LIGHT OF MENORAH

Yom Kippureem - Episode 2 - The Time of Jacob‘s Trouble

In this second lesson on the most holiest day for the religious Jewish people, Yom Kippureem יום הכיפורים‎ - the day of Atonements יום הכיפורים‎ -  we wonder if the Hebrews did this "feast" during the 40 years in the Sinai?  Did they do it in David's day, Solomon's, or Hezekiah's?  

In Jesus' day Yom Kippureem יום הכיפורים‎ was devoutly practiced and it was called "The Great Day" or "The Day" or simply the "The Fast."  This can be seen in the books of Acts when Paul was on that sea voyage and experienced the ship wreck.  Consider ... 

When we had sailed slowly for a good many days, and with difficulty had arrived off Cnidus, since the wind did not permit us to go farther, we sailed under the shelter of Crete, off Salmone; and with difficulty sailing past it we came to a place called Fair Havens, near which was the city of Lasea. When considerable time had passed and the voyage was now dangerous, since even the fast was already over, Paul began to admonish them, and said to them, "Men, I perceive that the voyage will certainly be with damage and great loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives." (Act 27:7-10)

Dr. Craig Keener - an superb and highly credible Bible historian and scholar - comments on this.  He says ...

The “fast” here refers to Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, which occurs in September or October. Sea travel became more dangerous as winter approached (2Ti_4:21; Tit_3:12). Shipping was completely closed down from around November 10 to as late as March 10, but September 15-November 10 and March 11-May 26 were risky periods as well. (The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament. © 1993 by Craig S. Keener).

During Jesus' day the appointed time focused on the High Priest and the rituals and events taught by יהוה‎ Yahvay, the Lord our God, in Leviticus 16.  It is possible there were services in the local synagogues across Israel.  However, the TORAH, God's "instruction" and not law emphasized the High Priest and the things that must be done on the Temple in Jerusalem.

After 70 A.D. Judaism changes dramatically.  All things had to be rethought and looked at from a different perspective.  Why?  There was no Temple anymore.  Now what?  So, Yom Kippureem יום הכיפורים‎ takes on a whole different way of observing this awesome day as the rabbis "made up" new rituals and new practices that are not in the Bible at all.  Some are.  But overall the Jewish way today of doing Yom Kippureem is not like it was in Jesus' day.

We know that there are days coming we call the Great Tribulation.  We know it has to do with the predictions of the "70 Weeks" on Daniel.  It was weeks of years or each year represents one day of "week." In Judaism you might hear that the "last week" of Daniel's 70 weeks is called the "Time of Jacob's Trouble."  Some verses related to this in Judaism are ...

"Seventy weeks have been decreed for your people and your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sin, to make atonement for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the most holy place. "So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress. "Then after the sixty-two weeks the Messiah will be cut off and have nothing, and the people of the prince who is to come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. And its end will come with a flood; even to the end there will be war; desolations are determined. "And he will make a firm covenant with the many for one week, but in the middle of the week he will put a stop to sacrifice and grain offering; and on the wing of abominations will come one who makes desolate, even until a complete destruction, one that is decreed, is poured out on the one who makes desolate." 
(Dan 9:24-27)

Now these are the words which the LORD spoke concerning Israel and concerning Judah: "For thus says the LORD, 'I have heard a sound of terror, Of dread, and there is no peace. 'Ask now, and see If a male can give birth. Why do I see every man With his hands on his loins, as a woman in childbirth? And why have all faces turned pale? 'Alas! for that day is great, There is none like it; And it is the time of Jacob's distress, But he will be saved from it. 'It shall come about on that day,' declares the LORD of hosts, 'that I will break his yoke from off their neck and will tear off their bonds; and strangers will no longer make them their slaves. (Jer 30:4-8)

Is there some connection between Jesus, "The Time of Jacob's Distress (Trouble)," Yom Kippureem יום הכיפורים‎, Yom Teruah יוֹם תְּרוּעָה‎ (rabbinic name is Rosh HaShana), and Jesus' words as we read ...

"The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel." (Mar 1:15)

Come.  Join us.  Let's study Yom Kippureem יום הכיפורים‎.  Let's "see" how this appointed time is a picture of the coming of the End of Days, the awesome Day of the Lord.

  

 

 

 

Yom Kippureem - Episode 1 - ”It is Finished.”

