TheOffering

      The title of this week's Sabbath reading portion is T'rumah, meaning "offering". T'rumah comes from the Hebrew root word, rum, which has a powerful meaning for all of us because it means "heave offering, to rise (up), be high, exalted, set on high, to be raised, lifted, lifted up upon, to lift up oneself, elevate, to offer, to become high and powerful". I immediately think of Jesus Christ crucified as a rum offering for our sins and raised up in resurrection. The word t'rumah is used in one of our beginning verses from this Sabbath, found in Ex. 25: "Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: "Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring Me an (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega in Greek, the name of Jesus in Rev. 1:8, Rev. 21:6, Rev. 22:13) offering. From everyone who gives it willingly (nadab - make willing, offered freely, give willingly, volunteer, spontaneously) from his heart (leb/lebab/labab - inner man, heart, the soul, the life, mind, wisdom, understanding, conscience, friendly, kindly, seat of courage/in the midst of (heaven)/transport with love, ravish my heart) you shall take My (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) offering." (Ex. 25:2). Every component of the tabernacle would be brought from the spiritual pattern of heaven into the natural realm of earth from these aleph-tav, rum offerings. 

     According to this verse this offering requested by God for the building of the tabernacle is connected to and identified with The Aleph-Tav, Jesus, in the written Hebrew, and must be given by the will and love of each heart. The purpose of this offering is to contribute various precious items to be used in the construction of a tabernacle, the pattern of which the LORD will show Moses: "And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them. According to all that I show you, that is, the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings, just so shall you make it." (Ex. 25:8-9). The tabernacle of the dwelling of God among His people is built upon a voluntary love offering. Jesus' voluntary offering of Himself (see Jn. 10:14-15 and 17-18) is also the chief cornerstone of the spiritual temple being built with each of us as the living stones of it (Eph. 2:20).  As the children of Israel brought the various precious items that would construct the tabernacle, we are the precious items that are being used to construct God's spiritual house. We are the temple of the presence of the Holy Spirit as a result of Christ's free-will aleph-tav, rum offering. Jesus is the offering of God, given because of God's love for the world (Jn. 3:16-17). Christ also loved the Church, the Ekklesia, and gave Himself for it before it existed as such (Eph. 5:25-27). 

     As we continue to look at the offering in this T'rumah Sabbath reading portion in 1 Kings 5, young King Solomon is preparing to build the temple that his deceased father, King David, had designed and supplied. In order to build the temple in Jerusalem, Solomon will need cedar timber from Lebanon. Solomon sent a message to King Hiram (hiram/hur - free-born, noble-born/fine white linen [see Rev. 19:6-8], white cloth) of Tyre (sor - "a rock") in Lebanon telling him of his plan to build the temple according to the will of his father, and to request the cedar. Lebanon was known for its tall, straight and fragrant cedar (erez/araz) trees, which had deep roots, were without knots, and unlikely to decay. Hiram had already reached out to Solomon earlier: "Now Hiram king of Tyre sent his servants to Solomon because he heard that they had anointed him king in place of his father, for Hiram had always loved David." (1 Kings 5:1). When Hiram heard the (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) words of Solomon, "he rejoiced greatly and said, 'Blessed be the LORD this day, for He has given David a wise son over this great people!" (v. 7). Hiram answered Solomon's request, writing: "I have considered the message which you sent me, and I will do all you (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) desire concerning the cedar and cypress (beros - tall, stately, noble, fruit bearing tree used especially for making lances and musical instruments) fir logs...Then Hiram gave Solomon cedar and cypress logs according to all his desire." (v. 8, 10). In exchange, Solomon sent Hiram great amounts of wheat for fine bread, and olive oil every year. There was peace between Hiram and Solomon and the two of them made a treaty together (v. 12). Solomon began this huge building project which would take seven years because of his obedience and love for his father, and Hiram became part of this holy endeavor with Solomon because of his love for David, who was a forefather of the Messiah/Christ who was also called "the Son of David" (see Lk. 18:35-43). We can conclude from this, I believe, that Hiram represents prophetically the believers who have been transformed and purified by the aleph-tav, rum offering of Jesus Messiah/Christ.

     The tabernacle was built to bring the dwelling presence of God among His people as stated in the verses from Ex. 25 above, and the temple was built to bring the Ark of the Covenant and the holy vessels into the sanctuary according to another Sabbath reading portion in 1 Chron. 22:19. David said: "Now set your heart and your soul to seek the LORD your God, to bring the (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) ark of the covenant of the LORD and the holy vessels of God into the (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) house that is to be built for the name of the LORD."

     The aleph-tav, rum offering is not defined only by the giving things or money, as is the usual manner of thinking, but for the offering to be "high and powerful" (see the meaning of rum above) the offering must be of the life, the leb/lebab heart, and the soul of the giver. This principle becomes clearer in the New Testament, as Jesus, and then the apostles, reveal the power of the aleph-tav, rum offering. 

     The first thing that comes to mind are the words of Jesus when He said: "If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it..." (Mt. 16:24-25). Then Jesus spoke about rewarding each according to his works (v. 27). We most often interpret these verses above as pertaining to martyrdom or severe persecution for our faith in Christ, but there is also a spiritual meaning to be considered. Paul wrote of this meaning: "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in/of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." (Gal. 2:20). This is a picture of an aleph-tav, rum offering that is high and powerful and working in and through us.

     Jesus also mentioned rewarding "works" in connection with taking up one's cross in the Mt. 16 verses above. Part of Christ's "work" while on the cross as an aleph-tav, rum offering for our sins included these words said (lego - affirm over, maintain, teach, command, direct, speak out, to lay forth, put forth, ask, to call by name, to collect, to gather): "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they do." (Lk. 23:34). When we see sin, do we make this same aleph-tav, rum offering of words from our heart, soul, and life to our Father on behalf of the sinners? We have been given this authority to do so. Jesus said these powerful words to His disciples: "Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.' And when He had said this, He breathed on them, and said to them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained." (Jn. 20:21-23). Sometimes we don't have the opportunity to preach or teach directly to someone regarding sin, but we do have the opportunity to give the offering of ourselves in this manner. Jesus found this "work", and the "work" of accepting one of the criminals who was crucified beside Him, was important enough to use His struggling breaths on the cross to speak it as an offering before His Father. Another of His "works" on the cross was to ensure by His Words that His widowed mother would have a place in a household of faith, a spiritual temple of God, to have a place in the Ekklesia Church that would be born out of His death and resurrection (Jn. 19:25-27). Do we speak these aleph-tav, rum offering words from our lives, hearts, and souls to our heavenly Father on behalf of the poor, weak, and vulnerable in order to bring them into the family of God? 

     The apostle Paul wrote of the power of the aleph-tav, rum offering as a living offering: "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living (zao - be among the living, have true life worthy of the name, living water having vital power in itself and exerting the same upon the soul) sacrifice (thysia/thyo - sacrifice/slay, kill [of the paschal/Passover lamb]), holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable (logikos/logos - agreeable to reason, spiritual: pertaining to the soul/speech, sayings [of God], precepts given by God, the Word/Christ) service (latreia/latreuo - divine service, the service and worship of God, to perform sacred services/to officiate or discharge the sacred office of the priest, render service, homage, worship to God).  And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." (Rom. 12:1-2). It is this type of high and powerful, aleph-tav, rum offering that builds the tabernacle, temple, spiritual house of the salvation of God upon the cornerstone of the Passover Lamb (see above), Jesus Christ, and I think that it is an example of an important precept from the Word of God that can transform us and renew our minds as we are conformed to the image of Christ (Rom. 8:28-30).

     The apostle Paul also wrote more about the power and exaltation of the aleph-tav, rum offering: "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him a name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Phil. 2:5-11). The Kingdom of God under the rule of Jesus Christ over all of creation was and is established through high and powerful, aleph-tav, rum offerings.

     If you would like to know more about these powerful, tabernacle/temple-building, aleph-tav, rum offerings, you can pray with me: "Heavenly Father, by Your mercies, by Your Word, and by Your Spirit, help me to walk in the knowledge of the aleph-tav, rum offering, even as Christ offered Himself from His heart and soul in this manner for all of us. According to Your Word, You desire for me to understand the meaning of "taking up my cross" and following Your Son. It is this offering that conquered death, hell, and the grave. It is this offering that brings salvation into a life and adds another living stone to the spiritual temple of God. Help me to understand that Your Kingdom is built upon this kind of "high and powerful" offering. I ask this in Jesus' name. AMEN."

