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Shavuot/Pentecost/Feast of Weeks, 5783/2023

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Pentecost/Shavuot/Feast of Weeks, Prophecy with tags Acts 2, Apostle Peter, church, God, Gospel, Holy Spirit, Israel, Jesus Christ, Judaism, Law, Leviticus 23, milk and honey, Moses, Mount Sinai, Pentecost, Shavuot, Temple, torah on May 23, 2023 by paulthepoke

Leviticus 23:15-16 ‘You shall also count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, from the day when you brought in the sheaf of the wave offering; there shall be seven complete Sabbaths. You shall count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall present a new grain offering to the Lord.

On a Gregorian calendar, we are in the year of 2023, the holiday of Shavuot/Feast of Weeks/Pentecost begins at sunset on Thursday, May 25th. The God Appointed holiday ends at sunset Saturday, May 27th. The Feast takes place in the month of Sivan on the 6th and 7th of a Hebrew calendar. This is the Hebrew year 5783.

Provisions for the holiday include two loaves of bread, sacrificial lambs, a bull, two rams, a goat, and a drink offering of wine. The holiday is also a day of rest with no work (Leviticus 23:17-21).

In the Old Testament and in the Hebrew, this holiday is referred to as Shavuot. The word means: weeks.

Shavuot is one of the three holidays where Jewish men are required to come to Jerusalem (Exodus 23:14-17). The men were to make their presentation and sacrifice before God at the Temple.

As stated in the Leviticus passage, it is seven weeks after Passover. It is a celebration of the completed grain harvest. The holiday is also a celebration of God giving the Torah (instruction or law) to nation Israel. Because of this, Shavuot is considered as the beginning or birth of Judaism.

The Law was given on Mount Sinai roughly 1,500 years before Christ. Nation Israel honored this holiday every year. Eating and drinking dairy products are part of the celebration of Shavuot. Many think the custom of dairy products is in reference to Bible verses referring to a promised land flowing with milk and honey.

Exodus 3:8a “So I have come down to deliver them from the power of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey…

http://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/why-dairy-on-shavuot/

Fast forward to 33 AD. Nation Israel is celebrating and living the holiday.

Acts 2:1 When the day of Pentecost had come, they (apostles) were all together in one place.

In the Greek New Testament, Shavuot (Hebrew) is translated as Pentekoste (Greek). Per Strong’s Concordance, it means: the fiftieth day; the second of the three great Jewish feasts, celebrated at Jerusalem yearly, the seventh week after the Passover, in grateful recognition of the completed wheat harvest. We have transliterated the word to Pentecost (English).

Pentecost or Shavuot is the day promised by Jesus of the giving of the Holy Spirit.

John 14:26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.

Acts 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.

It is seven weeks after the death of the sacrificial lamb, Jesus. Shavuot or Pentecost is also the day God the Father gave the Holy Spirit. Because of this, Pentecost is considered the beginning or the birth of the church (believers in Jesus Christ).

http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Holidays/Spring_Holidays/Shavuot/shavuot.html

Acts 2:38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit…”

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

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Birth of Jesus: City of Bethlehem, Migdal Eder

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Christmas, Gospel, Prophecy with tags Alfred Edersheim, Bethlehem, Jesus Christ, Lamb of God, Life and Time of Jesus the Messiah, Luke 2, manger, Micah 4, Migdal Eder, priest, Sacrificial Lamb, shepherds, Temple on December 22, 2022 by paulthepoke

Micah 4:8 As for you, tower of the flock, hill of the daughter of Zion, to you it will come, even the former dominion will come, the kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem.

Many believe this is the location and address of the birth of Jesus Christ. The address is the “tower of the flock”. In the original Hebrew, it is “migdal eder”.

Per Strong’s Concordance, migdal eder means: tower of the flock.

The following paragraph is from The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, Alfred Edersheim.

