MARCH 18, 2010
It’s official.  The new moon was sighted in Israel March 17, 2010 and the Barley is ripe (Aviv)!
(see pictures from Israel)

The Gospel Message goes forth from Zion in its Original CONTEXT!!!! Let it be so also in our lives!

The rabbinic calendar that most people are familiar with was established by Rabbi Hillel II from the 3^rd Century and the Orthodox Jewish community currently still follows this calendar because they have stated that they will not switch back to the biblical method of determining the new year until an official Jewish court or “Sanhedrin” is called and makes an “official” ruling.  However, a group of both Karaite Jews (these are like the Protestants of Judaism) and some Jewish and non-Jewish Believers have worked together in Israel to view 8 different locations of barley in order to determine the new year in the manner God prescribed.   The importance of their work cannot be overstated, both from a prophetic standpoint and as a means of allowing us for the first time in over 2000 years to track time biblically and keep God’s Appointed Times “at” their appointed time according to the “signs” God gave us to know His times and seasons (called moedim or Appointed Times). Genesis 1:14 And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons (moedim) and for days and years,”

The context of the Gospel message brings its full weight and measure in our lives and in the world when we obey God’s commands and keep Yahweh’s Appointed Times (as opposed the falsely acquired and then inherited by us man made traditions of men that subvert God’s Word and distort and obscure the Gospel message and sadly pervert our witness and are an offense to the Almighty (i.e. seeking to ignore God’s requests of us and instead worship God in the ways and methods of the pagan nations (i.e. X-Mas & Easter) rather than the specific way Yahweh asked us to worship Him) even in our ignorance of these perversions, just as they did in the days of ancient Israel).  Our worship practices may not “mean” to us what they “meant” in the pagan world, but the point is not what they “mean” to us, what do they “mean” to the Father.  We would not even think to offend our human spouses by saying that we were going to celebrate our wedding anniversary and/or his/her birthday on the dates of our “former lover’s birthdays” and “special days,” but we do the very same thing to our LORD AND SAVIOR!  Enough is enough, we must collectively repent, turn from the false traditions we have inherited that are all lies of men, and simply begin to do the very simple biblical things Yeshua asked us to do.  If we do, we will be blessed exceedingly, we will be protected from the plagues coming on the world in the last days, and we will be ready and aware of the many prophetic things that are coming very soon.  Not only this, but we will not be found ignorant like the Pharisees who could not read the signs of their own times according to our Lord’s first coming.  Yeshua’s return should not be like a thief to His faithful people, only to the ignorant world who is perishing.  We must keep the Feasts of Yahweh, such as the Feast of Trumpets that is our dress rehearsal for the second coming and actually sound the alarm that time is short, and the time salvation  is now!  Our holidays of beloved of the world, and the world loves nothing of God!  That should put a big red flag up for believers right off the bad that something is “unclean” about our system of worship.  Get CLEAN, but on white garments of righteous acts before the Father and prepare a way for the Lord.

For those who care more about seeking truth than being religious, see the video teaching “Truth or Tradition” by Jim Staley for more details about this important topic for our day at the following link http://passion-for-truth.com/index.html  I’ve ordered a number of copies of this teaching and will be happy to send you a copy when they come in to view and pass on to others to continue to get the truth out so that God’s people can know the truth, because as we know the “truth sets us free” if in fact we are lovers of truth more than our man made traditions.  Are you willing to test your own hearts in this area and see where you stand?  If you stand on truth, it will stand, if anything you stand on is not truth, will you be willing to change and submit to the Father out of your love for the Master?  That is the ultimate question. As Paul teaches in 2 Cor 13:5 “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you—unless indeed you fail [fn] the test?  For we know that John 8:31-32 states, “If you continue in My Word (Logos; Teachings/Torah), then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."  If we do not walk in the truth, that truth can’t free us from the various bondages of sin in our life that Yeshua died to set us free from (Jesus didn’t die just to give us a free “ticket” to heaven).  Nor can we truly be the type of disciples Yeshua (Jesus) intended us to be as Lights in a dark world if we are not willing to submit our will to His will as detailed for us in God’s Word.  When we ignore God’s commands, we “hide” the Light that is in us from the world and we fail to truly preach the Gospel of Christ with full power and wisdom of God.

In any case, enough of my preaching!  Sorry I feel a greater since of urgency this year to be more bold in getting this message out to the church.

Passover/Unleavened Bread will commence 14 days after the new moon is sighted (likely Wednesday night).  That means we will commemorate the Last Supper on Tuesday March 30^th individually in our homes, and we will have the community Seder dinner (open to any and all who are interested in participating with us) on Wednesday night, March 31^st.

I will update you again to confirm the dates when the new moon is sighted and the official word goes out.

NEW MOON Update for
AUGUST 21, 2009

By Michael Rood

Shalom New Moon and Aviv Barley Fans,
 
The evening of August 21, 2009 presents an interesting New Moon sighting situation.  Historically, a 1% illuminated moon, standing 8 degrees above the horizon at 5 minutes after sunset, is our tried and true cut off point for naked eye visibility under ideal conditions.  However, a large 2.32% illumination at a scant 4.73 degrees above the horizon is a very rare occurrence and we do not know if it is possible to observe this terrestrial event even under ideal conditions.  So, we wait and watch for the new moon that begins the 6th month of the 6009th year from creation.
 
