Tag: Spring

Who or What is the Mystery of the Choter, or is it Both? Conclusion.

In Hebrew, the word branch is netzer, and is actually only three consonantal letters: NZR.

Note that the town N a Z a R eth contains the same three primary letters plus an ending often attached to nouns. In the Aramaic form of Nazareth.       

So the traditional view is that this word is derived from the Hebrew word for Nazareth -Nazara, that was used in ancient times. Nazareth, in turn, may be derived from either na·tsar, נָצַר, meaning to watch, or from ne·tser, נֵ֫צֶר, meaning branch.

   

Strong’s Hebrew: 5342. נֵ֫צֶר (netser) — a sprout, shoot

Branch: From natsar; in the sense of greenness as a striking color; a shoot; figuratively, a descendant, branch. 

Righteous Branch is one of the names of Jesus/Yeshua. The Hebrew word: tsemakh (branch), and the expressions sprout and spring forth, were widely understood as Messianic terms.

A Branch, or the Branches of a tree, are the glory of that tree.

Messiah, the Son of man, being the real offspring and son of David according to the flesh, is the glory of all David’s line, and of the whole ekklesia. Matthew 22:45

The Hebrew equivalent of ekklesia is the word qahal (קהל). It is translated in most occurrences as an assembly. The first mention of qahal – ekklesia – ‘church’, is in Devariym, Deuteronomy.

This is where we get our word ecclesiastical in relation to what we term church. 

It does not mean a building but a separated, called out, called apart, body of people.

The Hebrew word used in five references, semah/Tsemakh, simply means sprout, growth or branch. The remaining occurrence has the word hoter, meaning branch or twig.

Israel is also often referred to as a vine. The Lord brought Israel, the vine, out of Egypt and planted it in the promised land. As the Lord blessed the vine, it prospered and “sent out its boughs to the Sea, its shoots as far as the River” ( Psalm 80:11 ). The fruit that the vine produced, however, was an embarrassment to the Lord and steps were taken against it (ref: Isa 5:1-7 ). More often, however, the prophets use the analogy of the vine and branches to describe Israel’s future restoration ( Isa 60:21 ;  Hosea 14:6 ).

This too is clear in the New Testament referring to the Vine and Branches Meaning.

There is ALWAYS Necessary Pruning

and fruit only comes by

ABIDING IN the the Vine.

The 3rd and most important truth of Jesus/Yeshuas’ words is that “… every branch that brings forth fruit He cleanses/prunes, so that it will bear more fruit.” In other words, if you are in the right condition and bear fruit for the kingdom of God, then necessary pruning is waiting for you.

Jeremiah mentions the Branch so does Zechariah and the one we are probably more familiar with is from Isaiah 11:1. There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots.

Here Isaiah traces the human descent of the Son of David. The descendants of Adam are pictured as a Tree and from this Tree the Messiah is traced to a branch (Rod) from the Branch or (Stem) of Jesse, who is the father of David.

(It is still a term used to trace our own family heritage – Family Tree.)

 In Isaiah 11:10, the Hebrew word used for root (sheresh); implies: a root that remains alive and sends up a shoot or branch; thus, the root of Jesse was a root from which more descendants could come.

In that day the branch of the LORD shall be for beauty and glory and the fruit of the earth for greatness and honor to those that are freed of Israel. In that day shall the branch of the LORD be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and splendid for them that have escaped of Israel.

Jesus Himself said in John 15:5

I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.

And followed it by saying John 15:6

If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned.

Romans 11:16,17-24.

From the menorah design in Ex 25:32, And six branches shall come out of the sides of it; three branches of the candlestick out of the one side, and three branches of the candlestick out of the other side:

To Yeshua Himself

John 15:6

AND

Zekaryahuw (Zechariah) 6:12 And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaks YHWH of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of YHWH:

13 Even he shall build the temple of YHWH; and he shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule upon his throne; and he shall be a priest upon his throne: and the counsel of peace shall be between them both.

*Note: this is a prophetic picture of the Messiah (the Son) whose name is The Branch and He is receiving many crowns (Revelation 19:12), and He is also a High Priest after the order of Melchizedek which means King of Righteousness (Malki-Tzadiq). 

So What About CHOTER?

