“By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land, whereas the Egyptians, attempting to do so, were drowned. By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they were encircled for seven days. By faith the harlot Rahab did not perish with those who did not believe” (Heb. 11:29-31)
The spring holy days are aligned with, and represent the firstfruit harvest, and each has specific themes that keep showing up. Passover is a sacrifice and redemption from slavery. The Days of Unleavened Bread are overcoming sin and acceptance or victory. Pentecost is a celebration, receiving an inheritance.
The holy days show us God’s plan for His people and all mankind, and give us a framework for prophecy. But while we often talk about the fulfilled prophecy of Passover and future implications of the fall holy days, people get really mealy-mouthed around both the Days of Unleavened Bread and Pentecost. We’ve been told the Days of Unleavened Bread picture our journey out of sin and putting sin out of our lives. These are likely true, but what if there are even more concrete fulfillments?
This time of year I think it’s important to look at two significant occurrences on the Last Day of Unleavened Bread that help us begin to figure out its place in the future prophetic framework. God performed similar baptism-like miracles for two generations of Israelites, then destroyed the worldly system standing in the way of establishing His chosen nation in the land He had promised them. Together these show us a picture of the future when God will destroy sin and the carnal world—the death knell of Babylon—and help His people enter His kingdom.
Coming out of Egypt
The children of Israel started their journey out of Egypt on the first holy day during the Days of Unleavened Bread, after experiencing the horrifying and humbling tenth plague and God’s favor as their own firstborn were spared death. Over the next few days, God led them away from the heart of Egypt, by day with a pillar of cloud and by night with a pillar of fire to give them light along the dark path. His presence was visibly with them every second of the day.