Update from Natan: Here is an update on the article below that I wrote a few days ago. Since then, some interesting developments have occurred, which greatly confirm my conclusions below. It is this: What was purported to be abib/aviv barley was actually wheat. Yes. It was wheat, NOT barley.
What disturbs me greatly is that when the person who reported to have found abib barley in the land of Israel, he posted pictures of abib grain in his hand on the internet, and he represented it as being abib barley. Then when a couple of people pointed out the fact that what he was holding was not barley but was actually wheat, he admitted that it was wheat, but that it didn’t matter. He said it could have been corn or any other grain that had been abib and it didn’t matter if it was actually barley or not. What I’m asking myself???? Where is this in the Bible? Apparently, his reasoning is that since he found a small patch of some abib wheat, this is positive proof that the barley will come abib sometime in the next month in time for First Fruits Day, even though it’s not currently abib. Based on this false report, many people will be keeping the biblical feasts this year a whole month early!
After this, the same person then went on to publicly and viciously attack the other person who identified it as wheat and not barley. Yes! Instead of admitting that he had made a mistake in calling wheat barley, he attacked the other person calling them demonic, a deceiver, a tool of the devil, etc., etc. He then went on to give a bunch of unbiblical, man-made reasons why he was right…yet still no abib barley.
What’s the bottom line? Simply this. You can believe if you want that we’re in the first month of the new biblical year, but it’s based on a false report that the barley was abib when it was not. It seems that this individual is either an unrepentant deceiver, a false Bible teacher or a a very naive person who doesn’t know the difference between wheat and barley. He’s also not a very nice person in that he attacks people who respectfully disagree with him in a non-attacking manner. He’s not accountable to anyone and is a lone wolf, loose canon. As such, this person is not in a position to have people be looking to him to be determine when the new biblical year is to start based on the abib barley.
Alternate title: Was Abib/Aviv Barley Just Found in the Land of Israel?
We vote that the new biblical year will be in another month. A little further below, we’ll discus the reasons why.
But first, I want to bless all of my Christian and Jewish brothers and sisters who are actively participating in the process to help restore biblical truth. Both the prophet Malachi and Peter the apostle of Yeshua talked about this process. It’s helping to speed up the coming of the Messiah.
Remember the Torah-law of Moses, My servant, Which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel, With the statutes and judgments. Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of YHVH. And he will turn The hearts of the fathers to the children, And the hearts of the children to their fathers, Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse. (Mal 4:4–6)
Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that He may send Yeshua the Messiah, who was preached to you before, whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which Elohim has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began. (Act 3:19–21)
Both of these passages are speaking about the same thing: a restoration of biblical truths, which have been forgotten or sublimated by the unbiblical traditions of men. Truth has suffered at the hands of religionists in both the Jewish and Christian camps. Many of YHVH’s people are beginning to awake from their spiritual slumber (Rev 3:3, realize that they’ve often been lied to (Jer 16:19), and now it’s time come out of spiritual Babylon (Rev 18:4).
But the restoration of truth is a process that takes time. Issues have to be worked through. Discoveries have to be made, truths uncovered and then tested to see if they really are truth. This process can messy and, at times, divisive.The restoration of truth is not for the faint of heart. Sadly, while this is occurring, charity in all things often gives way to the darker side of human nature: angry outbursts, offense, bitterness, attacks, gossip, slander and so on.
Most people will prefer to stay in the safe comfort zones of their religious traditions and denominations instead of stepping into the no-go zone between opposing camps—a veritable battlefield that is encircled with barbed wire, planted with land mines and rigged with booby traps, where the various sides are constantly shooting at each other. What biblical personage of note didn’t find himself or herself in this spiritual war zone in their efforts to lead people into the bright light of fuller truth? Welcome aboard the troop carrier.
Now let’s talk about this year’s biblical calendar. Has the new biblical year started or do we still have another month to go? Knowing this will determine when we will observe the spring and fall biblical feasts in 2019.
