Rosh Kodesh

The Following are special dates for our serious consideration that we might take the time to honour theme. May these enrich your walk with the Creator of the Heavens.

YeshaYahu (Isaiah) 66: 22-23 “For as the new heavens and the new earth which I will make shall remain before Me,” says YHWH (the Lord), “So shall your descendants and your name remain. 23 And it shall come to pass that from one New Moon to another, And from one Sabbath to another, All flesh shall come to worship before Me,” says YHWH (the Lord.) Shalom!

Aviv [Nissan]- The Month of Redemption

"The word for 'winter' in the Scriptures is the Hebrew setav. Setav means the season of hiding or the time of darkness. The winter is the season of darkness, barrenness and death. But each year, the winter ends with the coming of the Hebrew month of Nisan."

"In the spring."

"Yes," said the teacher. "Nisan is the month that ends the season of darkness, that breaks the death of winter. Nisan is the month when the earth again bears its fruit, and its flowers again begin to blossom. Nisan is the month of new life. In fact, the word 'nisan' means 'the beginning.' Nisan is the month when the sacred Hebrew year begins anew."

"Why is that significant?"

"Because Nisan is the month of redemption, the month of Messiah. It's the month Messiah chose to enter Jerusalem, to die on the cross, and to rise from death to life. Why do you think it all happened in Nisan?"

"Because Nisan is the time of new beginning. So when Messiah comes, it must be a new beginning. So it must be Nisan. And Nisan is the season of new life. So Messiah's coming brings new life ... a new birth.

"Yes," said the teacher. "And what else does Nisan do?"

"It ends the winter."

"What winter would be ended?" he asked.

"Our winter," I said. "The winter of our lives. The season of our darkness ... the time of our hiding ... the days of living in the shadows ... the season of our barrenness ... when our life can't bear the fruit it was meant to bear."

"Yes," said the teacher, "Messiah's coming is our Nisan, that which ends the winter of our lives and begins the spring of our lives. That's the power of Messiah, the power of Nisan. And for those in Messiah ... it is always Nisan.  And that is where we must always stay, in the season of new life, of new beginnings, of blossoming and the end of winter.

Break out of the winter and out of every darkness, and bear the fruit your life was meant to bear. Live in the power of Nisan.

This week as we move toward remembering and celebrating the Resurrection of our Lord, ask Him for divine connections where He can use you to be a blessing and point others to His love and redemption. In all the festivities, take time to meditate on His great sacrifice, thank Him for it and rejoice that because He lives, we are reconciled to God and have the gospel of reconciliation to share with a dying world. Continue to pray for revival in our nation and around the world. Remember Israel during this busy tourist season, and lift up our leaders and allies: Isaiah 13:1-5; Hab. 2:14; James 5:16.

 The Month Of Our Redemption

 A d’rashah for Rosh Chodesh Nisan

By Rabbi Reuel Dillon

Speaking of this special month, the month of Nisan, otherwise known as the month of "Aviv", in

Sh'mot (Exodus) 12:1-2 we are told, "YHWH [the lord] spoke to Moshe and Aharon in the land of Mitsrayim [Egypt]; he said, "You are to begin your calendar with this month; it will be the first month of the year for you".

Because of what happened in this month, because it was so special to Adonai and to the people of Yisra'el, they were to begin their holy calendar with this month. Therefore, another name for this month is "Rosh Chodoshim," or "HaChodesh HaRishon", "The Head of The Months", or "The First Month".

The Hebrew word "Aviv" can mean "fresh, spring, or young barley ears" and refers to the time of year that Pesach takes place. In fact, Pesach begins what we call "the spring Feasts". On the Jewish calendar this month is referred to as the month of "Nisan" derived from Yahudah’s sojourn in Babel. This also may have significance. The Rabbis and Sages of old tell us that the true origin of the name "Nisan" comes from the word "nisim", the Hebrew word for "miracles". 

