Yada Yahweh
Book 2: Called-Out Assemblies
…Understanding the Basics
5
Bikuwrym – FirstFruits
Fruit of the Spirit…
Bikuwrym means “FirstFruits.” The Festival depicts of a “harvest of firstborn children,” and it is prophetic of Yahushua’s resurrection. The Miqra’ of Bikuwrym celebrates the reaping of souls who have capitalized upon the gifts of Passover and Unleavened Bread.
In order to put all of this into the proper context, and to provide the best perspective from which to consider Yahweh’s solution, let’s take a step back—way back to the very beginning. There was a reason that the story of mankind opened in the Garden of Eden. This provided a stage upon which the core of God’s message could be conveyed. His is the story of close, personal relationships, of love and fidelity in marriage, of mother and father coming together to create and nurture life in a familial setting. It is all He wants. It is why we exist. It explains the reason He has provided a way home.
Along these lines, the Hebrew word for “garden,” gan, means “covered and protected enclosure.” It is symbolic of the benefit of being adorned in, and defended by, our Spiritual Mother’s Garment of Light. The Miqra’ey, which embody this spiritual anointing, include Bikuwrym, Shabuwa’ and Kippurym—the Called-Out Assemblies of FirstFruits, Sevens, and Reconciliations.
Additionally, the Hebrew word ‘eden conveys “blissful joy, gladness, pleasure, and genuine delight.” It describes the result of choosing to live with Yahweh in the Promised Land. This state of bliss is depicted in the Festival Feast of Shelters, where we are invited to campout with God. In other words, we were born into the environment which depicts the conditions in which our Heavenly Father wants us to live.
Properly tended gardens produce quality fruit. The first reaping of such perfected souls is represented by the Miqra’ of Bikuwrym. The second harvest is described in Taruw’ah. FirstFruits, as we shall discover, is predictive of the Son’s return to the Father. Trumpets is prophetic of bringing the Called-Out Assembly home in the last days as they shout out a warning not to ignore Yahuweh’s plan, in hopes that many will capitalize upon the message of hope He has provided.
And, by telling us about the choices made by Adam and Chawah in the Garden of Eden, and their consequences and penalties, we are better prepared to appreciate the what and why of Pesach and Matsah. In the garden we learned that the consequence of ignoring Yahweh’s instructions and of eating the forbidden fruit, was death. This was remedied by Passover. The penalty, however, was expulsion from the garden. This resulted in a life of pain and toil among the weeds of oppressive human schemes. It is what naturally occurs when we are separated from God. Yahuweh’s cure for this condition was Unleavened Bread, where He endured our penalty.
As we discovered in the previous chapter, the journey home began during the Exodus, where Yahweh, in the context of a Sabbatical Year, said: “Six years you shall sow (zara’ – productively seed) your land (‘erets) and gather in (‘acaph – harvest, collect, remove, and receive) the produce (tabuw’ah – the harvested grain) thereof. But on the seventh (shabiy’iy) you shall let it rest and lie fallow (shamat – release it and let it fall), forsaking it (natash – rejecting and abandoning it) so that people (‘am – family members and relatives) in need (‘ebyown – who are poor and oppressed requiring deliverance) may eat and be nourished, the remainder (yathar – of which saves and preserves) restoring life (chayah – causing renewal and providing sustenance), nourishing them from the land (‘akal sadeh). Do the same (‘asah ken – accomplish and produce the similar results) with your vineyards and olive groves.” (Exodus 23:10-11) Grain represents saved souls, and is descriptive of the FirstFruits harvest. The vineyards and olive groves were symbolic of the atoning blood of the Passover Lamb and of the anointing of the Set-Apart Spirit, purifying us on Unleavened Bread.
A Sabbatical Year serves as a more frequent reminder of the importance of the Yowbel Redemptive Years—which occur on the year following seven-sevens (i.e., every fifty years). During them, all people are freed and all debts are forgiven. These Sabbatical and Redemptive years were prophetic of the fact that on Passover in the Yowbel of 33 CE we were freed from the consequence of our sin. The next day, on the Sabbath of Unleavened Bread, our debts were forgiven, delivering us from the consequence of sin. This was accomplished because Yahweh followed His own instructions and forsook and abandoned Yahshua’s soul, thereby saving us, and restoring us back to life. This thread of truth was woven into the Scriptural tapestry so that we might more clearly see Yahweh’s timeline and more clearly understand Yahshua’s purpose.
