The 3rd Year of the Sabbatical Cycle

Joseph F. Dumond

Isa 6:9-12 And He said, Go, and tell this people, You hear indeed, but do not understand; and seeing you see, but do not know. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn back, and be healed. Then I said, Lord, how long? And He answered, Until the cities are wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land laid waste, a desolation, and until Jehovah has moved men far away, and the desolation in the midst of the land is great.
Published: Jul 4, 2019

News Letter 5855-018
The 3rd Year of the 4th Sabbatical Cycle
The 24th year of the 120th Jubilee Cycle
The 2nd day of the 5th month 5855 years after the creation of Adam
The 5th Month in the Third year of the Fourth Sabbatical Cycle
The 4th Sabbatical Cycle after the 119th Jubilee Cycle
The Third Year Tithe for the Widows and Orphans and Levites
The Sabbatical Cycle of Sword, Famines, and Pestilence

July 6, 2019

Shabbat Shalom to the Royal Family of Yehovah,

It was A Riddle Not a Command

Our latest book It Was a Riddle Not a Command launched on July 1, 2019. It was one day later than we had planned but we think we have gotten all the bugs out and provided you with a great tool to help people know if they are one of the five wise brides or one of the foolish ones.

If you pre-ordered your book. You needed to make your payment on or after June 30, 2019, in order to complete the order. I have now filled all those completed orders. If I have missed you then please do write me a note and let’s get things fixed. If you have a problem using PayPal or any other problem then write me a note and we will get it resolved. If you cannot afford to order the e-book then write me a note as well and we will help you get a copy.

If you are a widow and would like a copy then you too can write to me and I will send you one as a gift from me.

We have already begun our ad campaign for the Christian community to have a chance to get their copy. You can help us by sharing the following publication on all your social media outlets with a link back to our store.

Your orders help us to support the work we are doing in the Philippines and Africa and India. Please continue to help us do this work.

Jan Sytsma wrote

I have just taken a quick read through of the published version of your new book since I initially reviewed and offered suggestions. You did a truly fantastic job. It is so nice to see so many topics explained in one book so the whole picture is presented. The effort was enormous to bring so much of your past teachings together into a cohesive book, but you did it and you did it quite well. Joli, your editor, did an amazing job too! No wonder you stick with her. I truly hope many people will purchase this book.

Some want to question my right to sell this book and why I do not just give it away. I responded with the following;

The Five wise virgins worked hard to get ready for the wedding. They had BOUGHT their oil and had enough to last all night. They were diligent in preparing for the whole night just in case it took that long.

The 5 foolish did not prepare well. They realized they would run out of oil and wanted to get some free oil from the wise ones who spent their own money to gain enough oil for the night. The foolish never offered to pay for it they just wanted it for free.

They then had to leave and go out and BUY their own oil from the merchants who were not in the habit of giving away oil.

Hmmmm Sounds very similar to some here. Maybe Proverbs will help the understanding better.

Prover 23:23 Invest in truth and never sell it— in wisdom and instruction and understanding.

Proverbs 4:7 Wisdom is supreme; therefore acquire wisdom. And whatever else you obtain, gain understanding.

Proverbs 17:16 Why should the fool have money in his hand with no intention of buying wisdom?

Proverbs 18:15 The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks it out.

Another parable. A man finds a treasure in the field that is not his. He does not take it as that would be stealing. But he goes and sells everything he has in order to gain that field and then own that treasure.

Do these scriptures sound like Yehovah is just giving away His wisdom? Not to me. No, He wants you to earn it by hard work and sweat. But lest you think I am money grabbing greedy person, let me tell you that I try my best to use the brethren whenever I can and I pay them for their professional services.

To date, not one group or organization has sponsored me to come and speak. All of that is paid for from our book sales and donations. Our work in Africa, the Philippines and our new work we are just starting to do in India are also paid for by book sales and donations from the brethren. It does not go to pay me a wage. I work a full-time job digging ditches to pay my bills.

So we ask for you and the public to purchase our products and to make regular donations, to help us further the understanding of the Sabbatical and Jubilee years as well as the calendar of Yehovah to new people around the world. These efforts are done by personal visits such as the notice about James below and or myself in the past to those countries. We are also doing ongoing advertisements in other nations in the hopes to find more brethren and share this information and to hopefully find other assemblies we can work with and who want to work with us in the same way Aike does in the Philippines and Telesphore does in East Africa. And now Henry has grown and is doing a work in Kenya.

We are asking each and every one of you to join us in what we are confident is the end time work of this 6th millennial day.  If you know of groups who want to work with us then have them contact us. If you know of people looking for the truths we share then let them contact us or you can share our teachings with them.

I do hope all those who read the new book It was a Riddle Not a Command will be blessed by the information they now possess.

Yehshua always spoke in parables publicly.

Matthew 13:34 Jesus spoke all these things to the crowds in parables, and He did not speak to them without a parable, so that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, “I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world.”

He did this on purpose so they would not understand.

Matthew 13:10-17 And the disciples said to Him, Why do You speak to them in parables?

He answered and said to them, Because it is given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven, but it is not given to them.

For whoever has, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance. But whoever does not have, from him shall be taken away even that which he has.

Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they see not, and hearing they hear not; nor do they understand. And in them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah which said, “By hearing you shall hear and shall not understand; and seeing you shall see and shall not perceive; for this people’s heart has become gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and they have closed their eyes, lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.”

But blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear. For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which you see, and have not seen them; and to hear what you hear, and have not heard them.

Yehshua spoke about the 5 Foolish Virgins in a parable.

Matthew 25:11-13 Afterwards the other virgins came also, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.

But he answered and said, Truly I say to you, I do not know you.

Therefore watch, for you do not know either the day or the hour in which the Son of Man comes.

The expression “No Man Knows the Day or the Hour” is what Yehshua was speaking about in the previous chapter, Matthew 24:36 and here He is using the same expression in this parable again.

This is what most Christians use to dismiss any and all end time prophecies as being false teachings. They do not realize it was a parable meant to say something and hide the truth from those who hearts have grown stupid which is what that word gross means when Isaiah says their hearts have become gross.

Yehshua was telling the foolish they would not and could not know the day or the hour and at the same time telling the wise the precise time He would return on.

The question is which one are you?

Order the book and find out which one you are and learn how to change from being a foolish virgin to one of the 5 Wise Virgins.

Order the book so you never have to hear the words, I never knew you.

New Moon Report for the 5th Month.

Dear Friends,

The new moon was sighted from Israel this evening, Thursday, 4 July 2019!* From Jerusalem at 7:46pm by Devorah Gordon, followed by Gil Ashendorf.
* From Tiberias at 7:49pm by Dennis and Maureen Chkolnik.
* From the Zevulun Valley at 8:11pm by Yoel Halevi and his son.
* From Kfar Eldad (El David) at 8:20pm by Bruce Brill.On behalf of all of us who rely on these observations, we wish to thank everyone in Israel who looked for the new moon this evening and sent in their observations in a timely manner! The photo at the top of this report was taken by myself from our observation point in Jerusalem this evening. Be sure to keep track of what number month this is, based on when you started the new year.

It has come to my attention that some of you are curious as to why we looked for the new moon last night being that it was only the end of the 28th day of the month, so let me try and explain.

The reason we looked for the new moon last night, even though it was only the end of the 28th day of the month, is that although astronomically a lunar month is either 29 or 30 days, the new moon can be visible 28 days later, if the new moon of the previous month should have been visible at the end of the 29thday, but wasn’t due to poor atmospheric conditions.

When the new moon should have been visible at the end of the 29th day of the month, but wasn’t due to poor atmospheric conditions, and therefore we have to wait for the following evening to begin the new month, we can end up seeing the next new moon 28 days later, because although only 28 days have passed since we started the new month, it is actually 29 days since the last new moon.

So for example, last month on June 4, 2019 in the evening we went to look for the new moon as usual. As you may recall, we did not end up seeing the new moon that evening, even though the moon had an illumination of 2.11% and a lag of 69min, and therefore had no choice but to begin the new month the following evening on June 5, 2019. As a result, it so happened that there was a slight possibility that the new moon may have been visible last night, so we went out to look, but we did not see it.

It should be noted that here is nothing wrong with having a 28th day month. In fact, had we seen the new moon last night, we would have begun the new month last night, because it is irrelevant that only 28 days had passed since the last time we saw the new moon. Having a 28-day month, just means the beginning of the previous month would have begun a day earlier, were it not for poor atmospheric conditions.

Just to be clear, we did not end up having a 28-day month this month, but I thought it was a good teaching opportunity, as it has happened before, there was a possibility of it happening this month (although it didn’t), and there is of course a possibility of it happening again in the future, so it’s important to understand how a 28-day month happens, and that it’s not a big deal when it does happen. I hope this explanation has been helpful.

If reliable first-hand New Moon and Aviv Reports from Israel are of value to you, please consider supporting our efforts. We could really use your support.

Chodesh Tov! Make it a great month!

Devorah Gordon
Jerusalem, Israel

Burundi Africa

Without talking with me James has decided to head back to Burundi Africa and he is leaving this coming Tuesday, July 9, 2019. I do not like spur of the moment decisions like this. Ebola is on the north-west of Burundi and the President is going to run for office for the fourth term. When he did it for the third term there was an attempted coup set up by the UN. It can get very dangerous very quickly

The elections are slated for September and so far there is no opposition. After the election, there could be a great deal of tension. So James decided to head back now before. I had no say in this and I am not in favour of it.

So we have thrown together some of the funds to help him do this trip for about 3 weeks. I would appreciate your prayers for him and all the brethren during this upcoming time of trial in this small nation. But no matter what happens, Telesphore is going to be there and the brethren throughout what comes. Keep them all in your prayers.

 

The Greatest Question

This week I was asked the greatest question about a scripture I have not paid much attention to.

Eileen Espinosa wrote me the following question this week. Let me tell you about Eileen and her husband. They came to the Feast in Falls Creek Falls when we recorded all those video teachings. Many people came up to me and wanted to talk to me. I could not remember names the first couple of days. About the 3rd or 4th day I saw this family at one of the group meals and I did not know them so I went over and began to talk to them.  It was general talk and then after a few minutes, like maybe 20 I clued in as to who this very quite couple were.

They were one of our early supporters and I did not put two and two together. Eileen has written me many times with many questions and never included her email address. But this week she hit the gold mine of questions and just had my head spinning and then me jumping up and down in joy. JUST WOW.

Again now let me update those of you who may not know why this is so great a question.

We have been teaching about the Saints who came back to life on wave sheaf day when Yehshua came out of the Grave and led a host of Saints with Him. We then go on to explain how this is going to happen again at Shavuot in 2033.

Mat 27:50  And crying again with a loud voice, Jesus released His spirit. And, behold! The veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. And the earth quaked, and the rocks were sheared, and the tombs were opened, and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep arose, and coming out of the tomb after His resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many.

Hello, Joe!

Could this “young man” in be one of the resurrected saints from Matt 27:52-53?

Mark 16:5  As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.

“Young man” is also found in these scriptures, so he seems to be a human and not a heavenly messenger:

Here is what Mark 16:5 says

Mar 16:5  And entering into the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right, clothed in a long white garment. And they were frightened. And he said to them, Do not be frightened. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He is risen, He is not here. Behold the place where they laid Him.  But go tell His disciples and Peter that He goes before you into Galilee. There you will see Him, as He said to you. And they went out quickly and fled from the tomb. For they trembled and were amazed. Neither did they say anything to anyone, for they were afraid.

The word for young man is G3495 and means a young man under the age of 40. IT does not say He was an angel but a young man. A MAN NOT AN ANGEL!!!!! And that this man was clothed in white clothing. The women were afraid because they saw a “ghost”. So here right in Mark is evidence of one of the Saints coming back to life and was given a white Robe after coming back to life from the grave. It was a Man after all and not an angel.

In Mathew, it says an Angel sat on the stone that was rolled away.

Mat 28:1  But late in the week, at the dawning into the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb. And behold, a great earthquake occurred! For coming down from Heaven, and coming up, an angel of theLord rolled back the stone from the door and was sitting on it. His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. And the keepers shook for fear of him and became like dead men. And the angel answered and said to the women, Do not fear, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified.

Then in Luke we are told that there were two Men in shining robes.

Luk 24:1  And on the first of the sabbaths, while still very early, they came to the tomb bringing the spices which they had prepared, and certain others with them. But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb. And going in, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. And as they were much perplexed about it, it happened that, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments. And as they were afraid, and bowed their faces down to the earth, they said to them, Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. Remember how He spoke to you when He was still in Galilee,  saying, The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified, and the third day rise again? And they remembered His words and returned from the tomb and told all these things to the Eleven and to the rest. It was Mary Magdalene, and Joanna, and Mary the mother of James, and the rest with them, who told these things to the apostles. And their words seemed to them like foolishness, and they did not believe them. And Peter arose and ran to the tomb, and stooping down he saw the linens lying alone. And he went away wondering to himself at what had happened.

Go ahead and look up the word for man. It is not an angel!

Then when we look at John, he says there were two angels.

Joh 20:1  The first of the sabbaths Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb, darkness still being on it, and she saw the stone taken away from the tomb. Then she ran and came to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and said to them, They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him. Therefore Peter and that other disciple went forth and came to the tomb. So they both ran together. And the other disciple outran Peter and came first to the tomb. And stooping down he saw the linens lying, yet he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came following him and went into the tomb. And he saw the linens lying there. And the grave-cloth that was on His head was not lying with the linens, but was wrapped up in one place by itself. Therefore, then, that other disciple also went in, the one who came first to the tomb. And he saw and believed. For as yet they did not know the Scripture that He must rise again from the dead. Then the disciples went away again to themselves.

