Last week we looked at the Messiah Factors of 7, 13 & 14 and their relationship to the Bible’s sacred festivals and a Biblical reckoning of time. Today in Part II of this fascinating exploration of the Bible Messianic symbolism we will look at the 13th Enumeration, the Root of David, the Hebrew word behind “His Anointed”, and how each of these are important parts of how Yahweh describes His redemptive plan for mankind.
The 13th Enumeration
We’ll start today by looking at one of the most fascinating enigmas of the Bible, namely the lineage of Yeshua as presented by the apostle Matthew in the 1st chapter of the New Testament.
For those who don’t know, it has long been understood that Matthew wrote his account of Yeshua’s life and ministry to his Jewish brethren. In other words, this gospel account uses Biblical (Jewish) idiom, symbolism, and type. So when reading this gospel account it’s important to view it through this contextual lens.
So what do we find as the opening argument in Matthew’s account of Yeshua as the promised Messiah? We have a lineage of Yeshua as a son of Abraham and David. This lineage is used to establish Yeshua bona fides as a legitimate descendant of the two main Biblical heros through which the promised Messiah was prophesied to come.
Take a look at Matthew’s lineage of Yeshua. See if anything stands out to you. Once you’ve had a chance to study this ancient list of names, we’ll explore it in depth and I’ll show you some important details that will really thrill you.
The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham…
So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations. (Matthew 1:1 & 17)
Matthew’s generational listing of Yeshua’s ancestors is unique in the Biblical record on several accounts:
First of all, it is arranged in three epics or groupings of 14 generations. In consideration of the sacrificial symbolism we have explored in Part I of this article it should come as no surprise that Matthew would emphasis the number 14 in relationship to Yeshua as the promised Messiah.
Second, while this list is described a grouping of three 14 person generations, in actual fact, Matthew presented only 14 + 14 +13 generations. In other words, there are only 41 names in Yeshua’s lineage instead of the 42 implied by the 3×14 generational grouping. Matthew made Yeshua the 13th generation or what I like to call the 13th Enumeration.
Third, Matthew purposely left out 4 of Yeshua’s ancestors in order to present his arrangement of Yeshua’s lineage the way he did. These omissions were chosen to emphasis some very important information Matthew was trying to convey in this list.
I want to stress here, that for Matthew to take the liberties he did with Yeshua’s lineage he had to have had a Continue reading →
Part I (a) – Calendars, Apostles, & the Middle Wall of Partition
Do you believe all Scripture is inspired by Yahweh, the living God of the Bible? Do you believe it has meaning and symbolism meant to be understood by us today? If you do, then what purpose could there be for the number and order of the sacrifices I showed you in my last blog post: The Bible’s Holy Days: Pictures of the Messiah?(If you missed those charts I’ve reproduced them at the end of this blog post)
Sure, we know that Yeshua’s death and resurrection were fulfillments of the shadows or types found in the Biblical holydays of Passover, Unleavened Bread, and First Fruits, and that the fall feasts: Trumpets, Atonement, and Tabernacles – prophesy of His second coming. But why the clearly intentional use of the numbers 7, 13, and 14 in sacrifices offered during these feast days? What purpose could they have?
Part of the answer, I believe, is that numbers are the universal language and to insure that His redemptive plan could be identified and its purpose amplified, Yahweh in His infinite wisdom chose to stamp the sacrificial system of the Bible with the numbers 7, 13 & 14. Because of their importance to this redemptive message, I think of these numbers as the Messiah Factors.
What is Biblical Time?
As I hope you’ll see in this article, the Messiah Factors are not only found in the sacrificial rites related to the Bible’s holydays of Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, Trumpets, Atonement, and Tabernacles. In fact, these numbers are incorporated into the very calendar by which these Biblical holydays are regulated.
The first detailed explanation of “time” in the Bible is found in Genesis 1:14-16. Here it describes Yahweh’s heavenly Rolex and the basics of its celestial gears:
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:
And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so. And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. (Genesis 1:14-16)
According to Genesis the “lights in the firmament of heaven” divide the day and night. In this divine arrangement there were two “lights”. The greater light (the sun) rules the day and the lesser light (the moon) rules the night. These lights were made as signs (‘owth – signs or signals), seasons (appointed times or seasons), days, and years.
So the two main gears of Yahweh’s heavenly Rolex are the sun and moon. The sun, the light that rules the day, is a heavenly gear of 365.24 days in length. This gear is further reduced into a gear of 6 days labor and a 7th day of rest. This 6/7 gear makes 52 cycles in every solar year (plus a fraction of 1.24 days ever year). Because of the design of this gear (the earth’s position and movement relative to the sun) there are roughly 4 seasons of 13 weeks (52 weeks) in every solar year of 365.24 days.
