WHY WAIT?

The disciples/talmidim were instructed to

tarry/wait

in the city of Jerusalem/Yerushalayim.

Luke 24 :49.

qavah is Hebrew for wait

לַחֲכוֹת

Tarry/wait/qavah in the city.

 More Hebrew words for wait 

verb לַחֲכוֹת await, hang on

verb לְהַמתִין await, hold on

verb לְיַחֵל hope, expect, look forward to

verb לְמַתֵן wait, moderate, slow down, temper, tone down

לחכות wait

 להמתין wait

 please wait a moment – בבקשה חכה רגע

Strong’s Hebrew: 6960. קָוָה (qavah) — wait

qavah: wait

Original Word: קָוָה
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: qavah
Phonetic Spelling: kaw-vaw’
Definition: to wait for

KJV: Yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed:

INT: Indeed who wait not will be ashamed. Psalm 25:5

HEB: יִשְׁעִ֑י אוֹתְךָ֥ קִ֝וִּ֗יתִי כָּל־ הַיּֽוֹם׃

NAS: of my salvation; For You I wait all the day.

KJV: of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.

INT: of my salvation for wait all the day. Psalm 25:21

There are a few words in Hebrew for wait. 

In Isaiah 40:31 we learn that those who 

wait upon the Lord will renew their strength.

This wait is qavah

which is a twisting or binding.

It is the word used for making rope and the ancient method of making rope is still used today.

Hundreds of thin strands of fabric, each one alone could easily be broken, but when tightly bound together they form a rope that cannot be broken.

We may here recall the scripture:

A cord of three strands is not quickly torn apart.

Ecclesiastes 4:12.

In some weddings, a three-cord braid is included as part of the ceremony, here the three cords that are not easily broken represent Our Heavenly Father, the bride and the groom.

So in Isaiah 40:31 this waiting is just not sitting back, doing nothing, it is a process of binding/blending/melding/merging ourselves with the Father and the more we bind ourselves to Him, the stronger we become.

In Isaiah 30:18, however, he uses a different word for wait.

which is the word chakah this is a:

patiently waiting,

like someone waiting for a train.  

However, this word is in a Piel or imperfect form,

so it has the meaning of:

a continuing process, it is patiently waiting.

יָחַל verb Niph`al – wait;
Pi`el – await (compare Late Hebrew יִחוּל expectation);
to Niph`al – Perfect feminine singular – נחֲלָה in Ezekiel 19:5
also
Imperfect: וַיִּיָּ֫חֶל in Genesis 8:12 + 1 Samuel 13:18 וַיּחֶל;

and 
wait: Genesis 8:12 and he waited yet seven days.

WAITING – CHAKAH – the Hebrew letters: 
 חכה – Cheth Kap Hei.

The word chakah is spelled:

Chet, Kap/Kaph, Hei/Hey.  

The Chet indicates:

moving to a higher level,

something like:

waiting in line and then moving forward.  

Our Father is patiently allowing us to go through our human/carnal ways, trying to satisfy all our needs by ourselves; then all of a sudden He appears next in line.  

Here we find the next letter in the word for

waiting – chakah 

which is the letter Kap/kaf

this has the picture word for: 

the palm of the hand.  

This shows us that all this time our Father has been holding out His hands in order to receive us; and finally after years of searching for answers, we ask Him to come into our lives.

The 3rd Hebrew letter in the word

to wait, chakah, is Hei

and is akin to:

the conclusion of His waiting, entering His presence which is filled with all of His graciousness and mercy.

Isaiah 30:18 tell us about it:

 blessed are those who chakah (wait) for Him.   

Our chakah is not in the sentence construction/parts of speech as a Hebrew Piel or imperfect form, it is a Hebrew Qal participle (a word formed from a verb (e.g., going, gone, being, been) and used as an adjective or noun.

This means in others words: 

blessed are those who

have been waiting for God. 

Without realizing it we have been waiting for Him all the time; we just did not know or understand it.   At least our Father’s waiting has been in the Hebrew (Piel Imperfect sentence construction) as in: He is waiting

rather than a (Piel Perfect) form which would say

He has waited.

Why is this important?

Because for us this means,

He hasn’t given up, He is still waiting. 

If that were in the form of

He has waited,

then, He would have given up a long time ago

and we would be without hope.

Another Hebrew word is

Strong’s Hebrew: 3176. יָחַל (yachal) — to wait, await

yachal: to wait, await

Original Word: יָחַל
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: yachal
Phonetic Spelling: yaw-chal’

In the following versions of Luke 24:49

English words used are:

remain and tarry

Berean Literal Bible
And behold, I am sending the promise of My Father upon you. But you, remain in the city until that you should be clothed with power from on high.”

King James Bible
And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.

Amplified Bible
Listen carefully: I am sending the Promise of My Father [the Holy Spirit] upon you; but you are to remain in the city [of Jerusalem] until you are clothed (fully equipped) with power from on high.”

מט .הִּנֵהָאֹנכִיׁשֵֹלַחֵאתֲאׁשֶרִהְבטִיַחלָכֶםָאִב יוְַאּתֶםהֹוחִילּוּבָעִירְירּוׁשָלִַיםעַדִּכי

-ִתלְּבְׁשּועֹזמִָּמרֹום:

  1. Hee•ne ano•chi sho•le•ach et asher hiv•ti•ach la•chem Avi ve•a•tem ho•chi•loo ba•eer Ye•roo•sha•la•yim ad ki-til•be•shoo oz mi•ma•rom.

This must have been an extremely stressful time immediately following the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus/Yeshua. There was much unrest in the city which was filled with 1000’s of people who had travelled there for the Spring Meodim/Appointed Times of Passover/Pesach; which was one of the 3 annual Shalosh Regalim. Passover/Pesach/הַפֶּסַח, Pentecost/Shavuot/שבועות & Tabernacles/Sukkot/סוכות.

Though they are called Feasts by many, the correct Hebrew translation is Rehearsal Pattern because it is a rehearsal. It was/is a practice for the real thing to come, similar to rehearsals prior to a wedding ceremony; and why they were required to be in Jerusalem precisely at those times. We looked at this in previous posts.

This had been a momentous time; unlike any other previous year and the turmoil following those events had made the talmidim/disciples and followers of Messiah further targets for those who had plotted to kill Him.

On the road to Emmaus, one of them, named Cleopas, asked Him, “Are You the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in recent days?”

verse 18.

Luke 24:13-24

In verse 25: Then Jesus said to them, “O foolish ones, how slow are your hearts to believe all that the prophets have spoken!…

This was confirming that HE WAS the fulfillment of Gods’ prophetic plan of redemption.

Luke 3:16
John answered all of them: “I baptize you with water, but One more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

John 1:26
“I baptize with water,” John replied, “but among you stands One you do not know.

John 1:33
I myself did not know Him, but the One who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit descend and rest is He who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’

And while they were gathered together, He commanded them: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift the Father promised, which you have heard Me discuss. Acts 1: 5For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” 6

5For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” 6So when they came together, they asked Him, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7Jesus replied, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by His own authority.… But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”…

Strong’s Greek: 4037. περιμένω (perimenó) 1 Occurrence

Acts 1:4 V-PNA
GRK: χωρίζεσθαι ἀλλὰ περιμένειν τὴν ἐπαγγελίαν
NAS: Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father
KJV: but wait for the promise
INT: to depart but to await the promise

לחכות ל wait for

לחכות wait

The length of time they were told to wait was not just for a couple of days, it was for the next 49 days until Pentecost/Shavuot.

Yeshua/Jesus had said He had come to fulfill the Torah which has the Moedim/Appointed Times of the Lord as pivotal to the annual cycle of Israeli life.

We miss the full revelation of what Messiah accomplished as we in our western christianity and calendar festivals, jump from Passover/Resurrection Sunday (which we have called easter), to Christmas. There is a very precise sequence of Appointed Times/Moedim, whose meanings were prophetic in nature in their annual rehearsal for fulfillment in Messiahs’ life.

What was the purpose of this waiting?

He told them they would be

endued with power from on high

but why did they have to wait so long?

What does it mean for us?

The purpose of waiting is part of our training as talmidim/disciples.

It is for us to get into the right relationship to meet the requirements of our Heavenly Father and His Will not ours. Once those needs /requirements for being His child /disciple are met then He will open the doors and make the WAY clear for us to GO and DO and fulfill His will, plan and purposes.

One thing we should have learned during our 49 day walk/halak, it is this; we cannot artificially accelerate the growth of our crops and we cannot force them to produce out of season!

We need to see that we are not in control and being impatient will only cause frustration.

It will also choke the seeds and prevent them from bringing forth the harvest; which will result in us being impatient farmers with only barren and unfruitful fields. We must bear the fruit of patience if we are to grow in Messiah, without it we become impatient, impetuous, unsatisfied and are always looking for a future we cannot change. This is sad because it means we are ignoring what we have been blessed with today in the here and now.

Our training is accomplished by the power of His Spirit/Ruach within us, as we are also

endued with power from on high!

and for what?

To be witnesses to Him.

We must allow our lives to be slowly and continually transformed by the indwelling life of His Son; which is the ultimate purpose and goal ..that Jesus/Yeshua be exhibited in us.

This Shavuot/Pentecost, let’s be in an attitude of waiting after our days of preparation, and allow Him to do the necessary work in us and then He can fill us again. Just as we recharge batteries and continually refill our cars’ tanks with fuel, we need to be-being filled with His Spirit – continuously.. to go on being filled not just one time. Meaning to completely surrender our life and give Him full control. Ephesians 5:18 commands that we be filled with the Spirit. 1 Thessalonians 5:19 the command is given, “Do not put out the Spirit’s fire.” Paul gives the simple principle when he says, “Live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature” Gal. 5:16. The important experience of becoming a Spirit-filled disciple results in the progressive sanctification of a believer in Messiah. The result will be that the individual will manifest the fruit of the Spirit as stated in Galatians 5:22-23,

The 49 days leading up to Pentecost/Shavuot is a time of looking at our own lives and allowing God to do His work in us so He can work through us.

