Category: More Manna

Extra Helpings

A Lamb’s Tale And A Mysterious Tower

This post begins with some ???s

How are Rachel, Jacob, swaddling clothes, shepherds, a manger and a lamb connected to Ephraph and the mysterious Edar tower prophesied by Micah 700 years BC?

Also do we even have a marginal mental grasp of who Jesus, son of Joseph, (Yeshua ben Joseph) was; what His culture was like, and who His family was?  The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had a specific time, place and purpose for His Chosen Son. 

Does our religious imagery reflect the life He really lived? Maybe we need to take another look at some details surrounding the birth of Jesus, our Messiah.

It’s in the Gospel of Luke chapter two and is known virtually the world over. It has been told countless times in one form or another, in a wide variety of depictions and performances and is one of the most iconic of all narratives.

Sometimes we become too familiar with what we think we know and miss some amazing details.Even non-believers are familiar with the story.

As we read its words once again,

take special note of its

historical, geographical, political

and prophetic aspects;

for without this story,

we would not be preparing for annual

Christmas Day celebrations every 25th December.

“1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. 2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) 3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) 5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. 6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. 8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. 15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. 16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. 17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. 18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. (Lk. 2:1-18).

Here is the story of all stories, involving a young Jewish couple. The setting was at a time of socio-economic unrest following the mandates of a census being taken by the leaders of the Roman Empire. It involved two cities of Nazareth and Bethlehem.

(The distance of 96 miles or 155 kilometers, that was a long way to travel!)Nazareth is a village in northern Israel, and serves to remind us of the close family relationship and seclusion that Jesus experienced as He grew to manhood.

Bethlehem is the site at the center of this story and also the focus of numerous prophetic events, being inextricably connected with the “Royal house and lineage of King David.”

Leaving Luke’s famous narrative of Messiah’s birth, we need to go back in time to Micah where the most famous prophecy of His coming birth came forth through that prophet. It was written at least seven hundred years before Messiah Jesus was born.

“2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting” (Mic. 5:2).

In this verse, Ephratah, (Ephrath) was an ancient city originally located on the outskirts of Bethlehem, it was associated with the death of Rachel and the amazing prophecy that accompanied her burial. To this day, her tomb is still known and honored in this region.The Momentous Death of Rachel an important incident.. ..everything is connected!

In Genesis 35, God instructed Jacob to rise up and take his entire family to Bethel. Arriving there, he purified himself and erected an altar to God. After this, God appeared to him and pronounced that his name would be changed from Jacob to Israel:

“10 And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and he called his name Israel. 11 And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins; 12 And the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, to thee I will give it, and to thy seed after thee will I give the land” (Gen. 35:10-12).

Shortly after this, they travelled southward to the place that has been known ever since as Bethlehem, the Hebrew word that translates as “House of Bread.” This was the place where Christ was to be born about eighteen centuries later:

16 And they journeyed from Bethel; and there was but a little way to come to Ephrath: and Rachel travailed, and she had hard labour. 17 And it came to pass, when she was in hard labour, that the midwife said unto her, Fear not; thou shalt have this son also. 18 And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she died) that she called his name Benoni: but his father called him Benjamin. 19 And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem. 20 And Jacob set a pillar upon her grave: that is the pillar of Rachel’s grave unto this day. 21 And Israel journeyed, and spread his tent beyond the tower of Edar. (Gen. 35:16-21).Rachels Tomb

Migdal Eder—the “tower of the flock”—was first mentioned here in Genesis 35:19-21.

 “So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). And Jacob set up a pillar over her grave; that is the pillar of Rachel’s grave to this day. Then Israel journeyed on and pitched his tent beyond the tower of Eder” 

In the context the “tower of Eder”

or “tower of the flock”

was located near Bethlehem.About 1,000 years after Rachel’s death, the prophet Micah spoke about the still-future birth of Israel’s Messiah.

Everyone is familiar with the prediction that the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem (Micah. 5:2), but few look at the larger context.

Micah also predicted the reappearance of God’s kingdom

at Migdal Eder—

the tower of the flock.

“And as for you, tower of the flock, hill of the daughter of Zion, to you it will come—even the former dominion will come, the kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem” (Mic. 4:8) Beginning In Micah 4:1 and connecting the verse above with some verses right before it, the prophet was speaking in the same context, Micah lays out the distant future in a prophecy of the coming Kingdom. Here he refers to that time period as “the last days.” Then, he goes on to say the following:

“6 In that day, saith the LORD, will I assemble her that halteth, and I will gather her that is driven out, and her that I have afflicted; 7 And I will make her that halted a remnant, and her that was cast far off a strong nation: and the LORD shall reign over them in mount Zion from henceforth, even for ever. 8 And thou, O tower of the flock, the strong hold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion; the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem. (Mic. 4:6-8).

The location mentioned here was marked out for the amazing future fulfillment of prophecy. In Hebrew, the term “tower of Edar” is migdal eder. Its literal meaning of this title is “tower of the flock.” It would seem that this is the place where Christ was born, as described by Luke’s Christmas story.Here, we have a prophecy that describes the mysterious location, the strange edifice was a watchtower – and here it is presented as the key to understanding the birth of the Messiah. these words were written by Micah in the 8th century, B.C., long before Israel’s Babaylonian captivity, which Micah describes in the following verses:

“9 Now why dost thou cry out aloud? is there no king in thee? is thy counsellor perished? for pangs have taken thee as a woman in travail. 10 Be in pain, and labour to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail: for now shalt thou go forth out of the city, and thou shalt dwell in the field, and thou shalt go even to Babylon; there shalt thou be delivered; there the LORD shall redeem thee from the hand of thine enemies. 11 Now also many nations are gathered against thee, that say, Let her be defiled, and let our eye look upon Zion. 12 But they know not the thoughts of the LORD, neither understand they his counsel: for he shall gather them as the sheaves into the floor. 13 Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion: for I will make thine horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass: and thou shalt beat in pieces many people: and I will consecrate their gain unto the LORD, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth. (Mic. 4:9-13).

Micah’s prophecy notably goes well beyond the Babylonian captivity and into the distant future.

He describes Israel as being regathered and fully established as a people and as being invincible against all the people who are gathered against her.

Migdal Eder – Tower of the Flock.Amazingly the strange watchtower over the flock

is the centerpiece of an ancient drama

which tells the story of the Kingdom of Israel

of its downfall and of its rising once again. Jacob was the father of the twelve tribes,

his name being changed by God to that of Israel;

from his day to the present,

God’s will has unfolded an immense plan

which is centered upon the most important person in all history.

