Passover & The Feast of Unleavened Bread
Welcome to "The Messiah Beyond a Shadow of Doubt." I'm Don McCluskey and we are moving along in our series about Jesus of Nazareth in the Appointed Times. In this lesson, we're going to begin our exploration of the Jewish holy days that are also known as the Appointed Times, and we're going to learn some things that every student of the Bible should know. We're going to dive into the Spring Appointed Times which consist of Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, and the Feast of Weeks, which is also known as Pentecost. In this lesson we're going to cover only the first two Spring Appointed Times, Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and we'll explore First Fruits and Pentecost in the next lesson.
The Time-Signature of the Messiah
As we study these special days, we see that they form a very interesting phenomenon that we refer to as the Time-Signature of the Messiah, where the specific timing of these events, along with their meaning or substance, create a shadow of future activities of the Messiah. Remember that Paul makes this connection in Colossians 2:16-17 when he refers to festivals, new moons and Sabbath days.
Now I want to emphasize that it is the "Spring" Appointed Times that form this time signature. And as we learned in the Tracking Time in Israel lesson the Spring Appointed Times begin in the first moon or month of the Jewish year, which is in the March-April timeframe, which is of course in the springtime in Israel.
So, let's dive into the Spring Appointed Times to see what we can learn. Recall that the Appointed Times are listed in chronological order in the 23rd chapter of Leviticus, so we'll refer to this chapter as our starting point, or launch point for each Appointed Time. Verse four of Leviticus 23 says, "These are the appointed times of the Lord, holy convocations which you shall proclaim at the times appointed for them." The next verse says, "In the first month on the 14th day of the month at twilight is the Lord's Passover."
Abib 14 – Passover – the First Appointed Time of the Year
So, we learn some very important "timing" information about Passover from this verse. First of all, it occurs in the first month which we learned from Tracking Time in Israel is called Abib. We also learned that Passover is observed on the 14th day of the month at twilight.
So, let's put this date on a timeline. We'll put the 14th right there. Now the verse also tells us that Passover is at twilight, so let's use this image to represent nighttime and daytime on our timeline. The black section of the image represents nighttime and the blue represents daytime. And we'll put a red line right around 3:00 p.m. which is the ninth hour to indicate twilight on Passover and then move it to our timeline.
You probably remember from the tracking time in Israel lesson that Moses words were actually between the two evenings rather than twilight. And the Tracking Time in Israel booklet explains why that most likely means between 3:00 p.m. and sundown which means that the Israelites had several hours, the time between 3:00 p.m. and sundown, to prepare the Passover lamb.
So here we have it, our first Appointed Time on our timeline Exciting, isn't it? It's very simple too. But what were the people supposed to do on the feast of Passover? What was it all about? Well, that's an excellent question, but that information was not provided in Leviticus 23. So where do we find it? Well, as with all the Appointed Times, we need to explore the other writings of Moses, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, the first five books of the Bible, to find those answers. But don't worry, I've already compiled lists of related passages in those books for each Appointed Time and included them in the appendix of the Messiah book to make it easier for you to explore them on your own.
The Historical Background of Passover in the Old Testament
So, let's begin with the first of those passages which is the story of Israel's exodus from Egypt which begins in the 12th chapter of Exodus. If you have a Bible you might want to turn to Exodus 12 and follow along.
So, let's bring things together and connect this Appointed Time, Passover, with the historical background that we briefly discussed in our previous lesson. Do you remember how Moses had a heated exchange with Pharaoh because Pharaoh would not release the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, and Moses gave a prophetic threat saying that the Lord will soon go into the heart of Egypt around midnight and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die? And that brings us full circle to Passover.
In the very next chapter, Exodus chapter 12, the Lord gave instructions to the Israelites that would keep the plague from affecting them. Now, I should point out that this plague would have affected the Israelites as well as the Egyptians if the Lord hadn't provided a means of protection for them. In verse 13 of Exodus 12, the Lord said "I will pass over you," which is the origin of the name "and no plague will befall you."
