May 17, 2010
May 14, 2010
Shavuot Reckoning
Day of the First Fruits
by Baruch Ben Daniel
Perhaps you've come up against "the Great Controversy" regarding which Shabbat determines the Feast of First Fruits; the weekly Seventh Day Shabbat; or the annual Shabbat of Chag HaMatzah (Feast of Unleavened Bread)? Yom Omer is the day that one begins to count the omer that leads up to Shavuot (Feast of Weeks -Pentecost is from Greek) fifty days later. Scripture says that we are to begin counting on the "day after Shabbat" during the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
"And you shall count unto you from the morrow after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven Sabbaths shall be complete: Even unto the morrow after the seventh Sabbath shall you number fifty days;" ( Leviticus 23:15-16)
Shavuot is a Shabbat unto YHWH and no work is to be done, therefore it is very important to know which day we are to begin the count. The Sadducees elected to follow the weekly Seventh Day Shabbat, but, the Pharisees opted for the first Shabbat of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the annual High day Shabbat.
We know that Mashiyach presented himself to the Father as the wavesheaf offering of Firstfruits the day after the weekly Shabbat. In fact it was on the first day of the week (a Sunday) when Y'shua said to Miriam in John 20:17 "do not touch me because I have not ascended to my Father," but later that day he had returned and appeared to other disciples. Y'shua also stated that he would be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. He was put in the grave on the eve of the preparation day, just before the first Shabbat of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, not a weekly Shabbat but the Shabbat of the Feast. Pesach was on a Wednesday and he was put in the tomb just before sunset on Wednesday afternoon. Three days and three nights later means that he resurrected before sundown on the end of the weekly Shabbat. Y'shua said he would be in the tomb three days and three nights as Jonah was in the belly of the great fish, he said and meant three literal days and three literal nights. A Tuesday or Thursday Pesach does not work. Pesach would have had to fall on a Wednesday if Mashiyach was up out of the tomb before Firstfruits which was on Sunday, if it were a day or two after Wednesday we would not have a full three days and three nights. Neither would Y'shua say "don't touch me" if he had already presented himself when he was first seen on Sunday morning. Obviously Y'shua did this for a good reason, this testimony made it into the written record so we can understand that he fulfilled the Firstfruits offering on the appointed day. But the thinking that Firstfruits has to be on a Sunday because of the resurrection, isn't the only strong argument that can be made.
It's certainly not a "goyish" thing either as some posture that Yom HaBikkurim must fall on the day after the weekly Shabbat. Sadducees, Karaite and Essenes are as Jewish as the Pharisees and they concluded that Shavuot always falls on a Sunday. The Essenes though, waited until the following Shabbat after the Chag, rather than the first weekly Shabbat during the Chag before they began counting the omer.
There are some good arguments on both sides of this issue, but it seems that Yom haBikkurim or the counting of the omer begins the day after the first weekly Shabbat after Pesach, not the Shabbat of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
If the Shabbat of Unleavened Bread were intended, it is more likely that miqra kodesh would have been noted in Torah, rather than "Shabbat". Read Vayikra/Leviticus 23:3-11 and you will discover that "Shabbat" is NOT mentioned for either the first miqra kodesh of Unleavened Bread, nor the last, but in verse 11 the day after "Shabbat" is the word used for determining Yom HaBikkurim.
And continue reading to Vayikra/Leviticus 23:15, 16;
And you shall count unto you from the morrow after the Shabbat1, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven Shabbats2 shall be complete: Even unto the morrow (next day) after the seventh Shabbat3 shall you number fifty days; and you shall offer a new meat offering unto YHWH.
Notice how there are three mentions of Shabbat in these two verses? It's interesting to note that some Messianic Bible translators like David Stern and a self proclaimed Netzarim Rosh Beit Din scholar (James Trimm), retain the first Shabbat1 but have removed the second and third "Shabbat" and inserted the word weeks2 and week3, but Torah uses "Shabbat" throughout. Torah does not say shavuot (weeks) or shavua (week) but Shabbat in all three occurrences! David Sterns translation reads, "until the day after the seventh week" which may be confusing. Which seventh week? Well that means the seventh week after the beginning week which started the day after the Shabbat which was not the weekly Shabbat but the first Shabbat of Chag HaMatzah week? Nope. Let's just stick with what it says. The day after the Seventh Shabbat. Done! Everyone knows that you can't eat of the harvest until the offering is made to YHWH and neither does YHWH say to wait until a Shabbat after the Chag, so therefore it must be the very first Shabbat during the Chag... to satiate the appetites of millions of hungry folks!
