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Teshuvah 5782/2022

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Teshuvah/Repent with tags 40 Days, Day of Atonement, Debt, Elul 1, fall appointments, Fall Feasts, Feast of Trumpets, God, markets, repent, Rosh Hashanah, Sabbatical year, Shemitah, Tishri 10, Yom Kippur, Yom Teruah on August 21, 2022 by paulthepoke

The month of Elul initiates a 40 day period called Teshuvah. The point of the season is to prepare for the civil Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah. This appointed feast day is also referred to as Yom Teruah by Jews. Christians may refer to the day as the Feast of Trumpets. The season of Teshuvah concludes on Yom Kippur or the Day of Atonement.

Teshuvah is a time to turn toward God. People are called to turn away from their sin, repent, and change course. It is a time of inward reflection and sincere self-assessment. The goal is a change in lifestyle away from sin to obedience in God’s word. The 40 day period starts on Elul 1 and ends on Tishri 10, Yom Kippur.

Elul is the last month of the civic calendar in Judaism. Elul is the sixth month of God’s calendar. Jewish tradition points to the name of the month to be an acronym of “Ani l’dodi v’dodi li” a quote from Song of Songs 6:3 I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine…

In Aramaic, the vernacular of the Jewish people at the time that the month names were adopted, the word Elul means “search”. Per Strong’s Concordance, Elul means “nothingness” in the Hebrew. The month is mentioned one time in the Bible. Nehemiah 6:15 So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of the month Elul, in fifty-two days.

This year, 5782/2022, the start of Elul will begin at the sighting of the sliver of the new moon by two witnesses. It is estimated to be observed at sun set from possibly Saturday, August 27 to Monday, August 29.

Cultural customs per http://www.jewfaq.org, http://www.myjewishlearning.com .

This year, 5782/2022, the season of Teshuvah is unique and exceptional.

The end of the month of Elul marks the end of a sabbatical or shemitah year. On a western Gregorian calendar, that is Sunday, September 25 to Tuesday, September 27, 2022. Remember, the new month, and in this case the new civil year, is decreed upon the confirmation of the new moon by two witnesses. Historically, God releases debt on the last day of the last year of a seven year cycle.

Deuteronomy 15:1-2 At the end of every seven years you shall grant a remission of debts. This is the manner of remission: every creditor shall release what he has loaned to his neighbor; he shall not exact it of his neighbor and his brother, because the LORD’S remission has been proclaimed.

Historically, this is not a good omen for economic markets. If history is any indicator, fasten your seat belts. The land completes its rest on approximately Sunday, September 25 to Tuesday, September 27, 2022 pending two witnesses confirming the new moon. God is going into action and debt will be released. Keep your eyes on the markets. Planet Earth is likely to get even more interesting. Like we do not have enough to be concerned about already.

Time will tell…

https://www.amazon.com/Paul-Lehr/e/B09W8FB77N

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The Iranian Revolutionary Guard (IRGC)… Czekmate

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Czekmate, Ezekiel 38-39, Prophecy, Teshuvah/Repent with tags Brett McGurk, Foreign Terrorist Organization, FTO, Iran, Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, IRGC, Islamic Revolution, Qom, Qomists on March 26, 2022 by paulthepoke

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

A private letter from Iran on de-escalation. I have to give it to them, they at least made some kind of overture regarding the difficulty of this matter.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guard (IRGC) rise to domestic prominence in Iran was a counter-revolution within the Iranian “Islamic Revolution”. It was the war veterans of the Iran/Iraq war who felt aggrieved that the clerical establishment, based around Islamic Jurists from the city of Qom, were seen as deriving exclusive authority and benefit of leading Iranian society. That the clerical establishment, the so-called Qomists as a faction maintained power having shouldered less burden. In short, the IRGC usurpation was based on a contemporary historical grievance against this faction in favor of the literal foot soldiers of the revolution.

As with any authoritarian government the ascendant faction must intertwine itself with the organs of state. The result is to make the two indistinguishable to the outsider or the subjugated population of said country. By way of example, this is acutely the case in the People’s Republic of China where one party rules. The primary benefit of this party/state fusion is that confidential party deliberations often become a forum for graft, threats and other assorted thuggery. In the case of Iran, the Qomist structure was effectively supplanted by the IRGC structure. This process began with the rise of former President Ahmadinejad and is effectively accomplished.

The IRGC spread its tentacles having gained ascendancy, and utilizing its significant resources, quickly established it’s shadow economy. In recognition of this, the Trump administration placed the organization under sanction as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO). After all, that is manifestly what they are.

