The Time of the Olive Harvest

The olive harvest begins towards the end of October and continues about six weeks until the first week in December. On the biblical calendar, this falls after the Feast of Tabernacles. This is interesting because the Feast of Tabernacles is the feast at the end of the harvest. It, like the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the Feast of Weeks, is a pilgrimage feast.

Exodus 23:15-16 NKJV 15 "You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread (you shall eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded you, at the time appointed in the month of Abib, for in it you came out of Egypt; none shall appear before Me empty); 16 "and the Feast of Harvest, the firstfruits of your labors which you have sown in the field; and the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you have gathered in the fruit of your labors from the field.

The Feast of Unleavened Bread begins the harvest season with the barley crop, the feast of weeks continues it with the wheat crop and it culminates with the fruit of the vines and tress at the Feast of Tabernacles. So what is the deal with the olive harvest? Why is it after the Feast of Tabernacles?

Let’s look at the symbolic meaning of the olive tree and its crop. To start with, the word olive is the Hebrew word tiz Zay-yith. It is related to the word fz, ze’ev #2099 with means brightness. This makes sense since one of the primary uses of olive oil is fuel for oil lamps particularly the temple menorah. The word picture for the olive is “the weapon in the hand of the covenant.”

The olive tree is the symbol of Israel.

Jeremiah 11:16 NKJV 16 The LORD called your name, Green Olive Tree, Lovely and of Good Fruit. With the noise of a great tumult He has kindled fire on it, And its branches are broken.

 A green olive tree is a righteous Israel. Yeshua called himself a green olive tree at his crucifixion referring to his own death.

Luke 23:28-31 NKJV 28 But Jesus, turning to them, said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. 29 "For indeed the days are coming in which they will say, 'Blessed are the barren, wombs that never bore, and breasts which never nursed!' 30 "Then they will begin 'to say to the mountains, "Fall on us!" and to the hills, "Cover us!"' 31 "For if they do these things in the green wood, what will be done in the dry?"

We said one of the main uses of the olive crop is for oil for lamps. The oil used for the menorah in the tabernacle had to be prepared in a specific way. It was to be beaten into a fine consistency.

Exodus 27:20 YLT 20 `And thou--thou dost command the sons of Israel, and they bring unto thee pure beaten olive oil for the light, to cause the lamp to go up continually;

Yeshua is, of course the light of the world! When He comes to reign, there will be no need for light from the sun. The light of the lamb will fill the earth.

But, let’s get back to the timing of the olive harvest and the connection with the feasts of the LORD. We saw that each of the pilgrimage feasts is connected to a harvest. The first two are connected with the harvest of grain, the last with the harvest of grapes. What do all three of these harvests, the grain, the grape, and the olive, have in common? They are all “messianic” crops. The presence of the blessing of these three crops describes the richness of the messianic age. Jeremiah writes that when Israel is once again in the land and walking with God, they would receive the blessing of the grain, wine, and the oil.

Jeremiah 31:12 BBE 12 So they will come with songs on the high places, flowing together to the good things of the Lord, to the grain and the wine and the oil, to the young ones of the flock and of the herd: their souls will be like a watered garden, and they will have no more sorrow.

Grain is used to produce bread. It speaks of life. During the Feast of Unleavened Bread, Yeshua taught that a kernel of grain must fall to the earth and die to bring forth new grain.

John 12:24 BBE 24 Truly I say to you, If a seed of grain does not go into the earth and come to an end, it is still a seed and no more; but through its death it gives much fruit.

The grape harvest is a harvest of judgment. This judgment can be good or bad. The grape harvest is the time of God’s wrath, but it is also a time of celebration.

Revelation 19:15 BBE 15 And out of his mouth comes a sharp sword, with which he overcomes the nations: and he has rule over them with a rod of iron: and he is crushing with his feet the grapes of the strong wrath of God the Ruler of all.

Proverbs 3:9-10 NKJV 9 Honor the LORD with your possessions, And with the firstfruits of all your increase; 10 So your barns will be filled with plenty, And your vats will overflow with new wine.

So, we see a progression: New life is given at the spring feasts with Yeshua’s death and resurrection. Judgment comes at His return at the Feast of Tabernacles. This is a time of joy for all who believe! What follows? The olive harvest! To understand the significance, let’s look at three signs Yeshua displayed as a testimony to His identity.

The first sign is turning water into wine at a wedding celebration.

John 2:3-9 NKJV 3 And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, "They have no wine." 4 Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come." 5 His mother said to the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it." 6 Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece. 7 Jesus said to them, "Fill the waterpots with water." And they filled them up to the brim. 8 And He said to them, "Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast." And they took it. 9 When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom.

John 2:11 NKJV 11 This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him.

The next sign was to heal the son of a nobleman.

John 4:47-54 NKJV 47 When he heard that Jesus had come out of Judea into Galilee, he went to Him and implored Him to come down and heal his son, for he was at the point of death. 48 Then Jesus said to him, "Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will by no means believe." 49 The nobleman said to Him, "Sir, come down before my child dies!" 50 Jesus said to him, "Go your way; your son lives." So the man believed the word that Jesus spoke to him, and he went his way. 51 And as he was now going down, his servants met him and told him, saying, "Your son lives!" 52 Then he inquired of them the hour when he got better. And they said to him, "Yesterday at the seventh hour the fever left him." 53 So the father knew that it was at the same hour in which Jesus said to him, "Your son lives." And he himself believed, and his whole household. 54 This again is the second sign Jesus did when He had come out of Judea into Galilee.

