According to theMishnah(a rabbinic Jewish legal-historical document from the end of the second century AD), these were no ordinary sheep or shepherds, but were shepherds who watched over sheep that were destined to become burnt offerings, peace offerings and the Passover offering for the temple service in Jerusalem (Mishnah Sheq7:4;The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, by Alfred Edersheim, pp. How so? The Lamb of Bethlehem - Nerd in the Word Location: Canada. In addition to the statement by John the Baptist referring toJesus asthe Lamb of God, these bits and pieces of Scripture come from diverse sources, from both the Old and New Testaments in the Bible. The Hebrew Bible says that God commanded the Israelites to offer offerings and sacrifices on various altars. The lambs sacrificed daily in the Temple ceremonies as well as the lamb sacrificed annually for the nations sins at Passover in the Temple were but a foreshadowing of the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus, the perfect sacrifice of God. In the Bible we find several other names for Bethlehem, includingEphratah (Micah 5:2) andEphrath (Genesis 35:16, 19; 48:7). The observance of the first Passover in Palestine is mentioned in the Book of Joshua(5:10-11). And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. Since all paschal lambs were slaughtered in Jerusalem once the Temple was built, the Israelites would have been too far from their homes to smear blood on their doorposts. This is the location that showed the entire group how fortunate that we have Habib as our tour guide. If theres snow on the ground, they will be in the barn not because its cold but because they cant get to the grass, and the hay is in the barn. Swaddling helps prevent her from flailing her arms and legs, which can trigger her startle reflex and potentially cause her to wake up. John the Baptist was the only son of Zacharias, and he was also of the priestly line. [Alfred Edersheim The Life and Times of Jesus Messiah (1899)], There was a place just outside of the town of Bethlehem, but still within the region commonly known as Bethlehem, where Passover lambs were kept by specially trained and purified shepherds. PROCLAIMING THE MESSAGE OF YESHUA THE MESSIAH. There is an interesting clue in the Greek Interlinear Bible. He once and for all would take away the sins of the world (Heb 10:10, 12), thus rendering their jobs as temple shepherds unnecessary. These verses are a clear indication that the general function of the Passover pageantry was to serve as a constant reminder to the Israelites of their struggle against slavery and their wondrous deliverance from Egyptian bondage. In fact the shepherds may have been on the same land that Boaz redeemed for Naomi and passed on to his son Jesse, Davids father. was the second part of the sign and that made this baby unique because new-born babies were not normally put in a manger [feeding trough]. The clues to the possible season of Yeshuas birth are based on teachings by Jonathan Cahn. Generations of hereditary shepherds tended the sacred flocks. The shekalim 7:7 of the Mishnah does not suggest that Migdal-Eder was used as a permanent location for sacrificial lambs. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR YOUR COMMENTS. The first appearance of the Messiah was to be at the tower of the flock. The hill of the daughter of Zion, the daughter of Jerusalem was this a reference to Mary, that long awaited daughter of Eve, whose seed was promised in Genesis 3:15 after the fall of mankind? And Jacob set a pillar upon her grave: that is the pillar of Rachels grave unto this day. Sheep herding was a hereditary occupation, and generations of shepherds were trained to care for these special lambs. WebThese were the men who raised the lambs that were to be sacrificed in the Temple. This includes the sacrificial lambs, born in Bethlehem. [8] In Micah, after the prophecy of the coming Messiah Who In that day will reign over them in Mount Zion from now on, even forever, referring to the Kingdom of God and the Lords rule of the Earth, there is this prophecy of the first appearance of the Lord:[9], And you, Migdal Eder [tower of the flock], hill of the daughter of Zion, to you it shall happen and shall come, the first [or beginning] dominion, the kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem.[10]. Usually Iyar-Sivan (our April-June) are birthing months for ewes. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH FOR YOUR COMMENTS ABOUT THE OLD TESTAMENT BEING A FORESHADOWING OF JESUS LIFE AND MINISTRY WHILE UPON EARTH.THE LORD IS SO WISE AND KIND AND LOVING. He was also the first to baptize converts, and he might have even started the first church as the disciples of Jesus were initially following John before they were instructed to follow Jesus (John 1:3537; Acts 1:1526). He was born on the beginning of the Hebrew year. And the power of Messiahs presence is to make everything new. HE KNOWS THOSE WHO ARE HIS.JESUS BLESS YOU WITH MUCH FAVOUR,AND GRACE TO CONTINUE DOING HIS WILL. When the [Second] Temple was destroyed [in 70 CE], all sacrifice eventually ceased, and only the Samaritans continued to bring the offering in their own community. When they were ready, they were taken to Jerusalem to Pronounced: ah-doe-NYE, Origin: Hebrew, a name for God. What was the tower of the flock in the Bible? (Luke 2:420 KJV). WebIt is likely that the shepherds in the fields of Bethlehem were raising lambs in the very fields that King David, as a boy watched over his sheep and composed Psalms to honor his God. Habib simply amazes all of us with the amount of knowledge that he possesses about all of the scared places within Israel. The shepherds in charge of these special lambs were from the tribe of Levi. Furthermore, the lambs were slaughtered by the Israelites, privately by each family, and the priests poured the blood on the base of the altar. So the lambs offered for Pesach were around 9-11 months old. And there was an excellent market for sheep in nearby Jerusalem. Howard Hewitt; France, The Gospel of Matthew, New International Commentary on the New Testament God promised it, pictured