April 8, 2025

“ Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed— 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.” 1 cor 15:51-53 nkjv   Paul is speaking here to the believers in Corinth, and he is speaking of the “last generation” saints who are on the earth when Yahweh says “it is time.” There surely will be a time when this event will happen; there are several concepts as to the time (commonly considered the rapture moment), I will not debate the several teachings as to when that time is… but, I will say I believe it will be a time before Yahweh begins to bring about His wrath upon the ungodly and wicked.

These scriptures remind me to reflect upon the time Yahweh started teaching His people that His redemption of their lives was foremost in His concerns for them… It is no better understood than viewed from the “Passover” as recorded in the Book of Exodus. As I write this devotional, it is at this time of the Spring season that Christians celebrate Easter season and Jews celebrate the Passover… some believers [like myself] while not being Jewish nor a practitioner of Judaism, do however believe in keeping the Passover, which is to me a forever commandment from the Bible.

Referring back to the two opening scriptures, let us recognize that most importantly, Yahweh has gone to great suffering extents to get our attention as to His plans for our eternal future… Here I would like to point out a very important observation I have noted when I study these events. Namely, if you will consider, Yahweh delivered the confused and disheveled “mixed multitude” of people [His “people” the Children of Israel, plus many gentiles who dared to believe Moses instructions to the Children of Israel to take up the blood of the sacrificial lamb and put it upon their doorpost and lintels.] If they did not do so, the firstborn of all their households and their livestock, would be struck dead as the death angle passed over their abodes later that night. I suspect the people were probably fearful, if not terrified, by the many previous plagues and judgments that recently demonstrated Yahweh’s awesome work to convince Pharaoh who was certainly the real God of the Universe.

The work of our Messiah, Yeshua [Jesus], is one of life’s most important issues that one must take very seriously… and yet today, it seems to me people are drifting further away from the central message of the Passover narrative Yahweh used to give us foundational understanding of His interest in our well being… Now here is the main issue; please notice Yahweh did His deliverance work for the Children of Israel BEFORE He brought them to Mt. Sinai to give them instruction for living their lives in a manner acceptable for keeping in good favor [relationship] with Him… Likewise, for us today, when we sinners come to understand that it is TIME to repent and turn our lives around to come into agreement with Yahweh’s ways, by accepting His Son Yeshua’s sacrifice at Calvary for our salvation, we do so while still in our “unacceptable” condition… It is important for you to know that Yahweh first always saves us and then washes away our sinful ways… from within our hearts clear through to the outside of our being.

The memorial feast of the Passover is the first of seven annual “moedim” or “appointed” times the Bible teaches us to enjoin Yahweh with… remember He calls them “My Feast,” not feast of the Jews, or Israel, or whatever, no, He clearly set these commemorative appointments up to annually remind us [re teach us] His way of doing things. It is similar to what He says about His Sabbaths… that the weekly Sabbath would be like a wedding band is a commitment of the relationship of the bride to the groom… Yahweh calls it a “sign.”

“Speak also to the children of Israel, saying: ‘Surely My Sabbaths you shall keep, for it is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am the Lord who sanctifies you.” ex 31:13 nkjv--- Notice Yahweh connects the keeping of His Sabbaths with “sanctification,” which only He can do. Keeping His Feasts like Passover, etc., is also a sanctification process for our ongoing life long relationship with Him, which He defines as a “forever” issue between us and Him. Mind you, this is not a Salvation issue, it is a love issue, as like Yeshua said, “if you love me keep my commandments.” Personally, I find these “appointments” with Yahweh inspiring, comforting, edifying, and refreshing as I pass through each season, each year in the cycle of life.

So I hope you will give consideration to “keeping” the feast of Yahweh, I’m sure you will find many rewarding and inspirational experiences when you do. For more about “Passover,” here is a link to a post I did in 2017, that gives more detail about Passover, [click here for it].

Shalom, John