Mbostrom2's Blog

July 19, 2011 – Tammuz 17

Posted: July 18, 2011 in Holidays- Holy Days

July 12, 2006 is a date I will never forget.

Ken and I were in Dallas, TX at a convocation for World Ministry Fellowship at a morning session when someone came in saying, “We need to pray. Israel just went to war with Lebanon.” I could hardly wait to get to a computer to see what date this was on the Hebrew calendar. I knew that if the war began on a date that cycled in Jewish history it would fit into end times prophetic events. I was right! This date was Tammuz 17.

For several years I had been teaching on Jewish history, the Feasts of the Lord and Hebrew holy days. Because nobody really seemed interested, I began to put that study aside. July 12, 2006 is when I woke up to the assignment that I had been given. My emails and phone calls were very active with everyone wanting to know why this date was important. This began my email teachings on the Hebrew calendar.

Several historic events happened on Tammuz 17 throughout history. Zechariah 8:19 calls the 17th of Tammuz the ‘fast of the fourth month’.

Moses broke the tablets at Mount Sinai, in response to the building of the Golden Calf. (Exodus 32:19) This was 4o days after Shavuot (Feast of Pentecost). In biblical study, the number 40 always stands for a time of testings, trials. The Hebrew children flunked the test, forgetting how God saved their first born, delivered them from Egypt, parted the Red Sea for them and drowned Pharaoh and his army, turned the bitter water into sweet, flowing abundant water from a rock and rained manna from heaven 6 days a week. How soon they forgot Almighty God.
The daily offerings in the First Temple were suspended during the siege of Jerusalem in the 586 BC. Three weeks later Solomon’s Temple was destroyed and the Jewish children were taken to Babylon.
Jerusalem’s walls were breached, prior to the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 AD three weeks later.
132 AD, prior to the Great Revolt with Bar Kokhba, the Roman general Apostamos burned a Torah scroll — setting a precedent for the horrific burning of Jewish books throughout the centuries.
During the time of Roman persecution, an idolatrous image was placed in the Holy Temple — a brazen act of blasphemy and desecration.
The Crusades were inaugurated during this period. Over a period of 200 years the Jewish population of England, France and Spain were exiled during this time period. The 1648 Khmelnitski massacres and many Holocaust decrees were also initiated during this three-week time frame.
On 1391, more than 4000 Jews were murdered in Toledo and Jaen, Spain
On 1559, the Jewish quarter of Prague was looted and burned
2005, the day after the 17th of Tammuz, Jews began to forcefully remove Jews from their homes in the Gaza Strip. They ended three weeks later, before the 9th of Av.
July 12, 2006- Lebanon War, also called the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah War, Second Lebanon War and known in Lebanon as the July War. Hezbollah (means ‘Party of God’), began ‘Operation True Promise’ and the war continued for 34 years until the United Nations brokered an agreement for a cease fire.

This begins a 3 week period of mourning until the 9th of Av, the most dreaded day on the Hebrew calendar. Both Solomon’s Temple (stood 410 years) and Herod’s Temples (stood 420 years) were destroyed on the 9th of Av. (I encourage you to check this blog in 3 weeks for the full story, or check on last year’s teachings of Tisha B’ Av). I also have a 2 CD teaching of this three-week period for sale on our product page on our web site- http://www.kenbostromministries.org/.

This three-week period is called Bein haMetzarim (between the straits) and the ‘Time of the Dire Straits’ from Lamentations 1:3. It is also known as the period of ‘Mourning the Destruction’.

The custom for the ‘fast of the fourth month’ is to fast from sunup to sundown. During Bein HaMetzarim, there are no weddings, no eating of meat, pastries and drinking of wine. During this time cutting of hair is forbidden. Many abstain from cinemas, theatres, concert halls or any type of entertainment. This is a very serious time when they are reflecting on how God wants them to live and how they had been living. This is a time when many repent and change their ways, coming back to God.

This year’s Dire Straits will be a serious time for Israel as the surrounding nations are gathering to ‘push her into the sea’. Psalms 122:6 urges us to “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.” Genesis 12:3 still stands, ‘who blesses Israel God will bless”

3rd Eclipse in 30 Days!

Posted: June 30, 2011 in Eclipses, Signs In The Heavens

A Partial Solar Eclipse July 1, 2011 will only be visible on the coast of the Antarctica.

There were 6 eclipses scheduled for 2011.

Partial solar eclipse January 4
Partial solar eclipse June 1
Total lunar eclipse June 15
Partial solar eclipse July 1
Partial solar eclipse November 25
Total lunar eclipse December 10

Three of the Six were within 30 days!!

