April 2015: More on the Solar and Lunar Eclipses

Shabbat HaChodesh will begin at sundown the day of the solar eclipse. The readings for the day include Exodus 12:1-20 and Ezekiel 45:16-46:18.

• The Exodus reading is about the first Passover in Egypt when the Jews put lamb’s blood on their doorposts and lintels so that no plague would strike them when God smote the land of Egypt.
• The Ezekiel reading includes this line: “The prince shall provide the sin offerings, the meal offerings, the burnt offerings, and the offerings of well-being, to make expiation for the House of Israel.” Ezekiel 45:17

Two weeks after the solar eclipse:

1. Good Friday will fall on Preparation Day,
2. The third Blood Moon will fall on the first day of Passover, and
3. Easter Sunday will fall on the Feast of Firstfruits.

John 19 tells us it was at about NOON on Preparation Day for Passover when Pilate handed Jesus over to be crucified. This was also the hour at which the priests began to slaughter Passover lambs in the temple. I found a nifty app on-line that did a time zone conversion for me and I noticed an odd little factoid. The solar eclipse will occur at the same time!

Weird, huh?!