The Passover/Resurrection Connection

Today, as we celebrate the Resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ -- I would like to share the HFT Connect eNewsletter below from David Hocking's Bible Teaching Ministry -- HOPE FOR TODAY. David is one of the more knowledgeable of our Protestant leaders on End Time Events (Eschatology) and the Jewish religion and culture; and how the two are intertwined.

God told Abraham, and through him, us:

Genesis 12:1-2, Now the LORD said to Abram, 'Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father's house, To the land which I will show you; and I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing;'"

That nation toward which God was leading Abraham and his descendants -- is the nation of Israel. And, although it is small, Israel, with the grace of God, is a powerful nation. The miracles which have occurred in their march to independence and sovereignty since 1948 can only be attributed to the hand of God.

Americans and our leaders would be well advised to pay heed to God promise in Genesis 12:3, "And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed."

That blessing for "all the families of the earth" is our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ -- the promised Messiah.

Let us pray that our current national leaders will stop working so hard to bless the oil producing Arab nations -- and remember that Israel is the land promised to Abraham and his descendants, the Israelis, by God Himself. And, God has made it abundantly clear that if we, America, curse Israel -- He will curse us.

Many years ago, in our Fil-Am Church of Irvine, we had guests from Jews For Jesus, a Messianic Christian organization, come to our service and explain the Seder to us and how we, as Christian believers, can relate this Jewish celebration to our celebration of the Resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Today, on this blessed Resurrection Day, it is good for us to look at how our Jewish friends celebrate their Passover and the relationship between the two. These two web sites will give you a better understanding of that relationship:

The Messianic Israel Alliance:
http://www.messianicisrael.com/news/teachings/passover-and-the-resurrection.html?Itemid=39

Have You Met The Jewish Jesus:
http://www.jewishjesus.org/Article5.html

My Friend, God will bless us as we bless His people, Israel. Please feel free to share this with your Friends, Relatives, Associates, and Neighbors -- all your FRANs. Let's keep sharing and telling folks that our Savior Lives!

I pray that you and your family have enjoyed a glorious Easter -- as we recall the Resurrection of our Lord.

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

Bill

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BLESSED RESURRECTION DAY!
DAVID HOCKING, HOPE FOR TODAY
HFT Connect, April 4, 2010
http://www.davidhocking.org

Today (all over the world) Christians meet to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord Yeshua! Praise God - He is alive and coming again! Last Monday, March 29, was Nisan 14 on the Jewish calendar -the day of Passover. According to Leviticus 23, the Sunday after the week in which Passover begins is the Jewish festival of FIRSTFRUITS which I Corinthians 15 teaches is the celebration of the Messiah's resurrection!

Tonight, David & Carole will be celebrating the Passover with friends and the family of Shuvah Yisrael Messianic Congregation in Irvine, California, where our good friend, Larry Feldman, is the congregational leader and Bible teacher. Hundreds will gather this evening at the Hyatt Regency in Irvine to celebrate this wonderful event!

Here is a brief outline of a Messianic Passover taken from the following passages: Exodus 12:1-20; Leviticus 23:4-8; Deuteronomy 16:1-8

The word "Haggadah" is Hebrew for "story" or "narrative" or "showing forth." Add the meal, and it is called the "Seder" which means "order."

Here are the items on the Seder plate:

Karpas - parsley - used for "dipping." It reminds us of the arrival of spring when new growth begins. The Passover marks the end of slavery, but the beginning of a new of freedom, both physically and spiritually.

Zeroa - shank bone of a lamb - reminds us of the central theme of sacrifice in the celebration of the Passover.

Moror - bitter herbs - reminds us of the bitterness of slavery under the Egyptians, but also of the bitterness of life without true freedom and redemption.

Charoset - sweet mixture of nuts, apples, and wine - reminds us of the mortar used in building in Egypt - the sweet taste reminds us of God's kindness which makes slavery easier to bear.

Chazeret - horseradish - used for the second "dipping"

Betazag - roasted egg - symbol of a "Festival Offering" offered in the temple on each of the three required festivals to attend - Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles. Also called the "Chaggigah" - also a symbol of mourning over the loss of the two temples.

THE FOUR CUPS OF WINE - Exodus 6:6-7

1. The Cup of Sanctification (Thanksgiving) - "I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians"

2. The Cup of Judgment (Plagues) - "I will rid you out of their bondage"

3. The Cup of Redemption (Blessing) - "I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgments"

4. The Cup of Praise - "I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God; and ye shall know that I am the LORD your God, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians."

