At this time of year there is much talk of Christmas, yet there is another story…
(I wrote this originally for a home school presentation. As I read this in my best James Earl Jones type voice, my daughter played the Star Wars theme in the background on her violin. Maybe if you try hard enough you can hear the sound effects as you read. Just thought you should know so you can set the proper mood.)
It is a time long, long ago in a far away distant land…
It is an age of darkness and despair.
The Evil Empire rules all of the ancient land of Syria.
Anxious to expand the Empire, the merciless Dark Emperor sets his eye on devouring Egypt.
However, Israel stands in the way and must be dealt with first.
Spies for the Emperor inform him there may be one among the Hebrews who, for a price, will convince the people it is futile to resist the Emperor’s will.
That man is Yahoshua.
Eager for personal gain, Yahoshua bargains with the dark emperor to make him the High Priest. In return, he signs a treaty giving the evil empire rule over Israel and adopts the name Jason in the language of the Emperor’s home world Greece.
Now with the Jews under control, the emperor leaves to declare war on Egypt.
But Jason has his own plans. He secretly seeks total control of Israel for himself.
The emperor learns of his treacherous plans and returns to unleash his wrath. Thousands are murdered by the Emperor’s storm troopers. The Temple of Yahweh – the one true God of the Hebrews - is partially destroyed and its sacred vessels of gold are looted.
The Dark Emperor learns that it is recorded in the Holy Book of the Jews called the Torah, that the God Yahweh declares the pig to be unclean - unholy for food or sacrifice.
The sinister emperor places a statue of a Greek god that looks like himself in the Temple where he slaughters a pig and spreads the blood. He makes a swine broth, pours it on the Torah Scrolls, and then burns them.
The emperor declares the pig as the only sacrificial animal allowed. The Hebrew language is outlawed. Circumcision is banned. Families are slaughtered for the crime of owning a Torah scroll.
Treacherous priests bend to the will of the dark side and lead the people to accept the new laws.
But Rebellion brews in the hearts of a faithful few.
So a commander is sent to force the people to sacrifice a pig and to eat the pig meat.
Disobedience is certain death.
A faithless priest steps forward to perform the sacrifice.
As he begins, a rage swells in a loyal priest called a cohen. His name is Matityahu. In an instant he slays the corrupt priest with a sword. The commander tries to strike back, but the cold steel of Matityahu’s sword is too fast and crunches its way to the hilt. Matityahu’s sons rally and defeat the storm troopers who came with the commander.
The Emperor is outraged. The Evil Empire strikes back, but the rebellion is strong.
Yahudah the Macabee leads the small band of rebel cohen warriors who return again and again. For three years they fight an elusive hit and run war against superior forces. Finally, the Empire retreats and the cohen warriors regain Jerusalem and the temple.
With the evil forces gone, the priests immediate task is to clean The Temple of the Emperor’s filth and restore worship to Yahweh.
The Menorah – the symbol of Yahweh’s light in the Temple – is broken. A single vial of holy oil is left - enough to light the Menorah for only one day.
A priest can sanctify more oil, but first the priest must be consecrated. That takes seven days.
What can they do? They light the Menorah with the one-day’s supply of oil.
The next day a messenger runs declaring, “The Menorah, The Menorah… it still burns!” The people stir in amazement.
The second day, and the third, and the fourth…the Menorah still burns…
“Can it be true?”
Praise is given to Yahweh.
Indeed, it is the miracle of the oil. The Menorah stays lit eight full days.
The dedication of the Temple to Yahweh is performed. In the Hebrew tongue it is called Hanukkah.
**************
So, now you know. 160 years before the birth of the Messiah, a great miracle happened called Hanukkah or the Festival of Lights.
For the celebration, The Hanukkiah is used. Unlike the Temple Menorah with seven lamps, the Hanukkiah has nine lights. One, called a shamash or servant, is used to light the others.
Today, the Shamash should serve to remind us of the Messiah as the Ultimate servant.
Evidence is strong that the Messiah Himself was conceived during the Festival of Lights. How many are aware Scripture records He honored the feast with His presence?
We all agree that the Messiah chose His words precisely using terms first century Hebrews would recognize. Therefore, does it not seem reasonable that when He declares Himself to be the Light of the World, He is referring to the Festival of Lights so familiar to His Jewish followers?
If you are careful to note the theme of Hanukkah, you'll see a direct contrast between this celebration and Christ - mass.
Hanukkah represents the struggle against the forces of pagan sun god worship. It celebrates deliverance from false worship.
Yet, Christ -mass is a celebration totally immersed in the trappings of sun god worship.
In any case, as the Shamash, The Messiah truly is light to a dark and evil generation.
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Saturday, November 25, 2006
Jesus and Matthew 1:21
Have you ever read Matthew 1:21 and thought, "Huh?"
I hope you have because it makes no sense.
Let's read it now...
" And she shall bear a son, and you shall call His name JESUS: for He shall save His people from their sins. "
Here's what I mean when I say "Huh?"
The word 'for' begins an explanation why Joseph and Mary were to call Him "Jesus." It is tied to the fact He will save His people from their sins.
Yet, here's the problem. It's one everyone overlooks.
The word "Jesus" has no meaning.
No meaning in Greek. No meaning in Latin.
It's not even a Hebrew name.
Our Savior was Hebrew. The word "Jesus" should be a like a red flag alerting us to a problem.
Why?
Because all Hebrew names have meaning. But, Jesus has no meaning in Hebrew.
The word "Jesus" is a poor attempt at a Greek transliteration of a Hebrew name which is then further warped by forcing it into an English mold with the illegitimate letter "J".
Granted, today, "Jesus" does have a meaning in English. But that is simply because after 400 years of incorrect use, it now has a meaning applied to it.
Think about this. Don't you find it strange that we open our Scriptures to read about...
But, we - an English reading audience- now call Him by
On a side note, if you do even a little research and you'll find many modern scholars maintain that the name “Jesus” is the same in the Hebrew as the Old Testament “Joshua,” the son of Nun. Should not these names appear the same throughout our English Bible? If its Joshua in the Old Testament, why is it Jesus in the New?
Nonetheless, can we know what His real Hebrew name is?
Yes.
Here are our clues...
1) The Saviour said He came in His Father's name (John 5:43). The word 'name' can be either literal or figurative. The Father's name is Yahweh, sometimes shortened to Yah. ( As in Hallelu-Yah).
2) Matthew 1:21 connects His name with His function of salvation.
"Yeshua" is the Hebrew word which means "salvation, deliverance".
However, if you only use "Yeshua" then the Father's Name is not in the Saviour's Name. You are simply calling Him "Salvation."
"Yahshua" means "Yah's Salvation or Yah's Deliverance", which is exactly what the Messiah is. By using Yahshua, you use the Father's Name in the Saviour's Name. (In practice, it is difficult to distinguish the pronunciation of Yeshua from Yahshua).
"Yahshua" is a combination of a description of Who He is, as well as what He came to do.
Now, if we read Matthew 1:21 with the correct name, you can see how it all fits together.
" And she shall bear a son, and you shall call His name Yahshua (Yah's Salvation or Yah's Deliverance): for He shall save His people from their sins. "
Isn't that better?
Hmm...how does all this reflect on our understanding of verses like Acts 4:12.
"And there is salvation in no other One; for there is no other name under Heaven given among men by which we must be saved."
Personally, I don't believe you can make a legitimate argument that you must be saved pronouncing the name Yahshua. The term here for 'name' can be 'authority'. Most everyone reading this was saved under the name "Jesus." We were saved under the authority of the one and only Saviour, the son of G-d (Yahweh).
However, a good case can be made that the name of "Jesus" robs the true Saviour of the Glory that is His. Plus, it steals from us - His children - the understanding that even Yahshua's name embodies the Father's Name and purpose to save us from our sins.
So, the choice is ours.
To put it in perspective, remember "Jesus" is a man made word. Yahshua is a Holy Spirit inspired Name.
Do we show the Saviour respect and honor by using the correct name? Do we honor the Father by using the Name He gave to His Son?
Or, do we follow Frank Sinatra?
In case you're too young to remember, one of his signature hit songs was
"I did it my way..."
I hope you have because it makes no sense.
Let's read it now...
" And she shall bear a son, and you shall call His name JESUS: for He shall save His people from their sins. "
Here's what I mean when I say "Huh?"
The word 'for' begins an explanation why Joseph and Mary were to call Him "Jesus." It is tied to the fact He will save His people from their sins.
Yet, here's the problem. It's one everyone overlooks.
The word "Jesus" has no meaning.
No meaning in Greek. No meaning in Latin.
It's not even a Hebrew name.
Our Savior was Hebrew. The word "Jesus" should be a like a red flag alerting us to a problem.
Why?
Because all Hebrew names have meaning. But, Jesus has no meaning in Hebrew.
The word "Jesus" is a poor attempt at a Greek transliteration of a Hebrew name which is then further warped by forcing it into an English mold with the illegitimate letter "J".
Granted, today, "Jesus" does have a meaning in English. But that is simply because after 400 years of incorrect use, it now has a meaning applied to it.
Think about this. Don't you find it strange that we open our Scriptures to read about...
- a baby of Torah observant Jewish parents,
- Who was born in Israel,
- Who lived and died as a Jew,
- Who spoke Hebrew,
- Who became the Jewish Saviour,
- and was labeled at His death as the King of the Jews,
But, we - an English reading audience- now call Him by
- the Greek/Latin hybrid, "Jesus"
- which has no meaning in any language
- along with the Greek title "Christ"
- which could mean any one of the many Greek false deities?
On a side note, if you do even a little research and you'll find many modern scholars maintain that the name “Jesus” is the same in the Hebrew as the Old Testament “Joshua,” the son of Nun. Should not these names appear the same throughout our English Bible? If its Joshua in the Old Testament, why is it Jesus in the New?
Nonetheless, can we know what His real Hebrew name is?
Yes.
Here are our clues...
1) The Saviour said He came in His Father's name (John 5:43). The word 'name' can be either literal or figurative. The Father's name is Yahweh, sometimes shortened to Yah. ( As in Hallelu-Yah).
2) Matthew 1:21 connects His name with His function of salvation.
"Yeshua" is the Hebrew word which means "salvation, deliverance".
However, if you only use "Yeshua" then the Father's Name is not in the Saviour's Name. You are simply calling Him "Salvation."
"Yahshua" means "Yah's Salvation or Yah's Deliverance", which is exactly what the Messiah is. By using Yahshua, you use the Father's Name in the Saviour's Name. (In practice, it is difficult to distinguish the pronunciation of Yeshua from Yahshua).
"Yahshua" is a combination of a description of Who He is, as well as what He came to do.
Now, if we read Matthew 1:21 with the correct name, you can see how it all fits together.
" And she shall bear a son, and you shall call His name Yahshua (Yah's Salvation or Yah's Deliverance): for He shall save His people from their sins. "
Isn't that better?
Hmm...how does all this reflect on our understanding of verses like Acts 4:12.
"And there is salvation in no other One; for there is no other name under Heaven given among men by which we must be saved."
Personally, I don't believe you can make a legitimate argument that you must be saved pronouncing the name Yahshua. The term here for 'name' can be 'authority'. Most everyone reading this was saved under the name "Jesus." We were saved under the authority of the one and only Saviour, the son of G-d (Yahweh).
However, a good case can be made that the name of "Jesus" robs the true Saviour of the Glory that is His. Plus, it steals from us - His children - the understanding that even Yahshua's name embodies the Father's Name and purpose to save us from our sins.
So, the choice is ours.
To put it in perspective, remember "Jesus" is a man made word. Yahshua is a Holy Spirit inspired Name.
Do we show the Saviour respect and honor by using the correct name? Do we honor the Father by using the Name He gave to His Son?
Or, do we follow Frank Sinatra?
In case you're too young to remember, one of his signature hit songs was
"I did it my way..."
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
Jesus and the Case of the Mysterious "J"
Why Do We Call The Saviour by the Name Jesus?
How many of us have sung, "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, there's just something about that name..." Perhaps we've made a remark like, "Sweet Jesus."
Christians for centuries have called upon the name of Jesus and have come to love that name. And why not? It's the name of our precious Saviour, is it not?
Well, that is the subject of our teaching today and it has me disturbed. I can not hide from you the fact that I am pulled at from two sides whether I should even bring this subject to the light.
