The manners and customs of the Jews in the keeping of the Passover (Pesach) this month are very interesting, especially when considered in the light of the Holy Scriptures, but first let us trace this great Jewish festival from its beginning.
It is now almost 3500 years since God brought the Israelites out of Egypt. At that time they were greatly oppressed by the Egyptians, and God asked Pharaoh to let His people go, but he would not. Plague succeeded plague, but Pharaoh only hardened his heart, until at length God sent an angel to slay all the first-born in the land of Egypt. But for the angel to destroy only the firstborn of the Egyptians, and not those of the Israelites, called for some line of demarcation, for surely all were sinners. Therefore Moses said to the people: "But against any of the children of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue, against man or beast: that ye may know how that the Lord doth put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel." Exod. 11:77But against any of the children of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue, against man or beast: that ye may know how that the Lord doth put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel. (Exodus 11:7). And how did the Lord make a difference? By the application of the blood of the slain lamb to the lintels and doorposts of the Israelitish homes. The passover lamb must needs die and its blood be applied to each house individually. And God said, "When I see the blood, I will pass over you." Exod. 12:1313And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt. (Exodus 12:13).
The deliverance of the people from the judgment inflicted on the first-born, and their subsequent deliverance from Egypt and all the power of Pharaoh, through the Red Sea, was of such great significance that God changed the calendar for His people. The ordinary year had been running its course, but God said, "This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you." The month when they were redeemed by the blood of the lamb was to be a new beginning for them. And is it not so in a better sense for us who have been redeemed with the precious blood of Christ? We have not only been delivered from the judgment to come, but have been put into an entirely new position; that is, "in Christ," who in resurrection is "the beginning of the creation of God." "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." 2 Cor. 5:1717Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17).
God also gave the Israelites His instructions for the keeping of the Passover, year by year, when they came into the land of Canaan. It was to be done on the 14th day of the month Nissan, and to be followed at once by the feast of unleavened bread which was to last seven days. Directions were given in Exod. 12 and 13, Lev. 23, and Deut. 16 (In Deut. 16 it would appear that the feast of unleavened bread may sometimes be called the Passover, for sacrifices from the "herd" would doubtless be connected with the feast of unleavened bread.)
When we come to 2 Kings 23, and read about the revival under Josiah the king of Judah, there is this striking comment: "Surely there was not holden such a passover from the days of the judges that judged Israel, nor in all the days of the kings of Israel, nor of the kings of Judah; but in the eighteenth year of king Josiah, wherein this passover was holden to the LORD in Jerusalem." vv. 22, 23. How strange that in all the vigorous days of Israel under David, and in the balmy, happy days under Solomon, not such a passover was kept as it was written. And yet should we count it strange when Christians who have been more highly favored have so signally failed to keep the Lord's one request, "This do in remembrance of Me," as it is written? Alas, it is failure whether we look at Israel or the Church; wherever man is found, he has failed. (Except that one perfect Man who was once here.)
When we come to the New Testament we find the Passover being kept by the Jews at Jerusalem, but in John's Gospel it is called "the Jews' passover," and "the passover, a feast of the Jews," and not a "feast of the LORD" as it was originally called and instituted. How like what has become of the "Lord's supper"! It has become a mass, a sacrament, a life-giving ordinance, or empty form and ritual, while the "Lord's table" has become tables of men or of creeds.
But let us pass down through the centuries and we come to April, 1978. On the seventh of this month, Jews throughout the world will keep the Passover (Pesach), and follow through with their religious rites for another seven days. Yes, they are still keeping the Passover.
When the Jews gather in their homes on April 7th (and also on the 8th) for "Seder" (order of service), they will have much that was mentioned in Exodus, and also much that has come in through the years. They will eat unleavened bread (matzoth), and in fact they will put all leaven out of their houses, or hide it away, for the whole eight days of the Pesach festival. They will have a recitation of the "Hagadah" (the account of their affliction in Egypt, their exodus, etc.). This is evidently in keeping with the instruction of Exod. 12:25-2725And it shall come to pass, when ye be come to the land which the Lord will give you, according as he hath promised, that ye shall keep this service. 26And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service? 27That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the Lord's passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he smote the Egyptians, and delivered our houses. And the people bowed the head and worshipped. (Exodus 12:25‑27): "And it shall come to pass, when ye be come to the land which the LORD will give you, according as He hath promised, that ye shall keep this service. And it shall come to pass, when your children shall say unto you, What mean ye by this service? That ye shall say, It is the sacrifice of the LORD'S passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel," etc. There will be something on the table (moror—such as horseradish) to remind them of the bitter herbs (Exod. 12:88And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. (Exodus 12:8)).
