Hi Friend,

It is spring when flowers poke their colorful heads out of the ground and the newness of life is celebrated by the Holy Days of God.  The promises begin with the Passover Lamb who was sacrificed for the sins of man.  These sacred days culminate in the fall with the Feast of Tabernacles that complete the plan by picturing the return of Jesus to bring peace to the earth.

The repetitive pattern of the Holy Days is done with purpose.

When God chose to reveal to His servant Daniel the successive empires of power that would exist from Daniel’s day until the Second Coming, He revealed it through dreams. Each dream was different but each had the same meaning.  When the message is important God repeats it for emphasis.

When Pharaoh was alarmed by dreams he had had during the night he was agitated that his counselors could not explain the meaning.  The king knew the visions were from God.  Pharaoh was so upset by the experience that he allowed a slave, Joseph, to tell him the meaning.

Joseph explained that it was the same dream repeated with different characters, and he also clarifies WHY God does this.  He said to Pharaoh, “And the doubling of Pharaoh’s dream means that the thing is fixed by God, and God will shortly bring it about.” (Gen. 41:32 NRSV)

Joseph provided Pharaoh, and us, with a core principle for understanding God.  It may be surprising to man to know that there are things “fixed” in the mind of God.  One could conclude that some things are conditional because they depend on circumstances; for example—whether a person repents or not.  God was going to destroy Nineveh, but the city repented, and God changed His mind.  He did not do what He had planned.

Yet, there are other things that are unconditional.  They will take place regardless of the circumstances and nothing can change God’s mind.  One such thing is revealed in a discussion Jesus had with His disciples at the last Passover service He observed on earth.  When the time arrived for the Passover meal, He sat down with the twelve apostles and made a startling statement about the future.  He said to them, “With fervent desire I have desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer; for I say to you, I will no longer eat of it until it is fulfilled in the Kingdom of God.”  (Luke 22:14-16)

It’s almost easy to miss the unconditional statement within the sentence.  The word “until” means He will do this again in the Kingdom of God. The Passover ceremony Israel had been observing for over a millennia will again be observed by Jesus with His disciples in the Kingdom.  One could reasonably expect from statements that Jesus made during the evening that He will invite all believers to participate in this meal.

As we walk through the Holy Days that are repeated yearly, it would be good to take Joseph’s words to heart.  God has repeated a consistent message for several thousand years.  It must be “fixed” in the mind of God.

If you’ve never kept the Days of Unleavened Bread or a Passover service, it would be worth your while to find a church where you can do it now.  After all, one day you’ll have the opportunity to do with Jesus Christ.

Until next time,

Jim O’Brien