What has a flaming sword at a garden gate, a golden box, keruvim, a lion, an ox, and an eagle to do with mazzaroth, the Tribes, two visions, the mishkan and Yeshua/Jesus?
Investigating more mysteries that connect from Genesis to Revelation.
Keruvim כְּרוּבִים
CHERUBIM
Angels but not what we thought!
Hebrew: keruvim כְּרוּב kərūv, pl. כְּרוּבִים, kərūvîm;
Latin cherub, pl. cherubin, cherubim;
Depiction of the cherubim of glory shadowing the Mercy-seat (χερουβιμ δόξης κατασκιάζοντα τὸ ἱλαστήριον) of Hebrews 9:5 (Julius Bate 1773).
In Hebraic angelic hierarchy, cherubim have the second-lowest rank according to Maimonides Mishneh Torah (12th century).
Cherubim are discussed within the Midrash literature. The two cherubim placed by the Father at the entrance of Eden (Gen. 3:24) Angels were created on the third day, and therefore they had no definite shape; appearing either as men or women, or as spirits or angelic beings (Genesis Rabbah xxi., end). The cherubim were the first objects created in the universe. (Tanna debe Eliyahu R., i. beginning).
The Cherubim angels are occasionally confused with the Seraphim rank of angels, as there are many kinds of angels; the highest being the Seraph, next the Cherub.
They are actually different categories of beings. Cherubim have four wings and do not look human, (seraphim, have six wings and also do not look human). The Bible also refers to Angels as men, since that is exactly what they look like and they do not have wings or halos, (nothing in the Bible has a halo). Angels, as their name denotes, are messengers. If a being is not delivering a message, does not look like a human male and has wings then it is not an Angel.
For one example, see Genesis 18:2 three men and 19:1 which identifies two of them as Angels. (Many scholars say that the other was pre-incarnate Yeshua/Jesus).
The Cherubim, similar to the word Seraphim, is plural. The word Cherubim refers to more than one Cherub angel.
Cherubim are said to be about 18ft (5.4864 Meters) tall have four faces:
one of a lion (representative of all wild animals , one an ox (domestic animals), one a human (humanity), and one an eagle (birds).
They have four conjoined wings covered with eyes, a lion’s body figure, and they have ox’s feet.
Cherubim guard the way to the tree of life in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:24).
and also to the throne of God (Ezekiel 28:14-16).
Make one cherub at one end, and the other cherub at the other end: you shall make the cherubim at the two ends of it of one piece with the mercy seat. Ex. 25:19
“And the sound of the wings of the cherubim was heard even in the outer court, like the voice of the Almighty God when He speaks.” Ezekiel 10:5
A Cherub is a supernatural being referenced throughout both the Old and New Testament of the Bible. Like the Seraphim, the Cherubim were originally a Judaic rank of angels, and they eventually were incorporated into Christian scripture, appearing in numerous books including the Book of Revelation. Other notable examples of them in literature are in John Milton’s 17th century epic poem, Paradise Lost.
Cherubim are first mentioned in connection with the expulsion from Eden in Genesis 3:24 here there is no information given of their shape or form.
The Cherubim and flaming sword were to keep Adam and Eve from eating of the tree of life while in an unregenerate state; or mankind would have been forever separated from the love and blessings of the Father.
They are next mentioned when Moses was commanded to provide furniture for the tabernacle Ex. 25:17-20; 26:1,31.
God promised to commune with Moses from between the cherubim. 25:22
They represent the mercy of God, which is always above the testimony.
Exodus 25:22, “And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel.”
2 Samuel 6:2, “And David arose, and went with all the people that were with him from Baale of Judah, to bring up from thence the ark of God, whose name is called by the name of the Lord of hosts that dwelleth between the cherubims.”
Numbers 7:89, “And when Moses was gone into the tabernacle of the congregation to speak with him, then he heard the voice of one speaking unto him from off the mercy seat that was upon the ark of testimony, from between the two cherubims; and he spake unto him.”
The Cherubim are not just allegories. They are actual beings in heaven guarding the way to the Mercy Seat.
This expression was afterwards used to denote the Divine abode and presence. Num. 7:89; 1Sam. 4:4; Is 37:16; Ps. 80:1; 99:1.
In Ezekiel’s vision they appear as living creatures supporting the throne of God. From Ezekiel’s description of them 1:5-10;41:18-19 they appear to have been compound figures each one having 4 different faces, the face of a man, lion, ox, and eagle.
Unlike any real object in nature, possessing the features and properties of several animals.
The closest word we have to describe them is chimera; an animal whose body contains different cell populations derived from different zygotes of the same or different species, occurring spontaneously or produced artificially; i.e. an individual composed of a mixture of genetically different cells.
Man- This face spoke of mind, reason, affections, and all the things that encompass a human being.
Lion- The lion was always recognized as strong, fierce, and majestic. It was the most royal of all animals.
Pro 30:30 A lion, which is mighty among beasts and does not turn away from any;
Pro 20:2 The wrath of a king is like the roaring of a lion; whoever provokes him to anger sins against his own life.
Ox- The Ox was recognized as the animal who patiently labored for his owner. He was strong, able to bear a burden, and knew its owner.
Pro 14:4 Where no oxen are, the trough is clean; but much increase comes by the strength of an ox.
Ps 144:14 That our oxen may be well-laden; that there be no breaking in or going out; that there be no outcry in our streets.
Is 1:3 The ox knows its owner and the donkey its master’s crib; but Israel does not know, my people do not consider.”
Eagle- The divine bird that flew above the storms, while below there was only sorrows, dangers, and distress. A swift bird strong and powerful, never becoming weary.
Pro 30:18-19 There are three things which are too wonderful for me, yes, four which I do not understand: The way of an eagle in the air, the way of a serpent on a rock, the way of a ship in the midst of the sea, and the way of a man with a virgin.
Is 40:31 But those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.
Ps. 103:5 Who satisfies your mouth with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
Ex. 19:4 `You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself.
Ezek. 17:3 “and say, `Thus says the Lord GOD: “A great eagle with large wings and long pinions, full of feathers of various colors, came to Lebanon and took from the cedar the highest branch.
Hos. 8:1 “Set the trumpet to your mouth! He shall come like an eagle against the house of the LORD, because they have transgressed My covenant and rebelled against My law.
King David probably knew about God’s chariots/cherubim, as apparently he a rode in one of them. This is recorded in two accounts in scripture, 2 Samuel 22: 7-22 and Psalms 18:6-17.
A record of a divine deliverance, when he was trapped between Mount Carmel jutting out into sea and the Mediterranean ocean as he was cornered by the army of Saul.
Two cherubim were placed on the mercy seat of the ark and two of COLOSSAL size overshadowed it in Solomons Temple.
“In the inner shrine he [Solomon] carved two cherubim of wild olive wood, each ten cubits high . . . and he overlaid the cherubim with gold.” (1 Kings 6:23-28) “The cherubim, whose wings were spread over the place of the Ark , formed a canopy above the Ark and its poles.” (1 Kings 8:7)
The illustration below depicts Solomons Temple and the Kohen Gadol (High Priest.) On the day of Yom Kippur ( Day of Atonement); he was presenting incense before God, a few steps away from the Ark of the Covenant which was resting between the outstretched wings of the towering figures of the two Cherubim. This was the only day of the year the Kohen Gadol ever entered the Kodesh haKodashim (Holy of Holies). He is shown wearing a simple linen garment specially made for the day.
The main hall of the Temple which is reported to be 20 cubits wide (9 meters or 27 feet) and 30 cubits high (13.5 meters or 40 feet). The Holy of Holies, with the Ark of the Covenant and the two giant Cherubs in it, is described as a cube 20 x 20 x 20 cubits. 2 Chron 3:13; they stood on their feet and faced inwards their wings spanned 20 cubits overall.
Converting the measurement of the biblical cubit as approximately 18 inches, the cherubim were 15 feet tall and the wing measurement from the tip of one wing to the other was also 15 feet.
Together, the two cherubim covered a span of 30 feet in the Holy of Holiest in the Temple of Solomon.
Ezekiel 1:4-14 speaks of 4 and also this number, 4, of living creatures is mentioned in Rev. 4:6.
Those on the ark are called the cherubim of glory. Hebrews 9:5;
Hebrews 9:1-5 Then verily the first covenant had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary. 2 For there was a tabernacle made; the first, wherein was the candlestick, and the table, and the shewbread; which is called the sanctuary. 3 And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all; 4 Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron’s rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant; 5 And over it the cherubim of glory shadowing the mercy seat; of which we cannot now speak particularly. (KJV)
These cherubim of Glory were the appearance of the Glory of the Lord.
That is the Shechinah, or cloud of glory, for on them the visible glory of God rested. They were placed one at each end of the mercy seat, with wings stretched upward, and their faces toward each other and toward the mercy-seat. They were anointed with holy oil, like the ark itself and the other sacred furniture.
The cherubim were symbolical.
They were intended to represent spiritual existences in immediate contact with The Father. Some have regarded them as symbolical of the chief ruling power by which God carries on His operations in providence. (Ps.18:10). Others interpret them as having reference to the redemption of men, and as symbolizing the great rulers or ministers of the church.
Their office was: first, on the expulsion from Eden, to prevent all access to the tree of life;
and second to form the throne
and the chariot of God in His manifestation of Himself on Earth.
He dwelleth between and sitteth on the cherubim (1 Sam 4:4; Ps. 80:1; Ezek.1:26,28).
The 2 cherubim were on the mercy-seat with wings outstretched.
Ex 25:18-20 “And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work you shall make them at the two ends of the mercy seat. “Make one cherub at one end, and the other cherub at the other end; you shall make the cherubim at the two ends of it of one piece with the mercy seat. “And the cherubim shall stretch out their wings above, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and they shall face one another; the faces of the cherubim shall be toward the mercy seat.”
They represent the judgment of God.
Their position indicates that God’s judgment upon Israel was averted because of the blood-sprinkled mercy seat.
John also in Revelation sees a vision of the cherubim:
Rev. 4:6-8 Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back. The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a man, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle.
The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: “Holy, holy, holy, lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!”
Though artistic interpretation can be fairly relaxed when it comes to the Seraphim, it is also extremely varied in regard to the Cherubim.
The original Jewish depictions of them are thought to resemble an angelic or mythical being similar to that of a griffin, possessing a lion’s body, and an eagle’s wings and head.
In Christianity however, the Cherubim are often portrayed in artistic iconography as a four winged creature with more than one head, usually that of man, lion, eagle, and ox. Some of the gothic interpretations can be quite fearful in appearance.
During the Renaissance a tremendous amount of confusion arose over the attributes and characteristics of the Cherubim, when on numerous occasions they were confused with putti angels, winged children who are generally depicted holding small golden trumpets.
In Western Christian tradition, cherubim have become associated with the putto (derived from classical Cupid/Eros), resulting in depictions of cherubim as small, plump, winged boys.
So the scripture shows that a Cherub is a mighty and fearsome winged beast and guardian of Eden, not the image of an innocent childlike being. The confusion is still widespread even in this day and age, and we can blame the Renaissance artists for it. So now when we call a small child a little cherub we may want to change the adjective for something else!
In chapter 1 Ezekiel the prophet designates them as living creatures (chayyoth); the chart above shows the difference between the cherubim described in Ezekiel, with the one that John gives in the book of Revelation.
Do they appear the same on earth as in Heaven??
This is a possible explanation for the differences.
The wings being raised would cover the view of the other faces. Due to Heaven existing in another dimension parallel to ours, it makes sense that they would probably appear differently there.
Time is cyclical. Time as we know it exists only in this earthly dimension.
When we recognize the fact that God has more dimensions of space and time than just the 4 dimensions we tend to think in, it makes it easier to understand how God is able to be omnipresent and that this plural God is singular.
We tend to look at life in 3 dimensions of space and one dimension of time because of the way we have been educated.