At the time of the birth of Jesus, Migdal Eder was a specific place. It was the location where shepherds brought their sheep. The sheep were to be sacrificed at the Temple. These were not just any flock and herd. The shepherds who kept them were men who were specifically trained for this royal task. They were educated in what an animal that was to be sacrificed had to be and it was their job to make sure that none of the animals were hurt, damaged or blemished. During lambing season the sheep were brought to the tower from the fields, as the lower level functioned as the birthing room for sacrificial lambs. Being themselves under special rabbinical care, these priests would strictly maintain a ceremonially clean birthing place. Once birthed, the priestly shepherds would routinely place the lambs in the hewn depression of a limestone rock known as “the manger” and “wrap the newborn lambs in swaddling clothes,” preventing them from thrashing about and harming themselves “until they had calmed down” so they could be inspected for the quality of being “without spot or blemish”.

Custom of the day utilized swaddling cloths for newborn infants as well as sacrificial lambs. These cloths or bands were also used for restraining lambs prior to sacrifice. The swaddling bands held the lambs for inspection to insure they met the standard set forth in the law (Numbers 28:3, Exodus 12:1-6). The lambs were restrained to keep them from harming themselves and disqualifying them from sacrifice. Lambs had to be without blemish.

Today, the exact location of Migdal Eder is speculation.

Luke 2:7 She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the village inn.

The angel had directions for the shepherds in the hills.

Luke 2:12 “This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Notice, the shepherds did not need guidance. Migdal Eder was a destination. Any shepherd in the area knew the exact location. Directions were not necessary. These guys knew the specific address.

Luke 2:15 When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, “Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us.”

Luke 2:16 So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger.

Jesus, the Lamb of God, was born in the same location as sacrificial lambs for the Temple. Jesus was wrapped “snugly” in swaddling cloth like a sacrificial lamb for inspection.

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

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This Week in Prophecy: Temple Mount, Jordan Divided?, Russia & Finland, Speaker Pelosi & Communion, MonkeyPox!

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Prophecy, Trend Update with tags abortion, Archbishop of San Francisco, archdiocese, bisexual, Communion, Crown Prince Hamza bin Hussein, Fibonacci Sequence, Finland, gay, Golden Ratio, Hashemite Kingdom, Jordan, King Abdullah, MokeyPox, natural gas, rubles, Russia, Salvatore Cordileone, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Temple on May 24, 2022 by paulthepoke

This Week in Prophecy:

The Jewish Temple is back in the news in the Jerusalem Post. The Temple is referred to as “The Address of God”. The article dives into the mathematical concept of The Golden Ratio or Fibonacci Sequence.

King Abdullah restricts the travel and communication of his half brother Crown Prince Hamza bin Hussein. All is not whole in the Hashemite Kingdom.

Russia blocks natural gas to Finland as Finland applies to NATO. Russia demands payments be made in rubles.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is banned from Communion by the archbishop of San Francisco because of her position on abortion. Speaker Pelosi is informed that she is sinning.

“As you have not publically repudiated your position on abortion, and continue to refer to your Catholic faith in justifying your position and to receive Holy Communion, that time has now come. Therefore, in light of my responsibility as the Archbishop of San Francisco to be ‘concerned for all the Christian faithful entrusted to [my] care’ (Code of Canon Law, can. 383, §1), by means of this communication I am hereby notifying you that you are not to present yourself for Holy Communion and, should you do so, you are not to be admitted to Holy Communion, until such time as you publically repudiate your advocacy for the legitimacy of abortion and confess and receive absolution of this grave sin in the sacrament of Penance.” -Archbishop of San Francisco, Salvatore Cordileone

Luke 21:11 There will be great earthquakes, and in various places famines and pestilences. And there will be terrors and great signs from heaven.

Get ready, Monkey Pox is coming!!!

https://www.jpost.com/judaism/kabbalah-of-information-the-theory-of-likeness-680412

https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/article-707165

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10839581/Russia-blocks-energy-going-Finland-country-applied-join-Nato.html

https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/20/politics/pelosi-communion-ban-abortion-san-francisco-archdiocese/index.html

https://www.cnbc.com/2022/05/23/cdc-officials-sound-alarm-for-gay-and-bisexual-men-as-monkeypox-spreads-in-community-.html

https://cms.zerohedge.com/s3/files/inline-images/monkeypox-explainer-infographic.png?itok=9D_dggMG

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Stuck in Sin, God’s Not Listening

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Freedom in Christ with tags cross, God, God the Father, hear, heart, iniquity, Jesus Christ, obey, see, shama, sin, Temple, veil on May 1, 2022 by paulthepoke

Psalm 66:18 If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.

