In 1987, author Tom Clancy published a novel titled “Patriot Games”. It was a story about an ex Marine who witnesses and ultimately thwarts an attempted abduction of a prominent member of the English Royal family by a renegade wing of the Irish Republican Army, ie: terrorists. In the book, Clancy makes an interesting observation about terrorists and alludes to the reason why they are difficult at best to fight in today’s political realities. Although written 23 years ago and before our current conflict with terrorists, the words jumped out at me as if written just last week.
From Clancy’s novel:
“They can fight their kind of war, but we can’t recognize it as such without giving up something our society needs. If we treat terrorists as politically motivated activists, we give them an honor they don’t deserve. If we treat them as soldiers, and kill them as such, we both give them legitimacy and violate our own laws… The pure elegance of the concept is stunning. Terrorists can fight a war and be protected by the diplomatic processes of their enemy. If those processes were obviated, the terrorists would win additional political support, but so long as those processes were not obviated, it is extremely difficult for them to lose. They hold a society hostage against itself and its most important precepts, daring it to change. They move around at will, taking advantage of the freedoms that define a democratic state, and get all the support they need from a nation state with which we are unable or unwilling to deal effectively.” *
On the international level, terrorism is a form of war that does not interrupt normal diplomatic relations between nations. Here in the US, terrorism is treated as a crime and not an act of war. Terrorists are “arrested” and put on trial in civilian courts and given “rights” under the civil proceedings and the Constitution. This is done even if the terrorist is captured on a battlefield in a foreign country such as Iraq or Afghanistan by our military forces, but especially if captured here in the US. Take the Times Square bomber as a case in point.
I would define the dilemma as follows: We are well prepared to fight the “last war”. We have built our international relationships based on the lessons learned during the last century of warfare. The Geneva Convention, as well as the United Nations, is the culmination of two world wars and numerous regional conflicts of the 20th century. We have an intimate understanding of the “rules” of modern warfare and have signed an international treaty agreeing to abide by them even if our enemies do not. We have out grown the concept of a war waged on religious or purely ideological grounds, leaving such thing to the dark ages of Europe, believing they have no place in a modern society. Yet our current adversary persists in waging a religious based conflict.
Built into our constitution and case law are the things our society needs, things that lift us up as individuals and as communities. Freedoms and liberties, unprecedented in human history, have contributed to a society where the rights of each individual are held to high regard. Liberties that we recognize as God given are now spelled out in our Bill of Rights for the world to see. These liberties as practiced in a free state are unique in all of human history.
We have no means in our domestic or international law to deal effectively with terrorists groups capable of wrecking havoc on a level previously limited to states. Terrorist organizations do not have geographic borders. They do not issue passports to their “citizens”. They do not have a standing army in uniform. They do not have any form of commonly recognizable government. For these reasons and others, we are incapable of fighting them with any expectation of success so long as we stick with our present methods and abide by our current systems of international diplomacy and cooperation.
Terrorist organizations and renegade states, states who would otherwise directly challenge and attack other states for their own selfish reasons and ambitions of their perhaps psychopathic leaders, have learned the important lesson of working hand in hand to exploit the short comings of our Western democracies. They have learned to effectively use our very liberties against us. Their leaders are not elected. They can not be voted out of office or their terms of office are not constitutionally limited. They are experts in manipulation of a willing western free press to guide public opinion to their cause. They have filled up our institutions of higher education and learned how our liberties work. They have recruited sympathy among students and faculty. They understand our constitutional freedoms better than we do and have learned to use them and our democratic process against us. They have learned from our own history that we do not tolerate a protracted conflict and absolutely will not abide many casualties on our side as in Vietnam where we won every battle, but lost the war because of public opinion and a hostile press. They see us as weak and decadent compared to their culture, and on their religious level, worthy of elimination.
We must find a way to work around our current, antiquated and inadequate world diplomatic system to beat an enemy that is operating outside of the “rules” we were so careful to put in place in the last century. We were attacked on September 11th 2001 in much the same way we were on December 7th 1941. But this new enemy comes from many nations, doesn’t wear uniforms or have one acknowledged leader. So how do we fight this enemy and stay within our current political boundaries? That is the dilemma. How can we win without fighting on their terms at least to some extent? Our constitution is not a “suicide pact”. It was never intended to protect an enemy of our American values and founding principles. It was designed to grant the individual citizen rights and liberties never before experienced in human history. An enemy on the battlefield has no rights under our constitution, especially one captured on a foreign battlefield. We must find a way to declare war on an enemy that is not defined by geographic borders, because this enemy has already declared war on us.
שלום ברוך
Shalom and Be Blessed
Dan & Brenda Cathcart
* Patriot Games. Pages 337-338, Berkley Novel paperback Copyright 1987 Jack Ryan Enterprises, LTD.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Thursday, June 10, 2010
The land called Palestine
The land that the Arabs call Palestine has for most of recorded history been controlled by outside interests. In ancient times this land was an important crossroads in international commerce. It has been fought over more times in history that most of us can count. The “modern” conflict took shape in the late 1800’s. Then in the aftermath of WW1 and the fall of the Ottoman Empire in 1922, the balance of power in the Middle East took a dramatic turn.
The Ottoman Empire stood for nearly 700 years from 1299 to 1922. After WW1, England took over all that area, because they had won the war, and called it “Palestine” just as the Romans did 2000 years earlier. It included all of what is now Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Israel and Iran. A big area. The Jewish people who lived IN THE LAND petitioned England for a Jewish state. England agreed but later reneged on the agreement at the request of the Arabs. (See the Balfour Declarations of 1917 and 1926 and pay careful attention to the land area set aside for the Jewish state) None of the people in the region, with the exception of the Jews, had at any time, since the Hasmonean dynasty (140-37 BCE) experienced self-rule. Before that brief period following the Maccabean revolt, one must look all the way back to the Assyrian Empire (20th to 10th centuries BCE) to find self rule in the region by anyone other than the Jewish people.
In case you think England had no right to make such decisions, remember this was conquered territory as a result of a defensive war. The result of WW1 left a large amount of territory in Eastern Europe and the Middle East in the hands of the victors. Following this war, the nations of Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia and several others were determined in Europe by the League of Nations. None of these countries existed prior to WW1. England maintained control of the Arab territories under their colonial authority.
Again, after WW2, the promise was made to give the Jews a state in "Palestine" when the territories were being divided up. This is when the current nations of Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon were formed. THEY DID NOT EXIST PRIOR TO WW2! These are all Arab states formed from the region the English called Palestine. The Jewish people had always had a broad population throughout the region with their primary center in what is now Iraq (old Babylon) and had suffered persecution there as they had everywhere else. They asked for the land of Israel, their original ancestral home land for two thousand years before the exile to Assyria and Babylon, as a modern home land. The land of Israel was sparsely populated at the time and there were very few Arabs to displace. Read Mark Twain's account of visiting Israel in the 1920's! It was only AFTER the Jews were granted the territory by the United Nations in 1947 that the Arabs moved in in any significant numbers.
The Arabs were given 5 states in the land of Palestine and the Jews were given one very small portion of land that was pretty much desolate. The entire nation is about the size of New Jersey! Until the 6-day war of June 1967, when Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Egypt attacked Israel, those people living in the Gaza area and east of Jerusalem and the area that became known as the West Bank, held Egyptian and Jordanian passports. They were and are Egyptians and Jordanians by birth and not "Palestinians." The term “Palestinian” was not coined until after the Yom Kippur War in 1973.
The land that was captured was done so in a defensive war; Israel was the one attacked. By all international standards, territory captured in a defensive action belongs to the nation defending itself. By the way, in all of recorded history, England and the United States are the only countries to EVER give back territory won in a defensive war. The US returned Germany and Japan in 1949 to the native people to form their new countries. Second, this area is critical to Israel's continued self defense. The area is the "high ground" which overlooks all of Israel (about the size of New Jersey, remember?). If hostile forces had possession of the high ground, they could and would bomb any and all parts of Israel at their leisure. As they do now from the Gaza strip into the towns and farms of the Western Negev. There would be no safety anywhere in Israel. It would be certain suicide if Israel were to give up the so-called West Bank. This is exactly what the Arabs actually want; not an independent state, but access to the mountains where they can once again lob missiles into any part of Israel and launch invasion forces. Notice that they are using world opinion and pushing for and gaining a certain amount of autonomy in the West Bank. This gives them the foot hold of the high ground that they really want.
The terrorist organizations Hamas and Hezbollah have refused to acknowledge Israel’s right to exist and do not recognize it as a legitimate country. They refer to the State of Israel as “occupied Palestine” and have vowed publicly over and over to “kill every Jew” in this “occupied” land. When they publicly chant and shout “free Palestine”, they are speaking not of the West Bank and Gaza, but of all of Israel! Three times since Israel was reestablished as a state in 1948, the Arab countries have waged an all out war to annihilate the Jewish people. Three times they have lost in dramatic fashion! Now they have changed their tactics. Now they work through a fabricated proxy people called the “Palestinians” who were, so recently, Egyptians and Jordanians. They hide behind and abuse their own people with a propaganda machine that would make Adolph Hitler green with envy. And the ignorant Western press and cowardly Western political leaders have bought into the whole thing because, for numerous reasons, God forbid they should insult or tic-off the Arabs.
Israel is a declared state just as ALL of the modern Arabs states are. We must not be ignorant of 20th century history. Israel is in its historic land. There is NO history of Arab autonomy in Palestine. There is NO mention of Jerusalem in the Koran. By any standard, modern or ancient, take your pick, Israel has the right to exist as a Jewish state right where it is! Israel will not, and should not be forced to, “commit suicide” by giving back land that is rightfully theirs by any universally applied international standard.
שלום ברוך
Shalom and Be Blessed
Dan & Brenda Cathcart
The Ottoman Empire stood for nearly 700 years from 1299 to 1922. After WW1, England took over all that area, because they had won the war, and called it “Palestine” just as the Romans did 2000 years earlier. It included all of what is now Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Israel and Iran. A big area. The Jewish people who lived IN THE LAND petitioned England for a Jewish state. England agreed but later reneged on the agreement at the request of the Arabs. (See the Balfour Declarations of 1917 and 1926 and pay careful attention to the land area set aside for the Jewish state) None of the people in the region, with the exception of the Jews, had at any time, since the Hasmonean dynasty (140-37 BCE) experienced self-rule. Before that brief period following the Maccabean revolt, one must look all the way back to the Assyrian Empire (20th to 10th centuries BCE) to find self rule in the region by anyone other than the Jewish people.
In case you think England had no right to make such decisions, remember this was conquered territory as a result of a defensive war. The result of WW1 left a large amount of territory in Eastern Europe and the Middle East in the hands of the victors. Following this war, the nations of Poland, Hungary, Czechoslovakia and several others were determined in Europe by the League of Nations. None of these countries existed prior to WW1. England maintained control of the Arab territories under their colonial authority.
