Can you imagine having a curse placed upon you and all of your descendants by the living God of the Bible? If there was ever a hopeless condition that would be it, don’t you think? Well, that’s what happened to one wicked king of Judah in the days of Jeremiah. But this story doesn’t go the way you might expect, instead it has a remarkable ending which shows Yahweh’s redemptive love. So if you have a few minutes I hope you’ll let me tell you the story of the curse of Coniah and the promised Messiah.
As I live, saith YHWH, though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were the signet upon my right hand, yet would I pluck thee thence;
Thus saith YHWH, Write ye this man childless, a man that shall not prosper in his days: for no man of his seed shall prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling any more in Judah. (Jeremiah 22:24, 30)
Pretty hopeless, don’t you think?
Now let me challenge you with what seems like a Biblical paradox. The curse of Coniah (aka Jechonias) is only part of the story. The New Testament tells us that this cursed king was in fact one of the ancestors of Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah. Take a look as this chart showing the 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 →
Did you know that nearly 2000 years when Yeshua paid the price for our sins (thus reconciling us to YHWH), there was a wall built around the house of YHWH which prevented gentiles, on pain of death, from approaching the presence of God. That’s correct, at that time Gentiles were tough out of luck. The apostle Paul described it this way:
…That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: (Ephesians 2:12)
But something happened that famous Passover week which changed the history of the world and gave the Gentiles the privilege to approach the presence of YHWH. This week let’s look at how Yeshua’s death and resurrection forever changed the dynamics of how mankind approaches their Creator. This Passover season I hope to give you another way of seeing the love and mercy YHWH showed mankind by becoming our Yeshua (Salvation of YA).The following is a excerpt from my book The 13th Enumeration: Key to the Bible’s Messianic Symbolism.
Chapter 14: The Middle Wall of Partition
“That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world:
But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us.” —Ephesians 2:12–14
If I’ve accomplished my purpose in writing about the 13th Enumeration, by now you’ve recognized the Messianic symbolism associated with the numbers 13 and 14 as found in the biblical record. These “Messiah factors,” as I like to call them, are like a prophetic thread woven into the Bible’s fabric which shows YHWH’s desire to reconcile mankind to Himself through Yeshua, the Messiah promised in the Scripture from the very beginning.
In this final chapter, I would like to look at one last aspect of the Messiah factors as they relate to the Second Temple era, that exciting time when the Jewish people returned from Babylonian exile to rebuild the temple and Jerusalem. By all accounts, the Second Temple, as finally reconstructed by Herod, was a truly impressive structure. So impressive, in fact, that we find in Mark 13 one of Yeshua’s disciples commenting on its grandeur. It’s beyond doubt that the temple was important to the Jewish people, but is it also possible that within its design were hidden the symbols of the Messiah’s redemptive purpose? I believe so; see what you think.
The Number 13 in Jewish Thought It may come as a surprise to some, but Jewish thought does not attach the same negative superstition to the number 13 as does the rest of the world. In fact, 13 finds great prominence in Rabbinic traditions related to both the Torah and the Second Temple. Continue reading →
One of my favorite prophetic passages in the Bible is found in Isaiah 46:9-10. It’s a statement by YHWH, the living God of the Bible, that He is God and there is none like Him. In this wonderful passage, YHWH is talking to Israel contrasting Himself with the Babylonian gods, Bel and Nebo, which had been unable to save ancient Babylon and its inhabitants from captivity.
To whom will ye liken me, and make me equal, and compare me, that we may be like?…
Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: Isaiah 46:5, 9-10
Did you catch that? The first evidence YHWH uses to prove to Israel that Bel and Nebo are not His equals is the fact that He tells the end from the beginning. In other words He knows the future. This foreknowledge of the future is one way YHWH sets Himself apart from other gods and elevates the Bible above other religious texts. Continue reading →
Each time Friday the 13th rolls around I can’t help but think of the Apostle Paul and his speech to the men of Athens. By all accounts, Paul was quite a character. I can just picture him standing on the ancient Areopagus (Mars Hill) of Athens nearly two thousand years ago calling out to those gathered at the famous altar to the Unknown God:
“Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.”