Mishpatim

      The Book of Ezekiel opens with an accounting of the day on which "the word of the LORD came expressly to Ezekiel (hazak - strengthen, repair, prevail, courage, encourage, make strong, make bold, be resolute) the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the River Chebar (kebar - length of space, continuance of time, long ago, formerly, now, already); and the hand of the LORD was upon him there." (Ezek. 1:3). On this day, Ezekiel said, "the heavens were opened and I saw visions (mar'a/mar'e/ra'a - a vision as a mode of revelation, mirror, looking glass/appearance, sight, vision, phenomenon, spectacle, countenance, form, visage, pattern/to see, look at, perceive, consider, foresee, seer, discern, be visible, to be caused to see) of God." (v. 1). Last week we read about the direct and powerful encounters in scripture that several had with God which changed their lives. Here is another of those encounters.

     Ezekiel's vision begins with a whirlwind cloud coming out of the north "with a raging fire engulfing it." (v. 4). Within this whirlwind of burning cloud, Ezekiel sees four angelic creatures, with each of the creatures having four wings and four faces, and "they went wherever the Spirit wanted to go..." (v. 12). The appearance of the (angelic) creatures "was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches going back and forth among the living creatures. The fire was bright, and out of the fire went lightning." (v. 13). Ezekiel went on to give a very specific description of what he further saw. Eventually he said that above these creatures was the firmament (raqia - extended surface, expanse, vault of heaven supporting waters above, visible arch of the sky, the heavenly ocean to which the stars are fixed). Ezekiel's vision continues to advance upward, seeing above the firmament to the likeness of a throne, and on the throne " was a likeness with the appearance of a man high above it (v.  26). From His waist up, the man's appearance was the color of amber "with the appearance of fire all around within it", and a voice like the sound of many waters. From the Man's waist down, "...the appearance of (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega in Greek as Jesus was referring to Himself: Rev. 1:8, Rev. 21:6, Rev. 22:13) fire with brightness all around." (v. 27). The brightness that Ezekiel saw around and within this Man was like the appearance of a rainbow: "This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD." (v. 28). The likenesses of both the throne and the Man seen by Ezekiel are very similar to descriptions of Jesus Christ in Rev. 1:13-16 and Rev. 4:3. 

     This awesome and glorious vision changed Ezekiel's life. He received his prophetic calling at that time, and the Word of the LORD for the children of Israel (Ezek. 2:2), who, at this time, along with Ezekiel, were in the middle of their seventy-year captivity by the conquering Babylonians/Chaldeans. They were captives in a foreign land far from their home, as their own land lay in the destruction of war. The Word of the LORD that God had for captive Israel was a Word for a rebellious people who had transgressed against God, whom God described as "impudent" and "stubborn". (v. 3-5). Evidently, their traumatic captivity had not broken through to them, and the LORD very much wanted to break through to them (and perhaps to us). They also had true prophets like Jeremiah telling them that unless they repented, they would fall to Babylon, be taken into captivity. However, the people of Jerusalem chose to believe the more appealing prophecies that promised them victory. After all, would God ever turn away from His people, His city, His temple? Yes, He would, although He would never forget His covenant with them.

     The passage from Ezekiel Chapter 1 above is part of this week's Sabbath reading portion titled Mishpatim, meaning "Judgments/Ordinances". In its way, it is a sad commentary regarding the character of God's people, while, at the same time, it gives us a wonderful view of the character of God. The title comes from the first verse in Ex. 21: "Now these are the judgments (mispat/sapat - judgment, justice, ordinance, manner, right, cause, measure/to judge, govern, vindicate, punish, defend, condemn) which you shall set before them...". In these times, I found that the reading portions for this week brought a very important lesson to me. 

     This Sabbath reading portion includes Ex. 21 through 24. The LORD had just spoken (not yet written on tablets) the Ten Commandments from the mountain top. The LORD then began to speak of the justice to be shown to slaves and servants, and to victims of violence and kidnapping. The LORD demanded that foreigners and the poor were not to be mistreated and were to receive the same uncorrupted justice as others. The children of Israel agreed: "So Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD and all the judgments. And all the people answered with one voice and said, 'All the words which the LORD has said we will do." (Ex. 24:3). An altar was constructed, and sacrifices made by the (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) young men. After Moses wrote all of the LORD's judgments in a Book (of the Covenant). he sprinkled the blood of the sacrifices on the altar, on the Book, and also on the people, saying, "This is (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) the blood of the covenant which the LORD has made with you according to these words." (v. 8). This aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega blood (of Christ) is the same blood that became the New Covenant through Messiah/Christ (see 1 Cor. 11:23-26). These mishpatim judgments that had been spoken by God became a blood-sealed covenant between God and His people, the Israelites.

     We can see the heart of the LORD reflected in His mishpatim judgments concerning the weak, the abused and the vulnerable. As we look at another portion from this Sabbath, we will see that the people of God did not keep this covenant of justice.  During the siege of Babylon against the city of Jerusalem (Jer. 34:1), the prophet Jeremiah had delivered the prophetic Word of the LORD to the king of Judah, Zedekiah, telling him that he would not escape from the king of Babylon, but neither would the king be killed by the sword (Jer. 34:2-5). The king had received this mercy from the LORD because: "...King Zedekiah had made a covenant with (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) all the people who were in Jerusalem to proclaim liberty to them: that every man should set free his (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) male and (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) female slave...that no one should keep a Jewish brother in bondage." (v. 8-9). The princes and the people obeyed "that no one should keep them in bondage anymore" and let their (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) slaves go. However, the princes and the people who had entered into this covenant of liberation changed their minds, "...and made the male and female slaves return, whom they had set free, and brought them into subjection (kabas - subject, subdue, force, keep under, bring into bondage, violate, tread down, conquer, trample under foot) as male and female slaves." (v. 11). The LORD was not pleased and gave this prophetic Word to Jeremiah to deliver to the people: "...you turned around and profaned (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) My name, and every one of you brought back (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) his male and (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) female slaves, whom you had set at liberty...and brought them back into subjection to be your...slaves. Therefore...Behold, I proclaim liberty to you', says the LORD - 'to the sword, to pestilence, and to famine! And I will deliver you to trouble among all the kingdoms of the earth...I will give them into the hands of their enemies and into the hand of those who seek their life..." (v. 16-17, 20). Although God had assured His people that, even in the face of captivity, He would not forget His covenant (of mercy) with them (Jer. 33:25-26), they had immediately forgotten the covenant of liberty that they had established in the Spirit of God's mishpatim judgments. While they were facing enslavement themselves from a brutal enemy, they refused to show mercy and justice in their own hearts while enslaving others, even their own brethren.

     As we see above, although we believe that we can discern the evil in other men's hearts, we often are unable to discern the same evil in our own hearts. Jesus shocked the religious leaders of His day when He told them what lives in the heart (not just some hearts), though a man looks righteous on the outside: "But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man..." (Mt. 15:18-20). Ezekiel prophesied that the LORD would give us new hearts (Ezek. 36:26-27), and John wrote that if we confess our sins to the LORD, He will forgive them and cleanse us (1 Jn. 1:9). This is why Jesus came for us all - so that we did not have to remain dead in our sins, as slaves to sin, but could live in Him.

     It is good to keep these things in mind when we read from the prophet Amos, in another of this week's Sabbath readings. Amos wrote the Word of the LORD to His people concerning the Northern Kingdom of Israel, which went into captivity approximately 150 years before the Southern Kingdom of Judah did: "...shall surely go into captivity...Seek the LORD and live, lest He break out like fire in the house of Joseph, and devour it, with no one to quench it in Bethel (meaning "House of God") - You who turn justice (mispat/mishpatim - see above) into wormwood (la ana - bitterness, to curse, poisonous, accursed, hemlock), and lay righteousness to rest (yanah - leave, withhold, withdraw, abandon, be quiet) in the earth!" (Amos 5:4-7). The LORD accused His people of treading down the poor, taking bribes to afflict the just, and diverting the poor from justice. He urged them to "Seek good and not evil, that you may live; So the LORD of hosts will be with you, as you have spoken. Hate evil, love good; Establish justice (mispat/mishpatim - see above) in the gate. It may be that the LORD God of hosts will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph." (v. 14-15). According to this verse, while God's people were transgressing the mishpatim judgments in this manner, they were saying, "The LORD is with us"! The LORD promised them that there was coming "the day of the LORD" (which they desired to see!) when they would be wailing in the streets.  In the same spirit, do we also look for the Day of the LORD to come, and the wicked to be judged, not realizing that the judgment begins in Bethel - in the house of the LORD? When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the first thing He did was to sternly establish mishpatim justice in the Temple, the House of God, the place of His Name (Mt. 21:12-14). 

     The prophet Malachi also wrote the Word of the LORD to His people: "And I will come near you for judgment (mispat/mishpatim - see above); I will be a swift witness against sorcerers, against adulterers, against perjurers, against those who exploit/oppress (asaq - press upon, oppress, violate, defraud, do violence, obtain deceitfully, be crushed, drink up; to strive, contend, quarrel) wage earners and widows and orphans, and against those who turn away an alien/sojourner/foreigner - Because they do not fear Me,' says the LORD of hosts." (Mal. 3:5). 

