Maranatha - Awaiting Christ's Return

1 Cor. 15:52  In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

Category: Jewish Feasts & Jesus Revealed Page 1 of 2

Jewish Feasts & Jesus Revealed – Feast of Booths/Tabernacles

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On December 23, 2022

In Devotionals, Jewish Feasts & Jesus Revealed

Leviticus 23:33-44  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,  (34)  Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the LORD.  (35)  On the first day shall be an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.  (36)  Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein.  (37)  These are the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, to offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD, a burnt offering, and a meat offering, a sacrifice, and drink offerings, every thing upon his day:  (38)  Beside the sabbaths of the LORD, and beside your gifts, and beside all your vows, and beside all your freewill offerings, which ye give unto the LORD.  (39)  Also in the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when ye have gathered in the fruit of the land, ye shall keep a feast unto the LORD seven days: on the first day shall be a sabbath, and on the eighth day shall be a sabbath.  (40)  And ye shall take you on the first day the boughs of goodly trees, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook; and ye shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days.  (41)  And ye shall keep it a feast unto the LORD seven days in the year. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month.  (42)  Ye shall dwell in booths seven days; all that are Israelites born shall dwell in booths:  (43)  That your generations may know that I made the children of Israel to dwell in booths, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.  (44)  And Moses declared unto the children of Israel the feasts of the LORD.

It’s a new day and I’m thankful to be alive to live in times such as these. You may wonder how I can be thankful for the chaos and hatred we are experiencing. I am thankful because we are part of the best generation and time in which to be alive! At this point in time, the Church who is alive at the time Israel became a nation (1948), will not experience death but will be Raptured when Christ comes in the clouds to get His Bride! That’s enough to make you shout, “Glory”!!

Today is our last Feast, the Feast of Booths or Tabernacles; in Hebrew it is called “Sukkot.” Its actual definition is a temporary dwelling or hut. This is a Festival where the Jews remember the 40 years their ancestors dwelled in the desert. The Lord God protected and provided for Israel during their journey in the desert. Remembering all that God had done for them is the focal point. These temporary huts are taken down at the end of the Feast and rebuilt the next year; in memory of Israel moving the tabernacle from place to place in the desert. This tabernacle was with them throughout their entire journey and God was with them that whole time.

Israel’s “temporary dwelling” is still true today. Once they enter into the Millennium, their Messiah will no longer be dwelling temporarily with them but for all eternity! Prophetically, we read in Micah 4:1-7 that Messiah will dwell among His people once again after the Second Coming. All remaining believing Jews will see their Feast of Booths come to a reality when they enter the Millennium Kingdom and their Messiah, Jesus Christ, will be among them! Hallelujah! Jesus will once again “tabernacle” with them! Praise the Lord! Can you imagine living during the Millennium and living like we were in the Garden of Eden? The thought of this brings joy to my heart! 😀

This is the end of our series and I hope you have enjoyed it! Don’t these symbolic points of these Feasts excite your spirit? Do you know the Lord Jesus Christ, personally or do you only know of Him? He is the true sinless Lamb of God! I want to be sure that anyone who reads the posts on this blog can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are going to Heaven. Have you received Christ as your Saviour? If no, your sins are not covered by His sacrificial offering of Himself. You have not been redeemed by His blood. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Jewish Feasts & Jesus Revealed – Day of Atonement

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On December 21, 2022

In Devotionals, Jewish Feasts & Jesus Revealed

Leviticus 23:26-32  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,  (27)  Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.  (28)  And ye shall do no work in that same day: for it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before the LORD your God.  (29)  For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people.  (30)  And whatsoever soul it be that doeth any work in that same day, the same soul will I destroy from among his people.  (31)  Ye shall do no manner of work: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.  (32)  It shall be unto you a sabbath of rest, and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath.

Good morning! Today’s Feast is an exciting feast, in my opinion. The setting is the Second Coming of Jesus and Israel finally accepts Him as their Messiah! They look upon Him who died for their sin and became the sinless and perfect offering for all sins! Hallelujah! 🥰

You can read in detail how God instituted this Feast in Leviticus 16. However, prophetically speaking, we see in Zechariah 12:10 and Zechariah 13:1, that Israel will look upon Him whom they have pierced! This can only happen at Christ’s Second Coming, amen?