The third sign is not labeled as such, but when we see the reaction of the people, we recognize it as the third sign. Yeshua multiplied the bread and the fish feeding the five thousand.

John 6:11-15 NKJV 11 And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted. 12 So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, "Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost." 13 Therefore they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten. 14 Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, "This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world." 15 Therefore when Jesus perceived that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, He departed again to the mountain by Himself alone.

Their response was to try to make him king! He turned water into wine which involves the grape. He multiplied the bread which involves the grain. But where is the olive? Oil is used to anoint a person for a specific task. In particular, it is used to transfer or confer authority. Aaron and his sons were anointed as priests; kings were anointed at their coronation. Joshua was anointed at the transfer of authority from Moses to him. The title “messiah” is the Hebrew meshiach #4899  meaning “the anointed one.” When Yeshua healed the nobleman’s son, He spoke words of healing with authority and the nobleman believed. When see this same word of authority when Yeshua healed the centurion’s son.

Matthew 8:8-10 NKJV 8 The centurion answered and said, "Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. 9 "For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, 'Go,' and he goes; and to another, 'Come,' and he comes; and to my servant, 'Do this,' and he does it." 10 When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, "Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!

The centurion recognized Yeshua’s authority to heal!

Oil is not only associated with authority to act is also associated specifically with the act of healing. James tells us that when we are sick, we are to call for the elders and be anointed with oil.

James 5:14-15 NKJV 14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15 And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.

So what is this time of the olive harvest? It is the time of Messiah! Yeshua is the weapon in the hand of the covenant. The first appearance of a word is often important in the Bible. What is the first appearance of the olive? It is after the flood when Noah sent out the dove to see if the waters had receded from the earth after God’s judgment.

Genesis 8:10-12 NKJV 10 And he waited yet another seven days, and again he sent the dove out from the ark. 11 Then the dove came to him in the evening, and behold, a freshly plucked olive leaf was in her mouth; and Noah knew that the waters had receded from the earth. 12 So he waited yet another seven days and sent out the dove, which did not return again to him anymore.

This was before God told the Israelites to renumber the months, so with Tishrei  as the first month, the dove returned with the olive on the 17^th day of Elul right before the fall feasts begin. On the 24^th, Noah again sent out the dove and it did not return. Seven days later, on the first of Tishrei, Noah removes the cover from the ark!

Genesis 8:13 NKJV 13 And it came to pass in the six hundred and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, that the waters were dried up from the earth; and Noah removed the covering of the ark and looked, and indeed the surface of the ground was dry.

 Tishrei 1 is also the Feast of Trumpets  which kicks off the feasts of Yeshua’s return. It is the time of Messiah!

During the time of Messiah, there is healing for the land and people. Ezekiel writes of the water that flows from beneath the threshold of the temple.

Ezekiel 47:8-9 NKJV 8 Then he said to me: "This water flows toward the eastern region, goes down into the valley, and enters the sea. When it reaches the sea, its waters are healed. 9 "And it shall be that every living thing that moves, wherever the rivers go, will live. There will be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters go there; for they will be healed, and everything will live wherever the river goes.

There is light to the world.

Isaiah 9:2-4 NKJV 2 The people who walked in darkness Have seen a great light; Those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, Upon them a light has shined. 3 You have multiplied the nation And increased its joy; They rejoice before You According to the joy of harvest, As men rejoice when they divide the spoil. 4 For You have broken the yoke of his burden And the staff of his shoulder, The rod of his oppressor, As in the day of Midian.

Isaiah 60:3 NKJV 3 The Gentiles shall come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising.

Isaiah 2:3 KJV 3 And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

What festival follows the Feast of Tabernacles? The Feast of Hanukkah! It is a reprise of Tabernacles, celebrating the rededication of the temple and observing the Feast of Tabernacles because they were unable to do so at the time commanded by God. The dedication requires oil—oil for the lights of the temple menorah. The lighted menorah has become the symbol of Hanukkah! The light of the world has come!

Shalom and be blessed

Dan & Brenda Cathcart

© 2014 Moed Ministries

Marching Orders

The Exodus of the children of Israel from Egypt and their journeys in the wilderness as they prepare for the Promised Land mirrors the individual journeys of our own lives. The children of Israel began their journey as slaves in Egypt; we begin our journey as slaves to sin. God delivered the children of Israel from their slavery, protecting them from the angel of death by the blood of the Passover lamb which they placed on the doorposts and lintels of their homes. God delivers us from slavery and protects us from the angel of death by the blood of Yeshua which we place on the doorposts and lintels of our hearts. By faith, the children of Israel left Egypt and followed God into the wilderness where He met with them at Mt. Sinai. God made a covenant with them and gave them the Torah telling them how to live a holy life. By faith, we leave our old lives behind and follow God into the wilderness where He speaks with us. He gives us the Holy Spirit teaching us through God’s word how to live a holy life.

But, neither they nor we are to stay in the wilderness at Mt. Sinai. At Mt. Sinai, we are equipped for the journey to the Promised Land which represents God’s “rest.” When we have defeated all our enemies and dwell in the land that God has provided for us, God provides rest!

As the children of Israel left Mt. Sinai for what should have been a short journey to the Promised, they left as an organized host. God told them the order in which they should march and which tribes should lead the way. The shekinah glory of God is visible as the cloud of the LORD went before them.