On the one hand, I don't want to do anything to discourage the relationship you have with the Saviour. But, on the other hand, I am compelled to believe that the Truth will set you free.
I also have a fear.
That fear is that you will shoot the messenger.
I remember a discussion I tried to have with a deacon of a large Southern Baptist church. He cut me off by saying he did not want to know more if it meant he was going to have to think.
Which is it for you?
Are you going to shoot the messenger? Would you prefer not to hear something that will make you think? Or, do you want the Truth?
If you want to hear the rest of the story, then continue reading.
Here it is point blank:
There is no letter "J" in the Hebrew alphabet. There isn't one now and there never has been.
In fact, the "J" didn't come into use until the late 16th and early 17th centuries in any language. That's a little late for it to have been included in the original Scriptures, don't you think?
So, His Name could not start with a "J."
Our precious Saviour never heard the name "Jesus" in His ears while He was on earth. His mother Miriam and His disciples never called Him by the name "Jesus."
Sometime, about 400 years ago, believers began to call the Saviour by the wrong name.
How did this happen?
The answer to that can be a little complicated when you discuss transliteration and transcription. Therefore, this explanation is simplified: Somewhere in the transliterations from Hebrew to Greek to Latin and then English things got pretty messed up.
I don't know which translation it first appeared in, but it could have been Tyndale's. Certainly by the time of the King James translation the name "Jesus" came into use - along with some other incorrect name substitutions such as "god" and "lord."
One thing you should note is that names can not be translated. That's right, contrary to what even I was taught as a child in public school, my name is still George no matter whether I am in Russia or China. I am aware you will find references that say things like "George" in English equals "Jorge" in Spanish. But, my name is not "Jorge." "Jorge" is pronounced as "Hore-Hay" in Spanish.
My mother did not name me "Hore-Hay" and never called me that.
When a name is transliterated/transcipted you will hear your name in your ear just as you always have regardless of which language is spoken. A foreigner will pronounce "Bill" as "Bill" and "Tom" as "Tom."
In any case, we find ourselves in the rather embarrassing position of calling the Saviour of the world by the wrong name. If your name is Jenny, its like having an acquaintance who always calls you Alice.
I can imagine that most of us have encountered someone who continued to call us by the wrong name. And when we do, it makes us feel a little awkward doesn't it? I know when it happened to me I felt irritated. I couldn't help but think this person didn't really know me or like me much since they didn't bother to get my name right.
Fortunately for us, the Saviour is gracious - much more than I am.
What do we do now that we know the truth? The same we do when we err in anything. We change our behavior, of course.
But you say you like the name of "Jesus." And you don't want to stop using it.
I understand. I felt the same way. It's hard to break old habits - even when we know they are incorrect. How many people still eat the wrong kinds of foods despite what the medical consequences are?
And I feel with you that you were saved under the name of Jesus and have grown to think of your Saviour fondly by that name.
When I was first convicted I should start using His correct name, I rebelled.
"His real name sounds fake," I would tell myself. "It doesn't really matter, He knows my heart."
Yes, He knows my heart - and yours - that it is rebellious and self willed.
When I finally came to that point of surrendering my will to His, I realized that His real name did matter. Otherwise, why did He put it in the original Scriptures (not man's recent translations) so many times?
Yahweh (G-d) has not given me the authority to change or disguise what the Scripture says. How about you?
After you read Deuteronomy 4:2 and Revelation 22:18,19 ask yourself if you are willing to take responsibility for changing or disguising (adding to or taking away from ) what the Scriptures really say?
Well, what about the name "Christ?"
Sorry, but that is not a name. It's a title which means "anointed."
Unfortunately, while it may sound glorifying to our Saviour, it's not really. You see, it's a Greek title, a title used to describe any and all of their many false gods.
OK, that leads to the obvious question, "What is His real Name?"
I thought you'd never ask.
We'll discuss that next time.
How many of us have sung, "Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, there's just something about that name..." Perhaps we've made a remark like, "Sweet Jesus."
Christians for centuries have called upon the name of Jesus and have come to love that name. And why not? It's the name of our precious Saviour, is it not?
Well, that is the subject of our teaching today and it has me disturbed. I can not hide from you the fact that I am pulled at from two sides whether I should even bring this subject to the light.
On the one hand, I don't want to do anything to discourage the relationship you have with the Saviour. But, on the other hand, I am compelled to believe that the Truth will set you free.
I also have a fear.
That fear is that you will shoot the messenger.
I remember a discussion I tried to have with a deacon of a large Southern Baptist church. He cut me off by saying he did not want to know more if it meant he was going to have to think.
Which is it for you?
Are you going to shoot the messenger? Would you prefer not to hear something that will make you think? Or, do you want the Truth?
If you want to hear the rest of the story, then continue reading.
Here it is point blank:
There is no letter "J" in the Hebrew alphabet. There isn't one now and there never has been.
In fact, the "J" didn't come into use until the late 16th and early 17th centuries in any language. That's a little late for it to have been included in the original Scriptures, don't you think?
So, His Name could not start with a "J."
Our precious Saviour never heard the name "Jesus" in His ears while He was on earth. His mother Miriam and His disciples never called Him by the name "Jesus."
Sometime, about 400 years ago, believers began to call the Saviour by the wrong name.
How did this happen?
The answer to that can be a little complicated when you discuss transliteration and transcription. Therefore, this explanation is simplified: Somewhere in the transliterations from Hebrew to Greek to Latin and then English things got pretty messed up.
I don't know which translation it first appeared in, but it could have been Tyndale's. Certainly by the time of the King James translation the name "Jesus" came into use - along with some other incorrect name substitutions such as "god" and "lord."
One thing you should note is that names can not be translated. That's right, contrary to what even I was taught as a child in public school, my name is still George no matter whether I am in Russia or China. I am aware you will find references that say things like "George" in English equals "Jorge" in Spanish. But, my name is not "Jorge." "Jorge" is pronounced as "Hore-Hay" in Spanish.
My mother did not name me "Hore-Hay" and never called me that.
When a name is transliterated/transcipted you will hear your name in your ear just as you always have regardless of which language is spoken. A foreigner will pronounce "Bill" as "Bill" and "Tom" as "Tom."
In any case, we find ourselves in the rather embarrassing position of calling the Saviour of the world by the wrong name. If your name is Jenny, its like having an acquaintance who always calls you Alice.
I can imagine that most of us have encountered someone who continued to call us by the wrong name. And when we do, it makes us feel a little awkward doesn't it? I know when it happened to me I felt irritated. I couldn't help but think this person didn't really know me or like me much since they didn't bother to get my name right.
Fortunately for us, the Saviour is gracious - much more than I am.
What do we do now that we know the truth? The same we do when we err in anything. We change our behavior, of course.
But you say you like the name of "Jesus." And you don't want to stop using it.
I understand. I felt the same way. It's hard to break old habits - even when we know they are incorrect. How many people still eat the wrong kinds of foods despite what the medical consequences are?
And I feel with you that you were saved under the name of Jesus and have grown to think of your Saviour fondly by that name.
When I was first convicted I should start using His correct name, I rebelled.
"His real name sounds fake," I would tell myself. "It doesn't really matter, He knows my heart."
Yes, He knows my heart - and yours - that it is rebellious and self willed.
When I finally came to that point of surrendering my will to His, I realized that His real name did matter. Otherwise, why did He put it in the original Scriptures (not man's recent translations) so many times?
Yahweh (G-d) has not given me the authority to change or disguise what the Scripture says. How about you?
After you read Deuteronomy 4:2 and Revelation 22:18,19 ask yourself if you are willing to take responsibility for changing or disguising (adding to or taking away from ) what the Scriptures really say?
Well, what about the name "Christ?"
Sorry, but that is not a name. It's a title which means "anointed."
Unfortunately, while it may sound glorifying to our Saviour, it's not really. You see, it's a Greek title, a title used to describe any and all of their many false gods.
OK, that leads to the obvious question, "What is His real Name?"
I thought you'd never ask.
We'll discuss that next time.
Saturday, October 28, 2006
Myth: We Don't Really Know When Yahshua (Jesus) was Born
The statement that we don't really know when Yahshua was born is usually given to justify the use of December 25 as the date of Yahshua's birth. December 25th is often given because it's supposedly as good as any other date.
But, as we discussed before, there is strong reason to say otherwise.
In fact, as we progress, I think you'll see that the birth of Yahshua Ha Mashiach - as well as John the Baptist -is tied to and intertwined with Yahweh's (G-d's) prophetic calendar.
Let's start our discovery process with the Gospel of Luke. It's there we are given our first landmark for determining the timing of the Messiah's birth.
In this Gospel we find Zechariah fulfilling his duty as priest in the Temple when an angel appears to him. The angel announces that his wife Elizabeth would have a son. We know that this son - known as John the Baptist - was born nine months later.
Six months after the angel visited Zechariah, Elizabeth's relative Miriam (Mary) was told she too would have a son.
How does this help?
Well, get out your Scriptures and look at Luke Chapter one. It's here we learn some important clues that set the time. Look at verses 5-8.
Here in Luke we read that Zechariah "...belonged to the priestly division of Abijah..." and that "Once when Zechariah's division was on duty and he was serving as priest before G-d..." This tells us the angel appeared to him during the eighth division.
If we've been studying our Tanak ("Old" Testament) faithfully we should remember in 1 Chronicles where we are told that all priests in the order of Abijah were eighth in line for service in the Temple. You may also remember Nehemiah 10:7 and 12:4,17.
Zechariah was eighth in line to perform his duty. The counting of the weeks began at the head of the year which is two weeks before Passover. That corresponds to March/April on our Pope Gregory calendars. If we go eight weeks out, then add two more weeks for mandatory Temple service all priests had to serve during Unleavend Bread and Shavuot (Penetcost) we come to mid to late June.
Elizabeth got pregnant in late June. Nine months later is mid to late March which is the beginning of the season of Passover. In 3 BC Passover was on March 28.
Is there anything significant about Yochanan (John) that would tie his birth to Passover?
Well, ancient Jewish tradition says that Elijah must appear at Passover to announce the coming of the Messiah. Still today throughout the world, part of the Jewish tradition is to set a place at the Passover table for Elijah. During the meal one of the children is instructed to open the door to see if Elijah has come.
In Matthew 11: 10-14 Yahshua (Jesus) tells us that John the Baptist fulfilled the role of Elijah. This reflects the prophecies in Isaiah 40:1-11 and Malachi 3: 1-5.
Later in Luke 1:26,36 we see that it was the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy when Miriam is told by an angel she will conceive and have a baby.
An interesting connection to note is that this would be the month of Kislev. Kislev 25 is Hanukkah. Could it be that the "light of the world" was conceived on Hanukkah, the festival of lights?
Now let's do a little simple math.
When Elizabeth was six months pregnant, Miriam learned she was pregnant by the Spirit. Three months later John was born. At this time Miriam was three months along. So add six months to Yochanan's birth and we come to the birth of Yahshua.
Remember, John's birth was in the month of Aviv which is late March and early April - at the season of Passover. When we go six months from there we come to Tishri or September/October. This puts Yahshua's birth in Tishri.
Is there anything significant about Tishri?
Indeed. It is the time of the Festival of Sukkot (Booths) or the Feast of Tabernacles.
Here's how Avi ben Mordechai, a Messianic Jew who believes in Yahshua explains this connection in his book, Messiah: Understanding His Life and Teachings in Hebraic Context:
"The Greek word "dwelling" means a temporary booth or tabernacle. In a Jewish context this can only be a link to the Hebrew "sukkah" or booth. And according to Jewish Oral Law a "sukkah"could be constructed from an existing cattle stall which is also called a "manger" in the Tanak: see Job 39:9, Proverbs 14:4, and Isaiah 1:3 NASB."
We also know that this was a time of taxation. This was done at the same time as Feast days to reduce the burden of travel. Basically, you could say it killed two birds with one stone.
From this hopefully it should be easy for you to see the timing of Yahshua's birth with Sukkot. Here are the events:
Joseph and Miriam traveled to be counted for taxes. When they arrived the area was full of travelers so no accommodations were available. Joseph, being faithful to the command to stay in a sukkah for the week of the Feast of Tabernacles, would find somewhere to construct his temporary dwelling. Women were not required to stay in a sukkah, but since Miriam could find no other place, they both stayed in the manger/sukkah. It is here where Yahshua is born.
