Revelation 1:7 Behold, He is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of Him. Even so. Amen.
What many people call “getting saved” is actually accepting a marriage proposal from God. We state a willingness to be in covenant with God (the one between the Father and Jesus). At the point we accept that proposal we are engaged, betrothed. The “promissory ring” of the engagement is the gift of the Holy Spirit who teaches us about Jesus. But we aren’t married until the Wedding. The wedding is not in this body, and it’s not on this earth. It’s in Heaven in Revelation 19.
In this body on this earth we’re still in the broken covenant we were born into from Adam. We have to exit that old covenant. That means dying. “Till death do we part.”
Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment,…
Death and the afterlife is something we will all face. So it’s a good idea to prepare for it by rehearsing your mindset before it happens.
What then is baptism? Is it just a rinse in water to remove some dirt from your body? No, it’s much more than that.
𝐁𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐦 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐫𝐞𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐥 to prepare you for your death, which is the exit from the covenant that Adam broke, and then to resurrection, being “born again” into eternal life in Christ Jesus. It consists of a few simple elements:
* Your declaration of faith
* Your simulated death and burial
* Your simulated resurrection
Depending on your circumstances, declaring your faith moments before you die might not be possible. It may occur suddenly or while you’re unconscious. So it’s a good idea to “bank” your statement of faith. Make it known to yourself so you’re confident. And make it known to others so they can have peace when you’re gone.
The Apostle Peter explains that baptism is so you may be at peace, having a good conscience toward God before you die.
1 Peter 3:21 “…baptism (not the removal of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,”
Jesus Himself referred to His death as a “baptism”.
Luke 12:50 “But I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how distressed I am till it is accomplished!
Luke 9:23 Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.”
Jesus wasn’t talking about us wearing a piece of jewelry, He was talking about following Him to our baptism through death and resurrection into eternal life. Not the rehearsal, the real thing. This is why the rehearsal is so important. Because when death comes it will be the ultimate test.
The question of whether or not “the thief on the cross” next to Jesus had to be baptized is simply answered by recognizing that he wasn’t rehearsing.
Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?
Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Romans 6:3-5 For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection,
It’s not just dying and resurrecting that we rehearse with baptism, from that point on it is a rehearsal of our “walk in the newness of life” for eternity. So that when we cross over into eternity we will be familiar with it because we have rehearsed the walk. Our previous sinful lifestyle simply isn’t appropriate there. We should start getting rid of it now.
Our physical death is the exit from this covenant of sin and death that we are born into from Adam. Our bodies have already been corrupted by sin. We have to shed this mortal existence to be free of it. We wouldn’t want eternal life in a body that continually sins and decays!
1 Corinthians 15:53-54 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”
Through our true baptism of death and resurrection we are “born again” into eternal life.
John 14:1-4 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. And where I go you know, and the way you know.”
Isaiah 9:6 For a Child will be born to us, a Son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.
Granted, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu was quoting the American historian and philosopher Will Durant. That said, bad analogy…
However, Netanyahu does not know the Lion of the tribe of Judah. You all (Israel) don’t know it, but Jesus Christ is Israel’s Messiah. He is your Messiah. He will come to Earth and conduct some serious social hygiene. Jesus is also the Lamb of God who died for the sins of humanity. See Revelation 5, Zechariah 12, 14 for details… Read it!
Jesus Christ will rule and reign 1,000 years and into eternity.
🇮🇱 Netanyahu went full edgelord: "Jesus Christ has no advantage over Genghis Khan.
Because if you are strong enough, ruthless enough, powerful enough, evil will overcome good."
Bro… that’s not a flex, that’s a facepalm on steroids.
Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the celebration of the Spring Appointed Feasts.
There are seven God appointed holidays communicated through the Old Testament Law. The first three spring holidays were fulfilled on the appointed holiday by Jesus Himself. The names of the feasts are: Passover, Unleavened Bread, and First Fruits.
