Why Do We Need To Remember Amalek?

עֲמָלֵק Amalek

Remember what Amalek did unto you by the way, when you came forth out of Egypt;  Deuteronomy 25:17 

Aren’t we supposed to forgive and forget? Why does it sound like the people of Israel are not to forget the evil things that the Amalekites did to them?  

Who were the Amalekites and what did they do?

Amalekites is the name of an ancient nomadic nation south of Canaan/Palestine/Israel.

The Amalekites were not Arabs, but of a stock related to the Edomites and therefore also related to the Hebrews, which can be deduced from the genealogy in Gen.36:12 and in I Chron. 1:36.

Amalek was a son of Esau’s first-born son Eliphaz and of the concubine Timna, the daughter of Seir, the Horite, and sister of Lotan.  Esau was the patriarch Jacob/Israel’s brother and sworn enemy. So the Amalekites were blood relatives as Amalek is shown to be the grandson of Esau, the brother of Jacob.

Amalek grew up in Esau’s household, Esau’s uncontrolled hatred of the descendants of Jacob rubbed off on Amalek and although a relative of the Israelites, Amalek displayed the most intense hatred toward them.

His descendants became the Amalek nation, who lived in the south of Israel, the area now known as the Negev Desert.

After the Israelites crossed the Red Sea, they camped in a barren location in the Sinai Desert called Rephidim. Here they needed water, and God provided a miraculous well of water to accompany them on their journey through the wilderness.

While they were still at Rephidim, recovering from their escape/exodus from Egypt; the nation of Amalek launched a brutal surprise attack on them, even though the Israelites had no plans to fight for Amalekite territory nor were they even going in that direction.

Moses ordered Joshua to take an elite troop of soldiers into battle the next day.

The Amalakites were the first nation to attack the Hebrew children after their Exodus from Egypt, and because of that they are seen as a symbolic type of their enemies.

When other nations hesitated to harm God’s chosen ones, Amaleks’ wicked example tempted others to join him in the attack and they moved very quickly over hundreds of miles to intercept them.

“Like a robber he waylaid Israel”; “like a swarm of locusts”; “like a leech eager for blood”; “like a fly looking for sores to feed on”;

Amalek  עֲמָלֵק  ‘am laḳ

meaning:

the people which licketh.

Moses himself ascended a nearby mountain to pray for God’s salvation/deliverance.

The Israelites defeated Amalek in battle, killing their strongest warriors while allowing the others to return home.

Following the battle, God commanded Moses to record the details of Amalek’s treacherous attack for future generations, and to instruct  Joshua to remember as he would succeed Moses. God promised to completely wipe out the memory of Amalek from the earth, and that He would wage an everlasting war with Amalek in every generation. God swore that His name and throne would not be complete until Amalek was destroyed.

40 years later, as the Hebrew children stood ready to enter the promised land of Israel, Moses reminded them of the command to fight Amalek.

Amalek had taken advantage of the Hebrews weaknesses and vulnerabilities; following years of slavery and due to their bondage, they were lacking in experience needed for battle. The Amalekites viciously slaughtered those who were the most innocent, the elderly, the sick and the children.

Strong’s Hebrew: 6002. עֲמָלֵק (Amaleq) — a descendant of …

עֲמָלֵק 39 proper name, of a people Amalek

fierce and war-like Bedawin

עֲמָלֵק

The nation of Amalek has long gone, but they live on as the type of the internal enemies that we each battle on a daily basis.

The Amalekites represent Satan and the flesh and their ongoing endless war against God’s people and all that is good and right.

List of the Descendants of Esau in the Old Testament.

Esau and Adah: Eliphaz: Teman Omar zepho gatam kenaz amalek

Esau and Oholibamah: Jeush: : Jalam Korah:

Esau and Bashemath: Reuel: Nahath: Zerah: shammah mizzah

Edomites are people worldwide who call themselves “Jews”. They are descendants of Esau, the son of Isaac who forfeited the blessing of God to his younger brother, Jacob. These descendants of Esau are known as “ Edomites ” in the Old Testament. Gen. 36:43.

Amalek represents the worst form of ungodliness, evil and wickedness. The prophet Balaam refers to Amalek in the following passage: “Amalek was the first of the nations, and his fate shall be everlasting destruction.”

The identity of Amalek has been lost over the millennia, so the command to destroy him and his offspring cannot be fulfilled the same way today. However, the command to remember Amalek is still a reality in the spiritual realms.

For us, the command to blot out Amalek’s memory appears very harsh; its’ justification was seen in the leniency shown to Agag, the king of the Amalekites, by King Saul, the son of Kish. 

and Kish begat Saul; the first king of Israel.

I Sam. 15:9; 1 Sam 9:1

The last mention of the Amalekites is found in the book of Esther where we read of Haman the Agagite, a descendant of the Amalekite king Agag.

Haman, Hamon or Hamen, the villain in the story of Esther, was famous or rather infamous, for his hatred of the Hebrew people and his plans to kill them, completely wiping out all the Hebrews in Persia. (Modern day Iran.)

Haman was an Agagite and the son of Hammedatha.

 Hebrew: אֲגַג ʾĂgāg

Recall, Agag, who made it possible for Haman the Agagite to appear, Esther. 3:1; his cruel plot against the Israelites could only be counteracted by another descendant of Kish, who in this case was Mordecai.

Every year on the Sabbath preceding Purim,

Deut. 25:17-19

“Remember what Amalek did unto thee

is read in the synagogues.

The memory of the stealing of a birthright runs very deep, not being easily forgotten as being firstborn has such a significant place concerning inheritance and family seniority in Hebrew culture.

Agag also refers to the Amalekite king who survived King Saul ‘s extermination campaign as punishment for Amalekite crimes. The account is recorded in 1Samuel. King Saul did not kill Agag and he allowed the people to keep some of the spoil. This act of disobedience resulted in the prophets declaration that God rejected Saul as king. Agag, was finally killed by Samuel. I Samuel 15:32-33

If the people of Israel are to not forget the evil things that the Amalekites did to them; it seems almost the same as asking victims of the holocaust to not forget what happened to them. Through Jesus, our Heavenly Father showed love, mercy and forgiveness. Is this scripture showing an angry God Who’s telling Israel to remember what their vicious enemies did and to get ready to take revenge on them?

Here we are to remember God will do things in His way and time, we are not to do His job.

Romans 12:19  Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.”

 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave the way open for God’s wrath [and His judicial righteousness].

Deuteronomy 32:35 Vengeance is Mine; I will repay. In due …

Vengeance is mine, and recompense, for the time when their foot shall slip; for the day of their calamity is at hand, and their doom comes swiftly.

Hebrews 10:30

2 Timothy 3:1-17 

Many Hebrew scholars and rabbis think that God isn’t commanding Israel to remember the horrible crimes of the Amalekites, but rather to only remember the lessons to be learned from them.  

One of the lessons can be found in the word Amalekite, because this word comes from the root word Amalak 

 Hebrew: עֲמָלֵק, 

Amaleq: a descendant of Esau, also his posterity

Original Word: עֲמָלֵק
Phonetic Spelling: am-aw-lake’

which means:

to travail, vexation and sorrow.  

In other words…

when the Amalekites attack us don’t let them destroy our faith!

Scripture says to remember Amalek and NOT the Amalekites? 

Sometimes we slide over names that are difficult to pronounce, however, there is a lot to be learned from biblical names. It’s no doubt very possible that the Hebrew sages understood some of the details of Scripture that we as believers in the west have missed.  

Remembering the Hebrew language is an alpha numerical one, meaning each letter also represents a number value. In the word Amalek

ע מ ל ק  

made up of the letters

Ayin lamed mem qoph.

Numerical value of the word Amalek

Ayin=70,

Mem=40,

Lamed=30,

Qop=100

Total 240.   

The Hebrew rabbis have noted that words with the same total numerical value, have a connection in revealing the details in scripture.

The word: safeq is spelled: samek pei and qop

Samek =60,

Pei=80,

Qop=100

so safeq also has a value of 240.   

In Hebrew the word Safeq means: doubt.  

and the numerical value of the Hebrew letters of

Amalek (עמלק) is also 240

the same as the value of the Hebrew word for “doubt” (ספק).

This was the crime of Amalek and this was what the children of Israel were to remember, not the evil actions and wicked deeds.

We know from reading scripture that the Israelites always remembered God’s command to forgive, which never changed, However what He did command the Hebrew children to remember is how the Amalekites were able to CAST DOUBT ON THEIR FAITH. 

Because of their struggle, the aggravation, sadness and distress- amalek caused them to safeq – doubt the Lords provision in every way.

Isn’t this just what still happens to believers today? The enemy has not changed his tactics and will bring struggle, aggravation, sadness and distress – amalek, and cause us to safeq- doubt the Lords provision in every way, as we go through those times of testing.

The times of amalek and safeq will continue while we are still on this earth and we can be victorious overcomers if we walk in obedience to what we have been told to do.

Our father does not give us direction without instruction. The writer of Iv’riym Hebrews 6:1, 2. Says:

Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity.

We are called to be spiritually mature in Messiah and here is noted the danger of not continually moving forward in our walk with the Lord; and it includes a strong warning against falling away. 

Hebrews 6:1-2 Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God,

Our faith is founded on the basic teaching about Messiah. The simple foundational truths about the master. The writer of Hebrews greatly encourages us to leave these teachings behind once we have learned them, and to go on to maturity, not again laying foundation. These elementary teachings form the basis for our faith giving us a seed bed, good ground, in which to take root and grow.

So why is it so difficult for us to go on to maturity? Why is it so hard to develop and mature in Messiah?

Perhaps part of the difficulty is that we continue to lay our foundations over and over again; rather than learning things the first time so that we can move on, we forget what we have learned and have to keep going back over the fundamental teachings of Messiah.

People are often heard to say it’s time to stop going around this same mountain again.

We end up going in circles in our Christian walk staying on the same level year after year.

We are warned in the following verses that there is a danger of us crucifying Messiah over again.

Hebrews 6:4-6 

There was no deep spiritual root and they fell away. Those who sound like Christians, but something is missing, maybe they are not saved, and if they are, the author is presenting a possible situation.

It’s one thing to be diligent in keeping the simple truths of the Word before us, but it’s another thing altogether to continually be re-learning what should have become completely apparent and natural to us by now. On the other hand sometimes we are perfectly willing to leave behind the elementary teaching about the Messiah, but instead of going on to maturity, we ignore the foundational things and believe we are too mature to revisit them. Out of this comes the invention of our own personal set of beliefs and religions; strange doctrines that do not hold up to the proof and truth of the Bible. Many people will just pick out scriptures that back up what they want to believe and those which support their way of life, it could be called cherry picking.

Without being fastened securely to the fundamental truths of the faith we run aimlessly in all directions. Eph 4:14-16

We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming.

We sometimes think that we are mature when in reality we are only misguided.

With regard to maturing in the Lord, we must remember this simple truth:

Maturity comes from building on the foundation which is Messiah,

the rock, the cornerstone prophesied by

Isaiah 28:16

Therefore thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; whoever believes will not act hastily.

Historically, the cornerstone was the most important part of any building. The total weight of a structure rested on this particular stone, which, if removed, would collapse the whole structure. The cornerstone was also the key to keeping the walls straight. The builders would take sightings along the edges of this part of the building. If the cornerstone was set properly, the stonemasons could be assured that all the other corners of the building would be at the appropriate angles as well. Thus, the cornerstone became a symbol for that which held life together.

In Isaiahs day, Israels leaders had chosen to rest their security on a different cornerstone. They chose to put their trust in their own political confidence and by making various alliances militarily, they believed they could keep their nation together; however, this unstable cornerstone was a failure and the Babylonians took Israel captive.

Through Isaiah, God declared that He would establish a cornerstone that would never fail; a stone that could be trusted, because it had been tried and proven to be precious and sure.

The writers of the New Testament recognized that this stone was the Messiah, Jesus Christ, Who said of Himself, “Did you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone'” (Matt. 21:42).  Peter repeated Isaiah’s prophecy and added, “And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame” (1 Pet. 2:6).

Ephesians 2:20 built on the foundation of the apostles and … built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.

If we fail to build on Messiah or, if we build on anything other than Him, we will not go on to maturity. There’s one foundation and one goal and it is the one and only Messiah Yeshua Jesus. If the foundation fails to be established we have no hope.

Let us therefore build on the elementary teaching about the Messiah so that we can go on to maturity and grow up in Him.

Amalek represents the height of evil, it is the ability to

know the Father and intentionally rebel.

Most evil can be combated by arguments of reason; not so Amalek. He scoffs cynically at every effort or reasoning to do good, sowing doubt, confusion, strife and division.

Irrational doubt/safeq makes the most convincing arguments or uplifting experiences null and void.

Amalek is the unrelenting doubter, and responds immediately to any sign of passion for holiness with anything he can muster, moving  to quickly quench it.

Our only response to Amalek is to be consistent in our walk, and by establishing the essential relationship with our Heavenly Father that is hidden within us and rooted in His Spirit. Such a relationship is above logic or feelings, so Amalek cannot oppose it losing his taunting power, this allows each believer to grow and develop.

Some of the severest language in the Bible is contained in

Hebrews 6:1-6

Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.

The author of Hebrews has a way of causing his readers to stop, look, and listen.

This is because he wants them to take a serious look at and consider their personal relationship with Messiah. He warns against any false security and all forms of religious deception, especially religious experiences that don’t produce spiritual maturity and Christlike behavior.

 Wherefore (since it is so incumbent on us to advance out of the state of milk-fed infants), leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us press on unto perfection (τελειότητα, continuing the image of maturity).

Let us go on.

Better, let us press onwards unto perfection

There is an urgency in the words which is missed by the ordinary rendering. The word “perfection” (teleiotes) answers to that rendered “full grown” (teleios) in the previous verse, and  it expresses maturity, fullness of growth. 

1Peter 2:2

A new born child needs great care, their environment needs to be safe and clean. The best way for a baby’s life to be the healthiest, is having a strong immune system; and until the baby is ready to eat solid food, one of the most important ways in building immunity is for the baby to drink only the mothers milk. Many parents start their children baby formula and there is nothing wrong with that however, there is no true replacement for the pure milk that comes from the mother because no matter how close it may be to the original, everything else is just a substitute for the real thing. However good the nourishment may be, it can never replace the milk that was designed by our Heavenly Father for a mother to feed her baby. This is the 1 Peter 2:2 the words pure milk that we are encouraged to desire.

1 Peter 2:2
As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

1 Cor. 3:1-3 New American Standard Bible
Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual, but as worldly—as infants in Christ.

