The Example to Follow

Did Jesus go out to "meet and greet" people, getting to know them before he started to teach the Word of God?  Did he sidestep issues of the day so as not to be labeled a "Torah Thumper"?

I don't think so.

He came loaded with knowledge, understanding, love and truth and wasted no time with 'ear tickling' in an attempt to win people over.

Y'shua was known by his reputation. From a young age he was very knowledgeable of Scripture. Later he became known as a teacher and a healer, and some speculated he was possibly the son of Elohim - others knew without a doubt.  People were drawn to him, some out of curiosity, some to hear his teachings for themselves, or to be healed of their ailments, or because they recognized the Good Shepherd's Voice and responded to the calling.

His disciples were eventually sent out to people who were ready to hear about the kingdom to come. The disciples were instructed not to waste their time with the unrepentant ones, knock the dust off their feet, take their shalom and move on.  Today they may have been called "Torah Terrorists".

"Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is near."

Are we to consider ourselves as 'fishers of men' or does that only apply if we are indeed in the fishing industry to begin with?  It was a snappy saying Y'shua used on Simon and Andrew who were fishing at the time Y'shua called to them. It worked - those brothers dropped their nets and followed after him.  Later he saw two other brothers, James and John, sitting in a boat fixing their nets and Y'shua called them as well. They dropped what they were doing and went after him.  

They followed Y'shua through Galilee where he taught in their assemblies. They were amazed by his teachings because he taught as an authority, not like the scribes. He preached the Hope of the Kingdom and he healed every disease and sickness among the people.  His fame was heard in all Syria. Quite a crowd of people ended up following him. (Matthew 4:18-25; Mark 1:16-22;) By now he is starting to get on the nerves of the Pharisees and some scribes - he was a threat to their long held position of authority and power.

Later on he sees Levi (Matthew) sitting at the custom house and said, Come, follow me! and he did. Y'shua went up a mountain and called on those whom he desired and they came to him. He called 12 to be with him, to preach and be authorities to heal the sick and cast out demons.

Simon, whom he called Peter;

James and John, brothers he called the 'sons of thunder';

Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Tomas,

James, Thaddeus, Simon and Judas

They, who had been reading Yah's Instructions and the writings of the Prophets, had been waiting for 'Immanuel' (Yahshua). By their knowledge of Scriptures (ye old testament) they recognized prophecy being fulfilled before their very eyes! They recognized the Good Shepherd's voice.

Through our continued study and reading of His Word we, too, shall be prepared to recognize the Good Shepherd when he calls. Then, without hesitation, without question, we drop what we are doing and follow him.

Yahshua the Anointed One taught these things:

Blessed are they who are poor in spirit, who are mourning, and meek because theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven where they will be comforted, and they will inherit the earth. 

Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness because they will be satisfied. 

Blessed are they who are merciful and pure in their hearts because mercies shall be upon them and they will see Elohim 

Blessed are they who make peace because they will be called the sons of Elohim. 

Blessed are they who are persecuted because of righteousness because theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. 

Blessed are you whenever they curse you and they persecute you and they say every evil word about you falsely because of me.  Then rejoice and be glad because your reward in heaven is great for likewise they persecuted the prophets of days gone by. 

You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt should become bland, with what would it become seasoned? For anything not fit is but to be thrown outside and be trodden by man. You are the light of the world. It is not possible to hide a city that is built on a mountain.  Let your light shine like this in front of the sons of man that they should see your works good and they glorify your Father who is in Heaven. 

Do not think that I have come to loosen (do away with) Torah of the prophets; I have not come to loosen but to fulfill (to perform my duty). For truly I say to you  that until heaven and earth pass away not one Yodh (dot) or one stroke will pass from Torah until everything happens. (He did not replace the Father or His Instructions)  All who loosen therefore from one of these small commandments and teach others to do the same will be called little in the Kingdom of heaven but all who do and teach this will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. For I say to you that unless your righteousness exceeds more than that of the scribes and the Pharisees you will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

Was Y'shua Born During Sukkot?

I have been researching this 'assumption' for quite some time, and today I found the additional information needed to finally bring this to a satisfying conclusion:

Question: Was Y'shua born during the Feast of Sukkot?

