News Letter 5849-027
9th day of the 6th month 5849 years after the creation of Adam
The 6th Month in the Fourth year of the third Sabbatical Cycle
The Third Sabbatical Cycle of the 119th Jubilee Cycle
The Sabbatical Cycle of Earthquakes Famines, and Pestilences

August 17, 2013

Shalom Brethren,

We will be presenting the Sabbatical Years in Hanover Ontario August 24, for those interested in learning this subject. Why is the weather so extreme and how is this tied into the Sabbatical year? Once you see when the Sabbatical Years are and how these events line up, you will then also be able to see Yehovah’s hand in all of this. We are not sure if we are going to give the simple or the more in depth teaching. We will see when we get there.

We are also just over one month away from Sukkot this year already. We have just 8 camping spots left at Fall Creek Falls Park in Tennessee, left. And it looks like over 100 people will be coming out this year. If you have not yet made your Feast plans, you might consider joining us. I will be covering all the teachings on the Sabbatical and Jubilee years and showing you how they prophesy to us about the end of this age in great detail. We also have Lucinda Gibbs Robinson will also be speaking on how to cleanse yourself of the parasites that most people have.

Boaz wrote a short note to let us know the Vineyard is looking beautiful as it grows this year. It has been a year indeed. We want you all not to forget this project which also needs to be maintained.

Last week brethren I shared with you my concerns about this third Sabbatical cycle and the things we are watching for. This third Sabbatical cycle is only about half done and I could still be proven right. I was admitting my concerns to you after being asked about this in a letter.

Then I went on to inform you about the month of Elul and how we’re to seek repentance and ask forgiveness from those we have hurt in the past. The purpose of this exercise is so our names may be found in the Book of Life.

“Elul is also a time to begin the process of asking forgiveness for wrongs done to other people and the time to forgive those seeking it from you. According to Jewish tradition, Yehovah cannot forgive us for sins committed against another person until we have first obtained forgiveness from the person we have wronged. This is not as easy a task as you might think, if you have never done it. This process of seeking forgiveness continues through the Days of Awe.”

I do hope you husbands have asked your wives for forgiveness and you wives as well have asked your husbands to forgive you. Have you all forgiven your parents for the wrongs they may have done to you? You must forgive and ask for forgiveness.

Then the News Letter was not even out for two hours and I got this message below.

Hi Joseph, the reason your prophecies have not come to pass is because your timeline is off by several years and you are looking at the scriptures from a Jewish perspective which is flawed and corrupt to say the least. I have followed your writings for quite some time, but just as you have stated sooo often, the WHOLE world has been deceived by the lies of Satan’s children, who are in control of the earth. even YOU. According to scripture the Jews are not the chosen children of ISRAEL but the opportunists who moved into the land from Russia after the true children of Jacob were forced from the land by YAHWEH, while Judah was chosen to suffer under the curse of Gen 15:13 for 400 years. I know you are an avid researcher, but because you too are under the delusion of Satan’s children, your mind cannot conceive the real TRUTH. I have shied away from your writings as of late because you have stopped researching the critical facts that we know to be TRUTH and you try so hard to make your delusion fit the TRUTH. I truly feel bad for you Joseph for you aren’t even Jewish…
M Bynum

Brethren here we are in the month of Elul and this person who believes they are “one of chosen ones” wants to insult our Jewish Brothers and has fallen victim to the lies of the conspiracy teachings. He has no clue about repentance and this time of the year that Judah has taught us about.

That Judah “THOSE JEWS” have taught us. Have you all forgotten that anyone, ANYONE who is keeping Torah, The Sabbath, the Holy Days, the Sabbatical Years, no matter what nationality they are from, once they are keeping Torah, THEY ARE ISRAEL!!! Chinese Japanese, Italians, Khazars and even Americans. But people with their prejudices want to prevent others from becoming a part of Israel. They do the work of Satan and do not know it by turning people away from keeping the truth because there is no light in them even though they mascaraed as angels of light.

If only you all could understand just how little time is left and how stupid it is to slam each other. Lashon Harah. Go and look it up. And then stop doing it. Stop bashing Judah, stop bashing each other. All hell is soon going to be released upon us and if you do not have the love for the brethren even if they do not understand as much as you think you do, then you have no hope of surviving what is coming.

The Holocaust united the Jews. Even though they have different beliefs amongst themselves. But when we look at those who are the Ten Lost Tribes, Ephramites and Mannahsites, it is so pathetic; Bickering and fighting over the name being spelt this way or that. Or how you pronounce it. Whether you believe exactly the same way as I do or not and if not then you have to leave my assembly and we can’t talk to you.

I get so sad when I see this over and over amongst the so-called brethren.

And then as I worked on last weeks News Letter I called Rico Cortez asking him for help on this subject. WE talked for a long time and I was thrilled at his willingness and co-operation. What a breath of fresh air. And then after I posted last weeks News Letter, I get this email from Rico. I did not know he read my News Letter. We who are Israel need to come together in unity and pray together and put our differences aside.