Vayikra/Leviticus 25:8;
And you shall number seven Shabbats4 of years unto thee, seven times seven years; and the space of the seven Shabbats5 of years shall be unto thee forty and nine years.
Oops! Some of the "Messianic" translators, like David Stern, did NOT translate this as "weeks" but Shabbats4&5, why? Here Torah says seven Shabbats, NOT seven weeks! Why not make a consistent translation?
The commandment to number "seven weeks" is mentioned in D'varim/Deuteronomy 16:9;
Seven weeks shall you number unto thee: begin to number the seven weeks from such time as you begin to put the sickle to the standing grain.
The Hebrew word here is NOT Shabbat, but shavua (weeks) after you "...put the sickle to the standing grain." But some Torah students take shavua (week) from this verse and overlay it over Shabbat in Vayikra/Leviticus 23:15, 16, why? Tradition. In reality no one is going to put their sickle to the standing grain (harvest) on a weekly Shabbat, therefore if a person were to follow the Shabbat of Unleavened Bread argument then it would be possible that First Fruits fall on a weekly Shabbat and that doesn't work.
Furthermore, Jeremiah 5:24 reads;
Neither say they in their heart, Let us now fear YHWH our Elohim, that gives rain, both the former and the latter, in his season: he reserves unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest.
Everybody knows that a week begins on Yom Rishon (the first day) and ends on the Seventh Day Shabbat. Had the duration of time (i.e. 50 days) been the focus rather than the seven "Shabbats", we would see the term 50 days being more prominent. Rather what we see is a mini type of the Yovel (Jubilee) cycle. Both the feast of Shavuot (Pentecost) and the Yovel have very significant agricultural directives that are used to prophetically teach us about the plan of redemption. The Yovel is based on "seven weeks" of seven year cycles that begin and end on a Shabbat year, the Shabbat year culminates on a shmittah, where the land is given a Shabbat rest. There are seven shmittah (land rests) that culminate in the seventh cycle which is 49 years, then the following year is a Yovel (Jubilee). As we count the seven weekly Shabbats and celebrate Shavuot on the day after the weekly Shabbat, we are following the same pattern, and we are reminded of the Yovel.
The "poof" of Joshua 5:10-12
And the children of Israel encamped in Gilgal, and kept Pesach on the fourteenth day of the month at even in the plains of Jericho. And they did eat of the old grain of the land on the morrow after Pesach, unleavened cakes, and parched [corn] in the selfsame day. And the manna ceased on the morrow after they had eaten of the old corn of the land; neither had the children of Israel manna any more; but they did eat of the fruit of the land of Canaan that year.
This Scripture indicates that Pesach was celebrated on the 14th as commanded in Vayikra/Leviticus 23:5 not the 15th of Nissan as with the Pharisees (Orthodox) tradition. The morrow after Pesach is the 15th of Nissan which is the first day of Chag HaMatzah (Feast of Unleavened Bread) a day of rest according to Vayikra/Leviticus 23:6-8. And they are clearly eating the old grain on this first annual Shabbat of Chag haMatzah. Notice that the Scripture clearly says OLD GRAIN which means that they had not celebrated FirstFruits. OOPS!!! They could NOT eat the NEW GRAIN until they offered the Wave (lifted up) Offering to YHWH. So although this verse is used as a prooftext, the text says OLD GRAIN which really doesn't give us definitive proof at all. SORRY.
The fact of the matter is that Joshua 5:10-12 proves nothing (no poof) in regards to whether Yom HaBikkurim begins on the day after the beginning of Chag haMatzah or the weekly Shabbat. But it does shed some light on the fact that the Pharisees are voluntarily keeping the 15th as their Pesach rather than the 14th day YHWH commanded in Torah!
In conclusion, there are a couple factors that lead one to believe that Yom Omer begins on the morrow after the weekly Shabbat. Putting the sickle to the harvest would never happen according to this reckoning but also it would be impossible for Y'shua to fulfill the First Fruits wave sheaf offering according to most Christian and Messianic reckoning. When we trust that three days and three nights is a very literal period of time, that is extracted from Jonah's experience in the belly of the great fish, then we must be consistent and factor this span of time into the week of his sufferings. When we do so we cannot have him being the First Fruits on a weekly Shabbat and he could not possibly be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth and still be the First Fruits offering on the third day. In reality Y'shua would have to be in the tomb for three days and three nights and then on the 4th day from the time he was put into the tomb he could present himself to his Father and this is exactly what he did.
