SIGNS
IN THE HEAVENS/THE FOUR BLOOD MOONS 2014-2015
16 The day is yours, and yours also
the night;
it
will be established forever like the moon,
From the preceding verses (a brief selection) we can
see God’s desire for man to know and understand His Glory and Power through His
creation, notably the heavens, the sun and the moon. The Word takes special notice in Psalm 89:37 (see above) to tell us that the moon was a
“faithful WITNESS”, established forever.
This is vitally important to understand, especially
in view of the Apostle Paul’s argument in the New Testament that man has no
excuse for saying they are ignorant of God and His nature or existence. God
says they only need to see the heavens. If that is not enough for them, then
the ignorance is revealed as rebellion.
See Paul’s words in Romans 10:17-18;
19 And when you look up to the sky and see the sun, the moon and the stars—all the heavenly array—do not be enticed into bowing down to them
and worshiping things the Lord your God has apportioned
to all the nations under heaven. Deuteronomy
4:19
If a
man or woman living among you in one of the towns the Lord gives you is found doing
evil in the eyes of the Lord your God in violation of
his covenant, 3 and
contrary to my command has
worshiped other gods, bowing
down to them or to the sun or the moon or the stars in
the sky, 4 and
this has been brought to your attention, then you must investigate it thoroughly.
If it is true and it has been proved that this detestable thing
has been done in Israel, 5 take
the man or woman who has done this evil deed to your city gate and stone that
person to death. Deuteronomy 17:2-5
For Israel, the penalty was severe; for the children
of Abraham had a blood covenant with God first forged with Abraham and then
revealed through the Passover lamb. They
had sworn to worship God and serve only Him, the First and greatest Commandment.
Notice also
that God clearly states that the revelation of creation was “apportioned to all the nations under heaven”.(Deut 4:19) That of course included Israel, but they of
all the nations had received a better
revelation of the God of Heaven, and now knew Him personally as the “God of
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob” through the blood covenant. The gentile nations
still had a witness though not as complete as that to Israel, but it was enough
to birth faith in one true God.
So, the first great
stone of foundation in revelation is clearly revealed as Creation, most notably
and particularly the sun, moon and stars. Understanding
this fact is crucial in our further investigation of the blood moons.
REVELATION OF THE
WORD
As crucial as the revelation of Creation is, it is
incomplete and stands as only the beginning of wisdom, as it demonstrates the
power and holiness of God. God chose to
begin with that revelation for all nations, but in His wisdom decided to set
aside the children of Abraham as the vehicle for the full revelation of His
plan for mankind. The Messiah was born a child of Abraham and the Son of God.
Through the Prophets, beginning with Moses, the Psalms and Writings of the Old
Testament, followed by the Gospels, (written with one exception by sons of Abraham),
the Acts of the Jewish Apostles of the Messiah Yeshua, the epistles of rabbi
Paul and finally the Revelation of the Messiah given to John, God fully
revealed His nature, grace and His redemptive plan through the ages.
We call this the Word of God, given to us through
Israel. The term is synonymous with the
Bible for most Christians. That of
course, is an accurate understanding.
However, before there was a written Word there was the Logos,
the eternal Word;
In the beginning was the
Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God
in the beginning.3 Through him all
things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1: 1-5
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling (tabernacled) among
us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who
came from the Father, full of grace and
truth. John 1:14
We, as believers
in the Messiah, immediately understand that John was speaking of Yeshua (Jesus)
who is the True Eternal Word of God, who spoke the creation into existence.
15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in
him all things were created: things in heaven and on
earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or
authorities; all
things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before
all things, and in him all
things hold together. Colossians
1:15-18
And
I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “See that
you do not do
that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the
testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” Revelation 19:
9-10
The Word of God,
the Messiah is the complete and final revelation of God to mankind. All Scripture, all prophecy is summed up in
the Person of the Messiah.
So, to seek
understanding of the blood moons and the events that are beginning to transpire
all around us we need to place Jesus firmly at the foundation of our
understanding and interpretation. All
events and situations are set to honor and eventually usher in His kingdom on
earth. That is great hope for believers
and also great sorrow for the nations that will not heed the warnings God is
beginning to communicate to us.
IN SUMMATION
We have seen
that God has chosen the heavens as a time piece for seasons and signs to
mankind, both hopeful and as warnings of impending judgments. As further proof
consider the following verses:
19 He made the moon to mark the
seasons,
Therefore let us move on with the firm foundation of
knowledge that all prophecy and revelation is summed up in the Messiah and that
the heavens are and will be signposts to assist us in knowing the days in which
we live.
The heavens are not, however to be worshipped above
God or used in a manner not proscribed by God.
They are signs to be understood in the light of God’s redemptive plan
and His ongoing revelation of the Messiah.
The zodiac is not to be used to guide your life, except as a sign to
lead you to God. Anything further is an abomination to God and expressively
forbidden:
WHY ISRAEL?
The question might be asked; why Israel? Why blood
moons? Why the timing? (This we will examine in detail shortly). Why not find a way that would speak to
America and the other nations of impending judgment or crisis. Isn’t this a bit esoteric and complicated?
Why Israel indeed.
As any student of prophecy knows, Israel
is God’s timepiece for events in the story of redemption. We do not have the time here to discuss this in
the depth it warrants, but let me be clear, all interpretation of future events
that does not include Israel at its center is faulty and misguided. God has chosen a people and a culture to
reveal His plan and His Messiah and it is not for us to question why.
That said, as we examine the coming blood moons, I
think we will begin to see the beauty of God’s plan and an inkling of His
wisdom in choosing such a small nation to instruct all mankind.
Why Israel? Reason One
ISRAEL AND THE MOON- GOD’S INSTRUCTIONS
6 besides the burnt offering with its grain offering for the New Moon, the regular burnt offering with its grain offering, and their drink
offerings, according to their ordinance, as a sweet aroma, an offering made by
fire to the Lord Numbers 29:6
3 The king also appointed a portion of his possessions for the burnt offerings: for the morning and
evening burnt offerings, the burnt offerings for the Sabbaths and the New Moons and
the set feasts, as it is written in the Law of the Lord. 2 Chronicles 31:3
23 From one New Moon to another and
from one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come and bow
down before me,” says the Lord. Isaiah 66:23
“‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: The gate of the inner court facing east is to be shut on the six working days, but on the Sabbath day and on the day of the New Moon it is to be opened. 2 The prince
is to enter from the outside through the portico of the gateway and stand by the gatepost. The priests are to sacrifice
his burnt offering and his fellowship offerings. He is to bow down in worship at the
threshold of the gateway and then go out, but the gate will not be shut until
evening.3 On the Sabbaths and New Moons the people
of the land are to worship in the presence of the Lord at the entrance of that
gateway Ezekiel 46:1-3
As you can see, Israel is integrally connected with
the moon, especially the New and Full Moon. Also not that the “prince"
mentioned is understood by the rabbis and sages to be the Messiah in whose presence
the people will worship at the Eastern Gate, a reference to the coming kingdom
of the Messiah Yeshua (Jesus) who will rule from ISRAEL.
The last day of this Feast, the seventh is called Hoshana Rabbah, lit. “The Great Hosanna (Salvation)”. On this day of the Feast the High Priest would go out the gate known as the Water Gate. They had gone to the pool known as "Siloam", which means “gently flowing” or lit. “Living” water. There the high priest had a golden vase and drew the water known as the living water (mayim hayim) and held it in the vase. At this season of Sukkot, Isaiah 12:3 was often quoted, , "Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation." (Yeshua in Hebrew means "salvation.)
