Category: Mo’edim (Appointed Times)

Mo’ed: Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles/Booths) and the Marriage Supper of the Lamb

~ L. Alan Schuetz ~ 11 Comments
Sukkah
Biblical Tabernacle/Booth (Heb. Sukkah)

Leviticus 23:39 “On exactly the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the crops of the land, you shall celebrate the feast of the Lord [lit. Yahoah] for seven days, with a rest on the first day and a rest on the eighth day. 40 Now on the first day you shall take for yourselves the foliage of beautiful trees, palm branches and boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the Lord [lit. Yahoah] your God [lit. Elohim] for seven days. 41 You shall thus celebrate it as a feast to the Lord [lit. Yahoah] for seven days in the year. It shall be a perpetual statute throughout your generations; you shall celebrate it in the seventh month. 42 You shall live in booths [lit. sukkot] for seven days; all the native-born in Israel shall live in booths, 43 so that your generations may know that I had the sons of Israel live in booths when I brought them out from the land of Egypt. I am the Lord [lit. Yahoah] your God [lit. Elohim].” (NASB 1995)

The last of the appointed times (Heb. mo’edim) is known by a few names:  the Feast of Tabernacles/Booths (Heb. Chag Sukkot, or more commonly just Sukkot) and the Feast of the Ingathering (Heb. Chag HaAsiph).  In accordance with the calendar discovered among the Dead Sea Scrolls (DSS), this eight-day festival commences on the 15th day of the seventh month and ends on the 22nd — both on the fourth day of the week.  The first and eighth days are annual or high Sabbaths.  The first yom of Sukkot coincides with the “evening” of 10/2 and the “morning” of 10/3 of the pagan Gregorian calendar.

Let’s explore some of the Biblical passages referencing this festival.  The first mention of sukkot or booths is found in Genesis 33:17; it explains how the ancient settlement of Succoth derived its name:

Genesis 33:17 Jacob (Heb. Ya’akov) journeyed to Succoth, and built for himself a house and made booths for his livestock; therefore the place is named Succoth. (NASB 1995)

To add more detail to the key passage in the opening of this article:

Leviticus 23:33 Again the Lord [lit. Yahoah] spoke to Moses, saying, 34 “Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘On the fifteenth of this seventh month is the Feast of Booths for seven days to the Lord [lit. Yahoah]. 35 On the first day is a holy convocation; you shall do no laborious work of any kind. 36 For seven days you shall present an offering by fire to the Lord [lit. Yahoah]. On the eighth day you shall have a holy convocation and present an offering by fire to the Lord [lit. Yahoah]; it is an assembly. You shall do no laborious work. (NASB 1995)

As mentioned above, this festival was first referenced as the Feast of the Ingathering at the time of the Exodus (note that the article refers to this event as a “founding myth” although archaeological evidence proves otherwise) from Egypt — which had a second stop after Pi-Rameses at another Succoth in the Land of Goshen (Heb. Eretz Goshen):

Exodus 23:14 “Three times a year you shall celebrate a feast to Me. 15 You shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread; for seven days you are to eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, at the appointed time in the month Abib [not Nisan], for in it you came out of Egypt. And none shall appear before Me empty-handed. 16 Also you shall observe the Feast of the Harvest of the first fruits of your labors [aka Latter Firstfruits or the Feast of Weeks (Heb. Shavu’ot] from what you sow in the field; also the Feast of the Ingathering at the end of the year [aka the Feast of Booths] when you gather in the fruit of your labors from the field. 17 Three times a year all your males shall appear before the Lord [lit. Yahoah] God [lit. Elohim]. (NASB 1995)

The three pilgrimage festivals (Heb. Shalosh Regalim) will be developed further below.  This passage reiterates two of the three:

Exodus 34:22 You shall celebrate the Feast of Weeks, that is, the first fruits of the wheat harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering at the turn of the year. (NASB 1995)

But, why are sukkot associated with this festival?  It all has to do with remembrance of the Israelites wandering through the desert wilderness for forty years — a generation — living in temporary dwellings (hence, the sukkot).  After all the miracles they had witnessed firsthand, they acted like insolent children who did not trust Yahoah nor follow His commandments:

Numbers 32:10 So the Lord’s [lit. Yahoah’s] anger burned in that day, and He swore, saying, 11 ‘None of the men who came up from Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I swore to Abraham (Heb. ‘Avraham), to Isaac (Heb. Yitzhak) and to Jacob (Heb. Ya’akov); for they did not follow Me fully, 12 except Caleb (Heb. Kalev) the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite and Joshua the son of Nun (Heb. Yehoshu’a ben Nun), for they have followed the Lord [lit. Yahoah] fully.’ 13 So the Lord’s [lit. Yahoah’s] anger burned against Israel, and He made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until the entire generation of those who had done evil in the sight of the Lord [lit. Yahoah] was destroyed. 14 Now behold, you have risen up in your fathers’ place, a brood of sinful men, to add still more to the burning anger of the Lord against Israel. 15 For if you turn away from following Him, He will once more abandon them in the wilderness, and you will destroy all these people.” (NASB 1995)

Nothing has changed!  As do all religions, rabbinic Judaism (with Pharisaism being its precursor; see Matthew 23) changed the Word of God through false traditions (embellishments not found in the Scriptures), the precepts of men (manufactured theology), and doctrines of demons (assimilated paganism).  We were warned against these!  Look at how their forefathers complained and wished to return to Egypt under bondage, how even Aaron (Heb. Aharon) forged the golden calf not long after the crossing of the Red Sea, and even Moses‘ (Heb. Moshe[h]) disobedience impeded his entering the Promised Land!  It took the archetype of Joshua the son of Nun to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land just as Joshua the Anointed/Messiah (Heb. Yehoshu’a HaMashiach) — Yahoah incarnate — leads both Jew and Greek (Gentiles) to Salvation to this day!

An interesting observation often overlooked regarding v12 above is the symbolic rejoining of Jacob (aka Israel) and Esau through Joshua and Caleb.  Kenizzites were Edomites (from the future Idumea where the Herodian dynasty hailed), or sons of Esau.  For more on the Herods and eschatology, read my article entitled “Revelation Study: Mystery Babylon.”

Sukkot was also a time for the Law (Heb. Torah) to be read to ALL of Israel — men, women, and children:

Deuteronomy 31:9 So Moses wrote this law and gave it to the priests, the sons of Levi who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and to all the elders of Israel. 10 Then Moses commanded them, saying, “At the end of every seven years, at the time of the year of remission of debts, at the Feast of Booths, 11 when all Israel comes to appear before the Lord your God at the place which He will choose, you shall read this law in front of all Israel in their hearing. 12 Assemble the people, the men and the women and children and the alien who is in your town, so that they may hear and learn and fear the Lord your God, and be careful to observe all the words of this law. 13 Their children, who have not known, will hear and learn to fear the Lord your God, as long as you live on the land which you are about to cross the Jordan to possess.” (NASB 1995)

Verse 10 is referring to the sabbatical year when the arable land was to lie fallow; see Leviticus 25:1-7,18-22.  For more information on that practice, read my article entitled “Mo’ed: Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) and Future Judgment.”

When those of the northern Kingdom of Judah were released from the Babylonian captivity, Sukkot was restored as one of the appointed times:

Ezra 3:1 Now when the seventh month came, and the sons of Israel were in the cities, the people gathered together as one man to Jerusalem. 2 Then Jeshua [lit. Yeshua, shortened form of Yehoshu’a] the son of Jozadak and his brothers the priests, and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and his brothers arose and built the altar of the God [lit. Elohim] of Israel to offer burnt offerings on it, as it is written in the law [lit. Torah] of Moses, the man of God [lit. Elohim]. 3 So they set up the altar on its foundation, for they were terrified because of the peoples of the lands; and they offered burnt offerings on it to the Lord [lit. Yahoah], burnt offerings morning and evening. 4 They celebrated the Feast of Booths [lit. Chag Sukkot], as it is written, and offered the fixed number of burnt offerings daily, according to the ordinance, as each day required; 5 and afterward there was a continual burnt offering, also for the new moons [lit. chodesh; =months] and for all the fixed festivals of the Lord [lit. Yahoah] that were consecrated, and from everyone who offered a freewill offering to the Lord [lit. Yahoah]. (NASB 1995)

The reason why these FIXED festivals of Yahoah were reinstituted was that the sons of Israel “were terrified because of the peoples of the lands.”  In fact, these festivals are fixed on the same month, same day(s), and same day(s) of the week in perpetuity!  Revisit the Qumran calendar.  That is NOT the case with the Masoretic (Babylonian) calendar observed by the modern Jewry.  In fact, the fourth (or tenth!) month is named for the Babylonian deity Tammuz; that is an ABOMINATION (Exodus 20:3)!  Read the upper portion of my post entitled “Why explore the Qumran calendar?“

Regarding the pagan tradition of marking months by the sighting of the first sliver of a waxing crescent immediately after a new or dark moon, read the lower portion of the same post.  God did not mark His months in that manner; see Lunar Cycles 1-3.

Further confirmation of the restoration of the appointed times is found in Nehemiah:

Nehemiah 8:13 Then on the second day the heads of fathers’ households of all the people, the priests and the Levites were gathered to Ezra the scribe that they might gain insight into the words of the law. 14 They found written in the law how the Lord had commanded through Moses that the sons of Israel should live in booths during the feast of the seventh month. 15 So they proclaimed and circulated a proclamation in all their cities and in Jerusalem, saying, “Go out to the hills, and bring olive branches and wild olive branches, myrtle branches, palm branches and branches of other leafy trees, to make booths, as it is written.” 16 So the people went out and brought them and made booths for themselves, each on his roof, and in their courts and in the courts of the house of God, and in the square at the Water Gate and in the square at the Gate of Ephraim. 17 The entire assembly of those who had returned from the captivity made booths and lived in them. The sons of Israel had indeed not done so from the days of Joshua the son of Nun to that day. And there was great rejoicing. 18 He read from the book of the law of God daily, from the first day to the last day. And they celebrated the feast seven days, and on the eighth day there was a solemn assembly according to the ordinance. (NASB 1995)

Note how the modern Jewry corrupts the TaNaKh (OT) through their version of the “four species.”  Compare that to v15.  Also, perform a Google search on sukkah images; none are as is described in the Scriptures.  They do not “follow the Law” as they proclaim; they do what is convenient like in most other religions; they desire to have their “ears tickled” (2 Timothy 4:1-5 concentrating on v3).  Also, v17b is significant:  “The sons of Israel had indeed NOT (emphasis mine) done so from the days of Joshua the son of Nun to that day.“

Sukkot was also observed in the New Testament:

John 7:2 Now the feast of the Jews, the Feast of Booths, was near.

14 But when it was now the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and began to teach. 15 The Jews then were astonished, saying, “How has this man become learned, having never been educated?” 16 So Jesus answered them and said, “My teaching is not Mine, but His who sent Me. 17 If anyone is willing to do His will, he will know of the teaching, whether it is of God or whether I speak from Myself. 18 He who speaks from himself seeks his own glory; but He who is seeking the glory of the One who sent Him, He is true, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.

19 “Did not Moses give you the Law, and yet none of you carries out the Law? Why do you seek to kill Me?” (NASB 1995)

Verse 19a bears repeating:  “Did not Moses give you the Law, and yet none of you carries out the Law?”  Again, some things never change!  Their actions did not live up to their lip service; that is how the Word is corrupted by “rabbinic sages” in the Babylonian Talmud (Heb. Talmud Bavli).  Babylonian calendar.  Babylonian Talmud.  Mystery Babylon!  Why else would Jerusalem be referenced as Sodom and Egypt (Revelation 11:8)?

Sukkot is also observed during Christ’s literal millennial reign, which will occur after the Great Tribulation but before Judgment Day when Satan is bound (Revelation 20:1-3):

Zechariah 14:9 And the Lord [lit. Yahoah] will be king over all the earth; in that day the Lord [lit. Yahoah] will be the only one, and His name the only one.

16 Then it will come about that any who are left of all the nations that went against Jerusalem will go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord [lit. Yahoah] of hosts, and to celebrate the Feast of Booths. 17 And it will be that whichever of the families of the earth does not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord [lit. Yahoah] of hosts, there will be no rain on them. 18 If the family of Egypt does not go up or enter, then no rain will fall on them; it will be the plague with which the Lord [lit. Yahoah] smites the nations who do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Booths. 19 This will be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all the nations who do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Booths. (NASB 1995)

To learn more about End Time events, read my article entitled “Revelation Study: An Overview of Eschatological Events.” (Hint:  This topic is not taught correctly in ANY modern church nor synagogue.)

As promised, this section will be wrapped up with a brief discussion of the three pilgrimage festivals (Heb. Shalosh Regalim; =three feet) required annually by ALL sons of Israel.  Why “three feet?”  Because if you remove a proverbial leg from a three-legged stool, it falls — meaning that these three festivals are the cornerstone of Judeo-Christianity:

Deuteronomy 16:1 “Observe the month of Abib [NOT Nisan!] and celebrate the Passover to the Lord [lit. Yahoah] your God [lit. Elohim], for in the month of Abib the Lord [lit. Yahoah] your God [lit. Elohim] brought you out of Egypt by night. 2 You shall sacrifice the Passover to the Lord [lit. Yahoah] your God [lit. Elohim] from the flock and the herd, in the place where the Lord [lit. Yahoah] chooses to establish His name. 3 You shall not eat leavened bread with it; seven days you shall eat with it unleavened bread, the bread of affliction (for you came out of the land of Egypt in haste), so that you may remember all the days of your life the day when you came out of the land of Egypt. 4 For seven days no leaven shall be seen with you in all your territory, and none of the flesh which you sacrifice on the evening of the first day shall remain overnight until morning. 5 You are not allowed to sacrifice the Passover in any of your towns which the Lord [lit. Yahoah] your God [lit. Elohim] is giving you; 6 but at the place where the Lord [lit. Yahoah] your God [lit. Elohim] chooses to establish His name, you shall sacrifice the Passover in the evening at sunset, at the time that you came out of Egypt. 7 You shall cook and eat it in the place which the Lord [lit. Yahoah] your God [lit. Elohim] chooses. In the morning you are to return to your tents. 8 Six days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a solemn assembly to the Lord [lit. Yahoah] your God [lit. Elohim]; you shall do no work on it.

9 “You shall count seven weeks for yourself; you shall begin to count seven weeks from the time you begin to put the sickle to the standing [barley] grain. 10 Then you shall celebrate the Feast of Weeks to the Lord [lit. Yahoah] your God [lit. Elohim] with a tribute of a freewill offering of your hand, which you shall give just as the Lord [lit. Yahoah] your God [lit. Elohim] blesses you; 11 and you shall rejoice before the Lord [lit. Yahoah] your God [lit. Elohim], you and your son and your daughter and your male and female servants and the Levite who is in your town, and the stranger and the orphan and the widow who are in your midst, in the place where the Lord [lit. Yahoah] your God [lit. Elohim] chooses to establish His name. 12 You shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt, and you shall be careful to observe these statutes.

13 “You shall celebrate the Feast of Booths seven days after you have gathered in from your threshing floor and your wine vat; 14 and you shall rejoice in your feast, you and your son and your daughter and your male and female servants and the Levite and the stranger and the orphan and the widow who are in your towns. 15 Seven days you shall celebrate a feast to the Lord [lit. Yahoah] your God [lit. Elohim] in the place which the Lord [lit. Yahoah] chooses, because the Lord [lit. Yahoah] your God [lit. Elohim] will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, so that you will be altogether joyful.

16 “Three times in a year all your males shall appear before the Lord [lit. Yahoah] your God [lit. Elohim] in the place which He chooses, at the Feast of Unleavened Bread and at the Feast of Weeks and at the Feast of Booths, and they shall not appear before the Lord [lit. Yahoah] empty-handed. 17 Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord [lit. Yahoah] your God [lit. Elohim] which He has given you. (NASB 1995)

With as many times as the Tetragrammaton was employed in just this one passage, does anyone honestly think that we were to forget His Name because it was so sacred?  Absolutely NOT!  The commandment is:

“You shall not take the name (Heb. HaShem) of the Lord your God IN VAIN (emphasis mine), for the Lord will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain.” (Exodus 20:7; Deuteronomy 5:11)

He wants us to know Him, His Name, and to have a personal relationship with Him through prayer and obeying His commandments.

Note the use of Adonai in the HaShem reference above.  This is the reason why “the Lord” is translated for the Tetragrammaton.  Read further in that section:

“As pronunciation of the Tetragrammaton came to be avoided in the Hellenistic period, Jews may have begun to drop the Tetragrammaton when presented alongside Adonai and subsequently expand it to cover for the Tetragrammaton in the forms of spoken prayer and written scripture. Owing to the expansion of chumra (the idea of ‘building a fence around the Torah’), Adonai itself has come to be too holy to say for Orthodox Jews, leading to its replacement by HaShem (‘The Name’).” — Wikipedia, “Names of God in Judaiam,” “Adonai” section.

Again, false traditions and precepts of men exceeded what was required by manufactured Jewish law (Heb. Halakha).  In doing so, the TRUE pronunciation of the Tetragrammaton was lost and forgotten until the discovery of a DSS fragment in Greek, which confirmed that the Hebrew “vav” was pronounced like the Koine Greek “omega.”  He did say that He is the “Alpha and Omega,” right (Revelation 22:13)?  The Greek ‘Ιαω (iota-alpha-omega) is consistent with the Hebrew Yahoah.  Furthermore, reciting “Adonai” invokes the Greek Adonis, who was synonymous with the Babylonian Tammuz.

“The annual wailing for Tammuz was very ancient and very widespread, even mentioned in the Bible (Ezekiel 8:14 and possibly Isaiah 17:10).  In the Levant Tammuz was called ‘adoni, ‘Lord’ — hence the Greek Adonis.” — Garder, John and John Maier, “Gilgamesh,” p.154

There is the Mystery Babylon tie-in again.  False traditions.  Precepts of men.  Doctrines of demons.  It is right before our eyes, yet most do not perceive it.

Returning to the Shalosh Regalim…  Why these three?  Let’s examine what has/will occur during these festivals in accordance with God’s calendar:

Passover/Unleavened Bread

Feast of Weeks/Latter Firstfruits

Feast of Tabernacles/Booths/Ingathering

  • Sukkot are symbolic the temporary housing during Israel’s 40-year wanderings through the desert wilderness after the Exodus
  • This is a great segue into the next section… The Marriage Supper of the Lamb!

The Marriage Supper of the Lamb

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A Jewish Wedding Chuppah.  Photo courtesy of Wikimedia.

As Sukkot, or the Feast of Booths, is the last festival of the year, so is the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (of God) the last scene in the Book of Revelation.  Based on my article entitled “Revelation Study: An Overview of Eschatological Events,” we know that the following major milestone events will occur at some time in the future:

The Memorial/Day of Blasting/Shouting (Heb. Zichron/Yom Teru’ah) strongly points to the Second Coming and the commencement of Christ’s millennial reign, and the Day of Atonement (Heb. Yom Kippur) likewise points to Judgment Day as judgment is the flip-side of atonement.  By the process of elimination (but it is much more than that!), the Feast of Booths points to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.  As Christ was crucified on Passover — representative of an unblemished (sinless), one year old (His Earthly ministry lasted 1.58 years), male paschal lamb, that is how the moniker of the Lamb of God was applied.  This allusion was confirmed in the foreshadowing of John 1:29,36:

John 1:29 The next day he saw Jesus [lit. ‘Iesous; =Joshua] coming to him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is He on behalf of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.’ 31 I did not recognize Him, but so that He might be manifested to Israel, I came baptizing in water.” 32 John [lit. ‘Ióannés] testified saying, “I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. 33 I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, ‘He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God.”