YHWH be with you,
Shalom U'Vrachot,
Baruch Ben Daniel
"One man discriminates between days; and another judges all days alike. But let every one be sure, in regard to his knowledge. He that esteems a day, esteems [it] for his Master: and he that esteems not a day, for his Master, he does not esteem [it.] And he that eats, eats to his Master, and gives thanks to Elohim: and he that eats not, to his Master he eats not, and gives thanks to Elohim. For there is not one of us, who lives for himself: and there is not one, who dies for himself. Because, if we live, to our Master (Y’shua) it is we live; or if we die, to our Master it is we die. Whether we live, therefore, or whether we die, we are our Master’s." Romans 14:5-8
Note: I observe the Chag on what I believe to be the correct day, but this does not in any way prohibit me from joining with others for according to their timing. Some believers say they would rather be wrong and celebrate on the wrong day to maintain unity with their families and congregations rather than cause division, they believe "majority" sanctifies the day. I personally believe this is a dangerous position to take because it is these very issues that test whether the love in our hearts for truth is greater than our social, political or religious needs. "...as it is written: That you might be upright, in your declarations; and be found pure, when they judge you" (Romans 3:4). Therefore, if you know to do good and do it not, it becomes sin unto you. It is foolish to "second guess" or to assume that we know so much about the Feasts and their importance to make judgments that overrule the Word of YHWH. On the other hand, if a person is not fully convinced either way then there is no reason not to fast and pray and seek YHWH for these things. This issue is not so easy to make a definitive conclusion on, I've also observed the Feast according to both reckonings, it is not an easy matter to resolve with Scripture alone, but at the very least we must be true to how the Ruach is leading us rather than opting for the most convenience for a job schedule... or some other matter.
May 11, 2010
Shavuot, the Torah, & the Arrabon of the Ruach
Some Thoughts on Shavuot by
Tim Hegg
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In Exodus 19:1 we read:
"In the third month after the sons of Israel had gone out of the land of Egypt, on this very day they came into the wilderness of Sinai."
What is curious about the wording of this verse is the phrase “on this very day” (bayom hazeh), which marks a specific day, yet without describing exactly which day is being referenced. Since the only other calendar reference in the verse is “in the third month,” the ancient commentaries of the rabbis consistently interpreted the meaning of this phrase to be that Israel came to the wilderness of Sinai on Rosh Chodesh Sivan, or the first day of the third month. If this interpretation is correct, then the Torah was given to Moses upon the mountain on the sixth day of the third month, that is, on the Festival day of Shavuot.
It was on this basis that the ancient rabbis derived the following chronology:
• Sivan 1 - Sunday (Yom Rishon), 45th omer
[according to R. Yosi, which is the accepted view, cf. b.Shabbat 86a] Israel reaches the wilderness of Sinai and camped facing the mountain. No word from God came on this day because of the people's fatigue. (Ex 19:1-2)
• Sivan 2 - Monday (Yom Sheini), 46th omer
Moses addresses Israel according to the words of God, introducing the concept of the Torah to them and helping them understand what will be required if they accept the Torah. Moses ascends to the lower part of the mountain twice on this day. (Ex 19:3-9)
• Sivan 3 - Tuesday (Yom Sh’lishi), 47th omer
Moses ascends to the lower part of the mountain, speaks with God, Who gives him the commandments regarding the sanctification of the people and the restriction that neither they nor any animal should touch the mountain. They were to consecrate themselves today, tomorrow, and be ready for the appearance of God on the following day, i.e., the third day. Moses ascends the mountain only once on this day. (Ex 19:10-15)
• Sivan 4 - Wednesday (Yom R’vi’i), 48th omer
The people continue their sanctification/consecration in anticipation of the the giving of the Torah on the next day.
• Sivan 5 - Thursday (Yom Chamishi), 49th omer
In the morning the people heard a loud blast of the Shofar, came to the foot of the mountain, and saw the mountain all in smoke as it quaked at the descent of God upon it. The Shofar blasts grew louder and louder, then Moses spoke to God and He answered him with thunder. God once again instructed Moses to warn the people about coming upon the mountain. He instructs Moses to return to the people, warn them about breaking through into the cloud on the mountain, and then to return again with Aaron.
• Sivan 6 - Friday (Yom Shishi, erev Shabbat), 50th day
The chronology is a bit uncertain. Some of the Sages say that Moses built the altar (Ex 24:4) on the 5th of Sivan while others reckon it to be built on the 6th (m.Shabbat 24.4; cf. Rashi). Exodus 24:4 seems to indicate that Moses arose early in the morning, which seems to be on the day after God's initial apperance in the cloud of smoke (Sivan 5). The biblical narrative seems to put the events of Ex 24 on the day following the events of Ex 19:25. If this is correct, it was on Sivan 6 that Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and the 70 elders went up to the mountain (they returned to the people after Moses and Joshua went on alone), and Moses and Joshua continued on (Joshua apparently did not go the full distance with Moses, who alone entered the presence of the God, cf. 24:2) to receive the stone tablets upon which the Ten Words were written by the “finger of God.” Sivan 6 is Shavuot.