In the Hebrew year 5786 or the Gregorian calendar year of 2026, the appointments occur as follows. Passover essentially begins at sunset on Wednesday, Nisan 14th (traditional Hebrew lunar calendar) or April 1st on a western Gregorian solar calendar. The first day of Unleavened Bread is the next day at sunset on Thursday, Nisan 15th or April 2nd. Lastly, the feast of First Fruits starts at sunset on Friday, Nisan 16th or April 3rd. The holidays culminate and end at sunset on Thursday, April 9th. These are the mathematically calculated dates for 21st century calendars.
The Essene solar calendar has Passover initiating on Tuesday, March 31st (Nisan 14). Unleavened Bread begins on Wednesday, April 1st (Nisan 15). The timing and marking of First Fruits are different for the Essenes. Instead of being 3 consecutive days as marked by the traditional Hebrew lunar calendar above, First Fruits begins on Sunday, April 12th or Nisan 26th.
This is the year 5951 per the Dead Sea Scroll or the Essene calendar. As the Essene’s mark time, this is last generation.
Luke 21:32 Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place. -Jesus
The Essenes followed God’s word on the New Year. We are now in the year 5951.
Exodus 12:1-2 Now the LORD said to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, “This month is the beginning of months for you; it shall be the first month of your year.
For those who are interested, check out the Dead Sea Scroll Essene Calendar at the link below. Compliments of Ken Johnson at https://biblefacts.org/
Again, there is not consensus on these dates within various studies of Judaism, Christendom, and Jewish Messianic believers in Yeshua or Jesus Christ. Humanity struggles to keep time as God has directed. No one knows the day or the hour…
For a deeper dive into the Hebrew lunar calendar, click the link below.
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.’”
~
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 12:15-20. 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.
~
The third of God’s holidays is First Fruits or Reshit Katzir in the Hebrew. The one day holiday begins on the day after the Sabbath or Sunday on our calendar.
The directions for First Fruits are noted in Leviticus 23:9-14. The priest is to make a barley offering of the first portion of the harvest to the Lord. The priest intervenes on behalf of the people. The reality of the holiday for the people of Israel is this. The people bring their grain sheaf to the priest. They are to sacrifice a lamb without blemish. The offering is also to be presented with bread and wine.
Jesus was resurrected on First Fruits. He is the First Fruits or barley offering before God the Father. He is the High Priest who intervenes on our behalf for sin. He is the perfect offering.
In memory of Him, we participate in communion with the elements of bread and wine.
At some point in the future, as a pattern of history, will believers in Christ be resurrected on First Fruits?
Jesus Christ died. He was buried. And He was raised from the dead.
This is the gospel message of Jesus Christ, really “good news”.
Today, He is alive at the right hand of God the Father. And He is coming back again to planet Earth.
~
Iranian missile lands within 300 meters of the Temple Mount and the Al Aqsa Mosque. The Golden Dome is at risk. Oh, can you imagine???
Another video shows the moment a fragment from an Iranian ballistic missile struck Jerusalem's Old City this afternoon. pic.twitter.com/qNvTXmRDr6
— Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) March 20, 2026
Jesus’ burial site closed…
❗️ Israel closes Church of Holy Sepulchre
The most important Christian holy site has been closed since Feb 28 — the first time in modern history that liturgies stopped for weeks due to war conflict
The Bible, ALL of it, is the Word of God. ALL of it is for our benefit. God’s Word finishes us as humans and makes us whole. God is the source of knowledge and revelation.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for instruction, for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, fully equipped for every good work.
2 Peter 1:20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture comes from one’s own interpretation.
God exists in three eternal, individual personalities: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ), and God the Holy Spirit. Each is equally God. They are one essence, perfect harmony.
Deuteronomy 6:4 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is One.
2 Corinthians 13:14 The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
~
Jesus Christ is the central figure and person in human history.
