Tag: Spring

April 8th

“He had arranged to leave Babylon on April 8, the first day of the new year, and he arrived at Jerusalem on August 4, for the gracious hand of his God was on him.” ‭‭Ezra‬ ‭7‬:‭9‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Rosh Chodesh Nisan

This year, the biblical new year begins on April 8, 2024. This is the start of the month of Nisan on the Hebrew calendar 🌑🌒. “Rosh Chodesh Nisan began on Monday, 8 April 2024 and ended on Tuesday, 9 April 2024.” (Hebcal.com)

Nisan in Hebrew means miracle; first fruits; first month of spring.

Leaving Babylon

In the Bible, in Ezra 7:8-10, we see Ezra leaving Babylon for Jerusalem on April 8, the first day of the new year. This is noteworthy because in 2024 the first day of the new year also falls on April 8th (the new moon closest to the Spring equinox).

This correspondence tracks with the poignant seasons we’re in. Compelling seasons of spiritual and religious instinct, knowledge, motivation, and momentum. And with the momentum of the continual yet intensifying change of seasons, we confidently analyze and build on these God centered cycles of experiences which are moving us toward Him.

Destination

In this new year, think about the relationships to people, places, and things in your life that are in need of resolution. The areas in your life that are in need of a firm decision for something to be done because it is bound to symbols, structures, or systems archetypically representing Babylon, where Babylon is a place representing the things that are in opposition to God. From here, April 8th, be clear and determined in your path and plan of action, and trusting in your motivation towards your destination.

The Beginning of Months

“I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.” ‭‭Revelation‬ ‭1‬:‭8‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

This Time of Year

The spring season is a special time of year for many reasons.  March-April is the time of the biblical new year- the beginning of months.  It is the time of Passover which commemorates God’s instructions to the Israelites in Egypt to mark their houses with the blood of a sacrificed unblemished lamb so that the Lord would pass over their houses thereby protecting them from plague and destruction.  The Lord’s Passover celebrates the Israelites’ exodus and ultimate freedom from slavery in Egypt- a foreshadowing of the ultimate passover and freedom from the slavery of sin and death through Jesus Christ.

This time of year is also the time of Holy Week which commemorates the final days of Jesus Christ who is the lamb of God and our ultimate passover lamb fulfillment. From Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem riding on a colt to the culmination in Jesus’ Crucifixion and Resurrection, Holy Week memorializes the passion of Jesus Christ in His momentous journey to the cross and His trial, suffering and death on our behalf. 

The Life, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ

As Christians in this world we will face suffering as followers of Jesus Christ but we rejoice in our sufferings knowing that Jesus Christ paid the ultimate price by His sacrifice which delivers us out of all our earthly trials and gives us the gift of eternal life. And though we may find ourselves weak at particular point in times in our lives, as the disciples were before Jesus’ arrest in the garden at Gethsemane, we must not be caught unexpectedly off guard.  Jesus said to His disciples in the garden at Gethsemane, “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak”.  Jesus knows our willing spirit and wants us to be aware of the weakness of the flesh also. 

As we remember the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ in this special time of year, let us also remember that the temporary suffering we face in this life is nothing compared to the suffering Jesus Christ endured for us to take hold of eternity in His presence.  And let us remember our suffering is also the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

“Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”   Philippians 3:12-14 ESV