From this chronological understanding of the Exodus text, the long tradition has been that the initial giving of the Torah to Moses (and thus to Israel) occurred on Shavuot (cf. b.Pesachim 68b).
Some of the Sages also envisioned the Torah as a Ketubbah or “marriage contract” between God and Israel. Jeremiah 31:31–32, which announces the future establishment of the “new covenant” with Israel, may hint at this:
Behold, days are coming,” declares Adonai, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not like the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,” declares Adonai.
Here, God portrays the Torah as a marriage covenant between Himself and Israel. Since the Sinai covenant was a written document, it is easy to see how it could be envisioned as a ketubbah, the marriage contract between a man and the father of his bride.
With this background in view, it is most interesting that God chose the Festival of Shavuot to be the time when He, in accordance with Yeshua’s promise (cf. Lk 24:49; Acts 1:4), would send forth His Spirit to empower His disciples to evangelize the nations, thus gathering together the elect from all the peoples to join the remnant of Israel in the salvation procured by Yeshua. It was by the power of the Ruach HaKodesh that the promise made to Abraham (“in you all the families/nations of the earth shall be blessed”) would be fulfilled—that the light of the Torah would reach even the most remote parts of the world (cf. Is 42:4; Acts 1:8).
Not only did the outpouring of the Spirit on that Shavuot link the work of the Spirit with the giving of the Torah and God’s purpose to bring the elect of the nations to hear and receive its revelation, it also linked the presence of the Spirit with the concept of a covenant of marriage between God and His chosen people. In Ephesians 1:13–14, Paul teaches that the indwelling Spirit is Himself a “guarantee” of the believer’s final redemption:
In Him [Messiah], you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.
Note that Paul uses two metaphors in regard to the presence of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer. First, he states that the believer “is sealed” (sphragizõ) in Messiah by the “Holy Spirit of promise.” This metaphor is most likely taken from the sealing of a document in ancient times, which gave it full authenticity because the document was guarded against being changed or modified (e.g., b.BavaBatra 160b). Thus, the promise of our final and complete redemption is secured by the gift of the Spirit Himself, as Paul states later in Ephesians: “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption” (Eph 4:30). Like the Ketubbah (marriage contract), which was a legal document securing the future marriage of the bride and groom, so the presence of the Holy Spirit in the life of the believer is a sure guarantee that the believer has come into a covenant relationship with God through His Messiah, Yeshua, a covenant that will, in the future, be fully realized.
Indeed, the second metaphor employed by Paul in our Ephesians text specifically utilizes the metaphor of betrothal to describe the relationship between the believer and Yeshua. He describes the Holy Spirit as the “pledge of our inheritance.” The Greek word translated “pledge” is arrabõn, which is itself a transliteration of the Hebrew or Aramaic word ‘arabõn meaning “pledge” or “security” (cf. Gen 38:17ff; Job 17:3). We find the term used generally to mean a “down payment” or “security,” but it is also used in connection with the bride-price promised in a ketubbah or marriage contract (cp. b.BavaBatra 173b). Since in this same epistle Paul makes it clear that marriage itself is a revelation of Messiah’s relationship with His bride, called the ekklesia (cf. Eph 5:25–32), it may well be that his use of arrabõn in Eph 1:14 has the ketubbah in mind. If this is so, then the Holy Spirit Himself is metaphorically the bride price pledged to the ekklesia as the sealed and secure guarantee of our final and complete redemption.
Paul uses the same language in 2Cor 1:20–22.
For as many as are the promises of God, in Him [Messiah] they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us. Now He who establishes us with you in Messiah and anointed us is God, who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge (arrabõn).
This brings the picture full-circle. Even as the Torah, given to Israel at Sinai on Shavuot, could be viewed as His ketubbah written to secure the inevitable wedding of Himself to His bride, so the Ruach, poured out at Shavuot and given to every believer in Yeshua, is Himself the bride-price Who guarantees the eventual eschatological wedding, bringing to full consummation the eternal marriage of Yeshua with His chosen bride.
Given this possible understanding, we are astounded at the very large bride-price given by the Groom to secure the marriage of His betrothed people. For the bride-price is nothing less than Himself! Even as Yeshua gave His own life to purchase His wife (cf. 1Pet 1:18–19), so the Spirit is given to every believer as the “dowry.” He pledges Himself as the bride price stated in the ketubbah!