Hebrews 10:9 Behold I have come to do your will O God.

Jesus/Yeshuas life was one of obedience to His Father and He said Follow Me; so we are to be obedient to His/our Fathers will also.

We must take the time to be continually filled up or we will have nothing to pour out. If all we are doing is seeking to be blessed personally, we are missing the point of servanthood. We are blessed to be a blessing – freely we have received, freely we give. If we are always taking in/receiving, and not giving out, we will stagnate like the waters of a pool with no outflow; then we will become like the Dead sea and not a sea of Galilee. Living waters flow continually, that is what flowed through Messiah and what we are to release to others. Let Him pour into us so we can pour out.

For Them…?

The time of waiting was not a new thing for the disciples as every year the counting of 7 weeks or 49 days from the Omer following Peasch/Passover to Shavuot/Pentecost/Weeks was part of the Spring Feasts/Moedim/Appointed Times of the Lord which they followed every year.

Leviticus 23:1-2 God introduces His Moedim/Appointed Times when He begins by declaring to Moses

My appointed times are these….

This statement makes clear that these Moedim/Appointed Times, originate with our Heavenly Father, they cannot be claimed to have been appointed by any nation, including Israel. While they were initially given to the children of Israel for them to observe as their calendar/way of life, they are just as applicable to the followers of Messiah today.

  Many have grown up believing that the Jewish Feasts have nothing to do with the New Testament body of Messiah – the ecclesia, the called apart ones.  A few have grown up trying to take back the feasts and celebrate them, while rediscovering Christianity’s Hebrew Heritage. Some have never heard of the Feasts at all, however there are a growing number who are interested in what the Moedim/Appointed Times/Feasts of the Lord, have to impart to us prophetically.

Questions for us are: why are we ignoring what the Father has instructed us to do and why are we only understanding and remembering 2 of the 7?

We have the benefit of the completed Word of God so we can study His plan of redemption; and one of the ways in which He prophetically revealed His big picture plan, is through the Appointed Times/Moedim/Feasts of the Lord.  Approximately 4000 years ago, God commanded His people to gather in sacred assembly for very specific celebrations – His Feasts.

The Lord spoke to Moses, saying,  “Speak to the people of Israel and say to them, These are the appointed feasts of the Lord that you shall proclaim as holy convocationsthey are my appointed feasts.  (Leviticus 23:1-2)

If we are not aware of the Moedim/Appointed Times when we read that verse, we do not understand the whole picture.

God commanded a yearly remembrance of each of His Holy convocations. The Hebrew word for sacred assembly or holy convocation is miqra, which carries the meaning of a dress rehearsal.  Every time these festivals are celebrated, it is a visual and spiritual aid to remind humanity of the prophetic plan of God.

Prior to each feast’s fulfillment, it points forwards to Messiah. 

During each feast’s fulfillment, it points directly at Messiah. 

Subsequent to each feast’s fulfillment, it points backwards to Messiah.

These seven appointed times are collectively called the mo’edim and are detailed in Exodus 12-13, Leviticus 23, Numbers 28-29 and Deuteronomy 16.  Together, they represent the Fathers’ entire redemptive plan from Messiah’s death through His millennial rule.

This is what Yeshua/Jesus was referring to in Matthew 5:17-18 when He said, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets.  I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.  For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law/teaching till all is fulfilled.” 

Because the common western understanding of fulfill

means done away with,

Christians have believed that Yeshua/Jesus meant the prophetic pictures pointing to Him are now no longer needed. This is not what He meant, because to Jewish rabbis at that time, the word that is translated into English as

fulfilled was understood to mean: 

the true or correct interpretation of Scripture,

while the word destroy meant: to give a false or incorrect interpretation. 

Yeshua/Jesus was telling them that:

He did not come to do away with the Hebrew Scriptures/or destroy i.e. lead them astray by false teachings 

Rather, He was:

the human embodiment of their true meaning and spiritual reality.

Again we can see other reasons for the WAITING…

First it was for their own preparation and

second because Messiah was not yet glorified.

As soon as He was glorified Acts 2:33 tells us:

therefore being exalted to the right hand of God and having received from the father the promise of the Holy Spirit/His Spirit of Holiness He poured out this which you now see and hear.

The second reason is in the statement in John where he clearly tells us in 7:39..

for the Holy Spirit was not yet given because Jesus was not yet glorified.

This is not the case for us today because His Spirit of Holiness/Ruach haKodesh, has been given and Messiah is glorified; our waiting is not dependent on the promised future outpouring; but rather on our own spiritual condition/preparation, to receive what is readily available.

We know from scripture that the influence and power of His Spirit were at work before Shavout/Pentecost because He was upon individuals, prophets, priests and kings of the Old Testament; and in some instances, He filled them with His Spirit: e.g. both John the Baptists parents. Luke 1:41

However, once Messiah was glorified in His ascension, His Spirit of Holiness/RuachHaKodesh, came into the world in an unrestricted way and has been here for the last 2000+ years. It is critical that we believe and receive this revealed truth that He is indeed here in our midst; and within each believer who welcomes His presence, influence and power. He will not force His presence upon us but patiently waits for us to invite Him in as we yield to His offer.

The attitude of receiving and welcoming His Spirit into our lives is to be the continual attitude of a believer. When we receive His Spirit we receive His life/chaim which revives us, imparting the same resurrection life that raised Him from the dead, which will quicken us and make us alive in Him.   Romans 8:11

As our ascended Messiah He is able to give New Life.

It’s not the so termed, baptism of His Holy Spirit, that changes people, but it is the power of the risen Messiah coming in to dwell in our lives that changes us through His Holy Spirit working from the inside out. We sometimes have a tendency to separate things that the New Testament/Brit Chadashah does not separate. The termed, baptism of His spirit of Holiness, is not an experience apart from Jesus/Yeshua – it is the real and living evidence of the risen Messiah.  He has given us chaim/life everlasting and full of glory.

John 17:3 This is eternal life that they may KNOW You  

it’s something that begins at new birth and never ends….

We often speak of types and shadows in the scriptures…

The giving of the Torah (teaching/law) at Sinai was the type/shadow

that was fulfilled at Shavuot/Pentecost.

Sinai marked the birth date of the dispensation of Torah/Teaching/Law, and involved great displays of God’s power through thunderings, lightning, fire and the sound of His reverberating voice.

The fulfillment at Shavuot/Pentecost was the giving of the Spirit of the Law to the followers of the Mashiach/Messiah. 

Shavuot/Pentecost, marks the birth date of the ecclesia/church/called apart ones, and what some term as the dispensation of Grace.

This occasion was also accompanied with great displays of God’s power through fire and a sound like a mighty rushing wind.  According to Ephesians 4:30, from this point onward, His Ruach HaKodesh/Spirit of Holiness dwells within each follower and seals the Body of Messiah for the day of redemption.

When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place.  And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting.  And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them.  And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. (Acts 2:1-4)

The gift of tongues is simply the Holy Spirit giving us the supernatural ability to speak in a foreign tongue/language that we have no knowledge or ability to speak out on our own.

There are two types of tongues He can give us. One is a tongue of this earth; e.g., if our native language is English, then He can give us the ability to speak in Chinese, Japanese, or Spanish, etc. For the simple reason we may be in that country or with people who speak that language and will understand it.

The other type of tongue that He can give us is a tongue direct from heaven, a heavenly language that is not of this earth. The Bible tells us in 1 Corinthians 13 that there are tongues of angels.

Whichever it is, it will be a foreign language that we will not be able to speak out on our own, and only His Holy Spirit’s supernatural transmission of this language out of our spirits will give us the ability to be able to speak it using our voice.

Whatever tongue Holy Spirit gives us, we will be able to use it all the time, whenever we want. It will be our own personal, private, prayer language between us and the Lord.

One thing to remember with this gift is that for the most part, we may never know or understand what we are praying about when we operate in this gift, however we can pray to interpret what the Lord has spoken through us.

The Bible tells us that we will be speaking out “mysteries,” and only the Father and His Holy Spirit will know exactly what the prayer is about on any given occasion.“Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” (Romans 8:26)

Here we are told clearly that they were ALL filled and spoke in other tongues… which was the physical evidence of His Spirit in them, there were no exceptions and so we can expect the same today, and includes all the other gifts of His Spirit as in 

The Word of Knowledge
The Word of Wisdom
The Gift of Prophecy
The Gift of Faith
The Gifts of Healings
The Working of Miracles
The Discerning of Spirits
Different Kinds of Tongues
The Interpretation of Tongues

our Father has not changed..

He is the same yesterday today and forever. Heb.13:8

In Him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of his glory.  (Ephesians 1:13-14) Here we see the sealing by His Spirit to enable us to continue our walk. 

It is interesting that the Father waited 50 days after Messiahs’ resurrection, (10 days after His Ascension) before He sent His Holy Spirit.  As our Father is precise in all His details it is without doubt because He was waiting for the Appointed Time/Shavuot/Pentecost.  He is never early and He is never late in fulfilling His promises.

The other symbol of His Spirit and presence is FIRE.

From the Ex.3:2 burning bush, to the pillar in the wilderness, to the outpouring in Jerusalem

our God is a consuming FIRE Heb.12:29

and as Malachi states like a refiners fire.

