Happy Passover

   

And this day shall become a memorial for you, and you shall observe it as a festival for YAHUVEH, for your generations, as an eternal decree shall you observe it. For seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, but on the first day you shall remove the leaven from your homes ... you shall guard the unleavened bread, because on this very day I will take you out of the land of Egypt; you shall observe this day for your generations as an eternal decree. - Exodus 12:14-17

With Love from Elisabeth Elijah,

Thank you beloved family of YAHUSHUA for the birthday greetings, beautiful presents, cards, and generous financial gifts. I truly feel loved on this birthday in 2009 more than any other in my life. I am so blessed and so is this Ministry. Some of you wrote and asked me my age, I have to laugh because mainly it was the men. Answer is: I am forever 25! Just ask my darling hubby, he will tell you in his eyes I only get younger!

When a woman gets past 39, she wants to start counting backwards in age...and so I have done. In Heaven it is said that women appear no older than 25, so I have been given permission from Heaven to say I am 25 years old!

The most important part of my birthday is YAHUSHUA used it 14 years ago to give birth to this Amightywind Ministry on the internet that has reached millions of souls for YAHUSHUA! My husband said if I hadn't of been born there would not have been a Amightywind Ministry or Almightywind Ministry. No wonder the devil tried so hard to kill me.

When I was a newborn first brought back from the hospital, my stepfather told me that my mother threw me down one small flight of stairs and it looked as if I bounced. Yet truly an angel must have caught me because I wasn't even bruised and although my enemies may think this is the reason I am peculiar in their eyes, I know the reason my life was spared is because of the calling on my life.

Again, YAHUVEH always sends HIS prophets to warn before HE sends HIS judgment! Please, if you truly love YAHUVEH and YAHUSHUA and want YAHUVEH'S wrath to not touch you, honor this Passover. Read what is written below and anoint your house and repent of any sin. Because this is the last Passover before something so terrible will happen, I just feel it in the spiritual realm. There are not words to convey it, and so are every anointed prophet I know. You have been warned!

BY THE WAY, FOR PASSOVER, DON'T KILL THE LAMB! JUST GO TO THE GROCERY STORE AND BUY IT! Some Messianic Jews replace the lamb with a chicken on Passover. All I have to say is...YAHUSHUA is not a symbol for a chicken but for a lamb. Do whatever you can though, it is the thought that counts.

The Passover meal that the Israelites held in Egypt was unique from all the Passover meals held since. Before the first one, they were to sprinkle the blood of the lamb on their doorposts and lintel, and they were to eat it in haste. It has since evolved, maintaining many of the same customs, as well as adding a few. You are familiar with the one in Exodus 11-12.

Let's look at how it is usually done today.

Every year before the Passover, a Messianic Jewish family and orthodox Jewish family will eat as much as possible all the foods in their house not processed or packaged for Passover. This is to remove all the leaven from the house--any fermented grain product, starter dough, breads, cakes, cookies, yeast, (baking soda and baking powder). What cannot be eaten is sold to a non-Jew. Not only can a Jew not eat any leaven during Passover week called the Feast of Unleavened Bread, they can't have it in their house or even own any leaven. They do usually go and buy back their products after the festival. Leaven symbolizes sin and corruption. Paul refers to it as that in 1 Corinthians 5:6-8.

The final search for leaven (yeast) is made the night before the Passover (Pesach). Traditionally, a candle, feather and bag are used for this final search. Every member of the family is to participate in this search. Every nook and cranny of every floor, shelf, and cupboard is inspected for the minutest grain of bread crumbs or leavening. Any dust found is swept up with the feather (like a broom) into the bag for fear it might contain a grain of leavening.

Traditionally, 10 pieces of leavened bread are hidden throughout the house and the ritual is not complete until the family has found the 10 pieces. All the pieces found are burned the next morning before the Passover begins. This is just a tradition, it is not necessary. I am sure there were no children at YAHUSHUA's last Passover Seder. Only HE and the disciples. The leaven was already out of the house.

During the night of the Passover Seder and the 7 days following Passover which is called the Feast of Unleavened Bread, there should not be any bread or anything that contains yeast eaten and preferably not in your house if at all possible.

Cooking for the Passover meal is a cleansing procedure. Everything used during the preparation--refrigerator, stove, counter, sink, etc.--is thoroughly scoured before beginning to cook. Again this is a tradition and does not need to be done.

