examining ear of barley crop in field

Looking for green ears of barley in Abib (Aviv)

This is an article that questions how Messianic and other Torah followers calculate the beginning of each year. Yes Passover is definitely in Abib, and I agree with Deuteronomy 16, but I have questions. When does scripture show that we have to look for “green ears of barley” in order to begin the count of days for the first month? What happens if there is a drought like in Lamentations and Jeremiah? I’m not looking for secondary or anecdotal evidence about the meaning of words (2 Tim 2:14) but for direct evidence from scripture.

My thinking was that if we celebrated Passover on 8th April 2020 and on 27th March 2021, then we have had a year with only 353 days. But, the Jewish/Hebrew year appears to be 364 days, that is 12 months of 30 days (360) plus 4 season marker days totals at 364. The following scriptures refer to the day/year prophecy principle:

25 And he shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High; and he shall think to change the times and the law; and they shall be given into his hand until A TIME AND TIMES AND A HALF TIME. Daniel 7:25

7 And I heard the man clothed in linen, who was above the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand to heaven, and swore by him that lives forever that it shall be for A TIME, TIMES, AND A HALF; and when they have made an end of breaking in pieces the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished. Daniel 12:7

2 And the court which is outside the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it has been given to the nations: and the holy city shall they tread under foot FORTY-TWO MONTHS. Revelation 11:2

3 And I will give to my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy A THOUSAND TWO HUNDRED AND SIXTY DAYS, clothed in sackcloth. Revelation 11:3

6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared of Elohim, that there they may nourish her A THOUSAND TWO-HUNDRED AND SIXTY DAYS. Revelation 12:6

14 And there were given to the woman the two wings of the great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, where she is nourished for A TIME, AND TIMES, AND HALF A TIME, from the face of the serpent. Revelation 12:14

5 And there was given to him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and there was given to him authority to continue FORTY-TWO MONTHS. Revelation 13:5

All scriptures taken from The Sacred Scriptures, Bethel Edition. EMPHASIS MINE.

30 x 1 = 30 days or 1 MONTH.
30 x 12 = 360 days or one TIME.
30 x 42 = 1260 days, or A TIME, TIMES, AND A HALF TIME.

From my research I am dating the book of Daniel as being written in 6th Century before Hamashiach (~500 BC). The book of Revelation was written around 95AD. That means we have evidence in scripture that for 600 years the Israelites held a 360 day “Time” equivalent to our year.

How then in 2021 do we arrive at having two Passovers WITHIN the span of 360 days? Yahweh’s laws do not change, and as we KNOW the prophecies are true, our current system for calculating dates should be the same as scripture, otherwise we stand the risk of calculating the dates of the feasts incorrectly.

“the exactness of the year is accomplished through its separate three hundred and sixty-four stations.” – Enoch 75:2 – Charles, R. H. (Ed.). (1913). Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament (Vol. 2, p. 241). Oxford: Clarendon Press.

“36 For there will be those who will assuredly make observations of the moon—how (it) disturbs the seasons and comes in from year to year ten days too soon. 37 For this reason the years will come upon them when they will disturb (the order), and make an abominable (day) the day of testimony, and an unclean day a feast day, and they will confound all the days, the holy with the unclean, and the unclean day with the holy; for they will go wrong as to the months and sabbaths and feasts and jubilees.” – Jubilees 6:36/37 – Charles, R. H. (Ed.). (1913). Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament (Vol. 2, p. 23). Oxford: Clarendon Press.

Not all folks accept the Pseudepigrapha as scripture, but note, it was the Roman Catholic Church that did not include it in their “Canon” of scripture. Yes, that very same organisation, of which scripture states their king (or power) will try to change the times and laws, has omitted from its canon the only scriptures that tell us how to calculate times in Yahweh’s way! Following on from this every “Christian” and Messianic denomination seems to have accepted the same. When are we going to kick these limitations imposed on us by The Roman Catholic Church into touch, and put them away finally!!!??? Those who have understanding, let them understand.

