The four Gospel authors detail the five-fold ministry of the Messiah, that of the King, the Servant, the Son of Man, the Son of God, and in the book of the Revelation, the Almighty Judge. Each writer telling the story from his individually inspired perspective. Some of the events appear in more than one Gospel account.
Others appear only once. But it is the combined details of all the Gospel records that accurately represent the life and ministry of Yeshua of Nazareth, the prophet of whom Moses prophesied, the prophet we must shema, we must hear and obey, or be judged for not complying with his instructions. This is the one who would separate the rules of man-made religion from the eternal instructions of the Creator of the universe. This is the greatest story never told. It's all about Yeshua, the prophet, the promised Messiah.
Join me here in the Land of Israel as we take a chronological and archaeological journey through the Gospels. You have never seen anything like this before. I'm Michael Rood.
Prepare for a Rood Awakening! Rood Awakening Oh Theophilus, oh beloved of God, seeing that many have endeavored to record a narrative of the things which are with certainty believed among his disciples, and even as they set their hand to the task, it also seemed good to me, having an accurate understanding, to document these things in chronological order from the very beginning. This I've done so that you might become thoroughly acquainted and absolutely certain about the things in which you have been instructed. The Gospels begin their chronological narrative with the Gospel of Luke.
And Luke begins by detailing the events surrounding the birth of the son of the elderly priest, Zechariah, and his wife, Elisheva. In order to understand the precise chronology given in the book of Luke, we must understand the Creator's reckoning of time. the order of the priestly courses, and how they both relate to the Feast of the Lord during the Second Temple period.
Without this information, the time-ordered sequence Luke so painstakingly details falls on deaf ears. Throughout this series, we will be reading from the text of the corrected King James Version, the CKJV. It is the text of the Chronological Gospels. It took...
more than 40 years of research into ancient Greek, Aramaic, and Hebrew sources to solve the present inconsistencies in the English versions of the Gospels. And then, every word of the more than 300 incidents in the life and ministry of Jesus were organized in exact chronological order. It is only when putting every verse into the vice of linear chronology that one confronts and then can solve the inaccuracies in the various translations of the gospels. Yeshua did not speak in Elizabethan English, nor did Matthew write his gospel in Greek.
This is a screenplay to the true story of Yeshua's life and ministry. This is the greatest story never told. Luke chapter one, verse five. There was in the days of Herod the king of Judea, a particular priest, a coen named Zechariah, of the course of Avaiah. His wife was also of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisheva.
First Chronicles 24 details the 24 courses or service divisions of the Aaronic priesthood. King David stipulated that each course served for one week twice each year. The courses commenced at the beginning of the Sabbath. and concluded at the end of the following Sabbath.
At least two courses were serving every Sabbath. During the three annual feasts, all priests served concurrently. Verse six, they, both Zechariah and Elisheva, were righteous and walked blamelessly in all the commandments and ordinances of Yehovah. Yet they had no children, and Elisheva was barren, and they were both well stricken in years.
Of all the commandments in the Torah, only a few are applicable to children, some only to women. some only to men, some only to Levites among the men, and some only pertain to Kohanim serving in the temple during specific feasts. The commandments and ordinances that applied directly to Zechariah and Elisheva were far more numerous than the commandments that applied to the average Israelite. Yet, in all these commandments, they were absolutely blameless.
Though they appeared to be faithful, her... barrenness was viewed by friends and family as divine displeasure. And now, Elisheva, like Avram's wife Sarah, had well passed her childbearing years. Verse 8, during the time Zechariah executed the Kohen's duties before Yehovah in the order of his course, according to the instructions concerning the responsibility of the Kohenim, the ballot fell upon Zechariah to burn incense in the temple of Yehovah.
The first course began their service on the first Sabbath of the year in the month of the Aviv. The eighth course, Avaya, began on the seventh Sabbath day from the first fruit offering. The following morning, on the high day of the Feast of Shavuot or Pentecost, the course of Avaya was responsible for the temple service.
The honor of burning incense on the golden altar was bestowed just once in the lifetime of a priest. Now, with the entire congregation of Israel assembled on the Temple Mount for Shavuot, Zechariah was finally selected to offer incense on the golden altar. Verse 10, the entire multitude was praying in the outer court at the time of the incense offering. While they prayed, Zechariah saw the angel of Yehovah standing on the right side of the golden altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was terrified and overcome with dread.
But the angel said, Fear not, Zechariah. Your prayer has been heard, and your wife, Elisheva, will bear you a son, and you shall call his name Jehonen. He will be great in the eyes of Yehovah.
