The Shepherds Of Bethlehem

Why was the birth of the Man of Truth (Yeshua HaMashiach aka Jesus Christ) announced to shepherds?

Like most questions, the answer begins by understanding the Law of Truth (Torah aka The Law).

The Law of Truth required continual animal sacrifices in the Tabernacle.  Those animals included lambs.

Two lambs were sacrificed every day for a total of 730 lambs in a regular year (Numbers 28:3-4).  On the Sabbath each week two extra lambs were sacrificed adding another 104 lambs most years (Numbers 28:9-11).  This required 834 lambs for the regular days of the year.

During the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Matzoh) an additional seven lambs were sacrificed on each of the seven days for a total of 49 lambs (Numbers 28:17-24).  On Pentecost (Shavuot) seven more lambs were sacrificed (Numbers 28:26-27).  Seven more lambs were sacrificed on Feast of Trumpets (Yom Teruah) (Numbers 29:1-2).  Another seven lambs were sacrificed on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) (Numbers 29:7-8).  On each of the first seven days of the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) fourteen lambs were sacrificed for a total of 98 lambs (Numbers 29:12-32). Finally, on the eighth day of the Feast of Tabernacles (Shemini Atzeret) seven more lambs were sacrificed (Numbers 29:35-36).  This required an additional 175 lambs for the Feasts of Truth (Moedim).

So, all together each regular solar year a total of 1009 lambs were required for these sacrifices.  However, not just any lamb would do.  These lambs had to be without spots (Numbers 28:2-3).  They could not have any kind of blemish (Numbers 28:31).

Once the land of Israel was divided between the tribes, special care had to be taken to ensure that there would always be over a thousand pure and spotless lambs available each year.  Even more care was needed once the Temple was built and the people of Israel were becoming more urbanized.

One thing that helped with this problem was the suburbs of the Levites.

The fields of the suburbs of the Levites could never be sold, so that they would always have a place to keep their flocks and herds (Leviticus 25:32-34). These suburbs were the land for about a kilometer (5/8 mile) outward from the city walls (Numbers 35:2-5). 

The Levites were to be given forty-eight cities with their suburbs in all of the land of Israel (Numbers 35:7-8).  They were given these cities after Joshua led the descendants of Israel in taking possession of the Promised Land (Joshua 21:3-8).  

However, Jerusalem was not available when lots were casts for the cities of the Levites, because the descendants of Israel were not able to capture it (Joshua 15:63).  Nor did they possess Jerusalem during the time of the Judges (Judges 1:21).  It was not until after David became king, that they finally took possession of Jerusalem (2 Samuel 5:4-7).

Then King David had Jerusalem inhabited by 1,646 men from the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, Ephraim, and Manasseh (1 Chronicles 9:3-9).  However, he had 1,760 of the Priests of Truth moved to Jerusalem (1 Chronicles 9:10-13).  He also had 212 of Levites moved to Jerusalem to act as porters to help the Priests of Truth and watch the gates of the city (1 Chronicles 9:14-22).  They lived in the houses that were closest to the Tabernacle of David at first and then later the ones that were closest to the Temple (1 Chronicles 9:23-29).  Besides that, many other of the Levites moved into Jerusalem as well (1 Chronicles 9:30-34).

So, Jerusalem had a different status than all other cities, where about the sixty percent of it that was nearest the Temple belonged to the Levites, but people from four other tribes lived in the rest of it for their possession.  

So, Jerusalem was a partial city of the Levites.  Accordingly, the laws concerning the suburbs of the cities of the Levites applied to about sixty percent of Jerusalem.  This gave made the area of the suburb of the Levites around their part of Jerusalem to be about 600 acres (240 hectares).

However, after the united kingdom of Israel split into two kingdoms, all the Levites from the northern kingdom of Israel lost all of their cities, which was about three quarters of their cities, and were given more of Jerusalem for a possession until they could regain their cities (2 Chronicles 11:13-15).  Many of the Children of Truth from the other ten tribes of Israel also came and did the same (2 Chronicles 11:16-17).

So, the Levites perhaps came to make up about three quarters of the population.  This would have expanded their suburb around Jerusalem by another 150 acres (60 hectares).

When the Jews returned from the Babylonian Exile and rebuilt Jerusalem, there were 1,396 men from the tribes of Judah and Benjamin (Nehemiah 11:4-8).  However, there were 1,648 men from the Levites (Nehemiah 11:10-19).