It’s interesting to me that the Scriptures above mention several times that NO work is to be done. This time was to be one of fasting and praying (Leviticus 23:27); Repeating this certainly must have some significance, amen? The only one who could do work was the high priest as he would be burning the offering to the Lord. Anyone who violated this would be destroyed (Leviticus 23:30). Do you see the significance here, reader? There is no one who can “pay” for his salvation. (Titus 3:5, Ephesians 2:8-9) Only the High Priest can do this for mankind. There can’t be any “work” done in order to gain eternal life, amen? This time was to be a time of prayer and fasting. That is what “afflict your souls” is referencing in Leviticus 23:27, 29). They are to look inward and do inventory of their heart and focus on fasting and prayer! It’s kind of ironic that this is not a time of “feasting” but of fasting!

As focus is on Israel during the seven-day Tribulation, this will be their time to recognize Christ as their Messiah. During this time, they will be fasting and praying for God’s revelation of the One Who saved them to make Himself known to all Israel! They will see their Messiah at His Second Coming and will recognize Him! Their atonement will be complete in Him, amen?

Don’t these symbolic points of these Feasts excite your spirit? Do you know the Lord Jesus Christ, personally or do you only know of Him? He is the true sinless Lamb of God! I want to be sure that anyone who reads the posts on this blog can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are going to Heaven. Have you received Christ as your Saviour? If no, your sins are not covered by His sacrificial offering of Himself. You have not been redeemed by His blood. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Jewish Feasts & Jesus Revealed – Feast of Trumpets*

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On December 19, 2022

In Devotionals, Jewish Feasts & Jesus Revealed

Levicus 23:23-25  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,  (24)  Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation.  (25)  Ye shall do no servile work therein: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD.

Good morning dear Reader! I do so apologize for the interruption. My husband had surgery and recuperation is extremely slow. Hopefully his healing won’t be too much longer!I’m praying that you are enjoying this series. I love reading anything about my Saviour and how He is revealed, especially in the Old Testament. These feasts are a wonderful depiction of His salvation and His reign to come!

Today, we’re going to cover the Feast of Trumpets. I love trumpets, don’t you? They are so loud and when one is played, it gets your attention. This is exactly what they were designed to do. From my research, I’ve learned that this Feast comes each year in late September to October according to the Jewish calendar. As you’ve probably noticed, trumpets are used throughout the Bible for different purposes. A trumpet (this is called the shofar) would be blown to call Israel to assemble together, a call to march and a call to war. The Scripture above says it was to be:

  • As a Sabbath to Israel where they would do no work.
  • A memorial of blowing trumpets, a holy convocation which simply means an act of calling or assembling (according to Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary).
  • To do no work
  • A time to offer a burnt offering unto the Lord.

The main point was to remember the Lord and to focus this time around Him and to “call” them to repentance. It makes sense since ten days later, they will be celebrating the Day of Atonement. Everything that happened to Israel at Mount Sinai set them apart as a nation – it was God’s covenant with them. The Feast of Trumpets reminds Israel that they are God’s people. This covenant (the Law) calls them to repent and seek atonement. We will cover that in more detail when we do the post on the Day of Atonement.

Some Christians believe that the Rapture will occur during the Feast of Trumpets. However, I’m not 100% convinced of this. If we look at 1 Thessalonians 4:16, we see that the Rapture trumpet is the “trump of God,” not the manmade silver trumpets of Numbers 10:2. This phrase, “trump of God,” is only mentioned once in the entire Bible. The rule of “firsts” would apply here. This trump is only blown when Christ comes in the clouds (1 Thessalonians 4:17). There is also the “last trumpet” spoken of in 1 Corinthians 15:52; in my findings, I take it to mean that it is the last opportunity for Believers to leads others to Christ – it is the Church’s last call and the end of the Church age. Israel will now become the focal point of God’s judgment to draw them to the Messiah.

