Archive for Sanhedrin

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?

http://www.cointalk.com

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.

Ancient Beka Found Near Temple Mount in Jerusalem

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.

~

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.

Trend Update: Sanhedrin Issues Temple Tax, February 2017

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

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Trend Update: Sanhedrin Recognizes Calendar Error, Happy New Year???

Posted in Sanhedrin, Signs: Sun, Moon, Stars..., Trend Update with tags , , , , , , , , on March 29, 2017 by paulthepoke

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…”

Nisan 1, 5777 or March 29, 2017: The Sanhedrin has recognized the Hebrew calendar system is inaccurate.  The Sanhedrin reconvened in 2005 after a 1,600 year absence. They oversee legal matters and future construction of the pending third temple.

The Sanhedrin is headed to the Mount of Olives to determine if the New Moon is visible. If so, a new month and a new year can be declared. There is recognition the calendar could be off by a couple of days. Practically, the holiday celebrations could be observed on the wrong day as ordained by God’s Law.

“Even though the calendar needs to be adjusted, unity is of the utmost importance. Jews are required to adhere to the calendar accepted by the entire nation. Until a formal Sanhedrin is accepted by the nation, Jews must use the established calendar and observe the holidays on the days mandated by rabbinic authorities,” Rabbi Hillel Weiss, Sanhedrin Spokesman.

https://www.breakingisraelnews.com/85817/passover-celebrated-wrong-night-sanhedrins-new-moon-witness-fix/#uSvuvbWiSBrOuYWp.99

 

The spring month of Nisan is the beginning of the religious or spiritual year in a Hebrew calendar. The beginning of the civil year is the seventh month of Tishri in the fall. These are the two calendars at work in the Hebrew culture.

The Lord God says the New Year begins in the spring in Nisan.

How is a new moon or a new month determined? In this particular case, we are talking about the New Year. 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.

The Jewish calendar is based on three astronomical phenomena. These three are independent of each other.

1) Rotation of the Earth about its axis (a day):

2) Revolution of the moon about the Earth (a month): The average time for the moon to revolve around the Earth is 29.5 days. A pure lunar calendar has a minimum of 354 days in a year.

3) Revolution of the Earth about the sun (a year): The Earth revolves around the sun in about 365¼ days. A pure solar calendar has 12.4 lunar months.

The Jewish calendar coordinates all three of these astronomical phenomena. It is based on moon cycles instead of sun cycles. “Leap months” are added to sync up with sun cycles. Prior to the 4th century, the calendar was determined by observation. The calendar has been calculated mathematically since 4th century. Years are numbered from creation.

A Hebrew Year always contains 12 Hebrew months in a regular year or 13 Hebrew months in a leap year.

https://paulthepoke.com/?s=rosh+chodesh

http://www.jewfaq.org/calendar.htm

http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Holidays/Calendar/calen

 

The Hebraic Roots movement in Israel also identified the new moon north of Jerusalem. There is agreement on the identification of the new moon. I doubt the Sanhedrin will recognize their efforts. After all, they believe in Yeshua or Jesus Christ as the Messiah.

http://whenisthenewmoon.com/

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Trend Update: Retrial of Jesus??? February 2017

Posted in Trend Update with tags , , on February 8, 2017 by paulthepoke

A Jewish Orthodox scholar is proposing a public retrial for Jesus to “fix the initial rigged trial that took place 2,000 years ago.”

You gotta read this…

Jewish scholar calls for public retrial to exonerate Jesus, ‘Israel’s native son’

 

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Trend Update: “Third Wall” Found in Jerusalem, October 2016

Posted in Prophecy, Temple, Trend Update with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , on October 20, 2016 by paulthepoke

John 2:20 The Jews then said, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and will you raise it up in three days?”

The Jewish leaders of Jesus’ day were confused. In the context of these verses, Jesus was referring to His body the Temple. The Jewish leaders were referring to the house of worship, the Temple. Thankfully adversarial confusion confirms there was a real, physical Temple during the days of Jesus. This is the Temple during Jesus Christ’s time on earth. It was Herod’s reconstructed Temple.

October 20, 2016: Reports out of Jerusalem indicate remains of the “Third Wall” have been unearthed. The Third Wall surrounded the city of Jerusalem prior to the Roman destruction of the city and Temple in 70 AD.

