Archive for September, 2014

Yom Teruah/Rosh Hashanah/Feast of Trumpets, Part 3

Posted in Fall Feasts, Prophecy with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , on September 28, 2014 by paulthepoke

On Thursday, September 25, 2014, Rosh Hashanah or the Jewish New Year was proclaimed on the Gregorian calendar. The Jewish New Year or Yom Teruah was not proclaimed by some in Israel until Saturday, September 27, 2014 on the Gregorian calendar. The New Year and new month (Hebrew month of Tishri) did not start until Saturday on the Sabbath. The terms Rosh Hashanah, Feast of Trumpets, Yom Teruah, Jewish New Year, Hidden Day, New Moon Festival are synonymous. WHAT?!?!

God operates on a lunar calendar. Jews have utilized the following procedure every month for thousands of years. It is called Rosh Chodesh which means “head of the month”. At the end of a lunar cycle, the moon is dark and is not seen for 2-3 days. So, the new moon could be identified during this 2-3 day period …of that day or hour no one knows…By definition, a new moon is proclaimed when the first little sliver emerges from a darkened moon. It is a tiny crescent that is noted briefly at sunset on the western horizon. The month begins at the sighting of the new moon. Two witnesses have to confirm the sighting. Upon agreement, the two witnesses report to the high priest. When the new moon is confirmed, the trumpet (shofar/ram’s horn) is blown. It is not hard to see how humanity’s time keeping system is different than God’s. It is easy to see how the concept of time is likely different and not on the same page. God marks time from month to month on a lunar calendar.

There are people who are trained witnesses to identify the new moon. They are outside of Jerusalem when the moon goes dark and they are looking for the tiny sliver to emerge. If you are interested, see this website. http://whenisthenewmoon.com/

Why two witnesses? This concept is part of Jewish law. Deuteronomy 19:15-21 A single witness shall not rise up against a man on account of any iniquity or any sin which he has committed; on the evidence of two or three witnesses a matter shall be confirmed. If a malicious witness rises up against a man to accuse him of wrongdoing, then both the men who have the dispute shall stand before the Lord, before the priests and the judges who will be in office in those days. The judges shall investigate thoroughly, and if the witness is a false witness and he has accused his brother falsely, then you shall do to him just as he had intended to do to his brother. Thus you shall purge the evil from among you. The rest will hear and be afraid, and will never again do such an evil thing among you. Thus you shall not show pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

If this concept was applied today, would society be different? Would people spread lie(s) about other people if they knew the consequence would the punishment of the lie(s) they were spreading?

In the future, God will have two people bear witness to the world that humanity is sinful. With these two witnesses, He is establishing a legal declaration of evidence. If God is wrong and lying about humanity, He would bring judgment accordingly upon Himself per the law stated above. Revelation 11:3 And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.

Two or more witnesses to the new moon are legally establishing as fact per the law.

You can know the holiday…of that day or hour no one knows…only the Father knows when the new moon is official and the holiday begins.

9 Comments »

Trend Update: Yom Teruah/Rosh Hashanah/Feast of Trumpets, September 2014

Posted in Fall Feasts, Prophecy, Rapture, Resurrection, Trend Update with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on September 24, 2014 by paulthepoke

Numbers 29:1 ‘Now in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall also have a holy convocation; you shall do no laborious work. It will be to you a day for blowing trumpets.

The Feast of Trumpets is the only new moon holiday on God’s calendar. Rosh Hashanah is the Jewish New Year, the head of years. This year, 2014 on the Gregorian calendar, the holiday begins on September 24, 25, or 26. Yom Teruah is declared when the crescent of the new moon is observed by two witness and confirmed by the high priest. By definition, it is a holiday no one knows the day or hour.

1 Corinthians 15:51-52 Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.

Colossians 2:16-17 Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day— things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.

