by Esther Korson
If you were to visit Israel at this time of the year for the first time, you would begin to notice some unusual things happening. The first thing that you would notice would be that all of the major supermarkets have cleaning supplies on sale, and people are buying them like crazy. And people begin to clean their homes and later their cars as well! It is not what is known in the rest of the world as ‘spring cleaning’. It is to get any trace of leaven, or bread, out of the home in preparation for Passover when no bread products are eaten for a week. Somehow cleaning doesn’t seem so bad when you know that everyone else is doing it!
The next interesting thing to notice—schools are out and all of the kids are home—for almost 3 weeks!
The next thing you would notice, again in the supermarkets, is that boxes of unleavened bread (matzoth) suddenly appear and that they are beginning to move products around in a major way; until finally, huge aisles of food are covered over in paper, and only ‘kosher for Passover’ items remain available to the public. And then finally, the day before Passover actually begins, people eat bread products like they are never going to see them again! (I had eggs and toast for breakfast, a yummy bagel and lox sandwich at the central bus station for lunch and pasta for dinner!)Holidays in Israel begin at sunset, and so this morning you will then notice little fires all over the place—a bad pollution day!—as the final bread crumbs, purged from the house, are burned. And then, in the evening, as the sun sets, families and friends gather together around the Seder table to recount the miraculous story of God’s hand upon the Jewish people when He brought us forth from Egypt by His mighty hand. It is a long service, with lots of singing and four cups of wine and with a wonderful meal in the middle of it all. It is celebrated by Jewish people all over the world. In these days, it has more meaning than ever, since we are celebrating the miracle right here in Israel in the midst of a miracle of our own. God once again has brought us forth from the nations of our dispersal—over 100 of them—and returned us to our ancient homeland like He did in the ancient of days. Dear ones—we live in amazing times in the history of the world!
Passover has special meaning for me personally. It was way back in 1975 that I came to know Jesus in a personal way. The Bible says, “Before they ask, I will answer them…” (Isaiah 65: 24) and that is exactly what happened to me (as it has happened to many other Jewish people in these days). But at first I didn’t understand exactly who Jesus was for me as a Jewish person, until the Lord instructed me to invite the church that I was attending in Connecticut shortly after I came to know Jesus—to celebrate the Passover with me in the traditional way! The pastor at the church really knew the Lord and was truly happy with my suggestion. So very unexpectedly I found myself preparing a Seder meal and service for over a hundred people! It meant cooking a full dinner, including the traditional chicken soup with matzo balls as a first course. (The matzo balls are actually a Jewish secret weapon. If they are made right, light and fluffy, they are great—but if they’re made wrong, they are deadly!)
The night before the dinner itself, I was up late typing out the order of the service (the Seder) as I didn’t have enough Haggadot, the traditional Passover books, to go around. There’s no way that I can properly explain to you what happened to me on that late, quiet night so long ago, for a deep and personal experience with the Lord is almost impossible to describe. However, it was like, in a moment of time, the Lord took away the blindfold from before my eyes and I understood in a moment’s time the true identity of Jesus—“Yeshua” (His Hebrew name).
As a people, we have waited for a very long time for the coming of the Messiah. On that night in 1975, the Lord helped me to understand that the Messiah had indeed come—first, not as King as we had expected, but as the sacrificial Lamb, the literal fulfillment of the Passover. It was the fulfillment of the story of Abraham and Isaac, for just as God had asked Abraham to sacrifice his son; it was a picture of the day when the Lord Himself would place the wood of the sacrifice upon His very own Beloved Son as Yeshua became the Passover sacrifice, the sacrificial Lamb of God.
I cried tears of joy as I understood that the Lord had indeed kept His promise to us as a people, that we had not hoped in vain for all these centuries… the Messiah had come!! What a miracle of His grace and mercy! He also helped me to understand that in the not-too-distant future, the trumpets would blow and Yeshua would return to Jerusalem as King.
As we celebrated together the Passover meal the next night, it was with the new understanding that as a Jewish person I had not become a member of a foreign “Christian” faith—but that His great gift of love to us fulfilled me as Jew.