The entirety of Yahweh’s plan is predicated upon this pattern of sevens, and specifically a six plus one formula. Examples include: six days of creation followed by a day of rest. There have been nearly six millennia of human history since Adam separated himself from Yahweh, and there will be one final Millennial Sabbath where all mankind will live in the presence of God. There are seven Commandments which focus on man rather than God—the first of which proclaims that we are to work six days each week and rest and reflect as our Creator did on the seventh. The intent of which is to convey the fact that we cannot work for our salvation—that it is the gift of God.
There are six annual Miqra’ey, or Called-Out Assemblies, which direct us to our Heavenly Father, and one in which we get to camp out with Him upon our arrival. Simply stated, the first six Called-Out Assemblies lead to the seventh—a time of rest and reflection with God. These seven days, set apart from all others, foretell and depict the means and timing of our salvation.
Affirming the cadence of His timeline, and recognizing that we cannot work for our salvation, God reminds us: “Six days you shall do (‘asah – accomplish and produce) your work (ma’aseh – pursuits, undertakings, businesses, customary practices, and deeds), and on the seventh day you shall rest (shabath – cease and reflect) so that your ox and you donkey [your means of production] may have a break, and the sons of your servants [your employees], and foreign visitors (ger – those without the inherited rights of citizenship who come from different places, races, and cultures), may have their souls refreshed (napash – restoring their consciousnesses to life).” (Exodus 23:12)
Yahweh’s universal formula of six, representing mankind, in addition to God, who is one, equating to a perfect relationship—the desired result of creation, serves as the fulcrum from which every essential element of our redemption springs forth. And it is upon this skeleton that all of what follows hangs.
“And in all things (kol – in the totality of that) which (‘asher – by relationship) I have spoken (‘amar – promised, answered, intended, and avowed) to you, heed and observe them (shamar – save your life through them).” (Exodus 23:13) First among these words is: “Do not bring to mind (zakar – remember or recall, mention or memorialize) the name of other (‘acher – of another or different) gods (‘elohym); neither let it be heard out of your mouth.” (Exodus 23:13) In the First Commandment, God tells us that He has but one name—Yahuweh—and that a god by any other name is a fraud.
In His second request, God said: “Three times a year (sanah) you shall stand before Me (regel – walk along side and set foot in My presence) celebrating a festival feast (hagag) with Me. You shall keep (shamar – be aware of and attend to, highly regard, heed, and observe) the Festival Feast (hag – celebration) of Unleavened Bread (Matsah). Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread (matsah) as I commanded (tsavah – instructed, constituted, ordained, and enjoined upon) you, at the time appointed (mow’ed – fixed meeting appointment established as a sign; from ya’ad, to meet for a marriage betrothal or judicial summons) in the month (hodesh – from hadash, the time of renewal and repair) of ‘Abib (‘abyb), for in it you came forth (yatsa’) from the crucible of Egypt (misrayim – plural of masowr, the place of oppression and siege).” (Exodus 23:14-15)
“None shall appear before Me (ra’ah paniym – shall be seen in My presence and behold My face, none shall be considered or regarded by Me) as an empty vessel (reyqam – from reyq, void, with an unfilled space, worthless, useless, futile, vain and conceited; without a marker demonstrating the relationship).” (Exodus 23:15) Yahweh created man with a void designed to accept His Spirit. To enjoy the company of our Heavenly Father we must be born from above by way of our Spiritual Mother. Empty vessels are stillborn and lifeless.