Many people prefer to keep peace and unity in their respective religious camps by not rocking the boat, but rather sticking to religious traditions some of which are biblical and some of which are not. These folks will often follow the modern calculated rabbinic calendar, which is not the calendar that the mainstream Jews of Yeshua’s era followed. The modern Jews clearly admit this (to learn more on this subject, see https://www.hoshanarabbah.org/pdfs/new_moons.pdf). What is my opinion on what is commonly called the the Rabbinic Jewish or Hillel 2 calendar? Charity. My grandparents came to an understanding of this calendar in the early 1950s, when they started keeping the biblical feasts. At least folks who follow this calendar were and are making an effort to keep the biblical feasts. This is more than can be said for the majority of Christians, much less the rest of the world. I was on the rabbinic calendar until age 40. This is because I knew nothing about any other calendars.
Then in 2000, my wife and I met Michael Rood and learned about what he was presenting as the original biblical calendar of the New Testament era. At first I rejected the idea, but after studying what the Bible had to say about the month of the abib/aviv (barley) and the new moon, we then accepted this restoration of truth and began observing the biblical feasts accordingly. We were one the first, if not the first, congregations and ministry on the West Coast of the U.S. to do so. (To learn more about the biblical new moon, abab/aviv barley calendar go to https://www.hoshanarabbah.org/pdfs/cal_demyst.pdf and https://www.hoshanarabbah.org/pdfs/vis_moon.pdf.) It was about this time that we met Nehemia Gordon of Israel and began corresponding with him over the calendar. It was also at this time that my wife began publishing biblical calendars—the first ministry to offer printable biblical calendars for free. This is still a service that we provide (https://www.hoshanarabbah.org/calendars.html).
As truth seekers who desire to be part of the restoration of all things, so that Messiah can return, my wife Sandi and I went to Israel in 2008 to be part of the abib/aviv barley search team sponsored by Nehemia and Devorah Gordon. We wanted to learn how it was done and to be part of the process. This was an incredible educational experience. At that time, Team Gordon was the main group searching for abib barley in the land of Israel.
Since that time, many groups have either broken off of Team Gordon or started their own search teams. This has, at times, been a divisive issue. But overall, it has been a good thing: the more eyes searching the better.
Over the years, many issues have arisen that, thanks to social media, are being worked out. Many questions have arisen with regard to the abib/aviv barley such as: Do we declare the new year and project the wave sheaf offering based on the anticipation that the barley will be aviv, or do we wait for it to actually be abib/aviv before the new year is declared? How much abib/aviv barley does there need to be to be declared abib/aviv? Does the aviv barley have to be in the land of Israel? When you find abib/aviv grain, is it actually barley or is it really wheat (since they’re similar in appearance)? Does the barley need to be ancient strains of barley or modern hybridized barley? Does the barley need to be found in artificially cultivated fields (where it’s under the influences of irrigation, fertilization, plant growth regulators that will induce it ripen more quickly), or growing wild (where it’s not under human influences)? Can it be found abib in artificial microclimates along roadways where it will often ripen earlier, or does it need to be in an open field where it will ripen more slowly and naturally? How far from Jerusalem can the barley be found growing? Does abib/aviv barley need to be found growing all in one spot (as Alfred Edesheim indicates in his book, The Temple, pp. 203–204) or can it be scattered in various field? These are all questions that have to be answered, and how these questions are answered will determine when the biblical new year will start and on what dates the biblical feasts for that year will fall.
Due to how different people may answer these questions, it is obviously inevitable that there will be differences of opinion, and hence different calendar dates for the biblical feasts. This means some people will be observing the biblical feasts on different days. What is my opinion on this? In an ideal world, it would wonderful for us all to be on the same page. But we are not. We’re all doing the best that we can in our effort to help to restore truth. So let’s agree to disagree charitably, all the while keeping an open mind. Someone is obviously wrong; it could be me.
