Archive for October, 2015

Jubilee, Part 2, Jesus Offers a Clue?

Posted in Isaiah, Jubilee, Prophecy with tags , , , , , , , , , , , on October 25, 2015 by paulthepoke

Luke 4:17-21 And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book and found the place where it was written,

“The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives and freedom to prisoners; to proclaim the favorable year of the LORD.

And He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” -Jesus

scroll

photo from http://robtouchstone.com

Jesus read and spoke these words in the synagogue of His home town Nazareth (Luke 4:16). Jesus is reading Isaiah 61:1-2a. He reads verse 1 completely. Jesus then stops reading in the middle of Isaiah 61:2. By reading these words, He was claiming to be the Messiah. In other words, “Here I am!!”

Take a look at Isaiah 61:2. To proclaim the favorable year of the LORD (Jesus stops here.) and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn…

The stoppage of reading in the verse has lasted close to 2,000 years. At His first coming, Jesus was a suffering servant who died for our sins. His death freed us from the bondage of sin. Christ did not come in vengeance the first time, hence the pause. And we wait for the remainder of Isaiah 61:2b-11. It describes the future conditions of the nation Israel under the leadership of the Messiah, Jesus. He returns the second time in wrath.

At this point, many have stopped their analysis. There remains another question. Who is the prophet Isaiah quoting …to proclaim liberty to captives and freedom to prisoners; to proclaim the favorable year of the LORD…?

Isaiah is quoting Moses who received instruction from God.

Leviticus 25:10 You shall thus consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim a release through the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you, and each of you shall return to his own property, and each of you shall return to his family.

The context of the verses quoted is a description of the jubilee year. Release the inhabitants and freedom for all the slaves.

Is Jesus leaving a clue about the timing of His second coming? Will He return in a year of Jubilee?

Here are some prophetic implications. The seven year peace treaty between the antichrist and Israel would be signed in God’s fall holiday season. A jubilee year is proclaimed on the Day of Atonement, Tishri 10 after the end of a set of seven years per Leviticus 25:9.

The Bible tells us a jubilee year is proclaimed after a Sabbatical or Shemitah year (Leviticus 25:8-11).

This would allow for the culmination of the seven year Tribulation to occur one year after a Sabbatical or Shemitah year, a jubilee year by definition.

A jubilee year has not been kept by Israel in over 2,000 years (www.chabad.org). As for the timing of the next jubilee year…no one knows, only the Father.

Trend Update: Joseph’s Tomb, October 2015

Posted in Trend Update with tags , , , , , , , , , , , on October 21, 2015 by paulthepoke

Genesis 50:25-26 Then Joseph made the sons of Israel swear, saying, “God will surely take care of you, and you shall carry my bones up from here.” So Joseph died at the age of one hundred and ten years; and he was embalmed and placed in a coffin in Egypt.

tomb_joseph

photo from terminalx.org

Joseph died and was buried in Egypt. It would be at least 480 years before Joseph’s body would reach its final resting place in Israel as prophesied by God.

There came a time when leadership in Egypt had forgotten Joseph. Exodus 1:8 Now a new king arose over Egypt, who did not know Joseph.

Israel was in Egypt 430 years. Exodus 12:40-41 Now the time that the sons of Israel lived in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years. And at the end of four hundred and thirty years, to the very day, all the hosts of the LORD went out from the land of Egypt.

400 of those years, Israel was under bondage. God told Abram in Genesis 15:3 as prophecy, Israel would suffer as slaves in a foreign land for 400 years. The book of Exodus provides the history. This is verified in the New Testament book of Acts 7:6-7.

Following the Exodus out of Egypt, Israel wondered in the desert for 40 years. Joshua 5:6 For the people of Israel walked forty years in the wilderness, until all the nation, the men of war who came out of Egypt, perished, because they did not obey the voice of the LORD; the LORD swore to them that he would not let them see the land that the LORD had sworn to their fathers to give to us, a land flowing with milk and honey. See also Numbers 32:13.

Upon entering the Promised Land, it took 7-15 years for God’s chosen people to conquer and settle (Joshua).

In the last chapter of Joshua, God gives Israel a history lesson from their beginning to the current time.

When Israel left Egypt, they took Joseph’s body with them.

Joshua 24:32 Now they buried the bones of Joseph, which the sons of Israel brought up from Egypt, at Shechem, in the piece of ground which Jacob had bought from the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for one hundred pieces of money; and they became the inheritance of Joseph’s sons…

Modern day Nablus is the town located on the site of ancient Shechem. This town is located in the heart of the disputed northern West Bank. It is located straight north of Jerusalem approximately 30 miles. It is located halfway between Jerusalem and Nazareth.

