Did you ever discover something you didn’t know that made a big change in your life?
Have you ever heard of a boy named Josiah?
He lived over 2600 years ago. He was only 8 years old when his extremely evil father (King Amon of Judah) was assassinated in his own house by his royal servants after only 2 years of being king of Judah. Amon had followed in the grossly sinful footsteps of Josiah’s grandfather, King Manasseh. During his 55-year reign, Manassehseduced a whole generation of God’s people to do more evil than the idol-worshipping Canaanites that the LORD destroyed by Israel’s armies in prior generations. Despite the 29-year flourishing of their people under Manasseh’s father, King Hezekiah, the people of Judah under Manasseh, followed his evil abominations to do more wickedly than God’s wicked enemies, the Amorites. They followed after immorality and idolatry that secularized the people of Israel under false gods. (2 Kings 21:2, 9, 11).
The historic, providentially prepared founders of America, against all politically correct conventional wisdom of that day, defiantly and bravely declared that there arecertain truths that are self-evident.
Have you noticed the very first truth they listed in the Declaration of Independence? There’s not a hint that there was any dispute at all about the Biblical truth of the eternal existence of the Creator God. In the 18th century, the reality of Jehovah God was undeniably embossed on the minds of virtually all thinking people. In fact, even carelessly immoral and dishonest people, back then, would generally have agreed with the biblical truth that, yes, all humans must ultimately give an account to their Creator for the actions of their lifetime.
Everyone has a worldview, but relatively few people see their world through the eyes of the Bible, even among those who call themselves Christian.
The Great Commission
Christian people across the world are well familiar with what we call “the Great Commission.” Jesus, after his resurrection, just before he ascended into heaven, spoke these words to his disciples:
“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Matt 28:18-20
Many pastors who avoid debatable or political/social topics, claim they are ‘just called to preach the gospel.’ Others avoid contemporary arguments in society by sticking to their preaching and teaching schedule. These seem to be noble practices to most Christians, but do you think it’s only fair that those who sit down to dine at the table of where they get their spiritual food each week have a responsibility to humbly challenge their spiritual teachers to address controversial topics that are relevant to the issues we all struggle with that are going on in our world today?
Let’s Quell the controversy over Christmas and its traditions.
Every Christmas season many of us are confronted with various notions about the origins of Christmas and many cherished Christmas traditions. But what can we learn from the original writers of history itself about these controversial ideas?
It’s been called “the most wonderful time of the year.” Christmas for most of us has enjoyed a long history of traditions that make the heart of the winter season a rich time of festive celebrations.
For many of us, growing up in America in the late 20th Century, our memories from childhood include the happy songs of Jingle Bells, Deck the Halls with boughs of holly, and “I’m dreaming of a white Christmas.” There’s nothing wrong with any of that. When I was a child, singing Christmas songs like Silent Night and Joy to the World … around the piano with my grandmother… well, nothing could be more delightful to enthusiastic, ever-optimistic young children. Although Santa, for my generation, played a fairly significant part of the wide array of Christmas traditions… there was never the slightest thought that “the night before Christmas and all through the house…” was ever anything more than an amusing way of celebrating the ‘rest of the story’ that was more fully expressed when we sang “Joy to the world, the Lord is come” and “O Come all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant.” In fact, singing Christmas carols for our neighbors on cold winter nights in December will always be a treasured memory from childhood, through adolescence, and through college days as a young adult. We never lost sight of the real meaning of Christmas. And no one, that I can remember, ever behaved like a Scrooge or a Grinch that stole the heartbeat of Christmas, which was always about the birth of Jesus, 2,000 years ago.
Many Christians today have lamented the fact that modern commercialized society has made Christmas into a highly secular time of year.
The overwhelming election of Donald Trump in 2024 is the defining moment of history for our generation… as much as the Emancipation Proclamation was in Abraham Lincoln’s generation. Now the stage is set for the world-defining battle of our generation.
If ever there was a time in our generation for all of us, as believers in Almighty God, to rejoice with thanksgiving and humble reliance on our Savior’s mercy… Now this is that time.
We have cried out to God for His deliverance… from what seemed to most of us to be the potential end of American sovereignty… and He has graciously … in His sovereign rule as King of all kings… allowed us – as a nation – His temporary reprieve from what has seemed like inevitable judgment to most Christian students of history.
Looking at many of the defining markers of a culture, the moral landscape of American society is inescapably identified by things that most fair-minded people would label as worthy of judgment. Even the typical, relatively law-abiding citizen of this country, would likely admit that we are more preoccupied with tolerating evil than doing much to stop it.
We are humbled by God’s mercy to withhold what we, as a nation deserve, while granting us, who are called out to be His ‘salt and light’… the opportunity to change our course as we look to the leadership for the next generation.
And what a remarkable slate of victories is given to us to steward now!
At the top of the list, Trump won the popular vote… that means he received over 50% of all the votes across the nation that were cast… with over 72 million votes.
Trump secured the Electoral College in excess of the 270 votes needed to win… mayb as many as 300
The GOP won the Senate majority with 54+ seats.
The GOP won the House of Representatives majority.
