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Thank you for staying with me through this 3-part introduction series of the Jewish Feasts, more appropriately understood as God’s Feasts. Embracing God’s redemptive plan, enables us to walk in His peace, power, and rest. Sin’s grip hopelessly enslaves us to self-destructive behaviors. This grip can only be released by God’s redemptive plan through Christ Jesus. A close personal relationship with Jesus can bring God’s peace into our lives. The Feast of Passover teaches us how to have peace with God through a personal relationship with Jesus as our Passover lamb. 

Psalm 62:11 states that power belongs to God. He has made His power available to us through Messiah Jesus. The Feast of Pentecost teaches how to receive the power of God (the Holy Spirit) and apply it to our daily lives. But how do we receive God’s rest when our brief journey on Earth is faced with a constant war the world wages against us? A war that is becoming increasingly more intense each day. God’s rest for our souls in this life and how to live victoriously can be learned from the Feast of Tabernacles, which is the last of the Fall Feasts and the last of the Seven Feasts of God. The three fall feasts, which occur in rapid succession, is where our focus will be in Part III.

The Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah)

On the first day of Tishri, the 7^th month on the Jewish sacred calendar (September-October), also the first day of the Jewish secular (civil) calendar, is the Feast of Trumpets (Leviticus 23:23-25).  Known also as the Jewish New Year or Rosh Hashanah (Hebrew for “Head of the Year”), it is the first of the fall feasts. Although its inception occurred during the time of Moses, associating the Feast of Trumpets with the Jewish New Year began in the 2^nd century AD, shortly after the destruction of the Second Temple. 

The interval of time between the last of the spring feasts (Pentecost) and the first of the fall feasts corresponds to this present age. We are living between Israel’s 4^th & 5^th feast which, for followers of Jesus, is the Church Age.  The Feast of Trumpets will signal the Messiah’s return to rapture the church and judge the wicked, thereby ending the Church Age. The blowing of the trumpet was with either a ram’s horn, called a shofar (Joshua 6:5; Hosea 5:8) or a longed and flared instrument made of silver (Numbers 10:2). The Feasts of Trumpets points to the regathering of Israel and the resurrection of the righteous.

The prophets of Israel repeatedly spoke of a future day when God would directly intervene in the affairs of men. They called that day “the Day of the Lord” (Isaiah 13:6-13; Ezekiel 30:2-3; Joel 1:15; Joel 3:14-16; Amos 5:18-20; Zephaniah 1:14-18; Zechariah 14:1-4). Two major events are associated with the Day of the Lord: the deliverance of the righteous and the judgment of the wicked. In connection with this coming, our Messiah Jesus will call His own to Himself and then go to war against His enemies. It is the blowing of a trumpet which will signal these two events. In the classic rapture text of 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, the Lord will descend with the sound of a trumpet to call His own to His presence; and then, as written in chapter 5 (v. 1-10), the Day of the Lord will commence, during which time His wrath will be poured out against the wicked.

Watchfulness is and has been a critical aspect of this feast. This need for watchfulness and preparedness in connection with the Feast of Trumpets is echoed and re-echoed throughout the New Testament and is connected with the Messiah’s return (Matthew 24:42; 1 Thessalonians 5:6; Titus 2:13; Hebrews 9:28).

Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur)

Yom Kippur occurs shortly after Trumpets on the 10^th of Tishri and is the most sacred day of the year in Judaism. This solemn event is a day of repentance and fasting, in fact, it is the only Biblically mandated fast (Leviticus 16:29-34; Leviticus 23:26-32). In ancient times, it foreshadowed Christ’s sacrificial death to cleanse the people from their sins, thus reconciling them to God. 

In ancient Israel, the Day of Atonement laid the foundation for God to forgive the people of any sins committed since the previous year’s fast. This was the only time the high priest would enter the Holy of Holies in the Temple to make atonement for the sins of all Israel by sprinkling blood from a sacrifice on the Mercy Seat above the Ark of the Covenant. This continued until the destruction of the Second Temple by the Romans in 70 AD, after which, it was adapted into a service for rabbis and their congregations in the synagogues.

The 10 days from Trumpets to the Day of Atonement are known as the Days of Awe. According to post-Second Temple Jewish tradition, God judges the people during the 10 Days of Awe between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, deciding whether they will live or die in the coming year. Jewish law teaches that God inscribes the names of the righteous in the “Book of Life” and condemns the wicked to death in another book.  People who fall between the two categories are recorded in a third book and have until Yom Kippur to perform repentance (teshuvah in Hebrew). As a result, observant Jews consider Yom Kippur and the days leading up to it a time for prayer, good deeds, reflecting on past mistakes and making amends with others. It is during this period of 10 days that these individuals are given opportunity to repent before the book is closed and their destinies sealed. 

It is terribly sad that the Jewish people never really know their destiny. As we pray for the peace of Jerusalem, also pray that their blinders would come off so they would accept Jesus as their Messiah, Lord and Savior. Then, and only then, will they know with 100% certainty that their names are forever sealed in the Book of Life.

The sacrifices and offerings during ancient times, all pointed to Jesus and His death on the cross as the final and ultimate sacrifice for man’s sins for those who surrender to Him as Lord and Savior. Jesus is now in the place of the Mercy Seat (seat of atonement). He is our bridge between God and us (Hebrews 9:23-28). The Day of Atonement also signifies the future day when national Israel will repent and accept Jesus as Messiah at His second coming following the rapture of the Church.

The Feast of Tabernacles/Booths (Sukkot)

Five days after Yom Kippur, on the 15^th of Tishri, begins the joyous Feast of Tabernacles, the last of the Seven Feasts of God (Numbers 9:12; Deuteronomy 16:13).  This week-long (plus 1 day) celebration commemorates God having the Israelites live in tents/tabernacles (sukkot in Hebrew) after the Exodus and represents God dwelling with His people. The purpose of the feast was to teach the people how to enter God’s rest and provisions. It is a season of great joy and celebration and also is one of the 3 pilgrimage festivals where males must appear before the Lord in Jerusalem (Deuteronomy 16:16-17).

Observant Jews build little huts or booths as a reminder of the temporary housing erected by the forefathers during the Exodus wanderings. Samples of the fall crops hung in each booth to acknowledge God’s faithfulness to provide for His people. It is a very festive event because it occurs after the harvests have been completed. God’s gracious provisions are to be enjoyed with great celebration and thanksgiving (Leviticus 23:33-36).

The prophetic implication of Tabernacles is that God will tabernacle with us in the future (Jeremiah 23:7-8; Ezekiel 37:26-28; Zechariah 14:16-17). The Feast of Tabernacles points to the Millennial reign (Messianic Kingdom) of Jesus on Earth (Revelation 30:4-5). This new beginning will be without the ravages of the curse of sin. Although sin will occur among those born during the 1000 years, Jesus will deal with it immediately. The Bible tells us that during this time, the earth will give her full bounty, all animals will be docile, no more wars, every man will sit under his own fig tree, and righteousness will become a reality (Micah:2-4) .

