This post includes a Bonus posted as a separate audio file (see below)
1Peter 5:8 “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:”
The transcript for the Bonus extension program with expert witnesses is at the end of the main transcript below. Listen to the recording here…
We are in a war. More people than ever are awaking to the reality of that. And as we do, we realize there are key elements of warfare – especially spiritual warfare – that every soldier must be constantly attentive to. As Jesus trained his 12 and his 70, and his 120 disciples – learning to work in harmony with each other – so, He is training His modern-day warriors to seek God’s direction, to intercede, to boldly speak up… to cooperatively work together under the guidance of the Holy Spirit… to prayerfully and courageously pursue the expanding work of God’s Kingdom, against which the gates of hell cannot prevail.
How do you restore a fallen country, culture, society?
Prayerful Education of Christians must begin with parents and pastors to restore a fallen country
Is there any doubt that we’re living in “perilous times?”
Proverbs 29:2 says:
“When the righteous are increased (or flourish in number and authority), the people rejoice; But when the wicked (man) rules, the people groan.”
Is it any wonder we’re hearing a lot of groaning these days? And it’s not so much because of the ordinary stresses of life really, is it? A lot of our complaining is the direct result of governing over-reach into the private affairs of citizens. From where does corruption in political government come? Isn’t it from the infection of every nation or organization that is ruled by self-serving leaders? But the policing part of the public government equation is increasingly necessary only because of the epidemic lack of Godly morality and self-control among the public at large. George Washington, John Adams and others insisted that those two things were absolutely essential for the preservation of our constitutional republic.
Solving the Confusion over The Days celebrating Easter and Passover
Sometimes, the celebration dates of Passover and Easter coincide, but sometimes they can be weeks apart. Why is this? If Yeshua died at the time of the Jewish Passover, why does the institutionalized Christian church celebrate his death and resurrection on a different date of the year? How did they get separated?
For many Christians, Easter Sunday is the annual celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ three days after his death. The Gospel writers are very clear that His crucifixion took place at the Jewish observance of Passover. Christians understand the prophetic symbolism of the Passover sacrifice. In fact, Paul writes that “Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed” (1 Corinthians 5:7). How is it then, that this year (2024) Easter, on March 31, occurs three weeks before Passover on April 22?
Establishing the Date for Passover
Both Easter and Passover appear to be on dates that change every year according to our modern Gregorian calendars. However, Passover is actually a fixed date on the Hebrew calendar – according to the Bible it is always on the evening of the fourteenth day of the first month (Leviticus 23:5 and others). The date never changes; it is always the same. We just need to know when it is the first Hebrew month.
In the Jewish community, this is not an issue. In the fourth century AD, a calculated calendar system was developed, attributed to Rabbi Hillel II, establishing the months of the Hebrew calendar. The month for Passover must be in the spring of the year, but a year of twelve lunar months only consists of about 354 days while the cycle of the sun, determining the seasons, is about 365 days. To compensate for this discrepancy and to keep all of the Biblical festivals in their correct agricultural season, the Hillel calendar uses a system of adding a “leap month” about every three years.
It may sound a little odd, but since the Jewish calendar begins with the seventh month and ends with the following sixth month, the thirteenth “leap month” actually occurs in the middle of the Jewish year, right before the first month and Passover. According to the calendar, this year of 5784 will be a leap year with a leap month. That means that all the remaining months in the year 5784 will seem later when compared to the Gregorian calendar.
According to the encyclopedia Britannica, the Gregoriancalendar, solar dating system, that is now in general use, was proclaimed in 1582 by Roman Catholic Pope Gregory XIII as a reform of the Julian calendar. TheGregoriancalendar differs from the Julian only in that no century year is a leap year unless it is exactly divisible by 400 (e.g., 2000). Nearly all Eastern Orthodox churches still use the Julian calendar to establish the dates of movable feasts such as Easter. The current discrepancy between the Julian and Gregorian calendars is 13 days. However, the difference will become 14 days in 2100.
Does this seem Confusing? Maybe. Among those pursuing a Biblical faith there is considerable debate. The calendar is one of the two most passionately contested controversies in this movement. And since the Bible doesn’t specifically say “this is how you know it is the first day of the first month of the year,” various interpretations of Biblical and extra-Biblical texts have led to a number of proposed methods. It is not my intention here to defend one over the other. Just know that, according to the Torah, the date for Passover is fixed as the fourteenth day of the first month. And that first moon-month began on the day of the new moon in the springtime of the year when the Exodus of God’s people called Israel happened in Egypt, about 3500 years ago.
Establishing the Date for Easter
The timing of Easter does, in fact, vary from year to year on our calendar. Easter is not mentioned in the Bible. (Acts 12:4 in the King James Version is a well-known mistranslation of the word Pascha, correctly rendered as Passover in nearly all other translations, as well as all the other 28 times that the word appears in the New Testament).
After the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, the Jerusalem Council of apostles and bishops began to lose their authority as moderator of the expanding Christian faith and the guardian of church traditions. Church authority began to shift westward to Rome, the capital of the Empire. This transition was completed in the aftermath of the failed Second Jewish Revolt against Rome in AD 132-135. That ended the long line of Jewish-Christian leadership that began in Jerusalem, influencing the eastern churches of Asia Minor in the east. By the end of the second century, a controversy arose that pitted the western churches around Rome against those of the east. On which day was it most appropriate to commemorate the resurrection?
Easter began to be instituted after the final collapse of Jewish influence in AD 135. In AD 155 Polycarp (AD 69-156) Bishop of Smyrna and disciple of the Apostle John, strongly holding to the Biblical pattern of celebrating the Levitical feasts, met in Rome with Anicetus, Bishop of Rome, to resolve this controversy. Neither would budge from his position and it is reported by Eusebius that Irenaeus (ca. AD 125-202), Bishop of Lyon and a student of Polycarp got them to peacefully agree to disagree. Those who maintained the Passover evening celebration were mainly the original churches founded by the Apostles. As the second century generation passed, the eastern churches refused to give in to Roman influence, insisting that they would keep the Passover tradition of the Apostles. Victor, the Bishop of Rome, attempted to excommunicate them. Around AD 190 Victor attempted to standardize the celebration of the resurrection around Easter. In 325AD, Roman Emperor Constantine convened the Council of Nicaea where the date for Easter was set as the Sunday following the full moon following the Spring equinox. (see: https://www.jewishawareness.org/passover-easter-and-the-early-church/)
So, whatever their motivation, the Roman bishops influenced the western churches to celebrate Easter according to the day of the week rather than the date of the month. According to their reckoning, by prioritizing the days they could then have Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday every year.
Yet, even that is not without controversy. The equinox used in this method is not based on astronomical observance. It was determined to always be March 21, while the full moon is 14 days after the new moon. The disagreement between the Roman church and the Eastern church led to them observing different dates for Easter Sunday almost 75% of the time. In fact, in 2024 the Roman church is observing Easter on March 31 while the Eastern church is observing it on May 5 (which still does not seem to relate to Passover).
There’s no doubt that the word “Easter” comes from a pagan celebration. It is true that “Ostara,” one of the eight annual pagan holidays, occurs at the vernal (spring) equinox, and that this is associated with fertility, the practice of coloring eggs, and myths about rabbits and eggs. However, the date selected to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus by the Nicaean Council – the first Sunday after the full moon after the equinox – has no direct connection to any pagan history. Certainly, no Christian who gathers for a sunrise service on Easter is either knowingly or unknowingly paying homage to the invincible sun god or the goddess of fertility. It is a sincere celebration by Christians to honor their risen Savior.
The Underlying Reason
The reason behind the Council of Nicaea deciding on the date for celebrating the resurrection runs far deeper than simply adapting a Christian meaning to an already existing pagan festival. The timing was already clear in the Gospel accounts: It was the first day of the week following Passover. But in the fourth century the Roman church under Emperor Constantine made a conscious decision to divorce itself from anything Jewish. This Council set a new foundational date for Easter, out of which would eventually come a liturgical calendar including Good Friday, Maundy Thursday, and a full Passion Week beginning with Palm Sunday. Yahweh’s appointed times of Passover, the Feasts of Unleavened Bread and First Fruits, were no longer deemed important.
In the first centuries after Yeshua, the early disciples naturally remembered his death and resurrection every Passover, which was when it happened. And rightly so, since the Passover feast was designed from its outset to foretell the redemptive sacrifice of the Messiah. It is laden with symbolism all pointing to Yeshua, and how his death and blood would purchase our freedom, forcing death to “pass over” us as it did for the faithful Israelites who daubed the blood of the lamb on their door frames. But as the years went by, the Messianic community of Jews became increasingly dominated by Gentiles. Gentile leaders grew weary of depending upon the rabbinic authorities for the right date on which to commemorate this important event. Relations between the Rabbinic Jewish community and the Christians had deteriorated significantly by this point, and there was a lot of hostility in both directions. Finally, after over 200 years, the Western church leaders in Rome decided, at the Council of Nicaea in 325AD, to take matters into their own hands:
Here is what they wrote at the time, according to the ancient historian, Eusebius, in his [2] Letter of the Emperor to all those not present at the Council: (Vita Const., Lib. iii., 18-20) See if you can hear the bitterness in the fracture of those church leaders of the time.
“It was declared to be particularly unworthy for this, the holiest of all festivals, to follow the custom [the calculation] of the Jews, who had soiled their hands with the most fearful of crimes, and whose minds were blinded. In rejecting their custom, we may transmit to our descendants the legitimate mode of celebrating Easter…
We ought not, therefore, to have anything in common with the Jews, for the Savior has shown us another way…. We desire, dearest brethren, to separate ourselves from the detestable company of the Jews.”2
Eusebius, in his [2] Letter of the Emperor to all those not present at the Council: (Vita Const., Lib. iii., 18-20)
If these words are not shocking to you, they should be! The Nicaean Council decided that they would celebrate a separate festival on the first new moon after the Spring Equinox (the Spring Equinox is always March 21st in the Gregorian Calendar) to make a deliberate break with the people of Israel.
It bears reiterating that Easter is not found in the Bible even once. Again, the King James Version erroneously translates the word Pascha (from the Aramaic for Passover) to Easter in Acts 12:4. The English word “Easter” comes from “Eostre”, and was co-opted for the name of the new festival to celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus—which was categorically NOT Passover.
THE IMPLICATIONS, AND THE SITUATION TODAY
It’s truly heartbreaking that such animosity developed between the Jewish and Christian communities under the domination of the Roman Empire in the 4th Century. It led to a ripping away of Yeshua’s followers from the roots of the tree that they had been grafted into. The institutional Christian religion decided to separate themselves – and all Christian people under their system – not just from the people of Israel, but also from God’s Biblical festivals. Those HOLY days (holidays) of celebration were deliberately created by God to help us appreciate more about His plan of redemption. Passover was God’s initiative. He devised each detail of it on purpose. Just because the Bible doesn’t specifically say that we are judged for not celebrating the Passover, doesn’t mean that we don’t miss out on many treasures that God placed in his word for us to learn from. It’s really more than disgraceful that the Nicaean Council decided on behalf of all Christians from that time onward that Passover had no relevance for them.
Not only were Christians cut off from the roots of their faith—their heritage, God’s own feasts, laid out in their own Bible—but also the message of Yeshua became more and more obscured and alien to the Jewish people. The church became a foreign, gentile “no-go-zone” for Jews. The two were severed apart, and the evil root of antisemitism crept into Christianity. To the discredit of the global “church” – called to be Ambassadors for Yeshua our Messiah – for much of church history, the ethnic Jewish people were persecuted, tortured and murdered at the hands of Christians for simply being Jewish. This happened especially at Easter times, when angry mobs would rage against those they considered to be “Christ killers”.3 Most Christians have no idea about the scale to which this sad statement is true—it’s not something that is taught in Sunday School or even church history classes. There is a real gap of information between the people of Israel and the church, and we’ve been separated so long that we have a lot of catching up to do!
[3] “A “Yerushalmi”, i.e. someone who lived in the Old City of Jerusalem before the State of Israel was declared, once told me that in this part of the world they would barricade their doors on Easter Sunday, knowing that the traditional Christian procession would often end in rioting against the local Jews. Communal Jewish history is made up of commandments, holidays and customs, but also of this type of memory.” Rochel Sylvetsky, israelnationalnews.com, 31/12/17. For a very brief taste of some of the horrors that have happened throughout history, see this concise chart: http://www.hearnow.org/caljp.html . For a more thorough understanding of the attitude of the church fathers towards the Jews, see this article: https://oneforisrael.org/bible-based-teaching-from-israel/has-the-church-replaced-israel/
Near the top of that list in 135AD, we learn that the Roman Emperor Hadrian proclaimed his edict against all Jews, including Messianic believers. They were forbidden to practice circumcision, the reading of the Law, eating of unleavened bread at Passover or any Jewish festival. Violating this edict meant the death penalty.
The actions of the Council of Nicaea are a continuation of the division of Israel following the idolatry of King Solomon. They divorced the church from anything Jewish.
[If you are not familiar with the separation of the two houses of Israel, you can read Larry’s series of articles here: Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3. In the previous paragraph, he intentionally used the phrase “divorced itself from anything Jewish.”]
Those of us growing up in the Christian churches have suffered the effects of that divorce for more than 1600 years – longer than the time between the exodus from Egypt and the first advent of the Messiah.
The author of our source for today’s Reclaiming Your Legacy show (Larry) quoted a profoundly pertinent observation from the book The Bridge: Crossing Over Into the Fullness of Covenant Life by Tyler Dawn Rosenquist. Listen to what she describes, that I too had never heard before.
To me, knowing the history of the fourth century CE – that Rome forcibly legislated the removal of Christians out of the synagogues and Torah keepers out of the assemblies of Messiah – Christians celebrating Christmas and Easter seem very much like children celebrating the consequences of having a broken home. Without the Christians, the Jews lost their Messiah and without the Jews, the Christians lost their inheritance. It’s like a child celebrating the absence of a parent who wasn’t even a bad parent. Christmas and Easter happened because of a broken home, and that grieves me – it doesn’t make me want to celebrate. At one point all believers in Yeshua were called Nazarene Jews, for hundreds of years – Rome robbed us of a stable home life.
The Apostle Peter, after healing the lame man in Jerusalem soon after the first New Testament “Day of Pentecost,” charged his listeners to repent. Then he said that “Jesus, the Christ” is “appointed for you, whom heaven must receive until the period of “restoration of all things” (Acts 3:21).
It seems that a measure of that restoration is taking place in our day. The followers of Yeshua (Jesus) are returning to “the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints” (Jude 3). There was no Easter when those words were penned. The disciples observed the appointed times of God, established in His Torah (as the Moedim), that you can read about in Leviticus chapter 23.
As we get back to honoring this today, the man-made/church-made holidays that replaced God’s “appointed times” (Moedim or ‘seasons’) become less and less significant, sometimes even repulsive. For some, the transition is quick and easy. For others, it may be more difficult and take a little longer. The Holy Spirit will deal with those who are seeking truth, and it is not necessary for us to “help” in ways that too often come across as harsh or condemning.
This year, 2024, Passover on the Jewish calendar happens three weeks after the Christian Easter. Why? Because historically the Christian church has rejected the Hebraic roots of the faith. We do not advocate for the correctness of either date; I am only pointing out that this year the Gospel story reflected in these celebrations is out of order. It will happen again in 2027, then not again until 2035. This year, questions will be raised, and we need to have answers – answers that draw us and those we talk with into a deeper walk, a deeper obedience, and a deeper relationship with the Messiah. It’s time to end the division and seek restoration and reconciliation.
Another big confusion that resulted from the dictates of Roman church bishops in the fourth century is about the introduction of “Good Friday.”
It’s natural to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection, but the idea of a Friday crucifixion is a major incorrect tradition that was established by the Roman institutional church.
Most of us in modern church traditions have been unknowingly influenced by much lack of knowledge of historical and cultural backgrounds. It’s unfortunate that many well-meaning evangelicals take such hard positions without being Bereans to “test all things” and realize we all suffer from a “lack of knowledge” in many areas. Our opinions must not be presented as ‘dogmas’ when careful diligence in research exposes glaring inconsistencies that can make our positions embarrassing. Jesus meant exactly what He said in Matthew 12:40. Three days and three nights can never mean only one full day and two nights.
JEWS AND GENTILES DRAW TOGETHER IN YESHUA
We live in exciting days. The last century has seen some colossal steps forward in healing the terrible rift between Jews and Gentiles. Christian ministries to Jews report that more Jewish people have come to believe in Yeshua as Messiah in the last 19 years than in the previous 19 centuries combined! Remarkably, many Gentile believers are now taking more interest in the Jewish foundations of their faith. Many churches now hold Passover seders, explaining more about the Biblical Feast of Unleavened Bread, beginning with Passover, and ending with the feast of First Fruits. There has been much more appreciation of the people of ethnic and religious Israel since the Bible became widely translated and published in the last few centuries.
We are destined to become “One New Man” in Messiah, and this is a destiny at which God will make absolutely sure that we arrive. His Son, Yeshua, will have only one bride, not two! It’s important to remember what Yeshua’s death and resurrection actually accomplished and meant. As Paul urges us in his letter to the gentile church in Colossae… (Colossians 2:14-17)…
“When you were dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive, together with Him, when He pardoned us all our transgressions. He wiped out the handwritten record of debts with the decrees against us, which was hostile to us. He took it away by nailing it to the cross. After disarming the principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in the cross.
Therefore, do not let anyone pass judgment on you in matters of food or drink, or in respect to a festival or new moon or Shabbat. These are a foreshadowing of things to come, but the reality is Messiah.”
