Crosstalk: March 27, 2018

​​Jeffrey D. Miller was raised in a traditional Jewish home, but spent twenty four years of his life as an atheist. In 1983 he had a miraculous encounter with the living God and committed his life to Yeshua, the Messiah. He leads a ministry called Messianic Minutes.

Jim began by noting the great fluctuation from year to year regarding when Passover occurs. How is the date determined?

Jeffrey explained that when the Lord set up the timetable for ancient Israel, he used a lunar-based calendar because each month starts at the New Moon. So rather than basing it on the earth's rotation around the sun, it's based upon the moon's rotation around the earth. The result is that the lunar-based calendar only has 256 days. This means that 7 times every 19 years there's a lunar leap year month added on to the calendar. So 7 times every 19 years there's 13 months. This fluctuates the line-up with the solar (Gregorian) calendar and the result is that the feasts are not on the same day.

Is there any significance to Passover being 8 days? There are 3 feasts that occur in the same week. The first night is actually Passover. The next 7 days are the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Technically they're two different feasts but both are called Passover.

During Passover, on the night after the Sabbath, is the Feast of Firstfruits. 2,000 years ago, on the Sunday during Passover, Jesus rose from the dead (On the Feast of Firstfruits). This is why the Jewish apostle Paul said that Jesus is the firstfruits of many from the dead.

What does the first Passover signify? Beginning with the burning bush story and moving to the meeting between Moses and Pharaoh, Jeffery then noted the plagues where Passover really begins. It includes the lamb without blemish, the killing of it and the taking of some of the blood and applying it to the doorposts of the house where it's eaten. When God would see that demonstration of faith, he would pass over that house and the plague of death would not come upon it. Jeffrey then cited Leviticus 17:11 which is the basis for all Christianity. It's the blood that makes atonement for the soul.

As this Crosstalk moved along, Jeffrey also looked at the Seder and its picture of Christ, the symbolism of the lamb, how to witness to a Jew at the Passover, and more.