In this study I would like to examine
the signs or omens that HaShem uses to communicate
with His people. As with all signs, they have significance only to those who
see them. For example, if a solar eclipse is a sign, then it is only a sign to
those who actually see the eclipse. If the rainbow is to be a sign, then it is
a sign to those who see it. If the rainbow is visible in Seattle (they have
lots of rainbows in Seattle), then its message is to those who see it in
Seattle. It has no meaning to those in Vancouver, B.C.
Keep this in mind as we examine the
various signs that HaShem use to communicate. We will explore some of these
signs and try to understand what we are to learn from these signs. Pay
attention to the audience of the
sign.
The first use of signs in the Tanach[1],
is in:
Bereshit (Genesis)
1:14
And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven
to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for festivals,
and for days, and years:
This word signs is the focus of this study. I will look at the uses of the Hebrew word in the above passage. Later, we will examine
the equivalent Greek word. The Hebrew word, "sign", is defined in
Strong's as:
226 'owth, ot;
prob. from 225 (in the sense of appearing); a single (lit. or fig.), as a flag,
beacon, monument, omen, prodigy, evidence, etc.:- mark, miracle, (en-) sign,
token.
Ot, signs, are used for a variety of
purposes. The moon, for example, is used as an
ominous sign to the Jews when it is eclipsed,
because Jews reckon time by the moon. The Midrash
provides some insight into the celestial signs:
Midrash Rabbah
- Genesis VI:1
AND HASHEM SAID: LET THERE BE LIGHTS (I, 14). R. Johanan began thus: Who
appointest the moon for seasons (Ps. CIV, 19). R. Johanan commented: The orb of
the sun alone was created to give light. If so, why was the moon created? ‘For seasons’: in order to sanctify new
moons and years thereby.[2]
R. Shila of Kefar Temarta[3]
said in R. Johanan's name: Yet even so, The sun
knoweth its coming (ib.): from the sun one knows its coming [sc. of the month],
for we count the beginning of the month only from sunset. Justa Habra[4]
said in R. Berekiah's name: And they journeyed Irom
Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of
the first month, etc. (Num. XXXIII, 3): but if you count by the moon, then
so far there were only thirteen sunsets?[5]
Hence it follows that we count not from the moon but from sunset. R. ‘Azariah
said in R. Hanina's name: The orb of the sun alone was created to give light;
yet if so, why was the moon created? Because the
Holy One, blessed be He, foresaw that the peoples of the world
would treat them as divinities. Said the Lord: ‘If they are two,
opposed to each other,[6]
and yet the peoples of the world treat them as divinities, how much more would
they do so if there were but one!’ R. Berekiah said in R. Simon's name: Both
were created in order to give light, as it says, AND LET THEM BE FOR LIGHTS,
etc. AND LET THEM BE FOR SIGNS: this refers to the Sabbaths[7];
AND FOR SEASONS: to the three
pilgrimage festivals; AND FOR DAYS: to the beginnings
of the months; AND YEARS means the sanctification of the years.[8]
Thus we see that HaShem
uses celestial signs, as communicated by the sun, moon, and stars. These signs are meant to communicate their
message to those who see them for their intended purpose. The use of the sun,
moon, and stars for signs, is a dramatic way to communicate to the those on
earth. When the moon is eclipsed, for example, it is visible to more than half
the world’s population.
Rashi says that we should read omen rather than signs, in Bereshit 1:14, for when the luminaries are eclipsed it is
an ill omen for the world[9],
as in the verse:
Jeremiah 10:2 'Be not dismayed at the signs of heaven'
The Talmud tells us about the meaning of an eclipsed moon
when used as an omen:
Succah
29a It was taught: R. Meir said, Whenever the luminaries are in
eclipse, it is a bad omen for Israel since they are
inured to blows. This may be compared to a school teacher
who comes to school with a strap in his hand. Who becomes apprehensive? He who
is accustomed to be daily punished. Our Rabbis taught, When the sun is in
eclipse it is a bad omen for
idolaters; when the moon is in eclipse, it is a bad omen
for Israel, since Israel reckons by the moon and
idolaters by the sun. If it is in eclipse in the east, it is a bad omen for those who dwell
in the east; if in the west, it is a bad omen for those who dwell in the west; if in
the midst of heaven it is bad omen
for the whole world. If its face is red as blood, [it is a sign that] the sword
is coming to the world; if it is like sack-cloth, the arrows of famine are coming to the world; if it resembles both,
the sword and the arrows of famine are coming to the world. If the eclipse is
at sunset calamity will tarry in its coming; if at dawn, it hastens on its way:
but some say the order is to be reversed. And there is no nation which is
smitten that its gods are not smitten together with it, as it is said, And
against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments. But when Israel fulfill
the will of the Omnipresent, they need have no fear of all these [omens] as it
is said, Thus saith HaShem, 'Learn not the way of the
nations, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven,
for the nations are dismayed at them, the idolaters will be dismayed, but Israel will not be dismayed’.
But when you comply with the will of HaShem,
you need not worry about punishment. There are many such verses in the Tanach
alluding to the heavenly bodies as omens, for example, in reference to Hezekiah
in:
Melachim (II
Kings) 20:9
This sign shall you have ... the
shadow shall go back ten degrees.
Thus the sun’s movement was the sign for
King Hezekiah. In this next verse, HaShem is indicating that he will use
celestial events as signs of the end of the age.
Yoel (Joel)
3:3 and I
will exhibit wonders in the heavens and the earth.
According to many of the Sages, signs refers to the luminaries function
as man's guide (i.e. compass) as navigational aids.[10]
HaRechasim leBik'ah comments: They are
'signs' of HaShem's greatness in two ways: (1) they are constant signs and
symbols of His omnipotence, as in the verse:
Yeshayahu (Isaiah)
40:26
Lift up you eyes on high and behold Who has created
these things;
(2) and that they sometimes diverge from
their natural course to comply with His will as when the sun
stopped for Joshua:
Yehoshuah (Joshua)
10:12-14
On the day HaShem gave the Amorites over to Israel,
Joshua said to HaShem in the presence of
The Book
of Jasher, chapter 88:59, records this:
59
And Joshua and all the fighting people went up from Gilgal, and Joshua came
suddenly to them, and smote these five kings with a
great slaughter. 60 And the Lord confounded them before the Children of Israel,
who smote them with a terrible slaughter in Gibeon, and pursued them along the
way that goes up to Beth Horon unto Makkedah, and they fled from before the Children of Israel. 61 And whilst they were fleeing,
the Lord sent upon them hailstones from heaven, and
more of them died by the hailstones, than by the slaughter of the Children of
Israel. 62 And the Children of Israel pursued them, and they still smote them
in the road, going on and smiting them. 63 And when they were smiting, the day
was declining toward evening, and Joshua said in the sight of all the people,
Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon, and thou moon in the valley of Ajalon, until
the nation shall have revenged itself upon its enemies. 64 And the Lord
hearkened to the voice of Joshua, and the sun stood still in the midst of the
heavens, and it stood still six and thirty times,
and the moon also stood still and hastened not to go down a whole day. 65 And
there was no day like that, before it or after it, that the Lord hearkened to
the voice of a man, for the Lord fought for Israel.[11]
Another very visible sign, is the sign
of the Noachide covenant and has come to represent the Gentiles who have turned
to HaShem and now follow the Noachide commands. The
rainbow is a sign of the Noachide covenant.
Bereshit
(Genesis) 9:12-17
And HaShem said, "This is the sign of the covenant
I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant
for all generations to come: I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will
be the sign of the covenant between
me and the earth. Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow
appears in the clouds, I will remember my covenant between me and you and all
living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to
destroy all life. Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and
remember the everlasting covenant between HaShem and all living creatures of
every kind on the earth." So HaShem said to Noah, "This is the sign of the covenant I have established
between me and all life on the earth."
What is the message communicated by the
rainbow to those who see it? To answer this question, we need to understand
what it means when a rainbow does not appear:
Soncino Zohar, Vayikra, Section 3, Page 15a R. Jose continued: ‘What is the meaning of
“this (zoth) is to me”, in the verse quoted? Said the Holy One, blessed be He,
The waters of Noah have caused me to reveal zoth in the world, as it is
written, “zoth (this) is the sign of my covenant with them, my bow have I set
in the heaven” (Gen. IX, 12, 13), as much as to say,
there is none who heeds the glory of My Name which is alluded to by the word
zoth. Hence it is one of the signs of a saintly and virtuous man that the
rainbow does not appear in his days and the world does not require this sign
while he is alive. Such a one is he who prays for
the world and shields it, like Rabbi
Simeon ben Yochai, in whose days the world never required the sign of the
rainbow, for he was himself a sign. For if ever punishment was decreed against
the world he could annul it.
