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Showing posts from September 28, 2026

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Browse at Your Own Pace

Begin wherever your curiosity leads. The studies will be here when you’re ready. When I shared my first Matthew study on Facebook today, I mentioned that I planned to post daily, though I might not share every post on Facebook. As I continue setting up this blog, I’ve realized that what matters most to me is making my past studies available for anyone who wants to explore them. For now, I’ll be adding posts to my heart’s content as I work through those studies. Some days that may mean one post; other days it may mean several. I’ll continue reading through and preparing each one before sharing it. There is no need to keep up with everything as it appears. This blog is becoming a place you can browse at your own pace—begin with a book, a question, or a study that interests you, and follow from there. The Bible Books page gathers studies by book, while Study Threads helps connect topics that travel through more than one book. The labels on individual posts also bring related material to...
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25. Tishri and Appointed Seasons: Returning to the Appointed Progression

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As I bring this part of the study to a close, I want to return to where we began: the appointments of the seventh month. Following their details led us into Jericho, Ezekiel, the Gospels, and Revelation. Those comparisons opened further questions, but the starting point remains important. Before interpreting a pattern, I want to preserve the appointments themselves. Sounding, Atonement, and Booths Leviticus 23:23–43 gives distinct appointments within the month. The first day brings a memorial sounding and a holy assembly. The tenth day is the Day of Atonement, with humbling and rest. On the fifteenth, the seven-day Feast of Booths begins, followed by an eighth-day assembly. The celebration includes rejoicing after the produce has been gathered and remembering Israel’s dwelling in booths after departure from Egypt. These appointments belong together, yet each retains its own instructions. The intervals between them also remain part of the calendar. The progression that first drew my at...
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24. Tishri and Appointed Seasons: What Passes Away and What Remains

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As this study moves from cleansing toward dwelling, another comparison from my earlier notes comes into view: Jesus’ words about heaven and earth passing away. We have followed cities falling, opposition being removed, and a land requiring cleansing. Those passages describe substantial change. Yet change does not mean that what God has spoken becomes uncertain. Until All Is Accomplished In Matthew 5:17–18 , Jesus connects His coming with fulfilling the Law and the Prophets. His statement preserves both heaven and earth passing away and the accomplishment of what is written. Even the smallest written detail receives attention. That matters to how I study. A detail I have not yet understood is not necessarily an unnecessary detail. It may belong to a connection I have not followed far enough. At the same time, my interpretation of that detail remains something I must examine. Confidence in God’s words does not make every conclusion I reach equally certain. The Words That Do Not Pass Away...
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23. Tishri and Appointed Seasons: The Land Cleansed and Glory Filling the House

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The movement toward dwelling brings me back to something I specifically wanted included in this study: the seven months of cleansing described in Ezekiel. We have followed sounding, judgment, separation, and preservation. Ezekiel adds careful attention to what remains after the conflict. The fall of an opposing force and the cleansing of the land are distinguishable parts of the account. Seven Months of Burial Following Gog’s fall, Ezekiel 39:11–16 describes burial undertaken to cleanse the land. The people participate, and men are assigned to pass through it continually. At the end of seven months, a search takes place. When someone finds a human bone, a marker is placed beside it until those responsible for burial remove it. That last detail holds my attention. The account does not stop at the most visible destruction. It follows through to the remains that still require attention. In my study, this raises a broader comparison about thorough cleansing. Something can appear finished ...
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22. Tishri and Appointed Seasons: Palm Branches, Rejoicing, and Dwelling

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After following the judgment scenes and the call to come out, I want to return to the people gathered before God. Our Tishri study began with appointments that included sounding, cleansing, and dwelling. The feast also included rejoicing. One detail within that rejoicing—the palm branches—opens a connection that appears again in John and Revelation. Palm Branches at the Feast In Leviticus 23:39–43 , the celebration follows the gathering of the land’s produce. Palm branches appear among the foliage the people are instructed to take as they rejoice before Jehovah. They also live in booths, preserving the remembrance of Israel’s departure from Egypt. The branches, the rejoicing, and the temporary dwellings belong within a stated appointment. I want to retain that setting before carrying any one detail into another passage. In my earlier notes, I separated palm and tree as details to follow. Here, the branches are specifically named. That gives us something concrete to compare without de...
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21. Tishri and Appointed Seasons: Those Who Are Sold and Those Who Profit