Numbers 10:35-36 NKJV 35 So it was, whenever the ark set out, that Moses said: "Rise up, O LORD! Let Your enemies be scattered, And let those who hate You flee before You." 36 And when it rested, he said: "Return, O LORD, To the many thousands of Israel."

The order of the march of the tribes was Judah, Issachar and Zebulun in front. Behind them came the Sons of Gershon and Merari carrying the Tabernacle. After them came Reuben, Simeon and Gad. Then the Kohathites followed with the holy things of the Tabernacle. The tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh and Benjamin followed them. Finally, the tribes of Dan, Asher and Naphtali completed the company as the rear guard. 

What does the order of this march tell us? As we look at what was said about why each son was given his name, we see a promise of the rest that awaits each of us who love the LORD. References to these names are found in Genesis 29:31 through Genesis 30:24, Genesis 35:18-19, and Genesis 40:50-52. In the case of Benjamin, no specific words were spoken other than his name which, as spoken by Rachel, meant “son of my sorrow” and, as spoken by Jacob, meant “son of my right hand.”

These are the words:

I will praise the LORD

I have received my reward

My husband will dwell with me

The LORD has looked down on my afliction

The LORD has heard that I am unloved

Good fortune comes

God has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction

God has caused me to forget all my toil

The son of my sorrow is the son of my right hand

God has judged my case

I am happy

I have wrestled and prevailed

As the apostle Paul approached the end of his life. He reflects on his life’s journey in his final letter to Timothy.

2 Timothy 4:7-8 NKJV 7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.

May our journeys end as Paul’s ended—being confident of the reward waiting for us as we enter into His presence.

James 1:12 NKJV 12 Blessed is the man who endures temptation; for when he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

Shalom and be blessed

Dan & Brenda Cathcart

© 2014 Moed Ministries

I Desire Mercy and not Sacrifice

God spoke these words through Hosea to the children of Israel. These words are about what God wanted the people to bring to Him. But when we really think of these words we wonder how do we offer God mercy? When we use the word "mercy," we think of forgiveness of sins or wrongs done to another person. God doesn't sin or commit injustices! So what does it really mean that God desires mercy? Our traditional understanding is that God desires us to extend mercy to one another, and that is part of the answer but not the whole answer. To get the complete answer, we need to look at the original Hebrew word and the overall context of its usage.

First, let's look at the overall context of the book of Hosea. God tells Hosea to marry a harlot as a metaphor for God's relationship with His people. God took the children of Israel as His people at Mt. Sinai, essentially marrying them. But the children of Israel forgot God and went after other gods, thus, committing adultery!

Through Hosea's adulterous wife, God compares their behavior to that of a wife engaging in sexual intimacy with other men, then expecting her husband to desire sexual intimacy with her. The children of Israel offer their worship to idols through sacrifices of various types including sacrificing their children; they then come to God and expect God to accept or even desire the sacrifices they bring to Him! No way does God want their sacrifices after they have worshiped other gods and committed such abominations! What He wants is the same thing any husband wants, commitment and faithfulness to their marriage vows! God desires loyalty to the covenant they made with Him at Mt. Sinai. It's not that God doesn't want their sacrifices; He does. But their sacrifices are not acceptable when they have also been offered to others!

Now, let's turn our attention to the words translated as mercy. In the book of Hosea, there are two different Hebrew words translated as mercy. The first one is racham with a root word meaning womb. In this case mercy would mean taking one into the family or as one's own.

Hosea 1:6-7 NKJV 6 And she conceived again and bore a daughter. Then God said to him: "Call her name Lo-Ruhamah, For I will no longer have mercy on the house of Israel, But I will utterly take them away. 7 Yet I will have mercy on the house of Judah, Will save them by the LORD their God, And will not save them by bow, Nor by sword or battle, By horses or horsemen."

The context of this verse is Hosea rejecting the daughter his wife bore to him. He was instructed to name her Lo-Ruhamah which means not loved. God then says He will no longer have mercy, racham, on the house of Israel. They have been disinherited! They are no longer part of the family! But  God will still have mercy, racham, on Judah. Judah is still part of the family. God then goes on to say that He will eventually woo Israel back to Himself. She will be adopted back into the family.

God turns His attention to the charge against Israel, namely her unfaithfulness.

Hosea 4:1 NKJV 1 Hear the word of the LORD, You children of Israel, For the LORD brings a charge against the inhabitants of the land: "There is no truth or mercy Or knowledge of God in the land.

The word mercy in this verse comes from the Hebrew word chesed which is sometimes translated goodness or lovingkindness. In this context, coupled with truth and knowledge of God, we see that it refers to covenant devotion. Israel has no devotion or commitment to their covenant with God.

Now, to the passage about God desiring mercy not sacrifice, God starts by stating their lack of faithfulness!

Hosea 6:4-5 NKJV 4 "O Ephraim, what shall I do to you? O Judah, what shall I do to you? For your faithfulness is like a morning cloud, And like the early dew it goes away. 5 Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets, I have slain them by the words of My mouth; And your judgments are like light that goes forth.

Then God states what He desires concluding that they have transgressed the covenant.

Hosea 6:6-7 NKJV 6 For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, And the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings. 7 "But like men they transgressed the covenant; There they dealt treacherously with Me.

God desires commitment, loyalty, devotion to the covenant He makes with Israel. This is the same commitment He made to them. Instead they have been unfaithful to the covenant.

Exodus 20:5-6 NKJV 5 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

This word translated mercy is again the Hebrew word “chesed.” God extends covenant devotion  to thousands of generations to those who love Him! In Jeremiah, we read of God's commitment to His covenant with Israel and Judah.