Colossians 2:14-17
See the Reclaiming Your Legacy episode, “Since Christ is Our Passover why do Christians celebrate Easter?” at https://reclaimyourlegacy.com/2024/03/30/since-christ-is-our-passover-why-do-christians-celebrate-easter/. There are some long held secrets, waiting to be discovered in what is shared in that broadcast. Listen closely because we’re exploring several “caverns” of Bible History that most of our Christian peers have never heard before in their lives.
Some thoughts on “Why Does Easter Come Before Passover?”
The Rabbinic Jewish calendar has a slight solar drift that causes it, in 3 years out of every 19, to set Unleavened Bread at the second full moon after the equinox. This year, 2024, is one of those years. Meanwhile the Gregorian lunar calendar sets Eastertide to the first full moon after the equinox where, according to Josephus, Passover was celebrated in the 1st century.
Eastern Orthodox Christian’s Pascha is always after Passover. It is part of the formula and the use of the Julian Calendar.
Churches all over the world are often accustomed to proclaiming on the day we call “Easter”, “The Lord is Risen… followed by the refrain, “The Lord (or He) is risen INDEED!” This is the message of Resurrection Sunday. In the Bible, it was the celebrated ‘feast day’ of First Fruits, following the Feast Day of Passover and the Feast Day of Unleavened Bread. The people of Yahweh – the Israelites from the time of Moses, down through 15 centuries, to the time of Jesus and His disciples 2000 years ago – celebrated these appointed, HOLY, Feast days… HOLY Days… Holidays. That’s where we get the word – Holiday.
There is no doubt in the mind of any true believer that Jesus the Messiah – the Anointed LORD sent by the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Israel) – is the central theme of the whole Bible.
Psalm 40:7 “Then I said, ‘Behold I come; in the scroll of the book, it is written of me.’”
Genesis 1:14 “And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:”
The word used in Genesis 1:14 – seasons – is wrongly translated. It’s the Hebrew word “MOEDIM”… What does that mean? Appointedtimes of the Lord. It has nothing to do with seasons like we think of spring, summer, autumn and winter. God put the lights in the firmament of the heaven so we could know when these appointed times – these MOEDIM – are to be celebrated.
Did you count all five of the purposes that the Creator designed for the luminaries of the firmament?
The last two are days “days” and “years.” The first one is “to divide the day from the night.” For the most part those three purposes make the most sense to us because we easily relate to the difference between the appearance of the day and night sky. The idea of “years” reflects the annual cycle of the Earth around the sun. We see the grand display of the constant rotation of the 12 major constellations used by astronomers from Adam’s son Seth and Great grandson, Enoch, down through time… to identify the passage of each year.
I looked up the word “signs” to see what I could learn from the original Hebrew language about it. There the King James translation into English does a fair job. We think of signs the way we describe a message used to inform us about something coming just ahead of our field of vision. A stop sign conveys a clear message. A directional sign or street sign helps us navigate our path. But most modern people today have not been told that our Creator deliberately positioned the stars on His celestial “canvas” to communicate as sign posts and even gave them names. Isaiah 40:26 says:
“Lift up your eyes on high and see; who created these? He who brings out their host by number, calling them all by name; by the greatness of his might and because he is strong in power, not one is missing.”
When I dug into the knowledge of the ancients, like the book of Job and others, I discovered that the pagan ideas of the zodiac and what we call astrology, was actually an ancient idolatrous corruption of what God made and calls the “MAZZAROTH” in Job. It’s truly what we can glorify God by calling it biblical astronomy. The classic scripture in Job 38:31-32 notes”
“Can you bind the chains of the Pleiades, or loose the cords of Orion? Can you lead forth a constellation in its season, and guide the Bear with her satellites?”
These are all names of star groups with very meaningful and prophetic names. I like to take students on an amazing journey of discovery about God’s signs in the heavens in my book and talks, Unlocking the Mysteries of Creation, but I noticed something else.
Did you ever look at the meanings of the letters used to spell the Hebrew word for signs?
אוֹתʼôwth, oth; probably from H225 (in the sense of appearing); a signal (literally or figuratively), as a flag, beacon, monument, omen, prodigy, evidence, etc.:—mark, miracle, (en-) sign, token.
It’s the word “OTH” in Hebrew. It’s made up of three Hebrew characters. First is the sign for “first.” It’s the letter “aleph,” the first letter in the Hebrew alphabet… equivalent to our letter “A” or the Greek letter “Alpha.” Next is the letter used as a connector, the way we use the word “and.” It’s the Hebrew letter “vav.” And last is the Hebrew letter “tav.” It was used from ancient times before Moses to signify a person’s signature. It looked like our letter “X.” It is the last letter in the Hebrew alphabet, like our letter “Z” or the Greek letter “Omega.” It literally means “the last.”
The word for sign in Genesis 1:14 and many times throughout Scripture is the very message that Jesus repeated three times in His Revelation to His apostle John when He identified Himself as, “I am the First and the Last.”
So, let’s get back to these “appointed times” – or seasons – as God purposed His starry host.
Leviticus 23:1-2 “Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, Concerning the feasts of the LORD, which ye shall proclaim to be holy convocations, even these are my feasts.”
NASB translates it more accurately as: ““Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘The LORD’S appointed times which you shall proclaim as holy convocations—My appointed times are these:”
The first three “appointed times” are Passover, Unleavened Bread, and First Fruits. They are each one day long. They are all in consecutive sequence, one day after the other (Leviticus 23:4-14).
Deu 16:16 “Three times in a year all your males shall appear before the LORD your God in the place which He chooses, at the Feast of Unleavened Bread and at the Feast of Weeks (Shavuot or Pentecost) and at the Feast of Booths,…”
All Israelite men were to come each year to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover, also referred to as the Feast of Unleavened Bread. It was an appointed time… an exact series of days on the Hebrew calendar. The fact that Jesus was tried, condemned, crucified, buried and resurrected during this appointed time – this MOEDIM – is no accident. It was an appointment set by Father God.
Fifty days afterward, the Feast of Shavuot or Pentecost, was celebrated – marvelously fulfilling the Old Testament prophet Joel’s prophecy, pouring out God’s Holy Spirit on all mankind. The gospel of Christ’s Kingdom was affirmed to all the people of every language group on Earth that was there in Jerusalem for the Appointed Time. These together make up the springtime feasts. They were all witnessed as parts of Messiah’s first coming to precisely fulfill the prophetic Scriptures that were celebrated each year in anticipation of that once-in-history Advent.
Was all this celebration of appointed times only for ethnic Jews?
Numbers 10:14 “If an alien sojourns among you and observes the Passover to the LORD, according to the statute of the Passover and according to its ordinance, so he shall do; you shall have one statute, both for the alien and for the native of the land.”
Just as unrelated gentiles in Moses’ time were welcomed into the household of faith if they believed and acted obediently on their belief in Yahweh, we see God’s acceptance of non-Jews into His family available to all who believe in New Testament times.
1 Co 5:7 “Clean out the old leaven so that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed. Therefore, let us celebratethe feast, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.”
Because the passion of Christ took place the week of Passover (Matt. 26:1–2), the early church quickly understood that Jesus fulfilled the symbolism in the Passover meal as “the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29).
The marking of blood on the doorposts (Ex. 12:7–13) has a clear tie to the shedding of Jesus’ blood on the cross (Rev. 1:1–8), and it is therefore no surprise to see the Lord’s disciples link His death to the Passover throughout their writings.
Matthew describes parts of the sequence of events in chapter 21. After Jesus fulfilled Zecheriah’s prophecy, which foretold, “SAY TO THE DAUGHTER OF ZION, ‘BEHOLD YOUR KING IS COMING TO YOU, GENTLE, AND MOUNTED ON A DONKEY, EVEN ON A COLT, THE FOAL OF A BEAST OF BURDEN.’” Mat 21:5
Then Jesus “entered the temple and cast out all those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of those who were selling doves. And He said to them, “It is written, MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER, but you are making it a ROBBERS DEN.” Matthew 21:12-13.
What are they doing that Jesus has to interrupt. They’re cheating people in the house of God.
What has to be done before celebrating the Passover? You clean out the leaven of sin. Messiah had to do it … He said, “It is written, ‘MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER, BUT YOU ARE MAKING IT A ROBBERS DEN.’”
How did the Jews then make the Father’s House a den of thieves?
For visitors from out of town wanting to obey the Passover command to bring a personal sacrifice, they had to exchange their foreign currency to Roman coins with idolatrous images on the coins. The moneychangers were charging exorbitant exchange rates, stealing from the people.
All this and much more is part of the story of the Feast of Unleavened Bread… the Feast of Passover. What did Roman Catholic religion do to change it into Easter?
Jesus never celebrated an Easter in His life! So how was this holy day changed? And who changed the day He observed, chose, and established as the holy day for eating the emblems of His supreme sacrifice, representing His body and blood? Where is the Biblical record confirming the authority for this replacement? Is this what Jesus wanted to be done?
HOW PASSOVER WAS ABANDONED AND REPLACED
Nobody denies that the early New Testament believers did not celebrate anything like Easter. They continued observing Passover, but now the Passover Appointed Time had a whole new significance and gloriously expanded meaning.
The Apostle Paul maintained the customary observance of Passover, as it was given to him by Jesus Himself. He wrote:
“For I received of the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed [not Easter Sunday!] took bread.” 1 Corinthians 11:23
Keep in mind Jesus Christ was betrayed during the night of Nisan 14 (Luke 22:15-22), which was considered the evening portion of the day of Passover (Exodus 12:6-13). Remember, God begins a new day at evening, commencing at sunset (Genesis 1:5).
With this well-known fact in mind, how then was it changed from the 14th of Nisan (Passover) to the Sunday, following the first full moon, after the vernal equinox, and then assigned the pagan name Easter (Ishtar-te)?
This is no minor change from the original observance that Jesus Christ set forth (especially since people in the Roman Empire were condemned to die when they refused to obey this change). Doesn’t it seem presumptuous, if not heretical, to overrule the authority of Jesus’ own example? Do you really think this is a light matter? How could such a blatant disregard for our Lord’s example and commands be allowed? This is a question all of us should seriously ask ourselves!
First, we have to understand the contention between the Western congregations led by Rome and the Eastern congregations in Asia. This debate intensified during the second century. It’s historically known as the Quartodeciman controversy.
“Quartodeciman” is simply a Latin term indicating fourteenth. Second century writings reveal the change from the fourteenth of Nisan (Passover) to Easter, with all of its pagan connections, associations, and typologies of fertility and fruitfulness. This was unequivocally contested and rejected by the congregations of Jerusalem and the East. It came to a head when Polycarp, the bishop of Smyrna (who was personally taught by John the apostle), faced off with Anicetus, the preeminent bishop of Rome, in about 95 A.D.
You can read the details about this second century controversy in records of the Catholic Church itself.
“The dioceses of all Asia, as from the older tradition [Passover], held that the fourteenth day of the moon, on which day the Jews were commanded to sacrifice the lamb, should always be observed as the feast of the life-giving Pasch Passover… However, it was not the custom of the churches in the rest of the world [primarily the West, represented by Rome] to end it at this point [allegedly a non-biblical based fast ending on Easter Sunday], as they observed the practice, which from apostolic tradition has prevailed to the present time… Synods and assemblies of bishops [not Jesus Christ’s example or the Gospel records!] were held on this account and all with one consent through mutual correspondence drew up an ecclesiastical decree [superseding Christ’s personal example as recorded in the Gospels] that the mystery of the resurrection of the Lord should be celebrated on no other day but, the Sunday [Easter] and that we should observe the close of the paschal fast on that day only. A letter of Saint Irenaeus is among the extracts just referred to, and this shows that the diversity of practice regarding Easter had existed at least from the time of Pope Sixtus. Further, Irenaeus states that St. Polycarp [bishop of Smyrna], who like the other Asiatics, kept Easter on the fourteenth day of the moon [which is really the Passover], whatever day of the week that might be, following therein the tradition which he [Polycarp] claimed to have derived from St. John the Apostle, but could not be persuaded by Pope Anicetus to relinquish his Quartodecimen observance. The question thus debated was therefore primarily whether Easter was to be kept on a Sunday, or whether Christians should observe the holyday of the Jews… Those who kept Easter [Passover] with the Jews were called Quartodecimans” (Catholic Encyclopedia, emphasis added).
Clearly, whether you want to attribute it to the devil or misguided theologians of the first few centuries of the traditional church, there was a long-term agenda to challenge all associations connecting Jewish foundations with Christ’s ekklesia. Remember, Paul said, the household of God (the Church) is…
“built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets [not Synods, Councils, and bishops], Jesus Christ himself being the chief comer stone” Ephesians 2:20.
There was never any such authorization to change this major point of doctrine, disconnecting from Jesus Christ’s own worship exemplified by His life, habits, and customs (1 Peter 2:21; 1 John 2:6). Jesus Christ never celebrated an Easter in His life! Easter has no Biblical connection by any who claim Christ as their Savior.
Regardless of these verifiable facts; the trend finally became law in A.D. 325 at the Council of Nicaea. Again notice, from the Catholic Encyclopedia: “The emperor himself [Constantine] writing to the churches after the council of Nicaea, exhorts,
Emperor Constantine called for and presided at the Council of Nicaea in AD 325
“At this meeting the question concerning the most holy day of Easter was discussed, and it was resolved by the united judgment of all present [regardless of the example/commands of Jesus Christ and the original apostolic fathers, Matthew 26:17-30] that this feast ought to be kept by all and in every place on one and the same day [Easter Sunday]…And first of all it appeared an unworthy thing that in the celebration of this most holy feast we should follow the practice of the Jews, who have impiously defiled their hand with enormous sin… for we have received from our Savior a different way [Where, is the Biblical proof or Christ’s authorization? Do you see the bitterness toward the Jews?] …and I myself [Constantine] have undertaken that this decision should meet with the approval of your sagacity in the hope that your wisdoms will gladly admit that practice which is observed [Easter Sunday] at once in the city of Rome and in Africa, throughout Italy and Egypt… with entire unity of judgement.”
And finally, under the article “Councils” in the Catholic Encyclopedia again, we read about the purpose of the Council of Nicaea. ‘The first ecumenical, or council, of Nicaea (325 A.D.) lasted two months and twelve days. Three hundred and eighteen bishops were present. Hosius, bishop of Cordova, assisted as legate of Pope Sylvester. The Emperor, Constantine, was also present. To this council we owe the Creed of Nicaea, defining against Arius the true divinity of the Son of God [Arius challenged the divinity of Jesus Christ], and the fixing of the date for keeping Easter [which opposed the Quartodecimans who observed Passover]
It was now made “official”: Easter Sunday, the day after the first full moon, after the spring equinox, became the day to celebrate Jesus Christ’s resurrection. This was a serious and critical shift of theology. Critical, because it not only changed the day of the observance, but changed the focus, the meaning of the observance. It now became an observance and celebration of His resurrection, contrary to the Biblical admonition of remembering His death!
Notice what Paul says,
“For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death [not His resurrection] till he come” (1 Corinthians 11:26).
Our Lord put purposeful significance on Passover concerning His death. This is crucial to understand. Passover is about the death of the sacrificial lamb. That’s what gave us access to eternal life.
Unleavened Bread and First Fruits are two Holy Days afterward for good reason. Unfortunately, combining His death and resurrection, as well as His removal of our sin… into one holy day… and calling it Easter, blurs the profound meaning of all these events by taking away the emphasis that each one deserved in the mind of God in recording the Torah.
We can’t help but ask, “how can we justify the institutional appointment of a holiday that was never recognized by God in the Bible and is symbolically synchronistic with paganism… yet completely eliminate and ignore the Biblical holidays that God’s word specifically commands to be observed throughout all generations of His people?”
If the church today knew about all the additional biblical holy days throughout the year, it would clarify how each step in the salvation/atonement process is prophetically explained. Their enriched meanings and sequence give us understanding and spiritual edification that is lost on the pagan day called Easter, which has no associated symbols or Biblical themes pointing us to our Redeemer.
When you combine the power of a secular tyranny, like Rome, with the fertility symbols and practices adopted from the many outright pagan religions that saturated Rome, what do you expect? Forced compliance and persecution, marginalized the true Ekklesia, reducing its influence. The conversion of the Barbarians, Goths, Vandals, and Huns who overthrew the Roman Empire, may have shown acceptance of Christianity; but their conversion was nominal at best, further filling the Church with pagan practices and superstitions.
Throughout history, the number of Christians remaining faithful to the commandments and testimony of Jesus Christ (Revelation 12:17) has been small, when compared to traditional Christian communities that have been heavily influenced by the teachings of Greco-Roman culture. Theological Distortions to the original teachings of the Bible, made by many of the popes, bishops, councils, synods, and emperors of the Roman Catholic Church, are despicable. The hard reality is that much of traditional Christianity, both Protestant and Catholic, is not faithful to Scripture.
Notice what Jesus says: “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name have cast out devils? And in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye who work iniquity [lawlessness]” (Matthew 7:22-23).
God’s Seasonal Plan
Seriously, it would do all of us some good to consider this possibility. It is very plausible one can think he is pleasing God when in fact he is not. It’s indispensable to our Lord that we worship Him in Spirit and in truth. Love of the truth is living the truth. It’s easy to say we love and believe the truth, but we must love by “doing” (1 John 3:17-18). The hearers are not justified. Acting on what we know, or living our faith, is key to justification and pleasing the true God (James 2:15-26).
Notice: “And why do you call me, Lord, Lord, and don’t do the things that I say? Whoever comes to me and hears my sayings, and does them, I will shew you who he is like:” Read the remaining verses located in Luke 6:46-49. They are revealing in light of the historical record we’ve discussed today. We’re expected to believe and obey. God expects those who have the Holy Spirit dwelling within them (Romans 8:9) to be an example to others by living the Faith.