SHALOM MY BROTHER
I AM SO HAPPY THAT WE COULD TALK A BIT AND EXCHANGE TOGETHER. KNOWING THAT WE ARE SHARING WITH EVERYONE HOW TO PRAY AS ONE PEOPLE MAKES ME SO HAPPY. THANKS FOR BEING OPEN AND WILLING TO WORK AND EXCHANGE TOGETHER.
SHALOM
BE BLESS
RICO

Brethren pray these prayers of repentance together as one unified tribe of Israel. Israel who has been sinning for 2700 years, since we were put out of the land of Israel. It is time now to do this. Do it now.

Thank you Joseph, been meaning to write to you. Your respecting husbands newsletter was timely.

Blessings aplenty,

Yvonne Pratt

Grandpa Joe;

Now you got me irritated. Here we are in MIDDLE of the 3rd Sabbatical cycle and your throwing in the towel and eating crow? You do have your weak moments and this is one of them. Close your yap and wait upon Yah to show His hand. May I say, first of all this is not all about you showing anybody anything. You are recounting and teaching what the word says. It is not your place to lay claim to anything, nor to apologize for some thing not happening when you in your limited understanding (as with all the rest of us), don’t interpret everything exactly as our finite minds think it ought to be. Research the concept of the “strong delusion”. It has to do with a plethora of predictions as to when certain prophecies are going to happen, that make people run here and there after one lie after another. Mainly about when and how Yeshua will come, in secret or in the open. The Word says go not after these predictions since when He comes it will be as the sun goes from the east to the west (not lightening as some translations say). He says he will send His angels and they will come get you. The sun comes reliably when it is supposed to. So will Yeshua. Men’s predictions need to be couched with words that say “People here is what the Word says. This is my interpretation. Take it for what it is worth and prove it for yourselves what the Word says and how you are going to prepare for it. Joe, I have long wanted to counsel you on this and have been waiting for this to happen. Some one questions the little things that you nor anyone else could predict, much less take credit for. This is Yah’s work. Not yours not mine but Yah’s. His word is sure and it is you and I who do not understand.

Please, wait for the Third Sabbatical to work out. Remember when David number the Children of Israel, against the command of Yah, against the council of his counselors. He did it anyway and the Pestilence he chose was immediate and 70,000 men of Israel died that day. Do you in all your wisdom know that on the last day of this Sabbatical cycle Yah will not cause a pestilence simply by His Word that will adjust the world population by the huge numbers we both expect. Look at Korah and his followers, on and on. Yah brought those pestilences. I am sure you probably know, but in Hebrew, pestilence/plague is: Strong’s H1697, H1698 and means “the reordering of a population”. In the examples about large numbers of people died, quickly! It does not say it will be anything but “beast”. How about the “beast” that is within us that leads us to “strong delusions”.

Don’t give up the ship so easily. There are many who use you as a reference and I for one am deeply disappointed you capitulate so easily. I can understand a little since you are so wont to take credit for the prophecies. I for one wish you would not do that. Again it is Yah’s work and IF he uses you it is not so you can claim any of His glory. I could go on and on but I think/hope you get the point. Consider that it is possible your pride will limit your ability to be His man as you so desire to be.

Consider this to be a manly punch in the jaw to get your attention. Figuratively of course, since old men get injured so easily. (at least I do, Ha Ha)

Opa Jim

Let me respond to this email. I understand what Jim is saying and I am not insulted by his words. But I have never taken claim for any of this. I have said that repeatedly. All that I have shared with you about the Sabbatical Years and the prophecies have been what Yehovah has shown me. They are not mine to take credit for. But when I am wrong I am going to admit it. And yes we do have 3 ½ years yet to go. SO we will see. And yes one of these days Opa Jim and Granpa Joe are going to punch each other’s lights out just for the fun of it as long as our walkers do not get in the way.

Joseph, in your newsletter you say you are not sure about pestilences and famines. Well, if doubled food prices and GMO’s are not considered part of famine, then I’m not sure what is. So many Americans are buying food with food stamps now…a huge increase in numbers in the last few years. GMO products are all over the marketplace, causing a limited number of nourishing foods, thus causing people to be literally starving their bodies of nutrition. There is also a growing famine of the Word as we all know.
Also, when you eat at a fast food place do you ever feel full and truly satisfied. Or are you hungry an hour later. There is no nutrition in that food at all.
Susan Earl

SHALOM to you, Joe.

Once again, you have brought home some pertinent facts from Scripture for us to reflect upon. Words that both challenge and encourage us. Thank you for your faithfulness and dedication to the task that has been assigned to you.
May ABBA YHWH truly bless you and make His Face to shine upon you.

When I think of all the years that I kept the 40 days of “lent” as dictated by the roman church, and never even heard of the “40 days of awe or repentance” or was ever even aware of the true significance or purpose of these days of reflection and repentance before our Almighty Creator and King, I am just so much aware of all the greater need for repentance of my past self boosting deeds and thoughts. I was so proud of myself for being able to “give up (some trivial self indulgent pleasure) for lent” that I never even gave a single thought to the true significance and need for repentance. – And, of course, this all being done at the wrong time of the year! – So successful was the deceiver at leading astray those who would just allow themselves to be led by the nose, rather than read, study and reflect prayerfully on what is written in His Word to us.

