Daily Bible Reading - August 22, 2018

Today's Reading:

John 5:19-47

1 Chronicles 20:1-22:1

Zechariah 8

Listen to the Bible

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thoughts and Commentary on Today's Reading   

Have you ever wondered where Yahshua was mentioned in the writings of Moses? The writings of Moses include the first five books of the Bible, also known as the Torah. Where did Moses mention Yahshua? Yet, Christ said that Moses wrote of Him:

John 5:46 - "For had ye believed Moses, ye would have believed Me; for he wrote of Me."

Moses wrote of Yahshua! This means that Yahshua is mentioned in the Torah…  but where?

Yahshua’s Name is actually found in 77 Old Testament Bible verses – seven is the number of Yahweh’s Perfect Salvation – and it is doubled in the number of times it (as there are two 7's in 77). But because Bible translators thought the Saviour's Name was "Jesus", they saw the word "Yahshua" in htese verses and didn't recognize that it was His Name. So they translated His Name, in the Old Testament, giving the meaning of His Name, instead of writing His Name into the verse, as it should have been.

The Saviour's Name is Strong's Concordance number 3444, which is the Hebrew word "Yahshua", which means "Salvation" of Yahweh.

The Saviour's Name first appears in Genesis 49:18 (Genesis was written by Moses) and is shown in yellow below:

The following Old Testament verse contain our Saviour's lovely Name, many of which are found in the Torah (Genesis through Deuteronomy, which was written by Moses):

•Exodus 15:2

“Yahweh is my Strength and song, and He is become my Salvation:H3444 He is my God, and I will prepare Him an habitation; my father's God, and I will exalt Him.”

•Deuteronomy 32:15

“But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked: thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness; then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of His Salvation.H3444.”

•2 Samuel 22:3 (HRB)

“My Elohim is my Rock; I shall take refuge in Him; my Shield, and the horn of my Yahshua, my high tower, and my refuge! My Savior, You shall save me from violence (Hamas).”

•2 Samuel 22:47 (HRB)

“YAHWEH lives! And blessed be my Rock, and is exalted the Elohim of the Rock of my Yahshua.”

•1 Chronicles 16:23 (HRB)

“Sing to YAHWEH, all the earth, proclaim the news from day to day of His Salvation (Yahshua).”

•Psalm 9:14 so that I may declare all Your praises in the gates of the daughter of Zion; I will rejoice in Your Salvation (Yahshua).

•Psalm 13:5 But I have trusted in Your mercy. My heart shall rejoice in Your Salvation (Yahshua).

•Psalm 14:7 Who will give out of Zion the Salvation (Yahshua) of Israel? When YAHWEH brings back the captivity of His people, Jacob shall rejoice; Israel shall be glad.

•Psalm 18:35 "You have also given me the shield of Your Salvation (Yahshua); and Your right hand holds me up; and Your condescension has made me great.

•Psalm 18:46 YAHWEH lives! And blessed be my Rock! And let the Elohim of Yahshua be exalted!

In the following verses, I'm just going to restore His Name to the verse, where it should be, instead of just rendering it by its meaning, as translators mistakenly did:

•Psalm 18:50 magnifying Yahshua, His king, and working mercy to His Messiah; To David and to his Seed forever.

•Psalm 20:5 We will rejoice in your Yahshua, and in the name of our Elohim set up banners; may YAHWEH fulfill all your prayers.

•Psalm 20:6 Now I know that YAHWEH saves (Hoshua) His Messiah, He answers him from His holy Heaven with the mightiness of Yahshua, His right hand.

•Psalm 21:1 [To the chief musician. A Psalm of David.] O YAHWEH in Your strength rejoices the king; and in your Yahshua, how he greatly rejoices.

•Psalm 24:5 He shall lift up the blessing from YAHWEH, and righteousness from the Elohim of Yahshua.

•Psalm 35:9 And my soul shall be joyful in YAHWEH; it will rejoice in His Yahshua.

•Psalm 42:5 O my soul, why are you cast down and moan within me? Hope in Elohim, for I shall yet thank Him Yahshua, to His Face.

•Psalm 50:23 Whoever sacrifices thanks glorifies Me; and he who determines his course of life, I will show him Yahshua Elohim.

