We hold the birth of Messiah very dear and near to our hearts, but have we missed one of the most significant aspects concerning His birth? Have we even heard of the term ‘Migdal Edar’ or have we read over this in Scripture? Do we know that ‘Migdal Edar’ means tower of the flock? But what about the Migdal [tower] Edar [flock] in Bethlehem? We will get to the significance shortly.
We do know that John the Baptist identified Yahusha as “Behold the Lamb of Elohim.” [John 1:36] From Yahusha’s baptism to the outpouring of His Holy Spirit on Pentecost, was exactly 490 days. We know the 490 timeline from the Book of Daniel [9:24-27] is very significant [both in years and days – 70x7]. We also know that Yahusha came as THE Sacrificial Passover Lamb.
Priestly shepherds were trained for their royal task of raising and knowing what lambs would meet the qualifications as a Passover lamb.
1. The lamb was to be chosen on the 10th day of the 1st month. [Ex. 12:3] At the ‘triumphal entry’, Yahusha rode into Jerusalem on the 10th day of the 1st month and the crowd praised Him. [Matthew 21]
2. The lamb was to be a perfect one. It was to be a one year old male, but not two. [Ex. 12:5] Thus, we see the significance of Yahusha’s ministry as the Lamb of Elohim, being 490 days from water [baptism] to fire [Pentecost]. He was the Perfect Lamb of one year of age, but not two.
3. The blood of the Passover lamb was to be place on the two doorposts and the lintel of the house. [Ex. 12:22] Today, believers are the Temple of Elohim where His Holy Spirit dwells. [1Cor. 3:16] His blood has been placed over our lives. We have been washed by the blood of the Lamb. [Rev. 12:11]
4. The blood causes the death angel to ‘pass over’ those covered by the blood.
5. Once a year, we are commanded to keep the Passover festival which is not to be confused with ‘Easter’ which is the pagan celebration of the fertility goddess Ishtar.
6. Once a year we are to partake of the elements of bread and wine in remembrance of Him. We remove our sandals of authority and wash each other’s feet showing that we no longer walk in the ways of this world, but have become part of His kingdom of priests from every tongue, tribe, people, and nation after the order of Melchizedek [Ps.110:4; 1Pet. 2:9; Ex. 19:5-6; Rev. 5:9]. If we unavoidably miss the annual Passover feast, it is permitted to be observed in the 2nd month on the 14th day. [Ex. 12:6; Numbers 9:11] These are the only times of the year the elements are to be observed; not weekly or randomly.
7. Passover is known as the ‘night of watches’ [Ex. 12:42] and the feast of fleeing. The priestly shepherds kept watch over the sacrificial lamb candidates 24/7.
Question: In the days of Yahusha HaMashiach’s birth, where did the priestly shepherds watch over the ‘special sacrificial’ temple flock? Answer: At Migdal Edar which means the ‘tower of the flock.’
Question: When the heavenly hosts notified the shepherds in the fields, how did they know where to look in Bethlehem to find the Messiah that had been born? Answer: All shepherds knew there was a special place close to town where sacrificial lambs would be birthed, raised, and observed by priestly shepherds. They would determine if the lamb qualified as being perfect for temple sacrifice. It is said that when a lamb was born, the “priestly” shepherd would carefully wrap it in swaddling cloths to keep it from harming its limbs and lay it in a manger until the newborn had calmed down.
The first mention of Migdal Edar is in Gen. 35:21:
Gen 35:19 So Raḥěl died and was buried on the way to Ephrath, that is Běyth Leḥem.
Gen 35:20 And Ya‛aqoḇ [Jacob] set a standing column on her burial-place, which is the monument of Raḥěl’s burial-place to this day.
Gen 35:21 And Yisra’ěl set out and pitched his tent beyond the tower of Ěḏer.[TS2009]
The Migdal Edar birthplace of Yahusha in Ephrath Bethlehem, was not a random location but a significant one. Rachel died at Ephrath, that is Bethlehem, giving birth to Benjamin [son of my right hand]. This was also the town of David and the home of Boaz. A couple of years after Messiah's birth, we read:
Mat 2:16 Then Herodes, having seen that he was fooled by the Magi, was greatly enraged, and he sent forth and slew all the male children in Běyth Leḥem and in all its borders, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had exactly learnt from the Magi.
Mat 2:17 Then was filled what was spoken by Yirmeyahu [Jeremiah] the prophet, saying,
Mat 2:18 “A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and weeping, and great mourning – Raḥěl weeping for her children, refusing to be comforted, because they were no more.”Jer_31:15.
Yahusha, our King, was born at Migdal Edar in Ephrath Bethlehem. This was his first dominion. [Micha 4:8]
Micah 4:8 And thou, O tower of the flock, the stronghold of the daughter of Zion shall come unto thee; and the dominion shall come first, the kingdom, to the daughter of Jerusalem [Jub]
Glory to YHWH in the highest, who watches over His Word [His Son] to fulfill every jot and tittle!
Micah 5:2 “But you, Běyth Leḥem Ephrathah, you who are little among the clans of Yehuḏah, out of you shall come forth to Me the One to become Ruler in Yisra’ěl. And His comings forth are of old, from everlasting.”
Our Elohim is an awesome Elohim. We serve the Elohim of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He is the Elohim of the living and not the dead. We are Israel born from above. To this day, we are ‘Joseph’s flame.'
Oba 1:18 “And the house of Ya‛aqoḇ shall be a fire, and the house of Yosěph a flame,…
Would not His Father mind every detail of His Son? Not only is Yahusha the Lamb of Elohim but also, He is the Good Shepherd, our strong tower that watches over His flock.
Pro 18:10 The Name of יהוה is a strong tower; The righteous run into it and are safe.
Pass this blessing forward. In His Love & Shalom, Libby
[Added emphasis with brackets or bold font in Scripture mine]