Category: Appointments With God

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Appointments With God Discussions Passover Torah

Exodus 12: Instructions about Pesakh (Passover)

**Alt-text:** A graphic titled "Passover Checklist" with a large checkmark icon. On the left, a notepad-style list includes six items: 1. Remove the leaven 2. Select unblemished lamb 3. Slaughter at 3 p.m. 4. Mark doorposts with blood 5. Eat in haste 6. Burn the remains All items have checkmarks beside them. On the right side of the graphic, text reads: "Exodus 12: Instructions about Pesakh (Passover)." The background is a soft beige color.

As the 10th plague was set to begin against the first-born children and livestock of Mitsraim (Egypt), God told Moshe (Moses) the month with Pesakh (Passover) and the Exodus would be the beginning of Yisra’el’s year (Ex. 12:2). God told Moses of the particular rituals that are to happen during this first month, called Aviv (Ex. 12:3–11). This was relayed to them at the beginning of the month, a couple of weeks before the final plague.

There are particular housekeeping rituals that had to be done in advance as well. A particular goat or lamb had to be chosen, leavened items were to be removed from the home, etc. Moses gave all these instructions to the elders of Israel to help them prepare.

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Appointments With God Discussions Passover Torah

Hard Hearts and Sovereign Plans: Why Pharaoh Didn’t Listen

Here is the corrected version of the alt-text: A photo of an Egyptian Pharaoh wearing a ceremonial headdress with his hands over his ears. The title 'Hard Hearts and Sovereign Plans: Why Pharaoh Didn't Listen' is centered at the top of the graphic, and the words 'Exodus 7–8' appear in the lower right corner.

The 10 plagues against Mitsraim (Egypt) were judgments against the false deities of the land, to show the descendants of Yisra’el (Israel) and the people of the land Who was the true God.

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Appointments With God Chanukah Discussions

8 miraculous women of Chanukah

8 miraculous women of Chanukah: Sarah, Rivka (Rebekah), Raqel (Rachel), Shimshon's (Samson's) mother, Channah (Hannah), Shunami (Shunammite) woman, Elisheva (Elizabeth) and Miriam (Mary)

The eight days of Chanukah (Festival of Dedication, John 10:22–39), historically parallel the eight days of Sukkot (Festival of Tabernacles). But there is a startling parallel to eight women in the Bible for whom having children would have been miraculous — including the mother of Yeshua (Jesus) — yet these women dedicated themselves to God’s mission to restore the Earth.

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Apostolic Writings Appointments With God Chanukah Discussions Prophets and Writings Torah

It’s all about Yeshua: Multilayered message of God’s Living Temple of hope for humanity

Yeshua/Jesus cleanses the Temple of money changers and merchants. (Photo by LUMO project via Freebibleimages.org.)

It used to be common to ask, “What would Jesus do?” Well, why did Yeshua visit God’s House on an extrabiblical Jewish festival — Chanukah — to make one of the most startling statements about God’s love for humanity? Why did the “disciple whom Iesous loved” record it? Rather than focus on layers upon layers of manmade tradition about a winter celebration of the birth of Yeshua, let’s dig through a number of layered messages that actually are in the Bible about God’s dedicating of a Living Temple — the Messiah — among humanity that could never again by left desolate or destroyed.

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Appointments With God Discussions Tabernacles The Eighth Day

Shmini Atseret (convocation of the Eighth Day) pictures new beginnings

Studies in Torah

The common name for the day following seven days of Sukkot (Festival of Tabernacles) is Shmini Atseret in Hebrew, or “Assembly of the Eighth (Day).” The day also is called Simchat Torah, Hebrew for “joy of the Torah,” based on the centuries old practice in synagogues of restarting the cycle of Torah readings at that time.

Shmini Atseret is a bookend to the miqra qodesh on the first day of Sukkot. Its place following Sukkot suggests that God wants to memorialize what is planned for when the time period of “wandering” in these mortal bodies and rebellious minds finally comes to an end, and humankind enters total lasting “rest.”

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Apostolic Writings Appointments With God Discussions Tabernacles The Eighth Day

Finding ‘The Prophet’ Yeshua the Messiah during Sukkot

Studies in Torah

Yeshua (Jesus) kept the festival of Sukkot (Tabernacles), but the only record of that is His keeping the latter part of it (John 6:26-7:41). During the Feast of Tabernacles, the people were looking for the Prophet like Moshe (Moses), but did they recognize the Prophet? Do we recognize the Prophet when we memorialize the past, present and future of God “tabernacling” with mankind?

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Apostolic Writings Appointments With God Discussions Tabernacles

Sukkot lesson for the coming Kingdom: What is a ‘believer’?

Studies in Torah

I was asked recently, “Is he a believer?” Who is a “believer”? What is “unbelief”? The Messiah and the apostle Paul spoke about “unbelief.” But what did it mean 2,000 years ago?

One of the lessons about the forthcoming physical presence of the Kingdom of God on Earth in the future, which is foreshadowed through the memorial of Sukkot (Festival of Tabernacles), is that “believers” have learned the judgments of God to teach them to others. When His judgments arrive in person, they will establish righteousness on Earth.