Miguel Forero – A Rood Awakening

Parasha Vayeshev – He continued living

As we delve into this portion, we embark on one of the most captivating stories, showcasing how Yehovah, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, exercises absolute control over every detail of human life. It also provides us with an intimate view of the profound transformation in the character of those who choose to remain faithful to Him and demonstrate integrity in fulfilling their responsibilities.

The account of Judah’s life appears as a parenthesis within the larger narrative of Joseph, yet these two stories are intricately parallel. While Joseph was being prepared to ascend as governor—a journey spanning 13 years—and another 8 years passed before his first encounter with his brothers, making a total of 21 years, everything recounted about Judah unfolded during this same period. This parallel narrative reveals the interconnectedness of their paths and the divine orchestration behind their stories.

This passage of Scripture reminds us that through faithfulness and dedication, we can achieve significant goals, even in the face of challenging circumstances. It highlights the importance of recognizing God’s presence in our lives and trusting His plan, even when the path before us is unclear. Vayeshev emphasizes that faith and perseverance not only guide us through adversity but also lead to profound personal transformation and the fulfillment of a greater purpose in life.

Parasha Tol’dot – Generations

The animosity that we are witnessing between the people of Israel and their Arab neighbors dates back to the time of the patriarchs. When Rebecca (Rivka) gave birth to Esau (Esav) and Jacob (Ya’akov), problems and rivalries began. Esau wanted to kill Jacob; and such an attitude was seen multiple times throughout the history of Israel. When the House of Judah was taken into captivity, Esau’s descendants not only mocked, but those who tried to escape were captured in order to kill them or hand them over to the enemies, as it is related in the book of the prophet Obadiah 1:11-14.

We often say that history is cyclical, that is, it repeats itself over and over again. When we read carefully the stories that our Father Yehovah wanted us to know, we realize that what happened to the patriarchs, are shadows of what would happen to the rest of Yehovah’s people; in this way He is letting us know the end, from the beginning.

When reading these portions we need to do so by giving flight to our imagination in order to recreate each circumstance and to be able to dimension the transcendence of each event. In doing so, we will find “hidden pearls” that will enrich our lives and motivate us to remain faithful to the covenant we have made with our Father Yehovah and with Yeshua our Messiah.

The Jewishness of Yeshua

After Yeshua’s departure and as the years went by, many non-Jewish people of multiple backgrounds entered the community of his followers, whose influence, little by little, began to distance themselves from the Jewish community…

Jesus was born in Bethlehem, a few kilometers from Jerusalem. His parents were from the tribe of Judah. He was circumcised on the eighth day, according to the Law of Moses. He was raised and educated in Nazareth. At the age of 13, he visited the Temple to enter into his adult life, doing his bar mitzvah. Every year, he went up to Jerusalem at least three times for the Feasts of Yehovah: Passover (Pesach), Pentecost (Shavuot), and the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot), as commanded by the Scriptures. His disciples were all Jews. He attended the synagogue on Shabbat (Saturday). As a member of the Jewish community, he kept the biblical diet. All his teachings were based on what we know as the Old Testament, primarily the Pentateuch or Torah. With all these backgrounds, don’t you wonder: Why then does he have a name that is not Hebrew?

At the time Jesus lived, there was much discontent because their land was occupied by the Romans. The Romans wanted to impose worship of the empire and its rulers as if they were gods, which conflicted with the Jewish faith, leading to frequent riots and uprisings against the Romans, who eventually destroyed the Temple in 68 AD.

By then, the community of Jesus’ followers began to be harassed by both the Romans and the Temple leaders, who were a corrupt caste, as Jesus had denounced.

(Let’s take a brief pause to clarify that Jesus’ original name was Yehoshua, although according to the custom of the time, the shorter name Yeshua was used. We will use this name to refer to our Lord from now on).

After Yeshua’s departure and over the years, many non-Jewish people from various backgrounds joined the community of his followers. Their influence gradually led to a separation from the Jewish community that did not accept them, which was continuously confronting the Romans due to their faith. History tells us that those of the Way, as the followers of Yeshua called themselves at the beginning, ended up being victims of the Romans as well.