Ten days after Yom Teruah יוֹם תְּרוּעָה‎ (rabbinic name is Rosh HaShana) we come to the most holiest day for the religious Jewish people, Yom Kippureem יום הכיפורים‎ - the day of Atonements.  Already we see that when we call it Yom Kippur we are incorrect.  God calls it Yom Kippureem, atonements is plural. 

In this first of the three lessons on this feast (not a feast but an "appointed time" or mo'edeem מועדים - like a date - one knows the day, the time, and the place of the meeting) we will learn why it is called the day of atonements.  We will see that those who teach that atonement means "AT ONE MENT" are showing their total lack of Bible knowledge and understanding.  We will deal with the question that few in the pulpit can deal with and that is if on Yom Kippureem God atones and forgives ALL the sins of all the people Israel (look it up in Lev. 16:34) then what did Jesus do on the cross? Does this mean Israel is cleansed of all sins once per year, but non-Jews, like us, need Jesus?  Does that mean Israel does not need Jesus?  Is Israel some sort of super race in God's eyes?  We will see that Yom Kippureem does not cleanse Israel of sin.  We will see that indeed all men, all women, young and old, Jew and Gentile, have no hope to be forgiven of their sin unless there is the solution God provided, His death and blood sacrifice on the cross.  All this is right in front of us.  The confusion is cleared up easily and precisely IF you know the Hebrew and IF you know what the Torah says about UNINTENTIONAL SIN and INTENTIONAL SIN and the SIN OFFERING.  All the answers are right there in front of us, but few in the church are educated in Biblical Hebrew and the ancient culture of Israel, our Jewish roots.  Our seminaries are graduating highly educated pastors with no Biblical understanding, no knowledge of Biblical Hebrew or Greek, and no training in understanding the Bible in its historical context or the Jewish roots of Christianity.

Here's two awesome links to two articles at www.TorahClass.com - a Jewish/Christian teaching site explain this - 1) https://torahclass.com/old-testament-leviticus-lesson-23-ch16/?format=video&lang=en 2) https://torahclass.com/old-testament-leviticus-lesson-24-ch16-ch17/?format=audio&lang=en

Rev. Ferret - who is this guy?  What's his background?  Why should I listen to him?  Check his background at this link -click here for the teacher's background

Genesis 14 - Gen. 4:10-26 - Abel's BLOOD(S) Cry Out to Me

In the previous lesson I mentioned two verses I wanted to emphasize. The first was Genesis 4:9 and in this lesson it is Genesis 4:10. God tells Cain that his brother's blood cries out to the Lord. For me as a Christian reading it in English it seems to mean to me that God is simply saying that He has witnessed Abel's murder. However, it has deeper implications. So deep, matter of fact, that this verse is related to the Bible's view that killing a baby in the womb is more than one death! But, the key is, NOT in English but in Hebrew.

Once again we need to reconnect to those amazing scholars Jew and Gentile to help us see what the Hebrew means and how it was understood in Jesus' day and before. Thus, once we understand the Lord's original meaning it helps us today apply it the way it was intended. Many times in this series I bring up two sources that are so helpful for the study of the Torah for us Christians. One is the Torah commentary by Dr. John Currid. The second is the JPS (Jerusalem Publication Society) Torah Commentary. I recommend both of these resources for any of you who are serious Bible students.

Another great resource is this web site (link below). It is entitled "Hebrew 4 Christians." At this website are amazing resources for you to go deeper in understanding the Jewish background of the Bible, to learn Hebrew, and to study Torah as a disciple of Yeshua. Here's the link - https://hebrew4christians.com/index.html

 

Rev. Ferret (above - in a tomb in the necropolis of the ancient city of Hierapolis in Turkey) - who is this guy?  What's his background?  Why should I listen to him?  Check his background at this link - https://www.dropbox.com/s/ortnret3oxcicu4/BackgrndTeacher%20mar%2025%202020.pdf?dl=0

Rosh HaShana (YOM TERUAH) - 4 - 1st & Last Shofar

ROSH HASHANA EPISODE 4

(ROYALTY FREE IMAGE AT WWW.KINGPNG.COM)

In lesson 4 we seem to get at the primary connection between this feast of the Lord, this "appointed time" commanded by Him, His מוֹעֲדִ mo'ed and Yeshua HaMaschiach, Jesus the Messiah, the Christ.  Jesus said (John 5:39) that SCRIPTURE testifies of Him.  So, this feast in Torah likely testifies of Him.