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene

But Mary stood outside of the tomb, weeping. And as she wept, she stooped down into the tomb.  And she saw two angels in white sitting there, the one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. And they said to her, Woman, why do you weep? She said to them, Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him. And when she had said this, she turned backward and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, Woman, why do you weep? Whom do you seek? Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to Him, Sir, if you have carried Him away from here, tell me where you have laid Him and I will take Him away. Jesus said to her, Mary! She turned herself and said to Him, Rabboni! (which is to say, Master!) Jesus said to her, Do not touch Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father. But go to My brothers and say to them, I ascend to My Father and Your Father, and to My God and your God.  Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord and that He had spoken these things to her.

So now you can decide. Was it Angels or men that were in the Tomb and spoke with the women?

Here is what revelation says about the white robes.

Rev 6:9  And when He had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the Word of God, and for the testimony which they held. And they cried with a loud voice, saying, Until when, Master, holy and true, do You not judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth? And white robes were given to each one of them. And it was said to them that they should rest yet for a little time, until both their fellow servants and their brothers (those about to be killed as they were ) should have their number made complete.

A Great Multitude from Every Nation

Rev 7:9  After these things I looked, and lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, out of all nations and kindreds and people and tongues, stood before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palms in their hands. And they cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God sitting on the throne, and to the Lamb. And all the angels stood around the throne, and the elders, and the four living creatures, and they fell before the throne on their faces and worshiped God, saying, Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever. Amen. And one of the elders answered, saying to me, Who are these who are arrayed in white robes, and from where do they come? And I said to him, Sir, you know. And he said to me, These are the ones who came out of the great tribulation and have washed their robes, and have whitened them in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore they are before the throne of God, and they serve Him day and night in His temple. And He sitting on the throne will dwell among them. They will not hunger any more, nor thirst any more, nor will the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will feed them and will lead them to the fountains of living waters. And God will wipe away all tears from their eyes.

 

Are you Keeping the Third Tithe Year?

We have now begun the 5th month. All of us have had about 20 weeks to earn a living. In doing so I want to remind and ask you all, just how many of you have remembered the widows and the orphans this year thus far?

This is the 3rd year of the Jubilee cycle. And anyone who has been reading our web site for any time will know how to prove beyond all doubt when the Sabbatical and Jubilee years are. Once you have done that then you will know when the 3rd and the 6th year of the Sabbatical Cycles are.

 

Deu 14:28  At the end of three years you shall bring forth all the tithe of your increase the same year, and shall lay it up inside your gates. And the Levite, because he has no part nor inheritance with you, and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, who are inside your gates, shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied, so that Jehovah your God may bless you in all the work of your hand which you do.

It is almost a guarantee that some smart as_ or should I say some clever person who does not want to obey Yehovah will write to me and say this is only speaking of the produce of the land. You are only to tithe of the produce that you grow. Since I am not a farmer I do not have to tithe.

So what they are saying is that only the farmers have to tithe, is that right?

Not one of these people has ever sent me ten bails of hey for every hundred they bailed. Nor have ever received five bushels of tomatoes for the fifty they harvested. In fact, they never send me a tithe of their produce. They just send me their excuses for why they will not obey.

Let me say here right now, I have never considered myself or this ministry to be a Levitical priesthood. I have never considered it worthy of tithing to. Only the Levite is be given the tithes and they are given that tithe in order for them to maintain the Temple. We have no Temple today and we have no priesthood so you should not be tithing. But at sightedmoon.com we have expenses and goals and other ministries we are supporting in the Philippines and Africa and maybe soon India and Pakistan. So we do accept your donations to help do the work we are doing here.

I also remember one year I brought my First Fruits offering to a local synagogue and presented it in front of the congregation. It was rhubarb and Asparagus. This was the only First Fruits I had at that time when Pentecost arrived that year. Everyone watching was wondering what was going on and the Rabbi also did not know what to think. But I presented my First Fruits offering as I was commanded.

What does this word “increase” mean?

H8393   (Brown-Driver-Briggs)   hawbt  tebu?’a?h

BDB Definition:

1) produce, product, revenue

1a) product, yield, crops (of the earth usually)

1b) income, revenue

1c) gain (of wisdom) (figuratively)

1d) product of lips (figuratively)

Part of Speech: noun feminine

A Related Word by BDB/Strong’s Number: from H935

H8393   (KJC)   hawbt  tebu?’a?h

Total KJV Occurrences: 42

increase, 23

Lev 19:24-25 (2), Lev 25:7, Lev 25:12, Lev 25:20, Num 18:30 (2), Deu 14:22, Deu 14:28, Deu 16:15, Deu 26:12, 2Ch 31:5, 2Ch 32:28, Neh 9:37, Job 31:12, Psa 107:37, Pro 3:9, Pro 14:4, Pro 18:20, Ecc 5:10, Isa 30:23, Jer 2:3, Eze 48:18

fruit, 7

Lev 23:39, Lev 25:3, Lev 25:21-22 (2), Deu 22:9, Jos 5:12, Pro 10:16

fruits, 6

Exo 23:10, Lev 25:15-16 (2), Lev 25:22, Deu 33:14, 2Ki 8:6

revenues, 3

Pro 15:6 (2), Pro 16:8, Jer 12:13

revenue, 2

Pro 8:19, Isa 23:3

gain, 1

Pro 3:14

H8393   (Strong)  hawbt  tebu?’a?h  teb-oo-aw’

From H935; income, that is, produce (literally or figuratively): – fruit, gain, increase, revenue.

Total KJV occurrences: 42

As you can see from the scriptures below the same word Tebuah can and does also mean revenue.

Proverbs 15:6  In the house of the righteous is much treasure; But in the revenues of the wicked is trouble.

Proverbs 16:8 Better is a little, with righteousness, Than great revenues with injustice.

Jer 12:13 (Darby)  They have sown wheat, and they reap thorns; they have put themselves to pain, and do not profit. Be ye therefore ashamed of your revenues, because of the fierce anger of Jehovah.

Proverb 8:19

(ASV)  My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; And my revenue than choice silver.

(BBE)  My fruit is better than gold, even than the best gold; and my increase is more to be desired than silver.

(Brenton)  It is better to have my fruit than to have gold and precious stones; and my produce is better than choice silver.

(CEV)  What you receive from me is more valuable than even the finest gold or the purest silver.

(Darby)  My fruit is better than fine gold, yea, than pure gold; and my revenue than choice silver.

(DRB)  For my fruit is better than gold and the precious stone, and my blossoms than choice silver.

(ERV)  What I give is better than fine gold. What I produce is better than pure silver.

(ESV)  My fruit is better than gold, even fine gold, and my yield than choice silver.

(ESV+)  My fruit is ?R16?better than ?R17?gold, even fine gold, and my yield than ?R18?choice silver.

(GNB)  What you get from me is better than the finest gold, better than the purest silver.

(Greek NT INT+)

(GW)  What I produce is better than gold, pure gold. What I yield is better than fine silver.

On my E-sword program, I am able to now pull up the Ancient Paleo Hebrew and for this word Tebuah which is as follows. But I do not have Paleo Hebrew font to match.

H7620   (Ancient Hebrew)
H7620 = AHLB# 2808 (d)
2808) Obs% (Obs% ShBAh) ac: Swear co: Oath ab: ?: Literally to seven oneself. A common practice was to make seven declarations when making an oath. This declaration can be making the oath seven times or doing seven things to show the sincerity of the oath. (eng: seven, an exchange of the s and sh)

H8393   (Ancient Hebrew)
H8393 = AHLB# 1024-J (i1)
1024) ab (ab BA) ac: Fill co: Void ab: ?: The filling of an empty space. This root is closely related to eb and ib.

A) ab (ab BA) ac: Enter co: Entrance ab: ?: To fill a space by entering it.

I want you to notice that in the Beit which is the house it is the Aleph of Yehovah that fills that empty space.

Nf1) Eab% (Eab% B-AH) – Entrance: [freq. 1] |kjv: entry| {H872}

J) Afb% (Afb% BWA) ac: Fill co: Entrance ab: ?: To come or go into a space is to fill it. A void within oneself that desires to be filled.

V) Afb% (Afb% BWA) – Come: To fill a void by entering it. This can be understood as to come or to go. [A generic verb with a wide application meaning to come or go as a filling of a void] [freq. 2577] (vf: Paal, Hiphil, Hophal) |kjv: come, enter, go| {H935}

am) Afbm% (Afbm% M-BWA) – I. Entrance: A place of entering. II. West: The place where the sun enters the underworld. [df: awbwm] [freq. 24] |kjv: going down, entry, come, entrance, enter, in, west| {H3996}

if1) Eafbt% (Eafbt% T-BW-AH) – Filling: An increase of produce, usually of fruit. [freq. 42] |kjv: increase, fruit, revenue, gain| {H8393}

With this understanding, we should easily be able to understand that it is Yehovah who fills our empty space with HIs presence and His increase.

kf1) Eafbm% (Eafbm% M-BW-AH) – Entrance: A place of entering. [freq. 1] |kjv: entry| {H3997}

We are addressing those who claim that fruits only means crops and does not mean income. If you made $50,000 last year in wages then a tithe of that would be $5,000 that would not be able to be deducted as a taxable write off. There are no receipts when you give to the widows or the orphans or the stranger or the poor of the Levite. There is the simple satisfaction that you have kept the Torah of Yehovah and in doing your little bit you have helped the overall function of the Kingdom.

“the overall function of the Kingdom” how is my little part a blessing for the Kingdom. Read what you are told in Deut 26 when you do this one commandment. It says not that you will be blessed for doing your tithe but the Kingdom will be, the Nation of Israel. “Look down from Your holy dwelling, from Heaven, and bless Your people Israel and the land which You have given us, as You swore to our fathers, a land that flows with milk and honey. ”

Deu 26:11  And you shall rejoice in all the good which Jehovah your God has given to you, and to your house; you, and the Levite, and the stranger in your midst. When you have made an end of tithing all the tithes of your increase the third year, the year of tithing, and have given it to the Levite, the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow (that they may eat inside your gates and be filled), then you shall say before Jehovah your God, I have brought away the holy things out of my house, and also have given them to the Levite, and to the stranger, to the fatherless, and to the widow, according to all Your commandments which You have commanded me. I have not broken Your commandments, neither have I forgotten. I have not eaten of it in my mourning, neither have I put any of it away for unclean use, nor have I given of it for the dead. I have listened to the voice of Jehovah my God, and have done according to all that You have commanded me. Look down from Your holy dwelling, from Heaven, and bless Your people Israel and the land which You have given us, as You swore to our fathers, a land that flows with milk and honey. Today Jehovah your God has commanded you to do these statutes and judgments. You therefore shall keep and do them with all your heart and with all your soul. You have today said that Jehovah is your God, and that you would walk in His ways, and keep His statutes and His commandments and His judgments, and listen to His voice. And Jehovah has taken you today to be His peculiar people, as He has promised you, and to keep all His commandments, and to make you high above all nations which He has made, in praise and in name and in honor, and that you may be a holy people to Jehovah your God, even as He has spoken.

Here is a very severe warning from Yehovah to each of us.

Exo 22:21  You shall neither vex a stranger nor oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. You shall not afflict any widow or fatherless child. If you afflict them in any way, and they cry at all to Me, I will surely hear their cry. And My wrath shall become hot, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall be widows, and your sons fatherless.

God’s Special Women

Widows By Rick Railston

Did you know that 1 million new widows will join our ranks in 2017 in the United States?

Did you know that half will not be attending the church they attended with their husbands one year after becoming a widow?

Did you know the average age is 56?

God’s Special Women—Widows

By Rick Railston
September 4, 2010

One of the things that strikes me in the last six months or so, maybe a little longer is that we’ve had several new widows created in the Church. You know Marie Di Salvo lost Joe and Carol Tychen, a lady in our hometown—she’s in a different fellowship—but lost her husband Gene. And then Joyce Rau lost Lauren. And another lady in our town, who can’t come to services but watches DVD’s, Carol Robey, lost her husband Duncan here just a very short time ago. So again, we’ve had four new widows in the last several months. And then obviously, we can look back in months priors to that and over the last several years, there have been many widows created over the last several years.

And many of those widows are not going to be able to make it to the Feast this year—and that’s a sad thing—either through health or other causes beyond their control. But if you put yourself in a widow’s position, not being able to go to the Feast, that’s not an enviable thing. And they obviously wish they could be at the Feast.

And the fact is that older people, who are alone, have a very, very difficult existence today, particularly women. If they’re alone in this society, it can be very, very difficult because many have been deserted by their families. And many, if not most, have been deserted by their government. And if their families are not there and they’re out in the world, it’s a very difficult situation and they don’t have a lot of safety nets to help them. But this was prophesied in the Bible to occur to Israel in the latter days!

Let’s go to Ezekiel chapter 22 and see this prophecy. Ezekiel 22 and we’re going to read verses 23 through 25. Ezekiel 22 talking about a prophecy regarding widows in modern day Israel. Ezekiel 22 verse 23:

Ezekiel 22:23. And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
24) “Son of man, say to her: (KJV)

Now that’s referring to Israel up in verse 18.

Ezekiel 22:24b. [You are] the land that is not cleansed, (KJV)

And boy, our land is not cleansed! It is ugly and dirty.

Ezekiel 22:24b. nor rained upon in the day of indignation.
25) There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the [middle] thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey; they have devoured [lives]; they have taken the treasure and precious things; (KJV)

Notice this last phrase!

Ezekiel 22:25b. they have made her many widows in the midst thereof [referring to Israel.] (KJV)

We know prophecy is dual. There is an early fulfilment and a latter fulfilment. There’s a physical fulfilment and a spiritual fulfilment. And certainly in the Church today in modern Israel, there have been many widows created. The fact is that most men die before the woman. The fact is that most men work themselves to death and leave their wives alone and then some, in many cases in the world, destitute—shouldn’t be in the Church, but in the world.