Jesus is God in human form. His Hebrew name, Yeshua, means “He saves.”
Titus 2:13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ…
John 1:1-2 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.
Jesus is eternal.
1 Peter 1:20 He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you.
John 17:24 Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.
Jesus, born of a virgin
Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel (God with us).
Fulfilled in Matthew 1:22-23
Jesus is the “Good News”, the Gospel message.
1 Corinthians 15:3-4 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures…
Jesus is currently alive and at the right hand of God the Father.
Psalm 110:1 A Psalm of David. The Lord says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.”
1 Peter 3:22 Who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to Him.
Hebrews 1:3 He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of His nature, and He upholds the universe by the word of His power. After making purification for sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.
~
The church is not a physical building. The church is a body of believers in Jesus Christ.
Matthew 16:18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. -Jesus
Romans 12:4-6a For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them:
Ephesians 5:23 For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body.
~
All of humanity who has physically died, all of the bodies will ultimately be resurrected. The question is the destination.
Daniel 12:2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
1 Corinthians 15:13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised.
Revelation 20:15 And if anyone was found whose name was not written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
~
Pre Tribulation Rapture: At a designated point in time before the beginning of the seven year Tribulation or the Day of the Lord, the entire body of the church of Jesus Christ will be caught up into the clouds to meet Him in the air.
1 Thessalonians 5:1-5
1 Thessalonians 5:9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Psalm 27:5 For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; In the secret place of His tabernacle He shall hide me; He shall set me high upon a rock.
The church will physically return to earth to rule and reign with Jesus Christ during the Millennial Kingdom.
Revelation 20:6 Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection! The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years.
2 Timothy 2:12If we endure, we will also reign with Him; If we deny Him, He will also deny us…
1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.
~
Believers can respectfully proclaim God’s truth and love people who disagree with or live outside of God’s laws and precepts.
Matthew 22:37-40 Jesus declared, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
1 Peter 4:8 Above all, love one another deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins.
Galatians 5:14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
~
Human life is sacred from conception to its natural end. God is the Creator of life from before time.
Psalm 139:13-16 For You formed my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are Your works, and I know this very well. My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in secret, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all my days were written in Your book and ordained for me before one of them came to be.
Job 31:15 Did not He who made me in the womb also make them? Did not the same One form us in the womb?
~
God sovereignly and purposefully creates each person biologically male or biologically female.
Genesis 1:27 So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
Matthew 19:4 Jesus answered, “Have you not read that from the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’
~
Marriage is between a biological man and a biological woman.
Mark 10:6-9 But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate. -Jesus
Hebrews 13:4 Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled; for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers.
~
Humanity has inherited a sin nature from the fall of Adam. We are all in need of forgiveness and redemption from our individual sins.
Romans 5:12 Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all mankind, because all sinned…
1 John 4:9-10 This is how God’s love was revealed among us: God sent His one and only Son into the world, so that we might live through Him. And love consists in this: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as the atoning sacrifice for our sins.
~
Salvation is by Faith alone apart from works. One cannot work, earn, or buy their way into eternity with God. He will not accept the fallen individual’s effort or payment.
Ephesians 2:8-9 For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast.
Romans 3:28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the Law.
~
Satan is a real personality and angelic being.
Jesus personally encountered Satan in Matthew 4:1-11.
1 John 3:8 The one who practices sin is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the very start. This is why the Son of God was revealed, to destroy the works of the devil.
Zechariah 3:1 Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the Angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to oppose him.
~
Hell is a real physical place. No one in the Bible teaches more about Hell than Jesus.
Revelation 20:14-15 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone was found whose name was not written in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
Matthew 25:41 Then He will say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
John 11:25-26 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”
The White House and President Trump released a coherent statement on the Gospel of Jesus. Name the last President who has done this? Last year we had President Biden and a Transgender Day of Visibility.