The last trumpet blown in the Tribulation is for Christ’s Second Coming so this is where lies some confusion. Will the Lord Rapture us during this Feast? Maybe. However Jesus said in Matthew 24:36 that no one knows the day or the hour except our Heavenly Father.

Don’t these symbolic points of these Feasts excite your spirit? Do you know the Lord Jesus Christ, personally or do you only know of Him? He is the true sinless Lamb of God! I want to be sure that anyone who reads the posts on this blog can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are going to Heaven. Have you received Christ as your Saviour? If no, your sins are not covered by His sacrificial offering of Himself. You have not been redeemed by His blood. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Jewish Feasts & Jesus Revealed – Feast of Weeks

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On December 9, 2022

In Devotionals, Jewish Feasts & Jesus Revealed

Leviticus 23:15-22  And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete:  (16)  Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD.  (17)  Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals: they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baken with leaven; they are the firstfruits unto the LORD.  (18)  And ye shall offer with the bread seven lambs without blemish of the first year, and one young bullock, and two rams: they shall be for a burnt offering unto the LORD, with their meat offering, and their drink offerings, even an offering made by fire, of sweet savour unto the LORD.  (19)  Then ye shall sacrifice one kid of the goats for a sin offering, and two lambs of the first year for a sacrifice of peace offerings.  (20)  And the priest shall wave them with the bread of the firstfruits for a wave offering before the LORD, with the two lambs: they shall be holy to the LORD for the priest.  (21)  And ye shall proclaim on the selfsame day, that it may be an holy convocation unto you: ye shall do no servile work therein: it shall be a statute for ever in all your dwellings throughout your generations.  (22)  And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not make clean riddance of the corners of thy field when thou reapest, neither shalt thou gather any gleaning of thy harvest: thou shalt leave them unto the poor, and to the stranger: I am the LORD your God.

Good morning! As I research the different feasts, I stand amazed at how merciful God is – He gives people countless opportunities to “find” Him! I’m so thankful that God knows how desperately we need salvation and He reveals His plan in so many ways!

Today, we cover the Feast of Weeks as shown in Leviticus 23. We will start with a little bit of background on this feast. It is one of three feasts that requires all Jewish males to travel to Jerusalem to attend the feast. (Exodus 23:14-17, 34:22-23, and Deuteronomy 16:16) It begins on a Sabbath and ends on a Sabbath: seven weeks (50 days) after the Feast of First Fruits. This is where Pentecost (meaning 50) is derived (Acts 2:1). It is one of the harvest feasts and new grain was offered to the Lord (Leviticus 23:16). In fact, it is the only feast that uses leavened bread, which we will cover later in this post. Today, this celebration is called Shavuot, which is Hebrew for “weeks.”

It is a beautiful foreshadow of the coming Messiah and His redemptive work! In fact, we know that each of the Feasts reveals God’s redemptive plan through Jesus Christ! Jesus was the Passover Lamb and arose on the Feast of Firstfruits. How exciting is that!!! Afterwards, Jesus spent 40 days teaching those disciples He would leave to carry on His work. Jesus then ascended to Heaven, as recorded in Acts 1:6-11. When we count 50 days after Christ’s ascension, we arrive to the day of Pentecost (Feast of Firstfruits). The Holy Spirit was given to continue Christ’s ministry and to give power to His Church.

One of the exciting aspects of this Feast is that two loaves of leavened bread were used as a wave offering. This is a foreshadow of God’s redemptive plan being for both Jew and Gentile (Ephesians 2:14-15). On Pentecost (Feast of Weeks), the “firstfruits” of the church became a reality after Peter preached the gospel and over 3,000 were saved in one day! God’s new Covenant through Christ and His Holy Spirit began and we continue to experience firstfruits!

