Sunday, April 1, 2018

April 2018 Events



 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness:
God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit,
seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles,
believed on in the world, received up into glory.
1 Timothy 3:16




Celestial Signs - Genesis 1:14, Psalm 19

April 2 - Mars and Saturn in conjunction
April 4 - Moon enters from Virgo into Libra (scales, judgement) next to Jupiter
April 7 - Moon, Saturn and Mars conjunction in Sagittarius @ Milky Way
  https://in-the-sky.org/news.php?id=20180407_15_100
  https://in-the-sky.org/news.php?id=20180407_15_101
  http://earthsky.org/tonight/moon-saturn-mars-before-dawn-april-7
  Earthsky: 
On Saturday morning, you can distinguish Saturn from Mars because Saturn will be the closer of these two planets to the moon. Mars will be closer to the moon on Sunday. Meanwhile, both mornings, Mars will be brighter than Saturn. Plus Saturn exhibits a golden color while Mars shines reddish.
April 15 - New Moon - http://earthsky.org/tonight/hunting-for-the-young-moon
April 17 - Moon and Venus - http://earthsky.org/tonight/see-moon-venus-in-west-at-dusk
April 18 - Moon and Pleiades 
April 18 - Now the crescent Moon hangs close to Aldebaran at dusk, cradled in the Hyades
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/this-weeks-sky-at-a-glance-april-13-21/
April 24 - The waxing gibbous Moon shines near Regulus (Leo) this evening.
April 26 & 27 - Venus shines between Aldebaran and the Pleiades in late twilight
http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/this-weeks-sky-at-a-glance-april-20-28/

April  - What's in the Sky



… and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” In the same way, after supper He took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.…
1 Corinthians 11:24-26




Historical events by Hebrew date:

1st Month - Nisan / Abib / Aviv
2nd Month - April 18/19 – Iyar / Ziv 1, 2018 / 5778
begins after the sighting of the new moon  

Timeline –www.informedchristians.com:

Passover week - VIDEO: https://youtu.be/ZstY6AB2-7s

April  Events
Be alert and always keep on praying ... Ephesians 6 
March 31/April 1 - Passover
April 1 - Easter / April Fools
April 1 & 2 – NCAA Championship

 ** Passover week / Days of Unleavened Bread **  
April 1 / Nisan 14 - Lamb sacrificed / Christ's death 
  On this special remembrance day, let us observe the memorial of the Lamb being offered to bear the sin of many. This is the day that those events took place; and as we rehearse the sacrifice of His body and blood, let us live in light of Him appearing a soon second time.VIDEO: https://youtu.be/ZstY6AB2-7s
      Exodus 12:22; Hebrews 9:24-28; Luke 12:34-40

April 2 - Light it up blue - Break the barriers!! https://autismmosaic.org
April 3 - 2001: Space Odyssey 50th anniversary (ancient aliens)

April 4/5 / Nisan 17 - Resurrection day
  (+ a day due to no new moon sighting in Jerusalem)
April 4 – 50th Anniversary of MLK’s death in Memphis, TN.
April 4 - National Walking Day (1st Wednesday) - American Heart Association www.heart.org 
April 4 - UN International Mine Awareness Day - The 2018 theme Advancing Protection, Peace, and Development - http://www.un.org/en/events/mineawarenessday
April 5 - First Contact Day (Star Trek, First Contact movie)
April 5 - "I Am A Man” Plaza dedication ceremony in honor of the 1968 striking sanitation workers 
 - https://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2018/mar/15/dedication-of-plaza-among-king-observances/
April 6 – UN International Day of Sport for Development and Peace - http://www.un.org/ 
April 6, 1830 - 188th Anniversary of Mormon Church. Joseph Smith founded CC-LDS 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mormonism_and_Freemasonry - Palmyra, New York 


April 7 - Moon, Saturn and Mars conjunction in Sagittarius @ Milky Way
 - Star Nunki, Sigma Sagittarii, means Open Sea in Latin, deriving from the Chaldean expression: The Edict of the Sea

