Having said that, it is a given fact that Yeshua and the apostle John, were both Hebrews. Though unless you have a Hebrew bible, your bible allude to Yeshua saying, "I am the Alpha and the Omega," {Rev 1:8 } which are Greek words. Why is this significant?

         If Yeshua and John were Hebrew, and they were. Then Yeshua wouldn’t have said, , "I am the Alpha and the Omega." Instead Yeshua would have said, "I am the aleph and tov," which are the first and last letters in the Hebrew alephbet. What’s the point in all of this; you ask?

Text: Lev 12: 1 - 8, Luke 2: 25 - 30

       Now there are two Hebrew words that when translated means, clean and unclean. They are "tamei," which means unclean. And "tahor," which means clean. Though, there is no English words, which convey the true meaning of these two Hebrew words. Thus some translations used the following terms, "ritual clean and ritual unclean. While these two terms are closer to the mark, they don’t covey the true meanings.

      So I will use "tamei and tahor," for clean and unclean. Thus, the passage states, if a woman conceived and bore a son; she was considered to be "tamei,"or unclean for seven days. Anyone who came near her, was deemed as being "tamei,"or unclean also. How is it that woman by giving birth is consider, as "tamei,"or unclean?

           There are several reasons given but I thinks, the woman is considered "tamei," following birth for the following reason. Remember G-d’s word states, that life is in the blood. {Lev 17:11 , Deut 12:23 } In turn the Lord condemned, the shading of innocent blood. {Gen 9:6} Why is this meaningful?

        Well, whenever a woman gives birth, blood is shad or emitted. Then during a woman’s menstruation cycle, blood is shad. Thus whenever a woman gave birth and during her menstruation cycle, blood is shad.

             However remember the Lord condemns the shading of blood. Explaining why, the woman is consider, as "tamei,"or ritual unclean. Though it should be noted that this condition was brought about, because of man’s fall in the garden. {Gen 3:16 } Thus instead of the joyful experience the Almighty intended birth to be, birth became a painful gut wrenching moment, reminding the woman, of Eve’s sin in the garden.       1 Tim 2:14

         The Lord continue on by saying, "on the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised. She shall then continue in the blood of her purification thirty-three days. She shall not touch any hallowed thing, nor come into the sanctuary until the days of her purification are fulfilled." Lev 12:3-4

       A Hebrew baby boy, was circumcised on the eighth day, as a sign of a covenant between him and the Lord. {Gen 17: 11 - 12} After giving birth, a woman will quite often emit blood for several weeks. Thus, for forty days, after giving birth to a son, the woman was considered as being "tamei." Thus she was prohibited, or anyone coming in contact with her, to go to the temple, where the present of a holy G-d dwelt.

               "If she bears a female child, then she shall be unclean two weeks, as in her customary impurity, and she shall continue in the blood of her purification sixty-six days." Lev 12:5

        However upon giving birth to a baby girl, the woman was considered "tamei,"or unclean for twice as long as she was, upon giving birth to a boy. Why?

              According to the sages, like her mother, the baby girl has an ability to bring life into the world. Though, in doing so, like her mother, she will emit blood. Explaining why when a woman gave birth to a daughter, the number of her days of uncleanness, were double. Because according to the sages, the Lord took this fact into account.

        Moving on, when the days of her purification are fulfilled, whether for a son or a daughter, she shall bring to the priest a lamb of the first year as a burnt offering, and a young pigeon or a turtledove as a sin offering, to the door of the tabernacle of meeting. Lev 12:6

            Remember there is only one way a person can come within the presents of a holy G-d and that is by the shading of innocent blood. Consequently when the days of her purification were fulfilled. The woman’s was required to bring a lamb, as a {corban} bunt offering, along with a young turtledove as a sin in offering. They were to be presented to a cohen priest, who would sacrifice them for the woman.

         On this note, remember when Yeshua in anger, overturned the money changers in the temple? {Matt 21:12 } Well, one item the money changers were selling were pigeons, which were used as a corban, or bunt offerings, for women.

