Jesus Appointed Time/Season Has Come
John 2:1-5 – See the note below.
1 On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there;
2 and both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding.
3 When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to Him, "They have no wine."
4 And Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does that have to do with us? My hour [5610- “hour; primarily denotes any time or period, especially a season”] has not yet come [2240- “to come, to be present, to arrive”]."
5 His mother said to the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it."
NASU
Jesus and His disciples were invited to a wedding. When the wine ran out, Jesus’ mother came to Him to let Him know. He then makes what seems to be a very strange statement; “Woman, what does that have to do with us? My hour has not yet come.” Some interpret it as, “What have I to do with you?” According to many Bible scholars, this is a Hebrew idiom “that seems to mean, depending on the context, what is the relationship between us? What do we have in common? What business is it of ours?” (daily-bible-study-tips.com) The Hebrew idiom used here is literally, “what to me and to you.” Per the Merriam Webster Dictionary, an idiom is “an expression that cannot be understood from the meanings of its separate words but that has a separate meaning of its own.” Also, “a form of a language that is spoken in a particular area and that uses some of its own words, grammar, and pronunciations.”
After the Hebrew idiom, Jesus said that His hour had not yet come. In the Greek, “hour” can mean a season, or any time or period. This would be His first recorded miracle. Was Jesus looking ahead, referring to a time period, or appointed season that would occur in the future, and was connected with “the best wine” (John 2:10) that would be served at the wedding feast of the Lamb at the end of this age (i.e. early on the third day)? I believe He was. (See the Bible study The Third Day.)
John 7:1-10 – This passage just happened to occur during the Feast of Tabernacles. In the first portion His brothers were mocking Him.
1 After these things Jesus was walking in Galilee, for He was unwilling to walk in Judea because the Jews were seeking to kill Him.
2 Now the feast of the Jews, the Feast of Booths [Tabernacles], was near.
3 Therefore His brothers said to Him, "Leave here and go into Judea, so that Your disciples also may see Your works which You are doing.
4 "For no one does anything in secret when he himself seeks to be known publicly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world."
5 For not even His brothers were believing in Him.
6 So Jesus said to them, "My time [2540] is not yet here, but your time [2540] is always [3842- “at all times”] opportune [2092- “prepared, ready, opportune, seasonable”].
7 "The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it, that its deeds are evil.
8 "Go up to the feast yourselves; I do not go up to this feast because My time [2540] has not yet fully [4137- “to make full, to fill, to fulfill, to complete, i.e. (literally) to cram (a net)”] come." [See Matthew 26:45 below when Jesus was praying in the Garden of Gethsemane.]
9 Having said these things to them, He stayed in Galilee.
10 But when His brothers had gone up to the feast, then He Himself also went up, not publicly, but as if, in secret.
NASU
NT:2540 kairos (kahee-ros')
(Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)
of uncertain affinity; an occasion, i.e. set or proper time:
KJV - always, opportunity, (convenient, due) season, (due, short, while) time, a while. Compare NT:5550.
(Thayer’s Greek Lexicon)
1. due measure
2. a measure of time
a. universally, a fixed and definite time (Romans 13:11)
b. opportune or seasonable time (Acts 24:25)
c. the right time (Matthew 24:45)
d. a (limited) period of time (1 Corinthians 7:29)
e. is equivalent to what time brings, the state of the times, the things and events of time (Luke 12:56)
John 7:14 – In the middle of the feast Jesus went into the temple. Will He enter the temple of His body of believers in the middle of the fulfillment of this feast at the end of this age?
14 But when it was now the midst of the feast Jesus went up into the temple, and began to teach.
NASU
John 7:28-30
28 Then Jesus cried out in the temple, teaching and saying, "You both know Me and know where I am from; and I have not come of Myself, but He who sent Me is true, whom you do not know.
29 "I know Him, because I am from Him, and He sent Me."
30 So they were seeking to seize Him; and no man laid his hand on Him, because His hour [5610- see John 2:4 above for definition] had not yet come.
NASU
John 7:37-39 – On the “last day, the great day of the feast,” Jesus cried out about the Spirit that would be given after he was glorified (see the Bible study Glorified).
37 Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.
38 "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, 'From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.'"
39 But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
NASU
John 7:37 - The Feast of Tabernacles was celebrated with certain festival rituals. One was a solemn procession each day from the temple to the Gihon Spring. A priest filled a gold pitcher with water while the choir sang Isaiah 12:3. Then they returned to the altar and poured out the water. This ritual reminded them of the water from the rock during the wilderness wanderings (Numbers 20:8-11; Psalm 78:15-16). It also spoke prophetically of the coming days of Messiah (cf. Zech. 14:8, 16-19). The Feast's seventh and last day was its greatest (cf. Lev 23:36). Jesus stood, in contrast with the Rabbis' usual position of being seated while teaching. Said in a loud voice (cf. John 1:15; 7:28; 12:44) was a way of introducing a solemn announcement. His offer, Come to Me and drink, was an offer of salvation (cf. 4:14; 6:53-56).