“You shall keep the Festival Feast (hag – celebration) of the harvest (qatsiyr – the time of reaping that which was sown, of gathering in the crop of), the FirstFruits (bikuwrym – the initial gathering of grain, the first fruit ready to be picked and gathered) of your labors (ma’aseh – your work, undertakings, and pursuits) which (‘asher – by way of making a connection) you sow (zara’) in the field, and the Festival Feast (hag – celebration) of ingathering (‘aciyph) at the end of the year, when you gather in (‘acaph – receive and accept) your labors (ma’aseh) out of the field. Three times a year (mishlosh pa’am shaneh) all (kol – everyone) shall remember to (zakar) be seen (ra’ah – be inspected and considered) before (paniym – in the presence of) Yahuweh.” (Exodus 23:16-17)
Yahweh is using the harvest of grain as a metaphor for reaping souls. Bikuwr is from bakar, meaning “the first children who are born.” The bakar represent souls who have been born anew and adopted into God’s family. The FirstFruits’ harvest is the first of two ingatherings depicted in Yahweh’s Miqra’ey. It is descriptive of those who are the beneficiaries of Pesach and Matsah, confirming that they, like their Savior, will be “gathered in, received, and accepted” by their Heavenly Father.
At this point, we are confronted with a series of revelations which, for the first time (at least in the Torah), require us to equate the annual Called-Out Assembly Meetings with Yahweh, and more specifically, with Yahshua, the Sacrificial Lamb of God. The first of these begins with…“Do not (lo’) offer the sacrifice (zabah – the expiation (means of atonement and reconciliation) and propitiation (means of restoring favor)) of My (‘aniy) blood (dam) which was sacrificially shed (zebah – to restore favor, to atone and reconcile) along with (‘al – in proximity to) yeasted food (hames – that which is spoiled, soured, fermented, or embittered by a leavening fungus). And (wa) do not allow (lo’) the fat (heleb – lipid or fatty tissues and heart) to endure throughout the night (lyn – to remain during the time of darkness), until (‘ad) the morning of (boqer) My (‘aniy) Festival Feast (hag – celebration).” (Exodus 23:18)
The “blood” which would be “sacrificially shed to atone and reconcile, restoring favor,” God said would be His. And while that is awesomely important, so is what follows. Yahweh didn’t want us to miss the fact that His soul would spend the next day, that of the Festival Feast of Matsah, unleavening our souls of sin. And while God’s sacrifice of separation during the long night vigil of the Called-Out Assembly of Unleavened Bread would be, and now has been, horrific, it is cause for celebration. Because of what He sacrificed in darkness, away from the Light, that which would have spoiled us and embittered our relationship with God, no longer exists.
Continuing to journey beyond the material we pondered in the previous chapter, we discover that the metaphor of the two harvests continues to play out symbolically, because that which is gathered in, is brought into Yahweh’s home. It is where He will take our souls following these spiritual reapings. “The initial and choicest portion (re’shiyth – the first and best part) of the FirstFruits’ Harvest (bikuwrym – initial reaping) from the soil (‘adamah – dirt and ground) you (‘athah) shall bring with you (bow’ – arrive and include, carry and bear) to the house (bayith – home, household, and abode) of Yahuweh, your (‘athah) God (‘elohym).” (Exodus 23:19) ‘Adamah was chosen for a reason. It depicts the descendants of ‘Adam who are being invited by God to fellowship with Him in His home.
In the sense of bakar meaning “firstborn child,” and re’shiyth being the “first, best, chief, and choicest of them,” to be admitted into Yahweh’s home, we must come with Yahshua—our Savior and Redeemer. He is the only one who can open and shut heaven’s door.
And that leads to a conversation as important as any we have considered. Within the context of this discussion of FirstFruits and of the Called-Out Assemblies, of Yahweh’s harvest of souls, we are told to “look for” the “visible manifestation of God.” We are asked to pay attention to the “heavenly messenger” who was “sent out” from God, the one who “bore Yahweh’s personal name”—our “Savior.” And within this discussion, God explains His “Way” to “bring” us “home.”