Abib 10 – Corral the Lamb
So, what was this protection that would cause the Destroyer or to pass over the homes of the Israelites? Well, let's look at the details in the Bible and see what we can learn. In Exodus chapter 12:3 the Lord said to Moses, "Speak to all the congregation of Israel saying on the 10th of this month they're each one to take a lamb for themselves according to their father's household, a lamb for each household."
So, He begins by telling them to take a lamb for each household on the 10th of the month. So, let's put a 10 on our timeline with the 14th. And just for simplicity, we're going to refer to this event as "Corral the Lamb." So, on the 10th of the month five days before Passover the Israelites were supposed to corral the lamb, one lamb for each household.
Inspect the Lamb for Purity as a Sacrifice
Now, what was the reason for corralling it? It was so they could observe it for its purity, to make sure that it was worthy to be a sacrifice. And you're probably wondering what would make it worthy or unworthy? So, let's continue to read in Exodus 12 to learn the requirements about the lamb. It says, your lamb shall be an unblemished male, a year old. You may take it from the sheep or the goats. So, notice first of all, that it must be a male, a year old and it may either be a sheep or a goat.
But what about the unblemished part? What do you think that means? You may be interested to know that has nothing to do with the color of its coat or the spots on its coat. The answer is stated very clearly in another place in the writings of Moses. In Leviticus 22:22-24 we find a list of things that cause a sacrifice to be blemished, or impure and not accepted. It tells us if the animal is blind, has bone fractures, maimed, has running sores, eczema, scabs, or injured testicles, then it is considered to be blemished and may not be used as a sacrifice.
Kill the Lamb at Twilight on Passover
Okay, so they've corralled their unblemished male lamb, what's next? Well, verse six says, "You shall keep it until the 14th day of the same month, then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel is to kill it at twilight." Ah, the 14th of the month at twilight. Now you see how this connects with the Appointed Times from Leviticus 23, which tells us that Passover is on the 14th day of the month at Twilight.
Verse seven says, "Moreover they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two door posts and on the lintel of the houses in which they eat it," and that is the sign that will protect the Israelites from the Destroyer, displaying the blood of the lamb on the two door posts and on the lintel. Exodus 12:23 says, "For the Lord will pass through to strike the Egyptians and when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two door posts, He will pass over the door and will not allow the Destroyer to come into your houses to strike you." So that is the purpose of the sign, that is the reason the Passover lamb had to die.
Eat the Lamb with Unleavened Bread and Bitter Herbs
Now let's take a look at the next verse to see what they're supposed to do with the lamb. The next verse in Exodus 12 says, "They shall eat the flesh that same night roasted with fire and they shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs." Did you notice that it says that same night, that means when the sun went down and it's a new day, no longer the 14th, it's now the 15th. So that is actually referring to the next Appointed Time which is the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
So, let's return to Leviticus 23 which is our launch point chapter, to the verse that immediately follows Passover. Verse six says, "Then on the fifteenth day of the same month there is a Feast of Unleavened Bread to the Lord for seven days." You see, the Feast of Unleavened Bread begins with the meal of the Passover lamb. The people prepared the Passover meal on the afternoon of the 14th and ate it the same night which was the 15th.
So, let's put this on our timeline. Once again verse six says, "For seven days you shall eat unleavened bread," so the Feast of Unleavened Bread begins on the 15th and ends on the 21st lasting seven days. So, there we have our second Appointed Time, once again, pretty simple, no mysteries here. The first Appointed Time is Passover on the 14th and the second is the Feast of Unleavened Bread on the 15th for seven days.
The Two High Sabbaths of the Feast of Unleavened Bread
Let's see what else we can learn about this Appointed Time. Let's continue reading verse seven of Leviticus 23, "On the first day, you shall have a holy convocation, you shall not do any ordinary work, but shall present a food offering to the Lord for seven days. On the seventh day is a holy convocation, you shall not do any ordinary work."