(from Bible Knowledge Commentary/Old Testament Copyright © 1983, 2000 Cook Communications Ministries; Bible Knowledge Commentary/New Testament Copyright © 1983, 2000 Cook Communications Ministries. All rights reserved.)
The Last Day of the Feast: Division (John 7:37-53)
“The seventh day of the feast was a great day of celebration. (The eighth day was one of “solemn assembly” – Leviticus 23:36; see Numbers 29:35; [see my folder titled Solemn Assembly for more]). Each morning of the feast, at the time of the sacrifice, the priests would draw water in a golden vessel from the Pool of Siloam and carry it to the temple to be poured out. This commemorated the wonderful supply of water God gave the Jews in the wilderness. This seventh day was known as “The Great Hosannah” and climaxed the feast. It takes little imagination to grasp what must have happened when Jesus cried out, “If any man thirst, let him come unto Me and drink!” (v. 37) as the priests poured out the water. Christ was the Rock out of which the waters flowed (Exodus 17:1-7; 1 Cor. 10:4). He was smitten on the cross that the Spirit of life might be given to save and satisfy thirsty sinners. In the Bible, water for cleansing symbolizes the Word of God (John 13:1-17; 15:3); water for drinking represents the Spirit of God (John 7:37-38).
Instead of heeding His gracious invitation to come, the people argued, and there was division among them [some things do not change…]. Some believed in Him, some rejected. (See Matthew 10:31-39 and Luke 12:51-52.) The soldiers could not arrest Him because His word gripped their hearts (v. 46). Because the Jewish leaders rejected Christ, they shut the door of salvation to others who followed their bad example (Matthew 23:13).
Nicodemus enters the picture again, and this time we see him defending Christ's legal privileges. In John 3, he was in the darkness of confusion; but here he is experiencing the dawn of conviction, willing to give Christ a fair chance. Because of this, Nicodemus learned the truth, for a willingness to obey the Word is the secret of learning God's truth (v. 17). In John 19 we see Nicodemus in the daylight of confession, openly identifying himself with Christ. How did he come to make this decision? He studied the Word and asked for God to teach him. The rulers told him, “Search and look!” and that is just what he did. Anyone who will read and obey the Word of God will move out of darkness into God's marvelous light.”
(from Wiersbe's Expository Outlines on the New Testament. Copyright © 1992 by Chariot Victor Publishing, an imprint of Cook Communication Ministries. All rights reserved.)
Matthew 26:44-45 – See the note below.
44 And He left them again, and went away and prayed a third time, saying the same thing once more.
45 Then He came to the disciples and said to them, "Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour [5610- “a certain definite time or season”] is at hand and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners.
46 "Get up [1453], let us be going; behold, the one who betrays Me is at hand!"
NASU
NT:1453 egeiro (eg-i'-ro)
(Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)
probably akin to the base of NT:58 (through the idea of collecting one's faculties); to waken (transitively or intransitively), i.e. rouse (literally, from sleep, from sitting or lying, from disease, from death; or figuratively, from obscurity, inactivity, ruins, nonexistence):
KJV - awake, lift (up), raise (again, up), rear up, (a-) rise (again, up), stand, take up.
(Thayer’s Greek Lexicon)
properly, rise, i. e. Up! Come!
1. to arouse from sleep, to awake (Acts 12:7)
2. to arouse from the sleep of death, to recall the dead to life (John 5:21)
3. in later usage generally to cause to rise, raise, from a seat, bed, etc.
a. of one sitting (John 11:29; Matthew 9:19)
b. of one reclining (John 13:4)
c. of one lying, to raise up (Acts 10:26)
d. of one "down" with disease, lying sick: active (Mark 9:27; Acts 3:7)
4. To raise up, produce, cause to appear
a. to cause to appear, bring before the public (Acts 13:23)
b. to raise up, incite, stir up, against one
c. to raise up, i. e. cause to be born (Matthew 3:9)
d. of buildings, to raise, construct, erect (John 2:19 f)
On the night He was betrayed, Jesus took with Him Peter, James and John to pray in the Garden of Gethsemane. At this point, when He was about to be taken away and crucified by those who hated Him, He said, “the hour [“a certain definite time or season”] is at hand.” The hour of Divine appointment was at hand when the betrayer was at hand. This was the reason He had come to us; to die in order to set us free from the bondage of sin. By the way, it wasn’t the wicked in the world who gave Him into their hands, but one among His own inner circle. This internal betrayal wouldn’t be, though, on man’s time, or even the devil’s, but at the proper time, the appointed time, the right time.
Not only was the Lord’s death at the appointed time, but so is man’s. Paul said that “it’s appointed once for a man to die and then comes judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). This is why, even when they wanted to arrest Jesus and kill Him, they couldn’t. He gave His life, willingly, for our sakes, when it was the time.
In his letter to Titus, Paul said;
“Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ for the faith of God's elect and the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness— a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time, and at his appointed season [2540- “proper time” in the NASU] he brought his word to light through the preaching entrusted to me by the command of God our Savior…”
(Titus 1:1-3/NIV)
It was at the “appointed season/proper time” that Paul was sent to bring God’s “word to light.” The same thing is happening in our day. His word, this very word is being revealed because it’s time for it to be.