Now the lesser light in this heavenly Rolex is the moon. The moon is a gear of 29.53 days in length. Because of our heavenly watchmaker’s design, the moon has an internal cycle of waxing and waning. The visible light of this bi- monthly cycle is roughly 13 or 14 days. This nighttime gear in Yahweh’s Rolex has been flashing its signal for millenniums now. Take a look for yourself from April of this year.
A 13th Month Finally, the lunar and solar gears of Yahweh’s heavenly Rolex were designed to regulate two different aspects of the Bible’s calendar so they naturally have different cycle lengths. In other words, 12 lunar cycles of 29.53 days only equal 354.36 days. This means that a 12 month lunar “year” is roughly 11 days shorter than a solar year. To reconcile both sides of the Biblical calendar then, a 13th month is added roughly every three years. It is this 13th month that keeps lunar and solar aspects of the calendar in synchronization.
The way I like to think of it is, that the solar side of the Bible’s calendar regulates mankind’s day to day activities under the curse of sin. The lunar side of the Bible’s calendar is up there in the night sky reminding mankind every night of Yahweh’s redemptive plan for us. Reminding us that Yahweh’s Salvation, His Yeshua, has paid the price for our sins (He became our Passover – the lamb slain from the foundation of the world) and that someday He will be Continue reading →
If you are wondering why this blog is The 13th Enumeration – Where History and Bible Meet, today you’ll learn part of the amazing Biblical history behind The 13th Enumeration. Our adventure takes us back nearly 2000 years to a tax collector who penned a Biblical lineage of 41 names, an enigma which has become one of the most disputed texts of the New Testament.
“It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.” Proverbs 25:2
Even a quick perusal of the biblical record will show you that our Creator, YHWH, doesn’t always do things in a way mankind expects. In fact, when we’re dealing with God, it’s prudent to expect the unexpected. Whether because of our shortsightedness, His sense of humor, or something else, humans have been misunderstanding YHWH’s actions and words since the very beginning.
The examples are almost too numerous to recount: He promised us a Savior. We expected a conquering hero on a white horse; instead He sent us a humble carpenter on a donkey. To meet a giant, He sent a shepherd boy with a stone and a sling. To protect His people from the wrath of Persia, He prepared a young Jewish maiden. To give the city of Nineveh a second chance, He sent a giant fish. We could go on and tell of a young Hebrew man sold into slavery who became the second most powerful ruler in Egypt, or of a harlot who would be the grandmother of a future king. The bottom line is that YHWH often does things that do not make sense based upon our human experience and expectations.
An Unexpected Argument
The first chapter of the first book of the New Testament is no exception. I mean, come on—this is the place you’d expect to find rock-solid, ironclad proof that Yeshua (Jesus) is the Messiah promised in the Hebrew Scriptures. Chapter 1 of the gospel of Matthew is like the opening argument in the most important legal case in the history of the world. Mess up here, and the repercussions will have untold consequences. Continue reading →
In two weeks the Biblical calendar commemorates one of the most important milestones in YHWH’s redemptive plan for mankind. We know it as Pesach or Passover and it is a Biblical holyday in which nearly every aspect of the celebration reminds us of Yeshua’s sacrifice on our behalf.
Each year more and more believers are becoming aware of the rich context and symbolism of Passover. From the Passover supper and Unleavened Bread to the Firstfruits offering several days later this holyday practically shouts to us of YHWH’s redemptive plan through Yeshua our Messiah.
Today I’d like to share with you a bit of wonderful symbolism which is often overlooked in the celebration of Passover. As many of you know Passover is part of the “law” YHWH gave to Israel through Moses. The author of the book of Hebrews described the law as but a “shadow of good things to come…” Hebrews goes on to show why Yeshua was a literal fulfilment of those shadow pictures found in the Torah.
We have to look no further for confirmation of this than Matthew 5:17 where Yeshua proclaimed: Continue reading →
1,099,511,627,776 is a pretty big number. This number is equal to the odds a coin toss would produce only heads 40 times in a row. To give this number a little perspective you could place one dollar bills end to end and 1.1 trillion of them would reach to our sun. In the 2nd Temple era something of equal improbability took place. Traditionally, on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) a “lot” consisting of a white or black stone was randomly chosen to determine which sacrificial goat would be “for YHWH” and which one would be the “Azazel”, the scapegoat (Lev. 16). Up to 30 AD the results had been random. According to both the Jerusalem and Babylonian Talmud, during the 40 years after 30 AD until the temple was destroyed in 70 AD the black stone was chosen each time the lot was cast. This was quite an unusual occurrence to say the least. According to those same sources several other unexplained occurrences happened during those 40 years.
(The Yerushalmi, p.156-157) “Forty years before the destruction of the Temple, the western light (of the Lamp-stand,, the Menorah) went out, the crimson thread remained crimson, and the lot for the LORD always came up in the left hand. They would close the gates of the temple by night and get up in the morning and find them wide open”.