Interestingly, an 8^th day (Shemini Atzeret in Hebrew) is added on to this 7-day feast (Numbers 29:35).  On this day, the Jews would pray for rain for future harvests and have an intimate time with the Lord. The number ‘8’ symbolically means ‘new beginning.’ Since the Feast of Tabernacles celebrates the millennial reign of Jesus, the 8^th day, being a convocation of its own, looks toward a new beginning and fellowship with God for eternity.

Introduction Wrap-Up

The feasts give insight into Jesus’ purpose and ministry on Earth, both past and future. Their symbolism reveals His ongoing work of salvation and redemption. As believers, understanding the Jewish calendar and the Feasts of God is important for the purpose of learning how to apply the spiritual truths pictured in the feasts in our personal lives. The spring feasts of Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits, and Pentecost have symbolic meanings that point to the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus and outpouring of His Holy Spirit.

The three fall feasts portray events to be associated with the second coming. The Feast of Trumpets depicts the rapture of the church. The Day of Atonement points to a great host of people, Jews and Gentiles, who will be saved when they see Him coming and appropriate the benefits of His death. The Feast of Tabernacles speaks of the day that the Messiah Himself will Tabernacle among men, wipe away every tear, and return us to an Eden-like state which we have strived to get back to since the fall in the garden (Isaiah 11).

Is there urgency to share the good news, the Gospel of Jesus the Messiah? Absolutely! Time is running out – the trumpet blast will soon be heard around the world announcing His second coming. Maranatha (1 Corinthians 16:22) – Our Lord, come!

We have studied together the Jewish calendar and its prophetic significance. More recently, the Feasts of God were introduced. Continuing with the introduction, let’s dive in just a little deeper in Part II, focusing on the Spring Feasts, and then we can wrap up the introduction with the Fall Feasts in Part III.

We set the backdrop in Part I, relating that the Feasts of the Lord were set at appointed times and are very important visual aids for the Jewish people and for us.  Their timing and frequency reveal the overall prophetic plan of God. Each feast pointed the Jewish people to their Messiah and a particular aspect of His life and ministry, working together to form a complete picture of the person and work of Jesus.  

The Bible records that Jesus celebrated at least some of these festivals (Luke 2:40-43; Luke 22:7-8; Luke 22:14-15; John 7:1-10; John 7:37-38). Fifteen hundred years before He was born, these feasts foretold every major redemptive event that would occur in His life. In fact, each of these events occurred on a feast day. As gentile believers in Jesus, these foreshadows help us internalize the redemptive work of Jesus in our lives; we can learn a great deal about Him through the feasts.

The significance of these feasts from a Jewish perspective will be addressed, along with the prophetic implications. From a prophetic standpoint, the Spring Feasts have already been fulfilled by Jesus.  Let’s revisit how this is so by looking at each one individually.

The Feast of Passover (Pesach)

Passover occurs in the spring on the 14th day of the Hebrew month, Nisan (March/April). It is the foundational feast as the 6 feasts that follow are built upon it.  The Feast of Passover (Pesach) celebrates God delivering the Israelites from slavery in Egypt. It commemorates the night when the angel of death “passed over” the houses of the Israelites and struck down the firstborn sons of the Egyptians (Exodus 12:24-27).

On that night, a lamb was sacrificed, and the blood was applied to each doorpost and lintel (Exodus 12:7). This was done in faith and obedience to God’s command so that the home was ‘passed over’ and the life of the firstborn son was spared. [You see, salvation has always been through faith, not works (e.g., Abraham willing to sacrifice his son, Isaac; Noah building the arc; the Israelites applying lambs blood on doorposts, etc.). Works are birthed from our faith.] All subsequent observances of Passover have been memorials of this first true Passover. For both events, redemption could not occur without a cost. Blood had to be shed.

In the same way, there was only one occasion when the Messiah was pierced, and his blood spilled, on the cross for the sins of all mankind. Like the Feast of Passover, the Lord’s Supper is an ongoing memorial of that one momentous occasion (Matthew 26:26-28). All the lambs sacrificed in Egypt (one per household) pointed to the one true Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29). Jesus is the Passover Lamb, whose blood protects believers from judgment and brings deliverance (1 Corinthians 5:7) . He was crucified during Passover (Matthew 26: 1-2), of which the Christian equivalent observance would be Good Friday.

The Feasts of Unleavened Bread (Hag HaMatzah)

On the 15^th day of Nisan, the very next day after Passover, was another feast appointed by God, the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Exodus 12:17).  This feast was to last for 7 days. On the fist night and again on the seventh, there was to be a time of meeting between God and man. Passover and Unleavened bread are so intimately related that over time, the Jewish people observed them as one holiday.

This week-long feast commemorates the Exodus from Egypt. The Israelites left Egypt in haste and had to bake unleavened bread as there was no time for the bread to rise (Deuteronomy 16:3). In the Bible, leaven symbolizes sin. Leaven is the agent that causes fermentation. Like leaven, if sin is not dealt with, it will permeate and affect everything. This festival signifies removing sin from our lives.

Passover symbolizes the Lord’s death on Calvary and the Feast of Unleavened Bread proclaims that Jesus was without sin and that His physical body would not experience the consequences of death while in the grave. There was no decomposition of His flesh. His body was exempt from the divine pronouncement that from the dust of the ground man came and into the dust of the ground he shall return (Genesis 3:19; 1 Corinthians 15:47-49). This is prophetically spoken of by the psalmist ”You will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will you allow Your Holy One to see corruption” (Psalm 16:10; Acts 2:27; ). During the Feast of Unleavened Bread, Jesus was buried and His body did not decay, just as leaven represents decay.

The Feast of Firstfruits (Yom Bikkurum)

The third feast occurs on the 2^nd day (16^th of Nisan) of the 7-day Feast of Unleavened Bread (the Christian equivalent is Easter Sunday). The Feast of Firstfruits celebrates the first harvest of barley. The barley harvest, the first crop planted in the winter, begins to ripen in the spring. The first sheaf (first fruits) of the harvest is cut and, in a carefully prescribed and meticulous ceremony, presented to the Lord. The Lord’s acceptance of the first fruit is an earnest or pledge on His part for a full harvest (Leviticus 23:9-14).  

On the Feast of Firstfruits, Jesus rose from the dead, representing Himself as the first fruits of the resurrection of the righteous (1 Corinthians 15:20-23). In both the Old and New Testaments, there were people who were raised from the dead. However, in time, they died again.  Jesus was the first to be resurrected from the grave, never to die again. He alone is the firstfruits because death could not hold Him (Acts 2:24). It is almost beyond comprehension that this is the future that awaits us….that we will not experience a second death (1 Corinthians 15:50-58).

