Subject: Alexandrian Allegory-The Passover.
Date: Tue, 09 Feb 1999 23:15:27 GMT
From:  (St.Athanasius)
Newsgroups: aus.religion.christian

In the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, the One God, Amen. Peace and grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit.

Dear NG'ers, This is the first in a series of allegorical commentaries taught and believed within the Oriental Orthodox Churches as to the Spiritual or Allegorical meanings for Christians of Old Testament events. You will all know the OT accounts, however, this allegorical interpretation is probably new to most of you. Please note that the spiritual meaning goes alongside (or above) the literal, it neither denies the literal event nor reduces it to mere myth, on the contrary, the literal event comes to new life through these interpretations. The Apostles were trained in this method of Old Testament exegesis, as can be seen from the writings of St Paul and St Peter.

No.1:The Jewish Passover and how it points to the Christian Eucharist.

First, I think a quick explanation of how the Jewish Passover is celebrated. In the week prior to the celebration the ladies of the house remove all leaven from the house and kitchen. This is a big cleaning and preparation for the celebration. No leaven is allowed to be in the house at all. Three slices/loaves of bread are placed under a cloth on a plate on the table. One on top of each other. They are hidden from sight. Wine is placed in a cup on the table. Bitter herbs are placed on a plate and placed on the table. A candle is placed on the table and lit by the woman/matriarch of the house. An extra seat is placed at the table and is left vacant all night, this is awaiting the prophet Elijah, who historically is to come prior to the Messiah. A Lamb's shank (leg bone) is placed on the table. Prior to the 2nd Temple's destruction the lamb would have been slaughtered, roasted and eaten. Psalms are read/sung out. The father/patriarch of the household recounts the story of the first Passover and how God protected His people in Egypt and destroyed the first born of the Egyptians, then the flight from Egypt and parting of the Red Sea, Pharoah's destruction and Israel's wanderings in the deserts of Sinai then entrance into the Holy Land. The story is usually said in a question and answer format between father and son. The bitter herbs are eaten, which brings tears to the eyes, of the three hidden loaves covered by the cloth, the middle one is taken out and shown to all present. It is unleavened, has stripes etched onto it and is perforated by holes. This is also eaten, and the wine is drunk from the chalice. To the Jewish family celebrating this deep ritual, they are not merely remembering or celebrating a memorial of the Passover, but it is as if they are actually re-participating in it on that first night back in Egypt and the stories and psalms join them spiritually to those who actually lived at that time.

This beautiful ceremony is pregnant with Christian teachings and we shall now comment on them.....

The cleaning of the house of leaven.

Leaven (yeast) is spiritually seen as sin. Thus the Jews cleaned their houses of all leaven in the week prior to the Passover. Christians likerwise, must remove the leaven from their lives when they approach the Holy Eucharist, sin must be put away, or repented of by confession. Thus they are truly spiritually prepared to meet the Paschal Lamb (Christ).

The Bitter Herbs which bring tears and remind the Jews of their captivity in Egypt.

The bitter herbs are eaten and cause the Jews to remember the pain and anguish in Egypt when they were slaves to Pharoah. Christians also bring tears to their eyes, but in their preparational confession of their sins before the Holy Eucharist. You see that Egypt and slavery are spiritually refering to when Christians were slaves of the devil and in bondage to sin. When a Christian confesses (speaks) out his sins before God, tears well up in his eyes as he remembers his captivity in Egypt (to the Devil when he was committing those sins).

The Preparation of the Lamb.

In olden days (prior to the Temple's destruction) the lambs were taken to the temple, ceremonially slaughtered and roasted, then consumed. This points to the Lamb of God who was pure and was led to the Temple and slaughtered outside the gate. The Lamb of the Passover is Jesus Christ, or as the Apostle St Paul says, "Christ our Passover is sacrificed for us." 1 Cor. 5:7. However, not many know how in fact the lamb was roasted on the altar. St Justin Martyr (258 AD) gives us an idea of this ceremony long forgotten by todays Christians...."The mystery then, of the lamb of God enjoined to be sacrificed as the passover, was a type of Christ; with whose blood, in proportion to their faith in Him, they anoint their houses, ie: themselves, who believe on Him. ...God does not permit the lamb of the passover to be sacrificed in any other place than where His Name was named; knowing that the days will come, after the suffering of Christ, when even the place in Jerusalem shall be given over to your enemies, and all the offerings, in short, shall cease; and that lamb which was commanded to be wholly roasted was a symbol of the suffering of the cross which Christ would undergo. For the lamb, which is roasted, is roasted and dressed up in the form of the cross. For one spit is transfixed right through from the lower parts up to the head, and one across the back, to which are attached the (fore) legs of the lamb." pp214,215 Justin Martyr, Vol 1, ANF. The lamb of offering indeed pointed to Jesus Christ, who is our Passover Lamb.

