Passover: A Pattern of Covenant Renewal and Restoration

​This week we’ll pause our review of Isaiah Decoded and observe Passover. At first glance, we might just consider Passover as God’s freeing Israel from Egyptian bondage. But this story has deeper and more powerful implications. The first concept we should see is God restoring His relationship with His Chosen People, which is a type and shadow for Israel’s Endtime restoration. The second concept we should see as God restores His relationship with Israel are the covenants that underpin this relationship. Moreover, we’ll integrate Messianic elements in with our Passover observance as we prepare for the Endtime restoration of Israel and the Messiah’s Millennial reign. 

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Elijah and Israel’s Endtime Restoration
One of the connections that Jews make with the observance of Passover is that it foreshadows a second and final restoring of Israel’s relationship with God. Israel’s first Passover provides a pattern for any future restoration of relationship with Israel. We can say that because Jewish practice of Passover recognizes that the return of Elijah is also a restoration of relationship with God whose return coincides with the Messiah’s Millennial rule – Malachi 4.
 
In our Passover observance, we set a cup and place for Elijah and open our doors for his return. Elijah here represents God’s Endtime Servant who comes to restore all things – restoring God’s relationship with Israel. We can also read Malachi’s prophecy at Malachi 4.

A Messianic Passover
As we read the Passover story, we should insert the various covenants that we see implied in the Passover story including messianic ones. So that we can participate in a fullness of a restoration of relationship with God.  Let’s begin reading Exodus 12.
 
 
The Messianic Covenant – Exodus 12:3-6, 21, 25-27
The first covenant that we see in our Passover observance, which is a messianic one that acknowledges Yeshua’s redemption of Humanity from Universal Sin or the sin of Adam and Eve and are saved from eternal death is implied in the sacrifice of an unblemished male lamb.
 
Here we can review Yeshua’s Atonement, Death and Resurrection found in the New Testament. The sign of the Messianic covenant are the nail prints in Yeshua’s hands and feet.

The Threshold Covenant – Exodus 12:7,12, 13, 22,23
The next action presented in our Passover is that blood of the sacrificed lamb was to be applied to the door frame of the front door. Anciently, the front door is where the father of the home entered into covenant with the deity that he recognized as his god. The front door represented a sacred boundary of dominion between two sovereigns – the father as king over his home and family and God. Appling the blood from the sacrificed Passover lamb represented Israel's Savior-God. Today, we can post the Name of God above our front doors to recognize Yehovah-Yeshua as the deity that we acknowledge as god and for whom we're in covenant.

The Abrahamic Covenant – Exodus 12:48,49
Next, God required all those who would eat of the Passover lamb, both Israelite and Gentile, all eligible males are to receive the sign of the Abrahamic Covenant and be circumcised. Likewise, circumcision will be required of all those who participate at an Endtime restoration of relationship.
 
Here, we can review Abraham’s covenant with God in Genesis – Genesis 17.

The Passover Meal – Exodus 12:8-11
At this point in the Passover, a meal was served with the roasted flesh of the lamb, unleavened bread and bitter herbs. Meals anciently represented the sealing of a covenant.
 
It would be appropriate to have a sacrament of bread and wine to remember Yeshua’s atonement, death and resurrection.
 
Feast of Unleavened Bread – Exodus 12:15-20
The Feast of Unleavened Bread represents an extension of the Passover meal. Leavening here in the Passover story is a metaphor representing life since leavening – yeast – is a living organism. So then bread without leavening is bread without life and represents an existence without the god of life even Yehovah-Yeshua who is the Way, the Truth and the Life – John 14:6.

Passover Kept Forever – Exodus 12:14, 17, 24
This Passover remembrance is to be memorialized and is an ordinance that is observed forever!


Israel's Feasts and a Developing Relationship with God
In the coming months, we observe Israel's additional feasts that represent a developing relationship with God along with the corresponding covenants, which will look like this.

Passover/Unleavened Bread/ First Fruits	Shavuot	Trumpets/Atonement/ ​Sukkot
Messianic Covenant Threshold Covenant Abrahamic Covenant	The Doctrine of Messiah Priesthood Covenant Sinai Covenant	Davidic Covenant ​(High Priest) Enochic Covenant