              Though it should be pointed out, that the sin offing is not required, because of a specific sin of the women. This offering is required to remind us, of Adam’s fall in the garden. Thus, man is born with an old sin nature. Explaining why David stated, "behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me." Ps 51:5

              Then he {the priest} shall offer it before the LORD, and make atonement for her. And she shall be clean from the flow of her blood. This is the law for her who has borne a male or a female. Lev 12:7

            Remember the following Hebrew word for atonement "kaphar," means "covering." I mention this fact, because the term "shall offer it," is singular. Implying only one the sacrifices that was offered up, by the priest on the woman’s behalf, coverered her sin. And that was the corban known as the sin offering, which foreshadowed Yeshua. Because after the sin offering was offered up, the woman was pronounced clean from her issue of blood, and was allow to enter the temple.

              If she is not able to bring a lamb, then she may bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons — one as a burnt offering and the other as a sin offering. So the priest shall make atonement for her, and she will be clean. Lev 12:8

             Note a lamb was to be offer up as a corban or a sin offering. Though if the woman wasn’t finically able to afford a lamb. The Lord allowed her to offer up, two turtle doves instead.{Lev 5:7 } Why do I find this interesting?

            We all know, how the lamb alluded to "the Lamb of G-d," who’s blood atone for our sins. However what is spiritual significant of the turtledove?

           You may recall after the flood, Noah sent out a dove, in search of dry land. Though not finding dry land, the dove returned to the safety of the ark. {Gen 8:8 - 9 } Norah then waited seven more days, then sent the dove out, in search of dry land again. The dove returned in the evening, with a freshly picked olive leaf in it’s mouth {Gen 8:10 - 11 } Then Norah waited another seven days, and sent the dove out, in search of dry land once again. Though unlike the last two times, the dove didn’t return. {Gen 8:12 } Where am I going with this?

           Well, bearing in mind the dove, was sent out to find safety of a dry place. Isn’t it interesting the next time a dove, is mention in the scriptures. Is when Yeshua is emerging out of the water, after being baptized. When the spirit in the form of a dove, descended upon Him. { John 1:32 }

           So both the lamb and the turtle doves that were sacrifice as a sin offering, depending on the woman’s finical status, points to "the Lamb of G-d," the ultimate sacrifice. However if you have bought into the myth that the law, was done away, at the foot of the Cross. Then more than likely, you were ignorant of this fact, because rarely if ever is the book of Leviticus alluded to, within the Church.

            Remember for a grand total of forty days, a woman was considered as being "tamei," or ritual unclean, following the birth of a son. { Lev 12:3-4 } Hence I want to turn to the B’rit Hadashah, {New Testament} namely the book of Matthew.

          Though in prefacing the event that I am about to, let me start out by saying. Yeshua said, "do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill." {Matt 5:17 } Why?

      The following Greek word for fulfill "pleroo," is derive from the following Greek word, "pleres," witch means "complete." Why is this meaningful? Well, Yeshua stated, He didn’t come to do away with the law, but He came to fulfill, or complete it. Thus when Yeshua said, "I am the aleph and tov," which are the first and last letters in the Hebrew alephbet. He was including the book of Leviticus, which covers a large portion of the law.

            When eight days were completed for the circumcision of the Child, His name was called Yeshua, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb. Luke 2:21

          So, having came into the world, not do away with the law, but to complete it. In accordance to the law, eight days after Yeshua’s birth. Yeshua was circumcised; {Lev 12:3 } and on the eighth day, He was named Yeshua, which means "salvation."

         Then forty days after Yeshua’s birth, Mary was deemed purified, in accordance to the law. {Lev 12:2-6 } Thus Joseph and Mary then, took their new born babe to Jerusalem; in order to present Him, before a Cohen priest.

       For as it as it is written, "every male who opens the womb shall be called holy to the LORD,"and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the law of the Lord, "A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons." Luke 2:23-24

          Briefly what Luke is referring to {Lev 12:4 ,}is the law of purification, after giving birth. So, Joseph and Mary brought Yeshua to the temple, in accordance to the law.