Now how about this year? Has abib/aviv barley been found in Israel yet? When does the biblical new year begin? Will this year be only a twelve month year, or will we have a thirteenth month (called an Adar Bet)? (For those of you wondering why on earth we might need a thirteenth month and where this idea its found in the Bible, please see the links to my articles above, where I explain this.) So now, let me give you a quick overview of the finding for this year with regard to the state for the barley in late winter 2019.
In the land of Israel this year, there were several abib/aviv barley search teams. One team found barley which was not yet abib/aviv, but they anticipate that it will be abib by the time First Fruits Day comes around in two to three weeks. Because of my professional horticultural background, I can’t subscribe to the idea that the barley might be abib in several weeks, because there are climatological factors that could occur between now and then that would prevent the grain from ripening (e.g. the weather turns cold and rainy and the grain stops ripening). In 2016 on this blog, I wrote a detailed article listing in detail my reasons for not proclaiming the new year based an anticipating ripe barley, which some people did in that year as well (https://hoshanarabbah.org/blog/2016/03/13/is-there-aviv-barley/).
As a case in point, when Sandi and I were in Israel in 2008 searching for barley, one individual who was not part of our search team found barley that he anticipated would be aviv in several weeks, so he declared the new year. Well, in fact, the hot weather changed to cold weather and the development of the barley slowed down and it wasn’t aviv in several weeks as he had hoped. Therefore, his declaration was in error. For this reason, we don’t declare the barley to be abib/aviv before we actually see it abib/aviv. Moreover, for it to acceptable abib, there has to be enough in one area to gather one omer’s amount of grain (i.e. about two liters worth) as the Torah prescribes.
This year, there was also a team or two that found a few stalks of abib/aviv barley in several scattered fields, but there wasn’t enough to make an omer’s amount of barley. It appears that these stalks were located in mini-mircroclimates (such as a raised mound of earth like a raised bed garden) that happened to ripen faster than the still very green and immature surrounding barley fields.
In another instance where one abib/aviv barley searcher claimed to have found abib/aviv barley, with photos as supporting evidence, there were two things wrong. First, the supposed barley head or sheaf was just laying in the palm of his hand. He hadn’t bothered even to open up the barley grain it to examine its state of maturity. This is important, because the grain has to be parchable (i.e. be able to be roasted over a fire), so that any remaining moisture in it can be cooked out of it, so that it can be ground into fine flour as the Torah commands. If any moisture remains in the barley, it will gum up the grinding stones and instead of flour, you get a gummy goo. On First Fruits Day, the Torah requires that the priests offer up fine flour to YHVH, not goo (Lev 23:9–14). Second, it has been reported that this individual is actually holding a stalk of ripe wheat, not barley. (This is reported to the case with another abib/aviv barley searcher who put up a video claiming to have found a whole field of abib barley, when it may actually be wheat.
Now I am a professional horticulturist and a Certified Aborist with a background in nursery, fruit and vegetable production with a deep knowledge of plants, but I’m not a grain expert. Barley and wheat look very similar, but experts can tell them apart. I cannot. I, like those reading this blog, have to rely on the reports, expertise and credibility of those giving us the reports from the land of Israel. Some will choose to follow one opinion, and some will choose to follow another. Based on my understanding of horticulture and the Bible, we are NOT choosing to accept the current reports of “abib/aviv” barley because the evidential proof seems sketchy, presumptive and inconclusive to us. Others may view the same evidence differently. We respect their opinions, but disagree charitably.
So what is the conclusion of the matter? We are pleased that so many people are seeking to help restore lost biblical truths, to learn more about these truths, and then to apply them to their spiritual walk. This may mean that we’re on different calendars, but you know what? We’re all heading in the same direction—the path of truth. For that we will rejoice and give glory of YHVH Elohim. HalleluYah!
Here are some of the main the resources that we have found most helpful in determining whether the barley was aibb/aviv in the land of Israel yet or not this year.
https://www.facebook.com/datetree/
https://www.facebook.com/HaleviTeacher/
Natan, I’m glad to hear you are taking that perspective.
