Battle of The Gods - 10 Plagues - Mal 3:6

I did a Google search to see what the definition of plagues were and this is what I got.

• a serious (sometimes fatal) infection of rodents caused by Yersinia pestis and accidentally transmitted to humans by the bite of a flea that has ...
• any epidemic disease with a high death rate
• infestation: a swarm of insects that attack plants; "a plague of grasshoppers"
• blight: cause to suffer a blight; "Too much rain may blight the garden with mold"
• any large scale calamity (especially when thought to be sent by God)

I think you get the picture and it's not pretty! Well here is what the Late Paul Harvey would call, The Rest of The Story.

We know that the Pharaoh would not let God's people go and as a result paid a hefty price for his cold heart. So starting in Exodus 7: 19-25 we read about the start of the plagues that GOD had released on the Egyptians. But when digging deeper we learn the meaning behind these plagues. The Egyptians had many gods that they worshiped and each plague correlates with a particular god. The following is a list of the plagues (and verses where they can be found) and also the names of the Gods that the plague went against.

Plague	Bible Verse	Egyptian God
Water to Blood	Exodus 7:19-25	Hapi
Frogs	Exodus 7:19-25	Heqet
Gnats	Exodus 8:16	Kephi
Flies	Exodus 8:20-32	Atum
Diseases of Cattle	Exodus 9:1-7	Hathor
Boils	Exodus 9:8-17	Im-Hotep
Hail	Exodus 9:18-35	Nut
Locusts	Exodus 10:1-20	Seth
Darkness	Exodus 10:1-20	Amon-Ra
Death of Firstborn	Exodus 11 & 12:36	Horus/Pharoah

Now if you read in Joshua 2:10-11 and Joshua 3, you will read all about the crossing of the Jordan. For those folks from the land of Caanan, they worshiped the god of storms and rain who was called "BAAL". Baal won his dominance by defeating the other deities, including the god of the sea, the god of storms (also of rain, thunder & lightning), and the god of death. Baal's victory over death was thought to be repeated each year when he returned from the land of death (underworld), bringing rain to renew the earth's fertility. Rahab and the people were terrified since the GOD of Israel controls the water and the flood Baal was defeated.



Thanks to the following people for their help with this posting. Rabbi John Ferret who without him I wouldn't even be doing this. Dave and Deena Peterson for their support and Bonnie Calhoun for her most wondrous help with HTML.

Why Celebrate The Holidays?

Why Celebrate the Biblical Holidays

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven. (Eccl. 3:1).

How much would you know about the Pilgrims without the celebration of Thanksgiving? Think about it. Would you remember Plymouth Rock, the Indians, the Mayflower? God gave us instructions to learn about His Story (History) through fun celebrations!

Paul wrote to the Gentile believers in Colossians 2:16-17 that the holidays are a shadow of things to come. Each of the spring holidays is a picture of Christ's first coming. Jesus was sacrificed for our sins on Passover, buried on Unleavened Bread, and arose on Firstfruits. The fall holidays are a picture of His second coming and the beginning of the Messianic reign.

Blueprints

The Festivals of God are blueprints for the plan of God. When you look at a set of blueprints for a house that is to be built, it is difficult to visualize what the house will look like when it is finished. It is hard to imagine all the details as a whole. But if you look at the blueprints for a house you are familiar with, perhaps the house you live in, then you can relate those plans to your own experience. You can fully visualize the whole of its completion, and the blueprints will help you see where the foundation is laid, where the pipes and cables run, and how the structure supports itself. It is the same with the Holidays of God. When we look at the spring festivals, we can look back at the first century and see how the prophetic elements of those festivals were fulfilled. We can see how the plan of God was carried out in perfection.

Each of the biblical holidays teaches us about our wonderful relationship with God. His whole redemption story is portrayed for us in these festivals. Passover pictures salvation or deliverance from Egypt (flesh or sin). Unleavened Bread shows us that God saved us in order that we may be holy and set apart for Him by putting off the old sin nature. Firstfruits teaches us the purpose of salvation: fruitfulness in the Kingdom of God (John 15:1-5) and putting on the new man, the nature of God (Eph. 4:24). The Feast of Weeks instructs us further concerning the kind of fruit we must bear spiritual fruit (Gal. 5:22-23) through the power of the Holy Spirit

Thanks to biblicalholidays.com for this article.

Pentecost or Shavuot

There are many names for the Feast of Weeks. It is identified in the Old Testament as the Feast of Weeks (Ex. 34:22) and the Feast of Harvest (Ex. 23:16). This feast is referred to as Latter Firstfruits. The Hebrew name is Shavuot (pronounced sha-voo-ote). The Greek name Pentecost is only found in the New Testament (Acts 2:1).

Pentecost is a major festival and has a dual significance: historical and agricultural, just as Passover and Tabernacles. Unlike Passover and Tabernacles, it is observed for only two days (only one in the Reform Movement). Pentecost marks the end of the barley harvest and beginning of the wheat harvest. Counting the days from the second day of Passover to Pentecost is called the “Counting of the Omer”. The cutting of the omer of the new barley marked the beginning of the counting period; on the fiftieth day, Pentecost is observed. Pentecost is a Greek word meaning fiftieth.