Also, right after Jesus told the disciples that His hour had come, He then told them to get up. In the Greek it means, “Up! Come! to arouse from sleep, to recall the dead to life, to cause to appear.” Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance says, “to waken, i.e. rouse (literally, from sleep, from sitting or lying, from disease, from death; or figuratively, from obscurity, inactivity, ruins, nonexistence). I see in this, in type, the appointed time when, even though the Body of Christ is being betrayed by some of our own as Jesus was, that a remnant, like His inner circle of the three, will rise up from nonexistence before the public in the power of the Holy Spirit to lead His people into the ark of His deliverance. (See the section The Authority And Power Of The Voice Of God in the Bible study The Sound Of His Coming.)
John 16:21 – After telling His disciples that in a little while they would not see Him anymore, and then after a little while see Him again which they did (i.e. He appeared to them for a period of 40 days before His ascension), Jesus explained to them why their grief would be turned to joy. He compared their grief to a woman that is in labor with pain because her “hour/time/season” had come. He then said that, like the woman who gives birth, afterwards their grief would be turned to joy because of what they would then clearly understand (see the Bible study Contrary Winds which refers to the woman who was giving birth and in pain in Revelation 12:2). I believe this is the anguish and pain the faithful woman/Bride on earth is feeling today. It’s because the time is drawing near for her, as did Mary with Jesus, to give birth to the last day purpose of God, which is a final birthing (i.e. a revival of new birth) of children made in His image.
21 "Whenever a woman is in labor she has pain, because her hour [5610- “a certain definite time or season”] has come; but when she gives birth to the child, she no longer remembers the anguish because of the joy that a child has been born into the world.
NASU
John 17:1-3 – In His prayer, Jesus knew that His hour/time/season for His purpose on earth had come. It was through His death that He became the source of eternal life for all who would surrender their lives to Him, thereby coming to “know” Him.
1 Jesus spoke these things; and lifting up His eyes to heaven, He said, "Father, the hour [5610- “a certain definite time or season”] has come; glorify Your Son, that the Son may glorify You,
2 even as You gave Him authority over all flesh, that to all whom You have given Him, He may give eternal life.
3 "This is eternal life, that they may know [1097- “to learn to know, understand, perceive, to become acquainted with”] You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
NASU
Matthew 26:17-19 – In what many refer to as the last supper, which was actually the Passover meal, or seder which means “order,” Jesus gives instructions to His disciples on what to look for. He is telling us in this day what we are to look for as well. They were to say to the man within whose home they were to eat that the Lord’s “time” was near. That is the message within this study. Jesus’ time for His return is drawing near and, once again, He desires to eat of this meal with His disciples. The question is are you and I allowing the Lord to prepare within us a place for Him?
17 Now on the first day of Unleavened Bread the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Where do You want us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?"
18 And He said, "Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, 'The Teacher says, "My time [2540- see John 7:6 above for definition] is near; I am to keep the Passover at your house with My disciples."'"
19 The disciples did as Jesus had directed them; and they prepared the Passover.
NASU
Revelation 1:3 - John declares that there is a blessing for those who read and hear the words of the prophecy, and then heed, or keep (“to attend to carefully, take care of, to guard”) that which is written in it because “the time is near.” In both Daniel 9:2-3 (see page 4-5), and this Scripture, revelation knowledge and understanding from the Lord relating to the current spiritual time/season was revealed.
3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed [5083- see Rev. 22:7] the things which are written in it; for the time [2540] is near. [See Rev. 22:10]
NASU
Revelation 1:3
3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.
NKJV
NT:5083 tereo (tay-reh'-o)
(Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)
from teros (a watch; perhaps akin to NT:2334); to guard (from loss or injury, properly, by keeping the eye upon; and thus differing from NT:5442, which is properly to prevent escaping; and from NT:2892, which implies a fortress or full military lines of apparatus), i.e. to note (a prophecy; figuratively, to fulfil a command); by implication, to detain (in custody; figuratively, to maintain); by extension, to withhold (for personal ends; figuratively, to keep unmarried); by extension, to withhold (for personal ends; figuratively, to keep unmarried):
KJV - hold fast, keep (-er), (pre-, re-) serve, watch.
(Thayer’s Greek Lexicon)
to attend to carefully, take care of
a. properly, to guard: tina, a prisoner (Matthew 27:36,54)
b. metaphorically, to keep: tina, one in that state in which he is (1 Corinthians 7:37)
c. to observe: namely, poos k.t.l. (Revelation 3:3)
d. to reserve: to undergo something (2 Peter 2:4)
Revelation 3:2-3 – Jesus warns us to remain awake, as He did the disciples in the Garden of Gethsemane (see Matthew 26:45 above), so as to know the “definite time or season” when He will come to us.
2 'Wake up, and strengthen the things that remain, which were about to die; for I have not found your deeds completed in the sight of My God.
