Bees and the Coming Famine

El Shaddai Ministries

Pastor Mark Biltz www.elshaddaiministries.us

Ge 26:1-6 And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines unto Gerar.

Ac 11:28 And one of them named Agabus stood up and signified by the Spirit that there should be great famine over the world (which also happened in the days of Claudius Caesar).

Ge 26:12-14 Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year an
hundredfold: and the LORD blessed him.

Ge 27:28,29 Therefore may God give you Of the dew of heaven, Of the fatness of the earth, And plenty of grain and wine.

The fatness of the earth: Shaman Idiom for the rich oil from the olive tree
Ps 23:5 You prepare a table for me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil;(Shemen) my cup runs over.

Olive oil is what is used for anointing.

Da 9:25 Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the
commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks,
#4899. xyvm maw-shee'-akh anointed; usually a consecrated person (as a king, or a priest specifically, the Messiah:--anointed, Messiah.
And plenty of grain and wine; Jer 31:11,12 For the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and ransomed him from the hand of him that was stronger than he. Therefore they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and shall flow together to the goodness of the LORD, for wheat, and for
wine, and for oil, and for the young of the flock and of the herd: and their soul shall be as a watered garden; and they shall not sorrow any more at all.

Ho 2:21,22 And it shall come to pass in that day, I will hear, saith the LORD, I will hear the heavens, and they shall hear the earth; And the earth shall hear the corn,2 and the wine, and the oil; and they shall hear Jezreel.

Joe 2:19 Yea, the LORD will answer and say unto his people, Behold, I will send you corn, and wine, and oil, and ye shall be satisfied therewith: and I will no more make you a reproach among the heathen:
Joe 2:23,24 Be glad then, ye children of Zion, and rejoice in the LORD your God: for he hath given you the former rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain, and the latter rain in the first month.

And the floors shall be full of wheat, and the fats shall overflow with wine and oil.
Mic 4:1,2,4 But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it. And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. But they
shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig tree; and none shall make them afraid: for the mouth of the LORD of hosts hath spoken it.
The grain and wine symbolize the days of the Messiah & the Biblical Feast Days.

There is no end to the blood of Messiah or his body as represented by the bread that fed 5,000. Re 6:5 And when the third seal was undone, the voice of the third beast came to my ears, saying, Come and see. And I saw a black horse; and he who was seated on it had scales in his hand. And a voice came to my ears, from the middle of the four beasts, saying, A measure of grain for a penny, and three measures of barley for a
penny: and see that you do no damage to the oil and the wine.
A days wage will go entirely to feeding the family. What sign is there that we may be approaching this time? The canary in the mineshaft.

Physically & spiritually

The honey bee.

Beekeepers across the world are losing the majority of their bees.
The commercial beekeepers noticed it first some losing up to 90% of their colonies.

Non migratory beekeepers are now also experiencing it as well.
Bees do not pollinate all plants. Grains are not pollinated by bees but are self pollinating or wind pollinated. With bees gone grains would not be hurt like the fruits, vegetables and nuts. Grains would become more expensive as supply and demand arose. Olive trees and Grape vines the source of the oil and the wine also are not dependant upon bees. They also are cross-pollinated by the wind.

Prophetic implications:
3:
As with the story of Joseph, a very prophetic picture of the end times, God’s purposes were accomplished by a global famine.
Mal 4:4-6 Keep in mind the Torah of Moses, my servant, which I gave him in Horeb for all Israel, even the rules and the decisions. See, I am sending you Elijah the prophet before the day of the Lord comes, that great day, greatly to be feared.

And by him the hearts of fathers will be turned to their children, and the hearts of children to their fathers; for fear that I may come and put the earth under a curse. Luke 4:25,26 Truly I say to you, There were a number of widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up for three years and six months and there was no food in the land; But Elijah was not sent to one of them, but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.

1Co 15:46 But that which is natural comes before that which is of the spirit.

Could God use a literal famine to teach us of a spiritual famine?

De 8:3 And He humbled you and allowed you to hunger, and then He fed you with manna, which you did not know, neither did your fathers know it, so that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone. But every word that comes out of the mouth of the LORD man shall live.
Temporal bread shows us we are in need of spiritual bread. De 1:1 These be the words which Moses spoke unto all Israel
#1696 rbd daw-bar' to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak;
Am 8:11,12 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD: And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the Word of the LORD,and shall not find it. If the vanishing bees we are seeking is an indication of a coming physical famine what is their connection to the coming spiritual famine?

Jg 5:1 Then sang Deborah #1682. hrwbd deb-o-raw' from #1696 (in the sense of orderly motion); the bee(from its systematic instincts)
Isa 7:18 And it shall come to pass in that day, that the LORD shall hiss for the fly that is in the uttermost part of the rivers of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria.

4 Physical bees are symbolic of the Word of God!

Ps 119:103 How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!If you closely observe what is being presented as the “Word of God” in most churches today it is being mingled with man’s opinions and cultural trends. We have added to and taken away from the Word of God. Why is this done? To be more attractive to the masses, so they will be more financially productive. The organic bee colonies that grow in the wild, without the use of pesticides and other chemicals are not experiencing the symptoms of CCD. The colonies which are manipulated by “adding” chemicals and “taking away” their natural habitat all in order to “increase production” are the ones experiencing the greatest problems. Soon many will find it very hard to find a place where the “Organic” Word of God is spoken.

Word of God is likened to a seed:

Mr 4:14 The sower soweth the Word.Isa 52:7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! Many types of seeds are spread by bees via pollination. They get fed, fill their sacs, which by the way are located on their legs, with pollen and carry it to the next location. Therefore the original seed is disseminated over a larger area. So having been fed by the Word we are to carry it to others. We must act like bees!

There’s always a remnant. Those who haven’t become entangled with a system that wishes only to “increase production”. They continue to make honey and pollinate the seed just as the Creator intended. Though fewer in number they thrive in the wild. Mr 1:6 And John was clothed with camel's hair, and with a girdle of a skin about his loins; and he did eat locusts and wild honey; Elijah never went hungry during famine and neither did Joseph. They knew where to get food. Ps 37:25 I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. Re 6:5 And when the third seal was undone, the voice of the third beast came to my ears, saying, Come and see. And I saw a black horse; and he who was seated on it had scales in his hand. And a voice came to my ears, from the middle of the four beasts, saying, A measure of grain for a penny, and three measures of barley for a 5 penny: and see that you do no damage to the oil and the wine. Certain foods will not be affected by the famine. The Grains, the Olives and the Fruit of the Vine. All associated with the Biblical Feasts.