His assistant held a silver vase containing wine. The priests would then begin to march toward Jerusalem. As they marched toward the city, the willows they were holding, (one of the four plants prescribed by God as part of the ceremony; Leviticus 23:40) made a swishing sound in the wind as they waved them while they approached the city. The word wind in Hebrew is Ruach. The word spirit in Hebrew is also Ruach. Therefore, this ceremony was symbolic or representative of the Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh) of God coming upon the city of Jerusalem.
As each of the party reached their respective gates, a trumpet (shofar)
was blown. Then one man would stand up and play the flute (the flute represents the Messiah).
The flute player is called "the
pierced one." The flute is pierced, and Jesus was pierced during the
crucifixion (Psalm 22:16; Zechariah
12:10; John 19:34-37; Revelation 1:7).
The flute player led the procession. The pierced one blows the
call for the wind and the water to enter the temple. The priests swishing the
willows come into the temple and circle the altar seven times. The priests that were slaying the sacrifices are now
ascending the altar, and they begin to lay the sacrifices on the fires. The
high priest and his assistant ascend the altar and all the people of Israel are
gathered into the courts surrounding the scene. The people start singing the
song Mayim,
saying, "With joy we will draw water
out of the well of salvation [Yeshua]"
(Isaiah 12:3; Mishnah,
Sukkah 5:1).
The high priest takes his vase of “living water” and pours its contents on one of the corners of the altar where the horns are. There are two bowls built into the altar. Each bowl has a hole in it. The water and the wine are poured out over the altar as the priests who had the willows start laying them against the altar, making a sukkah (a miniature tabernacle or booth, the symbolism that explains the name of the Feast).
The drama of the water drawing ceremony took on a new dimension of meaning when Yeshua (Jesus) attended the Feast of Sukkot (Tabernacles).
On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and
said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who
is thirsty come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as
Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from
within them” By this he meant
the Spirit, whom those who
believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time
the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified. John 7:37-39
Note: We will examine this Feast and its’ amazing typology in much
greater detail in a future post as the season approaches.
Immediately following the last day of Tabernacles, , is Shemini Atzeret (the eighth day of assembly).
"On the eighth day you shall hold a solemn gathering (Atzeret); you shall not work at your occupations" (Numbers 29:35).
The rabbis interpreted this verse to mean that God asks all who made a pilgrimage for Tabernacles to tarry (atzeret, which comes from the Hebrew root word meaning "to hold back") with Him one additional day. From this, the rabbis concluded that Shemini Atzeret is an independent festival.
To understand Shemini Atzeret , we must review a few things. First, the seven days of Passover are followed by a 49-day period of counting the omer, which climaxes with the fiftieth day of Pentecost. Thus, the liberation of Passover is linked with the revelation and giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai, known as Shavuot , or Pentecost. (For further explanation see my post on The Feast of Weeks-Shavuot) If we look at the festival cycle, Shemini Atzeret is analogous to Shavuot, which is understood to be the conclusion or atzeret to Passover. Just like Shavuot, a one-day festival, is the conclusion to Passover, a seven-day festival, so Shemini Atzeret, a one-day festival, is the conclusion to Tabernacles, a seven-day festival.
Therefore, we see that Shemini Atzeret is the eighth day -- that is the day after "seven." Seven, being a perfect number in the Bible, signifies a complete unit of time as each week ends with the seventh day called the Shabbat (Sabbath).
Thus, the eighth day is known in rabbinical tradition as the day after time. It is the end of both kinds of time. It is the end of the cycle of Feasts.It is thus not just the promise of redemption, but the actual moment of it. God said, "Remain with Me (atzeret) an extra day," a time beyond time.* Thanks to Eddie Chumney The Seven Feasts of the Messiah for much of the information in this section. www.hebroots.com
This puts the fact that the coming tetrad of blood moons is the eighth set in an amazing perspective. The rabbis and sages considered the eighth festival to be a picture of final completion, the “end of both kinds of time”; literal time and scriptural time. A picture, in type, of eternity.
If the final three feasts are types of end times events and the culmination of all the types began with Passover, then the 8th festival is a type of the eternal kingdom of God.
So, what can we say about this final set of blood moon tetrads? Let’s place them, as well as all other the other seven, as we originally said, in context: historically, culturally (Hebrew teachings and tradition) and prophetically.
So finally; what does all this mean?
SUMMARY
Note: I
realize that this post is lengthy but please bear with me as I believe it is
absolutely necessary to place the information in context, so that you may be
able to effectively share it and “give an answer to all who ask” clearly and
intelligently. I thank you for your
forbearance.
To properly understand this phenomenon of the coming
blood moons it is imperative that we lay a proper foundation that will place
this subject in proper context. The
blood moons are not just a remarkable curiosity or amazing coincidence. The revealing of the blood moons are an
unmistakable message that can be fully comprehended only in light of Scripture
and Hebrew thought and history.
To the Western Mind all this can be interesting but
easily passed over and forgotten. To
Hebrew tradition and thought it is a dire warning to the nation Israel. To
believers it can be promise of hope to those who understand and know the
Messiah Yeshua (Jesus).
We will examine the Word of God, Hebrew tradition and
history in our search for the truth.
We will begin
with God’s methods of revelation to man.
GOD’S MESSAGE TO MAN…..CREATION AND THE WORD
In all of biblical history God has dealt with mankind in
the same way: His righteousness is
always synonymous with His love. When
God has decided to judge the sins of mankind, or a nation, He always gives a witness and a chance for repentance.
THE
WITNESS OF THE PROPHETS
Yet for many years You had patience with them,
And testified against them by Your Spirit in Your prophets. Yet they
would not listen; Therefore You gave them into the hand of the peoples of the
lands.
I have also spoken by the prophets,
And have multiplied visions; I have given symbols through the witness of
the prophets.”
Surely the Lord God does nothing, Unless He reveals His secret to His
servants the prophets.
God spoke through His prophets to warn and correct
because of His love for man, but they were not the only witness God provided, though without the prophets and their
writings we cannot fully understand the revelation, which is why I placed their
role first in our investigation. In light of the Prophets let us continue:
THE
WITNESS OF CREATION
The heavens declare the glory
of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
2 Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge.
3 They have no speech, they use no words;
no sound is heard from them.
4 Yet their voice[b] goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.
5 It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
6 It rises at one end of the heavens
and makes its circuit to the other;
nothing is deprived of its warmth. Psalm 19: 1-6
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
2 Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge.
3 They have no speech, they use no words;
no sound is heard from them.
4 Yet their voice[b] goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.
In the heavens God has pitched a tent for the sun.
5 It is like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber,
like a champion rejoicing to run his course.
6 It rises at one end of the heavens
and makes its circuit to the other;
nothing is deprived of its warmth. Psalm 19: 1-6
1 Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
how majestic is your name in all the earth!
You have set your glory
in the heavens.
2 Through the praise of children and infants
you have established a stronghold against your enemies,
to silence the foe and the avenger.
3 When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
4 what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
human beings that you care for them Psalm 8:1-4
in the heavens.
2 Through the praise of children and infants
you have established a stronghold against your enemies,
to silence the foe and the avenger.