When we think about this Hebrew word "nisim" we are reminded of the prayer that is recited during the anniversaries commemorating the mighty miracles that Adonai has performed for our forefathers during those seasons. It is called the "Al Nissim". In Hebrew it is:

"Baruch attah Adonai, Elohaynu Melech HaOlam, she-asah nissim la-avotaynu bai-yamim haheim baz'man hazzeh",

which translated means, "Blessed are you Lord our El [God], King Of The Universe, who performed miracles for our forefathers in those days at this season".

When I think of the Jewish month of Nisan...that is what I think of. According to the Sages, the fact that the name Nisan possesses two nuns implies the meaning of "miracles of miracles", "Nisei Nisim". Indeed, often an additional nun is added to the end of a Hebrew word (called a paragogic nun) to deepen the sense and the meaning of the word.

Truly this season is the season of the miracle of miracles. This month is referred to as "the month of the redemption."

In Rosh Hashanah 11a it is stated, "In Nisan our forefathers were redeemed from Mitsrayim [Egypt] and in Nisan we will be redeemed". In Hebrew it is also called "Z'man Cheiruteinu", the Season of our Freedom.

How true this was! For it was during this same season that Adonai manifested Yeshua our Messiah during this very season two thousand years ago to redeem all of Yisra'el. During the month of Nisan, two mighty acts of salvation were done for Yisra'el:

The Exodus from Mitzrayim (Egypt), and the death, burial and resurrection of the Righteous One, Messiah Yeshua. And, although the Prophets and Apostolic scriptures speak of great miracles on a world scale that will take place in the future in connection with the final redemption of Yisra'el...I don't know of any other greater miracle than that of the sacrificial death and resurrection of Messiah Yeshua, which lead to our eternal salvation and provided forgiveness for our sins and for the sins of all that would turn to him for Adonai's redemption and salvation.

After ten catastrophic plagues our people Yisra'el where redeemed with an outstretched arm. It was during the month of Nisan our people Yisra'el where taken out of the midst of bondage and oppression. In Mitsrayim [Egypt] they grew to be a large nation and were groaning do to what seemed like a hopeless situation. But, Adonai sent them a Redeemer, Moshe. And, after the sacrificial lamb had been slaughtered, and the blood had been applied to the mezuzot (door posts), our people Yisra'el were released from the cruel hand of the oppressor.

Likewise, during the season of our redemption, when Yeshua came and, as the lamb of YAH [God], died on behalf of the people of Elohim [God], for their sins, death passed over us. This took place during a time where the Yahudi [Jewish] people once again groaned under the hand of their oppressors, during the Roman occupation. During that time there was a high Messianic expectation, and indeed Adonai sent the Redeemer Yeshua during the season of our redemption, the season of Nisan. But, unlike the time of the Exodus from Mitzrayim (Egypt), the first born of the Romans were not killed. Instead, it was Adonai's firstborn who took on the wrath of Elohim [God] and gave himself up to die on our behalf. Thus, we are told in:

Yochanan (John) 3:16-17, "For YAH [God] so loved the world that he gave his only and unique Son, so that everyone who trusts in him may have eternal life, instead of being utterly destroyed. For YAHWEH [God] did not send his Son into the world to judge the world, but rather so that through him, the world might be saved".

In both stories of redemption death had to come first before we could experience freedom and life. Death wasn't the end. It was the catalyst to life. Apart from Adonai's intervention in their life, Yisra'el was without hope in this world and was as counted as a good as dead.

Ephesians 2:1-9 states, "You used to be dead because of your sins and acts of disobedience. You walked in the ways of the 'olam hazeh (this present world) and obeyed the Ruler of the Powers of the Air, who is still at work among the disobedient. Indeed, we all once lived this way - we followed the passions of our old nature and obeyed the wishes of our old nature and our own thoughts. In our natural condition we were headed for the wrath of Elohim [God], just like everyone else. But Elohim [God] is so rich in mercy and loves us with such intense love that, even when we were dead because of our acts of disobedience, he brought us to life along with the Messiah - it is by grace that you have been delivered. That is, Elohim [God] raised us up with the Messiah Yeshua and seated us with him in heaven, in order to exhibit in the ages to come how infinitely rich is his grace, how great is his kindness toward us who are united with the Messiah Yeshua. For you have been delivered by grace through trusting, and even this is not your accomplishment but YHWH’s [God's] gift. You were not delivered by your own actions; therefore no one should boast".