Time, that for us, seems to travel forward and is linear.
God however, is not limited to 1 dimension of time or He would not be 1 God who is omnipresent. The chart below on the left depicts 2 dimensions of time; one of length and one of height. If time has just 2 dimensions, then within every moment of time there is an infinite amount of time. Paper, for example, is only 2 dimensional, and so we can only show 2 dimensions at once.
In the diagram above pictured on the right, simulated are 3 dimensions of time in which it implies that time has depth as well. If God is above time, at this point He can not only see the past, the present, and the future consecutively but He can also influence and interact with them all simultaneously. This is why He can say His Name is I AM (not I WAS or I WILL BE); and why He is the same yesterday today and forever. Heb.13:8
When John saw Messiah in Heaven for example, He appeared as a lamb that was slain, with 7 eyes and 7 horns.
Seven is the number of perfection and horns represent power. In the same way eyes are how we perceive things, so they represent wisdom. This is picturing Messiah with perfect power and perfect wisdom. In Ezekiel, the cherubim are depicted with 4 wings and 4 faces.
The number four is the signature of the Earth, depicting our four seasons and 4 corners giving us 4 directions; East, West, North, and South.
Ezekiel 41:18 And it (the paneling of the holy place of the temple) was made with cherubs …and two faces were to a cherub, the face of a man, toward the palm tree from here, and a young lion’s face toward the palm tree from there. It was made to continue all around on the wall of the temple.
The Keruvim/Cherubim are the connection to the flaming sword at a garden gate, a golden box (ark of the covenant/mercy seat), a lion, an ox, an eagle and the two visions of Ezekiel and John. However the conclusion to the mystery with mazzaroth, the Tribes, and Yeshua/Jesus is coming in part 2.
The Scriptures tell us that angels watch over us make sure that you are saved and that they can be of optimum assistance in your life
For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven Matt. 18:10
“Behold, I send an angel before you to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared. Ex. 23:20
Shalom Mishpachah/Family!
Please, don’t leave this page until..
you are awakened to Messiah..
we all need to born again from above..
Make certain Messiah Jesus/Yeshua is your Redeemer, Savior, Lord and soon returning King and that you have a personal relationship with Him.
Its all about Life and Relationship, NOT Religion.
You are greatly loved and precious in His sight.
NOT SURE? YOU CAN BE..
SAY THE FOLLOWING FROM YOUR HEART RIGHT NOW…
Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.
I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name. Amen.
What is the connection between a town, mud, blind eyes, a donkey, Sh’loh, a gift, a pool of water and Messiah?
Matthew records a time when 2 blind men followed Him calling out, “Have mercy on us Son of David”
Yeshua/Jesus asked them what seemed to be a redundant question!
What do you want me to do for you?
Matt 20:33,34.
He is asking us the same question today.
They answered honestly and to the point…
Lord that our eyes would open!
Is this a representation of the ‘two men’ inside of us; good and evil; old man and the re-born new man? Or is it because He wants us to consider our request and count the cost of true discipleship first?
‘Yeshua/Jesus had compassion touched their eyes and they immediately RE-gained their sight and they followed Him.’
This word EYES in Greek ὄμμα, ατος, τό OMMA. (Phonetic om’-mah).
It is used only here and in Mark 8:23 and can also mean EYES OF THE SOUL.
Once their soul was released from the prison of the blindness, they followed Him and did not take the benefits of their healing and selfishly go off and doing their own thing. They counted the cost and made a decision and commitment.
I set you free to serve/follow Me.
His GIFT of salvation and freedom is to become what was originally intended; that for His children to be with Him. Reconciliation with the Father and in Yeshua/Jesus to spread the gospel of reconciliation, showing the WAY of return, Teshuvah, and freedom from bondage and blindness. Those who come to Yeshua/Jesus just to gain advantage in their personal life and return to what they were doing before, apparently will not inherit the true blessings.
Our position is also of being released from prison and our eyes once blinded now see. So now our eyes are open, let’s take a LOOK at John 9 where there is another record of eyes being opened.
As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
How can someone born blind RE-cover sight?
Could it be that his eyes were perfectly formed in the womb but by the time of his birth he was blind? The magnitude of this miracle is often under read –why?
Possibly because we have not realized that it would have involved a complete rewrite of the man’s brain.
A baby’s brain whose eyes are undamaged still has to learn how to interpret what is received from them. In a way, babies still ‘see’ nothing until the brain has formed the ability to interpret what they see through actual experience.
So someone who’s been blind since birth and who is suddenly miraculously healed won’t immediately ‘see’ the world as seeing people do.
An individuals view of the world is formed by inwardly processing information from external stimuli, from touch, taste, smells and sounds etc., and the sudden and massive influx of visual information would no doubt lead to confusion and bewilderment, and could most likely leave the man stunned and almost catatonic, not rejoicing as is recorded.
Starting to see after a lifetime of being blind is a completely different scenario than going blind after a lifetime of seeing, for that person has a memory and recollections to relate to.
So something else was going on here for he was not reacting in shock but rather rejoicing!
We need to think about it, for a moment at least! To heal someone who’s been blind since birth – requires their virtual death, as a blind person, and their subsequent resurrection, as a seeing person.
The real-Time it would have taken for the development of the eyes and brain to adjust was over-ridden by the Father of Creation and of Time and the past became the present instantaneously.
This miracle at Siloam, is one of such astonishing facts, that it places it on a par with the miracle at the Cana wedding. John 2:1-10.
This shows again that our time does not affect God and He is not constricted by it, for He is the same yesterday today and forever; He is
3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4
As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”
6 After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. 7 “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.
We need to appreciate the context here, as He was about to perform an outstanding witness to the coming Kingdom of God/Kingdom of the Heavens and fulfill prophesy. Ps 146:7-9. Opening the eyes of the soul and loosing prisoners. Is. 61:1.
Before this moment there had NEVER been such a miracle – it was unprecedented – that of healing someone blind from birth.
John 9:32 Since the world began was it not heard that any man opened the eyes of one that was born blind.
Since the beginning, the days of Adam, the Genesis of TIME!
There was Re-covery of sight but not of this caliber, for this man’s eyes had never functioned.
So it was a Messianic sign!
This happened so that the works of God might be displayed in Him. And may have been the reason it was part of the message to John in prison that the blind receive their sight? Luke 7:20-22.
20 When the men were come unto him, they said, John Baptist hath sent us unto thee, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another?
21 And in that same hour he cured many of their infirmities and plagues, and of evil spirits; and unto many that were blind he gave sight.
22 Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached.
He was doing the works He was sent to do by His Father.
As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world
Referring to the day, which speaks of Light; while Dawn alludes to redemption; and Night alludes to exile; which is separation from the presence of God.
He said in 9:5 ‘while I am here I am the light of the world’, when He left, we are to be the light of the world. Also that WE must do those works time is short!
There is a set time!
Here’s Mud In Your Eye! It’s an interesting saying, (or idiom). At first we may think it a harmful or unkind act, when in reality it was the opposite.
A Muddy Moment
6 After saying this, he spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes.
Again here is some Hebrew thinking!
This was an accepted treatment among them, especially saliva from a fasted life! The people of that time believed that the spittle of the first born son of the father was anointed in healing. When Yeshua performed this action, they saw another sign!
He also used it to heal the deaf mute in Mark 7.
The Pharisees had prohibited this practice under their traditions which He was here to correct. However, today as we understand the fact that the blueprint of an individuals genetic makeup is contained within our cells, our blood and our saliva/spittle, it makes one wonder if He was in possession of greater knowledge and understanding that we have comprehended?
Prov 20 :12
Interesting note that if we rearrange the letters of ‘THE EYES’, it reads ‘THEY SEE’!
His DNA was in the spittle it was the DNA of His Father, the Creator.
This spittle brought healing, unlike those who spat on Him as He was abused. Matt 26:67, 27:30,
Their intention was understood both then and now as showing an attitude of disgust, disdain and disrespect to whoever person or property to which it is aimed.
Could this event also be in reference to His comment?
These things have I spoken unto you, … 12. I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now. John 16:12
and Matt 13:35/36
So that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying: “I will open My mouth in parables; I will utter things kept secret from the creation of the world”.
Yes, He did as His Father told Him and only that. The combination of the Father’s DNA within Him, (plus these days we know that the individuals blood type is that of its father as in paternity test!); together with the dirt of the ground, being the same creative material that ADAM was made from and was now also the same that He combined to place on the mans’ eyes.
Genesis 2:7 Then the LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed the breath of life into his nostrils, and the man became a living being.
and 1Cor 15:46 The spiritual, however, was not first, but the natural, and then the spiritual.
From a Hebrew Letter Addition standpoint, the word Adam is richer and fuller than just dirt.
The word Adam is composed of the following letters: Aleph, Daleth, Mem.
Aleph means strength,
Daleth means Door, and
Mem, means to surround.
From an addition standpoint the word would be translated:
Strength in the door surrounding.
To get a better grasp on the word, the pointing has some relevance here. The letter Aleph actually has a Qamets underneath It.
(A Quamets is an indicator that, ‘adds to’, what is there within the individual aleph-bet letters; it looks like a short, fat, capital letter T).
This Quamets indicates rootedness, or very sure, positive positioning.
The Daleth as well has a Quamets to it, denoting internal, again rootedness, or very sure positioning.
To take a look at the word more clearly the Aleph is well rooted, and the Daleth is well rooted.
In Hebrew scripture, the Daleth, or the door/gate is talking about governments, or positions of authority. Quite practically, the door to a house lets things in and let out. So he who guards the door is the gate keeper and regulates the content both inside and also outside the gate.
The word literally comes down to this:
Rooted Strength Coming of the House, Surrounding.
More particularly, this word denotes a strength of regulation with a particular purpose.
Could it be said that in this miracle, which incorporated dirt/Adam, that He was restoring more than physical and spiritual eyesight to the man? By using dirt, the healing gave him rooted strength coming out of his house (physical body) surrounding. Our eyes are gates to the soul/spirit, as are our ears and are to be guarded as a means to protect our inner man. Was the man also having the curse broken and dominion authority restored to his life?
As the word picture above shows, the House is emitting strength to go after curse, and surround it. In other words, curse will not overwhelm, but be surrounded, by a strength. That strength is an authority. That authority is the image of God in the earth, called Adam, or man.
The Theological Word Book of the Old Testament shows the word to mean dominion.
This fits with the Adamic call, that God called Adam that he is to have “Dominion.” This dominion calls a man to regulate life, all the earth and make sure all things flourish and live well. That includes, plants, animals, fish, reptiles, birds etc… and obviously mankind.
We would call this system of operation, Righteousness: the way things are to be governed and run in the civilized world.
Why people refer to dirt as the name for Adam, may come from the fact that Adam was created from dirt, and was to have dominion over even the very essence of his being, which is dirt.
As this is the Hebrew word for ‘man’. It could be ultimately derived from Hebrew אדם (‘adam) meaning ‘to be red’, referring to the ruddy colour of human skin, or from Akkadian, adamu meaning ‘to make’.
Adam (אדם) literally means ‘red’, and there is an etymological connection between adam and adamah, adamah designating ‘red clay’ or ‘red ground’. Adam (אדם) means human being or person. Adam is also related to the words red and earth.’Adama’ (אדמה) is earth ‘adom’ (אדום) is red Adam (אדם) literally means man. They’re all spelled similarly in Hebrew but have different pronunciations. (Ad´am) [Earthling Man; Mankind; Humankind; from a root meaning red].
Then…
He healed the blind man on the Sabbath with the clay/dirt!
Yeshua/Jesus also was making a point concerning the Pharisees who had added laws.
Pharisee means ‘to separate’ and they had become separators of the people from the love of God using ridiculous extra man made laws.
The Sabbath did not become the Sabbath until God rested. – He did not rest because it was the Sabbath.
Jesus/Yeshua said the Sabbath was made for man so we could rest and be with the Father, being spiritually refreshed and it has a beneficial property for our physical bodies also.