I admit, I would like to have been there for that speech. To see Paul in his billowing robes challenging the highly educated Atheneans about their unfounded superstitions would have been quite a sight. Anyway, Paul goes on to explain to the men of Athens that the God they ignorantly worship was the living God of the Bible.
If the Apostle Paul was here today, I can just see him chiding our generation with similar advice. Let’s take the number 13 for example. Even among Christians this number has a certain evil connotation about it. Have you ever wondered why the number 13 has such a superstitious aura? What if I told you, that like the ignorance of those men of Athens concerning the altar to the Unknown God, the superstitions surrounding the number 13 are but the vestiges of a similar story that involves that same “Unknown God”? Continue reading →
As promised in my last blog article, over the next several weeks, we are going to look at the influence Daniel 9 and the 70 Weeks prophecy has had on the teachings of some of today’s respected prophecy teachers. I want to make it clear up front that these articles, though critical, are not meant to be disrespectful. None of us have all the answers and when discussing Bible prophecy a great deal of humility is required.
I decided to start this series by looking at Chuck Missler’s interpretation of Daniel 9. The reason, I start with Mr. Missler’s interpretation of the 70 Weeks, is because this is the predominately held view today and it will be most familiar to a majority of my readers. Mr. Missler is a respected prophecy teacher and I have enjoyed and learned from reading his material over the years. Continue reading →
In all the hoopla surrounding the Blood Moons my hope is that the real significance of this day is not forgotten. You see, over 6000 years ago our Creator set in motion His heavenly Rolex so that you and I could see this incredible display. I know, many claim the world we live in is just the evolution of randomness, but just a glance into your child’s eyes will put the lie to that claim.
As someone who loves to dig into the history and chronology of the Bible, to me the blood moon is a spectacular reminder of a world changing Biblical event that happened long ago. For those of you who have read my book The 13th Enumeration: Key to the Bible’s Messianic Symbolismor one of my blog articles on the subject you know that there is reasonable, if not conclusive, evidence that today, nearly 2018 years ago, a Jewish child was born who changed the history of the world.
We know Him as Jesus or by his Hebrew name Yeshua and today just happens to be his birthday. You see today is the Biblical Feast of Sukkot also known as the Feast of Tabernacles or Booths and it was around this time of year that Yeshua was born in Bethlehem of Judea. Interestingly, the traditional association of Christ’s birth with Christmas likely comes from the fact that it was nine months earlier during the Feast of Hanukah (in late December) when the conception of the Messiah took place. Over the years the lines between Hanukah (also known as the Festival of Lights / Feast of Dedication) and Christmas blurred due to the increasingly gentile make-up of the early church and slowly the messianic significance of the Jewish Festival of Lights was forgotten.
Did you know that Yeshua, during the Festival of Lights in Jerusalem, told his listeners that He was “the light of the world”? Indeed, when YHWH’s spirit brought about the conception of the Messiah in a Jewish maiden named Mary, a new hope was brought into a world blinded by the darkness of sin.
And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him, saying, Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he was born blind? Jesus answered, Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him…
As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.
When he had thus spoken, he spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and he anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay, And said unto him, Go, wash in the pool of Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.) He went his way therefore, and washed, and came seeing…..
And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the dedication, and it was winter. John 9:1-7; 10:22
Although Yeshua told us that He was the light of the world it was the apostle John who so eloquently alluded to the birth of Christ in words which remind us of the Feast of Tabernacles.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God…..
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt [tabernacled] among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. John 1:1-2, 14
So over the coming days when you look back on the “super blood moon” during the Feast of Tabernacles in 2015, no matter what your opinion on the subject, don’t forget about a lowly little Jewish child born in a manger who brought light and hope into this world.
Daniel’s 70 Weeks: The Keystone of Bible Prophecy For those of you who would like real Biblical proof for the promised Messiah I’m happy to tell you that I’ve finished Book II in the Prophecy and Patterns series. Daniel’s 70 Weeks: The Keystone of Bible Prophecy is finally finished!