As I’ve been trying to muddle through this myself I have become pretty comfortable with [edited out]
He espouses to the idea that:
The biblical month begins with the sighting of the new moon from where the priesthood was told to dwell —— 48 cities throughout ancient Israel.
The sighting of the new crescent to start the month should be from the area where those 48 cities were/are.
The vernal equinox is the marker, the sign of the sun that occurs during the time when the grains begin to ripen which dictates the beginning of a new year.
When the new crescent shows up on the same day as the vernal equinox – that is the first day of the month of the year.
Otherwise, the next time that you see the new crescent – AFTER the vernal equinox – that is the start of the first month of the new year.
[edited out]
Thanks for your work!
Tim and Margaret
The names and ministry URL have been edited out because this goes against the rules of this blog as posted on the front page of this site and for reasons explained numerous times before.
As far as the vernal equinox goes, this is not a biblical premise, but a tradition of man. The vernal equinox is not mentioned anywhere in Scripture, much less an an indicator to be used when determining the biblical calendar. The pagans, on the other hand, used this astronomical marker.
I have to stick with the Bible.
Blessings!
Thank you Nathan for pointing that out. The vernal equinox is not in Scripture!! Its another TOM ! Tradition of men!
At first, I was going with next month. I have changed my mind. This is a step of faith b/c I don’t have any choice but to rely on others who have studied more about what, specifically, aviv barley is.
But I do know this one thing, I see nothing mentioned in the Bible that mentions the vernal equinox.
I’m not trying to argue. I am just doing my best to obey and just when I figure out how to calculate the moedim, this kind of confusion pops up (2016 was my first time to see this).
I also live in a home with a spouse that doesn’t keep the moedim. There is no way for me to clean all of the leaven out of my house.
For a brief moment, I felt very condemned over all of this. I decided that was not how Yehovah would have me feel when I am doing my best. I definitely don’t keep the pagan holidays, but I am just going to do my best to rehearse YHVH’s moedim.
Natan,
I should have been more concise in my first post. It is my “take” that the only reason for paying attention to the ripeness of the barley is to make sure you are in the right season – spring – the time of the vernal equinox.
This makes sense to me as it seems that this judgement of the barley is far too vague.
The vernal equinox is exacting.
We are real fans of Michael Rood and Nehemiah Gordon but I have not been comfortable with his astronomically and biblically corrected calendar.
I am NOT a leader but get to survey, from 30 thousand feet, the works of people like you and they — and then make a judgement.
It seems that every leader has so much good — but inevitably they will also espouse to something that doesn’t smack right and this issue of the aviv barley as the direct marker of the new year is one of those things.
Nothing against the leader —- it’s what makes it tough to be a leader – to spearhead and idea or a movement or a doctrine.
Thanks again for your candidness, your insight and your work
Tim
Forget NG and MR. Let’s stick with the Bible. With all due respect, the vernal equinox is not in the Bible. The abib/aviv barley is in the Bible. For me it’s clear: the Word of Elohim vs. traditions of man.
I have to respectfully disagree with you. As a lifelong, professional horticulturist, I find the barley to be very exact. Evidently YHVH did as well, which is why he named the first month of the biblical year, “the month of the Abib/Aviv.” This obviously refers to barley, since, under normal conditions, wheat doesn’t come ripe for another couple of months in Israel.
The problem is that men muddy the waters of just about everything they touch, and then this gives YHVH and his word a bad reputation. I refuse to toss the water of the word of Elohim out just because men have thrown mud into it.
Furthermore, very few people nowadays have an agricultural background or frame of reference. Therefore, many of the agricultural paradigms of the Bible are confusing to modern, urban dwellers who have become disconnect from the earth. Having been raised on a farm and nursery, on the land, working the land and doing horticulture all my life and as a profession (for nearly 60 years) biblical things like crops, sheep, the earth, fruit trees, grains, cattle, weeds, the forests, mountains along with the rhythms and cycles of nature make perfect sense to me. This is where I’m at home, and the Bible makes sense to me in a very earthy and pragmatic way. I can’t expect most modern folks to understand this. Hopefully, this blog will help people to connect to their more nativistic, earthy and biblical, Hebraic roots, so that the biblical truths will make more sense.