The archeological dig was completed by Dr. Rena Avner and Kfir Arviv of the Israel Antiquities Authority. The findings were located in the Russian Compound of Jerusalem where the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design is to be built.

Relics from the Roman attack on Jerusalem have been discovered. The Romans were led by Titus during this era. Multiple ancient ballista and sling stones were used to bomb Jerusalem were discovered. These rocks were launched from catapults in the assault.

These findings confirm the writings of the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus. See the attached article for boundaries of the wall per Josephus.

The findings will be presented on October 27, 2016 at the Mount Scopus campus of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The title of the presentation is New Studies in the Archaeology of Jerusalem and its Region.

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/219155

October 13, 2016: The United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) voted to deny recognition of religious sites on the Temple Mount to the Jewish people. The UN stated the Temple Mount belongs to the Muslims.

https://paulthepoke.com/2016/10/14/trend-update-unesco-rejects-jewish-ties-to-temple-mount-october-2016/

UNESCO clearly did not heed the warning from the Jewish Sanhedrin in early August 2016.

https://paulthepoke.com/2016/08/09/trend-update-sanhedrin-takes-on-un-over-temple-mount-august-2016/

In light of this discovery, one would hope UNESCO would reconsider their recent vote. After all, this is the international body who oversees education, scientific, and cultural issues. Surely, accuracy is important to UNESCO…

 

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Trend Update: Sanhedrin Elects High Priest for Temple Service, August 2016

Posted in Fall Feasts, Prophecy, Sanhedrin, Temple, Trend Update with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , on August 30, 2016 by paulthepoke

Leviticus 21:6-8 They shall be holy to their God and not profane the name of their God. For they offer the Lord’s food offerings, the bread of their God; therefore they shall be holy. They shall not marry a prostitute or a woman who has been defiled, neither shall they marry a woman divorced from her husband, for the priest is holy to his God. You shall sanctify him, for he offers the bread of your God. He shall be holy to you, for I, the Lord, who sanctify you, am holy.

The most important duty of the high priest is to conduct the service on the Day of Atonement. Yom Kippur is the tenth day, the seventh month (Tishri) of the year.

The High Priest entered the Most Holy Place behind the veil to stand before God. He made a sacrifice for himself. He made a sacrifice for the people. He brought the blood into the Holy of Holies and sprinkled it on the mercy seat…Think Jesus…

https://paulthepoke.com/2016/03/20/jesus-christ-the-mercy-seat/

The Sanhedrin has elected Rabbi Baruch Kahane as the Kohan Gadol. This would be the high priest. The selection was made as a precaution for the Day of Atonement or Yom Kippur. If the Jews would be allowed access to the Temple Mount, it is a requirement of the Mosaic Law to bring forth sacrifices as they currently see it. If allowed, Temple Service could begin in less than one week.

“The only obstacle preventing the Temple service today is the political issue. If that should suddenly change, as it very well could, we would be required to begin the Temple service immediately. It is therefore necessary that we have a candidate prepared to fill the role of the High Priest, especially now that we have kohanim (priests) prepared to serve in the Temple.” -Rabbi Hillel Weiss

“The structures can be temporary and prepared almost overnight. The biggest obstacle is educating the kohanim (priests), which we are taking care of already. Once the priests are thoroughly educated, choosing a Kohan Gadol (high priest) and teaching him what he needs to know for the Yom Kippur service is relatively simple and will take one week. The Temple Service performed by the Kohan Gadol is very demanding, but for an educated kohan (priest), it is not overly difficult to learn to serve as the Kohan Gadol.” –Elected High Priest, Rabbi Baruch Kahane

http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/74772/sanhedrin-appoints-high-priest-preparation-third-temple/#JVK2zcw2KblMu3Cs.97

Now granted, Jesus Christ is our High Priest. Animal sacrifices are no longer necessary.

Psalm 110:4 The LORD has sworn and will not change His mind, “You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.”

Hebrews 6:20 where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

Hebrews 5:6 as he says also in another place, “You (Jesus Christ) are a priest forever, after the order of Melchizedek.”

By the way, there are at least 20 Bible verses indicating Jesus Christ is the High Priest.

http://bible.knowing-jesus.com/topics/Christ,-The-High-Priest

The people of Israel are not there yet.