The second eclipse of 2011 began on June 2 after midnight and ended before midnight June 1st- affecting 2 days. It was seen on the northern part of the world and was a ‘midnight solar eclipse’. Very unusual!
The third eclipse of 2011 began before midnight June 15 and ended after midnight June 16- affecting 2 days. It was seen over the middle east. It went from being a total deep red moon to being a total black moon!
The fourth eclipse of 2011 will begin 8:38 UT, which will be about 3:38am CDT.

The only part of the moon phase when a solar eclipse is possible is when there is no moon, when the moon is completely black. The only part of the moon phase when a lunar eclipse is possible is when there is a full moon. This month we saw 2 solar eclipses and 1 lunar eclipse. So, it takes 14 days from a total black moon to a full moon.

Genesis 1:14 records that God will use the sun and moon for SIGNS and seasons. Just as the Star of Bethlehem was a sign of Jesus’ birth, there will be signs in the heavens before Jesus’ Second Coming. Other verses regarding the sun and moon being part of the signs of the His Second Coming are:

Isaiah 13:10, For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.
Joel 2:31, The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.
Matthew 24:29, Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and
the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken:
Mark 13:24, But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light,
Luke 21:25, And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring;
Acts 2:20, The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that
great and notable day of the Lord come:
Also 4 times in John’s Revelation: 6:12; 8:12; 12:21; 23:23
Revelation 6:12, I watched as the Lamb broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake. The sun became as dark as black cloth, and the moon became as red as blood.

One thing I like to do is connect what is happening in the world with the Hebrew calendar. July 1st fall on Sivan 29, 5771. On this date in 1312 BC, Moses sent 12 spies into the Promised Land. 40 days later they came back and 10 had an evil report, which the nation believed. This was Av 8, 1312. The next day was Av 9, which began a cycle of disastrous events for the nation. Two of the biggest disasters that happened on Av 9 (Tisha B’Av) were that both Solomon’s Temple ( 586 BC) and Rebuilt Temple (70 AD) were destroyed on that very day.

Tammuz 5771 Begins July 2, 2011 at Sundown

Posted: June 28, 2011 in Hebrew Months

It has been said, “Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” Please learn from the history of this Hebrew month and pray. This is going to be a very challenging month world-wide. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Israel’s enemies acknowledge historical dates and plan attacks on those dates.

Every Hebrew month has a Tribe, Constellation and Hebrew letter associated with it. These hold keys to our promises for that month and help us to pray in line with God’s timing and to get our lives into time with His specific appointed times.

These next three months of Tammuz, Av & Elul are the most challenging months for Israel. History repeatedly has shown that if anything tragic is going to happen to Israel it will happen in the months of Tammuz & Av. These three summer months heat up both naturally and spiritually. The kingdom of this world is fighting against God’s plans and promises for Israel.

Tammuz is known as the ‘fourth month’ in the Bible according to the Biblical Calendar and is the tenth month on the civil calendar. The number 4 carries the meaning of learning, teaching, testing and trials. It also is the number of material completeness, a world number since on the 4th day material creation finished. It is the number of the great elements (earth, air, fire, water) regions of the earth (north, south, east, west) divisions of day (morning, noon, evening and midnight) seasons (summer, fall, winter, spring). The number 10 signifies the perfection of Divine order, beginning a new series of numbers. It also stands for completeness of order, marking the entire round of anything, whole cycle is complete. Putting those 2 numbers together we see that there will be a completeness of things that have been sown these past months and many people will be reaping things they do not want to reap. It is a good time to pray for a crop failure on all the negative words and deeds sown and to stand in the gap for our nation like never before.

Tammuz is the name of a Syrian god, but was also worshipped also by the Hebrews women with lamentations, in the fourth month of every year. Their idol worship was an abomination to God! It is a proper noun and means ‘sprout of life’, a Sumerian deity of food and vegetation. The only time the Bible records that name is found in Ezekiel 8:14 when God was showing Ezekiel all the abominations that were going on in the Temple, “So He brought me to the door of the north gate of the LORD’s house; and to my dismay, women were sitting there weeping for Tammuz.” Vs 17 tells of how they were smelling the branch. The cedar branch is used in the worship of this Syrian god and instead of the Hebrew women trusting God for life, they had turned to trusting a cedar to give them fertility and life, IN THE HOUSE OF GOD!

