News Letter 5848-001
1st day of the 1st month 5848 years after the creation of Adam
The 1st Month in the Third year of the third Sabbatical Cycle
The Third Sabbatical Cycle of the 119th Jubilee Cycle
The Sabbatical Cycle of Earthquakes Famines, and Pestilences
On the 9th of Av in this third Year Judah fell in 586 BC.

We are now just 5 years away from the Sabbatical cycle of war.
We are also just 12 years away from the Sabbatical cycle of captivity.
We are 18 years away from the start of the Tribulation.
We are 33 years away from the Next Jubilee year in 2045 and the beginning of the 7th Millennium.

March 23, 2012

Shabbat Shalom Brethren, Chodesh Ha-Aviv, Happy New Moon Day of the Month of Aviv, And Happy New Year; Rosh Hashannah.
Well, it is finally official. All the guessing is now done and over with and we now know when Yehovah has set His appointed times for us to come together and meet with Him.

Here is the report from Nehemiah and others in Israel.
Karaite Korner Newsletter #549

New Moon of Aviv Sighted

On Friday March 23, 2012 the new moon was sighted from Israel. The moon was first sighted:
*from Jerusalem at 6:14pm by Nehemia Gordon and shortly thereafter by Keith Johnson and Jocelyn Carabello;
*from Aviel at 6:16pm by Chad and Barbara Peterson and Ephraim Frank;
*from Poriya at 6:20pm by Willie Ondricek and about ten others;
*from Givat Hamoreh by Dina Marcus at 6:22pm and shortly thereafter by Avi Marcus.

Earlier in the day two fields of Aviv barley were located in the Jordan Valley, one north of Marj e-Naja and the other at Tal Malkoach. Yesterday two other fields of Aviv barley were located in the northern Negev. This makes the current new moon Chodesh Ha-Aviv, the new moon of the Aviv, which marks the beginning of the new Hebrew year, in accordance with Deuteronomy 16:1 “Observe the new moon (chodesh) of the Aviv.” Chag HaMatzot (the Feast of Unleavened Bread) will begin at sunset on April 6, 2012.

Photos of the Aviv barley found in the Jordan Valley and the new moon sighted from the Mount of Olives are posted at:
https://www.facebook.com/NehemiaGordon

Nehemia Gordon
Jerusalem, Israel

Friday evening at Sunset March 23, 2012 is the first day of the New Year.

We are now to count out 14 days until Passover.
This will make Passover fall on April 6, 2012 and it begins the night before on April 5th. At sunset April 5th is the beginning of the 14th day of Aviv and it is on this evening of April 5th, that Yehovah washed the feet of the apostles and broke the Matzo Bread and drank the wine with them. Then on the next day which is also the 14th He was crucified.

The High Day of the First Day of Unleavened Bread begins at sunset Friday April 6 and into Saturday April 7. This then makes the wave sheaf day on Sunday April 8 as it must be on the morrow after the weekly Sabbath during the days of Unleavened Bread.

The last day or 7th day of Unleavened Bread is then Friday April 13, and begins the night before. During these 7 days of unleavened Bread you are not to eat or have any leaven in your homes.

Shavuot or Pentecost then will be 50 days from the wave sheaf day of April 8, and will fall on May 27, 2012.

Each year at Passover the question comes up as to who is able to take part in it; Do you have to be circumcised or is it circumcision of the heart or must you be a baptized member

Let’s go to the scriptures and read what Yehovah says.

Gen 17:13 “He who is born in your house, and he who is bought with your silver, has to be circumcised. So shall My covenant be in your flesh, for an everlasting covenant. 14 “And an uncircumcised male child, who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, his life shall be cut off from his people – he has broken My covenant.”

Exo 12:43 And said to Mosheh and Aharon, “This is the law of the Passover: No son of a stranger is to eat of it, 44 but any servant a man has bought for silver, when you have circumcised him, then let him eat of it. 45 “A sojourner and a hired servant does not eat of it. 46 “It is eaten in one house, you are not to take any of the flesh outside the house, nor are you to break any bone of it.

Exo 12:48 “And when a stranger sojourns with you and shall perform the Passover to , let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and perform it, and he shall be as a native of the land. But let no uncircumcised eat of it. 49 “There is one Torah for the native-born and for the stranger who sojourns among you.”

With Passover just 14 days away it is time to think about this. And it is very plain what Yehovah has said.

