Appointment

    

      

     If the LORD made an appointment to meet with you and reveal Himself to you, and fellowship with you, would you keep that appointment? Most of us would surely say, "Yes! Of course!" The LORD has provided these appointments, but most of us fail to show up, or if we do show up, the people of God have changed the appointment into something that is done according to tradition or religious obligation, leaving no room for the expectation in faith of encountering the presence of the living God. 

     These appointments with the LORD are composed of the holy saving blood, the cleansing and refreshing of holy water, the holy voice and breath of the LORD, the consuming power of holy fire, the sacrifice of the holy offering, and the glory of His holy presence. They were never meant to be treated as a time of customary ritual.

     This week's Sabbath reading portion is titled Emor, which means "Say". The title comes from Leviticus 23:1-2: "And the LORD spoke (dabar - speak, say, promise, pronounce, declare, warn, primary power is to arrange in order, to lead, to guide to pasture, to follow behind) to Moses, saying ('amar - say, speak, command, to be called, to say in one's heart, to avow, to bid, appoint, desire, require, show and declare, to bear forth, to bring light), 'Speak (see dabar above) to the children of Israel, and say (see 'amar above) to them: The feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim (qara'/qara' - call and endow, proclaim, appoint, named, invited, bidden, gave, renowned, preach, utter a loud sound, be summoned, be called out, be chosen/meet, encounter, cause to meet) to be holy convocations (miqra/qara' - assembly, calling, calling together, reading, reciting, a rehearsal/see qara' above), these are My feasts (mo'ed/ya'ad - feast, congregation, sacred season, appointed time-meeting-place-sign, solemn, tent of meeting/meet, assemble, appointed, time, agreed, appointment, to be set or fixed, to espouse, betrothed for marriage)."

     We see in the above two verses that there are three different Hebrew words used for something spoken: "speak, say, proclaim", and each of those words has its own powerful emphasis. The LORD is leaving no room for misunderstanding. The letters of the Hebrew word emor, meaning "say", which is the title of this Sabbath, are aleph + mem + reysh. Each letter has its own meaning in this language and can give us an even deeper understanding of what is meant. These three letters when joined together can mean: "Adonai/the Lord is the First, the mighty and massive origin of the water and the blood, the Highest, the Head, the Beginning, the most important." This is the One who is "saying" and issuing the proclamation regarding His feasts.

     This isn't a religious practice that is determined by a man, but it is a command, appointment, invitation, calling, declaration, summons, encounter, desire in the heart of the LORD.

     All of (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-the-Feasts (written Hebrew in Lev. 23:44) spoken of by the LORD in Leviticus 23 are: the Sabbath, the LORD's Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread to the LORD, the Feast of Firstfruits, the Feast of Weeks (Shavuot, Pentecost) which will occur later this month, the Feast of Trumpets (Yom Teruah, Rosh Hashanah), the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot, Feast of Ingathering), and The Eighth Day (Simchat Torah: "Rejoice in the Torah/Word of God").

     It is revealed in the New Testament that the identity of Jesus, and His appearing and purpose to mankind are found within all of the feasts of the LORD named in Leviticus 23. 

     Jesus directly associated Himself with at least four of the feasts (Sabbath - see Mk. 2:27-28; Passover and Unleavened Bread - see Mk. 14:12-25; Tabernacles [incl. water-drawing ceremony/Nissuch Ha-Mayim] - see Jn. 7:37-39). The apostles also wrote of Messiah/Christ's identification with the Feasts of the LORD mentioned in Lev. 23 including Passover, First Fruits, Trumpets, Atonement, Feast of Weeks/Pentecost (Christ's identity is hidden in the Greek root words of Acts 2:1), and Tabernacles. So the feasts are not limited in observance and understanding to Israel or the Jewish people only, but to all who call upon the name of the LORD and receive His Person, His Word and His Voice because these are the Feasts of the LORD.

     Other readings assigned to this week's Emor, or "Say", Sabbath portion record how the LORD moved upon His people in connection with their heart-felt keeping of His feasts. Nehemiah records what happened immediately following the Israelites' keeping of the seven-day Feast of Tabernacles and The Eighth Day (Simchat Torah) observance that had not been kept for centuries, since the days of Joshua. (see Neh. 8:16-17). The next day, on the twenty-fourth day of the seventh month, the people of God assembled themselves, separating themselves from the foreigners in their midst, and began to repent and confess their sins as the Book of the Law was read to them. The Levites began to sing the song of the LORD, and the people renewed their covenant with God. (Neh. 9 and 10). There was great spiritual revival and commitment among the people.

     In another reading portion, during the Feast of the LORD in the seventh month, which the rabbis teach was the Feast of Tabernacles, Solomon assembled the (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-elders and (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-heads-of-tribes in Israel, and had (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-the-ark brought up from the City of David, which is Zion, and placed in the Holiest Place in the newly built temple in Jerusalem. The Levites began to play their instruments and sing as one sound, praising and thanking the LORD, saying, "For He is good, and His mercy endures forever." In that moment, the house of the LORD was filled with a cloud, and the glory of the LORD filled (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-the-house of God. (2 Chron. 5:2-14 KJV).

     The prophet Ezekiel's prophetic vision of a temple that would be built included the glory of the LORD: "Also He brought me by way of the north gate to the front of the temple; so I looked, and behold, the glory of the LORD filled (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-the-house of the LORD; and I fell on my face." (Ezek. 44:4).

     As we saw earlier above, the Hebrew word for "feast" is mo'ed which also includes the meaning "the tent of meeting". The tent of meeting was the place where Moses met with God and spoke to Him: "Moses took his tent and pitched it outside the camp, and called it (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-the-tabernacle of meeting. And it came to pass that every one who sought the LORD went out to the tabernacle of meeting which was outside the camp...And it came to pass, when Moses entered the tabernacle, that pillar of cloud descended and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the LORD talked with Moses...All the people saw the (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega)-pillar...and all the people rose and worshipped...So the LORD spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend..." (Ex. 33:7-11).