It’s the height of arrogance to ignore and alter God’s word in areas He holds the exclusive prerogative to define. The historical record of the Passover/Easter controversy is a prime illustration of man’s attempts to dodge God’s authority. There is absolutely no Biblical directive or Christ-like example throughout the whole Bible authorizing the institution of Easter as a Christian holy day! It’s simply a man-made tradition, with no justification for assimilating ancient pagan fertility rites and symbols, well connected to the “sun-worshipping” religions of Babylon and Rome. Sadly, over the years, it has contributed to misdirecting much of the vast Christian community, rendering the laws of God to no effect because of the traditions of men. Even Yeshua himself had to personally deal with this same deception during His ministry. Notice what He said.
“Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition” (Mark 7:6-9).
If we never receive the challenges to purge out fruitless and clever distortions from our lives, how can we expect to please our LORD? Why not consider following the example our Messiah left us, and begin keeping the Passover instead of Easter, in the context of its fulfillment in Jesus Christ? The heart of this issue is whose laws will you obey: those of Jesus the Messiah, or the decrees and traditions of men, compromised by the fashion and consumerism of our culture?
After the Council of Nicaea, the Roman government grew more entangled with doctrinal matters of the Church. That derailed it further from the mission Jesus established.
“Theodosius became the last emperor to rule the entire Roman Empire before its administration was permanently split between the West and East (A.D. 379-398). He made Christianity the State Religion of the Roman Empire. Institutionalized church membership was compulsory. Forced conversion filled state sponsored “churches” with unregenerate people.
Jesus declared his victory over the “gates of hell” by voluntary, spiritual and moral means. It was the work of HIM building HIS Ekklesia, one human life – like lively stones – at a time. Up to that time conversion was by a genuine change in heart and life. But now the military spirit of Imperial Rome had entered the Church.
Some would say that the Church had conquered the Roman Empire. But in reality, the Roman Empire had conquered the Church. It began remaking the Church into the institutionalized image of the Roman Empire. The Church had changed its nature, and continued its great Apostasy predicted in 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12. It became a political organization in the Spirit and pattern of Imperial Rome.
The Imperial Church of the 4th and 5th centuries began a millennium of Papal abominations, making it an entirely different institution from the persecuted Church of the first three centuries. In its ambition to rule, it forgot and lost the Spirit of Christ” (Halley’s Bible Handbook, “Paganization of the Church,” p. 760??).
Now, I’ll give you the details about this second century controversy found in the actual records of the Catholic Church itself. A careful reading of this might help clarify the debate over Easter.
“The dioceses of all Asia, as from the older tradition [Biblical Passover], held that the fourteenthday of the moon, on which day the Jews were commanded to sacrifice the lamb, should always be observed as the feast [of the life-giving Pasch Passover]…
However, it was not the custom of the churches in the rest of the world [primarily the West, represented by Rome] to end it at this point [allegedly a non-biblical-based fast ending on Easter Sunday], as they observed the practice, which from apostolic tradition has prevailed to the present time…
Synods and assemblies of bishops [not Jesus Christ’s example or the Gospel records!] were held (meaning ‘convened’) on this account and all, with one consent, through mutual correspondence, drew up an ecclesiastical decree [superseding Christ’s personal example as recorded in the Gospels] that the mystery of the resurrection of the Lord should be celebrated on no other day but the Sunday [i.e. Easter] and that we should observe the close of the paschal fast on that day only.
A letter of Saint Irenaeus is among the extracts just referred to, and this shows that the diversity of practice regarding Easter had existed at least from the time of Pope Sixtus. Further, Irenaeus states that St. Polycarp [bishop of Smyrna], who, like the other Asiatics (meaning the eastern church), kept Easter on the fourteenth day of the moon [which is really the Passover], whatever day of the week that might be, following therein the tradition which he [Polycarp] claimed to have derived from St. John the Apostle, but could not be persuaded by Pope Anicetus to relinquish his Quartodecimen observance. The question thus debated was therefore primarily whether Easter was to be kept on a Sunday, or whether Christians should observe the holyday of the Jews… Those who kept Easter [Passover] with the Jews were called Quartodecimans” (Catholic Encyclopedia, emphasis added).
5 Major Differences Between Passover and Easter
Most consider Passover a Jewish holiday and Easter a Christian one. But when we compare the biblical Passover with Easter, we find big differences.
If you asked most people what they would associate the words Passover and Easter with, you would probably get something like “Passover is Jewish and Easter is Christian.” But would this basic answer be correct?
There is a big difference between Passover and Easter, but you may be surprised to learn that it isn’t that one is Jewish and one is Christian.
So, what is the difference between Easter and Passover? What do we discover when we compare them to each other: Easter vs. Passover?
Here are five major differences between the biblical Passover and Easter.
Difference 1: Passover’s biblical origin vs. no biblical reference for Easter
The origin of the Passover is found in Exodus 12.
The Israelites had been under harsh slavery to the Egyptian Pharaoh, who had refused to let them go. Because of Pharaoh’s stubbornness, God sent a series of plagues on Egypt and was about to send the 10th and final plague: killing the firstborn of all people and animals.
God would spare, or “pass over,” only those who smeared lamb’s blood on their doorway (Exodus 12:12-13).
The day was called the Passover and was to be kept by Israel as a memorial of their deliverance from slavery in Egypt (Exodus 12:14; Leviticus 23:4-5).
What about Easter?
You can’t find Easter commanded in the Bible. The word is actually located in Acts 12:4 in the 1611 King James Version, but most scholars recognize it as a clear translation error (modern translations replace it with the word Passover).
There are over 70 references to Passover in the Old and New Testaments—but no legitimate references to Easter.
One of the significant differences between Passover and Easter is this: The Creator God commanded Passover to be kept by His people. He never commanded anyone to observe Easter to commemorate Christ’s resurrection.
Who commanded Easter’s observance?
It is a historical fact that the Catholic Church commanded Easter’s observance at the Council of Nicaea in A.D. 325. Church leaders did not appeal to scriptural authority, only their own authority, to make the change. Sadly, Christ’s warning against substituting human tradition for the commandments of God was ignored (Matthew 15:3; Mark 7:13).
The Council of Nicaea established that Easter would always be celebrated on a Sunday and wouldn’t be tied to the phase of the moon, thus distinguishing it from the biblical Passover.
Difference 3: Passover’s fixed day vs. Easter’s movable day
God ordained the Passover to be kept annually on a specific day: the 14th day of the first month on the Hebrew calendar (Deuteronomy 16:1; Leviticus 23:5).
The Catholic Church persecuted the early Christians who kept the Passover, calling them Quartodecimans (Latin for “14thers”) and Judaizers.
The Passover was so despised that “in 325 CE the Council of Nicaea established that Easter would be held on the first Sunday after the first full moon occurring on or after the vernal equinox. From that point forward, the Easter date depended on the ecclesiastical approximation of March 21 for the vernal equinox” (“Calculating the Easter Date,” timeanddate.com).
This gave Easter a movable date that wouldn’t fall on the Passover. Even then, the Western churches use the Gregorian calendar and the Eastern churches use the Julian calendar, so their dates for Easter differ.
Difference 4: Passover as a memorial of Jesus’ death vs. Easter as a celebration of His resurrection
Jesus Christ was ordained as the Passover Lamb that would be sacrificed to make freedom from the penalty of sin possible (John 1:29). The Passover of Exodus 12 pointed forward to Christ’s sacrifice 1,500 years later! Just as the Israelites were saved from death by the lamb’s blood, we can be saved from eternal death by Christ’s blood. (To learn more about Christ as the Passover lamb, read “Why Is Jesus Called the Lamb of God?”)
The Passover of Exodus 12 pointed forward to Christ’s sacrifice 1,500 years later! At His last Passover, Jesus instituted unleavened bread and wine as new symbols—representing His broken body and blood. He commanded us to “do this in remembrance of Me” (Luke 22:19). The apostle Paul taught us to keep it on the “same night in which He was betrayed”—the evening of the Passover (1 Corinthians 11:23).
Easter purports to celebrate Christ’s resurrection. The problem is, though His resurrection was essential, Christ never commanded that it be celebrated with an annual observance or holiday. There is also no record of the apostles or early Church celebrating it. Plus, biblical evidence shows Jesus didn’t even rise on a Sunday morning.
Difference 5: Passover symbols vs. Easter symbols
The symbols of the Passover are full of meaning.
Jesus Himself is “our Passover” and “sacrificed for us” (1 Corinthians 5:7). The unleavened bread represents His sinless and broken body (Matthew 26:26). The wine represents His blood that was poured out for us (Matthew 26:28). The foot washing represents the humility and serving attitude of Jesus, which we are to emulate (John 13:5-8, 9-11, 12-15).
Every element of the biblical Passover is grounded in deep spiritual meaning.
The primary symbols associated with Easter are eggs and bunnies. But these have deep roots in ancient pagan practices. Bunnies and eggs are ancient fertility symbols that were appropriated years after Christ’s resurrection. Even the name Easter has origins in an ancient pagan goddess.
There are stark differences between Passover and Easter. We hope our readers will deeply consider these differences, reject Easter’s meaningless traditions and take a closer look at the biblical Passover and other “feasts of the Lord” found in the Bible.
Would you agree that the People of American society are able to be the effective core of our civil government, only when we participate in the process of informing, educating, and training our families and fellow citizens to live as the true “We the People?” But for us as Christians, that raises an even more basic premise. How can we be ‘salt and light’ to civil society, if we are not actively asserting our role in filling our assignments in the body of our Messiah’s Ekklesia? And by using that word – “Ekklesia” – I’m not talking here about just attending ‘church’ on Sunday. Yes, it’s true that the Greek word “Ekklesia” is translated in English Bibles as the word church. But we all know that most people think of “church” as the building we go to… or the name of the event we attend on Sundays. Oh yes, they might think of “church” as the institution of our denomination with all its hierarchy and programs. But these are not what Jesus said He would “build” when He commended His disciple Peter for the declaration that Jesus is “the Messiah (or Christ), the Son of the living God” (Matt 16:16).
The “Ekklesia” that Jesus deliberately said HE would build was to be HIS version of a pattern that was well-known in Roman culture of the first century. Caesar, king of Rome, had a system that was well defined 2,000 years ago. After conquering neighboring territories, how did the Empire establish the authority of Roman policies and cultural shaping in new communities?
In studying the subject, I discovered that ambassadors from Rome would find trusted elders in every locality. Those elders would be trained how Roman society works. They would be assigned to indoctrinate or inculcate Roman customs into the fellow citizens of their own local community. They would function as “an assembly” or “congregation” of local people. And that is exactly the meaning of the word “Ekklesia” – “assembly” or “congregation.” It was a process of a kind of evangelization and discipleship training on a secular level. They would teach their “assemblies” of people to live like Romans… adopt Roman customs… know and be responsible for following Roman laws. Nothing less than complete transformation was expected of these groups of local assembly leaders …and they were corporately referred to, in the Greek language, as “Ekklesia.”
Jesus didn’t say “I will build my Synagogue.” He didn’t say He would build His “religion.” And He didn’t announce to Peter that He was going to build His “temple” or “cathedral” on the man named Peter. He clearly had something else in mind when He spoke those memorable words… and it wasn’t any of the things that most of us in modern times associate with the word “church.”
Let’s unpack the vital synergy of that assertion.
John Adams, America’s first vice president, serving with President George Washington, has famously been quoted for proclaiming that… “Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”
We would be fair to observe that to the culture of his day in the late 1700s and early 1800s, in English speaking culture, he was asserting the focus of his statement held godly and righteous people to be responsible for the preservation of our constitutional, republican form of governance. Knowing the nearly unanimous Christian disposition of the signers of our Declaration of Independence, and how the American constitution was crafted upon the principles of the Holy Bible, is it not clear that our current situation stands almost completely devoid of the…
…Two primary pillars that supported our Republic?
It takes Christ-honoring voters,
…electing God-fearing representatives.
And both must actively demonstrate their sincere desire to reflect the truth of the Almighty Creator in every aspect of their social order. Without those pillars, you have no means to support our constitutional structure.
If we claim to be followers of the light of truth, but don’t take appropriate actions to inform and defend those around us from the dangers of enemies seeking our destruction, does a righteous judge (Almighty God) hold us accountable for not doing good when we had the opportunity?
This raises the Biblical “watchman” principle of Ezekiel 33. But it takes the concept of being a watchman to a much higher level of responsibility. You could say that the assignment of being a watchman or a sentry is a civic or military duty. But at the same time, this passage in Ezekiel leaves no doubt that such a duty for our fellow countryman is a spiritual expectation as well.
Ezekiel heard the word of the LORD that came to him, saying,
“Son of man, speak to the sons of your people and say to them, ‘If I bring a sword upon a land, and the people of the land take one man from among them and make him their watchman, and he sees the sword coming upon the land and blows on the trumpet and warns the people, then he who hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, and a sword comes and takes him away, his blood will be on his own head. ‘He heard the sound of the trumpet but did not take warning; his blood will be on himself. But had he taken warning, he would have delivered his life. ‘But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet and the people are not warned, and a sword comes and takes a person from them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require from the watchman’s hand.’ “Now as for you, son of man, I have appointed you a watchman for the house of Israel; so, you will hear a message from My mouth and give them warning from Me. “When I say to the wicked, ‘O wicked man, you will surely die,’ and you do not speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require from your hand. “But if you on your part warn a wicked man to turn from his way and he does not turn from his way, he will die in his iniquity, but you have delivered your life.” Ezekiel 33:2-9.
For Righteousness to regain dominant influence in America, or any society, ‘we the people’ must assertively refresh the spirit that ignited the founders to declare a new nation would be free by declaring their independence from tyrants.
Just as that premise became the catalyst to fuel the American Revolution, can we really believe that a similar revitalization of Christian society can happen with any less commitment? Should not ‘We the people,’ as representatives of a civil society, also assert ourselves as a body of ‘we the people’ as members of Messiah’s Ekklesia? How can compromised leadership, on the level of civil government, result from anything less than compromised leadership on the level of Ekklesia government?
And if we take the attitude that we’re somehow exempt from actively influencing and serving our civic community by at least voting, if not serving in active duties, it’s no wonder that many of us who think we are following Jesus, somehow expect professional career people to do all the work of ministry in places we call church.
God’s Word reminds us often to “do good.”
Prov 31:9 “Open your mouth, judge righteously,”
Psalm 34:14 “Turn away from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.”
Psalm 37:27 “Turn away from evil and do good; so shall you dwell forever.”
Isaiah 1:17 “learn to do good; seek justice, correct oppression; bring justice to the fatherless, plead the widow’s cause.”
Eccl 3:12 “I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live;”
1Peter 3:11 “let him turn away from evil and do good; let him seek peace and pursue it.”
Jeremiah 4:22 ““For my people are foolish; they know me not; they are stupid children; they have no understanding. They are ‘wise’—in doing evil! But how to do good they know not.”
Galatians 6:10 “So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.”
James 4:17 “So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.”
We’ve all noticed that the devastating global events of the years following the bio-weapon attack on humanity called ‘Covid-19’ have produced an historic result. It’s perhaps the most notable awakening in history. No one denies it now, that the pervasiveness of evil literally controls nearly every aspect of the many systems that govern our modern lives. The governments of all western nations have exposed to their citizens how thoroughly corrupted they are. Their complete subservience to global corporations has devastated public trust. People are fed up. The vast majority are now wise to the disgraceful behavior of politicians who have no moral compass or concern for the safety of humanity. Meanwhile, at least half of the population in America has not only awakened to the total depravity of mainstream media, they have also begun to lose trust in every institution that’s governed by university-educated, immoral, Bible-rejecting haters of anyone who’s not part of their modern aristocracy.
To understand better just how desperately corrupted is our U.S. system of justice, including many policy-makers in the DOJ, FBI, the courts and their related agencies, just consider the plight of cattle rancher, Ammon Bundy.
His 5-minute recap of what his family has gone through to defend his constitutional civil rights as a businessman and land owner in these united states is appalling. Listen to his testimony in the bonus segment of today’s broadcast at Reclaim Your Legacy.com, where you’ll search for the title “A Free Society Requires a righteous people…” at: https://youtu.be/J1rJogfCJdM?si=NSQcVU98WXR0V-ep
Most Christian leaders in institutional churches today do not take the time to publicly stand up for righteousness and regularly exhort their parishioners to be even minimally informed on matters of this kind. If they did, they would be sufficiently equipped to teach their children how to maintain a society governed by the precepts of the fear of God. We cannot expect that condition to change unless we urge our leaders to be informed and to live by clear Biblical principles.
Can it be possible that God is stirring the pot… disturbing the apathetic complacency of many of His children… challenging them to do the uncomfortable tasks of discipling a new generation of world-changers?
Pastor Dutch Sheets shared a profound message on his daily “Give Him 15” podcast.
Larry Tomczak was born again during the Jesus Movement of the 60s and 70s. He and I would certainly picture the mavericks of that era who were “rounded-up” and led to “independence.” (See yesterday’s post here to read The “Mavericks” Are Coming.) In a recent article, Larry speaks of his dream of a transformed America, and the 10 requirements for turning our nation around. Here are Larry’s 10 points and explanations:
“Reconsecrate ourselves to the Great Commission given us by Jesus. The Pilgrims prioritized this in the original Mayflower Compact – to proclaim the ‘gospel of the kingdom’ (not some ‘He Gets Us’ distortion!) to see lives transformed, not merely affirmed, by the power of the living God.