Jesus, Messiah,

Yeshua, Son Of God,

Lamb of God, Savior..Here is where it gets interesting

and we remember everything is connected

and is not without significance in God’s plan.

Luke 2:11-12 NKJV 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, Who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”

Scholars interpret Micah 4:8 as a prophesy indicating that the Messiah would be revealed from the

“tower of the flock” (Migdal Eder)

which is connected with the town of Bethlehem, southeast of Jerusalem.

Micah 4:8 NLKV 8 And you, O Migdal Eder (tower of the flock), the stronghold of the daughter of Zion, to you shall it come, even the former dominion shall come, the kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem.

Mishnaic sources (Jewish sacred writings) indicate that animals “found” (meaning, ‘that were kept’) in the fields were within 5 miles of the Temple.

This Migdal Eder was NOT the watchtower for the ordinary flocks which pastured on the barren sheep ground beyond Bethlehem, but lay close to the town, on the road to Jerusalem.

 The shepherds keeping watch over these sheep all year round knew the purpose for the lambs under their care. And their job was to keep the animals under them from becoming injured or blemished.Only in warm weather do the Shepherds keep their flocks outdoors at night in Bethlehem so it could not have been winter because when it was cold they sheltered in nearby caves. Could it be that the birth was closer to the date in  Israel’s calendar celebrating the Feast of Succoth?It was to those watching over animals destined for temple sacrifice that the angels announced Jesus’ birth.

“For today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11).

It may not be so far fetched to see that

the arrival of the ultimate Lamb of God

was revealed to those responsible

for watching over the sacrificial lambs

that had always pointed toward Him.

Another passage in the Mishnah leads to the conclusion that the flocks which pastured there, were destined for Temple-sacrifices, and, accordingly, that the shepherds who watched over them were not ordinary shepherds.

The latter were under the ban of Rabbinism, on account of their necessary isolation from the religious ordinances, and their manner of life, which rendered strict legal observance unlikely, if not absolutely impossible …” The same Mishnaic passage also leads us to infer that these flocks lay out all the year round, since they are spoken of as in the fields thirty days before the Passover—that is, in the month of February, when in Palestine the average rainfall is nearly greatest. Thus Jewish tradition in some dim manner apprehended the first revelation of the Messiah from that Migdal Eder, where shepherds watched the Temple flocks all the year round. Of the deep symbolic significance of such a coincidence, it is needless to speak (The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, 186–87).

Mary and Joseph may well have passed those same fields on their way to Bethlehem.The male sheep (Jesus) was a ‘burnt’ (sin) offering and the female was for a ‘peace’ offering and at birth they were wrapped in swaddling cloths to keep the new lambs without spot or blemish, then they would be laid in a manger until they had calmed down.

Their swaddling cloths no doubt stained with blood!

Newborn lambs.

So the shepherds near Bethlehem are quite special. The location where they are tending and keeping watch over the lambs destined for Temple sacrifice is quite near the place where Messiah was born. It also marks the site of the ancient prophecy. As lambs destined for Temple sacrifice were born in these special flocks, they were inspected to make sure that they were perfect, not having any defect, so that they were suitable for sacrifice by the priests at the Temple. The Apostle Peter refers to Christ in precisely this way:

“18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you” (I Pet. 1:18-20).

Some sources have declared that the “swaddling clothes” mentioned in Luke 2:7 “And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.” were the pieces of woven material that the Temple shepherds used to wipe off the newborn lambs prior to their inspection. So here we have some interesting things to ponder on, the ‘Christmas’ prophecy of a very unique flock, and a very special watchtower.

With the Lord, nothing happens by accident or chance and there is no word in Hebrew to be translated for coincidence!! He plans everything perfectly!Only Luke talks about Jesus being wrapped in swaddling clothes.

Had it not been for this passage in Luke, most of us would never have heard of the practice of wrapping a baby in swaddling clothes.

This practice ceased around the sixteenth century as it was considered either too barbaric or that it really served no practical purpose at all. It was just a tradition that continued for no other reason than the fact it was tradition. It is even believed by many medical specialists to be harmful to the child.

And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

It’s an expression that was never used at any time except when we hear the Christmas story and no one ever really explains what the swaddling clothes are. A usual answer to such a question was that it was just a Bible term for blankets or cloths for sanitary purposes.

Swaddling clothes in the Aramaic is ‘azrura’, which really means ‘a bandage’. The word that is used is ‘esparganosen’ which is the Greek word for ‘a bandage’.

We have the word ‘swaddling’, used in Ezekiel 16:3. The Hebrew word used here is ‘chatal’, which is the Hebrew word for a ‘bandage’. It seems that this was more than just a bandage or blanket.

The practice of swaddling is very ancient practice and is believed to have been devised around the Paleolithic times about 4500 years ago during the Bronze Age around 2600 BC. Interestingly, archaeologists have uncovered small models of babies wrapped in swaddling clothes which dated back to this period.

After an infant was born the umbilical cord was cut and tied; as in this case, there was no midwife and either Mary or Joseph would have had to perform this. They would then sprinkle the baby with a powder made of dried myrtle leaves. Then they would gently rub the baby’s skin with a very small amount of salt that has been finely grounded into a sort of paste, which it was believed would make his or her flesh firm. For young Jewish parents this represented a testimony that that the parents would raise the child to be truthful and faithful.The swaddling cloth was a square yard of cloth which had a narrow band attached at one corner. The mother would wrap the child in this swaddle with its arms close to its body and its legs stretched out. She would then wind the narrow band around the body from the shoulders to the ankles until the baby resembled an Egyptian mummy. This ritual was performed as often as we would ‘change’ the baby and would be done until it was no longer required by the growing child.

The practical understanding was, that it helped the childs body grow strong and firm. It’s interesting to note that today medical science has learned it’s best to just leave them alone, that babies will develop naturally without artificial help. It took four thousand years for man to realize that God did a perfectly fine job creating us without artificial intervention.

However to the Jewish parent, this practice carried a symbolic meaning, and as we are learning every practice in Judaism carries some significant symbolism. This was a sign to the parents that they would teach the child to become honest, straightforward, and freed from crookedness.
This brings up the question as to why Luke felt it was important to mention this, not once, but two times, again is verse 12 where the angel tells the shepherds that the child will be found wrapped in swaddling clothes. Why was that necessary, if every baby is wrapped in swaddling clothes, how were the shepherds able to use that fact to distinguish Jesus from any other baby?These priestly shepherds knew the ‘swaddling’ procedure and, when told it would be a sign, they recalled Micah 4:8 and, with haste (Luke 2:16) ran to see the newborn Jesus, the Son of God.