Blessings!
Hey Natan,
I’m standing my ground for now — but I’m never a closed book.
If I become convinced I’m wrong, I’m willing to backtrack and say –
I see things differently now
Thanks again
Tim
As I tell everyone, show me the Scripture—chapter and verse. I stand on the solid ground of Scripture. If you can show me from Scripture, then we have something to talk about. Scripture is the only basis for spiritual truth—especially when it comes to such core issues as the feasts. Everything else is the shifting sands of men’s opinions, traditions, etc., etc. Love and blessings.
Shalom Natan
great gentle approach. It is sin if we do something without faith. Each of us has to decide prayerfully. A difficult year is given for many reasons…. I am liking that the Body is starting to accept the learning curve we are being placed on… to not only refine Physical Observation but SPIRITUAL observation of the mercy already shown us to be shared amongst us also.
Praise our King!
Today we witnessed for the first time ever here, migratory swallows and by co-incidence one of the Barley Reports also spoke about migratory birds including swallows as being present in the sky above Israel.
Thought this below may be of some interest….I have taken it from another blogger.
Half way down the article Brian Convery is described as observing the Barley in Israel for 15 years and having a degree in agriculture and reporting abundant Abib. How would you test this?
Shalom to ALL
May we Honour our Salvation by being FAITHFUL and not following men as perfect but seeking council to acquire & follow truth for the sake of love that is what our Father desires.
Shavua Tov FJ
Alicia Kaye Barnard says:
March 8, 19 at 11:12 pm
Happy new year from Missouri! Clearly the month when the green ears of barley are evident is a signpost pointing us to the month in which Passover is to occur, Exodus 9:31. Another indication that we are to observe the month of green ears is Deuteronomy 16:1, “Observe the month of Abib, and keep the Passover…” “Observe” is the Hebrew word “shamar,” meaning to look narrowly at, or watch. We are to watch for the month in which green ears appear, and in that month, keep the Passover. Furthermore, Leviticus 23:10 says that there is to be a harvest during the month of Abib, in which a sheaf of firstfruits of barley is to be gathered for the priest, so that he might wave it after the Sabbath. The waving of the sheaf was a presentation to the Most High YHWH to bless the rest of the harvest. Only after the waving of the sheaf could the harvest of barley begin. Brother Solomon Meyer, who was with __Brian Convery__, we have known since he was born, He has been observing the barley in Israel for 15 years, and has a degree in agriculture. He reported abundant amounts of Abib barley and that this was about the best Abib barley that he had ever observed. As our dear brother so eloquently stated after his trip to Israel, and barley report, “You could invite 10 believers into a room and undoubtedly have 12 opinions present on most any subject. It is impossible to answer questions to anyone’s satisfaction when there is no prior agreement upon the terms and parameters of the consideration and answers. I encourage my friends and brethren to pick a lane and stay therein. Don’t allow the noise of debate and the clamor of opinion spoil what should be a beautiful and important time of year…Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of shortcomings. I would encourage us all to sacrifice arrogance and our base inclinations to be correct upon the altar of love in the interest of true fellowship withing this Body. It was something…we visited Qumran Wednesday…There was a note on the display that said the Essenes who hid the scrolls had separated from the main branch of Judaism over calendar issues and called the other Jews the”Sons of Darkness” and “Children of the Devil.” I guess in 2000 years, we still haven’t learned our lesson, have we? I am sad that we’ll have another year of calendar friction…I long for my Master to return so He can teach us the proper way and all of Yah’s people will walk together. I love you all. Be well and blessed.” This is my prayer also~~
With all due respect, just because one has a degree in agriculture doesn’t mean one’s an expert in grain crops. Agriculture is a very broad area with countless specialty fields. In my area of horticulture—forestry and arboriculture— there are so countless specialty fields all with their own experts.