Yom Teruah is set aside by God with prophetic implications. The Feast of Trumpets is a promise for the future. Jesus is the reason. Resurrection and rapture, He makes it happen. The issue may not be the hour or the day. The issue may be the year…

Leave a comment »

Yom Kippur/Day of Atonement

Posted in Fall Feasts, Gospel, Prophecy, Teshuvah/Repent with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , on September 21, 2014 by paulthepoke

Yom Kippur or the Day of Atonement is celebrated on Tishri 10th. It is the last day of the 40 day period of Teshuvah. In 2014, it is effectively October 4th. This holiday is viewed at the holiest day of Judaism. The day is a Sabbath day of rest. Yom Kippur is the only day a fast is required. The day begins at sun down. On the Day of Atonement, the high priest was kept awake during the dark of the night. The high priest was dressed in a white robe. Sacrifices of a bull, ram, and a goat occur. The priest makes a sacrifice for himself and for the nation of Israel. Yom Kippur is the day the high priest came into the inner sanctuary of the temple to make sacrifices on behalf of the nation of Israel. He is the only person allowed into the inner sanctuary. This day is the only day the high priest is allowed in the inner sanctuary. He entered the highest holy place with incense and coals. The incense was burned. Next, the recovered blood was sprinkled on the mercy seat, the top of the Ark of the Covenant. This is the busiest day of the year for the high priest. See Leviticus 16 for specific details. New Manners and Customs of Bible Times

In the 21st century, we have a high priest. Hebrews 6:20 …where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

Today, animal sacrifices are no longer necessary, even when the Jewish Temple is rebuilt. Hebrews 9:11-14 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

Hebrews 13:11-12 For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy place by the high priest as an offering for sin, are burned outside the camp. Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate.

Some believe this is the day at the end of the 7 year tribulation that Christ will return and establish His millennial kingdom.

Hebrews 9:28 …so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.

8 Comments »

Trend Update: Mystery Babylon/Revelation, Part 2, September 2014

Posted in Prophecy with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on September 17, 2014 by paulthepoke

Revelation 17:9 Here is the mind which has wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits…

Revelation 17:18 The woman whom you saw is the great city, which reigns over the kings of the earth.

All seven churches of Revelation are located in Asia Minor, modern day Turkey.

Four of the seven churches in Revelation have references to Satan. Jesus is the one talking directly to the churches. Jesus got His information from God the Father (Revelation 1). This is not conjecture.

Revelation 2:9 (Smyrna) I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich), and the blasphemy by those who say they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.

Revelation 2:13 (Pergamum) I know where you dwell, where Satan’s throne is; and you hold fast My name, and did not deny My faith even in the days of Antipas, My witness, My faithful one, who was killed among you, where Satan dwells.

Jesus Himself states Pergamum is Satan’s capital. This is where Satan lives and reigns. Pergamum was credited with the art of making parchment or paper. This technique lead to wealth and splendor (New Unger’s Bible Dictionary). Pergamum means “citadel” (Holman Bible Dictionary). A 40 foot high altar of Zeus was located here. The altar was one of the wonders of the ancient world. Pergamum was home of a library of 200,000 volumes. Antipas was the first Christian martyred by Roman Empire in Pergamum (http://bibleatlas.org/).

Revelation 2:24 (Thyatira) But I say to you, the rest who are in Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not known the deep things of Satan, as they call them– I place no other burden on you.

Revelation 3:9 (Philadelphia) Behold, I will cause those of the synagogue of Satan, who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie– I will make them come and bow down at your feet, and make them know that I have loved you.

Asia Minor is mentioned in the book of Acts.

Acts 16:6 They passed through the Phrygian and Galatian region, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia… The Holy Spirit made sure Paul and his companions stayed in modern day Turkey instead of advancing east to China. The regions of Phrygia and Galatia are in the heart of Asia Minor.

