Welcome to the Head of Months, Nissan 5781. Please enjoy this excerpt from The Quest of the Overcomer by Beth Auman and JoBeth Kested.
Nissan (Abib or Aviv) begins on March 14th, 5781on the night before in the Jewish custom, through April 12th and is the month known as the First of Months. Though Nissan is the beginning of months, the new civic calendar year does not begin until September, in the month of Tishrei, during the Fall Feast of Rosh Hashanah, known as the Head of the Year (Exodus 34:22; Leviticus 25:9-10).
“Now the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, “This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you.” Exodus 12:1-2
What is the fruit from the Tree of Life that the Lord is offering to us in this month of Nissan? (Revelation 22:2a)
Clue – Praise!
The tribe of Judah is linked with the month of Nissan and means praise. Judah’s mother, Leah, declared at his birth, “This time I will praise the Lord.” (Genesis 29:35) It is significant that Judah is aligned with Nissan because Judah, the tribe of praise, was also designated by God to lead first in battle. (Judges 1:2; 20:18) And they defeated their enemies!
“…Jehoshaphat stood and said, “Hear me, O Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem: Believe in the LORD your God, and you shall be established; believe His prophets, and you shall prosper.” And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the LORD, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying: “Praise the LORD, For His mercy endures forever.” II Chronicles 20:20b-21
The letter “Hei”, from the Hebrew alphabet, is also associated with the month of Nissan; which is a picture of wind, breath and praise.
Clue – We get the term Jew from the Hebraic word Yehudah, for Judah.
Because we have received our salvation from sin through the sacrifice of Jesus, the Lamb who takes away the sins of the world, we are grafted into the promises of Israel (Romans 11:17-19). Therefore, we too, are Yehudi’s! We are also those called to raise our hands to “Praise the LORD” in triumph with victory over our enemies in battle! We are Yehudi’s, therefore, this scripture definitely applies to each of us, too!
“Then they returned, every man of Judah and Jerusalem, with Jehoshaphat in front of them, to go back to Jerusalem with joy, for the LORD had made them rejoice over their enemies.”
II Chronicles 20:27
There are three important Appointed Times of celebrations in the month of Nissan:
Rosh Codesh – the First Fruit Celebration marking our covenant with God and seeking Him first. This is a monthly celebration at the beginning of every month.
Feast of Unleavened Bread – Seven days of eating unleavened bread because God directed remembrance of the Israelites having to flee Egypt in haste with no time for their bread to rise. In Orthodox homes, it requires deep cleaning to remove all yeast, symbolic of sin, from their lives.
Passover – The Celebration of Moses and the Israelites moving out of the land of Egypt and deliverance from Pharaoh, their cruel task master that held them in harsh slavery. God gave instruction to apply the blood of the Lamb over the door post and the spirit of death Passed Over them. They experienced God’s deliverance from all of the plagues of Egypt and they Passed Over through the Red Sea into freedom as they saw the destruction of their enemies.
What can we Christians learn from Passover?
Clue – The Lamb Who takes away the sins of the world.
“Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1:29
“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain To receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!” Revelation 5:12
Let’s focus on the significance of Passover in our Journey of the Overcomers. In the Feast of Passover we find so many types and shadows of Yeshua Hamashia, Jesus the Messiah, our salvation and deliverer. The innocent sacrificial Lamb, whose blood was applied on the doorpost of each family’s home; at the head, each side of the upper lintels and feet, symbolic of Jesus nailed to the cross. The partaking of the unleavened bread and wine, symbolic of the sinless, broken body and shed blood of Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins. The cloud of death that passed over the Israelites houses with the blood of the Lamb on the door posts, whereas the firstborn in every house in Egypt died; symbolizing our deliverance from death to eternal life. Passing through the parted waters of the Red Sea to freedom from slavery; symbolizing the waters of baptism where we experience the washing away of our sins to a resurrected life in Jesus and entering freedom from the slavery of our sins. The Lord’s destruction of all their enemies in the Red Sea; which is a significant illustration for our understanding of the power of the blood of Jesus to destroy all of our enemies! Oh, what joyous praise be unto to Jesus; our Passover Lamb!
“Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the LORD, and spoke, saying: “I will sing to the LORD, for He has triumphed gloriously! The horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea! The LORD is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation; He is my God, and I will praise Him; my father’s God, and I will exalt Him.” Exodus 15:1-2
How are we to apply this revelation of the Celebration of Passover under the Blood Covenant of Jesus Christ?
Clue – It is not a matter of Religion – it is a matter of Relationship.
By seeking and submitting our lives unto the LORD each month and asking Him to teach us, we will discover how to partake of the Fruit of His Spirit from the Tree of Life. With His Wisdom and Understanding, He will lead each of us into His Truth. We encourage you to read Exodus and listen to it if you have an audible version. Ask the Lord Questions; trusting the Holy Spirit to give you insights and revelation as you read or hear it.
“So this day shall be to you a memorial; and you shall keep it as a feast to the Lord throughout your generations. You shall keep it as a feast by an everlasting ordinance.” Exodus 12:14
An additional significant note for Messianic believers in Yeshua, is that the Constellation of Aries – the ram (lamb) is associated with the month of Nissan. It is also important for us focus on the characteristics of Redemption, Repentance and Beginning of Miracles that remind us to prepare our hearts to receive the sacrifice of the Lamb of God, prophesied and fulfilled in the Passover story.