I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to consume it. But even now you are not yet able,

You are still worldly [controlled by ordinary impulses, the sinful capacity]. For as long as there is jealousy and strife and discord among you, are you not unspiritual, and are you not walking like ordinary men [unchanged by faith]?

Hebrews 5:11-13 Amplified Bible

11We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain, because you are dull of hearing
For though by this time you ought to be teachers [because of the time you have had to learn these truths], you actually need someone to teach you again the elementary principles of God’s word [from the beginning], and you have come to be continually in need of milk, not solid food.

For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.

But solid food is for the [spiritually] mature, whose senses are trained by practice to distinguish between what is morally good and what is evil.

Ephesians 4:13
until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, as we mature to the full measure of the stature of Christ.

It seems that Peters point here, is not that we need to be bottle-fed the word because we are immature; but that we should feed on the word as a newborn baby feeds from its’ mother because it’s the very best you can get. Why?

Because there is no chance for that pure milk to become tainted as it goes directly from the source to the child.

This ‘milk’, nourishes us naturally just as God intended, because by its purity we will build a strong resistance to infection; we will be quicker to heal and are not easily stricken by the things around us. This is how we are to grow into salvation, we thrive because we were given something pure. Without the untainted word inside us, we cannot grow into the fullness of what God has for us; and we often become sick and our bodies are unable to withstand illness because we did not get the strength and protection we needed from His Word. We need to be thirsty for, and satisfied only by the pure milk and meat of the Word of God.

Next Hebrews stresses the importance of the perseverance of the believer. We know a person is a true believer because they will persevere and not give up. The true believer will continue trusting Messiah and will go on to spiritual maturity in a growing relationship with the Father in and through Messiah Yeshua/Jesus Christ.

In Acts 8:8-18  Simon Magus is an example of an individual who is a “partaker” but in the years following he became detrimental to Biblical Christianity. He was not a true believer; because he only used Christianity for his own personal financial gain.

Other scholars see this passage as professing Christians who have never been saved. They are lost and unregenerate even though they have had great emotional religious experiences. They have been inoculated with a form of Christianity, but it is not the real thing. They have heard the message of Good News, they have observed miracles, seen the work of the Holy Spirit in the congregation, have had emotional experiences, but like the seed of the sower planted on rocky ground have never been regenerated. The apostasy referred to is the final rejection of Christ. They have rejected the substitutionary sacrifice of Messiah for their sins, they were sympathetic to the Gospel, but never truly believed in their hearts and were therefore never saved.

In the opening verses of chapter 6, the author of Hebrews first encouraged his readers to go on to maturity and is clearly addressing believers. Then he changes focus to give a serious warning to those who have turned away from Messiah.

Hebrews 6:1-3 

Enlightened” (photizo) “to give light, to shine;” means spiritually enlightened. Through teaching they’d received spiritual light or knowledge and to some extent had been instructed in the teachings of the gospel of the kingdom.  Did it fall short of that which transforms and regenerates us?  “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit” 2 Corinthians 3:18. Certainly there’s a big difference between being enlighten and being regenerated. Was there any submission to the enlightenment received?

They had understood the truths to a point, but not gone on to put them into practice.

Some of those who were listening took offense at Him and they refused to apply His principles and teachings.

John 6:50-56.

The individuals in view had an association with Messiah, but had never made a commitment to Him once and for all. 

Matthew 13:20-21.

These people couldn’t say ‘Your words were found and I did eat them’ as did Jeremiah 15:16.

Of Herod it is written that he heard John the Baptist and “enjoyed listening to him” Mark 6:20, but he did not repent and even had John beheaded.

The serious committed disciple enjoys a real foretaste of the powers of the age to come, and will experience much more when Messiah returns. These unbelievers had personally witnessed miracles, and the outpouring of His Spirit at Shavuot/ Pentecost; so they were now without any excuse. They saw all the evidence that proved Yeshua/Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God and still they refused to fully commit themselves to Him.

There is a very strong emphatic statement made in Hebrews:

And then fallen away

The word apostasia was used earlier but the word used here is different from that one.

It’s parapipto and it means literally “to fall alongside.”

It’s a deliberate, complete denial of Messiah Jesus .

There is no forgiveness for this sin. It is a total complete final rejection of Jesus/Yeshua. and because of this, it’s impossible to renew these individuals again to repentance and their condition is beyond recovery. Because they have rejected the atoning sacrifice of Messiah, there is no other gospel to be preached to them. They’ve rejected the one sacrifice that can save from sin. It is a total abandonment of Christianity. Therefore, it is “impossible to renew them again unto repentance” those who have totally abandoned the gospel of Jesus Christ. The “impossibility” is used here in an absolute, there is no qualification.

Tragically, there’s no possibility of restoration “since they again crucify to themselves the son of God and put Him to open shame” (v. 7).

This is how serious this apostasy is, because the effect of falling away is to re-crucify Messiah and put Him to open shame. When He went to the cross and died as our substitute, He died to restore a right relationship with our Heavenly Father. When we turn our backs on Him and return to the world we’re saying the world is more worthy than the love of Jesus/Yeshua. We are also in effect saying that we agree with those who crucified Him.

Hebrews is not describing christians who backslide or believers who have fallen into sin. Even Peter who denied Christ three times wasrenewed unto repentance.The sin described in this passage is not the sin of a believer, but the open total renunciation of the person and work of Messiah. Peter experienced the work of Holy Spirit in his heart because he was a true believer. An unbeliever doesn’t experience this kind of heart change.

Scripture is forceful in that, the grace and forgiveness of sins and cleansing in the Blood of Jesus/Yeshua, is freely available to every believer who sins and comes to Him confessing them. Heb. 4:14-1610:19-221 John 1:7-102:1-2.

The scripture is not talking about theft or murder or drunkenness or adultery here; but is referring to a complete falling away from the gospel, in which the sinner has offended God not only in one respect but has utterly renounced His grace.

To so reject Jesus Christ is to be eternally damned. They arrive at a spiritual state where they can no longer repent “since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame.” There is no one else to turn to for salvation.

 This is a real warning against a real danger. It is true anytime there is a hardened heart of unbelief.

The critical question is were they ever born again? Were they ever saved?

The answer may be that they are not true Christians/believers because they have never been regenerated by His Holy Spirit. They’re like earth that has had rain, but brings forth no good fruit because it’s a land full of thorns and weeds. They’ve taken part in worship services, had fellowship with other believers, but they are like the parable of the seed sown on rocky ground; there was no spiritual root and they fell away. They sound like believing Christians, but something is seriously missing, they’re not saved, and if this is the case, the writer is giving a theoretical case for them saying do not return to worship in the temple because you will be crucifying Messiah again.

What is our personal relationship with Jesus Christ/Messiah Yeshua?

When His Holy Spirit applies the redeeming blood of Jesus/Yeshua to a truly repentant sinner, the work of salvation cannot fail. Truly, those who are genuinely saved do not fall away; they grow in the grace and knowledge of Messiah. Salvation is our Heavenly Father’s work, not man’s. His work cannot fail to reach its intended plan and purpose because He never fails to finish His projects. Our salvation and full deliverance is His project and ultimate goal and He will bring it to its completion at the day of Christ Phil. 1:3-6.

Perseverance in faith in Jesus Christ/Yeshua HaMashiach proves that we have become a partaker in Him. If we don’t persevere in faith in Jesus Christ, it proves we never became a partaker in Him. We may be very religious, but are still lost. We may have had great religious experiences, but have never been justified.

In the end, only our Heavenly Father knows who is saved.

There is grace and forgiveness for every Christian who sins, read  the following verses.

“If we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us” 1 John 1:7-10.

All who profess to receive the Gospel are not born again.

Judas Iscariot is a great example of an individual who was in the presence of Jesus Christ, he saw and experienced the fullness of the Gospel of the kingdom of God, but he was never regenerated. He had all the evidence, but obviously was never saved.

In our day we would say they had their names on the church register, but were never saved. They participated in the Lord’s Supper, were baptized, enjoyed fellowship dinners at church, enjoyed the social benefits and trappings of religion, but were never regenerated by the Holy Spirit.

 (Mark 4:3-9)

What kind of soil was represented as being in the heart of the true believer? What kind of soil was being described in Hebrews? Only time reveals what kind of soil the seed was planted into. If it’s good soil, it will have an abundant harvest of good fruit. It will bear Messiah/Christ’s likeness.

Some of those who read the letter to the Hebrews never did belong to Him; they were never spiritually regenerated. However, those who were true believers persevered and went on to spiritual maturity.

Jesus said, All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out” John 6:37.

Paul wrote, “The Lord knows those who are His” 2 Tim. 2:19.

Our salvation is guaranteed through all eternity by the mystery of His divine election.   

We are kept by the power of God through faith in Christ Jesus. It’s the work of His Holy Spirit energizing the true Believers/Christians. Abiding in Christ keeps us in the the Fathers presence. Yeshua/Jesus said, “I in you, and you in Me.” He didn’t die in vain; and He rose from the dead, resurrected to prove it. It’s by continuing in the faith that demonstrates the reality of our profession.

Faith dies when it is separated from the thing in which it believes.

The only object of our faith is Yeshua HaMashiach/Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith/salvation. Let’s stay securely fastened to the author and finisher of our faith!

The command to remember Amalek applies to all of us.  Do we have an Amalek in our lives; maybe it is a member of our own family or is it a member of the family of God who will attack from behind, when you least expect it?   

We are to always remember that no matter how great our victory in God, how strong our faith is in Him, the stronger our faith, the greater the Amalek will be that the enemy will raise up to try to destroy that faith. Sometimes after our greatest victory in faith he will rise up an Amalek, to try to destroy that newly strengthened faith.

In others words when the Amalekites attack us don’t let them destroy our faith!

Father help us to once and for all to learn the elementary teachings about You. Show us how to make those lessons a part of ourselves and our lives that we may move up to the next level spiritually. To come up higher and be seated in heavenly places with You. Heavenly Father teach us how to stop laying again the foundations but to go on to maturity and be a full grown, healthy, functioning vessel for Your kingdom. Thank you Father that you are our teacher by the power of Your Holy Spirit, and for leading us into the simple yet profound pearls in your Word.

שָׁלוֹם עֲלֵיכֶם‎,

Shalom aleikhem

chaverim and mishpachah!

Peace to friends and family.

Shavua Tov, Have a blessed week.

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.

Not sure ..you can be…

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.

Indeed The Hour Is Coming

Just before His death and subsequent resurrection, Messiah said to His disciples:

Indeed the hour is coming, yes, has now come, that you will be scattered, each to his own, and will leave Me alone. And yet I am not alone, because the Father is with Me. John 16:32

Messiah Jesus knew what was ahead both for Himself and for His disciples. He was giving them a warning in verse 32,

you will be scattered..

it was not a rebuke!

Within the next 24 hours He would be taken from His disciples, but three days later, after His resurrection, they would see Him again. Their sorrow would be replaced by joy, just as a woman’s pains before giving birth are replaced by joy after the child is born. John 16:16-22. Messiahs’ victory through death and resurrection would give them a confidence in the Father that they never had before. They would see Him as the mediator through whom they could confidently pray to the Father and receive the Father’s blessings with thankfulness. John 16:23-24.

Before His resurrection Messiah spoke to His disciples in figurative language and parables, the resurrection would give them a clearer understanding of the purpose of His mission and the fulfillment of prophecy; and their prayers no longer be dependent on Him. Instead, they would learn to come before the Father personally and with confidence and this would only be possible because of who He was and what He had done. John 16:25-28.

Quoting from Zechariah 13:7 Messiah said in Matt 26:31

For it has been written: ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’

The disciples’ faith was strengthened by Yeshua/Jesus’ words, but they didn’t realize that a few hours later their faith would be put to the test. Frightened and confused they would leave their Rabbi/Lord and Master in His last hours. However, this would only be temporary; because through His victory, they would also be triumphant. John 16:29-33.

In other words He was saying to them:

You will very soon need all the faith you profess to have. Right now you believe Me to be all powerful; but it will be hard to maintain this faith when you see Me arrested, tried, condemned, and crucified as a malefactor/criminal. Then your faith will be so severely shaken that you’ll run away, each one of you will strive to save himself within his own home, or among his family.

Because of the events that were unfolding, Jesus/Yeshua knew that their faith was disordered and unfocused. They had not taken their thoughts captive, rather they were scattered and directed towards their own concerns and other interests they had apart from Him.

Our faith must become active too and be exercised in the realities of our every day lives. If our faith is sustained only by our physical feelings and the blessings we see in the natural realm, then we need to remind ourselves that without Him there is really only barrenness and an emptiness, because the things of this world are fleeting and will all pass away.

This is no doubt what the disciples suddenly experienced after He was gone. Initially they must have felt an emptiness and they looked to themselves; and in doing so their reliance on self, caused them to turn back to what they had known previously.

They returned to what was familiar, to what they knew how to do and were confident in, which was the fishing business.

Simon Peter told them, “I am going fishing.”

“We will go with you,” they said.

John 21:3

When Peter went back to the old life he knew, he also took 6 others with him. This reminds us we are to be mindful of those we influence by our actions. Their old ways/fishing, did not produce fruit – they caught nothing. Why? Was it because the Lord wasn’t with them? Was it because their faith was in the ways of the flesh rather than the Way of His Spirit?

Our faith needs to progress beyond feelings and blessings in order to sustain us. When there is no other option, then our faith in Him and what we truly believe and trust in becomes very real. When we find ourselves in that situation, no matter where that is, or whatever inner emptiness we experience; we know for certain that we can trust/have faith in Him. Then we can praise and thank Him that all is well.

This is what is meant by faith being exercised in the realities of our lives.

Have we left Messiah Jesus alone?

Have we been scattered and not focused?

Are we not seeing His provision and care for us?

Do we see Him at work, even in the tough, dark times, which He allows us to go through?

Are we prepared to be separated from the outward physical evidence of His provision and blessings, and still trust and have faith in Him?

Until Messiah Jesus is truly and unshakably our Lord and Master, we each tend to have goals of our own which we serve. They can come in many guises, distractions, personal preferences, etc. etc. Our faith although real, is not yet permanent and unshakable, not fully mature; which is what was meant by Him saying:

ye of little or immature faith.

When someone accepts Jesus as Lord and personal Savior, they receive the same quantity or measure of faith as every other believer previously. Romans 12:3.

Faith is like a seed,

it grows and matures just like any plant or tree.

It starts with faith in Jesus the Messiah. 2 Tim 3:15; Rom 3:22-28. 

