kenesiyahmessenger
1
Introduction 2. Jewish Calendar / Bible Calendar
Faith and Doctrine 4. FEASTS AND HOLIDAYS OF ISRAEL
History and Plain Facts 6. The 1973 Yom Kippur War
The Destruction of the First Holy Temple Questions And Answer (FAQ) 11.
Commentary and Opinion 14.
News &Views 15.
LOVE IS Slow to suspect - quick to trust.
Slow to condemn - quick to justify
Slow to offend - quick to defend
Slow to expose - quick to shield.
Slow to reprimand - quick to forbear
Slow to belit tle - quick to appreciate.
Slow to demand - quick to give.
Slow to provoke - quick to concil iate.
Slow to hinder - quick help
Slow to resent - quick to forgive .
OUR BANNER
Genuine Inspiration
We have girded on the armor,
And our banner is unfurled—
It's the standard of Mt. Zion,
And we'll face a frowning world.
We have on the only breastplate,
It's the shield of truth and right;
And the sword which we are using
Is mighty in the fight!
We are told to hold out faithful,-
By the grace of Elohim we stand,
And we'll work beneath this banner
Till we reach the promised land.
Our Captain — Judea's Lion;
Our weary hearts doth cheer,
He's the Holy One of Zion, And tells
us not to fear.
Yea!
Every thing we can do through Him
Who strength us.
A faithful messenger Is Like the cold of snow in time of harvest to those who send him,
For he refreshes the soul of his Masters. Prov 25:13
kenesiyahmessenger
2
F or many Decades, the
calendar has been a recur-
ring source of doctrinal contro-
versy in the Church of Elohim.
Many articles and papers have
proposed different methods of
calculating the dates of the an-
nual festivals, and at least a
half-dozen different calendars
and calculation methods have
been offered.
This has troubled many sincere
brethren who want to do what
pleases Elohim. With all the
controversy, they are unsure.
But does Elohim really expect
each individual Church mem-
ber to become an expert on cal-
endar matters? We can under-
stand the “calendar issue” by
practicing a prayerful study.
T he Jewish calendar is
based on three astronom-
ical phenomena: the rotation of the
Earth about its axis (a day); the
revolution of the moon about the
Earth (a month); and the revolu-
tion of the Earth about the sun (a
year). These three phenomena are
independent of each other, so there
is no direct correlation between
them. On average, the moon re-
volves around the Earth in about
29½ days. The Earth revolves
around the sun in about 365¼
days, that is, about 12.4 lunar
months.
The civil calendar used by
most of the world has abandoned
any correlation between the moon
cycles and the month, arbitrarily
setting the length of months to 28,
30 or 31 days.
The Jewish calendar, however,
coordinates all three of these astro-
nomical phenomena. Months are
either 29 or 30 days, correspond-
ing to the 29½-day lunar cycle.
Years are either 12 or 13 months,
corresponding to the 12.4 month
solar cycle.
The lunar month on the Jewish
calendar begins when the first sliv-
er of moon becomes visible after
the dark of the moon. In ancient
times, the new months used to be
determined by observation. When
people observed the new moon,
they would notify the Sanhedrin.
The problem with strictly lu-
nar calendars is that there are ap-
proximately 12.4 lunar months in
every solar year, so a 12-month
lunar calendar is about 11 days
shorter than a solar year and a 13-
month lunar is about 19 longer
than a solar year. The months drift
around the seasons on such a cal-
endar: on a 12-month lunar calen-
dar, the month of Nissan, which is
supposed to occur in the Spring,
would occur 11 days earlier in the
season each year, eventually oc-
curring in the Winter, the Fall, the
Summer, and then the Spring
again. On a 13-month lunar calen-
dar, the same thing would happen
in the other direction, and faster.
To compensate for this drift,
the Jewish calendar uses a 12-
month lunar calendar with an extra
month occasionally added. The
Jewish Calendar / Bible Calendar
2013 – 2018 Bible Feasts
Introduction
Roman
year
1st day of
sacred year
LORD’S SUPPER PENTECOST FEAST OF TAB-
ERNACLES
LAST
GREAT
DAY PASSOVER UNLEAVENED
BREAD
2013 MAR.12
(Tu)
MAR.25
(Mon)
MAR.26-APR.1(Tu-
Mon)
MAY.15
(Wed)
SEP.19-25(Thu) SEP.26
(Thu)
2014 APR.1(Tu) APR.14 (Mon) APR.15-21 (Tu-Mon) JUN.04(Wed) OCT.9-15(Thu) OCT.16
(Thu)
2015 MAR.21
(Sat)
APR.3 (Fri) APR.4-10 (Sat-Fri) MAY.24
(Sun)
SEP.28-OCT.4
(Mon)
OCT.5
(Mon
2016 APR.9 APR.22 APR.23-29 JUN.12(Sun) OCT.17-23 OCT.24
2017 MAR.28 APR.10 APR.11-17 MAY.31
(Wed)
OCT.5-11 OCT.12
2018 MAR.17 MAR.30 MAR.31-APR.6 MAY.20
(Sun)
SEP.24-30 OCT.1
kenesiyahmessenger
3
month of Nissan occurs 11 days earlier each year for
two or three years, and then jumps forward 30 days,
balancing out the drift. In ancient times, this month
was added by observation: the Sanhedrin observed
the conditions of the weather, the crops and the live-
stock, and if these were not sufficiently advanced to
be considered "spring," then the Sanhedrin inserted
an additional month into the calendar to make sure
that Pesach (Passover) would occur in the spring (it
is, after all, referred to in the Torah as Chag he-Aviv,
the Festival of Spring!).
Numbering of Jewish Years The year number on the Jewish calendar repre-
sents the number of years since creation, calculated
by adding up the ages of people in the Bible back to
the time of creation. However, this does not neces-
sarily mean that the universe has existed for only
5700 years as we understand years. Many Orthodox
Jews will readily acknowledge that the first six
"days" of creation are not necessarily 24-hour days
(indeed, a 24-hour day would be meaningless until
the creation of the sun on the fourth "day").
Jews do not generally use the words "A.D." and
"B.C." to refer to the years on the civil calendar.
Instead, we use the abbreviations C.E. (Common
Era) and B.C.E. (Before the Common Era), which
are commonly used by scholars today.
The "first month" of the Jewish calendar is the
month of Nissan, in the spring, when Passover oc-
curs.
The names of the months of the Jewish calendar
were adopted during the time of Ezra, after the return
from the Babylonian exile. The names are actually
Babylonian month names, brought back to Israel by
the returning exiles. Note that most of the Bible re-
fers to months by number, not by name.