As promised, subscribers to my blog may download it for free. If you are not yet a subscriber and would like to read the book please feel free to subscribe below. The book will also be up on Amazon in the coming days.
Let me tell you right up front the book will be controversial. This is not your ordinary book on the prophecy of Daniel 9. Those of you who have read my blog over the years know I often have an unconventional take on Biblical history and Bible prophecy. Here are just a few of the many topics we will look at in the book which I hope will give you a new appreciation for the subject:
Can we date the birth of the Messiah from Daniel 9:25?
Why does Daniel 9 point symbolically to the flood of Noah and the consequences of mankind’s sins?
What is the significance of the Messiah being “cut off” after the 69th week?
Who gave the “commandment” to restore and build Jerusalem?
What is the significance of the covenant of Daniel 9:4 as it relates to the covenant of Daniel 9:27?
Why have we ignored the Biblical evidence concerning the 2nd temple era?
Who was the “Artaxerxes” of Ezra and Nehemiah?
Why do many acknowledge that Yeshua fulfilled the Biblical feast days of Passover, Unleavened Bread, and First Fruits using a biblical lunar/solar calendar, but when it comes to Daniel 9 and the prophecy of 70 Weeks, they insist on a so called “prophetic” calendar which would wander through the seasons much like the Islamic calendar of today?
Why both Historicists and the Futurists have used Daniel 9 and an erroneous chronology of the 2nd temple era to bolster their theological positions. (And the effect this has had on modern eschatological thought.)
Why many scholars believe the Messianic message of Daniel 9 ends with the Messiah’s death.
I know some may be wondering why any of this even matters. Whether you know it or not, the truth is, Daniel 9 has in some way influenced nearly every aspect of how we see the Messiah Yeshua. This is especially true for our yet future eschatological expectations. Daniel 9 is the basis for our understanding of a 7 year tribulation, the anti-Christ, and many other end time events. Yet, surprisingly very few of us can provide a solid Biblical basis for our interpretation of this wonderful prophecy.
Today, I asked you to join me in a Biblical adventure with the goal of remedying that oversight. Together let’s look at the prophecy of 70 Weeks with an eye to its 2nd temple era context and a Biblical reckoning of time. I can’t promise you that you’ll agree with me on every point, but I will guarantee that by the time you have finished the book you will be in awe of YHWH’s love for His fallen Creation and how Daniel 9 is one of the greatest testimonies of that love found in the Bible.
To help you understand the extent to which Daniel 9 has influenced our view of the End Times, YHWH willing over the coming weeks I will be sharing with you how Daniel 9 has been incorporated into the teachings of some of today’s most popular prophecy teachers. We will take a respectful but critical look at how Daniel 9 is used to strengthen:
As we will see, though diverse in their opinions regarding Daniel 9, all have failed to address the most basic aspect of the prophecy of 70 Weeks – that is they have failed to establish the prophecy of Daniel 9 on a solid chronological basis in the Biblical and secular record. In other words, they have failed to provide a definitive starting point upon which to calculate the countdown to the Messiah. This oversight in turn has caused each of them to make assumptions about Daniel 9 which has altered their eschatological world view. Can their end-times world view survive this oversight? Stay tuned, the answer will surprise you.
Getting a Head Start
If you would like to get a head start on these upcoming discussions I encourage you to download a free copy of Daniel’s Seventy Weeks: The Keystone of Bible Prophecy. Verified blog subscribers may download a free copy of the book here: Subscribers Book Download
If you would like to become a subscriber you may use the form below. It’s free to subscribe and I won’t share your email nor will I spam you with junk mail. Long ago I made a commitment to make the information on this blog and my websites available free of charge in one form or another. So you won’t find advertisements on this blog or a donation button, just my unconventional take on Biblical history and Bible prophecy.
My Gift to You
So today, on Yeshua biblical birthday, my gift to you is reasonable Biblical proof that Yeshua was the Messiah promised in the Scriptures. My hope is that you will enjoy the adventure as much as I have!
