Yehovah & The Fast of the First Born, The Pidyon Ha’bon

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: Jan 4, 2018

News Letter 5853-040
The 1st Year of the 4th Sabbatical Cycle
The 22nd year of the Jubilee Cycle
The 17th day of the 10th month 5853 years after the creation of Adam
The 10th Month in the First year of the Fourth Sabbatical Cycle
The 4th Sabbatical Cycle after the 119th Jubilee Cycle
The Sabbatical Cycle of Sword, Famines, and Pestilence

January 6, 2018

Shabbat Shalom To the Royal Family,

Burundi Report December 2017

Shalom Brethren, we have received this week another update to the work Bishop Telesphore is doing. I keep asking him for reports and updates so we can keep you informed of what is going on there and how you can pray for this work that is on-going and does not stop.

When James and I were there just before Sukkot 2017, there were a number of things that are hindering our efforts. The poverty of this country is very great and the infrastructure that many of us take for granted is spotty or not there. The internet is not as widespread and in use as it is in North America or other places around the world. So it is difficult for us to use this tool for our evangelistic campaigns. The Bishop pretty much has to go in person to teach and train others to do the same.

Many people go to church and pray for their lot in life to improve. They hold on to hope. But Yehovah is opening more and more of their minds to see the truth. You will read this in the report to follow.
One of the other things that are holding us back is Telesphore’s Truck. It has not been reliable to take him where he has to go. He can drive it around Bujumbura, but he does not trust it to go on these longer journeys. He does need to invest in a newer SUV type vehicle. Please do pray for that.

James and I met over the past weeks and we feel that James is going to have to go back and help teach all these pastors in a school setting. This is going to require housing, food and travel costs for 3 to 6 months. And we feel we need to get this started ASAP.

There is a great need here in Africa and a great potential opportunity that we just can’t fill. We have been using the majority of the donations that are sent in to sponsor this work in Burundi, DRC, Kenya, Tanzania, and Rwanda. We have also been sponsoring the work in the Philippines.

Brother Aike in the Philippines has also been going all over the Philippines, which is made up of Island, requiring him to fly from one to the other. And his truck too is on its last legs and needs to be replaced. It needed to be replaced when I was there in 2015. Now 2 years later the need is even greater.

The work that these two men are doing in part has been supported by the donations that many of you have sent in. We pray that those who are looking for a cause to support and projects that are producing real fruit, well join us and send in monthly donations so that we can budget just how much we can do. The fields are white and the labourers are few. In both cases, both Bishop Telesphore and Brother Aike are informing me that whole groups and churches are being converted from Sunday to Sabbath. Once they do that then we need to teach them more each week to help them to grow.
We have also been in negotiations with Brother Aike about a project we will soon announce.

While we work with these two men, we continue to search for leaders across Asia and Russia, South and Central America and Europe that we can work with who want to teach the Truth, who have had enough of the lies they were taught. But thus far, Yehovah has only allowed us in East Africa and the Philippines. And in both places, we have been able to reach to the leaders of these countries.
You can sponsor monthly donation on our donations page. Our you can send me predated monthly cheques or money orders. You can also, through your bank, send me donations via emails transfers to admin@sightedmoon.com . You can make them out to Joseph Dumond or to Sightedmoon.com. Either way works.

You can also help by telling people to buy our books or DVDs through our store. All the proceeds from our sales go back into helping to share this work about the Sabbatical and Jubilee years and the prophecies they reveal.

REPORT FOR TELESPHORE’S VISIT TO CONGO-BUKAVU
Bishop Telesphore’s teachings from Wednesday Dec 13th – 17th , 2017
Venue:  Bagira, # 84, Bukavu, DRC.
Number of participants: 77 leaders from different denominations
Categories: Bishops, Pastors and deacons.

Keys points in the teachings:
Torah, Tabernacle in the Wilderness, Sabbatical years and Jubilee Cycles, Feasts of Yahweh, Dietary food, blessings and curses.
To note: During the teaching of the day, participants were given opportunity to ask questions where ever they did not understand or misunderstand. Yahweh has directed me and guided to answer all questions. A majority of them accepted that they have taken away a part of the Bible, the Torah and have been misleading people.

The good news was that they accepted to consider the whole Word of Yahweh and will be reading and studying it and therefore will be teaching it in whole especially in mastering the Torah which is the cornerstone of the really Bible teaching.

Another praise report is that other church leaders accepted to change the Sunday to Saturday the Sabbath and immediately started to read the Torah. There was few other church leaders who didn’t welcome the truth I brought there saying is Seventh Day Adventist teachings.
Before I left; I was privileged to visit the Governor of Bukavu ,DRC in his office and discussed a lot about this Truth. He was from Roman Catholic Church and he saw the truth and he told me this is my first time to hear this. He asked me to come back and talk. I left him with some tracts and sightedmoon website for more information.

PRAYER REQUEST

1.   We have the leading team which is increased at 122 church leaders in DRC.
2.     Pray for a “TORAH’S TRANSLATION CENTER” in Burundi.
3.   We have a problem of means of transport when we go to teach in countryside. To rent a vehicle is too expensive.
4.   Last but not least, I have a team that is able to translate the main materials in Kirundi, Swahili, French, Kinyarwanda and Lingala for this Great Lakes Region. They need more prayers and support if there is any possibility.

CHALLENGES FACING OUR WORK
Although, many church leaders are awakening from their ignorance of teaching the heresies. We have also negativists who still fight against to know this truth. They don’t like to leave their Sundays worship and keep the Feasts of the Lord saying this was for the Jews only not for others.

May Yahweh bless you
Bishop Telesphore Ntashimikiro
Burundi Torah Ministries

Book Reviews

I would like to ask each of you to go and write a comment if you have not already done so at the following links for each of our three books. Just share your views of the books in question to encourage others to get them and read them. Thanks.
The first one is for Amazon and the second is for Barnes and Noble.

Amazon comments The Prophecies of Abraham
https://www.amazon.com/Prophecies-Abraham-Declaring-Beginning-Ancient/product-reviews/1449047521/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_paging_btm_2?ie=UTF8&reviewerType=all_reviews&pageNumber=2
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-prophecies-of-abraham-joseph-f-dumond/1020591549?ean=9781449047528

The 2300 Days of Hell Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/2300-Days-Hell-Witnesses-Josephs/product-reviews/1499049633/ref=cm_cr_dp_d_show_all_btm?ie=UTF8&reviewerType=all_reviews

Barnes and Noble comments
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/2300-days-of-hell-joseph-f-dumond/1120369311;ean=9781499049633

Remembering The Sabbatical year of 2016
https://www.amazon.com/Remembering-Sabbatical-Years-2016-Obedience/product-reviews/147977037X/ref=cm_cr_getr_d_paging_btm_3?ie=UTF8&reviewerType=all_reviews&pageNumber=3
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/remembering-the-sabbatical-years-of-2016-joseph-f-dumond/1114703391?ean=9781479770373

Review of Questions asked

Let’s just review the questions we have already addressed. And here are the articles we spoke of them in.
Does the Torah teach us that Yehovah was expecting a human sacrifice? Does the blood of a human being Atone for sin?

Question one; Where are the scriptures that tell us God was going to come in the flesh?

Question two; Where are the scriptures that say God will die for your sins?

Question three; Where are we told that the Messiah would be killed?

Where Are We Told to Expect a Messiah in the Torah-Can You Prove it?