35 Again the next day John was standing with two of his disciples, 36 and he looked at Jesus [lit. Joshua] as He walked, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” (NASB 1995)

Before moving on, this passage requires further examination:

  • Note in v30b that John said “… for He existed before me.”  How can that be as we know that John was conceived EXACTLY six months prior to Christ on the 22nd day of the twelfth month on the first day of the week?  Many modern “theologians” and “Biblical scholars” state that the Scriptures do not explicitly convey the deity of Christ.  But, the answer to the question posed above is answered in the opening passage of the Book of John — specifically John 1:1-18.  In fact, the incarnate Christ is the preincarnate Yahoah — the firstborn of Creation (Colossians 1:13-20 concentrating on v15).  Even Christ’s Hebrew Name Yehoshu’a means “Yahoah saves;” they are one and the same.
  • In v29b, how can Christ “… take away the sin of the world?”  The incarnate Christ is the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53.  He was the only sinless person conceived and born on this Earth — not Mary (Heb. Miryam) nor anyone else as some churches falsely teach.  Most Catholics assume that the Immaculate Conception refers to Christ — not Mary.  Only He is our Salvation and Redeemer through His Blood shed so that believers in Him may have eternal life (John 3:16-21 concentrating on vv16-17).
  • The “baptism of John” was nothing new under the sun.  Yochanan was performing a full-body immersion (Heb. tevilah/Gr. baptizó) in a gathering of “living water” with its source as a natural spring (Heb. mikveh).  The Jordan River (Heb. Nahar HaYarden) qualified as a mikveh as its source is the Banias spring at the foot of Mount Hermon.  Yochanan was overseeing full-body water immersions as these were converts to the “sect” called The Way (Heb. HaDerech), which is the TRUE church — to the Jew first and also to the Greek (Gentiles); see Romans 1:16.
  • What does v33b mean when it states that: “He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit?”  The Hebrew Mashiach and Greek Christos both mean “Anointed One.”  Yehoshu’a — immediately after His tevilah — was immersed in something that no king or priest of Israel could — He was anointed with the Holy Spirit while the rest were anointed with fresh olive oil and fine spices (Exodus 30:22-33).  The Scriptures also state that Christ immerses in Spirit and fire (Matthew 3:11; Luke 3:16).  Believers are immersed in the Holy Spirit; the destiny of unbelievers is the lake of fire (Heb. Gehenna) on Judgment Day.  Choose life and believe in Him!
  • In v34 it speaks of the “Son of God.”  Only two people in the entirety the Bible were bestowed with that title:  this first was Adam (Luke 3:38), and the second was Christ (numerous references).  The fallen angels of Genesis 6:1-4 concentrating on vv2,4 were also referenced as “sons of God” as they were created in Heaven on Yom Rishon.

Returning to the Marriage Supper…  Sukkah is translated as booth, canopy, hut, lair, pavilion, and shelter according to the New American Standard (NAS) Concordance.  In fact, several Hebrew words convey this concept. In the NT, the Greek word is skéné meaning a tent, booth, tabernacle, abode, dwelling, mansion, and habitation.

This is the only feast that employs a canopy (Heb. chuppah).  It “symbolizes the home the couple will build together.” A Jewish wedding is comprised of two distinct phases: 1) sanctification/dedication and 2) marriage.  The three occurrences of this word are found in:

All three passages may be found here for your convenience.

Okay, so who’s getting married, and who are the invited guests?  The answers to these questions reveal two more false teachings in Christianity.  This is what the Bible states regarding the Bride (of Christ) — the wife of the Lamb:

Revelation 21:9 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and spoke with me, saying, “Come here, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.”

The New Jerusalem

10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, 11 having the glory of God. Her brilliance was like a very costly stone, as a stone of crystal-clear jasper. 12 It had a great and high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels; and names were written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel. 13 There were three gates on the east and three gates on the north and three gates on the south and three gates on the west. 14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. (NASB 1995)

Revelation 21 is provided within context for your convenience.

So, the Bride is definitely New Jerusalem — NOT the “body of Christ” (=the church/believers) as is erroneously taught in most Christian churches. There will be a New Heaven and a New Earth, and the New Jerusalem will descend from the former to the latter.  It’s the elect (=chosen ones/saints) who are invited to the wedding feast after the Judgment Day!  Folks, our domain is on Earth — whether the current incarnation or the New Earth that is to come.  WE DO NOT GO TO HEAVEN!  We have been deceived!  What does Revelation 19 state?

Revelation 19:7 “Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory to Him, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.” 8 It was given to her to clothe herself in fine linen, bright and clean; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. 9 Then he said to me, “Write, ‘Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’” And he said to me, “These are true words of God.” 10 Then I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus [lit. Joshua]; worship God. For the testimony of Jesus [lit. Joshua] is the spirit of prophecy.” (NASB 1995)

If the church or body of believers were the Bride, then who would be invited to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb?

Now, read Matthew 22:1-14 and 23-30.  What do verses 14 and 30 say?

Matthew 22:14 For many are called [lit. invited], but few are chosen. (NASB 1995)

Matthew 22:30 For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. (NASB 1995)

The elect/saints/chosen ones will be “like the angels in Heaven” and “neither marry nor are given in marriage.”  Is Christ a liar or are our churches with their false traditions, precepts of men, and doctrines of demons?

This message is similar to the Parable of the Ten Virgins.  What is Christ Himself going to say to the majority who consider themselves “Judeo-Christians?”

Matthew 25:12 But he answered, ‘Truly I say to you, I do not know you.’ (NASB 1995)

Just imagine hearing those words uttered by the Son of God…  Wow!  Do those who will be resurrected from the dead or the living who will be caught up — IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE TRIBULATION — reside in Heaven?  NO!  We will tabernacle with Christ in the New Jerusalem on the New Earth after His millennial reign!  THAT is what the Scriptures state; anything else is a false teaching!

A parting thought…  Although we must take the Talmud with a HUGE grain of salt as was discussed earlier, the following does fascinate me.  Jewish eschatology expects that Leviathan will be slain and that her skin will be used as a covering for a sukkah. The most pertinent quote from that article is as follows:

“In the Talmud Baba Bathra 75a it is told that the Leviathan will be slain and its flesh served as a feast to the righteous in [the] Time to Come, and its skin used to cover the tent where the banquet will take place. The festival of Sukkot (Festival of Booths) therefore concludes with a prayer recited upon leaving the sukkah (booth): ‘May it be your will, Lord[/Adonai] our God and God of our forefathers, that just as I have fulfilled and dwelt in this sukkah, so may I merit in the coming year to dwell in the sukkah of the skin of Leviathan. Next year in Jerusalem.’”

Folks, this great banquet on Sukkot is none other than the Marriage Supper of the Lamb between Christ and New Jerusalem described in Revelation!  I believe they got this one right… (although we still have a little more than 1,120 years to go!).

Be sure to read the companion articles in the Mo’edim (appointed times) and Agricultural Feasts series:

Shema Yisrael! (Hear, Israel!)

Copyright (C) 1995-2018, L. Alan Schuetz.  All rights reserved.

2 Timothy 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. (NASB 1995)

HaDerech Scroll - Paleo-Hebrew

Mo’ed: Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) and Future Judgment

~ L. Alan Schuetz ~ 18 Comments
two-goats
Two male goats: One for the sin offering and the other as the “scapegoat” (Heb. Azazel).

Leviticus 23:26 The Lord [lit. Yahoah] spoke to Moses, saying, 27 “On exactly the tenth day of this seventh month is the day of atonement; it shall be a holy convocation for you, and you shall humble your souls and present an offering by fire to the Lord. 28 You shall not do any work on this same day, for it is a day of atonement, to make atonement on your behalf before the Lord [lit. Yahoah] your God [lit. Elohim]. 29 If there is any person who will not humble himself on this same day, he shall be cut off from his people. 30 As for any person who does any work on this same day, that person I will destroy from among his people. 31 You shall do no work at all. It is to be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwelling places. 32 It is to be a sabbath of complete rest to you, and you shall humble your souls; on the ninth of the month at evening, from evening until evening you shall keep your sabbath.” (NASB 1995)

In accordance with the calendar discovered among the Dead Sea Scrolls (DSS), the tenth day of the seventh month on the sixth day of the week — which coincides with the “evening” of 9/27 and “morning” of 9/28 of the pagan Gregorian calendar — marks the Day of Atonement (Heb. Yom Kippur).  As is stated in the Leviticus passage above, it is an annual or High Sabbath.  In fact, the modern Jewry considers it the holiest day of their liturgical calendar — the “Sabbath of Sabbaths.”  Although the TaNaKh (OT) does not explicitly state that it is holier than any other Sabbath — weekly or annual, vv29-30 stresses the importance and seriousness of its observance for the sons of Israel; it certainly bears repeating:

Leviticus 23:29 If there is any person who will not humble himself on this same day, he shall be cut off from his people. 30 As for any person who does any work on this same day, that person I will destroy from among his people. (NASB 1995)

Even with its importance, it is not one of the three pilgrimage festivals (Heb. Shalosh Regalim); therefore, I personally reject the notion of its being holier than the other appointed times (Heb. mo’edim).

Nowhere in the TaNaKh (OT) does it state that Yom Kippur is a fast day (Heb. tsom).  Many have falsely stated that “afflict your soul” in Leviticus 16:29 — in the KJV, for example — implies fasting.  The better translation is “humble your soul” as in NASB.  The actual Hebrew word is anah; see here.  However, if one would prefer to fast on Yom Kippur, there is nothing prohibiting it, either.

The term scapegoat (Heb. Azazel), which is a misnomer introduced in the KJV, originates from the following Biblical practice on Yom Kippur when one of two goats is selected by lot to serve as the scapegoat to carry the sins of Israel into the desert wilderness to the east of Jerusalem while the other serves as the sin offering:

Leviticus 16:7 He shall take the two goats [lit. sa’iyrim; pl. of sa’iyr] and present them before the Lord [lit. Yahoah] at the doorway of the tent of meeting. 8 Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats [lit. sa’iryim], one lot for the Lord [lit. Yahoah] and the other lot for the scapegoat [lit. Azazel]. 9 Then Aaron shall offer the goat [lit. sa’iyr] on which the lot for the Lord [lit. Azazel] fell, and make it a sin offering. 10 But the goat [lit. sa’iyr] on which the lot for the scapegoat [lit. Azazel] fell shall be presented alive before the Lord [lit. Yahoah], to make atonement upon it, to send it into the wilderness as the scapegoat [lit. Azazel]. (NASB 1995)

There are a couple of interesting things of note here.  The most important is recorded in the Book of 1 Enoch — which was the third most frequent manuscript discovered among the DSS behind Psalms and Deuteronomy:  Azazel was among the 200 fallen angels (aka Watchers) who abandoned their Heavenly stations and descended on Mount Hermon (Heb. Har Hermon) in the opening of Genesis 6, which corresponds to 1 Enoch 6.  Among other things, these fallen angels (i.e., the “sons of God”) had sexual relations with women (i.e., “the daughters of men”) and produced giants (Heb. Nephilim) as their progeny.  This abomination was the primary reason that lead to the Biblical Flood.  This is what 1 Enoch specifically states concerning Azazel:

1 Enoch 8:1 And Azâzêl taught men to make swords, and knives, and shields, and breastplates, and made known to them the metals〈of the earth〉and the art of working them, and bracelets, and ornaments, and the use of antimony, and the beautifying of the eyelids, and all kinds of costly stones, and all coloring tinctures.

1 Enoch 9:6 Thou seest what Azâzêl hath done, who hath taught all unrighteousness on earth and revealed the eternal secrets which were (preserved) in heaven, which men were striving to learn.

Essentially, Azazel was the father of blacksmithing (esp. for warfare), jewelry, and make-up; he was not to divulge that information to humankind.  But, here is the coup de grâce in v8 below:

1 Enoch 10:4 And again the Lord said to Raphael: “Bind Azâzêl hand and foot, and cast him into the darkness: and make an opening in the desert, which is in Dûdâêl, and cast him therein. 5. And place upon him rough and jagged rocks, and cover him with darkness, and let him abide there for ever, and cover his face that he may not see light. 6. And on the day of the great judgement he shall be cast into the fire. And heal the earth which the angels have corrupted, and proclaim the healing of the earth, that they may heal the plague, and that all the children of men may not perish through all the secret things that the Watchers have disclosed and have taught their sons. 8. And the whole earth has been corrupted through the works that were taught by Azâzêl: to him ascribe all sin.”

Wow!  That last sentence certainly casts Yom Kippur in a different light, doesn’t it?  So, the “scapegoat” of the KJV was actually a reference to a fallen angel named Azazel unto which all of humanity’s sins were ascribed!  That certainly lends more credence to the canonicity of 1 Enoch (not to mention that Jude 1:14-15 quotes 1 Enoch 1:9).

Another item of note was that the Hebrew word for a “male goat” (Heb. attud) was not used in the Leviticus 16:7-10 passage; instead, the term employed was sa’iyr (pl. sa’iyrim) meaning “devil.”  It is the basis for the mythological beast known as a satyr; Pan is an example.  What is even more interesting is that Pan is associated with the Banias spring at the foot of Mount Hermon, which is a tributary of the Jordan River (Heb. Nahar HaYarden).  The River Jordan could not have served as a gathering of “living water” (Heb. mikveh) without this spring.  More information on Christ’s full-body immersion (Heb. tevilahFeast of New Wine (Heb. Chag Tirosh).

Now, with a different understanding…

Leviticus 16:20 “When he [Aaron] finishes atoning for the holy place and the tent of meeting and the altar, he shall offer the live goat [lit. sa’iyr]. 21 Then Aaron shall lay both of his hands on the head of the live goat [lit. sa’iyr], and confess over it all the iniquities of the sons of Israel and all their transgressions in regard to all their sins; and he shall lay them on the head of the goat [lit. sa’iyr] and send it away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who stands in readiness. 22 The goat [lit. sa’iyr] shall bear on itself all their iniquities to a solitary land; and he shall release the goat [lit. sa’iyr] in the wilderness. (NASB 1995)

The following are the passages above in Hebrew with a Strong’s concordance:

Yom Kippur completes what the modern Jewry calls the High Holy Days also known as the Days of Awe (Heb. Yomim Nora’im), which commences with the Memorial/Day of Blasting/Shouting (Heb. Zichron/Yom Teru’ah) on the first day of the seventh month on the fourth day of the week.

Every seventh year, Yom Kippur serves as an agricultural sabbatical year in which the land is to lie fallow in accordance with a Jubilee “week of years” (i.e., a grouping of seven, contiguous years):

Leviticus 25:1 The Lord [lit. Yahoah] then spoke to Moses at Mount Sinai, saying, 2 “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When you come into the land which I shall give you, then the land shall have a sabbath to the Lord [lit. Yahoah]. 3 Six years you shall sow your field, and six years you shall prune your vineyard and gather in its crop, 4 but during the seventh year the land shall have a sabbath rest, a sabbath to the Lord; you shall not sow your field nor prune your vineyard. 5 Your harvest’s aftergrowth you shall not reap, and your grapes of untrimmed vines you shall not gather; the land shall have a sabbatical year. 6 All of you shall have the sabbath products of the land for food; yourself, and your male and female slaves, and your hired man and your foreign resident, those who live as aliens with you. 7 Even your cattle and the animals that are in your land shall have all its crops to eat. (NASB 1995)

Leviticus 25:18 ‘You shall thus observe My statutes and keep My judgments, so as to carry them out, that you may live securely on the land. 19 Then the land will yield its produce, so that you can eat your fill and live securely on it. 20 But if you say, “What are we going to eat on the seventh year if we do not sow or gather in our crops?” 21 then I will so order My blessing for you in the sixth year that it will bring forth the crop for three years. 22 When you are sowing the eighth year, you can still eat old things from the crop, eating the old until the ninth year when its crop comes in. (NASB 1995)

Every forty-nine years, or seven “weeks of years,” a Jubilee year (Heb. yobel) is marked by the sounding of ram horns (Heb. shofr’ot) during Yom Kippur on the last year of the “week of release.”  All Israeli property is to be returned to each family every jubilee among other things; it is certainly a time of second chances and redemption!  God meant for His people to be redeemed.  (But, this is no longer practiced today.  So, does the modern Jewry REALLY follow the Law as they claim?  Only when it is considered convenient and/or advantageous — just like most other religions).

Leviticus 25:8 ‘You are also to count off seven sabbaths of years for yourself, seven times seven years, so that you have the time of the seven sabbaths of years, namely, forty-nine years. 9 You shall then sound a ram’s horn abroad on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the day of atonement you shall sound a horn all through your land. 10 You shall thus consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim a release through the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you, and each of you shall return to his own property, and each of you shall return to his family. 11 You shall have the fiftieth year as a jubilee; you shall not sow, nor reap its aftergrowth, nor gather in from its untrimmed vines. 12 For it is a jubilee; it shall be holy to you. You shall eat its crops out of the field.

13 ‘On this year of jubilee each of you shall return to his own property. 14 If you make a sale, moreover, to your friend or buy from your friend’s hand, you shall not wrong one another. 15 Corresponding to the number of years after the jubilee, you shall buy from your friend; he is to sell to you according to the number of years of crops. 16 In proportion to the extent of the years you shall increase its price, and in proportion to the fewness of the years you shall diminish its price, for it is a number of crops he is selling to you. 17 So you shall not wrong one another, but you shall fear your God; for I am the Lord your God. (NASB 1995)

The Law of Redemption

Leviticus 25:23 ‘The land, moreover, shall not be sold permanently, for the land is Mine; for you are but aliens and sojourners with Me. 24 Thus for every piece of your property, you are to provide for the redemption of the land.

25 ‘If a fellow countryman of yours becomes so poor he has to sell part of his property, then his nearest kinsman is to come and buy back what his relative has sold. 26 Or in case a man has no kinsman, but so recovers his means as to find sufficient for its redemption, 27 then he shall calculate the years since its sale and refund the balance to the man to whom he sold it, and so return to his property. 28 But if he has not found sufficient means to get it back for himself, then what he has sold shall remain in the hands of its purchaser until the year of jubilee; but at the jubilee it shall revert, that he may return to his property.

29 ‘Likewise, if a man sells a dwelling house in a walled city, then his redemption right remains valid until a full year from its sale; his right of redemption lasts a full year. 30 But if it is not bought back for him within the space of a full year, then the house that is in the walled city passes permanently to its purchaser throughout his generations; it does not revert in the jubilee. 31 The houses of the villages, however, which have no surrounding wall shall be considered as open fields; they have redemption rights and revert in the jubilee. 32 As for cities of the Levites, the Levites have a permanent right of redemption for the houses of the cities which are their possession. 33 What, therefore, belongs to the Levites may be redeemed and a house sale in the city of this possession reverts in the jubilee, for the houses of the cities of the Levites are their possession among the sons of Israel. 34 But pasture fields of their cities shall not be sold, for that is their perpetual possession.

Of Poor Countrymen

35 ‘Now in case a countryman of yours becomes poor and his means with regard to you falter, then you are to sustain him, like a stranger or a sojourner, that he may live with you. 36 Do not take usurious interest from him, but revere your God, that your countryman may live with you. 37 You shall not give him your silver at interest, nor your food for gain. 38 I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt to give you the land of Canaan and to be your God.

39 ‘If a countryman of yours becomes so poor with regard to you that he sells himself to you, you shall not subject him to a slave’s service. 40 He shall be with you as a hired man, as if he were a sojourner; he shall serve with you until the year of jubilee. 41 He shall then go out from you, he and his sons with him, and shall go back to his family, that he may return to the property of his forefathers. 42 For they are My servants whom I brought out from the land of Egypt; they are not to be sold in a slave sale. 43 You shall not rule over him with severity, but are to revere your God. 44 As for your male and female slaves whom you may have — you may acquire male and female slaves from the pagan nations that are around you. 45 Then, too, it is out of the sons of the sojourners who live as aliens among you that you may gain acquisition, and out of their families who are with you, whom they will have produced in your land; they also may become your possession. 46 You may even bequeath them to your sons after you, to receive as a possession; you can use them as permanent slaves. But in respect to your countrymen, the sons of Israel, you shall not rule with severity over one another.

Of Redeeming a Poor Man

47 ‘Now if the means of a stranger or of a sojourner with you becomes sufficient, and a countryman of yours becomes so poor with regard to him as to sell himself to a stranger who is sojourning with you, or to the descendants of a stranger’s family, 48 then he shall have redemption right after he has been sold. One of his brothers may redeem him, 49 or his uncle, or his uncle’s son, may redeem him, or one of his blood relatives from his family may redeem him; or if he prospers, he may redeem himself. 50 He then with his purchaser shall calculate from the year when he sold himself to him up to the year of jubilee; and the price of his sale shall correspond to the number of years. It is like the days of a hired man that he shall be with him. 51 If there are still many years, he shall refund part of his purchase price in proportion to them for his own redemption; 52 and if few years remain until the year of jubilee, he shall so calculate with him. In proportion to his years he is to refund the amount for his redemption. 53 Like a man hired year by year he shall be with him; he shall not rule over him with severity in your sight. 54 Even if he is not redeemed by these means, he shall still go out in the year of jubilee, he and his sons with him. 55 For the sons of Israel are My servants; they are My servants whom I brought out from the land of Egypt. I am the Lord your God. (NASB 1995)

For all OT passages regarding the Day of Atonement, see Leviticus 16; 23:26-32; 25; Numbers 29:7-11.  There is also an indirect NT reference in Hebrews 9:1-10 concentrating on v7.

