See my earlier post at http://hoshanarabbah.org/blog/2012/07/31/names-of-the-12-tribes/. This is really cool. It’s worth revisiting.
From the Archives: The Gospel Message in the Names of the 12 Tribes
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Bible Trivia: Who lost his ear and almost his career?
Matthew 26:51, The servant of the high priest…cut off his ear. Was it Peter’s (John 18:10) intention to cut of the servant’s ear or head? Some theologians suggest that Peter was going for the head, but missed and got the ear (actually it was the earlobe; see TDNT 5:543) instead.
Likely, Peter’s intended target was indeed the ear, for the servant, who was a priest himself, would have been disqualified by the Torah from serving in the temple if he had any physical defect or blemish such as a missing ear (Lev 21:18–21).
Not only that, but Peter went for the right earlobe (Luke 22:50; John 18:10), which according to the Torah (Exod 29:20) had to be anointed with blood as part of the consecration process of a priest. An improperly consecrated priest was disqualified from service in the temple as well. So by cutting off the servant’s earlobe, Peter was striking a fatal blow to his career, not to mention his ego.
Why the Bible Commands Church Attendance — Blessings and Benefits of It
Did you know the Bible commands church attendance in both the OT and NT? You can’t reach your full spiritual potential without it. It can help keep you from backsliding into Laodiceanism. The writer of Hebrew likens it to a holy of holies experience that helps prepare us to be the bride of Yeshua at his second coming. There are even more blessings and benefits. Watch the video to learn what they are.
The Law of Reaping and Sowing — Often Learned Through the School of Hard Knocks
Genesis 28:22, I will surely give the tenth. To whom would Jacob ultimately tithe? We don’t know, but Jacob may have been making a prophecy about his descendants bringing their tithes and offerings to the house of El or the temple that would eventually be built on that exact spot.
Jacob’s dream in Genesis 28 was his first, life-changing personal encounter with the Elohim of his fathers (Gen 28:10ff). What is his response? It was to serve YHVH and to worship him by giving him one-tenth (a tithe) of his increase (verse 22).
What prompted this response on Jacob’s part? Why was such a response appropriate? When did you have your first encounter with your Heavenly Father and Master? Have you faithfully used the first fruits of your increase to honor, worship and express gratitude to him ever since? If not, why not? Scripture calls not tithing “robbing Elohim” and that as a result a curse may be on your finances (see Mal 3:8–11). Proverbs 3:9 lays out a solid truth about how tithing is a form of worshipping the Creator. “Honour [glorify] YHVH with thy substance, and with the first fruits of all thine increase, so shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.”
The Scriptures reveals the spiritual law of reciprocity: You reap what you sow (Gen 8:22; Gal 6:7–9). If you don’t sow you will not reap. If you sow evil or good you will reap the same. Jacob had to learn this law the hard way. In Job 4:8 we read, “Even as I have seen, they that plow iniquity, and sow wickedness, reap the same.” Jacob gained the birthright through posing as Esau (a deception) and Laban in turn deceives Jacob by putting Leah under the veil posing as Rachel in Jacob’s marriage bed. It is very easy to see the principle of reaping and sowing Continue reading
My Favorite (Basic) Bible Study Helps
If I were stranded on an island, which basic, essential (basic) Bible study tools (books) would I want to have? In this video, I share my favorite, indispensable Bible study books that have helped me the most over the years in studying the Bible.
Blog Scripture Readings for 11/3 through 11/9/13
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Parashat Vayetzei — Genesis 28:10 – 32:3(2)*
Haftarah — Hosea 12:13(12) – 14:10(9)*
Prophets — Judges 18:1 – 21:25; 1 Samuel 1:1 – 3:21
Writings — Psalms 41:1 – 47:9
Testimony — Matthew 25:31 – 27:31
Most of this week’s blog discussion points will be on these passages. If you have general comments or questions on the weekly Scripture readings not addressed in a blog post, here’s a place for you to post those. Just use the “leave a reply” link below.
The full “Read Through The Scriptures In A Year” schedule, broken down by each day, can be found on the right sidebar under “Helpful Links.” There are 4 sections of scripture to read each day. One each from the Torah, the Prophets, the Writings, and from the Testimony of Yeshua. Each week, the Torah and haftarah readings will follow the traditional one-year reading cycle.
* Verse numbers in parenthesis refer to the verse number in Christian Bibles.
Weekly Blog Scripture Readings for 11/3 through 11/9/13.
Some Thoughts on the Rapture, the Great Tribulation and Wrath of Elohim
Matthew 24:29, 31, Immediately after the tribulation … gather the elect. If no other verse disproves the pre-trib rapture theory, this one does. Here Yeshua clearly states that the gathering of the saints to meet Yeshua as he is coming in the clouds occurs not only after the tribulation, but after the great tribulation (v. 21). The tribulation and great tribulation are separate events from the wrath of Elohim, which John describes as being part of the seven trumpet and seven bowl judgments (Rev 6:17; 11:18; 15:1; 16:1).
Matthew 24:29, 30, Sun will be darkened … sign of the Son of Man. Here Yeshua tells us that certain harbingers of his second coming will occur first. These include phenomenon occurring in the heavens involving the sun, moon and the stars. After this, a miraculous sign in the heavens will occur, and then Yeshua will come. Between the signs of the sun, moon and stars and the final miraculous sign of his coming there’s a gap in time. Yeshua later revealed to John the cosmic disturbances involving the sun, moon and stars would correspond with the sixth seal (as part of the great tribulation that occurs before Elohim pours out his wrath on the earth) of Revelation 6:12–17. After this, Elohim pours out his wrath upon the earth (Rev 6:17; 11:18; 15:1; 16:1), and then the second advent of Yeshua occurs.
Does the sign of the Son of Man coming (Matt 24:30lp) occur before or after the wrath of Elohim? That’s hard to say, but since Yeshua states that between the two events that all men will mourn, perhaps this is a veiled reference to the wrath of Elohim that is to be poured out on unregenerate men during the seven trumpets, seven thunders and seven bowl judgments described in the Book of Revelation. Why else would men be mourning? The intervening time between the cosmic disturbances (the sixth seal of Rev 6:12–17) and Yeshua’s second coming during which Elohim pours out his wrath could be a year or more, since the Scriptures speak of the day (or a period of time) of YHVH’s wrath. The Hebrew word for day (Heb. yom) can mean both a day and a period of time.
The prophet Isaiah speaks in several places about “the day of YHVH’s vengeance” (or words to this effect). This is the time period when YHVH will judge the nations including Babylon the Great, which occurs at Yeshua’s second coming (see Rev 18 and 19). In three places, Isaiah indicates that the day of YHVH will last for one year (Isa 34:8; 61:2 and 63:4). Interestingly, in Isaiah 63:4, the prophet couples the idea of the day of YHVH’s vengeance being a year long with the jubilee year — “the year of my redeemed has come.” This occurs as the Messiah (the subject of Isa 63:1–6) judges the enemies of Israel (notably Edom) as he is at the same time about to redeem (i.e., regather and return scattered Israel to its Promised Land inheritance). It appears that while Yeshua is judging Israel’s enemies at his second coming, he will at the same time be regathering the lost and scattered 12 tribes of Israel. Yeshua seems to allude to this in Matthew 24:31.