There was no need for the angel to give these shepherds directions to the birth place because they already knew.
They, who raised the sacrificial lambs for the Temple, knew exactly where to go, as Luke 2 indicates, for the sign of a manger could only mean a manger at the tower of the flock in their fields.

Remember when the father of a household presented a lamb to the priest to be examined, he had tied the family name around the head of the potential sacrificial lamb so that the meat could be returned to him to be used during their Passover meal.

Luke 2:11 -12 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”

Scholars interpret Micah 4:8 as a prophecy indicating that the Messiah would be revealed from the tower of the flock Migdal Eder which is connected with the town of Bethlehem southeast of Jerusalem.

Micah 4:8 And you, O tower of the flock,
The stronghold of the daughter of Zion,
To you shall it come, 
Even the former dominion shall come,
The kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem.”Shepherds watching over their Flocks by NightThis was the last few weeks before the harsh winters would set in, and the shepherds spent a lot of time allowing the sheep to fatten up before winter.  The dreaded heat of summer was over, and the evenings were cool, crisp and pleasant. 

Did the Shepherds visit the baby Jesus/Yeshua

in an animal succoth?An infant, now wrapped in swaddling clothes for protection in the cool breezes of evening and the curious stares of the domestic animals is a scene familiar to all.  Nearby, shepherds on a grassy sloped hillside suddenly found themselves serenaded by a chorus of supernatural choristers, saying,

Luke 2:8-10 – “Glory to God in the Highest and on earth, Peace, Good Will towards all men on whom his favor rests…”

When that inter-dimensional gateway into the world of the Divine opened and again there

“stood before them an angel of the Lord, and the splendor of the Lord shone round them. They were terror-stricken…” (Luke 2:8-10)  Others had also been visited by angelic messengers.

First there was Zacharias, then Miriam, afterwards Joseph, and now the shepherds. What was the message of the angelic messenger?  “Fear not!”

Luke 2:10-12 – “I have good news for you: there is great joy coming to the whole people. Today in the city of David a deliverer has been born to you – the Messiah, the Lord.  And this is your sign: you will find a baby lying wrapped in his swaddling clothes, in a manger.

Quickly, they headed to town, were they searching and winding in and out among the multitude of Sukkoths, asking, have you seen a newborn child?

When they found Joseph and Miryam, “they recounted what they had been told about this child; and all who heard were astonished at what the shepherds said.”  (Luke 2:17-18)Why had Joseph and Mary come all this way from their hometown when she was in the late stages of pregnancy? Because their registration was decreed by the bureaucrats of the Roman Empire. Their genealogies were both out of the line of Judah. Joseph’s ancestry – the royal genealogy of Jesus in Matthew – came through King David, himself.

Bethlehem, the city of David, was the place where Roman magistrates had located themselves to receive those who were of the tribe of Judah. Sukkot is also one of the 3 Moedim that EVERY Israelite was commanded to be present in Jerusalem.Was this the reason everywhere was full?

In Ezekiel 16, the prophet is speaking out against the citizens of Jerusalem who were unfaithful to God and His commandments and uses the symbolic reference of washing, salting and swaddling. The failure to perform this tradition was symbolic of disloyalty and unfaithfulness to God.       

The term swaddling clothes to the Semitic mind was expressing the idea of loyalty and faithfulness to God. So with this narrative, Luke wanted to make sure that we realized that this child that was born, was not only the Son of God, but a Son who would be loyal and faithful to Heavenly Father. Nothing could have been more accurate; Jesus was so loyal and faithful, that He would be faithful and loyal even unto the death on the cross.

Later, as Jesus began His public ministry, He came to John the Baptist who rightly discerned His historical role and destiny:

“And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith,

Behold the Lamb of God!” John. 1:36.

How amazing that in John’s Gospel, He also referred to Himself as the “bread of life” (Jn. 6:48).

At a precise moment in the timeline of human history,

in the City of David,

the Lamb of God

came to the House of Bread – Beth Lechem

at Migdal Eder – the Tower of the Flock!

As final food for thought……..  

With the proximity of the Tower so close to where we are told Messiah was born, is there a possibility that Mary and Joseph sought refuge in that very tower, the one where the new born lambs were protected at birth and raised for sacrificial purposes? Did they use the

swaddling clothes on Messiah

that had been readied to wrap those new born lambs?

The pieces of cloth that had once been part of the High Priests garments that were regularly replaced but not thrown away as they were considered Holy; they were reused for the newborns after they had been soiled with blood from the sacrificial lambs and animals!

Was the manger in which He was placed located in

the Tower of the Flock/Migdal Eder

and was it the first resting place of the Chief Shepherd?

The Spotless Lamb of God?So now we know how Rachel, Jacob, swaddling clothes, shepherds, a manger and a lamb are connected to Ephraph and the mysterious Edar tower prophesied by Micah 700 years BC!

Shalom, shalom mishpachah/family

and cheverim/friends!

It’s all about Life and Relationship,

NOT Religion.

You are greatly loved and 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.

Who Lights Up OUR Life?

Its that season again everywhere we look there are lights!Even in the nations in the southern hemisphere, where Christmas is in the summer season, there are still lights to celebrate the ONE,

 WHO WAS and IS and always will be, the light of the world. Jesus, whose Hebrew Name is Yeshua.

The birth of the Messiah over 2000 years ago is what we remember at this time of the year.

It is the celebration that heralded salvation for mankind, which was prophesied 700 years before inand fulfilled in 

Matthew 4:12-17; Mark 1:14-15; Luke 4:14-15)

There is another ‘Festival of Lights’, at this time in Israel’s Calendar; called by a Hebrew word, phonetically transliterated as both, Chanukah or Hanukkah.

The Hebrew word means ‘dedication’ and is therefore also called the Feast of Dedication.

Although Chanukah/Hanukkah is thought of by most as an exclusively Jewish holiday found in the Old Testament, in reality the only place it is mentioned is in the Gospel of John 10:22,23

‘At that time it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, it was winter, and Yeshua/Jesus was walking in the temple, on Solomon’s porch.’So it would seem the most famous person ever to celebrate the festival of Chanukkah was Jesus, the one who is the light of our lives.We all called to be the light of the world and not hide it under bushes or anything else for that matter!

so lets take a look at what Chanukkah is and how it involves a menorah!
In a nutshell, Hanukkah is historical and documents record that the first Chanukah/Hanukkah Was performed on the 25th of Kislev in 164 BC.

This feast commemorates the Jewish peoples freedom from Greek rule and the purification and rededication of God’s house, the Temple in Jerusalem in 164 BC.

This victory climaxed with the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem in 164BC Not surprisingly Israel’s national symbol on their parliament building the knesset and their National Seal is the seven branched menorah.