Okay, so on the first day you shall have a holy convocation. Hmm, what is a convocation? Well, a convocation would be like a religious gathering, or perhaps we would call it a worship service. But he also says, "You shall not do any ordinary work." Does that sound familiar? He's declaring the 15th, the first day of the feast as a sabbath, a high Sabbath day. So, this is our first high Sabbath in the Jewish year. Notice that he says the same thing about the seventh day, a holy convocation and you shall not do any ordinary work. So, he's also declaring the seventh day of the feast, the 21st of the month as a high Sabbath day.
These are the first of our two high Sabbath days of the Jewish year. So, let's put these two high Sabbath days on our timeline, one on the 15th and one on the 21st. During these seven days, the Israelites were forbidden from eating anything with leaven during the entire feast.
What is Unleavened Bread?
Now, just so you know leaven is yeast, it's the ingredient that makes bread dough rise. And without leaven, bread would be flat and it's sometimes called flat bread. The Israelites were not allowed to have any leaven in their homes, or even in their territory during the Feast of Unleavened Bread. The same is true for modern times with Jewish people, no leaven bread, no donuts, no pretzels, cakes, muffins, croutons, alcoholic beverages that contain leaven. No leaven anything, no leaven whatsoever. If it sounds like it might be a little bit difficult then you're thinking on the right track. The Feast of Unleavened Bread was to represent the affliction of Israel during the Exodus.
Now, we already learned from Exodus 12:8 that the Israelites were supposed to eat the lamb roasted with fire. They were to eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. So, let's look at some of the other requirements that Moses gave.
He said, first of all to eat it roasted with fire. Do not eat any of it raw or boiled with water. Both its head and its legs along with its entrails, which are its inner parts. None of it should be left until morning... all that remains should be burned with fire. Very detailed rules and you're not to break any bone of the lamb.
Not a Bone Shall be Broken
Ah, that's very interesting, you're not to break any bone of the lamb. You remember when Jesus was on the cross it was getting late and the people did not want the bodies on the cross after sundown because it was a Sabbath day? So, soldiers were sent to break the legs of those on the crosses so they would die before the Sabbath came at sundown. But John 19:33 tells us, "But coming to Jesus, when they saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs." And in verse 36 John goes on to say, "For these things came to pass to fulfill the Scripture. Not a bone of him shall be broken." So, this is another confirmation from the Scriptures that the Passover lamb is a shadow of Jesus. Passover is about the Messiah.
The Bread of Affliction
Now let me ask a question, what is the meaning or significance of unleavened bread? We need to be careful with this one because we often hear people say that leaven represents sin, but that is clearly not the case with the unleavened bread at Passover. In Deuteronomy 16:3 Moses is giving instructions about Passover, and he very clearly says, "You shall not eat leavened bread with it, seven days you shall eat it with unleavened bread, the bread of affliction. For you came out of the land of Egypt in haste, so that you may remember all the days of your life the day when you came out of the land of Egypt."
So according to this verse unleavened bread does not represent sin, it represents the affliction that the Israelites endured as they left Egypt at night knowing that Pharaoh would certainly pursue them. It was truly a journey of affliction. So, the unleavened bread represents their affliction.
Now, what about the bitter herbs in the Passover meal? Does it give a picture of further misery by eating bitter herbs with a sacrificed lamb and the unleavened bread? It's all part of the mood that's being created by this meal - affliction and bitterness.
What types of bitter herbs did they eat? The Jewish Talmud says the duty of eating bitter herbs on Passover may be fulfilled with the following herbs, wild lettuce, wild endive, garden endive, harhabinah with bitter coriander and bitter herbs or horse radish.
Now, it's interesting that there are two schools of thought in Judaism about how the Passover meal should be eaten. One says the ingredients should be eaten separately one at a time. But one renowned Jewish scholar named Hillel held that the ingredients should be eaten together as a sandwich similar to a Greek gyro sandwich.