Be Blessed, H
South Africa

I will share just one more and there were others that I have to leave out for now.

Hi Joseph. I was wondering why you believe it is ok to do the 40 days of repentance and it’s tradition although it isn’t a commanded feast but not hannukah and purim. I haven’t celebrated those either but this year that came upon my heart if that should be an issue or not. I know we should always repent but then if we say that’s why the 40 days are ok then wouldn’t that be the same thing as others saying why it’s ok for them to keep those uncommanded feasts? I’m not saying do or don’t keep because I really don’t know. I was just curious why you decided this is ok though it’s not commanded as one of Yehovahs feasts. Reading prior newletters youve been very adament that if any other days kept which arent commanded then you are sinning. Thanks!

I liked this question. And I will make it the subject of this News Letter.

Before we begin, today the Sabbath, of the 9th day of the 6th Month is the 9th day of Repentance. Have each of you been repenting during these past 9 days which are leading up to the 40th Day which is the Day of Atonement. Searching your soul to make sure you are obeying Yehovah and not in rebellion against Him.

You may not understand it now. But by not doing this you are missing out on the deeper understanding of Atonement that this teaches you. By allowing prejudices such as the first comment to blind you, your growth towards Yehovah is hindered. It is time now to repent of this evil mindset and grow.

So let us address the last comment.

Yes I am dead set against the keeping Chanukah and of the Purim. First of all they are not found in Lev 23. And if it is not found there why on earth are you keeping it?

You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of Yehovah your God which I command you. (Deu 4:2)

We have written on this in previous articles and you can go to them by googling those words and then adding sightedmoon to it. Google will take you to all the articles I have written about it.

And this is exactly what this lady is asking me because this tradition of the 40 days of repentance is not found in Lev 23 is it? So why on earth would I recommend we keep this time of repentance?

First of all lets note that the number 40 is very special in the bible. There are at least ten instances in the Old Testament and New Testament where 40 occurs, either in years or days. Example;. it rained for 40 days and 40 nights, Moses was on the mountain 40 days and 40 nights, the Israelites wandered 40 years, Yehshua fasted in the wilderness for 40 days and was seen on the earth for 40 days after His crucifixion.

We have shown you from the Prophecies of Abraham how by looking at other Jubilee cycles of Abraham, Noah, Jacob and Joseph we can in fact see prophetic messages that are to be applied to us now in this last Jubilee cycle.

The fact that Yehshua fasted for 40 days BEFORE He began His ministry is telling us we can glean some more truths from these other events or that this event helps to explain things in them.

Last week we quoted this to you;

According to tradition, the month of Elul is the time that Moses spent on Mount Sinai preparing the second set of tablets after the incident of the golden calf (Ex. 32; 34:27-28). He ascended on Rosh Chodesh Elul and descended on the 10th of Tishri, at the end of Yom Kippur, when repentance was complete. Other sources say that Elul is the beginning of a period of 40 days that Moses prayed for G-d to forgive the people after the Golden Calf incident, after which the commandment to prepare the second set of tablets was given.

We read of what John the Baptist was doing in Mat 3:5 Then Jerusalem and all Judea went out to him, and all the region round about Jordan. 6 And they were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.

They were confessing their sins is a clue as to the time of year.

We then read in Mathew again about what Yehshua does after this baptism John does with Him.

Mat 4:1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit up into the wilderness, to be tempted by the Devil. 2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He was afterwards hungry.

And also notice that Satan does not show up until the end of the 40 days. This is also a huge clue as to when this 40-day fast of Yehshua took place.

We also have in John 2:13 Yehshua going to Jerusalem to keep Passover but this was after many other things had taken place. After the 40-day fast, after Yehshua had gathered up the Apostles in Mathew and spoke to them and after John had been arrested and beheaded.

Almost everyone acknowledges that Yehshua began His ministry in the fall and preached for 3 ½ years being killed at Passover. It is not my intention to have to prove this to you at this time. But 3 ½ years before Passover 31 C.E. is Trumpets 28 C.E.

You all can go and read about these events in your own bible. For times sake I am going to get to the points I want to make.

Matthew and Luke do not follow Mark’s testimony, but follow the ‘Q’ document in which the allusion to Elijah differs in a subtle way, taking the angel out of the gospel story and instead having Yehshua fast for forty days, just as Elijah did after the angel ministered to him. In this version, the further allusion to Exodus 34:28 is more readily recognized, and there is no longer any doubt that Yehshua fasted.

Lets first look at the events of Elijah who is said to be the spirit in whom John the Baptist came and in whose spirit, someone at the end time is going to come again just before the end.

Those are the two witnesses of Revelation 11.

1Ki 19:1 And Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and all that he killed, all the prophets with the sword. 2 And Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah saying, So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I do not make your life like the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time.

