Dear Partner.
Sunday, April 20th, the Christian church around the world will celebrate Easter. The Jewish Passover will begin on Friday night when three stars are discernible because this will be the beginning of their Sabbath.
Jesus in the early evening of Passover day, was celebrating "Pasach" the Hebrew word for Passover. Later, on the Mt of Olives, he was illegally arrested and tortured. The next morning, the Sabbath day, he was illegally judged and illegally crucified.
The day after Passover, God in the personages of Jesus, the Father and the Holy Spirit, each separately and yet collectively as the One God raised him from the dead. When he rose, he also raised some who have previously died and they walked through the city. This was symbolic of Jesus fulfilling the 3rd Feast of Passover which was the Feast of Firstfruits.
The Jewish Pasach always began on the first full moon of spring. This event triggers the other two feasts, which are Pentecost and the Feast of Tabernacles. The Jews needed no calendar as to when they were to celebrate Passover. They could just look at the heavens.
In 325 AD, Roman Emperor Constantine at the council of Nicea decreed that Easter would always be on Sunday. It was named Easter after the Roman goddess Estra. She was the Roman goddess of spring and fertility. So through the decades, infiltrated the egg, the bunny and the chocolate eggs.
We, of Rapha, have no political desire to attack customs. There are too many errors already in the Christian Church. We can serve God with our knowledge, faith and practices. Rapha acclaims that the Jewish Passover is not to be celebrated only on Sunday, though this was the first day of the week following the Sabbath to the Jews.
We always are reminded that the Feast of Pentecost and the Feast of Tabernacle as they apply to the Church today and the Feast of Pentecost is already available. The Feast of Tabernacle will shortly come to pass. We are waiting and remaining vigilant.
Feel free to celebrate on Sunday with the Church should you desire. Otherwise, in our spirit, we can hallow the actual Jewish day of Passover and revel in what it meant to the world. The promised Messiah had in fact come.
Enjoy God's blessings and relevance.
Dr. Lee