In Malachi 3:1-4, the prophet declares the

imminent return of the Lord

and with it,

His holy judgment of refining fire.

 We are all too well aware that being a follower of Messiah does not spare us from experiencing testings, trials, conflict and trouble; and the process of refinement is one that He continually applies to our lives.

This fire is Holy Fire – Esh Kadosh/qadosh. אש קדושה

The Fire that cleanses, refines and purifies; it burns up all that is not acceptable to the Father and also speaks of His power so that like Jesus/Yeshua, we may work the works of Him who sends us. John 9:4, for greater works than these will you do. John 14:12.

BUT as always, there is a condition, an IF

We have to be willing..

we have to lay down our lives, our plans and allow Him to be sovereign in our lives.

The choice is ours…His offer is there for whosoever will… The events of Acts 2 includes the

empowering

of His spirit

and the imparting of His boldness to proclaim the good news of Messiah’s Kingdom. The boldness of the fire like Jeremiah* had.

Are we truly on fire for God? .. or

are we just barely glowing embers, dying without the breath of His Spirit … we need the mighty rushing wind of Shavuot to blow on and re-ignite the fire.

More on Bones of fire link below..*

https://www.minimannamoments.com/bones-of-fire-and-graffiti/

Holy Spirit of Truth is certainly God, however, He is not the Person of Yeshua/HaMashiach/Jesus Christ.  The scriptures seem to indicate that it was the Father who sent the Holy Spirit – “And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.”  (John 14:16-17 And then Messiah says – “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.”  (John 14:18)

The early spring Appointed Times/Moedim: (Pesach/Passover, Chag haMatzot /Unleavened Bread, Bikkurim/Firstfruits); were fulfilled in order, all in the same year, through the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ/Yeshua HaMashiach.  When we look at the harvest times, Yeshua/Jesus and the many saints that were resurrected with Him, were the barley harvest.  Notably, the ripeness of the barley is what decides if a new year can begin, or if a leap month, called Adar2, needs to be added to the calendar.  This is always taken into account when the date of the late spring feast – Pentecost/Shavuot is calculated.

Pentecost/Shavuot experienced at least a partial fulfillment in the same year the three spring feasts were fulfilled.  As we already noted, 50 days after Firstfruits/Bikkurim, or 10 days after Yeshua/Jesus’ ascension, His Holy Spirit/Ruach HaKodesh, descended upon the Jewish believers waiting in Jerusalem. Partial fulfillment in that He has been indwelling and sealing believers ever since, until the day of their redemption –

as He said, we are to

look up for your redemption draweth nigh,

so it is not yet completed!

And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. Luke 21:28

Since Holy Spirit is God, He is omnipresent, everywhere at the same time. 

Pentecost/Shavuot marks the time of the wheat harvest in Israel.

As we have walked through the spring Appointed Times/Moedim, we can see a picture of our own walk with Messiah.

At Pesach/Pasover we are reminded of being set free from the bondage of sin and death, then during the Feast of Unleavened Bread/Matzah week, we have the opportunity to practice our unleavenedness; and rejoice in our saviors Resurrection as Firstfruits from the dead. Then as we count from the Omer we are like the wheat crops growing towards maturity, ultimately designed to become an abundant harvest for Him.

During this season of counting we can focus on certain spiritual themes such as: sowing, growing, increase, being fed and nourished by the Father and being mindful of how we are growing toward maturity in Messiah. By examining our ways we discover if they are truly aligned, submitted and conformed to His.

This is why we are to WAIT on the Lord, for His power to fill us and enable us to be witnesses unto Him; this is how He goes with us, and will always be with us, and will never leave us nor forsake us.

Isaiah 30:18: “And therefore will the Lord wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted that he might be merciful upon you: for the Lord is a God of judgment, blessed are all that WAIT for him.”

Like the farmer who waits for the precious fruit of the earth, we too have to wait for God to mature us and grow us. Part of our being mature in Messiah, is knowing when to put our hand to the plough and work hard but also knowing that when we have done all we can do then it is time to WAIT/CHAKAH. We must ask ourselves if we have been listening/hearing to His call and responding by doing that which He has required of us?..We must walk and work in maturity and continue to be patient, stabilize our hearts because the coming of the Master draws near. James 5:7-8

Let’s be mindful of the season we are in…..

on each of us..

For those new to the site previous posts linked below cover more detail on Shavuot/Pentecost..

https://www.minimannamoments.com/2-x-3000-a-marriage-made-in-heaven/ 

https://www.minimannamoments.com/shavuot-2-x-3000-a-marriage-made-in-heaven-conclusion/

https://www.minimannamoments.com/the-look-of-shavuot/

Shavuot 2022 begins Saturday, June 4 at sunset and ends Monday, June 6 at nightfall.

Shalom aleikhem

chaverim/friends and mishpachah/family!

Shavua Tov, Have a blessed week,

you are greatly loved and prayed for daily.

REMEMBER..

Please don’t leave here without assurance of your salvation

Not sure ..you can be…

Make certain Messiah Jesus/Yeshua is your Redeemer,

Savior, Lord, and soon returning King

and that you have a personal relationship with Him.

It’s all about Life and Relationship, NOT Religion.

You are very precious in His sight.

SIMPLY SAY THE FOLLOWING MEANING IT FROM YOUR HEART..don’t delay one more minute, SAY IT RIGHT NOW…

Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.

I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name.

Was Messiah A Son Of The Commandments?

We may be more familiar with the term for a ceremony in Israel

called in Hebrew

Bar/Bat Mitzvah.

It is one of the best known Jewish customs,

bar mitzvah for a boy

and

bat mitzvah for a girl.

Bar בַּר ‎

is a Jewish Babylonian Aramaic word meaning:

son  בֵּן ‎,

ben in Hebrew,

while bat בַּת means:

daughter in Hebrew, and

mitzvah מִצְוָה ‎

means: commandment or law.

When a Jewish boy turns 13, he has all the rights and obligations of a Jewish adult, including the commandments of the Torah.

It is a time when the child assumes responsibility for his or her own life and faith in God at what is considered the Biblical age of responsibility/ accountability. – twelve for a girl and thirteen for a boy. The child crosses over from being a child into an adolescent generally girls mature earlier than boys.

This is possibly where our relatively recent western term of becoming a teenager has its roots. The word teenager was seldom used until 1939 when it was mentioned in a headline in the Journal of Education for a review on a book study entitled Adolescence: A Study in the Teen Age, albeit it was hyphenated as Teen-Agers. Even though a lot of publications of the 1950s sought to explain this adolescence change, it wasn’t until the 20th century that historians began to analyze this phenomenon.

The roots of the 

bar mitzvah, 

which literally means

son of the commandments,

are obscure.

The actual term never once appears in the Hebrew Bible. 

Because there is no specific Scriptural reference to a

Bar/Bat Mitzvah,

its historical background is more difficult to determine as there are no specific references to the ceremony in the Hebrew scriptures. However there are many statements supporting the idea that there is an age of accountability in following Gods way; and from the ancient writings of the Rabbis, we learn that they considered the age of 12 or 13 to be the age of accountability and physical maturity.

The child is now expected to assume more duties and responsibilities of religious life such as:

celebrating the feasts of the Lord,

fasting on fast days, and

wearing a prayer shawl in the synagogue.

Before this time, the parents would generally assume all responsibility for the child’s actions, vows, discipline and religious training. However, this begins to transition to the child at this time, which is marked by this special ceremony; which did not become commonplace until the Middle Ages, as an official initiation for boys into adolescence and Jewish religious duties.

By the age of 13, a Jewish boy would usually have completed his early Hebrew and religious studies.

A similar ceremony for girls at the age of 12 (based on the assumption that girls mature slightly sooner than boys), the Bat Mitzvah, is a modern adaptation to give girls a similar honor and blessing as their male counterparts.

While the beginnings of the modern bar mitzvah ceremony appeared as early as the sixth century C.E., it was not until the Middle Ages that a fully developed ritual emerged. By the 13th or 14th century, the custom of calling a boy up to the Torah was established as the way of recognizing entry into manhood.

The first use of bar mitzvah for the Jewish coming-of-age ritual seems to date to a 15th-century rabbi named Menahem Ziyyoni

The bar mitzvah ceremony at that time was a modest affair with two or three major components.

First, was an aliyah.

Aliyah 

עלייה

means ascent, 

referring both to the physical ascent

onto the platform where the Torah is read

and

to the spiritual elevation experienced at that time.

The Hebrew word

aliyah

translates as

elevation or going up.

It is used both for being

called up to the Torah reading

and for

moving to the Land of Israel.

The root of this word is עלה

(Ah-L-H, Strong’s #5927), which means to go up.

Traditionally, a boy is honored with an 

aliyah 

on the first

Torah-reading-day

that follows his thirteenth birthday.

Some wait for the first Shabbat that follows the

bar mitzvah.

In order to receive an

aliyah,

one must be familiar with the procedure of being called up to the Torah and know the blessings recited before and after the reading.

This meant that the

bar mitzvah boy was,

for the very first time in his life,

called up to make a blessing over the public readings from the Torah, the sacred handwritten scroll containing the Five Books of Moses.

In addition, the bar mitzvah boy

often delivered his first public discourse,

teaching the community and

offering thanks to his parents and visiting guests.

So the question asked concerning Messiah.

What do the scriptures tell us?

in Luke 2:41-47, there are scriptures

that may suggest the timing of

His Bar בַּר mitzvah מִצְוָה ‎

Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom. After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers.

  Here we have the only passage recorded concerning any details, from His infancy to the day of His showing to Israel at 29 years old, so it seems it must be of great importance.

Is this when Yeshua/Jesus became

a son of the commandments?

