Kaddish

      This week's Sabbath reading portion is titled Pesach (the seventh day), which means that this Sabbath is also the seventh day of Passover. This year on our calendar it so happens that Sunday, or Pesach (the eighth day), is Resurrection Sunday, the day when Jesus Messiah/Christ rose from the dead three days after His crucifixion. That eighth day of Passover, occurring on Resurrection Sunday this year, is also designated as Yizkor in Hebrew, which is a public memorial service done four times a year in the synagogue for deceased close relatives like parents, children and siblings, and also includes martyrs. A prayer called Kaddish is said, which has existed for approximately two thousand years and is written in the Aramaic language, which was the language of the Jewish people at the time of Jesus Christ. One of the prophets prophesied of a profound mourning period in Jerusalem for an only Son: "And I will pour on the house of David (the house of the Messiah/Christ) and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn. In that day there shall be great mourning in Jerusalem..." (Zech. 12:10-11). We know from scripture that there was deep mourning for Jesus on the day of crucifixion. (Lk. 23:27-31). Zechariah told us that this deep mourning for the pierced One was not going to be officially mourned in synagogues but would be observed within each household by itself. (v. 12-14). We can see the description of Messiah/Christ in these verses as an only Son (of God), and One who is pierced. We can also understand why there might be no public mourning or memorial in the synagogues but private mourning only for this pierced One for fear of retribution from religious leadership at that time. This prophetic word from Zechariah above struck me in this manner although it will also have a continuing fulfilment in these end times as well.

     However, the traditional Kaddish prayer said in mourning is very interesting because it does not express mourning for the lost loved one, but the exaltation of God instead. In synagogues all over the world this Yizkor memorial Sunday, which is also Resurrection Day this year, this prayer will be said:

     "May the great Name of God be exalted and sanctified, throughout the world, which he has created according to his will. May his Kingship be established in your lifetime and in your days, and in the lifetime of the entire household of Israel, swiftly and in the near future; and say, Amen. May his great name be blessed, forever and ever. Blessed, praised, glorified, exalted, extolled, honored, elevated and lauded be the Name of the holy one, Blessed is he – above and beyond any blessings and hymns, praises and consolations which are uttered in the world; and say Amen. May there be abundant peace from Heaven, and life, upon us and upon all Israel; and say, Amen. He who makes peace in his high holy places, may he bring peace upon us, and upon all Israel; and say Amen."

     Similarly, the reading portions of this Pesach, the seventh day Sabbath also declare and exalt God as LORD.

     It has never been God's intention to hide Himself from man. Many of the wondrous works that He has done in scripture are so that His own people, the heathen and the nations would know His identity as the only God and LORD. In this week's Sabbath Pesach/Passover reading portion, The LORD spoke to Moses saying: "...I will harden Pharaoh's (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) heart, so that he will pursue them (the Israelites who have left Egypt); and I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, that the Egyptians may know that I am the LORD..." (Ex. 14:4). As the LORD instructed Moses to lift up his (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) rod and his (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) hand to divide the Red Sea so that the Israelites could cross through it on dry ground, the LORD said again: "And I indeed will harden the (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) hearts of the Egyptians, and they shall follow them. So I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, his chariots, and his horsemen. Then the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I have gained honor for Myself over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his horsemen." (v. 15-18).

     The great parting of the Red Sea was not just to provide the Israelites a miraculous means of escape, but to leave the Egyptians with no doubt that God is the LORD. He was not an idol that they could see, but His mighty works could be done by no other god. The Egyptians were left with no excuse for their unbelief. By this deliverance of His people, the LORD also made an open show of judgment against the gods of Egypt. (see Ex. 12:12).

