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Saturday, September 19, 2009

Why is there a moon phase on the top of my blog?

1 Tishri 5770

Shalom,

Many people have been asking me, why is there a moon phase on the top of my blog? What is the relation to our lives? -- Well, to make it straight forward, I will answer that question like this : I put a moon phase on the top of my blog is for a sign. To let me know the sign, the season, the time as the Bible told us to do so.

This is my biblical reason why I put a moon phase on the top of my blog.

Gen 1:14  KJV
And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:

Since the Creation, God had made the sun, the moon and the stars for signs, for seasons, for days and for years.

Example :
The birth of Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus Christ), God put a bright star to locate the place so that the three wise men could come to worship Him. The star was a signal, a beacon

Now let us read once more Gen 1:14 from the Hebraic perspective. Why do we must read it from the Hebraic perspective? Because our Lord Yeshua HaMashiach was a Jew. Even He died as King of the Jews.

Joh 19:19  CJB
Pilate also had a notice written and posted on the stake; it read, YESHUA FROM NATZERET THE KING OF THE JEWS.

Let us read Gen 1:14 from Hebraic perspective so that we can get the message clearly.
Gen 1:14  KJV
And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs [אות - 'ôth], and for seasons [  מועד - mô‛êd], and for days [יום - yôm], and years [שׁנה -  shânâh]:

The word signs in Hebrew is
'ôth.
The word seasons in Hebrew is
mô‛êd.
The word days in Hebrew is
yôm.
The word years in Hebrew is
shânâh.

Now let us study these Hebrew word one by one.
'ôth
The word signs in Hebrew is 'ôth.
Strong's Hebrew-Greek Dictionary :
H226
אות
'ôth (to be read : oth)
Probably from H225 (in the sense of appearing); a signal (literally or figuratively), as a flag, beacon, monument, omen, prodigy, evidence, etc.: - mark, miracle, (en-) sign, token.

Brown-Driver-Brigg's Hebrew Definition :
H226
אות
'ôth
BDB Definition :
1) sign, signal
1a) a distinguishing mark
1b) banner
1c) remembrance
1d) miraculous sign
1e) omen
1f) warning
2) token, ensign, standard, miracle, proof
Part of Speech: noun feminine
A Related Word by BDB/Strong’s Number: probably from H225 (in the sense of appearing).

Note :
According Genesis 1:14 God put sun and the moon to give us signal (in the sense of appearing), beacon, or warning etc. Appearing of what? Of course, appearing of God Himself to us.
mô‛êd


The word seasons in Hebrew is mô‛êd. The word seasons here is not talking about the season in our terminology like summer, winter, spring etc.

Strong's Hebrew-Greek Dictionary :
H4150
מועדה    מעד    מועד
mô‛êd  mô‛êd  mô‛âdâh (to be read : mo-ade', mo-ade', mo-aw-daw')
From H3259; properly an appointment, that is, a fixed time or season; specifically a festival; conventionally a year; by implication, an assembly (as convened for a definite purpose); technically the congregation; by extension, the place of meeting; also a signal (as appointed beforehand): - appointed (sign, time), (place of, solemn) assembly, congregation, (set, solemn) feast, (appointed, due) season, solemn (-ity), synagogue, (set) time (appointed).
Brown-Driver-Brigg's Hebrew Definition :
H4150
מועדה  /  מעד  /  מועד
mô‛êd  /  mô‛êd  /  mô‛âdâh
BDB Definition:
1) appointed place, appointed time, meeting
1a) appointed time
1a1) appointed time (general)
1a2) sacred season, set feast, appointed season
1b) appointed meeting
1c) appointed place
1d) appointed sign or signal
1e) tent of meeting
Part of Speech: noun masculine
A Related Word by BDB/Strong’s Number: from H3259.

Note :
According Genesis 1:14 God put sun and the moon to give us appointed place, appointed time, meeting appointed time.

Let us read Leviticus 23:2.

Lev 23:2  KJV
Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts
[מועד - mô‛êd] of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts [מועד - mô‛êd].

In Leviticus 23:1-44, we can find all the feasts of the LORD God. God calls these all as "my feasts". Not somebody's feasts, but God's feasts.

Read once more :
Lev 23:2  KJV
Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts.

Whose feasts? God's feasts!!!
These feasts belong to God, not mankind.

