Messiah in Rosh HaShanah & Yom Teruah Chapter 14
- The Greatest of all Rabbis
- Miryam of Magdalit
- The Twin Towers of Bitterness and Rebellion
- Seven years of Great Tribulation
The Greatest of all Rabbis:
In Judaism a rabbi (רב-rav) chooses his talmidim carefully. A talmid (תַלמִיד-student) is chosen by a rabbi with the purpose of one day transforming him into the likeness of his teacher. The talmid is expected to follow his rabbi everywhere. A worthy student will mimic everything his rabbi does until he becomes just like his teacher.
The Best of the best: Therefore, a rabbi must choose the ‘best of the best’ to be his students. For a rabbi must choose as his talmidin (students) only those followers who possess the ability to be made like him.
Miryam of Magdalit’s name means a “Tower of Great Bitterness.”
Rabbi Yeshua, however, is the Greatest of all Rabbis. Rabbeinu Yeshua is the only rabbi able to choose the ‘worst of the worst’ of persons to be his students and make them the best of the best. He alone possesses the greatness transform even the worst of sinners into his own righteous likeness.
“My Great One”: Only the Messiah possesses the power to secure for his students forgiveness of sin, the gift of the indwelling Presence of the Holy Spirit and the blessedness of resurrection and eternal life. No other Rabbi can do these things for his talmidim. This is why one of the Messiah’s own followers, a Jewess named Miryam of Magdalit, whose name means a “Tower of Great Bitterness,” addressed the Master as Rabboni; which in Aramaic means, “My Great One.”
Miryam of Magdalit:
The evil attack and demonic possession of Miryam was one of terrifying, tormenting proportion..
The Worst of the worst: Miryam of Magdalit was once possessed by seven demons. Seven indicates thoroughness and completeness. Therefore the demonic attack and possession within Miryam was one of horrific, terrifying, tormenting proportion. It could therefore be said that at the first Miryam was counted among the ‘worst of the worst’ of persons.
Transformed: Yet through the powerful teaching of the Messiah Miryam of Magdalit was at the last transformed into a person of such high excellence that she was honored to be the first person Rabbeinu Yeshua chose to reveal himself to immediately after his resurrection from the dead.
Worthy of the Highest Respect and Esteem: It is said of Miryam Magdalit that at the last of her life was held in such high esteem that she was honored as if she were one of the ruling Twelve; the Twelve shlichim (sent ones) who ruled as serving shepherds over all of the followers of Messiah ben Yosef.
The Twin Towers of Bitterness and Rebelllion:
“Bitterness” and “Rebellion”: Miryam of Magdalit’s name (מִרְיָם מַגְדָּלִית) is prophetic. Miryam (מִרְיָם) is linked to marar (מָרַר) meaning “bitter,” and marah (מָרָה), meaning “to rebel.”
Magdalit (מַגְדָּלִית) indicates that she is from Magdala, a prosperous fishing town on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. Her name comes from the two words gadal (גָּדַל) which means to become “great,” and migdal (מִגְדָּל) that literally means “tower.” Her two personal names speak of two horrific, terrifying, and tormenting assaults of evil upon the kingdom of God—Tower(s) of Great Bitterness and Rebellion.
The Twin Towers of Bitterness and Rebellion: These Twin Towers refer prophetically to two unique types of historical events-attacks that have caused tremendous suffering for God’s chosen people Am Israel (the Jewish people).
Tower 1, The “Tower of Great Bitterness”: The first Tower of Great Bitterness refers to the vicious demonic attacks on our nation and people of Israel who are falsely accused of injustices that our first century (CE) religious leaders committed. Remember HaShoah (השואה).
In ignorance our ancestors followed their corrupt religious leaders.
We are not judged for our ancestors sins: We are no more responsible for the sins of our ancestors than Roman Catholics or Protestants are responsible for the atrocities their ancestors have committed. This Tower of Bitterness, great hatred is not the work of God. It is an ongoing work of the evil one.
He asked for and received forgiveness: Rabbeinu new the people of Israel were not deserving of the judgment of God. Neither are any other people deserving of judgment for something that their ancestors did. We are all only accountable to God for or own misconduct; not the misconduct of others. This is why our Messiah secured forgiveness for all of us when he prayed:
אָמַר יֵשׁוּעַ: “אָבִי, סְלַח לָהֶם, כִּי אֵינָם יוֹדְעִים מָה הֵם עוֹשִׂים.” פִּ
Yeshua said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”
Tower 2, The “Tower of Great Rebellion”: The second Tower of Great Rebellion has to do with all of the gentile nations world-wide rebelling against God. This global rebellion culminates in a one world government that the evil one will rule over through his false messiah.
Evil will rule the world for 7 Years: The global rule of the evil one will last for seven years. This period of time is referred to in the Scriptures as the Time of Jacob’s Trouble (וְעֵֽת־צָרָ֥ה הִיא֙ לְיַֽעֲקֹ֔ב). During this time the hatred of the evil one will inspire (Psalm 2) the gentile world leaders to severely persecute, hate and execute by beheading (לערוף ראשים) all of our people who will not accept his false messiah as being God in human form; the one who comes in his “own name.”.
Zachariah speaks of this final world-wide rebellion against God and warns that the persecution of our people will be worse than anything that has come before; therefore worse than the holocaust of the twentieth century:
והיה בכל־הארץ נאם־ה’ פי־שנים בה יכרתו יגועו והשלשית יותר בה׃
וְהָיָה בְכָל־הָאָרֶץ נְאֻם־ה’ פִּֽי־שְׁנַיִם בָּהּ יִכָּרְתוּ יִגְוָעוּ וְהַשְּׁלִשִׁית יִוָּתֶר בָּֽהּ׃
“It will come about in all the the earth,” declares Adonai, “That two parts in it will be cut off and perish; but the third will be left in it.”
Seven years of Great Tribulation:
The Final world-wide rebellion: We believe in the near future (this 21st century), at the mid-point of the seven years of Jacob’s Trouble, all of the nations, peoples and families of the world will be ruled over by the false messiah: the false shepherd who cares nothing for anyone but himself; the one who comes in his “own name.” Then at the end of this seven year period the Messiah ben David will return to the earth in great power and glory.
Ends when Messiah returns: When the Messiah returns to earth, Israel’s circumstance of the Twin Towers of Bitterness and Rebellion will be brought to a swift end—in a single day. Finally, this will result in the fulfillment of all the promises that the Holy One has has made to our fathers—the Restoration of Israel.