Sychar. (ssi’ kahr) Place name intended to note drunkard or falsehood, though perhaps originally derived from Shechem.
So he cometh to a city of Samaria, called Sychar, near to the parcel of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. 6. and Jacob’s well was there.
Sychar liar or drunkard (see Isaiah 28:1 Isaiah 28:7 ), has been from the time of the Crusaders usually identified with Sychem or Shechem ( John 4:5 ). It has now, however, as the result of recent explorations, been identified with ‘Askar, a small Samaritan town on the southern base of Ebal, about a mile to the north of Jacob’s well.
Jacob’s well at the foot of Mt. Ebal and it is Samaria. John 4:20
The name Shechem is identical to the noun שכם ( shekem ), meaning back or shoulder: Excerpted from: Abarim Publications’ Biblical Dictionary. שכם. The important noun שכם ( shekem) means shoulder, and a person’s shoulder was considered:
the seat of their burdens,
whether physical or metaphorical.
(This is probably the root of our idiom of: shouldering the burden or, the burden is on our shoulders?)
Shechem /ˈʃɛkəm/, also spelled Sichem, was a Canaanite city mentioned in the Amarna letters, and is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible as the first capital of the Kingdom of Israel!
According to Joshua 21:20-21 it was located in the tribal territory given to the tribe of Ephraim.
Traditionally associated with Nablus, it is now identified with the nearby site of Tell Balata in Balata al-Balad in the West Bank.
The Significance of Shechem.
As just mentioned, in Hebrew shechem means shoulder, an apt description of the town’s location in the narrow valley between Mt. Gerizim and Mt. Ebal, approximately 40 miles (65 km.) north of Jerusalem.
Today it is known as Nablus.
This location is significant because Shechem’s first steps on the pages of Scripture was when Abram enters the land of Canaan from Ur, across the Fertile Crescent; Shechem was the first city to which Abram came. Genesis 12:6–8, says that Abram reached the great tree of Moreh, at Shechem and offered sacrifice nearby. Genesis, Deuteronomy, Joshua and Judges hallow Shechem over all other cities of the land of Israel.
The historical background is key to answering our initial question because Shekem /Shechem/ Sychar was the very same location that other notable events took place:
In Genesis 12, Abraham offered a sacrifice to God in this area. Later, Jacob built a well nearby that is mentioned a number of times in the Bible.
Shortly after the nation divided, 1 Kings 12:1 tells us that capital city of the northern nation was briefly set up at Shechem.
And Rehoboam went to Shechem, for all Israel had gone to Shechem to make him king. – 1 Kings 12:1
Joshua 24:32: And the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought up out of Egypt, buried they in Shechem, in a parcel of ground which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for an hundred pieces of silver: and it became the inheritance of the children of Joseph.
Shechem was:
Dwelt in by Abraham and Jacob.
Abraham was promised the land.
Jacob buys a plot of land and settles here with his family.
Jacob’s sons are tending the sheep here before Joseph finds them in Dothan.
Genesis 37:12 – And his brethren went to feed their father’s flock in Shechem.
The covenant is confirmed during the Conquest.
The city is set aside as a levitical city and a city of refuge.
Joseph is buried here.
The ten tribes reject Rehoboam.
Genesis 12:6 – And Abram passed through the land unto the place of Sichem, unto the plain of Moreh. And the Canaanite [was] then in the land. Genesis 33:18 – And Jacob came to Shalem, a city of Shechem, which [is] in the land of Canaan, when he came from Padanaram; and pitched his tent before the city.
Here also Jacob dug a well for his many herds. This well is still there today.
While Jacob’s family lived in Shechem, Jacob’s daughter, Dinah, was raped by a man named Shechem, the son of the ruler, Hamor. Jacob’s two sons, Levi and Simeon, made a deceptive pact with the males of the city and slaughtered them all in revenge of Dinah.
Years later, Jacob sent his 17 year-old son, Joseph, from Hebron to check on his brothers as they kept the flocks in Shechem.(Gen 37:12-14).
After Joseph arrived, having undoubtedly traveled up the Ridge Route, he discovered his brothers had moved on to the lush area of Dothan; so he went to find them (Gen 37:15-17). His brothers, filled with hatred, sold Joseph to some Ishmaelite traders who, coming through the Dothan pass, were headed for Egypt along the Via Maris. God used this sad turn of events to eventually take the entire family of Israel to Egypt, protecting and multiplying them.
Joseph’s last memories of Israel, before his brothers sold him, was of Shechem and Dothan.
He believed that God would one day return the nation to Canaan, and so he gave the command for his bones to be carried back with them and buried there (Gen 50:25).
It was a city of refuge: Joshua 20:7 – And they appointed Kedesh in Galilee in mount Naphtali, and Shechem in mount Ephraim, and Kirjatharba, which [is] Hebron, in the mountain of Judah.
A Levitical city Joshua 21:21 – For they gave them Shechem with her suburbs in mount Ephraim, [to be] a city of refuge for the slayer; and Gezer with her suburbs, And there on Mount Ebal, Joshua built an altar to God, and on a pillar of stones he wrote a copy of the law (Josh. 8:30-35).
Middle Bronze Gate
Part of the city’s fortifications throughout the second millennium, this gate is typical for the Middle Bronze period with three piers and two chambers. Only the stone foundations remain.
This gate most likely was in use in the time of Jacob and certainly was the main gate of the city in the days of Abimelech (Judg 9).
Middle Bronze Wall
Vulnerable by location, Shechem was strongly fortified from its earliest history. This wall was built of Cyclopean stones and continued in use through the Late Bronze Age without significant changes.
In the background, Mount Gerizim was the location of the Samaritan temple in the 4th–2nd centuries BC.
For a moment lets focus on Samaria which is where the Samaritans lived,
Shomronim/səˈmærɪtənz – שַמֶרִים, in Hebrew.
It is a region north of Jerusalem. In Jesus’ day, the Jewish people of Galilee and Judea shunned the Samaritans, viewing them as a mixed race who practiced an impure, half-pagan religion. Samaritans, as a people distinct from the Jews, are first mentioned in the Bible during the time of Nehemiah and the rebuilding of Jerusalem after the Babylonian captivity ( Ezra 4:17; Nehemiah 2:10 ).
Shamerim:
שַמֶרִים,
Guardians/Keepers/Watchers (of the Torah)
Ancestrally, Samaritans claim descent from the tribe of Ephraim and tribe of Manasseh (two sons of Joseph) as well as from the Levites who have links to ancient Samaria (now constituting the majority of the territory known as the West Bank) from the period of their entry into Canaan.
The Samaritans believe that Mount Gerizim was the original Holy Place of Israel from the time that Joshua conquered Canaan. The major issue between Jews and Samaritans has always been the location of the Chosen Place to worship God: The Temple Mount of Moriah in Jerusalem according to Judaism or Mount Gerizim according to Samaritanism.