As we celebrate Shavuot this year, may the love of God expressed in the great price He has paid for us as His bride, encourage and strengthen our faith in Him as we await His coming. And may we, enlivened by the indwelling Spirit, be stirred up in our efforts to live out the message of the Gospel, drawing others to Him and to the eternal life which He has promised to all who receive Him by faith.
April 7, 2010
"Get rid of the old leaven so that you can be a new batch of dough, because in reality you are unleavened. For the Messiah, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed. So let us celebrate the Seder not with old leaven, the leaven of wickedness and evil, but with matzah of purity and truth"" 1st Corinthians 5:7-8
We all know Yeshua came and “Amplified the Torah”! (If you can’t see that, stop Reading now!) The Torah says "Don’t Commit Adultery"(Exo.20:14, Lev.20:10 & Deut.5:18) Yeshua the Messiah said “if you even lust in your heart you have committed adultery” (Matt.5:27-28)
So let’s AMPLIFY this Passover!
It is even more important for us to search and scower through the labels and ingredients in our own lives and hearts to cleanse out leaven/sin! We need to partake of THE Lamb with sinless bread and put the blood of THE Lamb on ourselves! Just as physical circumcision should be a reflection (or outward sign) of the spiritual circumcision of the Heart! (Duet. 30:6)
The Passover is not 100% fulfilled!!! The Messiah Himself said he would not partake of the final cup, (Luke 22:14-20) until the kingdom is restored!
YHWH knew we were going to sin and transgress the Torah, He knew we would be Exiled once again... Let’s Read Deuteronomy 29:21-30:6.
Now we know there WILL BE a "Second Exodus!"
Let’s read Jeremiah 16:10-16.
We now know that this "Second Exodus" will be even greater than the first! WOW!
Now let’s look at what takes place in the first Exodus and compare it to Revelations....
- YHWH chooses Moshe and Aharon to lead the people, He used them to perform miracles (Exo. 6)
- In the "Second Exodus" there will be a multitude of "Moshe's" who will perform miracles, (Rev. 11:6) two witnesses, perhaps Judah and Ephraim?
They are witnessing not necessarily to physical Egypt but to spiritual Egypt or the entire World! (Rev.11:7-10)
*In the notes below, the miracles performed in Rev.8 & 9 (7 Shofar blasts) are before the 1000 year reign, the miracles in Revelations 16 (7 bowls poured out) are at the end of that reign, when the beast is released and the final battle takes place at Har Megiddo. (Rev. 17:8, Rev.19:17-21)
*Also note that the Exodus plagues/miracles do not happen in the same sequence as the two sets of Revelation plagues/miracles do....
- #1 Water is turned to blood! (Exo.7:20-21) Compared to Revelations 8:8-9 & 16:3-4
- #2 Frogs! (Exo.8:1-3) Compared to Revelations 16:13-15
- #3 & 4 Lice & Insects (Exo.8:13-14) & (Exo.8:19-20) No correlation in Revelations
- #5 Livestock (Exo.9:5-7) Compared to Revelation 8:10-11 & 9:14-15 16:8-9 (Mankind)
- #6 Soars (Exo.9:8-10) Compared to Revelations 16:10-11
- #7 Hail Storm (Exo. 9:22-26) Compared to Revelations 8:7 & 16:17-21
- #8 Locust (Exo.10:12-15) Compared to Revelations 9:3-5
- #9 Darkness (Exo.10:21-23) Compared to Revelations 8:12 & 9:1-3
- #10 Death of the Firstborn! (Exo.11:4-6) Israel is covered in His Blood (Exo.12:7) and Israel (His Firstborn) belongs to him! (Exo.13:1-2) Compared to Revelations 7:1-4, 9:4, & 14:1-5
Even after all the plagues, Pharaoh of Egypt was still hard hearted! (Exo.11:10) Just as the people of the end times will be… (Rev.9:20-21)
- #11 Water is parted to save Israel/Destroy Egypt's army (Exo.14:15-29) Compared to Revelations 16:12
Then he told me, "Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, because the time is near. Let him who does wrong continue to do wrong; let him who is filthy continue to be filthy; let him who does right continue to do right; and let him who is holy continue to be holy.""Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with Me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. I am the Aleph and the Tov, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End."Blessed are those who do my commands, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. Outside are the homosexuals, those who are involved with the occult, and with drugs, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood."I, Yeshua, have sent my messenger to give you all this testimony for the assemblies. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star."The Spirit and the bride say, "Come!" And let him who hears say, "Come!" Whoever is thirsty, let him come; and whoever wishes let him take the free gift of the water of life. I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, YHWH will add to him the plagues described in this book. And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.
He who testifies to these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon."
Amen. Come, Master Yeshua.
