Silence

There is a conspiracy of silence. I believe that the Church has been deceived into participating in this conspiracy in the past, and continues to be a part of it. There is evidence that that I will present below that I believe will support this opinion. This issue is timely and relates to this present resurrection season especially, as we will see.
Passover is one of the appointed feasts of the LORD, which He commanded all of Israel to observe throughout all of their generations Ex. 12:1-48, Ex. 13:6-10,Lev. 23:4-8). This year, it is occurring this week, coinciding with our Holy Week observances of Good Friday and Resurrection Sunday.
Passover is a prophetic picture of the greatest triumph of Jesus Christ. Yet it is something in which most of the Church refuses to take part. The Church's ignorance concerning Passover and the other feasts of the LORD is based, I believe, on anti-Semitic prejudice. It is an ignorance that can keep the Church, and the individual believer from being effective especially during this time, when many are dying from a pestilence that is covering our land.
Passover memorializes the night when the children of Israel were delivered from the plague of death, and out of their slavery in Egypt. The LORD told Moses that the blood of a spotless lamb must be sprinkled or spattered with hyssop on the doorposts and lintels of every house of the Hebrews so that the angel of death that was about to be released over the land of Egypt would "pass over" the Israelites' homes without harm. The Passover is followed by the Feast of Unleavened Bread, which is to be observed for seven days, which makes it a type of Sabbath.
In the same manner, our spotless Lamb, Jesus, provided His blood as a deliverance from death. Have we applied the blood of the Lamb of God to our doorposts and lintels- not only to the doorposts of our physical homes, but to the doorposts of our spiritual houses or temples of God, which are our bodies? Does this ignorance regarding Passover prevent us from applying this same life-saving deliverance from death to the doorposts and lintels of our nation, as an angel of death presently rolls through our communities on a scale which we have not previously seen?
The word "Passover" in Hebrew is pesach which means "a sparing, an immunity from penalty and calamity". Its root word is pasach, meaning "to pass over, spring over, to hop, to skip over, to leap (see the definition of nazah also below)".
The meal which the Church has called "The Last Supper", from which we get our holy communion rite, was a Passover Seder which Jesus shared with His disciples (Mt. 26:17-19). The Apostle Paul, who was a Jew as were all of the apostles, called Jesus "our Passover" who was sacrificed for us (1 Cor. 5:7). Yet the Church remains silent regarding the teaching and the observance of the Passover. What conclusion can we draw from this except that the Church deliberately ignores, or suppresses the knowledge of the power of the Passover, and its prophetic proclamation of salvation and deliverance by the blood of the Lamb? For what purpose would the Passover be ignored and renamed except for the purpose of disguising its message of salvation in Christ from the Jew, and as well as denying the Church's Jewish roots. Both of these results can only have resulted from deep, systematic anti-Semitism, of which we have historical evidence*.
God has also sent His Feast of Unleavened Bread, which immediately follows Passover and cannot be separated from it, at a time when we need it most. As we see the return of Christ nearing, the unleavened bread of this feast not only pertains to the removal of sin, or leaven, from our homes and lives, but it also signifies the immediacy of the leave-taking out of bondage. The leave-taking was so sudden in the Exodus account, there was no time for the leaven to raise the bread. This is a prophetic announcement to us of the need to be ready to leave immediately when the trumpet of the LORD sounds, as the New Testament teaches (1 Cor. 15:51-53, 1 Thess. 4:15-17). This is the precious doctrine of what we refer to as the Rapture of the Church. The Israelites were to eat their Passover meal with shoes on their feet, ready to depart at a moment's notice. Are we ready? The Passover Seder not only memorializes "a night different from all other nights" of the past, but also prophetically announces the night that will be different from all other nights in the near future at the return of Christ. Yet the Church ignores the message of Passover.
The conspiracy of silence, denial and ignorance continues as the Church remains determined to hide salvation in the form of the image of Christ in the Passover from the Jews, for whom God first intended it. For the Gospel is to the Jew first, and then also to the Gentile (Rom. 1:16). The Church has deliberately determined, against all that is in the Word of God, that the Gospel is only to the Gentiles, as it continues to deny and neglect its Jewish foundation, which is Yeshua, Jesus, the prophets and the apostles (2 Pet. 3:1-2), who were all Jews.
Jesus died on the cross on the Passover, at the same hour as the Passover lamb was being offered in the temple, yet we keep silent about Passover, even turning away from it. How should we explain this strange contradiction?
Not only have we turned our backs on the Passover as an image of the crucified Christ, but the Church continues to neglect the tangible Passover image that we have of the crucified and resurrected Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. We have that Passover image preserved on the Shroud of Turin, which the world denounces as a fraud, and the Church prefers not to acknowledge or discuss. Again, there is silence from the Church.
The Shroud of Turin is a long piece of linen with an image of a man who was the victim of crucifixion in the exact same manner as recorded in the Gospels. This Shroud was used to loosely cover the dead body of a crucified man from the area of Jerusalem, as was the practice of Jewish burial customs of the day. What this Shroud tells us is that what was originally a cloth or veil of death for the grave, has been swallowed up by the image of the victory of the resurrected Lamb (Isa. 25:7-8, 1 Cor. 15:43). The outer areas of the Shroud surrounding the central image is swallowed up by later fire and water marks (subsequent baptism of the Holy Spirit?), which do not trespass upon the central image itself. There are several scripture references regarding physical evidence seen with the eye that convicts and convinces both Jew and Gentile of the atonement and resurrection of Christ (Gal. 3:1, Zech. 12:10-14, and Isa. 52:14-15 below).
