Tag: Feasts

The Mystery of Solomons Chok – Part 2 – Conclusion

What does ‘outside the camp’ mean?

In Numbers 15:35-36, it is clear that the death penalty under the Torah was to be administered ‘outside the camp.’

Yet what were the limits or how far away from the camp of the Israelites was this to be?

As the children of Israel were moving throughout the wilderness, they kept a certain distance between the Wilderness Tabernacle and the encampment or their places of habitation according to their clans each with their standards and ensigns. (Numbers 2).When they were to follow the Ark of the Covenant around the city of Jericho, this ‘distance’ that they were to keep away from the Ark of the Covenant was specified. 

Joshua 3:3 – “When you see the ark of the covenant of the Lord you God, and the priests, the Levites, bearing it, then you shall set out from your place and go after it. Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure. Do not come near it (ark)…”

So they needed 2000 cubits = to 3000 feet / 1000 yards /914 meters, in order to maintain the sanctity of the ark and for the preservation of their own lives. According to the Hebrew law, the place of residence for an individual, whether a tent or a house, would extend out from its abode for 1000 yards. If the place of dwelling was in a corporate site such as a walled village, a Levitical town or walled city, then the city limits was 1000 yards/914 meters from the outer walls of the village, town or city.

Moses and Joshua ministering to the Lord.

The House of the Lord, wherein rested the Holy of Holies(The Holiest), and the Ark of the Covenant, was the symbolic dwelling place of the Lord of hosts. To be ‘outside the camp’ or ‘outside the gate’, it would have to be over 1000 yards/914 meters, (2000 cubits) from the Temple Proper, or the residence of God/the abiding place of His Presence.

During the days of Messiah/Jesus Christ, the Sanhedrin,

who governed from the Chamber of Hewn Stones,

(which was on the left side of the Holy of Holiest facing east, or the north side of the Temple proper), used the same calculations to determine the corporate city limits of the city of Jerusalem.

Since the court of the Sanhedrin stood as the center, a radius of 1000 yards/914 meters determined the limits of their encampment.Outside this perimeter was ‘outside the camp’ As such the traditional sites of Jeremiah’s Grotto, the site of the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and a small hill north-east of the Damascus Gate would be excluded from this definition of ‘outside the camp’ and thereby excluded as potential sites for the crucifixion of Jesus. View from Mt.Olives towards Temple.

Two thousand cubits was also the distance allowed for traveling on the Sabbath:

Marking 2000 cubits, 1000 yards/914 meters from Jerusalem’s Eastern Gate brings us to the summit of the Mount of Olives, to the place where the Red Heifer was sacrificed.

From this location, the High Priest could look directly into the entrance of the Temple as the Red Heifer was sacrificed and its blood sprinkled toward the Temple as an offering to God.

When God gave His specific instructions for marking the 2000-cubit limits of cities, the Israelites were just entering the land promised to them, hundreds of years before David captured Jerusalem and Solomon built the First Temple.

Only God could have specifically designed the Temple and the topographical features of Jerusalem, so that the place of the Red Heifer sacrifice – the place of Yeshua’s sacrifice – would be precisely located on the summit of the Mount of Olives. (Where He will also return to and which will split under His feet at His second coming.)Every prophetic detail of time and place from Adam, Abraham and Jacob on; included every symbolic meaning of God’s Master Plan of Redemption; which was established at the moment God created the world! (Matthew 25:34; Ephesians 1:4; Hebrews 4:3; 1 Peter 1:20; Revelation 13:8). Random processes and random events cannot account for the supernatural precision of the Creator’s design that is clearly evident. God controls and is orchestrating every detail of His plan of salvation, to point to the one true Messiah: Jesus/Yeshua!

Hebrews 13:12-13 – “Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside the gate. Therefore let us go forth to Him, outside the camp, bearing His reproach.”

Carefully looking at this text it’s clear that in order to sanctify us with His death, Jesus, guided by His Father, meticulously fulfilled every detail of the ritual of the red heifer, in which His crucifixion occurred outside the gate, (walls of the city) and outside the camp.

So that that His death would not defile the Temple itself, the location was beyond the limits of 1000 yards, (2000 cubits), set outside the city walls and the closest location beyond the limits of 1000 yards, was near the summit on the southern hill of Mount of Olives.Is there a literal interpretation? Is the Hebrew author suggesting that the reader retrace the footsteps of Jesus/Yeshua?

In order for Messiah/Christ, to use His own blood for the saving grace and sanctification that it offers to all believers, He would have to suffer and be crucified outside the gates and walls of the city, as preordained since the days of Moses.

Not only that, the author urges the readers to mentally go and watch the crucifixion outside the camp on the Mount of Olives, and watch Him bear ‘His reproach’, or the cross beam of the crucifixion.

Jesus/Yeshua with patibulum – crossbeam.According to His own plan, our Creator (Colossians 1:15-17) entered His own Creation; (both entering within the earth and entering within a physical human body); to offer Himself for our sins ‘outside the camp’, ‘outside the gate’, on the summit of the Mount of Olives, so that we could have eternal life with Him.

From the summit of the Mount of Olives, Yeshua faced the Temple, just as the Red Heifer faced the Temple while being sacrificed. 

At the precise place and the precise time God appointed, foreordaining it all at the very beginning of Creation –

And all that dwell on the earth shall worship Him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. Revelation 13:8

The Jewish Wedding and the Parallels that exist between God and the children of Israel and between Yeshua and the Body of believers, include coming events in the End Times.

(YHVH) God in Yeshua saw all Jerusalem and all Jerusalem saw God’s Passover Lamb and Red Heifer.

Literally becoming in person, the (Covenant Passover/Pesach Lamb), fulfilling the Annual Appointed Times/Feasts of the Lord that the Israelites had faithfully rehearsed since God gave them to Moses at Sinai. 

Considering the entire scene of the trial and crucifixion of Jesus/Messiah Yeshua. 

Jesus/Yeshua, was condemned and died just before a High Shabbat (Sabbath of the festival Passover). He was judged and condemned in the Chamber of Hewn Stones in His Father’s House (the Temple) and in the presence of God, His Father. (God cannot look upon sin.)As Adam was cast out of the Garden to the East, so also Jesus/Yeshua, accursed and condemned, He was led out through the Eastern Gate away from the presence of His Father.The Red Heifer had been examined and inspected and was found perfect and without blemish, so Yeshua was examined and interrogated by the High Priest,

the whole Sanhedrin and then Pilate, who could find “no fault in Him”. (Luke 23:4)

In the wilderness The Tabernacle /The Mishkan; the sacrifice was performed in front of the Ohel Mo’ed, (Tent of Meeting). The burning of the heifer and the sprinkling of the waters,are performed in the desert by a priest/kohen outside of the Israelite encampment.

(Later as we see, this was performed on the Mount of Olives outside of walled Jerusalem, east of the Holy Temple.) Both were done in a location from which the Priest/kohen could clearly see into the open entrance to the Holy of Holies. 

He would slaughter the heifer and sprinkle its blood 7x in the direction of the Temple. He then burned the cow in what was referred to as a ‘wine-press’ and gathered up the ashes of the heifer. The Mishnah and the Tosefta to Tractate Parah (chapter 3) describe the location of the burning of the heifer on the Mount of Olives, in a place known as the ‘wine-press,’ due to its shape bring similar to that of a wine-press in which grapes were tread upon.   This ‘wine-press’ was hewn into the mountain bedrock, beneath which cavities were excavated, in order to create a separation through which impurity could not pass, lest there be a burial site hewn into the bedrock below. The Priest/Kohen who sprinkles the blood stands on the Mount of Olives and looks westward to the site of the Holy Temple and from there towards the Holy Temple itself, and in the language of the Mishnah (Meudot 2): “The Priest/Kohen directs his gaze toward the Temple Sanctuary while he is sprinkling the blood of the red heifer.”The line of view of the Priest/Kohen, who stands on the Mount of Olives and looks toward the entrance to the Temple.

  Thus, the priest’s gaze passes through four gates, (above) that stood in one (red) line – through the gate of the women’s section (Ezrat Nashim), the Nikanor Gate, the massive entrance to the Ulam (entrance hall of the Holy Temple), and the entrance to the Sanctuary.

These gates increased in height as they approached the Temple. 

Thus the lintel of the gate of the Ezrat Nashim was only slightly higher than the level of the floor of the entrance to the Sanctuary. If so, then the location of the burning of the cow on the Mount of Olives should be exactly between the height of the entrance floor and the gate of the Ezrat Nashim.

The Mishnah (rabbinic compilation of Jewish oral law) states that water for the Red Heifer ritual came from the Pool of Siloam in the time of the Temple in Jerusalem.

White As Snow: Signs of the Messiah

“‘Come now, let us settle the matter,’ says the Lord.  ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.’”  (Isaiah 1:18)

Another color change happened naturally when the Red Heifer’s body was completely burned; its ashes turned white and were mixed with pure water called Living Water.

Only then was it sprinkled on the people to purify them from the contamination of contact with death and sin.

When we accept the cleansing of our sins through the blood of Messiah Jesus/Yeshua—who is the source of pure Living Water — we, too, become white as snow/cleansed.

“These are the ones who died in the great tribulation. They have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb and made them white.”  (Revelation 7:14)

And just as the Red Heifer was sacrificed outside the camp, so was Yeshua.

“The high priest carries the blood of animals into the Most Holy Place as a sin offering, but the bodies are burned outside the camp. And so Yeshua also suffered outside the city gate to make the people holy through His own blood.”  (Hebrews 13:11–12)

Leviticus 17:11 confirms, “it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life“.

When the scripture says that Jesus was “led away to be crucified” (Matthew 27:31), again we see thatthe most prominent passage and path for the temple priests to go outside the city was out the Eastern Gate of the temple, across the Kidron Valley over the Bridge of the Red Heifer to the summit of the Mount of Olives. 

There, where the red heifer was slaughtered and burnt (Holocaust), Yeshua was executed on a tree. (1Peter 2:24) 

Outside the city wall = same as ‘outside the camp’!

The Red Heifer was then led out the eastern gate of the temple, so also Messiah/Yeshua was led away from the temple out the eastern gate, also away from the presence of His Father. As an accused man of sin, Messiah/Yeshua followed the route of Adam and Eve as they were driven from the Garden of Eden and away from the presence of God because of their sin of disobedience.The Red Heifer was led across the Kidron Valley, walking over the Bridge of the Red Heifer to the summit of the Mount of Olives, and up to the summit of the mount where she was slaughtered, so also Jesus was led by the same route to the place where He is crucified.The Temple mount looked very different before the Temple was destroyed. The whole section of what is called Solomon’s Stables, left of Triple Gate, did not exist at the time of the Temple. It may have been added to the Mount by Hadrian around 135 AD. So even though it looks like the bridge runs up along side the temple mount in the picture in fact it went up the hill and connected to Triple gate, which was once Solomon’s Portico. Solomon’s porch in Herod’s Temple.

2000 cubits is approximate length of the bridge, which is the distance required from the Holy of Holies to the Red Heifer Altar.


View showing the length of the Bridge.This is important because the angle from the end of the bridge, on the lower part of the Mt of Olives, to the Holy of Holies must allow for a person to see through the East Gate, the inner east gate, and through the Temple door, seeing the veil that hung before the Holy of Holies.

Also the Priest performing the Red Heifer sacrifice at the top of the Mount of Olives needed to be able to see the Temple sanctuary to know when to begin the sacrifice.  So in this case he would need to be able to see over the top of the East gate and also over the inner east gate.
 

 The bridge is approximately 1,000 feet long and at around a 3 percent grade from the end of the bridge up to Triple gate. (Solomon’s Portico, which had the entrance to the East Gate within it). However it is written that the altar was on the summit (top of the Mount as being directly east of the Temple). The way the bridge was constructed it allowed for air to be between the priest and the graves below. 
Purity was demanded.

Living water had to be carried up the Mount to the Place of the Red Heifer Sacrifice. For this reason hollows (tunnels/caverns) were cut into the bedrock.

 A bowl from the 1st temple period 7th/6th centuries B.C. Jerusalem.

Chosen women gave birth there, and the boys born in the hollow grew up there, never allowed to venture out, for fear of them walking over a grave. 

To get the water to the top of the Mt of Olives these boys were carried on large doors up the Mountain while holding rock hewn bowls full of living water.

Near the end of the Red Heifer Bridge was the place of the counting of heads (skull);where papers were checked before the people could cross the bridge and enter the Temple from the East Gate into the women’s court. 

At the time of Yahshua’s execution we are told that “there [were] many women FROM AFAR beholding”. (Matt 27:55)

The women who had followed him from Galilee and ministered to Him, were allowed only to witness the execution from the Women’s Court Gallery on the Temple Mount.The distance from the Herodian Temple Mount to the execution site on the Mount of Olives was almost half a mile.This would have been considered quite a distance for spectators who were beholding the execution from across the Kidron Valley.

The only reason they were able to view the execution at all is because of the low eastern wall. It provided them a view which, if his execution had taken place either to the north, south, or west, THEY WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SEE HIM AT ALL!

