Mysterious Secret of the Hilazon

The Mysterious Secret of the Hilazon – Dyeing to be Holy.

This is part of the mystery of the Tzitzit (fringe), and not the Tallit (Prayer Shawl) itself. Scriputre shows that our Hebrew Savior, Lord Jesus/Yeshua did wear Tzitziot, (the plural of Tzitzit), on His Prayer Shawl. This was a matter of keeping Torah, the Law, the Instruction of God; and Messiah kept Torah perfectly!Numbers 15:37-41 verse 38, ‘And the Lord/YHVH/Adonai spake unto Moses, saying, “Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make them throughout their generations fringes in the corners of their garments, and that they put with the fringe of each corner a thread of blue.”Each of the four corners of the garment, ‘Tallit’ (prayer shawl), had to have Tzitzit (fringe) on it. This was made very clear to the children of Israel. They were to look on fringes and ‘Remember (Zikkaron) the ‘Words’ of Torah.’ 

 For God to place this instruction in scripture, commanding His people to make the fringes with the blue thread, He was in effect saying: ‘You are a kingdom of priests to Me.’ This is echoed in Rev. 1:6: “He has made us kings and priests (lit. ‘a kingdom of priests’) unto God and His Father; to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever.” 

The scriptures also teach that it was a violation ordinarily for one to mix two fibers such as wool and linen.

The fringes were to be made of wool, but this blue thread was to be made of linen.

So only in this instance, did God allow this to be done. It goes without saying that wool comes from sheep and of course the significance that Jesus/Yeshua being not only the Shepherd but also the Lamb of God is not without deep meaning.

A talit gadol (or a talit katan) must be primarily white with black stripes and made from at least 51% natural fibers. ‘Who is this that comes from Edom, with DYED garments from Bozrah? This glorious in His apparel, traveling in the greatness of His strength? I that speak in righteousness mighty to save’. (Isaiah 63:1) The word tallit תַטִלּי is pronounced TAH-LISS by those who use the East European Hebrew dialect. The plural, “tallesim,” is pronounced as TAH-LAY-SIM.” The more modern Israeli pronounciation you will hear most often, is “TAH-LEET.” The plural is “tallitot.” Pronounced as TAHLEE-TOHT.” The fringes on the talit are “tzitzit.” Pronounced zeet zeet  “TSI-TSIT.”The term Tallit, or talith is two Hebrew words, “TAL, meaning “tent” and ITH, meaning “little.” The tallit, when wrapped around the shoulders and pulled over the head, forms for the owner a “little tent” or “prayer closet where he may meet privately with God. The Psalmist writes:

I will dwell in your tent for all ages; I will take refuge in the shelter of the corners of your Tallit.” Tassels added to the hem were not worn by commoners, but by the nobility or royalty. The second significance of the tzitzit, then, is that they showed the wearer to be more than a commoner. He was a noble, or a royal personage.Not just the presence of the tzitzit but their colors also carried meaning. The color was white, but among the white cords on each tassel there was to be one blue strand. This color combination was part of the trappings of royalty, as were the colors blue and purple:The third significance of the tzitzit, therefore, was in their colors. They spoke of royalty and kingship. Even today we talk of “royal blue” and “royal purple” from the custom of Roman emperors who wore purple mantles.

The Tzitzit had to have a cord of blue (techlet) in it, according to the command of God. Why Blue and where did the blue color come from?

Tekhelet or techlet is a blue dye mentioned 49 times in the Hebrew Bible/Tenakh.It was used in the clothing of the High Priest,the tapestriesof the Tabernacleand the Tassels.Blue stripes were to be used: as with techelet, the sages explain why tekhelet blue is so significant.

The symbolism of tekhelet is manifold;the rich blue colors recall the oceans and the sea. The sea is like the sky of the infinite Heavens, reminding us of God’s presence in the world and of the bond between the wearer and God;
 and the Heavens are like God’s Throne of Glory, (kisei ha’kavod), the foundations of which are said to be sapphire. It is also to remind us of God Himself and where the Divine Presence dwells.

In the old testament The tallith of a prophet or master teacher would have dark purple-blue threads in the corner tassel. People believed that the purple thread contained miracle power.This is why the woman with the issue of blood wanted to touch the hem of Jesus’ tallith or garment. When she was healed, Jesus said, “Who touched Me?…I felt virtue leave Me.” Then He told her, “Your faith has made you whole,” clarifying it was not a purple thread but her faith in Him as Messiah (see Matthew 9:20-22 and Luke 8:43-48). 

According to the Talmud, the color was obtained and dye produced from a marine creature. A species of snail called Murex trunculus,known as the Hilazon or Chilazon.

It took some 12,000 of these to fill a thimble with blue dye.

This small animal’s body contains a special gland.

The liquid from this gland was dried and became a powered dye.In Acts 16, Lydia, a resident of Thyatira;being a seller of purple, would have been a wealthy and influencial woman. The clients who purchased garments or fabric from her, were the very rich. (Acts 16:14-16:40)This color was so expensive, that all but royalty were to wear it. When Messiah Jesus/Yeshua haMashiach returns riding in the heavens on His majestic white war horse, He will be clothed in glorious royal, garments of a King.

The zitzit with one thread of blue.

Why Blue and where did the blue color come from?

Some three thousand five hundred years ago, Moses gave instructions for the making of “tekhelet” (blue dye) that was to be used in the veil that covered the Holy of Holies in the Tabernacle and in the ribbons along the edges of the tallit – the Jewish prayer shawl.