(Yoma 39a) “ Our rabbis taught: During the last forty years before the destruction of the Tempe the lot (‘For the Lord’) did not come up in the right hand; nor did the crimson-colored strap become white; nor did the western most light shine; and the doors of the Hekl (Temple)would open by themselves”.
From a statistical standpoint that is pretty amazing odds, right? Well, check this out. In 2010, an event took place with odds that were even greater than those described above. On September 21, 2010, the Israel national Lottery or New Lotto drew the numbers 13, 14, 26, 32, 33, 36. Then a few weeks later on October 16, 2010, the New Lotto drew the same numbers only this time they were reversed. (36, 33, 32, 26, 14, 13) The news reports at the time stated the odds of this happening were in the range of 4 trillion to 1. Those same reports stated this had never happened in the history of world lotteries. Now that is a rare event indeed!
As you can imagine the results were challenged. Lotto officials double checked the drawing and they were recertified, nothing untoward was found. Zvi Gilula, a professor at Hebrew University, was interviewed and he stated these types of odds were used to describe “the probability of life on Mars.”
The above was about the extent of the reporting on this strange event, but a little more context makes this unusual event even more intriguing. In 2010, the Day of Atonement fell on the 18th of September. The New Lotto’s drawing took place 3 days later on the 21st of September. According to the Biblical calendar this would have been the 13th day of the 7th month. What is even more intriguing is from the 1st drawing on Sept. 21st until the 2nd drawing on Oct. 16th there are 26 days. (2 x 13).
Take a look at these numbers another way.
13+14+26 = 53
32+33+36 = 101
A table of prime numbers:
101 is the 26th prime number. 13, 53, and 101 are the 6th, 16th, and 26th prime numbers respectively.
(For those who like such things here is a little Biblical trivia: In the Old Testament (according to my Bible concordance) YHWH’s name is used 6519 times. In Hebrew the name YHWH has the numerical value of 26. The prime factors of 6519 are 3, 41, 53.)
Now consider this: During those 26 days, between the two Lotto drawings, the feast of Tabernacles (Sukkoth) was celebrated. The feast of Tabernacles has some unusual instructions. If one were to check out the number of sacrifices and their order during those 7 days you will find a combination of the numbers 13, 14, and 26 (among others).
As described above the lottery tickets include numbers that can be understood within a bigger Biblical context. The odds of just the double drawings by themselves are so high they border on the incredible. Add context, time, and place and it could be argued it moves beyond probability to intent.
Here are a few final points to consider. As in the examples above there is some association between 13, 14, 26, and the Biblical / Hebrew religious calendar. Today the Biblical calendar is still based on the lunar cycle, and the visible light of the moon. Each month the visible reflected light of the moon, for several thousand years of recorded history, has waxed for 13 or 14 days and waned for 13 or 14 days.
On Saturday March 19th, 2011, the moon reached the 13th or 14th day of observable waxing light. This day also marks the closest the moon has been to the earth in the past 19 years. Meton of Athens observed that you could synchronize the lunar and solar calendar (within 2 hrs.) every 19 years. This 19 year intercalary cycle was called the Metonic cycle. In Biblical times this intercalary synchronization of the solar/lunar calendar was accomplished by adding a 13th month every 3 years or so.
The sum of the numbers 13, 14, 26, 32, 33, and 36 equals 154. 154 days from the last drawing of those numbers on October 6th brings us to Saturday March 19th, 2011, the day of the “supermoon” and closet approach of the moon in the past 19 years.
I’ll let you decide if it means anything but I am left wondering, what are the odds?
The Jubilee Code -
"A book that will show you real Biblical evidence for Yahweh's guiding in hand history bringing about His redemptive plan for mankind."
I’m continually thrilled by the Messianic symbolism YHWH has hidden in the Scripture for us to find. To me it’s the ultimate treasure hunt, with each new find bringing additional depth and beauty to our Creator’s plan of reconciliation for all mankind.
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Right up front I’ll admit my bias, I believe the Bible to be the inspired words of YHWH. When there are passages that don’t make any sense or seem down right funky I like to look a these parts as a wonderful puzzle to solve. A good example of what I am talking about is the order and number of sacrifices prescribed during the Biblical feast days. If you’ve read my article An Old Testament Enigma or The Messiah Factors you already know there is more to the arrangement of Old Testament sacrifices offered during the Feast of Tabernacles.
Since Passover 2014 is just days away I thought I would share a little bit different perspective on this wonderful Biblical holy day which is so symbolic of Yeshua’s sacrifice on our behalf.