All the walls which were there were high, EXCEPT THE WALL IN THE EAST, so that the priest who burned the heifer, STANDING ON THE TOP OF THE MOUNT OF OLIVES, and directing himself to look, saw THROUGH THE GATEWAY OF THE SANCTUARY, at the time when he sprinkled the blood [Mishnah, Perek 2].

The Mishnah connects the sacrifice of the Red Heifer, which we know occurred on the Mount of Olives, with the low Eastern Wall. Since this was the only site where the High Priest might have a view of the front of the Sanctuary at all, and we know the Women’s Court was two-storied on the east, this statement also connects the execution site with the Mount of Olives. But to confirm that this is so, we also have evidence that it was not Mount Scopus, a part of the Olivet chain, to which the rabbis referred, but the Rosh of the Mount of Olives, because this spot is connected with the Eastern Gate.

There were five gates to the Temple inclosure (i.e. the temple precincts)…THE EASTERN GATE, upon which was a representation of the city of Shushan, and BY IT THE HIGH-PRIEST WHO BURNED THE RED HEIFER, AND ALL WHO ASSISTED, WENT OUT UPON THE MOUNT OF OLIVES [Mishnah, Perek 1].

It was, in fact, only here where the rending of the veil and the breaking of the stone lintel above the veil might have been viewed. Since we are told that even the Roman centurion saw “all these things” happen, it again confirms that the execution site was somewhere on the Mount of Olives.

A tearing of this curtain IN FRONT OF THE BUILDING at the time of the afternoon sacrifices would have been public and very dramatic in effect. IT WOULD HAVE BEEN VISIBLE FROM THE MOUNT OF OLIVES [Erich H. Kiehl, The Passion, p. 141].Looking from the Temple Mount area towards the East to the Mount of Olives.

The fact is the individuals witnessing these events (those near the execution site) could not have seen them FROM ANY OTHER VANTAGE POINT IN JERUSALEM!

From noon until 3:00 P.M. it is stated in the gospels that “darkness” engulfed the land [Mark 15:33]. 

Now it was noonday, and darkness prevailed over all Judea, and they were afraid and distressed FOR FEAR THE SUN HAD SET WHILE HE WAS STILL ALIVE. For it is written for them that the sun should not set upon one put to death. and one of them said, “Give him gall with vinegar to drink.” And they mixed them and gave it to him. And they fulfilled all things and brought their sins to an end upon their own heads. AND MANY WENT ABOUT WITH LAMPS, SUPPOSING IT WAS NIGHT, AND FELL. and the [Master] cried out, “My power, my power, thou hast forsaken me.” And, saying this, he was taken up. And in the same hour the curtain of the temple of Jerusalem was torn in two [Gospel of Peter, ed. Burton H. Throckmorton, Jr., Gospel Parallels, p. 183].

By 3:00 P.M. an earthquake had occurred, damaging the Temple. Jerome, who had access to the Gospel of the Nazareans, clearly states that the thirty-ton stone lintel which held the veils in place was destroyed at the time of the earthquake.

In the Gospel that is written in Hebrew letters we read, not that the curtain of the temple was torn, but that THE ASTONISHINGLY LARGE LINTEL OF THE TEMPLE COLLAPSED [To Matt. 27:51 cf. Gospel of the Nazareans (in Jerome, Letter 120 to Hedibia and Commentary on Matthew 27:51); ed. Burton H. Throckmorton, Jr. Gospel Parallels, p. 184].

The collapse of the stone lintel that supported the massive Nicanor Gate would have rended the veils that hung from it. The suggestion that the veils still hung “unrended” over the Temple entrance some years later does not, in any way, refute the tearing of those veils hanging there at the time of Yahshua’s death. The fact is there were two new curtains made each year.

Simeon ben Gamaliel said in the name of R. Simeon, deputy [high priest]: The curtain was a handbreadth thick and was woven on seventy-two strands, each strand consisting of twenty-four threads. Its length was forty cubits and its breadth twenty cubits, made up in its entirety of eighty myriads [of threads]. THEY USED TO MAKE TWO CURTAINS EVERY YEAR, AND THREE HUNDRED PRIESTS WERE REQUIRED TO IMMERSE THEM [ed. Bialik and Ravnitsky, The Book of Legends, Sefer Ha-Aggadah, 160-61:6].

Jesus/Yeshua would have been crucified with a view to the Holy of Holies.  

That is why the Roman soldier could see the veil as it was rent in two, and also see the tombs open and the dead coming back to life and go into the city.  Matt 27:50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit.
 27:51 And behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth shook and the rocks were split. 
27:52 The tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; 27
:53 and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered the holy city and appeared to many.


The curtain tore at the exact moment Jesus/Yeshua died and the priests were sacrificing the Passover Lamb.

Note here again the reference to the women looking on from afar off. However, they had the line of sight to the Mount of Olives from the Women’s Court.

Legally, family and friends were not allowed to be present during the Roman executions until near the time of death, when they were called for last-minute words.It was only when Yeshua had spoken these final words that He said “I thirst”, and after having been offered a merciful drink of water mixed with wine, declared “It is finished”.

Jesus was offered a second drink, which He accepted. It is ‘pocsa’, a sour wine popular at that time. Jesus accepted this drink because of two important images. The drink was given on the “stalk of a hyssop plant”.

(Same type of Hyssop branch as used by the High Priest in the Red Heifer sacrifice. Jesus/Yeshua is our High Priest.) 

Remember that these events occurred at the Feast of the Passover. During this feast, hyssop was used to apply the blood of the Passover lamb to the wooden DOOR posts (the last Hebrew letter Tav!) of the Israelites. (Everything is connected, see previous posts.)

Again, it is interesting the end of this hyssop stalk pointed to the blood of the Perfect Lamb which was applied to the wooden cross for the salvation of all mankind.

Hence the scripture:

John 19:25-27 Now there stood by the cross of Jesus His mother, and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus therefore saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing by, he said to his mother, Woman, behold your son! Then He said to the disciple, “Behold your mother.” John 13:23

‘Saw His mother.’

Why say it that way if she had been there all along?

Interestingly, most of the visuals tell us that they were present at the crucifixion the whole time.

‘And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home’.19:28 After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst. 19:29 Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a sponge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth. 19:30 When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

27:54 Now the centurion, and those who were with him keeping guard over Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and the things that were happening, became very frightened and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!”

Mar 15:37 And Jesus uttered a loud cry, and breathed His last.
 15:38 And the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.


15:39 When the centurion, who was standing right in front of Him, saw the way He breathed His last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!” 


The centurion, standing in front of Jesus, need only turn his head to see the veil torn in two and the dead being raised and walking toward the city.  This is only possible if Jesus was crucified on the Mt of Olives straight across from the Temple.

The Red Heifer bridge would have ended between Zechariah’s tomb and the road to Jericho, straight across from the blocked up gate in the east wall of the Temple Mount.  The place of stoning for the Jews would have been near by the end of the bridge, so that when a person died they would be before God (represented by the Holy of Holies) and they would be responsible for their own sins. 

It is said that the Centurion that stood guard across from Jesus at his crucifixion saw the torn veil of the Holy of Holies at the time, which means this is the same area the Roman’s crucified Jewish prisoners. Jesus was one of three being hung on a cross that day, which further indicates this as a place regularly used by them. 

The Roman’s always crucified people on the main roads going into cities that they ruled over as a warning to travelers, and this was sort of a crossroads with one road leading to the city and another leading to the Red Heifer bridge which lead to the Temple. They may have chosen a place above the road where He could be mocked by the travelers. 

The two criminals might well have gone through much the same process as Yahshua himself did. What is certain is that each was excommunicated from the community of Israel.

As the shofar sounded the blasts announcing excommunication from the congregation of Israel on the Pinnacle of the Temple a flagman (lactee), stood near the southeastern cloisters of the Women’s Court near the Miphkad Gate with a red flag. Each man would have been led separately over the Red Heifer bridge to the execution site on the “ridge” (or “cranium”, “spine”) of the Mount of Olives (Gulgoleth). A second lactee riding a white horse and carrying a wooden plaque on which the charge was written, led the execution party to that public square, the gathering place for the festal pilgrims situated near the Bazaars of Annas. Pilate had written on that plaque that Yahshua was the KING OF ISRAEL! No other charge was represented on the plaque.

THE MYSTERY OF THE RED HEIFER REVEALED IN MESSIAH YESHUA

The spiritual significance of the Red Heifer is considered by ancient and modern Jewish sages and scholars to be one of the greatest mysteries.

However, the mystery of Solomon’s chok is fully revealed in the sacrifice of Messiah Jesus/Yeshua.

The uniqueness of the sacrifice.

Symbol of the Color of Blood and the Impartation of New Life

An unusual aspect of the Red Heifer is it being female rather than male. The symbolism of this has also been a great mystery:

It has been conjectured that the use of a female, though sacrificial animals were usually males, symbolized the imparting of new life to those who had been defiled by contact with death.

The color red, being the color of blood, may have been the token of life.

By the shedding of His blood, Messiah Yeshua cleanses us from spiritual death resulting from sin and imparts eternal life, the free gift of salvation through His sacrifice for sin atonement.

The physical body of Messiah Yeshua was conceived by the power of the Spirit of God from the “seed of a woman” (Genesis 3:15; Luke 1:35). Perhaps another significance of the Red Heifer being female relates to the seed of a woman being used by God to bring forth the Messiah, by the power of His Holy Spirit.

Some believe that the significance of the heifer being “red” is symbolic of the red blood of the Messiah Jesus without which there can be no cleansing.

The paradox of the red heifer sacrifice suggests profound truth about the sacrificial death of Yeshua our Savior.  The kohen (priest) who sprinkled the ashes of the red heifer became tamei (unclean) himself, even though the defiled person became tahor (pure).

The picture of the priest here is one of sacrificial love – the giving up of one’s own spiritual purity so that another person can regain his purity…  “Sprinkle me with hyssop, and I will be clean” (Psalm 51:7). Just so, Yeshua willingly became unclean on our behalf – through our contact with sin and death – so that we could become clean (Isa. 53:4, 2 Cor. 5:21, Gal. 3:3, Eph. 5:2, Titus 2:14).

Because of Yeshua, the impure become pure, even though He became impure through His offering.  Because of Him, we have been cleansed from our sins “by a better sprinkling” than that which the Tabernacle of Moses could afford (Matt. 26:28, Heb. 9:14, 12:24, Eph. 1:7, 1 Pet. 1:2,18-19, Rom. 5:9; Col. 1:14, 1 John 1:7, etc.).

The sages of the Talmud had it partly right…. Yeshua’s sacrifice as our “Red Heifer” indeed preceded the “rebuilding” of the Temple (John 2:19) – though this Temple is one made “without human hands” by the power of the Holy Spirit (Matt. 26:26-28, 1 Cor. 12:27, Eph. 4:4,11-12, Col. 1:24, etc.).

The followers of the Messiah are now part of the Temple of His Body (1 Cor. 3:16, 12:27) and are called “living stones” (1 Pet. 2:5).The sacrifice of the tenth Red Heifer — Yeshua — instituted a new priesthood after the order of Malki-Tzedek (Heb. 5:10 with 1 Pet. 2:5) that replaces the older Levitical priesthood of Aaron (Heb. 13:10).

Beloved, we have been cleansed from our sins by a better sprinkling than that which the tent of Moses could afford (Matt. 26:28, Heb. 9:14, 12:24, Eph. 1:7, 1 Pet. 1:2,18-19, Rom. 5:9; Col. 1:14, 1 John 1:7, etc.).

This typology was inclusive of the both the bullocks and the goats which were used as sin offerings and the red heifer which was used for purification and holiness (from sin or defilement) of the Levites and the temple premises.

Hebrews 9:13-14: “For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the Living God.”

That the early church believers recognized the relationship between the Jesus and the Red Heifer is depicted in the Letter of Barnabas (8:2) written about 90 CE which stated, “The calf is Jesus: the sinful men offering it are those who led him to the slaughter.”

The parah adumah sacrifice was entirely unique for the following reasons: it was the only sacrifice that specifically required an animal of a particular color. This animal was extremely rare and entirely unique, in fact it is recorded by Maimonides in his commentary to the mishna that, 9 perfectly red heifers parah adumah were prepared from the time the Commandments were given to Moses until the destruction of the second Temple.

Mishnah 5, Tractate Parah –

“The 1st heifer that was burned was under the supervision of Moses on that 2nd day of Nissan in the second year from the Exodus.

The 2nd heifer was burned under the supervision of Ezra;

2 were burned by Shimon Ha Tzaddik;

2 were burned by Yochanan, the High Priest,

the 7th by Eliehoenai, the son of He-Kof,

the 8th by Hanamel, the Egyptian,

the 9th by Ishmael, son of Piabi and

the 10th will be burned in the time of the (for us Messiah Jesus) Moschiach.”  