In the last days it will be very important to be considered wheat:
Mt 3:12 Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire. Be a part of the vine:John 15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him,the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

And be grafted into the Olive Tree:

Ro 11:24 For if you were cut out of a field olive-tree, and against the natural use were united to a good olive-tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be united again with the olive-tree which was theirs? Many other plants and fruits will be failing. Why are these not affected? Because they are cross pollinated by the “wind” which in Hebrew is translated as Spirit!Zec 4:6 Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.
Most of these concepts came from a teaching by Bill Cloud whose website I recommend:

www.billcloud.org

Freedom from the Sinai Covenant

By Elie Nessim who leads Kehillath Tsion, a sister ministry of Zion Messianic Fellowship in Vancouver, B.C.

There is a move in Messianic circles to affirm that the New Covenant of Jeremiah 31:31 is merely the Sinai Covenant renewed. This theological flaw stems from a failure to distinguish between the different connotations of the term "law." Law can mean Brit (covenant) or Torah (teaching). In Jer. 31:33 both meanings occur. "But this is the Brit which I will make. I will put My torah within them."

The Brit has changed, the Torah has not. Torah has abiding relevance and authority (Malachi 4:4). In Matthew 5:17-18 Yeshua says, "Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished." In these statements Law means teaching and is synonymous with all the Word of God.

New, Not Renewed

Brit, however, has been replaced. God speaks of a new (Heb: chadashah), not a renewed (mechudeshet), Covenant. The word renewed does not appear. This is reinforced in Hebrews 8:8-12 which translates chadashah as kainos in Greek, meaning of a different nature.

The Sinai Covenant was one of works. Deuteronomy 27:26 says, "Cursed is he who does not confirm the words of this Law by doing them." (See also Galatians 3:10, 12.) By contrast, the New Covenant is one of grace (Jer. 31:34). Because of it we have been redeemed from the curse (Gal. 3:13).

Romans 7:1-6 describes our relationship to the Covenant. Under the Sinai Covenant, we are married to the Law; under the New Covenant, we are married to Messiah. In order for this to happen, we are freed from the Law as Covenant (v.3), we are dead to the Law (v.4) and we are delivered from the Law (v.6).

What has Changed in the New Covenant?

The lawgiver has changed. Moses is no longer the steward. "For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king (Isaiah 33:22)." (See also I Corinthians 9:21.)

The Priesthood has Changed.

Instead of an Aaronic high priest there is one after the order of Melchizedek - Yeshua, the Son of God (Psalm 110:4). Heb. 7:28 says, "For the Law appoints men as high priests who are weak, but the word of the oath, which came after the Law, appoints a Son, made perfect forever."

The Sacrifice has Changed.

Under the Sinai Covenant animal sacrifices were offered; under the New Covenant Messiah offered Himself (Ps. 40:6-8 and Heb. 10:11-12). The administration has changed. The Torah is administered under a new Brit. It is no longer written on stone tablets but on the tablets of the heart, by the Ruach haKodesh (II Cor. 3:3). This is what God means in Jer. 31:31-34.

The First Covenant given at Sinai made way for the Second (New) Covenant as blossoms give way to fruit. The precept in Deut. 10:16, for example, is transmuted into promise in Deut. 30:6.

In the same way with the other conditions, God gives in the New Covenant what He required in the Old, as Heb. 7:19 says, "(for the Law made nothing perfect), and on the other hand there is a bringing in of a better hope."

Some things have not changed in the New Covenant

Torah has not changed. "Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in heaven. (Ps. 119:89)" God's provisions have not changed. We still need a sacrifice, a high priest to mediate on our behalf, an altar, a sanctuary, a covenant. All these are found in the person and work of Messiah Yeshua. "But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption (Heb. 9:11-12)"

The penalty for disobedience has not changed. Transgression of the New Covenant is more severely punished than transgression of the Old, according to Hebrews .10:28-29.

New Covenant in Embryo

The promises have not changed. The Law, which came 430 years after God's covenant of promise with Abraham, cannot annual that covenant. This was the New Covenant in embryo; and it was unilateral, as described in Genesis 15:17-18, where only God took upon Himself all the terms and conditions (See Gal. 3:20.)

The Sinai Covenant was temporary and was abrogated to make way for the New. Both cannot exist. As it says in Gal. 5:1, Messiah set us free so that we could have freedom. (AMEN!)

The Bible-Believing Christian and the Jewish People

Rev. Francis Schaeffer, Jr.

"How odd of God to choose the Jew, But not so odd
as those who choose The Jewish God but hate the Jew."
We live in an age in which anti-Semitism is a powerful force. In many lands it has resulted in the death of countless Jews. Even in our own land it shows itself in various guises from time to time. Even among those who call themselves fundamentalist Christians we find an occasional individual who spends a large portion of his time assailing the Jews.

Considering anti-Semitism, the first thing that fixes itself in my thinking is the fact that Christ was a Jew. When we open the New Testament to Matthew 1:1, we find the very first claim made concerning Christ is that he sprang from Abraham and was a descendant of David. The Bible does not say that Jesus just happened to be a Jew, but the Word emphasizes over and over again that he was a Jew.

When He was eight days old, He was taken to the Temple and circumcized as was every Jewish male. Therefore, we must remember that Jesus bore in His body the physical mark of the Jewish people. When He was twelve, He was dedicated at the Temple, again emphasizing that His Jewish race and Jewish faith were not incidental to Him, but that from His early training they were His vital human background. During His public ministry, as an adult man, the Bible teaches that while repudiating purely human Jewish traditions, His life carefully conformed to Old Testament standards. In fact, He lived in such a way that even the Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah were fulfilled fully in Him. He was the Jew of all Jews.

In His public ministry we find Him dealing almost exclusively with the Jews. Hardly ever did He touch a Gentile life. The twelve disciples were all Jews. The earliest church consisted completely of Jews. It was Peter, the Jew, who spoke to the proselyte, Cornelius. It was the believing Jews, scattered abroad by the persecution following the death of Stephen, who took the Good News to Antioch of Syria where the first Gentile Christian Church was formed. The missionary who opened up the heathen Roman Empire to the preaching of the Gospel was the Jew, Paul.