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."
Authors Note: Based upon the Bible’s calendar today is the 14th day of the 1st month. Nearly 2000 years ago about this time Yeshua of Nazareth became “the lamb of God which taketh away the sins of the world”. Later today many of us will celebrate Passover in rememberance of Yeshua’s sacrifice on our behalf. With this in mind I thought it appropriate to share some little known symbolism associated with this wonderfully symbolic Biblical holyday. The following is taken from my book The 13th Enumeration: Key to the Bible’s Messianic symbolism.
The 14th Sacrifice Yet it pleased YHWH to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of YHWH shall prosper in his hand. He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.—Isaiah 53:10–12
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 through Yeshua.
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: 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 5:7–8)
It was therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens should be purified with these; but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these . . . So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. (Hebrews 9:23–28)
For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect . . . we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. (Hebrews 10:1–10)
A Wonderful Puzzle
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 downright funky—passages like Matthew 1—I like to look at these parts as a wonderful puzzle to solve.
Another good example of what I’m talking about is the order and number of sacrifices prescribed during the biblical feast days. I mean, have you ever looked at the numbers of the sacrifices YHWH commanded Israel to offer? For instance, why were two bullocks, one ram, and seven lambs required to be offered during the Feast of Unleavened Bread? Doesn’t that seem just a little unusual to you? Their number and order are obviously specific—but why?
For those who have looked, you would have to say it is almost like a code. If there is a symbolic or coded message in the number of sacrifices prescribed in the Old Testament, could it somehow be related to the Messianic symbolism we have already found in the biblical holy days—or to Matthew 1? What are the chances the 13th Enumeration could be the key? Let’s take a look and see.
The Book of Numbers
What better place to start than the book of the Bible the Jewish people call Bemidbar, “in the desert”—probably better known to you and me as the book of Numbers. The fourth book of the Bible, Numbers gives more details about the biblical sacrifices prescribed during the feast days than any other place in the Scriptures.
The first biblical feast day begins in the spring, with Passover, on the 14th day of the first month at “even.” In biblical timekeeping, evening, or sundown, begins the day. In this case, the evening of the 14th is the start of the 15th day of Nisan. Fourteen days earlier, the Torah honors the start of the biblical calendar with the following instructions:
And in the beginnings of your months ye shall offer a burnt offering unto YHWH; two young bullocks, and one ram, seven lambs of the first year without spot . . . and one kid of the goats for a sin offering unto YHWH shall be offered, beside the continual burnt offering, and his drink offering. (Numbers 28:11–15)
You know, I still ask myself how I missed it all these years:
Right there in the book of Numbers, the biblical calendar begins with 13 sacrifices. How awesome is that!
And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. (Ephesians 5:2)
But the symbolism doesn’t stop there. Numbers 28 and 29 go on to prescribe 13 sacrifices each day for the entire Feast of Unleavened Bread, as well as during Shavuot, Yom Kippur, and the 8th day of Tabernacles.[1] As we will see in the next chapter, the sacrificial instructions for the first seven days of the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkoth) are nothing short of amazing!
But before we get to that, there is a hidden treasure yet to be discovered in the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Unleavened Bread is a feast of seven days which began with the Passover supper. In order to see the wonderful symbolism here, a little history of Israel’s exodus from Egypt is required.
The Passover and the Exodus
Few Old Testament stories capture our imaginations like the exodus of Israel from Egypt. From Moses’s confrontation with Pharaoh to the plagues, the angel of death, and finally the crossing of the Red Sea, the imagery is captivating, sobering, and finally triumphant. The events described in the book of Exodus set a pattern or shadow, if you will, which the New Testament sees fulfilled in the death and resurrection of Yeshua.
Most of us know the story of the Passover. Every Israelite household was instructed to kill a lamb and mark the doorposts with its blood. This sacrifice is described in the Bible as “YHWH’s Passover.” The angel of death would “pass over” any house upon which this blood was found, thus sparing the inhabitants the death of their firstborn in Egypt’s most terrible plague.