Chazal have taught that the rainbow
appears when HaShem sees that the world deserves to
be flooded, He then puts His bow in the sky to let the people of that place
know that they deserve to be destroyed by a flood. Thus the flood in Noah’s day
came because the people were wicked. Thus the message of the rainbow sign is to encourage the
people to repent of their wicked deeds.
In the narrative of Noah, the Hebrew root for covenant appears eight times. The number of people saved via the ark is eight (Noah, three sons and their wives). The sign of the covenant (Bereshit 9:12) is the rainbow, with a gematria of eight hundred. The word rainbow, in all forms, appears eight times in the Torah. This is interesting because the number eight is also associated with the sign of the covenant that HaShem made with Avraham.
Bereshit
(Genesis) 17:9-14
Then HaShem said to Abraham, "As for you, you must keep my covenant, you
and your descendants after you for the generations to
come. This is my covenant with you and your descendants after you, the covenant
you are to keep: Every male among you shall be circumcised.
You are to undergo circumcision, and it will be the sign
of the covenant between me and you. For the generations to come every male among you who is eight days old must be circumcised, including those born
in your household or bought with money from a
foreigner--those who are not your offspring. Whether born in your household or
bought with your money, they must be circumcised. My covenant in your flesh is
to be an everlasting covenant. Any uncircumcised male, who has not been
circumcised in the flesh, will be cut off from his people; he has broken my
covenant."
We circumcise Jewish males on their
eighth day of their life. So, what does eight
have to do with signs and covenants? We learned elsewhere
that the
number eight always alludes to a departure from the natural world, and entry into the supernatural world. This suggests
that the Noachide covenant will bring the Gentile
who obeys the Noachide commands, into the olam haba. In the same way the
covenant of circumcision is meant to bring the Jews
into the olam haba.
The writer of the book of Romans
indicates that the sign of circumcision is a seal of the righteousness that
Avraham had by faithful obedience to
HaShem’s command.
Romans 4:9-12 Is this blessedness only for the
circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? We have been saying that Abraham's
faith was credited to him as righteousness. Under what circumstances was it
credited? Was it after he was circumcised, or before? It was not after, but
before! And he received the sign of
circumcision, a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was
still uncircumcised. So then, he is the father of all who believe but have not
been circumcised, in order that righteousness might be credited to them. And he
is also the father of the circumcised who not only are circumcised but who also
walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised.
There was another covenant which also
had signs. The covenant that HaShem made with Israel at Sinai came with specific commands that are signs.
The first sign is that they would worship at Mt. Sinai. Following this first
sign, the Bne Israel would be given the Shabbat as a
sign. This sign would be used to cause us to remember that HaShem makes us
holy, to cause us to remember that HaShem created the world, and finaly to
cause us to know that He is HaShem.
Exodus 3:12 And HaShem said, "I will be
with you. And this will be the sign
to you that it is I who have sent you: When you have brought the people out of Egypt, you will worship HaShem on this
mountain."
Exodus 31:13 "Say to the Israelites,
'You must observe my Sabbaths. This will be a sign between me and you for the generations to come, so you may know that I am HaShem,
who makes you holy.
Exodus 31:17 It will be a sign between me and the Israelites forever,
for in six days HaShem made the heavens
and the earth, and on the seventh day he abstained
from work and rested.'"
Ezekiel
20:11-12
I gave them my decrees and made known to them my laws,
for the man who obeys them will live by them. Also I gave them my Sabbaths as a
sign: between us, so they would know
that I HaShem made them holy.
Ezekiel
20:19-20
I am HaShem your HaShem; follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. Keep my Sabbaths holy, that they may be a sign: between us. Then you will know that I am
HaShem your G-d."
Sabbath is a sign of the covenant that HaShem made with the Bne Israel at Sinai. No Gentile
may observe the Shabbat under pain of death. When Jews observe the Shabbat, they confirm the covenant at
Sinai.
Shabbat is presented here as a sign, because, with the introduction of the Mishkan (Shemot 25:1ff), HaShem's Presence will become manifest among the people. Shabbat is the weekly sign of that constant Presence. Unlike the physical Mishkan, the existence of which has not always been assured in our history, Shabbat is an eternal (for your generations) focal point and sign of our ongoing encounter with HaShem.
Another sign of the Sinai covenant, is
recited in the Shema, twice a day by observant Jews. The command of tefillin and mezzuzah are signs of the Sinai covenant.
Deuteronomy
6:4-9
Hear, O
These signs of tefillin and mezzuzah were
important enough that HaShem reiterated them. To fulfill this command, pious
Jews will lay tefillin six days a week, during the
morning prayer service (shacharit). We do not lay
tefillin on Shabbat because Shabbat is a sign and we do need two
covenantal signs.
Deuteronomy
11:16-20
Be careful, or you will be enticed to turn away and worship other gods and bow
down to them. Then HaShem’s anger will
burn against you, and he will shut the heavens so
that it will not rain and the ground will yield no produce,
and you will soon perish from the good land HaShem is giving you. Fix these
words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols
on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.
Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when
you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them
on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.
Tefillin were to be a constant reminder of the Exodus. The hand Tefillin are to be a "sign for you", indicating a sign for you to see and which will remind us; and the head Tefillin are to be a remembrance (zikkaron), a commemoration for you to remember that HaShem took us out. This wording is nearly identical to the two terms used to describe the blood on the doors (ot lakhem), Shemot 12:12ff, and the celebration of that day (zikkaron).
Not only were mezzuzot to be signs on
our doorposts, but blood was once used on the doorposts as a sign. We will see
that the blood on the doorposts of the houses in Egypt were a sign to the
HaShem to pass over that house.
Exodus
12:12-13
"On that same night I will pass through
In addition to the blood on the
doorposts, the celebration of Pesach (Passover),
itself, was to be a sign. Who sees a Pesach seder?
Clearly all the participants at that seder. Any others to witness the seder
would be accidental.
Exodus 13:4-10 Today, in the month of Abib, you
are leaving. When HaShem brings you into the land of
the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Hivites and Jebusites--the land he swore to
your forefathers to give you, a land flowing with
milk and honey--you are to observe this ceremony in this month: For seven days eat bread made
without yeast and on the seventh day hold a festival
to HaShem. Eat unleavened bread during those seven days; nothing with yeast in it is to be seen among you, nor shall any
yeast be seen anywhere within your borders. On that day tell your son, 'I do
this because of what HaShem did for me when I came out
of Egypt.' This observance will be for you like a sign on your hand and a reminder on your
forehead that the law of HaShem is to be on your lips.
For HaShem brought you out of
Pesach was a
sign for the Jews. More than that, the Pesach seder
is a rehearsal for our redemption. It is not some
stale, meaningless ritual. It is a rehearsal for
our redemption!
While the seder spoke to the Jews, the
miracles that HaShem did in Egypt were signs for the Egyptians and the Jews. These signs were so
important that HaShem is going to repeat them multiple times throughout the
Tanach, and He will also cause us to remember them multiple times every day,
and multiple times during the year.
Deuteronomy
4:32-35
Ask now about the former days, long before your time, from the day HaShem
created man on the earth; ask from one end of the heavens
to the other. Has anything so great as this ever happened, or has anything like
it ever been heard of? Has any other people heard the voice of HaShem speaking
out of fire, as you have, and lived? Has any G-d ever
tried to take for himself one nation out of another nation, by testings, by miraculous
signs and wonders, by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, or
by great and awesome deeds, like all the things HaShem your HaShem did for you
in Egypt before your very eyes? You were shown these
things so that you might know that HaShem is G-d; besides him there is no
other.
Deuteronomy
6:20-23
In the future, when your son asks you, "What is
the meaning of the stipulations, decrees and laws HaShem our G-d has commanded
you?" Tell him: "We were slaves of Pharaoh in
Deuteronomy
26:8
So HaShem brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm,
with great terror and with miraculous signs and wonders.
Deuteronomy
11:1-7
Love HaShem your G-d and keep his requirements, his
decrees, his laws and his commands always. Remember today that your
children were not the ones who saw and experienced the discipline of HaShem
your G-d: his majesty, his mighty hand, his outstretched arm; The signs he performed and the things he did in
the heart of Egypt, both to Pharaoh king of Egypt and to his whole country;
What he did to the Egyptian army, to its horses and chariots, how he
overwhelmed them with the waters of the Red Sea as they were pursuing you, and
how HaShem brought lasting ruin on them. It was not your children who saw what
he did for you in the desert until you arrived at this place, And what he did
to Dathan and Abiram, sons of Eliab the Reubenite, when the earth opened its mouth right in the middle of all Israel
and swallowed them up with their households, their tents and every living thing
that belonged to them. But it was your own eyes that
saw all these great things HaShem has done.