“… and the tenth red heifer will be accomplished by the king, the Messiah; may he be revealed speedily, Amen, May it be God’s will.”

For us as believers we can say WAS prepared.

We need to be reminded that in all the 100’s of years, this occurred only nine times between Sinai and the destruction of the temple in 70 CE!

So the puzzle still continues….

According to rabbinic opinion, future temple construction cannot begin unless the ashes of the red heifers that have been mixed since the days of Moses also have been found. This fact is overlooked by many who await the construction of the Temple in Jerusalem as a sign of the End of Times, and the return of the King.

However For three decades, a former Baptist minister, now amateur archeologist, Vendyl Jones, has been searching for the K’lal, (Qalal) which according to the Copper Scroll; is the urn or vessel that contains the ashes of the red heifer that was used in the Mishkhan or Wilderness Sanctuary and in Solomon’s Temple.These ashes were from the first heifer that was slaughtered by Eliezar in the days of Moses.According to Jones, in order for the Beit HaMikdash (Holy Temple) to be restored, this vessel of ashes from the first Temple ashes of the red heifer must be found.Translation from the Hebrew linguists of the Vendyl Jones Research Institute,

state that “under the spices, is the purification.” According to the meaning of this translation, ‘they are buried beneath the site where the Temple Incense called the Pitum haQetoret was discovered; near the ‘hidden north entrance’ at the Cave of the Column, is the site where the ashes of the Red Heifer are buried.’

Sign of Jerusalem’s Impending Destruction – Red Heifer Gave Birth To a Lamb

According to first-century Jewish historian Josephus, one of the signs of Jerusalem’s impending destruction, occurred when a red heifer being led by the High Priest for sacrifice gave birth to a lamb! This strange occurrence took place just before Passover and was accompanied by other supernatural signs that destruction as prophesied by Messiah Yeshua was imminent.Another commented ‘What if the new 10th Red Heifer was prepared for slaughter to obtain the ashes to purify the site for a Sanctuary or New Temple and this time she foaled a ‘cub lion’.

Would the Orthodox Jewish rabbabim accept that the Messiah ben David, the Lion of Judah, was also the Messiah ben Joseph, who gave Himself as the Pesach Lamb in the 1st century CE? This drama still has a few pages left to unfold……The divine promise of purity has been fulfilled in Jesus/Yeshua, our Red Heifer and by His sacrifice we are made pure and acceptable in the sight of The Father.

 Please don’t leave this page before making certain Jesus is your Redeemer, Savior, Lord and soon returning King and that you have a personal relationship with Him.

You are greatly loved and precious in His sight.

Its all about Life and Relationship, NOT Religion.

NOT SURE? YOU CAN BE..

SAY THE FOLLOWING FROM YOUR HEART RIGHT NOW…

Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus 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 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 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. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’ name. Amen

The Mystery of Solomon’s Chok!

As with all posts this subject cannot be taken as a separate focus, as everything is connected.

Other facts and information have to be included in order to make sense of it all as we fit all the seemingly unrelated pieces of this puzzle together. Having said that, before we look at the reason behind Solomon’s Chok, included is a brief pictorial recap. on the fact that Messiah Jesus/Yeshua, is typified as the Alef.

See the last post for reference to the Hebrew Alef Bet (Alphabet). Click links below.

NAIL I AM

https://www.minimannamoments.com/alef-bet-alphabet/

Each area we look at is like the Word itself, it cannot be contained within finite parameters and it is a huge challenge to condense all the relevant material for one area of focus, into a single meal! If anything is left out it’s due to lack of space and not to the lack of its importance.

This is part 1 of 2, to allow us to take time to absorb the pictures and text, which will enhance our understanding of both the seriousness and the joy, with which our Messiah fulfilled His destiny; and gave us the perfect WAY back to Himself.

Jesus/Yeshua is the Aleph-Bet (Alphabet).The beginningand the end

The Alef/Aleph and the Tav  Alpha and Omegathe First and the Last.He IS the first from Genesis to the last in Revelation.The alef or first letter is an OX head in the pictograph and as mentioned that Jesus/Yeshua is not only symbolized in scripture by a Lamb and a Nail and a Lion and Fire but also as the Red Heifer.There is also the reference in Ezekiel to the Red Heifer/Ox/Bull with the Four Faced Man. 

Ezekiel 10:14 Describing the cherubim each had 4 faces. 

“… And this was their appearance; they had the likeness of a man.” (Ezekiel1:5). “Four” is the number of creation and signifies the world.

Also each of the 12 tribes of Israel positions in the wilderness. (Again, everything is connected).

The Four Faces of A Spiritual Man exemplified in Jesus/Yeshua

 Ezekiel: He is the “Wonderful Four-Faced Man” (Ezekiel 1:5-6)

In Daniel: He is the “Fourth Man in the Burning, Fiery Furnace” (Daniel 3:25)Ezekiel 1:10″As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle”. Both the bull and the ox are ‘cattle’, (heifer and cow).

Having established Yeshua is typified as Alef/Ox/Red Heifer.. (it was also referenced in the last post;)

..here is the unusual ritual law of the parah adumah (red heifer) and it is identified as the subject of Solomon’s Chok.

In fact, the Talmud states that of all the taryag mitzvot (613 commandments), this is the only one that wise King Solomon could not figure out.

This ritual is considered “chok” within the Jewish tradition, meaning that it defies rational sense. It is a Hebrew word meaning beyond the range of human reason, though some of the sages speculate that although the priest obediently offered the sacrifice as demanded by God, Solomon apparently did not understand why Numbers 19 declared that the priest would be “unclean until evening.”

Chok from Chukkim (חֻקִּים) are statutes divine decrees given without a reason.

These laws can seem irrational to human reason!

Mishpatim (מִשְׁפָּטִים) are laws given for a clearly specified reason (i.e., logical laws, for the prohibitions against theft and murder.)

Note: eidot (עֵדוֹת) are testimonials (from the root ‘ed, “witness”) that commemorate or represent something, they commemorate or symbolically represent something, (e.g. to wear tzitzit, eat matzah on Passover) the eidot occupy a sort of “middle ground” between the rationally understandable mishpatim and the supra-rational chukkim.

The Scriptures are filled with various imperatives of one kind or another. The Hebrew word mitzvah (מִצְוָה) generally means “divine commandment” (mitzvot is the plural form). The various mitzvot found in the Torah may be further divided into the subcategories of chukkim u’mishpatim (Deut. 4:5):

Why was this sacrifice so puzzling to King Solomon and the Jewish sages? Well, the sacrifice of the red cow just doesn’t fit the pattern of any of the other sacrifices given in the Torah.It’s a paradox, a puzzle, a question…

Here is the hidden mystery in the symbolism of the red heifer for its meaning is a clear foreshadowing of the sacrifice of the Jesus the Messiah /Mashiach Yeshua to deliver us from death and here are 8 reasons why:1 It was the most unique sacrifice in the Torah. Unlike other animals that could be offered to the Lord, a completely red cow was extremely rare and one of a kind.

2 The red heifer (Parah Adumah) had to be a perfect specimen that was completely red, without blemish in which there is no defect. (Possibly alluding to uncorrupted DNA; Yeshua the Last Adam = to First Adam, whose DNA was also perfect and uncorrupted.) The rabbis interpreted ‘without blemish’, as referring to the color, that is not having so much is a single white or black hair.This is the only sacrifice in the Torah where the color of the animal is explicitly required. Furthermore the parah adumah was never to have had a yoke upon it, meaning that it must never have been used for any profane purposes. Yoke also alludes being in captivity and in bondage to a master who placed the yoke upon the subject as slavery.  3 It was the only sacrifice where all the rituals were carried out outside of the camp (and later, outside the Temple precincts).

Unlike all of the sacrifices that were offered at the brazen altar, the parah adumah was taken outside the camp to be slaughtered before the priest, took some of its blood and sprinkled it seven times before the Mishkan, that by designating it as a purification offering.

That is, the “blood applications” of this sacrifice occurred in a location apart from the Levitical altar.

Then the red heifer would be burned in its entirety unlike other Levitical sacrifices including the fact that all the blood of the sacrifice was to be burnt in the fire as well.

4 It is the only sacrifice of blood in the Torah of Moses. In other words, the blood of the red cow was not drained out but rather was burned in the fire.(All the items that God required them to use were significant and heavy with meaning that would only be fulfilled and make sense when Messiah, Jesus fulfilled them in every detail.)

5 It was the only sacrifice in Torah that ritually contaminated the priest who offered it, but made the one who was sprinkled by it clean and that explicitly cleansed from the contact with sin and death. Anyone or anything that came into contact with a corpse, (the embodiment of sin and death) was required to be purified using the water of separation.The purification procedure took seven days, using stalks of hyssop dipped into the water and shaken over the ritually defiled person on the 3rd day and then again on the 7th day. After the second sprinkling the person undergoing the purification process would be immersed in a mikveh (water) and then be unclean until the following evening.

Purification on Third and Seventh Days Required In order to be fully purified from contact with a dead body, a person had to be sprinkled with the ashes of the Red Heifer (mixed with water) on the third and seventh days: Numbers 19:11-13

 

Based upon the understanding that the Biblical Holy Days, (the Appointed Times of the Lord, Leviticus 23), provide the prophetic pattern and timetable of God’s Master Plan of Redemption pointing to the true Messiah; we can see that Yeshua’s death and resurrection follow this detailed prophetic timetable. 

There may also be a prophetic connection between the 3rd and 7th days for purification with the ashes of the Red Heifer and the 3rd and 7th days of the 7-day Feast of Unleavened Bread prophetic cycle.

In the Spring: 

Passover – (Death of the Lamb) (Deliverance of Israel)

Feast of Unleavened Bread – (Yeshua, the Bread of Heaven was without sin.) 

         Firstfruits – (The Risen Christ was presented in Heaven before His Father.)

Pentecost – (The Spirit was poured out. 

            Messiah began to write His Law on the hearts of Israel.)

     In the Fall: 

Feast of Trumpets – (Warnings of Judgment Day approaching) 

Day of Atonement – (Judgment Day) 

Feast of Tabernacles – (We will tabernacle with Him.) 

In preparation for Passover, purification from sin was necessary.

For those who had been in contact with the dead, purification by the sprinkling of the ashes of the Red Heifer was the only way purity could be restored.

According to this prophetic picture, Yeshua, as God’s Red Heifer, provides the purification necessary to partake of Messiah Yeshua as God’s Passover Lamb.

According to this prophetic timeline, Yeshua was crucified on the day that the Passover Lambs were sacrificed (14th of Nisan) and He resurrected on the third day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread (17th of Nisan). The Feast of Unleavened Bread covered a period of seven days from the 15th through the 21st of Nisan, the first and seventh days being days of holy convocation, annual Sabbath days when no work was to be done. 6 The items used to cleanse tzaraat (“leprosy”) were burned along with the sacrifice. In other words, the sacrifice would incorporate the means of cleansing from defilement and uncleanness.

It was the only sacrifice that paradoxically contaminated the priest who offered it, that made the one who was sprinkled by it clean.

7 It was the only sacrifice with the ashes were preserved and used (all of the sacrifices required at the ashes be disposed of outside the camp).

8 It was the only sacrifice in Torah that explicitly cleansed from the contact with sin and death. Anyone (or anything) that came into contact with a corpse (the embodiment of sin and death) was required to be purified using the mei niddah/‘water of separation’.

Hyssop (ezov, in Hebrew,) (symbol of humility); a Scarlet thread, (symbol of blood that ties everything together); (the scarlet thread dye color came from the crimson worm!)

a cedar stick,(that pierced Messiah side would then be thrown upon the burning parah adumah (these were the same items used to cleanse tzara’at). In other words the blood was assimilated into the ashes of the sacrifice, which were then gathered and mixed with water to create the, ‘water of separation’ mei niddah, for the Israelite community.

The life is in the blood to deliver from death and why Jesus/Yeshua had to die and shed His Blood to give us life.The word separation harkens to Zechariah 13:1 ‘on that day there shall be a fountain open for the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem to cleanse them from sin and from niddah.’ It means moved, (i.e. separated), and generally refers to separation due to ritual impurity. Medieval Biblical commentator Abraham ibn Ezra writes that, the word niddah, is related to the term menadechem (מנדיכם), meaning those that cast you out.

According to Jewish tradition this sacrifice was to atone for the sin of the Golden calf, though the Torah it self does not make this Association.

The Lord Jesus/ Messiah Yeshua is the perfect fulfillment of the parah adumah, since He was completely without sin or defect. 2 Corinthians 5:21; John 8:46.

He was sacrificed outside the camp. Hebrews 13:13.

He made Himself sin for us. 2 Corinthians 5:21;

The sprinkling of His blood makes us clean, (1 Peter 1:2; Hebrews 12:24; Revelation 1:5;) and the water of separation that His sacrifice created, is the means by which we are made clean from the impurity of sin. Ephesians 5: 25– 26; Hebrews 10:22In learning that the sacrifice of the red heifer was meant to create the “waters of separation” (i.e., mei niddah: מֵי נִדָּה) for the community.