3 When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
4 what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
human beings that you care for them Psalm 8:1-4
16 The day is yours, and yours also
the night;
you
established the sun and moon. Psalm 74:16
it
will be established forever like the moon,
the faithful witness in
the sky Psalm 89:37
From the preceding verses (a brief selection) we can
see God’s desire for man to know and understand His Glory and Power through His
creation, notably the heavens, the sun and the moon. The Word takes special notice in Psalm 89:37 (see above) to tell us that the moon was a
“faithful WITNESS”, established forever.
This is vitally important to understand, especially
in view of the Apostle Paul’s argument in the New Testament that man has no
excuse for saying they are ignorant of God and His nature or existence. God
says they only need to see the heavens. If that is not enough for them, then
the ignorance is revealed as rebellion.
See Paul’s words in Romans 10:17-18;
17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
18 But I say, have they not heard? Yes indeed:
“Their sound has gone out to all the earth,
And their words to the ends of the world.
And their words to the ends of the world.
Paul is quoting Psalm
19:1-4 (above noted)
The heavens declare the glory of God;
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
2 Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge.
3 They have no speech, they use no words;
no sound is heard from them.
4 Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.
the skies proclaim the work of his hands.
2 Day after day they pour forth speech;
night after night they reveal knowledge.
3 They have no speech, they use no words;
no sound is heard from them.
4 Yet their voice goes out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.
Paul makes it very clear that the stars and the
heavens, the sun and moon “speak” loudly and clearly of the Glory and Presence
of God, and are enough for man to “hear” and have faith.
As previously stated, if that is not enough for man, then
the ignorance is revealed as rebellion, and God will treat it as such, as seen
in Romans 1:18-20;
18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the
godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their
wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to
them, because God has made it plain to them.20 For since the
creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been
clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
By comparing Scripture with Scripture we can see
the value God has placed on His revelation to man through His creation and His
anger when that gift of grace is ignored, or worse twisted to serve the
purposes of man and Satan;
19 And when you look up to the sky and see the sun, the moon and the stars—all the heavenly array—do not be enticed into bowing down to them
and worshiping things the Lord your God has apportioned
to all the nations under heaven. Deuteronomy
4:19
If a
man or woman living among you in one of the towns the Lord gives you is found doing
evil in the eyes of the Lord your God in violation of
his covenant, 3 and
contrary to my command has
worshiped other gods, bowing
down to them or to the sun or the moon or the stars in
the sky, 4 and
this has been brought to your attention, then you must investigate it thoroughly.
If it is true and it has been proved that this detestable thing
has been done in Israel, 5 take
the man or woman who has done this evil deed to your city gate and stone that
person to death. Deuteronomy 17:2-5
For Israel, the penalty was severe; for the children
of Abraham had a blood covenant with God first forged with Abraham and then
revealed through the Passover lamb. They
had sworn to worship God and serve only Him, the First and greatest Commandment.
Notice also
that God clearly states that the revelation of creation was “apportioned to all the nations under heaven”.(Deut 4:19) That of course included Israel, but they of
all the nations had received a better
revelation of the God of Heaven, and now knew Him personally as the “God of
Abraham, Isaac and Jacob” through the blood covenant. The gentile nations
still had a witness though not as complete as that to Israel, but it was enough
to birth faith in one true God.
So, the first great
stone of foundation in revelation is clearly revealed as Creation, most notably
and particularly the sun, moon and stars. Understanding
this fact is crucial in our further investigation of the blood moons.
REVELATION OF THE
WORD
As crucial as the revelation of Creation is, it is
incomplete and stands as only the beginning of wisdom, as it demonstrates the
power and holiness of God. God chose to
begin with that revelation for all nations, but in His wisdom decided to set
aside the children of Abraham as the vehicle for the full revelation of His
plan for mankind. The Messiah was born a child of Abraham and the Son of God.
Through the Prophets, beginning with Moses, the Psalms and Writings of the Old
Testament, followed by the Gospels, (written with one exception by sons of Abraham),
the Acts of the Jewish Apostles of the Messiah Yeshua, the epistles of rabbi
Paul and finally the Revelation of the Messiah given to John, God fully
revealed His nature, grace and His redemptive plan through the ages.
We call this the Word of God, given to us through
Israel. The term is synonymous with the
Bible for most Christians. That of
course, is an accurate understanding.
However, before there was a written Word there was the Logos,
the eternal Word;
In the beginning was the
Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God
in the beginning.3 Through him all
things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1: 1-5
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling (tabernacled) among
us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who
came from the Father, full of grace and
truth. John 1:14
We, as believers
in the Messiah, immediately understand that John was speaking of Yeshua (Jesus)
who is the True Eternal Word of God, who spoke the creation into existence.
15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in
him all things were created: things in heaven and on
earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or
authorities; all
things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before
all things, and in him all
things hold together. Colossians
1:15-18
And
I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “See that
you do not do
that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the
testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” Revelation 19:
9-10
The Word of God,
the Messiah is the complete and final revelation of God to mankind. All Scripture, all prophecy is summed up in
the Person of the Messiah.
So, to seek
understanding of the blood moons and the events that are beginning to transpire
all around us we need to place Jesus firmly at the foundation of our
understanding and interpretation. All
events and situations are set to honor and eventually usher in His kingdom on
earth. That is great hope for believers
and also great sorrow for the nations that will not heed the warnings God is
beginning to communicate to us.
IN SUMMATION
We have seen
that God has chosen the heavens as a time piece for seasons and signs to
mankind, both hopeful and as warnings of impending judgments. As further proof
consider the following verses:
19 He made the moon to mark the
seasons,
and
the sun knows
when to go down. Psalm 104:19
And
I will show wonders in the heavens,
and in the earth, blood and fire and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and
the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of
Jehovah.” Joel 2:30 -31
“The sun shall be turned into darkness
and the moon into blood, before that great and glorious Day of the Lord.” Acts 2:20
25 “There will be signs in the
sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and
perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Luke 21:25
Therefore let us move on with the firm foundation of
knowledge that all prophecy and revelation is summed up in the Messiah and that
the heavens are and will be signposts to assist us in knowing the days in which
we live.
The heavens are not, however to be worshipped above
God or used in a manner not proscribed by God.
They are signs to be understood in the light of God’s redemptive plan
and His ongoing revelation of the Messiah.
The zodiac is not to be used to guide your life, except as a sign to
lead you to God. Anything further is an abomination to God and expressively
forbidden:
"Take
careful heed to yourselves, for you saw no form when the LORD spoke to you at
Horeb out of the midst of the fire, lest you act corruptly and make for
yourselves a carved image in the form of any figure: the likeness of male or
female, the likeness of any animal that is on the earth or the likeness of any
winged bird that flies in the air, the likeness of anything that creeps on the
ground or the likeness of any fish that is in the water beneath the earth. And take heed, lest you lift your eyes to
heaven, and when you see the sun, the moon, and the stars, all the host of
heaven, you feel driven to worship them and serve them, which the LORD your God
has given to all the peoples under the whole heaven as a heritage. But the
LORD has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be
His people, an inheritance, as you are this day." (Deuteronomy 4:15-20)
WHY ISRAEL?
The question might be asked; why Israel? Why blood
moons? Why the timing? (This we will examine in detail shortly). Why not find a way that would speak to
America and the other nations of impending judgment or crisis. Isn’t this a bit esoteric and complicated?