I know many today hold to the belief that in order for Yeshua to fulfill the symbolic nature of this Biblical feast he had to be crucified at the same time as all the other “Passover” lambs on the 14th of Nisan. There are several reasons I do not hold this belief. The first, and most important reason is it would require me to take the gospel accounts at something other than face value and by doing so it needlessly confuses the rest of the Passover week chronology. The second, is that I think that holding this position does not allow us to see a greater symbolic picture which Yeshua fulfilled in regards to this Biblical feast day.
Let’s start with gospel accounts:
Matthew 26:18-2017 Now the first day of the feast of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus, saying unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare for thee to eat the passover?…19 And the disciples did as Jesus had appointed them; and they made ready the passover. 20 Now when the even was come, he sat down with the twelve.
Mark 14:12-18 12 And the first day of unleavened bread, when they killed the passover, his disciples said unto him, Where wilt thou that we go and prepare that thou mayest eat the passover?…. and they made ready the passover. 17 And in the evening he cometh with the twelve. 18 And as they sat and did eat,
Luke 22:8-158 And he sent Peter and John, saying, Go and prepare us the passover, that we may eat…. and they made ready the passover. 14 And when the hour was come, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him. 15 And he said unto them, With desire I have desired to eat this passover with you before I suffer:
John 13:1-2 Now before the feast of the passover, when Jesus knew that his hour was come that he should depart out of this world unto the Father, having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end. 2And supper being ended, the devil having now put into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him;
Taken at face value the above passages show that Yeshua ate the Passover supper with his disciples at the same time as the rest of Jerusalem. Some have used the passage in John 13 to claim that Yeshua kept a special teaching “supper” with his disciples before the real Passover supper. Matthew, Mark and Luke do not support this position. If you have read my article Even unto Even and the Exodus Day then you know the Scripture is perfectly clear that the Passover lambs are killed before “even” on the 14th which was just before sunset beginning the15th day of Nisan . (And the start of the 7 days of Unleavened Bread.)
To avoid confusion I think it would be helpful here to define the two ways the term “passover” is used in the Bible. In the specific sense the Hebrew term pecach (Passover) comes from the Hebrew root pacach which means to “pass over”. In a majority of cases the term is used to designate the commemorative Passover supper as kept by the Israelites the night before they exited Egypt.
Exodus 12:11-13 11 And thus shall ye eat it; with your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste: it is the YHWH’S passover. 12 For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, …… and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I smite the land of Egypt.
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As I showed in my article on the Exodus Day , Israel sacrificed the Passover lamb late on the 14th day of Nisan just before the 15th. Later that night (on the 15th) all Israel ate the Passover supper.
The term Passover is also used in a more general sense to designate the entire 7 day Feast of Unleavened Bread. (The Passover “supper” beginning this 7 day feast.) Here are a couple of examples:
Ezekiel 45:21 21 In the first month, in the fourteenth day of the month, ye shall have the passover, a feast of seven days; unleavened bread shall be eaten.
Luke 22:1 Now the feast of unleavened bread drew nigh, which is called the Passover.
Josephus also shows that the term Passover was used to represent the entire 7 day Feast of Unleavened Bread. Ant. 14:21; Ant. 17:213; Ant. 18:29; Jwr. 2:10
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Even though the New Testament does not show that Yeshua was killed at the same time as the other Passover lambs there is a bigger picture related to the “Passover” that I think many are missing.
First of all, the fact is the Passover lambs were not killed on the “feast day” proper. The Passover lambs were killed during the day of the 14th of Nisan just before sundown of the 15th. In my opinion and I think the Biblical record bears this out, both contextually and symbolically Yeshua had to be killed on the “feast day” proper (i.e. the 15th). Contextually the above gospel accounts show that Yeshua ate the Passover with his disciples as prescribed by the Law. This would place his death during the daytime hours of the 15th of Nisan about the same time as the sin atonement sacrifice was offered by the high priest.
The gospel accounts aside the apostle Paul’s in 1 Cor. 5:7-8 refers to Yeshua as “our passover” in the context of the feast of unleavened bread. Later in 1 Cor. 11:23-26 Paul shows that the “bread” and “cup” of the Passover supper kept by Yeshua and the disciples was, in Yeshua’s own words, a symbol of the Messiah’s death and resurrection. As such this service should be kept in remembrance of Yeshua until he comes again.
1 Corinthians 5:7-87 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us: 8 Therefore let us keep the feast, not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness; but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.
1 Corinthians 11:23-2623 For I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you, That the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread: 24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. 25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. 26 For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till he come.
I know some will argue that Paul’s reference above to Yeshua as our “passover” means that Yeshua had to be killed at the same time as the other “Passover” lambs. As I showed above, the term “Passover” is used in both a general and specific sense. In order to not contradict the gospel accounts the term “passover” in 1 Cor. 5 (above) must be understood in the general sense. Indeed, it was not until the 15th of Nisan that an sin atonement sacrifice was offered.