One things that troubles me with BC is that he doesn’t show any pictures where he actually opens the grain for us to see the state of things inside the kernel. He didn’t do it in 2016 either—another controversial year. I like total transparency and full disclosure.
There is still the question of whether what was presented as barley was actually barley and not wheat. New strains of grains are coming out all the time that ripen faster and do better under drought conditions. This doesn’t even include the use of chemical PGRs and hormones that improve growth rates and yields. There are so many unanswered questions. Also, the second temple Jews never searched in fields that were cultivated that had been irrigated, fertilized or where trees were found (I saws a photo of above barley with many trees in the back ground), but only in fields that were had been growing au natural (see Mishnah, Menachot 8.2). We have to be so careful, and when I sense that these precautions may not be being taken, I get very concerned.
Blessings!
Thankyou Natan
seems that we may not be receiving accurate’ reperts’ if they are not be from experts with hearts for truth in meekness. . Lots of sifting to be done. Makes me feel all @ sea at times…..
Shalom Dear One.
FJ
Well that is pretty much what I would have said had I been able to express it so well. Thanks.
Very interesting that it was probably dispute over the calendar that separated the Essenes. Very interesting.
I, too, and going to do do my best to be obedient & look forward to the day when we can go up to the mountain and be taught of the Lord’s ways by Himself.
BTW, I am a native Missouria. Still have 6+ acres there. Would love you to email and tell me where you are in case I get up that way soon and want to fellowship with a Sabbath group.
Thanks for the post.
Dear Maryt
I wasn’t sure if you were asking me specifically or Natan about where he is. Sorry for the late reply.
I may be a bit hard to catch up with unless you have a passport and like flying.
I am East Coast Australia in the little mountains compared to yours in America.
Nthn New South Wales tablelands in a little country town with 3000 or so residents in the area.
Used to have a lot of sheep and cattle but Abba is not providing the rain for us now. Our country accepted the marriage for all comers ideology too…….and it is law here now.
Blessings of Shalom
FJ.
Amen.
To FJ. Sorry, I was asking Alicia Barnard where she was.
I’m so grateful you mentioned the equinox in one of your replies. This is something everybody is raving about at the moment, but I can’t seem to find in the Scriptures. They claim the turning of the year is referred to as “tequpha” in the Scriptures, and is apparently the equinox – yet tequpha only refers to the changing of the season in Scripture which of course can be seen in nature since it effects it directly. Not a specific date, but a changing in general.
Correct.
I first encountered this equinox nonsense about 16 years ago and researched it out then and proved it to be bogus biblically speaking.
Like bad dreams, these errant, unbiblical ideas keep recirculating around again and again to be picked up by a new batch of well-meaning, but misguided, gullible and naive truth seekers who, sadly, don’t know their Scriptures as well as they think the do; therefore, they fall for these things. These errant ideas are simply distractions to divert YHVH’s people away from the simple truth of Scripture. The lunar “Sabbath,” plural/patriarchal marriage/polygamy, flat earth foolishness, aliens and an unhealthy preoccupation with nephilim, conspiracy theories, extra-biblical books, Jewish mysticism, Rabbinical stuff, etc. all fall under this category, as well, in my opinion. I’ve had to deal with it all. If people aren’t careful, these teachings will us away from the simple message of the gospel and Yeshua as taught by the apostles.
Update from Natan: Here is an update on the article above that I wrote a few days ago. Since then, some interesting developments have occurred, which greatly confirm my conclusions below. It is this: What was purported to be abib/aviv barley was actually wheat. Yes. It was wheat, NOT barley.