It was described in Exodus and stood in the Holy place and it’s not the star of David symbol, that is usually associated with the nation.Israel is called to be a light to the nations. Are we living a life full of light?Are we constantly filled and refilled with Holy oil, so we can stand in the Holy place in worship and then take the light to those around us?It’s our heritage and our national calling to live life as a holy menorah of the Lord.Jesus said, ‘I am the light of the world’; and we are to let the light of His indwelling presence shine forth and then, He can draw all people to Himself Hebrews 1:9.

We must be filled up with the oil of His Holy Spirit and the fire of His will must burn brightly in every one of us.Olive oil symbolizes knowledge of Torah which provides spiritual illumination. We are to be the heavenly light in the world’s darkness.Whether you are Jewish or not, if you are born again you are grafted into the Olive tree of Israel you are a citizen and a part of Israel.   Ephesians 2:14, 15Whether you know it,

or believe it,

or not;

that’s what the Scriptures say.Jesus was Jewish, descended from the children of Israel. You cannot separate Him from His roots, any more than we can deny our own families heritage, or the Judaeo-Christian/Hebrew roots of our faith.Hanukkah is a time to appreciate all we have to be thankful for.We express our thanksgiving to God for protecting us and providing for our needs.Chanukah begins on the twenty-fifth day of the Jewish month of Kislev. The Jewish calendar is primarily based on the lunar cycle, and its dates fluctuate with respect to other calendar systems.Thus the first day of Chanukah can fall anywhere between November 28th and December 26th. this year it , begins at sundown on Tuesday, 12 December 2017. The Jewish festival of rededication, also known as the Festival of Lights and the feast of dedication and It is referred to one time in Scripture in the Gospel of John 10:22,23Both Christmas and Chanukah are actually known as the “Festival of Lights.”  The focus of each holiday is about God showing His salvation and supernatural miracles that lasted eight days and continues to illuminate our lives even now.For believers, Christmas celebrates the miraculous virgin birth of Jesus/Yeshua, the Light of the World, who was born to save the world from their sins.

Mary and Joseph were traveling to Bethlehem to register during a Roman census, and the shepherds still had their flocks out by night (Lk.2:1-8). Shepherds would likely not have had their flocks out at night in December because it is too cold, which is an interesting point.

(food for thought!)It’s also unlikely that any ruler would compel people to travel many miles mostly on foot or riding animals, to register for a census when the likelihood of bad weather would have made such an effort self-defeating. Some scholars say it is possible that Jesus was born on one the appointed festival dates, likely in the fall around the time of Sukkot, and not in the winter, as His coming then and in the future are in fulfillment of the promises foreshadowed in the annual cycle of feasts of the Lord. (All 7 Feasts are discussed in earlier posts.)

 However, the history of Chanukah is very interesting because it celebrates two miracles:

Chanukah celebrates the miraculous salvation of Israel as a tiny group of Israelites liberated the Temple from the mighty army of a vast Greek empire 164 years before Messiah Jesus/Yeshua’s birth. The second miracle was God’s provision of Holy oil for the Temple Menorah.

If the Jews had been wiped out during the warfare, the Messiah would not have been born, which in itself is a great reason to celebrate.

This 2nd century BCE victory of a small, greatly outnumbered and out-armed army of Jews, known as the “Maccabees,” over the mighty Greek army that occupied the Holy Land. The rebellion was in response to the Greek attempt to force a Hellenistic Godless lifestyle on the Jewish inhabitants of Israel.

The Maccabean Revolt was a Jewish rebellion, lasting from 167 to 160 BC, led by the Maccabees against the Seleucid Empire and the Hellenistic influence on Jewish life.The name Maccabee may come from the Hebrew word for hammer, or for hitting. It is also an acrostic for Mi Kamocha Ba-Elim Hashem! (Who is like You among the mighty, O God!) In the Hebrew, Chanukah is pronounced with the letter chet. The chet’s “ch” sound is not enunciated like the “ch” in child; rather it’s a guttural, throaty sound—like the “ch” in Johann Bach—which does not have an English equivalent. The letter “H” is the closest, but it’s not really it. So while some people spell and pronounce it “Chanukah” and others settle for “Hanukkah,” they really are one and the same.Chanukah means “dedication” or “induction.” Following their victory over the Greeks, the Maccabees rededicated the Holy Temple and its altar, which had been desecrated and defiled by the pagan invaders.

The word Chanukah can also be divided into two: Chanu—they rested, and Kah—which has the numerical value of 25. On the twenty-fifth day of the Hebrew month of Kislev the Maccabees rested from their battle, and triumphantly marched into the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, ready to rededicate it.

The chanukkah menorah has 9 branches for lights the weekly Shabbat Sabbath menorah has 7 branches for lights. In addition to the eight main lights, the menorah has an extra helper candle called the “Shamash.” Since the Shamash does not count as one of the eight regular lights, your menorah should have the Shamash set apart in some way ― either placed higher than the other candles, or off to the side.On each of the eight days of Chanukah, the menorah is lit, a nine-branched candelabra, after nightfall (aside for Friday afternoon, when the candles are lit shortly before sunset). On the first night kindle one light plus the shamash (attendant or servant candle), on the second night kindle two lights plus the shamash, and so continue until the eighth night when all eight lights are kindled, plus the shamash. The menorah lights can be either candles, or oil and wicks.

The ninth candle is called the ‘shamash’, ‘servant’ or ‘attendant’ candle. It is used to light the other ones.This is significant as representing Jesus who as Servant and the Light of the world lights every other light.

Around 170 BC the Greeks under Antiochus the 4th Epiphanies, desecrated the temple

by sacrificing a pig at the altar. Idols were set up in its courts and it became in effect a pagan temple filled with degradation.Antiochus tried to eliminate Judaism, not so much by killing the Jews as by forbidding the practice of Judaism.. Reading Torah was forbidden, along with circumcision, honouring the Sabbath, and celebrating the seasons of the Lord. In 167 BC a priest by the name of Mattityahu Hasmonea started guerrilla warfare along with his sons and a few followers.As previously noted, his motto was from Exodus 15:11; Who is like you Lord among the gods? Mi camokha ba’elim Adona’y.

The initials of those words spell Maccabee which is the name that was later applied to Judas and his followers. Although spelt differently in Hebrew, their Hebrew word for hammer sounds like Maccabee. Therefore he was called the hammer, so the books of Maccabees history written in the apocrypha were about their successful wars. In 164 BC they took over the Temple.This was the first war fought over a principal, religious freedom, and was the first successful guerrilla war. And they drove out the invaders.

