Spiritual Meaning

Passover may be the most important of Yahweh's annual Holy-Days. The weekly Sabbath is more important, because it is written in stone. Almost every source you research will say that Passover was instituted when the children of Israel left slavery in Egypt. On the other hand, their is evidence that it existed before the Exodus. Passover is to be a MEMORIAL to Yahweh's people. It is a time to reflect on Yahweh's deliverance from slavery. Today, we may not understand deliverance from Egypt very well. But we should understand deliverance from the bondage of sin. That deliverance is still being worked out in our lives.

Exodus 12:14-20
And this day [passover] shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to Yahweh throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever. Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. Ye shall eat nothing leavened; in all your habitations shall ye eat unleavened bread.

Passover was more than just a memorial of freedom from physical bondage. It also was meant to look forward to Yahushua's victory over Satan, providing freedom from spiritual bondage of sin. Today, it is a further memorial for us, (modern day spiritual Israel) as a remembrance of our (sometimes temporary) freedom from BOTH physical and spiritual bondage.

But Satan is still actively working and we are still frequently caught in the bonds of sin. Passover also looks forward to (anticipates) our final, permanent deliverance from the bondage of Satan and sin and their resultant heartache, pain, destruction and death.

Passover is the feast related to the barley harvest. The final barley harvest will occur with the second coming of the Messiah (see Barley Harvest). Barley represents those people ready to go to heaven with their King. This will be their complete and final deliverance from ALL bondage, but especially the bondage of sin. Passover anticipates this deliverance.

Before Yahushua's (Jesus') crucifixion, His death was anticipated by eating a lamb at Passover. However, (and here is what changed at the cross) because Yahushua, the Messiah conquered Satan, we now eat and drink the new symbols of bread and wine. Eating the lamb and the shedding of its blood was in anticipation of Yahushua's death. Eating the bread and drinking the wine are in remembrance of His victory. Yahushua (Jesus) explicitly made this change at the last supper.

Luke 22:19-20
And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.

Many Sabbatarians are quick to point out that the ten commandments say to remember the Sabbath day, yet fail to obey Yahushua's explicit command to observe Passover every year in remembrance of Him. Pretending to observe Passover as either a weekly communion mass or a thirteenth sabbath communion are NOT the annual Passover supper feast, followed by the week of unleavened bread and the feast of firstfruits. They can't even claim that this command was only for the Jews, because it was for all Christians, after which there was neither Jew nor Gentile.

Interestingly, even though Passover is all about Yahushua (Jesus) the Messiah, most of the people who celebrate it don't believe that the Messiah has come (the Jews). And most of the people who believe in the Messiah don't celebrate it (Christians). There are very few who both, believe in the Anointed AND observe the memorial of His death. (Easter doesn't count, see Holidays or Holy Days? and Pagan Holidays ). Satan doesn't care into which ditch you fall. Either side is following and obeying Satan. We must stay in the middle of the "straight and narrow" to follow Yahweh (Matthew 7:14).


Observance

The observance of Yahweh's feasts are dependent on two criteria, authorship and time. We discovered above that authority is by the express word of Yahushua (Jesus), given at His last supper. Next, we need to find the correct time.

The feast of Passover is to be observed on the 14th of abib (the first month of the year on Yahweh's calendar). It is difficult to find "abib", the name Yahweh gave it, because the Jews have adopted many months' names from their former, pagan captors. Yahweh's month of abib corresponds to the modern Jewish month of Nisan (adopted from Assyria). Literally it means full or ripe and refers to the stage of barley at harvest. By extension it also means the first month of the year - the month the barley ripens and by further extension, can also mean "spring" (see Wikipedia - abib). Abib can also be spelled aviv (as in Tel Aviv, a major city in modern Israel) which means "spring hill".

Abib corresponds to no period on the modern calendar but usually occurs sometime in March-April. Passover can ONLY be observed on Yahweh's calendar because it can't be found on Satan's Roman calendar. Even the modern Jewish calendar has been so corrupted that you will likely find Nisan listed as the 7th month, instead of the first month of abib as Yahweh commanded. There are two Jewish calendars today, one civil and the other ecclesiastical. Satan wreaks havoc and corruption everywhere he can.

If you have trouble figuring out when Passover should be celebrated, it is VERY easy. It is the full moon nearest the start of spring (spring equinox). Don't bother with the defective counterfeit Jewish calendar or the fake Roman calendar, where it can't be found at all. Simply look up and use Yahweh's calendar.

The Passover feast is to be observed on the fourteenth day of abib at evening. What is served is probably not important, but it should include unleavened bread and wine (the symbols of Christ's death) and be enjoyed with family or friends.

The day after Passover, the 15th of abib, starts the week of unleavend bread.