Good morning, 

This week we will look at Revelation 19-20. It begins with praise in heaven and ends with judgement for those who were not found in the book of life.  

8) Last Battle (20:7-9) 

“And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog, and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” 

9) Judgement (11-13) 

“And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.” 

10) The Lake of Fire (20:14-15) 

“And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” 

Second resurrection a resurrection of death. 

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com 

Good morning, 

This week we will look at Revelation 19-20. It begins with praise in heaven and ends with judgement for those who were not found in the book of life.  

5) Battle at Armageddon (19:19-21) 

“And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.21 And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.” 

Christ defeats His enemies. Captures the Beast and false prophet and casts them into the lake of fire. Remnant defeated by the sword proceeding from Christ’s mouth. 

6) Satan Bound for a Thousand Years (20:1-3) 

“And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.” 

7) Messianic Kingdom (20:4-6) 

“And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ and shall reign with him a thousand years.” First resurrection a resurrection to life. 

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com

Revelation 19:1-20:15 

Praise, Marriage Supper of the Lamb, Rider on the White Horse, Supper of the Great God, Battle at Armageddon, Satan Bound for 1,000 Years, Messianic Kingdom, Last Battle, Judgement, Lake of Fire 

Good morning, 

This week we will look at Revelation 19-20. It begins with praise in heaven and ends with judgement for those who were not found in the book of life.  

1) Praise in Heaven (19:1-5) 

“And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honor, and power, unto the Lord our God:² For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.³ And again they said, Alleluia And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.⁴ And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.⁵ And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great.” 

Chapters 19 and 20 bring the climax of the Book of Revelation: the return of Christ to establish His millennial kingdom. But first, these five verses show heaven’s response to the judgement of the harlot. The multitude in heaven praises God for judging the great whore (Babylon, the harlot) and avenging the blood of the martyrs (cf. 7:9-17). 

2) The Marriage Supper of the Lamb (19:6-10) 

“And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.⁷ Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.⁸ And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.⁹ And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.¹⁰ And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” 

The marriage of the Lamb: The wife or bride of Christ is the church (cf. Matt.22:2-14, John 3:29, 2 Cor. 11:2, Eph. 5:25-32), and is the eternal union of the church with Christ following the rapture (cf. 1 Thess. 4:17).  

The marriage supper of the Lamb will take place after the Church has been taken to Heaven in the Rapture and following the judgment seat of Christ, but it will happen before we return with Christ to earth at His glorious appearing. This means the marriage of the lamb and the marriage supper of lamb will all take place in heaven.  

3) The Rider on the White Horse (19:11-16) 

“And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King Of Kings, And Lord Of Lords.” 

Here the True Messiah returns in victorious conquest. 

4) Supper of the great God (19:17-18) 

“And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;18 That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.” 

God calls the fowls or birds of the sky to gather to eat the flesh of those who have died in the battle of Armageddon (cf. 16:14, 16, 19:21, Ezek. 39:17-20). 

5) Battle at Armageddon (19:19-21) 

“And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.21 And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.” 

Christ defeats His enemies. Captures the Beast and false prophet and casts them into the lake of fire. Remnant defeated by the sword proceeding from Christ’s mouth. 

6) Satan Bound for a Thousand Years (20:1-3) 

“And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.” 

7) Messianic Kingdom (20:4-6) 

“And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ and shall reign with him a thousand years.” First resurrection a resurrection to life. 

8) Last Battle (20:7-9) 

“And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog, and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” 

9) Judgement (11-13) 

“And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.” 

10) The Lake of Fire (20:14-15) 

“And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” 

Second resurrection a resurrection of death. 

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com 

Good morning, 

This week we will look at Revelation 19-20. It begins with praise in heaven and ends with judgement for those who were not found in the book of life. 

3) The Rider on the White Horse (19:11-16) 

“And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.12 His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.14 And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. 15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.16 And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King Of Kings, And Lord Of Lords.” 

Here the True Messiah returns in victorious conquest. 

4) Supper of the great God (19:17-18) 

“And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great God;18 That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great.” 

God calls the fowls or birds of the sky to gather to eat the flesh of those who have died in the battle of Armageddon (cf. 16:14, 16, 19:21, Ezek. 39:17-20). 

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com

Good morning, 

This week we will look at Revelation 19-20. It begins with praise in heaven and ends with judgement for those who were not found in the book of life.  

1) Praise in Heaven (19:1-5) 

“And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honor, and power, unto the Lord our God:² For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.³ And again they said, Alleluia And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.⁴ And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.⁵ And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both small and great.” 