Here are some historical events connected with this month (specifically watch the 17th day of Tammuz)

Tammuz 1, historically it is the date Joseph was born and died. Rabbinical teaching says that if someone fulfills their earthly assignment well they will die on the same date of their birth. This is also said to be the day that Joseph was given the coat of many colors and created major jealousy with his brothers
Tammuz 17, 1312 BC, Moses descended from Mount Sinai and found the people worshiping the Golden Calf, breaking the 2 tablets containing the Ten Commandments- 3,000 Israelites were killed by Levites that day
Tammuz 3, 1271 BC, Joshua commanded the sun to ‘stand still at Gibeon’, Joshua 10:12.
Tammuz 17, 2 Kings 21:7, evil King Manasseh of Judah set up an idol in the Holy Sanctuary of the Temple
Tammuz 9, 587 BC, 2 Kings 25:3, I Chronicles 27:7, Jeremiah 39:2, 52:6- famine in the land of Israel which resulted in Jerusalem being destroyed a year later and the cease of the daily sacrifices in the Temple
Tammuz 17, 586 BC, Jerusalem were breached after many months of seige by Nebuchadnezzar and his Babylonian forces (First Temple was destroyed 3 weeks later on Av 9)
Tammuz 10, 423 BC, King Zedekiah was captured by Babylonian troops in the plains of Jericho, as recorded in Jeremiah ch. 39. The evil Nebuchadnezzar forced Zedekiah to witness the slaughter of his sons, and then Zedekiah’s eyes were gouged out.
Tammuz 5, Ezekiel 1:1, Ezekiel began to have prophetic visions of end time events
Tammuz 17, 70 AD, Titus & Rome breached the walls of Jerusalem. Beginning of the end of the Second Temple, which was destroyed three weeks later on Av 9)
Tammuz 17, 135 AD, Second Jewish-Roman War. Roman military leader Apostomus burned a Torah scroll prior to Bar Kokba’s revolt
325 AD, Constantine started Roman Christianity. The cross Constantine had was for the god of Rome called Tammuz, for which he had a dream of conquest.
Tammuz 23, 1099, Crusaders captured Jerusalem to “liberate the Holy Land from the infidels.” (En route, the Crusaders carried out a campaign of rape and pillage; an estimated 40% of European Jewry was slaughtered in the process.) The day following their conquest of Jerusalem, the Crusaders murdered all the city’s Jews, by herding them into a synagogue and setting it on fire. Jews were barred from Jerusalem for the next century.
Tammuz 27, 1205 AD, Pope Innocent III published official Church doctrine that saw Jews doomed to eternal damnation for the curcifixion of Jesus. This charge of deicide was the basis for much anti-Semitism.
Tammuz 17, 1239, Pope Gregory IX ordered the confiscation of all manuscripts of the Talmud
Tammuz 17, 1391, More than 4,000 Spanish Jews were killed in Toledo and Jaen, Spain
Tammuz 17, 1559, The Jewish Quarter of Prague was burned and looted
Tammuz 29, 1922, the League of Nations confirmed the British Mandate of Palestine, territory taken from the Ottoman Empire following World War I. The Mandate charged Britain with securing the establishment of the Jewish national home, and safeguarding the civil and religious rights of all the inhabitants of Palestine.
Tammuz 2, 1927, The town of Nablus (biblical Shechem) was convulsed by an earthquake measuring 6.2 on the Richter Scale. Nearly 300 people were killed and 1000 injured, many of Shechem’s historical buildings were destroyed.
Tammuz 7, 1938, U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt initiated a conference at Evian, France, where 32 world leaders discussed the problem of Jewish refugees. Unfortunately, little was accomplished, as nation after nation offered excuses for their refusal to accept Jewish refugees. Chaim Weizmann was quoted as saying: “The world seemed to be divided into two parts — those places where the Jews could not live, and those where they could not enter.” The conference failed to pass even a resolution condemning German treatment of Jews. The lack of action further emboldened Hitler, proving to him that no country had the moral fortitude to oppose the Nazi assault on European Jewry.
Tammuz 17, 1944, The entire population of Kovno ghetto was sent to the death camps
Tammuz 5, 1946 (15 months after WWII & Holocause ended), Jewish refugees from the Holocaust, with no other place to go, returned to their hometown of Kielce, Poland and were attacked by the townspeople in a blood pogrom that left 42 Jews dead and 80 wounded. The pogrom began with rumors spread that Jews had kidnapped a Polish child.
Tammuz 17, 1970, Libya ordered the confiscation of all Jewish property
Tammuz 6, 1974 (July 4) On July 4, 1976, as America was celebrating its bicentennial, Israeli commandos performed a spectacular raid to rescue 100 Jews held hostage at Entebbe airport in Uganda.
Tammuz 17, 1981, Israel attacked the Tammuz-1 nuclear reactor at Osiraq in an attempt to scuttle Iraq’s nuclear program
Tammuz 17, 1994, Shoemaker Levi Comet began to break up, ending with bombarding Jupiter with 16 fragments on Av 9, each with an impact of a nuclear bomb
Tammuz 16, 2000, Senator Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut was nominated as Al Gore’s running mate in the presidential election, becoming the first Jew nominated for this post by a major party.
Tammuz 24, 2002, one week following the 17th of Tammuz fast, water started to come out of the Western Wall. One of the stones, 15 meters up the wall, has suddenly become dripping wet with no earthly explanation
Tammuz 17, 2006, Lebanon and Israel went to war after Hezbollah kidnaped 2 Israeli soldiers. (Chuck Pierce prophesied January 29, 2006, “watch Lebanon. I will bring conflict into Lebanon, because it is the boundary that I will deal with this year concerning My promised land of Israel. The warlike tribes of Lebanon will once again arise. But in the end, I will win this war, and the riches that have been withheld from My Kingdom plan will be released.”)
Tammuz 1, 2009, Gay Pride parade in Jerusalem on the eve of Tammuz. Rabbis called for fasting and prayer, that the abominations could cause God to ‘vomit out’ the Jewish inhabitants of the Promised Land.
Tammuz 8, 2010, US, Israel Warships in Suez May Be Prelude to Faceoff with Iran
Tammuz 17, 2010, GAZA STRIP – The U.S. has asked Hamas not to talk about contacts with Obama administration officials, a source close to Gaza-based Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh told London’s Arabic-language al-Quds al-Arabi, according to a report in YNet news. The Washington paper said the U.S. administration has decided it must work with Hamas because of its status in the Arab and Islamic world