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Trend Update: Temple Red Heifer/Priest Identification, April 2016

Posted in Prophecy, Sanhedrin, Temple, Trend Update with tags , , , , , , , , , on April 6, 2016 by paulthepoke

Exodus 28:1 Then bring near to yourself Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the sons of Israel, to minister as priest to Me—Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, Aaron’s sons.

The Temple Institute is looking for a few good men. The Institute has begun the second stage towards building the Temple. They are trying to identify a list of Jewish priests who will be eligible to prepare the red heifer ashes and serve in the Temple.

The term for these priests is kohanim.

Here is the potential resume for such priests or kohanim. The man must be from the line of Aaron and be able to offer proof. He must have been born and raised in Israel. The kohan must not have come in contact with the dead (people or animals). The potential priest cannot have been born in a hospital. He should have no history of visiting a hospital. If the candidate has visited a cemetery, he is discarded. These are some of the ceremonial cleanliness laws noted in the Law or Torah of the Bible.

An eligible list of potential priests will begin training for the preparation of the red heifer ashes. The ashes from the sacrifice of the red heifer are necessary for purification prior to the building of the Temple. Directions for red heifer purification and priestly function are noted in Numbers 19:1-10.

The Temple Institute is committed to raising a red heifer. Not just one, but raise a herd of red heifers. I guess it is time to throw numbers at the issue instead of waiting for one to be born and finding it. The Temple Institute has joined forces with a cattle rancher in Israel. They have applied the best of breeding techniques, genetics, and embryology. Frozen embryos of red angus cattle have been implanted in Israeli cattle.

Numbers 19:1-2 Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, “This is the statute of the law which the Lord has commanded, saying, ‘Speak to the sons of Israel that they bring you an unblemished red heifer in which is no defect and on which a yoke has never been placed.

http://paulthepoke.com/2015/08/02/trend-update-temple-red-heifer-august-2015/

“This is a huge jump for the Temple Institute and a huge leap for the Jewish people. For the first time in 2,000 years, after miraculously returning to the Land of Israel, we are beginning the process of reinstating the Biblical purity of the Jewish priesthood.” -Rabbi Chaim Richman.

Kohanim have recently begun lighting the menorah using pure olive oil for first time in nearly 2,000 years.

The Sanhedrin have recently begun marking time as directed in the Bible with the identification of the new moon or Rosh Chodesh for the first time in 2,000 years.

http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/64632/third-temple-closer-than-ever-search-begins-eligible-jewish-priests-jewish-world/#HtJxxqZpMisUHfAt.99

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/210006#.VwB-ifkrJD8

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Trend Update: Sanhedrin, March 2016

Posted in Prophecy, Sanhedrin, Trend Update with tags , , , , , , , on March 23, 2016 by paulthepoke

Matthew 26:59 The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were trying to find false testimony against Jesus so that they could put him to death.

Exodus 12:2 This month shall be the beginning of months for you; it is to be the first month of the year to you.

sanhedrin

Photo: Sanhedrin

The Biblical or Religious New Year begins at the moment of sunset at Jerusalem, on the evening of the first potentially visible crescent moon (Rosh Chodesh) beginning Day 1 of Month 1. The spring equinox is the demarcation point governing the solar cycle. A Biblical New Year can begin before or after the spring equinox.

http://paulthepoke.com/2016/03/06/creation-of-time-the-calendar/

The Sanhedrin of Israel is back in the news, March 2016. The Sanhedrin reconvened in 2005 after a 1,600 year absence. They oversee legal matters and future construction of the pending third temple.

http://www.heisnear.com/Sanhedrin.html

The Greek word for Sanhedrin is sunedrion. It is frequently translated as “Council” in the New Testament (Strong’s Concordance).

Who is/was the Sanhedrin? They are/were a group of 71 members. The group was made up of members from the Pharisees and Sadducees back in the day. The Sanhedrin was lead by the High Priest in the past (Holman Bible Dictionary).

This is the same Sanhedrin who illegally arrested, tried, and convicted Jesus (Luke 22:66, Mark 14:55-56). They pressured Pilate for Jesus’ death on a cross (Mark 15:1-15).

In another sense, they are not the same Sanhedrin of Jesus’s time. They now have their own website.

http://www.thesanhedrin.org/en/index.php?title=The_Re-established_Jewish_Sanhedrin

Exodus 12:2 This month shall be the beginning of months for you; it is to be the first month of the year to you.