It follows that in order for Iran to function fully free of US FTO sanction, the IRGC has a raw choice. Lose prestige at home and swallow the inequity of a deal where they are hobbled as an internal economic force (and thus politically vulnerable to a challenge), or push the FTO de-listing issue to the point of breakdown in talks as a diplomatic impasse.

Chances are excellent that informal diplomacy is being “back channeled”.

Czekmate believes that Barack Obama, Susan Rice and Valerie Jarrett are influencing the direction of events in these discussions. Lead negotiator Robert Malley, appears to enjoy a free hand. However within the National Security Council is the White House lead for the region in the person of one Brett McGurk.

McGurk is a high level Washington functionary having worked in the George W. Bush, Obama, and Trump administrations before joining the Biden Administration. McGurk was involved in the 2015 secret negotiations of the first Iran deal and latter led the counter-ISIS effort in Syria. If skullduggery is afoot from outside the White House with respect to Iran, you can bet that he and Susan Rice are the likeliest interface points for the Obama mafia.

But the heretofore alacrity of the negotiations may be on a collision course with other considerations.

The article in this post implies that cooler heads may be prevailing with regard to the IRGC question. This is attributed to formidable domestic US pressure. However, a wider implication that merits consideration is that of the Ukraine intervention. Given the Russian diplomatic maneuvers over the course of recent weeks in this negotiation, it is clear that the economic damage they may have sustained would benefit substantially by this agreement. It begs the question, is the IRGC FTO decision hostage to the future of Russian combat operations in Ukraine? Or is it vice versa?

With that question in mind, this IRGC decision has added weight. It makes one wonder what is being said in the back channel.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/iran-hasnt-agreed-to-terms-for-irgc-terror-delisting-as-us-gets-cold-feet-report/

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Teshuvah 5781/2021

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Teshuvah/Repent with tags 40 Days, 40 Nights, 40 years wilderness, Elul, Exodus 32, flood, Israel, Jesus, Matthew 4, Moses, Mount Sinai, Noah, Numbers 32, Temptation of Jesus, Teshuvah on August 10, 2021 by paulthepoke

The new moon has been sighted and confirmed by a couple of different groups in the land of Israel. Trained spotters from the Israeli Moon Society and the website http://whenisthenewmoon.com/ are in agreement. The new moon was spotted on the evening of August 9, 2021 on our western Gregorian calendar.

But there is disagreement with the month. The Israeli Moon Society says it is the beginning of the month of Elul.

The Temple Institute relies on the Israeli Moon Society. Secular Hebrew calendars and our western Gregorian calendars proclaim the month to be Elul.

http://whenisthenewmoon.com/ says it is the beginning of the month of Av.

Imagine that, humanity disagrees on how to tell time as God has directed. Personally, I don’t know who is right. I will defer to God …But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. -Matthew 24:36

Elul is the last month of the civic calendar in Judaism. Elul is the sixth month of the religious calendar. Jewish tradition points to the name of the month to be an acronym of “Ani l’dodi v’dodi li” a quote from Song of Songs 6:3 I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine…

In Aramaic, the vernacular of the Jewish people at the time that the month names were adopted), the word Elul means “search”. Per Strong’s Concordance, Elul means “nothingness” in the Hebrew. The month is mentioned one time in the Bible.

Nehemiah 6:15 So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of the month Elul, in fifty-two days.

http://www.jewfaq.org, http://www.myjewishlearning.com .

The month of Elul initiates a 40 day period called Teshuvah. The point of the season is to prepare for the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah and the Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur.

It is a time to return toward God. People are called to turn away from their sin, repent, and change course. It is a time of inward reflection and sincere self-assessment. The goal is a change in lifestyle away from sin to obedience in God’s word. The 40 day period starts on Elul 1 and ends on Tishri 10, Yom Kippur.

There are many examples of the significance of the number 40 in the Bible. Notice, the examples ultimately demonstrate a turning away from sin and a return to God’s word. The result is a changed mind, a lifestyle consistent with obedience to God.

On three occasions, Moses went up to Mount Sinai for 40 days and met with the LORD. Israel had worshipped a golden calf and committed idolatry against God (Exodus 32). Moses pleaded with God for mercy against His chosen people. He turned to God and instructed the people of Israel to turn from their sin. The golden calf was destroyed (Exodus 32:20). After the destruction of the golden calf, Jewish tradition has Moses ascending Mount Sinai on Elul 1 to Tishri 10 (Yom Kippur) to receive a second set of tablets. Moses came down from Mount Sinai when the people had repented (http://www.chabad.org, http://www.hebrew4christians.com).