“Behold (hineh – look now and see), I (‘anky) will send out (salah – stretch and reach out, extending Myself to dispatch) a Messenger representing Me (mal’ak – an authorized spiritual and heavenly envoy, a supernatural representative who serves as My ambassador, a servant who proclaims My message and fulfills My mission, a theophany—the visible manifestation of God) before you (paneh – in your presence, to appear as a person face to face) to watch over, protect, and save you (samar – to care for and keep you and for you to revere and cling to) in (ba – with regard to) the (ha) Way (derek),…” (Exodus 23:20)
Let’s examine the first third of this passage word by word…Hineh conveys two ideas. The first is “pay attention to this.” The second is to “use your eyes and ears to gaze upon, to read, to listen to, and to thoughtfully consider what follows.”
‘Anky, which means “I,” tells us that this is Yahweh speaking in first person. And that is especially relevant, because the heavenly Messenger is salah, literally “stripped off and taken from” God, in addition to being “sent off and away” from Yahuweh. This affirms that Yahshua is a part of Yahweh, stripped from Him, taken and set apart from God, and then sent off and away from heaven to save us.
Salah is commonly used in Scripture to communicate the “sending of words to inform by way of a messenger. Since Yahshua is the Word made flesh, in addition to being sent to save us, He came to enlighten us. By observing His example, and by reading His Word, we come to know Yahweh better. And when His life and His Word are compared, we come to understand that they are one.
Based upon the same consonant root, selah is “an implement,” or “tool,” just as Messiyah means “implement of Yah.” A selah is often a “sword,” which would explain why Yahshua said that He came with a sword to bring division, not peace. He wants to separate His truth from religious rubbish so that we can more adroitly choose sides—God’s or man’s.
Mal’ak, the Hebrew word for “messenger, envoy, and representative,” is often translated “angel” based upon the Greek term for messenger, “aggelos.” It is commonly used to describe “a spiritual being who is sent out to convey a Godly message.” In this light, mal’ak is the root of mal’akah, which depicts “the service of the visible manifestation of God,” and thus represents Yahshua’s fulfillment of the Miqra’ey as our Savior.
Paneh predicts that Yahweh’s messenger would “make an appearance,” that He would come “into our presence,” and “face us.” Since we, in our flawed mortal bodies, were ill prepared to come into God’s presence, God came into ours and prepared us for the journey home. Paneh is the “semblance” of an individual, and “reflects their mental outlook, attitude, and character.”
Samar conveys “to watch over and keep someone safe and secure.” It is to “care sufficiently for someone” that you are willing to “act as their protector and savior.” A samar “preserves, maintains, and perpetuates life,” especially in the sense of “preventing decay and decomposition.”
Derek, meaning the “way, path, route, or journey,” even the “conduct of one’s life,” was proceeded by the definite article, ha, telling us that there is but one way to God—one path to salvation. And based upon this passage, that route is by way of Yahweh’s seven Miqra’ey as they were and will be fulfilled by Yahshua. It is why Yahshua said: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” It is why His disciples called themselves “Followers of the Way.”
The second third of this essential message begins: “…and (wa) to (la) bring you to (bow’ – to carry and transport you, to gather you in and harvest you, to cause you to arrive at and be included in, to enter) the (ha) standing place and home (maqowm – the upright abode, the household of the Source and the dwelling of the Upright One) which by relationship (‘asher) I have established (kuwn – prepared, made ready, arranged, and formed)…” (Exodus 23:20)
Bow’ is all about “coming and going,” about one’s “arrival and entrance” into the home and household of our Heavenly Father. Bow’ speaks of “being pursued,” “being carried,” and “being gathered in, as in a harvest.” To bow’ is “to be included” in God’s family, with God doing the work to bring us home.
Maqowm is a “place or a site,” in the most general sense. Specifically, maqowm is one’s “home, their dwelling,” even their “office, as in place of work.” It is also “the place or source from which they come.” As such, in this context, God is speaking of heaven. Maqowm is based upon quwm, meaning “to stand up, to establish, to come onto the scene, and to rise.” It depicts the Savior’s mission. He came into our world, and stood up for us so that we could stand with Him in heaven. Quwm is the Hebrew equivalent of histemi—the foundational term of the Renewed Covenant.
The journey home requires us to take a stand and to walk with God. We are asked to meet Him at the maqowm, the standing place, beside Mount Mowriyah’s upright pole, which is the doorway to heaven.