The order and timing of these events are fascinating, not the least because they mark the Passover with the symbolism of the numbers 13 and 14. Let’s take a look:
And they departed from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month; on the morrow after the passover the children of Israel went out with an high hand in the sight of all the Egyptians. For the Egyptians buried all their firstborn, which YHWH had smitten among them: upon their gods also YHWH executed judgments. (Numbers 33:3 4)
The above passage gives us an excellent fixing point in the chronology of the exodus. Verse 3 makes it clear that the exodus from Egypt began on the 15th day of the first month. Further, it informs us that this same day, the Egyptians were busy burying their firstborn dead. Exodus 12 fixes the chronology even further with the instructions concerning the Passover lamb. They were to keep this lamb until the 14th day, kill it in the evening (sundown) of the 14th day, and then eat it that night, which began the 15th of Nisan—the same night the angel of death passed over Egypt.
Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first year . . . And ye shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month: and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening. And they shall take of the blood, and strike it on the two side posts and on the upper door post of the houses, wherein they shall eat it. And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and unleavened bread; and with bitter herbs they shall eat it. Eat not of it raw, nor sodden at all with water, but roast with fire; his head with his legs, and with the purtenance thereof . . . And ye shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; and that which remaineth of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire.
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 YHWH’S passover. For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am YHWH. (Exodus 12:5–12)
And it came to pass, that at midnight YHWH smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt . . . And Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; for there was not a house where there was not one dead. And he called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, Rise up, and get you forth from among my people . . . And the Egyptians were urgent upon the people, that they might send them out of the land in haste; for they said, We be all dead men. (Exodus 12:29–33)
Based upon the above chronology, the Passover lambs were killed on the 14th of Nisan just before or right at sundown, which began the 15th day of the month. This passage makes it clear that the sacrifice was not eaten until that “night,” the very same night the angel of death “passed over” the land of Egypt. Remember, a new biblical day begins at sundown.
And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day. (Genesis 1:5)
Now consider once again the instructions of Numbers 28 in light of this chronology. Numbers 28 requires 13 sacrifices to be made on the 15th of Nisan, the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. But there is a 14th sacrifice as well. The Passover lamb, killed on the 14th, was to be eaten “in that night,” which began the 15th of Nisan. So in fitting symbolism, just as Matthew 1 showed Yeshua as both the 13th and 14th Enumerations, the first day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the very biblical holyday which represents Yeshua’s atonement on our behalf, requires 13 sacrifices to be made, but in fact 14 are consumed! This brings new meaning to the words of Paul in his epistle to the Corinthians:
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. (1 Corinthians 5:7)
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."
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. —Numbers 28:3–4
“and in the fourteenth day of the first month is the passover of YHWH. And in the fifteenth day of this month is the feast: seven days shall unleavened bread be eaten . . . 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 . . . and one goat for a sin offering, to make an atonement for you. Ye shall offer these beside the burnt offering in the morning, which is for a continual burnt offering. After this manner ye shall offer daily, throughout the seven days, the meat of the sacrifice made by fire, of a sweet savour unto YHWH: it shall be offered beside the continual burnt offering, and his drink offering. —Numbers 28:16–24
Also in the day of the firstfruits . . . But ye shall offer the burnt offering for a sweet savour unto YHWH; two young bullocks, one ram, seven lambs of the first year . . . and one kid of the goats, to make an atonement for you. Ye shall offer them beside the continual burnt offering, and his meat offering, (they shall be unto you without blemish) and their drink offerings. —Numbers 28:26–31
[1]The Feast of Trumpets, according to Numbers 29, also requires 13 sacrifices, but if the new-moon sacrifices of the first month are included, they make for 24. Leviticus 23 includes two peace offerings for the feast of Shavuot that are not included in the sacrifices of Numbers 28. This would make for 15 if both instructions were combined. It is also important to note that any day that fell on a Sabbath required two additional sacrifices.