3 'So remember what you have received [2983- “to take with the hand, lay hold of, to claim, to make one’s own”] and heard; and keep it [5083- “to attend to carefully, take care of, to guard”], and repent. Therefore if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what hour [5610- “a certain definite time or season”] I will come to you.
NASU
Revelation 22:10 – In contrast to Daniel 12:9 when the Lord told him the message that he was receiving was “concealed and sealed until the end time,” John was told to not seal up the message he was receiving because the time was near, or at hand. I am seeing more these days out of this revelation given to John than ever before. I believe it’s because we are now in the time it refers to. In the past we made doctrines from that which had not yet been fully revealed. Teachings such as this one will check, and expose the pride of many within the leadership of the church today who believe they have all the knowledge they need, but are unwilling to repent.
10 And he said to me, "Do not seal up the words of the prophecy of this book, for the time [2540] is near.
NASU
Ecclesiastes 3:1 – Solomon declared that there was an “appointed time/season” for everything.
3 There is an appointed time [2165- “an appointed occasion, a set time, time”] for everything. And there is a time [6256- “time, proper time (see Luke 12:42 below)], for every event under heaven —
NASU
Ecclesiastes 3:1
3 To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven:
NKJV
Jeremiah 8:7 – God’s people do not know or recognize our appointed seasons when it is time to enter into the fulfillment of His word, at the proper time per the moment we are living in, or the “requirements” of the Lord which refers to His verdicts/decrees of justice. This study should help that. (See the Bible study Noah; A Sign Of The End regarding entering in.) The wise virgins hear the call to "Come out!" and do what is required.
7 Even the stork in the sky knows her appointed seasons [4150], and the dove, the swift and the thrush observe the time of their migration [935- “to go in, to enter, to come, to attain to”]. But my people do not know the requirements [4941- “a verdict (favorable or unfavorable) pronounced judicially, especially a sentence or formal decree, judgment, justice”] of the Lord.
NIV
OT:4150 mowed` (mo-ade'); or moed` (mo-ade'); or (feminine) mow`adah (2 Chron 8:13) (mo-aw-daw');
(Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)
from OT:3259; properly, an appointment, i.e. a fixed time or season; specifically, a festival; conventionally a year; by implication, an assembly (as convened for a definite purpose); technically the congregation; by extension, the place of meeting; also a signal (as appointed beforehand):
KJV - appointed (sign, time), (place of, solemn) assembly, congregation, (set, solemn) feast, (appointed, due) season [see Psalm 145:15, Matthew 24:45, Luke 12:42 (right below)], solemn (-ity), synogogue, (set) time (appointed).
(Brown Driver Briggs Hebrew Lexicon)
an appointed place, an appointed time, a meeting
a) an appointed time
1) an appointed time (in general)
2) a sacred season, a set feast, an appointed season
b) an appointed meeting
c) an appointed place
d) an appointed sign or signal [see the article The Signal]
e) the Tent of Meeting
Luke 12:39-44 – In this passage, Jesus’ gives us His promise to the faithful and sensible steward that is teaching the proper message at the “proper time” (an occasion, i.e. set or proper time, opportune or seasonable time) to God’s people. Many ministers are preaching everything but what they should for the time we are in. Their timing is off.
39 "But be sure of this, that if the head of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have allowed his house to be broken into.
40 "You too, be ready; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour that you do not expect."
41 Peter said, "Lord, are You addressing this parable to us, or to everyone else as well?"
42 And the Lord said, "Who then is the faithful and sensible steward, whom his master will put in charge of his servants, to give them their rations at the proper time [2540- “an occasion, i.e. set or proper time, opportune or seasonable time”; see full def. in John 7:6 above]? [KJV- “meat in due season”]
43 "Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes.
44 "Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions.
NASU
(This section is from the Bible study Jerusalem; The Throne Of The Lord.)
The Time For Our Ascension
Due to its geographical location on higher ground, notice that the direction is always termed as “upward” when referring to those going to Jerusalem. In fact, as the Israelites traveled to the temple in Jerusalem during the festivals, they would be singing a group of 15 Psalms (Psalms 120-134), known as the Songs of Ascent. The word “ascent” refers to their physical climb to the summit located on Mount Moriah, the site of the temple. In my article, Iwo Jima and the Flag Raising on Mount Suribachi, I speak of this being revealed through Lt. Schrier leading the 40-man American combat patrol up Mount Suribachi on the island of Iwo Jima to raise the standard/flag of our nation during WWII. In like manner, God’s army is now being called to ascend the hill of the Lord in this moment of history in order to raise His standard up for all to see and be gathered at (see Zephaniah 2:1-3 in the section Hidden In The Day Of Trouble in this Bible study). He is our rallying point, as well as the only place of peace and safety in the appointed time of His threshing of the wicked.