Jezebel and Ahaz are likened to Satan in this story. And they like Satan seek to kill and destroy those who are following Yehovah. Elijah is like us that destroying and exposing as false those doctrines which are not found in Torah. Many of the Christians would be horrified to know they would be counted as the Priest of Baal in this example.

1Ki 19:3 And he saw, he rose and went for his life, and came to Beer-sheba of Judah, and left his servant there. 4 And he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he begged for his life, that he might die. And he said, It is enough. O Jehovah, take away my life. For I am no better than my fathers.

Here too is another clue to our future. I have been telling you over and over and over again how bad things are about to get. It begins in 2020 and goes until 2033. That is 13 years of pure hell for those who are obeying Yehovah and worse for those who do not. During this time we all will want to give up and just die, it is going to be that bad.

1Ki 19:5 And as he lay and slept under a broom tree, behold, then an angel touched him and said to him, Arise, eat. 6 And he looked, and, behold, a cake was baked on the coals, and a jug of water at his head. And he ate and drank, and lay down again. 7 And the angel of Jehovah came to him the second time and touched him, and said, Arise, eat, because the journey is too great for you. 8 And he arose, and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb the mount of God.

Elijah is now fasting for 40 days at the Mountain of Yehovah in the Arabian Peninsula Jabal Al Lawz. Elijah is in the wilderness and it is when he is in this wilderness that Yehovah comes and talks to him.

This is the exact same thing that we see in Revelation.

Rev 12:13 And when the dragon saw that he was cast to the earth, he persecuted the woman who bore the man child . 14 And two wings of a great eagle were given to the woman, so that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time and times and half a time, from the serpent’s face. 15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth water like a flood after the woman, so that he might cause her to be carried away by the river. 16 And the earth helped the woman. And the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the river which the dragon cast out of his mouth. 17 And the dragon was enraged over the woman, and went to make war with the rest of her seed, who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.

And again Yehovah told us this is what He was going to do in Hosea.

Hos 2:13 And I will visit on her the days of the Baals, in which she burned incense to them, and she adorned herself with her nose-rings and her jewels, and she went after her lovers and forgot Me, says Jehovah. 14 Therefore, behold, I will lure her and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably to her. 15 And I will give her vineyards to her from there, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope. And she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt. 16 And it shall be at that day, says Jehovah, you shall call Me, My Husband, and shall no more call Me, My Baal. 17 For I will take away the names of the Baals out of her mouth, and they will no more be remembered by their name.

It is in the wilderness that Yehovah is going to speak directly to us. It is during this time of great tribulation. Elijah as afraid for his life and wanted to just give up. This women that is Israel will flee for her life for a number of years and will want to just give up. Then Yehovah will speak to us during the last 3 ½ years of the Great Tribulaiton.

1Ki 19:9 And he came there to a cave and stayed there. And behold, the Word of Jehovah came to him, and He said to him, What are you doing here, Elijah? 10 And he said, I have been very zealous for Jehovah the God of Hosts. For the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, thrown down Your altars, and have slain Your prophets with the sword. And I, I alone, am left. And they seek to take my life away. 11 And He said, Go forth and stand on the mountain before Jehovah. And, behold, Jehovah passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains, and broke the rocks in pieces before Jehovah. But Jehovah was not in the wind. And after the wind was an earthquake, but Jehovah was not in the earthquake. 12 And after the earthquake was a fire, but Jehovah was not in the fire. And after the fire was a still, small voice. 13 And it happened when Elijah heard, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out, and stood at the cave entrance. And behold, a voice came to him and said, What are you doing here, Elijah? 14 And he said, I have been very zealous for Jehovah, the God of Hosts, because the sons of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, have thrown down Your altars, and have slain Your prophets with the sword. And I, I alone, am left. And they seek to take my life away. 15 And Jehovah said to him, Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. And when you come, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria. 16 And you shall anoint Jehu the son of Nimshi to be king over Israel. And Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint to be prophet in your place. 17 And it will be, whoever escapes the sword of Hazael, Jehu will kill. And whoever escapes from the sword of Jehu, Elisha will kill. 18 Yet I have left seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth which has not kissed him. 19 And he left there, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, and he was plowing; twelve pairs of oxen were before him, and he was with the twelfth. And Elijah passed by him and threw his mantle on him. 20 And he left the oxen and ran after Elijah, and said, Please, let me kiss my father and my mother, and I will follow you. And he said to him, Go back again, for what have I done to you? 21 And he turned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen and killed them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave it to the people, and they ate. And he arose and went after Elijah, and ministered to him.

When Israel fled Egypt they were tested at the waters of Marah. Between Egypt and the entrance into the Promised Land there was a stretch of time in the wilderness wandering which lasted 42 years. 2 years at Jabel Al Lawz and 40 year in the wilderness. The New Testament teaches us that these historic episodes are for our instruction.

1Co 10:11 And all these things happened to them as examples; and it is written for our warning on whom the ends of the world have come. 12 So let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. 13 No temptation has taken you but what is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able, but with the temptation also will make a way to escape, so that you may be able to bear it.

