Standing in support of Israel, Jews, and believers in all the nations, in the name of Jesus (Yeshua). Sharing biblical truth, encouragement, news and prophecy.
Every year at Rosh Hashanah, disciples of Jesus hear the shofar in anticipation of the future trumpet of Messiah. Jesus predicted that God will "send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather His elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other" (Matt. 24:31, MEV). He will gather, "His chosen ones" and bring them back to their land.
The daily prayers of the synagogue entreat God three times a day for the great blast of Messiah's shofar and the ingathering of all Israel:
"Blast the Great Shofar for our freedom. Lift a banner to gather our exiles, and quickly gather us together from the four corners of the earth to our land. Blessed are You, O LORD, who gathers the outcasts of His people Israel" (Amidah 10).
The "great shofar" of Messiah alludes to a prophecy in Isaiah:
"And in that day the great trumpet shall be blown, and those who were ready to perish in the land of Assyria and the outcasts in the land of Egypt shall worship the Lord in the holy mount at Jerusalem" (Is. 27:13, MEV).
The prophet Zechariah says that, although the LORD dispersed Israel as "the four winds of the heavens" (Zech 2:6), He will signal the exiles by "whistling" for them (Zech. 10:8). When the trumpet sounds, "They will come trembling like a bird out of Egypt and like a dove from the land of Assyria; And I will let them dwell in their houses, says the Lord" (Hos. 11:11). The LORD says, "though your outcasts are under the farthest part of the heavens, I will gather them from there and bring them back to the place where I have chosen to establish My name" (Neh. 1:9). Moses promised, He will "gather you from all the nations, where the Lord your God has scattered you. If any of you are driven out to the outmost parts of heaven, from there will the Lord your God gather you, and from there He will get you" (Deut. 30:3-4). Jesus says His angels will gather His elect from "the four winds," or from the four points of the compass:
"Do not fear, for I am with you; I will bring your descendants from the east, and gather you from the west; I will say to the north, "Give them up," and to the south, "Do not keep them back. Bring My sons from afar, and My daughters from the ends of the earth" (Is. 43:5-6, MEV).
The righteous dead will also hear the sounding of the shofar. Isaiah says, "All you inhabitants of the world, and dwellers on the earth: When he lifts up a banner on the mountains, you will see it; and when he blows a trumpet, you will hear it" (Is. 18:3, MEV).
The shofar of Messiah will awaken the righteous dead. They will rise and meet the Messiah in the air. Then God will quicken the bodies of those believers who are alive at the time of His coming. He will transform their bodies from the mortal state to the immortal state, and they will ascend, following the resurrected, to meet the Messiah:
"Listen, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet, for the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed" (1 Cor. 15:51-52, MEV).
Daniel Thomas Lancasteris a writer, teacher, and the Director of Education at the Messianic ministry of First Fruits of Zion (ffoz.org), an international ministry with offices in Israel, Canada, and USA, bringing Messianic Jewish teaching to Christians and Jews. He is the author of several books about the Jewish roots of Christianity, the Jewishness of the New Testament, and he is the author of the Torah Club Bible study program (torahclub.org). He also serves as the teaching pastor at Beth Immanuel (bethimmanuel.org), a Messianic Jewish synagogue in Hudson, Wisconsin.
3 Reasons Why you should read Life in the Spirit. 1) Get to know the Holy Spirit. 2) Learn to enter God's presence 3) Hear God's voice clearly! Go deeper!
Has God called you to be a leader? Ministry Today magazine is the source that Christian leaders who want to serve with passion and purpose turn to. Subscribe now and receive a free leadership book.
Did you enjoy this blog? Click here to receive it by email.
Members of God's church should look forward to the new Jubilee with gladness in their hearts. (Grant Berry)
What the New Jubilee Will Bring God's Church
"You shall count seven sabbathweeks of years, seven times seven years, and the time of the seven sabbaths of years shall be to you forty-nine years.Then you shall sound the horn blasts on the tenth day of the seventh month. On the Day of Atonement you shall make the sound of the horn throughout all your land.You shall consecrate the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land to all the inhabitants. It shall be a Jubilee to you, and each of you shall return to his possession, and every person shall return to his family.That fiftieth year will be a Jubilee for you. You shall neither sow nor reap that which grows by itself, nor gather the grapes of your unpruned vines.For it is the Jubilee. It shall be holy to you. You shall eat the produce of the field"(Lev. 25:8-12, MEV).