And the fact is that in the Church, many widows feel that once their husband dies, once they’re no longer a couple, somehow they feel that they have no value anymore. And that somehow they’re a burden on the Church or on society. And now that they’re alone, they can no longer contribute to the Church or serve the Brethren or certainly give tithes or offerings or whatever. And in the Church, it’s sad to say that too many in the Church—and I’m speaking the greater Church now all over the world—ignore the widows and ignore their plight and don’t feel for the widows or even give it a second thought of what they are going through.

So what we’re going to do in the sermon today is we’re going to answer three questions about widows. The first one and the most important we’re going to ask the question and answer it.

I. How does God view widows? Are widows second-class Christians? Are they just kind of kicked to the curb? Or does God have something else in mind for them?

The second question we’re going to answer is:

II. What is our responsibility as Church members, as brothers and sisters, what is our responsibility toward widows in the Church? Do we have a responsibility toward them? What does God say about that?

And then the third question we want to ask and answer is directed at the widows.

III. What are the responsibilities of the widows toward others in the Church? Do they just get a free pass and just kind of soak up things? Or are they isolated and all alone and don’t have any responsibilities? Or does God want them to have a certain role and fulfil a certain role in the Church today?

We’ll answer those three questions. And what I hope when we finish and when we’re through with that, we will learn a lot about God, by the way, He wants the widows treated. We will learn a lot about the nature of God and God’s love by how He wants widows treated and how He views widows.

Okay, let’s start off with the first question.

I. How does God view widows?

The fact is that widows are very, very special to God. He doesn’t kick them to the curb. He doesn’t ignore them. They are very special. Let’s go to Psalms 68 and verse 5. In fact, they are so special to Him; God says that “I am going to take care of them! I’m going to look out after them.” Psalm 68 and verse 5, I’m going to read it out of the NIV. Notice what Christ, the God of the Old Testament, says:

Psalm 68:5. A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling. (NIV)

And God understands that the widow and the infant and the fatherless child are the three most vulnerable groups in the Church because they cannot defend themselves. They cannot in most cases provide for themselves—the infant, the fatherless child, and the widow. And you will see over and over again in the Bible that God talks about those three and puts them together. Now we’re going to focus on widows, but you’re going to notice that the fatherless child is there too. And in many cases, the stranger is there too, the stranger in the land.

Now let’s look back at ancient Israel and we’re going to see through the Scriptures we’re going to look at that God raised widowhood to a higher level than any other society in the history of mankind. I’ll say it again: God raised the status of widows or widowhood to a higher level than any other society that has ever existed. God says that the widows are special to Him and if they cry out to Him, He is going to hear.

Let’s go to Exodus chapter 22 and we’re going to read verses 22 through 24. Exodus 22 verses 22 through 24, notice what God says. He is very emphatic about this. He doesn’t pull any punches. And we need to take heed to what He says. Exodus 22 verse 22, He says:

Exodus 22:22. [You] shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child.
23) If [you] afflict them in [anyway], and they cry [to] me, I will surely hear their cry; (KJV)

That’s a promise from God! Verse 24, notice what happens to somebody who afflicts the widow.

Exodus 22:24. And my wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword; [to the point that] your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless. (KJV)

God is that serious about taking care of the widows. And the widows who are listening to this, if you cry to God, you can rest assured that God will hear you!

God also says emphatically that He is going to provide for His widows. Let’s go to Deuteronomy chapter 24. Moses is giving Israel final instructions before they go into the Promised Land and before he dies. And in Deuteronomy 24, we’re going to read verses 19 through 22 and notice what he says, what Moses is instructing Israel to do regarding widows. Deuteronomy 24 verse 19:

Deuteronomy 24:19. When [you cut] down [your] harvest in [your] field, and [you have forgotten] a sheaf in the field, [He says, don’t] go [back to pick it up]: [He says, leave it there] for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow: (KJV)

Those vulnerable three groups of people!

Deuteronomy 24:19b. that the Lord [your] God may bless [you] in all the work of [your] hands. (KJV)

If you allow some extra for the widow, God is going to bless you. That’s a promise! Verse 20:

Deuteronomy 24:20. When [you beat your] olive tree, (KJV)

We might relate it to apple trees out here today. He says:

Deuteronomy 24:20b. [you shall] not go over the boughs again: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow. (KJV)

We have an apple orchard right across the street and those harvesters go through there and they will leave some apples on the trees. They’re just in a rush; they’re going fast. Lots of apples fall to the ground during the harvesting process. And we would be admonished today, “You don’t go back and go through it a second time. Just leave them.” Then the widows, the fatherless children can go through the fields and glean what’s left.

Verse 21:

Deuteronomy 24:21. When [you gather] the grapes of [your] vineyard, [you shall] not glean it afterward: it shall be for the stranger, for the fatherless, and for the widow.
22) And [you shall] remember (KJV)

What are we supposed to remember?

Deuteronomy 24:22b. that [you were] a bondman in the land of Egypt: therefore I command [you] to do this thing. (KJV)

So what He’s saying is “If you remember that you were in Egypt, what were you in Egypt? You were slaves.” And so God is drawing an analogy that the widow is like a slave. Meaning a slave is totally dependent on others for every aspect of their life. And widows are in that same category in many, many cases. That’s why those who have abundance need to set some aside or in the field leave some. Don’t go through a second time to provide for the widows.

Let’s jump now to Psalm 146 and verse 9. Notice what He says. God’s attitude toward widows, how God views widows, and I hope the widows when they read these Scriptures are very encouraged by this. Psalm 146 verse 9, it tells us; it says:

Psalm 146:9. The Lord [preserves] the strangers [the foreigners]; he [relieves] the fatherless and widow: (KJV)

Now the word “relieve” is obviously translated “relieves” meaning to remove distress. But it also can be translated “restore.”

So what God is saying, He says: “I’m going to relieve the widows from any trouble. And I will restore them to what they need. I will provide for them.” He says:

Psalm 146:9b. but the way of the wicked he [turns] upside down. (KJV)

Widows have a very special place in the heart of God.

Now let’s go to Deuteronomy chapter 14 and here we read of something that God instituted in part directly just for widows! He cares about them so much; He loves them so much; He understands their plight so much that He has directed a special tithe for the widows. Deuteronomy 14, we’ll read verses 28 and 19.

Deuteronomy 14:28. At the end of three years (KJV)

Referring to what we commonly call the “Third Tithe.”

Deuteronomy 14:28b. [you shall] bring forth all the tithe of [your] increase the same year, and [shall] lay it up within [your] gates:
29) And the Levite, (because he [has] no part nor inheritance with [you],) and the stranger, and the fatherless, [and notice this] and the widow, which are within [your] gates, shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied; (KJV)

Now we know back in those days, the tithe was primarily in the form of produce or animals. And so, those were brought and distributed to the widows and the fatherless and the stranger. But just understand the widows were provided for because of the third tithe. And noting the end of that last verse, He says, “You do that”:

Deuteronomy 14:29b. that the Lord [your] God may bless [you] in all the work of [your hands] which [you do]. (KJV)

You want to be blessed, look after the widow. Take care of the widow and provide for the widow.

Now the third tithe provides for women with no husband so that they can rear their children at home. And the children then can be a benefit to society and not a detriment. Because we read all too often that there’s a single mom and this society forces her to work. And then she has latchkey children. And often as not, those children with nobody at home turn to gangs, turn to drugs, turn to alcohol, turn to crime, because there’s nobody there. And one of the benefits of the third tithe, it allows the mother, if she’s a younger widow, to stay at home and take care of her children.

And yet some widows feel guilty about taking the third tithe. They should not! It’s designed for them. It’s for them.

And the third tithe provides for elderly widows who can’t work, elderly widows who might be infirm. But these elderly widows have spent all of their lives contributing to society and so, therefore, it is not wrong for them to take some help and assistance from the society that they’ve contributed to or from the Church that they have contributed to could be for decades.

Now let’s look at an example in the Old Testament about the treatment of a widow. This is the example of Boaz in the Book of Ruth. Let’s go to Ruth now and we’re going to go to chapter 2 and we’re going to read verses 4 through 9 and then 15 and 16. I’m going to read it out of the New King James because it is easier to understand and more to the point. But understand that Ruth is a Moabitess. She’s not an Israelite. She came back to Israel with Naomi. Ruth 2 verse 4:

Ruth 2:4. Now behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said to [his] reapers, “The Lord be with you!” And they answered him, “The Lord bless you!” (NKJ)

So obviously this says something about Boaz. He is a man of God. He cares about his employees. He cares about his workers in the field. He pronounces a blessing on them and they care enough and love him enough to respond in kind.

Verse 5:

Ruth 2:5. Then Boaz said to his servant who was in charge of the reapers, “Whose young woman is this?”
6) So the servant who was in charge of the reapers answered and said, “[This] is the young Moabite woman who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab.
7) “And she said [referring to Ruth], ‘Please let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves.’ (NKJ)

She wanted to provide for her mother-in-law and herself.

Ruth 2:7b. So she came and has continued from morning until now, though she rested a little in the house.” (NKJ)

Now notice Boaz’s response. Verse 8:

Ruth 2:8. Then Boaz said to Ruth, “You will listen, my daughter, will you not? Do not go to glean in another field, nor go from here, but stay close [to] my young women. (NKJ)

That says Boaz was concerned that if she went to another field, you never know something might happen to her. But he was confident that if she stayed in his fields with his employees that she would not be harmed and she would be taken care of.

Verse 9, notice this!

Ruth 2:9. “Let your eyes be on the field which they reap [meaning his reapers], and go after them. Have I not commanded the young men not to touch you? (NKJ)

That could have been a problem in another field. He says:

Ruth 2:9b. And when you are thirsty, go to the vessels and drink from what the young men have drawn.” (NKJ)

So he’s instructed the young men to give her water to provide for her.

Verse 15, remember she’s a Moabitess. She’s not a native Israelite. Verse 15:

Ruth 2:15. And when she rose up to glean, Boaz commanded his young men, saying, “Let her glean even among the sheaves, and do not reproach her. (NKJ)

In other words, don’t just let her get the droppings, but let her go ahead and harvest right beside you and get some of the sheaves.

Verse 16:

Ruth 2:16. “Also let grain from the bundles fall purposely for her; leave it that she may glean, and do not rebuke her.” (NKJ)

So Boaz is even going above and beyond to take care of Ruth and her mother-in-law. And that’s an attitude that all of us in God’s Church with God’s spirit, which is the spirit of love, would do well to emulate. Again, we’re talking about how God views widows.

Let’s understand too that God is going to punish Israel, is punishing Israel for ignoring or taking advantage of widows. And this government down through the years is more interested in getting politicians re-elected than taking care of the people that need it. And the whole country is paying a price for this, as we all know.

Let’s go to Deuteronomy chapter 10. We’re going to read verses 17 and 18. God is very explicit—and we’re only covering a fraction of the Scriptures—but God is very explicit that you don’t take advantage of widows. You provide for them. You look after them. Deuteronomy 10 verses 17 and 18, again Moses is giving his final message to the nation of Israel.

Deuteronomy 10:17. For the Lord your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which [regards] not persons, nor [takes] reward: (KJV)

God cannot be bribed. God is not a respecter of persons. Verse 18:

Deuteronomy 10:18. He [does] execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow, (KJV)

The NIV says of verse 18:

Deuteronomy 10:18. He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, (NIV)

That means God has to know about the widow and know about what she needs and know about her cause and once He does, then He will defend her if she needs defending. And we don’t want to be on the receiving end of God’s wrath. This nation is and will be more so as time goes on.

Let’s jump to chapter 27 and read verse 19. Again, we’re just hitting the high spots. There are many other Scriptures that we could read. I’m going to read this out of the New King James. Notice what God says. He pronounces a curse on those who would mess around with a widow.

Deuteronomy 27:19. ‘Cursed is the one who perverts the justice due [to] the stranger, the fatherless, and widow.’ (NKJ)

Justice, fairness, what is right! He said, “You are cursed if you pervert that!”

Deuteronomy 27:19b. And [then] all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’ (NKJ)

Now, what does He mean there? Well, after crossing Jordan, Israel came to a valley and there was a mountain slope on each slide. And six of the tribes went on one side; six of the tribes went on the other side. And Moses in this chapter has the Levites down in the valley and they will make a statement. And this is one of the statements they make.

Deuteronomy 27:19. ‘Cursed is the one who perverts the justice due the stranger, the fatherless, and widow. And all the people shall say, ‘Amen!’ (NKJ)’

And they would do that. And then you read later on in the chapter, one side would pronounce a curse and the people would say “Amen.” The other side would pronounce a blessing and the people would say “Amen.”

And God made it very clear to the people lining this valley, like an amphitheatre, they had to repeat those words. And when they said, “Amen”, they meant “So be it.” We understand. We’re going to obey this.

And so, God, once again, brought widows into that mix because of his concern and his love for them. Look at Isaiah chapter 10. We’re going to read the first three verses and then verses 5 and 6. Our Congress would do well to read this! Isaiah 10 verse 1:

Isaiah 10:1. Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness which they have prescribed;
2) To turn aside the needy from judgment, and to take away the right from the poor of my people, that widows [might] be their prey, and that they [might] rob the fatherless!
3) And what will [you] do in the day of visitation, (KJV)

There’s going to be a day of accounting. There’s going to be a day of reckoning. And he says:

Isaiah 10:3. And what will [you] do in the day of visitation, and in the desolation which shall come from far? to whom will [you] flee for help? (KJV)

“The widows are looking to you for help. You’re not helping them. And I’m going to curse you and you’re going to have to answer for it. And when I do, who are you going to look to for help?” when the great God comes after you.

He says:

Isaiah 10:3b. to whom will [you] flee for help? and where will [you] leave your glory? (KJV)

Now I’ll just give you an example here of several years ago. We had a widow who when her husband was alive, they went to one of these certified financial planners and got their house in order and had a very comfortable retirement fund for both of them. Her husband had a stroke and died. And then once he died, this unscrupulous financial advisor came in while she was grieving, had her sign some papers that she didn’t read. She trusted in him. And he took every penny she had except for the house was paid for and a several year old car. Other than that she saw nothing!

