The Lamb of God

“I saw in the midst of the throne … a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain” (Revelation 5:6).

— Jim Parkinson

The first Passover Lamb delivered Israel’s firstborn from death who were under the protection of its blood, and eventually all of Israel. Subsequent Passovers have been annual memorials of that first Passover, to remember the deliverance of all Israel (as well as a mixed multitude).

The Passover Lamb in Egypt was a type (an allegory) of Jesus Christ, who did “taste of death for every man.” Each year since then we gather to remember his sacrifice: “This do in remembrance of me” (Exodus 12:1-6, Exodus 12:14, Deuteronomy 16:1-6, Hebrews 2:9, Romans 5:18-19, Luke 22:19, 1 Corinthians 11:24-25).

Exodus and the Divine Plan

The Exodus holds a greater meaning for today’s reader. Psalms recalls the plagues in Egypt and God’s deliverance through the sea (Psalms 105:26-37, 136:10-15). Revelation 11:6 prophesies that the first Egyptian plague — the waters turned to blood — pictured an event long after the Exodus from Egypt. Chapters 15-16 place the antitypical seven last plagues following the opening of the Temple which was the beginning of the resurrection of the saints after Christ’s return.

The Apostle Paul described Moses’ leading Israel across the sea as a baptism of the people “unto Moses.” He then declares that it was a type (allegory, example, figure) of things to come. “They were written for our admonition upon whom the ends [completion] of the ages are come” (1 Corinthians 10:1-2, 11 ASV).

In brief, Moses coming to Egypt pictures Jesus and his First Advent. Egypt pictures this present evil world, while the ten plagues begin with Jesus’ First Advent and end during his Second Advent. The slaying of the Passover Lamb corresponds to the sacrifice of the true Lamb of God, Jesus Christ. The deliverance of Israel’s firstborn signifies the deliverance of the church of the firstborn during Christ’s Second Advent, while the death of the Egyptian firstborn corresponds to the mutual destruction of the rulers at the end of this age. The seven-day Feast of Passover begins in reality with the deliverance of the world by resurrection in the thousand-year Kingdom of Christ. (Summarized in “Studies in the Scriptures,” Volume 6, The New Creation, the first three pages of Study 11, “The Passover of the New Creation.”) The ten plagues are in two groups: The first three are administered only by Aaron and fall on both Egyptians and Israelites. Moses administers the last seven, and Jehovah puts a division between His people and Pharaoh’s people. The ten plagues span the Gospel Age. When Moses takes the dominant role during the seven last plagues, he typifies Christ at his return taking the dominant role against the evils of this present evil world.¹ At the same time, Jehovah God separates His people by calling His people out of Babylon, “Come forth, my people, out of her, that ye have no fellowship with her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues” (Revelation 18:1-4).

(1) Forty years later, Joshua marched the priests around Jericho seven days, and seven times on the last day. The Gospel age is often shown divided into seven periods of time (“the last days”), while the seven times on the last day implies that the seven last plagues A Passover Lamb span “the last day” of the Gospel Age — its harvest.

What might the first three plagues typify? Each should represent something between Christ’s First and Second Advents, something that should hurt the worldly order, and yet not free faithful Christians from persecution. This writer suggests the first three plagues were the fall of the Roman Empire, the Reformation, and the French Revolution.

After Israel was delivered from Egyptian bondage, they observed the seven-day Feast of Unleavened Bread which was divided into three parts. (1) For the first three days, Moses took Israel to the edge of the wilderness (desert) and to the edge of the Sea. (2) On the fourth day Pharaoh and his military hosts again threatened Israel, but Moses (by God’s instruction) parted the Sea for Israel to cross safely. Pharaoh and his hosts tried crossing but were bogged down and destroyed (Exodus 14:1-28). (3) Israel then journeyed three days in the wilderness to fulfil its original mission and sacrifice unto Jehovah their God (Exodus 7:2, 16, 8:20, 27).

For the first three days of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, Israel was no longer under the influence of Pharaoh and the leaven of corruption. This may typify the thousand-year kingdom of Christ. The encounter with Pharaoh and his hosts typifies Satan being loosed for a little season — a short time — for one last attempt to destroy God’s people. But Satan and his army are finally destroyed in Second Death (Revelation 20:7-10). The last three days of the Feast then typify the perfect ages of eternity — the ages of the ages (commonly translated “for ever and ever”), when the whole perfected world will serve Jehovah God forever.