Again, after WW2, the promise was made to give the Jews a state in "Palestine" when the territories were being divided up. This is when the current nations of Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon were formed. THEY DID NOT EXIST PRIOR TO WW2! These are all Arab states formed from the region the English called Palestine. The Jewish people had always had a broad population throughout the region with their primary center in what is now Iraq (old Babylon) and had suffered persecution there as they had everywhere else. They asked for the land of Israel, their original ancestral home land for two thousand years before the exile to Assyria and Babylon, as a modern home land. The land of Israel was sparsely populated at the time and there were very few Arabs to displace. Read Mark Twain's account of visiting Israel in the 1920's! It was only AFTER the Jews were granted the territory by the United Nations in 1947 that the Arabs moved in in any significant numbers.
The Arabs were given 5 states in the land of Palestine and the Jews were given one very small portion of land that was pretty much desolate. The entire nation is about the size of New Jersey! Until the 6-day war of June 1967, when Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Egypt attacked Israel, those people living in the Gaza area and east of Jerusalem and the area that became known as the West Bank, held Egyptian and Jordanian passports. They were and are Egyptians and Jordanians by birth and not "Palestinians." The term “Palestinian” was not coined until after the Yom Kippur War in 1973.
The land that was captured was done so in a defensive war; Israel was the one attacked. By all international standards, territory captured in a defensive action belongs to the nation defending itself. By the way, in all of recorded history, England and the United States are the only countries to EVER give back territory won in a defensive war. The US returned Germany and Japan in 1949 to the native people to form their new countries. Second, this area is critical to Israel's continued self defense. The area is the "high ground" which overlooks all of Israel (about the size of New Jersey, remember?). If hostile forces had possession of the high ground, they could and would bomb any and all parts of Israel at their leisure. As they do now from the Gaza strip into the towns and farms of the Western Negev. There would be no safety anywhere in Israel. It would be certain suicide if Israel were to give up the so-called West Bank. This is exactly what the Arabs actually want; not an independent state, but access to the mountains where they can once again lob missiles into any part of Israel and launch invasion forces. Notice that they are using world opinion and pushing for and gaining a certain amount of autonomy in the West Bank. This gives them the foot hold of the high ground that they really want.
The terrorist organizations Hamas and Hezbollah have refused to acknowledge Israel’s right to exist and do not recognize it as a legitimate country. They refer to the State of Israel as “occupied Palestine” and have vowed publicly over and over to “kill every Jew” in this “occupied” land. When they publicly chant and shout “free Palestine”, they are speaking not of the West Bank and Gaza, but of all of Israel! Three times since Israel was reestablished as a state in 1948, the Arab countries have waged an all out war to annihilate the Jewish people. Three times they have lost in dramatic fashion! Now they have changed their tactics. Now they work through a fabricated proxy people called the “Palestinians” who were, so recently, Egyptians and Jordanians. They hide behind and abuse their own people with a propaganda machine that would make Adolph Hitler green with envy. And the ignorant Western press and cowardly Western political leaders have bought into the whole thing because, for numerous reasons, God forbid they should insult or tic-off the Arabs.
Israel is a declared state just as ALL of the modern Arabs states are. We must not be ignorant of 20th century history. Israel is in its historic land. There is NO history of Arab autonomy in Palestine. There is NO mention of Jerusalem in the Koran. By any standard, modern or ancient, take your pick, Israel has the right to exist as a Jewish state right where it is! Israel will not, and should not be forced to, “commit suicide” by giving back land that is rightfully theirs by any universally applied international standard.
שלום ברוך
Shalom and Be Blessed
Dan & Brenda Cathcart
Friday, June 4, 2010
The Wings of His Garment: Numbers 15:37-41
By Dan Cathcart
When we pray, many of us put on the talit and many of us wear the tzitzit as commanded in Numbers 15:37-40. This has been an important part of Jewish tradition for millennia, since the time of the exodus and the giving of the Torah. It is a tradition that has been lost in the Christian community for centuries and, I think should be reintroduced.
The talit and the tzitzit were a major part of the life of Jesus (Yeshua). Remember the story of the woman with the issue of blood healed by touching the hem of His garment.
Mark 5:25-29 MKJV 25 And a certain woman who had had an issue of blood twelve years, 26 and had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and had not been bettered any, but rather came to worse, 27 having heard about Jesus, she came in the press behind and touched His garment. 28 For she said, if I may but touch only His clothes, I will be cured. 29 And instantly the fountain of her blood dried up. And she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.
The woman knew that if she touched his clothes she would be healed. But there was a specific type of outer garment that Yeshua wore, and a specific part of that garment that she touched. Jewish men, Yeshua being among them, would have worn a long, four cornered garment called a talit. It was wrapped about the shoulders and draped down below the knees near the ground. On its outer edges were fringes and in the corners were tassels called in Hebrew tsiytsith (tzitzit.)
Numbers 15:37-41 NIV 37 The LORD said to Moses, 38 "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'Throughout the generations to come you are to make tassels on the corners of your garments, with a blue cord on each tassel. 39 You will have these tassels to look at and so you will remember all the commands of the LORD, that you may obey them and not prostitute yourselves by going after the lusts of your own hearts and eyes. 40 Then you will remember to obey all my commands and will be consecrated to your God. 41 I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt to be your God. I am the LORD your God.'"
The English word “tassels” in this passage is the Hebrew word tzitzit:
From the Strong’s Concordance and Dictionary #6734. tsiytsith, tsee-tseeth' feminine of #6731; a floral or wing-like projection, i.e. a forelock of hair, a tassel:--fringe, lock.
Although the Bible only describes the Tzitzit as containing one blue cord, saying nothing about other colors or how to tie it, Jewish tradition has them as consisting of 3 cords of white and 1 blue. This is the part of Yeshua garment that the woman would have touched. This is important because she would have been very familiar with the messianic scriptures (especially those of the prophet Malachi) concerning the healing abilities of the Messiah.
Malachi 4:2 MKJV 2 But to you who fear My name, the Sun of Righteousness shall arise, and healing will be on His wings…
The Messiah would have the characteristic of “healing in His wings”. Another word used in the Numbers passage above is “corners”. Some English translations use fringes or borders. This is translated from the Hebrew word “kanaph”
#3671. kanaph, kaw-nawf' from #3670; an edge or extremity; specifically (of a bird or army) a wing, (of a garment or bed-clothing) a flap, (of the earth) a quarter, (of a building) a pinnacle:--+ bird, border, corner, end, feather(-ed), X flying, + (one an-)other, overspreading, X quarters, skirt, X sort, uttermost part, wing((-ed)).
The word kanaph means the wings of a garment, which are the corners, and the commandment in Numbers 15 was to place the tzitzit at the corners of the talit. The woman would have understood that Messiah had “healing in His wings” because of the Malichi passage and the place she would have touched was the corner or kanaph, specifically the tzitzit on His talit.
In Matthew 9:21 it records what the woman said:
Matthew 9:21 NKJV 21 For she said to herself, "If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well."
This adds further meaning to Yeshua’s statement in the following verse:
Matthew 9:22 NKJV 22 But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, "Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well." And the woman was made well from that hour.
By touching the corner, tassel or tzitzit, the woman was asserting not only faith that by doing so she could be healed, but that the faith that healed her was faith in the Messiah!
We believers can choose to wear the talit with the tassels or tzitzit as a visible reminder of our Messiah who is now seated at the right hand of God. The tzitzit reminds us to remember Yeshua’s commands and do them, as well as to live a holy life.
John 14:15 NKJV 15 "If you love Me, keep My commandments.
Numbers 15:39 NKJV 39 "And you shall have the tassel, that you may look upon it and remember all the commandments of the LORD and do them, and that you may not follow the harlotry to which your own heart and your own eyes are inclined,
1 Peter 1:13-16 NKJV 13 Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 14 as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; 15 but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 because it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy."
The tzitzit are a beautiful picture of Messiah. And reminds us that it is in His wings that we are healed.
שלום ברוך
Shalom and Be Blessed
When we pray, many of us put on the talit and many of us wear the tzitzit as commanded in Numbers 15:37-40. This has been an important part of Jewish tradition for millennia, since the time of the exodus and the giving of the Torah. It is a tradition that has been lost in the Christian community for centuries and, I think should be reintroduced.
The talit and the tzitzit were a major part of the life of Jesus (Yeshua). Remember the story of the woman with the issue of blood healed by touching the hem of His garment.
Mark 5:25-29 MKJV 25 And a certain woman who had had an issue of blood twelve years, 26 and had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and had not been bettered any, but rather came to worse, 27 having heard about Jesus, she came in the press behind and touched His garment. 28 For she said, if I may but touch only His clothes, I will be cured. 29 And instantly the fountain of her blood dried up. And she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.
The woman knew that if she touched his clothes she would be healed. But there was a specific type of outer garment that Yeshua wore, and a specific part of that garment that she touched. Jewish men, Yeshua being among them, would have worn a long, four cornered garment called a talit. It was wrapped about the shoulders and draped down below the knees near the ground. On its outer edges were fringes and in the corners were tassels called in Hebrew tsiytsith (tzitzit.)
Numbers 15:37-41 NIV 37 The LORD said to Moses, 38 "Speak to the Israelites and say to them: 'Throughout the generations to come you are to make tassels on the corners of your garments, with a blue cord on each tassel. 39 You will have these tassels to look at and so you will remember all the commands of the LORD, that you may obey them and not prostitute yourselves by going after the lusts of your own hearts and eyes. 40 Then you will remember to obey all my commands and will be consecrated to your God. 41 I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt to be your God. I am the LORD your God.'"
The English word “tassels” in this passage is the Hebrew word tzitzit:
From the Strong’s Concordance and Dictionary #6734. tsiytsith, tsee-tseeth' feminine of #6731; a floral or wing-like projection, i.e. a forelock of hair, a tassel:--fringe, lock.
Although the Bible only describes the Tzitzit as containing one blue cord, saying nothing about other colors or how to tie it, Jewish tradition has them as consisting of 3 cords of white and 1 blue. This is the part of Yeshua garment that the woman would have touched. This is important because she would have been very familiar with the messianic scriptures (especially those of the prophet Malachi) concerning the healing abilities of the Messiah.
Malachi 4:2 MKJV 2 But to you who fear My name, the Sun of Righteousness shall arise, and healing will be on His wings…
The Messiah would have the characteristic of “healing in His wings”. Another word used in the Numbers passage above is “corners”. Some English translations use fringes or borders. This is translated from the Hebrew word “kanaph”
#3671. kanaph, kaw-nawf' from #3670; an edge or extremity; specifically (of a bird or army) a wing, (of a garment or bed-clothing) a flap, (of the earth) a quarter, (of a building) a pinnacle:--+ bird, border, corner, end, feather(-ed), X flying, + (one an-)other, overspreading, X quarters, skirt, X sort, uttermost part, wing((-ed)).
The word kanaph means the wings of a garment, which are the corners, and the commandment in Numbers 15 was to place the tzitzit at the corners of the talit. The woman would have understood that Messiah had “healing in His wings” because of the Malichi passage and the place she would have touched was the corner or kanaph, specifically the tzitzit on His talit.
In Matthew 9:21 it records what the woman said:
Matthew 9:21 NKJV 21 For she said to herself, "If only I may touch His garment, I shall be made well."
This adds further meaning to Yeshua’s statement in the following verse:
Matthew 9:22 NKJV 22 But Jesus turned around, and when He saw her He said, "Be of good cheer, daughter; your faith has made you well." And the woman was made well from that hour.