One of the contributions Adonai requested in the wilderness was blue which is tekhelet תכלת in Hebrew. Tekhelet blue, known as Divine Blue, identifying Israel and her God.Numbers 15:38, established the cord of blue as a necessity for all generations of Israel: “Speak to the sons of Israel, and tell them that they shall make for themselves tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and that they shall put on the tassel of each corner a cord of blue.”

 Much of the Wilderness Tabernacle utilized tekhelet blue:

Exodus 26:1 “ten curtains of fine twisted linen and tekhelet blueExodus 26:4 “loops of tekhelet blue on the edge of the outermost curtain … likewise on the edge of the curtain in the second set.”

  • Exodus 26:31 “You shall make a veil of tekhelet blue…”Exodus 26:36 “a screen for the doorway of the tent of tekhelet blue and purple and scarlet material and fine twisted linen…”

  • Exodus 27:16 “a screen of twenty cubits, of tekhelet blue…” 

This fact alone is very curious, as the Israelites must have had access to a significant amount of this dye and they were in the wilderness! The interesting question is, did they bring it with them from Egypt? Was it part of the wealth of Egypt that they left with?This is probably the case as the coast of Egypt which included Goshen where they were enslaved was part of the Mediterranean Sea; and also as expensive as this color was to own, no doubt the Egyptians had it and it was something to be desired.Location of wilderness tabernacle and where they were in the wilderness at Mount Sinai.Here they received Torah and instructions for building the Mishkan.The distance from Goshen to Mediterranean Sea was about 40 kilometers, approx. 25miles.

Lost and Found — The Tale of a Snail

Tekhelet blue, known as Divine Blue, has come to symbolize the hope of redemption; with its loss and amazing rediscovery after nearly 2,000 years.

 Extracting blue and purple dyes from a snail that grew in the Mediterranean became an important industry for centuries. However, with the Islamic invasion of the Holy Land in the seventh century, the industry disappeared. For the past 14 centuries the formula has evaded Jewish scholars.

Thus, until recently, Jewish prayer shawls have had only black ribbons.

When the Romans conquered Israel in 63 BC they seized control of the production of tekhelet blue.  By the third century AD, under the Emperor Constantine, only Romans, and primarily royalty, were allowed to use and wear the tekhelet blue. Jews were prohibited from its use—especially after the Council of Nicaea which established harsh laws restricting Jews (and Christians) from observing biblical commandments from the Old Testament.

Jewish dyers went underground. By around 600 AD, as the Jews were scattered, persecuted, and confined to ghettos, the identity of the creature from which the dye was extracted and the process of producing tekhelet blue was lost all together.From that time until very recently, tallits, the traditional prayer shawl that held the tzitzit, or tassels, as commanded in Numbers 15:38, on its corners, could not contain the cord of blue

The sages believed the loss of the tekhelet blue was attributed to the disobedience of Israel, suggesting that its rediscovery would be a sign of restoration and signal the coming of Messiah in His glory to Israel.

The miraculous rebirth of Israel in 1948, and the reunification of Jerusalem following the Six Day War in 1967 inspired zeal and renewed hope among the Jewish People. They thought redemption may truly be at hand. The Temple Institute in Jerusalem has painstakingly recreated the Holy Vessels and Garments in anticipation of the rebuilding of the Holy Temple according to biblical descriptions. Missing were the tekhelet blue and the ashes of the Red Heifer.

Tekhelet Restored! 

Tekhelet, (Strong’s 8504) the color (violet). Strong’s feels this sapphire blue comes from the Cerulean mussel in which the dye was obtained.  This was the color, blue, representing the firmament of the heavens that was used as fabric and curtains to drape the ceiling of the Wilderness Tabernacle.  It was the Zohar, when it refered to tekeleth, that stated, “This color had to appear in the Tabernacle for this reason:”Genesis 1:6 – “And God said, ‘Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.’” 

It was this dye, the color sapphire blue that became one of the rarest and most costly of dyes to be obtained in the ancient world.  It was always known to come from the gland of a snail in the Mediterranean, which disappeared soon after the destruction of the temple in 70 CE, and the process of how to extract it was lost. One source reports that in 1984, Irving Ziderman, a biochemist at the Israel Fiber Institute in Jerusalem, was able to identify the source of the ancient dye. After years of research, trial and error, he perfected the process, using the mucus of the “banded dye murex,” a spiny shellfish once thought to be extinct.Not until 1985, one Sabbatical week of years, was this snail rediscovered in the Mediterranean. Out of it came the royal purple and the royal blue.  It was also this blue dye that was used to dye the blue cord on each tzitzit, which was the hem or fringe of the prayer shawls of the Hebrews as commanded by HaShem.

Murex branfaris and Murex trunculus Snails 

 Numbers 15:37 – “HaShem said to Moses saying, Speak to the Israelites and say to them: ‘Throughout the generations to come you are to make tzit-tzit on the corners of your garments, and with a blue cord on each tzit-tzit, You will have these tzit-tzit to look at and you will remember ALL the commands of the Lord, and you may obey them and not prostitute yourselves by going after the lust of your own hearts and eyes.  Then you will remember to obey all my commands and will be consecrated to your God.’”

 The secret to reviving this ancient formula to fulfill the commandment in Exodus 25:4 and produce tekhelet blue was a riddle waiting until the 1980s to be solved. 