According to Josephus and 2 Kings 17Samaritans are descendants of the Israelites who mixed with people deported to their country by Assyria. This fits with the Assyrian pattern of conquest. The Samaritans also claim to be descendants of Israelites who remained in the Northern Kingdom, that is Israel, during the Babylonian Captivity. Their exact history is still disputed, but modern DNA testing in 2004 does support they are descended from Israelites with Assyrians and other nationalities as well.
They survived through the time of Jesus/Yeshua, and even, in limited numbers, to the present day. The Bible mentions plenty of stories about Samaritans, and the hatred between Jews and Samaritans features prominently in the Gospels. By the time Jesus spoke to the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well, near Shechem, the racial hatred between Jews and Samaritans was paramount. . And the ensuing argument about the true place of worship—Gerizim or Jerusalem—was in full force (John 4:20).
Here it is pertinent to remind ourselves that in John 8:48 it is recorded that they call Yeshua/Jesus a Samaritan, and say He has a demon. He has been accused of having a demon before, but being called a Samaritan is a new charge…
Calling a Jew, Samaritan, was a racist insult ( 2 Kings 17).
However the more serious sin the Jews committed against Jesus/Yeshua was blasphemously telling the Holy God that He has a demon. (John 8:48).
Jesus/Yeshua has made clear He is the Son of God – that He is God. Jesus/Yeshua has so thoroughly answered their arguments the only tools left to them are name calling and violence.
The Jews of Yeshua/Jesus’ day were well crafted to attack Him with malicious hypocrisy to justify their envy of His popularity and to answer the undeniable proof of His miracles.
The Jews replied to Yeshua/Jesus, “Aren’t we right when we say that you’re a Samaritan and that you’re possessed by a demon?” New American Standard 1977
The Jews answered and said to Him, “Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?” KJV.
It was an expression of insolence, contempt and scorn, a critical accusation, showing their disapproval of Him.
He denies the latter accusation, but does not deny the former that seems to be meant to accuse him of not having Jewish beliefs.
Although Yeshua/Jesus forbade the Twelve to go into any city of the Samaritans ( Matthew 10:5 ), the parable of the Good Samaritan shows that His love overleaped the boundaries of national hatred ( Luke 10:30 ; compare Luke 17:16 ; John 4:9 )
Jesus/Yeshua had a different attitude toward Samaritans than most Jews. He didn’t hold them in contempt; instead, he reached out to them.
Recall the account when Jesus/Yeshua healed ten lepers, of whom only ONE returned to praise God, and he was a SAMARITAN.
When a Samaritan village refused to welcome Him, He didn’t allow His disciples to order its destruction. Messiah also told His apostles that they would receive power when the Ruach HaKodesh/Holy Spirit would come upon them and that they would be His witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
He left Judea and departed again to Galilee. But He needed to go through Samaria. So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. – John 4:5-6
In the Gospel of John, Jesus asks a Samaritan woman of Sychar for water from Jacob’s Well, and after spending two days telling her townsfolk/Samaritans all things as the woman expected the Messiah to do, and presumably repeating the Good News that He was the Messiah, many Samaritans became followers of Yeshua/Jesus.
He accepts without comment the woman’s assertion that she and her people are Israelites, descendants of Jacob. During this encounter she says that the mountain was the center of their worship. This is why the woman says our fathers worshipped in this mountain, and you say Jerusalem is where men should worship.
John 4:20 – Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship.
She poses the question to Yeshua/Jesus when she realizes that He is the Messiah and He affirms the Jewish position, saying “You (that is, the Samaritans) worship what you do not know” Jesus/Yeshua then tells her a time is coming when people will worship in spirit and truth rather in some particular place and this is the manner people should worship God. He also said, “You worship you know not what; we know what we worship for salvation is of the Jews.”
Highlighting the physical location (see various photos and maps included), the city lay between 2 mountains and Jacobs well was at the base of one of them.
The 2 mountains named Gerizim and Ebal and Sychar/Shechem lay between them in the valley below:
Perhaps from an unused root probably meaning to be bald; bare; Ebal, a mountain of Palestine — Ebal.
Arabic el-Iclamiyeh
modern Jebel Eslamiyeh
These 2 mountains, located about 60 kilometers (40 miles) north of Jerusalem, face each other with the modern city of Nablus on a very narrow piece of land between them.
Shechem is the ancient name with which we are familiar in the Bible. Nablus is approximately 550 meters (~1800 feet) above sea level and the mountains each rise over 300 meters (1000 feet) on either side. As the Israelites sat on these mountains to listen to Joshua, it would have been very easy for them to look across the valley at their fellow family members on the other side.
This same area is the same location as the Biblical city of Shechem. Jewish tradition holds that the original meaning of the word is saddle, which gives an indication of what it looks like.
Between Gerazim and Ebal are streams of living water which flowed out of Jacobs well located at the foot of Mt Ebal.
Here we need to remember the underlying significance of this conversation because there is an act of intolerance here, which may not be immediately obvious.
It is not altogether in the question, “How can you a Jew ask me a Samaritan for a drink”, even though we are informed that Jews do not associate with Samaritans.
It is in the statement, “Sir, you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get living water?”
It helps to picture the scene because she must have been eyeing this strange man carefully.
First, she probably hadn’t expected or wanted to meet anybody when she came to the well; and certainly didn’t expect to find a Jewish man – nor did she expect him to speak to her.
Generally Jews would not enter Samaria and even if a Jew did, he would avoid as much contact with the people there as possible. Speaking to a lone woman would be suspect and might even be dangerous, yet this Jewish man not only has the audacity to speak to this woman, he asks her for a drink when he has no vessel to get the water or to drink from.
It may seem a simple request and a simple act of kindness to hand a thirsty person your vessel, but it would NOT have been for this woman. It would actually have been intolerable to consider it.
Why?
Because if a Jew touched her vessel, it would have been considered unclean and she would have to destroy it. (Probably if a Samaritan touched anything belonging to a Jew it would have suffered the same fate.)
This Jewish man had to know that, and certainly if the roles had been reversed would have viewed it the same way. She must have been surprised he would not only ask her for a drink, but also then offer one to her.
What was she thinking?
If He could give her a drink, why was He asking her for one? And where would He get it, did He know of another well nearby. Perhaps He thought He could draw it somehow from Jacob’s Well?
The well is about 130 feet deep:
The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep; where do you get that living water? John 4:11-12
His term
living water
would NOT have seemed unusual to her.
Why?
Wells had two water supply sources. (Collecting rainwater would have been done with a cistern.) Well water would come from an underground spring or an underground stream.
A stream fed Jacob’s Well.
Wells of this nature,
because the stream is moving,
were referred to as
living water.