The Pharisees had added so many rules and laws that it had become impossible to keep them all, and the original meaning and intent of the sabbath was diminished and marred by religious doctrine and traditions of men, making the Word of God of no effect.
They accused Him of breaking the Sabbath laws on 3 counts:
1 spitting on the ground,
2 making mud and
3 healing.
This no doubt is why He said ‘Sabbath is made for man, (to be with the loving father rest and receive from Him, giving the day over to the things of the Lord.) not man for the Sabbath’. We are not to be in bondage to man made rules and regulations. He was restoring the law of His Father and by His life and death He was renewing the covenant ADDING to it, making it a BETTER covenant. Heb. 8:7-12.
V 16Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.”
But others asked, “How can a sinner perform such signs?” So they were divided.
Pharisee = separated – divided, they became what they were called!
And they missed the monumental miracle.
verse 7 “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam”. So the man went and washed, and came home SEEing.
(As we come home seeing to the Father at salvation. Just like the prodigal son; we SEE and come to ourselves, recognizing who we really are and our world gets turned upside down/right side up!)
In verse 7 it was not coincidence that He told the man to GO to the pool of Siloam. In Hebrew it is the name Shiloh or shi loh meaning SENT or sending and also has the meaning, shilluhim, a gift to him.
(Salvation is Shiloh’s/MessiahsGIFT to us, His parting GIFT as He returned to the Father.)
Shiloah comes from the Hebrew verb שלח (shalah); basic meaning sent; to send out or let go:
שלח
It’s most used to describe the action of one person who sends another person somewhere, or to do something. (Genesis 42:4, Numbers 22:15). It also frequently describes God sending someone; (Exodus 3:12, 2 Samuel 12:1), an angelic messenger; (Genesis 24:7), or some other agent (Psalm 43:3).
Derivatives of this verb are: The masculine plural noun שלוחים (shilluhim), meaning a sending away (Exodus 18:2) or parting gift (1 Kings 9:16).
The feminine noun שלוחה (sheluha), meaning shoot or branch (as of Jesse) (Isaiah 16:8 only.)
Siloam in Biblical Greek
Σιλωαμ.
Take a moment to focus on the Pool itself for it has some unique meanings here which connect to previous posts and as we are seeing everything is connected.
The ruins of this pool were only discovered in summer of 2004.
There are Old Testament references to the Pool under the name Pool of Shelah (Neh.3:15) and Waters of Shiloah (Isa. 8:6). The pool of Siloam is referred to by Isaiah by (8:6) as Shiloah and by Nehemiah as Shelah (3:15).
The gospel of Luke makes mention of a tower that fell on people at Siloam and killed them (13:4).
Pictured above are ongoing excavations at the site.
It has been identified with the Birket Silwan in the lower Tyropoeon valley, to the south-east of the hill of Zion.
The length of this channel, which has several windings, is 1,750 feet, though the direct distance is only 1,100 feet. The pool is 53 feet in length from north to south, 18 feet wide, and 19 deep. The water passes from it by a channel cut in the rock into the gardens below.
Many years ago (1880) a youth, while wading up the conduit by which the water enters the pool, accidentally discovered an inscription cut in the rock, on the eastern side, about 19 feet from the pool.
The Siloam inscription above referred to was surreptitiously cut from the wall of the tunnel in 1891 and broken into fragments. These were, however, recovered by the efforts of the British Consul at Jerusalem, and have been restored to their original place.
It was located on the south side of the Lower City, the City of David in the Tyropoeon Valley. It was a man-made reservoir and the only permanent water source for the city of Jerusalem in this period, being fed by the waters of the Gihon Spring diverted through Hezekiah’s Tunnel .
And is located near the Temple mount at the end of Hezekiah’s tunnel.
It was the source of the water that was used to be mixed with the ashes of the Red Heifer for purification after touching the dead.
It was a long way to walk, about ¼ to ½ a mile from where Jesus/Yeshua put mud in his eyes. (Especially when one is blind.) This was the walk of blind faith and an act of blind obedience. For obedience brings light. Reminiscent of Naaman’s story in 2Kings 5:14
It is the Father that heals, not the action, however it was in the following of Jesus/Yeshua’s instruction, that showed his faith in Messiah. Sometimes it seems He tested their faith by requiring obedience to His words. Similar to the event in Num. 21:9 requiring the Israelites to LOOK at the bronze serpent.
8 His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?” 9 Some claimed that he was.
Others said, “No, he only looks like him.”
But he himself insisted, “I am the man.”
10 “How then were your eyes opened?” they asked.
11 He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.”
12 “Where is this man?” they asked him.
“I don’t know,” he said.
These public comments show uncertainty doubts and skepticism.
They asked the wrong questions they were all asking How? and the now seeing man was answering WHO!
13 They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. 14 Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath.15 Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight. “He put mud on my eyes,” the man replied, “and I washed, and now I see.”
16 Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.”
But others asked, “How can a sinner perform such signs?” So they were divided.
17 Then they turned again to the blind man, “What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened.”
The man replied, “He is a prophet.”
18 They still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they sent for the man’s parents. 19 “Is this your son?” they asked. “Is this the one you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?”
20 “We know he is our son,” the parents answered, “and we know he was born blind. 21 But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself.” 22 His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who already had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah would be put out of the synagogue.23 That was why his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”
The Pharisees were focused on WHEN and HOW and not on WHO and WHY and had already formed pharisaical dividing conclusions! The man’s declaration was revelation, an apocalypse, ‘He is a prophet’. So they had to send for the parents to confirm his story.
Here is where the parents declared, ‘we don’t know HOW or WHO.’ Because they were in fear of the Pharisees that had said that anyone who agreed that Yeshua/Jesus was the Messiah, would be put out of the synagogue.
(To be put out of the synagogue, meant they would be excommunicated and refused entry into participation and fellowship from the entire community.)
Contrary to his parents, the son had already counted the cost of his freedom and sight and testified boldly to the TRUTH and consequently he paid the price.
The parents knew the truth, saw the truth, counted the cost and were unwilling to pay the price; choosing instead comfort, security and stability.
This was the second of 3 chastisements under Pharisaical Law; First review lasted one week second cast out which lasted 30 days and 3rd the person was cut off permanently. For 39 days he would have been alienated from his people unable to do business under a curse and ostracized by everyone.
However, the story did not end at verse 34
for in verse 35
35 Jesus heard that they had cast/thrown him out, and when he found him, he said,“Do you believein the Son of Man?”
36 “Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.”
37 Jesus said,“You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.”
38 Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.
First, he was healed no longer physically blind. Then second, he believed and received Yeshua/Jesus as the Son of Man – Messiah and he was no longer spiritually blind.
V11 The MAN they call Jesus
V17 He is a PROPHET.”
V38 Then the man said, “LORD I believe,” and he worshiped him
The miracle of the healing gave the man physical sight and he had an apocalypse/revelation, that He was a prophet. Vs 17.22.25 but he did not know Yeshua/Jesus and Yeshua/Jesus purposefully went to look for him, in order to reveal Himself to the man so that he might be saved.
Fulfilling Luke 19:10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost and looking for the ONE.
In John 8:24. I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.
and Psalm 82:7 But ye shall die like men, and fall like one of the princes.
John 9:41Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.
He was comparing blindness to the inability to understand the scriptures. Had they not been capable He would not have held them accountable.
Yeshua/Jesus wants us to SEE to come out of the PRISON of a closed mindset, that the eyes of our understanding be enlightened but He also wants us saved and in relationship with Him.
We must not be caught in the devil’s trap, for it’s a snare when we have just enough of Jesus/Yeshua that we can’t enjoy the world and just enough of the world so we can’t enjoy Jesus/Yeshua. The snare of the devil is the one in which we are caught and turned upside down!
There are none so blind as those who cannot see. He called them blind fools.
16Woe to you, blind guides! You say, ‘If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.’ 17You blindfools!Whichisgreater:thegold,orthetemplethat makes it sacred?18And you say, ‘If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gift on it, he is bound by his oath.’…
Matt 23:16 -18
39 Jesus said,[a]“For judgmentI have come into this world,so that the blind will seeand those who see will become blind.”
40 Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, “What? Are we blind too?”
The man said,
I was blind now I see.
In other words,
I was in prison now I’m free.
Repentance is the only WAY/DEREK, back to LIFE/CHAIM. It is our only WAY and when our OMMA /soul EYES are opened, we SEE the TRUTH.
My son was dead/blind now he is alive again. We too are dead in sin until we are cleansed by the blood of the lamb/red heifer! Yeshua was the fulfillment of the red heifer.
This was an extended miracle… this was indeed to purely glorify the Father and fulfill the prophecy in scripture, that sight would be GIVEN (a GIFT) to the blind. This was the significance – a witness to them and maybe also to John, a code between cousins? Here with the muddy mixture of DNA and the obedience to walk, still blind, (Faith) towards the gift, where he was SENT. (A sent one by the Lord = apostle = one who is sent, who goes first, and this miracle was a FIRST); to the waters of Shiloh, that were the waters mixed with the ashes, (DNA, dirt, mud,) of the red heifer, a type of Yeshua! WOW!
Final point to further tie this in with the Messiah prophesied from Genesis to Revelation for He said I AM the Alef Tav.
Shi·loha town in central ancient Palestine, in Canaan on the East slope of Mount Ephraim: keeping place of the tabernacle and the ark; the dwelling place of the shekinah glory of the Lord; destroyed by the Philistines.
Shiloh, Shilo, or Silo
שילה
(Hebrew: שילה ; Latin: Silo) is a Hebrew word meaning “place of peace”
place = Machon
peace = shalom
(and all that shalom means)
showing He is indeed concerned with the whole person, not just a single problem.
Genesis 49:8-12 V9 concerns the Lion of Judah
V 10 the scepter shall not depart means that the future royal leadership of Israel will always belong to Judah. The kingship began 100’s of years ago when David was crowned.
Nor a scholar: The Hebrew teachers/Rabbis, say this is a reference to the descendants of Hillel who were known for ‘thinking outside the box’. Hillel was a highly respected Rabbi in Galilee as Yeshua/Jesus was growing up. We need to think like Hillel and become free of mindsets.
The Torah scholar being at his feet means Judah will always be loyal to the Lord.
Until Shiloh arrives, until Messiah comes; for the word Shiloh, is a composite of the words SH’LOH, a gift to him, a reference to the king Messiah to whom all nations will bring gifts.
This is a primary source for the belief that Messiah will come. The word doesn’t mean that Judah’s reign will end with the coming of Messiah, rather that once Messiah begins to reign, Judah’s blessing of kingship will usher in the Messianic reign.
Iakob Jacob in Biblical Hebrew
יעקוב יעקב
Jacob was not prophesying the entire picture of the end times however he did point to an important outline that Judah will succeed and will show God’s blessing to the world.
Pool of Siloam
V 11The donkey is a symbol of Peace SHALOM and humility as used by Yeshua for His triumphant entry recorded in Matt.21:1-11. (also in Mk. Jn. & Lk.) and is significant beyond the Zech.9:9 reference.
The very first mention of this event is in Gen 49:10-12! Messiah is associated with a donkey rather than a horse ready for battle; (as in His return at the 2nd coming), because here He is not depicted as a warrior but as a man of peace who represents prosperity, as in the metaphor of the vineyard parable.
Matt 21:5 john 12:15 Zech 9:9 are descriptions of Yeshua.
Rev. 19:11-13. Heaven is opened in Ezek. 1:1. A white horse in Zech. 1:8. and the one who sits on it called faithful and true and He judges in righteousness.
Clothed in a garment dyed in blood. Gen 49:11; Is. 63:1-3.
Here in Gen. 49 :11, binding his foal to the vine and his donkeys colt to the choice vine He washed his garments in WINE and his clothes in BLOOD of grapes. Rev. 7:14; 19:13.