     The Spirit that causes us to walk in these mishpatim judgments of the LORD (see Ezek. 36:27) is beautiful, and the LORD desires His people to walk in this beauty: "He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the LORD require of you but to do justly (mispat/mishpatim - see above), to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God." (Mic. 6:8). 

     If you would like to know more about the mishpatim justice of God, you can pray with me: "Heavenly Father, You have called me to walk in Your mishpatim justice towards others. Your Son, our Savior, walked in it, and established it. Heal me Lord, of any spiritual blindness that would prevent me from walking in Your Word by the Spirit of God. Help me to understand Your high and perfect standard of justice that reflects Your goodness and holiness, and the needed mercy that You have provided for me in the blood of Jesus. Let me be transformed by both. I ask this in the name of Jesus. AMEN."

Changed

     This Sabbath's reading portion is titled Yitro, referring to Jethro, Moses' father-in-law. Jethro/Yitro/yeter in Hebrew means "his abundance, his excellence, tent cords that tie tent curtains to the tent pegs in the ground, exceed the measure, remnant, remainder/remnant". If we visualize the meaning of Jethro's name as "a tent cord", it is the connection between the tent peg, or nail (Christ attached to the cross) attached to the earth, and the tent curtain, or (heavenly) tabernacle. Maybe we can think of this as "the Jethro effect" for the purposes of this study, as we will see. This "Jethro effect" should also be working in all of us who are believers in Messiah/Christ Jesus. 

     This Sabbath portion from the Torah includes Exodus Chapters 18 through 20. As we begin the reading, Jethro, the priest of Midian, Moses' father-in-law, "has heard of all that God had done for Moses and for (aleph-tav/ "Alpha and Omega" in Greek, referring to Jesus: see Rev. 1:8, Rev. 21:6, Rev. 22:13) Israel His people - that the LORD had brought Israel out of Egypt." (Ex. 18:1). Having heard this news, Jethro took his daughter, Moses' wife, (aleph-tav) Zipporah with her two sons to Moses in the wilderness, then encamped at the mountain of God. (v. 2-5).  

     When Jethro met with Moses upon his arrival, Moses bowed down and kissed him: "And Moses told his father-in-law all that the LORD had done to Pharaoh and to the Egyptians for Israel's sake, all the hardship that had come upon them on the way, and how the LORD had delivered them." (v. 8). 

     At this point, Jethro's life is changed. Jethro rejoiced for all the good that the LORD had done for Israel. Jethro blessed the LORD and said: "Now I know that the LORD is greater than all the gods; for in the very thing in which they behaved proudly, He was above them." (v. 11). Then Jethro took a burnt offering and other sacrifices to offer to God." All of the elders of Israel and Arron, Moses' brother, came to eat bread with Jethro before God (v. 12). Jethro had not been there when the LORD had done these miraculous works for the Israelites, but he was changed just by hearing about them. As evidence of the change in Jethro's life, he advised Moses with a word of wisdom that would change how Moses taught, governed and judged the children of Israel in the wilderness (v. 13-27). Jethro had told Moses: "Listen now to my voice; I will give you counsel, and God will be with you..." (v. 19). Jethro's changed life had great impact on Moses and the people of God. As we read last week, a future generation of Jethro would also aid in the deliverance of the Israelites from the enemy general, Sisera. This is the far-reaching purpose of "the Jethro effect".

     In another reading portion from this Sabbath, the prophet Isaiah experiences the Lord in a miraculous way: "In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) temple...And one (seraph [fiery] angel) cried to another and said: 'Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!" (Isa. 6:1-3).

     Isaiah's life was changed as a result of what he saw. He cried: "Woe is me, for I am undone (dama - cause to cease, perish, destroy, be cut off at the sight of the theophany [a visible manifestation of God to humankind])! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) King, the LORD of hosts." (v. 5). At this cry of Isaiah, one of the seraphim angels brought a live coal (rispa,resep - hot, glowing stone or coal, spark, flame, fire bolt, hot thunderbolt) from the heavenly altar in the temple, and touched it to Isaiah's lips, saying: "Behold, this has touched your lips; Your iniquity is taken away, and your sin is purged." (v. 6-7).

     A question was then asked in heaven: "Whom shall I send, and who will go for Us?" To this, Isaiah answered: "Here am I! Send me." (v. 8). Isaiah was then given a prophetic word to be brought to the people of God: "Keep on hearing, but do not understand; Keep on seeing, but do not perceive.' Make the heart of this people dull, and their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; Lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and return/convert (sub - turn back (to God), turn back (from evil), repent, be restored) and be healed." (v. 9-10, see also 2 Chron. 7:14). This spiritual blindness and deafness would continue until a time of waste and desolation in the land with the exception of a remnant, or tree stump, having the holy seed (v. 11-12, see also Rom. 11:16-18). Some may think that this prophetic word was fulfilled by the period of Babylonian Captivity, but Jesus, and later His apostles, were still preaching this prophecy given to Isaiah centuries after the return from the Captivity (see Mt. 13:13-16, Mt. 18:1-5, Acts 28:24-27). We may be able to say that this "Jethro effect" on Isaiah's life would institute a powerful prophecy that would set the stage for the Gospel being not only for the Jewish people, but because of the presence of this temporary spiritual blindness, to the Gentiles also (see Rom. 1:16-17, Rom. 11:7-8 Rom. 11:25-27,). It is, in part, because of this prophecy of Isaiah that salvation was allowed to come to every nation, tribe, kindred and tongue.

     In another reading portion from this Yitro Sabbath, we read about "the Jethro effect" occurring on a special occasion in Israel in Nehemiah 7:73 and Ch. 8: "When the seventh month came, the children of Israel were in their cities." (Neh. 7:73). The "seventh month" is the month of Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Tabernacles. A portion of Israel, 42,360 (Neh. 7:66), had returned from their captivity in Babylon, and had been very focused on re-building the wall and their ruined cities. However, on the first day of the seventh month, all of the people had been gathered together "as one man" in Jerusalem in front of the Water Gate, which was used to bring living water into the temple, especially on the Feast of Tabernacles (see Jn. 7:37-40). Once assembled, Ezra the scribe brought the (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) Book of the Law (the Torah) before the assembly: "Then he read from it in the open square (rehob/rahab - open place, plaza/to be or grow wide or large, be enlarged, make room, broad pasture, the borders or extent of a kingdom) that was in front of the Water Gate from morning until midday, before the men and women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) Law." (Neh. 8:1-3). We can understand that this was a holy root or stump spoken of in Isaiah's prophecy, a small remnant (yitro/Jethro) of Israel, meeting in a place that symbolized, by the meaning of the Hebrew word, an enlargement or widening pasture for many more people to come. These congregated people were not the blind, deaf, and unperceiving people of the Isaiah prophecy. Ezra made sure to have teachers stationed among the congregation who would explain the Law to the people as it was read so that they would understand (v. 7-8). When the (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) words of the law were heard, the (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) people wept (v. 9). A people who had been busy in each of their respective cities experienced "the Jethro effect" from the hearing of the words of the Law. Because it was the first day of the seventh month, a day of celebration, Ezra and Nehemiah encouraged the people not to weep, for "This day is holy to the LORD your God." (v. 9). However, later in the month, on the twenty-fourth day, those of Israelite lineage separated themselves from the foreigners in their midst, fasted and confessed their sins, and worshipped the LORD their God (Neh. 9:1-2). "The Jethro effect" set up a prophetic picture of all who would later come into the Kingdom of God, all who would become sheep in that enlarged pasture of the Lord.

     We can't leave this topic before looking at one more event. In Ex. chapters 19 through 20 from this week's Yitro/Jethro reading portion, the LORD put on a display of His power and presence never before seen in scripture. The LORD came down to the top of Mt. Sinai (meaning "thorny", one of the three principal summits in the Sinai range) to give His law to His people. This event came exactly three months to the day (Ex. 19:1-2) after His people witnessed the terrible night of the death of the first born in Egypt, and the miracle deliverance from this death by the blood of the Passover Lamb. After that event, they then experienced the miracle crossing through the Dead Sea as the waters of the Sea were heaped up into huge walls so they could pass through, that then closed up again to drown Pharaoh's pursuing army. Now, three months later, they were encamped at the foot of Mt. Sinai, the mountain of the LORD. The people began to witness a powerful display.  The LORD wanted Moses to deliver the Word of the LORD to His people: "You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought (bo - to come in, enter, go in, to be brought in, to attain, enter into [one's body], of a bride: to enter into the house of a husband, of a man: to enter unto a woman) you to Myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is mine. And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation." (Ex. 19:4-6, see also 1 Pet. 2:9-10). Many view this as a formal marriage covenant between God and His people, and the meaning of the Hebrew word, bo, used above, supports this view. Moses delivered this message to the people, and the people answered together in agreement (v. 7-8). "Then it came to pass on the third day, in the morning, that there were thunderings and lightnings, and a thick cloud on the mountain; and a sound of a trumpet was very loud, so that all the camp trembled. And Moses brought the people who were in the camp to meet with God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain. Now Mount Sinai was completely in smoke, because the LORD descended upon it in fire. Its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked greatly. And when the blast of the trumpet sounded long, and became louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him by voice. (v. 16-19).