And if we ask ourselves why it was that the Jews received such an important place in the early Christian Church, we must realize that it was not an afterthought in the plan of God, but that for two thousand years God had been working in history to bring forth this very fact. God called Abraham from Ur of the Chaldees as the first Jew when the earth had completely apostasized from the living God. He promised him that the land should be his, that he should have numerous seed, but above all things, that all the world should be blessed through him. God called forth Abraham for this specific purpose, that through him the Messiah should come. The Jews for two thousand years, in the providence of God, were the cradle of the coming Redeemer.

As we examine the history of that two thousand years, we find God constantly reaffirming the promise of the coming Messiah to the Jews, so that not only was the promise made to Abraham but to Isaac and Jacob, and then it was narrowed down to the tribe of Judah, and then to the royal family—the family of David. As the years passed by it was also promised that He should be born in Bethlehem, that He should be a suffering Messiah, but also that He should rule in Palestine on behalf of His people, the Jews.

In these two thousand years in which the way was prepared for the coming of the Messiah, all the earth was in darkness but for the light that shone in Israel. While our ancestors worshipped we know not what, but certainly not the living God, the Jews were called God's chosen people. They were separated from all other peoples of the earth. They were loved of God, a kingdom of priests. And even in their times of sin, God kept His hand upon them in order that a remnant should be His from which the Anointed One should come. Nay, Jesus was not a Jew by accident, nor as an incidental thing in the plan of God; if Jesus had not been born a Jew, according to both the Old Testament and the New, He could not have been our Saviour.

As for the present time in which we live, Romans 11:17 - 24 teaches that we Gentile believers should not boast against the Jews, the natural branches, for if God spared not the natural branches, we are told to take heed lest He spare not us. How clearly it is emphasized that if we who were wild branches by nature, were grafted contrary to nature into the good olive tree, much more shall the natural branches be grafted into their own olive tree. And what does Ephesians 2:14 stress to us but that at Jesus' death the middle wall of partition was broken down between Jew and Gentile—not that the Jew should be cast aside, but that we should have place with the Jew by faith. Abraham is now our father, and as we have put our faith in Christ, we are now spiritual Jews.

For the future the Word of God is explicit still. In Romans 11:25 it is made clear that the blindness which now in part is happened to Israel is not forever but until the fullness of the Gentiles be come in. And then what is to come to pass? The 26th verse tells us that all Israel shall then be saved, when the Deliverer shall turn away all ungodliness from Jacob. The 29th verse is a verse that we love and use for ourselves, "For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance." We may take it to ourselves because God never breaks any promise, but let us notice that the primary application in this place is to the Jew. God has promised great things for Israel as a nation, and this Word here tells us that He will bring them to pass. If He does not bring them to pass, then the gifts and calling of God are not without repentance. Clearly again, in Zechariah 12:10 it is stated that the day will come when the Jews“shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son.” In the day when Israel shall be saved they shall look upon Jesus and know that in His first coming He was their true Messiah. Again, it is not only the Old Testament which promises that the land of Palestine will once more belong to the Jews, but in the New Testament, in Luke 21:24, we are told that Jerusalem shall be trodden down by the Gentiles only until the time of the Gentiles shall be fulfilled. Therefore, the Word tells us that the day will come when all Israel shall be saved, and the Jews will look upon Jesus as their true Messiah, and also that the Promised Land will be theirs once more. It is not only for the past, not only for the present, but also for the future, that we who are now Christ's should love the Jew.

We cannot expect the Gentile, who merely uses the term "Christian" to designate the difference between Gentile and Jew, to love the Jew, but we who are Christians indeed, in that we have been saved through faith in Christ, should love His ancient people. Above all things in this regard we should keep constantly in our minds that our Lord Himself was a Jew—born a Jew, lived a Jew, died a Jew. Also, the great majority of those heroes of the faith I personally long to see when I go to be with that Lord are Jews. I want to see Abraham; and he is a Jew. And I want to see Isaac; he is a Jew. I want to see Jacob; and he is a Jew. I want to see Joseph; and he is a Jew. I want to see Moses; and he is a Jew. I want to see Joshua; and he is a Jew. I want to see Gideon and the other judges; and they are Jews. I want to see the prophets—Isaiah, Elijah, Elisha, and all the rest; and they are Jews. I want to see Daniel and Ezra and Nehemiah; they are Jews. I want to see John; and he is a Jew. I want to see James; and he is a Jew. I want to see Peter; and he is a Jew. I want to see Paul; and he is a Jew. These are only some of those I long to meet who bear the name of Jew. How could I hate the Jew?

And if this is not enough for those of us who are Bible-believing Christians, let us note the command of God in Romans 11:31. It tells us clearly what our attitude in this age should be to natural Israel. We should have mercy unto them. And, my friends, mercy and anti-Semitism in any form do not live in the same household. We cannot seek to win them individually to the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour if we despise them as a people in our hearts. Not long ago an influential Jew in New York City, the Labor Editor of one of the New York papers, quoted to me a little poem which he said was widely repeated among the Jews of that city. As I have considered this rhyme, I have found it more than an interesting jingle. It speaks wisdom concerning the man who bears the name of Christian and yet is anti-Semitic in his thinking.

"How odd of God to choose the Jew, But not so odd as those who choose The Jewish God but hate the Jew."

Editors note - This is probably the greatest paper ever written on this topic. He clearly lays out the total absurdity of anyone who claims to be a christian but denies the Jewishness of the faith and the literal fufillment of all the great promises God has put in place since the garden of eden. Jesus made it clear that he came to fufill all the promises of the Scriptures, the Hebrew bible - Matt.5:17-18. Halleljuah !!!

The Seven Significant Judgments

Salvation has always and always will be by grace through faith. The issue of faith is faith in what. Old Testament Saints faith was different than the faith of those on this side of the death, burial, and resurrection of the Messiah. There are seven judgments which take place during the different dispensations.

The Believer's Sins

1. Believers sin were judged by the sacrifice of the Messiah:

2 Corinthians 5:21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

The Believer's Self Judgment

2. Believers should judge themselves and not others.

1 Corinthians 11:31-32 For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world.

The Believer's Works

3. Believers works, not sins, will be judged for gain or loss of rewards.

2 Corinthians 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according to what he has done, whether good or bad.

The Gentile Nations

4. Living Gentiles will be judged at the Second Coming of the Messiah.

Matthew 25:32 "All the nations (ethnos ie Gentiles) will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.