Don’t these symbolic points of these Feasts excite your spirit? Do you know the Lord Jesus Christ, personally or do you only know of Him? He is the true sinless Lamb of God! I want to be sure that anyone who reads the posts on this blog can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are going to Heaven. Have you received Christ as your Saviour? If no, your sins are not covered by His sacrificial offering of Himself. You have not been redeemed by His blood. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Jewish Feasts & Jesus Revealed – First Fruits

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On December 7, 2022

In Devotionals, Jewish Feasts & Jesus Revealed

Leviticus 23:9-14  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,  (10)  Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest:  (11)  And he shall wave the sheaf before the LORD, to be accepted for you: on the morrow after the sabbath the priest shall wave it.  (12)  And ye shall offer that day when ye wave the sheaf an he lamb without blemish of the first year for a burnt offering unto the LORD.  (13)  And the meat offering thereof shall be two tenth deals of fine flour mingled with oil, an offering made by fire unto the LORD for a sweet savour: and the drink offering thereof shall be of wine, the fourth part of an hin.  (14)  And ye shall eat neither bread, nor parched corn, nor green ears, until the selfsame day that ye have brought an offering unto your God: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings.

Good morning, reader! Have you been blessed by this series so far? I love finding the Lord Jesus Christ throughout each book in the Bible. Even in Genesis 3:15, we see the “Scarlet Thread of Redemption” given to us! God created a perfect man and gave him a perfect place to live. But man chose to sin, despite the God’s perfect creation. It’s not God’s fault that man had the free will to sin and chose to do so! It is our nature to sin by choice. Praise the Lord for our Saviour, the perfect Lamb of God, who gave Himself for us.

(Galatians 1:4)  Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:

(Galatians 2:20)  I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

(Ephesians 5:25)  Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

(1 Timothy 2:6)  Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

(Titus 2:14)  Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

Now on to today’s feast: The Feast of First Fruits! This feast was to be celebrated the day after the Sabbath (which is the first day of the week), once they arrived in the Promised Land! (Leviticus 23:10) They were to give to the priest a sheaf from their harvest and the priest would wave it (Leviticus 23:11) before the Lord. They would also offer a year-old male lamb without blemish. The food and drink offering was also given as a sign of fellowship with God (Leviticus 23:13-14). This was all to be done so Israel would know that God should receive their very best. It also helped Israel to remember who provided their food! The mere fact that they gave God of their First Fruits would teach them to trust in His provision; who could know if it would be a sparse harvest. When we give God the very best and of our own first fruits of our labor, He will take care of the rest! This Feast reminds Israel of their fellowship and dedication

What is the principle behind the Feast of Firstfruits? The people of God were to know that they owe their best to God. Nothing they have did not come from Him. It was definitely risky for them to offer the first of their harvest to God. Who knew if there would be more harvest? But in doing so, they were to learn faith and trust in the God who has proven His faithfulness over and over again. For us too, this reminds us that we don’t just give God the best, we are also to give God first. This is His due and our priority. This Feast was also to mark their dedication and fellowship with Jehova-Jireh, the God who provides. 

The Feast of First Fruits was also used as a provision for the priests. Numbers 18:2-13 gives us that account. So we see Israel giving of their first fruits to God; then God provided for the priests using these first fruits. We use this same method today – we pay our tithes and offerings to God, Who in turn provides for the man of God and the running of His church house.

So how does this feast reveal Christ? We know that the Lord arose on the first day of the week. (Matthew 28:1-10) Jesus was also the first fruit of those who had been dead and having the resurrection of life! (1 Corinthians 15:20, 23) Christ received His new glorified body and when He comes in the clouds to rapture His church, the dead first and after them, we will receive our new glorified bodies!!! Jesus Christ is the first fruit of rising above death’s sting. Without His resurrection, we are most miserable (1 Corinthians 15:19)! But because we know that Jesus arose, it encourages us that we will follow!

Do you see the Lord in this particular Feast? Do you know the Lord Jesus Christ, personally or do you only know of Him? He is the First Fruit through His resurrection, which gives every man an opportunity to participate in the Rapture!! I want to be sure that anyone who reads the posts on this blog can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are going to Heaven. Have you received Christ as your Saviour? If no, your sins are not covered by His sacrificial offering of Himself. You have not been redeemed by His blood. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Jewish Feasts & Jesus Revealed – Unleavened Bread

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On December 5, 2022

In Devotionals, Jewish Feasts & Jesus Revealed

Leviticus 23:4-8  These are the feasts of the LORD, even holy convocations, which ye shall proclaim in their seasons.  (5)  In the fourteenth day of the first month at even is the LORD’S passover.  (6)  And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread.  (7)  In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.  (8)  But ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD seven days: in the seventh day is an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein.

