Easter: The Signs of the Times

John R. Houk

© April 8, 2012

I am a proud Christian Zionist. This means I fully support Israel’s right to exist as a Jewish State, all of Jerusalem is Israel and the Jewish people’s capital city and the Biblical land of Promise is Jewish land.

For Christian Zionists the year 1948 was a prophetic moment that seemed the thing myths are made of until physical manifestation caught up with Biblical Truth. The Jews had begun to return to their homeland and became an independent nation in the 1948. Since the last expulsion of Jews from their homeland in 70 AD I don’t think anyone believed that the Jews would return to Israel and become an independent nation in God’s Land of Promise. That is of course no one believed in the possibility except the devoted Jews that would culminate prayers with something “Next Year in Jerusalem.” This was a prayer on the lips of devoted Jews for nearly 2000 years until in Biblical style a far outnumbered amount of Jews managed to stave off about six invading Jew-hating Muslim armies and indeed became that independent nation in 1948.

After Hitler’s Holocaust attempted to exterminate Jews from the face of Europe, 1948 must have been a blessed joy to all Jews globally knowing a place existed in which the indigenous government would not persecute them for having a Jewish heritage.

For Christian Zionists Israel’s reestablishment meant that the hope of generations from that first Easter Sunday may be closer than ever imagined; i.e. the return of Christ Jesus in Glory to establish the Kingdom of God on earth above all human nations with Jewish Israel as the Holy Place of the true New World Order. This would be a NWO in which King Jesus the Son of God would rule in Justice, Mercy and Righteousness. This would not be a NWO based on Marxist-Socialist principles of an elite forcing humanity to conform to a pseudo-utopian government design that cull the unwilling by force. Nor would a NWO be ruled be an anti-Christ religion that denies the Virgin Birth of Christ, the bodily Resurrection from death to Life and the reacquiring of the Divine attributes laid aside at the incarnation birth as the Son of God. Father, Son and Holy Spirit are ONE God in three persons. Christ Jesus is simultaneously fully man as the son of man via Mary’s human ancestry traced through the Davidic line and is fully God as conceived by Father via the instrument of the Holy Spirit in the womb of Mary. Jesus had to be fully man in order for a man to be sacrificed as purer blood than the DNA strain of Adam that sold allegiance to Satan which included Adam’s charge the earth. The death of Christ on the Cross became that innocent Blood to Redeem humanity from the twisted contaminated blood warped at Adam’s betrayal. Christ’s Resurrection is defeat of Satan that offers humanity to choose a Savior and return to God or to chose (sic) spiritual death and a share of Satan’s final outcome.

Easter represents this hope in Christ’s return by Bible believing Christians and has become more expectant by Christian Zionists by the sign of the reestablishment of Israel.

1 But now, thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob,
And He who formed you, O Israel:
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by your name;
You are Mine.

2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,
Nor shall the flame scorch you.

3 For I am the Lord your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I gave Egypt for your ransom,
Ethiopia and Seba in your place.

4 Since you were precious in My sight,
You have been honored,
And I have loved you;
Therefore I will give men for you,
And people for your life.

5 Fear not, for I am with you;
I will bring your descendants from the east,
And gather you from the west;

6 I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’
And to the south, ‘Do not keep them back!’
Bring My sons from afar,
And My daughters from the ends of the earth—

7 Everyone who is called by My name,
Whom I have created for My glory;
I have formed him, yes, I have made him.”

8 Bring out the blind people who have eyes,
And the deaf who have ears.

9 Let all the nations be gathered together,
And let the people be assembled.
Who among them can declare this,
And show us former things?
Let them bring out their witnesses, that they may be justified;
Or let them hear and say, “It is truth.” (Isaiah 43: 1-9 NKJV)

3 “Thus says the Lord:

‘I will return to Zion,
And dwell in the midst of Jerusalem.
Jerusalem shall be called the City of Truth,
The Mountain of the Lord of hosts,
The Holy Mountain.’

