Question:What is the significance of the Jewish year 5777?
Answered by: Bob Gow, who has been a volunteer with us since March, 2011.
Answer: On Rosh Hashanah, October 2, 2016 the Jewish year 5777 was ushered in. This is understood to be the year of the earth’s existence since creation. Some people attribute this calculation to Maimonides (1135—1204), a physician and Bible scholar. Others believe the system was used even earlier.
A few people believe this year to be especially significant. One so called prophet claims that God told her that powerful things were going to happen. The fact that 777 is in the year is believed to be very special. Seven is a number of completion and perfection and there are three of them. Three is a number of resurrection and divine completeness. This in combination with blood moons on biblical feast days in recent years is considered to be very important as signs of the end times. The year 5777 will also mark the 50th year since Israel gained control of Jerusalem after the Six Days War, and this is believed to fulfill a prophecy that it will “begin the Season of the Messiah’s Coming.” The year of Jubilee just ended and we are at a new beginning.
Will this be the year of the rapture of the church? It could be! In Shakespeare’s play Hamlet, Hamlet says to his friend Horatio, “There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy” (Act 1, Scene 5). Looking for signs and omens, and trying to predict what God is doing, can be interesting and exciting, but this activity distracts us from what Jesus told us to do. We are supposed to be out preaching the gospel and making disciples (Matthew 28:19-20). Paul warned us that this time would come (2 Timothy 4:3). In his book, “Soul Survivor” Phillip Yancey wrote that the good news of the Old Testament prophets was not that we were going to die, but that we are not dead yet. The significance of the year 5777 is that God has given us another year to proclaim His word and to enjoy His blessings. As long as we have life there is hope for our family and friends. Now is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2). Talking about what may happen might be interesting, but our mission is to speak about Jesus: His life, death, and resurrection. This is what people need to hear.
Matthew 28:19-20 (NIV)
19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.`
2 Timothy 4:3 (NIV)
3 For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.
2 Corinthians 6:2 (NIV)
2 For he says, `In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.` I tell you, now is the time of God`s favor, now is the day of salvation.
Question: What is the significance of “East” in the Bible? Examples: Cain went away East of Eden Lot journeyed east Abraham sent his children by Keturah east Wise men from the east Thank you Scott
Answered by: Barb Reynolds, who has been a volunteer with us since July, 2012.
Answer: Thank you for your interesting question. Frankly, it stumped me. I reviewed the uses of “east” and “west” in the Bible using a concordance. There did not seem to be a pattern of righteousness or unrighteousness associated with either east or west.
In Hebrew, there are several words used for east. “Qadiym” (Strong’s 6924) means east or an east wind. The word is also used to refer to former times or times of old. This word is used as the place of origin of the wise men (Genesis 29:1; Judges 6:3) and the origin of superstitions (Isaiah 2:6). Another Hebrew word used is “mizrah” (Strong’s 4217). It refers to the place of the sunrise, the east, or eastward.
In Hebrew, the word west is “yam” (Strong’s 3220). The word can mean sea or west. The term is derived from the great body of water west of Israel which is the Mediterranean. Another word used for “west” is maarab” (Strong’s 4628). Once again neither of these words were associated with any particular significance other than directional designations.
Next I reviewed the geographical orientation of the Tabernacle and the Temple. The front of both structures faced east. This necessitated that the doorway into the Holy Place and the Holy of Holies also faced east. When Israel encamped around the Tabernacle, Moses, Aaron and sons, camped directly to the east of the Tabernacle (Numbers 3:38). Farther out to the east, the tribes of Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun were encamped (Numbers 2:3, 5, 7).
Prior to the Babylonian captivity, the glory of the LORD departed from the Temple way of the eastern gate (Ezekiel 10:19). Finally, the glory of the LORD eventually stood over the mountain which is east of the city (Ezekiel 11:23). In Ezekiel 43:2 the glory of the LORD returns to the millennial Temple “by way of the east.” Scripture also tells us that “in that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east” (Zechariah 14:4).
My conclusion is that “east” is used in both positive and negative ways. There might be a slight preponderance that “east” is the direction that God comes from. East is also the place of the rising sun and the promises of a new day. I was unable to find any commentator that found significance in this word.
May the Lord bless you as you study His Word.