Because of this, the woman did not see anything unusual in the use of this term, so she asks Him to give her this water not just because she won’t get physically thirsty again, but so she doesn’t have to trudge to the well and carry the water home again. She doesn’t understand He is talking about something beyond physical water until later in the conversation.
She asks for this living water and He tells her to go get her husband, imagine the shock she must have felt when He answered that she was living with a man who she wasn’t married to and had had 5 husbands. Little wonder she thought He was a prophet.
Her responses were perhaps rather defensive, yet she knows a Messiah is to come and He will explain all things.
We should take note of Jesus/Yeshua’s whole approach to this woman. He asked her for something yet when she declined, He did not get angry or upset with her, but in such a way to raise her curiosity He offered her something in its place.
Instead of addressing her question about His offer directly He asked her to do something, which caused her to face her own sin. However in this conversation He did not accuse or berate her about what she had done. He didn’t engage in attacking her religious belief or get into any argument, but gave her new information further raising her curiosity which led her to continue the conversation. Then after she admits to believing in a coming Messiah, she says this ONE will tell us all things.
Jesus/Yeshua says, I am He, and it probably hit her at that moment that He had indeed told her things He could not have known about her. Jesus/Yeshua had found this woman and having drawn her to Himself, finally revealed who He was and she believed.
Just after the disciples arrive at the Well, the woman quickly leaves. She had come to get water, but she forgets her water jar. Now she isn’t concerned with physical water because she has found THE Living Water and can’t wait to tell others.
The disciples never ask what this was all about. They had gone to fetch food and now their only concern is eating. They urge Jesus/Yeshua to join them and eat.
He gives them another one of those strange answers:
I have meat to eat that you know not of.
What did He mean? In the following verse John 4:34 He qualifies His statement..
This is our meat also… to do the will of our Heavenly Father, so as we follow Yeshua/Jesus pattern, this is the meat and drink that means we will never again be hungry or thirsty – (spiritually). As food is pleasant, and delightful, and refreshing to our bodies, so doing the will of God was as delightful and refreshing to the soul of Messiah: He took as much pleasure in it, as someone hungry does in eating and drinking.
Was He also saying.. do you see? Are you looking for the harvest somewhere else in familiar fields which is not yet ready?
Or do you see the harvest is ready and ripe, right in front of you?
Do you see this woman, who you looked right past with contempt, she had been sown with seeds of hope and was ready for the reaping? Someone had sowed HOPE/TIKVEH, in these people, but it wasn’t you, however, here is the opportunity to reap what has been sowed and you should rejoice in it.
Open your eyes and see what is before you, not what is far away.
The woman had believed and ran back to town to tell everyone. She urged them to come to Messiah and to see and experience what she had seen and experienced.
The people listened to her and they went out to the well to see Yeshua/Jesus. This is the first act of witnessing by a new believer recorded in the gospels.
The local people knew this woman and they knew her past. They sensed something had changed about her and as a result many came to believe in Yeshua/Jesus as the Messiah even asking Him to remain with them. Recall, these are Samaritans and Yeshua/Jesus and His Disciples are Jewish men so in a sense they are enemies.
He stayed 2 days talking with them and they accepted Him as the Messiah they were looking for. Notice what they said:
Now we believe, not because of your saying for we have heard him ourselves and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.
The woman did not save these Samaritans, she simply brought them the message; she became the sower and Yeshua/Jesus reaped the harvest. Again He was setting His Disciples an example, to make haste and sow the word. Do not concern yourself with the reaping, Holy Spirit will take care of that. We are to remember what is in John 4 and said in Romans 10:11-15. because as His Disciples this example is for us also.
In reality, springs of spiritual truth lie deep within us, not on the high grounds of morality.
The kingdom of The Heavens is within you.
Truth lies not so much in our many doctrines but rather in the
Living Waters
of Messiah.
Jesus said to her, “Woman, believe me, the hour is coming when neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem will you worship the Father (John 4:21-22).
“God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth (John 4:24-25).”
Our walk towards Yeshua/Jesus, takes us to the well…the ONE springing up to eternal life.
One must enter in to Messiah to reach the well ….but it is in the depths of the well itself where the actual Living Water is found… for Messiah is the deep which calls unto deep.
“Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls; All Your waves and billows have gone over me” Psalm 42:7,
believers often use this phrase most often to refer to a deep, personal experience of the Lord ministering to them — from the depths of God’s heart to the depths of their own.
and Psalm 130:1 Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O Lord. This phrase “deep calls unto deep”
consists of communication through prayer, from deep within the heart/mind of a man appealing to the deep recesses (a secluded or secret place) of the heart/mind of his God in a time of dire need and possibly suffering at the hands of enemies.
We looked at this in the post
and this is the very same location where John 4 took place and brings into perspective verses 7 and 10. The well of Jacob that gave life giving water to all the inhabitants of the land and it was why she referred to it in v 20 as being the place where our fathers worshipped on this mountain.
This is Mt Ebal – the place they understood where it was necessary to worship v.20 and then Yeshua/Jesus says
the time is coming verse 23 AND NOW IS when neither Mt. Ebal nor Jerusalem would be the location to worship the father.
He revealed Himself plainly to her and she knew Mashiach was to come then from her sharing her good news – many believed 4:39
Jesus/Yeshua used the parable of the good Samaritan and we may now have a little more insight and understanding of who the Samaritan was and what he believed.
Jesus/Yeshua was offering Himself as the living water and revealing His connection to the well. – This was why it was so significant to her and why she abandoned her container and ran to the town. Shechem had a rich history with the Father, the scriptures say that many believed after her testimony because they were also looking for Messiah.
The location was so significant for the reason that it was where Joshua, a type of Mashiach, had brought the children of Israel to reaffirm their covenant in the promised land that Moses made with God for the Israelites on Sinai…….
Continued in part 2… meanwhile..
The story of The Samaritan woman should serve to remind us of one of the most important truths that even though the Lord can reach us in the most ordinary places – there is nothing ordinary about a life changing encounter with Jesus/Yeshua. We seldom see the kind of response shown by the Samaritan woman when finally she realized she had met the Messiah, the One who was to come.
Sadly many fail to be amazed by Him anymore and Messiah’s miraculous ways have become just every day events.. Is that because we’re still questioning whether this is the Messiah when we hear of miracle testimonies? Maybe it is because we’re not asking with the same convincing hope/tikvah that she had.
Perhaps in some way we have a doubting heart. Is it because we have not yet had that life changing experience ourselves?
This woman of Samaria was transformed because she met the man who told her everything she did.
Jesus/Yeshua was able to reach her in a way no one else could. Seeing in her, things no one else could see.
The message for us today as His disciples is that we need to eagerly get hold of our water jars and head for the well.
That well of living water springing up to eternal life, which can only be found in Messiah.