The grace of the Master Yeshua be with God's people. Amen. (Rev.22:10-21)
This is the Final “Culmination” or “Fruit” of the Passach!
Written by Jesse Himango, Tabernacle of David Ministries. Visit us on facebook!
Why do Passover and 'easter" conflict???
Connect the dots...
~ As believers in YHWH’s (God’s) word and the Messiah, we are grafted into the “Olive Tree of Israel”.
(See Romans 11:17-26 & Ephesians 2:11-13)
~ As Israelites we are commanded to eat NO LEAVEN during the Passover or you will be “cut off” from Israel! No matter if you’re a “citizen” or “foreigner”! From Generation to Generation FOREVER!
(See Exodus 12:15-20)
~ It’s important to be “grafted in” because in the End Times we will be “sealed” with the mark of the Firstborn (Israel), and we will be “Passed-over” again.
(See Exodus 4:22, 13:1, {and many other verses} Revelations 7:1-4, 9:4, 14:1-5, & 20:4)
~ We will enter into the “New Jerusalem” (Heaven) through our tribal gate (Of Israel)!
(See Revelations 21:9-14)
~ What do people do during “easter” (besides eat ham)? They eat “Hot Cross Buns” or LEAVENED CAKES! We now have been tricked into profaning HIS WORD! “Cut off from Israel”!
(See Jeremiah 7:18, 44:19, & Hosea 3:1)
~ God Hates “easter”!
-They abandon YHWH, the Elohim of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, selected from the gods of the peoples around them, and worshiped them; this made YHWH angry. They abandon YHWH and served Ba’al and the “ashtarot”. (EASTER) Judges 2:12-13 {Wikipedia the word “ashtoreths” as it appears in most Bibles}
-Again the people of Israel did what was evil from YHWH’s perspective – they served the ba’alim, the “ashtarot” (EASTER), the gods of Aram the gods of Tzidon, the gods of Mo’av, the gods of the people of Amon, and the gods of the P’lishtim. Judges 10:6
-Samuel addressed all the people of Israel; he said: “If you are returning to YHWH with all your heart, then be done with the foreign gods and “ashtarot” (EASTER) that you have with you, direct your hearts to YHWH. If you will serve only Him, He will rescue you from the power of the P’lishtim. 1st Samuel 7:3
-But they cried to YHWH and said, ‘We sinned by abandoning YHWH and serving the ba’alim and “ashtarot” (EASTER) but now if you rescue us from the power of our enemies, we will serve You. 1st Samuel 12:10
-For Solomon followed “ashtarot” (EASTER) the goddess of the Tzidoni and Milkom the abomination of the Amoni. Thus Solomon {< insert your name here} did what was evil in YHVH’s view and did not fully follow YHWH, as his father had done. 1st Kings 11:5-6
April 3, 2010
March 20, 2010
Passover, Easter, and God's Seal
It's that time of year again, a time when YHVH (God) always puts some things on my heart! It's a great time to look at Scripture and see what it has to say about the holidays that are going on. First things first we need to know what "Truth is".... John 8:32 Yeshua (Jesus) say's "If you obey what I say, then you are really my talmidim (disciples), you will know the truth and the truth will set you free."
Here we see that Yeshua says the truth will set you free. Free from what? What are we slave to that we must be set free from? ..... SIN! We're all slaves to sin and if we know and follow the truth we will be free of sin. David, a shadow of the Messiah, says in Psalm 119 that truth is Torah.
Now Passover is about freedom from bondage of the Egyptians at this time. The blood of the lamb redeems the firstborn (Exodus 12:12-13) out of bondage, on a journey into the Land of promise. Note the blood covering the firstborn for later reference. Paul talks about Passover in 1st Corinthians 5:7-8 "Get rid of the old leaven so that you can be a new batch of dough, because in reality you are unleavened. For the Messiah, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed. So let us celebrate the Seder not with old leaven, the leaven of wickedness and evil, but with matzah of purity and truth." We see here some of the symbols of the Passover: Leaven = sin, Lamb = Messiah, Blood of the Lamb = Messiah's death (Isaiah 53).
It's difficult to talk about Passover without also mentioning Easter and its background. Easter has origins in ancient eastern fertility rites: in the ancient Babylonian religion, Easter, or Ishtar, is the wife of Nimrod, a king of Babylon. King Nimrod ruled a mighty empire and was viewed as deity. When Nimrod died, Easter became "miraculously pregnant". The son born to her was named Tammuz, a supposed reincarnation of his deceased father, Nimrod. A religion was built around her, with Easter as the moon and Tammuz as the sun. She was worshiped as the "goddess of fertility" who brought in the spring. During the winter when the sun was at its weakest, they would say Tammuz is dead and they would weep for 40 days for him to resurrect himself. The day before the spring equinox they would worship in the dark all night long, then face east at dawn to see the sun rise, the resurrection of Tammuz.
