THE HAG

Jesus declared, "Believe me, woman, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. (John 4::21, NIV)

A pilgrimage to the Holy Land, the verb in Hebrew is called with עליה 'aliyah, meaning "ascension" (from the base עלה 'alah: to ascend or mount upwards). By Muslims, a phrase like this also arise when they say "go up pilgrimage to the Holy Land (Mecca and Medina)." In the Bible the pilgrims are called מעלה mă'alah (plural: מעלות ma'ăloth).

In the Book of Exodus 23:14 states that God's people are commanded to carry out the celebration / Hags to the Lord three times a year, ie hag ha-Pesah, hag ha-Shavuot, hag ha-Sukkot. שָׁלֹ֣שׁ רְגָלִ֔ים תָּחֹ֥ג לִ֖י בַּשָּׁנָֽה׃ shalosh regalim ta chog li bashanah Three times in the year you shall make a feast to Me.

From the standpoint of Christianity, the rite of Hags has been fulfilled with the coming of Jesus Christ as the Messiah promised by God. For Christians it has become clear, “Therefore, let no one judge you in matters of food and drink or with respect to a festival, a new moon, or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the reality belongs to Christ.” (Col 2:16-17, ISV) Christ is the fulfillment of all Jewish rites they perform in the context of the coming of the Messiah will hold.

Because Christ is the fulfillment of all Jewish expectation, based on the Bible and Jewish tradition, the framework of Christian worship was still built on the foundation of Jewish terminology. As a ritual meal in the "sacrifice of the Passover lamb" (Exodus 12:23-28, 43-51), in which the people of Israel to commemorate the event "passed the houses of Israel" so that escape from the death of firstborn children, because there are signs of sheep blood on the doors of the house of Israel.

Christianity interpret the blood of "The Great Sacrifice" that has been spilled already missed, not only of Israel (בני ישׂראל bene Yisra’el) but all of humanity (בני ובאדם bene Adam), from eternal destruction. The Jewish Passover meal taken by Christianity in the form of Qidmat al-Quddus, the Lord's Supper which brings the mystery of God's presence.

To be continued ....