This Holy Week, Melania and I join in prayer with Christians celebrating the crucifixion and resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ—the living Son of God who conquered death, freed us from sin, and unlocked the gates of Heaven for all of humanity.
Beginning with Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday and culminating in the Paschal Triduum, which begins on Holy Thursday with the Mass of the Lord’s Supper, followed by Good Friday, and reaching its pinnacle in the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday night. This week is a time of reflection for Christians to memorialize Jesus’ crucifixion—and to prepare their hearts, minds, and souls for His miraculous Resurrection from the dead.
During this sacred week, we acknowledge that the glory of Easter Sunday cannot come without the sacrifice Jesus Christ made on the cross. In His final hours on Earth, Christ willingly endured excruciating pain, torture, and execution on the cross out of a deep and abiding love for all His creation. Through His suffering, we have redemption. Through His death, we are forgiven of our sins. Through His Resurrection, we have hope of eternal life. On Easter morning, the stone is rolled away, the tomb is empty, and light prevails over darkness—signaling that death does not have the final word.
This Holy Week, my Administration renews its promise to defend the Christian faith in our schools, military, workplaces, hospitals, and halls of government. We will never waver in safeguarding the right to religious liberty, upholding the dignity of life, and protecting God in our public square.
As we focus on Christ’s redeeming sacrifice, we look to His love, humility, and obedience—even in life’s most difficult and uncertain moments. This week, we pray for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon our beloved Nation. We pray that America will remain a beacon of faith, hope, and freedom for the entire world, and we pray to achieve a future that reflects the truth, beauty, and goodness of Christ’s eternal kingdom in Heaven.
May God bless you and your family during this special time of year and may He continue to bless the United States of America.
Ephesians 5:11-13 Have no fellowship with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, for everything that is illuminated becomes a light itself.
Also, the RFK files have been released… See the link below.
By the way, at least 50,000 more pages have been found and are coming on this topic.
~
Ezekiel 38: Ancient Meshech, Beth-Togarmah, Tubal… Modern day Turkey
A severe and devastating agricultural frost has struck Turkey in mid-April 2025, causing widespread damage to crops across the country. This unexpected cold snap has affected various agricultural areas:
Luke 21:11b …and in various places famines and pestilences. -Jesus
“The Proximal Origin of SARS-CoV-2” publication — which was used repeatedly by public health officials and the media to discredit the lab leak theory — was prompted by Dr. Fauci to push the preferred narrative that COVID-19 originated naturally.
The virus possesses a biological characteristic that is not found in nature.
From my standpoint, COVID smelled from the beginning. We were posting on COVID back in January 2020. China stated they had the DNA sequence within a couple of weeks of this virus emerging and spreading. I called, nonsense.
There are seven God appointed holidays communicated through the Old Testament Law. The first three spring holidays were fulfilled on the appointed holiday by Jesus Himself. The names of the feasts are: Passover, Unleavened Bread, and First Fruits.
In the Hebrew year 5785 or the Gregorian calendar year of 2025, the appointments occur as follows. Passover essentially begins at sunset on Saturday, Nisan 14th (traditional Hebrew lunar calendar) or April 12th on a western Gregorian solar calendar. The first day of Unleavened Bread is the next day at sunset on Sunday, Nisan 15th or April 13th. Lastly, the feast of First Fruits starts at sunset on Monday, Nisan 16th or April 14th. The holidays culminate and end at sunset on Sunday, April 20th. These are the mathematically calculated dates for 21st century calendars.
The Essene solar calendar had Passover initiating on Tuesday, April 1st (Nisan 14). Unleavened Bread began on Wednesday, April 2nd (Nisan 15). The timing and marking of First Fruits are different for the Essenes. Instead of being 3 consecutive days as marked by the traditional Hebrew lunar calendar above, First Fruits begins on Sunday, April 13th or Nisan 26th.
This is the year 5950 per the Dead Sea Scroll or Essene calendar. This is the 50th year of a 50 year set or a Jubilee.