           We know this to be the case, because in accordance to the law, upon arriving in the temple. Mary being poor, presented two turtle doves, as a sin offering. Along with two young pigeons, as a peace offering to the priest. Luke 2:25

        Remember G-d’s word depicts, Job as an upright, or blameless man. {Job 1:1 } Well likewise there was an upright man in Jerusalem, waiting for "the Consolation of Israel." Which simply means this upright man Simeon, was waiting for the Messiah to appear. Luke 2: 25

          That said, up until this point, the holy spirit had been absent for some 430 years. But here we find, the holy spirit, was on Simeon. The holy spirit in turn revealed to Simeon, the precise moment Mary came in the temple, bearing the Messiah. Luke 2:26

           Several scholars are of the opinion that Simeon, was the son of the fame sage, Hillel. There is no evidence supporting this claim. Though I find this theory interesting, because Simeon was believe to have been a member of the Sanhedrin. This is noteworthy, because there were members of the Sanhedrin, who were secret believers in Yeshua, such as Nicodemus. {John 3:1 }

              Surely the Lord GOD does nothing, Unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets. Amos 3:7

       So, Simeon then being led by the spirit, entered into the temple. At the precise moment, Mary came in the temple, bearing Yeshua in her arms. {Luke 2:27 } It should be noted though, had Simeon ignored, the prompting of the holy spirit. Simeon wouldn’t have been blessed to witness, the new born Messiah.

           With that said, there is a misconception, that keeping the commandments will save you. When in fact, keeping the commandments, hadn’t saved anyone. Though the Lord did promise to bless anyone, who keeps His commandments, {Deut 7:12 - 15 } and Simeon is a prime example of this biblical fact.

        This is noteworthy, because after Simeon witnessed Yeshua. Similar to Jacob he said, "Lord you are letting Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word; For my eyes have seen Your salvation."

Luke 2:29-30

          The following Greek word for Lord "despots," imply "master," is rarely ever alluded to in the New Testament Why is this significant?

        Remember the Lord promises to bless anyone, who keep His commandments. I mention this, because the Master of the universe, before his death. All because Simeon heeded the prompting of the holy spirit, which was the Father’s will. Thus, Simeon was then bless, for having heeded the Lord’s commandments

Forty days: The period of "forty days" is significance, throughout the Scriptures, for example. "Forty days" is usually is recognized, as a time set period in preparation before the start of a specific event. From the time of Genesis we see this concept illustrated.

       Rain fell for "forty days" and nights after Noah built the Ark {Gen 7:4 } Then water covered the earth, for "forty days" and nights. {Gen 7:12 } Then Moses ascended Mount Sinai and was there for "forty days," in order to receive the Ten Commandments. {Ex 34:28} The spies sent into the Promised Land, spent "forty days," scouting it out, then came back with a bad report, except for Joshua and Caleb. {Num 13:35 } In turn the Lord sentenced the children of Israel to wonder in the wilderness for "forty" years, for heeding the bad report. Num 14:33

        The numerical value for "forty" means, "tested." Thus I find it interesting that the Lord said, "you shall remember that the LORD your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not." {Deut 8:2} Implying whenever the Lord is trying someone, the numerical value of "forty" will be involve.

        With this in mind, in the B’rit Hadashah or New Testament, the period of "forty days," plays a essential role. Remember Yeshua fasted for "forty days," in the wilderness. {Matt 4:2 , Mark 1:13 } Then Satan appeared, tempting Him. Matt 4:3

         Though, there are lesser known "forties" in the scriptures, for example. The minimum amount of water required for a "mikveh bath," ( a ritual immersion bath) is "forty seah" which is 240 gallons. Then "forty days" following conception, the formation of the fetus appears. Thus, I find it interesting; the height of the main entrance to the Temple Sanctuary was forty cubits high. Why?