Here this man did this—I got involved after the fact and was shocked to find out that this happened. And the family trusted this guy, but when he could not provide a monthly report of where the money was and where it was being used, all of a sudden red flags came up. And then the police were called in and ultimately the FBI was called in. And, as a result, this man spent several years in jail. He lost his wife; he lost his family; he lost his ability to work in that field forever. And frankly, that isn’t enough! And this world’s justice doesn’t do enough, but at least that man, at least in this life, started paying some of the penalty. Now he’ll have his chance later on.

And God provides for this widow to this day. She doesn’t live extravagantly, but she had a comfortable living as a widow.

But the fact is that the only conclusion you can draw from reading these Old Testament Scriptures is “Don’t mess with a widow!” And we need to all take that into account and into consideration. You don’t mess around with a widow. You want a curse, you want to have problems in your life, you don’t want to be blessed? Then start messing around with God’s widows because He’s going to get involved and He’s going to take care of them.

Now, what about the New Testament? What does the New Testament say? Did Christ say anything about widows?

Well, one of the very first examples is Christ praised a widow because He noted that she gave more than anybody else. I think you know the account. Let’s go to Mark chapter 12. If Christ didn’t love the widow, He would not pay attention to them. But He noticed right off a widow walking up to the place where they dropped in their money, this big metal bowl that rang and the more money you threw in the bottom of it, the more it would ring. And He noticed some important things. We’re going to read verses 41 through 44.

Mark 12:41. And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much. (KJV)

You could hear the clanging and the banging and it was self-serving in that regard.

But notice verse 42:

Mark 12:42. And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, (KJV)

Two mites today would be one-quarter of one penny. Now that’s not much. It says:

Mark 12:42b. [and it makes] a farthing. (KJV)

Verse 43:

Mark 12:43. And he called unto him his disciples, (KJV)

Because He took note of the widow!

Mark 12:43b. and [He said] unto them, [Truly] I say unto you, That this poor widow [has] cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury:
44) For all they did cast [out] of their abundance; (KJV)

After all the blessings and the abundance that they have, but He said:

Mark 12:44b. she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living. (KJV)

And so what He is saying is that widows should not feel like second-class Christians because they cannot give much. Even if they give a few cents or a few dollars, Christ said, “She cast in more, as a percentage of what she had, than all the rest of them combined!” God knows and God understands.

So this verse tells us a lot of things. It tells us Christ takes note of the widow. He understands what their plight is. He understands what their economic situation is. He understands what they’re giving. He understands their heart. And because of all that, He understands our widows today and He understands your plight and your situation. But please understand as Christ understands that because you can’t give much, that doesn’t mean anything! All it means is you’re giving of what little you have and Christ understands that and accounts for it accordingly. Christ knew back then and He knows today, He knows today of the widows’ plight and that the widows’ desire to give. So don’t feel like a second-class Christian if you can’t throw a pile of money into the pot or we put say our Holy Day Offerings back in the box at the back of the room. Don’t feel like a second-class Christian because you put in relatively speaking a little bit. Christ understands.

Now let’s also understand that widows in the New Testament Church were considered by God to be afflicted. Let’s go to James chapter 1 and read the very famous Scripture verse 27. James 1 and verse 27, James is getting across, he’s telling us “You want to know what pure religion is?” He says, “I’m going to tell you what pure religion is.” James 1 verse 27, he said:

James 1:27. Pure religion and undefiled (KJV)

Meaning: pure and clean!

James 1:27b. before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and [the] widows in their affliction, (KJV)

The New International says, “widows in their distress.”

The New King James says, “widows in their trouble.”

Because Christ and the Father and the apostles knew back then and we know today that being a widow is afflicting, is troublesome, can lead to great distress. Because widows, most often, can’t go out and earn a living. They have to rely on family. They have to rely on the government. They have to rely on the Church. And so, in many cases because of ill health, because of other circumstances, daily circumstances to them, daily chores to them are troublesome sometimes, distressing sometimes. We need to realize this and we need to act according.

If we visit the widows in their affliction, we will know what their afflictions are. We will be able, therefore, to help them and encourage them.

Because God was so concerned about the widows, he created an office just to look after them! Now this says a lot about God. He created an office to look out for the widows. Let’s go to Acts chapter 6. This is the account of the creation of the office of a deacon. Acts 6, we’ll read the first three verses. It says:

Acts 6:1. And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, (KJV)

And we all understand that in the early days in the Church, it was growing exponentially. Thousands sometimes were called at one time!

Acts 6:1b. the number … was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians (KJV)

Now what that means is it’s not talking about the Greeks. It’s talking about the Hellenists. And the Hellenists were Jews who adopted Greek culture and Greek language. So in Judah at that time and certainly in Jerusalem, the Jews were divided into two camps. Because you understand that the Greek culture spread through all the Middle East. The Romans conquered the Greeks. Jerusalem was conquered by the Romans. All of Judah was. And as a result, many Jews began to adopt Greek and Roman culture and to speak their language and to dress that way and to furnish their houses that way. And so they were in their lifestyle mimicked the Romans and the Greeks before them. Then there were other Jews that held to the traditions of the fathers.

And there were sometimes trouble between those two groups. The fact is that God called people out of both groups. So they come into the Church and now all of a sudden, the Jews and the Hellenists are rubbing elbows and there’s some friction. And so the complaint was:

Acts 6:1 continued. [there was murmuring of the Hellenists] against the Hebrews, because their widows [meaning the Hellenists’ widows] were neglected in the daily ministration. (KJV)

Meaning: passing out of food, passing out of clothing, looking after them. Verse 2:

Acts 6:2. Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, [This isn’t a] reason that we should leave the [work] of God, and serve tables. (KJV)

Meaning: to pass out the food and to sort the clothes and all of that. Verse 3, we’re told, “‘Wherefore,’ because of this, we can’t devote ourselves to that but the need is there. There is a need to take care of the widows.”

Acts 6:3. Wherefore, brethren, look out [from] among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy [Spirit] and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. (KJV)

Or: to do this job, or to fulfil this responsibility toward the widows. And so, a whole office was created to take care of the widows. Does that sound like God doesn’t care about the widows? Or Christ isn’t concerned about the widows? Well, of course not!

There are—I counted just very briefly—fourteen different Scriptures in the Bible that are severe warnings about not oppressing widows. God is very concerned about this. I mean does this all sound like God doesn’t recognize or care for the widows? Well, obviously not!

I. So, how does God view widows?

Summing up the First Point:

God hears widows. He has said that. God provides for widows. He has promised that. God says He will punish Israel for ignoring or taking advantage of widows. And part of the punishment we see on this country and other countries today, Israelite countries today, are a result of their attitudes toward the elderly and the widows. Christ praised a widow who gave more than all the others. And He took note of that! A widow is considered by God to be in affliction or to be in trouble and He created an office to look after them for that very reason.

So Point Number One:

I. God views the widows in a very special way. And He has elevated their care to the highest of levels.

Now, let’s go to the Second Point. This applies to all of us.

II. What is our responsibility toward widows in the Church? Has God just not said much about it? Or is God very specific about our responsibility toward widows in the Church?

If you look at all the Scriptures, it’s easy. They fall into three different categories of all the admonitions if you go through them and study them about our responsibilities—three categories of responsibilities.

The first—if you like to outline—it would be Point A, is that:

A. We must pray daily for them, for the widows.

Let’s go to Matthew chapter 6 and look at the outline for the prayer, the outline that Christ gave about how we should pray every day. Now while it specifically doesn’t mention widows, it obviously refers to them by implication. Matthew 6, we’re going to read verses 9 through 13. It says—Christ says:

Matthew 6:9. After this manner therefore pray [you]: Our Father which [is] in heaven, Hallowed be [Your] name.
10) [Your] kingdom come. [Your] will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. (KJV)

So the prayer starts off in verse 9 by exalting God. And it’s always good when you kneel down to pray to exalt God first because it sets the stage of who He is versus who we are. And it establishes the difference and allows us to pray with humility.

And in verse 10, the first thing we should pray for is that God’s will is done and not ours. I’ve said that before. We pray for that in the Church, in the Pacific Church of God. We pray for that in our lives that we don’t do our will, our notions. We want to do God’s will and we have to keep our mind open to what God’s will is and that’s how we start the prayer. We want God to reveal to us what His will is for the things that we pray about.

Verse 11, notice this. He’s saying to people, individuals, on how they should pray, but He says:

Matthew 6:11. Give us this day our daily bread. (KJV)

Now, why would He do that? “Give us this day.” If it was about an individual, you would say, “Give me this day my daily bread.” But Christ didn’t say that. He said, “Give us this day our daily bread.” That means that we have to pray for others who need daily bread. Now, who else would need it more than a widow? So this tells us our prayers have to be about other people in addition to ourselves.

Verse 12:

Matthew 6:12. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. (KJV)

Again, praying for other people! People who have sinned against us, people we have sinned against, people who might oppress a widow, or, hopefully, someone that maybe a widow sinned against.

Verse 13:

Matthew 6:13. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from [the] evil [one]: (KJV

We need to pray for others! And who would take advantage of a widow more than anyone but Satan? We know Satan in 1 Peter chapter 5—we won’t go there, but—we’re told that Satan our Adversary is a roaring lion. Now who does a lion go after? Goes after the stragglers. Goes after the weak. He doesn’t go into the middle of a gaggle of deer. He gets the ones who are weak and are straggling—the easy prey. The weak among God’s people, physically certainly, are certainly are widows. And we need to understand that and we need to pray for the widows that God would deliver them from the evil one, just as we pray for ourselves, and would deliver them from temptation or trial or test, just as we pray for ourselves.

And He goes on to say:

Matthew 6:13b. For [Yours] is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. (KJV)

“Us” means all of God’s children, but particularly the afflicted. Wouldn’t God want us to pray first for those who are in trouble or those who are afflicted? And He says throughout Scripture that the widows are considered to be afflicted. So we should pray for them as much, if not more, than any other category because of their affliction.

So the first thing we must do is pray daily for our widows.

Point B, the second we should do is:

B. We are commanded to fellowship with them.

We just read it in James chapter 1 verse 27. “Visit the widows and the fatherless in their affliction.” Now the reason that’s important is that widows tend to gather together. If there’s more than one widow in a Church area, they will often fellowship together, but widows need fellowship from people who are not widows. Widows need to be around young kids. Widows need to hold little babies. Widows need to talk to teenagers. Widows need to talk to young married couples. Widows need to talk to older couples, older individuals. They need contact with Brethren who are not like themselves. It opens their horizons and, as we’re going to see in a little bit that it blesses us because we can learn from widows. It’s very important.

Look at Job chapter 32 verse 7. A true saying! This relates directly about learning from older people, more experienced people. Job 32 and verse 7, this is a true saying.

Job 32:7. I said, Days should speak, and multitude of years should teach wisdom. (KJV)

People who have been around a long time, especially widows who have lost their mates, widows today many of them lived through World War II, lived through the depression. They have stories to tell that most of us have never experienced. And we can learn a lot from widows. Andy Rooney, the commentator on “Sixty Minutes”, said, “The best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person.” The best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person because of their experience and their knowledge. And it is amazing! You talk to a widow what you find out, what you learn, the experiences that she has had! We can learn from their life’s experiences.

Now I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve gone to visit a widow with the object of cheering her up and encouraging her and 95% of the time, you’re the one that gets cheered up. You’re the one that gets encouraged and you come out bouncing away from the time with the widow feeling much more elevated, much more uplifted, much happier because you spent time with a widow. I gained more from the visit than they did! Happens all the time because they have so much to give and there is so much to learn from our widows. And you can do it on the Sabbath. You can do it at your place, or you can do it at their place, or you can do it over the telephone, but the point is that we have to fellowship with widows. It is very, very important. Do not leave them alone! Please don’t leave them alone.

And the third, Point C is:

C. We have to help provide for their needs.

Yes, the third tithe can help. Yes, the Church can help, but it’s on our backs too. Our responsibilities too to provide for whatever their needs might be. Let’s go to Isaiah chapter 1 and verse 16. God is condemning Judah here because they did not do that. Isaiah chapter 1 verse 16, this principle is about Judah but it still holds today. Isaiah 1 verse 16, it says:

Isaiah 1:16. Wash you, make you clean [Because they weren’t clean!]; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; (KJV)

In verse 16, he’s saying, “Okay I want you to stop doing evil.” But in verse 17, “I want you to go the other direction.”

Isaiah 1:17. Learn to do well; [to] seek judgment [or justice], relieve the oppressed, [provide justice for] the fatherless, [and] plead for the widow. (KJV)

Now this is addressed to the average Jew, but by principle, it’s addressed to the average Church member today.

The Hebrew word for “plead” is an interesting word. It literally means “to toss, to throw something.” And it would be used in a wrestling match. If you threw somebody to the ground in a wrestling match you would use this Hebrew word. It can mean “to grapple”, or by implication, it means “to defend.”

And it says, “You need to plead for the widow.” That means you need to go to battle for the widow. You need to fight for the widow. You need to struggle and grapple and wrestle for the widow. And, obviously, Judah did not do that and God was condemning them for that.

Now let’s go to 1 John chapter 3 and see a principle that applies to everyone but when we understand that widows are afflicted or in trouble, it should apply even more to them. 1 John chapter 3 verses 16 through 18, we’re told:

I John 3:16. Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: (KJV)

Jesus Christ laid down his life for us.

Middle of verse 16:

I John 3:16b. we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. (KJV)

That is a principle. Verse 17:

1 John 3:17. But whoso [has] this world’s good, and [sees] his brother (KJV)

Or we could say, “his sister, the widow”.

I John 3:17b. have need, (KJV)

And who has more need than a widow as we’ve already established?

