Tracking the Fall Equinox – Sundial Project

Posted on 09/17/2014 by Messyanic

I was unable to get any readings the following days due to cloud cover.

Posted in 1-Day and Night, 4-Sun Moon & Stars | 6 Comments

And Let Them Be…For Days and Years

Posted on 08/30/2014 by Messyanic

There are quite a bit of theories out there as to how to reckon time according to the Scriptures. Many of which can be tossed out if we just focus first on what Genesis 1 teaches.

We learn that “day” was what God/Elohim called “the light” after He separated it from “the darkness” in verses 3-5. Notice, there is no reference to the earth or sun.

There is a reference to “evening” and “morning” in verse 5 and many folks “see” in their mind’s eye those words to mean “night” and “day”, but they are distinctly different from “night” and “day”. “Night” is what God/Elohim called “the darkness” and “evening” is a period of growing dark. “Day” is what He called “the light” and “morning” is the break of day.

Then we move on in the text to see in verses 14-19 that God/Elohim put “luminaries” in the expanse of the heaven to rule the “day” and the “night”.

Our culture teaches a 24-hour “day”, which is one full rotation of the earth on its axis. But this is not what Genesis says. There is no mention of “hours” or the number “24”, and there is nothing in all of Scripture that claims the earth is rotating.

We need to approach Scripture as a little child, knowing nothing, eager to learn from the words on the page. We need to not approach Scripture like one who has been indoctrinated with the understandings of men. I understand this is very hard to do.  Continue reading →

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The Beginning of Time As We Know It

Posted on 08/21/2014 by Messyanic

Many of us have been taught that the first seven days outlined in Genesis 1 were seven 24-hour “days” and that these “days” all began at sunset. However, when we take a closer look at this chapter, slowly reading line upon line, we see that this is impossible.

In our culture we’re taught that a 24-hour “day” is the time it takes for the earth to make one full rotation in the face of the sun. However, in the Genesis 1 account, there is no sun present until the fourth “day” (and that isn’t until after the fourth day starts). In fact, there is no “heaven” in which the sun is to be placed until the second “day”.

Furthermore, a 24-hour “day” in our culture includes “night”, whereas Genesis 1 clearly states the light that is called “day” was separated from the darkness, which was called by its own name, “night”. Then, when the sun, moon and stars were put in the heavens, one of their express purposes was to divide the light (day) from the darkness (night). We’re specifically told there are two different “great lights”: one to rule the “day” and the other to rule the “night”.

So, if we are going to let Genesis teach us about “time”, what can we derive from chapter 1?

Posted in 1-Day and Night, 4-Sun Moon & Stars, Precept Upon Precept | 2 Comments

YHVH’s Relationship to Israel

Posted on 08/15/2014 by Messyanic

Some believe that Israel is YHVH’s bride/wife, others believe Israel is being prepared to be Yeshua’s bride; Some believe Israel is both, others believe Israel is neither. In this post I’d like to share what I see the Torah (Genesis-Deuteronomy), in particular, is saying regarding Israel’s relationship to YHVH.

Who Is YHVH in Relation to Mankind?

YHVH: Maker of Heaven and Earth

Gen 2:4-7
(4) These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created (H1254), in the day that the LORD (H3068) God made (H6213) the earth and the heavens.
(5) When no bush of the field was yet in the land and no small plant of the field had yet sprung up–for the LORD God had not caused it to rain on the land, and there was no man to work the ground,
(6) and a mist was going up from the land and was watering the whole face of the ground–
(7) then the LORD God formed the man (H120) of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.

This is the first mention of YHVH in Scripture. He is identified as the One who made the heaven and the earth and formed mankind of dust and breathed life into him.

