And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance for ever. ^12:18 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at even, ye shall eat unleavened bread, until the one and twentieth day of the month at even. ^12:19 Seven days shall there be no leaven found in your houses: for whosoever eateth that which is leavened, even that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he be a stranger, or born in the land. ^12:20 Ye shall eat nothing leavened; in all your habitations shall ye eat unleavened bread." (Exodus 12:14-20 KJV)

Those who survived the LORD's wrath were those who accepted the blood of His sacrifice. That was literally true then, it is literally true now.

"^12:21 Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said unto them, Draw out and take you a lamb according to your families, and kill the passover. ^12:22 And ye 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 with the blood that is in the basin; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning. ^12:23 For the LORD will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he seeth the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the LORD will pass over the door, and will not suffer the destroyer to come in unto your houses to smite you.

^12:24 And ye shall observe this thing for an ordinance to thee and to thy sons for ever. ^12:25 And it shall come to pass, when ye be come to the land which the LORD will give you, according as he hath promised, that ye shall keep this service. ^12:26 And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service? ^12:27 That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the LORD'S passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses. And the people bowed the head and worshipped. ^12:28 And the children of Israel went away, and did as the LORD had commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they." (Exodus 12:21-28 KJV)

Another symbolic parallel. The Old Testament Passover happened at midnight, in the darkness. When Christ died as the Lamb of God, at about 3 in the afternoon (on a modern-day clock), miraculous darkness covered the land i.e. "^27:45 Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour." (Matthew 27:45 KJV; see also Hours Of The Day)

"^12:29 And it came to pass, that at midnight the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh that sat on his throne unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of cattle.

^12:30 And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead." (Exodus 12:29-30 KJV)

Fact Finder: What was the significance of the blood at Passover?
See Why Blood?