Chapters 19 and 20 bring the climax of the Book of Revelation: the return of Christ to establish His millennial kingdom. But first, these five verses show heaven’s response to the judgement of the harlot. The multitude in heaven praises God for judging the great whore (Babylon, the harlot) and avenging the blood of the martyrs (cf. 7:9-17). 

2) The Marriage Supper of the Lamb (19:6-10) 

“And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth.⁷ Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.⁸ And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints.⁹ And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God.¹⁰ And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” 

The marriage of the Lamb: The wife or bride of Christ is the church (cf. Matt.22:2-14, John 3:29, 2 Cor. 11:2, Eph. 5:25-32), and is the eternal union of the church with Christ following the rapture (cf. 1 Thess. 4:17).  

The marriage supper of the Lamb will take place after the Church has been taken to Heaven in the Rapture and following the judgment seat of Christ, but it will happen before we return with Christ to earth at His glorious appearing. This means the marriage of the lamb and the marriage supper of lamb will all take place in heaven. 

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com 

Good morning,

Passover begins at sundown on 5 April 2023. It ends at sundown 6 April 2023. It is immediately followed by the Feast of Unleavened Bread. It lasts for seven days.

Our devotionals will center around the memorial of Passover, the feast of unleavened bread, the story of the Jewish Exodus, why Passover is relevant to Christians, and the blood.

The Blood

Why was the blood such an integral part of Old Testament worship? Man’s sin required a way to reestablish fellowship with God. God required a blood sacrifice. The Passover is a good illustration.

Israel is under bondage to the Egyptians. They cry out to the Lord. God hears their cry and sends Moses to deliver them. Pharaoh would not allow the Hebrews to leave. God sent 10 plagues upon Egypt. Pharaoh’s heart was hardened. The first plague was turning the river water into blood. The last plague was the death of the first born which could be avoided by the blood.

Disobedience to God’s word is sin. Pharaoh and anyone following him sinned against God. So in Exodus 12, God tells Moses what the Hebrews need to do to avoid this plague. If they obey, they live. If they disobey, they die.

Exodus 12:3-14

Speak ye unto all the congregation of Israel, saying, In the tenth day of this month they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house: ⁴ And if the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next unto his house take it according to the number of the souls; every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb. ⁵ Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats: ⁶ And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. ⁷ And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it. ⁸ And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. ⁹ Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof. ¹⁰ And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire. ¹¹ And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the Lord’s passover. ¹² For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord. ¹³ And 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. ¹⁴ And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the Lord throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.

They obeyed, lived, were promptly allowed to leave. However, from time to time, the nation of Israel disobeyed God. God instituted animal sacrifices to cover the sin, but not take them away. Hebrews 10 explains this.

Hebrews 10:3-14

But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year. ⁴ For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins. ⁵ Wherefore when he cometh into the world, he saith, Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not, but a body hast thou prepared me: ⁶ In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. ⁷ Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God. ⁸ Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law; ⁹ Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second. ¹⁰ By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. ¹¹ And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: ¹² But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; ¹³ From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool. ¹⁴ For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

Obey God. But when we don’t, we need to repent, go to God and ask His forgiveness. 1 John 1:9 states, If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com

Good morning,

Passover begins at sundown on 5 April 2023. It ends at sundown 6 April 2023. It is immediately followed by the Feast of Unleavened Bread. It lasts for seven days.

Our devotionals will center around the memorial of Passover, the feast of unleavened bread, the story of the Jewish Exodus, why Passover is relevant to Christians, and the blood.

Why is Passover Relevant to the Believer in Jesus Christ?

Passover is an eight-day festival celebrated in the early spring, from the 15th through the 22nd of the Hebrew month of Nissan and commemorates the emancipation of the Israelites from slavery in ancient Egypt.

In Exodus 12:12-17 states, “For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord. And 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. And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the Lord throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever. Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel. And in the first day there shall be an holy convocation, and in the seventh day there shall be an holy convocation to you; no manner of work shall be done in them, save that which every man must eat, that only may be done of you. And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance for ever.”

 In Luke 22, Jesus shared the Passover meal with his apostles saying, “And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer:  For I say unto you, I will not any more eat thereof, until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God.” (Luke 22:15-16) Jesus is the fulfillment of the Passover. He is the Lamb of God, sacrificed to set us free from bondage to sin. (John 1:29; Psalm 22; Isaiah 53) “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” (1 John 1:7)

Jesus is our Passover.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com

Good morning,

Passover begins at sundown on 5 April 2023. It ends at sundown 6 April 2023. It is immediately followed by the Feast of Unleavened Bread. It lasts for seven days.