     Although this moment at the foot of the mountain of God was frightening in its intensity, if I had witnessed it, it would have brought this question to my mind: "Is anything impossible for this God? NO!"  This should have brought forth "the Jethro effect" in the people of God, but sadly, this was not the case. At witnessing this amazing sight, God's people said to Moses: "You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die." (Ex. 20:18-19). Moses assured them not to be afraid, but the people from that day forward, challenged Moses and Aaron, and tested and rebelled against God on many occasions. They even worshipped a calf made from their gold jewelry that they had demanded be created. They demanded to go back to Egypt. They doubted God and His prophet Moses at every challenge that was set before them. The opportunity for "the Jethro effect" was missed by the people.

     The LORD reveals Himself to us on so many occasions throughout our lives, almost daily in what He calls "our daily bread", looking for "the Jethro effect" to take place in us, to change us. When God's people are willing to be changed by "the Jethro effect", it is an earth-shaking, and earth-changing event, as we have seen in this Sabbath reading. It is a terrible shame upon us when we disregard the blessed daily visitations of God to each of us and therefore refuse to be changed by them. We become like those who are blind, deaf, and unperceiving, of which Isaiah prophesied. Life should not go on as it normally does after these miraculous encounters with our Father, His Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Lord is looking for "the Jethro effect" in our lives. Second Cor. 3:18 says: "But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed (metamorphoo - to change into another form, to transform, transfigure) into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord."

     If you would like to know more about how God looks for change in each of us, you can pray with me: "Heavenly Father, in Your mercy, grace, and love, You visit me daily in some way. I ask You to give me eyes to see, ears to hear, and a heart to understand how these visitations are to change me. Your Word says that I am changed from glory to glory by the Spirit of the Lord. I pray that I would never miss any opportunity to display "the Jethro effect" in my life. I ask this in the name of Jesus. AMEN."

     

theAnointing

      This week's Sabbath reading portion is titled B'Shallach, which means "when he (referring to Pharaoh) let go". The phrase comes from the first verse of the reading portion of this Sabbath, Ex. 13:17: "Then it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, 'Lest perhaps the people change their minds when they see war, and return to Egypt." In written Hebrew, it is aleph-tav (Alpha and Omega in Greek, referring to Jesus in Rev. 1:8, Rev. 21:6 and Rev. 22:13) the people. By that, these people are identified as belonging to the prophesied Messiah. Aleph-Tav, the first and the last letters of the Hebrew alphabet, also means "God of the Cross/Mark/Covenant". The Messiah/Christ is prophesied throughout the Torah scriptures, from the very beginning of scripture, in Genesis, to the last Book of the Torah, Malachi.

     Looking further at the aleph-tav people, who are the Israelites, the Hebrew word for "people" is am, and is written with the Hebrew letters hey, ayin, mem. Each of these Hebrew letters have an individual meaning that, when combined together, can mean "Behold the appearance/experience of the fountain of (massive) water". Jesus described this experience in Him: "On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, 'If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the scripture has said, out of his heart/belly (koilia - whole belly, entire cavity, womb: the place that conceives and nurtures life, man's innermost part: the soul, the heart) will flow rivers of living water.' But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive..." (Jn. 7:37-39, see also Isa. 12:2-3, Isa. 44:1-4, Isa. 55:1, Zech. 12:10, 13:1). 

     As Jesus referenced "the belly" above, we see it again in our next verse from Exodus: "So God led (aleph-tav) the people around by way of the Red Sea. And the children of Israel went up in orderly ranks out of the land of Egypt." (Ex. 13:18). The Hebrew word for "orderly ranks" is hamas/homes, and means "in battle array, armed men, arranged by fives/belly, abdomen, area of the fifth ribs". The former slaves were not armed with physical weapons at this point, or trained in war, but they represented the living spiritual power or weapon that would flow out of the bellies of the believers in Christ, and in their wombs they carried Messiah/Christ to be born at the appointed time. These were aleph-tav the people.

     So, Pharaoh let aleph-tav the people go, whom he would later try (and horribly fail) with his whole army of six hundred chariots and many foot soldiers, to re-capture. Egypt, including Pharaoh's house had just gone through the terrible plague from the LORD of the death of the first born of Egypt. Why was he so determined to risk annihilation by the hand of the God of Israel in order to chase after and re-capture these aleph-tav people? One reason is because God hardened Pharaoh's heart to do so, as the LORD told Moses beforehand (Ex. 14:1-9). God would glorify Himself before all of His aleph-tav people, as well as before the Egyptians, with His victory over this very stubborn, rebellious, and most powerful earthly king. 

     Spiritually speaking, the spirits of darkness, represented by the gods of Egypt which the ancient Egyptians served, would have been determined to destroy "the bellies", and the fruit of those bellies, of the LORD's aleph-tav people, as Pharaoh also tried to do earlier by killing newborn Hebrew male babies, in order to prevent the Deliverer King of all people from coming forth.

     History may be able to shed light on another reason, which the scriptures verify, that Pharaoh had great fear of these aleph-tav Hebrews (see Ex. 1:8-12). Ancient writers of Egyptian history reveal that Egypt was, for a period of time, ruled by foreign Pharaohs. These foreigners who ruled Middle and Lower Egypt were called the Hyksos. Only Upper Egypt was ruled by an Egyptian Pharaoh at the time. This time of foreign Pharaohs is known as Egypt's Second Intermediate Period, which lasted for about a century from circa 1670 to 1550 B.C.E. According to the historians, these Hyksos foreigners were a Semite population that had migrated from Canaan into the northern Egyptian Delta, which included the land of Goshen, to become a powerful ruling class that, over a slow process, began to rule as Pharaohs. The Hyksos, or "Shepherd Kings" were a unique people known for their shepherding and multicolored garments. We will hear more about "multicolored garments" later in our Sabbath reading. The Jewish historian, Josephus, recorded that these Hyksos people ruling at that time in Egypt were Jews! Other ancient historians were not willing to go that far but did admit that these Hyksos people had emigrated to Egypt from Canaan. This ties into the account in scripture of Joseph's and Jacob's travel to Egypt from Canaan in Genesis, and Exodus Ch. 1. Eventually, the foreign Hyksos people lost their ruling position in Egypt, and a new Egyptian Pharaoh (Ex. 1:8) was able to establish rule over all of Egypt. This period was called The New Kingdom. This being the case, we can understand why a new Egyptian Pharaoh, having obtained rulership, might fear this very numerous foreign former ruling class still living within his borders, and seek absolute power over them. He did not want these foreign "Shepherd Kings" with their colorful garments to ever be able to rise up in his territory again.

     Now about those very colorful garments that distinguished these Hyksos foreigners: We would soon learn that the Israelites had knowledge of vibrant fabric and thread dyes, because these very bright dyes would be used in the materials of the tabernacle that would soon be built in the wilderness under the supervision of Moses. The Israelites' knowledge of making these original dyes has been lost for many centuries, but has recently been rediscovered and the dyes are now being made and used again, especially in sacred garments. We will see later that these colorful garments would be a coveted and identifiable mark of the Israelites.

     From another reading portion from this week's Sabbath B'shallach, or "when he let go", generations later, under the period of the Judges, the Israelites, now long settled in the Promised Land as promised by the LORD, would fall under the oppression of their enemies when they turned away from the worship of the LORD, and turned instead to the idols and false gods of the land. A judge would be raised up by the LORD to deliver the aleph-tav people from oppression, and restore them to the worship of and obedience to God. One such judge was a prophetess named Deborah. The enemy king of Canaan, Jabin ("whom God observes, considers, discerns, distinguishes") of Hazor (haser/hasar - castle, tower, enclosure, court/ sound a trumpet, blow a trumpet), had an army of nine hundred iron chariots led by his general Sisera (meaning "battle array", "field of battle"), and had harshly oppressed the children of Israel for twenty years. The LORD had sold (makar - to sell, surrender, be given over to death, to betroth a daughter) the Israelites into his hands because of the evil (ra/ra'a - evil, wickedness, distress, injury, giving pain unhappiness and misery, unkind, malignant/do an injury, hurt, break in pieces, afflict) the Israelites had done in the sight of the LORD. The evil of God's people brought the evil back upon them. The long, harsh oppression of the conquering enemy had caused the Israelites to cry out to the LORD.