The Temple had been defiled and desecrated during the Greek rule but once the Maccabees recaptured it, they needed to repair cleanse and re-dedicate the Temple right away that is why it is called the Feast of Dedication.They removed the idols, cleansed its courts, repaired its chambers, restored its vessels, and went to rekindled its holy lampstand in preparation to rededicate it to God. The kindling of a seven-branched Menorah (candelabra) was an important component of the daily service in the Holy Temple.But a problem arose on that joyous day!

When the Maccabees liberated the Temple from the hands of the Greek invaders, they found only a small cruse of pure and undefiled olive oil fit for fueling the Menorah.

Dedication is an eight-day process that requires the use of sanctified oil for the menorah in the holy place, first room of the sanctuary. Tradition says that they could only find one day supply of oil, and it would take eight days to produce new pure oil. Rather than wait eight days to sanctify more, they began the temple sanctification process with a one-day supply. The Lord through a creative miracle made that one day supply last for eight days. For this reason and it is also called the Festival of lights.   

That gave the priests enough time to make more oil.
Historical documents record that the first Chanukah/Hanukkah Was performed on the 25th of Kislev in 164 BC.

This feast commemorates the Jewish peoples freedom from Greek rule and the purification and rededication of God’s house, the Temple in Jerusalem in 164 BC.This victory climaxed with the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem in 164BC.God has another sanctuary another Holy dwelling place He has created for His Presence. Each of us was created to be the dwelling place of God’s presence, the Holy sanctuary /Temple of his glory.

Man was created to be God’s temple but now the world is filled with the sanctuary /temples of desecration. Every life is made to be a sanctuary /temple filled with God’s presence but without God’s presence we become a sanctuary /temple desecrated, defiled, darkened, filled with idols, a sanctuary /temple created to be Holy but fallen from its true purpose.

We are to open the doors of our life and let God come in. We are to let him take out our idols, cleanse our impurities, restore our purpose, right at the heart, and fill our life with His presence. And when we rededicate and re-consecrate the sanctuary /temple to God, He will fill it with His Glory. Then, when we become the sanctuary /temple of God, life, our life becomes Chanukah/Hanukkah.

Ezek. 36:25–27; Jn. 10:22,23; 1Cor.3:16; 2 Cor. 6:16–7:1

The festival of lights commemorates the victory of God’s people over evil. There’s more to it, as it contains mystery. It’s not only a commemoration but a prophetic shadow.

It begins when an evil king set up an idol in the Holy place, causing the desecration of the temple, the abomination desolation.Messiah Jesus, speaks of an abomination desolation yet to come in the last days. So Chanukah contains a prophetic blueprint of that which will take place at the end of the age.

The account begins with the apostasy of God’s people. The people who know God and who were to keep His ways, even His ministers, turned away from God, and embraced the weight of the Godless and so it is now, the current spirit of the age.

And so it will be in the last days. There will be a great falling away, a great apostasy. The account goes on to document the rise of a world culture that seeks to merge all cultures into one and to compel everyone to abandon their faith. Any culture, Faith, people, or person, that stands in its way, it seeks to stamp out.

So it will be at the end of the age, a global culture, and the persecution of God’s people, a civilization that criminalizes the ways of God, abolishes the word of God, overturns the order of God, blasphemes the name of God, desecrated the sacred things of God and wars against the people of God, so it will be at the end days.Back then, even though most went along with the apostasy and the darkness; there was a remnant, who would not go along with it, who held strong and they became the resistance, the Maccabees. God anointed them and empowered them to overcome the darkness and to let in the light, so it is the Festival of lights.

We need to learn the Maccabee blueprint and follow its keys!

When we light the lights of the Menorah, during this weeks festival, this is how we overcome.

We fight the darkness by shining into it, the light of God; we stand with Him and will not be moved. We fight the fight by lighting up the darkness.

Dan. 11:32; Zech. 9:1314; Eph. 6:10–20; Rev. 12:11.
Jesus

Yeshua

is the Light that cannot be hidden.The Scriptures attest that Yeshua is the true Light (אוֹר אֱמֶת) that comes from eternity to give light and revelation for all mankind:

הָאוֹר הָאֲמִתִּי הַמֵּאִיר לְכָל־אָדָם
בָּא אֶל־הָעוֹלָם

ha’ohr · ha’amiti · ha’me’ir · lekhol · adam
ba · el · ha’olam

“[This is] the true light that shines to all men
who come into the world”
(John 1:9)

῏Ην τὸ φῶς τὸ ἀληθινόν, ὃ φωτίζει πάντα ἄνθρωπον
ἐρχόμενον εἰς τὸν κόσμον 

In the Gospel of John it is recorded that Yeshua said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (i.e., ᾽Εγώ εἰμι ἡ ὁδὸς καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια καὶ ἡ ζωή). The Greek word translated “truth” in this verse is aletheia (ἀλήθεια), a compound word formed from an alpha prefix (α-) meaning “not,” and lethei (λήθη), meaning “forgetfulness.” (In Greek mythology, the “waters of Lethe” induced a state of oblivion or forgetfulness.)

Truth is therefore a kind of “remembering” something forgotten, or a recollecting of what is essentially real.  Etymologically, the word aletheia suggests that truth is also “unforgettable” (i.e., not lethei), that is, it has its own inherent and irresistible “witness” to reality. People may lie to themselves, but ultimately the truth has the final word… “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5). Greek scholars note that the word lethei itself is derived from the verb lanthano (λανθάνω), which means “to be hidden,” so the general idea is that a-letheia (i.e., truth) is non-concealment, non-hiddenness, or (put positively) revelation or disclosure.  Thus the word of Yeshua – His message, logos (λόγος), revelation, and presence – is both “unforgettable” and irrepressible.

Jesus/Yeshua is the Unforgettable One that has been manifest as the express Word of God (דְּבַר הָאֱלהִים).

Jesus/Yeshua is the Light of the world (אוֹר הָעוֹלָם) and the one who gives us the “light of life” (John 8:12). Though God’s message can be suppressed by evil and darkened thinking, the truth is regarded as self-evident and full of intuitive validation. (see Rom. 1:18-21).The Hebrew word for truth (i.e., emet: אֱמֶת) comes from a verb (aman) that means to “support” or “make firm.”  There are a number of derived nouns that connote the sense of reliability or assurance (e.g., pillars of support). The noun emunah (i.e, אֱמוּנָה, “faithfulness” or “trustworthiness”) comes from this root, as does the word for the “faithful ones” (אֱמוּנִים) who are “established” in God’s way (Psalm 12:1).