Trump has the support of the Military.
Trump has the support of the majority of the Supreme Court.
Most important… Trump has the confident support of the majority of the people.
Trump’s comeback win is undoubtedly one of the most significant accomplishments in America’s political history. Even his enemies have resentfully admitted this.
I think it’s helpful for us to hear some of the comments from President elect Trump during his victory speech after 2am in the night after the voting places closed on November 5th.
Trump addressed supporters following the victory, acknowledging God’s protection on his life.
TRUMP quotes from his 2024 election victory speech:
4:20 “America has given us an unprecedented and powerful mandate…
19:19 “This will forever be remembered as the day the American people regained control of their country.
22:13 “This is also a massive victory for democracy and freedom. Together, we’re going to unlock America’s glorious destiny. We’re going to achieve the most incredible future for our people.
23:08 “Many people have told me that God spared my life for a reason. (cheers) And that reason was to save our country and to restore America to greatness. Now, we are going to fulfill that mission together. We’re going to fulfill that mission. The task before us will not be easy but I will bring every ounce of energy, spirit, and fight that I have in my soul to the job that you’ve entrusted to me. This is a great job.. there’s no job like this. This is the most important job in the world. I will govern by a simple motto: Promises made – Promises kept.”
We all know that America has no king but “We the people.” But we realize that we delegate our authority to those elected to represent us. Unfortunately, for many generations.. all too many of our elected representatives have sold the influence they are assigned to wealthy corporate tycoons who put their own interests ahead of the American people. That’s why the MAGA movement has motivated so many voters to put their trust in a man who has demonstrated by his actions that he serves his office as executive with noble character, worthy of that trust.
We know that the deeply corrupted political elite class… and all the heavily deluded supporters of the losing side of this war between God and evil… are continuing to do whatever they can to disrupt and demoralize the citizens of the country. But that gives all of us ..all the more motivation to work hard and continue praying for what is now the very real hope for positive changes ahead in our communities across the land.
Hope for a stop to the massive illegal immigrant invasion fostered by the previous administration.
Hope for the removal of the threat of war and the fear of sending our sons and daughters into foreign wars.
Hope for the rightful prosecution of all those who’ve participated in the scandalous trafficking of children and others, used to devastate the morality of our generation.
Hope for eliminating huge economic waste in the governmental administration of our country.
Hope for the removal of wicked authoritarian mandates leading to the demoralization and literal destruction of millions of lives under the guise of public health regulation.
Hope for the return of public education policy-making to the states of our republic.
Hope for the return of jobs to Americans that were exported unnecessarily to foreign nations.
Hope for the elimination of abusive and unnecessary taxation of American families.
Hope for the return of the ability of working families to educate their children according to their personally held values and beliefs.
Hope for the return of basic freedoms to peacefully speak out in public without fear of being censored, marginalized, and demonized by corrupted agents of corporatocracy.
Hope for the increasing courage of Christ-loving people to influence every sphere of life in this country for the glory of God.
Hope for the invigoration of the younger generation with a strong moral cause to fight for the righteous goals of humanity.
Hope for the total exposure of the insanely ridiculous ideas embraced by immoral globalists to confuse our young people about their awesome unique identity in the image of their Creator.
Hope for opening of our younger generation’s spiritual ‘eyes’ to see and embrace the amazing grace and mercy of our Savior.
Hope for the return to the naturally healthy and simpler ways to stay healthy through food and medicine that is not dictated by big corporations whose only motive is profit.
Hope for the removal of America’s support for globalist-run international agencies like the UN.
Our Divine Mandate to Pray for Rulers
As always, God’s people must do what Paul admonishes us in 1 Timothy 2:1-4.
“First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”
This is compelling reasoning for us to vote for those in authority who best reflect our Creator’s order for their assignments. That way we can “pray for those in authority” … knowing that we may lead quiet and peaceful lives… and be able to share the gospel with everyone we are entrusted to influence for God’s glory.
Proverbs 21:1 reminds us, “The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes.”
Daniel the prophet made an historic declaration when he, as a young prisoner of Babylon’s King Nebuchadnezzar, was faced with the impossible task of determining the very essence of the king’s dream, as well as the interpretation of it. It is written in the second chapter of Daniel’s book in the Bible.
He wrote: “Let the name of God be blessed for ever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to Him. It is He who changes the times and the epochs; He removes kings and establishes kings; He gives wisdom to wise men and knowledge to men of understanding” (Daniel 2:20-21).
This, and other Bible passages, leads us disciples of Jesus Christ… to acknowledge that God Most High is sovereign of all earthly rulers and monarchs.
1 Chronicles 29:11-12: “Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, indeed everything that is in the heavens and the earth; Yours is the dominion, O Lord, and You exalt Yourself as head over all.”
1 Timothy 6:13, 15: “…God Who gives life to all things…is the …only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords.”
Psalm 47:1-3 “Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples! Shout to God with the voice of triumph! For the LORD Most High is awesome; He is a great King over all the earth. He will subdue the peoples under us, and the nations under our feet.”
