Passover is the archetypal picture of the redemption of God. Its theme goes back to the very beginning, to the orchard of Eden itself, when Adam and Eve disobeyed God and ate from the forbidden tree. Because of their transgression, our original ancestors incurred the plague of death and were exiled from the Divine Presence, though God graciously promised to heal them through the coming Seed of the woman – the Savior who would crush the head of the serpent and break the fangs of his venomous sting (Gen. 3:15). Soon after making this great promise, God clothed our primordial parents with the skin of a sacrificed lamb (Gen. 3:21), linking their coming deliverance with the “Lamb of God slain from the foundation of the world” (1 Pet. 1:18-20). The very first “Passover” was in the garden. The story extends to the world to come, too, where in the redeemed paradise of God we will celebrate the victory of the Lamb who was slain for our redemption (Rev. 5:12-13, Rev. 19:7).

The great story of our redemption is revealed on two levels in Scripture – one that concerns the paradise of Eden (the universal level), and the other that concerns the paradise of Israel (the particular level). Therefore Yeshua is both rightly called the “Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world” (John 1:29) and “the Messiah our Passover Lamb who has been sacrificed for us” (1 Cor. 5:7). Likewise he is both called the “Seed of the woman,” and “the Son of David”; the “Second Adam,” and the “King of the Jews,” and so on. The story of Israel’s redemption in Egypt therefore serves as an allegory of both the universal salvation promised in Eden (i.e., the lamb slain from the foundation of the world) as well as the revelation of the sacrificial ministry of Yeshua as Israel’s promised Messiah. Yeshua is both the Savior of the world as well as Israel’s true King and Deliverer.

 

For more see:

• The Very First Passover…
• The Gospel in the Garden…
• Hebrew for Christians Passover Pages…

The Torah divides the calendar into two symmetrical halves: the Spring and the Fall, indicating the two advents of Messiah. The Biblical year officially begins during the month of the Passover from Egypt (i.e., on Nisan 1, called “Rosh Chodashim,” see Exod. 12:2), and the spring holidays of Passover, Unleavened Bread, and Firstfruits both recall our deliverance from Egypt and also our greater deliverance given by means of the death, burial, and resurrection of the Messiah, the great Passover Lamb of God: Yeshua was crucified on erev Pesach (during the time of the sacrifice of the Passover lambs), buried during Chag Hamotzi (the festival of Unleavened Bread), and was resurrected from the dead on Yom Habikkurim (the Day of Firstfruits). Fifty days after the Passover, on the climactic holiday of Shavuot (i.e., the feast of Pentecost), the wave offering was made at the Temple as the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) fell on the believers in fulfillment of the promise given by our Lord.

Note that the giving of the Holy Spirit occurred precisely according to the calendar countdown given in the Torah (Lev. 23:15-16), and that it occurred after the resurrection of Yeshua — just as our Messiah foretold (John 16:7; Acts 1:6-8, 2:1-4). This proves that the feasts of the LORD (מוֹעדי יהוה) were not abolished after the institution of the New Covenant and the crucifixion of our Lord. The meaning of the gospel is prefigured in the holidays given in Torah. See Luke 24:27, 24:44; John 5:46; Acts 26:22, etc.

Kindly note that in accordance with both Torah and Jewish tradition, the holiday dates (shown in the table below) begin at sundown (Gen. 1:5).

For more see the Hebrew for Christians Holiday pages.

 

 

The exodus from Egypt (יציאת מצרים) is perhaps the most fundamental event of Jewish history; it is “the” miracle of the Torah. In addition to being commemorated every year during Passover (Exod. 12:24-27; Num. 9:2-3; Deut. 16:1), it is explicitly mentioned in the first of the Ten Commandments (Exod. 20:2), and it is recalled every Sabbath (Deut. 5:12-15). The festivals of Shavuot (Pentecost) and Sukkot (Tabernacles) likewise derive from it (the former recalling the giving of the Torah at Sinai and the latter recalling God’s care as the Exodus generation journeyed from Egypt to the Promised Land), as does the Season of Teshuvah (repentance) that culminates in Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement). Indeed, nearly every commandment of the Torah (including the laws of the Tabernacle and the sacrificial system) may be traced back to the story of the Exodus, and in some ways, the entire Bible is an extended interpretation of its significance. Most important of all, the Exodus both prefigures and exemplifies the work of redemption given through the sacrificial life of Yeshua the Messiah, the true King of the Jews and the blessed Lamb of God.

The deeper meaning of exile concerns blindness of the divine presence. The worst kind of exile is not to know that you are lost, away from home, in need of redemption… That is why Egypt (i.e., Mitzraim) is called metzar yam – a “narrow strait.”  Egypt represents bondage and death in this world, and the exodus represents salvation and freedom. God splits the sea and we cross over from death to life. Since Torah represents awareness of God’s truth, Israel was led into a place of difficulty to learn and receive revelation (Gen. 46:1-7). Out of the depths of darkness God’s voice would call his people forth. Likewise we understand our “blessed fault,” the trouble that moves us to cry out for God’s miracle in Yeshua… Indeed the New Testament states that Yeshua “appeared in glory and spoke of his exodus (τὴν ἔξοδον αὐτου) which he would accomplish at Jerusalem” (Luke 9:31).