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  As we follow the distinction between carrying wrongdoing and committing it, another passage comes into view. It concerns people who are traded for someone else’s benefit. This was part of my earlier comparison of the woman, the wine, and the responsibility of those involved. Before developing that connection, I want to hold closely to the actions Scripture actually describes. A Girl Sold for Wine In Joel 3:1–3 , Jehovah brings the nations into judgment over their treatment of His people. The charges include scattering them, dividing the land, and treating people as things to be exchanged. Verse 3 describes a boy traded for a harlot and a girl sold for wine. The distinction that caught my attention is simple: the girl is sold so that others may drink. The passage does not describe her as the one choosing the exchange or enjoying its benefit. That matters when considering responsibility. What happens to someone is not automatically an expression of that person’s desires, allegiance...
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20. Tishri and Appointed Seasons: Coming Out and the Difference Between Appearance and Faithfulness

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The call to come out of Babylon brings me back to a distinction that has followed this study from the beginning: we need to examine what someone does, what they are made to carry, and how they respond to God. Those details cannot simply be exchanged for one another. A person may be surrounded by wrongdoing without approving it. Someone may carry the consequences of another’s actions. Meanwhile, an outward appearance of faithfulness can conceal participation in the very things God condemns. The People Called to Come Out In Revelation 18:4–5 , the call addresses God’s people within Babylon and tells them to leave so they do not share in her sins and plagues. The wording distinguishes the people being called from the wrongdoing surrounding them. But it also requires a response. Being addressed as His people does not make the warning unnecessary. As I consider this, I understand coming out to involve more than changing an outward association. The passage specifically brings participation i...
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19. Tishri and Appointed Seasons: The Seventh Bowl and Babylon Remembered

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As we reach the seventh bowl, I am brought back to the distinction between an outcome being announced and the details of that outcome being revealed. This has been important in our comparison with Jericho. There, we can follow the account through to the city’s destruction and the preservation of Rahab and those with her. In Revelation, related details appear across several visions. I want to keep those connections visible without assuming that each new chapter begins a separate period of time. A Voice From the Throne The seventh angel pours his bowl upon the air. A loud voice comes from the sanctuary, from the throne: “It is done.” Lightning, thunder, and an extraordinary earthquake follow. The great city divides into three parts, the cities of the nations fall, and Babylon is remembered before God. Islands flee, mountains disappear, and devastating hail falls. Revelation 16:17–21 The declaration comes from the throne. That detail keeps my attention on whose judgment is being carried o...
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18. Tishri and Appointed Seasons: The Gathering and the Warning to Stay Awake

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As I follow the sounding and the bowls, I notice that gathering does not always mean the same thing. We have already seen people gathered for an appointed assembly, a household gathered for preservation, and a city surrounded before its fall. The details tell us what kind of gathering is taking place. That becomes especially important when we reach the sixth bowl. A Way Prepared—but for Whom? In Revelation 16:12–14 , the Euphrates dries, preparing a way for kings from the east. Spirits resembling frogs emerge from the mouths of the dragon, beast, and false prophet. Their signs draw the world’s kings toward war. A way has been opened, but that alone does not establish a favorable purpose for those traveling it. I need to follow the passage through to its stated destination. This brings me back to something that matters throughout these studies: a familiar action cannot carry an interpretation by itself. An opening, a gathering, or a sign must be read alongside who acts, who responds, an...
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17. Tishri and Appointed Seasons: Judgment, Responsibility, and the Response of the Heart