Judgment Day (aka “the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord”)

Now that the topic of atonement and redemption have been discussed in regard to Yom Kippur, let’s discuss the flip-side of what is to come:  Judgment Day.  Those two words strike dreadful fear in most everyone.  And, it should to a degree as it is literally everyone’s “day in court” before the living God — both for the righteous and the wicked.  The only ones who will NOT participate in Judgment Day are those who will be beheaded for their testimony of Christ during the Great Tribulation, will be part of the FIRST resurrection, and who will serve as priests during Christ’s literal Millennial Reign; see Revelation 20:1-6.  Regardless, for those who truly believe in Christ (and He will inspect our hearts!) there is absolutely NOTHING to fear — because we will be granted Grace, which is a judicial pardon or clemency.  With Grace, it is as if our “crimes” (i.e., sins) had never occurred; we are completely absolved.  Isn’t that a comforting thought?  That is the true meaning of the following passage:

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. 18 He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. 19 This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil. 20 For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 But he who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.” (NASB 1995)

During Christ’s First Coming, He came as the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53 as our Savior and Redeemer — to provide Grace.  During His Second Coming, He will appear as the expected, conquering Messiah (Heb. Mashiach).  To learn more about the Light referenced in vv19-21 above, read my article entitled “Creation Week: Yom Rishon (First Day).”  One passage from that article requires reiteration:

The Deity of Jesus Joshua Christ (Heb. Yehoshu’a HaMashiach/Gr. ‘Iesous Christos)

John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. 5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

The Witness John Johanan (Heb. Yochanan/Gr. ‘Ióannés)

6 There came a man sent from God, whose name was John [lit. ‘Ióannés]. 7 He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light.

9 There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. 10 He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

The Word Made Flesh

14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15 John [lit. ‘Ióannés] testified about Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.’” 16 For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace. 17 For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus [lit. ‘Iesous] Christ. 18 No one has seen God at any time; the only begotten God who is in the bosom of the Father, He has explained Him. (NASB 1995)

Let’s fast forward to the End Times…  In a nutshell, the following will occur:

For more information as to the timeline with additional details, read my article entitled “Revelation Study: An Overview of Eschatological Events.”

Regarding Yom Kippur, what is important to note is Judgment Day (aka “the Great and Terrible Day of the Lord [lit. Yahoah]”).  It is “great” for those written in the Book of Life but “terrible” for those who are not!  In that passage in Malachi, Elijah is one of the Two Witnesses of Revelation who will appear mid-Tribulation; the other is Enoch.  Neither has experienced death as both were taken up into Heaven in preparation of their prophesying for 1,260 yomim (slightly less than 42 months).  However, Leviathan will certainly kill them (Revelation 11:3-13 concentrating on vv7-10).  Besides Christ Himself, they are the only two born of this Earth residing in Heaven.  Note, however, in v5 that they are no longer quite human as literal fire will come from their mouths to devour their enemies.  Note also in v8 that Jerusalem is mystically called Sodom and Egypt because modern Israel covertly practices Babylonian paganism — including the mysticism of Kabbalah to this day.  This is further proof that Jerusalem — and by extension Israel — is Mystery Babylon; hence, the requirement for an undefiled New Jerusalem!

Christ will certainly act as the final judge/authority on Judgment Day:

John 5:19 Therefore Jesus answered and was saying to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of Himself, unless it is something He sees the Father doing; for whatever the Father does, these things the Son also does in like manner. 20 For the Father loves the Son, and shows Him all things that He Himself is doing; and the Father will show Him greater works than these, so that you will marvel. 21 For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, even so the Son also gives life to whom He wishes. 22 For not even the Father judges anyone, but He has given all judgment to the Son, 23 so that all will honor the Son even as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. (NASB 1995)

Although this passage is speaking directly of ancient Babylon, it is also prophetic as modern Jerusalem is Mystery Babylon:

Judgment on the Day of the Lord

Isaiah 13:6 Wail, for the day of the Lord [lit. Yahoah] is near!
It will come as destruction from the Almighty.
7 Therefore all hands will fall limp,
And every man’s heart will melt.
8 They will be terrified,
Pains and anguish will take hold of them;
They will writhe like a woman in labor,
They will look at one another in astonishment,
Their faces aflame.
9 Behold, the day of the Lord [lit. Yahoah] is coming,
Cruel, with fury and burning anger,
To make the land a desolation;
And He will exterminate its sinners from it.
10 For the stars of heaven and their constellations
Will not flash forth their light;
The sun will be dark when it rises
And the moon will not shed its light.
11 Thus I will punish the world for its evil
And the wicked for their iniquity;
I will also put an end to the arrogance of the proud
And abase the haughtiness of the ruthless.
12 I will make mortal man scarcer than pure gold
And mankind than the gold of Ophir.
13 Therefore I will make the heavens tremble,
And the earth will be shaken from its place
At the fury of the Lord [lit. Yahoah] of hosts
In the day of His burning anger.
14 And it will be that like a hunted gazelle,
Or like sheep with none to gather them,
They will each turn to his own people,
And each one flee to his own land.
15 Anyone who is found will be thrust through,
And anyone who is captured will fall by the sword.
16 Their little ones also will be dashed to pieces
Before their eyes;
Their houses will be plundered
And their wives ravished. (NASB 1995)

History certainly does repeat itself, and the adage holds true that:

“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” — George Santayana in Reason in Common Sense, The Life of Reason, Vol.1

The “sons of Israel” have proven time and time again to have short-term memories throughout the Bible — to the point of not recognizing their own Messiah!  However, we, as Christians must remember that they are “God’s Chosen,” and their hearts are currently hardened so that we may be adopted as “children of God” (Romans 11).  There is no “replacement theology” in play as some churches incorrectly teach.  The following passage states it well — we can choose Christ or Judgment…

Hebrews 10:26 For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, 27 but a terrifying expectation of judgment and THE FURY OF A FIRE WHICH WILL CONSUME THE ADVERSARIES. 28 Anyone who has set aside the Law of Moses dies without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. 29 How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge His people.” 31 It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God. (NASB 1995)

Life and death, blessing and curse…  CHOOSE LIFE!

Deuteronomy 30:19 I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, 20 by loving the Lord your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him; for this is your life and the length of your days, that you may live in the land which the Lord swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give them.” (NASB 1995)

Once Christ is rightfully recognized as the Messiah, it will realized there is no more need for a sacrificial system — including Yom Kippur!  The Living God GAVE HIS OWN BLOOD FOR A NEW AND BETTER COVENANT!

Hebrews 9:11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; 12 and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? (NASB 1995)

Hebrews 7:26 For it was fitting for us to have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; 27 who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. 28 For the Law appoints men as high priests who are weak, but the word of the oath, which came after the Law, appoints a Son, made perfect forever. (NASB 1995)

Read Hebrews 7-10 in its entirety to understand why the order of Melchizedek (Heb. Malki-tsedeq) is greater than that of the imperfect Levitical priesthood and why a New Covenant was required as was prophesied.

Be sure to read the companion articles in the Mo’edim (appointed times) and Agricultural Feasts series:

Shema Yisrael! (Hear, Israel!)

Copyright (C) 1995-2018, L. Alan Schuetz.  All rights reserved.

2 Timothy 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. (NASB 1995)

HaDerech Scroll - Paleo-Hebrew

Mo’ed: Zichron Teru’ah (Memorial of Blasting/Shouting) NOT Rosh Hashanah

~ L. Alan Schuetz ~ 16 Comments
shofar-2
Levite Sounding a Shofar

Leviticus 23:24 “Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘In the seventh month on the first of the month you shall have a rest, a reminder by blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation. 25 You shall not do any laborious work, but you shall present an offering by fire to the Lord [lit. Yahoah].’” (NASB 1995)

In accordance with the calendar discovered among the Dead Sea Scrolls (DSS), the first day of the seventh month on the fourth day of the week — which coincides with the “evening” of 9/18 and “morning” of 9/19 of the pagan Gregorian calendar — is the Memorial of Blasting [of trumpets/shofr’ot] (Heb. Zichron Teru’ah) also known as the Day of Blasting/Shouting (Heb. Yom Teru’ah); it is an annual or high Sabbath. Most may know this by its misnomer Rosh Hashanah (lit. “head of the [civil] year”). Few know that Israel employs a pagan Babylonian calendar and observes both an ecclesiastical and civil accounting of months and years based on misguided Talmudic commentaries by “rabbinic sages” in tractate Rosh Hashanah of the Mishnah. The term Rosh Hashanah is not mentioned in the entirety of the TaNaKh (OT). The Law (Heb. Torah) is clear that time, as we know it, began on 1 Abib on the fourth “yom” (Heb. Yom Revi’i) of Creation when the sun, moon, and stars were created for “signs and for seasons and for days and years” (Genesis 1:14-19 concentrating on v14). This day commences the appointed times in the Fall in what the Jewry refers to as the Days of Awe (Heb. Yamim Nora’im).

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Shofr’ot come in many shapes, sizes, and finishes. Photo courtesy of Holy Land Gifts.

Leviticus 23:23-25 quoted above certainly did not provide much detail, but the following passage fills in the gaps:

Numbers 29:1 ‘Now in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall also have a holy convocation; you shall do no laborious work. It will be to you a day for blowing trumpets [lit. teru’ah]. 2 You shall offer a burnt offering as a soothing aroma to the Lord [lit. Yahoah]: one bull, one ram, and seven male lambs one year old without defect; 3 also their grain offering, fine flour mixed with oil: three-tenths of an ephah for the bull, two-tenths for the ram, 4 and one-tenth for each of the seven lambs. 5 Offer one male goat for a sin offering, to make atonement for you, 6 besides the burnt offering of the new moon* [lit. new month] and its grain offering, and the continual burnt offering and its grain offering, and their drink offerings, according to their ordinance, for a soothing aroma, an offering by fire to the Lord [lit. Yahoah]. (NASB 1995)

*Note: “New moon” in v6 is a mistranslation based on Masoretic practices regarding the sighting of the waxing crescent immediately following the new or dark moon. That has absolutely no Biblical basis; it should read “new month.” The Hebrew chodesh simply means “new/renew” in regard to a month. The Hebrew yareach literally means “moon.” Essentially, all references to a “new moon” in the TaNaKh (OT) is actually “new month” (Heb. chadash chodesh); “new moon” is a misnomer. The same holds true in the NT; the root is mén (note the inserted “lunar” in the definition) meaning “month.” The months certainly do not commence with new moons in the DSS calendar; see the latter three pages regarding the Lunar Cycles. In fact, the first month of the three-year cycle commences with a FULL MOON! A full moon occurring on 1 Abib is called a sign (Heb. ‘ot) in the Jubilee accounting of years. This Heavenly sign will be observed next year on the “evening” of March 21, 2019, as it marks the beginning of Lunar Cycle 1 of 3. The only time the Fingernail of God (FoG) appears on the first of a month is in the ninth month in Lunar Cycle 2 of 3; again, refer to the DSS calendar.

Along with shofar made from ram’s horns, two silver trumpets were instructed to be made along with how they should be utilized:

Numbers 10:1 The Lord spoke further to Moses, saying, 2 “Make yourself two trumpets of silver, of hammered work you shall make them; and you shall use them for summoning the congregation and for having the camps set out. 3 When both are blown, all the congregation shall gather themselves to you at the doorway of the tent of meeting. 4 Yet if only one is blown, then the leaders, the heads of the divisions of Israel, shall assemble before you. 5 But when you blow an alarm, the camps that are pitched on the east side shall set out. 6 When you blow an alarm the second time, the camps that are pitched on the south side shall set out; an alarm is to be blown for them to set out. 7 When convening the assembly, however, you shall blow without sounding an alarm. 8 The priestly sons of Aaron, moreover, shall blow the trumpets; and this shall be for you a perpetual statute throughout your generations. 9 When you go to war in your land against the adversary who attacks you, then you shall sound an alarm with the trumpets, that you may be remembered before the Lord your God, and be saved from your enemies. 10 Also in the day of your gladness and in your appointed feasts, and on the first days of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings, and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; and they shall be as a reminder of you before your God. I am the Lord your God.” (NASB 1995)

The power of these trumpets, shofar, and voices of the Israelite people were demonstrated at the Fall of Jericho:

Joshua 6:1 Now Jericho was tightly shut because of the sons of Israel; no one went out and no one came in. 2 The Lord said to Joshua, “See, I have given Jericho into your hand, with its king and the valiant warriors. 3 You shall march around the city, all the men of war circling the city once. You shall do so for six days. 4 Also seven priests shall carry seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark; then on the seventh day you shall march around the city seven times, and the priests shall blow the trumpets. 5 It shall be that when they make a long blast with the ram’s horn, and when you hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city will fall down flat, and the people will go up every man straight ahead.”

6 So Joshua the son of Nun called the priests and said to them, “Take up the ark of the covenant, and let seven priests carry seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the Lord.” 7 Then he said to the people, “Go forward, and march around the city, and let the armed men go on before the ark of the Lord.” 8 And it was so, that when Joshua had spoken to the people, the seven priests carrying the seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the Lord went forward and blew the trumpets; and the ark of the covenant of the Lord followed them. 9 The armed men went before the priests who blew the trumpets, and the rear guard came after the ark, while they continued to blow the trumpets. 10 But Joshua commanded the people, saying, “You shall not shout nor let your voice be heard nor let a word proceed out of your mouth, until the day I tell you, ‘Shout!’ Then you shall shout!” 11 So he had the ark of the Lord taken around the city, circling it once; then they came into the camp and spent the night in the camp.

12 Now Joshua rose early in the morning, and the priests took up the ark of the Lord. 13 The seven priests carrying the seven trumpets of rams’ horns before the ark of the Lord went on continually, and blew the trumpets; and the armed men went before them and the rear guard came after the ark of the Lord, while they continued to blow the trumpets. 14 Thus the second day they marched around the city once and returned to the camp; they did so for six days.

15 Then on the seventh day they rose early at the dawning of the day and marched around the city in the same manner seven times; only on that day they marched around the city seven times. 16 At the seventh time, when the priests blew the trumpets, Joshua said to the people, “Shout! For the Lord has given you the city. 17 The city shall be under the ban, it and all that is in it belongs to the Lord; only Rahab the harlot and all who are with her in the house shall live, because she hid the messengers whom we sent. 18 But as for you, only keep yourselves from the things under the ban, so that you do not covet them and take some of the things under the ban, and make the camp of Israel accursed and bring trouble on it. 19 But all the silver and gold and articles of bronze and iron are holy to the Lord; they shall go into the treasury of the Lord.” 20 So the people shouted, and priests blew the trumpets; and when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, the people shouted with a great shout and the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight ahead, and they took the city. 21 They utterly destroyed everything in the city, both man and woman, young and old, and ox and sheep and donkey, with the edge of the sword.

22 Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, “Go into the harlot’s house and bring the woman and all she has out of there, as you have sworn to her.” 23 So the young men who were spies went in and brought out Rahab and her father and her mother and her brothers and all she had; they also brought out all her relatives and placed them outside the camp of Israel. 24 They burned the city with fire, and all that was in it. Only the silver and gold, and articles of bronze and iron, they put into the treasury of the house of the Lord. 25 However, Rahab the harlot and her father’s household and all she had, Joshua spared; and she has lived in the midst of Israel to this day, for she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.

26 Then Joshua made them take an oath at that time, saying, “Cursed before the Lord is the man who rises up and builds this city Jericho; with the loss of his firstborn he shall lay its foundation, and with the loss of his youngest son he shall set up its gates.” 27 So the Lord was with Joshua, and his fame was in all the land. (NASB 1995)

Note that modern Jericho is not on the same site as the ancient per v26; the modern is north of the ancient per satellite imagery.

So, how does this appointed time apply today? The NT documents how trumpets/shofr’ot will play into the End Times. The first is the resurrection of the dead and the transformation of the living:

1 Corinthians 15:50 Now I say this, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God;* nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. (NASB 1995)

*Note: The “kingdom of God” is referring to New Jerusalem, the Bride of the Lamb.

This is corroborated by the gathering/catching up (Gr. episunagó or harpazó) of the resurrected dead and living at Christ’s Second Coming:

1 Thessalonians 4:14 For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so God will bring with Him those who have fallen asleep in Jesus [lit. Joshua]. 15 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words. (NASB 1995)

This event occurs immediately AFTER the Great Tribulation contrary to the false pre-Tribulation “rapture” doctrine taught in most modern churches:

Matthew 24:29 “But immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 30 And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with power and great glory. 31 And He will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other. (NASB 1995)

This is corroborated in Mark 13:24-27. The term “rapture” originates with the Latin rapturo. As the NT is preserved in Koine Greek, that was not the word employed in the original Scriptures.

Second, trumpets are employed most prevalently in regard to what is popularly called the “trumpet judgments” in the Book of Revelation:

The Seventh Seal — The Trumpets

Revelation 8:1 When the Lamb broke the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. 2 And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them.

3 Another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a golden censer; and much incense was given to him, so that he might add it to the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar which was before the throne. 4 And the smoke of the incense, with the prayers of the saints, went up before God out of the angel’s hand. 5 Then the angel took the censer and filled it with the fire of the altar, and threw it to the earth; and there followed peals of thunder and sounds and flashes of lightning and an earthquake.

6 And the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound them.

7 The first sounded, and there came hail and fire, mixed with blood, and they were thrown to the earth; and a third of the earth was burned up, and a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.

8 The second angel sounded, and something like a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea; and a third of the sea became blood, 9 and a third of the creatures which were in the sea and had life, died; and a third of the ships were destroyed.

10 The third angel sounded, and a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell on a third of the rivers and on the springs of waters. 11 The name of the star is called Wormwood; and a third of the waters became wormwood, and many men died from the waters, because they were made bitter.

12 The fourth angel sounded, and a third of the sun and a third of the moon and a third of the stars were struck, so that a third of them would be darkened and the day would not shine for a third of it, and the night in the same way.

13 Then I looked, and I heard an eagle flying in midheaven, saying with a loud voice, “Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, because of the remaining blasts of the trumpet of the three angels who are about to sound!”

The Fifth Trumpet — The Bottomless Pit

9:1 Then the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star from heaven which had fallen to the earth; and the key of the bottomless pit was given to him. 2 He opened the bottomless pit, and smoke went up out of the pit, like the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke of the pit. 3 Then out of the smoke came locusts upon the earth, and power was given them, as the scorpions of the earth have power. 4 They were told not to hurt the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, nor any tree, but only the men who do not have the seal of God on their foreheads. 5 And they were not permitted to kill anyone, but to torment for five months; and their torment was like the torment of a scorpion when it stings a man. 6 And in those days men will seek death and will not find it; they will long to die, and death flees from them.

7 The appearance of the locusts was like horses prepared for battle; and on their heads appeared to be crowns like gold, and their faces were like the faces of men. 8 They had hair like the hair of women, and their teeth were like the teeth of lions. 9 They had breastplates like breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots, of many horses rushing to battle. 10 They have tails like scorpions, and stings; and in their tails is their power to hurt men for five months. 11 They have as king over them, the angel of the abyss; his name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in the Greek he has the name Apollyon.

12 The first woe is past; behold, two woes are still coming after these things.

The Sixth Trumpet — Army from the East

13 Then the sixth angel sounded, and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, 14 one saying to the sixth angel who had the trumpet, “Release the four angels who are bound at the great river Euphrates.” 15 And the four angels, who had been prepared for the hour and day and month and year, were released, so that they would kill a third of mankind. 16 The number of the armies of the horsemen was two hundred million; I heard the number of them. 17 And this is how I saw in the vision the horses and those who sat on them: the riders had breastplates the color of fire and of hyacinth and of brimstone; and the heads of the horses are like the heads of lions; and out of their mouths proceed fire and smoke and brimstone. 18 A third of mankind was killed by these three plagues, by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone which proceeded out of their mouths. 19 For the power of the horses is in their mouths and in their tails; for their tails are like serpents and have heads, and with them they do harm.

20 The rest of mankind, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands, so as not to worship demons, and the idols of gold and of silver and of brass and of stone and of wood, which can neither see nor hear nor walk; 21 and they did not repent of their murders nor of their sorceries nor of their immorality nor of their thefts.