The Feast of Pentecost (Shavuot)

The fourth feast is known as Shavuot, which is Hebrew for weeks. It is the feast of weeks because God specifically told the Israelites that they were to count 7 weeks from Firstfuits and then on the day after, the Feast of Weeks was to be observed (Leviticus 23:15-16).  This is 49 days and then add one day, the day after, and it brings the total to 50 days, which is why this feast is also referred to as Pentecost (Acts 2:1).  The Jewish people celebrate the first fruits of the wheat harvest in the month of Sivan (May or June on our calendar), occurring 50 days after Firstruits. Many believe this feast commemorates God giving the Torah on Mount Sinai.

The Israelites were not only to bring the firstfuits of the wheat harvest to the Temple to dedicate to God, but also two loaves of leavened bread.  You read that right…leavened bread. These two loaves were to be baked with fine flour and leaven (Leviticus 23:17).  This all pointed to the coming of the Holy Spirit in the birth of the church.  The Son of God arose from the grave on (and as) Firstfruits.  He spent 40 days with his disciples and post-resurrection ministry (Acts 1:3). He told them it was necessary for Him to ascend to His Father, but that He would not abandon them. He would send His Helper, the Holy Spirit, who would come alongside to guide them in His absence (John 14:16-17).

The disciples waited 10 days and then it happened; the Spirit of God descended on those first century believers. This was the birth of the church. On the Feast of Pentecost, Jesus sent the Holy Spirit to empower His followers, marking the birth of the church (Acts 2:1-4). 

Just a bit more on the significance of the 2 loaves of bread. There was to be leaven in the loaves foreshadowing that the believers will not yet be glorified. During the church age, there would still be sin within the church.  Jesus, the Messiah is the head and is unleavened, without sin. The church, the body, still has leaven within her. Why two loaves you may wonder?  They represented the Jew and Gentile, both now one in the Messiah with the coming of the Holy Spirit. As the apostle Paul stated, Jesus made both Jew and Gentile one by breaking down the wall of separation (Ephesians 2:14-15). God has a different plan for each in the future, but together, they form the body of Christ.

What an amazing plan God established. Passover speaks of redemption. Jesus, the Passover lamb was slain for us.  Unleavened bread speaks of sanctification. Jesus was set apart, sinless. His body would not decay in the grave. Firstfruits speaks of the resurrection of Jesus of the firstfruits of the righteous. And Pentecost speaks of origination, the coming of the Holy Spirit which brought on the New Covenant in the church age which Jesus instituted in the upper room during the last supper (Matthew 26:2-29). The wall of separation between Jews and Gentiles was shattered. From the two, Jesus called out His church, the body of Christ. Absolutely remarkable!

Each major event in Christ’s first coming occurred on the precise date of the appropriate Jewish holiday. It only stands to reason that each of the three major events to be associated with His second coming will also occur on the appropriate Jewish holiday.  The three fall feasts – Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and Tabernacles, will be our focus in Part III.   Thanks for reading. Until next time….Shalom!

A post from a few weeks ago titled, “Calendars and the Number 7,” described the Jewish calendars along with the adjustments to accommodate the difference between lunar and solar (Gregorian) timetables. These adjustments were made to keep the seasons in their designated times of the year.  Understanding of the Hebrew calendars is essential for understanding the times established by God detailed in the His 7 Feasts (Leviticus 23) which are often misunderstood to be Feasts of the Jews. However, God emphatically stated in Leviticus 23:2 that these were His feasts that He designed for the Jews to observe and learn about Him.

Leviticus 23:1-2 :

23 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ² “Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: ‘The feasts of the Lord, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts. (NKJV)

These feasts are more than just a series of cultural observances and special foods or festive occasions. Some have no foods connected to them and others are very somber in tone. The Hebrew word, moedim (appointments) has more of the meaning of “solemn appointed times.” These feasts are set times for the Jewish people to stop working and meet with the Lord. Some are appointed days and some are appointed weeks. Collectively, the Feasts of God form the divine appointment calendar for the chosen people of God to spend intentional time with Him (Isaiah 33:20). What a beautiful gift from God!

The timing of the feasts are connected to Israel’s spring and fall agricultural seasons, which continues to this day. The civil calendar is based on the Jewish agricultural season and begins with the month of Tishri (September and October).  This season starts with the early rains that soften the ground for plowing, followed by the sowing of wheat and barley in November and December. The winter rains in December and January keep the ground moist so that the harvests can occur at their designated times. The spring, or later rains, occur in March and April followed by the dry season which is from April/May to September/October.

God revealed His plan for mankind by the details of the feasts which provide not only historical teachings and spiritual implications but also prophetic applications. In essence, these 7 Feasts of God convey His program laid out for us to know what His Son is doing in the world.

The 7 feasts occur in two different groups:  the spring feasts and the fall feasts. This brings us back to the sacred Hebrew calendar, which starts in the month of Nisan (March/April) as compared to the secular (civil) calendar that starts with Tishri, which is the 7^th month on the sacred calendar (Exodus 12:1-3). Clear as mud, right? That’s how it was for me initially, but it gets easier to follow over time.

This separate grouping (some Biblical scholars separate Shavuot out as its own group) is significant and the timing between the feasts is important. The spring feasts outline the events surrounding Jesus Christ’s first coming, whereas the fall feasts describe future events surrounding His second coming. Jesus came first as the Lamb of God (spring feasts), but He has yet to come as the Lion of Judah (fall feasts). Each feast will be briefly described in Part II of the Introduction. Later posts will break each feast down in greater detail, starting with the fall feasts, since they are right around the corner.

Worthy and important to note is how these sacred days are to be approached. Having a heart devoted to God is at the very core of these holidays —> holy days. Much like many Christians observance of Christmas and Easter, the ancient Hebrews and Jewish people today have erroneously equated the keeping of the holy days with securing righteousness before God. For others, it is all about traditions. Slipping into a synagogue on an appointed feast day is equivalent to Christians who attend church only on Easter and Christmas (aka, the C & E’ers). We would be wise to remember that God rebuked Israel for keeping the external requirement (the Law) in lieu of a personal relationship with Him.

God does not hate these holidays but does hate the hypocritical way they were (and are) kept (Isaiah 1:13-14; Amos 5:21).  Our emphasis on Santa Clause, bunnies and dyed eggs over the birth, death and resurrection of our Messiah mirrors the unhealthy pattern of observance by the Hebrews and modern day Jewish people. We can enjoy the fun and traditions that became affiliated with these holy days as long as they remain in proper perspective. Jesus made plainly known to us by quoting the Old Testament (Deuteronomy 6:4-6) that the greatest commandment of all is a heart relationship with God (Matthew 22:37-38). This should take precedence above all else. God warns that ritualistic keeping of these appointed times will not gain acceptance in His sight. We cannot earn righteousness. Our righteousness comes only from faith in the Lord Jesus (2 Peter 1:1).

