Kislev 24th until Tevet 2nd.
This year Hanukkah begins
the night of December 21st.
The Feast of Dedication” or
Hanukkah, -- you will not find this
The time was around 167 BC
or, if you’re Jewish--BCE. Prior to this date a young ruler named Alexander the
Great, ruled the entire ancient world. This period of time is referred to as
“the Hellenistic period” (Greeks). His untimely death caused a power struggle
and four of his generals split up the kingdom. The one that ended up with
But, there were those Jews
who held close to the Torah and God’s way of worship and refused to embrace
Hellenism. In fact, Antiochus gave the Jews an ultimatum, to either give up
their distinctive customs, such as worshipping on the Sabbath (Saturday),
Circumcision, and Kosher Laws, or die.
One of the first things
Antiochus did was to desecrate the
When Antiochus heard that
the people were murmuring and talking about revolt against him, he marched his
troops to a town in the foothills called Modi’in. His plan was to erect a false
god in the city and force the people to worship it. Modi’in was the home of a
priest named Mattathias who had five sons. He and his sons revolted and killed
the soldiers and began the revolt against this evil ruler. One of Mattathias’s
sons was
The Maccabees now faced the
task of restoring the
There are many customs and
traditions that brings one closer to God and understanding of His greatness
associated with this holiday, but I want to keep this as short as possible.
Each night for eight nights a candle is lighted. The Shamash (the center) is
always lit first, for it is from the Messiah that all light flows. It is
then used to light each candle for the eight nights. Blessing is said and songs
about Hanukkah sung. Gifts are given to the children each of the eight nights.
During the lighting of the Shamash and the other candles are lit with the
Shamash, the following blessings are said. I will try to write the Hebrew in
English letters for you, I hope I do it correctly.
A little advice in lighting
the candles, you place them in the Menorah from right to left, but you light
them with the Shamash from left to right.
BARUKH ATAH
ADONAI ELOHENU MELEKH HA-OLAM, ASHER KIDSHANU B’MITZVOHTAV L’HADLEEK NER, SHEL
HANUKKAH.
Blessed
are you, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who has set us apart by your
commandments and commanded us to kindle the light of Hanukkah.
So after lighting the
candles and singing the Hanukkah songs, you set down for a festive meal, each
night for eight nights.
So I will conclude with one
Jewish recipe for “Latkes” or to put it more simply “Potato Pancakes.”
Ingredients:
2
Eggs
3
Cups grated, drained
potatoes
4
Tbls. Grated onion
¼ tsp. Pepper
2
Tbls. Cracker or
matzah meal
½ cup oil or butter
Directions:
Beat the eggs and add the
potatoes, onions, salt (to taste), pepper, and meal. Heat half the oil or butter
in a frying pan and drop the potato mixture into it by tablespoon. Fry until
browned on both sides. Keep pancakes hot until all are fried and add more oil or
butter as required. Serve with Applesauce or sour cream. Serves 8.
Shalom, and Hag Same’ach,
(Happy
Kippah
Posted: Wednesday,
October 27, 2004
- written by jerry golden
10/2004
Yarmulke known in Israel as a Kippah
Symbol of Jewish piety has been the wearing of the Head-Cap known as the Kippah or Yarmulke. The Orthodox Jewish men wear it as a sign of their reverence before God. Many Jews outside of Israel wear it to identify with Israel and the Jewish people. It is also a custom among many Messianic Jews.
Some “Christians” have raised objections to the wearing of the Kippah on the basis of Scripture. Causing confusion to many Messianic Jews, for they were told they could keep their Jewish identity when accepting the Messiah Yeshua. That they don’t become any less Jewish but in fact, become better Jews by accepting their Messiah. With Scripture being our ultimate authority, we should look deeper into what it actually says on this matter.
I Corinthians 11:4-15 is the Scripture in question, in this Scripture Paul is making an argument for the distinction between the sexes, based upon the creation order. He speaks of hair length as a creation order. Then goes on to speak of head covering as another reflection of this order. The Kippah was not a fashion at the time Paul wrote this passage, but we still need to see if the passage has relevance to this issue.
V:4-15
Every man praying or “prophesying” having his head covered, dishonoreth his head. But every women that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoreth her head. : for that is even all one as if she were shaven. For if the women be not covered ,let her also be shorn: but if it be a shame for a woman to be shorn or shaven, let her be covered. For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the women is the glory of the man. For the man is not of the woman; but the woman of the man. Neither was the man created for the woman; but the woman for the man. For this cause ought the woman to have power on her head because of the angels. Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord. For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God. Judge in yourselves: is it comely that a woman pray unto God uncovered? Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him. But if a woman have long hair, it is a glory to her: for her hair is given her for a covering.As we read this Scripture the first thing we find is that all legalistic religions have inconsistencies. These same people who say this Scripture says a man cannot wear a Kippah, never say that a women must cover her head. In fact, some go a step further and the women who have long hear put it up in a bun on the top of their heads.
To understand this or any other Scripture we must first understand its cultural context as well as the original historical setting. (This is why it is so important to understand the Jewishness of Yeshua to understand His Words) This scripture of I Corinthians 11: 4-15 covers a lot of subjects, having to do with the culture and history relating to male and female distinctions, including style of dress and grooming. Possibly the first question we should be asking is what Paul meant by the veil and headcovering and its relationship to the length of hair. There is a lot of evidence in this Scripture that Paul is not talking about a Kippah or Yarmulke. But is is very clear that he is speaking about a particular kind of veil, a large veil that would cover all of a women’s “long” hair. The woman’s hair was considered her glory, considered to be beautiful and attractive while covering her head. It was not allowed to hang loose, that was indicative of a loose woman. The Tenach (Old Testament) is clear on this point. Isaiah 3:17, Numbers 5:18. The Jewish law is so strong on this that if a women walked bear headed after marriage her husband could divorce her on that one point.
So after reading and examining the evidence of this Scripture we can but come to one conclusion; Paul is not talking about a Kippah in fact, he had never seen one. What we must consider above all else is what the Biblical teacher was trying to teach, and not apply our own interpretation to it. The Kippah or Yarmulke is permitted, and I can find neither a reason to wear one or a reason not to wear one in the Scripture. The head cover of Paul’s day had absolutely no relationship to today’s Kippah. Shalom, Jerry Golden
Mezusah
Posted: Wednesday, October 27, 2004
- written by jerry golden
10/2004
MEZUZAH
vzuzn
(The Passover Lamb)
On the doorposts of every Jewish Home you will find a Mezuzah. They will be found on the entrances to the house, as well as on every doorframe inside the home. They are small receptacle that holds verses of the Torah (Five Books of Moses or first five books of the Old Testament). On the outside you usually find the word Shaddai
hsa ”Almighty” one of the names of God. In Hebrew it also stands for the letters “Shem” Shomer “Daled” Daltot “Yod” Yisra’el, or translated into English “Guardian of Israel’s doors”. The Mezuzah is usually 3” to 4” long but they vary in size.In every Muzuzah you will find two Scriptures. They are the “Shema” Deut. 6:4-9 and the “Vehaya” Deut. 11:13-21 that expresses God’s assurance to us of compensation that will follow our observance of the Torah’s precepts, and warns of retribution for disobedience to them. In both of these Scriptures we find the commandment (Mitzvob) “And thou shalt write them upon the door-post of thy house and upon thy gates.” What I am about to suggest is sure to get me in hot water with more of my Jewish friends. In the Jewish world because a Rabbi or a Scribe appointed by a Rabbi hand writes the scroll that goes inside the Mezuzah or parchment. But for the Believer who wants to place Mezuzah’s on his door frames declaring God is worshipped in this house. He or She can write the Scriptures in English if you don’t know how to do it in Hebrew and place it inside the Mezuzah. In fact, I can see in the spirit how this would be quiet pleasing to God. Not to mention being more meaningful to the Believer.