     A man named Barak (lightning, glittering, bright, flashing arrowhead, glittering sword, cast forth, send lightning used of God, to thunder) of KedeshNaphtali (holy sanctuary/ to wrestle, struggle, to twine) had been appointed by God to lead the Israelite armies against the enemy general Sisera, but he had not done so. Deborah called him before her and said: "Has not the LORD God of Israel commanded, 'Go and deploy troops at Mount Tabor (tebar/sabar - to break in pieces, fragile/break, destroy, hurt, crushed, rend violently, give birth)...and against you I will deploy Sisera, the commander of Jabin's army...and I will deliver him into your hand?" (Judges 4:6-7). Barak said that he would go but only if the prophetess went with him, which she agreed to do. Deborah told him, though, that because of this, he would get no glory from the victory, but the LORD would "sell" (see above) Sisera into the hands of a woman (v. 8-9). The enemy army was destroyed, but the general, Sisera, escaped to eventually hide in the tent of a Kenite family, where the wife killed the general with a workman's hammer and a tent peg. Sisera thought the Kenites would be an ally, but this Kenite family had severed themselves from the other Kenites. They were direct descendants of Moses' father-in-law, Jethro! They were not Israelites, but this family of Kenites was in covenant with the Israelites by marriage. This Kenite family was made up of Heber (heber/habar - a house in common, shared association/couple together, unite, join together, have fellowship with, to be marked with stripes or lines or blows), and his wife Jael (ya'al - to be good, profitable, to ascend on high, to rise above, set forward, stand on a summit, ascend a mountain, a noble prince, to excel). This family's tent (ohel/ahal - tent, tabernacle: the sacred tent of Jehovah, covering, home/shine) was pitched by (aleph-tav) Kedesh (meaning holy place, sanctuary). This family represented non-Israelites, severed from the idolatrous Canaanites, being joined by marriage to the Israelites, and with the One marked by stripes and blows, dwelling next to the Aleph-Tav holy place, and his wife who ascends to the heights. This sounds like the church to me. 

     We can tell from the Hebrew meanings of the key words used in the account in Judges that Deborah  was setting in place a spiritual battle as much as a physical battle. Barak's and Deborah's song of victory spells it out. They sing of how the people willingly offer themselves (nadab - to offer oneself freely, free-will offering, willingly, spontaneously) (Judg. 5:2, 9). Paul also wrote to the church: "I beseech you, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world (remember that Heber severed himself from the other Kenites), but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." (Rom. 12:1-2). This is a first step in spiritual warfare - the weapon of the holiness of an offering of oneself. Deborah commands herself to "Awake, awake...awake, awake (ur - awake, lift up, arise, raise, be triumphant, be awake and watchful), sing (dabar) a song!" and Barak to "Arise (qum - arise, establish, to be raised up, preserve alive, become powerful)...and lead thy captivity captive (of the Messiah/Christ Jesus: see Eph. 4:8-10) !". The spiritual warfare is done in the name of Jesus, who is the Resurrection and the Life. Deborah and Barak also sang: "They fought from the heavens; the stars (kokab - star, of Messiah, blazing, shining, prince) from their courses (mesilla/salal - highway, raised way, steps of a ladder/lift up, exalt, elevate, esteem highly, cast up a highway, make plain, raise up, make a level way, wave to and fro like boughs of willow and palm trees; also see also Lk. 3:4-6, Isa. 40:3-5, Mt. 21:6-9) fought against Sisera." (v. 20). Again, we have a direct connection to the Messiah/Christ in v. 20, above. Sisera's army was swept away by a torrent of water, "an ancient (qedumim/qadam - antiquity, a pristine hero/anticipate, hasten, meet, go before) torrent" (v. 21), reminding us of the rivers of massive living waters that come out of the belly of believers in Christ, who is the Water of Salvation. This Song is full of references to Jesus Christ. 

     Remember the colorful garments of the Hyksos foreign rulers of  Egypt, and their possible connection to the Jewish people? In the Song of Deborah and Barak, the mother of the dead general Sisera was wondering why he has not yet returned. This was the mother's conclusion: "Her wisest ladies answered her, 'Yes', she answered herself, 'Are they not finding and dividing the spoil: to every man a girl (raham - womb, bowels, damsel, mercy, compassion, grace, favor) or two; For Sisera, plunder of dyed garments, plunder of garments embroidered and dyed, two pieces of dyed embroidery for the neck of the looter?" (v. 28-30). Sisera's mother thought that the great prize that would go to the general was the embroidered, dyed garments of the Israelites. It seems a strange battle prize for the general unless these garments were very highly prized or had great significance. What was it about the multicolored garments of God's people that made them so valuable?

     Psalm 45, which my Bible subtitles, "The Glories of the Messiah and His Bride" (this is an interpretation on the part of the scholars who published this version of the Bible), "the royal daughter" is among the daughters of kings who have come to the palace of the anointed King in order to serve among the King's honorable women. This King of this Psalm is described as having lips of grace, with glory, and majesty, with truth, humility and righteousness, anointed (masah - to anoint with oil, to smear, to lay colors on any thing, anoint in inauguration and consecration, consecrate as King) by God more than any other. We get the word "Messiah" or "Christ" in Greek from the understanding in the Hebrew of His anointing by God.  In this Psalm, at the King's right hand stands the queen, His wife was dressed in gold from Ophir (unknown location meaning "reducing to ashes" that was known as a place from which fine gold, precious stones, sandal wood, silver, and ivory could be imported). The entering royal daughter is "all glorious within the palace; Her clothing is woven with gold. She shall be brought to the King in robes of many colors or in raiment of needlework (riqma - see above); The virgins, her companions who follow her, "shall be brought to You. With gladness and rejoicing they shall be brought; They shall enter the King's palace." (v. 13-14).  We can see here that the idea of many colors and embroidered colors is part of the meaning of the Hebrew word "anointed" (see above). No wonder the enemy general, Sisera, coveted the multicolored garments of the Israelites, and no wonder Pharaoh despised letting them go! However, these special garments are not for the enemies of God to possess.

     The Book of Revelation tells us that for her marriage to the Lamb/Messiah/Jesus Christ it has been granted for His wife to be clothed in "fine (white) linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints." (Rev. 19:6-8). Verse 9 continues to say, "...Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!".  Here, the wife of the Messiah is to be dressed in clean, fine (white) linen, but the wife of the King in Psalm 45 is dressed in gold. If Psalm 45 is indeed about the glory of the Messiah and His Bride, why is she wearing "gold from Ophir" in the Psalm instead of white? When we look at the Hebrew root word for "gold", it is katam, meaning "marked, defiled, deeply stained, soiled, stained, filthy". That's a surprise! However, the main or key Hebrew word translated as "gold" is ketem, which means "fine gold, pure gold, precious, gold ore: pure as originally mined, that which is hidden away in treasuries". We can see by the use of the Hebrew words for gold, that something which was defiled, soiled, and filthy, has become pure, fine, and precious. What once was hidden away because of its filth, is now hidden away because it is of the greatest value. This golden garment of the wife represents the salvation and cleansing from all unrighteousness found in the Messiah/Christ Jesus. In Revelation, Jesus tells one of His churches: "I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire...and white (leukos/luke - light, bright, brilliant, dazzling white/light) garments, that you may be clothed..." (Rev. 3:18, see also Dan. 12:9-10, Mal. 3:2-3).

     The song of Deborah and Barak in Judges 5 ends saying: "Thus let all your enemies perish, LORD! But let those who love Him be like the sun (semes - sun, sun-rising, to be brilliant, a ray or beam of light) when it comes out in full strength." (Judges 5:31, see also Dan. 12:2-3).

     If you would like to learn more about the anointing of the Messiah, and the purification of His Bride, we can pray: "Heavenly Father, You have called Your aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega people to walk in and rejoice in the Anointed One, Your Messiah, Jesus Christ, who purifies us from all uncleanness and sin, and has called us as His Bride, to shine in dazzling light, and to walk in His anointing. Rivers of massive living waters are to flow from our bellies, our innermost being, which is the Holy Spirit in us through Christ. Work in my life, Lord Jesus, through Your Word and Spirit, so that I my life will reflect the glory of the purity and anointing of my Messiah and Savior. I ask this in Your great name, JESUS. AMEN."

Passover?