The Angel and the Little Book

10:1 I saw another strong angel coming down out of heaven, clothed with a cloud; and the rainbow was upon his head, and his face was like the sun, and his feet like pillars of fire; 2 and he had in his hand a little book which was open. He placed his right foot on the sea and his left on the land; 3 and he cried out with a loud voice, as when a lion roars; and when he had cried out, the seven peals of thunder uttered their voices. 4 When the seven peals of thunder had spoken, I was about to write; and I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Seal up the things which the seven peals of thunder have spoken and do not write them.” 5 Then the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land lifted up his right hand to heaven, 6 and swore by Him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and the things in it, and the earth and the things in it, and the sea and the things in it, that there will be delay no longer, 7 but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, then the mystery of God is finished, as He preached to His servants the prophets.

8 Then the voice which I heard from heaven, I heard again speaking with me, and saying, “Go, take the book which is open in the hand of the angel who stands on the sea and on the land.” 9 So I went to the angel, telling him to give me the little book. And he said to me, “Take it and eat it; it will make your stomach bitter, but in your mouth it will be sweet as honey.” 10 I took the little book out of the angel’s hand and ate it, and in my mouth it was sweet as honey; and when I had eaten it, my stomach was made bitter. 11 And they said to me, “You must prophesy again concerning many peoples and nations and tongues and kings.”

The Two Witnesses

11 Then there was given me a measuring rod like a staff; and someone said, “Get up and measure the temple of God and the altar, and those who worship in it. 2 Leave out the court which is outside the temple and do not measure it, for it has been given to the nations; and they will tread under foot the holy city for forty-two months. 3 And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.” 4 These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. 5 And if anyone wants to harm them, fire flows out of their mouth and devours their enemies; so if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this way. 6 These have the power to shut up the sky, so that rain will not fall during the days of their prophesying; and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with every plague, as often as they desire.

7 When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them and kill them. 8 And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which mystically is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. 9 Those from the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations will look at their dead bodies for three and a half days, and will not permit their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb. 10 And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and celebrate; and they will send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.

11 But after the three and a half days, the breath of life from God came into them, and they stood on their feet; and great fear fell upon those who were watching them. 12 And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” Then they went up into heaven in the cloud, and their enemies watched them. 13 And in that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell; seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.

14 The second woe is past; behold, the third woe is coming quickly.

The Seventh Trumpet — Christ’s Reign Foreseen

15 Then the seventh angel sounded; and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.” 16 And the twenty-four elders, who sit on their thrones before God, fell on their faces and worshiped God, 17 saying, “We give You thanks, O Lord God, the Almighty, who are and who were, because You have taken Your great power and have begun to reign. 18 And the nations were enraged, and Your wrath came, and the time came for the dead to be judged, and the time to reward Your bond-servants the prophets and the saints and those who fear Your name, the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth.”

19 And the temple of God which is in heaven was opened; and the ark of His covenant appeared in His temple, and there were flashes of lightning and sounds and peals of thunder and an earthquake and a great hailstorm. (NASB 1995)

Note that verse 9:5 states that these ungodly locusts will torment the non-believers for five months. More importantly, believers with the seal of God on their foreheads in v4 remain untouched, but this proves — along with Matthew 24:29-31 and Mark 13:24-27 — that a pre-tribulation rapture is an impossibility. In fact, I believe that one false teaching will finalize what is known as the Great Apostasy. When many “Christians” see that the signs of Revelation are occurring without their being taken up beforehand, they will fall away from their faith in God.

1 Timothy 4:1 But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 by means of the hypocrisy of liars seared in their own conscience as with a branding iron, 3 men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth. 4 For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with gratitude; 5 for it is sanctified by means of the word of God and prayer. (NASB 1995)

2 Thessalonians 2:1 Now we request you, brethren, with regard to the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him, 2 that you not be quickly shaken from your composure or be disturbed either by a spirit or a message or a letter as if from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. 3 Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God. 5 Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things? 6 And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he will be revealed. 7 For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. 8 Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; 9 that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, 10 and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. 11 For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, 12 in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.

13 But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. 14 It was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ. 15 So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us.

16 Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, 17 comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word. (NASB 1995)

Further proof lies in Revelation 11:3 when the two witnesses, Enoch and Elijah, appear on the scene and prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days. So, although Yom Kippur and Sukkot will be fulfilled likely one after the other, Zichron Teru’ah will not — just as the appointed times (Heb. mo’edim) in the Spring were not fulfilled in chronological order, either.

For a summary of events that will occur in the End Times, read my article: “Revelation Study: An Overview of Eschatological Events.”

Will these events occur on Zichron Teru’ah — even successive ones? On that, the Scriptures are inconclusive based on my current understanding, but Revelation 11:18 bears repeating:

Revelation 11:18 “And the nations were enraged, and Your wrath came, and the time came for the dead to be judged, and the time to reward Your bond-servants the prophets and the saints and those who fear Your name, the small and the great, and to destroy those who destroy the earth.” (NASB 1995)

Note that these “trumpet judgments” prophesied in Revelation 8-11 occur BEFORE Judgment Day, but that is the next topic… Stay tuned!

Be sure to read the companion articles in the Mo’edim (appointed times) and Agricultural Feasts series:

Shema Yisrael! (Hear, Israel!)

Copyright (C) 1995-2018, L. Alan Schuetz. All rights reserved.

2 Timothy 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. (NASB 1995)

HaDerech Scroll - Paleo-Hebrew

Other Feast: Korban Etzim (Wood Offering)

~ L. Alan Schuetz ~ 18 Comments
wood_in_a_woodpile
Wood in a Woodpile.  Photo courtesy of Wikipedia.

Leviticus 6:8 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 9 “Command Aaron and his sons, saying, ‘This is the law for the burnt offering: the burnt offering itself shall remain on the hearth on the altar all night until the morning, and the fire on the altar is to be kept burning on it. 10 The priest is to put on his linen robe, and he shall put on undergarments next to his flesh; and he shall take up the ashes to which the fire reduces the burnt offering on the altar and place them beside the altar. 11 Then he shall take off his garments and put on other garments, and carry the ashes outside the camp to a clean place. 12 The fire on the altar shall be kept burning on it. It shall not go out, but the priest shall burn wood on it every morning; and he shall lay out the burnt offering on it, and offer up in smoke the fat portions of the peace offerings on it. 13 Fire shall be kept burning continually on the altar; it is not to go out. (NASB 1995)

The least known of all the appointed times (Heb. mo’edim) is the Offering of Wood (Heb. Korban Etzim).  To learn more about what korban means; see here (note that wood is overlooked).  As Torah clearly states above, the sacrificial altar and the fuel to keep it burning perpetually had to be provided for in some manner.  Unfortunately, the calendrical passages describing when this event would occur would be lost to history if it were not for the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, most of which are warehoused and/or on display at the Rockefeller Museum and the Shrine of the Book in Jerusalem.  Four scrolls mention this mo’ed:  The Temple Scroll (11Q19), the Reworked Pentateuch (4Q365), and portions of the priestly courses (Heb. mishmarot) in 4Q325 and 4Q327; the definitive date is contained in the latter:

“After the Feast of New Oil is the Feast of the Offering of Wo]od.”  (4Q325, Fragment 1, Column 3) from p.350 of “The Dead Sea Scrolls in English” by Geza Vermes

4Q327 is more definitive:

“[On the twenty-firs]t (day) in (the fifth SIXTH month) is a Sabbath.  On the twenty-second (day) in (the fifth SIXTH month) is the Festival of Oil.  Af[ter the sab]bath … is the Offeri[ng of Wood].” (4Q327, Fragment 1, Column 2) Ibid.

Note:  Corrections were made from the reconstructed Qumran calendar.  There is no weekly Sabbath on the twenty-first day of the fifth month, but there is in the sixth.  As we will discover, Vermes based his translation on the incorrect practice recorded by “rabbinic sages” in the Talmud, where this festival was observed in the fifth month of the Masoretic ecclesiastical calendar known by its Babylonian name Av.

As was presented last week, the Feast of New Oil (Heb. Chag Yitzhar) occurs on the twenty-second day of the sixth month — 49 days after the Feast of New Wine (Heb. Chag Tirosh), and as is stated above, the Wood Offering occurs “after the Feast of New Oil” (4Q325) and “after the (weekly) Sabbath” (4Q327).  This means that it occurred on the twenty-ninth of the sixth month on the first day of the week.  When reconciling that date with the pagan Gregorian calendar, that coincides with the “evening” of 9/14 and the “morning” of 9/15 during non-leap years and the “evening” of 9/15 and “morning” of 9/16 during leap years.

One additional piece of information leads up to the culmination of the festival itself; this is documented in the Reworked Pentateuch:

“And the Lord [lit. Yahoah] said to Moses, ‘Command the children of Israel, saying: When you enter the land which I am giving to you as an inheritance, and you dwell upon it securely, you shall bring wood for a burnt-offering and for all of the service of [the H]ouse which you shall build for Me in the land, to lay it on the altar of burnt-offering, [and] the calves … for Passover sacrifices and peace-offerings and thank-offerings and free-will offerings and burnt-offerings daily … and for the doors and for all the service of the House you shall offer … the festival of Oil, the twel[ve tribes] they shall offer wood … Those who offer on the first day shall be Levi and … [on the third day, Reu]ben and Simeon, [and on] the fou[rth] day …’” (4Q365, Fragment 23) from p.445 of “The Dead Sea Scrolls in English” by Geza Vermes

So, it appears days were appointed before the festival to present the wood offering from each of the twelve tribes of Israel.  Is this practice mentioned elsewhere in the Bible?

Nehemiah 10:34 Likewise we cast lots for the supply of wood among the priests, the Levites and the people so that they might bring it to the house of our God, according to our fathers’ households, at fixed times annually, to burn on the altar of the Lord our God, as it is written in the law; 35 and that they might bring the first fruits of our ground and the first fruits of all the fruit of every tree to the house of the Lord annually, 36 and bring to the house of our God the firstborn of our sons and of our cattle, and the firstborn of our herds and our flocks as it is written in the law, for the priests who are ministering in the house of our God. (NASB 1995)

“As it is written in the law” in v34 refers to Leviticus 6:8-13.

Nehemiah 13:30 Thus I purified them from everything foreign and appointed duties for the priests and the Levites, each in his task, 31 and I arranged for the supply of wood at appointed times and for the first fruits. Remember me, O my God, for good. (NASB 1995)

Is this mentioned in extrabiblical texts as well?

“Now the next day was the festival of Xylophory; upon which the custom was for every one to bring wood for the altar (that there might never be a want of fuel for that fire which was unquenchable and always burning).” — Titus Flavius Josephus, “The Wars of the Jews,” Book 2, Chapter 17, Section 6

Note:  Josephus employed the Greek term Xylophory, meaning “wood-bearing,” instead of Korban Etzim by the time of the First Jewish-Roman War in 66 CE; this proves that the Hellenization of Israel — including its paganism — was an expanding influence.  The timing of the Wood Offering had changed from the 29th of the sixth month of the Qumran calendar to the 15th of the fifth month (Heb. Tu B’Av), or mid-August, recorded by “rabbinic sages” in the Mishnah. This became a time associated with marriage and pagan practices such as mid-summer bonfires.  Do you see how the Law was continually corrupted?  This is documented throughout the Scriptures.  Are you beginning to see why modern Jerusalem — and by extension — Israel is Mystery Babylon?

Be sure to read the companion articles in the Mo’edim (appointed times) and Agricultural Feasts series:

Shema Yisrael! (Hear, Israel!)

Copyright (C) 1995-2018, L. Alan Schuetz. All rights reserved.

2 Timothy 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. (NASB 1995)

HaDerech Scroll - Paleo-Hebrew

Mo’ed and Agricultural Feast: Shavu’ot (Feast of Weeks) – Wheat

~ L. Alan Schuetz ~ 15 Comments

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Agricultural Feast and Annual Sabbath

This evening marks the commencement of the Feast of Weeks (Heb. Shavu’ot) on the 15th day of the third month on the first day of the week (evening of 6/1 and morning of 6/2). It is the second of four agricultural feasts of Israel with each occurring forty-nine (49) days apart, exclusive:

  • 26 Abib (barley) – Early Firstfruits (Heb. Bikkurim),
  • 15th of the third month (wheat) – Feast of Weeks (Heb. Shavu’ot)/Latter Firstfruits,
  • 3rd of the fifth month (fermented grapes) – Feast of New Wine (Heb. Chag Tirosh), and
  • 22nd of the sixth month (olive oil) – Feast of New Oil (Heb. Chag Yitzhar).

These are documented in the calendar of God Most High (Heb. El Elyon) discovered among the Dead Sea Scrolls (DSS) in the caves surrounding Khirbet Qumran (=ruins of Qumran).

There are numerous references to these four crops together throughout the Bible; note that barley and wheat are at times combined under the generic term “grain.” The Levitical priests’ portion came from the first fruits of these (focusing on v12):

Numbers 18:11 This also is yours, the offering of their gift, even all the wave offerings of the sons of Israel; I have given them to you and to your sons and daughters with you as a perpetual allotment. Everyone of your household who is clean may eat it. 12 All the best of the fresh oil and all the best of the fresh wine and of the grain, the first fruits of those which they give to [lit. Yahoah], I give them to you. 13 The first ripe fruits of all that is in their land, which they bring to [lit. Yahoah], shall be yours; everyone of your household who is clean may eat it. (NASB 1995)

A bountiful harvest of these four were the reward for obedience to Yahoah’s commandments:

Deuteronomy 11:13 “It shall come about, if you listen obediently to my commandments which I am commanding you today, to love [lit. Yahoah] your [lit. Elohim] and to serve Him with all your heart and all your soul, 14 that He will give the rain for your land in its season, the early and late rain, that you may gather in your grain and your new wine and your oil. (NASB 1995)

In prophesy, the third seal is famine. See how these four staples are explicitly mentioned:

Revelation 6:6 And I heard something like a voice in the center of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not damage the oil and the wine.” (NASB 1995)

Here is the Law regarding Shavu’ot; it is an annual Sabbath (see v21):

Leviticus 23:15 ‘You shall also count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, from the day when you brought in the sheaf of the wave offering; there shall be seven complete sabbaths. 16 You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh sabbath; then you shall present a new grain offering to the Lord. 17 You shall bring in from your dwelling places two loaves of bread for a wave offering, made of two-tenths of an ephah; they shall be of a fine flour, baked with leaven as first fruits to the Lord.18 Along with the bread you shall present seven one year old male lambs without defect, and a bull of the herd and two rams; they are to be a burnt offering to the Lord, with their grain offering and their drink offerings, an offering by fire of a soothing aroma to the Lord. 19 You shall also offer one male goat for a sin offering and two male lambs one year old for a sacrifice of peace offerings. 20 The priest shall then wave them with the bread of the first fruits for a wave offering with two lambs before the Lord; they are to be holy to the Lord for the priest. 21 On this same day you shall make a proclamation as well; you are to have a holy convocation. You shall do no laborious work. It is to be a perpetual statute in all your dwelling places throughout your generations. 22 ‘When you reap the harvest of your land, moreover, you shall not reap to the very corners of your field nor gather the gleaning of your harvest; you are to leave them for the needy and the alien. I am the Lord your God.’” (NASB 1995)

One of Christ’s more memorable parables concerns the wheat and tares:

Matthew 13:24 Jesus presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. 25 But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went away. 26 But when the wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the tares became evident also. 27 The slaves of the landowner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ 28 And he said to them, ‘An enemy has done this!’ The slaves said to him, ‘Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?’ 29 But he said, ‘No; for while you are gathering up the tares, you may uproot the wheat with them. 30 Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn.”’” (NASB 1995)

After He finished teaching for the day and retired to the house in which they were staying for the night, Christ explained this parable to His disciples:

Matthew 13:36 Then He left the crowds and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him and said, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.” 37 And He said, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man, 38 and the field is the world; and as for the good seed, these are the sons of the kingdom; and the tares are the sons of the evil one; 39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil, and the harvest is the end of the age; and the reapers are angels. 40 So just as the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, 42 and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then THE RIGHTEOUS WILL SHINE FORTH AS THE SUN in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear. (NASB 1995)

The “furnace of fire” mentioned in v42 is a reference to Gehenna, the lake of fire, on Judgment Day on a future Yom Kippur after Christ’s millennial reign as is documented in Revelation 20:7-15.

Mo’ed (Appointed Time) and Shalosh Regalim (Second of Three Pilgrimage Festivals)

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The Pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Source: The Temple Institute

As has been discussed previously, there are appointed times (Heb. mo’edim) documented in Torah. The most referenced in this regard is Leviticus 23 with Shavu’ot mentioned in vv15-22; see above. Not only was Shavu’ot included in the mo’edim, but it was elevated as one of the three annual pilgrimage festivals (Heb. Shalosh Regalim) to Jerusalem: Passover/Unleavened Bread, Feast of Weeks, and Feast of Booths/Tabernacles (Heb. Sukkot). The most descriptive passage regarding these pilgrimage festivals is found in Deuteronomy 16:

Deuteronomy 16:1 “Observe the month of Abib and celebrate the Passover to the Lord your God, for in the month of Abib the Lord your God brought you out of Egypt by night. 2 You shall sacrifice the Passover to the Lord your God from the flock and the herd, in the place where the Lord chooses to establish His name. 3 You shall not eat leavened bread with it; seven days you shall eat with it unleavened bread, the bread of affliction (for you came out of the land of Egypt in haste), so that you may remember all the days of your life the day when you came out of the land of Egypt. 4 For seven days no leaven shall be seen with you in all your territory, and none of the flesh which you sacrifice on the evening of the first day shall remain overnight until morning. 5 You are not allowed to sacrifice the Passover in any of your towns which the Lord your God is giving you; 6 but at the place where the Lord your God chooses to establish His name, you shall sacrifice the Passover in the evening at sunset, at the time that you came out of Egypt. 7 You shall cook and eat it in the place which the Lord your God chooses. In the morning you are to return to your tents. 8 Six days you shall eat unleavened bread, and on the seventh day there shall be a solemn assembly to the Lord your God; you shall do no work on it.
9 “You shall count seven weeks for yourself; you shall begin to count seven weeks from the time you begin to put the sickle to the standing grain. 10 Then you shall celebrate the Feast of Weeks to the Lord your God with a tribute of a freewill offering of your hand, which you shall give just as the Lord your God blesses you; 11 and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God, you and your son and your daughter and your male and female servants and the Levite who is in your town, and the stranger and the orphan and the widow who are in your midst, in the place where the Lord your God chooses to establish His name. 12 You shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt, and you shall be careful to observe these statutes.
13 “You shall celebrate the Feast of Booths seven days after you have gathered in from your threshing floor and your wine vat; 14 and you shall rejoice in your feast, you and your son and your daughter and your male and female servants and the Levite and the stranger and the orphan and the widow who are in your towns. 15 Seven days you shall celebrate a feast to the Lord your God in the place which the Lord chooses, because the Lord your God will bless you in all your produce and in all the work of your hands, so that you will be altogether joyful.
16 “Three times in a year all your males shall appear before the Lord your God in the place which He chooses, at the Feast of Unleavened Bread and at the Feast of Weeks and at the Feast of Booths, and they shall not appear before the Lord empty-handed. 17 Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord your God which He has given you.
18 “You shall appoint for yourself judges and officers in all your towns which the Lord your God is giving you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment. 19 You shall not distort justice; you shall not be partial, and you shall not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and perverts the words of the righteous. 20 Justice, and only justice, you shall pursue, that you may live and possess the land which the Lord your God is giving you.
21 “You shall not plant for yourself an Asherah of any kind of tree beside the altar of the Lord your God, which you shall make for yourself. 22 You shall not set up for yourself a sacred pillar which [lit. Yahoah] your [lit. Elohim] hates. (NASB 1995)

Author’s Note: In the pagan religions of antiquity, Asherah, which could be a wooden pillar, a sacred tree, or even a grove, was a representation of the “mother goddess” or “Queen of Heaven.” Likewise, cut stone pillars or obelisks essentially served as “divine” phallic architecture; God’s stone altars and memorials were ALWAYS of uncut stones. If Yahoah, the preincarnate Christ and firstborn of Creation, hated these, then why is “Mary” referenced as the “Queen of Heaven” in Roman Catholicism and Greek Orthodoxy and an Egyptian obelisk is the centerpiece of St. Peter’s Square? A good representation of the latter may be found here. It is because ancient paganism has been assimilated and still remains in certain churches. Numerous pagan “mysteries” were incorporated well before the Reformation and spread to other denominations unchecked — many of those “mysteries” remain to this day. As will be discovered, that applies to even the date of Christ’s birth.

