Prophetic Implications of the Five Loaves and Two Fishes

Get ready for some surprising prophetic understandings from one of the most well-known stories about Yeshua—the feeding of the 5000 with five loaves and two fishes.

The corollary passage to Mark 8:1–10 is Matthew 14:13–21, which we will explore below.  

First you might want to review Matthew 14:13–21.

This account appears to be an allegory pertaining to end-time events—specifically, the regathering of the Israelite exiles, and is another allusion to the final redemption.

John the Immerser (Baptist), who came in the spirit of Elijah to prepare the way for Messiah, had just been killed by the politico-religious system of his day. (Similarly, it is interesting to note that the two end time witnesses or prophets who will come in the spirit of Elijah will be martyred in Jerusalem just prior to the return of Yeshua [Rev 11:1–13].) In response to John’s murder at the hands of Herod, Yeshua and his disciples left the area to escape any possible backlash of the wrath of Herod (who allegorically represents the devil). This seems to be a picture of what is prophesied to occur to the bride (the saints) of Messiah during the great tribulation just prior to the return of Yeshua (Rev 12:12–17). The boat seems to metaphorically represent the eagle’s wings of Revelation 12:14 that carried the woman into the wilderness, which is a place of protection and safety during the great tribulation.

Once in the wilderness, “when the day was far spent … and now the time is far passed” (a prophetic reference to the end of the age Continue reading

 

Are You Ready for Yom Kippur?

What is the spiritual significance of the biblical holiday of Yom Kippur? How does it relate to the life of the redeemed believer? What is its significance with regards to end-times Bible prophecy as it relates to the second coming of Yeshua? How do you celebrate Yom Kippur? To help to prepare you to celebrate this important appointed time (moed), read Natan’s article on the subject at http://www.hoshanarabbah.org/pdfs/yom_kippur.pdf

On the biblical calendar Yeshua and his disciples used, Yom Kippur occurs this year on Thursday, Sept. 27. The rabbinic Jews will celebrate Yom Kippur on Wednesday, Sept. 26 (in accordance with the Hillel 2 calendar from ca. 360 AD; for more information on this subject, go to http://www.hoshanarabbah.org/pdfs/new_moons.pdf).

 

The Golden Calf and the Church

Exodus 32, The Golden Calf Incident: A Prophetic Picture of the Church

On Shavuot (the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost), at Mount Sinai, YHVH entered into a marriage covenant with the children of Israel, but they were not ready to live up to the terms of that covenant.

Those terms, simply stated, involved the Israelites being faithful and obedient only to YHVH, Israel’s Elohim (God) and spiritual husband, and to his instructions in righteousness, the Torah. This Israel quickly demonstrated they were not willing to do, for they had hardly said “I do” to their marriage vows (Exod 24:3,7) when they made and began worshipping a golden calf—a pagan deity from Egypt — and calling it YHVH.

Between the time of the festival of Shavuot and Yom Teruah (the Day of the Awakening Blast) when Moses received the second tablets of stone from YHVH containing the Ten Commandments, the children of Israel, the bride of YHVH, prepared herself not only to receive YHVH’s instructions again, but this time to be faithful to her marriage vows. This Israel did. She remained faithful to YHVH for approximately 38 years while trekking through the wilderness of Sinai, after which she entered the Promised Land and “stayed the course” until after the death of Joshua.

Similarly, redeemed Israel of the first century A.D. era received the Torah on the fleshly tablets of their hearts written by the finger of the Spirit of Elohim on the Day of Pentecost (Shavuot) as recorded in Acts 2. But starting at about A.D. 70 with the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem and continuing up through the Second Jewish Revolt of A.D.135 until the time of Emperor Constantine (in the fourth century), the first-century spiritual bride of Messiah had, for the most part, abandoned YHVH’s Torah-commandments and turned, to one degree or another, to a mixed form of worship (of which ancient Israel’s worship at the golden calif was a prophetic foreshadow) where some pagan practices were assimilated into the early churches’ belief system (most notably, Sunday replaced the Sabbath, and Christmas and Easter replaced the biblical feasts).