Months in the Jewish Calendar English Number Length Civil Equivalent
Nissan 1 30 days March-April
Iyar 2 29 days April-May
Sivan 3 30 days May-June
Tammuz 4 29 days June-July
Av 5 30 days July-August
Elul 6 29 days August-September
Tishri 7 30 days September-October
Cheshvan 8 29 or 30 days October-November
Kislev 9 30 or 29 days November-December
Tevet 10 29 days December-January
Shevat 11 30 days January-February
Adar I (leap years only) 12 30 days February-March
Adar
(called Adar Beit in leap
years)
12
(13 in leap years) 29 days February-March
Days of the Jewish Week Other than Shabbat, the name of the seventh day of the week, the Jewish calendar doesn't have names for the days of
the week. The days of the week are simply known as first day, second day, third day, etc. Sometimes they are referred
to more fully as First Day of the Sabbath, etc.
kenesiyahmessenger
4
FEASTS AND HOLIDAYS PASSOVER
In memory of the deliverance of the chil-
dren of Israel from Egypt. See exodus 12,
34; Lev. 23; Deut. 16. Passover is celebrated
on 14th of Nisan (Ex. 12:1, 13:4) and is
usually combined with the Feast of unleav-
ened Bread which lasts seven days, from the
15th to the 21st of Nisan.
NEW TESTAMENT ORDER:
Passover observed as the Lord's Sup-
per in which day our savior died repre-
senting the lamb slain for thousands of
years for the people of Israel. The blood of Yahshuah
represents the salvation of Elohim to the world. John
1:29; Matt. 1:21. Bread and the liquid of grapes sym-
bolically represent the body and the blood of Yahshuah.
Luke 22:16 -20. Done yearly on the date the lamb was
slain and eaten on 14th Nisan to recall and pronounce
the death of the son of Elohim. I Cor. 11:23-31.
FEAST OF TABERNACLES –
A seven day Festival commemorating the Sukkot, or
booths in which the children of Israel dwelt in the wil-
derness after leaving Egypt to the promised land. Build-
ing up booths was a sign of deliverance and miracles
performed by the Father in the wilderness. Among oth-
er miracles, they were provided with food which they
were to share in happiness.
NEW TESTAMENT ORDER - We get happiness in
the Spiritual manner: blessings are revealed and not
like that of manna from heaven and water from the
Rock. John 6:31-33. The spiritual bread is the word of
life from Messiah. John 1:1-2 and water as spiritual
blessings of Messiah 1 Cor. 10:3-4; John 7; Rev. 7: 13-
17. The commemoration of building up of booths is now
indicative to how our souls are built so that we grow in
Grace at levels of faith until we reach perfection - 2
Cor. 5:1-9; Rom. 1:17; 2 Cor. 4:16.
PENTECOST
– The day of the First fruits. The feast
was commemorated in the an-
cient times, where customary, the
priest was required to bless the
First fruits of the land - Lev.
23:10
NEW TESTAMENT ORDER –
Celebrated yearly at its fixed
date, Sivan, 6 - Acts 1:4; Acts 2:1
-2 where we are regarded as
First Fruits in the Spirit - James
1:18; Eph. 1:13-14 and is repeated yearly in or-
der that the fruits of repentance should be blessed
as that of our Lord, where one hundred and twen-
ty souls were blessed to produce much fruit which
resulted in 3000 souls being saved in one day af-
ter Messiah was given power like that of Melkize-
dek and is at the right hand of the Father, contin-
uing to offer spiritual sacrifices Heb 7:17; John
15:1-5; Rom. 8:23, 26; Acts 1:4, 4:4; I Cor. 3:9.
DAY OF ATONEMENT - In the bible
this is a day which Elohim commanded the
Hebrew people to observe with a total fast,
during which day the High Priest offered pre-
scribed sacrifices for the expiation of sin and
guilt (Le. 16:29; 23:27; Num. 29:7-11). Fire
sacrifices were required.
NEW TESTAMENT ORDER - Our
Messiah being the High Priest forever, the order
has changed over spiritually, such that one is
required to pray for forgiveness of sins ANY-
TIME to the Lord and not to wait until the day of
atonement - Rom. 12:1; 1 Pe. 2:1-5; John 1:7-
10; Heb 7; Heb. 9:13-15.
Faith and Doctrine
Second Temple Period After their conquest, the Babylonians
left Yerusalem in piles of rubble and
led thousands and thousands of Jude-
ans back to Babylonia. In Babylonia,
the Jews, with the help of leaders and
prophets, acquired a strengthened faith
and national determination. A few
thousand Jews, after about 50 years in
exile, came back to Yerusalem, began
to clear the debris and rebuild the
Temple. During this 600 year period (530 BCE
-130 CE), different empires took con-
trol of Yerusalem: Persians, Macedo-
nian Greeks (Alexander the Great),
Egyptian Greeks, Syrian Greeks,
Hasmoneans (nature Judeans) and
Romans. Under the Romans, Herod came into
power; he ruled from 37- 4 BCE.
While Herod was considered a cruel
ruler, he was a brilliant builder. Herod
built palaces, fortresses and monu-
ments, but his crowning achievement
was the reconstruction of the Temple.
Herod's building campaign and Ro-
man technology made Yerusalem a
beautiful city. The rabbis of the period
wrote, "Ten measures of beauty de-
scended on the world; nine of them
were alloted to Yerusalem." Despite the city's beauty, relations
between the city's Jewish residents
and the Roman troops deteriorated
over time. In Herod's time, the popula-
tion of Yerusalem grew to 60,000
people. The city's Jews were greatly
disturbed by many religious insensi-
tivities, such as the Roman edict to
decorate the city with statues of the
Roman emperor. Over time, Jewish
discontent led to revolt which eventu-
ally led to a bloodbath. The Romans
destroyed the city, including the Se-
cond Temple, and banished the Jews.
kenesiyahmessenger
5
Jewish Holidays as Observed in Israel
Passover
March 26 - April 2, 2013
Attain the keys to personal
liberation and fulfillment!
Hundreds of insights on the
Haggadah, family activities
and games, gourmet cooking
site, essays by leading Jewish
educators, greeting cards and
more.
Counting the Omer
March 27 - May 14, 2013
Count 50 days until the Torah
was given at Mount Sinai, pre-
paring for the big event with a
program of introspection and
self-improvement.
Holocaust Remembrance Day
April 8, 2013
Holocaust Remembrance Day
-- Israel honors the memory of
the Six Million by learning
about their heroism in the face
of inhumanity and exploring
the roots of anti-Semitism.
Israel Memorial Day
April 15, 2013
Israel Memorial Day -- giving
one's life in defense of the
Jewish people is a mitzvah of
the highest order.
Israel Independence Day
April 16,2013
Israel Independence Day -- the
historic return of the Jewish
people to the Land of Israel is
a modern miracle.
Yom Yerushalayim
May 8, 2013
On the anniversary of the reu-
nification of Yerusalem, we
remember the special signifi-
cance of the Holy City, and
why it is the capital of the Jew-
ish nation.
Shavuot
May 15 - 16, 2013
The Day the Torah was given -
- celebrating the monumental
encounter between Elohim and
the Israelites at Mount Sinai,
an event which changed man-
kind forever.
Tisha B'Av and the 3 Weeks
June 25 - July 16, 2013
A Major Fast Day -- remem-
bering the day when the Tem-
ple in Yerusalem was de-
stroyed, not once but twice.