The 3 week period between Tammuz 17 and Av 9 (Tisha B’Av) are called ‘bein haMetzarim’, aka Between the Straits, Dire Straits. Lamentations 1:3, “Judah has gone into captivity, under affliction and hard servitude; she dwells among the nations, she finds no rest; all her persecutors overtake her in dire straits.” Fear is strong during these 21 days because of the historical events connected with these two dates.

Both Tammuz 17 and Av 9 are fasting days listed in Zechariah 8:19. Feast Days were appointed by God, but these Fast Days are appointed by man. These fasts centered on themselves, not sorrow for sin, but sorrow for thier loss.

TRIBE- Reuben, the first son of Jacob and Leah. As the first born, he should have recieved a double portion of inheritance, leadership and priesthood of the family after Jacob’s passing. Because of his sin of sleeping with Rachel’s handmaiden, he lost all 3 firstborn privileges. The rulership went to Judah, the priesthood went to Levi and the double portion went to Joseph. He was a lover, unpredictable, many bi-polar tendencies, will not fight even to defend his family, stubborn, headstrong.

The prophetic word given to Reuben at Jacob’s passing is found in Genesis 49:3, “Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity and the excellency of power. (4) Unstable as water, you shall not excel, because you went up to your father’s bed; then you defiled it– he went up to my couch.”

This shows us the instability facing this coming month, but the redemptive gift to Rueben is “the excellency of”. To those who overcome the weak areas of Reuben, their work will be rewarded for excellency. Remember, Genesis 49:1 said those prophetic words were for the LAST DAYS. We can learn about how to overcome now by those prophetic words and aligning ourselves correctly.

CONSTELLATION/MAZAL- CANCER, “The Crab”- In the summer months, when the weather is hot, the crabs multiply in the water. Crabs pinch and hurt and this month was basically a time in which the Jewish people were hurt.

The Hebrew name is Sartan. This is composed of two words, sar & tan, which literally reads, “remove the body’ (in order to reveal the soul). This month the pressures of life cause us to reveal what is really inside of us. Interesting how this name is so close to the name of satan.

LETTER- CHET– (ryhymes with ‘mate’ and has a sound of ‘ch’ as in Bach) is the 8th letter in the Hebrew Aleph Bet and has the numerical value of 8. Chet is the pictograph of a wall, a fence or inner chamber and means to separate, to cut off from, to protect. number of ‘spiritual perfection’.

Grace/favor is a Chet word in Hebrew spelled Chet Nun (action, life). The word picture created is to fence or protect life, like a fence surrounds a garden. (Genesis 6:8)

Refuge is also a Chet word, spelled Chet (fence), Samech (support), Hey (feminine ending, what comes from). The word picture says that refuge is a fence of support. (Psalm 7:1-2)

Life (chayim) and Living (chayah) are both Chet words.

Let’s speak life, grace, favor and life to this coming Hebrew month.

Isaiah 62:1, “For Israel’s Sake I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem’s sake I will not hold my peace”

June 15, 2011 Lunar Eclipse Review

Posted: June 16, 2011 in Eclipses, Signs In The Heavens

These series of photos of the lunar eclipse are from Islamabad, Pakistan. The lunar eclise was seen over the Middle Eastern countries and I have seen beautiful photos coming from as far north as Belgrade, Serbia.