Jeremiah 31:37 NKJV 37 Thus says the LORD: "If heaven above can be measured, And the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, I will also cast off all the seed of Israel For all that they have done, says the LORD.

We are part of God's new covenant with Israel and Judah ratified by the blood of Yeshua who died to bring us into covenant.

Jeremiah 31:31-33 NKJV 31 "Behold, the days are coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah- 32 "not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt, My covenant which they broke, though I was a husband to them, says the LORD. 33 "But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the LORD: I will put My law in their minds, and write it on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.

Luke 22:20 NKJV 20 Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.

When we read these words that God desires mercy, we understand that God desires our whole hearted commitment to Him and the covenant He makes with us.

Shalom and be blessed,

Dan and Brenda Cathcart

www.moedministries.com

Observing the Sabbatical Year

Last Saturday a friend asked about observing the Sabbatical Year for land. She loves God and wants follow His instructions for living her life. She lives on a fixed income and each year she plants a garden and the produce from that garden provides a major part of her fruit and vegetables for the year.  Her question was what would she do that year without the fresh vegetables and fruit from her garden. Let’s start answering this question by looking at what God says about the Sabbatical year.

Leviticus 25:1-2 NKJV 1 And the LORD spoke to Moses on Mount Sinai, saying, 2 "Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: 'When you come into the land which I give you, then the land shall keep a sabbath to the LORD.

God’s words to Moses about observing a Sabbath to the LORD are specifically about the Promised Land, the land of Israel. This commandment only applies to the land of Israel. The argument can be made that the reason God said when they come into the land, is that they didn’t have opportunity or land to harvest while they were wandering in the wilderness. After all, you can’t plant and harvest when you’re wandering! A careful reading of the scriptures reveals that the Israelites spent most of that forty year period camped at one place! Numbers 33 details their journeys from Egypt. We easily follow each of their camps right up through their stop at Kadesh Barnea right before they were to enter the land. This is where they dispatched the twelve spies to look over the land. This is where the ten spies reported back with the bad report that resulted in Israel refusing to go up to take the land.

Numbers 13:26 NKJV 26 Now they (the spies) departed and came back to Moses and Aaron and all the congregation of the children of Israel in the Wilderness of Paran, at Kadesh; they brought back word to them and to all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land.

This took place only eleven days after they left Mt. Sinai on the twentieth day of the second month of their second year in the wilderness! After refusing to enter the land, the scriptures record only one more move for the Israelites: they moved Mount Hor where they remained until Aaron’s death as the fortieth year began.

Numbers 33:36-38 NKJV 36 They moved from Ezion Geber and camped in the Wilderness of Zin, which is Kadesh. 37 They moved from Kadesh and camped at Mount Hor, on the boundary of the land of Edom. 38 Then Aaron the priest went up to Mount Hor at the command of the LORD, and died there in the fortieth year after the children of Israel had come out of the land of Egypt, on the first day of the fifth month.

The point of this is that the Israelites could have planted gardens and raised crops. We don’t have a record whether or not they did so; we do know that God provided manna and water during these forty years, but what did their livestock eat? This is an interesting question to which we don’t have a definitive answer. But God didn’t give them instructions to observe a sabbatical for any land except the Promised Land. We read later that they Israelites didn’t keep the Sabbaths for the land and were exiled from the land one year for each Sabbath year that was not observed. So again, we see that the Sabbath year is specifically for the land of Israel.

What, then, is so special about this land that a Sabbath year is determined for it? The short answer is that it is the symbolic and perhaps even actual location of the Garden of Eden. Let’s look at the evidence. First, the land belongs to God. The children of Israel own the land as caretakers for God.

Leviticus 25:23 NKJV 23 'The land shall not be sold permanently, for the land is Mine; for you are strangers and sojourners with Me.

Within that land, God has specifically set aside Judah as His portion and Jerusalem as the center of that portion.

Zechariah 2:12 NKJV 12 "And the LORD will take possession of Judah as His inheritance in the Holy Land, and will again choose Jerusalem.

Second, God said that He would dwell with them and walk among them when they keep God’s Sabbaths. This includes the Sabbath for the land.

Leviticus 26:2 NKJV 2 You shall keep My Sabbaths and reverence My sanctuary: I am the LORD.

Leviticus 26:11-12 NKJV 11 I will set My tabernacle among you, and My soul shall not abhor you. 12 I will walk among you and be your God, and you shall be My people.

This reminds us of the Garden of Eden where God walked with Adam in the cool of the day. This also reminds us of the promise in the Book of Revelation that God would once again place His temple among His people and dwell with them.

Revelation 21:3 NKJV 3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.

Third, the land would freely give of her fruits. Unlike when Adam was exiled from the Garden of Eden and had to labor to work they land, the land of Israel would produce abundantly. 

Leviticus 26:4-6 NKJV 4 then I will give you rain in its season, the land shall yield its produce, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. 5 Your threshing shall last till the time of vintage, and the vintage shall last till the time of sowing; you shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely. 6 I will give peace in the land, and you shall lie down, and none will make you afraid; I will rid the land of evil beasts, and the sword will not go through your land.

Ezekiel describes the time when Israel returns to the land as a time when the land will gladly produce fruit for the inhabitants.

Ezekiel 36:8 NKJV 8 "But you, O mountains of Israel, you shall shoot forth your branches and yield your fruit to My people Israel, for they are about to come.