Rev. 7:14. These are they who came out of great affliction and Dan. 12:1 and they washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
So here the reference to Shiloh and the connection to blind eyes of the soul being opened, is written from Genesis to Revelation with Judah’s scepter and Shiloh’s gift, to the garment dipped in blood of the lamb.
The final Fall/Autumn feast of Succot/Tabernacles/Booths has a specific focus on the Pool of Siloam. It is from this pool that water was drawn and a wine libation poured on the altar daily. It was called the Water Libation Ceremony as the waters of Siloam were likened unto the springs of salvation as Isaiah wrote in 12:3 the words, with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation is sung.
It was during that ceremony, on the 8th day of the feast, at this moment in the proceedings of pouring out the water, Yeshua stood and declared
Now on the last and most important day of the feast, Jesus stood and called out [in a loud voice], “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink! John 7:37
(Here he was speaking prophetically about the Spirit which those who believe in Him would receive, pointing to the latter rains being poured out on all flesh. Joel 2:28. The Holy Spirit had not yet been given because Yeshua/Jesus had not yet been glorified.)
Not only is this idea closely related to the sending of the Messiah into the world by the Father but also one of the titles of the Messiah SHILOH in Gen, 49:10 and Is 8:6 and is actually translated siloam by the septuagint translators of Is. 8:6.
The people attending the week long feast of Succoth/Booths /Tabernacles would have completely understood the relationship of salvation with the Pool of Siloam. On this 8th day with much pomp, ceremony and a great procession they all went to the Pool of Siloam, drew water and then paraded to the temple and poured out the water as an offering to the Lord.
Is 12:2 2
Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.
3 Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.
His Life was
for us on the altar just like the water libation.
He poured out Himself – His life – like a drink offering!
One thing we know from having spiritual ‘mud in our eyes’, we were once blind and now we see!
Don’t leave this page without washing the mud from your eyes make sure you know Him as Messiah, Savior and soon returning King of Kings.
Destroy that yoke from your neck and get out of the devil’s snare and become His disciple and turn the world upside down (or rather right-side-up!)
Please don’t leave this page without turning upside down !
Make certain Jesus 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.
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.
Rosh Hashanah is the start of a New Year in Israel,
It actually means “Head of the Year.”
And it will be the Hebrew Year
since creation, which really gives a clearer understanding of where we actually are in Father’s timeline.
Rosh Hashanah is celebrated for two days. It is the start of the 3 Fall/ Autumn, Appointed Times of The Lord/Feasts /Festivals.
A look at some fascinating facts, mysteries and scriptures connected with Israel’s Fall/Autumn Appointed Times.
The day on which Rosh HaShanah is celebrated is Biblically known as Yom Teruah (Day of the Trumpet Blasts)
The traditional Rosh Hashanah greeting is
‘shanah tovah’
which means,
good year!
The word U’Metuka
(and sweet) is sometimes added.
When is Rosh HaShanah?
The Hebrew date is always the same — the 1st of the month of Tishrei.
The dates of Jewish holidays don’t change from year to year; however, a Jewish year can change in length from 353 to 354 or 355 days long. A Jewish leap year can be 383, 384 or 385 days long and because the Jewish year is not the same length as the year on the civil calendar, the dates of holidays seem to shift quite a bit; consequently that results in the Israels High Holidays falling anywhere from early September all the way into October.
So what date is the holiday on the Gregorian calendar? This year, Rosh HaShanah begins at sunset on Sunday, September 9.
September, 2018 calendar with Jewish High Holy Days circled
Brief history explaining the reason for the two calendars and why are they different in length?
The civil Gregorian calendar is based on the solar cycle of 365 days, five hours, 48 minutes and 46 seconds — the amount of time it takes the earth to make one complete rotation around the sun.
To correct the problem of those extra hours, an extra day is added to February every four years. This keeps the equinox (when the sun shines directly on the equator) occurring on generally the same date every year: March 19 or 20 and September 22 or 23.
The Jewish calendar is a luni-solar calendar. It considers three things: the yearly rotation of the earth around the sun, the daily rotation of the earth on its own axis, and the monthly cycle of the moon around the earth.
Each new moon cycle begins a new month or Rosh Chodesh.
However, there are approximately 12.4 lunar months in every solar year. In other words, a lunar year is about 11 days shorter than a solar year.
If the Jewish calendar were a strict lunar calendar that had 29.5 days in a month, every 16 years or so the Fall Feasts would be held in Spring, and Passover would be held in autumn.
To keep the Jewish holidays and appointed times in their correct seasons, every two or three years the month of Nissan begins earlier and an extra month is added. This 13-month year is called Shanah Me’uberet, literally, a pregnant year.
The additional month of Adar 1 (also called Adar Aleph) is added before Adar, which is designated Adar 2.
The addition of the extra month guarantees that Passover (Pesach) and the wheat harvest feast (Pentecost / Shavuot) occurs in the spring.
Between AD 320 and 385, Hillel II, the Nasi (Prince) of the ancient Jewish Sanhedrin, established the calendar that is used today which follows a 19-year cycle, realigning the lunar and solar calendars.
In this system the extra month is added on the 3rd, 6th, 8th, 11th, 14th, 17th and 19th years of the cycle. The current cycle began at the start of the Jewish year 5758, which occurred on October 2, 1997.
The Gregorian calendar, however, was created in 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII and proclaimed the official civil calendar of Britain and the British colonies of America in 1752.
Below is a chart correlating the 7 Appointed Times with Prophetic Fulfillment in Messiah.
The Feast of Trumpets is also the anniversary of the creation of man. Adam, the first human being, opened his eyes to a world that appeared to have always existed.
More Interesting information of HebraicThought and Concepts.
The ancient Hebrew text ‘Book of Formation’, teaches that there is more to the universe than time and space. There is a soul.
Whatever is found in the universe’s soul is found somewhere in its space. And whatever is found in space, is found in time.
In the soul of the universe there is a consciousness from which all consciousness extends.
In space, there is the Land of Israel, a space from where all space is nurtured.
In time, there is Rosh Hashanah, a time from which all time is renewed.
Rosh Hashanah means Head of the Year.
Not just a starting point, but a head, a new beginning of time in which a new consciousness enters our universe. It is said, that whatever transpires in the coming year is first conceived in these two days.
That is why Rosh Hashanah is called the first day of creation, for only then did the world know it had meaning.
For Israel, on each Rosh Hashanah that scene is replayed, and new meaning is discovered in our world, and the world is born again. (Interesting concept!)
All the cosmos came to be because Hashem, (The Name), chose to invest His very essence into a great drama: the drama of a lowly world becoming the home of an infinite God. A marriage of opposites, the fusion of finite and infinite, light and darkness, heaven and earth.
We would seem to be the players in that drama, the cosmic matchmakers. With our every action, we have the power to marry our mundane world to the infinite and unknowable.
Apocalypse of the Teruah’s cry? A horn that cries?
How can an animals horn cry out?
It’s the cry IN the sound of the shofar!
It is part of hebrew thought that the first time a shofar was heard in creation was when God created Adam. God blew Adam’s soul into him, and the sound it made was the sound of the shofar. Just like God created mankind on Rosh Hashanah, on the anniversary of that day, God is recreating us.
Could it be said that we are God’s shofar?..
The sound of the shofar being blown is the sound of creation.
The breath represents the soul, and the instrument represents our bodies.
The shofar reminds us that when our bodies do the will of our soul, there is song and harmony.
Spirituality is represented by music because music sounds even more beautiful the more notes that are being played, unlike too much speech.
Do each of our souls have a mission to add to the harmony of the world?
The shofar is supposed to change us. It’s sounds are intended to invoke that nagging feeling inside of us that asks us to live a deeper, fuller life in the year to come.
There is a difference between simply hearing it and then going about our lives, and really listening to it and having its wailing sound transform us.
Even though it is not the anniversary of the creation of the entire universe, but that of the human being, it’s the true beginning, as all of time, as we know it, begins on this day.
Why? Because on this day, more than any other, the Hebrew thought is we are empowered to change lanes, to switch direction, to alter and transform our destiny and thereby the destiny of all of creation if as we believe everything is connected!
Through us, truth and goodness can become a flaming torch of light, which was once obscured in darkness and ignorance.
All is defined by destiny. Even the past is redefined by the arrow of its future. The very existence of that time that held that past is re-created once it achieves its hidden destiny. A destiny that only each of us can reveal.
For those whose focus is on Rosh Hashanah, the here and now that is all that matters; for it represents the first day of all of time, future and past.
In biblical times, the shofar was used to tell the people that the King was coming.
What is the correct etiquette when a King comes?
Most likely, we want to impress the King so we make an effort to perfect ourselves and our surroundings.
It was also used as a signal that war was coming. What is the strategy we adopt when war comes? Probably we prepare our weapons, form an army and we prepare to fight.
The shofar was also a tool to help break down barriers. When the shofar was blown at Jericho, the walls came crumbling down. This is why it is also known as the
Even though sometimes we change from the inside out, it is more often influences from the outside that really have an impact on us. Is it possible that the shofar is necessary because it is a powerful tool outside ourselves and helps us to improve ourselves on the inside?
Our actual bones are supposed to resonate with the sound of the shofar. Do we have the ability to not only hear what the sound is reflecting but to absorb its frequency and let it stir deep within our souls, so much so, that there is an effect on our physical bodies??
Throughout life, our soul is constantly being affected by outside influences: fashion dictates how we dress, advertisements tell us what we like, the media affects how we think, and the people that surround us dictate our reality. Yet, how often do we stop and really listen to the sounds that surround us? How often do we connect to what is inside of us and who is above us? How in tune are we with nature and the spiritual aspects of our lives? How much do the sounds of the outside world drown out the sounds of our soul?
With a new year comes a clean slate, the ability to correct our mistakes, with the power to transform into a newer and better self.
The shofar is our call to action – an alarm!
The power is within us. Once we hear the call, it is our job to make it real.
And so too, every morning, we are all reborn from a night-time taste of death.
Since Father created earth by His spoken word and creation is still in motion and at every moment—in the smallest increment of time—every particle of the universe is still being projected into being out of absolute nothingness, as it was at the very genesis of all things.
The feast of trumpets is the season of Teshuvah – the season of repentance/return.
Teshuvah is the Hebrew word from the root word SHUV meaning to return.
Hosea 3:4 -5 Jeremiah 3:22; Isaiah 30:15.
The great mystery is that in ancient times God has set up this entire age as a Hebrew year. The Feast of Tabernacles/Sukkot, starts the civil new year, however on the Sacred Calendar it represents the end of the year, not the beginning.
So the season of repentance comes at the end.
Teshuvah has a double meaning; as well as returning to God, it can also mean physical return. So the days of Teshuvah contain another secret, that of an apocalypse, a revealing, that Israel must return to the land of promise and to Jerusalem.
Teshuvah is not just for a week for a season, but a lifestyle.
We are to live our whole lives with Teshuvah hearts and the greater the Teshuvah, the greater will be our continual returning to Him.
Teshuvah signifies that the time of Israel’s repentance and their subsequent return to Messiah will happen at the end of the age. So in a way the Hebrew year waits for Israel to repent and turn, Teshuvah, in order for it to come to its conclusion. This is why we are to pray for Israel to return to Messiah and why the Appointed Time WILL surely come.
The Rabbis/Teachers compare the coming Messianic era to the full moon, the hope of redemption and His coming is compared to the new moon.
The Talmud, (compendium of rabbinical teachings and discussions), teaches that when the Messiah returns, the moon will cease to diminish and remain as large and bright as the sun.
So while the celebration of the new moon reminds us of His coming, it also reminds us to renew our awareness of His Presence in our lives, and to push forward into the growth and change that He has for us, becoming all He created us to be.
“When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?” (Psalm 8:3–4)
In truth, we need only awaken the spark of God within our own souls. That spark within us connects with the Infinite Light of God above. The circuit is complete and a new cycle begins. For this reason we are called His children, and we call Him our Father. We are created beings, yet there is something of us that lies beyond creation. It is the One who sustains the universe who breaths within us.
