Archive for Daniel 9

Jubilee Q&A, Is the Year of Redemption Upon Us??? T.W. Tramm

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Jubilee, Prophecy, Trend Update with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on March 21, 2022 by paulthepoke

T.W. Tramm offers some thought provoking material as we approach God’s designated New Year on Nisan 1 (Hebrew calendar), 5872 or April 1-2 (western Gregorian calendar), 2022.

Author and Bible-researcher T.W. Tramm is the founder of Season of Return Ministries, an organization whose mission is to equip the reader with critical knowledge related to the unfolding of Bible prophecy in our time. Tramm’s books, articles, and commentary can be found on numerous eschatological-themed websites. The author makes his home in Washington State.

T.W. Tramm’s materials can be reviewed on the following: https://www.facebook.com/twtramm , https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVxcqsgEKvYtscqyYJpTxbQ/videos , https://www.theseasonofreturn.com/

Link provided for message below. https://storage.googleapis.com/wzukusers/user-35306783/documents/a0ea26efd60c45ec83fce69a4d6e75cc/Jubilee%20Q%20and%20A%20-%20Is%20the%20Year%20of%20Redemption%20Upon%20Us%20-%20rev%20a.pdf?fbclid=IwAR0nNvIsH4e64Y6O-cD4aCmvAs4a1YTRMGJIZOaYs4QpNU4t-UpCUXVhK-E

THE BIBLICAL Year of Jubilee has profound implications for every person living today.

The following is a Q and A intended to shed light on this vital element of God’s calendar.

Q: What is the Jubilee?

A: To understand the Jubilee, one must first understand its fundamental component, the Sabbath year.

Roughly 3,500 years ago, as God was preparing the children of Israel to enter the Promised Land, He instructed them that when they enter the land they were to start counting years. Every seventh year was to be a Sabbath during which they would cease planting and harvesting crops and eat only what the land produced (Lev. 25: 2–7). The idea was that by living only on what the land produced, the people would learn to trust in God’s provision.

In addition to the pause on farming activity, the Lord commanded the Israelites to forgive all debts at the end of the seven years (Deut. 15:1, 2; 31:10). The cancelling of debt was aimed at preventing financial oppression and excessive materialism among the people. Just as importantly, it imparted a vital lesson about mercy and forgiveness.

Thus, the Sabbatical year was a time of rest and renewal for the Israelites as well as an acknowledgment of God’s sovereignty over their land and lives. It was also an act of faith. It required the people’s total trust in God’s faithfulness to provide for their needs as they ceased farming and forgave the debts owed them.

But there is more. Beyond the practical and spiritual aspects of the Sabbatical year, there is a profound prophetic significance. Fundamentally, the six years of labor followed by a seventh year of rest foreshadow God’s plan to restore the fallen Creation after 6,000 years. At the same time, the seven-year cycle represents the unit of measure—the Sabbatical “week”—by which God’s plan of redemption would be implemented (more on this later).

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JUBILEE

Along with the seventh-year Sabbath, God commanded that every seventh Sabbath, or forty-ninth year, a trumpet should be sounded on the Day of Atonement:

“‘Count off seven sabbath years—seven times seven years—so that the seven sabbath years amount to a period of forty-nine years. Then have the trumpet sounded everywhere on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the Day of Atonement sound the trumpet throughout your land. Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you” (Lev. 25:8–10).

The sounding of the trumpet in the forty-ninth year announced the impending fiftieth year called the Jubilee.

Like the Sabbatical year, the Jubilee was to be a year of rest for the land (Lev. 25:11). However, some additional ordinances came into play during the Jubilee. First, any person who had been sold into slavery was granted freedom and allowed to return home to his family (v. 10). Second, property which had been lost due to sale or misfortune was returned to its original owner (vv. 13; 25–28).

The Jubilee was thus a type of ‘super Sabbath,’ during which one’s freedom and possessions were restored. Owing to the jubilee statute, even the poorest servant had a hope for the future: that one day he would regain all he had lost.

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Q: What is the prophetic significance of the Jubilee?

A: The prophetic significance of the Jubilee is rooted in a biblical statute called the law of redemption. According to this law, if a person or piece of property had been sold to cover a debt, a near relative, or kinsman, of the debtor could “redeem” that person or property by buying them back (Lev. 25:15, 16, 23–34, 47–55).

If a person sold into slavery had no kinsman to redeem him, however, and therefore went unredeemed, the law required that he be released, regardless, at the Year of Jubilee. So for slaves not previously redeemed, the Jubilee became the “year of redemption” (Lev. 25:54).

Prophetically, the law of redemption illustrates God’s plan to liberate humanity from the slavery of mortal existence brought about by Adam and Eve’s sin. Consider the parallels: When Adam sinned, he was ‘sold,’ along with his estate, the Creation, into bondage. We, as his children and inheritors of the fallen world, are likewise in bondage. According to the law of redemption, a near kinsman can purchase our freedom. However, because no sinful man can pay the cost of what Adam sold, the role of humanity’s kinsman redeemer belongs solely to our ‘blood relative’ Jesus Christ, who came in the flesh, assumed our debt, and paid it with His life.

Thus, God’s plan to redeem humanity is spelled out in the law of redemption as it pertains to the Jubilee. The Jubilee, as the ultimate time of restoration, represents the consummation of our redemption, the time when Jesus will transform our bodies from perishable to imperishable and restore what was lost at Eden.

When will the bodily redemption take place? According to Scripture, it will occur at the resurrection–rapture. When the Lord descends in the clouds at the sound of a trumpet, all the living and dead in Christ throughout the ages will receive incorruptible bodies and be slaves to death no more:

“Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed—in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory” (1 Cor. 15:51–54).

Thus, the ultimate Jubilee will mark three major milestones: the end of the Church Age; the end of 6,000 years under Satan’s influence; and the beginning of the Day of the Lord. At this time, the “ruler of this age,” the devil, will be cast down from the heavens to take up residence in a man, the “lawless one” (Rev. 12:7–9; 2 Cor. 4:4; 2 Thess. 2:4). Simultaneously, earth will be restored to its original Owner, God, who will then complete the redemption process for Israel and others by allowing a period of tribulation designed to bring them to faith (Lev. 25:23; Jer. 30:7; Zech. 13:9).