The sages state in this regard: “God created the cure before the plague,” meaning that His love is the foundation of all things: עוֹלָם חֶסֶד יִבָּנֶה / Olam chesed yibaneh: “steadfast love built the world” (Psalm 89:2).Just as God created mankind only after He created the pathway of repentance (i.e., the “Lamb slain from the foundation of the world”: Eph. 1:4, Heb. 4:4, Rev 13:8), so the purification from death was likewise foreseen and provided. 

The “waters of separation” ultimately refer to our purification (i.e., identification) with the death of Yeshua (Rom. 6:3, 1 Cor. 10:13; Gal. 3:27).

There were four types of sin offerings. Three of these were killed or slaughtered at the slaughtering arenas within the temple proper, “before the presence of the Lord. (Lev 4:4) All three had their blood sprinkled seven times before the Inner Curtain which veiled the Holy of Holiest. All three sin offerings had their bodies carried out of the camp to be burned to ashes on the altar outside the camp.By understanding the crucifixion of Jesus with all the shadow-pictures of the Hebrews, we seeJesus as the fulfillment of the sacrifice of the Red Heifer.  

The Holiest of all the sin offerings was the sin offering of the Red Heifer.

The red heifer, offered as a sin offering for purification of the collective congregation of Israel was slaughtered according to the dictates of the Lord of Hosts to Moses outside the camp of Israel. (Numbers 19:3)The blood of the red heifer was sprinkled outside the camp, the body burned to ashes, and then the ashes through some mystical process, (chok) that transcended even the wisdom of Solomon, when it was mixed with pure spring water, it bestowed holiness and purification as it was sprinkled over not only people, but over the land.  They purified the temple with it. They could purify the entire city of Jerusalem if needed or the entire Land of Israel.  

After the death and resurrection of Jesus, our way to holiness would come only through the sacrifice and blood of Jesus/Yeshua, the Son of God.  It was Jesus/Yeshua, who was sacrificed as a ‘sin offering’ not only to bring holiness for His brethren the Jews and the “Lost Sheep of the House of Israel” but to all people.  It was they, who by belief in the sacrifice of the blood of Yeshua are “adopted” and “grafted” into the literal and spiritual House of Israel.    

SYMBOLISM:

Yeshua (Jesus) IS the red heifer. His blood (the scarlet) is cleansing when applied by Yeshua Himself (the “clean man”) using the water (Holy Spirit) and Hyssop (a symbol of cleansing).

During the 3rd millennium, from the first sin, the LORD made a promise covenant with with Abraham concerning his “seed”. All of the faithful ARE children of Abraham (Gal. 3:29). 

It is interesting that the LORD commanded Abram to bring a heifer, as one of the animals to be sacrificed for the covenant ceremony (Gen. 15:9). The ashes of the red heifer, would one day be used for cleansing.  Four hundred thirty years later (to the day) the Children of Israel left Egypt, at midnight on the 15th of Nissan – after a meal of unleavened bread (Exo. 12:41).  This means the LORD entered into covenant with Abraham on the night which would later see the Passover Meal – The Feast of Unleavened Bread. 

During the 7th millennium, Yeshua will “sprinkle” us (cleanse us) while we spend a thousand years with Him. At the end of this 7th day – we (redeemed Israel) will be “clean” of the harmful effects of our life on this earth, where we have all “touched death.” 

NOTE: Joseph of Arimathaea and Nicodemus were not able to keep the Passover after touching the body of Jesus. They would have kept the “Passover” 30 days later, as prescribed by the Law (Num. 9:10-12). Today is the 30th day of the Omer and Pesach Sheni—a Second Passover! Pesach Sheni 2018 is observed on April 29 (14 Iyar).

The holiest of all the sin offerings, was the fourth sin offering, the Red Heifer.

Unlike the other sin offerings, the Red Heifer was walked over to the Altar on the Mount of Olives (outside the camp of Israel/Jerusalem) and there burnt in its entirety.

The difference of the red heifer and the other sin offerings was that the other three were absolving sin, giving the recipient freedom from sin or in a sense, salvation.  On the other hand, the ash of the red heifer was to bring purification and holiness. 

Just as the Red Heifer was sacrificed “outside the camp” in contrast to all other sacrifices that took place in the Tabernacle or Temple, Jesus was sacrificed outside the city of Jerusalem. In contrast to the normal male animals sacrificed, the Red Heifer was the only female animal the Law commanded to be sacrificed. Significantly, our Lord was betrayed for thirty pieces of silver, the price of a female slave.”

Alfred Edersheim gives this explanation of the deep meaning of the Red Heifer.

“As the first manifestation of sin which separates man from God, defilement by the dead required a Sin-offering, and the ashes of the red heifer are expressly so designated in the words: “It is a sin-offering.” (Num. 9:17) But it differs from all other sin-offerings. The sacrifice was to be a pure red color; one “upon which never came yoke; and a female, all other sin-offerings for the congregation being males….

But what distinguished it even more from all the others was, that it was a sacrifice once for all, (at least so long as its ashes lasted); that its blood was sprinkled, not on the altar, but outside the camp towards (westward) the sanctuary; and that it was wholly burnt, along with cedar wood, as the symbol of imperishable existence, hyssop, as the of purification from corruptions, and “scarlet” which from its colour as the emblem of life.

Thus the sacrifice of Highest Life, brought as a sin-offering, and, so as far as possible, once for all, was in its turn accompanied by the symbols of Imperishable existence, freedom from corruption, and fullness of life, so as yet more to intensity its significance. But even this is not all. The gathered ashes with running water were sprinkled on the third and seventh days on that which was to be purified. Assuredly, if death meant “the wages of sin,” this purification pointed in all its details, to “to the gift of God,” which is “eternal life” through the sacrifice of Him in whom is the fullness of life.” (The Temple, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Michigan. 1987, pages 348-349)

View towards Temple Mt from Mt of Olives.

Jerusalem showing location of Red Heifer Bridge.

THE MOUNT OF OLIVES ALTAR FROM THE TIME OF ADAM

Most Jewish scholars believe that from Adam to Abraham (Genesis 22:2) this particular altar was located on Mount Moriah (Temple Mount). According to The Torah Anthology, Adam constructed the first sacrificial altar vs.16 and it was successively rebuilt by Abel, Noah (or his son Shem), and Abraham. But it is essential to understand that there were TWO altar sites in Jerusalem of central importance to God’s Master Plan of Redemption: the altar on Mount Moriah which is profoundly significant in God’s plan of redemption.

The Lord told Abraham to take his “only son, whom you love” and offer him as a burnt offering: Since Isaac was no longer a child, as is generally depicted, but rather a young man in his thirties, it is clear that he voluntarily allowed his father to bind him for the sacrifice. v21This picture foreshadows the willing sacrifice of Yeshua in accordance with His Father’s will. And like Abraham laid the wood for the sacrifice on his son Isaac, the crossbar for His crucifixion was laid on Jesus/Yeshua’s shoulders to carry to the place of sacrifice:

They took Jesus [Yeshua] therefore, and He went out, bearing His own cross[bar], to the place called the Place of a Skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha (John 19:17).

“YOU HAVE NOT WITHHELD YOUR SON, YOUR ONLY SON, FROM ME” (Genesis 22:11-12), The translation that can be made from the original Hebrew of Genesis 22:8, regarding Abraham’s reply to Isaac concerning the lamb for the sacrifice.The conventional translation is: And Abraham said, “God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son” (Genesis 22:8a).

The alternative translation is:
“God will provide Himself AS the Lamb for the burnt offering…” vs.23. Wow!

What a profound prophecy regarding the promised Lamb of God, Messiah Yeshua, who offered Himself in our place as the atonement sacrifice for our sins!

The lamb is described as a burnt offering, meaning that the entire lamb was to be burned as an offering to God.

A burnt offering also represents complete submission to God’s will.In prophetic fulfillment, Yeshua totally submitted Himself to the will of Father God, offering Himself entirely as the sacrifice required to pay the price for all humanity’s sins.

As YHVH-Yeshua (pre-incarnate) provided a ram in place of Isaac, YHVH-Yeshua (incarnate) provided Himself, the Lamb of God, as the sin atonement sacrifice for each and every human being. Note that a ram was provided in place of Isaac, not a lamb (Genesis 22:13). This seems to confirm the true meaning of Abraham’s words as a prophecy about the Lamb of God, Messiah Yeshua.

As the ram’s horns were caught in a thicket (interwoven branches of a bush), vs.24. Yeshua’s head was caught in a crown woven out of thorn branches:

24 The Hebrew word sobek (Strong’s #5441) refers to “branches interwoven, a thicket” (William Wilson, New Wilson’s Old Testament Word Studies, p. 443; Spiros Zodhiates, The Hebrew-Greek Key Study Bible, Hebrew and Chaldee Dictionary, p. 81).

Here, the Temple was built, where the Shekinah (Divine Presence) manifested inside the Holy of Holies above the Ark of the Covenant. And here, the Messiah will seat Himself on His throne in His Temple during the Millennial Kingdom; AND equally important is the altar on the Mount of Olives.

The site for the sacrifice and burning of the Red Heifer, and the burning of the Day of Atonement bull and goat sin offerings. It is believed that it was here that the first altar for, sin sacrifice, was established at the place where Adam and Eve first sinned; and it was here, Messiah Yeshua offered Himself as the ultimate sin sacrifice for the atonement of the sins of all humanity.David went to the summit of the Mount of Olives, the place “where God was worshipped”. Not until David’s son, Solomon, was the Temple and its altar built on Mount Moriah. This clearly shows the summit of the Mount of Olives as a place of worship prior to the Temple and such a place of worship would have included an altar for sacrifice. 2 Samuel 15:30, 32

As previously explained, it is highly probable that the altar on the Mount of Olives goes back to the time of Adam, when the first animal sacrifice for sin was made. David was shown a vision of the crucifixion (which he recorded in Psalm 22) at the very place where his descendant, Messiah Yeshua, would be crucified, on the summit of the Mount of Olives.

The Mount of Olives is frequently mentioned in the New Testament. Yeshua spent much time with His disciples on the Mount of Olives (Luke 21:37; 22:39; John 8:1).It was on the Mount of Olives, overlooking the Temple Mount, that Yeshua wept over the city of Jerusalem and prophesied concerning the destruction of the Temple, the end of the Age, and His Second Coming (Matthew 24:3; Mark 13:3-4).

It was over the Mount of Olives that Yeshua rode on the donkey foal during His entry into Jerusalem, crossing over the Kidron Valley to the Temple Mount (Matthew 21:1; Mark 11:1; Luke 19:29, 37).

Yeshua spent His last night on the Mount of Olives prior to His arrest (Matthew 26:30; Mark 14:26; Luke 22:39).

And Yeshua was crucified, buried, and resurrected on the Mount of Olives (Hebrews 13:11-13).

The Word of God shows that the Gate of Heaven is located above the Mount of Olives. This is place of Jacob’s Beth-el; where the angels ascended and descended from the Heavens.

Here the prophet Ezekiel had a vision of the Shekinah (Glory Cloud) leaving the Temple and moving to a position above the Mount of Olives before it disappeared into Heaven (Ezekiel 10; 11:23).

Messiah Yeshua ascended into Heaven from the Mount of Olives (Luke 24:50-52 Acts 1:9-12).

Therefore, logically as there is no co-incidence with God; it would follow, that the altar on the Mount of Olives was located directly under the Gate of Heaven.

Somewhere on the top of the Mount of Olives was once located the Red Heifer altar. No ruins of the altar remain, unless buried deep under cement or buildings.

This is probably the best EXAMPLE of what the Red Heifer Altar might have looked like on the Mount of Olives.

In 1980 by Adam Zertal uncovered an altar at Ebal Israel believed to be the altar of Joshua, with a later altar built over it.This altar had been purposely covered with stones to either hide it, or preserve it. It is 10 feet high and  around 25 x 30 feet in width and length.  The walls are 5 ft thick with a fill to make it flat on top. There is a 23 x 3 foot wide ramp leading up to it with the same ledge and smaller ramp along side the larger one. Beneath this altar is another smaller, 6.5 ft round, altar built on the bedrock. The smaller altar is thought by many to be the altar of Joshua that we read about in the scripture. It was built around 1250 BC. The larger, rectangle, altar above it is dated to around 1400 BC.The front portion of this altar had two large stalls where the animals were kept. Also different compartments were found within the stalls was used to contain the items needed for the sacrificing of the animals.When the Temple was built in Jerusalem the altar on Mt Ebal was abandoned.  

The Red Heifer sacrifice was performed on the summit of the Mount of Olives in a direct line of sight to the entrance of the Temple on its eastern side. The animal was placed on its left side, head toward the south, and face turned westward toward the entrance to the Temple.