For those who are interested, check out the Dead Sea Scroll Essene Calendar at the link below. Compliments of Ken Johnson at https://biblefacts.org/
Again, there is not consensus on these dates within various studies of Judaism, Christendom, and Jewish Messianic believers in Yeshua or Jesus Christ. Humanity struggles to keep time as God has directed. No one knows the day or the hour…
For a deeper dive into the Hebrew lunar calendar, click the link below.
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.’”
~
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 12:15-20. 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.
~
The third of God’s holidays is First Fruits or Reshit Katzir in the Hebrew. The one day holiday begins on the day after the Sabbath or Sunday on our calendar.
The directions for First Fruits are noted in Leviticus 23:9-14. The priest is to make a barley offering of the first portion of the harvest to the Lord. The priest intervenes on behalf of the people. The reality of the holiday for the people of Israel is this. The people bring their grain sheaf to the priest. They are to sacrifice a lamb without blemish. The offering is also to be presented with bread and wine.
Jesus was resurrected on First Fruits. He is the First Fruits or barley offering before God the Father. He is the High Priest who intervenes on our behalf for sin. He is the perfect offering.
In memory of Him, we participate in communion with the elements of bread and wine.
At some point in the future, as a pattern of history, will believers in Christ be resurrected on First Fruits?
Jesus Christ died. He was buried. And He was raised from the dead.
This is the gospel message of Jesus Christ, really “good news”.
Today, He is alive at the right hand of God the Father. And He is coming back again to planet Earth.
There are seven God appointed holidays communicated through the Old Testament Law. The first three spring holidays were fulfilled on the appointed holiday by Jesus Himself. The names of the feasts are: Passover, Unleavened Bread, and First Fruits.
In the Hebrew year 5784 or the Gregorian calendar year of 2024, the appointments occur as follows. Passover essentially begins at sunset on Monday, Nisan 14th (Hebrew calendar) or April 22nd on a western Gregorian calendar. The first day of Unleavened Bread is the next day at sunset on Tuesday, Nisan 15th or April 23rd. Lastly, the feast of First Fruits starts at sunset on Wednesday, Nisan 16th or April 24th. The holidays culminate and end at sunset on Tuesday, April 30th. These are the mathematically calculated dates for 21st century calendars.
At this time, let’s introduce the Essene calendar. The Essene calendar is a solar calendar. This is the year 5949 and a Sabbatical or Shemitah year. As best as can be understood per the Dead Sea Scrolls, Passover occurred on Tuesday, April 2nd or Nisan 14th as the Essene’s marked time. The first day of Unleavened Bread is the next day on Wednesday, April 3rd or Nisan 15th. And First Fruits occurred on Sunday, April 14th, 2024 or Nisan 26th.
For those who are interested, check out the Dead Sea Scroll Essene Calendar at the link below. Compliments of Ken Johnson at https://biblefacts.org/
As usual, there is not consensus on these dates within various studies of Judaism, Christendom, and Jewish Messianic believers in Yeshua or Jesus Christ. Granted, all of these folks are making good faith efforts to be accurate. Each group has good reason(s) for the dates selected. They are not all idiots. Humanity struggles to keep time as God has directed. No one knows the day or the hour…
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.’”
~
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 12:15-20. 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.
~
The third of God’s holidays is First Fruits or Reshit Katzir in the Hebrew. The one day holiday begins on the day after the Sabbath or Sunday on our calendar.
The directions for First Fruits are noted in Leviticus 23:9-14. The priest is to make a barley offering of the first portion of the harvest to the Lord. The priest intervenes on behalf of the people. The reality of the holiday for the people of Israel is this. The people bring their grain sheaf to the priest. They are to sacrifice a lamb without blemish. The offering is also to be presented with bread and wine.
Jesus was resurrected on First Fruits. He is the First Fruits or barley offering before God the Father. He is the High Priest who intervenes on our behalf for sin. He is the perfect offering.