     Because of Jesus' sacrifice for our salvation (Passover, Day of Atonement), and His sending the Holy Spirit to each of us (part of the Feast of Weeks/Pentecost), we also may meet with the Lord in our spirits, speaking to Jesus and directly to the Father (see Jn. 16:23-24) as speaking face to face with a friend within our tents or tabernacles of meeting, which are our own bodies, as Paul wrote. (see 1 Cor. 3:16-17). These tents of meeting, which are our bodies, have also been filled with the glory of the Lord, according to the Words of Jesus (see Jn. 17:22-23) and Apostle Paul (see Rom. 8:28-30, 2 Thess. 2:13-14).

     The Feasts of the LORD should not be a foreign concept to us as believers in Jesus, because they are the stories of our lives in Jesus Messiah/Christ, as He has manifested His presence and glory within us, as He came the first time, and as He will return again.

     If you would like to know more about how the Feasts of the LORD reflect our walk with Jesus Messiah/Christ, you can pray with me: "Father of the Feasts, You have spoken to Your people and commanded them to keep Your Feasts. You have placed the identity of Your Son, our Savior, Jesus, in the origin and meaning of each Feast.  In Your Feasts, You have shown Your people how to meet with You in Your holy presence through the way provided by Your Son. As I observe Your Feasts at their set times, help me to understand that they are not just tradition or custom, or a date on the calendar, but an appointment with You, and a continuing work of Your Holy Spirit as they reflect the Way of Salvation from its beginning in Passover to its culmination in Your Presence and glory of Tabernacles and The Eighth Day. These Feasts are Your story, Father, Messiah/Christ's story, the Spirit of God's story, and my story in You. As I observe Your Feasts, Lord, let the Holy Spirit continue Your work of perfection and completion in me. Let me draw ever nearer to You, Father, in worship and communion through Jesus. I ask these things in the name of Jesus Messiah/Christ. AMEN."

 *NOTE: aleph-tav written in Hebrew as אֶת, are the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet. The meaning of the two pictographic Hebrew letters can also be interpreted "Adonai (Lord) of the Cross/Covenant". In the New Testament, these letters are translated as Alpha and Omega written as ΑΩ , the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. These letters are those by which Jesus Christ identifies Himself in the Book of Revelation: see Rev. 1:8, Rev. 21:6, Rev. 22:13. 

WarfareFeasts

      "And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 'Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: The feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts." (Lev. 23:1-2).

     These verses above are the beginning of this week's Sabbath reading portion titled Emor, meaning "Say." In the verses above, there are three different words that express a spoken communication. Each of the three words has a distinct and important meaning. By using three different Hebrew words here, what the LORD desired to communicate to His people must carry great importance. However, in many ways, the subject of that importance, the feasts of the LORD, remain a mystery to us. The LORD must want us to search them out.

     First, we can look at the Hebrew words and meanings used above to express spoken communication:

• "Speak" is the word dabar in Hebrew, meaning "speak, utter, declare, command, promise, warn, sing, appoint, commune, pronounce, rehearse, teach." The Hebrew letters used to make up the word dabar are daleth, beth, and reysh. The individual meanings of these three pictographic letters could be joined together to mean "The door/way of life to the tent, house, family or body of the Highest."
• "Say" used above is the Hebrew word amar, from which we get the title of this week's Sabbath reading portion, Emor. Amar means "said, speak, answer, command, tell, call, promised, intend, to be called, avow, publish, to be or make prominent, to bear forth, to bring light, to think, to will." The Hebrew letters used to create the word amar are aleph, mem, and reysh. These letters placed together form the idea "The gentle Lord, Adonai, teaches a thousand the source (the beginning) of the waters of the Highest."
• "Proclaim" is the Hebrew word qara which means "call, cried, read, proclaim, named, guests, invited, bidden, preach, utter with a loud voice, summon, call and commission, appoint, call and endow, give name to, be called out, be chosen, encounter, cause to meet." Qara is made up of the Hebrew letters qoph, reysh, and aleph, and these letters when joined together could have the meaning "The last, the back, the final (the end) is the head, the Highest, the gentle Lord Adonai."

     Each of these three words in these verses that express spoken communication of some kind contain three letters. There is a kind of trinity being expressed here.

     Both of the Hebrew words amar, "say", and qara, "called, named" are present throughout Genesis Ch. 1 as God (Elohim *aleph-tav, see also Jn. 1:1-5, 14) created the heavens and the earth. These same two words are used in the other reading selections from the Torah for this week's Emor Sabbath: Lev. 23:23-38 and Lev. 24:1-9 when giving God's commands regarding the feasts of the LORD.

     Jesus also embodied the meaning of these three Hebrew words in one example from the New Testament: "Then Jesus cried out (krazo - cry out aloud, speak with a loud voice, call aloud, scream, shriek, see also qara: proclaim, above) and said (eipon - speak, say, command, grant, answer, bid, tell, see also amar: say, and dabar: declare, promise, pronounce, above), 'He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me. And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me. I have come as a light (see amar: to bring light, above) into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness." (Jn. 12:44-46). Jesus also gave a dabar warning in v. 47-48: "And if anyone hears My words and does not believe, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him - the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last days."

     Elsewhere in scripture, the LORD says: "Now therefore, if you will indeed obey (sama- hear, obey) My voice and keep (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is mine." (Ex. 19:5). The LORD expects us to hear His voice and obey it.

     Jesus also said: "...blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it!" (Lk. 11:28).

     In another reading portion from this Emor Sabbath, the LORD cries out to His people to repent and return to Him: "Hear, O My people, and I will admonish you! O Israel, if you will listen to Me!....Oh, that My people would listen to Me, that Israel would walk in My ways." (Ps. 81:8, 13).

     The LORD, the Great God, has a voice! However, sometimes we have "selective hearing".

     The appointed feasts of the LORD, which He spoke to Moses in Lev. Ch. 23, include the Sabbath, Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of First Fruits, the Feast of Weeks/Pentecost, the Feast of Trumpets (Yom Teruah/Rosh Hashanah), the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), and finally, the Feast of Tabernacles and the Eighth Day called Simchat Torah: Rejoice in the Torah.

  

     In reading of the feasts of the LORD, the Sabbath is a foundational component of each of them. While for some, the feasts are observed by rote in a religious fashion, to others, there is an understanding that the feasts also incorporate a prophetic timeline. Books have been written about the connection of the Feasts of the LORD to Jesus Messiah/Christ. Each feast proclaims the mighty salvation work of Jesus, some Feasts fulfilled through his first appearing, and some to be fulfilled by His prophesied and eagerly awaited soon return.