Exodus
13:15-16
When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, HaShem killed every firstborn in
Deuteronomy
7:17-20
You may say to yourselves, "These nations are stronger than we are. How
can we drive them out?" But do not be afraid of them; remember well what
HaShem your G-d did to Pharaoh and to all
Deuteronomy
34:10-12
Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom HaShem knew face to
face, Who did all those miraculous signs and wonders HaShem sent him to do in
Egypt--to Pharaoh and to all his officials and to his whole land. For no one
has ever shown the mighty power or performed the awesome deeds that Moses did
in the sight of all
Deuteronomy
29:2-4
Moses summoned all the Israelites and said to them: Your eyes have seen all
that HaShem did in
Psalms 78:43 The day he displayed his miraculous signs
in Egypt, his wonders in the region of Zoan.
Nehemiah
9:9-11
"You saw the suffering of our forefathers in
Psalm
105:26-28
He sent Moses his servant, and Aaron, whom he had chosen. They performed his miraculous signs
among them, his wonders in the
Psalm 135:9 He sent his signs: and wonders into your midst, O
Jeremiah 32:20 You performed miraculous signs:
and wonders in
So, clearly HaShem intended to send a
message to His people and to the
Egyptians. We can also see from the context of the above passages, that we are
to communicate this sign to our children. Not only that, but we learn from the haggada that each Jew is to
see himself as he was redeemed from Egypt. It is not a faded historical event,
but rather it is a living memory in each Jew because he was there!
These signs are so important for us to
remember! Why you might ask? Let me suggest that the mighty miracles (signs)
that HaShem performed for us in Egypt were birth pangs to cause us as a people
to be born. Further, these signs are prophetic in that these signs will be used
by HaShem when He takes His people out of the lands of the world and plants us
in the land of Israel, forever. Get to know these signs! Memorise them and
constantly recall them. You will see them again!
The miraculous signs were designed to
convince the Egyptians to let the Jews go, and they were designed to teach the
Jews that HaShem delivered them. As
the Children of Israel left Egypt, amid the great miraculous signs, they went
out in miliatary formation with each tribe marching
under the banner of his tribe. These banners were also signs. The banners not
only identify the tribe, but they also prophesy as to the mission of each
tribe.
Numbers 2:1-2 HaShem said to Moses and Aaron: "The
Israelites are to camp around the Tent of Meeting some distance from it, each
man under his standard with the banners
of his family."
I have posted pictures of each of these
banners, these signs, in my study titled: Tribes.
Just as a matter of interest, the camping order of the tribes was same order
that the Jacob’s sons assumed when they carried Jacobs coffin. This suggests
that the order itself was prophetic.
During the journey to the Promised Land,
the Children of Israel had a period where some rebelled against the authority
of Moses. These rebels had confronted Moses and suggested that they were holy
just like Aaron and his sons were holy. They insisted that they be priests. To let them know the will of HaShem, in a
clear and unambiguous way, they were to take incense
and offer it to HaShem. The one whose incense was accepted, was to be the
priest. HaShem chose Aaron and his sons. The incense censors were to remain as
a sign.
Numbers
16:35-40
And fire came out from HaShem and consumed the 250 men
who were offering the incense. HaShem said to Moses,
"Tell Eleazar son of Aaron, the priest, to take the censers out of the
smoldering remains and scatter the coals some distance away, for the censers
are holy-- The censers of the men who sinned at the cost of their lives. Hammer
the censers into sheets to overlay the altar, for they were presented before HaShem
and have become holy. Let them be a sign
to the Israelites." So Eleazar the priest collected the bronze censers
brought by those who had been burned up, and he had them hammered out to
overlay the altar, As HaShem directed him through Moses. This was to remind the
Israelites that no one except a descendant of Aaron should come to burn incense before HaShem, or he would become like Korah and his followers.
After HaShem opened the earth and
swallowed Qorach (Korah) and his followers, HaShem made their censors into a
sign by making them a part of the altar. As part of their testing, Qorach and his followers put their staffs before HaShem. HaShem Chose Aaron by having his staff bud and
bear almonds. This miraclous staff was then kept as a sign. This sign testified
against Qorach and his followers, and it testified as to HaShem’s
choice for priests.
Numbers 17:10 HaShem said to Moses, "Put
back Aaron's staff in front of the Testimony, to be
kept as a sign to the rebellious.
This will put an end to their grumbling against me,
so that they will not die."
HaShem commanded Moses and Aaron to
perform many miraculous sign before Pharaoh. Moses was the redeemer of of the Children of Israel. Moses led the
Children of Israel out of Egypt in order to worship
HaShem on Sinai.
In this same vein, if another prophet
should arise, like Moses, who will do miraculous signs, but he will lead you to worship other gods, then we need to
reject him. A sign, a miracle, is not proof that a false god should be chosen
over HaShem.
Deuteronomy
13:1-3
If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces
to you a miraculous sign or wonder, And if the sign or wonder of which he has spoken takes
place, and he says, "Let us follow other G-ds" (G-ds you have not
known) "and let us worship them," You must not listen to the words of
that prophet or dreamer. HaShem your G-d is testing
you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your
soul.
We must worship only HaShem. To worship
anyone, or anything, else, is to worship a false god. We do not worship Yeshua!
We worship only HaShem, as we have studied in the paper titled: Yeshua. In that paper we examined how the English words
can sometimes be a bit misleading, yet the truth is clear in the original
language. Yeshua did miracles, but He did not lead us to worship himself or any
other false god. He led us to worship HaShem only!
If we depart from HaShem to worship
false gods, then HaShem will give us another sign to declare that we have left
the path. These signs are terrible curses with manifold manifestations.
Deuteronomy
28:45-47
All these curses will come upon you. They will pursue you and overtake you
until you are destroyed, because you did not obey HaShem your G-d and observe
the commands and decrees he gave you. They will be a sign and a wonder to you and your descendants forever. Because
you did not serve HaShem your HaShem joyfully and gladly in the time of
prosperity,
The above passage tells us that we are
not only to worship HaShem alone, but to do it joyfully and gladly. Remember,
do not worship Yeshua (Yeshua) or any other person or thing. We must worship
HaShem alone!
In this next sign, Rahab seeks a sign
that the Bne Israel will not hurt her or her family.
This story, of the salvation of Rahab and her
family, is indicative of the way that HaShem always works salvation. When HaShem saves (note that HaShem saves,
Yeshua does not save), He saves a person and their entire household. Salvation
is never an individual experience as we learned in our study titled: Househld.
Now we know that this sign was not just
for Rahab. This sign was for Rahab and others later on. There is nothing in
scripture that does not have historical ramifications.
Joshua 2:12-14 Now then, please swear to me by HaShem
that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you.
Give me a sure sign That you will
spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who
belong to them, and that you will save us from death." "Our lives for
your lives!" the men assured her. "If you don't tell what we are
doing, we will treat you kindly and faithfully when HaShem gives us the
land."
The spies sent out by Joshua provided a
sign for Rahab, their word. I pray that my words could also be used for signs
because of their surety.
Joshua also commanded the Bne Israel to
gather stones from the Jordan river as a sign. These stones were to serve as a
sign to future generations that HaShem stopped the
Jordan river to enable the Bne Israel to cross.
Joshua 4:4-7 So Joshua called together the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one
from each tribe, And said to them, "Go over
before the ark of HaShem your G-d into the middle of
the
Why did HaShem use stones for a sign?
This looks like an interesting question for another study. J
In this next passage we have an example
of household salvation coupled with the desire to
serve HaShem alone.
Joshua
24:15-18
But if serving HaShem seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this
day whom you will serve, whether the G-ds your forefathers
served beyond the River, or the G-ds of the Amorites, in whose land you are
living. But as for me and my household, we will serve HaShem." Then the
people answered, "Far be it from us to forsake HaShem to serve other gods!
It was HaShem our G-d himself who brought us and our fathers
up out of Egypt, from that land of slavery, and
performed those great signs before
our eyes. He protected us on our entire journey and among all the nations through which we traveled.
And HaShem drove out before us all the nations, including the Amorites, who
lived in the land. We too will serve HaShem, because he is our G-d."