Returning to Deuteronomy 16… Why these three, specific times? All were prophetic and two were fulfilled. Regarding Passover/Unleavened Bread, Christ accomplished the following in 36 CE:

  • He was crucified as the Lamb of God and buried on 14 Abib,
  • He was dead and buried for three days and NIGHTS per the sign of Jonah on 15-17 Abib,
  • He was resurrected as Lord of the (weekly) Sabbath on 18 Abib,
  • His empty tomb was discovered early in the morning of 19 Abib,
  • He ascended into Heaven for the first time on 20 Abib, and
  • He observed the final day of Unleavened Bread — an annual Sabbath — at the right hand of the Father on 21 Abib.

This article is developing the reasoning for the inclusion of the Feast of Weeks, which has also been fulfilled; a synopsis for the reasoning will be provided in the conclusion.

Finally, the Feast of Tabernacles will be the final event of the End Times; it represents the future Marriage Supper of the Lamb to New Jerusalem:

Revelation 21:9 Then one of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and spoke with me, saying, “Come here, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb.”

The New Jerusalem

10 And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, 11 having the glory of God. Her brilliance was like a very costly stone, as a stone of crystal-clear jasper. 12 It had a great and high wall, with twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels; and names were written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel. 13 There were three gates on the east and three gates on the north and three gates on the south and three gates on the west. 14 And the wall of the city had twelve foundation stones, and on them were the twelve names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. (NASB 1995)

How does one marry a city? I have no idea; that will be one of the things revealed to those invited to the Marriage Supper. But, He is certainly not “marrying the church,” and He certainly did not secretly marry Mary Magdalene and have a child with her.

Bottom line: All Israelite males were to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem to witness these events firsthand. THAT is the reasoning behind the Shalosh Regalim — fulfillment of prophesy and recognition of Israel’s Messiah (Heb. Mashiach).

HaDerech: Renewal of Covenants

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Rainbow Covenant. Source: Grow in Christ

The Feast of Weeks was exceptionally important to the “sect” called The Way (Heb. HaDerech) whose ascetic firstborn males — comprised of priests, Levites, Israelites, and proselytes — lived in the desert wilderness of Qumran. They were the “wise men of the east” of Jerusalem — 15 miles as the crow flies. Even John (Heb. Yochanan) studied there (Luke 1:80). In the words of Paul well after his conversion:

Acts 24:14 But this I admit to you, that according to [T]he Way which they call a sect I do serve the God of our fathers, believing everything that is in accordance with the Law and that is written in the Prophets; 15 having a hope in God, which these men cherish themselves, that there shall certainly be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked. 16 In view of this, I also do my best to maintain always a blameless conscience both before God and before men. (NASB 1995)

To become a member of The Way required a public repentance of sin via a tevilah (=full body immersion) in a miqveh (=a gathering of “living water” with a natural spring as its source). This is why Yochanan was overseeing these immersions in the Jordan River; it has a natural spring at its source — the Banias at the foot of Mount Hermon. The Jews were converting from false sects of Pharisaism and Sadducism to The Way. This was the TRUE church — “to the Jew first and also to the Greek,” where “the Greek” refers to believing gentiles.

Matthew 3:1 Now in those days John the [lit. Immerser; Gr. baptizó] came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, 2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 3 For this is the one referred to by Isaiah the prophet when he said,

“THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS,
‘MAKE READY THE WAY OF [lit. YAHOAH],
MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT!’”

4 Now John himself had a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then Jerusalem was going out to him, and all Judea and all the district around the Jordan; 6 and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins.

7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance; 9 and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father’; for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham. 10 The axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

11 “As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” (NASB 1995)

Author’s Notes: The phrase “set His paths straight” is referring to setting the record straight — to proclaim the truth; Christ is the one and only way. This is exactly what the two witnesses of Revelation, Enoch and Elijah, will do, and the world at large will REJECT the truth! Except for a remnant, the world will celebrate their deaths to the point of exchanging gifts (Revelation 11:3-13 concentrating on v10). Also, compare the Parable of the Wheat and Tares in the section above to the wheat and chaff in this passage. Those not written in the Book of Life will be thrown into Gehenna, the lake of fire, and experience the second death.

The men and women of The Way lived in Damascus, Syria. Just as Acts explicitly states, they lived a communal lifestyle in which everything was shared equally. This is outlined in the Damascus Document. Recall where Saul (Heb. Sha’ul), the Pharisee (Matthew 23), was going to persecute the men and women of The Way under direct orders from the adulterated Great Sanhedrin:

Acts 9:1 9 Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest, 2 and asked for letters from him to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to [T]he Way, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. 3 As he was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him; 4 and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” 5 And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” And He said, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting, 6 but get up and enter the city, and it will be told you what you must do.” 7 The men who traveled with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one. 8 Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; and leading him by the hand, they brought him into Damascus. 9 And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank. (NASB 1995)

Of course, Saul’s conversion was well known (Acts 22:1-16), but never is it taught in our churches and synagogues that he converted to The Way.

Now, that it has been established that The Way was the TRUE church, let us examine their beliefs of the renewal of covenants on the Feast of Weeks. What exactly was this regarding? First and foremost there were three which had been fulfilled, along with the expectation of a fourth, and an unexpected fifth (which caused great consternation among many Jews):

  1. God’s covenant with Noah not to destroy the Earth by flood again with the visible sign of rainbows (i.e., the bow in the cloud) after rainstorms (Genesis 9:1-17 focusing on vv12-17);
  2. God’s covenant with Abraham to build many nations from his sons Isaac and Ishmael with the visible sign of male circumcision (Genesis 17)*;
  3. God’s covenant with Israel to lead them out of Egypt to the Promised Land with the visible signs of the tablets containing the Ten Commandments given to Moses as well as the pillar of cloud leading them by day and the pillar of fire by night (primarily Exodus 20, 34 concentrating on chapter 34:10-28 and Deuteronomy 4-5, 10 for the Ten Commandments as well as Numbers 14 for the pillars of cloud and fire).
  4. God’s prophetic promise of the “consolation of Israel” — which was messianic foreshadowing (Isaiah 40 with a concentration on vv1-2); and
  5. God’s New Covenant to count believing Gentiles as adopted sons of Israel (Romans 8-9, Galatians 4, Ephesians 1) with the allegory of the wild olive tree being grafted into the natural (Romans 11).

*Note: The nations from Isaac and Ishmael have and will be embattled with one another until the end (as are the descendants of Jacob and Esau, but that’s another story).

Christ’s Birth in 6 CE

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The Nativity. Source: LDS.org (Note: The author has no affiliation with the LDS.)

For nearly two millennia, “Biblical scholars” and “theologians” have opined that the Bible does not definitively state when Christ was born. Before the discovery of the DSS and the calendar contained therein, that was certainly true. However, now there are no excuses; all is being revealed in the Latter Days just as was prophesied (Matthew 10:26-28).

So, how did these great “scholars” and “theologians” arrive at a December 25th date, which is inconsistent with the Scriptures? False church traditions (unsubstantiated embellishments), the precepts of men (manufactured theology), and doctrines of demons (assimilated paganism) cloud the truth regarding Christ’s conception and birth. For starters, one needs to review the program entitled “Christmas Unwrapped: The History of Christmas” from when The History Channel actually presented history.

According to this program, Mithraism and Saturnalia were assimilated from “mysteries” of pagan Rome; that’s where December 25th falsely originated; see also Sol Invictus. Arguably, the most important quote of “Christmas Unwrapped” occurs at the 7:30 mark:

“So if you’re gonna sort through the runes of the Scriptures, Jesus was probably born in the Spring. If the shepherds were out in the fields watching their flock by night, we’re not talking about one of the cold spells at the heart of winter.” — Forrest Church, Minister, All Souls Church

Note: I have no affiliation with this minister or church, and the minister died in 2009.

Many “Biblical scholars” discounted the Lucan account because of the mention of Lysanias, the tetrarch of Abilene, in Luke 3:1; they assumed it was this figure from circa 40-36 BCE. That was before the discovery of the Corpus Inscriptionum Graecarum (CIG) 4521. Again, the Word of God was vindicated as it repeatedly is via archaeology.

Furthermore, when the Book of Luke is placed within the context of the calendar of the Dead Sea Scrolls, not only can one know with GREAT CERTAINTY the month, day, day of the week, and year when Joshua* (Heb. Yehoshu’a/Aram. Yeshua/Gr. ‘Iesous) was born incarnate but when John (Heb. Yochanan) and He were conceived.

*Note: “Jesus” incorrectly originates from the transliteration of the Latin; it is NOT the translation. See the second footnote from Matthew 1:1 in Aramaic (not Hebrew as is listed). According to the famous Hebrew lexicographer Reuben Alcalay, Yehoshu’a is closely associated with “Let there be…”

To understand when Christ was born, we need a point of reference. Fortunately, the Lucan account is explicitly written in consecutive order with information gathered from eye witnesses (Luke 1:1-4 concentrating on vv2-3). This account was written to Mattathias ben Theophilus (referenced as Theophilus just as Yosef ben Caiaphas was referenced as Caiaphas), who was the chief priest (Heb. kohen gadol) from 65-66 CE just before the onset of the First Jewish-Roman War. It was written so that he would know the “exact truth” (Luke 1:4). The point of reference starts with Elizabeth’s (Heb. Elisheba) being six months pregnant in the sixth month… These are the facts, and NO church nor synagogue teaches the truth:

Fact #1: Elisheba was six months pregnant in the sixth month; see Luke 1:26-38 concentrating on vv26 and 36.

Fact #2: Zecharias (Heb. Tsekharya) was a Levite of the order/division of Abijah; see Luke 1:5-7 concentrating on v5.

Fact #3: The mute and shaken Tsekharya returned home immediately after his weekly course was completed, and Elisheba conceived a son; see Luke 1:8-25.

Fact #4: This is the calendar documented in the Dead Sea Scrolls, and it was employed by the “sect” called The Way during Christ’s incarnate life. Suggestion: You may want to print this out.

Fact #5: For Elisheba to be six months pregnant in the sixth month, Tsekharya (of the course of Abijah) had to have served in the twelfth month. The only time this occurs is from the 14th-20th; see Cycle of Priestly Divisions from Calendrical Documents 4Q320 and 4Q321 > Division Year 3 of 6 in the Qumran calendar from Fact #4.

Fact #6: As Tsekharya (and Elisheba) were righteous and walked in ALL requirements and commandments of the Lord (Luke 1:6), he could not have traveled more than a Sabbath day’s journey (2,000 cubits) on the 21st of the 12th month, which was a weekly Sabbath.

Fact #7: The first day that Tsekharya could have returned home (likely Kiriath Arba — modern day Hebron — in the hill country of Judah) was the 22nd of the 12th month on the first day of the week. This was the day that John (Heb. Yochanan) was conceived.

Fact #8: After Mary’s (Heb. Miryam) visitation with the archangel Gabriel (Heb. Gavri’el) in the sixth month (Luke 1:26), she left IN A HURRY to visit Elisheba (Luke 1:26-39). At the moment of arrival, Elisheba was overcome by the Holy Spirit and knew that Miryam had conceived a child (Luke 1:39-55).

Fact #9: Exactly six months after Yochanan was conceived, Joshua (Heb. Yehoshu’a) was conceived. According to the Qumran calendar, that would have occurred on the 22nd of the sixth month on the first day of the week, which is the Feast of New Oil (Heb. Chag Yitzhar)!

Sidebar: The Feast of New Oil is also the fourth of four agricultural feasts each occurring 49 days apart, exclusive (i.e., barley, wheat, wine, and olive oil). Olive oil is a component of anointing oil (Exodus 30:22-33). Also, the root of Christos is chrió meaning “to anoint with olive oil.”

Fact #10: The gestation period for women is 38 weeks from CONCEPTION (not to be confused with last menstrual period or LMP) to birth. EXACTLY 38 weeks after Miryam conceived, Yehoshu’a was born on the Feast of Weeks (Heb. Shavu’ot) on the 15th day of the third month on the first day of the week.

So, now we know the month, day, and day of the week of John’s conception and Christ’s conception and birth. Now, for the years…

Fact #11: Yehoshu’a was born in 6 CE during the census of Quirinius. For the Scriptural reference, see Luke 2:1-20 concentrating on v2.

Sidebar: “Herod” was a dynastic title like Caesar and Pharaoh. The “Herod” at the time of Christ’s birth was Herod Archelaus; he was deposed that same year (after the “slaughter of the innocents” in Bet Lechem) and died in exile in 18 CE. When did the “holy family” return from Egypt after Herod [Archelaus] died? When Yehoshu’a was 12 years old (18 CE – 6 CE = 12 years)!

Sidebar: The only verse in the Gospels that contradicts this account is Matthew 2:22. The earliest extant manuscript containing that verse is Papyrus 70, which is “a fairly reliable text, though it was carelessly written,” from the late third century CE. The “early church fathers” (Matthew 23:9) were already at work destroying the truth!

Regarding “signs in the Heavens,” this was what the “wise men of the east” of Jerusalem (Heb. Yerushalyim) — 15 miles as the crow flies — in the desert wilderness of Qumran saw on the evening of Feast of Weeks in 6 CE. This was confirmed by our local planetarium in Baton Rouge. The “wandering stars” of Jupiter (representative of the Most High/Father) and Venus (representative of the virgin mother) as well as the conjunction with occultation of Uranus (representative of the Holy Spirit) and Mars (representative of the redemptive Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53) rose in the east in the constellation Pisces (representative of Israel). This “star” sign naturally moved from east to south towards Bethlehem as the evening progressed — just as the Scriptures state (Matthew 2:1-12).

Note: The Planetarium software from Neave Interactive Ltd. no longer supports dates earlier than January 1, 1500 at midnight.

False traditions such as Herod the Great’s being part of this narrative when he died in 4 BCE and the precepts of men creating the fanciful machinations of the three kings of Melchior, Caspar, and Balthazar HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO SCRIPTURAL BASIS! Who doesn’t think that the wise men of The Way in Qumran didn’t have the means to gift Joshua the Messiah (Heb. Yehoshu’a HaMashiach/Gr. ‘Iesous Christos) with gold, frankincense, and myrrh after the discovery of the Copper Scroll?

In summation when comparing the Lucan account with the Qumran calendar:

  • Yochanan was conceived on the 22nd day of the twelfth month on the first day of the week on 8-9 March 5 CE/3855 AM.
  • Yehoshu’a was conceived on the 22nd day of the sixth month on the first day of the week on the Feast of New Oil on 7-8 September 5 CE — exactly six months after Yochanan’s conception.
  • Yehoshu’a was born during the census of Quirinius on the 15th day of the third month on the first day of the week on the Feast of Weeks (Shavu’ot) in 1-2 June 6 CE/3856 AM — exactly 38 weeks from His conception.

Sidebar: As was discussed above, the Feast of Weeks is when the “sect” called The Way (Heb. HaDerech) in Acts and the DSS made new covenants. Christ’s birth ushered in the ultimate New Covenant! Josephus, Jewish historian and self-described Pharisee (Matthew 23), coined the derogatory term “Essenes” (=pious ones) that is applied incorrectly to this day!

Holy Spirit Sent on Pentecost in 36 CE

pentecost
Holy Spirit Sent. Source: God’s Hotspot

Yet, there is one more event even more important than Christ’s birth… the Holy Spirit’s being sent to be our Helper and Teacher on the 15th day of the third month on the first day of the week in 36 CE. [Hint: Much of the article on Pentecost above is simply machinations of men.] This was foretold in John:

John 14:16 I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; 17 that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you. 18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 After a little while the world will no longer see Me, but you will see Me; because I live, you will live also. 20 In that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. 21 He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.” 22 Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, what then has happened that You are going to disclose Yourself to us and not to the world?” 23 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. 24 He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me. 25 “These things I have spoken to you while abiding with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful. 28 You heard that I said to you, ‘I go away, and I will come to you.’ If you loved Me, you would have rejoiced because I go to the Father, for the Father is greater than I. 29 Now I have told you before it happens, so that when it happens, you may believe. 30 I will not speak much more with you, for the ruler of the world is coming, and he has nothing in Me; 31 but so that the world may know that I love the Father, I do exactly as the Father commanded Me. Get up, let us go from here. (NASB 1995)

The fulfillment of this prophesy is found in Acts:

Acts 2:1 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2 And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared to them tongues as of fire distributing themselves, and they rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.

5 Now there were Jews living in Jerusalem, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6 And when this sound occurred, the crowd came together, and were bewildered because each one of them was hearing them speak in his own language. 7 They were amazed and astonished, saying, “Why, are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8 And how is it that we each hear them in our own language to which we were born? 9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the districts of Libya around Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretans and Arabs — we hear them in our own tongues speaking of the mighty deeds of God.” 12 And they all continued in amazement and great perplexity, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13 But others were mocking and saying, “They are full of sweet wine.”

Peter’s Sermon

14 But Peter, taking his stand with the eleven, raised his voice and declared to them: “Men of Judea and all you who live in Jerusalem, let this be known to you and give heed to my words. 15 For these men are not drunk, as you suppose, for it is only the third hour of the day; 16 but this is what was spoken of through the prophet Joel:

17 ‘And it shall be in the last days,’ God says,
‘That I will pour forth of My Spirit on all mankind;
And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
And your young men shall see visions,
And your old men shall dream dreams;
18 Even on My bondslaves, both men and women,
I will in those days pour forth of My Spirit
And they shall prophesy.
19 And I will grant wonders in the sky above
And signs on the earth below,
Blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke.
20 ‘The sun will be turned into darkness
And the moon into blood,
Before the great and glorious day of the Lord shall come.
21 ‘And it shall be that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’

22 “Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know— 23 this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. 24 But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power. 25 For David says of Him,

‘I saw [lit. Yahoah] always in my presence;
For He is at my right hand, so that I will not be shaken.
26 ‘Therefore my heart was glad and my tongue exulted;
Moreover my flesh also will live in hope;
27 Because You will not abandon my soul to Hades,
Nor allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.
28 ‘You have made known to me the ways of life;
You will make me full of gladness with Your presence.’

29 “Brethren, I may confidently say to you regarding the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 30 And so, because he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn to him with an oath to seat one of his descendants on his throne, 31 he looked ahead and spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that He was neither abandoned to Hades, nor did His flesh suffer decay. 32 This Jesus God raised up again, to which we are all witnesses. 33 Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He has poured forth this which you both see and hear. 34 For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says:

‘The Lord (Father/El) said to my Lord (Son/Yahoah),
“Sit at My right hand,
35 Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.”’

36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ — this Jesus whom you crucified.”

The Ingathering

37 Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?” 38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.” 40 And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation!” 41 So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. 42 They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

43 Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. 44 And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; 45 and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. 46 Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved. (NASB 1995)

What “sect” HAD ALL THINGS IN COMMON and “began selling their property and possessions?” Was it the Pharisees or the Sadducees? Certainly NOT! It was The Way.

What changed on that day is that that the bodies of believers in Christ became the Temple and where the Holy Spirit resides — in circumcised hearts — is the Holy of Holies (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). The Bible states clearly that there are only TWO INTERCESSORS: Christ and the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:26-39 concentrating on vv26 and 34). Everything on this Earth of a mere shadow of what is to come!

Conclusion

The Feast of Weeks (Heb. Shavu’ot/Gr. Pentecost) is one of the more important days of the year; it certainly ranks among the top three! To recap, the “evening” of June 1st and the “morning” of June 2nd marks:

  1. The second of four agricultural feasts — each 49 days apart, exclusive — with the wheat harvest being dedicated on this annual Sabbath;
  2. The second of the three Shalosh Regalim (=annual pilgrimages), prophetic mo’edim (=appointed times) requiring the sons of Israel to return to Jerusalem — the other two being Passover/Unleavened Bread and the Feast of Booths/Tabernacles;
  3. The annual renewal of covenants by the “sect” called The Way from whom the Dead Sea Scrolls were penned;
  4. Christ’s birth in 6 CE during the reign of Herod Archelaus and the census of Quirinius; and
  5. The Holy Spirit being sent in 36 CE to be our Helper and Teacher residing in the hearts of believers in Christ; He did not leave us as orphans.

1 Corinthians 3:16 Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 17 If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are. (NASB 1995)

Be sure to read the companion articles in the Mo’edim (appointed times) and Agricultural Feasts series:

Shema Yisrael! (Hear, Israel!)

Copyright (C) 1995-2018, L. Alan Schuetz. All rights reserved.