It becomes evident that when they copied the gospels and other documents of the New Testament to make them available to the multiple groups that were emerging, they found an easy way to make adjustments to the names of people and places, thus disconnecting all the protagonists of the stories narrated there from their origins..

Thus, Yeshua became: Iesous in Greek, and eventually Jesus in English. A similar transformation occurred with all the other characters: Shimon became Peter; Yohanan, John; Mattityahu, Matthew; etc. This also happened with Old Testament characters: Yesha’yahu – Isaiah; Yirmeyahu, Jeremiah; Yehezkel, Ezekiel, to name a few. Places and city names were not exempt: Beit-Lehem (house of bread) became Bethlehem; Beit-Anyah (house of poverty) became Bethany; etc.

While we do not claim this diminishes the credibility of the Scriptures, it does disconnect the narratives from their cultural background; we cannot deny that when reading about a character named Peter or John, we think of people we know, and such names do not evoke images of people from another culture. It is curious that almost none of these transliterated or translated names relate to the original culture.

Why is the Jewishness of Yeshua important?

When we open our eyes to this reality, we realize that Yeshua is part of God’s plan with the people of Israel. Yeshua did not come to establish a community separate from Israel but to continue the Abrahamic faith, of which we are a part, restoring obedience to God’s revelation without disconnecting from its cultural roots.

At this point, it is important to see the effect of Yeshua and his teachings on his immediate followers. Did they abandon their culture and beliefs? No. On the contrary, they affirmed them. Did they renounce their Jewish identity? Not at all; the book of Acts testifies to their zeal and faithfulness in obeying Yehovah’s Word (Torah).

What is certain is that Yeshua restored obedience to the instructions (Torah) given by God to His people, teaching and modeling them with his own life, thus opening the doors of the Kingdom for anyone who wishes to enter.

This is what our work at A Rood Awakening is about: providing you with videos, topics, Bible studies, and everything you need to immerse yourself in Yeshua’s (Jesus’) cultural dimension and that of other characters, which will open your eyes to a surprising understanding of the message that our Father Yehovah has brought to you.

If you have any questions or need guidance, please do not hesitate to write to us using the Comment section below.

Unmistakable Signs of the End of the Age

It would take naivety and innocence to affirm that political leaders will somehow find answers to all this chaos.

Likewise, just as it happened in the days of Lot: they ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. Even so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed. Luke 17:28-30

On several occasions, Yeshua declared that prior to His return, the situation would be similar to the days preceding the Flood and the punishment of Sodom and Gomorrah. And what were those conditions? Nothing more and nothing less than the ones we are witnessing. Let’s see:

Abortions – equivalent to the sacrifices of children offered to demons, disregarding the life given by the Creator.
Greed – Insatiable desire for material things. At present, almost all activities in life revolve around buying and selling some product. Humanity is insatiable and is not ashamed of it.
Unions outside of marriage – Fornication – Adultery. Relationships have been degraded to the purely physical level, and in the best cases, marriage is just a social activity without any commitment.
Excesses in food and drink – Today, the proliferation of exotic and unhealthy foods leads to gluttony and dependence on them; the same happens with drinks, and poor health is the consequence of these excesses.
Industrial food production – Through genetically manipulated seeds, a few companies produce food for humanity because most people are clustered in cities, disconnected from Creation and its Creator.
Unprecedented construction – as a response to the needs of the crowds crowded in urban centers.

Faced with all of the above, you don’t need to be a scientist or a prophet to identify the current conditions. Just open your eyes and look around. Of course, we haven’t mentioned all the other situations that are also already present: frequent earthquakes, diseases due to people’s blind trust in official health systems, pollution of our planet, complete imbalance in the delicate system created by YeHoVaH… etc.

So, ask yourself if you truly believe that this will improve through a political party or a human leader. If your answer is negative, ask yourself this other question: how long will this situation last? It would take naivety and innocence to affirm that political leaders will somehow find answers to all this chaos. No. The situation will worsen because it’s foreseen to.