The Biblical True Blue from the Murex Trunculus The Murex Trunculus snail had been identified in the early 20th century by the first Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel. Ezekiel 27:7 speaks of Tekhelet blue from Tyre and the coastlands of Elishah. Archaeologists uncovered mounds of Murex shells in Tyre and the surrounding area that dated to the biblical period. Blue stains on large pots and vats from 1200 BC were tested, and found to be consistent with the modern day Murex trunculus. However, until the 1980’s all experiments on the Murex extract only yielded purple dye …

until one sunny day.

Otto Elsner, a professor at Shenker College of Engineering and Design near Tel Aviv, took the process outside in the sunlight, and found that the dye specimen turned a beautiful, perfect tekhelet blue.

As soon as the gland is exposed to oxygen, the liquid in that gland undergoes a fascinating chemical transformation from a clear liquid to a yellow, to a green, a greenish blue, aquamarine, then blue and ultimately ends up a dark purple the purple liquid is dried and then ground into a powder.  By exposing this new compound to sunlight, the blue described in the ancient Jewish sources is achieved.Dr. Baruch Sterman describes one of the most dramatic aspects of the tekhelet:

“The molecules of any specific color can be measured in exact wavelengths.  This measurement is read in increments called nanometers.  When the molecules of the blue color called Tekhelet, extracted from the murex trunculus snail are measured, the reading peaks at exactly 613 nanometers. What a marvelous coincidence that this number matches the total number of commandments in the Torah, written by the finger of God in sky-blue sapphire.”Because eventually the tekhelet was lost, until recently, an observant Jew could not fulfill the directive of gazing upon the blue cord or meditate on the “twist of blue” and recall the eternal Torah, hewn from sapphire under the Throne of Glory. However once again he can and very soon the non-Jew, who loves God, Torah and Israel, can look forward to the days when;

Zechariah 8:23 – “Ten men of all languages and nations will take hold of one Jew by the corner Tzit-tzit of his garment and say, ‘Let us go with you because we have heard that God is with you.’”

 

Once again—for the first time in almost 2,000 years, the Jewish People are able to fulfill this commandment in the Land of Israel. And once more, they wear a cord of blue in their tzitzit as commanded.

The Talmud (Menahot 44a) says that once every 70 years the shores of the land of Israel are visited by the segulit snail from which the tekhelet, used to mark certain religious items, was made.

On November 10, 1990, The Jerusalem Post reported that these snails had begun to surface by the thousands along the Mediterranean coast!!

Some Orthodox Jews believe the reappearance of the snails are a sign of the approaching of the Messianic Age. 

Today, in Israel those praying at the Western Wall are wearing prayer shawls with beautiful blue ribbons.

Below is a 2,000-year old textile that contains the mysterious blue dye described in the Bible.Isaiah writes: and come let us reason together that our sins though they be as scarlet, κόκκινον, can become as white as snow. 

This color of “sins like scarlet or κόκκινον, red as crimson” of Isaiah 1:18, is Tyrian or Phoenician purple, crimson of murex shellfish from φοινός phoinós “blood red” Mycenaean…

The miracle of this techlet is now being made once again in Israel. They have found the snail, (murex trunculus), that is needed to make the blue dye.

Today as we are literally seeing Bible prophecy fulfilled before our eyes; in so many ways and in such precise detail helps us to realize we are in close proximity to His appearance. Are we truly living by the fringe of a wing and a prayer?

Let’s continue praying with intent, ‘within tent’!

Remembering, taleh means lamb, and also comes from the word that means covering!

God provided Himself a lamb.

The Taleh Elohim the Lamb of God.

The Lamb is our covering –  The Taleh is our Taletha !

 

This small snail has returned to the waters of Israel, and is seen as a “Sign that Messiah is coming soon.”

Even so.. come Lord Jesus!Make sure we are ready when He does..

 

Please don’t leave this site without knowing you are saved and assured that you belong to Him; with a deep conviction that you know where you will go, when your body can no longer sustain you in this realm. 

Make certain Jesus is your Redeemer, Savior, Lord and soon returning King and that you have a personal relationship with Him. 

You are greatly loved and precious in His sight.

Its all about Life and Relationship not Religion.

NOT SURE?

SAY THE FOLLOWING FROM YOUR HEART RIGHT NOW…

Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them and turn away from my past.

I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’ name. Amen.

https://www.minimannamoments.com/welcome-come-taste-some-bread-of-life-bread-from-heaven/life-changing-information-guaranteed/

IF….

…. Jesus/Yeshua Had Not Come… there would be no New Year according to the Gregorian calendar.

So-called because it was introduced in October 1582 by Pope Gregory Xlll, as a reform of the Julian calendar. It’s a solar-based calendar of 365 days, it was only adopted by Britain and its colonies 260 years ago! The biblically based lunar Calendar is the one still followed in Israel.It is 2018 only because of Jesus!

The year is dated because of His birth and even non believers reference His coming every time they say or write the year!

However if Jesus had not come our calendar would be as the calendar still is today in Israel counting from creation. According to that the year is 5778 but it would still be B.C.(Before Christ) or (AM = Anno Mundi meaning years since creation).Remembering that in Israel, the fall appointed time of Rosh Hashanah means “head of the year” and that’s why it’s called The Jewish New Year (also known as Yom Teruah and often translated as Feast of Trumpets.)

This is not at all like the New Years celebrations in the western world. It occurs on the first day of the 7th month of the year.