The Nation Israel

5. Israel as a nation will be judged during the Time of Jacob's Trouble:

Ezekiel 20:37-38 "I will make you pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant; "I will purge the rebels from among you, and those who transgress against Me; I will bring them out of the country where they dwell, but they shall not enter the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the LORD.

The Angelic Beings

6. Angels will be judged at the Second Coming Judgment:

Jude 1:6 And the angels who did not keep their proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day;

The Dead

7. All Dead will be judged at the end of the Messianic Kingdom:

Revelation 20:12-15 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

From Yehuatyisrael website

Prophecies in the Book of Esther

Excerpt from the Book
by Joseph Good © 1996 Hatikva Ministries

The Ten Sons

Haman was hung on the gallows he had constructed for Mordecai immediately following the banquet with Esther and the king. His ten sons, however, were slain at a much later date, the time designated for the slaughter of the Jewish people according to Haman’s decree. That date being 13 Adar.

Each son’s name is listed separately in scripture. Names are listed in scripture to show a special significance, in this case to show that each son was prominent. In addition, the names of the ten sons are written singly; each on a separate line of text. Usually when names, or other words, are set apart in Hebrew scripture, they are stacked in the manner of bricks: one whole over two halves, etc. This is not the case with the names of Haman’s sons. Their names are written as whole name over whole name, thus showing a weakness in the foundation. In other words, though Haman’s sons enjoyed power and prosperity, they were easily defeated.

The Vav

There is another reason why the ten names hold a special significance. Remember that the Megillah, the Hebrew scroll of Esther, is written in Hebrew. One letter stands differently than the other Hebrew characters in the text. This vav is the first letter of the last son’s name. The letter also appears larger than the other Hebrew characters; therefore, special significance is drawn.

The rabbis taught that this letter is larger in order to show the manner of death of the ten sons. The larger vav, I, which resembles a large stake, represents a very large gallows upon which they believed the 10 sons were “hung” one above the other, rather than 10 separate gallows.

The term gallows is misleading for modern readers. The sons, and Haman himself, were not hung by a noose which is representative of capital punishment in the old west. Rather, the victims of hanging in Persian times were impaled on a large stake and left to hang for public exhibition. This would lend some credence to what the rabbis suspected.

The rabbis also speculated another reason the vav in the last son’s name is larger. They taught that the vav pointed to the sixth millennium. The letter vav is the sixth letter in the Hebrew alphabet, and is used for the number six. It is also a letter that is used to indicate man, as man was created on the sixth day. If Adam had not sinned, he would have remained immortal. However, when he sinned, he became mortal. The recording of the generations in scripture makes a distinction involving the vav.

These are the generations of the heavens and of the earth when they were created, in the day that the L-rd G-d made the earth and the heavens,
Genesis 2.4

In this verse, the word for generations is ,usku, toledot. The letter vav i appears twice. However, in all other places, the word is “defective.” One or the other of the vavs, are missing. It is spelled either ,sku, or ,usk,. Toledot is spelled out in full in only Genesis 2:4 and in the following verse from Ruth.

Now these are the generations (toledot) of Pharez: Pharez begat Hezron,
Ruth 4.18

When the world was created, there was no need for death, except that man acted improperly and sinned. As a result, the offspring, or generations, of man became diminished; therefore, the word itself was diminished. But with the coming of the Messiah, who descends from David, who descended from Pharez, “death will be swallowed up forever.” Because of the Messiah, the offspring, or generations of man will be complete again; therefore, the genealogy of Pharez is the second place where the word is spelled out in full.

There is yet another reason why the vav is larger in the listing of the ten sons. This letter is used several more times in scripture with special significance. For example, it also relates directly to G-d’s tabernacle, the Mishkan. The term vav means hook, which is the shape of the letter I. The courtyard of the Mishkan was surrounded by curtains suspended by vavim or hooks (clasps) from the top of pillars. Similarly, the rabbis taught that the vav is used in scripture to join one thing to another, or one time to another, linking the past to the present and future. Because of its shape, the pegs or pins of the Mishkan that anchored the many coverings have been compared to the vav. The Hebrew word for these tent pegs is yotaid. This word is linked very definitely to the oversized vav in Esther 9. The sages state that the yotaid of the Mishkan was the anchor of G-d’s court. There is another item within the Mishkan that is called the yotaid.

The Mishkan is the tabernacle itself and has a higher sanctity than the courtyard that surrounds it. As one enters the Mishkan, the first room is known as the haKodesh or Holy Place. It is in this room that the table of Shewbread, the seven-branched Menorah, and the Altar of Incense stood. There was a veil that separated the haKodesh from the next room, the Kodesh haKodasheen, the Holy of Holies. In this room, the Ark of the Covenant was located. A veil separating the two rooms was supported by four vertical poles. These were not the only vertical poles present within the Mishkan, for as one entered from the courtyard into the Mishkan coming into the haKodesh there were five poles and a veil suspended from them. The middle pole was known as the yotaid. This pole was unique in that it had pegs set within. The vessels of the Mishkan were hung on this middle pole, including the measuring cups for the oil of the Menorah. As this pole was the center pole of the Mishkan, the rabbis saw a picture of the Messiah in this yotaid. Notice the importance of the yotaid from this passage in Isaiah.

Thus saith the Lord G-d of hosts, Go, get thee unto this treasurer, even unto Shebna, which is over the house, and say, What hast thou here? and whom hast thou here, that thou hast hewed thee out a sepulchre here, as he that heweth him out a sepulchre on high, and that graveth an habitation for himself in a rock? Behold, the L-rd will carry thee away with a mighty captivity, and will surely cover thee. He will surely violently turn and toss thee like a ball into a large country: there shalt thou die, and there the chariots of thy glory shall be the shame of thy lord’s house. And I will drive thee from thy station, and from thy state shall he pull thee down.

Isaiah 22.15-19

In the above passage, Shebna holds the position of Asher al Bayit, Master of the House. This position was the equivalent to the Prime Minister of the country, second only to the king. He was deposed from his position by G-d and overthrown violently. Following, another character is introduced, Eliakim, who replaces Shebna.

And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah: And I will clothe him with thy robe, and strengthen him with thy girdle, and I will commit thy government into his hand: and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah. And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open. And I will fasten him as a nail (Yotaid) in a sure place; and he shall be for a glorious throne to his father’s house.