     It always comes as a surprise to me when this week's scheduled Sabbath reading portion comes up. This Sabbath's reading is titled Bo, meaning "enter".  The reason that it surprises me is because the portion deals with the Passover as covered in Ex. Ch. 10 through 13, but the reading portion doesn't coincide with the time of Passover, which this year doesn't occur until the fourth week of April which is three months away! This leads me to think that there is perhaps even more information to add to our understanding of Passover for us to consider. Perhaps we may start trying to figure out the mystery by looking at the complete meaning of the Hebrew word, Bo, the title of this Sabbath's reading, as it is used in various places in scripture. Bo means: "to go in, enter, come, come in, bring, come upon, attack, bring in, carry in, bring against, bring upon, bring to pass, besiege, a bride entering the house of a husband, to bring or enter into judgment, to be fulfilled/accomplished especially of prophecies, of a sign given by a prophet, to and from war- used of a king or other military leader, to carry with oneself". That's a lot of meaning for a little word. To add to our understanding of Bo, the Hebrew letters used to write the word are beth, vaw, aleph, which can mean, "the house or family joined (by a nail or tent peg) to the Lord". 

    In our Sabbath reading portion, the house that was to be entered into by God's prophet, Moses, was Pharaoh's house. The Word of God with which Moses was to enter Pharaoh's house was: "Thus says the LORD God of the Hebrews: 'How long will you refuse to humble yourself before Me? Let My (aleph-tav, or Alpha and Omega in Greek, referring to Jesus. See Rev. 1:8, 21:6, 22:13) people go, that they may serve Me. Or else, if you refuse (ma'en - unwilling to obey/refuse to acknowledge a marriage contract) ...tomorrow I will bring (bo - see above) locusts into your territory (gebul/gabal - to set bounds, border, to twist as a rope, measured line of boundary)." (Ex. 10:1-4). 

     The plagues grew more severe as Pharaoh (paro - "great house") refused to acknowledge the (marriage) covenant between the LORD (YHWH: "Behold the hand, behold the nail") and His (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) people. The one mentioned above, locusts, was the eighth plague or judgment. The ninth plague would be deep, impenetrable darkness, and the tenth plague would be death of the firstborn. As Pharaoh continued to refuse the command of the LORD, Moses warned the Israelites that they must apply the blood of a perfect lamb upon the doorposts and lintels of their houses. None of the Israelites were to go out of the door of his house until morning (Ex. 12:22). As the angel of death passed across the land of Egypt, striking all firstborn and executing judgment upon the gods of Egypt, if the LORD saw the blood on the doorpost, He would "pass over" that house, and not allow the destroyer to enter (Ex. 12:12-13, 23).

     We can see here, according to Hebrew word meanings, that the LORD's marriage contract with His (aleph-tav) people was not being acknowledged and was actually impeded by Pharaoh. We see the interesting meaning of bo as stated above: the connection between the entrance of the bride into the husband's home, and the entrance into judgment, in this case judgment against Pharaoh, his territory, and the gods of Egypt based upon Pharaoh's refusal to acknowledge the marriage contract between the LORD and His (aleph-tav) people. The blood of the Lamb, which was Jesus (Jn. 1:29-34), on the doorposts of the Israelites saved the Israelites from the judgment of death of the firstborn, but also became the fixed boundary line and witness of the division set between the LORD's (aleph-tav) people, and the territory of Egypt under Pharaoh and the gods of Egypt.

     The moment of change came to Egypt that even the most powerful king in the world at the time, Pharaoh, could not prevent: "And it came to pass at midnight (hesi + layil - divide, cut in two, split in two, two parts, divided by an arrow, be cut off/finished + night as opposed to day, by night, spiral/winding staircase that folds back upon itself) that the LORD struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of livestock. So Pharaoh rose in the night...and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where there was not one dead." (Ex. 12:29-30). "Midnight" in the above verse signals a sharp division between day and night, just as Paul remarked upon the division or separation between the children of day/light and the children of night/darkness, writing: "But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day (of the Lord's return) should overtake you as a thief (in the night). You are all sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness." (1 Thess. 5:3-5). The "midnight" moment of change is also mentioned as the moment of the Bridegroom's (Jesus Christ/Messiah) marriage. Those who were prepared for the Bridegroom's return went in (bo) with the Bridegroom to the wedding "and the door was shut". Those who did not enter in (bo) at that time, were denied entrance and forever divided/separated from those who had entered in (bo) with the Groom (Mt. 25:1-13). 

     In another example of this separation or division, Isaiah  wrote the Word of the LORD, saying: "Come, my people, enter (bo) your chambers (heder/hadar - hidden private inner room, bridal chamber/concealing curtain, enclose), and shut your doors behind you; Hide (haba/habab - withdraw, secrete/love fervently, cherish with warm affection, warm with the breath) yourself, as it were, for a little moment, until the indignation (za'am - anger, rage, God's displeasure with sin is completed) is past (abar - pass over, pass by, pass away, take away). For the LORD comes out of His place to punish (paqad - punish, visit, ruler, governor, oversight, judgment, be called to account) the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; The earth will also disclose her (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) blood, and will no more cover her slain (haraq - kill, slay, murder, destroy, smite with deadly intent)." (Isa. 26:20-21, see also Rev. 18:4-5, 20, 23-24).

     The indignation of the LORD is to deal with those who have the iniquity of the murder of the (aleph-tav) blood on their hands- those who have murdered the believers in Christ for their faith. They refused to recognize the blood boundary line that the LORD had provided of His own blood for those who believe on His name. Not only does the LORD come to punish or call into account, that iniquity, but the meaning of the word in Hebrew also includes to rule or govern, as Jesus Christ will rule and reign upon His return.  Again, we see the connection to "the wedding" as His people enter that private wedding chamber for protection, in the same way that the Israelites remained behind their doors marked with the blood of the Passover Lamb. In the Book of Revelation, immediately following the marriage of the Lamb (Jesus and His wife the Bride of Christ, Rev. 19:6-9), we read of the return of Christ to judge, make war and to rule (Rev. 19:11-16).

     As for Pharaoh, after the plague killed the first born of Egypt, Pharaoh sent for Moses and Aaron and said: "Rise, go out from among (tavek - middle, among, within, separate, to sever, a bisection, mid[night], be divided) my people, both you and the children of Israel. And go serve the (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega) LORD as you have said (dabar). Also take your flocks and your herds, as you have said (dabar), and be gone; and bless me also." (Ex. 12:31-32). Pharaoh would shortly change his mind again and send his army to chase after the Israelites to bring them back, but his efforts would fail, and the Israelites would be miraculously delivered.

     As I consider why the LORD would assign a Sabbath study on the Passover so far outside of the time of Passover, which is one of the appointed Feasts of the LORD, I can only answer with the connection I found between separating/dividing, boundaries, the blood of the Lamb, judgment, marriage covenant with the LORD, and the return of Christ to judge and govern. This may be only part of the picture, and there may be more discoveries to be found on another day.

     If you would like to know more about these things, you can pray with me: "Father, You have given the blood of Your Son, the Lamb of God, Jesus, to separate me from Your anger and judgment. Your Word has called me to come into (bo) the marriage supper with Jesus, and into (bo) the Wedding Chamber, where the door is shut. As You have separated me, by Your Word, Jesus, and by the Holy Spirit, keep me from leaving that wedding chamber that You have provided. Prepare me for the future Passover season with an understanding of the separating power and purpose of the set boundary line of the blood of the Lamb in my life and walk. I ask these things in the name of Jesus. AMEN."

LORD

      This week's Sabbath reading portion is titled Va-eira, which means "and I appeared".  To set the stage, we find Moses in a tight spot. Moses and Aaron had gone into Pharaoh and demanded that he let God's people, who had been enslaved in Egypt, go to offer sacrifices to God. This is what the LORD had appointed Moses to do, and had equipped Moses and Arron, his brother, with signs to convince both the Israelites and Pharaoh, king of Egypt, that this command came from God (Ex. 5:1). This request made Pharaoh very angry, saying to Moses: "Who is the LORD, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, nor will I let Israel go." (Ex. 5:2). Pharaoh then added even more harsh conditions to the Israelites' slave labor as a result of his anger. The officers or leaders of the suffering Israelites even blamed Moses and Aaron for adding to the sorrows of the children of Israel (Ex. 5:19-21). As we end chapter 5, we read: "So Moses returned to the LORD and said, 'LORD, why have You brought trouble on this people? Why is it You have sent me? For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has done evil to this people; neither have You delivered Your people at all." (v. 22-23). Yes, Moses indicts the LORD of indifference and incompetence, Who had inexplicably and ineptly interfered in a bad situation and made it worse, and had dragged Moses into the mess too! I know these words seem awful, but this is the sound of the unbelief of God's people in His ears. 