If you are a believer and you are now keeping Torah then you are a seed of Abraham and an heir the same as his children were. And his children were commanded to be circumcised.

Gal 3:6 Even so Abraham “did believe Elohim, and it was reckoned unto him as righteousness.” 7 Know, then, that those who are of belief are sons of Abraham. 8 And the Scripture, having foreseen that Elohim would declare right the nations by belief, announced the Good News to Abraham beforehand, saying, “All the nations shall be blessed in you,” 9 so that those who are of belief are blessed with Abraham, the believer.

Gal 3:28 There is not Yehudite nor Greek, there is not slave nor free, there is not male and female, for you are all one in Messiah . 29 And if you are of Messiah, then you are seed of Abraham, and heirs according to promise.

If we believe that we are the PHYSICAL seed or descendants of Abraham, then the covenant that Yehovah made with Abraham and ALL his descendants after him belongs to us and is eternal in nature. Therefore according to Scripture, the seed of Abraham should be circumcised in the flesh as a token that we are heirs of the Yehovah’s covenant with Abraham.

Gen 17:1 And it came to be when Abram was ninety-nine years old, that appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am l Shaddai – walk before Me and be perfect1. Footnote: 1Messiah gives the same command in Mt. 5:48. 2 “And I give My covenant between Me and you, and shall greatly increase you.” 3 And Abram fell on his face, and Elohim spoke with him, saying, 4 “As for Me, look, My covenant is with you, and you shall become a father of many nations. 5 “And no longer is your name called Abram, but your name shall be Abraham, because I shall make you a father of many nations. 6 “And I shall make you bear fruit exceedingly, and make nations of you, and sovereigns shall come from you. 7 “And I shall establish My covenant between Me and you and your seed after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be Elohim to you and your seed after you. 8 “And I shall give to you and your seed after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Kenaan, as an everlasting possession. And I shall be their Elohim.” 9 And Elohim said to Abraham, “As for you, guard My covenant, you and your seed after you throughout their generations. 10 “This is My covenant which you guard between Me and you, and your seed after you: Every male child among you is to be circumcised. 11 “And you shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin, and it shall become a sign of the covenant between Me and you. 12 “And a son of eight days is circumcised by you, every male child in your generations, he who is born in your house or bought with silver from any foreigner who is not of your seed. 13 “He who is born in your house, and he who is bought with your silver, has to be circumcised. So shall My covenant be in your flesh, for an everlasting covenant. 14 “And an uncircumcised male child, who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, his life shall be cut off from his people – he has broken My covenant.”
It is important that we have the understanding that the Covenant is not circumcision. The sign of the Covenant is circumcision. It is the external sign of the Eternal covenant.
‘it shall become a sign of the covenant between Me and you.’

Exo 12:43 And said to Mosheh and Aharon, “This is the law of the Passover: No son of a stranger is to eat of it, 44 but any servant a man has bought for silver, when you have circumcised him, then let him eat of it.

Being circumcised for Passover was not forgotten on all those who had wandered in the wilderness for 40 years either.

Jos 5:6 For the children of Yisra’l walked forty years in the wilderness, till all the nation – the men of battle who came out of Mitsrayim – were consumed, because they did not obey the voice of , to whom swore not to show them the land which had sworn to their fathers that He would give us, “a land flowing with milk and honey.” 7 And Yehoshua circumcised their sons whom He raised up in their place; for they were uncircumcised, because they had not been circumcised on the way. 8 And it came to be, when they had completed circumcising all the nation, that they stayed in their places in the camp till they were healed. 9 And said to Yehoshua, “Today I have rolled away the reproach of Mitsrayim from you.” So the name of the place is called Gilgal to this day. 10 And the children of Yisra’l camped in Gilgal, and performed the Passover on the fourteenth day of the month at evening on the desert plains of Yeriho.

Brethren we are told there is one Law for both the stranger and the believer in the Torah; One Law.

Num 15:14 ‘And when a stranger sojourns with you, or whoever is among you throughout your generations, and would make an offering made by fire, a sweet fragrance to , as you do, so he does. 15 ‘One law is for you of the assembly and for the stranger who sojourns with you – a law forever throughout your generations. As you are, so is the stranger before .

