Halleluiah, to the Lamb of God!

Covenant making God
Our God is a covenantal God. He always works within a covenant. However, we see that while the OT covenants were between God and man, in the NT God establishes a covenant with Himself (between God the Father and Jesus the second person in the trinity).


The old covenant under Moses was between God and His people (Israel) in which God makes certain promises and requires certain behavior i.e., their commitment to worship him alone, from them in return. The entire OT testifies to God keeping his part of the covenant while the Israelites time and again violate the terms of the covenant. The need for a new and superior covenant becomes apparent even to the dull minds of man. Thus God promises through his prophet to form a new covenant with them (Jeremiah 31.31- 34).

The new covenant was cut between God the Father and His son Jesus. In order to keep up his part of the covenantal agreement, Jesus had to remain pure and sinless. Only then could God place the sins of all mankind (past, present and future) on Jesus. Having made sin, Jesus had to die (suffer the punishment for sin). Then and only then could a just and holy God, accept Jesus’ sacrifice as full payment for our sins

OT Passover
Exodus 12 - Passover established.
Verse 3: on the tenth day of the month the man is to take a lamb for his family.
Verse 6: take care of them (lambs) till the fourteenth, and slaughter the lamb at twilight.


For four days the lambs had to be observed, taken care of. The lambs had to be without any blemish and without any physical defects. Only lambs that passed inspection were sacrificed.


Later when temple worship was established in Jerusalem, people would bring in their sacrificial lambs and the priests would examine and declare them without blemish and then the lambs will be sacrificed on Passover day.


NT fulfillment of PassoverRead
Luke 19. 28-44 and Matthew 21, 22
Jesus, the Passover Lamb of God too had to go through the observation period for blemishes and defects. We read in Luke 19. 28- 44 that Jesus entered the city of Jerusalem a few days before his crucifixion and was examined by a number of people and declared free of blemish!

Luke 19.47 “Everyday Jesus was teaching at the temple…” Here we see that Jesus made himself available for inspection prior to his crucifixion.

A. Jesus examined by religious people:

1. Herodians questioned Jesus and were amazed and had nothing further to say (Matthew 22.15-22)
2. Sadducees questioned Jesus and could not prove him wrong (Matthew 22.23-33)
3. Experts of the law (lawyers) tested Jesus and were put to shame. (Matthew 22. 34-40)
4. Pharisees too examined Jesus and dared not question Him further. (Matthew 22. 41-46)

B. Jesus examined by civil authorities:

Luke 23 Pilate and Herod examined Jesus and found him blameless.

John 18. 29-30 Pilate asks Jesus’ accusers, “What charges are you bringing against this man (Jesus)?” Strangely they answer, “If he was not a criminal we would not have handed him over to you”. (Talk about being obtuse!)

John 18. 38; 19.4&6

1. Pilate said, “I find no basis for a charge against him”.
2. Once more Pilate came out and said to the Jews, “Look, I am bringing him out to you to let you know that I find no basis for a charge against him.”
3. But Pilate answered, “You take him and crucify him. As for me, I find no basis for a charge against him.”

Pontus Pilate declared Jesus blameless, 3 times!! Without realizing the significance Pilate declared Jesus worthy to die as God’s Passover Lamb.

The Lamb of God was examined by both religious and civil authorities and none could find fault with Him. Meanwhile, at the temple the priests were examining and declaring the lambs worthy of Passover sacrifice.

Passover historically is the remembrance of Israel’s deliverance from Egypt’s bondage but was prophetically fulfilled by Jesus when he died on the cross and delivered mankind free from Sin’s bondage!

Passover for Israelites
Exodus 12.7 “Then they are to take some of the blood and put it on the sides and tops of the doorframes of the houses where they eat the lambs. Verse 13, “The blood will be a sign for you on the houses where you are; and when I see the blood, I will pass over you. No destructive plague will touch you when I strike Egypt.

(Prophetically: The blood on the top dripping down formed a vertical line and if you connect the blood on the sides of the doorframes it formed a Cross. This pointed prophetically to the coming messiah who would die on a cross.)

And you shall take a bunch of hyssop, dip [it] in the blood that [is] in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that [is] in the basin. And none of you shall go out of the door of his house until morning.

For the LORD will pass through to strike the Egyptians; and when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, the LORD will pass over the door and not allow the destroyer to come into your houses to strike [you]. (Exodus 12.22-23 nkjv)

Notice the scripture says that when He sees the blood, ‘the LORD will pass over the door…’(verse 23) Passover for Israelites mean ‘God placed Himself over the Israelite home as a covering, protection from the destroying angel He had send among the Egyptians’. (Note: He did not skip over or bypass the Israelite home; He Himself was their covering, shield and rampart from the destroying plague.)