By touching the corner, tassel or tzitzit, the woman was asserting not only faith that by doing so she could be healed, but that the faith that healed her was faith in the Messiah!
We believers can choose to wear the talit with the tassels or tzitzit as a visible reminder of our Messiah who is now seated at the right hand of God. The tzitzit reminds us to remember Yeshua’s commands and do them, as well as to live a holy life.
John 14:15 NKJV 15 "If you love Me, keep My commandments.
Numbers 15:39 NKJV 39 "And you shall have the tassel, that you may look upon it and remember all the commandments of the LORD and do them, and that you may not follow the harlotry to which your own heart and your own eyes are inclined,
1 Peter 1:13-16 NKJV 13 Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 14 as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; 15 but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 because it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy."
The tzitzit are a beautiful picture of Messiah. And reminds us that it is in His wings that we are healed.
שלום ברוך
Shalom and Be Blessed
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Reasons for Christians to Celebrate the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost)
By Brenda Cathcart
The spring Feasts of the LORD are all prophetic of Jesus’ first coming. At Passover, Jesus died on the cross. Jesus’ body was placed in the tomb as the seven day Feast of Unleavened Bread began. He rose from that tomb on the Feast of Firstfruits. The events of His First Coming culminate at the Feast of Weeks with the disciples receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit. We’ve all read the account of that day in the second chapter of the book of Acts, but in order to see the full impact of that day on the disciples and all who witnessed the events, we have to put the Feast into its historical perspective.
First, the Feast of Weeks doesn’t happen in isolation. It occurs fifty days after the Feast of Firstfruits and is connected to this feast through counting the days from one feast to the next. This is called the counting of the Omer.
Leviticus 23:15-16 NKJV 15 'And you shall count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering: seven Sabbaths shall be completed. 16 'Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall offer a new grain offering to the LORD.
On the very day of Jesus’ resurrection, the counting of the Omer began. The day of Jesus’ ascension was the fortieth day of the counting of the Omer. On the day of His ascension, Jesus tells them that they would receive the Holy Spirit very soon.
Acts 1:4-5 NKJV 4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, "which," He said, "you have heard from Me; 5 "for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."
Jesus’ disciples were excited about this prospect and spent the last ten days leading up to the Feast of Weeks in the temple praising God.
Luke 24:52-53 NKJV 52 And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, 53 and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. Amen.
Second, the Feast of Weeks is a pilgrimage feast. All males were to appear before the LORD three times a year and the Feast of Weeks was one of those feasts.
Deuteronomy 16:10 NKJV 10 "Then you shall keep the Feast of Weeks to the LORD your God with the tribute of a freewill offering from your hand, which you shall give as the LORD your God blesses you.
There would be over two million people in Jerusalem for the Feast of Weeks. They would all be going to the temple to present their offerings to God. This includes the disciples who would have even more reason to bring offerings of thanks to God as well as the devout Jews who traveled from all parts of the Roman Empire for this feast. These festivities began at 9:00 a.m., the time of the morning sacrifice.
Third, God gave the Covenant at Mt. Sinai in full view of all the gathered people of Israel on the first Feast of Weeks after the Exodus from Egypt. Jesus told them the events that began at Passover were the beginning of the New Covenant written of by Jeremiah.
Luke 22:19-20 NKJV 19 And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me." 20 Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.
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.
The Midrash, which is a commentary on the Torah, gives further details of the events of the first Feast of Weeks at Mt. Sinai. The Midrash says that tongues of fire circled and touched all the people gathered at Mt. Sinai. It says that there were thunderings and lightnings plural because God’s voice came in all 70 languages of the nations but only Israel answered and said, “All that the LORD has spoken we will do.”
With this background, we see that the most likely place for the Holy Spirit to fall on the disciples was at the temple in full view of the gathered multitude. The word house used to describe where the disciples are on the Feast of Weeks is the Greek oykos which also means temple.
Acts 2:1-6 NKJV 1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. 5 And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. 6 And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language.
Peter stands up and begins to preach. As Jesus promised, the power of the Holy Spirit is on him to preach the good news to all people.
Acts 1:8 NKJV 8 "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."
Christians can celebrate the Feast of Weeks as we remember the incredible outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the disciples, and we can rejoice that this gift is to us as well.
Acts 2:38-39 NKJV 38 Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 "For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call."
The Feast of Weeks is a time of a new grain offering to the LORD. It is the time of the wheat harvest. The harvest season in Israel has begun. When Jesus sent His disciples out two by two to spread the message of the kingdom of heaven, he sends them out with these words recorded by Luke.
Luke 10:2 NKJV 2 Then He said to them, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.
As we celebrate the Feast of Weeks, we can pray that God will send workers, including ourselves, into His harvest.
שלום ברוך
Shalom and Be Blessed
Dan & Brenda Cathcart
Brenda and I are going to Israel next month, June 19th to 30th. It is not too late to join us in the land promised to Abraham for a special tour where you will see the promised Messiah of Israel like you have never seen Him before! We will visit places off the beaten path and follow in the foot steps of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Join us as we also explore the people, culture, politics and conflict that is today’s Israel and a special Sabbath day in Jerusalem. For details on the tour visit www.tanizarelli.com and click on tours.
The spring Feasts of the LORD are all prophetic of Jesus’ first coming. At Passover, Jesus died on the cross. Jesus’ body was placed in the tomb as the seven day Feast of Unleavened Bread began. He rose from that tomb on the Feast of Firstfruits. The events of His First Coming culminate at the Feast of Weeks with the disciples receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit. We’ve all read the account of that day in the second chapter of the book of Acts, but in order to see the full impact of that day on the disciples and all who witnessed the events, we have to put the Feast into its historical perspective.
First, the Feast of Weeks doesn’t happen in isolation. It occurs fifty days after the Feast of Firstfruits and is connected to this feast through counting the days from one feast to the next. This is called the counting of the Omer.
Leviticus 23:15-16 NKJV 15 'And you shall count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering: seven Sabbaths shall be completed. 16 'Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall offer a new grain offering to the LORD.
On the very day of Jesus’ resurrection, the counting of the Omer began. The day of Jesus’ ascension was the fortieth day of the counting of the Omer. On the day of His ascension, Jesus tells them that they would receive the Holy Spirit very soon.
Acts 1:4-5 NKJV 4 And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, "which," He said, "you have heard from Me; 5 "for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."
Jesus’ disciples were excited about this prospect and spent the last ten days leading up to the Feast of Weeks in the temple praising God.
Luke 24:52-53 NKJV 52 And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, 53 and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God. Amen.
Second, the Feast of Weeks is a pilgrimage feast. All males were to appear before the LORD three times a year and the Feast of Weeks was one of those feasts.
Deuteronomy 16:10 NKJV 10 "Then you shall keep the Feast of Weeks to the LORD your God with the tribute of a freewill offering from your hand, which you shall give as the LORD your God blesses you.
There would be over two million people in Jerusalem for the Feast of Weeks. They would all be going to the temple to present their offerings to God. This includes the disciples who would have even more reason to bring offerings of thanks to God as well as the devout Jews who traveled from all parts of the Roman Empire for this feast. These festivities began at 9:00 a.m., the time of the morning sacrifice.
Third, God gave the Covenant at Mt. Sinai in full view of all the gathered people of Israel on the first Feast of Weeks after the Exodus from Egypt. Jesus told them the events that began at Passover were the beginning of the New Covenant written of by Jeremiah.
Luke 22:19-20 NKJV 19 And He took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me." 20 Likewise He also took the cup after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood, which is shed for you.
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.
The Midrash, which is a commentary on the Torah, gives further details of the events of the first Feast of Weeks at Mt. Sinai. The Midrash says that tongues of fire circled and touched all the people gathered at Mt. Sinai. It says that there were thunderings and lightnings plural because God’s voice came in all 70 languages of the nations but only Israel answered and said, “All that the LORD has spoken we will do.”
With this background, we see that the most likely place for the Holy Spirit to fall on the disciples was at the temple in full view of the gathered multitude. The word house used to describe where the disciples are on the Feast of Weeks is the Greek oykos which also means temple.
Acts 2:1-6 NKJV 1 When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. 5 And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. 6 And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language.
Peter stands up and begins to preach. As Jesus promised, the power of the Holy Spirit is on him to preach the good news to all people.
Acts 1:8 NKJV 8 "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."
Christians can celebrate the Feast of Weeks as we remember the incredible outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the disciples, and we can rejoice that this gift is to us as well.
Acts 2:38-39 NKJV 38 Then Peter said to them, "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 "For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call."
The Feast of Weeks is a time of a new grain offering to the LORD. It is the time of the wheat harvest. The harvest season in Israel has begun. When Jesus sent His disciples out two by two to spread the message of the kingdom of heaven, he sends them out with these words recorded by Luke.
Luke 10:2 NKJV 2 Then He said to them, "The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.
As we celebrate the Feast of Weeks, we can pray that God will send workers, including ourselves, into His harvest.
שלום ברוך
Shalom and Be Blessed
Dan & Brenda Cathcart
Brenda and I are going to Israel next month, June 19th to 30th. It is not too late to join us in the land promised to Abraham for a special tour where you will see the promised Messiah of Israel like you have never seen Him before! We will visit places off the beaten path and follow in the foot steps of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Join us as we also explore the people, culture, politics and conflict that is today’s Israel and a special Sabbath day in Jerusalem. For details on the tour visit www.tanizarelli.com and click on tours.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Reasons for Christians to Count the Omer
By Brenda Cathcart
When God gives the Israelites instructions for observing His feasts, he tells them to count the days from the Feast of Firstfruits to the Feast of Weeks.
Leviticus 23:15-16 NKJV 15 'And you shall count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering: seven Sabbaths shall be completed. 16 'Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall offer a new grain offering to the LORD.
Deuteronomy calls this day of the new grain offering the Feast of Weeks. The seventh Sabbath would be day 49 and the next day, the fiftieth day is the Feast Day.
Deuteronomy 16:9-10 NKJV 9 "You shall count seven weeks for yourself; begin to count the seven weeks from the time you begin to put the sickle to the grain. 10 "Then you shall keep the Feast of Weeks to the LORD your God with the tribute of a freewill offering from your hand, which you shall give as the LORD your God blesses you.
The New Testament uses the Greek word Pentecost meaning fiftieth to describe the Feast. The countdown is actually a count up starting with one on the Feast of Firstfruits and concluding with fifty on the Feast of Weeks. The Jewish people call this period the Counting of the Omer. The Hebrew word Omer means sheaf. Literally, we are talking about sheaves of grain. Metaphorically, we are talking about the harvest of people. In Genesis 37 Joseph has a dream in which the sheaves of his brothers bow down to his sheaf establishing the precedent of sheaves representing people. Jesus represents the very first sheaf of barley harvested specifically for the Feast of Firstfruits. Paul calls him the firstfruits of the resurrection.
1 Corinthians 15:20 KJV 20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
We can think of the counting of the Omer as counting the sheaves that will be harvested. On the Feast of Weeks when the Holy Spirit falls, the harvest of those sheaves begins. On that day alone, 3000 people believed.
Acts 2:41 KJV 41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
Although no one has of yet fully attained the promise of the resurrection, the Holy Spirit is our down payment.