For those waiting for the release of my new book The 13th Enumeration: Key to the Bible’s Messianic Symbolism I am happy to say I have completed it ahead of time. As promised, subscribers to my blog will receive a complimentary copy of the book by downloading the digital version here: Book Download
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For centuries scholars have argued about the lineage of Yeshua (Jesus) in Matthew 1. This controversial list is the opening statement in the New Testaments case for the Messiah but it is written more like a cipher than straight forward listing of Yeshua’s generations. Scholars have rightfully asked:
Why did the apostle Matthew modify the lineage of Jesus in Matthew 1?
Why are there four missing kings?
Why was the list arranged in three 14 generational groupings?
Why was Yeshua listed as the 13th generation instead of the 14th?
Do you believe the book of Matthew was inspired? If you do, then it is only reasonable ask why Matthew took the liberties he did with the most important lineage in the entire Bible. If this lineage was intentional, and I believe it was, then what additional information was Matthew trying to convey to his readers. What purpose could be so important that it was worth risking the very credibility of this generational statement?
If these questions intrigue you like they do me then I ask you to join me in a Biblical adventure in search of the 13th Enumeration.
Book I: The 13th Enumeration: Key to the Bible’s Messianic Symbolism Book II: Daniel’s 70 Weeks: The Keystone of Bible Prophecy
Book III: The Jubilee Code: Prophetic Milestones in the Bible
I will be sending a complimentary PDF copy of The 13th Enumeration: Key to the Bible’s Messianic Symbolism to all my blog subscribers when it is released. If you’d like to be one of the first to read it, be sure to subscribe below.
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."
Long after the critics of Mark Biltz’s book, Blood Moons have been forgotten, the premise of his book will be changing how people view the Bible’s calendar. To be sure Biltz was not the first to show the religious calendar of the Bible must be understood within its Biblical context but it was his research that was the catalyst which raised awareness of the subject to the point where it can no longer be ignored.
In his book, Mark Biltz showed that our Creator set out “divine appointments” which he codified in the religious calendar given to Israel. Mr. Biltz demonstrated the early church’s belief that several of these divine appointments were fulfilled in Yeshua’s (Jesus’) death and resurrection. He went on to make a strong case for a future fulfillment of those Biblical holy days in events related to the 2nd coming of Yeshua.
Now I have read Biltz’s book on the Blood Moons and contrary to the assertions of some, he has not claimed the blood moons are a specific sign of the 2nd coming of Christ in 2014/2015. What he does claim is the blood moons are an important reminder to our generation that we should understand how our Creator reckons time. For those willing to listen, the blood moons remind us that the Biblical calendar is based upon both the cycles of the sun and moon. It is this lunar/solar interaction which makes our Creator’s calendar so unique.
Let me tell you why I believe Biltz’s premise concerning a Biblical calendar is controversial to so many. Simply put, it represents a fundamental shift in how we view Biblical “time”.
I’ll try to explain. If you pulled back the cover on your expensive wrist watch you’ll find different sized gears which allow your watch to keep track of seconds, minutes, days, weeks, months, and years. Each gear is a specific size which allows it to precisely measure “time”.
Our Creator’s watch works the same way only His gears are the Sun, Moon, Earth and Stars. This cosmic Rolex, if you will, measures time according to a standard He set in motion at creation. (Gen. 1:14) Our Earth in its orbit around the sun is the gear which gives us our year of 365.24 days. The moon is the gear which gives us a month of 29.53 days. The rotation of the earth is the gear which gives us our day of 24 hours.
Here is what makes the Biblical calendar extraordinary. 12 lunar cycles (months) of 29.53 days equals 354.36 days. This makes the Biblical lunar/solar “year” about 11 days shorter than each solar cycle of 365.24 days. If the Biblical calendar was not corrected every few years the months would “wander” causing them to move through the seasons. A good example of this type of wandering calendar is the lunar calendar of Islam.