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The following Scripture references confirm the linkage between the Rapture and Jubilee:

• The Jubilee is when one’s possessions are restored (Lev. 25:13). The Church is God’s “special possession,” (1 Pet. 2:9; Eph. 1:14).

• The Jubilee, or fiftieth year, is patterned after Pentecost, the fiftieth day (Lev. 23:15, 15; 25:8–10). Since Pentecost points to the harvest of the Church, so, logically, does the Jubilee.

• The Church is raptured before God’s wrath (1 Thess. 4:13–18; 5:1–9). Correspondingly, the Jubilee precedes God’s wrath (Isa. 61:1, 2; 63:4).

• The Jubilee is when spiritual blindness is lifted (Luke 4:18). Israel’s blindness concerning Messiah–Jesus will begin to be lifted when the full number of Gentiles comes in at the Rapture (Rom. 11:25; Rev. 7:1–8).

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Additionally, seeing that the Jubilee is the year of “liberty” and “redemption,” it is significant that…

• Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles, speaks of the “liberty” and “bodily redemption” of the Church at the Lord’s coming (Rom. 8:19–23).

• Jesus tells the Church that when they see the signs of His coming, to look up because their “redemption” is near (Luke 21:28).

• Christians are said to be sealed by the Holy Spirit unto the day of “redemption” (Eph. 4:30).

• In the Book of Ruth, a Gentile maid, a type of the Church, is “redeemed” by marriage to a Jewish Kinsman, a type of Jesus (Ruth 4).

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Q: When is the next Jubilee?

A: Since no historical document exists to confirm any past Jubilee, no one knows precisely when the next Jubilee is. There are only theories.

The problem with most of these theories is that they rely heavily on assumptions and/or ancient calendar reckonings. Seeing that God is not the author of confusion and that He actually wants His people to know when He is coming, it seems unlikely that He would leave us relying on assumptions and questionable ancient dating to determine something as crucial as the Jubilee.

For this reason, I believe, the Lord has provided a simple formula to calculate the year of redemption. It is found in Daniel’s Weeks Prophecy:

“From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the prince comes, there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks” (Dan. 9:25).

Most scholars understand verse 25 to be fulfilled at Jesus’ first coming. They add the seven and sixty-two weeks, representing Sabbatical periods, and count from Artaxerxes’ 457 BC decree allowing the Jews to rebuild Jerusalem to arrive at 27 AD, the year Jesus began His ministry.

So by a reckoning of Sabbatical weeks, the seven-year cycles underpinning God’s calendar, Daniel predicts the year of the Lord’s first appearance.

Amazing!

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But here is something to think about: There is no logical or biblical reason to assume Daniel’s Weeks Prophecy predicts only the timing of the First Coming. In fact, given that the prophecy encompasses God’s whole plan of redemption, which entails two appearances of Messiah, it is reasonable to expect that the timing of both appearances would be given. This is why, common sense tells us, the seven and sixty two weeks are mentioned separately, to allow for the calculation of both the First and the Second Advent.

Which set of weeks relates to the Second Advent?

Since seven weeks denote a Jubilee, and the Jubilee points ultimately to the redemption and restoration at the end of the age, it is the seven weeks. Besides, we know it is not the sixty-two weeks because Daniel links them specifically to Jesus’ first advent: “After the sixty-two weeks Messiah will be put to death” (Dan. 9:26).

With that explanation in view, back to Daniel’s formula for calculating the Jubilee:

“From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the prince comes, there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks” (Dan. 9:25).

Owing to Daniel’s formula, only two easily verifiable dates are required to calculate the Jubilee:

1) The date of the latter-days restoration of Jerusalem.

2) The start date of the Sabbatical week immediately following the restoration of Jerusalem.

The date of the latter-days restoration of Jerusalem is easily confirmed to be June 7, 1967.

The start date of the Sabbatical week following the restoration of Jerusalem is likewise easily confirmed because, unlike Jubilee years, Sabbatical years have been recorded since the days of the Second Temple. According to the ancient reckoning observed in modern Israel and validated by major scholarly studies, the Sabbatical week following the June 1967 restoration begins at 1973.

The Jubilee is thus easily calculated:

1973 + 7 weeks = 2022

Click here for a chart illustrating this reckoning: https://bit.ly/37riHsV

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Why do we count from 1973 instead of 1967? It is because Daniel says to count “weeks,” which are fixed periods on God’s calendar. Since the modern restoration of Jerusalem occurred in June 1967, after a portion of the current Sabbatical week had already passed, a count of seven full weeks could not begin until the start of the next Sabbatical week, which is 1973.

It is important to understand that by this reckoning we are not ‘stretching’ the prophecy to fit a preconceived 2022 endpoint; we are actually following it precisely. The Lord knew that the restoration of Jerusalem would not occur in a Jubilee year. This is why He tells us to count seven weeks after the restoration.

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Having calculated the Jubilee per Daniel’s formula, let’s consider some additional reasons this reckoning makes sense:

SCRIPTURE CONFIRMS SCRIPTURE

The notion that Jesus’ Second Advent, not only the First, is linked to a restoration of Jerusalem is confirmed in the psalms: “When the Lord rebuilds Jerusalem, He will appear in His glory …. Let this be written for a future generation, that a people not yet created may praise the LORD” (Ps. 102:16, 18).

THE LONE JUBILEE

The “seven weeks” of Daniel represent the only jubilee period mentioned in Scripture, begging the question: Why? If the jubilee period in Daniel is not pointing to the ultimate year of redemption, why is it found in the prophecy that maps out God’s whole plan of redemption from beginning to end?

The truth is that apart from highlighting the ultimate Jubilee, there is no good explanation for the seven weeks being separate from the sixty-two weeks. Some commentators suggest the seven weeks are separated to mark the time it took to rebuild Jerusalem following the return from Babylon. However, because there is no Scripture or record to confirm this, they admit it is only a guess: “The city walls and internal buildings of Jerusalem may have taken fifty years to erect—we simply cannot tell” (Pulpit Commentary, Dan. 9:25).

SIMPLICITY IS THE MARK OF TRUTH

A basic principle of logic is that the explanation requiring the fewest assumptions is most likely to be correct. While most jubilee calculations rely on a series of assumptions, the reckoning based on Daniel involves only two:

1) Daniel’s seven weeks refer to the ultimate Jubilee.