Significance of Passover for NT believers
Psalms 91 speaks of the protection we have when the blood of the Passover Lamb is applied over our hearts.
“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty…
Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler [And] from the perilous pestilence.
He shall cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you shall take refuge;”

Satan the destroyer (Rev 9.2,11) cannot touch anyone who accepts the shed blood of the Lamb and hides behind the cross of Calvary. For the blood brings in the presence of God and renders the destroyer powerless over the person/house under God’s covering. 1 John 3.8 – For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil.

Hebrews 2.14 reminds us that, “Jesus …rendered powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil.” Christ Jesus, our Passover Lamb, standing over your life shields you from satan’s eyes and renders him powerless over you.

Experience Your Personal Passover
Just as Passover is celebrated in the first month of Abib, our personal experience of Passover must come at the very beginning of establishing a relationship with God. We must invite Christ to come and place Himself over us. Then Jesus Christ will become our personal covering prepared by our Heavenly Father (shades of Eden), for all who would be right with God. Jesus is the garment of Righteousness that passes over our head as we put on Christ.

Having received Christ as our personal Passover Lamb, we are secure for, ‘No curse can touch [us]; no magic has any power against [us]. (Numbers 23.23)

Passover Privilege Card
Under the Old or Mosaic Covenant, sins could never really be forgotten, because they were never really forgiven. They were only covered, a shadow and anticipation of the forgiveness in Jesus. (For further reading what happens to our souls when we die) For those who belong to His dear Son, whether they believed under the Old Covenant (e.g. Abraham, David etc. Read hall of faith – Hebrews 11) or New Covenant, God forgets every sin!

As foretold by the Lord to Abraham, Israel suffered 400 years of slavery under the satanic rule of the Pharaohs. (The ruling power of Egypt was satan as symbolized by the crown with a cobra at its front worn by the Pharaohs.) At the end of that time, God made specific provision to save his people the Israelites by Passing Over them and being their cover/shield. It was a new beginning for the Israelites.

Sins forgotten and forgiven Under the New Covenant, believers too enter into a new beginning. 2 Cor 5.17 “therefore if anyone be in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things are passed away. Behold, all things are become new”. In Christ our sins are forgotten and forgiven. We are part of a new family, with a new genealogy, under a new covenant, and with a better deliverer than Moses – Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Moses saved Israelites from slavery and its bondage. Jesus saves us from sin and its penalty.

Household Salvation Another privilege of Passover is household salvation. Exodus 12.3: “ on the tenth day of the month the man is to take a lamb for his family”. Household salvation is a biblical concept. Not only can you enjoy salvation; but by acts of faith and obedience you can bring salvation to your whole household.

Jesus said to Zacchaeus, the tax collector, “this day is salvation come to this house” Luke 19.9 Zacchaeus had just paid restitution for his past sins – an act of faith and obedience vs 8

The Philippian jailer was told by Paul and Silas, “believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household… then immediately he and all his family were baptized -Acts 16.31 The jailer’s acts of faith and obedience - caring for the wounded and hungry apostles of Jesus despite the dangers to himself.

Remember it was a lamb for a house… Jesus the Lamb of God has already been slaughtered. Now it is time to appropriate the salvation of your household through acts of faith and obedience.
Halleluiah, to the Lamb of God!

What happens to Christians when they die?

The spirit of Jesus is the Spirit of comfort and encouragement that says ‘be not afraid’. In fact there are 365 ‘fear not’ statements in the Bible – one for each day of the calendar. Any theological theory that inspires fear or apprehension did not originate from Christ Jesus.

I believe that it is scriptural to say that the soul of every born-again Christian goes immediately to be with Christ in heaven. Come with me on a short journey through the scriptures.

Souls of OT Saints
Let's start with what the Israelite Jews believed. They believed that when a person died they went to a holding place. The righteous went to a place of comfort and the wicked to a place of torment.

Obviously the Old Testament saints Moses and Elijah were not asleep awaiting the resurrection for we see these two men with Jesus on the mount of transfiguration Matthew 17:1-3.

Lazarus and the rich man: In Luke 16:19-31 Jesus told a story about Lazarus (beggar) and the rich man. Both Lazarus and the rich man died. While Lazarus was carried to Abraham's side (a place of comfort and joy) Jesus just said, ‘the rich man was buried’.

Jesus went on to explain that the rich man looked up from torment in hell (vs 23 Greek- hades) and saw Lazarus with the patriarch Abraham. (The rich man begged Lazarus give him a drop of water to lighten his intense thirst. Abraham then informed him that there is a permanently unbridgeable gulf between the two places. )

Jesus on the Cross: Now let's fast-forward to another time. Jesus is hanging on the cross and on either side are two thieves. One asked Jesus to remember him when Jesus came to His Kingdom. Observe closely what Jesus tells the thief, (Luke 23:43) "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."