We will focus on those coming out of Egypt and the one shofar blast that was beyond loud, strong.  It was awesome, amazing, and unbelievable.  As we study the events of this shofar blast it seems to create a definite connection to an event in the future - an event that mirrors the event experienced by the Hebrews at Sinai.  It takes us to a certain mountain, a specific location that we are all looking forward to.

I mentioned in this lesson about Rabbi Saadia Gaon living in the early 10th century A.D.  He suggested there were ten events related to the Shofar we should relate to Rosh HaShana.  (NOTE: the actual name used by God is Yom Teruah, the Day of the Blast.  Rabbis made up the name Rosh HaShana.  Their views of the Lord's feast and its meaning is unbiblical and not close to the Lord's purpose).  If you wanted to read the actual words of Rabbi Gaon check the link below.  Also, check the link below that shows that Rosh HaShana is not what God wanted or intended.  God named this this "appointed time," this מוֹעֲדִ mo'ed, one of His feasts as in Leviticus 23,  יום תרועה, Yom Teruah - the day of the blast (shofar blast is assumed).  The rabbis changed it and took out of the Bible, took out of the context of God's word.

LINK 1 - ten shofars of Rabbi Gaon

https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/128856?lang=bi

LINK 2 - Rosh HaShana is not biblical and of God but Yom Teruah is

https://booksnthoughts.com/rosh-hashanah-is-not-a-biblical-holiday/

 

Rev. Ferret - who is this guy?  What's his background?  Why should I listen to him?  Check his background at this link - https://www.dropbox.com/s/ortnret3oxcicu4/BackgrndTeacher%20mar%2025%202020.pdf?dl=0

 

Rosh HaShana Part 3 - REMEMBER THE DAY OF THE SHOFAR BLAST & THE DAY OF THE LORD

I have heard the excuse of many in the "church" of why we do not do the Biblical feasts.  One will say they are the Jewish feasts.  And we are not Jewish.  Right, you are not Jewish, but you are also wrong.  Lev. 23:1-2 tells us that these feasts - actually in Hebrew they are the מועדים mow-ed-deem (H4140) or the appointed times) - belong to the Lord, belong to  יהוה Yahvay.  They are not only for Jews but for all God's people. On top of that Jesus also seems to imply that the feasts, the appointed times, are His.  Consider ...

And He said, "Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, 'The Teacher says, "My time is near; I am to keep the Passover at your house with My disciples."'" (Mat 26:18)  

The Passover is one of the feasts, one of the מועדים mow-ed-deem and Jesus seems to say this is His.  Thus, Jesus is saying He is the Lord!  He is saying that the feasts are His.  

Besides that Jesus says in John 5:39 ...

"You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me"  (Joh 5:39)

He said this to the Scribes, the Chief Priests, the Temple Elders, and probably some Pharisees in 24-30 A.D.  All they had was the Hebrew Scriptures (a.k.a. the Old Testament) and the first five books of the Bible, the Books of Moses, a.k.a. the Torah, were the key foundational books of the Bible.  Jesus is saying the Torah testifies of Him, the Messiah.  So, the feasts, the מועדים mow-ed-deem, testify of Jesus.  Thus, some say in the church that the Biblical feasts are Jewish and only about Jewish stuff.  There's nothing in the feasts about Jesus.  Wrong.  What did our Lord just teach us?  Why won't we listen to Yeshua?  We don't listen to Him and and wonder why over 80% of so called people who call themselves Christians in the USA do NOT have a Biblical worldview.  We Bible teachers have a lot to answer for and it will be a fearsome thing to be face to face with Jesus when we are judged.

In part three we will look at four possible ways יוֹם תְּרוּעָה Yom Teruah or the Day of the Blast (rabbis changed it to Rosh HaShana, the head of the year) connect to Jesus.  We will not make up stuff.  We will not invent non-biblical connections.  We will stick like glue to the very words of God and the real facts of Biblical history. We will only consider four.  I think there are more and you may find others.  But, the four I chose convinced me to say that once you know this then the "church" has NO excuse for not doing the מועדים mow-ed-deem of the Lord.  Once Jesus is manifested in the feasts it is incumbent upon the "church" - all of us as disciples of Adonai Yeshua - to do then as an expression of our love and thankfulness.  We do Christmas - nice holiday but not commanded by God.  Easter - nice holiday but not commanded by God.  Lent - awesome time before Easter but not commanded by God.  Advent - preparing for the birth of Christ but again, man made, and not commanded by the Lord.  The only one we do is Pentecost and in many churches today you attend Pentecost Sunday and it is not even brought up.  But now there is no excuse.  Come.  Blow the shofar on the evening of יוֹם תְּרוּעָה Yom Teruah (a.k.a. Rosh HaShana) and rejoice and celebrate our new life in Jesus.