I John 3:17 continued. and [shuts] up his bowels of compassion from him, (KJV)

John asks the question: How dwells the love of God in a person like that who looks on the needs of a widow and then just walks by? Doesn’t provide. How does the love of God reside in a person like that?

He goes on to say in verse 18:

I John 3:18. My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. (KJV)

In what we do! So don’t just call up a widow, find out she needs something, and then say, “Have a nice day,” and hang up the phone. We have to go provide for the needs of that widow. We demonstrate the love of God in us by how we take care of the widows. I’ll say it again: We demonstrate the love of God in us by how we take care of the widows and those who are in need!

So our job is to provide for the widows. We have a responsibility to pray for them, to visit them, and to help provide for them. All of us as individuals!

Now let’s go to the Third Question that we were going to ask and answer today. And that is directed towards the widows.

III. What are the widows’ responsibilities toward others in the Church?

Based on everything we read should the widows just be a sponge and kind of lay back and receive the service of others with nothing to do themselves, with no responsibilities? That’s not what the Bible says. Yet, and conversely, though, some widows feel that because they receive service that they’re a burden on the Church and that they can’t serve. And God says, “No, you need to serve and there are certain ways you can serve.” So that’s what we’re going to talk about now, what are the duties of a widow, what does God want a widow to be doing.

Again, we have three that we’re going to talk about, three areas.

The first, Point A is that:

A. You have to trust in God for everything. Trust in God for all your needs.

Because widows learn very quickly that their only unwavering hope is in God because they have to trust in God for everything. Look at Jeremiah 49 and verse 11. This is an admonishment to the widows to trust in God. Jeremiah 49 and verse 11, we’re going to focus on the last part of the verse where it says:

Jeremiah 49:11. Leave [your] fatherless children, I will preserve them alive; (KJV)

But notice the last part of Jeremiah 49 verse 11, it says:

Jeremiah 49:11b. and let [your] widows trust in me. (KJV)

Let’s understand that the bottom line when the rubber meets the road, the widows must trust in God because He is the only one ultimately that will take care of him. We trust in God more than any human being and widows need to trust in God more than anyone.

I remember talking to a widow. She died a couple of years ago. And we were talking in her living room one time and she said—we were talking about getting groceries and how she gets her groceries and all. And she says, “You know I worry about things that I never used to worry about.” She was in her eighties and she could still drive. She was very careful when she drove but she could still drive. And I said, “Well, can you get your groceries okay?” And she says, “Well, I always go on Wednesday, but I start worrying about the weather several days before. And I worry especially if it’s in wintertime. You know can I get out? Are the roads going to be slick? Or is it going to snow the night before? Or is it going to be windy?” She says, “I worry and I stew and sometimes I don’t even sleep the night because I’m worried about the weather going out and doing my shopping. And then I worry about falling if it’s in the wintertime. And I worry about parking the car and is it going to get hit? Or is it going to get stolen? And then I worry is my house going to be okay when I come home?”

You know when we were young; you never used to worry about that. But as we get older, people generally tend to worry about things that they didn’t worry about before in part because they’ve had so much experience. They know that life can blow up in your face and they’ve seen it before!

But widows who are totally alone worry a lot about that. And the bottom line, we were talking about I said, “God is your only hope. When you’re out there in the car and all of a sudden you start skidding on the ice, God is your only hope. You can’t have a Church member come and magically appear at that moment in time.” And she says, “No, I’ve learned to trust in God for everything! Everything!”

And so, under Point A, widows learn very early on that for financial needs, for health, for transportation, for getting to Church, all of that, they trust in God. They have to trust in God.

Now the Church can help and should help. Let’s go to 1 Timothy chapter 5 and we’re going to read the first ten verses because Paul is instructing Timothy about serving the needs of widows.

And the King James calls them “widows indeed”. Modern translations say “widows who are really widows” and we’ll get into that distinction as we read this. I’m going to read it out of the New King James.

Understand Paul is writing to Timothy who is a young elder and he’s dealing with people who are old enough to be his parents and grandparents. And he’s giving him some instruction. Verse 1:

1 Timothy 5:1. Do not rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father, (NKJ)

And then he says:

1 Timothy 5:1b. [Exhort] younger men as brothers, (NKJ)

And he says in verse 2:

1 Timothy 5:2. [By implication, do not rebuke an] older [woman but appeal to her or exhort her as a mother], younger as sisters, with all purity. (NKJ)

In other words, have a clean mind and a clean heart. You’re there to serve them. You’re not there to get something from them.

Verse 3, notice what he says.

1 Timothy 5:3. Honor widows who are really widows. (NKJ)

The King James says:

1 Timothy 5:3. Honor widows that are widows indeed. (KJV)

Now what is he talking about? We’re talking about how the Church can help. He says:

1 Timothy 5:4. But if any widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show piety at home [meaning the children and the grandchildren] to repay their parents; for this is good and acceptable before God. (NKJ)

So, let’s understand that the first line of defence in the aid of a widow should come from her very own family—from her children, and, if she’s old enough, from her adult grandchildren. That’s what he’s saying here. So, he says if widows have family, then they’re not really widows indeed or really widows as far as the Church is concerned because we’re going to see the Church looks at a widow as somebody who is desolate, who has no family.

Verse 5:

1 Timothy 5:5. Now she who is really a widow, and left alone, (NKJ)

Meaning she doesn’t have family nearby.

1 Timothy 5:5b. trusts in God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day. (NKJ)

Now we’re going to note this because it says, “A widow who is alone is forced to trust in God and to get down on her knees and ask God for help night and day.”

He says:

1 Timothy 5:6. But she who lives in pleasure is dead while she lives. (NKJ)

Meaning, if the widow is there just to take and take and take, and is looking after only pleasure, he said, “She’s already going in the Lake of Fire. It’s just a matter of time before she gets there.”

Verse 7:

1 Timothy 5:7. And these things command, that they may be blameless. (NKJ)

Verse 9:

1 Timothy 5:9. Do not let a widow under sixty years old be taken into the number, (NKJ)

Now what is he talking about? He’s talking about the number of widows that the Church supports through third tithe, the number of widows who get aid from the Church. He says, “Don’t take somebody into that number who is under sixty.” Now we’re talking about widows. He says:

1 Timothy 5:9b. and not unless she has been the wife of one man,
10) well reported for good works: if she has brought up children, if she has lodged strangers, if she has washed the saints’ feet, (NKJ)

Meaning: humble, not afraid of menial tasks.

1 Timothy 4:10b. if she has relieved the afflicted [served others], if she has diligently followed every good work. (NKJ)

So he says that widows indeed can come into the number if they’re above a certain age if they are truly alone and don’t have family and if they have a history of doing good works. So the Church then will help. But understand that as we read earlier on here that they’re on their knees day and night trusting in God because God is their ultimate hope.

And I’m here to tell you that we have had widows in the Church who have been the objects of theft by their children and by their grandchildren. That is horrible! The children and grandchildren weren’t in the Church. The widow was. And the widow calls up and says, “My son did this,” or “My grandson did that,” or “My granddaughter did this, took this from me, stole this from me.” And it’s sad. It is just unbelievable to think that near family would do that! It’s amazing!

But what I’m saying here in Point A that widows learn to trust God with everything, for everything. And they become much closer to God because their daily needs are provided by Him.

So, the first responsibility that a widow has is to trust in God. That means being close to God, praying, studying, fasting, being close to God.

The second one, Point B is:

B. Widows have an obligation by God to teach by their example.

To teach by their example! We just read it in verse 10. “Reported to do good works, brought up children, lodged strangers, washed saints’ feet, relieved the afflicted, diligently followed every good work.” Widows have a responsibility to set an example.

Now let’s go to Titus chapter 2 and we’re going to read verses 3 through 5. Paul is giving Titus some advice on widows and older women. Titus 2 verses 3 through 5, he’s talking about older women. Notice in verse 3:

Titus 2:3. The aged women likewise, that they be in behavior as [becomes] holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;
4) That they may teach the young women to be sober, (KJV)

Now that’s not teaching the women not to drink. The word “sober” means to be sound-minded. In other words, don’t be flighty; don’t be frivolous. Be mature; be sound-minded.

Titus 2:4b. to love their husbands, to love their children,
5) To be discreet, chaste [not lewd], keepers at home, (KJV)

Not flitting around to the mall doing this and that; ignoring your family, ignoring your home.

Titus 2:5b. good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. (KJV)

So widows by their example should be teaching that to others. And it’s not wrong for a widow to come up to a younger woman and put her arm around her and give some advice. It’s not wrong for that at all. But what it does, you see, is it gets the widows’ mind off themselves and their affliction and onto others how they might help.

Because I’m telling you if a widow—and I’ve seen this happen, not often—but if a widow gets her mind on herself and is home alone and is not reaching out and serving others, they can become selfish. They can become spoiled. They can become gossips. They can become judgmental and critical of others. And the net result is the widow is miserable! And that’s what happens to any of us when we turn inward. And particularly with widows, since they’re alone, there is a danger of just focusing on yourself and your problems and God is telling us, “Get your mind off yourself and serve other people. Teach by your example.”

That was Point B.

Point C is:

C. You need to dedicate yourself to spiritual service.

A widow needs to dedicate herself to spiritual service. And you could say, “Well, how can I spiritually serve? I can’t be a minister. I don’t have the health to go out and do all this other stuff.” Well, the one thing widows have is time. Widows have a lot of time.

Let’s go to 1 Corinthians 7 and verse 34. Notice a principle here. 1 Corinthians 7 and verse 34, Paul is saying:

1 Corinthians 7:34. There is a difference also between a wife and a virgin [one who has not been married]. [He says,] The unmarried woman [cares] for the things of the [Eternal], (KJV)

Now a widow is an unmarried woman.

1 Corinthians 7:34b. The unmarried [cares] for the things of the Lord, that she may be holy both in body and in spirit: (KJV)

Because she has the time and she doesn’t have a husband.

1 Corinthians 7:34 continued. but she that is married [cares] for the things of the world, how she may please her husband. (KJV)

So, widows, by definition, have the time and the focus to care for the things of God and to be holy in both body and in spirit.

Now let’s jump to Luke chapter 2 and look at the example of a prophetess whose name was Anna. We’re going to read verses 36 and 37 of Luke chapter 2. How would you like to be a widow and have your name written in Scripture to be there for an eternity? This woman did because of who she was and what she did. Luke 2 verse 36:

Luke 2:36. And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of [Asher]: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity; (KJV)

Typically they married in their late teens. And so she married somewhere sixteen to twenty—nineteen in there. And then she lived with this husband for seven years. Verse 37:

Luke 2:37. And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, (KJV)

She’d been a widow for eighty-four years! Now you add eighty-four to the sixteen, seventeen, eighteen, nineteen, plus the seven she was married to her husband. She was well over a hundred years old! But notice he said:

Luke 2:37. And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. (KJV)

She was at least a hundred and three! And she went to the Temple and she fasted and she prayed.

And so the spiritual service widows can render is this: All widows have the time to pray. Lots of time to pray! Widows should get in more prayer than just about anybody. Widows have the time to fast. Widows should fast often to stay close to God and to beseech God. Widows, because they don’t have a mate, now have this time and they can spend the time in fasting and in prayer. And if they’re eyes are good enough and their mental focus is good enough, obviously in study.

Many women—as some of us do even now—say, “I read a Scripture and five minutes later I can’t remember what I read.” And that’s common to a lot of us. And that means that there’s an extra burden to make sure that you focus your mind when you study. We talked to a widow last week and we’re getting her one of those giant Bibles with huge print because she just can’t see anymore.

And widows have the time to fast and to pray and to study. That is their spiritual service. They can teach. They can fast. They can pray, but above all, their job is to trust in God for everything they have. That is a widow’s responsibility.

So in conclusion—let’s wrap it up here—what we’ve learned is that widows are here and they are a benefit to the Church because of their spiritual service, but because we also have the opportunity to serve them and to obey God in doing so. There are tremendous opportunities for widows.

You set an example of faith. If widows have to trust in God for everything, what an example that is for the rest of us to see a widow trusting in God totally!

And widows can display great wisdom in their conversations with the rest of us—great wisdom, great knowledge—because we can learn a lot by their example and by what they’ve been through, by their history.

And we can learn from them by how they devote themselves to God and how they serve God and serve the Church in prayer and fasting and concern for the Brethren. We can learn a lot from widows.

So widows, understand you have a great potential for spiritual service.

We are here to learn from the widows, to serve the widows, and to honor the widows. And shame on us if we don’t! We need to do that. Taking care of a widow gets to the heart and core of our Christianity. If we can’t take care of widows, we can take care of anybody!

And so, certainly in the Pacific Church of God, we need to make it a mission, an absolute mission to take care of the widows in the Church.

We’ll close with two Scriptures here. Let’s look at a command from God—one more command about taking care of the widows. Let’s go to Zechariah chapter 7 and we’re going to read verses 8 through 10, a command from God concerning widows. Zechariah 7 verse 8:

Zechariah 7:8. And the word of the Lord came unto Zechariah, saying, (KJV)

Okay, this is God speaking directly to Zechariah. Zechariah’s writing it down. Verse 9 of Zechariah 7:

Zechariah 7:9. Thus [speaks] the [Eternal] of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment [or justice], and show mercy and compassions every man to his brother [or sister]:
10) And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother [or sister] in [his] heart. (KJV)

So we cannot oppress them. In fact, we have to do just the opposite.

Then God says if you ignore the widow, if you don’t take care of the widow, there’s going to be a severe penalty for you. Look at Malachi chapter 3 and verse 5, one final Scripture. Malachi 3 and verse 5, there is a day of reckoning coming and we don’t want to be on the wrong side of the reckoning. Malachi 3 verse 5:

Malachi 3:5. And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against (KJV)

Now notice who God’s going to be a witness against. Not that He hasn’t been before but at the end of days, it could be even worse.