‘Asher is “a relational term which conveys a connection between things. In this case, there is a relationship, a connection, between the Miqra’ey and the Way.
Kuwn drives to the heart of the issue regarding our salvation. God Himself “fashioned, formed, shaped, provided, established, and prepared” the Way home as surely as He created the universe and the life within it. His path home was made manifest through the Called-Out Assemblies, and it was enabled through their fulfillment. There is nothing for us to prepare or provide, nothing we or any human institution can fashion or establish, which will be of any value. We either come to appreciate, trust, accept, and rely upon the provision Yahweh has provided freely as a gift, or not. It is a “yes” or “no” proposition. God is not offering any alternatives, which is why to be kuwn is to be “firm and fixed,” to be “steadfast and stable,” to be “unwavering.”
Based upon what He revealed in the Torah, Prophets, and Psalms, and what He confirmed when He arrived in person, Yahweh will take a very dim view of those who conceal, corrupt, change, or counterfeit His Word and His Way. The likelihood that God will accept those who travel along a materially different path than the one He prepared at an unimaginably high price is extraordinarily remote.
And that is why He said: “…Carefully observe and heed Him (samar – watch and wait for Him, revere and treasure Him, pay attention to and be protected and saved by Him, cling to Him) because (min – He is a part of Me, from Me, is an extension of Me and) My presence (paneh – My personal character and nature, My face and visible appearance) is on Him (huw’). Attentively listen to and understand (sama’ – receive, pay attention to, highly regard, and heed) His (huw’) voice (qowl – His verbal communication and intellect)…” (Exodus 23:21)
Yahshua provides three distinctly different perspectives from which to view Yahweh. His example reveals God’s character. His words explain God’s purpose. And His reverence for and careful observance of the Torah, Prophets and Psalms, demonstrates where we should go for answers.
“…Do not be rebellious or contentious toward (marah – defiant or disobedient with) Him, because if you are (kiy) He will not (lo’) pardon you, lift you up, or carry you away from (nasa’ – support and sustain you, remove your guilt and forgive you, take you away and bear) your transgressions and rebellion (pesha’ – your revolt, crimes, and sins, your offences, faults, and deviations from the established standard) since (kiy – because indeed) My (‘any) personal and proper name (shem) is part of (ba – in) His (huw’) inner nature (qereb – physically inside of Him, and in His midst)…” (Exodus 23:21)
Although they were told in the Torah to “watch and wait for” the One who would “bear Yahuweh’s name,” the Jews chose to “reject Him and rebel against Him,” and even murder Him for speaking God’s name. And for their “rebellion and contentiousness” they were not “pardoned personally or nationally.” For the most part, they were passed over at the FirstFruits’ Harvest. As a nation, they were not “raised up and carried away” to heaven. And that is because, there is but one way to God, one savior, one means to being pardoned and to forgiveness. Listen to and understand Him, receive Him and His Word, or pay the price for your crimes, your sins, offences, and faults—for your rebellion against God.
“Messenger” is an accurate, albeit inadequate, translation of mal’ak. In the lexicon of the time, the term conveyed the notion that “the messenger was the officially designated representative of the one sending him”—in this case God. This “envoy was usually commissioned to perform a specific mission, in addition to being authorized to deliver an explicit message.” A mal’ak could be “a human or a supernatural and spiritual manifestation” of Yahuweh—sometimes at the same time—as was and is the case of Yahshua. In Scripture, mal’ak is often used to “present an aspect of Yahweh’s glory.” This is precisely what Yahshua did.
And speaking of Yahshua, this passage is one of many which confirms that the name “Jesus Christ” is inconsistent with the Word of God. There is no aspect of Yahweh’s name in either “Jesus” or “Christ,” meaning that they are either wrong, or Scripture is wrong. There is but one name capable of saving us from our sins—Yahweh, from which Yahshua is derived.