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As I continue comparing the trumpets and bowls, I notice that the passages describe more than what happens around people. They also identify wrongdoing and record how people respond. Those details belong within the progression. A visible event may draw our attention first, but the explanation given alongside it can tell us why it matters. The Reason Given for Judgment When the third bowl is poured, the rivers and springs become blood. The angel’s words connect this judgment with the shedding of the blood of saints and prophets. The altar’s response affirms the righteousness of God’s judgments. Revelation 16:4–7 — LSB The passage identifies an action and those responsible for it. This brings back a distinction we have been preserving: committing wrongdoing, suffering from it, and carrying its consequences are different relationships. Here, responsibility is stated. I want to follow that wording rather than judge guilt simply by what someone appears to bear. Surviving Does Not Settle the...
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16. Tishri and Appointed Seasons: Seven Trumpets and Seven Bowls

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When we first placed Tishri and Jericho beside Revelation, another question followed: how do the seven trumpets compare with the seven bowls? Both involve seven angels, but their actions differ. One group sounds; the other pours. I want to follow what surrounds those actions, including what precedes them and what each brings into view. Before the Trumpets Sound Revelation 8 begins with silence in heaven after the seventh seal opens. Seven angels receive trumpets. Before they prepare to sound, another angel presents incense with the prayers of the saints, then fills the censer with altar fire and throws it to the earth. Revelation 8:1–6 — LSB That sequence brings several earlier details back into our study: waiting, incense, fire, and an action proceeding from the altar. As with Jericho, I want to notice what happens before the sounding reaches its outcome. Before the Bowls Are Poured Revelation 15 identifies seven last plagues through which God’s wrath is finished. The angels emerge fr...
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15. Tishri and Appointed Seasons: Repeated Intervals and Overlapping Views

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As I compare Revelation’s visions, the repeated time references help me notice where accounts may overlap. I want to keep each interval attached to its action. A period of testimony, a period of nourishment, and a period of permitted authority tell us different things, even when their measurements invite comparison. The Time References Beside One Another Passage Time reference Action described Revelation 11:2 Forty-two months The holy city is trampled Revelation 11:3 1,260 days The two witnesses prophesy Revelation 12:6 1,260 days The woman is nourished Revelation 12:14 A time, times, and half a time The woman is nourished away from the serpent Revelation 13:5 Forty-two months The beast is permitted to act These details can be read in Revelation 11 , Revelation 12 , and Revelation 13 . This is part of why I read these chapters as overlapping views. I do not automatically add their intervals together simply because they appear in separate chapters. I also want to retain the wording “tim...
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14. Tishri and Appointed Seasons: The Witnesses, the Seventh Trumpet, and the Announced Outcome

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Jericho gives us an account we can follow through to its outcome: the wall falls, Rahab is brought out, and the city is burned. When I bring Revelation beside it, I want to preserve something important from our earlier study. I see overlapping visions that contribute different details to the larger picture. Moving into another chapter does not automatically mean moving into a later event. When Their Witness Is Finished Revelation 11 describes two witnesses prophesying for 1,260 days. The beast makes war against them when their witness is finished. They are overcome and killed. After three and a half days, life from God enters them. They stand, hear the heavenly call, and ascend in the cloud while their enemies watch. An earthquake follows in that hour, and a tenth of the city falls. Revelation 11:3–13 — LSB The completion of their testimony matters. So does the distinction between the period of prophesying and the interval after their death. These details help me follow the account wit...
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13. Tishri and Appointed Seasons: What Is Brought Out, Set Apart, and Destroyed

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Jericho’s fall brings several outcomes into view. Rahab and her household are brought out alive. Certain objects are set apart for Jehovah. The city is burned. I want to keep those distinctions visible as we bring Revelation beside the account. A city’s judgment does not tell us everything about the people and possessions within it. What Belongs to Jehovah? Before the wall falls, Joshua identifies the silver, gold, bronze, and iron as holy to Jehovah and directs them to His treasury. Israel is warned against taking what has been devoted to destruction, because doing so would bring trouble upon its own camp. Joshua 6:17–19 — LSB Receiving the city does not give Israel unrestricted permission to take everything within it. This returns me to a question that has followed our studies: what has been given, and what is someone taking without permission? The instruction determines how these things are to be treated. People Are Brought Out Alive Joshua sends the two spies to bring Rahab and her...
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12. Tishri and Appointed Seasons: The Sign Before the Harm