There is a traditional blessing in Hebrew for the placing of the Mezuzah on the door frame. But in English it goes like this;
(Blessed art Thou, O God King of the Universe, who hath sanctified us with His commandments, and commanded us to affix a Mezuzah)The Mezzah on the Jewish home proclaims that it is an entrance to a place where the Unity of God is being proclaimed by every phase of every-day. That it is a place in which God dwells and God is worshipped; thus rendering your entire life, your whole activity, to be a longing to God: this is the commandment of Mezuzah.
It is interesting to note, and I may get into trouble with some of my Jewish friends who will say I am building a case where there isn’t one. But let the reader who is lead by the Spirit be the judge. For if we read on in Deut. 6: 10-25 we find that God not only alludes to the Blood of the lamb on the doorpost of every Jewish home in Egypt that caused the Angle of death to pass over. But is referring to it in regards to the commandment of Mezuzah.
The Blood of the Lamb of God on the doorpost of our souls is what it takes for the Angle of death to pass over us as well. When God commanded the Hebrews to place the blood of the lamb on their door post He was showing the way to Yeshua His Son, who would shed His Blood that would cover our sins, giving us entrance to most Holy Place. And giving us eternal life defeating death once again, with the Blood of the Lamb.
So Mezuzah to me points directly to the Messiah Himself, and the shedding of His Blood for our sins. He is our Passover Lamb. For those who chose to place a Mezuzah on their doorpost will find a certain witness and closeness to God possibly never felt before.
Just one more step in discovering your Jewish Roots. Shalom, jerry golden
Pentecost "Shavu'ot"
Posted: Saturday, May 31,
2008
- written by jerry golden
5/2008
Shavua is week in Hebrew, and Shavu’ot means 7 weeks, on the eve of the last day would be the beginning to the 50th day, from the second day of Passover “Pessah”. The second day of the Feast of Pessah was the Feast of First Fruits, on the Jewish calendar called “Omer”. The day our Messiah rose from the grave, it was the day of the Resurrection. It is also worth noting that the number fifty is the number for the Holy Spirit. So Yeshua said He would send the Holy Spirit, and He did it on the 50th day after His resurrection. It is the second of the three Pilgrim festivals and it happen in Israel on the 6th of Sivan, (Jewish Calendar) this year on June 8th and everywhere but Israel for two days 8th and 9th. It has other names in Hebrew such as Hag Ha-Katzir meaning Harvest Festival. It was when the ingathering of barley crop ended and the season of wheat harvest began. But Yom Ha-Kikkurim (Day of First Fruits or Shavu’ot in the Jewish World, and Pentecost in the Christian World) According the Rabbis, this festival also commemorates the events at Sinai which traditionally occurred on the 6th of Sivan and have long overshadowed the original (agricultural) aspect of Shavu’ot. Therefore it is also called the giving of the Law (Torah) Dairy products are generally eaten, and favorite dishes are cheesecakes and cheese pancakes. (Yiddish blintzes, pancakes) Here in Israel it is a state holiday, and a time for pilgrimage to Jerusalem. There is lots of dancing and folklore. Generally a very nice time to be in Israel. Just thought you’d appreciate a little run down on this Biblical event in the Jewish world and should be part of the Christian world as well. In fact, there is much to learn about your Jewish roots here http://www.thegoldenreport.com/jewishinformation.asp.
Shalom, jerry golden
Pessah (Passover)
The prophetic fulfillment of this Holiday is clear. It is a time to thank God for our freedom, and that covers a volume of types of freedoms. To be a free people, and to be free to worship God. But the word that summed up the true meaning of Pessah is "Redemption". Rabbi Saul (Paul) sums up this theme in his letter to the Corinthian Believers. He was addressing a moral problem in their members. To solve their problem Saul draws upon a well-known analogy of Pessah.
Your boasting is not good. Don’t you know the saying, it takes only a little chametz to leaven a whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old chametz, so that you can be a new batch of dough, because in reality you are unleavened. For your Pessah Lamb, the Messiah, has been sacrificed. So let us celebrate the Seder, not with leftover charmetz, the charmetz of wickedness and evil, but with the matzah of purity and truth. (I-Corinthians 5:6-8)
Paul is telling Believers to celebrate Passover, to have a Seder (Passover Meal) that celebrates the deliverance from Slavery and being a free people. To set aside this day to thank, praise and worship God. I don’t want to dwell on this too much but it was the Catholic Church that said "to do so was far to Jewish," and they stopped the celebration of Passover in the Church. It however created a great problem. What about the Resurrection, what would they do about the fact that all the early Believers celebrated the Resurrection on the day of First Fruits? (Part of the Passover celebration)
Yeshua died on the Feast of Pessah, was buried on the Feast of Unleavened Bread, and rose on the Feast of First Fruits. Fifty days later the Holy Spirit was sent on the next Holiday in line Shavuot (Pentecost). This was what is referred to as the first advent. The first three Holiday’s follow each other, in the first three days, (Pessah, Unleavened Bread, and First Fruits) and we celebrate them all within an 8 day celebration, and we just call it Passover (Pessah). But the Catholic Church had a big problem, and they solved it with a bunch of paganism brought in from Babylon, and called the Resurrection (First Fruits) Easter. But enough of that, for now I want to just talk about Pessah, and possibly your getting it right.
Before going on, I want to make something clear, I am not suggesting that you must keep all the Jewish laws concerning Pessah, you have the freedom to adapt the preparation to a comfortable degree. To some they may celebrate more than others. It is well however to note, that what I am saying is from the Word, and I know it pleases God for His people to reach out to Him in truth instead of paganism.
In a house there is much preparations for the Seder, the house is cleaned from top to bottom, there is no bread or leaven left in the house anywhere. After the first week of Nisan, for focus is very directed towards Pessah. After sundown on the fourteenth day of Nisan, a special ceremony called bedikat khameytz (the search of the leaven) takes place in the home. The last tiny bits of leaven are found and removed from the house, taken outside and burned.
This is interesting because the house had been previously cleaned, so the leader of the house had to hide some small bits here and there in the house to be found. Then the leader takes a feather and a wooden spoon and a lighted candle. And the family begins searching for the final leaven. This is a great time to get the children involved, it’s like the game hide and seek.
