The Birth-pains of the Messiah-Part 1

We have learned in previous studies that the spring festivals of Passover, Unleavened Bread, First Fruits and Pentecost were blueprints for the first coming of Yeshua and certain prophetic events, such as the crucifixion, burial, resurrection and the coming of the Kingdom of God into the hearts of believers by the Ruach of God. In this series of articles we are going to look at the fall festivals and how they relate to the second coming of Yeshua, and specifically the seven year period called “the Birth-pains of the Messiah” or “Chevlai Shell Mashiach” in Hebrew. These fall festivals are Rosh ha Shannah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot. Just like in the spring festivals, we can expect certain eschatological events to occur on these dates. Rosh ha Shannah teaches the blowing of a shofar and the resurrection of the dead believers, followed by the living righteous. Both groups will be “snatched away” from the earth to heaven where they are assembled for the wedding of the Messiah, the coronation of the Messiah and the judgment seat of the Messiah. On earth, the 144,000 Jews realize that Yeshua is the Messiah on that same day, and are anointed to preach the Basar to the Jew first, then to the Gentiles. Also on that same day, the Jews in Israel begin to perform the Temple services on the Temple Mount. Rosh ha Shannah is the first day of what is called the “Day of the Lord” or “Lord’s Day” and the beginning of a seven year period called the “Birth-pains of the Messiah” or the “Time of Jacob’s Trouble.” The festival of Yom Kippur is a picture of the coming of the Messiah to Jerusalem in his second coming to the Mount of Olives. The false messiah will captured and slain on this day. The festival of Sukkot will start five days later and it is a celebration of the coming of the Messiah and the defeat of Satan and the false messiah. We are going to look at the seven year period called the “Days of Awe”, “the Tribulation” and the “Birth-pains.” One of the keys to understanding this seven year period and what will happen is to understand that the last ten kings of Judah are a picture of this period. We are currently living in the days leading up to these kings, particularly the days of King Uzziah. The last ten kings are Yotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh, Amon, Josiah, Jehoahaz, Jehoikim, Jehoiachin and Zedekiah. Now “ten” is the number of judgment illustrated by the ten plagues in Egypt, the ten days of awe from Rosh ha Shannah to Yom Kippur and the Ten Commandments. Also, ten is the number needed to form a “minyan” for prayer in a synagogue. The root for the word “prayer” (tefillah in Hebrew) literally means “to judge oneself” (Hertz Daily Prayer Book, p xi). A quick overview of the Birth-pains is that on Tishri 1, year 6001 from creation, the catching away of the believer will happen, but the actual counting of the days of the Birth-pains (2520 days) does not begin for ten days. On Tishri 10, the numbering of the days begins and the false messiah will sign some sort of military treaty with Israel. Yeshua returns on a Yom Kippur, so this is the day the counting of 2520 days begins. Three years later on Yom Kippur, or Tishri 10, the false messiah enters Jerusalem and the two witnesses are killed and the sacrifices in the Temple are stopped. On Yom Kippur of the seventh year, Yeshua returns to Jerusalem. This teaching is going to cover everything in between and get into more detail about these seven years. We are going to briefly look at what to expect before the Birth-pains begin. We will look at the events of first ten days, like the destruction of America, resurrection, Natzal, wedding, coronation and the 144,000. We are going to look at the first three and a half years called the Tribulation, from Tishri 10 to Nisan 10. The last three and a half years go from Nisan 10 to Tishri 10. In Jewish eschatology, the last 1000 years of the 7000 year plan of God is called the “Day of the Lord” and the “Lord’s Day.’ Many times this time period is referred to when you see “In that day” and terms similar to that. In Christian eschatology, they teach that the Tribulation comes first, followed by the 1000 years. This is not correct because the coronation happens on Rosh ha Shannah and that means a king obtains his kingdom, and Yeshua does just that and begins reigning for seven years in heaven. Now, there are idioms for heaven like Hebron and King David reigned in Hebron seven years and then to Jerusalem (1 Chr 29.27), and Yeshua will do the same thing. The days of King Uzziah is a picture of the days leading up to the Birth-pains. Before we get into the Birth-pains, we need to go over some eschatological concepts. There will be major nations playing certain roles during the Day of the Lord. The United States is pictured in the Scriptures by the Land of Babylon. Europe is pictured by Egypt, Russia by Assyria and the armies of Babylon by the kings of the east. There are titles for the false messiah found in Scripture. He is portrayed by Leviathan (Isa 27), a seven headed beast who dwells in the sea; the serpent (Isa 27); the “monster” (Ezekiel 29.3; 32.3); a cruel master (Isa 19.4); a fierce king (Isa 19.4); Azazel (Lev 16.8,10; 1 Enoch). There are characters that give us a picture of the false messiah like Pharaoh; Haman; Absalom; Antiochus Epiphanes IV; Manasseh; Amon; Jehoahaz; Jehoikim; Jehoichin; Zedekiah; Tirhakah. Historical characters include Nero; Constantine; Charlemagne; Napoleon and Hitler. Assyrian kings relevant to the eschatology of the first half of the Birth-pains are Tiglat-pilesar III; Sargon II and Sennacherib. Babylonian kings relevant to the eschatology of the last three and a half years of the Birth-pains are Nabopalassar and Nebuchadnessar. There are geographic places of importance to know. They are they Mount of Olives; Valley of Hinnom; Tophet; Mount Moriah; Mount Tzion; Kidron Valley; Tyropean Valley; Shephelah Vally; Golan Heights; Heshbon (Jordan) and Lachish. They key to understanding prophecy and eschatology is that it needs to be studied in the context of the festivals and the Temple. Also, one must realize that all of the Tanach teaches the coming of Messiah and God’s Kingdom. You cannot look at Scripture on one level, but four, which is the peshat, remez, drash and sowd level. One level may look like it contradicts another level but they really don’t because they are looked at different levels. It is like a person describing events on four levels of a mall while he stands at the bottom. Four different things are going on, but when described they are different. All of these concepts concerning the Birth-pains will be accompanied by the appropriate scripture. In Part 2, we will begin with what to look for now in the days leading up to the Birth-pain, and then begin with the opening events.

Sources used in this study include:
*NASB and KJV and concordances
*Hatikva Ministries Update-Fall 1996
*Chevlai Shell Mashiach, Hatikvah Ministries tape series

Posted in Articles, Current Events, Idioms, Phrases and Concepts, Prophecy/Eschatology, Questions, The Festivals of the Lord, The Tanak, Tying into the New Testament

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