The conscious conspiracy of silence practiced by the Church applies to its silence regarding the Shroud of Turin as well. For the Shroud is a witness of Jewish customs of burial at the time of Christ. Not only does the Shroud shout loudly and clearly to the Gentiles, but the way the frontal and dorsal images appear on the cloth is a specific witness to the Jew. For Jews were not wrapped as a mummy for burial, but by a long piece of linen upon which the body was laid, which was then folded over the head to loosely cover the front or top of the body as well. The Shroud is the testimony of the Gospel to the Jew in its details. The body depicted on the Shroud shows evidence that phylacteries (items strapped to a Jewish worshipper containing the word of God) were worn on the forehead and arm. This identifies the person on the Shroud as being a Jew. So the Shroud is not a Catholic relic, nor a Christian relic. If we are going to characterize it at all, we must say that it is a Jewish relic.
Original scientific research on the Shroud has already concluded that the image, which has several unusual characteristics, was not created by any paints, dyes, or tints, nor is any manmade method of application indicated on the fibers. Human blood is present on the Shroud. The image itself, with its very unique qualities, cannot be accurately duplicated by any process. Incorrect Carbon Dating performed subsequently to the original investigation, which declared the Shroud a forgery, was overturned by later scientific analysis.**
Although the Church handles and keeps the Shroud as if it were more precious than gold, it refuses to publicly discuss what many believe to be the authentic burial cloth of Jesus, despite scientific findings that would lend support to that conclusion. Why the silence?
The prophets wrote that something would be seen that would astound and shut the mouths of those who saw it:
"Just as many were astonished at you, so his visage was marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men; so shall he sprinkle ("nazah" - to spurt, spatter, sprinkle, to startle, besprinkle especially in expiation, to leap (see the meaning of Passover above), to cause to exult, to fill anyone with joy) many nations. Kings shall shut their mouths at him; for what had not been told them they shall see, and what they had not heard they shall consider."  Isa. 52:14-15
The passion or torture of Jesus even before His crucifixion, would have caused His blood to spatter and spurt in agreement with the definition of nazah used in the scripture above, in the same way that the hyssop branch dipped in the blood of the lamb would spatter the blood when striking the doorposts and lintels of the homes of the Israelites on the Passover night of Exodus. It also would produce this same kind of blood spatter as indicated by the wounds on the body depicted on the Shroud. Yet the Church remains largely silent on these things.
The Church has been deceived through its anti-Semitism into keeping hidden these obvious Jewish characteristics of the truth of the Gospel from the Jews. The spiritual powers behind the deception have much to gain from keeping the Jews unaware of their Messiah, their Passover Lamb. The Apostle Paul said regarding the salvation of the Jews:
"...if by any means I may provoke to jealousy those who are my flesh (Jews) and save some of them. For if their being cast away is the reconciling of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? For if the firstfruit is holy, the lump is also holy; and if the root is holy, so are the branches."  Rom. 11:14-16
The receiving of salvation by the Jews would revolutionize, revive, and benefit the kingdom of God in every way, which should be the goal of the Church. Life from the dead, and holiness revival would come from this restored Jewish root. Paul said he would use any means possible to bring this about. Paul wrote that the salvation of the Jews is so essential to the Church, and to the kingdom of God, that if it were possible, he would give up his own salvation to accomplish it (Rom. 9:1-5). Does the heart of the Church cry out for this salvation as Paul's does? Its silence in word and practice on this matter, however, "speaks" plenty.
As the Lord keeps His promise to remove the scales from Jewish eyes (Acts 9:17-18), and  spiritual blindness is reversed (Rom. 11:25-27), it is time for the Church to lift the cover off of the almost 2,000 year old conspiracy of silence that makes the Gospel of salvation unrecognizable to the Jews*. The same tactic has been used in the case of the Feast of First Fruits, which is Resurrection Sunday. The Church has hidden the correlation of these two events under the disguise of the pagan term, "Easter", which has nothing to do with Christ or His resurrection. Unfortunately, most of the Church has continued along this path to its own loss and weakness, but we can begin to make a change. Each of us can begin to discover the Jewish roots of our faith, and put them into practice. This is not a form of legalism, but enrichment. I have been blessed to attend a church that has for many years taught the Jewish foundation of our faith. My faith has become deeper and richer because of it, and I am thankful for it. In the Jewish roots of our faith, the LORD continually confirms Himself, His Word, His Son, and His plan of salvation for His creation. In the Jewish roots of our faith, He assures each of us of His eternal promise that He is, and will be with us, and we will to be with Him. 
We can all take measures to end the conspiracy of silence.
Jesus said, "You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour is coming and now is when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is spirit, and those who worship Him  must worship in spirit and truth."   Jn. 4:22-24

