As we approach the season of Pesach (Passover) and the Easter Season, I am reminded of a mystery I wrote about in my book, "The Vindicator Scrolls." On pages 210-211 of this book, I discussed a little known mystery about the ancient Pesach seder (ritual) which could presage the event called by modern Christians, "The Rapture." The mystery is that the ritual may signify Christians will be be-headed before they are harvested or that it may signify they are to be harvested from the field (the Earth) by after having been separated (cut off) from the rest of humanity into small groups.

"We also found the feast of Pesach (Jewish Passover) had a significant relationship to the Rapture of the Church (the "Bride," in mystical symbolism). Pesach occurs between the 15th day of Nisan and the 22nd day of Nisan (a 7 or 8 day period usually in late April to early May). For the year Gregorian 2004 (Hebrew year 5765) the days of Pesach are April 6-13 ). Traditionally, it is celebrated in remembrance of two events.

"The first event is the Passing Over of the angel of death; during the plague of the first-born in Egypt, and the sparing of the first-born in the houses of the children of Israel. The second event is that of celebrating the start of the barley harvest which may seem insignificant but, in reality, is most important.

"The first event reveals that the children of Israel were spared because they were in houses whose lintels were sprinkled (or covered with) with the blood of a sacrificial lamb. The similarity with the Christian teaching of Christ's being the Passover Lamb whose blood was shed for all our sins that we might be passed over on the day of judgement of this sinful world is too clear to miss. In fact, the mystical symbolism in the Christian teachings say the "forgiven of God are covered or protected by the blood of Jesus (Yeshua) the Christ (HaMesshiah)" so that, when the angel of death visits Earth to kill the sinful, he will pass over the "Israelites" (bith branches) of this age.

"The second event reveals the beginning of the harvest of the barley as a significant time. Barley, a wild species of grain, originated in the highlands of Ethiopia (the original Eden) and was later found in the Galilee region where it was cultivated by the Israelites. Barley flour plays a major role in the Pesach festival. According to Unger¹,

'On the 14th Nisan delegates from the Sanhedrin had marked out the spot whence the first sheaf was to be cut, by tying together in bundles the barley to be reaped, while it was still standing. When the time came for cutting the sheaf (i.e. the evening of the 15th Nisan, even though it was a Sabbath), just as the Sun went down, three men, each with a sickle and basket set formally to work. In order to bring out all that was distinctive in the ceremony, they first asked three times of the bystanders each of the following questions:

'Has the Sun gone down?'

'With this sickle?'

'Into this basket?'

'On this Sabbath?' and, lastly,

'Shall I cut??'

Having each time been answered in the affirmative, they cut down the barley to the amount of one ephah (nearly three and a half pecks). The ears were brought into the court of the temple and threshed out with canes or stalks, so that the grains might not be crushed. The grain was then 'parched' on a pan perforated with holes, so that each grain might be touched by the fire, and finally exposed to the wind. It was then ground and sifted to the requisite fineness, which was ascertained by one of the 'Gizbarim' (treasurers) plunging his hand into it.....'

"Barley was the bread flour of the Israelites, Greeks and Romans. It was the grain of the poor and was of great value to them. It was a wild grain which was tamed and brought into prominence in the House of Israel. Reflecting on this festive rite, causes one to see a parallel with Unger's statement. The Christian Church will soon be set aside in small groups apart from the rest of the harvest and as the Sun goes down and the oil lamps are lit, the harvest will begin; or, symbolically, when the darkness comes, the Rapture will occur. The sickle will cut the tops of the sheaves, symbolizing the spirit and soul will be separated from the body [one way or another]. Each grain will be important to the harvest; and will be individually refined and separated from its chaff, symbolizing the Christian will be elevated to a status greater than the Gentile by being refined in the fires of purification as well as being separated by the Spirit (the 'wind') into the fine and worthless portions. The fine portions will be made into an unleavened bread by God, who will then mould the dough (the Church) into a new thing of great value. And so ends this discussion on the approaching Rapture of "the Bride of the Christ." The "Bride;" is also known by the names of "the Church, the Body of Christ" and the "Firstfruits of the Harvest." Let these words speak for themselves. AMEN!

-Stan Deyo 1989.

¹ ....Merrill F. Unger, Ph.D., "Unger's Bible Dictionary," 1978, Moody Press, Chicago, Illinois, USA  60610, pp.354-356.