Because some minute speck of leaven might be left unnoticed on a utensil, some Jews find the easiest way to prepare their meal is to have a special set of dishes, silverware and cooking utensils reserved only for use during the Passover. Some cover their burners so that no Passover pot touches the parts of the stove used every day. I certainly don't go to this measure. It is not necessary. Just don't overdo the rituals. I only mention this to let you know how serious some take this. Use your discernment for what is necessary.

The Seder (pronounced with a long sounding a, i.e., "SADER")--the Passover meal--is the central celebration of the Passover. It's origin stems from our Bible scripture today. The entire extended family is to come together. They go through the meal and the retelling of the story in first person as if they had been one of the slaves freed from Pharaoh's bondage.

There is a book called the Haggadah, which is very detailed steps and traditions for the Seder Meal. It contains all the blessings, order for eating, telling of the Exodus story from slavery through the plagues, crossing of the Red Sea, giving of the Law, and to the giving of the land of Canaan. There are also songs and psalms to be read, etc. Just read the book of Exodus and you will be blessed. It is not necessary to purchase the Haggadah.

On Passover we eat lamb because YAHUSHUA represents the lamb. On Passover Day HE was the Sacrificial Lamb. At the exact time that the Passover Lamb was being killed, so was HE. We not only celebrate Passover honoring what YAHUVEH did for the Children of Israel (Exodus), but we honor Passover for the New Blood Covenant. The only Holy, blemish-free Sacrificial Lamb whose blood on the doorpost of our hearts is applied, and HIS Name is YAHUSHUA ha MASHIACH! Only HIS Blood will save us!

In the Gregorian calendar, the Passover holy day officially begins just after sundown on Wednesday, the evening of April 8, 2009. On April 8 at sundown we will be eating the Passover dinner with those YAHUSHUA told us to invite. We would have invited all our partners around this world but there wouldn't be a hotel big enough to contain all of you. We love you so dearly those who consider this Ministry a blessing, and in the Spirit realm you will be with us and we with you. Please remember Passover is a time of deliverance a reminder of Exodus and who our true Passover Lamb is YAHUSHUA ha MASHIACH!

In this evil time we live in there won't be anyone in this world that won't need deliverance in some way. Please celebrate Passover with us in your own way. It is not Easter, YAHUSHUA told me to call it Resurrection Day! And He did not arise on Sunday, but Sabbath Saturday before Sundown. He did not die on Friday when he arose on Saturday. Remember the tomb was empty already at dawn on Sunday Morning! YAHUSHUA really gets offended when the day he was crucified is called Good Friday. Instead HE has told me to teach and call it Crucifixion day. Don't forget there is to be no bread or anything containing yeast more details will be posted in the upcoming new passover section.

Seder Table

Assemble around the table, but don't eat yet. Some recline around the Seder table, because reclining around the table was a sign of a free man. Everything on the table has a significance. At our Seder Table we will be sitting in comfortable chairs.

On the Seder plate there is:

Hard boiled egg - symbol of the suffering and oppression in Egypt. Everything else in boiling water becomes soft or disintegrates. But an egg becomes hard, like the Israelites. The more it is boiled, the harder it becomes. An egg also symbolizes New Life and the Trinity.

Roasted shankbone of lamb - reminds them there had to be blood sacrificed to save their lives.

Bitter herbs - horseradish - reminds them they were servants to slavery.

Greens - parsley, celery - symbol of coming of Spring which brings hope.

Salt water - reminds them of the tears they cried in Egypt.

Haroset - nut, apple, cinnamon, wine mixture which has the appearance of straw in remembrance of the mortar used to build the Treasure Cities for Pharaoh. It is symbolic of the hope of freedom that enabled their ancestors to withstand the bitterness of slavery.

Matzah - the unleavened bread that reminds them of the haste with which they left Egypt.

The steps for the seder meal are as follows:

A cup of wine is poured, most Jews have the custom of filling each others cups. Usually the Father of the home says a blessing over the cup of wine. Then in traditional Jewish homes, it is common to ritually wash the hands before a meal. According to most traditions, no blessing is recited at this point in the Seder, unlike the blessing recited over the washing of the hands before eating bread at any other time.

After the drinking of wine and washing of the hands, the greens are dipped into the salt water and eaten.

Then the bread on the Seder plate is broken. Half remains on the plate, half is hidden for the dessert. This is to keep the interest of the children. Children are to find it and keep it until the end of the meal when the leader redeems it in exchange for the promise of gifts. Throughout the service many things are incorporated to keep the interest of the children. The most important thing is the telling of the story of the Exodus to the children. Again this is for people who have young children and it is more for fun and part of a ritual. It is not necessary. There were no children at YAHUSHUA's last Passover, only Disciples.

