Habakkuk 1:5 Look among the nations, and see; wonder and be astounded. For I am doing a work in your days that you would not believe if told. -LORD God
Put or Phut: a son of Ham, his descendants and their land. -Strong’s Concordance
Derna, Libya: Medicane Daniel has struck Libya. Death toll estimates are over 20,000. Some have commented off the record, the death toll could approach 40,000. Over 30,000 people are now homeless.
The primary culprit for all of the damage is the collapse of two dams above the city. The wall of water was estimated to be over 20 feet high.
After bringing severe flooding to #Libya, the remnants of #StormDaniel have moved into northern Egypt today, kicking up Saharan dust as it spins.
The system will continue to weaken, but Alexandria could see moderate to heavy rain in the next 24 hours. pic.twitter.com/vBxHs6iy8j
Genesis 6:4 The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of mankind, and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown.
The Mexican Congress hearings brought forth two nonhuman beings this past week. Allegedly, the two bodies were naturally preserved and are believed to be about 1,000 years old.
Scientists indicate these are “ancient Peruvian mummies or manipulated mummies“.
SCRIPTURE teaches that there is an appointed date for the Rapture. Acts 17:31 …because He has set a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all people by raising Him from the dead.
While only God knows the exact date, many prophecy watchers believe it could be the Feast of Trumpets.
Here are 10 reasons why:
1. TRUMPET THEMES
The fundamental theme of the Feast of Trumpets is the sounding of trumpets (Lev. 23:24). In the Bible, trumpet blasts are associated with . . .
• Resurrection (1 Thess. 4:13–18).
• The opening of a door to heaven (Rev. 4:1).
• A gathering of the people (Isa. 27:13).
• The coronation of a king (1 Kings 1:39; Ps. 47:5; 98:6) .
• Approaching danger (Ez. 33:4; Jer. 4:19–21).
• A battle cry (Jer. 4:19–21).
• A time of wrath and judgment (Joel 2; Zeph. 1:14–16).
All of these themes are denotive of the Rapture and arrival of Judgment Day.
Furthermore, the Hebrew word translated “trumpet blasts” in Leviticus 23, teruah, may also refer to a “shout” (Strong’s 8643). The Rapture is when the Lord descends with a “shout” and a trumpet blast (1 Thess. 4:16).
2. JEWISH TRADITION
According to Jewish belief, the Feast of Trumpets is when . . .
• The resurrection of the dead occurs.
• The wedding of Messiah occurs.
• The time of Judgment begins.
These themes are denotive of the Rapture and arrival of Judgment Day.
3. INVISIBLE MOON
The Feast of Trumpets begins on the first day of the biblical month, when the moon is in its ‘New,’ or invisible, phase (Lev. 23:24). The Rapture is when the Church—symbolized by the moon—disappears, or is hidden from sight (Mic. 7:1, 2 NLT; Isa. 26:20).
4. DAY AND HOUR UNKNOWN
The Feast of Trumpets begins at the first sighting of the New-Moon crescent. Since no one knows exactly when the crescent will be sighted, “no one knows the day or hour” that the festival begins (Matt. 24:36).
5. HEAVEN’S GATE OPENED
The Feast of Trumpets, or New Moon, is when the eastern gate of Jerusalem is opened: “The gate of the inner court facing east is to be shut on the six working days, but on the … day of the New Moon it is to be opened” (Ezek. 46:1). The Rapture is when, after “six (thousand-year) days,” God’s people enter through the gate into heavenly Jerusalem: “Behold, I am coming quickly …. Blessed are those who … enter through the gates into the [holy] city (Rev. 22:12, 14).
6. SIGN OF THE WOMAN
The Feast of Trumpets coincides with an annual astronomical alignment in which the constellation Virgo is “clothed with the Sun with the Moon under her feet.” This alignment, called the “Sign of the Woman” in Revelation 12, marks the beginning of Israel’s Tribulation period and, some believe, the Rapture that precedes it.
7. PEACE AND SAFETY
The Feast of Trumpets coincides with the annual assembly of the UN, the organization established 77 years ago with the mission of “maintaining international peace and security.” This is significant because Scripture says the Rapture will occur while people are saying “peace and security” (1 Thess. 5:3).
