Dear Doves,

 

      Noah and his family, the 8, loaded the animals and the birds, male and female pairs of clean and unclean creatures onto the ark for about 7 days from Cheshvan 10 to 17. When was all in readiness for the transitional days onto the new home of the ark before the rains, the deluge, and the flood? The symbolic and literal death of Methuselah at age 969 around Cheshvan 10 was very significant, a great marker in space and time. His name meant that when he died that it would come. What would come soon after his death? The global flood and massive deaths by drowning for almost the whole of humankind. His last week of life was Cheshvan 3 to 10. This person alone of men and women alive in the days of Noah and his family had known Adam and people of every generation from Adam to Noah and his sons Ham, Shem, and Japeth. Methuselah lived 969 years, longer than the lifetimes of Adam and the next generations to Noah and his sons! Adam lived to be 930 years. There were 10 generations from Adam to the flood, according to Genesis 5. Methuselah was The One who was the great spiritual repository of lessons of those of 10 generations! This was remarkable, distinctive, and very special. Imagine what a mentor, a spiritual guide, he must have been. Who really mourned him for 7 days when he died? It appears only the pure and untainted line of Noah. Was Methuselah the ancestor of the pure line of Noah, perfect in his generations, untainted by mating with fallen angels to create the Nefilim? Never underestimate the immense significance of the person, the character, the lifetime, and the transitional death of Methuselah. Cheshvan on The Spiritual Year Calendar can be October or November. Usually, most days of Cheshvan are in November. In 2012, Cheshvan 3 will be 10-18 to 19, Cheshvan 10 will be 10-25 to 26, and Cheshvan 17 will be 11-1 to 2. These are the dates on the Hillel Calendar.

   In Genesis 8:22 we read about essentially 2 seasons of the year in the days of Noah about "seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter." When does autumn/winter begin in Israel? It usually would be in October, a few weeks after the conclusion of the days of Tishri 21 and 22. The rainy season for Israel would be from late Tishri (at the earliest) or early Cheshvan (typical beginning) then to Tevet (heaviest rains) then to Nisan (rains ending). These days of rain would be followed by days of sun and harvests from Nisan (beginning) to Tammuz (most intense) then Tishri (ending). As of Cheshvan (October/November), would be the plowing of the land, the sowing (seeding) of wheat and barley, finishing grape and fig harvests, olive harvest begun, sheep slaughter, onset of the season of the sheepfolds, and dates ripening. During October began "the former rain" the start of the rainy season proceeding until Nisan. Then in Kislev (November/December) would be more tilling of the land and sowing (seeding) of wheat and barley. The essence of this period of mid autumn to winter from October 21 to December 21 was plowing, sowing (seeding), and the former rain. Any remaining harvest was of olives, the final concluding crop (species) of the 7 of the land of Israel. We are into the Season of Transitions.

   The first rain for Israel of "the former rain" was called The Yovel. See Deuteronomy 11:14, Jeremiah 5:24, and Amos 4:7 for significance. The Yovel was a great marker in space and in time. It is rare for The Yovel to begin before October. The days of Cheshvan from 3 to 10: were they the days the animals and birds were collected and put onto temporary pens near the ark? Like sheepfolds? Cared for and soothed in new transitional habitats? This is logical. The days of Chesvan 3 to 17 were days of preparation for THE GLOBAL YOVEL that year! Then were the additional days of Cheshvan 17 plus 40 days of transition into a massive rainy season worldwide. Whose idea was it to collect the animals and birds during Cheshvan 3 to 10? Noah? I think this was a last brilliant, kind, and wise suggestion from Methuselah! Once the animals and birds began to trust the tender loving care of the Noah family of 8, they could have them enter the ark without anxiety, fear, or panic, or violence. The period to begin The Trust was Cheshvan 3 to 10, earlier than Cheshvan 10 to 17. There were no disruptive incidents from Cheshvan 10 to 17. A KEY is to look to Cheshvan 3 to 10 before the Great Spiritual Marker of the DEATH of wise Methuselah and the subsequent transitional days of Cheshvan 10 to 17. Might The Day of The Blessed Hope be near The Yovel for Israel in 2012, between Cheshvan 3  to 10 to 17? "As the days of Noah were, so shall the coming of the Son of Man be." The Master clearly linked His coming with autumnal days (Cheshvan) of "the days of Noah" rather than the earlier days in Tishri of 1 to 22. It is a short delay, a respite in space and time. Daily now, we shall be WATCHING for "the joy of His appearing."

 

With Love and Shalom,

Jean