There is also good reason to believe we can pinpoint Yahshua's birth to the first day of Sukkot. As a male child he would be required on the eighth day to be circumcised (Luke 2:21). If He was born on the first day of Sukkot, then His circumcision would coincide with another important event.
The "coincidence" is that on this very same day - the eighth day of the Feast - is the day called Simchat Torah. It is a Festival day that commemorates the "joy in the Torah" when the yearly readings of the Torah have been completed.
Remember, Yahshua is the living Torah. Simchat Torah is a celebration of the rewinding of the Torah Scroll and beginning the readings again. It makes perfect sense since Yahshua was"... the Word was made flesh, and dwelt (tabernacled in a sukkah) among us."
Christian commentator Matthew Henry states: "It is supposed by many that our blessed Saviour was born much about the time of this holiday; then He left his mansions of light above to tabernacle among us, and he dwelt in booths. And the worship of G-d under the New Testament is prophesied of under the notion of keeping the feast of tabernacles, Zec 14:16."
We will discuss at a later time how this Feast of Tabernacles is not only significant in the birth of the Messiah Himself, but is also a prophetic shadow picture of His return.
I know you've read the verses discussed above many times before. But, if you are like I was for 30 years, you read through them without actually "hearing" much of what they were telling you.
Many of you read Christian books and commentaries. Why not read Jewish extra-biblical sources as well?
By ignoring or downright discarding Jewish works - as has been the rule for much of Christian history - we have left ourselves handicapped. We Westerners with our Gentile/Greek mindsets have tried to comprehend the Hebrew Scriptures without the aid of an Hebraic perspective.
What folly.
Perhaps, as a side benefit of this study, we may also learn that those details in Scripture we previously skipped over do have a purpose.
Because of our lack of thorough study of the very words Yahweh Himself has given us for our spiritual benefit, we often judge some of His words as meaningless or useless. Shame on us.
May we be forgiven.
In conclusion, let us take note that instead of Yahshua's birth being on a date dedicated to the worship of pagan deities, His birth - indeed His whole life - fit perfectly into Yahweh's calendar of appointed times and Festivals.
However, when the Gentile Christian world long ago abandoned its Hebraic roots, it also began to declare that these Feasts of the L-rd were no longer relevant. As a result, generations of believers have been sold on cheap substitutes such as Christ- mass.
May we rise up out of our spiritual anemia and once again regain the spiritual strength that comes from preaching "the full gospel."
But, as we discussed before, there is strong reason to say otherwise.
In fact, as we progress, I think you'll see that the birth of Yahshua Ha Mashiach - as well as John the Baptist -is tied to and intertwined with Yahweh's (G-d's) prophetic calendar.
Let's start our discovery process with the Gospel of Luke. It's there we are given our first landmark for determining the timing of the Messiah's birth.
In this Gospel we find Zechariah fulfilling his duty as priest in the Temple when an angel appears to him. The angel announces that his wife Elizabeth would have a son. We know that this son - known as John the Baptist - was born nine months later.
Six months after the angel visited Zechariah, Elizabeth's relative Miriam (Mary) was told she too would have a son.
How does this help?
Well, get out your Scriptures and look at Luke Chapter one. It's here we learn some important clues that set the time. Look at verses 5-8.
Here in Luke we read that Zechariah "...belonged to the priestly division of Abijah..." and that "Once when Zechariah's division was on duty and he was serving as priest before G-d..." This tells us the angel appeared to him during the eighth division.
If we've been studying our Tanak ("Old" Testament) faithfully we should remember in 1 Chronicles where we are told that all priests in the order of Abijah were eighth in line for service in the Temple. You may also remember Nehemiah 10:7 and 12:4,17.
Zechariah was eighth in line to perform his duty. The counting of the weeks began at the head of the year which is two weeks before Passover. That corresponds to March/April on our Pope Gregory calendars. If we go eight weeks out, then add two more weeks for mandatory Temple service all priests had to serve during Unleavend Bread and Shavuot (Penetcost) we come to mid to late June.
Elizabeth got pregnant in late June. Nine months later is mid to late March which is the beginning of the season of Passover. In 3 BC Passover was on March 28.
Is there anything significant about Yochanan (John) that would tie his birth to Passover?
Well, ancient Jewish tradition says that Elijah must appear at Passover to announce the coming of the Messiah. Still today throughout the world, part of the Jewish tradition is to set a place at the Passover table for Elijah. During the meal one of the children is instructed to open the door to see if Elijah has come.
In Matthew 11: 10-14 Yahshua (Jesus) tells us that John the Baptist fulfilled the role of Elijah. This reflects the prophecies in Isaiah 40:1-11 and Malachi 3: 1-5.
Later in Luke 1:26,36 we see that it was the sixth month of Elizabeth's pregnancy when Miriam is told by an angel she will conceive and have a baby.
An interesting connection to note is that this would be the month of Kislev. Kislev 25 is Hanukkah. Could it be that the "light of the world" was conceived on Hanukkah, the festival of lights?
Now let's do a little simple math.
When Elizabeth was six months pregnant, Miriam learned she was pregnant by the Spirit. Three months later John was born. At this time Miriam was three months along. So add six months to Yochanan's birth and we come to the birth of Yahshua.
Remember, John's birth was in the month of Aviv which is late March and early April - at the season of Passover. When we go six months from there we come to Tishri or September/October. This puts Yahshua's birth in Tishri.
Is there anything significant about Tishri?
Indeed. It is the time of the Festival of Sukkot (Booths) or the Feast of Tabernacles.
Here's how Avi ben Mordechai, a Messianic Jew who believes in Yahshua explains this connection in his book, Messiah: Understanding His Life and Teachings in Hebraic Context:
"The Greek word "dwelling" means a temporary booth or tabernacle. In a Jewish context this can only be a link to the Hebrew "sukkah" or booth. And according to Jewish Oral Law a "sukkah"could be constructed from an existing cattle stall which is also called a "manger" in the Tanak: see Job 39:9, Proverbs 14:4, and Isaiah 1:3 NASB."
We also know that this was a time of taxation. This was done at the same time as Feast days to reduce the burden of travel. Basically, you could say it killed two birds with one stone.
From this hopefully it should be easy for you to see the timing of Yahshua's birth with Sukkot. Here are the events:
Joseph and Miriam traveled to be counted for taxes. When they arrived the area was full of travelers so no accommodations were available. Joseph, being faithful to the command to stay in a sukkah for the week of the Feast of Tabernacles, would find somewhere to construct his temporary dwelling. Women were not required to stay in a sukkah, but since Miriam could find no other place, they both stayed in the manger/sukkah. It is here where Yahshua is born.
There is also good reason to believe we can pinpoint Yahshua's birth to the first day of Sukkot. As a male child he would be required on the eighth day to be circumcised (Luke 2:21). If He was born on the first day of Sukkot, then His circumcision would coincide with another important event.
The "coincidence" is that on this very same day - the eighth day of the Feast - is the day called Simchat Torah. It is a Festival day that commemorates the "joy in the Torah" when the yearly readings of the Torah have been completed.
Remember, Yahshua is the living Torah. Simchat Torah is a celebration of the rewinding of the Torah Scroll and beginning the readings again. It makes perfect sense since Yahshua was"... the Word was made flesh, and dwelt (tabernacled in a sukkah) among us."
Christian commentator Matthew Henry states: "It is supposed by many that our blessed Saviour was born much about the time of this holiday; then He left his mansions of light above to tabernacle among us, and he dwelt in booths. And the worship of G-d under the New Testament is prophesied of under the notion of keeping the feast of tabernacles, Zec 14:16."
We will discuss at a later time how this Feast of Tabernacles is not only significant in the birth of the Messiah Himself, but is also a prophetic shadow picture of His return.
I know you've read the verses discussed above many times before. But, if you are like I was for 30 years, you read through them without actually "hearing" much of what they were telling you.
Many of you read Christian books and commentaries. Why not read Jewish extra-biblical sources as well?
By ignoring or downright discarding Jewish works - as has been the rule for much of Christian history - we have left ourselves handicapped. We Westerners with our Gentile/Greek mindsets have tried to comprehend the Hebrew Scriptures without the aid of an Hebraic perspective.
What folly.
Perhaps, as a side benefit of this study, we may also learn that those details in Scripture we previously skipped over do have a purpose.
Because of our lack of thorough study of the very words Yahweh Himself has given us for our spiritual benefit, we often judge some of His words as meaningless or useless. Shame on us.
May we be forgiven.
In conclusion, let us take note that instead of Yahshua's birth being on a date dedicated to the worship of pagan deities, His birth - indeed His whole life - fit perfectly into Yahweh's calendar of appointed times and Festivals.
However, when the Gentile Christian world long ago abandoned its Hebraic roots, it also began to declare that these Feasts of the L-rd were no longer relevant. As a result, generations of believers have been sold on cheap substitutes such as Christ- mass.
May we rise up out of our spiritual anemia and once again regain the spiritual strength that comes from preaching "the full gospel."
Saturday, October 21, 2006
Insights from Early Christmas Traditions
What were some of the earliest Christmas traditions like? How did the disciples and the earliest church celebrate Christmas - the birth of the Messiah? Are there some lessons we can learn to enhance our holiday season this year?
If your desire is to be more like the "New" Testament church, then this message is for you.
After all, if it was good enough for them it must be good enough for us, right?
So, it may shock you to discover that Jews in the first century did not celebrate birthdays at all.
That's right. None, Nada, Zip.
Birthdays were a gentile excuse for a party.
The only time birthdays are mentioned in Scripture is in association with death, such as when John the Baptist was beheaded.
Never is a birthday given as a reason for a celebration in Scripture.
As a Jew, Yahshua (Jesus) never had a birthday party. Miriam, his Torah faithful Jewish mother, would never allow such an occasion in her home. The disciples, as Jewish followers of Yahahua, would never entertain the thought of having a birthday celebration.
The early church - up to the time of Constantine - never had celebrations of Jesus' birth.
Only with Constantine - who was a sun worshipper - did the 4th century Roman church begin to accommodate the pagans in this way. In order to satisfy those who worshipped Mithra on December 25th (and to bring them under the his control), Pontifex Maximus renamed the pagan celebration and incorporated it into church practice as Christ - mass.
What do you have if you take a pig, wash him, put cologne on him, and dress him in a new suit?
What you have is simply a dressed up pig. Nothing more.
Therefore, if we follow the traditions of the most faithful and earliest church, then there would be no celebration of Christmas.
However, today we find ourselves just like the Roman church of old. In order to satisfy those in our midst who love the pagan traditions more than the Scriptural ones, we have Christmas.
If you only knew what Christmas tree balls were meant to simulate!
Oh, that there were men and women of G-d again who had a hunger and thirst for the things of G-d. The Puritans were that way. They outlawed Christmas because they recognized it for what it was.
But, the lure of the world is strong. The Puritans are gone. Their ways ridiculed.
The odd turn of events is that we are now led to believe the Jewish Messiah came to do away with the Hebrew Torah (Law) and replace Yahweh's (G-d's) festivals with pagan ones.
Maybe this year you will begin to see that the pagan traditions we've inherited - no matter how much we've dressed them up - are cheap substitutes for the truly wonderful and eternally significant prophetic shadow pictures that Yahweh gave us in Scripture.
Sadly the Roman tradition of Christmas has taken control of the modern church- Protestant as well as Catholic. This season there will again be protests and even legal battles to keep "Christ" in Christmas.
But, the truth is, He was never there in the first place.
The only question left to ask is not whether we will follow a tradition about Christmas, but whose traditions will we follow?
Will it be those traditions of the modern gentile church,
or those of the first century disciples?
If your desire is to be more like the "New" Testament church, then this message is for you.
After all, if it was good enough for them it must be good enough for us, right?
So, it may shock you to discover that Jews in the first century did not celebrate birthdays at all.
That's right. None, Nada, Zip.
Birthdays were a gentile excuse for a party.
The only time birthdays are mentioned in Scripture is in association with death, such as when John the Baptist was beheaded.
Never is a birthday given as a reason for a celebration in Scripture.
