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Ask Yourself...

3/30/2013

The guys over at 119 Ministries are constantly putting out thought provoking and compelling material. This is not a long video but is one that needs to be seen by those who question the validity of full-testament theology.

From the 119 Ministries website:

"Everyone likes to think they have a good understanding of the scriptures and their faith. Though most will confess they don't have all the answers, they aren't always as apt to act in changing their faith accordingly to when truth is presented before them. Here are some questions we wish everyone in the world would ponder and pray over."

After watching the video visit the 119 Ministries website at http://testeverything.net/ and consider supporting their endeavors.

Shalom Aleichem!
The H.U.B.

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Between the Evenings - Defining Beyn ha Arbayim

3/22/2013

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Background

Recently, one of the H.U.B. attendees was reviewing the term "between the evenings" as it relates to Passover. Some interesting information was uncovered but the expected results were not found. As a result, this is an open posting. The results of this little evaluation are not necessarily correct and we would like to open this topic to public review. Please read the following content and then add comments to the blog posting to highlight any issues you found with the study and provide any additional insight so we can all be growing in the Word.

Introduction

When studying the Feast of Passover and its ordinances one must first understand Yahweh's timeline. In order to understand when the Passover lamb was to be killed, as well as when we are to observe this Feast, we have to understand the phrase “between the evenings.”

Exodus 12:6 The Scriptures 1998+
(6) ‘And you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then all the assembly of the congregation of Yisra’ĕl shall kill it between the evenings.

Exodus 12:6 NASB
'You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month, then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel is to kill it at twilight.

There are two terms here that require some attention. In the NASB, the word at is #996 in Strong's Hebrew Concordance which means: interval, space between, from root word #995 which means: to distinguish, to separate, to be easily distinguished.

The word twilight is #6153 in Strong's Hebrew Concordance which means: evening, between the two evenings, used to mark the time when the Passover lamb was killed.

H996
- Original: בּין
- Transliteration: Beyn
- Phonetic: bane
- Definition:
1. between, among, in the midst of (with other preps), from between

- Origin: (sometimes in the pl. masc. or fem.) properly, the constructive form of an otherwise unused noun from H995
- TWOT entry: 239a
- Part(s) of speech: Masculine

- Strong's: (Sometimes in the plural masculine or feminine); properly the constructively contracted form of an otherwise unused noun from H995; a distinction; but used only as a preposition between (repeated before each noun often with other particles); also as a conjugation either... or: - among asunder at between (-twixt . . . and) + from (the widest) X in out of whether (it be... or) within.

H6153
- Original: ערב
- Transliteration: `ereb
- Phonetic: eh'-reb
- Definition:
1. evening, night, sunset
a. evening, sunset
b. night

- Origin: from H6150
- TWOT entry: 1689a
- Part(s) of speech: Noun Masculine

- Strong's: From H6150; dusk: - + day even (-ing tide) night.

It is generally understood that Evening is toward the end of the day but the precise understanding of when it begins and concludes is a matter of debate. So, let’s look at some scripture that seems to point to and ending of “evening.”

Evening and Morning

From Genesis we see this contrast many times in Genesis 1:5,8,13,19,23,31. Here is a sample:

Genesis 1:13 NASB
There was evening and there was morning, a third day.

Day and Night

So, at the very least we can demonstrate that evening begins at a particular time frame but is certainly concluded by morning. We also know from Genesis that the Dark is call night and the Light is called day.

Genesis 1:5 NASB
God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day.

Genesis 1:18 NASB
and to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness; and God saw that it was good.

From this we know a couple of things. First, that the dark period of the timeframe from sunset to sunset is called night and the light period is day. This also demonstrates a difference between day, night, evening, and morning. Each of these words appears to have a different meaning from each other based on their usage in the same verse (Genesis 1:5). The differentiation for our purposes to note is that night (darkness) and evening are not the same.

So, now we know that evening is not the same as night (darkness) and is most certainly over by the time morning arrives.

