8th Month of Israel, Cheshvan (Manasseh) page 2 8 th Month of God’s Calendar Cheshvan (Oct/Nov) Cheshvan Is The Fall Month Associated Manasseh (Joseph’s 1 st Son) Cheshvan is the month of judgment and the month of grace. Cheshvan the 8th month in the year. ‘8’ signifies revelation and new beginnings. This is the only month with no Hebrew holidays. The Jews believe God is saving this month for Messiah. When Messiah comes and God’s temple is rebuilt, they believe it will be dedicated in Cheshvan. The Jews Associate Two Very Important Things With This Month First, it’s associated with the tribe of Manasseh. Manasseh means ‘forget the pain of the past’ and ‘one who gains back their inner balance in difficult circumstances in spite of being separated from their past life.’ This is a month to be restored from the past and find a new beginning. Second, it’s the month of the great flood. The flood began in Cheshvan. So Cheshvan was a month of judgment. But the flood ended the following year in Cheshvan, and God revealed the sign of His covenant faithfulness, the rainbow. So Cheshvan is also a month of God’s grace. FALL SEASON The three months of the fall season – Tishrei Sept/Oct, Cheshvan Oct/Nov, Kislev Nov/Dec – correspond to the three tribes of the camp of Ephraim – Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin– who were situated to the west of the Tabernacle in the wilderness. • In the Seventh Month, Tishrei The month of the Fall Feasts”—Returning to God and experiencing His Glory. The month to ‘touch’’,” to remember the woman who pressed through to touch Him. To awaken and remove that which would keep you from returning. • In the Eighth Month, Cheshvan God wants to know that His rainbow reveals the sign of His covenant with the world. A time of eternal revelaton and new beginnings. • In the Ninth Month, Kislev God then wants to develop your warfare strategies; to have prophetic revelation for war. A month to enter into to a new level of trust and rest and to declare your life experiences to be filled with tranquility and peace 8th Month of Israel, Cheshvan (Manasseh) page 3 Appointed Times: Feast of Trumpets, Atonement, and Tabernacles. Feasts representing the 2nd Coming Of Messiah Jesus. The Tribe of Manasseh’s Month Is Cheshvan Joseph was the 11th son of Jacob and had two sons by his Egyptian wife, Asenath, Manasseh his first son down in Egypt. His birth helped Joseph forget the pain and injustice in his life, Joseph named him Manasseh. The Month Of Manasseh Is A Month To Be Fruitful And Multiply In A Foreign Land Ephraim and Manasseh are significant – both are picture of the One New Man. For the first time among the patriarchs, an Israelite and a gentile come together to birth something new. Israel has had a long history of loss and rejection, but as the One New Man arises, they will be able to forget the past and become fruitful. Jacob prophesied over Manasseh and Ephraim but he switched his hands gave the blessing of the firstborn to Ephraim instead of Manasseh. He said Manasseh will be great but Ephraim will be greater. He said they would be a picture of ultimate blessing in Israel. The Blessings Of Manasseh Jacob adopted Manasseh and his brother Ephraim and God showered great blessing on them. In fact, their blessing became a standard by which blessings are measured. When Jews today pray a blessing over their sons on Shabbat, they pray that God would make them like Ephraim and Manasseh. The tribe of Manasseh birthed mighty warriors like Gideon and Jephthah. Manasseh’s tribe was able to stand against their enemies and gain great victories. When Israel made it to the promised land the best of the land was given to Manasseh. They got the largest section of land east of the Jordan and on the west side of the Jordan. The territory of Manasseh was the richest and most productive part of the promised land. But for all their blessings, Manasseh was not loyal to God. The Cursing’s Of Manasseh Manasseh Demonstrates The Judgment Of God When the ten Northern tribes rebelled against Judah, Manasseh joined with them. King Jeroboam re-introduced the worship of the golden calf to control the people from reuniting with Judah. So Manasseh turned from the true god and worshipped the golden calves. God sent prophet after prophet to worn them. Elijah & Elisha worked great signs and wonders. Jonah, Amos & Hosea all gave warnings to the unfaithful nation. But though there were brief periods of partial repentance, Manasseh