Ephesians 1:13-14 NKJV 13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
Christians can participate in Counting the Omer by preparing ourselves anew for a renewing of the gift of the Holy Spirit who gives us power to accomplish the harvest of souls. Peter and the apostles were preparing themselves for this gift. After Jesus ascended into heaven, the apostles returned to Jerusalem where they appointed a man to replace Judas.
Acts 1:21-22 NKJV 21 "Therefore, of these men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 "beginning from the baptism of John to that day when He was taken up from us, one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection."
Peter was getting ready to receive the gift that Jesus told them to expect. He, along with all the apostles, was getting ready to witness to Jesus’ resurrection because Jesus told them that they would be witnesses!
John 15:26-27 NKJV 26 "But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. 27 "And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning.
We can spend the time like the disciples did, in prayer and praise blessing God.
שלום ברוך
Shalom and Be Blessed
Dan & Brenda Cathcart
Brenda and I are going to Israel June 19th to 30th. It is not too late to join us in the land promised to Abraham for this special tour where you will see the promised Messiah of Israel like you have never seen Him before! We will visit places off the beaten path and follow in the foot steps of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Join us as we also explore the people, culture, politics and conflict that is today’s Israel and a special Sabbath day in Jerusalem. For details on the tour visit www.tanizarelli.com/category/tours.
When God gives the Israelites instructions for observing His feasts, he tells them to count the days from the Feast of Firstfruits to the Feast of Weeks.
Leviticus 23:15-16 NKJV 15 'And you shall count for yourselves from the day after the Sabbath, from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering: seven Sabbaths shall be completed. 16 'Count fifty days to the day after the seventh Sabbath; then you shall offer a new grain offering to the LORD.
Deuteronomy calls this day of the new grain offering the Feast of Weeks. The seventh Sabbath would be day 49 and the next day, the fiftieth day is the Feast Day.
Deuteronomy 16:9-10 NKJV 9 "You shall count seven weeks for yourself; begin to count the seven weeks from the time you begin to put the sickle to the grain. 10 "Then you shall keep the Feast of Weeks to the LORD your God with the tribute of a freewill offering from your hand, which you shall give as the LORD your God blesses you.
The New Testament uses the Greek word Pentecost meaning fiftieth to describe the Feast. The countdown is actually a count up starting with one on the Feast of Firstfruits and concluding with fifty on the Feast of Weeks. The Jewish people call this period the Counting of the Omer. The Hebrew word Omer means sheaf. Literally, we are talking about sheaves of grain. Metaphorically, we are talking about the harvest of people. In Genesis 37 Joseph has a dream in which the sheaves of his brothers bow down to his sheaf establishing the precedent of sheaves representing people. Jesus represents the very first sheaf of barley harvested specifically for the Feast of Firstfruits. Paul calls him the firstfruits of the resurrection.
1 Corinthians 15:20 KJV 20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.
We can think of the counting of the Omer as counting the sheaves that will be harvested. On the Feast of Weeks when the Holy Spirit falls, the harvest of those sheaves begins. On that day alone, 3000 people believed.
Acts 2:41 KJV 41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
Although no one has of yet fully attained the promise of the resurrection, the Holy Spirit is our down payment.
Ephesians 1:13-14 NKJV 13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, 14 who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.
Christians can participate in Counting the Omer by preparing ourselves anew for a renewing of the gift of the Holy Spirit who gives us power to accomplish the harvest of souls. Peter and the apostles were preparing themselves for this gift. After Jesus ascended into heaven, the apostles returned to Jerusalem where they appointed a man to replace Judas.
Acts 1:21-22 NKJV 21 "Therefore, of these men who have accompanied us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 "beginning from the baptism of John to that day when He was taken up from us, one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection."
Peter was getting ready to receive the gift that Jesus told them to expect. He, along with all the apostles, was getting ready to witness to Jesus’ resurrection because Jesus told them that they would be witnesses!
John 15:26-27 NKJV 26 "But when the Helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify of Me. 27 "And you also will bear witness, because you have been with Me from the beginning.
We can spend the time like the disciples did, in prayer and praise blessing God.
שלום ברוך
Shalom and Be Blessed
Dan & Brenda Cathcart
Brenda and I are going to Israel June 19th to 30th. It is not too late to join us in the land promised to Abraham for this special tour where you will see the promised Messiah of Israel like you have never seen Him before! We will visit places off the beaten path and follow in the foot steps of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Join us as we also explore the people, culture, politics and conflict that is today’s Israel and a special Sabbath day in Jerusalem. For details on the tour visit www.tanizarelli.com/category/tours.
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Shalom: A Blessing and a Call to Action.
By Dan Cathcart
The Hebrew word Shalom שלם literally means “peace”. However, peace is only one small part of the meaning of the word Shalom. In Israel, the word Shalom is used on a daily basis to greet people. It is also used to bid farewell to people. However, Shalom means much more than peace, hello or goodbye.
A word study in the New King James version for Shalom says: Completeness, wholeness, health, peace, welfare, safety soundness, tranquility, prosperity, perfectness, fullness, rest, harmony, the absence of agitation or discord.
So in essence, when you speak out the word Shalom - you are not only proclaiming peace, but all the above meanings of the word over that person. You are placing a wonderful blessing on the person being greeted.
There is a related word in Hebrew that is spelled exactly the same it is Shalem שלם. It is from the Strongs #8004 and #8003 It means complete (literally or figuratively); especially friendly:--full, just, made ready, peaceable, perfect(-ed), quiet, Shalem (by mistake for a name), whole. Shalem, or in English, Salem, is also one of the early names for the city of Jerusalem also known as the City of Peace
The name Shalem suggests not only peace but perfection and completeness. The prophet Isaiah describes the time of Messiah as one of righteousness and peace that comes from trusting in God. Remember that Messiah (Jesus) is called the Prince of Peace, or in Hebrew Sar Shalom
Isaiah 26:1-3 MKJV 1 In that day this song shall be sung in the land of Judah: We have a strong city; He sets up salvation as our walls and banks. 2 Open the gates, and the righteous nation shall enter in, keeping faithfulness. 3 You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You; because he trusts in You.
In this passage the two words translated as “perfect peace” are a doublet in Hebrew or “shalom shalom”. This double word syntax is common in Hebrew and is used when extra emphasis is needed to communicate the importance of the message.
The idea of peace, perfection and completeness is emphasized by Melchizedek’s offering of bread and wine to Abram. Melchizedek was a priest of the Most High God and represented Messiah Yeshua’s eternal priesthood that is on a higher order than that of Aaron (see Psalms 110:4)
Genesis 14:18-19 MKJV 18 And Melchizedek the king of Salem brought forth bread and wine. And he was the priest of the most high God. 19 And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of Heaven and earth.
There is a third word derived from the same root and spelled exactly the same. It is Shalam שלם It is #7799 in the Strong’s and is a primitive root; to be safe (in mind, body or estate); figuratively, to be (causatively, make) completed; by implication, to be friendly; by extension, to reciprocate (in various applications):--make amends, (make an) end, finish, full, give again, make good, (re-)pay (again), (make) (to) (be at) peace(-able), that is perfect, perform, (make) prosper(-ous), recompense, render, requite, make restitution, restore, reward, X surely.
The prophet Zechariah says that during Messiah’s reign, he will again choose Jerusalem. And in Psalms it says those who love the Torah will have peace.
Zechariah 2:12 MKJV 12 And the LORD shall possess Judah, His portion in the holy land, and shall choose Jerusalem again.
Psalms 119:165 MKJV 165 Great peace is to those who love Your law (Torah), and there is no stumbling block for them.
Melchizedek was the king of righteousness, who reigned in the City of Peace, perfection or completeness. Yeshua (Jesus) will be our righteous king reigning as the Prince of Peace from the same city which will be restored and from which instruction in peace will flow.
Isa 54:13 All your children shall be taught by the LORD, And great shall be the peace of your children. (NKJV)
Shalom is also an action word. It recalls action and calls for action. Look and this Hebrew word picture of Shalom:
(Hebrew letters have meaning in themselves. When you put the individual meanings together, you gain a greater understanding of the word.)
Hebrew Word Picture: Hebrew is read right to left.
Peace: Shalom: שלם
ש Shin: Teeth, destroy, consume
ל Lamed: The staff, authority
ם Mem: Water, chaos
Peace or Shalom is to destroy the authority of chaos.
And who is the one who destroys the authority of chaos? Look at the word picture of the name of the City of Peace:
Hebrew Word Picture: Hebrew is read right to left.
Jerusalem: Yeruwshalaim: ירושלם
י Yod: Hand, actions, deeds
ר Resh: head, the highest, a person
ו Vav: nail, “and”, to secure
ש Shin: Teeth, destroy, consume
ל Lamed: The staff, authority
ם Mem: Water, chaos
Jerusalem: The hand of the highest secures the destruction of the authority of chaos.
As you can see there is a great depth of meaning to the simple Hebrew word Shalom, peace. The next time you great a friend, great him or her with Shalom and place this blessing on them as the LORD gave instruction found in Numbers:
Numbers 6:24-27 MKJV 24 The LORD bless you and keep you. 25 The LORD make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. 26 The LORD lift up His face to you and give you peace (Shalom).
At His ascension, Yeshua greets and blesses His disciples with this very benediction.
John 20:21 Then Jesus said to them again, Peace (Shalom) to you. As My Father has sent Me, even so I send you. 22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, Receive the Holy Spirit. (MKJV)
In the Gospel of Luke it records that Jesus "lifted His hands and blessed them". This is the same procedure done by the High Priest at the temple after he comes out of the Holy of Holies on Yom Kippur. Only the High Priest was authorized to give this blessing (Numbers 6:24-26). The LORD gave Moses instruction to tell Aaron to give the blessing, not for Moses to do it. It could only be done AFTER the High Priest made the annual atonement before the Mercy Seat in the Holy of Holies.
When Yeshua gives this blessing over His disciples, He had already made the necessary atonement before the heavenly Mercy Seat as our High Priest of the higher order of Melchizedek and was now commissioning the disciples and empowering them. What a powerful word "Shalom".
שלום ברוך
Shalom and Be blessed
Brenda and I are going to Israel June 19-30 2010. We will be co-hosting this special tour of the land promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob where we will be teaching from our study series "Shadows of the Messiah in the Torah". You too can join us on this unique tour off the tourist path and into the true Heart of Israel. Space is still available. Go to www.tanizarelli.com/tours for registration and more information.
The Hebrew word Shalom שלם literally means “peace”. However, peace is only one small part of the meaning of the word Shalom. In Israel, the word Shalom is used on a daily basis to greet people. It is also used to bid farewell to people. However, Shalom means much more than peace, hello or goodbye.
A word study in the New King James version for Shalom says: Completeness, wholeness, health, peace, welfare, safety soundness, tranquility, prosperity, perfectness, fullness, rest, harmony, the absence of agitation or discord.
So in essence, when you speak out the word Shalom - you are not only proclaiming peace, but all the above meanings of the word over that person. You are placing a wonderful blessing on the person being greeted.
