Just a little bit of study will show that the new year is not on January 1 (in mid-winter), but rather in the spring when everything is coming to life and being re-born. Grass starts growing again, leaves come back on the trees, birds start chirping, and nature starts singing. The first month on the Biblical calendar is named Abib (Exodus 12:2; 13:4) meaning "ears of grain." The month name stems from the harvest of barley in the spring-time. The Biblical calendar is found in the heavens, Genesis 1:14-18. It consists of the sun, moon, and stars. The pre-46 B.C. Roman calendar actually had lunar months that began on what was called then the kalends of March or March 1. March 1 then and March 1 now do not coincide because March now is an arbitrary solar month that consists of strictly 31 days. March - pre-46 B.C. - was a lunar month consisting of either 29 or 30 days depending upon the lunar cycle. The Roman month of "Martias" (March) was the moon that came closest to the spring equinox. This equinox which takes place on the current Gregorian calendar around the latter part of the month of March. In 46 B.C. Julius Caesar of Rome, under the advice of an astronomer named Sosigenes decided to discard the moon from the Roman calendar and adopt a strictly solar calendar. The reason that January (then Ianuarius) was chosen to be the first month on the calendar was because it was named after the god Ianus (Janus), a two faced god of new beginnings. He was the god of gates, doors, births, etc. He had one face to take out the old year and bring in the new. He was sometimes depicted holding the number 300 in one hand and the number 65 in the other. After I studied this out years ago, it seemed to me that I should acknowledge and celebrate the beginning of Yahweh's year, not the beginning of a year that is completely out of kilter with nature and dedicated to a pagan, heathen god. Here are some links to get you started if you want to search this out yourself. http://www.sacred-texts.com/time/smd/smd03.htm http://www.crowl.org/lawrence/time/months.html http://ancienthistory.about.com/cs/romangods/p/janus.htm http://hotword.dictionary.com/january/ ~ Matthew
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My Dad told me years ago something that has always stuck with me. He said this, "Son, whenever you hear someone tell you that God spoke to them be very cautious." I am so thankful that he told me this at a young age because I've heard "everybody and their uncle" say that the Lord speaks to them since then.
What is so disheartening is that you can show some of these people Scripture and it doesn't matter because "the Lord spoke to them" and told them what to believe. I often tell these people that claim to hear the voice of the Creator that I've heard other people claim the same but tell me that the Lord spoke to them something quite different. For instance I know of two ministers who claim that the Creator told them individually what His name is. One minister told me that God said His name is Jesus; the other minister told me that God said His name is the Lord God. Which one is right? Well, if you go by what people are telling you there is no way of knowing. However, if you judge what they claim by Scripture you can know the truth. Scripture ALWAYS trumps what people claim to hear from heaven. The Apostle Paul even said that if an angel from heaven came teaching another gospel let him be accursed (Galatians 1:9). The people of Berea were praised for checking Paul's doctrine out by examining the Scriptures daily (OT Scriptures) to see if what he was telling them was the truth (Acts 17:10-11). There was a time when Yahweh's revelation was orally transmitted; that time has come and gone. Once His revelation was written down it cannot be improved upon, added to, or taken away from. Do not listen to people that claim that the Lord spoke to them; be very cautious. Instead go with what Scripture says. That is how you will hear Yahweh speaking to you today. Matthew Janzen Almost every year since I've been keeping Yom Kippur (Day of Atonement) I get asked this question: What does it mean to afflict the soul (KJV)? This question is asked because in Scriptures like Leviticus 23:26-32 Yahweh instructs the Israelites to afflict their souls on the 10th day of the 7th month. Other Bible translations say to practice self denial (HCSB), humble yourselves (NET), or deny yourselves (NIV).
The Hebrew word for afflict (KJV) is the word anah. This word is found in other passages of Scripture that deal with how people would afflict their selves or practice self denial. Ezra 8:21 | I proclaimed a fast by the Ahava River, so that we might humble (anah) ourselves before our God and ask Him for a safe journey for us, our children, and all our possessions. Psalm 35:13b | I humbled (anah) myself with fasting, and my prayer was genuine. Isaiah 58:3, 5 | Why have we fasted, but You have not seen? We have denied (anah) ourselves, but You haven't noticed... Will the fast I choose be like this: A day for a person to deny (anah) himself... These three passages equate fasting with self denial or humbling one's self. This is not the only form of self denial, but it is probably the most common form. The human body thrives on nourishment from food and drink. An extremely good way to practice self denial is to deny your body this same food and drink, i.e. to fast. Other ways may include refraining from sex as well as personal grooming, and the list could be added to. That fasting was the common way to practice self denial on the Day of Atonement is seen in a proper understanding of Acts 27:9. We read here: Acts 27:9 | By now much time had passed, and the voyage was already dangerous. Since the Fast was already over... Commentator Adam Clarke has this to say in regards to this verse: Sailing was now dangerous, because the fast was now already past - It is generally allowed that the fast mentioned here was that of the great day of atonement which was always celebrated on the tenth day of the seventh month, which would answer to the latter end of our September; see Lev. 16:29; 23:27, etc. As this was about the time of the autumnal equinox, when the Mediterranean Sea was sufficiently tempestuous, we may suppose this feast alone to be intended. To sail after this feast was proverbially dangerous among the ancient Jews. See proofs in Schoettgen. Also note commentator John Gill on this verse: The Syriac version reads, "the fast of the Jews"; this was the day of atonement, which was the grand fast of the Jews, on which day they afflicted their souls, Lev. 23:27 in memory of the worshipping of the golden calf; on that day they neither eat nor drink, nor do any work, neither do they wash, nor are they anointed, nor do they bind on their shoes, or make use of the marriage bed; nor do they read anything but sorrowful things, as the Lamentations of Jeremiah, until the setting of the sun, and the rising of the stars; and hence this day is called by them יום צום, "the day of fasting", and צום הגדול, "the great fast, and the day of the fast of atonement, and the fast of the atonement": now this day was on the 10th of the month Tisri, which answers to the latter part of our September, and the former part of October; so that it was now Michaelmas time, when winter was coming on, and sailing began to be dangerous; about this time of the year the Pleiades set, which brings on tempestuous weather, and unfit for sailing... Matthew Janzen Whenever someone steps away from being obedient to the Father in the life they live it happens gradually over a long period of time. This is not to say that it can never happen all at once. I have just observed that generally speaking, people tend to fall away by gradually disobeying just a little at a time.
I remember watching a TV show as a child where a "prank" was played on an elderly couple that went into a diner to eat. As they at the table they were at "lifted" about half an inch every minute. Before you knew it the table was up to their chest but they just kept on eating because they were not able to recognize the gradual change in the location of the table. When people fall away from following the Lord they usually will not realize it even when you make the attempt to help them by telling them they have gotten off course. The reason why? It has been gradual. They think they are still the same and yet they are doing things now that they would have never done a year or two ago. Are you one of these people? Matthew Janzen |
AuthorBlog by Matthew Janzen. Lover of Yahweh, Yeshua, my wife and 5 children. All else is commentary. Archives
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