Monday, February 5, 2018

February Events


But I have trusted in thy mercy;
my heart shall rejoice in thy salvation.

Psalm 13:5



Celestial Signs - Genesis 1:14, Psalm 19
Jan 31 – Super Blue Blood Moon – A rare occurrence!
Feb 2 – Moon at Virgo’s head
Feb 7 – Jupiter & Moon (at scale) in Libra
Feb 15 – Partial Eclipse
On Feb. 15, the moon will partially block the sun over Antarctica and part of South America.
https://www.space.com/39557-next-blood-moon-eclipses-2018-2019.html
Feb 15-17 – Sun, Moon, Venus, Mercury @ Aquarius
Feb 15 – New Moon
Feb 16 – Lunar / Chinese New Year ( year of the dog)

February - What's in the Sky


A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you:
and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh,
and I will give you an heart of flesh.

Ezekiel 36:26


Historical events by Hebrew date:
The 11th month (Shevat) began after the sighting of the new moon on Jan. 18.

Timeline –www.informedchristians.com:
February Events
Be alert and always keep on praying ... Ephesians 6 
Black History Month
American Heart Month

Jan 31/Feb 2 – Congressional Retreat @ Greenbrier, WV / Train wreck
(calendar does rely on new moon sighting)
(month begins after sighting of new moon) 
Feb 1/2 - Shevat 15 - Tu B'Shvat New Year for Trees
Feb 1 & 2 - Candlemas and Imbolg, a.k.a. Groundhog's Day (cross-quarter day/halfway between two seasons)
Feb 1 – National Freedom Day - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Freedom_Day
Feb 1 - Window to the Heart - Times Square Valentine Heart Design will be on view at the center of the Crossroads of the World. ... unveiled on February 1 at 11am at Father Duffy Square, between 46th and 47th Streets.
Feb 2 – Vatican Religious Leaders Conf. – ends
Feb 2 – Rome – World Fair of Sacred Art – begins
Feb 2 - National Wear Red Day - American Heart Association and National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute
Feb 2 – Moon at Virgo’s head
Feb 3 – Feast day of Simeon and the prophetess Anna
Feb 3, 1959 - HISTORY - Plane crash that killed Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the J.P. “the Big Bopper” Richardson— “the Day the Music Died.”
Feb 4 – Super Bowl LII – Eagles vs. Patriots - Minneapolis (Pink, Timberlake)
Feb 4 - World Cancer Day

Feb 5, 62 AD  – Historic Pompeii earthquake https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pompeii
Feb 5-7 – Raise Your Voice – Times Up – The Maker’s Conf.
Feb 5 (week of) - US troops arrive for drill simulating massive missile attack on Israel
The biennial Juniper Cobra military exercise, which is being held for the ninth time
Feb 6 - Space X launch of Falcon Heavy rocket / Tesla car in space
Feb 7-8 – Mena Summit – Abu Dhabi - https://twitter.com/MilkenInstitute - Geo. W. Bush speaker

Feb 7-17 - Sharjah Light Festival
Feb 7 – Jupiter & Moon (at scale) in Libra
Feb 9     – Winter Olympics in South Korea - Torch lighting ceremony
Feb 9-25 – Winter Olympics in South Korea - https://www.olympic.org/
Feb 9 –  HRM QE arrives at Gibraltar
Feb 11-13 - World Gov Summit - Dubai - "Happiness" Smiley Face
 - https://twitter.com/WorldGovSummit -  aim to shape the future of governments
 - https://www.worldgovernmentsummit.org/
 - Digital Archaeology - IDA begins setup of its AI installation (last year Palmyra Arch displayed) -
  - https://twitter.com/DigiArchaeo
Feb 12 – Lincoln’s Birthday
Feb 12 - Abbas, Putin to discuss new peace talks @ Sochi
Feb 13 – Shrove Tuesday / Carnival
Feb 13 - Maha Shivaratri - Hindu festival
Feb 13 – Family Day (Canada)
February 14, 1859 - Oregon becomes 33rd state
February 14, 1912 - Arizona becomes 48th state
Feb 14 – Ash Wednesday
Feb 13/14 – Lupercalia / Valentine’s Day
Feb 14 – Int'l. Condom Day
Feb 15 – National Flag Day (Canada Day)  - 150th Anniversary
Feb 15 – Partial Eclipse
Feb 15, the moon will partially block the sun over Antarctica and part of South America.
Feb 15-17 – Sun, Moon, Venus, Mercury @ Aquarius
Feb 15 – New Moon
Feb 16 – Lunar / Chinese New Year (Year of the Dog)
Feb 16 - movie release "Black Panther"
Feb 16 - movie release "Samson"
Feb 17 – 12th Month (Hebrew calendar) begins at new moon sighting in Jerusalem
Feb 19 – President’s Day (holiday)
Feb 19 – 21  - Interference AV At the Crossroads @ Times Square
 -  http://arts.timessquarenyc.org/times-square-arts/projects/at-the-crossroads/interference-av/index.aspx
Feb 22 – George Washington’s Birthday
Feb 22 – Natl. Margarita Day
Feb 23 – Russian Defender of the Fatherland Day
Feb 23 - movie 'Every Day'
Feb 24 - Rome Colosseum to be lit up red / Syrian churches
https://www.romereports.com/en/2018/02/13/colosseum-to-be-lit-up-red-to-remember-drama-of-persecuted-christians/
Feb 25 - Olympic Closing Ceremony - https://www.olympic.org/closing-ceremonies
XXIII OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES - PYEONGCHANG, SOUTH KOREA 2018
PDF Olympic review