In memory of Him, we participate in communion with the elements of bread and wine.
At some point in the future, as a pattern of history, will believers in Christ be resurrected on First Fruits?
Jesus Christ died. He was buried. And He was raised from the dead.
This is the gospel message of Jesus Christ, really “good news”.
Today, He is alive at the right hand of God the Father. And He is coming back again to planet Earth.
So, what if Jesus was not raised from the dead? What’s the big deal about the resurrection? Who cares? Scripture states twice in the below verses, we are wasting our time with Christianity and the Bible if the resurrection is not true. Without the resurrection, we physically die and our bodies are eternally buried. Death wins. We are dirt and worm food. Our bodies become the byproduct of worm digestion…
Job 21:26 Together they lie down in the dust, and worms cover them.
Without Jesus’ resurrection, our faith is described as “vain” and “worthless”.
1 Corinthians 15:14b …your faith is also in vain.
1 Corinthians 15:17 and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins.
The Greek word for “vain” is κενοσ/kenos. It means: empty, devoid of truth; contains nothing; empty handed; without a gift; fruitless; no purpose.
The Greek word for “worthless” is ματαιοσ/mataios. It means: devoid of force, truth, success, result; useless, of no purpose. -Definitions per Strong’s Concordance
This is our faith without the resurrection of Christ. Without Jesus’ resurrection, there is no hope for our bodies. We are dead and buried, a corrupt and purposeless mess, an empty shell.
If we are not resurrected in the future, then Christ’s resurrection in the past did not occur. We have historical proof of Jesus overcoming death with hundreds of witnesses. We know what happened to Jesus. This observation is stated at least twice by Paul. That’s the security and truth of our future resurrection.
1 Corinthians 15:13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised…
1 Corinthians 15:16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised;
With the resurrection of Christ, Psalm 16:10 was prophetically fulfilled.
Psalm 16:10For You will not abandon my soul to Sheol; nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.
With His death, Jesus did not stay in Sheol or Hades or the grave (see Ephesians 8-10). There was no decomposition of His body.
Acts 2:31 Foreseeing this, David spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that He was not abandoned to Hades, nor did His body see decay.
Leviticus 23:23-25 Again the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, ‘In the seventh month on the first of the month you shall have a rest, a reminder by blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation. You shall not do any laborious work, but you shall present an offering by fire to the Lord.’”
Numbers 29:1 ‘Now in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall also have a holy convocation; you shall do no laborious work. It will be to you a day for blowing trumpets.
The shofar is blown 100 times on the Feast of Trumpets. There are three different sounds (Tekiah, Shevarim, Teruah). Each is blown three times for a total of 9 blasts. This pattern is completed 11 times for a total of 99 blasts. The last blast is set aside. It is the longest and loudest. It is known as the “Last Trump”. References provided by (El Shaddai Ministries).
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The Feast of Trumpets is also known as the “Hidden Day”.
Psalm 27:5 For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle; in the secret place of His tent He will hide me; He will lift me up on a rock.
Zephaniah 2:3 Seek the LORD, All you humble of the earth who have carried out His ordinances; seek righteousness, seek humility. Perhaps you will be hidden in the day of the LORD’S anger.
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Remember, Jews visit cemeteries during the Hebrew month of Elul. Jewish belief and tradition are the resurrection of the dead will occur during the period of Teshuvah. Specifically, the resurrection of the dead is to occur on the New Moon holiday of the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah/Yom Teruah/Feast of Trumpets.
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What is the Apostle Paul telling us in Colossians 2?
Colossians 2:16-17 Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day— things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.
This is not some Old Testament warm and fuzzy tradition. God has a point and a reason. He has not forgotten and He does not play dice. God has singled out this appointed holiday for a purpose. Judaism has been rehearsing this holiday for thousands of years since Moses.
Observations regarding the words of the Apostle Paul in Colossians 2.