Recently I was having one of my usual prayer talks with my dear friend and co-worker, Rabbi Robert Wolff of Majestic Glory Ministries, and we were discussing the exact dates of the Jubilee year. Initially, we disagreed on when this period was because Bob was focused on the amazing occurrences that had taken place during this period in other Jubilees. However, as we reviewed it, we both soon recognized that these happenings actually took place at the beginning of the next Jubilee period and not in the Jubilee year itself.
On October 2, as we light the Rosh Hashanah candles, this Jubilee year will come to an end and we will commence the next official Jubilee period (50 years). What will it bring and what is anticipated during this most crucial time on the Earth?
However, before I address this, let me draw your attention to those occurrences that Bob raised in our discussion that actually took place at the beginning of other Jubilee periods.
On December 11, 1917, General Edmund Allenby of the British forces, a believing Christian, dismounted his horse, and humbly walked through the Jaffa Gate to commemorate the taking back of Jerusalem from Islam. In the same year the League of Nations declared the area as a homeland for the Jewish people.
In 1967, exactly 50 years later, at the beginning of the next Jubilee period, Israel took back control of the city of Jerusalem from Jordan. As I often write, when God does something sovereign with His land, there is a reaction in the Spirit. And it was during this same time period that all of a sudden, some 10,000-15,000 Hippy Jews get saved out of the Jesus movement, which marked the beginning and re-emergence of God's first-born children and the re-birthing of the remnant of Israel. Wow! So, having seen from past Jubilee periods that significant shifts take place during these times, what can we now expect from the next Jubilee?
The 4th Wave and the Coming Jubilee
James Goll and Cindy Jacobs, among others, have prophesied recently concerning the coming of the 4th wave, and that it is now upon us. This is a reformation of the church to realign the body of Messiah/Christ, to properly prepare us for God's final plans upon the Earth before the Lord's return. It is spiritual renewal in the strongest sense of the word; it has washing and cleansing in its wings that will cause His church to rise as a great light in the Earth. It will re-establish the authority of God through His body that will enable us to overcome and defeat the strongholds and principalities that are aligned against us in accordance with God's will.
At the heart of the reformation is the reconnection in the Spirit in the One New Man between Jew and Gentile. This is aligned to its apostolic 5-fold governmental authority that was established through Israel's apostles and prophets, with Yeshua/Jesus Himself as the cornerstone of the church (Eph. 2:20). From this core and its restoration, comes the final outpouring of His Spirit upon the Earth.
For what does Scripture tell us here that Israel's spiritual restoration will bring, but resurrection power. Life from the dead! This power of God, which comes from the Father's heart to unite and restore His family, will flow through a renewed and empowered body to effect and change the world for the kingdom of God and bring the last great harvest of souls. The Israel piece and its 5-fold mantle is the final part of the church's restoration. It is the power equation that ignites the rest, that as the wires are reconnected, the fires will be loosed!
The outflow of the 4th wave is the ability to impact what is now being called the seven cultural mountains:
Religion
Government
Education
Business
Family
Media
Arts & Entertainment
In preparation for this change over the past 15-20 years, God has been raising up new leadership in the church and Messianic bodies that is focused on the 5-fold governmental giftings, so that we may be prepared for what is coming. I don't have space in this article to list them, but most reading are aware of whom I am writing.
These leaders, both men and women alike, are first free from within, cleansed, washed, prepared and are carrying new mantles of God's authority in each of their ministries. Plus, His blessings are clearly upon them. These ministries are paving the way for the rest of His church to reform and it is going to be glorious. So what can we expect?
The 12 Decrees
A re-united One New Man between the Gentile church and the remnant of Israel
A new spiritual governmental approach to the kingdom of God upon the Earth through the 5-fold
The re-emergence of David's tent upon the Earth (24/7 worship and prayer)
A new focus in the church to move us to prayer
A new focus on intercessory prayer in the church to train up the watchmen
Local churches uniting in their communities and states through worship and prayer
Greater revelation and understanding of the authority of God upon the Earth
Reformation in total trust and faith in the Lord in the area of finance
The outpouring of God's Spirit
Impacting our towns and cities across the United States and throughout the world with the gospel
The broken off branches of Israel being restored
The last great harvest of souls
In fact, I'm so excited about this, that we have dedicated our Rosh Hashanah service this year at Messiah's House in Greenwich, Connecticut, and teamed up with the 10-Day Prayer Movement in Connecticut to declare and proclaim the New Jubilee period. Come and join us! For those of you out of town, we will post the video of this meeting on our reconnecting website. Click listen now!