2) 1972–73 is a Sabbatical year.

If these two assumptions are correct, the final Jubilee begins in 2022.

1973 START POINT

The 1973 start point for the ultimate jubilee period is bolstered by two compelling coincidences.

First, the 1973 Yom Kippur War—a conflict initiated by countries aiming to repossess major portions of Israel’s land—began on the Day of Atonement, the day on which the Jubilee is declared by a trumpet blast.

Second, 1973 is when the Sabbatical (Shemitah) financial crashes highlighted by Jonathan Cahn began to intensify. Cahn writes in his 2014 book, The Mystery of the Shemitah:

“Beginning in 1973, every single one of the five greatest financial and economic peaks and collapses have converged, clustered, and taken place according to the set time of the Shemitah year” (p. 109).

“It is worthy of note that the connection between the Year of the Shemitah and the collapses in America’s financial and economic realms appears to grow more intense and consistent in the cycles immediately following the critical year 1973 than in those preceding it” (p. 209).

DANIEL’S WEEKS CORROBORATION

An alternate reckoning of Daniel’s weeks corroborates the 1973–2022 jubilee reckoning.

Notice that Daniel mentions Jerusalem’s wall being rebuilt:

“From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the prince comes, there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; the street shall be built again, and the wall” (Dan. 9:25).

Jerusalem’s wall was ordered to be rebuilt by Islamic ruler Suleiman in 1536–37 AD. Adding the seven and sixty-two weeks and counting from the start of the Sabbatical week following Suleiman’s order to rebuild, 1539 AD, we arrive at 2022. Counting only the sixty-two weeks from 1539 AD, we arrive at 1973.

A GENIUS CONCURS

While one person’s view does not a fact make, it is significant that one of the greatest scientists and Bible scholars of all time, Isaac Newton, believed that Daniel’s seven weeks denote a jubilee period that will culminate in Jesus’ return. Newton wrote in his commentary on the Weeks Prophecy:

“The seven weeks are the compass of a Jubilee, and begin and end with actions proper for a Jubilee and of the highest nature for which a Jubilee can be kept.”

“The former part of the prophecy [sixty-two weeks] relates to the first coming of Christ … [the seven weeks], being dated to his coming as Prince or King, seem to relate to his second coming [when] … he that was anointed comes to be Prince and to reign.”

“Thus have we in this short Prophecy, a prediction of all the main periods relating to the coming of the Messiah; the time of his [first coming] … and the time of his second coming: and so the interpretation here is given more full and complete and adequate to the design, than if we should restrain it to his first coming only, as interpreters usually do.”

Read Newton’s full commentary on Daniel’s Weeks Prophecy here (pp. 45–48): http://www.ntslibrary.com/…/Observations%20on%20Daniel…

SEVEN-YEAR WARNING

God typically gives a seven-day or seven-year warning before bringing judgment (Gen. 7:1–4; Josh. 6:1–5; Gen. 41). Moreover, we are told that the Day of the Lord will be heralded by signs in the sun, moon, and stars (Joel 2:31; Luke 21:25).

With these facts in view, it is noteworthy that in 2015, seven years prior to our calculated Jubilee in 2022, we saw:

• An unprecedented total solar eclipse on the biblical New Year, Nisan 1.

• A once-in-two-millennia occurrence of the Bethlehem-Star conjunction around the beginning of summer.

• Consecutive blood-moons on God’s spring and fall harvest festivals, Passover and Tabernacles, the latter of which was a “super blood moon” visible above Jerusalem.

While there have been numerous significant eclipses and astronomical alignments in recent years, no other year has seen an equally profound, concentrated, and publicized display of heavenly signs. It is, therefore, conceivable that the signs of 2015 were a seven-year warning pointing to a Jubilee in 2022.

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Q: Which month marks the beginning of the Jubilee?

A: The Jubilee is declared by a trumpet blast in the seventh month of the forty-ninth year (Lev. 25:8, 9). However, the fiftieth year, or Jubilee, begins at the month of Nisan per God’s command in Exodus:

“This month [Nisan] is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year” (Ex.12:2).

A simple proof that the Jubilee begins at Nisan is the fact that the trumpet blast declaring the Jubilee is said to be sounded in the “seventh” month, confirming Nisan to be the first month relative to the Jubilee.

It is fitting that the Jubilee is declared on the Day of Atonement as the themes and rituals of this holy day illustrate how Jesus’ shed blood paid the price of our redemption (Lev. 16).

It is also practical for the Jubilee to be declared on the Day of Atonement as it allows time to prepare for the release of property and servants beginning at the following Nisan.

Despite God’s clear command to count the years from Nisan, the deep-rooted rabbinic tradition of counting years from the seventh month, Tishrei, means the Jubilee is generally advertised as beginning in the fall. While it is true that the seventh month is pivotal, marking the end of the festival season, the time of debt forgiveness, and the early rains that prepare the ground for the impending “agricultural year,” it is the month of Nisan, according to the Creator of the calendar, which marks the start of the actual year.

Thus, Nisan 1, corresponding to April 1–2, marks the start of the calculated Jubilee in 2022.

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SUMMARY AND FINAL THOUGHTS

The Year of Jubilee foreshadows the liberation from the curse of death, which has enslaved humanity for 6,000 years.

When Jesus descends from heaven with a shout and the trumpet of God, the dead and living in Christ will receive new imperishable bodies and meet Him in the clouds.

Those who do not know the Lord at that time will be left behind to face the antichrist and a series of divine judgments, as the earth is prepared for Jesus’ millennial reign.

If the reckoning based on Daniel’s Weeks Prophecy is correct, the ultimate Jubilee begins at Nisan 2022.

To be clear, only God knows if 2022 marks the year of redemption. Nevertheless, the fact that Scripture strongly supports the possibility is beyond awesome to consider.

. . .

NOTES:

1. The Hebrew word translated “end” in Deuteronomy, qets, actually means “after” or “later” (Strong’s 7093).Thus, Deuteronomy 31:10 may be more accurately translated, “And Moses charged them in that day, saying, after [the] seven years, in the time of the year of release, in the feast of tabernacles” (Brenton Septuagint Translation).

2. Because Pentecost is a “fiftieth” observed after “seven weeks,” it is sometimes called the little Jubilee (Lev. 23:15, 16; 25:8–10).