There is a related word in Hebrew that is spelled exactly the same it is Shalem שלם. It is from the Strongs #8004 and #8003 It means complete (literally or figuratively); especially friendly:--full, just, made ready, peaceable, perfect(-ed), quiet, Shalem (by mistake for a name), whole. Shalem, or in English, Salem, is also one of the early names for the city of Jerusalem also known as the City of Peace
The name Shalem suggests not only peace but perfection and completeness. The prophet Isaiah describes the time of Messiah as one of righteousness and peace that comes from trusting in God. Remember that Messiah (Jesus) is called the Prince of Peace, or in Hebrew Sar Shalom
Isaiah 26:1-3 MKJV 1 In that day this song shall be sung in the land of Judah: We have a strong city; He sets up salvation as our walls and banks. 2 Open the gates, and the righteous nation shall enter in, keeping faithfulness. 3 You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You; because he trusts in You.
In this passage the two words translated as “perfect peace” are a doublet in Hebrew or “shalom shalom”. This double word syntax is common in Hebrew and is used when extra emphasis is needed to communicate the importance of the message.
The idea of peace, perfection and completeness is emphasized by Melchizedek’s offering of bread and wine to Abram. Melchizedek was a priest of the Most High God and represented Messiah Yeshua’s eternal priesthood that is on a higher order than that of Aaron (see Psalms 110:4)
Genesis 14:18-19 MKJV 18 And Melchizedek the king of Salem brought forth bread and wine. And he was the priest of the most high God. 19 And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of Heaven and earth.
There is a third word derived from the same root and spelled exactly the same. It is Shalam שלם It is #7799 in the Strong’s and is a primitive root; to be safe (in mind, body or estate); figuratively, to be (causatively, make) completed; by implication, to be friendly; by extension, to reciprocate (in various applications):--make amends, (make an) end, finish, full, give again, make good, (re-)pay (again), (make) (to) (be at) peace(-able), that is perfect, perform, (make) prosper(-ous), recompense, render, requite, make restitution, restore, reward, X surely.
The prophet Zechariah says that during Messiah’s reign, he will again choose Jerusalem. And in Psalms it says those who love the Torah will have peace.
Zechariah 2:12 MKJV 12 And the LORD shall possess Judah, His portion in the holy land, and shall choose Jerusalem again.
Psalms 119:165 MKJV 165 Great peace is to those who love Your law (Torah), and there is no stumbling block for them.
Melchizedek was the king of righteousness, who reigned in the City of Peace, perfection or completeness. Yeshua (Jesus) will be our righteous king reigning as the Prince of Peace from the same city which will be restored and from which instruction in peace will flow.
Isa 54:13 All your children shall be taught by the LORD, And great shall be the peace of your children. (NKJV)
Shalom is also an action word. It recalls action and calls for action. Look and this Hebrew word picture of Shalom:
(Hebrew letters have meaning in themselves. When you put the individual meanings together, you gain a greater understanding of the word.)
Hebrew Word Picture: Hebrew is read right to left.
Peace: Shalom: שלם
ש Shin: Teeth, destroy, consume
ל Lamed: The staff, authority
ם Mem: Water, chaos
Peace or Shalom is to destroy the authority of chaos.
And who is the one who destroys the authority of chaos? Look at the word picture of the name of the City of Peace:
Hebrew Word Picture: Hebrew is read right to left.
Jerusalem: Yeruwshalaim: ירושלם
י Yod: Hand, actions, deeds
ר Resh: head, the highest, a person
ו Vav: nail, “and”, to secure
ש Shin: Teeth, destroy, consume
ל Lamed: The staff, authority
ם Mem: Water, chaos
Jerusalem: The hand of the highest secures the destruction of the authority of chaos.
As you can see there is a great depth of meaning to the simple Hebrew word Shalom, peace. The next time you great a friend, great him or her with Shalom and place this blessing on them as the LORD gave instruction found in Numbers:
Numbers 6:24-27 MKJV 24 The LORD bless you and keep you. 25 The LORD make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. 26 The LORD lift up His face to you and give you peace (Shalom).
At His ascension, Yeshua greets and blesses His disciples with this very benediction.
John 20:21 Then Jesus said to them again, Peace (Shalom) to you. As My Father has sent Me, even so I send you. 22 And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, Receive the Holy Spirit. (MKJV)
In the Gospel of Luke it records that Jesus "lifted His hands and blessed them". This is the same procedure done by the High Priest at the temple after he comes out of the Holy of Holies on Yom Kippur. Only the High Priest was authorized to give this blessing (Numbers 6:24-26). The LORD gave Moses instruction to tell Aaron to give the blessing, not for Moses to do it. It could only be done AFTER the High Priest made the annual atonement before the Mercy Seat in the Holy of Holies.
When Yeshua gives this blessing over His disciples, He had already made the necessary atonement before the heavenly Mercy Seat as our High Priest of the higher order of Melchizedek and was now commissioning the disciples and empowering them. What a powerful word "Shalom".
שלום ברוך
Shalom and Be blessed
Brenda and I are going to Israel June 19-30 2010. We will be co-hosting this special tour of the land promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob where we will be teaching from our study series "Shadows of the Messiah in the Torah". You too can join us on this unique tour off the tourist path and into the true Heart of Israel. Space is still available. Go to www.tanizarelli.com/tours for registration and more information.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Shadows of the Messiah in the Torah - Vol. 2 Now Available
Brenda and I are proud to announce the publication of our 2nd book in the Shadows of the Messiah in the Torah series. It is now available from El Shaddai Ministries. This series is design for a home study group to introduce Hebrew Roots concepts to your friends and neighbors. Each volume contains 12 independent lessons that are non-sequential. That is, they don't need to be presented in any specific order.
These books are 3 hole punched and come bound in a temporary binding designed to be discarded and the materials placed in your own 3 ring binder. Each lesson consists of a "leader's" section and a "student notes" section for you to make copies of for each of your group participants. There are also general handouts in each volume covering general topics common to many lessons in the volume.
Brenda and I are very excited to offer this important material. It is our prayer that it will be put to good use in reaching more of the mainstream Christian community. Our theme verse is taken from Luke 24:27 "And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he (Jesus) explained to them what was in all the scriptures concerning himself." This series will eventually consist of 4 volumes of 48 lessons total.
To purchase the Shadows of the Messiah in the Torah books, please visit the El Shaddai Ministries web store at www.elshaddaiministries.us/storefront/sotmit.html
שלום ברוך
Shalom and Be Blessed
Dan & Brenda Cathcart
Brenda and I are going to Israel next June 19th to 29th. You can join us in the land promised to Abraham for a special tour where you will see the promised Messiah of Israel like you have never seen Him before! We will visit places off the beaten path and follow in the foot steps of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Join us as we also explore the people, culture, politics and conflict that is today’s Israel and a special Sabbath day in Jerusalem. For details on the tour visit www.tanizarelli.com and click on tours.
These books are 3 hole punched and come bound in a temporary binding designed to be discarded and the materials placed in your own 3 ring binder. Each lesson consists of a "leader's" section and a "student notes" section for you to make copies of for each of your group participants. There are also general handouts in each volume covering general topics common to many lessons in the volume.
Brenda and I are very excited to offer this important material. It is our prayer that it will be put to good use in reaching more of the mainstream Christian community. Our theme verse is taken from Luke 24:27 "And beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he (Jesus) explained to them what was in all the scriptures concerning himself." This series will eventually consist of 4 volumes of 48 lessons total.
To purchase the Shadows of the Messiah in the Torah books, please visit the El Shaddai Ministries web store at www.elshaddaiministries.us/storefront/sotmit.html
שלום ברוך
Shalom and Be Blessed
Dan & Brenda Cathcart
Brenda and I are going to Israel next June 19th to 29th. You can join us in the land promised to Abraham for a special tour where you will see the promised Messiah of Israel like you have never seen Him before! We will visit places off the beaten path and follow in the foot steps of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Join us as we also explore the people, culture, politics and conflict that is today’s Israel and a special Sabbath day in Jerusalem. For details on the tour visit www.tanizarelli.com and click on tours.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Code breaking and the Gospel
By Dan Cathcart
During WWII there was a relatively unknown place called Bletchley Park located in northern England. Something extraordinary took place there that arguably contributed most to the allied victory in the war. “The park” as it was known, was the center of the most secret operation of the war effort, the breaking of the German Enigma code. It is a fascinating story involving mathematics and intuition and much has been written about it.
What does this have to do with the Gospel of Jesus and God’s word? Nothing directly, but much has also been written about so called bible codes. A recent popular documentary style book and movie called The Da Vinci Code purporting to reveal the “historic Jesus” was purely a work of fiction using many of the extra-biblical texts as a basis for the story. For those not well grounded in the word of God, the deception is both intriguing and convincing.
This has played into the hands of many critics and scholars who propose disturbing questions about what they call the “historic Jesus.” Their implication is that Jesus is someone vastly different than the Jesus of the Bible. A recent History Channel presentation on the Extra Biblical texts called Banned from the Bible is a case in point. Only viewpoints of secular scholars and the most liberal of Pastors and Rabbis were consulted or interviewed for the program. As a result of these types of books and programs, people are asking questions about the “real Jesus”. Questions about the veracity and accuracy of the scripture. In many ways, I say bring it on. If the Bible as we have it today is the true Word of God, then it will be able to stand the scrutiny.
How do we really know that the church canonized the correct gospels? Why is Matthew, Mark, Luke and John acceptable where Thomas, Judas and Mary Magdalene not? The premise behind Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code is that the Roman Catholic Church suppressed the “authentic” gospels for some sinister and hidden purpose. This, of course, comes across looking like an organized conspiracy, but I don’t think that is the case here.
If the church was really bent on hiding the real historic Jesus from the world, then perhaps they would have been better off to have canonized the Gnostic gospels and built a “superhero” type of character out of Jesus. The only conspiracy here is one of ignorance, prejudice, theological confusion and outright anti-Semitism.
So what is the real secret code hidden in the scripture? What is the “Enigma” of the Gospels? When we develop the tools of understanding and prepare ourselves to read the scriptures from its original cultural and historic perspective, the answer becomes clear: Jesus was a Jew. Most everyone knows that Jesus was a Jew as a point of fact, but do we really understand this simple concept and all that it implies?
For centuries, the church tried to hide this embarrassing secret. From the early second century on through the middle ages and the reformation, the church has ignored or outright denied the Jewishness of the Messiah. If it were possible to erase this fact from the Bible, Christianity would have done so long ago.
The Christian culture of historic Europe is steeped in anti-Semitism. From the popes and reformers, to the art and architecture, the clues are everywhere. Take the famous painting of the Last Supper by Leonardo Da Vinci for example. Several things are quickly evident to the educated eye. The bread on the table is not the unleavened bread of the Passover Seder as it should be. All the disciples are dressed and look like Europeans with the exception of Judas, the lone Jew in the painting. This is a classic example of the centuries old denial by the church as to the Jewishness of Jesus.