     I would also like to present an additional meaning to the Feasts of the LORD for us to consider.  The spiritual victories accomplished by the Lord through these feasts are so massive in importance that these spiritual victories affect the natural world and future generations.

     Where there are spiritual victories, there has been spiritual warfare. The spiritual warfare of the Feasts is so intense that life and death may hang in the balance, including the Sabbath observance on the Day of Atonement (Lev. 23:30). How do God's people become collateral damage from the spiritual warfare of the Feast? We will see.

     When we look at the Passover, for example, the Israelites were warned to put the Lamb's blood on the doorposts and lintels of their houses. They were to go into their houses, shut the door, and not come out of their door until morning. That night, death would move throughout the land of Egypt, and the only safety provided for God's people was to be found in following His instructions completely. (Ex. 12:21-24). It was on this night that God judged the gods of Egypt and those who served them. (see Ex. 12:12). This kind of spiritual warfare was not limited to this night. The Passover was to be observed as an ordinance forever. 

     Nations of the earth were warned by the Prophet Zechariah that if they failed to come to Jerusalem to worship the King (Messiah/Christ), the LORD of hosts, during the Feast of Tabernacles, there would be no rain upon their lands. (Zech. 14:17-19). Come into the safety provided by the LORD in His Feasts or suffer the dangers that await outside of it.

     Jesus, who inhabits the Feasts of the LORD, looked out over Jerusalem and wept because He knew the terror that was coming their way. He said: "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! See! Your house is left to you desolate; for I say to you, you shall see Me no more till you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!" (Mt. 23:37). This was said by Jesus two days before He observed the Passover with His disciples and was crucified. (see Mt. 26:1-2). His invitation was not accepted. Jerusalem observed the Passover and the other Feasts of the LORD religiously and traditionally, but ignored the messengers and the prophets, including John the Baptist (Jn. 1:29-36), who clearly identified Jesus Messiah/Christ with the Feasts. Salvation (yesua [Jesus' Hebrew name]/yasa - salvation, deliverance, health, saving, welfare, prosperity, victory, safe/savior, preserved, defend, rescue, avenge, safe, victory) doesn't come through religious rituals but by only one name under heaven: Jesus. (see Acts 4:10-12).

     I mentioned above that the Feasts of the LORD are associated with the Sabbath as well. (see Lev. 23:7, 11, 15-16, 21, 24-25, 32, 34-35, 39) The Hebrew word for sabbath, which is sabat, means as we expect to see, "rest, cease, be completed." However, sabat also means at the same time, in the same breath, "put an end to, to destroy, to remove, to cause to fail, rid, take away, cut off, interrupt." Here is the warfare of the LORD incorporated into His Sabbaths, and therefore, also into His Feasts.

     As God's people understand this meaning connected to the Feasts of the LORD, they will view the Feasts, not as a religious obligation or tradition, or as something meant only for the Jewish people, but as a haven of safety while the LORD goes into battle against the spirits of evil.

     The Feasts of the LORD are set at appointed times or seasons, and so is warfare. There is a time when kings are to go into battle. (see 2 Sam. 11:1). Spring is specifically mentioned as the time of kings' warfare, and there are Feasts of the LORD designated for the spring season. There is another mention of an appointed time/season for war: "To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven...A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace." (Eccl. 3:1, 8). Jesus incorporates the purposes of the Feasts of the LORD, and we view Him as Peace and the Giver of Peace, and so He is. However, we cannot forget that as the Son of God and as the Son of the warrior king, David, Jesus is also well acquainted with great spiritual warfare and victory. (see Rev. 19:11, 15-16). Jesus didn't deliver us from the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of Light, and from the kingdom of death into the Kingdom of eternal Life without warring against and defeating these spiritual kingdoms of darkness and death. (1 Pet. 2:9-10, 1 Cor. 15:24-26, Rev. 1:17-18). Jesus goes to war and has overcome the world so that we may have peace. (Jn. 16:33).

      The depths that the LORD has hidden in His appointed feasts will impact the whole earth, and His desire to reveal those depths to His people is greater still. However, many ignore His invitation (see qara, above) to come to His appointed feasts, or they come to the Feasts but ignore the prophets and messengers who revealed the prophetic and holy knowledge of the Feasts. Jesus told a parable of a king who invited guests to his son's wedding feast, but many gave excuses not to come. The king said, "The wedding is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy (axios/ago - to know the weight or value befitting a thing/to pass a day, keep or celebrate a feast, etc.)." Others then were invited to fill the wedding hall, but one who attended "did not have on a wedding garment" (the garment reflects the understanding, honor, acceptance and preparation due the king's feast). The king said to his servants: "Bind him hand and foot, take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' For many are called, but few are chosen." (Mt. 22:1-14, excerpt). Properly weigh the value of the invitation sent to us by our King.

 

     We are called to understand the weight of importance, "the worth", that is contained within the Feasts of the LORD, and the habitation of the Savior, Jesus Messiah/Christ within them. The Feasts that have been given to us by God by special invitation are not for His benefit, but for ours. In the appointed time of cataclysmic spiritual warfare, we will be urgently seeking that safety and victory that the LORD has provided in His Feasts.

     

     If you would like to know more about the victory achieved by the LORD in His Feasts, and the provision of safety that He has given for us within them, you can join me in my prayer: "Heavenly and loving Father, how can we know the heights, depths and breadth of the love and provision that You have created for us as expressed in Your Feasts? Your Son, Jesus, was sent to the world to overcome the works of darkness on our behalf, and to deliver us into Your arms of safety. Help us through Your Word and by Your Holy Spirit to enter into Your Feasts understanding the weight of their value to us. Lord Jesus, the warfare and victory that You have fought and brought forth on our behalf is beyond anything that the world can provide for us. You are our song, and our salvation, our place of safety, and our victory, and we meditate upon and deeply consider the price that You paid in the battle, and we celebrate the supernatural victory that You achieved for us. Let me not look at the Feasts in the same way as before but let me hear what You say to teach me and enter into the depth of meaning that You have placed within the Feasts. I bless and thank You in the name of Jesus. AMEN."