More to this point, these feast days are shadows which prophetically point to the person and work of the Messiah (Colossians 2:16-17), from Calvary to the Messianic Kingdom.  Jesus is the source in substance; the holy days are merely shadows of His mark on history. Satisfaction comes not from the shadows, but in fully embracing Jesus as the Messiah. He is the fulfillment of the feasts. Yeshua is the very reason for their existence.

God provided a written record in the Hebrew Scriptures of foreshadows of the Messiah to enable the Jewish people to recognize Him when He appeared. Sadly, the powerful and corrupt Jewish leadership in Jerusalem rejected Him for themselves and for the nation of Israel (Matthew 27:1-3). The other day while listening to an interview of Erez Soref, president and CEO of One for Israel,  he stated that when Israel became a state in 1948, there were an estimated 23 Jewish believers in Jesus in the entire country, with zero churches or congregations. Over most of the 75 years since, the remnant in Israel has been almost unrecognizable. He said that number in recent years has been rapidly growing exponentially with over 30,000 Jewish believers attending over 300 churches and congregations in Israel.¹  As exciting as this awakening is, a statistic on the One for Israel website reports that 99% of Israeli Jews do not have a relationship with Jesus. They contend that Jesus is still the best kept secret among the Jewish people. Prayers for our Jewish brethren and for peace of Jerusalem are greatly needed and coveted.

In closing, the 7 Feasts of the Lord are God’s appointed times during which He will meet with His people for holy purposes. When completed, the seven holidays will bring this current age to a triumphant end and usher in the Golden age to follow. The prophet Micah was shown this by God and informs us that every man will sit under his own fig tree in safety (Micah 4:4). This does not imply boredom or lack of activity, but rather completion and satisfaction. In that time, every good thing we could desire will come to fruition in Christ Jesus.. The return of Jesus and the age to come is our hope, dear friends (1 Thessalonians 2:19). Our struggles of today pale in comparison to the glory of the Lord that will be revealed (Titus 2:13). Hallelujah and Amen!

¹Interview with Erez Soref on the Land and the Book; aired on July 29, 2023.

The Sound of Freedom movie is having a lot of success at the box office despite resistance from certain circles and subtle (and not so subtle) attempts to thwart its showings. You may have already seen the movie. I certainly plan to, but have to be in the right prayerful state as this is not a blockbuster movie designed for escapism and entertainment. The powerful reality of the dark message conveyed about child trafficking can crush one’s spirit, create rage, or make one calloused; none of which are helpful to the cause to fight this evil.

A number of years ago, God led me into this dark world through a complete stranger and a local organization. Wanted nothing to do with this madness, my preference was to keep an ‘out-of-sight, out-of-mind’ mentality, like an ostrich with head in the sand. It was scary, evil, and perhaps dangerous. Fighting this pull with tooth and nail, the Spirit kept pushing with more nudges and out-of-the-ordinary encounters than could be numbered. The doors remained opened and stepping through seemed no longer a choice.

Second Life Chattanooga was a anti-human trafficking organization led by former Pastor, Jerry Redman. He currently is the Director of Street Grace Tennessee, a faith-based organization that “utilizes evidence-based demand reduction strategies to eradicate the commercial sexual exploitation of children…” I met with Jerry a decade ago in a Starbucks downtown and we discussed the opportunities to get involved with the awareness arm of the Second Life organization (the other arms were law enforcement and social work). The extraordinary successful model of this organization has been adopted across much of the southeast region.

Over coffee, Jerry asked what drove me to reach out to him. Strangely enough, it started with an interview of a potential student for the Athletic Training graduate program where I work. When I asked the interviewee why she wanted to become and athletic trainer, without hesitation, she stated to help put an end to human trafficking. I nearly fell out of the chair. Never has there been an answer like that in over 15 years of conducting interviews, nor has there been in the 10 years since. Her goal was to become an athletic trainer in the National Football League, using pro-athletes’ influence to get the word out about human trafficking. As we dove deeper into the conversation, she related that every year, approximately 10,000 women and children are “shipped” to the Super Bowl a week in advance to be subjected to every form of human wickedness.

Left speechless and nauseated by the possibility that this could be occurring right under our noses at a sporting event we eagerly watched as a family every year, I hit the research hard on the topic. Was she accurate in what she said? The information uncovered was unthinkable. Not only was the Super Bowl issue true (as well as with other major events), Chattanooga had its own homegrown trafficking and was not just a transfer hub from Atlanta or Nashville.

Back to Jerry. He laid out for me all the possibilities for involvement, yet he sensed my strong hesitation. Perhaps it was the shade of green I had turned. After a period of silence and a long sip of coffee, he looked me dead in the eye and said, “The words of red in the Bible tell us that following Jesus will not be easy; we are assured a difficult journey, not a rose garden” (John 16:33) He said something after that, but the shocking sting of conviction blocked the ability to think or hear.

After a few days of prayerful contemplation, hoping that God would close this door, it became evident that that jumping in had to happen. Additional meetings with Jerry resulted in two objectives that he needed assistance with: 1) To help Second Life Chattanooga get their foot in the door on the University’s campus, and 2) To increase awareness in faith-based communities. Sadly, he related that the greatest resistance to human trafficking awareness initiatives comes from within the churches.

Three and a half years was the time it took to meet both objectives. During that time, the learning kept growing through anti-human trafficking meetings and events. There was no doubt in my mind, that all people are fallen and essentially wicked. We are all one decision away from doing something incredibly good and amazing or evil and devastating. Without Jesus, there is no hope for mankind. We are desperate for His merciful cleansing and saving grace (Romans 3:23).

The Department of Homeland Security (HLS) was involved with a number of these events, providing invaluable information about cyber-bullying, dangerous phone apps, and the deep dark web to name a few. God used this learning to share with others through a series of presentations and articles within the athletic training professional association. One of the articles was co-authored with an HLS FBI agent on cyber-security in hopes that athletic trainers would educate teenagers, young adults and families on the dangers of certain platforms being used by predators to “hook up” with unsuspecting young ones. These platforms are used by traffickers as well as they seek out ‘low hanging fruit.’ God also opened doors for staff members from Second Life Chattanooga to present on the University’s campus. They, along with HLS representatives, met with pastors and presented to parents in the Chattanooga area. The point in all of this is that none of these things were by my doing, but occurred as a result of God’s work through a willing (or perhaps better said, eventually willing) vessel. When we step into obedience, which is often difficult to do, the Lord will do amazing things, through His power and for His glory (Jeremiah 9:23-24; Matthew 5:16; Romans 11:36; Ephesians 2:10: 1 Peter 4:11).