He said to those whom He healed:

thy faith hath made thee whole, or

thy faith hath saved thee. 

And then He added instructions such as,

Go and sin no more.

The idea was, that their lives were supposed to change as a result of their faith, and so too our lives should begin to change once we are saved.

Faith grows with believing His words  1 Thes. 2:13. 

Stephen was full of faith Acts 6:5, 8. Notice those who disputed with him were not able to resist his wisdom and spirit. Acts 6:9-10.  His wisdom and spirit came from his knowledge of the words of God. Acts 7; Rom 10:17.

Paul encourages us that we are to have

Exceedingly growing faith.

How does faith grow exceedingly?

A believer with an exceedingly growing faith is not the one that doesn’t face any hard time or difficulty in life or spiritual walk; but is rather, one who can be recognized by how they handle hard times or adversity that comes their way.

Paul said concerning the believers with exceedingly growing faith:

We are bound to thank God always for you, brethren, as it is meet, because that your faith groweth exceedingly, and the charity of every one of you all toward each other aboundeth; so that we ourselves glory in you in the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that ye endure.  2Thessalonians 1:3-4

The word exceedingly is from the Greek word,

perissos meaning:

Superabundant in quantity or superior in quality, and by implication, it means to be excessive.

Spurgeon said, “A little faith will being your soul to heaven; a great faith will being heaven to your soul.”

From the above scripture,

2 Thess. 1:3-4

it is clear that we can recognize believers with an exceedingly growing faith, by their patience and faith during persecutions, trails, testings and tribulations.

How many scriptures a person can quote, or how much faith they profess when everything is going well, does not identify a believer with an exceedingly growing faith. Neither are they identified by how much zeal or excitement displayed when everyone is in harmony and agreement with them.

Instead, believers with an exceedingly growing faith are known by their affirmation, profession, attitude, patience, perseverance, tolerance, confidence and assurance in our Heavenly Father while in the midst of strong afflictions or oppositions.

Many believers can agree with truths from the Bible, and profess them loudly with great fervor and zeal, however, when they face serious persecution, challenges or adversity, they waiver and falter in their profession, and some give up on the faith they have zealously professed before many witnesses.

Faith is like a muscle, and just like muscles, faith needs to be exercised through tests and trials for it to increase and become strong. Our Heavenly Father will point out to us where we have been only interested in His blessings instead of having our focus in and on Himself. We are always to ask Him about everything first and foremost.

Faith continues growing when we continue living by faith.

Rom. 1:17  the just shall live by faith.

In Hebrews 11, all those mentioned did something with the faith they had, it was action, they were doers.  1 Thess. 1:3 shows us what happens when what we believe begins to affect what we do, this is the work or working of faith.  We are to not only believe what the Scriptures say, but we are to obey what they say. 

Faith is not believing that God can, but that He will.

Faith is strengthened as we go through trials.

2 Thess. 1:4; Jas. 1:2-4.

Our Heavenly Father allows our faith to be tried, so that it will grow exceedingly strong.  He brings the trials, and at other times, He allows the enemy to bring them.  When we come through them, we will be

perfect, established, strengthened and settled.

1 Pet 5:8-10.

(perfect here has the meaning of: mature)

Our faith grows exceedingly when we survive the trials and keep believing by faith that our Heavenly Father’s words are working. 

That kind of faith sees the invisible,

believes the incredible and

receives the impossible!

It all comes back to Messiah’s instruction to seek first, Him, His kingdom and His righteousness and then all these things will be added.

Seek Him first for Him, because we love Him, nowhere do the scriptures tell us to seek only blessings.

We are to ask, seek and knock.

At this Passover season when we think of Gethsemane and Calvary, it’s good to remind ourselves that although they represent something that happened long ago, yet they remain totally unique. These two locations offer the gate, the door, the way to life everlasting for us.

Was Messiah Jesus concerned that as the Son of man, the struggle He was about to face in the flesh body may be the harder test? As the Son of God, the devil could not touch Him and that had been proven in Luke 4. Satan’s final assault came in the garden, it was the opportune time he had waited for since the wilderness testings. Luke 4:13

BUT he was overthrown again!

The Son of man overcame for us as He fulfilled His destiny as Savior of the world.

Here the veil is pulled back and reveals all that it cost Him in order to make it possible for us to become Sons of God. His agony was the foundation for the simplicity of our salvation; and the way of access/door into the very presence/life of our Heavenly Father.

Though simple, we should not take it for granted or esteem it lightly. The new birth was gained for us that day and has enabled us to become born again from above. We are new creatures, new creations in Christ/Messiah, the old has gone. He gave us the power to become Sons of God.

The physical human body should no longer be a restricting controller, limiting us as we daily crucify the flesh life.

So what are we?

We are born from above, we are newly created beings from above, from heaven, more specifically we are truly new creations.

If we are still identifying with the old, we are not walking in the fullness of what He has paid the price for.

We are now Sons of God.

(Meaning His children, both daughters and sons.)

The whole world is groaning and waiting for

the Sons of God to be manifest,

to be revealed

and

to take up our position spiritually.

Time to wake up not to sleep!

It is Time to Watch and Pray… Matt. 6:21

 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.

Rom. 13:11

For this reason He says, “Awake, sleeper, And arise from the dead, And Christ will shine [as dawn] upon you and give you light.” Eph. 5:14

Awake, sleeper, And arise from the dead, And Christ will shine on you.  Revelation 3:2

No obstacle within us can restrict His grace and mercy because during the testing and maturing of our faith, our Heavenly Father’s mercy always flows in the stream of all our trials.

He uses many vessels while they are struggling with their failures; for in their conscious sense of need, they are more yielded to Him than they who think of themselves as being without flaw.

Nothing restricts the spirits work more than the smug, self satisfied attitude of the heart that is spiritually proud. To feel need is to openly receive His grace.

The amazing things we don’t comprehend and all the miraculous things which we don’t understand; these are the things our Father does through us in the times we humbly acknowledge we need Him. He acts in and through us, according to His grace and ability, not according to ours.

We are not to be scattered in any part of our lives and relationships concerning our Heavenly Father. We are not to be distracted or lured away by others things, nor seduced by fascination or empty promises.

What we do need to have is unyielding spiritual fortitude, patience and perseverance and this will be achieved by yielding our hearts towards His purposes and plans; and furthermore by being obedient to that which He has instructed us…

For example in Luke 11:9,10

Ask seek and knock.

Strong’s Hebrew: 5367.

נָקַשׁ

naqash– to knock, strike …

Definition. to knock, strike, hit, strike or bring down.

NASB Translation. ensnared (1), lay snares (1), laying a snare (1), seize (1), snared (1).

In Hebrew Aramaic

knock is naqash

spelled with the letters: nun zade shin

We sometimes use it as a idiom:

we say something has been knocked off.

meaning: stolen

and knock it off meaning: stop it.

And some people will say knock on wood, as a form of hopeful luck similar to keeping your fingers crossed.

Naqash is a word used for a musical instrument

which you strike to make a loud sound,

like a drum or a symbol.

The idea is: a loud urgent knock.

In the first century people were poor and had few possessions not like today’s consumer society. So folks were always knocking on someone’s door asking to borrow something. Similar to war and post war times, when there was rationing on food and folks for example, would borrow a cup of sugar, milk, butter or flour.

It was a custom and an unspoken rule that, if someone needed something you had, you would give it to them as a loan; but you would never ask for a return because you knew that one day you would be knocking on that neighbors door in need.

There is an example in the parable of the man already in bed and a knock at the door and he finally gets up to give him bread that he is needing. Luke 11:5-8.

There were many different types of knocks, and people learned to recognize the knock of a friend or neighbor.

A beggar would gently tap the door with a stick. And the occupant would appear with a piece of bread.

A traveler/ Holy man or any stranger would get a soft tap with his knuckles.

The knock of a person with a bad reputation was always recognized and the door was never opened to them. 

Luke 18:1

However that was one knock that always brought a quick and swift response and that was

the naqash knock.

This was a

loud rapid knock of urgency

the knock of an emergency,

and the door was opened swiftly no matter who it was and help was offered immediately.

Jesus said to simply ask and it would be given.

If we don’t get a response then we are to seek out the answer we need to search for it and find it by being persistent.

However, if you’re in desperate need then

naqash, knock…

start pounding loudly, urgently,

and the door will always open to you.

Those listening to Him, understood this concept very well.

 

We should ask ourselves,

are we asking forgiveness

and seeking His face?

And what kind of knock are we using?

The last thought is this:

Just as Messiah said in John 16:32

He is also with each one of us…

Indeed the hour is coming…let’s not be those who will be taken by surprise. Messiah warned us of the events that would unfold just before His return…

Indeed the hour is coming and is here as we see

those very things happening all around us today.

Matthew 24:1-31; Mark 13:1-37; Luke 21:5-28 

Indeed the hour is coming…

it will be the hour of testing…the testing of our faith in Him

….and when it does…

will we be scattered?

Or

will we trust and have faith

in our Heavenly Fathers

unfailing love, provision and protection…..

will we have exceedingly growing faith?

Faith to stand; knowing the everlasting arms are underneath us?

Maybe the knock we are hearing is

Messiah knocking on the door of our heart!

שָׁלוֹם עֲלֵיכֶם‎,

Shalom aleikhem

chaverim and mishpachah!

Peace to friends and family.

Shavua Tov, Have a blessed week.

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.

Not sure ..you can be…

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.

A Timely Reminder – it’s time for some truth.

It is only the truth that you know and act on

that will make or set you free.

Published last Passover/Pesach, and reposted for this week, for the many new subscribers and readers.

A very warm welcome and abundant shalom, to each and every one who have joined us these last few months.

As we are at the beginning of  the Hebrew Spiritual New Year which starts with the Spring Appointed Times/Feasts; this post is a summary of our Heavenly Fathers Biblically Appointed Times and Seasons according to the Hebrew Calendar. This will hopefully serve as a helpful reference during the rest of the year and beyond if Messiah tarries.

It also includes some background and factual information revealing the roots of some of our western ‘christian’ traditions and focusing specifically on Passover/Resurrection which is more often called easter.

In Israel/Yisrael/יִשְׂרָאֵל and wherever Jewish people are around the world, they are often heard saying: The holidays are late this year or The holidays are early this year. However, the holidays never are early or late; they are always on time, according to the Hebrew calendar. Why? Because it is based on our Heavenly Fathers Word. He is the Creator of all things and King of the Universe/ Melek HaOlam.

Unlike the Gregorian (civil) calendar, which is based on the sun/solar, the Hebrew/Israelite calendar is based primarily on the moon/lunar, with periodic adjustments made to account for the differences between the solar and lunar cycles. Therefore, the Jewish calendar might be described as both solar and lunar.

The moon takes an average of twenty-nine and one-half days to complete its cycle; twelve lunar months equal 354 days. A solar year is 365 1/4 days. There is a difference of eleven days per year. To ensure that the Hebraic/Jewish holidays always fall in the proper season, an extra month is added to the Hebrew calendar seven times out of every nineteen years. If this were not done, the fall harvest festival of Sukkot, for instance, would sometimes be celebrated in the summer, or the spring holiday of Passover/Pesach would sometimes occur in the winter.

Hebrew/Israelite days are reckoned from sunset to sunset rather than from dawn or midnight. The basis for this is biblical. In the story of Creation Genesis 1, each day concludes with the phrase: And there was evening and there was morning. . .

Since evening is mentioned first, the ancient rabbis concluded that in a day, evening precedes morning.

A List of Our Heavenly Fathers’

Appointed Times/ Moedim for this year.

There are four Spring moedim and three Fall moedim. 

מועדים   pronounced: Mo-ahd-eem,

Spring Moedim:

Passover – Pesach

Feast of Unleavened Bread – Hag HaMatzot

First Fruits – Yom Habikkurim

Festival of Weeks (Pentecost) – Shavuot

Fall Moedim:

Feast of Trumpets – Yom Teruah (Rosh Hashanah)

Day of Atonement – Yom Kippur

Feast of Tabernacles – Sukkot

A brief review of the Moedim with dates for this year; for those new to this understanding of the Biblical Calendar.

The Spiritual New Year always begins with the

Spring Appointed Times which in some lists include other events/minor festivals, as well as the 7 Moedim:

Note: The Jewish calendar date begins at sundown of the night beforehand. Thus all holiday observances begin at sundown on the secular dates listed, with the following day being the first full day of the holiday. Jewish calendar dates conclude at nightfall.

In 2023, 14th day of Adar 5783

Purim  פּוּרִים ; “lots”, from the word פור, “pur”

Also (plural) Puwriym {poo-reem’}; or Puriym {poo-reem’}; from puwr; a lot (as by means of a broken piece) 

Strong’s Hebrew: 6332. פּוּר (Pur) — “a lot,” a Jewish feast

Upcoming Purim dates include:

2023, Mar 06 – Mar 07

2024, Mar 23 – Mar 24

Purim is an unusual holiday in many respects. First, Esther is the only biblical book in which God is not mentioned. Second, Purim, like Hanukkah, is viewed as a minor festival according to Jewish custom, but has been elevated to a major holiday as a result of the Jewish historical experience. Over the centuries, Haman has come to symbolize every anti-Semite in every land where Jews were oppressed. The significance of Purim lies not so much in how it began, but in what it has become: a thankful and joyous holiday that affirms and celebrates Jewish survival and continuity throughout history.

The main communal celebration involves a public reading of the Book of Esther (M’gillat Esther)

Strong’s Hebrew: 4039. מְגִלָּה (megillah) — a scroll

This book tells the story of the holiday: Under the rule of King Ahashverosh, Haman, the king’s adviser, plots to exterminate all of the Jews of Persia. His plan is foiled by Queen Esther and her cousin Mordechai, who ultimately save the Jews of Persia from destruction.

 For those new to mmm, a very warm welcome and there is more information on each of the moedim, click on  links below each one.

https://www.minimannamoments.com/who-was-hadassah/

https://www.minimannamoments.com/double-take-and-casting-lots/

https://www.minimannamoments.com/if-i-perish-i-perish-remembering-purim/

https://www.minimannamoments.com/what-has-a-flower-got-to-do-with-a-servant-heart-salvation-and-a-bridegroom/

In 2023, Passover – Pesach- פסח

starts on Wednesday April 5th. 14-22 Nisan

Upcoming Passover dates include:

2023, Apr 05 – Apr 13

2024, Apr 22 – Apr 29

2025:   April 12-20

2026:   April 1-9

2027:   April 21-29

Passover פסח

Strong’s Hebrew: 6453. פָּ֫סַח (pesach) — passover

Pesach in Hebrew is a major spring festival celebrating freedom and family as the Exodus from Egypt more than 3,000 years ago is remembered. The main observances of this holiday center around a special home service called the seder, which includes a meal, the prohibition on eating chametz, and the eating of matzah.