So, there are 7 God's feasts according to Leviticus 23. Those are :

1. Passover - Pesach (15 Nisan).
2. Seven Days Unleavened Bread - Chag HaMatzot(15 Nisan - 22 Nisan).
3. Firstfruits - Reishit Katzir (17 Nisan).
4. Pentecost - Shavuot (6 Sivan - 7 Sivan).
5. Trumpets - Rosh Hashanah (1 Tishri).
6. Day of Atonement - Yom Kippur (10 Tishri).
7. Tabernacles - Sukkot (15 Tishri - 21 Tishri).

Those 7 are appointed times.
These are appointed times, or meeting appointed times. God sets the time for us to enable us to meet Him, to celebrate with Him, to worship Him.

How does God give the signal that His appointed times is coming? By the moon phase. Go back again to Genesis 1:14.

Gen 1:14  KJV
And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:

This is the reason why I put the moon phase on the top of my blog, it is to understand the signal when the appointed times is.

Please remember, if you use the Gregorian calendar, by calculating the month from January up to December, you will not understand all of these appointed times.

Why?

Because all of these 7 feasts, they all use the lunar calendar. Not the solar calendar. Gregorian calendar is a solar calendar.The following are tropical solar calendars :

    * Gregorian calendar
    * Julian calendar
    * Bahá'í calendar
    * Hindu calendar
    * Coptic calendar
    * Iranian calendar (Jalāli Calendar)
    * Malayalam calendar
    * Tamil calendar
    * Thai solar calendar

A solar calendar is a calendar whose dates indicate the position of the earth on its revolution around the sun (or equivalently the apparent position of the sun moving on the celestial sphere).

But do you know that the biblical calendar is a lunar calendar?

A lunar calendar is a calendar that is based on cycles of the moon phase. It takes about 29.5 days for the Moon to orbit the Earth. During each lunar orbit, the Moon's appearance changes from not visibly illuminated (a new moon) through partially illuminated (a waxing crescent) to fully illuminated (a full moon), then back through partially illuminated (a waning crescent) to not illuminated again (a new moon). This cycle of moon phases is called a lunation :

It takes about 29.5 days for the Moon to orbit the Earth. During each lunar orbit, the Moon's appearance changes from not visibly illuminated (a new moon) through partially illuminated (a waxing crescent) to fully illuminated (a full moon), then back through partially illuminated (a waning crescent) to not illuminated again (a new moon). This cycle of moon phases is called a lunation:

Photobucket

The first time that the waxing crescent of the Moon is visible marks the beginning of a Jewish month, called Rosh Chodesh (head of the month).

Rosh Chodesh symbolizes renewal and restoration. Just as the moon wanes and disappears at the end of each month, but returns and waxes again to fullness, so we suffer until the return of our beloved Mashiach Yeshua, who will restore the glory of God fully upon the earth.

Twelve chodashim (months) make one shanah ( one year) (however, since 12 x 29.5 equals 354 days, but a solar year is 365 days, an extra month (called Adar Sheni) is added to the Hebrew calendar every two or three years in order to keep the solar seasons aligned with the lunar calendar).

The Earth’s moon is about 400 times smaller than the Sun but it is also about 400 times closer, so that they both appear to be about the same size in the sky. This accords with the Scripture that says :

Gen 1:16  KJV
And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.


According to Rabbinic tradition, the very first commandment given to the children of Israel after being delivered from Egypt was to sanctify the new moon (Exodus 12:1-2)

Exo 12:1  KJV
And the LORD spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying,
Exo 12:2  KJV
This month shall be unto you the beginning of months: it shall be the first month of the year to you.

thereby causing the fledgling nation of Israel to depart from the solar tradition of the Egyptians (Ra worship - worshipping to the sun) and to look to the moon for a new means of reckoning time and seasons.

Knowing precisely when Rosh Chodesh began was critical to the order of the mo’edim, or appointed times commanded by the LORD.

But it is very sad nowadays to find the Church return to solar calendar. God had given the lunar calendar to His people to separate His people from idolatry system, but now the Church promotes the solar calendar back again.

That's why the Church now is missing some appointed times that God had given to intimacy with. We will not understand His works by looking at solar calendar.

But...we will understand His works by looking at lunar calendar.

Consider this...

The Spring Festivals (Passover, Firstfruits, and Shavuot) have been perfectly fulfilled in the first coming of Yeshua as Mashiach ben Yosef, as a Suffering Mashiach. Isn't that right? Amen?

And the Fall Festivals (Teruah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot) will be fulfilled in His second coming as Mashiach ben David, as a King Mashiach.