On Rosh Hashanah, God is addressed as both
Father/Avinu/Avinou
and
King/Malkeinu/Malkaynou
Father, because there is something of Him within each of us.
King, because He dictates what will be and what will not.
Indeed, as we choose, so He will dictate.
Choose life.
Words to Avinou Malkaynou
Our Father Our King Hear our voice
Our Father Our King We have no King but You
Our Father Our King Renew For us a good year
Send us complete healing to the sick of your people
Our Father Our King
Inscribe us in the book of life
fill our hands with your blessing
Our Father Our King
Fill our storehouses with plenty
Our Father Our King
Hear our voice have compassion upon us
Our Father Our King Hear our voice
Our Father Our King Hear our voice
_______________
Avinu malkeinu sh’ma kolenu
Avinu malkeinu chatanu l’faneycha
Avinu malkeinu alkenu chamol aleynu
V’al olaleynu v’tapenu
Avinu malkeinu
Kaleh dever v’cherev v’raav mealeynu
Avinu malkeinu kalehchol tsar
Umastin mealeynu
Avinu malkeinu Avinu malkeinu
Kotvenu b’sefer chayim tovim
Avinu malkeinu chadesh aleynu
Chadesh aleynu shanah tovah
Sh’ma kolenu Sh’ma kolenu Sh’ma kolenu
Avinu malkeinu Avinu malkeinu
Chadesh aleynu
Shanah tovah
Avinu malkeinu Sh’ma kolenu
Sh’ma kolenu Sh’ma kolenu Sh’ma kolenu
A King speaks and his word is fulfilled. God speaks and the world comes into being.
When we speak the words of Torah/Scripture, they resonate in the heavens and beyond. Spoken words have sound and frequency which is part of creations makeup. Why? Because they are His words, and they are on the rebound to Him. He spoke, He said and He watches over His Word to perform it and it will not return to Him void. Is.55:11
The central observance and widespread custom of Rosh Hashanah is sounding and listening to the blowing of the shofar on both mornings of Rosh Hashanah. The shofar is made from a hollowed-out ram’s horn. It produces three ‘voices’:
tekiah (a long blast),
shevarim (a series of three short blasts) and
teruah (a staccato burst of at least nine blasts).
Click http link below for more information and on the mp3 bar to hear the different shofar sounds.
The shofar is blown at various intervals during the Rosh Hashanah morning service. When all added up there are 100 ‘voices‘ in total.
On Rosh Hashanah, we cry out from our very essence, from our spirit man, with the call of the shofar; Father replies, sending His very essence towards His creation.
The shofar cries out from the raw essence of the soul, to its Beloved, the One who is the raw essence of all being. It’s not a human voice but rather the howl of an animal horn and when its sound is heard it is so primal that the mind ceases to think and the heart skips a beat, the throb of life suspended for a moment in time.
That is the moment that heaven and earth connect. The base nature of our souls here on earth reach up to touch the divine essence above as He reaches down and the RE-union is made. Our souls press upwards bursting through the veil into the heavenly dimension, escaping the constraints enforced upon it by our earthly bodies.
For there are many things that are important even essential for us and often words flow out in a burst of emotion, rich words, expressive and vibrantly imbued with life.
And then, there are things that shake us to the very core – challenging all that we have known and believed.
Things that do not wait for the right words or the mind’s permission, in this case, the mind cannot fathom them, the most expressive words could not contain them. These are the things that can only break out in a cry, in a scream, and then fall into silence.
This is something of the sound of the shofar: From the very core of our souls our hearts crying, ‘Father! please don’t leave – let your presence remain always!’
Another significance of the shofar is to recall the Binding of Isaac which also occurred on Rosh Hashanah, in which a ram took Isaac’s place as an offering to God;
as we remember Abraham’s readiness to sacrifice his son, and pray that He should stand by us as we pray for a year of life, health and prosperity.
Rosh Hashanah is the start of the Yamim Nora’im (High Holidays).
At the time of writing, the Holy Day, (Yom Kadosh), of Yom Kippur, is just a week away and the people will gather in synagogues for 25 hours of fasting, prayer and inspiration.
The days in between are known as the 10 Days of Repentance,
or the Ten Days of Return/Days of Awe
and they are an especially propitious time for teshuvah, for returning to the Father. Before the
Yom Kippur is followed by the joyous holidays of Sukkot and Simchat Torah.
Parallels of Khataah – The Day of Atonement – Yom Kippur
The sacrifice that took away guilt and which was also the guilt, called the Asham. On the day of atonement there was a sacrifice that took away the sins of all Israel. It was a sacrifice of a parallel nature and contains a parallel mystery. It was called the sin offering it was the offering that took away sin.
Messiah was the old covenant/testament mystery revealed in the renewed covenant/testament, it was a shadow of Him as He was and is THE sacrifice that takes away the sin of the world.
In Hebrew the sin offering is called the Khataah. It has a double meaning. One is, sin offering, and it also means the sin itself.
As Messiah is the mystery, He is the Khataah and the same as in the mystery of the Asham.
(Asham = the sacrifice becomes the very thing it removes, in this case sin, more explanation to follow).
Messiah had to become sin itself in order to fulfill scripture. 2Corinthians 5:21 He made Himself who knew no sin to be sin. Matthew 1:21.
Both the sacrifice and the sin are called Khataah meaning that, not only does the sacrifice have the name as the sin but the sin has the name of the sacrifice that removes the sin.
Every sin has or carries the name of the sin offering and if Messiah is the sin offering, the Khataah, then every sin has His name, for every sin has the name of the sacrifice.
So in the Hebrew language every sin we’ve committed, repented of, been forgiven for and is now under His Blood, bears His name, the name of the sacrifice. So therefore He owns our sin. They are no longer ours, they belong to Him now, so we cannot keep them for He is the owner of them His name is on our sin.
Isaiah 53:7 – 11; two Corinthians 5:21
One of the sacrifices offered in the temple was called the Asham.
It was for a specific purpose it removed the guilt of the one who offered it up.
Asham means guilt offering.
However it also means the guilt, which seems to be a paradox, yet they do in fact go together.
How can the guilt and the guilt offering connect in this way?
Because the criteria of the Asham, the guilt offering, was that it could only take away the guilt of the one offering it by first becoming the guilt. A full representation and identification of it. The priests action of laying hands on the Head of the sacrifice was a physical indication of this.
As in Isaiah, he prophesied that Messiah would be crushed, pierced and wounded for our transgressions and sins. However in the Hebrew original text it says more and declares that His life would become an Asham.
The same word Asham, used also in Leviticus. Here it is referring to the animal sacrifices offered up by the priests to redeem the guilty.
In Isaiah it is not referring to animal sacrifice but of a human life, that of the coming Messiah.
Here he tells us Messiah is the Asham and the Asham is the Messiah. This indicates that not only does He die to remove our guilt but He becomes the guilt itself. Looking at His death, we see both the sacrificial act and the guilt itself. The guilt of our guilt literally nailed to the cross\tree
The conclusion is therefore, if Messiah is the Asham and the Asham is the guilt, when the Asham dies so does all the guilt and shame.
All have died and been removed, gone forever and why He could say these words from the cross,
And very timely the old year is finished too and now on Rosh Hashanah, the traditional start to the holiday feasts, begins with two loaves of round challah, (bread). The round shape symbolizes the cycle of life and the crown with which God is coronated every year as King of the Universe.
To add sweetness to demonstrate the wish for a sweet new year, the challah is dipped in honey before taking the first bite.
Many people eat pomegranates on Rosh Hashanah, demonstrating their wish for as many merits as the pomegranate has seeds. It is commonly said that the pomegranate has 613 seeds, corresponding to the 613 mitzvahs in the Torah. However, this has yet to be empirically demonstrated by seed counters worldwide!
Rosh Hashanah emphasizes the special relationship between God and us: our dependence upon God as our creator and sustainer, and God’s dependance upon us as the ones who make His presence known and felt in His world.
Let’s Bless one another with the words
‘Leshanah tovah tikateiv veteichateim,’
‘May you be inscribed and sealed for a good year.’
You are loved! Abundant shalom and New Year blessings to every reader from your family and friends at MMM.
PLEASE Don’t leave this page without making that life-saving decision – time is running out. Don’t miss the day of your visitation!
The Shofars Voice is Calling for you today!
This life is NOT all there is!
You are not here by chance!
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!
What is the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?
The disciples asked the very same questions 2000+ years ago that we also ask today. His answers are the same today as they were to those disciples; and given an option, it’s probably not what we would choose to hear either. According to Yeshua/Jesus own words, it is not going to be a pleasant time, as this is the time of Gods’ judgment on the rebellious world system.
These following verses which give Matthew and Luke’s account of the same event would seem to indicate that the words parousia and apokalupsis do refer to the SAME ONE COMING OF CHRIST.
In Matthew 24:37 it says …“But as the days of Noah were, so shall also the coming [parousia] of the Son of man be.” … And the same account in Luke 17:26, 30 says … “As it was in the days of Noah … Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed [apokalupsis].” This is how we are to find out the TRUTH. We need to compare scripture with scripture.
So why are the two Greek words used?
Parousia means presence, a VISIBLE return. And Apokalupsis means to reveal, a REVEALING OF THE TRUTH.
So to turn these two words into two separate comings would appear to make no sense.
They both describe the ONE event, the physical, visible, loud, fiery second coming of Christ, in which the truth will be REVEALED!!
26 “So if anyone tells you, ‘There he is, out in the desert,’ do not go out; or, ‘Here he is, in the inner rooms,’ do not believe it.
27 For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 28 Wherever there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather.
29 “Immediately after the distress of those day the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.’
30 “At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory.
31 And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.
Yeshua said,
“…when you see Jerusalem surrounded by armies, then know that its desolation is at hand. Then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains. Let those who are in the midst of her depart. Let those who are in the country not enter therein.
For these are days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled. Woe to those who are pregnant and to those who nurse infants in those days! For there will be great distress in the land, and wrath to this people. They will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive into all the nations. Jerusalem will be trampled down by the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles are fulfilled.
There will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars; and on the earth anxiety of nations, in perplexity for the roaring of the sea and the waves; men fainting for fear, and for expectation of the things which are coming on the world: for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
But when these things begin to happen, look up, and lift up your heads, because your redemption is near.”
Luke 21:20-28
Here are 2 separate events,
the sign of your coming and of the end of the age,
that we may have not really read but have just believed what someone told us without taking the time to check it out for ourselves. People tell you the truth as they know it, especially when they have believed what they were told. We have no reason to doubt someone’s sincerity, however they can be sincerely wrong and what we choose to believe will never change truth.
Loving Caveat:
This post may challenge long held beliefs, as it has for mmm, however living in ignorance and deception due to exposure to false teaching/doctrines in the past does not serve us well for the future. Knowing TRUTH is the only WAY that leads to LIFE and makes us FREE in HIM.
This is not about proving or disproving doctrine, or being right or wrong, as always its about TRUTH and the fact remains, that the ‘rapture’ in and of itself, is not as important as the TRUTH that, Messiah IS coming back for His Bride.
The attempt to condense this post failed miserably!!! To divide again would cause loss of focus in the content….so grab some coffee, or whatever is your yen, get comfortable, an apocalypse is coming, so enjoy the ride! This is most assuredly a Megamannamoment! Much Shalom from 1gratefulheart!
Most important and critical to all studies and conclusions is…What does the scripture say?
What does Yeshua/Jesus say?
1 The sign of your coming
2 The end of the age
The end of the age has the signs of the days of Noe/Noah and Lot. This look into the days of Noah has its own apocalypse, revealing facts that have been obfuscated and lost in time..
The sign of His coming. vs. 27-31
Days of Noah,days of flesh– Natural pursuits of the consumer flesh body.