Chametz (also spelled “hametz” or “chometz”) is any food product made from wheat, barley, rye, oats or spelt that has come into contact with water and been allowed to ferment and “rise.”. In practice, just about anything made from these grains—other than Passover matzah, which is carefully controlled to avoid leavening.““““““

 

On the 15th day of Nisan in the Hebrew calendar, people gather with family and friends in the evening to read from a book called the Haggadah, meaning “telling,” which contains the order of prayers,  scripture readings, and songs for the Passover seder. The same that Jesus/Yeshua celebrated with His disciples.

הַגָּדָה, pronounced hah-GOH-doh;

The Haggadah helps to retell the events of the Exodus, so that each generation may learn and remember this story that is so central to Hebrew/Jewish life and history.

Passover/Pesach is celebrated for either seven or eight days, depending on family and community custom. In Israel and for most  around the world, Passover is seven days, but for many others, it is eight days. This includes the days of Unleavened Bread.

Immediately following is

the seven-week period between Pesach/Passover and Shavuot/pentecost, a period of time is known as the Omer.

The Omer has both agricultural and spiritual significance: it marks both the spring cycle of planting and harvest, and the Israelites’ journey out of slavery in Egypt (Passover) and toward receiving the Torah at Mount Sinai (Shavuot). An omer (“sheaf”) is an ancient Hebrew measure of grain. Biblical law forbade any use of the new barley crop until after an omer was brought as an offering to the Temple in Jerusalem.

The Book of Leviticus (23:15-16) also commanded: “And from the day on which you bring the offering…you shall count off seven weeks. They must be complete.”

This commandment led to the practice of the S’firat HaOmer,

or the 49 days of the “Counting of the Omer,”

which begins on the second day of Passover and ends with the celebration of Shavuot on the 50th day.

 

Hag HaMatzot First Fruits – Yom Habikkurim Festival of

Links below for more posts on:

Passover, First Fruits, Seder Meal, Unleavened Bread, Afikomen & Omer…

https://www.minimannamoments.com/revealing-the-overcoming-resheet-of-bikkurim/

https://www.minimannamoments.com/midweek-mannabite-secrets-of-the-seder-plate/

https://www.minimannamoments.com/afikomen-mysterious-and-hidden/

https://www.minimannamoments.com/unleavened-bread-matzot-week/

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

https://www.minimannamoments.com/13-for-supper-and-only-4-cups/

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

https://www.minimannamoments.com/palm-sunday-nisan-the-appointed-time-of-the-lamb/

https://www.minimannamoments.com/not-passing-over-passover-week/

https://www.minimannamoments.com/a-lot-can-happen-in-a-week/

 

SHAVUOT

In 2023, Shavuot Pentecost starts on evening of

Thursday May 25th: 5 Sivan

Upcoming Shavuot dates include:

2023, Friday May 25 – May 26

2024, Jun 11 – Jun 13

2025:   June 1-3

2026:   May 22-23 

Shavuot (שָׁבוּעוֹת)

is the Hebrew word for “weeks,”

and the holiday occurs seven weeks after Firstfruits/Passover/Unleavened Bread.

Shavuot, like many other Jewish holidays, began as an ancient agricultural festival that marked the end of the spring barley harvest and the beginning of the summer wheat harvest. In ancient times, Shavuot was one of three pilgrimage festivals during which Israelites brought crop offerings to the Temple in Jerusalem. Today, it is a celebration of

the giving of Torah (Matan Torah – מַתַּן תּוֹרָה)

to the Israelites in the wilderness. It also marks the culmination of the experience of redemption, sometimes called Atzeret Pesach, the Gathering of Passover.

https://www.minimannamoments.com/50-days-later-an-earthly-and-spiritual-harvest-pentecost-shavuot/

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

ROSH HASHANAH

Hebrew: רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה

1 Tishrei, 2 Tishrei

In 2023, Rosh HaShanah starts on Friday September 15th.

Upcoming Rosh HaShanah dates include:

2023, Sep 15 – Sep 17

2024October 2 at sundown – nightfall on October 4
2025September 22 at sundown – nightfall on September 24

Rosh HaShanah (literally, “Head of the Year”) is the Jewish New Year, a time of prayer, self-reflection, and repentance/ t’shuvah.

It is an appointed time in which we can review our actions during the past year, and look for ways to improve ourselves, in the coming year. The holiday marks the beginning of a 10-day period, known as the Yamim Nora-im /Days of Awe or High Holidays, ushered in by Rosh HaShanah and culminating with Yom Kippur/the Day of Atonement.

Rosh HaShanah is celebrated on the first day of the Hebrew month of Tishrei, which – because of differences in the solar and lunar calendar – corresponds to September or October on the Gregorian or secular calendar. Customs associated with the holiday include sounding the shofar, eating a round challah, and tasting apples and honey to represent a sweet New Year.

The Fall Moedim • Yom Teruah (Trumpets)

Date Of Moed: 1st Day of 7th Month (Tishri – September / October) 

https://www.minimannamoments.com/returning-to-your-first-love/

https://www.minimannamoments.com/apocalypse-of-the-teruahs-cry/

https://www.minimannamoments.com/midweek-mannabite-the-sound-of-the-trumpet/

https://www.minimannamoments.com/blowing-your-own-trumpet-2/

 

YOM KIPPUR

Day of Atonement – יום כפור

In 2023, Yom Kippur starts on Wednesday September 24th/25th.

Tisrei 10/11

9 days after the first day of Rosh Hashanah.

Upcoming Yom Kippur dates:

2023, Sep 24 at sundown – nightfall on – Sep 25

2024October 11 at sundown – nightfall on October 12

2025October 1 at sundown – nightfall on October 2

2026September 13 at sundown – nightfall on September 14

2027October 10 at sundown – nightfall on October 11

Yom Kippur means Day of Atonement and refers to the annual observance of fasting, prayer, and repentance. It is part of the High Holidays, which also includes Rosh HaShanah /the Civil New Year in Israel, Yom Kippur is considered the holiest day on the calendar.

Yom Kippur is the moment in time when our mind, body, and soul are dedicated to reconciliation with our Heavenly Father and our fellow human beings. As the New Year begins, we are called to commit to self-reflection and inner change.

https://www.minimannamoments.com/at-one-ment-with-the-one-you-love/

 

 

SUKKOT

סֻכּוֹת ‎

In 2023, Sukkot starts on Sunday October 9th.

15-21 Tishrei 5784

Upcoming Sukkot dates include:

2024:   Sundown on October 16 – Nightfall on October 23

2025:   Sundown on October 6 – Nightfall on October 13

2026:   Sundown on September 25 – Nightfall on October 2

2027:   Sundown on October 15 – Nightfall on October 22

 

Sukkot is one of the most joyful festivals on the Hebraic calendar. Sukkot is a Hebrew word meaning booths or huts and refers to the Appointed Time of giving thanks for the fall harvest. The holiday has also come to commemorate the 40 years of the Israelites wandering in the desert after the giving of the Torah atop Mt. Sinai.

Sukkot is also called Z’man Simchateinu /Season of Our Rejoicing/time of our joy, as it is the only festival associated with a specific commandment to rejoice. Sukkot is celebrated five days after Yom Kippur on the 15th of the Hebrew month of Tishrei, and is marked by several distinct traditions. One, which takes the commandment to dwell in booths literally, is to build a sukkah, a small, temporary booth or hut. Sukkot, the plural of sukkah, are used for eating, entertaining and even for sleeping during the seven-day festival.

They have open walls and open doors, and this encourages a welcome to as many people as possible, inviting family, friends, neighbors, and community to rejoice, eat, and share with each other.

Another name for Sukkot is Tabernacles and another is Chag HaAsif/Festival of the Ingathering, representing the importance of giving thanks for the bounty of the earth, as well as future prophetic meaning when Messiah will tabernacle/make His home with us forever.

https://www.minimannamoments.com/sukkot-the-promise-of-a-permanent-dwelling-place/

https://www.minimannamoments.com/sheltering-presence-god/

https://www.minimannamoments.com/the-sheltering-presence-of-god-cont/

As we are about to begin the

Spring Moedim/Appointed Times….

it is important for us to have some insight into our calendar and its holidays/holy days.

Each year in the springtime, the mainstream Christian world celebrates a holiday called Easter. Many assume that the name of this holiday easter, originated with the resurrection of Messiah Jesus Christ/Yeshua HaMashiach but as the information provided here will reveal, this spring tradition of men is actually an older and far less ‘holy’ day than one would think. 

This post is not in any way negating the season and appointed time of Jesus/Yeshuas’ sacrificial, substitutionary death and resurrection; rather an eyeopener to the truth behind the name easter which so many of grew up with and no one told us what it really stands for!

The truth about the name Easter is that we can get so caught up in traditions of men that have grown over time connected to that which is behind the name, that we miss the crucial point of it all. Jesus/Yeshua and His disciples didn’t have eggs, rabbits or a pretty basket.

This is not an attempt to try and spoil our joy but rather an effort to open our eyes to what we have now become accustomed to and as a tradition of men, it is making the word of God of no effect. We need to ask ourselves, where in scripture is the word Easter to be found? Where are we told to celebrate Easter? It is not in there because it is called Passover/Pesach in Hebrew. It is the commemoration of the passing over of the death angel before the children of Israel, the Hebrews made their Exodus from Egypt. The reason they were Passed over was

because of the blood of the Phascal/Passover lamb

placed on the doorposts and lintel of their homes. There was no rabbit, no eggs, or other decorative motifs of western easter decor.  it was life or death and depended on their

trust/faith in the blood of the lamb!

We are mixing holy thing with unholy things when we incorporate the worldly easter traditions and iconography. Can we really believe this is pleasing to our Heavenly Father? Where in the Word of God are any instructions of such easter celebrations? Did the disciples and apostles follow the easter traditions that are not based on any scriptural instruction?

It’s Time For Some Truth

because

The Truth Will Make You Free –

There is so much truth contained in the 7 Appointed times that our Heavenly Father set in His calendar and Jesus /Yeshua is the central focus in them ALL! The old covenant/testament fulfilled in the new.

The following extensive list of quotes have been compiled from researching valid and scholarly sources and it would not take but a few clicks on the internet for any reader to confirm them:

The purpose is to reveal the truth about the origins of this spring ‘Christianized’ pagan holiday.

The point is not so much the hidden meanings of the symbols and story but that of how our hearts are before our Creator, Savior and soon returning King.

Do we decide and choose what days to observe and celebrate, or does Our Heavenly Father? The Bible tells us that a little leaven leavens the whole lump. After reading though them and discerning the truth hopefully it will be helpful information for use in explaining to others the roots of our ‘christian traditions’; and for us to follow His lead – away from non-biblical holidays.

What are we really saying and referring to and paying homage to when we say the word easter? Lets find out….If you have never considered this before let the Fathers Spirit of Holiness prepare your heart, some of the following may be a shock! Its not always easy to admit we have been misled for most of our lives; but I for one, would rather throw away all I have thought was right in exchange for the WAY the TRUTH and the LIFE. 

“The English word Easter is derived from the names ‘Eostre’ – ‘Eastre’ – ‘Astarte’ or ‘Ashtaroth’. Astarte was introduced into the British Isles by the Druids and is just another name for Beltis or Ishtar of the Chaldeans and Babylonians. The book of Judges records that ‘the children of Israel did evil …in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim, and Ashtaroth, …and forsook the LORD, and served not Him.’ Easter is just another name for Ashteroth ‘The Queen of Heaven.’ Easter was not considered a ‘Christian’ festival until the fourth century. Early Christians celebrated Passover on the 14th day of the first month and a study of the dates on which Easter is celebrated will reveal that the celebration of Easter is not observed in accordance with the prescribed time for the observance of Passover. After much debate, the Nicaean council of 325 A.D. decreed that ‘Easter’ should be celebrated on the first Sunday after the vernal equinox.

Why was so much debate necessary if ‘Easter’ was a tradition passed down from the Apostles?

The answer is that it was not an Apostolic institution, but, an invention of man! They had to make up some rules. History records that spring festivals in honor of the pagan fertility goddesses and the events associated with them were celebrated at the same time as ‘Easter’. In the year 399 A.D. the Theodosian Code attempted to remove the pagan connotation from those events and banned their observance. The pagan festival of Easter originated as the worship of the sun goddess, the Babylonian Queen of Heaven who was later worshipped under many names including Ishtar, Cybele, Idaea Mater (the Great Mother), or Astarte for whom the celebration of Easter is named. Easter is not another name for the Feast of Passover and is not celebrated at the Biblically prescribed time for Passover. This pagan festival was supposedly ‘Christianized’ several hundred years after Christ.” (Richard Rives, Too Long in the Sun)

“There is no indication of the observance of the Easter festival in the New Testament, or in the writings of the Apostolic Fathers. The sanctity of special times [i.e., aside from the Holy Days appointed by God] was an idea absent from the minds of the first Christians, who continued to observe the Jewish [i.e., God’s] festivals, though in a new spirit, as commemorations of events which those festivals had foreshadowed. Thus the Passover, with a new conception added to it of Christ, as the true Paschal Lamb and the firstfruits from the dead, continued to be observed, and became the Christian Easter. The name Easter (Ger. Ostern), like the names of the days of the week, is a survival from the old Teutonic mythology. According to Bede (De Temp. Rat. c.xv.) it is derived from Eostre, or Ostara, the Anglo-Saxon goddess of spring, to whom the month answering to our April, and called Eostur-monath, was dedicated. This month, Bede says, was the same as mensis pashalis, ‘when the old festival was observed with the gladness of a new solemnity.’ The name of the festival in other languages (as Fr. paques; Ital. pasqua; Span. pascua; Dan. paaske; Dutch paasch; Welsh pasg) is derived from the Lat. pascha and the Gr. pascha. These in turn come from the Chaldee or Aramaean form pascha’, of the Hebrew name of the Passover festival pesach…” (Encyclopaedia Brittanica, 11th edition, vol. 8, p. 828, article: “Easter”)The Origin and History of Easter

“The term ‘Easter’ is not of Christian origin. It is another form of Astarte, one of the titles of the Chaldean goddess, the queen of heaven. The festival of Pesach/Pasch [Passover and the Feast of Unleavens] was a continuation of the Israelite Hebrews [that is, God’s] feast….from this Pasch the pagan festival of ‘Easter’ was quite distinct and was introduced into the apostate Western religion, as part of the attempt to adapt pagan festivals to Christianity.” (W.E. Vine, Merrill F. Unger, William White, Jr., Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, article: Easter, p.192)

Ish·tar : Mythology The chief Babylonian and Assyrian goddess, associated with love, fertility, and war, being the counterpart to the Phoenician Astarte. (The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition. 2000)

The fact that Ishtar was connected to fertility and reproduction gave rise to the springtime renewal of natural birth cycles and in time developed into using images of newborn spring lambs/chickens and rabbits and of course the symbolic egg.