All the first so-called Christians were Jews! Read the accounts in the book of acts where thousands were saved. They were all Jews and many were the priests from the Temple! They believed that Jesus was the promised Messiah, the rightful heir to David’s throne. His death and resurrection were the primary evidence along with His genealogy (Matthew chapter 1). The next time you read the accounts in the Book of Acts, consider this: those first Christians did not consider themselves Christians. The word “Christian” had not yet been coined and they did not even imagine a religion called Christianity. They were all Jews practicing Judaism just as they had been taught their entire lives. They went to the Temple with their offerings and sacrifices, they attended the synagogue and studied the Torah (law in the NT Greek text). They were Jews before recognizing Jesus as their Messiah and remained Jews after recognizing Jesus as their Messiah.
It was only in the second century that Christianity emerged as a distinct religion separate from Judaism. The path to this distinction is complex and steeped in the culture and politics of the day and I am not going to examine it here. Suffice to say that as more and more gentiles came to faith in Jesus and through systematic persecutions and Jewish revolts against Rome, Jewish believers disappeared into obscurity and a gentile Greek/Roman cultural Christianity emerged and grew more and more dominant. Finally in the early fourth century this new religion became the “official” religion of the Roman Empire under Emperor Constantine.
The one thing preserved throughout this turbulent history are the many sacred writings of the early church, the Gospels and Epistles left behind by the early Jewish believers. These testify to the Jewishness of Jesus and the original faith. But the evidence of this is in a kind of hidden code. Not because the early believers intended to write in code, but we, in our modern world, are two thousand years removed culturally, linguistically, and historically from them. Today we read those very same ancient writings without suspecting or recognizing any “hidden” code.
If we fail to aknowledge the “code”, we loose the capacity to understand the Gospels as the writers intended them to be understood. We read the words without real comprehension. We tend to make up meanings to fit our culture and our place in today’s world. The real historical teachings of Jesus are lost.
When a code is deciphered, such as those done at Bletchley Park, a “crib” is used. A crib is a kind of guide or cheat sheet. It, in simple terms, eliminates the improbable or impossible solutions to the cipher allowing one to dramatically reduce the work needed to solve it correctly. There were actually two cribs used for a given cipher: one was mathematically based on the known parameters of the cipher process, (the Enigma machine itself, captured and analyzed.) The other was more intuitive and focused on the human elements of communication. For example, you may have a favorite author. This author has their own unique style of writing that you would recognize even if you only had a page or two from a book of theirs that you have never read before. The same is true of reading a cipher. The German Enigma operators and Commanders made a serious mistake in that they allowed the same people to create and send the coded messages day after day from the same location. The cryptanalysts at The Park began to recognize these same patterns of style in the encrypted messages they were tasked to decode. In other words, they began to give themselves away by becoming predictable.
In the same way, there is an under laying “human element” code embedded in Gospels and Epistles of the Bible. In order to decipher this code, it requires a change in our paradigm of thought. We must put ourselves in the mindset of the Jew in the late second-Temple era. We need to find the “crib” that fits the “code” embedded in the scriptures. The best way to do this is to gather more data. Our data source is the vast amount of Jewish literature and scholarly works done in this same period or before.
In the late second century, the Jewish people found themselves scattered to the far corners of the Roman Empire. They were literally forced out of Jerusalem and much of the homeland they had occupied for centuries. The Jewish sages, knowing that their culture and religion could be lost, began to compile the traditional oral teachings that had been handed down to them from their teachers for generations. The first of these was called the Mishnah. This written form of the oral teachings could then be “transmitted” throughout the world wherever Jews were and maintain their tradition, culture, and identity. Later came the Gamara, a commentary on the works in the Mishnah. Together these formed the large volume of writings called the Talmud. There is also a collection of oral teachings and interpretations of the Bible known as the Midrash. The Midrash is a source of many parables very similar in nature and topic to those recorded in the Gospels and attributed to Jesus. The use of parables as a teaching and interpretation tool was a common practice in the second Temple era.
If we examine these rabbinic works and compare them with the Gospels, we will notice the patterns of similarity. In many cases, one will find the identical parables that Jesus used in His teaching in the Midrash. Many of the maxims, parables and sayings recorded by the rabbis are in the same linguistic style as the Gospels. In other words, they contain the same cultural clues giving us the human element “crib” we need to “decode” the scripture. This lifts the veil of obscurity from the text of the Bible and allows us to look at it from its intended historic and cultural perspective.
The gospel code is real and can be broken. The original communication can be recovered with the right tools and the right process. There is an abundance of rabbinic literature in the Jewish world from which to draw our code-breaking skills from. We can not only examine the scripture in a new and exciting light, but we will quickly understand that works of pure fiction like The Da Vinci Code are just that, fiction. We can discover the intrinsic Jewishness of the Gospels thanks to the veracity and determination of the early Jewish sages who preserved the traditions and teachings. No second, third or fourth century church fathers could have manufactured such intrinsically Jewish documents as the Gospels. The early church founders were Greeks and Romans and given the politics of the second, third and fourth centuries, would have no motivation to keep anything Jewish in the Church. The fact that the Jewishness of the New Testament scriptures remains intact, is a testament to the power of God working through ignorant and even hostile and violently anti-Semitic gentile leaders of the period.
We can use our new found “crib” to test the authenticity of the Gnostic Gospels and other apocryphal writings of early Christianity. When we do so, we quickly find that these writings just don’t hold up to the test. Under the light of Judaism, they are exposed for the counterfeits that they are.
שלום ברוך
Shalom and Be Blessed
Brenda and I are going to Israel next June 19th to 29th. Join us in the land promised to Abraham for a special tour where you will see the promised Messiah of Israel like you have never seen Him before! We will visit places off the beaten path and follow in the foot steps of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Come with us as we also explore the people, culture, politics and conflict that is today’s Israel and for a special Sabbath day in Jerusalem. For details on the tour visit www.theheartofisrael.com .
During WWII there was a relatively unknown place called Bletchley Park located in northern England. Something extraordinary took place there that arguably contributed most to the allied victory in the war. “The park” as it was known, was the center of the most secret operation of the war effort, the breaking of the German Enigma code. It is a fascinating story involving mathematics and intuition and much has been written about it.
What does this have to do with the Gospel of Jesus and God’s word? Nothing directly, but much has also been written about so called bible codes. A recent popular documentary style book and movie called The Da Vinci Code purporting to reveal the “historic Jesus” was purely a work of fiction using many of the extra-biblical texts as a basis for the story. For those not well grounded in the word of God, the deception is both intriguing and convincing.
This has played into the hands of many critics and scholars who propose disturbing questions about what they call the “historic Jesus.” Their implication is that Jesus is someone vastly different than the Jesus of the Bible. A recent History Channel presentation on the Extra Biblical texts called Banned from the Bible is a case in point. Only viewpoints of secular scholars and the most liberal of Pastors and Rabbis were consulted or interviewed for the program. As a result of these types of books and programs, people are asking questions about the “real Jesus”. Questions about the veracity and accuracy of the scripture. In many ways, I say bring it on. If the Bible as we have it today is the true Word of God, then it will be able to stand the scrutiny.
How do we really know that the church canonized the correct gospels? Why is Matthew, Mark, Luke and John acceptable where Thomas, Judas and Mary Magdalene not? The premise behind Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code is that the Roman Catholic Church suppressed the “authentic” gospels for some sinister and hidden purpose. This, of course, comes across looking like an organized conspiracy, but I don’t think that is the case here.
If the church was really bent on hiding the real historic Jesus from the world, then perhaps they would have been better off to have canonized the Gnostic gospels and built a “superhero” type of character out of Jesus. The only conspiracy here is one of ignorance, prejudice, theological confusion and outright anti-Semitism.
So what is the real secret code hidden in the scripture? What is the “Enigma” of the Gospels? When we develop the tools of understanding and prepare ourselves to read the scriptures from its original cultural and historic perspective, the answer becomes clear: Jesus was a Jew. Most everyone knows that Jesus was a Jew as a point of fact, but do we really understand this simple concept and all that it implies?
For centuries, the church tried to hide this embarrassing secret. From the early second century on through the middle ages and the reformation, the church has ignored or outright denied the Jewishness of the Messiah. If it were possible to erase this fact from the Bible, Christianity would have done so long ago.
The Christian culture of historic Europe is steeped in anti-Semitism. From the popes and reformers, to the art and architecture, the clues are everywhere. Take the famous painting of the Last Supper by Leonardo Da Vinci for example. Several things are quickly evident to the educated eye. The bread on the table is not the unleavened bread of the Passover Seder as it should be. All the disciples are dressed and look like Europeans with the exception of Judas, the lone Jew in the painting. This is a classic example of the centuries old denial by the church as to the Jewishness of Jesus.
All the first so-called Christians were Jews! Read the accounts in the book of acts where thousands were saved. They were all Jews and many were the priests from the Temple! They believed that Jesus was the promised Messiah, the rightful heir to David’s throne. His death and resurrection were the primary evidence along with His genealogy (Matthew chapter 1). The next time you read the accounts in the Book of Acts, consider this: those first Christians did not consider themselves Christians. The word “Christian” had not yet been coined and they did not even imagine a religion called Christianity. They were all Jews practicing Judaism just as they had been taught their entire lives. They went to the Temple with their offerings and sacrifices, they attended the synagogue and studied the Torah (law in the NT Greek text). They were Jews before recognizing Jesus as their Messiah and remained Jews after recognizing Jesus as their Messiah.
It was only in the second century that Christianity emerged as a distinct religion separate from Judaism. The path to this distinction is complex and steeped in the culture and politics of the day and I am not going to examine it here. Suffice to say that as more and more gentiles came to faith in Jesus and through systematic persecutions and Jewish revolts against Rome, Jewish believers disappeared into obscurity and a gentile Greek/Roman cultural Christianity emerged and grew more and more dominant. Finally in the early fourth century this new religion became the “official” religion of the Roman Empire under Emperor Constantine.
The one thing preserved throughout this turbulent history are the many sacred writings of the early church, the Gospels and Epistles left behind by the early Jewish believers. These testify to the Jewishness of Jesus and the original faith. But the evidence of this is in a kind of hidden code. Not because the early believers intended to write in code, but we, in our modern world, are two thousand years removed culturally, linguistically, and historically from them. Today we read those very same ancient writings without suspecting or recognizing any “hidden” code.
If we fail to aknowledge the “code”, we loose the capacity to understand the Gospels as the writers intended them to be understood. We read the words without real comprehension. We tend to make up meanings to fit our culture and our place in today’s world. The real historical teachings of Jesus are lost.
When a code is deciphered, such as those done at Bletchley Park, a “crib” is used. A crib is a kind of guide or cheat sheet. It, in simple terms, eliminates the improbable or impossible solutions to the cipher allowing one to dramatically reduce the work needed to solve it correctly. There were actually two cribs used for a given cipher: one was mathematically based on the known parameters of the cipher process, (the Enigma machine itself, captured and analyzed.) The other was more intuitive and focused on the human elements of communication. For example, you may have a favorite author. This author has their own unique style of writing that you would recognize even if you only had a page or two from a book of theirs that you have never read before. The same is true of reading a cipher. The German Enigma operators and Commanders made a serious mistake in that they allowed the same people to create and send the coded messages day after day from the same location. The cryptanalysts at The Park began to recognize these same patterns of style in the encrypted messages they were tasked to decode. In other words, they began to give themselves away by becoming predictable.
