Passover's meaning in Leviticus 23:5?
What is the significance of the Passover as described in Leviticus 23:5?

Verse at a Glance

Leviticus 23:5: “In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight is the LORD’s Passover.”


Original Setting: Israel’s Foundational Redemption

• Points back to Exodus 12, where God spared Israel’s firstborn through the blood of a lamb while judging Egypt’s gods (Exodus 12:12–13).

• Marks the exact calendar day—14 Nisan—as a perpetual memorial; the date is fixed, not symbolic.

• Occurs “at twilight,” the same time the original lambs were slain, underscoring precise, literal obedience.

• Anchors Israel’s national identity in a historical, once-for-all act of divine deliverance.


Core Theological Themes Highlighted in Leviticus 23:5

• Redemption by Substitution – a flawless lamb dies in the place of the firstborn (Exodus 12:5, 13).

• Covenant Ownership – it is “the LORD’s Passover,” stressing God’s initiative and possession of His people (Deuteronomy 7:6).

• Judgment and Mercy – God’s wrath passes over houses marked by blood, revealing both His justice and His grace (Romans 3:25–26).

• Memorial of Faithfulness – annual observance keeps each generation mindful that deliverance came from the unchanging, faithful God (Psalm 105:8).


Prophetic Foreshadowing: Passover and the Messiah

• Jesus is explicitly called “the Lamb of God” (John 1:29) and “our Passover Lamb” (1 Corinthians 5:7).

• He was crucified on 14 Nisan, the very day and hour Passover lambs were slain (Mark 15:34, John 19:14).

• His blood secures a greater deliverance—from sin and death, not merely Egypt (Hebrews 9:11–14).

• The Last Supper was a Passover meal where Jesus instituted the new covenant in His blood (Luke 22:15–20).

• Revelation pictures worship of “the Lamb who was slain,” showing the Passover theme extends into eternity (Revelation 5:12).


Practical Implications for Believers Today

• Remember: Regular participation in the Lord’s Supper keeps the once-for-all sacrifice before our eyes (1 Corinthians 11:23–26).

• Rejoice: Assurance rests on Christ’s finished work, just as Israel rested under the lamb’s blood.

• Remove Leaven: Paul links Passover to cleansing out sin’s “leaven” from daily life (1 Corinthians 5:7–8).

• Retell: Share the story of redemption—literal, historical, and powerful—with the next generation (Exodus 12:24–27).

• Revere: Worship the God who keeps His calendar, fulfills His promises, and secures His people forever.


Closing Summary

Leviticus 23:5 captures the heartbeat of redemption: a specific day, a spotless lamb, divine judgment satisfied, and a people set free. That ancient twilight foreshadows the cross where the true Passover Lamb was slain, anchoring faith in God’s precise, faithful, and literal fulfillment of His Word.

What is the meaning of Leviticus 23:5?
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