Malachi 3:5b. [I’m going to be a swift witness against] sorcerers, against the adulterers, against [those who lie] false swearers, against those that oppress the [following groups:] the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and [do not] fear me, (KJV)

He says those that oppress the widow, He says, “I am going to call you to judgment. You will pay”—nations, peoples, tribes, clans, churches, and individuals.

So the important thing, as we read here, is God places the oppression of widows right up there with breaking the Ten Commandments! He says, “False swearers, adulterers, sorcerers,” and so on. Oppressing a widow is right up there with them. We wouldn’t think of being a sorcerer, but oppressing a widow is right at that same level in God’s mind. So we need to heed.

And it also says how God feels about widows. He’s saying, “You oppress one of my ladies, you oppress one of my elderly widows, you start screwing around with them, I look at you as I would a sorcerer. I look at you as I would a murderer or somebody that’s just reprobate morally.” So we need to take heed about that.

So, what we’ve seen today, I hope, is a more clear picture of our great God. Because if we examine how God views widows, what does that say about God? It tells us that God really cares for those who are helpless. God really cares for those who are oppressed. God really cares for those who can’t help themselves. And He has set up mechanisms and offices and commandments to take care of those.

Well, what does that say about the love of God? It says that God has His mind off of Himself and on others! God cares about His children and He especially cares about the children that are the most vulnerable, that are the weakest, and the most helpless as we’ve seen—fatherless children, infants, but especially the widow!

So what does it teach us about God? A lot about God’s love for His Family and His children! And so, what we need to do is be thankful that we have a God that loves and provides for this special, special group of people in the Church—our widows!

Transcribed by kb October 19, 2010

The 9th of Av & The Blood Moon

In two weeks time we have the 9th of Av taking place.

It is the annual anniversary of the evil report brought back to Israel by 10 of the 12 spies.

Spies Sent into Canaan

Num 13:1  And Jehovah spoke to Moses saying,  Send men so that they may search the land of Canaan, which I give to the sons of Israel. You shall send a man from every tribe of their fathers, everyone a ruler among them. And Moses by the command of Jehovah sent them from the wilderness of Paran. All those men wereheads of the sons of Israel.

Num 13:4  And these were their names: Of the tribe of Reuben, Shammua the son of Zaccur.

Num 13:5  Of the tribe of Simeon, Shaphat the son of Hori.

Num 13:6  Of the tribe of Judah, Caleb the son of Jephunneh.

Num 13:7  Of the tribe of Issachar, Igal the son of Joseph.

Num 13:8  Of the tribe of Ephraim, Oshea the son of Nun.

Num 13:9  Of the tribe of Benjamin, Palti the son of Raphu.

Num 13:10  Of the tribe of Zebulun, Gaddiel the son of Sodi.

Num 13:11  Of the tribe of Joseph, of the tribe of Manasseh, Gaddi the son of Susi.

Num 13:12  Of the tribe of Dan, Ammiel the son of Gemalli.

Num 13:13  Of the tribe of Asher, Sethur the son of Michael.

Num 13:14  Of the tribe of Naphtali, Nahbi the son of Vophsi.

Num 13:15  Of the tribe of Gad, Geuel the son of Machi.

These were the names of the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land. And Moses called Oshea the son of Nun Joshua. And Moses sent them to spy out the land of Canaan, and said to them, Go up this way, southward, and go up into the mountain. And see the land, what it is, and the people that live in it, whether it is strong or weak, few or many. And see what the land is that they live in, whether it is good or bad; and what cities they dwell in, whether in tents or in strongholds; and what the land is, whether fat or lean, whether there is wood in it or not. And be of good courage, and bring of the fruit of the land. Now the time was the time of first ripe grapes. So they went up and searched the land from the wilderness of Zin to Rehob, as men come to Hamath. And they went up by the south and came to Hebron, where Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai, the sons of Anak were. (Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.) And they came to the valley of Eshcol and cut from there a branch with one cluster of grapes. And they carried it between two men upon a staff, and some of the pomegranates and of the figs. The place was called the valley of Eshcol because of the cluster of grapes which the sons of Israel cut down from there.

Report of the Spies

Num 13:25  And they returned from spying out the land after forty days. And they left and came to Moses and to Aaron, and to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, to the wilderness of Paran, to Kadesh. And they brought back word to them and to all the congregation, and showed them the fruit of the land. And they told him and said, We came to the land where you sent us, and surely it flows with milk and honey. And this is the fruit of it. However, the people that dwell in the land are strong, and the cities are walled, very great. And also we saw the children of Anak there. The Amalekites dwell in the land of the south, and the Hittites, and the Jebusites, and the Amorites dwell in the mountains. And the Canaanites dwell by the sea and by the coast of Jordan. And Caleb stilled the people before Moses and said, Let us go up at once and possess it. For we are well able to overcome it. But the men that went up with him said, We are not able to go up against the people, for they are stronger than we. And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched to the sons of Israel, saying, The land through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eats up those who live in it. And all the people whom we saw in it were men of stature. And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, of the giants. And we were in our own sight like grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight.

The People Rebel

Num 14:1  And all the congregation lifted up their voice and cried. And the people wept that night. And all the sons of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron. And the whole congregation said to them, Oh that we had died in the land of Egypt! Or, Oh that we had died in the wilderness! And why has Jehovah brought us into this land to fall by the sword, so that our wives and our sons should be a prey? Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt? And they said to one another, Let us make a leader, and let us return to Egypt. And Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the sons of Israel. And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, of those that searched the land, tore their clothes. And they spoke to all the company of the sons of Israel saying, The land which we passed through to search is an exceedingly good land. If Jehovah delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, a land which flows with milk and honey. Only do not rebel against Jehovah, neither fear the people of the land. For they are bread for us. Their protection has moved from them, and Jehovah is with us. Do not fear them. But all the congregation said to stone them with stones. And the glory of Jehovah appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation before all the sons of Israel.  And Jehovah said to Moses, How long will this people provoke Me? And how long will it be before they believe Me, for all the signs which I have shown among them? I will strike them with the pestilence and will disinherit them, and will make of you a greater nation and mightier than they.

Moses Intercedes for the People

Num 14:13  And Moses said to Jehovah, Then the Egyptians will hear, for You have brought up this people in Your might from among them. And they will say to the inhabitant of this land, They have heard that You, Jehovah, are among this people, who is seen eye to eye. You are Jehovah, and Your cloud stands over them, and You go before them in a pillar of cloud by day, and in a pillar of fire by night. And will You kill this people as one man? Then the nations who have heard Your fame will speak, saying, Because Jehovah was not able to bring this people into the land which He swore to them, therefore He has slain them in the wilderness. And now, I beseech You, let the power of my Lord be great, according as You have spoken, saying, Jehovah is long-suffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the sons to the third and fourth generation. I beseech You, pardon the iniquity of this people according to the greatness of Your mercy, and as You have forgiven this people from Egypt even until now.

God Promises Judgment

Num 14:20  And Jehovah said, I have pardoned according to your word. But truly, as I live, all the earth shall be filled withthe glory of Jehovah. Because all those men who have seen My glory and My miracles which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted Me now these ten times, and have not listened to My voice, surely they shall not see the land which I swore to their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked Me see it. But My servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him, and has followed Me fully, I will bring him into the land into which he went. And his seed shall possess it. (Now the Amalekites and the Canaanites lived in the valley.) Tomorrow turn and go into the wilderness by the way of the Red Sea. And Jehovah spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying, How long shall I bear with this evil congregation, which murmurs against Me? I have heard the murmurings of the sons of Israel which they murmur against Me. Say to them, As I live, says Jehovah, as you have spoken in My ears, so I will do to you. Your dead bodies shall fall in this wilderness, and all that were numbered of you, according to your whole number, from twenty years old and upward, who have murmured against Me, you shall certainly not come into the land which I swore to make you live in, except Caleb the son of Jephunneh, and Joshua the son of Nun. But your little ones, which you said should be a prey, I will bring them in and they shall know the land which you have despised. But as for you, your bodies shall fall in this wilderness. And your sons shall feed in the wilderness forty years and bear your fornications, until your dead bodies have wasted in the wilderness. According to the number of the days in which you searched the land, forty days, each day for a year you shall bear your iniquities, forty years; and you shall know My alienation. I Jehovah have spoken; I will surely do it to all this evil congregation who are gathered together against Me. They shall be destroyed in this wilderness, and there they shall die. And the men whom Moses sent to spy out the land, who returned and made all the congregation to murmur against him, by bringing up an evil report upon the land, even those men that brought up the evil report upon the land died by the plague before Jehovah.  But Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, of the men that went to spy out the land, lived.

Here are the Lunar Eclipses for this time. The year is 1377 BC as I have posted on our Jubilee charts which you can order from our web site.

Before you begin to use this following charts you must understand that there is going to be one year difference as you go back into the BC time period. So our year of 1377 BC is the year 1378 BCE according to NASA.

The western-style year dating convention commonly used in many parts of the world was created by the monk Dionysius Exiguus in or about the year AD 532. The convention is based on Exiguus’ determination of the year in which Jesus Christ was born. For instance, in the date AD 2001, the prefix “AD” stands for “Anno Domini” which is Latin for “the year of our Lord.” Similarly, in the date 500 BC, the suffix “BC” stands for “Before Christ.”

In sixth century Europe, the concept of “zero” was still unknown. Thus, the year 1 BC was followed by the year AD 1. Furthermore, modern scholars believe Christ’s birth was actually four years earlier than Exiguus thought. In spite of these deficiencies, the dating system devised by Exiguus is now too deeply ensconced in the Western world to easily change.

Perhaps the most unfortunately characteristic of this convention is that “BC” is a suffix (used after the year) while “AD” is a prefix (used before the year). This is inconvenient when generating computerized lists because extra columns must be reserved for both prefixes and suffixes.

In recent years, some historical scholars have advocated the use of the religiously neutral abbreviations BCE (for “Before Common Era”) to substitute for “BC,” and “CE” (for “Common Era”) to replace “AD.” These secular terms are both used as suffixes making them better suited to computer generated tables. Consequently, the NASA Eclipse Home Page adopts the “BCE/CE” dating convention whenever the terminology is required.

However, Exiguus’ dating system still lacks a “0” year which makes calendrical calculations awkward. The “astronomical” dating system refers to an alternative method of numbering years. It includes the year “0” and eliminates the need for any prefixes or suffixes by attributing the arithmetic sign to the date. Thus, the astronomical date for 2000 CE is simply +2000 or 2000. The astronomical year 0 corresponds to the year 1 BCE, while the astronomical year -1 corresponds to 2 BCE. In general, any given year “x BCE” becomes “-(x-1)” in the astronomical year numbering system. Historians should take care to note the numerical difference of one year between “BCE” dates and astronomical dates.

Astronomical date numbering was developed for astronomical calculations and is used extensively throughout this web site. The opinions expressed here are those of the author and he assumes full responsibility for their accuracy.

Click on the link to the far left to see the type of lunar eclipse that took place at this time.

Catalog of Lunar Eclipses: -1399 to -1300 ( 1400 BCE to 1301 BCE )

   
01498 -1378 Feb 03  21:02:42  32561 -41780   21   T-  p-  -0.2716  2.3416  1.3773  315.7  204.2   81.3   20N  175W
01499 -1378 Jul 30  05:10:39  32552 -41774   26   T+  pp   0.1939  2.5292  1.4755  360.8  226.4   94.7   22S   58E
01500 -1377 Jan 24  11:03:25  32542 -41768   31   P   a-  -1.0047  1.0185  0.0104  258.8   23.1    -     21N   27W
01501 -1377 Jul 19  13:00:38  32532 -41762   36   P   a-   0.9268  1.1554  0.1594  272.1   89.3    -     22S   60W
01502 -1377 Dec 15  01:06:57  32524 -41757    3   N   -t   1.1880  0.7268 -0.3698  248.1    -      -     24N  118E
01503 -1376 Jun 08  20:33:09  32514 -41751    8   P   -a  -0.9003  1.1757  0.2357  257.2  102.4    -     22S  175W
01504 -1376 Dec 03  00:08:15  32504 -41745   13   P   -t   0.5216  1.9524  0.8503  356.2  198.8    - 

According to NASA the year we are looking for is 1378 BCE which is the year 1377 BC on our charts. When I go to Torah Calendar.com to see what happened on July 30th 1377 BC, I see they do not have the lunar eclipse for this month in the right year. They have the July 30th eclipse in the year 1379 BCE and they have it around the 9th of Av. They have the right lunar eclipse but the wrong year.

The next big event on the 9th of Av was the destruction of the Temple in 586 BC. Which will be 587 BCE. according to NASA and 588 BCE according to Torah calendar.com. Torah Calendar also uses the equinox to determine the start of the year and they do not use the barley. If we look at the year they have as 588 BCE and look at the first month, it is possible that the year could have begun a month earlier. They have it as April 3rd in 588 BCE.

It is my opinion that a Blood moon occurred just before the destruction of the Temple in 586 BC.