Rosh Hashanah
September 5 - 6, 2013
Rosh Hashanah marks the start
of the Jewish near year. It is
both a day of judgment for
mankind, as well as an exhila-
rating time of closeness and
reconciliation with Elohim.
The High Holidays
September 5 - 14, 2013
Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kip-
pur -- a day of sweetness and a
day of atonement are the cul-
mination of a month-long pro-
cess of coming back to Elo-
him.
Yom Kippur
September 14, 2013
Yom Kippur, the Day of
Atonement, is a day of fasting
and repentance, affording man
the opportunity to cleanse him-
self of his sins and renew his
relationship with Elohim.
Sukkot
September 19 - 27, 2013
The Festival of Booths - with
Lulav and Etrog in hand, we
camp out under the stars seven
days and remember that Elo-
him is our ultimate protection.
Chanukah
November 28 - December 5, 2013
Hanukkah, The Holiday of
Lights -- celebrating the mira-
cle of a little oil that lasted
eight days, and continues to
illuminate our lives to this day.
Tenth of Tevet
December 13, 2013
A Fast Day -- commemorating
the day the Babylonians first
laid siege on Yerusalem, set-
ting in motion a long series of
tragedies for the Jewish peo-
ple.
Tu B'Shvat
January 16, 2014
New Year for the Trees – how
to celebrate our connection to
the environment and appreci-
ate the fruits of the Land of
Israel.
Purim
Purim: The Holiday of Joy -- dress up, drink and be merry while remember-
ing how the Jews of Persia narrowly
escaped annihilation thanks to the bravery of Queen Esther.
All Jewish holidays begin at sunset
prior to the date listed.
kenesiyahmessenger
6
History and Plain Facts
The 1973 Yom Kippur War On October 6, 1973, Yom Kippur (the Day of
Atonement), the holiest day on the Jewish religious
calendar, Egypt and Syria took advantage of optimal
circumstances to launch attacks that took Israel by
surprise. So complete was the element of surprise
that when war erupted, Israel was only beginning to
mobilize the reserve forces which form the bulk of
the IDF. The thin forces stationed along the two
fronts had to contain the invading armies until the
IDF was prepared to meet them in force. The IAF
was hampered by the dense anti-aircraft missile sys-
tem which the enemy had deployed close to the
front. Egyptian forces succeeded in crossing the Canal and
establishing beachheads on the Israeli-held east
bank. On the Golan Heights, the Syrians pushed past
the cease-fire lines and occupied a large area. They
also seized the key Israeli intelligence- gathering
position high on Mt. Hermon.
Within two days, the IDF, now fully deployed,
blocked the Egyptian and Syrian advances and took
the offensive. Because of the huge quantitative su-
periority of the Syrian forces, a situation compound-
ed by the proximity of Jewish settlements on the
Syrians' path of advance, it was decided to give pri-
ority to the northern front. By October 10, the Syri-
ans had been pushed back and the entire Golan was
again in Israeli hands, except for the Hermon posi-
tion, which was only recaptured toward the end of
the war. Between October 11 and October 14, the
IDF pushed the Syrian forces across the cease-fire
lines and penetrated Syrian territory. An Iraqi expe-
ditionary force dispatched to reinforce the Syrians
was also successfully blocked.
On the southern front, an early Israeli counter-
offensive failed. But Israeli units managed to over-
come an attack by Egyptian tank forces, destroying
200 enemy tanks in the process. Shortly afterward,
on 15 October, the IDF renewed the counter-
offensive. The main thrust of the fighting now was
to push across the Canal and strike at Egyptian forc-
es on the other side.
A gap between the Egyptian 2nd and 3rd Armies
was chosen as the crossing point. It was a difficult
operation, preceded by heavy fighting to clear the
approach lines. The Engineering Corps constructed
a bridge across the Canal in the face of concerted
Egyptian resistance. By October 19, Israeli troops
were well established on the west bank. Until the
first scheduled cease-fire on October 22, the IDF
enlarged the territory under its control. Although the
Egyptians had agreed to the cease-fire, it did not
take effect at the designated time. By the time an
effective cease-fire was actually implemented, on
October 24, the IDF had completely surrounded the
Egyptian 3rd Army.
On the northern front, the IDF regained control of
the Hermon by October 22, removing the last Syrian
forces from the area they had seized at the start of
the war. The war ended on October 24 in a decisive
victory for the Israeli Army. In the north, the Syri-
ans failed to achieve any territorial gain, while the
IDF had crossed the old cease-fire lines into Syrian
territory, acquiring new vantage points on the Go-
lan. The Syrian Army suffered major losses of man-
power and equipment.
Lessons of the War In the first months after the war, Egyptian and Syri-
an forces renewed the War of Attrition along the
cease-fire lines. The IDF focused on building its
force on an unprecedented scale. The enemy at-
tempted to prevent the IDF from conducting a war
of movement dominated by tank and air power. Ar-
ab armies made extensive use of infantry equipped
with anti-tank weapons, exploiting their inherent
numerical superiority. In response, the IDF took
steps to upgrade and increase its manpower utiliza-
tion. Extensive and intensive training programs
were initiated, focusing on the doctrine of combined
operations in which the various branches of the IDF
were integrated in a harmonious whole. A special central training base was established to
advance this doctrine. Another lesson of the war
was a renewed awareness of the importance of the
Infantry. Rearmament continued apace, including
the purchase of ground-to-ground and ground-to-air
missile systems.
kenesiyahmessenger
7
The Bible reports that the First Temple
was built in 957 BCE[1] by King Solo-
mon (reigned c. 970-c. 930 BCE).[2]
As the sole place of Jewish sacrifice,
the Temple replaced the portable sanc-
tuary constructed in the Sinai Desert
under the auspices of Moses, as well
as local sanctuaries, and altars in the
hills.[3] This temple was however
sacked a few decades later by
Sheshonk I, Pharaoh of Egypt. Alt-
hough efforts were made at partial re-
construction, it was only in 835 BCE
when Jehoash, King of Judah in the
second year of his reign invested con-
siderable sums in reconstruction, only
to have it stripped again for Sennach-
erib, King of Assyria c. 700 BCE. The
First Temple was totally destroyed by
the Babylonians in 586 BCE when
they sacked the city.[4]
Two Temples stood in succession on the Temple
Mount in Yerusalem.
The First Temple was constructed by King Solomon,
based on detailed plans that Elohim had given to his
father, King David through the prophet Nathan.
King David had wanted to build it himself, but was
told that his son would be the one to do it.
In the fourth year of his reign,
833 BCE, King Solomon found
himself at peace with his neigh
bors and began the construction
of the Temple. The site chosen
by King David was the top of
Mount Moriah, where Abraham
had once proved his readiness to
offer up his dearly beloved son
in obedience to Elohim's com-
mand.
It was the archetype of the "dwelling for Elohim in
the physical world" that is the purpose of crea-
tion.Tens of thousands of men were needed to per-
form the many tasks required for the gigantic under-
taking. Men were sent to Lebanon to cut down cedar
trees. Stones were hewn near the quarries, and then
brought up to Moriah, there to be fitted together. In
the valley of the Jordan the bronze was cast. Crafts-
men were brought in from Tyre to help perfect the
work. Ships set sail eastward and westward to bring
the choicest materials for the adornment of the
House of Elohim.