In our day, YHVH is calling out a remnant of people from the church who are leaving behind the pagan traditions of golden calf worship and who are returning to the ancient blessed paths of YHVH’s Torah-instructions in righteousness. Does not the book of Revelation speak of a group of end-time saints who will say “I do” to YHVH, and whose identifying mark is their faith in Yeshua the Messiah (i.e., the gospel message) and yet who faithfully keep YHVH’s Torah-commandments (Rev 12:17 and 14:12)?

When Yeshua returns on or near Yom Teruah (the Day of the Awakening Blast) at the end of the age, he will be ready to marry a bride that is without spot and wrinkle who has come out of the Babylonish religious whore system (Rev 18:4). This bride who will be wearing the robes of righteousness of Torah-obedience (Rev 12:17; 14:12; 19:7–9, and she will be ready to enter into a covenantal agreement—a wedding contract or ketubah—with Yeshua, the Bridegroom ever to remain faithful to him and never again to return to Baal or golden calf worship. He will lead his wife into the Messianic Age or Millennium, even as he in the pillar of fire through Joshua (in Hebrew, Yeshua) led the younger generation of wilderness Israelites into the Promised Land.

 

Edom’s Hatred for Jacob: The Roots of the Islam’s Hatred for the People of the Book

Edom Has a Perpetual Hatred for Jacob (Judah and Ephraim)

As we saw in the previous blog post, Esau’s other name was Edom and he hated and tried to kill his brother Jacob (Israel). The Jewish sages over the millennia have viewed Edom as the archenemy of Israel. The biblical prophets speak of a great showdown in the end times between the literal and spiritual descendants of Jacob (the Jews and the Christians)  and those of Esau (the Moslems).

Let’s explore a little further the nature of the hatred Edom has for the people of Israel.

As we have noted, Edom’s hatred for Israel has its roots in the antagonism between Ishmael and Issac, and then afterwards between Esau and Jacob. The hatred that Esau had for Israel has been passed on down to successive generations of Edomites. The biblical prophets discusses this murderous antagonism on Edom’s part as being carried down generation to generation to the very end times. Let’s review some of these biblical prophecies.

Ezekiel 36 speaks about the conflict between end-time Edom and end-time Israel. In verse two, we see that the enemies of Israel have regarded the “ancient high [or declared, promised] places” of Israel as “ours in possession.” This is a clear reference to the holy places in Israel (e.g., the Temple Mount for the Jews and Bethlehem for the Christians—only in recent years have the Palestinians taken Bethlehem and forced—out of persecution and intimidation—the majority of the large Christian population of that city to leave). “High places” can also refer to the militarily strategic high places such as the Golan Heights and the ridges surrounding the eastern shores of the Sea of Galilee.

Next, let’s look at Ezekiel 35, which is a prophecy against Edom. In verses four through five, we see that end-time Edom will be devastated because of its perpetual hatred for the Children of Israel. They have killed their enemies by the power of the sword. This is how Islam has traditionally spread—by the curved scimitar sword. Advancing Moslem armies force its captives to leave, covert or die. According to verse five, this is to be occurring at the time of the punishment (of the children of Israel?) at the time of the end (NAS) or the end of time (lit. Hebrew). This is another example of YHVH’s using Edom (Esau) to bring Ephraim and Judah to its knees in the time of the end.

In verses six through nine of the same chapter, we see that YHVH will punish Edom for its blood-thirstiness against Israel and will devastate its cities and slay large numbers of its people. Other biblical prophecies indicate that the militaries of Judah and Ephraim will be the means by which YHVH accomplishes this.

Finally, in verse 10, Edom (Islam) wants to take over or possess the two countries/nations/lands (Heb. eretz) of Israel: Judah and Ephraim even though YHVH was there (in the lands of his people). Their anger and hatred against Israel is based on envy or jealousy (verse 11) of Israel.

The Koran, the unholy book of Islam, has taken the historic and prophesied hatred of Edom and formed a religion around it. The Koran was written by Mohammed, a Jew and Christian hater, more than one thousand years after the prophecies of Ezekiel and Obadiah. Here are some quotes from the Koran that confirm the prophecies of the Bible with regard to Edom.