Why Israel indeed.
As any student of prophecy knows, Israel
is God’s timepiece for events in the story of redemption. We do not have the time here to discuss this in
the depth it warrants, but let me be clear, all interpretation of future events
that does not include Israel at its center is faulty and misguided. God has chosen a people and a culture to
reveal His plan and His Messiah and it is not for us to question why.
That said, as we examine the coming blood moons, I
think we will begin to see the beauty of God’s plan and an inkling of His
wisdom in choosing such a small nation to instruct all mankind.
Why Israel? Reason One
ISRAEL AND THE MOON- GOD’S INSTRUCTIONS
4 Now I am about to build a temple for the Name of
the Lord my God and to
dedicate it to him for burning fragrant incense before him, for setting out the
consecrated bread regularly, and for making burnt offerings every
morning and evening and on the Sabbaths, at the New Moons and at the appointed festivals of the Lord our God. This is a lasting
ordinance for Israel. 2
Chronicles 2:4
6 besides the burnt offering with its grain offering for the New Moon, the regular burnt offering with its grain offering, and their drink
offerings, according to their ordinance, as a sweet aroma, an offering made by
fire to the Lord Numbers 29:6
3 The king also appointed a portion of his possessions for the burnt offerings: for the morning and
evening burnt offerings, the burnt offerings for the Sabbaths and the New Moons and
the set feasts, as it is written in the Law of the Lord. 2 Chronicles 31:3
23 From one New Moon to another and
from one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come and bow
down before me,” says the Lord. Isaiah 66:23
“‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: The gate of the inner court facing east is to be shut on the six working days, but on the Sabbath day and on the day of the New Moon it is to be opened. 2 The prince
is to enter from the outside through the portico of the gateway and stand by the gatepost. The priests are to sacrifice
his burnt offering and his fellowship offerings. He is to bow down in worship at the
threshold of the gateway and then go out, but the gate will not be shut until
evening.3 On the Sabbaths and New Moons the people
of the land are to worship in the presence of the Lord at the entrance of that
gateway Ezekiel 46:1-3
As you can see, Israel is integrally connected with
the moon, especially the New and Full Moon. Also not that the “prince"
mentioned is understood by the rabbis and sages to be the Messiah in whose presence
the people will worship at the Eastern Gate, a reference to the coming kingdom
of the Messiah Yeshua (Jesus) who will rule from ISRAEL.
The system of keeping time in the Old Testament was
based on the cycles of the moon rather than a solar calendar like we use
today. In fact, the Hebrew term for "month," chodesh,
means "new [moon]," referring to the new moon that began the
month. The lunar cycle played a significant role in the cultural and
religious life in ancient Israel so that time could be counted by the cycles of
the moon. The New Moon was a festival day, observed by burnt offering and
sacrifices as well as banquets (Num
29:6, as noted above).
Since the calendar is based on the moon cycle, the
arrival of the new moon is a crucial event. In ancient times three witnesses
were required to confirm when the first sliver of the moon was visible. At that
time a fire was lit on the Mount of Olives to signal other watchers to light
fires on the surrounding hills until the message was spread throughout Israel
that a new month had begun.
The New Moon festival was often listed along with Sabbath as an important religious observance;
The New Moon festival was often listed along with Sabbath as an important religious observance;
17 Then it shall
be the prince’s part to give burnt offerings, grain offerings, and drink offerings, at the
feasts, the New Moons, the Sabbaths, and at all the appointed seasons of the
house of Israel. He shall prepare the sin offering, the grain offering, the
burnt offering, and the peace offerings to make atonement for the house of
Israel.” Ezekiel 45:17
(The “Prince” will be the True High Priest and rule from
the New Temple, overseeing the work of the priests for the sake of those of
Israel who survive the Great Tribulation).
Likewise, the
middle of the month or the Full Moon was an important marker of the passing of
time. Two of Israel’s most important festivals fell in mid-month, Passover and
Tabernacles. Psalm 81:3
3 Blow the trumpet at the time of the New
Moon,
At the full moon, on our solemn feast day.
At the full moon, on our solemn feast day.
Because of the differences between
the solar (western) and lunar systems of timekeeping, the Old Testament
festivals that were linked to the New Moon fell at a general time, but the
specific dates according to our solar calendar would vary. They are
called movable feasts because of this
variance. There are also
preserved two New Years’ dates, one at the Spring equinox in the month of Nisan at the time of Passover (Exod 12:1) and one at the Fall equinox
in the month of Tishri, at the time
of Rosh HaShanah (Exod 34:22).
(This fact will be examined in detail in the context of latter day’s prophecy
as we continue our examination.)
(Thanks to Dennis Bratcher for parts of this
section, see Hebrew
Calendar of the Old Testament Copyright © 2013, CRI / Voice, Institute)
Why
Israel? Reason Two
THE
MOON AND THE FEASTS OF THE LORD GOD’S REHEARSALS
In the Torah, the first
five books of the Bible which contain the Law, GOD laid out instructions
for life and worship for use by his chosen people. In the book of Leviticus, chapter 23, verses 4 to 44
he set out seven feasts, which marked the year for his people.
The LORD said
to Moses, "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: `These are my appointed feasts, the appointed feasts of the LORD, which you
are to proclaim as sacred assemblies.
The fact that there
are Seven Feasts / Appointed Times is significant for a start, since
seven always denotes completeness. They start in the
first month of the year and tell a story which both looks back in remembrance but also forward in prophetic anticipation of
GOD'S saving work for mankind. (The prophetic significance of
these feasts is emphasized by the words of Jesus as he celebrated Passover,
"I have eagerly desired to eat this
Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not
eat it again until it finds
fulfillment in the kingdom of God." (Luke 22 v15-16)
The Feasts are Appointed Times that God chose to meet
with His people in a special way. The word ‘feast’ is the Hebrew ‘moed’ (singular), or ‘moedim’
(plural). It means just that; a set, appointed time. The
feasts happen at set times each year.
He
appointed the moon for seasons (moedim);
The sun knows its going down. Psalm 104:19
The sun knows its going down. Psalm 104:19
It is clear from nature and the Word that the Sabbath
and the Feasts cannot occur without the daily cycle of the moon and sun. We need to remember that for the Jews the day
begins at sunset and goes from sunset to sunset. Although the moon is the
smaller of the two “lights” it is mentioned first in the above verse because
the night proceeds day.
The word translated as “seasons” in the above verse is also the word translated as “festivals” in reference to the Seven
Feasts of the Lord. There is a deep
organic connection between the moon and the set times of God. The Moedim, festivals, have set dates at
appointed times depending on the New Moon (Rosh Chodesh).
THE MOEDIM AS REHEARSALS
2 “Speak
to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘The feasts (Moedim) of the Lord,
which you shall proclaim to be holy
convocations (Mikra Chodesh),
these are My feasts. Leviticus 23:2
The word translated as “convocations” is Mikra
Chodesh ; lit. “Holy Rehearsals”.
We can see
that in the Torah (First Five Books of Moses) that the Feasts or
Festivals are a twofold revelation.
They are a set time and a rehearsal of a future event. In light of their connection with the moon they
can also be seen as a sign and
a promise.
The order of the Feasts demonstrates this clearly:
The Seven Feasts of the Lord are broken into two
groups of three and a single Feast between the sets.