A play on words regarding truth occurs in the prophet Isaiah: אִם לא תַאֲמִינוּ כִּי לא תֵאָמֵנוּ / im lo ta’aminu, ki lo tei’amenu: “If you are not firm in faith, you will not be firm at all” (Isa. 7:9; so Faith Establishes the Sign). Without trust in the LORD, there is no stability… Truth is something trustworthy, reliable, firm, certain or sure.  In colloquial English, for example, this idea is conveyed when we say, “He’s a true friend…”, indicating that the loyalty and love of the person is certain. The familiar word “amen” likewise comes from this root. Speaking the truth (dibbur emet) is considered foundational to moral life: “Speak the truth (דַּבְּרוּ אֱמֶת) to one another; render true and perfect justice in your gates” (Zech. 8:16).

Jesus/Yeshua repeatedly said, “Amen, Amen I say to you….” throughout His teaching ministry, to stress the reliability and certainty of God’s truth (Matt. 5:18, 26, etc.). Indeed,

Jesus/Yeshua is called “the Amen, the faithful and true witness” (Rev. 3:14).

The relationship between the Hebrew and the Greek ideas seems to be that the revelation of God – the aletheia – is reliable and strong. The source for all truth in the universe is found in the Person and character of the LORD God of Israel. The self-disclosure of the LORD is unforgettable – both in the factual and moral sense – as well as entirely trustworthy. Aletheia implies that truth is something that should never be forgotten. Hence we are regularly commanded and encouraged not to “forget” the LORD (Deut. 8:11, Psalm 103:2, etc.), to “remember” His covenants, to “keep” His ways, to “guard” His precepts, and so on.During this Chanukah Season, and always, may the LORD God of Israel help us walk in the unforgettable and irrepressible radiance of His glory.

May God help us shine with good works that glorify God’s Name (Matt. 5:16). “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness’ (יְהִי אוֹר וַיְהִי־אוֹר), has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the Glory of God in the face of Jesus/Yeshua the Messiah” (2 Cor. 4:6).
כִּי־עִמְּךָ מְקוֹר חַיִּים
בְּאוֹרְךָ נִרְאֶה־אוֹר

ki · im·me·kha · me·kor · cha·yim
be·or·kha · nir·eh · ohr

“For with You is the fountain of life;
in Your light do we see Light”
(Psalm 36:9)There seems to be some confusion surrounding the actual spelling of Chanukah. Part of the reason for this confusion may be due to the fact there is no exact English translation of the Hebrew word for Chanukah.

mmm received numerous emails requesting whether these different spellings might also be different holidays. To help clear up some of the confusion here are a number of the different spellings one might encounter Chanuka; Chanukah; Chanukkah; Channukah;  Hanukah; Hannukah; Hanukkah; Hanuka; Hanukka;  Hanaka; Haneka; Hanika; Khanukkah

While in the West, the most common spellings are “CHANUKAH” or “HANUKAH“, rest assured that they are all the same celebration.

Whether lighting the lights or not, Happy Hanukkah to every reader!More details can be found on last years posts at

https://www.minimannamoments.com/chanukah-or-hanukkah/

Hanukkah/Chanukah and Believers Today

Hanukkah/Chanukah and Believers Today

Are We Blowing Our Own Trumpets?

In the above verses, we see that The Lord is commanding us to have a memorial of blowing trumpets every year on the first day of the seventh month of Tishri,(September), and He calls it a “holy convocation.” 

In other words, a wedding rehearsal!

The offering that we make to Him on this day is an offering by “fire.” 

In other words, our own lives are to be presented to Him as a living sacrifice. We allow the fire of the Ruwach ha’Qodesh (Holy Spirit) to purge and purify our lives so that we will be ready for the day when He returns to catch away His bride.

Jesus/Yeshua, is coming for a bride without spot or blemish. We must be purified by going through trials and tribulation in order to be ready for “The Day That No Man Knows!”At the conclusion of the 1,260-day ministry of the “Two Witnesses,” the “seventh angel” will sound (Revelation 11:15) and then the bride shall be changed in the twinkling of an eye at the “last trump.”

Revelation. (Chazown) 11:12-15 And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them…And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Master, and of his Mashiyach (Messiah); and he shall reign for ever and ever.Some scholars say there are 3 and some say 4, different trumpet blasts sounded on the Feast of Trumpets. The number “4” represents “the four corners” of the earth (the harvest field) and the “four angels” of the “four winds of heaven.”Chazown (Revelation) 7:1 And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. These 4 types of trumpet blasts are as follows:

 Trumpet #1.) is called the Tekyiah (T’kiyah) The Tekiah – A pure unbroken sound that calls man to search his heart, forsake his wrong ways, and seek forgiveness through repentance.

It can consist of one note (or blast) or it can be a low note near the fundamental tone of the horn that rises quickly about 3 notes higher. Finally, it can even be finished by a note that is a full octave higher.

Contrary to what is expected, it does not take a great deal of air to blow a shofar. The secret is the vibration of the lips (a minimum of 16 vibrations per second) that creates the vibration of air in the horn. The higher notes are obtained by tightening the lips.

Trumpet #2.)

The second sound is called the Shevarim (Sh’varim) Shebarim – A broken, staccato, trembling sound. It typifies the sorrow that comes to man when he realizes his misconduct and desires to change his ways. It sounds like a man moaning in repentance.

It consists of three blasts that are from the fundamental low to the next note up.Great playing shofars are ones that will produce three notes with relative ease. Some shofars (for various reasons) may produce only two notes and poor ones only one note. Each horn will have its own “voice” and sound in many keys. The texture of the finish, size, length and the diameter of the mouthpiece opening will vary the sound of the horn.

Trumpet #3.)

The Third sound is called the Teruah (T’ruah, teruwah) The Teruw’ah

It is Strong’s word #8643 8643 teruw` ah (ter-oo-aw’); from 7321 (ruah); clamor, i.e. acclamation of joy or a battle-cry; especially clangor of trumpets, as an alarum: KJV- alarm, blow (-ing) (of, the) (trumpets), joy, jubile, loud noise, rejoicing, shout (-ing), (high, joyful) sound (-ing).The same word is used for the “Shout” that is made with the voice! It was the “shout” of the shofars combined with the “shout” of the people that brought down the walls of Jericho. – A wave-like sound of alarm calling upon man to stand by the banner of Elohiym.

Teruah consists of 9 staccato notes in succession. It may be proceeded by a one-note tekyiah and may be finished by accenting the last note. Some will accent it and take it up a third. I believe that the Teruah is the “short blasts of alarm” as specified in Numbers 10:9.

Teruah means “an awakening blast”. A theme associated with Rosh HaShanah is the theme “to awake”. Teruah is also translated as “shout”.