According to the Mishnah, the High Priest who sacrificed and burned the Red Heifer was able to look directly into the entrance of the Temple when the blood was sprinkled (Middot 2.4):

All the walls that were there [on the Temple Mount] were high, with the exception of the eastern wall, so that the [High] Priest who burned the [red] heifer stood on top of the Mount of Olives and was able to see directly into the entrance of the Sanctuary [Temple] when the blood was tossed. vs.3 God gave the commandment regarding the Red Heifer sacrifice:

Based upon God’s instructions, the Red Heifer (Hebrew parah adumah):… refers to a red-brown, unblemished, and unworked cow that was sacrificed and burned (Num. 19:1-8); its ashes were then kept “for use in the water of cleansing; it is for purification from sin” (v. 9). The cleansing in view had to do with corpse contamination (vv.11-22). This ritual included several unusual features, such as the requirement that the slaughtering take place OUTSIDE THE CAMP (instead of on the altar [of the Temple])… (emphasis added). The Red Heifer had to be entirely red (reddish-brown); at least three years old, although an older animal was acceptable; perfectly free of any physical blemish or defect; and never previously yoked or used for physical labor (Numbers 19:2).

The Red Heifer Bridge

Several references are quoted confirming the same details.

(Significantly, during the second Temple. The high priest performed the ceremony facing the temple while on top of the Mount of olives). (the Talmud recounts that the high priest performed the blood applications of the red heifer while gazing out the temple and at the holy of holies from a mountain opposite the temple mount.)Yeshua was led like the holiest sacrifice, the Red Heifer, from the Temple Mount through the Eastern Gate along the ritually clean, arch-over-arch causeway/ramp that connected the Temple Mount to the summit of the Mount of Olives.

This was the only path from the Temple to the summit that afforded ritual purity necessary for an acceptable sacrifice.

From the summit of the Mount of Olives, there was a clear view into the Temple. Just as the Red Heifer’s head was turned to face the Temple as it was sacrificed, so too Messiah Yeshua faced the Temple as He was crucified – the ultimate and holiest of all sacrifices for the atonement of humanity’s sins.

This heifer must be brought to the “Mount of Anointment”, A PRECISE LOCATION ON THE MOUNT OF OLIVES, OPPOSITE THE EASTERN GATE OF THE TEMPLE MOUNT. There the heifer must be slaughtered and burned. Afterwards, its ashes are mixed together with natural spring water. It is this solution, called by the Bible “the waters of sanctification,” which is used to sprinkle on those who are impure (emphasis added).5

During the Second Temple period, the Red Heifer was led out of the Temple area through the Eastern Gate, over the Kidron Valley and up to the summit of the Mount of Olives via a ritually clean, stone arch-over-arch causeway/ramp. The Eastern Gate: There was no need to change this system during the Herodian period [the time of Messiah Yeshua], so it can safely be assumed that it would have been through this gate that the Red Heifer was led out to the Mount of Olives during that time period as well.As previously explained, the Red Heifer was sacrificed “outside the camp”, “outside the gate”, meaning outside the Eastern Gate of the Temple Mount. Certain other sacrificial animals were also burned at the same site, but the Red Heifer was the only animal actually sacrificed at this location.

Certain instructions were given to Moses concerning the sacrificial altar of the Red Heifer. It was to be built “outside” the city. Outside the city was given as 2000 cubits (2,916 ft @ 17.5 cu) to the east from the tent tabernacle. It was to be made of un-hewn natural stone from the immediate area and have four walls, filled in with layers of stone until it had a flat surface on top. It must have a ramp, not steps, and a ledge around the altar on three sides and along the ramp down one side.  From the altar the priest was to sprinkle the blood seven times towards the tabernacle.The place “outside the camp” was 2000 cubits (3000 feet) east of the city, according to God’s commandment for marking city limits:

“You shall also MEASURE OUTSIDE THE CITY ON THE EAST SIDE TWO THOUSAND CUBITS, and on the south side two thousand cubits, and on the west side two thousand cubits, and on the north side two thousand cubits, with the city in the center. This shall become theirs as pasture lands for the cities” (Numbers 35:5, emphasis added).

What does “outside the camp” mean?

Conclusion coming in part 2

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Hidden Mystery of the Kallah

The Hidden Mystery of the Kallah כַּלָּה ; phonetically pronounced (kal-law’).

These days there is much chatter about the signs of the times, end of days and Jesus soon return. The catching away from 1 Thessalonians is often termed the rapture.

Also called the Parousia and the blessed hope of Titus 2:13

 The rapture is an eschatological term used by certain Christians, particularly within branches of American evangelicalism, referring to a end time event when all Christian believers will be “caught up”, translated into the clouds, in a moment in time, to join the Lord in the air. 

In fact the specific word ‘rapture’ itself does not appear anywhere in the scripture text however It has become a much used by word and originated right out of the Latin Vulgate translation of the Bible.

…deinde nos qui vivimus qui relinquimur simul rapiemur cum illis in nubibus obviam Domino in aera et sic semper cum Domino erimus.. –1 Thessalonians 4:17 (Latin Vulgate)

In the New American Standard Version, the English phrase, “caught up,” is used. The same phrase is used in the King James and New International Versions. .” In the Latin Vulgate, one of the oldest Bibles in existence, the appropriate tense of rapio appears in verse 17. (Raptus is the past participle of rapio, and our English words “rapt” and “rapture” stem from this past participle.)

So this term “Rapture” comes from a Latin word, “rapio,” that means “to catch up, to snatch away, or to take out.” It is, in turn, a translation of the Greek word, “harpazo. the Harpz, the “snatching up” of the Church.

The Latin equivalent of the Greek Harpazo is the Latin verb rapio, “to take away by force.

The very definition of the word “harpazo” that we get the word “rapture” from, is: to openly and forcibly snatch something from someone.

Strong’s Greek Concordance #726 harpázō – properly, seize by force; snatch up, suddenly and decisively – like someone seizing bounty (spoil, a prize); to take by an open display of force (i.e. not covertly or secretly).

Notice in the preceding definition, “harpazo” means to “openly seize” – not covertly or secretly.

 Used in the late 16th century (in the sense ‘seizing and carrying off’): from obsolete French, or from medieval Latin raptura ‘seizing,’ partly influenced by rapt. This post is not attempting to focus on or to prove/disprove any of the options proffered by believers. Intended only to show Messiah’s use of and reference to ancient Israel and the Jewish/Hebrew wedding and how it relates to forthcoming events; and to those that have already occurred, including the fulfillment of the promise which our Lord confirmed at the Last Supper: John 14:1-3

This is a wide subject however this focus is on the wedding part.

The elements of a Jewish wedding normally include the following: one chosson (the groom), one kallah (the bride), and a ceremony sometimes referred to as kiddushin. Separate steps usually accompany a traditional wedding: Shidduch – it’s a match! Vort – formal engagement; Ketubah – or Betrothal marriage contract.

We the believers in Jesus the Messiah/Yeshua Ha Mashiach are His kallah /Calah. kallah /Calah is Hebrew for bride. (Seems both spellings are used.)

It may be easier for ladies than for men, in identifying with being a bride. The likeness is simply for God’s purposes, and to reveal His covenant and the deep close relationship that the children of Israel have with Him; which would be a reminder for them beginning with Moses at Sinai.

This mystery is hidden in the Hebrew covenant of a marriage and the wedding ceremonies in which the focus was originally more on the groom than the bride!

Looking at Isaiah 62:5: “For as a young man marries a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee. And as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.”

In the first part of this verse in Isaiah it appears that Israel is playing the role of a bridegroom rather than a bride if we consider the word sons as male. Then in the second part he is addressing Israel as if they were to be a husband to God, as this second part of the verse declares that the ones he is addressing are now the bride to God who is in the role of the bridegroom.

The word bridegroom here is katan, which is another word for marriage. This word for marriage has the idea of joining together in complete truth and honesty.  When God as the bridegroom is married to us He is joined to us in complete truth.  Remembering here Jesus words, “They that worship God must worship Him in Spirit and in truth.”  John 4:24.

So that is God’s side of the deal, He is the bridegroom, but what are we as the bride or Kallah? In it’s primitive form the word Kallah has a double lamed which represents prayer with uplifted hands.

Hebrew letter Lamed

This word is a picture of reaching up to your lover with an open empty heart asking him to fill your heart with his presence.   The root word is a little strange because it means both a filling or completion and a wasting away.  However, the sages chose this word to represent a bride because a bride is to fill her heart with the desires of her bridegroom while her own desires waste away. Hard for us to understand, as this flies in the face of our modern thinking.

 God gave us a marriage relationship to help us understand our relationship with Him.  It cannot be just one sided, looking to God as a bride to a bridegroom, there is the other side of the coin to consider, our beloved God has a heart similar to the heart He breathed into us.

Just as our hearts can be broken, so too can we break His heart. He has chosen to make Himself vulnerable to those He loves and love Him in return.

We must make sure we do not break His heart.

כַּלָה is the Hebrew word for bride is Kallah, (Calah) which comes from the root word Kalah meaning; to finish, complete, prepare, to make perfect (in the sense of totality rather than of being unblemished) and to consume. (Strong’s #3618 and 3634).

There is also the meaning in this word of something fulfilling its purpose. Also means daughter in law.

From the Cross Jesus said, “It is finished” or in keeping with our Hebrew word for completed/fulfilled.

Jesus returns to initiate the catching away of believers.

Lekhah Dodi means “come my beloved,” and is a request of a mysterious “beloved” that could mean either God or one’s friend(s) to join together in welcoming Shabbat that is referred to as the “bride“: likrat kallah (“to greet the [Shabbat] bride“).

Chatan: Hebrew word for groom.

Strongs 2860 Chathan חָתָן

phonetic pronounced (khaw-thawn’) חָתָן

The biblical word chatan means both son-in-law and bridegroom, (most scholars believe that the initial meaning was only son-in-law, and that bridegroom was a later development) and ‘ka•la’ also means daughter-in-law.

In the Hebrew wedding song: “The voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom [hatan] and the voice of the bride [kalah].” the voice of those who shall say, Praise the Lord of Hosts; for the Lord is good; for his mercy endures for ever; and of those who shall bring the sacrifice of praise to the house of the Lord. For I will cause to return the captivity of the land, as at the first, says the Lord’.

Jeremiah 33:11

The wedding in Jesus day began with an agreement between the bride and groom, like engagement today. The bridegroom Journeys to the bride’s house for the covenant is made at her house.

Applying the process to believers, the Bridegroom has already made his visit! We are engaged, we are betrothed to Him.

At the time of this agreement a formal document called the Ketubah , was signed.

The Ketubah Agreement or covenant of marriage/ betrothal, included a price to be paid for the bride. In Hebrew the Mohar/Mohair.

We sometimes know it as a Dowry.

It was considered that the husband and his family were gaining an asset and the bride’s family were losing one.  And the price was according to the wealth of the Groom’s Father. The choice of whom the Bride would be and the Bride price or Mohar as it was called, was to reflect the Father of the Groom’s honor, integrity and stature; His future generations were at stake. Even if the Bride’s family was not wealthy, if the Groom’s Father was, the price was to reflect his wealth.

At that time the couple was considered to be married, even though the marriage was not consummated. She belongs to him now, for she has been “bought with a price’, and this purchase has been witnessed and confirmed.

Matthew 26: 27-28
“Then having taken a cup, after He gave thanks He gave the cup to them saying, “You must all drink from this, for this is My blood of the covenant, which is being poured out on behalf of many for forgiveness of sins.”

Luke 22:20
“This is the cup of the New Covenant in My blood which is being poured out on your behalf.”

Considering the stature and wealth of the heavenly Father, what would be a better fitting price for the Bride of Christ, the Church other than the life of His Son.

Jesus already paid the ultimate price for us His bride. By giving up his life for us at Calvary’s cross. The father of the bride may accept the bridal price.  If he does, then it is up to the bride to accept the offer of marriage.  She (the bride to be) accepts his offer when she drinks from the cup filled with wine or grape juice.

In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the renewed covenant in My blood. As often as you drink it, do this in remembrance of Me.”  For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the death of the Master until He comes.  1 Corinthians 11: 25-26

After the wine is drunk, the young man says the words in John 14:2-3:  “In My Father’s house are many rooms.   I go to prepare a place for you.  And, if I go to prepare and place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself, that where I am, there you may be also”.

This is not so we can have a mansion of our own and do nothing but sit around. It is so we can be with Him and to share eternity with Him and be a part of the future He has planned for us.

The groom then went back to where he came from, his father’s house. He prepared a place, usually on family property, for the couple .

This Ketubah has 2 parts involving a shared cup of wine, with one at the initiation of the agreement and the other at the consummation.

The first part happens at the initial acceptance of the agreement with the sharing of the first cup of wine.The second part happens when the wedding actually happens with the sharing of the second cup of wine. 

The groom steps on the glass breaking it to indicate that this is a serious commitment and just as serious as the shattered glass is not repairable. 

Notice how Jesus says to do the New Covenant, Communion, in remembrance of Him. He is the Groom going away. But He will return for His Bride and bring her unto Himself.