With a lack of faith in God, Israel was left to wander in the desert for 40 years. God told them He would help them take the Promised Land. Only two men believed, Caleb and Joshua (Numbers 32:12). The others did not turn and trust God.

Numbers 32:13 So the LORD’S anger burned against Israel, and He made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until the entire generation of those who had done evil in the sight of the LORD was destroyed.

It was considered “evil” to not believe God. When this came to pass and the last one died. God brought His people back to the land for the taking. 40 years later, the Jewish people returned to God and His word. Course of nation Israel had changed. The Law, God’s word, was reintroduced to the people before they entered the Promised Land (Deuteronomy).

Noah and his family were in the ark for 40 days and 40 nights during the rain and flood. The world was being judged for sin. The corruption of mankind is described in Genesis 6. Noah and his family had 40 days and nights to contemplate their watery environment as a consequence. They turned and responded to God. Their lives were spared in the ark. They had nowhere to go and plenty of personal time for self-reflection.

Jesus was tempted by Satan for 40 days in the desert (Matthew 4:1-11). Every time Jesus was tempted by Satan, He turned to God the Father and quoted Deuteronomy. Jesus’ responses to temptation were to turn to the word of God (Matthew 4:4), to not put the Lord your God to the test (Matthew 4:7), and to worship and serve the Lord you God only (Matthew 4:10). Jesus resisted the tempter and was obedient to His Father.

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Teshuvah 5780/2020

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Prophecy, Teshuvah/Repent with tags Day of Atonement, Elul, Israel, Mosaic Law, Moses, Mount Sinai, ram's horn, shofar, Tishri 10, trumpet, two witnesses, Yom Kippur on August 19, 2020 by paulthepoke

The Hebrew month of Elul initiates a 40 day period called Teshuvah. This is the Hebrew word for repent.

The point of the season is to prepare for the Jewish New Year/Rosh Hashanah/Yom Teruah and the Day of Atonement/Yom Kippur. It is a time to turn toward God. People are called to turn away from their sin, repent, and change course. Teshuvah is a time of inward reflection and sincere self-assessment. The goal is a change in lifestyle away from sin and turn to obedience in God’s word. The 40 day period starts on Elul 1 and ends on Tishri 10, Yom Kippur/Day of Atonement.

On a Gregorian calendar in the year 2020, Teshuvah will possibly initiate at sunset on Friday, August 21 if the sighting of the new moon is confirmed by two witnesses. In the purest sense, determining Elul 1 and the start of a month is not a mathematical function. The issue is a legal matter of truthful verification as far as God is concerned.

Deuteronomy 19:15 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.

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 the 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/Yom Teruah 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 of the dead will occur during the period of Teshuvah. Specifically, the resurrection of the dead is to occur on the new moon holiday of the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah/Yom Teruah. Christians refer to Rosh Hashanah as the Feast of Trumpets.

Orthodox Jews do not believe in Jesus 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.

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Return to the Lord

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Angels, Teshuvah/Repent with tags Elul, Gabriel, John the Baptist, repent, Teshuvah, Zechariah on April 26, 2020 by paulthepoke

Luke 1:16 And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God…

And he will turn… ἐπιστρέφω/epistrephó in the Greek. As defined by Strong’s Concordance, the term means to return. Thayer’s Lexicon interprets the idea as to cause to return, to bring back, to turn oneself about, or come back. The idea is in a literal, physical sense. Stop going in the path one is taking. Turn and go in a different direction.

This term is used 36 times in the New Testament. Below are a few examples how ἐπιστρέφω/epistrephó is utilized.

Luke 2:39 When they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own city of Nazareth.

Matthew 12:44 Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.’ And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order.

2 Peter 2:22 What the true proverb says has happened to them: “The dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire.”

People were going the wrong way and had left the God of Israel. The angel Gabriel is telling Zechariah the priest his son to be, John the Baptist, will be the reason fellow country men will return to God.

Return to the Lord. To the Jew, this is the concept of Teshuvah. In our western world, the term we are familiar with is “repent”.