In I Thessalonians 4:16-17 it is written:In I Corinthians 15:51-52 it is written:

“Behold, I show you a mystery, a sud,* we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at THE LAST TRUMP: for the TRUMPET (shofar) shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible and we shall be changed”

(sud* = deeper spiritual meaning, explained in an earlier post)

https://www.minimannamoments.com/the-rules-of-pardes/ 

Trumpet #4.)  

There is another blast called The Tekiah Gedolah (Great Tekyiah).  – The prolonged, unbroken sound typifying a final appeal to sincere repentance and atonement.

Some consider a fourth sound but it is simply a tekyiah held as long as breath lasts or is appropriate. Some shofar blowers can hold a note for over a minute!This 4th Trumpet is “the last trumpet” sound made on the Feast of Trumpets and this represents “the four angels from the four winds of heaven and the four corners of the earth” as they gather the elect (Matthew 24:29-31). Seven trumpets (shofars) are sounded when God judges the earth during the tribulation. Judaism concerns itself with three shofar calls of God. They are called the first trump, the last trump and the great trump.

The first trump was blown at Mount Sinai. The last trump is blown to signify the resurrection of the dead and may be blown on Rosh HaShanah. The great trump will signify the Second Coming of the Lord and is blown at Yom Kippur.According to other scholars, there are only two trumps, the first at Mount Sinai (Ex 19:19). and the last (great) that is blown by God (Yeshua) Himself at His return on Yom Kippur. (Isaiah 27:13, Zech. 9:14, Matt. 24:29-3I, 1st Thess. 4:16-17, 1st Cor. 15:52).

LISTEN HERE TO THE SOUNDS OF(Sounds take 10 seconds to begin.)

  Once the horn of a ram, the shofar has been cut off and taken through a cleansing process, making it an instrument separated from any purpose other than responding to breath, (ruach), passing through its chamber. We the servants of the King, are maturing in the same process in the school of the Holy Spirit. (Ruach HaKodesh)From where specifically does the phrase last trump come?

In Judaism there are three recognized shofarim or ram’s horn trumpets.

They are the first Trump, the last trump, and the great shofar.

These shofarim should not be confused with the two silver trumpets called chatzatzerah in Numbers chapter 10.

The first trump and the last trump relate to the two horns of a particular Ram.According to Jewish tradition the Ram was caught in the thicket on Mount Moriah when Abraham was ready to slay Isaac and offer him up as a burnt offering.

This ram became the substitute and was sacrificed in place of Isaac, even as Yeshua the Messiah became the substitute for us and provided Life for us through His death.

In Pirke deR’Eliezer, (a rabbinic work,) it was said the left Horn, (first- trump), was blown on Mount Sinai when the Torah was given and it’s right horn, (the last trump), will be blown to herald the coming Messiah/Moshiach.The Midrash, (Hebrew Commentary), claims that the two horns of the ram became the two trumpets, which in Hebrew is, the shofarot of God.

  The right horn was larger than the left, and thus concerning the days of Moshicah it is written,’on that day, a great shofar will be blown.’ (Tz’enah Urenah)Was not the ram burnt as a burnt offering together with its horns, skin and flesh? So how are there horns?

The answer is that undoubtedly God performed a miracle and created a new ram out of the ashes. The Ram was resurrected!Some believers have suggested that it is a reference to a prophetic vision. Perhaps what is being implied is that when Abraham looked up, he saw not only this ram caught in the thicket, but he saw a future sacrifice, one that would come long after his day.

“Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.” (John 8:5-6)

What did Abraham see? Perhaps he saw the Lamb provided by God.

Was this particular ram created for this purpose since the first days of creation? In other words, Isaac’s ram was prepared for sacrifice since the foundation of the world. In the same way, Peter described the Master as “a lamb without blemish or defect, chosen before the creation of the world.” (1st Peter 1:19-20)

THE THREE TRUMPETS (SHOFARIM) OF GOD

The three great trumpets (shofarim) that mark MAJOR events in the redemptive plan of God are associated with days in the Biblical calendar. The FIRST TRUMP is associated with and was seen as being blown by God on the feast of Shavuot, (Pentecost), when God gave the Torah at Mount Sinai.

In Exodus (Shemot) 19:18-19 it is written:”And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly. And when the voice of the TRUMPET sounded LONG and waxed LOUDER and LOUDER, Moses spake, and God answered him by a voice” Patterns of sound, released from this instrument in faith and understanding and at the direction of the Holy Spirit, is one of the most powerful agents of change on the planet. Spiritual forces in the heavens understand fully and must respond to that sound. Portals/windows and doors in the heavens are opened and earthly atmosphere becomes charged with the power of the Most High.Spiritual forces and obstacles resisting His kingdom are removed, the heavens shift, walls fall down, and His people move forward to possess their inheritance and fulfill their destiny. All of creation longs for the mature ones of God to awaken and appropriate the sound of the victory won. נִצָּחוֹן (nee-tsah-KHOHN) is a victory.


 
Netzah is the Hebrew word for victory, or endurance; it represents God’s active grace in the world. The name YHVH Tza’va’ot is associated with Netzah.

The trumpets of Israel announced the coming of kings and kingdoms, the approaching of armies. So it is prophesied that when the trumpet sounds, the kingdom of God will come.

The trumpets called the people of Israel to gather before God. So it is prophesied that at the sound of the trumpet, God’s people will be gathered up to His presence.The sound of the trumpet was a wake-up call. So it is foretold that when the trumpets sound, the dead in Messiah will be awoken.

Lastly it was the sound of the trumpet that announced the beginning of the kings reign. So it is foretold that when the trumpet sounds, the reign of the King will begin, the kingdom of this world will become the kingdom of the Lord.The Feast of Trumpets/Yom Teruah/Rosh HaShanah and the Holy days of autumn are just as much a part of the Re-New-ed Covenant, as are the Holy days of spring.

They tell us that our faith, is not only in what was, but is in what is yet to come, as in Messiah. We live FROM salvation and yet, TO redemption, and we are above all, a people of hope. Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God and the perishable cannot inherit the imperishable but there is a mystery awaiting us all….. at the sound of the last shofar in the twinkling of an eye the dead will be raised and transformed into immortal bodies. Techiyat ha-metim. When this happens death itself will be swallowed up in victory. Since Jesus our Lord delivered us from the curse of the laws verdict against us, on account of God’s love and grace; then we can rejoice that love is stronger than death. The ultimate victory over the ravages of sin will forever be reversed on behalf of Jesus our Lord and Redeemer.Your kingdom must now come on earth as it is in heaven.