God says that one’s attitude towards sin matters. He is talking about the space between the ears. The verse above is conditional, If…

If I had cherished… This is the Hebrew word raah. Strong’s Concordance defines the word as “to see”.

This is the word that is used repeatedly in the creation account in Genesis.

Genesis 1:31a And God saw (raah) all that He had made, and behold, it was very good.

Iniquity or aven in the Hebrew can be defined as trouble, sorrow, or wickedness.

…in my heart… The heart or leb in the Hebrew is known as inner man, mind, will, or heart.

…the Lord would not have listened. This is the Hebrew word shama. Plainly stated, it means to hear.

Deuteronomy 6:4 Hear (shama), O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.

We are talking about the fundamental senses of seeing and hearing. God sees what is going on in your heart and mind. There is no tricking God.

Personally, if an individual knows a mental attitude is wrong, if you are sinning (mentally or physically committing) and you know it. God’s not listening to you.

Job 35:13 Surely God does not hear an empty cry, nor does the Almighty regard it.

Surely God does not hear an empty cry… This is the Hebrew word shav. It is defined as: emptiness, vanity, or nothingness.

This is the same word utilized in the Third Commandment.

Exodus 20:7 You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.

If one does not take God seriously, He does not take you seriously. If one is not listening to God and what He has to say, He’s not listening to you either.

Isaiah 59:2 but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear.

…but your iniquities… These are not just sins. These are avon or punished sins (Strong’s). The result is a barrier between the sinner and God. Because of our sin we committed, He does not want to see us or hear from us.

John 9:31 We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, God listens to him.

John understands this is an established fact. We know that God does not listen to sinners…

As sinners, we are not stuck in an eternal state of God closing us out. There are two things we can do to be heard again, worship and obey.

…worshiper of God… In the original Greek, this is the word θεοσεβής/theosebés. The definition is be God-fearing. Worship and respect God.
…does His will… ποιέω/poieó: to make or do.

John 14:15 If you love me, you will keep my commandments. said Jesus.

Do what God says. And we always have a solution in Jesus Christ. He removed the barrier between the Father and us with His death on the cross.

Mark 15:37-38 And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.

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

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Tisha B`Av/9th of Av, 5781/ 2021

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Prophecy, Trend Update with tags 9th of Av, curse, Israel, judgment, Moses, Numbers 13, Temple, Temple Institute, Temple Mount, Tisha B`Av on July 15, 2021 by paulthepoke

Tisha b’Av: To the Jew, this is a date, the 9^th of Av.

Av is a Hebrew month. It is the 11^th month of the civil calendar or the 5^th month of the religious calendar. The date usually occurs during July or August on the Gregorian calendar. The month of Av is not named in the Bible.

This year, the 9th of Av begins at sunset on Saturday, July 17, 2021 and ends at sunset on Sunday, July 18 on the Gregorian calendar.

The 9^th of Av is a day of mourning in Israel. Tragedy came about because of the account of Numbers 13-14. This event occurred immediately after God had delivered Israel out of bondage in Egypt.

The short story is the Lord told Moses to send a group of spies to go scout the Promised Land. The spies came back and proclaimed the Jews could not take the land because of the inhabitants of the land were too big and too strong. The people rebelled against Moses. The people stated they would rather go back to Egypt. The nation (except Caleb and Joshua) did not believe God to give them the Promised Land.

Numbers 13:20 …and whether the land is rich or poor, and whether there are trees in it or not. Be of good courage and bring some of the fruit of the land.” Now the time was the season of the first ripe grapes.

We know it occurred during the grape harvest per the text (Numbers 13:20). This event is said to have occurred on the 9^th of Av. God pronounced judgment on the nation at that time. And this date is said to be a reminder of nation Israel’s lack of faith in God.

Historically, the date has been challenging for the Jewish people.

Here is a list of Jewish history on the 9^th of Av/Tisha B `Av.