Coincidentally, the UN’s 77th assembly this year ends on September 27—the Feast of Trumpets.
8. WHEAT GATHERING
The Feast of Trumpets occurs around summer’s end, when the wheat harvest is gathered into barns or granaries (Deut. 16:13). The gathering of wheat into a barn is a picture of the gathering of believers into the Father’s house at the Rapture (2 Thess. 2:1; Matt. 3:12).
9. APPLES AND GRAPES
The Feast of Trumpets is traditionally associated with apples and grapes, fruits that are harvested around this time. Some Jews even deny themselves apples and grapes until the Feast of Trumpets, so that they may eat them with increased enjoyment at the festival. This is significant because apples and grapes are the fruits mentioned in Song of Solomon’s rapture-allegory where the Gentile maid is in the presence of her beloved shepherd, a picture of the Church in the presence of the Good Shepherd, Jesus (Song 2:3, 5, 13, 15).
10. WEDDING REMINDER
The Feast of Trumpets is called a “memorial” blowing of trumpets (Lev. 23:24). While Leviticus does not specify what the trumpet blasts memorialize, the context suggests it is the trumpet blast at Sinai when God gave Israel the Law as a ‘wedding contract’ on the Day of Pentecost (Ex. 19).
Thus, the Feast of Trumpets is a day to remember Israel’s wedding and, by association, the Church’s betrothal that occurred on the same day, centuries later (Acts 2).
Since the Feast of Trumpets is a day to remember past weddings and betrothals, it is a fitting time for the ultimate wedding, the Rapture.
With the above 10 reasons in view, the Feast of Trumpets is a plausible time for the Rapture.
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But there is more. Five major factors make this year’s Trumpets festival particularly auspicious:
1. STAGE SETTING
The current year, 2022, has seen an escalation of end-times “birth pains” like no other: wars and threats of war, new and resurgent viruses, extreme weather, earthquakes, famine and shortages (Matt. 24:6, 7). Yet, for most people, life carries on more or less as normal.
That a façade of normalcy exists, even as the world teeters on the brink, is significant as this is how Jesus said it would be at His return:
“As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man: They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. Likewise as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed” (Luke 17:26–30).
2. SABBATICAL SIGNS
The God of the Bible is known for giving a seven-day or seven-year warning before bringing judgment (Gen. 7:1–4; Josh. 6:1–5; Gen. 41). Moreover, the Lord orchestrates prophetic events according to His seven-year Sabbatical cycle (Dan. 9:24–27).
With these two facts in mind, it appears God has been issuing ‘trumpet’ warnings for the last three Sabbatical cycles:
In 2001, we saw the 9/11 attacks, followed by a record stock market crash on the Feast of Trumpets.
In 2008, we saw the Global Financial Crisis and another record market crash—a 777-point drop when Congress failed to pass a $700 billion bailout plan—on the Feast of Trumpets.
In 2015, we saw no financial crash but, instead, an extraordinary display of “signs in the sun, moon, and stars”—the signs that portend the Day of the Lord (Luke 21:25; Joel 2:31). Significantly, the final sign, a blood moon eclipse visible above Jerusalem, occurred on September 28, exactly seven years prior to the Feast of Trumpets in 2022.
3. WEDDING SIGN
On June 24 this year, all seven planets in the Solar System lined up in their correct order on the same side of the Sun, to form an ultra-rare “planetary procession.”
Seven days later, the Sun and Moon, which symbolize the Bridegroom and Bride in Scripture, came together in the constellation Gemini, the sign depicting the marriage union between a man and woman.
Notably, this ‘celestial wedding’ occurred on the biblical date Tammuz 1, exactly three months prior to the Feast of Trumpets on Tishrei 1. This is significant because a rabbinic law called Havchana requires a three-month waiting period before a Gentile bride can marry a Jew. (The purpose of the law is to ensure that the bride is not already pregnant before marrying, thereby avoiding any confusion concerning the lineage of the child.)