April 7 - Orthodox Easter 2018: ‘Holy Fire’ Appears At Church Of The Holy Sepulchre In Jerusalem
From Jerusalem, the “holy fire” is distributed to several Orthodox Christian countries, including Bulgaria. Special flights convey the flame to ensure that it arrives in time for late-night liturgies on the eve of Easter Sunday. https://sofiaglobe.com/2018/04/07/orthodox-easter-2018-holy-fire-appears-at-church-of-the-holy-sepulchre-in-jerusalem/
April 8 - Orthodox Easter (Julian calendar)




https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4lMw4yuCqaBb052QWx5TDVEbVE/view

Go Forward 
When the Hebrew people were led out of Egypt, they came to a point where they felt they were at the end of the road, and that they had been led in the wrong direction. Yet, it was at that moment, the Lord gave the simple instruction: Go Forward. He had promised them, several days prior, that He would lead them out of the land of Egypt, and that one day they would commemorate it. Likewise, we are at a parallel time, where we study the context of Christ's first time, and see the incredible Exodus framework that He used. The Lord has led us to this place - this time of expected redemption. Let us remember Him till He comes, and let us "Go forward" - out to meet our Beloved. Maranatha!


April 8/9 - 7th Day of Unleavened Bread - Israel Crosses the Red Sea (+1 day for moon not sighted)

April 10 - Maiden voyage of Titanic in 1912

April 11/12 - Yom HaShoah - Holocaust Remembrance Day, Israel


April 13-22 - Coachella Music Festival @ Empire Polo Club, Indio, CA
April 14 - HOLI IN THE CITY - NYC - Festival of Colors - Holi Party
April 15, 1912 Titanic sank - 106th Anniversary
April 15 - Day of the Sun, North Korea - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Day_of_the_Sun
April 15-21 - International Dark Sky Week- http://www.darksky.org/dark-sky-week-2018-2/
April 15 - The sundial and clock agree four times a year
 - http://earthsky.org/tonight/sundial-noon-and-clock-noon-agree-in-middle-april
April 15-26 - GULF OF AQABAJordan Eager Lion drill’s 8th edition begins
The amphibious assault ship USS Iwo Jima, the dock landing ship USS Oak Hill and components of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit begin participation in the military exercise Eager Lion 2018 this week. The 11-day event will test the team’s 1,500 sailors and 1,800 embarked Marines ...  

April 16 – Pope Benedict’s 91th birthday
April 16-21 - Vatican trains exorcists as demonic possession claims rise
ROME - With reported demonic possessions on the rise in Italy, the Vatican is hosting a week-long training to better prepare exorcists for ministry. Catholic leaders have said that the country needs more exorcists, and better training.
 “Today we are at a stage crucial in history: Many Christians no longer believe in [the devil’s] existence, few exorcists are appointed and there are no more young priests willing to learn,” said one of the event’s speakers, exorcist Father Cesare Truqui, according to Vatican News.
  An exorcism course will be held at the Pontifical Athenaeum Regina Apostolorum in Rome from April 16-21. The training will focus on exorcism and the prayer of liberation, a prayer commonly used for deliverance from possession.
  Some of the important questions he asks are how long the person has been afflicted and if he or she has dabbled in practices such as tarot card reading, black magic, white magic or “cleansing.” Even yoga, “used for purposes other than the purpose of exercise,” can be an open door to an evil spirit, he said.
“These are all pagan and all against the First Commandment,” Thomas said. “You cannot be a witch or a wiccan and be a Roman Catholic.”
Demand for exorcisms is up threefold in Italy, so Vatican is holding conference
Four years ago, the Vatican backed the International Association of Exorcists, which was founded in 1990 and has licensed some 200 members on six continents. 
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/02/23/vatican-host-international-exorcism-conference-meet-growing-demand/367735002/

April 16-20 - Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting London
https://www.chogm2018.org.uk/https://twitter.com/Commonwealth18
https://www.royal.uk/commonwealth-heads-government-meeting-2018