repeatedly turned away from God. Eventually because of their continuing idolatry, God’s judgment fell. God let the 10 northern tribes to be conquered by the Assyrians. Their people were carried off as captives. Manasseh became on the Lost Tribes of Israel. For centuries everyone assumed that Manasseh had been totally destroyed. So Manasseh was a symbol of the terrible judgment of God. Yet, Manasseh Also Demonstrates The Grace Of God 8th Month of Israel, Cheshvan (Manasseh) page 4 But God had not forgotten Manasseh. Israel National New – June 24, 2011. A group of people in northern India who call themselves Bnei Menashe, or the sons of Manasseh. They say they are of the tribe of Manasseh that were carried into captivity by the Assyrians 27 centuries ago. “throughout their exile, and even after their one copy of the written Torah was lost, the Bnei Mesashe have continued to observe Jewish traditions, including the Sabbath, keeping kosher, celebrating the festivals, following purity laws and remembering the Exodus from Egypt.” Cheshvan Was A Month Of Judgment God wants us to know that judgment is real. God does not enjoy judgment. He is always patient, giving us time to repent. During the years the ark was being prepared 120 years, Noah preached to His generation and urged the to repent. But because God is patient, it’s a mistake to think that judgment will not come. But judgment came in Cheshvan. Cheshvan Is Also A Month Of Grace But Noah found grace in God’s eyes. If we repent and turn from sin and walk with God, there is always grace. So the story of Manasseh was all about judgment and grace. That is also the story of the flood. Just as God gave grace to Manasseh, God gave grace to Noah in the midst of the flood. Even when the world is under judgment, God gives His people Grace. Grace came in Cheshvan. In the month of Cheshvan, Noah and his family left the ark. God made a covenant with him to never again destroy the earth with a flood and gave a covenant sign. The rainbow. Cheshvan – The Month It is a month to forget the pain of the past and be restored to God and find a new beginning. It’s a month to receive God’s covenant promise. Jer. 29:11 I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you a hope and a future. This month even when you see judgment at work in the world, know that God has grace for anyone who will turn to Him. Cheshvan Is The Month To Know That God Judges Sin But Also That He Is Full Of Grace For Those Who Return To Him. Cheshvan is a month to see where you messed up in the past and repent. It’s a month to celebrate the goodness and faithfulness of God It’s a month to know that God always keeps His covenant. 8th Month of Israel, Cheshvan (Manasseh) page 5 Cheshvan Is Also The Month Of The Great Flood Genesis 6-8 tells us that the flood began in the month of Cheshvan. The flood ended the following year in Cheshvan. In Cheshvan, Noah brought his sacrifice to the Lord and God swore never again to destroy the earth with a flood. In Cheshvan, God revealed the sign of His covenant, the rainbow. READ Genesis 6:1-14 “I am going to destroy both them and the earth, so make yourself an ark” The flood began with an account of the sons of God who saw that the daughters of men were fair. There were giants on the earth in those days…mighty men, men of renown. And God saw that the wickedness of man was great on the earth and that every imagination of thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. It repented the Lord. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. Symbol For Manasseh Is The Palm Tree Ps 92:12 say’s that “The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree.” Manasseh is the fruitful bough, the fruitful son by the well. The roots of the tree are as long as the tree’s height. There in the desert he makes his own oasis. His roots go deep and he gets his water from the deep rivers of God that other’s may not know about. Manasseh’s and Ephraim’s Gemstone: Onyx Many times we think of onyx a black stone, but there is an Onyx that is a striped agate, a variety of quartz in which white layers alternate with black. It is the color of Joseph’s two sons: Manasseh & Ephraim. The Romans applied this name originally to a type of marble, now called onyx marble. Because of the resemblance between its well-defined white and yellow veins and the shades in the finger-nail, it was given the name onyx, which is Greek for "fingernail." It has been used a great deal in making cameos.