There is no specific reference to bar mitzvah, however His age is clearly noted. The further question of His actual birthday date may have a bearing, or that He was in His 13th year although still 12?

It was the 7 day Feast of the Unleavened Bread and the Festival of Pesach/Passover/First fruits and beginning of Counting from the Omer to Shavuot.

Yeshua/Jesus, His Mother, and His foster-father Joseph made the journey by foot from Nazareth to Yerushalayim/Jerusalem with many other pilgrims. They remained in Jerusalem during the whole week, spending their time in worship and devotion as did the rest of the Jews.

If we were not already aware, now we know that at age 13

Jewish boys become Bar Mitzvah;

they are:

sons of the covenant.

We see in this story that Yeshua/Jesus accompanied His parents to Jerusalem for the Passover/Pesach and that they were part of a company, which was probably made up of extended family and close friends.

Pesach/Passover was one of

three pilgrimage festivals instituted in the Torah called:

שלושה רגלים   Shalosh or Shlosha Regalim:

פֵּסַח Passover/Pesach, (Exodus- physical salvation)

שָׁבוּעוֹת Pentecost/Shavuot/Weeks (Acts – Spiritual salvation)

and סוּכּוֹת Sukkot/Tents, Booths or Tabernacles –

(Joyous thanks for God’s encompassing protection.)

Exodus 23:17, 34:20; Is.1:12

Deut. 16:16;

שָׁל֣וֹשׁ פְּעָמִ֣ים ׀ בַּשָּׁנָ֡ה יֵרָאֶ֨ה כׇל־זְכוּרְךָ֜ אֶת־פְּנֵ֣י ׀ יְהֹוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֗יךָ בַּמָּקוֹם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִבְחָ֔ר בְּחַ֧ג הַמַּצּ֛וֹת וּבְחַ֥ג הַשָּׁבֻע֖וֹת וּבְחַ֣ג הַסֻּכּ֑וֹת וְלֹ֧א יֵרָאֶ֛ה אֶת־פְּנֵ֥י יְהֹוָ֖ה רֵיקָֽם׃

Three times a year—on the Feast of Unleavened Bread, on the Feast of Weeks, and on the Feast of Booths—all your males shall appear before your God יהוה in the place that [God] will choose. They shall not appear before יהוה empty-handed,

The three (foot) pilgrimages,

that required attendance at the Temple in Jerusalem;

all three festivals have both agricultural and national significance.

These festivals are mitzvot (plural of mitzvah – הַמִצווֹת).

Many see mitzvah simply as a command or a good deed, however there is a richer and more complex meaning of mitzvah.

This aspect of mitzvah is as physical actions that reminds us of aspects of our connection to God and of all connections to our Heavenly Father, the festivals of Passover/Pesach and Sukkot/Tents are among the strongest.

The 3rd festival, Shavuot/Weeks/Pentecost, actually celebrates the connection itself.

Shavuot/Pentecost, a week of weeks (49 days) after the Pesach/Passover, was God bonding Himself to the His people.

 His parents went, every year.

This was their faithful custom, their lives being positively encompassed by the law.

Exodus 23:17.

It does not appear that infants/young children were obliged to be present; and yet all the men and older male children are positively ordered to attend the

 Shalosh or Shlosha Regalim

at Yerushalayim/Jerusalem

three times in the year, every year. Exodus 34:23.

However, women were absolved from this requirement. They were not expected to make the trip because of the demands of managing a home and being a mother to the children, who weren’t expected to make pilgrimage either. For the family of Yeshua/Jesus, it was probably that this was the very age at which the male children were obliged to appear before the Lord at the three public festivals – the feast of unleavened bread, of weeks, and of tabernacles.

According to the Jewish writings, it was also the age at which they were obliged to begin to learn a trade. They may have considered it the right time to take Him with them, in order to celebrate that miracle deliverance out of Egypt which God had wrought for His people; the memory of which was carefully to be transmitted to every succeeding generation.

Here it should be noted, we also have Miryam/Mary, and perhaps other women close to her, making the journey to the Holy City.

It is mentioned in commending the obedience of Miryam/Mary and Joseph/Yosef, that they gave diligent observance to outward worship of God. This was not of their own choosing, but by the divine command, that they undertook this annual journey.

The law/Torah, commands the, males “only to, appear before the Lord,” (Exodus 23:17.) This does not entirely exclude females, but spares them by way of kindness; this compassionate consideration, distinguishes the true faith in the one true God from all vain and wicked religion and superstitions.

While she may always have taken her children with her, this time was special because Yeshua/Jesus had reached maturity in the faith, so this story is a glimpse into the quality of Miryam/Mary’s deep and abiding faith.

Passover/Pesach/Unleavened Bread was an eight-day festival,

And when they had fulfilled the days; 8 days in all, 1 the passover, and 7, the days of unleavened bread: 

That year Yeshua/Jesus remained in Yerushalayim/Jerusalem. Joseph and Mary /Yosef and Miriam, didn’t realize this, supposing that He was somewhere in the caravan.

They spent a whole day on the road before they began searching for Him among their relatives and friends. He would have travelled close to them as a ‘child’ as they went up to Yerushalayim/Jerusalem but on the return journey as He was now ‘of age’, they assumed He would have walked back with the men.

When they could not find him they returned to Jerusalem/Yerushalayim.

On the 3rd day they found Him sitting in the temple court among the rabbis not only listening but questioning what they said.

Everyone who heard him was astonished at his insights and his responses.

Yeshua/Jesus tarried behind taking part in the sacred services of the festival, and the conversations held all around the city. 

It appears, they supposed that He had set out with some of His relations, or acquaintances, and was

in the company – Εν τη συνοδια,

a word that properly translated means:

a company of travelers.

As at the three great festivals, not only all the men that were able, but many women likewise, usually attended the celebration at Jerusalem, and for their greater security against the attacks of robbers on the road, they traveled in large groups.

All who came, not only from the same city, but from the same area or district, made one company and they carried basic necessities with them, and tents for their lodging at night. Sometimes in hot weather, they traveled all night and rested in the day. These companies are now call caravans; and in several places they had houses prepared for them to stay in, called caravanseries.

This account of how they traveled gives us an obvious answer to the question often posed:

How could Joseph and Mary make a day’s journey without discovering, before night, that Yeshua/Jesus was not in the company?

In the daytime, it’s not unreasonable to suppose that the travelers would mingle with different parties of their families, friends and acquaintances; however when they were about to encamp in the evening, every one would join their respective families.

Then as it was growing late and Yeshua/Jesus did not appear, His parents first looked for Him where they supposed He would be, among His relations and acquaintances, so, when they didn’t find Him they, anxiously returned to Yerushalayim/Jerusalem to look for Him.

So after three days, they found Him, to their great joy, in one of the chambers of the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, who taught there publicly at certain seasons, and especially in time of the appointed great feasts.  It appears there were no less than three assemblies of the doctors, who had apartments in the temple.

It was customary to propose doubts concerning the meaning of the precepts of the law, and the traditions of the elders, which was generally done by way of questions. If Yeshua/Jesus were, with others, at the feet of these teachers, where learners generally sat, He might be said to be in the midst of them, as they sat on benches placed in a semi-circular form raised above their hearers and disciples.

At age 13 Jewish boys become Bar Mitzvah;

they are

sons of the covenant/commandments.

They learn how to read scripture publicly in the synagogue and to expound on them because, at this age Jewish boys were being prepared for entrance into the adult affairs of the synagogue.

(Luke 2:41-42).

Had Yeshua/Jesus been younger, He might not have been indulged by the elders.

And all that heard him were astonished 

The word εξι σταντο, here rendered were astonished, and εξεπλαγησαν, in the next verse, are much more forcible expressions than the words whereby we translate them.

They indicate, that they were in

astonishment,

and

struck with admiration.

As Messiah Himself told us that, on this occasion, He was employed on His Father’s business; it is probable that, in His answers and objections, He modestly hinted at the errors by which the Jewish teachers had now greatly altered His Fathers’ written law. Remembering that at this time, the schools of learning for the Jews was at its height, and that at the age of 12, Messiah was no doubt superior to the greatest rabbis and Jewish doctors of the Torah/law, there was obvious reason for the admiration mentioned here.

And it came to pass, after 3 days they found Him.

They did not find Him when they first got there, and when they did He was in the Temple, sitting in the middle of the doctors of the law/Torah; as He was listening to them and asking questions. And all of those that heard him were astonished at his understanding and his answers. And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why have you dealt with us like this? behold, your father and I have sought you sorrowing. Luke 2:46-48


Notice His mother says

your father and I referring to Yosef/Joseph,

and He corrects her

And He said unto them, How is it that you were looking for me? Did you not know that I must be about My Fathers’ business?

Luke 2:49 

He didn’t recognize Joseph as His father at this point, saying…

“I must be about my Father’s business.”

These are the first recorded words of Yeshua/Jesus.

They are important, because they express

the purpose of His existence.

That being…

“I must be about my Father’s business.”

Yeshua/Jesus stayed behind in Yerushalayim/Jerusalem, not because He didn’t want to go home, or be in His parents’ company, but because He had business to do there, and was letting His earthly physical parents know that…

He had a Father in heaven, whom He was to be more observant of than them; and respect to His Heavenly Father must not be construed as being disrespectful to them.

The Jewish doctors (of the Torah/law/teaching), say that at twelve years old children must begin to:

fast from time to time,

that they may learn to fast on the day of atonement;

and that at thirteen years old a child

begins to be:

a son of the commandments,

that is:

obliged to perform the duties of an adult, having been from his infancy,

by virtue of his circumcision/brit milah,

a son of the covenant.