So, once again, the Levites made up about sixty percent of the population and their suburb was about 600 acres (240 hectares).

Jerusalem continued to be heavily populated by Levites at the time of the Man of Truth (John 1:19).

So, the suburb of the Levites around it was probably about 600 acres (240 hectares), like it usually was.  Even if they were given the entire suburb of Jerusalem for their flocks and herds, it would have only been about 1,000 acres (400 hectares).

The problem is that this is not enough land to support the flock of sheep needed to produce the 1,009 pure and spotless lambs needed for the sacrifices every year, plus the large herds of cattle and goats needed for other sacrifices.  

Most of the time lambs are born as twins, so the land would have to support over five hundred adult ewes plus some number of rams as well, if only pure and spotless lambs were born into the flock.

In reality, one in four lambs meeting the strict definition of pure and spotless imposed by the Sadducees who ran the Temple at that time would have been a high number.  It was more like one in ten lambs met their requirements.  So, it would have required a flock of over five thousand ewes to produce the needed number of lambs.

However, their suburb could support the pure and spotless lambs with their mothers, until the lambs were weaned.  Then just the lambs would need to be supported.

So, the solution was to have shepherds to raise flocks of sheep outside of the suburb of the Levites, who were specially trained to identify the lambs that met the strict definition of pure and spotless of the Sadducees.

These shepherds inspected the lambs at birth for defects that disqualified them as being pure and spotless.  The lambs that were identified as pure and spotless, along with their mothers, were then transferred to the suburb of the Levites around Jerusalem.

One of the main places for these specially trained shepherds to raise flocks of sheep for supplying pure and spotless lambs was in the eight miles (thirteen kilometers) of fields between Bethlehem and Jerusalem.  This land was especially suited for this purpose.

Bethlehem (Bethlechem) means "house of bread".  In the fields near it, barley is grown (Ruth 1:22).  So, is wheat (Ruth 2:23).  It is also where shepherds like David kept flocks of sheep (1 Samuel 16:4-11).

The sheep ate the stalks of barley and wheat after the harvest, fertilizing the ground as they went.  During the time between planting and harvest of these crops, they were kept in other fields.

These shepherds put their training to use mostly during lambing season, which is around the end of March to the first of April in Israel.  (It is from the end of September to the first of October in Australia due to being south of the equator.)

Normally, their flocks were put in a sheep pen each night after grazing during the day.  This made it easy for the shepherds to defend the flock from wolves and thieves at night.  

When the sheep were in the sheep pen, they would go into the sheep cote to eat.  This was a little booth (sukkah) attached to the sheep pen to protect their food from getting wet when it rains.  Their food, usually straw, was placed in a manger inside the sheep cote.

However, during the lambing season the sheep would step on the new born lambs when crowded together in a sheep pen, killing many of them.  So, the shepherds had to leave the flock out in the fields at night during the lambing season.  This required them to be out with the flock all night to guard the flock from thieves and wolves.

However, during the lambing season, the sheep cote was empty at night, because the sheep were being kept in the field to be watched by the shepherds.

So, the Man of Truth was born in Bethlehem in the place where the sheep are fed and then placed in their feed trough (Luke 2:4-7).  It was most fitting that the Lamb of the Father of Truth (YHVH aka God aka THE LORD) was born in such a place at the time when the lambs were born (John 1:35)!

So, the shepherds of Bethlehem were told by the Angels of Truth where to find the Man of Truth as soon as he was born (Luke 2:8-14).  Then the shepherds of Bethlehem went to the sheep cote in Bethlehem to be the first to inspect the Lamb for defects, as they had been trained (Luke 2:15-16).  There they found that the Man of Truth was truly the Lamb without blemish or spot (1 Peter 1:19).

So, they went out and reported to all that they had found the Pure and Spotless Lamb (Luke 2:17-18).

You too can be like the shepherds of Bethlehem by recognizing the the Man of Truth is the Lamb of the Father of Truth who takes away the sins of the world (John 1:29)! 

Whoever will put their trust in the Pure and Spotless Lamb, which was raised up on a cross to shed his blood, will have eternal life (John 3:14-16).  The Pure and Spotless Lamb was glorified by the Father of Truth for dying on the cross, so that you could have the eternal life that only comes from knowing Him and His Son (John 17:1-3).  The blood of the Pure and Spotless Lamb was shed to redeem you from your sins (1 Peter 1:18-19)!