We may better understand the deeper meaning if we first seek out the original root of the rod and branch in Isaiah 1:11, by looking at the meaning from the paleo Hebrew pictographs:

 

The scripture says the root was Jesse; (remember no letter J in Hebrew). Matthew records the geneology of Messiah and it’s often a part we skip over, however there are numerous treasures hidden within these lists, we just have to look a little deeper. Here it records that Jesse was a direct descendant of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, he was in fact King Davids father.

God’s judgment was declared on a prideful people who had forgotten Him that will level them to nothing more than stumps:

See, the Lord, the Lord Almighty,
    will lop off the boughs with great power.
The lofty trees will be felled,
    the tall ones will be brought low.
34 He will cut down the forest thickets with an ax;
    Lebanon will fall before the Mighty One.

Is. 10 33 34

Just when the enemy is about to capture Jerusalem, God intervenes and destroys the hostile army.

Remember there were no chapter and verse divisions in the original scrolls. So it continues without a break, in the very next verse says

But a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse,
    and from his roots a bud shall blossom.
2 The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him:
    a spirit of wisdom and of understanding,
A spirit of counsel and of strength,
    a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the Lord,
3     and his delight shall be the fear of the Lord.

Jesse was part of the faithful remnant. The next verses speak of the shoot that will come from this stump.

Who is the rod/choter and branch/natser?

Verse 4 says of the coming Messiah:

Not by appearance shall he judge,
    nor by hearsay shall he decide,
4 But he shall judge the poor with justice,
    and decide fairly for the land’s afflicted.
He shall strike the ruthless with the rod of his mouth,
    and with the breath of his lips he shall slay the wicked.

In the word CHOTER, the pictograph characters reveal more showing us the following:

חֹטֵר

Phonetic Spelling: (kho’-ter)

Branch, rod, twig –

choter: chet – tet – reysh,

Chet: Picture of the fence and means private to separate an inner sanctuary or room

Tet: Picture of a snake coiled up meaning to surround ensnare or encircle

Reysh: Picture of a head and means a person, highest or the prince.

So it could read as: a picture of a prince that is coming who will surround or encircle someone with a fence or hedge of protection.

Because it it written within this context in the Scroll of Isaiah, it is somewhat safe to say that it is indicative of the coming Messiah.

The number value of the letters also give an insight into who it is that will be protected.

Chet = 8 and signifies a new beginning

Tet = 9 means an evaluation of humanity ending in judgment and the conclusion or end of a matter.

Reysh= 200 this number shows the insufficiency of man compared to the all sufficiency of God.

By putting this information together, it could be interpreted as:

the Messiah or coming highest/prince is going to surround and protect insufficient fallen humanity who will be given a new beginning/ fresh start.

This means that anyone who chooses Messiah will be both surrounded and protected from judgment!

Is there any difference between Messiah as in this ROD/CHOTER

and the

NATSER or SPROUT

נֵצֶר

Natser: #5342 a sprout a shoot.

Phonetic Spelling: nay’-tser

Shoot – Natser has the letters;

Nun/Noon – Zsadi – Reysh

Nun/Noon – picture of the fish and means life activity seed

Zsadi – picture of the fishhook and means to catch and a strong desire or need and can also mean just or righteous.

Reysh – picture of the head and means a person, highest or the prince.

So this could be said to mean that in the Natser: there is a future prince that has a strong desire to catch someone and give them life.

So if we believe Messiah is Yeshua/Jesus, then we must consider who it is He desiring to catch and how will He catch them? If we look at the numerical values of the letters in the alef bet, it may show us an answer and give further understanding.

Nun/Noon = a numerical value of 50. This signifies Ruach HaKodesh, Holy Spirit, (Pentecost/Shavuot, 59 days after Spring Appointed Times,) and also meaning deliverance, followed by rest.

Zsadi = a numerical value of 90 which has a combined meaning of the judgment of humanity and of God’s perfection.

Reysh  = a numerical value of 200. This number shows the insufficiency of man in comparison to the all sufficiency of God.

So from this we could understand that: it has been ordained in heaven that the power of Gods’ Holy Spirit/Ruach HaKodesh, and the prince that will come, is enough to both catch and save humanity from judgment.

This concept is echoed by Paul in Gal. 4:3-5.

The pictographs also reveal that when Messiah comes the 1st time He will be separated, surrounded and cut off, to fulfill and complete judgment (on sin); just as Isaiah’s forest stumps were cut off.