I Corinthians 11:25-26
“Likewise also the cup after supper saying, “This cup is the New Covenant by means of My blood: you must regularly do this, as often as you would drink it, in remembrance of Me.”  For as often as you would eat this bread and you would drink the cup, you are proclaiming publicly the death of the Lord until He would come.”

Mark 14:24-25
“And He said to them “This is My blood of the covenant which is being poured out on behalf of many. Truly I say to you that never again am I drinking from the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the Kingdom of God.”

When we take the Cup, Communion, we are remembering Him, the price He paid with His Body and His Blood; this is symbolic of the first cup of the Ketubah.

We should also stop, pause and rejoice in that: The next time the Lord takes the cup of wine again, it will be with us, His Bride. This will be symbolic of the second cup of the Ketubah. We should take Communion in honor of Him as He has asked, but also with the comfort and intent of someday, being with and sharing the Wedding Cup with Him at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. 
The entire New Testament (New Marriage Covenant) is a reflection of the Ancient Jewish Wedding, whereby Yeshua, the Bridegroom, will one day come back for His Bride (all 12 tribes and those grafted into the olive tree, One New Man).

Right now He is preparing many dwelling places in his Father’s house (John 14:2) for his Bride.

When we choose to accept the offer of the Lord, as Lord and Savior, we enter into a covenant relationship.  We are betrothed to the Lord spiritually and we reject all other gods and idols and stay faithful to Him. We are like the Bride of those days, in that we have all the legal rights of being betrothed, even though the marriage is not complete until the final ceremony. 
Having been bought with a price, the Bride now keeps herself for him.

During this time, the Bride is to be eagerly awaiting his return.

Then the Father of the Groom will tell his Son to go snatch up his bride.

1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17

It is important to realize that in the Ancient Jewish Wedding, there is no date set for the wedding unlike in our western world.  The custom back then was that the date was to remain a mystery and only the father of the groom had an idea of when the wedding would take place.

Only when everything was completed to the fathers satisfaction would he tell his son to go and get his bride.

This is where at the reference (Matt 24:36).  that no one knows the day nor the hour when he will become for his bride, but the father only.

Because neither the bride nor groom knew when the father would say it was good enough, it was critical that they both needed to be ready as the finishing touches were about to be completed.

This prophecy is a reflection of the Fall Appointed Feast Days of Yom Teruah (The Feast of Trumpets) as it is accustomed for the High Priest to say, “No man knows the day or the hour.”  The reason for this saying is that no one would know on which day the sighting of the crescent moon would appear that would be necessary in order to initiate the feast day celebrations starting with Yom Teruah.  Here we see the connection with the wedding as well as with Yom Teruah.

Scriptures attributed to Yom Teruah are (1Thess 4:16-17)(Rev 19:7-9).

The couple do not see each other again until the day of the wedding but spend their time in preparation for it.

As was the custom, the bride was to prepare herself for the wedding ceremony that would take place from one to two years from the acceptance of the proposal.

(For us it has been 2000+ years (1000 years as a day?) and we are still waiting for Him to come and get us, His Bride). There is much anticipation of this event and it is meant to be a surprise for the Bride as the Bridegroom comes as a thief in the night at the Appointed Time/Feast (Mow’ed).

For the bride, life seems the same, she lives with her family doing daily activities, she is married but What has changed? Everything! For she is now CALAH.

God came to our house as Jesus 2000+ years ago and made a covenant with us if we said yes to Him. Then the bridegroom according to the Hebrew custom leaves to return to His home, His Father’s house. Jesus returned to heaven and where we are now, these are the days of separation. The bride in her house, Earth. The groom in His House, heaven.

John 14:2-3:  “In My Father’s house are many rooms.   I go to prepare a place for you.  And, if I go to prepare and place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself, that where I am, there you may be also”.

We are still in this in the present world, still in the same House, everything seems the same it looks unchanged. But, something unseen has changed, not the exterior House or the world around us. However, we have changed inside, and we are no longer OF this world even though we are still IN it.

The time of preparation:

Again, it’s important to realize that the custom was, the wedding date was to remain a mystery and only the father of the groom had an idea of when.

The wedding was a prophetic type of the coming Messiah set in for the children of Israel as a symbolic preparation of the spiritual life enacted as the marriage process. The wedding, the covenant, the betrothal, the holy convocation, the rehearsal. This was on purpose so every time two individuals became a couple they enacted God’s eternal plan out in their own lives.

Just as many modern Western ceremonies today, have a rehearsal dinner or Church rehearsal meetings to go through the order of ceremony to be performed at the appointed time. So the cycle of 7 appointed times of the Lord throughout the year are also a rehearsal and a preparation for the fulfillment of God’s plan of the ages through Jesus and His coming as Messiah in fulfillment of those prophetic events.

So is the wedding a type and shadow of His relationship with us and why He referred so much to it. The people of His day who were around Him listening to Him were familiar with such events and understood the process. It made sense to them and it’s why He used it to explain His mission, Ministry and ultimate future in relationship to us, His Calah.

After the building of the wedding chamber/room is complete, and after the father has determined that his son is ready, then the father would send His son back to where the bride would be eagerly awaiting his return from her hometown (Earth) to retrieve her for the Wedding.

“Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Master is coming. Matt 24:42

Then the groom would go for the bride, often at night and she would have to be ready.

The guests too would be notified at the last minute.

At that time, there would be a procession led by the bridegroom back to where the bride is from (Earth).  The processional wedding party would stop outside the town, and there would be a cry made for the bride with the sounding of the shofar to go out to meet the Bridegroom.

14 For if we believe that יהושע died and rose again, so also Elohim shall bring with Him those who sleep in יהושע.

15 For this we say to you by the word of the Master, that we, the living who are left over at the coming of the Master shall in no way go before those who are asleep.

16 Because the Master Himself shall come down from heaven with a shout, with the voice of a chief messenger, (archangel) and with the trumpet (Yom Teruah) of Elohim, and the dead in Messiah shall rise first. 

17 Then we, the living who are left over, shall be caught away together with them in the clouds to meet the Master in the air – and so we shall always be with the Master. 1 Thess 4:14-17

50. And this I say, brothers, that flesh and blood is unable to inherit the reign of Elohim, neither does corruption inherit incorruption.

51. See, I speak a secret to you: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,

52. in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet shall sound,

and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.1 Corinthians 15: 50-52

 

The following is a parable by Yeshua describing how there will be those who would not be made aware of the times of His second coming and will miss this moment.

“Then the reign of the heavens shall be compared to ten maidens who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.” (Matt 25:1-13)

 

“Now while the bridegroom took time, they all slumbered and slept.

6. “And at midnight a cry was heard, ‘See, the bridegroom is coming, go out to meet him!’  (Matt 25:5-6)

At the voice of the Bridegroom calling them up, Messiah Yeshua comes out of heaven with a trumpet blast, to gather His whole Bride for the wedding, and the 7 days in the chuppah. The “bride has made herself ready”.  He collects His Bride who is alive and waiting for Him on the earth. As betrothed brides, they were supposed to be preparing for their wedding, sewing the various garments, purifying, learning, etc. in anticipation of the Big Day… but 5 grew drowsy and were sleeping.

They were to keep a light in the window during the nighttime and have more oil on hand, ready to make the journey to meet the Groom.

Without a light in the night, how would they find their way to meet the Groom? They would stumble and fall, stray off the path being unable to navigate in the dark.

They were to “meet up” with the Groom and head for the Wedding Ceremony, Honeymoon and Marriage Supper.
Five of the betrothed made it, Five did not…. All ten had the opportunity. 

Five had their heart in it were focused and kept to their purpose. These 5 stayed on course with well supplied lamps, trimmed wicks and fresh oil on hand. This is how we must be as the betrothed Church waiting for our Groom, Messiah Jesus/Yeshua.

Only the “prepared ones” will make it. There will not be any second chances.

Those arriving late will be locked outside the door. We must remain passionate for our Lord and be able to stay on course through the darkness, and many times that darkness can seem very heavy.

We must set our hearts and live our lives as the prepared Bride of the Lord.

The parable of the wise virgins, of Matthew 25:1-11, shows us that only the prepared Bride gets to go into the chuppah with Him.  The guests are shut out.

“And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding feast, and the door was shut.  (Matt 25:10)

The bride, and her family would go out to meet the bridegroom.  The bridal company (bridesmaids) would join the procession back to the bridegroom’s hometown (Heaven). It is clear in 1 Thessalonians 5:1-5 that Paul was speaking to a Jewish audience who understood the cultural idoms of the day.

The true meaning is to “take by surprise.” And the Lord makes it clear to His church through His Word, that He does not want us to be taken by surprise but on the contrary for us to be faithful, alert and watching.

The phrase is not about the Lord being like “the kind” of a “thief” that would come in the night by sneaking in and sneaking out. In the day and age of Jesus and the apostles, most people lived in one or two room houses. Anyone would know when someone came in or out, including in the night. Jesus will be coming “like” a “thief in the night” in that “He will take the world by surprise” when He comes to get His church.

When he spoke of, “as a thief in the night,” those listening would realize that he was possibly speaking about the Captain of the Temple that may have been the high priest.  The Captain’s job was to make sure that the watchman or guards were not sleeping but rather doing their job. If the Captain of the Temple found any guards asleep, then he would set their garments on fire with his torch. ‘Not found naked’, as he would have ripped off his clothes to save from being burned.

Thus, the Captain of the Temple was known as a Thief in the Night.  The term/idiom, A Thief in the Night, was used by Jesus/Yeshua Himself and is used to identify a sleeping or dead church.

1 Now, brothers, as to the times and the seasons (mow’ed), you do not need to be written to. 2 For you yourselves know very well that the day of יהוה comes as a thief in the night. 3 For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then suddenly destruction comes upon them, as labour pains upon a pregnant woman, and they shall not escape. 4 But you, brothers, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. 5For you are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. (1 Thess 5:1-5)

Returning to the wedding reference:

and when his father approved of the apartment or house, the son would come for his bride and the wedding ceremony would take place. Today the ceremony takes place under a chuppah, a prayer shawl over 4 supports representing the room that was prepared.

Once the ceremony is over, the two would go into the bridal chamber (chuppah) for 7 days (now known as a honeymoon). The tradition of a husband staying home with his new wife for the first year of marriage symbolizes the millennial reign the 1000 years, (1day=1000 years), when we rule and reign with Him

Revelation 14:1-3; 20:1-4; Romans 8:17

Picture this: It was in the early morning while it was still dark, the Morning Star Shone upon his opening tomb.

Everyone was sleeping as it was still during the hours of darkness and rest for the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Jesus arose, His rising did not disturb the slumbering citizens. The watchmen of the night saw and heard nothing to alert them that in the spiritual realm everything has changed. For them it was just another early morning and that they would begin in the natural realm just like any other.

It may well be that it is very early in the morning while it is still dark, when 1 Thess 4:16 occurs; when only the morning star is shining that the believers who make up Messiahs body on earth shall be called up to Him joining the dead in Christ who have been raised exactly a twinkling of an eye before them.

Like Him, somewhere in the earth His saints will awake, while the children of the night and darkness are still sleeping. Not one will be disturbed and as on that morning in Jerusalem, the rest of the world will not hear the voice of the archangel, nor the trumpet that calls them to His side.

He will awaken each one when the hour arrives. The words of Isaiah 26:19 Will accompany the quickening. ‘awake and sing you that dwell in dust.’

 What does the phrase “in the twinkling of an eye” mean? Many say it is “faster than a blink.” Whatever it means, it’s very very fast! The next question is, “what happens in the twinkling of an eye?” This verse in 1 Corinthians 15, may be one of the most misquoted verses of all time.

“Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed– in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” 1 Corinthians 15:51-52

It says “we shall be “changed” in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye. It does not say that the Rapture happens in the twinkling of an eye.
In the previous verses..

“As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man. Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed– in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.

 For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.”

This whole section of scripture seems to be about “how we shall become like the Lord.” How “corruption” is not fit for heaven. The flesh and blood bodies that we now have are mortal and of corruption.

Both the bodies of the saints in heaven and those who are still alive, must be made “fit for heaven.” It is about the speed of the changing of the bodies and remains, not about the speed of the Rapture.

Our very DNA miraculously revived and made alive supernaturally as the power of the risen Savior re-creates all bodies new and in His image.

The first rays of the sun penetrate the darkness of each saints grave, one massive unprecedented miracle around the globe simultaneously re-creating each and every child of God who died in faith believing in His return.

The rays of His glory will penetrate each one, pouring into the depths and as the shadows of the morning and the eastern clouds slide away hope is rewarded and mortality is flung aside and all at once the uprising glorified bodies changed at the speed of light, faster than an eye blink we meet Him in the air, the Lord of glory, Creator of the heavens and the earth, the King of the universe.

(From quantum physics considerations, this transformation, “in the twinkling of an eye,” will possibly occur digitally in 10-43 of a second.) 

His Glory like the Star of Bethlehem which heralded His first coming and shone beams of light guiding those seeking Him into His presence;the star of the morning will again shine beams of light to direct us Heavenward. A new path for us but also the last leg of the journey along life’s Way, in the Truth and to the everlasting Life He promised.