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Rahab’s scarlet cord brought another connection into our earlier study: a distinction is established before the destructive action reaches its outcome. This led us from Jericho to the marking in Ezekiel and the sealing in Revelation. Each account gives us a sign, people identified in relation to it, and instructions concerning what happens next. The Cord in the Window Rahab is instructed to place the scarlet cord in her window and gather her family inside. The agreement distinguishes those remaining in the house from anyone leaving it. She responds by tying the cord as instructed. Joshua 2:17–21 — LSB The sign belongs to a particular promise. Its significance comes with the words spoken and the response required. That is what I want to carry into the comparison: how the sign functions within the account, alongside its appearance and location. The Mark in Ezekiel In Ezekiel 9, the man clothed in linen is commanded to mark the foreheads of those grieving over Jerusalem’s abominations. Th...
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11. Tishri and Appointed Seasons: Rahab, the Scarlet Cord, and Those Gathered with Her

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Before Jericho’s wall falls, an encounter takes place inside the city. Two men enter Rahab’s house, and her response becomes part of the account of preservation. This is where I want to slow down. The woman, the messengers, the sign, and those gathered with her each have a place in the progression. What Rahab Heard and Believed Joshua sends two spies, whom Rahab hides. She tells them that she knows Jehovah has given Israel the land. Reports of His acts have reached Jericho, and she acknowledges His authority in heaven and on earth. She then asks for the preservation of her family. Joshua 2:1–14 — LSB Her response gives us more to consider than the description “harlot.” Hebrews later identifies her preservation with faith and her peaceful reception of the spies. That explanation belongs beside her words and actions in Joshua. Hebrews 11:31 — LSB I want to retain both her identification and the response Scripture records. One description should not cause the rest of her account to disapp...
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10. Tishri and Appointed Seasons: Jericho, the Ark, and the Waiting Before the Shout

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Jericho became an important comparison in this study because its account allows us to follow a progression through to a visible outcome. As I return to it, I want to begin before the wall falls. The command, the procession, and the waiting all contribute to what happens at the end. The Command Comes First Jehovah tells Joshua that He has given Jericho into his hand while the city is still closed. Instructions then follow: one circuit each day for six days, followed by seven circuits on the seventh. Joshua 6:1–5 — LSB The declaration comes before the visible result. There is still a commanded course to follow. This is one reason the account caught my attention beside our appointed-times study. An announcement can establish what is coming while actions and intervals remain ahead. Following the Ark The procession has an order: armed men, seven priests with seven ram’s-horn trumpets, the ark, and the rear guard. Joshua 6:6–9 — LSB The ark gives us a connection to the seventh-month account ...
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9. Tishri and Appointed Seasons: Spirit, Glory, and What Remains After the Shaking

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Haggai’s message brings several of our study threads together: the seventh month, the house, Spirit, Glory, and shaking. As I follow these connections, I want to look beyond the announcement that something will be shaken. What does the shaking accomplish? What remains afterward? Those questions became important in our earlier comparisons with Revelation. How Does the House Appear? The message dated to the twenty-first of the seventh month asks how the house appears to those who remember its former Glory. Jehovah then encourages the leaders and people to be strong and work, assuring them of His presence. Haggai 2:1–4 — LSB Their present view does not contain everything Jehovah is announcing. That catches my attention because outward appearance has been a recurring subject in our studies. What people see at a particular moment may leave them discouraged, while the passage asks them to continue listening. Spirit Among the People Jehovah recalls His covenant word when Israel came out of Eg...
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8. Tishri and Appointed Seasons: Seven Days and the Eighth-Day Assembly