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For the sake of argument let’s take the gospel accounts at face value. Let’s assume that Yeshua did in fact eat the Passover supper with his disciples and the rest of Jerusalem during the early evening hours which began the 15th of Nisan. Later that night, still the 15th of Nisan, Yeshua took the disciples into the garden of Gethsemane to pray.
Now contrast this with the events of the Exodus Day. That very night about 1500 years earlier the blood on the doors posts of Israelites protected them from the angle of death. Yeshua that very same night shed his blood in “great drops” petitioning the Father. Instead of an angel sent to kill that night an angel was sent to strengthen.
Luke 22:43-44 43 And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him. 44 And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly: and his sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground.
About the same time Israel was leaving Egypt with their “unleavened bread” upon their shoulders, Yeshua, the unleavened “bread of heaven”, bore (on His shoulders) a cross and the sins of mankind on his way to pay the righteous price for our reconciliation to our Creator.
Exodus 12:3434 And the people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneading troughs being bound up in their clothes upon their shoulders.
John 19:17-18 17 And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha: 18 Where they crucified him, and two other with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst.
Matthew 27:31-3231 And after that they had mocked him, they took the robe off from him, and put his own raiment on him, and led him away to crucify him. 32 And as they came out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name: him they compelled to bear his cross.
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With the above chronology in mind let’s now consider the 1st day of Unleavened Bread in context of the sacrificial service. One of my secondary objections to Yeshua crucifixion on the 14th of Nisan is that the 14th of Nisan is not a miqra or “holy convocation”. Though the Passover lambs were killed on the 14th of Nisan their blood did not protect, nor was the sacrifice consumed by the Israelites until the night of the 15th (the feast day proper). For 1500 years before Yeshua and now almost 2000 years after both Jews and Gentiles have commemorate the 15th of Nisan as the day YHWH delivered Israel from the bondage of Egypt. As I have laid out above, a reasonable case can be made that Yeshua’s blood, that very same day, paid the price for mankind’s bondage to sin.
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As a final thought on the subject (for this article anyway) I would like to look at the sacrifices prescribed for the first day of Unleavened Bread as found in Numbers 28.
Numbers 28:17-23 17 And in the fifteenth day of this month is the feast: seven days shall unleavened bread be eaten. 18 In the first day shall be an holy convocation; ye shall do no manner of servile work therein: 19 But ye shall offer a sacrifice made by fire for a burnt offering unto YHWH; two young bullocks, and one ram, and seven lambs of the first year: they shall be unto you without blemish:…. 22 And one goat for a sin offering, to make an atonement for you. 23 Ye shall offer these beside the burnt offering in the morning, which is for a continual burnt offering.
Numbers 28:3-43 And thou shalt say unto them, This is the offering made by fire which ye shall offer unto YHWH; two lambs of the first year without spot day by day, for a continual burnt offering. 4 The one lamb shalt thou offer in the morning, and the other lamb shalt thou offer at even;
In light of my articles on the Messiah Factors isn’t it fascinating to realize that 13 sacrifices are commanded to be made for this day. (2 bullocks, 1 ram, 7 lambs, 1 goat, and the 2 morning/evening continual burnt offering.) What’s even more, though the “Passover” lamb was killed on the 14th it’s purpose was not realized until the 15th of Nisan, thus making 13 sacrifices offered but 14 consumed on the feast day. Now how awesome is that? The Passover lamb was indeed a 14th sacrifice, and by its unique nature forever stamping the 15th of Nisan with the Messiah Factors .
Authors Note: In subsequent articles I will explore some of the more controversial aspects of the chronology described above. Such as:
The Jubilee Code -
"A book that will show you real Biblical evidence for Yahweh's guiding in hand history bringing about His redemptive plan for mankind."
If YHWH intended to leave irrefutable proof of a coming Messiah, what do you think it would look like? Would we recognize it if he did? In this article I am going to look for that proof. Proof, I believe, can be found in what I call the Messiah Factors.
If you’ve read any of the articles at this blog, you know I have spent a great deal of time building a congruent picture of the 2nd temple era and Ezra’s and Nehemiah’s place in it. By now most of you have realized this chronology is indispensable to an accurate understanding of the prophecy of Daniel’s Seventy Weeks. In my article The Fifth Command I showed there is only one “commandment” which could have possibly begun the countdown to the coming of the Messiah as described in Daniel 9. That “commandment” was the Divine command given by YHWH in the 2nd year of Darius, “the great” Artaxerxes, circa 520 B.C. For the next five centuries the Scriptures are silent until that silence is broken by these words of the apostle Matthew: “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.” Think about that for a moment. Five centuries of silence bridged only by an amazing prophecy about the coming of the Messiah.