Answer: No

😊

Matthew 2:1 tells us Y'shua was born in Bethlehem (City of David) during the time Herod was king. The Magi were known astronomers, originally taught by Daniel the prophet while in Babylon. They knew the signs to watch for, and had been traveling in order to witness the prophecy that was becoming a reality.

Luke 2:1 tells us a decree from Augustus Caesar went out that the names of all the people of his dominion should be written down. Everyone went to his own city to be registered. Joseph was from Bethlehem, from the house and clan of David which is why he took his bride, who was pregnant, there to be registered.

Luke 2:12 tells us a Messenger/Angel appeared to the shepherds in that region where they lodge and keep watch at night over their flocks. They were told of the birth of the savior that is Master YHWH the Mashiyach* in the City of David (Bethlehem). The shepherds went to see this miracle and spread the word.

Matthew 2:2 - Where is the one who has been born King of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him."

Through the course of this study I have not found in Scriptures any report that states, infers or alludes to Y'shua being born during the time of Sukkot. It seems it could have been a good idea for Herod to time the census along with one of the feasts that had all Israelites gathered in one location; but it would be unlikely that the followers of Yah would break the command to assemble in Jerusalem for Sukkot in order to gather at their own hometowns instead. Besides, only the males attended Sukkot and it was every 7th year that the entire household traveled to Jerusalem for this gathering.

Deuteronomy 16:16 -- Three times in a year all your males shall appear before YHWH your Elohim in the place which He chooses: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread and at the Feast of Weeks and at the Feast of Booths (Sukkot)

The knowledge I have been lacking was in regards to astronomy: the 'signs' that are recorded as prophecy, which were taught by Daniel, the same signs the magi had been paying attention to.  Even an angel of Elohim saw fit to bring this to the attention of the shepherds.

Genesis 1:14 - Yah said, "Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to separate day from night; they shall serve as signs for the set times - the days and the years; and they shall serve as lights in the expanse of the sky to shine  upon the earth... 

Jeremiah 23:5 - "The days are coming", declares Yahweh, "when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land.

Isaiah 7:14 - Therefore YHWH Himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

700 years later, John writes this:

Revelation 12:1 - And a great wonder was seen in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet and on her head a crown of twelve stars. And, being with child, she cried and labored, and had the pangs of giving imminent birth.

Matthew 16:1 - And the Pharisees and the Sadducees drew near (Yahshua) tempting him and asking him for a sign from heaven to show them.  But he answered, "When it becomes evening you say 'It is clear, for the sky is red.'  And in the morning you say, 'Today it is winter for the sky is a gloomy red.' Hypocrites! You know how to observe the appearance of the sky. The signs of this time you do no know how to discern. An evil and adulterous generation request a sign and a sign will not be given to it except the sign of Jonah the prophet. (Three days and three nights scenario)

What I have read (links provided below) suggests Y'shua was born a full two weeks before Sukkot, as reckoned with the 'signs' in heaven.  This would place his birth on Yom Teruah = Feast of Trumpets = first day of the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar (Sept. on modern day calendars). 

Here are the links to the study of Scripture and astronomical events that preceded the birth of Y'shua, (a deep study which I am still reviewing, but felt compelled to share at this time) both the web page and the PDF:

Torah Calendar

Signs and the Birth of Mashiyach

(Also, the book, Wheel of Stars, by Andrew Gabriel Roth is worth adding to one's library for further study and reference.)

I think it is interesting to note that at the head of Bethula is the Lion constellation:


Is it the Crown of 12 Stars?  I will need to search that idea out some more.

Y'shua, the Lion of Judah, will be king and selected his 12 Apostles to be seated as judges when that day comes.

Genesis 49:8
Judah, your brothers shall praise you; your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies; your father's sons shall bow down to you. Judah is a lion's whelp; from the prey, my son, you have gone up. He couches, he lies down as a lion, And as a lion, who dares rouse him up? The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes, and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.…

Revelation 5:5
And one of the elders says to me, "Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, has overcome to open the scroll and its seven seals."

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The other study I've been working on ties in with this timeline through the research of priests and their duties.  The one known as John the Baptist is our starting point.  Here's is what I have learned:

In the story leading up to Yahshua's inception, Mary went to visit her cousin, Elizabeth, who was six months pregnant with John. It is through this account, found in Luke, chapter 1, that we are able to more closely fix the date of the birth of Messiah.