“Renounce and reject complacency. This has brought about the decline and demise of civilizations throughout history. We must repent and return to the values that made us great in the first place, refusing to succumb to the seduction of affluence and leisure entertainment as substitutes for hard work.
“Cast off D.E.I. (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) mandates. These criteria for our institutions are inherently racist, giving people preferences and positions that should belong to achievers applying themselves to merit advancement. Our nation affords ‘equal opportunity for all’ who are willing and able to work for it!
“Replace destructive Marxist, Globalist elements. These have poisoned our government, schools, media, and corporate boardrooms. In their places, we must put leaders of integrity and conviction, mirroring those of our truly great and revered statesmen and stateswomen. Though they, like all of us, had flaws, they deserve honor because of their overall character and achievements.
“Put an end to propaganda and promotion of unbiblical socialism. We must return to a Constitutional Republic that has undergirded us successfully for close to 250 years – longer than any nation in world history. Anti-American activists are entitled to their opinions, but I agree with former Prime Minister of England, Margaret Thatcher, who said: ‘The problem with socialism is that sooner or later you run out of other people’s money.’(1) Check out our unsustainable $34 trillion debt!
“Accept the sacred responsibility to expose and eradicate tyranny. We must replace oppressive government in all its forms and contend for freedom. Let us take seriously the warning of President Ronald Reagan: ‘Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling them what it was once like in America when men were free.’(2)
Note… do you find many older saints already beginning to reflect that forecast?
“Pastors once again must arise to the urgency of the hour. Just as in colonial America, they must courageously lead the way to embrace the directive of Jesus to be ‘salt’ (holding back decay), accept the responsibility to equip their congregations with relevant truth, and refuse to be silent in our current cultural battle. May they heed the sobering words of pastor/martyr Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who stood against Nazism in a similar situation. ‘Silence in the face of evil is evil itself. God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak, is to speak. Not to act, is to act.’(3) We must reject fear of man and follow in the footsteps of Billy Graham, who stood openly against segregation, Apartheid, same-sex ‘marriage,’ and nuclear expansion, telling us, ‘Courage is contagious!’
Note… though many across the country might be discouraged because of the cowardice displayed by their church leaders during the plandemic, it’s encouraging to see how that very lack of godly leadership is causing a new remnant to arise… even to start new congregations… new Ekklesias that are earnestly seeking to embrace the virtues of our Pilgrim forefathers.
“Unapologetically affirm man/woman marriage and the nuclear family. ‘One man and one woman’ is the explicit design for this sacred institution recognized worldwide and honored for thousands of years as the divinely ordained foundation of a stable society. Biology and science have recognized male (XY chromosomes) and female (XX chromosomes) genders throughout history, so we’ll simply stay the course and stay safe from ‘Woke’ moral insanity and societal instability.
Note… inherently, this axiom for reclaiming the legacy of principle ideals that American was founded upon… rests solidly on the indestructible foundation of the truth of the Genesis Record of Creation and the Flood. The inerrancy of Scripture and the truth of Biblical Creation must be fundamental to the principle scientific demand to “test ALL things, and hold fast what is TRUE.” The truth can be established because of the primary revelation of Romans 1:20 which proclaims that everything God made clearly shows his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature – so all men are without excuse.
“Sound the alarm and stop the massive invasion of law-breaking foreigners into America. Millions of cartel-driven illegal aliens are disregarding our established immigration laws to unlawfully secure healthcare, food, housing, education, costly benefits and privileges at taxpayer expense. THIS MUST STOP IMMEDIATELY BY EXECUTIVE ORDER (not by Congressional debate). America represents 4% of the world’s population, and we cannot allow this unprecedented and unmitigated disaster to bring about our country’s collapse!
Note… this cornerstone of national sovereignty and existence is championed by rational humans, no matter what is their political or religious persuasion. If you’re part of a Christian congregation that does not embrace this, you must ask yourself what good reason do you have not to change that status or find a new congregation that firmly and publicly endorses that position?
“Expose as demagoguery the leftist tactic of regularly dismissing valid opinions and perspectives as ‘destroying democracy,’ ‘racist,’ and ‘authoritarian tyranny.’ Traditional conservatives, Christians, pro-lifers, and patriotic Americans are slandered as ‘right-wing extremists,’ while government agencies are weaponized to run roughshod over basic civil liberties, censor free speech, violate the Constitution, and use Soviet-style kangaroo courts to indict political opponents (so they can’t run for office). These agencies and tactics represent America’s real threats and must be exposed!
If enough of us who love America stand in solidarity with these 10 points, we can trust God to successfully bring His people through the conflicts ahead. Every flawed and corrupted institution of man or works of carnal wisdom that CAN be shaken… WILL be shaken. But many Scriptures confirm with Psalm 37:18-20… “The LORD knows the days of the blameless and their inheritance will be forever. They will not be ashamed in the time of evil; and in the days of famine, they will have abundance. But the wicked will perish… they vanish – like smoke they vanish away.”
Freedom-loving, patriotic, traditional Americans are still the majority. And though we may not control the levers of power, there’s still hope if we repent, pray, meditate in His promises and proclaim His Word as we act courageously to turn America around.
I implore you to watch the new documentary movie, ‘Letter to the American Church,’ inspired by author Eric Metaxis; and do everything to be sure your pastor shows it to your congregation on a Sunday!
Father, thank You for seasoned and bold leaders like Dutch Sheets, Larry Tomczak, and Eric Metaxis. Bless their families and ministries with great favor, health, and provision. Use them greatly as they labor to see America transformed; we share their dreams and agree with the needed changes they lay before us.
We ask for a reconsecration in the church to the Great Commissions given in Mark 16 and Matthew 28, proclaiming the gospel of the Kingdom. We renounce complacency and laziness, and ask for an awakening of passion. Give us Your heart for the lost, for truth, and for justice.
We pray against all forms of racism and mistreatment. A true revival that changes millions of hearts will include a revival of compassionate and sacrificial love. Give us this. Break the influence of Marxism, socialism, globalism, wokism, and other anti-biblical philosophies invading our nation. Awaken the “mavericks” to the insanity of these dogmas.
Transform our government. Remove those who desire to weaken us. Help us close our borders and minimize the damage. Break the back of the wicked forces energizing this evil. Expose the evil distortion of truth, law, and justice in America.
And awaken the church. Forgive us for not being salt and light to our nation. Convict leaders of their silence regarding truths in Your Word. Break the fear of man off them and help them find their voices. Motivate them to be the watchmen You have called them to be, and to sound the alarm. We ask all of this in the name of Jesus. Amen.
The spirit that prompted President Abraham Lincoln’s famous wartime address aptly describes the spirit prompting today’s watchmen to make a solemn declaration of commitment. As he said, “we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion — that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain — that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom — and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”
Indeed… a new birth of freedom can only arise from the hearts of today’s patriots who are willing to boldly declare their reliance on Almighty God to awaken and restore the gift of freedom in this generation. That’s why, every chance we have, we should boldly make…
Our decree:
“We declare that a great awakening is coming to the church of America, and to America itself.”
Thanks to Dutch Sheets for the content from his post that was contributed by Larry Tomczak. You can find out more about Larry at LarryTomczak.com.
Now, let’s listen to the testimony of rancher, Amon Bundy. If you know anyone who doubts the fact that our government has long been rogue, remember that God’s prophet says “MY people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.” (Hosea 4:6). Perhaps this knowledge will turn them from continuing their blinded path to destruction. This is the link to Ammon Bundy’s report: https://youtu.be/J1rJogfCJdM?si=NSQcVU98WXR0V-ep
To learn about the “Baby Cyrus” case that Ammon Bundy refers to in his recording, you can access the webpage that has been made by my friend, Diego, who is the grandfather of Baby Cyrus. Go to: https://freedomman.ws/cyrus/story/
This takes you directly to the 90-minute presentation given by Diego Rodriguez (Baby Cyrus’s grandfather) on May 10th, 2023, about Government Subsidized Child Trafficking. It not only describes the entire Baby Cyrus Story, but explains the reasons WHY Baby Cyrus was kidnapped in the first place. This EYE-OPENING video presentation can change your paradigm completely and can save you and or a loved family member from every suffering the pain and anguish of having your child kidnapped by CPS! (The presentation begins at the 4:10 mark, if you’d like to skip the introduction.)
After seeing a mighty sign, how are we to think and plan our way?
Be sure to see and hear the episode #328 on ReclaimYourLegacy.com about the 2024 Solar Eclipse.
Have you thought about the real (Bible) purposes of the luminaries in the heaven?
Genesis 1:14 says that God created the luminaries and that they have specific purposes. They were for signs and seasons. The words actually mean something. And the word ‘seasons’ does not mean the climate changes of Spring, Summer, Winter and Fall, the way we are inclined to think. The seasons referred to there are the “moedim” which are the special appointed times within the Hebrew calendar that God gave to Moses on Mount Sinai. In our culture we’ve not been accustomed to consider these meaningful times that God appointed. We’ve replace the Feast of Tabernacles with Thanksgiving and the Feast of Passover with Easter.
The Bible is speaking to its audience at the time it was written. The words we read in our Bibles typically have much deeper and more profound meanings than we are inclined to think about in our generation.
Does it seem natural to associate a giant X over a single nation with some kind of omen?
Many people around us might be inclined to see things like this and wonder what God might have to say about that. People have many ideas. We need to have answers.
Remember 1 Peter 3:15 “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts; and always be ready to give an answer to everyone who asks you a reason concerning the hope that is in you, with humility and fear:”
Our hope is in Jesus… in His redemption… His salvation… in the expectation of his coming. Our hope is totally wrapped up in our confidence in Him and in His word.
Discovering that the last letter of the Hebrew alphabet is a mark meaning signature – the letter X – does it seem plausible that the one making the sign might be the Creator, especially when you’re making a giant sign over the entire country?
Remember that this solar eclipse, just like the one in 2017, is singularly marked over the region and nation that we call the United States. Solar eclipses happen only over a certain region. This time (April 2024) it starts in Mexico… passes over a big swath of the USA… and then ends over the eastern portion of Canada. In 2017 the solar eclipse went over ONLY the United States. So, does that have any significance?
The last letter of the Hebrew alphabet is the letter X
– actually it’s the letter TAV – which is very interesting. It’s in the shape of a tilted cross, like an X.
Did you know that the law of first mention is a very important principle of interpreting the Scriptures?
How many people you know have any idea that the first time in the Bible in which the word “sign” appears is Genesis 1:14? That’s where Creator Yahweh describes that the heavenly luminaries shall be for ‘signs.’ And the word signs there has special significance. It’s the Hebrew word “Oth.” How is it spelled in Hebrew? Aleph-Vav-Tav … The connector “And” (Vav) joins the first letter Aleph with the last letter Tav.
The Word for “SIGN” in Hebrew is made of the letters representing “the FIRST and the LAST”
Thus: the Hebrew word for “sign” literally is represented by the signs for “the first and the last”… What does that remind you of? Besides representing the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet, these signs specifically represent whatever might be meant by “the first and the last.”
Jesus referred to Himself three times in the book of Revelation as “the first and the last.”
Do you think it’s significant that about 6 months before the 2024 Solar Eclipse, another sign was the Annular Eclipse of October 2023? Why? It just happens to make its path connecting the 2017 Solar Eclipse with the 2024 Solar Eclipse. And what do the three paths together signify? They make the form of a giant Aleph – the first letter of the ancient Hebrew Alphabet.
What did Jesus say to John …3 times… in his vision when receiving the words of the book of Revelation?
We read it in English as translated from Greek, but John, hearing Jesus speak in his native tongue – Aramaic – a dialect of Hebrew – actually heard Jesus saying: “I am the Aleph and the Tav”
“I am the Alpha and the Omega—the beginning and the end,” says the Lord God. “I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come—the Almighty One.” Rev 1:8
And he also said, “It is finished! I am the Alpha and the Omega—the Beginning and the End. To all who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the water of life. Rev 21:6
I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.” Rev 22:13
This message brings to the attention of any Judean man, raised in a devout Jewish first Century home, the familiar verse from Isaiah 44:6. He wrote …
“Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: I am the first and I am the last, and there is no God besides Me.”
Who is the king of Israel? Who is his Redeemer? Who is the LORD of hosts – (Yahweh Sabaoth – the I AM of angel armies)?
But the passage continues with some very profound declarations… Read Isaiah 44:7-8
‘Who is like Me? Let him proclaim and declare it; Yes, let him recount it to Me in order, from the time that I established the ancient nation (people). And let them declare to them the things that are coming and the events that are going to take place. ‘Do not tremble and do not be afraid; Have I not long since announced it to you and declared it? And you are My witnesses. Is there any God besides Me, or is there any other Rock? I know of none.’”
If Jesus were to speak to us in our generation/nation (people group), does this declaration have a sobering challenge and comfort to those who are listening in the midst of a wicked generation filled with idolatry?
What do Aleph & Tav together in Scriptures mean as a sign?
Aleph-Tav signs appear throughout the Hebrew Scriptures (Torah)
King James translators assume they were simply direct object pointers in Hebrew grammar, so they were never translated into English, or other languages.
William Sanford did a thorough study of the use of AlephTav signs in the Scriptures and came to the conclusion that they have specific meanings as a divine mark or sign, identifying Jesus/Yeshua’s presence and divinity. There are also many examples of the AlephTav sign being placed where it pertains to the importance of ‘subject matter’ regarding covenant relationship with the Father, regarding people, persons, places, or things, and even rendering judgments concerning curses or blessings.
William published the Messianic Aleph Tav Interlinear Scriptures documents. He has a website explaining in detail the meaning of these covenant markers: https://alephtavscriptures.com
Solar Eclipses marked the destruction of Ancient Northern Kingdom of Israel AND the Southern Kingdom of Judah.
Amos 8:2,3&9 prophesied to the Northern Kingdom of Israel: ‘And He said, “Amos, what do you see?” So I said, “A basket of summer fruit.” Then the LORD said to me: “The end has come upon My people Israel; I will not pass by them anymore. 3 And the songs of the temple shall be wailing in that day,” says the Lord GOD—“Many dead bodies everywhere, they shall be thrown out in silence.” … 9 “And it shall come to pass in that day,” says the Lord GOD, “That I will make the sun go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in broad daylight;
Jeremiah 15:4,8&9 prophesied to the southern Kingdom of Judah: ‘I will hand them over to trouble, to all kingdoms of the earth, because of Manasseh the son of Hezekiah, king of Judah, for what he did in Jerusalem. 8 Their widows will be increased to Me more than the sand of the seas; I will bring against them, against the mother of the young men, a plunderer at noonday; I will cause anguish and terror to fall on them suddenly. 9 “She languishes who has borne seven; she has breathed her last; her sun has gone down while it was yet day; she has been ashamed and confounded. And the remnant of them I will deliver to the sword before their enemies,” says the LORD.’
Why would God be marking Hebrew signs across the United States of America?
. God gave the name “Israel” to Abraham’s grandson Jacob (Genesis 32:28; 35:10). Jacob had 12 sons: Reuben, Simeon, Zebulun, Issachar, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Judah, Levi, Dan, Joseph, and Benjamin.
. The name of Israel and birthright were passed on by Jacob only to Joseph’s sons Ephraim & Manasseh, who Jacob adopted as his own and moved them ahead of Reuben and Simeon (Genesis 48::5, 16).
. the 13 tribes (Ephraim replaced Joseph, & Manasseh became the 13th tribe (Rev 7:6,8) were a United Kingdom of Israel under Kings Saul, David & Solomon (2 Samuel 5:1-5; 1 Chronicles 29:23).
. After King Solomon’s death, the United Kingdom split into 2 kingdoms: 1) The Southern Kingdom (House) of Judah, headed by King Rehoboam of the House of David, which included the tribes of Judah, Benjamin and Levites (plus a small remnant of Israelites that left the Northern Kingdom) were known as the Judean “Jews,” and 2) the Northern Kingdom (House) of Israel, headed by King Jeroboam, which consisted of the remaining 10 tribes, led by the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh (1 Kings 12; 2 Chronicles 11:12-14.
. God sent the Assyrians to destroy the Northern Kingdom of Israel in 722 BC, because of their idolatry. Amos describes their worship of Baal, immorality, sorceries, divination, lawlessness and child sacrifice to Moloch in his book. The House of Israel was scattered throughout the world (2 Kings 17:5-6; 10-18, Jeremiah 31:9), never to be restored. The Region was later reinhabited by Assyrians who adapted a modified Yahweh worship as the people called Samaritans.
. The Kingdom of Judah also forsook Yahweh in idolatry, immorality, and lawlessness. It was destroyed in 586 by God through Babylon’s King Nebuchadnezzar. Jerusalem was conquered and its walls and palaces, as well as the temple, were destroyed, and the inhabitants were carried away into exile for 70 years (2 Kings 24:18; 24:1-27; 2 Chronicles 36:11-23; Jeremiah 29:10, 52:1-11).
Does the city name of Salem have significance to America’s history or future?
. The August 2017 total solar eclipse started in Salem, Oregon. It then proceeded to cross the entire country, passing over exactly 7 towns named Salem in 7 different states.
. The October 2023 Annular solar eclipse started by crossing over Salem, Oregon again. This time its path dipped southward, crossing over Texas, passing just north of Eagle Pass, where all the nation’s attention is drawn to the alien invasion. Finally, the eclipse left the country, passing right over… Corpus Cristi (which means ‘the body of Christ).
People are naturally asking, “does all this have meaning?” What they’re really asking is ultimately, does God use the creations he made in the heavens to convey divine messages to His children on Earth?
. Salem is the ancient name for JeruSALEM, the city God established for the home of his Tabernacle when He chose to have His glory dwell in the place that became identified as Zion (Psalm 76:2) “In Salem also is his tabernacle, and his dwelling place in Zion.”