With the traditional three-month waiting period in view, it is possible that the wedding sign on Tammuz 1 was pointing to the ultimate Gentile–Jewish wedding, the wedding of the Church to Messiah, three months later at the Feast of Trumpets.
4. JUPITER NEAR APPROACH
On the Feast of Trumpets this year, Jupiter will make its closest approach to Earth in 70 years. This is noteworthy for a few reasons.
First, Jupiter, the planet with the red spot on its side, is a symbol of Messiah, wounded for our transgressions (Isa. 53).
Second, because it is the largest planet, Jupiter is called the King Planet. This is significant as Jewish tradition holds that the biblical month of Elul, which ends at the Feast of Trumpets, is when the “King is in the field,” i.e., nearest his subjects. It is thus striking that the King Planet is at its nearest point to Earth in 70 years as Elul ends and the Feast of Trumpets begins.
Third, in Scripture, the number 70 denotes a generation-timespan, a period of judgment, and/or liberation for God’s people (Ps. 90:10; Jer. 29:10).
With the above in view, Jupiter’s near approach on Feast of Trumpets signifies . . .
The number one reason Feast of Trumpets 2022 is particularly auspicious is a convergence of prophetic timelines. For details on this convergence, please see the article, video, or chart linked below.
The most important timeline pointing to 2022 relates to the Year of Jubilee. While numerous attempts have been made to pinpoint the Jubilee based on historical events or patterns, I believe that Daniel’s Weeks Prophecy provides the simple formula needed to calculate the year of redemption:
“From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the prince comes, there will be seven weeks” (Dan. 9:25).
Daniel says Messiah will appear “seven weeks,” or one jubilee period, after a restoration of Jerusalem.
The only modern restoration of Jerusalem occurred in June 1967, when the Jews took possession of the Holy City for the first time in nearly 2,000 years.
Counting seven weeks from the start of the first Sabbatical week following the restoration of Jerusalem, which is 1973, the Jubilee begins in 2022.
It is awe-inspiring to consider that 2,000 years ago, Jesus stood up at the synagogue to declare His role as Messiah and fulfiller of the Jubilee:
“The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor” (Luke 4:18, 19).
Today, if our reading of Daniel’s prophecy and the Sabbatical cycle are correct, “the Year of the Lord’s favor” is upon us.
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SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
Scripture teaches that there is an appointed date for the Rapture (Acts 17:31). We are told to watch for this day, and that we will see it approaching (Mark 13:37; Heb. 10:25).
The themes of the Feast of Trumpets are denotive of the Rapture. Furthermore, a convergence of signs and timelines suggests that 2022 may be a climactic year.
Will the trumpet blast that changes the world be heard at the impending Feast of Trumpets? Only God knows. But the prospect is utterly thrilling.
Torah Calendar, which bases festival timing on the projected sighting of the New-Moon crescent, has the Feast of Trumpets beginning the evening of September 27: https://torahcalendar.com/Calendar.asp?YM=Y2022M6
2. In the Bible, the Sun symbolizes Jesus the Bridegroom (Ps. 19:5; 84:11). The Moon, the Sun’s heavenly counterpart, represents the Bride, or Church. The Moon is emblematic of the Church as it has no light of its own, relying entirely upon the Sun for its light (Ps. 19:4, 5; 84:11). Likewise, man has no light of his own. We were created in the image of God to reflect His brilliance and glory (Gen. 1:27). When we turn to face the majesty of God, when we surrender to Him and seek Him with all our hearts, we reflect His glory, just like the Moon reflects the glory of the Sun (Matt. 5:14)
3. The UN was established 11 Sabbatical cycles ago on October 24, 1945, corresponding to the Jewish calendar date of the biblical Flood: Cheshvan 17.
4. More on why the Feast of Trumpets in late summer or early fall could be the time of the Rapture:
5. An indication that the Feast of Trumpets is a remembrance of the giving of the Law (Sinai) is the fact that Ezra read the Law to the Israelites, newly returned from exile in Babylon, on the Feast of Trumpets in Nehemiah chapter 8.