Verse 28, days of Lot
Eating
(Consuming resources, all of these things are fleshly desires and indulging the flesh)
Drinking
Buying
Selling
Planting
Building
Until the day Lot came out of Sodom and it rained down fire and brimstone/meteors and killed them all!
Days of Noah, verse 26.
Eating
Drinking
Marrying
Being given in marriage, (much perverse unrestrained
behavior and lasciviousness).
Sinned against the animals and plants.
This one above on closer examination, could include genetic modification and interbreeding because they ‘sinned against the animals and plants’. No different to todays scientific trends.
Often overlooked for one reason or another, giants, the offspring of intermingling/interbreeding between humans and fallen angels! (Yes apparently it did happen! Og, Goliath, his brothers and the ones the spies encountered, (The Fallen Ones, Rephaim, etc.) were very real. Gives new meaning to ‘we were as grasshoppers in their sight’ and would explain the oversize/genetically modified grapes?!
They came from somewhere and there were more than just one or two. It’s simply that no one talks about it much as it’s become too controversial! The past gets buried, (literally,) or secreted away in vaults which are generally inaccessible to the public and over centuries, the various cultures collective memories fade as generations pass away. What was once common knowledge becomes the stuff of legend and no 21st century person is going to believe such ‘nonsense’! This may be quite a shock to the senses, however it is no joke and yes, that is 36ft or 10.97 meters! Too many bones have been documented to dismiss this simply as a hoax.
As always we encourage personal research. The mere fact that Genesis 6 mentions them and in connection with the Days of Noah, the correlation to End Times is enough to spark our curiosity. (If that’s you, type Gensix Giants in your browser for a site with information and one that also believes in Jesus.)
Here are several pictures of artifacts that appear to be genuine however, we know not everything on the internet is to be believed. First one was from 1895 before photographs could be manipulated.
Further information can be found at http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/6658-giants
Indulging the flesh.
Opposite of abstinence, until the day Noah entered the box/ark and the floods came and killed everybody.
His days were noted by increased fallen angel activity.
Production of Nephilim offspring.
Transhumanism, i.e. creation of hybrids/clones.
Advanced technology.
Rebellion and hostility toward God.
Corruption of Gods creation, human and animal and plant GMO foods and animals.
Inter-dimentional Portals, breaching the barriers between natural and spiritual realms.
Satanic temple sparks uproar by unveiling statue of goat-headed, winged creature called Baphomet in Arkansas state capitol of Little Rock. U.S.A.
The days of Noah included the building of the ark and of course the flood itself.
Noah was pure/righteous in his generations meaning his DNA was undefiled. His bloodline was directly from Adam. 100% human DNA.
Some of the signs are not immediately obvious and many of the writings mentioned in the scriptures that shed much light on the end times; were not included in the canon of the Bible. (As determined by a small group of men at the council of Nicea.)
One of these is the book of Enoch.
Enoch was a important person, he is mentioned in Genesis 5:24. Enoch was the 7th from Adam, the son of Jared (Gen. 5:18) and the father of Methuselah (5:21; Luke 3:37). ‘He walked with God and was not for God took him’. So he had a very close relationship with God.
A little information about Enochs’ book:
We first learn of Enoch in Genesis 5 but it leaves us with questions. Hebrews 11 has the answers and Jude quotes Enoch! How did Jude come to know the words of Enoch? They are not in the Bible. The answer is The Book of Enoch. A book which is actually quoted not only by Jude, but also James the natural brother of Yeshua/Jesus. The Book of Enoch chapter 68:1 “And after that my grandfather Enoch gave me all the secrets in the book…
The Book of Enoch; (also 1 Enoch; Ge’ez: መጽሐፈ ሄኖክ mets’iḥāfe hēnoki), is an ancient Jewish religious work, ascribed by tradition to Enoch, the great-grandfather of Noah. The older sections, (mainly in the Book of the Watchers,) of the text are estimated to date from about 300 BC, and the latest part (Book of Parables) probably to the first century BC.
The Book of Enoch is not accepted as part of the Canon of Scripture as used by Jews, apart from the Beta Israel canon; nor by any Christian group, apart from the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and Eritrean Orthodox Church canon.
It is mentioned in Jude 1: 12-15. quoting Enoch 1:9
The quote is as follows: “In the seventh (generation) from Adam Enoch also prophesied these things, saying: ‘Behold, the Lord came with his holy myriads, to execute judgment on all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in such an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners spoke against him’.”
James 4:5 Jesus quoted it and so did the apostles
Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. (Mat 5:5) The elect shall possess light, joy and peace, and they shall inherit the earth. (Enoch 5:7 {6:9})
the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the son (John 5:22). the principal part of the judgment was assigned to him, the Son of man. (Enoch 69:27 {68:39})
shall inherit everlasting life (Mat. 19:29) those who will inherit eternal life (Enoch 40:9 {40:9})
“Wo unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation. (Luke 6:24) Woe to you who are rich, for in your riches have you trusted; but from your riches you shall be removed. (Enoch 94:8 {93:7}).
Ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. (Mat. 19:28) I will place each of them on a throne of glory (Enoch 108:12 {105:26})
Woe unto that man through whom the Son of man is betrayed! It had been good for that man if he had not been born. (Mat. 26:24) Where will the habitation of sinners be . . . who have rejected the Lord of spirits. It would have been better for them, had they never been born. (Enoch38:2 {38:2})
between us and you there is a great gulf fixed. (Luke 16:26) by a chasm . . . [are] their souls are separated (Enoch 22: 9,11{22:10,12})
In my Father’s house are many mansions (John 14:2) In that day shall the Elect One sit upon a throne of glory, and shall choose their conditions and countless habitations. (Enoch 45:3 {45:3})
that ye may be called the children of light (John 12:36) the good from the generation of light (Enoch 108:11 {105: 25})
the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. (John 4:14) all the thirsty drank, and were filled with wisdom, having their habitation with the righteous, the elect, and the holy. (Enoch 48:1 {48:1})
Sep 14, 2016 – In several of the Dead Sea Scrolls there is a complicated network of parallel … papyri showing portions of the Book of Enoch in Greek (P.Mich.inv. … Fragments of these books, Enoch and Jubilees, were also found at Qumran Cave 4: I Enoch in Aramaic,Sep 14, 2016 – In several of the Dead Sea Scrolls there is a complicated network of parallel … papyri showing portions of the Book of Enoch in Greek (P.Mich.inv. …
Doesn’t it seems strange that his book was not included? Reading his descriptions of the things God revealed to him may shed some light on why he was dismissed! Controvertial is a word often associated with Enoch. Makes one want to know why! What did they not want us to read?
For the curious a Free copy can be downloaded as a pdf at this link
Luke 17:30 it will be according to these things on the day the Son of Man is revealed. 27 For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
Lightning from east to west, clouds, power and great glory, (doxa or shekinah), angels with loud trumpet calls gathering the elect who apparently are still on earth.
It’s Not going to be hard to miss!
There is another option to Daniels 70 weeks suggesting that 69 have already passed and with 1 week left. The thought is that the last week which is indicative of a 7 year period began when Yeshua Messiah was born and further that the half of that ‘week’ was fulfilled by His 3 1/2 years of ministry. The conclusion being that the final 3 1/2 years is the time of Jacobs trouble/tribulation in the last days just prior to His return? An interesting interpretation!
On researching this subject there was no specific reference found in the scriptures pertaining to a literal period called the 7 year tribulation! Like most having been taught and believed in a rapture, it is somewhat disturbing to find the Word of God doesn’t seem to support that belief!
Remember when you believed in things like Easter Bunny/Tooth Fairy/Father Christmas.
We are ensnared by half truths and fables, (lies) and make believe, since we were little children. We were told stories that were pure fiction and when we find out they are not true we inevitably go through a process.
Shock – someone we trusted told us something that’s not true
Disbelief – don’t want to acknowledge the 1st and still want the ‘lie’ to be truth, so we may choose to continue to believe it until one day there is undeniable proof.
Anger – why did they do that and now I have to get over the issues
Reality – people don’t know everything and sometimes they lie! so can you trust what people say?
Sense of loss/sadnessour bubble has been burst, our sense of reality has changed. Innocence is being diminished a little more.
Disappointment and disillusionmentthat we believed something that seemed wonderful only to have the illusion taken away.
There are similar feelings that accompany learning and realizing other ‘truths’. Especially spiritual ones!
Some are much more serious than a bunny and old men in red costumes.
However there is nothing worse than finding out something after the fact that is contrary to our strongly held opinions and doctrines and worse someone knew and could have told you.. Wouldn’t we rather know the truth however unpalatable and inconvenient at the time and have to deal with it now, and not when it’s too late? How many millions are going to cry out, ‘Why didn’t you tell me about salvation through Jesus/Yeshua’? Why didn’t you make me listen?
The Truth will make you free and it is the Way that leads to Life.
How can we be prepared if we don’t know what to be prepared for?
Charts showing various sequences of end time events
There is no debate of whether or not a type of rapture (as in Messiah/Jesus is coming for the saints) will occur; the Bible is clear on that question. There are 2 Comings He came the 1st time and He will return which is the second coming.
The catching away does not scripturally fit with a separate rapture, that is, apart from at the second coming!
What if there is not such a thing as the rapture as has been taught?
The Rapture is the belief that faithful Christians will be bodily caught up from the earth, suddenly taken out of the world, avoiding all the bad end time tribulation, to be united with the Lord in the air.
However, not only did Yeshua/Jesus not mention a rapture, but the word “rapture” as such, does not occur in the Bible.
What if we are looking for the wrong event?!
It’s all in the timing.
Reading the scriptures carefully gave pause for thought and after confirming some facts, the findings are presented here.
Yes, Messiah Yeshua/Jesus is coming
for the believers who are ready
and looking for His coming.
However, it clearly says in Thessalonians that those who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with Him in the clouds
BUT..it also says..
that our being taken up to be with the Lord will not precede the resurrection of the dead in Christ!
So when is the resurrection of the dead? Whenever that occurs….we are next!
“But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep.
For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.
For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God.
And the dead in Christ will rise first.
Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words” (1 Thess. 4:13–18,
The Greek term meaning “caught up” is harpazo, which means to seize suddenly or snatch. In Latin the word is rapio, which means to seize and carry away; it is from this Latin word that the term “rapture” comes.
The word ‘rapture’ is in the Bible if you have the Latin Vulgate!
Seems like we should be looking for the resurrection of the saints instead!
1 Corinthians 15:50-52 tells us that we shall be changed at the last trump. The LAST, that means there is not another trump after that one!
While it is true, that the word rapture is found no place in our English Bibles, it comes from the Latin word rapturo, (Latin)which means the very same thing as the Greek word harpazo (Greek) in 1Thessalonians 4:17.
1 Thessalonians 4:14 For if we believe that Yeshua died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Yeshua will Elohiym bring with Him. 15 For this we say unto you by the word of the Father/YHWH, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Father/YHWH shall not prevent them which are asleep. 16 For the Father/YHWH himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of Elohiym: and the dead in Messiah shall rise first: 17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up [harpazo, rapturo] together with them in the clouds, to meet the Father/YHWH in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Father/YHWH.
This Greek word harpazoin 1 Thessalonians 4:17 means the following: to seize, to catch away, to pluck, pull, take (by force), and it has the very same meaning as the Latin word rapturo.
It is also the same word in Hebrew for takenin2 Kings 2:11 which islaqachwhen Elijah was taken in a chariot of fire:
#3947 laqach law-kakh’ a primitive root; to take (in the widest variety of application): —accept, bring, buy, carry away, drawn, fetch, get, infold, many, mingle, place, receive(-ing), reserve, seize, send for, take (away, up), use, win.
It is important to point all of this out because there are some that would try to argue that there is no such thing as a rapture/catch awaybut this is not the case. The issue is timing and that it has a different name.