Yom Teruah/Feast of Trumpets/Rosh Hashanah is a legal Feast per the Mosaic Law.
This is the only New Moon Festival.
The day is legally a day of rest or a Sabbath regardless, even if it is not Saturday, the legal Sabbath day of the week.
This Hebrew year, 5784 or 2023 on our Western Calendar, it is possible for the new moon to be seen on a Sabbath. The calculated day is for the new moon on Sabbath.
…things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.
Of the seven times (number of completeness and perfection) the original Greek word skia/σκιά is used in the New Testament, it is consistently translated as “shadow“. Paul is telling us, something is coming on this day.
Jesus is the one casting the “shadow“. The shadow in the Greek has a looming presence. In the future, Christ is doing something on this day.
Be ready every day. Christ is doing the heavy lifting by raising believers to meet Him in the clouds. Resurrection and rapture on the Feast of Trumpets???
Nehemiah 6:15 So the wall was completed on the twenty-fifth of the month Elul, in fifty-two days.
Elul is mentioned one time in the Bible.
In Aramaic, the vernacular of the Jewish people at the time that the month names were adopted, the word Elul means “search”. Per Strong’s Concordance, Elul means “nothingness” in the original Hebrew. A month of searching, but there is nothing to be found. What are we looking for? Where did it go? It appears to be a paradox.
Elul is the last month of the civic calendar in Judaism. Elul is the sixth month of the religious calendar.
Elul 1 marks the beginning of Teshuvah. Teshuvah is a 40 day period that runs through the holiday of Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.
On a Gregorian calendar in the year 2023, this would be around August 18th, depending on when the new moon is confirmed. There are some folks on the ground near Jerusalem who will be looking to verify the event and confirm the new month by seeing the little slice and crescent of the new moon.
Below is an updated video for those who have questions about the new moon identification and calendar considerations. Check out the original video as well.
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It is Jewish custom to blow a shofar (ram’s horn) one time every day during the season of Teshuvah. The trumpet is blown after the morning service. The trumpet is blown every day except Shabbat or the Sabbath (Saturday for us in western culture) and the last day of month of Elul.
The trumpet blast signified the beginning of the month.
Psalm 81:3-4 Blow the trumpet at the new moon, at the full moon, on our feast day. For it is a statute for Israel, an ordinance of the God of Jacob. See Numbers 10:10 as well.
Some form of a trumpet blast(s) is used at Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement). A trumpet blast also signals the beginning of Jubilee (Leviticus 25).
The shofar blast was also a call to war and the prospect of danger.
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Last Elul, Gregorian year 2022, marked the end of a seven year period. The last year of the seven year set is a Sabbatical or Shemitah year. The end of the month of Elul marks the end of a Shemitah year.
The end of Elul can also mark the end of Jubilee year. This year, 2023, is eligible to be a Jubilee year. The 50th year of the set is also the first of the next Jubilee period.
With that thought of Jubilee, let’s read Jesus’ comments from His ministry.
Luke 4:17-21 And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book and found the place where it was written, “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives and freedom to prisoners; to proclaim the favorable year of the LORD. And He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” -Jesus
Jesus read and spoke these words in the synagogue of His home town Nazareth (Luke 4:16). Jesus is reading Isaiah 61:1-2a. He reads verse 1 completely. Jesus then stops reading in the middle of Isaiah 61:2.
By reading these words, He was claiming to be the Messiah. In other words, “Here I am!!”
The stoppage of reading in the verse has lasted close to 2,000 years. At His first coming, Jesus was a suffering servant who died for our sins. His death freed us from the bondage of sin. Christ did not come in vengeance the first time, hence the pause.
And we wait for the remainder of Isaiah 61:2b-11. It describes the future conditions of the nation Israel under the leadership of the Messiah, Jesus. He returns the second time in wrath and judgment.
At this point, many have stopped their analysis. There remains another question. Who is the prophet Isaiah quoting?