     We may all face moments when we too are struggling with unbelief. On this subject, the Gospels give us a precious moment when a desperate father has come to Jesus for a miracle on behalf of his son: "Then one of the crowd answered and said, 'Teacher, I have brought You my son, who has a mute spirit. And whenever it seizes him, it throws him down...So I spoke to Your disciples, that they should cast it out, but they could not.' Then He (Jesus) answered him and said, 'O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you...Bring him to Me." (Mk. 9:17-19). The son had another attack right there in front of Jesus, and the father said, "...if You can do anything, have compassion on us and help us." (v. 20-22). "Jesus said to him, 'If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.' Immediately the father of the child cried out and said with tears, 'Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!' (v. 23-24). The father went from calling Jesus "teacher/Rabbi" to calling Him "Lord". The father was struggling with unbelief, but asked Jesus to help his unbelief, being desperate for his son's welfare. Jesus commanded the deaf and dumb spirit to come out of the son and to never come back. The son then appeared dead, and the crowd said that he was dead. "But Jesus took (krateo - to have power, strength, to be chief, master of, rule, hold fast and not let go) him by the hand (cheir - incl. symbol of God's might, activity, power: in upholding and preserving, in creating, in determining and controlling the destinies of men) and lifted (egeiro - raise up, cause to rise, arouse from the sleep of death, recall the dead to life) him up, and he arose (anistemi - raise up, to cause to rise up, to raise up from the dead, cause to appear)." (25-27). If we can admit our unbelief, and ask for help with unbelief, the LORD will help us.

     The LORD's response to Moses after his angry accusations is found in Ex. 6, part of our Sabbath reading for this week: "Then the LORD said to Moses, 'Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh. For with a strong (hazak - strong, firm, mighty, impudent, stiff-hearted, hardened, obstinate, urgent, severe, grievous, rigid) hand he will let them go, and with a strong hand he will drive them out (garas - thrust out or away, drive away, cast out, expatriate, expel, divorce) of his land." (Ex. 6:1). The LORD explained to Moses that it is by a detail that Moses had overlooked, the revelation of His name, The LORD, that He will do this seemingly impossible thing: "And God spoke to Moses and said to him, 'I am the LORD (Yehova/haya/hava - "the existing One", self-existent or eternal/to be, become, exist, remain, continue, beacon/shall be, to breathe, blow, air, breeze). I appeared (ra'a - look, show, behold, seer, perceive, consider, foresee, have vision, discern, be visible) to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty (El-Saday), but by My name (sem - name, renown, famous, report, glory, monument, character, authority) 'LORD' I was not known to them. I have also established My covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land of their pilgrimage, in which they were strangers. And I have also heard the groaning of the children of Israel whom the Egyptians keep in bondage, and I have remembered My covenant." (Ex. 6:2-5). God's name "The LORD" was a new revelation in the knowledge of His people.

     Then the LORD revealed to Moses the significance of the revelation of His name "the LORD", of which there were seven specific characteristics mentioned, that would deal with the terrible plight of His people in Egypt: "Therefore say to the children of Israel: I am the LORD; I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, I will rescue you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm (nata - stretch out or forth, spread out, extended, to be stretched out, coming down, to spread itself, to elongate itself) and with great judgments. I will take you as My people, and I will be your God. Then you shall know that I am the LORD your God who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. And I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and I will give it to you as a heritage: I am the LORD." (v. 6-8).

     When we picture the "outstretched arm" of the LORD described above, and its meaning in Hebrew, it is easy to picture the outstretched arms of Jesus on the cross. The name "LORD" is spelled with the Hebrew letters yod, hey, vaw, hey, (יְהֹוָה), whose individual meanings in the pictographic letters of Hebrew mean: "Behold the hand, behold the nail". In another reading portion from this Sabbath in Isa. 42, the prophet wrote the Word of the LORD: "I am the LORD, that is My name;" (v. 8). In this portion from Isaiah, God is describing His Servant, His Elect One, which, from the details in the Chapter, is referring to the Messiah/Christ (see v. 1-4, 6-7, 16, 22). Many of the characteristics of the Messiah/Christ written here fall right into the character contained in the name of LORD.

     Continuing in our Exodus Sabbath reading portion, the LORD begins sending plagues against Egypt through Moses and Aaron in order to bring Pharaoh's capitulation, but not before Moses again struggles with unbelief: "And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 'Go in, tell Pharaoh king of Egypt to let the children of Israel go out of his land.' And Moses spoke before the LORD, saying, 'The children of Israel have not heeded me. How then shall Pharaoh heed me, for I am of uncircumcised lips?" (Ex. 6:10-12, 28-30). We also see that time and again, Pharaoh, once relieved of a plague, went back on his promise and refused to allow the Israelites to leave (see Ex. Ch. 7, 8 and 9). We shake our heads at the stubbornness and unbelief of Pharaoh, whom the LORD referred to as having a hardened heart (Ex. 7:13-1, 4) especially after Pharaoh had seen all of the signs and wonders of the LORD in both the sending of the plagues, and the relieving of the plagues through Moses. Yet the people of the LORD God exhibited the same hardness of heart and unbelief towards Him in another Sabbath reading portion from this week.

     Psalm 78 reviews God's miraculous, merciful, and faithful history with His people: "That they may set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep His commandments...Marvelous things He did in the sight of their fathers, in the land of Egypt...He made His own people go forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock. And He led them on safely, so that they did not fear."

     This Psalm also recorded God's people's continuous struggle with unbelief: "A stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation that did not set its heart aright, and whose spirit was not faithful to God...And forgot His works and His wonders that He had shown them...They sinned even more against God...Yes, they spoke against God...Because they did not believe in God, and did not trust in His salvation ....they still sinned, and did not believe in His wondrous works...they flattered Him with their mouth, and they lied to Him with their tongue; but their heart was not steadfast with Him, nor were they faithful in His covenant...again and again they tempted God, and limited (tava - to pain, wound, trouble, cause pain, grieve, afflict, to make or set a mark, to scrape to pieces) the Holy One of Israel." Their unbelief "limited" God. However, the word used here for "limit" means more than we assume. There is physical pain inflicted on God even to scrape marks into Him. The letters of the Hebrew word used here, tava, are tav-vaw-hey. The pictographic meaning of these Hebrew letters is: "Behold the nail and the cross". In addition to this profound meaning of the word tava, which is mis-translated as "limited", above, the psalmist gives us a reference to the Messiah as he pointed out that the LORD "awoke as from sleep" to beat back His enemies, chose the tribe of Judah, chose David His servant to shepherd Jacob His people, and Israel His inheritance: "So he shepherded/fed (ra'a - shepherd, companion, ruler, teacher, companion, pasture) them according to the integrity (tom/tamam - completeness, fulness, innocence, perfection, uprightness/to be finished, perfect, clean, to be completed, to be at an end, to be completely crossed over, to make whole, to destroy uncleanness) of his heart, and guided them by the skillfulness of his hands." (v. 65-72). David did rule Israel, but the innocence, perfection, completeness and finished work spoken of in the Hebrew also brings to mind Jesus, the Good Shepherd, the Son of David from the tribe of Judah, the Messiah/Christ.

     The LORD bore the pain, wounds, affliction and marks of our unbelief. We read in the New Testament a scripture from the Old Testament (Ps. 95:7-11): "Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion...where your fathers tested Me, tried Me...so I swore in My wrath, they shall not enter My rest." Then the writer of Hebrews concluded: "Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called "Today", lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end..." (Heb. 3:7-14).

     If you would like to learn more about the LORD, and the importance of belief, you can pray with me: Dearest LORD, by Your Spirit, help me to understand the meaning and power of Your name, "LORD". In that name is power, deliverance and inheritance. I thank You for identity of Christ in Your name, and what that means in my life. Forgive me, LORD, when I walk in unbelief, and I ask You, Lord Jesus, to "help my unbelief", and make my belief and faith as the Son of God's. Let my heart be completed and perfected by the "integrity" found in Your heart. I ask these things in the name of Jesus. AMEN."

Testimony

      "And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, 'See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." (Rev. 19:10).

     The individual who had just prophesied to John in heaven above about the marriage supper of the Lamb was not an angel, nor Jesus, but a fellow believer in Christ. According to the verse above, because this unnamed believer has the testimony of Christ within him, the spirit of prophecy is resident within that testimony. Jesus and the Gospel ARE prophetic, and the prophetic cannot be separated from them nor from those who have Christ. In Christ, our faith is prophetic, our prayers are prophetic, our songs are prophetic, our messages are prophetic, our worship and giving are prophetic. I think that as we begin the Book of Exodus, and the other reading portions of this Sabbath, we will see the significance of this.

     The Book of Exodus is called Sh'mot in Hebrew , meaning "Names". It comes from the first verse of Exodus: We'elleh Shemoth, which means "Now these are the names...".  Sh'mot is also the title of this week's Sabbath reading portion. "The names" refer to Jacob, his eleven sons and their households who came to Egypt, for a total number of seventy individuals. From this seventy, the Israelites in Egypt "increased abundantly, multiplied, and grew exceedingly mighty; and the land was filled with them." (Ex. 1:1-7).