Refining Evening

Evening is Before Night

We also see from Genesis that evening is sometime before the night based on the angels coming and meeting Lot at Sodom during the evening and lot inviting them to stay the night at this house:

Genesis 19:1-2 NASB
Now the two angels came to Sodom in the evening as Lot was sitting in the gate of Sodom. When Lot saw them, he rose to meet them and bowed down with his face to the ground. (2) And he said, "Now behold, my lords, please turn aside into your servant's house, and spend the night, and wash your feet; then you may rise early and go on your way." They said however, "No, but we shall spend the night in the square."

Evening is Around Sunset

Deuteronomy provides an additional piece of insight into the timing of the “evening” when the lamb was to be slaughtered:

Deuteronomy 16:5-7 NASB
(5) "You are not allowed to sacrifice the Passover in any of your towns which the LORD your God is giving you; (6) but at the place where the LORD your God chooses to establish His name, you shall sacrifice the Passover in the evening at sunset, at the time that you came out of Egypt. (7) "You shall cook and eat it in the place which the LORD your God chooses. In the morning you are to return to your tents.

Let’s look at the word sunset here since we have already looked at evening a bit. From the Interlinear Scripture Analyzer we can see the various forms that H8121 takes and the various renderings we start to see something interesting:

We see that H8121 really just means Sun. Now let’s look also at the word not rendered in the NASB translation above but it noted…H935.

From the Ancient Hebrew Lexicon of the Bible we see the following entry with the definition for this particular Strong’s number highlighted:

So, H935 (Bo) can mean “to come” or “to go” which can be pretty variable in how it is to be interpreted. However, here, we know that evening is before the darkness which is night and is before morning. So, from that we can conclude in this context the relationship between H935 (Bo) and H8121 (Shemesh) must be the “going of the sun” which would imply the sun is going. This could mean anything from the moment after the mid-point of the sun’s time in the sky for the day to the moment right before it disappears below the horizon. The rendering of this as “sunset” in Deuteronomy 16:6 could be valid but may still have assumptions built into the rendering since it could also refer to say 1pm in the afternoon.

Psalm 55:17 puts a lower bound on the timing of evening and also aligns with the preceding conclusions.

Psalms 55:17 NASB
Evening and morning and at noon, I will complain and murmur, And He will hear my voice.

Here we see that Evening, Morning, and Noon are identified separately. The word for Noon is H6672. Here are the various renderings of this word from the ISA:

From the AHLB:

So, we can now say scripturally that “evening” begins and ends somewhere between Noon (the brightest part of the day) and concludes somewhere before the sun disappears below the horizon based on our review of Deuteronomy 16:6 above.

A confirmation of this idea can be found in Jeremiah:

Jeremiah 6:4 NASB
"Prepare war against her; Arise, and let us attack at noon. Woe to us, for the day declines, For the shadows of the evening lengthen!

From this we find that during the evening the shadows of the army and other objects are lengthening. This occurs as the sun lowers in the sky and gets closer to the horizon. The shallow angle of the light on the various objects it hits causes the shadows to get longer as the sun sets in the sky. So, again, we know that evening is somewhere in the moments past noon and before the sun sets below the horizon.

Final Observations

During the Mid-March through April timeframe in Jerusalem sunset occurs roughly between 5:30pm – 6:15pm (not taking daylight savings time into account – which today would make it 7:15pm at the end of the range).

So based on the scripture we have seen this puts us somewhere between the moments following Noon and darkness which occurs at some period after the sun sets below the horizon. If we assume that it takes an hour for darkness to set in after sunset then we have a range of time from roughly noon -7:15pm what might constitute “evening.”

This lines up with the NT scripture where the general consensus is that Yeshua died sometime around 3pm since he is our Passover lamb and Yahweh would have ensured that he fulfilled Passover with Yeshua perfectly.

Now that we have a scripturally-based definition of evening. What about “between the evenings?”