Tammuz: ancient nature deity worshiped in Babylonia. A god of agriculture and flocks, he personified the creative powers of spring. He was loved by the fertility goddess Ishtar, who, according to one legend, was so grief-stricken at his death that she contrived to enter the underworld to get him back. According to another legend, she killed him and later restored him to life. These legends and his festival, commemorating the yearly death and rebirth of vegetation, corresponded to the festivals of the Phoenician and Greek Adonis and of the Phrygian Attis. The Sumerian name of Tammuz was Dumuzi. In the Bible his disappearance is mourned by the women of Jerusalem (Ezek. 8.14).(The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001)

“There is no warrant in Scripture for the observance of the Christmas date  nor Easter as holydays, rather the contrary…and such observance is contrary to the principles of the Reformed faith, conducive to will-worship, and not in harmony with the simplicity of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. ” (Morton H. Smith, How is the Gold Become Dim, Jackson, Mississippi: Steering Committee for a Continuing Presbyterian Church, etc., 1973, p.98)

“EASTER (AV Acts 12:4), An anachronistic mistranslation of the Gk. pascha (RSV, NEB, “Passover”), in which the AV followed such earlier versions as Tyndale and Coverdale. The Acts passage refers to the seven-day Passover festival (including the Feast of Unleavened Bread). It is reasonably certain that the NT contains no reference to a yearly celebration of the resurrection of Christ.” (International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia, edited by Geoffrey Bromiley, Vol 2 of 4, p.6, article: Easter)

“The term Easter was derived from the Anglo-Saxon ‘Eostre,’ the name of the goddess of spring. In her honor sacrifices were offered at the time of the vernal equinox. By the 8th cent. the term came to be applied to the anniversary of Christ’s resurrection.” (International Standard Bible Encyclopaedia, edited by Geoffrey Bromiley, Vol 2 of 4, p.6, article: Easter)

In primitive agricultural societies natural phenomena, such as rainfall, the fecundity of the earth, and the regeneration of nature were frequently personified. One of the most important pagan myths was the search of the earth goddess for her lost (or dead) child or lover (e.g., Isis and Osiris, Ishtar and Tammuz, Demeter and Persephone). This myth, symbolizing the birth, death, and reappearance of vegetation, when acted out in a sacred drama, was the fertility rite par excellence.(The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001)

Attis, in Phrygian religion, vegetation god. …Like Adonis, Attis came to be worshiped as a god of vegetation, responsible for the death and rebirth of plant life. Each year at the beginning of spring his resurrection was celebrated in a festival. In Roman religion he became a powerful celestial deity. (The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001)

“The festival, of which we read in Church history, under the name of Easter, in the third or fourth centuries, was quite a different festival from that now observed in the Romish [and Protestant] Church, and at that time was not known by any such name as Easter. It was called Pasch, or the Passover, and though not of Apostolic institution [It was instituted by God and by Jesus–Lev 23; Matt 26:17-29; Mark 14:12-25; Luke 22:7-20; I Cor 11:23-30], was very early observed by many professing Christians in commemoration of the death and resurrection of Christ [It is a memorial of His death, not His resurrection–I Cor 11:26]. That festival agreed originally with the time of the Jewish [i.e., God’s] Passover, when Christ was crucified …. That festival was not idolatrous, and it was preceded by no Lent” (Alexander Hislop, The Two Babylons, p.104)

“The name Easter comes from Eostre, an ancient Anglo-Saxon goddess, originally of the dawn. In pagan times an annual spring festival was held in her honor.” (Compton’s Encyclopedia and Fact-Index. Vol 7. Chicago: Compton’s Learning Company, 1987, p.41)

“Easter. [Gk. pascha, from Heb. pesah] The Passover …, and so translated in every passage except the KJV: ‘intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people’ [Acts 12:4]. In the earlier English versions Easter had been frequently used as the translation of pascha. At the last revision [1611 A.V.] Passover was substituted in all passages but this…The word Easter is of Saxon origin, the name is eastra, the goddess of spring in whose honor sacrifices were offered about Passover time each year. By the eighth century Anglo-Saxons had adopted the name to designate the celebration of Christ’s resurrection.” (New Unger’s Bible Dictionary, article: “Easter”)

“It is called Easter in the English, from the goddess Eostre, worshipped by the Saxons with peculiar ceremonies in the month of April.” (Encyclopædia Britannica, Vol II, Edinburgh: A. Bell & C. Macfarquhar, 1768, p.464)

“The name of a feast, according to the Venerable Bede, comes from Eostre, A Teutonic goddess whose festival was celebrated in the spring. The name was given to the Christian festival in celebration of the resurrected Eostre, it was who, according to the legend, opened portals of Valhalla to recieve Baldur, called the white god because of his purity and also the sun god because his brow supplied light to mankind. It was Baldur who, after he had been murdered by Utgard Loki, the enemy of goodness and truth, spent half the year in Valhalla and the other half with the pale goddess of the lower regions. As the festival of Eostre was a celebration of the renewal of life in the spring it was easy to make it a celebration of the resurrection from the dead of Jesus. There is no doubt that the church in its early days adopted the old pagan customs and gave a Christian meaning to them.” (George William Douglas, The American Book of Days, article: Easter)

“EASTER: This is from Anglo-Saxon Eostre, a pagan goddess whose festival came at the spring equinox.” (Joseph T. Shipley, Dictionary of Word Origins, New York: Philosophical Library, MCMXLV, p.131)

“The word Easter comes from the Old English word eostre, the name of a dawn-goddess worshipped in the Spring.” (Oxford Junior Encyclopaedia, London: Odhams, 1957, p.123)

“When Christianity conquered Rome: the ecclesiastical structure of the pagan church, the title and the vestments of the pontifex maximus, the worship of the Great Mother goddess and a multitude of comforting divinities, the sense of super sensible presences everywhere, the joy or solemnity of old festivals, and the pageantry of immemorial ceremony, passed like maternal blood into the new religion,–and captive Rome conquered her conqueror. The reins and skills of government were handed down by a dying empire to a virile papacy.” (Will Durant, Caesar and Christ, p. 672)

“Satan, the great counterfeiter, worked through the ‘mystery of iniquity’ to introduce a counterfeit Sabbath to take the place of the true Sabbath of God. Sunday stands side by side with Ash Wednesday, Palm Sunday, Holy (or Maundy) Thursday, Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Whitsun day, Corpus Christi, Assumption Day, All Souls’ Day, Christmas Day, and a host of other ecclesiastical feast days too numerous to mention. This array of Roman catholic feasts and fast days are all man made. None of them bears the divine credentials of the Author of the Inspired Word.” (M. E. Walsh)

“The {Roman Catholic] church took the pagan philosophy and made it the buckler of faith against the heathen. She took the pagan, Roman Pantheon, temple of all the gods, and made it sacred to all the martyrs; so it stands to this day. She took the pagan Sunday and made it the Christian Sunday. She took the pagan Easter and made it the feast we celebrate during this season. Sunday and Easter day are, if we consider their derivation, much the same. In truth, all Sundays are Sundays only because they are a weekly, partial recurrence of Easter day. The pagan Sunday was, in a manner, an unconscious preparation for Easter day.” (Willliam L. Gildea, D.D., Paschale Gaudium, in The Catholic World, Vol. LVIII., No. 348., March, 1894, published in New York by The Office of The Catholic World., pp.808-809)

“In ancient Anglo-Saxon myth, Ostara is the personification of the rising sun. In that capacity she is associated with the spring and is considered to be a fertility goddess. She is the friend of all children, and to amuse them, she changed her pet bird into a rabbit. This rabbit brought forth brightly colored eggs, which the goddess gave to the children as gifts. From her name and rites the festival of Easter is derived. Ostara is identical to the Greek Eos and the Roman Aurora.” (Encyclopedia Mythica, article: Ostara)

“Vernal Mysteries (spring heathen rites) like those of Tammuz, and Osiris and Adonis flourished in the Mediterranean world and farther north and east there were others. Some of their rites and symbols were carried forward into Easter customs. Many of them have survived into our own day, unchanged yet subtly altered in their new surroundings to bear a ‘Christian’significance.” (Christina Hole, Easter and its Customs)

“…Eastre, the Anglo-Saxon name of a Teutonic goddess of spring and fertility, to whom was dedicated a month corresponding to April. Her festival was celebrated on the day of the vernal equinox; traditions associated with the festival survive in the Easter rabbit, a symbol of fertility, and in colored easter eggs, originally painted with bright colors to represent the sunlight of spring, and used in Easter-egg rolling contests or given as gifts.” (Funk and Wagnall’s Encyclopedia, article: Easter)

“EASTER: from Old English eastre, name of a spring goddess.” (The Columbia Encyclopedia, Fifth Edition, Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1995)

“The pagan festival held at the vernal equinox to honor Eastre, the goddess of dawn, was called Eastre in Old English. Since the Christian festival celebrating Christ’s resurrection fell at about the same time, the pagan name was borrowed for it when Christianity was introduced to England, the name later being changed slightly to Easter. ” (Robert Hendrickson, The Facts on File Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins, New York: Facts on File, 1987, p.177)

“EASTER: West Germanic name of a pagan spring festival.” (Webster’s Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary, Springfield: G. & C. Merriam Company, 1976)

“The English word Easter comes from the goddess Eastre, whose festival was celebrated at the vernal equinox, and who presided over the fertility of man and animals.” (Betty Nickerson, Celebrate the Sun, Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1969, p.38)

“The story of Easter is not simply a Christian story. Not only is the very name “Easter” the name of an ancient and non-Christian deity; the season itself has also, from time immemorial, been the occasion of rites and observances having to do with the mystery of death and resurrection among peoples differing widely in race and religion.” (Alan W. Watts, Easter: its Story and Meaning)

“Before Christ was born the people living in northern Europe had a goddess called Eostre, the goddess of the spring. Every year, in spring the people had a festival for her. The name of our spring festival, Easter, comes from the name Eostre.” (The Easter Book, Milan: Macdonald Educational, 1980, p.5)

“The Venerable Bede, (672-735 CE.) a Christian scholar, first asserted in his book De Ratione Temporum that Easter was named after Eostre (a.k.a. Eastre). She was the Great Mother Goddess of the Saxon people in Northern Europe. Similar Teutonic dawn goddess of fertility [were] known variously as Ostare, Ostara, Ostern, Eostra, Eostre, Eostur, Eastra, Eastur, Austron and Ausos.” (Larry Boemler, Biblical Archaeology Review, Vol. 18, Number 3, 1992-May/June, article: “Asherah and Easter”)

“Eostre: Saxon and Neo-Pagan goddess of fertility and springtime whom the holiday Easter was originally named after.” (Gerina Dunwich, The Concise Lexicon of the Occult, New York: Citadel Press, 1990 p.54)

“EASTER: Bæde Temp. Rat. XV. derives the word from Eostre (Northumb. spelling Éastre), the name of a goddess whose festival was celebrated at the vernal equinox; her name…shows that she was originally the dawn-goddess.” (The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1989)

“Astarte: a Phoenician goddess of fertility and sexual love who corresponds to the Babylonian and Assyrian goddess Ishtar and who became identified with the Egyptian Isis, the Greek Aphrodite, and others.” (Oxford Dictionary of English)

“Ishtar: ancient fertility deity, the most widely worshiped goddess in Babylonian and Assyrian religion. Ishtar was important as a mother goddess, goddess of love, and goddess of war. Her cult spread throughout W Asia, and she became identified with various other earth goddesses (see GREAT MOTHER OF THE GODS). Great Mother of the Gods: in ancient Middle Eastern religion (and later in Greece, Rome, and W Asia), mother goddess, the great symbol of the earth’s fertility. As the creative force in nature, she was worshiped under many names, including ASTARTE (Syria), CERES (Rome), CYBELE (Phrygia), DEMETER (Greece), ISHTAR (Babylon), and ISIS (Egypt). The later forms of her cult involved the worship of a male deity (her son or lover, e.g., ADONIS, OSIRIS), whose death and resurrection symbolized the regenerative power of the earth.” (www.encyclopedia.com)

When we reflect how often the Church has skilfully contrived to plant the seeds of the new faith on the old stock of paganism, we may surmise that the Easter celebration of the dead and risen Christ was grafted upon a similar celebration of the dead and risen Adonis, which, as we have seen reason to believe, was celebrated in Syria at the same season. ( Sir James George Frazer (1854–1941).