This all occurred during a season of writing. I’m no poet, but somehow the words came together from these experiences that resulted in a poem which was posted on a anti-human trafficking website under a different title. The poem and all of the related experiences have been weighing heavily since the release of the Sound of Freedom movie. Attempting to write this week’s post about the Jewish Feasts of God resulted in delays and roadblocks with detours that led back to trafficking. Surrendering, the poem was back up on the monitor, read and revised with the sense that it was supposed to go into this post. Hopefully it displays the compassionate heart of Jesus, and how our hearts should be towards those in bondage through human trafficking and for all those who have suffered any form of abuse. We are also to forgive and pray for the abusers. They are merely tools being used by the Enemy. They made a choice, but they too are in bondage in desperate need of Jesus.

You Are Not Without a Voice

For sacred treasures taken; malevolence that defiles and destroys. Find solace in the God who sees you, you are not without a voice.

The Lord never abandons His sheep; He knows each dear heart by name. Tenderly lifting the poor in spirit, sweet child, your suffering is not in vain.

Vile souls attempt to erase you, enslavement crushes allusions of freedom. Shaken, but not defeated; eternal life and liberty found in His Kingdom.

The multitudes deny such evil exists; they will answer to the Risen King who stands victorious. Omnipotent, anointed, sovereign, invincible; His wrath upon those who cause these little ones to stumble.

Is it possible to forgive someone whose blood runs cold? An enemy – a betrayer of the innocent, Whose heartless and abusive hands, destroy dreams like castles on drifting sands. Embrace the light of Christ; let your faith in Him not waiver. Love Him with everything you have, the Almighty King, Healer, and Savior.

Forgiveness is not impossible and results in transcending peace. The Word will guide you to love and trust again. Vengeance belongs to the Lord; He is the One who holds the keys.

When hope for a hero wanes; your help comes from above. The throttling pain of a shattered heart is no match for His tender, perfect love. So beautiful are you in His eyes; princes and princesses, royal, beloved, set apart. The power of the Gospel of grace transforms; life in Messiah mends broken hearts,

We ask and pray for your safe release, to be greeted with resounding rejoice. For some such earthly freedom will never be; our hearts mourn that you have no choice. Through the God that created you, the Son who saves you, The Spirit that resides in you, and the saints who intercede tirelessly for you, You are not without a voice.

                                      M.A. Colston

Strangely, as powerful as the drive was to get involved in the awareness efforts, when the two objectives were accomplished, the conviction to keep pressing into this ministry immediately stopped. Then came the guilt about not remaining involved (a slick tactic of the enemy to render us ineffective). At the same time, calls from Second Life stopped as they were starting an internal reorganization process. Yet, the struggle to get past what seemed to be ‘ministry fickleness’ was real. Thankfully, godly wisdom from my husband related that God opens doors and closes others. “Mission accomplished; it’s time to move on,” Jon said. In God’s abundance and faithfulness, the impact went beyond the two objectives. God then closed that chapter for a new one to begin. It was only a short time later that out of nowhere, and in an equally bizarre fashion, the Jewish people were heavily on my heart and constantly before me. What on earth was I supposed to do with that? I’ll save that story for another post. 🙂

Thank you for reading and enduring the dark nature of the topic. Light dispels the darkness, Darkness has no light. We need the light and with grateful hearts, have the light of Jesus in us if we have accepted Him as Lord and Savior. This solid foundation enables us to withstand the storms that come our way and to sometimes intentionally jump into a storm. Evil may shake us but will not defeat us when our lives are in Messiah and His Spirit dwells in us.

One of my favorite things to do each day was to call my Mom in the morning and say: “Boker tov, Ema”– Good morning, Mother. Ema, (pronounced with a long “e”) jovially repeated ‘Boker tov’ back to me. It is a sweet and tender greeting. Word history is fascinating. Their origin along with the deeper meanings often shed new light to words otherwise used casually. Unpacking the letters that form the Hebrew word for mother or ’ema’, reveals several descriptors. The first letter, aleph, represents ‘a strong leader’ and ‘God the Father.’ The other letter, mem, means ‘waters,’ which can be life-giving or destructive.  When the meanings of the letters are combined, they produce ‘strong leader and water’…or ‘strong water-giver.’ Isn’t that cool? Strong water-giver beautifully describes our Ema.

All life comes from God and God designed only women to bring life into existence. The baby grows in fluid in the mother’s womb, which is like a maternal water park. Life is nurtured in the water and continues after birth through the mother’s milk.  God reveals Himself through the creation of life.  Jesus, the giver and sustainer of all life, who was with the Father in the beginning (John 17:4-6), gives life-giving water to all who thirst (John 4:13-14).  How precious and sacred it is that God brings human life through the life-giving water of a woman’s womb. Strength and water. Water is needed to be a mother, but remember, water can be either life sustaining or destroying.  It is water combined with strength that is necessary to be a good mother.

As a mother of a teenage son, I recognize that strength is needed through every phase of motherhood.  The strength to be a good mom comes from the living water offered by Jesus who tells us to give our burdens to Him because His yoke is light…He will carry ours (Matthew 11:28-30).  Even when our children become adults and have babies of their own, the strength and water-giving nurturing abilities of a mother do not end.  I see this lived out beautifully by my sister and sister-in-law.

We are thankful for our Ema, who weathered our storms, even well into adulthood. I must confess, zeal and passion for the things of God often comes through like a tsunami. I’m grateful for the many conversations with Ema and my husband that have helped calm the seas, steady the climb to the hill’s crest, and abandon trying to win debates in favor of winning hearts.

Of the many seasons of life our sweet Mom has lived through, she endured her last one as a relentless and murderous disease raged through her petite body. Eleven months ago, she was diagnosed with stage IV metastatic cancer that had spread to numerous places.  God blessed her with many good days after the terrible news. She exhibited a beautiful transcending peace (Philippians 4:6-7), accepted her diagnosis, knowing her time on this side of glory was soon running out.  Her strength and living water continued to flow. “She is clothed with strength and dignity; and she laughs without fear of the future.”  (Proverbs 31:25)

Most importantly, Ema knew without hesitation that her very last breath on earth would be completed in the presence of Jesus Christ, her Lord and Savior. Praise God! Her confidence and gratitude shouted to the world, its powers and principalities, that it was well with her soul for she was irrevocably sealed in Jesus. Our hearts swell with joy, knowing that she was dearly loved by her pastor and her church, that she studied God’s Word through reading and video teachings and spent time with the Lord in prayer and constant conversation. She was indeed a prayer warrior for her daughters, grandsons and their families and countless others who crossed her path. We did not want to lose our sweet Ema, yet knowing that we have to let go, the sting is lessened because of the One who conquered death (1 Corinthians 15:55). Through His death and resurrection, Jesus became the first fruits of creation and because He lives, so will all who have put their trust in Him (1 Corinthians 15:20-23).

We have heard it often said that we are not guaranteed a tomorrow.  Plant seeds or perhaps water what has already been planted so that we are all together in the Heavenly Kingdom. Nothing is more important and Bonnie knew that and wanted this message shared with you all.