God says that on the day that Israel is cleansed from all uncleanness and iniquity, the land will be like the Garden of Eden.

Ezekiel 36:35 NKJV 35 "So they will say, 'This land that was desolate has become like the garden of Eden; and the wasted, desolate, and ruined cities are now fortified and inhabited.'

Fourth, living water will flow from the temple of God like the waters that flowed from the Garden of Eden.

Ezekiel 47:12 NKJV 12 "Along the bank of the river, on this side and that, will grow all kinds of trees used for food; their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail. They will bear fruit every month, because their water flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for medicine."

Fifth, the tree of life that was in the middle of the Garden of Eden will be in the New Jerusalem nourished by the water flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb.

Revelation 22:1-2 NKJV 1 And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2 In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

Finally, we have the physical imagery. When Adam and Eve were exiled from the Garden of Eden, God set cherubim at the east entrance to prevent man from reentering the garden and having unlimited access to the tree of life in his fallen state.

Genesis 3:24 NKJV 24 So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.

The temple of God faces east and the entrance to the Holy of Holies is covered by a veil embroidered with cherubim that guard the entrance.

Exodus 36:35 NKJV 35 And he made a veil of blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen; it was worked with an artistic design of cherubim.

Cherubim also guard the mercy seat, the location of God’s presence on Earth.

Exodus 25:17-20 NKJV 17 "You shall make a mercy seat of pure gold; two and a half cubits shall be its length and a cubit and a half its width. 18 "And you shall make two cherubim of gold; of hammered work you shall make them at the two ends of the mercy seat. 19 "Make one cherub at one end, and the other cherub at the other end; you shall make the cherubim at the two ends of it of one piece with the mercy seat. 20 "And the cherubim shall stretch out their wings above, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and they shall face one another; the faces of the cherubim shall be toward the mercy seat.

When Yeshua died, the redemption price for all mankind was paid. Atonement was made for the sin of Adam and all our sins. When Yeshua died, the veil was torn; a way was made through the cherubim that guarded the way back to the Garden of Eden. Access to the tree of life was restored.

The Sabbatical year for the land is reminder of all that was lost in the Garden of Eden. It is a promise of the rest we have in Yeshua as our Messiah. It is a prophecy of the restoration of the Garden of Eden and that once again; God will dwell with His people and walk among them. We will fulfill the command to Adam to guard and keep His garden.

Revelation 22:3-5 NKJV 3 And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. 4 They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. 5 There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.

Back now to the original question: should my friend keep the sabbatical year even though she doesn’t live in the land? It is not required, but if she chooses to do so, she should ask God. If it is God’s will for her to do so, He will bless her in advance with a blessing from the land during the sixth year.

Leviticus 25:20-22 NKJV 20 'And if you say, "What shall we eat in the seventh year, since we shall not sow nor gather in our produce?" 21 'Then I will command My blessing on you in the sixth year, and it will bring forth produce enough for three years. 22 'And you shall sow in the eighth year, and eat old produce until the ninth year; until its produce comes in, you shall eat of the old harvest.

She should be careful though to follow the rules of the harvest, leaving the edges of her garden to be gleaned by others, but also as food for the birds and, oh yeah, to self-seed for the next year! Then she can eat of whatever grows freely in the following year.

Leviticus 25:5-7 NKJV 5 'What grows of its own accord of your harvest you shall not reap, nor gather the grapes of your untended vine, for it is a year of rest for the land. 6 'And the sabbath produce of the land shall be food for you: for you, your male and female servants, your hired man, and the stranger who dwells with you, 7 'for your livestock and the beasts that are in your land-all its produce shall be for food.

Shalom and be blessed,

Dan and Brenda Cathcart

www.moedministries.com

Reason 1 for Christians to Celebrate the Feast of Passover

Passover is on the 14th day of Nisan on the Biblical calendar.  It just so happens that it is also April 14 on our secular calendar this year.  Yeshua (Jesus) celebrated many Passovers in His lifetime, but the last one with His disciples was a special one.  He gave them special instructions and He told them about the deeper meaning of the Passover; that it spoke of Him and the LORD's redemption plan for man.  Here is part 1 of three video presentations on reasons why Christians should celebrate the Passover.

https://vimeo.com/89819510

Shalom and be blessed
Dan & Brenda Cathcart

On That Night: The Book of Esther and the Festival of Purim

The Book of Esther records that an enemy of the Jewish people, Haman plotted to have all the Jewish people killed. The king of Assyria had promoted Haman above all the princes of the kingdom. As second in command to the king, he wore the signet ring of the king. All the servants of the king very properly bowed before him and "paid him homage"—all that is except for Mordecai the Jew. Haman began to hate Mordecai and his entire people.

Esther 3:5-6 NKJV 5 When Haman saw that Mordecai did not bow or pay him homage, Haman was filled with wrath. 6 But he disdained to lay hands on Mordecai alone, for they had told him of the people of Mordecai. Instead, Haman sought to destroy all the Jews who were throughout the whole kingdom of Ahasuerus-the people of Mordecai.

In fact, there came a day when He nearly achieved his goal. He actually thought that he had won his battle against the Jewish people. Haman had convinced the king that the Jewish people were enemies of the state because they kept laws other than those of the Assyrian empire.

Esther 3:3-4 NKJV 3 Then the king's servants who were within the king's gate said to Mordecai, "Why do you transgress the king's command?" 4 Now it happened, when they spoke to him daily and he would not listen to them, that they told it to Haman, to see whether Mordecai's words would stand; for Mordecai had told them that he was a Jew.