As already stated this word does not appear in our English Bibles, the word rapturo (Latin) or harpazo (Greek) or laqach (Hebrew),all mean the very same thing, as when the bridegroom comes and seizes his bride and carries her away into the marriage.
The five wise virgins will be taken into the marriage, while the five foolish virgins will be left out of the marriage, and then the door will be shut.
Interestingly, the Hebrew & Greek meaning for takenmeans to take into marriage while the Hebrew & Greek meaning for the word leftmeans to divorce or forsake.
Some teach and believe, the ones who are taken is the bride of Messiah into a set-apart place, and then she returns with Him on white horses after a seven-day wedding.
The ones who are left behind are the ones who are going to be eaten by the birds of prey down here on earth on the Day of Wrath! (Revelation 19:21).
Matthew 24: 29 Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
30 And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.
31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.
There is no debate among Bible scholars as to whether there will be a catching away/rapture, but much discussion has occurred over when the catching away/rapture will occur.
We must guard against the ‘itchy ears’ and ‘superficially interested’ in doctrine, or the desire for knowledge; just because we are satisfying our curiosity and want to be ‘in the know’! For we are to be doers of the Word and put into practice what we learn or it is not worth anything.
There have been five main theories put forward as to the timing of the rapture and they all surround what is known in prophetic biblical teaching as the “tribulation” period, which is mentioned by Jesus/Yeshua in Matthew 24 and described in great detail in Revelation 4—19.
The five hypotheses are:
First: Post-tribulation – believers are raptured at the end of the tribulation period, when Messiah returns in judgment (Revelation 19). Second: Pre-wrath – believers are caught up somewhere between the sixth and seventh seals described in Revelation. Third: Mid-tribulation – living believers are taken in the middle of the tribulation period. Fourth: A Partial rapture – only faithful believers are taken to be with Messiah at the beginning of the tribulation, with unfaithful Christians being left to endure it. Fifth: (and most favored) A Pre-tribulation – believers are caught up to be with Messiah before the tribulation begins.
Here are a few brief historical facts
Research reveals that the origin is in fact from an interpretation by John Nelson Darby, considered by many to be the father of dispensationalism, he first proposed and popularized the pre-Tribulation Rapture in 1827-31 and it was further used by Darby and Schofield and then enhanced by the intricate detailed charts by Larkin.
Preached and taught so may times, it became a doctrine and was adopted by various denominations and even inspired movies and books like the left behind series.
This view was accepted among many other Plymouth Brethren movements in England. Darby and other prominent Brethren were part of the Brethren Movement which impacted American Christianity, especially with movements and teachings associated with eschatology and fundamentalism, primarily through their writings.
Influences included the Bible Conference Movement, starting in 1878 with the Niagara Bible Conference. These conferences, which were initially inclusive of historicist and futurist premillennialism, led to an increasing acceptance of futurist premillennial views and the pre-Tribulation Rapture especially among Presbyterian, Baptist and Congregational members.
[32] Popular books also contributed to acceptance of the pre-Tribulation Rapture, including William Eugene Blackstone’s book Jesus is Coming published in 1878[33] and which sold more than 1.3 million copies, and the Scofield Reference Bible, published in 1909 and 1919 and revised in 1967.
The main scripture used is Thessalonians 4: 16-17 where The word rapture is a transliteration of the greek word used and translated as caught up.
The term “caught up” in the verse is where we get the term “rapture.” This is because the Latin Vulgate translated the Greek word “harpazo” into the Latin word “rapiemur.” Both of these words have the idea of a violent snatching away, or capture.
Source(s): Latin Vulgate
If the rapture theory is a true Biblical teaching. Why was it not well known and popularized until the early 20th century?
Amillennialists and premillennialists use First Thessalonians 4:17 to teach that, in the future, Jesus will materially appear in the sky in such a way as to be visible and physically “rapture” the saved from the planet to meet Him in the air, and then to be materially changed and taken to Heaven.
First Thessalonians 4:17: Then [after the dead in Christ rise, v. 16] we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
The phrase caught up comes from the Greek harpazo which means to seize (Strong’s, Thayer’s, Bauer’s, et. al.; cf. Septuagint of Lev. 6:4 & Jug. 21:21 & 23), and Vine’s and Bauer’s specifically says that a suddenness is involved in the term. (A twinkling of an eye [1 Cor. 15:52] kind of suddenness you think.) An examination of harpazo reveals some interesting information:
It’s derived from the Greek term from which we get our word “heresy“—the term hairesis, which Vine’s says refers to ‘a … choice’ (from [the verb] haireomai [meaning] to choose’). Strong’s says that haireomai means “to take for oneself, i.e. to prefer—choose” (cf. Bauer, Mat. 11:12); i.e., so it’s a choice based on one’s preference.
The Greek term harpazo also carries with it the idea of “oneness,” i.e. making those things or … people … which a person prefers and chooses one with himself, implying of course that they are or become one with each other in the process. An illustration of a biblical example from the Septuagint (the Greek version of the OT):
In Job 24:19 harpazo is used of assimilation of water and sinners: As drought and heat consume the snow water, so the grave consumes those who have sinned.
Two of the scriptures focused on are Matt:24:41: Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Again consider that it’s the wicked one that is removed and the believer left, as in days of Noah and Lot!
and
1Thessalonians 5:4: You [the Thessalonians], brethren, are NOT in darkness so that this day should overtake you [the Thessalonian brethren] as a thief.
Who didn’t have an excuse of being overtaken by the day of the Lord? The Thessalonian Christians. Why? Because they not only knew the signs of Matthew 24, they believed in the Lord who spoke them, meaning that they had no reason to let anything bother them.
This is meaning that believers will NOT be in darkness NOR will it come like a thief for us, however it will come as a thief in the night for those unsaved and not ready. If we are in the light and ready we will see Him coming. We will hear the trumpet.
The sequence through the year being an annual rehearsal of the actual events that will all take place fulfilling what each of the 7 festivals/feasts/appointed days represent. The spring feasts have been fulfilled the fall/autumn ones are said to be also when Messiah returns.
They give detail about the first coming including the date on which He would arrive, the manner of His death, on the birth of the ecclesia the called out ones /church/ecclesia.
The rituals/ feasts speak of a natzal (or rapture) and also of a terrible time called the Yamin Noraim. Days of Acharit ha-yamin, the latter days, is the time of the promise of restoration of Israel.
Only when they are in tribulation, b’tzar lekha, as declared in Deut. 4:30-31. This agrees with Yeshua’s words in Matt. 24:21, foretelling of Israel’s coming troubles in the latter days.
Only after they cry out calling for Him to come saying,
blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord.
Baruch haba be’shem Adonai.
Maybe that’s what we as believers need to be calling out?
Maranatha come Messiah Yeshua/Jesus in reference to Yeshua. Then they will they be delivered during the 70 birthpangs of the Messiah, otherwise called,
Chevlei Mashiach חֶבְלֵי מָשִׁיחַ
(חֶבְלֵי הַמָּשִׁיחַ) the “birth pangs of the Messiah” (Sanhedrin 98a; Ketubot, Bereshit Rabbah 42:4)
or the Time of Jacobs Trouble.
This is the time immediately before the coming of the Mashiach. The world will undergo various forms of tribulation and is called Ikvot Meshichecha the Footsteps of the Messiah. A phrase that comes from Psalm 89:51.
It is this great test of faith during the Chevlei Mashiach that frightened Rabbi Yochanan to the point that he said, Let the Messiah come, but may I not see it!?
The years which are viewed as the birth pangs of Mashiach, are said to last for seven years, during which Israel will be refined spiritually in preparation of His arrival.
The 7 years is a combination of 2 periods of time of 1,260 days each.
(Matthew) 24:21: For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be.
We need to read that scripture again!
(We gloss over it and do not fully understand the ramifications it implies, especially if we have believed we are to be ‘raptured out’ of here before any of that happens!)
Now we can see that the word time in the phrase times, time and a half timescan actually mean several things. If we take the word, time, (mowed/moed), to mean a literal year, then the phrase means the following:
time = mowed in Hebrew = 1 year
times = two years
half times = six months
hence, times, times, half times = 3.5 years
We see that during this time the two witnesses will have a ministry of 1,260 days (3.5 years)
It makes it hard to continue to believe that we will be taken up to meet Messiah in the air before the Great Tribulation, when Matthew 24:29 makes it abundantly clear that Messiah will gather His elect, (we the believers), immediately AFTER the tribulation?
In order to ascribe to a pre-tribulation catching away of the bride, we would have to believe in two raptures for the righteous, but the Bible says in Revelation 20 that there are only two resurrections for two groups of people:
1.) One for the righteous and this is called the first resurrection.
2.) One for the wicked after the 1,000 years are finished.
In 1Thessalonians 4:16-17 the Apostle Paul/Sha’uwl says: ‘the dead in Messiah shall rise first, then we which remain shall meet them in the air.’
So as soon as we see the Abomination of Desolation, then shall be great tribulation (Matthew 24:15-21). The 2 witnesses will prophesy 1,260 days (3.5 years) and the false Messiah will speak blasphemies for 42 months (3.5 years).
The last half of Daniel’s 70th Week (3.5 years), picks up with the Anti-Messiah setting up ‘The Abomination of Desolation’, in the 3rd Jewish Temple, and this it appears is when the Tribulation period actually begins. (Matthew 24:15-21).
Concurrently, the two witnesses in Revelation 11 will also have a ministry that lasts for 1,260 days (3.5 years).
Jacobs’s Time of Troubleis for a time, times and a half, according to Daniel 12 & Revelation 12. As previously noted, the word time in Hebrew and Greek means one year and so time = 1 year; times = 2 years; half times = 6 months, hence 3.5 years. There is no place in scripture that specifically says that the Tribulation is ‘7’ consecutive years; although 1,260 days x 2 = 3.5 years x 2 = 2,520 days = 7 years!
The word tribulation both in Greek & Hebrew literally means persecution.
When they build the 3rd Jewish Temple, the man of sin, will sit in the temple and demand to be worshiped as God (2Thess. 2:4). Then he will probably become possessed, supposedly by the Messiah Jesus, but it will actually be Satan.
(There is already a strange rumor that they have cloned Jesus from the DNA found in the Shroud of Turin. Which it was thought was the burial cloth of Messiah and has recently been disproven).
Messiah Yeshua is said to make his appearance during the eighth ‘year’.
On the eight day, at the beginning of the eight day [also meaning “year”] the baby is to have its foreskin removed – i.e. the concept of a foreskin which acts as a barrier between man and God. We read in Zachariah(13:2) that God will destroy the spirit of impurity form the earth. This is believed that it will occur during the eighth year.
Some scholars say Yom Kippur isalso the same day when Jesus/Yeshua Mashiyach, was circumcised as a baby boy, eight days after Hs birth; and some say it may have been on (our calendar) September 11th in 3 B.C.; which happened to fall on the Feast of Trumpets that year or Yom Teruw’ah.
Why would the Messiah be circumcised on Yom Kippur? His Blood was sprinkled as an infant because His Blood would later on be the Blood of the Lamb that would be sprinkled on the Mercy Seat for Israel/Yisra’el. Hence, the blood released when His foreskin was removed is like the veil to our hearts that is removed when our hearts are circumcised. (Deuteronomy 10:16, Jeremiah 4:4, Romans 2:28). Interestingly in these aspects, it could be said that He fulfilled all three of the Fall Feasts at His birth, for He was born on Yom Teruw’ah (Feast of Trumpets), circumcised on Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) and He also dwelled in a sukkah (manger) with His parents during Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles)!
(Ps. 19:5, Joel 2:16) the children of wrath who are caught off guard by,the thief in the night, are having bowls of wrath being poured out upon them and they still won’t repent. (Dan. 12:10, 1Thess. 5:2, Rev.16:15).
And then after 1000 years, we will go into the 8th day or the 8th millennium, which parallels to the last day of The Feast of Tabernacles. At the end of the Millennium, this present earth that we know of will pass away. This temporary earth, or shelter, that we dwell on, will be replaced by a New Heaven & a New Earth (Rev. 21:1).