Ephesians 4 tells us that when Jesus died he ‘first of all descended into the lower parts of the earth’. (The thief was promised he would be with Jesus in paradise so both of them were in paradise - the lower parts of the earth).

Now in Ephesians 4:7-12 we have a prophecy concerning Jesus Christ quoted (Psalms 68.18) by Paul. "Thou hast ascended on high, Thou hast led captivity captive. Thou hast received gifts for men, yea, for the rebellious also that the Lord God may dwell among them." Paul continues, "He who has ascended is the same one who first of all descended into the lower parts of the earth. And when He ascended, He led the captivity captive and gave gifts unto men. And to some apostles, and to some prophets, and to some evangelists, and to some pastor teachers, for the perfecting of the saints for the work of the ministry for the building up of the body of Christ. Until we all come into the unity of faith, complete man, the knowledge of the Son of God, the measure, the stature, the fullness, the image of Christ."

Captives of Death
Prior to the death of Jesus Christ, the Old Testament saints could not enter in to the glory of heaven. It was necessary that their sins be put away, something that the sacrifices of the Old Testament could not do. It was impossible that their sins could be put away by the blood of bulls or goats. All of the Old Testament sacrifices only were pointing to the better way that God would provide when He sent His only begotten Son to be a lamb offering, sin offering, a sacrifice for our sins. "So we are redeemed, not with corruptible things such as silver and gold from our vain empty life, but with the precious blood of Jesus Christ who was slain as a lamb without spot or without blemish" (I Peter 1:18-19). So because the blood of bulls and goats could not put away sin but only speak of the better sacrifice which was to come, their sins were covered, and they, when they died, were held by death in the grave or in hades (Gk).

Prior to the death of Christ, those who trusted in the promises of God and in the fulfillment of God's promise were held in a place of comfort called Abraham’s bosom. Now these Old Testament men of faith all died in faith not having received the promise, but seeing it afar off they held onto it and they claimed that they were just strangers and pilgrims here. They were just looking for a city which hath foundation, whose maker and builder is God.

He led the captivity captive: In the book of Isaiah, chapter 61, the prophecy concerning Christ, says, "He is going to set at liberty those that are bound and open the prison doors to those that are bound" by death, waiting with Abraham for the promise of God. When Jesus died, He descended into the lower parts of the earth and He preached to those souls that were in prison. It was the glorious fulfillment of God's promise. The redemptive program was complete. The blood had been shed, whereby our sins are now put away once and for all. And now with their sins put away, they can ascend into the heavenly realm. So when He ascended, He led the captives from their captivity. The story of the rich man and Lazarus in Luke sixteen, the quote in Acts chapter 2 ‘thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption’ vs 27 as well as the reference in 1 Peter 3.19 aboutJesus preaching to those souls in prison and Isaiah 61 all ties in together.

gave gifts unto men: And then He gave gifts unto men. That is, within the church, He gave gifted men as apostles, as prophets, as evangelists, as pastor and teachers, for the perfecting of the saints. Paul quotes this in Ephesians 4:7-12.

Souls of NT Saints
Inspired by the Holy Spirit Paul says, (Philippians 1:21-23) “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me. Yet what shall I choose? I do not know! I am torn between the two: I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far; but it is more necessary for you that I remain in the body.”

Notice that Paul says he would rather die so he could be with Christ. That would make no sense if he had to wait until the resurrection to be with Christ.

When we come to the epistles in the NT we see the apostles using the word paradise in two different instances to refer to Heaven.

2 Corinthians 12.4 Paul tells us “How (that) he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter”. Here it is clear that Paul is talking about his experience in heaven.

Apostle John writes in Revelation 2.7 ‘…..To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God’.

Pre-Tribulation Rapture
A pre-tribulation rapture of the church is scriptural. During the rapture the alive in Christ will be changed in a split second and those who have died in Christ will be resurrected and clothed with new glorious bodies and reunited with their souls 1 Thessalonians 4.13-18.

Tribulation Martyrs
It’s different for the martyrs of the tribulation period. Revelation 6:9-11 indicates that they will have to wait until the end of the tribulation and the final resurrection to get their glorified bodies. “When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the Word of God and the testimony they had maintained. They called out in a loud voice, "How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?" Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the number of their fellow-servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed.

The above quote makes it clear that the souls of the martyrs are in heaven. They are not asleep awaiting the final resurrection. Although it does seem that their bodies are awaiting the final resurrection to receive their glorious everlasting bodies.

Heaven is where Jesus is
The point is not where the soul is but with whom. ‘I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day’ 2 Timothy 1. 12 Where Jesus is, that is heaven for you and me.