6. More on how the Feast of Trumpets relates to Pentecost:
*Jupiter, the planet with the red spot on its side, has 53 named moons. Coincidentally, Isaiah chapter 53 talks about the sin-bearing Messiah who was wounded for our transgressions.
*It was a Jupiter–Venus conjunction that produced the Bethlehem-Star sign at Jesus’ birth. Significantly the Bethlehem Star conjunction recently reoccurred on June 30, 2015, exactly seven years before the ‘wedding sign’ on June 30 (Tammuz 1), 2022.
11. Jubilee calculation:
The jubilee count begins at 1973 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.
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Jubilee Q and A: Is the Year of Redemption Upon Us?
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 (Romans 10:13).
Gabriel God’s Messenger This is the career of the angel Gabriel.
Gabriel speaks to three people in the Bible: Daniel, Zechariah the priest, and the virgin Mary. In every case, Gabriel’s message from the throne of God tells of the promise of the Messiah. His career spans at least 3,500 years.
What exactly is an angel? What kind of angel is Gabriel? What are the physical characteristics of Gabriel and other angels? How many different kinds of angels are mentioned in the Bible?
The prophet Daniel is the only person in the Old Testament to meet Gabriel. Daniel was informed of the rise and fall of earthly kingdoms from his time on earth through the first and second coming of Christ and through to eternity. From Babylon to Persia to Greece to Rome and beyond, Gabriel’s message from God has been fulfilled to the very day in the fullness of God’s timing.
In the New Testament, Gabriel brings a message to Zechariah the Priest of his coming son, John the Baptist. His son’s purpose and career are foretold. Gabriel reminds us all of the call to repent and return to God.
The angel Gabriel meets the virgin Mary with grace. He describes to her the character of the Son. Nothing is impossible with God. Gabriel’s message to us all, the Messiah is coming!
Paul Lehr is a Speech Pathologist and home health care provider. The majority of his work focuses on swallowing disorders in neurologically impaired patients for the past 30 years. Paul earned his BS and MA in Speech Pathology from Oklahoma State University.
A friend and fellow Boy Scout father encouraged Paul to start a YouTube channel along with other social media outlets. God’s prophetic words have reached tens of millions in over 190 countries.
Isaiah 55:11 So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; it will not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.
Guest speaker and presenter duties have focused on the topics of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in God’s Appointed Spring Feasts and current events related to Bible prophecy.
At this time, Paul would like to encourage each individual to learn about who God is. Because one way or another, we are all eternal. The issue is our destiny.
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In this topsy turvy world we live in today, where is our world headed? The best source to find that answer is the Bible, God’s communication to future generations of man.
Throughout the Old Testament there are more than 100 prophecies that foretold of a savior coming to earth to redeem man. Yet, all these prophecies were ignored by God’s own people.
However, Magi from Babylon, who had the history of Daniel teaching them, came looking for the Messiah. They were sure had been born.
In our lifetime, at least mine, we have seen the Children of Israel returned to their land in 1948 after 1,900+ years of exile. During most of that time, the Promised Land where their ancestors had lived for several thousand years had become a barren wasteland. But today, it is very productive in unbelievable ways.
photo: Wikimedia, Damascus
Are there prophecies told to us in the Bible that are yet unfulfilled? Yes. Let me give you a few.
Currently, the city of Damascus is the oldest continuously populated city having been in existence for more than 3,000 years. Yet Isaiah 17:2 tells us it will be destroyed and never again inhabited. Could this happen in our lifetime? Very possibly Yes. What is in the news almost weekly in the Middle East? Iran is shipping weapons to the Damascus airport to be further transported to it’s proxy countries bordering Israel. What is Israel doing? The munitions barely arrive before Israel destroys them. Think. When, not if, Iran develops an atomic bomb and brings it to Damascus to use against Israel. What is going to happen? Bingo! See, the makings of the fulfillment of this prophecy are clearly possible in our lifetime.
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Next, let me ask you what three Middle Eastern countries have troops in Syria on the border of Israel today? Russia, Iran and Turkey. You say yes. But, one is atheist; one is Sunni; and one is Shiite Muslim. So what do they have in common?