The Father of Truth raised the Pure and Spotless Lamb from the dead, so you could put your faith and hope in Him (1 Peter 1:19-21).  The Pure and Spotless Lamb will cause you to never die and will raise your body up from the grave (John 11:25-27). You will live forever with the Pure and Spotless Lamb (Revelation 22:1-4)!

The Spirit of Truth (Ruach HaQodesh aka The Holy Spirit aka The Holy Ghost) will then help you obey the Word of Truth to purify your soul (1 Peter 1:22).  You will be born again as a pure and spotless lamb from the incorruptible seed of the Word of Truth (1 Peter 1:23).  Though your flesh will perish like the grass eaten by the sheep, the Word of Truth put into your spirit will last forever (1 Peter 1:24-25)!

So, come into the House of Truth, where the Pure and Spotless Lamb rules your life, because your believe that the Father of Truth raised him from the dead (Romans 10:9)!

Come into the House of Truth!

Those Who Do Exploits!

Who are those who do exploits?

The Book of Daniel foretold about those who did exploits.  Everything happened exactly as foretold. 

In order to understand those who did exploits, we have to understand the events that created the conditions that existed when the exploits occurred.

Here are the events that fulfilled what he wrote would lead up to the exploits.

The third Emperor of the Persian Empire after Darius the Mede stirred up his empire against the Greeks (Daniel 11:1-2).

After his reign, Alexander the Great overthrew the Persian Empire to create the massive Greek Empire (Daniel 11:3).  When Alexander the Great died, his massive Greek Empire was divided into four smaller Greek Empires by his generals (Daniel 11:4).

The Ptolemy Empire, the smaller Greek Empire centered in Egypt, to the south of Israel, then expanded under Ptolemy I west along the north coast of Africa to include northeast Libya, south along the east coast of Africa to encompass Eritrea and Sudan, and north along the Mediterranean coast to encompass Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Cyprus and the southern coast of Turkey (Daniel 11:5).

Afterwards, Ptolemy II gave his daughter Bernice in marriage to Antiochus II, ruler of the Seleucid Empire to the north of Israel, to seal a treaty between their two empires, but her father died soon after, then her husband divorced her, and his new wife poisoned him, causing Bernice to lose all power and flee, until she was given up to be slain with no one to help her escape (Daniel 11:6).

This led to her brother, Ptolemy III to lead an army to avenge his sister that Seleucus II, the new emperor of the Seleucid Empire, was not able to resist, but was forced to flee from his fortress, until Ptolemy III took over the entire western half of the Seleucid Empire (Daniel 11:7).  Ptolemy III then brought their idols, captured rulers, and vessels of silver and gold back to the land of Egypt, where he ruled until four years after the death of Seleucus II (Daniel 11:8).  So, Ptolemy III went into the kingdom of Seleucus II and returned to his own land of Egypt (Daniel 11:9).

Afterwards, the sons of Seleucus II, the new emperor, Seleucus III and his brother, were stirred to lead a great army, but only one son, Antiochus III, survived, who quickly overran the forces of the Ptolemy Empire with his army, until he came to the fortress of Raphia, which the Seleucid Empire had formerly built near the border of the Ptolemy Empire (Daniel 11:10).  

Then Ptolemy IV was moved to anger and came with a great army that defeated the even larger army of Antiochus III (Daniel 11:11).  After defeating the army of Antiochus III, Ptolemy IV became prideful and destroyed more of the soldiers of Antiochus III, but left off pursuing Antiochus III to return to his life of decadence and settled for only recovering the territory that Antiochus III had taken (Daniel 11:12).

After Ptolemy IV died about fourteen years later, Antiochus III came against the Ptolemy Empire with a much larger army that was financed by great wealth that had been stored in the eastern part of the Seleucid Empire (Daniel 11:13).  

Since Ptolemy V was only five when his father died, there were many inside the Ptolemy Empire who stood up against the new king to take control of parts of the empire for themselves, as well as many of the wicked among the Jews, which first took advantage of the chaos to plunder others, and then sided with Ptolemy V under the pretense of fulfilling the vision of Isaiah (Yeshayahu), until they were destroyed by Antiochus III for siding against him (Daniel 11:14).  Antiochus III then proceeded to cast mounds for batter rams against all walled cities of the Ptolemy Empire north of Egypt, but neither the army of Ptolemy V, nor the generals that he had chosen, were unable to stand against him (Daniel 11:15).  So, Antiochus III did whatever he wanted to these cities after all resistance was put down, then he entered the land of Israel, where his army consumed the crops of the land like a plague of locusts (Daniel 11:16).