4 “Thus says the Lord of hosts:

‘Old men and old women shall again sit
In the streets of Jerusalem,
Each one with his staff in his hand
Because of great age.

5 The streets of the city
Shall be full of boys and girls
Playing in its streets.’

6 “Thus says the Lord of hosts:

‘If it is marvelous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days,
Will it also be marvelous in My eyes?’
Says the Lord of hosts.

7 “Thus says the Lord of hosts:

‘Behold, I will save My people from the land of the east
And from the land of the west;

8 I will bring them back,
And they shall dwell in the midst of Jerusalem.
They shall be My people
And I will be their God,
In truth and righteousness.’

13 And it shall come to pass
That just as you were a curse among the nations,
O house of Judah and house of Israel,
So I will save you, and you shall be a blessing.
Do not fear,
Let your hands be strong.’

14 “For thus says the Lord of hosts:

‘Just as I determined to punish you
When your fathers provoked Me to wrath,’
Says the Lord of hosts,
‘And I would not relent,

15 So again in these days
I am determined to do good
To Jerusalem and to the house of Judah.
Do not fear.

16 These are the things you shall do:
Speak each man the truth to his neighbor;
Give judgment in your gates for truth, justice, and peace;

17 Let none of you think evil in your[a] heart against your neighbor;
And do not love a false oath.
For all these are things that I hate,’
Says the Lord.”

20 “Thus says the Lord of hosts:

‘Peoples shall yet come,
Inhabitants of many cities;

21 The inhabitants of one city shall go to another, saying,
“Let us continue to go and pray before the Lord,
And seek the Lord of hosts.
I myself will go also.”

22 Yes, many peoples and strong nations
Shall come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem,
And to pray before the Lord.’

23 “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘In those days ten men from every language of the nations shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.”’” (Zechariah 8: 3-8; 13-17; 20-23 NKJV)

I ran into some more exciting news that I consider a sign. This Passover 2012 which closely corresponds with Easter this year, A Jewish organization in Israel known as The Temple Institute ran a simulation of the Temple Passover blood sacrifice. The Temple Institute has been slowly creating Temple instruments for some time with the belief that someday the Jewish Temple will be restored.

Here is an account meant to inspire Jews, but I got to tell you – it should inspire Christians as a yet another signs of the times are showing an ever increasing moment in which King Jesus will come to reclaim His own and establish God’s Kingdom to incorporate all the nations of the earth.

JRH 4/8/12

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The Jewish Cohens practice the Sacrifice of the Pesach Korban Lamb; Has the Day of the Messiah Come!

April 7, 2012 11:23 PM

Destination Yisra'el

The Korban-Pesach Animal Sacrifice Offering in the Holy Temple

Passover 2012 in Jerusalem, the Kohen (priests of Israel) began to relearn the art of offering the Pesach Offering. On April 2, on the 10th of Nisan, a coalition of Temple Mount oriented organization offered classes to all who chose to attend a seminar in the afternoon of the 10th of Nisan. These classes were held to discuss the mitzvot (commandment) in the Torah in reference to the halakhic offering and the practical applications on how to perform the Passover offering now over 1940 years later.

 The Korban Pesach Seminar on Temple Ritual Sacrifice Preparations

Included in the seminar session were hundreds of men, women, and children involved in all sectors of Jewish life in Jerusalem today.  By 5:00 p.m. over a thousand people had gathered out of doors as they anticipated a live demonstration of actually conduction a Korban Pesach ritual offering like it was done in the Temple of Herod two thousand years ago.

A Ritually Pure Sheep or Goat was selected for the Korban-Pesach Animal Sacrifice Demonstration in Jerusalem

Two lambs or goats were selected and an actual shochet (ritual slaughter) was conducted on sight for the entire audience observation.  For the demonstration a small mizbeach (stone altar) was erected for the demonstration.

