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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?

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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

Moon Cycle

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

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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.

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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.

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The Confession

Many people do not refrain from doing evil to others in order to achieve their personal goals…

When YeHoVaH created us, we were endowed with a conscience. This is a type of “judge” that was designed to direct us to what is right or wrong according to the eternal Torah that reflects the righteous character of the Creator, and by which He rules all of His Creation.

But as we grow and begin our journey through this world, that conscience is influenced, refined, distorted, and even contaminated, all in such a way that we can lose our sense of justice completely.  And as this happens, many people do not refrain from doing evil to others in order to achieve their personal goals.  Hence the famous expression: “These people have no conscience!”

But when we have a genuine and transformative encounter with Yeshua, something supernatural happens: That sense of conscience is restored and renewed to align once again with YeHoVaH’s Torah, and a new beginning – a new life – emerges, as described by Paul (Shaul):

“…if anyone is in the Messiah, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things have come.”  (2 Corinthians 5:17)

Then, the potential to keep us acting honestly and justly is reactivated.  However, we inevitably make mistakes again because of our habits, and we run the risk of returning to our old patterns, ignoring or underestimating our conscience that is now awakened by the Spirit of YeHoVaH that dwells in us.

What to do? How do we deal with these problems? It is in these moments when we must take advantage of the resource provided by our Father to be restored in our journey: The Confession.

But I am not talking about going before another man to render an account of what we have done, but about talking with God, with YeHoVaH, to affirm what He himself defines as injustice, and then to accept that He is right, acknowledging that what we have done is sinful. Immediately afterward, we accept by faith the forgiveness that has already been granted to us through Yeshua and we carry on, redefining our spiritual journey.

You may ask yourself: “What if I have acted unfairly with someone; how have I done so?”  There will always be situations in which we must go to the person we have hurt to admit that we have acted wrongly, for that too is confession. In other words, let that person know that you did wrong and then ask forgiveness for such behavior.  But do not demand forgiveness; instead, you must grant him the option, through his own volition, to make that decision.

YeHoVaH provides us with a special day during the festive season of autumn – Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, or the day of liberation from the guilt that we have been carrying throughout the year. The tenth day of the Seventh month of YeHoVaH’s Calendar is set aside for us to audit ourselves. On such a day we are commanded to humble ourselves before YeHoVaH by following the biblical example of fasting. That day is considered a Shabbat in which no work should be done, when we must retire into silence and stillness to start fresh with our Creator.

In fact, to be able to do this we need to adequately prepare ourselves in the days leading up to this occasion, cultivating an attitude of introspection with the help of our Father, to bring to mind those intentions, attitudes, and behaviors that need to be corrected or repaired.  And the first step to achieve this is The Confession, as we have mentioned before.

But more importantly, we should not wait until the annual arrival of Yom Kippur to mend our relationships with our Father and with others. This is something we need to do every day, just as we do with our bodies when we breathe.  Just as we exhale toxins and inhale fresh, pure air, so also let us release our injustices through confession, and let us take in the forgiveness and justice that come from YeHoVaH through Yeshua, our Lord and Messiah.

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”  (1 John 1:9)

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Four Keys to Discovering Your Purpose

YeHoVaH will never do what you can do, but he will be there to help you achieve the things that are beyond your limits when you have exhausted all your resources.

Have you ever asked yourself, “what am I doing here?”

Every human being who is mindful of an eternal destiny has asked himself this question at least once during his existence. And the search for an answer often determines the meaning of our daily lives.

When we first hear or read about Moshe’s life, we do not expect its major events to unfold at the advanced age of eighty. Now, if we try to get into the mind of this man during his first forty years of life, we might find him wondering why his life was so different from those of his enslaved brothers. This was, for him, a time of abundance, comfort, pleasures, achievements, and recognition – virtually everything that a person would like to obtain in life.

But when he wanted to stop being a spectator and become proactive – by defending a slave and killing his assailant – his life turned into a nightmare. He became a fugitive; he abandoned everything and lived in a strange land, and dedicated himself to taking care of his father-in-law’s herds. It seems that he was fed up with wealth and power, and had no desire to possess them for himself.

