The redemption started with Yeshua and the “program” got started, and the end result will be that Israel will turn to the Torah and to Yeshua when Gog and Magog invade and are defeated (Ezek 39.22). To establish the birth of Yeshua at Sukkot, there are three main passages. They are Isa 9, Num 24 and Micah 4-5. All of these passages are key passages about Gog and Magog also. So, what we have is this. Yeshua is born and we go all the way to the defeat of Gog and Magog in the third year of the Birth-pains. As a result, we have the birth of Yeshua and the invasion of Gog and Magog connected to Sukkot.
In Ezek 38.17 it says, “Thus says the Lord God, ‘Are you the one of whom I spoke in the former days through my servants the prophets of Israel, who prophesied in those days for years that I would bring you against them?'” Now, where did the Lord speak about Gog and Magog before Ezekiel? Ancient sages asked this question. The Talmud has much to say about it in Sanhedrin 97a, 97b, 98a, 98b. There is a book called “The Everyman’s Talmud” by A. Cohen, chapter 11, where he talks about the Messiah. It says that Messiah was Hezekiah, based on Isa 9.7. In Isa 9.6 it says that a “child will be born to us” and Isa 9 has been a Sukkot passage since v 2. In Isa 9.7, the word “increase” is ‘l’marbeh” and it is written in Hebrew with a closed, or final letter mem (has “m” sound), at the beginning of the word. The final form of a Hebrew letter means it should be at the end of the word. The letter mem can be written “open” or it can be written “closed.” For a more detailed look at this concept, go to the article “The Mystery of the Closed Mem” by Daniel Botkin on the Internet. The closed mem relates to the virgin birth. You cannot place a final form of a Hebrew letter at the beginning of a word, it goes on the end, but the Lord did with the word “l’marbeh.” Now, the Talmud’s answer for this was “The Holy One, blessed be he, wanted to make Hezekiah Messiah and Sennacherib Gog and Magog.” This tells us that if Sennacherib was the king of Assyria, and God wanted to make him Gog and Magog, then Assyria in the prophecies is alluding to Gog and Magog, and the Lord had plenty to say about Assyria through the prophets. In the Talmudic passages, Gog and Magog was represented by Assyria. Is the Lord saying that when he talks about Assyria he is alluding to Gog and Magog? Is the invasion of Israel by Assyria a picture of the coming invasion by Gog and Magog? And who is Gog and Magog today and how do they relate to Assyria? All of these questions will be answered.
The passage in Isa 9.2-7 relates to Assyria and they are destroyed by Sukkot, and there would be great rejoicing. It also says that the Messiah will be born at Sukkot. Even the weapons in Isa 9.5 are burned as fuel and that is what Ezek 39.9-10 says. In the Artscroll commentary on Ezekiel, p, 850, which we have quoted before, says that Ezek 37.18 through 39.16 is the haftorah (reading from the prophets) for the intermediate Sabbath of Sukkot (the Sabbath that occurs during the week of Sukkot). This passage deals with Gog and Magog and their defeat at Sukkot. Isa 9 is a Sukkot passage and it also deals with the birth of Yeshua, both physically and spiritually. The haftorah for the first day of Sukkot (Tishri 15) is Zechariah 12. Zech 12.10 says, “And I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit grace and of supplication, so that they will look on me (it has the Aleph-Tav in Hebrew here, alluding to the Messiah-Rev 1.8) whom they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over him like the bitter weeping over a first-born.” Rabbi Dosa said his was the Messiah Ben Joseph who was slain. This “weeping” is in Sukkot Passage and it relates to Ezek 39.22 and Isa 9.6. The Ezekiel commentary goes on to say that the victory over Gog and Magog will take place in the month of Tishri, the same month in which Sukkot occurs.
In Num 24.17 says, “I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near; a star shall come forth from Jacob and a scepter shall arise out of Israel, and he shall crush through the forehead of Moab, and tear down all the sons of Sheth.” This is one of the prophecies the Chachamim had in mind when they saw “his star in the east.” They followed it to Judah, and “I see him.” The scepter will arise from Israel, meaning a king, and that is why they came to Jerusalem, the city of the king, to find him. So, this verse relates to the birth of Yeshua. We have already discussed Isa 9 and Num 24, but Micah 4-5 relate to the birth of Messiah also. Micah 4.10 says that the kingdom of God was going to come to Migdal Eder, the place where the shepherds were watching the sheep destined for the Temple. Yeshua was born among them. Micah 5.2 says, “But as for you, Bethlehem Ephratah, too little among the clans of Judah, from you one will go forth for me to be ruler in Israel, his goings forth are from long ago (Olam) from the days of eternity.” Then the chapter goes on to talk about the defeat of “the Assyrian” and we know that was in Tishri, around Sukkot
Num 24.22-24 speaks about the defeat of Asshur (Assyria/Gog and Magog/Russia) where it says. “Nevertheless Kain (Canaan) shall be consumed, how long shall Asshur (Assyria/Gog and Magog/Russia) keep you captive (they came in and won the battles)?” And he took up his discourse and said, “Alas, who can live except God has ordained it? But ships shall come from the coasts of Kittim (identified in Dan 11.30 as Rome, and therefore Europe and the false messiah in prophecy) and they shall afflict Asshur (Assyria/Gog and Magog/Russia) and shall afflict Heber (Hebrews/Israel), so he (the false messiah) shall come to destruction.” So, what, we have is the birth of Yeshua and then a prophecy about the defeat of Gog and Magog, and we know that happens in Tishri, right before Sukkot. This coincides with the passage in Micah about the birth of Yeshua, and then it goes on to talk about the defeat of the Assyrian in Micah 5.4-6.
In Part 42, we will get into a more detailed look at the birth of Yeshua and we are going to get into passages that have been read over and over again by people who suffer from what Rabbi David Fohrman calls the “lullaby affect.” But, we are going to look at these passages and draw out missed “nuggets” concerning Yeshua’s birth. We are going to go a little deeper with more details.
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