Isaiah 22.20-23

The Messiah is definitely seen in this passage, and some of these verses are directly applied to Yeshua in the book of Revelation. Notice that G-d states that He will fasten him as a yotaid in a secure place. Therefore, the yotaid is a picture of the Messiah. As in the Mishkan, all the vessels for the service of the haKodesh were hung upon the yotaid, so will the Father’s glory be hung upon the Messiah.

And they shall hang upon him all the glory of his father’s house, the offspring and the issue, all vessels of small quantity, from the vessels of cups, even to all the vessels of flagons.

Isaiah 22.24

The next verse reverts back to Shebna, the one who had been removed from his office. If Eliakim represents the Messiah, then Shebna must represent the False Messiah.

In that day, saith the L-rd of hosts, shall the nail that is fastened in the sure place be removed, and be cut down, and fall; and the burden that was upon it shall be cut off: for the L-rd hath spoken it.

Isaiah 22.25

This prophecy speaks of the future for it says, “In that day,” a common reference to the Day of the L-rd. However, the yotaid in the prophecy is Shebna, the picture of the False Messiah. Therefore, yotaid may be used for either the Messiah or the False Messiah. Yotaid, in this application, denotes the ruler of a people.

In Esther 9, the names of the 10 sons are listed, each name larger than the text size of the rest of the book. The rabbis stated that the reason for this is their importance. It is probably that following their father’s death, these ten sons commanded his armies which attacked the Jews. The last son listed, Vajezatha t,zhi begins with the oversized vav. It is possible that his name is distinguished, indicating that he was the yotaid or the leader of the ten. In fact, he may be a direct parallel to Shebna, who was replaced by Eliakim, even as Yeshua will replace the False Messiah.

This poses another question as to why the leader of the ten would be placed at the end rather than the beginning of the list. The answer may be found in the expression, “many who are first shall be last.” Here the ten sons are shown their dishonor.

Whenever a confederation, group, or alliance of ten men is written in scripture or history, another parallel should be observed. Shortly following the story of Esther, another profound event takes place in the world that should be a clue to these ten sons. The story of Esther takes place less than five hundred years before the start of the Common Era. In the same century, on the other side of the Mediterranean Sea, another group of 10 men were meeting. Their actions set in motion consequences that changed the world and its history. Those men were the Decem Viri from ancient Rome.

Rome was founded and settled about 753 B.C.E. After a few kings, the citizens of the Roman area grew tired of the tyrants who had ruled. This caused the ancient Romans to form a republic. However, a problem persisted for several years, clashes between the two classes. The Patricians were wealthy and powerful. The Plebeians were poor and overtaxed. Each group had to serve in the military, but representation from the Plebeian caste was limited. This led to a series of disputes between the two classes which lasted many years. During one such dispute, the Plebeians withdrew to one of the hills of Rome and settled, insulating themselves from the Patricians. From this the Plebeians formed a group known as the Tribunal. At first the Tribunes were of two men, but the Tribunal later grew to include at least ten. After many more disputes with the Patricians, the Plebeians urged that a law be coded for the citizens of Rome, granting equality of sorts to each class. Therefore, the Plebeians commissioned the Decem Viri, ten men, to write a code of laws that would protect their rights and the rights of all Roman citizens.

The Decem Viri were not nobles. They represented a society promising to give legal protection that was much needed. The group formed about 450 B.C.E. and remained for less than two years. The legal code they compiled was called the Twelve Tablets because the codes were written on twelve separate tablets of clay. The actual tablets have not survived, but the laws written on them have survived centuries. These laws, developed by the Romans, were among the most complete and complex system of laws in the ancient world. The laws have likewise strongly influenced the character of the laws in virtually every nation of Western Europe, with the exception of England.

Following the fall of the Roman Empire, and through the Middle Ages, the ancient laws fell into disuse. However, late in the Eleventh Century, the ancient Roman law was rediscovered and studied by scholars. Today, even the United States has been influenced by this old code. For example, the ancient Tribunes had the power to forbid certain action on part of the Roman Senate, comprised of Patricians. By calling out, “Veto” (I forbid), action could be stopped. The veto has become a powerful part of the legal system of the United States.

The Decem Viri provided a service to ancient Rome. However, their corruption and misuse of power forced them from this position less than two years after their commission.

This corresponds directly to the False Messiah as described in Daniel and Revelation as having ten kings who direct his empire.

After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns. I considered the horns, and, behold, there came up among them another little horn, before whom there were three of the first horns plucked up by the roots: and, behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things.

Daniel 7.7-8

This passage relates to the rise of the False Messiah over a revised Roman Empire. The fact that ancient Rome was represented by ten men must relate to the ten men under the False Messiah of the future.

And the ten horns out of this kingdom are ten kings that shall arise: and another shall rise after them; and he shall be diverse from the first, and he shall subdue three kings.

Daniel 7.24

The horns in the preceding passage are defined as ten rulers, the False Messiah rising after them. The book of Revelation, uses the same metaphor of the ten crowns to describe the ten rulers subjoined with the False Messiah.

And I stood upon the sand of the sea, and saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads and ten horns, and upon his horns ten crowns, and upon his heads the name of blasphemy.

Revelation 13.1

With the revival of the old Roman Empire under the leadership of the False Messiah just a few short years away, it will be interesting to see if the confederation of ambassadors from the ten nations resembles these men. There are several characteristics of both groups: non-nobles who show representation but serve a greater power. Misuse of power and corruption are also traits the two groups share.

The ten sons of Haman are very similar to the Decem Viri and the ten nations in the end times. Each son was powerful, but not born to the nobility.

And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.

Revelation 17.12

Likewise, the sons undoubtedly became very nationalistic because their father wanted to “ethnically cleanse” the country from a group of foreigners. They were likely leaders in the campaign to destroy all the Jews in the one hundred twenty-seven provinces, and wipe the Jews from the face of the earth. Similarly, the False Messiah and his ten rulers will seek to “ethnically cleanse” the world.

What many do not realize from the following verses is that the saints, called Tzaddikim in Hebrew, are Jews and non-Jews who keep Torah and believe in Yeshua.

And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man child. And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth. And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of G-d, and have the testimony of Yeshua HaMashiach.