We love you dear Bonnie and blessed Ema. Thank you for being our strong water-giver. We give thanks that your remaining time was filled with peace, love and the overwhelming comfort from the presence of the Almighty and those he sent to spend time with you. Your days in this chapter has ended, but we will be with you one day in the next glorious eternal chapter with our heavenly Abba Father. No tears, no suffering, only joy. Our merciful and loving God is so good! Shalom.

Among the many testimonials from followers of Jesus who have visited Israel, the common statements usually include: “It made the Bible come to life” or “It changed the way I read the Bible.”  In 2017, God blessed me with the experience of a lifetime in being selected to be part of a mission team for our church to travel to Israel and Jordan.  Without question, both testimonial statements are true.  The Bible did jump to life. Walking where Jesus and His followers walked was surreal, almost supernatural. When the sounds and smells are combined with the sights and touches, the senses are overwhelmed in the most joyous of ways. The experience has indeed changed the way I read and understand the Bible and has forever changed me.   

Equally strong to the pull to return there is the desire to bring the experience to others.  The reality of traveling to tour the Holy Land is an expense typically ranging between $4000 – $7,000 per person which is significantly higher than the fundraising we needed for missions. The cost alone will likely prevent being able to return with my family, but with God, all things are possible so I’m not without hope. Nonetheless, I believe when Jesus reigns from Jerusalem during the Millennial Kingdom, we will get to see that glorious land (Micah 4:1-2; Zechariah 14:16-17). In the interim, how can the experience be shared with others? That’s a question I have been troubled with since returning from that trip.

A light bulb moment occurred while volunteering with a local Jewish missions organization. After several years of volunteering, I was asked to lead tours at their Everlasting Nation Museum, which is open to the public and is free.  What a hidden gem that museum is!  Now, you don’t even have to travel there to see it. They provide a full virtual 3D tour on their website.  Sadly though, with the recent addition of the audio files to the virtual tour, there is little need for in-person guided tours unless specifically requested. Leading tours there provided a taste of being in the Holy Land, making each visit and tour a blessing.

One of the museum exhibits features a model of the tabernacle and replicas of articles related to the First (Solomon’s) and Second (Herod’s) Temples.  I always spend a lot of time at this particular exhibit because of a framed drawing on the wall which is where my lightbulb moment happened. The colored sketch is of the Second Temple and surrounding landscape around the time of Jesus.  Without a foundational orientation, a current aerial view (which you will link to shortly), although amazing and beautiful, is difficult to discern specific biblical landmarks due to destruction of the temple by the Romans, architectural changes, new construction, and archeological digs.  Pointing out various places on this drawing provides that foundational orientation to help connect the dots, bringing the Bible to life by linking names of sites to their specific locations.

I’m going to attempt to do the same with this post. Our journey starts with the framed drawing from the museum shown below. I added some labels to serve as reference points as you read on. Interspersed will be photos from the 2017 trip to appreciate the vast differences from modern-day Jerusalem.

Centered in the drawing is the Temple Mount, an elevated, walled compound in the Old City of Jerusalem where the First and Second Temples stood on Mount Moriah. It is the holiest site in Judaism. Today, it supports the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock, making it the third holiest site for Muslims. Compare this landscape from this time period with a picture of modern day Jerusalem, that has a comparable orientation as the drawing.  I do not have the rights to the linked picture to be able to embed it in the post, so you may want to save it so that you can easily refer back to it.

The west wall of the Temple Mount was erected by Herod the Great during the expansion of the Second Temple.  A retaining wall, 105 feet high of which 62 feet are above the ground, the large stones at the base are believed to have been added by Herod. The middle medium-sized stones were added in the Umayyad era and the top stones were placed during the Ottoman period.  To the left of the large bridge that connects to the west wall on the drawing is a small sectioned off area (between the red brackets) referred to also as the “Western Wall” or “Wailing Wall.” The wall is considered to be the holiest place accessible to the Jewish people for pilgrimage and prayers since they are not allowed to pray on the Temple Mount which is currently under control of the Jordanian Waqf.  For many years, people from all over the world have prayed and placed prayers into the cracks in the wall. When the wall is full of prayers, the papers are removed and buried.

Today, there is a partition at the Western Wall that separates the men from the women as seen in the lower middle portion of the photo below.

Lying on the ground below the Temple Mount are stones from the walls that were hurled down by Roman Legion soldiers after the destruction of the Temple on the 9^th of Av, 70 AD.

The Southern Wall is part of Herod’s southern extension of the Temple Mount. The steps seen in the drawing were excavated in the 1960s and are the steps that Jesus and others climbed to access the Temple.  The Temple itself has since been destroyed along with the Porticos and the Temple Courts, where Jesus as a child was found teaching by Mary and Joseph when they lost Him while traveling back home from Jerusalem after a pilgrimage (Luke 2: 41-49).  The southern steps can still be climbed today and provide a beautiful view of the Mount of Olives, the steep hill to the right across the Kidron Valley, if you are walking up the southern steps towards the Temple Mount. The City of David (another term for the Jerusalem of ancient times) extends directly out from the steps in an area shaped similarly to the state of Florida. It was located on a narrow ridge south of the present-day Old City bordered by the deep Kidron Valley to the East, where the Gihon Spring, the city’s main water source, is located.

Continuing around the Temple Mount is the Eastern Wall, which contains the famous Eastern Gate (also called Golden Gate and Mercy Gate). Located in the center of the wall, the Eastern Gate (red brackets on the drawing) is one of the 8 gates built into the walls that surround the Temple Mount. It is the only entrance from the east and provides the most direct access to the Temple Mount.  This gate plays a central role in Scripture and Prophecy. The gate was completely sealed shut (Muslims in 810 AD), reopened (Crusaders in 1102 AD), and then sealed permanently (Ottoman Sultan Suleiman in 1541 AD) and has stayed that way. The Muslims believed that sealing the gate would prevent the Jewish Messiah from gaining entrance to the Temple as prophesied (Zechariah 14:4).  How interesting that the Muslims were fulfilling prophesy (Ezekiel 44:1-3) by sealing the Eastern Gate.  They also placed a cemetery outside the gate and across parts of the Kidron Valley, knowing that prophecy states that the Messiah will come down from the Mount of Olives, pass through the Kidron Valley and enter the Temple Mount through the Eastern Gate.  Recognizing that a Jew would not defile himself and become unclean by being near dead bodies, the Muslims added this so-called ‘extra layer’ of protection to prevent the Messiah from entering through the gate.  I wonder if they considered that whatever Jesus touches, becomes clean (Mark 1:25-26; 40-42; Mark 5: 35-42; John 11:38-40; 1 John 1:7)?

The Kidron valley, between the Temple Mount and the Mount of Olives, is referenced numerous times in the Old (1 Kings 15:13; 2 Chronicles 29:16, 2 Samuel 15:23) and New Testaments (John 18:1). Jesus likely crossed the Kidron valley (often referred to as the brook Kidron or Cedron) many times in His travels. The Valley, which has a sad history of idolatry and condemnation, will one day be renewed (Jeremiah 31:38-40).