What disturbs me greatly is that when the person who reported to have found abib barley in the land of Israel, he posted pictures of abib grain in his hand on the internet, and he represented it as being abib barley. Then when a couple of people pointed out the fact that what he was holding was not barley but was actually wheat, he admitted that it was wheat, but that it didn’t matter. He said it could have been corn or any other grain that had been abib and it didn’t matter if it was actually barley or not. What I’m asking myself???? Where is this in the Bible? Apparently, his reasoning is that since he found a small patch of some abib wheat, this is positive proof that the barley will come abib sometime in the next month in time for First Fruits Day, even though it’s not currently abib. Based on this false report, many people will be keeping the biblical feasts this year a whole month early!
After this, the same person then went on to publicly and viciously attack the other person who identified it as wheat and not barley. Yes! Instead of admitting that he had made a mistake in calling wheat barley, he attacked the other person calling them demonic, a deceiver, a tool of the devil, etc., etc. He then went on to give a bunch of unbiblical, man-made reasons why he was right…yet still no abib barley.
What’s the bottom line? Simply this. You can believe if you want that we’re in the first month of the new biblical year, but it’s based on a false report that the barley was abib when it was not. It seems that this individual is either an unrepentant deceiver, a false Bible teacher or a a very naive person who doesn’t know the difference between wheat and barley. He’s also not a very nice person in that he attacks people who respectfully disagree with him in a non-attacking manner. He’s not accountable to anyone and is a lone wolf, loose canon. As such, this person is not in a position to have people be looking to him to be determine when the new biblical year is to start based on the abib barley.
Nathan,
I have been extremely lame about tracking the barley search and the moon phases, this year, unfortunately. I merely did a cursory search in March and saw that folks were claiming that the Passover would be in April and did not do much research since then.
However, I had it in my heart to properly research the matter this Shabbat (today) and discovered the controversy. Furthermore, if the Passover was yesterday, we ate unleavened bread with our first Shabbat meal, last night. Thus, I was extremely upset with myself for not doing a better job, this year, especially given Yehovah’s proclamation about such lameness (e.g., Numbers 9).
Anyway, I am relieved to read your revelations. God (Yehovah) willing, I intend to do a better job from now on.
Yehovah bless, and Shabbat shalom.
Thank you! We were super busy during the new moon and didn’t have time to thoroughly research both sides of the discussion so we decided to take your word for it, as we have for the last ten years, finding yours the most sensible voice in the crowd. Glad we did!!
Dear Natan,
We have read many of your articles, we have read about your life and we study Scripture regularly nowadays. We have come to trust that you are an absolutely Scripture based truth seeker and teacher of YHVH’s Word. I like to believe that we are influenced by the Ruach HaKodesh in this and we most certainly will follow your lead in regard to the Biblical calendar. We highly respect the Karaits and trust that they will make the greatest efforts in their search for aviv barley.
What are people’s problems? If its not in the Bible, its not biblical!
We have 4 witnesses that testify that you are a man of God who desires to lead the lost sheep back to YHVH. The witnesses: your life style, your writings, the Scriptures, the Holy Spirit.
Shalom, Sonja & John
Thank you. Words cannot express… Yeshua is the ultimate judge of all that we say and do. There’s always room for improvement. Jacob’s ladder to heaven/Yeshua (John 1:51) and the Father has many rungs on it, and all of us are near the bottom of it, so we keep climbing and seeking Him and his truth day-by-day.
The praises of men aren’t the fuel in my spiritual gas tank, but when coming from righteous and like-minded people, they are a great encouragement to folks like me who are basically alone and friendless (except for my immediate family) in our local geographical area. Again, thank you. I receive your encouragement as being from YHVH.
BTW, Yah willing, if all goes well on this end, we hope to visit you over a long weekend (maybe three or four days) either before or after our NZ cruise in January. We’re laying this all before YHVH right now to let him lead, but that’s what we’re sensing right now. Thank you for your love and generosity. Blessings to you in Yeshua’s love and grace.
Sometimes, Elohim uses ravens, sometimes angels, sometimes humans to encourage and comfort his servants. We very much look forward to your company; a week would be great. The Lord will decide.
You judged us rightly; flattery is not our business, only sincere appreciation.
John & Sonja