These Psalms are also known as Pilgrim Songs, Gradual Psalms, Songs of Degrees, Songs of Steps, and songs for going up to worship. As I just made reference to above, the Lord revealed to me that during the battle of Iwo Jima, the combat patrol led by Lt. Schrier up Mount Suribachi was a picture of our final ascent to meet the Lord at the place of His choosing. The name Schrier is “Jewish (Ashkenazic): from German Schreier, Yiddish Shrayer (‘shouter’), applied as a nickname for a noisy person, or, possibly, as an occupational name for a person whose duty it was to summon Jews to public worship.” (Familyserach.org) From this we can understand that we are now in that “appointed time,” like the festivals of the Lord, when God’s people are being summoned to “come upward” to the place of His choosing, on His Holy mountain, and worship Him. But like the children of Israel coming out of Egypt, it will take the strong arm of the Lord for us to be released from that which holds us in bondage.
Jesus’ final walk on earth upward to Calvary, bearing His cross before His ascension, is our walk. It is the present call of joining Christ in His death march to our flesh, so as to be joined together with Him in the likeness of His resurrection. As we hear and then do what the Spirit is saying to the church in this moment, victory is guaranteed, having been secured by the blood of Jesus at Calvary.
In his letter to the Colossian church, Paul says something that I believe is a picture for us that we must not miss in this, our “appointed time.” As mentioned above, Luke said of Jesus, “when the time had come for Him to be received up [His ascension], that He steadfastly [4741- “to make stable, place firmly, set fast, fix, to strengthen, make firm”] set His face to go to Jerusalem.” Our resolution to go “upward” in Christ, facing Him, or turned toward Him in this moment, joining Him in His cross-walk led by the Spirit, is the way being revealed by the Spirit for us to cross over.
Paul described the standard of God to the Colossian Christians;
“Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking [2212- “to seek in order to find, aim at, strive after”] the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind [5426- “to direct one’s mind to a thing, to seek or strive for, to feel, to think, to have understanding, be wise”] on the things above, not on the things that are on earth. For you have died and your life is hidden [2928- “to cover, to hide, conceal”] with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, is revealed, then you also will be revealed with Him in glory. Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience, and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them.
(Colossians 3:1-7/NASU)
This determination of the Lord to go to the place of His death, which involved the death of His will and desire, and to do what the Father desired (i.e. His will; “not My will be done, but Yours”), must be our mind-set as well at this “appointed time.” It was through His death that He was raised up. It is the same for us also.
I think there’s a dual meaning when Paul wrote that “the dead in Christ will rise first.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16) I believe a principle of who will go in the first wave among those in the church that are alive on earth when He returns is also seen within here. The “dead in Christ,” physically and spiritually speaking, will rise first, ahead of those who heard what the Spirit was saying to the church, but did not prepare their hearts accordingly.
So then, let us be determined in our walks, steadfastly setting our face to ascend to spiritual Jerusalem. Hearing the “upward” call of the Holy Spirit to, first, be baptized into His death (Romans 6:3-4), let us encourage one another to forsake all that would keep us from rising up. Again, I see in this the promise that not all in the church will rise at first, but only those who hear and do what our Commanding Officer is saying to HIS church. Our faithful obedience will create a way within His people for Him to triumphantly, and with great joy, meet them “in the air.” (1 Thessalonians 4:17)
The Joyful Sound Of The Trumpet
This revelation ties in with the symbolism of the Feast of Trumpets, Yom Teruah, which is now known to most Jewish people as Rosh Hashanah.
The Mystery Of The Feast Of Trumpets (Yom Teruah)
Leviticus 23:23-25 – There’s very little spoken by God regarding this “hidden,” mysterious feast. In fact, the verses below are all that describe it. I believe the mystery behind it, which has been argued by different rabbi’s and ministers for years, is now being revealed because the “appointed time” for its fulfillment draws near.
Notice that this feast was said to be on the seventh month. Now, the name of Yom Teruah, the Feast of Trumpets, has been changed to Rosh Hashanah, “beginning/head of the year,” as a new year celebration, based on the agricultural cycle. God had said that the month of Nisan, in the Spring was to be the first year (Exodus 12:2, Esther 3:7). So they not only changed the Divinely designated name of the feast, but also the order of God for the months, thereby losing the spiritual significance of it. To me, this is from the devil so as to hide God’s purpose through it.
23 Again the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
24 "Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, 'In the seventh month on the first of the month you shall have a rest [7677- a sabbath rest], a reminder [2146- “a memorial, a reminder, a remembrance (see Malachi 3:16 where it's interpreted as the “book of remembrance”)”] by blowing of trumpets [8643- same definition as 7321 in Psalm 47:1 right below], a holy convocation [i.e. a sacred assembly].
25 'You shall not do any laborious work, but you shall present an offering by fire [i.e. burnt offering] to the Lord.'"
NASU
Psalm 47 – See the note below.