3. Some propose that Jesus’ reading of a Scripture that references the Jubilee at the start of His ministry is indicative that 27–28 AD was a Jubilee (see Luke 4:14–20; Isa. 61). It is this author’s view that, by reading the jubilee scripture, the Lord was simply declaring his messianic mission, and that He will fulfill the Jubilee at His return.

4. The notion that Daniel’s seven weeks refer to a separate coming of Messiah is supported by various Jewish and English translations:

“Know therefore and discern, that from the going forth of the word to restore and to build Jerusalem unto one anointed, a prince, shall be seven weeks; and for threescore and two weeks, it shall be built again, with broad place and moat, but in troublous time” (Dan. 9:25 JPS Tanakh 1917).

“Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time” (Dan. 9:25 ESV).

The pause after the seven weeks in the above translations corresponds to the masoretic text of Daniel 9:25, which places the atnach in this same location. The atnach is a Hebrew “punctuation mark” placed under the last word in the first half of a verse to function as the main pause, or break in a sentence.

5. One may include the 1970 master plan to rebuild Jerusalem as part of the prophetic restoration of the Holy City. However, this has no effect on the jubilee reckoning as the start of the nearest Sabbatical week is still 1973.

https://www.nytimes.com/…/jerusalem-is-hewing-to…

https://unispal.un.org/…/cad07c91cf05ebf985256437005be6…

6. Sabbatical years:

1916–17

1923–24

1930–31

1937–38

1944–45

1951–52

1958–59

1965–66

1972–73

1979–80

1986–87

1993–94

2000–01

2007–08

2014–15

2021–22

2028–29

7. More on Sabbatical Years:

http://www.pickle-publishing.com/papers/sabbatical-years.htm

http://www.pickle-publishing.com/…/sabbatical-years…

http://www.pickle-publishing.com/…/sabbatical-years…

8. Sabbatical-cycle corroboration: Counting backward seven-year periods from Sabbatical year 2021–22, we find that 26–27 AD and 458–57 BC were Sabbatical years. This is remarkable because 457 BC is when Daniel’s Weeks Prophecy began and the Jews resumed counting Sabbatical years, after the return from Babylonian exile. Thus, the Sabbatical cycle observed in Israel today, the one used in our jubilee calculation, corresponds to the popular interpretation of Daniel 9:25, which has the “seven” and “sixty-two” weeks beginning in 457 BC and ending in 27 AD at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry.

9. The 1973 Yom Kippur War resulted in an oil embargo and worldwide energy crisis, perhaps foreshadowing the war-related embargos and burgeoning energy crisis of 2022.

10. Sabbatical–Shemitah financial crashes: Significantly, a close study of the fall–Tishrei financial crashes highlighted by Jonathan Cahn reveals they are often the consequence of a larger crisis that manifest in the spring around Nisan. For instance, in Sabbatical year 2007–08, the Global Financial Crisis marked by a record 777-point Dow crash in September–Tishrei actually began with the collapse of Bear Sterns the previous March, corresponding to Adar–Nisan.

11. The counting of Daniel’s weeks is initiated by the going forth of a command to rebuild Jerusalem (Dan. 9:25).

Suleiman’s order to rebuild the fountains, or sabils, of Jerusalem’s wall went forth in 1536–37 AD. The order to rebuild the walls and gates went forth in 1537–38 AD.* The Sabbatical week immediately following these orders begins at 1539 AD. Counting “seven” and “sixty-two” weeks (483 years) from 1539 AD, we arrive at 2022.

*Construction timeline for Jerusalem’s wall in the days of Suleiman:

http://www.pages.drexel.edu/…/Ottoman_Sabils_of…

12. Seven-year warning—signs of 2015:

The blood moons were part of a tetrad, a series of four, occurring on consecutive Passover and Tabernacles festivals in 2014–15. It was only the eighth such tetrad since the time of Christ.

The Bethlehem-Star conjunction of 2015 mirrored a similarly brilliant triple conjunction of the two planets around the time of Jesus’ birth, in 3–2 BC. Significantly, both conjunctions occurred in the constellation Leo, in the latter part of the month of June. Also, both conjunctions occurred in the first year of a Sabbatical cycle, which means they are separated by a span of exactly 288 weeks. Interestingly, according to those who study the numeric value of words in Scripture, 288 is the totient function of 888, the number associated with the manifestation of God in the flesh, Christ Jesus, to save humanity from its sins.

The Nisan 1 solar eclipse was arguably the rarest sign. In addition to occurring on the biblical New Year, the eclipse coincided with the spring equinox. The last time a total solar eclipse occurred on the spring equinox was about three-and-a-half centuries earlier in 1662. Adding to the rarity, the eclipse’s path crossed directly over the northernmost tip of the globe. A total solar eclipse at the North Pole on the first day of spring is said to occur only once every 100,000 years. However, since, according to Scripture, the earth was created only about 6,000 years ago, the eclipse was unprecedented.

https://www.haaretz.com/…/a-simple-eclipse-of-the-sun…

https://www.charismanews.com/…/48718-passover-blood…

https://www.universetoday.com/…/a-complete-guide-to…/

13. Sabbatical years likewise begin at Nisan. The Nisan-reckoning is evident in Scripture where the Lord instructs Israel to begin counting Sabbatical periods when they enter the Promised Land (Lev. 25:1–4). The Israelites entered the Land in the month of Nisan (Josh. 4:19).

14. On reckoning biblical years:

How Yom Teruah (Feast of Trumpets) came to be regarded as the New Year:

https://www.nehemiaswall.com/yom-teruah-day-shouting…

Why biblical years begin in the spring: https://storage.googleapis.com/…/WHY_GOD_COUNTS_YEARS…

15. If the 1973–2022 jubilee calculation is correct, it would appear that the latter-days return to Jerusalem was orchestrated (relative to the Sabbatical cycle) to allow the maximum time between the return to Jerusalem and subsequent Jubilee. The seven-weeks timeframe being stretched to the utmost boundary permitted by Scripture is in character with a God known for allowing the maximum time for repentance before bringing judgment.

. . .

*Visit the author’s website: www.theseasonofreturn.com

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCVxcqsgEKvYtscqyYJpTxbQ

IMPORTANT MESSAGE: No one knows the day or hour of Jesus’ return (Matt. 24:36). However, a convergence of biblical signs and timelines suggests it is near. To escape the judgment reserved for a God-rejecting world, one must be in a saving relationship with Jesus Christ. If you have not yet done so, call on His name and believe that He is the Son of God who died for your sins and was raised from the dead (Rom. 10:13). Do it today. Time is running out.