I’m not trying to subvert belief here, I am genuinely questioning if what we do is correct.

Covid-19 vaccine vial with syringe

Covid and Human Rights

People’s real human rights are being trampled by imaginary, made up human rights. You have the right to refuse medical treatment, but you don’t have the right to be treated by someone in the NHS who is vaccinated.

People who are vaccinated are not prevented from catching or spreading disease.

How many vaccines do you know of that require 3 doses in one year. Think back through history and consider it?

The world is one big science laboratory right now, and it isn’t funny.

Priti Patel

Patel bullying. With such a judgement, why are there no consequences?

I was surprised to hear that the trade unions case against Priti Patel’s case at the high court was lost. It seems like the judge has had to jump through hoops not to find her guilty and condemn the actions of PM Boris Johnson as biased. Is the judiciary in fear of exercising the correct level of judgement against politicians?

This is another in a long string of abuses of power, and one wonders, when our own citizens are being mistreated on our own shores, what will be the outcome for people who are not British born, both here, and on shores far away? I think Boris Johnson lacks empathy and integrity, the exact characteristics needed to make him a British despot unleashing a reign of terror on those both at home and abroad, under the banner of reviving the British Empire.

Full story: BBC

Cobalt Mining

Some time ago, we had a moral conflict about “Conflict Diamonds” Sadly, it seems whenever we enjoy luxuries and “progress” in one form or another, there is always someone else paying the price. We’ve been sold in glowing terms, the “green revolution” which will save the planet from the excesses of fossil fuels, and while that is great marketing, it is far from reality.

In places like the Democratic Republic of Congo, people work long shifts in very unsafe conditions to mine dangerous minerals like Cobalt (which itself causes cancer), that are key to our “green revolution” as these minerals help to make batteries and other essential components.

People die doing this work and it is often the only type of work they can do, they are virtually forced into it, and even children play their part and are dying too. These mining activities affect the wider community, and even the mining dust affects children who live nearby the mines.

You would think that the companies that take the Cobalt from these miners would pay them a decent wage, so that perhaps they could invest in decent infrastructure to make mining safe, not only for those that mine, but for the wider community. But no, Glencore who claim their “responsibly [is to] source the commodities that advance everyday life”, pays very little for this material before it is processed and sold for a whole lot more. Middle men who act as brokers often make the situation worse by using rigged scales and undervaluing what has been mined.

So before the developed world starts to congratulate itself for it’s green revolution, we should make sure that our progress is not yet again on the backs of those who are already suffering from environmental damage and disadvantage as a result of our last revolution (the industrial), have been kicked in the teeth by developed nations not paying attention to the self evident effects of climate change, and are having yet another burden placed on them, which will further deepen their suffering and the inequity that exists between them and us.

See more on this: https://www.thewrap.com/apple-microsoft-child-labor-cobalt-accused/

Tigray, Ethiopia. Photo courtesy Rod Waddington

The Ethiopian – Tigray Conflict

Ethiopia is the only ancient country in Africa which has never been colonised. The Europeans are making moves to destabilise it and put in power the people they want so that they can control it. Now, a coalition of people who are not even in Ethiopia are making demands of the Ethiopian government and threatening to overthrow it!

While no one can doubt the conflict between the Ethiopian government and the Tigray rebels is nasty and atrocities have been committted, the West must realise that sovereign nations have rights to quash rebellion in their own countries.

When western nations intervene in these situations by arming rebel groups and putting sanctions on governments that harm the people, they are using a very nefarious and evil form of control to change the power base in a country, and make no mistake this is deliberate. We’ve seen it all before, western nations wanting a regime change.

However what they fail to admit is that all nations have conflict and civil war, America had its own civil war, these are all part of how nations form and establish their identity. In Africa, I believe the struggles many nations had hundreds of years ago are happening today, and that could well be down to the huge impact the European borders that lie all over Africa, that have caused disruption to traditional lives. The looting of resources and people, and economic inequity in terms of currency valuations has an effec too. However, instead of African nations being allowed to grow and form as a natural progression of deciding their own conflicts, we have foreigners trying to manipulate the outcome in the name of “peace”.