Click here for the flyer and this link for the rest of the 10-Day Prayer Movement meetings through the 10 days of Awe between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur.
Grant Berryis a Jewish believer in Yeshua/Jesus and author of The New Covenant Prophecy and The Ezekiel Generation. He founded Reconnecting Ministries with the specific focus to help the church reconnect spiritually to Israel and considers it vital to the kingdom of G-d in the last days. His message focuses on the unity, love and healing that the Father wants to bring between Jew and Gentile yet clearly points out the differences and misunderstandings between the two groups. Now is the time to look more carefully into this mystery to make way for healing and reconnection in the Spirit. For more information, please visit reconnectingministries.org.
3 Reasons Why you should read Life in the Spirit. 1) Get to know the Holy Spirit. 2) Learn to enter God's presence 3) Hear God's voice clearly! Go deeper!
Has God called you to be a leader? Ministry Today magazine is the source that Christian leaders who want to serve with passion and purpose turn to. Subscribe now and receive a free leadership book.
Did you enjoy this blog? Click here to receive it by email.
With Rosh HaShanah and the beginning of the High Holidays only a few days away, I thought I would review some of my material on this from the perspective of a Christ follower.
It should be of no shock that the early believers, both Jew and Gentile, celebrated the festivals of Israel even after coming to Messiah. This included the celebration of Rosh HaShanah and fasting on Yom Kippur.
Yom Kippur is to Judaism what Christmas is to Christianity; just as many Christians go to church on Christmas—even if they never enter a church throughout the rest of the year—so too, most Jews fast on Yom Kippur and attend synagogue services. It is a cultural and spiritual landmark. Not surprisingly then, we find a passing reference to this fast in the book of Acts:
"Now when much time had been spent, and sailing was now dangerous because the Fast was already over, Paul advised them, saying, "Men, I perceive that this voyage will be with disaster and much loss, not only of the cargo and ship, but also our lives"(Acts 27:9–10, NKJV).
"The Fast" referenced here is Yom Kippur. Daniel Stökl Ben Ezra assumes that Luke would not have used the term "the Fast" as a calendaric reference unless he himself was keeping the fast and assumed that his readers were as well:
I cannot help but draw the conclusion that Luke himself and his implied readers observed Yom Kippur. Why else would Luke use a "Jewish calendaric reference for a secular problem?" He clearly presumes that his readers will understand what he is referring to.
Scholars speculate that the readers of Acts were Gentiles like Luke himself. In order for Luke's readers to understand such a passing reference, they must have been observing Yom Kippur. Indirect evidence can be found in the book of Revelation.
The book of Revelation is packed with allusions to the rituals and themes of the high holidays. The apocalyptic imagery—the day of judgment, the books of judgment, the blast of trumpets, the Temple scenes, and so forth—are all borrowed directly from the traditional observance of Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur. John addressed the book of Revelation to seven communities in Asia Minor, constituted predominantly of Gentiles.
If those communities were not celebrating the high holidays along with the Jewish community, they would have been ill-prepared to decipher the book of Revelation, just as the church is today. Records of Gentile believers celebrating Yom Kippur appear in later church literature. The late second-century Epistle to Diognetus rails against Christians who observe Jewish laws such as "the Fast." Origen mentions Christians fasting on Yom Kippur:
Whence also we must say something now to those who think that in virtue of the commandments of the Law they must practice the fast of the Jews (Homily on Leviticus 12:2 [Barkley]).
He mentions another case, again involving Caesarean Christians, in his Homilies on Jeremiah, proving that this is not an isolated instance; there must have been at least several groups of Gentile Christians in the third century still celebrating this major feast day of Judaism. In the late fourth century, John Chrysostom is still denouncing those who "join the Jews in keeping their festivals and observing their fasts."
Further witness to this phenomenon can be found in the fifth-century medieval church practice of the Fast of the Seventh Month. This fast formed part of the Ember Days and was one of the most solemn days of the church's liturgical year. Scholars see this fast as the result of the Christianization of Yom Kippur.