The first chapter of the first book of New Testament rightly establishes the lineage of Yeshua as a son of David and Abraham. As I hinted at in my article, The New Testament Cipher, there is much more to the lineage of Yeshua in Matthew 1 than meets the eye. Let’s take a look. I believe this simple list of names is one of the greatest proofs that Yeshua is the Messiah promised in the Scripture. Take a moment to look at the chart below. A couple of points which have caused scholars no end of debate are worth noting here. First the list is described by Matthew as three sets of 14 generations each (14+14+14). Yet, when all the names are counted there are only 41 (14+14+13). Notice in the 3rd column, Yeshua is listed as the 13th generation. Symbolically, Yeshua upon his resurrection, becomes the 14th generation and completes the list.
Another point of contention for scholars over the centuries has been the fact that four Old Testament kings are missing from the lineage of Yeshua. In the list below they are represented by two red lines. Further below in the single column the missing kings are listed as they should have appeared in the list. What immediately becomes apparent is the names are missing in two peculiar places. Their omission brings attention to the numbers 13 & 14. Also, as you will see shortly, the single missing name between the 13th and 14th generation is not an accident. That missing king happens to be Jehoiakim. In Daniel 1:1-6 it states that Daniel was taken captive during the reign of this Jehoiakim. Keep that peculiar fact in mind.
In summary then, we have a lineage of Yeshua which was purposely arranged to show that He was both the 13th & 14th generation. Further it brings attention, in a subtle manner, to those same numbers in relation to a young Judean captive who would someday record the greatest Messianic prophecy in the Scripture. It is here, in this strange list of Yeshua’s generations that we first find evidence of the Messiah Factors. Did you know that this is not the only place in the Biblical record where they are found?
We found the Messiah Factors in Matthew 1, now we will look for them in the record of his birth as given by Luke. If you’ve read my article The Course of Abija you know that it provides us with the only place in the entire New Testament where we can reasonably identify the timing of the birth of Yeshua. For the sake of brevity I won’t reproduce the entire article here. But in short, based upon the time of the conception of John and the priestly service of his father Zacharias (during the course of Abija) we can determine the month of the Messiah’s birth. Take a look at the list below. Can you find the Messiah Factors?
In John 1:14 it talks about Yeshua as the “word” that was made flesh and “dwelt” or tabernacle with mankind. Based upon Luke 1 and the course of Abija it shows that in fact Yeshua was born during the 13 or 14 priestly course of service most likely during the feast of Tabernacles. Those courses were most appropriately called Huppah (Canopy) and Jeshebeab (Dwelling of the Father). Now how awesome is that! (For more details please see my article The Course of Abija)
Isaiah 7:1414 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
Matthew 1:23 Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
While we’re on the subject of the Feast of Tabernacles, there is another place where the Messiah Factors are hidden. In this case they are hidden in the “Burnt Offering” sacrifices which YHWH commanded Israel to make in Numbers 29:13. Keep in mind the reference as you will find it is another one of those “coincidences” which we find associated with this subject. In Numbers 29 YHWH gave Moses some unusual instructions concerning the Burnt Offering (burnt = ascent) sacrifices for the first seven days of the Feast of Tabernacles. Take a look at the chart below. On the first day there are 13 Bullocks, 2 Rams, & 14 Lambs for a total of 29 sacrifices. Also notice that the Bullock sacrifices are offered in a descending order from 13>7 for a total of 70. Notice above in the linage of Yeshua that 7th to 13th names in the list are set out by the missing names. As you will see this was not an accident. The total number of Burnt Offerings for the first seven days is equal to 182 (13×14). Clearly these numbers are all intentional but what do they mean? I asked you above to remember the reference Numbers 29:13. Now I am going to ask you to remember the numbers 13, 14, 29 and 70. Shortly you will see why they are so important.
After reading my articles on Ezra: Priest and Scribe, Nehemiah: The Governor, or The “Artaxerxes” Assumption some of you must be asking yourselves why Christian chronologists have failed to address the chronology of Ezra and Nehemiah in terms of the 2nd temple era. The simple answer is they believe; there is no other way to prove that Yeshua fulfills the prophecy of Daniel 9 unless Ezra and Nehemiah were contemporaries of Artaxerxes Longimanus. Out of necessity they made an assumption which few of them thought necessary to verify.
What if there was a more elegant solution which was intimately connected to the religious calendar of the Jewish people, the very calendar YHWH gave to Israel through Moses. As I showed in my article Ezekiel’s 13th Month, Biblical time as understood during the 2nd temple era was based upon a lunar/solar calendar. Most years their religious calendar had 12 months of 29.53 days for a total of 354.36 days per year. Once every third year or so they had a 13th month of 29.53 days which made the year 383.89 days long . Any of these “Numbers” look familiar?