Acts 16:7 and after they came to Mysia, they were trying to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus did not permit them…The Spirit of Jesus intervened and kept the crew in Mysia. Bithynia and Mysia are also in Turkey. Jesus wanted them in Mysia. The region of Mysia is home to the city of Pergamum, Satan’s city (Revelation 2:13). Paul was forbidden by the Spirit of Christ from going into the region of Bithynia, home to modern day Istanbul, Constantinople, or Byzantium (synonymous names). The Holy Spirit and Jesus clearly had a plan for the gospel in Satan’s back yard.

Satan has his trinity. He plays the role of God. The antichrist plays the role of Jesus. And the false prophet plays the role of the Holy Spirit. Satan clearly has a foot hold in Turkey per the comments of Jesus to the churches in Revelation. Satan has a religious system and structures in place in this geographical area. If Satan’s home land is modern day Turkey, would it make sense for him to establish his kingdom with his minions here?

Istanbul is known as the City on the Seven Hills. It was also the capital of the Roman Empire. There is a lot of New Testament action in Turkey.

Just watching…

5 Comments »

Yom Teruah/Rosh Hashanah/Feast of Trumpets, Part 2

Posted in Fall Feasts, Prophecy with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on September 14, 2014 by paulthepoke

Leviticus 23:23-25 Again the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘In the seventh month on the first of the month you shall have a rest, a reminder by blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation.  You shall not do any laborious work, but you shall present an offering by fire to the Lord.’”

Numbers 29:1 ‘Now in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall also have a holy convocation; you shall do no laborious work. It will be to you a day for blowing trumpets.

The shofar is blown 100 times on the Feast of Trumpets.  There are three different sounds (Tekiah, Shevarim, Teruah). Each is blown three times for a total of 9 blasts. This pattern is completed 11 times for a total of 99 blasts. The last blast is set aside. It is the longest and loudest. It is known as the “Last Trump”. References provided by (El Shaddai Ministries).

This holiday has many different names. Some of the names are listed below. Jewish tradition has Rosh Hashanah as the birthday of the world and the head of years.

It is known as the “Coronation of Messiah”. Traditionally, kings of Israel have been appointed on Yom Teruah. King David was coronated on this new moon holiday. Israel’s Messiah comes from the lineage of King David.

Psalm 47 O clap your hands, all peoples; shout to God with the voice of joy. For the Lord Most High is to be feared, a great King over all the earth. He subdues peoples under us and nations under our feet. He chooses our inheritance for us, the glory of Jacob whom He loves. Selah.

 God has ascended with a shout, the Lord, with the sound of a trumpet. Sing praises to God, sing praises; sing praises to our King, sing praises. For God is the King of all the earth; sing praises with a skillful psalm. God reigns over the nations, God sits on His holy throne. The princes of the people have assembled themselves as the people of the God of Abraham, for the shields of the earth belong to God; He is highly exalted.

It is known as the “Hidden Day”. Psalm 27:5 For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; in the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock.

Zephaniah 2:3 Seek the LORD, All you humble of the earth who have carried out His ordinances; seek righteousness, seek humility. Perhaps you will be hidden in the day of the LORD’S anger.

It is known as the “Wedding of the Messiah”.  Joel 2:15-16 Blow a trumpet in Zion, Consecrate a fast, proclaim a solemn assembly, gather the people, sanctify the congregation, assemble the elders, gather the children and the nursing infants. Let the bridegroom come out of his room and the bride out of her bridal chamber.

9 Comments »

Trend Update: Mystery Babylon/Revelation, September 2014

Posted in Prophecy with tags , , , , , , , , , , , on September 10, 2014 by paulthepoke

Revelation 17:9 Here is the mind which has wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sits…

From a Western perspective, popular lines of conjecture are the following. The woman is a city. Revelation 17:18 The woman whom you saw is the great city, which reigns over the kings of the earth. The city that sits on the seven mountains or hills is Rome. A revived Roman Empire will emerge in the end times. Some think the European Union is the end time’s empire. Others believe an apostate Catholic Church will lead the charge. Some conjecture a future leader of the European Union will be the antichrist. Others believe The Pope will be the antichrist. Rome will be the capital and the city that is Mystery Babylon.