This new moon begins the traditional 40 Days of Repentance that leads up to the Day of Atonement.  If your life has gone anything like mine, you have done things that you regret, have made decisions that you lament, and vividly rehearse vengeances that you repent for even thinking.  As we enter the season of repentance, we all need to take the time to repent, forgive, forget, and move on toward the Feast of Tabernacles in the upcoming moon(th).  If the truth be told; if we were judged half as harshly as we would judge those who have wronged us - would we not be in danger of roasting in the Lake of Fire for a very long time?  I am thankful that a loving and merciful Messiah will be on the throne - but even he said that we will be judged by the measuring stick that we ourselves hew.  We may not deserve it - but each one of us needs a break from the past and a clean fresh start in the Mikveh of repentance.
 
Whether the new moon is sighted at the beginning of Shabbat, or unseen until the next evening (which means that we will turn the calendar page to: 6th - 6009B) it is an excellent time to turn the page of our hearts and proclaim, "all things work together for good..." (Romans 8:28). We can transform our wretched old man by simply renewing our mind and thinking about ourselves and others in accordance with the Word of YHVH.
 
Since the new moon cannot be sighted before the Sabbath begins, and the rabbis in Israel rigorously restrict reporting the new moon on the Sabbath, we may not have an accurate report of the 6th new moon until the reports come in on Sunday.  I will write you back then.  I assure you, it won't disturb the course of the universe if you start repenting a day early.

AUGUST 23, 2009

By Michael Rood

Lo, and Behold!

According to all reports as of 0600 Sunday morning Jerusalem time, the new moon was not sighted in Israel at the beginning of the Sabbath on August 21st, despite the noble attempt of numerous veteran new moon observers. By default, the 6th month of the 6009th year from creation is reckoned from the end of the 30th day, which was at sundown, at the end of the Sabbath, August 22nd. Calendar page: 6th - 6009B is the official calendar for the month on the Astronomically and Agriculturally Corrected Biblical Hebrew Calendar.

Wishing you a plethora of reconciliation in the 40 Days of Repentance...

P.S. Fourteen Arab countries declared that the month of Ramadan would start on Saturday August 22nd, after their legal moon sighting panels failed to produce new moon witnesses on Friday evening. It seems that none of Abraham's descendants, even those who converted to pagan moon-god worship, were able to catch the rare new moon opportunity in any part of the land promised to the sons of Israel. 

MARCH 27, 2009
The Barley Has Been Declared Aviv! 
 
The long awaited report has come from the Land of Israel, declaring that after a diligent search, Aviv barley was found in several locations sufficient enough for harvest in two weeks.  Nehemia Gordon wrote; 
 
"On Thursday March 26th we found Aviv Barley in two fields in the Jordan Valley, several kilometers south of Beth Shean.  Samplings from these plots of barley were between 70% and 90% Aviv or beyond.  Much of the barley we found had ripened past the stage of Aviv.  Based on this there will definitely be sufficient quantities of barley that will be harvest-ready in two weeks time.  Therefore, the upcoming new moon this Friday night will begin the Month of the Aviv and the new biblical year." 
 
 

There are no known occurrences of the barley not being aviv this late after the vernal equinox, but that is not all there is to Rosh HaShannah this year!  The astronomical calculations for the sighting of the new moon from Jerusalem tonight is only 1.18% illumination with the moon standing at 10.49 degrees above the horizon at five minutes after sunset. If the atmospheric conditions are favorable, the new moon will be seen tonight in Israel.  But the atmosphere is not under the direct control of mere mortals - we must wait to see whether the hundreds of experienced new moon observers in Israel will be able to catch a glimpse of the moon which will herald the head of the Biblical year.  The sighting of the aviv moon will reckon whether Passover commences at sunset April 10th - or whether a cloudy sky will necessitate a 30 day month by default and the Passover seder commences at the end of the Sabbath on April 11th, 2009. 

IT IS OFFICIAL - AVIV MOON IN ISRAEL

Mar 29, 2009 

IT IS OFFICIAL - AVIV MOON IN ISRAEL
THE AVIV MOON HAS BEEN SIGHTED IN THE LAND OF ISRAEL

 Sundown, end of the Sixth Day, Friday March 27, 2009!

Passover will be Celebrated at Sundown, the Sixth Day, April 10, 2009
This is the Start of the Sixth Shmittah (7 year) Cycle Since the Release of Zion

 
Nehemia Gordon, relating the witness of untold numbers of new moon observers in the land of Israel, reports that the new moon of the aviv was clearly seen by an innumerable multitude just after sunset in Israel. This particular new moon of the aviv barley marks the beginning of the Shmittah (land Sabbath cycle) as reestablished by the Almighty. Though the Shmittah is directly applicable to the land of Israel alone, it is an integral part of the Creator's worldwide prophetic time clock that marks the passage of Shavuim with precision.  When Israel entered the Promised Land, when the land was released into the hands of its true owners, we were instructed to have a year of Sabbath rest. The next year we began counting to the first of seven Sabbath years in the which we would allow the land to rest and we would go up to Jerusalem to hear the entire Torah read aloud. After seven such Sabbath years were complete, we were to celebrate the next year as the year of release - a Jubilee year.

