IGT

Passover 2016

For literally decades, many Jews in Israel have been diligently working toward learning and eventually, some future day, re-instating the Passover Lamb Sacrifice. Of course Christians know that the need for the sacrifice of the Passover lamb was ultimately fulfilled by Jesus Christ for all time. Yet, since the Jews still reject Christ as their Savior, rebuilding the Temple and reinstating the lamb sacrifice is very important to them. Revelation and various other end times related passages indicate that there will be a newly rebuilt temple during the Tribulation. In fact, at the 3-1/2 year mid-point of that seven year tribulation, the Anti-Christ will enter the temple and defile it.

There are many intentional parallels in the Bible where one event in history almost perfectly resembles yet another event that occurred at a much later date. This has all been done by design for our benefit. The Passover sacrifice of the Lamb and the sacrifice of the Lamb of God is an example of one such parallel event. The following are details of a couple of these parallel events from the the past as well as one that has yet to be fulfilled:

1. Easter for us is a day of celebration that has become a mere holiday that occurs some time in March/April. However, Passover is the actual celebration of the killing of the Lamb and the spreading of the blood over the doors by the Jews in Egypt. The angel of death, seeing the blood, therefore passed over them and they were saved from death. Many Christians fail to realize this and miss the parallels and actual true meaning of the holiday. Jesus died on the Cross of Calvary. We as Christians are covered by His blood so that we will be therefore passed over on the day of Judgment and are saved from death and Hell and given life eternal. The hundreds of years of performing the Passover ritual of killing the unblemished lamb and spreading its blood over and around the door mantle perfectly parallels and symbolizes the ultimate sacrifice – the perfect, unblemished by sin, Lamb of God whose shed blood on the cross is a covering for each and every sinner who accepts his sacrificial death and repents of their sins.

2. Jesus was sacrificed on the actual day of the Passover celebration. The Passover Lamb was bound and altered at 9:00 a.m. Jesus was hung on the cross at 9:00 a.m. The Passover Lamb was killed at 3:00 p.m. Jesus died at 3:00 p.m. The Jews perfectly performed their time honored Passover ritual – this time for real on the perfect Lamb of God – and they missed it! They did it but failed to realize the significance of what had just transpired.

3. The defilement of the Temple at the mid-point of the Seven Year Tribulation by the Anti-Christ is a parallel of another incident that occurred in 168 BC. History, as well as the Bible in the book of Daniel, gives us a great example of what the Abomination of Desolation will resemble when in 168 BC Antiochus IV Epiphanes, a Seleucus ruler from approximately the same region as Syria is now located, entered the Temple, slaughtered a pig on the alter and erected a statue of Zeus with his face on it. He proclaimed himself to be God. He then forced the Jews to worship him or die. This act then triggered the Macabbean Revolt which lasted three and one half years. The Bible says that the future Anti-Christ will enter the Temple at the 3-1/2 year mid-point of the Tribulation and defile it. The next 3-1/2 years will be the most horrific in all of history for Jews and Christians as they will be slaughtered for not accepting the Anti-Christ and his mark. At some point during this time period, however, the Jews will finally repent and accept Jesus as their Savior. He will confirm a covenant with many for one week. (Week is week of years or seven years.) In the middle of the week (3-1/2 year mid-point) he (the Anti-Christ) will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing of the Temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation until the end that is decreed is poured out on him (Daniel 9:27). Jesus, himself, told the disciples that the end would come... When ye therefore shall see the abomination of desolation, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whoso readeth, let him understand:) Then let them which be in Judaea flee into the mountains: (Matthew 24:15-16). For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be (Matthew 24:21). Jesus told of the moment when the Great Tribulation would begin, which are the final 3-1/2 years of the Seven Year Tribulation.

Some say the many, many parallels in the Bible are mere coincidences. However, God has given them to us as signs by which we are actually able to tell time – End Times time. As you can see, there is the need for a Temple in order for the above stated events to be fulfilled. Since Jesus spoke of it Himself, we can know for certain that it will happen and very soon I am sure of it.

Passover begins this year, US day/time schedule, on the evening of Friday, April 22 and ends in the evening of Saturday, April 30. Jewish days are from 6:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. – not 12:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.

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