April 16 - Emancipation Day - https://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/us/emancipation-day-dc


17 April 1946 - Evacuation Day (Arabicعيد الجلاء‎‎), also called Independence Day, is Syria's national day commemorating the evacuation of the last French soldier and Syria's proclamation of full independence and the end of the French mandate of Syria.
April 17, 1961 - Bay of Pigs
April 17-18 - President Donald Trump will host Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at his private Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida - "Winter White House"
https://www.cnn.com/2018/04/02/politics/donald-trump-shinzo-abe/index.html
5th of Iyar - Yom Ha’atzmaut: Israel Independence Day - Celebrating the Jewish state.

- https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/yom-haatzmaut-israel-independence-day/
April 18 - Israel’s Independence Day will begin with a torch-lighting ceremony the evening of Wednesday, April 18, and continue through Shabbat.
April 19 – (Hebrew calendar) 70th Anniversary of Israel -
Events over the three days will include: “Israel and the world sing together,” in which Israelis and Diaspora Jews will sing simultaneously; a fireworks show; a “70-km. party” that will rave across the country from Tiberias to Eilat; and a “Parade of Lights” planned for Thursday night, illustrating Israel’s success and innovation.
A pre-Shabbat “70th Hora” will be held at 4pm on Friday, with Israelis folk-dancing in group circles. The closing ceremony on Saturday night will be a “soundtrack event for Israeli society,” honoring dignitaries both living and dead. The overall theme for Israel’s 70th is “Heritage of Innovation,” drawing upon Israel’s successes as the Start-Up Nation and the cutting-edge technology developed locally.

April 18 - World Amateur Radio Day - http://www.iaru.org/world-amateur-radio-day.html
April 18 - International Day for Monuments and Sites
April 18-29 - Tribeca Film Festival, New York City - https://tribecafilm.com

April 19, 2016 - Palmyra Arch replica @ Trafalgar Square - lit red before Passover week
 - Rabbinical calendar - https://www.chabad.org/calendar/view/month.asp?tdate=4/18/2016
April 19 - Queen will meet with Commonwealth leaders and host the formal opening of CHOGM in the Ballroom of Buckingham Palace  -  https://www.express.co.uk/news/royal/944121/the-queen-prince-charles-commonwealth-royal-family

April 19-23 – Global Soil Week - http://globalsoilweek.org/ 
April 20 -  Chinese Language Day 

April (17) 20-22 - Spring Meetings of the Boards of Governors of the World Bank Group and the International Monetary Fund in Washington, D.C. - https://twitter.com/worldbank
April 20 – movie release “Tully” (Juno)
April 21-1926 - Queen Elizabeth's birthday - 92 years old - https://www.royalalberthall.com/tickets/events/2018/the-queens-birthday-party/

April 22 - United Nations Logo International Mother Earth Day - http://www.un.org/en/events/motherearthday/
April 22 – Earth Day
April 22 – London Marathon - https://www.virginmoneylondonmarathon.com/en-gb/

5 Iyar (1948) - Proclamation of the State of Israel on Friday, 14 May 1948, 
7 Iyar (498 BCE) - Jerusalem's rebuilt walls are dedicated, nearly 88 years after their destruction by Nebuchadnezzar.
7 Iyar 5276 - 1516: Jews walled in, trapped, snared | The first ghetto for Jews was established in Venice

New York subway station brings back David Bowie
The underground exhibit will be live until May 13  - https://youtu.be/nkrER77zdUg
http://www.adweek.com/creativity/spotify-turned-a-subway-station-into-an-interactive-homage-to-david-bowie/

April 24-30 - World Immunization Week [WHO]
April 26 - Alien Day (Aliens movie)
April 27 - Ancient Aliens Season return
April 27 - US Release Disney/Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity War means the sequel is officially less than two months away. The pic’s release has been moved up a week to April 27, as told in an amusing back-and-forth between Marvel Studios and Robert Downey Jr. today:
Starring: Chris Evans, Chris Pratt, Chris Hemsworth
Directed By: Anthony Russo, Joe Russo
Synopsis: The Avengers and their allies must be willing to sacrifice all in an attempt to defeat the powerful Thanos before his blitz of devastation and ruin puts an end to the universe.
-       Disney Announces 26 New Release Dates, Including Marvel Films Through 2022

April 31/May 1 - 2nd Passover (Numbers 9:6-14, 2 Chronicles 29:1-27)
For those who fail to keep Passover at the appointed time in Month 1, the Scripture provides for a second Passover and Unleavened Bread observance that starts today.