While the Ishtar festival was initially limited to pagan religions, it eventually spread to Christianity in the 4th century. In 325 AD, the Roman Emperor Constantine officially replaced Passover with Easter, saying in anti-Semitic tirade,
“When the question relative to the sacred festival of Easter arose, it was thought particularly unworthy to follow the customs of the Jews who had soiled their hands with the most fearful of crimes, and whose minds were blinded. In rejecting their custom we may transmit to our descendants the legitimate mode of celebrating Easter.
We ought not therefore to have anything in common with the Jew. And consequently in unanimously adopting this mode, we desire, dearest brethren, to separate ourselves from the detestable company of the Jew. For it is truly shameful for us to hear them boast that without their direction we could not keep this feast. How can they be in the right, they who, after the death of the Saviour, have no longer been led by reason but by wild violence, as their delusion may urge them They do not possess the truth in this Easter question, for in their blindness and repugnance to all improvements they frequently celebrate two Passovers in the same year.
But even if this were not so it would still be your duty not to tarnish your soul by communication with such wicked people, the Jews. You should consider not only that the number of churches in these provinces make a majority, but also that it is right to demand what our reason approves, and that we should have nothing in common with the Jew.”
With this ruling, it was no difficult matter to cause the existing pagan peoples in the Roman Empire adopt Catholic (universal) Christianity, using existing festivals and repainting them with Christian elements. Thus, Easter found its way into Christianity, with the Roman Catholic Church officially instituting it, and then later being passed down to the Church's Protestant offspring.
This Easter/Tammuz religion is mentioned in Scripture, in the book of Ezekiel:
Ezekiel 8:
1 And it came to pass in the sixth year, in the sixth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I sat in mine house, and the elders of Judah sat before me, that the hand of the Lord GOD fell there upon me.
2 Then I beheld, I saw a likeness as the appearance of fire: from the appearance of his loins even downward, fire; and from his loins even upward, as the appearance of brightness, as the color of amber.
3 And he put forth the form of an hand, and took me by a lock of mine head; and the spirit lifted me up between the earth and the heaven, and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the inner gate that looks toward the north; where was the seat of the image of jealousy, which provokes to jealousy.
4 And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, according to the vision that I saw in the plain. [Bible scholars suggest that this is the statue of Ishtar being referred to here.]
5 Then said he unto me, Son of man, lift up your eyes now the way toward the north. So I lifted up my eyes the way toward the north, and behold northward at the gate of the altar this image of jealousy in the entry.
6 And he said to me, "Son of man, do you see what they are doing--the utterly detestable things the house of Israel is doing here, things that will drive me far from my sanctuary? But you will see things that are even more detestable." [This is what Israel is practicing; they later are sent into exile because of their love of sin & paganism.]
7 And he brought me to the door of the court; and when I looked, I saw a hole in the wall.
8 Then said he unto me, Son of man, dig now in the wall: and when I had dug in the wall, behold a door.
9And he said unto me, Go in, and behold the wicked abominations that they do here.
10 So I went in and saw; and behold every form of creeping things, and abominable beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel, portrayed upon the wall round about.
11 And there stood before them seventy men of the ancients of the house of Israel, and in the midst of them stood Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan, with every man his censer in his hand; and a thick cloud of incense went up.
12 Then said he unto me, Son of man, have you seen what the ancients of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the chambers of his imagery? They say, the LORD does not see us; the LORD has forsaken the earth.
[They are weeping for Tammuz before Easter.]
13 He said also to me, Turn again, and you shall see greater abominations yet.
14 Then he brought me to the door of the gate of the LORD's house which was toward the north; and, behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz.
15 Then said he unto me, have you seen this, O son of man? Turn again, and you shall see greater abominations than these.
16 And he brought me into the inner court of the LORD's house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the LORD, and their faces toward the east; and they worshiped the sun toward the east.
[They were waiting for the resurrection of Tammuz, the sunrise on Sunday.]
17 Then he said unto me, have you seen this, O son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they commit the abominations here? They have filled the land with violence, and have returned to provoke me to anger: they put the branch to their nose.
[Tammuz is considered a branch in that religion, the false branch, anti-messiah. We know Yeshua the Messiah is the true branch.]
Wow! heavy stuff, Paul talks about how we no longer wrestle in the flesh but in the spirit in Romans 8. We see the mark YHVH puts on our heads by keeping the feast's (Passover in particular) Exodus 13:9 " It will serve you as a sign on your hand and as a reminder between your eyes (forehead), so that YHVH's Torah may be on your lips; because with a strong hand YHVH brought you out of Egypt."