2 Timothy 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. (NASB 1995)

HaDerech Scroll - Paleo-Hebrew

Mo’ed: Pesach Sheni (Second Passover)

~ L. Alan Schuetz ~ 12 Comments

dbgt1289201

Of all the appointed times (Heb. mo’edim), Second Passover (Heb. Pesach Sheni) is by far the least known.  Pesach Sheni occurs on the 14th day of the second month on the 5th day of the week — exactly one month after Passover (Heb. Pesach) on 14 Abib on the third day of the week; see the Qumran calendar from the Dead Sea Scrolls for details.  When reconciled with the pagan Gregorian calendar, this day falls on the “evening” of May 1st and the “morning” of May 2nd.

Let’s examine the origins of this mo’ed:

Numbers 9:4 So Moses told the sons of Israel to observe the Passover. 5 They observed the Passover in the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, at twilight, in the wilderness of Sinai; according to all that the Lord had commanded Moses, so the sons of Israel did. 6 But there were some men who were unclean because of the dead person, so that they could not observe Passover on that day; so they came before Moses and Aaron on that day. 7 Those men said to him, “Though we are unclean because of the dead person, why are we restrained from presenting the offering of the Lord at its appointed time among the sons of Israel?” 8 Moses therefore said to them, “Wait, and I will listen to what the Lord will command concerning you.”

9 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 10 “Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘If any one of you or of your generations becomes unclean because of a dead person, or is on a distant journey, he may, however, observe the Passover to the Lord. 11 In the second month on the fourteenth day at twilight, they shall observe it; they shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. 12 They shall leave none of it until morning, nor break a bone of it; according to all the statute of the Passover they shall observe it. 13 But the man who is clean and is not on a journey, and yet neglects to observe the Passover, that person shall then be cut off from his people, for he did not present the offering of the Lord at its appointed time. That man will bear his sin. 14 If an alien sojourns among you and observes the Passover to the Lord, according to the statute of the Passover and according to its ordinance, so he shall do; you shall have one statute, both for the alien and for the native of the land.’” (NASB 1995)

That seems pretty straight-forward.  If someone were on a long journey during Passover in the first month or they were unclean because of contact with a corpse, then they could observe this appointed time in the second month.  Note:  Few realize that the term translated as “alien” (Heb. ger[im]) in v14 above, is referring to Gentile proselytes to Judaism.

Passover/Unleavened Bread represents one of the three pilgrimage festivals (Heb. Shalosh Regalim) requiring all Israelite males to visit the Tabernacle, in the wilderness originally, and after reaching the Promised Land, in the City of David, each year.  The other two festivals are the Feast of Weeks [aka Pentecost] (Heb. Shavu’ot) and the Feast of Tabernacles/Booths (Heb. Sukkot).  Let’s examine the Law (Heb. Torah)  in that regard in Deuteronomy 16:1-17 concentrating on vv16-17:

Deuteronomy 16:16 “Three times in a year all your males shall appear before the Lord your God in the place which He chooses, at the Feast of Unleavened Bread and at the Feast of Weeks and at the Feast of Booths, and they shall not appear before the Lord empty-handed. 17 Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord your God which He has given you. (NASB 1995)

Contrary to modern practice, this commandment has never ceased since the time of the Exodus (Gr. exodos; Heb. yetzi’at mitzrayim) from the land of Goshen (Genesis 45:4-11 concentrating on v10) in Egypt.

Bottom line:  Missing even one of the Shalosh Regalim had serious consequences for Israelite men as it has “three witnesses” in the Torah (Deuteronomy 16:1-17; Exodus 23:14-19, 34:10-26).  Note:  Firstborn Israelite sons were to be redeemed:

Exodus 34:19 “The first offspring from every womb belongs to Me, and all your male livestock, the first offspring from cattle and sheep. 20 You shall redeem with a lamb the first offspring from a donkey; and if you do not redeem it, then you shall break its neck. You shall redeem all the firstborn of your sons. None shall appear before Me empty-handed.” (NASB 1995)

How is a firstborn Israelite son redeemed?  See Numbers 3:40-51 concentrating on vv46-48:

Numbers 3:46 For the ransom of the 273 of the firstborn of the sons of Israel who are in excess beyond the Levites, 47 you shall take five shekels apiece, per head; you shall take them in terms of the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel is twenty gerahs), 48 and give the money, the ransom of those who are in excess among them, to Aaron and to his sons. (NASB 1995)

This is repeated in Numbers 18:14-16.  Likewise, special burnt and sin offerings were to be made when children were born (Leviticus 12 focusing on the two turtledoves or two young pigeons in v8).  Note that male sons are to be circumcised on the eighth day after birth.  Let’s fast forward to Christ’s circumcision:

Luke 2:21 And when eight days had passed, before His circumcision, His name was then called [Joshua], the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb. (NASB 1995)

After Mary’s (Heb. Miryam) forty days of purification (i.e., 7+33 days per Leviticus 12:2,4) at the Temple:

Luke 2:22 And when the days for their purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought Him up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male that opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”), 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what was said in the Law of the Lord, “A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.” (NASB 1995)

Everything Christ did — even as a newborn with Torah-observant parents — was performed in accordance with the Law:

Matthew 5:17 “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. 18 For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” (NASB 1995)

Author’s Note:  What I teach is foreign to many Christians, but we must remember that Yehoshu’a hailed from the tribe of Judah (Hebrews 7:14).  For those who want to understand my motivation and desire to teach, re-read Matthew 5:19b in bold above.  I will be the first to admit that I have problems keeping the Law, but I am also a Gentile who is under Grace; therefore, I am to abstain from four things determined at the First Council of Jerusalem by Christ’s half-brother Ya’acov [=Jacob; mistranslated as James] (Acts 15:1-29 concentrating on vv19-20 and 28-29).

So, why was there not a “second chance” for Shavu’ot or Sukkot?  Because Pesach Sheni represented foreshadowing of things to come during Christ’s crucifixion!  Recall that Christ is the paschal Lamb of God (John 1:35-36; Revelation 5:6, 6:9, 7:17, 14:10, 15:3, 19:9, 21:23, 22:1, 22:3) who was crucified on Passover (14 Abib), aka Preparation Day, in 36 CE.  For more on the “seven Spirits of God” referenced in Revelation 5:6, see here.

Let’s review Christ’s death and burial in Matthew 27:33-61, Mark 15:22-47, Luke 23:33-56, and John 19:16-42 before the first day of Unleavened Bread (15 Abib), which is an annual or high Sabbath.  The care of the corpse is best described in John 19:31-42 concentrating on vv38-42:

John 19:38 After these things Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but a secret one for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate granted permission. So he came and took away His body. 39 Nicodemus, who had first come to Him by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds weight. 40 So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen wrappings with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. 41 Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. 42 Therefore because of the Jewish day of preparation, since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there. (NASB 1995)

Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus were unclean with certainty as Joseph took possession Christ’s corpse with Pilate’s permission, and Nicodemus anointed His corpse with myrrh and aloes.  It is highly likely that His mother Mary, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph (wife of Clopas?), the mother of the sons of Zebedee (James and John), and Salome were rendered unclean as well.  Although Second Passover is explicitly applicable to the two men, women also partake of the Passover; therefore, it would be applicable to all.

One parting thought…  Most Biblical scholars and theologians teach that Christ’s ministry lasted 3-1/2 years as three Passovers are mentioned in the Book of John.  Since most of these “scholars” believe they are of “New Testament-only churches,” they dismiss Torah.  Again, what did Christ say in Matthew 5:17-19?  Is He a liar?  Absolutely not.  What they miss is that one of those Passovers is the Second Passover; therefore, His ministry lasted a little over 1-1/2 years.  That fact will be discussed in detail on the day leading up to the Feast of New Wine on July 22nd.

In addition, Jewish storytelling is typically NOT in chronological order. The storyteller gives a piece here and there — much like a patchwork quilt — having all the pieces being interwoven at the end to complete the story. This is witnessed throughout the OT and is certainly the case with the Book of John.  Only the Book of Luke — and by extension Acts — is explicitly written in chronological order based on eyewitness accounts (Luke 1:1-4 concentrating on vv2-3).

Be sure to read the companion articles in the Mo’edim (appointed times) and Agricultural Feasts series:

Shema Yisrael! (Hear, Israel!)

Copyright (C) 1995-2018, L. Alan Schuetz. All rights reserved.

2 Timothy 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. (NASB 1995)

HaDerech Scroll - Paleo-Hebrew

Mo’ed and Agricultural Feast: Bikkurim (Early Firstfruits) – Barley – 26 Abib

~ L. Alan Schuetz ~ 9 Comments

Spring barley

Leviticus 23:10 “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When you enter the land which I am going to give to you and reap its harvest, then you shall bring in the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest. 11 He shall wave the sheaf before the Lord for you to be accepted; on the day after the sabbath the priest shall wave it.” (NASB 1995)

Today, 26 Abib on the first day of the week (evening of 4/13 and morning of 4/14), marks First Fruits (Heb. Bikkurim), aka the wave offering (Heb. tenufah) of the barley sheaf (Heb. korban omer), the first of four agricultural feasts with each being 49 days apart, exclusive:

  • 26 Abib (barley) – Early Firstfruits (Bikkurim),
  • 15th of the third month (wheat) – Feast of Weeks (Shavu’ot)/Latter Firstfruits (Yom HaBikkurim),
  • 3rd of the fifth month (grapes) – Feast of New Wine (Chag Tirosh), and
  • 22nd of the sixth month (olive oil) – Feast of New Oil (Chag Yitzhar).

What is interesting is that Rabbinic Jews — with their “wise sages” — interpret “on the day after the sabbath” in Leviticus 23:11 to mean the first sabbath after Chag HaMatzot begins. The Dead Sea Scrolls made it abudantly clear that it was referring to the first sabbath after the Feast of Unleavened Bread ends. They also recognize the fig, pomegranate, and date harvests which are extrabiblical. That is exactly what happens when “learned men” attempt to discern the Scriptures for themselves instead of reading them plainly and simply.

There are numerous references to these four crops together throughout the Bible; note that barley and wheat are at times combined under the generic term “grain.” The Levitical priests’ portion came from these (focusing on v12):

Numbers 18:11 This also is yours, the offering of their gift, even all the wave offerings of the sons of Israel; I have given them to you and to your sons and daughters with you as a perpetual allotment. Everyone of your household who is clean may eat it. 12 All the best of the fresh oil and all the best of the fresh wine and of the grain, the first fruits of those which they give to the Lord, I give them to you. 13 The first ripe fruits of all that is in their land, which they bring to the Lord, shall be yours; everyone of your household who is clean may eat it. (NASB 1995)

A bountiful harvest of these four were the reward for obedience to the Lord’s commandments:

Deuteronomy 11:13 “It shall come about, if you listen obediently to my commandments which I am commanding you today, to love the Lord your God and to serve Him with all your heart and all your soul, 14 that He will give the rain for your land in its season, the early and late rain, that you may gather in your grain and your new wine and your oil. (NASB 1995)

In prophesy, the third seal is famine. See how these four staples are explicitly mentioned:

Revelation 6:6 And I heard something like a voice in the center of the four living creatures saying, “A quart of wheat for a denarius, and three quarts of barley for a denarius; and do not damage the oil and the wine.” (NASB 1995)

Here is the Law regarding Early Firstfruits; it is not an annual nor high Sabbath:

Leviticus 23:9 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 10 “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘When you enter the land which I am going to give to you and reap its harvest, then you shall bring in the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest. 11 He shall wave the sheaf before the Lord for you to be accepted; on the day after the sabbath the priest shall wave it. 12 Now on the day when you wave the sheaf, you shall offer a male lamb one year old without defect for a burnt offering to the Lord. 13 Its grain offering shall then be two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil, an offering by fire to the Lord for a soothing aroma, with its drink offering, a fourth of a hin of wine.14 Until this same day, until you have brought in the offering of your God, you shall eat neither bread nor roasted grain nor new growth. It is to be a perpetual statute throughout your generations in all your dwelling places. (NASB 1995)

The TaNaKh (OT or Hebrew Bible) provides the beautiful redemptive story of Ruth and Boaz, which leads to the birth of Obed the father of Jesse the father of David the father of Solomon (and so forth onto Joshua the Anointed One mistranslated as Jesus; see Matthew 1:1-17), as Naomi and she return to Bethlehem from Moab destitute after a drought that had devastating effects on the family.  As always, God provides for His people – even the poor (needy) and foreigners (aliens):

Leviticus 23:22 ‘When you reap the harvest of your land, moreover, you shall not reap to the very corners of your field nor gather the gleaning of your harvest; you are to leave them for the needy and the alien. I am the Lord your God [lit. Yahoah ‘elohekem].’ (NASB 1995)

Ruth gleaned from Boaz’ fields from the barley harvest (culminating on Bikkurim) as well as the wheat harvest (culminating on Shavu’ot) in Ruth 2.

Christ blessed five barley loaves and two fish to feed the five thousand before Passover in 35 CE:

John 6:8 One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, 9 “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what are these for so many people?” 10 Jesus said, “Have the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. 11 Jesus then took the loaves, and having given thanks, He distributed to those who were seated; likewise also of the fish as much as they wanted. 12 When they were filled, He said to His disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments so that nothing will be lost.” 13 So they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten. 14 Therefore when the people saw the sign which He had performed, they said, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.” (NASB 1995)

Be sure to read the companion articles in the Mo’edim (appointed times) and Agricultural Feasts series:

Shema Yisrael! (Hear, Israel!)

Copyright (C) 1995-2018, L. Alan Schuetz. All rights reserved.

2 Timothy 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. (NASB 1995)

HaDerech Scroll - Paleo-Hebrew

Mo’ed: Chag HaMatzot (Feast of Unleavened Bread) – 15-21 Abib

~ L. Alan Schuetz ~ 18 Comments

Leviticus 23:6 “Then on the fifteenth day of the same month there is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to [lit. Yahoah]; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. 7 On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall not do any laborious work. 8 But for seven days you shall present an offering by fire to [lit. Yahoah]. On the seventh day is a holy convocation; you shall not do any laborious work.” (NASB 1995)

The following commenced on this day in history (evening of 4/2 and morning of 4/3) on 15 Abib — the fourth day of the week…

Numbers 33:2 Moses recorded their starting places according to their journeys by the command of [lit. Yahoah], and these are their journeys according to their starting places. 3 They journeyed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the next day after the Passover the sons of Israel started out boldly in the sight of all the Egyptians, 4 while the Egyptians were burying all their firstborn whom [lit. Yahoah] had struck down among them. [Lit. Yahoah] had also executed judgments on their gods. (NASB 1995)

Notice in the time of the Exodus that the Passover was clearly the day before the fifteenth in the first month (i.e., 14 Abib); this was corrupted much later under rabbinic Judaism as the Passover became confused with the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Heb. Chag HaMatzot) on 15 Nisan.

Also note that the Law (Heb. Torah) had not been given to Moses (Heb. Moshe) at this time as 15 Abib became an annual or high Sabbath to serve as a day of remembrance. But once given, here is the Law:

Leviticus 23:6 Then on the fifteenth day of the same month there is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to [lit. Yahoah]; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. 7 On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall not do any laborious work. 8 But for seven days you shall present an offering by fire to [lit. Yahoah]. On the seventh day is a holy convocation; you shall not do any laborious work.’” (NASB 1995)

Note that the first (15 Abib) and seventh (21 Abib) days of Unleavened Bread are holy convocations or annual/high Sabbaths.  15 Abib marked the first of three nights (evenings) and days (mornings) that Christ was dead and buried:

Matthew 12:39 But He answered and said to them, “An evil and adulterous generation craves for a sign; and yet no sign will be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet; 40 for just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the sea monster, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. (NASB 1995)

Again, I challenge ANYONE to explain how there can be a third night if Christ were crucified on Good Friday and resurrected on Easter/Resurrection Sunday morning.  Folks, if Christ were a liar, then everything in this world is for naught.

Luke 23:54 It was the preparation day, and the Sabbath was about to begin. 55 Now the women who had come with Him out of Galilee followed, and saw the tomb and how His body was laid. 56 Then they returned and prepared spices and perfumes. And on the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment. (NASB 1995)

In verse 54, that Sabbath was the first day of Unleavened Bread on 15 Abib as the Passover/preparation day was drawing to a close and Christ was crucified and quickly buried. As it took time to purchase the ingredients to prepare the burial spices and perfumes, and they could not labor on 15 Abib as it was an annual Sabbath, those days were referencing 16-17 Abib (the second and third FULL “yomim” that Christ was buried). Then, they rested on the weekly Sabbath (18 Abib) in v56. How can this passage possibly be understood any other way?

The following took place in John 19:

John 19:38 After these things Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus, but a secret one for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate granted permission. So he came and took away His body. 39 Nicodemus, who had first come to Him by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds weight. 40 So they took the body of Jesus and bound it in linen wrappings with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. 41 Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. 42 Therefore because of the Jewish day of preparation, since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there. (NASB 1995)

So, Christ’s body had at least initial preparation (and a LOT of it!) at the closing of the Passover/preparation day on 14 Abib based on the efforts of Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus.  Then, the Galilean women saw the tomb and where his body was laid when the (annual) Sabbath was about to begin. Next, they left — and RETURNED with prepared spices and perfumes.  How does this all “magically” occur late in the day on Passover?  In two words: IT DOESN’T!  How can we know with certainty?  The very next verse in Luke:

Luke 24:1 But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared. (NASB 1995)

When did that first day of the week (19 Abib) in 36 CE occur? On the day after the WEEKLY Sabbath (18 Abib)!

Be sure to read the companion articles in the Mo’edim (appointed times), Agricultural Feasts, and Passover/Unleavened Bread series:

Shema Yisrael! (Hear, Israel!)

Copyright (C) 1995-2018, L. Alan Schuetz. All rights reserved.

2 Timothy 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. (NASB 1995)

HaDerech Scroll - Paleo-Hebrew

Mo’ed: Pesach (Passover) – The Paschal Lamb of God – 14 Abib

~ L. Alan Schuetz ~ 19 Comments

Isaiah 53:4 Surely our griefs He Himself bore,
And our sorrows He carried;
Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten of God, and afflicted.
5 But He was pierced through for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities;
The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him,
And by His scourging we are healed.
6 All of us like sheep have gone astray,
Each of us has turned to his own way;
But [lit. Yahoah] has caused the iniquity of us all
To fall on Him. (NASB 1995)

In accordance with the pagan Gregorian calendar during the “evening” of April 1st and the “morning” of April 2nd, arguably the third most important event of the Bible occurred (behind Christ’s Resurrection and the Holy Spirit’s being sent):  Christ’s crucifixion as the Lamb of God in 36 CE. This marks Passover (Heb. Pesach), the second of God’s immovable appointed times (Heb. mo’edim) in perpetuity. Although not everything in the movie is correct, now is the perfect time to watch The Passion of the Christ to remind us of the brutality that Yehoshu’a (=Yahoah saves; Gr. ‘Iesous/Eng. Joshua) underwent to become our Redeemer and Savior so that believers in Him may receive Grace (i.e., a judicial pardon/clemency) on Judgment Day.

On the morning of April 1, 2018, billions of unwitting Christians paid covert homage to Ēostre, the spring fertility goddess of the dawn, thinking they are celebrating Resurrection Day.  After their movable, sunrise Easter (“day of the Sun“) services, they paid no attention to the symbolism behind bunnies and eggs — both fertility symbols. Meanwhile, rabbinic Jews (Matthew 23:8) falsely began celebrating Passover on 15 Nisan – in contradiction to Torah – four evenings ago (March 30, 2018) based on their pagan Babylonian calendar and teachings from rabbinic “sages” in the Babylonian Talmud (Heb. Talmud Bavli).  For more on this Babylonian assimilation, see the article entitled: Revelation Study: Mystery Babylon.

To learn the truth, it is necessary to start at the beginning… I touched upon the differences between Passover/Preparation Day vs. Unleavened Bread and Weekly vs. Annual (or High) Sabbaths.  Now, those will be expounded upon.

What the Law of Moses (Heb. Moshe) States

The most definitive passage regarding the appointed times is in Leviticus 23. Let’s review what that chapter states about Passover and Unleavened Bread:

Leviticus 23:1 [Lit. Yahoah] spoke again to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘The [lit. Yahoah’s] appointed times (Heb. mo’edim; pl. of mo’ed) which you shall proclaim as holy convocations — My appointed times are these: (NASB 1995)

Author’s Note: See how false rabbinic traditions regarding the recitation of the Tetragrammaton as the Heb. Adonai (=my lords) is actually invoking the Greek Adonis and the Babylonian Tammuz? Because of this false tradition of “not taking Yahoah’s Name in vain” (Exodus 20:7 and Deuteronomy 5:11), it has led to translators employing “the Lord(‘s)” throughout English translations as well as the incorrect Yahweh in textual analysis; see the article on Mystery Babylon for details. We can certainly say Yahoah within the context of the Scriptures; that is NOT taking His Name in vain!  Again, the basis is FALSE rabbinic tradition.  In fact, it led to their forgetting how to even pronounce The Name (Heb. HaShem) over the millenia.