There are many spiritual lessons for Believers here. The leaven (sin) must be cleaned from our house (our hearts). In so doing we must use the light of the candle (the Word of God) Illumines our sin (Psalm 119:11). The most beautiful of all, the wooden spoon that holds the leaven, (the Wooden Cross that holds all of our sins and carries them away). To the Believer who walks with God and is filled with His Spirit will discern many spiritual truths in this, and begin to know why the Word tells us to celebrate the Seder (Peasch).
It is my belief that when a true
Believer discovers any Biblical truth and applies it to their life, doing so
enriches them. So it is my prayer that you may experience a closer relationship
with Messiah Yeshua our Passover Lamb in and intimate and practical way. Let us
therefore celebrate the feast (I-Cor. 5:8)
So with the above preparation, we are ready to begin the Seder, the festive feast called the Seder. It is full of wonderful spiritual truths for the Believer as well as the Jew. Hopefully you will find a good Haggadah (booklet of how to hold a Seder) and begin a spiritual trip that will enrich your life and give you a deeper closer walk with our Messiah.
Shalom, jerry golden
Purim
Posted: Friday, March 02,
2007
- written by jerry golden
3/2007
Purim is a minor festival of
the Jewish calendar, and it occurs on the 14th day Adar.
There are four main charters
in this story, the hero of course is Queen Esther, she was Jewish and had won
the Miss Shushan Contest and became the Queen. The King of Persia (
In Achasheros's Kingdom one of
his officials named Haman was a very evil man. So evil in fact, that he
required all the Kings subject to bow to him as he considered them all pagans.
Also among the Kings subjects was a Jew named Mordechai who discovered that
Haman was planning to kill the Jews. To make things even worse, being a Jew he
refused to bow to Haman as that would be considered idolatry.
We read in the Megillah that
Haman was filled with rage at Mordechai's insubordination. He was so outraged
in fact that he decided to kill all the Jews in
At great risk to herself she
openly approached the King, the Jews were saved and Haman was hung on the
gallows he had built for Mordechai. There is much, much more to this story, and
I encourage you to read the Megillah (The book of Esther).
There is another element of
this
Many have asked me to ask
everyone to pray and fast for three days. But I think fasting and praying is a
personal relationship each of us has with the Father. So I ask you as a Jewish
Believer in Yeshua to exercise that relationship, Talk to God, and if you should
feel led to fast and pray for us here in
I also ask you without shame
to help us get ready, by your gifts of love to this Ministry, for we must
prepare to rescue Jews for another Holocaust is on the horizon.
Shalom, jerry golden
Rosh Ha Shannah
Posted: Tuesday, September
23, 2008
- written by jerry golden
9/2008
Rosh Ha Shannah
Tishri 1, 5769 or September. 29, 2008
This report is for those who would like to observe
God’s Holidays. This has absolutely nothing to do with the Law; this has
everything to do with the Holidays God has given us to be observed. It is not
complete, and if I tried to make it complete it would be more than most would
want to read. So I do hope it wets your appetite.
The Hebrew word Rosh means “head” or “Beginning”
Ha means “the” and Shannah means “year”. It’s only used once in the Tenach “Old
Testament” Ezekiel 40:1 says, “in the beginning of the year” in the
Hebrew it says Rosh Ha Shannah. The more common Biblical name is “Feast of
Trumpets.” Lev.23:23-25 And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, In the seventh
month in the first day of the month, shall ye have a sabbath, a memorial of
blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation. Ye shall do no servile work therein:
but ye shall offer an offering made by fire unto the Lord.
Rosh Hashannah is considered the Jewish New Year,
but it comes on the seventh month on the first day. In the Jewish world it is
considered the birthday of the world. If you count from the first day of Elul
(the 6th month) until the 1st day of Tishri (7th
month) which is Rosh Ha Shannah you will have counted 30 days. Known as the 30
days of preparation ending with Yom Teruah, Yom in Hebrew is “day” Teruah means
“Trumpets” so it’s the day of sounding the trumpets, or known today as Rosh Ha
Shannah.
If I haven’t lost you yet, you are doing well,
don’t let this get to complicated, because it will come to you in time. Now lets
go on…. Rosh Hashannah is the Spiritual New Year, not the regular new year, for
it would come on the first day of Nisan, the first month on the Jewish calendar.
Much like the 6 days of creation, the 7th day is the Sabbath. The
same is true with the first 6 months and the 7th month being a
Sabbath, and the 1st day of the 7th month is Rosh Ha
Shannah, the spiritual New Year. Recognized in
Rosh Ha Shannah is the beginning of the ten days
called High Holy Days or “Days of Awe” They are also called the Days
of Repentance, Days of Admitting, Days of Returning. These ten days
end with the Day of Atonement, “Yom Kippur”
It’s interesting living in
Traditional Jewish Observance
In the Synagogue the Shofar (Trumpet) is blown
daily to be sure that everyone knows that the time of Judgement is near. Most of
the orthodox will take a water immersion called in Hebrew (tevilah mikveh)
better known to you as baptism. It means that one has cleansed his ways. Or been
separated unto a Priestly Ministry. This is what John the Baptist was calling
the Jews to do, but with a Messianic meaning.
Because of the meaning of repentance this day
takes on a somber character, but with a hint of hope of God’s forgiveness there
is room for a festive meal. It is the custom to serve a fish cooked with its
head. Placed in front of the father. It shows that he has been ordained by God
to be the head of the family.
It is also a time to test the first fruits of the
new harvest. Find a fruit that gets ripe in your region and do not eat any until
this meal. Make it an occasion for the family, they will enjoy it much more than
if they have eaten it earlier. Make the meal even more interesting by blowing a
shofar, or trumpet, you don’t have to be a professional to do this. In the
Synagogue there are four different notes blown, tekia (blast) shevarim (broken
notes), teruah (alarm) and tekia gedolah (the big blast). In Biblical times the
Shofar was blown to Hail the King, on this day it’s said that all
It’s customary for slices of apple to be dipped
into honey, this is in hope that the coming new year will be a sweet one. After
dipping the apple in honey, the Father says a special prayer.
Instead of the regular twisted loaves of bread,
the challah, for this meal you have round bread, symbolic of our desire for a
full and round year. If you bake your own bread, save a little dough and form a
small latter on the top of the loaf. Showing that your prayers are for God Who
sets on high, that when we pray we are not just talking to each other, but to
God through the Person of Yeshua our Messiah.
When the meal is over and the grace has been said,
(the Jewish way and biblical way is to say grace after you’ve eaten) then read
the story of Abraham and Isaac Gen. 22:1-14. Talk about God’s provision of a ram
to be sacrificed in Isaac’s place. A living picture of what was to come in His
greater gift to us “Yeshua” Jesus.
TASHLICH
“Thou shalt cast unto the sea”
Tashlich, on the afternoon of Rosh Ha Shannah it
is traditional to go to a river or a body of water. This Hebrew word Tashlich
means “thou shalt cast unto the sea”. Bring your kids to the lake, river, sea,
or any body of water. Make sure they wear cloths with plenty of pockets, and
fill them with pebbles or small stones. Throw the rocks into the water each time
designate each rock with a sin. Each time asking God to forgive you of that sin
in your life. Micah 7:19 and thou shalt cast all their sins into the depths of
the sea. And see how far you can throw each stone Ps. 103:12 As far as the east
is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
It almost always happens that a child will find a
very pretty stone that they want to keep, and it will give you a wonderful
opportunity to talk about the sins we seem to like, but must cast off as well.
It is a great family experience. For the child it opens the door for the Holy
Spirit to do a work. Much like when you introduce another to Yeshua and open the
door for the Holy Spirit (Rauch Ha Kodesh) to do a work in their life.
There are many special foods for this day, and I
could go on and on, but I will close this article with this. The Holidays that
God has given us are real and pure, not pagan like so many celebrated in the
Church today, like Christmas, Easter, Good Friday etc, etc. Try this one, you
will love it, your kids will be brought closer to God because you did.
Shiloh
Posted: Saturday,
February 19, 2005
- written by jerry golden
2/2005
Shiloh
Israel’s first capital for 369 years where Joshua asked the children of Israel: “How long will you be slack to come and to possess the land the Lord gave you” The place where the Tabernacle was erected and where the land was divided among the Tribes, where the Lord’s yearly festival was celebrated and where pilgrims prostrated and brought sacrificial offerings.
Inside the Miskan (Temple)
You will notice the Altar in the middle, and that the Ark is built to carry like the one Joshua brought to Shiloh. The ceiling is lambs wool and around the sides there are gold strips. There is a Laver and the doors to enter are one small and one large. There are five pillars in the front and 8 in the back. There is an inner and outer court.
But what is more important on the Sabbath it is full of Jews worshiping and praying for Messiah to come. They have returned to the land of their forefathers, praying to the God of Abraham Isaac and Jacob. I have spent many Sabbaths in Shiloh as we have many friends there. And I can tell you from personal experience when praying in this place on the Sabbath you can feel the power of the Ruach Ha Koddesh so strong it is difficult to even stand.
Where Hannah prayed and where the Prophet Samuel
Ministered, one of the oldest places in all of Israel that can be verified to be
the actual place where Hannah prayed is near the Tel of Shiloh.
I wrote and article on Shiloh a few years ago but felt like doing it again considering that this corrupt government would now give it away to the Arabs as a reward for killing us. I just wanted to be sure everyone knew how important this place is to us Jews. The Arabs should never be allowed to do to his place what they did to Joseph Tomb or to over 40 Synagogues in the Old City from 1948 to 1967.
The tomb of Hannah and the place were she was said
to have made the prayer asking God for a child. God heard her prayer and she
named the child Samuel in the Hebrew (to hear God)
Inside the Tomb.
Near this cave is also found a Mikvah (ritual bath) with 6 descending steps, it is close to the original location of the Miskan (Temple). It would have been the place the High Priest would have lived and cleanse himself before entering the Miskan (Temple).
The actual location of the Miskan in Shiloh is also known but as you will noticed nothing is built there it is considered Holy. The outer walls slope inward and reach a height of two meters (6+ feet), giving the building the look of the Tabernacle of the wilderness where they were so use to assembling. It is much like other Synagogues found with three entrances in the northern wall, in the southern wall is the niche for the Holy Ark, facing Jerusalem. I know you can’t see to much by this picture, but this summer when they clear the winter growth some I will return and take a better picture.
I know it is only a piece of ground, but I just wanted you to see this site, it means a lot to the Jewish world, it is where so much happened in the Tenach (Bible). We simply can't give this to the enemies of God.
We know that Joshua took this land from the Canaanites as he conquered most of the Holy Land. But the Arab’s who call themselves “Palestinians” have never had a claim to this land, the question is why would this government give it to them now as a reward for killing us?
Shofar
Posted: Wednesday, October
27, 2004
- written by jerry golden
10/2004
The Shofar
The Rams Horn
When you
find the word Trumpet or Trump, in the Bible, the Hebrew word is Shofar.
The blessings of God are many, and
unfortunately many have been taken from the Church. Not only have the Holidays
of God been replaced with pagan ones, but many of the joys of worship and praise
as well. For those who discover these truths find great joy. I believe the
Shofar is one such joy and expression of love and obedience to God and His Word
that has been taken from us.
God blows the Shofar
God Himself blew the Shofar when Moses was on Mt. Sinai Ex.
19:16, and the voice of the Shofar exceeding loud; so that all the people
that was in the camp trembled. God will blow it Himself again at the coming
of the Messiah, I-Thessalonians. 4:16, For the Lord himself shall descend
from heaven with a shout, with a trump (Shofar) of God: and the dead in Christ
shall rise first. We also find in Zechariah 9:14 And the Lord shall be
seen over them, and his arrow shall go forth as the lightning: and the Lord God
shall blow the Shofar and shall go with whirlwinds of the south.
There is something about the blowing of the Shofar that has the
ability to awaken the inner man, the door opens for the Holy Spirit to enter in.
It provokes prayer like nothing else can.
·
Psalm 98:6, God tells us it is to be used to call us to worship,
and to praise Him for His salvation.
·
Psalm 150:3, God said to praise Him with the Shofar.
·
I-Chronicles 29:26-28, God says to use it as a call to worship.
·
Josh 6:4 –20, The Wall of Jericho came down
when they blew the Shofars.
·
Judges 7:20, and they held the lamps in their left hands, and the
Shofars in their right hands to blow withal:
·
Judges 7:22, And the three hundred blew the Shofars,
So we find in the Word, not only has God given us reason to blow
the Shofar but He has set the example by blowing it for us on occasions and
promises in I-Corinthians 15:52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at
the last Shofar: for the Shofar shall sound, and the dead shall be raised
incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
The Christian and the Shofar.
This is just something you may find interesting, there are many
similarities between a Christian and a Shofar. Certain Rabbis are specially
trained to make the Shofar, for it to be Kosher. He begin with a rough Rams
Horn, it isn’t much to look at, at this point, but he begins by using a special
Anointing Oil to start rubbing and working with it.
We are not much to look at either when God first gets us. By One
Spirit are we all baptized into one Body, whether we are Jew or Gentile. The
Holy Spirit, the Anointing Oil of God begins to do a work in our lives.
As the Rabbi works with this rough
Rams Horn, it begins to smooth it out, and before long he begins to see himself
in the reflection.
You see, it takes a lot of work for most of us to begin
reflecting the image of God in our lives, but the Masters hand keeps working
with us until He too can see Himself in His handy work.
Once the Rabbi sees the outside
begins to look good, he then begin to pull out the flesh from inside the Horn,
with loving care he reaches deep inside the horn and pulls out the old flesh
until only what he wants there is left.
Before God can use any of us, He first requires the flesh to be
laid at the Alter, and God too begins to tear the flesh away, and replaces it
with His Spirit, and His love.
Then the Rabbi sees that his work
is good, and decides to make a mouth peace that he may blow his breath through
it, and out will come a sound that will call God’s people to prayer and
worship. A sound so mighty that the enemy will flee from it. That walls will
be torn down and mighty works will be done in God’s Name.
So, like the Shofar, God will begin to speak through His children
once they have surrendered over to Him. He will pour out His Spirit the His
Ruach Ha Kodesh (The Breath of God) and it will come forth with power and men
will be saved and Yeshua will be lifted up high for all to see.
I must tell you that I felt the anointing of God while writing this and learned things from God while in the process. Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it.
Sukkot
Posted: Wednesday, October
27, 2004
- written by The Feast of Tabernacles. “Booths” The Birth of Yeshua
10/2004
The Feast of Tabernacles.
"Booths"
The birth of Yeshua?
October 14th - 21st, Tishrei 15th 5769
Leviticus 23: 33-44 tells
us the story of the Israelites and their journey out of
The Biblical name for
Sukkoth is "The Feast of Tabernacles". There are three times the
Lord commanded the Jews to assemble in the
But in the month of
Tishri, there are three major Holidays of the Feast of the Tabernacle of the
Lord, which is God’s perfect timetable. The month of Tishri falls in
September or October on the Christian Calendar. They are Rosh HaShannah, Yom
Kippur, and Sukkoth. These three are often called the Second Advent. The
First Advent we have the Feast of Passover, Unleavened Bread and First
Fruits. Yeshua died on Passover, He was buried on the Feast of
Unleavened Bread, and He rose on First Fruits, 50 days later he sent the
Holy Spirit on the Following Feast of Shavuoth (Pentecost). So we see
here that God is setting up a pattern for us to look for. So we need to look at
the remainder of the three Feasts to see the rest of the story, (sounds like
Paul Harvey) something as important as the Birth of the Messiah would surely fit
into this pattern.
You can purchase books
everywhere that tell you about how to celebrate this Holiday so I will stay on
subject, and only touch on a couple of things you may not find in some of your
books. In general there is a two-fold meaning to this celebration in
The second is found in
the command to dwell in Booths as a memory to
There are blessings said
over the "Lulav" (palm branch), "Etrog" (citron, a fruit from
Now lets move on to the
birth of the Messiah. With the celebration of Sukkoth having so many wonderful
teaching in it for the Church today. You would think that the New Testament
would have reference in it of Sukkoth. We read in John 1:1 "In the beginning
was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." It says, the
Word not only was with God, but the Word was the very manifestation of God
Himself.
Then we read in John 1:14
"And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory,
and glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth".
What the Word of God says is, "The Word became a human being and lived with us,
and we saw His Sh’kinah, The Sh’kinah glory of the Father’ only Son full of
grace and Glory. But did you notice the word John used to described this event.
He said "dwelt" among
His people. This word dwelt come from a Greek word "skene" and the Greeks
translated that from the Hebrew word "Tabernacle". What I am trying to
get you to see is, John was describing the Holy Day of Sukkoth, the Holy Day
that celebrates the indwelling of God Himself. So the Word says: And the Word
was made flesh and Tabernacled among us,"
The celebration of
December 25th as the birth of the Messiah is pagan, and comes from
the
If the first Advent
showed Yeshua’s death on the cross on Unleavened Bread, buried on Passover, and
resurrection of First Fruits, and the pouring out of His Holy Spirit on Shavout
(Pentacost). Do you think that God would let such an important event as the
birth of His only begotten Son go unheralded?
Sukkoth shows that God
would dwell "Tabernacle" in the midst of His people, through the presence of the
Messiah, Yeshua. There is much more evidence as well, since we know that Yeshua
died on Passover and we also know His ministry lasted 3 ½ years we can backtrack
and that puts us right at Sukkoth as well. Nearly every serious Bible Theologian
calculates that His birth was in the fall, that also is Sukkoth.
One of the ceremonies of
Sukkoth is the pouring of water, and a time of prayer for water and rain in
The question is, why
would there be so much rejoicing at this pouring of water? It has to be more
than rejoicing of the future rain on
It was much more than the
pouring out of water at the
Now we can appreciate the
Scripture that was recorded on one day in the Messiah’s life and that day was on
a Sukkoth. John 7:37-39 "In the last day, that great day of the feast, Yeshua
stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He
that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow
rivers of living water. But this spoke he of the Spirit, which they that believe
on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given: because Yeshua was
not yet glorified.) Think for a moment of the time and place of these words
being proclaimed by Yeshua. It was Sukkoth and it was the time of the pouring of
the water. The crowds were filled with those who had expectation of the Messiah
and the Holy Spirit He would bring. At the moment of the time of the pouring of
the water the Messiah stood and made this bold proclamation. He was saying. I am
the Messiah, do you truly want the living water of the spirit of God? If you
truly want the Bet Ha-sho-evah, believe in me. I am the Messiah who will pour
out the Holy Spirit on
After eight days of
Sukkoth we will end this celebration, and on the 8th day our Messiah
was circumcised. And from here volumes can be written over that event.
Shalom, jerry golden
Tefillin
Posted: Wednesday, October
27, 2004
- written by jerry golden
10/2004
TEFILLIN
Tefillin,
consist of two small leather boxes in which are contained four sections of the
Tora in scribed on parchment: Deut. 6:4-9, Deut. 11:13-21, Ex. 13:1-10, Ex.
13:11-16
a.
The Shema – pronouncing the Unity of the One God.
b.
Vabayab--- Expressing God’s assurance to us of compensation that
will follow out observance of the Torah’s precepts, and warning of retribution
for disobedience to them.
c.
Israel’s duty ever to remember the redemption from Egyptian
bondage.
d.
The obligation of every Jew to inform his children of these
matters.
One of the boxes
is placed upon the left arm as to be against the heart – the seat of emotions,
the leather straps are wound seven times around the left arm, then wound around
the hand, then the middle finger three times. I have always found the winding of
the middle finger interesting because many cultures today place the wedding ring
on the middle finger not what we refer to as the ring finger. In Hosea 2:21-22
here God is talking about Tefillin when He says. “And I will betroth thee
unto Me forever; and I will betroth thee unto Me in righteousness, and in
judgement, and in loving-kindness, and in compassion, and I will betroth thee
unto Me in faithfulness and thou shalt know the Lord.” This Scripture is
recited when a Jew winds the leather strap around the middle finger during
Tefillin.
The other box is
placed upon the head, above the forehead, so as to rest upon the cerebrum. In
this manner our attention is directed to the head, heart, and hand. And
is to teach us to dedicate ourselves to the service of God in all that we
think, feel, and do. It is also to teach us not to be governed solely by the
impulse of the heart, lest that lead us into error and superstition. Nor are we
to be governed by reason alone, for that may lead to harsh materialism.
After you read
the suggested Scriptures you will see how God has used Tefillin as a way for us
to understand that He has marked us to be His, in the forehead and right hand.