At sunset tonight, as we celebrate as a nation again the wonderful Passover story, it is with the longing in my heart for the Jewish people to also recognize at last the fulfillment of the holiday—that Yeshua became the final sacrifice for our sin so that we could be reconciled to God.
But this will be no ordinary Passover. Tonight will also be a ‘red moon’, the first of four configurations in 2014 and 2015, one red moon each on Passover and on Succoth. Although single blood moons are fairly common, four appearing so close together is a rare occurrence. (It happened in 1948 when the nation of Israel was born and it also happened in 1967 when Jerusalem, our eternal capital, became united to Israel again).
There are examples in the Bible where God used stars and the sun, as when a star led the wise men to Yeshua or how the sun stood still as Joshua led Israel to victory. Joel mentions the moon turning to blood “before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord.”
According to Pastor John Hagee, God is getting ready to speak this way once again. “I believe that in these next two years, we’re going to see something dramatic happen in the Middle East involving Israel that will change the course of history in the Middle East and impact the whole world,” he predicted.
In his latest book, “Four Blood Moons: Something is About to Change,” he explains, “The sun and the moon and the earth are controlled by God Almighty. He is the one that is getting them in a direct alignment on a certain day and at a certain time—this time, it will be on Passover and Succoth two years in a row.”
He said it’s still unclear what the coming blood moons will bring, but he is certain of one thing. “When all is said and done, the flag of Israel will be flying over the walls of the city of Jerusalem when Messiah comes, and it’s going to be forever.”
So beginning with sunset tonight, and the first of the four blood moons, we will begin munching matzoh for a week. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if also during this week of miracles Israel could also at long last recognize Yeshua as the heart of the Passover? For this we can pray…Happy Passover!!!!!!! (I’ll be back next week after the end of Passover…)
Follow News from JerusalemShare this page with your friends
Joetta Colquette says
I am crying and at the same time, have chills!! How beautifully written! It is wonderful to know how Passover truly impacts you when you know Yeshua and how He is the Passover lamb. Thank YOU so much for putting what your heart feels and your experience in print. I pray the same prayer for Israel~
Stephanie Heller says
Thank you for this informative and spiritually inspiring article. As an American Christian who has recently visited Israel, I enjoy learning more about the Jewish history & customs.
Debra Badger says
Thank you for describing the day to day details of what you do for Passover. It was very interesting hearing all the details like seeing the small fires where the people are burning the bread crumbs. I pray for all the Jewish people in Israel and thank God for His Devine protection over you. Happy Passover to you from me. I am a Christian in America, a member of CUFI, IFCJ, and believe in standing behind the Jewish people and Israel as they are Gods chosen people. I know the blood moons are a message from God in reference to Israel. I haven’t read pastor Hagee’s book on the blood moons, but I have listened to his complete sermon about them on YouTube over the internet and the whole thing is fascinating. I hope I am able to see the first blood moon from where I am (South Carolina). Thinking of all of you in Israel this Passover season, Debra Badger. USA
John Plant says
Wow, what a great story. yes, I pray that many many more of God’s chosen people will understand, believe and get saved. Thanks for sharing. I’d love to attend a passover meal and see how it is all done. And one day a trip to Israel…..