Now that we know the undeniable choice of America’s voting citizens, the great choice before us all is “will Americans, with hearts for righteousness …prioritize their commitment to fight for their sons and daughters… by engaging in the battle for the exaltation of truth… in a world darkened by strong powers that are committed to the destruction of our Almighty God’s kingdom of Light and Life?”
When the pioneering people of Nehemiah’s time – when he was commissioned to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem – were threatened by embedded enemies, they were encouraged to take courage.
Nehemiah told the people, “Do not be afraid of them; remember the LORD who is great and awesome, and fight for your brothers, your sons, your daughters, your wives, and your houses” (Neh 4:14).
And get this… it applies so much to what has been recently happening in our own nation. Nehemiah 4:15 tells us, “And it came to pass, when our enemies heard that their plan was known unto us, and God had brought their counsel to nought, that we returned all of us to the wall, every one unto his work.”
Did you hear that? When did Nehemiah report that all of his people returned to their work on the wall? It was when their enemies heard that their evil, destructive plans were made known to Nehemiah’s people. That was when God brought their counsel to nothing… no doubt giving great encouragement to the people of God to focus completely on their work.
In the providences of the Most High God, we can see in the events of history… many parallels with how God’s redemption reflect familiar Bible accounts. The many disturbing events that led up to God’s virtually miraculous restoration of President Trump to the leadership of what we call the modern ‘free world’ have been difficult for all of us to experience. But… without them we would not have the exposure of the evil that has been secretly behind the scenes of so much wickedness in our world. And now that the great awakening of millions of people across the world has begun, we have more reason than ever to expect that God is leading the remnant warriors in His kingdom to participate in the salvation of millions who will be equipped to fight the good fight of spiritual warfare to destroy the works of the devil in our time. Do you recall how the LORD’s word to Moses encouraged the people in Deuteronomy as they prepared to begin the conquest of the promised land full of giant enemies of Yahvay? It’s in chapter 7… where we’re told…
Deuteronomy 7
21 You shall not dread them, for the LORD your God is in your midst, a great and awesome God. 22 The LORD your God will clear away these nations before you little by little; you will not be able to put an end to them quickly, for the wild beasts would grow too numerous for you. 23 But the LORD your God will deliver them before you, and will throw them into great confusion until they are destroyed.
Now that God has given His victory over the evil forces that hindered His uniquely appointed ‘Sampson’ to bring deliverance to Americans, who’ve been ‘groaning’ under ridiculous puppet leadership… are you ready for the end of the deep state?
Listen to President-Elect Trump’s Plan to Dismantle the Deep State and Return Power to the American People.
President Trump’s Plan to Dismantle the Deep State and Return Power to the American People. Here’s my plan to dismantle the deep state and reclaim our democracy from Washington corruption once and for all, and corruption it is.
First, I will immediately re-issue my 2020 Executive Order restoring the President’s authority to remove rogue bureaucrats. And I will wield that power very aggressively.
Second, we will clean out all of the corrupt actors in our National Security and Intelligence apparatus, and there are plenty of them. The departments and agencies that have been weaponized will be completely overhauled so that faceless bureaucrats will never again be able to target and persecute conservatives, Christians, or the left’s political enemies, which they’re doing now at a level that nobody can believe even possible.
Third, we will totally reform FISA courts which are so corrupt that the judges seemingly do not care when they are lied to in warrant applications. So many judges have seen so many applications that they know were wrong, or at least they must have known. They do nothing about it, they’re lied to.
Fourth, to expose the hoaxes and abuses of power that have been tearing our country apart, we will establish a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to declassify and publish all documents on Deep State spying, censorship, and corruption, and there are plenty of them.
Fifth, we will launch a major crackdown on government leakers who collude with the fake news to deliberately weave false narratives and to subvert our government and our democracy. When possible, we will press criminal charges.
Sixth, we will make every Inspector General’s Office independent and physically separated from the departments they oversee so they do not become the protectors of the Deep State.
Seventh, I will ask Congress to establish an independent auditing system to continually monitor our intelligence agencies to ensure they are not spying on our citizens or running disinformation campaigns against the American people, or that they are not spying on someone’s campaign like they spied on my campaign.
Eighth, we will continue the effort launched by the Trump administration to move parts of the sprawling federal bureaucracy to new locations outside the Washington Swamp. Just as I moved the Bureau of Land Management to Colorado, as many as 100,000 government positions can be moved out. And I mean immediately out of Washington to places filled with patriots who love America, and they really do love America.
Ninth, I will work to ban federal bureaucrats from taking jobs at the companies they deal with and that they regulate. So they deal with these companies and they regulate these companies and then they want to take jobs from these companies. Doesn’t work that way—such a public display cannot go on and it’s taking place all the time, like with Big Pharma.
Finally, I will push a constitutional amendment to impose term limits on members of Congress.
This is how I will shatter the deep state and restore government that is controlled by the people and for the people.
Thank you very much.