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 ??

After this I looked and saw a multitude too large to count, from every nation and tribe and people and tongue, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice:
“Salvation to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
Revelation 7:9-10



… as we await the blessed hope and glorious appearance 
of our great God and Savior,
Jesus Christ. He gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness
 and to purify for Himself
a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds. 
Speak these things as you encourage and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you.…

Titus 2:13-15 - Berean Study Bible




And the Lord their God shall save them in that day as the flock of his people:
for they shall be as the stones of a crown, lifted up as an ensign upon his land.
Zechariah 9:16



Come to the Table
Take your place beside the Savior
Sit down and be set free





2017 Review March & April:


Maranatha!



Wednesday, March 7, 2018

Shut Gates – Jerusalem Wall



Message to the Church in Philadelphia
7And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth;
8I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. 9Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. 10Because thou hast kept the word of my patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. 11Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown.

Revelation 3:7-11






























The Eastern Gate, also known as the Golden Gate or Beautiful is the most identifiable of the Jerusalem wall.

The Old City of Jerusalem is surrounded by a wall containing eight major gates. Moving counter-clockwise from the northern-most gate are Herod’s Gate, the Damascus Gate, the New Gate, Jaffa Gate, Zion Gate, the Dung Gate, the Eastern Gate, and the Lions’ Gate. The Eastern Gate, facing the Mount of Olives across the Kidron Valley, is unique in that it is completely sealed shut. Many see the Eastern Gate’s obstruction as a fulfillment of biblical prophecy.


Golden Gate (Eastern) and Huldah Gates (Southern)  of old Jerusalem 

These prominent gates are now closed / sealed / shut / blocked to any access.

Are there “shut gates” in your life?

I have been fascinated by the Eastern Gate for some time, but recently learned more about another shut gate – blocked from entrance - The Huldah Gates in the Southern Wall of the Temple Mount.  The effort taken to seal these doorways is intriguing.  Why were they closed and why do they remain shut are thoughts to ponder.

As Passover nears we are reminded of Jesus Christ’s “triumphal entry” into Jerusalem at the Eastern Wall. (See study notes below.) The original gate that Nehemiah built (and possibly dating to the time of Solomon) is underground, below the current gate, as documented by archaeologist James Fleming in 1969. It was through the lower gate (now underground) that Jesus would have entered Jerusalem.

John 10:23

And Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch.

Acts 3:10
And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple:
and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him.
11 And as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called Solomon's, greatly wondering.

Like us, this is a gate in waiting – longing for the fulfillment of redemption and the Lord’s return.

In Isaiah 63:1-6 the Messiah is portrayed as coming to Jerusalem from the direction of Edom and Bozrah — areas to the east.



And the Lord said to me, “This gate shall be shut; it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter by it, because the Lord God of Israel has entered by it; therefore it shall be shut.
Ezekiel 44:2

The Huldah Gates in the Southern Wall of the Temple Mount are named for Huldah (Hebrew: חֻלְדָּה) a prophetess mentioned in 2 Kings 22:14-20 and 2 Chronicles 34:22-28.

The Huldah Gates (Hebrew: שערי חולדה‎, Sha'arei Hulda) are the two sets of now-blocked gates in the Southern Wall of the Temple Mount, situated in Jerusalem's Old City. The western set is a double arched gate (the Double Gate), and the eastern is a triple arched gate (the Triple Gate).