Oh what a joyous time of year this is! 😀 Although Winter appears fruitless with its frigid temperatures, we celebrate the Saviour’s birth! His birth leads to the salvation of mankind!

I’ve learned so much doing the research on this series! I sorta knew the basics of the Feasts but never really dug deeper. In doing so, I see the Lord Jesus in every aspect and it excites the spirit within me! I absolutely love God’s Word and how it blesses us over and over! (Lamentations 3:22-23)

Today’s Feast is that of Unleavened Bread. We covered this in part in the posts about the Seder meal. Today is strictly about the Feast itself. This Feast was seven days long and during that time they could not eat any bread that was made with yeast (leaven). Let’s park there for a minute and concentrate on the word “leaven.” Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary defines leaven as:

LEAVEN, n. lev’n. [L. levo, Eng. to lift.]

A mass of sour dough, which, mixed with a larger quantity of dough or paste, produces fermentation in it and renders it light. During the seven days of the passover, no leaven was permitted to be in the houses of the Jews. Exo 12.

Any thing which makes a general change in the mass. It generally means something which corrupts or depraves that with which it is mixed.
Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.
Mat 16.
LEAVEN, v.t. lev’n.

To excite fermentation in; to raise and make light, as dough or paste.
A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump. 1 Cor 5.

to taint; to imbue.

Think on this definition for a moment. Yeast/leaven produces fermentation and changes the texture and the size of the bread. If we regard leaven as a symbol for sin, it clearly opens up the purpose of this Feast, don’t you think? If we allow sin into our lives, it doesn’t just sit still. It produces more sin. It also has its repercussions! To the believer, it causes our relationship with the Lord to suffer. (Psalm 66:18) From the time of Adam and Eve, when sin was first brought into the Garden of Eden, sin has continued to grow and has created a depraved people. It has hardened the heart to its effects. It also reveals that even a tiny amount will cause an entire lump of dough to rise. Jewish tradition has it that women would actually get on their hands and knees sweeping with a feather every nook to rid their homes of any leaven. Wow, what would our Christian lives look like if we took the same painstaking effort of ridding our lives of sin!!?? The more sin there is (size), the harder the heart becomes (texture).

The Apostle Paul reprimanded the Corinthian church for defiling their church with sexual immorality (1 Corinthians 5:1-8). The church, as we know it today, is not like the church of yesteryear. Sin has crept into the church willingly and it is accepted. We see this all the more today! Allowing known sin to abide in the church is like adding yeast to the dough. A little will cause the all of the dough to rise – a little sin will multiply and the church will not be pure and chaste. (2 Corinthians 11:2)

But there is Good News in this Feast for all! The Good News is that the Lord Jesus Christ gave Himself as the perfect sacrifice for our sins! He lived that sinless life – He is the true unleavened Bread of life – He is the perfect sacrificial Lamb! But the best news of all is that He arose and is sitting with the Father awaiting His return for the Church (His Bride) at the Rapture! Oh what joy for the believer!!

Do you see the Lord in these Feasts? Do you know the Lord Jesus Christ, personally or do you only know of Him? He is the true Unleavened Bread – the sinless Lamb of God! I want to be sure that anyone who reads the posts on this blog can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are going to Heaven. Have you received Christ as your Saviour? If no, your sins are not covered by His sacrificial offering of Himself. You have not been redeemed by His blood. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Jewish Feasts & Jesus Revealed – Passover Seder Part 4

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On December 2, 2022

In Devotionals, Jewish Feasts & Jesus Revealed

Good morning! I can hardly believe that we are in our last month of 2022! Where has this year gone? Could it be that we will see the Lord coming for us at the Rapture before the end of the year? How exciting would that be???