·
Passover (full moon at spring equinox)
·
Unleavened
Bread (seven days including Passover)
·
First
Fruits
·
Pentecost ( first Sunday following the full
moon, 50 days after First Fruits)
·
Rosh
HaShanah (at first
sight of new moon, fall equinox)
·
Day
of Atonement
·
Feast
of Tabernacles
The
full cycle of seven signs and rehearsals. So much can
be said about these wonderful times of God, and further posts will examine them
as the season approaches. I will say
this; the first four are a testimony or a sign of God’s faithfulness in the past. They have been
fulfilled in the life of the Messiah, to the day and to the letter. Therefore, they are a sign to future generations and to Israel.
The
last set of three are yet to be fulfilled, and are therefore a promise, a promise of hope
for those who serve and love the Messiah and have found salvation through His
blood.
Unfortunately they will also be a promise of
judgment for the rest of the world.
Together, the Seven Feasts of the Lord portray a completed revelation of the
redemptive plan of God through the Messiah Jesus. Seven
is the Hebrew number for perfection and/or completion. The world was created in seven days, seven
cycles of years are a sabbatical cycle with the seventh year the sabbatical
year. Seven sevens end with the 50th
year being the Jubilee, where all debts are forgiven, all slaves are freed and
all things lost or sold are returned to their owners. There were seventy years
in the prophecy of Daniel that “brought
in all righteousness”. Can you see
the wonderful typology?
As I noted above, Israel has two New Year
celebrations, the first at Passover (religious) and the second at Rosh
HaShanah (governmental). That also
deserves some thought in light of the prophetic nature of the Feasts.
Our deliverance was accomplished on
the first Passover, the beginning of deliverance and new life and our
future final deliverance will manifest at the rapture on a future Rosh
HaShanah, the beginning of the New Kingdom.
(I know that some readers will object to such a firm
statement of the timing of the rapture, but I humbly ask your patience, we will
discuss that issue in full when we examine the Fall Feasts in depth in future
posts as the time approaches.)
All these incredible
signs and promises, interconnected by the cycles of the moon.
IN
SUMMATION
Israel, so integrally connected with the seasons and
the heavens, especially the moon. So it
is no wonder that God would speak to her through both the Feasts and the Moon.
Who else would have the history and tradition to understand, and through whom
else could we hope to comprehend the
signs in the heavens promised by our Messiah? Israel has been chosen by God in His sovereignty to be His witness and
voice to the world.
I
hope that we have now forged a foundation that will allow us to consider and
hopefully understand the sign of the Coming Blood Moons of 2014 and 2015.
THE
COMING BLOOD MOON TETRADS 2014-2015
The Jewish Talmud
(book of tradition / Interpretation) says; “When
the moon is in eclipse, it is a bad omen for Israel. If its face is as red as blood, (it is a
sign that) the sword is coming to the world.”.
The tradition
goes on to say that an eclipse of the sun is a sign of judgment to the gentile nations.
The Bible,
our one true guide, speaks of this in some of the most dramatic prophecies of
the last days;
And
I will show wonders in the heavens,
and in the earth, blood and fire and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and
the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of
Jehovah.” Joel 2:30 -31
“The sun shall be turned into darkness
and the moon into blood, before that great and glorious Day of the Lord.” Acts 2:20
Remember that Peter cited these verses after the Baptism
of the Holy Spirit in his great Sermon on the Day of Pentecost, explaining the
phenomenon to skeptic witnesses;
Then Peter
stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow
Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen
carefully to what I say. 15 These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the
morning! 16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet
Joel:
17 “‘In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
18 Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
and they will prophesy.
19 I will show wonders in the heavens above
and signs on the earth below,
blood and fire and billows of smoke.
20 The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood
before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.
21 And everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved .Acts 2:14-21
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
18 Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
and they will prophesy.
19 I will show wonders in the heavens above
and signs on the earth below,
blood and fire and billows of smoke.
20 The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood
before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.
21 And everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved .Acts 2:14-21
With
this pronouncement Peter announced the beginning of the “Last Days”.
Jesus
also spoke of celestial phenomenon that would occur before His second coming;
25 “There will be signs in the
sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and
perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Luke 21:25
God used heavenly signs to announce the Messiah’s first coming
(The star of Bethlehem). In that case
it was a message of hope. The coming
signs in the heavens promise hope, but they also pronounce the coming of
judgment, with “anxiety and perplexity”. Jesus mentions the ‘roaring and tossing of the sea”. What celestial body controls the
seas, bringing forth tides and waves?
The moon.
I think that at this point an explanation of terms we will
now be considering is definitely in order.
First:
WHAT IS A “BLOOD MOON”?
What
makes an eclipsed moon turn red? The answer lies inside Earth's shadow:
|
|
Our planet casts a long
shadow. It starts on the ground--Step outside at night. It’s dark of course.
Why? You're in Earth's shadow. That shadow stretches almost a million miles
into space, far enough to reach the moon.
Suppose you had a
personal spaceship. Here's your mission: Tonight, at midnight, blast off and
fly down the middle of Earth's shadow. Keep going until you're about 200,000
miles above Earth, almost to the moon. Now turn around and look down. The view
from your cockpit window is Earth's nightside,
the dark half of our planet opposite the sun. But it's not completely dark! All
around Earth's silhouette, the atmosphere glows red.
What you're seeing is every sunrise and sunset on Earth--all at
once.
This ring of light shines into Earth's shadow, breaking the utter darkness you
might expect to find there. Turn off the cockpit lights. There's a lovely red
glow.
That
same red light plays across the moon when it's inside Earth's shadow. The exact
color depends on what's floating around in Earth's atmosphere. Following a
volcanic eruption, for instance, dust and ash can turn global sunsets vivid
red. The
moon would glow vivid red, too. This is
what is commonly known as a “blood moon”. Thanks
to NASA for this explanation.
That is
the scientific explanation for the phenomenon. Since God is the God who created
“science” and the laws of the universe, it is no contradiction to view these
signs as works of a supernatural God and a scientific event.
Notice
the red light is the result of the glow from the sunsets and sunrises of all the earth-all at once. The
blood moon is a sign, not just for Israel but for all the earth.
What
differentiates from a “normal event” and a supernatural sign? Context and timing.
Further
terms associated with the “Blood Moons”…
WHAT
IS A “TETRAD”
When
four consecutive lunar eclipses are
all total eclipses, the group
is known as a tetrad.
As we began to unravel the prophetic significance of the
coming tetrad of 2014-2015 we need to lock back into time and Hebrew history
and culture to set the context for our investigation.
Four PARTIAL lunar eclipses occurred on the Jewish
Passover in 32 AD – 33 AD and the "Feast of Tabernacles" in
the years before and after the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The
world has since witnessed seven "Tetrads"; Four blood moons on Jewish Feast days within two
years in Israel .
1.
Four TOTAL lunar
eclipses occurred on the Jewish Passover
and Feast of Tabernacles in 162 - 163 AD, coinciding with the worst
persecution of Jews… and Christians in the history of the Roman Empire.
Within 3 years the Antonine Plague killed eight million people, a third of the
population.
2.
Four TOTAL lunar
eclipses occurred on the Jewish Passover
and Yom Kippur Holidays in 795 - 796 AD while King Charlemagne of
the Holy Roman Empire established a DMZ buffer zone between France and Spain,
ending centuries of Arab invasions into Western Europe.
3.