While once again what does our Bible, God’s word to mankind, tells us? In Ezekiel chapters 38 snd 39, we are told these three countries are going to come against Israel to take spoils and No nation will come to Israel’s aid.
Israel, besides it’s great agricultural products, has recently found abundant oil and natural gas reserves that are huge. Something that Russia dearly desire to have.
Until very recent times, you would say that of course America will come to Israel’s aid. However, it is very obvious that America’s current administration will never come to Israel’s aid.
So where does that put us? Once again, very clearly, this prophecy foretold by God to the prophets some 3,000 years ago has a very, very high potential of being fulfilled, not only in our lifetime, but virtually at any day now.
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Will these things happen before the “Church” is taken home to be with God in the pre-Tribulation Rapture? We. Don’t know. The Rapture could happen first or these prophecies could be fulfilled first. BUT, one thing is almost certain. These events are not years and years away. Clearly, they are most likely going to happen within the lifetime of the majority of the people alive today.
The question you must ask yourself, “What is my standing with God?”
At the final judgment day, will God welcome you to Heaven?
Or will He say, “Depart from Me, I never knew you?”
The Prophet Nahum and his tomb have been rehabilitated. Revelation’s ancient city of Smyrna or modern day Izmir, Turkey is in the news. The purpose is to remake ancient Jewish synagogues. These are real people and real places from the Bible and they remain relevant today.
Ezekiel 38-39 continue in the headlines. Turkey is throwing support to their Qaddafi family member in the upcoming Libyan presidential election scheduled for December 25th later this year.
Turkey has been war gaming with Azerbaijan and Pakistan for regional stability and peaceful purposes of course.
Are we watching the emergence of the 10 nation beast of Revelation? Is Daniel’s 4th world empire of iron and clay toes making its way to the political scene? Keep your eyes on the proposed D 10 Alliance. Military alliances are taking shape with Australia, the UK, the US, and South Korea. India and France are forging ties. G7 + 3 = 10? Watching closely…
China is furious with the alliance of Australia, the UK, and the US. Chinese financial problems are looming on the horizon with Evergrande Real Estate.
The United States has withdrawn missile defense systems from Saudi Arabia and moved resources to the Pacific theater. American withdrawal from Middle East continues. Russia is filling the vacuum.
These questions and more are discussed and answered on This Week in Prophecy.
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 is on God’s appointed holidays. This week, the Day of Atonement or Yom Kippur is the topic.
Yom Kippur or the Day of Atonement is celebrated on Tishri 10th. It is the last day of the 40 day period of Teshuvah.
This holiday is viewed at the holiest day of Judaism. The day is a Sabbath day of rest. Yom Kippur is the only day a fast is required. The day begins at sun down. On the Day of Atonement, the high priest was kept awake during the dark of the night. The high priest was dressed in a white robe. Sacrifices of a bull, ram, and a goat occur. The priest makes a sacrifice for himself and for the nation of Israel. Yom Kippur is the day the high priest came into the inner sanctuary of the temple to make sacrifices on behalf of the nation of Israel. He is the only person allowed into the inner sanctuary. This day is the only day the high priest is allowed in the inner sanctuary. He entered the highest holy place with incense and coals. The incense was burned. Next, the recovered blood was sprinkled on the mercy seat, the top of the Ark of the Covenant. This is the busiest day of the year for the high priest.
See Leviticus 16 for specific details. New Manners and Customs of Bible Times
In the 21st century, we have a high priest.
Hebrews 6:20 …where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.
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Today, animal sacrifices are no longer necessary, even when the Jewish Temple is rebuilt.
Hebrews 9:11-14 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh,how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
Hebrews 13:11-12 For the bodies of those animals whose blood is brought into the holy place by the high priest as an offering for sin, are burned outside the camp. Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate.
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Some believe this is the day at the end of the 7 year tribulation that Christ will physically return to Earth and establish His millennial kingdom.
Hebrews 9:28 …so Christ also, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time for salvation without reference to sin, to those who eagerly await Him.
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 is Temple worship service. The Sabbath offering was covered last week. Next, Nehemiah reminds the Jewish people of the Monthly Offering or the New Moons.