And so he lived for 40 years, seemingly completing his mission in life. But YeHoVaH had other plans: He called him and commissioned him to free Israel from slavery, and thus he became a person whose influence remains throughout the world to this day.

Here are four keys that will help you discover why you are here.

First of all, keep in mind that YeHoVaH will never do what you can do, but he will be there to help you achieve the things that are beyond your limits when you have exhausted all your resources. In other words, you must do everything that is within your capacity to find the solution for a troubled situation, one that is legal and complete, and then YeHoVaH will step in.

Secondly, you must do whatever task you have at hand – whether a job, chore, or even a recreational activity – to the best of your best ability and with the best possible attitude. It is the way to grow, to discover the true meaning of things. When you move lazily, with annoyance, and with a negative attitude, you are eliminating the possibility of discovering new capabilities. Most likely, when Moshe “had” to learn to herd his father-in-law’s sheep, he did so with an affirmative attitude – it is evident that this work allowed him to develop areas of his life that were later useful in “shepherding” the nation he was in charge of.

Third, you need to preserve in your mind and heart the concept of YeHoVaH’s full sovereignty. “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered” (Matthew 10:29-30). This is how Yeshua expressed it, and that was what sustained him during his time on earth, allowing him to fulfill his mission. When you accept this truth and fully trust it, then your heart finds rest. After all, you can be sure that “He who is with you is greater than he who is in the world” and “If YeHoVaH is with you . . . who can be against you?”

Fourth, you should live only one day at a time, leaving the future in his hands because “He cares for us.” Yeshua’s teachings were repetitive regarding this: “Do not be anxious about tomorrow, each day has enough trouble of its own” and “Give us today our daily bread” are words that compel us to a total dependence on our creator in our day-to-day lives. The system in which we live seeks to manipulate our fears by selling us insecurity at every step; that’s why we pursue life insurance, health insurance, savings for old age, burial, etc. But we cannot foresee all future eventualities that are only in the hands of our Father. Therefore, understanding the concept of his sovereignty is vital to answer the question raised at the beginning: What am I doing here? Recognizing that YeHoVaH has absolute control will allow you to develop your dependence on him, and thus, you will be led by his providence. And though his path for you remains imperceptible, you will still fulfill the plan that He needs you to carry out. That is the reason why he gave you existence and why he has taken care of you until now.

This life is not to seek our own goals and satisfactions; it is to carry out the Eternal Plan designed by YeHoVaH, in which he wanted to give us participation, wonderfully combining our interests, talents, and circumstances with his eternal purpose: to restore order throughout the universe, submitting all things to his command.

Israel’s Biblical Diet

Many people believe that the instructions regarding food appeared when Moshe received the Torah at Mount Sinai, but actually, this is not true.

Every living creature will be food for you; as I gave the green plants, I have given you everything. However, you must not eat meat with its lifeblood in it. Genesis 9:3-4

Many people believe that the instructions regarding food appeared when Moshe received the Torah at Mount Sinai, but actually, this is not true. Genesis 9 clearly tells us that Noah already knew which animals were clean and unclean.

Why did Noah bring seven pairs of clean animals on the ark? The answer is obvious. After the flood, it was going to take some time for the earth to recover and produce fruit again. The clean animals were necessary to offer the relevant sacrifices before Yehovah, and they would also most likely provide food for Noah and his family until everything was restored. 

Notice that it was not until after Noah left the ark that Yehovah told him that he could eat “every living creature” (Genesis 9:3), as well as green plants, which had already been given as food to Adam.

What did Noah understand with those words? When Yehovah told him “every living creature“ he was NOT saying: “everything that swims, crawls, runs, and flies you can take to the pot.” Rather he was authorizing him to consume those animals that Yehovah had declared edible.

These are some aspects that although not explicitly found in the text, we can infer: the instruction is really limited to those animals on the list already known by Noah.