The Gospel of the Kingdom

​We are coming up to the first festival of YHVH, that of Passover and the feast of unleavened bread, yet, what does it mean when we say, as scripture states Yeshua is our Passover lamb? When we look at Passover we see that this reveals a picture of Yeshua the Passover lamb of YHVH who takes away the sins of the world, but what does this mean? Let us look at the Passover and seek to understand this as we strive to lay precept upon precept in an endeavour to understand the deeper meaning within this crucial concept, of Yeshua being our Passover lamb.

Let us look at Passover and the purpose of the Passover lamb, to do this we need to look at the first Passover which took place just prior to the Exodus from Egypt.

We read within scripture how YHVH defeated all of Egypt’s gods through the various plagues He brought upon Egypt, while at the same time YHVH was revealing who He was to Israel, showing that He is the one true Elohim, El Shaddia. The final plague, death of the firstborn is the one we will focus on.

We read in Exodus 12: 21 -23 the instructions YHVH gave to Moses on how He will save the first born males of Israel.  Then Moses summoned all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Go at once and select the animals for your families and slaughter the Passover lamb. 22 Take a bunch of hyssop, dip it into the blood in the basin and put some of the blood on the top and on both sides of the doorframe. None of you shall go out of the door of your house until morning. 23 When the Lord goes through the land to strike down the Egyptians, he will see the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe and will pass over that doorway, and he will not permit the destroyer to enter your houses and strike you down.

We further read in Exodus 12 how YHVH instructed the people to take a one-year-old male lamb, one without any defect or blemish, and that the bones are not to be broken.

When we remember Passover we can draw many parallels with Yeshua and the passive lamb, however, there is a deeper meaning found within this account, one that is entwined within Messianic expectations revealed within Bible prophecy concerning the Messiah of Israel. It is this I want to examine more closely in relation to Passover.

Within scripture we find that the Messiah will unite the tribes of Israel, that He would unify the House of Judah and the House of Israel, which this is the New Covenant which the Messiah would make with the children of Israel (Jeremiah 31:31, Hebrews 8:8). A key note here is that the word for New found in Jeremiah 31:31 is strongs 2319 chadash (khaw-daws) new:--fresh, new thing. It comes from strongs 2318 chadash (khaw-dash) a primitive root; to be new; causatively, to rebuild:--renew, repair. The word New used is not referring to a new thing but rather something being renewed, repaired like when we say “it is a New moon” it is not a new moon but rather a renewed moon. It is this understanding of the word New which is used here in Jeremiah 31:31 and quoted in Hebrews 8:8. This therefore implies that it is renewing of a covenant which has previously been established but has for some reason broken down. It is not a new covenant that disregards the previous one.

A key Messianic expectation as outlined within prophecy is the renewing of the covenant with the House of Israel (Ephraim) and the House of Judah, which in doing so will reunite the tribes and make them on in the Messiah’s hand, as records in Ezekiel 37.
However, the Rabbis cannot understand how the Messiah can do this, as the House of Israel often referred to Ephraim or Joseph was given a bill of divorce by YHVH (Jer 3:8) and sent into the nations for committing spiritual adultery with pagan gods. Therefore, under Torah a man cannot remarry his wife whom he has divorced for adultery, nor can a priest marry an adulterous woman (Lev 21:7,14; Deut 24:4). Therefore, how can YHVH bring back the House of Israel into covenant with himself when He has already stated within His Torah, this cannot happen?

The answer is found within the Torah, one which Sa’ul refers to when speaking about the renewed covenant, that the wife is free to remarry once the husband has died. Therefore, when Messiah died to pay the price for sin, He also made a way for the House of Israel (Ephraim) to come back into covenant, but not just for them but for anyone who believes in Him, who calls on the name of YHVH.

You see so much more happened on the cross, than what people teach today. Yes, the gospel message is a simple message, even when it is taught in its entirety, as it reveals how Great YHVH is.