In other words, because many Christian Gentiles were celebrating Yom Kippur, as the church began to split from Judaism, Christianity slowly transformed it into a solely Christian fast in the month of September. This is similar to the transformation of Passover into Easter.
The fifth-century theologian and pope Leo the Great wrote: "We proclaim the holy Fast of the Seventh Month, dearly-beloved, for the exercise of common devotions, confidently inciting you with fatherly exhortations to make Christian by your observance that which was formerly Jewish" (Sermon 90:1).
In this we once again see that many Gentile believers celebrated Yom Kippur, so much so that it remained even after the parting of the ways began to take place between Judaism and Christianity.
Toby Janicki is a teacher, writer, and project manager for First Fruits of Zion(ffoz.org). He contributes regularly to Messiah Journal and has written several books including God Fearers: Gentiles and the God of Israel.
It's often said, "There is only one race—the human race." While the phrase has become almost cliché in repetition, it happens to be 100 percent accurate, both scientifically and theologically speaking.
From Ferguson to Baltimore, Tulsa to Charlotte—and on college campuses from coast-to-coast—a great divide is sweeping America. It is fueled largely, if not entirely, by half-truths and outright lies. Truth is irrelevant. Only the narrative matters. When "Hands Up Don't Shoot™" can do so very much to further "the cause," it matters not that it represents a holocaust-denial-level of detachment from reality.
Which tells you everything you need to know about the cause.
This is by design. These embers of racial division are purposely fanned to a red-hot flame by certain political leaders, "social justice" warriors and "community organizers"—cut principally from the same ideological cloth—in order to permanently ingrain a turbulent level of cultural division based solely upon the varying shades of people's skin. This, in turn, is intended to provoke widespread governmental dependency and, thus, one-party political control in perpetuity.
Yet, even at its core the idea of racial division—of race itself—is a myth. To sub-divide humanity based upon nothing more than varying levels of skin pigmentation is to rely upon the weakest of genetic markers.
And "race" really does signify nothing more than skin color.
Science dispels the Myth of 'Race'
In a Feb. 5 Scientific Americanarticle titled, "Race Is a Social Construct, Scientists Argue," journalist Megan Gannon writes, "Today, the mainstream belief among scientists is that race is a social construct without biological meaning. And yet, you might still open a study on genetics in a major scientific journal and find categories like 'white' and 'black' being used as biological variables."
"In an article published today (Feb. 4) in the journal Science," continues Gannon, "four scholars say racial categories are weak proxies for genetic diversity and need to be phased out."
"It's a concept we think is too crude to provide useful information. It's a concept that has social meaning that interferes in the scientific understanding of human genetic diversity, and it's a concept that we are not the first to call upon moving away from," notes Michael Yudell, professor of public health at Drexel University in Philadelphia. Under the latest genetic research, race is "understood to be a poorly defined marker of that diversity and an imprecise proxy for the relationship between ancestry and genetics," he adds.
While not directly involved with the research, Dr. Svante Pääbo, a biologist and director of the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Germany, agrees wholeheartedly with its findings. "What the study of complete genomes from different parts of the world has shown is that even between Africa and Europe, for example, there is not a single absolute genetic difference, meaning no single variant where all Africans have one variant and all Europeans another one, even when recent migration is disregarded."
Still, as the researchers likewise note, "Assumptions about genetic differences between people of different races have had obvious social and historical repercussions." Indeed, there are those on both extremes of the political spectrum with a vested interest in making sure these social and historical repercussions remain as inflamed and catastrophic as possible.
"Race" is a divisive means to a selfish political end.
It is not a scientific reality.
God's Final Word on 'Race'
We love labels. We love to pit people against one another and lump them into neat, fixed little categories of put-upons, most often based upon outward appearances: black vs. white; Hispanic vs. Asian; tall vs. short; skinny vs. fat; old vs. young; abled vs. disabled, and so on.
Yet these divisions are artificial. They're man-made. Every human being is created by a holy God, in His image and likeness, and imbued by Him with infinite worth and import. There is only one true and transcendent physical division, and that division was both created and intended by God to become reconciled as one flesh through the holy bonds of marriage—this, to propagate the human race: "So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them" (Gen. 1:27).
Male and female. The XY and the XX. Immutable distinctions with a beautiful and bountiful difference. That's it. All other physical divisions, especially racial divisions, remain artificial.