He shall not drink wine or any strong drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit from his mother's womb. Zechariah retorted, how can this be? I'm an old man.
My wife is far past her childbearing years. The angel, no doubt indignant, look, I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of the Almighty. I was sent to speak to you and announce these glad tidings, but apparently that's not good enough, because you did not believe my words, which certainly shall be fulfilled in their time. Behold, you will be both deaf and unable to speak until these things come to pass.
The King James renders this phrase dumb and not able to speak, which is redundant. The Aramaic reads crash. or blunted in the senses, which can be translated as deaf, dumb, blind, or lame.
From the remote context, it is clear that Zechariah was struck both deaf and dumb. The last thing Zechariah heard was the promise of the angel. The last thing he spoke was a plea for help in believing those words.
For the next nine months, he could neither speak nor hear. At the circumcision of the child, they made signs to Zechariah, asking what he would name his son. Obviously, he couldn't hear.
Then Zechariah motioned for the writing slate and wrote the name Yohanan. His ears were unstopped, his mouth was open, and he prophesied. Now, let's get back to the Temple Mount at the Feast of Shavuot. Verse 21. The people were amazed that Zechariah delayed so long in the temple, and when he came out, he could not speak. The multitude recognized that he might have seen a vision in the temple because he motioned, yet he remained speechless.
The people were waiting for the final pronouncement of the Aaronic blessing, but returned from the feast perplexed. What just happened? The Mighty One has accomplished magnificent things in me.
Holy is His name, Yehovah. His mercy is upon those who reverence and obey Him from generation to generation. Luke tells us that as soon as the days of Zechariah's temple service were completed, he departed to his own house.
It was the next Sunday morning after Pentecost, the 15th day of Sivan, when Zechariah returned home to his wife in the village of Beit HaKaren. Luke chapter 1, verse 24. Elisheva conceived and secluded herself for five months. She said, this was Yehovah's plan for me.
He prepared me for this very moment in which at last he looked down upon me and removed the shame and humiliation that I have suffered among my people. In cultures where there is no artificial light or electromagnetic interference, it has been observed that women commonly ovulate at the time of the full moon. Under these conditions, the timing of the conception of both Elisheva and Miriam would have facilitated the delivery of their sons on the high Sabbaths of the two primary feasts, Passover and Tabernacles.
The Orthodox Jews still set a place for Elijah at the Passover table. And on the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles, Messianic Jews celebrate Yeshua's birthday on the day the Word was made flesh and tabernacled among us. Yes, the Feast of the Lord our prophetic shadow pictures whereby the Almighty tells us the end from the beginning. The next verse takes us a four-day journey up north to the village of Netzeret, modern-day Nazareth. Verse 26, in the six months, this is the sixth month of Elisheva's pregnancy at the time of Hanukkah, the angel Gabriel was sent from Yehovah to a village in the Galilee named Netzeret.
to a virgin named Miriam, a descendant of King David, who was betrothed to a man named Yosef ben Eli, also a descendant of David. The angel came to Miriam and said, Rejoice, highly favored one, Yehovah is with you. Blessed are you among women.
When Miriam saw him, she was greatly troubled by his greeting and searched her mind as to the meaning of this salutation. The angel said to her, Miriam, Fear not, you have found grace with the Almighty. Now, listen very carefully. You shall conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Yeshua.
He shall be highly esteemed, and his title shall be Son of the Highest. Yehovah his God shall give unto him the throne of his father David, and he shall reign over the house of Yaakov forever, and of his kingdom. there shall be no end. Miriam asked the angel, how can this be? I have never been intimate with a man.
The angel replied, the Holy Spirit will descend upon you and the power of the Most High will cover you. That is why the Holy One who will be born of you shall be called the Son of God. Listen carefully. This shall be the sign for you. Your cousin, Elisheva.
who your family calls the barren one? She has conceived a son in her old age and is now in her sixth month. With the Almighty, nothing is impossible.
Miriam said, behold, I am the handmaid of Yehovah. Let it be done to me according to your word. The angel departed.
Verse 39. Miriam arose and departed with haste into a village in the hill country of Judea. And as Miriam entered the house of Zechariah and saluted Elisheva, at the moment that Elisheva heard the greeting of Miriam, the babe leaped in her womb. Elisheva overflowed with the Holy Spirit and cried out, You are blessed among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. But why am I so... favored that the mother of my Lord comes to visit me.
As soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the babe in my womb leaped for joy. Blessed is she who believed the things which were told to her from Yehovah, for they shall surely be fulfilled. Miriam cried out, my soul glorifies Yehovah.
My spirit rejoices in Yehovah, my deliverer. He has considered his lowly handmaiden. and from this day forward, all generations shall call me blessed.
The Mighty One has accomplished magnificent things in me. Holy is His name, Yehovah. His mercy is upon those who reverence and obey Him from generation to generation.
Verse 56, Miriam abode with Elisheva nearly three months, and then returned to her father's house in... Netseret. We could never begin to comprehend Miriam's relief when she heard the words of the angel confirmed by her cousin. Mile after mile, day after day, she wrestled with the message of the angel as she traveled, knowing that her only touchstone with reality would be whether a distant relative was actually six months pregnant. She must have wept for hours in the arms of Elisheva.
But Now, how was Miriam going to explain her pregnancy to her friends and family? You, you little child, you will be called the prophet of the Most High. You will go before the face of Yehovah to prepare his way.
While serving in the temple during the Feast of Shavuot, Zechariah was struck deaf and dumb. For the next nine months, he could not hear anything but the echo of the angel of Yehovah, who told him that his wife would bear a son who would be the prophet of the Most High. He could not speak until he fulfilled the commandment of the angel.
Luke tells us that after Miriam returned home, Elisheva had a son. Her neighbors and relatives gathered on the eighth day to circumcise the child, and they presumed to name him Zechariah after his father. Elisheva protested, he shall be called Yohanan.
The relatives persisted until finally they made signs to Zechariah, asking him what he would name his son. Verse 63, Zechariah motioned for the writing slate and wrote, Amar Shem Yohanan. All the people marveled. Then his mouth was immediately opened, and he, overflowing with the Holy Spirit, spoke for the first time in over nine months and praised Yehovah.
Blessed be Yehovah, Elohim of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people and has raised up for us a trumpet of salvation from the house of his servant David. Then he held his son, Yohanan, in his arms and prophesied over him. You, you little child, you will be called the prophet of the Most High. You will go before the face of Yehovah to prepare his way.
You will give the knowledge of salvation to his people through the forgiveness of their sins, through the tender mercy of our God, whereby the day star from heaven has visited us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and dwell under the shadow of death. and to guide our feet into the path of peace. Now, when these things were heralded throughout all the hill country of Judea, great reverence and respect came upon all who dwelt there.
Those who heard these words pondered them in their hearts and said, what will become of this little child? And the hand of Yehovah was with them. From the time that the prophet Malachi declared that Elijah must come before the great and dreadful day of Yehovah, Jewish families have been setting a place for him at the Passover table.
Each year, during the Passover Seder, a child hopefully opens the door to see if Elijah has come to join them. In Orthodox Jewish tradition, an elder takes wine from Elijah's cup and sprinkles it onto Elijah's plate while awaiting the child's return. When the child comes to the table with the news Elijah has not arrived, the elder announces while pointing to the stained plate.
Elijah came, but we were asleep. Yohanan ben Zachariah, John the Baptist, the Kohen of the lineage of Aron, the prophet who is to come in the spirit and power of Elijah, was born on the very night that the Israelites had been setting a place for him at the Passover table. Most of Israel was truly sleeping at that time.
In the future, however, another Elijah will come. as one of the two witnesses during the day of Yehovah, spoken of by another prophet, Yohanan, in the book of the Revelation. Verse 80, the little boy grew and was made strong in the spirit, and he lived in the wilderness until the day he was presented to Israel. Though Yohanan survives as a child in the desert on the diet of a nomad, grasshoppers and honey, his father, while serving the second of the annual courses of Abiah, is brutally slain between the altar and the holy place for refusing to give up the whereabouts of his son.
Elisheba hides the young spirit-filled prophet in the wilderness when Herod sends his personal guard to execute all the male children in and around Bethlehem who were born within the time parameters that he had diligently inquired of the astronomers. In our next episode, We are going to set the record straight on the genealogy of Yeshua through his only earthly parent, Miriam. The Messiah must be from the lineage of King David.
No fact is more prophetically documented. Though translations from the Greek text of Matthew confuse the genealogy, the ancient Hebrew text of Matthew's Gospel clearly details Yeshua's lineage through his mother to King David. Without the ancient Hebrew Matthew, Yeshua's lineage to King David is non-existent, a fact that is well-recognized by Jewish rabbis, but universally ignored by modern Christian scholarship.
Let's get started.