It took seven years to complete the Temple. In the
twelfth year of his reign, in 827 BCE, King Solomon
dedicated the Temple and all its contents. The Ark
of the Covenant was brought into the Temple amidst
inaugural celebrations that lasted for seven days.
For the next 410 years, the Jewish people would
bring daily offerings in this magnificent edifice, and
here the nation would gather
three times a year to "see
and to be seen by the face of
Elohim." Here the Divine
Presence was manifest. Ten
daily miracles – such as the
wind never extinguishing
the fire on the altar – attest-
ed to Elohim's presence in
the Temple. This was the
archetype of the "dwelling for Elohim in the physi-
cal world" that is the purpose of creation.
Solomon's reign was a golden era. His capital be-
came the center of wisdom, riches, and splendor.
Monarchs as well as ordinary people came to gaze
on all the marvels to be seen there, and left wide-
eyed with amazement and awe. The Land of Israel
developed into a great center of commerce. The
Jews lived in peace and happiness, "every man un-
der his vine and under his fig tree."
c. 536 BCE Jews return to Judea from Babylonian exile
c. 515 BCE Second Temple is built
c. 444 BCE Nehemiah rebuilds walls of Yerusalem
332 BCE Alexander the Great conquers Yerusalem
320 BCE Ptolemies conquer Yerusalem
200 BCE Seleucids conquer Yerusalem
c. 164 BCE Judah Maccabee retakes Yerusalem and cleanses the Temple
c. 63 BCE Romans gain control of Yerusalem
c. 33 CE Yahshuah is crucified in Yerusalem
70 CE Romans conquer Yerusalem and destroy the Second Temple
132-35 CE Bar Kochba revolt
The Destruction of the First Holy Temple
kenesiyahmessenger
8
Second Temple period
The accession of Cyrus the Great of Persia in 538
BCE made the re-establishment of the city of Ye-
rusalem and the rebuilding of the Temple possible.[1]
According to the Bible, when the Jewish exiles re-
turned to Yerusalem following a decree from Cyrus
the Great (Ezra 1:1-4, 2 Chron 36:22-23), construc-
tion started at the original site of Solomon's Temple,
which had remained a devastated heap during the
approximately 70 years of captivity (Dan. 9:1-2).
After a relatively brief halt due to opposition from
peoples who had filled the vacuum during the Jewish
captivity (Ezra 4), work resumed c. 521 BCE under
the Persian King Darius the Great (Ezra 5) and was
completed during the sixth year of his reign (c.
518/517 BCE), with the temple dedication taking
place the following year.
Flavius Josephus records that Herod the Great com-
pletely rebuilt the Temple, even going so far as to
replace the foundation stones and to smooth off the
surface of the Temple Mount. This Temple became
known as Herod's Temple.
The Romans destroyed Yerusalem and its Temple in
70 CE under Titus, decisively ending the Great Jew-
ish Revolt that had begun four years earlier. The
lower levels of the Western Wall form part of the
few surviving remains of Herod's complex.[2]
Traditional rabbinic sources state that the Second
Temple stood for 420 years and based on the 2nd-
century work Seder Olam Rabbah, place construc-
tion in 350 BCE (3408 AM), 166 years later than
secular estimates, and destruction in 70 CE (3829
AM).[3]
Rebuilding the Temple
A stone with Hebrew inscription "To the Trumpeting
Place" excavated by Benjamin Mazar at the southern
foot of the Temple Mount is believed to be a part of
the Second Temple
Based on the biblical account, after the return from
Babylonian captivity arrangements were immediate-
ly made to reorganize the desolated Yehud Province
after the demise of the Kingdom of Judah seventy
years earlier. The body of pilgrims, forming a band
of 42,360,[4] having completed the long and dreary
journey of some four months, from the banks of the
Euphrates to Yerusalem, were animated in all their
proceedings by a strong religious impulse, and there-
fore one of their first concerns was to restore their
ancient house of worship by rebuilding their de-
stroyed Temple and reinstituting the sacrificial ritu-
als known as the korbanot.
On the invitation of Zerubbabel, the governor, who
showed them a remarkable example of liberality by
contributing personally 1,000 golden darics, besides
other gifts, the people poured their gifts into the sa-
cred treasury with great enthusiasm.[5] First they
erected and dedicated the altar of Elohim on the ex-
act spot where it had formerly stood, and they then
cleared away the charred heaps of debris which oc-
cupied the site of the old temple; and in the second
month of the second year (535 BCE), amid great
public excitement and rejoicing, the foundations of
the Second Temple were laid. A wide interest was
felt in this great movement, although it was regarded
with mixed feelings by the spectators.[6][7]
The Samaritans made proposals for co-operation in
the work. Zerubbabel and the elders, however, de-
clined all such cooperation, feeling that the Jews
must build the Temple without help. Immediately
evil reports were spread regarding the Jews. Accord-
ing to Ezra 4:5, the Samaritans sought to "frustrate
their purpose" and sent messengers to Ecbatana and
Susa, with the result that the work was suspended.
Seven years later, Cyrus the Great, who allowed the
Jews to return to their homeland and rebuild the
Temple, died,[8] and was succeeded by his son Cam-
byses. On his death, the "false Smerdis," an impost-
er, occupied the throne for some seven or eight
months, and then Darius I of Persia became king
(522 BCE). In the second year of this monarch the
work of rebuilding the temple was resumed and car-
ried forward to its completion,[9] under the stimulus
of the earnest counsels and admonitions of the
prophets Haggai and Zechariah. It was ready for
consecration in the spring of 516 BCE, more than
twenty years after the return from captivity. The
Temple was completed on the third day of the month
Adar, in the sixth year of the reign of King Darius,
amid great rejoicings on the part of all the people[10]
although it was evident that the Jews were no longer
an independent people, but were subject to a foreign
power. The Book of Haggai includes a prediction
that the glory of the second temple would be greater
than that of the first.[11]
Roman triumphal procession with spoils from the
Temple, depicted on the inside wall of the Arch of
Titus in Rome
Since some of the original artifacts were, according
to the biblical account, lost after the destruction of
the First Temple, the Second Temple lacked the fol-
lowing holy articles:[12]
kenesiyahmessenger
9
1. The Ark of the Covenant, containing the Tablets
of Stone, the pot of manna, and Aaron's rod
The Urim and Thummim (divination objects
contained in the Hoshen)
The holy oil
The sacred fire.
In the Second Temple, the Kodesh Hakodashim
(Holy of Holies) was separated by curtains rather
than a wall as in the First Temple. Still, as in the
Tabernacle, the Second Temple included:
The Menorah (golden lamp) for the Hekhal
The Table of Showbread
The golden altar of incense, with golden censers.
The Second Temple also included many of the origi-
nal vessels of gold that had been taken by the Baby-
lonians but restored by Cyrus the Great.[13] Accord-
ing to Jewish tradition, however, the Temple lacked
the Shekinah/Ruach HaKodesh, the dwelling or set-
tling divine presence of Elohim, present in the first.