As we finish up on the Seder meal, we see something which is not shown in the picture above. These are the four cups of wine which are used at various points during the meal. The first of the cups is called the “cup of sanctification.”

Exodus 6:6  Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the LORD, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments:

1 Corinthians 1:30  But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption:

Sanctification? What is that? Noah Webster defines the word “sanctification” as:

SANCTIFICA’TION, n. [See Sanctify.]

  1. The act of making holy. In an evangelical sense, the act of God’s grace by which the affections of men are purified or alienated from sin and the world, and exalted to a supreme love to God.
    God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation, through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth. 2 Th 2. 1 Pet 1.
  2. The act of consecrating or of setting apart for a sacred purpose; consecration.

Sanctification is the act of making one holy, setting us apart from the world. It doesn’t all happen at once, as all believers know. The Holy Spirit’s endless job of sanctifying each member of the Church and making us “mirror” Jesus Christ. The Church is to be a unique kind of people that reflects that work of the Holy Spirit. The Spirit diligently works in the heart of all believers to convict their hearts of sin, and to help them live a life that glorifies God!

1 Peter 2:9  But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

The second cup of wine is the “cup of judgment.” As we see in Exodus 6:6, God promises to rid Israel of their years of bondage! Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ delivers us from our bondage of sin! (Romans 6:20) We are no longer judged for those sins because Jesus paid for all of them on the cross of Calvary. We are no longer under the bondage of sin but have liberty through Christ! (Romans 8:15, Romans 8:21) We don’t have to sin – if a believer does sin, it is because he chooses to sin. That hurts God and breaks the sweet fellowship we have with Him. It is very much in the same manner as when a child does something against his parents’ wishes. That child is still a member of the family but the parents are hurt and disappointed. Fellowship isn’t quite the same until the child asks for forgiveness and that sweet fellowship is restored.

The third cup is the “cup of redemption”! I love that word redemption! Exodus 6:6 shows us that God will redeem Israel of judgment. Galatians 3:13 also tells us that Jesus redeemed us from the curse of the law. He became the curse for us. (Deuteronomy 21:22-23) He paid the price for our wicked sin – this is a price that we all must pay unless we believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as the Son of God and Messiah of mankind. If you do not accept Him as Saviour, you will pay that price for your sins which results spending eternity in a burning lake of fire!

The last of the cups, the fourth cup, is known as the “cup of praise”! Exodus 6:7 tells Israel that God has taken them as His people and He will be their God. He also reminds them that He is the one that brought them out of Egypt to relieve them of their burdens. Oh what praise that is to the God who delivered them! Jesus spoke of this cup in Matthew 26:29. He would drink it new with us in His Father’s kingdom! His resurrection brings praise to the lips of everyone who believes on Him! The Jewish people look forward to their acceptance into the Kingdom and Christians look forward to being welcomed by our Yeshua the Messiah to be with Him forever!

As we finish the Seder and its beautiful symbolism, do you see Jesus in each of the details we covered? Do you know the Passover Lamb, Jesus Christ, personally or do you only know of Him? I want to be sure that anyone who reads the posts on this blog can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are going to Heaven. Have you received Christ as your Saviour? If no, your sins are not covered by His sacrificial offering of Himself. You have not been redeemed by His blood. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Jewish Feasts and Jesus Revealed – Passover Seder Part 3

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On November 30, 2022

In Devotionals, Jewish Feasts & Jesus Revealed

Good morning, dear reader! As I dwell on the Passover feast and the Seder, it makes me so appreciative of Christ’s work on the cross so that we may be saved! Is there a greater gift than this? (Romans 6:23) We are approaching the season where we celebrate the Saviour’s birth and without His birth, there would be no death or resurrection, amen?