. The Southern Kingdom of Judah was ruled from Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 11:5).
. 36 cities are named Salem in the USA
Many theories abound on the Internet, declaring the meaning of the 2024 Solar Eclipse, especially because of the giant X it made in crossing over the path of the 2017 Total Solar Eclipse.
Does it mean the end …of America?
…judgment on the spirit of idolatry – Mystery Babylon – that is easily associated with modern America’s depraved culture?
…the judgment of all those who have gone along with or merely cowered in silence in the face of evil?
…God’s justice upon His enemies who have brought so much carnage to God’s inheritance in the nations? (Psalm 2:8)
How are we preparing our families for the uncertain and challenging times ahead?
There is no doubt in anyone’s mind that it is vital before a storm to prepare for it.
Proverbs 22:3 & 27:12 – “The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it.”
Those preparations in light of today’s grievous attacks of evil ones, creating havoc over the nations are many.
Shelter
Food and water
Safety
Defense
Provision (cash and cash flow – business) Luke 19:13 “Calling ten of his servants [bondservants], he gave them ten minas [3-months wages], and said to them, ‘Engage in business until I come.’”
Are we showing our family how to search the Scriptures like Bereans, to know the ways of God in every day life’s challenges as well as in serious difficulties?
Are we prioritizing our time with God’s Holy Spirit daily treasuring His word in our hearts so that we may not sin against Him (Psalm 119:11)?
I discovered the delight of praying personally to God, many passages of Scripture, especially in the Psalms… like in 119:18
“Open my eyes, that I may behold Wonderful things from Thy torah.”
And
“Teach me, O LORD, the way of Thy statutes, and I shall observe it to the end. Give me understanding, that I may observe Thy torah, and keep it with all my heart. Make me walk in the path of Thy commandments, for I delight in it.” (119:33-35).
“May thy loving kindnesses also come to me O LORD, Thy salvation according to Thy word; so I shall have an answer for him who reproaches me, for I trust in Thy word.” (119:41-42)
Isaiah 26:3 “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee because he trusts in Thee”
Bonus Segment…
“It is good for me that I was afflicted, that I may learn Thy statutes.” (Ps 119:71)
“If Thy Torah had not been my delight, then I would have perished in my affliction. I will never forget Thy precepts, for by them Thou has revived me.” (Ps 119:92-93)
Think about how God speaks to your spirit as you meditate on His word.
“I have more insight than all my teachers, for Thy testimonies are my meditation. I understand more than the aged, because I have observed Thy precepts. I have restrained my feet from every evil way, that I may keep Thy word.” (Ps 119:99-101)
“Thy word is a lamp to my feet, and a light to my path.” (Ps 119:105)
Looking at those passages alone, helps all of us to recognize the importance of God’s word in our everyday life, maybe more than ever before. As we’re going into times that are very uncertain, those passages become very meaningful to us. And if we haven’t spent time in God’s word on a daily basis, meditating on His word, then they won’t be in our hearts so we can bring them to our minds again so we can draw comfort and rest for our anxious souls… giving us a reassurance of the hope we have in Him.
Isaiah 66:2 – “All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the LORD. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.”
Isaiah 26:3 “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee because he trusts in Thee”
We tend to gloss over passages about God’s judgment, but in a day when evil is openly flaunted and God’s people cry out for justice, our context amplifies the hope of Scripture. Read on in Isaiah 26.
Isaiah 26:7-12 The path of the righteous is level; you make level the way of the righteous. 8 In the path of your judgments, O LORD, we wait for you; your name and remembrance are the desire of our soul. 9 My soul yearns for you in the night; my spirit within me earnestly seeks you. For when your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness. 10 If favor is shown to the wicked, he does not learn righteousness; in the land of uprightness he deals corruptly and does not see the majesty of the LORD. 11 O LORD, your hand is lifted up, but they do not see it. Let them see your zeal for your people, and be ashamed. Let the fire for your adversaries consume them. 12 O LORD, you will ordain peace for us,
So, how are God’s people to prepare when judgment is approaching a wicked nation?
Isaiah 26:20 Come, my people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you; hide yourselves for a little while until the fury has passed by. 21 For behold, the LORD is coming out from his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity, and the earth will disclose the blood shed on it, and will no more cover its slain.
God’s word has so much richness and depth to consider. It’s appropriate for the time in which we live – our day. But we won’t know it if we don’t get into His word… so… Lord, may you draw each of us into your word, that we might praise you… exalt you… and look to you for our hope… in every day.
Here is a chart showing the ‘signs’ for each of the ‘letters’ in the ancient Hebrew alphabet.
Here are the times across the country when the Solar Eclipse of April 8, 2024 reaches its complete TOTALITY. This time that totality lasts about four and a half minutes at any given point. It takes a little more than an hour for the eclipse pathway to be completed across this portion of the country.
On Monday, Aug. 21, 2017, a total solar eclipse crossed the entire United States, from coast-to-coast, for the first time since 1918… over a hundred years.
Within less than a week afterward, the south-central states, particularly Texas, suffered one of the most destructive hurricanes in the nation’s history – Hurricane Harvey.
Seven years later, on April 8, 2024, the next total solar eclipse to happen across the United States, crosses the path of the 2017 eclipse, forming a giant X.
The next total solar eclipse to cross the USA will not happen for over 20 years, in 2045.
Solar eclipses happen when the moon blocks any part of the sun. Total solar eclipses, however, are only possible on planet Earth because of a unique perfection of design – strong evidence of an intelligent and purposeful Creator. The sun’s diameter is about 400 times wider than the moon’s, but it is also about 400 times farther away. The result is that the sun and the moon appear to be the same size from our perspective. When they line up just right, the moon can obscure the sun’s entire surface, every 12 to 18 months, somewhere on our planet.
Here is a diagram (not to scale) showing how the moon casts its shadow on the earth in two ways: as a total eclipse and as a partial eclipse.
It’s important to notice that the path of the partial eclipse for both the 2017 and 2024 eclipses affects the entire continental United States of America.
How is the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse Different from the 2017 Eclipse?
Every 11 years or so, the Sun’s magnetic field flips, causing a cycle of increasing then decreasing solar activity. During solar minimum, there are fewer giant eruptions from the Sun, such as spectacular solar flares and prominences. But during solar maximum, the Sun becomes more active.
When you look at a photo of one of these dramatic solar explosions, with a superimposed diagram of the appropriately sized planet Earth, you can appreciate the huge scale of these prominences.
It makes you grateful that our earthly home is 93 million miles away from our Sun/star. It should remind us how our Creator has specially designed our earth perfectly for human habitation.
In 2017, the Sun was nearing solar minimum. Viewers of the total eclipse could see the breathtaking corona. However, since the Sun was relatively quiet, giant hot streamers erupting into the solar atmosphere were limited to the equatorial regions of the star.
During the 2024 eclipse, the Sun is expected to be near solar maximum. That’s when the magnetic field is more actively in flux. Geyser-like streamers will likely be visible throughout the corona. In addition, viewers will have a better chance to see gigantic prominences – which appear as bright, reddish curls or loops coming off the Sun.
Coronal mass ejection possible at 2024 Solar Maximum
For our view of the eclipse, if the timing is just right, there could be a chance for those in the path of totality to see a coronal mass ejection – which is a large eruption of solar material during the eclipse.
See This 2-second video clip of a coronal mass ejection on 3/13/2023 captured by NASA/ESA’s Solar & Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO)
Prior to the 2017 event, no solar eclipse had been visible across the entire United States since June 8, 1918; not since the February 1979 eclipse had a total eclipse been visible from anywhere in the mainland United States. The path of totality in 2017 touched 14 states, and the rest of the U.S. had a partial eclipse. https://en.wikipedia.org/wi ki/Solar_eclipse_of_August_21,_2017
Another special feature of the 2024 Total Solar Eclipse is that all five of the bright planets are/were visible during the midday four-and-a-half-minute period of totality. Jupiter, Mercury, Venus, Saturn, and Mars are all lined up close together with the Sun positioned right in the middle of the line-up.
“What do ancient biblical cultures tell us about the significance of a solar eclipse?”
On the day when Jesus was crucified in Jerusalem the sky was darkened. Was it an eclipse?
Luke 23:44-45 “It was now about the sixth hour (12-noon), and darkness came over the entire land until [3pm] the ninth hour, because the sun stopped shining; and the veil of the temple was torn in two.”
What day of the Hebrew calendar did Jesus die on the cross in Jerusalem?
On the night before the crucifixion, Dr Luke’s gospel tells us…
Luke 22:15 “And He said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer…”
So the event of the crucifixion was on the 15th day of the Hebrew month of Abib (or Nissan on the modern Hebrew calendar).
We realize that the longest natural solar eclipse can last up to about 7 minutes. So the darkness that happened for 3 hours while Jesus hung on the cross was not due to a natural solar eclipse. It was more akin to the supernatural darkening of the sun that happened when “Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days” (Exodus 10:21-22).
Solar eclipses can only happen on the day of a new moon, which is always the first day of every Hebrew calendar month. The word month comes from the word ‘moon.’
The Passover meal is always celebrated on the evening of the 14th day of the first month of the Hebrew year (Abib = Nissan = March/April). That day is always a full moon.
Num 28:16 “The LORD’S Passover shall be on the fourteenth day of the first month.”
Deut 16:1 “Observe the month of Abib (Nissan in modern Jewish calendar) and celebrate the Passover to the LORD your God, for in the month of Abib the LORD your God brought you out of Egypt by night.”
We Christians, like the Israelites, celebrate the festival of freedom, Scripture calls Passover, on the 15th of the Jewish month of Nissan. That was after the 10th plague – the death of the firstborn! It was on the daytime after the Israelites put the blood of their Passover lamb on their doorposts. That day, the “Egyptians urged the people to send them out of the land in haste…” (Exodus 12:33). This was the daytime after the first night of the full moon in the Egyptian month of Aries, the ram.
To the Egyptians the ram, signified by the constellation of Aries, was worshipped as their chief god. The constellation of Aries was seen as the leader of the 12 major zodiac star signs. It was the first and most powerful of the stellar signs that were associated with different kingdoms. The Egyptians saw themselves as the leaders of the world, receiving their strength and fortitude from their god, the ram.
So, the greatest month for Egyptian pride would have been the month of Aries, when their god is on the rise and at its peak. And the strongest day of that month would be on the day of its full moon.
Egyptian power would reach its zenith on the 15th day of Nissan, and that is exactly the day the Israelites left Egypt. Aries was rendered impotent at the very moment of its expected strength.
But there’s more. The Israelites ate a festive meal on the night before the exodus, and the main course was lamb “roasted on a fire” spit (Exodus 12:8). They were privately eating the representation of the Egyptian deity—the ram—under the full moon of the Egyptians’ proudest month. And meanwhile, their slave masters were wailing in sorrow “for there was no home where there was not someone dead” (Exodus 12:30).
The message is unmistakable. The world is not run by the whims of unscrupulous pagan gods or the mystical forces of star signs. There is a God who rules heaven and earth, who cares for the innocent and exacts justice upon the corrupt.
Several moving parts must be perfectly in place for an eclipse to occur. Each eclipse involves a star, a planet that orbits the star, and a moon that orbits the planet. But those are only the basics. There are many factors, including distance, size, and alignment, that allow a planet to experience an eclipse. Our Earth is the only planet known to have an eclipse where our moon so precisely covers our Sun. Earth seems to have been designed to be an ideal observation spot! Isn’t that a marvel?… especially since it’s the only planet with humans able to observe!
Solar Eclipses have been recorded as significant in the annals of quite a few cultural histories. You can read about some of them in reports online… like “The 8 Most Famous Solar Eclipses in History” By Tia Ghose published February 13, 2017 https://www.livescience.com/57865-famous-solar-eclipses.html
Since ancient times, human societies have had an awesome wonder for eclipses of both the Sun and the Moon. Though a total eclipse of the Sun may last only minutes, the entire event of the moon’s shadow moving across the Earth, takes a couple of hours. That spectacle has quite often been construed as an omen that indicates an impending miracle, or the wrath of God, or, most frequently, the doom of a ruling dynasty.
England’s William the Conqueror fathered King Henry the First. On August 2, 1133 a solar eclipse happened over the British Isles that lasted 4 minutes and 38 seconds. Only two days after witnessing the solar eclipse King Henry the First of England died. This eclipse became known as “Henry’s Eclipse” and caused many superstitious people to believe that eclipses were bad omens for rulers. In the manuscript “Historia Novella,” William of Malmesbury recounts that the “hideous darkness” agitated the hearts of men. After William’s death, a struggle for the throne threw the kingdom into chaos and civil war.
How did ancient cultures explain eclipses?
Helius god of the sun | Athenian red-figure krater C5th B.C. | British Museum, London
As the Earth and Moon course through space in their annual journey around the Sun, the three magnificent orbs align in such a way that the Earth passes into the direct shadow of the moon. Earthlings can then witness our Sun, gradually being covered and then uncovered by the Moon’s disk. Humans who’ve seen it in person often exclaim this to be the most spectacular celestial event of their lives.
Until astronomers were able to explain the celestial mechanics of this phenomenon, a solar eclipse could be a terrifying event. In cultures throughout human history, the Sun was seen as a supreme god. It was central to their very existence. Rulers recognized and literally ‘feared’ the power that the Sun had over their people. You can see how that fear could be used by tyrants to control their people. The Egyptians personified it as Amun-Ra. The Greeks deified it as Helios
Humans in every era knew their crops depended on the Sun. They understood the necessity of the cycles of heaven and developed myths to explain them. So, the idea that the Sun deity could be temporarily extinguished in a total eclipse inspired a number of imaginative explanations and meanings. Most involve some sort of evil entity trying to devour the sun. Such myths undoubtedly arose from the fact that during the early stages of a solar eclipse, the sun appears to have a bite taken out of it.
But what does a Biblical view of the natural creation lead us to think about celestial events like solar eclipses?
What are the Creator’s designed purposes for the astronomical bodies including the Sun, the Moon, planets and stars?
The first chapter of Genesis states very plainly… ‘Let luminaries be in the expanse of the heavens, Gen. 1:14 to make a separation between the day and the night …, For Signs and For Seasons
In modern times, most of us have never been taught the profound historic Hebrew legacy of their early knowledge about the significance of the signposts of the starry heavens. Yet the familiar Psalm 19 proclaims firmly that the “The heavens declare the glory of God…” (Psalm 19:1). When I began digging through the ancient scholarship about God’s word “Mazzaroth,” which equates to the pagan word zodiac, it became clear that here was yet another part of God’s creation that our demonic adversary has perverted and corrupted. You’ll want to look at my book, Unlocking the Mysteries of Creation to discover a lot more of how “the heavens declare the glory of god,” and “the real meaning of the zodiac.”
Don’t miss the Genesis fact that the second purpose for the Creator’s “luminaries in the expanse of the heavens” were for signs and for appointed seasons, called “mo-ed” – relating to fixed meeting places, feasts and festivals.
Solar eclipses were used by Bible prophets as markers to foretell the destruction of both the Ancient Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Southern Kingdom of Judah. We’ll read about them later on in the books of the prophets Amos and Jeremiah.
Eclipses in ancient cultures are commonly understood as omens of destructions for nations, kingdoms, and peoples, both Gentile (pagan) and Semitic (Hebrews/Jews).
We know from Scripture and Hebrew written records that the prophet Daniel was the predecessor of the students of the Chaldean astronomers that we know of as the Maji. Centuries later, a renowned group of their cast of wise men, specializing in astronomical observations and natural science, are described by Mathew the apostle of Jesus. He records their encounter with Judah’s illegitimate King Herod, asking “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?” He further records that they had “…seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him” (Matt 2:2).
So, naturally we should incline our hearts and minds to seek our Heavenly Father’s insight into the meaning of His creations that He designed for our understanding. Remember how Jesus criticized his religious contemporaries, saying, “You know how to discern the face of the sky, but you cannot discern the signs of the times” (Matt 16:3).
For those believers who are anticipating the return of our Messiah, one can’t help but recognize some remarkable coincidences.
Have you noticed some peculiar things about the 2017 solar eclipse that are significant to the Bible?
First was the fact that the Great American Solar Eclipse of 2017 entered the American continent first from the northwest at the Oregon city of Salem. Of course, most Christians are familiar with the meaning of that name.
The word Salem is the Hebrew word Shalom, meaning peace, which was the original name for Israel’s capital city called Jeru-Salem.
What’s fascinating is that of the 36 towns in America named after that Biblical city, exactly 7 of them are directly under the shadow of the path of the 2017 eclipse.
If you remember back in 2017 when you first heard about the Great American Eclipse crossing directly across the continent, that’s when the public was also being made aware of the second Total Solar Eclipse that was coming an amazing 7 years later in 2024.
The zone of the crossing of the two eclipse shadows just happened to include the town of Salem, Kentucky!
The time between the two total eclipses is actually 6 years & 8 months; totaling 2,422 days. That figures out to be 1,211 days before and after Dec 14, 2020.
On that very day there was another total solar eclipse over the Southern Cone region of South America including Argentina and Chile…
It doesn’t take a genius to figure out why probably at least half the population of the world had reason to be worried when they saw what looked like God was painting a big X over a country.
To deepen the mystery was learning that another Total Solar Eclipse over America is going to happen 21 years later, on August 12, 2045. That will be followed by another one 2,422 days after, on March 30, 2052.
Exactly in the middle is another solar eclipse on December 8, 2048.
And remember, prior to 2017, America had not seen a total solar eclipse crossing the entire country for A HUNDRED YEARS!
Because of these things, many are wondering if there is prophetic significance regarding the signs of the times and the second coming of Jesus Christ.