Make war upon those to whom the Scriptures have been given as believe not in God [Allah] … and who forbid not that which God and His Apostle [Mohammed] have forbidden, and who profess not the profession of the truth, until they pay tribute out of hand, and they be humbled.  The Jews say, “Ezra in a son of God”; and the Christians say, “The Messiah is a son of God.” Such sayings in their mouths. They resemble the sayings of the infidels of old! God do battle with them! How they are misguided! (Sura 9:29–30)

When thy Lord spake unto the angels, “I will be with you: therefore stablish ye the faithful I will cast a dread into the heart of the infidels.” Strike off their heads then, and strike off from them every finger-tip. (Sura 8:12)

“O people of the Book! … Can I announce to you any retribution worse than that which awaiteth them with God? They whom God hath cursed and with whom He hath been angry—some of them hath he changed into apes and swine; and they who worship Thagout are in evil plight, and have gone far astray from the right path. (Sura 5:64–65)

Only recompense of those who war against God and His Apostle, and go about to commit disorders on the earth, shall be that they shall be  slain and crucified, or have their alternate hands and feet cut off, or be banished from the land …(Sura 5:37)

 

Noah—A Prophetic Picture of the End Times

Genesis 6–7, Noah’s flood provides allegorical insights relating to end-times prophecy. In Matthew 24:37, Yeshua compares the end times to the days of Noah. The story of Noah has allegorical implications that give hints about end-times prophecy.

In 1 Peter 3:18, we learn that the story of Noah is also a picture of salvation and baptism. Noah is a type of Yeshua.

Noah building the ark is a prophetic picture of the redeemed believer working out his own salvation all the while following the exact plans or specifications of YHVH.

Noah builds an ark of safety from Elohim’s wrath or judgments against sinful man. The ark is a metaphorical picture of the believer’s salvation; Noah is a spiritual picture of Yeshua. The flood is also a picture of water baptism for the remission of sins, which ceremonially pictures the death of the old sinful man, and the birth the new spiritual man (Rom 6:3–6). The unregenerated sinful or carnal men perished in the floodwaters in Noah’s day, while the new, redeemed man (as pictured by Noah and his family) who had found grace in the sight of Elohim found refuge on the ark. While the flood is a judgment against sinful man who has violated the Torah-laws or divine instructions of YHVH, the ark is a picture of the grace that YHVH offers to those who will repent of their sins (i.e. Torahlessness) and turn to him through Yeshua. As Noah found grace in the eyes of YHVH because he was “perfect in his generations” (Gen 6:8, 9), he was spared from the wages of sin which is death, and YHVH offers the same grace to all men to this day (2 Pet 3:9).

Continue reading

 

Yeshua, the Song of Moses and End-Times Prophecy

Exodus 15:1, This song. This Song of Moses may be more aptly titled, “The Song of the Redemption,” for it is a song about our Heavenly Redeemer, as we shall now discover.

I will sing. Will this Song of Moses be sung again in the future? In Revelation 15:3, we see that the glorified bride of Yeshua will be singing the Song of Moses. Why is she singing this joyous song? Because YHVH has delivered her from his judgments of wrath that he is pouring out upon a wicked end-times world. These same redeemed Israelites are those whom YHVH has brought out of Babylon the Great as part of the second exodus of redeemed Israelites from the nations where they have been long scattered and spiritually enslaved. The Song of Moses here (in Rev 15:3) also relates to the Song of the Lamb. As we shall see next, the Song of Moses in Exodus 15 does relate to Yeshua the Lamb.  Continue reading

 

The Parable of the Fig Tree: An End-Times Prophecy?

Mark 13:28–31 (also Matt 24:32–35; Luke 21:29–33). Yeshua’s Parable of the Fig Tree. What is the meaning of this prophetic parable as it relates to the end times (or does it even relate to the end times at all)?

Some view the fig tree as a biblical metaphor for Israel (see Hos 9:10). The modern nation of Israel, like the fig tree in the parable, re-sprouted in 1948.

Is Yeshua saying here that the end times leading up to the second coming started with the rebirth of Israel in 1948, and that the generation alive at that time will not pass until the prophecies of the Olivet Discourse are fulfilled? Or is there some other way to view this prophecy? Your thoughts please…