Our devotionals will center around the memorial of Passover, the feast of unleavened bread, the story of the Jewish Exodus, why Passover is relevant to Christians, and the blood.

Today’s study requires us to open our Bibles and search the references about the Passover. It will open our eyes and help us connect to what Christ did on the cross for us.

We have the ability to read and study the Word of God. You may see movies or other depictions of these events, but please make sure they line up with the Bible.

PASSOVER

EXODUS 1-12

INTRO:  The Hebrews in Egypt (1:1-12:36) 

A. Progressive mistreatment of the Hebrew slaves (1:1-22) 

1. The tribes of Israel identified (1:1-7) 
2. Pharaoh (King of Egypt) who knew not Joseph (1:8) (READ)
3. Growth of Hebrew population (1:9-10) (READ)
4. Harsh treatment of Hebrew slaves in Egypt (1:11-14) (READ)
5. Plan to destroy the Hebrews (1:15-22) (READ)

B. Preparation for deliverance of Hebrew slaves (2:1-4:31)

1. Moses born and saved from destruction (2:1-10) (READ)
2. Moses kills an Egyptian and forsakes Egypt (2:11-14) 
3. Moses in the land of Midian (2:15-22) 
4. God takes knowledge of Israel’s sad plight (2:23-25) 
5. God calls Moses at a burning bush (3:1-4:17) (READ3:1-10, 4:18)
6. Moses agrees to go back to Egypt (4:18-26) 
7. The Hebrews believe Moses and accept his leadership (4:27-31) 

C. The Israelites delivered from Egyptian bondage (5:1-15:21) 

1. Moses demands the release of the Israelites (5:1-4) (READ)

    “Let my people go…” used 8 times
2. Pharaoh’s answer: Hebrews denied straw with which to make bricks (5:5-23) 
3. Moses demand certified by miracle (5:23-7:12) (READ7:1-9)
4. Pharaoh’s heart was hardened (7:13-14) 
5. First plague: Blood (7:14-25) 
6. Second plague: Frogs (8:1-15) 
7. Third plague: Lice (8:16-19) 
8. Fourth plague: Flies (8:20-32) 
9. Fifth plague: Disease on Livestock (9:1-7) 
10. Sixth plague: Boils (9:8-12) 
11. Seventh plague: Hail (9:13-35 
12. Eighth plague: Locusts (10:1-20) 
13. Ninth plague: Darkness (10:21-29) 
14. Death announced (11:1-10) (READ)

D. Israel redeemed by the blood of a lamb — Passover. (12:1-13:16) Christ is our sacrifice Hebrews 10:4-10 (READ)

1. Beginning of the year is changed (12:1-2) (READ)
2. Passover instituted (12:3-20) (READ)
3. Procedure for Passover ceremony (12:21-30) (READ)
4. Unleavened bread (12:31-39) Also called the feast of matzah-7 days
5. Death of the firstborn (12:40-42) 
6. Passover to be observed annually (12:43-50) 

 CONCLUSION:

• And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God!  (John 1:36)
• Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: (1 Peter 1:18-19)
• Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: (1 Corinthians 5:7)
• FOUNDATION STONE: The blood.  It covered but did not take away the sin of Israel.  Jesus blood takes away the sin of those who repent and come to Him.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com

Good morning,

Passover begins at sundown on 5 April 2023. It ends at sundown 6 April 2023. It is immediately followed by the Feast of Unleavened Bread. It lasts for seven days. It begins on 6 April 2023 through 13 April 2023.

Our devotionals will center around the memorial of Passover, the feast of unleavened bread, the story of the Jewish Exodus, why Passover is relevant to Christians, and the blood.

What Is the Feast of Unleavened Bread?

iStock.com/belchonock

Leaven is repeatedly emphasized in the Bible. It is mentioned more than 70 times from the time of Abraham to the life of Moses to the histories of the kingdoms to the former prophets, major prophets and minor prophets. Jesus Christ talked about it during His ministry, and He emphasized it on the final night before He was crucified.

Why? Because leaven is a powerful spiritual symbol.

The biblical book that mentions leaven most frequently is Exodus. Exodus 12 records God commanding millions of Israelite slaves in Egypt to keep the Passover, in part by eating lamb, bitter herbs and unleavened bread. The next night, God miraculously freed them, and they joyfully left Egypt. Verse 34 notes that they “took their dough before it was leavened.” Seven days later, with the Egyptian army in pursuit, God miraculously divided the Red Sea, the Israelites walked across the seabed on dry land, and the returning waters destroyed the Egyptians.

God commanded His people to memorialize these events—and their spiritual meaning—by keeping annual observances: Passover at sunset, the Night to Be Much Observed the following sunset, and the feast of Unleavened Bread over the next seven days.