Romans 10:13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

There Shall Be Seven Weeks: Feasts (Passover/Unleavened Bread)

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Angels, Spring Feasts with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on June 20, 2021 by paulthepoke

Daniel 9:25b …there shall be seven weeks…

The context of this series of posts is the course of the Jewish people for the initial 49 years of the 483 year period communicated from the angel Gabriel to the prophet Daniel. The city of Jerusalem has been rebuilt post exile. These events are covered in Nehemiah 8-13. Israel is returning to God’s Law. The focus has shifted to God’s appointed holidays. The monthly offering of the Temple service was covered last week. This week, Nehemiah reminds the Jewish people of God’s appointments or the feasts.

Nehemiah 10:33 …the appointed feasts…

There are seven God appointed holidays communicated through the Old Testament Law. They are Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, Pentecost, Feast of Trumpets, Day of Atonement, and Tabernacles.

The first three spring holidays were fulfilled on the appointed holiday by Jesus Himself. The names of the feasts covered today are: Passover and Unleavened Bread.

The first of God’s holidays is Passover or Pesach in the Hebrew. The holiday begins on the 14th day of the Hebrew month Nisan (March or April on a Gregorian calendar). There is a play on words in the original Hebrew. A “pesach” is an unblemished lamb which was required for the sacrifice. After the “pesach” was sacrificed, the blood was to be smeared on the wooden posts of the house. When God saw the blood on the door posts, He passed over or “pasach” and the house was spared judgment.

The original directions for the Passover were given to Moses and Aaron in Egypt. The statute and happenings are noted in Exodus 12. God defines the purpose of the holiday to Israel. 

Exodus 12:26-27a “And when your children say to you, ‘What does this rite mean to you?’ you shall say, ‘It is a Passover sacrifice to the LORD who passed over the houses of the sons of Israel in Egypt when He smote the Egyptians, but spared our homes.’”

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The second of God’s holidays is Unleavened Bread or Chag haMatazt in the Hebrew. The holiday begins on the 15th of Nisan and runs for seven days.

The directions of Unleavened Bread are noted in Exodus 12:14-20. The focus of the week is to live a life without leaven, the symbol for sin. Leaven is not to be in the house. Leaven products are not to be consumed. Bread without yeast, matzah, is to be eaten.

Exodus 12:14-20 “This day shall be for you a memorial day, and you shall keep it as a feast to the LORD; throughout your generations, as a statute forever, you shall keep it as a feast. Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread. On the first day you shall remove leaven out of your houses, for if anyone eats what is leavened, from the first day until the seventh day, that person shall be cut off from Israel. On the first day you shall hold a holy assembly, and on the seventh day a holy assembly. No work shall be done on those days. But what everyone needs to eat, that alone may be prepared by you. And you shall observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread, for on this very day I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt. Therefore you shall observe this day, throughout your generations, as a statute forever. In the first month, from the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread until the twenty-first day of the month at evening. For seven days no leaven is to be found in your houses. If anyone eats what is leavened, that person will be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he is a sojourner or a native of the land. You shall eat nothing leavened; in all your dwelling places you shall eat unleavened bread.

Who is the sacrificial Passover Lamb of God? Who is the sinless Bread of Life? Got Jesus?

There Shall Be Seven Weeks: The Temple Tax

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Angels, Prophecy with tags , , , , , , , , , , on April 18, 2021 by paulthepoke

Daniel 9:25b …there shall be seven weeks…

The context of this series of posts is the course of the Jewish people for the initial 49 years of the 483 year period communicated from the angel Gabriel to the prophet Daniel. The city of Jerusalem has been rebuilt post exile. These events are covered in Nehemiah 8-13. Israel is returning to God’s Law. The Shemitah has been revived. Up next is the reinstatement of the Temple Tax.

Nehemiah 10:32 We also take on ourselves the obligation to give yearly a third part of a shekel for the service of the house of our God:

Under the leadership of Nehemiah, the Temple Tax was reinstated. Let’s look at what Nehemiah is proposing compared to what Moses states in the law.

Exodus 30:13-16 This is what everyone who is numbered shall give: half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary (the shekel is twenty gerahs), half a shekel as a contribution to the Lord. Everyone who is numbered, from twenty years old and over, shall give the contribution to the Lord. The rich shall not pay more and the poor shall not pay less than the half shekel, when you give the contribution to the Lord to make atonement for yourselves. You shall take the atonement money from the sons of Israel and shall give it for the service of the tent of meeting, that it may be a memorial for the sons of Israel before the Lord, to make atonement for yourselves.”

Here are the specifics of the Temple Tax for service.

  1. Tax of 1/2 Shekel is cost.
  2. Men 20 years of age and older shall pay.
  3. No sliding scale of taxation. Rich and poor pay the same.
  4. Yearly contribution required.
  5. Purpose is for atonement of personal life.

Everything appears to be in alignment with one exception. Moses said 1/2 shekel and Nehemiah says 1/3 shekel. Why the difference? Is Nehemiah being disobedient or cheap?

There are many theories and conjectures as to why the difference. The most reasonable explanation may come from Ridgeway’s Origin of Currency and Weight Measures.

In Moses’ day, Jews contributed a beka or a half shekel.

Exodus 38:26 a beka a head (that is, half a shekel according to the shekel of the sanctuary)…

One beka or a half shekel equals 5.67 grams or about 65 grains.

Roughly one thousand years had passed from the Exodus and Moses (1440 BC) to Nehemiah’s return to the Promised Land (440 BC).

In Nehemiah’s day, the Babylonian Empire standard was the stater or shekel. This would have been the relevant currency for the Israelis of the time. The stater weighed about 173 grains. One third of a stater or shekel would be 58 grains.

One beka or a half shekel equals 65 grains verses one third stater or shekel equals 58 grains. These two measurements relative to their time and cultural influence are essentially equal.

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Fast forward about another 470 years to the time of Jesus. The Roman Empire is in control over the region of Israel and the city of Capernaum. The Jewish historian Flavius Josephus made the following observation.

