The Fourth Cup

THE FOURTH CUP

...is there yet a third fulfillment of Passover?

By Robin Neil
It is agreed by almost all of Christiandom that the Passover was completely fulfilled by Yeshua Messiah, (Jesus) the Passover Lamb. We can see the Messiah in all of the Passover Seder. We see the Lamb of G-d, who taketh away the sins of the world, as John the Baptizer announced, in the figure of the Lamb.
We can see the parallels between the Passover in Egypt, when the Hebrews were 'passed over' by the angel of Death that struck the first born of Egypt, with the manner in which we are 'passed over' from eternal death, by the Blood of Messiah.
If the blood of the lamb was on the doorposts, death did not come to that house. Likewise, if the Blood of Jesus is over us, covering us, death has no hold on us. To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.
It is not difficult to see the ultimate sacrifice Yeshua/Jesus made for the world, as the Passover Lamb. Those covered in His Blood are 'passed over' from the second death. We have eternal life, if we are covered in the Blood of the Lamb.
However, we sometimes forget that after the Passover, came the Exodus. Then the years in the wilderness. G-d does not do things half way. All of the Passover will be fulfilled. There are many insights into the end times, that may be seen in the Exodus and the wanderings. In the Passover Seder itself, we see a picture of deliverance.
And if we look closely, we also see something left undone.
Yesuha said, at the Last Passover meal which Yeshua shared with His disciples, ( Matt 26:27-29)
"Then He took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, 'Drink from it, all of you.
v28 For this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.
v29 But I say to you, I will not drink of THIS fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with YOU in My Father's kingdom.'"
Why did He refrain from this cup?
Consider this: In the Pesach/Passover Seder, which is what this was, (see Matt. 26:17) there are FOUR CUPS of wine presented. These four cups represent Exodus 6:6,7 :
"Therefore say to the children of Israel 'I am the LORD; I will BRING YOU OUT from under the burdens of the Egyptians, I will RESCUE you from their bondage, and I will REDEEM YOU WITH AN OUTSTRETCHED ARM and with great judgments. v7 I will TAKE YOU AS MY PEOPLE, and I will be your G-d."
So, we see the four cups:
"and I will bring you out", 1st cup
" and I will rescue you", 2nd cup
" and I will redeem you", 3rd cup
" and I will take you..." 4th cup
The Messianic Rabbis say that it is the FOURTH CUP that Yeshua would not drink. It is to be done in the Kingdom.
FIRST CUP: "I will bring you out"
OT application: Just as He brought Israel out of the Land of Egypt. NT application: Jus as He brought us (household of G-d) out of the world as a called out people.
Tribulational Application (T.A.): Just as He will see His people through the Great Tribulation, regardless of what happens around us. SECOND CUP: "I will rescue you"
OT application: Just as He rescued the children of Israel from bondage/slavery in Egypt.
NT application: Just as He rescue us from the bondage to sin.
TA application: He will rescue us from the bondage of the Anti-Christ. THIRD CUP: "I will redeem you"
OT application: Just as Moses redeemed the children of Israel, with outstretched arms, pointing the way to the Promised Land.
NT application: Jesus redeems us with 'outstreched arms' on the Cross.
TA application: Messiah/Jesus embraces us with outstretched arms when He returns.
FOURTH CUP: "I will take you"
OT application: In Exodus 6:7 we see the Fourth Cup..... "I will take you as My people (called out ones) and I will be your G-d."
NT application: We are accepted as 'called out ones' unto the heavenly realms at our death, and He 'takes us' home.
TA application: We are taken as His people in the Millennial Kingdom. To be sure, we can see that we are also 'called out ones', just as is all of Israel. And by the Blood of Yesuha, we are grafted into the Household of G-d. If we die before He comes...He still keeps His promise to 'take us' as His people. If we are alive when He returns, He still is faithful to His Promise and shall drink that FOURTH CUP with us in His Father's Kingdom.
"Then the seveth angel sounded; And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, 'The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!"
Yeshua Messiah tells us in Matt 26:29, He will not drink "THAT CUP"....that fruit of the vine, UNTIL I TAKE YOU TO MY FATHER'S KINGDOM."
It is Yeshua's 'unfinished business'....that drinking of the Fourth Cup. And it is a Promise we shall see fulfilled when we die or when He returns.
And all of Israel .....the complete Household of G-d....shall be His People and He shall be our G-d.