As we do,
we need to be expectant
that our containers will be too small to hold what will be waiting for us when we get there…
we must run to the well but not with the hope that we will drink… but that we will be filled and will never be thirsty again..
Mishpachah, if this bears witness with our hearts pray this prayer today:
Father I am running to the well today.. I have been waiting for you to come and I’m thirsty. Heavenly father remove all doubt and fear from my heart that I may know the one who knows me and all I have done. I praise you Father for from you alone flow those wellsprings of eternal life.. please fill me once and for all, that I maybe return from the well of Your presence with so much more than my jar could ever hold… in Jesus/Yeshuas Name..
Shalom, Shalom to all Mishpachah – family.
Please don’t leave this page until you have the assurance that you are filled with His Living Water and are sealed to the day of redemption by the Blood of Messiah Jesus/Yeshua. Not sure ..you can be… Make certain Messiah Jesus/Yeshua is your Redeemer, Savior, Lord and soon returning King and that you have a personal relationship with Him. It’s all about Life and Relationship, NOT Religion. You are very precious in His sight. SIMPLY SAY THE FOLLOWING MEANING IT FROM YOUR HEART..don’t delay one more minute, SAY IT RIGHT NOW… Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past. I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name.
Continued from previous post …conclusion of the Mystery …Why was the Priest by the river and what’s the 2000 year old connection to Abraham meeting a King?
Before tying all the threads together, brief reference to the origin and descendants of the Aaronic Priesthood because…
In Luke 1: 8-23, we see that God chose to speak to Zechariah through His angel Gabriel; while Zechariah is ministering before the Most High God in the Temple, burning incense at the Altar of Incense.
Does this reveal additional clues to our mystery?
Vs. 8 reminds us that he is ministering before God, which again is inferring, that Zechariah belongs to the seed of Zadok. Is this possible? Maybe…because for God’s angel to speak to Zechariah means positively that he had to be a son of Zadok, for God will not violate His own Holy Word. Ex. 30:7 tells us that the Altar of Incense was the position of the high priest Aaron, and of Aaron’s future sons who would serve before God as high priest.
So for angel Gabriel to also speak to Zechariah while he is ministering at the Altar of Incense, may mean that God was secretly telling us thatZechariah was the mystery high priest of the family of Zadok.
Different priests had served at this position daily, twice a day, for 160 years, all done in direct violation of the Word of God, bringing corruption of the Temple priesthood.
King David had two high priests, one was Zadok who was descended from Eleazar, the son of Aaron..
(meaning Righteous, Justified).
King Solomon continued keeping Zadok on as his only high priest.That was around 1000 B.C. and from 1000 B.C. to 160 B.C., the Zadok’s were God’s high priests of the Aaronic priesthood and of the Temple in Jerusalem, when not in exile.
Around 160 B.C., in direct violation of the Word of God, the Macabees removed the Zadok’s from being the high priests of the Jerusalem Temple.
From 160 B.C. to the opening scene of the New Covenant, the Aaronic priesthood was corrupted.
How would God restore the Aaronic priesthood for the Messiah to be able to come to earth through the Zadok Priesthood?
(Some possibilities:)
God had foretold us in Jeremiah 33:17-19, that the Messiah would be coming from two families, that David would never lack a Man who would reign as King over the House of Israel, and also that Aaron would never lack a Man who would represent the Aaronic priesthood, making a Sacrifice that would be “for all days”, an Eternal Sacrifice. Jer. 33:18
Another of the last of the Old Covenant prophesies was that the Messiah would come from the family of the high priest. Yeshua of Zadok of Aaron; (not only from king David). See Zechariah 3:1-10 and 6:11-13
This righteous elderly Aaronic priest couple, (Zechariah and Elisheva/Elizabeth); who were well advanced in years and walked in all the ordinances of the LORD, (blameless) … (and who we now also know are possibly the mystery Zadok high priest family;) and with Zechariah’s wife Elisheva now 6 months pregnant; suddenly they invite an unwed pregnant young Miriam/Mary in, to stay/live with them, for the next 3 months!
This is really telling us a lot! What is their relationship to young Mary/Miriam? The only possible answer is they had to be Miriam’s closest blood-kin family! Miriam/Mary is not only from Judah but she is also from this family, she and Elizabeth are cousins!
When Miriam of Judah is told by the angel Gabriel that she will give birth to a Son who will be Great and who will be called the Son of the Highest, and that the LORD God will give Him the Throne of His father David (Luke 1:32), she is then told next by the angel Gabriel about her ‘karov’, (Hebrew), her close relative Elisheva, of the family of Aaron.
The virgin Miriam (Isaiah 7:14) had a father & a mother. Both Miriam and her mother had to come from this same family as Elisheva of Aaron. What was this relationship? Why has it been kept a secret? Many Scripture prophesies clearly reveal the Messiah would be coming from the family of Aaron [Zadok], besides coming from the family of David!
This great high priest family secret seems to be the key to understand this whole story, and the great mystery of our LORD, Jesus/Yeshua being the very fulfillment of the Aaronic priesthood.
If Zechariah was the mystery Zadok high priest, and as priesthood was passed by God from father to son, it would follow that Yochanan was to be the next mystery Zadok high priest.
But why did God specifically say that their child had to be called Yochanan?
Because God would keep His Word that He had made to Israel and given to the Zadok priests; (found in five places in Ezekiel, from chapter 40 to 48!)
What does all that mean?
Remember that around 160 B.C., the Zadok priest’s were removed as high priests of the Jerusalem Temple by the Macabees, and because of this, the Aaronic priesthood was then corrupted for the next 160 years, until the opening scene in the book of Luke in the New Covenant and why there is precise geneology recorded, as there had to be proof they were eligible for the position. Every ‘begat’ is significant! Proof of Bloodline was required.
The answer to that mystery is that, the name of the last Zadok high priest of the Jerusalem Temple, just before the Macabees removed the Zadok priests, was Yochanan/John!
God was making sure that this son who would be born to Elisheva and to Zadok high priest Zechariah, would be called Yochanan; the name of the last Zadok high priest, around 160 B.C. [Art Scroll Publications, Yoma Edition, Volume 9, Section: ‘Kohanim Gedolim in 1st and 2nd Temples!]A closer look at the name Melchi-zedek
מלך The noun מלך (melek) is usually translated as king (מלכי, meaning kings of)
The verb מלך (malak), to be or become king.
In the Greek New Testament the name Melchi-zedek is spelled Μελχισεδεκ (Melchi-sedek).
The use of a hyphen in a name is quite unusual, and although Melchi-zedek seems a personal name, it looks more like a title. It consists of two elements, the first one taken from the noun מלך (melek), meaning king:
Note that theTorah includes rules and restrictions specifically for the king, which in itself is highly unusual if not wholly without precedent in the old world. A king had to be chosen by Adonai and not by the people. (Deuteronomy 17:15).