H3068 יהוה yehôvâh
BDB Definition: Jehovah = “the existing One” 1) the proper name of the one true God

H1254 בּרא bârâ’
BDB Definition: 1) to create, shape, form

H6213 עשׂה ‛âśâh
BDB Definition: 1) to do, fashion, accomplish, make

H120 אדם ‘âdâm
BDB Definition: 1) man, mankind

I believe our primary relationship to YHVH is that He is the Creator and we are His creation.  Continue reading →

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We Are Missing Text

Posted on 06/29/2014 by Messyanic

When reading through the Bible, various references to documents outside of the Bible are found suggesting the writers of these books had access to additional knowledge besides what is contained in our Bible…books such as:

The Book of Jasher

(Joshua 10:13 KJV) And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day.

(2 Samuel 1:18 KJV) (Also he bade them teach the children of Judah the use of the bow: behold, it is written in the book of Jasher.)

The Book of the Wars

(Numbers 21:14 KJV) Wherefore it is said in the book of the wars of the LORD, What he did in the Red sea, and in the brooks of Arnon,

The Book of the Acts/Words (or Life) of Solomon

(1 Kings 11:41 KJV) And the rest of the acts of Solomon, and all that he did, and his wisdom, are they not written in the book of the acts of Solomon?

(1 Kings 11:41 Brenton LXX) And the rest of the history of Solomon, and all that he did, and all his wisdom, behold are not these things written in the book of the life of Solomon?

We have Song of Solomon and Ecclesiastes, but I don’t believe this is referring to them. We also have Proverbs, which could be what this is referencing, but it says “and all that he did”, but there are no references in Proverbs that I’m aware of concerning what Solomon did.

The Book of Enoch

(Jude 1:14-15 KJV) And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints, To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

Letters to Paul

The New Testament contains several letters written by Paul to various assemblies in Rome, Corinth, Galatia, Ephesus, Phillipi, Collosi and Thessalonica. We do not have access to what Paul was told concerning these assemblies; rather we only have his one-sided correspondence.

Furthermore, there are countless mentions of things throughout the Bible that are not introduced in the Bible. They are referenced as if the reader should already know about them. This begs the question, where did these authors get their information? Perhaps if we as readers of the Bible had access to the same body of knowledge as they did, we would better understand what it is they are talking about.

Sadly, however, most of us just skip right past these mentions. I know I did this for years.  Continue reading →

Posted in Jesus / Yeshua | 3 Comments

No Work vs. No Servile Work

Posted on 06/15/2014 by Messyanic

Six days shall work be done: but the seventh day is the sabbath (H7676) of rest (H7677), an holy convocation; ye shall do no work therein: it is the sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings. (Lev 23:3 KJV)

Also on the tenth day of this seventh month there shall be a day of atonement: it shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD. And ye shall do no work in that same day: for it is a day of atonement, to make an atonement for you before the LORD your God. For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from among his people. And whatsoever soul it be that doeth any work in that same day, the same soul will I destroy from among his people. Ye shall do no manner of work: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. It shall be unto you a sabbath (H7676) of rest (H7677), and ye shall afflict your souls: in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye celebrate your sabbath. (Lev 23:27-32 KJV)

vs.

And on the fifteenth day of the same month is the feast of unleavened bread unto the LORD: seven days ye must eat unleavened bread. In the first day ye shall have an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. But ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD seven days: in the seventh day is an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. (Lev 23:6-8 KJV)

And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete: Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD… And ye shall proclaim on the selfsame day, that it may be an holy convocation unto you: ye shall do no servile work therein: it shall be a statute for ever in all your dwellings throughout your generations. (Lev 23:15-16,21 KJV)

Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, In the seventh month, in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath [rest H7677], a memorial of blowing of trumpets, an holy convocation. Ye shall do no servile work therein: but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD. (Lev 23:24-25 KJV)

Speak unto the children of Israel, saying, The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the feast of tabernacles for seven days unto the LORD. On the first day shall be an holy convocation: ye shall do no servile work therein. Seven days ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: on the eighth day shall be an holy convocation unto you; and ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the LORD: it is a solemn assembly; and ye shall do no servile work therein. (Lev 23:34-36 KJV)