•Psalm 65:5 You will answer us in righteousness by awesome things, O Elohim of our salvation (Yahshua); the confidence of all the ends of the earth and the sea, of those afar off.

•Psalm 67:2 That Your way may be known on earth, Your salvation (Yahshua) among all nations.

•Psalm 118:14 YAHWEH is my strength and my song; and He is to me Yahshua.

•Psalm 118:15 The voice of rejoicing and shouting and Yahshua in the tents of the righteous; YAHWEH ‘s right hand works mightily.

•Psalm 118:21 I will thank You, for You answered me, and You are to me Yahshua.

•Psalm 119:166 O YAHWEH, I have hoped for Your salvation (Yahshua), and have done Your Precepts.

•Psalm 119:174 I have longed for Your salvation (Yahshua), O YAHWEH; and Your Torah is my delight.

•Isaiah 25:9 And one shall say in that day, Behold, this is our Elohim; we have waited for Him, and He will save us. This is YAHWEH; we have waited for Him; we will be glad and rejoice in His Yahshua.

•Isaiah 33:2 O YAHWEH, give us your grace. We have hoped in You; be their arm in the mornings, also, our Salvation (Yahshua) in time of distress.

•Isaiah 33:6 And He will be the security of your times, strength of salvation (Yahshua), wisdom, and knowledge; the fear of YAHWEH is His treasure.

•Isaiah 35:4 Say to those of a hasty heart, Be strong! Do not fear! Behold, your Elohim will come with vengeance; with the full dealing of Elohim, He will come (Yahshua) and save you.

•Isaiah 45:17 Israel is saved in YAHWEH with everlasting salvation (Yahshua). You shall not be ashamed nor disgraced to the forever of eternity.

•More…

•Micah 7:7 But I will look to YAHWEH; I will wait for the Elohim of my Salvation (Yahshua). My Elohim will hear me.

•Habakkuk 3:13 You went forth for the salvation of Your people, for Yahshua (Aleph/Tav) Your Messiah. You struck the head from the house of the wicked to bare the foundation to the neck. Selah.

•Habakkuk 3:18 yet I will exult in YAHWEH; I will rejoice in the Elohim of Yahshua.

•Zephaniah 3:17 YAHWEH your Elohim is mighty in your midst; He will save (Yahshua), He will rejoice over you with joy; He is silent in His love. He rejoices over you with a joyful shout.

•Isaiah 52:7 (HRB)

“How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of him proclaiming good news, making peace heard, bearing tidings of good, making heard Salvation (Yahshua), saying to Zion, Your Elohim reigns.”

•Isaiah 63:1 (HRB)

“Who is this who comes from Edom with dyed garments from Bozrah, this One adorned in His clothing, inclining in His great Power? It is I, speaking in righteousness the Great Yahshua!”

So, when we read in John 5:46, that Yahshua said Moses wrote of Him, now we may see that he did just that...  And it wasn't just in symbology! Moses wrote of Yahshua by Name - as did the Old Testament prophets!

Daily Bible Reading - August 21, 2018

Today's Reading:

John 5:1-18

1 Chronicles 18-19

Zechariah 7

Listen to the Bible

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thoughts and Commentary on Today's Reading   

In Zechariah 7, there is an interesting reference to a set time of fasting, which is a bit mysterious, at first. It refers to fasting in the fifth Biblical month. The fifth month of the Biblical year was called the month of Av. According to Zechariah 7:3-5, the practice of fasting during the Biblical month of Ab had continued among the Children of Israel for seventy years!

Zechariah 7:3-5 "And to speak unto the priests which were in the house of the Lord of hosts, and to the prophets, saying, Should I weep in the fifth month, separating myself, as I have done these so many years? Then came the word of the Lord of hosts unto me, saying, Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month, even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto me, even to me?"

From the context in Zechariah 7, we can quickly discern that this period of fasting had become nothing more than a meaningless formality to the people. Thus, it lost its spiritual value and potency. But, the question which really fascinated me was: how did the habit of fasting in the fifth Biblical month get started? In Leviticus 23, where all the holy days, both weekly and annual, are listed, there is no mention of a set time for fasting in the fifth month.