But…Rome is not the only possibility. There are other port cities that are built on seven hills. Two other examples are Istanbul, Turkey (Constantinople) and Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Mecca is very curious. It is the home of the most religious site in Islam. However, the focus of this blog is the consideration of Istanbul.

I want to be perfectly clear. I am not stating Constantinople or modern day Istanbul is Mystery Babylon. I am encouraging people to consider this as a possibility. In light of the Israel and Hamas fighting, Turkey has offered to broker peace between Israel and the Palestinians. http://rudaw.net/english/opinion/28072014

News out of Istanbul, Turkey has recently claimed the city to be the future capital of a new Arab confederation of countries.  http://shoebat.com/2014/08/26/bombshell-antichrist-confederacy-announced-turkey

The political happenings in Istanbul, Turkey merit an attentive eye. Just watching…

People often forget the Roman Empire had an eastern leg which included modern day Turkey, Iraq, and Syria.

Istanbul is known as the City on the Seven Hills. The seven hills were located within the original walls of the city. Constantinople was founded on an already established city. The city was named by Constantine the Great of the Roman Empire. Constantine established the city in his namesake as the capital of the Roman Empire. The city was purposefully patterned after Rome. It was dedicated in May, 330 AD (Wikipedia).

Modern day Turkey was known as Asia Minor. Turkey is a land bridge between Asia and Europe. The area connects the Black Sea to the Mediterranean Sea. The Golden Horn of Istanbul provides a spacious harbor.

Mystery Babylon is a port city. Revelation 18 confirms this city is a place of great exchange, cargoes, and trade. Ships, merchants, passengers, captains, and sailors are mentioned. Revelation 18:19 And they threw dust on their heads and were crying out, weeping and mourning, saying, ‘Woe, woe, the great city, in which all who had ships at sea became rich by her wealth, for in one hour she has been laid waste!’

Be a watchman. Here is the mind which has wisdom…

7 Comments »

Yom Teruah/Rosh Hashanah/Feast of Trumpets, Part 1

Posted in Fall Feasts, Prophecy, Rapture, Resurrection with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on September 7, 2014 by paulthepoke

Leviticus 23:23-25 Again the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘In the seventh month on the first of the month you shall have a rest, a reminder by blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation.  You shall not do any laborious work, but you shall present an offering by fire to the Lord.’”

Numbers 29:1 ‘Now in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall also have a holy convocation; you shall do no laborious work. It will be to you a day for blowing trumpets.

And blow the trumpets they do. This holiday has many names. It is called the Feast of Trumpets by Christians. It is recognized as the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah. In Judaism, it is called Yom Teruah which means the “Day of Blowing”.

The directions for the holiday are straight forward. 1) It is to be a day of rest or a Sabbath. 2) The day is a holy or separate day. It is a convocation. The Hebrew word for convocation is miqra’. Per Strong’s Concordance it means: rehearsal, convocation, a reading, a calling together, or sacred assembly. 3) It is a memorial and reminder to blow or shout. The Hebrew word is teruah. It means: alarm, signal, a sound of tempest, shout of joy, blast of war, alarm, joy, war-cry, or battle-cry.

Judaism recognizes three trumps: first trump, the last trump, and the great trump. Each one of these named trumps represents a specific day. The “first trump” is blown on the Feast of Pentecost (Exodus 19:19). The “great trump” is blown on Yom Kippur and signals the return of Christ to Earth (Matthew 24:31). The “last trump” is synonymous with Yom Teruah or Rosh Hashanah (1 Corinthians 15:52). Resources: Festivals of the Jewish Year, Theodore Gaster; The High Holy Days, Herman Kieval.

This God appointed holiday is the only new moon observance. This is not some Old Testament warm and fuzzy tradition. God has a point and a reason. He has not forgotten. The Apostle Paul makes note of this holiday in Colossians 2:16-17 Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day— things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.