Antiochus III then gathered the army of his entire empire to seize the Ptolemy Empire by the counsel of the righteous among the Jews, but the treaty that the Ptolemy Empire made with the Romans prevented him, so he gave his daughter in marriage to Ptolemy V, who had he had corrupted to bring about the downfall of her husband, but Cleopatra I stood with her husband against her father, causing the plot of Antiochus III to fail (Daniel 11:17).

So, Antiochus III took some of the Mediterranean islands near the coast of southern Turkey and cities along that coast from the Romans and their allies, then insulted the ambassadors sent by the Romans to bring reproach upon the Romans, until the Romans sent a military leader that he could not defeat in battle, who turned his reproach upon Antiochus III by forcing him to accept humiliating terms of surrender, including his oldest son Antiochus IV being held hostage in Rome until the war debt was paid off (Daniel 11:18). So, he retreated to his own capital, but afterwards Antiochus III tried to rob a temple in another land to get money to pay the Romans that the treaty required, but was slain by the people of that land and his body was never recovered for burial (Daniel 11:19).

So, the new emperor Seleucus IV, raised taxes constantly to pay off the war debt while maintaining the splendor of his capital, until he was poisoned by his treasurer Heliodorus within a few days of commanding him to rob the treasury of the Temple in Jerusalem (Daniel 11:20).

This set the stage for the first of those who did exploits to act.

Neither his father had honored him as the legitimate successor to his brother, nor did his subjects recognized him as such, nor the Romans who took his nephew Demetrius I in his place as hostage to ensure the war debt was paid off, still Antiochus IV (Epiphanes) came to power peaceably by pretending to reign on behalf of his nephew and giving flattering speeches to the nobles (Daniel 11:21).  Then Antiochus IV led his supporters in completely wiping out the usurper Heliodorus and his supporters, afterwards disposing Onias from the office of High Priest of the Temple in Jerusalem (Daniel 11:22).

When Ptolemy VI, the new emperor of the Ptolemy Empire, was fleeing from a coup, Antiochus IV and a small band of warriors met him, negotiated a treaty of friendship, and then set him up as a client king of the Seleucid Empire over Egypt (Daniel 11:23).  So, Antiochus IV gained control of the wealth of the Ptolemy Empire, thus doing what no other ruler of the Seleucid Empire had been able to do, then freely distributed that wealth among his soldiers and others in a plot to gain control of the fortress of the Ptolemy Empire, until the Romans put a stop to his efforts (Daniel 11:24).

Next Antiochus IV gathered a huge army to invade the Ptolemy Empire, which Ptolemy VI met with an even larger army, but was unable to defeat due to a conspiracy between Antiochus IV and his own principle men (Daniel 11:25).  His own family, counselors, and generals worked with Antiochus IV to bring about his downfall, allowing the army of Antiochus IV to overflow the Ptolemy Empire and cause many in his army to be slain (Daniel 11:26).

After this, Antiochus IV and Ptolemy VI both plotted against each other as they made promises that they did not intend to keep, so their peace talks failed, because peace could not come before the time of the end (Daniel 11:27).  Then Antiochus IV returned to the Seleucid Empire with great riches, but then launched a war against the land of Israel, doing great exploits of wickedness against the Jews in Jerusalem whereby many were slain and the Temple plundered, before he returned to his capital (Daniel 11:28).

These first wicked exploits set the stage for the second of those who did exploits.

After this, Antiochus IV marched towards Egypt again to further strengthen his hold on the Ptolemy Empire, but he did enjoy the success that he had before (Daniel 11:29).  The Romans came against him with a very large force and caused him to return home with anger against the Law of Truth (Torah aka The Law), so he sought the counsel of the wicked among the Jews, who had forsaken the Law of Truth (Daniel 11:30).

After this Antiochus IV came into the Temple with a very large army, proceeding to pollute the Temple by idol worshipers engaging in a drunken orgy in it, putting an end to the daily sacrifices by polluting the Altar with an offering of three pigs and a dog, and setting up an idol of himself in it, which made the Temple as well as Jerusalem desolate of the righteous Jews, who fled from both (Daniel 11:31).  He then flattered the wicked among the Jews to induce them to get other Jews to forsake the Law of Truth, but the righteous among the Jews who knew the Father of Truth (YHVH aka God aka THE LORD) rose up strong against Antiochus IV, and did exploits to drive him from the land of Israel (Daniel 11:32).