The one and only thing the King of Israel was supposed to do was to create a copy of the Law/Torah, with his own hands, and meditate on his copy all the days of his life. (17:18-19).
צדק The verb צדק (sadeq) means to be just or righteous. HAW Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament confidently assures that: “this root basically connotes conformity to an ethical or moral standard,” also connotes synchronicity with the natural laws by which creation operates and by which mankind functions most fully and most satisfactorily for all parties involved (humans, animals, plants and the Creator.
The individual paleo hebrew letters have meanings:
Melchizedek, the King of Salem and Priest of El Elyon (Genesis 14:18). He has a small but far stretching role in the War of Four against Five Kings. (In the aftermath of which Abraham’s nephew Lot is abducted by the survivors of that war and subsequently freed by Abraham and his coalition.)
So our Messiah as a priest/king in the Order of Melchizedek has dual offices or authority.
David had written that the Messiah would be both a king and a priest just like Melchizedek had been.
From Genesis 14:18 we learn that Melchi-zedek, whose name means King of Righteousness, was both a priest of the Most High God and the King of Salem, (from Shalom = Peace), a Jebusite city that later became known as Jerusalem. When David conquered the Jebusites he made Jerusalem the capital of Israel, and purchased the land on nearby Mount Moriah where Abraham had sacrificed Isaac several hundred years earlier for the Temple location.
Never since the founding of Israel had one man been both a king and a priest.
It was forbidden.
Kings came from the tribe of Judah, while priests were descended from Levi.
Some prophets were also priests, (e.g. Ezekiel and Zechariah), and David was a king and a prophet;
however, no one was ever both a king and a priest in Israel.
Furthermore, prophecies in Ezekiel 21:25-27 and Zechariah 6:9-13 tell us the two offices will eventually be united when Messiah comes and that He will be both a king and a priest. And of course in the Book of Hebrews Jesus is called our King (Heb. 1:8) and Our High Priest (Heb. 4:14). This is possible because Jesus is not a priest in the Levitical sense but in the higher order of Melchizedek. All of Hebrews 7 is devoted to this.
In Exodus 19:6 Israel is called a kingdom of priests but in 1 Peter 2:9 we read, “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.”
He was speaking to the Church, calling us a royal priesthood. Only kings are considered royalty.
And in Revelation 1:5-6 it’s even clearer. And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. (KJV)
Some of the modern translations prefer the word kingdom over kings in the passage above, and it’s true, the Greek word there can be translated either way. They try to compare the Revelation passage with Exodus 19:6 to bolster their replacement theology bias, making the Church look like Israel. But to most conservative scholars it’s clear that both the context and the grammatical structure of the passage require that the Greek word be translated kings. (The same is true in Revelation 5:10 where the same phrase is repeated.)
Kings Of What?
The Bible doesn’t have a specific answer for this, but in Ephesians 2:6-7 Paul wrote, “And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.”
The “coming ages” alludes to the time of the Millennium and beyond where we’ll serve as living examples of the incomparable riches of God’s grace, seated with our King and High Priest on His throne.
First, ‘Lord’, is a title one uses in addressing a superior, and only two were superior to the King. One was God the Father, represented by LORD and the other was God the Son, called Lord. In effect Jesus reminded the Pharisees that David would have referred to a merely human descendant as his son, not as his Lord.
And second, in Hebrew the “word” translated LORD is YHWH, the four initials of the unpronounceable name of God, and used only of Him, while the one translated Lord is a different word, Adonai.
Melchizadek from king and zedek meaning righteousness or the right use of consciousness!
He was born in Salem, in Canaan, which later became Jerusalem. In an era of paganism and idolatry, Melchizedek clung to God Most High and served him faithfully.
Melchizedek worshiped God Most High, the one true God.
Understanding Jesus’ status as our high priest is a key point in Hebrews.
Just as Melchizedek was not born into the Levitical priesthood but was appointed by God, so Jesus was named our eternal high priest, interceding with God the Father on our behalf.
Hebrews 5:8-10 says: “Son though he was, he learned obedience from what he suffered and, once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek.”
He was the great high priest who lived at the time of Abraham.
His name means king of righteousness.
Lived 2000 years before Jesus.
He was a man of faith and magnified his holy office.
As a child he stopped the mouths of lions and quenched the violence of fire.
He ordained a high priest after the order of the covenant which God made with Enoch. Gen. 14:28.
He was placed in charge of the Lord’s kingdom as the keeper of the storehouse of God and who God had appointed to receive tithes for the poor.
Abraham gave tithes to him and he gave Abraham the Melchizadek priesthood.
The Melchizadek priesthood was named after him.
Melchizedek gives Abraham bread and wine and blesses him, and Abraham gives Melchizedek a tenth of the goods that he retrieved from the looters.
This action gave rise to the law of tithing (via Genesis 28:22, via Leviticus 27:30 to Deuteronomy 14:22-29; also see Hebrews 7:1-10).
The Order of Melchizedek Is Seen in David and His Seed.
Beginning with2 Samuel 8:17 until Ezek. 48:11, we see 52 references in the Old Testament (TaNaKh)_ (to the Zadok (Tzadowq) priesthood. As Strong’s Concordance explains they were:
#6659 Tsadowq tsaw-doke’ from 6663; just; Tsadok, the name of eight or nine Israelites:–Zadok.
The Brown’s Driver-Brigg’s Lexicon gives a brief history of the Zadok (Tzadowq) priesthood: #H6659 Zadok = “righteous.”
The high priest, son of Ahitub of the house of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, and 11th in descent from Aaron; joined David after Saul’s death and supported him against Absalom and Adonijah; anointed Solomon as king a priest, son of Meraioth, father of Meshullam of the house of Ahitub; apparently a nephew of father of Jerusha, the wife of king Uzziah and mother of king Jotham of Judah son of Baana and repairer of the wall of Jerusalem in the time of Nehemiah son of Immer and repairer of the wall of Jerusalem in the time of Nehemiah. A leader of the people in the time of Nehemiah; a scribe appointed by Nehemiah as one of the treasurers over the storehouse; a valiant warrior of the tribe of Benjamin who joined David at Hebron.
The Zadok /Tzadowq priesthood were a “type and shadow,” a precursor to the final resurrected ones who will be part of the priesthood of Messiah in his Millennial Reign. (Rev. 1:6; 5:10).
So why does YaHuWaH say to David in Psalm 110:4 “You are a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek?”
King David was from the Tribe of Judah, and the Messiah was prophesied to come through his“seed.”
Miryam, the earthly mother of Jesus/Yeshua was from the Tribe of Yahuwdah (Judah) and so was His earthly father, Yahuwceph (Joseph).
Even though Jesus/Yeshua was conceived by the Holy Spirit/Ruwach ha’Qodesh, His physical body was human, of the seed (lineage) of King David.