The dating of the Book of Joshua is approximately 1400 BC (Nelson Book of Bible Maps and Charts). Joseph has rested at his current site in modern day Nablus for approximately 3,400 years.

During a proclaimed Day of Rage, Palestinians set fire to the historical complex of Joseph’s tomb (October 16, 2015).

http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/1.680740

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/palestinians-set-fire-josephs-tomb-ahead-day-rage-n445661

There are people who desperately want to erase this reality and history.

Jubilee

Posted in Fall Feasts, Jubilee, Prophecy with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on October 18, 2015 by paulthepoke

Leviticus 25:8-13 “You shall count seven weeks of years, seven times seven years, so that the time of the seven weeks of years shall give you forty-nine years. Then you shall sound the loud trumpet on the tenth day of the seventh month. On the Day of Atonement you shall sound the trumpet throughout all your land.  And you shall consecrate the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you, when each of you shall return to his property and each of you shall return to his clan. That fiftieth year shall be a jubilee for you; in it you shall neither sow nor reap what grows of itself nor gather the grapes from the undressed vines. For it is a jubilee. It shall be holy to you. You may eat the produce of the field.  In this year of jubilee each of you shall return to his property.”

libertybell

Moses is the author of Leviticus. God relayed the information to Moses. This took place in the desert at the tent of meeting or the tabernacle. God’s chosen people are out of Egypt. They had not entered the Promised Land of Israel. It is mentioned over 50 times in the book of Leviticus. God communicated to Moses.

Leviticus 1:1 Then the LORD called to Moses and spoke to him from the tent of meeting, saying…

The Hebrew word for “jubilee” is yovel. Per Strong’s Concordance: It means ram’s horn, trumpet, or cornet. It is also translated jubilee.

Per Scripture, we do know a jubilee year is proclaimed after the seventh Sabbatical or Shemitah year. The sequence calls for back to back years of rest for the land. By definition, the 50th year is proclaimed after the 49th (see above verses). The question is knowing the sequence of Sabbatical or Shemitah years. Which Sabbatical/Shemitah year is the first in the sequence?

See the links below for definition of a Sabbatical or Shemitah year.

http://paulthepoke.com/2014/10/12/sabbatical-yearshemitah-part-1/

http://paulthepoke.com/2014/10/19/sabbatical-yearshemitah-part-2/

http://paulthepoke.com/2014/10/26/sabbatical-yearshemitah-part-3/

http://paulthepoke.com/2014/11/02/sabbatical-yearshemitah-part-4/

The jubilee year is to be proclaimed on the Day of Atonement, one of God’s fall appointments. Then you shall sound the loud trumpet on the tenth day of the seventh month. On the Day of Atonement you shall sound the trumpet throughout all your land.  

Determining the next year of jubilee is highly controversial. Some believe a year of jubilee was proclaimed on Yom Kippur/Day of Atonement in the fall of 2015. Others believe it is not possible to determine the next jubilee. Some believe the year cannot be determined until nation Israel is represented by all tribes.

The nation of Israel and religious leaders did not proclaim a year of jubilee in 2015.

Nation Israel has not recognized a jubilee year in 2,000 years plus (God’s Final Jubilee, Dan Goodwin). At this point, only God knows.

A famous American Landmark, the Liberty Bell, was inspired by the Hebrew concept of jubilee. The inscription on the Liberty Bell is Leviticus 25:10b…proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants…

Trend Update: Russia (Magog)/Israel, Ezekiel 38-39, October 14, 2015

Posted in Ezekiel 38-39, Prophecy, Trend Update with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on October 14, 2015 by paulthepoke

Ezekiel 38:12 to capture spoil and to seize plunder, to turn your hand against the waste places which are now inhabited, and against the people who are gathered from the nations, who have acquired cattle and goods, who live at the center of the world.

to capture spoil and to seize plunder… Here are the intentions of Gog, the leader of Magog (Russia). The Russians are going to invade to steal natural resources from Israel.

“capture spoil” or shalal in the Hebrew. Per Strong’s Concordance, the word means: draw out, plunder, or take spoil.

“seize” or bazaz in the Hebrew. Per Strong’s, the word means: to spoil, plunder, prey upon, seize, or despoil.

Israel possesses “plunder” or baz in the Hebrew. This is the noun form of the verb above.

MEDITERRANEAN SEA, ISRAEL - FEBRUARY 2013:  In this handout image provided by Albatross, The Tamar drilling natural gas production platform is seen some 25 kilometers West of the Ashkelon shore in February 2013 in Israel. The offshore Tamar drilling site which was originally dispatched from a shipyard in Texas at the end of last year is due to start producing natural gas next week. Over the past few years Israel has suffered from a shortage in natural gas, but with the new platform that weighs 34,000 tons and will be mainly operated by Israelis, the US company Nobel Energy which owns a 36% stake in Tamar, hopes to change Israel's energy situation as well as the economy as a whole.  (Photo Photo by Albatross via Getty Images)

Photo by Albatross via Getty Images

Does the nation of Israel have anything worth taking?