1 O clap your hands, all peoples; Shout [7321- “to shout, to raise a sound, to cry out, to shout a war-cry or an alarm for battle”] to God with the voice of joy [7440- “a ringing cry, used of entreaty, supplication, in proclamation, joy, praise”]. [See Isaiah 61:7]
2 For the Lord Most High is to be feared, a great King over all the earth.
3 He subdues peoples under us and nations under our feet.
4 He chooses our inheritance for us, the glory of Jacob whom He loves. Selah.
5 God has ascended with a shout [8643], the Lord, with the sound [6963- “a voice, a sound, a noise”] of a trumpet [7782- “the shofar”]. [This event of God’s ascension is the same as what Paul describes when the Lord descends, at His return. See 1 Thessalonians 4:16 below.]
6 Sing praises to God, sing praises; Sing praises to our King, sing praises.
7 For God is the King of all the earth; Sing praises with a skillful psalm.
8 God reigns over the nations, God sits on His holy throne.
9 The princes [5081- “inclined, a willing spirit, noble (in mind and character), generous”] of the people have assembled themselves as the people of the God of Abraham, for the shields [4043- “a shield, buckler (see def. below)”] of the earth belong to God; He is highly exalted.
NASU
OT:8643 teruw`ah (ter-oo-aw')
(Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)
from OT:7321; clamor, i.e. acclamation of joy or a battle-cry; especially clangor of trumpets, as an alarum:
KJV - alarm, blow (-ing) (of, the) (trumpets), joy, jubilee, loud noise, rejoicing, shout (-ing), (high, joyful) sound (-ing).
(Brown Driver Briggs Hebrew Lexicon)
an alarm, a signal, a sound of tempest, a shout, a shout or blast of war or alarm or joy
a) an alarm of war, a war-cry, a battle-cry
b) a blast (for marching)
c) a shout of joy (with religious impulse)
d) a shout of joy (in general)
Buckler
“In ancient times, shields were very large, they were used to hide behind during an attack, usually from arrows or spears that were being thrown by the enemy. But the buckler was a small shield that usually fit on the wrist or forearm of the soldier and was used in hand-to-hand combat… The buckler is much lighter and can be used in faster, more aggressive fencing without the shoulder becoming too tired from the shield being held with an extended arm.”
This Psalm of the sons of Korah celebrates the Kingship of God over “all the earth.” He is the One who “reigns over the nations.” It mentions a “shout,” taken from the Hebrew word teruah (as in Yom Teruah; the Feast of Trumpets), and “the sound of the trumpet.” These are the exact words used by Paul in 1 Thessalonians 4:16 (see right below) when he speaks of those in the church who are “alive and remain” and will be “caught up” together with the “dead in Christ who will rise first,” in order to “meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.” The major difference, though, is that Paul refers to the Lord descending from heaven, while David speaks of His ascension. Along with other passages of Scripture that we will discuss, this is why I believe the “snatching away” of the Bride of Christ is pictured, in type, through the symbolism of the Feast of Trumpets (as well as the return of Christ in judgment on the Day of Atonement).
Will it actually occur on one of the two days that this feast is held? We’ll see, but personally I don’t see why not knowing the timeliness of God that occurred in the fulfillment of the Spring feasts (i.e. Passover and Pentecost) through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
As I just mentioned, the Feast of Trumpets is actually a two-day event. The reason for this is because of the difficulty of determining the date of the new moon. The following excerpt is from the article “Why Rosh Hashanah Is Two Days,” by Eliyahu Kitov;
“Rosh Hashanah is observed as a two-day holiday, on the first and second of Tishrei, even though the Torah ordains only one day, as the verse (Vayikra 23:24) states: And in the seventh month, on the first of the month, you shall observe a cessation of work - a day of remembrance, of the sounding of the shofar. The first day of Rosh Hashanah can fall only on the following days: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, or Shabbat. This regulation is an ordinance of the Sages.
The Talmud Yerushalmi (Eruvin 3:9) notes that our two-day celebration of Rosh Hashanah is an enactment of the early Prophets, who established it for the following reason. During the period of the Prophets, the sanctification of the months was dependent upon hearing the testimony of witnesses who had seen the new moon… The two-day celebration of Rosh Hashanah is referred to as yoma arichta - a long day; i.e., the forty-eight hour observance of Rosh Hashanah is considered one extended day.”
I hear the voices of objection rising up, saying, “Yes, but Jesus said in His parable of the wise and foolish virgins, concerning the timing of the wedding feast (i.e. “a wedding or marriage festival”), that we should, “Be on the alert then, for you do not know the day nor the hour.” (Matthew 25:13) Right before this parable, while discussing the “sign” of His coming again, He told His disciples, “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.” (Matthew 24:36) Ok then, we should, at the very least, be “on the alert” (Luke 12:35-38), recognizing the time, or season that we now find ourselves in. The Jewish people missed it the first time Christ came as “King over all the earth,” causing them to be severely judged 40 years later by the Romans (Luke 19:28-44). Why should the Lord’s people be exempt today for the same lack of recognition at His second coming? As we’ll see next, though, there is a very interesting name the Jewish people have given to this feast that reveals much of what has been “hidden” from them and us within the church today.