גמר חתימה בספר החיים טלה

G'mar Chatima Beh Sefer HaChaim Tahlah

May you be inscribed in the Lamb's Book of Life

Rev. Ferret - who is this guy?  What's his background?  Why should I listen to him?  Check his background at this link - click here for the teacher's background

 

 

Rosh HaShana - Part 2 - The Shadow of Messiah

SPECIAL PODCAST SERIES

The Fall Feasts of the Lord

Once again we return to Jesus' words in John 5:39 ...

"You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me." (Joh 5:39)

How do we "see" Jesus in Rosh HaShana?  This feast of the Lord is in the Torah, the main books of the Bible in Jesus' day when He said the words found John 5:39.  It is not how the Jewish people celebrate this feast.  NO!! It is how the word testifies of the Messiah, Jesus the Christ.  How does the Shofar sound of this feast show us Yeshua?

The word of God is clear, crystal.  These are not the Jewish feasts.  God says they are not but He says ...

The LORD spoke again to Moses, saying, "Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, 'The LORD'S appointed times which you shall proclaim as holy convocations--My appointed times are these: 
(Lev 23:1-2)

Today the church does not celebrate one of God's "feasts." One can see why.  Our pastors and leaders are not trained in Hebrew, Greek, or the Bible in its historical context.  The "church" has always looked upon the feasts as Jewish and that Jesus did away with the law.  So, we do not see a reason to do Jewish feasts.  But they are not Jewish feasts.  They are the Lord's.  Perhaps, if we "see" how they relate to Jesus, a church may consider a service on the evening or day of Rosh HaShana.  The service might entail songs of praise and thanksgiving and perhaps a community meal or pizza party.  Once you see the Christian meaning of all this then a church could once again say to our Father, "Abba, we come today to join with you on YOUR 'appointed time' and seek Your face and Your love on Your Feast that we have turned from in our lack of understanding.

In parts one and two and three of this series we will focus on Rosh HaShana.  We will find that the rabbis made up the name, Rosh HaShana, and said the feasts was a celebration of the New Year.  No way - not in its historical context.  Once we get the rabbinic midrash out of the way the meaning of this feast, called the Day of the Blast in Torah, becomes clear and powerful and then we can see Jesus, we can see the Messiah.  It then is a challenge for the "church" to understand Yom Teruah, Rosh HaShana, and to consider a praise service to honor the Lord and meet with Him on His "appointed time," and time and day He wants us to get together.

Rev. Ferret - who is this guy?  What's his background?  Why should I listen to him?  Check his background at this link - https://www.dropbox.com/s/ortnret3oxcicu4/BackgrndTeacher%20mar%2025%202020.pdf?dl=0

 

 

Rosh HaShana Part 1 - THE DAY OF THE BLAST

SPECIAL PODCAST SERIES

The Fall Feasts of the Lord

Once again we return to Jesus' words in John 5:39 ...

"You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me." (Joh 5:39)

He said this sometime between 24-30 A.D. and scripture then was the Hebrew Scriptures (a.k.a. the Old Testament).  The primary books of the Hebrew scriptures is the Torah, the first five books of the Bible.  Thus, then, how do these scriptures testify of Jesus?  How do we see Jesus in the Torah?  This relates to the Rosh HaShana since this "feast" is mentioned several times in the Torah.  So, how do we "see" Jesus in Rosh HaShana?

The word of God is clear, crystal.  These are not the Jewish feasts.  God says they are not but He says ...

The LORD spoke again to Moses, saying, "Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, 'The LORD'S appointed times which you shall proclaim as holy convocations--My appointed times are these: 
(Lev 23:1-2)

Today the church does not celebrate one of God's "feasts."  Not one except Pentecost, or in Hebrew, Shavuot, the feast of weeks.  And, even then, they do not even understand the deeper and more expanded meaning of Pentecost.  Why not?  Simple, the church is so cutoff from its Jewish roots.  It has been emphasized that the old is done away with and the new has come so we are not under the rules and commands of the Old Testament.  The "church" has taught for centuries that what is Jewish is wrong, obsolete, and Jesus came against it.  This is totally wrong and misguided.  Jesus never did away with the Torah and the commands in Torah.  He came to complete the Torah, to do what the Torah could never do.  Just like we read when Paul taught in the synagogue in Antioch of Pisidia in southern Turkey ...

"Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses (another way of naming the fist five books of the Bible, the Torah). (Act 13:38-39)

 

Jesus is God, Jesus is Lord, and Paul reiterates that there is only ONE God. Thus, these "feasts" are His, they are the feasts of Jesus.  I suggest that once you see Jesus in these commanded times the church can then consider to do these feasts in a Christian way as we see Jesus.  

In parts one and two and three of this series we will focus on Rosh HaShana.  We will find that the rabbis made up the name, Rosh HaShana, and said the feasts was a celebration of the New Year.  No way - not in its historical context.  Once we get the rabbinic midrash out of the way the meaning of this feast, called the Day of the Blast in Torah, becomes clear and powerful and then we can see Jesus, we can see the Messiah.  It then is a challenge then to the "church" to understand Yom Teruah, Rosh HaShana, and to consider a praise service to honor the Lord and meet with Him on His "appointed time," and time and day He wants us to get together.

Rev. Ferret - who is this guy?  What's his background?  Why should I listen to him?  Check his background at this link - click here for the teacher's background

 

 

Genesis 13 - Gen. 4:4-16 THE ANGER OF CAIN AND THE 1ST MURDER

God asks Cain where Abel was? He was not around? Something had happened. We know that something happened when we read ...

"Cain told Abel his brother. And it came about when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him." (Gen 4:8)

This was the first murder stemming from Cain's anger as recorded in the Torah. And we know that it says that ... "You shall not murder." (Exo 20:13). The King James got it wrong when it says thou shalt not kill. The Hebrew word is תרצח H7523 pronounced "tretzach" does not mean kill but murder as in the Gesenius Lexicon. And later in Exod. 21:12-14 we read ...

"He who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death. But if he did not lie in wait for him, but God let him fall into his hand, then I will appoint you a place to which he may flee. If, however, a man acts presumptuously toward his neighbor, so as to kill him craftily, you are to take him even from My altar, that he may die." (Exo 21:12-14)

But, if God wants murderers executed why was Cain kept alive? Shouldn't have Cain been killed by God to maintain unity of His law and commands? Interesting. Let's go and explore this event in its historical context and in the Hebrew and not the English.

 

 

Rev. Ferret (above - teaching at the gates of the ancient city of Gezer) - who is this guy?  What's his background?  Why should I listen to him? Check it out at this link - https://www.dropbox.com/s/ortnret3oxcicu4/BackgrndTeacher%20mar%2025%202020.pdf?dl=0

 

 

 

 

Bible Study - The Puzzle of the End Times

Class starts next Sunday 9/29.  Only half the seats remain.  Watch the video to get more info and to reserve a seat.

Genesis 12 - Gen. 4:1 - AND ADAM KNEW HIS WIFE CHAVA

The way is closed to the Father and the Tree of Life.  This was the ending of Genesis chapter 3.  Now what?  This is where it is clear that Jesus, when He says in John 5:39, sometime between 24-30 A.D., that scripture (it was only the Old Testament then) testifies of Him, we see the GOOD NEWS, the GOSPEL according to Moses.  Jesus says He is the Way and the Truth and the Life.  He is the Way and the only way to the Father!  This is obviously so connected to the fact that the way is closed to the Father after the sin of Adam and Eve.  But, Jesus is clearly telling us the WAY is open, we can go back , we can enter Gan Eden, Paradise, if we chose Him. 

Adam and Eve freely chose to disobey God and they lost it all.  Now, God sets up the same situation in reverse.  If we chose Jesus then we gain it all, we gain eternal life!   But, in Matthew's Gospel Jesus says that there are many who will come and say they did this or that in Jesus' name.  And Jesus said that is nothing.  It amounts to NIL.  Why?  Jesus said

He did not KNOW them

I wonder.  Jesus is speaking Hebrew and not Aramaic.  He says they did not KNOW Him.  The first time this word comes up in the Torah is Genesis 4:1, or Adam KNEW his wife.  Is there something about this word KNOW in Hebrew that will give us insight into our relationship with Yeshua?  You bet.   

 

Rev. Ferret (above - teaching at the gates of the ancient city of Gezer) - who is this guy?  What's his background?  Why should I listen to him? Check it out at this link - https://www.dropbox.com/s/ortnret3oxcicu4/BackgrndTeacher%20mar%2025%202020.pdf?dl=0