Rededication by the Maccabees Following the conquest of Judea by Alexander the
Great, it became part of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of
Egypt until 200 BCE,
when King Antiochus III
the Great of Syria de-
feated King Ptolemy V
Epiphanes of Egypt at
the Battle of Panion.[14]
Judea became at that
moment part of the Se-
leucid empire of Syria. When the Second Temple in
Yerusalem was looted and its religious services
stopped, Judaism was effectively outlawed. In 167
BCE, Antiochus ordered an altar to Zeus erected in
the Temple. He also banned circumcision and or-
dered pigs to be sacrificed at the altar of the Temple.[15]
Following the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleu-
cid empire, the Second Temple was rededicated and
became the religious pillar of the Jewish Hasmonean
kingdom, as well as culturally associated with the
Jewish holiday of Hanukkah.
Herod's Temple Model of Herod's Temple at the Israel Museum
Reconstruction of the temple under Herod began
with a massive expansion of the Temple Mount. Re-
ligious worship and temple rituals continued during
the construction process.[16] Following the Great Re-
volt of the Province of Iudaea, the Temple was de-
stroyed by Roman troops under Titus during the
Siege of Yerusalem in 70 CE. The most complete
ancient account of this event is The Jewish War by
Flavius Josephus. Later Roman governors used the
remains to build palaces and a Temple of Jupiter,
and the Byzantines a Church. It was not until the
Dome of the Rock was built between 687 and 691
that the last remnants of the Temple were taken
down. In addition to the platform, some remnants of
the Temple remain above ground, including a step
leading to the
Dome of the Rock
that is actually the
capstone of the pre
-Herodian wall of
the Temple Mount
platform.[17]
The Temple itself
was located on the
site of what today
is the Dome of the Rock. The gates let out close to
Al-Aqsa.[16]
Construction
James Tissot - Reconstruction of Yerusalem and the
Temple of Herod - Brooklyn Museum
A model of the Southern wall and Royal Colonnade
Herod's Temple was one of the larger construction
projects of the 1st century BCE. Herod was interest-
ed in perpetuating his name for all eternity through
building projects, and his construction program was
extensive. He had magnificent palaces in Masada,
Caesarea and Tiberias. Herod built temples for vari-
ous pagan gods to serve the gentile populations,
which were paid for by heavy taxes on the local Jew-
ish population.[18] But his masterpiece was the Tem-
ple of Yerusalem. The old temple built by Zerubba-
bel was replaced by a magnificent edifice. An agree-
ment was made between Herod and the Jewish reli-
gious authorities: the sacrificial rituals, called offer-
ings, were to be continued unabated for the entire
time of construction, and the Temple itself would be
constructed by the priests. Later the Exodus 30:13
sanctuary shekel was reinstituted to support the tem-
ple as the temple tax.
Platform Mt. Moriah had a plateau at the northern end, and
steeply declined on the southern slope. It was
Herod's plan that the entire mountain be turned into a
giant square platform. The Temple Mount was origi-
kenesiyahmessenger
10
nally intended to be 1600
feet wide by 900 feet deep
by 9 stories high, with
walls up to 16 feet deep,
but had never been fin-
ished. To complete it, a
trench was dug around the
mountain, and huge stone
"bricks" were laid. Some
of these weighed well over
100 tons, the largest meas-
uring 44.6 feet by 11 feet
by 16.5 feet and weighing
approximately 567 to 628
tons,[19][20] while most were
in the range of 2.5 by 3.5
by 15 feet (approximately
28 tons). King Herod had
architects from Greece,
Rome and Egypt plan the
construction. The blocks
were presumably quarried
by using pickaxes to create
channels. Then they ham-
mered in wooden beams
and flushed them with wa-
ter to force them out. Once
they were removed, they
were carved into precise
squares and numbered at
the quarry to show where
they would be installed.
The final carving would
have been done by using
harder stones to grind or
chisel them to create pre-
cise joints. They would
have been transported us-
ing oxen and specialized
carts. Since the quarry was
uphill from the temple they
had gravity on their side
but care needed to be taken
to control the descent. Fi-
nal installation would have
been done using pulleys or
cranes. Roman pulleys and
cranes weren't strong
enough to lift the blocks
alone so they may have
used multiple cranes and
levers to position them.[21]
As the mountainside began
to rise, the western side
was carved away to a verti-
cal wall and bricks were
carved to create a virtual
continuation of the brick
face, which was continued
for a while until the north-
ern slope reached ground
level. Part of the Antonian
hill to the north of Moriah
was annexed to the com-
plex and the area between
was filled up with landfill.
The project began with the
building of giant under-
ground vaults upon which
the temple would be built
so it could be larger than
the small flat area on top of
Mount Moriah. Ground
level at the time was at
least 20 ft. (6m) below the
current level, as can be
seen by walking the West-
ern Wall tunnels. Legend
has it that the construction
of the entire complex last-
ed only three years, but
other sources such as Jose-
phus say that it took far
longer, although the Tem-
ple itself may have taken
that long. During a Passo-
ver visit by Yahshuah the
Jews replied that it had
been under construction for
46 years.[22] It is possible
that the complex was only
a few years completed
when the future Emperor
Titus burnt the place to the
ground in 70 CE.
Pilgrimages to
Yerusalem A Jew from distant parts of
the Roman Empire would
arrive by boat at the port of
Jaffa (now part of Tel
Aviv), where he or she
would join a caravan for
the three day trek to the
Holy City (a trip which
only takes about an hour
by automobile today), and
The Book of Lamentations Beginning in 463 BCE, Jeremiah prophesized about the Bab-
ylonian threat and warned the Jews of the terrible devastation
they would incur if they did not stop worshipping idols and
mistreating each other. But his melancholic prophecies, rec-
orded in the Book of Jeremiah, went largely unheeded by the
Jews, who mocked and persecuted him.
Some eighteen years before the destruction of the Temple,
Jeremiah was imprisoned by King Jehoiakim (apparently due
to his persistent prophecies foretelling the fall of Yerusalem).
Elohim then spoke to Jeremiah (Jeremiah ch. 36):
Children starving; cannibalism on the part of hunger-crazed
mothers, the city abandoned..."Take for yourself a scroll and
write upon it all the words that I have spoken to you concern-
ing Israel and concerning Judah. . . . Perhaps the house of
Judah will hear all the evil that I plan to do to them, in order
that they should repent, each man of his evil way, and I will
forgive their iniquity and their sin."
Jeremiah summoned his devoted disciple, Baruch ben Neriah,
and dictated to him a heart-rending and graphic warning of
the coming doom; this prophecy eventually became known as
the Book of Lamentations ("Eichah").
In this scroll, Jeremiah described and mourned the devasta-
tion that Elohim would wreak upon Yerusalem and the Holy
Land: children starving; cannibalism on the part of hunger-
crazed mothers, the city abandoned.
Baruch ben Neriah followed Jeremiah's instructions. He pub-
licly read the scroll in the Holy Temple.
When the king was informed of this event, he asked that the
scroll be read to him. After hearing but a few verses, the king
grabbed the scroll and callously threw it into the fireplace.
When Jeremiah was informed of the king's actions, he sat and
composed another chapter that he added to the book. This
Book of Lamentations is read in the synagogue every year on
the eve of the Ninth of Av.
The Babylonians Are Coming The Assyrians had long dominated the Middle East, but their
power was waning. Even with the help of the Egyptians, who
were getting stronger, they were not able to fight off the Bab-
ylonians. These three empires were engaged in a power strug-
gle, and the Kingdom of Judah was caught in the middle.
In 434 BCE, the Kingdom of Judah tried to form an alliance
with Egypt. The Jews thought, despite Jeremiah's prophecies,
that this would keep them safe. But instead, the Babylonian
king, Nebuchadnezzar, marched on Judah. He pillaged Ye-
rusalem and deported tens of thousands of Jews to his capital
in Babylon; all the deportees were drawn from the upper clas-
ses, the wealthy, and craftsmen. Ordinary people were al-
lowed to stay in Judah, and Nebuchadnezzar appointed a pup-
pet king over Judah, Zedekiah.
But Zedekiah, though Elohim fearing and righteous, was fool-
ishly courageous, and (despite Jeremiah's repeated admoni-
tions not to) he tried to break free from the Babylonians. So
Nebuchadnezzar marched on Yerusalem again. This time he
would not be content with making Judah into a vassal state.
On the tenth of Tevet, 425 BCE, Nebuchadnezzar began the
siege of Yerusalem.
kenesiyahmessenger
11
would then find lodgings in one of
the many hotels or hostelries.
Once lodging was secured and
money changed, the pilgrim would
purchase a sacrificial animal, usu-
ally a pigeon or a lamb, in prepa-
ration for the following day's
events.
The gleaming white marble of the
edifice was visible from well out-
side the walls of the city. The
scale of the building was designed
to impress, and it dominated the
landscape, effectively becoming
the focal point of Yerusalem. Even
the three great towers near Herod's
palace seemed small in compari-
son.
The first thing a pilgrim would do
would be to approach the public
entrance on the south side of the
Temple Mount complex. He
would check his animal, then visit
a mikveh, where he would ritually
cleanse and purify himself. The
pilgrim would then retrieve his
sacrificial animal, and head to the
Huldah gates. After ascending a
staircase three stories in height,
and passing through the gate, the
pilgrim would find himself in the
"Court of the Gentiles."
The Destruction "Zechariah, Zechariah! I have
slain the best of them; do you want
all of them destroyed?" Thirty
months later, in the month of Tam-
muz, after a long siege during
which hunger and epidemics rav-
aged the city, the city walls were
breached. King Zedekiah tried to
escape through an eighteen-mile
long tunnel, but he was captured in
the plains of Jericho by enemy
soldiers who, while chasing a deer,
saw him emerging. He was
brought before Nebuchadnezzar in
Riblah. There Zedekiah's sons and
many other Jewish personages
were slain before his eyes; then his
eyes were put out, and he was led
in chains to Babylon.
On the seventh day of Av, the
chief of Nebuchadnezzar's army,
Nebuzaradan, began the destruc-
tion of Yerusalem. The walls of
the city were torn down, and the
royal palace and other structures in
the city were set on fire.
Our Sages say that when
Nebuzaradan entered the Temple
he found the blood of Zechariah
seething. He asked the Jews
what this phenomenon meant,
and they attempted to conceal
the scandal, but he threatened
to comb their flesh with iron
combs. So they told him the
truth: "There was a prophet
among us who chastised us, and
we killed him. For many years
now his blood has not rested." Nebuzaradan said, "I will appease
him." He then killed the members
of the Great and Small Sanhedrins,
then he killed youths and maidens,
and then school-children. Alto-
gether, he killed 940,000 people.
Still the blood continued to boil,
whereupon Nebuzaradan cried:
"Zechariah, Zechariah! I have
slain the best of them; do you want
all of them destroyed?" At last the
blood sank into the ground
(Talmud, Gittin 57b).1
On the ninth day of Av, toward
evening, the Holy Temple was
set on fire and destroyed. The
fire burned for 24 hours. Our Sages taught: When the first
Holy Temple was destroyed,
groups of young priests gathered
with the keys to the Sanctuary in
their hands. They ascended the
roof and declared: "Master of the
World! Since we have not merited
to be trustworthy custodians, let
the keys be given back to You."
They then threw the keys toward
Heaven. A hand emerged and re-
ceived them, and the priests threw
themselves into the fire (Talmud,
Ta'anit 29b).
Everything of gold and silver that
still remained was carried off as
loot by the Babylonian soldiers.
All the beautiful works of art with
which King Solomon had once
decorated and ornamented the ho-
ly edifice were destroyed or taken
away. The holy vessels of the
Temple that could be found were
brought to Babylon. The high
priest Seraiah and many other high
officials and priests were execut-
ed. In addition to the 940,000 peo-
ple killed in the aforementioned
incident, millions more were killed
inside and outside of the city.
Many thousands of the people that
had escaped the sword were taken
prisoner and led into captivity in
Babylon, where some of their best
had already preceded them. Only
the poorest of the residents of Ye-
rusalem were permitted to stay on
to plant the vineyards and work in
the fields.
All this had been predicted in the
Torah, and it came to pass with all
the horror of which Moses had
warnedThus ended the empire of
David and Solomon; thus the mag-
nificent city and Holy Temple
were destroyed. Thus Elohim pun-
ished His people for deserting Him
and His laws. All this had been
predicted in the Torah, and it truly
came to pass with all the horror of
which Moses had warned.
Jeremiah also promised that the
Jewish people would return to
Yerusalem and rebuild the
Temple. That would come to
pass seventy years later. For this our heart has become
faint, for these things our eyes
have grown dim.
For Mount Zion, which has be-
come desolate; foxes prowl over it.
But You, O G‑d, remain forever;
Your throne endures throughout
the generations.
Why do You forget us forever, for-
sake us so long?
Restore us to You, O G‑d, that we
may be restored! Renew our days
as of old.
—Lamentations 5:17-21
kenesiyahmessenger
12
Questions And Answers (FAQ) QUESTIONS;- Does the Creator Have many dif-
ferent names?
Has He one for every language,
or has He just one name?
ANSWERS It is certain that the Mighty Creator does not
have these hundred different names? As are as-cribed to Him among all of the various languages of the world. The word "God" is only a title like the word "Father", The scriptures tell us that there are "Lord's many, and „Gods‟ many.
We all know that the word "father" is not the name of our earthly father, but He has a name. Just so has our heavenly Father Has a name, which is known in Israel, but considered too sacred to speak or write or print, only on special occasions. The children from the early grades all know His "name”. "For Elohim will save Zion, and will build the cities of Judah that they dwell there and have it in possession. The seed also of His servants shall inherit it, and they that love His name shall dwell therein Psalms 69: 35, 36.
"His name is great in Israel. Psalms. 76: I. "Holy and reverend is His name." —
Psalms111: 9 What is His name, and what is His Son's
name? If you can tell? —Proverb‟s 30: 4. If the Creator did not have a name surely this
would be a strange scripture to be found in His inspired Word. In the prayer of Da-vid he said, blessed be His name forever". — Psalms 72:9, 20.
The prophet Isaiah in speaking of this very time when the Cre-ator is bring-ing again Zi-on and re-storing the waste places about Yerusa-lem, He says, “There fore
The victory came at a very high
cost. In storming the Golan Heights,
Israel suffered 115 dead-roughly the
number of Americans killed during
Operation Desert Storm. Altogether,
Israel lost twice as many men — 777
dead and 2,586 wounded-in propor-
tion to her total population as the U.S.
lost in eight years of fighting in Vi-
etnam.(23) Also, despite the incredible
success of the air campaign, the Israe-
li Air Force lost 46 of its 200 fighters.(24) The death toll on the Arab side
was 15,000 Egyptians, 2,500 Syrians,
and 800 Jordanians.
By the end of the
war, Israel had conquered
enough territory to more
than triple the size of the
area it controlled, from
8,000 to 26,000 square
miles. The victory enabled
Israel to unify Yerusalem.
Israeli forces had also cap-
tured the Sinai, Golan
Heights, Gaza Strip and
West Bank.Israel now ruled
more than three-quarters of
a million Palestinians —
most of whom were hostile
to the government. Never-
theless, more than 9,000
Palestinian families were
reunited in 1967. Ultimate-
ly, more than 60,000 Pal-
estinians were allowed to
return.(25)
The 1967 Six-Day War
THE MASTER'S METHOD OF INCREASE. What we give to the Lord becomes doubly ours for i t i s ours to g ive to Him, and then He gives i t back to us mul t ipl ied and f i l led with ble ss ing . There i s a lways an over f low in the things of Elohim.
When we s top g i v i n g — we cease to mult i ply ! I t i s not only the way we give but the wi l l ing-ness , the cont inuousness . the in tensi ty wi th which we g ive — our l i fe , our t ime, our ta lents , our a l l — to our ble ssed Lord and Master , and soon coming king of k ings 11 : 15 -18 –By Edi tor
kenesiyahmessenger
13
QUESTIONS;- Is it really true that the Savior was born on December the 25th, and is this really His Birthday? Would the Shepherds have been out with their sheep at this season of the year?
ANSWER. — The 25th of December
was celebrated by - the hea-thens over 600 years before the time of Our Savior. It was the birthday of a son to the queen of Babylon, the heir to the throne which brought great rejoicing, be-coming a general world holiday. Then later when Con-stantine, the Emperor of Rome desiring to establish a uniform world religion in 321 A.D., christened this heathen festival as the birthday of the Savior to further "weld Rome with Babylon together in a common faith.
The practice of decorat-ing the Christmas tree, etc., was condemned by Jeremi-ah in 607 B.C. (Jeremiah 10:1-4); where we are told to "learn not the way of the heathen."
The weather here is of-ten very cold and stormy, during December with cold rains, but very seldom snow. The shepherds would hardly be out with their sheep at night in this sea-son.
Joseph and Mary came from Nazareth, about 100 miles, by donkey or camel to pay their taxes (Luke 3:1-4). The paying of taxes was in the early fall, about Oc-tober, when the people were harvesting their crops, and had money and never as late as December.
Furthermore it would have been practically im-possible for Joseph to have brought Mary, his wife, over the muddy roads and the donkey paths, soaked with rain, and deep with very sticky mud at this sea-son. Furthermore no man would have undertaken such a risk with his wife so far advanced in pregnancy. It would have required around five to six days to make this trip, being on the road day and night, exposed to the seasons cold rainy weather for this long a pe-riod. Joseph would not have run such a hazardous risk as this in December, but in September and Octo-ber the weather is always warm and dry, with good roads. The birth of our Messiah evidently took place on or near Atonement Day, the 10th of Ethanim, which are a few days before the Feast of Tabernacles.
Extract from Mt. Zion reporter 1975
Questions And Answers (FAQ) QUESTION -
WHERE ARE THE TRUE PEOPLE?
There are more than thir ty d if fe rent church organizat ions now known by the name "Church of God ' in the Engl i sh . About ha lf of thi s number accept the scr iptura l c reed (Rev. 1 2 : 1 1 ) and keep the Sabba th day according to these com-mandments . Then the ques t ion ar i se s , which of these groups i s the r ight one . Again the - searcher for tru th , a f te r hav-ing found the people wi th the sc r iptura l name and creed i s bewi ldered - He cannot d iscover enough d if fe rence be tween them for separa t ion , the lack of -brother ly love shown by one for the other i s d i shear tening and d i scourag ing . Satan uses th is in some cases to turn the man back into the wor ld .
Where is the man or woman capable of judg ing whether or not a per son hold ing to another group bes ides h is own isn ' t the ir brother or si s te r in the fa i th? Jus t because of some l i t t le doc tr ina l d i f fer -ence , which to be l ieve one way or the other i s no s in , then why be a t var iance? Var iance i s one of the s ins tha t separa te s us f rom the k ingdom (Gal . 5 : 20 , 2 1 ) and c la ssed with murder . Beware Brother or S i ste r , of f a i l ing to fol low the Master who forbids judg ing and condemning one another .
Al l of the var ious groups, whom the Spir i t has le t in to the truth of th is Bib le creed (Rev . 12: 17, and Eph. 3 : 14 , 1 5 ) , should fe l lowship one another and con-s ider members of a l l of these groups the ir own brother s and s i s ters . 1 h is i s scr iptura l and i t must come about to eve-ryone who wi l l without d isappointment en ter the k ingdom so near a t hand .
Our adv ice to the seeker af ter the true church is to connect h imse lf up with the group near e st to him, and labor with them in love . Be a peace maker , and try to add other s to the fold , and suppor t your min is ter ing bre thren, with a fa i thfu l t i the . — Ed itor .
Extract from Mt. Zion reporter 1975 Ezek 3:27
But when I speak with you, I will open your mouth and you
shall say to the people,
Thus says the Lord Elohim; he who hears, let
him hear, and he who refuses to hear, let
him refuse;
for they are a rebellious house.
kenesiyahmessenger
14
There were different groups of
the Father’s children
(Church of Elohim) two
thousand years ago, accord-
ing to the records of the
Gospel, just as there are
today.
The apostle John came
across one of these group,
according to the following
text;-
John answered to him
(YAHSHUA) saying ,
―Master, we saw someone
casting out devil in your
name, and HE DOES NOT
FOLLOW US.‖ And we
forbade him because ―HE
DOES NOT FOLLOW
US.‖
How similar is this
to today’s conditions where
one condemned and forbid
another because he
―FOLLOW NOT US‖ /
FOLLOW NOT THEM.
Dear reader, what
the MASTER said is exact-
ly what He would say today
- and certainly this is what
He is saying : ― Do not
forbade them, for there no
man can do a miracle in my
Name that can speak evil of
Me. For he that is not
against us is on our part.