Since the first advent fulfilled all of the spring mo'edim to the smallest of details, we believe that His second advent portends similar fulfillment as revealed in the fall mo'edim

Amen, my brother and sisters?

Let us return to the system that God had given to us so that we can understand His appointed times. If we are worshipping Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus Christ) as Lord and God, but we are celebrating Christmas, celebrating Easter, celebrating Good Friday, Ash Wednesday etc...what does it mean?

It means nothing!!!

God never given His commandments to celebrate all these. Yeshua (Jesus) never taught His disciples to celebrate all these. The Pope had commanded the people to celebrate all these. A man had commanded the people to celbrate all these. And by doing this, sadly Christians are returning to solar calendar, because all of these celebrations are based on the solar calendar.

But what did God command to us? God has His own feasts. God has His own appointed times. God has His own celebration and God calls these as "My feasts".

This is the one that we should celebrate. Because we belong to God so this is the reason we celebrate His feasts. All of His feasts are in lunar calendar.

As Yeshua (Jesus) had Passover meals 14 Nisan, died in the feast of Passover 15 Nisan as Lamb of God, buried in the tomb as Unleavened Bread in the feast of Unleavened Bread 15 Nisan, raised as Firstfruit in the feast of Firstfruit 17 Nisan, and Holy Spirit was given in 6-7 Sivan in the feast of Pentecost and all of these feasts had been fulfilled.

If Yeshua (Jesus) first coming had been fulfilled through the first 4 feasts, so Yeshua (Jesus) second coming will be fulfilled through the last 3 feasts, Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot.

That is why Paul said :

1Th 5:1  KJV
But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you.
Note :
Paul believe that his readers already understand about the times and the seasons (the appointed times or mô‛êd )

1Th 5:2  KJV
For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night.
1Th 5:3  KJV
For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
Note :
The day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night for them who are sleeping, for them who are not aware, for them who don't understand appointed times.

But for those who are watching, Paul says on the next verse

1Th 5:4  KJV
But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief.
1Th 5:5  KJV
Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.
1Th 5:6  KJV
Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober.
1Th 5:7  KJV
For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night.
1Th 5:8  KJV
But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation.
1Th 5:9  KJV
For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,
Note :
Read carefully that Paul says that the day of the Lord will not come as thief in the night for those who are watching.

Why?
Because God's people is following His Word. God's people is following His system, lunar system, not solar system. Because God's people is following His Word, then they are not in the darkness.

Consider this...

Rev 3:3  KJV
Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.
Note :
If someone does not watch, The Lord will come to him/her as a thief, because he/she doesn't know the time.

But on the other hand, if someone does watch, if someone knows God's feasts, he/she will keep watching, because through His feasts, God teaches us to watch and every God's feast has prophetic meaning so that His people will not forget.

Consider the story of 10 virgins...

Whom did Yeshua (Jesus) tell "Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh"? Yeshua told this statement to the foolish virgins because they didn't watch.

Mat 25:8  KJV
And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.
Mat 25:9  KJV
But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.
Mat 25:10  KJV
And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.
Mat 25:11  KJV
Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.
Mat 25:12  KJV
But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.
Mat 25:13  KJV
Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
Note :
On verse 13, Yeshua (Jesus) said this statement to the foolish virgins, not to the wise virgins.

Can we watch by using solar calendar? Can we watch by using Greogorian calendar? No!!!

Today is 1 Tishri 5770 in biblical calendar. Today is Rosh Hashanah or feast of Trumpets. This feast represents the rapture of the Church before the 7 years Tribulation is begun. Everytime we celebrate this feast of Rosh Hashanah, we remember that one day the Lord will rapture us. Everytime celebrate Rosh Hashanah we are reminded that there will be a Rapture one day in the future.

Hallelu-Yah...I pray so that God bless you through His Word on your study. Keep in His Word.

Blessing,
Andre

Thursday, September 17, 2009

What is Rosh Hashanah?

Shalom,

What is Rosh Hashanah?

Rosh Hashanah
is Hebrew words.

Rosh means "the head" or "the new". Like in :

Col 2:16  CJB
So don't let anyone pass judgment on you in connection with eating and drinking, or in regard to a Jewish festival or Rosh-Hodesh or Shabbat.

Col 2:16  KJV
Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:

Ha is a prefix, like in the word HaMashiach (in Hebrew) = the Messiah (in English).