The Metaphor of the Meal
But once again consider the picture that is created by the Passover meal. A dead lamb sacrificed, the bread of affliction and bitter herbs. It seems to speak of affliction and a sting of death, but it was a price of the salvation of Israel. Keep this in mind, we'll come back to it.
There's one more thing that I should mention about the Passover meal. You now know that the original Passover meal was typified by affliction and uncertainty, but in our modern mind we might tend to think of it as a holiday feast that is observed by subsequent generations... a time for families to get together and enjoy a meal and time together. But it was just the opposite. Throughout the years as the Jewish people ate of this commemorative meal together, and even today they were to take it in a thoughtful pensive way, imagining themselves walking among their ancestors in their affliction, leaving their homes at night and walking into the wilderness in fear and uncertainty.
It was truly a journey of affliction that was typified by the sacrifice lamb, the bread of affliction and the bitter herbs. The time and meaning of Passover was not a festive get-together for families. It carried a gloom with it, of knowing that your neighbors were going to die and great affliction was coming. It cast the same type of anxiety that we get when we hear the sirens that warn of tornadoes or the bombs of war. It was a time of deep reflection and deep anxiety for a very somber event in the life of Israel and especially in the life of the Messiah.
Eat It Ready to Go!
As we continue to read in Exodus, Moses told the people, "You shall eat it in this manner with your loins girded" which means fully dressed, "your sandals on your feet and your staff in hand, and you shall eat it in haste for it is the Lord's Passover. For I will go through the land of Egypt on that night and will strike down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast, and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments, I am the Lord. The blood shall be assigned for you in the houses where you live and when I see the blood, I will pass over you and no plague will befall you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt."
The Exodus from Egypt Began Sometime after Midnight on the 15th
Now, let's jump forward to verse 29 of Exodus to see what actually happened. "Now it came about at midnight that the Lord struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon and all the firstborn of cattle. Pharaoh rose in the night, he and his servants and all the Egyptians, and there was a great cry in Egypt for there was no home where there was not someone dead. Then he called for Moses and Aaron at night and said rise up and get out from among my people, both you and the sons of Israel, and go and worship the Lord as you have said. Take both your flocks and your herds as you have said, and go and bless me also."
"The Egyptians urged the people to send them out of the land in haste for they said, we will all be dead." So, the people took their dough before it was leavened with their kneading bowls bound up in their clothes on their shoulders."
And so, the journey of affliction began. Mount Sinai was their destination, the mountain of God where the Lord met with Moses through the burning bush. They were led by a pillar of fire at night and a pillar of cloud by day.
So, let's place the beginning of the Exodus on our timeline. The passage that we just read said the Lord struck the Egyptians at midnight. So, the people would've emerged from their homes in the night sometime after midnight.
Abib 15 Fell on a Friday in the Year of the Exodus
There's a very interesting passage in the Jewish Talmud. Remember the Talmud is a written commentary of the oral law by the Jewish people, and it says "On the 14th day of the month of Nissan" also known as Abib "during which month the Israelites went out of Egypt, they killed the Passover sacrifice, on the fifteenth they went out and that day was a Friday." Did you see that? They left Egypt on Friday the 15th which means the Passover lamb was killed on a Thursday. Keep that in mind.
Okay, so here's our timeline with the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and the Israelites are on their way to Mount Sinai. It's a nice timeline, don't you think? Clean and simple. Well, I need to prepare you because the timing of the next Appointed Time which is First Fruits is not quite as easy to grasp, but fortunately the answer is readily available in the Scriptures and I'm sure you'll enjoy learning about it.
I hope this has been a fun and interesting look into the first two Spring Appointed Times for you. I will look forward to seeing you in part two of the Spring Appointed Times where we'll explore First Fruits and Pentecost. Thanks for being a part of this series, I'm Don McCluskey and it's been a joy to bring this information to you.