After Joshua led the Bne Israel into the
promised land, HaShem sent mighty men as judges to lead Israel
to battle and to perform the victories of HaShem. These were men who really
wanted to serve, but were afraid of being misled. They looked to HaShem for
proof that He was commanding them, and not some other entity.
The sign that Gideon requested, was for
HaShem to tarry while he prepared an offering. Imagine asking the Creator of
the universe to wait for a man. This was indeed a sign.
Judges 6:16-18 HaShem answered, "I will be
with you, and you will strike down all the Midianites together." Gideon
replied, "If now I have found favor in your eyes, give me a sign that it is really you talking to me. Please
do not go away until I come back and bring my offering
and set it before you." And HaShem said, "I will wait until you
return."
HaShem gave the priesthood
to Aaron and to his descendants. We saw how HaShem dealt with those who tried
to usurp this perogative, when we studied about the incident of Korah. In this next passage we are going to see how
HaShem deals with those descendants of Aaron who are unfaithful. The sign given
to Eli the priest was the kind of sign that none of
us want to see. This is the sign given to those who do not discipline their
children.
I Samuel
2:30-35
"Therefore HaShem, the G-d of
In the above passage, the priests will
minister before the Mashiach! This is amazing. It
suggests that the Mashiach is representing HaShem.
This should not be too surprising considering that all of the kings of Israel
represent HaShem.
In the following passage, Saul, who is
soon to be the first king of Israel, is given a sign from HaShem regarding his
father’s missing donkeys. What was the purpose of
this sign? Does HaShem care about donkeys? Clearly the purpose of the sign is
to draw Saul to HaShem, to give him the courage to cleave to HaShem when he
became king.
I Samuel
10:6-9
The Spirit of HaShem will come upon you in power, and you will prophesy with
them; and you will be changed into a different person. Once these signs are fulfilled, do whatever your hand
finds to do, for HaShem is with you. "Go down ahead of me to Gilgal. I
will surely come down to you to sacrifice burnt offerings and fellowship
offerings, but you must wait seven days until I come to you and tell you what
you are to do." As Saul turned to leave Samuel, HaShem changed Saul's
heart, and all these signs: were
fulfilled that day.
Saul’s son, Jonathan, was also given a
sign to encourage him to provide cover for a mighty miracle from HaShem. This
sign was only given when Jonathan and his armor bearer were only feet from the
Philistines, whom they intended to attack. Two courageous men against the entire Philistine garrison.
As they climbed the final feet of the cliff, they asked HaShem for a sign. What
they asked for, was the response that most of us would have expected. How can
the expected response be a sign?
I Samuel
14:8-12
Jonathan said, "Come, then; we will cross over toward the men and let them
see us. If they say to us, 'Wait there until we come to you,' we will stay
where we are and not go up to them. But if they say, 'Come up to us,' we will
climb up, because that will be our sign
that HaShem has given them into our hands." So both of them showed
themselves to the Philistine outpost. "Look!" said the Philistines.
"The Hebrews are crawling out of the holes they were hiding in." The
men of the outpost shouted to Jonathan and his armor-bearer, "Come up to
us and we'll teach you a lesson." So Jonathan said to his armor-bearer,
"Climb up after me; HaShem has given them into the hand of Israel."
Clearly, Jonathan was looking for
HaShem’s approval. If they had been told not to come up, then they could have
returned unharmed. So, clearly they got the expected answer, and HaShem’s
approval.
Another king who represented HaShem was
king Hezekiah. In this next passage, king Hezekiah receives a sign portending
the defeat of the Assyrian army; an army that Israel will not have to fight.
II Kings 19:29
"This
will be the sign for you, O Hezekiah:
"This year you will eat what grows by itself,
and the second year what springs from that. But in the third year sow and reap,
plant vineyards and eat their fruit.
Isaiah
37:30-31
"This will be the sign for you,
O Hezekiah: "This year you will eat what grows by itself, and the second
year what springs from that. But in the third year sow and reap, plant
vineyards and eat their fruit. Once more a remnant of the house of
As an aside, the spiritual
level of Israel had declined to such a low state, in the days of king Hezekiah,
that they could no longer fight the wars of HaShem. All they could do is pray and let HaShem fight the battle. Fourteen
generations earlier, king David and Israel were so well connected to HaShem
that they could go to battle, and fight the battles of HaShem.
Lest you gloat that you are more
spiritual then Hezekiah, and your connection to
HaShem is better than Israel’s, you should know that if king Hezekiah should
walk into your house, he would fry you with the intensity of his spiritual
connection. After all, he lived in the days when there was still prophecy in
the world.
So great was king Hezekiah’s faith, that
he asked HaShem for a sign concerning his healing,
and HaShem made the sun go backward for him. How many times has that happened?
II Kings
20:7-9
Then Isaiah said, "Prepare a poultice of figs." They did so and
applied it to the boil, and he recovered. Hezekiah had asked Isaiah, "What
will be the sign that HaShem will
heal me and that I will go up to the temple of HaShem
on the third day from now?" Isaiah answered, "This is HaShem’s sign
to you that HaShem will do what he has promised: Shall the shadow go forward ten steps, or shall it go back ten steps?"
Isaiah 38:5-8 "Go and tell Hezekiah,
'This is what HaShem, the G-d of your father David, says: I have heard your prayer and seen your tears; I will add fifteen years to your life. And I will deliver you and
this city from the hand of the king of
Isaiah
38:21-22
Isaiah had said, "Prepare a poultice of figs and apply it to the boil, and
he will recover." Hezekiah had asked, "What will be the sign that I will go up to the temple of
HaShem?"
In this case, HaShem used the sun for sign to king Hezekiah. This harkens back to the
first use of our word sign, as we found in Bereshit 1:14, when HaShem
explicitly said that the purpose of the celestial bodies is as a means of
communicating signs and seasons.
In this next passage, HaShem is
providing a messianic sign for king Ahaz.
Isaiah 7:11-14 "Ask HaShem your G-d for a sign:, whether in the deepest depths or in the
highest heights." But Ahaz said, "I will not ask; I will not put HaShem
to the test." Then Isaiah said, "Hear now, you house of David! Is it
not enough to try the patience of men? Will you try the patience of my HaShem
also? Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign:
The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him
Immanuel.
What is interesting about this sign is
that it demonstrates the nature of signs that are recorded in the Tanach. These
signs are for those who see them. Thus we must conclude that this messianic
sign was given to king Ahaz, and was for him. As with most prphetic signs,
however, this one had an immediate fulfillment and a later fulfillment. An in
both case, the sign was for those who saw it.
We see that this same prophecy was
assigned to Yeshua in:
Matitiyahu
(Matthew) 1:23 Behold, a virgin
shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name
Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
Thus we understand that Isaiah 7:11ff
was a messianic prophecy and had two fulfillments. One in the days of king
Ahaz, and the same fulfillment some five hundred years later. From this we
understand that the word virgin is a mistranslation of the Hebrew
word almah. This word is normally
translated as “young woman”. So, either a virgin
birth happened as a sign to king Ahaz and to Mary and Joseph, or else we have a
young woman bearing a child. Since almah
means “young woman”, our rabbinic scholars tell us that there was no virgin birth. That the sign given to King Ahaz was the same sign
given to Mary and Joseph. And both protagonists witnessed young women bearing a
child.
It is important that Mashiach NOT be
born of a virgin. If he had been born of a virgin, then according to Torah he
could NOT be Mashiach. The Torah tells us that Mashiach
must be a blood descendant of king
David, through His father! A virgin birth means no human father. No human father
means that He can not be Mashiach according to the Torah. Fortunately, Yeshua’s father’s genealogy is well documented in the
Nazarean Codicil. He is a descendant
of king David through His father, Joseph.
As Mashiach’s birth was to be a sign, so
too is Israel a sign. After all, Mashiach is the
head of the body called Israel.
In this next passage we see Israel as a sign.
Isaiah 8:16-19 Bind up the testimony and seal
up the law among my disciples. I will wait for HaShem, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob. I will put my trust in him. Here am I,
and the children HaShem has given me. We are signs
and symbols in
If Israel is a sign, who sees this sign?
The ones who see must be the Gentiles. There are
only two groups: The sign and those who see the sign. Clearly Israel was set as
a sign in order that the Gentiles would learn about HaShem and serve Him alone.
In this next passage, HaShem puts a
monument at the border of Egypt as a sign.
Isaiah 19:19-21 In that day there will be an
altar to HaShem in the heart of
To understand this sign, we need to
first understand the meaning of Egypt. The Hebrew
word, Mitzrayim, means a constricted
place. What is this monument? The Hebrew word for border sounds like giza.