The very last time that the word “trumpet” is mentioned in scripture is in Revelation 9:14 and it is when the four angels from the four winds of heaven are about to be loosed to gather the bride (the elect).This trumpet is about redemption! The first time God who called Himself, I AM / YHWH / Yaweh (YaHuWaH) established covenant with Abraham in Genesis 15:9, a three-year old ram was killed (symbolic of the three year ministry of Messiah). When Abraham offered up his son Yitzchaq (Isaac) to I AM / Yaweh / YaHuWaH, a ram was seen with his horns “caught” in the thicket as a substitute offering. so the “trumpet” or the “ram’s horn” is prophetically connected to covenant, redemption, freedom and deliverance!The term, ‘blowing our own trumpet’, is used in modern vernacular, as telling everyone proudly about your own achievements in a boastful way.

This is the world’s way, not the Lord’s Way.However as believers in Jesus our Messiah, it is indeed time to ‘blow our own trumpets’ …and in this instance it’s OK!… for the King is Coming! 

If you’re not certain you are ready for His return, don’t leave this site without being sure. Go to the link below.. for you are precious to the Lord and greatly loved. Blessings and Shalom!

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The Legend Of Messiahs Missing Shofar

Who will sound the ‘last trump’, spoken of in 1Corinthians 15:52  Elijah? Jesus? Sounding the Horn of the Messiah from Jerusalem, Israel.

“And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great horn shall be blown; and they shall come that were lost in the land of Ashur, and they that were dispersed in the land of Mitzrayim; and they shall worship Hashem in the holy mountain at Yerushalayim.” Isaiah 27:13 (The Israel Bible™)One of the landmark holy sites in Jerusalem’s Old City, the Rabbi Yochanan Ben Zakai Synagogue was built at the beginning of the 17th century.The synagogue is believed to stand on the location of the original study hall of Rabbi Yochanan Ben Zakai.He was a major rabbinic and scholarly figure in the Second Temple era, quoted throughout the Talmud.Johanan ben Zakai on the Knesset Menorah

Though it is impossible to say with absolute certainty when the Messiah will come, in an ancient synagogue in Jerusalem’s Old City, a shofar and jug of oil are patiently waiting on a high shelf for His arrival!

They are replacements for the originals, supposedly rescued from the Second Temple amidst Roman destruction, which disappeared in the heat of the 1967 battle for Jerusalem.Legends and mysteries surround the simple items   The synagogue is known for many things, but its most remarkable element could easily go overlooked. On the southern wall, on a glass shelf far too high to be readily accessible, sit a jug of olive oil and shofar. Tradition has it that when the Messiah arrives, Elijah himself will appear to blow the shofar and anoint Him with the oil.The shofar, or ram’s horn, is usually identified with Rosh Hashana, or Yom Teruah,

the Jewish New Year, when 100 blasts are traditionally blown from the shofar.

https://www.minimannamoments.com/midweek-mannabite-the-sound-of-the-trumpet/Usually shofars belong to individuals, who practice year-round, not to the synagogues themselves, making the Ben Zakai shofar unusual. They are among the most significant ritual items in Judaism.The shofar was used regularly in the Temple service,

and Jewish tradition holds that the sounds of the shofar will announce the arrival of the Messiah, just as they greeted the ancient kings of Israel.Many of these inhabitants of Jerusalem would be working in the fields or grinding at the mill (Matthew 24:40-42), and when they heard the sound of the shorar/showphar (trumpet) they knew that their work was finished. Our Messiah was speaking in the language of, ‘Feast of Trumpets’ typology, when He said that we must “work while it is yet day, for the night comes when no man can work” (John 9:24). Those who were working in the fields had to run towards the temple before the doors were shut. The person who was alert and listening for the sound of the shofar was “taken” by the sound of the trumpet; this was his signal to run towards the temple. But the person who was not alert and not watching, would not hear the sound of the trumpet, and they would be “left” in the field or grinding at the mill, unaware that the day had come.To Shimon Gantz, the manager of the synagogue today, told Breaking Israel News that he recently spoke with one of the first IDF soldiers to enter the Old City in 1967 after the Israeli liberation.Chief Military Rabbi Shlomo Goren at the Western Wall in 1967 shortly after the liberation of Jerusalem. (Wiki Commons)

Jerusalem – The Zion Gate – Hebrew שער“He told me that he entered the Old City via the Zion Gate, and immediately sought out the synagogue. His platoon arrived here when the battle was still raging. They were horrified to see the way it had been treated. It was vandalized and full of the worst kind of garbage.

But he also said that he was sure he saw the original jug of oil and shofar on the high shelf, untouched.

“Unfortunately, by the time the battle for the city was over and Jews re-entered the synagogue, the shofar and oil were gone,” Gantz told Breaking Israel News.

The shelf stood empty until 1978, when Yitzchak Navon, then-President of Israel, visited the synagogue.Accompanying President Navon was an elderly Jew who had prayed at the synagogue before the Jordanian occupation in 1947. Navon noticed his companion looking up at the empty shelf and asked what he was looking for. The man told Navon about the oil and shofar, obviously pained and disappointed at their absence. Navon promised to replace them. Later that year, a shofar and jug of oil were placed there by the president of Israel, and they remain on the shelf until today.Anyone can buy or own a shofar, making the Navon shofar special only in its connection to Israel’s modern history.From simple ram’s horns to ornate, silver-plated instruments,and gold plated the horn of the Messiah is available to all,  “In the past three years, we have sold hundreds of shofars in the months leading up to Rosh Hashana to Jews and Christians around the world,” he said.“Many of our customers, especially of Christian faith, are awaiting the end times and are purchasing shofars in order to be able to herald the arrival of the Messiah themselves,” Kellman added.But that doesn’t mean the Messiah’s own shofar is not still out there, waiting…..

In fact, a curious anecdote from Dr. Yahav Shmaryahu, the synagogue’s long-time caretaker, adds a new twist to the story. Three years ago, a small group of men approached Dr. Shmaryahu, asking for special permission to pray in the synagogue at midnight. While they were praying, one of the men looked up and at the shelf and shook his head in disappointment, telling Dr. Shmaryahu that the shofar was not the original.

“I knew this was the case, so this didn’t surprise me,” Dr. Shmaryahu told Breaking Israel News, “But then he claimed the original shofar was in his possession, and when the time came, he would return to the synagogue to blow shofar!!”

All that remains is for each of us to be ready spiritually and on that day, whoever blows it, we WILL hear the shofar sound of the Last Trump.

If you are not certain that you will, go NOW to

https://www.minimannamoments.com/welcome-come-taste-some-bread-of-life-bread-from-heaven/life-changing-information-guaranteed/