News has emerged in early October 2015. Israel has discovered a vast oil deposit in the Golan Heights region north of the Sea of Galilee. http://www.nasdaq.com/article/major-shale-find-could-guarantee-israels-oil-supply-for-years-cm528693

The coast of Israel is home to two tremendous areas of natural gas. The Leviathan oil and gas basin in the Mediterranean Sea is believed to hold 1.7 billion barrels of oil. The basin also holds an estimated 122 trillion cubic feet of natural gas (Noble Energy, U.S. Geological Survey). A second oil and natural gas basin is the Tamar. It is estimated to hold 7.9 trillion cubic feet of natural gas (Noble Energy).

The Dead Sea area provides magnesium, bromides, phosphates, potassium, calcium and chlorides of sodium. These minerals are important for the production of fertilizers and explosives. http://www.thetruthaboutisrael.uk/natural-resources/

Israel is known as a world leader for diamond cutting and polishing.

Technology development is a cornerstone of the Israeli economy. It has been coined the Silicon Wadi.

Israel is one of the world’s leading greenhouse food-exporting countries. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Israel

…to turn your hand against the waste places which are now inhabited… This is an accurate description of the land of Israel prior to their return to the land in the early 20th century. The land was known as chorbah in the Hebrew. Per Strong’s it means: a place laid waste, ruin, waste, desolation, or a desert.

… and against the people who are gathered from the nations… From the Balfour Declaration in 1917, the rebirth of a nation in 1948, to reclaiming Jerusalem as its capital in 1967, Jews have been returning to their land to the present day.

… who have acquired cattle and goods… Cows from Israel are noted to be the most productive in the world when it comes to milk. Cows are constantly monitored and under intense observation. Data is taken intently from a variety of perspectives.

http://www.jpost.com/Enviro-Tech/The-Israeli-cow-is-the-best-in-the-world

… who live at the center of the world. Notice God’s view of the nation Israel. This is where His people live. The geography of the nation is “the center of the world”.

As promised to the regions and tribes of Zebulun and Issachar, Deuteronomy 33:19b…For they will draw out the abundance of the seas, and the hidden treasures of the sand.

Blood Moon Tetrad, Part 2, 2015

Posted in Pentecost/Shavuot/Feast of Weeks, Prophecy, Trend Update with tags , , , , , , , , , , , on October 11, 2015 by paulthepoke

Acts 2:17a…And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh…

Acts 2:20 the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day. Peter is quoting the prophet Joel 2:31.

storifydotcom

http://www.storify.com

Acts 2:22 “Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know—Peter

Peter’s comments take place on the day of Pentecost or Shavuot in the Hebrew. This day was the last of God’s appointed spring holidays. It takes place 50 days after the burial of Christ. The year was 33 AD.

Acts 2:1 When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place.

http://paulthepoke.com/2015/04/19/unleavened-bread-nisan-15-saturday-33-ad-part-2/

…just as you yourselves know…The audience knew exactly what Peter was saying. Jews and gentiles had observed the miracles Jesus had performed. They had seen the solar eclipses. Their most recent solar eclipse was two weeks before the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. The people of Jerusalem saw the moon rise in eclipse, blood red, the next day after Jesus was crucified. They had seen the two previous lunar eclipses on Passover and Tabernacles the year before in 32 AD. The last blood moon eclipse was to come later in the fall on The Feast of Tabernacles of 33 AD.

These events in the sky, along with the miracles performed, confirmed Jesus’ identity as the Messiah.

Peter also mentions …And in the last days…the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.

Here we are again. The history of the sky, sun and moon, has repeated itself to the month and day on God’s appointed holidays. 2014-2015 AD was the same as 32-33 AD.

How close are we before the day of the Lord comes?

Trend Update: Russia (Magog)/Israel, Ezekiel 38-39, October, 2015

Posted in Ezekiel 38-39, Persia/Elam/Iran, Prophecy, Trend Update with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , on October 7, 2015 by paulthepoke

Ezekiel 38:5 Persia, Ethiopia and Put with them, all of them with shield and helmet…

Russia is prophesied to invade Israel. Russia will be joined by several countries with their future invasion of Israel (Ezekiel 38-39). One of these countries is Persia. The country was known as Persia until the name change in the 20th century. Biblical Persia and Elam make up modern day (October 2015) Iran.

This ancient prophecy from 2,500 years ago appears to be trending into shape.