After this episode at Marah, the children of Israel are led to a beautiful oasis called Elim. This is a picture of the bountiful provisions for Yehovah’s people when they take up their cross- twelve springs and seventy palms trees. (Notice 12 and 70. Jacob’s descendants that went into Egypt and 12 disciples).

Not only were the children of Israel tested by a lack of accessible water in the wilderness, but also a lack of food. How do you feed so great a multitude (over 2 million people) where there is no food at hand??A miracle of food production takes place. Yehshua refers to this after He miraculously multiplies the fish and the loaves to feed the multitudes that followed him to a secluded place.

Joh 6:32 Then Jesus said to them, Truly, truly, I say to you, Moses did not give you that bread from Heaven, but My Father gives you the true bread from Heaven. 33 For the bread of God is He who comes down from Heaven and gives life to the world. 34 Then they said to him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. 35 And Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes on Me shall never thirst.

Yehshua takes the picture of the manna from heaven and applies it to Himself. As those who have been crossed from death to life by virtue of our being identified with Yehshua in His death, burial and resurrection, we are to learn to live feeding on Him every day. This is our work- to believe on Him; to affirm and appropriate what He has given to us in terms of His provisions and His promises.

Joh 6:48 I am the Bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and died. 50 This is the Bread which comes down from Heaven, so that a man may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the Living Bread which came down from Heaven. If anyone eats of this Bread, he shall live forever. And truly the bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. 52 Then the Jews argued with one another, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? 53 Then Jesus says to them, Truly, truly, I say to you, Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man, and drink His blood, you do not have life in yourselves. 54 Whoever partakes of My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For My flesh is food indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. 56 He who partakes of My flesh and drinks My blood dwells in Me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father has sent Me, and I live through the Father, so he who partakes of Me, even he shall live by Me. 58 This is the Bread which came down from Heaven, not as your fathers ate the manna, and died; he who partakes of this Bread shall live forever.

The third test in the wilderness was not believing Yehovah.?Once again the children of Israel are thirsty. They even have the pillar of cloud leading then by day and by night. Instead they quarrel with Moses.

Paul tells us that the Rock at Horeb represents Yehshua.

1Co 10:2 And all were baptized to Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 and all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink; for they drank of the spiritual Rock that followed them, and that Rock was Christ. 5 But with many of them God was not well pleased, for they were scattered in the wilderness.

Moses strikes the rock once and water comes out for the people to drink. This picture is of the rock being struck once by death. This event took place after the Israelites had refused to go into the Promised Land and were now beginning the 40 years of wandering in the wilderness.

When Yehshua was tempted in the wilderness at the end of His 40 days He responds to Satan by quoting these three specific passages.
Deu 8:3 And He humbled you and allowed you to hunger, and then He fed you with manna, which you did not know, neither did your fathers know it, so that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes out of the mouth of Jehovah man shall live.

Deu 6:13 You shall fear Jehovah your God and serve Him, and shall swear by His name.
Deu 6:16 You shall not tempt Jehovah your God as you tempted in Massah.

Where is this place called Massah?

You just read about it.

Exo 17:6 Behold, I will stand before you there upon the rock in Horeb. And you shall smite the rock, and there shall come water out of it, so that the people may drink. And Moses did so in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7 And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the wrangling of the sons of Israel, and because they tempted Jehovah, saying, Is Jehovah among us or not?

Fasting traditionally presaged a great spiritual struggle as we have now just showed you in both Elijahs and Moses life. Elijah with Jezebel and Moses with the rebellious Isrealites. And this as we have just seen was the very answers Yehshua gave when He was tempted by Satan at the end of His 40 days.

The temptation of making bread out of stones occurs in the same desert setting where Yehshua had been fasting. Alexander Jones reports that the wilderness mentioned here has since the fifth century been believed to be the rocky and uninhabited area between Jerusalem and Jericho, with a spot on Mount Quarantania traditionally being considered the exact location. The desert was seen as outside the bounds of society and as the home of demons such as Azazel (Leviticus 16:10). Keep this in mind as we continue with this line of thinking.

You and I are the product of Israel who rebelled after the incident between Jeroboam and Rehoboam. Israel left and right away began to worship at Tel Dan with a golden calf. We have from that day to this rebelled against the Torah of Yehovah. By doing this we were kicked out of the land of Israel, the land promised to Abraham and his heirs if they would obey. We did not and here we are wanting to come back but for most of those wanting to go back they do so without obeying Yehovah or changing one iota.

Yehovah is not going to allow this. You once again need to read Ezekiel.

Eze 12:1 And the Word of Jehovah came to me, saying, 2 Son of man, you dwell in the midst of a rebellious house, who have eyes to see and see not. They have ears to hear and hear not, for they are a rebellious house.

Israel had already gone into captivity when this prophecy was given to Ezekiel. You need to read all of Ezekiel 12.

Then once you do go now read this.