Pentecost is considered the closing festival of the Passover season (Ex. 34:22; Lev. 23:15; Deut. 16:9-10). This day is further referred to as “latter firstfruits” of the spring harvest. The “early firstfruits” (barley) were waved before the Lord during the Feast of Firstfruits (see Passover chapter) and the “latter firstfruits” (wheat) were offered unto the Lord during the Feast of Weeks. It is also referred to as the Day of the Congregation (Deuteronomy 18:16). Another name is Atserret, meaning stop or cease or conclusion of seven weeks of counting.

Pentecost is the only festival for which no specific date is given in the Bible. Rather, the people were instructed to count seven weeks “...from the morrow after the Sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf [omer] of the wave offering (Lev. 23:15). This holiday occurs in the months of May or June on the American calendar. It is the successful conclusion of the first wheat-growing season and the anniversary celebration of the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai.

It is a celebration to reawaken and strengthen personal relationships with God by rededication to the observance and study of the Torah — the most precious heritage. When Yahweh revealed Himself on Mount Sinai, His people heard His voice proclaiming the Ten Commandments. Then the Israelites pledged their allegiance to Yahweh by saying, “…All that the Lord has hath said will we do and be obedient” (Exod. 24:7).

Passover freed God’s people physically from bondage, but the giving of the Torah on Shavuot redeemed us spiritually from our bondage to idolatry and immorality. The Torah contains the Five Book of Moses, the Prophets, and the Writings.

Thanks to biblicalholidays.com for this article

Rosh Hashanah

Today's post is courtesy of First Fruits of Zion.

God never created a separate calendar with separate holy days for Gentiles. The biblical festivals are God's appointed times. Unless Gentile believers were meant to never have days of worship or religious festivals, the appointed times of the LORD are also meant for them.

And Abraham made a great feast. (Genesis 21:8)

The appointed times of the spring--Passover, Unleavened Bread, the Omer and Pentecost--have all seen some sort of Messianic fulfillment in the passion of our Master Yeshua and the giving of the Holy Spirit. The lull between the spring festivals and the fall festivals can be compared to the long years of waiting between Messiah's first coming and second coming. Appropriately, the appointed times of the fall commence with a trumpet blast. The first day of the seventh month is a special Sabbath. The Torah refers to it simply as a "reminder by blowing of trumpets." It is a day of trumpet blowing.

Just as Messiah's second coming will be heralded by the blast of trumpets, the first day of the seventh month begins with an appointed time referred to as the Feast of Trumpets.

For disciples of the Messiah, the Feast of Trumpets is a reminder of that appointed time yet to come when the Master "will send forth His angels with a great trumpet and they will gather together His elect from the four winds, from one end of the sky to the other." (Matthew 24:31). It is a day on which we anticipate the coming judgment, the trumpets of the book of Revelation, and the beginning of the end. It is a glimpse of the future, a shadow cast backward through time. As such, the Feast of Trumpets is relevant for everyone who believes in Messiah's return. It is an important festival for the all disciples of Yeshua.

In Jewish tradition, the Feast of Trumpets is called Rosh Hashanah, a title that literally means "Head of the Year." It is called Rosh Hashanah because the first day of the seventh month is regarded as the biblical new year. Unlike conventional, secular new year celebrations, the Jewish new year is not a drinking party. On the contrary, it is a day of sober reflection and introspection. We consider our behavior over the past twelve months and use the occasion to make amends, offer apologies and repent for our misdeeds. This process is an important part of the cycle of sanctification. The new year is a time for correcting the mistakes of the past and making resolutions to do better in the coming year. This cleaning-of-the-slate process is meant to prepare us for the holy Day of Atonement that comes ten days later.

Obviously the appointed times of Leviticus 23 should be celebrated by Jewish believers, but should they also be kept by Gentile believers? Of course! Gentile believers have a divine invitation to participate in the cycle of sanctification. If God is throwing a party, and He has invited all of His children, all of His children should come.

The biblical calendar is a wonderful gift. Observing the holy days infuses the entire year with sanctity and godliness. The festivals draw families and communities together and focus their attention on God. Moreover, each of the biblical festivals uniquely foreshadows the work of Messiah and the plan of redemption. The appointed times communicate deep spiritual lessons to those who practice them. Every festival draws us closer to the living God and His holy Son.

Shalom & Welcome

I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine. This has become my new slogan for life. My Father is calling me deeper and because of my love for HIM, I need to obey. Which is the reason for this blog. For a while I have had the idea of starting a blog but always dismissed it as I already have a place for music. But as time went on along with some nagging from my Daughter, I really felt like this is something I am supposed to do. So here I am with a place to share what I have been learning about my Rabbi Yeshua. Now before you ask, no I am not Jewish but I am a Spirit-Filled Gentile who is excited about learning everything he can about the Jewish roots of the bible and my Rabbi Jesus. My home church at this time is an Assembly of God church, but I am a follower of Yeshua Hamashiach and will always be. So keep checking back, I will be adding information as often as I can. The Father's richest blessings upon you!