The Blood of the Sacrificial Animal is “dashed against the altar”.

Then a complete re-enactment of the animal sacrifice which involved the actually slaughtering of the lamb was conducted. The blood of the lamb was gathered in the mizrak vessel that had already been made for this type of animal sacrifice as the blood was dashed against the altar.

The lamb was this ritually dressed by the shochet and then the organs were burnt upon the altar as directed in the biblical commands and then removed and displayed. The lamb was then put on a fire spit as was done during the era of King Herod’s Temple, and then roasted in an oven specially prepared as done during the days in which the Holy Temple was functioning as the “The House of G-d”. Afterwards the Temple Institute distributed the meat to the needy Jewish families.

The Gathering of the Jews watching the Ritual korban Pesach Sacrifice

One thing of importance concerning this educational experience is the fact that the Korban Pesach offering can officially only be completed upon an altar in reference to precise location of where Solomon’s and King Herod’s Temple once stood on the Temple Mount area. What was also of interest were that over two thousand people attended the korban Pesach demonstration as described by the Temple Institute:

Temple Institute – “The two thousand plus crowd who attended was comprised of people of all stripes - ultra orthodox, modern orthodox, and secular. In truth, it was a cross section of the entire nation of Israel. The interest was so strong and the desire to see the demonstration so intense, that the re-enactment couldn't proceed until a "sterile area" around the proceedings could be established. Local and overseas, religious and secular media alike were enthusiastically covering the event.

Most astonishing and rewarding was the palpable excitement which filled the air and animated the attendants. This was not your average afternoon "entertainment." It was truly as if an ancient collective memory had been revived. A spirit of holiday joy and unity was kindled. As the re-enactment wound down, many heart warming calls of "Next year in the Holy Temple" could be heard from the crowd.”

VIDEO: Jews Practice Pesach Sacrifice, Declare: We Are Ready!

On this same day of the year, the 10th day of Nisan, 2,000 years ago, the High Priest of Israel left through the Damascus Gate to the north to go into the field to choose the most perfect yearling Pesach lamb that would become the Korban Lamb for the upcoming Passover offering four days later. During these next four days the Pesach Lamb was inspected for any blemish by the High Priest in the Temple compound until it was declared “pure” by the High Priest on the 14th of Nisan. On this day of inspection, when the High Priest brought the Lamb from the fields down through the Damascus Street to the temple as thousands of pilgrims thronged the streets in anticipation of this august event.

To the Lost Sheep of the House of Israel, it is important for us to understand that the most comprehensive historical documentation of this Passover event was written by the eyewitness talmidim of the Orthodox Jewish rabbi Yahshua HaNotzri (Jesus the Nazarene) who was a Prince of David, and defender of the Halakha of Rabbi Hillel the Great. Yet, he was an Orthodox rabbi who lived his life above and beyond the letter of the law, and to his disciples he said, “Follow Me!” Do as I do, and believe in the G-d of Israel as I do!  Many Jewish people in that day during the 1st century Temple era period did consider that this rabbi was to be the messiah for their generation. As written on BibleSearchers Reflections:

The Northern Damascus Gate in Jerusalem – Photo by Robert Mock

BibleSearchers Reflections – “It was on the evening prior to the day of the lamb selection by the High Priest, Jesus made special preparations with his disciples (talmidim) for the events of the next day. It was a secret mission. Jesus knew that on the fourth day before the Passover, the High Priest was to leave the city through the North Gate as he went to the sheep herds and inspected the yearling flock for the most perfect lamb of the season. With this in mind, Jesus then laid out his strategy with his disciples.

This morning of the 10th day of Nisan awakened. The sky was crystal clear, the cool early spring breezes swept down through the Kidron valley. The ripened barley was waving at the base of the Mount of Olives in the Field of Ashes. As directed, the chosen disciples found a donkey with a young colt tied in a doorway near an open street. On the side of the Mount of Olives, the disciples (talmidim) awaited their Master.