Num 15:29 ‘For him who does whatever by mistake there is one Torah, both for him who is native among the children of Yisra’l and for the stranger who sojourns in their midst. 30 ‘But the being who does whatever defiantly, whether he is native or a stranger, he reviles , and that being shall be cut off from among his people. 31 ‘Because he has despised the word of , and has broken His command, that being shall certainly be cut off, his crookedness is upon him.’ ”

The Torah is the same today, yesterday and forever. It does not change. There are not two separate and different laws; one for the believer and one for the non believer. This law concerning Passover was forever and to every generation. There is not one Law for the Old Testament and another one for the New Testament believers. There is just one Torah!

Mat 5:17 “Do not think that I came to destroy the Torah or the Prophets.1 I did not come to destroy but to complete. Footnote: 1The Law and the Prophets is a term used for the pre-Messianic Scriptures. 18 “For truly, I say to you, till the heaven and the earth pass away, one jot or one tittle shall by no means pass from the Torah till all be done.1 Footnote: 1Lk. 16:17. 19 “Whoever, then, breaks one of the least of these commands, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the reign of the heavens; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the reign of the heavens.

We are called at this age, this last shabua Brethren to restore all things. The Sabbath, the Holy Days according to the sighted moon, and the Sabbatical and Jubilee years. This also includes being circumcised for Passover. It too needs to be restored.

Deu 12:32 “All the words I am commanding you, guard to do it – do not add to it nor take away from it.1 Footnote: 1See also 4:2, Prov. 30:6, Rev. 22:18-19.

Please tell me where circumcision is taken away and no longer a requirement.

Exo 12:48 “And when a stranger sojourns with you and shall perform the Passover to , let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and perform it, and he shall be as a native of the land. But let no uncircumcised eat of it.

If you are not circumcised then you are not to take part in the Passover meal.

But some today will argue that circumcision is to be that of the heart and not the flesh. Is this correct or have some twisted the scriptures

Deu 10:16 “And you shall circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and harden your neck no more. 17 “For your Elohim is Elohim of mighty ones and Master of masters, the great l, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality nor takes a bribe.

Deu 30:6 “And your Elohim shall circumcise your heart and the heart of your seed, to love your Elohim with all your heart and with all your being, so that you might live, 7 and your Elohim shall put all these curses on your enemies and on those who hate you, who persecuted you.
Circumcision of the heart did not change the command to be circumcised of the foreskin. For this circumcision of the heart has been there from the beginning. It was never changed.

Israel was to have BOTH circumcised flesh and heart! It is both a natural /physical and the spiritual circumcision. Yehovah requires BOTH! A heart must be circumcised in order to observe the Torah from the heart.
The circumcision of the flesh is the outward sign of Yehovah’s Covenant.

Rom 7:14 For we know that the Torah is Spiritual, but I am fleshly, sold under sin. 15 For what I work, I know not. For what I wish, that I do not practice, but what I hate, that I do. 16 But if I do what I do not wish, I agree with the Torah that it is good. 17 And now, it is no longer I that work it, but the sin dwelling in me. 18 For I know that in me, that is in my flesh, dwells no good. For to wish is present with me, but to work the good I do not find. 19 For the good that I wish to do, I do not do; but the evil I do not wish to do, this I practice. 20 And if I do that which I do not wish, it is no longer I who work it, but the sin dwelling in me. 21 I find therefore this law, that when I wish to do the good, that the evil is present with me. 22 For I delight in the Torah of Elohim1 according to the inward man, Footnote: 1Ps. 119:16. 23 but I see another law in my members, battling against the Torah of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. 24 Wretched man that I am! Who shall deliver me from this body of death 25 Thanks to Elohim, through Messiah our Master! So then, with the mind I myself truly serve the Torah of Elohim, but with the flesh the law of sin.

Col 2:11 In Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, in the putting off of the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Messiah, 12 having been buried with Him in immersion, in which you also were raised with Him through the belief in the working of Elohim, who raised Him from the dead. 13 And you, being dead in your trespasses1 and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, Footnote: 1Eph. 2:1. 14 having blotted out the certificate of debt against us – by the dogmas – which stood against us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the stake.

Deu 6:5 “And you shall love your Elohim with all your heart, and with all your being, and with all your might. 6 “And these Words which I am commanding you today shall be in your heart, 7 and you shall impress them upon your children, and shall speak of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise up, 8 and shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 “And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
Our circumcision of the flesh is to serve as a reminder of the circumcision of our hearts. The male member represents all the fleshy, lustful desires of our carnal nature and so it has the flesh cut away. The heart then represents all the evil carnal desires of the HEART that must be cut away! Yehovah requires both. The Scriptures give us this proof;

Jer 9:25 “See, the days are coming,” declares , “when I shall punish all circumcised with the uncircumcised – 26 “Mitsrayim, and Yehudah, and Edom, and the children of Ammon, and Mo’ab, and all those trimmed on the edges, who dwell in the wilderness. For all the gentiles are uncircumcised, and all the house of Yisra’l are uncircumcised in heart!”