During this study nothing was identified in the scripture that conclusively explains the plurality of the phrase "between the evenings". We see a variety of terms in the scripture, Elohim comes to mind, that is plural in Hebrew but is a singular term. Perhaps in the phrase something similar is going on even though the word for evening here is also found in the singular in the scripture.

Alternatively, since we have to be talking about a singular day (Abib 14) here we cannot possibly be talking a about the evenings of two separate days. So, this expression still has to be referring to the Noon+ to dark time period. With that in mind, if you consider that this period is a series of moments and there is a beginning and ending moment of this period we have defined then the “between the evenings” is still just the single 7+ hour time period on Abib 14.

Potential Impact of the Conclusions Drawn

Based on the conclusions drawn on the definition of "evening" an individual brought up the question of when the day begins and ends. Based on an evening definition of moments past Noon up until darkness then would the day begin at the moments before noon instead of sunset? Going back to Genesis we define a biblical day as roughly sunset to sunset in general terms.

Genesis 1:5 NASB
God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And there was evening and there was morning, one day.

So, since Genesis 1:5 indicates "there was evening and there was morning, one day" and that is generally accepted to mean the biblical day begins at sunset, what do we do here? Does the biblical day begin at sunset based on the usage of "evening" or does the definition above change that?

H.U.B. Comments

So, now it's time for the community at large to offer their two cents into the conversation Is the evaluation above correct? If not, what other scripture refutes this evaluation? Below are just a couple of the many scriptures that come to mind that support seeking the input of these conclusions from the larger community:

Proverbs 27:17 The Scriptures 1998+
(17) Iron is sharpened by iron, And a man sharpens the face of his friend.

1 Thessalonians 5:20-21 The Scriptures 1998+
(20) Do not despise prophecies, (21) prove them all. Hold fast what is good.

Titus 1:9 The Scriptures 1998+
(9) clinging to the trustworthy word, according to the teaching, in order to be able both to encourage by sound teaching, and to reprove those who oppose it.

Shalom Aleichem!
The H.U.B.

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What Are You Grafted Into?

3/17/2013

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On the main page of the Joyfully Growing in Torah website is this great depiction of how we are grafted into Israel. This graphic is hidden just a little below the page menus and main image directly below the "Welcome" posting title.

The Joyfully Growing in Torah website is one of many you can find on our Links & Resources page and on our list of favorite blogs. If you have any great sites out there or great resources that would be valuable to include on our site please drop us a line from our Contacts page.

Shalom Aleichem!
The H.U.B.

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Passover

3/15/2013

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1 Corinthians 5:6-8 The Scriptures 1998+
(6) Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the entire lump? (7) Therefore cleanse out the old leaven, so that you are a new lump, as you are unleavened. For also Messiah our Passover was offered for us. (8) So then let us observe the festival, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of evil and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

So, there are those we all know who still don't see the significance (let alone the expectation of YHVH) to observe His moedim (set apart times). So, here we are again ... just a couple of weeks away from the first of Yah's appointed times in this new biblical year...Pesach (Passover).

Clearly, Sha'ul (Paul) indicates in 1 Cor 5:6-8 that his expectation was that these new first century believers in Messiah would indeed observe the festival. It stands to reason that this same expectation would extend to us today as believers in the Messiah Yeshua. Here are some further thoughts and indications from the scriptures indicating the expectation for our continued observance of this festival and all of YHVH's moedim in general.

Come along for the ride...

Observance of Pesach is a perpetually required observance

Exodus 12:42 The Scriptures 1998+
(42) It is a night to be observed unto YHVH for bringing them out of the land of Mitsrayim. This night is unto YHVH, to be observed by all the children of Yisra’el throughout their generations.

This is one of YHVH's appointed times and not one defined by mankind. How do you argue with YHVH stating that his people should observe His festival?