it, and performed it at Migdal Edar. The Lamb in the Manger But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. He sent the Set-Apart Spirit to his disciples on, In the writings of Hippolytus, early church father (ca. Once the lambs blood was completely spilled for all of the sins, the priest would turn to the people and proclaim, It is finished or it is accomplished. However, based on biblical record (, Migdal Eder was not the watchtower for the ordinary flocks. Interestingly, the smearing of blood on the doorposts did not become a part of the Passover pageantry. Leviticus 22:27 is pretty clear: When an ox, sheep or goat is born, it must stay with its mother for seven days; from day eight and on, it will be accepted as a burned sacrifice to God. Mass for the Fourth Sunday of Easter. - Facebook The first month, on the first day of the month. Such sheep were kept in the environs of Jerusalem including Bethlehem which lies just five miles south of that city. In his address to the priests and Levites he said, Now it is in my heart to make a covenant with the God of Israel (II Chronicles 29:10). So the December birth date is, at the very least, doubtful. One other possibility: Mary would be unclean for seven days following a male birth, potentially affecting those around her and their ability to celebrate the holiday. I give credit to Cooper P. Abrams, III and his article Where Was the Birth Place of the Lord Jesus? Rachel and Jacob would one dayweep no more, as both would share eternal life in the presence of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And Jacob set up a pillar of stone: and he poured a drink offering thereon, and he poured oil thereon. 170-235 after Yeshua), we find that he mentions the date of the birth of Yeshua as the 25th of December. For about three centuries after the death of Joshua, anarchical conditions loomed as a result of lack of leadership and constant harassment by hostile neighbors. I personally was not knowledgeable to the depth of the parallels between the sacrificial lamb from Bethlehem and Jesus Christ. It was prophesied that he would be a descendant of David, the shepherd king who was also born in Bethlehem around a thousand years prior to Yeshua (. Migdal Eder was a tower used from ancient times by the Levitical shepherds to protect their sheep and lambs from enemies and from wild beasts. There must have come a moment on that road when they realized they could not make their destination. Aramaic is one of the Semitic languages, an important group of languages known almost from the beginning of human history and including Arabic, Hebrew, Ethiopic, and Akkadian [ancient Babylonian and Assyrian]). WebJohn 2:14. Every firstborn male lamb from the area around Bethlehem was considered holy, set aside for sacrifice in Jerusalem. One sacrificed in the morning and one in the evening as a continual sacrifice before the Eternal. Jesus Birth The Case for Migdal Edar | Truth in Scripture Maybe he didnt. What they saw was not a star but a rare phenomenon that happens every 6000 years and it pointed them to Israel and to Yeshua. Kuehls Temple, Where Was Herods Temple? The shepherds of Bethlehem were in charge of raising sheep for the temple sacrifices. Scholars interpret Micah 4:8 as a prophecy indicating that the Messiah would be revealed from the tower of the flock (Migdal Eder) which is connected with the town of Bethlehem, southeast of Jerusalem. Your email address will not be published. What makes Bethlehem so unique, aside from being Yeshuas birthplace, is the fact that the lambs born and raised in Bethlehem were used for the temple sacrifices, according to rabbinic writings. Every important event in Yeshuas life corresponds to a Festival or day commanded by the Eternal. What is significant about that place? The tower of the flock was built of stones, does not exist today and archaeology has not found its ruins as of yet. Oh yeah, some circulate that the special shepherds were priests. However, based on biblical record (Micah 4:8)and other evidence we must conclude that Yeshua was not born a dirty stable of an inn where donkeys and other animals were kept. The appearance of Samuel in the 11th century BCE at the end of the period of the Judges brought about a religious revival. The information learned from Habib will not be forgotten and has helped the biblical passages show new life. Equally so was the belief, that He was to be revealed from Migdal Eder, the tower of the flock. We know nowthat the Tower of the Flock would be the birthplace of the Messiah, who would take away all death, heartache, and tears. They saw it at the time of Yeshuas birth and they journeyed from their country to look for him and honour him. The Tower of the Flock | The Plan of Time This background of the problem of sin and Gods remedy through the sacrifice of His one and only son, Jesus, offers us a better understanding of John the Baptists statement upon seeing Jesus approaching, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world (John 1:29). My first book, The Last Shofar! 1 Where were the sheep raised for Temple sacrifices? And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. The Scriptures tell us that the shepherds were outside watching the sheep at night, The following are clues that will help us pinpoint when Yeshua was born. A tekiah, teruah, and again a tekiah were then blown on the shofar. Unlike humans, the lambs, in Israel, are born at the same time, each and every year, and always between the end of March, and the first of April. in the temple The Lamb of God, as John the Baptist called Jesus, was born in the unique place where the other lambs used for sacrifice were born. During this time, Passover played little or no role in the national life of the people. The Lords incarnation brought God down to man. An earlier verse in the book of Micah tells us exactly where to expect His birth: And thou, O tower of the flock, the strong hold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion; the kingdom [the Messiah shall bring the Kingdom] shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem [Mary the mother of Jesus]. (Micah 4:8, KJV).