These laws are, of course, the commandments of God recorded in the Torah. Even today, the Jewish people are hated because they keep these laws which separate them from the people of the nations where they live. Yeshua said that we are to be a people separate from those around us. We are to be in the world but not of the world.

John 17:14-16 NKJV 14 "I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world. 15 "I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one. 16 "They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

Haman succeeded in getting the king to sign the decree authorizing the murder of all the Jewish people. The decree was signed on the thirteenth day of the first month, the day before the Passover

Esther 3:12 NKJV 12 Then the king's scribes were called on the thirteenth day of the first month, and a decree was written according to all that Haman commanded-to the king's satraps, to the governors who were over each province, to the officials of all people, to every province according to its script, and to every people in their language. In the name of King Ahasuerus it was written, and sealed with the king's signet ring.

So Haman and the king sat down together and celebrated. On that night, Haman thought he had won! But unknown to both Haman and the king, Queen Esther was a Jew and ready to intercede on the behalf of her people. On the fourteenth of Nisan, the day of the Passover, Esther and all the Jewish people began a three day fast. On the third day of the fast, Esther went in to the king and invited him and Haman to a banquet that night. Haman was beside himself with joy! He alone was singled out to be included in the banquet with the king and the beautiful young queen!

The banquet went well and Haman was invited back to attend a second banquet the next evening. It just so happened (Many of the events in Esther "just so happened" reminding us that God is the one in charge!) that the king couldn't sleep that night and called for the books of the records of the chronicles. In them, he discovered that the Jew Mordecai had uncovered a plot against the king and had not been rewarded for his deed. Haman happened to be hanging out in the court that night, so the king summoned him and asked him what he would do for a man the king chose to honor. Haman thought surely that man was him! After all he was the only one invited to join king at the banquet given by the Queen Esther. So Haman described how he would want to be honored.

Esther 6:6-9 NKJV 6 So Haman came in, and the king asked him, "What shall be done for the man whom the king delights to honor?" Now Haman thought in his heart, "Whom would the king delight to honor more than me?" 7 And Haman answered the king, "For the man whom the king delights to honor, 8 "let a royal robe be brought which the king has worn, and a horse on which the king has ridden, which has a royal crest placed on its head. 9 "Then let this robe and horse be delivered to the hand of one of the king's most noble princes, that he may array the man whom the king delights to honor. Then parade him on horseback through the city square, and proclaim before him: 'Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor!'"

On that night, Haman though he would be honored above all others in the kingdom. But this was the night that Haman's world would begin to fall apart! The man the king chose to honor was Mordecai not Haman. Haman was charged with the task of parading Mordecai through the streets as he proclaimed that Mordecai was the man the king delighted to honor! O the morning of the eighteenth of Nisan, Haman carried out the king's instructions.

Esther 6:10-11 NKJV 10 Then the king said to Haman, "Hurry, take the robe and the horse, as you have suggested, and do so for Mordecai the Jew who sits within the king's gate! Leave nothing undone of all that you have spoken." 11 So Haman took the robe and the horse, arrayed Mordecai and led him on horseback through the city square, and proclaimed before him, "Thus shall it be done to the man whom the king delights to honor!"

That evening, Haman attended the banquet consoling himself with the thought of the gallows that he had already had built to hang Mordecai. But it was on that night that Esther exposed him as the one who would have her and all her people killed.

Esther 7:9-10 NKJV 9 Now Harbonah, one of the eunuchs, said to the king, "Look! The gallows, fifty cubits high, which Haman made for Mordecai, who spoke good on the king's behalf, is standing at the house of Haman." Then the king said, "Hang him on it!" 10 So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then the king's wrath subsided.

Mordecai was hung on the gallows he had erected to kill Mordecai.  

Five hundred years later, Yeshua was crucified on Passover and put in the grave where he would remain for three days, the same three days as Esther's fast. Like Haman, Satan believed he had won when Yeshua died and was laid in the grave. Unbeknownst to Satan, Yeshua would not stay in the grave! Yeshua rose from the grave on the day Esther went in to the king to invite him to the banquet. Yeshua appeared before His disciples that evening, the same evening as Esther's first banquet!

John 20:19 NKJV 19 Then, the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in the midst, and said to them, "Peace be with you."

We can imagine that next day in heaven as Yeshua is honored as one in whom the King delights. Clothed with the royal robe riding the horse with the royal crest with the hosts of heaven proclaiming this is the one the king delights to honor! One day He will return to earth in the clouds of heaven and all will see the one the King chooses to honor.

Matthew 25:31-32 NKJV 31 "When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 32 "All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.

But when will Yeshua come and sit on His throne? Let's go back to the Book of Esther. The signet ring that was given to Haman was now given to Mordecai.

Esther 8:1 NKJV 1 On that day King Ahasuerus gave Queen Esther the house of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai came before the king, for Esther had told how he was related to her.

The king clothed Mordecai in royal apparel and awarded a crown.

Esther 8:15 NKJV 15 So Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal apparel of blue and white, with a great crown of gold and a garment of fine linen and purple; and the city of Shushan rejoiced and was glad.

But the decree exacted by Haman still stood, all the Jewish people were to be killed at the end of the year on Adar 13. So the king issued a new decree sealed by the signet ring worn by Mordecai that the Jewish people could gather and protect their lives.