Wow… After hearing President Trump declare these much-needed plans to restore the control of America’s government to ‘We the People,’ all of us certainly should have great relief and much reason to rejoice for the ambitious future and hope that has been set before us. We must ramp up our intercession as never before. We must declare truth like never before. We must disciple the next generation like never before. We must take our ‘We the People’ position as ‘King” in America like never before. In the simplest summary of our assignment… we must restore the conscience of Believers to truly be the ‘salt and light’ as our Savior’s Ambassadors to a generation that’s been held hostage and is about to be set free.
The fierce war in heaven
There is a fierce war going on in the spirit realm …and millions of believers are awakening to the reality of it… so they can join their own souls to the righteous eternal cause of our Heavenly King.
Remember… the last book of the Bible – Revelation – tells us, “They overcame their enemies by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony.” (Rev 12:11). But the principle of that future expectation of prophecy has application even in today’s drama of the war between good and evil. Hear the passage that begins in verse 7 of Revelation 12…
7 And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. The dragon and his angels waged war, 8 and they were not strong enough, and there was no longer a place found for them in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was thrown down, the serpent of old who is called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. 10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying,
“Now the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ have come, for the accuser of our brethren has been thrown down, he who accuses them before our God, day and night. 11 And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death. 12 For this reason, rejoice, O heavens and you who [dwell in them. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time.”
God is not yet finished with the nation we call America. He’s not finished with His people. He’s not finished with you and me. We’ve been given assignments to be Watchmen on the walls of humanity. (Ezekiel 33) We are empowered with spiritual gifts by the Spirit of our Savior to cast down every evil imagination raised up against the knowledge of God (2 Cor 10:5). But it takes our personal commitment to ‘ABIDE’ in His Word (John 15:7). Only in His Word are we able to be “wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim 3:15). And that is only possible because His Word really is “profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” … so “that the man o f God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Tim 3:17).
By God’s inexhaustible grace we are given the capacity to be both ready and able for the work that has been set before us. If there’s anything that God has shown me through the gifted tenacity and tempered endurance of Donald Trump, it is that God’s people are seeing a living example of the relentless nature of our Redeemer to endure the battle against evil to the end with both courage and confidence in the purpose our Creator places in each of us.
Greater is He that is in us than He that is in the world (1 John 4:4)… Therefore…
I can do all things through Christ Who strengthens me (Phil 4:13). Why? Because…
“He is able to do exceedingly, abundantly beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works within us.” (Eph 3:20).
Therefore, let’s all be careful how we walk in this world… not as unwise men, but as wise… and make the most of our time because we know the days are evil (Eph 5:15-16).
Bonus segment
Podcasts providing content on timely topics of interest for Watchmen
For many listeners who may not be familiar with finding various recordings they’d like to access on the Internet, it’s helpful to have a list of favorite sources handy. That’s why I’ve posted an alphabetized list of some of the key content providers for listeners to Reclaiming Your Legacy. I invite you to look it over. And copy and paste it into a document that you can print out if that helps you to find these websites later on. Most of these gifted speakers, presenters, authors, and podcasters were completely unknown to most of us before the 2020 Plandemic. Now, many of them are becoming household names… especially to God-fearing believers who love their country and want to do everything possible to share the truth with the next generation. I’ve highlighted some that I particularly appreciate for the profound insights they’ve enabled me to discover through their determined efforts.
Print this out – File it – Keep handy for later access to your favorite shows.
Check out websites and commentary Channels that I highly regard:
Are you ready to help people rediscover America’s covenant with God?
America’s people have been dumbed down deliberately by a secular and demonic agenda to make us all ignorant of truth, ignorant of common sense, ignorant of Scripture, and particularly ignorant of our own history. We should all know the fact that God’s prophet clearly prophesied that His own people (“My people” He said) “are destroyed for a lack of knowledge” (Hosea 4:6). When we speak that message, it can be a prophetic wake-up call for those who might be listening closely to what we’re saying. But another problem is that many, in the true Ekklesia of God, lack the mature personal mentors who can coach them to be guided by the Holy Spirit. We all need that guidance to discern what is true, and to learn from the events and lives of the past that are able to witness to the incredible grace and power of God.
When God’s people recognize that the path of the society around them is collapsing, the prophets of the Bible give us an unmistakably clear assignment, if we’re willing to accept it… Be a generation called to rebuild the ancient paths.
The confusion and uncertainty assaulting humanity worldwide today is being identified by many as an all-out strategy of destructive warfare from the Enemy of mankind himself. So, what is the ‘assignment’ God has for His people in the middle of such alarming chaos?
The 58th chapter of the prophet Isaiah declares clearly, Almighty God’s displeasure with the superficial, self-centered, and hypocritically empty religious rituals of His people. Instead, He desires a deeper and personally more authentic form of worship, defined by distinctive actions. And biblical worship – let’s not miss it – is a sacrificially devoted spiritual life-style, not just a weekly religious exercise.
When you examine Isaiah 58 .. let God’s Spirit show you where your life can better express what God identifies as “the fast” that He chooses. That kind of a Messiah-following discipleship is characterized by several features. All of them require some effort and humbly asking God for personal direction. Remember one of the central themes of the Bible: “In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct (or make straight) your paths” (Proverbs 3:6). Your what? Your PATHS.