“Why Is the Feast of Trumpets Known as the ‘Hidden’ Day”
(“Understanding the Feast of Trumpets (Yom Teruah)” by Karen Engle, ICEJ USA Managing Editor; https://icejusa.org/2023/08/02/understanding-the-feast-of-trumpets-yom-teruah/)
“Yom Teruah was to be celebrated on the first day of the seventh Hebrew month (known as Tishri in Hebrew), our September/October. In biblical times, a Hebrew month was either 29 or 30 days, and determining those days depended on the moon cycle. As the moon began to wane from the previous month (Elul, in Hebrew), anyone watching the evening sky could know the general time frame that the next month, Tishri, would begin—they just didn’t know the exact day. Once two witnesses confirmed that the first sliver of the new moon was visible [see my note below in the next article concerning the two witnesses necessary for confirmation], the month of Tishri began—and thus, the first fall feast: Yom Teruah. Because the exact start of Yom Teruah was unknown, several other idioms for this feast developed over time, two of which are “The Hidden Day” and “The Day and the Hour No Man Knows.”
Yom HaKeseh: The Hidden Day (Yom Teruah)
“In Psalm 27:5 it is written, ‘For in the time of trouble He shall hide me in His pavilion; in the secret of His tabernacle shall He hide me; He shall set me up upon a rock.’
Yet another name for Rosh HaShanah is Yom HaKeseh [hake’-say], ‘The Day of the Hiding’ or ‘the Hidden Day.’ The term keseh or keceh is derived from the Hebrew root kacah, which means to ‘conceal, cover, or hide.’ Every day during the month of Elul, a trumpet is blown to warn the people to turn back to G-d, except for the thirtieth day of Elul, the day preceding Rosh HaShanah.
On that day the trumpet is not blown, and is therefore silent. This is because much about Rosh HaShanah is concealed and shrouded in mystery. The mystical aspect of Rosh HaShanah is indicated in Scripture: ‘Sound the shofar on the New Moon, in concealment of the day of our festival.’ (Psalm 81:3)…
Believers never said when the day of Rosh HaShanah was; they simply said, "Of that day and hour no one knows, only the Father."
One of the reasons most often given to disclaim that the resurrection of the dead and the catching away of the believers is on Rosh HaShanah, is the statement given by Yeshua in Matthew 24:36, as it is written, "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but My Father only." Because Rosh HaShanah was understood to be the hidden day, this statement by Yeshua is actually an idiom for Rosh Hashanah. Thus, it should be given as proof that He was speaking of Rosh HaShanah because Rosh HaShanah is the only day in the whole year that was referred to as the hidden day or the day that no man knew.
Rosh HaShanah takes place on the new moon. Colossians 2:16-17 says that the new moon will teach about the Messiah. The Jewish (biblical) month is based upon a lunar cycle. The moon can barely be seen as the cycle begins. But then the moon turns toward the sun [repentance] and begins to reflect the light of the sun. The sun in the sky is a picture of Yeshua (Malachi 4:2), and the moon is a picture of the believers in the Messiah. The sun has its own light, but the moon's light is a reflection of the sun.
When we first become believers in Yeshua, we can hardly be seen spiritually, and we know very little about G-d. But then our lives begin to revolve around the Messiah as the moon revolves around the sun. As we begin to turn more and more toward the center of creation, we begin to reflect that light (Yeshua) more and more, just as the moon reflects the light from the center of the solar system.”
Reflecting The Light
One of the definitions for the Greek word we interpret as “grace” is, “the divine influence upon the heart and its reflection in the life.” Also, “grace, indicating favor on the part of the giver.” This is the favor of God granted to those who repent, in particular at the end of this age, and are spared from His wrath.
The moon goes through eight phases each month. The next phase after the new moon is called the “waxing crescent”;
“A waxing crescent is a lunar phase that occurs when the moon's illuminated half faces away from Earth, with only a small portion visible from Earth. The moon appears as a sliver of silver, and the fraction of the moon's disk that is illuminated increases. The word ‘crescent’ comes from a Latin word that means ‘to grow.’”
Notice that it’s a sliver of light being reflected off the moon, from the Sun. A turning from darkness toward the light. Merriam-Webster defines sliver as “a long slender piece cut or torn off; a small and narrow portion.” This sounds like a picture of the remnant, the “narrow gate” disciples that Jesus spoke of; “For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” (Matthew 7:14) For the Father to declare that the “new thing” (Isaiah 48:5-6) revealed through the prophetic fulfillment of the final feasts has begun, He must see the two witnesses of His Son’s light being reflected in a “few” of His children that have turned towards Him, after a time of prevailing darkness. I see the dawning of a new day when a sliver of light begins to grow in the rising of the sons of God, thereby overpowering the darkness.
The Waxing And Waning Crescent Moon
Within the eight phases of the moon, “waxing” and “waning” are used as a prefix for the different cycles;
Waxing – The moon appears to get larger and receive more sunlight as it progresses from a new moon to a full moon. During this phase, the moon's shape changes, starting as a crescent during the first quarter and then growing until it's full.