There seems to be a distinction in the kind of work that is forbidden between the Sabbath day (and the Day of Atonement) and the rest of the yearly days of holy convocation. Leviticus 23:3 says “do no work” on the Sabbath day and verse 31 says the same about the Day of Atonement, which we are told is a Sabbath. However, on all the other yearly days of holy convocation, we’re told to “do no servile work” (verses 7-8,21,25,35-36). Why the distinction and what does it mean? Continue reading →

Posted in Sabbath Day - Shabbath | 55 Comments

A Sabbath of Solemn Rest

Posted on 05/26/2014 by Messyanic

[H]e said to them, “This is what the LORD has commanded: ‘Tomorrow is a day of solemn rest (H7677), a holy Sabbath (H7676) to the LORD; bake what you will bake and boil what you will boil, and all that is left over lay aside to be kept till the morning.'” So they laid it aside till the morning, as Moses commanded them, and it did not stink, and there were no worms in it. Moses said, “Eat it today, for today is a Sabbath (H7676) to the LORD; today you will not find it in the field. Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, which is a Sabbath (H7676), there will be none.” …So the people rested (H7673) on the seventh day. (Exo 16:23-26, 30 ESV)

This passage introduces the Sabbath (H7676), a day of solemn rest (H7677), to the readers of the books of Moses. It is laid out in a pattern of gathering manna for six days, and on the seventh day, no gathering is to take place because there is no manna given on that day.  Continue reading →

Posted in Day of Atonement - Yom Kippur, Precept Upon Precept, Sabbath Day - Shabbath | Leave a comment

And There Was Evening…

Posted on 05/25/2014 by Messyanic

And there was evening and there was morning, one day. (Genesis 1:5b ASV)

The King James Version translates this verse as follows: “And the evening and the morning were the first day.” This reads so much differently than the above rendering, so let’s look at it in the Hebrew…

Gen 1:5b ויהיH1961 ערבH6153 ויהיH1961 בקרH1242 יוםH3117 אחד׃H259

H1961 “hayah” H6153 “ereb” H1961 “hayah” H1242 “boqer” H3117 “yom” H259 “echad”.

The Young’s Literal Translation translates this as: “and there is an evening, and there is a morning–day one.”

Sadly, the KJV gives the impression that the evening and the morning comprise the first Day in that order, causing great confusion for those reading it in English. So many have taken this statement to mean that God just took what was separated (light and darkness) and now has joined the two together to form another kind of “Day”…and…the Day begins in the evening.

But when we read the more literal rendering, we see this is just indicating that there is an evening, and there is a morning, and a “Day” is being enumerated.  Continue reading →

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And God Called the Light Day…

Posted on 05/25/2014 by Messyanic

And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. (Genesis 1:5a ASV)

Light = Day
Darkness = Night

Here we see God naming the separated light and darkness “Day” and “Night”, respectively, similar to his naming the firmament “Heavens” on the 2nd Day, and the dry land “Earth” and the gathered waters “Seas” on the 3rd Day. He is providing us with a Glossary of Terms in this first chapter to help us understand their use throughout the rest of Scripture.

Unfortunately, so many take what we’ve come to understand in life (outside of Scripture) and have imposed those understandings onto these terms, specifically the term “Day”, as they are used in Scripture and have misunderstood what Scripture is really saying to us.  Continue reading →

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And God Separated the Light…

Posted on 05/25/2014 by Messyanic

And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. (Gen 1:3-4)

Here we see “light” (H216 “or”) being called into existence. Elohim saw that it was good.

Then, Elohim separated (H914 “badal”) the light from (H996 “beyn”) the darkness. This means He made a distinction between the two.

EDIT 1/11/17 It was recently pointed out to me that “beyn” (H996) appears twice in verse 4. A more proper translation of this verse in the Septuagint would be “And God divided between the light and between the darkness.”

Given this, I don’t know how accurate my previous statement, “This means He made a distinction between the two.”, is. Perhaps it’s that he made distinctions between each: a distinction between the light, and a distinction between the darkness.

Let’s look at what else is “badal beyn” in Scripture…there are only 12 verses that include this phrase.  Continue reading →

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