There is also Good News in the word Natser because, in a final picture from the word sprout, (which comes from a root that means literally: greenness as a prominent color,)

The picture of noon/nun = new life, from the old stump. Just as in the resurrection of the future Messiah.

The one who was the sprout will grow to become the root and gives us the confirmation that this root is Yeshua/Jesus, The Messiah.

How?

It’s because Isaiah could have used a more common word for natser in this scripture, but he didn’t and by doing so we look at the following, because its pointing us to something else as confirmation.

When the letter Tav, which is a pictograph of the crossed sticks, is added to the word natser it makes the word NatsareT which is known to us today as Nazareth. So the TAV the cross, 2 sticks, is the connection linking Messiah to come with Jesus/Yeshua the Nazarene; meaning coming from Nazareth. Matt 2:23. Npy only is it a picture of a cross it is also the final/last letter of the alef bet bringing it to a close, as in the first and the last – the alef tav.

The name of this tiny village of Nazareth tells us something about the people living there and offers a clue to the identity of the child Mary would bear. As we have noted, Nazareth may come from the Hebrew netzer, which means branch or shoot. Sometimes when a tree is chopped down, a shoot will grow from the stump, allowing a new tree to spring up where the old one has died. That shoot is called, in Hebrew, a netzer.

Why would the people who founded this village have called it the branch?
 
Much of the Old Testament was written predicting, or in response to, the destruction of Israel. The northern half of the country was destroyed by the Assyrian Empire in 722 B.C. The southern half of the country, known as Judah, was destroyed by the Babylonian Empire in 587 or 586 B.C.

The prophets, in speaking about the destruction and re-emergence of Israel, used the metaphor of Israel being like a tree that had been cut down, but which would sprout up once again. Israel would be led by a messianic figure called the branch, so again, Isaiah 11:1-4, 6 says:

A shoot will grow up from the stump of Jesse;
a branch will sprout from his roots.
The LORD ’s spirit will rest upon him, 
a spirit of wisdom and understanding,
a spirit of planning and strength,
a spirit of knowledge and fear of the LORD.
He will delight in fearing the LORD.
He won’t judge by appearances,
nor decide by hearsay.
He will judge the needy with righteousness,
and decide with equity for those who suffer in the land. … 
[And in those days] the wolf will live with the lamb,
and the leopard will lie down with the young goat;
the calf and the young lion will feed together,
and a little child will lead them.
 

 

The netzer was a promise of Hope – Tikvah

The word as used in Isaiah 11 pointed to the promise that, though Israel had been cut down like a felled tree, she would rise up once again.

Fifty years after the destruction of Judah by the Babylonians, the Jewish people would return to the city of Jerusalem. Judah would rise up like a shoot. And the people hoped for the coming of the branch that the prophets foretold would lead the people—a Messiah.

Jeremiah and Zechariah also use this same imagery, though they use a different word for branch than netzer.
 
When the village founders named their village Nazareth they may have chosen this name as a way of expressing hope that God would once again restore Israel—that though Israel had been cut down by the Assyrians, the Babylonians, the Greeks, and then the Romans, a branch would come up from the stump.

They may have chosen this name because, in the words of the prophet Isaiah, it was a sign that there are no hopeless causes with God. They may have chosen this name as a way of articulating their hope that one day the Messiah would come to Israel. It was as if they were saying:

We believe there is always hope.

We believe God will deliver us.

We believe the day will come when God will send a new king who will deliver us.


Little did they know that the branch

foretold in Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Zechariah would be a

child who would grow up in their own village!

Hebrew – Naẕerat

Yeshua` of Natsaret

Hebrew Netzer.

Reminder:

One view holds that Nazareth is derived from one of the Hebrew words for branch, namely ne·ṣer, נֵ֫צֶר, and alludes to the prophetic, messianic words in

Isaiah 11:1, ‘from (Jesse’s) roots a Branch (netzer) will bear fruit’.

Nazareth may come from the Hebrew netzer, which means branch or shoot.

Sometimes when a tree is chopped down, a shoot will grow from the stump, allowing a new tree to spring up where the old one has died. That shoot is called, in Hebrew, a netzer .

Nazareth ( the guarded one ) 

Olive trees in Nazareth, Israel.