‘The emperor commanded every Jew to pay the two drachma annually to the Capitol which they had before been accustomed to pay to the Temple at Jerusalem.’

Matthew 17:24 When they came to Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma tax went up to Peter and said, “Does your teacher not pay the tax?”

This had to really irritate the Jews, specifically Peter and the apostles. The trap had been set. The Roman tax collectors knew who Jesus claimed to be. Jesus was the Jewish King and Messiah. Would Jesus bow to the Romans and pay the tax?

The two-drachma tax is known as the δίδραχμον/didrachma in the original Greek text. The didrachma was a silver coin during the life and times of Jesus that was equal to one half shekel.

We know how the rest of the story goes. Jesus had Peter go fishing. No problem, Jesus and Peter’s tax was paid.

Historical research provided by Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges via Bible Hub.

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So here we are roughly 2,000 years later from the time of Christ. Israel is back in the land. Jerusalem is their capital. The modern day Sanhedrin has reconvened. The Temple Tax and the beka are back in the news.

The modern day Sanhedrin issued a Temple Tax back in February 2017. They even minted 1,000 coins with the images of Cyrus the Great and President Donald Trump. They are raising money for the promised third Temple.

So a tax written by Moses as told to him by God over 3,400 years ago, still relevant…

There Shall Be Seven Weeks: Marriage & the First Commandment

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Angels with tags , , , , , , , , , , on February 14, 2021 by paulthepoke

Daniel 9:25b …there shall be seven weeks…

The context of this series of posts is the course of the Jewish people for the initial 49 years of the 483 year period communicated from the angel Gabriel to the prophet Daniel. The city of Jerusalem has been rebuilt post exile. These events are covered in Nehemiah 8-13. Israel is getting back to God’s ways.

Nehemiah 10:1a On the seals are the names of Nehemiah the governor, the son of Hacaliah…

It is from this verse we learn of Nehemiah’s position and title. We have the term “governor” in English. The original Hebrew text has the word tirshatha which is a Persian word for “governor”. This term is used five times in the Bible and only by Nehemiah and Ezra.

Nehemiah 10:1-27 is a list of people who were willing to seal their name as a commitment to keep God’s laws and commandments. Others willing to commit to God’s law included a pretty comprehensive list. These folks were required to swear allegiance to God with their obedience (Nehemiah 10:29).

Nehemiah 10:28 The rest of the people, the priests, the Levites, the gatekeepers, the singers, the temple servants, and all who have separated themselves from the peoples of the lands to the Law of God, their wives, their sons, their daughters, all who have knowledge and understanding…

The first item on the agenda with Nehemiah is marriage. The first item on God’s agenda in the garden was marriage.

Nehemiah 10:30 We will not give our daughters to the peoples of the land or take their daughters for our sons.

This is a reminder from the Mosaic Law. The law is mentioned in Exodus and Deuteronomy.

Exodus 34:16 …and you take of their daughters for your sons, and their daughters whore after their gods and make your sons whore after their gods. See also Deuteronomy 7:3-4.

The issue is ultimately worshipping the God of Israel. If a man marries a pagan worshipping woman, he will follow her spiritually. He will turn his back from God and go another way. The result will be a violation of the First Commandment.

Exodus 20:3 You shall have no other gods before Me.

Solomon for all of his wisdom did not follow this command. He intermarried many times over and the result was pagan shrines, temples, and idols being built all over Israel. His heart was with pleasing his wives instead of worshipping and focusing on God.

Granted, we are not under the Mosaic Law today in Jesus Christ. For Christians, the issue is not marrying within our tribe or country. We are called to seek the like-minded in Christ in marriage.

2 Corinthians 6:14 Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership has righteousness with lawlessness? Or what fellowship has light with darkness?

Christians should present themselves differently. Because of Christ’s work on the cross, we are free from the bondage of sin. He fulfilled the law for us. Jesus imputed righteousness to believers. An unbeliever remains stained with the guilt of sin.

Jesus calls believers to be salt and light for the world. 1 John 1-2 proclaims believers should walk in the light of Christ and keep His commandments. How can an unbeliever illuminate if they are not in the source of light?

In all cases whether it is the Old Testament or the New Testament, this is ultimately about having one’s heart set towards God. Place God first in your lives. Stay focused on God. He knows and wants what is best for us.

There Shall Be Seven Weeks: God Is With Us

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Angels with tags , , , , , , on February 7, 2021 by paulthepoke

Daniel 9:25b …there shall be seven weeks…

The context of this series of posts is the course of the Jewish people for the initial 49 years of the 483 year period communicated from the angel Gabriel to the prophet Daniel. The city of Jerusalem has been rebuilt post exile.

As the Israelites read the law, confessed their sins, and worshipped God, the priests made a proclamation.

Nehemiah 9:5b “Stand up and bless the LORD your God from everlasting to everlasting. Blessed be your glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise.”

The focus of the announcement was a history of who God is and what God has done. It was a time for review and reminder. God is with us.

  • God is the Creator (Nehemiah 9:6).
  • God called Abram and established a covenant with Abraham (Nehemiah 9:7-8).
  • God saw and heard the misery and poverty of His people in Egypt (Nehemiah 9:9).
  • God performed miracles against Pharaoh and Egypt (Nehemiah 9:10).
  • God divided the Red Sea (Nehemiah 9:11).
  • God led by smoke and fire (Nehemiah 9:12).
  • God delivered the law on Mount Sinai (Nehemiah 9:13-14).
  • God provided manna and water (Nehemiah 9:15).
  • God was forgiving, gracious, and compassionate when Israel disobeyed (Nehemiah 9:16-17).
  • God stuck with and continued provision for Israel even when they made idols (Nehemiah 9:18-20).
  • God provided and clothes were preserved for forty years in the desert (Nehemiah 9:21).
  • God gave Israel the Promised Land and the people multiplied (Nehemiah 9:22-24).
  • God delivered prosperity to His people (Nehemiah 9:25).
  • God gave Israel to oppressors because of their disobedience (Nehemiah 9:26-30).
  • God does not forsake Israel and remains gracious and compassionate (Nehemiah 9:31-32).
  • God is just (Nehemiah 9:33).

At this point in the proclamation, Israel admits their iniquities and sins. They know they are guilty many times over. Israel realizes they are deserving of punishment.