*NOTE: aleph-tav written in Hebrew as אֶת, are the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet. The meaning of the two pictographic Hebrew letters can also be interpreted "Adonai (Lord) of the Cross/Covenant". In the New Testament, these letters are translated as Alpha and Omega written as ΑΩ , the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. These letters are those by which Jesus Christ identifies Himself in the Book of Revelation: see Rev. 1:8, Rev. 21:6, Rev. 22:13.

     

SabbathPlace

     The title of this week's Sabbath reading portion is Emor, meaning "Say". The title comes from a verse in Leviticus 23 that begins this week's reading as the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: "Speak to the children of Israel, and say (amar - utter, speak, say, command, promise, to be called so, to avow, intend, certify, appoint, bring to light, cause to say, to say in one's heart.) to them: 'The feasts (mo'ed/ya'ad - congregation, feast, season, appointed time, solemn, sign, a set time, "the vision that belongs to a time"/meet, assemble, betroth, to engage for marriage, to espouse, meet by appointment, be fixed, be placed before) of the LORD, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations (miqra/qara - a calling together, sacred assembly, a [prophetic] rehearsal/invited, guests, bidden, call, preach, read aloud, to be called out, chosen, be summoned, give name, cry aloud, call unto), these are My feasts." (Lev. 23:2).

     The feasts of the LORD described in Leviticus Chapter 23, are for a set time each year, for God's people who are called, bidden, invited by name to attend. They are rehearsals having prophetic meanings for events that were to occur in the future. Believers in Jesus Messiah/Christ know that He fulfilled several of these feasts: He died as the Lamb of God on Passover, He rose from the dead on the Feast of First Fruits (NOT "easter"), and He sent the outpouring and baptism of the Holy Spirit upon His believers on the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost. The blood of His sacrifice became the expiation for sin on the Mercy Seat of the Holy of Holies in heaven as our Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur).  All of these fulfilments of the feasts are described in the New Testament. The remaining feasts will be fulfilled by Messiah/Christ as His Bride is called to the Marriage Supper (see above meaning of "feast") of the Lamb, following which, the Lord Jesus will return to rule and reign on the earth. There are other fulfilments traditionally associated with the Feasts of the LORD such as the creation and the receiving of the Law on Mt. Sinai.

     The feasts are not suggestions to come when we decide to come. Because they are prophetic, they are commanded and appointed for specific days to all whom the LORD calls by name. Unfortunately, most of the church does not observe the feasts although Jesus did while He was here on earth. Those who do observe them usually do so according to the solar calendar, rather than the lunar calendar that the LORD used to appoint the feasts. Therefore, most of the time, the few of the church who are observing the feasts are doing so on the wrong days!

      As the feasts are specified in Leviticus 23, the first convocation mentioned, and also as a component of most of the other feasts, is the Sabbath: "Six days shall work be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath (sabat - cease, desist, rest, put an end to, exterminate, destroy, cause to fail, remove, desist from exertion, of land which is not tilled, day of rest of heart of solemn rest [that is a propitiation that covers], a holy convocation (see above miqra/qara). You shall do no work on it; it is the Sabbath of the LORD in all your dwellings." (v. 3). The Sabbath is treated as foundational and first of all of the feasts. However, I think we may find that our understanding of the Sabbath has been limited to religious practices rather than the deeper meaning of the word. As we can see from the Hebrew word sabat, there is a warfare that causes something to be destroyed or exterminated, even removed. The keeping (samar - keep, protect, guard, observe, give heed, preserve, watchman, watch for, wait for, save, as a shepherd of a flock, keep safe, preserve as loving kindness) of the Sabbath is also one of the first things mentioned as the LORD calls His K'doshim Holy Ones in Lev. 19:3. Look at what our attitude towards the Sabbath should be as described by the word "keep"/samar! We are to guard it, watch over it, and wait for it. It is not just about religious regulations - far from it, as we will see.

     We know that the Sabbath is mentioned as one of the Ten Commandments, and this will reveal even more to us: "Remember (zakar - remember, recall, call to mind, cause to be remembered, to record, make mention, the idea of a memory penetrating and infixing, the idea of pricking and piercing, to preserve, to consider, to contemplate, to call back to memory) the Sabbath  (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) day and keep it holy...For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) day and hallowed it." (Ex. 20:8-11). Here we are told that in addition to "keeping/samar" the Sabbath, we are to "remember/zakar" or call back to memory something relating to the Sabbath. What are we to remember? The LORD tells us as He takes us back to the six days of Creation in Genesis, and His rest on the seventh day. So let us go back to Genesis Ch. 1 and consider the information there. 

     When I look at the Creation in Gen. Ch. 1, I see spiritual warfare. Remember that our Hebrew word sabat or Sabbath contains this meaning of warfare (see above). The three spiritual enemies in the beginning of Genesis were formlessness (tou - nothing, confusion, empty place, desolation, worthless thing, place of chaos), voidness (bou - emptiness, waste, vacuity, indistinguishable ruin) and darkness (hosek/hasak - darkness, obscurity, as of Hades, underground prison; also used to mean: misery, destruction, death, ignorance, sorrow, wickedness/be darkened as withholding light, surrounded with darkness). This darkness was turned towards the person/face (panim) of the deep (tehom/hum/hamam - deep place, sea, abyss, grave, deep hollows of the earth/destroy, commotion, distract with noise/confuse, discomfit, break, consume, crush, destroy, trouble, vex). It's as if what was left of the earth had been turned inside out, with its inner darkness revealed. The Word which is Jesus (see Jn. 1:1-5) and the Spirit of God were present, and the weapon used in the warfare between God and this destruction was the spoken Word: "Then God said (amar - see above), 'Let there be light; and there was light..." (see Gen. 1:1-3). The Word of God is a living, sharp, two-edged sword that pierces and divides (Heb. 4:12), and with His Word-Sword, God divided (badal - divide, separate, sever out, set apart, make a difference, disjoin, be selected) the light from the darkness and created an uncrossable separation between the two. When Jesus returns, He will also come with a sharp sword in His mouth (Rev. 19:11-16).

     God overcame the elements of waste and destruction through His six-day work of Creation. The final overcoming work of the sixth day was God's creation of man. Man, male and female, was the crown of dominion that would rule over all living creatures and fill the earth and subdue it. He would rule in the image of the One in which he was created: "Then God said, 'Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness...So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them." (see Gen. 1:26-28).