So now you know
see why the Devil chose to place his mark there, to copy the Most High God.
Now if you like this kind of thing let me know I will send some more pearls your way from time to time. Below is the picture promised.
The Sabbath
12/2004
But if you must
go, please have a nice day. For thirty years (my walk with the Messiah) I’ve
heard Pastor after Pastor explain why Sunday is their Sabbath, and it may well
be their Sabbath but it’s not God’s. When there is absolutely not a single
Scripture to back up the changing of God’s most Holy Day “The Sabbath” to SUN
day. I know, you think I am going to begin bashing the Catholic’s about now.
No I am not gong to go there, at least not today, you’ve heard that before, and
for most it hasn’t made any difference. In this REPORT we will simply discuss
the Sabbath and in a very short form how and why to observe it. Please
understand that if you want to go to Church on Sun day or any other day, that’s
ok with me. In fact, I wish you’d go every day. When I am in the States and I
preach it’s more often than not on If such a bold statement coming from a
Messianic Jew hasn’t frightened you away already, possibly there is hope for
you. sun day. But it’s not my Sabbath and it’s not God’s either.
To begin with
Sabbath is the 7th day, Shabbat is the Hebrew word for
Rest. When Jews meet each other or when they leave each other on Friday night
or Saturday they will always say Shabbat Shalom “have a peaceful rest”. Gen.
2:1-3 God made a memorial to His Rest, in fact, God felt it so important that He
included it in His Ten Commandments. And we should read it: Ex. 20: 8-11
“Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do
all thy work: but the seventh day is the sabbath day of the Lord thy God: in it
thou shalt not do any work, thou, or thy son, not thy daughter, thy manservant,
not thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them
is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day, and
hallowed it. And we read again in Deut. 5:12 Keep the sabbath day to sanctify
it, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee.
There are two
words that help us to understand the meaning of keeping the Sabbath.
Remember and Observe. “Remember” speaks to our inner thoughts of
love and devotion. And “Observe” becomes the avenue by which we express our
feelings toward God. So in the Sabbath we have love and law, feelings and
observances, and devotion and obedience. One of the first things one notices in
Israel, is that the Sabbath is observed with delight, it is a great time of
family and fellowship with friends and neighbors. You will see more smiles on
the faces than any other day. It’s not a burden; it’s not “Oh I have to go to
Church.” Mark 2:27 “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.
Yeshua declared
himself “The Lord of the Sabbath,” He kept the Sabbath he was an observant Jew,
He in fact was the only one who lived a perfect life according to Jewish Law.
No one else was able to do it. He fulfilled the Law, He was perfect. He
“Yeshua” Jesus the Holy One of Israel kept the Sabbath, not the Sun day. But He
was unhappy with the misguided teachings of many of the Rabbis of that day, and
would be today as well.
There is a
simple answer to all of this. We should just do what God says and forget what
some Denomination say we should do. After all it is God we worship not the
Baptist or Methodist Church or any other Church for that matter.
Yeshua or Jesus?
Before going on
with the Shabbat, I want to speak about “The Name”, and what I have to say may
surprise some. As you noticed in my Newsletters I use the name “Yeshua”. But
do I have a problem with the name “Jesus”? Absolutely not, I was saved under
that name, I’ve seen God do great miracles under that name, and you most likely
have as well. But, if your name is Jack or Joe in English, when you get to
Israel your name does not change to Yockov or Yoseph. (The Jewish equivalent).
God can speak all known and un-known languages. God knows if you’re talking to
Him, He knows your heart and every thought. So who are we trying to impress,
each other? We must get past all this superficial, spiritual pride look at me
attitude. Just get real with God, and yourself.
But to close
this subject, I want to say this, surely God is pleased when we reach out to Him
in truth, and when we know the Messiah’s Name was Yeshua and we use it, I know
that pleases God. So it’s between you and God, not you and me, or you and
anyone else. It is like accepting God’s Holiday that He set aside, instead of
the pagan ones, like Christ-Mass, or Easter. You somehow must realize this,
without Jewish Roots there is no Christianity, only a pagan form of it.
Our lives are
full of hurry up, and stress, bills, the need to succeed, to have more of
everything, and family problems. I have heard it said that life is about 10%,
10% & 80%, 10% is the pits, 10% great joy, and 80% humdrum. And not full of God,
as it should be. I don’t know if I agree with those numbers, but they could be
pretty close for most people. But my point is God knew we needed a weekly time
out, a time to rest “Shabbat” a time to reflect on God and to worship and praise
Him. A time for family away from the other six days that do us so much damage.
The Sabbath is a gift from God, it is a way to keep your sanity, and too keep
your values in their proper perspectives. It is a gift that leads us to a
closer walk with our Creator. It is a way of ushering peace into our homes. It
is your responsibility to celebrate and preserve it.
It seems that
some “Christians” Have problems with such things as the lighting of candles,
these same “Christians” have no problems with a Christ-Mass Tree, or the Easter
Bunny with a Basket full of Eggs. But let’s take a look at this custom of the
women of the house lighting the Candles just before the Sabbath begins.
In ancient
times, before clocks, they would blow the Shofar to say it is time to light the
Candles for the Sabbath just before dark on Friday night. As it is forbidden to
start a fire on the Sabbath. So the Women of the house has been chosen to light
the candles, why you may ask? Because Eve, the first mother, extinguished the
light of eternal life by disobeying God’s command not to eat from the tree of
the knowledge of good and evil. Gen. 2:17 this tradition of lighting candles
has continued through out all the generations. There are two candles (White)
should be lit. One represents “Creation” the other “Redemption” they may also
be symbolic of “Remember” and “Observe”. It is also good to remember that God
chose another mother Mary to bring forth the Light of the World. John 8:12.
The women of the
house closes her eyes and covers them with her hands after lighting the candles,
when she opens them, her eyes are blessed by the lighted candles. By this we
remember the separation of darkness and the light of Creation. Gen. 1: 3-4 the
candles are left to burn until the go out by on their own. To the Believer this
is a beautiful celebration setting on the Sabbath table each week, It’s symbolic
of Creation, which Sabbath celebrates, and Redemption – Yeshua the Light of the
World…
Well I guess for
all the good Baptist, this is where you get off. A goblet of wine is placed
near the candleholders on the table. The wine symbolizes life! The wine also
symbolizes joy! And the goblet is full. But more important it represents the
shed blood of Yeshua. At this time a prayer called the Kiddush is said, I will
add this Kiddush at the end of this report.
Sabbath bread is
called “Challah” (pronounced hal-la with a gutteral “ch”) that is a term used in
the Tenach (Old Testament) for new dough. Which was a requirement to be
represented as a “gift unto the Lord” (Num. 15:17-21) The bread is braided, like
folded arms, meaning you can’t work with folded arms, you are at rest. In
Leviticus 24:5-9 you will discover the law that loaves of bread be placed on the
Alter before the Lord. According to verse 8 this was to be done on the Sabbath
as a sign of an everlasting covenant between God has His people Israel. In the
Tabernacle the twelve loaves were called face bread, meaning that it bought us
to a face to face relationship with God. It meant fellowship with the
Almighty. There are two loaves placed on the table, symbolic of the double
portion of manna which God provided every Friday Night in the 40 years in the
wilderness.