Strong’s #3478: 

Nazareth (pronounced nad-zar-eth’) or Nazaret nad-zar-et’;

The Aramaic word for Nazarite is spelled Nun, Tsade, and Resh, where the Hebrew word for Nazarite is spelled Nun, Zayin, and Resh.

There appears to be a Semitic play on words here as the Tsade and the Zayin both make a z sound.

We can distinguish between the two by showing the Tsade as a ts and the Zayin as a z.

So the Mystery of the Choter

is

IN the BRANCH, 

it’s IN JESUS/YESHUA

It is BOTH a Who and a What!

Who is Messiah Himself; the shoot from the stump of Jesse from whose roots a Branch will bear fruit.

We are a part of that fruit and grafted in to the Nazarene from Nazareth our Natser Branch and the Righteous Branch of the Lord, prophesied by the prophets and also our soon returning Prince of Peace/Sar Shalom.

The very Branches of the Menorah and the Rod of Aaron were also indicators of Our Redeemer.

Please don’t leave this page until you are certain you are a netser of the choter, 

a grafted in

Nazarene or Notsriym,

of THE Nazarene/Notsri;

נוצרי 

the ONE who is THE true BRANCH – THE real CHOTER!

Shalom, shalom, mishpachah! You are loved and appreciated and prayed for daily.

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It’s all about Life and Relationship, NOT Religion.

You are greatly loved and precious in His sight.

NOT SURE?

YOU CAN BE..

SAY THE FOLLOWING FROM YOUR HEART RIGHT NOW…

Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.

I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name. Amen.

Not Passing Over

This time of the year is one of the 2 occasions upon which Christians mainly focus, and it deserves more than a casual glance. If we believe the confession of our faith then we need to understand its beginnings as best we can. This season is at the very core of our beliefs and without it there would be no resurrection and no hope.

In the Hebrew language Passover is

For some this may be a bit long, but the conviction that it was important to share outweighed the whispering to keep it short! So this is in case there are others out there who for many years have never seen the similarities of the sacrifices of the lambs and of Jesus in relation to the Hebrew Feast. If we’ve never really studied the Feast rituals and preparations before, the commonalities never dawn on us.

After all THIS IS THE VERY CRUX OF OUR FAITH and there should not be anything more important.

He gave His life for each one of us and its an indicator of the grateful attitude of our hearts when we take some time to remember why we call ourselves Christian Believers in Jesus the Messiah.

No condemnation or judgment here, only information and loving encouragement. Even the disciples had a hard time praying for an hour with Jesus. 

It’s true, Israel had been observing these Feasts for 1,400 years before Yeshua’s birth. The Appointed times of the Lord have been kept for some 3417 years although it seems ‘new’ to Christian believers in fact it’s not ‘new’ at all.

 

LEVITICUS 23 is the single chapter of the entire (Tanakh) Bible that sums up everything. God’s eternal plan – from chaos to eternity – is ingeniously revealed through the nature and timing of the Seven annual Feasts of the LORD.

In taking a fresh look we come to realize that the entire human race now exists between two of these feasts, and as sacrifice is the major feature of the feasts, our knowledge and understanding of them can only enhance our faith.

“The Lord’s APPOINTED TIMES which you shall proclaim as HOLY CONVOCATIONS – MY APPOINTED TIMES ARE THESE.  In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight is the Lord’s PASSOVER.” (Leviticus 23:1,5)

Here’s How The Week Unfolded

Passover (Pesach). Leviticus 23:5 specifies that the festival year begins with Passover on “the fourteenth day of the first month” (Nisan 15). Passover is the Feast of Salvation. In both testaments, the blood of the Lamb delivers from slavery – the Jew from Egypt, the Christian from sin.

Everything is connected.

Think about the tenth plague in Exodus 12:5, when Egypt’s first born sons died while the angel of death “passed over” the Israelites homes with the blood of the lamb on their door posts. In the New Testament/B’rit Chadashah, Jesus serves as the sacrificial lamb.

It is no coincidence that our Lord Himself was sacrificed on Passover.

The tenth of Nissan was the day that the lamb was chosen and taken to the house and family that would on Passover offer it up. The mystery is in what we call Palm Sunday, it is in reality the 10th of Nissan, the day of the lamb.    

  (see previous post)  https://www.minimannamoments.com/palm-sunday-nisan-the-appointed-time-of-the-lamb/

As the people of Jerusalem were leading the Passover lambs to their homes Messiah was being led from the Mount of olives into the city gates. The bringing in of Messiah to the city with palms and hosannas was actually the fulfillment of what had been commanded from ancient times.

The bringing in of the Lamb.

On the day when the Passover lamb was to be brought to the house, God brought the Lamb of God to his house, to Jerusalem, and to the temple. Just as the lambs of the tenth of Nissan had to be sacrificed on Passover by those who dwelt in the house, so too the Lamb of God would be sacrificed on Passover by those who dwelt in Jerusalem.

The Lamb of God had to come to the House of God that the blessings of salvation could count. So it is only when you bring a lamb home when you bring him into the place where you actually live your life, when you bring Him into every room, every closet and crevice only then can the fullness of the blessings of salvation begin. Exodus 12:3 Matthew 21:1–11

The lamb became a part of the family just as pets today are family members. This made the sacrifice very much harder to do but the meaning is clear. The love bestowed on an innocent lamb caused emotional response of remorse, guilt and sadness for the lamb they loved was to die in their place because of the need for a blood sacrifice for the forgiveness of sin. How much more should the tears of repentance flow from each of us as we remember the sacrificial death of the guiltless Lamb of God.

Living in this timeframe after Yeshua’s birth, death, resurrection and ascension, we get the bigger picture that the original instructions point to.  This makes the Feasts extremely relevant and exciting for us.  Not only do we get to remember the Exodus, but we also remember Jesus Yeshuas’ first coming during the Spring Feasts, and the Fall Feasts yet to be fulfilled, focus on His return.

APPLICATIONS OF THE FIRST 3 FEASTS

Passover (Pesach)

Unleavened Bread (Hag HaMatzah

First Fruits (Bikkurim)

FEAST                                                      HISTORICAL ASPECT

  1. Passover (Pesach)                    Israel’s deliverance from Egyptian bondage
  2. Unleavened Bread (Hag HaMatzah)      The going out of Egypt
  3. First Fruits (Bikkurim)                               Crossing the Red Sea

FEAST                                                      MESSIANIC FULFILLMENT

  1. Passover (Pesach)                     Death of Yeshua on the tree
  2. Unleavened Bread (Hag HaMatzah)   The Burial of Yeshua
  3. First Fruits (Bikkurim)                            Resurrection of Yeshua

FEAST                                                  SPIRITUAL APPLICATION ( Halacha )

Passover (Pesach)      Repent (Teshuvah) and trust by (Emunah )in the shed blood of Yeshua

Unleavened Bread (Hag HaMatzah)   Sanctification and separation from evil represented by water immersion (Mikvah)

First Fruits (Bikkurim)                        Walking (Halacha) in newness of life

We have the benefit of hindsight, but the Israelites couldn’t see what was ahead. They had no idea they were foreshadowing God’s plan of redemption for all mankind but centuries of going through those motions helped them prepare for that future.  Consider that just by following the instructions with no other understanding, their faithful Israelite descendants were in Jerusalem for that very important Passover Week, which is when Yeshua was crucified, buried and resurrected. Deut 16:16  instructed them to be in Jerusalem for this week.

They would’ve missed these events if they hadn’t been observing the dates and location.

The Feasts are God’s appointed days for all time.  These are dates that He’s chosen to fulfill His plan for mankind – a plan He’s not yet completed.  These dates will still play a significant role in His timeline for the future.

The Spring Feasts are the exact days Yeshua fulfilled His mission for his first coming. The Fall Feasts are all about Yeshua’s second coming.

Typically we think of the Spring Feasts as a time to remember – the Exodus and Yeshua’s death on Passover, His resurrection on the Feast of Firstfruits, the giving of the Torah and the Holy Spirit on Pentecost.

The first Passover occurred over 3500 years ago in Egypt and it is by far, the oldest celebration continually kept by any group of people in the history of mankind. Exodus 12:18-20 where He instructed the people to sacrifice a lamb, place its blood on the doorpost of the house, and eat it with unleavened bread and bitter herbs. Each part of the Passover meal was significant and symbolized something that was important for the people of God to remember about His plan of redemption.

To appreciate the background of the feast, read Exodus12:1-13:10. There you will find that Passover, which was an evening meal that took place as the sun went down on the 14th of the Hebrew month of Abib (also called ‘Nisan’), and Unleavened Bread, which was a subsequent week-long festival that began as the Passover meal was eaten. They were originally a commandment from God to mark and save His people from the death that would befall others who did not have a heart to heed His words.

As every man was to select for his household a lamb without spot or blemish and he was to select this lamb on the tenth day of the month. Then he was to observe this lamb for five days to make sure there was nothing wrong with him. There could be no fault (spot or blemish) found in this lamb.

On the fifth day, he was to bring the lamb to his doorstep and kill him.

As he killed the lamb he would catch the blood in the basin at the foot of the doorstep then using a hyssop branch to smear the blood on both sides of the doorpost and above the doorpost so the entire entrance into the house was covered by the blood of the lamb.

Hyssop is a weed – a lowly plant. It has spongy leaves and a woody stem.

Exo 12:22 Hyssop was used to dip and apply the blood to the doorposts at Passover.

Lev 14:4-52 and Num 19:6,18 Hyssop was used in the cleansing of lepers (a picture of judgment on human pride) and in cleansing the tabernacle.

Psa 51:7 David’s repentance: “Cleanse me with hyssop.” John 19:29 Jesus on the cross was given sour wine in a sponge on a stalk of hyssop.

Hyssop is a picture of humility.

This was done on the evening of the 14 day (twilight). Remember, the Hebrew day begins in the evening at approximately six o’clock in western time.

The Hebrews killed the lambs at three o’clock in the afternoon on the 14th in order to eat the meal by six before the day of Passover feast ended.

The family then entered their house through the blood-stained door where they were protected from the plague of death that was to move through the land.

Now here comes an interesting part.

According to the instructions, the entire lamb was to be roasted and consumed. Nothing could be left over for the next day.

In preparing the meal, not one bone of the lamb was to be broken. This instruction required that the lamb be roasted on a spit shaped like a crossbar so that its body could be spread open.

Although the family went inside the house and couldn’t see the blood covering, they had faith that God would save them because of it.

They were saved by grace through faith in the blood of the lamb which they could not see.

This should sound familiar to us.

Also notice the shape of the doorway and as Jesus said He was the Door notice the similarities to the Hebrew letter CHET

The prophet Isaiah spoke of the suffering this human lamb would experience. He wrote a very clear, graphic description, which is recorded in Isaiah chapter 53. We often skip over this as it tends to make us very uncomfortable.

Yeshua Se Tamiym – Yeshua Our Pesach Lamb – Jesus Our Passover Lamb

As the precise moment came in God’s timeline for the substitutionary human lamb to be sacrificed, the Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary and God came to earth in the manifestation of Jesus to live among us, to go through everything we as humans have to endure and become the sacrifice for our sins. God sent one last prophet to help the people recognize Him, John the Baptist, the forerunner of Jesus. John introduced Jesus with these words:

“Behold the Lamb of God!”. (John 1:36)

It would have had a profound meaning to those who heard as they all understood the appointed time of the Passover Lamb and had been rehearsing it every year their whole lives.

In John 12:1 it says that Jesus came to the town of Bethany six days before the Passover. Since the Passover was celebrated on the 14th, this means that Jesus came to Bethany on the ninth. John also gives us more information to show that Jesus entered Jerusalem on the tenth according to John 12:12-13. He says that it was the next day when Jesus rode into Jerusalem.

 In other words, He came into Jerusalem on the exact day that God told the Jews to set aside their lambs back in Egypt.

Jesus was fulfilling in Himself the ultimate reality of the Feast of Passover.

As earlier mentioned the purpose of setting the lamb aside was to observe it to make sure that it was without spot or blemish. This lamb was to be offered to God. Since God is perfect, no lamb that was blemished (physically or with fault) could be sacrificed, so the Jews observed and tested the lamb for five days to make sure that it was faultless. The same was done to Jesus by the religious leaders.

They questioned His authority, they asked Him trick questions hoping He would somehow give a wrong answer that they could use against Him. They did everything they could to discredit Him so that He would not be an acceptable sacrifice.

Of course you know the story, Pilate said he could find no fault in Him. (John 19:4). This all happened in that five day period from the tenth to the 14th while the Jews were checking their lambs for the sacrifice.

Jesus was crucified on the 14th ( the same day as the lambs) and to be even more precise the same hour of the day. At the exact hour when the Jews were preparing their lambs for sacrifice, Jesus was nailed to the cross. (9:00 am, the 14th), they were killed at 3:00pm, so that Passover could be completed before six pm which would begin a new day.

To summarize this, Jesus gave His total self to be roasted and consumed in the judgment fires of God as He died for our sins.

The spit shaped like a crossbar on which the lambs were spread open pointed to Jesus hanging on the cross. All the other details concerning the death of the lambs happened to Jesus, the real Lamb of God. For example, His bones were not broken. Remember, God said not to break any bones in the Passover lamb (Exodus 12:46, Number 9:12; Psalms 34:20).

When a person is crucified, the body sags so that they cannot breathe. This causes them to push themselves up with their heels just long enough to take a deep breath.

To hasten a person’s death, a Roman soldier would break his legs; thus, he would not be able to push himself up to get air.

John records that the soldiers broke the legs of the two thieves , that were next to Jesus, but they saw Jesus was already dead, so they didn’t break His legs.

They also offered a combination of ingredients in a drink that would help to numb the pain Jesus refused as He wanted to remain alert to experience it fully.

God had specifically instructed the Israelites to consume the whole lamb. Nothing was to be left over for the next day. (Exodus 12:10). This was also the case with Jesus. The Jewish religious leaders, not realizing they were carrying out God’s plan, hurriedly had Jesus’ body taken down before six o’clock. 

The Passover lamb was a visual aid and dress rehearsal directing the Jews into the future when Jesus would come and establish the spiritual reality that the lambs could only symbolize. The blood of Jesus saves us from death and gives us the promise of resurrection.

“For Christ our Passover has been sacrificed. Therefore let us celebrate the feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.” (1 Cor.5)

 The sacrificial blood of animals had no power to pay for our sins – they only served to remind us that we are sinners and that a divine sacrifice was still needed. Our text shows us that Jesus was that divine sacrifice which ended all other sacrifices.

In Jerusalem, on this Passover, the Lamb of God carried His cross and willingly laid down His sinless life to save all those who would receive Him as their Savior. Though He was without guilt, unlike the little Passover lambs who cried, He remained silent as He was falsely accused during His trial but for those who have received Him as their Savior and their Lord, there is a silence of the lambs.

But This As You Know Is Not The End Of The Story…..but for now…

To all 74 subscribers and to any visitors. Enjoy the Holyday weekend which without Messiah and the events above would not be on our calendar.

PALM SUNDAY – Nisan – The Appointed Time Of The Lamb

 In a recent post Aviv was referenced as the Hebrew season of spring.

The  name of the Month in Hebrew is called Nisan.

(There is a wealth of information contained in this season and it can be overwhelming if it’s all new to the reader, so the beautiful story is examined, slowly unfolding it in small bite-sized portions.)

This year it is in April on our calendar and according to scripture it is the time of the beginning of the Spiritual New Year in Israel.

Shemoth (Exodus) 12:1 And YHWH spoke unto Moses/Mosheh and Aaron/Aharown in the land of Mitzrayim (Egypt) saying, 2. This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.

The seasons are literally the appointed times of the Lord. They are the scriptural seasons that Jesus and all the New Testament authors celebrated.

This was to fall every year, 14 days before Passover (Pesach) in the month of the Abib (Aviv). In Nehemiah 2:1 & Esther 3:7, this first month on the Hebrew calendar began to be called “Nisan” while the House of Judah were in Babylonian exile.

Today, the rabbinic calendar still uses the Babylonian name of “Nisan” for the month of “Abib.”

The word “Abib” in the Strong’s Hebrew Concordance has the following definition: # 24 ‘abiyb aw-beeb’ from an unused root (meaning to be tender); green, i.e. a young ear of grain;

hence, the name of the month Abib or Nisan:–Abib, ear, green ears of corn (not maize).

Nisan The Appointed Time Of The Lamb BEGINS WITH

Jesus like all the sacrificial lambs had to be examined by the Priests. Luke 22:54

It was at the same time that the shepherds were herding the 1000’s of lambs into the Temple area ready for their examination over 4 days.

The seasons are literally the appointed times of the Lord, they are the scriptural seasons that Jesus and all the New Testament authors celebrated.