     On the seventh day "God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested (sabat - see above) from all His work which God had created and made." (Gen. 2:2-3). The condition of creation, including man, continued in this sabat rest. A garden was fastened (nata - plant, fasten, establish, to strike in) to the earth, and man was placed within it (Gen. 2:8-15). He only had to eat from the (permitted) trees provided, including the Tree of Life. The man did not have to till the soil or provide for himself. The (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) man was commanded to "tend and keep" the garden, but this was about the spiritual guardianship of it. It is interesting that both "tend" and "keep" have a dual meaning. "Tend", or abad in Hebrew, can mean "husbandman, to worship, to serve, to minister to God, to be served as king. This is the Sabbath Place. However, the same word, abad, can also mean hard bondage, hard labor to fatigue and weariness, to impose servitude, servile work. This is the curse of the fallen man who rejected the Sabbath of the LORD (see Gen. 3:17-19). In Lev. 23, as the LORD summons His people to His appointed feasts, He commands that they are to take a Sabbath rest and do no servile work. The word "keep" is samar in Hebrew which we also saw above. Again, it means "watchman, watch, save, preserve, guard, protect, save life, observe the Sabbath/Covenant, be on one's guard." This is a purpose and blessing of the Sabbath Place. However, samar can also mean "to hedge about as with thorns" (see Gen. 3:18). This is the curse of the fallen man who rejected the Sabbath of the LORD. Here we see again the two-edged sword which is the Word of God.

     As Jesus observed and taught the Sabbath, He did many miracles and offered life-saving ministry to the people who had need. He was harshly criticized for doing this kind of "work" on the Sabbath, but He answered them: "My Father has been working until now, and I have been working." (Jn. 5:17). This is the life-saving and shepherd caring for His flock kind of "work" of the Sabbath: all needs are met according to God's riches in glory through Christ (Phil. 4:19). However, not understanding the true power and freedom of the Sabbath, one leader of the synagogue said of the person being healed: "There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath." (Lk. 13:14). The healing that Jesus had done on that Sabbath was for a woman who had spent eighteen years bent over by a spirit of infirmity who could not raise herself up. Jesus said to her, "Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity." He laid His hands on her and she was made straight. In answer to the leader's criticism, Jesus said, "...ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound - think of it - for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?" (v. 16). Jesus walked in the true meaning of the Sabbath Place of "tending" and "keeping". 

     Jesus taught us how to "Remember the Sabbath (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) day" in the present to bring the blessings of the Sabbath. We also "Remember the Sabbath (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) day" as a prophetic rehearsal associated with the feasts for fulfilment in the future when, according to the Word of God, God will bring all of creation into His Sabbath Place because of the rulership of the Messiah/Christ, the Branch from the root of Jesse: "The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, the calf and the young lion together; and a little child shall lead them...They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) LORD as the waters cover the sea." (Isa. 11:1-2, 6-9, excerpt). In another place, scripture says: "And it shall come to pass that from one New Moon to another, and from one Sabbath to another, all flesh shall come to worship before Me,' says the LORD." (Isa. 66:23). The Book of Revelation brings us to the Sabbath Place of the new heaven and the new earth: "God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away...'It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts." (Rev. 21:3-6). In describing the Sabbath Place that comes down from heaven, the New Jerusalem, scripture says: "...a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb (Who takes away the sins of the world). In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him...the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever." (Rev. 22:1-5).   

     When the LORD commanded us to "Remember/zakar the Sabbath (*aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) day and keep it holy", this is the Sabbath/sabat Place that I will recall from the past in order to bring it into the present. This is the "rehearsal" of the Sabbath feast for which God has summoned us in order to proclaim its fulfilment in the future.

     The Sabbath is mentioned in all of the readings for this Emor/Amar Sabbath reading portion.  In Psalm 81, the Psalmist is calling God's people to repentance. He expresses God's desire to provide the Sabbath Place and feast day blessings to His people, but they have rejected it: "This He established in Joseph as a testimony, when He went throughout the land of Egypt...'I removed his shoulder from the burden; his hands were freed from the baskets. You called in trouble and I delivered you; I answered you in the secret place of thunder...Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it...Oh, that My people would listen to Me, that Israel would walk in My ways! I would soon subdue their enemies, and turn My hand against their adversaries...He would have fed them also with the finest of wheat; and with the honey from the rock I would have satisfied you." This is the meaning of the Sabbath.

     The Sabbath is not a religious ritual, but a powerful, as well as prophetic, place and condition in the Spirit. It is the victory resulting from spiritual warfare, and the substance (soma/sozo - the body as a sound whole/to save, rescue from destruction, to preserve one, to heal and deliver) of it is Messiah/Christ. (Col. 2:15-17).

     If you would like a deeper understanding of the sabat Sabbath, you can join me in my prayer: "Father in heaven, You commanded me to remember Your Sabbath day. Your Son, Jesus is Lord, even of the Sabbath, remembering mercy (Mt. 12:5-8). By Your Spirit and Word, teach me and help me to remain in the Sabbath Place that You have provided for me. Let me not turn to my own ways or rely on my own efforts to provide for myself what You have already provided for me. Let me minister to and serve You and others in the spirit of the Sabbath with rejoicing and gratitude so that Your Sabbath will be fulfilled today and in the future. I ask this in the name of Jesus. AMEN."

*NOTE: aleph-tav written in Hebrew as אֶת, are the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet. The meaning of the two pictographic Hebrew letters can also be interpreted "Adonai (Lord) of the Cross/Covenant". In the New Testament, these letters are translated as Alpha and Omega written as Α Ω , the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. These letters are those by which Jesus Christ identifies Himself in the Book of Revelation: see Rev. 1:8, Rev. 21:6, Rev. 22:13.