God has singled out this appointed holiday for some big time fireworks! Judaism has been rehearsing this holiday for thousands of years since Moses. Has the Apostle Paul (1 Corinthians 15:52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed) connected the dots… (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord.)

Resurrection and rapture on the Feast of Trumpets???

10 Comments »

Trend Update: God’s Fall Appointments, September 2014

Posted in Fall Feasts, Gospel, Prophecy with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on September 3, 2014 by paulthepoke

There are seven God appointed holidays communicated through the Old Testament Law. The first four were fulfilled to the day by Jesus Himself. If the first four spring holidays were fulfilled on the God appointed holiday, why would the fall holidays be any different?

Jesus is the Passover Lamb. 1 Peter 1:19-21 …but with precious blood, as of a lamb unblemished and spotless, the blood of Christ. For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you who through Him are believers in God, who raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. Jesus was crucified on the Feast of Passover.

Jesus is the unleavened bread. He is the bread of life. John 6:35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst. Leaven is a symbol of sin. 2 Corinthians 5:21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. Jesus was buried on the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

Jesus is the first fruits, the resurrection. 1 Corinthians 15:20-22 But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. Jesus was resurrected on the Feast of First Fruits.

Jesus promised and delivered the Holy Spirit. John 14:16-17 I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you. That promise was kept on the Feast of Pentecost (Acts 2).

The God appointed fall holidays are the Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles. Above is a brief 10 minute video found on YouTube that provides a framework of the fall God appointed holidays.

 

 

Leave a comment »

Elul…Blow the Horn!

Posted in Fall Feasts, Prophecy, Rapture, Resurrection, Teshuvah/Repent with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on September 1, 2014 by paulthepoke

Elul 1 marks the beginning of Teshuvah. In a Gregorian calendar in the year 2014, this would be August 27 or 28 depending on when the new moon is confirmed. Teshuvah is a 40 day period that runs through the holiday of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. It is Jewish custom to blow a shofar (ram’s horn) one time every day during the season of Teshuvah. The trumpet is blown every day except Shabbat or the Sabbath (Saturday for us in western culture) and the last day of month of Elul. The trumpet is blown after the morning service. The shofar is blown frequently…

The blowing of the shofar started with Moses and the Israelites at Mount Sinai. The blowing of the shofar is associated with God descending to Mount Sinai and the gathering of nation Israel. This is where Moses is called to ascend the mountain to meet God (Exodus 19:13-19). This is when and where Israel received the law.

The blowing of a shofar signaled many things in Biblical times. The shofar blast was a call to war and the prospect of danger. Joel 2:1 Blow a trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm on My holy mountain! Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming; surely it is near…The shofar was a way to call soldiers. The trumpet preceded the Ark of the Covenant. 2 Samuel 6:15 So David and all the house of Israel were bringing up the ark of the LORD with shouting and the sound of the trumpet.

The trumpet blast signified the beginning of the month (Numbers 10:10). Psalm 81:3-4 Blow the trumpet at the new moon, at the full moon, on our feast day. For it is a statute for Israel, an ordinance of the God of Jacob. Some form of a trumpet blast(s) is used at Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement). A trumpet blast also signals the beginning of Jubilee (Leviticus 25).

One of the customs of Elul is to visit a cemetery. This is quite interesting in light of the Jewish belief that the resurrection will occur during the period of Teshuvah. Specifically, the resurrection is to occur on the new moon holiday of the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah. Christians refer to this as the Feast of Trumpets. Orthodox Jews do not believe in Christ let alone the New Testament. Apostle Paul’s letter to the Corinthians would confirm their tradition. 1 Corinthians 15:52b at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.

http://www.hebrew4christians.com, http://www.jewfaq.org, http://www.chabad.org, http://www.myjewishlearning.com, New Unger’s Bible Dictionary, Nave’s Topics.

7 Comments »

%d bloggers like this: