The ‘King of Persia’ in Jewish Prophecy ── A Foretelling of Iran’s Fate?

(AI-generated)

Israel365 News recently posted the following ──

The King of Persia Provokes the King of Arabia: A 1,500-Year-Old Text Reads Like Today’s Headlines

August 2, 2026

Since February 2026, the Middle East has been living through a war that began with a joint American and Israeli strike that killed Iran’s Supreme Leader, spread into missile and drone attacks across nearly every Gulf Arab state, closed the Strait of Hormuz to global shipping, and pulled Pakistan in as a mediator between Washington and Tehran. A memorandum of understanding was read to reporters in June, and the guns have gone largely quiet since. But a teaching in the Midrash, written well over a thousand years before any of these nations existed in their current form, describes a nearly identical sequence of events as the marker of the final redemption.

The King of Persia Provokes the King of Arabia

Rabbi Yitzchak Goldstein explained this teaching in the Hebrew-language Kikar last week. The teaching comes from Pesikta Rabbati, chapter 36, in the name of Rabbi Yitzchak. In the year the Messiah is revealed, he taught, all the kings of the nations will provoke one another. The king of Persia will provoke the king of Arabia.

The identification of Persia with Iran is the simplest piece of this teaching. The nation known today as Iran is the historical core of the land that carried the name Persia for the better part of two thousand years, making “the king of Persia” a natural and direct reference in a modern context. And the confrontation the Midrash describes has a living counterpart this year. After the American and Israeli strikes on February 28, Iran retaliated far beyond Israel and American bases, firing missiles and drones at Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain. Saudi Arabia intercepted cruise missiles aimed at its own air bases and oil infrastructure, and by late summer, its foreign ministry was still fielding Iranian accusations that Gulf states had taken part in strikes against it. This was not a symbolic reading of “the king of Persia provokes the king of Arabia.” It was the headline of the war.

The King of Arabia Goes to Edom for Counsel

The Midrash continues: the king of Arabia will go to Edom to take counsel from them. … Edom is the term the tradition consistently identifies with Rome …

The King of Persia Returns and the Nations Are Shaken

The king of Persia will then return, the Midrash teaches, and lay waste to the entire world. All the nations will be terrified and fall on their faces, gripped by pains like a woman in labor.

That line reads very differently today than it would have in the ancient world. …

In Tractate Yoma 10a, Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi, citing his teacher, taught that Rome is destined to fall into the hands of Persia, reasoning by a kal vachomer: the First Temple, built by the descendants of Shem, was destroyed by the Chaldeans, and the Chaldeans in turn fell to the Persians. The Second Temple was built by the Persians and destroyed by the Romans. By that same logic, Rome should fall to Persia as well.

This would imply that the Midrash predicts that the US and the West will fall to Iran.

(https://israel365news.com/420141/the-king-of-persia-provokes-the-king-of-arabia-a-1500-year-old-text-reads-like-todays-headlines/).

This Pesikta Rabbati is a collection of aggadic midrash (non-legalistic exegesis which appears in the classical rabbinic literature of Judaism, particularly the Talmud) on the Pentateuchal and prophetic readings. 1

Basically, this Pesikta Rabbati is but a collection of opinions of Jewish scholars from the Middle Ages related to their interpretations of God’s living word ── here speaking of the Torah ── along with other Jewish traditions.

Now, this Rabbi Yitzchak Goldstein, along with this Israel365 News, is biblically wrong in several ways. This vile and evil Islamic Regime of Iran is not about to conquer the world, or the greatest and most militarily powerful nation today, the United States of America! It can, of course, cause great damage, and will do so to JERUSALEM as the LORD God’s living word does show us per Isaiah 22:6-9.

I personally believe ── though we in the US have not been told ── that China flew into Iran before the war, and at least 16 cargo planes removed Iran’s enriched uranium as well as their centrifuges (The aircraft allegedly turned off their transponders before entering Iranian airspace). No different than Saddam Hussein in the days before the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of his country, the Iraqis transferred their WMDs to Syria! 2 So, even though Iran has been technically neutralized ── they are far from being dead. The LORD God has postponed the inevitable.

Now, there is a point that the Jewish Pesikta Rabbati may have some slight validity relating to the now neutered Islamic Regime of Iran. Notice the 11th chapter of the Book of Daniel; he uses the term, the ‘king of the South’ ──

“He [a final Catholic-led European civic & military leader] shall stir up his power and his courage against THE KING OF THE SOUTH … 27) Both these kings’ hearts shall be bent on evil, and they shall speak lies AT THE SAME TABLE; but it shall not prosper, for the end will still be AT THE APPOINTED TIME [which is the LORD God’s ‘appointed time’].” – Daniel 11:25, 27.

“’AT THE TIME OF THE END the king of the South shall attack him; and the king of the North [a final United States of Europe] shall come against him like a whirlwind, with chariots, horsemen, and with many ships; and he shall enter the countries, overwhelm them, and pass through. 41) He shall also enter the Glorious Land [Palestine], and many countries shall be overthrown; but these [initially] shall escape from his hand: Edom [which is Turkey], Moab [which is Iraq], and the prominent people of Ammon [or Jordan]. 42) He shall stretch out his hand [the ‘king of the North’] against the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape’” – Daniel 11:40-42.

The above ‘AT THE TIME OF THE END’ (the very same end time that our Lord Jesus Christ speaks of in Matthew 24:14) tells us that there will be a final leader of the lands of the Middle East and North Africa ── called the ‘king of the South.’ Now, most of the lands mentioned in the above end-time prophecy are made up of ethnic Arabs. So, technically it could be considered the ‘king of the Arabs.’ PERSIA IS NOT MENTIONED IN DANIEL 11 and is not the prophesied end-time ‘king of the South’!

Now, regarding “Edom,” EDOM IS NOT ROME! Edom, prophetically, points to modern Turkey!

So, as our mortal and spiritual enemy, Satan the Devil, is standing upon his armada of ships in low earth orbit, looking at the tiny nation of Israel through his spiritual binoculars ── he sees IRAN neutered and a regime change in Syria!

Keeping this current geopolitical situation with Iran and Syria in mind ── it is of interest to note: Various Arab leaders have reached out to Turkey.

Could this neutralization of the Islamic Regime of Iran help lead to the formation of an end-time Islamic Confederation of Nations and the rise of an end-time ‘king of the South’? “Experiences across the region show that ousting regimes without a clear vision for the post-transition phase does not necessarily produce stability. In many cases, it has instead created political and security vacuums, opening the door to further disorder and complicating both domestic and regional dynamics” 3. In that report, be sure to read the section entitled “Second: The Rise of Non-Persian Peoples”; it’s listed as “the most consequential.”

We are surely seeing and are witnesses the continuing development of end-time prophecies being fulfilled and the development and the rise of a final ‘king of the South’!

Likely, this final Islamic confederacy will not fully form for some time, and certainly an end-time final ‘king of the South’ leader will have to rise first. Yet, discussions for something like this are occurring.

Now, while there has been a League of Arab states, Turkey, as well as others, are more seriously taking steps to work towards the development of an Islamic military force.

Our beloved President of the United States of America, Donald Trump ── who, in my personal humble opinion, is one of the greatest U.S. presidents in my lifetime ── is doing something that no other president since Jimmy Carter has even thought about doing, and that is the destruction of the government of the evil Islamic Republic in Iran. But, in doing so, could indeed be causing unintended consequences to the Middle East and to the world at large. □

1 Wikipedia contributors. "Pesikta Rabbati." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 27 Jun. 2026. Web. 3 Aug. 2026.

2 Morris, H., The Unresolved Mystery of Syria’s ‘Iraqi’ Chemical Weapons, The New York Times, 24 July 2012.

3 Obeidi, J., The Future of Iran: Three Scenarios for Life After the Islamic Republic, Dialogue Institute for Research & Studies, 11 May 2026.

The Roots of the Vikings

Viking ships (Ai-generated)

Where might they have come from?

A large treasure of Viking-related silver coins has recently been discovered ──

May 04, 2026

Archaeologists Found 3,000 Viking Coins Buried in a Field. There Could Be Even More.

The Viking hoard is the largest ever discovered in Norway.

A hoard of silver coins left by Vikings in Norway is so massive that even after more than 3,000 coins have been unearthed, the search is still on for more. Initially, a pair of registered metal detectorists uncovered 19 silver coins and called in local officials. By the end of one day of searching, the number of coins recovered had grown to 70. Just a few weeks later, that number passed 3,000, and now the haul is being called the largest Viking Age coin hoard ever located in the history of Norway.

Experts from the University of Oslo’s Museum of Cultural History believe the treasure was deposited near Rena, in what’s now the county of Innlandet, around 1047, shortly after the time when coins started to be minted in the region. The coins found in the hoard come mostly from England and Germany, but a few examples are from those early days of coin-making in Denmark and Norway.

(https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/archaeology/a71179531/viking-silver-coin-hoard/).

Wow! Since the early beginnings of my research into my roots, I have made wonderful discoveries! Having believed most of my life in being of Irish descent, it was exciting to learn the revelation that I am descended from John de Johnstone of Dumfriesshire, Scotland of 1120 – my 22nd great-grandfather – a direct descendant from Benjamin, a son of Jacob (though certainly there is some ethnic intermingling). 1

A great researcher and teacher, Bert Otten, wrote “Ten Prophetic Clues Concerning Benjamin - Western-Vikings.” Here I freely share part of his research for educational purposes, quotes are properly cited ──

“The tribal area of Benjamin was a buffer area between the House of Israel and the House of Judah. People tended to stay in their cities and homes and thus a number of the Benjamites were taken along into the Assyrian captivity of the Ten Tribes. …

Benjamites:

Saul – First king of Israel. Fought 40 years successfully against the neighbouring nations, especially against the Philistines. Lost God’s favour. Went to the witch of Endor. Died on the hills of Gilboa with his sons Jonathan, Abinadab and Malchishua (1Sam 9-31).

Jonathan – Hero and successor to the throne. Loved David, with whom he made a covenant. They would look after each other’s children (1Sam 20).

Abner – Saul’s cousin. Army commander of Saul and of Ishbosheth. Fought a hopeless civil war with Joab for some years. Abner had killed Joab’s brother with a single backwards thrust of his spear. Joab murdered Abner when he had come to surrender the northern tribes into David’s hands (1 Sam 14 – 2 Sam 3).

Ishbosheth – Son of Saul. Abner put Ishbosheth on the throne in Mahanaim (is in the tribal area of Gad). He was a puppet of Abner. Ishbosheth blamed Abner for taking Rizpah, his father’s concubine. The angry Abner decided to end the civil war and to deliver the north into the hands of David (2Sam 2-4).

Mephibosheth – Cripple son of Jonathan. Because of Jonathan’s covenant with David, Mephibosheth got a place at David’s court (2Sam 9, 16, 19).

Baanah and Rechab – Two leaders of warrior bands for Ishbosheth, during the civil war. They killed their king Ishbosheth and cut off his head to take it to David. Instead of receiving a reward, they were executed (2Sam 4).

Shimei – During Absalom’s rebellion Shimei expected a reinstating of the House of Saul. So during David’s flight, Shimei walked along with king David, cursing and throwing stones (2 Sam 16, 19).

Sheba – Sheba called for a rebellion of the tribes against David. He fled to Abel of Bethmaachah, but the inhabitants chucked his head over the wall to Joab, David’s general (2 Sam 20).

Esther & Mordecai – Jews of the tribe of Benjamin at the time of the Persians. They saved the Jewish people (Judah) in a valiant way (Book of Esther).

Paul – At first Saul persecuted the Church with the sword; later as Paul he preached the cross and wrote 1Corinthians 13, an Ode to Love (NT). *

1st Clue: Benjamin: Joseph’s full brother

The sons of Rachel; JOSEPH, AND BENJAMIN (Gen 35:24).

But BENJAMIN, JOSEPH’S [FULL] BROTHER, Jacob sent not with his brethren; for he said, Lest peradventure mischief befall him (Gen 42:4).

And [Joseph] fell upon his brother Benjamin’s neck, and wept; and Benjamin wept upon his neck (Gen 45:14, Authorized Version throughout, unless mentioned otherwise).

Joseph & Benjamin

There was a close tie between Joseph and Benjamin. All the other brothers were half-brothers to Joseph, but Benjamin was his only full brother. In Eretz Yisrael their tribal areas formed a whole. Benjamin lived south of Ephraim and Manasseh.

In the time of the judges the tribe of Benjamin was extinguished, all but for 600 men. 200 of those 600 got their wives from the daughters of Shiloh, so of the tribe of Ephraim. Rachel genes of the tribe of Ephraim (Joseph) were added to the tribe of Benjamin.

Vikings in the British Isles

During the Viking Age many Vikings settled in the British Isles. Many Britons have some Viking blood. The Danes mainly settled in the Danelaw (East England). Vikings from Norway circled the whole and came from the north and settled in Scotland, Ireland (Dublin), Wales and the Isle of Man. Benjamin embraced Joseph in the Bible and in a sense, Benjamin embraced Joseph on the map and mixed with Joseph.

Linguistic Loans

No wonder that the English language has many Old Norse loans: anger, awe, are, berserk, call, cast, egg, fellow, fog, gap, get, gun, happy, husband, ill, kid, kindle, knife, knot, law, leg, loft, low, mire, muck, odd, outlaw, wrong, wing, window, whirl, weak, until, ugly, trust, till, tidings, thwart, thrust, thrift, though, their, teem, take, sway, sick, etc.

Notice this from Wikipedia ──

Words of Old Norse origin have entered the English language, primarily from the contact between Old Norse and Old English during colonization of eastern and northern England between the mid-9th to the 11th centuries (see also Danelaw). 2

Continuing ──

2nd Clue: Benjamin: ... in the west ...

ON THE WEST SIDE [of the Tabernacle] shall be the standard of the camp of EPHRAIM [son of Joseph] according to their armies ... And by him shall be the tribe of MANASSEH [son of Joseph] ... Then the tribe of BENJAMIN ... (Num 2:18-24).

The Tabernacle

There are three Rachel tribes: Ephraim, Manasseh and Benjamin. The Rachel tribes camped west of the Tabernacle, under Ephraim’s leadership. I believe that the western Vikings (from Denmark and Norway) are descendants of Benjamin and ended up in Denmark, Norway, Iceland and the Faeroe Islands. Ephraim and Manasseh ended up in the British Isles, all three far to the west. *

Quite a few Vikings settled in the British Isles. Many Danes settled in Normandy, which got its name from the Norsemen. Many of these Normans (with Viking blood) crossed the Channel with William the Conqueror (1066) and settled in the British Isles too. So, in the Viking Age many Vikings went west.

Norse Vikings

About 500 years before Columbus (1492) and the English (1497), the Norse Vikings arrived in America. The Norse Vikings sailed their ships westwards to Iceland, Greenland and Vinland (Newfoundland, Canada). The Viking colony in Greenland survived for about 450 to 500 years. The Viking Benjamites were the first in the New World and the first of the Israelites to go west. Later on, to be followed by many others of the Lost Tribes.

3rd Clue: Benjamin, FIVE TIMES as much

And Joseph sent food to them from his table, but he sent FIVE TIMES as much to BENJAMIN as to any of the others. And they took wine freely with him. (Gen 43:34, BBE, Bible in Basic English).

To all of them he gave each man changes of raiment; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver, and FIVE CHANGES OF RAIMENT (Gen 45:22).

Five times as much

When the brothers came back to Joseph, Benjamin with them this time, they set down to eat with him. Benjamin’s portion of food was five times as much. The other brothers got a set of clothing and Benjamin got five sets of clothing. We see that the Benjamites got an extensive area of land in Europe. The Western Vikings spread out over Denmark, Skane, Norway, Iceland and Faeroe Islands. Their flags are all variations of the Danish flag. Red, white and blue …

In the article “Freedom - A True Blessing From God” I speak of THIRTEENS!

4th Clue: Benjamin: a ravenous wolf

Benjamin is A RAVENOUS WOLF, in the morning devouring the prey, and at even dividing the spoil.” (Gen 49:27, RSV).

Jewish Encyclopedia

The Jewish Encyclopedia states about this: “[According to the rabbis]: His comparison to the ravening wolf (Cant. R. to viii. 1), “who devours his enemy” (Gen. xlix. 27) is referred to the men of Shiloh who stole their wives (Judges xxi.) or to Ehud or to Saul. By others it is referred to Mordecai and Esther (Gen. R. xcix. and Tan., Wayeḥi, 14; so also in the original text of the Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs [Benjamin ii]; whereas a Christian interpolation refers it to Paul). …

photo by Pixel-mixer (Pixabay)

Vikings – wolves

There is no people that fulfilled this verse as the Vikings did during the three centuries of the Viking Age. In gangs they attacked early in the morning in hit-and-run style, and at evening they divided the spoil. The common sword of the time was the Ulfberht sword. Ulfberht probably was the name of a bladesmith or of a group of bladesmiths. Ulfberht translates into English as Bright Wulf. …

5th Clue: Benjamites: fearless

And EHUD put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly (Judg 3:21).

And the children of Benjamin were ... 26,000 that drew sword ... Among all this people there were 700 chosen men lefthanded ... And the men of Israel, beside Benjamin, were numbered 400,000 men that drew sword ... (Judg 20:15-17).

And JONATHAN said to his young servant who had his arms, Come, let us go over to the armies of these men who have no circumcision ... the Lord is able to give

salvation by a great army OR BY A SMALL BAND (1Sam 14:6, BBE).

And all the king’s servants, that were in the king’s gate, bowed, and reverenced Haman ... But MORDECAI BOWED NOT, nor did him reverence (Esther 2:3).

But some Jews came to that place from Antioch and Iconium, and got control over the people; AND AFTER STONING PAUL, they had him pulled out of the town, taking him for dead. But when the disciples came round him, HE GOT UP AND WENT INTO THE TOWN: and the day after he went away with Barnabas ... (Acts 14:19-20, BBE).

Fearless Benjamites

Benjamites are often fearless fighters, think of Ehud, the civil war against the Benjamites (11 tribes against 1), Saul, Abner, Jonathan, Mordecai, Esther and Paul.

Left-handed Ehud went back alone and killed the Moabite king single-handedly (Judg 3). The Benjamites went to war 27,700 against 400,000, 1 tribe against 11 tribes (Judg 20). Saul, his cousin Abner, and Jonathan were great warriors. Jonathan once took an Philistine outpost together with his servant. Mordecai refused to bow for Haman. The Apostle Paul was a fearless Benjamite too. After having been stoned he went back into the city of the people who had just stoned him! …

A Viking sword (Ai-generated)

6th Clue: Benjamin: sword / violence

Therefore, my children, I tell you, flee the malice of Beliar; for he giveth A SWORD to them that obey him. And THE SWORD is the mother of seven evils … and first there is BLOODSHED; secondly, RUIN; thirdly, TRIBULATION; fourthly, EXILE; fifthly, DEARTH; sixthly, PANIC; seventhly, DESTRUCTION [THE TESTAMENT OF BENJAMIN, THE TWELFTH SON OF JACOB AND RACHEL 7:1-2]. 3

So Ehud made himself A TWO-EDGED SWORD ... 21 And Ehud put out HIS LEFT HAND, AND TOOK THE SWORD FROM HIS RIGHT SIDE, and sent it into his stomach; 22 And the hand-part went in after the blade, and the fat was joined up over the blade; for HE DID NOT TAKE THE SWORD OUT of his stomach. And he went out ... (Judg 3:16, 21-22, BBE).

And the Levite, the husband of the woman who was murdered, answered and said, “I came to Gibeah that belongs to Benjamin ... And the men of Gibeah rose against me THEY MEANT TO KILL ME, AND THEY RAVISHED MY CONCUBINE, AND SHE IS DEAD” (Judg 20:4-5, RSV).

So that all which fell that day of Benjamin were 25,000 men that drew THE SWORD; all these were men of valour (Judg 20:46).

Now when Saul had taken his place as ruler of Israel, HE MADE WAR ON THOSE WHO WERE AGAINST HIM ON EVERY SIDE ... and whichever way he went, HE OVERCAME THEM (1Sam 14:47, BBE). …

Benjamin & Violence (Sword)

There are tribes that are quite peaceful, like Asher, Zebulun and Issachar. Then there are militaristic tribes like Ephraim, Gad and Manasseh. The tribe of Benjamin was often involved in violence. That’s why Jacob prophesied Benjamin to be a devouring wolf. *

9th Clue: Benjamin: kingdom builders

Then Samuel took the bottle of oil, and put the oil on his head and gave him a kiss and said, Is not the Lord with the holy oil MAKING YOU RULER OVER ISRAEL, HIS PEOPLE? ... (1Sam 10:1a). …

Now when Saul had taken HIS PLACE AS RULER OF ISRAEL, he made war on those who were against him on every side, Moab and the Ammonites and Edom and the kings of Zobah and the Philistines: and WHICHEVER WAY HE WENT, HE OVERCAME THEM (1Sam 14:47, BBE). …

Saul of the OT & Saul of the NT

Benjamites are good organizers and kingdom builders. At the time of the judges Israel was a loose confederation of tribes. There was no central governance, no king. God used the Benjamite Saul to build the kingdom, which was later taken over by the House of David. …

… Paul was instrumental in building that Church with his missionary journeys and his epistles. Paul wrote 13 of the 26 NT books. Paul was an able organizer, and he was of the tribe of Benjamin.

Vikings – organizers & kingdom builders

Vikings were not just plunderers in hit-and-run actions, but also good organizers. Otherwise, they would never have been able to make these long journeys. The Danish Vikings plundered the coasts of Frisia and Frankish State. They rowed around Spain and plundered Lyon and the Roman State. Vikings from Norway founded colonies on Iceland, Greenland and Newfoundland (Canada).

(https://sites.google.com/site/waarheidvrede/the-ten-lost-tribes).

The LORD God’s living word records for us various promises made to the tribes of Israel in Genesis chapters 48 & 49, along with Deuteronomy 33. Sadly, most people completely overlook these great promises, yet many of those prophecies have been and will be fulfilled!

The controversial Dr. Herman L Hoeh, in his research wrote ──

“8: Benjamin constitutes Norway and Iceland. The Icelandic people in reality a colony of Norwegians. Benjamin was given to David because Jerusalem, David’s capital, was in the tribe of Benjamin, not Judah. God said He would give David light in Jerusalem (I Kings 11:36). This verse could not refer to Judah which did not have to be given to the Jewish House of David. Benjamin was told to flee the destruction of Jerusalem (Jer. 6:1) which many of them did.

Benjamin is compared to “a wolf that raveneth; in the morning he devoureth the prey, and at even he divideth the spoil” (Gen. 49:27). This is certainly an apt description of the Vikings who pillaged Northern Europe, and even Mediterranean regions. Almost all Viking raids came from Norway. It is also significant that Benjamin, the smallest tribe, still is the smallest today. There are fewer Norwegians (plus 148 thousand from Iceland) than any other Israelite nation. (Moses’ blessing in Deut. 33 has particular reference to this fact that Jerusalem was in the tribe of Benjamin).” 4

Now certainly, and I have had long conversations regarding this with AI ── which calls “British-Israelism” ─ “a fringe theory by most historians and biblical scholars, as there’s no concrete evidence supporting these claims. The theory emerged in the 19th century and has been largely discredited by mainstream academia” 5 let me say that I do believe that those of Iceland and Norway are essentially descended from Benjamin, and as I said of myself ── though they are ethnically intermingled. (Be sure to read and study as well, “Judah's Sceptre and Joseph's Birthright” by J.H. Allen).

With all that being said, and as Mr. Allen wrote on the front page of his book, “yours in Christ, ── “The Truth,” it is IMPORTANT to properly understand and know where our peoples around the world originated to help us better understand God’s living word in prophecy. □

Sources:

1. Note: Some additional research might suggest a direct descendant from Simeon (the second-born son of Jacob).

2. Wikipedia contributors. "List of English words of Old Norse origin." Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. 27 Apr. 2026. Web. 12 May. 2026.

3. R. H. Charles, The Testaments of the Twelve Patriarchs Vol. II , From The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament, Oxford Press.

4. Hoeh, Herman, L., Location of the Tribes of Israel, https://www.friendsofsabbath.org/ , Circa. 1957. PDF.

5. Amazon.com (13 May 2026).

*. bolded, italicized and or underlined for emphasis.

Why God Selected Israel Yet Withheld Spiritual Salvation

by Leonard V Johnson

Have you ever wondered why the LORD God (the Elohim, the family of God ── which at this time consists of God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ) raised up the children of Israel – the kingdom of Israel – yet denied them the glorious Holy Spirit and eternal salvation, except the prophets?

I’d like to cover this important subject.

Why Is There A “Chosen People”?

Why did the LORD God choose the people of Jacob/Israel ── yet come to deny them the glorious Holy Spirit to beget them into eternal life?

What were they “chosen” for? Was it be a “special people”? Was it for “special favors”? Is the LORD God a respecter of peoples?

Well… to help us to properly understand, let’s go back within God’s living word to Adam & Eve. Because the true reason behind why the people of Israel became the LORD God’s “chosen people” is actually an integral part of God’s Master Plan ── From the Beginning.

Also, have you ever realized that God’s living word – the Holy Bible – is actually a Book concerning one man’s family ── the family of Abraham. And that God’s living word only speaks of other peoples as they come into contact with that one man’s family ── that being the nation of Israel?

Also, and here’s something that you might not realize ── or, for that matter, realized by any religion, including Judaism, the kingdom of Israel was not Jewish. We find that the first place within God’s word in which the term “Jew” is used is in 2 Kings 16:6, where Israel is at war against “the Jews”! The term “Jew” is derived from the name of Judah, who was the fourth son of Jacob/Israel.

The descendants of Jacob/Israel were indeed chosen by the LORD God. Yet, they were not chosen as a “teacher’s pet,” or for any “special favors.” They were truly chosen for a special purpose to prepare the glorious kingdom of God ── a purpose which they would come to refuse to comply with.

The LORD God is actually REPRODUCING THEMSELVES (Genesis 1:26) in and through man. And the LORD God’s ultimate purpose is far beyond anything that mankind can imagine! (1 Corinthians 2:9)!

So, again, to properly understand, let us go back a bit briefly.

The First “Humans”

The Word (John 1:3) created our very first parents ── Adam & Eve ── created physically in God’s image and in God’s likeness. Yet, they were unfinished pieces of God’s work, because spiritual character was yet to be developed in them and their offspring. And the LORD God cannot just create godly character by fiat; it has to be developed.

Physically, this pair was “very good” ── meaning they had no chronic ailments or tendencies toward any physical illnesses or diseases. Surely this is evidenced by the fact that Adam lived to be 930 years old and died (Genesis 5:5). Adam & Eve had several sons and daughters, but only THREE SONS are named in his genealogy ── Cain, Abel, and Seth.

Now, both Adam & Eve had rejected the LORD God as the ultimate revealer of right knowledge and had rejected the kingdom of God. They instead had chosen only “the knowledge of good and evil” ── meaning they instead only wanted to rely on themselves to determine what they consider “good” and what is “evil.” And it’s no different today. They had instead chosen the way of vanity, pride, covetousness, envy, jealousy, the wrong kind of competition which leads to strife and contempt, violence and self-destruction, and an outright rebellion against right authority.

Their oldest son, Cain, became a murderer and a liar. And even though Seth was born after “righteous Abel” was murdered, and “men began to call on the name of the LORD” ── which meant that men began to include the name of God (El) in their name ── mankind as a whole would descend into ever-greater violence and the ‘wickedness of man became great in the earth, every intent of their heart was only evil’ – Genesis 6:5.

In fact, according to God’s word, from the time of Adam until Noah, only one man is recorded as having truly “walked with God” ── Enoch.

So, ‘it came to pass, when men began to greatly multiply on the face of the earth, and daughters were born to them, the sons of God (those of the lineage of Seth) saw the daughters of men (those of the lineage of Cain), and they took wives for themselves of all whom they chose’ – cf. Genesis 6:1-2.

“The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. 12) So God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth” – Genesis 6:11-12.

What was this “corruption”? In the Old Testament, corruption can refer to literal, physical decay (cf. Job 17:14; Psalm 16:10), but mostly corruption is used to indicate moral corruption and depravity (Exodus 32:7; Hosea 9:9). And this outright lawlessness and global corruption were rampant, causing great suffering, anguish, and frustration upon an evil humanity.

The LORD became ‘sorry that He had made man on the earth, and He became grieved in His heart. So, the LORD decided to destroy mankind whom He had created’ ── Genesis 6:5-7.

The LORD brought about ‘floodwaters on the earth, to destroy from under heaven all flesh in which is the breath of life; everything that is on the earth shall die.’ ── Genesis 6:13-17.

Yet, one man found grace in the eyes of the LORD ── Noah. “Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. Noah walked with God.” – Genesis 6:8, 9.

The LORD God was willing to give humanity a fresh new beginning.

One Man “perfect in his generations.”

Noah ── “blameless” in his generations-- has listed in his genealogy, THREE SONS ── Shem, Ham, and Japheth. So, there became three major racial strains upon the earth ── white, yellow, and black. All peoples have come from these three racial strains. Now, contrary to popular belief, there is evidence that Adam & Eve were created as what is known as “white.” Also, I’ve taken an art class ── you cannot get the color white from black. Also, the LORD God’s chosen peoples were “white.” Our Lord Jesus Christ was “white.” As I have conjectured before, Noah had what has come to be known as “albinism.” 1 Men with albinism can have children with different-colored skin. The LORD, within His living word, reveals to us the skin colors of Noah’s three sons by where their descendants would come to dwell.

By the time of Noah, “the sons of God (those of the lineage of Seth) had taken as wives the daughters of men (those of the lineage of Cain)” – Genesis 6:2. Now, using the general guide provided by the Bible, it is possible to isolate many specific features about the society before the Flood. Consider, first of all, the “giants” of Genesis 6:4. Can they be identified in terms of archaeology and history? The English word “giants” is used in various places in the Authorized or King James Version of the Bible. It is translated from two original Hebrew words – Rephaim and Nephilim. The Rephaim are mentioned only after the Flood; they were tall men, like the Anakim. The term Rephaim [the Moabites calling them Emim] is translated “giants” in Deuteronomy 2:11, 20, and other places; and they are mentioned directly in Genesis 14:5 and 15:20. I speak of “giants” in our sermon “Giants On the Earth In Those Days” as well as in our articles “Why So Many Don’t Understand Pentecost” and “Evaluating Evolutionary Theories Around Life’s Origins.”

So, these “mighty men who were of old, men of renown” born from this unwholesome union between the children of God and the daughters of men had only brought about ‘every intent of the thoughts of mankind's heart evil continually.’ Our Lord Jesus Christ has told us, looking toward the end of this present evil age, just before His return and the establishment of His kingdom, that world conditions would be ‘as in the days of Noah’ – cf. Matthew 24:37-39. “’ For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, …’” – verse 38. So again, unwholesome unions.

As I have been proclaiming for a while now, when our Lord Jesus Christ asks, “’ Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes will He really find faith on the earth?’” – Luke 18:8, He’s not just speaking about “faith in God,” or “Faith in Jesus,” or even “faith in the gospel” ── but rather it’s more akin to FAITH IN A CREATOR! Before the Flood, family religion was put to an end through marriage, and children were being trained up according to the world's maxims of those parents who were without belief in a Creator or any fear of a God. Today, millions of people globally do not care for the living word of God, becoming known as “nones.” 2

So then, in what way did ‘eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage’ have to do with the extreme evil which caused the LORD God to destroy ‘everything that was on the earth’ at that time? Except for the eight people in Noah’s family? Again, His phrase ‘eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage’ signifies a time of indifference to God and of mankind’s complacency toward a Creator, where people will again be solely engaged in their everyday activities without a thought of God or their impending judgment.

To Note: The reason that the LORD God abhorred the sons of God (those of the lineage of Seth) and the daughters of men (those of the lineage of Cain) to intermarry had nothing to do with skin color or ethnicity. Rather, it had to do with religion. A similar principle of spiritual purity is laid out in the New Testament. Still, it has nothing to do with race: “Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14). God’s living word does not teach against interracial marriage. Anyone who claims that the LORD God only wanted “one pure race” is doing so against the authority of Jesus Christ. We should be reminded that Moses came to marry a Cushite woman, often identified as Ethiopian, after his first wife, Zipporah ── Numbers 12:1. Most people don’t or won’t even mention this – including Shannon Bream in her book The Women of the Bible Speak.

The LORD ‘Scatters’ Mankind Abroad

So, the families of the sons of Noah ──Shem, Ham, and Japheth ── according to their generations, in their nations; and from these the nations were divided on the earth after the Flood.

Not long after the Flood, ‘the whole earth had one language and one speech.’

“And it came to pass, as they journeyed from the east, that they found a plain in the land of Shinar [Southern Mesopotamia, which corresponds to modern-day Iraq], and they dwelt there.” – Genesis 11:2. So the world’s population was all speaking one language and one speech, and gathering together they came to build the ‘tower of Babel.’ They built for themselves a city (called Babel) and a tall tower.

Why did they create a city and this tall tower?

To make a name for themselves ── which truly means for human ambition, pride, pursuit of self-glorification instead of the LORD God (Genesis 11:4).

And why did the LORD God come to scatter them abroad over the face of the whole earth? In the Old Testament, God commanded the children of Israel not to marry certain people to avoid idolatry, not to try to enforce racial separation. As an example, Deuteronomy 7:3-4 cautioned the children of Israel against marrying Canaanites due to their idol worship, not their ethnicity.

“And the LORD said, ‘Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now NOTHING that they propose to do will be withheld from them.’” – Genesis 11:6.

So, again, not long after the Flood, the LORD God had commanded humanity to “Be fruitful and multiply, and FILL THE EARTH.” – Genesis 9:1. But, humanity decided to do the exact opposite. They came to travel from the east and landed in the plain of Shinar. They ── all speaking one language and one speech ── decided to construct a giant, tall tower as a symbol of their power, their prestige, their glory, to make a name for themselves (Genesis 11:4).

“’ Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.’ 8) So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, …” – Genesis 11:7, 8.

So, the LORD confused the languages there in the city of Babel to enforce their command for humanity to spread throughout the entire world.

Now, I do want to remind you that I have said before that the LORD God never designed any nation to be a great “melting pot.” Book of Acts – Verse 26, “And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and had determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings.”

Israel Raised Up

Here we come to Jacob, whose name was changed to Israel. A direct descendant of Abraham’s. The prophet Moses led the LORD God’s people through the Exodus, and the kingdom of Israel was brought into being. Now, although God’s word doesn’t specifically reveal to us how Moses discovered that he was a Hebrew, or heard about the God of the Hebrews, it does, however, reveal that “when Moses was grown, he went out to his brethren and looked at their burdens.” – Exodus 2:11. Surely, the LORD God caused Moses to be trained specifically for this commission by having him raised as a prince to the Pharaoh of Egypt.

So again, the question is asked, why did the LORD God raise a “special people” that would become the kingdom of Israel? And then not allow them access to His glorious Holy Spirit?

The answer: Notice Deuteronomy 7:7-9 ── “’ The LORD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; 8) but because the LORD loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers, the LORD has brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you from the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.’” – Deuteronomy 7:7-8.

The LORD God chose the descendants of Jacob/Israel to be the people through whom our Savior, Jesus Christ, would be born. The LORD first promised the Messiah after Eve was deceived (1 Tim. 2:14) ── Genesis 3:15. And the LORD later confirmed that the Messiah would come from the lineage of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob ──

“Now the LORD had said to Abram: … 3) … And in you [Abraham] all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’” – Genesis 12:1, 3. Which has a dual meaning. The blessings that would come to the United States of America, the United Kingdom, and her Commonwealth Nations, as well as because of the glorious birth of our Messiah.

Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, is the ultimate reason why the LORD chose Israel to be His “special people.” Again, and I can’t emphasize this enough ── Anyone who claims that the LORD God only wanted “one pure race” is doing so against the authority of Jesus Christ.

The LORD’s Covenant with Israel

Israel ── the name ISRAEL – Leviticus 23; ‘the children of Israel’ – ISRAEL means “struggle with God” #3478 – However, many other Bible help books (and I realize that the Strong’s Concordance isn’t the most accurate, or maybe the most extensive word study help you can use; my hardback states “struggle with God” – the Online Strong’s states “He will rule as God”). Think about all the times in your Bible we hear about the children of Israel, the house of Israel, the people of Israel – even the Church at times is called the Israel of God. In the very name Israel, is the destiny of all humankind!

Through Moses, the LORD spoke to the children of Israel His proposition. “’ Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; … 6) And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ …” – Exodus 19:5, 6.

“Then all the people answered together and said, ‘All that the LORD has spoken we will do.’ …” – verse 8.

IF they would obey His voice and commands and keep His agreement, He would prosper them and make them the wealthiest and most powerful nation on earth. But understand, all of the LORD’s promises were of a national and material nature ── none included spiritual salvation.

At that time, they agreed. So, they became the LORD’s chosen nation.

The LORD’s purpose for them had a definite relation to preparing for the ultimate spiritual Kingdom of God ── when the government of God would be established over all the earth, and spiritual salvation would then be offered to all humanity!

So, the LORD entered into an agreement (a Covenant) with the children of Jacob/Israel ── those children being of the tribes of Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, and Benjamin. Making them His special holy nation. And this agreement (Covenant) also represented a marriage covenant. It was the physical type of the yet to come until the Messiah of the NEW COVENANT.

Preparing A Kingdom

Why did the LORD prepare and raise the kingdom of Israel? And for that matter, why did the LORD God create mankind in the first place? Again, the LORD God is reproducing themselves, eventually creating mankind in their own perfect, righteous, and holy character ── which will 1) Establish their government over the whole earth, to ultimately produce, create, billions of God beings to finish the creation of the unfinished vast universe, and 2) to create even more, which the LORD God has not yet revealed to mankind!

EVERYTHING that the LORD God has done since ‘in the beginning’ ── the creation of man ‘in the image and likeness of God’ HAS BEEN BUT ANOTHER STEP IN THE OVERALL SUPREME PURPOSE THAT THE LORD GOD HAS!

Now, the immediate purpose, certainly throughout mankind’s history, is to prepare for the establishment of the Kingdom of God upon planet Earth (Matthew 6:10), which will first appear at the glorious and powerful return of our Lord Jesus Christ! And by His resurrected and born-again children (and I emphatically do not mean those that have been deceived into believing they are currently “born again”). Be sure to watch and study our sermon “Being Born Again.”

So, how does the Old Testament children of Israel ── the kingdom of Israel ── play a part in the soon-coming establishment of the Kingdom of God?

The Kingdom of Israel Was to Be the Example

The Kingdom of God will be a spiritual kingdom which will include both Church and State ── globally.

Abraham, along with his sons Isaac and Jacob/Israel, will be in the first resurrection and be born into the glorious Kingdom of God, certainly occupying high positions.

Moses ── whom the LORD raised up as His physical leader and lawgiver (even though God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ are the true Lawgivers) -- will also be resurrected and will certainly occupy a high position in God’s Kingdom. Joshua, as well, who succeeded Moses, will be in a high-level position within God’s Kingdom.

What of the physical kingdom of Israel as a whole?

They, despite the LORD God’s favor and His choosing as a “special people,” utterly failed to qualify. When the LORD placed before them their formation as a nation, they replied, “ .. ‘All that the LORD has spoken we will do.’ …” – Exodus 19:8. But they broke that covenant and rebelled.

Now, symbolically, they were in a “husband-and-wife” relationship with Almighty God. As the LORD said later of them, “’ Surely, as a wife treacherously departs from her husband, So have you dealt treacherously with Me, O house of Israel,’ says the LORD.” – Jeremiah 3:20.

Now, the Old Covenant (or testament) with the kingdom of Israel at Mount Sinai was a type and the forerunner of the New Covenant that the begotten children of God have with our Lord Jesus Christ (cf. Hebrews 4:16; 8:6; 9:11-15; 10:1-4, 11-18). Also, the New Covenant will be implemented immediately after the glorious second resurrection ── the Great White Throne Judgement (cf. Revelation 20:11-13) per-Jeremiah 31:31-34.

Our Lord Jesus’ New Covenant is governed by Law (summed up with the Ten Commandments) that is spiritualized and internalized by the people of God and is energized by God’s Spirit. The sins of the people are forgiven and removed once and for all by true repentance, true baptism, and having hands laid upon them, and the acceptance and belief in the true gospel. And God’s people now have a DIRECT and intimate access to God the Father and our Lord Jesus as Mediator. Gentiles, too, who believe, repent, are baptized, and have hands laid upon them, are included in Christ’s New Covenant!

Now, there were a few of God’s people that were in the Old Testament of the kingdom of Israel who did obey the LORD God and became God’s holy prophets, becoming part of the very foundation of the Church of God built and founded by our Lord Jesus Christ! The Church “having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, JESUS CHRIST HIMSELF being the chief cornerstone.” – Ephesians 2:20.

Among these great prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Daniel, Zechariah, Elijah, Elisha, Micah ── all under the authority of our Savior Jesus Christ within His Kingdom established upon Earth.

Praise be to the great God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob/Israel! □

1 1 Enoch 106:1-7.

2 O’ Leary, A., America’s Religious Decline Creates New Battleground, GovFacts, 25 Aug. 2025.

7th Day of Unleavened Bread ── Are YOU continuing to imbibe Christ?

AI Generated

by Leonard V Johnson

Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was, and is, and is to come! ── The Days of Unleavened Bread began at sunset April 1st and run until sunset April 8th, in 2026.

Notice this posting from The Temple Institute in Jerusalem, Israel, from their Facebook page ──

“I WILL SING TO HASHEM, FOR VERY EXALTED IS HE!” (Exodus 15:1)

Exactly seven days after leaving Egypt Israel finds itself stuck between a rock and a hard place, or more accurately, between the most powerful military on earth breathing down their necks and a vast, endless ocean before them , stopping them in their tracks. What, just one week ago looked so promising, when “HaShem took the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt with their legions,” (Exodus 12:51) now looks like the end of the trail, a desperate and failed escape, destined to be forgotten. The ten plagues that devastated Egypt, bring Pharaoh to his knees, maybe they weren’t miracles, after all. Maybe it was just a bad case of climate change.

These were the exact fears of the children of Israel as they “lifted up their eyes, and behold! The Egyptians were advancing after them. They were very frightened, and the children of Israel cried out to HaShem. They said to Moshe, Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us to die in the desert? What is this that you have done to us to take us out of Egypt? Isn’t this the thing about which we spoke to you in Egypt, saying, Leave us alone, and we will serve the Egyptians, because we would rather serve the Egyptians than die in the desert?” (Exodus 14:10-12) The children of Israel were not only terrified, they were divided. According to Midrash, the people split up into four dissenting camps. One group says, the jig is up, let’s march back peacefully to Egypt and face the consequences. One group said there is no hope, here is where it ends. One group said, let us go down, not in shame, but in dignity. Let us fight the Egyptian army and at least die defending ourselves. And the fourth group said, there is only one way forward and that is into the sea.

Hearing all this, “Moshe said to the people, ‘Don't be afraid! Stand firm and see HaShem’s salvation that He will wreak for you today, for the way you have seen the Egyptians is only today, but you shall no longer continue to see them for eternity. HaShem will fight for you, but you shall remain silent.’” (Exodus 14:13-14) Be silent! Stop talking and begin doing. This is the moment when, again, as told by Midrash, Nachshon of the tribe of Yehudah, marched into the sea, neither stopping nor looking back. And at the moment when the sea rose to his nostrils, HaShem rewarded His trust by splitting the sea for all Israel to pass through. When we strive for freedom, when we strive for good, HaShem will always open a path before us. This is the lesson of the splitting of the Sea of Reeds. It's not enough that HaShem believes in us and will overturn the very rules of nature that He Himself established in order to bring us to safety and prosperity and peace. We need to believe in HaShem and trust that darkness, an impassable sea, and endless exile are all, ultimately, illusions whose chains and bars can be swept away by faith in HaShem and action on our part.

(https://www.facebook.com/templeinstitute/).

Brethren, we as true Christians also need to trust and believe that the LORD God will always open a path before us.

Notice here what WVTM13 writes ──

April 12th, 2025,

One of the holiest holidays of the year begins for the Jewish community … begins at sundown Saturday and is a time of reflection and celebration, …

This special time commemorates the Jewish people's exodus from Egypt. Those who celebrate … remove leavened foods and eat … unleavened bread.

(https://www.wvtm13.com/article/time-of-reflection-and-celebration-as-passover-begins/64465319).

This Passover season means so much more to us than just the Exodus from Egypt.

We Christians observe that our Lord Jesus Christ paid the ultimate penalty for our sins on PASSOVER and that we are to live, as He lived ── without sin and hypocrisy, which metaphorically, is what leaven represents ──

“ … ‘Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.’” – Luke 12:1b.

Truly, one way you can understand the Days of Unleavened Bread is by understanding the very central focus of the Days of Unleavened Bread – Jesus Christ!

Sadly, many minds were soiled concerning the true meaning and the teaching points which are associated with the Days of Unleavened Bread! And many of these misconceptions continue to grip many people, many remnant church groups. Well, they continue to teach ritualistic housecleaning. And to so many, the Days of Unleavened Bread is a campaign to “find leavening.” And they always claim that leaven is equal to sin. While that is a tradition, it is not Scriptural. And I want you to understand that they are teaching this as Judeo-Christianity – not as part of the New Covenant of Jesus Christ! In fact, no Scripture declares that leaven (which is short for leavened bread) is sin. There is certainly a passage that tells us exactly what sin is. It’s 1st John 3:4 – “Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.”

Our Lord and Savior – the true Messiah - never called leaven sin. An example can be found in the Book of Matthew, chapter 13 ──

Verse 33 – “’ The kingdom [from] heaven is like leaven, …’”

And another passage that offers a perspective is in the Book of Luke, chapter 13 ──

Verses 20 & 21 – “’ To what shall I liken the kingdom of God? 21) It is like leaven, …’”

After the children of Israel were delivered from Egypt, the LORD God revealed the annual festivals. And through Prophet Moses (the etymology of his name likely derived from combining the words “water,” “seed,” and “pond,” thus yielding the sense of “child of the Nile” (mw- š) 1, the eternal Creators formally introduced these festivals to their nation – ISRAEL. “The congregation in the wilderness” – Acts 7:38.

Within the New Covenant, we can understand from the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ and His apostles that He intends the spring festivals to illustrate to His Church every year that all those God the Father has called out of this world - before, during, and after His Son’s death, and glorious resurrection unto life – are only the “firstfruits” ──

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. 18) Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures.” – James 1:17-18.

Yes, symbolically, leaven can represent sin (cf. 1st Corinthians 5:7-8). Because, like sin, leaven puffs up. And seven (7) represents to the LORD God – completion.

And certainly, a true Christian should strive daily to keep sin at bay. But to outright say that leaven is equal to sin is not Scriptural. Now, we’re dead to sin, but we’re alive through Jesus Christ! We live unto Jesus Christ! “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.” ── Book of Romans, chapter 6, verse 12. He is saying, ‘Don’t let sin have control over you anymore.’ You’re free! Like the man that was on death row – now you find yourself walking down the road, and you say, “How in the world did I get off of death row and now walking along here a free man!?” You’re not in the dungeon anymore! You’re not in chains; you’re not waiting for execution anymore! You’re out of prison – you’re walking freely down the road! That is the analogy that he is making here.

The meaning of the Days of Unleavened Bread is powerful! A MEMORIAL, a feast by an EVERLASTING ORDINANCE! Not a shadow, but a memorial. Notice, it is the day that is the feast “’ you shall keep it as a feast …’” It is the day that is a feast day – the 15th of Abib/Nisan – not the Passover! And it is to be kept as a Sabbath – or holy convocation, FOREVER!

Exodus 12:16 – “’ On the FIRST DAY [the first day of the seven – the 15th of Abib/Nisan] there shall be a holy convocation, and on the seventh day [the 21st of Abib/Nisan] there shall be a holy convocation for you. No manner of work [as in labor or occupation] shall be done on them; …’”

We Christians understand and recognize that Jesus Christ paid the ultimate penalty for our sins on the LORD’S Passover and was sacrificed smack dab in the middle of the Feast of Unleavened Bread!

All of the LORD’s Holy Days are what we call Christocentric. Meaning that they are all centered around JESUS CHRIST! In other words, we shouldn’t be so steeped and so misguided by Judeo-Christianity that we lose focus on who we are to look to! JESUS CHRIST! Recall, Jesus built His Church! The New Covenant Church!

So, if you go to JESUS CHRIST, He will forgive you – and we are told this back in the epistles of John. He is faithful to forgive!

“’ I AM the bread of life.’” – John 6:48.

The Passover and the Days of Unleavened Bread are pointing us to ONE THING – Jesus Christ! Brethren, He is that Unleavened Bread of sincerity and truth! He is the meaning of the Feast of Unleavened Bread! □

1 Ulmer, Rivka. 2009. Egyptian Cultural Icons in Midrash. de Gruyter. p. 269.

Let Us Observe the Feast of Tabernacles!

Greetings, this beautiful Holy Day, the First Day of the Lord’s Feast of TABERNACLES 2025! 

Welcome everyone! Our Brethren, Co-workers, and Friends in Christ who are located in India, Singapore, Istanbul, and here in the United States, including Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Thank you for being here today on this holy day, the first day of the fall season, the Feast of Tabernacles! God bless!

Our Lord Jesus ── Savior, Master and Elder Brother ── has commanded His servants to observe the Lord’s Passover, not by sacrificing a lamb every year, but by washing our fellow brethren’s feet along with the partaking of unleavened bread and wine. But, how many of this world’s nominal Christians truly understand that our Lord Jesus also commanded His servants to celebrate and observe the Feast of Tabernacles as well?

Maybe you have never thought of this before ── or you’ve been taught that those Old Testament (Old Covenant) feasts were only for the Jews, and that now the Gentile converts don’t have to celebrate those feasts anymore, because they were “fulfilled for us,” or they were “nailed to the cross”? Yet, our Lord Jesus’ Church ── it is His Church, He built it! – cf. Matthew 16:18 – celebrates and observes the annual Feast of Tabernacles! 

Indeed, we all know that the animal sacrifices and the preparatory washings of the Old Covenant have ceased. Yet, what I want to speak about today ── there are ways, often overlooked ways, in which our Lord Jesus’ Church observes and celebrates the Feast of Tabernacles that differ greatly from the way in which the congregation of Israel observed it.

We Observe In Spirit and In Truth

There is a more heightened and spiritual manner in which we keep and celebrate the Feast that was first enunciated by our Lord Jesus Christ; here He was speaking to the Samaritan woman at the water well ── 

“The woman said to Him, ‘Sir, I perceive that You are a prophet. 20) Our fathers worshiped on this mountain, and you Jews say that in Jerusalem is the place where one ought to worship.’ 

21) Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, believe Me, the hour is coming when you will neither on this mountain [which is Mount Gerizim], nor in Jerusalem, worship the Father. … 23) But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; …’” – John 4:19-21, 23.

The Old Covenant Feast of Tabernacles, from the time of King Solomon until the establishment of the New Covenant, was celebrated and observed with all its religious rites in Jerusalem only. Yet, here our Lord Jesus Christ is clearly saying that the “place and the manner” of observing and celebrating the Lord’s feasts was changing. And the hour came when we are to worship God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ “in spirit and truth,” not in mere religious rituals. Those religious rituals came by the law of Moses, or rather the Old Covenant ── “For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” – John 1:17. And this grace and truth includes how we are to keep and celebrate the Lord’s Feast of Tabernacles. 

Indeed, the New Testament reveals to us concerning the keeping and celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles, and we certainly should be reminded, brethren ── surely during this fall festival season ── of the customs that surrounded the Old Covenant way in keeping and celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles ── the congregation of Israel’s way. Recall that the Apostle John, in his account, commonly used the expression “the Jews’ Feast of Tabernacles.” Why? He would often say as well, “the Passover, a feast of the Jews.” He wrote it that way because the Jews had added various additional customs and religious rites ── even there in the first century ── to the original Mosaic regulations for all of the Lord’s feasts.

The Old Covenant Way of the Scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees

What customs or religious rites were the scribes, Pharisees, and the Sadducees ── the Temple elites ── following (certainly customs and religious rites that were not necessarily ordained by the LORD God, and were not continued in the New Covenant)?

The Feast of Tabernacles, also called Sukkot or the Feast of Ingathering, was one of the three major pilgrimage feasts commanded by God in the Law of Moses. Flavius Josephus wrote ──

“When King Solomon had finished these works, these large and beautiful buildings, and had laid up his donations in the temple … The feast of  tabernacles happened to fall at the same time, which was celebrated by the Hebrews as a most holy and most eminent feast.” 1 

Also, the online Encyclopedia Britannica ──

“Sukkot is a Jewish festival of thanksgiving that begins on the 15th day of Tishri. … Jews celebrating Sukkot construct huts that have at least two walls—although they may have up to four walls or partial walls—and have thatched roofs. When the holiday begins, practitioners dwell in these huts either partially or fully—in some cases, only taking their meals there and in other cases sleeping there as well. There is also a practice of waving four symbolic species of plants in six directions during prayers of thanksgiving.” 2 

“The Hebrew Bible also describes the festival of ḥag ha-sukkot (“Festival of Booths,” Leviticus 23:33–44) as a holiday recalling the days when the Israelites lived in huts (sukkot) during their years of wandering in the wilderness after the Exodus from Egypt. The passage in Leviticus 23 relating to Sukkot outlines the rules and practices for the festival.” 3

“’ You shall dwell in booths for seven days. All who are native Israelites shall dwell in booths, 43) that your generations may know that I made the children of Israel dwell in booths when I brought them out of the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.’ 44) So Moses declared to the children of Israel the feasts of the LORD.” – Leviticus 23:42-44. 

“When the Holy Temple stood in Jerusalem, one of the special Sukkot observances was to pour water on the Altar. The drawing of water for this purpose was preceded by all-night celebrations in the Temple courtyard; on the 15 steps leading to the azarah (inner courtyard) stood Levites while playing a variety of musical instruments, sages danced and juggled burning torches, and huge oil-burning lamps illuminated the entire city. The singing and dancing went on until daybreak, when a procession would make its way to the Shiloach Spring, which flowed in a valley below the Temple to “draw water with joy.” 4 

All these various customs and religious rites were very familiar to our Lord Jesus Christ. He saw them enacted every year since His birth. But the question is ── how has our Lord Jesus commanded His servants in the New Covenant to keep and celebrate the Lord’s Feast of Tabernacles? 

Our Lord Jesus Is Our Example

How many of us have looked at our Lord Jesus’ example during the glorious Feast of Tabernacles during His ministry? Truly, as many passages in His living word are devoted to it as is the last Passover.

We find our Lord Jesus’ activities during the Feast of Tabernacles in the Book of John, chapters 7 through 9.

“After these things Jesus walked in Galilee; for He did not want to walk in Judea, because the Jews sought to kill Him. 2) Now the Jews’ Feast of Tabernacles was at hand. … 

14) Now about the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and taught.” – John 7:1-2, 14. 

Then, “On the last day, that great day of the feast [the evening of the 21st of Tishri], Jesus stood and cried out, saying, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 38) He who believes [on] Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ 39) But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing [on] Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.” – John 7:37-39. 

Now, what did the Apostle John mean, “the last day, that great day of the feast”?

Well… the annual Feast of Tabernacles is an autumn festival, and it lasts seven days. It begins the evening of the 14th of Tishri, the seventh month of God’s sacred calendar, which corresponds to the Gregorian calendar of September/October. Then, immediately following the seven days is an eighth day, “the last day, that great day of the feast.” Notice ── 

“’ Also on the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the fruit of the land, you shall keep the feast of the LORD for SEVEN DAYS; on the first day there shall be a sabbath-rest, and on the EIGHTH DAY a sabbath-rest.” – Leviticus 23:39.

Which is the 22nd of Tishri. A one-day festival, which we call the Last Great Day. And, the entire eight-day period is called the Feast of Tabernacles.

Interestingly, our Lord Jesus’ last great day Message ── the Last Great Day ── was a Message concerning a river of living water, the glorious Holy Spirit. As noted above, “The drawing of water was preceded by all-night celebrations in the Temple courtyard.” That symbolized and foreshadowed the pouring out of the Spirit of God upon all nations during the glorious and powerful reign of our Lord Jesus Christ during the Millennium. The basis for this Mosaic water drawing ceremony is Isaiah 12:3 ── “Therefore with joy you will draw water From the wells of salvation.”    

It was to this ceremonial water drawing that our Lord Jesus was referring as He taught and cried out in the temple.

Also, notice ──

“And everyone went to his own house [speaking of the evening of the 21st of Tishri]. 8:1) But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2) Now early in the morning [the morning of the 22nd of Tishri] He came again into the temple, and all the people came to him; and He sat down and taught them.” – John 7:53; 8:1-2.

Here is our Lord Jesus Christ’s example of keeping and celebrating the Last Great Day. Then, just shortly afterwards, the scribes and Pharisees interrupted Him, bringing to Him a woman who had been caught in adultery.

Following that interruption, our Lord Jesus continued setting us an example in His New Covenant, speaking again to the people ── 

“Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, ‘I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.’” – John 8:12. 

Among those people were also Pharisees, who again interrupted Him, saying, “’ You bear witness of Yourself; Your witness is not true.’” – verse 13.

A rather heated discussion ensued in which our Lord Jesus was accused of being possessed by a demon, “’ Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan and have a demon?’” – verse 48.

Then, within moments, they “took up stones to throw at Him.” – verse 59.

But that event didn’t just end there. It continues on into the 9th chapter of the Book of John.

“Now as Jesus passed by, He saw a man who was blind from birth.” – John 9:1. Then, our Lord Jesus spat on the ground and made clay with the saliva; and He anointed the eyes of the blind man with the clay. Then told him, ‘Go, wash in the pool of Siloam.’ The man blind from birth came back with his sight!

Also, later that day ── the last day, that great day of the feast ── that blind man from birth was brought to the Pharisees (verse 13). 

“Now it was a Sabbath [the Last Great Day; the EIGHTH DAY a sabbath-rest] when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. … 16) Therefore some of the Pharisees said, ‘This Man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath.’”        

Here again, we have an example of our Lord Jesus healing on a sabbath-rest.

New Covenant Way of our Lord Jesus Christ and His apostles 

Not one place in all of the New Testament do we see our Lord Jesus directly participating in any of the Old Covenant various Jewish customs and religious rituals that grew up around the holy Feast of Tabernacles. And, it’s not that He condemned them all, the customs and rituals that He commanded the congregation of Israel through Moses were to be kept. But, within the New Covenant, our Lord Jesus Christ set us, the Church of Jesus Christ, which can certainly also be called the Church of God ── an example to follow. And it’s that of teaching the true meaning(s) of the seven days of the Feast of Tabernacles and of the Last Great Day, and of anointing, if needed, those who are sick.

And, this is why the Church of God, during the annual Feast of Tabernacles, teaches, preaches, and prays for the sick rather than participating in symbolic rituals and customs—why we worship God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ throughout the world in “spirit and in truth.” Also, why during the Feast of Tabernacles do we not need to build a booth, and why we are able to keep and celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles throughout the world and not only in Jerusalem. 

Again, some of those customs and rituals of our Lord Jesus’ day did have great foreshadowing! But they were physical, and they were temporary. Today, we are to present to the LORD God a spiritual worship at the Feast ── “in spirit and in truth.”

In the New Covenant, we have direct access through prayer to the Holy of Holies that is located in the upper heavenly realm ── called in His living word, the third heaven. “Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus.” – Hebrews 10:19. So then, “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” – Hebrews 4:16. Brethren, we are “a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. … 9) But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.” – 1 Peter 2:5, 9. 

We have One now that “has been counted worthy of more glory than Moses” – Hebrews 3:3. Our Lord Jesus Christ brought us the New Covenant promise of the glorious Holy Spirit. And He set for us ── His New Testament/New Covenant Church ── the example of teaching concerning conversion and the gift of the Holy Spirit during the Feast of Tabernacles. “For this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps.” – 1 Peter 2:21. □