The Messiah was Promised from the very Beginning-Have you proven it?

We showed you how the Messiah ben Joseph and Messiah ben David are misleading teachings that you should not adhere to. It leads to another Trinity type doctrine. And we will have more on this in another coming article.

Last week we share with you how in the Holiest Day of the year, The Day of Atonement Yehovah is represented at the Goat that is slain and Satan as the goat that is led away into the wilderness. We also proved this position by showing you in the New Testament those scriptures in Revelation showing Satan being led away and bound for 1000 years.

Lev 16:9 And Aaron shall present the goat upon which the lot fell for Jehovah, and offer it [as] a sin-offering. And the goat upon which the lot fell for Azazel shall be set alive before Jehovah, to make atonement with it, to send it away as Azazel into the wilderness.

This is very important to know and to understand. All the sacrifices represented Yehovah

 

The Redeemer

I had almost completed this week’s News Letter when my friend Donald McGrew began to write me on facebook wanting to talk about Passover being on the 13th instead of the 14th. I was busy packing books and DVDs for overseas and for the prisons that had requested them and answering other emails at the same time. So I was in truth not paying much attention to the discussion Donald was trying to have with me. It is a big subject and one that I have devoted many newsletters to and really did not want to have at this time.
Now Donald has come to my first teaching in Eastern Kentucky when I was there in I think 2010. He later came to our teaching a year or so later in Missouri. And he also attended our Sukkot in 2013 where we made the videos of the Sabbatical and Jubilee years teachings, which was the first time I was able to explain in detail the whole matter over the course of 8 days.

This Donald with his granddaughter in Jericho on tour with me in 2016 for Sukkot.
In 2013 after each of my presentations all the people would rush out and head back to the campsite. I had felt they were eager to leave these long teachings and go and have fun. There were over 100 people there and few stuck around to ask questions. So at night when I would walk around the camp, I would see Donald and about 6-10 others sitting around the campfire all studying their bibles. When they saw me they would shout out a question and wait for me to answer then go back to studying.

When I joined them to ask what they were doing they all said they had to prove the astounding things I had taught them that day whether it was true or not. They had never heard such things before. And they were proving what I said was indeed true and they were dumbfounded they had never seen it before. And as I walked around the camp to other groups most of them were doing the same or discussing the day’s lessons. It was pretty awesome for me to see this. But it was Donald and his group that I have never forgotten and one other lady sitting under the Succah alone going over everything as well. Those are some my sweetest memories of that Sukkot. Until I saw Donald’s group studying, I was under the impression no one was interested in what I had to say.

What I am telling you is, that Donald is a true Berrean.

Back to our facebook conversation. After a bit, Donald wrote me something in the conversation he was mostly having and the same one I was not paying much attention to. And it was like Yehovah had hit me across the side of the head with a 2 x 4 and said wake up and look at this. Donald had switched his position about the time of the Passover meal and was now agreeing with me that it was at the end of the 14th, the start of the 15th. But how he arrived at that was stunning. It was the very thing I was writing about in this News Letter and was about to wrap up.
Now thanks to Donald I have to rewrite this week’s News Letter and share these juicy truths with you all.

In Christian theology, Jesus is sometimes referred to as a Redeemer. This refers to the salvation he is believed to have accomplished, and is based on the metaphor of redemption, or “buying back”. Although the Gospels do not use the title “Redeemer”, the word “redemption” is used in several of Paul’s letters. Leon Morris says that “Paul uses the concept of redemption primarily to speak of the saving significance of the death of Christ.”[1] The English word redemption means “repurchase” or “buy back”, and in the Old Testament referred to the ransom of slaves (Exodus 21:8).[2] In the New Testament, the redemption word group is used to refer both to deliverance from sin and freedom from captivity.[3]

When I searched the word Redeem I found the following;

40 verses found, 56 matches

Exodus 4 verses found 8 matches
Leviticus 12 verses found 17 matches
Numbers 3 verses found 4 matches
Ruth 2 verses found 8 matches
2 Samuel 1 verse found 1 match
1 Chronicles 1 verse found 1 match
Nehemiah 1 verse found 1 match
Job 2 verses found 2 matches
Psalms 8 verses found 8 matches
Isaiah 1 verse found 1 match
Jeremiah 1 verse found 1 match
Hosea 1 verse found 1 match
Micah 1 verse found 1 match
Galatians 1 verse found 1 match
Titus 1 verse found 1 match

The word Redeemer

18 verses found, 18 matches

Job 1 verse found 1 match
Psalms 2 verses found 2 matches
Proverbs 1 verse found 1 match
Isaiah 13 verses found 13 matches
Jeremiah 1 verse found 1 match

The word Redeemed

61 verses found, 62 matches

Genesis 1 verse found 1 match
Exodus 2 verses found 2 matches
Leviticus 10 verses found 10 matches
Numbers 5 verses found 5 matches
Deuteronomy 6 verses found 6 matches
2 Samuel 1 verse found 1 match
1 Kings 1 verse found 1 match
1 Chronicles 1 verse found 1 match
Nehemiah 2 verses found 2 matches
Psalms 7 verses found 8 matches
Isaiah 13 verses found 13 matches
Jeremiah 1 verse found 1 match
Lamentations 1 verse found 1 match
Hosea 1 verse found 1 match
Micah 1 verse found 1 match
Zechariah 1 verse found 1 match
Luke 2 verses found 2 matches
Galatians 1 verse found 1 match
1 Peter 1 verse found 1 match
Revelation 3 verses found 3 matches

I can only see 9 times the word redeem or one related to it is used in the New Testament. All the rest are found in the Old Testament.

According to Talmudic tradition, the first-born acted as officiating priests in the wilderness, until the erection of the Tabernacle, when the office was given to the tribe of Levi (Num. iii. 12, 13, 45-51; Zeb. 112b; compare Onelos to Ex. xxiv. 5). In consequence of the deliverance from the tenth plague, when “the Lord slew all the first-born in the land of Egypt” but spared the first-born of the Israelites, the following commandment was given: “Sanctify unto me all the first-born, whatsoever openeth the womb among the children of Israel, both of man and of beast: it is mine” (Ex. xiii. 2), which is explained in greater detail in verses 12-15. The first-born of clean beasts were thus made holy and were unredeemable, while the first-born of unclean beasts and of man had to be redeemed from the priests (Num. xviii. 15-18; Deut. xv. 19-22; compare Neh. x. 37).

The concept of the redeemer is used in the Book of Ruth to refer to the kinsman-redeemer, and in the Book of Isaiah to refer to God, the “Redeemer of Israel”.
In Job 19:25, Job makes the statement, “I know that my Redeemer liveth.”

This passage mentions an unnamed man who was the guardian-redeemer for Naomi and Ruth. Other Bible translations call him a family guardian or kinsman-redeemer. This description comes from the Hebrew word go’el, meaning “redeemer.” A go’el was a male relative who was responsible for caring for a deceased relative’s possessions, including land, houses,
livestock, and even the widow. If the deceased had debts, the go’el would pay them. If the deceased was childless, the go’el would marry the widow and produce offspring who would carry on the name and family lineage of the deceased man. When they came of age, those children would inherit the deceased man’s property. The possessions and people who were cared for by a go’el were said to be “redeemed.” The go’el’s responsibility, then, was supremely sacrificial: He invested much in supporting his deceased relative’s estate and family but
received little to nothing in return. Israel’s social system and survival as a people depended on men who performed their duty as a go’el. So important was this role that Isaiah 43:14 describes God as Israel’s go’el or redeemer, a concept that carries over to the New Testament understanding of Jesus’ life and ministry.