Our Father has ordained the Passover for all generations.

**Recommended reading regarding the scientific findings, Jewish culture, and   scriptural references concerning the Shroud of Turin:
"NAZAH: White Linen and the Blood of Sprinkling" by Dr. Kenneth Stevenson

*Early Church history concerning anti-Semitism and rejection of our Jewish heritage:
Letter from Emperor Constantine to Church Bishops

dabar

The Hebrew word written above is dabar. It is an amazingly complex and powerful word. The three letters of the Hebrew aleph-beth used in the word are: daleth, beth, and reysh. If we were to interpret the combined pictographic meaning of these letters, it might be "the door of the tent/house of the Highest". The word "dabar" is used when referring to God's spoken Word. The New Testament equivalents in the Greek language are "logos" and "rhema", both words meaning the spoken word.
The partial translation of "dabar" in the Concordance is to: speak, declare, command, promise, teach, appoint, pronounce. The meaning can also include "to sing". We know from scripture that God does indeed sing. Not only is it recorded that the LORD sings over us, but many of His revelations to King David, and to the prophets, took the form of song.
The LORD is so committed to His dabar, that He sent it in the form of a Person, Jesus, who is the Word (logos/dabar) become flesh who dwelt among us (Jn. 1:14). It is through this Dabar Person of Christ that all things, including all life, were made  (Jn. 1:1-4). The LORD keeps watch over (hastens) His dabar to perform it (Jer. 1:12). It accomplishes what He sets it to do:
"So shall My word (dabar) be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it." 
                                                                                            Isa. 55:11
Jesus said the same in describing dabar:
"Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words (logos) will by no means pass away." 
                                                                                            Mt. 24:35
Dabar's primary power is that of "setting in a row" and "bringing into order", as written:
^" He himself is before all things, and in him all things hold together."  Col. 1:17 NRSV 
^"...has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high..."      Heb. 1:2-3 (also Isa. 40:26)
Another action associated with the meaning of dabar is "to lead, to guide, to lead flocks to pasture, to rule or direct a people". Jesus described how His spiritual sheep respond to His voice, His spoken commands, as the Good Shepherd. This is a power of dabar:
"But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice.....Then Jesus said to them again, "Most assuredly I say to you, I am the door of the sheep....I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture...I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep."   Jn. 10:2-4, 7, 9, 11
Not only is Jesus telling us that He is the performance of dabar, but He also associates Himself with the pictographic meaning of the letters of dabar in referring to Himself as "the door".
Dabar also refers to "the hinder part". This is also the part of God that Moses was allowed to see when Moses asked to see God's glory:
"So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by. Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see My back; but My face shall not be seen."   Ex. 33:22-23
Before the LORD walked past Moses, He made a proclamation of His name over Moses (V. 19). He pronounced His name (see the above meaning of dabar) in order to shield Moses from an outbreak of the holiness of dabar.
Dabar is the word also used to refer to the innermost recess in the temple, which in the house of God is the Holy of Holies, where the ark of the covenant containing the commandments of God are housed. The ark is covered with the mercy seat, which is the throne of God. Remember, the letters of dabar mean "the door of the house of the Highest".
Dabar also includes the action "to ask in marriage, to speak to a woman". Jesus, the living Dabar, is betrothed to us, the Bride of Christ. We are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb (Rev. 19:7). This is a working of dabar. Jesus also made it a point to speak with women, to share revelation (also a work of dabar) and truth with them, which would have been considered unusual in its day, especially of a rabbi, but dabar includes the meaning of speaking in this kind of intimacy with women. God, the Father, in a similar way, is married by the dabar to Israel (Isa. 54:5-6).