Revelation 12.13-17

In this passage, the woman who flees into the wilderness to a place prepared by G-d is a symbol of the Jewish people. Their flight is during the last three and a half years of the Birthpains, or the tribulation. The dragon that sends a flood, or army, after them is the False Messiah and his ten rulers. He goes to make war with those of Israel who did not make it into the wilderness. Notice that they are Torah observant and have the testimony of Yeshua the Messiah. They are Tzaddikim.

When the Children of Israel were delivered by G-d out of Egypt, this was known as the first redemption. The events of the second coming of the Messiah and the deliverance of the Jewish people is known as the second redemption. As when Israel came out of Egypt, there were many non-Jews known as the mixed multitude who went out with them. These non-Jews were joining themselves to the Jewish people and to their G-d. Caleb was one of these righteous non-Jews.

And a mixed multitude went up also with them; and flocks, and herds, even very much cattle.

Exodus 12.38

During the first century, many non-Jews became believers in the Messiah. In doing this, they joined themselves to Israel, a mixed multitude that went out with them.

These non-Jewish believers were known as the Yireh Shamayim, the G-d Fearers, and even though they did not become Jewish, they observed the Sabbath, the Biblical Festivals, and ate the kosher foods. They renounced all forms of idolatry and accepted the basic tenants of Torah faith which had been given by G-d.

Once again, in the time of the birthpains, that which happened before will happen again. All of Israel will receive the Messiah.

For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: For this is my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins.

Romans 11.25-27

Many non-Jews will also become believers as revealed in the book of Revelation.

After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our G-d which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.

Revelation 7.9-10

Unlike the faith of today, which for most believers is so totally estranged from Torah, the faith during the birthpains will be returned to its first century model. These are the believers, or saints, both Jews and non-Jews, who the False Messiah makes war against, even as Haman and his ten sons made war against the Jews and those who had joined to them.

And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.

Revelation 13.7

A parallel passage is found in the prophecy of Daniel. From this verse the Tzaddikim, the saints, possess the Kingdom with the coming of the Messiah, even as in Haman’s day, the Jews were triumphant in the kingdom.

I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints, and prevailed against them; Until the Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom.

Daniel 7.21-22

Also, the ten sons, being the offspring of Haman, served their father, a picture of the False Messiah. Likewise, the leaders of the future ten nations will submit all their authority and power to the False Messiah.

These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast.

Revelation 17.13

Just as the Decem Viri had coded the law which became the foundation for the legal systems of most of the western world, the revival of the Roman Empire in the last days will even follow the premise of the first ten men in changing times and laws.

And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.

Daniel 7.25

The Nuremberg Trial

Possibly the most unusual prophecy yet discovered in scripture is the passage about the slaying of Haman’s ten sons.

And in Shushan the palace the Jews slew and destroyed five hundred men. And Parshandatha, and Dalphon, and Aspatha, And Poratha, and Adalia, and Aridatha, And Parmashta, and Arisai, and Aridai, and Vajezatha, The ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews, slew they; but on the spoil laid they not their hand.

Esther 9.6-10

The events listed above take place on 13 Adar with an initial victory over the 10 sons of Haman and the forces they led. Besides the armies they commanded outside of Shushan, 500 men were slain in the capital, including the 10 sons. Once again, the 10 sons were slain on 13 Adar.

On that day the number of those that were slain in Shushan the palace was brought before the king. And the king said unto Esther the queen, The Jews have slain and destroyed five hundred men in Shushan the palace, and the ten sons of Haman; what have they done in the rest of the king’s provinces? now what is thy petition? and it shall be granted thee: or what is thy request further? and it shall be done.

Esther 9.11-12

In the above passage, the king acknowledged the deaths of the 500 men in Shushan, as well as the death of the 10 sons of Haman. He inquired of the results of the war throughout the rest of the empire. Then he asked Esther what further request she might have. Her answer has raised many questions over the years.

Then said Esther, If it please the king, let it be granted to the Jews which are in Shushan to do tomorrow also according unto this day’s decree, and let Haman’s ten sons be hanged upon the gallows. And the king commanded it so to be done: and the decree was given at Shushan; and they hanged Haman’s ten sons.

Esther 9.13-14

First she requests that on 14 Adar, the Jews in Shushan be allowed to continue war on the anti-Semitic forces for one more day. She further requested that Haman’s 10 sons be hanged, or in this case, impaled upon a stake for public view. What is strange about this is that they were slain in the previous day’s battle. Why slay them twice? For centuries this question has baffled scholars and is the cause of much speculation.

During World War II, the Nazis of Germany under Hitler followed the same path as Haman. They tried to obliterate the Jews from the face of the earth. When the war came to an end in 1945, the surviving top Nazi officers were tried for war crimes at the infamous Nuremberg War Trials. Of course, at the top of the agenda for war crimes was involvement in the holocaust, in which 6 million Jews, and several million others were torturously put to their deaths. At the conclusion of the trial, 11 men were given the death penalty by hanging. This in itself is remarkable, for the standard method of execution in a military trial is death by a firing squad. The date for their hanging was set for October 16, 1946. Two hours before the scheduled execution, Hermann Goering, one of the convicted, committed suicide by ingesting cyanide poison, leaving 10 men to be executed.

One of the 10, Julius Streicher, on the gallows just prior to his death, “with burning hatred in his eyes . . . looked down at the witnesses and shouted: ‘Purim Fest 1946.’” He then shouted, “Heil Hitler,” and his neck snapped as the floor gave way beneath him. Streicher had been a Nazi since early in the movement and had offices in Nuremberg, a center for Nazis. He was the editor and publisher of the anti-Semitic newspaper, “Das Strummer.” In May of 1924, Streicher wrote and published an article on Purim titled “Das Purimfest” (The Festival of Purim). Of course, the article was twisted to bring accusations against the Jews and to be a part of Nazi propaganda preceding and during the holocaust. Obviously, Streicher was familiar with the festival, but why would his dying words be “Purim Fest 1946?”