For who will give you a
cup of water to drink in my
name, be-
cause ―YOU
BELONG TO THE
MESSIAH, surely I said to you , HE
SHALL NOT LOSE HIS REWARD.‖
Mark 9: 38—41
When Speaking of this carnal
conditions where Apostle Paul
mentioned The Apollo's Cepha’s
and other groups, just as it is to-
day. He said in verse 8;- ― For we
are laborers together with Elohim .
You are Elohim’s husbandry , you
are Elohim Building ―For other foundation no
man can lay than that which is laid,
which is MESSIAH YAHSHUA.‖ 1
Cor.3:9
Commentary and Opinion The history of Yerusalem from the time of
Joshua to its destruction by Titus-a period of fifteen
centuries-is a succession of changes, revolutions, sieg-
es, surrenders, and famines. Each is followed by resto-
ration and rebuilding. The city's greatest glory was
reached under the reign of King Solomon, who built the
Temple and a royal palace besides greatly enlarging
and strengthening the walls of the city. Yerusalem's
possibly greatest humiliation was reached under the
reign of Antiochus Ephiphanes, 175 BC - 165 BC,
when the most violent and cruel efforts were made to
destroy the Jews and their religion.
Ps 137:5-6 If I forget you, O Yerusalem, Let my right hand forget its skill! If I do not re-member you, Let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth—If I do not exalt Yerusalem Above my chief joy.
NKJV
If any man think him-
self to be …
spiritual,
let him acknowledge that the things that I write … are of
the Lord. But if any man is ignorant, let him
be ignorant. 1 Cor14:37-38
5 Things that we
Must
"… We must through many tribu-
lations enter the
kingdom of the
LORD." Acts 14:22
“… We Must (therefore) serve the
LORD until we
arrive there." Exo-
dus 10:26
“…We Must, therefore, give the
more earnest heed to
the things we have
heard, lest we drift
away. Hebrews 2:1
“…We Must…"Yes! As you
have said, so we
must do. Ezra 10:12
Because
“… We Must all appear before the
judgment seat of
Messiah, that each
one may receive the
things done in the
body, according to
what he has done,
whether good or bad.
2 Corinthians 5:10
By Chareokey
There are others besides Ours
Have Your inspiring comments Published here!
E– mail us at [email protected]
kenesiyahmessenger
15
Iran rejects Western
pressure on revolu-
tion anniversary By REUTERS
02/10/2013 13:13
DUBAI - Iranian President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said
on Sunday Tehran would not
negotiate about its disputed
nuclear program under pres-
sure, but would talk to its ad-
versaries if they stopped
"pointing the gun."
In a speech to mark the 34th
anniversary of the Islamic rev-
olution, Ahmadinejad struck a
more conciliatory tone than
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali
Khamenei, who on February 7
rebuffed a US call for direct
negotiations on disputes be-
tween the two countries.
Ahmadinejad does not have
the authority to authorize ne-
gotiations over the nuclear
program, which lies with
Khamenei.
"You cannot point a gun at the
Iranian nation and then expect
them to have negotiations with
you," Ahmadinejad said,
speaking to a crowd gathered
in Tehran's Azadi (Freedom)
Square.
News &Views
Shalom One and All,
Contention and Strife in
Israel & Middle East 'Iran building militias in Syr-
ia in case Assad falls' 02/11/2013 00:40
'Washington Post' quotes US,
Arab officials as saying 50,000
militiamen backed by Iran and
Hezbollah fighting for Assad. Iran is preparing to preserve its influ-
ence in Syria in the event that its ally
President Bashar Assad should be
removed from power by building a network of militias in
the country along with Hezbollah, The Washington Post
reported on Sunday, citing US and Middle East officials.
According to the officials, the militias are currently
fighting alongside Assad's forces
to keep the embattled leader in
power. They believe, howev-
er, that the militias are actu-
ally in place to serve Teh-
ran's long-term goal of main-
taining operatives in the
country to act in Iran's inter-
est in Syria if the opposition
forces should succeed in
unseating Assad. Related:
The Post quoted a senior
Obama administration offi-
cial as saying that Iran was
backing as many as 50,000
militiamen. ―The immediate
intention seems to be to sup-
port the Syrian regime. But
it’s important for Iran to
have a force in Syria that is
reliable and can be counted
on,‖ the official stated.
The Post quoted a senior
Arab official as saying that
Iran was putting the militia-
men in place in order to
"support Assad to the hilt,"
and "to
set the
stage for
major
mischief
if he col-
lapses.‖
Syria's uprising, which started as peaceful protests
against four decades of autocratic rule by Assad and his
late father, has turned into a violent sectarian conflict.
The war is pitting Assad's minority Alawite sect, an off-
shoot of Shi'ite Islam that has dominated Syria since
1960s, against the Sunni majority that had led the protest
movement.
The Local Coordination Committees, a network of grass-
roots activists, said clashes broke out on Sunday in the al
-Afif neighbourhood of Damascus, which is adjacent to a
presidential complex.
The organization said 77 people were killed in Syria on
Sunday, including 16 people who it said had been exe-
cuted by Assad's forces in the eastern city of Deir al-Zor.
Such reports are impossible to verify as Syria severely
restricts access for independent media.
Syrian National Coalition leader Moaz Alkhatib said on
Sunday he was willing to hold talks with Assad's repre-
sentatives in rebel-held areas in northern Syria.
The talks' objective would be to find a way for Assad to
leave power with the "minimum of bloodshed and de-
struction", Alkhatib said in a statement published on his
Facebook page.
Thanks be unto Elohim for this gift of Him, that is tremendous and unspeakable. 2 Cor 9:15 PRAISE HIS HOLY NAME !!
… a faithful messenger is health. Prov
13:17
kenesiyahmessenger
is a non profit making project and is a vol-
unteer work. Anyway we hope to receive some
support from interested Individuals and groups
who appreciate this project. You may support us
by sending copies of any literature published by
A. N. Dugger (namely Mt. Zion Reporter and
articles; the Israeli Bible correspondence course,
and his booklets). If you want, small donations
are acceptable. But only If you feel that such a
ministry should be supported by a true Disciple.
If sending cash, do not send more than you are
willing to lose. Donations are gratefully accept-
ed but NEVER solicited. You are not pressured
to do so but to send a gift is only your voluntary
choice.
Subscribe to +254 712 800030
"Iran is continuing its nuclear program uninterrupted. It is enriching uranium to levels higher than 20 percent, in bla-tant disregard to the demands of the international communi-ty," Israeli Prime Minister Net-anyahu’s statement said.
A Dying Church
"A church that is doing noth-ing for the public is on its way to the cemetery.
All its members who are doing nothing are acting as pall-bearers.
All who are so busy with their own affairs that they have not time to devote to the Lord's cause are making the mourn-ing wreath.
The brother who says nothing at all is driving the hearse.
The ones who are constantly drawing back when advance moves are to be made are throwing flowers on the grave.
The brother who is continual-ly talking of the hard times in the church is preaching the funeral sermon, and singing the burial hymns.
And thus lies the church bur-ied, free from all cares,
Brother, which of these acts are you performing?"