When the Israelites were in Egypt, the Lord changed the beginning of their year from the fall to the spring month of Nisan for Passover/Pesach to be the start of the spiritual year. (Exodus 12:1-2)

However, since Jewish tradition holds that the birth of the world took place in the fall, they kept the New Year observance where it was. So in effect, they are celebrating the world’s birthday on Rosh Hashanah and have a second beginning in the Spring Appointed Times. (The Seasons are represented as Cyclical not linear.)A very interesting point is, the Hebrew year 5778 coincides with 2018 on the Gregorian calendar and is significant because it was in the year 2018 BC (or AM) that God made the first covenant with Abraham. (This was 70 years after Abraham’s birth in 1948 BC (AM).

Then we see the new independent state of Israel was established by the UN in 1948 (Gregorian calendar), so 2018 will also be a 70 year time frame (or a generation, see Psalms 90:10) Just imagine, if Jesus had not come, the Bible would end at Malachi or if read in chronological order it would stop after 2 Chronicles.It would probably only be available in the Hebrew language and maybe still only on kosher scrolls.The complete set Hebrew Scrolls Tanakh

Among other things too numerous to mention or count: There would be no New Testament, no churches or denominations, no choirs, Christian charities, no Christmas trees, no carols and symphonies, no one would be born again and there would be no evangelists, no missionaries.No ‘communion’ (as in bread and wine celebration) outside of Passover, Pesach.This was celebrated as part of the commemoration of their liberation by God from slavery in ancient Egypt and their freedom and rebirth as a nation under the leadership of Moses. There would however still be the Holy Land and the children of Israel, the tribes and their descendants and the Jewish people. The term having come from the tribe of Judah – Yehudi – Judahite and shortened to Jew. It is written that all tribes will want to say they are from Judah collectively and not so much as individual tribes an example is Mordecai in the book of Esther, he was from the tribe of Benjamin but was known as Yehudi.That Hebrew language would be still intact as it is today and so is their faith that one day Messiah will come as promised in prophecy.

There would still bethere would still beTorah, Prophetic, Poetic and Historical Writings.

The history of God’s plan since creation would still be as it is.

How important is the old Testament then!

How foundational.

How significant are the Hebraic roots of our faith for they would stand even if Messiah had not come yet.

It makes one wonder if we would have converted to the faith of the Old Testament Patriarchs?

For if Jesus had not come we would be numbered among the heathen lost! 

Still the Jewish people would be, and are still, serving the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, celebrating the seven annual feasts, preparing and rehearsing for His promised appearing and keeping their covenant commandments.So what are we doing? Have we disregarded the Old Testament foundation in favor of ‘Penthouse’ believing? Are we guilty of thinking that somehow we are more ‘entitled’ by our new Testament faith in Jesus?

He came in fulfillment of the Jewish Scriptures not as a replacement, not instead of, but in addition to.A world without Jesus/Yeshua would be a world without born again believers, both Messianic Jews and Christian believers. No Christmas holiday or carols, no Turkey’s, presents or all the worlds commercialized accessories and distractions.

However we would still have the greater part of the Bible and could live by its instructions and guidance.The biggest obvious consideration is that our sins have to be paid for and that by a blood sacrifice.A life for a life. And the life is in the blood, so an innocent must die for each and every individual.

If Jesus had not come, believers in the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob would still be continuing to offer the necessary sacrifices today.

HoweverAnd by His life and death and resurrection, He fulfilled the promises in the bible of a coming Redeemer. One man’s life blood – God Himself, paid the price for our sins. Once for all and no more individual sacrifice is necessary.

However do we really comprehend it?

Do we appreciate it?

Do we understand it?

And do our lives reflect our appreciation and gratitude for what He did?

Or have we just grown accustomed and complacent with our faith and too easy-going in the gift of grace for the righteousness/ right-standing before the God of Heaven and earth?Do we have a deep remorse and hatred of the way we were before He graciously accepted us into the beloved. We are grafted in by His compassion He is calling the Goyim, the heathen, to be His own.Is living for our self the way we show Him our love? Is building our own reputation and kingdom/empire really part of His plan for us?

We aspire to be something, a somebody, to make a name for ourselves. It didn’t work out so well for those who tried it on the plains of shinar. Self-deception is subtle and is an easy slippery slope, the biggest problem being we don’t believe we are deceived or that we can be.

We help God out, because it’s taking too long or not going the way we want, we put words in His mouth, to justify our actions and decisions, and twist the truth of Scripture to fit our not so straight path.We use the tools of the world and its commerce to fulfill desires based on covetous, selfish ambition and aspire to a comfortable way of life.

Whatever we choose to believe will never change truth, for He said, I am the way the truth and the life.

For believers it should be His way or no way.

His way is clear, we are to live our lives as Jesus did and do the works of Him who called us and saved us.We are to preach the good news, make disciples, visit the prisoners and the sick, bring healing to them, deliver the oppressed, set spiritual captives free, feed the hungry, give to the poor, house the homeless, which of these did we do today? Which of these did we do this ChristmasWe are to bind up the brokenhearted, raise the dead, calm storms.

Christianity is not just a free ticket to heaven to then go ahead and live as we please. Grace is not free and neither is salvation, for we are set free to serve Him and further His kingdom, not ourselves in our own.If Jesus had not come we may have something of a legitimate excuse, that we don’t know any better but He did come and so we are without excuse.

As we begin 2018 Anno Domini on the Gregorian calendar take a moment to think how it would be if Jesus had not come!Time is one of the greatest gifts we have been given. What we do with it will have a huge impact on our final destination.

This time of year people make resolutions to improve their lifestyles, let us start learning to live in His presence, and to operate out of His shalom, where love abides and faith matures.

If God was in a hurry He would have not said over 2000 years ago, ‘I’m coming soon’.

He exists outside of our time and space and that is hard for us to comprehend.