The Concordance says that dabar is also used as we speak together, to one another. The reference given for this is Malachi 3:16:
"Then those who feared the LORD spoke to one another, and the LORD listened and heard them; so a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the LORD and who meditate on His name."
The LORD responded to the dabar of this activity: He listened and heard, and then He had a book written. This is the power of dabar.
However, the meaning of dabar also includes a solemn aspect which is very serious and timely to consider. Dabar also means "to warn, to threaten, to subdue, to destroy, to lay snares, to plot against". The destruction of dabar comes in the form of death and pestilence. In fact the Hebrew word for pestilence, deber, comes from its root word "dabar". This is especially important for us to know as a pestilence is now covering the earth in the form of a virus. However, scripture tells us that His people were afflicted with a deadly disease because of their transgressions and iniquity, with their souls melting because of trouble. They were at their wits end. It is at this point that "He sent His word (dabar) and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions." (Ps. 107:17-28). The same word, dabar, that became a pestilence to them because of their transgressions, was also sent to heal and deliver them in God's mercy, as they cried out to the LORD in their trouble.
The same holy dabar that breaks out in destruction against sin, came and dwelt among us full of grace and truth, not to condemn the world, but to save it (Jn. 3:17). The curse of dabar was hung on a cross and lifted up so we would have deliverance from that curse (Gal. 3:13-14). The dabar has two sides to it, existing together, seemingly opposite to one another, but not opposite at all.
To me, an example of the warning meaning of dabar can be found in this verse from the Psalms and the New Testament:
("Let us kneel before the LORD our Maker. For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand.")
"while it is said:

“Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.” For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses?  Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness?"   (Ps. 95:6-11 excerpt) Heb. 3:15-17 

How can dabar contain life, deliverance and salvation, and all manner of benefits, but also contain warning, threats and destruction at the same time? To me, dabar is like a beehive full of thousands of bees. The bees work tirelessly, producing benefits far outweighing their seeming small size. Not only are there numerous benefits for us now by the bees in the fertilization of fruits, vegetables and flowers as well as the production of delicious honey, but these bees are building many chambers in the hive for future generations, with the food and provision necessary for them. Some of that future generation of bees are designated to be royal in nature, and are fed with a royal jelly. However, if someone tries to prevent the work of a single bee, or seeks to destroy the hive and its purpose, they can receive a thousand stings. To some, those stings are fatal. Like the bees and their hive, the dabar has a beneficial , essential work to do - don't try to interfere with it, impede it, or destroy it.

Perhaps this is the meaning of the scripture that warns as it teaches about the nature of dabar:
"For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account." 
                                                                                                         Heb. 4:12-13
The work of dabar is to bring all things into order and subdued in Christ, our Good Shepherd, our "Door of the house of the Highest", who leads us to pasture by the sound of His voice. This is the sharp two-edged sword of dabar.
Before leaving dabar, let's see a last example of its power and glory:
"Every valley shall be exalted
And every mountain and hill brought low;
The crooked places shall be made straight
And the rough places smooth;
The glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
And all flesh shall see it together;
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”  Isa. 40:4-5

Our Father's dabar accomplishes what He sets it out to do.