New Moons is a phrase and a reminder of a new month. How is a new moon or a new month determined on the Hebrew calendar? God operates on a lunar calendar. Jews have utilized the following procedure every month for thousands of years. It is called Rosh Chodesh which means “head of the month”.
At the end of a lunar cycle, the moon is dark and is not seen for 2-3 days. So, the new moon could be identified during this 2-3 day period …of that day or hour no one knows…
By definition, a new moon is proclaimed when the first little sliver emerges from a darkened moon. It is a tiny crescent that is noted briefly at sunset on the western horizon. The month begins at the sighting of the new moon.
Two witnesses have to confirm the sighting. Upon agreement, the two witnesses report to the high priest. When the new moon is confirmed, the trumpet (shofar/ram’s horn) is blown. Why two witnesses? This concept is part of Jewish law. See Deuteronomy 19:15-21.
Two or more witnesses to the new moon are legally establishing as fact per the law.
Every new moon the following sacrifices are to take place.
Numbers 28:11-15 At the beginning of every month, you are to present to the LORD a burnt offering of two young bulls, one ram, and seven male lambs a year old, all unblemished, along with three-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering with each bull, two-tenths of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering with the ram, and a tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with oil as a grain offering with each lamb. This is a burnt offering, a pleasing aroma, an offering made by fire to the LORD.
The elements of animal sacrifice and bread remain from the daily offering to the Sabbath offering to the monthly offering. All animals are unblemished and one year old. More bread is required for larger animals and the amount of flour decreases from the bull (3/10 ephah) to the ram (2/10 ephah) to the lamb (1/10 ephah). An ephah is roughly one bushel or 8 dry gallons or 35 liters or 8 pounds.
The element of fire, symbolic for judgment remains. Grilled meat and baked bread is a pleasing aroma to the LORD.
Numbers 28:14 Their drink offerings shall be half a hin of wine with each bull, a third of a hin with the ram, and a quarter hin with each lamb. This is the monthly burnt offering to be made at each new moon throughout the year.
Wine is required with the sacrifice as well. The bigger the animal, more wine is required. The amount of wine for a bull is 1/2 hin, for the ram 1/3 hin, and for the lamb 1/4 hin. The liquid measurement of a hin is roughly 1.5 U.S. gallons or 5.7 liters.
Numbers 28:15 In addition to the regular burnt offering with its drink offering, one male goat is to be presented to the LORD as a sin offering.
Perfect, spotless animals are sacrificed and burned. Symbolically, judgment has been delivered perpetually. Daily, weekly, and monthly examples are provided as a reminder. Bread and wine are served with these sacrifices. These elements represent perfect sacrifices.
And why are the sacrifices offered? Because of the male goat, a symbol for sin.
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 is Temple worship service. Up first is the showbread or shewbread.
Simply put the term for showbread is “bread” in the original Hebrew. The Hebrew term is lechem. The word is also translated as food or meal. It is bread made from the grain of barley, wheat, or corn.
The original source for the showbread comes from Leviticus 24.
Leviticus 24:5-9 “You shall take fine flour and bake twelve loaves from it; two tenths of an ephah shall be in each loaf. And you shall set them in two piles, six in a pile, on the table of pure gold before the LORD. And you shall put pure frankincense on each pile, that it may go with the bread as a memorial portion as a food offering to the LORD. Every Sabbath day Aaron shall arrange it before the LORD regularly; it is from the people of Israel as a covenant forever. And it shall be for Aaron and his sons, and they shall eat it in a holy place, since it is for him a most holy portion out of the LORD’s food offerings, a perpetual due.”
Let’s take a look at the specifics of the verses above from Leviticus 24.
There are 12 loaves of bread, 2 piles of 6. The point of the bread is a memorial portion as a food offering to the LORD.
The text makes it very clear. This is to be done every week on the Sabbath by the descendants of Aaron or the Levites. The bread is to be arranged regularly. It is a covenant forever for the priests. The bread is to be presented weekly as a perpetual due.
photo: Temple Institute
Fast forward roughly 1,440 years from Moses to Jesus. Christ is about to give the Pharisees more than they can handle. Jesus, of course, is going to choose the Sabbath to make a point.