Four TOTAL lunar
eclipses occurred on the Jewish Passover
and Yom Kippur Holidays in 842 - 843 AD. Shortly after the
eclipses the Vatican church in Rome was attacked and looted
by an Islamic invasion from Africa.
4.
Four TOTAL lunar
eclipses occurred on the Jewish Passover
and Yom Kippur Holidays in 860 - 861 AD. Shortly after the
eclipses the Byzantine Empire defeated Arab armies at the Battle of
Lalakaon in Turkey and permanently stopped the Islamic invasion of Eastern
Europe.
It is interesting to note
that if the incident involved the Jews
the eclipses occurred on Passover and
Tabernacles; if the incident
involved the gentiles and/or the Vatican Church the eclipses occurred on Passover and Yom Kippur.
The
last three “Blood Moons” are very important as they affect ISRAEL as
we know it today:
5.
1493
– 1494 AD-Four TOTAL lunar eclipses occurred on the Jewish Passover and the Feast of Trumpets
Holidays. Only months after King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of
Spain ordered all Jewish people to leave the country (after about 200 AD,
Spain became and remained a second Jewish homeland for well over a millennia.
So deeply woven into the fabric of Spain are the Jews that neither
history can be fully studied without considering the influence of the other).
“In
the same month in which their Majesties (Ferdinand and Isabella)] issued the
edict that all Jews should be driven out of the kingdom and its
territories, in the same month they gave me the order to undertake with
sufficient men my expedition of discovery to the Indies.” So
begins the Messianic believing Jew Christopher Columbus’s diary.
The expulsion that Columbus refers to was so
cataclysmic an event that ever since the date 1492 has been almost as
important in Jewish history as in American history. On July 30, the 9th
of Av on the Hebrew calendar of that year, the entire Jewish community,
some 200,000 people, were expelled from Spain. Tens of thousands of refugees
died while trying to reach safety. In some instances, Spanish ship captains
charged Jewish passengers exorbitant sums, then dumped them overboard in the
middle of the ocean. In the last days before the expulsion, rumors spread
throughout Spain that the fleeing refugees had swallowed gold and
diamonds, and many Jews were knifed to death by brigands hoping to find
treasures in their stomachs.
1492 was
the same year that Christopher Columbus ‘amazingly’….
discovered America which is home today for more than 5 million Jews
outside Israel. Like Mordecai said to Esther – “help will come in another way!” And America was blessed by
God. More important, it appears that America’s purpose was to
protect Israel and offer a safe haven for the Jewish people.
6.
Four TOTAL lunar
eclipses occurred on the Jewish Passover
and Feast of Tabernacle in 1949 - 1950 during the 1st Arab -
Israeli War for Independence just after Israel had become a
nation again for the first time in 2,000 years. It should be noted here: that even though Israel declared
themselves a nation in 1948, the first permanent government took office
on January 25th, 1949. Israel had a transitional government
in 1948. In this way the “(Tetrad)
four blood moons” can tie to the year 1949 for the first elected office of that
year and the birth year could still be 1948.
On 14th May,
1948 - Israel proclaimed
its independence. Less than 24 hours later, the regular armies
of Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon,
and Iraq invaded the country, forcing Israel to defend the
sovereignty it had regained in its ancestral homeland. In what became known as
Israel's War of Independence, the newly formed, poorly equipped Israel Defence
Forces (IDF) repulsed the invaders in fierce intermittent fighting, which
lasted some 15 months and claimed over 6,000 Israeli lives (nearly one percent
of the country's Jewish population at the time).
During the first months of 1949, direct negotiations
were conducted under United Nations auspices
between Israel and each of the invading countries (except Iraq,
which refused to negotiate with Israel), resulting in armistice agreements
which reflected the situation at the end of the fighting.
Accordingly, the Coastal Plain, Galilee and
the entire Negev were within Israel's
sovereignty, Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) came
under Jordanian rule, the Gaza Strip came under Egyptian administration, and the
city of Jerusalem was divided, with Jordan controlling the
eastern part, including the Old City, and Israel the
western sector.
The war over, Israel focused on building the
state which the people had struggled so long and so hard to regain. The first
120-seat Knesset (parliament) went into session following national elections (25 January 1949) in which nearly 85
percent of all eligible voters cast their ballots.
Two of the people who had led Israel to
statehood became the country's leaders: David Ben-Gurion, head of
the Jewish Agency, was chosen as the first Prime Minister; and Chaim Weizmann,
head of the World Zionist Organization, was elected by the Knesset as the first
president. On 11 May 1949, Israel took
its seat as the 59th member of the United Nations.
“The gates of the
country were thrown open, affirming the right of every Jew to become a citizen.”
David Ben-Gurion
7.
Four TOTAL lunar
eclipses occurred on the Jewish Passover
and Feast of Tabernacle in 1967 - 1968 coinciding with the 6
Day War when Israel recaptured Jerusalem. As Israel's
neighbors prepared to destroy the Jewish state, Israel invoked its
inherent right of self-defense, launching a pre-emptive strike (5 June 1967)
against Egypt in the South.
It was followed by a counter attack
against Jordan in the East and the routing of Syrian forces
entrenched on the Golan Heights in the North. At the end of six days
of fighting, previous cease-fire lines were replaced by new ones,
with Judea, Samaria, Gaza, the Sinai Peninsula, and
the Golan Heights under Israel's control. As a result, the
northern villages were freed from 19 years of recurrent Syrian shelling; the
passage of Israeli and Israel-bound shipping through the Straits of Tiran was
ensured; and Jerusalem, which had
been divided under Israeli and Jordanian rule since 1949, was reunified under
Israel's authority.*
Thanks to Alf & Julie
Saunders; http://www.pray4zion.org for information in this section
The
coming Blood Moons of 2014 – 2015… These four TOTAL lunar eclipses and two solar eclipses WILL occur
on the Jewish holidays of “Passover,” the “Feast of Tabernacles” and the “Feast
of Trumpets.”
8. This
is the only "tetrad" in
the near future that aligns itself with the Jewish holidays. And is number 8 of the group of tetrads.
It cannot be regarded as coincidence that all four blood
moons of 2014/15 occur on religious festivals of Israel, together
with two eclipses of the sun also on important days in 2015. A blood moon
will occur on the 14th day of Nisan in 2014, when the Passover will be celebrated
in Israel (Leviticus 23:5). Nisan is the first month
in Israel's religious calendar. On the 15th day of the seventh month (Tishri)
when the Feast of Tabernacles
begins (Leviticus 23:34) there
will be another blood moon.
Exactly the same pattern will be repeated in
2015. Because of Israel's lunar calendar these dates all coincide
with the full moon - on these occasions the moon will become blood-red. As
mentioned, apart from the lunar eclipses there will also be two
eclipses of the sun in 2015… on the first day of
Nisan (Passover season) and again on the first day of Tishri.
The Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year)
is celebrated on 1st Tishri, which is the beginning of
their civil calendar. Remember, the
blood moon traditionally is connected to judgment on Israel and the eclipse of
the sun is connected to judgments for the gentile nations.
8. This is the only "tetrad" in the near future that
aligns itself with the Jewish holidays. And is number 8 of the group of tetrads.
At this point a question needs to be asked; Is God really
THAT meticulous with His timing and observance of dates and numbers? Are we
making too much of these connections?