Thus, the Passover Lamb and the following Feast of Unleavened Bread show us that the Divine Plan of the Ages will bring the world of mankind into harmony with God forever.

Exodus Focuses on the Passover Lamb The Biblical account of the tenth and last plague is given in more detail than any of the other plagues (Exodus 11-12). Its Passover lamb was to be a male without blemish. Jesus is “the Lamb of God” (John 1:29, Revelation 5:5-6), “holy, guileless, undefiled, separated from sinners” (Hebrews 7:26 ASV). It is the sacrifice of our Passover Lamb that is to deliver not only the faithful church from death, but also the whole world.

The lamb was to be roasted: “Eat not of it raw, nor boiled at all with water but roast with fire.” Jesus did not shrink from a full sacrifice of his life, either during his ministry nor at the cross. Eating the Passover Lamb was to be accompanied by “unleavened bread” and “bitter herbs” (Exodus 12:8). The fully consecrated Christian must appropriate only uncorrupted teachings. These come from the Bible which is the word of God. It describes the voluntary sacrifice of Jesus Christ as “a ransom for all,” by which he did taste of death for every man.” By him “God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and death shall be no more” (1 Timothy 2:6, Hebrews 2:9, Revelation 21:3-4).

“With bitter herbs they shall eat it” (Exodus 12:8). Jesus said, “Remember … that I said unto you, A servant is not greater than his lord. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you” (John 15:20). We are not to shrink from bitter experiences we encounter if they result from faithfully following our Lord’s example.

A Memorial of the Passover Lamb

In type, or symbolically, the Passover Lamb was the focal point for the deliverance of all Israel from slavery. This day of sacrifice and deliverance was never to be forgotten. “This day shall be unto you for a memorial, and ye shall keep it a feast to Jehovah: throughout your generations ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever” (Exodus 12:14 ASV). These observances were not to be a repeat of the Exodus but annual reminders of the Lord’s deliverance from bondage.

Slaying Israel’s Passover Lamb typified the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, our Passover Lamb. His sacrifice will deliver the entire world from bondage to sin and death. Similarly, our annual Memorial observances are not a repeat of Christ’s sacrifice but are reminders of Christ’s sacrifice “once for all” (Hebrews 7:27). “As through one trespass condemnation cometh unto all men; even so through one act of righteousness justification of life cometh unto all men. For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the one shall the many be made righteous” (Romans 5:18-19 RVIC). “This do in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19).

The Passover Day at the Exodus

Few, if any, difficulties with Scripture are encountered if — At the time of the Exodus, Nisan 14 began at sunrise. The Passover lamb was slain, roasted, and eaten, all during twilight, “between the two evenings” (Exodus 12:6, Numbers 9:3, 5, 11, Deuteronomy 16:6). Israelites were not to leave their houses until morning (Exodus 15:22). They were to be ready to leave at daybreak, at the urgent demand of Pharaoh and other Egyptians (Exodus 12:11, 30-33), which after sunrise was on Nisan 15 (Numbers 33:2). The prohibition against leaven began with the slaying and eating of the Passover lamb and bread, at sunset on the 14th (mid-14th), and continued throughout the daytime of the 15th through the 20th and ended at sunset (mid-20th); this was the seven-day Feast of Unleavened Bread (Exodus 12:18).

This explanation depends on the assumption that in Egypt (and for at least a year later) the day was reckoned as beginning at sunrise. There is support for this in Scripture (Genesis 19:34, where “yesternight” is distinguished from “the morrow;” even in Matthew 28:1 KJV and ASV, Mark 11:11-12, Acts 4:3, Leviticus 23:32), and in archaeology (Richard A. Parker, “The Calendars of Ancient Egypt,” Studies in Ancient Oriental Civilization 26, 1950, page 10).

That “between the two evenings” means a period after sunset is shown first by Exodus 16:12-13, where migratory quail ascend from the Sea to the heights of Sinai as darkness begins to set in, “at even,” and Israel then eats them “between the two evenings.” That it is not from one evening to the next, but only a few hours at most, is shown in Exodus 30:7-8, where the Tabernacle lamps in the Holy were to be trimmed in the morning and lit “between the two evenings,” that is, when it is becoming dark, so that their light is needed. In later times there was a change in location for observing the Passover (by command, Deuteronomy 16:6). There may have been changes in the hours also (more likely for practical reasons).