Leviticus 23:1-5 The Scriptures 1998+
(1) And YHVH spoke to Mosheh, saying, (2) “Speak to the children of Yisra’el, and say to them, ‘The appointed times of YHVH, which you are to proclaim as set-apart gatherings, My appointed times, are these: (3) ‘Six days work is done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, a set-apart gathering. You do no work, it is a Sabbath to YHVH in all your dwellings. (4) ‘These are the appointed times of YHVH, set-apart gatherings which you are to proclaim at their appointed times. (5) ‘In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, between the evenings, is the Passover to YHVH.

Pesach is mentioned between 45 and 50 times (depending on your translation) by name (Passover in English) in the Old Testament. However, this may not be convincing enough for some people. How about the fact that Yeshua observed Pesach?

Matthew 26:17-19 The Scriptures 1998+
(17) And on the first day of Unleavened Bread the taught ones came to Yeshua, saying to Him, “Where do You wish us to prepare for You to eat the Passover?” (18) And He said, “Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, ‘The Teacher says, “My time is near. I am to observe the Passover at your house with My taught ones.” ’ ” (19) And the taught ones did as Yeshua had ordered them, and prepared the Passover.

Mark 14:12-16 The Scriptures 1998+
(12) And on the first day of Unleavened Bread, when they were slaughtering the Passover lamb, His taught ones said to Him, “Where do You wish us to go and prepare, for You to eat the Passover?” (13) And He sent out two of His taught ones and said to them, “Go into the city, and there a man bearing a jar of water shall meet you, follow him. (14) “And wherever he enters, say to the master of the house, ‘The Teacher says, “Where is the guest room in which I am to eat the Passover with My taught ones?” ’ (15) “And he shall show you a large upper room, furnished, ready. Prepare for us there.” (16) And His taught ones went out and came into the city, and found it as He said to them, and they prepared the Passover.

Luke 2:40-42 The Scriptures 1998+
(40) And the Child grew and became strong in spirit, being filled with wisdom. And the favour of Elohim was upon Him. (41) And His parents went to Yerushalayim every year at the Festival of the Passover. (42) And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Yerushalayim according to the practice of the festival.

Well, just because Yeshua observed the Pesach doesn't mean we should....right? WRONG! Other than the fact that Yeshua is supposed to be our model for everything and that he explicitly stated we are to follow his commands (John 15:10), which are a reflection of The Father's commands, how about taking this opportunity to circle back to where we began.

1 Corinthians 5:6-8 The Scriptures 1998+
(6) Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the entire lump? (7) Therefore cleanse out the old leaven, so that you are a new lump, as you are unleavened. For also Messiah our Passover was offered for us. (8) So then let us observe the festival, not with old leaven, nor with the leaven of evil and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

Again, we note that Sha'ul had every expectation that Pesach was to be observed. But don't let that be the last word on this topic. While it would be easy to list dozens of examples of the festivals of YHVH from the Old Testament, many people consider that to be from a bygone era. So, how about considering the fact that many of YHVH's festivals are referenced or mentioned directly in the New Testament, thus demonstrating the consistent observance by Yeshua and our first century brethren.

Here is a non-exhaustive listing of some of the scriptures in the New Testament alone demonstrating the expectation to observe YHVH's set apart times. These reference YHVH's festivals explicitly or at least thematically.

Feast of Unleavened Bread

Matthew 26:17
Mark 14:12
Luke 2:41-42, 22:1,7
Acts 20:6
1 Corinthians 5:6-8

Feast of Pentecost (Shavuot)

Acts 2:1-21; 20:16
1 Corinthians 16:8

Day of Atonement

Acts 27:9

Feast of Tabernacles

John 7:1-2, 8, 10, 14

Shalom Aleichem!
The H.U.B.

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Ask Yourself...

Between the Evenings - Defining Beyn ha Arbayim

Background

Introduction

Evening and Morning

Day and Night

Refining Evening

Final Observations

Potential Impact of the Conclusions Drawn

H.U.B. Comments

What Are You Grafted Into?

Passover

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