Feb 28, 2013 – Pope Benedict XVI (historic Papacy ended)
Wednesday, Feb. 28, and Thursday, March 1 - Billy Graham's Casket Will 'Lie In Honor' At The Capitol

March 1 - Sunday law begins in Poland
Historic March 1: Remembering Poland’s ‘Accursed Soliders’ – the Partisans Who Fought Against Communism
http://inside-poland.com/t/remembering-the-accursed-soliders/
March 1 – Fast of Esther
March 2 - Purim

FEBRUARY – U.N. Observances
4 February
6 February
11 February
13 February
20 February
21 February


Other international meetings:  
http://www.iisd.ca/upcoming/  &  http://en.unesco.org
http://www.un.org/en/sections/observances/international-days/index.html



Ongoing –
TBA - Arch of Triumph of Palmyra, Syria returns to Palmyra ??



Sunday, February 4, 2018

Tu B'Shvat New Year for Trees


And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up,
and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.
29 And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees;
30 When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves
that summer is now nigh at hand.
 . . .
36 Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted
worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass,
and to stand before the Son of man.

Luke 21:28-36



Shevat 15 - Tu B'Shevat - New Year for Trees

Significance: The "new year" for calculating the age of trees
Length: 1 day
Customs: eating fruit or the Seven Species; planting trees (or paying for planting them)

When you come to the land and you plant any tree, you shall treat its fruit as forbidden; for three years it will be forbidden and not eaten. In the fourth year, all of its fruit shall be sanctified to praise the L-RD. In the fifth year, you may eat its fruit. -Leviticus 19:23-25

"The New Year of the Trees" or Hebrew: ראש השנה לאילנות, Rosh HaShanah La'Ilanot
Tu b'Shevat, the fifteenth of Shevat, is considered to be Rosh Hashanah for trees, regarding the requirement of tithing their produce.
Tu Bishvat day marks the season in which the earliest-blooming trees in the Land of Israel emerge from their winter sleep and begin a new fruit-bearing cycle. Tu Bishvat distinguishes between the last year’s fruits and the fruits of a new year. Tu Bishvat or the “birthday” of all fruit trees, is a minor festival. The name is Hebrew for the 15th of the Hebrew month of Shevat. 



(month begins after sighting of new moon - in line with agriculture of Israel)
Feb 10, 2020 - https://www.chabad.org/calendar/view/month_cdo/jewish/Jewish-Calendar.htm
(calendar does not rely on new moon sighting)



29 And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree, and all the trees;
Luke 21:28-36

Almond in Hebrew "shaqed" comes from the verb "shaqad" which means to watch or wake.  A lovely word picture for this season. 

Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates,
waiting at the posts of my doors. -  Proverbs 8:34

shaqed: almond (tree)
Original Word: שָׁקֵד
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: shaqed
Phonetic Spelling: (shaw-kade')
Short Definition: tree

shaqad: to watch, wake
Original Word: שָׁקַד
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: shaqad
Phonetic Spelling: (shaw-kad')
Short Definition: watching

Jeremiah 1:11
HEB: וָאֹמַ֕ר מַקֵּ֥ל שָׁקֵ֖ד אֲנִ֥י רֹאֶֽה׃
I see a rod of an almond tree.