Today, there is only one Giza and there is only one monument there: The great pyramid. Some have even suggested
that the great pyramid was built by Shem, son of Noach.
In this next passage, Isaiah is to
become a sign that wil prophesy about what will happen to Egypt.
Isaiah 20:2-4 At that time HaShem spoke
through Isaiah son of Amoz. He said to him, "Take off the sackcloth from
your body and the sandals from your feet."
And he did so, going around stripped and barefoot. Then HaShem said, "Just
as my servant Isaiah has gone stripped and barefoot for three
years, as a sign: and portent against
Egypt and Cush, So the king of Assyria will lead away stripped and barefoot the
Egyptian captives and Cushite exiles, young and old, with buttocks bared--to
Egypt's shame.
Why is Isaiah a sign to Egypt? While
there are probably many answers, I lean towards an understanding that Egypt is
a picture of the whole world, excluding Israel. As with the previous signs, I
believe that this sign had a fulfillment in Isaiah’s day, and it will have a
second fulfillment in the end of days.
The end of days leads to the messianic
age. This next sign pertains to the messianic age.
Isaiah 55:9-13 "As the heavens are higher
than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your
thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the
earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed
for the sower and bread for the eater, So is my word that goes out from my
mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and
achieve the purpose for which I sent it. You will go out in joy and be led
forth in peace; the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and
all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Instead of the thornbush will
grow the pine tree, and instead of briers the myrtle will grow. This will be
for HaShem’s renown, for an everlasting
sign, which will not be
destroyed."
This messianic bliss does not come
without the birth pangs. The time of the birth pangs
are a time to sort out those who serve HaShem and His Torah, and those who do
not. In this next passage, the issue of what we eat
is a defining thing. If we eat the wrong things, then we can expect to meet the
end that severs our connection with HaShem.
Isaiah
66:17-21
"Those who consecrate and purify themselves to go into the gardens,
following the one in the midst of those who eat the flesh of pigs and rats and
other abominable things--they will meet their end together," declares HaShem.
"And I, because of their actions and their imaginations, am about to come
and gather all nations and tongues, and they will come and see my glory. "I
will set a sign among them, and I
will send some of those who survive to the nations--to Tarshish, to the Libyans
and Lydians (famous as archers), to Tubal and
The original sin of Adam
and Eve was the eating of non-kosher food. In the end,
kosher food seems to define those who follow HaShem and those who do not. Do
you eat swine flesh? What will be the end of those who eat swine flesh?
This sorting out process, those who eat
kosher food and those who do not, will be brought on by many celestial signs. In this next passage, HaShem gives His
people an explicit command to follow His ways and not
the ways of the world.
Jeremiah
10:1-3
Hear what HaShem says to you, O house of Israel. This
is what HaShem says: "Do not learn the ways of the nations or be terrified
by signs in
the sky, though the nations are terrified by them. For the customs of the
peoples are worthless; they cut a tree out of the forest, and a craftsman
shapes it with his chisel.
Many see the Christmas tree in the above
passage. What ever it is, it is certainally not a good thing. It is used an
example, along with signs in the sky, as that which defines those who rebel
against HaShem. Do you celebrate Christmas? Do you have a Christmas tree? If
you do, be prepared to be dismayed by signs in the sky. Be prepared to be found
as a rebel against HaShem.
Rebels, even those of Israel, are going
to be judged. In this next passage, HaShem speaks of the ways that He will
punish the rebels. He speaks of these punishments as signs.
Yeremiyahu (Jeremiah)
44:26-29
But hear the word of HaShem, all Jews living in
Jeremiah’s picture of the punishments
which will be visited upon Israel are a warning, a sign. But, HaShem always
warns His people before they are punished. In this next passage we see HaShem
preparing His warning to His people.
Ezekiel 4:1-4 "Now, son of man, take a
clay tablet, put it in front of you and draw the city of Jerusalem
on it. Then lay siege to it: Erect siege works against it, build a ramp up to
it, set up camps against it and put battering rams around it. Then take an iron
pan, place it as an iron wall between you and the city and turn your face
toward it. It will be under siege, and you shall besiege it. This will be a sign to the house of Israel.
"Then lie on your left side and put the sin of the
house of
Ezekiel bore in his body a graphic
warning to Israel of the punishments that would be visited upon those who
rejected His word. In this next passage, HaShem
continues His warnings to those who rebel against His Torah.
Ezekiel 14:7-8 "'When any Israelite or any alien living
in Israel separates himself from me and sets up idols in his heart and puts a wicked stumbling block before his face and then goes to
a prophet to inquire of me, I HaShem will answer him myself. I will set my face
against that man and make him an example
and a byword. I will cut him off from my people. Then you will know that I am HaShem.
* * *
Reference in the Nazarean Codicil to the
word "signs" as first found in Genesis 1:14. I am going to use two different ways to determine the correct Greek word that
links to the Hebrew: First I am going to look for a
reference to "signs" in the sun moon and stars, and
secondly I am going to look for references to "signs" in
Luke 21:25 "There will be signs
in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and
perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea.
Acts 7:36 He led them out of Egypt and did
wonders and miraculous signs in Egypt, at the
Both of the above verses reference the
same Greek word for "signs":
4592 semeion, say-mi'-on; neut. of a
presumed der. of the base of 4591; an indication, espec. cer. or
supernat.:-miracle, sign, token, wonder.
---------------- Dictionary Trace
-----------------
4591 semaino, say-mah'-ee-no; from sema
(a mark; of uncert. der.); to indicate:-signify.
We can also look at the Septuagint,
which is the Greek translation of the Tanach (Old Testament) to find our word
in Genesis 1:14. The Septuagint confirms our earlier guess. The Septuagint
shows our word to be:
shmeia
Now that I know the correct Greek word
to use, I will find all references to this Greek word in the Nazarean Codicil:
Matthew
12:38-40
Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, "Teacher, we want to see a miraculous
sign from you." He answered, "A wicked
and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous
sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.
For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the
belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in
the heart of the earth.
Matthew 16:1-4 The Pharisees and Sadducees came
to Yeshua and tested him by asking him to show them a
sign from heaven.
He replied, "When evening comes, you say, 'It will be fair weather, for
the sky is red,' And in the morning, 'Today it will be stormy, for the sky is
red and overcast.' You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you
cannot interpret the signs of the times. A
wicked and adulterous generation looks for a miraculous sign, but none
will be given it except the sign of Jonah." Yeshua
then left them and went away.
Matthew 24:3 As Yeshua was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately.
"Tell us," they said, "when will this happen, and what will be
the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?"
Matthew
24:23-31
At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Mashiach!'
or, 'There he is!' do not believe it. For false Messiahs and false prophets
will appear and perform great signs
and miracles to deceive even the elect--if that were possible. See, I have told
you ahead of time. "So if anyone tells you, 'There he is, out in the
desert,' do not go out; or, 'Here he is, in the inner rooms,' do not believe
it. For as lightning that comes from the east is
visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever
there is a carcass, there the vultures will gather. "Immediately after the
distress of those days 'the sun will be darkened,
and the moon will not give its light; the stars will
fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.' "At that time
the sign of the Son of Man will
appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn.
They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and
great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet
call, and they will gather his elect from the four
winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.
Matthew
26:47-49
While he was still speaking, Judas, one of the Twelve,
arrived. With him was a large crowd armed with swords and clubs, sent from the
chief priests and the elders of the people. Now the
betrayer had arranged a signal with them: "The one I kiss is the man; arrest him." Going at once to Yeshua,
Judas said, "Greetings, Rabbi!" and kissed him.
Mark 8:11-12 The Pharisees came and began to
question Yeshua. To test him, they asked him for a sign from heaven. He
sighed deeply and said, "Why does this generation
ask for a miraculous sign? I tell you the truth, no sign will be
given to it."
Mark 13:3 As Yeshua was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the temple,
Peter, James, John and Andrew asked him privately, "Tell us, when will
these things happen? And what will be the sign that they are all about
to be fulfilled?"
Mark 13:21-23 At that time if anyone says to
you, 'Look, here is the Mashiach!' or, 'Look, there he is!' do not believe it. For
false Mashiachs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and
miracles to deceive the elect--if that were possible. So be on your guard; I
have told you everything ahead of time.
Mark 16:14-20 Later Yeshua appeared to the Eleven as they were eating; he
rebuked them for their lack of faith and their stubborn refusal to believe
those who had seen him after he had risen. He said
to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever
believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever
does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those
who believe: In my name they will drive out demons;
they will speak in new tongues; They will pick up
snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt
them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get
well." After the Lord Yeshua had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of HaShem. Then the disciples went out and preached
everywhere, and the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word by the signs
that accompanied it.