Waning – The moon appears to get smaller and receive less sunlight as it progresses from a full moon to a new moon. During this phase, the moon's illuminated area decreases and takes on a crescent shape. The moon spends about half of its 29.5-day lunar cycle in a waning phase, or roughly 14 days.
As the light increases on the face of the moon, the crescent disappears. And as the light decreases, the crescent reappears, right before the darkness. While the Ottoman Empire ruled the Muslim world, the star and crescent were adopted as the symbol of Islam;
“The crescent is usually associated with Islam and regarded as its symbol. The crescent and star had been used by royalty in the Sassanid Persian Empire, so it was adopted for similar uses by Umayyad Caliphate Muslims after the Rashidun Caliphate's conquest of the region. However, the symbol only came into widespread use after it was associated with the Ottoman Empire [it was on their flag], who took it from being the symbol of Constantinople after their takeover of the city. By extension from the use in Ottoman lands, it became a symbol also for Islam as a whole…”
Today, because of the decrease in the light of God through Christianity, Islam is increasing worldwide.
On the fourth day of creation, God created two great lights to govern, or have dominion over the day and the night;
“Then God said, ‘Let there be lights [3974- “a luminous body; light-bearer”] in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs [226- “a sign, a signal, a distinguishing mark, a banner (flag), remembrance, a warning”] and for seasons [4150 (mo‘ed)- “an appointment, i.e. a fixed time or season; specifically, a festival”] and for days and years; and let them be for lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth’; and it was so. God made the two great lights [3974], the greater light to govern [4475- “rule, dominion, a realm”] the day, and the lesser light to govern [4475] the night; He made the stars also. God placed them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, and to govern [4475] the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness; and God saw that it was good. There was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.”
(Genesis 1:14-19/NASU)
The sun was made to rule over the day, while the moon was created by God to rule over the night. These lights were “a luminous body” to separate the day from the night, for signs and seasons, and for days and years. As the body of Christ, we are also a “luminous body” on earth, given as a sign to those living in darkness. The problem, though, is that, through disobedience, we do not allow our light to shine. The increase of darkness is ALWAYS due to the absence of light, an absence of God’s light shining upon the earth through His light-bearers.
Notice also that these lights were for “signs” and “seasons” which are associated with the appointed seasons for the feasts of the Lord. These appointed gatherings of God’s people were set by Him to remind us of our covenant relationship.
The Moon God
“Many cultures have had moon gods, including Mesopotamian, Celtic, and African:
Sin – The Mesopotamian moon god, also known as Nanna in Sumerian and Su-en in Akkadian. Sin was the son of Enlil, the Lord of the Air, and Ninlil, the Goddess of Grain. He was married to Ningal, the reed goddess, and was the father of Shamash, the sun god, Ishtar, the goddess of Venus, and Iskur, the god of rain and thunderstorms. Sin was often depicted as an old man with a beard and a headdress of four horns and a crescent moon. He was associated with cattle herds in the lower Euphrates River marshes and was said to control the growth of reeds, the rise of waters, and the fertility and prosperity of cowherds.
Selene – In Greek mythology, Selene is the goddess of the moon and the moon's personification. Her name is pronounced ‘seh-LEH-neh’ and means ‘Moon’ in Greek. She is often depicted as a beautiful woman with long hair, a crescent moon crown, and sometimes small horns and golden wings. She is also known as Mene.
Selene is the daughter of the Titans Hyperion and Theia, and the sister of the sun god Helios and the dawn goddess Eos. She is often depicted driving a chariot across the sky with the moon in tow, or riding a horse sidesaddle. In various myths, she has several lovers, including Zeus, Pan, and the mortal Endymion. She is also associated with the Greek goddesses Artemis and Hecate.
Selene was worshipped during the new and full moons. In Roman art and literature, her myths are adapted under the name Luna, and the myth of Endymion was a popular subject for Roman wall paintings. In post-classical times, Selene was often identified with Artemis, similar to how Helios was identified with Apollo.”
Revelation 12:1-2 – John talks about “a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet.” The woman is said to be figurative of Israel who gave birth to Christ. I believe that she is also a picture of the bride of Christ at the end of this age who will give birth to those who, like Jesus, will be swept up to God and His throne. We are told that, after giving birth, she flees into the wilderness where she had a place prepared by God for her to safely dwell in for 1,260 days, or 3-1/2 years (v.5-6).
1 A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun [i.e. full of light], and the moon under her feet [a picture of her authority], and on her head a crown of twelve stars;
2 and she was with child; and she cried out [2896- “to cry or call out aloud, speak with a loud voice”], being in labor and in pain to give birth.
NASU
In the last verse of Psalm 47 above, the psalmist declares, “The princes [5081- “inclined, a willing spirit, noble (in mind and character), generous”] of the people have assembled themselves as the people of the God of Abraham, for the shields [4043- “a shield, i.e. the small one or buckler (see the def. below); fig. a protector”] of the earth belong to God; He is highly exalted.” It appears that the noble among God’s people, those who belong to Him, that are His princes who are found worthy of their calling (Luke 21:36), will be used to protect the earth when He is reigning.
(continued in part 3...)
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