As we look at the other elements of the Seder plate, we’ll see that they are reminders to Israel of their slavery in Egypt. Each element plays a traditional role which helps them to remember what God did for them. The next element is the vegetable, which is called the karpas. It’s usually parsley dipped in salted water. It’s a “picture” of the hyssop that was used to paint the blood of the Passover lamb around the door frame. The salted water represents all the tears shed during their enslavement in Egypt and how God parted the Red Sea. As a Christian, this reminds me of the hyssop that was used to give vinegar as a drink to the Saviour as He was hanging on the cross. (John 19:29) When I think of my Saviour enduring the agony of the cross, I can’t help but cry.

The next element are the bitter herbs, called “maror” in Hebrew. Exodus 12:8 tells us that this was commanded to be a part of the Passover feast. Today, they usually use horseradish, which is one of the most bitter herbs. This element reminds the celebrants that they could not offer sacrifices to God and that was more bitter to them than their enslavement in Egypt. For me as a believer, my life here on earth is bitter compared to my eternal life with Christ. I also see it as my life before I knew Christ. It was quite bitter until He became my Lord and Saviour and He now produces sweet fruit in my heart!

Another element on the Seder plate is the charoset. This is a mixture of apples, nuts, wine and spices. Charoset represents the mortar used in building by the Israelites during their enslavement. My Jewish friend said that was everyone’s favorite part! 😁 It is the only sweet element on the Seder plate and is a reminder of their hope of redemption! (Ephesians 1:7, Colossians 1:14, Hebrews 9:15) For the believer, does this bring to mind the beautiful hymn “Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus”? Yes, it is sweet to have Jesus in our lives. There is none greater and none who can bring the joy and peace that He brings! Praise God for His redemption!

The last of the elements is the hard-boiled or roasted egg, which in Hebrew is the baytzah. Jewish tradition says that those who mourned the loss of a loved one ate hard-boiled eggs. The roasted egg in the Seder reminds the participants that they mourn the loss of their temple. To the Christian, it could represent that we are the temple of God and no longer need that temple made with hands. (1 Corinthians 3:16, 1 Corinthians 6:19)

Oh dear reader, do you not see Jesus in each of the details we covered today? Do you know the Passover Lamb, Jesus Christ, personally or do you only know of Him? I want to be sure that anyone who reads the posts on this blog can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are going to Heaven. Have you received Christ as your Saviour? If no, your sins are not covered by His sacrificial offering of Himself. You have not been redeemed by His blood. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Jewish Feasts and Jesus Revealed – Passover Seder Part 2

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On November 28, 2022

In Devotionals, Jewish Feasts & Jesus Revealed

Good morning! I hope you are being blessed by this new series. As I learned about this beautiful tradition, it made me wonder why the Jews can’t see the Lord Jesus Christ depicted throughout. I understand that we are looking back to the Cross but there are so many prophecies that were fulfilled through Jesus, our Messiah; it’s hard to believe they don’t see it. It encourages me to pray for the veil to be lifted from their eyes so they can recognize that their Messiah came to pay the ransom for their sins and that He is coming for His church at any moment! (Matthew 20:28, 1 Timothy 2:6)

Another symbol of Christ on the Seder plate is the matzoh. Matzoh is unleavened bread; this bread does not contain yeast. The fact that there is no yeast in their bread reminds the Jews of how quickly they left Egypt. (Deuteronomy 16:3) They didn’t have time to put yeast in the flour, hence unleavened bread. It brings to mind that yeast is also symbolic of sin. Just one sin corrupts the entire body! (Galatians 5:9, Matthew 13:33, Luke 13:21, 1 Corinthians 5:6)

Now this next point is quite a blessing to me. Matzoh is also a picture of the Messiah! The matzoh is placed in a bag which has three sections (or pockets). This is called an “echad” which in Hebrew means “one”! (Genesis 2:24) A piece of matzoh is placed in each section of the bag. The first section isn’t used in the Seder. As well, it is not to be seen or touched. The second section is a matzoh which is broken in half at the beginning of the Seder: half remains in the bag and the other is placed on a linen cloth. Then lastly, the matzoh in the third section is to be eaten with the other items on the plate. The Jews believe the three pieces of matzoh represent Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. But they can’t explain why they break the second matzoh (representing Isaac) in half and putting half back in the echad; the other other half on a linen cloth.