Luke 2:8-12 And there were shepherds living
out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. An angel of
the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and
they were terrified. But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I
bring you good news of great joy that will be for
all the people. Today in the town of
Luke 2:28-35 Simeon took him in his arms and
praised HaShem, saying: "Sovereign Lord, as you
have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen
your salvation, Which you have prepared in the
sight of all people, A light for revelation to the Gentiles
and for glory to your people Israel." The
child's father and mother marveled at what was said about him. Then Simeon
blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: "This child is destined to
cause the falling and rising of many in
Luke 11:14-17 Yeshua
was driving out a demon that was mute. When the demon left, the man who had
been mute spoke, and the crowd was amazed. But some of them said, "By
Beelzebub, the prince of demons, he is driving out demons." Others tested
him by asking for a sign from heaven. Yeshua
knew their thoughts and said to them: "Any kingdom divided against itself
will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall.
Luke 11:29-30 As the crowds increased, Yeshua
said, "This is a wicked generation.
It asks for a miraculous sign, but none will be given it except the sign
of Jonah. For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so also will the Son
of Man be to this generation.
Luke 21:5-13 Some of his disciples were
remarking about how the temple was adorned with
beautiful stones and with gifts dedicated to HaShem. But Yeshua said, "As
for what you see here, the time will come when not one
stone will be left on another; every one of them will be thrown down." "Teacher," they asked, "when will these things
happen? And what will be the sign that they are about to take
place?" He replied: "Watch out that you are not deceived. For many
will come in my name, claiming, 'I am he,' and, 'The
time is near.' Do not follow them. When you hear of wars and revolutions, do not
be frightened. These things must happen first, but the end will not come right
away." Then he said to them: "Nation will rise against nation, and
kingdom against kingdom. There will be great earthquakes, famines
and pestilences in various places, and fearful events
and great signs from heaven. "But before all
this, they will lay hands on you and persecute you. They will deliver you to synagogues and prisons, and you will be brought before
kings and governors, and all on account of my name. This will result in your
being witnesses to them.
Luke 21:25-27 "There will be signs
in the sun, moon and stars. On the earth, nations will be in anguish and
perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from terror,
apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the
heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they will
see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
Luke 23:8-10 When Herod saw Yeshua, he was
greatly pleased, because for a long time he had been wanting to see him. From
what he had heard about him, he hoped to see him perform some miracle. He
plied him with many questions, but Yeshua gave him no answer. The chief priests and the teachers of
the law were standing there, vehemently accusing him.
John 2:7-11 Yeshua said to the servants,
"Fill the jars with water"; so they filled them to the brim. Then he
told them, "Now draw some out and take it to the master of the
banquet." They did so, And the master of the banquet tasted the water that
had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though
the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside And
said, "Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine
after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till
now." This, the first of his miraculous signs, Yeshua
performed at Cana in
John 2:18-19 Then the Jews
demanded of him, "What miraculous sign can you show us to prove
your authority to do all this?" Yeshua
answered them, "Destroy this temple, and I will
raise it again in three days."
John 2:23-25 Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many people saw the miraculous signs he
was doing and believed in his name. But Yeshua would
not entrust himself to them, for he knew all men. He
did not need man's testimony about man, for he knew what was in a man.
John 3:1-2 Now there was a man of the
Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Yeshua
at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher
who has come from HaShem. For no one could perform
the miraculous signs you are doing if HaShem were not with him."
John 4:46-54 Once more he visited Cana in
John 6:1-3 Some time after this, Yeshua
crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the
John 6:11-15 Yeshua then took the loaves,
gave thanks, and distributed to those who were seated as much as they wanted.
He did the same with the fish. When they had all had enough to eat, he said to his disciples, "Gather the pieces
that are left over. Let nothing be wasted." So they gathered them and
filled twelve baskets with the pieces of the five
barley loaves left over by those who had eaten. After the people saw the miraculous
sign that Yeshua did, they began to say, "Surely this is the Prophet
who is to come into the world." Yeshua, knowing
that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a
mountain by himself.
John 6:24-33 Once the crowd realized that
neither Yeshua nor his disciples were there, they got into the boats and went
to
John 7:28-32 Then Yeshua, still teaching in
the temple courts, cried out, "Yes, you know me, and you know where I am
from. I am not here on my own, but he who sent me is true. You do not know him,
But I know him because I am from him and he sent me." At this they tried
to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his time had not yet come.
Still, many in the crowd put their faith in him. They said, "When the Mashiach comes, will he do more miraculous signs
than this man?" The Pharisees heard the crowd whispering such things about
him. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees sent temple
guards to arrest him.
John 9:14-16 Now the day on which Yeshua had
made the mud and opened the man's eyes was a Sabbath. Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he
had received his sight. "He put mud on my eyes," the man replied,
"and I washed, and now I see." Some of the Pharisees said, "This
man is not from HaShem, for he does not keep the
Sabbath." But others asked, "How can a sinner do such miraculous
signs?" So they were divided.
John 10:40-42 Then Yeshua went back across the
John 11:43-48 When he had said this, Yeshua
called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" The dead man came out,
his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a
cloth around his face. Yeshua said to them, "Take off the grave clothes
and let him go." Therefore many of the Jews who
had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Yeshua did, put their faith in him. But
some of them went to the Pharisees and told them what Yeshua had done. Then the
chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of
the Sanhedrin. "What are we accomplishing?" they asked. "Here is
this man performing many miraculous signs. If we let him go on like
this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans
will come and take away both our place and our nation."
John 12:17-18 Now the crowd that was with him
when he called Lazarus from the tomb and raised him
from the dead continued to spread the word. Many people, because they had
heard that he had given this miraculous sign, went out to meet him.
John 12:37-38 Even after Yeshua had done all
these miraculous signs in their presence, they still would not believe
in him. This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet: "Lord, who has
believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?"
John 20:30 Yeshua did many other
miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded
in this book.
Acts 2:17-22 "'In the last days, HaShem
says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your
sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men
will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and
women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. I will
show wonders in the heaven above and signs on
the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The
sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and
glorious day of the Lord. And everyone who calls on the
name of the Lord will be saved.' "Men of Israel, listen to this: Yeshua of
Acts 2:42-44 They devoted themselves to the
apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe,
and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. All the
believers were together and had everything in common.
Acts 4:13-22 When they saw the courage of
Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were
astonished and they took note that these men had been with Yeshua.
But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them,
there was nothing they could say. So they ordered them to withdraw from the
Sanhedrin and then conferred together. "What are we going to do with these
men?" they asked. "Everybody living in Jerusalem
knows they have done an outstanding miracle, and we cannot deny it. But
to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn
these men to speak no longer to anyone in this name."
Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all
in the name of Yeshua. But Peter and John replied, "Judge for yourselves
whether it is right in HaShem's sight to obey you rather than HaShem. For we
cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard."
After further threats they let them go. They could not decide how to punish
them, because all the people were praising HaShem for what had happened. For
the man who was miraculously healed was over forty
years old.
Acts 4:23-30 On their release, Peter and John
went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. When they heard
this, they raised their voices together in prayer to HaShem. "Sovereign Lord,"
they said, "you made the heaven and the earth
and the sea, and everything in them. You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the
mouth of your servant, our father David: "'Why do the nations rage and the
peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers
gather together against the Lord and against his Anointed
One.' Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of
Acts 5:12 The apostles performed many miraculous
signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet
together in Solomon's Colonnade.
Acts 6:8 Now Stephen, a man full of HaShem's
grace and power, did great wonders and miraculous
signs among the people.
Acts 7:35-36 "This is the same Moses
whom they had rejected with the words, 'Who made you ruler and judge?' He was
sent to be their ruler and deliverer by HaShem himself, through the angel who
appeared to him in the bush. He led them out of Egypt
and did wonders and miraculous signs in
Acts
8:5-8
Philip went down to a city in
Acts 8:13 Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished
by the great signs and miracles he saw.
Acts 14:1-3 At Iconium Paul and Barnabas
went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they
spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and
Gentiles believed. But the Jews who refused to
believe stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. So
Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there,
speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to do miraculous signs and
wonders.
Acts 15:12 The whole assembly became silent
as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the miraculous signs
and wonders HaShem had done among the Gentiles
through them.