The answer is quite astounding. In the list of the names of Haman’s 10 sons, there are several Hebrew letters that are written in a most unusual fashion. Earlier it was mentioned about the overly large vav I, but there is more. In three of the son’s names, one Hebrew character is smaller or undersized. The names are the first son, Parshandatha, spelled t,sbarp in Hebrew. Notice that one of these letters, the tav , is much smaller than the other letters. Remember that the words and letters were written by divine inspiration of the Holy Spirit, not by man. The second undersized letter is found in the name, Parmashta, the seventh son of Haman. His name is spelled t,anrp in Hebrew. In this name the undersized letter is shin a. The third and final small letter is discovered in Haman’s 10th son, Vajezatha. His name is spelled t,zhu in Hebrew. The undersized letter here is zayin z. The Hebrew alphabet is used often to represent numbers. When the numeric value of these three letters are added, (z=7, A=300 ,=400) they total 707. In the fifth millennium, the Jewish year 5707 is, according to the Roman calendar, the year 1946. Remember that the Nuremberg hangings took place in 1946. This execution took place on October 16, which on the Hebrew calendar for that year was 21 Tishri, the first month of the Hebrew civil calendar. There are three festivals prescribed by G-d in Leviticus 23 that take place in the month of Tishri: Rosh haShanah, the first day of the month as well as of the year; Yom Kippur, the tenth day of the month; and Sukkot, a festival of seven days from 15 until 21 Tishri. Two other names for Rosh haShanah include Yom haDin, the Day of Judgment, and Yom haTeruah, the Day of the Awakening Blast. Yom Kippur is the Day of Atonement. Sukkot, the festival of booths or Tabernacles, ends with Hoshana Rabba, the Great Salvation. A well known teaching from the Yerushalami (Jerusalem) Talmud, tractate Rosh haShanah is that “man is judged on Rosh haShanah, sealed on Yom Kippur, and executed on Hoshana Rabbah.

In this same passage, there is yet more that points to the Nuremberg hangings. Following each of the son’s names, there is a Hebrew word, V’et ,tu which are grammatically non-translated words. V’et points to an article coming up in the next word; however, it also has another meaning: there are ten more. In other words, there are the ten sons of Haman and then ten more, the Nuremberg ten, who were of the spirit of Haman and his sons.

Possibly these encoded messages reveal why the ten sons of Haman were hung after they had been slain. Earlier in the chapter relating the death of Haman, it was stated that whoever is hung on a tree is cursed. How appropriate this is as the Messiah, who was innocent, was hung upon a tree in order to redeem man, but the guilty men in the book of Esther had warred against G-d and received the end they deserved.

A very important point to remember is that all of these events in the days of Esther and Mordecai, as well as the executions of the Nazis, are really forerunners of the coming False Messiah and his ten men. These are previews of their final end.

The thing that hath been, it is that which shall be; and that which is done is that which shall be done: and there is no new thing under the sun.

Ecclesiastes 1.9

The False Messiah and the Ten Leaders

The initial battle against the enemies of the Jews was accomplished on 13 Adar; however, in Shushan, the capital of the Persian empire, Esther requested permission for the Jews to have an additional day to totally annihilate the enemies of her people.

For the Jews that were in Shushan gathered themselves together on the fourteenth day also of the month Adar, and slew three hundred men at Shushan; but on the prey they laid not their hand. But the other Jews that were in the king’s provinces gathered themselves together, and stood for their lives, and had rest from their enemies, and slew of their foes seventy and five thousand, but they laid not their hands on the prey,
Esther 9.15-16

This is exactly in accord with what is recorded in the balance of scriptures as there will be the battle against the False Messiah and his forces when Yeshua returns, which relates to the battles of 13-14 Adar.

And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of G-d. And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty G-d. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. And I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper of the great G-d; That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great. And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.

Revelation 19.11-21

Following that battle there appears to be a second judgment that will occur at Jerusalem. This judgment relates directly to the battle of the 14 Adar, conducted only in Shushan.

When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

Matthew 25.31-33

Shushan, being one of the capitals of the Persian Empire, symbolizes Jerusalem, the capital of the world. The sheep are the believers who go into the Kingdom, whereas the goats are those who have rejected the Messiah and followed the False Messiah. Their end is death, and they become food for the vultures and animals.

I tell you, in that night there shall be two men in one bed; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left. Two women shall be grinding together; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two men shall be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. And they answered and said unto him, Where, Lord? And he said unto them, Wheresoever the body is, thither will the eagles be gathered together.

Luke 17.34-37

With their end there will be a time of rest, feasting, and joy, just as Purim was celebrated in the days of Esther.

No Man Knows The Day or The Hour

1991/09/01 | Author Joseph Good A Reprint From Our 1991 Issue of The Gates magazine:copyright ©1991, Hatikva Ministries and Joseph Good

The ancient Jewish or Biblical calendar was primarily a lunar calendar, very different from today’s Jewish calendar. The current calendar is set by a mathematical computation that has been in use for approximately 1700 years. This calendar was initiated by Hillel II due to a breakdown in the previous system. Up to this time the beginning of each month (Rosh Chodesh, literally Head of the Month) was set by a visual sighting by two witnesses before a Rabbinical court. These witnesses had to be of upstanding character, meeting qualifications very similar to those listed in the third chapter of First Timothy concerning zekenim, elders. They presented themselves before the Sanhedrin of which the Nasi or president then declared the New Month as having begun. The importance of the sighting of the New Moon was considered to be so imperative to the religious life of Israel that these witnesses were allowed to travel on horseback great distances even on the Sabbath.


The coming of the New Moon was absolutely essential to the structure of the religious life, for G-d had commanded the observance of certain days as Moedim, Appointed Times. These Moedim were also known as the Haggim, Festivals. Each festival had a specific time it was to be observed. For example, Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, falls on the 10th day of the 7th month (Tishri). If the Sanhedrin started the new month on the incorrect day, all of Israel could find themselves observing the fast on the day before or after G-d had specified and feasting on the actual 10th. Therefore, the setting of each festival depended upon the decree that came forth from the Sanhedrin at the beginning of the month. Thus, each festival listed in Leviticus 23 could not be set before the arrival of the month that it was to be held in. An example of this is Pesach, Passover, which is to be observed on the 14th day of Aviv (Nisan). It would be impossible to state in the previous month, Adar, on which day of the week Pesach would fall until the Sanhedrin declared which day began the month of Aviv. Likewise, once Aviv arrived, having been instituted by the Sanhedrin from the visual sighting, it would then be known by all on which day of the week that each festival within that month would fall. Of course, this scenario would have to be repeated for each month of the year.