Taking lessons in peace from a nation like America is a compete joke. They dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, carried on shamefully in the Vietnam War, used munitions that were coated with harmful chemicals that have harmed innocent civilians in Iraq long after the conflict ended, and we’ve seen their fruitless efforts in Afghanistan. Whenever they get involved, they make the situation WORSE, not better. Yet still they want to meddle, unwise people who repeat the same stupid “mistakes”, or so they would have us believe.

Why is it that western violence against other nations is ok in the eyes of the “international community”, but nations trying to manage conflict in their own borders is a terrible outrage?

This is hypocrisy and it saddens me. It is all part of the same old divide and conquer rhetoric of white supremacy, that has made the problem of conflict between our people worse for the last 500 years.

This article from Aljazeera explains more about the current situation in Ethiopia

Was America Founded on Biblical Principles?

There are many people of faith who are passionate about America being the land of the free, based on “Christian” freedom, but they forget we really only have one nation or Kingdom we should be proud of!

therefore here is what Adonai ELOHIM says:
“Look, I am laying in Tziyon
a tested stone, a costly cornerstone,
a firm foundation-stone;
he who trusts will not rush here and there. (Isa 28:16 CJB)

As you watched, a stone separated itself without any human hand, struck the statue on its feet made of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were all broken into pieces which became like the chaff on a threshing-floor in summer; the wind blew them away without leaving a trace. But the stone which had struck the statue grew into a huge mountain that filled the whole earth. (Da 2:34–35 CJB).

“In the days of those kings the God of heaven will establish a kingdom that will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not pass into the hands of another people. It will break to pieces and consume all those kingdoms; but it, itself, will stand forever— (Da 2:44 CJB).

We are not of the kingdoms of this earth, or are we? Genocides committed 1400 years after our Messiah told his disciples to go our and PREACH to all nations and make disciples of men doesn’t sound like the rules of the kingdom to me.

Rather it was Pope Nicholas V’s edict of Dum Diversas that gave Europeans free reign to “invade, search out, capture, vanquish, and subdue”. Isn’t this the words of the lamb that spoke like a dragon?! (Rev 13:11) Let’s just say some people are slow learners huh, but you would have thought well over a millennia to learn would have been enough?
There is no leftist or rightist, just as there is no Jew or Greek (Gal 3:28), that is a patently foolish division. There are only wheat and tares (Matthew 13:24-30) – I don’t see leftist and rightist tares or wheat spoken of in scripture, and when you make a division like this, you are alienating people in this group who may not have the same political affiliation as you. Why would you do that if we are bound together by the Spirit of Messiah?

Yet there is a wisdom that we are speaking to those who are mature enough for it. But it is not the wisdom of this world or of this world’s leaders, who are in the process of passing away (1 Co 2:6 CJB)

Why base your hope on the spirit of leaders who are already dead, whose nations and kingdoms are foretold to fall by scripture, defending them and their misdeeds over the Word of our Messiah in whom their was no violence or deceit?

Israel, Zionism, Apartheid and The Geneva Convention

Israel needs to think about innocent people and The Geneva Convention. Sending armed police into a place of worship with weapons is provocative, that was the spark that led to all this death and destruction on *both* sides. It’s sad when the authorities which preside over our societies seem to incite the violence and terror they are supposed to protect us from.

[Rulers,] does your silence really speak justice?
Are you judging people fairly?
[No!] In your hearts you devise wrongs,
your hands dispense violence in the land.

Psalm 58 1&2 (CJB)

Why the international community doesn’t bring Israel and Hamas to justice for war crimes is beyond my understanding. The state of Israel as we know it today was formed in violence and perpetuates its existence through violence. This doesn’t excuse the actions of Hamas either, who bomb Israel knowing that they have no way to protect the poor people within their own borders from Israel’s inevitable retaliation.