In the same way, there is an under laying “human element” code embedded in Gospels and Epistles of the Bible. In order to decipher this code, it requires a change in our paradigm of thought. We must put ourselves in the mindset of the Jew in the late second-Temple era. We need to find the “crib” that fits the “code” embedded in the scriptures. The best way to do this is to gather more data. Our data source is the vast amount of Jewish literature and scholarly works done in this same period or before.
In the late second century, the Jewish people found themselves scattered to the far corners of the Roman Empire. They were literally forced out of Jerusalem and much of the homeland they had occupied for centuries. The Jewish sages, knowing that their culture and religion could be lost, began to compile the traditional oral teachings that had been handed down to them from their teachers for generations. The first of these was called the Mishnah. This written form of the oral teachings could then be “transmitted” throughout the world wherever Jews were and maintain their tradition, culture, and identity. Later came the Gamara, a commentary on the works in the Mishnah. Together these formed the large volume of writings called the Talmud. There is also a collection of oral teachings and interpretations of the Bible known as the Midrash. The Midrash is a source of many parables very similar in nature and topic to those recorded in the Gospels and attributed to Jesus. The use of parables as a teaching and interpretation tool was a common practice in the second Temple era.
If we examine these rabbinic works and compare them with the Gospels, we will notice the patterns of similarity. In many cases, one will find the identical parables that Jesus used in His teaching in the Midrash. Many of the maxims, parables and sayings recorded by the rabbis are in the same linguistic style as the Gospels. In other words, they contain the same cultural clues giving us the human element “crib” we need to “decode” the scripture. This lifts the veil of obscurity from the text of the Bible and allows us to look at it from its intended historic and cultural perspective.
The gospel code is real and can be broken. The original communication can be recovered with the right tools and the right process. There is an abundance of rabbinic literature in the Jewish world from which to draw our code-breaking skills from. We can not only examine the scripture in a new and exciting light, but we will quickly understand that works of pure fiction like The Da Vinci Code are just that, fiction. We can discover the intrinsic Jewishness of the Gospels thanks to the veracity and determination of the early Jewish sages who preserved the traditions and teachings. No second, third or fourth century church fathers could have manufactured such intrinsically Jewish documents as the Gospels. The early church founders were Greeks and Romans and given the politics of the second, third and fourth centuries, would have no motivation to keep anything Jewish in the Church. The fact that the Jewishness of the New Testament scriptures remains intact, is a testament to the power of God working through ignorant and even hostile and violently anti-Semitic gentile leaders of the period.
We can use our new found “crib” to test the authenticity of the Gnostic Gospels and other apocryphal writings of early Christianity. When we do so, we quickly find that these writings just don’t hold up to the test. Under the light of Judaism, they are exposed for the counterfeits that they are.
שלום ברוך
Shalom and Be Blessed
Brenda and I are going to Israel next June 19th to 29th. Join us in the land promised to Abraham for a special tour where you will see the promised Messiah of Israel like you have never seen Him before! We will visit places off the beaten path and follow in the foot steps of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Come with us as we also explore the people, culture, politics and conflict that is today’s Israel and for a special Sabbath day in Jerusalem. For details on the tour visit www.theheartofisrael.com .
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
The Birth of Jesus (Yeshua)
By Brenda Cathcart.
It is at this time of year that Beleivers around the world celebrate the birth of Jesus whose Hebrew name is Yeshua which means He will save.
Matthew 1:21 MKJV 21 And she shall bear a son, and you shall call His name JESUS: for He shall save His people from their sins.
For Christians everywhere, it is a time of great joy. The words of the angels as they announce his birth convey that feeling of joy.
Luke 2:10-14 MKJV 10 And the angel said to them, Do not fear. For behold, I give to you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11 For to you is born today, in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this is a sign to you. You will find the babe wrapped, lying in a manger. 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, 14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
The location of His birth has deep symbolic meaning. He was born in the City of David, Bethlehem, in the region called Ephratah. (Micah 5:2) Bethlehem means the house of bread and Ephratah means fruitfulness. Jesus was born in the house of bread in the region of fruitfulness. He is the Bread of Life.
John 6:33-35 MKJV 33 For the bread of God is He who comes down from Heaven and gives life to the world. 34 Then they said to him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. 35 And Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes on Me shall never thirst.
He tells His followers that those who remain in Him will be fruitful.
John 15:1-2 MKJV 1 I am the True Vine, and My Father is the Vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away. And every one that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bring forth more fruit.
What else do we know about Bethlehem? Its first mention in scripture is in connection with Rachel. Rachel’s name means ewe lamb. Jesus is the Lamb of God.
John 1:29 MKJV 29 The next day John sees Jesus coming to him and says, Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
Rachel, like Mary, gave birth at Bethlehem. Her son Benjamin was born as she died.
Genesis 35:16-20 MKJV 16 And they moved from Bethel. And there was only a length of land to come to Ephrath. And Rachel travailed, and she had hard labor in her bearing. 17 And it happened when she was in hard labor in her bearing, the midwife said to her, Do not fear, you shall have this son also. 18 And it happened as her soul was departing (for she died) that she called his name Benoni. But his father called him Benjamin. 19 And Rachel died and was buried in the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem. 20 And Jacob set up a pillar upon her grave. That is the pillar of Rachel's grave to this day.
Benjamin’s name whose birth is at Bethlehem is a foreshadow of Jesus. Rachel called him Benoni which means son of my sorrow referring to Jesus’ first coming as a man of sorrows.
Isaiah 53:3 MKJV 3 He is despised and rejected of men; a Man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as it were a hiding of faces from Him, He being despised, and we esteemed Him not.
Interestingly, it is the sorrow of Rachel that foreshadows the sorrow of Jesus. He expresses that sorrow over Jerusalem.
Jeremiah 31:15-17 MKJV 15 So says the LORD: A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and bitter weeping; Rachel weeping for her sons; she refuses to be comforted for her sons, because they are not. 16 So says the LORD: Hold back your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears; for your work shall be rewarded, says the LORD. And they shall come again from the land of the enemy. 17 And there is hope for your future, says the LORD, that your sons shall come again to their own border.
Luke 13:34 MKJV 34 Jerusalem! Jerusalem! The one killing the prophets, and stoning those having been sent to her; how often I desired to gather your children in the way a hen gathers her brood under the wings, and you did not desire it.
Luke 19:41-42 MKJV 41 And as He drew near, He beheld the city and wept over it, 42 saying, If you had known, even you, even at least in this day of yours, the things for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.
Jesus goes on to say that He will return when they can say “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD.
Luke 13:35 MKJV 35 Behold, your house is left to you desolate. And truly I say to you, You will not see Me until it come when you say, Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.
Jacob, also called Israel, named him Benjamin which means son of my right hand. This speaks of His resurrection and second coming. Jesus even now sits at God’s right hand waiting for His enemies to be put under His feet.
Hebrews 12:2 MKJV 2 looking to Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right of the throne of God.
Rachel was buried just outside of Bethlehem. Her burial tomb is there to this day near the tower of Edar. The Tower of Edar is the “Tower of the Flock” built to watch over the sheep around Bethlehem. The flocks around Bethlehem were the temple flocks and the shepherds were all Levites. It was from these flocks that the sacrifices were chosen. Jesus, the lamb of God was born among the sheep of God’s pasture. It is to these shepherds that the announcement is made of the birth of a very special lamb.
Luke 2:8-9 NKJV 8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.
Since the shepherds were living in the field, we know that this cannot be in the winter time. In the winter near Bethlehem and Jerusalem, the nights are too cold to keep the sheep out at night. When is the most likely time that Jesus was born? To answer that, we can look at His death. His death and resurrection were at the Feasts of Passover, Unleavened Bread, and Firstfruits. These Feasts commemorate the Israelites redemption from Egypt foreshadowing their redemption from sin accomplished by Jesus’ death and resurrection. If we look to the Feasts of the LORD for His birth, the Feast of Tabernacles in the fall is the most likely time He was born. The Feast is to be celebrated with great joy.
Leviticus 23:40 MKJV 40 And you shall take the fruit of majestic trees for yourselves on the first day, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook. And you shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days.
Deuteronomy 16:14-15 NKJV 14 "And you shall rejoice in your feast, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant and the Levite, the stranger and the fatherless and the widow, who are within your gates.
This Feast commemorates their time in the wilderness when God dwelt among them His shekinah glory visible over the Tabernacle for all to see. John speaks of the birth of Jesus as the Living Word of God dwelling with man.
John 1:14 NKJV 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
Rejoice in the birth of Jesus, Yeshua, who comes to save us from our sins. And next year, at the Feast of Tabernacles, take some time and learn about this feast which is one of God’s ordained times during which He promises to meet with His people. It has prophetic significance equal to that of Passover.
שלום ברוך
Shalom and Be Blessed
Dan & Brenda Cathcart
Dan and I are going “home” to Israel next June 19th to 29th and so can you. Join us in the land promised to Abraham for a special tour where you will see the promised Messiah of Israel like you have never seen Him before! We will visit places off the beaten path and follow in the foot steps of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Join us as we also explore the people, culture, politics and conflict that is today’s Israel and a special Sabbath day in Jerusalem. For details on the tour visit www.theheartofisrael.com .
It is at this time of year that Beleivers around the world celebrate the birth of Jesus whose Hebrew name is Yeshua which means He will save.
Matthew 1:21 MKJV 21 And she shall bear a son, and you shall call His name JESUS: for He shall save His people from their sins.
For Christians everywhere, it is a time of great joy. The words of the angels as they announce his birth convey that feeling of joy.
Luke 2:10-14 MKJV 10 And the angel said to them, Do not fear. For behold, I give to you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11 For to you is born today, in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this is a sign to you. You will find the babe wrapped, lying in a manger. 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God and saying, 14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
The location of His birth has deep symbolic meaning. He was born in the City of David, Bethlehem, in the region called Ephratah. (Micah 5:2) Bethlehem means the house of bread and Ephratah means fruitfulness. Jesus was born in the house of bread in the region of fruitfulness. He is the Bread of Life.
John 6:33-35 MKJV 33 For the bread of God is He who comes down from Heaven and gives life to the world. 34 Then they said to him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. 35 And Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes on Me shall never thirst.
He tells His followers that those who remain in Him will be fruitful.
John 15:1-2 MKJV 1 I am the True Vine, and My Father is the Vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away. And every one that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bring forth more fruit.
What else do we know about Bethlehem? Its first mention in scripture is in connection with Rachel. Rachel’s name means ewe lamb. Jesus is the Lamb of God.
John 1:29 MKJV 29 The next day John sees Jesus coming to him and says, Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
Rachel, like Mary, gave birth at Bethlehem. Her son Benjamin was born as she died.
Genesis 35:16-20 MKJV 16 And they moved from Bethel. And there was only a length of land to come to Ephrath. And Rachel travailed, and she had hard labor in her bearing. 17 And it happened when she was in hard labor in her bearing, the midwife said to her, Do not fear, you shall have this son also. 18 And it happened as her soul was departing (for she died) that she called his name Benoni. But his father called him Benjamin. 19 And Rachel died and was buried in the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem. 20 And Jacob set up a pillar upon her grave. That is the pillar of Rachel's grave to this day.