Justice and righteousness is high on His list: Can we do anything to break the chains of injustice? Are there oppressed people whom we can help to free? Can we remove blame shifting and speaking wickedness? (read Isaiah 58:6-9).
Caring for the vulnerable is naturally a priority with God: Can we find ways to share our food with the hungry? Can we invite a poor homeless one into our home? What about clothing those who are truly naked and needy? (read Isaiah 58:7). If we do, He promises “your light will break out like the dawn” (vs 8)… “you will call and the LORD will answer” (vs 9).
Humility and sincerity are traits deserving our daily introspection: We just cannot allow ourselves to use devotional sacrifices like fasting as an excuse to exploit workers, or quarrel with others, or engage in self-righteousness (read Isaiah 58:3-5).
True selfless devotion is assured God’s special turn arounds in your life: Fasting accompanied by “giving yourself” to those in need and “satisfying the desire of the afflicted” will result eventually in “your light rising out of darkness” and “your gloom becoming like midday.” (read Isaiah 58:10).
Few events in modern history have ever demonstrated the divine intervention of Almighty God as clearly as the cluster of happenings on and just after 6:11 pm on the Sabbath day of July 13th … only 30 hours before the opening day of the Republican National Convention of 2024.
The Day of Gods Intervention
If you didn’t get the chance to witness the evening speeches of the 2024 RNC, it would be well worth giving some time to see some of them that I’ll link in the notes for today’s show at ReclaimYourLegacy.com. If the evil wishes of the deranged haters of Donald Trump had gotten their way on July 13th, everyone in this country, regardless of their opinions, would have reason to be extremely worried about the encroaching pathway to national and global violence if we had suffered the loss of the leadership of President Trump.
Ironically, the time stamp of “06:11” is the reference to a Bible passage that is extremely relevant right now. Ephesians 6:11 starts by saying…
“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places…”
And that’s why it concludes in verse 13 of Ephesians 6…
“Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”
People all over the world are rediscovering many of the realities of the long chain of events that precipitated the unanimous declaration of some of the bravest honorable men who ever lived.
When those 56 very somber leaders of the American colonists gathered together in Philadelphia to sign the document they had crafted, the extreme hardship of revolution that they faced could only have been sustained because of the deep conviction and confidence they had in their Creator whom they often referred to as “Providence.”
Over the course of their relatively young lives, their experience of dependency on their Creator reflected the profound knowledge that they had of the Bible and the principles of the God who is “at work in you, both to will and to do of His good pleasure.” They intimately relied on the Sovereign of the Universe who “works all things according to the counsel of His own will (Eph 1:11),” and “works all things together for good to those who love God and …are called according to His purpose (Ro 8:28).”
As we review the preamble to that declaration, perhaps we can refresh our own need to make a renewed declaration of commitment to God’s purposes in the unfolding story of God’s development of this generation’s determination – determination to be a people – indeed, a family and community – whose God is the Lord.
Solving the Confusion over The Days celebrating Easter and Passover
Sometimes, the celebration dates of Passover and Easter coincide, but sometimes they can be weeks apart. Why is this? If Yeshua died at the time of the Jewish Passover, why does the institutionalized Christian church celebrate his death and resurrection on a different date of the year? How did they get separated?
For many Christians, Easter Sunday is the annual celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ three days after his death. The Gospel writers are very clear that His crucifixion took place at the Jewish observance of Passover. Christians understand the prophetic symbolism of the Passover sacrifice. In fact, Paul writes that “Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed” (1 Corinthians 5:7). How is it then, that this year (2024) Easter, on March 31, occurs three weeks before Passover on April 22?
Establishing the Date for Passover
Both Easter and Passover appear to be on dates that change every year according to our modern Gregorian calendars. However, Passover is actually a fixed date on the Hebrew calendar – according to the Bible it is always on the evening of the fourteenth day of the first month (Leviticus 23:5 and others). The date never changes; it is always the same. We just need to know when it is the first Hebrew month.
In the Jewish community, this is not an issue. In the fourth century AD, a calculated calendar system was developed, attributed to Rabbi Hillel II, establishing the months of the Hebrew calendar. The month for Passover must be in the spring of the year, but a year of twelve lunar months only consists of about 354 days while the cycle of the sun, determining the seasons, is about 365 days. To compensate for this discrepancy and to keep all of the Biblical festivals in their correct agricultural season, the Hillel calendar uses a system of adding a “leap month” about every three years.
It may sound a little odd, but since the Jewish calendar begins with the seventh month and ends with the following sixth month, the thirteenth “leap month” actually occurs in the middle of the Jewish year, right before the first month and Passover. According to the calendar, this year of 5784 will be a leap year with a leap month. That means that all the remaining months in the year 5784 will seem later when compared to the Gregorian calendar.
According to the encyclopedia Britannica, the Gregoriancalendar, solar dating system, that is now in general use, was proclaimed in 1582 by Roman Catholic Pope Gregory XIII as a reform of the Julian calendar. TheGregoriancalendar differs from the Julian only in that no century year is a leap year unless it is exactly divisible by 400 (e.g., 2000). Nearly all Eastern Orthodox churches still use the Julian calendar to establish the dates of movable feasts such as Easter. The current discrepancy between the Julian and Gregorian calendars is 13 days. However, the difference will become 14 days in 2100.