Leviticus 23:5 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month [lit. between the two evenings] is [lit. Yahoah’s] Passover. (NASB 1995)

Leviticus 23:6 Then on the fifteenth day of the same month there is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to [lit. Yahoah]; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. 7 On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall not do any laborious work. 8 But for seven days you shall present an offering by fire to [lit. Yahoah]. On the seventh day is a holy convocation; you shall not do any laborious work.’” (NASB 1995)

Is the first (or seventh) month Nisan? (Author’s Note: Rabbinic Jews’ hearts are so hardened and are so confused that they even have TWO calendars — a civil and a religious/ecclessiatical.  It’s a wonder that any of them recognized their Messiah!).

Deuteronomy 16:1 “Observe the month of Abib and celebrate the Passover to [lit. Yahoah] your [lit. Elohim], for in the month of Abib [lit. Yahoah] your [lit. Elohim] brought you out of Egypt by night. 2 You shall sacrifice the Passover to [lit. Yahoah] your [lit. Elohim] from the flock and the herd, in the place where [lit. Yahoah] chooses to establish His name. (NASB 1995)

Elohim is the plural of Eloah.  Why is Elohim employed?  Because the tribe or family of El is comprised of the Father (Heb. Elyon; =Most High), Holy Spirit (Heb. Ruach HaKodesh; (=Spirit of the Holy One; Holy Spirit), the Son (preincarnate Yahoah and incarnate Yehoshu’a), 6-winged seraphim, 4-winged cherubim, ophanim, wingless arch-/angels, and the Heavenly host (Gr. sabaóth).  As these all abide in the Heavenly realm (and not the earthly), by definition, they are extraterrestrials.  For more on the Elohim, read the article Creation Week: Yom Rishon (First Day).

We know that the Gregorian and Masoretic calendars are pagan in origin, so what calendar correctly portrays this?  The one from the Dead Sea Scrolls housed at the Shrine of the Book; see the Qumran calendar.

The Original Passover

Now that we know with certainty from the Torah that Passover and Unleavened Bread are two DIFFERENT appointed times — with the former occuring on 14 Abib and the latter from 15-21 Abib with the 15th and 21st serving as annual or High Sabbaths — let’s review the original Passover story in Egypt.

There are three important things to remember at that point in history:

  1. The Israelites were captives in Egypt (specifically in the Land of Goshen),
  2. Egypt had endured nine of the ten plagues foretold to Pharoah (spoken directly from Yahoah to Moses), and
  3. The Law of Moses had NOT been given yet.

Although the specific pharaoh of the Exodus is not clearly identified in the Scriptures, Ramesses II was popularized as the pharaoh of Moses’ time in the 1956 movie The Ten Commandments.  Even the Book of Jubilees remains silent as to the explicit name of this Pharaoh.

Let’s pickup with the “death of the firstborn” in Exodus 11.

Exodus 11:1 Now [lit. Yahoah] said to Moses, “One more plague I will bring on Pharaoh and on Egypt; after that he will let you go from here. When he lets you go, he will surely drive you out from here completely.” (NASB 1995)

Exodus 11:4 Moses said, “Thus says [lit. Yahoah], ‘About midnight I am going out into the midst of Egypt, 5 and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of the Pharaoh who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the slave girl who is behind the millstones; all the firstborn of the cattle as well. 6 Moreover, there shall be a great cry in all the land of Egypt, such as there has not been before and such as shall never be again. 7 But against any of the sons of Israel a dog will not even bark, whether against man or beast, that you may understand how [lit. Yahoah] makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel.’ (NASB 1995)

Keep “about midnight” in your back pocket for a moment; we will revisit that. The significance of the paschal lamb is about to be discussed:

Exodus 12:1 Now [lit. Yahoah] said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, 2 “This month shall be the beginning of months for you; it is to be the first month of the year to you. 3 Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying, ‘On the tenth of this month they are each one to take a lamb for themselves, according to their fathers’ households, a lamb for each household. 4 Now if the household is too small for a lamb, then he and his neighbor nearest to his house are to take one according to the number of persons in them; according to what each man should eat, you are to divide the lamb. 5 Your lamb shall be an unblemished male a year old; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats. 6 You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month, then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel is to kill it at twilight. 7 Moreover, they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. 8 They shall eat the flesh that same night, roasted with fire, and they shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. 9 Do not eat any of it raw or boiled at all with water, but rather roasted with fire, both its head and its legs along with its entrails. 10 And you shall not leave any of it over until morning, but whatever is left of it until morning, you shall burn with fire. 11 Now you shall eat it in this manner: with your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste — it is [lit. Yahoah’s] Passover. 12 For I will go through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments — I am [lit. Yahoah]. 13 The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live; and when I see the blood I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. (NASB 1995)

First of all, this reconfirms that Yahoah’s Passover is on the fourteenth of the first month. But, v5a provides the foreshadowing for the Lamb of God:

Exodus 12:5 Your lamb shall be an unblemished male a year old… (NASB 1995)

Yehoshu’a is the Lamb of God (John 1:29). He is unblemished (i.e., sinless) who is obviously male.  But, the interesting thing to note is that most “theologians” and Biblical “scholars” contend that Christ’s ministry lasted three and a half years as three Passovers are mentioned in the Gospel of John.  What they fail to recognize from Torah is Second Passover (Heb. Pesach Sheni) on the 14th day of the second month.  This appointed time will be developed further below.

In the meantime know this:  Christ was born on the Feast of Weeks (Heb. Shavu’ot) in 6 CE during the census of Quirinius (Luke 2:2).  His ministry began when he was nearly 30 years old (Luke 3:23) — in fact, He was 28.  Recall that He was of the tribe of Judah — NOT Levi — therefore, the Levitical laws for priesthood did not apply (Hebrews 7:14).  In fact, He is of the order of Melchizedek (Heb. Malki-tsedeq; =my king is righteous[ness]).  It can be definitively deduced from the Scriptures that His ministry lasted EXACTY 574 yomim or 1.58 Qumran calendar years; see the article “Agricultural Feast: Chag Tirosh (New Wine)” for details.  Therefore, from a ministry perspective, He was a YEAR OLD AT THE TIME OF HIS CRUCIFIXION! He met ALL of the requirements for serving as the paschal lamb from Exodus 12:5a:

  1. Lamb of God,
  2. Unblemished (i.e., sinless),
  3. Male, and
  4. A year old (i.e., His ministry lasted 1.58 years).

When was the paschal lamb killed? On the 14th of the first month. When was Christ hung on a tree?  On 14 Abib in 36 CE.  Our God is truly omniscient!

Recall the “about midnight” statement in Exodus 11:4. Now, let’s examine the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Heb. Chag HaMatzot):

Feast of Unleavened Bread

Exodus 12:14 ‘Now this day will be a memorial to you, and you shall celebrate it as a feast to [lit. Yahoah]; throughout your generations you are to celebrate it as a permanent ordinance. 15 Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, but on the first day you shall remove leaven from your houses; for whoever eats anything leavened from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel. 16 On the first day you shall have a holy assembly, and another holy assembly on the seventh day; no work at all shall be done on them, except what must be eaten by every person, that alone may be prepared by you. 17 You shall also observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this very day I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt; therefore you shall observe this day throughout your generations as a permanent ordinance. 18 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread, until the twenty-first day of the month at evening. 19 Seven days there shall be no leaven found in your houses; for whoever eats what is leavened, that person shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is an alien or a native of the land. 20 You shall not eat anything leavened; in all your dwellings you shall eat unleavened bread.’”

21 Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel and said to them, “Go and take for yourselves lambs according to your families, and slay the Passover lamb. 22 You shall take a bunch of hyssop and dip it in the blood which is in the basin, and apply some of the blood that is in the basin to the lintel and the two doorposts; and none of you shall go outside the door of his house until morning.

A Memorial of Redemption

23 For [lit. Yahoah] will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, [lit. Yahoah] will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to come in to your houses to smite you. 24 And you shall observe this event as an ordinance for you and your children forever. 25 When you enter the land which [lit. Yahoah] will give you, as He has promised, you shall observe this rite. 26 And when your children say to you, ‘What does this rite mean to you?’ 27 you shall say, ‘It is a Passover sacrifice to [lit. Yahoah] who passed over the houses of the sons of Israel in Egypt when He smote the Egyptians, but spared our homes.’” And the people bowed low and worshiped.

28 Then the sons of Israel went and did so; just as [lit. Yahoah] had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.

29 Now it came about at midnight that [lit. Yahoah] struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of cattle. 30 Pharaoh arose in the night, he and all his servants and all the Egyptians, and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was no home where there was not someone dead. (NASB 1995)

Without sacrificial blood, there can be no Redemption nor Atonement; hence, the paschal lamb’s blood on the lintel and doorposts. We see from v29 that the actual act of the “Passover” did occur about midnight on 15 Abib (that’s why rabbinic Jews consider Passover to be on 15 Nisan). However, without the paschal sacrifice on 14 Abib, Israel would not have been spared from Yahoah’s wrath, either; see vv21-23 concentrating on v23. That last verse bears repeating:

Exodus 12:23 For [lit. Yahoah] will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when He sees the blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts, [lit. Yahoah] will pass over the door and will not allow the destroyer to come in to your houses to smite you. (NASB 1995)

THAT IS THE POINT THE JEWRY MISS! In Christ’s time in 36 CE, they were expecting the King of kings and Lord of lords to vanquish the Romans, but they didn’t realize that the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53 had to come FIRST! The conquering Messiah is certainly coming (Revelation 19:11-16)!

He (i.e., Yehoshu’a in the incarnate form of Yahoah) shed His own blood — as the ultimate paschal sacrifice — so that believers in Him may have eternal life and not experience the second death!  Those who do not believe in Him will be judged by the Law, found guilty, and will be thrown into the lake of fire known as Gehenna on Judgment Day.  Read John 3:16 in context.  That is the whole point of Grace, which is a judicial pardon/clemency on Judgment Day; those who believe in Him — the paschal Lamb of God — WILL NOT BE JUDGED (although unworthy of His Grace).  And, “The Name (Heb. HaShem) of the only begotten Son of God” in v18 is Yehoshu’a (=Yahoah is salvation) — the Light of the first “yom” of Creation in vv19-21!

One fact remains from Exodus 12:18… that although Passover (14 Abib) and Unleavened Bread (15-21 Abib) are separate appointed times, they are inextricably linked.

Last Supper (NOT a Seder!)

Many “Biblical scholars” state that the Last Supper was a Passover seder.  Let’s set the baseline for the timeline:

Matthew 26:1 When Jesus had finished all these words, He said to His disciples, 2 “You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man is to be handed over for crucifixion.”
3 Then the chief priests and the elders of the people were gathered together in the court of the high priest, named Caiaphas; 4 and they plotted together to seize Jesus by stealth and kill Him. 5 But they were saying, “Not during the festival, otherwise a riot might occur among the people.” (NASB 1995)

From v2 in Christ’s own words, we “know that after two days that the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man (Christ Himself) is to be handed over for crucifixion.”  Unfortunately, that does not tell us whether it is the 14th or 15th of Abib (mistakenly called Nisan from the time of the Babylonian captivity).  However, v5 makes it very clear that it was NOT to be on 15-21 Abib “during the festival.”

We know that the Triumphal Entry (Matthew 21:1-11) occurred on 9 Abib on the fifth day of the week in 36 CE (not Palm Sunday).  After cleansing the Temple (Matthew 21:12-16), He left for Bethany to spend the night (Matthew 21:17); that would have been the evening of 10 Abib on the sixth day of the week.  The next morning, He returned to the Temple in Jerusalem (Matthew 21:18) — still on 10 Abib, on which he taught again confounding the Pharisees and Sadducees while exposing their hypocrisy (Matthew 21:23-23:39).  He then left the Temple for the Mount of Olives (Matthew 24:1-3) and foretold of His Second Coming and of Judgment Day to His disciples (Matthew 24-25).  Although the opening of Matthew 26:1-2 appears to be a continuation of Matthew 24-25, it must have occurred on the weekly Sabbath of 11 Abib.  Let’s examine what the other Gospels state.

Let’s start with the Triumphal Entry (Mark 11:1-11).  Note a new piece of information in v11.  It was late on 9 Abib when He entered the Temple and looked around, so they returned to Bethany to spend the evening.  Therefore, the cleansing of the Temple (Mark 11:12-19) did not occur until the morning of 10 Abib.  Note in v19 that they left Jerusalem again that evening — once again returning to Bethany as we learned in Matthew 21:17.  The withered fig tree was encountered on the morning of 11 Abib, the weekly Sabbath (Mark 11:20-25; note that v26 did not appear in early manuscripts).  This does not mean that Matthew is incorrect; that account just omitted a piece of information regarding the exact timing of events that was reconciled on Mark.  Mark 11:27-13:37 generally concurs with Matthew 21:23-25:46 with some minor additions and differences.  Mark 14 then realigns with Matthew 26 — on 11 Abib, the weekly Sabbath; the Passover would be commencing on 14 Abib as Torah states.

Luke essentially mirrors the Matthew account where it appears that the cleansing of the Temple occurred on the same day as the Triumphal Entry (Luke 19:28-48).  John does not even discuss the cleansing of the Temple — only the Triumphal Entry (John 12:12-19).  But, what the John account does is nail down the date of the Triumphal Entry to 9 Abib (John 12:1-12 concentrating on vv1 and 12); reference the calendar from the Dead Sea Scrolls.

The point of this was to definitively denote that the Passover is on 14 Abib as is corroborated by Torah; it is NOT the “first day of Unleavened Bread” as translators mistakenly assume from false Jewish tradition.  The Torah is clear:  Passover/Preparation Day occurs on 14 Abib while Unleavened Bread is from 15-21 Abib — with the 15th and the 21st serving as annual Sabbaths.  To reiterate:

Leviticus 23:5 In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month [lit. between the two evenings] is [lit. Yahoah’s] Passover.

6 Then on the fifteenth day of the same month there is the Feast of Unleavened Bread to [lit. Yahoah]; for seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. 7 On the first day you shall have a holy convocation; you shall not do any laborious work. 8 But for seven days you shall present an offering by fire to [lit. Yahoah]. On the seventh day is a holy convocation; you shall not do any laborious work. (NASB 1995)

Recall that Christ’s Hebrew Name is Yehoshu’a (Gr. ‘Iesous/Aram. Yeshua/Eng. Joshua), which means “Yahoah saves/is salvation.”  Just as Joshua, the son of Nun, led the Israelites into the Promised Land, so, too, does Joshua, the Son of God, lead believers in Him to salvation.

Now, to return to the meal itself…  How do we know that the Last Supper was not a Passover seder?  Because one key element was missing:  roasted lamb!  It is REQUIRED at a seder:  here is the Law regarding the Passover Lamb:

Exodus 12:1 Now [lit. Yahoah] said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, 2 “This month shall be the beginning of months for you; it is to be the first month of the year to you. 3 Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying, ‘On the tenth of this month they are each one to take a lamb for themselves, according to their fathers’ households, a lamb for each household. 4 Now if the household is too small for a lamb, then he and his neighbor nearest to his house are to take one according to the number of persons in them; according to what each man should eat, you are to divide the lamb. 5 Your lamb shall be an unblemished male a year old; you may take it from the sheep or from the goats. 6 You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month, then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel is to kill it [lit. between the evenings]. 7 Moreover, they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses in which they eat it. 8 They shall eat the flesh that same night, roasted with fire, and they shall eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. 9 Do not eat any of it raw or boiled at all with water, but rather roasted with fire, both its head and its legs along with its entrails. 10 And you shall not leave any of it over until morning, but whatever is left of it until morning, you shall burn with fire. 11 Now you shall eat it in this manner: with your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste — it is [lit. Yahoah’s] Passover. 12 For I will go through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments — I am [lit. Yahoah]. 13 The blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you live; and when I see the blood I will pass over you, and no plague will befall you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt. (NASB 1995)

To reiterate the foreshadowing of Christ’s crucifixion from vv5-6:

  • He is the Lamb of God,
  • Unblemished (i.e., sinless),
  • Male,
  • A year old (i.e., His ministry on Earth lasted EXACTLY 574 yomim or 1.58 Qumran calendar years. — not 3-1/2 years as most “scholars” incorrectly state), and
  • Killed between the evenings (i.e., crucified during the “morning” of 14 Abib).

Note:  This is to occur in perpetuity on the Preparation Day (14 Abib); no work can be performed on an annual Sabbath.  The first day of Unleavened Bread (15 Abib) is an annual Sabbath.

Preparation Day

That’s a good segue into the topic of the Preparation Days.  As no work may be performed on a Sabbath — not even cooking, the day prior would be a preparation day.  On that day, one would perform the work for that day in addition to that of the Sabbath itself.  The concept originated during the Exodus (which is anything but a “founding myth” per the Wikipedia article) when the Israelites were to gather a double omer of manna per person prior to the Sabbath.  This is documented in Exodus 16:1-36 and Numbers 11:1-9.  The pertinent verses are:

Exodus 16:4 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether or not they will walk in My instruction. 5 On the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in, it will be twice as much as they gather daily.” (NASB 1995)

Exodus 16:15 When the sons of Israel saw it, they said to one another, “What is it?” For they did not know what it was. And Moses said to them, “It is the bread which [lit. Yahoah] has given you to eat. 16 This is what [lit. Yahoah] has commanded, ‘Gather of it every man as much as he should eat; you shall take an omer apiece according to the number of persons each of you has in his tent. (NASB 1995)

Exodus 16:22 Now on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for each one. When all the leaders of the congregation came and told Moses, 23 then he said to them, “This is what [lit. Yahoah] meant: Tomorrow is a sabbath observance, a holy sabbath to the Lord. Bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil, and all that is left over put aside to be kept until morning.” 24 So they put it aside until morning, as Moses had ordered, and it did not become foul nor was there any worm in it. 25 Moses said, “Eat it today, for today is a sabbath to [lit. Yahoah]; today you will not find it in the field. 26 Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, the sabbath, there will be none.” (NASB 1995)

There are fifty-two (52) weekly Sabbaths as well as the following seven (7) annual Sabbaths:

  • The first and last yomim of Unleavened Bread (Heb. Chag HaMatzot) on 15 Abib on the fourth yom of the week and 21 Abib on the third yom of the week;
  • Feast of Weeks (Heb. Chag Shavu’ot) on the fifteenth yom of the third month on the first yom of the week;
  • The Memorial/Day of Blasting [of Trumpets/Shofar] (Heb. Zichron/Yom Teruah) on the first yom of the seventh month on the fourth yom of the week (Rosh Hashanah is a false tradition manufactured by “rabbinic sages” and is certainly NOT the literal “head of the year”);
  • Day of Atonement (Heb. Yom Kippur) on the tenth yom of the seventh month on the sixth yom of the week; and
  • Feast of Tabernacles/Booths (Heb. Sukkot) on the fifteenth and twenty-second of the seventh month — both on the fourth yom of the week.

Author’s Note:  A Biblical yom is not the same as a modern SI day; the former is slightly longer; see the article “HaDerech: It’s About Time.”

The Preparation Day (14 Abib) in the New Testament is specifically mentioned before the first day of Unleavened Bread (15 Abib), which is an annual Sabbath:

Mark 15:42 When evening had already come, because it was the preparation day, that is, the day before the Sabbath, 43 Joseph of Arimathea came, a prominent member of the Council, who himself was waiting for the kingdom of God; and he gathered up courage and went in before Pilate, and asked for the body of Jesus. 44 Pilate wondered if He was dead by this time, and summoning the centurion, he questioned him as to whether He was already dead. 45 And ascertaining this from the centurion, he granted the body to Joseph. 46 Joseph bought a linen cloth, took Him down, wrapped Him in the linen cloth and laid Him in a tomb which had been hewn out in the rock; and he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. 47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses were looking on to see where He was laid. (NASB 1995)

Note that because Joseph of Arimathea had touched Christ’s corpse, He had become unclean and could not participate in the Passover; however, he could participate in the Second Passover (Heb. Pesach Sheni) a month later (just not in the lunar month of Iyar as the Wikipedia article incorrectly states).  Do you see how God pre-planned everything?