Esther 8:11-12 NKJV 11 By these letters the king permitted the Jews who were in every city to gather together and protect their lives-to destroy, kill, and annihilate all the forces of any people or province that would assault them, both little children and women, and to plunder their possessions, 12 on one day in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar.

At the end of the year, when the enemies of the Jews attacked, the victory belonged to the Jews. Great fear came on all the enemies of the Jews and they were overwhelmingly defeated!

Esther 9:2-5 NKJV 2 The Jews gathered together in their cities throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus to lay hands on those who sought their harm. And no one could withstand them, because fear of them fell upon all people. 3 And all the officials of the provinces, the satraps, the governors, and all those doing the king's work, helped the Jews, because the fear of Mordecai fell upon them. 4 For Mordecai was great in the king's palace, and his fame spread throughout all the provinces; for this man Mordecai became increasingly prominent. 5 Thus the Jews defeated all their enemies with the stroke of the sword, with slaughter and destruction, and did what they pleased with those who hated them.

All their sorrow turned to joy!

Esther 9:22 NKJV 22 as the days on which the Jews had rest from their enemies, as the month which was turned from sorrow to joy for them, and from mourning to a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and joy, of sending presents to one another and gifts to the poor.

Mordecai ruled second only King Ahasuerus. While he ruled, tribute from the nations flowed into Assyria and Mordecai's people prospered and knew peace.

Esther 10:1-3 NKJV 1 And King Ahasuerus imposed tribute on the land and on the islands of the sea. 2 Now all the acts of his power and his might, and the account of the greatness of Mordecai, to which the king advanced him, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia? 3 For Mordecai the Jew was second to King Ahasuerus, and was great among the Jews and well received by the multitude of his brethren, seeking the good of his people and speaking peace to all his countrymen.

When Adam sinned, dominion over the earth was given to Satan. With Yeshua's death and resurrection, dominion is returned to Yeshua. He wears the signet ring of God. God has turned over to Him authority to judge all the peoples of the earth! When the appointed day comes when all the nations gather together at Jerusalem to destroy the Jews, great fear will come on those nations; fear of God's people and fear of Yeshua.

Zechariah 14:3-4 NKJV 3 Then the LORD will go forth And fight against those nations, As He fights in the day of battle. 4 And in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, Which faces Jerusalem on the east. And the Mount of Olives shall be split in two, From east to west, Making a very large valley; Half of the mountain shall move toward the north And half of it toward the south.

Zechariah 14:13-14 NKJV 13 It shall come to pass in that day That a great panic from the LORD will be among them. Everyone will seize the hand of his neighbor, And raise his hand against his neighbor's hand; 14 Judah also will fight at Jerusalem. And the wealth of all the surrounding nations Shall be gathered together: Gold, silver, and apparel in great abundance.

Revelation 19:19-21 NKJV 19 And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. 20 Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. 21 And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh.

All the sorrows of their former defeats will turn to joy!

Zechariah 8:18-19 NKJV 18 Then the word of the LORD of hosts came to me, saying, 19 "Thus says the LORD of hosts: 'The fast of the fourth month, The fast of the fifth, The fast of the seventh, And the fast of the tenth, Shall be joy and gladness and cheerful feasts For the house of Judah. Therefore love truth and peace.'

Isaiah 25:8 NKJV 8 He will swallow up death forever, And the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces; The rebuke of His people He will take away from all the earth; For the LORD has spoken.

Revelation 21:3-4 NKJV 3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4 "And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away."

On that night when Satan thought he won, his final defeat was certain! We await that day when the nations will think to defeat Israel and all those grafted into Israel through Yeshua. When they will come against Jerusalem, but their defeat will be certain!

All the nations will bring tribute to Jerusalem as Yeshua rules second only to His Father.

Zechariah 14:16-17 NKJV 16 And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. 17 And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, on them there will be no rain.

As we celebrate Purim on March 16 this year, know that victory is assured. Yeshua will return leading the attack against those who hate Israel, Yeshua, and God. He will establish His reign, and during His 1000 year reign, His people will prosper and experience peace.

Shalom and be blessed

Dan & Brenda Cathcart

© 2014 Moed Ministries

When is a Camel Not a Camel?

Brenda and I are engaged in teaching a series for El Shaddai Ministries called “Foundation of Our Hebrew Roots.” During one of the recent sessions, the question was asked about the origins, or more precisely the original language of the New Testament scriptures.  I have previously written a blog on this subject you can find at this link:  http://moedtorah.blogspot.com/2010/09/hebrew-origins-of-new-testament.html

So what is the original language of the Bible?  I think we all can agree that it wasn’t written in English, with the possible exception of the poor souls who are convinced that if the KJV was good enough for Peter and Paul, it should be good enough for us.

We could spend an entire book discussing the subject of textual origins and original language, but let’s take a look at one example from scripture that hints at an original language other than what you would naturally expect.  The New Testament has been preserved in more manuscripts than any other ancient work.  There are more than 5900 manuscripts and fragments in Greek, over 10,000 in Latin and over 9,000 in various other ancient languages.  The dates of these manuscripts range from the early to mid 2nd century, to the time of the introduction of printing press in Germany in the 15th century. But the vast majority of these manuscripts date after the 10th century, more than a thousand years after the time in which they were originally thought to have been penned. The Masoretic text of the Old Testament, which is what the vast majority of our modern day translations are derived, is from the 10th century.  It was the oldest known manuscript of the Old Testament writings until the discovery of the Dead Sea scrolls in the early 20^th century. No New Testament writings are among the Dead Sea Scrolls.