Yeshua warned us in advance that this would happen; moreover, He encouraged us to lift our faces because when this is being fulfilled, it means our liberation is near. It is planned that these things will happen before His return to establish a real kingdom of justice and peace.

There’s no room for fear because we have hope in the promises of our Eternal Father YeHoVaH, who will intervene in due time to rescue His faithful remnant who have separated themselves from the contaminated system and placed their trust in Him. It’s time to align your daily life with His commandments. If you haven’t done so yet, what are you waiting for?

The Feasts of YeHoVaH

Modern lifestyle has disconnected us from nature – Yehovah’s Creation – and has connected us to an artificial life that prevents us from understanding the way God acts.

We were created to interact with Creation at all its levels. The original mandate was: “fill the earth and govern it.” Instead of that, we have grouped ourselves to live in paved cities, full of skyscrapers, highly polluted, and we have lost sight of the Garden in which we were originally placed.

Modern lifestyle has disconnected us from nature – Yehovah’s Creation – and has connected us to an artificial life that prevents us from understanding the way God acts.

In this condition, we do not know or understand the Festivals that were given to us, as they are linked to nature and the cycles of food cultivation.

Not only have we lost the opportunity to recognize the hand of our Father in nature, but we also ignore the meaning of the Appointed Times gave by Him. Yehovah our Father determined multiple celebrations throughout the year:

For the Spring season:

The Celebration of Pesach (Passover).
The Feast of Matzot (Unleavened Bread).
The celebration of Bikkurim (First Fruits).
The Feast of Shavuot (Weeks or Pentecost).

For the Fall season:

The celebration of Yom Teruah (Trumpets).
The celebration of Yom Kippurim (Day of Atonements).
The Feast of Sukkot (Tabernacles).

We then have Four Celebrations and Three Festivals each year. But we also have at the beginning of each month, the celebration of Yom Kodesh or the beginning of the lunar month (see topic: Yehovah’s Calendar), and every week, we have the Shabbat, a gift from our Father so that we can suspend the routines that sometimes overwhelm us and take a break in His presence (see topic: Shabbath, the First Commandment).

In general, we can affirm that these Celebrations and Festivals have several purposes:

Setting aside time to be with Him, knowing Him, and thanking Him for His constant provision.
Keeping us alert to the development of His perfect Eternal Plan.
Identifying ourselves as His people by honoring Him.
Recreating and rejoicing in the proper and non-harmful manner.
When we practice these Celebrations and Festivals, we are acknowledging that Yehovah is the center of our existence, so we orbit around Him throughout the year, and in that way, we testify that He is the most important person in our lives. Additionally, these are opportunities to develop our interpersonal relationships and take time to rest and enjoy the things He provides for us.

Decide to participate in Yehovah’s Festivals because you will gain an understanding of His Word that is not possible to achieve otherwise.

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The Calendar of YeHoVaH

The practice of Yehovah’s Calendar will help us to understand more clearly the prophetic times, the Scriptures and our Father’s Plans.

The emphasis on the importance of knowing and understanding Yehovah’s Calendar will never be overstated because the prophetic events of the Scriptures are not aligned with the calendar that the world uses day by day. Because of this, many will be taken by surprise like a thief in the night. Here is a brief introduction to the topic.

The Days

From the moment we are born, the counting of time begins for each of us. According to the date our parents claim we were born, we start counting the days, weeks, months, and years. That special day we celebrate every year begins at 12:00 a.m., that is, midnight, and ends one second before midnight of the next day. However, our Eternal Father defined the start and end of days differently. When we read the account of Creation in the Bible, each stage of the process is described as:

“And there was evening and there was morning, the first day.” Genesis 1:5

Therefore, days begin at sunset and end 24 hours later when the sun sets again.

The Weeks

Scripture only gives a name to the seventh day: Shabbat in Hebrew (Sabbath in English). The other days are recognized as the first day of the week, the second day of the week, and so on until the sixth day. English translations keep the name Sabbath for that day. However, some translations into other languages have substituted the Hebrew word Shabbat for the word Saturday, or for the expression “day of rest”, thus making it difficult to recognize both the Shabbat and the fulfillment of what our Eternal Father commanded.

