Disasters and the Passover

The disaster that lasts forever

Today we hear a lot of news about accidents and natural disasters. While living in this world, everyone can encounter disasters in various forms, great or small.

What is the worst disaster?

Among all kinds of disasters, what would you consider to be the worst disaster?

The Bible says that there is an everlasting disaster, where people cannot even die though they want to.

Revelation 19:20~21 But the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous sign on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. The rest of them were killed with the sword that came out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.

Revelation 20:10 And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

the Worst Disaster is Hell

The fiery lake of burning sulfur mentioned in Revelation simply refers to Hell. We must avoid this disaster where the unsaved will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

When we suffer a disaster in this world, though temporarily, it is very painful. God protects us from such disasters. However, the most important thing for us to do is to be saved from the disaster that incurs everlasting torment.

Since God did not want His children to suffer the eternal disaster of Hell. He came to this earth in the flesh to save us.

The New Covenant Passover, the way to escape the disaster of hell

Keep away from Hell

When Jesus preached the good news 2,000 years ago, He taught us that we must not go to Hell.

Matthew 5:29~30 “If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away, it is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.”

Matthew 18:7~9 “…If your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away, It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands of two feet and be thrown into eternal fire. And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.”

Hell is a place of torment that lasts forever and ever, every experience in Hell is a terrible disaster itself. So Jesus taught us that we must not go to Hell even if we lose a part of our body.

The only way to escape disasters

To save us from the disaster of Hell, He established the truth – that is the New Covenant Passover.

Luke 22:7~15 Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed. Jesus sent Peter and John, saying, “Go and make preparations for us to eat the Passover.”…They left and found things just as Jesus had told them. So they prepared the Passover. When the hour came, Jesus and his apostle reclined at the table, and he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer.”

Jesus eagerly desired to celebrate the Passover with us to save us from such horrible disaster – eternal torment in Hell.

Luke 22:19~20 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.”

The Origin of the Passover

Jesus let His disciples eat Passover bread and drink Passover wine symbolizing His holy body and blood. And He called it the “New Covenant.”

Jesus established the New Covenant on the Passover date. The original meaning and blessing of “Passover” is that disasters pass over (avoiding God’s people).

Old Covenant Passover

Exodus 12:11~14 “…It is the LORD’s Passover. On that same night I will pass through Egypt and strike down every firstborn of both people and animals, and I will bring judgment on all the gods of Egypt. I am the LORD. The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are, and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt. This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the LORD – a lasting ordinance.”

The first Passover ceremony dates back to the Old Testament time, about 3,500 years ago. God told the Israelites to slaughter a lamb for each family and put the blood of the lamb on the sides and tops of the doorframes of their houses.

Passover Blood is a Sign to Escape Disaster

Hebrews 11:28 By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of blood, so that the destroyer of the firstborn would not touch the firstborn of Israel.

Then God promised to protect them; when the destroying angel saw the Passover lamb’s blood, it passed over their house. The Passover has God’s great promise for us: Disasters pass over! The greatest disaster is not among the ten plagues in Egypt, nor is it any of the seven plagues in Revelation. The greatest disaster is the disaster of Hell. The Passover bread and wine are not simply bread and wine, but God’s promise to save us from of Hell.

The New Covenant, the promise of eternal inheritance in heaven

Jesus eagerly desired to celebrate the Passover with His disciples before He suffered. At that time, Jesus already knew that the next day, He would be insulted and mocked in front of many people, and crucified, going through the pain of death. Thinking of His upcoming suffering, He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane, with His sweat like drops of blood falling to the ground (Lk 22:39~44). We can understand how anguished and distressed He was! He endured such horrible pain to save us from Hell, establishing the Passover the way of life for us. The value of the Passover is beyond measure!

Matthew 26:17~19, 26~28 On the first day of the Festival of Unleavened Bread, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Where do you want us to make preparations for you to eat the Passover?” He replied, “Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, The Teacher says: My appointed time is near. I am going to celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your house.” So the disciples did as Jesus had directed them and prepared the Passover…While they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.” Then he took the cup, gave thanks and offered it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.”

New Covenant Passover

The forgiveness of sins we receive through the Passover allows us to escape the disaster of Hell. To save us from the eternal punishment of Hell and bring us back to the kingdom of heaven, God willingly came to this earth, taking the punishment for our sins upon Himself, and established the New Covenant Passover. How can we fully express in words the greatness of God’s love and grace?

God Himself came to this earth in the flesh and established the New Covenant to give us the promise of the eternal inheritance. Satan is trying to lead every soul to Hell and making every effort to destroy the truth of the New Covenant. Despite Satan’s attempts to abolish the truth, God is preserving the New Covenant Passover to give blessings to His children. This great spiritual war has been continuing for thousands of years. During this spiritual war, God came to us again and restored His truth.

Passover – Key to the Heaven

Hebrews 9:28  “So Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.”

Sinners desperately need to receive salvation (redemption) from God who appears in the age of the Holy Spirit. When we keep the new covenant Passover, we can receive eternal life, forgiveness of sins, and enter the kingdom heaven, and avoid hell.

Let us celebrate the New Covenant Passover and receive the promised eternal inheritance in heaven!