Last of the walls is the Northern Wall which is actually a series of buildings constructed along the northern aspect of the Temple Mount. On the north west corner of the drawing is the Antonia Fortress, military barracks which housed part of the Roman garrison stationed in Jerusalem. Below is a photo of one of the many gates in the north wall and is a common entrance to the Temple Mount from the Arab Quarter.

The Garden of Gethsemane, located towards the bottom of the slope of the Mount of Olives, just above the Kidron Valley, is believed to be the site where Jesus prayed hours before His crucifixion. The garden is filled with ancient olive trees estimated to be between one and two thousand years old. Although I like to think that some of these trees may have been graced by the presence of Jesus when He prayed there, it is unlikely given that the Romans utterly destroyed the area.

Gethsemane is translated from the Greek to mean “an oil press.” This is a fitting description of the pressing agony that Jesus endured; agonized and “pressed” to the point of shedding blood tears, knowing what lay ahead as He prepared to drink the cup that the Father prepared.

West and towards the northern end of the Temple Mount, outside the city gates is Golgotha. In the photo above showing the Dome of the Rock and the Northern Wall, Golgotha would be off in the distance beyond the part of the Dome of the Rock seen in the photo. Many believe the hill of Golgotha to be the place where Jesus was crucified. It is also believed that the Garden Tomb is located within that same hill.  

The Mount of Olives has been referred to several times. Situated to the east of the Temple Mount, separated by the Kidron Valley, it is the location where Jesus will set foot at His second coming. For centuries, it has been one of the main burial grounds for the city. Jewish persons pay in excess of $200,000 to be buried there, wanting a ring-side seat for when the Jewish Messiah comes (not recognizing that He has already come and will come again).

With the four walls and some of the related landmarks visited, the last thing I would like for you to study on the drawing is the orientation of the Second Temple on the Temple Mount. Notice that it was situated from east to west. Although we do not know for certain the exact placement of the Second Temple on the Temple Mount, Scripture does inform us that the temple was aligned from east to west. Whether the Tabernacle in the wilderness, the First, or the Second Temple, the priests faced the shekinah glory of God with their backs to the east against the sun, due to man’s idolatry of sun worship (Ezekiel 8:16).

The details/complexities of the Temple itself is something I hope to cover in a future post. For now, with our journey winding down, if your legs will carry you a few more steps (we likely traveled well over 30,000 steps in this post), go back to the picture we linked to previously of modern-day Jerusalem. That view does not show everything we have covered, but see if you can locate the following landmarks: Temple Mount, Northern Wall, Western (Wailing) Wall, Southern wall (look to the right of the Al-Aqsa Mosque), Eastern Wall and Golden Gate. Also, can you locate the Kidron Valley and where the Mount of Olives would be? If you can, than you have a great jump start in understanding the layout of the Temple Mount complex and surrounding landscape in Old City Jerusalem. If you haven’t quite got it down yet, no worries, I believe the Spirit will guide you as He as done for me when I first started studying the land. I’ve greatly enjoyed our journey together; I pray yours will continue as you study and bring the Bible to life by connecting names to locations. Now let’s go eat some ka-bobs with rice and hummus!

Among the many promises God made to the Israelites, the promise of the land may be the least understood and most misrepresented, especially among those who believe that the Church has replaced Israel (aka, Replacement Theology or Supersessionism). Understanding this particular promise requires an overall understanding of God’s plan, which starts with the opening chapters of Scripture. In the beginning, God created everything, and it was good (Genesis 1). Only two chapters later, we read that sin entered the world and contaminated everything (Genesis 3; Romans 5:12), which will ultimately be set right again through the promised Messiah (Genesis 3:15). We also read in Genesis 12 that God chose one man, Abram/Abraham and his descendants for a purpose and for promises. (Genesis 12:1).

God made promises (Genesis 12:1-3) to Abraham which were reiterated to his son Isaac, and then again to Isaac’s son (Genesis 26:1-5), Jacob/Israel (Genesis 28:13-15). Jacob’s 12 sons from which came the 12 tribes of Israel, also received these promises (Genesis 50:24; Exodus 32:13; Exodus 33:1; Hebrews 11:9). The Old Testament (OT) narrative is the story of the Children of Israel, God’s Chosen People. All people, not just the Israelites, were to be blessed through the Nation of Israel. The reason God chose a people for Himself was so that ultimately, ALL nations would choose Him! The God of Abraham is concerned for every one of us and all nations are called to honor and praise Him.

In Genesis 15: 9-17, an unconditional covenant was made by God with Abraham. This was unconditional because, after the animals were cut in two (a long-standing covenant tradition among numerous cultures in ancient times), only God passed through the two halves, because He had placed Abraham into a deep sleep. Therefore, the covenant was not contingent on the response of Abraham and his descendants; God would make sure that it was carried out, knowing full well that the people were not capable of holding up their end of the agreement. There are three basic aspects of God’s Covenant with Abraham which can be summarized with the following words: Land, Seed, and Blessing.

After the covenant with Abraham, God also made a covenant with the Jewish people, through Moses. The Mosaic Covenant (Exodus 19 -24) does not in any way negate His covenant with Abraham. To the contrary, the covenant with Moses was conditional. Under Moses, God gave them the Law, but the Israelites rebelled. Much of the OT consists of God’s warning for disobedience and the consequences that ensued (Numbers 32:11; Deuteronomy 30:1; Deuteronomy 28:63-68; Deuteronomy 29:22-28) . Disobedience resulted in the Nation of Israel being torn in two:  the Northern 10 tribes of Israel and the Southern 2 tribes of Judah (1 Kings 12). Because of further disobedience, the 10 Northern tribes were crushed by Assyria in 722 BC (2 Kings 17:6). Less than 150 years later, around 586 BC, the temple in Jerusalem was destroyed by Babylonian King, Nebuchadnezzar, which began the 70-year captivity of the Southern tribes of Judah in Babylon (2 Kings 25; Jeremiah 52). All 12 tribes were repeatedly warned by God of the consequences for failing to uphold His Law, yet due to man’s fallen and sinful nature, all 12 tribes failed.

The ancient prophets delivered God’s message of hope, including the news of a New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34), which was to be written on the people’s hearts. This Covenant was made in response to the Children of Israel breaking the Mosaic Covenant. The New Covenant looked ahead to something greater. God makes several distinct promises: He would give them the ability and desire to follow Him; He will be their God and they His people; He will forgive the sins of His people.  Several hundred years later, in Jerusalem, the New Covenant found its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus Christ (Luke 22:20). During a meal shared with His disciples (the best things happen at the family dinner table), Jesus inaugurated the New Covenant (Luke 22:14-22). God’s covenant with Abraham and his descendants still stands and the Jewish people continue to have a role in God’s plan. The Covenant with Moses, in its modified form through the New Covenant, continues in the light and fulfillment in Jesus. 