In reading of the customs and traditions of the Jews we came across some interesting innovations. At the Seder they drink four cups of wine. This was not given in any Old Testament instruction, but it seems to have come in before the days of our Lord. We read in Luke 22 that He desired to keep that last Passover with His disciples, and that He did so in the upper room. At that time a cup of wine was connected with the supper, and we are told by some writers that four cups during the meal were then in vogue. The Lord Jesus refused to drink of the cup of wine which was associated with the Passover (see chap. 22:17, 18), and then instituted the remembrance of Himself in death. The Passover looked forward to His death as the true Lamb of God, and the Lord's supper is a memorial to look back to it.
A strange custom that came in somewhere along the years, and which is very interesting as throwing some light on that people who are "beloved for the fathers' sakes," is that they also fill a fifth cup with wine which is not touched by anyone at the table—it is for the prophet Elijah, and during the meal someone is sent to open the door so that he can come in. They still look upon Elijah as the great prophet to bring them into blessing. This reminds us that when John the Baptist came preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and calling on the people to repent, they first asked him, "Who art thou?" He replied, "I am not the Christ"; whereupon they asked him, "Art thou Elias [Elijah]?" Then, as now, they were looking for Elijah.
Their hopes of blessing with the coming of the prophet Elijah are based upon the last chapter in the Old Testament. "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD." v. 5. Thus their Scriptures close with the prophecy of the coming of Elijah, but note that his coming is before "the great and dreadful day of the LORD." His coming will precede the coming of the Son of man in power and great glory, when the Jews will be put through the "day of atonement" in reality.
It is not that the actual Elijah of the days of Ahab will have to come back to the earth, but it will be one of like character—one who will come to call Israel back to the God of their fathers, for at that time the majority of them will have accepted the false king in Jerusalem as their Messiah.
One thing that they do not know today is that John the Baptist came "in the spirit and power of Elias" (Elijah), but they would not receive him. The Lord Jesus said to the multitude concerning John, "And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come." Matt. 11:1414And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come. (Matthew 11:14). If they had received John and his message, then he would have been the fulfillment of Malachi's prophecy to them, but they rejected John who was the Lord's forerunner, and then rejected the Lord, their Messiah. Once when Jesus spoke to His disciples of His death and resurrection, they "asked Him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things. But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them." Matt. 17:10-1210And his disciples asked him, saying, Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come? 11And Jesus answered and said unto them, Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things. 12But I say unto you, That Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed. Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them. (Matthew 17:10‑12). But however blinded they have been regarding Jesus as their Messiah, there is still a hope in their breasts of Israel's blessing. Many of them, doubtless, only carry out this ritual because it is the custom to do so, while they have no real comprehension of their true hope; but nevertheless it does indicate that lying buried beneath much rubbish and tradition there is still the hope of Israel's recovery.
During the days of "Jacob's trouble," the "great tribulation," God will have witnesses in Jerusalem, spoken of in Rev. 11 as "two witnesses" who will "have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will." v. 6. These witnesses will have the dual character of Elijah (power to shut heaven that it does not rain for three and one half years), and of Moses (power to smite the earth with plagues). The reason for these special features will be that as Elijah prophesied for God among an apostate people who were worshiping a false god, so will these speak for God among an apostate nation who have accepted the antichrist; and as Moses witnessed for God before a hostile Gentile power, so will these witness before the God-defying head of the revived Roman Empire, called the beast, who will openly and wantonly blaspheme God. But when these things have come to pass, then the days of Israel's travail will be almost over, and before long the 24th Psalm will have its fulfillment, when the "King of glory" shall enter. Israel's long tragic suffering and future hope are beautifully put together by the poet:
"Lift up your heads, eternal gates;
A glowing dawn shines o'er ye!
At Salem's door the Sov'reign waits;
He is the King of glory!
"The palms of yore their branches waved,
When Judah's sons were singing:
`Hosanna! Zion shall be saved,'
Their gentle Monarch bringing.
"But the sun's light at midday died,
And Judah's matrons, wailing,
Lamented loud the Crucified,
All trace of glory failing!
"Those gloomy years have rolled away -
The years of Israel's mourning;
The rising sun with healing ray
Proclaims the King's returning.
"Lift up your heads, eternal gates,
Transcendent dawn glows o'er ye!
At Salem's door Messiah waits;
He is the King of glory."