Benjamin’s name whose birth is at Bethlehem is a foreshadow of Jesus. Rachel called him Benoni which means son of my sorrow referring to Jesus’ first coming as a man of sorrows.
Isaiah 53:3 MKJV 3 He is despised and rejected of men; a Man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as it were a hiding of faces from Him, He being despised, and we esteemed Him not.
Interestingly, it is the sorrow of Rachel that foreshadows the sorrow of Jesus. He expresses that sorrow over Jerusalem.
Jeremiah 31:15-17 MKJV 15 So says the LORD: A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and bitter weeping; Rachel weeping for her sons; she refuses to be comforted for her sons, because they are not. 16 So says the LORD: Hold back your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears; for your work shall be rewarded, says the LORD. And they shall come again from the land of the enemy. 17 And there is hope for your future, says the LORD, that your sons shall come again to their own border.
Luke 13:34 MKJV 34 Jerusalem! Jerusalem! The one killing the prophets, and stoning those having been sent to her; how often I desired to gather your children in the way a hen gathers her brood under the wings, and you did not desire it.
Luke 19:41-42 MKJV 41 And as He drew near, He beheld the city and wept over it, 42 saying, If you had known, even you, even at least in this day of yours, the things for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.
Jesus goes on to say that He will return when they can say “Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD.
Luke 13:35 MKJV 35 Behold, your house is left to you desolate. And truly I say to you, You will not see Me until it come when you say, Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.
Jacob, also called Israel, named him Benjamin which means son of my right hand. This speaks of His resurrection and second coming. Jesus even now sits at God’s right hand waiting for His enemies to be put under His feet.
Hebrews 12:2 MKJV 2 looking to Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right of the throne of God.
Rachel was buried just outside of Bethlehem. Her burial tomb is there to this day near the tower of Edar. The Tower of Edar is the “Tower of the Flock” built to watch over the sheep around Bethlehem. The flocks around Bethlehem were the temple flocks and the shepherds were all Levites. It was from these flocks that the sacrifices were chosen. Jesus, the lamb of God was born among the sheep of God’s pasture. It is to these shepherds that the announcement is made of the birth of a very special lamb.
Luke 2:8-9 NKJV 8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid.
Since the shepherds were living in the field, we know that this cannot be in the winter time. In the winter near Bethlehem and Jerusalem, the nights are too cold to keep the sheep out at night. When is the most likely time that Jesus was born? To answer that, we can look at His death. His death and resurrection were at the Feasts of Passover, Unleavened Bread, and Firstfruits. These Feasts commemorate the Israelites redemption from Egypt foreshadowing their redemption from sin accomplished by Jesus’ death and resurrection. If we look to the Feasts of the LORD for His birth, the Feast of Tabernacles in the fall is the most likely time He was born. The Feast is to be celebrated with great joy.
Leviticus 23:40 MKJV 40 And you shall take the fruit of majestic trees for yourselves on the first day, branches of palm trees, and the boughs of thick trees, and willows of the brook. And you shall rejoice before the LORD your God seven days.
Deuteronomy 16:14-15 NKJV 14 "And you shall rejoice in your feast, you and your son and your daughter, your male servant and your female servant and the Levite, the stranger and the fatherless and the widow, who are within your gates.
This Feast commemorates their time in the wilderness when God dwelt among them His shekinah glory visible over the Tabernacle for all to see. John speaks of the birth of Jesus as the Living Word of God dwelling with man.
John 1:14 NKJV 14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
Rejoice in the birth of Jesus, Yeshua, who comes to save us from our sins. And next year, at the Feast of Tabernacles, take some time and learn about this feast which is one of God’s ordained times during which He promises to meet with His people. It has prophetic significance equal to that of Passover.
שלום ברוך
Shalom and Be Blessed
Dan & Brenda Cathcart
Dan and I are going “home” to Israel next June 19th to 29th and so can you. Join us in the land promised to Abraham for a special tour where you will see the promised Messiah of Israel like you have never seen Him before! We will visit places off the beaten path and follow in the foot steps of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Join us as we also explore the people, culture, politics and conflict that is today’s Israel and a special Sabbath day in Jerusalem. For details on the tour visit www.theheartofisrael.com .
Monday, December 21, 2009
Is Christmas really a “pagan” holiday?
This time of year, a lot of well meaning messianic believers have sent to me or posted videos and essays on the pagan origins of Christmas and other traditional Christian holidays. I find them all very interesting but not anything new or containing any earth shattering revelations. It is all a matter of public record as to the origins of Christian holidays such as Christmas and Easter. Most of these videos or essays are completely true. But I have come to believe that they are counter-productive to true discipleship and the great commission found in the Gospel of Matthew:
Matthew 28:19 NKJV 19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
A vast majority of Christians are totally unaware of the pagan connections to traditional Christian holidays and festivals. They have never practiced the associated pagan rituals. For most, these Christian holidays and festivals are traditions that have been passed down from generation to generation and have totally lost their pagan roots. They are holidays full of meaning and miracles. Lives have been changed for the better at Christmas and Easter.
I cannot deny the positive effect that these holidays and have had on me, my family, and the people around me over the years. The Christmas season has been a special time of joy for me from my early childhood. If Christmas, as it is practiced today by believing Christians, is truly evil because of its origin, as some of the posts and essay would have you believe, then why does the LORD honor our service through it? Does Yeshua (Jesus) care more about the origin of this holiday or about the spirit in which believers practice it today? How many lives have been touched by the Christmas story? How many have been saved through an Easter Passion Play? As Christians, remember where we came from! To deny the effectiveness of these holidays in reaching souls for God is to deny the roots of our own salvation!
There is no biblical record of a date for the birth of Yeshua. There is plenty of research on the subject, and it can be shown that it could not have been on December 25th. So what? What difference does it really make? A date was chosen, perhaps out of convenience or for political reasons originally, and His birth is now celebrated on December 25th. Because it also is the date of some evil pagan ritual from ancient Rome, does that fact diminish the celebration of our Savior’s birth?
I believe that an over emphasis on the part of many in the Messianic movement as to the pagan origins of centuries old Christian traditions, is counter-productive to the mission of taking the Torah of God to the nations. How are we to reach out to Christians when the first thing out of our mouths is an insult to their beliefs and traditions? We are to make disciples, not adversaries. Show them what the Torah says and represent it to them. Let God do the changing.
Judaism of Yeshua’s day had many manmade traditions and nearly 2000 years of pagan influence since the giving of the Torah in the wilderness. Yeshua did not always reject the traditions of men. Take the minor festival of Hanukkah as an example. We read in the Gospel of John chapter 10 that:
John 10:22 NKJV 22 Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter.
This is Hanukkah. And Hanukkah was and is an entirely a manmade tradition. It is not to be found in the Bible among any of the appointed times spelled out in Leviticus 23 or anywhere else. Hanukkah is not even found in the Jewish scripture and yet Yeshua practiced it and taught His disciples about the deeper messianic meaning behind it.
There is nothing wrong with manmade traditions in the Church or Synagogue as long as they don’t contradict the Torah. Yeshua practiced many manmade traditions, but taught that salvation does not come from the practice of religion but by a faith in the saving grace from God. So during this Christmas season, let us remember who it is we are celebrating, not what we are celebrating. Let us join in the festival celebrating the birth of our Savior. Let us rejoice in the many new souls added to God’s kingdom through this time. It might really be the wrong date, and coincide with a long forgotten and dead pagan festival, but who really cares? Do you think Yeshua does?
שלום ברוך
Shalom and Be Blessed
Dan & Brenda Cathcart
Brenda and I are going to Israel next June 19th to 29th. You can join us in the land promised to Abraham for a special tour where you will see the promised Messiah of Israel like you have never seen Him before! We will visit places off the beaten path and follow in the foot steps of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Join us as we also explore the people, culture, politics and conflict that is today’s Israel and a special Sabbath day in Jerusalem. For details on the tour visit http://www.theheartofisrael.com/.
Matthew 28:19 NKJV 19 "Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
A vast majority of Christians are totally unaware of the pagan connections to traditional Christian holidays and festivals. They have never practiced the associated pagan rituals. For most, these Christian holidays and festivals are traditions that have been passed down from generation to generation and have totally lost their pagan roots. They are holidays full of meaning and miracles. Lives have been changed for the better at Christmas and Easter.
I cannot deny the positive effect that these holidays and have had on me, my family, and the people around me over the years. The Christmas season has been a special time of joy for me from my early childhood. If Christmas, as it is practiced today by believing Christians, is truly evil because of its origin, as some of the posts and essay would have you believe, then why does the LORD honor our service through it? Does Yeshua (Jesus) care more about the origin of this holiday or about the spirit in which believers practice it today? How many lives have been touched by the Christmas story? How many have been saved through an Easter Passion Play? As Christians, remember where we came from! To deny the effectiveness of these holidays in reaching souls for God is to deny the roots of our own salvation!
There is no biblical record of a date for the birth of Yeshua. There is plenty of research on the subject, and it can be shown that it could not have been on December 25th. So what? What difference does it really make? A date was chosen, perhaps out of convenience or for political reasons originally, and His birth is now celebrated on December 25th. Because it also is the date of some evil pagan ritual from ancient Rome, does that fact diminish the celebration of our Savior’s birth?
I believe that an over emphasis on the part of many in the Messianic movement as to the pagan origins of centuries old Christian traditions, is counter-productive to the mission of taking the Torah of God to the nations. How are we to reach out to Christians when the first thing out of our mouths is an insult to their beliefs and traditions? We are to make disciples, not adversaries. Show them what the Torah says and represent it to them. Let God do the changing.
Judaism of Yeshua’s day had many manmade traditions and nearly 2000 years of pagan influence since the giving of the Torah in the wilderness. Yeshua did not always reject the traditions of men. Take the minor festival of Hanukkah as an example. We read in the Gospel of John chapter 10 that:
John 10:22 NKJV 22 Now it was the Feast of Dedication in Jerusalem, and it was winter.
This is Hanukkah. And Hanukkah was and is an entirely a manmade tradition. It is not to be found in the Bible among any of the appointed times spelled out in Leviticus 23 or anywhere else. Hanukkah is not even found in the Jewish scripture and yet Yeshua practiced it and taught His disciples about the deeper messianic meaning behind it.
There is nothing wrong with manmade traditions in the Church or Synagogue as long as they don’t contradict the Torah. Yeshua practiced many manmade traditions, but taught that salvation does not come from the practice of religion but by a faith in the saving grace from God. So during this Christmas season, let us remember who it is we are celebrating, not what we are celebrating. Let us join in the festival celebrating the birth of our Savior. Let us rejoice in the many new souls added to God’s kingdom through this time. It might really be the wrong date, and coincide with a long forgotten and dead pagan festival, but who really cares? Do you think Yeshua does?
שלום ברוך
Shalom and Be Blessed
Dan & Brenda Cathcart
Brenda and I are going to Israel next June 19th to 29th. You can join us in the land promised to Abraham for a special tour where you will see the promised Messiah of Israel like you have never seen Him before! We will visit places off the beaten path and follow in the foot steps of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Join us as we also explore the people, culture, politics and conflict that is today’s Israel and a special Sabbath day in Jerusalem. For details on the tour visit http://www.theheartofisrael.com/.
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