586 BC, the first Temple was destroyed.
70 AD, the second Temple was destroyed.
135 AD, Betar fell. It was the last fortress to hold out against the Romans during the Bar Kochba revolt.
136 AD, one year after the fall of Betar, the Temple area was plowed.
1290 AD, Jews were expelled from England.
1492 AD, King Ferdinand of Spain issued the expulsion decree, setting Tisha B’Av as the final date by which not a single Jew would be allowed to walk on Spanish soil.
1914 AD, World War I began the downward slide to the Holocaust.
2005 AD, Israel turns over the Gaza Strip.

References for dates courtesy of (http://www.jewfaq.org, http://www.chabad.org, https://www.templeinstit ute.org)

Recently, the Temple Institute has chosen to look to the future and the promise of the building of the third Temple on Tisha B`Av or 9th of Av. They have chosen to post videos of the reconstruction of the third Temple. This year is no different.

Below is a video and commentary from the Temple Institute. Rebuild the Temple…

https://templeinstitute.org

Commentary below from the Temple Institute:

A hot cup of coffee, a glance at the internet, a leisurely morning – what could we possibly be missing? Why the Holy Temple, of course! Time for all of us, not just the kohanim (Temple priests) to get up and get to work – rebuilding the Holy Temple in our day!

Be part of the action!

A big shout out to Samara and to Yosef and his amazing crew and our great actors for making this video shine!

Special thanks to Dena Davies of Debu Designs for the beautiful priestly garment!

Note: In the days of the Holy Temple the kohanim on duty sleep and get dressed each morning in the Beit HaMoked on the Temple Mount. Depicting a kohen getting dressed at home and carpooling to the Holy Temple was for illustrative purposes, only!

http://www.templeinstitute.org/

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There Shall Be Seven Weeks: Feasts (Pentecost, Beginnings)

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Angels, Pentecost/Shavuot/Feast of Weeks, Prophecy with tags Acts 2, Apostle Peter, church, God, Holy Spirit, Israel, Jesus Christ, Judaism, Law, Leviticus 23, milk and honey, Moses, Mount Sinai, Pentecost, Shavuot, Temple, torah on July 11, 2021 by paulthepoke

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

The context of this series of posts is the course of the Jewish people for the initial 49 years of the 483 year period communicated from the angel Gabriel to the prophet Daniel. The city of Jerusalem has been rebuilt post exile. These events are covered in Nehemiah 8-13. Israel is returning to God’s Law. The focus has shifted to God’s appointed holidays. First Fruits was covered last week. This week, Pentecost is in focus. This is the first of two posts on what is known as Shavuot in the Hebrew.

Other provisions for the holiday include two loaves of bread, sacrificial lambs, a bull, two rams, a goat, and a drink offering of wine. The holiday is also a day of rest with no work (Leviticus 23:17-21).

In the Old Testament and in the Hebrew, this holiday is referred to as Shavuot. The word means: weeks.

Shavuot is one of the three holidays where Jewish men are required to come to Jerusalem (Exodus 23:14-17). The men were to make their presentation and sacrifice before God at the Temple.

As stated in the Leviticus passage, it is seven weeks after the Sabbath. It is a celebration of the completed grain harvest. The holiday is also a celebration of God giving the Torah (instruction or law) to nation Israel. Because of this, Shavuot is considered as the beginning or birth of Judaism.

The Law was given on Mount Sinai roughly 1,500 years before Christ. Nation Israel honored this holiday every year. Eating and drinking dairy products are part of the celebration of Shavuot. Many think the custom of dairy products is in reference to Bible verses in Exodus referring to a promised land flowing with milk and honey.

Exodus 3:8a “So I have come down to deliver them from the power of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and spacious land, to a land flowing with milk and honey…

http://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/why-dairy-on-shavuot/

Fast forward to 33 AD. Nation Israel is celebrating and living the holiday. Acts 2:1 When the day of Pentecost had come, they (apostles) were all together in one place. In the Greek New Testament, Shavuot (Hebrew) is translated as Pentekoste (Greek). Per Strong’s Concordance, it means: the fiftieth day; the second of the three great Jewish feasts, celebrated at Jerusalem yearly, the seventh week after the Passover, in grateful recognition of the completed harvest. We have transliterated the word to Pentecost (English).

This is the day promised by Jesus of the giving of the Holy Spirit.

John 14:26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you.