It is not stated whether this was the first time that Yeshua/Jesus had gone up to Jerusalem/Yerushalayim to worship at the feast. He had probably done it for some years previously, having spirit and wisdom above His years as the scripture records;

and all should attend on public worship that can hear with understanding, Nehemiah 8:2.

In other words His parents found Him where any good

bar mitzvah boy

would be,  because receiving the blessing of the rabbis was common in ancient tradition. It caught everyones attention that this student was amazing, even the rabbis, with the wisdom of His teaching/drash. Surely this bar mitzvah boy was someone special and as we know only too well,

One who would later proclaim Himself to be the Messiah.

 41 Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the feast of the passover.   42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem after the custom of the feast.   43 And when they had fulfilled the days, as they returned, the child Jesus tarried behind in Jerusalem; and Joseph and his mother knew not of it.   44 But they, supposing him to have been in the company, went a day’s journey; and they sought him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance.   45 And when they found him not, they turned back again to Jerusalem, seeking him.   46 And it came to pass, that after three days they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the doctors, both hearing them, and asking them questions.   47 And all that heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers.   48 And when they saw him, they were amazed: and his mother said unto him, Son, why hast thou thus dealt with us? behold, thy father and I have sought thee sorrowing.   49 And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?   50 And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them.  

51 And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart.   52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.

In the Jewish form of instruction, rabbi/teacher and talmid/student, often took turns at asking and answering questions, many of which were concerned with details of the law/Torah/teaching/instructions. The teachers/rabbis in Yerushalayim/Jerusalem noted that Yeshua/Jesus was different from other talmid/students, both in the questions He asked and in the answers He gave.

His concern was not with trivial details of the traditional teaching, but with a real understanding of the mind and ways of God.

Luke 2:43-47.

He reminded His earthly, physical parent(s) of His very unique relationship with His heavenly Father/Avinu and of the need for Him to know

and

do His Father’s will.

50 And they understood not the saying which he spake unto them.  

At the time they did not fully understand what He meant, but Miryam/Mary kept thinking about it, the scriptures say she pondered all these events in her heart.

Yeshua/Jesus, on His part, knew that He still had to be obedient to His earthly parents…

 51 And he went down with them, and came to Nazareth, and was subject unto them: but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart.   52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.

The conclusion and answer to our question is that…

ANY Jewish young person is automatically a

bar or bat mitzvah

at those ages.

They don’t have to do anything at all

except reach the right age!

What is called a bar mitzvah or bat mitzvah,

is just a public recognition of that success in reaching the right age. So at that point in time give or take a few months, Messiah didn’t get or have a bar mitzvah.

He became one!

because every Jewish boy becomes a

bar mitzvah

automatically at age 13.

He is knowledgeable enough to take part in the public actions of an adult, and that is what the young person typically does: stand up before a congregation and demonstrate minimal mastery of basic adult duties.

But even if they know nothing at all, and do nothing at all, they are still bar or bat mitzvah at (respectively) 13 or 12.

So the answer seems clear that even if the visit to Yerushalayim/Jerusalem at 12, was not the timing of His Bar Mitzvah according to Jewish custom and scripture; whenever Yeshua/Jesus became 13 years + 1 day He was automatically

a son of the commandments!

Shalom aleikhem

chaverim and mishpachah!

Shavua Tov, Have a blessed week,

you are greatly loved and prayed for daily.

Please don’t leave here without assurance of your salvation

Not sure ..you can be…

Make certain Messiah Jesus/Yeshua is your Redeemer,

Savior, Lord, and soon returning King

and that you have a personal relationship with Him.

It’s all about Life and Relationship, NOT Religion.

You are very precious in His sight.

SIMPLY SAY THE FOLLOWING MEANING IT FROM YOUR HEART..don’t delay one more minute, SAY IT RIGHT NOW…

Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.

I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name.

What If Any, Is The Connection Between Adam And Omer?

The Days of Omer

are a time of

reflection and growth

in preparation for

Shavuot.

For those new to

Our Fathers Appointed Times in His Annual Calendar

here is a brief explanation of

what it is

when it is

and

what it is for.

More can be read at:

https://www.minimannamoments.com/counting-our-blessings-with-omer/ 

https://www.minimannamoments.com/daily-devotions-for-the-49-days-of-omer/

Saying the

בְּרָכָה blessing/berakah

for

Counting the Omer (transliteration)

Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech ha’olam, asherkid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu al sfirat ha’omer. 

Hayom yom echad ba’omer.

BA-RUCH A-TAH ADO-NAI E-LO-HE-NU ME-LECH HA-OLAM ASHER KID-E-SHA-NU BE-MITZ-VO-TAV VETZI-VA-NU AL SEFI-RAT HA-OMER.

Blessed are You, Lord our God, King of the Universe, who has sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us concerning the counting of the Omer.

The season of Passover/Pesach

includes the week of Unleavened Bread

and the start of the Counting FROM the Omer

50 days towards Pentecost/Shavuot.

Some scholars say The Omer is counted every evening after nightfall, from the second night of Passover/Pesach, until the night before Shavuot/Pentecost.

There are disputes as to which day is the first day, and this has been going on since before Jesus/Yeshuas’ time; and can be studied further if the reader so desires.

Here is given a basic understanding of

the pattern

a reason to follow the main outlines for personal growth;

and

to remember and realize what Messiah has accomplished for us.

The 2 links given above have more details concerning the Omer.

The Book of Leviticus, ספר ויקרא

Vayik’ra 23:9 – 16

From the day after the Shabbat for 49 days.

In chp. 23 after the 7 day feast of

unleavened bread/Matzah

which western Christianity totally misses…

we come to a moed/appointed time

that does not have a name.

However the scripture says that at this moed or appointed time the children of Israel are commanded, notice it is not a suggestion! They are commanded to bring

an omer to the priests.

 

An omer is simply a sheaf;

specifically a bundle of grain

from the beginning of the first crop or harvest.

Which was most likely barley see Exodus/sh’mot 9:31…

Shemot, Shemoth, or Shemos

שְׁמוֹת ‎  Hebrew for: Names,

Book of Exodus.

…referring to the names of the Israelites who come to Egypt with Jacob.

The priest is then to

wave the omer

before Adonai/Lord God, as a

wave offering,

so that the omer

and the entire harvest will be accepted.

 Note on Leviticus 8:27:

He then put all these on the hands of Aaron and on the hands of his sons and presented them as a wave offering before the LORD.

Moses took the sacred portions of the peace offering along with the breads of the grain offering and placed them into the hands of Aaron and his sons. (See previous post for more detail). As they held the sacred elements, Moses presented them as a grain offering, implying that Moses must have joined hands with the priests in holding these elements. Hand in hand with Moses, still clutching the sacred portions of the sacrifices in their hands, the new priests offered the elements before God in a wave offering.

Facing the Sanctuary/Mishkan where the shekinah presence of the Father rested, they lifted the portions before the Almighty.

Then Moses took the elements back from the new priests and offered them up on the altar.

This has a Messianic implication for believers!

People may often feel unworthy to pray/talk with the Father, and sometimes people find it difficult to lift his or her heart to heaven.

We ask ourselves, how can we even dare to approach the Father when we are bowed down with the shame of sin and guilt?

Lets think on this as we approach our Heavenly Father in worship and in prayer, offering before Him the service of our hearts, the scarred hands of our High Priest/Messiah Jesus/Yeshua join with ours to lift the offering/presentation before the Father.

He lifts our hands together with His

in a wave offering

before the Almighty! Wow!

We are to understand the pattern

that our Heavenly Father set in place by WAY

of His Appointed Times/Feasts/Moedim,

which were given to us as

an annual rehearsal

for the future fulfillment by Messiah.

This was what Yeshua/Jesus completed

He was the

first fruit

the omer of the harvest of souls

presented to His Father

so that the entire harvest

all those who in the then future and still continuing today

would be acceptable to the Father. Wow!

Then from the day of your

bringing in the omer of the wave offering

count 50 days

and you will bring near a new offering to Adonai.

Vayikra 23; 15,16

The Book of Leviticus, ספר ויקרא

‘Va•ik•ra,’ means ‘And [the Lord] called,

Hebrew: ויקרא‎, Wayiqra, 

This was the precursor to

Shavuot/Pentecost

and the outpouring of

His Ruach HaKodesh

upon all flesh

fulfilling Joels prophecy of

the last days/end times/ end of the age.

This Shavuot was preceded by

the day of the wave offering and

49 days were to be counted forward to

bringing the new offering from the wheat harvest.  

shmot 34:2

and on that day 3000 souls were added…  

There is an inference to the time of counting, that the wheat crops are continuing to grow and ripen but will be ready for harvest when the counting is complete!

It also ensures the correct time (agriculturally), for the farmers to harvest the crops.

A further prophetic picture emerges if we recall that Egypt/מצרים (mitsrayim / meets-rah-yeem), is the type of the world system. This was where both the children of Israel/Yisrael, and ourselves have been freed from its’ slavery; and the one who had prepared the way for them to sojourn and be safe during the plagues so long before was Joseph. Joseph, a type of Jesus/Yeshua who had the dream of the 12 sheafs bowing /waving to his sheaf. The 12 tribes did bow down to Joseph, the type of Messiah; and One day every knee shall bow to the One who was the fulfillment of the Omer, the Wave offering before the Lord/Adonai.

Some call this day

Yom haBikurim/bikuriym Day of the First Fruits.

The scripture 23:9 does not mention bikuriym

which is the word often translated as

first fruits

in verse 10 is actually

reshiyt which means beginning

(familiar from bereshiyt/Genesis) .