This eclipse was seen as a blood red moon, then changing to a complete black moon. I was watching it first over India but they got clouded out. The observatory in Israel was able to view the entire eclipse with few clouds.

In my June 8th blog on this eclipse I included what Rabbis have oberserved from historiy were happening on earth after a blood moon. “If its face is red as blood, [it is a sign that] the sword is coming to the world; if it is like sack-cloth, the arrows of famine are coming to the world; if it resembles both, the sword and the arrows of famine are coming to the world.”

Sivan 13 in History & Lunar Eclipse

Posted: June 15, 2011 in Eclipses, Signs In The Heavens

Today is Sivan 13, 5771 in Israel. Israel’s day begin at sundown and end at sundown each day, according to Genesis 1:5, “So the evening and the morning were the first day.”

In History, 63 years ago, 1948: 20 Jews were killed by a bombing of the Jewish Quarter in Cairo, Egypt. (In the coming months, more bombings in Cairo killed an additional 50 Jews.) In the period following Israel’s declaration of independence, anti-Jewish riots broke out across the Arab world. Jews were attacked and imprisoned, Jewish property was seized, and most of these centuries-old Jewish communities were forced to disband. In 1948, the Jewish population of Egypt was 75,000; it now numbers less.

How interesting that when the lunar eclipse is over both countries they are back in the news. Since the 1979 Treaty with Israel and Egypt, they have experienced relative peace and cooperation between the 2 countries. Today there is great unrest as amunition and weapons are smuggled openly between Eypt and Gaza. Below are some interesting headlines from Israel.

According to the Jerusalem Post:

Muslim Brotherhood Becomes Legitimate Political Party in Egypt;Plans to Run for Half of
Parliamentary Seats

The Muslim Brotherhood has been recognized as a legitimate political party, called the Freedom and Justice Party, by the official Egyptian news agency. The Muslim Brotherhood, outlawed since 1954, will now participate in the parliamentary elections scheduled to occur in September. The Muslim Brotherhood’s candidates, running as independents, won 20 percent of the Egyptian vote in the 2005 parliamentary election.

Egypt Arrests U.S.-Israeli Citizen on Charges of Inciting January 25 Protests and Riots

Egypt arrested a U.S. born Israeli this weekend on spy charges. Egyptian authorities allege Ilan Grapel arrived in Egypt just before protests that toppled Hosni Mubarak began, and that Grapel was present at the demonstrations every day, “inciting sedition, spreading rumors,” and committing acts of violence. Grapel’s mother, however, stated that he arrived in Egypt in May.

Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman denied that Grapel is a spy, saying, “He has no connection to any intelligence apparatus, not in Israel, not in the US, and not on Mars.” As reported by Israel Today

Lebanon Under Hezbollah Control?

Lebanon’s new cabinet, appointed by Prime Minister Najib Mikati, is composed primarily of Hezbollah representatives, and their allies. Nineteen of thirty positions are filled by Hezbollah members, or smaller parties aligned with that organization. One of the region’s few true democracies is now fully under the control of Islamist radicals. As reported by Israel Today

Israeli Security Forces Assault Temple Mount
Israeli security forces stormed Jerusalem’s Temple Mount on Friday after Muslims there began hurling stones at Jews praying at the Western Wall below. As reported by Israel Today.

www.jpost.com

www.israelnationalnews.com

June 15 Eclipse & Ophiucus

Posted: June 12, 2011 in Eclipses, Signs In The Heavens

NASA: first lunar eclipse of 2011 occurs at the Moon’s ascending node in southern Ophiuchus.

When I read NASA’s findings of where the Blood Moon over the Middle East would begin, I went back to my study on the 12 constellations (fixed stars) and their associated decans that tell the story of Jesus from His first coming to His Second Coming.

O-PHI-U-CHUS pronouced of-e-yu’-kes, is the man grasping the serpent. This name is Hebrew and in Arabic is Afeichus, both mean ‘the serpent held’. This picture is actually 2 constellations, Ophiucus and Serpens.

Ophiuchus is seizing the serpent with his two hands and at the same time treading on the very heart of the scorpion, which is marked by the deep red star Antares (means wounding). The serpent’s mouth is trying to grasp the Crown. The contest since the Garden of Eden has always been for dominion, to be equal with God. E.W. Bullinger writes in his book Witness of the Stars, “Not only does he fail in the attempt, but is himself utterly defeated and trodden under foot.”

Marilyn Hickey wrote in her book Signs in the Heavens: Ophiuchus is the name of the man in the sequence of stars, and he is a ‘figure’ of Jesus. Here is the symbology: when Jesus was crucified, He endured satan’s sting of death by taking all the poison of our sin upon Himself. Jesus took our place and received upon Himself the sting which should have been upon us; He delivered us from sin’s poison. The apostle Paul boasted of Jesus’ triumph: “……Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?”