Zadok

We have been reading in the Book of Leviticus, which means "of the Levites" from the Latin. In Hebrew, this third Book of the Bible is called Va-yikra, which translates to "and He (the LORD) called". The Law that God gave to Moses to bring to the people of Israel is included in this Book, as well as the ministry of the priests and the Levites (the tribe of priests) who served in the tabernacle of God. We who believe in the Messiah, or Christ, Jesus, are also called to a priesthood before God (1 Peter 2:4-5, 9-10), as has been mentioned previously, so we will see what we can learn about the priesthood from this week's readings. This week's Sabbath reading portion titled Emor meaning ""say", covers Leviticus chapters 23 and 24. What is Moses to say to the children of Israel at the command of the LORD? The LORD gave feasts to His people to observe at appointed times of the year. He commanded that these feasts were to be kept throughout all generations: "And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 'Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: 'The feasts of the LORD, which you shall proclaim to be holy convocations, these are My feasts." (Lev. 23:1-2). We may sometimes have difficulty relating to the Feasts of the LORD, however, the Feasts have a special quality and meaning that I think certainly applies to us and the world today. There are Feasts that take place in the spring, and Feasts that are appointed for the Fall, or harvest time. First mentioned of the Feasts is the Sabbath (Lev. 23:3). The Sabbath is treated as foundational to all of the Feasts. The identity of the Messiah is revealed in the Feasts. In the verses above, the LORD calls His Feasts holy. If we look at the meanings of the Hebrew words used in the two verses above from Lev. 23:1-2, we will find that these Feasts also are "appointed times to assemble and meet with the LORD, a fixed time for a betrothal, for an engagement in marriage between God and His people, summoned, called by name, invited, bidding of His guests to come to a rehearsal for future events, appointed assemblies where one will encounter God in an unexpected way". All of these qualities of the appointed Feasts of the LORD are very important in meaning, as we can see,, and not to be missed. These are the appointed holy Feasts of the LORD to which we are summoned by name: Passover-Unleavened Bread, First Fruits, Feast of Weeks (Pentecost), Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah), Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), Feast of Tabernacles (Succoth)/Simchat Torah (see Lev. 23 for details). We will see that not only were these Feasts established by God, but they played a role in supernatural events between God and Israel. The priesthood ministered during these feasts, and played an important role in miraculous encounters with God. Our priesthood in Christ should also lead others into saving, supernatural encounters with the God of our salvation. In one of this week's Sabbath readings, Psalm 81, the writer, Asaph, the chief Levite singer under King David, called God's people to return to Him. Asaph's name means "gatherer, to gather together", which is appropriate, as he issued an invitation from God for His people to gather together again, and meet Him at His feasts: "Sing aloud to God our strength...Blow the trumpet at the time of the New Moon, at the full moon, on our solemn feast day. For this is a statute for Israel, a law of the God of Jacob." (v. 1, 3). The LORD said: "You called in trouble,and I delivered you; I answered you in the secret place (seter/satar - hiding place, covering, protection, shelter/concealed, hide oneself carefully) of thunder (ra'am - thunder, display of might, the whole circuit of the divine power)...". (v. 7). The "secret place of thunder" to me, is represented by Succoth, the Feast of Tabernacles, in which God instructs His people to build booths (enclosed coverings) out of the lovliest tree branches, and spend seven days within them. In its way, it is an intimate "secret place" under His green branches to meet with God, where He will display Himself within His provision of the finest fruits of the land. The booths built of camouflaging branches also represent the marriage canopy under which the bride and groom are joined together. It represents the place where God meets His bride, Israel, and Christ meets His bride, the believers. The LORD refers again to this shelter, His secret place, in Psalm 91: "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High, shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty." (v. 1). Asaph the Levite is saying to us, "Do you need to return to God? He is waiting for you to meet Him in the secret place." This is also to be our message to others as the priests of Christ. In another Sabbath reading portion, the priest, Ezra, with the governor, Nehemiah, led the people of Jerusalem back to God after their return from a heartbreaking exile. They had been exiled from the land in the first place because they had exiled their hearts from God. The revival of their relationship with God followed their observance of Succoth, the Feast of Tabernacles (Neh. 8). Israel had not observed the Feast since the time of Joshua (v. 17), even though the LORD had commanded His people to meet with Him in His Feasts throughout all of their generations. When Ezra the priest read the law to all of the people, and the Levites helped the people to understand its meaning, the people wept in repentance for not keeping the Word of the LORD (Neh. 8:9). This reading before the people was done on the first day of the seventh month (v. 2), which would have been the Feast of Trumpets, a day that "is holy to the LORD your God." The people then began to gather what they would need in order to keep the coming Feast of Tabernacles. Again Ezra the priest gathered the people to explain what was required to observe the Feast so that they would understand (v. 13). He instructed the people to announce to everyone in Jerusalem and the other cities: "Go out to the mountain, and bring olive branches, branches of oil trees, myrtle branches, palm branches, and branches of leafy trees, to make booths, as it is written." (v. 15). After keeping the Feast of Tabernacles with very great gladness, the people were assembled, and entered into repentance confessing their sins, and the sins of their fathers, and they read the Book of the Law (Neh. 9:1-3). When we meet God in His secret place, our hearts are touched not only by His divine Almighty power on our behalf, but also His loving mercy towards us. The Levites (levi/lava - joined to, attached/abide, to unite, to cleave to), standing on the stairs (ma'ale/ala - ascent, lofty place/come up, offer, light, cause to ascend), again led the people by lifting up their voices and proclaiming the greatness of God, and the re-dedication of His people to their covenant with Him (Neh. 9:4-38). The Levites were positioned in the Spirit, joined to the LORD in a lofty place (the stairs), to cause the people to "come up" or ascend in praise and re-dedication. This is what we also can bring to the people as the priests, the joined ones to the LORD, who stand in the lofty place. In another reading from this week's Sabbath, King Solomon has just completed the newly built Temple of God in Jerusalem. He was ready for the furnishings to be brought in. Solomon assembled all of the elders of Israel in Jerusalem to bring up the ArK of the Covenant into the new temple: "The Levites took up the ark...the priests and the Levites brought them (the furnishings) up...Then the priests brought the ark of the covenant of the LORD to its place, into the inner sanctuary of the temple, to the Most Holy place, under the wings of the cherubim." (2 Chron. 