Let’s examine some other “coincidences” regarding dates and corresponding events:
The
Ninth of AV
The 9th of Av, Tisha
b'Av, commemorates a list of catastrophes so severe that involve
the nation of Israel that it could reasonably be called cursed. In fact Jews
worldwide observe this day as a Day of Mourning every year. (It
occurs on western calendars in July or August);
· 1313 BC- The Israelites are in the desert, recently having
experienced the miraculous Exodus, and are preparing to enter the Promised
Land. First they dispatch a reconnaissance mission so
that an invasion plan can be formulated.
The spies return on the eighth day of Av and
report that the enemies in the land are too horrible and the invasion will
fail. That night, the ninth of Av (remember, Hebrew days are from evening to evening) the people cry
and complain to God and Moses, basically blaming them for leading them into the
desert to die. Even after all the miracles, there is no faith. The result? Not
one person of that generation would enter the Promised Land, but would wander
for forty years in the desert until they all passed on.
· 423 BC-The
First Temple is destroyed by the
Babylonians on this date.
· 70 AD- The
Second Temple is destroyed on this exact date by the Romans.
· 133 AD- When the Jews rebelled against Roman rule, they
believed that their leader, Simon bar Kochba, would fulfill
their messianic longings. This is called the bar Kochba Rebellion. The
Jewish rebels were brutally butchered in the final battle at Betar
on this exact date, and the last diaspora
began as the Jews were removed from Israel and scattered into the nations.
· 1290 AD- All Jews
were expelled from England, beginning this exact
date.
· 1492 AD- As previously mentioned the Golden Age of Spain came to a close when
Queen Isabella and her husband Ferdinand ordered that the Jews be banished from
the land. The edict was signed on March 31st of that year and the
Jews were given four months to get their affairs in order and leave. The day
they had to leave? The ninth of Av.
· 1914 AD- World War II
and the Holocaust, historians conclude, was actually the long drawn-out
conclusion of World War I that began in 1914.
The date that Germany declared war on Russia beginning World War 1 was
the ninth of AV.
Here’s
some more “coincidences”
Esther 9:7-9; records the names of the 10 sons of Haman
who were executed after their father attempted to have all the Jews in Persia
killed. In the Hebrew text as it appears in the Tanak (OT) the
names appear one above the other in a perpendicular
column . About this strange formatting, the Soncino Commentary states:
7-9. The
Massorah (Masoretic Text) prescribes that the names of the ten sons of Haman be written in a
perpendicular column on the right-hand side of the page, with the vav,
i.e., and, on the
left-hand side. This is probably derived from the tradition that the ten sons
were hanged on a tall gallows, one above the other
Jewish sages have long believed
and taught that every variation of the surface text, whether it is the size of
the letters themselves or a variant spelling of a word, has specific meaning. In some cases, that meaning
remains a mystery. But in the case of Esther's prophecy regarding the hanging
of Haman's 10 sons, history has finally unveiled what was plainly there to see
for 2,300 years.
Examining the Hebrew text you
can see that by
looking at the list of names, four letters (the tav in the first name, the shin and tav in the seventh name, and the zayin in the tenth name) appear smaller than the other letters. As you may know, in the Hebrew
language, letters can also represent numbers. Tav has a numerical value of 400, shin a numerical value of 300, and zayin a numerical value of 7. The tav, shin, and zayin, totaled from top
to bottom, represent the number 707. Using the Jewish method of recording
years, the number 707 represents the year 5707 on the Jewish calendar. That
year would in fact be written’ Tav, Shin, Zayin.
During World War II, the Nazis in Germany tried to wipe the Jewish
race from the face of the earth. Six million Jews were killed by the Germans.
After the end of the war, the surviving Nazi leaders were tried at Nuremberg
for this and other war crimes. These trials began on November 20, 1945, for 22
German Nazi leaders.
On October 1, 1946, 12 of the German defendants were sentenced to
death by hanging for their part in the atrocities committed against the Jews
and others. One of those convicted was Martin Bormann, who was sentenced in absentia. A second
was Hermann Goering, who committed
suicide in his cell just hours before the executions by taking cyanide poison.
The remaining 10 Germans were hanged to death on October 16, 1946.
On the Jewish calendar, October 16, 1946, corresponded to 21 Tishri,
5707. This date was the last
day of the Jewish feast of Sukkot,
the day called Hoshana
Rabba. The Jews believe that this day represents the coming time when
God's verdicts of judgment will be sealed.
Need a little more proof that the Esther incident is a God timed Miqra
(Rehearsal)?
We know that the victory over Haman is celebrated as the Jewish
Festival of Purim.
If any doubts linger
about the connection between the Book
of Esther and the Nazi war criminals, the condemned Julius
Streicher certainly had none.
Through some
insight, Streicher appears to have
grasped this link to Purim, as revealed by his final shout, with
the noose about his neck, mere seconds before he was hanged.
. . . With
burning hatred in his eyes, Streicher looked down at the witnesses and shouted:
"Purim Fest 1946!" (Computorah, pp.
104-106)*Thanks to Bryan T. Huie http://www.herealittletherealittle.net for much of the Esther information
Some other interesting incident involving Purim:
·
The first Gulf War; Saddam Hussien unleashed 39 Scud missiles
against Israel (the number of lashes given Jesus). The war lasted only 40 days
and ended on Purim.
·
The second Gulf War began by the younger President Bush began on
March 18, 2003…Purim. (Consummation of what was began twelve years before?)
Finally, The consummation of the miqras
(rehearsals) of Passover, Unleavened Bread
and First Fruits that were precisely and
completely fulfilled on the exact days in
the last week of Jesus life.
In these few examples, and there are many more in Scripture, it can
be clearly seen that God is a God of Set Times and Fulfilled Prophecies and He
is VERY meticulous in His timing, especially in regards to the Jews and the
Feast Days.
With that in mind we will continue with the
discussion;
What
is the significance of this being the 8th set of blood moons?
As mentioned before, seven
is the number of perfection and completion. There
are seven sets of tetrads concerning Israel and the Feast Days that have already
occurred and the 2014-2015 tetrad is the 8th and final set this
century. Let’s place the 8th
in context with the Feast before it:
In context of the Feasts, Tabernacles
is the seventh and final Festival. The last day of this Feast, the seventh is called Hoshana Rabbah, lit. “The Great Hosanna (Salvation)”. On this day of the Feast the High Priest would go out the gate known as the Water Gate. They had gone to the pool known as "Siloam", which means “gently flowing” or lit. “Living” water. There the high priest had a golden vase and drew the water known as the living water (mayim hayim) and held it in the vase. At this season of Sukkot, Isaiah 12:3 was often quoted, , "Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation." (Yeshua in Hebrew means "salvation.)
His assistant held a silver vase containing wine. The priests would then begin to march toward Jerusalem. As they marched toward the city, the willows they were holding, (one of the four plants prescribed by God as part of the ceremony; Leviticus 23:40) made a swishing sound in the wind as they waved them while they approached the city. The word wind in Hebrew is Ruach. The word spirit in Hebrew is also Ruach. Therefore, this ceremony was symbolic or representative of the Holy Spirit (Ruach HaKodesh) of God coming upon the city of Jerusalem.
As each of the party reached their respective gates, a trumpet (shofar)
was blown. Then one man would stand up and play the flute (the flute represents the Messiah).