“Thus much already laid down may seem a sufficient treatise to prove that the celebration of the feast of Easter began everywhere more of custom than by any commandment either of Christ or any apostle.” (Socrates, Hist Ecclesiates., lib. v. cap. 22)

“Just as many Christian customs and similar observance had their origin in pre-Christian times, so, too some of the popular traditions of…. Easter dates back to ancient nature rites… The origin of the Easter egg is based on the fertility lore of the Indo-European races…The Easter bunny had its origin in pre-Christian fertility lore. Hare and rabbit were the most fertile animals our forefathers knew, serving as symbols of … new life in the spring season.” (Jesuit author Francis X. Weiser, The Easter Book, pp.15,181,&188)

“As with the other Christian holidays, there was also a holiday in ancient times that was celebrated at about the same time. In this case, it was the celebration of the vernal equinox-the tribute to the goddess of spring, Eastre. Eastre was an Anglo-Saxon goddess who is reputed to have opened the gates of Valhalla for the slain sun god, Baldrun, thereby bringing light to man. Easter also refers to the rising of the sun in the east.” (Carole Potter, Encyclopedia of Superstition, London: Michael O’Mara Books, 1983, p.69)

“Then look at Easter. When means the term Easter itself? It is not a Christian name. It bears its Chaldean origin on its very forehead. Easter is nothing else than Astarte, one of the titles of Beltis, the queen of heaven, whose name, as pronounced by the people of Nineveh, was evidently identical with that now in common use in this country. That name, as found by Layard on the Assyrian monuments, is Ishtar.” [The Two Babylons (Or The Papal Worship), Alexander Hislop, 1916, Neptune, NJ, Loizeaux Brothers, Inc., p.103]

“About the end of the sixth century, the first decisive attempt was made to enforce the observance of the new calendar. It was in Britain that the first attempt was made in this way; and here the attempt met with vigorous resistance. The difference, in point of time, betwixt the Christian Pasch, as observed in Britain by the native Christians, and the Pagan Easter enforced by Rome, at the time of its enforcement, was a whole month; and it was only by violence and bloodshed, at last, that the Festival of the Anglo-Saxon or Chaldean goddess came to supersede that which had been held in honour of Christ.” [The Two Babylons (Or The Papal Worship), Alexander Hislop, 1916, Neptune, NJ, Loizeaux Brothers, Inc., p.107]

“Many of the customs associated with Easter are derived from various spring fertility rites of the pagan religions which Christianity supplanted.” (Encyclopedia International, China: Lexicon Publications, 1973, p.190)

“Easter is connected in many ways with early pagan rituals that accompanied the arrival of spring.” (Merit Students Encyclopedia, New York: P. F. Collier, 1983, p.167-168)

“Both of these festivals [Easter and Christmas] have roots in old pagan rituals that they have superceeded.” (G. MacGregor, Dictionary of Religion and Philosophy, New York: Paragon House, 1991, p.207)

“Even though it [Easter] has stood for over fifteen hundred years as the symbol of the resurrection of Jesus to members of the Christian Church, it is not entirely a Christian festival. Its origins go far back into pagan rites and customs.” (Charlotte Adams, Easter Idea Book, New York: M. Barrows and Company, 1954, p.11)

“Many of the customs associated with Easter originate in pagan celebrations of spring.” (New Standard Encyclopedia, Vol 6. Chicago: Standard Educational, 1991,pE-25-E-27)

“There is no indication of the observance of the Easter festival in the New Testament, or in the writings of the [so-called] apostolic Fathers. The sanctity of special times was an idea absent from the mind of the first Christians.” (The Encyclopædia Britannica, 11th ed., Vol VIII, Cambridge: The University Press, 1910, p.828)

“Around the Christian observance of Easter as the climax of the liturgical drama of Holy Week and Good Friday, folk customs have collected, many of which have been handed down from the ancient ceremonial and symbolism of European and Middle Eastern pagan spring festivals brought into relation with the resurrection theme.” (The New Encyclopædia Britannica, 15th ed. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica, 1992. p.333)

“When Christians first spread across Europe, believers in the new faith changed many of the older rites and ceremonies, adapting them to fit with the life and teaching of Jesus. They did not try to stop people from having a great spring festival for their old pagan goddess, Eostre.” (Julian Fox, Easter, Vero Beach: Rourke Enterprises, 1989, p.11)

About 200 B.C. mystery cults began to appear in Rome just as they had earlier in Greece. Most notable was the Cybele cult centered on Vatican hill …Associated with the Cybele cult was that of her lover, Attis (the older Tammuz, Osiris, Dionysus, or Orpheus under a new name). He was a god of ever-reviving vegetation. Born of a virgin, he died and was reborn annually. The festival began as a day of blood on Black Friday and culminated after three days in a day of rejoicing over the resurrection.” (EASTER: ITS ORIGINS AND MEANINGS by The Religious Tolerance Organization Web site http://www.religioustolerance.org/easter.htm)

Easter Eggs

“Eggs were a primitive symbol of fertility; but Christians saw in them a symbol of the tomb from which Christ rose, and continued the [pagan] practice of coloring, giving, and eating them at Easter. “(New Age Encyclopedia.,Vol 6. China: Lexicon Publications, 1973, p.190)

“The custom may have its origin in paganism, for a great many pagan customs, celebrating the return of spring, gravitated to Easter. The egg is the emblem of the germinating life of early spring.” (Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol.5, article: Easter)

“Eggs were hung up in the Egyptian temples. Bunsen calls attention to the mundane egg, the emblem of generative life, proceeding from the mouth of the great god of Egypt. The mystic egg of Babylon, hatching the Venus Ishtar, fell from heaven to the Euphrates. Dyed eggs were sacred Easter offerings in Egypt, as they are still in China and Europe. Easter, or spring, was the season of birth, terrestrial and celestial.” (James Bonwick, Egyptian Belief and Modern Thought, pp. 211-212)

“…the egg as a symbol of fertility and of renewed life goes back to the ancient Egyptians and Persians, who had also the custom of colouring and eating eggs during their spring festival.” (Encylopaedia Britannica, article: Easter)

“Eggs were sacred to many ancient civilizations and formed an integral part of religious ceremonies in Egypt and the Orient. Dyed eggs were hung in Egyptian temples, and the egg was regarded as the emblem of regenerative life proceeding from the mouth of the great Egyptian god.” (Anon, Easter: The Pagan Origins of Common Easter Traditions)

“The egg has become a popular Easter symbol…In ancient Egypt and Persia, friends exchanged decorated eggs at the spring equinox, the beginning of their New Year. These eggs were a symbol of fertility for them….Christians of the Near East adopted this tradition, and the Easter egg became a religious symbol. It represented the tomb from which Jesus came forth to new life.” (Greg Dues, Catholic Customs and Traditions, 1992, p.101)

“The origin of the Pasch eggs is just as clear. The ancient Druids bore an egg, as the sacred emblem of their order. In the Dionysiaca, or mysteries of Bacchus, as celebrated in Athens, one part of the nocturnal ceremony consisted in the consecration of an egg. The Hindoo fables celebrate their mundane egg as of a golden colour. The people of Japan make their sacred egg to have been brazen. In China, at this hour, dyed or painted eggs are used on sacred festivals, even as in this country. In ancient times eggs were used in the religious rites of the Egyptians and the Greeks, and were hung up for mystic purposed in their temples. From Egypt these sacred eggs can be distinctly traced to the banks of the Euphrates. The classic poets are full of the fable of the mystic egg of the Babylonians; and thus its tale is told by Hyginus, the Egyptian, the learned keeper of the Palatine library at Rome, in the time of Augustus, who was skilled in all the wisdom of the native country: ‘An egg of wondrous size is said to have fallen from heaven into the river Euphrates. The fishes rolled it to the bank, were the doves having settled upon it, and hatched it, out came Venus, who afterwards was called the Syrian Goddess’–that is, Astarte. Hence the egg became one of the symbols of Astarte or Easter; and accordingly, in Cyprus, one of the chosen seats of the worship of Venus, or Astarte, the egg of wondrous size was represented on a grand scale.” [The Two Babylons (Or The Papal Worship) , Alexander Hislop, 1916, Neptune, NJ, Loizeaux Brothers, Inc., pp.108-109]

“Christians adapted the symbols, ceremonies and name of the spring festivities of Ishtar-Esther-Eostre to create Easter. Jesus breaks through the hard, cold coffin shell of death to be reborn every spring. In the resurrection of Christ, we witness the vernal rebirth of the soul.” (D. Henes, Celestially Auspicious Occasions: Seasons, Cycles and Celebrations, New York: Perigee Book)

“The Persians and Egyptians colored eggs and ate them during their new year’s celebration, which came in the spring.” (The New Book of Knowledge, Danbury: Grolier, 1991, p.44)

“In northern Europe, Eostre, the Teutonic-Anglo-Saxon goddess of dawn, evolved from Astarte in Babylon and from Ishtar from Assyria. Eggs, dyed blood-red and rolled in the newly sown soil at spring equinox, ensured fertility of the fields. The Moon Hare, sacred animal totem of Eostre, laid more colored eggs for children to find. From the name, Eostre, Astarte, and Ishtar, we derive the scientific terminology for the female hormone and reproduction cycle: estrogen and estrus. Easter also derives from Eostre.” (D. Henes, Celestially Auspicious Occasions: Seasons, Cycles and Celebrations, New York: Perigee Book)

“Since man’s earliest time, the egg, symbolizing the universe, figures in creation mythologies including those of China, Japan, Finland, Siberia and parts of Africa. …When today’s children hunt for Easter eggs they are re-enacting one of man’s oldest rituals. ” (Betty Nickerson, Celebrate the Sun, Toronto: McClelland and Stewart, 1969, p.38)

“This [Easter egg hunting] is not mere child’s play, but the vestige of a fertility rite” (Funk & Wagnalls’ Standard Dictionary of Folklore, Mythology and Legend, Volume 1, pg.335)

“The egg, as a symbol of New Life is much older than Christianity and the coloring of it at the spring festival is also of very ancient origin. The Egyptians, the Persians, the Greeks and the Romans used it this way. Eggs were eaten during the spring festival from very early times. Children are told that the rabbit lays the Easter eggs in a garden for the children to find. This is an adaption of the pagan custom of regarding the rabbit as an emblem of fertility, that is, of new life.” (George William Douglas, The American Book of Days, article: Easter)

“The exchange of Easter eggs, which symbolize new life and fertility, is one of the oldest traditions. Rabbits and flowers are also pagan fertility symbols.” (New Standard Encyclopedia, Vol. 6, Chicago: Standard Educational, 1991. pE-25-E-27)

Easter Lilies

“The so-called ‘Easter lily’ has long been revered by pagans of various lands as a holy symbol associated with the reproductive organs. It was considered a phallic symbol!” (A. J. Dager, Facts and Fallacies of the Resurrection, p.5)

Easter Bunny (i.e., rabbits/hares)

“Nobody seems to know precisely the origin of the Easter bunny, except that it can be traced back to pre-Christian fertility lore. It has never had any connection with Christian religious symbolism.” (Priscilla Sawyer and Daniel J. Foley, Easter the World Over, Philadelphia: Chilton Book Company, 1971, p.104)

“Little children are usually told that the Easter eggs are brought by the Easter Bunny. Rabbits are part of pre-Christian fertility symbolism because of their reputation to reproduce rapidly.” (Greg Dues, Catholic Customs and Traditions, 1992, p.102)

“The Easter Rabbit lays the eggs, for which reason they are hidden in a nest or in the garden. The rabbit is a pagan symbol and has always been an emblem of fertility (Simrock, Mythologie, 551).” (Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol.5, article: Easter)

“The Easter hare was no ordinary animal, but a sacred companion of the old goddess of spring, Eostre.” (Julian Fox, Easter, Vero Beach: Rourke Enterprises, 1989, p.11)

“Like the Easter egg, the Easter hare, now an accepted part of the traditional Easter story, came to Christianity from antiquity. The hare is associated with the moon in the legends of ancient Egypt and other peoples.” (Encyclopædia Britannica, Vol 7. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica, 1955, p.859)

“The hare, the symbol of fertility in ancient Egypt, a symbol that was kept later in Europe, is not found in North America. Its place is taken by the Easter rabbit, the symbol of fertility and periodicity both human and lunar, accredited with laying eggs in nests prepared for it at Easter or with hiding them away for children to find.” (The New Encyclopædia Britannica, 15th ed. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica, 1992, p.333)

“The white rabbit of Easter, beloved of small Americans, comes hopping down to us from eras when the sun and the moon were gods to men.” (Marguerite Ickis, The Book of Religious Holidays and Celebrations, New York: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1966, p.133)

Sunrise Services

“The custom of a sunrise service on Easter Sunday can be traced to ancient spring festivals that celebrated the rising sun.”(The New Book of Knowledge, Danbury: Grolier, 1981, p.41)

“Then said he unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations than these. And he brought me into the inner court of the LORD’S house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the LORD, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east. (Holy Scripture, King James Version, Ezekiel 8:15-16)

“Cults of the sun, as we know from many sources, had attained great vogue during the second, third, and fourth centuries. Sun-worshipers indeed formed one of the big groups in that religious world in which Christianity was fighting for a place. Many of them became converts to Christianity . . . Worshipers in St. Peter’s turned away from the altar and faced the door so that they could adore the rising sun.” (Gordon J. Laing, Survivals of Roman Religion, p. 192)

“A suitable, single example of the pagan influence may be had from an investigation of the Christian custom of turning toward the East, the land of the rising sun, while offering their prayers…” (F.A. Regan, Dies Dominica, P. 196)

“Others, with greater regard to good manners, it must be confessed, suppose that the sun is the God of the Christians, because it is a well-known fact that we pray toward the east, or because we make Sunday a day of festivity.” (Tertullian [155-225 AD.], Ad Nationes, i 13, in The Ante-Nicene Fathers, vol. III, p. 123)

Easter Parades & Wearing of New Clothes

“The Easter Parade which is held after church services in many cultures is another survival from long ago. Before there were courtiers or fashion pages there was a lively superstition, dear to princesses and peasant maidens alike, that a new garment worn at Easter meant good luck throughout the year.” (Marguerite Ickis, The Book of Religious Holidays and Celebrations, New York: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1966, p.133)

“For centuries, even in pagan times, it had been the custom to put on new clothes for the spring festival.” (Priscilla Sawyer and Daniel J. Foley, Easter the World Over, Philadelphia: Chilton Book Company, 1971, p.134)

Hot-cross buns

Jeremiah 7:18 The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto other gods, that they may provoke me to anger19 Do they provoke me to anger? saith the LORD: do they not provoke themselves to the confusion of their own faces? (The KJV Bible)

“The hot-cross bun, for example, is pagan in origin. The Anglo-Saxon savages consumed cakes as a part of the jolity that attended the welcoming of spring. The early missionaries from Rome despaired of breaking them of the habit, and got around the difficulty at last by blessing the cakes, drawing a cross upon them.” (Marguerite Ickis, The Book of Religious Holidays and Celebrations, New York: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1966, p.134)

“The ‘buns,’ known too by that identical name, were used in the worship of the queen of heaven, the goddess Easter, as early as the days of Cecrops, the founder of Athens–that is, 1500 years before the Christian era. ‘One species of sacred bread,’ says Bryant, ‘which used to be offered to the gods, was of great antiquity, and called Boun.’ Diogenes Laertius, speaking of this offering being made by Empedocles, describes the chief ingredients of which it was composed, saying, ‘He offered one of the sacred cakes called Boun, which was made of fine flour and honey.’ The prophet Jeremiah takes notice of this kind of offering when he says, ‘The children gather wood, the fathers kindle the fire, and the women knead their dough, to make cakes to the queen of heaven.’ The hot cross buns are not now offered, but eaten, on the festival of Astarte; but this leaves no doubt as to whence they have been derived.” [The Two Babylons (Or The Papal Worship), Alexander Hislop, 1916, Neptune, NJ, Loizeaux Brothers, Inc., p.108]