Ruth 4:1-12

1 Meanwhile Boaz went up to the town gate and sat down there just as the guardian-redeemer he had mentioned came along. Boaz said, “Come over here, my friend, and sit down.” So he went over and sat down. 2 Boaz took ten of the elders of the town and said, “Sit here,” and they did so. 3 Then he said to the guardian-redeemer, “Naomi, who has come back from Moab, is selling the piece of land that belonged to our relative Elimelek. 4 I thought I should bring the matter to your attention and suggest that you buy it in the presence of these seated here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, do so. But if you will not, tell me, so I will know. For no one has the right to do it except you, and I am next in line.” “I will redeem it,” he said. 5 Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the land from Naomi, you also acquire Ruth the Moabite, the dead man’s widow, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property.” 6 At this, the guardian-redeemer said, “Then I cannot redeem it because I might endanger my own estate. You redeem it yourself. I cannot do it.”
7 (Now in earlier times in Israel, for the redemption and transfer of property to become final, one party took off his sandal and gave it to the other. This was the method of legalizing transactions in Israel.) 8 So the guardian-redeemer said to Boaz, “Buy it yourself.” And he removed his sandal. 9 Then Boaz announced to the elders and all the people, “Today you are witnesses that I have bought from Naomi all the property of Elimelek, Kilion and Mahlon. 10 I have also acquired Ruth the Moabite, Mahlon’s widow, as my wife, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property, so that his name will not disappear from among his family or from his hometown. Today you are witnesses!” 11 Then the elders and all the people at the gate said, “We are witnesses. May the Lord make the woman who is coming into your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the family of Israel. May you have standing in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. 12 Through the offspring the Lord gives you by this young woman, may your family be like that of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah. Boaz was a well-to-do farmer who owned land and crops and had numerous employees. Why would he be interested in a poor Moabite widow such as Ruth, despite Jewish law forbidding intermarriage with Moabites? It so happens that Boaz was a fifth generation descendant of Perez, who was the son of a Canaanite widow named Tamar. Tamar’s first two husbands died. They were both sons of Judah, one of the great-grandsons of Abraham himself, the father of the Jewish people. Judah promised to give her his third son, but he neglected to fulfill that promise. So Tamar used some loopholes in the law, plus a little trickery, to get Judah to father twin sons, one of whom was named Perez. (Genesis 38 has the full details.) Thus, Tamar provided for her future security and family line. Perhaps this was why Boaz was sensitive to the plight of disadvantaged foreign widows such as Ruth. And he was brave enough to ignore social stigma to follow through on his promises to care for her.

The Hebrew word for redeem is used 22 times in Ruth and 104 times throughout the Old Testament. It means to restore, repair, or avenge. God is the ultimate redeemer (Isaiah 49:26).

In the Old Testament, God redeemed people from slavery (Exodus 6:6), disobedience (Isaiah 44:22), harm (Genesis 48:16), enemies (Psalm 107:2), captivity (Isaiah 43:14), and death (Hosea 13:14). In the New Testament, God sent Jesus to provide redemption for all people: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:23-24).

The Pidyon Ha’bon

Why did Yehovah have to pay a redemption price and to whom?

To redeem the firstborn is called The Pidyon Ha’bon
The source for an Israelite’s obligation to redeem his firstborn son through giving the kohen (priest) specifically five shekels is the Book of Numbers (18:15-16): “You shall redeem the firstborn of man . . .the redemption [shall be performed] from the age of a month, according to the valuation, five shekels of silver.”
Several explanations are given for the specific amount of silver shekels used for the pidyon haben. The following is from the Talmud:
Joseph – Rachel’s firstborn son – was sold by his brothers for twenty silver pieces, the equivalent of five shekels. This established that the standard “price” for a (firstborn) human is five shekels, which are given to the kohen, God’s representative, to redeem the child.

Genesis 37:26 Judah said to his brothers, “What will we gain by killing our brother? We’d have to cover up the crime. Instead of hurting him, let’s sell him to those Ishmaelite traders. After all, he is our brother—our own flesh and blood!” And his brothers agreed.  So when the Ishmaelites, who were Midianite traders, came by, Joseph’s brothers pulled him out of the cistern and sold him to them for twenty pieces of silver. And the traders took him to Egypt.

A pidyon haben, or “redemption of the [firstborn] son,” is a ceremony wherein the father of a firstborn male redeems his son by giving five silver coins to a kohen(a priestly descendant of Aaron), thirty days after the baby’s birth.

What is the reason for this procedure?

Exodus 13 The Lord said to Moses, 2 “Consecrate to me all the firstborn. Whatever is the first to open the womb among the people of Israel, both of man and of beast, is mine.”
:13And every firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb; and if thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break its neck: and all the first-born of man among thy sons shalt thou redeem.
And it shall be, when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What is this? that thou shalt say unto him, By strength of hand Jehovah brought us out from Egypt, from the house of bondage: and it came to pass, when Pharaoh would hardly let us go, that Jehovah slew all the first-born in the land of Egypt, both the first-born of man, and the first-born of beast: therefore I sacrifice to Jehovah all that openeth the womb, being males; but all the first-born of my sons I redeem. And it shall be for a sign upon thy hand, and for frontlets between thine eyes: for by strength of hand Jehovah brought us forth out of Egypt.

The first place we see the word redeem is in Exodus 6:6

Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am Jehovah, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm, and with great judgments: and I will take you to me for a people, and I will be to you a God; and ye shall know that I am Jehovah your God, who bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.

Originally, the Israelite firstborn were the sanctified priestly class. They were inducted into God’s service when they were spared from the Plague of the Firstborn that struck Egypt. However, when Israel—firstborn included—served the Golden Calf, the firstborn forfeited their status. The priesthood was transferred to the tribe that did not participate in the Golden Calf hoopla—the Levites, and particularly the children of Aaron.
Now we have 20 pieces of silver being the price for Joseph being redeemed from the cistern. That amount equalling 5 shekels as we were just told. Joseph represents the northern 12 tribes. It is upon his children that the name of Israel is given. Let my name Israel be carried on in them.

Gen 48:15 “The God before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked,
the God who has been my shepherd all my life long to this day,
the angel who has redeemed me from all evil, bless the boys;
and in them let my name be carried on, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac;
and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.”

We have another interesting story that we can also connect to this and to the redemption of Israel. That is the story of Hosea. Hosea represents Yehovah seeking His wayward bride who has gone a whoring after other men. Hosea, Yehovah is redeeming Israel.

Hosea Brings His Wife Back to Himself
3 The Lord said to me, “Go. Show your love to your wife again. She is loved by another man. And she has committed adultery. But I want you to love her just as I love the people of Israel. They turn to other gods. And they love to offer raisin cakes to Baal and eat them. In spite of that, I love my people.”
2 So I bought Gomer for six ounces of silver and 430 pounds of barley. 3 Then I told her, “You must wait for me for a long time. You must not be a prostitute. You must not have sex with any man. And I will be faithful to you too.”
4 So the people of Israel will live for a long time without a king or prince. They won’t have sacrifices or sacred stones. They won’t have sacred linen aprons or statues of family gods. 5 After that, the people of Israel will return to the Lord their God. They will look to him and to a king from the family line of David. In the last days, they will tremble with fear as they come to the Lord. And they will receive his full blessing.