Eze 20:34 And I will bring you out from the people, and I will gather you out of the lands in which you are scattered among them, with a mighty hand and with a stretched out arm and with fury poured out. 35 And I will bring you into the wilderness of the people, and there I will enter into judgment with you face to face. 36 Just as I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, so I will enter into judgment with you, says the Lord Jehovah. 37 And I will cause you to pass under the rod, and I will bring you into the bond of the covenant. 38 And I will purge out from among you the rebels and those who sin against Me. I will bring them out from the land where they reside, and they shall not enter into the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am Jehovah.

This fury poured out is the same one in Lev 26 and also in Mathew 22.

Lev 26:27 And if you will not for all of this listen to Me, but will walk contrary to Me,
28 then I will walk contrary to you also in fury. And I, even I, will chastise you seven times for your sins.

Mat 22:7 But when the king heard, he was angry. And he sent out his armies and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.

That word Angry is wroth as in Furious.

Yehovah also makes you to pass under the rod is what the sheep do. Every tenth one is saved as being Holy. The rest are sent to be butchered.

Isaiah tells us that Rod is Assyria who are today known as the nation of Germany.

During the last ten days of these 40 days of repentance a common phrase is said as you greet people. “May your name be found in the Book of Life.”

This same book is mentioned a number of times in Revelation. Those who are rebellious will be purged out and their names not found in that book.

We want to repent of our sins. We want to have our name found in this book.

No the command to keep these 40 days of Repentance is not found in Lev 23. But we have clear examples of this in the Exodus Story and we have it again in the story of Elijah and both of these stories are referred to in Yehshua’s 40 day fast when He was tempted by Satan at the end of his 40 days.

And Satan is not revealed to men until the end of the Great Tribulation, which climaxes the 40 days of repentance. It is during this time that He is revealed and defeated.

When we look at the year of 2033 when Satan is to be locked away according to the Sabbatical and Jubilee years, we see the 10 years and the 10 days of Awe line up. If we count back to the start of those 40 years in relation to the 40 days they begin in the year 1994 2 years before the Jubilee year of this the 120th Jubilee cycle. We have had the 7 years of Terror, which I explain in the DVD. We have had the 7 years of severe weather, or extreme weather in the 2nd Sabbatical cycle. And we are now in the third one and watching as these curses grow towards the 4th one to start in 2017.

No we are not to keep any holidays like Chanukah or Purim, which are not found in Lev 23. But we do have amble example of why we need to mourn and repent for our sins as they are an example of the days and years we are in that lead up to the final victory over Satan and sin. We will have more to say again next week. I have given you a lot for this week to think about.

Triennial Torah Cycle

We continue this weekend with our regular Triennial Torah Reading Cycle

Deut 31      2 Chron 30-32      Revelation 15-17

The Law to Be Read in the Year of Release (Deuteronomy 31:1-29)

Here we read of the inauguration, commissioning or ordination of Joshua to take the place of Moses as the chief human judge over Israel. We also read God’s wonderful words of encouragement: “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6). God will repeat this to Joshua in Joshua 1:5. And the apostle Paul quotes part of this phrase as a message from God to Christians today (see Hebrews 13:5).

Moses instructs that the law be read “at the end of every seven years,” that is, the “year of release” from slavery and debts. This reading was to be done “at the Feast of Tabernacles.” All Israel was to listen, including the children “who have not known it” (verse 13), so that they all could learn to fear God and keep His commandments (verses 12-13; compare Ecclesiastes 12:13). At a time when there were no mass communications and when books, including personal copies of the Scriptures, were almost nonexistent among the common people, this practice would have been invaluable. Nehemiah 8 recounts the revival of the spirit of this command following the Babylonian captivity of the Jews.

Deuteronomy 31 ends with the placement of the Book of the Law beside the Ark of the Covenant and Moses teaching the people a special song, the words of which appear in the next chapter.

Reorganization of the Levitical System (2 Chronicles 31:2-21)

Hezekiah continues his religious reforms, restoring the priestly courses David had established and commanding the people to bring in their tithes and firstfruits for the priests as prescribed by God’s law. One of the reasons God had designed this system was so that the Levites, who served as God’s ministry in the Old Testament, could “devote themselves to the Law of the Lord” (verse 4). Rather than spending most of their time in other vocations or laboring in the field to provide for themselves and their families, God wanted the priests and Levites to be able to spend most of their time delving into His principles and instructions and teaching them to His people. God has similar desires for His ministry and people today (see Acts 6:1-7; 1 Corinthians 9:11; Galatians 6:6). (To see what God’s Word has to say on the subject of tithing and the financing of His ministry today, request or download our free booklet What Does the Bible Teach About Tithing?).

The Levites were greatly blessed through the people’s response to Hezekiah’s commands, being abundantly provided for. And the people of the nation responding were, in turn, greatly blessed themselves for enabling far more godly instruction to come their way.

Hezekiah was a living testimony to the well-known proverb, “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice” (Proverbs 29:2). Interestingly, this verse is one of the “proverbs of Solomon which the men of Hezekiah king of Judah copied” (see 25:1). The last verse of the current reading summarizes what a great king and great man of God Hezekiah was.