Israel/Yisra’el has not had an earthly king since the Roman Siege in 70 C.E., Messiah is the one who will carry on the throne of David as prophesied:
1 Kings/ Melakiym 8:25 Therefore now, YHWH Elohiym of Yisra’el, keep with your servant Dawiyd (David) my father that you promised him, saying, There shall not fail you a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Yisra’el; so that your children take heed to their way, that they walk before me as you have walked before me.
1 Kings/ Melakiym 9:5 Then I will establish the throne of your kingdom upon Yisra’el forever, as I promised to David (Dawiyd) your father, saying, There shall not fail you a man upon the throne of Yisra’el.
If there would not fail to be a man on the throne of King David’s lineage, then why is there not an earthly king today in Jerusalem? Where is the throne of King David today?
Matthew/Mattithyahuw 26:64 Jesus/Yeshua said unto him, You have said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall you see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.
Mark/Marqos14:62 And Jesus/Yeshua said, I AM: and you shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.
Hebrews/ Ibriym 1:3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high:
1Peter/Keefa 3:22 Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of Elohiym; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him.
Revelation/Chazown 5:5 And one of the elders said unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Yahuwdah (Judah), the Root of David, has prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.
6 And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of Elohiym sent forth into all the earth.
It is important now to note the difference between the high priest “Melchizedek,” who is referred to as an individual, and those priests who are “after the order of Melchizedek.”
Hebrews/Ibriym 7:7 For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the most high Elohiym, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him;
2 To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace;
3 Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of Elohiym; abides a priest continually.
4 Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils
We can see from the above verses, that Melchizedek is one single individual, but he does have an “order” of priests who will follow in his foot-steps.
Who are they who belong to this order of priests?
The next few verses were addressed to those who follow the Lamb wherever He goes (Rev. 14:4) who also have the name of the Father, (Emet/Truth), written in their foreheads.
When those who are a part of the remnant of the “seed of the woman” (mother from above Jerusalem), are caught up to meet YaHuWaH in the air (1Thess. 4:17), they will be changed into incorruption or immortality (1 Cor. 15:42-53). This it seems is when they will serve in the priesthood of Melchizedek during the Millennial Reign of Messiah here on earth (Rev. 20:4):
1st Keefa (Peter) 2:9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should shew forth the praises of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light;
Chazown (Revelation) 1:6 And has made us kings and priests unto Elohiym and his Father; to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
Chazown (Revelation) 5:10 ‘And has made us unto our Elohiym kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.’
This has everything to do with us because it is written. ‘you are a chosen people a royal priesthood a holy nation a people for his own possession.’
So if we belong to God, we are a priest, we are one of His cohanim and every priest and holy vessel must be separated from everything else, set apart to God.
Under the renewed covenant, He separates His priests by other means, by what ever it takes to separate them from everything else and bring them to Himself. He will use everything to bring you to Himself, to separate you from the rest of this world, the rejection of man, disappointment, heartbreak, crisis, hurt, sorrow, disillusionment, lack of fulfillment, discontentment, trouble, abandonment and failure. Whatever it takes to separate His priest from the world and bring them to Himself.
That which is separated to God is Holy.
Ex.28:1–2; Ez.44:16; 2 Timothy 1:9; 1 Peter 2:9
The key people involved in delivering Messiah to His death where the Sanhedrin.Led by the high priest including the chief priests of the temple, the sons of Aaron the same ones ordained by God to offer up the sacrifices.
Why were they so obsessed with Messiah?
They were the priests and He was the lamb.The sacrifice.
So, (by the Law), they where the ones to initiate His death.
That was their ministry and calling.
Only they could deliver the Lamb of God to His death.
That’s why they conspired and arrested Him and handed Him over to the Romans to be crucified. It was their ministry to offer up the sacrifice. So they killed Him because they were the priests and He was the sacrifice. Although they did not know it! However they were the ones ordained by the Lord to fulfill His Plan.
The Cohanim’s Confession
When the priest performed the Semikah, which was the placing of the sins of the people on to the sacrifice, they also had to confess their own sins over it. Leviticus 16:21.
They had to do both, for if they did not, the sacrifice could not die for those sins. When Messiah was taken by the priests from the garden of Gethsemane the night before His death, the priests laid hands on Him and there is a record of them striking Him and hitting Him on the face and head, (Matt 26:67; Mk. 10:34; Lk. 22:63 Jn. 18:22), however there was no confession of sin. Mark 14:63–64 ‘at that Caiaphas tore his clothes and said, ‘he has spoken blasphemy,’ to which those in the council agreed that he was guilty and deserving of death.’
They condemned Him to death on FALSE charges.
The priest confessed the sins upon the sacrifice in the Semikah but the fact is that the sacrifice was not guilty of those sins.
This sacrifice could only die for those sins if it wasn’t guilty of them.
It had to be innocent and sinless without blemish spot or wrinkle. For the Semikah to be performed on the sacrifice of Messiah, the High Priest had to speak over Him sins that He was not guilty of.
Caiphas had accused Him of the sin of blasphemy speaking it over Him.
However the sin that is spoken upon the sacrifice is not the actual sin of the sacrifice but it is the sin of those who speak it.
The blasphemy He was accused of was not Messiah’s sin, it was the sin of the high priest and the priesthood.
They had in fact judged God of blasphemy against himself, God; and to judge God of blasphemy, is itself a blasphemy!
So in fact the priests were confessing their own sin! However, it wasn’t just their sin, because the priest represented Israel; and Israel in turn represented the rest of the world.
In the Semikah of the sacrifice for humanity going back to the very first sin; and the genesis of all sins, were the words that came straight from the devils mouth, ‘you shall be as God!’ which was blasphemy. Genesis 3:5
To follow the logical progression, the sin was confessed over the sacrifice by the High Priest, and the priests touched His head with their hands and by this the Semikah for the sins of man was performed.
Furthermore they confessed our sins upon Him also, for the Scriptures tell us 2 Corinthians 5:21, ‘He made Him who knew no sin to become sin for us.. That we might become the righteousness of God.
Beyond the Sanhedrin it was the high priest who alone was ordained to offer up the most holy sacrifice, the atonement by which the nation sins were forgiven. The one who that presided over the Sanhedrin and was more than anyone else responsible for delivering Messiah to His death, was none other than the high priest.
His intention was murder yet he was the one appointed in the Law to offer up the sacrifice. Messiah was the sacrifice, so it was the high priest who had to offer Him up. Even though their actions and motives were corrupt, God used it to fulfill His purposes through it came salvation for every man who will accept Jesus’s sacrifice.
As He died He found life.
As He surrendered all, He has prevailed over all and overcome the world, so too if we walk in the footsteps of the Lamb we will prevail and overcome the world.