Eze 44:5 And said to me, “Son of man, set your heart and see with your eyes and hear with your ears, all that I say to you concerning all the laws of the House of and all its Torot. And you shall set your heart to the entrance of the house, with all the exits of the set-apart place, 6 and shall say to the rebellious, to the house of Yisra’l, ‘Thus said the Master , “O house of Yisra’l, enough of all these abominations of yours, 7 that you brought in sons of a foreigner, uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in My set-apart place to profane it, My house! That you brought near My food, the fat and the blood, and you broke My covenant because of all your abominations. 8 “And you did not guard the charge of that which is set-apart to Me, but you have set others to guard the charge of My set-apart place for you.” 9 ‘Thus said the Master , “No son of a foreigner, uncircumcised in heart or uncircumcised in flesh, comes into My set-apart place, even any son of a foreigner who is among the children of Yisra’l.

Messianic believers who claim that circumcision of the heart is a legitimate prerequisite for Passover celebration and Israelite citizenship simply do not meet the LITERAL REQUIREMENT of Torah.

Those who do not or will not be circumcised will be cut off.

Gen 17:13 “He who is born in your house, and he who is bought with your silver, has to be circumcised. So shall My covenant be in your flesh, for an everlasting covenant. 14 “And an uncircumcised male child, who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, his life shall be cut off from his people – he has broken My covenant.”

Notice this is an everlasting covenant. It is forever.

Then there comes this argument from Acts.

Act 15:1 And certain men came down from Yehudah and were teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised, according to the practice of Mosheh, you are unable to be saved.” 2 So when Sha’ul and Barnabah had no small dissension and dispute with them, they arranged for Sha’ul and Barnabah and certain others of them to go up to Yerushalayim, to the emissaries and elders, about this question. 3 So, being sent on their way by the assembly, they passed through Phoenicia and Shomeron, relating the conversion of the gentiles. And they were causing great joy to all the brothers. 4 And having arrived in Yerushalayim, they were received by the assembly and the emissaries and the elders. And they reported all that Elohim had done with them. 5 And some of the believers who belonged to the sect of the Pharisees, rose up, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the Torah of Mosheh.” 6 And the emissaries and elders came together to look into this matter. 7 And when there had been much dispute, Kpha rose up and said to them, “Men, brothers, you know that a good while ago Elohim chose among us, that by my mouth the gentiles should hear the word of the Good News and believe. 8 “And Elohim, who knows the heart, bore witness to them, by giving them the Set-apart Spirit, as also to us, 9 and made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by belief. 10 “Now then, why do you try Elohim by putting a yoke on the neck of the taught ones which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear 11 “But through the favour of the Master Messiah we trust to be saved, in the same way as they.” 12 And all the crowd was silent and were listening to Barnabah and Sha’ul declaring how many miracles and wonders Elohim did among the gentiles, through them. 13 And after they were silent, Yaaqob answered, saying, “Men, brothers, listen to me: 14 “Shimon has declared how Elohim first visited the gentiles to take out of them a people for His Name. 15 “And the words of the prophets agree with this, as it has been written: 16 ‘After this I shall return and rebuild the Booth of Dawid which has fallen down. And I shall rebuild its ruins, and I shall set it up, 17 so that the remnant of mankind shall seek , even all the gentiles on whom My Name has been called, says who is doing all this,’ 18 who has made this known from of old. 19 “Therefore I judge that we should not trouble those from among the gentiles who are turning to Elohim, 20 but that we write to them to abstain from the defilements of idols, and from whoring, and from what is strangled, and from blood.1 Footnote: 1See v.29. 21 “For from ancient generations Mosheh has, in every city, those proclaiming him – being read in the congregations every Sabbath.” 22 Then it seemed good to the emissaries and elders, with all the assembly, to send chosen men from among them to Antioch with Sha’ul and Barnabah: Yehudah being called Barsabba, and Sila, leading men among the brothers, 23 having written by their hand this: The emissaries and the elders and the brothers, To the brothers who are of the gentiles in Antioch, and Syria, and Kilikia: Greetings. 24 Since we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words, unsettling your lives, to whom we gave no command – 25 it seemed good to us, having become of one mind, to send chosen men to you with our beloved Barnabah and Sha’ul, 26 men who have given up their lives for the Name of our Master Messiah. 27 We have therefore sent Yehudah and Sila, who are also confirming this by word of mouth. 28 For it seemed good to the Set-apart Spirit, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessities: 29 that you abstain from what is offered to idols, and blood, and what is strangled, and whoring.1 If you keep yourselves from these, you shall do well. Be strong! Footnote: 1See v. 20. 30 They, therefore, being sent off, went to Antioch. And having gathered the crowd together, they delivered the letter. 31 And having read it, they rejoiced over its encouragement. 32 And Yehudah and Sila, being themselves also prophets, encouraged the brothers with many words and strengthened them. 33 And having spent some time, they were sent back in peace from the brothers to the emissaries.