As a Jew, Yahshua (Jesus) never had a birthday party. Miriam, his Torah faithful Jewish mother, would never allow such an occasion in her home. The disciples, as Jewish followers of Yahahua, would never entertain the thought of having a birthday celebration.
The early church - up to the time of Constantine - never had celebrations of Jesus' birth.
Only with Constantine - who was a sun worshipper - did the 4th century Roman church begin to accommodate the pagans in this way. In order to satisfy those who worshipped Mithra on December 25th (and to bring them under the his control), Pontifex Maximus renamed the pagan celebration and incorporated it into church practice as Christ - mass.
What do you have if you take a pig, wash him, put cologne on him, and dress him in a new suit?
What you have is simply a dressed up pig. Nothing more.
Therefore, if we follow the traditions of the most faithful and earliest church, then there would be no celebration of Christmas.
However, today we find ourselves just like the Roman church of old. In order to satisfy those in our midst who love the pagan traditions more than the Scriptural ones, we have Christmas.
If you only knew what Christmas tree balls were meant to simulate!
Oh, that there were men and women of G-d again who had a hunger and thirst for the things of G-d. The Puritans were that way. They outlawed Christmas because they recognized it for what it was.
But, the lure of the world is strong. The Puritans are gone. Their ways ridiculed.
The odd turn of events is that we are now led to believe the Jewish Messiah came to do away with the Hebrew Torah (Law) and replace Yahweh's (G-d's) festivals with pagan ones.
Maybe this year you will begin to see that the pagan traditions we've inherited - no matter how much we've dressed them up - are cheap substitutes for the truly wonderful and eternally significant prophetic shadow pictures that Yahweh gave us in Scripture.
Sadly the Roman tradition of Christmas has taken control of the modern church- Protestant as well as Catholic. This season there will again be protests and even legal battles to keep "Christ" in Christmas.
But, the truth is, He was never there in the first place.
The only question left to ask is not whether we will follow a tradition about Christmas, but whose traditions will we follow?
Will it be those traditions of the modern gentile church,
or those of the first century disciples?
Saturday, October 14, 2006
Guess Whose B'day Was NOT December 25
Whose birthday was NOT December 25?
First let me give you a list of the false sun g-ds whose birthdays were on December 25th.
He is not like the false g-ds. He is not just another deity on an historian's list of ancient beliefs.
He does not want to be treated like the false g-ds.
Deu 12:2 - 4 "You shall completely destroy all the places in which the nations which you shall possess served their gods, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree.
And you shall overthrow their altars and break their pillars, and burn their pillars with fire.
And you shall cut down the carved images of their g-ds, and destroy their names out of that place.
You shall not do so to Yahweh your Elohim (G-d)."
He does not want us to even mention the names of these false deities.
Exodus 23:13b "And make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of your mouth."
Now, can we honestly say the Almighty Creator of heaven and earth who gave His Son for our salvation was nothing but a copy cat of these false deities?
Can we say we honestly believe our Creator would allow His precious Son to be born on a day so completley given over to pagan sun worship?
Or, do we say that the date doesn't matter?
If it doesn't matter, then what Scriptural reason can be found to justify holding an event on the one day of the year totally identified with false sun worship?
Some say it doesn't matter because we no longer associate December 25 with sun worship and false g-ds.
An argument by ignorance. Because we are ill-informed that makes it OK.
Well, we are no longer ill-informed, are we?
Or are we saying Yahweh forgot for a moment in history what day December 25 represents?
Besides, dates do matter.
Just because the entire world of confessing believers neglects the Creators calendar in favor of a pagan one doesn't make it right.
Determining righteousness is not done by majority vote.
Why bring all this up in October?
Do you have your nativity scenes up now? You should.
I'll tell you why next time.
First let me give you a list of the false sun g-ds whose birthdays were on December 25th.
- Crishna (Vishnu),
- Osiris,
- Horus,
- Hercules,
- Dionysys (Bacchus),
- Indra,
- Buddha,
- Tammuz,
- Ra,
- Zeus,
- Mithra,
He is not like the false g-ds. He is not just another deity on an historian's list of ancient beliefs.
He does not want to be treated like the false g-ds.
Deu 12:2 - 4 "You shall completely destroy all the places in which the nations which you shall possess served their gods, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree.
And you shall overthrow their altars and break their pillars, and burn their pillars with fire.
And you shall cut down the carved images of their g-ds, and destroy their names out of that place.
You shall not do so to Yahweh your Elohim (G-d)."
He does not want us to even mention the names of these false deities.
Exodus 23:13b "And make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of your mouth."
Now, can we honestly say the Almighty Creator of heaven and earth who gave His Son for our salvation was nothing but a copy cat of these false deities?
Can we say we honestly believe our Creator would allow His precious Son to be born on a day so completley given over to pagan sun worship?
Or, do we say that the date doesn't matter?
If it doesn't matter, then what Scriptural reason can be found to justify holding an event on the one day of the year totally identified with false sun worship?
Some say it doesn't matter because we no longer associate December 25 with sun worship and false g-ds.
An argument by ignorance. Because we are ill-informed that makes it OK.
Well, we are no longer ill-informed, are we?
Or are we saying Yahweh forgot for a moment in history what day December 25 represents?
Besides, dates do matter.
Just because the entire world of confessing believers neglects the Creators calendar in favor of a pagan one doesn't make it right.
Determining righteousness is not done by majority vote.
Why bring all this up in October?
Do you have your nativity scenes up now? You should.
I'll tell you why next time.
Thursday, October 05, 2006
Yom Kippur? What's that?
Yom Kippur? What's that?
Oh, not much...just the granddaddy of all Sabbaths, that's all.
A prophetic shadow picture of the coming Day of Atonement, also know as the Day of Judgment.
Yom Kippur passed a few days ago. It's one of Yahweh's (G-d's) appointed times on His calendar. He says that anyone who ignores it should be cut off from His people.
Yahweh calls it a holy convocation - as are all of His feasts.
The point to grasp is that the Hebrew word for convocation is pronounced mikraw. It means a rehearsal.
The Feasts of Yahweh are rehearsals for things to come. Which just points to one of the reasons it's poor theology to say these rehearsals have been done away. Rehearsals continue until opening night.
So, if you are not practicing the rehearsals, you can't fully understand what's happening when the curtain rises on the real Day of Atonement - an event we should see soon.
Here's my confession: I don't like Yom Kippur rehearsals.
It's a fast day which makes it a really lousy day for me. By the time it's over, I'm feeling rough, miserable and cranky.
But, of course, I believe that's the benefit of it. Because it's a rough, lousy day, it makes me face the reality of the Day of Atonement in a more concrete and up-close kind of way.
It's so easy to "believe" in certain theological concepts and still remain aloof from them. For instance, we can talk about being sinners, but deep down inside we all think we're really not so bad. It's all those other people who have sin problems - not us.
Am I not right?
When you practice the rehearsal of Yom Kippur, your discomfort gives you a hint of what the final Yom Kippur will be like.
The real Day of Judgment will be both a wonderful and a horrible day.
Wonderful for those written in the Book of Life.
Horrible for the hundreds of millions who are not.
The days of Noah are a shadow picture Yom Kippur as well.
For 120 years Noah and his sons prepared the Ark. The building process itself presented a huge opportunity to witness to the peoples. But none listened.
One day, Yahweh told Noah to get inside. Yahweh Himself then closed and sealed the door.
The time for repentance was over.
For Noah and his family it was a wonderful day because they were safe as the rains and the floods came. At the same time, it was a horrible day for those outside.
As the waters rose higher, you can imagine how the people must have screamed, wailed, and begged to be let in the Ark.
For days Noah's family heard all the pleas from the friends they left behind. They heard a scary new sound as rain pounded the ground for the first time in history. They felt the boat shake as it began to ride the waves.
No doubt they were stunned into silence as they witnessed Yahweh's awesome judgment.
On Yom Kippur we can begin to get an ephemeral taste of the frightening fate awaiting those not written in the Book of Life.
This should drive us to be all the more grateful for our salvation (our Ark) through the Messiah Yahshua (Jesus) and to renew our committment to living a life pleasing to Him.
Likewise, the thought of so many people lost for an eternity should compel us to be more fervent in our efforts to reach those who don't know the Saviour.
Actually, reading about the Day of Judgment in the Book of the Revelation is how I got saved. I was stunned as I saw the fate of those who were not His people.
I guess the question now to ask is, "What kind of day will the holy convocation of Yom Kippur be for you?"
As in the days of Noah, will it be simply another day of chasing after success in this lost world, or will you be among those whose hearts are prepared and ready to go?
The rehearsal of Yom Kippur is good for us - whether you and I like it or not.
After all, Father knows best.
Oh, not much...just the granddaddy of all Sabbaths, that's all.
A prophetic shadow picture of the coming Day of Atonement, also know as the Day of Judgment.
Yom Kippur passed a few days ago. It's one of Yahweh's (G-d's) appointed times on His calendar. He says that anyone who ignores it should be cut off from His people.
Yahweh calls it a holy convocation - as are all of His feasts.
The point to grasp is that the Hebrew word for convocation is pronounced mikraw. It means a rehearsal.
The Feasts of Yahweh are rehearsals for things to come. Which just points to one of the reasons it's poor theology to say these rehearsals have been done away. Rehearsals continue until opening night.
So, if you are not practicing the rehearsals, you can't fully understand what's happening when the curtain rises on the real Day of Atonement - an event we should see soon.
Here's my confession: I don't like Yom Kippur rehearsals.
It's a fast day which makes it a really lousy day for me. By the time it's over, I'm feeling rough, miserable and cranky.
But, of course, I believe that's the benefit of it. Because it's a rough, lousy day, it makes me face the reality of the Day of Atonement in a more concrete and up-close kind of way.
It's so easy to "believe" in certain theological concepts and still remain aloof from them. For instance, we can talk about being sinners, but deep down inside we all think we're really not so bad. It's all those other people who have sin problems - not us.
Am I not right?
When you practice the rehearsal of Yom Kippur, your discomfort gives you a hint of what the final Yom Kippur will be like.
The real Day of Judgment will be both a wonderful and a horrible day.
Wonderful for those written in the Book of Life.
Horrible for the hundreds of millions who are not.
The days of Noah are a shadow picture Yom Kippur as well.
For 120 years Noah and his sons prepared the Ark. The building process itself presented a huge opportunity to witness to the peoples. But none listened.
One day, Yahweh told Noah to get inside. Yahweh Himself then closed and sealed the door.
The time for repentance was over.
For Noah and his family it was a wonderful day because they were safe as the rains and the floods came. At the same time, it was a horrible day for those outside.
As the waters rose higher, you can imagine how the people must have screamed, wailed, and begged to be let in the Ark.
For days Noah's family heard all the pleas from the friends they left behind. They heard a scary new sound as rain pounded the ground for the first time in history. They felt the boat shake as it began to ride the waves.
No doubt they were stunned into silence as they witnessed Yahweh's awesome judgment.
On Yom Kippur we can begin to get an ephemeral taste of the frightening fate awaiting those not written in the Book of Life.
This should drive us to be all the more grateful for our salvation (our Ark) through the Messiah Yahshua (Jesus) and to renew our committment to living a life pleasing to Him.
Likewise, the thought of so many people lost for an eternity should compel us to be more fervent in our efforts to reach those who don't know the Saviour.
Actually, reading about the Day of Judgment in the Book of the Revelation is how I got saved. I was stunned as I saw the fate of those who were not His people.
I guess the question now to ask is, "What kind of day will the holy convocation of Yom Kippur be for you?"
As in the days of Noah, will it be simply another day of chasing after success in this lost world, or will you be among those whose hearts are prepared and ready to go?
The rehearsal of Yom Kippur is good for us - whether you and I like it or not.
After all, Father knows best.
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
A Phenomenon or Acres of Diamonds?
Yahshua (Jesus) is set to fulfill the Fall Festivals when He returns.
These are the festivals of Yom Teruah, Yom Kippur, and Succot (the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles) .
Yahshua told us we'll know the season. He also said we would not know the day or the hour.
To illustrate that point, a phenomenon occurred recently which gives partial and practical insight into His statement.
This phenomenon was silent. No one heard it. Few observed it. But it impacts the entire world.
What it revealed is amazing to think about...
Modern man can't decide what day today is!