The telling of the story of the Exodus includes everyone's favorite part - the 4 questions, asked by the youngest child present. Our youngest Son just turned 18 years old, and he hates to be called prophet boy Elijah. But when he had the dreams he was young enough for YAHUVEH to call him that. He will be reading the following because he will be the youngest child at the Seder.

Why on this night do we eat only matzah, which is unleavened bread?
Why on this night do we eat bitter herbs especially?
Why on this night do we dip the parsley in salt water and the bitter herbs in haroset?
Why on this night do we all recline at the table?


The leader replies to the child:

Indeed, this night is very different from all the other nights of the year, for on this night we celebrate one of the most important moments in the history of our people. On this night we celebrate their going forth in triumph from slavery into freedom.

I am glad you asked the questions you did, for the story of this night was just what I wanted you to know. Although the Haggadah we are reading tells this whole story, and if you listen carefully you will surely learn it, I should like to tell you here, in a few words, the answers to your questions.

~ Why do we eat only matzah tonight?

When Pharaoh let our forefathers go from Egypt, they were forced to flee in great haste. Now, they had prepared dough for bread to take on their journey, but the Egyptians pressed them to hasten out of the land. So they snatched up their dough, and fled, and had no time to bake it. But the hot sun, beating down on the dough as they carried it along with them, baked it into a flat, unleavened bread which they called matzah. That is why we eat only matzah on Pesach.

~ Why do we eat bitter herbs on Pesach night?

Because our forefathers were slaves in Egypt, and their lives were made bitter. That is why we eat bitter herbs on Pesach night.

~ Why do we dip herbs twice tonight?

You have already heard that we dip the parsley in salt water because it reminds us of the green that comes to life again in the springtime. We dip the maror, or bitter herbs, in the sweet haroset as a sign of hope; our forefathers were able to withstand the bitterness of slavery, because it was sweetened by the hope of freedom.

~ Why do we recline at the table?

Because reclining at the table was a sign of a free man in olden times; and since our forefathers were freed on this night, we recline at the table.

After the symbolism is explained, the story of the Exodus is told. It can be read straight from this book, but more than likely the leader will go around the room asking everyone to reconstruct a part of the story. [What do you remember about your leaving Egypt?] Each person will tell a part as if he had been a slave and as if he had actually witnessed the plagues and as if he had actually crossed the Red Sea on dry ground and then watched Pharaoh's army drown.

The hands are washed again, a double blessing is given on the matzah, and it is eaten. Then the horseradish is eaten straight or is dipped into the sweet haroset. Or, a sandwich is made with matzah and horseradish and haroset, or perhaps a little bit of lamb is included with the sandwich.

[A Passover style meal is served and eaten at this point.]

The meal ends and Psalm 126 is read. The ceremony goes on with more reading, singing and praising YAHUVEH and YAHUSHUA!

Let's relate this to us as Messianic Jews. YAHUSHUA initiated our Lord's Supper from this first Passover meal. Let's look at some similarities.

YAHUVEH initiated this Passover meal before the events took place that it was to commemorate. YAHUSHUA initiated the Passover Seder, also called the Lord's Supper, commemorating His death and looking forward to His resurrection before the events took place.

YAHUVEH told Moses for them to take a lamb four days before its slaughter. YAHUSHUA entered Jerusalem four days before HIS crucifixion. Both took place on the 14th day of the month Abib.

Israelites were to sacrifice a male lamb one year old - in the prime of his life - when he was at his strongest. YAHUSHUA was 33 years old - the pinnacle of earthly strength and maturity.

Male lamb was to be without blemish. YAHUSHUA is our example of perfection and sinlessness - without blemish.

A Lamb is patient, defenseless and submissive to death as was YAHUSHUA.

Exodus 12:6 - whole assembly of the congregation of Israel were to kill their lambs. This was not done by a priest. Everyone was to witness and be responsible for the death of the lamb. Just as we are all responsible for the death of YAHUSHUA on the cross. It was our sins that crucified HIM.

The blood of the lamb was to be put on the two doorposts and lintel so that they might be passed over when death came to Egypt. It is the blood of YAHUSHUA that keeps us from everlasting death.

Lamb was to be roasted whole - no broken bones. YAHUSHUA was crucified and died with no broken bones - even though the soldiers were sent out to break HIS leg bones to hasten His death.

The meal was to be eaten with bitter herbs to remember the bitter slavery, suffering and hardships in Egypt. During the Passover Seder we are to remember YAHUSHUA hardships and suffering.