01R_RUSSIAN AIRSTRIKES SYRIA test

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/ushome/index.html

Iran has now moved troops into Syria in coordination with Russia and Lebanon’s Hezbollah. It appears there is preparation for a major ground offensive.

http://nypost.com/2015/10/01/iranian-troops-arrive-in-syria-ahead-of-major-ground-offensive/

It is estimated Iran has approximately 7,000 military members in Syria.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/iran-expands-role-in-syria-in-conjunction-with-russias-airstrikes-1443811030

Russia is also looking to bolster troops in the region. Vladimir Putin has announced the drafting of 150,000 more troops. Russia is also sending more naval hardware into the arena.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3259035/Putin-s-bombing-innocents-Russian-jets-pound-heavily-populated-civilian-areas-Cameron-savages-Putin-backing-butcher-Assad.html

As of October 6, 2015, Russia is sending in their highly trained Spetsnaz unit of special force soldiers along with other covert forces. They are looking to confront Assad’s opposition. These forces have a significant history with jihadists. They do not like jihadists.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/putin-sent-feared-spetsnaz-special-6579970

On October 7, 2015, Russia fired cruise missiles into Syria from the Caspian Sea (Drudge Report).

The situation continues to escalate and build.

Blood Moon Tetrad, 2015

Posted in Prophecy, Trend Update with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , on October 4, 2015 by paulthepoke

Joel 2:31 The sun will be turned into darkness and the moon into blood before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes.

The blood moon tetrad has come and gone in September 2015. We are all still here. The world did not end. Jesus did not come.

bloodmoon

For the critic whose religion is science, this blog will use data provided by NASA. Assess from another point of view. Consider there is a being capable of creating these heavenly bodies. Is humanity the pinnacle of intellect? Consider the orbits of these heavenly bodies are ridiculously predictable and trustworthy…chance? We can calculate their positions in space and time: past, present, and future. Consider we were created with the ability to discern these things. Calculate the odds. Open your mind. These celestial events were created for this time in history with a specific purpose. For all who consider themselves as rational and thoughtful, consider the evidence on your scientific terms. As you see it, all of your linear logic is based on random chance and chaos coming together to form incomprehensible order.

The first time the blood moon tetrad and solar eclipse phenomena happened on God’s appointed holidays was during 32-33 AD (NASA). What we witnessed in 2015 (spring and fall) is exactly as it was in the sky and on the calendar (Hebrew and Gregorian) as it was when Jesus was crucified, buried, and resurrected.

http://paulthepoke.com/2015/04/19/unleavened-bread-nisan-15-saturday-33-ad-part-2/

There are some interesting facts to consider. This most recent phenomenon is the last for some time. The blood moon tetrad series does not occur on God’s appointed holidays until 2582-2583 AD. That is 568 years from now. (NASA).

http://bloodmoonscoming.com/

The blood moon tetrad series in conjunction with the solar eclipses does not occur again on God’s appointed holidays for roughly 1,000 years (NASA).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QXc6BdRlOQ

The 1,000 year gap from now, 2015, to the next occurrence (roughly 3015) is most interesting in light of Revelation 20:2-7. It is stated six (6) times. Jesus Christ’s kingdom on Earth is 1,000 years.

Of note, there are two more solar eclipses in the sequence. These are numbers three and four of the four consecutive solar eclipses. One is on the eve of the religious new year in the spring of 2016. The solar eclipse introduces God’s spring appointed holidays. The other is on the eve of the civil new year in the fall of 2016. The solar eclipse introduces God’s fall appointed holidays.

Why, in late June 2015, the Star of Bethlehem phenomenon in the sky?

http://paulthepoke.com/2015/06/30/trend-update-star-of-bethlehem-june-30-2015/

Why all of this now?

Day Four of Creation Week

Genesis 1:14… Then God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons

…let them be for signs and for seasons…

The Hebrew word for “signs” is ‘owth. It means: sign, signal, a distinguishing mark, banner, remembrance, miraculous sign, omen, warning; token, ensign, standard, miracle, proof (definition provided by Strong’s Concordance).

…let them be for signs and for seasons

The Hebrew word for “seasons” is mow`ed (singular); mow`edim (plural). It means: appointed place, appointed time, meeting; appointed time; sacred season, set feast, appointed season; appointed meeting; appointed sign or signal; tent of meeting (definition provided by Strong’s Concordance).

This was the eighth occurrence of the blood moon tetrad phenomenon on God’s appointed holidays. God stated He would use the heavens as a signal or sign.

At the least, the phenomena are a reminder of Christ and His work on the cross. The apostle Peter points this out in Acts 2. He is our payment for our penalty of sin.

If, this most recent blood moon tetrad was the “sign” of Joel 2:31 … we have been warned.

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