Shanah
means "year". Like in :

Lev 23:41  CJB
You are to observe it as a feast to Adonai seven days in
the year [שׁנה - shânâh]
; it is a permanent regulation, generation after generation; keep it in the seventh month.
Lev 23:41  KJV
And ye shall keep it a feast unto the LORD seven days in the year [שׁנה - shânâh]. It shall be a statute for ever in your generations: ye shall celebrate it in the seventh month.

So Rosh Hashanah simply means "The head of the year" or "The New Year". Rosh Hashanah is a big feast that happen on the 7th month in biblical calendar.

Jewish Months

In biblical context this feast of Rosh Hashanah is called as Yom Teruah.
Yom means "The day".
Teruah means "Trumpets".
So Yom Teruah means "The Day of Trumpets".

Let us read the Word of God regarding this Rosh Hashanah or Yom Teruah.

Lev 23:24  CJB
"Tell the people of Isra'el, 'In the seventh month, the first of the month is to be for you a day of complete rest for remembering, a holy convocation announced with blasts on the shofar.

Lev 23:24  KJV
Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation.

What does Rosh Hashanah represent to?

To Orthodox Jews :
According to Jewish tradition, on Rosh Hashanah the destiny of the righteous, the tzaddikim, are written in the Book of Life, and the destiny of the wicked, the resha'im, are written in the Book of Death. However, many people (perhaps most people) will not be inscribed in either book, but have ten days, until Yom Kippur, to repent before sealing their fate. Then comes the term Aseret Yemei Teshuvah - the Ten Days of Repentance. On Yom Kippur, then, everyone's name will be sealed in one of the two books. The shofar (ram's horn) is blasted at least 100 times during a typical Rosh Hashanah service, thus satisfying the commandment to make Teruah ("noise") on this day.The sound of the shofar, then, is meant to stir the heart to fear and to inspire teshuvah (repentance).

Amo 3:6  CJB
When the shofar is blown in the city, don't the people tremble? Can disaster befall a city without Adonai's having done it?

The blast of the shofar is meant to jolt us from our sleep.

To Messiah believers :
As Messianic believers, we maintain that Judgment Day has come and justice was served through the sacrificial offering of Yeshua for our sins.

2Co 5:21  CJB
God made this sinless man be a sin offering on our behalf, so that in union with him we might fully share in God's righteousness." 

He is the perfect fulfillment of the Akedah of Isaac. Our names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life, or Sefer HaChayim (Rev. 13:8).

Rev 13:8  CJB
Everyone living on earth will worship it except those whose names are written in the Book of Life belonging to the Lamb slaughtered before the world was founded.

We do not believe that we are made acceptable in God's sight by means of our own works of righteousness.

Tit 3:5  CJB
he delivered us. It was not on the ground of any righteous deeds we had done, but on the ground of his own mercy. He did it by means of the mikveh of rebirth and the renewal brought about by the Ruach HaKodesh,
Tit 3:6  CJB
whom he poured out on us generously through Yeshua the Messiah, our Deliverer.
But that does not excuse us from being without such works (as fruit of the Holy Spirit in our lives).

The Scriptures clearly warn that on the Day of Judgment to come, anyone's name not found written in the Book of Life will be thrown into the lake of fire.

Rev 20:15  CJB
Anyone whose name was not found written in the Book of Life was hurled into the lake of fire.

The Spring Festivals (Passover, Firstfruits, and Shavuot) have been perfectly fulfilled in the first coming of Yeshua as Mashiach ben Yosef, and the Fall Festivals (Teruah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot) will be fulfilled in His second coming as Mashiach ben David.

Since the first advent fulfilled all of the spring mo'edim to the smallest of details, we believe that His second advent portends similar fulfillment as revealed in the fall feasts or mo'edim.

After the summer of harvest (John 4:35), the very first Fall festival on the Jewish calendar is Yom Teruah, which is a picture of the "catching away"  or "rapture" of kallat Mashiach (the Bride of Christ) for the time of Sheva Berachot (seven "days" of blessing that follows the marriage ceremony).

Joh 4:35  CJB
Don't you have a saying, 'Four more months and then the harvest'? Well, what I say to you is: open your eyes and look at the fields! They're already ripe for harvest!

After the rapture, or after Yom Teruah, then will come the Great Tribulation and Yom Adonai - the Day of the LORD.

The heavenly shofar blasts heard at Sinai and later it will be reissued from Zion.  First will be the gathering together of those who follow the Mashiach ( for those declared tzaddikim because of the merit of Yeshua's sacrifice),

1Th 4:16  CJB
For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a rousing cry, with a call from one of the ruling angels, and with God's shofar; those who died united with the Messiah will be the first to rise;
1Th 4:17 CJB
then we who are left still alive will be caught up with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and thus we will always be with the Lord.