Our bodies, you see, are merely outward shells. As the great Scottish author and theologian George MacDonald once wrote, "Never tell a child 'you have a soul.' Teach him, 'you are a soul; you have a body.'"
We are souls. We have a body—an outward shell or "Earth suit" as one of my favorite professors used to say. Why on God's Earth are we so deceived to believe that we must separate ourselves and hate one another based upon superficial, almost cosmetic outward appearances?
"Now I urge you, brothers, to closely watch those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the teaching which you have learned, and avoid them" (Rom. 16:17).
To be sure, Christ Jesus alone can dissolve these divisions. "For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is generous toward all who call upon Him" (Rom. 10:12).
These are not financial riches, but riches of love, life, spirit and salvation.
As a man with an Italian wife, a black sister-in-law, a Filipino uncle and biologically-related half Filipino cousins, a step-grandmother who illegally immigrated from Mexico, biologically-related half Mexican aunts and uncles, and dozens of foster brothers and sisters from across the globe, I have learned firsthand throughout my life that "race" is truly meaningless—it's less than skin deep.
Until we learn this as a nation, we will remain a nation divided.
Yes, love is the answer. "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another" (John 13:34).
There is no political fix to this problem.
It's a spiritual problem, requiring a spiritual fix.
And His name is Jesus.
3 Reasons Why you should read Life in the Spirit. 1) Get to know the Holy Spirit. 2) Learn to enter God's presence 3) Hear God's voice clearly! Go deeper!
Has God called you to be a leader? Ministry Today magazine is the source that Christian leaders who want to serve with passion and purpose turn to. Subscribe now and receive a free leadership book.
Did you enjoy this blog? Click here to receive it by email.
Understanding the process of firstfruits is the key to biblical prosperity. (iStock photo )
In a Leap Year, there are two months of Adar. This gives us an opportunity to realign the past year, refocus on all the loose ends, and get ready to "pass over" into the remainder of the season that lies ahead.
As you are aware, we entered 5776 at Rosh Hashanah in September of last year. In our culture, we became resolute to advance on Jan. 1, 2016. Now we have come to the final preparations to keep pressing to Passover and VAV (or stake claim) to the best of our destined future.
Only the Lord could have orchestrated such an incredible Firstfruits Weekend to propel us into our next season of ascension! As we came to bring our first and best to the LORD, He ordered the best revelation that we could have for this time. All three of our gatherings brought forth key revelation for this season. If we will be focused from this moment forth for the next six weeks, then everything that we are asking the Lord about we will find manifesting in a new way.
Understanding the Process of Firstfruits, the Biblical Key to Prosperity
God planned for His people to meet corporately and worship each month. This celebration is called Rosh Chodesh. This celebration occurred in both Old and New Testament history. This was a major key to the early church's power and success.
Proverbs 3:9-10 says, "Honor theLordwith your substance, and with the first fruits of all your increase; so your barns will be filled with plenty, and your presses will burst out with new wine" (MEV).
In Romans 11:16, "For if the firstfruits is holy, the lump is also holy!" We sanctify our finances by giving God our firstfruits. We sanctify our time by giving God a firstfruits also!
By participating in firstfruits we are:
Reminded that God is the Source of all Blessings!
Disciplined to seek His kingdom first!
Stirred to remember that He is to be our first Love!
Released into revelation that directs us from the wave offering until the time of gathering the harvest!
Assured of confidence that our Father will always provide!
Initiated into a new expectation of a visitation and harvest that will come in days ahead.
By disciplining yourself to participate in firstfruits celebrations, the process of watching over our inheritance matures. This leads to your promises being fulfilled! Firstfruits celebrations demonstrate and move us closer to the final "ingathering" that is being developed in our hearts (Heb. 11:13-14; Eph. 1:11, 14, 18; Col. 1:12; 1 Pet. 1:4).
A Key Firstfruit Adar 2 Prophecy!
"The next six weeks will be a time of un-downing your nest. For many of you have grown accustomed to the place where your nest is, but I will be removing the down in the nest that you're in. This removal will be the preparation of propelling you into the future I have for you.
"Do not be discouraged from the pricking that you go through over these next six weeks. For the pricking, and the pricks that you hear coming, are part of the un-nesting that will propel you higher as you begin to be pushed into the next dimension of your destiny. This is My time of pushing you forth.