Now 6 ounces is equal to 170.1 Grams of Silver.  And 1 shekel is equal to 100 grams. So gomer is being bought or redeemed for about 10 shekels of silver. And Gomer represents Israel (Ephraim and Manasseh) who have gone a whoring after other gods.
The question we are addressing this week is Why did Yehovah have to pay a redemption price? And to whom did He pay it?
We are told in Exodus 4:22-23

Then you shall say to Pharaoh, ‘Thus says the Lord, Israel is my firstborn son, and I say to you, “Let my son go that he may serve me.” If you refuse to let him go, behold, I will kill your firstborn son.’”

In The Prophecies of Abraham,we have shown you many times how Egypt represents the end time whore.
When Abraham and Sarah go down to Egypt Pharaoh takes Sarah for his wife. This is similar to Egypt taking the children of Israel for slaves and in the end time how the Great end time Whore will take the remnant of Israel for captives. You are this very day witnessing the same events of the children of Israel living in Egypt and the tables being turned to make them slaves. Today the UN and the EU whores are fighting everything the US is doing under Trump. And now Trump is cutting off funding to the UN and so is the State of Isreal and the UK is pulling out of the EU agreement. The BREXIT divorce. The USA has pulled out the Paris Agreement.

When you step back from the banter of the headline news you should be able to see that in each of these cases, the EU and the UN stand to lose billions of potential income that the USA and the UK were providing to these various causes.

The EU and the UN will soon turn their forces upon the USA and the UK and turn what is left of them after the wars, (The remnant) into slaves.
It is during this time that the two witnesses will act and cause all sorts of plagues to fall upon this great whore in the same way Moses and Aaron did in the Exodus story.
Now again I ask you ‘Why does Yehovah have to pay anything at all.” I can see Hosea paying for Gomer who is owned by her new lover.

Oops, I think I just learned something Gomer was owned by the one she had given herself to, the other lover. Gomer represents Israel, who has gone after all sorts of other lovers who do not love her. Hosea or Yehovah loves Israel, who is His first born. Meaning Yehovah will have others nations as HIs children at some point in time.
Paul has this to say in Romans 6:12:

Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.
Slaves to Righteousness
What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! Do you not know that if you present yourselves to anyone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin, which leads to death, or of obedience, which leads to righteousness?

When we give into sin then we submit ourselves to Satan. We submit ourselves to the tree of knowledge of good and evil. The very same tree Adam and Eve submitted themselves too and the rest of mankind. Just imagine if you can, that each time you sin, all of your descendant that come from you from that point on will be enslaved by Satan for your sins.
And yet we have sinned and we have submitted ourselves to our new lord Satan.
In Matthew, we read how he has authority to give kingdoms to whomever he chooses.

Mat 4:8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.”

We also read in the letters from both John and Paul how Yehshua Himself admits that there is one who rules this earth now and it is not Yehshua.

John 12:31 Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out.
John 14:30 I will no longer talk much with you, for the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, but I do as the Father has commanded me, so that the world may know that I love the Father. Rise, let us go from here.
John 16: 7-11 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; concerning judgment because the ruler of this world is judged.
1 Corithians 10:18-22 Consider the people of Israel: are not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar? What do I imply then? That food offered to idols is anything, or that an idol is anything? No, I imply that what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God. I do not want you to be participants with demons. You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?
Eph 2:1-3 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
Eph 6:12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.
1 John 5:19 We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one.
Rev 9:11 They have as king over them the angel of the bottomless pit. His name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek he is called Apollyon..
Rev 20:1-3 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while.

Now getting back to the Exodus story we can need to understand that Yehovah did not destroy the firstborn of Egypt. But Yehovah protected Israel from the destroyer who was at this time killing all the firstborn in Egypt.

Exodus 12:23 says that when God passed over the doors of the houses which had been marked with the blood of the Passover lamb, He would not allow the destroyer to enter into the house to kill the firstborn of that house.

So it was not Yehovah who struck down the firstborn sons of Egypt, but a being referred to as “the destroyer.”
Yehovah’s primary activity in the tenth plague was not in killing the firstborn sons of Egypt, but in protecting people from the destroyer that had come to kill all things.
Yehovah paid a price to this destroyer and that price was Egypt.
Isa 43:3 For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.
I give Egypt as your ransom,
Cush and Seba in exchange for you.

The Se’udat-Siyum

We now need to take another look at what took place on the night Yehshua was betrayed and relook at the events of this night. I have not seen this until Donald tipped me off whether or not he realized it.
Nisan13 was Tuesday. Do not forget the day begins with sunset. Tuesday is the day before the preparation day for Passover. At the end of this the 13th  of Nisan, and the start of the 14th, which is the start of the preparation day, that the disciples had the special meal that we call The Last Supper.

There was a tradition which in Hebrew is called, seudah maphsehket; this translates essentially to “last supper”. This last supper was about remembering that it was indeed not ALL Hebrews who were in danger from death at God’s hand in Egypt, but ONLY the firstborn sons. So a special nighttime meal was adopted whereby this meal would be eaten and then there would be a 24 hour fast that followed……thus the name “last supper”. The next meal to be eaten was the Passover meal after the 14th had passed and the start of the 15th of Nisan was just beginning.

It is at the start of the 14th day of Nisan at this seudah maphsehket that Yeshua says to commemorate this day by drinking wine that symbolizes His blood that establishes the New Covenant, and by eating unleavened bread that symbolizes His body.

After having the last supper, the next event is that Judas betrays Him and shortly after midnight Yehshua is arrested. It is still The Preparation day. In the wee hours a little before sunrise, He is tried and convicted of blasphemy by the Sanhedrin. It is still Preparation Day. After the Roman Governor, Pontius Pilate, confirms his death sentence Yehshua is scourged and then nailed to the tree by Roman soldiers. It is still The Preparation Day, Wednesday, Nisan 14, 31 C.E.

When Yehshua dies at 3 pm in the afternoon on this Preparation Day, it is the exact same time the slaughter of the Passover Lambs begins in the Temple grounds. Somewhere around ¼ million sheep will be killed and their blood collected between the hours of 3 pm and 6 pm. It is still Preparation Day because the sun has not yet set and after sunset then the Passover meals are eaten with these lambs which have just been killed and roasted in the Temple area.

The Fast of the First Born

Let’s understand one thing very clearly: The final meal Yeshua had with his disciples was NOT THE PASSOVER! The Passover was very plainly not yet come. John, in describing this final meal Yeshua had with his disciples, said, “Now BEFORE the feast of the Passover” (John 13:1). He plainly shows this meal or banquet was BEFORE the true Passover, which was scheduled to be eaten and observed the next night, Nisan 15 (John 18:18). The next day the Jews would still be “preparing” for the Passover (John 19:14, 31). Therefore, what exactly WAS this “last meal”?

What few have realized, not being familiar with Jewish customs of the time of Yeshua, is that this meal could not have been the Passover, since Passover lambs would not be slain until the following afternoon, and then eaten in the homes of the Jews on the night of the actual “Passover” — when YEHOVAH God slew the firstborn in the land of Egypt and “passed over” the Israelites — Nisan 15. Yet obviously, this final meal was very important — a meal of close fellowship and spiritual significance.