On Palm Sunday Jesus rode the donkey

in a procession from Bethphage, (the home of Lazarus),  and entered the Old City of Jerusalem,

through St. Stephen’s Gate (Lion’s Gate). 

The Lion’s Gate is located near Mount of Olives (seen through the gate in the picture above) and the Via Dolorosa.

This is one of the seven gates that were created in the wall of the old city,

and the only one that is open towards the east.

On  Palm  Sunday,

Jesus rode the donkey into Jerusalem at the SAME EXACT TIME the lambs were to be selected for the Passover sacrifice!

Matt 21:1-11 Mark 14:1,2 Luke 22:1,2 John 12:12

The crowd was loudly calling out Hosanna

Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord.

Ps 118:26

In John 12:13, we are told this crowd including the disciples, thought He was the reigning Messiah as they understood from the Old Testament book of Zechariah in chapter 9:9

“behold your king is coming being seated upon the foal of a donkey”

This is significant as Messiah was being associated with a donkey rather than a horse ready for battle, because He is not depicted as a warrior but as a man of peace Who represents spiritual prosperity, (as was shown in the metaphor of the vineyard). His wars will be won by divine power not through force of arms.

Hoshea-na as in (Ps 118:25) means ‘Deliver us now’ or ‘Save us now’.

This comes from the same root as Yeshua, the Hebrew name of Jesus.

The ending ‘na’, is something we do not have a translation for in English. It’s a demanding ‘NOW’, that is neither rude nor impertinent. It is properly translated ‘Please’ or ‘I pray you’ or ‘Behold’.

The greeting and waving of palm fronds and branches were traditionally done on the 6th day of the feast of sukkot welcoming the reigning Messiah to assume the throne in Jerusalem. All those shouting Hoshea-na knew this and believed Yeshua was the Messiah who had come to claim His throne then and there.

See Matt 21:8,9 Mk 11:8,9 Lk 19:37,38 Jn 12:12,13

From Luke 19:35, the Greek word used for ‘garment’ is ‘imatia’, meaning, ‘cloak or outer garment’, it is used here and in vs. 35 and 36. The ‘cloak’ of a Jewish man was his prayer shawl, as can be seen in the picture below.

These were the ‘garments’ laid on the road before Him as he passed by 1000’s of people gathered in Jerusalem for Passover. One of three annually appointed times, that every Israelite was expected to attend.

Jesus  wept   over  Jerusalem  on  Palm  Sunday

because  Israel  did  not  know  the   time   and   importance   of   that   day.

What   will   Jesus   find   when   He   returns  soon  on  the  next  scheduled  feast  day?

LEVITICUS 23 is the single chapter of the entire Bible /Tanakh that sums up everything. God’s eternal plan — from chaos to eternity — is ingeniously revealed through the nature and timing of the Seven annual Feasts of the LORD.

Why do we need to look at what the feasts are called, when they happen and why they remain significant?

Sacrifice is the major feature of the feasts and knowledge of them enhances our faith.

“The Lord’s APPOINTED TIMES which you shall proclaim as HOLY CONVOCATIONS- MY APPOINTED TIMES ARE THESE.  In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at twilight is the Lord’s PASSOVER.” (Leviticus 23:1,5)

It was on Mount Sinai that God gave Moses the dates and observances of the seven feasts. Here are their names:

  1. Passover (Pesach) – Nisan 14

  2. Unleavened Bread (Chag Hamotzi) – Nisan 15-22

  3. First Fruits (Yom habikkurim) – Nisan 16

  4. Pentecost (Shavu’ot) – Sivan 6

  5. Trumpets (Yom Teru’ah) – Tishri 1

  6. Atonement (Yom Kippur) – Tishri 10

  7. Tabernacles (Sukkot) – Tishri 15

When do they happen? God’s calendar is based on the phases of the moon. Each month in a lunar calendar begins with a new moon.

Pesach falls on the first full moon of Spring.

The first three feasts, Pesach/Passover, Unleavened Bread and First Fruits fall in March and April.

The fourth one, Shavu’ot, Pentecost, marked the summer harvest and occurs in late May or early June.

The last three feasts, Trumpets, Yom Kippur and Sukkot happen in September and October.

The first 3 Spring Feasts occur all very close together. These are the ones that are happening right now and next post will shed a little more light on them.