5:1-7, excerpt). Only the priests and Levites were allowed to bear the ark and the other vessels of the LORD. All of these furnishings represent the identity of the Messiah, Jesus Christ, in their prpose before God. Only the priesthood of saints carry the physical presence of Christ before the people, not with hands of flesh, but, as the Levites did, using spiritual poles or staves (bad/badad - a part of the body [see 1 Cor. 12:27], branch [see John 15:5]/to separate oneself, be separate [see Rom. 12:1-2]). Scripture tells us that the placement of the ark in the temple occurred on one of the Feasts of the LORD that is appointed for the seventh month (2 Chron. 5:3). Because all of the men of Israel were assembled with the king in Jerusalem, it was most likely the Feast of Tabernacles. The job of the Levites and priests was not done yet, however: "the priests...and the Levites who were the singers...stood at the east end of the altar, clothed in white linen, having cymbals, stringed instruments and harps, and with them one hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets - indeed it came to pass when the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound...saying, "For He (the LORD) is good, and His mercy endures forever', that the house, the house of the LORD, was filled with a cloud, so that the priests could not continue ministering...for the glory of the LORD filled the house of God." (v. 11-14, excerpt). The united voice and instruments of the priests and Levites ushered in the manifestation of the glory of God. No wonder the spirits of darkness have done all that they can to keep the members of the priesthood of believers in Christ from being unified in sound. The instruments mentioned above have these meanings in Hebrew: "sounded, surround with a stockade, separated from the open country, call aloud, proclamation, to call together, to quiver with vibration, a vessel, a weapon, a jewel, armor, to finish, end, accomplish, fulfill, destroy". This alone should teach us a great deal about our priesthood, if we will seek it. Finally, this week, the Sabbath portion brought us to a prophetic vision in Ezekiel chapter 44. Ezekiel received a vision from the LORD of a temple, unlike any temple that had existed before. He saw an eastern outer gate of the temple that the LORD Himself had entered. According to the prophetic vision, the same gate will be used only by "the prince", who will be able to sit in the gate and eat bread before the LORD (Ezek. 44:1-3). The Eastern Gate is associated with the appearing of Messiah, the Prince of Peace, whom we know to be Jesus Christ. Daniel the prophet also wrote of the Messiah to come as "the Prince" (Dan. 9:25). Also connected to this temple of Ezekiel's vision will be a new priesthood. The LORD explained to Ezekiel: "But the priests, the sons of Zadok, who kept charge of My sanctuary when the children of Israel went away from Me, they shall come near Me to minister to Me; and they shall stand before Me to offer to Me the fat and the blood,' says the LORD God. 'They shall enter My sanctuary, and they shall come near My table to minister to Me, and they shall keep My charge." (Ezek. 44:15-16). The Zadok priests were to eat only of the holy sacrifices made to the LORD (Ezek. 44:29-31, Lev. 22:7-8)). In Ezekiel's vision, the Levites had become so corrupted by idolatry that they were no longer fit to minister before the LORD, and their corruption had caused all of the house of Israel to fall into iniquity: "...therefore I have raised My hand in an oath against them,' says the LORD God, 'that they shall bear their iniquity. And they shall not come near Me to minister to Me as priest, nor come near any of My holy things, nor into the Most Holy Place; but they shall bear their shame and their abominations which they have committed..." (v. 12-13). Priests who minister before God cannot be covered with abominations and iniquity, neither then nor now. What is the meaning behind the new Zadok priesthood who will be accepted by the LORD? Zadok/sadak in Hebrew means "righteous, just/cleansed, justified, save, to absolve, to acquit, to purge oneself". Malachi also wrote prophetically of a priesthood, purified, purged and refined by the Messiah Himself so that they may be able to minister in righteousness. (Mal. 3:2-3). Speaking in the same meaning as the Zadok priesthood, Paul wrote of those who have turned away from sin and come to Christ: "...But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God." (1 Cor. 6:11). The Zadok priests of Ezekiel's vision will be clothed in linen garments as they minister before the LORD (Ezek. 44:17). The Book of Revelation speaks of the Bride of the Lamb (Jesus) being "arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright for the fine linen is the righteousness (sadak in Hebrew) of the saints." (Rev. 19:8). The Zadok priesthood was given a specific charge by the Word of the LORD in the vision of Ezekiel: "And they shall teach My people the difference between the holy (see Lev. 22) and the unholy, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean. In controversy they shall stand as judges, and judge it according to My judgments. They shall keep My laws and My statutes in all My appointed meetings (Feasts), and they shall hallow My sabbaths...I am their inheritance...I am their possession." (Ezek. 44:23-24, 28, see also Eph. 1:13-14, 17-23). The Zadok priesthood of righteousness appears to be very similar to our priesthood in Christ. Handel wrote a glorious piece of music titled "Zadok the Priest". Called one of the most triumphant moments in classical music, I recommend a listen to Handel's "Zadok the Priest", if you have a chance. This Sabbath's reading portion taught me something new about not only the Feasts of the LORD, but especially about the ministry of the priesthood before God and the people. If you would like to learn more about these holy things of God, you can pray with me: "Heavenly Father, I thank You for Your desire to meet with Your people at appointed times, and to manifest Your greatness before them. You have created a place where we can come to You in the tabernacle of Christ's salvation in the beauty of holiness, where we can dwell all the days of our lives. Through Your Son, You have called me to a priesthood to minister to You and the people by the Holy Spirit, handling the holy things of God, teaching others Your Word so that they can understand, in unity ushering in the glory of God. You have given me linen garments of righteousness, not by any works that I do, but by the sacrifice of Your Son of righteousness, Jesus. You only are my inheritance and my possession. I pray these things in the name of Jesus, AMEN."