Luke indicates that Elizabeth’s husband was Zechariah and a priest of the course of Abia. While on duty, as a priest, he was visited by an angel and informed his wife was to have a son to be named John. After his obligations to the ministry ended, he departed to his house. He and Elizabeth conceived a child.

In order to fix the time of conception, one must look to the time of Zacharias’ ministry. At that time, the priests were divided into 24 classes and it is known that each class officiated at the Temple in turn for a week. If it is known at which time any one of the courses officiated it is a simple matter to trace the times of the succession of courses backward or forward.

During Elizabeth’s sixth month of pregnancy (4th week of December), the angel Gabriel visited Mary and informed her that she was going to have a son to be named Yahshua. Mary goes to visit her cousin, and stayed with her about three months.

Using these facts: Zacharias’ ministry, Elizabeth’s pregnancy term and Mary’s visit at the start of Elizabeth's sixth month; we discover the conception of Y'shua would have been in the first part of the last week of December and his birth occurring sometime in September - not December 25th.

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I decided to keep the historical/political evidence I have been collecting when I first began my search to discover the month of the census.  I have yet to pinpoint the time frame but have learned some interesting facts nonetheless, so decided to keep this info intact for reference and further research.  This is time consuming for my pea-brain, but will be updated whence I get back to it.  Please feel free to leave any comments below that will help with the study of this time line.

In 27 B.C. the Senate voted Octavian the name Augustus. It also gave him legal power to direct Rome's religious, civil, and military affairs, with the Senate as an advisory body. Augustus Caesar ruled between 27 BC and 12 AD and commanded a census during the time that Qurinius/Cyrenius was governor of Persia (Iran/Afghanistan). Augustus died Aug. 19th 14 AD.

Cyrenius is Governor of Syria During the Census

Luke 2:1 And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria. 

"So Archelaus's country was laid to the province of Syria; and Cyrenius, one that had been consul, was sent by Caesar to take account of people's effects in Syria. Cyrenius came himself into Judea, which was now added to the province of Syria, to take an account of their substance." - Josephus - Antiquities of the Jews - Book 18

"That had been consul" - This lends credibility to the fact of Cyrenius possibly ruling as governor of Syria on more than one occasion. See Judas of Galilee and Theudas - Acts 5

Herod the Great ruled between 37 BC and 4 BC until his death from his awful afflictions... he died 5 days after he ordered his son, Antipater who was in jail, to be slain. Herod began rule in Galilee in the 15th and 25th year of his age (research this more). When did he command the death of baby boys in and around Bethlehem which were 2 years old and younger, thinking to kill the prophesied king, Y'shua? Herod became sick when he was 70 years old. How long was he ill until his death? Yah tells Joseph and Mary to take the boy and flee to Egypt. They stay in Egypt until Herod dies. Yah tells them to return to Israel, to the land of Galilee, where they settled in Nasrath. How long did they stay in Egypt? (Matthew 2:14)

Matthias was High Priest during the end of Herod's life. Judas was Matthias' son. I have read that Herod had them burned alive for tearing down the golden eagle he had put above the entrance to the temple as a 'gift to god'. It is recorded that there was a lunar eclipse at that time. The date is said to be March 13th in the Julian year of 4710 -the 4th year before the 'christian era'. 

Judah Maccabee was the leader of the Jews in their struggle for independence in the 100's B.C. He was the son of a priest named Mattathias from the ancient city of Modin. His family is known as the Hasmoneans in the rabbinic texts. Judah's story is told in the Book of 1 Maccabees in the Apocrypha. 

At that time, the Jews were subjects of the Seleucid Empire, one of the states formed out of Alexander the Great's empire. The Seleucid king, Antiochus IV (called Epiphanes), wanted his subjects to adopt Greek culture and customs. Many Jews did this, almost to the point of abandoning their religion. But others resisted. 

Antiochus also wanted to get possession of the treasures in the Temple. In 168 or 167 B.C., angered by Jewish resistance to his policy, he entered Jerusalem, killed many of the people, and defiled the Temple by building an altar to a pagan god there. This is known as the Abomination of Desolation in the Gospels and in the Book of Daniel.

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Y'shua's birthday wasn't even celebrated until the early 300s. This is a tradition and not one of Yah's set apart times for us to observe. No one is to celebrate birth days year after year.