A Jewish Look at the Last Supper

Says David H. Stern, in the Jewish New Testament Commentary:

“The Last Supper is considered by most scholars to have been a Passover meal or Seder. Many Pesach themes are deepened, reinforced and given new levels of meaning by events in the life of Yeshua the Messiah and by his words on this night. However, Joseph Shulam has suggested that it may not have been the Seder but a se’udat-mitzvah, the CELEBRATORY ‘BANQUET accompanying performance of a commandment’ such as a wedding or b’ rit-milah.

“Here is the background for his argument. When a rabbi and his students finish studying a tractate of the Talmud, they celebrate with a se’udat-mitzvah (also called a se’udat-siyum, ‘banquet of completion,’ i.e., graduation). The Fast of the Firstborn, expressing gratitude for the saving of Israel’s firstborn sons from the tenth plague, has been prescribed for the day before Pesach, Nisan 14, at least since Mishnaic times. When it is necessary to eat a se’udat-mitzvah, this takes precedence over a fast. With a modicum of foresight a rabbi can plan to complete a tractate on Nisan 14 and thus avoid having to fast; doing so is not construed as cheating, and in fact it has become the custom. “The tradition of the Fast of the Firstborn dates at least from Mishanic times. But, Shulam reasons, if it goes back a couple of centuries more to the time of Yeshua, and if the si’udat siyum custom applied in the first century to the completing of any course of study, then Yeshua might have arranged to have himself and his talmidim [students, disciples] finish reading a book of the Tanakh on Nisan 14. Or, since Yeshua knew he was going to die, he may have regarded it as appropriate to complete his disciples’ earthly ‘course of study’ with a BANQUET. This solution would also resolve the perceived conflict between Yochanan [John] and the Synoptic Gospels over the timing of the Last Supper” JNT, p. 77).

In other words, there is much more to this passage in I Corinthians 11, and its meaning, than we have supposed. Although there is no doubt that Yeshua the Messiah presented the new meanings of the bread and the wine as representing his broken body and shed blood, given on our behalf, at the last supper, and that these symbols are directly involved in the Passover Seder, held on Nisan 15, it is also a fact that this final meal was ONE DAY before the Passover. It is also a fact that Yeshua did not tell his disciples that they should institute a NEW COMMANDMENT, or a new “holy day,” and begin observing Nisan 14, at the eve, as a memorial of this “last supper.” However, he was having a “final banquet” with them — a special and unique “fellowship meal” with them, where all were relaxed, reclining, at ease, and experiencing a very close oneness with each other. This was similar to a Passover Seder in some respects — but yet different.

The Greek Word “Artos”

Interestingly, when Yeshua held this final dinner with his disciples, the word John used to describe it was diepnon, which means “supper, the principal meal, dinner.” It is used of the last supper Yeshua held with his disciples, and other main meals of the day (see Mark 6:21; Luke 14:12, 16, 17, 24; 22:20; John 12:2; 13:21, 4; I Cor. 11:20-21; Rev. 19:9, 17). This word is NEVER used of an annual Festival, or of the Passover. However, it simply refers to the MAIN MEAL of the day, usually at evening.

Furthermore, at this final dinner or banquet, there is no mention of a lamb being eaten — which would have been necessary if this were the Passover. The gospel accounts would hardly have neglected to mention such an important feature.

But even more interesting is the fact that Jewish custom of that time, and always, has dictated that UNLEAVENED BREAD was not to be eaten during the days before the FEAST of Unleavened Bread, so that the Feast would be set apart as distinct and real. For unleavened bread to have been eaten BEFORE the Festival would have diminished its importance during the Feast itself! Therefore, if Yeshua and his disciples had eaten “unleavened bread” on the night of Nisan 14, they would have violated Jewish custom and practice. It is very interesting, therefore, to notice that when Yeshua sat down at dinner, at that final meal with his disciples, “as they were eating, Yeshua took bread, and blessed it [many Greek copies have, “gave thanks”], and brake it, and gave to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body” (Matt. 26:26). The word for “bread” here is artos, and means, “bread (as raised), a loaf.” This same word is used in Matthew 4:3-4, “man does not live by bread alone,” in Matthew 6:11, “our daily bread,” and Matthew 16:12,”the leaven of bread,” etc. This word is often used of LEAVENED BREAD!

Generally, whenever UNLEAVENED bread is meant, this word is preceded by the Greek word for “unleavened,” which is azumos, meaning “unleavened, uncorrupted.” But in the three synoptic gospel accounts of the last supper of Yeshua and his disciples, Matthew 26:26, Mark 14:22, Luke 22:19, the writers always use ONLY THE WORD ARTOS, meaning BREAD — without the modifying word azumos to designate “unleavened.” Therefore, the clear indication is that AT THE LAST SUPPER YESHUA USED NORMAL LEAVENED BREAD, when he blessed and broke it, and said, “Take, eat; this is my body”!

Here is further proof that this dinner was not and could not have been the PASSOVER!

The Real Bread at the “Last Supper”

Further proof that Yeshua and his disciples did NOT and could not have eaten the “Passover,” with its unleavened bread, at the “last supper” on the eve or beginning of Nisan 14, is plain and simple Jewish law (halakha) of the time. It is a historical fact that when the Scriptures use the expression “kept the Passover” (Ezra 6:19) it refers strictly to the slaying of the Passover lamb, on the 14th of Nisan, whereas the expression “eat the Passover” was fulfilled the coming evening of Nisan 15 which was the beginning of the eating of unleavened bread on “the night to be much observed.” The reason why this evening was called “the night to be much observed” was because the Passover meal was always eaten as the first meal in the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

Also, according to Jewish law of the times (halakha), it was absolutely forbidden to eat unleavened bread during the 24-hour period prior to the first night of Unleavened Bread! This was a distinction made by law to sanctify (set apart) the sacred meaning of the Feast from whatever they may have eaten for bread on the previous days. This means that Yeshua and the disciples could not have eaten unleavened bread the evening prior to the “night to be much observed”!

Also, the gospels indicate that Yeshua was keeping the Fast of the Firstborn during the daylight hours of the crucifixion day — this was a daytime fast observed by all firstborn Jews on the Preparation Day in remembrance of YEHOVAH God protecting the firstborn of Israel while killing the firstborn of Egypt; this also explains Yeshua’s remark in Matthew 26:29, “I will not drink henceforth of this fruit of the vine, until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” Obviously, Yeshua did not drink any wine the following day. Furthermore, this explains why he refused to accept the vinegar mixed with gall mentioned in Matthew 27:34. The Hebrew text of Matthew’s gospel written by the Spanish Jewish scholar Shem-Tov ben-Shaprut (c. 1380 A.D.) reads: “and gave him wine mixed with gall. But when he began to drink it he perceived and would not drink it.” Yeshua must have remembered he was observing the Fast of the Firstborn. The Greek word for “taste” used in this verse produced a false impression. Yeshua remembered before he drank and swallowed.

Clearly, then, the “bread” which Yeshua broke and gave to his disciples during the beginning portion of Nisan 14, in the evening, at his final “supper” with them, must have been and indeed was LEAVENED BREAD!

But can this be? Can leavened bread, as well as unleavened bread, represent the body of Yeshua the Messiah?

The answer is a resounding YES!

In Leviticus 23:17, regarding the feast of Pentecost, we read: “Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals: they shall be of fine flour; they shall be BAKEN WITH LEAVEN; they are the firstfruits unto the LORD.” Leaven, in this case, certainly does not represent SIN, as nothing “contaminated” or “sinful” could ever be offered to YEHOVAH God. To offer “sins” to YEHOVAH would be sacrilegious — blasphemy — like offering swine’s flesh (Isa. 66:3, 17).