The day following the first day of

Unleavened Bread

is called

Yom HaBikkurim י ום הביכורים 

the Day of Firstfruits,

or

Reshit Ha’Katzir  ראשית הקציר

the first of the harvest.

Reishit Qatzir ראשׁית קציר

The spring-time feast of Reishit Qatzir

Beginning of the Harvest

Numbers/B’midbar 28:26 clearly says that

Shavuot/Pentecost the moed/appointed time,

occurring 50 days later

is yom habikuriym ..

Shmot 23:16 and vayikra 23:17

also agree that

bikuriym

in this context is associated with

Shavuot/Pentecost.

Walking through the spring feasts moedim /mo’ediym we see a picture of our own walk with Messiah.

At Pesach/Passover, we are reminded of how we are set free from the bondage of sin;

then during the feast of matzah/unleavened bread, we have the chance to practice walking in our unleavened state/without sin.

As we continue towards Shavuot/Pentecost, we can count from the Omer. We are like the crops of wheat growing towards maturity, ultimately to become an abundant harvest for the Lord/Adonai.

Some important themes or subject matter for this season would be: sowing

growing

increase

being fed and nourished by His word

and

being mindful and focused

of how we are growing towards maturity in Him.

This time is often referred to as:

s’fiyrat haomer – counting the omer;

this is not exactly correct as it is

not the omers being counted but the days, that is:

the days from the day of the first offering of the Omer.

We should therefore say

counting FROM the omer  

s’fiyrat meomer /sefirat ha-omer 

מרעמ   ספירת  

The counting is to begin

according to scripture the 16th day of the first month.

Which is the first day after the first day of matzah/unleavened bread.

Yom haBikkurim /Day of the First Fruits

is at the same time.

Counting of the Omer 

סְפִירַת הָעוֹמֶר‎,

Sefirat HaOmer,

sometimes abbreviated as

Sefira or the Omer;

is always on 16th of Nisan /Aviv.

From sunset to sunset and is counted AFTER sunset.

This מִצְוָה – mits-vah – command, decree; derives from the Torah commandment to count forty-nine days beginning from the day on which the עֹמֶר  oh-mer – omer is offered.

The week of matzah unleavened bread

together with the

counting from the omer

is part of the

spiritual preparation

prior to the outpouring of His Spirit of Holiness 50 days after His Resurrection at Pentecost/Shavuot.

They had to wait in Jerusalem/Yerushalayim which would have been very dangerous for the Talmidim/Disciples of Messiah. However they were obedient and received the fullness of His Spirit/Ruach, to empower them to go out into all the world with the good news and make disciples/talmidim of all nations…….

Each year this is a great opportunity for every believer who wants to walk as His disciple/talmid

to do a spiritual check up.

We willingly get physical/medical check ups and its often required by employers/insurers. We get our vehicles/cars/transport checked regularly change the oil and tires yet we often neglect the most important area of our life and that is where we are spiritually.

This is an important if not a critical point of assessment and we tend to keep going along, without checking ourselves to see if we are still in the right condition to continue the journey as well as the right direction. We could even check our own oil level and pressure! For a car it’s important that the oil lubricates the engine parts, stopping friction from overheating and blowing up; and that there is the right amount so the engine does not dry out and seize up. So an annual spiritual checkup is just as critical for us and we should not leave it just for one time a year; however, this is a good time to do a personal one. Spiritual maintenance helps to prevent burnout when we will become unable to function effectively in our own lives and of little to no use in aiding and serving others.

How does Adam figure in this?

Take a trip all the way back in Genesis/B’resheet to the time when our Heavenly Father called to Adam in the garden, asking:

Where are you?

Genesis 3:9

It was not that He didn’t know where Adam was physically because Our Heavenly Father knows and sees everything and nothing takes Him unawares.

Adams new spiritual condition was not a surprise to the Father but He wanted Adam to own up as to what had happened to him spiritually after he was disobedient and fell in sin.

We could and should put our own name in that very searching question….

Where are we?

Right now today ….where are we?

Our Heavenly Father is asking us

about our spiritual condition

and

about our position in covenant relationship with Him.

Where are we spiritually?

Are we still on the narrow Way?

We may be doing great in the natural sense, everything may be going along fine. Or we may be filled with our own ways, our own goals and dreams; and not pressing in to the things of Jesus the Messiah/Yeshua, as we know to do if we are to call ourselves His talmidim/disciple.

So there is somewhat of a connection with Adam and Omer in that, Adam needed to check his spiritual condition and do what he was required to do on his part to fix that broken fellowship caused by his sin.

In the same way we are to take the time to assess our spiritual position before the Father and refresh our relationship in covenant with Him by the power of His Ruach haKodesh/Spirit of Holiness. This is a time of turning towards the Father, a time of introspective teshuvah /repentance.

As we count from the omer it’s a time of

reflection and growth

in preparation for

Shavuot/Pentecost/Feast of Weeks.

When we also remember Moses/the Giving of Torah and the celebration of covenant/marriage with the children of Israel who had just come out of bondage and needed guidelines for life/chaim.

 

According to the Torah (first 5 books of the old covenant), it took seven weeks for the Israelites to travel from Egypt to Mount Sinai.

The name Shavuot/Pentecost, meaning “weeks,”

refers to this seven-week period.

Each day is counted, which is known as the Counting of the Omer, or Sefirat HaOmer.

In the days of the Temple, the counting marked the seven weeks from the wheat harvest on the spring festival of Passover, to the harvesting of barley on Shavuot.

Festival of Reaping – חג הקציר (Exodus 23:16)

The Three Pilgrimage Festivals,

in Hebrew Shalosh Regalim (שלוש רגלים),

are three major festivals in Judaism

Pesach (Passover),

Shavuot (Weeks or Pentecost),

and Sukkot (Tabernacles, Tents or Booths)

when all ancient Israelites who were able would make a pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem, as commanded by the Torah.

Each of the three pilgrimage festivals marks a new period in the agricultural season:

Passover is also known as Chag ha-Aviv, the Spring Festival, which marks the beginning of the new planting season. The basic meaning of the word aviv, is the stage of growth in grain when the seeds have reached full size but have not yet dried.

Chag ha-Katzir, or the Jewish Harvest Festival of Reaping, is when the first crop of the season is ready. This happens at the time of Shavuot.

The next agricultural step is for all of the crops to be gathered. This happens with the third pilgrimage festival, Sukkot, which is also referred to as the Festival of Gathering, Chag Ha-Asif.

Day of the First Fruits – יום הבכורים (Numbers 28:26)

Yom Habikurim (Day of the First Fruits) comes from ancient times, when people would bring Bikkurim, their first and best fruits, as an offering to the Holy Temple. Bikkurim were brought from the Seven Species for which the land of Israel is praised: wheat, barley, grapes, figs, pomegranates, olives, and dates (Deuteronomy 8:8).

Shavuot and Pentecost

The Greek name for the Shavuot holiday, Pentecost, means “Fiftieth day.” This name refers to the fifty days between Passover and Shavuot.

 See other posts for more detail.

The scripture

teach us to number our days

takes on a new meaning in light of

counting from the omer.

Counting 49 or 7 weeks 7×7 is like counting a complete cycle counting 7x shabbats/Sabbaths. Weekly Shabbat is a cycle straight from Genesis and 7×7 is also like a cycle. The Moedim/Appointed Times of The Lord, and His set apart people, is an annual cycle following a planned specific pattern repeated, so we will remember His instructions, His Patterns that we are to follow –

fulfilled in Jesus/Messiah

that we may continue to remember and

follow the pattern, the WAY. Come Follow Me!

One final thought is that it was during these days of

counting from the omer

that the risen/resurrected Messiah Yeshua

was seen by His talmidim /disciples. John 20:19-25.

It is recorded that Messiah stayed forty days after His resurrection on this earth. He met with His talmidim/disciples again on the mount of Olives and ordered them to wait until they received His Ruach haKodesh/Holy Spirit. 

This has to be significant because nothing is happenstance with our Heavenly Father. There indeed is something about this period of time between His Resurrection and the giving/outpouring of His Spirit  that is so prophetic and powerfilled that it should give us great pause for thought!

He also appeared to so many other people.

Mary of Magdala Mark 16:9

Joanna Mary mother of James Matthew 28:9

the 2 on the road to Emmaus. Luke 24:13-32

References include: the gospels. Matt 28:8-10. Mark  

Peter had also met the risen Christ. Luke 24:34.

Eight days later again Messiah manifested Himself before His disciples/talmidim, and this time Thomas was there and he touched Yeshua/Jesus and believed Him from that moment. John 20:26-31

The third time Messiah came to meet His talmidim/disciples where they were on the seashore and He had breakfast with them.

He also showed another miracle by telling them to cast the net and the net was full of around 153 fish. John 21

   There are references both in John and in Acts.

Jesus/Yeshua ascended to heaven after this meeting with His disciples. Acts 1:3-12.

Messiah appeared five times on the first day of the week. He continued to meet His disciples and teach them during the forty days between Passover/Pesach and His Ascension.

Saint Augustine in his book 

De Consensu Evangelistarum 

(Harmony of the Gospels from about AD 400)

catalogues ten appearances of Christ.

1st to the women at the sepulchre;

2nd to the same on the way from the sepulchre;

3rd to Peter;

4th to the two disciples going to the town of Emmaus

5th to several of them in Jerusalem when Thomas was not present

He came again a 6th time when Thomas saw Him

7th time was by the sea of Tiberias at the capture of the fishes;

the 8th was on the mountain of Galilee, according to Matthew;

the 9th occasion is expressed by Mark, ‘at length when they were at table,’ because no more were they going to eat with Him upon earth;

the 10th was on the very day, when no longer upon the earth, but uplifted into the cloud, He was ascending into heaven.