Within the city of Jerusalem, the crowds of pilgrims were in anticipation of a great procession with the arrival of the Pesach Lamb. Every year, four days before Passover, a vast entourage of Cohanim (priests) would file out of the Herod’s Temple. Instead of exiting out of the gate nearest the Temple on the western wall and walking over the overhanging bridge over the Tyropean Valley that connected the Temple Mount with the Upper City, the procession of hundreds of Cohanim (priests) paraded out of the Royal Stoa’s western gate entrance, where the vast temple market place, the Bazaar of Hanan (Ananus the Elder) was located. There they walked down the wide staircase over what is known as the Robinsons’ Arch, turning south, then west and finally north as they connected with the main North-west street of Jerusalem, the Damascus street going to the North Gate, known as the Damascus Gate.

The procession entered the Upper City, where the densely packed homes, had the appearance of an impenetrable wall. To the left was the tall imposing Hasmonean Palace, built over a hundred years prior looming high on the horizon.

The Cohanim (priests) began to line the sides of the Damascus street, two by two, maintaining positions on either side of the street, as they rocked back and forth with palm fronds in their hands. As the Cohanim positioned themselves, the High Priest and his entourage made its way north to the North Gate. Outside the city they inspected the flocks of yearling lambs to find the most perfect lamb. Year after year this custom was dramatized on the fourth day prior to Passover. Inside the city, the hundreds of thousands of pilgrims who flocked to the city had already arrived, each one bringing a palm frond or cedar bough, they had collected in route to the Holy City. The whole city was lined with greenery as they placed these boughs outside the residence that they were staying.

The eager Cohanim (priests) awaited the return of the High Priest. When Caiphas, the high priest entered the Damascus Gate bringing the selected lamb by his side, the Cohanim at the gate began shouting, “Hosanna to the Highest! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed be the kingdom of our father David that is coming! Hosanna in the Highest!” (Mark 11:9-10) Upon hearing the shout the people in the city, those who had already purified themselves in the mitzvahs in the southern part of the city, ran out into the street, also bringing their fronds and started shouting, “Hosanna in the Highest!”

Outside the Damascus Gate, to the east of the city, the disciples on the Mount of Olives were waiting to rendezvous with Yahshua. We now have a whole group of disciples (talmidim), a mother donkey and her two-three year old colt. A blanket is put over the colt and Yahshua quietly puts his hand on the colt’s mane. This was the colt’s first riding experience. The quietness of the Master was transmitted to the colt as He mounts and they begin the descent into the Kidron Valley into the city.

In unison, as cued by the Rabbi Yahshua, the disciples begin to shout, “Hosanna in the Highest! Blessed is He who comes in the Name of our Lord!” The flocks of pilgrims join in the chant as Jesus and the talmidim (disciples) went around the northern part of the Temple Mount, below the base of the Antonia Fortress towards the Gate of Damascus.

In the meantime, the Caiphas, the High Priest, had now exited the Northern Damascus Gate and was heading out to the fields to inspect the flocks of yearling lambs. The chant intensified, the Cohanim at the Gate hear the chant and began to shout, “Hosanna in the Highest! Blessed is He who comes in the Name of our Lord!” The chant now cascaded like a domino down the Damascus Street all the way to the wall to the Temple Mount.

Solomon’s Porch in the Temple of Herod– by E Bible

Suddenly, the Cohanim at the gate realize, they have been fooled. This was not the return of the High Priest. This was Rabbi Yahshua and his disciples. Some of the Shammaite Pharisees, the dogmatic sticklers of church protocol in defining the letter of the truth, challenged Jesus, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” Jesus shouts back to them over the swelling cries of the multitude, “If these were silent, the very stones would cry out.” (Luke 19:40)

The people began to flock out of their homes, grabbing their palm fronds outside the doors and the shouting swelled throughout the city. Anticipation was high! The whole land had heard of the teachings of the great Rabbi Yahshua. Was this not a Sabbatical year, a special year in which the whole land rests? Were not rumors abounding throughout the land that the messiah would come in the on the Shabbat of years?

