When Christians are asked, “Have you received salvation?” they reply, “Yes.”
But, if they are asked, “Do you celebrate the Passover?” most of them will hesitate in answering.
How is the Passover related to our salvation?
When we study the books of the Bible, we see many accounts where the Passover is mentioned. However, the Passover is often misunderstood as only a Jewish feast. In the following sections, we will understand how important the Passover is for those who wish to enter the kingdom of heaven.
- The Origin of the Passover
God chose Moses and used him to bring about the emancipation of the Israelites, who had groaned under slavery in Egypt for 430 years.
God commanded Moses to ask Pharaoh to set the Israelites free; however, Pharaoh refused and instead further rebelled against God, afflicting the Israelites more severely. Enraged, God brought plagues upon the whole land of Egypt: the plagues of blood, of frogs, of gnats, of flies, on livestock, of boils, of hail, of locusts, and of darkness. Pharaoh’s heart hardened all the more and he stubbornly refused to release the Israelites. God allowed this to happen so that He could judge Egypt.
Through the tenth plague, God decided to kill every firstborn of Egypt—both men and animals. He appointed the fourteenth day of the first month, by sacred calendar, to carry this out. God did not want the firstborns of the Israelites to die along with the firstborns of the Egyptians, so He commanded the Israelites to put the blood of a sacrificed year-old lamb on their door frames.
Exodus 12:1-14 『…”The animals you choose must be year-old males without defect … Take care of them until the fourteenth day of the month, when all the people of the community of Israel must slaughter them at twilight … This is how you are to eat it: with your cloak tucked into your belt, your sandals on your feet and your staff in your hand. Eat it in haste; it is the LORD’s Passover…The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt. This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come, you shall celebrate it as a festival to the LORD—a lasting ordinance.”』
The blood of the lamb became the sign of God’s people. The destroying angels passed over the Israelites’ houses where the blood had been painted. This day was called the Passover, meaning that the disaster would “pass over” those who had the sign.
That evening, the Israelites put the lamb’s blood on their doorframes, ate its roasted meat, and prepared to go on a journey. As the Israelites waited, loud wailing could be heard throughout Egypt. All of the firstborns of those who did not celebrate the Passover—including the firstborn of Pharaoh—were killed.
That very same night, Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and told them to leave Egypt. The Egyptians, who suffered all kinds of plagues, wanted the Israelites to leave their land as quickly as possible and even gave them clothing and articles of silver and gold.
The Passover was the day when God freed the Israelites from the slavery of Egypt. This was a shadow of the things to come. In the New Testament times, the Passover is the feast that God chose to deliver His people from their bondage of sin and death.
- Being Freed from Sin through the Passover
In order to go back to our place in the kingdom of heaven, which we lost because of our sins, we must first be forgiven for our sins. The Passover is the truth of God through which we can receive the forgiveness of our sins and can enter the kingdom of heaven.
Luke 4: 17-21 『The scroll of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him [Jesus]…”He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind…”… and he began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”』
Some may ask, “What are men captive to?” Jesus freed His people from their sins and from the devil’s power through His precious blood, the blood of the Passover Lamb.
John 8:34 『Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.”』
Matthew 26:17-28 『…So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover… Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”』
The history of the Israelites—who entered the desert of Sinai after being emancipated from Egypt through the blood of the Passover lamb—reveals that, in the New Testament times, the people who eat the flesh of Jesus, the Passover Lamb, and drink His blood will enter the spiritual desert and make their way towards God’s promised land, after being freed from their sins (1 Co 10:1-12).
- The Last Plagues and the Passover
It is only through the Passover that we can be saved from God’s last plagues.
Matthew 24:37-39 『“As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.”』
1 Thessalonians 5:1-3 『Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the LORD will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.』
The most urgent thing now is for us to listen to the news of salvation. Let’s study the verses in the Bible that show us how we can escape the last disaster.
If anyone does not believe God’s message of salvation, he cannot obtain eternal life from God, even though he may try to seek salvation by his own means (such as making an underground shelter, going to another planet by rocket, fleeing to a peaceful country, or hiding himself within an atomic submarine under a North Pole iceberg). These are merely temporary methods to hide from danger. In regard to this, some prophets prophesied as follows:
Zephaniah 1:18 『Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to save them on the day of the LORD’s wrath.』
Amos 9:2-4 『“Though they dig down to the depths of the grave, from there my hand will take them. Though they climb up to the heavens, from there I will bring them down. Though they hide themselves on the top of Carmel, there I will hunt them down and seize them. Though they hide from me at the bottom of the sea, there I will command the serpent to bite them. Though they are driven into exile by their enemies, there I will command the sword to slay them. I will fix my eyes upon them for evil and not for good.”』
Now, the time has come to study and to follow the way of salvation, according to God’s guidance, as displayed in the prophecies of the Bible, instead of seeking man’s ways. In order to give salvation to those who believe in the prophecies, God has allowed the history of ancient times to serve as a shadow with the purpose of revealing what will happen in the end of the age.
Exodus 12:12-14『“On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn—both men and animals—and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD. The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt. This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the LORD—a lasting ordinance.”』
In Hebrews 11:28, it is written, “By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.” This means that no destructive plague was brought upon the houses where the blood of the Passover lamb had been sprinkled, thus becoming a sign for the destroying angels to recognize God’s people.
God’s last plagues will be brought upon this sinful world. At that moment, who on earth can escape? The power of the Passover will be revealed when the last plagues are brought upon the earth and those who keep the Passover, according to the New Covenant established by Jesus Christ, are saved.
- Christ Ahnsahnghong Restored the Passover of the New Covenant
The Passover was abolished at the Council of Nicaea in A.D. 325. After that time, the Passover completely disappeared from the world. Who on earth can have eternal life since the truth of life was abolished? Hence, Jesus promised that He would come a second time to restore the Passover.
Hebrews 9:28 『…so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.』
Ahnsahnghong restored the Passover of the New Covenant, which had been abolished by Satan. Then, who do you think Ahnsahnghong is?
Isaiah 25:6-9 『On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine—the best of meats and the finest of wines. On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The LORD has spoken. In that day they will say, “Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the LORD, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation.”』
Ahnsahnghong, who restored the Passover of the New Covenant, is the Second Coming Christ who appeared in accordance with all of the prophecies of the Bible. The saints of the Early Church cherished and celebrated the Passover of the New Covenant! Christ Ahnsahnghong came in the flesh and restored the Passover so that we may be saved from the impending plagues. The Passover of the New Covenant is the very gospel of Christ!
- God Promised to Give Us Eternal Life through the Passover
All men desire to have eternal life, but do not have the power to grant eternal life. Just as God saved the Israelites during the Exodus, only God is able to give us salvation and eternal life.
Then, how will God grant us eternal life? God gives us salvation through the blood of Christ (1 Co 5:7), which was represented by the blood of the Passover lamb during the time of the Exodus.
John 6:53-55 『Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink.”』
Jesus promised that the bread of the Passover was His flesh and that the wine of the Passover was His blood.
Matthew 26:17-28 『…So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover…While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”』
We want to receive the flesh and blood of Jesus, which is given to us through the Passover because Jesus is life. He promised that, when we eat His flesh and drink His blood, we will live forever.
Since Jesus said, “Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you” (Jn 6:53), how can we receive eternal life unless we celebrate the Passover?
Jesus called the Passover, the New Covenant.
Luke 22:7-20 『Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed…When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.”…And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.”』
Jesus promised to give us eternal life through the Passover of the New Covenant.