Christ’s Crucifixion – Hung on a Tree for the False Charge of Blasphemy

So, why was Christ’s crucifixion so brutal?  Why was the Son of God treated so violently before His death?  Again, it goes back to the Law (Heb. Torah).  As was explored above, Yehoshu’a was falsely charged with the crime of blasphemy:

Matthew 26:59 Now the chief priests and the whole Council kept trying to obtain false testimony against Jesus [lit. Joshua], so that they might put Him to death. 60 They did not find any, even though many false witnesses came forward. But later on two came forward, 61 and said, “This man stated, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and to rebuild it in three days.’” 62 The high priest stood up and said to Him, “Do You not answer? What is it that these men are testifying against You?” 63 But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest said to Him, “I adjure You by the living God, that You tell us whether You are the Christ, the Son of God.” 64 Jesus [lit. Joshua] said to him, “You have said it yourself; nevertheless I tell you, hereafter you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

65 Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has blasphemed! What further need do we have of witnesses? Behold, you have now heard the blasphemy; 66 what do you think?” They answered, “He deserves death!” (NASB 1995)

Blasphemy is one of the capital crimes in the Torah requiring death.

Deuteronomy 21:22 “If a man has committed a sin worthy of death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, 23 his corpse shall not hang all night on the tree, but you shall surely bury him on the same day (for he who is hanged is accursed of God), so that you do not defile your land which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance.” (NASB 1995)

Note that burial is on the same day as when the “criminal” was put to death, but let’s put that aside for the moment.  To demonstrate El Elyon’s (=God Most High) in revealing his Son to us, Christ’s name and “crime” was inscribed on the titlos per standard Roman crucifixion:

John 19:19 Pilate also wrote an inscription and put it on the cross. It was written, “JESUS [lit. Joshua] THE NAZARENE, THE KING OF THE JEWS.” 20 Therefore many of the Jews read this inscription, for the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, Latin and in Greek. 21 So the chief priests of the Jews were saying to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The King of the Jews’; but that He said, ‘I am King of the Jews.’” 22 Pilate answered, “What I have written I have written.” (NASB 1995)

From this, the well-known Latin “INRI” and lesser known Greek “INBI” acronyms originated.  Christ’s exchange with Pilate beforehand is why “the King of the Jews” was inscribed:

Matthew 27:11 Now Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor questioned Him, saying, “Are You the King of the Jews?” And Jesus said to him, “It is as you say.” (NASB 1995)

Returning to Pilate’s inscription, why would the chief priests care what was written in Hebrew — the Romans were executing the sentence they and their followers demanded (Matthew 27:15-26; Mark 15:6-15; Luke 23:1-25, John 19:1-15)?  In the time of Christ, there was no meteg, which functions like a comma (among other things).  This is why the inscription mattered; it as actually:

Joshua the Nazarene AND the King of the Jews

which transliterates to the following in Hebrew:

Yehoshu’a HaNatzri VeMelech HaYehudim

Taking the first letters of each work yields YHVH (yod-he-vav-he) or the Tetragrammaton.  Yahoah, the true pronunciation of the Tetragrammaton, is the preincarnate Christ — the firstborn of Creation; everything was created through and for Him, and in Him all things hold together (Colossians 1:15-20)!  Here it is in Google translate:

Pilate's Inscription in Hebrew

As far as I know, this was first proposed in Peter Michas’ book entitled “The Rod of an Almond Tree in God’s Master Plan.”  I do not agree with everything written in that book, but I believe Michas was spot on this topic; Robert Vander Maten allegedly proposed the idea in the early 1990’s.  For more information, see here.

So, why did the chief priests want to change the latter part of Pilate’s inscription?  Because the acrostic would have then become ‎יהומה, literally meaning “A Jew!”

The Significance of Christ’s Last Words

Mark 15:34 At the ninth hour [Joshua] cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is translated, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (NASB 1995)

Author’s Note: In the month of Abib, there are nine portions of daylight to nine portions of darkness; see The Book of the Courses of the Heavenly Luminaries: The Sun in 1 Enoch 72. The Koine Greek hòra (Strong’s 5610) is mistranslated as a modern hour; it means a “time period” or “portion of time.” A Biblical yom is slightly longer than a modern SI day, and there are eighteen (18) portions in it; see the article “HaDerech: It’s About Time” for details. Bottom line: The ninth portion of daylight on 14 Abib would refer to approximately the last hour and a half of that yom, so it was late in the afternoon.

With the last of His strength, Yehoshu’a cried out those specific words — “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” — which is a DIRECT REFERENCE TO PSALM 22! Reciting the first portion of a passage implies the ENTIRE passage. Let’s examine that:

Psalm 22:1 My God, my God, why have You forsaken me? (Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34)
Far from my deliverance are the words of my groaning.
2 O my God, I cry by day, but You do not answer;
And by night, but I have no rest.
3 Yet You are holy,
O You who are enthroned upon the praises of Israel.
4 In You our fathers trusted;
They trusted and You delivered them.
5 To You they cried out and were delivered;
In You they trusted and were not disappointed.
6 But I am a worm and not a man,
A reproach of men and despised by the people. (Deuteronomy 21:22-23; Galatians 3:13-14)
7 All who see me sneer at me;
They separate with the lip, they wag the head, saying,
8 “Commit yourself to the Lord (lit. Yahoah); let Him deliver him;
Let Him rescue him, because He delights in him.” (Matthew 27:39-43; Mark 15:29-32; Luke 23:35)
9 Yet You are He who brought me forth from the womb;
You made me trust when upon my mother’s breasts.
10 Upon You I was cast from birth;
You have been my God from my mother’s womb. (Matthew 1:18-25)
11 Be not far from me, for trouble is near;
For there is none to help.
12 Many bulls have surrounded me;
Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled me.
13 They open wide their mouth at me,
As a ravening and a roaring lion.
14 I am poured out like water, (John 19:34)
And all my bones are out of joint;
My heart is like wax;
It is melted within me.
15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd,
And my tongue cleaves to my jaws; (Matthew 27:47-48; Mark 15:35-36; Luke 23:36-37; John 19:28-30)
And You lay me in the dust of death.
16 For dogs have surrounded me; (Matthew 7:6)
A band of evildoers has encompassed me; (Matthew 23)
They pierced my hands and my feet. (Crucifixion: one method is to be hung on a tree!)
17 I can count all my bones.
They look, they stare at me;
18 They divide my garments among them,
And for my clothing they cast lots. (Matthew 27:35, Mark 15:24, Luke 23:34, and John 19:24)
19 But You, O Lord (lit. Yahoah), be not far off;
O You my help, hasten to my assistance.
20 Deliver my soul from the sword,
My only life from the power of the dog.
21 Save me from the lion’s mouth;
From the horns of the wild oxen You answer me.
22 I will tell of Your name to my brethren;
In the midst of the assembly I will praise You.
23 You who fear the Lord (lit. Yahoah), praise Him;
All you descendants of Jacob, glorify Him,
And stand in awe of Him, all you descendants of Israel.
24 For He has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted;
Nor has He hidden His face from him;
But when he cried to Him for help, He heard.
25 From You comes my praise in the great assembly;
I shall pay my vows before those who fear Him.
26 The afflicted will eat and be satisfied;
Those who seek Him will praise the Lord (lit. Yahoah).
Let your heart live forever!
27 All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord (lit. Yahoah),
And all the families of the nations will worship before You.
28 For the kingdom is the Lord’s (lit. Yahoah’s)
And He rules over the nations.
29 All the prosperous of the earth will eat and worship,
All those who go down to the dust will bow before Him,
Even he who cannot keep his soul alive.
30 Posterity will serve Him;
It will be told of the Lord (lit. Yahoah) to the coming generation.
31 They will come and will declare His righteousness
To a people who will be born, that He has performed it. (NASB 1995)

Just to be more explicit about the fulfillment of Psalm 22 and an allusion of the Judgment to come in Matthew 25:31-48:

John 19:28 After this, Jesus [lit. Joshua], knowing that all things had already been accomplished, to fulfill the Scripture, said, “I am thirsty.” 29 A jar full of sour wine was standing there; so they put a sponge full of the sour wine upon a branch of hyssop and brought it up to His mouth. 30 Therefore when Jesus [lit. Joshua] had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And He bowed His head and gave up His spirit. (NASB 1995)

Christ’s Burial on the Same Day — BEFORE the High Sabbath on 15 Abib

As was discussed above, Christ was buried on the same day that He was “hung on a tree” (14 Abib in 36 CE) so that this “blasphemer” would not defile the Promised Land per the Law.

John 19:38 After these things Joseph of Arimathea, being a disciple of Jesus [lit. Joshua], but a secret one for fear of the Jews, asked Pilate that he might take away the body of Jesus; and Pilate granted permission. So he came and took away His body. 39 Nicodemus, who had first come to Him by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds weight. 40 So they took the body of Jesus [lit. Joshua] and bound it in linen wrappings with the spices, as is the burial custom of the Jews. 41 Now in the place where He was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. 42 Therefore because of the Jewish day of preparation, since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there. (NASB 1995)

What was the modus operandi for Christ’s “criminal act?”  It’s quite simple:

Galatians 3:13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us — for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree” — 14 in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. (NASB 1995)

That’s truly amazing, isn’t it?  Christ died for ALL of us so that we may everlasting life!  Folks, that passage in Galatians sums up the New Covenant/Testament (Heb. B’rit Chadashah) in a nutshell.

Be sure to read the companion articles in the Mo’edim (appointed times), Agricultural Feasts, and Passover/Unleavened Bread series:

Shema Yisrael! (Hear, Israel!)

Copyright (C) 1995-2018, L. Alan Schuetz. All rights reserved.

2 Timothy 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. (NASB 1995)

HaDerech Scroll - Paleo-Hebrew

Mo’ed: Shabbat (Weekly Sabbath)

~ L. Alan Schuetz ~ 24 Comments

Leviticus 23:1 [Lit. Yahoah] spoke again to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘[Lit. Yahoah’s] appointed times which you shall proclaim as holy convocations — My appointed times are these:’ (NASB 1995)

The following is a slightly modified excerpt from my forthcoming book entitled: Our Messiah Few REALLY Know. This represents copyrighted material; please treat it as such. On this “yom” in history — the “evening” of March 22nd and the “morning” of March 23rd of the pagan Gregorian calendar — the following occurred…

The seventh day marked the first of God’s appointed times (Heb. mo’edim):

Genesis 2:1 Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts. 2 By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. 3 Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made. (NASB 1995)

What is important to note in verse 3 of the Genesis account is that God (lit. Elohim) blessed and sanctified/consecrated the seventh day. However, significantly more content is provided regarding the weekly Sabbath – the seventh day of each week – in Jubilees:

Jubilees 2:1 And the angel of the presence spake to Moses according to the word of the Lord, saying: Write the complete history of the creation, how in six days the Lord God finished all His works and all that He created, and kept Sabbath on the seventh day and hallowed it for all ages, and appointed it as a sign for all His works.

Continuing at verse 16:

Jubilees 2:16 And He finished all His work on the sixth day – all that is in the heavens and on the earth, and in the seas and in the abysses, and in the light and in the darkness, and in everything. 17 And He gave us a great sign, the Sabbath day, that we should work six days, but keep Sabbath on the seventh day from all work. 18 And all the angels of the presence, and all the angels of sanctification, these two great classes – He hath hidden us to keep the Sabbath with Him in heaven and on earth. 19 And He said unto us: “Behold, I will separate unto Myself a people from among all the peoples, and these will keep the Sabbath day, and I will sanctify them unto Myself as My people, and will bless them; as I have sanctified the Sabbath day and do sanctify (it) unto Myself, even so shall I bless them, and they will be My people and I shall be their God. 20 And I have chosen the seed of Jacob from amongst all that I have seen, and have written him down as My firstborn son, and have sanctified him unto Myself for ever and ever; and I will teach them the Sabbath day, that they may keep Sabbath thereon from all work.” 21 And thus He created therein a sign in accordance with which they should keep Sabbath with us on the seventh day, to eat and to drink, and to bless Him who hath created all things as He hath blessed and sanctified unto Himself a peculiar people above all peoples, and that they should keep Sabbath together with us. 22 And He caused His commands to ascend as a sweet savour acceptable before Him all the days. 23 There (were) two and twenty heads of mankind from Adam to Jacob, and two and twenty kinds of work were made until the seventh day; this is blessed and holy; and the former also is blessed and holy; and this one serves with that one for sanctification and blessing. 24 And to this (Jacob and his seed) it was granted that they should always be the blessed and holy ones of the first testimony and law, even as He had sanctified and blessed the Sabbath day on the seventh day. 25 He created heaven and earth and everything that He created in six days, and God made the seventh day holy, for all His works; therefore, He commanded on its behalf that, whoever doth any work thereon shall die, and that he who defileth it shall surely die. 26 Wherefore do thou command the children of Israel to observe this day that they may keep it holy 4 and not do thereon any work, and not to defile it, as it is holier than all other days. 27 And whoever profaneth it shall surely die, and whoever doeth thereon any work shall surely die eternally, that the children of Israel may observe this day throughout their generations, and not be rooted out of the land; for it is a holy day and a blessed day. 28 And everyone who observeth it and keepeth Sabbath thereon from all his work, will be holy and blessed throughout all days like unto us. 29 Declare and say to the children of Israel the law of this day both that they should keep Sabbath thereon, and that they should not forsake it in the error of their hearts; (and) that it is not lawful to do any work thereon which is unseemly, to do thereon their own pleasure, and that they should not prepare thereon anything to be eaten or drunk. and (that it is not lawful) to draw water, or bring in or take out thereon through their gates any burden, which they had not prepared for themselves on the sixth day in their dwellings. 30 And they shall not bring in nor take out from house to house on that day; for that day is more holy and blessed than any jubilee day of the jubilees: on this we kept Sabbath in the heavens before it was made known to any flesh to keep Sabbath thereon on the earth. 31 And the Creator of all things blessed it, but He did not sanctify all peoples and nations to keep Sabbath thereon, but Israel alone: them alone He permitted to eat and drink and to keep Sabbath thereon on the earth. 32 And the Creator of all things blessed this ay which He had created for a blessing and a sanctification and a glory above all days. 33 This law and testimony was given to the children of Israel as a law for ever unto their generations.

To reiterate the imperative points from this passage in Jubilees:

  1. The weekly Sabbath is hallowed for all ages and is appointed as a sign of God’s twenty-two works completed during the six days of Creation.
  2. Torah observers are to work for six days but rest on the seventh day of each week.
  3. The weekly Sabbath is observed both on Earth and in Heaven.
  4. Jacob (Heb. Ya’akov), the grandson of Abraham and son of Isaac who was renamed Israel, is specifically mentioned as the patriarch (lit. “firstborn son”) of the sanctified people of God, that is the father of the Twelve Tribes of Israel. They were taught about the weekly Sabbath and the preeminence of it.
  5. God commanded that if the children of Israel performed work on the weekly Sabbath or otherwise defiled it, they would die; they were to observe this day in perpetuity and keep it holy as it is “holier than all other days.”
  6. The weekly Sabbath was and continues to be observed in Heaven before it was revealed to man.
  7. Only Israelites are sanctified people.

As far as weekly Sabbath observance goes for Gentiles, there were only four commandments established at the First Council of Jerusalem documented in Acts 15:1-35 concentrating on verses 19-20 and 28-29:

Acts 15:19 Therefore it is my judgment that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles, 20 but that we write to them that they abstain from things contaminated by idols and from fornication and from what is strangled and from blood. (NASB 1995)

Acts 15:28 “For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials: 29 that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication; if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well. Farewell.” (NASB 1995)

Therefore, Sabbath observance is not a requirement for Gentiles, but neither is it acceptable to substitute another day for weekly worship (i.e., Sunday). It also does not mean that we are not “under the Law” as most “New Testament churches” proclaim; we were given four directives that are still applicable today! What modern Christian church teaches this? As believing Gentiles in Christ, we are adopted sons, grafted into the natural olive tree (that is, we become part of God’s sanctified people with our Hebraic roots supporting us), and will desire to follow the Law as it is put in our hearts and written on our minds:

Ephesians 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. 7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace 8 which He lavished on us… (NASB 1995)

Romans 11:17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree, 18 do not be arrogant toward the branches; but if you are arrogant, remember that it is not you who supports the root, but the root supports you. 19 You will say then, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20 Quite right, they were broken off for their unbelief, but you stand by your faith. Do not be conceited, but fear; 21 for if God did not spare the natural branches, He will not spare you, either. 22 Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God’s kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off. 23 And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut off from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and were grafted contrary to nature into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these who are the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree? (NASB 1995)

Hebrews 10:14 For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. 15 And the Holy Spirit also testifies to us; for after saying,

16 “THIS IS THE COVENANT THAT I WILL MAKE WITH THEM
AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD:
I WILL PUT MY LAWS UPON THEIR HEART,
AND ON THEIR MIND I WILL WRITE THEM,”

He then says,

17 “AND THEIR SINS AND THEIR LAWLESS DEEDS
I WILL REMEMBER NO MORE.”

18 Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for sin. (NASB 1995)

How comforting are those words? We know that believing in Christ that our sins and misdeeds will be forgiven. That is what Grace is all about; that topic will be developed further when discussing Judgment Day in the future Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) article. For now, re-read John 3:16-18.

Fourteen years later at the Second Council of Jerusalem documented in Galatians 2, Peter – the apostle to the circumcised (Jews/Israelites) – was opposed by Paul – the apostle to the uncircumcised (Gentiles) – over the application of the Mosaic Law (Torah) and hypocrisy thereof by the Jewry regarding believing Gentiles. It was determined that believers in Christ are justified (saved) through faith in Him not by works of the Law; otherwise, Christ died needlessly. However, the children of Israel are to follow the Law in perpetuity as they are a sanctified people. Concentrate on verses 15-16 and 21:

Galatians 2:15 “We are Jews by nature and not sinners from among the Gentiles; 16 nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law no flesh (lit. mortal man) will be justified. (NASB 1995)

Galatians 2:21 I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly.” (NASB 1995)

That is another sacred cow that must be slaughtered at this point. Peter was NEVER in Rome; he was the apostle to the Jews. Paul was the apostle to the Gentiles, was a Roman citizen from birth, converted from Pharisaism to the “sect” called The Way, and certainly traveled to Rome. Peter did not establish the Roman Catholic Church! No matter how many times a lie is repeated, it will never become the truth.

Regarding the fourth point above, recall that Abraham was the father of both Ishmael (Arabs) and Isaac, and Isaac was the father of Esau (Edom) and Jacob. Only Jacob (aka Israel) was the father of the sanctified people of God (i.e., Hebrews). The sons of Ishmael play prominently in the Middle East to this day and especially in eschatology, and the sons of Esau were exceptionally powerful in Israel just before and after Christ was incarnate as was discussed the the Mystery Babylon article.

Of all the points, the sixth was the most astonishing: the weekly Sabbath was observed and sanctified in Heaven long before it was revealed to man. In fact, the second mention of the Sabbath (after the Genesis account) is in Exodus 16 when the Israelites collected manna in the desert wilderness of Sin after escaping captivity in Egypt:

Exodus 16:27 It came about on the seventh day that some of the people went out to gather, but they found none. 28 Then the Lord said to Moses, “How long do you refuse to keep My commandments and My instructions (lit. laws)? 29 See, the Lord has given you the sabbath; therefore He gives you bread for two days on the sixth day. Remain every man in his place; let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.” 30 So the people rested on the seventh day. (NASB 1995)

This was codified when the Ten Commandments were spoken to Moses in Exodus 20 concentrating on verses 8-11:

Exodus 20:8 “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you (lit. is in your gates). 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and made it holy. (NASB 1995)

These were literally “written in stone” by the finger of Elohim (which is the true origin of that idiom although some scholars incorrectly attribute it to Hammurabi):

Exodus 31:18 When He had finished speaking with him upon Mount Sinai, He gave Moses the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written by the finger of God. (NASB 1995)

Although the importance of Exodus cannot be overstated, it is yet the seventh most frequent Biblical manuscript discovered among the Dead Sea Scrolls – even behind Jubilees!

One last question many may be asking: How can the Sabbath be Saturday evening and Sunday morning in this time of the year in 2018? The answer to that is addressed in this article.

Be sure to read the companion articles in the Mo’edim (appointed times) and Agricultural Feasts series:

Shema Yisrael! (Hear, Israel!)

Copyright (C) 1995-2018, L. Alan Schuetz. All rights reserved.

2 Timothy 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. (NASB 1995)

HaDerech Scroll - Paleo-Hebrew