The flute player is called "the
pierced one." The flute is pierced, and Jesus was pierced during the
crucifixion (Psalm 22:16; Zechariah
12:10; John 19:34-37; Revelation 1:7).The flute player led the procession. The pierced one blows the
call for the wind and the water to enter the temple. The priests swishing the
willows come into the temple and circle the altar seven times. The priests that were slaying the sacrifices are now
ascending the altar, and they begin to lay the sacrifices on the fires. The
high priest and his assistant ascend the altar and all the people of Israel are
gathered into the courts surrounding the scene. The people start singing the
song Mayim,
saying, "With joy we will draw water
out of the well of salvation [Yeshua]"
(Isaiah 12:3; Mishnah,
Sukkah 5:1).The high priest takes his vase of “living water” and pours its contents on one of the corners of the altar where the horns are. There are two bowls built into the altar. Each bowl has a hole in it. The water and the wine are poured out over the altar as the priests who had the willows start laying them against the altar, making a sukkah (a miniature tabernacle or booth, the symbolism that explains the name of the Feast).
The drama of the water drawing ceremony took on a new dimension of meaning when Yeshua (Jesus) attended the Feast of Sukkot (Tabernacles).
On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and
said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who
is thirsty come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as
Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from
within them” By this he meant
the Spirit, whom those who
believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time
the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified. John 7:37-39
Note: We will examine this Feast and its’ amazing typology in much
greater detail in a future post as the season approaches.Immediately following the last day of Tabernacles, , is Shemini Atzeret (the eighth day of assembly).
"On the eighth day you shall hold a solemn gathering (Atzeret); you shall not work at your occupations" (Numbers 29:35).
The rabbis interpreted this verse to mean that God asks all who made a pilgrimage for Tabernacles to tarry (atzeret, which comes from the Hebrew root word meaning "to hold back") with Him one additional day. From this, the rabbis concluded that Shemini Atzeret is an independent festival.
To understand Shemini Atzeret , we must review a few things. First, the seven days of Passover are followed by a 49-day period of counting the omer, which climaxes with the fiftieth day of Pentecost. Thus, the liberation of Passover is linked with the revelation and giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai, known as Shavuot , or Pentecost. (For further explanation see my post on The Feast of Weeks-Shavuot) If we look at the festival cycle, Shemini Atzeret is analogous to Shavuot, which is understood to be the conclusion or atzeret to Passover. Just like Shavuot, a one-day festival, is the conclusion to Passover, a seven-day festival, so Shemini Atzeret, a one-day festival, is the conclusion to Tabernacles, a seven-day festival.
Therefore, we see that Shemini Atzeret is the eighth day -- that is the day after "seven." Seven, being a perfect number in the Bible, signifies a complete unit of time as each week ends with the seventh day called the Shabbat (Sabbath).
Thus, the eighth day is known in rabbinical tradition as the day after time. It is the end of both kinds of time. It is the end of the cycle of Feasts.It is thus not just the promise of redemption, but the actual moment of it. God said, "Remain with Me (atzeret) an extra day," a time beyond time.* Thanks to Eddie Chumney The Seven Feasts of the Messiah for much of the information in this section. www.hebroots.com
This puts the fact that the coming tetrad of blood moons is the eighth set in an amazing perspective. The rabbis and sages considered the eighth festival to be a picture of final completion, the “end of both kinds of time”; literal time and scriptural time. A picture, in type, of eternity.
If the final three feasts are types of end times events and the culmination of all the types began with Passover, then the 8th festival is a type of the eternal kingdom of God.
So, what can we say about this final set of blood moon tetrads? Let’s place them, as well as all other the other seven, as we originally said, in context: historically, culturally (Hebrew teachings and tradition) and prophetically.
·
Historically: The tetrads are an actual
historical fact. They happened. On the dates listed, in line with the events
detailed. They were not coincidences, they were witnesses to the
world of God’s divine presence and omnipotence, and in some cases judgment.
·
Culturally: The full picture and
revelation of the tetrads can only be understood in light of Hebrew history,
the Laws of Moses, rabbinical tradition and the typology of the Feasts of the
Lord. The phenomenon speaks primarily to
the nation of Israel and the Jewish people and their relation to the Gentile
nations.
·
Prophetically: As said above, we know
the Feasts of the Lord are types and shadows (Colossians 2:16-17; Hebrews 10:1) they
point to the redemptive work of the Messiah Jesus past and future. The first four have been fulfilled, to the
very day in the life and death of Jesus and the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. The next three will be fulfilled in the
future, and it is not unreasonable to suppose they will be fulfilled in the
same manner as the first four. The next
tetrads are falling on these feast days; Passover,
and Tabernacles with eclipses of the
sun falling on Nisan 1 (New Year/Spring) and Trumpets (New Year/Fall). This next tetrad will be the 8th. We have seen that the Eighth
has significance in relation to eternity after the Feast Days.
One
should make mention here that there are other "tetrads" occurring as
well. One tetrad occurred in 2003 - 2004. Future ones other than the 2014
- 2015 are found in 2032-2033, 2043-2044, 2050-2051, 2061-2062, 2072-2073,
and 2090-2091… There
were no astronomical back-to-back blood-red moon events in the 1800s, the 1700s
or the 1600s. In the 1500s, there were six… but none of those fell on Passover
and Sukkoth.
The difference between these
"tetrads" and the 2014 - 2015 "tetrad"is that this
"tetrad" aligns with the Jewish holidays and the others DO
NOT!So finally; what does all this mean?
SUMMARY
As we have now seen very clearly, in biblical prophecies there is a direct
correlation between signs in heavenly bodies and distressing events happening
on earth…. I believe that we are rapidly approaching the time of the fulfillment
of these signs.
Mark 13:24 -
46,
"But in those days the sun shall be
darkened (eclipse) and the moon shall
not give its light (eclipse) then
shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and
great glory."
Jesus told His disciples what to watch for and what
would be the signs of the end of the age. Some of them involved signs in the
heavens and He closes His instruction by commanding them to ‘watch’ 4 times.
"Be
always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about
to happen..." - Luke 21:36
It
is inescapable that the blood moon tetrads are integrally linked to events in
Israel’s history. The blood moons show a historical pattern
of Jewish persecution… and then new land for Israel after a time of
war!
It is also true that eclipses of the sun are signs for
the gentiles in Hebrew thought.
We can agree;
"Does God use the moon for signs?" Yes: Genesis 1:14, Luke 21:25.
"Are The Feasts God’s set times and rehearsals and
related to the moon?" Yes: Leviticus
23.
"Are blood-red moons prophetic in Scripture?"
Yes: Joel 2:10, 31; Acts 2:20;
Revelations 6:12.
So where do we go from here? Next year will see a
remarkable set of signs in the heavens. What will they mean? Can we say what
will happen? All we can do is prepare for whatever God has set in His time table.
The
Moon points to Israel, the Sun to the Gentiles…both come together in the blood
moon tetrad during God’s Feasts in the next two years.
We are told to watch. To be prepared. If history
and Scripture is any indication the tetrad will signify something important in
God’s work with Israel and the world.
All around us we see warning signs; Syria is in turmoil,
Egypt in crisis, Russia is flexing its’ military muscles, China is rising as a
world power and the Islamic nations are gearing for war.. Will the rapture
happen in 2015? Will the Tribulation begin? I do not know and I do not profess
to be a prophet.
I will say this; perhaps God is using His signposts to
warn those who will “see and hear.” I pray you will be one who does.