Prodigy of the Almond Tree

The lampstand (menorah): golden, budding and blossoming almond branches. 
Aaron's Rod: a branch that budded, blossomed and ripened almonds.
Jeremiah's vision: a branch of an almond tree.

The Hebrew word for almond tree comes from a root word which means "to be alert, sleepless, to be watchful, to be on the lookout." So simple yet so profound is the parable of this "alert" and "watchful" tree. A branch that budded, blossomed and ripened almonds was chosen to represent the watchmen – Aaron and the House of Levi. Its budding and blossoming almond branches served as the pattern for the light in the holy place: a center branch producing the fruit of light with in-grafted branches also producing the fruit of light. An almond branch was used to communicate the message to Jeremiah that our Heavenly Father is watching over His Word to perform it. The attributes of the almond tree expounded proclaim the story of the Righteous Branch: watchful… first to resurrect… white garments… firstfruits… flesh withering in the heat… stricken… beaten… shaken… crushed but not destroyed… sweet, single, edible seed.

When the children of Israel were brought out of Egypt in the month Abib by a strong hand, they were led by a branch in Moses and Aaron's hand (a branch which later resurrected into a budding and blossoming almond branch), they encamped at a place called "Almonds" (Migdol) and they were brought to a mountain in Midian known as Jabal al Lawz or Mountain of Almonds.
More amazing discoveries about almonds and the Bible: 

Spurgeon | Lessons from the Almond Tree



Matthew 25:1, 13
At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.
Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.
14 For it is just like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted them with his possessions.…

grégoreó: to be awake, to watch
Greek: γρηγορέω



Proverbs 8:34
Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates,
waiting at the posts of my doors.



Maranatha! 



Amazing sequence of events previously and in 2020
surrounding this year’s
Shevat 15 - Tu B'Shevat - New Year for Trees

Jeremiah 1:11
HEB: וָאֹמַ֕ר מַקֵּ֥ל שָׁקֵ֖ד אֲנִ֥י רֹאֶֽה׃
I see a rod of an almond tree.

Jan 10, 2020
Jan 10 @ 1:11 p.m ET – Full “Wolf” Moon (a lot lining up for Jan 10!!)  
Jan 10 - Penumbral Lunar Eclipse - Visible in Israel!!!!
  Joel 2:31-32A: The sun shall be turned into
darkness, and the moon into blood, before the
coming of the great and awesome day of  יהוה .
And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on
the name of  יהוה shall be saved.

Jan 10, 1920 - League of Nations officially founded

Treaty of Versailles 10 January 1920  - 100th Anniversary!!! 
• First meeting 16 January 1920
The Covenant of the League of Nations was signed on 28 June 1919 as Part I of the Treaty of Versailles
and it became effective together with the rest of the Treaty on 10 January 1920  

January 10: ON THIS DAY in 1920, the German Peace Treaty Protocol was signed

https://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/ourdocs/versailles.html - Clock Room of the Quai d'Orsay 
  Delegates sitting and standing around a table. Behind them is a highly ornate and gilded room with chandeliers, cherubs, and a statue of Victory above the fireplace.

Jan 10 - New Year for TREES – (11 month 15th day)
Parashah #16 Scripture Readings "Be-Shallach" (When He Had Sent)
Exodus 13:17-17:16, Judges 4:4-5:31
 - Crossing at the Red Sea!!!
Beshalach, Beshallach, or Beshalah (בְּשַׁלַּח — Hebrew for "when [he] let go,"
The haftarah for Beshalach tells the story of Deborah. At 52 verses, it is the longest haftarah.  
Deborah (Hebrewדְּבוֹרָה, "bee";  


2019 - We are at a time where even the world is looking up at celestial signs, the Blood Moon, and admiring the two Morning Stars coming together. Yet, when we look up, does it remind us of the time, prophecy, Christ's promises, the next chapter, or that we should shine bright for our Father? The heavens are drawing specific attention to celestial pictures that the book of Revelation finishes with. Has it caught our attention and focus - what promise those pictures are connected with?


https://youtu.be/20UXrW66c1U

2018 had so many signs as well. 


New life in old tree!
Oldest European Tree Found—And It's Having a Growth Spurt
A Heldreich's pine discovered in southern Italy has been thriving in a remote part of a national park for 1,230 years.
https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/05/oldest-tree-europe-italy-pine-climate-science/
Published MAY 25, 2018


Maranatha!