Notice, therefore, what the Jamieson, Faussett and Brown Commentary has to say on this passage in Leviticus 23:

“These loaves were made of “fine” or wheaten flour, the quantity contained in them being somewhat more than ten pounds weight. As the wave-sheaf gave the signal for the commencement, the two loaves solemnized the termination of the harvest season. They were the first-fruits of that season, being offered unto the Lord by the priest in name of the whole nation (see on Exo. 34:22). The loaves used at the Passover were UNLEAVENED, those presented at Pentecost were LEAVENED — a difference which is thus accounted for, — that the one was a memorial of the bread hastily prepared at their departure, while the other was a TRIBUTE OF GRATITUDE TO GOD for their daily food, which was leavened…” (vol. 1, p.498).

However, even “leavened bread” is a TYPE of the body of the Messiah, and represents “his flesh” which he gave for the sins of the world. To the Jews, unleavened or flat bread represented affliction and poverty, as when the Israelites came out of Egypt; but leavened loaves of bread, as were sacrificed at Pentecost to the Lord (Leviticus 23:17), typify ABUNDANCE, richness, wealth. The typology should be clear. The Messiah crucified was in affliction, flatness, abject, beaten, bruised, pierced, pummeled — the perfect type being unleavened bread. The Messiah as the richness of the abundance of life, life-giving bread, is pictured by the leaves of beautiful, sweet-smelling leavened bread! Don’t all of us enjoy a beautiful loaf of home-made leavened whole wheat bread straight out of the oven steaming? Therefore, the richness of leavened bread also symbolizes Yeshua the Messiah, the “bread of life.” Notice!

“The BREAD of Life”

In John chapter 6, when Yeshua fed the multitude from a few loaves of bread and a few fishes, he declared,

“For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world….I AM THE BREAD OF LIFE: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believth on me shall never thirst….

“I am that bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.

“I am the LIVING BREAD which came down from heaven: if any man eat of THIS BREAD, he shall live forever: and the bread which I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world….

“Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.

“This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live forever” (John 6:33-58).

Yeshua, then, is the “bread of life.” This is a reality. This is not just Passover. Throughout the year, every day, day in and day out, Yeshua the Messiah remains and IS the “bread of life” which came down from heaven! We should be eating of this “bread” DAILY as we study the Scriptures! Yeshua went on to declare:

“It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing. The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life” (John 6:63).

Thus even regular bread is a type of the richness of the life-giving bread of Yeshua the Messiah! In this sense, the leaven represents fullness and abundance. True Christians, as members of the body of the Messiah, also are “one bread” IN the Messiah!

 

30 Pieces of Silver

Now with everything you have been shown thus far consider the following.

Zech 11:10-14 And I took my staff Favor, and I broke it, annulling the covenant that I had made with all the peoples. So it was annulled on that day, and the sheep traders, who were watching me, knew that it was the word of the Lord. Then I said to them, “If it seems good to you, give me my wages; but if not, keep them.” And they weighed out as my wages thirty pieces of silver. Then the Lord said to me, “Throw it to the potter”—the lordly price at which I was priced by them. So I took the thirty pieces of silver and threw them into the house of the Lord, to the potter. Then I broke my second staff Union, annulling the brotherhood between Judah and Israel.

In Mathew, we learn how Judas has agreed to betray Yehshua.

Mat 26:14-16 Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?” And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him.

Next, we read about the betrayal of Yehshua in John 13:21-30

After saying these things, Jesus was troubled in his spirit, and testified, “Truly, truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.” The disciples looked at one another, uncertain of whom he spoke. One of his disciples, whom Jesus loved, was reclining at table at Jesus’ side, so Simon Peter motioned to him to ask Jesus of whom he was speaking. So that disciple, leaning back against Jesus, said to him, “Lord, who is it?” Jesus answered, “It is he to whom I will give this morsel of bread when I have dipped it.” So when he had dipped the morsel, he gave it to Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot. Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.” Now no one at the table knew why he said this to him. Some thought that, because Judas had the moneybag, Jesus was telling him, “Buy what we need for the feast,” or that he should give something to the poor. So, after receiving the morsel of bread, he immediately went out. And it was night.

We then read the rest of what Judus has done in Mat 27:3-10

Then when Judas, his betrayer, saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders, saying, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” They said, “What is that to us? See to it yourself.” And throwing down the pieces of silver into the temple, he departed, and he went and hanged himself. But the chief priests, taking the pieces of silver, said, “It is not lawful to put them into the treasury, since it is blood money.” So they took counsel and bought with them the potter’s field as a burial place for strangers. Therefore that field has been called the Field of Blood to this day. Then was fulfilled what had been spoken by the prophet Jeremiah, saying, “And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the price of him on whom a price had been set by some of the sons of Israel, and they gave them for the potter’s field, as the Lord directed me.”

I will share next what is commonly said about this transaction and then share my thoughts on it.

In Zechariah 11:12–13, 30 pieces of silver is the price Zechariah receives for his labour. He takes the coins and throws them “to the potter”. Klaas Schilder notes that Zechariah’s payment indicates an assessment of his worth, as well as his dismissal.[18] In Exodus 21:32, 30 pieces of silver was the price of a slave, so while Zechariah calls the amount a “handsome price” (Zechariah 11:13), this could be sarcasm. Barry Webb, however, regards it as a “considerable sum of money.”[19]
Schilder suggests that these 30 pieces of silver then get “bandied back and forth by the Spirit of Prophecy.”[20] When the chief priests decide to buy a field with the returned money, Matthew says that this fulfilled “what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet.” Namely, “They took the thirty silver coins, the price set on him by the people of Israel, and they used them to buy the potter’s field, as the Lord commanded me” (Matthew 27:9–10). Although many scholars see Jeremiah’s name as included in error,[21] Jeremiah’s purchase of a field in Jeremiah 32 may indicate that both prophets are in mind.[22] Craig Blomberg argues that Matthew is using typology in his quotation, rather than “any kind of single or double fulfillment of actual predictive prophecy.” According to Blomberg, Matthew is telling his readers that, “like Jeremiah and Zechariah, Jesus attempts to lead his people with a prophetic and pastoral ministry, but instead he ends up suffering innocently at their hands.”[23] William Hendriksen argues that Matthew is referring to Jeremiah 19.[24]
Blomberg also suggests that Matthew may also be saying that “Jesus’ death is a ransom, the price paid to secure a slave’s freedom,” and that the use of the blood money to buy a burial ground for foreigners (Matthew 27:7) may hint at the idea that “Jesus’ death makes salvation possible for all the peoples of the world, including the Gentiles.”[25]
The 1877 Handy Book for Bible Readers states that “Argurion, argenteus, denarius. This word occurs in two passages–(A) the account of the betrayal of our Lord for “thirty pieces of silver” (Matt. xxvi. 15; xxvii. 3, 5, 6, 9). These have usually been considered to be denarii, but on no sufficient ground. The parallel passage in Zechariah (xi. 12, 13), is translated “thirty [pieces] of silver”; but which should doubtless be read, “thirty shekels of silver”, whilst it is observable that “thirty shekels of silver” was the price of blood to be paid in the case of a servant accidentally killed (Exod. xxi. 32). The passage may therefore be explained as “thirty shekels of silver”, not surrent shekels, but tetradrachms of the Attic standard of the Greek cities of Syria and Phoencia. These tetradrachms were common at the time of our Lord, and of them the stater was a specimen.”