"As you have heard today, mercy will come, mercy will come, mercy will come, mercy will come, mercy will come, and mercy will come again! I will have a people rising above the fray in this land!"
Shout, "Let there be light!" Declare this is your time of recalibration! Decree triumph over the five-dimensions of enemies that would try to come against you. This is your time to enter into the preparation for your next level of ascending!
Charles D. "Chuck" Pierceserves as president of Global Spheres Inc. (GSI) in Corinth, Texas. This is an apostolic, prophetic ministry that is being used to gather and mobilize the worshipping Triumphant Reserve throughout the world. Chuck also serves as President of Glory of Zion International Ministries, a ministry that aligns Jew and Gentile. He is known for his accurate prophetic gifting which helps direct nations, cities, churches, and individuals in understanding the times and seasons in which we live. He has authored over 20 books, including the best-sellers Interpreting the Times,Redeeming the Time andTime to Defeat the Devil. Visit his website, glory-of-zion.org.
Draw closer to God. Experience the presence of the Holy Spirit every month as you read Charisma magazine. Sign up now to get Charisma for as low as $1 per issue.
Dare to go deeper in your faith. Our "Life in the Spirit" devotional takes you on a journey to explore who the Holy Spirit is, how to interact with Him, and how He works in your life. Are you ready to go deeper?
Did you enjoy this blog? Click here to receive it by email.
FORMAL gov’t report to the High Court shows dramatic rise in terror, demands immediate action to demolish terrorists’ homes
The State of Israel submitted to the High Court for Justice Tuesday responses to nine petitions filed against the confiscation and demolition orders for the homes of six terrorists who killed Rabbi Eitam and Naama Henkin, Malachi Rosenfeld and Danny Gonen.
The State requested for interim orders to be postponed, in the absence of grounds for the court to intervene.Since the beginning of 2013, it said, there is a continuing trend of worsening security situation and the steady increase in terrorist activity.
This is reflected in an increase in the number of terrorist attacks and the number of Israeli casualties as a result of terrorism, with a steady rise in terror activity since March 2014.
In 2013 there were approximately 1,414 attacks; in 2014 there were about 1,650 terrorist attacks; in 2015 this trend continued, with 1,703 attacks from January until October 18. Of the victims, 35 have been killed – up from zero in 2012.
Of the 1,703 attacks in 2015, a staggering 778 attacks have been launched against Israelis since Rosh Hashana (the Jewish New Year) last month – which killed 11 civilians and injured about a hundred civilians and soldiers.
“The above data indicates a significant change in circumstances and the escalating scope, intensity and level of murderous terrorism, that require knowing that political and security officials are taking measures to deter potential terrorists from carrying out attacks in general, and such as those that recently circulated, in particular,” the report said.
The professional assessment of security officials – also shared by the Prime Minister, Defense Minister, and IDF Chief of Staff – is essential now that the maximum deterrence from committing further attacks, it added – including the High Court issuing a ruling on the demolitions as soon as possible.
The High Court decision to postpone the demolition of seven terrorists’ homes evoked harsh reactions from several politicians, as well as from the terror victims’ families.
About II&ET
Providing news and commentary regarding issues surrounding Israel, Islam and the Middle East in the context of Biblical End Times teaching. Posts are from a Christian evangelical, premillennial and pro-Israel perspective.
The general editor of Israel, Islam and End Times is Daniel Secomb. Daniel is also a Bible teacher who specializes on topics to do with End Times, Israel, the Jewish People, apologetics, creationism, systematic Bible studies, atheism, Islam, the left-wing agenda, social issues and Christian living.
Is there biblical significance in the numbers in this year's Jewish New Year? (iStock photo)
Does the Jewish New Year 5776 Hold Special Meaning?
Rosh Hashana, the traditional Jewish New Year, fell on Sept. 14 this year and ushered in the year 5776. Although Rosh Hashana is known in the Bible as a day for blowing trumpets, by the time of Yeshua it was observed as the Jewish secular new year.
Could this year hold any special meaning for Christians, based on the unique numbers and letters associated with 5776?
As you probably know, some scholars believe the numbers comprising 5776 represent key themes of Scripture. The biblical concept differs from numerology, which uses numbers and symbols for purposes related to divination, soothsaying or manipulation.
