NO MAN KNOWS THE DAY OR THE HOUR - PART II

Folks, you really MUST read the comments if you are not in the habit of doing so.  They are sometimes the best part of the blog.  I just got a few that I have to combine into one so that they can be read by all.  Dewey Bruton alluded to no man knowing the day or the hour in his two hour video, calling it "the hour that no man knew".  It is a form of speech from that day talking of how it will happen at the end of the month when a full moon is finally declared.  Here is the comment (and thanks again, Bro B for your great commentary and your faithful readership;  I feel like I have a true friend even though we have never met):

Part 1: This seems logical
NO ONE KNOWS THE DAY OR THE HOUR?

Understanding the expression "No man knows the day or hour" is not possible by simply taking the English translation literally. It is now clear that "no man knows the day or hour" does NOT mean "no man knows the day or hour" as we read it from a modern-day English perspective. From a rabbinical Hebraic perspective it is a figure of speech.

Christians over the centuries have separated themselves from their Hebraic roots causing the misunderstanding of key Jewish biblical idioms. When Jesus uttered His famous words concerning the Messianic Era in Matthew 24:26, "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in Heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father", He used a common Jewish figure of speech referring to a specific Jewish Festival. What day could the Jewish idiom be referring to?

In Jesus' day he spoke in the language and idioms of the day. Those who heard the Lord speak knew what He was saying and usually what He was alluding to. Of course, today's generation of believers struggles to understand His words and concepts. Failing to think like Jesus and taking phrases out of Jewish context can lead one to misunderstand His words.
Our Lord used and confirmed common Jewish ideas about the Day of the Lord - the millennium - and its relation to the Feast of Sukkot (Tabernacles) .

The annual Jewish Festival of Trumpets or Rosh HaShanah - the first day of the seventh month. A few themes linked to this Jewish festival are resurrection, repentance, kingship, corronation and a marriage feast. Another theme and convincing proof that Rosh HaShanah is not only the start of "The Day of the Lord" (Millennium), but is also the day of the resurrection! It has to do with the moon and its 29-day cycle of renewal. We have lost touch with God's faithful witness in the sky. But Jesus and the people of His day never lost touch with it.

Since the subject of our discussion is the new moon and figures of speech, realize the phrase, "Of that day and hour no man knows" refers to the sanctification or setting apart of the new moon. Without this sanctification, the Jews had no way of determining God's "appointed times".

We look at a calendar to determine the first of the month; the Jews, however, looked at the moon. This system of chronology was given to the Jews to know precisely when the Holy festivals would fall.
Because the moon was so important for Jewish date - setting, the authorities in charge of announcing the new moon took great care to ensure the first day of the month was announced on time. As soon as the new moon was announced, the first day of the month began. Once the beginning of the new month was established, the festivals and weekly Shabbats for the upcoming month were sanctified for observance. In Hebrew, those observances have always been called "appointed times", literally "a sacred and set time".

Bro BSeptember 4, 2015 at 6:29 AM

Part 2:
God's appointed times are actually "holy rehearsals" set apart to reflect events in the Messianic era. God said to the people, "Pay attention! On this day I am going to do something! Wake-up! The Jews were to know and practice all of God's holy convocations.

Twice a year, in the spring and fall, there were several appointed times and specific days of holy convocation dedicated to the Lord. The new moon was the key in being able to fulfill those set times, holy convocations and rehearsals. From the announcement of the new moon to the festival dates which followed, it was only a matter of counting the right number of days.

Once a month the Sanhedrin discussed when to proclaim the new moon. After careful scrutiny to determine the official arrival of the new moon, the Nassi or President of the Sanhedrin proclaimed Rosh Chodesh with the words: "Sanctified", and all the people repeat after him, "Sanctified, sanctified". Once the Sanhedrin set Rosh Chodesh, or the beginning of the new month by sighting the new moon, the rest of the festivals were calculated.
The seventh month, Tishri, was particularly important because it was the only month that had a holy convocation or appointed time on the first day of the month. This posed a unique problem. The first day of Tishri was the appointed time called Rosh HaShanah, the Feast of Trumpets (Leviticus 23:24). Yet no one could begin observing the festival until they heard those famous words from the President of the Sanhedrin, "Sanctified!"

No one in Israel could plan for the first day of the seventh month Tishri, called Yom Teruah or the Feast of Trumpets (also called Rosh HaShanah).

HOW COULD THEY PLAN FOR A FESTIVAL THAT THEY DID NOT KNOW AT WHAT DAY OR
HOUR IT WOULD PUBLICALLY BE ANNOUNCED AND THUS BEGIN?

Of course, anyone could look up into the twilight or early morning sky and, if they looked hard enough, see the new moon’s crescent. And certainly an astute observer knew when about 29- days were completed since the previous Rosh Chodesh. But recall, ONLY THE SANHEDRIN NASSI had the authority to proclaim the first of Tishri, which was already established as a technical procedure. Once proclaimed, the Feast of Trumpets (Rosh HaShanah) commenced. Until that public announcement by the Nassi, everyone had to wait before they could begin the observance of the festival. No one could begin the festival beforehand! Thus, we can more clearly see the analogy Jesus made with His words: "But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only" was in regards to this important festival of Rosh HaShanah.

http://www.hebroots.org/hebrootsarchive/9807/980715_c.html