Now let's look at what YHVH shows Ezekiel about the punishment of worshiping Easter.......
Ezekiel 9:4 YHVH said to him, "Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it."
[We, those disgusted by Easter are marked.]
5 As I listened, he said to the others, "Follow him through the city and kill, without showing pity or compassion. Slaughter old men, young men and maidens, women and children, but do not touch anyone who has the mark. Begin at my sanctuary." So they began with the elders who were in front of the temple.
[We see that even children aren't spared in the punishment. Good reason not to partake in Easter at the sake of "children feeling left out of our culture".]
7 Then he said to them, "Defile the temple and fill the courts with the slain. Go!" So they went out and began killing throughout the city. 8 While they were killing and I was left alone, I fell face down, crying out, "Ah, Sovereign LORD! Are you going to destroy the entire remnant of Israel in this outpouring of your wrath on Jerusalem?"
9 He answered me, "The sin of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great; the land is full of bloodshed and the city is full of injustice. They say, 'The LORD has forsaken the land; the LORD does not see.' 10 So I will not look on them with pity or spare them, but I will bring down on their own heads what they have done."
11 Then the man in linen with the writing kit at his side brought back word, saying, "I have done as you commanded."
18 Therefore will I also deal in fury: mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: and though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them.
So a quick recap, Passover = mark on forehead / weeping for Tammuz (Easter sunrise) = YHVH's judgment / Disgusted at people weeping for Tammuz = mark on forehead!
Why is this so important? Let's see what John says........ Revelations 7:1-8
1 After this I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth to prevent any wind from blowing on the land or on the sea or on any tree.
2 Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea:
3 "Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the FOREHEADS of the servants of our God."
4Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.
5 From the tribe of Judah 12,000 were sealed,
from the tribe of Reuben 12,000,
from the tribe of Gad 12,000,
6 from the tribe of Asher 12,000,
from the tribe of Naphtali 12,000,
from the tribe of Manasseh 12,000,
7 from the tribe of Simeon 12,000,
from the tribe of Levi 12,000,
from the tribe of Issachar 12,000,
8 from the tribe of Zebulun 12,000,
from the tribe of Joseph 12,000,
from the tribe of Benjamin 12,000.
[In Hebrew, 12 is a perfect number. 144,000 thousands is perfect times perfect; there will be more than a literal 144,000 thousand in Heaven.]
Also, in Revelations 9:4-6, we read:
4 They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their FOREHEADS.
5 They were not given power to kill them, but only to torture them for five months. And the agony they suffered was like that of the sting of a scorpion when it strikes a man.
6 During those days men will seek death, but will not find it; they will long to die, but death will elude them.
And again in Revelations 14:1-12:
1 Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father's name written on their FOREHEADS.
2 And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps.
3 And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth.
4 These are those who did not defile themselves with women, for they kept themselves pure. They follow the Lamb wherever he goes. They were purchased from among men and offered as first fruits to God and the Lamb.
5 No lie was found in their mouths; they are blameless.
This is the final fulfillment of Passover! The woman in verse 4 is the whore of Babylon, Ishtar. Continuing into verse 6:
6 Then I saw another angel flying in midair, and he had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth--to every nation, tribe, language and people.
7 He said in a loud voice, "Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come. Worship him who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water."
8 A second angel followed and said, "Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great, which made all the nations drink the maddening wine of her adulteries."
9 A third angel followed them and said in a loud voice: "If anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on the FOREHEAD or on the hand,
Notice that this is the exact opposite of Exodus 13:9-10!
10 he, too, will drink of the wine of God's fury, which has been poured full strength into the cup of his wrath. He will be tormented with burning sulfur in the presence of the holy angels and of the Lamb.
11And the smoke of their torment rises forever and ever. There is no rest day or night for those who worship the beast and his image, or for anyone who receives the mark of his name."
12 This calls for patient endurance on the part of the saints who obey God's commandments and remain faithful to Yeshua.
The only ones persecuted are those who follow TORAH and remain faithful to YESHUA!
I hope this helps you understand what the mark of the Firstborn/Forehead is.
Paul says, "Therefore YHVH says go out from their midst; separate yourselves; don't even touch what is unclean. Then I myself will receive you. In fact, I will be your Father, and you will be my sons and daughters." 2 Corinthians 6:17-18
May those who have eyes to see, SEE! And ears to hear, HEAR! The one who is testifying to these things says, "Yes, I am coming soon!" Amen! Come, Master Yeshua! May the grace of the Master Yeshua be with you all!
