The Fourth Cup Revealed

“For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.” I Corinthians 11: 26 TLV

We have now finished the first night of Passover with its four cups, and Christians around the world have celebrated the resurrection of Yeshua on Sunday.  Yeshua rose on a special day in the Jewish calendar called the “Day of First fruits”.   And though many are putting away the decorations, and washing the Seder plates, the week of Unleavened Bread has not finished.  In Israel we stock our homes with Matzah for seven days. And my daughter last night reminded her mom that we need to make more Charoset, the sweet mixture of chopped apples, honey, grape juice and walnuts for the rest of the week.   But this week is about more than eating matzah, there is the hope of what is called, “the last day”, the seventh day of Passover with its feast to the Lord.

“For seven days you are to eat matzah, and the seventh day is to be a feast to Adonai.” Exodus 13: 6 TLV

However, even in Israel, it is not clearly defined how to celebrate it.   Yes, the stores will close, and public transportation will cease.  Effectively, it will be treated as a Sabbath day, but what does this “last day of Passover” with its hint to the “Last Day” in the end of days mean?

With this element of redemption in mind, some Jewish groups have begun to observe a second Passover Seder on the seventh day called the “Meal of Messiah”.  The four cups of that meal are transformed from speaking of Moses and the Exodus, to the Messiah and the coming redemption.

The Cup of His Return

The bread and cup of communion are the promise of Messiah’s coming.  There are four cups in the Passover Seder, two are mentioned in the Gospels.  Yeshua promised to not drink of the cup again, until we can drink again with Him in the Messianic Banquet of the Kingdom. (Mark 14: 25)

While we often focus on the New Covenant and the cleansing blood of Yeshua in the cup of communion, we often do not focus on it as a symbol of His promised return.  Paul wanted the believers to keep this promise in focus when he said, “until He comes”.

In ancient times there were two parts to a Jewish wedding, the betrothal meal, and the wedding banquet.  It was customary to combine the betrothal meal with the Passover meal, perhaps giving us a background to Messiah’s Seder.  In that sense, the cup of betrothal was the guarantee or article of value that was given to the bride as a token of the bridegroom’s promise.

Some Jewish writers describe Israel’s Exodus Passover as the betrothal meal between God and His people, with the wedding covenant occurring at the “Feast of Oaths”, Shavuot / Pentecost on Mount Sinai fifty days later.

Parallels to the Rapture

“So Yeshua said to them, “Amen, amen I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”  John 6: 53-54 TLV

There are parallels in the “last day” of unleavened bread to Messiah’s return on the “Last Day”. Yeshua connected the elements of communion, His flesh and blood, to His return at the resurrection on the last day four times in the sixth chapter of John’s Gospel.

The seventh and “last day” of Unleavened Bread is traditionally marked as the day when Israel crossed the Red Sea.  Beyond that chasm with its massive walls of water to either side, Israel sang the song of Moses.  Moses was a type of the coming Messiah, and his instituting the first Passover was integral to understand Messiah instituting the New Covenant at Passover.  But beyond the first day, there is also a parallel to the Rapture and Messiah’s return, the bridegroom coming for his bride.

Moses, at first, was rejected as a savior, spending forty years in Midian, before returning to bring the people to the Promised Land.  Moses’ name meaning, “drawn from the water”, was prophetically fulfilled twice, once when he was drawn from the Nile, and later when he drew the people of Israel out of the waters of the Red Sea to freedom.  But Moses was also a forerunner of the savior to come.

“Adonai said to me, ‘They have done well in what they have spoken. I will raise up a prophet like you for them from among their brothers. I will put My words in his mouth, and he will speak to them all that I command him.” Deuteronomy 18: 17-18 TLV

Yeshua, like Moses, was raised up from among His brothers, and like Moses, He was despised and rejected the first time He revealed Himself.  The second time Messiah will come, it will be to gather His elect from the four winds. And like Moses, Yeshua’s name is significant for the redemption of Israel, for it means, “Jehovah will save”!

The Seventh Day Revealing

God has not forgotten His people, Israel. His New Covenant is the renewed Covenant. The parallels to Passover and the Exodus abound in the book of Revelation.  As the waters parted for Moses, so the heavens will also split at Messiah’s return to collect His bride. And like Israel who crossed the Red Sea, Messiah’s bride will sing again sing again the “song of Moses” and the “Song of the Lamb”!  (Revelation 15: 2-3 TLV)

As often as we “eat this bread and drink this cup” we proclaim Messiah’s death, and His soon appearing.  If communion reminds us of His return, how much more should the very night in which He lifted that cup, blessed, and offered it to His disciples compel us to look for His appearing.

May His bride be ready as Scriptures says,

“The (Spirit) Ruach and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come—let the one who wishes freely take the water of life!” Revelation 22: 17 TLV

“Yes! I am coming soon!” Amen! Come, Lord Yeshua! May the grace of the Lord Yeshua be with all!” Revelation 22: 20 TLV

Maran Atha – Our Lord Come!

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