Bringing it all together, without the clutter of my comments, the message is:
“Six years you shall sow (productively seed) your land and gather in (harvest, collect, and receive) the produce (tabuw’ah – the harvested grain) thereof. But on the seventh, you shall let it rest and lie fallow (release it and let it fall), forsaking it so that people (and family members) in need (who are poor and oppressed requiring deliverance) may be nourished, the remainder (yathar – that which saves and preserves) restoring life (chayah – causing renewal), nourishing them from the land. Do the same (accomplish and produce the similar results) with your vineyards and olive groves.” (Exodus 23:10-11)
“Six days you shall do your work (pursuits, business, and customary practices), and on the seventh day you shall rest (shabath – cease and reflect) so that your ox and you donkey [your means of production] may have a break, and the sons of your servants [your employees], and foreign visitors (those without the inherited rights who come from different places, races, and cultures), may have their souls refreshed (napash –restoring their consciousnesses to life). In all things which I have spoken to you, heed and observe them (save your life through them). Do not bring to mind (mention or memorialize) the name of other gods (‘elohiym); neither let it be heard out of your mouth.” (12-13)
“Three times a year you shall stand before Me (walk alongside and set foot in My presence) celebrating a festival feast with Me. You shall keep (be aware of and attend to, highly regard, heed, and observe) the Festival Feast of Unleavened Bread (Matsah). Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread (matsah) as I instructed you, at the time appointed (mow’ed – fixed meeting date established as a sign) in the month (time of renewal and repair) of ‘Abib; for in it you came forth from the crucible of Egypt. None shall appear before Me (shall be seen in My presence and behold My face, none shall be considered or regarded by Me) as an empty vessel (void, with an unfilled space).” (14-15)
“You shall keep the Festival Feast (the celebration) of the harvest (time of reaping that which was sown), the FirstFruits (bikuwrym – the initial gathering) of your labors which you sow in the field, and the Festival Feast of ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather in (receive and accept) your labors out of the field. Three times a year all (everyone) shall remember to be seen in the presence of Yahuweh.” (16-17)
“Do not offer the sacrifice (the expiation (means of atonement and reconciliation) and propitiation (means of restoring favor)) of My blood which was sacrificially shed (to restore favor, atone, and reconcile) in proximity to yeasted food (that which is spoiled, soured, fermented, or embittered by a leavening fungus). And do not allow the fat to endure throughout the night, until the morning of My Festival Feast. The initial choicest portion of the FirstFruits (bikuwrym) of the soil you shall bring with you (arrive with and carry) to the home of Yahuweh, your God.” (18-19)
“Behold (look and see), I will send out (extend Myself to dispatch) a Messenger representing Me (an authorized spiritual and heavenly envoy, a supernatural representative who serves as My ambassador, a servant who proclaims My message and fulfills My mission, a theophany—the visible manifestation of Myself) before you (in your presence, to appear as a person face to face) to watch over, protect, and save you (to care for and keep you and for you to revere and cling to) with regard to the Way, and to bring you to (carry and transport you to, gather you in and harvest you, to cause you to arrive at and be included in) the standing place and home (the upright abode, the household of the Source and the dwelling of the Upright One) which by relationship I have established (prepared, made ready and arranged).” (20)
“Carefully observe and heed Him (watch and wait for Him, revere and treasure Him, pay attention to and be protected and saved by Him, cling to Him) because (min – He is a part of Me, from Me, and is an extension of Me, and) My presence is on Him. Attentively listen to and understand (receive, pay attention to, highly regard, and heed) His voice. Do not be rebellious or contentious toward Him because if you are, He will not pardon you, lift you up, or carry you away from (nasa’ – support and sustain you, remove your guilt and forgive you, or take away and bear) your transgressions and rebellion (your revolt, your crimes, sins, offences, and faults) since (because indeed) My personal and proper name is upon Him.” (21)
While it has been obvious from the beginning, from the first chapter of Genesis, Exodus 23 is unequivocal. The Miqra’ey are indistinguishable from the Messiyah. In addition to providing the Way (albeit, narrow and unpopular) home, the Called-Out Assembly Meetings explain Yahweh’s plan, they reveal His nature, and they predict how and when God would fulfill them. The Festival Feasts provide the skeleton upon which the entire story of salvation takes shape. Understand these meetings, and you will understand the nature and purpose of God. Rely upon them, and you will be invited into God’s home.