However, Saint Thomas Aquinas notes, “But, as John admits, not all things were written down. And He visited them frequently before He went up to heaven,” in order to comfort them. Hence it is written (1 Corinthians 15:6-7) that “He was seen by more than five hundred brethren at once . . . after that He was seen by James”; of which apparitions no mention is made in the Gospels.

 1 Corinthians 15:1-11, it is recorded that Messiah was seen by over 500 people at one time after His resurrection. Over a period of 40 days up to the day Yeshua/Jesus went back Home He was seen by, and talked to a number of individuals. He said He would come back the same way He went to Heaven.

From the very B’resheet/Genesis – beginning we were created to walk before the Father in obedience to His statutes, ordinances and ways.

The first Adam failed – the last Adam succeeded

and showed us the WAY back to the Father, the truth/emet of our condition and the life/chaim that we can live and have because of His sacrifice.

He was also

The Unleavened Bread from heaven

The Omer that was waved and

The Firstfruits from the dead.

And furthermore counting from the

Omer to Shavuot

He is the outpouring ON the harvest

through His Spirit of Holiness/Ruach HaKodesh.

This was so He could be with us always even to the end of the age; empowering all believers who unlike the first Adam, will choose to be obedient and follow Him.

50 days for us to reflect and repent and be ready for the outpouring that we will remember at Pentecost/Shavuot; refreshing and reviving us again to be witnesses to Him as He has commanded us.

Time to consider our ways

and choose life.

The question that Adam and Eve were asked still applies, because the very same question that He asked mankind in the Beginning, (B’reshyt/Genesis), is the same question He is asking mankind today!

Where are you?

So it would seem there is a connection between

Adam and Omer

Let us allow the re-newed spirit imparted to us by the last Adam direct our steps these next days as we count them from Omer; not as a religious observance, but as one

desiring the fullness

of all Messiah won for us at Calvary

so we can be effective and bring glory

to the Name above every name.

Father teach us to count our days!

and let’s… 

Make each and every day count!

 

שָׁלוֹם עֲלֵיכֶם‎,

Shalom aleikhem

chaverim/friends and mishpachah/family!

Shavua Tov, Have a blessed week,

you are greatly loved and prayed for daily.

Please don’t leave here without assurance of your salvation.

Let the deep inner knowing that you are sealed to the day of redemption by the Blood of Messiah Jesus/Yeshua bring you His shalom right now!

Not sure ..you can be…

Make certain Messiah Jesus/Yeshua is your Redeemer, Savior, Lord, and soon returning King

and that you have a personal relationship with Him.

It’s all about Life and Relationship, NOT Religion.

You are very precious in His sight.

SIMPLY SAY THE FOLLOWING MEANING IT FROM YOUR HEART..don’t delay one more minute, SAY IT RIGHT NOW…

Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.

I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name.

What Exactly Was Written On A Stauros In Three Languages And Why?

The word stauros is the Greek word for cross.

Strong’s Greek: 4716. σταυρός –

stauros

an upright stake.

In regular use a

stauros/σταυρός is a beam.

The word for a cross is διασταύρωση which is the equivalent of σταυρός that means thru beam or perhaps a cross beam; a stake or post (as set upright), i.e. (specially), a pole or cross (as an instrument of capital punishment); figuratively, exposure to death.

Definition of Greek cross : a cross having an upright and a transverse shaft equal in length and intersecting at their middles.

The Hebrew word for

a cross is

צלב  tselev

this word does not appear in the Tenakh/Old Testament, however it’s used in Modern Hebrew translations of the Brit Chadashah/New Testament for the

cross of the crucifixion.

A tselev/cross is often used as a mark,

as we say

in X marks the spot.

There are 2 words meaning mark in Biblical Hebrew.

1 is the Hebrew word

אות

ot,

Strong’s #226

and the 2nd is the word

תו

tav,

Strong’s #8420.

The 2nd word is also the name of the

last letter in the Hebrew alphabet,

which is the

ת  tav.

In Ancient Hebrew writing, the letter tav is written as,

a picture of a mark.

It is interesting to note that both the Hebrew words meaning mark have the letter tav as part of their construction.

Secondly, what was written on

the sign was known as a

titilum, or title,

and was used to

describe the crime of the accused.

So we then understand it was not unusual to place a sign over the one being crucified.

However we know Messiah Yeshua/Jesus was without sin and died an innocent death so what was written?

Wasn’t it just His name?

What does the scripture say?

The gospel of Luke lists three charges that the religious leaders accused Yeshua/Jesus of before Pilate. Luke 23:2.

The trial before the religious court of the Jews, which took place in the dead of night, was illegal and every requirement of the Mosaic Law was broken by the High Priest and his co-conspirators. Before the dawn, these evil men found Yeshua/Jesus guilty and marched Him to the governor’s residence with three political accusations against Him.

First, He was charged with perverting the people and stirring up strife. They accused Him of being a revolutionary agitator inciting the people to riot, but nothing was further from the truth. He was meek and lowly and came to save His people from their sin. Yeshua/Jesus came to give them:

rest from their labor,

spiritual nourishment for their soul,

forgiveness of sin,

and life everlasting.

He came to re-establish the nation of Israel’s

covenant with God,

so they would return/teshuvah,

to being His chosen people/am segulah, 

who would tell the world of God’s goodness and grace.

(Matthew 14:22; 16:20; Mark 1:45; 6:42; John 6:15).

The Jewish leaders actually hoped that the Messiah would bring about an uprising against the Romans and free them from pagan rule, but they had misinterpreted the scriptures and therefore did not recognize Yeshua/Jesus as the Messiah..

WHY?

because He came to

free them from sin,

and not the Romans.

(Luke 4:19)

In truth, they were guilty

of the charge that they accused Him of.

Second, He was accused of being an anarchist who was turning the people against the Roman constitution,The Jewish authorities also accused him of incitement to oppose the government by withholding taxes from Rome. The Jewish leaders had attempted to trick Him by asking whether or not it was lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar.

Yeshua/Jesus realizing their evil intent said, “Why do you test Me, you hypocrites? Show Me the tax money.” So they brought Him a denarius. And He said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?” They said to Him, “Caesar’s. And His wise answer exposed their trickery, when He said to them  “render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

Matt. 22:18–22.

and finally

they accused Him of challenging Caesar because He claimed He was a king!

Yeshua/Jesus had never made such a claim directly. In fact, it was the religious leaders themselves that hoped that the Messiah would come to set up a temporal kingdom to overthrow the Romans freeing them from their tyrannical control and establish His earthly rule.

The final accusation was perhaps the most shocking. Yeshua/Jesus, the anointed Messiah of God was their rightful King. He had been sent from the Father to set up His kingdom of Righteousness – not a worldly kingdom but the kingdom of heaven, but FIRST His people had to repent of their sin and believe on the Messiah Yeshua/Jesus for the forgiveness of sin.

We read in this verse,

and they began to accuse Him, saying, ‘We found this man misleading our nation and forbidding to pay taxes to Caesar, and saying He Himself is Christ, a King.'”

Later stating, we have no king but Caesar.

12 But when the chief priests and the elders brought charges against him, he did not answer. 13 Then Pilate asked him, “Don’t you hear the charges they are bringing against you?” 

Matthew 27:12-14

When Pilate directly asked Yeshua/Jesus if He was a king, Messiah responded that His kingdom is not of this world. John 18:33-38.

To all these accusations, Pilate found no fault in Yeshua/Jesus.

The religious leaders wanted to get rid of Yeshua/Jesus because they were fearful and jealous of His ever increasing popularity with the people.

Their misgivings were further inflated, especially after Lazarus was resurrected form the dead.

They had admitted to one another that…

the world is gone after him. John 12:19.

After this they made a decision and set out to destroy Him by any means; even if it meant that they would bear false witness against Him. In so doing, they were moved by the devil himself, who is a liar and the father of lies. Luke 8:44.

Mark 15:61 records the conversation between the cohen hagadol/high priest and Yeshua/Jesus; who asked Him…

Are you the Mashaich Ben HaM’vorakh?

Yeshua replies, I AM /Anochi.

In reply to this direct question, He does not hesitate and precisely identifies Himself with the ONE Who spoke to Moshe/Moses at the burning bush. Ex.3:14. Here He not only affirms that He is the Messiah, the son of God/YHVH, but indicates that He is to be identified with Adonai Himself.

In Judaism the tearing of ones clothes is a sign of grief and shock. As we read on, the High Priest/Cohen haGadols’ reaction seals the situation that they were seeking and they condemn Him to death for their perception of Him blaspheming.

 

The indictments against Yeshua/Jesus

in Luke 23:2

were false and illegitimate.

Indict – meaning: to charge with a crime.

It comes from the Latin indicere, meaning:

to make known formally

or

to proclaim,

which in turn comes from

in plus dicere,

meaning:

to say to bring a formal accusation against, as a means of bringing to trial.

to charge with an offense or crime; accuse of wrongdoing; castigate; criticize.

The three false accusations made against Messiah escalated further when they cried,

“We have no king but Caesar.” 

Let His blood be on us and on our children.” 

“Crucify Him!”

Matthew 27:37-38  tells us that they had a tablet (σανίς)

put over the cross containing a statement of the crime

(τὴν αἰτίαν αὐτοῦ)

for which the offender was being executed,

And set over His head, His accusation —

That is, a superscription, containing the substance of his pretended crime, written in capital letters, and in these remarkable words,

THIS IS JESUS/YESHUA, (John adds, OF NAZARETH,)

THE KING OF THE JEWS.

The other gospels do not express the title so fully.

 

This was what He was accused of and charged with.

This was His crime and this is what they killed Him for.