Not only was it a Sabbatical year, it was a Sabbatical Passover, which only occurred every seven years, the Highest Passover when pilgrims throughout the Diaspora flocked to the Holy Land. The city was swollen with pilgrims throughout the world; Macedonia, Crete, Parthia, Rome, and Ethiopia. Each pilgrim from their own countries, each with their strange costumes akin to their native land, many trying to remember a bit of Hebrew they rarely used, occasionally breaking into the tongue of their land of residence, all producing a cacophony of sound and sight.

You can almost see a Cohanim, rocking back and forth with their palm fronds, breaking the rhythm, leaning over and peering up the street. Where is the priest? Where is the Lamb? Suddenly they see. What! “Rabbi Jesus riding a colt, followed by mother ass and a whole entourage of His disciples!” What is this!

View of "Royal Stoa," the cloistered area at the southern end of the temple abutting the court of the Gentiles. – The Preterist Main

The crowd became ecstatic; the town was in a tumult. They shouted, “Hosanna in the Highest! Blessed is He who comes in the Name of our Lord! Blessed be the kingdom of our father David that is coming! Hosanna in the Highest!” Jumping in glee they threw off their cloaks, so that the messiah could ride over on a garment-laden path.

Yes, said the Zealots, this is our man! We have sealed the perimeters of the city, and the revolt is ripe to take the city in the name of HaShem. Yes, said the Sicarii, we have waited for him. Now we can destroy the hated Romans and the traitorous Temple leaders, the Herodians, and the Sadducees, who have played into and have been bought by the blood money of the Romans. Yes, said the peasants and the populous! Here is the messiah, who will bring in the Kingdom of the G-d of Israel. The crowds thronged behind Yahshua as He headed south to the Temple Mount and the Royal Stoa. The people, the Cohanim were swept up in vast tide of humanity. Guess what?

Caiphas, the High Priest was returning from the northern fields with the Passover Lamb in hand and as he entered the northern Damascus Gate, the street was empty. What’s going on! When he hears that Rabbi Yahshua has entered the city as a royal aspirant to the throne of David, the messiah who is come, and he was furious. Type met antitype at this moment. The Passover lamb met the Lamb of G-d.

Yahshua on the other hand, passed under the Robinson’s Archway of the Royal Causeway and dismounted at the base of the assent to the Royal Stoa of the Temple. Up the vast gateway he climbed. This entry gate was awe-inspiring with polished limestone capped with fold plated Corinthian capitals. Into the Royal Stoa, he strode. It was a long hallway straddled out before him with four broad columned aisles. There in the quietness of the Royal Stoa, in the stillness of the hour, in the Temple of his Father, He prayed. It was getting late, so He left the Temple and walked over to Bethany.”

The Royal Stoa in Southern Side of the Temple of Herod

The Holy Temple services ceased to exist when the Temple of Herod was destroyed and razed to the ground by the Roman forces of Titus in 70 CE.  For almost two thousand years, the Jewish people have been waiting and anticipating that day when again the King Messiah will come and establish or inaugurate the “Kingdom of G-d” again on Planet Earth. This is as Jewish a concept as it can be.

Today, during Passover the Jewish people set out four glasses of wine, as the “fruit of the vine” which is a symbol of joy and gladness. These four glasses are used as a “toast” to the four expressions used in the Torah story of the Exodus in which they were to remember their redemption from oppression in Egypt as written in Exodus 6:6-7 – “Therefore say to the Children of Israel: ‘I am HaShem, and;

1.    “I will bring you out (hotzaiti) from under the burdens of the Egyptians”;

2.    “I will deliver you (hitzalti) from their bondage”;

3.    “I will redeem you (ga-alti) with an outstretched arm and with great judgments” and

4.     “I will take you (lakahti) to me for a people; I will be to you G-d...”