Circumcision is not done away. The convert was told to stop certain things and then to go and learn at the synagogue on the Sabbath the rest of the Torah. It does not do away with the act of circumcision. It is not the first thing that needs to be done. Learn first why you need to do this at the synagogue.

When you come to take part in the Passover keep the warning in 1 Corinthians in front of you as you sit down.

1Co 11:18 For in the first place, I hear that when you come together as an assembly, there are divisions among you, and to some extent I believe it. 19 For there have to be factions even among you, so that the approved ones might be revealed among you. 20 So when you come together in one place, it is not to eat the Master’s supper. 21 For, when you eat, each one takes his own supper first, and one is hungry and another is drunk. 22 Have you not houses to eat and drink in Or do you despise the assembly of Elohim and shame those who have not What shall I say to you Shall I praise you in this I do not praise! 23 For I received from the Master that which I also delivered to you: that the Master in the night in which He was delivered up took bread, 24 and having given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat, this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” 25 In the same way also the cup, after supper, saying, “This cup is the renewed covenant in My blood. As often as you drink it, do this in remembrance of Me.” 26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the death of the Master until He comes. 27 So that whoever should eat this bread or drink this cup of the Master unworthily shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Master. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread and drink of that cup. 29 For the one who is eating and drinking unworthily, eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the body of the Master. 30 Because of this many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep. 31 For if we were to examine ourselves, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Master, that we should not be condemned with the world. 33 So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. 34 And if anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, lest you come together for judgment. And the rest I shall set in order when I come.

30 Because of this many are weak and sick among you, and many sleep.
Because those who take part in the Passover do so in an unworthy manner, they end up sick and weak and even dying. So weigh everything Yehovah has said here today and judge yourself if you are ready to eat the Passover meal. It is not just another meal to be wolfed down nor is something to do lightly. Yehshua, the creator of all things died for you and this is representing His death to you. Take part in it in a very serious way.

I must add one more thing. The meal Paul was referring to above in 1Corinthians 11 was the last Supper that Yehshua took part in. It was not the Passover meal. Many Ephramites try and say that this is the Passover at the beginning of the 14th and at the end of 13th. It is NOT. It is the last Supper meal in which new symbols are introduced.

We are to do this on this same night as the 14th begins. Each day begins at sunset.

Now that the Moon has been sighted, we now know that the 14th begins on the evening of April 5, 2012 and then the next day is the day Yehshua was killed. Yehshua was the Passover Lamb who died for our sins. He was killed at 3 PM when the Passover Lambs were killed towards the end of the 14th day.

That Lamb was then roasted and then eaten as the 15th day approached in the evening. The blood from this lamb which was now killed was then placed on the door posts. No one was to go out as the angel of death went over their homes on this the 15th night.

The next morning the Israelites all left Egypt.

Some will argue that this does not leave them time to spoil the Egyptians. But they do not read their bibles correctly. We read in Exodus 11 that they were told to plunder the Egyptians before this day of Passover came.

After chapter 11 we are given the narrative of how to keep the Passover starting on the 10th day when they took in the lamb.

Another thing we are to do and to pay close attention to is Exo 12:11 ‘And this is how you eat it: your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. And you shall eat it in haste. It is the Passover of .

This is in preparation for the future flight we will have to make. So practice eating your meal quickly.

Once you have done this then with your family read the events of the Exodus from the burning bush to the 10 commandments being given at Mount Sinai. Let the children read it with you. This is a very special night.

May Yehovah bless you as you keep it and learn the truths that it reveals.