Eaten with unleaven bread. Leavening (yeast) is a form of corruption, sin, impurity. Paul gives us the spiritual application in 1 Corinthians 5:7-8. We are to be unleavened - clean out malice and evil from us. YAHUSHUA alludes to this in Matthew 16: 6-12 when He says beware of the leaven of Pharisees and Sadducees.

The Israelites were to eat in haste with their shoes on, staff in their hand and ready to go, looking forward to their future as free men. We as Messianic Jews are to be ready to go - watching and waiting for YAHUSHUA to come - looking forward to our future in heaven as men free from sin.

The Israelites put the blood on their doorposts several hours before midnight. The passing Egyptians must have thought that peculiar and ridiculous. It made them vulnerable to the spiteful Egyptians. But the blood of the lamb protected them from death.

We are to accept YAHUSHUA as our Passover Lamb and let his blood protect us. We are perpetually being saved from the hand of the destroying angel when we have YAHUSHUA's blood on our doorposts and on our hearts.

What does it mean to have YAHUSHUA's Blood on our doorposts?

It is the act of perpetually having a badge that can be seen, experienced, spit upon, and being made vulnerable like the Israelites were vulnerable with blood on their doorposts for the Egyptians to see and laugh and revile.

It also means cleaning up our act, diligently searching for corruption and sin present in our lives - like the Jews meticulously cleaning their house of leaven with a candle and a feather.

It means doing everything that YAHUVEH commands us which includes all the Ten Commandments. Not taking YAHUVEH's name in vain. You say, "How do I know I have done this?" Well, do you call YAHUVEH by HIS Sacred Name or do you just call HIM Lord, or God using a title instead of saying HIS Sacred Name? Psalm 91 plainly says...

(Psa 91:14) "Because he has set his love on me, therefore I will deliver him. I will set him on high, because he has known my name.

(Psa 91:15) He will call on me, and I will answer him. I will be with him in trouble. I will deliver him, and honor him.

(Psa 91:16) I will satisfy him with long life, and show him my salvation (YAHUSHUA)."

Do you use the Hebrew Holy Sacred anointed Name of our Messiah? Or do you only know the Greek name for our Messiah, called Jesus.

Do you honor the True Sabbath, the same one that YAHUSHUA honored when HE ministered and read the Torah in the Jewish Temple? You are not believing the lie, are you, that the Sabbath was changed to a Sunday, or any day will do? Do you not realize yet, that this is not about being a Jew, this is about obeying and honoring our Creator who created this world in 6 days and rested on the 7th day.

YAHUVEH says this is a sign between HIM and HIS children, a perpetual sign that means forever the Sabbath will be honored. Read it yourself and study and show yourself approved. Are you YAHUVEH's child? Then why would you not want to honor his Sabbath and keep it Holy before HIM? This is not about legalism like the orthodox Jewish so-called Rabbi's have taught. This is about a relationship with our Creator, the KING OF CREATION Named YAHUVEH! Do you realize that YAHUVEH also demanded we keep HIS Holy Feasts? What are they? I hope you don't think its the pagan days called Christian Holidays?

As we continue our study of Exodus, we shall observe many other things that are typical of YAHUSHUA and the deliverance HE has brought mankind through the crucifixion where YAHUSHUA became our only Holy Sacrifice being willing to suffer and die for us. Some call this day "Good Friday." HE didn't even die on a Friday and I have never felt comfortable in calling it by that name. In fact, the RUACH ha KODESH told me to call it "Crucifixion day."

We truly believe YAHUSHUA did not rise from the dead on Sunday Morning because the Bible says the tomb was already empty at dawn. We believe HE arose before Sabbath ended which would be on a Saturday before sundown. The name of Easter is named for Ishtar. Study this for yourself. She is a false god. Instead of Easter, the RUACH ha KODESH has said to call it "Resurrection Day."

In closing, it didn't just stop at YAHUSHUA's Resurrection Day...but on earth it ended temporarily on Assension Day when HE ascended into Heaven as we will also one day. The reason I said temporarily is because YAHUSHUA IS COMING AGAIN! But HE will not set foot on this earth until it is cleansed of evil. HE will plant his feet on the Top of Mount Olives and it will split in two because even the mountain can't take the Holiness.

Passover is a time to ask for deliverance from whatever you need delivered from, now and in these end-times. Everyone needs a Passover.

If I don't meet you on earth, I will meet you in Heaven!

Love and blessings in YAHUSHUA's Name
Elisabeth