The seventh month, Tishri, has three inter-linked festivals. The first festival occurs on the first day of the seventh month which of course would also be a Rosh Chodesh or New Moon. This festival is generally called Rosh haShanah which means the Head of the Year, and is commonly celebrated as the Jewish New Year. Among most Christians this festival is known as the Feast of Trumpets. This title somewhat misconveys the actual Biblical name of the festival, Yom Teruah, which means the Day of the Awakening Blast. The next festival is Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, and occurs on the 10th of Tishri. Five days later the Festival of Sukkot begins and is celebrated for 7 days from the 15th of Tishri through the 21st. An additional day is attached to Sukkot but is viewed as being separate from these 7 days. This day is known as Shimini Atzeret, the Eighth Day and occurs on the 22nd of Tishri. Therefore, once the Sanhedrin has set the Rosh Chodesh for Tishri, the rest of the festivals could be calculated. Rosh haShanah stands alone during Tishri, as well as the rest of the year, as being the only festival of which no man knew the day or the hour. It could only be determined by the decree from the court declaring the the New Moon had been spotted.

The Sanhedrin, the highest court of Israel, received its authority as a mandate of G-d:

If there arise a matter too hard for thee in judgment, between blood and blood, between plea and plea, and between stroke and stroke, being matters of controversy within thy gates: then shalt thou arise, and get thee up into the place which the L-RD thy G-d shall choose; And thou shalt come unto the priests the Levites, and unto the judge that shall be in those days, and enquire; and they shall shew thee the sentence of judgment: And thou shalt do according to the sentence, which they of that place which the L-RD shall choose shall shew thee; and thou shalt observe to do according to all that they inform thee: According to the sentence of the law which they shall teach thee, and according to the judgment which they shall tell thee, thou shalt do: thou shalt not decline from the sentence which they shall shew thee, to the right hand, nor to the left. And the man that will do presumptuously, and will not hearken unto the priest that standeth to minister there before the L-RD thy G-d, or unto the judge, even that man shall die: and thou shalt put away the evil from Israel. And all the people shall hear, and fear, and do no more presumptuously.

Deuteronomy 17.8-13

Based upon the above passage, a court was developed that determined judgements of religious and legal disputes and controversies. During the time of Yeshua, the highest court of Israel was called the Sanhedrin. This court consisted of 71 judges who met within the Chamber of the Hewn Stone in the Temple. It was overseen by a president who bore the title “Nasi.” The Sanhedrin was the only court that had the authority to declare the New Month’s beginning.

This court on earth, authorized by G-d, is modeled after a heavenly court. The heavenly court is overseen by the Father Himself as told by the prophet Daniel.

I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.

Daniel 7.9-10

Yeshua also spoke of the heavenly court in relation to a court that was instituted in the eschatological congregation. This congregation is the body of believers who would receive the Ruach haKodesh, the Holy Spirit, at Shavuot following Yeshua’s resurrection. It was of the eschatological congregation the Yeshua referred when He addressed Peter in Matthew 16.18-19.

And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my congregation; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Matthew 16.18-19

Frequently with the faith today, the expressions “binding” and “loosening” are heard. Usually these are in reference to binding Satan or loosening angels or blessings, etc.; however, the terms “binding” and “loosening” during the time of Yeshua referred to the function of the courts of Israel. Their responsibility as the judges of the people was to make decisions based upon G-d’s Torah. Whatever decisions they reached were put forth as either binding upon the people, or in the case of debts, vows, obligation etc., the people or an individual plaintiff being loosed from a binding obligation. Therefore, whenever the Sanhedrin decreed that the new month had begun, it became binding upon Israel. There is one instance where a decree of the court does not stand: if a decision was made that contradicted G-d’s Torah. This is what Yeshua was referring to in the following passage:

Then came to Yeshua scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of G-d by your tradition? For G-d commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of G-d of none effect by your tradition.

Matthew 15.1-6

As mentioned earlier, the modern Jewish calendar is very different from the calendar used during the time of Yeshua. During the age of the Temple and for a number of years following, the court would declare the beginning of each month. Each month, following the decree of the Sanhedrin, signal fires were lit from the top of a mountain letting Jews in the far distance know that the New Month had begun. In turn, additional fires were lit from mountain top to mountain top. However, complications arose from the enemies of the Jewish people. The Samaritans and others began to light signal fires from the tops of the mountains several days before and following the expected time of the New Moon causing great distress to all the Jewish world. It was for this reason that the sages under the guidance of Hillel II (c. 360 C.E.) worked out the arrival of the New Moon based upon mathematical computation.

Other than the mathematical computation for the arrival of the New Moon, the new calendar differed from the previous one in another way. The new calendar took into consideration the religious convenience of the worshippers and allowed that certain festivals could not fall upon certain days of the week. For example, Hoshanna Rabbah (the last day of Sukkot) was not permitted to fall on a Saturday or Yom Kippur to fall on a Friday. By this action the courts, by means of the new calendar, were making null and void the Biblical commandment to observe the dates of the festivals at the specific appointed time. Each Moed, appointed time, was of critical importance in its relation to the Messiah, for it is on these dates that the messiah keeps His appointments with man to achieve the restoration of man and the earth. In Yeshua’s first coming, He was slain on Pesach, buried on Unleavened Bread, and He rose from the dead on the Firstfruits of the Barley Harvest. Fifty days later at Shavuot (Pentecost) the eschatological (last days) congregation received the Ruach haKodesh (the Holy Spirit) empowering them to be witnesses as the Kingdom of Heaven came down to dwell in men’s hearts. The fall festivals, likewise, are the appointments for Yeshua’s second coming, each teaching on different aspects of His coming, and the Messianic Kingdom here on earth.

When Yeshua spoke of His second coming during His Olivet discourse, there is a strong probability that He referred to Rosh haShanah when He spoke of that day that no man knows.

But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.

Matthew 24.36

It is impossible to speculate the exact day or year on which the appointed Rosh haShanah will arrive because of the complications of the existing Jewish calendar. In all probability the year that begins the kingdom will begin when the current Jewish calendar’s Rosh haShanah and the Rosh haShanah decreed by the Heavenly court coincide. Oftentimes, it seems the emphasis is placed on which year, or which date on a given year, this will occur. It is obvious through history and scripture that no one can pinpoint the exact time these events will take place. However, G-d never misses His appointments with man, and it is for us to understand the significance of these Appointed Times and Seasons.

But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the L-rd so cometh as a thief in the night. 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.But ye, brethren, are not in darkness, that that day should overtake you as a thief. Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. 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. For G-d hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Master Yeshua haMashiach, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do.

1 Thessalonians 5.1-11