Acts 2:4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.

http://www.hebrew4christians.com/Holidays/Spring_Holidays/Shavuot/shavuot.html

Acts 2:38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit…”

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Restore and Rebuild Jerusalem

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Angels with tags 2 Chronicles 36, Artaxerxes, Daniel 9, Ezra, jerusalem, Nehemiah 2, Temple on November 22, 2020 by paulthepoke

Daniel 9:25 So you are to know and discern that from the issuing of a decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until Messiah the Prince there will be seven weeks and sixty-two weeks; it will be built again, with plaza and moat, even in times of distress.

Who issued the decree to rebuild Jerusalem?

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

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

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

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

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Daniel’s 2nd Vision With Gabriel’s Understanding

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Angels, Antichrist/Beast, Prophecy with tags Alexander the Great, Antichrist, Daniel 8, Gabriel, goat, Greece, Greek Empire, Jesus Christ, little horn, Persia and Media Empire, Prince of Peace, ram, Temple on August 1, 2020 by paulthepoke

Daniel 8:3-14 I raised my eyes and saw, and behold, a ram standing on the bank of the canal. It had two horns, and both horns were high, but one was higher than the other, and the higher one came up last.

Daniel 8:20 As for the ram that you saw with the two horns, these are the kings of Media and Persia.

I saw the ram charging westward and northward and southward. No beast could stand before him, and there was no one who could rescue from his power. He did as he pleased and became great.

As I was considering, behold, a male goat came from the west across the face of the whole earth, without touching the ground.

Daniel 8:21a And the goat is the king of Greece.

And the goat had a conspicuous horn between his eyes.

Daniel 8:21b And the great horn between his eyes is the first king.

He came to the ram with the two horns, which I had seen standing on the bank of the canal, and he ran at him in his powerful wrath. I saw him come close to the ram, and he was enraged against him and struck the ram and broke his two horns. And the ram had no power to stand before him, but he cast him down to the ground and trampled on him. And there was no one who could rescue the ram from his power. Then the goat became exceedingly great, but when he was strong, the great horn was broken…

Daniel 8:22a As for the horn that was broken…

…and instead of it there came up four conspicuous horns toward the four winds of heaven.

Daniel 8:22b …in place of which four others arose, four kingdoms shall arise from his nation, but not with his power.

Out of one of them came a little horn…

Daniel 8:23 And at the latter end of their kingdom, when the transgressors have reached their limit, a king of bold face, one who understands riddles, shall arise.

…which grew exceedingly great toward the south, toward the east, and toward the glorious land. It grew great, even to the host of heaven. And some of the host and some of the stars it threw down to the ground and trampled on them.

It became great…

Daniel 8:24-25 His power shall be great—but not by his own power; and he shall cause fearful destruction and shall succeed in what he does, and destroy mighty men and the people who are the saints. By his cunning he shall make deceit prosper under his hand, and in his own mind he shall become great. Without warning he shall destroy many.

…even as great as the Prince of the host.

Daniel 8:25a And he shall even rise up against the Prince of princes…

And the regular burnt offering was taken away from him, and the place of his sanctuary was overthrown. And a host will be given over to it together with the regular burnt offering because of transgression, and it will throw truth to the ground, and it will act and prosper.

Daniel 8:25b and he shall be broken—but by no human hand.

Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to the one who spoke, “For how long is the vision concerning the regular burnt offering, the transgression that makes desolate, and the giving over of the sanctuary and host to be trampled underfoot?” And he said to me, “For 2,300 evenings and mornings. Then the sanctuary shall be restored to its rightful state.”

Daniel 8:26 The vision of the evenings and the mornings that has been told is true, but seal up the vision, for it refers to many days from now.”