But, what about the Passover lamb, well what was the Passover lamb for? The purpose of the Passover lamb was to save, redeem the first born sons of Israel, so that they would not die. However, for them to be redeemed they had to obey the commandments of YHVH, that of staying inside the house and placing the blood of a one-year male lamb on their doorposts with hyssop. If they did not place the blood on the door or remain in their homes, then the first born male would die. They had to in faith apply the blood of the lamb and obey YHVH’s commands, expecting as they trusted in YHVH to redeem and save the first born males of the household.

Does YHVH have a first born? We find in scripture that YHVH has a firstborn son, it is Ephraim or the House of Israel (Jer 31:9). Therefore, what we see in the Passover, is that the Messiah would come and redeem the firstborn of YHVH the House of Israel- Ephraim by paying the price for sin, as scripture states, Ephraim had made a covenant with death, which was because they had rejected YHVH resulting in them being given a bill of divorce. Yet, YHVH had already made a way to redeem them and bring them back into covenant, but in doing so He would also make a way for all of humanity to come into a covenant relationship with Him. As He grafts in the wild olive tree back into the main root of Israel, He makes a way for all to come to YHVH, through the atoning sacrifice made by Yeshua.

You see Messiah did so much more when He died than what is taught, we see this in the parable of the prodigal son, which his often taught that the prodigal is a sinner who does not know YHVH, but let me ask how can someone who does not know YHVH be called a son? It is impossible for to be a son of YHVH is to be in covenant with Him. John himself writes this that through Yeshua we have the right to become sons of YHVH (John 1). A none believer is not a son of YHVH but a son of HaSatan, they do not become a son of YHVH until they enter into covenant as they are gentiles, out of covenant. It is when they come into a covenant and are no longer a gentile as they are in covenant that they become a son of YHVH and a citizen of Israel. You see the parable of the prodigal son is speaking of the House of Israel the son who goes away and the House of Judah the one who remains with the father.

This is the Gospel of the kingdom which is to be proclaimed prior to the return of Messiah, it is this gospel which Sa’ul proclaimed which he said if anyone comes to you and proclaims a different gospel let him be accursed (Gal 1:8). Why did he say this? It is because if the hearts of the fathers and the hearts of the sons do not turn back to each other, the land will be cursed (Mal 4:6; Luke 1:17). Thus if this fact is not proclaimed then HaSatan has won, this is why he has sort to water down the word of YHVH and prevent the Gospel in its entirety from being proclaimed. However, YHVH is moving in these days by the Ruach HaKodesh so that this Gospel of the kingdom, as shown in the Passover, in the parables, as prophesised by the prophets is being proclaimed and will be proclaimed prior to Yeshua’ return. It is this unity which Yeshua was referring to in John 17, for it is as the unity of the houses is brought about that YHVH’s name is glorified. It is the House of Israel who are the sheep which had been scattered because they were not shepherded correctly. It is these which Yeshua said, I have sheep who He would bring into the pen, which His sheep know His voice. We see this in the passage in Genesis when Joseph is watching his father’s sheep, in the Hebrew it says that they are the aleph and the tav sheep, who is the alpeh and the tav? Messiah Yeshua, and Israel are His sheep and He will shepherd them, He will unite them when He returns.

The above is just a very brief overview of the Passover lamb and the gospel of the kingdom, which is the mystery of the gospel which Sa’ul wrote. I encourage you to re-examine key prophecy’s concerning the reunification of the houses and study the history of Israel, as it will give you a greater understanding of Bible prophecy and of the Gospel of the Kingdom which will be proclaimed. Remember Yeshua is the king of Israel and He will reign over a united Israel.

The gospel of Salvation preached today is only a part of the Gospel of the Kingdom, that when we accept YHVH’s gift of salvation and make Yeshua our Lord and king we become a citizen of the kingdom if Israel but this is only the beginning we are then to submit to the word of YHVH and Yeshua and be discipled in how to live in the kingdom of YHVH, which Torah is key to this as the commands of YHVH contained within all scripture are the key principles of kingdom living.

I pray I have left many questions as it is as we question we learn; the answers are found within scripture if we read it in context.

May YHVH bless and keep you,

shalom

Nathan