Slave-Captives-Death-Redemption

There is something very special about this Fast of the First Born and the money paid to redeem the firstborn. And then when we actually see it played out in real time at the crucifixion we should be able to draw understanding from it. But we do not because of so much confusion about the events and because we have not obeyed for over 2700 years. So we have lost much understanding.
Yehovah had to pay the ruler of this world, Satan the destroyer, for those whom Yehovah was redeeming the same as Hosea did for  33-34 his adulterous wife whom he bought back.
The price of redeeming the firstborn was set at 5 shekels. The price for Gomer was equivalent to about 10 shekels. The 30 Silver coins …

The word used in Matthew 26:15 (???????, argyria) simply means “silver coins,”[9] and scholars disagree on the type of coins that would have been used. Donald Wiseman suggests two possibilities. They could have been tetradrachms of Tyre, usually referred to as Tyrian shekels (14 grams of 94% silver), or staters from Antioch (15 grams of 75% silver), which bore the head of Augustus.[10] Alternatively, they could have been Ptolemaic tetradrachms (13.5 ± 1 g of 25% silver).[11]There are 31.1035 grams per troy ounce. At spot valuation of $17.06/oz (the closing price on Monday, December 12, 2016), 30 “pieces of silver” would be worth between $185 and $216 in present-day value (USD).
The Tyrian shekel weighed four Athenian drachmas, about 14 grams, more than earlier 11-gram Israeli shekels, but was regarded as the equivalent for religious duties at that time.[12] Because Roman coinage was only 80% silver, the purer (94% or more) Tyrian shekels were required to pay the temple tax in Jerusalem. The money changers referenced in the New Testament Gospels (Matt. 21:12 and parallels) exchanged Tyrian shekels for common Roman currency.[13][14]

I am trying to say that the redemption price is connected to the 30 pieces of Silver. Exactly how I will leave for you to ponder.
This day called the Fast of the firstborn is directly connected to the Fast of the Day of Atonement. As we showed you last week, the goat that represented Yehovah was killed on the Day of Atonement. This is the sacrifice that shows us we will be killing Yehovah. We were to kill the goat that represented Him, the same as we were to take the other goat, that looks just like the one that represents Yehovah, and cast it into the wilderness with all the guilt from our sins placed upon it. This Goat represented Satan the destroyer.
So because of these two Holy Days are connected in that the lamb that is killed also represents Yehovah at Atonement, so we are to fast at this time. It is the Fast of the Firstborn.
But although we have the symbolism here in the redemption of the firstborn, and we have it already stated that the 30 pieces of silver were to be used to buy the potters field as graves for the strangers. It has been stated that this field represents the rest of the gentile world.
Now let us go back once again to Genesis 15.

Gen 15:17-21 When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates, the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites and the Jebusites.”

Yehovah made this blood covenant by Himself. He swore by His own life. There is no higher authority than He.
Then at Mount Sinai Yehovah again reaffirms this covenant with all of Israel whom He had just bought with the lives of the Egyptians from the destroyer. In Exodus starting in chapter 19 and going all the way to 34 is the covenant with all of Israel and we all agreed to obey it. Now, this too was a blood covenant which means that if either party breaks those things they have agreed to in it then they would pay with their lives.

Israel did break this agreement and is guilty of sin and thus must pay for this with their lives.
But Yehovah has shown us just how much He loved Israel and not just Israel, but all of mankind, by giving His own life as payment for us breaking the covenant of Mount Sinai.
He has redeemed us with His own blood. The redemption price of the firstborn as shown to us each time we keep the Pidyon Ha’bon and again each year we keep the last supper not as the

Passover meal which is the next night but as this special night in which He paid for us on this day by His own blood.
We know this is what He did because of the fact that the dead who were held prisoners by Satan up until that time had not and had never come back to life from the grave until Yehshua came out of the grave at the end of the Sabbath.

This is the first time other than Lazarus, that anyone has come out of the grave.

Mat 27:50-53 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit.
And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many.

This was the first chag of Unleavened Bread. It is the first wave offering and it is the first time any of the Saints were brought back to life.
Paul tells us how Yehshua led the captives.

Eph 4:8 Therefore it says,
“When he ascended on high he led a host of captives,
and he gave gifts to men.”
1 Cor 15:20-26 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

This event that took place after the payment had been executed is the redemption of mankind from the grave. It took place on the wave sheaf day. It is what the wave sheaf represents. Those Saints who obeyed were brought back to life on wave sheaf day. All of those from the time of Adam until this day in 31 C.E. were brought back to life and then ascended to heaven at 9 AM that Sunday morning with Yehshua.
Those captives were those who were held by Satan in death. They are now free and ascended with Yehshua to heaven.
The next wave offering to take place happens at the end of the tribulation on Shavuot when the next wave offering of two loafs of bread are waved. This is the one that all those since 31 C.E. until that time who have died and even those who are alive will be brought back to life and or changed in the twinkling of an eye and rise to meet Him in the air.

1 Cor 15:50-57 I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:
“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
“O death, where is your victory?
O death, where is your sting?”
The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Again death is captivity and captivity means to be a captive of Satan. What is to be thrown into the lake of fire in the end?

Rev 20:11-15 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
Rev 20:4-6 Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.

I do hope I have been able to convey this new to me and some of you, understanding. I hope you can see the Great and mightiness of Yehovah in everything He is doing. Yehovah is our redeemer and Yehovah is the one who paid the redemption price with His own blood for us and for all mankind.

Psalm 19:14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer.

Isaiah 41:14 “Do not fear, you worm Jacob, you men of Israel; I will help you,” declares the LORD, “and your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel.

Jeremiah 50:34 “Their Redeemer is strong, the LORD of hosts is His name; He will vigorously plead their case So that He may bring rest to the earth, But turmoil to the inhabitants of Babylon.

Amos 4:13 For behold, He who forms mountains and creates the wind And declares to man what are His thoughts, He who makes dawn into darkness And treads on the high places of the earth, The LORD God of hosts is His name.

Isa 43:14-15 Thus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “For your sake I send to Babylon and bring them all down as fugitives, even the Chaldeans, in the ships in which they rejoice.
I am the Lord, your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King.”

Isa 44:6 Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: “I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god.

Isa 49:26 I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh, and they shall be drunk with their own blood as with wine. Then all flesh shall know that I am the Lord your Savior, and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.”

Look at this verse above again and note what it is saying to you. ‘I am Yehovah Yehshua and your Redeemer, the mighty one of Jacob’.

Isa 54:5 For your Maker is your husband, the Lord of hosts is his name; and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer, the God of the whole earth he is called.
Isa 43:3 For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. I give Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in exchange for you.

Let me show you this scripture in the Hebrew. And I want you to think on it some over this coming week.

Isa 43:3 For I am Yehovah, the Holy One of Israel, your Yehshua. I give Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in exchange for you..
Jer 31:10-11 “Hear the word of the Lord, O nations, and declare it in the coastlands far away; say, ‘He who scattered Israel will gather him, and will keep him as a shepherd keeps his flock.’
For the Lord has ransomed Jacob and has redeemed him from hands too strong for him.
Jer 50:33-34 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: The people of Israel are oppressed, and the people of Judah with them. All who took them captive have held them fast; they refuse to let them go. Their Redeemer is strong; the Lord of hosts is his name. He will surely plead their cause, that he may give rest to the earth, but unrest to the inhabitants of Babylon..