The Months

According to the Scriptures, months begin with the new moon or the appearance of the first crescent of the moon after nights when it has not been visible. (Clarification: The astronomical new moon is a calculated event that occurs at an instant when it enters conjunction with the sun, one of the nights when the moon is not visible.)

Moon Cycles

When the Temple in Jerusalem was still standing, it was imperative for two witnesses to testify before the high priest that they had observed the first sliver of the moon with the naked eye. The high priest would then declare that day (which had already begun at sunset) as the beginning of a new month.

The Years

The calendar we currently use is solar, which means we calculate time based solely on the sun. However, our Father Yehovah governs His Creation according to His lunar-solar calendar, making use of both celestial bodies.

God determined when the years begin:

“The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, ‘This month shall be your beginning of months; it shall be the first month of the year to you.'” Exodus 12:1-2

At that time, the Hebrew people were about to be liberated from their slavery in Egypt. It was spring, when all plants are greening, and life returns after the cold winter. The beginning of that first month was determined by the new moon. Later, Yehovah gave instructions regarding a second condition to be considered in determining the start of the years: the maturity of the barley:

“Today you are going out in the month of Aviv.” Exodus 13:4

“You shall keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread; seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, as I commanded you, at the appointed time in the month of Aviv, for in the month of Aviv you came out of Egypt.” Exodus 34:18

Aviv was not the name of the month but the condition of the barley. If it is in a certain state of maturity and close to being harvested, it is said to be “aviv.”

Now we know everything we need to determine how to start the years today, following the Torah’s instructions. In summary: if the barley is aviv, the day the first fraction of the moon appears, then the beginning of a new year is declared.

The way to understand how this calendar operates is to practice it, by celebrating the New Moons, keeping in mind the Feasts of Yehovah, keeping Shabbat as the last day of the week and being aware of the beginning of each day at sunset. This will help us to better understand the Scriptures and our Father’s Plans.

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Why is it important to study the Torah?

The holy books were never secret documents, but the patrimony of the whole community.

While it is true that the priests and the Levites were entrusted with the custody of the sacred books, they were also entrusted with the responsibility of teaching the Torah — YeHoVaH’s instructions — to the people. However, the Levites were not the only ones who had the responsibility of studying and knowing it.

In fact, the very survival of YeHoVaH’s people has depended upon their faithfulness to YeHoVaH’s instructions; it’s the responsibility of everyone who trusts in the God of Israel! For this reason, ignorance of the Torah is no excuse among the children of YeHoVaH. This is why Moses was tasked with reading these instructions to everyone — both the literal tribes of Israel and the “mixed multitude” who escaped Egypt with them:

“And he (Moshe) took the Book of the Covenant and read in the ears of the people”
~ Exodus 24:7

One of the provisions of the Torah specifically calls for the reading of the entire book of Deuteronomy before the assembled people — specifically so that those who did NOT know the God of Israel would understand what He expected of anyone who would consider themselves as part of Israel:

“And Moshe commanded them, saying, At the end of every seven years, at the appointed time of the year of remission, in the solemnity of Tabernacles (Sukkot), when all Israel go to appear before YeHoVaH your Elohim in the place which He has chosen, you shall read this Torah before all Israel in their hearing. You shall gather the people, men, women, and children, and your stranger who is in your gates, that they may hear and learn, and fear YeHoVaH your Elohim, and keep the words of this Torah to do them. And that their children who do not know it may hear and learn to fear YeHoVaH your Elohim, all the days that you live in the land where you are going, past the Yarden, to take possession of it.
~ Deuteronomy 31:12

So it was that every seven years, and during the Feast of Sukkot of each Sabbath year, all the people of Yisrael were summoned to be instructed by the priests and Levites, making it clear from the beginning of their existence as a nation, that they were the people chosen by YeHoVaH to develop that unique identity. This is the reason why the holy books were never secret documents, but the patrimony of the whole community.

