The fierce anger of Yahweh will not turn back
accomplishes the purposes of his heart. In days to come you will
understand this.
—Jer 30:24 NIV
Is the day in question (found only once in in the New Testament, Rev 1:10) referring to the time of the Messiah’s return? (Rev 1:3, 7, 8) Is the idea of trumpet blowing mentioned in verse 10 significant? (1 Thes 4:16; 1 Cor 15:52) Are trumpets mentioned in Revelation signifying great tribulation on the earth? (Rev 8:7-Rev 9:14) Does the last trump ultimately show the Messiah taking full command over all nations? (Rev 11:15-19)
Did Yahshua rise from the tomb on Sunday, therefore making a new Sabbath day? (Matt 28:1-6; Mark 16:2-6)
Note: It is important to understand the High Sabbaths and when they occur. For example, the first day after Passover is the first day of Unleavened Bread. The first day of Unleavened Bread is a High Sabbath, Lev 23:5-7; Mark 15:42. The preparation day (Matt 27:62; John 19:31, 42) is the day before the High Sabbath. We can clearly see Mark 16:1, in context, is referring to the High Sabbath. The spices purchased on Friday then would have been prepared and brought after the weekly Sabbath to the tomb. Upon entering the tomb they did not find Him, because, “He has [already] risen; He is not there,” Mark 16:6.
Where did the idea of Sunday worship come from? (Acts 20:29-31; 2 Peter 2:1)
Note: Not only have there been false teachings that have crept in, but also an affixation with pagan rituals, combining false worship with true. It’s called syncretism and it is at the root of many false teachings today including Sun-day worship. From powerful pagan rulers, such as Hadrian and Constantine I (see references/insets on 2nd page), believers would have had a hard time keeping their doctrine pure as many embraced falsehood. Sun worship has influenced not only Sabbath keeping, but has also influenced the change of Scriptural times such as Passover to be something worshipped involving the Sun (Easter Sunrise services). In the book called From Sabbath to Sunday, author Dr. Samuele Bacchiocchi, states the following:
“The repressive measures adopted by the Romans against the Jews—particularly felt in the capital city—apparently encouraged the predominant Gentile membership of the Church in Rome to clarify to the Roman authorities their distinction from Judaism by changing the date and manner of observance of characteristic Jewish festivals such as the Passover and the Sabbath which most Christians still observed. We found in fact that the Church of Rome took a definite stand against both festivities. The Quartodecimen Passover was substituted by Easter Sunday apparently at the time of Hadrian (A.D. 117-138), as suggested by Irenaeus’ reference to Bishop Sixtus (ca. A.D. 116-126) and by Epiphanius’ statement regarding the origin of the controversy at about A.D. 135. The sources attribute explicitly to the Bishop of Rome the role of pioneering and championing Easter-Sunday, in order to avoid, as later stated by Constantine, ‘all participation in the perjured conduct of the Jews.’ The close nexus existing between Easter-Sunday and the weekly Sunday (the latter being viewed by many Fathers as an extension of the former) gives us reason to believe that both festivities originated contemporaneously in Rome because of the same anti-Judaic motivations.”
Did Yahweh ever indicate that He wanted to be worshipped with pagan methods? (Lev 18:3; Deut 7:16; 12:30-32; Jer 10:2-5). Truly we must separate ourselves from false worship (Zeph 1:5) and obey Yahweh in His Truth and Spirit or we will not be protected during the Day of Yahweh, Joel 2:1-2; Rev 18:4.
The great day of Yahweh is near, it is near, and hasteth greatly, even the voice of the day of Yahweh: the mighty man shall cry there bitterly.
—Zeph 1:14
To the right: Roman Emperor Flavius Valerius Constantinus (Constantine I), a pagan sun worshiper, in the 4th century made an edict for Sunday observance, as follows:
“All judges, city-people and craftsman shall rest on the venerable day of the Sun. But countrymen may without hindrance attend to agriculture, since it often happens that this is the most suitable day for sowing grain or planting vines, so that the opportunity afforded by divine providence may not be lost, for the right season is short. 7 March 321.”
— Introduction to the History of Christianity, Dr. Tim Dowley (Fortress Press)
Pictured on the coin below: Publius Aelius Traianus Hadrianus (January 24, 76 - July 10, 138), known as Hadrian in English, was a Roman emperor from 117 - 138. He is considered one of the so-called Five Good Emperors.
Hadrian in Judea
At first sympathetic towards the Jews, Hadrian promised them to rebuild Jerusalem, still in ruins after its destruction in 70 BC as a result of the Great Jewish Revolt. Jews felt betrayed when found out that his intentions were to rebuild it as pagan metropolis, and new temple on the ruins of the Second Temple was dedicated to Jupiter. Tensions grew even more when Hadrian abolished circumcision (which he viewed as mutilation), and the Bar Kokhba's revolt began in
After brutally crushing the revolt in 135 and devastating Judea (580,000 Jews were killed, 50 fortified towns and 985 villages were razed), Hadrian attempted to root out Judaism, which he saw as the cause of continuous rebellions. He prohibited the Torah law, Jewish calendar and executed Judaic scholars. The sacred scroll was ceremoniously burned on the Temple Mount. At the former Temple sanctuary he installed two statues, one of Jupiter, another of himself. In an attempt to erase memory of Judea, he wiped the name off the map and replaced it with Syria Palaestina, as insulting reminder of Jews' ancient enemies the Philistines, long extinct by then. He reestablished Jerusalem as the Roman pagan polis Aelia Capitolina, and Jews were forbidden from entering it, except once a year to mourn their humiliation. Jews remained scattered and stateless until 1948.