Does this seem Confusing? Maybe. Among those pursuing a Biblical faith there is considerable debate. The calendar is one of the two most passionately contested controversies in this movement. And since the Bible doesn’t specifically say “this is how you know it is the first day of the first month of the year,” various interpretations of Biblical and extra-Biblical texts have led to a number of proposed methods. It is not my intention here to defend one over the other. Just know that, according to the Torah, the date for Passover is fixed as the fourteenth day of the first month. And that first moon-month began on the day of the new moon in the springtime of the year when the Exodus of God’s people called Israel happened in Egypt, about 3500 years ago.
Establishing the Date for Easter
The timing of Easter does, in fact, vary from year to year on our calendar. Easter is not mentioned in the Bible. (Acts 12:4 in the King James Version is a well-known mistranslation of the word Pascha, correctly rendered as Passover in nearly all other translations, as well as all the other 28 times that the word appears in the New Testament).
After the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, the Jerusalem Council of apostles and bishops began to lose their authority as moderator of the expanding Christian faith and the guardian of church traditions. Church authority began to shift westward to Rome, the capital of the Empire. This transition was completed in the aftermath of the failed Second Jewish Revolt against Rome in AD 132-135. That ended the long line of Jewish-Christian leadership that began in Jerusalem, influencing the eastern churches of Asia Minor in the east. By the end of the second century, a controversy arose that pitted the western churches around Rome against those of the east. On which day was it most appropriate to commemorate the resurrection?
Easter began to be instituted after the final collapse of Jewish influence in AD 135. In AD 155 Polycarp (AD 69-156) Bishop of Smyrna and disciple of the Apostle John, strongly holding to the Biblical pattern of celebrating the Levitical feasts, met in Rome with Anicetus, Bishop of Rome, to resolve this controversy. Neither would budge from his position and it is reported by Eusebius that Irenaeus (ca. AD 125-202), Bishop of Lyon and a student of Polycarp got them to peacefully agree to disagree. Those who maintained the Passover evening celebration were mainly the original churches founded by the Apostles. As the second century generation passed, the eastern churches refused to give in to Roman influence, insisting that they would keep the Passover tradition of the Apostles. Victor, the Bishop of Rome, attempted to excommunicate them. Around AD 190 Victor attempted to standardize the celebration of the resurrection around Easter. In 325AD, Roman Emperor Constantine convened the Council of Nicaea where the date for Easter was set as the Sunday following the full moon following the Spring equinox. (see: https://www.jewishawareness.org/passover-easter-and-the-early-church/)
So, whatever their motivation, the Roman bishops influenced the western churches to celebrate Easter according to the day of the week rather than the date of the month. According to their reckoning, by prioritizing the days they could then have Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday every year.
Yet, even that is not without controversy. The equinox used in this method is not based on astronomical observance. It was determined to always be March 21, while the full moon is 14 days after the new moon. The disagreement between the Roman church and the Eastern church led to them observing different dates for Easter Sunday almost 75% of the time. In fact, in 2024 the Roman church is observing Easter on March 31 while the Eastern church is observing it on May 5 (which still does not seem to relate to Passover).
There’s no doubt that the word “Easter” comes from a pagan celebration. It is true that “Ostara,” one of the eight annual pagan holidays, occurs at the vernal (spring) equinox, and that this is associated with fertility, the practice of coloring eggs, and myths about rabbits and eggs. However, the date selected to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus by the Nicaean Council – the first Sunday after the full moon after the equinox – has no direct connection to any pagan history. Certainly, no Christian who gathers for a sunrise service on Easter is either knowingly or unknowingly paying homage to the invincible sun god or the goddess of fertility. It is a sincere celebration by Christians to honor their risen Savior.
The Underlying Reason
The reason behind the Council of Nicaea deciding on the date for celebrating the resurrection runs far deeper than simply adapting a Christian meaning to an already existing pagan festival. The timing was already clear in the Gospel accounts: It was the first day of the week following Passover. But in the fourth century the Roman church under Emperor Constantine made a conscious decision to divorce itself from anything Jewish. This Council set a new foundational date for Easter, out of which would eventually come a liturgical calendar including Good Friday, Maundy Thursday, and a full Passion Week beginning with Palm Sunday. Yahweh’s appointed times of Passover, the Feasts of Unleavened Bread and First Fruits, were no longer deemed important.
In the first centuries after Yeshua, the early disciples naturally remembered his death and resurrection every Passover, which was when it happened. And rightly so, since the Passover feast was designed from its outset to foretell the redemptive sacrifice of the Messiah. It is laden with symbolism all pointing to Yeshua, and how his death and blood would purchase our freedom, forcing death to “pass over” us as it did for the faithful Israelites who daubed the blood of the lamb on their door frames. But as the years went by, the Messianic community of Jews became increasingly dominated by Gentiles. Gentile leaders grew weary of depending upon the rabbinic authorities for the right date on which to commemorate this important event. Relations between the Rabbinic Jewish community and the Christians had deteriorated significantly by this point, and there was a lot of hostility in both directions. Finally, after over 200 years, the Western church leaders in Rome decided, at the Council of Nicaea in 325AD, to take matters into their own hands:
Here is what they wrote at the time, according to the ancient historian, Eusebius, in his [2] Letter of the Emperor to all those not present at the Council: (Vita Const., Lib. iii., 18-20) See if you can hear the bitterness in the fracture of those church leaders of the time.