Let me explain.
Most of the world uses the Gregorian calendar.
It's a Catholic calendar given to us by Pope Gregory XIII in 1578. He sought to revise and correct the drift of the ancient Roman calendar called the Julian calendar. He introduced it only to countries that were mostly Catholic.
What is curious is that the Protestant Reformation (sometimes called the Protestant Revolution) had already begun when Martin Luther, an Augustinian monk, called for reopening of the debate on the sale of indulgences.
That was in 1517.
By 1536 the separation from Rome of the Church of England under Henry VIII was completed.
Notice the timeline.
Gregory's calendar did not appear until 42 years later - well into the heart of the Protestant Reformation - which supposedly rejected anything Roman Catholic.
Today, there's a 99% chance the calendar hanging on a wall in your house - whether you are Catholic or Protestant - is Pope Gregory's calendar.
( This is off the topic, but hopefully the Protestants reading this will see another example of how Protestantism of the 21st century is not that of the forefathers.
It has been re-absorbed or re-conquered by Catholicism - which was precisely Pope Gregory's driving purpose in life. Apparently he succeeded.
The practice of faith that once called for 'Sola Scriptura' -Scripture only- is so infused now with Catholic traditions it is more appropriately called "Catholic Lite." )
But, the Gregorian calendar adopted a solar cycle as it's basis. It abandoned any correlation between the moon cycles and the month which is the pattern of the Creator's calendar.
As a result, you'll find the Pope's calendar is no help when you want to determine Yahweh's set apart times.
However, if you want to know when all the man-made religious holidays are, such as Lent, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter, Halloween, Christmas, etc., then this calendar is right on the money.
The Scriptural calendar has no date such as September 24th for Yom Teruah, the Feast of Trumpets. In fact, even trying to correlate the Scriptural calendar with the Pope's calendars is difficult because the Scriptural day begins at sunset - not at midnight.
So, while you may say it is Tuesday according to the Pope, depending on the time of day it may still be "Monday", or could be already "Wednesday" according to the Creator.
Of course, the Creator doesn't glorify pagan deities by naming days or months after them. In fact, if you remember, He is a jealous G-d and gets quite upset with any glorification of false g-ds.
In Scripture the only days named are the Sabbaths. The rest are simply numbered. The same is true for the months.
But the Pope's calendar is the most popular in the world.
Even the Chinese have adopted it as their standard business calendar.
Nonetheless, it is not the Creator's calendar.
But, wait! What about the Jewish calendar?
It was created by a Rabbi Hillel II in the fourth century in order to keep the Jewish people scattered outside Israel unified.
The strength of the Gregorian calendar is still evident here as well.
When you buy a Jewish calendar you will see that it uses the Gregorian as a reference point. Under the large numbers of what looks like an ordinary calendar are the numbered days along with the names of the months of the Hillel calendar.
Take a note that this calendar is calculated.
That means that the days of the new moon - which are fundamental to the integrity of the Creator's calendar - are calculated when they should appear.
This is the curious part.
Recently, according to the Hillel calendar, the new moon was on Tishrie 1, or September 22nd. This day was calculated as the first day ( the new moon ) of the seventh month on the Creator's calendar, which Yahweh says is the time for the Feast of Trumpets.
If you check the US Naval Observatory you can indeed verify that astronomically speaking the new moon did occur on September 22.
From this can we conclude that the Jewish Hillel calendar is correct?
Hardly. We're missing one major detail.
The new moon for fixing the days and months doesn't start when modern astronomers say it does.
It starts when the new moon is actually observed.
In ancient times watchers waited on high places around Israel. When the moon was sighted, a bright fire was lit signaling to waiting Temple priests that the New Moon had been seen and that the new month had begun.
Determining the month was simple even for a poor shepherd.
But recently the new moon was not observed in Israel until Sunday the 24th when Hillel's calendar says the new moon was two days old.
Therefore, Scripturally speaking, the Feast of Trumpets began Sunday evening and lasted until Monday evening of the 25th. It did not occur Friday as calendars everywhere said it did.
So, here's our problem.
The Gregorian calendar says it is 2006. It is no help determining the set apart times of Yahweh's prophetic calendar.
The standard Jewish calendar by Hillel says it is the year 5767 and it just missed the new moon by two days. A few years ago there was a controversy that offset it with another Jewish calendar by a whole month!
I should interject to my Jewish and Messianic friends that I realize you are likely to be upset with me for these statements.
As with the Christian church, you must come to admit how powerful tradition is. Its tentacles are everywhere. Sometimes the grasp it holds on people is almost insurmountable. It is very difficult to discard a tradition or even admit that your favorite tradition is flawed.
It's easy to admit someone else's tradition has problems - but not your own!
Anyway, to make this topic muddier, some groups claim that the sighting of the moon has to be local - not in Jerusalem. That could make a difference of up to 24hrs for the setting of the new month on the west coast of America.
Still the other Jewish calendar I mentioned says it is the year 6006. Is it correct? We'll discuss this calendar another time.
So, was the Feast of Trumpets on September 22nd and 23rd, Tishrie 1? Or, September 24th and 25th, Tishrie 3 depending on the time of day?
Is the year 2006, 5767, or 6006? The Chinese say it's 4704, but that's only measured from after the time of the flood.
To sum this up I hope you can see that while we can know the season, there is confusion determining which day is today.
And, while all this is an interesting phenomenon, it is not the worst part.
The worst part is the evidence is clear and revealing about us and the modern church. We are so busy making sure we succeed in this man-made world that we don't know what time it is on the Creator's clock and probably couldn't care less.
At the same time, we are well practiced making sure we fit in and can do business on time in this pagan world.
We have alarm clocks, beepers, cell phones, text messaging, and PDA's all just to make sure we are not late for an important business deal. Yet, we have no clue about and little interest in eternally significant prophetic appointed times Yahweh has set into Scripture.
Specifically, how many believers know the importance of the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Festival of Tabernacles? They are all at our doorsteps and are prophetic shadow pictures of things to come given to us by the Creator.
Yet, most believers are totally unaware of these events.
I know I was. I spent 30 years studying Scripture. Like most I was pre-conditioned to dismiss all this "old" stuff.
It reminds me of a true story about a farmer in South Africa whose land was littered with black rocks. He tired of farming and sold out to go around the world diamond mining. He died penniless.
The tragedy of the story was that years later someone discovered those black rocks were actually coal-encrusted diamonds. He literally had acres of diamonds on his property that he sold for pennies on the dollar. He gave up the fortune under his feet to die among beggars.
How many of us are that way? We've discarded the riches of Yahweh's instructions to follow after things of the world.
As with the Gregorian calendar, the ways of the world are more popular than the ways of Yahweh.
Where are our priorities?
You have at your disposal acres of Scriptural diamonds. Have they become hidden by the hardened black rock of tradition?
Perhaps you should look around you. Don't step over an acre of diamonds to look for treasure elsewhere.
Think about it.
These are the festivals of Yom Teruah, Yom Kippur, and Succot (the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles) .
Yahshua told us we'll know the season. He also said we would not know the day or the hour.
To illustrate that point, a phenomenon occurred recently which gives partial and practical insight into His statement.
This phenomenon was silent. No one heard it. Few observed it. But it impacts the entire world.
What it revealed is amazing to think about...
Modern man can't decide what day today is!
Let me explain.
Most of the world uses the Gregorian calendar.
It's a Catholic calendar given to us by Pope Gregory XIII in 1578. He sought to revise and correct the drift of the ancient Roman calendar called the Julian calendar. He introduced it only to countries that were mostly Catholic.
What is curious is that the Protestant Reformation (sometimes called the Protestant Revolution) had already begun when Martin Luther, an Augustinian monk, called for reopening of the debate on the sale of indulgences.
That was in 1517.
By 1536 the separation from Rome of the Church of England under Henry VIII was completed.
Notice the timeline.
Gregory's calendar did not appear until 42 years later - well into the heart of the Protestant Reformation - which supposedly rejected anything Roman Catholic.
Today, there's a 99% chance the calendar hanging on a wall in your house - whether you are Catholic or Protestant - is Pope Gregory's calendar.
( This is off the topic, but hopefully the Protestants reading this will see another example of how Protestantism of the 21st century is not that of the forefathers.
It has been re-absorbed or re-conquered by Catholicism - which was precisely Pope Gregory's driving purpose in life. Apparently he succeeded.
The practice of faith that once called for 'Sola Scriptura' -Scripture only- is so infused now with Catholic traditions it is more appropriately called "Catholic Lite." )
But, the Gregorian calendar adopted a solar cycle as it's basis. It abandoned any correlation between the moon cycles and the month which is the pattern of the Creator's calendar.
As a result, you'll find the Pope's calendar is no help when you want to determine Yahweh's set apart times.
However, if you want to know when all the man-made religious holidays are, such as Lent, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Easter, Halloween, Christmas, etc., then this calendar is right on the money.
The Scriptural calendar has no date such as September 24th for Yom Teruah, the Feast of Trumpets. In fact, even trying to correlate the Scriptural calendar with the Pope's calendars is difficult because the Scriptural day begins at sunset - not at midnight.
So, while you may say it is Tuesday according to the Pope, depending on the time of day it may still be "Monday", or could be already "Wednesday" according to the Creator.
Of course, the Creator doesn't glorify pagan deities by naming days or months after them. In fact, if you remember, He is a jealous G-d and gets quite upset with any glorification of false g-ds.
In Scripture the only days named are the Sabbaths. The rest are simply numbered. The same is true for the months.
But the Pope's calendar is the most popular in the world.
Even the Chinese have adopted it as their standard business calendar.
Nonetheless, it is not the Creator's calendar.
But, wait! What about the Jewish calendar?
It was created by a Rabbi Hillel II in the fourth century in order to keep the Jewish people scattered outside Israel unified.
The strength of the Gregorian calendar is still evident here as well.
When you buy a Jewish calendar you will see that it uses the Gregorian as a reference point. Under the large numbers of what looks like an ordinary calendar are the numbered days along with the names of the months of the Hillel calendar.
Take a note that this calendar is calculated.
That means that the days of the new moon - which are fundamental to the integrity of the Creator's calendar - are calculated when they should appear.
This is the curious part.
Recently, according to the Hillel calendar, the new moon was on Tishrie 1, or September 22nd. This day was calculated as the first day ( the new moon ) of the seventh month on the Creator's calendar, which Yahweh says is the time for the Feast of Trumpets.
If you check the US Naval Observatory you can indeed verify that astronomically speaking the new moon did occur on September 22.
From this can we conclude that the Jewish Hillel calendar is correct?
Hardly. We're missing one major detail.
The new moon for fixing the days and months doesn't start when modern astronomers say it does.
It starts when the new moon is actually observed.
In ancient times watchers waited on high places around Israel. When the moon was sighted, a bright fire was lit signaling to waiting Temple priests that the New Moon had been seen and that the new month had begun.
Determining the month was simple even for a poor shepherd.
But recently the new moon was not observed in Israel until Sunday the 24th when Hillel's calendar says the new moon was two days old.
Therefore, Scripturally speaking, the Feast of Trumpets began Sunday evening and lasted until Monday evening of the 25th. It did not occur Friday as calendars everywhere said it did.
So, here's our problem.
The Gregorian calendar says it is 2006. It is no help determining the set apart times of Yahweh's prophetic calendar.
The standard Jewish calendar by Hillel says it is the year 5767 and it just missed the new moon by two days. A few years ago there was a controversy that offset it with another Jewish calendar by a whole month!
I should interject to my Jewish and Messianic friends that I realize you are likely to be upset with me for these statements.
As with the Christian church, you must come to admit how powerful tradition is. Its tentacles are everywhere. Sometimes the grasp it holds on people is almost insurmountable. It is very difficult to discard a tradition or even admit that your favorite tradition is flawed.
It's easy to admit someone else's tradition has problems - but not your own!
Anyway, to make this topic muddier, some groups claim that the sighting of the moon has to be local - not in Jerusalem. That could make a difference of up to 24hrs for the setting of the new month on the west coast of America.
Still the other Jewish calendar I mentioned says it is the year 6006. Is it correct? We'll discuss this calendar another time.
So, was the Feast of Trumpets on September 22nd and 23rd, Tishrie 1? Or, September 24th and 25th, Tishrie 3 depending on the time of day?