Matthew 12:1-7 At that time Jesus went through the grain fields on the Sabbath. His disciples were hungry, and they began to pluck heads of grain and to eat. But when the Pharisees saw it, they said to him, “Look, your disciples are doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath.” He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God and ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him to eat nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? Or have you not read in the Law how on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless? I tell you, something greater than the temple is here. And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless.
If one is hungry, they can eat, even on the Sabbath. The disciples were hungry. It is not illegal to eat on the Sabbath.
But yet, the Pharisees wanted to make an issue of the situation. Jesus chose to use the illegal and sinful example of King David (See 1 Samuel 21 for the incident). David lied and manipulated the situation. Christ also pointed out the hypocrisy of the priests.
Jesus is the Lord. The showbread is a food offering to the LORD. The only crime Jesus committed is He broke the “law” of the Pharisees. Jesus is not breaking the law by eating the showbread on the Sabbath. Taking care of your friends with provision is more important than following a man made tradition.
Matthew 12:8For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”
Key Verse: Daniel 8:12 And an host was given him against the daily sacrifice by reason of transgression, and it cast down the truth to the ground; and it practiced, and prospered.
On March 21, 1969, Time magazine of the United States conducted an investigative report that concluded that 1,220 out of the country’s 1,750 dailies had columns running forecasts about the unknown tomorrow. The stargazers failed miserably with their prophecies the same way a religious group has been forced to revise its predictions about the date of the Second Coming of Jesus Christ severally.
On the other hand, the true prophets of God have always proclaimed unfailing prophecies. Daniel was one such men of God. Two years after the Lord revealed the prophecy of the four kingdoms that would shape the world up to the rapture and the millennial rule and beyond, Daniel received more visions, this time of both long and short scopes. God, using domestic animals to represent the kingdoms unlike the wild creatures of the previous chapter, revealed that world powers would rise and fall. Daniel prophesied that “a notable… horn” would emerge.
Historians have identified this “horn” as Alexander the Great of the Greek Empire, who, as predicted died prematurely in 323 BC: “the great horn was broken.” The prophecy was made about 300 years earlier. Daniel also predicted that after Alexander’s death, the Greek Empire would collapse and give birth to four new ones. And so it happened.
Only He who knows the future reveals it to His genuine servants and to sincere seekers of the truth. Man is needlessly anxious about the years ahead, turning to idols and charlatans to untie the knot about the unknown. He will rope himself into more snares if he does not run to the God who, thousands of years ago, predicted what we are witnessing today: “the time of the end… shall be a time of trouble… many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased”.
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY: Do not seek to know the future without first knowing its Owner.
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. The next step is honoring the Sabbath.
Nehemiah 10:31a And if the peoples of the land bring in goods or any grain on the Sabbath day to sell, we will not buy from them on the Sabbath or on a holy day.
The concept of the Sabbath was introduced to Israel when they were wandering in the desert for 40 years. This is the first mention of the term “Sabbath”. The specific details are noted in Exodus 16:22-30. God is promising Israel He will provide. Take a day off and rest. It is a gift from God.
Exodus 16:23 then he said to them, “This is what the LORD meant: Tomorrow is a Sabbath observance, a holy Sabbath to the LORD. Bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil, and all that is left over put aside to be kept until morning.”
Exodus 16:29 “See, the LORD has given you the Sabbath; therefore He gives you bread for two days on the sixth day. Remain every man in his place; let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.”
The word “Sabbath” in the Hebrew is transliterated. It is also “Sabbath” in English. The term is equated with rest. It is to be set apart, sacred, and holy.
God introduced the concept in the creation week. On the seventh day, He rested and reflected on His work. God did not need to rest but He did. The Sabbath is “barak” in the Hebrew or blessed. This day is set apart and clean. The ordinance is best described as given to Moses by God Himself. The context is the 10 Commandments.
Exodus 20:8-11 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.
Nehemiah is teaching Israel about the Sabbath at the end of the week and the holy days. Economic activity will cease during these days. Sales will come to a halt. God set the standard.