The bread is
covered under a special covering, it is symbolic of the dew the Israelites had
when they woke in the desert, and were reminded again that God always provides.
This all comes home to Believers when we realize that the Messiah said; “I am
the bread of life” John 6:48.
Well I could go
on and on, but I will just enclose the Kiddush, it is a short abbreviated one
but one easy for a beginner to follow.
I have been
asked to help in putting together a Friday Night Kiddush (Friday Night Service)
that is preformed in every Jewish home in the world. So what follows is a basic
one that anyone could follow. It might be interesting to note that all the
early Believers did this as well, until the Catholic made it illegal to do it.
If Yeshua HaMashiah, (Jesus the Messiah) were to
be with you in the flesh this Friday night at sundown. The following is what
He would want you to do. Because Jesus did Kiddush or one much like it, every
Friday night of His life here on earth. When the sun goes down on Friday
night, the Sabbath begins.
The Lady of the house lights the two candles, they
represent Creation and Redemption. She recites the following. (This is the
Messianic Version)
Baruch ata Adonai Elahainu Melech Ha-Olam Asher
Kidshanu Votav, Vtzibanu L’hiyoht Or Lagayim V’natan Lanu Yeshua Mishikanu Or
La Olam.
Blessed are you, O Lord our God, Ruler of the
universe Who sanctified us by Your commandments, and commanded us to be a light
for the nations and gave us Yeshua our Messiah, the light of the world.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We now sing
the “Shema”
Sh’ma Yisreal, Adonai Elohainu, Adonnai Achad.
Hear O’ Israel the Lord, God is One God.
Sing it three times
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Blessing over the wine, or if you prefer grape juice.
Baruch Ata Adonai Elohainu Melech Ha-Olam Borai
Pri Ha-Gafin.
Blessed art Thou, Lord or God, King of the
Universe, Who creates the fruit of the vine.
Blessing over the Bread
Baruch Ata Adonai Elohainu Melech Ha-Olam Ha-Motzi
Lehem Min Ha-Aretz.
Blessed art Thou, Lord our God, King of the
Universe, Who brings forth bread from the earth.
The Lady covers her head with
a scarf when lighting the candles, with her eyes closed, the Jewish men wear a
Kippah, (Yamake)
The Rabbi says, the Sabbath
does not begin until the women opens her eyes. Legally it begins when you can
count three stars. But, when the sun goes down it is Sabbath (Saturday)
For those who do this, they
will notice it pleases God. The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the
Sabbath. So there is no bondage in doing this, it is an act of love towards the
Creator. It says to God, thank you for the Sabbath Father.
Shalom, jerry golden
The Shofar
Posted: Wednesday,
December 31, 2003
- written by Jerry Golden
12/2003
The Rams Horn
When you find the word Trumpet or Trump, in the Bible, the Hebrew word is Shofar.
The blessings of God are many, and unfortunately many have been taken from the Church. Not only have the Holidays of God been replaced with pagan ones, but many of the joys of worship and praise as well. For those who discover these truths find great joy. I believe the Shofar is one such joy and expression of love and obedience to God and His Word that has been taken from us.
God blows the Shofar
God Himself blew the Shofar when Moses was on Mt. Sinai Ex. 19:16, and the voice of the Shofar exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled. God will blow it Himself again at the coming of the Messiah, I-Thessalonians. 4:16, For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with a trump (Shofar) of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first. We also find in Zechariah 9:14 And the Lord shall be seen over them, and his arrow shall go forth as the lightning: and the Lord God shall blow the Shofar and shall go with whirlwinds of the south.
There is something about the blowing of the Shofar that has the ability to awaken the inner man, the door opens for the Holy Spirit to enter in. It provokes prayer like nothing else can.
Psalm 98:6, God tells us it is to be used to call us to worship, and to praise Him for His salvation.
Psalm 150:3, God said to praise Him with the Shofar.
I-Chronicles 29:26-28, God says to use it as a call to worship.
Josh 6:4 –20, The Wall of Jericho came down when they blew the Shofars.
Judges 7:20, and they held the lamps in their left hands, and the Shofars in their right hands to blow withal:
Judges 7:22, And the three hundred blew the Shofars,
So we find in the Word, not only has God given us reason to blow the Shofar but He has set the example by blowing it for us on occasions and promises in I-Corinthians 15:52
In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last Shofar: for the Shofar shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.The Christian and the Shofar.
This is just something you may find interesting, there are many similarities between a Christian and a Shofar. Certain Rabbis are specially trained to make the Shofar, for it to be Kosher. He begin with a rough Rams Horn, it isn’t much to look at, at this point, but he begins by using a special Anointing Oil to start rubbing and working with it.
We are not much to look at either when God first gets us. By One Spirit are we all baptized into one Body, whether we are Jew or Gentile. The Holy Spirit, the Anointing Oil of God begins to do a work in our lives.
As the Rabbi works with this rough Rams Horn, it begins to smooth it out, and before long he begins to see himself in the reflection.
You see, it takes a lot of work for most of us to begin reflecting the image of God in our lives, but the Masters hand keeps working with us until He too can see Himself in His handy work.
Once the Rabbi sees the outside begins to look good, he then begin to pull out the flesh from inside the Horn, with loving care he reaches deep inside the horn and pulls out the old flesh until only what he wants there is left.
Before God can use any of us, He first requires the flesh to be laid at the Alter, and God too begins to tear the flesh away, and replaces it with His Spirit, and His love.
Then the Rabbi sees that his work is good, and decides to make a mouth peace that he may blow his breath through it, and out will come a sound that will call God’s people to prayer and worship. A sound so mighty that the enemy will flee from it. That walls will be torn down and mighty works will be done in God’s Name.
So, like the Shofar, God will begin to speak through His children once they have surrendered over to Him. He will pour out His Spirit the His Ruach Ha Kodesh (The Breath of God) and it will come forth with power and men will be saved and Yeshua will be lifted up high for all to see.
I must tell you that I felt the anointing of God while writing this and learned things from God while in the process.
Shalom, jerry golden
Tizitzith
Posted: Wednesday, October
27, 2004
- written by jerry golden
10/2004
TIZITZITH
She touched the hem of His garment.
I know, already you’re saying, that is a hard word to pronounce. The King James Version translates this word “hem, garment, or fringes.” Have you ever wondered why when the Lady touched the hem of His (the Messiah’s) garment she was made whole? There is a serious word study here that can bless you real good. But you’re going to have to stay with me. Because you first have to understand the Jewish word Tizitzith, in fact, you will have to try to understand the Jewishness of the Messiah to some degree. Because what this lady touched was the Tizitzith of Yeshua.