Teshuvah is a time to turn toward God. People are called to turn away from their sin, repent, and change course. Let go of the ways of the world. It is a time of inward reflection and sincere self-assessment. The goal is a change in lifestyle away from sin to obedience in God’s word. Return to God and His ways. This is not a warm and fuzzy spiritual word that causes your stomach to flutter or hair to stand on your neck. There should be some conviction. Be honest. Right is right and wrong is wrong. We can all do better. Prepare and turn to God with a joyful heart.

Teshuvah is a 40 day period in the late summer of the year. This is the season to prepare for the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah and the Day of Atonement or Yom Kippur.

Elul is the last month of the civic calendar in Judaism. Elul is the sixth month of the religious calendar. Elul 1 marks the beginning of Teshuvah. The 40 day period of Teshuvah ends on Tishri 10 in the Hebrew calendar, Yom Kippur.

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Teshuvah 5779/2019 and the Ascension of Jesus Christ

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Gospel, Prophecy, Teshuvah/Repent with tags 40 Days, Acts 1, Elul, Kingdom of Heaven, repent on August 28, 2019 by paulthepoke

The Hebrew month of Elul initiates a 40 day period called Teshuvah. This is the Hebrew word for “repent”. It is a time to turn toward God. People are called to turn away from their sin, repent, and change course. It is a time of inward reflection and sincere self-assessment. The goal is a change in lifestyle away from sin to obedience in God’s word. Return to God and His ways.

This is the season to prepare for the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah and the Day of Atonement or Yom Kippur. The 40 day period of Teshuvah ends on Tishri 10 in the Hebrew calendar, Yom Kippur.

Elul is the last month of the civic calendar in Judaism. Elul is the sixth month of the religious calendar. Elul 1 marks the beginning of Teshuvah. On a Gregorian calendar in the year 2019, this would be Sunday, September 1st or Monday the 2nd depending on when the new moon is confirmed by two witnesses.

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 after the morning service except Shabbat or the Sabbath (Saturday for us in western culture) and the last day of month of Elul.

So what does Jesus and His ascension have to do with Teshuvah? Granted, Christ ascended in the spring, not in late summer or early fall.

There are some interesting similarities. For one, Christ traveled around the Jerusalem area for 40 days after His resurrection. 40 days is the length of Teshuvah. He proved He had overcome death to many. Jesus had dealt with sin. Jesus spent those 40 days preaching the Kingdom of God. He was turning others to the future in preparation to meet God.

Acts 1:3 He presented Himself alive to them after His suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.

Yes, Jesus was sinless. He set the model for how we should repent and turn to our Heavenly Father. Christ completed His work on a sinful Earth and returned to His Father in a Holy Heaven. Even the perfect Son returned to His Father. Currently, He is face to face at the right hand of His Abba.

Acts 1:9 And when He had said these things, as they were looking on, He was lifted up, and a cloud took Him out of their sight.

Two thousand years ago, the apostles were questioned for looking to Heaven. The Spirit was soon to come to Earth. There was and is work to complete.

Now is the time to return to Jesus. His cross work paid for the sins of the whole world. All one has to do is believe in Him and His effort. One way or another, the time is drawing near when we will all have the opportunity to return to Him.

Acts 1:11 …and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw Him go into heaven.”

For more content on Teshuvah, click the link below.

https://paulthepoke.com/category/teshuvahrepent/

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Super Blood Wolf Moon, January 2019

Posted in Prophecy, Signs: Sun, Moon, Stars..., Teshuvah/Repent, Trend Update with tags blood moon tetrad, Joel 2, judgment, lunar eclipse, Matthew 24, moon, Psalm 19, Rapture, Resurrection, sign, Super Blood Wolf Moon, Tribulation on January 8, 2019 by paulthepoke

Psalms 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.

A wolf moon is a full moon in January. This wolf moon will be in total eclipse or a blood moon. Hence the term, Super Blood Wolf Moon.

The lunar eclipse in 2019 will occur on January 20-21, 2019. In North America, the partial lunar eclipse will begin at 10:34 pm EST on January 20th and the total lunar eclipse will begin at 11:41 pm EST on January 20th. Totality will end at 12:43 am EST on January 21st, and the partial eclipse will end at 1:50 am on January 21st. The total lunar eclipse will also be viewable in western Europe and extreme northern Asia.

https://spacetourismguide.com/lunar-eclipse/

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.

Peter quotes the verse above in Acts 2:20.

The answer lies in the verse. Read carefully. Note the word “before”. Is the upcoming event a “sign”? If it is a sign, it is just that… a sign. A sign indicates something is coming. Nothing is going to happen other than an incredible celestial event.