We live our lives by the clock and without realizing it, it can bring us into bondage.

But in due season. Gal 4:4

But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, Romans 5:6. For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

We will be accountable for how we spent the time we have been given according to 2.Cor. 5:10

 It is a phrase that has the connotations of ‘satisfaction.’ Abraham died as a man at peace with himself, at peace with God and at peace with the world. He was contented with all that God had done with him and in him, at an old age that was good and mature and content. In verse7 ‘Now these are the days of the years of Abraham which he lived.’ For it implies that he had lived every day to the full in the will of God not one day was wasted of the days that had been given him. According to The JPS Torah Commentary on Genesis, the meaning of this phrase in Genesis 25:8 is “old and contented.” The commentary continues, “Such a summation of a life is found with no other personality in biblical literature. The phrase describes not his longevity, which is otherwise mentioned, but the quality of his earthly existence.”

And also in Job 42:17 so Job died, being old and full of days /years.

The civil year of 5778 according to Israel began in October at Rosh Hashanah and the spiritual new year according to scripture, begins in April at Passover with the sacrificial death of an innocent lamb.  As we go forward into ‘2018’ and continue in 5778, let any resolution we make begin with a grateful heart of thanks that HE CAME; and let the number of this year reminds us how long ago that was.Let’s try to remember that, ‘New Beginnings’ come from the Grace of God, not from dates or resolutions.

That they come from His Mercies, that are new each day. Not the day itself.

Let the next year be 365 days be FULL according to the will of God for us.

It may not be what we wanted to hear but its what we need to hear!

It’s a rallying call to the troops, time to renew our commitment to the Lord. It’s an alarm bell to wake up the sleeping ‘ecclesia’, we are the ‘called out ones.’

For the day is far spent.. Luke 24:29 Now is the time to let Him in, to abide with us and your salvation/redemption is nearer now than when you first believed. Rom 13:11

The times are serious and so is God!

Then as we realize Jesus did come, let’s make this year one where our resolution is; to spend more time in His presence and in doing His will. Fulfilling His plans and purposes instead of our own.

Let’s not be too busy this year. God is obviously not in a hurry, He has no daily rush hours. He is not driven, desperate or in a panic and looking for a way to make things happen!His presence is now, believing in faith is for now.

Today is the day of salvation, so share the gospel with that person you keep meaning to!

He is the ever present God. I am that I am.

He is Jehovah Shalom.

He moves, acts and abides in Shalom. Where there is nothing missing or broken.

He doesn’t rush through life.

He is life.

It is impossible to live life as we were meant to live it, if we are too busy rushing around.

We are too busy because of the decisions we have made, that brought us to where we are at this moment.

So this year we have an opportunity to make decisions that will enable us to be less busy. It’s our choice.

Choose this day.. choose life.  The treasures revealed from His Word, are not simply for information but include messages to be lived and ways to develop a relationship with the Father.

They are to be experienced which is the most important aspect. Let God impress upon our hearts the precious truths which are essential to the life of every believer who truly desires to follow Jesus/Yeshua our Messiah.

Lets pray that we comprehend all that it means to be a disciple. And as we learn about Him, let our central focus be, to know Him and the power of His resurrection in our personal relationship with Him, for we are required to apply His words to our lives, daily.

Thank God Jesus Came!

May His Shalom surround guard and keep you year in and year out!

 

A Lamb’s Tale And A Mysterious Tower

This post begins with some ???s

How are Rachel, Jacob, swaddling clothes, shepherds, a manger and a lamb connected to Ephraph and the mysterious Edar tower prophesied by Micah 700 years BC?

Also do we even have a marginal mental grasp of who Jesus, son of Joseph, (Yeshua ben Joseph) was; what His culture was like, and who His family was?  The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had a specific time, place and purpose for His Chosen Son. 

Does our religious imagery reflect the life He really lived? Maybe we need to take another look at some details surrounding the birth of Jesus, our Messiah.

It’s in the Gospel of Luke chapter two and is known virtually the world over. It has been told countless times in one form or another, in a wide variety of depictions and performances and is one of the most iconic of all narratives.

Sometimes we become too familiar with what we think we know and miss some amazing details.Even non-believers are familiar with the story.

As we read its words once again,

take special note of its

historical, geographical, political

and prophetic aspects;

for without this story,

we would not be preparing for annual

Christmas Day celebrations every 25th December.

“1 And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. 2 (And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) 3 And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) 5 To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. 6 And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. 7 And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. 8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, 14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. 15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us. 16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. 17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. 18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. (Lk. 2:1-18).

Here is the story of all stories, involving a young Jewish couple. The setting was at a time of socio-economic unrest following the mandates of a census being taken by the leaders of the Roman Empire. It involved two cities of Nazareth and Bethlehem.

(The distance of 96 miles or 155 kilometers, that was a long way to travel!)Nazareth is a village in northern Israel, and serves to remind us of the close family relationship and seclusion that Jesus experienced as He grew to manhood.

Bethlehem is the site at the center of this story and also the focus of numerous prophetic events, being inextricably connected with the “Royal house and lineage of King David.”

Leaving Luke’s famous narrative of Messiah’s birth, we need to go back in time to Micah where the most famous prophecy of His coming birth came forth through that prophet. It was written at least seven hundred years before Messiah Jesus was born.

“2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting” (Mic. 5:2).

In this verse, Ephratah, (Ephrath) was an ancient city originally located on the outskirts of Bethlehem, it was associated with the death of Rachel and the amazing prophecy that accompanied her burial. To this day, her tomb is still known and honored in this region.The Momentous Death of Rachel an important incident.. ..everything is connected!