Leviticus 23 doesn’t list any Feasts in the Fifth Month, But it is still a spiritually significant Biblical Month. Notably, there are significant events to support the connection between the month of Av and God’s Judgments. Here are a few events, which fell within the sobering month of Av:

• The faithless report of the Ten Spies took place in the month of Av, resulting in Israel being sent back to wander in the Wilderness for many more years.

• The first temple was destroyed by the Babylonians (587 BC) in the month of Av.

• The second temple was destroyed in Av by the Romans (70 AD).

Because of the repeating pattern of Divine Judgments and enemy attacks which fell, notably, in the fifth month, it became a biblically noted time of fasting by the Hebrew people. They fasted at this time every year, even though God had not commanded them to do so.  The prophet Zechariah refers to God’s people fasting in the solemn month of Av, as is recorded in Zechariah 7:5. 

So commonly did Divine Judgments fall within the month of Av in Bible times, that Israel actually established an extra time of fasting and prayer during Av, as is recorded in Zechariah 7:5. This practice was carried on for so long that it eventually became a meaningless ritual, as was the case in Zechariah:

Zechariah 7:5 "Speak unto all the people of the land, and to the priests, saying, When ye fasted and mourned in the fifth and seventh month(s), even those seventy years, did ye at all fast unto Me, even to Me?"  

Notably, on the first of Av in 2008, 2009, and 2010, there were total solar eclipses, three years in a row! And just last year, on August 21, 2017—the last day of Av—there was another total solar eclipse in that same Biblical month.

Not only did the fifth biblical month (Av) stand out as a time of Judgment, in Bible times, the pattern has continued into modern times as well. For example:

• King Edward I of England signed an edict expelling all Jews from England in the month of Av (1290 AD).

• Jews were expelled from Spain (1492 AD) resulting in the famed voyage of Columbus, in this month.

World War I began in the month of Av (corresponding to August 1st that year) – 1914.

• Notably also, there was solar eclipse on August 21st of 1914, which served as a sky-omen portending the doom of war. This solar eclipse took place on the very same day as the soon-coming eclipse in 2017.

On the right, you can see an ominous depiction of the path of

totality from a newspaper of the day, provided from a private collection.
It is notable that the graphic depicts Europe in flames and adds in the foreboding description of omen faustum, a telling title which shows that even the newsmen of the  day considered the possibility that the eclipse was an “auspicious omen…”—a heavenly sign with prophetic significance!


The caption on the above image, which appeared in a U.S. paper on August 21, 1914, read as follows: “...At the very moment, when all Europe is joined in the clash of battle, the world will witness Nature’s most awe-inspiring phenomenon—which in olden times when men were ‘dismayed at the signs of heaven’—struck terror into all hearts. Today (Friday) there will be a total eclipse of the sun... the greatest phase occuring at 11 minutes after noon. The portion of the earth upon which the penumbra will fall includes the area involved in the Great War. In Germany and Austria (omen faustum?) the eclipse will be nearly total.

Then, what really caught my attention, is that this event was repeated on the very same day, in 2017!

Not only is the timing significant, bearing a warning of divine Judgment, the location among the constellations is significant. The August 21st eclipse actually took place in conjunction with one of the stars in Aryeh (the lion constellation, which is called Leo today). Aryeh is the constellation associated with the tribe of Judah. 

This constellation and its decans (the three supporting constellations which are part of its star “family”) tell the story of final Judgment and the end of sin. 

Furthermore, this entire sky event, and the lion constellation in which it took place, was one which Jacob foretold would herald the coming of “Shiloh”—our returning King!  

The star that was conjuncted during the eclipse is between the lion’s feet (Regulus, the king star). According to Jacob’s prophecy, this star would shine steadily “until Shiloh come...”. In other words, a sky-event which causes Regulus to become invisible, such as the coming solar eclipse, is what Jacob foretold would herald the soon-coming of Shiloh—a title for Yahshua!

The solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 conjuncted with Regulus, the “scepter” or “king” star, causing it to visually depart from between the lion’s paws, fulfilling Jacob’s prophecy of Genesis 49:10:

"The sceptre (the Hebrew name of the star now called Regulus) shall not depart from Judah (the Lion of the tribe of Judah, called Aryeh), nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be."

It is quite clear that the solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 was not only a portent of the King’s Return, but also a warning of soon-coming Judgment. And a year later, the heavenly message is still worth mentioning - still worthy of attention.