The Candle lit by the woman.

This teaches us that Jesus Christ the light of the world (candle) was announced first to and through a woman, St Mary, and that she had the honourable place of being the first to here the announcement of the Good News of the Messiah's Incarnation.

The Three Loaves of Bread hidden away.

These loaves were unleavened (had no sin), were hidden in appearance (no one could look upon them) and one was brought forth to be seen and eaten. This teaches us about the Nature of the Invisible God who is alone without sin. God who is of One Essence (bread) is hidden to the Jews in three hypostasis (persons) and the veil remains until the pure and unleavened second loaf is brought forth and shown to those in the room. This teaches us that the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, Jesus Christ, was manifested in the Flesh, was seen by angels and took on matter to be seen and walk among His people. The final two loaves remain hidden and unseen, just as no one 'sees' the Father or the Holy Spirit.

This loaf has on it stripes and is perforated with holes. This confirms the prophecy by Isaiah that by His stripes we are healed, and He was wounded for our transgressions. Also the holes in the loaf point to and teach us that the Second Pure Person would be pierced through by the three nails, the crown of thorns and the Centurian's (Longinus-who later repented and became a Christian and his story can be read in the saints records) spear. We have seen all of this come to pass. The loaf is then divided up and eaten, none remains it must all be eaten. Just as Christ called Himself the "Bread from heaven." we partake of His flesh and Blood in the Holy Eucharist, we totally consume the consecrated loaf (and consecrated wine) and none may remain, just as in the fore runner at the Passover.

The Wine in the Cup.

Actually, at various times, there was more than one cup of wine, up to four. This was drunk at various times and the fourth cup was left till the end. In any case the Cup of Wine clearly points to the Cup of the New Covenant of the Blood of Christ, which washes aways sins and is an acceptable sacrifice to God.

The Chair for Elijah.

The prophets said that Elijah would come prior to the Day of the Lord, and in keeping with this the Jews set a spare chair for the Prophet symbolically affirming the believe in those prophecies. This teaches us that, as Jesus Christ answered His Apostles, that St John the Baptist was the Elijah to come, if they could accept it. For John the Baptist came in the spirit of Elijah as he was the last of the Jewish prophets before God removed them from the land and allowed the destruction of the 2nd Temple. Since then, Israel after the flesh has had not one prophet of God, and shall not have again until they "see Him standing on the Mount, whom they have crucified."

Psalms are Read out and the father/patriarch of the family recounts the Passover narrative.

This teaches us that always God is happy to hear His psalms prayed back to Him. This is why they were given to the Jewish people. Psalms of Joy for times of happiness, Psalms of sorrow and repentance for times of confession of sin, etc. Thus the Church now and always when it comes together ALWAYS commences every liturgy with a reciting of the Psalms in accordance with God's will. (The Psalms are also prayed out during the preparation and cooking of the bread of offering for the liturgy each day) The father recounting the story to his son in the presence of the families prayers and Amens and Lord have mercies/Halleluia's points to the father of each congregation (the priest/presbyter/bishop) who stands up before God to pray and recount the whole story of God's salvation each Liturgy to both God and his children. The people respond with amens, Lord have mercies and Halleluia's (Praise the Lord's). Each Orthodox liturgy fulfills and completes the type that the Passover pointed too.

A re-participation of, not a mere memorial of.

To the Jew, his celebration of the Passover is much much more than simply a remembering of a distant event, However, it is an actual partaking of that even as if they were really there as with the feelings, emotions and hardships. Thus also, the Christian Eucharist is much much more than a simple 'memorial' to Christ and the events of two thousand years ago. It is indeed a re-partaking of that first Eucharist instigated by the Lord, Christ is actually present, in His people and in His Body and Blood, sins are actually confessed and remitted. The Lamb is actually consumed whole and not a crumb is left.

Psalms and prayers are said and the avenging angel of God (The Destroyer) is kept away from that house (the Church) and those within are kept safe for the Blood of the Lamb has covered them.

Thus is the deeper meaning of the Jewish Passover and the Christian Eucharist that fulfills it in every way. Christianity was enfolded all through the rite of the Jews and after the Son of God unfolded it we all stand in awe and deep reverence. Thus in allegorical commentary able to see deeper into that which was hidden to the Jews but has been revealed to us, His Children of the New and better Covenant.