In Genesis 35, God instructed Jacob to rise up and take his entire family to Bethel. Arriving there, he purified himself and erected an altar to God. After this, God appeared to him and pronounced that his name would be changed from Jacob to Israel:

“10 And God said unto him, Thy name is Jacob: thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name: and he called his name Israel. 11 And God said unto him, I am God Almighty: be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall be of thee, and kings shall come out of thy loins; 12 And the land which I gave Abraham and Isaac, to thee I will give it, and to thy seed after thee will I give the land” (Gen. 35:10-12).

Shortly after this, they travelled southward to the place that has been known ever since as Bethlehem, the Hebrew word that translates as “House of Bread.” This was the place where Christ was to be born about eighteen centuries later:

16 And they journeyed from Bethel; and there was but a little way to come to Ephrath: and Rachel travailed, and she had hard labour. 17 And it came to pass, when she was in hard labour, that the midwife said unto her, Fear not; thou shalt have this son also. 18 And it came to pass, as her soul was in departing, (for she died) that she called his name Benoni: but his father called him Benjamin. 19 And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to Ephrath, which is Bethlehem. 20 And Jacob set a pillar upon her grave: that is the pillar of Rachel’s grave unto this day. 21 And Israel journeyed, and spread his tent beyond the tower of Edar. (Gen. 35:16-21).Rachels Tomb

Migdal Eder—the “tower of the flock”—was first mentioned here in Genesis 35:19-21.

 “So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). And Jacob set up a pillar over her grave; that is the pillar of Rachel’s grave to this day. Then Israel journeyed on and pitched his tent beyond the tower of Eder” 

In the context the “tower of Eder”

or “tower of the flock”

was located near Bethlehem.About 1,000 years after Rachel’s death, the prophet Micah spoke about the still-future birth of Israel’s Messiah.

Everyone is familiar with the prediction that the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem (Micah. 5:2), but few look at the larger context.

Micah also predicted the reappearance of God’s kingdom

at Migdal Eder—

the tower of the flock.

“And as for you, tower of the flock, hill of the daughter of Zion, to you it will come—even the former dominion will come, the kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem” (Mic. 4:8) Beginning In Micah 4:1 and connecting the verse above with some verses right before it, the prophet was speaking in the same context, Micah lays out the distant future in a prophecy of the coming Kingdom. Here he refers to that time period as “the last days.” Then, he goes on to say the following:

“6 In that day, saith the LORD, will I assemble her that halteth, and I will gather her that is driven out, and her that I have afflicted; 7 And I will make her that halted a remnant, and her that was cast far off a strong nation: and the LORD shall reign over them in mount Zion from henceforth, even for ever. 8 And thou, O tower of the flock, the strong hold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion; the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem. (Mic. 4:6-8).

The location mentioned here was marked out for the amazing future fulfillment of prophecy. In Hebrew, the term “tower of Edar” is migdal eder. Its literal meaning of this title is “tower of the flock.” It would seem that this is the place where Christ was born, as described by Luke’s Christmas story.Here, we have a prophecy that describes the mysterious location, the strange edifice was a watchtower – and here it is presented as the key to understanding the birth of the Messiah. these words were written by Micah in the 8th century, B.C., long before Israel’s Babaylonian captivity, which Micah describes in the following verses:

“9 Now why dost thou cry out aloud? is there no king in thee? is thy counsellor perished? for pangs have taken thee as a woman in travail. 10 Be in pain, and labour to bring forth, O daughter of Zion, like a woman in travail: for now shalt thou go forth out of the city, and thou shalt dwell in the field, and thou shalt go even to Babylon; there shalt thou be delivered; there the LORD shall redeem thee from the hand of thine enemies. 11 Now also many nations are gathered against thee, that say, Let her be defiled, and let our eye look upon Zion. 12 But they know not the thoughts of the LORD, neither understand they his counsel: for he shall gather them as the sheaves into the floor. 13 Arise and thresh, O daughter of Zion: for I will make thine horn iron, and I will make thy hoofs brass: and thou shalt beat in pieces many people: and I will consecrate their gain unto the LORD, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth. (Mic. 4:9-13).

Micah’s prophecy notably goes well beyond the Babylonian captivity and into the distant future.

He describes Israel as being regathered and fully established as a people and as being invincible against all the people who are gathered against her.

Migdal Eder – Tower of the Flock.Amazingly the strange watchtower over the flock

is the centerpiece of an ancient drama

which tells the story of the Kingdom of Israel

of its downfall and of its rising once again. Jacob was the father of the twelve tribes,

his name being changed by God to that of Israel;

from his day to the present,

God’s will has unfolded an immense plan

which is centered upon the most important person in all history.

Jesus, Messiah,

Yeshua, Son Of God,

Lamb of God, Savior..Here is where it gets interesting

and we remember everything is connected

and is not without significance in God’s plan.

Luke 2:11-12 NKJV 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, Who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”

Scholars interpret Micah 4:8 as a prophesy indicating that the Messiah would be revealed from the

“tower of the flock” (Migdal Eder)

which is connected with the town of Bethlehem, southeast of Jerusalem.

Micah 4:8 NLKV 8 And you, O Migdal Eder (tower of the flock), the stronghold of the daughter of Zion, to you shall it come, even the former dominion shall come, the kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem.

Mishnaic sources (Jewish sacred writings) indicate that animals “found” (meaning, ‘that were kept’) in the fields were within 5 miles of the Temple.