This January 2019 total lunar eclipse will mark the end of a decade long series of lunar and solar eclipses. There have been a total of 40 heavenly events from 2010-2019. At the center of these events was the tetrad of lunar eclipses that occurred on Passover 2014, Tabernacles 2014, Passover 2015, and Tabernacles 2015.

To quote the observer of this phenomenon Paul Grevas, “This is the only tetrad in world history from 3000 BC to 2015 AD to display symmetrical perfection of exact days about midpoint with all 40 eclipses 2010-2019.”

Of interest, there are 40 heavenly signs with perfect symmetry. The number 40 is consistent with the Hebraic concept of Teshuvah. The English term we use is “repent”. The idea is to turn toward God. People are called to turn away from their sin, repent, and change course. It is a time of inward reflection and sincere self-assessment. The goal is a change in lifestyle away from sin to obedience in God’s word.

To be clear, I am not calling for the resurrection of the dead or the rapture. If you are looking for date setting and corresponding events, this is not your website. My money says the resurrection and rapture do not happen. That said, I welcome the prophecy with open arms. Come Lord Jesus!

IF… this is the last sign of a decade long process within a series of 40 signs, the message is simple. It is a warning. We are called to repent of our ways. Change your hearts and return to God. Believe in the cross work of Jesus. If not, judgment is coming.

Believe what you want, it’s your choice.

But don’t kid yourself. We are trending hard towards a date with destiny…

Matthew 24:21-22 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been from the beginning of the world until now, no, and never will be. And if those days had not been cut short, no human being would be saved. But for the sake of the elect those days will be cut short. -Jesus

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Yom Kippur/Day of Atonement: 5779/2018

Posted in Fall Feasts, Gospel, Prophecy, Teshuvah/Repent, Trend Update with tags Day of Atonement, Feast of Trumpets, Hebrews 9, High Priest, Jesus Christ, Leviticus 16, Matthew 24, new moon, Tishri, Yom Kippur, Yom Teruah on September 16, 2018 by paulthepoke

Yom Kippur or the Day of Atonement is celebrated on Tishri 10th. The holiday officially will be the 10th day after Yom Teruah/Feast of Trumpets. The new moon was declared and observed on Tishri 1 (Hebrew calendar) after sunset on Tuesday, September 11, 2018 (Gregorian calendar).

Please note there are discrepancies in marking time. Secular calendars state these Hebrew appointments are two days earlier than the identification of the new moon and subsequent holidays. Secular calendars are mathematical calculations. God says to observe for a new moon as a starting point. There is at least a two or three day difference depending on the observation of the new moon by two witnesses. There is man’s way and there is God’s way. They are not the same.

There is the difference of calendars. There is a Hebrew calendar and there is the western Gregorian calendar.

These dates do not take Metonic cycles into account. Some years have 13 months in a Hebrew calendar. In a 19 year cycle, 7 years have 13 months to bring the calendar back into accuracy and balance.

Some think the seventh month of Tishri (Hebrew calendar) does not start until October (Gregorian calendar) in 2018 because the event does not take place after the Fall Equinox.

Anybody confused yet???

This is why date setters and outlandish predictions for whatever the event may be are totally defeated across time. Humanity can not agree on how to mark time. Humanity can not accurately mark time when instructed by God Himself.

ANY human being on earth who claims to know the exact date of whatever is simply full of hot air and at direct odds with Jesus Christ Himself.

Matthew 24:36 But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. -Jesus

The author’s point is this. Take these dates with a grain of salt. People are making a good faith effort to be accurate. But there is no consensus opinion regarding exact accuracy, yet everyone claims to be right. “Listen to me because I know.” And those who disagree are in error… Really???

So… in 2018, Yom Kippur/Day of Atonement is effectively Thursday, September 20 on our Gregorian calendar.

The Day of Atonement is viewed as the holiest day of Judaism. The day is a Sabbath of rest. Yom Kippur is the only appointment a fast is required. The appointment begins at sun down. It is the last day of the 40 day period of Teshuvah. See Leviticus 16 for details of Yom Kippur/Day of Atonement.

The 10 days between Rosh Hashanah/Feast of Trumpets and Yom Kippur are known as the “Days of Awe”. These are to be 10 days of repentance. The idea is to have serious introspection of one’s life and conduct relative to God’s commandments. Review the sins of the past year and seek to repent. If one has sinned against another, find the person and make amends.

Tradition (not found in the Bible) says God looks in the “books” to determine who lives for the next year. Who will have a good life? Who will have a bad life? These 10 days allow for a chance to change.

