Page 16 - The Messiah Beyond a Shadow of Doubt

The Messiah: Beyond a Shadow of Doubt

How to Read This Book

The subject of the Messiah in the Appointed Times is one of the most fascinating
studies in all the Scriptures. In order to make the message understandable to as many people
as possible, I have included some information that will help those who may not be as versed in
the Scriptures or the stories of the Bible. For the reader who already has this knowledge, I ask
for your patience, as we occasionally review some fundamental stories and concepts, especially
in Chapter 5, which provides a historical background of the Appointed Times. The review
information may be useful to all readers, and at the very least it will help to clarify our usage of
terms.
For the reader who is less familiar with the Bible, I hope that you persevere in
understanding this material—it is certainly worth the effort. This book provides valuable aids,
including a rich set of endnotes, information about the Hebrew calendar, a glossary, background
information from the Talmud, Quick Facts tables about each Appointed Time, and an explanation
of the synoptic gospels. I am confident that you will be able to grasp this information with a
little effort, so this book has been designed to assist you in your journey.

Footnotes

You will notice many footnotes in the text, which provide additional information about
the subject at hand, including biblical and extra-biblical references. Significant effort has been
applied to documenting points from many sources, so you can see where and how they were
derived—you do not have to take my word as the only source of information. The footnotes
include biblical references, Jewish writings, and historical and scientific documents. As much as
possible, the oldest, most reliable sources have been used.

Understanding the Ancient Calendar

As mentioned earlier, understanding how the ancient Israelites tracked time is one of
the keys to understanding how the Appointed Times relate to key events of Jesus’ ministry. If we
were to study the Appointed Times by our modern calendar, we would likely miss the message
and the intricate timing that the Lord built into the time signature of the Messiah.

But rather than explaining those concepts in line with the main flow of this book,
I have provided all of the timing information that you will need (and more) in a compendium
called Tracking Time in Israel, which has been included in its entirety at the end of this book. In
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