The earliest fragment of a New Testament scripture we have today is known as the Rylands Library Papyrus p52. It is thought to date from sometime in the mid 2^nd century.  It is from a codex (which is a book like format) since it is written on both sides and not a scroll which is written on only one side. It contains a portion of the Gospel of John 18:31-33 on the front side and John 18:37-38 on the reverse.  The oldest, nearly complete manuscript of the New Testament is the Codex Siaiticus, thought to date from the 4^th century but discovered only in the later half of the 18^th century.  Both of these are in Greek.  But is Greek really the “original” language?

I suppose the operative word in both of these cases is “thought to date from.”  The science of “dating” a manuscript and fragment is far from exact.  Traditional scientific methods such as carbon 14 dating is relatively useless because it destroys the sample.  Manuscript dating is done by studying the materials used to produce it such as the parchment or papyrus, how it was manufactured and its quality, the ink composition, the style of the writing itself, etc.  The process involves a lot of educated guesswork.

So what is the original language of the New Testament?  Is it Greek with 5,900 samples or is it Latin with far more examples?  What about the other ancient languages and the examples in them which combined, outnumber the Greek?  Bible scholars and linguists have debated this for centuries and we are not going to solve it here.

I have written in the past about the need to understand the cultural and, along with it, the linguistic context of the scriptures.  It is a great dilemma and effort on the part of a translator to determine the intent of the author.  Most languages, including those of the ancient near East, reflect the culture in which they are developed and used.  A classic example today would be the native peoples of northern Canada and Alaska who have 35 plus words in their language to describe snow.  By contrast the Polynesian people of the south Pacific islands have none.  So how does one go about describing snow to a Polynesian in their own language?

We know that Hebrew, in its ancient form, is a language without vowels.  Therefore there are many words, although spelled alike, can and often do have vastly different meanings depending on the vowel sounds which are implied by contextual factors not necessarily included in the immediate text itself.  We know that there are other related languages which share a common alphabet, word origins, word forms and spellings but can mean something completely different in their respective language and culture. In Biblical times, this was true of ancient Hebrew and Aramaic, both of which, along with Greek, were common spoken and written languages of the Near East.

How does this get us in trouble with our understanding and translating of the Biblical texts? There is a puzzeling passage of scripture recorded in both Matthew and in Mark. Let’s take a look.

Matthew 19:24 NKJV 24 "And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God." (3a)

Mark 10:25 NKJV 25 "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

Does this statement make any sense?  A camel going through the eye of a needle?  How is this possible?  A needle is so small and a camel is so large.  I’m sure that we have all heard that this is a metaphorical reference to a certain type of city gate. But did you know that it was not until the middle ages that a city gate was named “The eye of a needle?”  There is no historic or literary record of the use of this phrase as a proper name in reference to a city gate in any ancient source.  So there is no real corroborating evidence that this phrase would a cultural metaphorical reference in ancient times. So if there is no evidence that “the eye of a needle” is a proper place name in Yeshua’s day, then that leaves only the literal interpretation which leads us to conclude that Yeshua was telling not only the young inquisitive rich man, but also His disciple that a rich man cannot be saved!  But in light of the full body of scripture on the subject of salvation, how can that be true? Here is where the importance of the concept of consistency in scripture comes into play, what about the wealthy persons listed in Luke 8:1-3 or Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus?  The only consistent conclusion that we can draw here is that we have misinterpreted the cultural metaphor and therefore mistranslated the scripture passage in Matthew 19 and Mark 10.

Fortunately there is a linguistic answer to this dilemma.  And that answer lies in the translation of a single word, the word translated as “camel.” In this case, both Hebrew and Aramaic share not only a common alphabet but they share a common word at least in its spelling.  That word is גמל it is pronounced “gamla” in Hebrew and means camel.  However, there is another word, which is spelled exactly the same but in Aramaic is pronounced “gamala,” and this word means “heavy rope.”  Now with that in mind, take another look at the passage in Matthew and Mark, and its metaphorical context,along with the broader context of the passage.  Does it now make much more sense?  So how does a rich person enter the Kingdom of God?  A camel certainly cannot literally go through the eye of a tiny needle, but a heavy rope can, once it is unraveled: once it is disassembled it can pass through the eye of a needle one strand at a time!

Now we can perhaps understand the linguistic and cultural context of this passage and glean from it the real message that the Master Yeshua intended for us to hear.  But what about the question of original language of the New Testament scriptures, does this mean that the NT was originally Aramaic?  Not necessarily.  This is only one example of a possible Aramaic origin; or perhaps a mixture of languages or borrowed words from Aramaic to Hebrew or Greek.  We must keep in mind that languages are very dynamic and change rapidly over time.  New words are added and older words go out of favor.  Also, in a multilingual culture,words and syntax tend to be mixed quite often. There are many examples that would lead us in the direction of Hebrew being the original, and still others in the direction of a Greek original.  This is one of those debates that will go on for a long time and one has to weigh the preponderance of the evidence and arrive at your own conclusions through your own research.

For some fun on your own, try studying Matthew 26:6-7 and see where it leads. Begin by referencing the standard by which a “leper” is to be dealt with in Leviticus 13:45-46.  Keep in mind that in the Matthew passage, this is a very orthodox, Torah observant society that is most likely multilingual. Use a good cross reference study Bible or on-line cross reference tools.  Again look at the Greek, Hebrew and Aramaic sources.  Let me know what you come up with.

Shalom and be blessed

Dan Cathcart

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© 2014 Moed Ministries