But now we have a renewed covenant, which obviously means there is a new priesthood. So as the covenant changes the priesthood has changed. Was there any passing of the torch so to speak between the old and the new? Was there a recognition or transference; was there a blessing from the priesthood of Aaron to the priesthood of Messiah?
And if so how could it have happened?
Caiaphas The high priest at the time and most of the priesthood was corrupt and plotting Messiahs death. There were some exceptions for example Nicodemus.However what if there was someone more of a high priest than Caiaphas? What if there was someone who represented the priesthood more than any other individual at the time?
Yeshua as the perfect sacrifice, is also from Aaron from the virgin Mary/Miriam. Miriam carried genetically the perfect fulfillment of two family lines, Aaron and David, which God had chosen, specifically stated in Jeremiah 33:24.
But we also find other prophesies revealing that the Messiah would be coming from the high priest family of Yeshua of the family of Zadok.
For the Old Testament prophesies about the Messiah indicated that He, the Branch, would not only come from the family of Aaron (Jeremiah 33: 18, 21, 24), but even more precisely from the high priest family of Yeshua of the seed of Zadok of Aaron. Zech 3:8 and 6:11-13.
Yeshua is also from Aaron: for the virgin Miriam and Elisheva/Elizabeth of Aaron family; of king David family; of high priest Zechariah and same family as Elisheva of high priest Zadok’s family; and from high priest Zadok, family of high priest Aaron.
The relationship between Miriam (Mary), Yeshua’s mother, and her close relative (karov, in Hebrew), Elisheva (Elizabeth) of Aaron, as described in Luke 1:5, 36-56 shows how these two women were related.
God created our Messiah Yeshua, with absolute perfection, from Heaven from His Father, Almighty God. Also Yeshua is the perfect fulfillment of the two family lines which God had chosen (Jeremiah 33:24); both coming together in a virgin, Yeshua’s mother Miriam. This was prophesied in a few places in the Old Covenant Scriptures. We know that the Messiah was to come from the family of king David, of the tribe of Judah. But what was also prophesied in the Old Covenant Scriptures was that the Messiah would also be coming from the family of Aaron, of the tribe of Levi. Jeremiah 33:17, 18. Isaiah 7:14 However, God had also announced to His Zadok high priest Joshua (Yeshua, in Hebrew) something even more specific about the coming Messiah, through His prophet in the book of Zechariah.
That the Messiah (the Branch) would be coming from this Zadok high priest family of Joshua (Yeshua), of high priest Aaron of the Aaronic priesthood. Messiah Yeshua is the perfect fulfillment of these two families, the high priest family of Yeshua of Zadok, of high priest Aaron, of the Aaronic priesthood, and also the family of king David; all from the Seed of Genesis 3:15, the Seed of Eve. God, the Holy Spirit overshadowed this Seed at the time of the conception of Yeshua in Miriam’s womb. Also, according to the Word of God in Ezekiel 43:18 & Ezekiel 44:15, 16 (& 40:46), God had said that He would only honor the blood sacrifice coming from a priest who was a son of Zadok.
Yeshua is a Son of Zadok through His mother Miriam. However, Yeshua was never, and could never have been an Aaronic priest, simple because Yeshua had no earthly father. For the Aaronic priesthood was only passed from earthly father to son. Yeshua’s Blood Sacrifice would never have been accepted by God, except for the fact that Yeshua is also a Son of Zadok through His mother Miriam.
And Yeshua is also a Priest from His Father, Almighty God. He is Priest of God Most High! Yeshua is KING and Great High Priest of Heaven! He also fulfilled the earthly line of both Aaronic high priests of Aaron and the line of kings from king David! This great Mystery is now revealed and is part of the precious and sinless Blood of our Lord Yeshua! Lord Yeshua is Heaven’s Priest coming from high priest Zadok of Aaron! Melchi Zedek: Genesis 14:18; Psalm 110:1, 4; Hebrews 7:11.
Yeshua’s cousin Yochanan (John) was also the last mystery Zadok high priest of Aaron, as was his father Zechariah (Zacharias). Luke 1:1-80 God used the Opening Scene of the New Covenant to reveal to us this Zadok high priesthood secret mystery.
The highest Ministry of the high priest was to cleanse people of their sins by performing the sacrifices on their behalf. Especially on Yom Kippur each year the day of atonement.
And this is exactly what John was doing in the Jordan River.
He was cleansing them of their sins by encouraging them to immerse themselves in the waters as symbolic of the cleansing of their sins following true repentance.
So in reality it was John who was the highest priest of Israel, the true representative of the Aaronic priesthood.
Here we see that Messiahs ministry, His priesthood must begin with John. The two priests were standing in the waters of the Jordan River, the place of endings and beginnings, the two priesthoods. John/ Yochanan representing the priesthood of the old covenant and Messiah representing the priesthood of the renewed covenant.
There is where the transference of the priesthood was completed in plain and public view.
As the two high priests stood face-to-face, (Hebrew: al pene); the old priesthood bore witness of the new.
That all righteousness be fulfilled!!
It was here in the Jordan River that John/ Yochanan bore witness of Messiahs ministry and declared it to be greater than his own. Saying ‘I must decrease He must increase’. Here the blessing was spoken and the authority and Ministry was transferred and with the audible and visible affirmation by Adonai as Holy Spirit descended upon Him.
We better understand what He meant by His words, ‘this is My beloved Son in Him I am well pleased,’ because it was heavens confirmation that the old has gone and the new has come. That the priesthood had been given to Messiah and it was all part of God’s will and plan and purpose; and to those who are His, we are called to be priests. ‘Royal priesthood, a holy nation’, as all Israelites were called to be in the first place at Sinai. Then in fear, they changed their minds asking Moses to communicate to the Lord God for them. It is our calling today to be His priest and minister to His will and purposes on the earth.
When Jesus/Yeshua came to John/Yahuwchanon to be baptized: think of the scene, and their knowledge and understanding of the events unfolding before them in real time. It was the custom then that immersion of an individual, required that person to put themselves under the water, completely submerging their whole body.
These two cousins were 6 months apart.
At 30 years old, (legal age for a priest), Yochanan began his ministry by the Jordan river, around Passover time, in fulfillment of the prophesies related to Eliyahu in Mal. 4.
His cousin Yeshua began His ministry 6 months later, which would have been during the fall feasts. Now look at the words of Yochanan, but from a whole new angle; that of priest, understanding what he spoke to his disciples when he saw Yeshua walking …”Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the whole world.”
When did he say this? During the fall feasts!
As the (mystery Zadok high priest and) prophet, what would have been on Yochanan’s mind? Was he thinking of what he would have been doing during this special high holiday season? That he would have been serving in his rightful position as high priest in the Temple, if the priesthood had not been corrupted?
[Herod’s had two imposter high priests in the Jerusalem Temple].