     As a new Pharaoh of Egypt came to power, he grew afraid of the millions of Israelites who were living in Egypt. He felt that their loyalty to himself nor Egypt could be counted upon in time of war, and it was feared that the Hebrews would join an enemy and leave the land (v. 8-10). Therefore, Pharaoh insured their service through hard slavery (v. 11-14). He also sought to control the population of male Israelites by having male Hebrew babies killed upon birth (v.15-22). When the Hebrew midwives refused to cooperate with this plan, Pharaoh ordered all of his people to throw every son into the river to drown (v. 22). It seems that the evil of child murder, like all evil, does not remain contained, but its nature and desire is to be pervasive and without limit. The blood-hunger of evil is never satisfied (Prov. 4:14-17, Rev. 17:3-6). Man cannot control evil, not even the most powerful man in the world, Pharaoh, but rather, evil will control man. As the Israelites suffered terribly under the bitter and hard bondage of the Egyptians, it was time for God to send the deliverer of His people, who would be Moses.

     The prophetic promise of a Deliverer came to man as early as the occasion of man's fall in the Book of Genesis, and even earlier (Gen. 1:3-4, Gen. 3:14-15). The promise of the Christ/Messiah Deliverer continued throughout Jewish scripture. The specific prophetic promise to deliver God's people from Egypt came through Abraham (Gen. 15:13-14), and Joseph. Before his death, Joseph prophesied to his brethren: "...I am dying; but God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land (Egypt) to the land of which He swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob...God will surely visit you and you shall carry up my bones from here." (Gen. 50:24-25). Amos wrote that God does nothing without telling His prophets first (Amos 3:7), and the prophets tell God's people. We have previously discussed the testimony of Jesus Christ present in the lives of Abraham and Joseph. So we will look at the testimony of Christ, the spirit of prophecy, in this week's Sabbath reading portion.

     As Moses was called by God into the role of deliverer, the LORD spoke to him from the midst of a burning bush. As Moses led his father-in-law, Jethro's (aleph-tav/Alpha and Omega: see Rev. 1:8, Rev. 21:6, Rev. 22:13) flock (son - shepherd, lamb, sheep, sheepfold, of a multitude, to migrate) into the back of the desert, and came to Horeb (horeb/harab - destroyed, dried up, wasted, decay, smite down, kill, slay), the mountain of God: "...the Angel of the LORD appeared to him in a flame of fire from the midst of a bush (sene - thorny, bush, to prick). So he looked, and behold, the bush was burning with fire, but the bush was not consumed...God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, 'Moses, Moses!...I am the God of your father - the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.' And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God." (Ex. 3:1-6).

      In a place of death, decay and destruction, and in a circumstance that should have led to consuming destruction by fire, there was no destruction and death but a "great sight" (gadol + mare - great, high, greatest, mighty, magnify, praise, powerful, grow, of honor, lift up + vision, favor, countenance, appearance, spectacle, a handsome shape) which Moses turned aside to see (Ex. 3:3). Moses saw a figure and a face in the midst of the fire that should have, but did not, consume. The next time a form is seen within a fiery furnace without harm, the King of the Chaldeans declared "the form...is like the Son of God." (see Dan. 3:19-25).

     The LORD spoke to Moses from the burning bush. The "LORD" is represented by the Hebrew letters yod, hey, vaw, hey, which have an individual meaning of "Behold the hand, behold the nail". This is the testimony of Jesus Christ, the spirit of prophecy, about which we read above: The One whom death cannot consume.

     In another reading portion from this Sabbath, the LORD calls young Jeremiah to be a prophet. The LORD said to him: "Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations." (Jer. 1:5, see also Rom. 8:28-30).

     As the LORD called young Jeremiah, He showed him his first vision: "Moreover the word of the LORD came to me saying, 'Jeremiah, what do you see?' And I said, 'I see a branch/rod of an almond tree." This first vision is very meaningful because it is built around the testimony of Jesus Christ, which is the spirit of prophecy (see above). First there is the branch or rod. This is the Hebrew word maqqel, meaning "rod, staff, a shoot (of germination)". Isaiah also prophesied concerning the Messiah who would judge: "There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse (David's father), and a Branch shall grow out of its roots. The Spirit of the LORD shall rest upon Him..." (Isa. 11:1-2). 

     According to the vision which the LORD showed Jeremiah, however, it is a specific branch or rod of an almond tree. This is saqed/saqad in Hebrew, meaning, "almond tree, almond, the first tree to arouse and awake from the sleep of winter/watch, wake, hasten, be on the look out for, sleepless". The almond tree, according to its Hebrew meaning is a symbol of returning life from the sleep of death. There is also a reference to this meaning in Eccl. 12:5. Resurrection from the dead is the testimony of Jesus Christ, the spirit of prophecy. Eccl. 12:5. The root word for almond tree includes the idea of watching and hastening. Those who have the testimony of Jesus Christ also fulfill this role. Peter wrote concerning the believers: "Therefore...what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved...and the elements will melt...? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells." (2 Pet. 3:11-13). Those who have the testimony of Jesus Christ walk hand in hand with, and enact, the spirit of prophecy that accompanies that testimony, as we saw with the fellow believer in heaven (see above).

     As Jeremiah reported to the LORD that he had seen the vision of this very important branch of the almond tree, the LORD replied to Jeremiah: "You have seen (ra'a - behold, look, consider, perceive, seer, foresee, have vision) well (yatab - good, pleasing, accepted, be glad, be joyful, to make well, do rightly), for I am ready (or 'I will hasten') (saqad - see above) to perform My word." (Jer. 1:12). The LORD was joyfully glad and pleased that Jeremiah accurately saw the vision of the testimony of Jesus Christ. All of the prophets of God had a revelation of the testimony of Jesus Christ which is the spirit of prophecy.

      From another of this week's Sabbath reading portions, the prophet Isaiah wrote the Word of the LORD concerning the restoration of Israel: "Those who come He shall cause to take root in Jacob; Israel shall blossom (sus - blossom, shine, sparkle, gleam, flourish, to gaze, make the eyes sparkle, be bright, emit splendor) and bud (parah - bud, sprout, shoot, bloom, break forth, break out, to fly), and fill the face of the world with fruit (tenuba/nub - fruit, produce, increase/germinate, bring forth, make flourish, gushing forth, make cheerful, boiling up, to utter words)." (Isa. 27:16). Before making this prophecy, the LORD gave Isaiah this Word: "Your dead shall live (haya - live, alive, save, revive from death, restore to life); Together with My dead body (nebela/nabel - corpse/to despise, to disgrace, to dishonor, to lightly esteem [see Isa. 53:3]) they shall arise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in the dust; For your dew is like the dew of herbs (ora/or - herbs, light, light of joy and happiness, luminousness/light of life [see Jn. 1:1-4], to become light, shine, glorious), and the earth shall cast out its dead." (Isa. 26:19). This refers to the resurrection of the dead which is the testimony of Jesus Christ which is the spirit of prophecy.

     We who have been privileged to carry the testimony of Jesus Christ, carry the glory of God in Christ, and the prophetic promises of God, including the resurrection of the dead, which was fulfilled and assured by Jesus, Himself. It is also this testimony of Christ that we carry which overcomes Satan: "Then I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, 'Now salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ have come, for the accuser of the brethren, who accused them before our God day and night, has been cast down. And they overcame (nikao - conquer, carry off the victory, of Christ victorious over all His foes, of Christians holding fast to faith in Christ) him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word (logos/lego - speech, Christ as the Word of God, uttered by a living voice, declaration/to say, speak, affirm, teach, call by name) of their testimony (martirya/martys - a testifying, record, report, witness, the office committed to the prophets of testifying concerning future events/witness, martyr, record), and they did not love their lives (psyche/psycho - breath of life, the soul and its feelings, desires and affections/wax cold) to the death." (Rev. 12:10-11). This conquering testimony of Jesus Christ is an essential part of our faith and walk, as it was to all of the previous heroes of faith who served God, like Moses and the prophets. It is of more importance than this world and our desires.

     If you would like to know more about the testimony of Christ in us, you can pray with me: "Heavenly Father, You have revealed to me the Person and testimony of Jesus Christ, which saved me, and brought me into Your Kingdom. This testimony embodies the fulfillment of the prophetic promises of God including the resurrection of the dead. This testimony defeats the enemy of my soul and life.  This testimony looks to and hastens the return of Christ, His reign on earth, and the creation of the new heavens and the new earth, and the new creature in Christ. Let this testimony come alive in me and in my life as a witness by the power of Your Holy Spirit. I ask this in Jesus' name. AMEN."