     Although the Israelites had scorned Moses for getting them caught in a position between the Sea and Pharaoh's pursuing army (see Ex. 14:10-12), their attitude changed after the miraculous delivery through the Red Sea and the destruction of Pharaoh's army as it was written: "So the LORD saved (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) Israel that day out of the hand of the (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. Thus Israel saw the great (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) work which the LORD had done in Egypt; so the people feared the (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) LORD, and believed the LORD and His servant, Moses." (Ex. 14:30-31). The victorious song that they sang after this miraculous deliverance said in part: "The LORD is my strength and song, and He has become my salvation (yesua/yasa - the Hebrew name of Jesus, salvation, welfare, prosperity, victory, health/savior, avenging, defending, preserved); He is my God, and I will praise Him; my father's God, and I will exalt Him. The LORD is a man of war; the LORD is His name...The LORD shall reign forever and ever." (Ex. 15:2-3, 18).

     The song of Moses and the Israelites was very like the Kaddish prayer written above in the exaltation of God and of His reign. The LORD proved to His people repeatedly by His mighty works that He only was God, LORD and King.

     From another reading from this week's Sabbath, Isaiah also exclaims in the same way as the song of Moses and the Israelites. Isaiah wrote: "Behold, God is my salvation, I will trust and not be afraid; For YAH, the LORD is my strength and song; He also has become my salvation. Therefore with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation." (Isa. 12:2-3). What has caused Isaiah's great prophetic Kaddish (see above) exaltation of the LORD God? Isaiah had received the Word of the LORD regarding the Messiah/Christ to come, and of His glorious Kingdom of peace, saying: "For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD." The whole earth shall have knowledge of God through this miraculous Kingdom reign of Messiah/Christ. (see Isa. 11:1-10).

     Later in scripture, from another passage of this week's Pesach/Passover, the seventh day Sabbath reading portion, Moses again reminded the children of Israel of how the LORD made Himself known as God to them: "To you it was shown that you might know that the LORD Himself is God; there is none other besides Him. Out of heaven He let you hear (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) His voice, that He mighty instruct you; on earth He showed you (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) His great fire, and you heard His words out of the midst of the fire....He brought you out of Egypt with His Presence, and with His mighty power...Therefore know this day, and consider it in your heart, that the LORD Himself is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other." (Deut. 4:35-39, excerpt).

     One of the reasons that God wants His people to know that He is God and LORD and that there is no other, is so that they will seek Him and will cry to Him in the latter days as severe trials come upon them knowing that He will answer them and not forsake them. (see Deut. 4:29-31). It would be imperative for their survival that they know exactly who He is and what He can do, and that they keep His commandments so that they may live. (Deut. 4:1).

     Scripture prophesies that there is great trouble coming to the earth before the return of Jesus Messiah/Christ, and the LORD said that we must know our God. (Dan. 11:32). 

     From another reading passage of this Sabbath, Ezekiel brings forth one of the great prophetic visions from the LORD of the resurrection to take place in the Valley of long dead dry bones as the LORD prophesies that He will open the graves of His people and bring them up out of them. In the vision, the dry bones came together with a rattling noise and flesh came upon them. Then Ezekiel prophesied to the breath to breathe on the slain that they may live. The slain stood on their feet and became a great army. This is the army of resurrection. The LORD gave Ezekiel this vision to tell His people in captivity who were saying at the time: "Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off!" (Ezek. 37:11). There is a God, the only God, who is not stopped by any kind of death, but overcomes it by His power.

     His people had lost hope and forgotten who the LORD God is and what He can do. With this vision given to Ezekiel came these declarations of the LORD: "Then you shall know that I am the LORD"...."Then you shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) your graves, O My people, and brought you up from (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) your graves...."Then you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken it and performed it,' says the LORD." (see Ezek. 37:1-14). The Hebrew word for the opening of the graves also has the meaning of the opening of the mouth, even as the LORD notes that He has spoken it. We will see below the importance of the connection between resurrection and the opening of the mouth.

     The LORD is not willing that His people ever forget who He is or what He can do.