(Cassius Dio, Roman History; Aelius Spartianus, Life of Hadrian in the Augustan History)
— Excerpt taken from: www.wikinfo.org
Some time ago there was a radio station that presented the idea of sending in a $20 dollar bill to their radio station’s office by basically saying, “Hey, what are you going to spend it on anyway?” They further said something like, “Just go ahead and send it!”
The radio station received over $100,000. The money was for absolutely nothing! I’m assuming the story was true, but doesn’t it say volumes about today’s society? It says that it is giving, but it also says it doesn’t necessarily have it’s priorities straight.
What about you? What are your priorities? Certainly, we all have deadlines and bills to pay. Yet, don’t we also have the ability to share with others and especially when it comes to providing for the work of Yahweh. Let’s help Yahweh’s work move forward and in ever growing strength!
We know that money may be in short supply right now, but aren’t we also running out of time? Please consider helping out a little or a lot and keep us in your prayers.
We are happy to announce a free writers guide is available for those who would like to submit biblically based articles for the YAIY publications. The most obvious YAIY publications are the YAIY BEACON magazine and YAIY NEWS newsletter, but we also welcome articles for the SISTERS FOR YAH and KIDS FOR YAH newsletters.
All articles will be considered for future publications such as, but not limited to, future Mini-Studies and Booklets. We encourage brethren to further help with the work, not only in their tithes and offerings, but in their time and talents.
May Yahweh bless your efforts in anything you do for Him which promote His ways, life, and truth in Yahshua the Messiah. Contact us for your free Writers Guide.
If one is to start being obedient to our heavenly Father in all things, logic would have it that we must be aware of when the Sabbaticals actually are, especially since it is indicated that keeping all Sabbaths holy are a sign between us and Yahweh, Ezek 20:20. Since so many have forgotten this way of life, can one even know which year is a Sabbatical year? We first need to examine Scripture. We find Sabbatical years, as well as Jubilee years, are actually calculated from Atonement in the Fall, rather than from the first day of Abib in the Spring:
And thou shalt number seven sabbaths of years unto thee, seven times seven years; and the space of the seven sabbaths of years shall be unto thee forty and nine years. Then shalt thou cause the trumpet of the jubilee to sound on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the day of atonement shall ye make the trumpet sound throughout all your land. And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubilee unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family, Lev 25:8-10
From these verses we find there are two years in a row in which the land is to be at rest, the 49th (7 x7) and the 50th (year of Jubilee) years. We also see that the Day of Atonement is when the Sabbatical and Jubilee years are counted from. In our Roman based calendar today this would translate, for example, from October 10th (contingent on the new moon being seen the night of September 31st) 2008 through 2009 (Atonement date has yet to be calculated, but should also be in October).
However, the question remains, “What year then is a Sabbatical?” The answer is somewhat complex, but historical dates and archeological finds confirm the above date given to be the next Sabbatical year, i.e., 2008-2009.
…[Just before Yahshua the Messiah returns] I will bring distress upon men, that they shall walk like blind men, because they have sinned against Yahweh: and their blood shall be poured out as dust, and their flesh as the dung.
—Zeph 14:17
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It is freely admitted by many modern-day Christians that Christianity has been shrewdly and cleverly paganized down through the ages. The pagans worshiped through a counterfeit religion that paralleled the true religion and beliefs but in a false way. Easter is one of those counterfeits.
A counterfeiter can counterfeit a $100 bill, which to the untrained person is not easily detectable. However, someone who handles money every day, like a bank or savings and loan employee who is instructed in what to look for, can easily spot the counterfeit. Integral to their training is a laborious examining of the real thing, which will make the forgery more obvious. Let’s train ourselves to detect the counterfeit by studying the real observances and other truths directly from Yahweh’s Word.
· The first fact that should alert us to the counterfeit is the name itself. "Easter" is the obvious name of a pagan goddess. It has nothing to do with Yahweh, Yahshua, the Passover, or Yahshua’s resurrection.
· The next fact that warns us to the counterfeit is the Easter eggs and rabbits tradition. Eggs and rabbits are fertility symbols. There is no command to use them in service to Yahweh anywhere in His Word.
· Another sign of a counterfeit is revealed in the worship of Tammuz. Just as two malefactors were slain with the true Messiah, one malefactor is slain with Tammuz. This, of course, is not common knowledge, but is obtainable with a little research once one realizes that Tammuz and Ishtar are cohorts.
· Evidence of a counterfeit is also discovered through the time that the Messiah was to be in the heart of the earth or in the tomb. Yahshua said that He would be "three days and three nights in the heart of the earth" (Matt. 12:38-40). The paganistic messiah of traditional Easter is in the grave only from Friday sunset to Sunday morning, a full day and two nights. That is only half of the actual time that Yahshua said would be THE proof that He was the true Messiah. Much of paganism is just like the counterfeit $100 bill, it is close, but still falls short of the actual requirements to be valid.
· Counterfeited also is the very name of the Messiah Himself. The pagan messiah is named Jesus or Hesus, while the true Messiah is named Yahshua. Even the name falls short of its true value and distinction.
· Finally, the best way to gauge a counterfeit is to compare it with the truth. No lie is of the truth (1John 2:21). If it can’t be proven Biblically, then it simply isn’t true or genuine.
—Excerpt from The Counterfeit Called Easter, by YAIY