  • Every level of society from top to bottom was disobedient to the law (Nehemiah 9:34).
  • Israel did not serve God or repent (Nehemiah 9:35).
  • Israel acknowledges slavery to God and the land due to sin (Nehemiah 9:36-37).

The good news, Israel is not stuck in its past because of sin. God has an answer for sin. Gabriel told Daniel a Messiah is coming.

Daniel 9:25 Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince…

From our view point today in the 21st century, history tells us Israel rejected their Messiah at His first coming. Despite the rejection, Jesus died on the cross for their sins as well as the remainder of humanity.

Isaiah 53:12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.

Colossians 2:14 By canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This He set aside, nailing it to the cross.

Romans 5:8 But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

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But there is more good news for those who believe in Jesus. He is coming again.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.

For those who think this is nonsense and do not believe. Your choice has consequences regardless of what you think.

Revelation 20:11-15 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

There Shall Be Seven Weeks: Confession of Sin

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Angels with tags , , , , , , on January 31, 2021 by paulthepoke

Daniel 9:25b …there shall be seven weeks…

The context of this series of posts is the course of the Jewish people for the initial 49 years of the 483 year period communicated from the angel Gabriel to the prophet Daniel. The city of Jerusalem has been rebuilt post exile.

The people of Israel have returned to God and celebrated the Fall Feasts for the first time as a nation in their Promised Land and in Jerusalem. The Fall Feasts concluded on Tishri 22nd. Two days later…

Nehemiah 9:1 On the twenty-fourth day of the same month, the Israelites gathered together, fasting and wearing sackcloth, with dust on their heads.

Israel under the leadership of Nehemiah and Ezra, they wasted no time. The date is two days after the solemn assembly on the 24th of Tishri. We know the occasion is of serious tone. Note the description of the scene: fasting, sackcloth, and dust on their heads. Humility is the idea.

Nehemiah 9:2 And the Israelites separated themselves from all foreigners and stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers.

The nation Israel “separated” or badal in the Hebrew. They set themselves apart from other peoples. Badal is the same word used in the creation week. God divided the day from night. He separated the light from darkness.

The same is true for us today as followers of Jesus Christ. Believers are not to be a part of this world. We are called to be holy and different.

John 15:19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.

1 Peter 1:15-16 but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”

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and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers.

This is a corporate and historical confession. The people of the nation of Israel are admitting they are sinners both currently and in the past. Israel is expressing their guilt. They know they are worthy of punishment. But, the people continued to worship God.

Nehemiah 9:3 And they stood up in their place and read from the Book of the Law of the LORD their God for a quarter of the day; for another quarter of it they made confession and worshiped the LORD their God.

Decree to Rebuild Jerusalem, Year

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Angels, Gospel with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , on January 10, 2021 by paulthepoke

Daniel 9:25 Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time.

The context of the discussion is Gabriel’s message from God to Daniel. The question is, what year was the decree to rebuild Jerusalem?

Nehemiah 2:1a In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxeswhen wine was before him, I took up the wine and gave it to the king…

When was the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes?

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Before getting into the study, I would like to point out there are differing thoughts as to the year of the decree. Was the year 445 or 444 BC? There is excellent scholarship for both years. Encouraging all to look into the matter for themselves. There is and will be disagreement and that is okay. People are making a good faith effort to understand the mind of an infinite God. We are finite humanity in a broken and fallen state.

Full disclosure, this author is in the 444 BC camp. Some would say I have a confirmation bias. My answer would be yes. This date makes sense to me for many reasons. It fits in what we understand of time.

…in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes…

Smith’s Bible Dictionary, John Walvoord’s Every Prophecy of the Bible, and many others indicate Artaxerxes Longimanus reign of power was initiated in 464 BC.

464 BC – 20 years = 444 BC

The Gregorian calendar we use today would not come into existence until 1582 AD. And this adds to the confusion. This prophecy was revealed in 539 BC. Scholars and experts are using years dated by a Gregorian system.

Jews recognized kings and their reign according to regnal years.

A regnal year is a year of the reign of a sovereign, from the Latin regnum meaning kingdom, rule. Regnal years considered the date as an ordinal, not a cardinal number. For example, a monarch could have a first year of rule, a second year of rule, a third year of rule, and so on, but not a zeroth year of rule. -Wikipedia

Many Biblical and secular historians and scholars believe Artaxerxes reign started in December 465 BC. That would mean the first regnal year of power would have been from December 465 BC to December 464 BC. The majority of the first year of Artaxerxes reign would have taken place in 464 BC.

Twenty years later would result in a time range of December 445 to December 444. We know the month is Nisan which equates to the spring months of March or April. Nisan 1/March/April 444 falls in this time frame.

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Looking at Daniel 9:25, God’s clock is started with the issue to rebuild Jerusalem. A time period is defined to the coming of a “prince“. We know that “prince” to be Jesus Christ. The verse states the following.

…there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks…

Per a Jewish calendar, time would be calculated in the following manner.

seven weeks or (7 X 7) + sixty-two weeks or (62 X 7) = 483 years.

483 years X 360 days = 173,880 days.

See the link below for calculating “sets of weeks“.

With a starting point of Nisan 1, 444 BC, a decree from Artaxerxes was made to rebuild Jerusalem.

Take your pick. 69 weeks, 483 years, or 173,880 days later, the math calculation results in the spring or Nisan of 33 AD.

(Nisan 1, 444 BC) + (69 weeks/483 years/173,880 days) = Passover 33 AD

33 AD is the year Jesus entered Jerusalem on a donkey and presented Himself. Jesus demonstrated Himself as the spotless sacrificial lamb under inspection. Christ was the sacrificed Lamb of God of Passover. He was buried as the symbol for the Feast of Unleavened Bread. And Jesus Christ was raised from the dead, resurrected as the First Fruits.

Galatians 4:4-5 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.

Decree to Rebuild Jerusalem, Nisan 1

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Angels, Prophecy with tags , , , , , , , , on December 5, 2020 by paulthepoke

Daniel 9:25 Know therefore and understand that from the going out of the word to restore and build Jerusalem to the coming of an anointed one, a prince, there shall be seven weeks. Then for sixty-two weeks it shall be built again with squares and moat, but in a troubled time.

The angel Gabriel continues with his revelation from God to the prophet Daniel.