While millions are praying for revival and a spirit of repentance to invade our society, we can’t help seeing the injustice and evil that pervades the lives of millions of lost souls who seem to be blindly following the insanity of wicked forces in all the mountains of influence in this generation.
If ever there were an empire that was truly on the precipice of collapse, the decadence of America’s modern national identity would certainly qualify it for destruction. Will a godly remnant be saved as the wicked endure judgment?
But there’s much more to this story.
When we see the graphic map of the crossing of the two Great American 21st Century Eclipses of 2017 and 2024, it reminds us of the idea that X marks the spot.
It just so happens that “The SPOT” of the crossing of the two paths is very near the geographical center of the US population, which is the town of Hartville, in Wright County Missouri.
The sign of the X is the last character of the ancient Hebrew alphabet. It looks just like a cross tipped to the right. It’s called the letter TAV. It was also used to signify the signature of someone, even God. Could God be signing His name on the continent of America? But if He were to do that, we would have to wonder how did Jesus refer to His name in respect to the alphabet?
Revelation 22:12-13 says: “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every one according to his work. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last.”
In Hebrew Jesus would be quoted saying “I am the Aleph and the Tav.” That’s the equivalent of the Alpha and the Omega. Okay… we’ve seen the TAV – the X – over America. What about the Aleph – the Alpha?
This is where it gets interesting…
On October 14, 2023, just less than 6 months before the April 8, 2024 Total Solar Eclipse, another Solar Eclipse – called an Annular Eclipse that leaves a ring of sunlight at its apex, called ‘the wedding ring – began also in Salem, Oregon… dipping down over Texas and crossing the path of the 2024 eclipse very near where it enters the state of Texas, near the highly publicized center of the foreign invasion – a place called Eagle Pass.
Two Xs over America? Well, look a bit closer.
When you overlay the path of the 2017 eclipse with the 2023 Annular Eclipse and the 2024 Total Eclipse, you get a sign pattern that looks exactly like the letter A turned on its side to the left.
That is exactly what the Hebrew letter ALEPH looks like.
So, now you have both the Aleph and the Tav… the Alpha and the Omega… The beginning and the ending. And they are continent-sized SIGNS painted boldly across the continent that has often been identified with the harlot empire of Babylon.
The path of the 2024 solar eclipse will cross 13 states (entering from Mexico it then passes over Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. Small parts of Tennessee and Michigan will also experience the total solar eclipse. A partial solar eclipse will be visible throughout all 48 contiguous U.S. states)
There are exactly 7 US towns named Ninevah. … Can you imagine why anyone would want to tag their settlement or town with that sign? All of those 7 towns will witness the 2024 Solar Eclipse. At least 2 of them will experience the total eclipse (Indiana and New York).
What do we know about Nineveh? They had a major solar eclipse at the very time that Jonah entered the city to warn them of God’s coming judgment, unless they repented. Read the book of Jonah again, with that fact as a backdrop. Then notice the intensity of the description of their sincere repentance, and how God withdrew their certain destruction.
Perhaps God would be pleased to raise up His 21st century Jonahs to boldly proclaim the warning of judgment and repentance to the people who are living in the spirit of Nineveh.
In conclusion…
Consider Isaiah’s exhortations applying to our generation
Isa 40:1 Comfort, O comfort My people, says your God…
40:17 All the nations are as nothing before Him, they are regarded by Him as less than nothing and meaningless.
40:21-23 Do you not know? Have you not heard? Has it not been declared to you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? It is He who is enthroned above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers, Who stretches out the heavens like a curtain and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in. He it is who reduces rulers to nothing, Who makes the judges of earth meaningless.
40:26 Lift up your eyes and see who has created these stars, the One who leads forth their host by number, He calls them all by name…
Isa 42:5-9 Thus says God the Lord, Who created the heavens and stretched them out, Who spread out the earth… Who gives breath to the people on it… I am the LORD, I have called you in righteousness, I will also hold you by the hand and watch over you, and I will appoint you as a covenant to the people, as a light to the nations, to open blind eyes, to bring out prisoners from the dungeon, and those who dwell in darkness from the prison. I am the LORD, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, nor my praise to graven images. Behold, the former things have come to pass, Now I declare new things; before they spring forth I proclaim them to you…
42:13 The Lord will go forth like a warrior, He will arouse His zeal like a man of war. He will utter a shout, yes, He will raise a war cry. He will prevail against His enemies.
43:10b-11 Before Me there was no God formed, and there will be none after Me. I, even I, am the LORD; and there is no savior besides Me.
Discern God’s intention for His adversaries, particularly in Isaiah’s context, for the wickedness that fueled the spirit behind ancient Babylon. That spirit is clearly at work in the world at large today, through many powerful principalities which are causing the insane behavior of the human rulers of modern nations.
Isaiah speaks directly to the spirit which invigorated Babylon saying (47:10) “your wisdom and your knowledge have deluded you.”
To “the daughter of the Chaldeans” (Babylon) who did not show mercy to God’s people (47:6), the Holy One of Israel, the Lord of hosts (by name – 47:4), promised sudden destruction (47:11) for arrogantly claiming to be the only ‘I am’ (47:10) and “a queen forever” (47:7)
Isa 47:13 Let now the astrologers, those who prophesy by the stars, those who predict by new moons, stand up and save you from what will come upon you.
Today… visit Reclaim Your Legacy dot com… key in today’s title – 2024 American Solar Eclipse. Send your friends the link for today’s show. The bonus information for today’s episode is all recorded with lots of helpful graphics …
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Bonus Segment
On April 8, 2024, over 31 million people in North America will witness a total solar eclipse. About a third of them are in just 10 cities. Could that be significant
Note – the Paleo (ancient – time of Moses) TAV is similar to a cross, which was tipped in Middle Hebrew, to resemble our letter X. It signifies the Creator’s signature.
Experience nature’s greatest sight — a total eclipse of the Sun! On April 8, 2024, the shadow of the Moon will cross Mexico, the United States, and Canada. This spectacular total solar eclipse will amaze many millions of people. This is sure to be a record-setting astronomical event.
In 2017, The Washington Post, published what some believed about the two eclipses that will mark an X across the nation. They wrote that the eclipse across the United States in 2017 crossing the one that happens in 2024, could be the starting and ending signs bookmarking a seven-year period of awful tribulations that are in store for nonbelievers who are left behind when the rapture occurs. Obviously, that didn’t happen. Scripture has other things to say about God’s plans for the future, but could there be other types of significance?
In the Bible, Jesus said that there will be signs in the sun, and in the moon and in the stars prior to His return. Many prophecy teachers are speculating what the solar eclipse in 2024 might mean. In light of the many unique facts about this eclipse, especially in the context of what has been happening with the politics, economy and morality of our culture, it will no doubt foster much opportunity in our nation to talk with people about eternal and spiritual topics.
The 2024 Solar Eclipse on the Jewish Calendar – note on what day April 8th falls – Adar 29… this is Biblical New Years Eve.
Purim begins at sundown – Sunday March 24th… Adar 14… 14 days before the eclipse on April 8th.
Passover begins at sundown – Monday April 22nd… Nissan 14… 14 days after the eclipse.
Besides the constant scientific attention given to the possibility of the Yellowstone Caldera erupting and causing massive catastrophe across North America, another disaster zone centers at virtually the crosshairs of the two historic Solar Eclipses.
Have you ever heard of the New Madrid mega-earthquakes of 1811 & 1812?
See a map showing the Damage-range comparison between a moderate New Madrid zone earthquake in 1895 (magnitude 6.8), compared with the historic quakes of 1811 & 1812.
The 1811–1812 the New Madrid earthquakes (/ˈmædrɪd/) were a series of intense intraplate earthquakes beginning with an initial earthquake of moment magnitude 7.2–8.2 on December 16, 1811, followed by a moment magnitude 7.4 aftershock on the same day. Two additional earthquakes of similar magnitude followed in January and February 1812. They remain the most powerful earthquakes to hit the contiguous United States east of the Rocky Mountains in recorded history.[10][11][12] The earthquake seismic zone where they occurred is still considered active.
Read Eyewitness accounts
John Bradbury, a fellow of the Linnean Society, was on the Mississippi on the night of December 15, 1811, and describes the tremors in great detail in his Travels in the Interior of America in the Years 1809, 1810 and 1811, published in 1817:[17]
After supper, we went to sleep as usual: about ten o’clock, and in the night, I was awakened by the most tremendous noise, accompanied by an agitation of the boat so violent, that it appeared in danger of upsetting … I could distinctly see the river as if agitated by a storm; and although the noise was inconceivably loud and terrific, I could distinctly hear the crash of falling trees, and the screaming of the wild fowl on the river, but found that the boat was still safe at her moorings. By the time we could get to our fire, which was on a large flag in the stern of the boat, the shock had ceased; but immediately the perpendicular banks, both above and below us, began to fall into the river in such vast masses, as nearly to sink our boat by the swell they occasioned … At day-light we had counted twenty-seven shocks.
Eliza Bryan[18] in New Madrid, Territory of Missouri, wrote the following eyewitness account in March 1812:
On the 16th of December, 1811, about two o’clock, a.m., we were visited by a violent shock of an earthquake, accompanied by a very awful noise resembling loud but distant thunder, but more hoarse and vibrating, which was followed in a few minutes by the complete saturation of the atmosphere, with sulphurious vapor, causing total darkness. The screams of the affrighted inhabitants running to and fro, not knowing where to go, or what to do—the cries of the fowls and beasts of every species—the cracking of trees falling, and the roaring of the Mississippi— the current of which was retrograde for a few minutes, owing as is supposed, to an irruption in its bed— formed a scene truly horrible.
John Reynolds, the fourth governor of Illinois, among other political posts, mentions the earthquake in his biography My Own Times: Embracing Also the History of My Life (1855):[19]
On the night of the 15th of December, 1811, an earthquake occurred, that produced great consternation amongst the people. The centre of the violence was in New Madrid, Missouri, but the whole valley of the Mississippi was violently agitated. Our family all were sleeping in a log cabin, and my father leaped out of bed crying aloud “the Indians are on the house” … We laughed at the mistake of my father, but soon found out it was worse than the Indians. Not one in the family knew at the time that it was an earthquake. The next morning another shock made us acquainted with it, so we decided it was an earthquake. The cattle came running home bellowing with fear, and all animals were terribly alarmed on the occasion. Our house cracked and quivered, so we were fearful it would fall to the ground. In the American Bottom many chimneys were thrown down, and the church bell in Cahokia sounded by the agitation of the building. It is said the shock of an earthquake was felt in Kaskaskia in 1804, but I did not perceive it. The shocks continued for years in Illinois, and some have experienced it this year, 1855.
Aleph-Tav signs appear throughout the Hebrew Scriptures (Torah)
King James translators assume they were simply direct object pointers in Hebrew grammar, so they were never translated into English, or other languages.
William Sanford did a thorough study of the use of AlephTav signs in the Scriptures and came to the conclusion that they have specific meanings as a divine mark or sign, identifying Jesus/Yeshua’s presence and divinity. There are also many examples of the AlephTav sign being placed where it pertains to the importance of ‘subject matter’ regarding covenant relationship with the Father, regarding people, persons, places, or things, and even rendering judgments concerning curses or blessings.
William published the Messianic Aleph Tav Interlinear Scriptures documents. He has a website explaining in detail the meaning of these covenant markers: https://alephtavscriptures.com
Solar Eclipses marked the destruction of Ancient Northern Kingdom of Israel AND the Southern Kingdom of Judah.
Amos 8:2,3&9 prophesied to the Northern Kingdom of Israel: ‘And He said, “Amos, what do you see?” So I said, “A basket of summer fruit.” Then the LORD said to me: “The end has come upon My people Israel; I will not pass by them anymore. 3 And the songs of the temple shall be wailing in that day,” says the Lord GOD—“Many dead bodies everywhere, they shall be thrown out in silence.” … 9 “And it shall come to pass in that day,” says the Lord GOD, “That I will make the sun go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in broad daylight;
Jeremiah 15:4,8&9 prophesied to the southern Kingdom of Judah: ‘I will hand them over to trouble, to all kingdoms of the earth, because of Manasseh the son of Hezekiah, king of Judah, for what he did in Jerusalem. 8 Their widows will be increased to Me more than the sand of the seas; I will bring against them, against the mother of the young men, a plunderer at noonday; I will cause anguish and terror to fall on them suddenly. 9 “She languishes who has borne seven; she has breathed her last; her sun has gone down while it was yet day; she has been ashamed and confounded. And the remnant of them I will deliver to the sword before their enemies,” says the LORD.’
Why would God be marking Hebrew signs across the United States of America?
. God gave the name “Israel” to Abraham’s grandson Jacob (Genesis 32:28; 35:10). Jacob had 12 sons: Reuben, Simeon, Zebulun, Issachar, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Judah, Levi, Dan, Joseph, and Benjamin.
. The name of Israel and birthright were passed on by Jacob only to Joseph’s sons Ephraim & Manasseh, who Jacob adopted as his own and moved them ahead of Reuben and Simeon (Genesis 48::5, 16).
. the 13 tribes (Ephraim replaced Joseph, & Manasseh became the 13th tribe (Rev 7:6,8) were a United Kingdom of Israel under Kings Saul, David & Solomon (2 Samuel 5:1-5; 1 Chronicles 29:23).
. After King Solomon’s death, the United Kingdom split into 2 kingdoms: 1) The Southern Kingdom (House) of Judah, headed by King Rehoboam of the House of David, which included the tribes of Judah, Benjamin and Levites (plus a small remnant of Israelites that left the Northern Kingdom) were known as the Judean “Jews,” and 2) the Northern Kingdom (House) of Israel, headed by King Jeroboam, which consisted of the remaining 10 tribes, led by the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh (1 Kings 12; 2 Chronicles 11:12-14.
. God sent the Assyrians to destroy the Northern Kingdom of Israel in 722 BC, because of their idolatry. Amos describes their worship of Baal, immorality, sorceries, divination, lawlessness and child sacrifice to Moloch in his book. The House of Israel was scattered throughout the world (2 Kings 17:5-6; 10-18, Jeremiah 31:9), never to be restored. The Region was later reinhabited by Assyrians who adapted a modified Yahweh worship as the people called Samaritans.
. The Kingdom of Judah also forsook Yahweh in idolatry, immorality, and lawlessness. It was destroyed in 586 by God through Babylon’s King Nebuchadnezzar. Jerusalem was conquered and its walls and palaces, as well as the temple, were destroyed, and the inhabitant were carried away into exile for 70 years (2 Kings 24:18; 24:1-27; 2 Chronicles 36:11-23; Jeremiah 29:10, 52:1-11).
Does the city name of Salem have significance to America’s history or future?
. The August 2017 total solar eclipse started in Salem, Oregon.
. The October 2023 Annular solar eclipse started in Salem, Oregon.
. Salem is the ancient name for JeruSALEM, the city God established for the home of his Tabernacle when He chose to have His glory dwell in the place that became identified as Zion (Psalm 76:2) “In Salem also is his tabernacle, and his dwelling place in Zion.”
. The Southern Kingdom of Judah was ruled from Jerusalem (2 Chronicles 11:5).
There is no other country in the world with nearly as many place names that are named after places in the little land of what was the historic nation of Israel. The reason for this is the fact that no other nation on earth has been so consciously identified by Christian pioneers as a sort of modern era “Promised Land” with deep spiritual roots in the history of the Holy Land of the Bible.
Interestingly, 33 of the 36 US cities named Salem lie in or near the totality paths of the 3 solar eclipses.
Samaria was the capital of the ancient Northern Kingdom of Israel (1 Kings 16:24, 28).
There are 9 cities named Samaria in the United States. All 9 of them are in the path of at least 60% of the totality of both the 2017 and 2024 eclipses.
Although there are two to five solar eclipses visible from some place on Earth in any given year, the total solar eclipse that happened on August 21, 2017 attracted more attention than any eclipse in recent history, with good reason. When the announcement of the coming eclipse was spreading publicly, the map showing the path of the eclipse across the United States ALSO include the path of a second total solar eclipse that was scheduled to happen almost exactly 7 YEARS LATER IN 2024. During the 2017 event, the moon’s umbra (complete shadow), first fell on the Pacific Ocean as it made landfall in Oregon. It then traversed the North American continent before darkening the ocean off South Carolina one and one-half hours later. During that time, virtually all of North America was partially darkened by the penumbra (partial shadow) of the eclipse.
What becomes visible during the total solar eclipse of 2024?
Jonah 3:10 Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it.
Psalm 27:13 I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living.
James 1:22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
Rom 15:13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
When facing monumental Change and trials ahead how are we to go?
When I was a young teen growing up, I found a book in my grandmother’s collection (she was an avid reader of good books and the Readers Digest). It was “Men to Match My Mountains,” by Irving Stone.
The cover of the book was a picture of the snow-covered Sierra Nevada Mountain range. In the foreground on the golden prairies below, was a small train of covered wagons… Those pioneers were facing the biggest obstacle of their months-long journey across America’s vast plains.
Men to Match My Mountains is a true historical masterpiece. It’s an unforgettable pageant of giants—men like John Sutter. His dream of paradise was shattered by the California Gold Rush. Brigham Young and the Mormons were extraordinary men too. They tamed the desert with Bible texts. Frontier America called for greatness …and got it. Nothing in history can match the stories of the pioneers who braved the challenges of the wilderness to bring our young nation to the shores of the Pacific Ocean.
The title of that book always inspired my imagination with thoughts of courage and tenacity… strength and valor… vision and commitment.
I learned that the book title was inspired by a little-known historical quote from a man I’d never heard of, Sam Foss.