03399 -0591 Apr 02  03:46:55  18494 -32044   32   P   -a  -0.7637  1.4383  0.4746  282.6  142.7    -      3S   21E
03400 -0591 Sep 26  10:26:19  18486 -32038   37   P   -t   0.8141  1.4115  0.3175  323.2  132.9    -      1S   81W
03401 -0590 Mar 22  20:19:18  18479 -32032   42   T-  pp  -0.0309  2.7753  1.8267  317.6  211.2   98.9    2N  135E
03402 -0590 Sep 15  10:00:53  18471 -32026   47   T+  pp   0.1096  2.6980  1.6162  371.4  232.0  101.7    6S   74W
03403 -0589 Mar 12  12:14:59  18464 -32020   52   P   a-   0.7025  1.5578  0.5800  293.4  156.5    -      7N  103W
03404 -0589 Sep 04  14:32:47  18456 -32014   57   P   a-  -0.6118  1.7498  0.7212  321.3  177.8    -     11S  141W
03405 -0588 Jan 31  08:19:04  18450 -32009   24   N   -t  -1.3608  0.3971 -0.6747  185.5    -      -     18N   44W
03406 -0588 Feb 29  23:04:08  18449 -32008   62   N   t-   1.4929  0.1363 -0.8990  107.5    -      -     11N   95E
03407 -0588 Jul 25  18:02:20  18443 -32003   29   N   -a   1.2849  0.4753 -0.4752  176.9    -      -     20S  167E
03408 -0588 Aug 24  02:26:30  18441 -32002   67   N   a-  -1.2871  0.4828 -0.4906  181.8    -      -     15S   41E
03409 -0587 Jan 19  08:36:22  18435 -31997   34   P   -t  -0.6910  1.6401  0.5409  340.7  167.9    -     21N   49W
03410 -0587 Jul 15  11:01:32  18428 -31991   39   P   -a   0.5747  1.7793  0.8272  297.5  176.3    -     22S   89W
03411 -0586 Jan 08  09:00:11  18420 -31985   44   T+  pp   0.0133  2.8711  1.7966  365.9  230.1  103.7   23N   56W
03412 -0586 Jul 05  01:22:56  18413 -31979   49   T-  pp  -0.1726  2.5376  1.5447  336.7  217.7   95.1   24S   55E
03413 -0586 Dec 28  15:50:05  18406 -31973   54   P   a-   0.7061  1.5723  0.5526  304.0  156.6    -

When you click on the year 587 BCE for NASA you will get this image of the blood Moon that year. Although it was not visible in Jerusalem it was none the less almost a full Blood Moon.

 

This then brings us to the next major event on the 9th of Av. The destruction of the Temple in 70 AD or CE. We will not have to worry about whether or not the groups we are checking the data with have added or not added for the year zero in the CE dating.

On the 9th of Av there was no lunar eclipse but if we check the years prior. And I mean from the year Yehshua was crucified until 70 CE you can count, I counted 39 potential lunar eclipses leading up to the destruction of the Temple . These are all Eclipses that came on Passover and Sukkot during those 40 years. Yehshua was killed on April 24, 31 CE.

 

Catalog of Lunar Eclipses: 0001 to 0100 ( 1 CE to 100 CE )

04900  0031 Apr 25  23:02:48  10221 -24350   51   P   -a   0.8386  1.2986  0.3395  272.2  123.0    -     12S   56E
04901  0031 Oct 19  06:03:52  10216 -24344   56   P   -t  -0.8698  1.2896  0.2349  297.6  111.1    -      9N   51W
04902  0032 Apr 14  11:56:36  10212 -24338   61   T+  pp   0.0997  2.6803  1.6697  345.1  222.7  100.6    9S  137W
04903  0032 Oct 07  15:38:15  10207 -24332   66   T-  pp  -0.1274  2.6220  1.6263  331.0  214.6   96.3    5N  165E

04904  0033 Apr 03  17:37:53  10202 -24326   71   P   t-  -0.6813  1.6399  0.5764  332.8  170.1    -      5S  139E
04905  0033 Sep 27  06:39:46  10197 -24320   76   P   a-   0.5624  1.8071  0.8446  297.2  176.2    -      1N   60W
04906  0034 Feb 22  01:44:01  10193 -24315   43   N   -t   1.4918  0.1584 -0.9166  120.7    -      -     12N   21E
04907  0034 Mar 23  18:02:46  10192 -24314   81   N   t-  -1.4215  0.2895 -0.7897  163.6    -      -      1S  133E
04908  0034 Aug 18  12:50:05  10188 -24309   48   N   -a  -1.3791  0.3217 -0.6671  154.1    -      -     15S  149W
04909  0034 Sep 16  22:38:50  10188 -24308   86   N   a-   1.2595  0.5338 -0.4403  189.5    -      -      2S   61E
04910  0035 Feb 11  06:57:48  10184 -24303   53   P   -h   0.7207  1.5488  0.5227  307.7  155.4    -     15N   57W
04911  0035 Aug 07  22:11:37  10179 -24297   58   P   -h  -0.6894  1.6139  0.5725  321.9  165.9    -     18S   71E
04912  0036 Jan 31  19:07:10  10174 -24291   63   T-  pp  -0.0146  2.8203  1.8418  325.2  213.4   99.2   18N  120E
04913  0036 Jul 27  00:39:47  10169 -24285   68   T+  pp   0.0551  2.7944  1.7200  374.6  235.4  105.5   20S   33E

04914  0037 Jan 20  10:54:28  10164 -24279   73   P   a-  -0.6917  1.5720  0.6053  285.8  155.1    -     20N  118W
04915  0037 Jul 16  01:16:00  10160 -24273   78   P   t-   0.8011  1.4179  0.3584  317.4  138.8    -     21S   24E
04916  0037 Dec 11  12:39:56  10156 -24268   45   N   -a   1.3868  0.3298 -0.7029  160.8    -      -     25N  148W
04917  0038 Jan 10  01:39:57  10155 -24267   83   N   a-  -1.3974  0.2938 -0.7061  146.9    -      -     21N   20E
04918  0038 Jun 05  21:40:23  10151 -24262   50   N   -h  -1.1165  0.7980 -0.1798  231.4    -      -     24S   76E
04919  0038 Jul 05  07:09:37  10150 -24261   88   Nb  h-   1.5077  0.0952 -0.9125   88.4    -      -     22S   65W
04920  0038 Nov 30  17:57:58  10146 -24256   55   P   -h   0.7523  1.5219  0.4340  325.9  150.3    -     22N  131E
04921  0039 May 26  13:13:25  10141 -24250   60   T   -p  -0.3391  2.2067  1.2641  310.3  200.2   71.0   21S  158W
04922  0039 Nov 19  17:26:37  10137 -24244   65   T+  pp   0.0817  2.7615  1.6555  378.6  234.3  103.1   19N  138E
04923  0040 May 15  06:26:43  10132 -24238   70   T   a-   0.4009  2.0967  1.1473  309.7  196.3   55.3   18S   56W

04924  0040 Nov 07  18:10:06  10127 -24232   75   P   a-  -0.5980  1.7967  0.7251  336.4  182.8    -     16N  127E
04925  0041 Apr 05  09:43:36  10123 -24227   42   N   -h  -1.4966  0.1263 -0.9026  103.6    -      -      7S  103W
04926  0041 May 04  20:40:03  10122 -24226   80   N   h-   1.1924  0.6673 -0.3273  218.4    -      -     14S   91E
04927  0041 Sep 28  14:24:35  10118 -24221   47   N   -a   1.4635  0.1626 -0.8178  108.8    -      -      3N  176W
04928  0041 Oct 28  01:53:07  10117 -24220   85   N   a-  -1.2479  0.5743 -0.4380  202.9    -      -     12N   11E
04929  0042 Mar 25  13:23:08  10113 -24215   52   P   -t  -0.8009  1.4262  0.3512  321.9  138.7    -      2S  157W
04930  0042 Sep 18  06:15:02  10109 -24209   57   P   -a   0.7659  1.4322  0.4727  276.8  139.9    -      2S   53W
04931  0043 Mar 14  13:26:49  10104 -24203   62   T-  pp  -0.0678  2.7719  1.6958  372.6  233.8  104.4    3N  157W
04932  0043 Sep 07  21:44:44  10099 -24197   67   T+  pp   0.0744  2.7130  1.7296  329.3  215.3   99.0    7S   75E
04933  0044 Mar 02  17:20:47  10094 -24191   72   P   a-   0.6624  1.6594  0.6260  319.0  169.4    -      8N  146E

04934  0044 Aug 27  08:23:54  10090 -24185   77   P   t-  -0.6843  1.6199  0.5850  317.9  165.4    -     12S   84W
04935  0045 Jan 21  18:14:53  10086 -24180   44   N   -a  -1.3193  0.4229 -0.5490  168.8    -      -     19N  132E
04936  0045 Feb 20  04:21:53  10085 -24179   82   N   a-   1.3326  0.4040 -0.5786  168.7    -      -     13N   19W
04937  0045 Jul 17  20:09:29  10081 -24174   49   N   -t   1.4287  0.2737 -0.8003  159.3    -      -     21S  100E
04938  0045 Aug 16  11:57:07  10080 -24173   87   N   t-  -1.4587  0.2194 -0.8563  142.6    -      -     16S  136W
04939  0046 Jan 11  10:08:27  10076 -24168   54   P   -a  -0.6563  1.6402  0.6670  291.3  161.9    -     22N  107W
04940  0046 Jul 06  21:43:01  10071 -24162   59   P   -t   0.6571  1.6755  0.6295  329.7  174.3    -     23S   76E
04941  0046 Dec 31  23:42:42  10067 -24156   64   T+  pp   0.0210  2.8279  1.8111  339.4  219.0  100.5   23N   48E
04942  0047 Jun 26  05:42:20  10062 -24150   69   T-  pp  -0.1377  2.6006  1.6100  337.1  218.9   97.8   24S   44W
04943  0047 Dec 21  06:51:24  10057 -24144   74   P   t-   0.7484  1.5229  0.4473  321.5  150.7    -     24N   61W

04944  0048 Jun 14  20:16:49  10052 -24138   79   P   a-  -0.8754  1.2251  0.2777  263.6  111.3    -     24S   96E
04945  0048 Dec 09  07:13:58  10048 -24132   84   N   t-   1.4478  0.2553 -0.8516  155.4    -      -     24N   68W
04946  0049 May 06  06:27:57  10044 -24127   51   P   -a   0.9106  1.1669  0.2070  262.6   98.1    -     15S   56W
04947  0049 Oct 29  14:16:32  10039 -24121   56   P   -h  -0.8788  1.2725  0.2186  295.3  107.1    -     12N  175W
04948  0050 Apr 25  19:03:44  10034 -24115   61   T+  -p   0.1712  2.5498  1.5378  345.1  221.2   96.0   12S  115E
04949  0050 Oct 19  00:06:10  10029 -24109   66   T-  -p  -0.1426  2.5940  1.5985  329.8  213.6   95.1    9N   37E
04950  0051 Apr 15  00:25:55  10025 -24103   71   P   t-  -0.6122  1.7664  0.7034  340.8  184.4    -      9S   35E
04951  0051 Oct 08  15:08:47  10020 -24097   76   P   a-   0.5398  1.8496  0.8849  299.1  178.9    -      6N  172E
04952  0052 Mar 04  09:05:07  10016 -24092   43   N   -t   1.5311  0.0835 -0.9858   87.9    -      -      8N   90W
04953  0052 Apr 03  00:51:56  10015 -24091   81   N   t-  -1.3568  0.4062 -0.6690  191.4    -      -      6S   29E

04954  0052 Aug 28  20:33:55  10011 -24086   48   N   -a  -1.4292  0.2328 -0.7621  132.7    -      -     12S   94E
04955  0052 Sep 27  06:54:24  10010 -24085   86   N   a-   1.2345  0.5823 -0.3969  197.6    -      -      2N   64W
04956  0053 Feb 21  14:51:48  10006 -24080   53   P   -h   0.7505  1.4908  0.4711  302.5  148.3    -     12N  177W
04957  0053 Aug 18  05:21:12  10002 -24074   58   P   -h  -0.7500  1.5057  0.4581  316.4  151.6    -     15S   38W
04958  0054 Feb 11  03:28:21   9997 -24068   63   T+  pp   0.0096  2.8272  1.8533  324.1  213.2   99.2   15N    6W
04959  0054 Aug 07  07:23:25   9992 -24062   68   T-  pp  -0.0147  2.8704  1.7924  375.5  235.8  106.2   17S   68W
04960  0055 Jan 31  19:27:30   9987 -24056   73   P   a-  -0.6739  1.6036  0.6388  287.6  158.6    -     17N  114E
04961  0055 Jul 27  08:01:10   9983 -24050   78   P   t-   0.7267  1.5545  0.4949  326.3  159.4    -     20S   78W
04962  0055 Dec 22  21:11:25   9979 -24045   45   N   -a   1.3935  0.3186 -0.7163  158.7    -      -     25N   85E
04963  0056 Jan 21  10:10:15   9978 -24044   83   N   a-  -1.3896  0.3083 -0.6920  150.7    -      -     19N  108W

04964  0056 Jun 16  04:50:14   9974 -24039   50   N   -a  -1.1878  0.6659 -0.3092  213.4    -      -     25S   32W
04965  0056 Jul 15  14:15:13   9973 -24038   88   N   a-   1.4325  0.2324 -0.7736  135.9    -      -     21S  172W
04966  0056 Dec 11  02:08:06   9969 -24033   55   P   -t   0.7573  1.5137  0.4239  326.1  149.1    -     24N    9E
04967  0057 Jun 05  20:37:27   9964 -24027   60   T   -a  -0.4139  2.0689  1.1273  306.0  194.0   51.4   23S   91E
04968  0057 Nov 30  01:28:26   9960 -24021   65   T+  pp   0.0867  2.7524  1.6464  378.4  234.1  102.8   22N   17E
04969  0058 May 26  13:48:35   9955 -24015   70   T   p-   0.3270  2.2331  1.2824  314.2  202.5   73.4   20S  167W
04970  0058 Nov 19  02:25:57   9950 -24009   75   P   a-  -0.5923  1.8064  0.7365  335.9  183.4    -     19N    2E
04971  0059 May 16  03:45:04   9945 -24003   80   N   t-   1.1228  0.7960 -0.2008  236.4    -      -     17S   16W
04972  0059 Oct 09  22:50:07   9942 -23998   47   N   -a   1.4790  0.1346 -0.8464   99.0    -      -      7N   56E
04973  0059 Nov 08  10:27:17   9941 -23997   85   N   a-  -1.2384  0.5911 -0.4200  204.9    -      -     15N  118W