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Tisha B`Av, 9th of Av, 5780/2020

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Prophecy with tags 9th of Av, Caleb, faith, grapes, Joshua, Numbers 13, Temple, Temple Institute, Third Temple, Tisha B`Av on July 27, 2020 by paulthepoke

The Temple Institute in Jerusalem is looking forward to the rebuilding of the third Temple. In recent years, the Temple Institute has chosen the 9th of Av as day to look to a brighter future. The following comments and video link are from http://www.templeinstitute.org/

Disease and despair are darkening our world. Fear and hatred and rage and anger, loss and loneliness have become the keywords of 2020. Tisha B’av, (the 9th of Av) the day of the destruction of the Holy Temple, but also the day that the rebuilding of the Holy Temple begins, is a reminder that even in our deepest, darkest despair, a better world beckons. Hope and joy and peace and unity are not just words, but a path to a brighter tomorrow. Together we can build a better future!

http://www.templeinstitute.org/

The 9^th of Av is a day of mourning in Israel. Tragedy came about because of the account of Numbers 13-14. This event occurred immediately after God had delivered Israel out of bondage in Egypt. The short story is the Lord told Moses to send a group of spies to go scout the Promised Land. The spies came back and proclaimed the Jews could not take the land because of the inhabitants of the land were too big and too strong. The people rebelled against Moses. The people stated they would rather go back to Egypt. The nation, except Caleb and Joshua, did not believe God would give them the Promised Land.

We know the events occurred during the grape harvest per the text. In Israel, grapes are harvested in late summer.

Numbers 13:20 “…and whether the land is rich or poor, and whether there are trees in it or not. Be of good courage and bring some of the fruit of the land.” Now the time was the season of the first ripe grapes.

This event is said to have occurred on the 9^th of Av. God pronounced judgment on the nation at that time.

Tisha b’Av: Av is a Hebrew month. To a Jew, this is a date, the 9^th of Av. It is the 11^th month of the civil calendar or the 5^th month of the religious calendar. It usually occurs during July or August on the Gregorian calendar.

This year, the 9th of Av begins at sunset on Wednesday, July 29, 2020. Per God, a day runs from sunset to sunset as stated during the creation week in Genesis. Av is not named in the Bible.

This date is said to be a reminder of nation Israel’s lack of faith in God.

Here is a list of Jewish history on the 9^th of Av.

586 BC, the first Temple was destroyed.
70 AD, the second Temple was destroyed.
135 AD, Betar fell. It was the last fortress to hold out against the Romans during the Bar Kochba revolt.
136 AD, one year after the fall of Betar, the Temple area was plowed.
1290 AD, Jews were expelled from England.
1492 AD, King Ferdinand of Spain issued the expulsion decree, setting Tisha B’Av as the final date by which not a single Jew would be allowed to walk on Spanish soil.
1914 AD, World War I began the downward slide to the Holocaust.
2005 AD, Israel turns over the Gaza Strip.

References for dates courtesy of: http://www.jewfaq.org, http://www.chabad.org, https://www.templeinstitute.org

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All Hands on Deck… Joshua of Ghana

Posted in #PaulthePoke, Joshua Ghana, Uncategorized with tags church, Ghana, God, Nehemiah, Temple on February 21, 2020 by paulthepoke

Nehemiah 7:71 “And some of the chief of the fathers gave to the treasure of the work twenty thousand drams of gold, and two thousand and two hundred pound of silver”

@beholy404

Joshua of Ghana @beholy404 on Twitter

A large family in an African village wanted to build a hall. The family was tired of having their children spend huge sums of money on halls during weddings. It was a good line of action but some of the members of the family gave excuses and stayed away. One day, one of the sons of the men who refused to contribute wanted the hall for his wedding. He was asked to pay like others. But all those who contributed to build the hall used it any time without paying, as long as it was available. Today, this hall is so important that people use it for conferences, church programs and meetings. And for every payment for the hall, those who contributed have some financial benefits.

Nehemiah found a document containing the contributions made by returnees towards the rebuilding of the temple and restoration of its services. This was the main objective of their return and contributions were made by everyone for this purpose. No one was left out because the project was dear to them. And upon completion, everyone went to their cities.

People who build earthly tents and houses invest in them. If the buildings are in suburbs or villages, they leave the cities to monitor the process from time to time. They, most times, suspend other expenditures to complete their projects. Sometimes, our attitudes differ when God’s buildings are involved. By far, the greatest form of investment anyone could embark upon is investing in God’s business. Such may not produce immediate profit, but the dividends often come in due time.

Today, so much work needs to be done in our churches. No contribution is too big or too small for God’s work. Investing in God’s service is the surest way to tap into His inexhaustible treasure.