“It is quite probable that it [the word bun] has a far older and more interesting origin, as is suggested by an inquiry into the origin of hot cross buns. These cakes, which are now solely associated with the Christian Good Friday, are traceable to the remotest period of pagan history. Cakes were offered by ancient Egyptians to their moon goddess; and these had imprinted on them a pair of horns, symbolic of the ox at the sacrifice of which they were offered on the altar, or of the horned moon goddess, the equivalent of Ishtar of the Assyro-Babylonians. The Greeks offered such sacred cakes to Astarte [Easter] and other divinities. This cake they called bous (ox), in allusion to the ox-symbol marked on it, and from the accusative boun it is suggested that the word ‘bun’ is derived.Like the Greeks, the Romans eat cross-bread at public sacrifices, such bread being usually purchased at the doors of the temple and taken in with them,a custom alluded to by St. Paul in I Cor. x.28. At Herculaneum two small loaves about 5 in. in diameter, and plainly marked with a cross, were found. In the Old Testament are references made in Jer. vii.18-xliv.19, to such sacred bread being offered to the moon goddess. The cross-bread was eaten by the pagan Saxons in honor of Eoster, their goddess of light. The Mexicans and Peruvians are shown to have had a similar custom. The custom, in fact, was practically universal, and the early church adroitly adopted the pagan practice, grafting it on to the Eucharist. The boun with its Greek cross became akin to the Eucharistic bread or cross-marked wafers mentioned in St. Chrysostom’s liturgy. In the medieval church, buns made from the dough for the consecrated Host were to be distributed to the communicants after mass on Easter Sunday. In France and other Catholic countries, such blessed bread is still given in the churches to communicants who have a long journey before they can break their fast.” (Encyclopædia Britannica, 11th ed., article: “bun”)

Easter Bonfires

“Pagan festivals celebrating spring included fire and sunrise celebrations. Both later became part of Easter celebrations.” (The New Book of Knowledge, Danbury: Grolier, 1991, p.44)

“….every year, at Beltane (or the 1st of May), a number of men and women assemble at an ancient Druidical circle of stones on her property near Crieff. They light a fire in the centre, each person puts a bit of oat-cake in a shepherd’s bonnet; they all sit down, and draw blindfold a piece from the bonnet. One piece has been previously blackened, and whoever gets that piece has to jump through the fire in the centre of the circle, and pay a forfeit. This is, in fact, a part of the ancient worship of Baal, and the person on whom the lot fell was previously burnt as a sacrifice. Now, the passing through the fire represents that, and the payment of the forfeit redeems the victim. If Baal was thus worshipped in Britain, it will not be difficult to believe that his consort Astarte was also adored by our ancestors, and that from Astarte, whose name in Nineveh was Ishtar, the religious solemnities of April, as now practised, are called by the name of Easter–that month, among our Pagan ancestors, having been called Easter-monath.” [The Two Babylons (Or The Papal Worship), Alexander Hislop, 1916, Neptune, NJ, Loizeaux Brothers, Inc., p.104]

“The Easter Eve bonfires predate Christianity and were originally intended to celebrate the arrival of spring.” (Merit Students Encyclopedia, Vol 6, New York: P. F. Collier, 1983, p.167-168)

“The Easter Fire is lit on the top of mountains (Easter mountain, Osterberg) and must be kindled from new fire, drawn from wood by friction (nodfyr); this is a custom of pagan origin in vogue all over Europe, signifying the victory of spring over winter. The bishops issued severe edicts against the sacrilegious Easter fires (Conc. Germanicum, a. 742, c.v.; Council of Lestines, a.743, n.15), but did not succeed in abolishing them everywhere. The Church adopted the observance into the Easter ceremonies, referring it to the fiery column in the desert and to the Resurrection of Christ; the new fire on Holy Saturday is drawn from flint, symbolizing the Resurrection of the Light of the World from the tomb closed by a stone (Missale Rom.). In some places a figure was thrown into the Easter fire, symbolizing winter…” (Catholic Encyclopedia, Vol.5, article: Easter)

“Fire, once part of the pagan spring festival, is now a Christian Easter symbol.” (The New Book of Knowledge, Danbury: Grolier, 1981, p.41)

“Spring fire rites to honor the sun god were forbidden until the year 752 A.D. By that time the pagan fires had changed into Easter fires.” (Edna Barth, Lilies, Rabbits, and Painted Eggs: The Story of the Easter Symbols, New York: Seabury Press, 1970, p.15)

“Bonfires on Easter Eve are particularly common in Germany, where they are lighted not only in churchyards but upon hilltops, where the young people gather around and jump over them, dance, and sing Easter hymns. These are remnants of pagan and sacrificial rites in which quantities of tar-soaked barrel staves, branches and roots of trees were burned.” (Priscilla Sawyer and Daniel J. Foley, Easter the World Over, Philadelphia: Chilton Book Company, 1971, p.103)

ALL over Europe the peasants have been accustomed from time immemorial to kindle bonfires on certain days of the year, and to dance round or leap over them. Customs of this kind can be traced back on historical evidence to the Middle Ages, and their analogy to similar customs observed in antiquity goes with strong internal evidence to prove that their origin must be sought in a period long prior to the spread of Christianity.( Sir James George Frazer (1854–1941). The Golden Bough. 1922.)

The essentially pagan character of the Easter fire festival appears plainly both from the mode in which it is celebrated by the peasants and from the superstitious beliefs which they associate with it. ( Sir James George Frazer (1854–1941). The Golden Bough. 1922.)

Lent

“The word Lent is of Anglo-Saxon origin, meaning spring.” (Marguerite Ickis, The Book of Religious Holidays and Celebrations, New York: Dodd, Mead & Company, 1966, p.114)

“The celebration of Lent has no basis in Scripture, but rather developed from the pagan celebration of Semiramis’s mourning for 40 days over the death of Tammuz (cf. Ezek 8:14) before his alleged resurrection—another of Satan’s mythical counterfeits.” (John MacArthur, Jr., The MacArthur New Testament Commentary: 1 Corinthians, Chicago: Moody, 1984)

‘It ought to be known,’ said Cassianus, the monk of Marseilles, writing in the fifth century, and contrasting the primitive Church with the Church in his day, ‘that the observance of forty days had no existence, so long as the perfection of that primitive Church remained inviolate.’ Whence, then, came this observance? The forty days abstinence of Lent was directly borrowed from the worshippers of the Babylonian goddess.” [The Two Babylons (Or The Papal Worship), Alexander Hislop, 1916, Neptune, NJ, Loizeaux Brothers, Inc., p.104]

Pagans Still Celebrate Easter

“Sabbats in Modern Witchcraft–Spring Equinox–A solar festival, in which day and night, and the forces of male and female, are in equal balance. The spring equinox, the first day of spring, marks the birth of the infant Sun God and paves the way for the coming lushness of summer. Dionysian rites are performed. The Christian version of the sabbat is Easter. (Rosemary Ellen Guiley, The Encyclopedia of Witches and Witchcraft, New York: Facts On File, 1989, p.289)

“Witches celebrate eight major festivals or sabbats each year. The sabbat is a religious ceremony deriving from ancient European festivals celebrating seasonal and pastoral changes. The first is Yule, 20 or 21 December, celebrating the winter solstice. The next is 1 or 2 February, Oimelc, Imbolc, or Candlemas, at which initiations often take place. 20 or 21 March, Eostre, the vernal equinox, is a fertility festival. 30 April is Beltane.” (Jeffery B. Russell, A History of Witchcraft: Sorcerers, Heretics, and Pagans, London: Thames and Hudson, 1980, p.167)

After reading these facts, the choice to reject using the name “easter” should be weighing on our conscience as the right thing to do..

Lets’ call it Passover/Pesach, and keep the same days that Yeshua/Jesus Himself kept.

We should pray that our Heavenly Father grant us forgiveness and repentance and that His spirit of Holiness comforts and encourages us to step out in faith and “be separate” from the world. We really need to reject the holidays of men and learn about the genuine Holydays of our Heavenly Father and know that in the His word prophetically He says through Zechariah in chapter14:16.

And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.

So it is certain they are not done away with…..

שָׁלוֹם עֲלֵיכֶם‎,

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 or without our Heavenly Fathers’ shalom ENVELOPING you and the deep inner knowing that you are sealed to the day of redemption by the Blood of Messiah Jesus/Yeshua.

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.

Who or What Is A Tela?

Who or What Is A Tela?

Is there a connection between sheep and people,

lambs and children?

& who gets into heaven?

References to sheep, lambs, and goats are familiar to the reader and are often used in scripture in both the old and new testaments. Shepherds and their flocks were a common sight in Bible days and those listening to Messiah understood His references.

The Hebrew language has a number of different names/words for sheep and lambs, including the following:

Strong’s Hebrew: 563.

אּמְּרִין  immar  — a lamb

[אִמַּר] noun masculine lamb

Strong’s Hebrew: 2922.

טְלָאּים (tela) — lamb

Strong’s Hebrew: 2924.

טָלֶה (taleh) — a lamb

taleh: a lamb 

Original Word: טָלֶה

Part of Speech: Noun Masculine

Transliteration: taleh

Phonetic Spelling: taw-leh’

 

Strong’s Hebrew: 3532.

כֶּ֫בֶשׂ  kebes  — a lamb

Original Word: כֶּבֶשׂ

Part of Speech: Noun Masculine

Transliteration: kebes

Phonetic Spelling: keh-bes’

A kesah  כשה

Kap Sine Hei

Was the sacrificial lamb –

David spoke of himself in Psalms 119:176:

I have gone astray like a lost sheep,

seek thy servant for I do not forget thy commandments.

There is something innocent about a little lamb, they are very trusting and naïve. Unlike other animals, sheep cannot find their way without a leader. Just like us we need to follow Jesus to find our way because He IS the WAY and leads us into all truth.

Sheep will bond very quickly with humans and will naturally follow any leader.

It is sheep who are led to slaughter, not pigs, cows, or deer. 

The longer a sheep is with a shepherd the more intimate that sheep will become with the shepherd and the more unlikely it is to lose its way; the same is true for us.

However, sheep who have spent little time with their shepherd will be more prone to follow the call of another shepherd and will wander away from its shepherd and get lost.

Some sheep just follow their own way to feed themselves and will become so focused on feeding that they will wander away from the flock.  

In his Greek writings, Aristotle pointed out the similarity of the Greek word for feeding and wandering in order to show the innocence of sheep. 

It seems appropriate that God would use the illustration of a wandering sheep to show His loving care. He is not angry with us when we wander, He understands that our wandering is not always intentional or rebellious, but is simply the result of us being too focused on our physical needs like eating and drinking. 

We focus on our jobs, our finances, and our health so much that we never stop to look up at our Shepherd and before long he is gone. Not that he has left us but we have left him and lost our way. Once a sheep has gone astray, he will not find his way back to the flock, unless the shepherd comes looking for him, he will remain lost.  That is why David says in this verse “seek thy servant.” All that little lamb can do is stand in his lost condition and bleat, hoping his shepherd will find him. 

As we come to the week of Passover/Pesach the image of a lamb is once again in the forefront of our thoughts.

The celebration has its’ roots in the remembrance of the exodus from Egypt and the sacrificial lambs blood that was placed on the doorposts for their deliverance.

The type and shadow that was to come with Messiah.

Sheep were worshipped in Egypt because the Egyptian god Khnum was a sheep and was both one of the earliest-known and one of the their major gods. To them, Khnum was the creator of all life and was originally the god of the source of the river Nile. They believed this because the annual flooding of the Nile river brought life to its’ surroundings as well as much silt and clay. This believed this ‘sheep god’ was the creator of human children’s bodies, which were made from the silt and clay formed on a potter’s wheel, and then put into their mothers’ wombs. Later this deity was described as having formed and molded the other deities, and was given other titles, lord of created things from himself and divine potter.

This may be one of the reasons why the Hebrews were to sacrifice a lamb as protection from the final plague. It was certain that no Egyptian follower of Khnum would ever harm a small lamb which was the symbol of one of their esteemed deities.

From the Hebrews point of view, it showed their complete rejection of the Egyptians pagan beliefs and furthermore was completely disrespectful to their religion; and especially when God commanded that a sheep be slaughtered as an atonement for sins.

A warning for sensitive readers, some of the following pictures are very graphic in nature and may be upsetting to some…however they do depict what the scriptures tell us… and it may help us to fully appreciate what our sin cost our Savior….

We need to take a moment and consider that with Gods’ command that a family takes a newly born little lamb, the children who were most likely assigned to care for it to make sure it was without blemish or spot grew to love it like a pet.

The lamb would have been hand fed, washed and protected from insects and anything that was harmful to it and was no doubt fed at the same time the family ate, almost like another child/family member. Then when the day of atonement arrived, they would bring this little lamb to the temple and watch a priest take a knife and slaughter it before their very eyes.

It would have been explained to children and adults alike, that

death is the penalty for sin

and

this innocent little lamb who had done nothing but give love was to die giving its life in their place.

Messiah Jesus Christ, Who was completely innocent and walked in unconditional love, and yet because of our sins, He had to die.

In Him we have the Lamb of God.

He is the wounded lamb

the tela

because Messiah is spoken of by John as the

Lamb of God

who came to take away the sins of the world

and again in Revelation as the Lamb that was slain.

Then I saw a Lamb who appeared to have been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. Revelation 5:6

He was wounded for our transgressions –sins. Isaiah 53:5-12

He became that wounded lamb in our place

because so many of us have been

wounded lambs at one time or another.

We will never not be His children however old we are

and He will never stop being our Shepherd Who leads and guides us by His Spirit.

What did David see in his own wanderings and going astray?

It was a picture of a sacrifice,

one that God could use, to show many generations

the loving kindness of

the

Good Shepherd.

The  Hebrew word that David uses for the

lost sheep is keseh

and there was something else to him using this word.

A keseh is a little lamb,

but a very special lamb,

it is the sacrificial lamb.

David didn’t see himself as just any lamb going astray,

he was the sacrificial lamb that went astray.

He knew that he had a Shepherd who would exchange places with him on that altar.

Most of us will agree that we live a life that has many hardships, pain, heartbreak, and sadness. We may sometimes feel, like David, that we are a keseh or sacrificial lamb of God, one that from time to time has a tendency to go astray, but there is a Shepherd looking for us; One Who has laid down His life so we would not have to pay the price and be sacrificed for our sins.

One Hebrew word

שֶׂה

pronounced: seh is a she lamb

The ‘she,’ lamb, is a young sheep or goat

and is the most significant sacrificial animal in scripture.

 noun כֶּבֶשׂ. lamb, sheep. כבש.

