“PESACH IS A REVIVAL”
“PESACH IS A REVIVAL”
For those like me who seek revival, who seeks Gods sovereign move and outpouring of His spirit upon our Jewish People! For those who are praying, interceding, and crying out for Revival of Israel, both the land and the people, need look no further then Pesach. Pesach and the Feast of Unleavened bread have been associated with transitions, revival, and restorations throughout biblical history! After 40 years of wondering in the desert, Israel, now led by Y’hoshua crossed the Yarden on the tenth day of the first month, Nisan! They then performed the covenant act of Circumcision in Y’hoshua Chapter 5 and healed three days! In Y’hoshua 5:10 all Israel observed Pesach! On the following day, the first day of Matzah Israel ate what the Promised Land produced then the following day the Man ended! Pesach marked a supernatural transition from wandering in the wilderness to receiving the covenant Promises of Adonai, the Promise Land!
II Chronicles Chapters 29 and 30 record the reign of King Hizkiyahu who did what was right from Adonai’s perspective! He reopened the House of Adonai which had been closed for a long time! It was in his heart to make a covenant with Adonai (II Chronicles 29:10). King Hizkiyahu ordered the Temple cleansed and removed all the unclean items found and restored worship! The king then wrote letters to the tribes inviting them all to repent and come to Jerusalem to celebrate Pesach. Though he faced ridicule and opposition King Hizkiyahu persisted! The hand of God was at work uniting their hearts to do what the king and leaders ordered in accordance with the word of Adonai in II Chronciles 30:12. Many people assembled and celebrated! The king prayed and Adonai heard his prayer and healed the people (II Chronicles 30:20.) The presence of Adonai was so powerful the people assembled celebrated Pesach for an unprecedented second week-Revival! This resulted in great joy among them for nothing like this had been experienced since the time of King Shlomo (II Chronicles 30:26)
Then another young King, Yoshiyahu who also did what was right from Adonai’s perspective in II Kings 22:2 humbled himself before Adonai when the Torah was rediscovered and read before Him! King Yoshiyahu consulted Adonai who deferred Y’hudah’s judgement because the King’s heart was tender and humble before Him! In II Kings 23 the king assembled all the leaders, stood on a platform before them and Adonai and made a covenant in the presence of Adonai, to live following Adonai, observe His mitzvot, instructions, and regulations wholeheartedly and with all his being (II Kings 23:3). The king ordered the Temple cleansed, restored, removed the idols and smashed the cult prostitute house there in the house of Adonai (II Kings 23:7). He then set to remove all the false altars, shrines, high places, and removed all mediums, spirit guides, and household idols. He then ordered Pesach be observed which hadn’t been observed sine the time of the Judges (II Kings 23:22). No previous King was like him because he turned to Adonai with all of His heart and power in accordance with all the Torah of Adonai and there was king like him afterwards (II Kings 23:25). He revived the nation!
Lastly (though there are more examples) the book of Ezra describes King Cyrus’s decree for the Jewish People to return home after the 70 years of exile. Some of the first to return to Judah were a group of Priests, Levites, Gatekeepers, and Temple Servants bringing with them articles for the Temple that had been held in Persia. They returned and immediately began the construction and restoration of the altar and Temple in Jerusalem. They completed the task in the month of Adar, the month preceding Nisan and PEsach. Upon completion of the Temple they kept Pesach:
Ezra 6:19-22. The people from the exile kept Pesach on the fourteenth day of the first month. 20 For the cohanim and L’vi’im had purified themselves together; all of them were pure. So they slaughtered the Pesach lambs for all the people from the exile and for their kinsmen the cohanim and for themselves. 21 The people of Isra’el who had returned from the exile and all those who had renounced the filthy practices of the nations living in the land in order to seek ADONAI the God of Isra’el, ate [the Pesach lamb] 22 and joyfully kept the feast of matzah for seven days; for ADONAI had filled them with joy by turning the heart of the king of Ashur toward them, so that he assisted them in the work of the house of God, the God of Isra’el.
They renounced their filthy practice from the nations living in the land (repentance) in order to seek Adonai, the God of Isra’el! Filled with great joy Adonai turned the heart of the King of Ashur toward them so that he assisted in the work of restoring the Temple! Restoration and Revival! All these examples record the core foundation of Pesach is the fullness of covenant promise, restoration, and revival!
We are now observing and celebrating Pesach in unprecedented, historical times! We are observing Pesach in the midst of the Coronavirus Pandemic! Is Adonai speaking to us? This Pesach, This Feast of Unleavened bread is witnessing a shifting of our nation and our culture back to Adonai. As in Ezra 6 at Passover we must “renounced the filthy practices of the nations living in the land in order to seek ADONAI the God of Isra’el”
We, the Messianic Jewish community and movement, Yeshua’s blood that was been poured over Pesach 2,000 years ago has given us Kingdom dominion and authority on this earth that cannot be challenged. A great shaking is occurring upon the earth, and it has begun within Adonai’s house (Ezekiel 9). We are to stand upon the Word of Adonai, to speak it, proclaim it, and live it! To renounce, to repent of our filthy practices that we may seek, worship, and follow Adonai! To hear His voice over the sound of the Enemy! He is calling for us, His servants, His army of obedient, faithful Messianic Jewish followers to ARISE in His Dominion, Authority, and Resurrection power of Yeshua! To engage and battle against the great evil, wickedness, and filthy practices of this nation that continually battles and seeks to pervert Adonai’s will, word, and Kingdom. Adonai is revealing Himself THIS PESACH, proving who is supreme and SOVEREIGN! His is demonstrating His power once again by intervening in our world! It’s a call to WAR, are you willing to fight, to ne known as one who did right by Adonai’s perspective! To fight for the redemption, salvation, and revival of our Jewish People!
Romans 13:12-13. Besides all this, you know at what point of history we stand; so it is high time for you to rouse yourselves from sleep; for the final deliverance is nearer than when we first came to trust. 12 The night is almost over, the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and arm ourselves with the weapons of light.
Kadima!!
Rabbi Eric Carlson
Congregation Zion’s Sake