There are many in Israel and outside of it who believe in re-establishing Israel under some kind of Old Covenant regime of driving out the nations that existed there before them. If you believe in a twisted non-inclusive version of the Old Covenant alone, when even the Old Testament is inclusive (Isaiah 56:3), and not the grace afforded by the New Covenant, then the establishment of Israel as a “state”, 73 years ago, not by Yah, but by England and France (SykesPicot) as they divided up that particular part of the world, among many others, is your proof that Israel “exists”.

However, let’s look at some scriptures to examine what we can find about how Yah’s house is built, and the scriptural attitude to conflict to the time since Messiah began to establish His kingdom:

Then he answered me, “This is the word of Adonai to Z’rubavel: ‘Not by force, and not by power, but by my Spirit,’ says Adonai-Tzva’ot.

Zechariah 4:6 (CJB)

This is the word that Yesha‘yahu the son of Amotz saw concerning Y’hudah and Yerushalayim:

In the acharit-hayamim the mountain of Adonai’s house will be established as the most important mountain. It will be regarded more highly than the other hills, and all the Goyim will stream there.

Many peoples will go and say, “Come, let’s go up to the mountain of Adonai, to the house of the God of Ya‘akov! He will teach us about his ways, and we will walk in his paths.” For out of Tziyon will go forth Torah, the word of Adonai from Yerushalayim.

He will judge between the nations and arbitrate for many peoples. Then they will hammer their swords into plow-blades and their spears into pruning-knives; nations will not raise swords at each other, and they will no longer learn war.

Isaiah 2:1–4 (CJB)

At that, one of the men with Yeshua reached for his sword, drew it out and struck at the servant of the cohen hagadol, cutting off his ear. Yeshua said to him, “Put your sword back where it belongs, for everyone who uses the sword will die by the sword. Don’t you know that I can ask my Father, and he will instantly provide more than a dozen armies of angels to help me? But if I did that, how could the passages in the Tanakh be fulfilled that say it has to happen this way?”

Matthew 26:51–54 (CJB)

Yeshua answered, “My kingship does not derive its authority from this world’s order of things. If it did, my men would have fought to keep me from being arrested by the Judeans. But my kingship does not come from here.”

John 18:36 (CJB)

For we are not struggling against human beings, but against the rulers, authorities and cosmic powers governing this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realm.

Ephesians 6:12 (CJB)

For although we do live in the world, we do not wage war in a worldly way; because the weapons we use to wage war are not worldly. On the contrary, they have God’s power for demolishing strongholds. We demolish arguments and every arrogance that raises itself up against the knowledge of God; we take every thought captive and make it obey the Messiah.

2 Corinthians 10:3–5 (CJB)

Every scripture above teaches us to trust in The Spirit of Yah, not on our man made weapons. Many believers looking on at the conflict in Israel and Palestine are more amazed at the weaponry and iron dome defense system which is evident, rather than the working of the Yah’s power to bring peace, which sadly is not. Isn’t the name of Yah and his ways blasphemed among the nations when the nation that should be the light of the world practices such provocation, injustice and murder?

Put quite simply the “light” of apartheid enforced by violence isn’t the light of God’s law that will be a light to the nations and cause people to flood to Jerusalem and our Saviour, The Messiah. The kingdom of heaven isn’t about Jewish superiority, not about war over the right to the land of Israel, but about those who follow Yah from every nation under on earth (Revelation 7:9), the circumcised of the heart, not of the flesh, those who walk in the way of peace taught by Yehsua the Messiah, not those trying to build a kingdom by force. Notice that Messiah said:

Moreover, I tell you that many will come from the east and from the west to take their places at the feast in the Kingdom of Heaven with Avraham, Yitz’chak and Ya‘akov. But those born for the Kingdom will be thrown outside in the dark, where people will wail and grind their teeth!

Matthew 8:11–12 (CJB)

I believe this points to the fact that a kingdom will be established in Israel prior to the return of The Messiah, the subjects of which will be cast out by The Messiah because their actions and imaginations run contrary to his teaching. Whatever they establish by tyranny will be overthrown with true justice.

Article: Al Jazeera
Picture courtesy www.zoriah.net