…to proclaim liberty to captives and freedom to prisoners; to proclaim the favorable year of the LORD…?
Isaiah is quoting Moses who received instruction from God.
Leviticus 25:10 You shall thus consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim a release through the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you, and each of you shall return to his own property, and each of you shall return to his family.
The context of the verses quoted is a description of the jubilee year. Release the inhabitants and freedom for all the slaves.
Is Jesus leaving a clue about the timing of His second coming? Will He return in a year of Jubilee?
Here are some prophetic implications. The seven year peace covenant with Israel will likely be confirmed in God’s fall holiday season.
A jubilee year is proclaimed on the Day of Atonement, Tishri 10 after the end of a set of seven years per Leviticus 25:9. The Bible tells us a jubilee year is proclaimed after a Sabbatical or Shemitah year (Leviticus 25:8-11). This would allow for the culmination of the seven year Tribulation to occur one year after a Sabbatical or Shemitah year, a possible jubilee year by definition.
This author has ZERO% confidence in humanity’s ability to accurately mark time as directed by God. Just thinking out loud and asking some questions…
Are we finishing a Jubilee year? It appears to be possible and reasonable. As for the timing of a jubilee year… no one knows, only the Father.
These are highly controversial topics and understandings. I understand many will not agree with what is written and that is okay. Just making a sincere good faith effort. My eternal salvation does not depend on my nailing the timing of these events. For those who are interested in further study. Please click on the links below.
One Jewish custom of Elul is to visit a cemetery. This is quite interesting in light of the Jewish belief that the resurrection of the dead will occur during the period of Teshuvah. Specifically, the resurrection is to occur on the new moon holiday of the Jewish New Year, Rosh Hashanah. Christians refer to this as the Feast of Trumpets. Orthodox Jews do not believe in Christ let alone the New Testament. Apostle Paul’s letter to the Corinthians would confirm their tradition.
1 Corinthians 15:52b at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.
Resurrection first, then the rapture occurs. The question is the amount of time between the two events.
Am I saying the resurrection of the dead and the rapture is in approximately one month from Elul 1st per identification of the new moon of Tishri? No, but it is possible.
As believers, should we be ready for Christ to gather us into the clouds? Yes, just like any other day.
Do your homework? This is potentially a BIG Fall Appointment season on God’s calendar rapture or not.
Colossians 2:16-17 Therefore let no one judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a feast, a New Moon, or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the body that casts it belongs to Christ.
Everything God did in regards to creation was already done before He created the heavens and the earth in Genesis 1:1. The Lamb was slain before the foundation of the world. If the Lamb had already been slain before Jesus ever had a chance to be born through the womb of a woman, then so too was He also already raised from the dead, and so too was He also already glorified. All of that happened in eternity, outside of time and space. Same goes for us. It’s all already done.
Romans 8:29,30For those whom He foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that He might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom He predestined He also called, and those whom He called he also justified, and those whom He justified He also glorified.
We are just playing out the movie. We can edit the film too and chop out the parts we don’t like and retake scenes that aren’t good. This is exactly what Jesus did on earth. He went about doing good and healed all who were oppressed by the devil.
Acts 10:38 …how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.
Jesus also walked on water and changed weather patterns.
Mark 4:39 Then He (Jesus) arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Peace, be still!’ And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. See also Matthew 8:26, Luke 8:24.
He operated in the glory of the Father, took authority over threatening situations and showed us how to do it. He wasn’t just showing off. He was teaching us how to operate in the glory He gave us from John 17:5,22,23 the same glory the Father gave Him, for the purpose of making us all one and so that we can know the Father loves us in the same way He loved Jesus.
John 17:5,22,23 And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed. The glory that you have given me I have given to them, that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.
Without Christ we can do nothing.
John 5:5 One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years.
With Christ nothing is impossible.
Matthew 19:26 But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