“It was declared to be particularly unworthy for this, the holiest of all festivals, to follow the custom [the calculation] of the Jews, who had soiled their hands with the most fearful of crimes, and whose minds were blinded. In rejecting their custom, we may transmit to our descendants the legitimate mode of celebrating Easter…
We ought not, therefore, to have anything in common with the Jews, for the Savior has shown us another way…. We desire, dearest brethren, to separate ourselves from the detestable company of the Jews.”2
Eusebius, in his [2] Letter of the Emperor to all those not present at the Council: (Vita Const., Lib. iii., 18-20)
If these words are not shocking to you, they should be! The Nicaean Council decided that they would celebrate a separate festival on the first new moon after the Spring Equinox (the Spring Equinox is always March 21st in the Gregorian Calendar) to make a deliberate break with the people of Israel.
It bears reiterating that Easter is not found in the Bible even once. Again, the King James Version erroneously translates the word Pascha (from the Aramaic for Passover) to Easter in Acts 12:4. The English word “Easter” comes from “Eostre”, and was co-opted for the name of the new festival to celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus—which was categorically NOT Passover.
THE IMPLICATIONS, AND THE SITUATION TODAY
It’s truly heartbreaking that such animosity developed between the Jewish and Christian communities under the domination of the Roman Empire in the 4th Century. It led to a ripping away of Yeshua’s followers from the roots of the tree that they had been grafted into. The institutional Christian religion decided to separate themselves – and all Christian people under their system – not just from the people of Israel, but also from God’s Biblical festivals. Those HOLY days (holidays) of celebration were deliberately created by God to help us appreciate more about His plan of redemption. Passover was God’s initiative. He devised each detail of it on purpose. Just because the Bible doesn’t specifically say that we are judged for not celebrating the Passover, doesn’t mean that we don’t miss out on many treasures that God placed in his word for us to learn from. It’s really more than disgraceful that the Nicaean Council decided on behalf of all Christians from that time onward that Passover had no relevance for them.
Not only were Christians cut off from the roots of their faith—their heritage, God’s own feasts, laid out in their own Bible—but also the message of Yeshua became more and more obscured and alien to the Jewish people. The church became a foreign, gentile “no-go-zone” for Jews. The two were severed apart, and the evil root of antisemitism crept into Christianity. To the discredit of the global “church” – called to be Ambassadors for Yeshua our Messiah – for much of church history, the ethnic Jewish people were persecuted, tortured and murdered at the hands of Christians for simply being Jewish. This happened especially at Easter times, when angry mobs would rage against those they considered to be “Christ killers”.3 Most Christians have no idea about the scale to which this sad statement is true—it’s not something that is taught in Sunday School or even church history classes. There is a real gap of information between the people of Israel and the church, and we’ve been separated so long that we have a lot of catching up to do!
[3] “A “Yerushalmi”, i.e. someone who lived in the Old City of Jerusalem before the State of Israel was declared, once told me that in this part of the world they would barricade their doors on Easter Sunday, knowing that the traditional Christian procession would often end in rioting against the local Jews. Communal Jewish history is made up of commandments, holidays and customs, but also of this type of memory.” Rochel Sylvetsky, israelnationalnews.com, 31/12/17. For a very brief taste of some of the horrors that have happened throughout history, see this concise chart: http://www.hearnow.org/caljp.html . For a more thorough understanding of the attitude of the church fathers towards the Jews, see this article: https://oneforisrael.org/bible-based-teaching-from-israel/has-the-church-replaced-israel/
Near the top of that list in 135AD, we learn that the Roman Emperor Hadrian proclaimed his edict against all Jews, including Messianic believers. They were forbidden to practice circumcision, the reading of the Law, eating of unleavened bread at Passover or any Jewish festival. Violating this edict meant the death penalty.
The actions of the Council of Nicaea are a continuation of the division of Israel following the idolatry of King Solomon. They divorced the church from anything Jewish.
[If you are not familiar with the separation of the two houses of Israel, you can read Larry’s series of articles here: Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3. In the previous paragraph, he intentionally used the phrase “divorced itself from anything Jewish.”]
Those of us growing up in the Christian churches have suffered the effects of that divorce for more than 1600 years – longer than the time between the exodus from Egypt and the first advent of the Messiah.
The author of our source for today’s Reclaiming Your Legacy show (Larry) quoted a profoundly pertinent observation from the book The Bridge: Crossing Over Into the Fullness of Covenant Life by Tyler Dawn Rosenquist. Listen to what she describes, that I too had never heard before.
