Messiah in Yom HaBikkurim Chapter 94 Part 2
- Part 2: Messiah teaches the people of Israel from atop a Mountain
- A great crowd follows the Messiah
- The Moses to come teaches the people from a Mountainside
A great crowd follows the Messiah:
אַחֲרֵי הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה עָבַר יֵשׁוּעַ לַצַּד הַשֵּׁנִי שֶׁל יָם כִּנֶּרֶת. הֲמוֹן עַם רַב בָּאוּ אַחֲרָיו, כִּי רָאוּ אֶת הַנִּסִּים שֶׁעָשָׂה בַּחוֹלִים. הוּא עָלָה עַל הָהָר וְיָשַׁב שָׁם עִם תַּלְמִידָיו. הָיָה זֶה סָמוּךְ לְפֶסַח, חַג הַיְּהוּדִים. פ
“After these things Yeshua went away to the other side of the Yam Kinneret (also called Sea of Galilee, Gennesaret, and Tiberias; Arabic: طبريا). A large crowd followed him, because they saw the signs (attesting miracles) which he was performing on those who were sick. Then Yeshua went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. Now Pesach (the Passover), the feast of the Yehudim (Jews), was near.”
Then Yeshua went up on the mountain, and there He sat down with His disciples.
Now Pesach was near. A great crowd of people from all of the Galilean region were following the Messiah wherever he went. They were convinced that Rabbi Yeshua was very likely the Messiah. The mention of the hillside is intended as a parallel to the experience of Moses on Mount Sinai.
The notice that the Pesach (פֶסַח-Passover) was near is important.
The Jewish people were thinking in terms of blood (הַדָּ֨ם), flesh (הַבָּשָׂ֖ר), a lamb (שֶׂ֥ה), unleavened bread (מַצּ֔וֹת), and bitter herbs (מְרֹרִ֖ים יֹאכְלֻֽהוּ׃). The common people of Israel longed for a new Moses, the “Moses to come,” who would ultimately deliver them from Gentile (Roman) occupation.
The Moses to come teaches the people from a Mountainside:
Like the patriarch Joseph before him, the prophet Moses was a picture of the Messiah in a variety of ways.
After being severely tested in the desert, the Messiah and Moses were both empowered by the Spirit of the Holy One to become Israel’s Deliverers. Both spoke with HaShem (the NAME) “Face to face.” Both were sent out from a mountain of God to free Israel. Moses was sent out from the physical mountain, Mount Sinai in Midian. The Messiah was sent out from the spiritual mountain, Mount Zion in heaven. Although the Messiah and Moses were God’s chosen deliverer, both were rejected by their own people. Also, for a time:
Both Moses and Yeshua found favor with gentiles.
Moses took a gentile bride. In addition to his outreach to his own people, the Yehudim (Jews), the Messiah sent his tlamidin (disciples) out into the world to convert and make disciples of all of the gentile nations and peoples (a gentile bride).
In the Torah, Moses foretold of the coming Messiah (Deuteronomy 18:15):
“HaShem your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your countrymen, you shall listen to him.”
The Four Faces of Ezekiel, the Four Jewish Gospels of the Messiah, inform us in the that Moses and Elijah met with the Messiah to discuss his “departure,” literally, “his exodus” that he would accomplish at Jerusalem (through His death, resurrection and ascension into heaven):
And He was transfigured before them; and His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. Peter said to Yeshua (the Salvation of HaShem), “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three booths here [cf. the Messiah in Sukkot], one for you, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a Voice out of the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased; listen to Him!”