Murdered Him for He was innocent.

They crucified Him without cause.

He was sinless and died

for you,

for me,

for everyone who

will accept His sacrificial death on their behalf!

The charge against Him was..

He said He was King of theJews.

This is recorded in

John 19:21-22, “Therefore the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘

The King of the Jews,’

but, that ‘He said, “I am the King of the Jews.”

‘Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written….”

Yohanan/John 19:19

reads as follows:

“Now Pilate wrote a title and put it on the Cross.

And the writing was: JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS.”

Pontius Pilate wrote the words

JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE KING OF THE JEWS

on a sign in Hebrew, Latin and Greek,

and placed it on the cross above the head of Messiah.

The Bible says it was written in three languages.

Why in 3 languages?

because

Latin was the native tongue of the Romans,

Hebrew was for the Jews,

and for anyone else,

Greek, was the common everyday language of the time.

It was probably a very large sign, if not three of them,

which could be easily read from the busy road.

Yeshua/Jesus/ישוע

was the featured criminal

and was sentenced to death under Roman law for

sedition against the Roman state,

and under Jewish law for

the sin of blasphemy.

In Hebrew, the sign read as follows:

“Yahuwshuwa Ha’Nazarei W’Melech Ha’Yahuwdiym”

In many places around the world on certain depictions of the crucifix, both sculpted and pictorial, especially as related to the Catholic religion, a stylized plaque or parchment with the letters

INRI

can be seen painted on the sign attached to Jesus/Yeshua’s cross; either just above or below the figure and in some cases, these letters may be carved into the cross. This is an example of the Vatican highlighting Latin instead of the Hebrew language. 

In the Gospel of John 19:19-20, the inscription is explained: 

 

INRI is an acronym /abbreviation for the Latin:

Iesus Nazarenus, Rex Iudaeorum.

In English: Jesus the Nazarene/Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews, which was posted on the cross by order of the Roman procurator, Pontius Pilate.

The letters SPQR sometimes seen stand for:

Senatus Populus Que Romanus –

(The Roman Senate and People),

designating the civil authority that presided over the scene.

Latin uses the letter “I”

instead of the English “J”,

and “V” instead of “U”

e.g., Jesus Nazarenus Rex Judaeorum.

The English translation is then

“Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.”

Pilate was reticent to crucify Yeshua/Jesus without some strong justification especially after his wifes’ dream. The one he used was the standing Roman treaty with the Jews which allowed them self-government. When they complained that Yeshua/Jesus was interfering with that self-rule by holding Himself to possess authority that He lacked, Pilate challenged him to deny that he was called “King of Jews.” He did not deny the accusation. 



Some believe that the justification for His crucifixion was that He claimed an illegitimate title. However John 19:21-22 states that Pilate rejected the charge that Yeshua/Jesus was crucified because He falsely claimed to be king and instead stated that the reason He was crucified was because, He was the King of the Jews.

It seems that Pilate was personally convinced that He was the Jewish Messiah. This appears to be further corroborated by the Eastern Orthodox Feast of Saint Pontius Pilate on June 25 since early church histories state that after converting to Christianity, Pilate himself was martyred by double crucifixion. 

 

However John specifies that the inscription was also in Hebrew.

Hebrew: יֵשׁוּעַ הַנָּצְרִי מֶלֶךְ הַיְּהוּדִים –

Common to each of these is the specific declaration:

מֶלֶךְ הַיְּהוּדִים , the King of the Jews.

The name יֵשׁוּעַ Yeshua means The Lord’s Salvation,

or Cry Out to the Lord for Help.

It is the short version of Yehoshua (Joshua),

which means The Lord Saves (or turns) Us.

In comparison, prior to being transliterated FROM the Hebrew Bible, the name Ἰησοῦς (Iesous) did not exist in Greek. Through multiple translations and changes in pronunciation, a tradition of saying Jesus has obscured His name, Yeshua. It has shifted His perceived message and identity from Hebrew to Greek.

 John 12:23-32 is a reference to the

Sfirat HaOmer – Firstfruits

and the prophetic fulfillment of this appointed time of the Lord. The traditional observance of these days points us to the resurrection of Messiah. It’s a harvest festival and barley sheaves are waved before the Lord. The grain that had come from the earth was now lifted up high for all to see. Yeshua/Jesus Himself referred to His resurrection when He said.

 

The time has come for the son of man to be glorified and I tell you that unless a grain of wheat that falls to the ground dies, it stays just a grain but if it dies it produces a big harvest. When I am lifted up from the earth I will draw all men unto Me.

 

This parable was told to his Jewish disciples/talmidim as they had come to celebrate Passover/Pesach just before Sfirat HaOmer Firstfruits. John 12:1,20. We in the western Christianity calendar dates of festivals, miss the significance of the whole week, as it holds so much more in revealing Messiahs completed work as His Father had planned.

The resurrection of Messiah from the dead

is perfectly symbolized in

the wave offering of the first fruits

which the Christianity of the west does not even mention.

Because of the set appointed days from the time of Moses it was

imperative for Him to die exactly on Pesach/Passover

in order to fulfill the prophecies.

So too

He must rise from the dead

on Sfirat HaOmer – Firstfruits..

1Cor. 15:20 20 But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. 

The firstfruits were the first of the season’s crops given by faithful Jewish people to God. Paul’s use of the term here means that Yeshua/Jesus was the first of the crop of “the dead” to be resurrected. His was the pattern for what is in all believers’ future. 

1 Cor. 15:51; 1 John 3:2.

In 1 Corinthians 15:20-34 he confirms that Yeshua/Jesus did indeed rise from the dead, and became the firstfruits of them that slept. This means He is the first to rise from the dead, Him being the firstfruits shows he is a representative of the future ‘harvest’. Paul is making a connection to Leviticus 23:9-14 which is the third and final part of the spring feast of the Pesach/Passover, which is the offering of the firstfruits of the barley harvest/ Sfirat HaOmer.

Yeshua/Jesus fulfilled the Passover/Pesach by

shedding His blood on the tree,

and the

feast of unleavened bread

by

giving His flesh for the world;

being buried, and He rose from the dead

on the waving of the sheaf of the firstfruits ,

fulfilling it by being

the firstfruits of the resurrection.

It is understood that the first fruits are from the barley harvest which is also going to produce the same kind of barley as the firstfruits did, indicating that our resurrection will be exactly like His resurrection!

The Wave Offering:

The Israelites offered wave offerings 

as a sign of peace and service to God.

For more https://www.minimannamoments.com/first-fruits/

Was there one more ת tav in the צלב tselev ?

One to ponder, let the reader decide… We know Yeshua/Jesus was crucified on a very important day in the Jewish calendar, Pesach/Passover. This means that Yerushalayim/Jerusalem, where He died, would have been filled with Jews who had come to celebrate Passover/Pesach as one of the 3 festivals they were obligated to attend annually. The following is interesting to note:

When a Jewish family arrived in Yerushalayim/Jerusalem for the Pesach/Passover, they would either purchase or bring with them a special bronze name tag. This name tag would have the family name written on it. They would tie a rope or thread to the tag and hang it around the neck of a lamb they were going to sacrifice. Each father desired that God would know their family was observing the Pesach/Passover, and that the lamb that bore the family name was being sacrificed for them.

All of the events of the week of the Pesach/Passover feast deal deeply in types and foreshadows that point directly to Yeshua/Jesus as being the Passover Lamb for the world.

Was Pilate used to put the Fathers title name on His lamb for the entire world to see?

Did Pilate’s inscription, became the Father’s name tag? The Jews had been bringing Pesach/Passover lambs to the Temple with their bronze name tags and by this, were saying,

‘YHVH see our name. This lamb is for our family.’

Did our Heavenly Father hang His Son on the highest hill in Yerusalayim/Jerusalem where He also put His Name, to tell all of humanity… ??? inferring something similar to saying…

…Look here, My name, this is My Lamb and it’s Pesach/Passover, you are taking your lambs to the Temple; and when the blood is flowing in the Temple from the Pesach/Passover lambs of the people, My Son’s sinless Blood will be flowing for the redemption of mankind, so that you can once again have access and fellowship with Me.

Yeshua ha Notzri Melech ha Yehoodim

One thing we do know for certain the cross is

EMPTY

And so is the

TOMB

And we serve a resurrected savior

Who is alive forevermore

He is our High Priest

and

He left behind Him the crown of thorns

because

He IS not only

(what Pilate wrote on the stauros/tselev title,)

King of the Jews…

He IS

King of All Kings…

As He hung on Calvary’s

stauros/tselev

Cross,

shedding His blood

for every one of His bitter accusers

and for each of us,

He was heard to pray,

Hallelujah!

שָׁלוֹם עֲלֵיכֶם‎,

Shalom aleikhem

chaverim and mishpachah!

Shavua Tov, Have a blessed week,

chag sameach – happy holiday

chag Pesach sameach –

have a happy Passover

you are greatly loved and prayed for daily. Please don’t leave here without assurance of your salvation Remember…

you are one of His Am Segulah – Treasured People,

and you Have Passover Faith

Pesach  Emunah

Let the deep inner knowing that you are sealed to the day of redemption by the Blood of Messiah Jesus/Yeshua bring you His shalom right now!

Not sure ..you can be…

Make certain Messiah Jesus/Yeshua is your Redeemer, Savior, Lord, Your Passover Lamb

and soon returning King

and that you have a personal relationship with Him.

It’s all about Life and Relationship, NOT Religion.

You are very precious in His sight.

SIMPLY SAY THE FOLLOWING MEANING IT FROM YOUR HEART..don’t delay one more minute, SAY IT RIGHT NOW…

Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.

I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name.