Invasion of Sennacherib and Micah’s Warning (2 Chronicles 32:1-5, 30; 2 Kings 18:13-16; Micah 3; 2 Chronicles 32:26, 6-19; 2 Kings 18:17-37; Isaiah 36)
In 701 Sennacherib marched west to crush the brewing revolt. He came down the Mediterranean coast, “and after the surrender of Ashkelon and Ekron turned toward Judah. He made his headquarters at Lachish [28 miles southwest of Jerusalem]; reliefs found at Nineveh [now displayed in the British Museum] show the breaching of the double walls and the fortifications of the gate [of Lachish] by siege rams. Traces of the intense destruction have been found in the excavations on the site (stratum III) and also at Tell Beit Mirsim (Ashan) and Beer-sheba” (Yohanan Aharoni and Michael Avi-Yonah, Macmillan Bible Atlas, 1977, p. 99).

In conjunction with the Assyrian invasion, Hezekiah took further precautions to protect Jerusalem. Rather than just having the water of Gihon brought inside the city by his tunnel, it was necessary to keep enemies from polluting the spring or preventing its waters from reaching Jerusalem—or from using it and other springs. So he concealed the springs outside the city (compare 2 Chronicles 32:3-4). But this alone would not protect Hezekiah’s people.

Sadly, besides Hezekiah’s own lapse in attitude and failure to completely rely on God, Judah had declined quite a bit spiritually during the reign of Ahaz so that even Hezekiah’s reforms were not sufficient to entirely reverse the downward trend. Perhaps if Hezekiah had fully trusted in God, he could have successfully continued to withstand the Assyrians, but God permitted Sennacherib to invade the land and capture many of its cities. It is, of course, possible that God would have brought destruction against Judah anyway because of their injustice and wrongdoing, as brought out in Micah and Isaiah’s prophecies.

As for the scale of what happened, notice these words of Sennacherib himself from the famous clay prism on which this campaign is recorded: “But as for Hezekiah, the Jew, who did not bow in submission to my yoke, forty-six of his strong walled towns and innumerable smaller villages in their neighbourhood I besieged and conquered by stamping down earth-ramps and then by bringing up battering rams, by the assault of foot-soldiers, by breaches, tunneling and sapper operations. I made to come out from them 200,150 people, young and old, male and female, innumerable horses, mules, donkeys, camels, large and small cattle, and counted them as spoils of war” (quoted in Eerdmans Handbook to the Bible, 1983, sidebar on 2 Kings 18). It is interesting to consider, then, that by this deportation many people of Judah, Benjamin and Levi joined the Assyrian captivity of the northern tribes—20 years after Samaria’s fall.

At these dire events, Hezekiah panics while Sennacherib is still at Lachish (2 Kings 18:14). Hezekiah takes much of the gold and all the silver from the temple to pay the tribute imposed on him (verses 15-16). Yet Sennacherib is not fully appeased.

It was perhaps right around this time that the prophet Micah delivered his powerful warning of chapter 3 to the leaders of Jerusalem, including Hezekiah. Interestingly, years later this episode will be used by some as a defense of Jeremiah, when others want him put to death for pronouncing judgment on Jerusalem. At this point, you should read Jeremiah 26:17-19. As you can see from the later testimony given in these verses, it does appear that Micah’s warning corresponded to events at the time of Sennacherib’s invasion. Micah’s preaching—probably along with Isaiah’s and the terrible events—brought about Hezekiah’s humbling himself in repentance. Jerusalem would not fall.

Sennacherib sends a delegation to taunt the city (2 Kings 18:17). Whether coincidentally or not, they conduct their business at the very place Isaiah had confronted Ahaz about 30 years earlier to warn him of the Assyrian threat (compare Isaiah 7:3).

Tartan, Rabsaris and Rabshakeh of 2 Kings 18:17 are probably titles, as in the New King James Version, rather than names as in the earlier KJV. The NIV translates these as “supreme commander,” “chief officer” and “field commander.” The field commander addresses Hezekiah’s representatives, speaking Hebrew in the hearing of all the people, to maximize intimidation (verse 26). He first questions their reliance on Egypt for help (verse 21). This was something God Himself had rebuked them for (compare Isaiah 30:1-5).

Then he questions why they claim to rely on God, when Hezekiah has taken away all of the high places and insisted that they worship only at the altar in Jerusalem (2 Kings 18:22). This of course reflects a total misunderstanding on his part on how God was to be worshiped, though it may have planted some doubts and worries into the minds of the besieged Jews.

The field commander then claims that God had told the Assyrians to destroy the land (verse 25). God probably did not speak to the king of Assyria, although He apparently did move the Assyrians to war against the northern kingdom of Israel and take its people captive—and now He may have been similarly moving Assyria against Judah. Yet in his particular claim the Assyrian official was, no doubt, being rather presumptuous. But he really gets into trouble when he challenges God Himself, saying that God is no different than the gods of the other nations he has destroyed, and is incapable of delivering Jerusalem (verses 30-35).

As we will see in the rest of the account, God is not like the false gods of pagan nations.