Biblically, 5 could represent grace, 6 can represent humankind or the ways of man, and 7 can stand for completion. If that is true, and if God chooses to speak to us through our admittedly imperfect calendar system, 5776 could herald a watershed year in world history.
The number 5776 could represent a certain completion of grace as we've known it, coupled with a certain completion of following in man's (our) own ways. Now, to be sure, God is never not gracious! But His grace manifests in different ways at different seasons, for our ultimate good, to mature us to Messiah-likeness. Not always pleasant at the time, the complete intersection of grace with our own ways puts an end to (or completes) our ways. It transforms us to godliness in love, joy, peace, holiness and supernatural service. It draws sinners to Yeshua. It is actually a form of judgment.
There's more. In the Hebrew language, letters are assigned to numbers for various purposes. The letters assigned to the year 5776, "tav-shin-ayin-vav," spell a word used in modern Hebrew, meaning "heed." (The letters for the two 7's differ.)
Could the numbers and letters associated with 5776 confirm predictions or prophecies of impending global crisis? Perhaps. We will know in retrospect. Meanwhile, God does not want us unduly fascinated with signs or coincidences. Those are always intended to turn our focus and fascination upon Him.
At this season of tetrad blood moons, a completed Shemitah, and exponentially escalating sin, of this we can be sure: God is trumpeting a love call to give heed to Him and His ways. To those who respond, He will give grace to receive new grace. He will empower them to boldly withstand and shift some of the ways of the world in the year ahead.
Kingdom conflict will intensify, as the Scriptures say it must. But that's because the King Himself is coming. My prayer is that in 5776 He'll come powerfully through each of us. This year, may the shofar's trumpet draw you deeper into His kingdom goodness and glory!
Sandra Teplinsky has been in Messianic Jewish ministry since 1979. She is president of Light of Zion, an outreach to Israel and the church based in Southern California and Jerusalem. She is an ordained minister and prophetic conference speaker, and has written several books and articles about Israel and the church.
NEW - Life in the Spirit is your Spirit-filled teaching guide. Encounter the Holy Spirit, hear God speak to you, and enjoy timeless teachings on love, mercy and forgiveness.LEARN MORE!
Did you enjoy this blog? Click here to receive it by email.
And Hannah prayed and said: "My heart has rejoiced through the Lord; My horn has been raised by the Lord. My mouth is opened wide against my enemies, For I have rejoiced in Your salvation."
On Rosh Hashana we read the story of the birth of the prophet Samuel to Hannah, who had been childless for many years. During one of her annual pilgrimages to Shiloh, the site of the Tabernacle, Hannah entreated God to bless her with a son, promising to dedicate him to His service. In Hannah’s prayer, she thanks God for granting her wish and praises His greatness. Last week the ancient prayers of Hannah were brought back to life in an inspiring women's prayer event held at the very site where Hannah once stood! The ancient city of Shiloh has been revived, but its residents have suffered a disproportionate number of terror attacks for living in this beloved Land close to Arab neighbors. Help heal the trauma of terrorism in the lives of innocent children who have lost loved ones or witnessed the horror of terrorism first-hand.
Watch this clever animated video about the right of the Jews to the Land of Israel. A great reminder of Who is actually running the show (and it's not politicians!).
Which other nation in the world can boast a city first established by the biblical Joshua 3,500 years ago, which is now thriving with visitors from all ages and walks of life? Only in Israel!
The Four Species, or "arba'a minim" in Hebrew, are four different plants native to Israel. They are used in an obligatory rite during the Festival of Tabernacles, or Sukkot, which is coming up in just a couple of weeks! The species are held together and shaken in six different directions, east, south, west, north, upward, and downward, in acknowledgment of divine dominion over nature. This year, order your Four Species directly from an Israeli farmer!
Women gathered last week to pray at the very site where Hannah once poured her heart out to God at the Tabernacle in Shiloh! The colorful banners bear the names of the Twelve Tribes of Israel, who assembled in Shiloh to receive their inheritance of the Land from Joshua (Joshua 18:10).
Thanks for Israel365, a wonderful program. We view this in LISBURN, Northern Ireland, where many people have a heart for Israel and pray for her every day. God bless you. Ian & Doris Crossett
Thanks for the encouragement Israel365. The LORD GOD of Israel is on your side - who dares to be against you? You are not alone, for we stand with you. Raphael Jordan - Fiji Islands.