Here on earth the battle is over Jerusalem, which means ‘teaching of peace’. Jerusalem is mentioned by name 643 times in the Bible. In Zechariah 12:2-3, the LORD tells us, “Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah [and] against Jerusalem. And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.”

There are no less than 134 stars in these 2 constellations. How the understanding of the constellation came forth was a story told by the name of the brightest star beginning the story, then the meaning of the next and on down. There are two stars of the 2nd magnitude, fourteen of the 3rd and thirteen of the 4th. (the 1st magnitude star is brightest to the naked eye)

Is the Blood of Jesus ‘common’ to you?

Posted: June 12, 2011 in Power of the Blood of Jesus Teachings

Hebrews 10:29, (NKJV) “Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified a common thing , and insulted the Spirit of grace?”

The Greek word for common here is ‘koinos’ and means ‘ordinary; by the Jews unhallowed, profane, Levitcally unclean’.
In the NT koinos is used for common ( 7 times) , unclean (3) , defiled (1) and unholy (1).

Have you treated the Precious Blood of Jesus as ordinary or common, or has it become a tradition or ritual? If the Precious Blood of Jesus has become a tradition to you it now longer has power in your life. We read in Mark 6:5 that Jesus could do no mighty works in His hometown because of their unbelief, they were familiar with Jesus as a person, and could not partake in the supernatural power of God that worked in Him.

The Greek word for insulted is ‘enybrizo’.
This is the only time it is used in the entire Bible and when one word is used 1 time only it is for strong emphasis.

The Amplied Bible of Hebrews 10:29b reads, ” and who has considered the covenant blood by which he was consecrated common and unhallowed, thus profaning it and insulting and outraging the [Holy] Spirit [Who imparts] grace (the unmerited favor and blessing of God)?”

That is pretty strong language isn’t it? Now take into account Paul’s instructing on taking the Lord’s Supper in I Corinthians 11:28 in the Message Bible reads, “Examine your motives, test your heart, come to this meal in holy awe.”

I encourage you to spend some time meditating on the Precious Blood of Jesus (I Peter 1:19), that cries ‘Mercy’ (Heb 12:24). Please do not take part in the Lord’s Supper as a tradition of men, treating it as ordinary, common or a ritual with no meaning. If you do, you will be insulting the only One who can bring the grace of God into your life and circumstances.

Ephesians 4:30 (Message Bible) “Don’t grieve God. Don’t break his heart. His Holy Spirit, moving and breathing in you, is the most intimate part of your life, making you fit for himself. Don’t take such a gift for granted.”

What can wash away my sin?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
What can make me whole again?
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Oh! precious is the flow
That makes me white as snow;
No other fount I know,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

For my pardon, this I see,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
For my cleansing this my plea,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Nothing can for sin atone,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
Naught of good that I have done,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

This is all my hope and peace,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus;
This is all my righteousness,
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Now by this I’ll overcome—
Nothing but the blood of Jesus,
Now by this I’ll reach my home—
Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

Glory! Glory! This I sing—
Nothing but the blood of Jesus,
All my praise for this I bring—
Nothing but the blood of Jesus

Islam View of a Lunar Eclipse

Posted: June 10, 2011 in Eclipses, Signs In The Heavens

The darkest lunar eclipse in 100 years will be June 15, 2011 and will be seen over the Middle East countries that are in turmoil. I was curious about what the Muslim views of Lunar eclipse so I did a study. (Islamic study is not my strongest area so please bear with me)

The Islamic holy book, the Koran (Quran) says in Fussilat 41:37, ” Allaah causes eclipses to happen to these two mighty signs, the sun and the moon, to teach His slaves and show them that these things are created and are subject to imperfections and changes just like any other created entities. Thus He shows them His perfect ability and that He alone is deserving of worship, as Allah says (interpretation of the meaning): “And from among His Signs are the night and the day, and the sun and the moon. Prostrate yourselves not to the sun” nor to the moon, but prostrate yourselves

As they prostrate themselves they have a special prayer during the time of the eclipse. “The essence of this prayer lies in the fact that a Muslim seeks protection from his Creator (Allah), while offering this service from his spiritually-luminant soul (symbolised by the bright sun/moon) from becoming enwrapped in the spiritual-darkness (symbolised by the eclipsed sun/moon) of evilness, misconception and sinfulness.”

There is also a belief that the Mahdi will come during a double eclipse at the time of Ramadan, the month of Islam fasting during the day. (2011 Ramadan will be August 1-30- NASA shows no expected eclipse).

What is a Mahdi? I’m glad you asked. The Mahdi is believed to be Islam’s final prophet . Mahdi traslates ‘the rightly-guided one’.