This Migdal Eder was NOT the watchtower for the ordinary flocks which pastured on the barren sheep ground beyond Bethlehem, but lay close to the town, on the road to Jerusalem.

 The shepherds keeping watch over these sheep all year round knew the purpose for the lambs under their care. And their job was to keep the animals under them from becoming injured or blemished.Only in warm weather do the Shepherds keep their flocks outdoors at night in Bethlehem so it could not have been winter because when it was cold they sheltered in nearby caves. Could it be that the birth was closer to the date in  Israel’s calendar celebrating the Feast of Succoth?It was to those watching over animals destined for temple sacrifice that the angels announced Jesus’ birth.

“For today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11).

It may not be so far fetched to see that

the arrival of the ultimate Lamb of God

was revealed to those responsible

for watching over the sacrificial lambs

that had always pointed toward Him.

Another passage in the Mishnah leads to the conclusion that the flocks which pastured there, were destined for Temple-sacrifices, and, accordingly, that the shepherds who watched over them were not ordinary shepherds.

The latter were under the ban of Rabbinism, on account of their necessary isolation from the religious ordinances, and their manner of life, which rendered strict legal observance unlikely, if not absolutely impossible …” The same Mishnaic passage also leads us to infer that these flocks lay out all the year round, since they are spoken of as in the fields thirty days before the Passover—that is, in the month of February, when in Palestine the average rainfall is nearly greatest. Thus Jewish tradition in some dim manner apprehended the first revelation of the Messiah from that Migdal Eder, where shepherds watched the Temple flocks all the year round. Of the deep symbolic significance of such a coincidence, it is needless to speak (The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, 186–87).

Mary and Joseph may well have passed those same fields on their way to Bethlehem.The male sheep (Jesus) was a ‘burnt’ (sin) offering and the female was for a ‘peace’ offering and at birth they were wrapped in swaddling cloths to keep the new lambs without spot or blemish, then they would be laid in a manger until they had calmed down.

Their swaddling cloths no doubt stained with blood!

Newborn lambs.

So the shepherds near Bethlehem are quite special. The location where they are tending and keeping watch over the lambs destined for Temple sacrifice is quite near the place where Messiah was born. It also marks the site of the ancient prophecy. As lambs destined for Temple sacrifice were born in these special flocks, they were inspected to make sure that they were perfect, not having any defect, so that they were suitable for sacrifice by the priests at the Temple. The Apostle Peter refers to Christ in precisely this way:

“18 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; 19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: 20 Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you” (I Pet. 1:18-20).

Some sources have declared that the “swaddling clothes” mentioned in Luke 2:7 “And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.” were the pieces of woven material that the Temple shepherds used to wipe off the newborn lambs prior to their inspection. So here we have some interesting things to ponder on, the ‘Christmas’ prophecy of a very unique flock, and a very special watchtower.

With the Lord, nothing happens by accident or chance and there is no word in Hebrew to be translated for coincidence!! He plans everything perfectly!Only Luke talks about Jesus being wrapped in swaddling clothes.

Had it not been for this passage in Luke, most of us would never have heard of the practice of wrapping a baby in swaddling clothes.

This practice ceased around the sixteenth century as it was considered either too barbaric or that it really served no practical purpose at all. It was just a tradition that continued for no other reason than the fact it was tradition. It is even believed by many medical specialists to be harmful to the child.

And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

It’s an expression that was never used at any time except when we hear the Christmas story and no one ever really explains what the swaddling clothes are. A usual answer to such a question was that it was just a Bible term for blankets or cloths for sanitary purposes.

Swaddling clothes in the Aramaic is ‘azrura’, which really means ‘a bandage’. The word that is used is ‘esparganosen’ which is the Greek word for ‘a bandage’.

We have the word ‘swaddling’, used in Ezekiel 16:3. The Hebrew word used here is ‘chatal’, which is the Hebrew word for a ‘bandage’. It seems that this was more than just a bandage or blanket.

The practice of swaddling is very ancient practice and is believed to have been devised around the Paleolithic times about 4500 years ago during the Bronze Age around 2600 BC. Interestingly, archaeologists have uncovered small models of babies wrapped in swaddling clothes which dated back to this period.

After an infant was born the umbilical cord was cut and tied; as in this case, there was no midwife and either Mary or Joseph would have had to perform this. They would then sprinkle the baby with a powder made of dried myrtle leaves. Then they would gently rub the baby’s skin with a very small amount of salt that has been finely grounded into a sort of paste, which it was believed would make his or her flesh firm. For young Jewish parents this represented a testimony that that the parents would raise the child to be truthful and faithful.The swaddling cloth was a square yard of cloth which had a narrow band attached at one corner. The mother would wrap the child in this swaddle with its arms close to its body and its legs stretched out. She would then wind the narrow band around the body from the shoulders to the ankles until the baby resembled an Egyptian mummy. This ritual was performed as often as we would ‘change’ the baby and would be done until it was no longer required by the growing child.

The practical understanding was, that it helped the childs body grow strong and firm. It’s interesting to note that today medical science has learned it’s best to just leave them alone, that babies will develop naturally without artificial help. It took four thousand years for man to realize that God did a perfectly fine job creating us without artificial intervention.