Zadok

In this Sabbath's reading portion titled Emor, or "Say", most of the Feasts of the LORD are given to Moses in Leviticus 23 for the people to observe throughout their generations. A study of these Feasts reveals the prophetic Person, promise and timetable of Christ, just as the pattern of the Tabernacle also declared the promise of Christ. The Hebrew word for "feast" used in Leviticus 23 is moed, and the root word is ya'ad. The meanings of these two Hebrew words are very important to all of the people of God. The meaning includes: "appointed time, appointed season, appointed sign or signal, a fixed time, a point of time, assembly; betrothed, engaged for marriage, to espouse". As the Bride of Christ, paying attention to the appointed times and seasons that have been encased in the Feasts of the LORD is very important. The meanings of the individual pictographic Hebrew letters that make up the word for "feast", moed, when put together could be saying to us "the mighty stream of blood from the nail inescapably pulls us on a journey toward a destination, a righteous harvest, like a movement or a path entering through a door or curtain". Christ described Himself as the Door for the sheep, His followers, to enter into the pasture of salvation (Jn. 10:1-9). He is also the Door or Curtain by which we may enter into the Holiest Place to the Mercy Seat, which is considered in Jewish tradition to be the Throne of God (Heb. 10:19-23). These Feasts bring us on a set journey from beginning to the end on the path to and with the Lamb of God, our Betrothed (Rev. 19:7-9). Not only are the Feasts a path, but they are a set timeline according to the meanings of the words. They play a significant part in our understanding of the plan of God for all of us. Currently, at this time of year, we are in the middle of the spring feasts. Part of this Sabbath's reading that includes the Feasts of the LORD, is also an unusual vision from the Prophet Ezekiel. The prophet had just given a very detailed vision of a temple that had not yet been built (Ezek. Ch. 40-43). Ezekiel saw the glory of the LORD enter the temple from the eastern gate of Jerusalem in this vision, and heard a voice say, "Son of man, this is the place of My throne and the place of the soles of My feet (see also Zech. 14:3-4), where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel forever..." (Ezek. 43:7). This temple of Ezekiel's vision is sometimes referred to as "the third temple", and many expect this temple to be built in these end times. Jewish tradition states that the Messiah will enter through the eastern gate when He comes because of the prophecy of Zechariah noted above. At the same time, Ezekiel also received the Word of the LORD concerning a revolutionary change in the priesthood that would serve Him in this prophesied temple. The Levites will no longer be accepted to minister before the LORD, and will only be allowed to minister in the outer courts. This is because they had previously led the people away from the LORD and into idol worship: "...And they shall not come near Me to minister to Me as priest, nor come near any of My holy things, nor into the Most Holy Place; but they shall bear their shame and their abominations which they have committed." (Ezek. 44:10-13). There was only one branch of the Levites that would be allowed to minister before God, in this new priesthood that Ezekiel saw, which were to be the sons of Zadok: "But the priests, the Levites, the sons of Zadok, who kept charge of My sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from Me, they shall come near Me to minister to Me; and they shall stand before Me to offer to Me the fat and the blood,' says the Lord God. 'They shall enter My sanctuary, and they shall come near My table to minister to Me, and they shall keep My charge." (Ezek. 44:15-16). The "Lord" who is speaking here about His Zadok priesthood is called Adonay in Hebrew. The meaning of Adonay/Adon includes, "Lord, Master, king, husband, prophet, prince, captain". The Hebrew letters that make up the name Adonay, when put together, mean: "the powerful authority of the First, who is the Door, the Way, the Son, the Offspring, the Seed, the Heir to the throne, whose hand accomplished the finished work" (see also Jn. 17:4, Jn. 19:28-30). This priesthood spoken of by Ezekiel as declared prophetically by Adonay, the Lord, will consist only of the sons or descendants of Zadok. Let us look at who Zadok was, who lived generations before this vision was given to Ezekiel. Zadok was a priest who remained faithful to King David when many others were conspiring with David's son, Absalom, the counterfeit heir, to depose the king (2 Sam. 15:23-24). King David had previously received the prophetic promise that the Messiah would be his future descendant (2 Sam. 8:12-18). Not only did Zadok remain faithful to David, and willing to follow him into exile, but he would also play a role in the king's future return: "The king also said to Zadok the priest, 'Are you not a seer (prophet)? ...See, I will wait/tarry/delay in the plains (crossing place, cause to bring over) of the wilderness (pasture for feeding flocks) until word comes from you to inform/certify (declare, utter, show forth, make known, profess openly, proclaim, bring into sight, proclaim and celebrate with praise) me." (v. 27-30). When the time came for King David's return, he sent a message to Zadok to bring to all of Judah: "You are my brethren, you are my bone and my flesh. Why then are you the last to bring back the king?". This touched the hearts of all the men of Judah, who sent word to the king, "Return, you and all your servants." (see 2 Sam. 19:11-14). This is also the role that we have in the return of Jesus, "the Root and the Offspring of David". As Zadok asked the question of Judah, are we, Christ's brethren of His blood, the last to bring back the King? This should not be so. We, the Bride, are to join the Holy Spirit, not just in waiting for Christ's return, but in saying "Come", or erchomai in Greek, which means "to come forth from one place to another, used of those arriving or returning" (see Rev. 22:16-17, 20). The verse tells us to "say" this, but the meaning in Greek, lego, is much stronger. It means "to speak, affirm, maintain, teach, exhort, advise, to command, to call by name". Like Zadok, we have been given the responsibility by the King to exhort all of Judah, "the people of praise", to speak the command for Him to "Return" or "Come". Zadok's name in Hebrew means "to be just, be righteous, to be justified, make someone righteous, turn to righteousness". Daniel described God's people in the latter days or end times as "those who turn many to righteousness". The Zadok priesthood, which would be the descendants of Zadok as prophesied by Adonay, the Lord, in Ezekiel's vision, would have this calling also: They were to be clothed in linen (Ezek 44:17, Rev. 19:8). They will teach the people the difference between the holy and the unholy, and between the unclean and the clean (v. 23, Dan. 11:33). They shall stand as judges in controversies (v. 24, 1 Cor. 6:3-6). They shall keep the Lord's statutes, the appointed feasts, and hallow the Sabbath (v. 24, Jn. 8:31, Jn. 14:15, Jn. 15:10, Mt. 5:17-20, Mt. 12:8). The Lord, Adonay, also said that He is the Zadok priests' inheritance, and their possession (v. 28, Eph. 1:10-14), and they were to have no other inheritance in the earth. These priests were to have the first, best, or most chief, the head of the firstfruits offering (v. 30, 1 Cor. 15:20-23, Rom. 8:29). We also have been called to a priesthood, which Peter calls "a royal priesthood" (1 Peter 2:9-10), that requires something of us. I found that this week's Sabbath reading titled Emor, or "Say", contains so many parallels with our walk with Christ, and a timely message for the believers in Christ pertaining to our ministry or purpose on earth in these times. If you would like to learn more about these things, you can pray with me: "Lord Jesus, You show and teach us things in Your Word to guide us through these challenging days before Your return. Prepare us by Your Holy Spirit, and sanctify us by Your Word, to walk in the priesthood to which You have called us, and to minister Your salvation to all creation. We join with the Spirit, and exhort all, both Jewish and Gentile, to send this imperative word to our King of Kings, Jesus: "Come!". We ask and speak these things in the Name of Jesus. AMEN."