Romans
15:17-19
Therefore I glory in Mashiach Yeshua
in my service to HaShem. I will not venture to speak of anything except what Mashiach
has accomplished through me in leading the Gentiles to obey HaShem by what I
have said and done-- By the power of signs and miracles, through the
power of the Spirit. So from Jerusalem all the way
around to
I Corinthians
1:20-24
Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this
age? Has not HaShem made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the
wisdom of HaShem the world through its wisdom did not know him, HaShem was
pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.
Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, But we preach Mashiach
crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, But to those
whom HaShem has called, both Jews and Greeks, Mashiach the power of HaShem and
the wisdom of HaShem.
I Corinthians
14:22
Tongues, then, are a sign, not for believers
but for unbelievers; prophecy, however, is for believers, not for unbelievers.
II Corinthians
12:11-13
I have made a fool of myself, but you drove me to it. I ought to have been
commended by you, for I am not in the least inferior to the
"super-apostles," even though I am nothing. The things that mark an
apostle--signs, wonders and miracles--were done among you with great
perseverance. How were you inferior to the other churches, except that I was
never a burden to you? Forgive me this wrong!
II
Thessalonians 2:9-11
The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with the work of Satan
displayed in all kinds of counterfeit miracles, signs and wonders, And
in every sort of evil that deceives those who are perishing. They perish
because they refused to love the truth and so be saved. For this reason HaShem sends them a powerful delusion so that they will
believe the lie
II
Thessalonians 3:17
I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand, which is the distinguishing mark
in all my letters. This is how I write.
Hebrews 2:1-4 We must pay more careful
attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. For
if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every violation and
disobedience received its just punishment, How shall we escape if we ignore
such a great salvation? This salvation, which was
first announced by the Lord, was confirmed to us by those who heard him. HaShem
also testified to it by signs, wonders and various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his
will.
Revelation
12:1-6
A great and wondrous sign appeared in heaven:
a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown
of twelve stars on her head. She was pregnant and
cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. Then
another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and
seven crowns on his heads. His tail swept a third of the stars
out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the
woman who was about to give birth, so that he might devour her child the moment
it was born. She gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the
nations with an iron scepter. And her child was snatched up to HaShem and to his throne. The woman fled into the desert
to a place prepared for her by HaShem, where she might be taken care of for
1,260 days.
Revelation
13:11-14
Then I saw another beast, coming out of the earth. He had two horns like a
lamb, but he spoke like a dragon. He exercised all the authority
of the first beast on his behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants
worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed. And he performed
great and miraculous signs, even causing fire to come
down from heaven to earth in full view of men. Because of the signs he
was given power to do on behalf of the first beast, he deceived the inhabitants
of the earth. He ordered them to set up an image in honor of the beast who was
wounded by the sword and yet lived.
Revelation
15:1
I saw in heaven another great and marvelous sign:
seven angels with the seven last plagues--last,
because with them HaShem's wrath is completed.
Revelation
16:13-14
Then I saw three evil spirits that looked like frogs;
they came out of the mouth of the dragon, out of the mouth of the beast and out
of the mouth of the false prophet. They are spirits of demons performing miraculous
signs, and they go out to the kings of the whole world,
to gather them for the battle on the great day of HaShem Almighty.
Revelation
19:19-20
Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered
together to make war against the rider on the horse and his army. But the beast
was captured, and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous
signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received
the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of
burning sulfur.
* * *
References in the Tanach:
Genesis 1:14
Genesis 4:15
Genesis 9:12
Genesis 9:13
Genesis 9:17
Genesis 17:11
Exodus 3:12
Exodus 4:8
Exodus 4:9
Exodus 4:17
Exodus 4:28
Exodus 4:30
Exodus 7:3
Exodus 8:23
Exodus 10:1
Exodus 10:2
Exodus 12:13
Exodus 13:9
Exodus 13:16
Exodus 31:13
Exodus 31:17
Numbers 2:2
Numbers 14:11
Numbers 14:22
Numbers 16:38
Numbers 17:10
Deuteronomy 4:34
Deuteronomy 6:8
Deuteronomy 6:22
Deuteronomy 7:19
Deuteronomy 11:3
Deuteronomy 11:18
Deuteronomy 13:1
Deuteronomy 13:2
Deuteronomy 22:15
Deuteronomy 22:17
Deuteronomy 22:20
Deuteronomy 26:8
Deuteronomy 28:46
Deuteronomy 29:3
Deuteronomy 34:11
Joshua 2:12
Joshua 4:6
Joshua 24:17
Judges 6:17
1 Samuel 2:34
1 Samuel 10:7
1 Samuel 10:9
1 Samuel 14:10
2 Kings 19:29
2 Kings 20:8
2 Kings 20:9
Nehemiah 9:10
Job 21:29
Psalm 65:8
Psalm 74:4
Psalm 74:9
Psalm 78:43
Psalm 86:17
Psalm 105:27
Psalm 135:9
Isaiah 7:11
Isaiah 7:14
Isaiah 8:18
Isaiah 19:20
Isaiah 20:3
Isaiah 37:30
Isaiah 38:7
Isaiah 38:22
Isaiah 44:25
Isaiah 55:13
Isaiah 66:19
Jeremiah 10:2
Jeremiah 32:20
Jeremiah 32:21
Jeremiah 44:29
Ezekiel 4:3
Ezekiel 14:8
Ezekiel 20:12
Ezekiel 20:20
* * *
Matthew 12:38
Matthew 12:39
Matthew 16:1
Matthew 16:3
Matthew 16:4
Matthew 24:3
Matthew 24:24
Matthew 24:30
Matthew 26:48
Mark 8:11
Mark 8:12
Mark 13:4
Mark 13:22
Mark 16:17
Mark 16:20
Luke 2:12
Luke 2:34
Luke 11:16
Luke 11:29
Luke 11:30
Luke 21:7
Luke 21:11
Luke 21:25
Luke 23:8
John 2:11
John 2:18
John 2:23
John 3:2
John 4:48
John 4:54
John 6:2
John 6:14
John 6:26
John 6:30
John 7:31
John 9:16
John 10:41
John 11:47
John 12:18
John 12:37
John 20:30
Acts 2:19
Acts 2:22
Acts 2:43
Acts 4:16
Acts 4:22
Acts 4:30
Acts 5:12
Acts 6:8
Acts 7:36
Acts 8:6
Acts 8:13
Acts 14:3
Acts 15:12
Romans 4:11
Romans 15:19
1 Corinthians 1:22
1 Corinthians 14:22
2 Corinthians 12:12
2 Thessalonians 2:9
2 Thessalonians 3:17
Hebrews 2:4
Revelation 12:1
Revelation 12:3
Revelation 13:13
Revelation 13:14
Revelation 15:1
Revelation 16:14
Revelation 19:20
* * *
Genesis 6
references
Exodus 15
references
Numbers 5
references
Deuteronomy 15 references
Joshua 3
references
Judges 1
reference
1 Samuel 4 references
2 Kings 3
references
Nehemiah 1
reference
Job 1
reference
Psalms 7
references
Isaiah 11
references
Jeremiah 4 references
Ezekiel 4
references
Matthew 9
references
Mark 6
references
Luke 9
references
John 17
references
Acts 13
references
Romans 2
references
1 Corinthians 2 references
2 Corinthians 1 reference
2 Thessalonians 2 references
Hebrews 1
reference
Revelation 7 references
*
* *
Talmudic
Signs
Talmud - Mas.
Berachoth 59b Our Rabbis taught:* He who sees the sun at its turning point,[12]
the moon in its power,[13]
the planets in their orbits,[14]
and the signs of the zodiac in their orderly
progress,[15]
should say: Blessed be He who has wrought the work of creation.
And when [does this happen]?[16]
— Abaye said: Every twenty-eight years when the cycle[17]
begins again and the Nisan [Spring] equinox falls in Saturn on the evening of
Tuesday,[18]
going into Wednesday.
Talmud - Mas. Shabbath 156a It was stated. R. Hanina said: The planetary influence gives wisdom, the planetary influence gives wealth, and Israel stands under planetary influence. R. Johanan maintained: Israel is immune from planetary influence.[19] Now, R. Johanan is consistent with his view, for R. Johanan said: How do we know that Israel is immune from planetary influence? Because it is said, Thus saith the Lord, Learn not the way of the nations, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven, for the nations are dismayed at them:[20] they are dismayed but not Israel.[21] Rab too holds that Israel is immune from planetary influence. For Rab Judah said in Rab's name: How do we know that Israel is immune from planetary influence? Because it is said, and he brought him forth from abroad.[22] Abraham pleaded before the Holy One, blessed be He, ‘Sovereign of the Universe! one born in mine house is mine heir.’ ‘Not so,’ He replied, ‘but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels.’ ‘Sovereign of the Universe!’ cried he, ‘I have looked at my constellation and find that I am not fated to beget child.’ ‘Go forth from [i.e., cease] thy planet [gazing], for Israel is free from planetary influence. What is thy calculation?