At the end of the Millennium on the Last Great Day will be the white throne judgment seat of Messiah. (Rev. 20:11-15)
In a Hebrew Wedding custom, the bride is given a three-day notice that the groom is on the way. She hears the shouts from a three day’s journey in the distance and she knows that sometime within those three days, he will be there to catch her away. It is said that this could very well be the same period of 3 ½ days where the Two Witnesses will have their dead bodies lying in the streets and then at the sound of the 7th angel (7th trumpet), they are resurrected. (Rev. 11:11-15).
Here is why this feast is prophetically called, The day that no man knows. Not only does the bride not know the precise timing of when the bridegroom will arrive; (although she knows the approximate timing), but the enemy is not made privy to this timing, so that he cannot come and kidnap the bride away!
Another reason why Yom Teruw’ah is called, The day that no man knows, is because it cannot be determined by a fixed time on the calendar. It can only be determined by the first sighting of the new moon by the Two Witnesses.
Also, in a Hebrew Wedding custom, the bridegroom (not wanting to make known the exact timing of his arrival to the enemy), tells the nosey people who inquire about the wedding date, no man knows the day nor the hour – only my father knows!(Matthew 24:36). This is a Hebrew Idiom for the Feast of Trumpets.
Only the wise will understand that all these trials and pains of the Chevlei Mashiach are part of a consecutive series of events orchestrated by God in which each new birth pang unfolds a notable occurence and is absolutely crucial and brings us that much closer to our desired goal of future redemption. But many will not understand and will not pass the test.
Zion will be comforted when Messiah Yeshua is received by Israel as the rightful king and He will set up His Kingdom for 1000 year reign of true Shalom. For those non Yeshua believing Israelites, it is the first coming of their Messiah.
We need to get the timeline in correct order. The 7 (messianic) festivals, are the biblical appointed times, God commanded the ancient Israelites to observe.
This is the reason why He commands His covenant people to celebrate and observe His seven annual feast days; ‘as a statute forever in all your dwellings throughout your generations.’ (Lev. 23:21). He wants His bride to be ready when He returns, therefore, He has given her these seven feasts as “holy convocations” (Lev. 23:8). The Hebrew word for convocation, literally means a rehearsal. What is the bride rehearsing for?
The Marriage Supper of the Lamb, as described in Revelation 19:7. Without these seven feasts, the bride will not be ready to meet the bridegroom! This is the reason why the traditional Christian Church does not fully understand prophecy. It is because some are keeping the counterfeit holidays of the Anti-Messiah, such as Christmas, New Years Day in January, Good Friday, Ash Wednesday, Easter Sunday, etc. These counterfeit holidays are patterned after the false Messiahs of the Roman Empire with their Julian & Gregorian calendars and are designed to keep us off course and in the dark concerning the times and seasons of Messiah.
This is why Rev. 18:4 commands followers of Messiah to ‘Come out of her, my people, that you be not partakers of her sins, and that you receive not of her plagues.’
The true bride will not mistake the timing of her bridegroom’s return, because she knows The Times & Seasons (1Thes. 5:1), which are The Appointed Times, Moedim/Mowediym, the seven annual feast days or rehearsals. There are those in the Christian Church who believe that our Messiah’s return is imminent, meaning that it can happen at any time. The justification for believing in His imminent return is a mis-understanding/mis-interpretation of
1Thess. 5:
2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of YHWH so comes as a thief in the night. 3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction comes upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. 4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. 5 You are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. 6 Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
From Paul’s warning, it says that only those who are in darkness are expecting His return to be like a thief in the night, but the children of light know when to expect His return, because they are already rehearsing His seven annual feast days! The idea that the ‘Church’ will be taken by surprise without warning into what is commonly called The Pre-Tribulation Rapture. Once we realize that the bride is given clear instructions to observe the seven annual feasts from year-to-year it really has no scriptural foundation. These are the times and the seasons spoken of by Paul in 1Thess. 5:1 which are to help the bride to make herself ready, and to light her path into the marriage supper.
Rev.20:6 …’Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.’
There is no mistaking that there is a time period that is going to be a 1000 years, but when does it start? The popular mainstream teaching is that after the church is raptured, the saints spend 7 years in heaven with Messiah Jesus, while the great tribulation happens on earth. Then after the 7 years, they believe the church comes back to earth with Jesus where He will reign from Israel for a 1000 years.
From the following verse it indicates that the first resurrection may startsthe thousand year millennium.
Matt. 24:30-31 …’And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.’
1 Thess. 4:16-17 …’For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.’
So we have the second coming of Messiah in the above scripture, where He sends out His angels to gather the saved. The ‘dead in Christ’ rise first and then those who are Messiah’s and still alive at His coming, they are caught up with those who have been resurrected and they meet Messiah in the air.
A vital point to remember about the second coming of Christ, is that He does not touch the ground when He returns, we meet Him in the air. So this is the first resurrection above, and is it the starting point of the 1000 year millennium?
In Rev. 20:5 it says that ‘the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished’. The rest of the dead are those who are lost (the wicked), that were either killed at the second coming, or were already dead at Christ’s coming. To support with scripture that the lost living at the second coming, ARE killed, look at the following verses:
Lk. 17:26-30 …’And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all … Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded; But the same day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be in the day when the Son of man is revealed.’
When Messiah returns, the lost will be destroyed. Just like in the flood and the fire judgment of Sodom, ALL the lost were destroyed and only the righteous were left alive. And when does Revelation say the lost are resurrected? AFTER the 1000yrs.
The following verses describing what the earth will be like after the second coming of Christ …
Isa. 13:13 …’Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.’
Isa. 24:1 …‘Behold, the LORD maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste,
and turneth it upside down,
and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof.’
To put it back to where it once was
Jeremiah 4:23-26 …’I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form, and void; and the heavens, and they had no light. I beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all the hills moved lightly. I beheld, and, lo, there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled. I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down at the presence of the LORD, and by his fierce anger.’
Verse 27 of Jeremiah 4 says that the whole land is desolate, but God will not make a complete end. This matches with the truth that the earth will be ‘made new’, and we will inhabit this ‘earth made new’ after the 1000 years. So God is not going to totally destroy this world. He is going to ‘burn up’ all things in it (2 Peter 3:10) and then renew it (2 Peter 3:13).
Jer. 25:33 …’And the slain of the LORD shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the ground.‘
The wicked are destroyed at Messiah’s second coming. The saints go to heaven with Him.
One interpretation gained from the scripture above, is that the earth will lay desolate for the 1000 years! Is it telling us this is what the earth will be like during the thousand year millennium? If so, it won’t be a happy, peaceful place where Messiah reigns over the nations, it will be desolate, laid waste and empty! Could it imply that to Satan it will be as a “bottomless pit” to which he is bound for the thousand years? Time will show us if that scenario is accurate or not.
However by all accounts it seems l that we should be looking for the resurrection of the saints!
Jesus/Yeshua, was the first fruit resurrection from the dead. Then many people came out of their graves and walked into the city! Was this also a resurrection? If we are still alive at His coming, we will not be ‘resurrected’ but changed/transformed in the twinkling of an eye, at the speed of light!
Paul teaches that Christ will come at some future point in time for those who belong to Him. Those who are the “dead in Christ” will experience their resurrection first and be gifted with glorified bodies when He comes. Those believers in Christ who are alive at that time will then be instantly transformed from their earthly state to their eternal state, and will not experience death. Instead, they will be caught up, to be with all those who have previously gone on, to be with the Lord and be transferred to heaven. Paul speaks about this generation of believers who will not taste death when he says, “Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, (die) but we shall all be changed” (1 Cor. 15:51).
This is a resurrection, a transforming. We will have to have new bodies because Corruptible cannot go into the presence of a Holy God and must put on immortality/incorruption.
The idea of just living our lives with a, ‘someday being raptured away before anything gets bad,’ may not be the reality, for the years of tribulation include all the events which are listed in Revelation.
Are we spiritually and physically prepared to endure to the end, however long that may be? Partway into the last years? Halfway in? or longer? There is nothing that tells us an absolute, except the resurrection of those who have died in Him. However it does point to His second coming at the end of the tribulation period.
Mathew 24:13 But he that has endured to the end is the one that will be saved.
To endure means “to remain firm in a commitment to be true to the commandments of God despite temptation, opposition, and adversity.”
It would be easy on the flesh and soul to believe we get ‘scooped up’, before any of the events described actually begin. Many 1000’s of our brothers and sisters are however going through horrendous persecution for their testimony of salvation in Yeshua all around the world. Being wrong about the ‘Rapture’, would be fine in this instance, however better to believe the worst and hope for the best and be spiritually prepared for whatever unfolds as time moves forward.
However The Day and Hour is Unknown
36 No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
As to when the so called rapture will take place, no one knows the exact timing of the event. Messiah confirms this in Luke when He says, “You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect” (Luke 12:40).
Again being prepared and not needing it, is preferable to the shock that we were not ready and be one of those who hearts fail them for fear of what is coming!
That sounds pretty serious!
Failure to prepare is preparing to fail.
Fill those lamps with oil!
We must guard against the ichy ears and being superficially interested in doctrine or the desire for knowledge just because we are satisfying our curiosity and want to ‘be in the know’! For we are to be doers of the Word and put into practice what we learn, or it is not worth anything.
If our doctrine and beliefs are sound and on the firm foundation of the Rock of His Word and we maintain a deep relationship with Him, they will stand the storm of scrutiny.
This is simply to determine if we have some hard times ahead and what to expect and to give us an opportumity to be more prepared than we are today.
Just remember for believers, its NOT the end, it’s a transition into the next part of Fathers plan.
John 14:1-3 …’Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.’
Jesus said “I will come again and receive you unto Myself, that where I AM there ye may be”.
Whatever is used to try and deceive prior to Messiah’s return, whether its pseudo aliens who supposedly created us, (which are in reality demons, evil spirits and fallen angels,) we know the devil is behind it.
Looking at the above verses, there will be no mistaking it when He does appear.
So for all believers, the apocalypse the revealing is NOT a one time incident, or some event to fear, but something to look at, as a way of being shown things we did not know before. Information that we can better understand concerning what The Ruach of the Father is trying to tell us. When we receive knowledge, then we are accountable for what we have been told.
It’s often a way of waking up a sleepy group of people and encouraging them to go forward, to grow and mature; and we can in fact live in the intimacy and safety of His Shalom presence, even while we remain here. Just as His chosen ones in the days of Noah and Lot, if we are in Him, we will be taken through the things to come.
We need to be about our father’s business, busy doing His commands and not focused on being scooped out of here avoiding any hard times. Let’s look to the author and finisher of our faith and trust His plan. Nothing is going to take Him by surprise and with Him nothing is impossible.
In a nutshell what we are being told is that,
If you seek to keep your life you will lose it, if you lose it you will preserve it alive.
Loving not our lives unto death but focused on Him just as Stephen did.
Flesh always wants the soft option and inevitably chooses the easy road. We are not of those who shrink back but are those who are to be very courageous.
The righteous are bold as lions (of Judah)
There are multiplied 1000’s of our brothers and sisters around the world who are tortured suffering and dying for their faith every day. If we cannot physically change their situation we can pray for them and in turn God will raise up intercessors for our needs.
Chazown (Revelation) 22:17
“And the Ruwach ha’Qodesh (Holy Spirit) and the bride say, Come. Andlet him that hears say, Come…”
Be encouraged family we are awaiting the return of our King and He will NOT disappoint us. You are greatly loved!
May His Shalom surround, guard and keep you in Name of Yeshua, the author and finisher of our faith.
PLEASE Don’t leave this page before you make certain Jesus/Yeshua is your Redeemer, Savior, Lord and soon returning King and that you have a personal relationship with Him because…
the sands of your TIME on earth are running out!
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/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.
I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name. Amen.
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