The meal begins with the "Brechat HaNer" - the blessing of the candles - the lady of the house lights them - reminds us that the Messiah was the Seed of the woman to bring light to the world.

1. The Kiddush - the first cup of sanctification and thanksgiving - everyone drinks of it.

2. The Urchatz - the washing of the hands - probably the place where our Lord washed the disciples' feet - John 13:1-17

3. The Karpas - parsley dipped in small bowl of salt water (represents the tears shed in Egypt and the Red Sea - both of which are salty - everyone eats the parsley dipped in salt water.)

4. The Yachutz - breaking of the middle matzah - symbolizing our Lord's death - being broken for us - matzah is "pierced" and "striped" and "unleavened" - hidden (His burial) and later to appear (resurrection) - afikomen - "dessert"

5. The Maggid - "telling of the story of the Exodus"

6. The Four Questions:
* Why is this night different from all other nights when we can eat regular bread, but on this night - only unleavened bread?
* Why do we eat only bitter herbs?
* Why do we dip two times?
* Why do we recline while we eat?

7. The Makot (slayings) - the cup of plagues. The use of the finger reminds us of the "finger of God" mentioned in Exodus 8:15

8. Zeroa (shank bone) - reminds us that our Messiah is the Lamb of God!

9. Sulchan Orech (dinner is served)

10. Afikomen (Breaking of Bread - after dinner)

11. The third cup - the Cup of Redemption

12. The Cup of Elijah filled & the door opened

13. The fourth cup - The Cup of Praise

And...Jews around the world will say: "NEXT YEAR IN JERUSALEM!"

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NEWS REPORTS:

FORMER OBAMA AIDE NEW HEAD OF AIPAC
by Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu (Arutz Sheva News):

Lee "Rosy" Rosenberg, a jazz recording industry veteran capitalist who accompanied U.S. President Barack Obama on his campaign trip to Israel two years ago, takes over on Sunday as the new President of American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). Rosenberg also served on the President's national campaign finance committee.

The new AIPAC President hails from Chicago, the home state of President Obama, and also is on first-name terms with White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and David Axelrod, President Obama's senior advisor.

Steve Rosen, a former 23-year, high-ranking AIPAC official, told the Chicago Tribune, "I don't think AIPAC has made any secret of the reality that his friendship with the President played a role in Rosy's rise. He's a guy who works very hard at fundraising and in the political arena. It was not as if he was plucked out of nowhere. He paid his dues. But I'm sure nobody was blind to the fact that he's from Chicago."

Rosenberg is known as an expert in bringing in big money from powerful people who generally are not outwardly committed to Israel.

AIPAC claims more than 100,000 members and is considered the most powerful Jewish lobby in Washington. It held its annual three-day conference this past week and heard addresses from Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Their relationship has been sorely tested recently because of American and Arab opposition to Israel's building for Jews in long-established Jewish neighborhoods in parts of Jerusalem that were resorted to Israel in the Six-Day War in 1967.

"The fact that he and the president have had a relationship helps now," Illinois Democrat Rep. Mike Quigley told the Tribune.

Rosenberg's ventures have included real estate, a music recording company, and high-tech startups and investing in jazz documentaries.

He replaces Michigan-based David Victor, who recently signed an AIPAC letter asking Congress to "demand" that the Obama administration "enforce existing sanctions law and impose crippling new sanctions on Iran."

ISRAEL SEES DRAMATIC CHANGE IN US RELATIONS IN NEAR FUTURE
(Israel Today News)

While Israeli leaders try to downplay the current tension with the US, unnamed officials in Jerusalem acknowledge that Israel's relationship with America is likely to change dramatically for the worse over the course of President Barack Obama's term in office.

In remarks carried by Ha'aretz, Israeli government sources said the recent behavior of Obama and other high-ranking US officials toward Israel points to an imposed peace settlement with the Palestinians and wider Arab world over the next two years.

The sources noted that one of the US demands of Israel to make up for the recent perceived insult of continued Jewish building in Jerusalem was that all final status issues be on the table in upcoming US-brokered indirect peace talks.

If Israel agrees to that demand, it would mean giving the Obama Administration much more influence over the peace terms Israel would have to accept regarding issues such as control of Jerusalem, final borders and the return of so-called "Palestinian refugees."

Israeli officials again warned that Obama's behavior is hardening Palestinian positions and putting genuine peace even further out of reach. They also cautioned that Israeli public trust in America would further wane.

David Hocking
Hope For Today
http://www.davidhocking.org