Hezekiah Receives the Babylonian Envoys

(2 Chronicles 32:27-29; 2 Kings 20:12-19; Isaiah 39; 2 Chronicles 32:25, 31)

Merodach-Baladan of Babylon was, as we’ve seen, involved in his own ongoing struggle to gain independence from Assyria. He ruled as king twice in Babylon—first from 721-710 B.C. and later for a short time in 703. “Amazingly, Marduk-apla-iddina [Merodach-Baladan] rebounded…and instigated yet another rebellion in 700. Again, and for the last time, he was put down; and Assur-nadin-sumi, a son of Sennacherib, was installed as regent in Babylon” (Eugene Merrill, Kingdom of Priests: A History of Old Testament Israel, 1987, p. 414). What this tells us is that, though he wasn’t then on the throne, Merodach-Baladan was still a factor in 701—when Hezekiah was sick and Sennacherib invaded.

We can therefore see why he would be sending a delegation to Jerusalem at this time. Ostensibly it was to congratulate Hezekiah on his recovery from illness, but there was surely more political motivation behind it. Indeed, this was likely part of an attempt to forge an alliance with Hezekiah against their common foe, Assyria. Hezekiah was more than willing to show off his wealth—possibly to prove that he had enough to help finance a joint rebellion—and did so with a certain amount of pride (2 Chronicles 32:25).

Isaiah, however, warns that all of that wealth would eventually be taken by the Babylonians when they were no longer friends—perhaps even prompted by the reports taken back by these visitors. Sadly, Hezekiah’s response is not one of humility or repentance—only selfish satisfaction at the fact that this won’t transpire in his days.

God was greatly displeased at Hezekiah’s attitude in the whole affair. Though the king had been miraculously healed and been promised deliverance from the Assyrians by God, here he was again looking to his wealth and the help of foreign powers to overcome Assyria. And he was not sorry at Isaiah’s rebuke. “Therefore wrath was looming over him and over Judah and Jerusalem” (verse 25). Indeed, God withdrew from him as a test (verse 31). This all seems to refer to God allowing the catastrophic invasion of Sennacherib.

Revelation 15

John now sees another great sign in the heavens: seven messengers with the seven last plagues in which the wrath of Elohim will end. He sees the sea of glass and the saints who have overcome all standing upon it with harps in their hands. They sing the song of Moses and the song of the Lamb. After this he sees the Dwelling Place of the Tent of Witness opened and from it came the seven messengers with the seven plagues. They were dressed in fine linen and had golden bands girded about their chests.

One of the four living creatures gave to the seven messengers seven bowls filled with the wrath of Elohim. The Dwelling Place was filled with smoke and no one was able to enter until the seven messengers and their duty were ended.

Revelation 16

A loud voice instructs the seven messengers to go and do their duty on the earth.

The first messenger: an evil and wicked sore came upon the men who had the mark of the beast and those worshipping it.

The second messenger: poured out his bowl on the sea, it became blood and every living creature in the sea died.

The third messenger: poured out his bowl on the rivers and fountains of water and they too became blood. Those who spilled the blood of the set apart ones are given blood to drink for their works of spilling blood.

The fourth messenger: poured his bowl out on the sun and men were burned with fire, great heat, and they blasphemed the Name of Elohim but they did not repent or give Him Esteem.

The fifth messenger: poured out his bowl on the throne of the beast. His reign became darkened and those following him gnawed their tongues from pain. They too blasphemed Elohim for their pain and sores and did not repent of their works.

The sixth messenger: Poured his bown on the great river Euphrates and it dried up to prepare the way of the sovereigns from the east. John saw that out of the mouth of the dragon, the beast and the false prophet three unclean spirits. They were the spirits of demons and were doing signs in order to persuade the sovereigns of the earth to gather and do battle against Elohim.

They gathered at Har Megiddo.

The seventh messenger: poured out his bowl into the air. A loud voice came out of the Dwelling Place saying, “It is done!”
Noises, thunders, lightening, earthquake. The great city become divided into three parts and all the nations fell. The great Babel was given the cup of wrath to drink that was filled with the fierceness of Elohim’s wrath. An exceedingly great hail was sent upon men of the earth and they once again blasphemed Elohim.

Revelation 17

One of the seven messengers who had one of the bowls of wrath instructed John to come with him and he will show John the judgment of the great whore sitting above all the peoples. He was carried away in the Spirit into the wilderness. He saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast covered with names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. She was identified as the harlot with names of many blasphemies upon her and in her hand a golden cup filled with abominations.

She was drunk with the blood of the set apart ones and the martyrs.

Then the messenger explains to John the secret to who this woman is and the beast she rides. The beast is the very one who was, and is not, and is about to come up out of the pit of the deep and goes to destruction. All those whose names are not written in the Book of Life shall marvel when they see this beast.

The sovereigns of the ten horns have not yet received a reign but when they do, they will have authority with the beast for one hour. They have one mind and they will give over their power to the beast. They will fight with the Lamb and the Lamb will overcome them.

The waters where the whore sits are peoples, crowds, nations, and tongues. The ten horns shall hate the whore and lay her waste and naked. They shall eat her flesh and burn her with fire. Elohim causes all this by His Authority and Power.