However to the Jewish parent, this practice carried a symbolic meaning, and as we are learning every practice in Judaism carries some significant symbolism. This was a sign to the parents that they would teach the child to become honest, straightforward, and freed from crookedness.
This brings up the question as to why Luke felt it was important to mention this, not once, but two times, again is verse 12 where the angel tells the shepherds that the child will be found wrapped in swaddling clothes. Why was that necessary, if every baby is wrapped in swaddling clothes, how were the shepherds able to use that fact to distinguish Jesus from any other baby?These priestly shepherds knew the ‘swaddling’ procedure and, when told it would be a sign, they recalled Micah 4:8 and, with haste (Luke 2:16) ran to see the newborn Jesus, the Son of God.

There was no need for the angel to give these shepherds directions to the birth place because they already knew.
They, who raised the sacrificial lambs for the Temple, knew exactly where to go, as Luke 2 indicates, for the sign of a manger could only mean a manger at the tower of the flock in their fields.

Remember when the father of a household presented a lamb to the priest to be examined, he had tied the family name around the head of the potential sacrificial lamb so that the meat could be returned to him to be used during their Passover meal.

Luke 2:11 -12 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”

Scholars interpret Micah 4:8 as a prophecy indicating that the Messiah would be revealed from the tower of the flock Migdal Eder which is connected with the town of Bethlehem southeast of Jerusalem.

Micah 4:8 And you, O tower of the flock,
The stronghold of the daughter of Zion,
To you shall it come, 
Even the former dominion shall come,
The kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem.”Shepherds watching over their Flocks by NightThis was the last few weeks before the harsh winters would set in, and the shepherds spent a lot of time allowing the sheep to fatten up before winter.  The dreaded heat of summer was over, and the evenings were cool, crisp and pleasant. 

Did the Shepherds visit the baby Jesus/Yeshua

in an animal succoth?An infant, now wrapped in swaddling clothes for protection in the cool breezes of evening and the curious stares of the domestic animals is a scene familiar to all.  Nearby, shepherds on a grassy sloped hillside suddenly found themselves serenaded by a chorus of supernatural choristers, saying,

Luke 2:8-10 – “Glory to God in the Highest and on earth, Peace, Good Will towards all men on whom his favor rests…”

When that inter-dimensional gateway into the world of the Divine opened and again there

“stood before them an angel of the Lord, and the splendor of the Lord shone round them. They were terror-stricken…” (Luke 2:8-10)  Others had also been visited by angelic messengers.

First there was Zacharias, then Miriam, afterwards Joseph, and now the shepherds. What was the message of the angelic messenger?  “Fear not!”

Luke 2:10-12 – “I have good news for you: there is great joy coming to the whole people. Today in the city of David a deliverer has been born to you – the Messiah, the Lord.  And this is your sign: you will find a baby lying wrapped in his swaddling clothes, in a manger.

Quickly, they headed to town, were they searching and winding in and out among the multitude of Sukkoths, asking, have you seen a newborn child?

When they found Joseph and Miryam, “they recounted what they had been told about this child; and all who heard were astonished at what the shepherds said.”  (Luke 2:17-18)Why had Joseph and Mary come all this way from their hometown when she was in the late stages of pregnancy? Because their registration was decreed by the bureaucrats of the Roman Empire. Their genealogies were both out of the line of Judah. Joseph’s ancestry – the royal genealogy of Jesus in Matthew – came through King David, himself.

Bethlehem, the city of David, was the place where Roman magistrates had located themselves to receive those who were of the tribe of Judah. Sukkot is also one of the 3 Moedim that EVERY Israelite was commanded to be present in Jerusalem.Was this the reason everywhere was full?

In Ezekiel 16, the prophet is speaking out against the citizens of Jerusalem who were unfaithful to God and His commandments and uses the symbolic reference of washing, salting and swaddling. The failure to perform this tradition was symbolic of disloyalty and unfaithfulness to God.       

The term swaddling clothes to the Semitic mind was expressing the idea of loyalty and faithfulness to God. So with this narrative, Luke wanted to make sure that we realized that this child that was born, was not only the Son of God, but a Son who would be loyal and faithful to Heavenly Father. Nothing could have been more accurate; Jesus was so loyal and faithful, that He would be faithful and loyal even unto the death on the cross.

Later, as Jesus began His public ministry, He came to John the Baptist who rightly discerned His historical role and destiny:

“And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith,

Behold the Lamb of God!” John. 1:36.

How amazing that in John’s Gospel, He also referred to Himself as the “bread of life” (Jn. 6:48).

At a precise moment in the timeline of human history,

in the City of David,

the Lamb of God

came to the House of Bread – Beth Lechem

at Migdal Eder – the Tower of the Flock!

As final food for thought……..  

With the proximity of the Tower so close to where we are told Messiah was born, is there a possibility that Mary and Joseph sought refuge in that very tower, the one where the new born lambs were protected at birth and raised for sacrificial purposes? Did they use the

swaddling clothes on Messiah

that had been readied to wrap those new born lambs?

The pieces of cloth that had once been part of the High Priests garments that were regularly replaced but not thrown away as they were considered Holy; they were reused for the newborns after they had been soiled with blood from the sacrificial lambs and animals!

Was the manger in which He was placed located in

the Tower of the Flock/Migdal Eder

and was it the first resting place of the Chief Shepherd?

The Spotless Lamb of God?So now we know how Rachel, Jacob, swaddling clothes, shepherds, a manger and a lamb are connected to Ephraph and the mysterious Edar tower prophesied by Micah 700 years BC!

Shalom, shalom mishpachah/family

and cheverim/friends!

It’s all about Life and Relationship,

NOT Religion.

You are greatly loved and precious in His sight.

NOT SURE?

YOU CAN BE..

SAY THE FOLLOWING FROM YOUR HEART RIGHT NOW…

Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.

I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name. Amen.