     We must look at Pesach/Passover, the eighth day, Yizkor, which, this year is Resurrection Day as Messiah/Christ rose from the dead for all of us. He fulfilled Ezekiel's prophecy above not just for Himself, but for all who believe on His name. Many graves were opened in Jerusalem on that Resurrection Day two thousand years ago. (see Mt. 27:51-53). And graves will be opened again. This Yizkor, which occurs on Resurrection Sunday, the Kaddish will be said in the synagogues. Jesus told those in Jerusalem: "...for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD." (Mt. 23:37-39, see also Ps. 118:14-29). This feels to me as if Jesus was telling Jerusalem and New Jerusalem, the City of God which descends from heaven, to say Kaddish for Him "from the house of the LORD", as He deserves it to be said not only as the only Son of God whose Kingdom of peace shall reign over all the earth but also as a martyr who gave His life to serve the will of His Father in heaven. (Ps. 118:25-26).

      As mentioned above, the opening of the graves in Ezekiel is the same Hebrew word used to mean the opening of the mouth. The resurrection of Christ is included in the great works of God to testify that God is LORD and there is none like Him: "...if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." (Rom. 10:9-10). Paul also noted that scripture says, "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart." (v. 8). The raising of Christ was a work of power of God in order to assure all people of who He is and what He can do.

     On Pesach/Passover the eighth day, or Yizkor in that year of crucifixion and resurrection, Jesus appeared to His disciples after His resurrection. The doors had been shut, but Jesus stood in the midst of them. Jesus told His disciple, Thomas, who had been absent when Jesus first appeared to the others and had doubted their report that they had seen Jesus, to bring his finger and hands to the nail piercings on His hands, and the spear wound in His side. Jesus said to Thomas: "Do not be unbelieving, but believing.' And Thomas answered and said to Him, 'My Lord and my God!" (Jn. 20:26-28). Then Jesus said to Thomas: "Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed." (v. 29). John then wrote in his Gospel report: "And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name." (v. 30-31). God, the LORD, raised Jesus from the dead so that those who hear of it could believe and live also.

     Like that Pesach/Passover of Moses and the Israelites when the LORD God executed judgment "against all the gods of Egypt", saying "I am the LORD", the LORD God made an open display again against all other gods with the resurrection of Christ: "...you were...buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead...Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it." (Col. 2:11-15, excerpt). The same spiritual powers that were represented by the false gods of Egypt at the first or former Passover were again revealed, made to look foolish, and overcome by the LORD God at the second or latter Passover, which was the sacrifice of the Lamb of God, Jesus.

     As many times as the invisible LORD God worked wonders and miracles so that we might know that He only is God, there are still some who decide to ignore the evidence with which He has graciously supplied us. Paul wrote that there was no longer any justification for their unbelief: "...what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead so that they are without excuse..." (Rom. 1:18-20). God does these things, including the raising of His Son Jesus from the dead, "so that they may know that I am the LORD/God and there is none other."

     This is the time of year when the great deeds of God against Egypt are remembered in the Pesach/Passover, including the death, burial and resurrection of His only Son on our behalf. Let us understand and say the Kaddish prayer of exaltation of the Lord and His eternal Kingship. 

      If you would like to know more about the demonstrated power of the LORD God, you can join me in prayer: "Father, how gracious and merciful You are to show me the "footprints" that You have left around me, and in my life, just so that I will know that You alone are God and LORD of all. Jesus said, "With God, nothing shall be impossible." Without the knowledge of who You are and what You do, my life would be without hope. You raised Your Son, Jesus, from the dead so that I may know, believe, and be raised also with Him. Who is like our God? There is none like Him! Increase my knowledge of You, Father, every day through Your Word, which is Jesus, and by Your faithful and powerful Holy Spirit. I ask these things in Jesus' name. AMEN."

*NOTE: aleph-tav written in Hebrew as אֶת, are the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet. The meaning of the two pictographic Hebrew letters can also be interpreted "Adonai (Lord) of the Cross/Covenant". In the New Testament, these letters are translated as Alpha and Omega written as ΑΩ , the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. These letters are those by which Jesus Christ identifies Himself in the Book of Revelation: see Rev. 1:8, Rev. 21:6, Rev. 22:13.