God chose the Jewish people, Abraham and his descendants, for a special purpose: They were called to be a ‘kingdom of priests and a holy nation’ (Exodus 19:6). In ancient Israel, priests ministered to the people on behalf of God and interceded before God on behalf of the people. In the same way, the Jewish people were called to be a special people, a kingdom of priests to all the nations of the world. They were to be a light to the nations (Isaiah 42: 6). God has been using the Jewish people as a witness even when they have not been following His plan. Amid their disobedient and tormented history, God’s promise of making the Jewish people a great nation is witnessed in their survival and inexplicable successes against astronomical odds.

Many of the greatest nations in history such as the Egyptians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Medo-Persians, Greek and Roman Empires, and European powers of Spain and Germany, and many more, have given their best effort to destroy the Jewish people. Even today, Israel is surrounded by hostile nations who claim they will push the Jews into the Mediterranean. People groups, like the Palestinian Authority make no attempts to hide their desire to exterminate the Jewish people…..but God! The Jewish people are still here and are thriving in bounteous levels. Who is that lucky? Nobody. God is keeping His promises. In Jeremiah 31:35-36, God proclaimed that, unless the laws of nature stop, the Jewish people will always be here.

Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s plan for Jews and Gentiles. Although in the Messiah, there is no Jew or Gentile (Galatians 3:28), God does have a unique role for each group. The Abrahamic Covenant is still intact regardless of whether all Jews have recognized the Messiah or not. God is still using the Jewish people to be witnesses, which is why all eyes around the world are focused on the land, especially Jerusalem.

Approximately 40 years after the death and resurrection of the Messiah, the Second Temple was destroyed (70 AD), just as Jesus prophesied (Mark 13:1-2). This diaspora of the Jewish people was much longer than the Babylonian exile.  This exile was over 1900 years, but God is true to His word. He promised in Ezekiel 36 and elsewhere that there would be a great return to the land.  That, I believe, started just before the miraculous proclamation of the State of Israel in 1948. There are now approximately 7 million Jewish people living in Israel of the 15.2 million worldwide. Prior to the Holocaust there were 16.6 million worldwide, so we see this number steadily climbing despite heinous efforts to eradicate.

Jesus’s promised return is also related to the Promised Land (Deuteronomy 30:3-6; Amos 9:14; Matthew 24:31). The land boundaries promised to Abraham incorporated much more than the sliver of land of Israel (which is about the size of New Jersey).  According to Genesis 15:18 and Joshua 1:4, the land God gave to Israel included everything from the Nile River in Egypt to Lebanon (south to north) and everything from the Mediterranean Sea to the Euphrates River (west to east). Translated today, God gave Abraham and his descendants all of the land modern Israel currently possesses, all of the land of the Palestinians (the West Bank and Gaza), all of Jordan, some of Egypt, Syria, Iraq and Saudi Arabia. Israel currently possesses only a fraction of the land God promised. Since it wasn’t fully attained when Joshua led them into Canaan and has not been attained any time since, including the present time, it is likely that the rest of their inheritance awaits the return of the Savior, Yeshua HaMaschiach (Jesus the Messiah), at His second coming.  

With the establishment of modern Israel, the time of the Gentiles (Church age) is ending. How much longer will it be?  Only God knows. In the interim, we know that God has kept His promise and that we need to be ready. While we are waiting, we need to be working diligently to spread the Good News of salvation offered through Jesus Christ because God is still using the Gentiles. As branches grafted into the olive tree (Romans 11:17), Gentiles are to be a light to the nations and a light to Israel to make them envious and to provoke them to jealousy (Romans 11:11). Both groups, Jewish people and Christians, have failed to be the light that God intended them to be…but that does not mean either group should surrender their efforts.

The Promised Land is instrumental in world history, and more importantly, in God’s plan. Just as Moses led the Israelites out of bondage and into the land of Canaan, so too has Jesus freed us from the bondage of sin. He will bring us into the Promised Land of the Millennial Kingdom to give us rest from the hardship of this current life. During this time, the Promised Land will be finally realized in its fullest extent as foretold (Daniel 7:13-14; Micah 7:12; Joel 3:18-21; Isaiah 60-1:22). For all who believe in Him, He will do this. His promise is His Word.

What is succinct, foreign, and makes funny sounds? A brief lesson in Hebrew! Thank you for humoring me. That’s what a friend does, and we love a good friend. The Hebrew word for friend is “chaver” if male, and “chavera” for a female friend.  The “ch” is a soft guttural sound pronounced in the back of your throat. “Tov” (pronounced with a long ‘o’) means ‘good’ and if being used in the feminine would be written as “tova.”  Finally, when putting the two together, the adjective follows the noun in Hebrew, which is opposite to our English syntax.  All that to say…A good [female] friend is “Chavera Tova.” 😊

What does it take for us to value the significance of ‘chavera tova (Ecclesiastes 4:9)?’ For me, because I let the busyness of life get in the way, it takes a ‘brick to the head’ moment which usually occurs in the presence of a very special relationship. There are two precious women who model a friendship I admire and covet. Privileged to call them friends, both have been instrumental in my life. One is a family member through marriage, and the other I consider to be family.  The special relationship they have with each other, and lessons learned from their friendship is the focus of this week’s post.

The blessing God gives women through other godly women is beautifully observed in their connection. These two have forged a decades-long bond through highs and lows, celebrations and tragedies, and sickness and good health. They’ve raised their families together, attended graduations, weddings, baptisms, celebrated holidays and so much more. Along with the highs, there have been ample lows. These women have stuck by each other through it all .

I read a blog recently on the 10 Benefits of Raw Honeycomb. A light-bulb (aka, brick to the head) moment moved me to see that these are also benefits from a close friendship. The list of 10 is provided in the table below, each with an Asiram-twist (that’s my name backwards) on how these honeycomb benefits relate to friendship.

The fragrant honeycomb of friendship shared by these two women inspired the revision of a poem written years ago, called “Beautiful You.”  I dedicate this to them and to all the honeycomb friendships out there.

When God gifts us with a good friend, we are strengthened to persevere and keep on target during difficult times (Proverbs 12:26). We are sharpened, becoming more effective servants of the Most High God (Proverbs 27:17). They speak truth into our lives (Proverbs 27:9) . Acquaintances come and go, but a loyal, true, and loving friend stands by our side, even through tough times (Proverbs 18:24).

Wrapping this up, there is one last part to build on to our Hebrew lesson. To change from singular to plural, “im” is added to the end of the noun and adjective (e.g., chaverim tovim) in the masculine; ‘ot’ is added to both in the feminine. On that addendum, I leave you with “le’hitra’ot chaverot tovot” – See you later, good friends!