“Bring me men to match my mountains; bring me men to match my plains; men with empires in their purpose and new eras in their brains.”
quote by Sam Walter Foss…
I don’t know about anyone else, but from the beginning, I always thought that the subject speaking those words was none other than God, who made His mighty mountains.
And the men in the grand history of America’s frontier, whether they knew it or not, were prepared providentially by God for the challenging journeys that became their epic story. They laid the foundation for later chapters in the movement of vast populations of humans from around the world.
The Bible actually gives us insight on the divinely ordered migrations of civilizations on earth. It’s in Acts 17, when the apostle Paul preached to the intellectual pagans in Athens, Greece. He said:
“The God who made the world and everything that is in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made by hands; nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all people life and breath and all things; and He made from one man every nation [ethnos = people group] of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation, that they would seek God, if perhaps they might feel around for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His descendants.’” Acts 17:24-28
We may not be living in the era of David and Goliath or the pioneer families facing their fears of fierce Indian tribes, but our generation is challenged by trials and enemies that are, in many ways, even more daunting than those of our forefathers. Why?
Because our generation has been spoiled on the lap of luxury and affluence. We’re soft. As the last of the so-called ‘greatest generation’ of World War 2 veterans pass on to their final reward, most of those left behind know nothing of serious hardship. For a variety of converging reasons, the greatest generation that survived the great depression, a world-wide war, and the dawn of the space age of technology, has been shamed by the era of their spoiled children and grandchildren.
Most of us have never had to literally fight for our lives. Most of us have never had to endure prolonged weeks of hunger. Suffering – as a whole society – has only been a remote nightmare that we mistakenly thought only happened in far-away primitive places like dark African jungles. When we heard about the horrors of whole communities of Christians being martyred for their faith in places like Asia and the Middle East, the Barbie generation rarely gave it a thought. If they did, they would brush it off quickly, thinking “it could never happen here.”
But …with the rise of humanistic self-indulgence and the all-too-common public blasphemy of God, and His righteous principles of virtue and even common decency, we’re left in a society that resembles more of a pig stye than the grandeur of whatever we attributed to the valor and strength of the pioneers of our past.
Ready or not, our generation really is having to prepare for the challenging journey of a lifetime.
Now, as godly people are humbly praying… interceding …calling out to Almighty God for His rescue and justice … for His redemption and deliverance…
…do you believe that the Bible has all the counsel needed …to equip those with ears to hear …and who have a ready heart …to take action?
Can you think of some of the many instances in Scripture when God’s people had a daunting journey or task ahead of them? Think of the principles, the virtues, and the attitudes that God exhorted His people to live out.
From a New Testament perspective, Holy Spirit has many building blocks of wisdom to make us think seriously about the actions Yahweh expects of His people. I’m drawn to Bible exhortations like Paul’s closing words in his first letter to the assembly [the Ekklesia] of Messiah’s faithful followers in Corinth.
“Be on the alert (be WATCHFUL), stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.” I Co 16:13-14
Overcoming Adversity and Challenges in life is all about growing up, isn’t it? … maturing!
And you don’t really reach a higher rung in the climb to maturity until you use what you’ve developed so far to help someone behind you to come up a little higher for themselves. Am I right about that?
I’m reminded of another of Paul’s admonitions in closing his letter to the Corinthians…
“Dear brothers and sisters, don’t be childish in your understanding of these things. Be innocent as babies when it comes to evil, but be mature in understanding matters of this kind.” 1 Co 14:20
Do you think God has a reasonable complaint against many in our affluent society? Maybe the scripture in Hebrews 5:12 is timely here…
“You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food.”
Does that bring to mind any familiar behaviors we’ve all seen in our children as they were growing up?
The Lord has reminded me, over many years of leaning on the wisdom of God in the book of Proverbs, that we haven’t truly understood much about really living, until we’ve had to deal with our precious babies… Why is that? Having your own children sure does help you grow up fast yourself, doesn’t it?
I guess it’s because every challenge shows us how we need help… And where does our help come from? You might be thinking now of the familiar passage in Psalm 121
“I lift up my eyes to the hills. From where does my help come?
My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth.”
Psalm 121:1-2
Now, if you’ve been pickled in secular thinking and the delusion of evolutionism, that’s a problem. Your deranged beliefs in impossible fairy tales may need to be challenged to “test all things” (1 The 5:21) and discover the fact that Genesis really is true history. That’s why I’ve posted my book about that on my website, AwesomeWorks.com
I don’t know how parents these days manage to stay emotionally healthy without the LORD. He truly is our strong tower of refuge (Ps 18:2; Pr 18:10).
“The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” Ps 18:2.
There’s a sense of what Jesus is quoted as saying in John 9:4… that applies to us today… What do you think? He said:
“We must carry out the works of Him who sent Me as long as it is day; night is coming, when no one can work.” Jn 9:4
That speaks of the reality that there are different seasons in our lives – and in our time as a people of God – for different actions like we read in Ecclesiastes…
“To everything there is a season… a time for every purpose under heaven.” Ecclesiastes 3:1
It’s time to take seriously our call from Almighty God, the LORD of Angel Armies, about how to behave …how to live …how to even think… when surrounded by real enemies of God and even our very lives. As Paul urged believers in Ephesians 4…
“…you are to no longer walk [behave – live – even think] just as the [unbelieving] Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their minds, being darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart…” Eph 4:17-18
Are we taking that commission seriously? If we do, we’ll truly realize that continuing victory in the battles ahead of us, demands some things. We must keep our focus on the appeals of that entire passage of Paul’s letter to the believers who were part of Messiah’s Ekklesia at Ephesus 2000 years ago. Check it for yourself… but in summary, if we’re honest, do you think there’s any room for compromise on these specific commands for every person enlisted in God’s army?
Why not think seriously on renewing your commitment to daily do the things that direct us in God’s way? What are those actions? They’re really pretty simple… Again… from Ephesians 4:17-32…
Walk toward righteousness (v 17-24)
Speak truthfully to others (v 25)
Let not anger become sin (v 26-27)
Work to meet others’ needs (v 28)
Build people up with your words (v 29)
Grieve not the Holy Spirit (v 30)
Be kind and forgiving like God (v 31-32)
How do we hope to discipline ourselves to ever reach that level of maturity?
Listen to God’s word in Romans 15…
“For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.”
Romans 15:4
Speaking of God’s people, Israel, in the wilderness, Paul writes…
“…these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction…” 1 Co. 10:11.
Isaiah drives the point home further, saying:
“Remember the former things long past, for I am God and there is no other; I am God, and there is no one like Me…” Isa. 46:9.
Could it be any clearer? There’s one good reason we don’t know how to think like God and have the faith in Him that is required to please Him! What’s that. We don’t read His word… meditate in His word… speak His word… abide in His word.
When God’s own people don’t even have God’s word on their minds when challenged with what to do in the face of crisis, it’s only natural that they’ll wilt under the fearmongering words they’re hearing from all the puppets on the satanically inspired communist news network (CNN).
That’s why Ro 10:17 says, “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
Do we honestly want to follow our Lord faithfully? Then it shouldn’t surprise us to see that all the spiritual truths and concepts God teaches us for our good… all of them… have practical applications that work out in the ordinary activities of our everyday life.
God wants us to always keep our eyes on Him… that’s why we think of His axiom of life…
“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5-6
The lives of many Bible personalities give us pictures of how that works, don’t they? Think of Joshua, at age 79 [in 1406 BC] – the man whose Hebrew name was the same as Yeshua (or Jesus) – meaning ‘SALVATION.’ He was handed over the leadership of over half a million Israelite families. That suggests a total population of at least two and a half million, including women and children.
Do you think Joshua needed some special confirmation from God… to add to the skills he’d been developing in the wilderness under Moses’ mentorship for 40 years?
When the new generation of Yahweh’s family of Israel, were preparing to cross over the Jordan to begin the conquering of Canaan’s land of giants, they were given a specific instruction. They must keep a sharp eye on the movement of the presence of God. And what was that? The Ark of the Covenant being carried on the shoulders of four Levite priests. Why must they keep their eyes on God’s presence? Because they “have not passed this way before.” You can read about it in Joshua chapter 3.
“When you see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God with the Levitical priests carrying it, then you shall set out from your place and go after it. However, there shall be a distance between you and it of about two thousand cubits (3,000 feet) by measurement. Do not come near it, so that you may know the way by which you shall go, for you have not passed this way before.” Joshua 3:3-4
You really need to go read or re-read the details. What God did to give His people confidence that He would go before them in conquering the intimidating enemies ahead, is truly a model for us today. How? We can expect God to show us signs and wonders when we obey Him to step out in faith! It was much like when Peter stepped out of the boat to come to Jesus. As long as Peter kept his focus on Jesus, he walked in a continuing miracle. When he allowed the distraction of the sea waves to cause him to fear, you know what happened, don’t you?
Think of Israel’s (Jacob’s) son, Joseph, the great grandson of Abraham. His story begins in Genesis 37. There, began a new chapter… a new book… in Hebrew, a new “TOLEDOTH.” This was an historic new season of God’s working through His specially prepared people, the family of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
There are many great lessons and applications we can glean from the life of Joseph. Can you guess which one seems particularly applicable to the season in which our generation finds itself today?
The record starts in Genesis 41. Joseph was in the prison of Egypt’s Pharaoh. God gave him favor from the chief jailer. God gave Joseph opportunities. He gladly took action to use his God-given gift. He interpreted the dreams of two men who were thrown into prison with him. Time passed. His endurance in prison no doubt cultivated humility and patience in Joseph in his late 20s. Eventually God used those experiences to give Joseph an audience with the king.
Pro 18:16 says: “A man’s gift makes room for him and brings him before great men.”
It wasn’t very long before Joseph was given a new full-time job. His spiritual insight and godly wisdom earned him both approval and advancement of Pharaoh. Because of his divine foresight, Joseph was assigned to manage what became perhaps the greatest survival preparation project in the history of the world. His life became the gold standard for every pioneer, future survivalists, and preppers. He administered the accumulation and distribution of Egypt’s primary food supply of grain with divinely inspired genius. His efforts were efficient, fair, and, by God’s providence, astonishingly productive. Joseph’s example should cause every man living today to seek God’s wisdom and direction for just how to prepare for the survival of his family. And don’t we all need that? Especially as we face inevitable global crisis that could even compare with Egypt’s famous famine, over 36 centuries ago?
So, what patterns do we see God’s providence in the life of Joseph? How can we apply that principle from 1 Co. 10:11?
“…these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction…”.
Some have called this “The Joseph Principle.” Our question, when the world around us seems to be going through a time of judgment, is: “how can God’s people expect to flourish during a time of famine?”
As we counsel together with our closest community and family of like-minded followers of our Messiah, we must begin by reflecting on some long-established principles of Bible-based faith. Let’s remember what David’s psalm 37 said, in the midst of all the judgment being described for the enemies of God, “when the wicked are cut off,” and that “you will see it” (Ps 37:34, cf. v. 9, 22, 28, 38)?
Psa 37:25 “I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging for bread.”
A similar but quite different situation was almost 400 years later, when God’s disobedient people were being taken into captivity by Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar. Read about it in Jeremiah 29. There’s a favorite verse there that is usually taken completely out of its context. But read verse 4 to set the stage:
“Thus says the LORD of hosts (Yahweh Sabaoth), the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon…”
Look at verse 7:
“…seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the LORD on its behalf: for in its welfare, you will have welfare.”
Then God promises to bring his captive people back to their homeland, and says…
“For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.” Verse 29:11.
But don’t miss the next verse…
“Then (when? When they were in exile in a foreign country as captives – then) you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. And you will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart, and I will be found by you, declares the LORD…” verse 29:12-13.
Let the power of that declaration sink in!
Joseph, four centuries earlier than Jeremiah’s generation, was certainly a captive in a foreign country. He certainly would have taken encouragement from Jeremiah’s prophetic promise of God’s assurance and providential help. But let’s realize that Joseph’s situation demanded that he learn some things in a hurry and put together a plan that would take years to fully implement and manage.
Joseph Creates a Long-term Agricultural Policy and Infrastructure (Genesis 41:46-57; 47:13-26)
Immediately after Pharaoh assigned Joseph to his new job, the Bible tells us that, “Joseph…went through all the land of Egypt” on an inspection tour (Gen. 41:46). He had to prepare himself by developing relationships with people doing farming in Egypt. Think of all that he had to quickly learn about the geography of the land, the conditions of the fields, the crops themselves and their growing seasons, weather cycles and irrigation, not to mention record keeping and delegation of work. He no doubt had to set up and oversee the training of what amounted to a Department of Agriculture and Revenue. During the seven abundant years, Joseph had the grain stored in cities (Gen. 41:48-49) with plans for distribution during the seven lean years that followed. Can you imagine the kind of talent needed by any man to create and administer all this? Even more, think of dealing with the drama among many different people in a system of absolute monarchy. If anybody ever needed God’s wisdom, Joseph would be at the top of the list.
How can we apply Joseph’s crisis preparation experience? (Genesis 41:46-57; 47:13-26)
1. From the outset, we must quickly analyze the problems needing to be resolved.
2. Pray for discernment regarding the future so that you can make wise plans. James 1:5 ESV
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him.”
3. Commit yourself to God and His word first. Then expect him to direct and establish your plans. Proverbs 1:1-33 ESV
“The proverbs of Solomon, son of David, king of Israel: To know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight, to receive instruction in wise dealing, in righteousness, justice, and equity; to give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth— Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance,”
4. Gratefully and humbly acknowledge God’s gifts He’s working in you. Phil 2:13
“For it is God who is working in you both to will and to work according to his good purpose.”
5. Even though others recognize God’s presence in your life and the special talents you have, do not broadcast these in a self-serving effort to gain respect. Pro 27:2
“Let another praise thee, and not thine own mouth, A stranger, and not thine own lips.”
6. Learn whatever it takes to do your job with excellence. Pro 24:3
“A house is built by wisdom, and it is established by understanding”
7. Seek the real-world good for others, knowing God put you where you are to be a blessing. Phil 2:4
“Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”
8. Be fair in all of your dealings, especially when the circumstances are grim and deeply problematic. Proverbs 21:15 ESV
“When justice is done, it is a joy to the righteous but terror to evildoers.”
9. Value the sacredness of the countless types of honorable work that society needs. 1 Cor 12: 4-5
“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord”
10. Generously extend the fruit of your labor as widely as possible to those who truly need it, regardless of what you think of them as individuals. Prov. 3:27
“Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to do it.”
11. Accept that God may bring you into a particular type of work under extremely challenging conditions. This doesn’t mean that something went wrong or that you are out of God’s will.
12. Have courage to believe that God will equip you for the task. 2 Co 9:8
“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work.”
13. Accept the reality that sometimes people must choose what they regard as the better of two very unpleasant yet unavoidable situations.
14. Believe what you do will benefit not only those you see and meet, but also that your work may likely touch lives for many generations to come. Eph 3:20
“Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us”
When we have clear understanding of these kinds of principles firmly set in our minds, then we can begin doing the necessary and productive work of preparing for the storm ahead. That’s where we get the chance to “count it all joy” and keep “a merry heart” in the hard work of helping others navigate through the storm.
Isa 43:2 – “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.”
Gal 2:20 – “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”
Psa 23:4 – “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”
The Bible shows us patterns of God’s merciful provision. You can rely on His sufficient warning to His people BEFORE His righteous judgement comes. And what does warning lead to for those who are sensible?
Introspection
Repentance
Planning and preparation
Industry, warning others, and charity
Think of what He did with Noah and his family before the worldwide flood.
In Genesis 41, through Joseph, God assures the Pharaoh that He’s going to give 7 abundant years of food growth BEFORE bringing about a devastating famine.
Joseph advises the Pharaoh to diligently set aside a certain percentage of the harvest to prepare for the coming lean years. Pharaoh agrees and a law is established throughout Egypt that 20% of all produce is to be stored. Do you think we need to give Pharaoh some credit for trusting Joseph at his word and taking action?
When things are going well and the future seems bright, people typically find it hard to restrain from living high. Can you imagine the local population grumbling about being forced to set aside such a large portion of their crops for some future disaster that, to their minds, might never happen? They probably viewed Joseph and the Pharaoh as two tyrants conspiring to confiscate food from the population to make themselves richer.
Can you see why today’s challenges are similar to the brink of Egypt’s 7-year tribulation of famine? We’ve lived through far more than seven years of abundance in the richest generation of world history. Now, all societies on earth are facing what appears to many is what the Bible describes as the greatest tribulation mankind has ever or will ever experience. (Matt 24:21)
Despite all the arguments and opinions about the details of “the coming of the Son of Man” that “will be just like the days of Noah,” one thing is clear.
Yeshua said “Therefore be on the alert, for you do not know which day your Lord is coming.” Matt 24:42 …and … “For this reason, you be ready too; for the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you do not think He will.” Matt 24:44
And He went on to say…
45 “Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? 46 Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. 47 Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. 48 But if that wicked servant says to himself, ‘My master is delayed,’ 49 and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards, 50 the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know 51 and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
The following three stories that Yeshua taught in Matthew 24 concludes with the familiar parable of the talents. All of them are about preparation, preparedness, responsibility and trustworthiness to be productive.
Just as God ONLY entrusted the truth, wisdom and insight to Joseph, in our time He entrusts the same to His true faithful children. Those are the true Spiritual Israel, including both faithful Jewish and Gentile believers. The smartest secular minds and respected leaders weren’t able to figure out the truth in Joseph’s Day and they can’t discern it today. Most of the world’s secular and religious leaders are as much in the dark today as were Pharaoh’s wise men and magicians.