“Seven days shall ye eat unleavened bread; even the first day ye shall put away leaven out of your houses: for whosoever eateth leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel. … [F]or in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt …” (verses 15, 17).

Jewish believers still keep a form of this observance. But it is actually commanded for God’s Church today. The Apostle Paul wrote to New Testament Christians that “Christ our passover is sacrificed for us; Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth” (1 Corinthians 5:7-8). New Testament Christians keep the feast of Unleavened Bread! (see Acts 20:6).

There is nothing inherently wrong, unhealthy or evil about leavening. But during this unique one-week period, God uses leavening to represent sin. God commands that we get it out of our lives during this time—every last loaf, slice and crumb!

Jesus warned against “the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees” in Matthew 16. The Apostle Paul focused on leaven in 1 Corinthians 5:6-7: “Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump? Purge out therefore the old leaven ….” The Bible links the way leavening puffs up dough and the way sin spreads and permeates our life. It only takes a pinch of leavening to raise an entire loaf—and it only takes a single compromise to fill our life with sin.

Sin means breaking God’s law of love (1 John 3:4; Romans 13:8-10). It ultimately results in death (Romans 6:23). Every particle of human failure and suffering is caused by breaking God’s law, just as failure and suffering are caused by breaking the laws of biology, chemistry and physics. Let sin into your thinking, and it quickly spreads from one part of your life to another—to another to another. It subtly infuses you with selfishness. It puffs you up with vanity. And it takes God’s miraculous intervention, combined with your effort, to put sin out of your mind and completely keep it out!

Just as with the ancient Israelites, God focuses us on “cleaning house” during the Days of Unleavened Bread: removing every crumb of bread with leavening ingredients like yeast, baking soda and baking powder from our homes, our workplaces, our vehicles and every nook of personal property in between. This symbolizes ridding our lives from every bit of sin and keeping it out. Physical deleavening is no easy task, but neither is getting sin out of our lives. It takes real effort and sweat to deleaven your possessions, just like it is a constant, lifelong battle to remove sin and keep it out when it inevitably begins to creep back in.

However, simply getting the leavening out doesn’t completely fulfill the command in Exodus 12:20. For seven days we not only avoid leavening, but we also eat unleavened bread, representing God’s way of sincerity and truth (1 Corinthians 5:8). That bread symbolizes Jesus Christ Himself—the “bread of life,” the bread we must eat if we are to inherit eternal life (John 6:35, 48). As we ingest that and allow Christ into us, He transforms us into a new and different person. This is another beautiful lesson of the Days of Unleavened Bread.

For God’s people, from Moses and the Israelites to David and the kingdom of Israel to Jesus Christ and His disciples to New Testament Christians through the ages, one of the greatest highlights of the year is the meaningful, exciting, inspiring feast of Unleavened Bread.

To learn more about this annual sacred festival, read Exodus 12-13 and Pagan Holidays—or God’s Holy Days—Which? You can also download a holy day calendar.

Thanks to the Philadelphia Church of God for a clear and concise description of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com

Good morning,

Passover begins at sundown on 5 April 2023. It ends at sundown 6 April 2023. It is immediately followed by the Feast of Unleavened Bread. It lasts for seven days.

Our devotionals will center around the memorial of Passover, the feast of unleavened bread, the story of the Jewish Exodus, why Passover is relevant to Christians, and the blood.

A memorial is an object which serves as a focus for memory of something, usually a person (who has died) or an event. The most common type of memorial is the gravestone or the memorial plaque. Also common are war memorials commemorating those who have died in wars.

Today is Passover.

The Passover

Passover is found in Exodus 12:11-14. In the verse leading up to these verses, the Israelites are told to take an unblemished lamb and kill it. They are told to take the blood and place it on the side and tops of the door frames of the houses where they would eat the lamb.

“For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord.¹³ And 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.¹⁴ And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the Lord throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever.”

So the Passover was important as a memorial to the Israelites as it reminded them:

1. God’s separation of His people from the Gentiles.

2. God’s protection of His people.

3. God’s deliverance of His people.

4. God’s requirements of His people, that is, dedication to Him.

5. God’s commandment to them to keep the feast annually to remind them of all God had done for them.

God sent Jesus to shed His blood as a once for all sacrifice for our sins. We should separate ourselves from the world and to God. We should dedicate our lives to Him. At the cross Jesus delivered us from our sin debt. He protects us from the temptations of this world.

Think about how the blood changed your life.

Tom Stearns, WASI Chaplain, 907 715-4001 chaplain@alaskaseniors.com