The next verse continues with;

5.   “And I will bring you (hai-vaitee) into the land concerning which I vowed to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.”

According to Rabbi Hayim Halevy Donin’s seminal book titled, “To be a Jew, a Guide to Jewish Observance in Contemporary Life”, we read the following:

Rabbi Donin – “This fifth expression is symbolized by a Fifth Cup which is not drunk because during Israel’s long centuries of exile, the people looked upon it as a promise that still needed fulfilment, However, it was set on the table and called the Cup of Elijah. The Prophet Elijah, according to the tradition, is the forerunner of the Messiah whose coming symbolized the ingathering of the exiles and the reestablishment of Jewish sovereignty over Israel: hence the promise of being brought back into the land of the forefathers is associated with Elijah. Many Jews in Israel have been inclined towards adopting the view of many Early and Later Authorities that calls for drinking, not four, but the five cups of wine. Instead of just one more cup following the grace after the meal (which is said over the third cup), an extra cup is introduced in the middle of the latter part of the Seder service.”

To the Lost Ten Tribes of the House of Israel, as we can see, the Jews of the House of Judah are preparing to the coming of the Messiah. Your burdens and your bondage is from the oppressors of the lands in which you dwell. America, Europe and any other lands is your Egypt today. With an “outstretched arm and with great judgments” you will also be redeemed as the G-d of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob will take you to Himself to be His people, and He, the G-d of the Jews will also be your G-d.

The collective memories of your ancient forefathers are still there within your Israelite neshama soul. Let them come forth and ponder the significance of them upon your life for the G-d of Israel is calling you home.  As your brothers, the Jews of the House of Israel are awakened to the day of the Messiah, so also your soul is being awakened. Now is the time to “reach out and touch someone”, that is your tribal brothers of the House of Judah and the House of Israel.

Ezekiel 36:22, 24-28 (parts) - “Thus says the Adonai G-d, “I do not do this for your sake, O House of Israel, but for My holy Name’s sake, which you have profaned among the nations wherever you went…

I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse you from all your filthiness and from all your idols…

I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them. Then you shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; you shall be My people, and I will be your G-d.”

Before the G-d of Israel brought the Children of Israel out of the land of Egypt, He first brought to them their new messiah and savior.

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One of the roles the Sages of Judah is to become the conduit for the Divine to give us hints as to HaShem's role in bringing forth the "Appointed Time" and the revealing of the Messiah. The great theme in all of this is the restoration of All Israel. This is not a conditional prophesy and neither is it a Jewish prophesy, but a Hebrew-Israelite prophesy. We will be restored back into brotherhood and fellowship with our cousins, the Jews of the House of Judah for that is G-d's will (Ezekiel 37). If you want to learn more, Contact “Kol Ha Tor Vision”, the Voice of the Turtledove.

Here is a joint Orthodox Jewish and 10-Triber Mission to bring awareness of the imminent fulfillment of the Biblical Prophecies regarding the Redemption of all Israel (12 Tribes Re-conciled and Re-United). This super Event of all Times will entail Establishing the Shomron (the Ancient Bible Heartland of the Patriarchs) and the Judean Wilderness as part of the Land of Israel, and preparing the “Land” for the Return of the Lost Tribes of the House of Israel and then the Redemption of All Israel. For inquiries about Kol Ha Tor Vision for the Lost Tribes of Israel, Visit – “Shomron Lives!”, a Spiritual Retreat and Guest House in Samaria offering tours of Biblical Shomron.

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Easter: The Signs of the Times

John R. Houk

© April 8, 2012

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The Jewish Cohens practice the Sacrifice of the Pesach Korban Lamb; Has the Day of the Messiah Come!

Blogger Robert Mock

Destination Yisra'el

This post had loads of photos of the event or representative of the Jewish Temple. I am not taking the time to recreate those photos here. In some instances the post provided links to the photos.