He would have been doing the Yom Kippur atonement offering in the Temple, which would have been done for himself, for all the other priests, and for the people of Israel.
Now look again at the words he speaks and just see what God had done through him…”Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the whole world.”
As the true Zadok high priest of Israel, God was now using him to make a brand new declaration about the Atonement of this Yom Kippur Lamb, that this was not just for himself, and for the other priests, and for the people of Israel, but now that this Atonement of the Lamb of God would be for all peoples of the world.
John was the true High Priest (a Levite) that was to offer the “sacrificial goat” that year while Caiaphas, the High Priest was an impostor who was an Edomite appointed by Rome.
John immediately recognized that Adonai had selected the sacrificial goat that year for Yom (pronounced Yowm) Kippur:
Yahuwchanon (John) knew that Jesus/Yeshua was about to become the “sacrificial goat” and that he would be “sent” into the wilderness also as the “scapegoat” to “take away” the sins of the world into the wilderness!
John probably placed his hand on Jesus/Yeshua’s head just as the High Priest did to the scapegoat.
The scriptures tell us that the second goat is to be offered to “Azazel,” which is a Hebrew word that literally means the following in the Hebrew Strong’s Concordance: #5799‘aza’zel az-aw-zale from 5795 and 235; goat of departure; the scapegoat:–scapegoat.
In Ezekiel 43:19, 20 and 44:15, 16, we are told that God will only accept the Blood offering coming from a priest who is a son of Zadok!
Yeshua’s Blood Sacrifice had to meet these specific requirements from the Word of God, or His Blood offering for sin would not qualify!
Exactly how did this divine Son of Judah qualify?
Because … (final recap)…
Yeshua is a Priest through His Father, but He is also a Son of Zadok through His mother Miriam!
God spoke to Miriam through His angel Gabriel in Luke 1:32, telling Miriam that she would give birth to a Son who would be called the Son of the Highest, and who would Reign over the throne of His earthly father (and ancestor) king David. Since there was no human male involved in this conception process of Yeshua (Luke 1:35; Matthew 1:18,20),
God was also recognizing that this Seed of Genesis 3:15, this Seed of woman that was carried by Miriam would be the Seed that God would use to produce this divine Child who would Reign on the throne of His father David as our King, forever.
The writer of Hebrews 7, verses 11-18, clearly states that the Priesthood of Yeshua is from His Father’s side, for the writer specifically refers to the Melchi- Zedek Priesthood of Heaven; and he also says that this divine Son is from the tribe of Judah (but only through Miriam [not through Joseph]), of which tribe Moses spoke nothing of priesthood. However, what was not mentioned, perhaps not even known at the time, was that Miriam was also of this same high priest family of Aaron as her close relative, Elisheva.
Miriam carried genetically the perfect fulfillment of two family lines, Aaron and David, which God had chosen, specifically stated in Jeremiah 33:24. But we also find other prophesies revealing that the Messiah would be coming from the high priest family of Yeshua of the family of Zadok.
For the Old Testament prophesies about the Messiah indicated that He, the Branch, would not only come from the family of Aaron (Jeremiah 33: 18, 21, 24), but even more precisely from the high priest family of Yeshua of the seed of Zadok of Aaron. Zechariah 3:8 and Zechariah 6:11-13.
John the Baptist standing on the bank or in the waters of the river Jordan was the true High Priest.
Caiaphas was the imposter.
John recognized and witnessed the Messiah being immersed and prepared to become the scapegoat for all mankind. The Lamb of God, knowing the history and discerning the future! John by his declaration knew Jesus was the Messiah and would become the King of Kings and the eternal great High Priest after the order of Melchizadek.Gods promise fulfilled.
What tribe were the four sons of Aaron from?” Most people would answer, Levi! But when we look deeper into this question, and ask, “Whom did Aaron (the brother of Moses, and sister of Miriam) take for his wife?” We discover his wife is Elisheva.
But who was Elisheva, and what tribe was she from?
Elisheva was the sister of Nahshon, the daughter of Ammnadab.
And who were they?
They were the leaders of the tribe of Judah. (Exodus 6:23, Numbers 1:7 and Matthew 1:4)
What does all that mean?
It means that all the four sons of Aaron and his wife Elisheva were really from two tribes, Levi and Judah. However, history records the Aaronic Priesthood as being just from the tribe of Levi. Why? Because the Aaronic Priesthood was named only after the father’s lineage. [Notice the names Miriam and Elisheva appear twice, the first time in the formation of both the Aaronic priesthood, and then in the divine mystery concerning Yeshua and His Aaronic priest family of the New Covenant!]
Perhaps in a similar way, Yeshua’s Priesthood is through His Father (the Melchi Zedek Priesthood). But God relates Yeshua’s earthly Kingship and His Throne from His father king David through His mother Miriam.
So this most important revelation that Yeshua is also from the high priest family of Aaron, of Zadok, through His mother Miriam was perhaps never revealed, since priesthood was named from father’s side. However, even more importantly, this mystery was not to be revealed and could not be revealed especially in those days, and was deliberately kept top secret.
Why?
Because Herod, if he had known the real identities of the Zadok priests and high priest family, would have killed this whole family.
There would have been no Miriam and no Yeshua!
For Herod had already killed many people, and he had placed his two phony high priests in the Temple.
Yeshua, in the flesh, is the physical fulfillment of both the family line of king David and also high priest Yeshua of Zadok of high priest Aaron, through the Seed carried by His mother Miriam.
For Yeshua’s Blood Sacrifice on the Cross provided a Perfect Atonement of both the line of kings and also of the line of Aaronic Zadok high priests. Completing the mystery connection of the threads: why the Priest (John) was in the water, to Abraham meeting a King, (Melchi-zedek), to Messiah and God fulfilling His Promises!
Shalom!
SAY THE FOLLOWING FROM YOUR HEART RIGHT NOW…Don’t put it off one more moment…
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.
You are now Born Again by the Holy Spirit of the Living God and you are part of the ever growing family of believers. You will never be the same again!
and brings us tothe 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 isexpressed, 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 Gogthe 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 temporarybody 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 Atzeretreminds 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.
That was around 1000 B.C. and from 1000 B.C. to 160 B.C., the Zadok’s were God’s high priests of the Aaronic priesthood and of the Temple in Jerusalem, when not in exile.
Melchizadek from king and zedek meaning righteousness or the right use of consciousness!
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.
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 
Due to cultural traditions we have little idea in the west, what a 
T
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.
The plans and purposes of God have only perfect ends.
All Scripture is written on kosher scrolls not in books. 
So to understand the reference in Revelation, consider that 
The old has gone, the scroll finished, for the story is completed and the day after the end, 
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.
he was looking towards the place where the Temple would one day stand. 
(
The Hebrew Holy Day of 
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