If we are to affirm our identity as YeHoVaH’s people, we need to keep immersing ourselves in His Word, otherwise, we will not be able to discern the Truth from the multitude of voices and messages that reach our ears every day. The path is narrow and staying on it requires our full attention to the Torah — the instructions — that our Father has provided to us.

Bikkurim – Yeshua Presents the First Fruits

Could Yeshua enter the Heavenly Sanctuary saying, “Here I am; I am the First Fruits”? This clearly makes no sense…

Traditionally, we pay a lot of attention to the celebration of Pesaj, and we are rightly moved to remember the departure of our ancestors from Egypt, because in this way we show our obedience to the commandments of YeHoVaH. However, we often pay very little attention to the Bikkurim or First Fruits Celebration, which shows us the resurrection of the first saints who were presented by Yeshua before YeHoVaH on the designated day.

Let’s read closely the words of Matthew 27:50-53:

Yeshua shouted again with a loud voice and gave up his spirit. Suddenly, the curtain of the sanctuary was split in two from top to bottom; the earth quaked and the rocks were split. The tombs were also opened and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised. And they came out of the tombs after his resurrection, entered the holy city, and appeared to many.

If we really consider that nothing in the scriptures can be added on a whim, here we have a problem to solve, because no one has truly explained the rationale or the hidden meaning of the details described here.

Note carefully that when Yeshua died, the graves were opened, but the bodies of the saints did not come out until after the resurrection of Yeshua, an event that took place on the Shabbat of that week, thus fulfilling the prophecy announced by himself as the only sign that would be given to that generation of unbelieving leaders:

But he answered them:

“An evil and adulterous generation demands a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. For as Jonah was in the belly of the huge fish three days and three nights, so the Son of Man will be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights.” (Matthew 12:39-40)

Thus, exactly three days and three nights after giving up his life on Wednesday at the chosen hour, Yeshua rose again along with those saints whose graves had been opened at the time of their death, and it was then that “they entered the holy city and appeared to many.” (Matthew 27:53)

And John 20:1 describes what happened afterward:

“On the first day of the week [Sunday], Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark. She saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb.” Moments later, Yeshua appeared to Miriam, and after a short dialogue, told her: “Don’t cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them that I am ascending to my Father and your Father—to my God and your God.” (John 20:17)

In those moments, Yeshua was on time to present to the Father the offering of the First Fruits – Bikkurim: the first resurrected who had been raised on Saturday afternoon after he had risen. Thus, while the high priest presented the cut sheaf the night before and the food offering that they had prepared during the night (Leviticus 23:10-11), Yeshua presented before YeHoVaH the resurrected First Fruits.

There are those who would affirm that Yeshua alone is the First Fruits, but if so, then we would have another dilemma, because the Torah gives a very clear instruction in YeHoVaH’s pronouncement in Exodus 23:15 – “No one is to appear before me empty-handed.”

So, since Yeshua had to fulfill the Torah perfectly, he could not appear before the Father that morning with no offering! He had to bring something to present to his Father, because that was precisely the day of Bikkurim – the Day of the First Fruits. Could Yeshua enter the Heavenly Sanctuary saying, “Here I am; I am the First Fruits”? This clearly makes no sense, for Yeshua had to take something with him as an offering of First Fruits to his Father, and this provides the only possible explanation for the resurrection of those saints referred to in Matthew 27:50-53 – they were the First Fruits that Yeshua presented as his Bikkurim offering before our father YeHoVaH.

Perhaps we are wondering: who were those who were resurrected? Unfortunately, the story tells us nothing further about it, but we do have records in the Tanakh or Old Testament that many righteous prophets and kings were buried in and around Jerusalem. Therefore, we can infer that some of them who were chosen by YeHoVaH were resurrected and therefore are in heaven with Yeshua and with YeHoVaH. Will they be the 24 elders referred to in the Book of the Revelation? It is probable, because the truth is that the rest of those who have slept are awaiting resurrection on the day of the Messiah’s return.

Let us rejoice! Because when there are First Fruits, this means that there is going to be a harvest later, and in the very manner that those saints were resurrected, we will also be, if the Messiah does not come before.