And then God's war against Satan and the world system will begin, culminating in the long-awaited coronation of the King of King of Kings - Melech Malchei Ha-Melachim.

Rosh Hashanah (or better, Yom Teruah) is therefore a sacred time that has prophetic significance for the Messianic believer, since it commemorates both the creation of the universe by Adonai as well as the "calling up" of the new creation at the behest of Yeshua, when the sound of the heavenly shofar inaugurates the anticipated End of Days (1Co 15:51-54; 1Th 4:15-18). It also prefigures the coming Day of the LORD and Great Tribulation period that marks God's judgment on an unbelieving world.

With the appearance of the Great King comes great judgment.  Let's be ready to appear before this awesome King, chaverim, by turning to Him now and trusting in His redemption and love for us.

Happy Rosh Hashanah, Happy New Year 5770. May your name be written in the Book of Life because Yeshua is coming as Mashiach ben David.

Photobucket

The King Is Coming Pictures, Images and Photos

Blessing,
Andre


Tuesday, September 8, 2009

From Rosh Hashanah to Simchat Torah

Shalom,

The following is a list of the fall holiday dates according to the Gregorian Calendar. Please note that according to the custom of the Biblical Calendar all holidays begin at sundown :

1. ROSH HASHANAH 1 TISHRI 5770 - FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 18th

Rosh Hashanah begins Friday, September 18th this year (this is a Shabbat). According to traditional Jewish thinking, this holiday commemorates the creation of mankind by G-d. The Mishnah (earlier part of the Talmud) refers to Rosh Hashanah as the "Day of Judgment" since all of creation owes allegiance to the Creator and is accountable to Him.

The Name Elokim revealed in Genesis 1:1 bespeaks G-d as the Creator and Judge of the universe.

The Name YUD-KEY-VAV-KEY, on the other hand, reveals G-d's compassion, as the One who intimately relates to humanity and breathes into us the breath of life (Gen 2:4).

In Jewish tradition on Rosh Hashanah we stand before G-d as our personal Creator and Judge. Many Messianic Jews believe that the sound of the shofar on Rosh Hashanah is a symbol of the rapture of the followers of the Messiah to Jerusalem.


2. YOM KIPPUR 10 TISHRI 5770 - SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 27th

Yom Kippur begins an hour before sundown on Sunday, September 27th. The 25 hour fast runs until an hour past sundown on Monday, September 28th. This is perhaps the most important holiday of the Jewish Year and holds tremendous prophetic significance.  It is considered a mitzvah to eat a sacred meal with loved ones, just before the fast begins.

The sound of the shofar on Yom Kippur is called gedolah, since it signifies the "sealing of the books" for the coming year.... Yom Kippur prophetically pictures the "Day of the LORD" or the Day of Judgment in the End of Days).
      

3. SUKKOT 15 TISHRI - 22 TISHRI 5770 - FRIDAY OCTOBER 2nd - FRIDAY OCTOBER 9th

Five days after Yom Kipppur marks the start of the seven-day festival of Sukkot (referred to as "Tabernacles" in the Christian tradition). It can be argued that Sukkot is the climax of all the festivals in Scripture.

Everything leads to it as a culmination in G-d's prophetic plan. Sukkot concludes with an additional holiday called "Shemini Atzeret," on Friday, October 9th.

Note :
The Torah Reading Cycle is suspended for the holiday week of Sukkot as well as for Shemini Atzeret (sometimes referred to as the eighth day of Sukkot). Sukkot, Hoshana Rabbah, and Shemini Atzeret Torah readings are from Leviticus 22-23, Numbers 29, and Deuteronomy 14-16. These readings detail the laws of all of the mo'edim or "appointed times" on the Jewish calendar and include the mitzvot regarding the festival of Sukkot.
      
4. SIMCHAT TORAH 22 TISHRI 5770 - SATURDAY OCTOBER 10th

Simchat Torah ("Joy of Torah") immediately follows the festival of Sukkot (Shemini Atzeret evening service). On Simchat Torah we conclude, and begin a new, the annual Torah-reading cycle. First we read the Torah section of V'zot Haberakhah, and then we read the first chapter of Genesis (the beginning of the next Shabbat's Torah reading).

Blessing in Yeshua's Name,
Andre