Is the year 2006, 5767, or 6006? The Chinese say it's 4704, but that's only measured from after the time of the flood.
To sum this up I hope you can see that while we can know the season, there is confusion determining which day is today.
And, while all this is an interesting phenomenon, it is not the worst part.
The worst part is the evidence is clear and revealing about us and the modern church. We are so busy making sure we succeed in this man-made world that we don't know what time it is on the Creator's clock and probably couldn't care less.
At the same time, we are well practiced making sure we fit in and can do business on time in this pagan world.
We have alarm clocks, beepers, cell phones, text messaging, and PDA's all just to make sure we are not late for an important business deal. Yet, we have no clue about and little interest in eternally significant prophetic appointed times Yahweh has set into Scripture.
Specifically, how many believers know the importance of the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Festival of Tabernacles? They are all at our doorsteps and are prophetic shadow pictures of things to come given to us by the Creator.
Yet, most believers are totally unaware of these events.
I know I was. I spent 30 years studying Scripture. Like most I was pre-conditioned to dismiss all this "old" stuff.
It reminds me of a true story about a farmer in South Africa whose land was littered with black rocks. He tired of farming and sold out to go around the world diamond mining. He died penniless.
The tragedy of the story was that years later someone discovered those black rocks were actually coal-encrusted diamonds. He literally had acres of diamonds on his property that he sold for pennies on the dollar. He gave up the fortune under his feet to die among beggars.
How many of us are that way? We've discarded the riches of Yahweh's instructions to follow after things of the world.
As with the Gregorian calendar, the ways of the world are more popular than the ways of Yahweh.
Where are our priorities?
You have at your disposal acres of Scriptural diamonds. Have they become hidden by the hardened black rock of tradition?
Perhaps you should look around you. Don't step over an acre of diamonds to look for treasure elsewhere.
Think about it.
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Surprise Fulfillment of Daniel 9:11
There is much speculation concerning the events of 9/11.
Have you considered what Yahweh (G-d) says? Did He give us any Word in Scripture that can help discern the times in which we live?
When the children of Israel sinned and wouldn't turn back to Yahweh, He used heathen nations to bring the curse upon them. He used Assyria and Babylon to punish the people for their sins.
That's history.
There is a question we need to ask:
"Is Yahweh doing something similar again?"
Because of mankind's sin that we have forsaken and violated G-d's (Yahweh's) laws, is a curse poured out on the world?
Consider Islam.
Is it possible Islam and the terrorists are the curse?
Are they allowed to reek havoc on the world in order to drive people to repentance?
Could there be any connection between the events of 9/11 and Scripture?
Consider Daniel 9:11.
Daniel was a prophet who wrote concerning various end times events.
"Yea all Israel have transgressed thy law, even by departing, that they might not obey thy voice, therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant of G-d, because we have sinned against him."
Is Islam a fulfillment of this verse?
At your first look you may not see the connection. That's because most believers only read the English.
In the original Hebrew the picture becomes clear.
Before I tell you what it is, remember that Daniel wrote his words about 1100 years before Islam was founded. Of course, that means nothing to Yahweh, the Author of Daniel's words since He sees the end from the beginning.
In this verse the original Hebrew word translated as "curse" is:
allah.
Just in case you're new to this planet, allah is the false god of Islam.
There you have it. Scripture tells us that allah is a curse.
In light of the quickly unfolding prophetic events, the Feast of Trumpets and Yom Kippur, I thought you should know.
Have you considered what Yahweh (G-d) says? Did He give us any Word in Scripture that can help discern the times in which we live?
When the children of Israel sinned and wouldn't turn back to Yahweh, He used heathen nations to bring the curse upon them. He used Assyria and Babylon to punish the people for their sins.
That's history.
There is a question we need to ask:
"Is Yahweh doing something similar again?"
Because of mankind's sin that we have forsaken and violated G-d's (Yahweh's) laws, is a curse poured out on the world?
Consider Islam.
Is it possible Islam and the terrorists are the curse?
Are they allowed to reek havoc on the world in order to drive people to repentance?
Could there be any connection between the events of 9/11 and Scripture?
Consider Daniel 9:11.
Daniel was a prophet who wrote concerning various end times events.
"Yea all Israel have transgressed thy law, even by departing, that they might not obey thy voice, therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant of G-d, because we have sinned against him."
Is Islam a fulfillment of this verse?
At your first look you may not see the connection. That's because most believers only read the English.
In the original Hebrew the picture becomes clear.
Before I tell you what it is, remember that Daniel wrote his words about 1100 years before Islam was founded. Of course, that means nothing to Yahweh, the Author of Daniel's words since He sees the end from the beginning.
In this verse the original Hebrew word translated as "curse" is:
allah.
Just in case you're new to this planet, allah is the false god of Islam.
There you have it. Scripture tells us that allah is a curse.
In light of the quickly unfolding prophetic events, the Feast of Trumpets and Yom Kippur, I thought you should know.
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
The Final Trumpet - September 24th ?
Whether you believe in specific prophecies about the end times or not, I can say without a doubt that the prophetic sounding of the Trumpet of the L-rd (Yahweh) occurs September 24th!
Whoa! George, are you another of those misguided deluded people who think they know the date and time of the Messiah’s return?
No, not at all.
But, you may be one of the many Christian believers who have never been taught the powerful end time significance of the Festivals of the L-rd (Yahweh).
Note that I don’t say “Jewish” festivals. They are not Jewish festivals. They are Yahweh’s (G-d) festivals, which He appointed. And, they are shadow pictures of the things to come.
By ignoring these Festivals, we in the church have been left to our own devices in interpreting the end time events.
But, Yahweh did not leave us in the dark. He gave us details about what would happen in the end times.
Unfortunately, we believers think that only the unsaved stumble in blindness. Yet, we too, have been partially blinded.
This is an attempt to help you loosen that blindness and see the glory of Yahweh as it is written in Scripture for our edification through obedience.
Oops! I shouldn’t use that word obedience. It causes so many believers to have a knee-jerk reaction.
They are the ones who think that so long as you "believe in Jesus" you don’t have to do anything but sit back and enjoy the ride. I hope that isn’t you.
Be aware, even satan believes in Jesus. But he and his followers are distinguished by their lack of repentance. Their quiver is full of excuses why you shouldn't be obedient to this or that Scripture - especially the "Old" Testament!
Anyway, this is the Scriptural season of repentance. It began on the 28th of August and ends October 4th. It is a 40-day period of reflection, reconciliation, and repentance that ends on the Day of Judgment known as Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement.
Indeed, the name for this season is called Teshuvah, or return, or repentance.
(How much I can teach here always depends on the time I can squeeze out to write to you. At this moment, it is 4:12 in the morning. I couldn’t sleep because this is such an important teaching.)
Between now and the 15th of October there are four different Scripturally appointed times you should know about. They are shadow pictures Yahweh gave to teach us of world shaking events which will unfold before us soon.
Actually the word used carries the meaning of rehearsal. When we celebrate these appointed times, our rehearsal helps us prepare for when the real festival takes place. Like actors in a play, we rehearse right up until the opening day.
So, let me focus first on Yom Teruah, known in English as the Day of Trumpets. Today it is known on the Jewish calendar as Rosh Hashanah or the Jewish New Year.
In places where something is specifically Jewish, I will tell you. Jewish sources have a lot they can tell us. They can help us place Scripture in context and they can help swing the pendulum back from our purely Western and Gentile points of reference.
Besides, as we read in Romans 3:2 “…unto them (the Jews) were committed the oracles of God.”
That said you should find it interesting and prophetically significant that Jewish eschatology or end time teaching says that on the Day of Atonement after six thousand years are complete, the Day of the L-rd (Yahweh) will come.
On that day, the shofar (not a trumpet as in a modern jazz band) will sound and the righteous will be resurrected!
I bet you thought that was a strictly Christian idea.
Immediately it comes to mind that so much of this would become obvious if we professed believers in the Hebrew (G-d) Yahweh of the Hebrew Scriptures weren’t so insistent on clinging to all our pagan gentile culture.
What I refer to specifically is our system of time keeping – the calendar. Both the Jews and the Christians cling to man-made calendars.
What has the Creator of the Universe to do with that?
Didn’t He establish His own calendar?
In Genesis 1:14 we read, “And G-d (Yahweh) said Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons. And for days and years.”
Just the discussion of calendars alone can open our eyes to the truth of the Messiah’s statement where He said no man would know the day nor the hour of His return.
You see, the Christian world follows a Roman calendar system revised by Pope Gregory in the 16th century.
It uses the names of pagan gods for the names of the days and months. The date for “Easter” was deliberately fixed so it would not coincide with the Scriptural festival of Passover – for the anti-Jewish bias of not wanting any connection with “Jewish” holidays.
The Christian calendar says it is 2006.
The Jews follow a calendar system developed by a Rabbi named Hillel in the 4th century. It is a mathematically calculated calendar that worked well for a long time but has ceased to be accurate. It also incorporates a pagan deity for one of its months.
This Jewish calendar says it is the year 5767.
Both calendars have a similar flaw that requires them to insert leap years.
In recent years, since the return to the Land, there has developed another Jewish calendar which is slightly different from the previous. It is called the Astronomically and Agriculturally Corrected Biblical Hebrew Calendar. It is also devised by a Jewish Rabbi.
According to this particular calendar - it is the year 6006.
So, are we at the six thousand years mark?
I'll bring you the evidence as soon as I can and let you decide. You may be shocked to know just how late it is on Yahweh’s prophetic clock.
I’ll discuss that in another teaching, but for now let’s focus on the importance of Yom Teruah, or the Feast of Trumpets.
For 30 days prior to the Feast of Trumpets the shofar is sounded in Synagogues around the world.
This is to remind the people – and that includes each of us - to prepare. Jews begin a time of reflection and confess their sins, seek forgiveness, and fix mistakes made during the year.
Sounds like something we all should do. May I remind you that repentance is not a Jewish idea, but a Scriptural one?
During the Feast of Trumpets itself, a series of 100 shofar blasts are sounded. The shofar acts like a call to awaken the conscience.
Among other things, it is blown to announce the beginning of the ten days of Teshuvah, or the Days of Awe.
It is to warn us: Let all who desire to turn in Teshuvah (repentance) do so now. Repent and be saved. If you do not turn away from your sins, you will have no reason to cry injustice.
Kings do the same. First, they warn the people in their decree, and whoever violates the decree after the warning will suffer the consequences.
You can see this in the example of Noah.
For 120 years he preached Yahweh's message of repentance to the people while he and his sons built the ark. None listened.
Then the final day came. Noah and his family entered the ark - because they obeyed, they were saved. And King Yahweh closed and sealed the door. The rains began.
No doubt many began to proclaim their change of heart. But the time for repentance had past.
This is the theme Yahshua (Jesus) preached.
Matthew 4:17
“Repent for the Kingdom of G-d is at hand.”
It is the same message the disciples preached.
Mark 6:12
“And they went out, and preached that men should repent.”
This flies in the face of so much modern church teaching which avoids the use of the words sin and repentance. Today the emphasis is on “working through your problems to become a better you.”
Yom Teruah is Yahweh’s way of sounding the alarm. Just like we do with the horn on our car when someone is about to make a dangerous move with their vehicle.
It should get our attention!
Prophetic Scriptures of the end time involve the use of the shofar announcement.
As in Zephaniah 1: 14-16:
“Near is the great day of Yahweh, near and hurrying greatly, the noise of the day of Yahweh...that day is a day of wrath, a day of waste and ruin…a day of the shofar (ram’s horn) and alarm…”
Matthew 24:31
“And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet (shofar) and they shall gather together his elect…”
1 Corinthians 15:52
“In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump, for the trumpet shall sound…”
We could say that Yom Teruah is our wake up call.
On that note, it is a shame only a few within the body of believing Christians know what a shofar is, much less have actually heard one blown. I wonder how many will be expecting to hear the sounds of Louie Armstrong or Herb Alpert's trumpets?
At this point I know some of you are chomping at the bit to interject that we don't need to worry about all this because we cling to and trust in Yahshua the Messiah for our salvation.
Yes, it's true that Yahshua HaMashiach (Jesus, the Messiah) is our salvation.