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As I follow the Feast of Booths, Numbers 29 draws my attention to the individual days. The offerings have a sequence, and a change appears after the seventh day. This was one of the details we preserved in the earlier study. Before making comparisons with other passages, I want to keep the count visible. Following Each Day Beginning on the fifteenth of the seventh month, the number of bulls offered decreases daily: Day of the month Day of the feast Bulls 15 First 13 16 Second 12 17 Third 11 18 Fourth 10 19 Fifth 9 20 Sixth 8 21 Seventh 7 Together, these total seventy. Each day also includes two rams, fourteen lambs, and a goat for a sin offering, with accompanying offerings. The continual offering remains. Numbers 29:12–34 — LSB Some details change while others repeat. Both belong in the comparison. The Eighth-Day Change The eighth day has a solemn assembly. Its prescribed animals are one bull, one ram, seven lambs, and a goat for a sin offering. Numbers 29:35–38 — LSB The descending s...
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7. Tishri and Appointed Seasons: Booths, the Gathered Harvest, and Remembrance

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After the tenth-day appointment, the seventh month continues toward the Feast of Booths. The eleventh through fourteenth days stand between them. I want to retain that interval as we follow the progression. We have considered sounding, atonement, and the Jubilee proclamation. Now the attention turns toward gathered produce, dwelling in booths, and rejoicing before Jehovah. The Fifteenth Day Leviticus places the beginning of Booths on the fifteenth day of the seventh month. The feast lasts seven days, followed by an eighth-day assembly. The instructions also place the celebration after the produce of the land has been gathered. Branches are taken, and the people rejoice before Jehovah. Leviticus 23:33–40 — LSB That order interests me. The gathered harvest belongs to the setting of the celebration. As harvest language appears elsewhere in our studies, I want to remember what is being gathered in each passage, who gathers it, and what follows. Those details help the comparisons develop wi...
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6. Tishri and Appointed Seasons: The Horn, Liberty, and Return

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Before moving beyond the tenth day, there is another appointment I want to keep beside the atonement study: the sounding of the Jubilee horn. This became an important connection in our earlier discussions because it brings together the appointed time, release, and return. It also gives us another place to begin comparing the seventh month with Jericho. A Sound After Seven Sevens Leviticus 25 instructs Israel to count seven sabbaths of years—seven times seven, totaling forty-nine years. The horn is then to sound throughout the land on the tenth day of the seventh month, the Day of Atonement. The fiftieth year is set apart, and release is proclaimed. Leviticus 25:8–12 — LSB This sounding belongs to a longer count. The annual first-day observance and the Jubilee horn therefore need to remain distinguishable. Leviticus 23 gives the first-day memorial sounding and the tenth-day atonement appointment. Leviticus 25 places the Jubilee proclamation on that tenth day after the count of seven sev...
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5. Tishri and Appointed Seasons: The Two Goats and the Sin Placed Upon the Head

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As I follow the atonement account, I reach a detail that became important in our earlier comparisons: something can bear the sins of others without being the one who committed them. This is why I want to slow down with the two goats. Their different actions help us see what is being offered, what is being carried, and whose sins are involved. Two Goats, Distinct Actions Aaron presents both goats before Jehovah and casts lots. One is offered as a sin offering, and its blood is brought inside the veil. The other remains alive and is eventually sent into the wilderness. Leviticus 16:7–15 — LSB After making atonement for the holy place, tent, and altar, Aaron places both hands upon the living goat’s head. He confesses Israel’s sins over it and places them upon its head. The goat then carries those iniquities away. Leviticus 16:20–22 — LSB The sins belong to Israel. They are placed upon the goat. That distinction is where my attention rests. Bearing what belongs to another does not make the...
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4. Tishri and Appointed Seasons: Linen, Fire, and the Appointed Approach

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As I continue through the atonement account, several details bring me back to our Glory study: linen, fire, the cloud, and someone acting according to Jehovah’s command. These are the kinds of details I like to follow across Scripture. An object or garment catches my attention, and then I look at what surrounds it. Who is wearing it? What are they instructed to do? Where does the action lead? Preparing to Approach Leviticus 16 begins after the death of Aaron’s two sons. Aaron is warned against entering the holy place inside the veil whenever he chooses. His approach is governed by instruction. He must bathe and put on the prescribed holy linen garments. He also brings coals from the altar and incense inside the veil. The incense cloud is to cover the mercy seat so that he does not die. Leviticus 16:1–13 — LSB The preparation belongs to the service itself. Washing, clothing, and approach each have their place. I notice that the passage gives a purpose for the incense cloud. Before assig...
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