The sleeping church, or believers who do not understand the Appointed Feasts, may miss the wedding!

1“And to the messenger of the assembly in Sardis write, ‘He who has the seven Spirits of Elohim and the seven stars, says this, “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead.

2“Wake up, and strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your works complete before Elohim.

3“Remember, then, how you have received, and heard. And watch and repent. If, then, you do not wake up, I shall come upon you as a thief, and you shall not know at all what hour I come upon you.  (Revelation 3:1-3)

The wedding takes place and the bride and the bridegroom are married in the bridegroom’s hometown (Heaven).

(Maybe under the grooms prayer shawl/ chuppah)

The bride and the bridegroom would consummate the marriage in the bridal chamber built by the bridegroom at their new home, while the entire wedding party would wait outside the bridal chamber. 

Once the consummation had taken place, there would be a great celebration as the wedding party would last for 7 days or less. (Marriage supper of the Lamb 7 years)

And he said to me, “Write, ‘Blessed are those who have been called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’ ” Revelation 19:9

“Let us be glad and rejoice and give Him praise, for the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife prepared herself.”

8And to her it was given to be dressed in fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteousnesses of the set-apart ones.

9And he said to me, “Write, ‘Blessed are those who have been called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!’ ” And he said to me, “These are the true words of Elohim.”  Revelation 19: 7-9

After 7 days or less of celebration, a processional of the entire wedding party would return back to the Bride’s hometown (Earth) to continue with the celebrations. (Messiahs second Coming.)

They really DO live happily ever after!

 The Archangel whether it be Michael, Gabriel, Rafael or another, whose voice we shall hear is like a morning call for all of us. It’s time to wake up to arise, weeping may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning of our resurrection.

Encourage one another with these words.

He will receive us and so shall we ever be with Our Messiah.

“He came among His own people, but His own did not take* Him. And so many as did receive Him, He gave them authority to become children of God, to those who believed in His name, they are not from blood and not from the desire of flesh and not from the will of man but were begotten from God. ” John 1:11-13

*take: This word means to take as your betrothed, speaking of the intimate relationship Y’shua came to seal.

Jesus did not come just to be lightly received. He came from the Father to bring us back to Him. To “take Jesus, to receive Him,” meant to “believe in His Name in a life changing manner.” It was (and is) entering into a Covenant relationship with our Holy God. Because He called us out, chose us. Note it says, He gave them authority to become children of God, not just became children of God.

 “The coming of the Lord” will be “unexpected” by those who “are not watching and waiting” for Him.

This great day will surprise the lost “as” a “thief in the night.” But God’s people – who are not of the night nor of darkness – will be looking for Him. God’s people know the signs and nearness of His coming and are watching for Him.

The Amplified Bible has verse 4 as this: “But you are not in [given up to the power of] darkness, brethren, for that day to overtake you by surprise like a thief.”
There may not be much more time to trim the lamps or seek more oil… We should decide which of the groups we are a part.

For the bridegroom cometh and when ever He comes, let‘s make sure that we are awake, prepared and ready to go with Him.

The wedding process is already in motion and we are His Calah/Kallah, כַּלָּה,  pronounced (kal-law’).

Even so, maranatha, come Messiah!

Extra Point of interest to explain what were Jewish Night Watches:

The Jewish people in the Old Testament divided the 12 hour night into three military watches instead of hours. Each watch was 4 hours long.

The first or “beginning of the night watches” was from sunset (or for practical purposes, 6pm) until 10pm and was mentioned in Lamentations 2:19.

The “middle watch” is from 10pm until 2am and was mentioned in Judges 7:19.

The “morning watch” was from 2am until 6am and was mentioned in Exodus 14:24 and 1 Samuel 11:11.

“Night watches” are also mentioned in Psalm 63:6 and Psalm 119:148.

Each new 24 Jewish day began at sundown (or 6pm.) That is why the Jewish Sabbath begins at sundown.

In contrast our Roman days begin at midnight.

Jewish Daytime began at 6am; and ends at 6pm for counting hours. The first hour is therefore 7am; the second hour is 8am; the third hour is 9am, the sixth hour is noon or 12pm; and so forth.

Examples of some time references

Matthew 27:45, Mark 15:33, Luke 23:44 – “from the sixth hour” refers to noon and “until the ninth hour” refers to 3pm

Matthew 20 – In verse 3 “third hour” refers to 9am/ “Sixth and ninth” hours in verse 5 refers to noon and 3 pm/  “eleventh hour” in verse 6 refers to 5pm

Acts 2:15 – “third hour of the day” is 9am

Acts 3:1 – “ninth hour” is 3pm

Acts 10:3 – “ninth hour” is 3pm

Acts 10:9 – “sixth hour” is noon

Acts 10:30 – “during the ninth hour” is 3-4 pm

Acts 23:23 – “third hour of the night” is 9pm

 Roman Night Watches: Rome takes over in the time period between the Testaments and rules the Jewish people. The Romans broke their number of military watches into four 3-hour watches. These were called:

First Watch, also called Evening Watch  – sundown, 6pm to 9pm

Second Watch, also called Midnight Watch – 9pm to midnight

Third Watch, also called Cock-crow or Cock-crowing Watch – midnight to 3am

Fourth Watch, also called Morning Watch – 3 am to sunrise, 6am

Some Roman watches are mentioned in the New Testament:

Matthew 14:25 – “fourth watch of the night” refers to 3-6am

Mark 13:35 – “evening”, “midnight”, “when the rooster crows”, “morning”

Luke 12:38 – “second watch” refers to 9pm to midnight and “third” refers to midnight to 3am

Note this was the reference to Peters 3 denials by Jesus!

 Older versions of the Bible say the Gospel of John used Roman time. (Again, Roman time is how we keep time.) Newer versions of the Bible say the hours mentioned in John are Jewish time. Looking at the context of the verses, I would agree with Jewish time.

John 1:39 – “the tenth hour” could refer to the Roman time of 10am or the Jewish time of 4pm.  (4pm makes more sense.)

John 4:6 – “the sixth hour” is perhaps Roman time of 6am or Jewish time of noon  (The heat of the day at noon makes more sense.)

John 4:52 – “the seventh hour” is either 7am Roman time or 1pm Jewish time.  (Again, Jewish time makes more sense.)

It’s not clear why scholars of the newer versions have decided it is Jewish time in the Gospel of John. Matthew, Mark, and Luke were written between AD 58-67. John was written about AD 80-90 when the Roman Empire ruled and the Jewish people had been scattered after the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem in AD 70. Perhaps when John wrote the gospel most people kept time by Roman standards and that is why older versions say it was written with Roman time. But John being Jewish, the advancement in scholarship of ancient texts and the context of the verses makes the thought feasible that he wrote using Jewish hours.

When reading the Bible is it critical to know the Jewish hours and the Roman watches? Not really, but it helps with context of the passage. For instance in Matthew 14:25 when Jesus comes walking to the disciples on water it was the “fourth watch” or 3:00 to 6:00am. Matthew 14:22 tells us Jesus had the disciples get into the boat and go before Him. Verse 23 tells us Jesus went to pray and then evening came. This means the disciples had been in the boat over nine hours and may have been battling the storm a long time before Jesus came to them. That would be enough time to become really terrified! Is that crucial to the text to know that? No, not really – you get the point of the passage without that knowledge, however knowing the context makes your understanding richer. 

Please don’t leave this page before making certain Jesus is your Redeemer, Savior, Lord and soon returning King and that you have a personal relationship with Him.

You are greatly loved and precious in His sight.

Its all about Life and Relationship, not Religion.

NOT SURE? YOU CAN BE..

SAY THE FOLLOWING FROM YOUR HEART RIGHT NOW…

Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus 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 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 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. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Endings Are Simply New Beginnings

The final, 8th day, of this feast is known as

Shemini Atzaret,

(Rejoicing in the Torah scriptures)

and brings us to the end of the 7 Appointed Times of the Lord for this annual cycle.

However it is also the beginning of a new calendar cycle and comprises the time in between the last feast and the next, first feast, which is not until the Spring. 

As we come to close of the 7 Annual Appointed Times of the Lord, a few last thoughts remain including an ‘8th day’ mystery, a ‘roof revelation’ and a couple of intriguing points to ponder.

As believers it is important to see the relevance to us.  The instructions and ultimate plan of God as laid out in the old covenant/testament.

Then with the understanding and insights we gain, what we read in the renewed covenant/testament scriptures, begins to make more sense, as we see that everything in God’s Word is connected.

(Prov. 4:7 encourages us, ‘get wisdom, get understanding’.)

Every Hebrew year has two cycles or groups of holy days\ appointed times set in by our Heavenly Father. (As discussed in previous posts.) He has not changed them nor has He told us not to follow the pattern. This is because they all point prophetically to Jesus. Who Himself attended the Feasts, as well as His being their literal fulfillment. They are connected not only in their purpose and themes but also in their timing.

“You shall dwell in sukkot (huts) for seven days . . . so that you will know, for all generations, that I had the Children of Israel dwell in sukkot, when I took them out of the Land of Egypt; I am God, your God” (Lev. 23:42 -43)

 For 40 years, as the Israelites traversed the Sinai Desert prior to their entry into the Holy Land, miraculous clouds of glory surrounded and hovered over them, shielding them from the dangers and discomforts of the desert.

Ever since, God’s kindness is remembered at Sukkot/feast of Tabernacles and trust in His providence is reaffirmed by dwelling in a sukkah, a hut of temporary construction. Also called the feast of Booths which is the meaning of Hebrew word Sukkot,it celebrates the fall harvest with the third first fruits of the growing season. During Sukkot, and each family built a Sukkah, (which is the singular of Sukkot;) or booth, outside the home. This is an activity still practiced today. Lev. 23:39  

It is a flimsy structure of palm branches that provide little else but shade. Heavy rain would penetrate the walls and roof. The family eats all meals inside, it’s a room where visitors and strangers can come.

Sukkot Guests – Ushpizin – אושפיזין

The final, 8th day, of this feast is known as Yom haSh’miyniy’Atzaret, the 8th day assembly.  Sukkot is a holiday of immense joy, where complete trust in God is expressed, and confidence from Yom Kippur is celebrated in having received a ‘good judgment’, for the coming year. God is our ultimate protection – just as He protected the Israelites in the desert with the Clouds of Glory He will protect those who obey His Word. (Exodus 13:21).During this week Ex. 33:12–34:26; Ezek.38:18–39:16; Rev. 21:1–22:21 are read because according to teachings, this war will be waged during the month of Tishri, same month in which the holiday of Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles) falls.

Interestingly enough, the war that is described in Ezekiel is similar to the war described in (Zech. 14:16–17). In Zechariah we learn that the Gentiles who survive the war against Israel, will be required to keep Sukkot annually, by coming up to the Holy City of Jerusalem to worship the Lord.Sukkot in Jerusalem  at the Western (Wailing) Wall.

Gog and Magog – Challenge to the Restoration of Israel

“This is what will happen in that day: When Gog attacks the land of Israel, My hot anger will be aroused.”  (Ezekiel 38:18)

Gog is a chief prince living in the land of Magog (Ezekiel 38:2).  Many scholars believe Magog refers to Russia.  The invading land of Gomer is often believed to be Germany.
Several lands in the coalition army are easily identifiable: Iran (Persia), Northern Sudan (ancient Ethiopia or Cush), Libya (Put), and Turkey (Togarmah).

The nations mentioned in Ezekiel 38 will unite and come upon Israel “like a cloud that covers the land” for the purpose of looting the wealth that she has amassed in what was a desolate land only seventy years ago.

The war that is described in Ezekiel is similar to the war described in the 14th chapter of Zechariah, where we learn that the Gentiles who survive the war against Israel will be required to keep Sukkot annually by coming up to the Holy City of Jerusalem to worship the Lord.

“Then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord Almighty, and to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles [Sukkot].  If any of the peoples of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord Almighty, they will have no rain.”  (Zechariah 14:16–17)

Psalm 27 presents a clear connection between Sukkot and God’s protection of Israel and those who trust in Him:

“For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle [sukkah]; In the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock.”  (Psalm 27:5)

The word translated here as tabernacle is the Hebrew word sukkah (סכה).  When evil threatens God’s people, He will hide them in His sukkah, inaccessible from the enemy on the rock of His presence.

Now that is a promise we can trust in during these last days!
Gog and Magog are also mentioned in the Brit Chadashah (New Testament) Rev. 16, in connection with Armageddon and the final battle between the forces of good and evil.

This war with Gog and Magog is not the same war described in Ezekiel 38 but a final end-time battle after the thousand-year reign of Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus the Messiah).The Son of David, Jesus/Yeshua, will come again — this time as our conquering Messiah to defeat the invading forces forever.  All who have believed in their Savior, Yeshua, will inherit eternity in the New Jerusalem — a revived Garden of Eden complete with trees of life and pure living water that will be good to eat and drink forever.

A Roof Revelation.