For a moment put yourself in the shoes of the 2nd temple era Judeans. How did they keep track of their religious calendar? How did they know when it was time to keep Passover or the Feast of Tabernacles? Their “mow’ed” or appointed days were regulated by “lights in the firmament” as described in Genesis 1:14. Each month they watched the 29.53 day lunar cycle to determine where they were in YHWH calendar. For thousands of years that cycle has had 13 or 14 days of waxing light followed by 13 or 14 days of waning light. 2 cycles of 13 or 14 days of visible light in every 29.53 day cycle. Take a look again at Numbers 29:13 and the Burnt offering sacrifices.
Every time I look at this information it still thrills me. Years ago I remember reading about the next big thing in corporate advertising. The idea was to put huge solar powered billboards in space which could be seen by us on earth. We’ll, YHWH beat them to it. Since recorded history He has been broadcasting the Messiah Factors for all who have eyes to see. These very numbers which are closely associated with Yeshua. Can’t help but think of the words of King David. He sure had it right:
The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork. 2 Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. 3 There is no speech nor language, where their voice is not heard. Psalm 19:1-3
There are two more places I would like to look for the Messiah Factors before I move on to part II of this article. The first is found in what some might call another coincidence. I will let you decide.
How many of you remember Ephesian 2:13-14 where Paul talks about the “middle wall of partition” between Jews and Gentiles?
Ephesians 2:13-14 13 But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. 14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;
This wall was a partition build between the Court of the Gentiles and the Temple proper. On pain of death no Gentile could enter the inner court of the temple. Paul describes how the blood of Yeshua, in a symbolic sense, granted Gentiles access to the presence of YHWH once only reserved for the Jewish people. What is so fascinating about these verses is that during the time of Yeshua the “middle wall of partition” was accessed by 14 steps and entry was granted by one of 13 gates.
I am sure with time we will find more evidences of the Messiah Factors, but in this article I want to address just one more. To me what I am going to show you convinces me YHWH has an awesome sense of humor. According to mathematicians Pi is an irrational number whose decimal representation never ends. Pi express the relationship between a circles circumference and its diameter. For centuries mathematicians have tried to solve or explain its nature but have been unable to do so. In the Bible the number 7 represent divine perfection. Curiously in Numbers 29:13 we saw the numbers 7, 13, 14 and 29 featured prominently. What are the odds the first 7 numbers of Pi, reversed, gives us the same values? The very same values which have been expressed in the cycles of the moon for thousands of years.
3.1415926535897932384626433832795028841971
Here you go: 295/14/13. Funny where the Messiah Factors turn up, don’t you think? Just to make it a little more interesting, note that the first 7 found in Pi is in the 13th decimal digit. Then next 7 is found in the 29th decimal digit. And just for you skeptics, it just happens to be between the 2 & the 9. The third 7 of Pi is found in the 39th decimal digit (13×3).
So does all of this have some purpose or is it just a big coincidence as skeptics might claim. In my next article, The Messiah Factors (Part II): The Countdown I will show that the numbers 13 & 14 do in fact provide reasonable proof that Yeshua/Jesus was and is the Messiah promised in the Scriptures.
Updated 4/6/2014: For more evidence of the Messiah Factors I encourage you to read my latest article The 14th Sacrifice. Did you know there were 13/14 sacrifices in the Feast of Unleavened Bread? Take a look and see what you think.
Book 1
Book I - Description
The 13th Enumeration
"A book that will change how you look at the Bible's Messianic Symbolism."
The Jubilee Code -
"A book that will show you real Biblical evidence for Yahweh's guiding in hand history bringing about His redemptive plan for mankind."
Have you ever wondered about the Biblical definition of time? Most scholars trace the origins of Biblical time to Genesis 1:14:
Genesis 1:1414 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:
From this verse we see the origins of the daily and yearly cycles. The verse also indicates that the “lights in the firmament” are for “signs” and “seasons”. The word “signs” comes from the Hebrew ‘owth {oth} which means sign, signal or remembrance. The word “season” comes from the Hebrew mow’ed {mo-ade’} which means an appointed place, appointed time, sacred season, or appointed meeting. The first usage of mow’ed after Gen. 1:14 is when YHWH promises Abraham that Sarah would bear him a son the following year at the mow’ed or set time. After that mow’ed is used to describe the Biblical holy days as given by YHWH to Moses and Israel. In the book of Exodus, we learn these holy days or mow’ed are counted based upon the lunar cycle.
So in summary Genesis specifically identifies the “lights in the firmament” as the means by which the daily and yearly cycles are regulated. These “lights” are for “signs” and “seasons” which further defines Biblical time in terms of the lunar cycles.