So please prepare. Find other like-minded followers of Messiah willing to prepare. Humbly bow before God today and ask Him, “What is my role? What should I do to prepare for what may be the most challenging period mankind has ever gone through?”
Trust that He will answer you. And then, when He gives you an answer, get to work! It’s time to take ACTION, Like Pharaoh did.
The Lord entrusted the Reclaiming Your Legacy program to us, to help you equip others with life-changing, if not life-saving, Biblical insight. I’m constantly aware of Yeshua’s warning, “to whom much is given, much is required, (Luke 12:48)” and “whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin,” (James 4:17).
Will you please receive and share the things you find beneficial here, with those who you care about? Will you pray, by God’s grace, we can keep up the work of preparing and sharing these things? If you think what we’re doing is worth continuing, will you join our team of praying truth-tellers who help us pay the bills and stay in the fight? We’ve been serving timely insight over a dozen years with just a small family of regular supporters. If God gives you the grace to help out with $5 or $500 a month, your investment will help us with much needed supplies, technology tools and equipment to make it possible for you to better share with others.
Thanks for being with us today on Reclaiming Your Legacy.
Have you ever thought about the actions that are taken by those who survive and win when under attack in a war between God and evil?
The brilliant Christian philosopher of the 20th Century, C. S. Lewis wrote, “You never know how much you really believe anything until its truth or falsehood becomes a matter of life and death to you.”
Dr Simone Gold, MD, JD spoke at Godspeak Calvary Chapel in Ventura, California. It was posted on YouTube Oct 29, 2021 but censored by YouTube. Find it online now on Rumble when you click here.
For a Biblical context let’s be reminded of one of the many warnings in Scripture to diligently work to avoid being deceived.
“Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore, do not be partakers with them.” Eph 5:6-7
The man unquestionably regarded as the wisest in history, King Solomon, wrote: “To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven…”
That means even a time for war… and our time for war has arrived.
When we read Solomon’s famous statement about the seasons of life in Ecclesiastes (chapter 2), we’re faced with the disturbing reality that life is a continuing roller coaster of ups and downs. In light of God’s word, we’ve got to draw our security and peace from the sheltering rest of our confidence in God through all of those ups and downs. As Solomon wrote, there’s…
2 A time to be born, And a time to die;
A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted;
3 A time to kill, And a time to heal;
A time to break down, And a time to build up;
4 A time to weep, And a time to laugh;
A time to mourn, And a time to dance;
5 A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones;
A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing;
6 A time to gain, And a time to lose;
A time to keep, And a time to throw away;
7 A time to tear, And a time to sew;
He ends with…
A time to keep silence, And a time to speak;
8 A time to love, And a time to hate;
A time of war, And a time of peace.
How would citizens of a country know that their country is in a war?
One of the oldest Chinese strategies of the art of war is the ultimate strategy. It’s simple. Get your enemy to think that he’s not the target of war, even when you’re maneuvering his collapse.
Bible believing Christians generally recognize the armor of the believer in the spiritual battle in Ephesians six. They’re familiar with the allusion to the weapons of our warfare in 2nd Corinthians 10. But how are they conditioned to think about being on their guard against actual physical enemies that are no doubt inspired by demonic forces?
2nd Timothy 2:4 tells us plainly, “No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, (so) that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.” This should alert us to the need to be prepared for war as Christ’s ambassadors and warriors when war comes.
The Bible isn’t really intended to be a manual for the art of war. But, observing God’s providentially guided history of His people as recorded in the Bible can teach us valuable lessons for the chaotic times we’re in now.
So, what would be some evidences in our society that we’re under siege in extreme warfare? Consider a few observations.
Clues to a Secret War
Large segments of the population are being censored from participating in public debate.
Wholesale mental conditioning has marginalized peaceful and thoughtful members of society.
Normally accepted standards of freedom are suspended in the ruse of the “common good.”
People are being called on to monitor their neighbors for normal trustworthy behaviors.
Personal health decisions are being denied from otherwise sensible people.
Fear is tactically observed as a wide-scale intimidation of standard channels of information.
Supply chains are compromised by incentivizing workers to stay home from employment.
Shortages of basic needs are prevalent even when there is no shortage of raw supplies.
Long-term public mobility is limited by various means for highly debatablebeliefs about factors that can actually be tested intelligently to reveal there is actually no reason for such restraint.
Freedoms are demanded to be sacrificed in the name of highly debatable expert opinion.
50+ years ago, The Lord used evangelist Mario to have a profound impact on my tranquil life. With his input and also many others at that time, God began opening the eyes of my heart so powerfully that I’ve never been the same since. Thankfully, and amazingly, God is still giving him energy and anointing to speak into the lives of many whom God is raising up to be spiritual warriors in our troubled times. He recently posted a challenging message that is so timely, I thought you would appreciate hearing about it. He titled his short post: “You are now a wartime pastor.” It was featured on the Intercessors For America (IFA) daily national prayer letter… so it must be really important and worth sharing with you today. You need to share this, but with your pastor, only if you discern that he is open to receive it. Some of this has (by now) already become reality. Some of it is yet possible.
September 30, 2021 | From Mario Murillo Ministries (9/14/21)
Lord, help us to fully engage and prevail against the gates of hell with the spiritual weapons you have given us, confident of Your victory. Give us eyes to see and ears to hear what the Spirit is saying to the Church.
You believe you have a choice. But reality and circumstances have made the choice. You can try to stay out of the war, but you will be labeled a traitor. I am not calling you a traitor–but the situation will. Things are deteriorating fast. The battle lines are drawn so clearly. Your silence will label you a turncoat.
There is a powerful pull to remain a peacetime pastor. Nostalgia and the yearning for simpler times are strong temptations. But there is no going back. Like it or not, reject it or not, you are now a wartime pastor.
“So, what should a wartime pastor be doing right now?
One: A wartime pastor will face the fact that our nation is being led by evildoers. The same villains who led the disastrous exit from Afghanistan are in control of the pandemic. [they are a relatively small group… you’ve heard them labeled as “elites” or “elitists”] They do not care about people’s lives. They do not care that they are despised by most of America. They are dedicated to their Marxist agenda and are bent on destroying this nation. They are reckless and depraved. It is only after a pastor realizes that those who are in power now are totally evil, that they [those pastors] will make the right choices for the good of their own people.
“Two: A wartime pastor will educate their congregation as to the evils of Critical Race Theory, transgenderism, and abortion. They will do it early, emphatically, and will not back down. They know that it is better to cut your losses now than to allow a congregation to fester in cultural compromise. Proverbs 28:23 says, “He who rebukes a man will find more favor afterward than he who flatters with the tongue.”
“Three: A wartime pastor will organize his people, immediately. They will get EVERYONE down to the school board meeting, the county commission meeting, and the city council meeting. Because this is war, you will get your people to start working together. Pastor, they are looking to you and you must lead them! [true shepherds will recognize and deal with all the dangers that are threatening to assault his sheep – not just the job of feeding them in the pasture or stalls]
“Four: A wartime pastor will deal with the hard questions—the unavoidable questions.
“What will you do when your unvaccinated members won’t be able to be treated at the hospitals? They won’t even be let in the front door. It is already happening.
“The Church will have to take care of them. Are you ready for that?
Some of your people are going to be fired from their jobs. They may have trouble finding any gainful employment. They’ll need help. A kind of help you haven’t ever dealt with before. And there could be a lot of them. Are you preparing to take care of them?
“Five: A wartime pastor realizes that they will soon be coming after your money. They failed to keep the church locked down. The church came roaring back. Now they will go after your money. Government bureaucrats are already planning to turn the IRS into a weapon against freedom of religion.
“Lastly, a wartime pastor realizes that the church is built on the Rock and the gates of hell will not prevail against it! [Jesus said, in Matthew 16:18, “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock (your confession that I am the Christ), I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.”]
The wartime pastor is fighting with the weapons of God. They’re confident of victory because of the Cross, the Resurrection and the Holy Spirit.
“However, a peacetime pastor has no part in that promise. The promise to prevail against the gates of hell is the exclusive domain of a pastor who is fully engaged in war―and not the preacher who either has their head in the sand, or is running away from it. [he’s a warrior willing to defend the defenseless and respond to the call of Psalm 94:16 to stand against evil-doers and workers of wickedness].”
What is the Lord speaking to you through this message? tell someone with ears to hear what you’ve learned.
There’s a pivotal Bible verse about understanding the times. It’s the description of the descendant of Jacob’s son Issachar in the days when David gathered his mighty men of Israel at Ziklag in forced defiance of king Saul. In times of war, do you think God’s people need warriors with strategic insight to know the right moves to make?
1Ch 12:32 “of the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do… (their chiefs were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their command);
When it comes to understanding the times, we’re reminded of God’s wise gifts to men like Daniel and his friends. Note…
Dan 1:20 “And in all matters of wisdom and understanding about which the king examined them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and astrologers who were in all his realm.
Also note…
Dan 2:21 “And He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding.
Eph 5:17“Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”
So, when will we understand what the will of the Lord is?
Start with Romans 12:2. What is the goal?
“That you may prove what the will of God is, that which is acceptable, and good, and perfect.”
And how does that happen? How about starting with the first part of the verse, when we obey the command: “do not be conformed to this world?”
And what’s the first part of that obedience?
“But be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
The challenge in finding the perfect will of God begins in our minds. And in a world filled with propaganda and generations of cultural conditioning, how do we get to the objective of a renewed mind… a refreshed mind… a clean and pure mind that is receptive to the wisdom and discernment of Almighty God?
Go back to Proverbs 2. In verse 5 we’re told when we “will discern the fear of the LORD, and discover the knowledge of God.” The instructions for “when” are simply laid out for us in detail, starting in the first verse.
“My son, if you will receive my sayings, and treasure my commandments within you, make your ear attentive to wisdom, incline your heart to understanding…” It’s a process, isn’t it? We must devote our listening to sources of proven wisdom… not poisoned wells of deceptively ‘sweetened’ water that temporarily refreshes but gradually weakens our God-given common sense. Go on.
Verse 3 says, “If you cry for discernment, lift your voice for understanding; if you seek her (God’s wisdom) as (you would for) silver (your paycheck), and search for her as for hidden treasures….”
Did you get that? Does that sound like a desperate pursuit of something? And yes, when you get right down to it, if we are desperate, we WILL get emotionally involved in the pursuit of God’s will, His truth, His deliverance, His insight, His discernment, … and His answers for the puzzling challenges we face.
Now read the rest of Proverbs 2:6-22.
6 For the LORD gives wisdom; From His mouth come knowledge and understanding;
7 He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk uprightly;
8 He guards the paths of justice, And preserves the way of His saints.
9 Then you will understand righteousness and justice, Equity and every good path.
… When?
10 When wisdom enters your heart, And knowledge is pleasant to your soul,
11 Discretion will preserve you; Understanding will keep you,
12 To deliver you from the way of evil, From the man who speaks perverse things,
13 From those who leave the paths of uprightness To walk in the ways of darkness;
14 (to leave) Who rejoice in doing evil, And delight in the perversity of the wicked;
15 Whose ways are crooked, And who are devious in their paths;
Now stop right there. Did you hear some specific promises that clearly relate to some of the distortions, deceptions, confusions and controversies that swirl around us today?
God’s wisdom provides favor for those who “walk uprightly.” They do what is right. They stand against what is wrong. They stubbornly refuse to go with the flow, submitting to corrupted peer pressure (verse 7). His promise of protection and preservation is for those who take the courage to do justly (verse 8).
I’m reminded of a wonderful verse from Micah 6:8 that I’ve treasured as an axiom of life.
“He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you… but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?”
Write that down. Put it on a card and stick it to the mirror so you’ll see it when you get up in the morning. That’s the kind of diligence Proverbs 2 is talking about.
So, when will you… “understand righteousness and justice, equity and every good path?” (verse 9).
Verse 10 tells us, “When wisdom enters your heart, and knowledge is pleasant to your soul…” your mind and emotions. Does that tell you something about our need to have purity and integrity in our soul – our mind – our desires?
And what’s the result? Verse 11 tells us plainly: “Discretion will preserve you; Understanding will keep you,” Isn’t that the perfect peace-giving solution to our primary problem? We want to be preserved by making discreet decisions. We want the safety of good understanding… everybody does… but not everybody is willing to pay the price, are they? The question is, are you willing to pay that price?
If you are, then God’s promise is to deliver you from the way of evil, from the man who speaks perverse things. If there ever was a time when evil and perverted communication was rampant in the paths of everyday life, it’s now. And we’re not just talking about basic moral daily behavior like lying, cheating and stealing. We’re talking about people all around us who are constantly listening to corrupted influencers. They’ve given themselves to an agenda that is literally bent on destroying humanity. They are determined to shame otherwise good people with the pressure to conform. And that should be a red flag to anyone who’s thinking.
Compliance with absurdity is not virtuous.
When you take the time to “test all things” you discover that the widely promoted narrative is rooted in the satanic objective to destroy those for whom our Savior gave His perfect life to redeem. That’s the personal warfare to which every one of us must diligently submit ourselves. Our commander in chief is up all night so we can greet Him to receive our assignment every morning.
If you’re observant you connect the dots and see the big picture of how this war has been orchestrated.
America can’t have an honest election ever again unless a large segment of honest voters who cherish American values resolve to not just vote, but influence other honest voters to vote also. Our focus can’t just be to “Make America Great Again.” Restoring Godly righteousness and publicly recognizing God’s sovereign justice must be paramount.
Potential crisis IS ahead for all of US in the near term: financial collapse; food and supply shortages; energy crisis; foreign policy disasters that could let China take advantage over all countries;
Citizens must assume risk and become involved wherever they have opportunities and doors open to influence local policy-making affairs. Maximizing potential requires acceptance of calculated risks. People in their mid-50s and up must get involved, not retire, because we’ve allowed the young generation to be captured by enemy influences.
You don’t get censored in a democracy … Censorship happens in fascist regimes.
The psy-op campaign is against citizens who seek truth. That’s why you and I are needed to alert others to the fact that we’re all targets of a disinformation war. The enemy’s goal is the elimination of righteousness and truth from the whole earth!
1st Peter 5:8 says “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.”
We must put on the whole armor of God as never before – including God’s spirit of discernment to understand the times and what the people of God around us should do.
If you’ve not yet seen my friend Brian’s HealthImpactNews.com, you’ll be well-informed when you see a recent post that asked:
Now that we realize that we’re living through the Greatest Scam in history…
We see that it’s morphed into the biggest cover-up ever, as vaxx-injured people who’ve taken the experimental gene therapy shots are filling hospitals, while the government and the media lie to the American public and blame it on the unvaccinated.
There’s no way to hide the fact. The media continues to outright lie about it.
The CDC public data base called VAERS is well-known to be GROSSLY under-reported. They publicly admit over 37,000 recorded deaths following COVID-19 shots. Hundreds more are added weekly. That’s more than four-times ALL the deaths from all other FDA approved vaccines over the last 30+ years… [before the COVID shots were issued emergency use authorization in December of 2020] (Source). There are also 69,000+ permanent disabilities. Some people are waking up to realize the whole COVID narrative has been a scam… they see they’ve been lied to about the alleged safety and effectiveness of the COVID injections. But most people are still in the dark. The agenda at play, and how the politicians are puppets, carrying out the Globalists’ agenda isn’t even on their radar… if they even knew they had a radar to check.
A Eugenics Campaign?
This is a eugenics campaign to setup their New World Order and significantly reduce the world’s population. It’s no conspiracy theory anymore. They’ve openly published this agenda for anyone with eyes to see and ears to hear. We’re living in the presence of EVIL, and if you don’t wake up and recognize it soon, it’ll destroy you and your family.
The entire COVID Global Plandemic was simulated weeks before it ever started. Similar events that have yet to happen have also been recently simulated. See:
You probably already know that none of the experimental COVID-19 shots has any long-term safety studies! That includes the one that was “approved” by the FDA. The control groups that were involved in the original trials, have intentionally been lost. The media actually reported it in February 2021. Here is NPR reporting on it.
So, those of us that are still unvaccinated ARE THE CONTROL GROUP now by default! And you can be sure that Big Pharma wants to get rid of us as much as possible to keep their multi-billion-dollar artificial plague profitable.
NOW is the time to prepare and start expecting these things to happen.
Learn how to take care of yourself without the Healthcare system. At the very least, start supplementing with Vitamin D. Increase your dosage in winter months or when confined indoors [note: at least 5,000 IU daily before bed].
Whatever supplements or medications you depend on today, stock up now.
When people realize that their society is at war, the most important thing they must do is to take care of their children! Government schools are the most dangerous place they can be. You can’t be certain that they will not vaccinate them – with or without parents’ approval. Unvaccinated parents are already seen as domestic terrorists in many places. They could just take your children away from you, as they have been doing through medical kidnapping for decades now, but it could be at a much higher rate with the unvaccinated.
The evidence is clear. The shot will sterilize many surviving children or lead to offspring that are severely handicapped by auto-immune diseases.
Like we saw in 2020, public panic, and breaks in the supply chain can be sparked overnight. So, stock up now with what you need before panics start.
In this war, we’re all learning that bizarre things can happen. “False flag” events could be blamed on the unvaccinated.
Stay vigilant. Protect your children. Seek the wisdom of God in these very dark days
If you are being blessed in some way by the insights we have provided, please tell others to listen at ReclaimYourLegacy.com. You can even link to your favorite podcast platform there for listening at your convenience. And if our Lord directs you to share the burdens of costs to deliver these messages to you, I want you to know that your generous support is deeply appreciated andneeded.
Remember that “our times are in His hands.” Don’t ever stop abiding in the peace that Jesus promised the Comforter would always be with you to provide.
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