If Nisan (the 1st Biblical month beginning in March or April) was not fixed to the solar/agricultural cycle it would continue to move 11 days away from its starting point every year. In only eighteen years time Nisan would be celebrated in the fall. YHWH in his infinite wisdom did not intend for this to happen so when Israel left Egypt He instructed Moses to begin each new year in the month of the “Abib”. Abib is a term for barley when it is forming its ears of grain. Not to get lost in details but by linking the Biblical calendar to the solar/agricultural cycle of Abib, YHWH provided the Israelites a means to synchronize the lunar cycle of 29.53 days with the solar year of 365.24 days, thus preventing it from wandering in the solar cycle. In practical terms this synchronization was accomplished by adding a 13th month approximately every 3 years. In modern terms we call this an intercalation. (For a Biblical example see my article Ezekiel’s 13th Month)
Here is another way to look at it: The Biblical calendar can be divided into two parts. One part, as it relates to mankind’s day to day activity, is governed by the rising and setting of the sun. According to the Biblical example (first set by YHWH at creation) this day to day cycle is also grouped into 6 days of labor and 1 day of rest.
The other part of the Biblical calendar, as Mark Biltz so wonderfully demonstrates in his book Blood Moons, is governed by the cycle of the moon. Specific days in these lunar months are designated as “divine appointments”. When we look up into the night sky after a hard days work the lunar cycle is there to remind us of our Creator’s plan of reconciliation for all mankind through Yeshua. In the first month on Passover, Yeshua became the “lamb of God which takes away the sins of the world.” Not many days later he rose from the grave and became, “the firstfruits” of them that slept. If YHWH had not fixed the Biblical calendar to the solar/agricultural cycle Yeshua would not have fulfilled these Divine appointments.
If you’ve read my article on the The Messiah Factors you know it is no accident that lunar/solar cycles of the Biblical calendar are reconciled by a 13th month. This 13th month is the bridge which connects the side of the Biblical calendar which governs mankind’s struggle to survive under the curse of sin, with the side of the calendar which offers hope through the promised Redeemer.
For many today, Biltz’s book Blood Moons is an uncomfortable reminder that our way of looking at “time” has wandered from its Biblical foundations. Think of the implications this has for how we understand many of the prophetic passages in the Scripture. Have you ever wondered why the prophecies in the book of Daniel and the book of Revelation do not use the term “years” to designate the shorter time frames? It makes perfect sense if you realize the Biblical calendar “year” varies between 12 & 13 months. Remember years in a Biblical sense are based upon a certain number of lunar cycles. Those lunar cycles are then recalibrated every few years to synchronize them with the solar/agricultural cycle.
This explains why a 7 “year” or a 3.5 “year” tribulation period is never specifically mentioned in relation to the prophecies of the Bible. A “year” in the strictest Biblical sense is not 365.24 days but rather 12 or 13 lunar cycles. This is the reason the books of Daniel and Revelation so often use days and months instead of “years” to described specific end time events. So next time you’re reading a prophetic passage in the Scripture consider it in terms of our Creator’s calendar, you might be surprised at the insights you find.
I leave you with a final thought. No matter what you believe about the Blood Moons they are, at the very least, a spectacular reminder for us to look at Biblical “time” in terms of our Creator’s calendar not a poor man-made imitation.
In the words of king David:
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. 4 Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world. In them hath he set a tabernacle for the sun, {line: or, rule, or, direction} 5 Which is as a bridegroom coming out of his chamber, and rejoiceth as a strong man to run a race. 6 His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it: and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof. Psalm 19:1-6
Authors Note:
For those Berean’s interested in digging into this further the following chart shows the prophecies of Daniel & Revelation using a Biblical reckoning of time.
(Click on image to enlarge)
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."
Can you imagine having a curse placed upon you and all of your descendants by the living God of the Bible? If there was ever a hopeless condition that would be it, don’t you think? Well, that’s what happened to one wicked king of Judah in the days of Jeremiah. But this story doesn’t go the way you might expect, instead it has a remarkable ending which shows Yahweh’s redemptive love. So if you have a few minutes I hope you’ll let me tell you the story of the curse of Coniah and the promised Messiah.