These righteous among the Jews were instructed by Matthias the Priest of Truth to become the Maccabees, of which many died in battle against the army of the Seleucid Empire, others were burned to death by the forces of Antiochus IV, others were sold as slaves by him, while others had all of their possessions taken from them, over a period of about three and half years (Daniel 11:33).  They received a little help during their tribulation from a few Greeks who had abandoned idolatry, but were then later joined by many insincere Jews who began to flatter the Maccabees, once it appeared that they would overcome Antiochus IV (Daniel 11:34).  However, some of the sincere Jews fell in the war against Antiochus IV to show that they were the righteous among the Jews, who would not forsake the Law of Truth (Daniel 11:35). 

So, the Book of Daniel tells about two types of people who do exploits in the Chanukah story.

The first was a vile man so convinced of his own greatness and invincibility, that he did exploits based on this delusion.

Antiochus IV took control of the Ptolemy Empire with only a small group of men initially.  Each success led him to take even bolder action, until he decided to take on the Father of Truth by desecrating the Temple and waging war against those Jews who would not forsake the Law of Truth.  This eventually led to his undoing.

The second were people so convinced of the greatness and invincibility of the Father of Truth, that they did exploits based on this reality.

They resisted Antiochus IV with only a small group of men initially.  Each success led them to take even bolder action, until they decided to take on Antiochus by attacking his army and waging war against those Jews who had forsaken the Law of Truth.  This eventually led to their victory.

So, it is not enough to just do exploits.  For not all exploits are of equal value.

The exploits of Antiochus IV produced only short term success.  The Temple was only desecrated to serve his purposes for a few years, and he soon perished.  His exploits so weakened the Seleucid Empire that it continually shrunk, until it was gone within a hundred years.

The exploits of the Maccabees produced only long term success.  The Temple was rededicated to serve the purposes of the Father of Truth for many years, and they will never perish.  Their exploits so strengthen the Jewish people that they have continually expanded, until they became a nation again within the last hundred years.

So, we need to follow the example of the Maccabees and do exploits that produce only long term success.

Who are those who do exploits?  Who are those who will persevere though all persecution to show that they are the righteous ones?  It is those who know the Father of Truth (Daniel 11:32-35)!

So, the message of the Chanukah story is that resistance is essential.

The Maccabees had that same faith as those who came before them to endure relentless persecution and overcome impossible odds (Hebrews 11:33-38).

Chanukah is about more than just dedicating the Temple.  It is about more than just the Faithful Priest Matthias.  

It is about the dedication of the Children of Truth (those who obey The Father of Truth because they love Him) to always be faithful to the Father of Truth (Romans 14:7-8).

Chanukah is more than just the Festival of Lights.  It is the story behind the story of the Man of Truth (Yeshua HaMashiach aka Jesus Christ).

It foreshadows how the Man of Truth would come as a light into the world to overcome darkness (John 1:4-9).

The gift of the Maccabees is that they made the Good News possible.  This is part of how the Maccabees help spread the Gospel. 

Their refusal to forsake the Law of Truth set in motion the events necessary for the Man of Truth to come and die, so people could come into the House of Truth (Galatians 4:4-5). 

Just like in the Chanukah story, the wicked among the Jews, who had forsaken the Law of Truth, worked with an idol worshiping foreign ruler, Pilate, to destroy the Righteous Jew, who could never forsake the Law of Truth, the Man of Truth (Acts 3:13-14).  Like the Maccabees, the Man of Truth suffered the things that the Father of Truth had foretold through the Prophets of Truth (Acts 3:18).

Like the Maccabees, after much suffering and death, the Man of Truth was raised up victorious by the Father of Truth over his enemies (Acts 3:15).  Like the Maccabees, he was raised up to turn the Jewish people away from forsaking the Law of Truth (Acts 3:26).

The Law of Truth foretold of a Prophet of Truth like unto Moses who people would be required to obey (Deuteronomy 18:15-19).  The Man of Truth is that Prophet of Truth and everyone who does obey him will be destroyed (Acts 3:20-23).  Everyone can be assured of this, because the Father of Truth raised him from the dead (Acts 17:31). 

So, come into obedience to the Man of Truth and be saved from judgement, because you believe that the Father of Truth raised him from the dead (Romans 10:9).  Both Jew and Gentile can be saved by coming into the House of Truth (Romans 10:10-13).

Come into the House of Truth!