        There are interesting connections to be made here, especially if one considers that the letter in the Hebrew alphabet, with the numerical value of 40 is the letter "mem."{m} This is significant, because the Hebrew letter "mem" symbolizes "life." What is the connection, to be made here?

       Well Yeshua said, "most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life." {John 5:24 } Hence, not only is the numerical number of "forty" analogous to testing. The numerical number of "forty," is also associated with Yeshua, who is the source of eternal life.

,An update: Remember the fifteen year old Hebrew boy, who was tragically a victim of a bomber that I ask, prayers for a few weeks ago? Well, I thought that I would share the following update with you, that I received.

           Initially, Ami was in an induced coma, but he is now fully cognizant and having to fight through the physical battle. Ami, as well as his family, are also fighting through the emotional and spiritual battles that accompany an event such as this. For Ami, processing the trauma has only begun. He's had only a couple of days to begin dealing with what must be a flood of emotions coursing through him, with the physical evidence to see, as well as the pain that must seem to come from every square inch of his body.

          Ami is having trouble sleeping, because he is having flashbacks of the explosion. His blood-pressure is high; he has a fever and the pain is increasing as they slowly reduce his medication. Besides the much needed prayer for Ami's ongoing healing, we need to pray that no anger and bitterness will take root in his precious young life, or in the hearts of his family.

A Brief History

          Ami's father is a pastor of a small congregation in the Jewish city of Ariel, located just inside what many refer to as the West Bank. Ami's mother is a Jewish believer and most of the congregation is Jewish. However, as we shared in the original update, much of his father's ministry has been to Muslims and he has been blessed to have led many to a life set free through Y'shua (pronounced Y'sua by Arabs). Because of his work among the Muslim Arabs, Ami's father and the others that serve alongside him, have over the years been subject to beatings and retaliation by members of the Muslim community.

        Ami's father and the congregation have also impacted the Jewish people within their own community and have been blessed to see Jewish men and women, come to know Y'shua as their Messiah.

             "Missionary" is a derogatory term in both the Jewish and Muslim world, so much so that most Believers here in Israel completely avoid using the word. The Rabbis have convinced the general population that anyone living in Israel who believes in Y'shua is a "missionary," even if you are an ordinary citizen working a normal job and not involved in any evangelical activity.

            It's fairly safe to say that most, if not all, secular Jews do not condone any type of violence toward Jewish Believers in Y'shua; even most religious Jews would probably agree as the Torah does not allow for such deeds. However, most religious Jews are convinced that if a Jew believes in Y'shua, he is no longer a Jew and his soul is condemned to hell.

         For centuries, certain Jews have been able to reflect upon many acts of persecution leveled against them by those who called themselves "Christians". This has tended to inflame their feelings of betrayal when one of their own becomes a follower of the "Christian" Messiah.

       Over the last couple of decades, the believing community in Israel has been subject to periods of harassment and violence at the hands of Ultra-Orthodox Jewish/anti-missionary groups. The most common types of aggression has been tire slashing; fire-bombings; intrusions into places of worship; protesting outside of the homes of Believers; posting pictures of Believers on walls, in pamphlets, through the mail and the Internet; slander; cursing; spitting; and video taping of Believers in public places. All are meant to intimidate and humiliate.

          In recent years, these Ultra-Orthodox Jewish groups have been outraged by Ami's father's openness in sharing his love of Y'shua and they have used some of these tactics against the members of his congregation. Eventually, Ami's family was able to convince the local police to set up a surveillance camera to help determine who was involved in this harassment. Because of an image captured on this camera, the police now know who left the Purim gift package at the front door of Ami's home. The investigation of this atrocity has been referred to the Shabach, Israel's internal general security service. They have determined that the perpetrator is connected to a radical Jewish religious group. Thankfully, the authorities are working to apprehend the perpetrators.

            In closing, I continue to ask on Ami and his family behalf, that you remember them in your prayers. And also pray that the authorities capture the perpetrators, of this crime.

                May the LORD bless you and keep you. May the LORD make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you. May the LORD lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace."  Num 6:22- 26