Having said that, did you know there is no place in the Scripture which specifically spells out the relationship between the lunar/solar cycle and their intercalations as they relate to the Biblical calendar? While this may seem confusing to us it is important to remember the context. I dare say many of us have never looked up at the moon in the night sky and thought of it in terms of where it was at in its lunar cycle. Back during the Biblical era it was known intuitively. Everyone back then knew there were 13 or 14 days of waxing light followed by 13 or 14 days of waning light. The moon was their calendar! It was such a part of their existence it didn’t have to be explained. That is the real reason you will not find the lunar/solar cycles explained in relation to the Biblical calendar. In order to find any evidence of the relationship between the lunar cycle and solar year we have to look beneath the surface of the Biblical record.
The only place (that I am aware of) which gives any evidence for an intercalated lunar/solar cycle is found in the book of Ezekiel. In Ezekiel 1-4, YHWH uses the prophet Ezekiel to give Israel and Judah an object lesson. YHWH instructs Ezekiel to lay on his side 390 days for the sins of Israel. He goes on to instruct him to lay on his other side for 40 days for the sins of Judah. These unusual instructions provide us a rare opportunity to define the lunar/solar calendar and its intercalations.
In the 5th year of Jehoiachin’s captivity, in the 5th day of the 4th month, Ezekiel was given commanded to lay on his left side for 390 days for the iniquity of Israel. Following this he was commanded to lay on his right side for 40 days for the house of Judah. This was a total of 430 days.
In the 6th month of the following year after completing his object lesson Ezekiel was sitting in his house with some of the elders of Judah. From this gathering YHWH physically took Ezekiel and showed him the departure of the Shekinah from Jerusalem. (Eze. 8-10) There are three possible ways to calculate the amount of time between the 4th month of Ezekiel’s 5th year and the 6th month of his 6th year. They are listed in the chart below:
Only the 3rd option allows for the necessary time given the chronological evidence provided in the text. In order for Ezekiel to have lain on his side for 430 days, the 5th year of Jehoiachin’s captivity must have had an intercalary or 13th month. Incidentally this is of great value to the chronologist who is interested in synchronizing the lunar/solar cycle in terms of the macro chronological record. As far as I know this is the only place in the Scripture which provides evidence of an intercalary month. Contextually, this shows that during the captivity period the Jewish people understood time in the sense of an intercalated lunar/solar calendar. Their religious calendar was normally 12 lunar months of 29.53 days each followed by an intercalary or 13th month every 2 or 3 years.
In a symbolic sense the rising and setting of the sun regulated man’s labor and rest throughout the solar year. The lunar cycle on the other hand regulated the religious calendar and its mow’eds (appointed times). These two cycles were synchronized by the 13th Month.
Authors note:On the subject of time and calendars, some today claim the 30 day months of Genesis shows that a different calendar was used pre-flood. Some even suggest that the length of the lunar or solar cycles were substantially different that they are today. Based on my own research I do not believe this to be the case. There is evidence which shows that ancient Egypt did in fact have a 30 day month in their calendar. Here is the catch. Their records indicate they realized they were 5 days short of a complete solar cycle. This they called “5 days over the year”. Some of their dynasties intercalated this 30 day monthly calendar and added an additional month every 5 or 6 years. Others made no intercalations and from them we get a “wandering” calendar where their months began to wander in the solar cycle, no longer rooted in the reality of the seasons.
For those who use this 30 day month to calculate the Prophecy of Daniel’s Seventy weeks it would be good to keep the above information in mind.
Book 1
Book I - Description
The 13th Enumeration
"A book that will change how you look at the Bible's Messianic Symbolism."
The Jubilee Code -
"A book that will show you real Biblical evidence for Yahweh's guiding in hand history bringing about His redemptive plan for mankind."
Ezekiel 4:4-64 Lie thou also upon thy left side, and lay the iniquity of the house of Israel upon it: according to the number of the days that thou shalt lie upon it thou shalt bear their iniquity. 5 For I have laid upon thee the years of their iniquity, according to the number of the days, three hundred and ninety days: so shalt thou bear the iniquity of the house of Israel. 6 And when thou hast accomplished them, lie again on thy right side, and thou shalt bear the iniquity of the house of Judah forty days: I have appointed thee each day for a year.
Ezekiel 1:1-3Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river of Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God. 2 In the fifth day of the month, which was the fifth year of king Jehoiachin’s captivity, 3 The word of YHWH came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of YHWH was there upon him.
Ezekiel 8:1And it came to pass in the sixth year, in the sixth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I sat in mine house, and the elders of Judah sat before me, that the hand of the Lord YHWH fell there upon me.
Last week we looked at the Messiah Factors of 7, 13 & 14 and their relationship to the Bible’s sacred festivals and a Biblical reckoning of time. Today in Part II of this fascinating exploration of the Bible Messianic symbolism we will look at the 13th Enumeration, the Root of David, the Hebrew word behind “His Anointed”, and how each of these are important parts of how Yahweh describes His redemptive plan for mankind.