The Mitzvah (good deed) of Tzitzith is mentioned twice in the Torah (first five books of the Bible). First in Numbers 15:38-40 “Speak unto the children of Israel, and bid them that they make fringes in their garments throughout their generations, and that they put upon the fringes of the borders a ribband of blue: And it shall be unto you as a fringe, that ye may look upon it, and remember all the commandments of the Lord, and do them; and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which you use to go a whoring: That ye may remember, and do all my commandments, and be holy unto your God.”
Deuteronomy 22:12 Thou shalt make thee fringes (Tziztzith) upon the four quarters of thy vesture, wherewith thou coverest thyself.
The High Priest would wear a Golden Plate on his forehead with the words “Holy unto God” it was called “Tzitz”. This would Tzitz comes from a root word in Hebrew that means to gaze upon. So the word itself means it is to be seen and something to be gazed upon. The Word of God goes further and describes that every mans Tzitzith (Fringes) is a model of the high priest’s Tzith or Golden plate, and should be seen by all, or gazed upon by all.
So the word in Hebrew “Tzitzith” alludes to the 613 precepts of Torah. For those of you who like numbers, the numerical value of Tzitzith is 600, add to that, 8 for the number of threads, then 5 for the number of knots, and you have the 613. Isn’t it wonderful to know that God always works things out to perfection!
The garment we are talking about is a small undergarment that has four corners and from each corner hangs a set of 8 strings with 5 knows in each. It is commonly called a “Talith Katan” meaning small Prayer Shaw. It is worn by orthodox Jews. The regular full size Prayer Shaw also has the same four corners with the 8 strings and each having 5 knots. It is called in Hebrew Talith Gadol, meaning large Prayer Shaw.
There are by the way fringes on all 4 corners of the garment, there are 8 strings to each fringe, one of which was to be blue. In each of the four fringes there are 5 knots. So lets take a look at these numbers. The number 4 in the Word always speak unto the world. So here we see that God is saying something to the entire world. The number 8 always says something about new beginnings, and this color of blue speaks to the color of the Oceans which is the color of the Heavens and therefore speaks of Heavenly Kingdom and Godly things. The number 5 is the number of Grace. So what is God saying to the world through Tizitzith, He is saying that through Grace, He will give you a New beginning.
So armed with this new information, let’s look at Matt. 9;20 “And, behold a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem (Tzitzith) of His garment.”
Again we read in Matt. 14: 36 “And besought Him that they might only touch the hem (Tzitzith) of His garment; and as many as touched were made whole.
So now lets look numerically at the Lady who touched the Tzitzith (Hem) of His garment. By Grace (5) she received a new beginning (8) from God (blue string). I know it’s a play on numbers but you have to admit it’s most interesting.
But the one thing you can be absolutely certain about, Yeshua “Jesus” always wore the Tiztzith on his garments and on his Prayer Shaw. They hung down in plain site for all to see, and this is what the Lady would have touched.
There are Jewish commentaries that go on and on from Rabbi’s of old, but all that would bore most non-Jewish Believers. So what I have given you is the drift of what is being said from a Jewish point of view. And after all we are talking about a Jewish Book, (the Bible) written by Jews, for Jews, and about the greatest Jew or man that has ever lived. So maybe to understand Jewish things would help you understand the Word of God.
Shalom, Jerry Golden
To be a Jew
Posted: Wednesday, October
27, 2004
- written by jerry golden
10/2004
Jerry Golden "REPORT"
PO Box 10268
Jerusalem 91102 Israel
4-26-02
To be a Jew who knows Yeshua!
With the news coming out of Europe of all the anti-Semitism, memories of past
years have occupied my day. Remembering childhood events can be painful for a
Jewish boy raised in the 40's. It was 1948 or 49 I was 8 or 9 years old living
in my Grandparents home, we were Jews in a neighborhood of gentiles and it
seemed that no one could understand why or how Jews could be living there.
Possibly I should begin three years earlier, my mother had married a gentile
after the death of my Father, and the Ku Klux Klan came to our home late one
night, they nearly killed my step father just because he had married a Jewish
women. They dishonored my mother in our front yard by ripping her cloths off,
and spitting on her, I was 5 maybe 6 years old and when I ran to her they threw
me on the ground then kicked me, breaking my ribs. All this because we were
Jews. They called themselves white red-blooded Christian men, my first real
introduction to Christianity.
But, it was evening and I heard my grandmother crying and saying over and over,
why, why, why. As I eased to the top of the stairs I could see my grandfather
standing in the middle of the room holding my grandmother in his arms as she
cried. Then I heard her say, they must all be dead, Hitler killed them all, I
know he did, or we would have heard from them. Where is God she asks does He no
longer hear us as we cry out for Him? Has He chosen us Jews only to suffer and
be the ones who always must be killed? So let Him chose someone else, do us a
favor God chose someone else please she would say over and over. Those she was
crying over were our family who never made it out of Germany, and died in the
Nazi concentration camps.
My childhood was filled with horror stories of the Holocaust, I could fill many
pages but I will save that for another day. Yesterday I received several emails
from Belgium, France, and Germany all of them telling of the violence and hatred
towards us Jews. All of them comparing what is happening today with what
happened just before the Second World War. How Jews are being beaten and even
killed, Jewish homes and Synagogues are being burned. On the phone with a Rabbi
in Belgium who told me that he couldn't allow his wife and children to even walk
down the street alone, for fear of losing them to those who hate Jews.
After my Bar Mitzvah at the age of 13, I decided enough was enough, and I denied
my Jewishness. For the next 15 years I ran from it not wanting to acknowledge
that I was Jewish. In 1968 an 80 year old man, Mr. Frank Graham, came to me and
introduced me to the Jew who loved me so much that He died for me. A few days
later after fighting God and the Holy Spirit I found myself on my knees crying
tears of joy and repentance's. And the Ruach Ha Kodesh moved in my heart of
stone and gave me a new heart, but not just a new heart but a renewed Jewish
one. For I didn’t meet a gentile Jesus, but a Jewish Messiah, Yeshua. Once
again I found I was a Jew, and inside of me awoke a desire to know this Jew who
died for me, who shed His blood for a worthless Jew who had turned his back on
his own people. And even on Him who had now appeared to him as God.
After a few years of walking with Yeshua, lead by the Ruach Ha Kodesh God gave
me a beautiful Jewish wife (Connie) who loved Yeshua. Our kids are grown and
each of them love and serve Yeshua. I knew I had a debt to pay, we had to raise
our kids in Israel, as Jews who knew Him as the God of Abraham, Isaac and
Jacob. That all those in my family who my grandmother was crying for that night
would have their bloodline in the land God had promised them. That through the
family God has given me, a promise could be realized for each of those who
Hitler had murdered, it would be their victory.
So let it be known, that until the day I die, I will not only proclaim that I am
a follower in Yeshua Ha Mashiach (Jesus the risen Messiah) but that I am a Jew.
There are many things happening in Israel and the world I could have written
about today, but I just felt this needed to be said.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, for our son Joel, for the IDF soldiers, for this Ministry and your part in it. Shabbat Shalom, jerry golden.