For Christians, it’s a beautiful picture of the Trinity (three sections in the echad). The first matzoh remains in the echad, which represents the unseen Heavenly Father. The second matzoh represents Christ’s broken body (1 Corinthians 11:24). The half that is put back in the echad reveals Christ’s divine nature next to the Father. The other half, which is placed on a linen cloth, represents the Lord’s life while He was on earth as well as when He was placed in the linen burial cloths. The third matzoh represents the Holy Spirit, who dwells within us and is a part of our every day lives.

An interesting point about the half of the matzoh which is hidden in the linen cloth really blessed me. This is hidden somewhere in the house and after the children have eaten, and they go searching for it. Once it’s found, it is held as a ransom!!! I got goosebumps when I learned this! It’s a fulfillment of Matthew 19:14, 1 Corinthians 11:24, and Mark 10:45! With child-like faith, we are to search for the Saviour whose body was broken so that He could give His life as a ransom for us! Thank You, Jesus my Saviour! ❣

The last point of the matzoh is its preparation. Not only must it be unleavened, but it must be striped and pierced! Are you jumping out of your skin yet? 😀 The stripes represent Christ’s wounds, which heal us spiritually! (Isaiah 53:5) Furthermore, the matzoh is pierced representing Christ’s hands, feet and side being pierced. (Psalm 22:16, John 19:34, John 20:25) Isn’t this a beautiful picture??!! Of course, this isn’t what the Jews see as they partake, but you and I can see it clearly as believers in Christ Jesus! Jesus is our bread of life, Christian! (John 6:33, John 6:35, John 6:48, John 6:51)

Do you know the Messiah, Jesus Christ, personally or do you only know of Him? I want to be sure that anyone who reads the posts on this blog can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are going to Heaven. Have you received Christ as your Saviour? If no, your sins are not covered by His sacrificial offering of Himself. You have not been redeemed by His blood. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

Jewish Feasts and Jesus Revealed – Passover Seder

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On November 25, 2022

In Devotionals, Jewish Feasts & Jesus Revealed

A good morning to you!! As we continue studying the topic of the Passover, we see that the Jews celebrate a meal that they call the Seder. This is something that Jews do as a memorial of their exodus from Egypt. I watched a Messianic Jew perform the Seder where he explained each phase. Although it’s nice to know how Christ is represented in each phase, the Seder is not for Christians. We are not required to keep the Feasts because we already know Christ as our Messiah. The only thing that was required of the Christian Gentiles to follow were told to us in Acts 15:28-29. The Feasts point the Jews TO Jesus so they will see that their Messiah is revealed in each of these.

So let’s discuss the Seder. The Seder is the traditional dinner that Jews celebrate during Passover. The definition of Seder is “order.” As you can see in the picture above, there appears to be an order in the food displayed. There’s also an order in the prayers and songs. Each food item on the plate represents an aspect of the Jews flight out of Egypt and being freed from slavery. It’s really quite touching. It’s a wonderful reminder of what they went through! It’s also pretty amazing that Jews all around the world are celebrating this Seder in the same manner.

As a Christian, we look at this tradition as our school teacher and rejoice that Christ is our Passover Lamb (1 Corinthians 5:7). Do you see the bone in the picture above? This is known as the shank bone of a lamb. Christ is represented in this very shank bone as it relates to the lamb that was slaughtered for the Passover. We also can correlate it to John 19:36 where not a bone of Christ’s body was broken while He was on the cross. As the Passover lamb provided salvation for the Jews out of Egypt, so does our Passover Lamb provide salvation as we come out of Egypt (a type of the world) into the glorious promised land of Heaven! This is why John the Baptist said in John 1:29, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”

On the next post, we will cover other aspects of the Seder. Think about the whole purpose of the Passover and how it relates to Christ and the salvation He provides to all. Do you know Jesus Christ, the Messiah, personally or do you only know of Him? I want to be sure that anyone who reads the posts on this blog can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are going to Heaven. Have you received Christ as your Saviour? If no, your sins are not covered by His sacrificial offering of Himself. You have not been redeemed by His blood. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!

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