There are two divisions of Islam: Sunni & Shi’ite. (Iran is mostly Shi’ite)
Many of Muslims are families that seem to be living a normal family life, but there is a large sect that is apocalyptic (anticipating the Last Days, End Times)
Historian Timothy Furnish has written,”The major difference is that for Shi’ite is he (Mahdi) has already been here, and will return from hiding; for Sunnis he has yet to emerge into history: a comeback v. a coming out, if you will.”
Shi’ites, for example, believe that their Twelfth Imam will reappear after a Ramadan double-eclipse.
Many Shi’ite Iranians have a teaching called the Doctrine of the Twelvers: The belief is that eleven of the twelve leaders of Islam from the Shi’ite branch were poisoned or killed by the Sunni. The twelfth imam was the 12-year-old son of the eleventh imam. At age twelve, this young boy, destined to be chosen imam of the Shi’ite branch, disappeared off the street in this city and was never hear again. Since the grave of this 12^th was never discovered, tradition states the twelfth caliph has been supernaturally protected by God for the past 1,200 years. According to Islamic tradition, the Mahdi will be a military expert who will bring the world under control of Islamic law and justice. (They believe he will come forth when there is a double eclipse during the month of Ramadan that he is waiting for that sign from Allah)
“At length, when the sight is dazed, and the moon is buried in darkness,
and the sun and moon are joined together – the Day of That will Man say: ‘Where
is the refuge?'” Qur’an, Sura 75:7-10. Allah gives a sign that Mahdi will be among us when a double eclipse occurs in the month of Ramadan.
“It has been reported from Abu Ja’far that the event of the Mahdi’s appearance shall be attended by two clear signs which will carry with them the weight of ten strong signs. These are the solar and the lunar eclipses; and a similar sign has never happened ever since Adam came upon this planet.”
November 9 & 28, 2003 there were double eclipses on Ramadan. From the readings I have found regarding this event, the Muslim writers say it never happened before on Ramadan and will not happen again for a long time. Therefore, many belief that the Mahdi is already here.

NOTE: January 27, 632 AD, there was a recorded solar eclipse when Mohammad’s son Ibrahim died.

My Summary: I don’t know what they are expecting or what prophecies they may be interpreting regarding next Wednesday’s blood moon over the Middle East. If anyone has any knowledge I would appreciate your comments.

June 2011 “MIDNIGHT” Eclipses

Posted: June 10, 2011 in Eclipses, Signs In The Heavens

In the middle of the night the thought came to me “midnight eclipses” and I got up to write it down and could not go back to sleep. (Seriously, I really don’t try to dream these things up, but when I get a clear thought like this I usually search it out.) I am not trying to read anything into this, only watching and logging.

The first time ‘midnight’ is used in the Old Testament is in Exodus 11:4, “And Moses said, Thus saith the LORD, About midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt:”
The first time ‘midnight’ is used in the New Testament is in Matthew 25:6, “And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.“

According to Astronomy Israel, “Totality begins at 10:22PM when all of the moon enters the earth’s full, umbral shadow. At 11:12PM the moon will be as deeply into the earth’s shadow as it will get at this eclipse and “greatest eclipse” begins, when the moon should reach its darkest. Totality ends just after midnight on Thursday, June 16, and the exit partial phase of the eclipse ends at 1:02AM IDT.

I thought it was interesting that both eclipses of June 2011 were at ‘midnight’ and both covered ‘two days’.

The date on the Hebrew calendar will be Sivan 14, since their days are from sundown to sundown the eclipse will be one day.
Another interesting thought from history comes from the only time Sivan is mentioned in the Bible, Esther 8:9, the longest verse in the Bible where Haman’s edict for destroying the Jewish people was overturned. Mordecai and Esther were fasting during Passover, so from Passover to Sivan 23 were the happenings of Esther’s 2 dinners, wicked Haman’s death and the hanging of Haman’s 10 sons.

NASA noted: “Four partial solar and two total lunar eclipses take place in 2011. This 4:2 combination of solar and lunar eclipses in a single year is rather rare with only six cases during the 21st Century (2011, 2029, 2047, 2065, 2076 and 2094).

Full Blood Moon Over Middle East June 15, 2011

Posted: June 8, 2011 in Eclipses, Signs In The Heavens

NOTE: There is a huge difference between astrology and astronomy. Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects (such as stars, planets, comets, nebulae, star clusters and galaxies) and observing the cycles in the heavens. Astrology is witchcraft, where they believe the order of the stars lead them to a successful life or warn them of things coming.

In biblical times, watchmen were posted on the walls surrounding the city. They not only watched for an enemy approaching, they also recorded anything happening in the night sky. From historical events on earth during the same time that unusual heavenly events were recorded, they observed a relationship pattern of occurences relating to heaven and earth. (Israel’s calendar is linked with the cycles of the moon, but keeps with the solar cycle by their leap years).