Nehemiah 2:1a In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, I took up the wine and gave it to the king…

This is the date of the decree to rebuild Jerusalem. God’s clock starts on this date. Nehemiah is performing his duty as a cup bearer. Artaxerxes is drinking his wine…

In the month of Nisan… Dating the first part of the time stamp appears to be the easy part. Nisan is the first month on a Hebrew calendar. Nisan means “their flight”. Nehemiah 2:1 is the first time the month is called Nisan in the Bible. The month of Nisan is the beginning of the religious or spiritual year on a Hebrew calendar. The month of Nisan is synonymous with the constellation of the lamb in the Hebrew Mazzaroth.

Exodus 13:4 On this day in the month of Abib, you are about to go forth.

Moses referred to this month as Abib. Per Strong’s Concordance, Abib means: fresh, young barley ears; month of ear-forming, of greening of crop, of growing green; month of Exodus and Passover.

Exodus 12:1-2 Now the Lord said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, “This month shall be the beginning of months for you; it is to be the first month of the year to you…”

This is when God proclaims His New Year. It is in the spring time when life emerges from winter.

Many commentators and scholars imply the date as the first of the month. Assuming the first of the month, Jews would have identified a new moon to signify the beginning of a new month. 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. Jews have utilized the procedure every month for thousands of years. It is called Rosh Chodesh which means “head of the month”.

Thanks to math of Johannes Kepler and his laws of planetary motion and physics, we are able to calculate the movement of heavenly bodies. Kepler’s math allows us to map the exact location of the sun, moon, planets, and stars in time and space. The heavens are a finely tuned clock which can be run forward and backward. As a result, the dates can be confirmed.

Calculations start from Nisan 1. The ultimate question is the year.

Restore and Rebuild Jerusalem

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Angels with tags , , , , , , on November 22, 2020 by paulthepoke

Daniel 9:25 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.

Who issued the decree to rebuild Jerusalem?

When reviewing the Biblical texts, it is important to read carefully. As documented by J. Dwight Pentecost in Things to Come, there are instances where decrees are made regarding the rebuilding of the Temple.

Cyrus made a decree to rebuild the Temple in 2 Chronicles 36:22-23. Darius supported Cyrus’ decree of the building of the Temple in Ezra 6:3-8. And Artaxerxes went to Jerusalem to support the idea of a rebuilt Temple in Ezra 7:7.

Photo: Wikipedia

There is only one decree made for the rebuilding of Jerusalem. This occurred when Nehemiah went before King Artaxerxes of Persia.

Nehemiah 2:1-8 In the month of Nisan, in the twentieth year of King Artaxerxes, when wine was before him, I took up the wine and gave it to the king. Now I had not been sad in his presence. And the king said to me, “Why is your face sad, seeing you are not sick? This is nothing but sadness of the heart.” Then I was very much afraid. I said to the king, “Let the king live forever! Why should not my face be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ graves, lies in ruins, and its gates have been destroyed by fire?” Then the king said to me, “What are you requesting?” So I prayed to the God of heaven. And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, and if your servant has found favor in your sight, that you send me to Judah, to the city of my fathers’ graves, that I may rebuild it.” And the king said to me (the queen sitting beside him), “How long will you be gone, and when will you return?” So it pleased the king to send me when I had given him a time. And I said to the king, “If it pleases the king, let letters be given me to the governors of the province Beyond the River, that they may let me pass through until I come to Judah, and a letter to Asaph, the keeper of the king’s forest, that he may give me timber to make beams for the gates of the fortress of the temple, and for the wall of the city, and for the house that I shall occupy.” And the king granted me what I asked, for the good hand of my God was upon me.

Gabriel’s 70 Weeks: Why 70 Weeks? Part 2

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Angels, Prophecy with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , on November 15, 2020 by paulthepoke

Daniel 9:24 Seventy weeks are decreed about your people and your holy city

God knew from the beginning of Israel being a nation, ultimately they would not let the land rest. Israel was commanded to let the land rest in Leviticus 25:1-5.

God let Israel know. If the land is not allowed to rest from your activity, then God would make sure the land would rest. The consequence of disobedience was prophetic.

Leviticus 26:34-35 Then the land shall enjoy its Sabbaths all the days it lies desolate, while you are in the land of your enemies. At that time the land will rest and enjoy its Sabbaths. As long as it lies desolate, the land will have the rest it did not receive during the Sabbaths when you lived in it.

Later, the concept is stated again.

Leviticus 26:43 But the land shall be abandoned by them and enjoy its Sabbaths while it lies desolate without them, and they shall make amends for their iniquity, because they spurned my rules and their soul abhorred my statutes.

God communicated His Law to Moses around 1446 BC as estimated by Biblical scholars.

By historical accounts, the practice of ignoring the land’s Sabbath rest began around the time of Samuel the prophet and judge around 1100 BC. Israel continued to farm for economic purposes and development. It did not make economic sense to let the land rest.

Fast forward to the prophet Jeremiah circa 627-580 BC.

In Jeremiah 25, the prophet is warning Judah and the city of Jerusalem. Because of your disobedience, 70 years of captivity are coming.

Jeremiah 25:11-12 This whole land shall become a ruin and a waste, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years. Then after seventy years are completed, I will punish the king of Babylon and that nation, the land of the Chaldeans, for their iniquity, declares the LORD, making the land an everlasting waste.

Keep in mind, Daniel was already in Babylon in 605 BC under King Nebuchadnezzar’s first captivity of Jerusalem. Daniel was protected by God who knew the future of Jerusalem. Daniel was acutely aware of Jeremiah’s prophecy.

Daniel 9:2 in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, perceived in the books the number of years that, according to the word of the LORD to Jeremiah the prophet, must pass before the end of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years.

In 586 BC, Jeremiah’s prophetic words would come to pass. Babylon under Nebuchadnezzar would capture and utterly destroy Jerusalem. Historians and commentators indicate the actual date was on the 9th of Av. A day which has become a national day of mourning for Israel.

2 Chronicles 36:20-21 He took into exile in Babylon those who had escaped from the sword, and they became servants to him and to his sons until the establishment of the kingdom of Persia, to fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed its Sabbaths. All the days that it lay desolate it kept Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years.

Now, there is the matter of Leviticus 26 and God’s consistent statement, I will punish you seven times more for your sins.

70 x 7 = 490

Israel’s punishment is not complete.

To be continued…

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