An inner connection between Sukkot are the names Gog and Magog.

The Hebrew word Gog means roof and there is a huge difference between a real roof and the roof of the Sukkah which would not withstand wind and rain.

By building sturdy walls people have power to make themselves safe and secure against earthly elements and people and so are deluded and self deceived into thinking they can make themselves secure against the things from God and his power to direct matters.

They take their fate in their own hands and protect with their own strength with no need to depend on God.The war of Gog and Magog is also a battle of Gog the roof, against Sukkah, it’s a fight of the illusion of the roof which is manifest as human greatness, a pride which never allows rest. Its fight against the Sukkah truth of the joyful confidence and carefree Shalom which comes only from placing complete trust in God’s protection and faith focused on his provision alone. The word Gog when prefixed with an M is then Mgog or Magog; it expresses the concept of projecting something and represents earthly wisdom and the human philosophical notion, that man can both isolate and insulate himself against God’s heavenly power.

It has origins back in the land of Shinar when Nimrod stirred the people to build a tower that would survive another flood and so avoid God’s judgment while they lived as they pleased.

Another very interesting connection to this season is.. 

the Feast of Sukkot (Tabernacles) is called “the season of our joy” and “the feast of the nations.” With this in mind, in Luke 2:10 it is written, “And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings [basar in Hebrew; otherwise known as the gospel] of great joy  which shall be to all people. So, we can see from this that the terminology the angel used to announce the birth of Jesus/Yeshua, were themes and messages associated with the Feast of Sukkot (Tabernacles).

     In Luke 2:12, the baby (Yeshua) was wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger. The swaddling cloths were also used as wicks to light the vats of oil within the court of the women during the festival of Sukkot, another association with the festival of Sukkot.
In Luke 2:12 The word manger is Greek word phatn’e. It is the same word translated as stall in Luke 13:15. By seeing how the word is used in Luke 13:15, we can see that the Greek word phatn’e means a place for hitching cattle.

The Hebrew word for stall is marbek, which can be found in Amos 6:4 and Malachi 4:2. In Genesis 33:17 it is written that Jacob journeyed to Sukkoth and made booths (the word booth in this passage is the Hebrew word sukkah; the plural is sukkot) for his cattle.
Due to cultural traditions we have little idea in the west, what a manger is. In Israel a manger is a hollow space cut out of a large rock and not the wooden structure in the previous picture.

The area is filled with food usually for sheep and goats.

(This reminds us also of another place of protection  ‘I will put thee in the cleft of the rock’. Ex. 32:22)So we can see from these passages how the word booth (sukkah or sukkot) was used by Jacob for his cattle in Genesis 33:17, and how the Greek word for manger or stall, phatn’e, was also used to refer to hitching cattle in Luke 13:15. Phatn’e is the same word translated as manger in Luke 2:12, where Yeshua was laid at the time of His birth.During the Feast of Sukkot (Tabernacles), God required that all male Jews come to Jerusalem (Yerushalayim) (Deut. 16:16). For this reason, as well as the census being conducted, the city would have been overcrowded with people and could explain why Mary (Miryam) and Joseph (Yosef) were unable to find lodging in and around Jerusalem (Yerushalayim) (Lk. 2:7). Bethlehem, the place where Jesus/Yeshua was born, is only about four miles from Jerusalem.Some Bible scholars believe that this holiday is a more accurate birth date of Jesus. God is said to have dwelled (tabernacled) with the Jews as they wandered for 40 years in the desert. How appropriate it would be if our Messiah was born during this feast. This would bring insightful meaning to the Messianic name Emanuel, which means God is with us, prophesied by Isaiah (Isa.7:14)

We know our Messiah was made manifest into a temporary body when He came to earth. Is it possible He also was put into a temporary dwelling? The fields would have been dotted with Sukkot during this harvest time to provide temporary shelter animals. The Hebrew word ‘stable’ is also called a Sukkoth (Gen. 33:17). Later when the scriptures record Mary and Joseph were in a house, the time for the sukkah would have been past.Further interesting facts concerning the birth of Jesus/Yeshua occurring during Sukkot, is in Matt. 2:1. Scripture says that wise men come from the East to visit Him. The land of the East is Babylon, where the largest Jewish population was at the time of the birth of Jesus/Yeshua.

These Jews were descendants from the captivity when King Nebuchadnezzar defeated Israel and took the Jews to Babylon to serve him. Babylon is referred to as the land of the East in Gen. 29:1 and Jud. 6:3.The wise men in Matt. 2:1 were possibly teachers/rabbis. The rabbis, also called sages, are known in Hebrew as chakamim, which means wise men. The word in Matthew 2:1 in Greek is magos, which is translated into English as Magi. Magos in Greek is the Hebrew word ravmag. Ravmag comes from the Hebrew word rav, which means rabbi. It should also be noted that the Greek word magos can also mean scientist, counselor, scholar, or teacher. The rabbis were scholars or teachers of the Jewish law. Jesus/Yeshua was referred to as Rabbi, or Teacher in John 1:38,47,49; 3:2. So, it’s a possibility that the wise men were Jewish rabbis coming from Babylon to witness the birth of Jesus/Yeshua. 

“What made the rabbis make the journey from Babylon to Bethlehem to witness the birth of Yeshua?” The answer is given in Matt. 2:2, as it is written, “…we have seen His star in the east….”As we have read, one of the requirements during the time of Sukkot was to build an outside temporary shelter and live in it during this festival season. It had to be built with an opening in the roof so the people could see the stars in heaven. This is another reason why the rabbis would be looking for, and thus seeing, the star in the sky when it appeared.

In addition, there was a prophecy in Numbers as it is written, “…a star shall come forth from Jacob…” (Num. 24:17 NAS). King Herod inquired about where the Messiah would be born in Matt.2:4. (He was told in Bethlehem vs 6, based upon the prophecy in Micah 5:2.) In Matt. 2:10 it is written, “When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.” Once again, remember that Sukkot is called “the season of our joy.” In Matt. 2:2, the rabbis saw the star from the East. Salvation was seen by the Jewish people as coming from the East. Jesus/Yeshua descended from the tribe of Judah (Rev. 5:5). The tribe of Judah was positioned on the east side of the tabernacle of Moses in the wilderness.

Finally, in Luke 2:32, Jesus/Yeshua is called a light to the Gentiles. Once again, Sukkot is called “the festival of lights” and “the festival of all nations.”

Therefore, by studying and understanding the festival of Sukkot and the themes and messages that God desired to be conveyed during this festival, it enables us to read the Bible in a new light; and to ponder the possibility that Jesus/Yeshua may have been born during the season of Sukkot and that He is the Star we are all called to see with our (spiritual) eyes!


Sukkot (Tabernacles) is called the Feast of Ingathering. Jesus/Yeshua told us that the harvest represents the end of the age (Olam Hazeh). This is found in (Matt. 13:39; Rev. 14:15; Joel 3:13). The harvest refers more specifically to people who choose to accept the Messiah Jesus/Yeshua into their hearts and lives. (Matt. 9:35-38; Lk 10:1-2; Jn 4:35-38; Rev 14:14-18). God is gathering both Jews and non-Jews together to accept the Messiah Jesus/Yeshua into their lives. Most of the people on earth have not accepted Jesus into their lives and are in the valley of decision (Joel 3:13-14). Jeremiah sorrowed for a people who were not a part of the harvest in Jer. 8:18-22. vs. 20 “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.” To those who do accept the Messiah, they will experience the real Sukkot (Tabernacles) during the Messianic age, the Millennium. Both Jew and non-Jew will live in the Messianic Kingdom. No doubt there will also be immortal people such as Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Aaron, and David. There will be mortal people as well who will live with them, who are the people who lived through the seven-year tribulation period, the birthpangs of the Messiah, or the Chevlai shel Mashiach, and who accepted Jesus/Yeshua into their hearts and lives. What a joy it will be living with the Messiah during the Messianic era!


Olam habah = the world to come.  …tabernacle of God is with men…” (Rev 21:1-3)

Sukkot (Tabernacles) is known as the festival of ingathering and the fruit harvest. In Rev.7:9-17, we can see those who have come through the great tribulation period and who became believers in the Messiah during that time (Rev. 7:14). In Rev. 7:15, they “dwell” with them.

Tishrei is the 7th month, the number of completion.   (Lev. 23:23–44)

The book of Revelation is filled with number 7 and has similarities to the events in this month. Tishrei begins with Yom Teruah, the Day of Trumpets. (Rev. 8:2; 14:7; 19:16; 20:4; 21:3; 22:5)There are 7 angels with 7 trumpets.

Tishrei also has Yom Kippur, the Day of Judgment. In Revelation, judgment comes as man stands before God face to face, on Yom Kippur so too. God is proclaimed King in Tishrei and also in Revelation.  If we believe we are grafted into the Olive tree of spiritual Israel, then we are also included in the 7 Appointed Times and their fulfillment.There is reason to believe that during the time when the Temple stood, a total of 70 sacrifices were offered during the seven days of Sukkot which are celebrated in the Land of Israel.

Maybe the 70 bullocks sacrificed represented the 70 nations of the world as they were divided into by God after the confusion of languages at the destruction of the tower at Babel with Nimrod on the plains of Shinar.
Would this mean that Israel was interceding for nations of the world, not just herself?
These offerings were then considered an offering for world peace.

Tishrei closes with another day of mystery.

The final, 8th day, of this feast is known as Shemini Atzaret, Yom haSh’miyniy’Atzaret, The 8th day assembly. In Israel, the 8th day is a day that speaks of eternity and the Bible ends in Revelation with that same day, the day of eternity where we will reign forever with Him. The plans and purposes of God have only perfect ends.

The gathering of the 8th day;

The last day of the spiritual year;

The day after the end – is the day that represents the beginning of all eternity.
All Scripture is written on kosher scrolls not in books. So to understand the reference in Revelation, consider that the Torah scroll (the first five books of the Bible) has been continually unrolled throughout the year for each weeks reading. At the end of the year there is a rolling back of all that has been unrolled over the course of the year!

In Revelation it states that the heaven shall be rolled up like a scroll, this is an image written in the prophecies of revelation concerning the end of the ages. (Rev. 6:14; 20:11, 22)The sky is rolled up at the end of the present age and earth and heaven have fled away before eternity is ushered in. The old has gone, the scroll finished, for the story is completed and the day after the end, Shemini Atzeret is the 8th day and is the day forever starts, it’s the beginning of eternity.

Olam habah the world to come.Before the scroll is rolled up, the last words written are from the final reading in Deuteronomy. They are concerning the end of a particular journey.When Moses climbed the mountain to view the land of promise just before his life on Earth is complete and he goes to be with God. he was looking towards the place where the Temple would one day stand. The exact same location that Abraham had to be willing to sacrifice his only son and where Jesus would also be our sacrificial lamb.

The End Is Also The Beginning.

The journey through the wilderness is over and the Israelites are about to cross Jordan to enter the promised land with Joshua leading them.
(Joshua is a type of Jesus) and so Shemini Atzeret reminds us of the future day when our journey through the wilderness and our existence on earth will be complete and this old world will pass away to reveal the new and Jesus will lead us into our promised land.

Its clear the old must be left behind before we can enter into the new, our life here is only the journey on the way to the destination. As the scroll is rolled up, be ready to catch the first glimpse of the unfathomable glory that awaits us.

The 8th day is about resurrection and leaving the old life, a day of transcending, of breaking out of the limitations of the finite and into the realm of the infinite. Of transcending the old, overcoming the ultimate limitation, death, and thus every limitation.

The day after the end of the old life, the old existence and the power to live beyond it.

So the day of the resurrection and the day of the beginning of eternity are in inexorably joined together.The Hebrew Holy Day of Resurrection was First Fruits and the Resurrection is the First Fruits of the Age to Come. The first manifestation of the 8th day – Heaven.One last fascinating point as food for thought to ponder upon.

Several Bible scholars believe its possible that the first Thanksgiving in America was based in part on Sukkot. The Pilgrims were familiar with the Bible and the Feast of Tabernacles. They were also thankful for God’s protection in the new land. The first Thanksgiving holiday is reported to have been in October, (Sukkot is usually in this month), and lasted for three days.
The harvest of the earth is ripe …” (Rev 14:14-16) “

Messiah fulfilled an intermediate fulfillment of all three Fall Feasts at His first coming:

1.) Announcement: Yom Teruw’ah, ushering in the King.

2.) Circumcision: Yom Kippur, removal of the veil (foreskin) called “face-to-face.”

3.) Dwelling with us: Sukkot; dwelt with us in a corruptible body.Messiah will fulfill all three Fall Feasts completely at His second coming: 

1.) Husband Ushering in the Bride: Yom Teruw’ah.

2.) Husband removes veil from the bride’s face: Yom Kippur.

3.) Husband consummates the marriage with the 4th cup: Sukkot; Dwells with bride for 1,000 years of Sabbath rest. 

Peace – Shalom to all who love His Word at this season of rejoicing.

It’s time to fellowship with the King!