And let us not forget; preceding the unification of the Word with the Word made Flesh, we were told, that the pattern of six years of work followed by a day of rest was designed to restore life—as was the pattern of the Sabbath. And within this context, God just told us:
1) To observe and heed the Torah—which was the only communication from God available at the time. This communicates two essential truths. First, the Torah can be relied upon—especially when it comes to our salvation. And second, the Torah is the primary source for answers, explaining God’s purpose and ours.
2) To recognize that Yahweh alone is God. No other name for God should be spoken. And in this regard, when it comes to eternal life, there is no difference between the fate of those who believe that there is no God, the fate of those who don’t know God, and the fate of those who worship a different god by another name—a god conceived by men and advanced through religion.
3) To stand with Yahweh three times a year, celebrating a festival feast. This makes “three” significant with regard to time. It makes “standing” significant with regard to the purpose of the meetings. And it means that “celebration” is the intent of the relationship insinuated by “with Me.”
4) To correlate the Festival Feast of Unleavened Bread with Yahweh’s willingness to lead His people out of the crucible of human oppression. The Exodus, the Miqra’ey, and the Messiah tell the same story.
5) To realize that without the anointing of Yahweh’s Set-Apart Spirit, without the spiritual void within our souls being filled, we cannot approach our Heavenly Father, much less live in His presence.
6) To understand that there are two essential harvests God wants us to celebrate: Bikuwrym/FirstFruits in the first month and Taruw’ah/Trumpets in the seventh month. It is on these days that redeemed souls are gathered together and carried into Yahweh’s home. God doesn’t want anyone to be left behind.
7) To know that it was Yahweh’s blood which was shed on Passover and it was Yahshua’s soul which endured the long night of separation on Unleavened Bread. The first resolved the consequence of sin and the other removed its penalty.
Collectively, the reference to “three” set within the context of “six plus one,” and alongside the Sabbatical Year, the observance of the Miqra’ey, and their fulfillment by the Messiyah, provides a vantage point from which to view God’s prophetic timeline. Salvation history can be divided into three epochs of forty Yowbel. Two thousand years separate Adam’s expulsion from the Garden and the confirmation of the Covenant Relationship with Abraham on Mount Mowriyah in 1968 BCE. Exactly forty Yowbel/Redemptive Years later, and on the same mountain, Yahushua facilitated the Covenant in 33 CE. And now, on the cusp of 2033, the final Yowbel year within the lifetimes of those who witnessed Yisra’el’s rebirth, and exactly 2,000 years from Yahshua’s fulfillment of the first four Called-Out Assemblies, God will fulfill the last three, harvesting His family, returning for His people, and camping out with us for a thousand years.
Thus far, Yahweh has made it abundantly clear that He isn’t ambivalent about how we respond to Yahshua. Those who rely upon Him will be protected and they will ultimately triumph. “Indeed (kiy) if (‘im) you listen to (sama’ – acknowledge and receive) and understand (shama’ – and heed) His (huw’) voice (qowl – His verbal communication and words) and (wa) do (‘asah – observe, attend to, celebrate, and profit from) all (kol) that (‘asher) I say (dabar – all My words), then (wa) I will show hostility (‘ayab – will be a adversary fighting) against (‘eth) your enemies (‘ayab – treat your adversaries with enmity and rancor, animosity and antipathy), and (wa’) oppose (suwr – confine and secure, besiege and bind, being adverse to) those who (‘eth) are overtly hostile and oppressive toward (sarar – besiege and distress) you.” (Exodus 23:22)
There are two aspects of this passage we ought not dismiss, just because they make us uncomfortable. First, God isn’t a big, jovial, caricature with open arms, welcoming everyone into heaven. He is just, and He is moral, and that means He hates oppressive and adversarial human political and religious schemes, as well as their schemers. Those who oppose God’s people will find God in opposition to them. Considering the overt animosity and hostility directed towards Jews and/or Israel demonstrated by Roman Catholics, Muslims, Fascists, and...