Ultimately, no one person is going to pay or atone for their sins to a holy and just God. That’s where Jesus Christ enters the picture. He is the high priest of Leviticus 16.

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?

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Teshuvah 5778/2018

Posted in Fall Feasts, Teshuvah/Repent, Trend Update with tags Elul, joy, repent, shofar, Tishri on August 7, 2018 by paulthepoke

The Hebrew month of Elul initiates a 40 day period called Teshuvah. This is the Hebrew year 5778. In a Gregorian calendar of the year 2018, this would be August 11 or 12 or 13 depending on when the new moon is confirmed by two witnesses.

The month is mentioned one time in the Bible. Nehemiah 6:15 So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of the month Elul, in fifty-two days. Cultural customs per http://www.jewfaq.org, http://www.myjewishlearning.com .

This is the Hebrew word for “repent”. The call of Teshuvah is to turn toward God and repent. Repent is not a warm and fuzzy spiritual word that causes your stomach to flutter or hair to stand on your neck. Prepare and turn to God with a joyful heart. People are called to turn away from their sin, repent, and change course. It is a time of inward reflection and sincere self-assessment. The goal is a change in lifestyle away from sin to obedience in God’s word.

The point of the season is to prepare for the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah and the Day of Atonement or Yom Kippur.

The concept of “repent” is timeless in the Bible. People were called to repent in the past in the Old Testament. Today in the 21st century, we are called to repent as members of the church, the body of Jesus Christ.

“Repent” is not a mystical, spiritual word that has some deep and hidden theological meaning. The Greek word for repent in the New Testament is μετανοεο/metanoeo. It means: to change one’s mind for better, heartily to amend with abhorrence of one’s past sins.

One should be ashamed of their actions. There should be some conviction. Be honest. Right is right and wrong is wrong. We can all do better.

The 40 day period of Teshuvah ends on Tishri 10, Yom Kippur.

Return to God…

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Revelation: Laodicea, Christ’s Love

Posted in Revelation, Teshuvah/Repent with tags church, discipline, Jesus Christ, Laodicea, love on April 8, 2018 by paulthepoke

Revelation 3:19 Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline, so be zealous and repent.

Φιλέω/phileó is the Greek word for “love”. It means: love (of friendship), regard with affection, cherish; I kiss (Strong’s Concordance). Jesus regards believers with a warm and deep affinity. There is a sense of harmony.

Christ loves us so much He is willing to reprove and discipline.

Reprove or ἐλέγχω/elegcho can also be translated as: reprove, rebuke, discipline; expose, show to be guilty.

Discipline or παιδεύω/paideuó can mean: I discipline, educate, train; more severely: I chastise.

Jesus is willing to reveal and uncover your issues. He will find us all to be guilty. If necessary, we will be trained like a child. Heaven forbid in severe cases, Christ is willing to reprimand and censure the believer.

The theme of God’s discipline is consistent across time in Scripture. He is not being mean. Correction is for our own good. As a reminder, He loves us…

Deuteronomy 8:5 Thus you are to know in your heart that the LORD your God was disciplining you just as a man disciplines his son.

1 Corinthians 11:32 But when we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world.

As a result of discipline, the believer should have a response.

…be zealous…This is the Greek word ζηλόω/zéloó. This is where we get the English word “zealous”. HELPS Word Studies provides an excellent definition and example.

Imitating the sound of boiling water; to bubble over because so boiling hot; figuratively to burn with zeal (J. Thayer); to be deeply committed to something, with the implication of accompanying desire; to be earnest, to set one’s heart on, to be completely intent upon.

Christ is imploring us to boil with passion for Him and His word.

…repent…This is not a mystical, spiritual word with a deeper theological meaning. The Greek word for repent is μετανοεο/metanoeo. It means: to change one’s mind for better, heartily to amend with abhorrence of one’s past sins. -Strong’s Concordance

The idea of repent in the Hebrew is teshuvah. Prepare and turn to God. People are called to turn away from their sin, repent, and change course. It is a time of inward reflection and sincere self-assessment. The goal is a change in lifestyle away from sin to obedience in God’s word. The Hebrew month of Elul initiates a 40-day period called Teshuvah.

https://paulthepoke.com/2016/08/28/teshuvah-2016/

One should be ashamed of their actions. There should be real conviction. Be honest. Right is right and wrong is wrong. We can all do better.

Consider the path you are taking. Is a change of heart and mind necessary?