The repeated counting of sevens (Shavuot or Shavuim) is how we were to mark out the passage of half-centuries and centuries.  This is the method of counting that we rehearsed each year - from the day that we brought in the barley offering during the Feast of Unleavened Bread - until the day after the seventh Sabbath in which we celebrated the Feast of Sevens (Shavuot). This everlasting counting of sevens is all based on the Creator having blessed most of mankind with the ability to count to seven.  For those who can’t count to seven or choose not to, there remains the end time prophecy that was sealed up until NASA could finally ascertain the celestial time-clock accurately enough to be able to wind it forward and backward in time to an accuracy of 1/10,000,000th of a day for the entire duration of man's sojourn upon the earth. Men are now running "to and fro" as the angel Gavriel put it, at speeds measured in nanoseconds and gigahertz. The entire Knowledge base of humankind will double again this coming year. The nations are lining up for the economic meltdown that must precede Zechariah's nuclear War in the fall of 2010. This is neither the time to fall asleep at the altar - nor to grab your ankles. This is your finest hour. This is the day that those who know their Elohim will be strong and do exploits that would make Daniel Craig cringe in fear in his next Bond movie.

In 1917 General Allenby of Britain delivered the city of Jerusalem from the Ottoman Turks - we began counting to seven. We did that seven times. The following year, the 50th year, the year of release, the Jubilee year from when the land of Israel was delivered from the Turks, Israel took the city of Jerusalem from the Jordanians in 1967 and liberty was restored inside the city walls of Jerusalem. We again began counting to seven. We have now done that a total of six times. What will transpire between the sixth and seventh shmittah cycle that will culminate in the next year of release - the Jubilee of 2017? Join Michael Rood in South Africa for three life changing nights as he expounds: The Three Layers of Daniel's Prophecy - Fulfilling NOW! Michael will be presenting this information in a condensed version during his upcoming visit in America before moving on to South America and the Scandinavian countries. Do not miss this prophetic tune-up just before the brimstone hits the Wall Street fan. Such a great harvest - so little time - too soon old - too late smart...

This year has seen a dramatic decline in the stock market; however, this specific global economic judgment, enacted on the world by the LORD, was not based on some random timing.  Believers in truth are not to be ignorant of the times or seasons (moedim or appointed times) of the LORD.  Having taken warning according to God's calendar and time clock, our family was blessed that we did not lose hardly any money in our 401K during the recent crash.  A few months earlier we had moved our 401K into a safer bond fund and thus lost only a nominal amount, having taken warning via the sense we had in our spirit and knowing the specific period of judgment that was approaching because we observe the Feasts of the Lord.

Having seen God's hand move so profoundly with such specific timing this year has brought the truth and importance of paying attention to God's appointed times home like nothing else in recent history has for our family. 

The rabbinic Jewish "set" calendar was inheritted by the Jewish people from Rabbi Hillel II who established it in the 4th Century, because Jews were no longer in the land sufficiently to be able to view the barley harvest and thus determine the start of each new year according to the barley's rippening to a specific state called "Aviv."  However, since the year 2000, a group of Karaite Jews, Messianic believing Jews, and Christians co-labored to establish 8 sights in the land of Israel in and around Jerusalem for the express purpose of watching for the Aviv of the barley to determine the "real" beginning of each year.  While the various sects of Judaism today have acknowledged the method of these individuals as accurate, they have chosen to maintain the set calendar until such time as an official Sanhedrin (Jewish court) is called and that court decides to change back to the biblical method of reconning the times, years and seasons. 
However, this year something amazing happened!  During the annual season of "judgment" during the first two of the Fall Feasts of the Lord (Yom Teruah or the Feast of Trumpets, and Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement) which form the shadow pictures of the return of Messiah at the Final Trumpet call and the final judgment of all men, the stock market crashed in a manner unlike anything since the Great Depression.  From the day following the "real" Yom Teruah (Oct 2) until the day before the "real" Yom Kippur (Oct 10) the U.S. stock market (as well as many of those around the globe) made record breaking falls, ending farther and farther down every single day between those dates.  Only after Yom Kippur on that following Monday when markets opened did the U.S. market begin to see signs of recovery.  This was NO COINCIDENCE by any stretch of the imagination.  I can not imagine the odds of such an event occuring EXACTLY between those two very significant dates on God's calendar, but according to the "secular" calendar or even the Jewish set calendar, the dates were simply random. 

If nothing else this should bring home to believers the NEED to be attentive and watchful toward God's prophetic time clock by observing God's appointed times knowing that in many cases they (by God's design) will provide warning to God's elect such that we might be spared some measure of the judgment God will poor out in these last days which have been occuring since the time of our Messiah.