The area is located on the south-east side of the temple mount, inside the old city. The area is approached through the Ha'Ashpathot (Dung) gate which is located on the south side of the area, which is today an Archaeological park.
With little doubt, the entrance of Jesus into the temple mount was through these steps or through the entrance above the Robinson arch.



Recent archaeological excavations near The Huldah Gates have been in the media:

Isaiah & Hezekiah archeological finds

RESEARCHERS BELIEVE THEY DUG UP 2,700-YEAR-OLD SEAL OF DOOMSDAY PROPHET ISAIAH
The 2,700-year-old clay relic was found at the foot of the southern wall of Temple Mount.
“The surviving portion of the top register shows the lower part of a grazing doe – a motif of blessing and protection found in Judah, particularly in Jerusalem – present also on another bulla from the same area,” she said.
The Times of Israel- Feb 22, 2018

OPHEL EXCAVATION DIRECTOR DISCUSSES BIBLICAL DISCOVERIES, TEMPLE MOUNT
“The Ophel was built by King Solomon in the 10th century, and it was the biblical equivalent of an acropolis in Jerusalem where royalty ruled from.”
Ophel” means to “rise above,” and refers to a higher element of the natural landscape.
The excavations take place some 50 meters between the City of David and the Temple Mount’s southern wall.
http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Ophel-excavation-director-discusses-biblical-discoveries-Temple-Mount-543681

Ophel- In Hebrew - the name of the fortified hill on the south-east of the temple mount. Its root name in Hebrew is o-ph-el, which means "climb" or "ascend". It was translated to "tower", "hill", "cliff" or "fort" in various translations.
The Ophel (Hebrewעֹ֫פֶל‎ ‘ōp̄el), refers to a specific part in two cities: the extended City of David (the oldest part of Jerusalem), as in 2 Chronicles 27:3; 33:14, Nehemiah 3:26; 11:21.

King Hezekiah's Seal Impression Found in the Ophel Excavations, Jerusalem

Biblical Discovery: Seal of the Prophet Isaiah Found


Israel Prophecies - The Golden Gate or Eastern Gate


Jerusalem: Ancient Gates, Future Glory #8:The Eastern Gate




Isaiah 62
I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem;
They shall never hold their peace day or night.
You who make mention of the Lord, do not keep silent,
7 And give Him no rest till He establishes
And till He makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth.

10 Go through,
Go through the gates!
Prepare the way for the people;
Build up,
Build up the highway!
Take out the stones,
Lift up a banner for the peoples!

11 Indeed the Lord has proclaimed
To the end of the world:
“Say to the daughter of Zion,
‘Surely your salvation is coming;
Behold, His reward is with Him,
And His work before Him.’”
12 And they shall call them The Holy People,
The Redeemed of the Lord;
And you shall be called Sought Out,
A City Not Forsaken.


 


Psalm 24:7-10 contains a prophecy about the Lord’s return.
“Lift up your heads, O gates,
And be lifted up, O ancient doors,
That the King of glory may come in!
Who is the King of glory?
The Lord strong and mighty,
The Lord mighty in battle.
Lift up your heads, O gates,
And lift them up, O ancient doors,
That the King of glory may come in!
Who is this King of glory?
The Lord of hosts,
He is the King of glory.”

Handel Messiah - Lift up your heads, O ye gates

Sources:
The Eastern Gate / Golden Gate / Beautiful Gate
The Gate in Waiting
Jerusalem fine art photography by Reynold Mainse
My notes / connections with the Eastern Wall -

Huldah the prophetess / Huldah Gates / Ophel

Lift Up Your Heads, O You Gates! (Psalm 24)


More discoveries and connections!

We are at the time of year that rehearses when Christ came the first time, officially as King: the Triumphal Entry. We are told to be looking for Him, the second time, so this is a high time of expectation, as we review more patterns of redemption, and this special day in context.



The Mountains of Israel - Hebron, Shechem, Samaria and Jerusalem in history 
and their relevance to today and prophecy.


Jerusalem (A rare video!) - an old originals photographs of the Holy City from 1853 and up
https://youtu.be/MFvHh5c6d-M


Maranatha!