To me, knowing the history of the fourth century CE – that Rome forcibly legislated the removal of Christians out of the synagogues and Torah keepers out of the assemblies of Messiah – Christians celebrating Christmas and Easter seem very much like children celebrating the consequences of having a broken home. Without the Christians, the Jews lost their Messiah and without the Jews, the Christians lost their inheritance. It’s like a child celebrating the absence of a parent who wasn’t even a bad parent. Christmas and Easter happened because of a broken home, and that grieves me – it doesn’t make me want to celebrate. At one point all believers in Yeshua were called Nazarene Jews, for hundreds of years – Rome robbed us of a stable home life.
The Apostle Peter, after healing the lame man in Jerusalem soon after the first New Testament “Day of Pentecost,” charged his listeners to repent. Then he said that “Jesus, the Christ” is “appointed for you, whom heaven must receive until the period of “restoration of all things” (Acts 3:21).
It seems that a measure of that restoration is taking place in our day. The followers of Yeshua (Jesus) are returning to “the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints” (Jude 3). There was no Easter when those words were penned. The disciples observed the appointed times of God, established in His Torah (as the Moedim), that you can read about in Leviticus chapter 23.
As we get back to honoring this today, the man-made/church-made holidays that replaced God’s “appointed times” (Moedim or ‘seasons’) become less and less significant, sometimes even repulsive. For some, the transition is quick and easy. For others, it may be more difficult and take a little longer. The Holy Spirit will deal with those who are seeking truth, and it is not necessary for us to “help” in ways that too often come across as harsh or condemning.
This year, 2024, Passover on the Jewish calendar happens three weeks after the Christian Easter. Why? Because historically the Christian church has rejected the Hebraic roots of the faith. We do not advocate for the correctness of either date; I am only pointing out that this year the Gospel story reflected in these celebrations is out of order. It will happen again in 2027, then not again until 2035. This year, questions will be raised, and we need to have answers – answers that draw us and those we talk with into a deeper walk, a deeper obedience, and a deeper relationship with the Messiah. It’s time to end the division and seek restoration and reconciliation.
Another big confusion that resulted from the dictates of Roman church bishops in the fourth century is about the introduction of “Good Friday.”
It’s natural to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection, but the idea of a Friday crucifixion is a major incorrect tradition that was established by the Roman institutional church.
Most of us in modern church traditions have been unknowingly influenced by much lack of knowledge of historical and cultural backgrounds. It’s unfortunate that many well-meaning evangelicals take such hard positions without being Bereans to “test all things” and realize we all suffer from a “lack of knowledge” in many areas. Our opinions must not be presented as ‘dogmas’ when careful diligence in research exposes glaring inconsistencies that can make our positions embarrassing. Jesus meant exactly what He said in Matthew 12:40. Three days and three nights can never mean only one full day and two nights.
JEWS AND GENTILES DRAW TOGETHER IN YESHUA
We live in exciting days. The last century has seen some colossal steps forward in healing the terrible rift between Jews and Gentiles. Christian ministries to Jews report that more Jewish people have come to believe in Yeshua as Messiah in the last 19 years than in the previous 19 centuries combined! Remarkably, many Gentile believers are now taking more interest in the Jewish foundations of their faith. Many churches now hold Passover seders, explaining more about the Biblical Feast of Unleavened Bread, beginning with Passover, and ending with the feast of First Fruits. There has been much more appreciation of the people of ethnic and religious Israel since the Bible became widely translated and published in the last few centuries.
We are destined to become “One New Man” in Messiah, and this is a destiny at which God will make absolutely sure that we arrive. His Son, Yeshua, will have only one bride, not two! It’s important to remember what Yeshua’s death and resurrection actually accomplished and meant. As Paul urges us in his letter to the gentile church in Colossae… (Colossians 2:14-17)…
“When you were dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive, together with Him, when He pardoned us all our transgressions. He wiped out the handwritten record of debts with the decrees against us, which was hostile to us. He took it away by nailing it to the cross. After disarming the principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in the cross.
Therefore, do not let anyone pass judgment on you in matters of food or drink, or in respect to a festival or new moon or Shabbat. These are a foreshadowing of things to come, but the reality is Messiah.”
Colossians 2:14-17
See the Reclaiming Your Legacy episode, “Since Christ is Our Passover why do Christians celebrate Easter?” at https://reclaimyourlegacy.com/2024/03/30/since-christ-is-our-passover-why-do-christians-celebrate-easter/. There are some long held secrets, waiting to be discovered in what is shared in that broadcast. Listen closely because we’re exploring several “caverns” of Bible History that most of our Christian peers have never heard before in their lives.
Some thoughts on “Why Does Easter Come Before Passover?”
The Rabbinic Jewish calendar has a slight solar drift that causes it, in 3 years out of every 19, to set Unleavened Bread at the second full moon after the equinox. This year, 2024, is one of those years. Meanwhile the Gregorian lunar calendar sets Eastertide to the first full moon after the equinox where, according to Josephus, Passover was celebrated in the 1st century.
Eastern Orthodox Christian’s Pascha is always after Passover. It is part of the formula and the use of the Julian Calendar.
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