When Jesus told His disciples what would be the signs of the end of the age in Mark 13, some of them involved signs in the heavens. Mark 13 closes with Jesus commanding them to ‘watch’ 4 times. I consider myself to be a Watcher, and observe what is happening in the heavens relating to the Last Days. When unusual signs are seen in the heavens I watch, pray and record.

Psalm 19:1, “The heavens tell of the glory of God. The skies display his marvelous craftsmanship. (2) Day unto day utters speech, And night unto night reveals knowledge. (3) [There is] no speech nor language [Where] their voice is not heard. ”

A lunar eclipse is when the moon passes behind the earth such that the earth blocks the sun’s rays from striking the moon (like a red sunset). This happens when the sun, earth and moon are lined up exactly or very close and always comes at the time of a full moon (middle of the lunar month).

Joel 2:31, “The sun shall be turned to darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of the Lord come.” (Acts 2:20, Rev 6:12)

There will be 2 total lunar eclipses (blood moons) in 2011. The first will be June 15 and the second December 10. This blood red lunar eclipse will be over all the nations that are in turmoil in the Middle East. This will be the darkest lunar eclipse in almost 100 years and will cover 2 days and will last 1 hour, 40 minutes & 12 seconds! It will be seen in East Africa, the entire Middle East (including Jerusalem), Central Asia, Western Australia and will mid eclipse in the Mauritius. (This will be USA 4:14pm EDT) North or South America will not witness this event.

Below are some interesting historical events that happened on earth when there were lunar eclipses.

1 BC- Only eclipse that Josephus recorded, at the time of the death of King Herod.
Sept 27, 14 AD, death of Caesar Augustus
April 3, 33 AD, possible time of the Crucifixion
March 4, 71 AD, the plowing of Jerusalem with salt by the Romans
January 28, 632 AD, (solar) visible over Medina, Arabia. This is the year Mohammad, the founder of Islam died.
May 22, 1453, the fall of Constantinople to the Muslims
March 1, 1504, called the Columbus eclipse, when Columbus and his men were being held captive and Columbus read in the almanac that there was to be a lunar eclipse that evening. He told the natives if they did not let them go, he would make the moon go away. They were released soon after.
July 31, 1776, after America’s independence from Britain
January 15, 1805, the Lewis & Clark expedition
July 4, 1917, WWII and Balfour Declaration
Passover, April 3, 1996- The 100th anniversary of Jerusalem
September 26, 1996 following the blood moon renewed violence broke out between the Palestinians and the Israelis (due to the opening of a tourist tunnel near the Dome of the Rock), after many months of comparative peace.
November 9, 2003 – A large explosion rocked a Riyadh residential compound housing foreigners and Saudis a day after the United States warned of terrorist attacks in the kingdom which is battling a surge in Islamist violence. Thousands of Saudi troops were deployed in the holy city of Mecca to provide additional security until Ramadan is over.
February 21, 2008-Israeli PM Ehud Barak and IDF Chief of Staff Gabi Ashkenazi spoke in preparation for war with Hezbollah and Hamas, and both these terror organizations leaders were bold in their rhetoric against Israel in this time of great tension.

Rabbi Meir Baal Hanes (139-163 AD) said, “Whenever the luminaries are in eclipse, it is a bad omen for Israel since they are inured to blows. This may be compared to a school teacher who comes to school with a strap in his hand. Who becomes apprehensive? He who is accustomed to be daily punished. Our Rabbis taught, ‘When the sun is in eclipse it is a bad omen for idolaters; when Lavanah (Moon) is in eclipse, it is a bad omen for Israel, since Israel reckons by Lavanah (Moon) and idolaters by the sun. If it is in eclipse in the east, it is a bad omen for those who dwell in the east; if in the west, it is a bad omen for those who dwell in the west, if in the midst of heaven it is bad omen for the whole world. If its face is red as blood, [it is a sign that] the sword is coming to the world; if it is like sack-cloth, the arrows of famine are coming to the world; if it resembles both, the sword and the arrows of famine are coming to the world. If the eclipse is at sunset calamity will tarry in its coming; if at dawn, it hastens on its way, but some say the order is to be reversed. And there is no nation which is smitten that its G-ds are not smitten together with it, as it is said, And against all the G-ds of Egypt I will execute judgments. But when Israel fulfill the will of the Omnipresent, they need have no fear of all these [omens] as it is said, Thus saith the L-RD, ‘Learn not the way of the nations, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven, for the nation are dismayed at them, the idolaters will be dismayed, but Israel will not be dismayed.”