 TSoAn TSAn means “lamb” in Hebrew.

This word is pronounced “Se ha’Elohim.”

It is an adjective and usually has a sound of SH

טָלֶה noun masculine

1Samuel 7:9 lamb

Late Hebrew id., lamb; 

Aramaic: טַלְיָא lamb, youth,

טַלְיְתָא girl, boy, youth, girl

compare Mark 5:41;

Arabic: the young of cloven-footed animals.

It is also mentioned with another Hebrew name which is the name of the adult of this species: ‘ke•ves,’ sheep.

In many references the ‘seh’ is mentioned as a ‘year-old sheep.’

In  Leviticus and Numbers

these detailed rules of the offering ceremony are recorded.

Whereas the ordinary ceremony requires a young lamb.

The sacrificial lamb was done

on certain holidays such as

Yom Kippur /The Day of Atonement,

and Pesach/Passover,

in particular, the sacrificial lamb

must be without blemish.

The Hebrew word for this phrase is ta•min,

which also means innocent or perfect:

“Your lamb shall be without blemish/tamin, a male of the first year; you shall take it out from the sheep, or from the goats”

Exodus 12:5

This Old Testament ‘seh’ has everything required to

reflect the image and character of the Messiah;

and, without doubt He is

innocent, perfect, with no blemish

and He is prophesied to pay with His life for the sin of all of us:

“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, but he humbled himself and opened not his mouth; he was brought like a lamb to the slaughter, and like a sheep, that is dumb before its shearers, he did not open his mouth”

Isaiah 53:6-7

The sacrificed ‘seh’ is the most important metaphor in the New Testament. In Hebrew it’s called

Seh Ha•Elohim,- The Lamb of God:

The next day, he saw Jesus coming to him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” John 1:29

He was the Passover/Pesach Lamb, Who became the perfect sacrifice/seh for everyone who believes and understands what He did by becoming the substitute to pay the penalty for our sins.

 

We may not be familiar with the breeds of sheep and goats in the middle east where the animals look very much alike…

and it often easier to tell when they are fully grown.

We are very familiar with Messiah represented as a Shepherd,

and His followers are represented as

His flock, sheep and lambs.

We are called the sheep of His pasture and we also read of the future separation of the sheep from the goats.

And all the nations will be assembled before him and he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd who separates sheep from goats. Matthew 25:32

This reference is also a reminder to His followers to be just that, followers. 

We are not to be independent, stubborn,

rebellious or disobedient;

neither are we to be pretending to be one of His sheep. 

He also said

“And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, And said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:2-4 

The Hebrew word tela also has the meaning:  little child.

Do the meanings of the Aramaic and Hebrew words reveal something more to us about this very familiar picture?

He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms. Isaiah 40:11.

 

This is very important as there is a connection between

the Hebrew words for

lamb and little child –

in Hebrew/Aramaic it’s written:

טגא

tet gimel alef.

The most common word for

 a child or small infant

is yalad or yeled

yeled: child, son, boy, kid, youth, youngster

Original Word: יֶלֶד
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: yeled
Phonetic Spelling: yeh’-led

There is also another word, tabitha which is a play off on the word in Hebrew talitha. In Aramaic, it means a child. Familiar to us in the raising of Jairus daughter in Mark 5:41

alitha cumi for Greek ταλιθὰ κούμι,

which, in turn, is a transliteration of the Aramaic

טְלִיחָא קוּמִי  Maiden, arise.

Mark preserves the Aramaic term 

Talitha kum’ instead of just translating it:

Biblical scholars agree that Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth, was a Jewish man from a working-class background in Judea, and would have spoken Aramaic, a 3,000-year-old language that shares many Hebrew words.

The Aramaic language is a Semitic language closely related to Hebrew. Originally this language of the Arameans, it was used, in many dialectical forms, in Mesopotamia and Syria. Aramaic is a Semitic language which was common in much of the Near East from about 7th century BC until the 7th century AD. 

Taking the child’s hand, He said [tenderly] to her,

“Talitha kum!”—which translated [from Aramaic] means,

“Little girl, I say to you, get up!” 

Hebrew: 2922.   טָלָא   ṭālā’

 טָלָא (H2921) taw-law

טְלָא ṭᵉlâʼ, tel-aw’; apparently from H2921 in the (original) sense of covering (for protection); (compare H2924) a lamb:

† טָלֶה noun masculine1 Samuel 7:9 lamb (Late Hebrew id., lamb;

Aramaic טַלְיָא lamb, youth, 

Variant spellings for this word: טלי (Gesenius) טלא 

(Strongs) Teli טְלִי

טְלִי (ṭᵊlî), lambs

little child

yeled

ילד קטן

ṭālā’ טָלָא

טְלָאּים (tela) – lamb

 Aramaic טַלְיָא lamb,

tela lamb Mark 9:37 and Matt 18:3

 

The word used in the Greek for 

little children is paidai

which is the word for a little child or infant.

Unless you become as a little child you cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

As previously noted, the most common word is yalad which is a child or small infant; and there is also the other word which is a play off the word in Hebrew which is talitha.

In Aramaic, it means a child.

But in Hebrew, it means a wounded lamb.

Did Messiah Jesus choose to use talitha from the root word tela rather than yalad to give a little play on the words?

Strong’s Hebrew: 2922. טְלָאּים (tela) — lamb

Original Word: טְלָא

Part of Speech: Noun Masculine

Transliteration: tela

Phonetic Spelling: tel-aw’

Definition: lamb

NAS Exhaustive Concordance

Word Origin the same as taleh,

The word for lamb is tela’. 

It is used only once in Scripture and it is found here and means lamb. Altogether there are about nine other words in the Hebrew language that are used for lamb.

Tela actually means:

to be blemished, spotted or wounded.

The Lamb that the Good Shepherd is carrying is one that is not perfect, it is flawed, or has been wounded and can not walk.

As a Rabbi, Messiah Yeshua/Jesus used many little educational tools to instruct his disciples.  One often used by rabbis throughout the ages is the use of a play on words.

Sometimes a word sounds like a word from another language and we make a play off it as in the example in Matthew 18:3. Here, Jesus/Yeshua is saying that unless we become as little children.  

The play on words cannot be seen from the Greek because it only works in a Semitic language.

The word used in the Greek for little children is paidai which is the word for a little child or infant. Unless you become as a little child you cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven.  We probably think that Jesus is telling us that we must have the faith of a child.  Does our Heavenly Father expect us to have a faith so naïve/immature, perhaps Messiah meant something more?

Messiah Jesus spoke these words in Aramaic and, as we have seen there are two words that could be used for a child. The most common word is yalad which is a child or small infant. The other word in Aramaic is tabitha which is a play off the word in Hebrew talitha..  and in Aramaic, it means a child.  But in Hebrew, a similar sounding word talitha means a wounded lamb.  They share a similar root word, tela’. Did Messiah choose to use tabitha from the root word tela rather than the most common word yalad to give a play on words?

The disciples would be familiar with the Biblical Hebrew, as it was used as a ceremonial language. In the same way today, that Latin is still used in the Catholic church services.  It was not used as a spoken language unless a person was speaking with Jews from another land who spoke, Greek for example, but not Aramaic, they would still have the Hebrew language as a common ceremonial language between them.

In Mark 5:41 when Jesus raised the little girl from the dead he said: Tabitha Koum.  This is in a feminine form in the Aramaic and means: little girl get up.   However, it is very close to the Hebrew word tela for a wounded lamb.  Messiah could have said yalid – rise up which also means little child rise; but instead He chose to use a word which plays off the Hebrew and those who understood the use of such words would quickly pick up on the wordplay. 

Little wounded lamb, arise.

Was this a more affectionate way to address her? Did the people hear both, and did they hear a play on these words?

We may have the same thing when it is recorded Messiah said: : “Unless you become as a little child you cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven,” He used the Aramaic word talitha and did a wordplay saying:

Unless you come as a wounded or sorrowful little child you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.

We could say in other words with a deeper meaning that, unless we are really sorrow for our sins a like a little child is sorrowful because the parent corrects them and they climb into the parent’s arms crying and from the heart says: “I’m sorry.” they will not enter the kingdom of heaven.  

Could this be why Messiah further says that, if we humble ourselves as a child or wounded truly sorrowful child,

we will be great in heaven?

This is the kind of godly sorrow or genuine repentance that makes an individual great in the kingdom of heaven.  This humility is that of a child who is not afraid to admit they are wrong and will even cry out of sorrow when his carelessness is pointed out.

When children are forced by their parents, or other authorities, to say “I am sorry.”  It is often under pressure, however when a child really says sorry without being told to, it is genuine; and that is the repentance our Heavenly Father is looking for, not one under given under pressure, threat or duress.

To see a child who is truly sorry asking to be forgiven, can melt the heart of a parent who will just want to hug the child and assure them of forgiveness. 

Trying to appear remorseful and sorrowful after we’ve been caught is worth nothing to most people; especially if they think we are repentant simply because we got caught and now have to face the consequences. 

Isn’t it the same with our Heavenly Father? True Godly sorrow is sorrow over having wounded and broken a father’s heart because of our sins. HIs Holy Spirit will bring that conviction and sorrow and without it we are no better off as there is no change.

Once we realize just how much our Heavenly Father loves us, that He sent His Son to die for us and has brought nothing but good into our lives; His Holy Spirit will make that very clear and cause us to grieve in the right way, that is Godly sorrow.

This is a tela, a wounded, sorrowful little lamb.

2 Corinthians 7:10

For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. 

Strongs H2922

טְלָאִים plural of foregoing H2924,

only Isaiah 40:11 in metaphor of י׳ shepherding his people.

He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs H2922 with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.

The word for flock and shepherd are the same words. One is used as a noun and the other as a verb. It is up to the translator to apply the application so it makes some sense.  The word used for shepherd in the Hebrew here is ra’ah.  It can mean shepherd but in its Semitic root, it is the word RA and is the prime word for evil. There are many words in Hebrew which begins with RA ( the letters Resh and Ayin).  Each word would reflect a different type of evil.

Ra’ah  has the idea of a consuming passion.

A consuming passion can be evil, if that passion is drugs, alcohol, etc. We would use the word ra’ah today to describe an addiction.  A drug addict will sacrifice a job, resources, family and friends to satisfy the passion for drugs.  In such a case that consuming passion is evil. 

Lust can be defined as:

the appetite of demons expressed through human flesh! Desires that are never satisfied, always wanting and craving more, insatiable and unable to ever be appeased.

 An addiction will control the life of the individual This is a place from which the individual cannot escape without help, because it’s the place of bondage and people will defend things that have been established in their flesh. Freedom can only come when we turn to the Lord our Shepherd, admit there is a problem; repent and turn to Him, and be converted as that little child.

Then

deliverance from bondage comes through

the blood of the Lamb…the wounded lamb.

A consuming passion is some cases is good.  Shepherds are consumed with their sheep as they spend their lives leading them to green pastures, cool waters and protecting them.

A good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep, hence the word ra’ah is used for a Shepherd.  A true friend is one who is consumed with love for their friends. As Jesus said, “Greater love has no man than this than a man lay down his life for his friend (John 15:13).” Hence the word ra’ah is often rendered as a friend. From a friendship one is fed, giving and receiving pleasure, comfort and delight. We are nourished emotionally from a friendship. Thus the word ra’ah is also used to express feeding, just as a shepherd will feed his sheep.

So it seems there is a connection between sheep and people,

lambs and children

& who gets into heaven…

This week let’s not only focus on knowing Him and the power of His Resurrection; but also on the enormity of the price that was paid for our salvation, forgiveness, deliverance, healing, wholeness.. The true and eternal cost to Messiah, that is reflected in our freedom today to read these words; and to choose to live for Him and not ourselves as He has chosen to abide with and in us.

He is our Tamid – He is our Kesah  –

He is our Tela – the wounded Lamb…

Isaiah 53:5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

Let’s not take this miraculous provision of grace and mercy lightly, or for granted. Let’s not get caught in traditions of men or doctrines of demons, but dig for truth; and in finding the pearl of great price, let’s surrender ALL to Him Who gave His ALL for us –

How can we do anything less?

As Haggai 1:5 said consider your ways…

Isn’t it  time to consider ours??…..

Many previous posts on

Pesach/Passover week

are available for newer readers by clicking links below.

https://www.minimannamoments.com/palm-sunday-nisan-the-appointed-time-of-the-lamb/

https://www.minimannamoments.com/not-passing-over-passover-week/ 

https://www.minimannamoments.com/unleavened-bread-matzot-week/

https://www.minimannamoments.com/midweek-mannabite-secrets-of-the-seder-plate/

https://www.minimannamoments.com/revealing-the-overcoming-resheet-of-bikkurim/

https://www.minimannamoments.com/midweek-mannabite-secrets-of-the-seder-plate/

https://www.minimannamoments.com/where-was-keifa-the-week-of-chag-hamatzot/

https://www.minimannamoments.com/midweek-mannabite-secrets-of-the-seder-plate/

https://www.minimannamoments.com/what-is-this-avodah-you-have/

https://www.minimannamoments.com/13-for-supper-and-only-4-cups/

https://www.minimannamoments.com/afikomen-mysterious-and-hidden/

https://www.minimannamoments.com/pesach-emunah-for-his-am-segulah/

https://www.minimannamoments.com/the-truth-will-make-you-free-time-for-some-truth/

https://www.minimannamoments.com/revealing-the-overcoming-resheet-of-bikkurim/

https://www.minimannamoments.com/a-lot-can-happen-in-a-week/

https://www.minimannamoments.com/even-more-can-happen-in-and-around-the-same-week/

https://www.minimannamoments.com/seasons-of-the-lord-his-rhythm-of-chaim-life/

https://www.minimannamoments.com/seasons-of-the-lord-moedim-rhythm-of-life-part-2/

https://www.minimannamoments.com/the-mystery-of-in-his-deaths/

https://www.minimannamoments.com/the-pesach-dalet-in-time-a-man-between-2-realms-yonah-and-the-watches-of-the-night/

The link below is to watch, free, the highly recommended film

The Passion of the Christ.  2004 Mel Gibson.

https://vimeo.com/452350122

Shalom shalom mishpachah/family

and cheverim/friends!

You are loved, appreciated and prayed for..

It’s all about Life and Relationship,

NOT Religion.

You are precious in His sight.

NOT SURE? YOU CAN BE..

SAY THE FOLLOWING FROM YOUR HEART 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. Amen