Rachel Walker says
‘HAPPY PASSOVER!” What a special night that has began. With a triumphal event as the Blood Moons to fall on such special festival days for the “APPLE OF GOD’S EYE” Jerusalem, Israel. I express with all my love through the Power of the Holy Spirit, Great prayers of protection and many, blessings for Israel to come. I pray that as people across the world open their eyes to look upon the Blood Moon that has fallen on Passover of 2014, that the scales of religion will fall off to their hearts to come to understand that The True Messiah has already came and is alive and well at the right hand of God Jehovah, Yahweh. Something is about to change. No, I don’t know what is going to happen but as the Revelation of the Holy Bible is revealed and passed, that all people of all nations will become the people God Jehovah, Yahweh has called them to be by accepting Jesus Christ , Yeshua, as their personal Lord and Savior that has already came and paid the penalty of sin once and for all. FOREVER! I will stay in thoughtful prayer through the night for the world and especially Israel and America. Christians across the world are praying for Israel, especially Jerusalem! We Christians love the Jewish people and have long been praying for you all to understand the whole Holy Bible that was inspired by God to be given to those who wish to understand and believe that Jesus is our True Lord and Savior. Many will deny such things and many will probably be angered by what I write here, but I only speak from my heart as to what God has revealed to me through the power of the Holy Spirit. I am not insensitive to Jewish culture nor their beliefs but I do know that God is calling all Jews to come to know all that He has given you! He gave us all, Jesus, and even with the amount of a grain of a mustard seed of faith planted in our hearts, if we begin to read the whole Bible and come to understand who Jesus is and what His truths are about, then through the power of the Holy Spirit we all are empowered with Wisdom that is able to overcome anything set against us to destroy what God has given in order to bring Jews and Gentiles together as one people. I might have said to much but this is what is truly on my heart.! “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whom so ever will believe in Him, Shall not parish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16 Prayers are being sent out across the world for all Christian and Jew alike. Prayers that are being sent up to Heaven tonight by the Holy Spirit!! May Jesus Christ give every believer a visit of how much He truly loves us all. I long to be with my Abba Father and Jesus in Heaven so I study the word to understand as much as I can by the wisdom of the Holy Spirit. I know something is about to change in this world and we all will be challenged of our faith like never before, but please don’t let any deception fall upon you that high ranking people may try and get you to be believe. Read the Holy Bible and Get Understanding! If Jews and Christians alike stand up to what is right in the eyes of God according to His will and word, not mans of political interest, we will overcome the world and soon Jesus will stand on High to make earth a place of Peace once again. Many do not believe in the Rapture but I do. I believe the words of the Bible from the beginning to the very last word, along with all the notes I have written in the borders that have been inspired truths of wisdom I believe given by the Holy Spirit while studying the words of the text. The catching away of the Saints of God, The Righteous ones of God for believing Jesus is the true Son of God will soon happen and anyone left behind must be very wise to outwit the Anti-Christ! No matter what, DO NOT DENOUNCE YOUR BELIEF IN JESUS CHRIST AS THE SON OF GOD ONCE YOU COME TO ACCPET THE TRUTH, EVEN UNTO DEATH IF IT BE SO. IF YOU ARE A BELIEVERIN JESUS CHRIST AS THE ONE AND ONLY SON OF GOD THAT DIED FOR YOUR SINS, THEN EVEN IN DEATH, YOUR LAST BREATH HERE WILL INSTANTLY BE YOUR FIRST BREATH WITH GOD. THIS TRUTH IS WHAT GIVES ME PEACE TO SPEAK THE TRUTHS THAT JESUS GIVES ME STRENGHT TO NOT BE AFRAID TO SPEAK THE TRUTHS I WRITE ON EVERY POSTING I CAN, PRAYING THAT SOMEONE WILL BELIEVE AND I CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE EVEN IF I AM POOR. Anyhow, God Bless you all. May your next 7 days be blessed with wisdom as a most precious gift given to you all. I love all people! Evil I do not understand, other than EVIL does everything it can to come against the word of God, to keep the eyes of everyone shut to know the truth, in order to be set free from religious ways. I am not a religious person. I am a Christian, Jesus Christ is my Savior and Lord, My True King of all Kings and I will not fear anything that comes against me to try and change my decision to Make Jesus Lord of all in my life and that of my family! I don’t know where I come from and I admire those that are Jews by heritage and not just by choice. Tears run down my face as I say so because you Father God Jehovah, Yahweh, longs for you to understand that religion has long kept you from all the mighty gifts He wishes to bestow upon Jewish people, especially the gift He gave long ago to put away the religious spirit of sin and the law. Once and for always sin and the law was paid for by Jesus Christ, whom walked among your people, teaching about the Father God’s love. May God Be the Glory for all to understand what my heart tries so hard to put into words here and may their hearts be moved to accept the truths in which my heart indulges to put here by the power of the Holy Spirit alone. To God Be the Glory and Israel be forever the home of the Jews! I want some day to visit the land of Israel, especially Jerusalem! It may not be until after the Rapture of the Church of all Christians whom have come to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior! Peace be with you all! Forever and ever! Amen! and Amen!