But, the evidence of the validity of that salvation is manifested in our life changing repentance. We may come to salvation “just as I am” - but we’re not supposed to stay that way.
If we have truly repented, the evidence is that we bring forth fruit worthy of that repentance.
Let him who steals make restitution and steal no more. He who is mired in the cesspool of pornography, stop! Sin no more.
Repentance is an ongoing event.
We sin, we break fellowship. We repent, we restore fellowship.
Some preachers have an altar call every week urging you to repent and turn back. Yahweh - demonstrating His Grace and Mercy - built into His calendar each year a whole season specifically to urge us to turn back from our sins.
This alone should cause us to both fear and rejoice in the Feast of Trumpets.
We all deserve judgment.
Then we hear the warning of the shofar awakening us from our warm coziness with sin and we heed the message of Yahshua who said, “Repent”.
In place of judgment, we get mercy.
Ultimately, it should cause us to seek to live righteous lives - dare I say it, obedient lives.
It should also remind us of events soon to take place in Yahweh’s prophetic calendar.
The Spring Festivals of Yahweh were fulfilled in the first coming of the Messiah. The Fall Festivals will be fulfilled when He comes again.
Will the heavenly trumpet sound on September 24th this year?
I don’t know.
It depends on which calendar you look at. In fact, some of you who are currently following a Jewish calendar may notice a few days difference between the dates I used earlier and the ones found on your calendar.
But I do know that for almost 3400 years Yom Teruah has been a shadow picture of what is to happen in the last days.
Remember, Yahweh is the One who picked the date on His calendar. I don’t see any indication that He intends to change things now.
Don't you find it sad that most in the church are so comfortable with their gentile and pagan ways, that they won’t even notice there is such a thing as the Day of Trumpets?
Nonetheless, whenever the final Yom Teruah occurs we need to be fully prepared.
The prophetic Scripture of 2 Peter 3:9 gives us an appropriate final thought. Take careful note that this epistle is written not to the unsaved, but to believers!
“The L-rd is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness, but is longsuffering to us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
Hallel Yah!
Whoa! George, are you another of those misguided deluded people who think they know the date and time of the Messiah’s return?
No, not at all.
But, you may be one of the many Christian believers who have never been taught the powerful end time significance of the Festivals of the L-rd (Yahweh).
Note that I don’t say “Jewish” festivals. They are not Jewish festivals. They are Yahweh’s (G-d) festivals, which He appointed. And, they are shadow pictures of the things to come.
By ignoring these Festivals, we in the church have been left to our own devices in interpreting the end time events.
But, Yahweh did not leave us in the dark. He gave us details about what would happen in the end times.
Unfortunately, we believers think that only the unsaved stumble in blindness. Yet, we too, have been partially blinded.
This is an attempt to help you loosen that blindness and see the glory of Yahweh as it is written in Scripture for our edification through obedience.
Oops! I shouldn’t use that word obedience. It causes so many believers to have a knee-jerk reaction.
They are the ones who think that so long as you "believe in Jesus" you don’t have to do anything but sit back and enjoy the ride. I hope that isn’t you.
Be aware, even satan believes in Jesus. But he and his followers are distinguished by their lack of repentance. Their quiver is full of excuses why you shouldn't be obedient to this or that Scripture - especially the "Old" Testament!
Anyway, this is the Scriptural season of repentance. It began on the 28th of August and ends October 4th. It is a 40-day period of reflection, reconciliation, and repentance that ends on the Day of Judgment known as Yom Kippur, or the Day of Atonement.
Indeed, the name for this season is called Teshuvah, or return, or repentance.
(How much I can teach here always depends on the time I can squeeze out to write to you. At this moment, it is 4:12 in the morning. I couldn’t sleep because this is such an important teaching.)
Between now and the 15th of October there are four different Scripturally appointed times you should know about. They are shadow pictures Yahweh gave to teach us of world shaking events which will unfold before us soon.
Actually the word used carries the meaning of rehearsal. When we celebrate these appointed times, our rehearsal helps us prepare for when the real festival takes place. Like actors in a play, we rehearse right up until the opening day.
So, let me focus first on Yom Teruah, known in English as the Day of Trumpets. Today it is known on the Jewish calendar as Rosh Hashanah or the Jewish New Year.
In places where something is specifically Jewish, I will tell you. Jewish sources have a lot they can tell us. They can help us place Scripture in context and they can help swing the pendulum back from our purely Western and Gentile points of reference.
Besides, as we read in Romans 3:2 “…unto them (the Jews) were committed the oracles of God.”
That said you should find it interesting and prophetically significant that Jewish eschatology or end time teaching says that on the Day of Atonement after six thousand years are complete, the Day of the L-rd (Yahweh) will come.
On that day, the shofar (not a trumpet as in a modern jazz band) will sound and the righteous will be resurrected!
I bet you thought that was a strictly Christian idea.
Immediately it comes to mind that so much of this would become obvious if we professed believers in the Hebrew (G-d) Yahweh of the Hebrew Scriptures weren’t so insistent on clinging to all our pagan gentile culture.
What I refer to specifically is our system of time keeping – the calendar. Both the Jews and the Christians cling to man-made calendars.
What has the Creator of the Universe to do with that?
Didn’t He establish His own calendar?
In Genesis 1:14 we read, “And G-d (Yahweh) said Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons. And for days and years.”
Just the discussion of calendars alone can open our eyes to the truth of the Messiah’s statement where He said no man would know the day nor the hour of His return.
You see, the Christian world follows a Roman calendar system revised by Pope Gregory in the 16th century.
It uses the names of pagan gods for the names of the days and months. The date for “Easter” was deliberately fixed so it would not coincide with the Scriptural festival of Passover – for the anti-Jewish bias of not wanting any connection with “Jewish” holidays.
The Christian calendar says it is 2006.
The Jews follow a calendar system developed by a Rabbi named Hillel in the 4th century. It is a mathematically calculated calendar that worked well for a long time but has ceased to be accurate. It also incorporates a pagan deity for one of its months.
This Jewish calendar says it is the year 5767.
Both calendars have a similar flaw that requires them to insert leap years.
In recent years, since the return to the Land, there has developed another Jewish calendar which is slightly different from the previous. It is called the Astronomically and Agriculturally Corrected Biblical Hebrew Calendar. It is also devised by a Jewish Rabbi.
According to this particular calendar - it is the year 6006.
So, are we at the six thousand years mark?
I'll bring you the evidence as soon as I can and let you decide. You may be shocked to know just how late it is on Yahweh’s prophetic clock.
I’ll discuss that in another teaching, but for now let’s focus on the importance of Yom Teruah, or the Feast of Trumpets.
For 30 days prior to the Feast of Trumpets the shofar is sounded in Synagogues around the world.
This is to remind the people – and that includes each of us - to prepare. Jews begin a time of reflection and confess their sins, seek forgiveness, and fix mistakes made during the year.
Sounds like something we all should do. May I remind you that repentance is not a Jewish idea, but a Scriptural one?
During the Feast of Trumpets itself, a series of 100 shofar blasts are sounded. The shofar acts like a call to awaken the conscience.
Among other things, it is blown to announce the beginning of the ten days of Teshuvah, or the Days of Awe.
It is to warn us: Let all who desire to turn in Teshuvah (repentance) do so now. Repent and be saved. If you do not turn away from your sins, you will have no reason to cry injustice.
Kings do the same. First, they warn the people in their decree, and whoever violates the decree after the warning will suffer the consequences.
You can see this in the example of Noah.
For 120 years he preached Yahweh's message of repentance to the people while he and his sons built the ark. None listened.
Then the final day came. Noah and his family entered the ark - because they obeyed, they were saved. And King Yahweh closed and sealed the door. The rains began.
No doubt many began to proclaim their change of heart. But the time for repentance had past.
This is the theme Yahshua (Jesus) preached.
Matthew 4:17
“Repent for the Kingdom of G-d is at hand.”
It is the same message the disciples preached.
Mark 6:12
“And they went out, and preached that men should repent.”
This flies in the face of so much modern church teaching which avoids the use of the words sin and repentance. Today the emphasis is on “working through your problems to become a better you.”
Yom Teruah is Yahweh’s way of sounding the alarm. Just like we do with the horn on our car when someone is about to make a dangerous move with their vehicle.
It should get our attention!
Prophetic Scriptures of the end time involve the use of the shofar announcement.
As in Zephaniah 1: 14-16:
“Near is the great day of Yahweh, near and hurrying greatly, the noise of the day of Yahweh...that day is a day of wrath, a day of waste and ruin…a day of the shofar (ram’s horn) and alarm…”
Matthew 24:31
“And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet (shofar) and they shall gather together his elect…”
1 Corinthians 15:52
“In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump, for the trumpet shall sound…”
We could say that Yom Teruah is our wake up call.
On that note, it is a shame only a few within the body of believing Christians know what a shofar is, much less have actually heard one blown. I wonder how many will be expecting to hear the sounds of Louie Armstrong or Herb Alpert's trumpets?
At this point I know some of you are chomping at the bit to interject that we don't need to worry about all this because we cling to and trust in Yahshua the Messiah for our salvation.
Yes, it's true that Yahshua HaMashiach (Jesus, the Messiah) is our salvation.
But, the evidence of the validity of that salvation is manifested in our life changing repentance. We may come to salvation “just as I am” - but we’re not supposed to stay that way.
If we have truly repented, the evidence is that we bring forth fruit worthy of that repentance.
Let him who steals make restitution and steal no more. He who is mired in the cesspool of pornography, stop! Sin no more.
Repentance is an ongoing event.
We sin, we break fellowship. We repent, we restore fellowship.
Some preachers have an altar call every week urging you to repent and turn back. Yahweh - demonstrating His Grace and Mercy - built into His calendar each year a whole season specifically to urge us to turn back from our sins.
This alone should cause us to both fear and rejoice in the Feast of Trumpets.
We all deserve judgment.
Then we hear the warning of the shofar awakening us from our warm coziness with sin and we heed the message of Yahshua who said, “Repent”.
In place of judgment, we get mercy.
Ultimately, it should cause us to seek to live righteous lives - dare I say it, obedient lives.
It should also remind us of events soon to take place in Yahweh’s prophetic calendar.
The Spring Festivals of Yahweh were fulfilled in the first coming of the Messiah. The Fall Festivals will be fulfilled when He comes again.
Will the heavenly trumpet sound on September 24th this year?
I don’t know.
It depends on which calendar you look at. In fact, some of you who are currently following a Jewish calendar may notice a few days difference between the dates I used earlier and the ones found on your calendar.
But I do know that for almost 3400 years Yom Teruah has been a shadow picture of what is to happen in the last days.
Remember, Yahweh is the One who picked the date on His calendar. I don’t see any indication that He intends to change things now.
Don't you find it sad that most in the church are so comfortable with their gentile and pagan ways, that they won’t even notice there is such a thing as the Day of Trumpets?
Nonetheless, whenever the final Yom Teruah occurs we need to be fully prepared.
The prophetic Scripture of 2 Peter 3:9 gives us an appropriate final thought. Take careful note that this epistle is written not to the unsaved, but to believers!
“The L-rd is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness, but is longsuffering to us, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
Hallel Yah!
Monday, August 28, 2006
Is the New Testament really "New" ?
Continuing our discussion of how words can slant our understanding of Scripture, we have to ask, “Is the New Testament is really new?”
The caution to remember is that mere men chose the words we read in our English Bibles.
These translators often were faced with difficult decisions. For instance, how do you determine which single English word to use to convey a Hebrew word that may contain many facets to its meaning?
In some cases, it can be shown how the final choices are heavily influenced by personal theology. In other words, scholars translate Scripture in some instances based on what they already believe it should be saying.
To be fair, there may be no ill intent on behalf of those who do the translating, yet the result is the same as if they had done it purposely. In either case, we believers may be reading a word that prejudices our understanding of Scripture.
That said, let's look at the 'New' part of the New Testament.
In Jeremiah 31:31 it is written in the King James Version...
“Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a NEW covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah”
This verse is referenced in Hebrews 8:8...
“For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah”
In traditional Christianity we have been led to believe that the 'NEW' covenant means something totally new replaced the old.
However, what does the Hebrew word actually mean?
The Hebrew word translated for us in English as 'New' is 'Chadashah' and contains the Hebrew word 'Chadash'. In Strongs Concordance this is the Hebrew number H-2319.