 

9 Comments

  1. Dave Smith

    Hi Joe,
    I don’t want to always appear negative and to be disagreeing with you Joe so keep in mind I appreciate and agree with you most of the time and pretty much only write when I have something to offer that might shine a different perspective on things.
    In quoting Ep 4:8 you used a bad translation as the Hebrew reads “he led captivity captive” not “he lead a host of captives.” This makes a big difference which I explain in my article below.
    LED CAPTIVITY CAPTIVE
    Eph 4:8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. 9 (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended FIRST into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
    Paul’s OT quote this time is from Ps 68:18 Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity (sheb-ee’) captive (shabah): thou hast received gifts for men;
    #7628 sheb-ee’ , KJV-captivity 35, captive 10, prisoners 2, taken away 1, taken 1; 49. Definition: captivity, captives
    #7617 shabah, KJV-(carry, take away,…) captive 37, (take, drive,…) away 8, take 2; 47 Definition: to take captive, to lead captive.
    To take captive prisoners, these words are used in the following verses in that very context: Nu 21:1, De 21:10, Jud 5:12, 2Ch 6:37, 2Ch 6:38, 2Ch 28:17.
    “Led captivity captive” means to take away the conquered captive as we can see in other verses such as 1Ki 8:48, Lu 21:24, Ro 7:23. Paul is here quoting Ps 68:18, and if anything it could very well mean that Yahshua led captive the forces of evil (Jn 12:31, Col 2:15, Heb 2:14, 1Jn 3:8) not led captive the OT saints into heaven.
    Col 2:15 Having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
    1Pe 3:18 (Messiah) Being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: 19 By which also he went and preached (not the gospel) unto the spirits in prison; 21 …an appeal to God for a clear conscience, through the resurrection of Yahshua Messiah, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers subject to him.
    2Pe 2:4 For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment.
    Jude 1:6 The angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.
    Mt 8:29 And behold, they (2 demons) cried out, “What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?”
    It was only after his resurrection that he could have possibly descended into the grave to “Led captivity captive,” because, after all, he was dead for 72 hours. Paul is writing this long after Yahshua had ascended into heaven (Act 2:9). Paul, in explaining Ps 68:18 wrote, “Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended FIRST,” during the forty days between the resurrection and his ascension.
    Yahshua went into the earth to preach to fallen angels, demons and the forces of darkness, not into purgatory or hell to release the saints.
    1Pe 3:18 (Messiah) being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit, 19 by whom also He went and preached to the spirits in prison, 20 who formerly were disobedient, when once the Divine longsuffering waited in the days of Noah.
    When was Yahshua “made alive by the Spirit”?
    Ro 8:11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Yahshua from the dead dwells in you.
    Ro 1:4 Declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.
    He was made alive of course at his resurrection.
    Ac 2:33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.
    And Yahshua “has received gifts for men” (Ps 68:18) which was the gifts of the Holy Spirit which he gives to men.
    Mt 27:51-53 The earth did quake, and the rocks rent; And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many.
    It says there bodies arose, like Lazarus, out of the graves opened by the earthquake. There is no indication these saints were resurrected with a glorified body and it says they went into the city, not to heaven with Yahshua.
    Paul details the order and states Messiah is the firstfruit and the rest of the firstfruits will be “at his coming.”
    1Co 15:23 But every man in his own order: Messiah the firstfruits; afterward they that are Messiah’s at his coming.
    He also deals with this in 1Th 4:14.
    Shalom,
    David Smith

    Reply
  2. Stephen Skillitzi

    “All of those from the time of Adam until this day in 31 C.E. were brought back to life and then ascended to heaven at 9 AM that Sunday morning with Yehoshua.”
    Was King David also in that group currently in Heaven? If not why not?
    Acts 2:29 29″Fellow Israelites, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day.
    Acts 2:34 34For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said, “‘The LORD said to my LORD: “Sit at my right hand

    Reply
  3. Donald McGrew

    I think you did a great job. Lots of information to ponder in this letter as well. I also appreciate your kind words.

    Reply
  4. Frank Smyth

    Exo 12:42 It is a night to be much observed unto the LORD for bringing them out from the land of Egypt: this is that night of the LORD to be observed of all the children of Israel in their generations.(KJV)
    I never noticed ‘much observed’ until you mentioned it. I had to search it out Joseph.

    Reply
  5. sandri.venter@gmail.com

    Toda,for this great insight. What would be the procedure if the firstborn is a female?

    Reply
  6. Kurt MacPherson

    Shabbat shalom Joe, this is thought provoking and I’m going to need some time to process it. Well done not visible unless you take a look at ” jewish” writings. I did find one thing I need to point out Isa 43:3 where the king james says “savior”, you translate it as yeshua, the hebrew is (mem, vav, sheen, yod, ayin, kaf) translated in the red dictionary as deliverer, savior, helper. I would pronounce the word as mosheeyak. I didn’t find the letters for Yeshua in the hebrew. I see the meaning there but not the word. So, please, I say this as humbly as I can. Not to be a thorn in your side but as iron sharpening iron. But really I don’t see myself as iron maybe but a raw bar, soft and untempered, certainly not damascus steel. And please correct me if i am wrong.

    Reply
  7. Joseph F. Dumond

    Kurt you are right.
    Sandri I am not sure.
    Stephen Skillitzi David is assuredly still dead as you have correctly stated from Acts.
    So let me rephrase what I should have said.
    All those from Adam until 31 C.E. who were in the faith were brought back to life. I say all in a general term. For I do not know exactly how many that was or is. I do know that there are 24 elders in the Book of revelation that are spoken of having their crowns on. But that is only 24. Are there more, I have no way of knowing. I would suspect there are but that is again my opinion.
    The words elders means ancestors, which means they lived at one time on earth.
    Rev 4:4 Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads.
    Rev 11:16 And the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying,
    “We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty,
    who is and who was,
    for you have taken your great power
    and begun to reign.
    ????????????
    presbuteros
    pres-boo’-ter-os
    Comparative of ???????? presbus (elderly); older; as noun, a senior; specifically an Israelite Sanhedrist (also figuratively, member of the celestial council) or Christian “presbyter”: – elder (-est), old.

    Reply
  8. Glenn Caron

    Great Newsletter AS USUAL . Thanks for that and for the Messages you bring to the World every week and how you are helping restore the Original ways.
    I have spoken to many REAL non messianic Jews , and they have the ONE large stumbling block … the Shema. They cannot get to understand that Yahusha IS Yahuah of the OT. and NOT the ALmighty FAther “who has not been seen nor heard at all.” So when the scripture says that Israel is Yahuah’s SON , it contradicts that she is ALSO the BRIDE of Yahusha, which as I said above HE is Yahuah(not the Almighty). They also say that a SON cannot marry the father’s wife according to Torah … that is true. SO reconciling to Judah that Yahuah and Yahusha are the SAME entity from Genesis to Revelations, and HE is NOT the ALMIGHTY ,is a great stumbling block to them.
    I do not seem to be able to get through about this. CAn you touch on this soon , Thanks , Glenn.

    Reply
  9. Lucinda Robinson

    Lots of great information in this post to meditate about!

    Reply

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