04974  0060 Apr 04  20:12:30   9937 -23992   52   P   -t  -0.8670  1.3040  0.2307  312.3  114.6    -      6S   99E
04975  0060 Sep 28  14:37:59   9932 -23986   57   P   -a   0.7918  1.3862  0.4235  274.1  133.4    -      2N  180E
04976  0061 Mar 24  20:25:56   9927 -23980   62   T-  pp  -0.1262  2.6622  1.5911  370.5  232.2  101.4    1S   97E
04977  0061 Sep 18  05:48:54   9923 -23974   67   T+  -p   0.1081  2.6542  1.6650  330.3  215.1   97.5    3S   47W
04978  0062 Mar 14  00:53:05   9918 -23968   72   P   a-   0.6151  1.7429  0.7160  322.0  177.9    -      4N   31E
04979  0062 Sep 07  15:56:02   9913 -23962   77   P   t-  -0.6428  1.6993  0.6579  324.0  173.8    -      7S  162E
04980  0063 Feb 02  02:46:05   9909 -23957   44   N   -a  -1.3352  0.3919 -0.5762  162.7    -      -     16N    4E
04981  0063 Mar 03  12:25:21   9908 -23956   82   N   a-   1.2950  0.4701 -0.5070  180.2    -      -      9N  141W
04982  0063 Jul 29  02:46:05   9905 -23951   49   N   -t   1.5007  0.1426 -0.9336  116.4    -      -     18S    0E
04983  0063 Aug 27  18:58:15   9904 -23950   87   N   t-  -1.4061  0.3185 -0.7620  170.7    -      -     12S  117E
04984  0064 Jan 22  18:47:36   9900 -23945   54   P   -a  -0.6692  1.6161  0.6437  290.3  159.9    -     19N  123E
04985  0064 Jul 17  04:28:44   9895 -23939   59   P   -t   0.7315  1.5385  0.4935  320.2  157.3    -     21S   25W
04986  0065 Jan 11  08:12:39   9890 -23933   64   T+  pp   0.0130  2.8432  1.8252  340.5  219.6  100.8   22N   79W
04987  0065 Jul 06  12:52:09   9886 -23927   69   T-  pp  -0.0633  2.7361  1.7475  336.7  219.8  101.1   23S  152W
04988  0065 Dec 31  15:01:36   9881 -23921   74   P   t-   0.7428  1.5337  0.4568  323.1  152.5    -     24N  178E
04989  0066 Jun 26  03:41:56   9876 -23915   79   P   a-  -0.8015  1.3604  0.4137  273.0  133.0    -     24S   15W
04990  0066 Dec 20  15:13:55   9871 -23909   84   N   t-   1.4417  0.2660 -0.8402  158.5    -      -     25N  173E
04991  0067 May 17  13:49:02   9868 -23904   51   P   -a   0.9854  1.0303  0.0690  251.2   57.9    -     18S  168W
04992  0067 Jun 15  20:57:27   9867 -23903   89   Nb  a-  -1.5189  0.0432 -0.9019   55.6    -      -     25S   85E
04993  0067 Nov 09  22:34:28   9863 -23898   56   P   -h  -0.8844  1.2617  0.2092  293.4  104.6    -     16N   60E
04994  0068 May 06  02:04:08   9858 -23892   61   T+  -p   0.2473  2.4112  1.3973  344.2  218.4   87.6   16S    9E
04995  0068 Oct 29  08:41:07   9853 -23886   66   T-  -p  -0.1525  2.5756  1.5806  328.8  212.8   94.1   13N   93W
04996  0069 Apr 25  07:03:32   9849 -23880   71   P   t-  -0.5351  1.9077  0.8449  348.5  197.6    -     13S   66W
04997  0069 Oct 18  23:46:12   9844 -23874   76   P   a-   0.5243  1.8791  0.9123  300.3  180.7    -     10N   41E
04998  0070 Apr 14  07:31:58   9839 -23868   81   N   t-  -1.2844  0.5372 -0.5341  216.9    -      -     10S   73W
04999  0070 Sep 09  04:25:28   9835 -23863   48   N   -a  -1.4723  0.1570 -0.8441  110.2    -      -      8S   25W
05000  0070 Oct 08  15:17:47   9835 -23862   86   N   a-   1.2164  0.6178 -0.3662  203.4    -      -      6N  168E
05001  0071 Mar 04  22:38:14   9831 -23857   53   P   -h   0.7872  1.4201  0.4069  296.3  138.7    -  

So what does this Blood Moon mean that is coming up on July 16, 2019?

 

We have had the Iranians shoot down a US Drone flying over international waters and attacking 6 Oil cargo ships as well as pipelines in Saudi Arabia and Oil Headquarters in Iraq. We had the USA launch retaliatory strikes against Iran only to be called off in the last minute. We have USA and China trade wars looming big in the news.

In September 2014 I published our video teaching that we did earlier that same year. In this video, I tell you of the dark moons that would happen in 2016. How did I know? It was a controversial year 2016 and yet we were proven right.

Watch our video again to learn the meaning of the Blood Moons. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hleNuykflSs&feature=youtu.be

 

7 Comments

  1. Wouter

    Dear brother Joseph,
    Shalom! First time I read the newsletter this early. 🙂
    I am very happy to read that the book is finished. Well done to you and the team!
    Also a very good teaching about the third year tithe. I try to tithe as you know (allthough it is not enough at this moment) and hope to be able to tithe more later on in this year. We may all realize that we are very blessed when we can give to others. Give (in whatever way with a right heart) = LOVE.
    I am making progress in linking all the verses from the bible and other facts about the jubilee cycles / 2300 days of hell / philippines / et cetera for the Dutch study about this. When I am done with this, I will record a multiple part short video serie and share the message to as many people that I can reach in Holland! Of course I will tell everybody about sightedmoon.com (I would not have known this without your efforts) and hope that people will donate and buy the books since they are priceless with all this biblical knowledge! The kingdom can use all the support it can get…
    I hope you are still up for a Skype conversation brother. I know you were sick so I just wait on my turn. 😉 I like to help make the message a little more practical when looking at the moving away to a ‘safe haven’ part.
    May the Lord bless you and keep you Joseph & Team.
    Shalom,
    Wouter
    The Netherlands

    Reply
  2. Anonymous

    Hi Joe; Your site says that the moon is 3 days into the new month. Yet the new moon was seen in Israel last night July 4. Am I missing something? Thanks Lynn

    Reply
    • Joseph F. Dumond

      Shabbat Shalom Lynn, keep in mind the moon on my site is a computor program and does not go by the sighting of the moon. I beleive it starts at conjunction but I am not sure. IN the News Letter is an explanation of the moon being two or three days old from Devorah. Shabbat is day 2 of this the 5th month.

      Reply
  3. Ellen Sabino

    Joseph,
    Shabbat Shalom!
    We have ordered you ebooks before but were not able to find where it went or delivered. We just ordered your latest one a few minutes ago but where do we get the ebooks, usually it would be on the download icon, but its not there. We have apple IOS, I don’t know if this makes a difference.
    Pls direct us how we can get the ebook.
    Thanks
    Ellen Sabino

    Reply
    • Joseph F. Dumond

      Shabbat Shalom Ellen, it is now the Sabbath and I must wait until after Sabbath is over local time before I can process the orders. So it is in the cue but I am keeping the Sabbath holy and not doing business on it. I did not get home in time to process the orders before Sabbath tonight.

      Reply
  4. Steven Smith

    Greeting Family,
    I want to share how this article has touched me. I come from a one parent household. My mother had to raise 3 children without the help a husband. She coped by joining a Unted Pentecostal fellowship. The 1970’s and eighties were a lot better to survive than past times I would guess but she still did not get much help and usually worked at least 3 low paying jobs that barely paid the bills. My father died not even a month before my seventh birthday. My siblings who are both sisters were 5 and a one year old. My mother had us going to the church meeting at least 3 or 4 times a week but sadly I not remember much help she ever got from the fellowship we attended. I can even remember her quoting the scriptures about widows and orphans and would say how she wished she would get just even a small bit of help Most my cloths were bought from second hand stores and in those days it wasn’t so in style to be wearing dated cloths so I was bullied quite hard righ up to the time I started to fighjt back. My sisters and I were left to our own a lot and a few other older kids noticed this and started to come around. It a common story with those who are bullied at a young age and not accepted. It usually the druggie clicks that welcome these children into their fold. It all seemed to be a form of family in hindsight. I never had a possitive male influence so I looked to other things to fill in that hole in my life so when was invited in with open arms to a pere group that seemed to accept me. I jumped in without a second thought whole heartedly. Most gangs and organized groups know how to use this embalence in people and I can share I got pretty good at it myself. Satan knows exactly how to manipulate those shortcomings
    Although we had many hard times I remember many small miricles occuring . My mother was half out of her mind because we were close to running out of oil for our furnace in middle of February that should run out but didnt right till my mom had the money to buy more. Actually there were a few times but this one stands out the most. One thing I got from my mother is the knowing Yehovah will provide for us and although she was indoctrined with modern christain beliefs she had conviction her God would not forget her and shared this with anyone who would listen and although I turned from the bible for many years her conviction has in turn been a big part of my walk now which I often take note is not as common as you would think through our fellowships so it made me rich beyond thinking to have lived through the things I did as a fatherless child. I could write a few books about the crazy favor I’ve been blessed with through some situations that left me stunned trying to recon what had just happened right in front of me or a situation where someone I not even know walk up and give me money or something I needed
    Just want thank you for this great article. You have brought back many many memories where Yehovah showed himself to me as a fatherless child and I can witness to being someone who experienced His great mercy and love. Please do take these teaching to heart and prayfully consider it all brethren. What better way to know you will be shielded from the curses by obeying the 3rd and 6th year tithe for Widows, orphans stranger and the Levite
    Have an awesome week brethren. Love out to all from NS., Canada. Shabbat Shalom!!!

    Reply
  5. Jan

    Joe, I have spent these past three days contemplating a disagreement between you, Pauline, and myself with two other women that I won’t mention their names, but the subject of the disagreement involved selling your new book or any books I presume. They felt The Word should never be sold. I’ve gone back and forth thinking you’re right, no she’s right, no you’re right and I do think I’ve come to a conclusion now although I won’t go so far as to say it is the absolute right one.
    Please read this section in 1 Cor 9: 1-27.
    Now I quote from the AENT (Aramaic English New Testament) these specific verses:
    16. For while I preach, I have no basis for pride; because necessity is laid upon me, and woe to me, if I don’t preach.
    17. For if I do this voluntarily, there is a reward for me:
    but if involuntarily, a stewardship is entrusted to me.
    18. What then is my reward? (It is), that when I preach, I make the announcement of the Mashiyach without cost, and do not use the power given me in the Good News.
    19. Being free from them all, I have made myself servant to every man; that I might gain many:
    Now first of all you have preached freely without cost due to the heavy burden placed upon you in exchange for Him giving you the wisdom, knowledge, and understanding of the curses, Sabbatical years, Jubilee cycles, the time line and so much more. You have been doing this since 2006 I believe. Therefore, you have provided ALL that which is in the book freely to anyone and everyone by going to the website to read your newsletters.
    But THEN you felt the necessity to take this message to Christians one final time, and you referred them all to your web site and to various teachings. They had no interest in reading. That takes work. Arguing is easier.
    THEN you felt the necessity and obligation to write a book for them to read, but you charged for this book. The book entailed a large sum to your editor and other known costs to do this, therefore the charge. NOW the book is available and the question is how many of those arguing Christians are going to buy this book? Are they going to pay for something they already believe is a lie?
    So, according to the Scripture just read, you had two choices:
    (1) to offer the book freely and get a spiritual reward
    OR
    (2) Sell the book and hence, a stewardship is entrusted to you.
    From my best perspective, I do believe this fits as an involuntary act that you did out of necessity to provide them a cohesive book of all the newsletters together. The same reasoning as all your prior books. The primary cost was in the need to hire an editor and unfortunately this is pretty much required in today’s world. Hardcopy via Amazon can be even more cost prohibitive. A book is expected to be professionally edited in regards to grammar, etc. Should you have relied on faith and just given it away? I will not even attempt to judge you on this until I have walked a thousand miles in your shoes.
    Again, “a stewardship is entrusted to me.”
    I see absolutely NOTHING wrong with selling the book from this perspective as outlined by Paul. You have undertaken the management (stewardship) involved with the great costs and labor to do so and then sold the book at a fair price. You also make it freely available to ALL who cannot afford it. But they have to know to write and ask for it. I know this chapter in Paul’s letter is about losing the spiritual reward so he labors to always give it freely, but you have done so. Anyone is capable from reading the newsletters from the web site. Thousands of us have done just that. The fact is, I do NOT see Paul outright condemning selling a book. He only mentions the lack of a spiritual reward when you chose this route. At least this is my interpretation of this, which may be wrong.
    I do however question this one act regarding the book. This book was laid on you as a necessity or obligation to meet a need in the Christian community. This was a spiritual obligation and necessity that drove you to do the book for these Christians that argued against you. If I’m not mistaken, these were your very words. Yet, they have to pay for it. I do humbly suggest that you give the book free of charge to every Christian that needs to know this information. Every Christian that has come to your sight to learn, but argue against the book OR simply to argue everything you say. Again, if I’m not mistaken, this was the spiritual obligation laid on you. You can not expect those people who believe you are a false prophet to proceed to buy this book, but if you sent it to them freely, they might just start to read. Who knows. But if ONE read and learned, you will have gained more then gold and silver.
    The obligation to pay for this book resides with those of us who know the price of you teaching Yehovah’s Word is not to be taken freely. You deserve to be paid. The price lies with us not the unbelieving Christians.
    For this reason, I will send you an additional donation to personally go towards the lost income for six such books to six of these Christians that argue against it. Frankly, I’d have sent $100. as a free will donation if the book had originally been offered free to all.
    Now, my call upon others is to give MORE then the price of the books so this book can go freely to the Christians in our western nations, but ALSO to pastors who will take this message to the Christians in other nations like Kenya, India, and the Philippines. Joseph Dumond should NOT be left with a negative balance on this book.

    Reply

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