The meaning can rightly be 'new'.
But, since it comes from a Hebrew root word (number 2318) it also means 'repaired, refreshed, or renewed.'
The New Testament therefore does not necessarily mean 'new' as in the traditional Christian interpretation but in a deeper sense actually means the Renewed, or Refreshed Testament.
In another example, we can see the same nuances used concerning the 'new moon' (rosh chodesh). Is the new moon we see each month really a 'new' moon? Or has it simply been refreshed or renewed for the upcoming month after performing its function for the previous month?
Today there are a number of translations that use the term “Renewed” in referencing the “New” Testament. Some of these are the Hebraic Roots Version, The Scriptures, the Restoration Scriptures, and the Modern King James Version to name a few.
It is interesting to note that others believe Jeremiah was using the word Renewed - and they don't even believe in Yahshua (Jesus).
According to Eddie Chumley, an Hebraic teacher and disciple of Yahshua (Jesus), Jews who are not believers in the Messiah teach that Jeremiah 31:31 says 'renewed'.
In a newsletter Eddie quotes one such Rabbi's opinion. "The new covenant does not mean 'new' as in the traditional Christian interpretation but actually means 'renewed'."
So why is this important to us?
It helps us begin to understand how our thinking has been subtly lead astray.
The Covenant has not been discarded. It is not something "old" that had to be replaced with something "new". It has been renewed and refreshed.
Since it has been renewed and refreshed then
So, it is vitally important we study to understand our response to this Covenant that has been renewed.
We can no longer treat the "Old" as discarded. It is more than a collection of stories we read to our children about people and places that have no meaning for us today.
The law and the commanments are the very foundation upon which the convenant rests.
But, let's get rid of an obedience destroying myth immediately. The myth arises every time you mention keeping the commandments.
It is the myth that we're talking about earning our salvation through works. That is absolutely false.
Obedience to the commandments has nothing to do with salvation.
Simply put, our faithfulness to obey the commandments is the measure of assurance that our faith is genuine. Our faith in the Messiah is what saves us.
For instance, have you ever seen a tree you didn't recognize, whose leaves were unfamiliar to you?
My parents had a fig tree. When it was young and growing I could not tell what it was. But once it finally came of age and bore fruit, it was easy to see what type of tree it was. The fruit was the proof it was truly a fig tree.
Keeping the commandments is the fruit that bears witness to our profession of faith.
In the final chapters of Scripture, the Book of the Revelation, we see the continued emphasis that the true worshipper has to comply with two requirements:
Rev 12:17
"And the dragon was enraged over the woman, and went to make war with the rest of her seed, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. "
Rev 14:12
"Here is the patience of the saints. Here are the ones who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. "
Notice the direct tie betweeen keeping the commandments and faith in Jesus?
Unfortunately, the modern church is heavy on faith, but light on obedience. That is partly because of the teaching that the "old" has been done away.
Did you know that the Saints will be singing in the final scenes of the Revelation?
Guess what they sing.
Rev 15:2, 3
"And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire. And those who had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.
And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty, just and true are Your ways, O King of saints."
The Song of Moses?
Isn't that found in Deuteronomy, along with all that "old" stuff we don't have to pay attention to any more? What's it doing here in the very final chapters of the “New” Testament?
It’s not so hard to understand if you can begin to grasp that the “Old” was not thrown in the garbage heap. Rather, it was renewed.
The Song of Moses and the Song of the Lamb are part of the same hymn book!
The caution to remember is that mere men chose the words we read in our English Bibles.
These translators often were faced with difficult decisions. For instance, how do you determine which single English word to use to convey a Hebrew word that may contain many facets to its meaning?
In some cases, it can be shown how the final choices are heavily influenced by personal theology. In other words, scholars translate Scripture in some instances based on what they already believe it should be saying.
To be fair, there may be no ill intent on behalf of those who do the translating, yet the result is the same as if they had done it purposely. In either case, we believers may be reading a word that prejudices our understanding of Scripture.
That said, let's look at the 'New' part of the New Testament.
In Jeremiah 31:31 it is written in the King James Version...
“Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a NEW covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah”
This verse is referenced in Hebrews 8:8...
“For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah”
In traditional Christianity we have been led to believe that the 'NEW' covenant means something totally new replaced the old.
However, what does the Hebrew word actually mean?
The Hebrew word translated for us in English as 'New' is 'Chadashah' and contains the Hebrew word 'Chadash'. In Strongs Concordance this is the Hebrew number H-2319.
The meaning can rightly be 'new'.
But, since it comes from a Hebrew root word (number 2318) it also means 'repaired, refreshed, or renewed.'
The New Testament therefore does not necessarily mean 'new' as in the traditional Christian interpretation but in a deeper sense actually means the Renewed, or Refreshed Testament.
In another example, we can see the same nuances used concerning the 'new moon' (rosh chodesh). Is the new moon we see each month really a 'new' moon? Or has it simply been refreshed or renewed for the upcoming month after performing its function for the previous month?
Today there are a number of translations that use the term “Renewed” in referencing the “New” Testament. Some of these are the Hebraic Roots Version, The Scriptures, the Restoration Scriptures, and the Modern King James Version to name a few.
It is interesting to note that others believe Jeremiah was using the word Renewed - and they don't even believe in Yahshua (Jesus).
According to Eddie Chumley, an Hebraic teacher and disciple of Yahshua (Jesus), Jews who are not believers in the Messiah teach that Jeremiah 31:31 says 'renewed'.
In a newsletter Eddie quotes one such Rabbi's opinion. "The new covenant does not mean 'new' as in the traditional Christian interpretation but actually means 'renewed'."
So why is this important to us?
It helps us begin to understand how our thinking has been subtly lead astray.
The Covenant has not been discarded. It is not something "old" that had to be replaced with something "new". It has been renewed and refreshed.
Since it has been renewed and refreshed then
- · the Law still exists.
- · the "Old" Testament still is valid
- · it is the foundation for our trust in the Messiah.
So, it is vitally important we study to understand our response to this Covenant that has been renewed.
We can no longer treat the "Old" as discarded. It is more than a collection of stories we read to our children about people and places that have no meaning for us today.
The law and the commanments are the very foundation upon which the convenant rests.
But, let's get rid of an obedience destroying myth immediately. The myth arises every time you mention keeping the commandments.
It is the myth that we're talking about earning our salvation through works. That is absolutely false.
Obedience to the commandments has nothing to do with salvation.
Simply put, our faithfulness to obey the commandments is the measure of assurance that our faith is genuine. Our faith in the Messiah is what saves us.
For instance, have you ever seen a tree you didn't recognize, whose leaves were unfamiliar to you?
My parents had a fig tree. When it was young and growing I could not tell what it was. But once it finally came of age and bore fruit, it was easy to see what type of tree it was. The fruit was the proof it was truly a fig tree.
Keeping the commandments is the fruit that bears witness to our profession of faith.
In the final chapters of Scripture, the Book of the Revelation, we see the continued emphasis that the true worshipper has to comply with two requirements:
- · to guard the commands of Yahweh (G-d),
- · and to believe in Yahshua (Jesus).
Rev 12:17
"And the dragon was enraged over the woman, and went to make war with the rest of her seed, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. "
Rev 14:12
"Here is the patience of the saints. Here are the ones who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. "
Notice the direct tie betweeen keeping the commandments and faith in Jesus?
Unfortunately, the modern church is heavy on faith, but light on obedience. That is partly because of the teaching that the "old" has been done away.
Did you know that the Saints will be singing in the final scenes of the Revelation?
Guess what they sing.
Rev 15:2, 3
"And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire. And those who had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.
And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty, just and true are Your ways, O King of saints."
The Song of Moses?
Isn't that found in Deuteronomy, along with all that "old" stuff we don't have to pay attention to any more? What's it doing here in the very final chapters of the “New” Testament?
It’s not so hard to understand if you can begin to grasp that the “Old” was not thrown in the garbage heap. Rather, it was renewed.
The Song of Moses and the Song of the Lamb are part of the same hymn book!
Sunday, August 13, 2006
Be careful of the words you use!
Words are powerful.
Artfully crafted together they can make you...
The same is true for words we use in "religious talk."
There are a number of words in our vocabulary we should look at to determine how they effect us. It could be that certain words innocently prejudice our understanding, or their use could be a deliberate attempt to manipulate how we think.
Let's look at two of these words, or rather terms:
Those terms were simply the Torah (the Law), the Nebi'im (the Prophets), and the Kethubim (the Writings which includes the Psalms). Together they were referred to as the T N K, or Tenak.
In fact, in Luke 24:44 Yahshua (Jesus) said, "These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all have to be filled that were writtern in the Torah of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me."
What event or events occurred around the fourth century that might be the catalyst for this shift to a useage of the term "Old Testament " ?
This was the time of the beginnings of the Roman church as modeled after Constantine. Along with it came the inclusion of a number of influences from the Roman Empire and the pagan cultures it contained. Also a long growing resentment against anything Jewish came to blossom.
With the new term of "Old Testament" was there a deliberate attempt to reduce the importance of the Scriptures of the Tenak? We may never know for certain.
Yet, we do know that the word "old " implies a meaning the Tenak does not.
What do you think of when you hear something is old?
If you had your choice between two items - one old and the other new - isn't it natural to want the new? None of us want an outdated reel-to-reel tape player as opposed to a new combo DVD/CD/VCR/Stereo cassette tape deck. Today people don't even want a computer that is more than a year old.
All this means that before we even crack the pages of the Scriptures themselves, we have a subtle prejudice against the "Old" and toward the "New". This silently leads our thoughts toward a theology that says the "Old" is done away - or, at best, is not very important.
Conversely, we can see the complimentary side of this with the use of the term "New" Testament.
This brings up a question.
When we 21st century technologically advanced westerners say that there is a new moon, do we really believe we get a "new" moon each month?
We'll discuss this next time and how this ties in with our "New" Testament.
There's also this question about the use of the word "Testament". Aren't these supposed to be books of the "Covenant" ?
Artfully crafted together they can make you...
- laugh at a joke.
- cry at the death of a fictitious character such as Old Yeller.
- smell the freshness of the air after a thunderstorm.
- taste the saltiness of oceanspray on your face.
- feel the relentless craving for water as you lie on the desert floor baking under hot blasts of sand and burning heat.
The same is true for words we use in "religious talk."
There are a number of words in our vocabulary we should look at to determine how they effect us. It could be that certain words innocently prejudice our understanding, or their use could be a deliberate attempt to manipulate how we think.
Let's look at two of these words, or rather terms:
- Old Testament
- New Testament
Those terms were simply the Torah (the Law), the Nebi'im (the Prophets), and the Kethubim (the Writings which includes the Psalms). Together they were referred to as the T N K, or Tenak.
In fact, in Luke 24:44 Yahshua (Jesus) said, "These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all have to be filled that were writtern in the Torah of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me."
What event or events occurred around the fourth century that might be the catalyst for this shift to a useage of the term "Old Testament " ?
This was the time of the beginnings of the Roman church as modeled after Constantine. Along with it came the inclusion of a number of influences from the Roman Empire and the pagan cultures it contained. Also a long growing resentment against anything Jewish came to blossom.
With the new term of "Old Testament" was there a deliberate attempt to reduce the importance of the Scriptures of the Tenak? We may never know for certain.
Yet, we do know that the word "old " implies a meaning the Tenak does not.
What do you think of when you hear something is old?
If you had your choice between two items - one old and the other new - isn't it natural to want the new? None of us want an outdated reel-to-reel tape player as opposed to a new combo DVD/CD/VCR/Stereo cassette tape deck. Today people don't even want a computer that is more than a year old.
All this means that before we even crack the pages of the Scriptures themselves, we have a subtle prejudice against the "Old" and toward the "New". This silently leads our thoughts toward a theology that says the "Old" is done away - or, at best, is not very important.
Conversely, we can see the complimentary side of this with the use of the term "New" Testament.
This brings up a question.
When we 21st century technologically advanced westerners say that there is a new moon, do we really believe we get a "new" moon each month?
We'll discuss this next time and how this ties in with our "New" Testament.
There's also this question about the use of the word "Testament". Aren't these supposed to be books of the "Covenant" ?
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