Rosh Chodesh Adar and Purim
Karaite Korner Newsletter #447
New Moon Report
February 2010
Twelfth Biblical Month
On February 15, 2010 the new moon was sighted from Israel. The moon was first sighted:
from Jerusalem by Willie Ondricek at 17:56;
from elsewhere in Jerusalem by Devorah Gordon at 17:57;
from Alon Shvut by Bruce Brill at 18:02.
Rosh Chodesh Sameach!
Happy New Moon!
Nehemia Gordon
Reporting from Niagara Falls, Canada
The Fast of Adar the 13th will therefore be on Sunday, February 28th and Purim will begin at sundown that evening and continue through the daylight hours of Monday, March 1st. For those who live in “walled cities,” that is, cities with ancient battlements that surround the old city center, Purim will begin at sundown on Monday, March 1st.
On Elohim’s prophetic calendar, Purim’s “timing” has a couple of significant possibilities. One, it is widely thought to be the possible timing of the first Battle of Gog and Magog. Having dispatched them with a triumphant flourish, it would be possible for the False Messiah to claim to have fulfilled a major part of the Messianic prophecies by defeating Israel’s enemies and providing “peace and safety.” This means that prophetically significant events related to Purim could either occur immediately prior to the Tribulation (either before the Parousia or in the time between the Parousia and the Trib itself), or they could occur right before the midpoint.
Either works, but I am inclined to lean toward the midpoint. Such a victory would enable the False Messiah to have a “victory” celebration in Jerusalem, possibly just in time of the “Grand Opening” of the 3rd Temple (of course, the sacrifices would have been going on since early in the Trib or before the Trib started, when the altar will first be set up). Having such a victory under his belt would make it very easy for him to be accepted as Messiah on Nisan 10th, and be invited as a guest of honor to the Passover celebration at the midpoint which marks his “coming out” to the world as a nut who thinks he’s a deity and proclaims himself to be the new object of worship, unveiling a large animated image of himself.
Or, as others have noted, if the prophetically significant Purim events occur prior to the Trib, it would put the False Messiah in a position to be accepted by most nations as a world leader, and to implement the signing of the 7-year protection treaty during the Fall feasts (this treaty officially kicks off the Trib, of course, probably on Tishri 10th). World leaders could be in “negotiations” over the previous summer, making the political climate filled with drama and angst which work in his favor, making people inclined to accept whatever obviously intrusive and controlling government infrastructure he proposes. Recall, during the first 3 1/2 years he is a darling of the press, is smoothe talking and charming, is loved by many and those opposed to him are considered lunatic fringe” elements.
It could be that Purim fulfills both of these scenarios, for that matter, having one prophetic application prior to the Trib and one at the midpoint. It would certainly not be the first Moedim to be played out more than twice in history (or future history, in this case). The midpoint itself has already been enacted twice – once when Antiochus Ephinanes defiled the Temple Mount with his image and once during the real Passion of Yeshua, and it will be enacted again as the Beast acts out the part of Messiah, coming triumphantly into Jerusalem, being accepted as Messiah by the crowds on Nisan 10th, being assassinated on Passover (Nisan 14th) by someone outraged at his image and the defilement of the Temple, and then will be “raised from the dead,” as it appears, on Nisan 17th, the Feast of Firstfruits. (It’s not a real resurrection because hasatan has no such power – he simply possesses the dead body to make it appear the False Messiah has been raised from the dead). And then the real terror, of which the Shoah (holocaust) was only a dress rehersal, will begin – the Great Tribulation.
But for now, as always, keep your eye on world events during the Appointed Times of Elohim. There are no coincidences on His calendar.
Happy Purim!