During the Exodus, even though a great miracle had happened, and they were delivered out of the Mitsrayim [Egypt], they were faced with a pursuing Mitsrite [Egyptian] army bent on their death and destruction and their hope was quickly diminishing. Likewise, at the ninth hour, our Messiah Yeshua died and His body was taken off the execution Tree. This was no-doubt a major blow to the confidence of Yeshua's followers, as they expected him to redeem Yisra'el from their Roman oppressors, much like Moshe redeemed Yisra'el from Mitzrayim. But, Yeshua's body was wrapped and placed in a tomb. From the view of his talmidim (disciples), their hopes for salvation were dead and defeated, as their Master had been executed by the hand of the oppressor. Yet, just as the Yam Suf (Sea of reeds) was split making a way of life that wasn't imagined or thought of before, so too Yeshua came forth victorious over death and made a new way of life for all those who would put their trust in him, also giving us the victory over death.

1 Corintians 15:55-57 states, "Death, where is your victory? Death, where is your sting?" The sting of death is sin; and sin draws its power from the Torah; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Yeshua the Messiah!"

Only after the Babylonian exile, has this month of our redemption been called Nisan. There is a debate over the source of the current names of the months on the Jewish calendar. As many of the Rabbis teach, are they originally from the Torah, are they Hebrew names that were lost over history and then rediscovered, or are they names that we acquired while our people were in Babylon? If the name "Nisan" does have a Hebrew source, as mentioned the source is the root word "nes", meaning ‘miracle’. It is by definition the month of miracles. If, however, the source of the word "Nisan" stems from another language, then it comes from the Akkadian word "nissanu", meaning ‘to move’ or ‘to start’.

Sh'mot (Exodus) 13:4 states, "You are leaving today, in the month of Aviv". As mentioned before, the Hebrew word "aviv" can mean, "fresh". Whether we call this month "Nisan" or "Aviv", in this month Adonai inspires us with miracles, and through His redemption moves us to start life afresh and anew.

In conclusion, 2 Corinthians 5:17 states, "Therefore, if anyone is united with the Messiah, he is a new creation - the old has passed; look, what has come is fresh and new!"

In Jewish History:

1 Nisan-3761 BC Creation [Talmud Rosh Hashanah 10b-11a, 1638 BC- death of Abraham, 1533 BC death of Yitschaq, 1506 BC-death of Yaacov. 1456 BC- first command given.

7 Nisan- 1416 BC- Joshua sends 2 spies to Jericho.

10 Nisan- 1417 BC- Miriam dies 39 years after the exodus.1416 BC Yisrael cross the Jordan & enter Canaan.

13 Nisan- 474 BC- Haman’s decree to annihilate the Jews is passed.

14 Nisan- Our Messiah was crucified for the sins of the world.

15 Nisan-1713 BC- birth of Yitschaq [Isaac], exodus from Mitsrayim [Egypt], Esther appears before Achashverosh unsummoned.

17 Nisan [Aviv]- Yeshua was raised from the dead at the end of Shabbat.

17 Nisan-Noah’s Ark rests on Mt. Ararat. Haman hanged after Esther’s 2nd party.

18 Nisan [Aviv] - Yeshua the Messiah became the first fruits wave offering. The first born from the dead.

21 Nisan- 1456 BC- Yam Suph [Red Sea] splits.

26 Nisan- 1386 BC- Death of Joshua.

28 Nisan- 1415- the conquest of Jericho [Joshua ch 6]