On March 10, 2016, a Biblical commandment that hasn’t been seen in 2,000 years was fulfilled. In the Cardo neighborhood of the Old City of Jerusalem, two witnesses stood before the Sanhedrin and gave testimony that established the beginning of the new month.

The point of the event is to correct the Hebrew calendar. There are contradictions between Hillel II’s calculations and calendar verses the astronomical reality of the sun, moon, and stars. The Sanhedrin is aware of the differences and is working to correct the issue.

Prior to declaring the new moon and new month, a Temple service was completed. Animal sacrifice was not included. But, the priests were in garments. A grain offering was burnt on the altar. Instruments and vessels were provided by the Temple Institute.
Read more at http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/63610/sanhedrin-performs-rare-biblical-commandment-not-seen-2000-years-jewish-world/#PmsydWvh71BqQ9AJ.99

The Sanhedrin is slow to the party. There are people in Israel who have been identifying the new moon or Rosh Chodesh. How is a new moon or a new month determined? 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.

http://paulthepoke.com/2014/09/28/yom-teruahrosh-hashanahfeast-of-trumpets-part-3/

There are people who are trained witnesses to identify the new moon. They are outside of Jerusalem when the moon goes dark and they are looking for the tiny sliver to emerge. If you are interested, see this website.

http://whenisthenewmoon.com/

Humanity has no idea what time it is…of that day or hour no one knows…

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Trend Update: Sanhedrin, September 2015

Posted in Gospel, Sanhedrin, Trend Update with tags , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on August 26, 2015 by paulthepoke

Matthew 26:59 The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were trying to find false testimony against Jesus so that they could put him to death.

sanhedrin

The Sanhedrin of Israel is back in the news, August 2015. The Sanhedrin reconvened in 2005 after a 1,600 year absence. They oversee legal matters and future construction of the pending third temple.

http://www.heisnear.com/Sanhedrin.html

The Greek word for Sanhedrin is sunedrion. It is frequently translated as “Council” in the New Testament (Strong’s Concordance).

Who is/was the Sanhedrin? They are/were a group of 71 members. The group was made up of members from the Pharisees and Sadducees back in the day. The Sanhedrin was lead by the High Priest in the past  (Holman Bible Dictionary).

This is the same Sanhedrin who illegally arrested, tried, and convicted Jesus (Luke 22:66, Mark 14:55-56). They pressured Pilate for Jesus’ death on a cross (Mark 15:1-15).

In another sense, they are not the same Sanhedrin of Jesus’s time. They now have their own website.

http://www.thesanhedrin.org/en/index.php?title=The_Re-established_Jewish_Sanhedrin

On September 9, 2015, Pope Francis, President Obama and others are ordered by Israeli’s Sanhedrin to come before the Council. They are being charged with a poor policy toward Jerusalem. Below is a statement of the official charge.

The People Israel VS. 1. Pope Francis, Head of the Catholic Church, the Vatican 2. President of the United States, Mr. Barack Hussein Obama 3. Secretary of State Mr. John Kerry, The White House, Washington, D.C. United States of America 4. The signatory nations to the Iran Nuclear Agreement; “The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action”, (the US, Great Britain, Russia, Germany, France and China) 5. The United Nations Security Council 6. UNESCO 7. The Supreme Court of the United States of America 8. The Human Rights Court in The Hague, Netherlands 9. The International Criminal Court in The Hague, Netherlands 10. The European Union Collectively and each individually stand accused of:

Conspiracy to conduct theft of the Land of Israel from the People of Israel

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/Articles/Article.aspx/17443#.Vd6IKflVhBc

As of August 2015, there is no current High Priest in Jerusalem, Israel. There is no Temple. There is much debate. Who will appoint the High Priest? Will the High Priest be appointed by the Sanhedrin, the Messiah, or the King?

http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/994923/jewish/How-Is-a-High-Priest-Selected.htm

But…there is a High Priest. His name is Jesus. He is seated at the right hand of the Father in Heaven. Hebrews 8:1-2 Now the main point in what has been said is this: we have such a high priest, who has taken His seat at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a minister in the sanctuary and in the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, not man.

Jesus is the King. 1 Timothy 6:14b-15 …until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which He will bring about at the proper time—He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords…

Jesus is the Messiah. John 20:31 But these are written so that you may believe Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and by believing you may have life in His name. 

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