Talmud - Mas. Sukkah 29a Our Rabbis taught,[23] When the sun is in eclipse, it is a bad omen for the whole world. This may be illustrated by a parable. To what can this be compared? To a human being who made a banquet for his servants and put up for them a lamp. When he became wroth with them he said to his servant, ‘Take away the lamp from them, and let them sit in the dark’.
Our Rabbis taught, When the sun is in
eclipse it is a bad omen for idolaters; when the moon is in eclipse, it is a
bad omen for Israel,[24]
since Israel reckons by the moon[25]
and idolaters by the sun.[26]
If it[27]
is in eclipse in the east, it is a bad omen for those who dwell in the east; if
in the west, it is a bad omen for those who dwell in the west; if in the midst
of heaven it is bad omen for the whole world. If its face is red as blood, [it
is a sign that] the sword is coming to the world; if it is like sack-cloth,[28]
the arrows of famine are coming to the world; if it
resembles both, the sword and the arrows of famine are coming to the world. If
the eclipse is at sunset[29]
calamity will tarry in its coming; if at dawn, it hastens on its way: but some
say the order is to be reversed. And there is no nation which is smitten that
its G-ds are not smitten together with it, as it is said, And against all the G-ds
of Egypt I will execute judgments.[30]
But when Israel fulfil the will of the Omnipresent, they need have no fear of
all these [omens] as it is said, Thus saith the Lord,’ Learn not the way of the
nations, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven, for the nations are
dismayed at them,[31]
the idolaters will be dismayed, but Israel will not
be dismayed.
Our Rabbis taught, On account of four things is the sun in eclipse: On account of an Ab
Beth din[32]
who died and was not mourned[33]
fittingly; on account of a betrothed maiden who
cried out aloud in the city and there was none to save
her;[34]
on account of sodomy, and on account of two brothers
whose blood was shed at the same time. And on account of four things are the
luminaries[35]
in eclipse: On account of those who perpetrate forgeries, on account of those
who give false witness; on account of those who rear small cattle in the land
of Israel;[36]
and on account of those who cut down good trees.[37]
This study was written by Hillel ben David
(Greg Killian).
Comments may be submitted to:
Greg Killian
7104 Inlay St SE
Lacey, WA 98513
Internet address: gkilli@aol.com
Web page:
http://www.betemunah.org/
(360) 584-9352
Return to The
WATCHMAN home page
Send comments to Greg Killian at his email address: gkilli@aol.com
[1] TaNaK is an acronym for Torah, Neviim, and Ketuvim, which are translated as the Law, the prophets, and the Writings. This is how Yeshua refered to the Old Testament.
[2] The Jewish year is lunar, and the actual fixing of the months and the years depends on the moon, though a month is intercalated in leap years in order to harmonise the lunar with the solar years.
[3] The townlet of Temarta in Judea; Hul. 62a.
[4] Justa is an abbreviation of Justus or Justinus; Habra may either be part of the name or mean a haber, an associate, one of a body who were particularly scrupulous in their observance of the laws of tithes and purity
[5] This is based on the tradition that the Nisan (the first month of the Jewish year) in which the Exodus took place fell on a Thursday, while the actual New Moon occurred after midday on the preceding Wednesday; it is further assumed that when this happens the moon is not visible until the second evening following, i.e. the evening of Friday. Hence if we counted time solely from when the New Moon is visible, then by the Thursday on which they left, a fortnight after, there would only have been thirteen sunsets. Since, however, it is called the fifteenth of the month, we see that the month was calculated from the first sunset after the New Moon
[6]
The reference is possibly to the eclipse of the sun and the moon
(commentaries).
[7] cf. Ex. XXXl, 17, where the Sabbath is called a sign.
[8] I.e. the proclamation of the New Year by the proper authorities.
[9] World refers to Gentiles. Whenever the use of world is used to refer to people, the people are Gentiles.
[10] The Artscroll Tanach series, 'Bereishis', by Mesorah publications.
[11] Book of Jasher. Referred to in Joshua and second Samuel, Published by J.H. Parry & Company 1887
[12] In its apparent motion in the ecliptic, the sun has four ‘turning points’ which mark the beginnings of the four respective seasons. These points are generically referred to as the tekufoth (sing. tekufah). They are: the two equinoctial points when the sun crosses the equator at the beginning of spring and autumn respectively, and ‘turns’ from one side of the equator to the other; and the two solstices, when the sun is at its maximum distance, or declination, from the equator, at one or other side of it, at the beginning (*) Note 6 and the notes on the following page are based on material supplied by the late Dr. W. M. Feldman, M.D., B.S., F.R.C.P., F.R.A.S., F.R.S. (Edin.), shortly before his death on July 1st, 1939. of summer and winter respectively, and instead of progressively increasing its declination it ‘turns’ to decrease it progressively. (It may be mentioned that the term ‘tekufah’ is also used not only for the beginning of a season but for the whole of the season itself.)
[13] As the sun and moon were created to rule the day and night respectively (Gen. I, 16), they are necessarily endowed with the attribute of power (cf. Sabbath Liturgy ovc i,b vrucdu jf ). In this passage, however, ‘the moon in its power’ may have a special significance, because at the Nisan, or spring equinox, the spring tides are greatest, owing to the combined action of the sun and the moon in conjunction, or new moon. The moon in its power to cause tides (a fact known to Pliny and Aristotle, and referred to by Maimonides (Guide II, 10), although never directly mentioned in the Talmud), is therefore best seen at this time.
[14] The orbits of the planets which are now known to be ellipses, were, on the Ptolemaic system, which prevailed at that time, assumed to be traced out by a most ingenious combination of eccentric circles and epicycles, (v. for instance, the epicyclic theory of the moon in Feldman W.M., Rabbinical Mathematics and Astronomy, London, 1931, pp. 132ff). Hence the contemplation of the planets in their orbits was an adequate reason for pronouncing the blessing.
[15] The vernal or autumnal equinox is not a fixed point in relation to the signs of the zodiac, but keeps on changing its position to the extent of 50.1". (50.1 seconds of arc) per year. This movement which is called ‘precession of the equinoxes’ is due to the continual shifting of the point of intersection of the ecliptic with the equator, but was believed by the ancients to be due to the progressive movement of the signs of the zodiac. As the result of precession, the equinoctial point which 2,000 years ago was the beginning of the sign Ram (first point of Aries) has since shifted 30¡ to the sign Pisces, although it is still spoken of as the first point of Aries.
[16] The reference is to the sun at its turning point (Rashi).
[17] This means here the Big or Solar Cycle. Taking a Samuel, or Julian, year to consist of 365 1/4 days or 52 weeks 1/4 days, every tekufah occurs 1 1/4 days later in the week every consecutive year, so that after 4 years it occurs at the same time of the day but (1 1/4 X 4 =) 5 days later in the week. After 28, or 4 X 7 years, the tekufah will recur not only at the same time of the day, but also on the same day of the week. V. Feldman, op. cit. p. 199.
[18]
As the sun and moon were created on the 4th day, the beginning of the 28 years
cycle is always on a Wednesday which begins at the vernal equinox at 6 p.m. on
Tuesday. This, according to computation coincides with the rise of Saturn, v.
Rashi.
[19] Lit., there is no mazzal (planetary influence) to Israel.
[20] Jer. X, 2.
[21] Israel being uninfluenced by ‘the signs of heaven’.
[22] Gen. XV, 5, q.v.
[23] The following topics are suggested by the previous mention of rain as a bad omen.
[24] The euphemism ‘enemies of Israel’ in the original is used for Israel.
[25] More than any other people. If any evil is to befall the world Israel may be sure to have the lion's share if not all of it.
[26] Sc. by the moon also. The lunar month is one of the foundations of the Jewish calendar.
[27] The sun.
[28] Dark and overcast.
[29] Lit., ‘at its entry’, Sc. to its imaginary home of rest for the night.
[30] Ex. XII, 12.
[31] Jer. X, 2.
[32] The vice-president of the Sanhedrin. The nasi was the President.
[33] With a memorial address.
[34] Cf. Deut. XXII, 24.
[35] The moon and the stars.
[36] Animals that cannot be prevented from ravaging the fields of others, v. B.K. 79b.
[37] Even though they are their own.