 

Samson/Delilah

We have entered the season of Lent, and for many Christians, this is marked by a vow to give up something that they enjoy during the 40 days before Resurrection Sunday. According to the doctrine taught, this vow is also to be accompanied by prayer, penance, mortifying of the flesh, self-reflection and spiritual preparation. As the Cardinal of New York explained, the outward activities are only an indication of an inward change. It is what goes on in the heart that has the true importance, he said.
Whether you observe Lent in this traditional manner, or not, it is a good time to examine our own hearts as the remembrance of the atoning crucifixion, and the celebration of the resurrection of Christ approaches. For me the story of Samson and Delilah has an important message for us.
Samson was a Nazirite. Nazir in Hebrew means consecrated. An angel appeared to Samson's mother, who is unnamed in scripture, which is interesting. She and her husband, Manoah ("rest"), had no children because she was barren. Manoah was from Zorah (hornet, wasps; root meaning:to be leprous, to scourge, to strike down, stricken and smitten by God-see Isa. 53:4). The angel told the woman that she would have a son, and she was to refrain from wine or any product of the grape, for her child was to be a Nazirite from the womb. Yes, God knows us and destines us before we are even formed in our mother's womb. In spite of what some may believe, the life of man is divinely created and ordained (Ps. 139:13-16), and it is created with the light and life of Christ. That light and life in each of us is meant to overcome the darkness. (Jn. 1:4-5). Back to our story.
When the woman's son was born, he was never to take a razor to his hair, according to the instructions of the angel. This would be his Nazirite vow. He was to remain in that vow his until his death (Judges 13:1-7, 13-14). Although he was identified as an angel, the person who appeared before Samson's mother might well have been Christ, because when asked his name, he replied, "Why do you ask My name, seeing it is wonderful?" Isaiah tells us that one of the names of the Son, the Christ, would be "Wonderful" (Isa. 9:6). Also, Manoah declared regarding the "angel", "We shall surely die, for we have seen God." (Jud. 13:22).
It would be through Samson's consecration that he would be able to judge Israel.
The judges of Israel were an office provided by God. They were raised up when an enemy would overrun the land and afflict God's people. The enemy was often able to overrun the land because God's people forgot Him, and lived in sin. This certainly reflects our time also. We have forgotten God, and the spiritual enemy has overrun our land.
The judges were gifted by God in ways that would allow them to lead the unarmed people to miraculous victory over those oppressors, and bring deliverance to God's people. In Samson's case, his Nazirite vow of consecration endowed him with great strength. He destroyed many Philistines and their sources of wealth-their vineyards, grain, and olive trees- which made the Philistines determined to destroy Samson (Jud. 15:5). Samson's life and calling were impacted by his obsession for Delilah. Delilah was from the Valley ("to divide for a possession") of Sorek ("choice vines, choice grapes; root word: to hiss, to whistle as a signal used to call, bright red as piercing to the sight"). Everything about her was a challenge to Samson's consecration. Delilah pestered him into telling her the secret of his strength, which was his consecration, or Nazirite vow. As a result, the enemy found out his secret, and they thought they had at last found the way to rid themselves of Samson's interference. They cut off Samson's hair and his eyes were gouged out. He lost his strength, and he spent his days blind, grinding at a millstone, and in chains. That is not the end of the story, but more later.
The name Samson in Hebrew is Shimshon, which means "like the sun, glittering, shining upon pinnacles and shields"; it refers to the rising of the sun rather than its setting because it is associated with the eastern direction (which is also associated with antiquity or eternity). The meaning of his name is associated with openings such as windows, that allow the sunlight to enter. It is also associated with the notched battlements of a fortress. As we can see from his name, Samson represented a great ascending light, the light of battle and defense.
Delilah's name in Hebrew means "to make feeble, pining with desire, weak". The root meaning is "dried up, brought low, not equal, emptied, impoverished, made thin, languish, hang down, to be oppressed, also to hang down like a bucket that removes water from a well".  
As we consider the names of the two people involved, the great promise of Samson's life, his purpose as a light of deliverance, was challenged by something that was specifically purposed to draw something away from him, to enfeeble him, to draw him low, to oppress him, as it also impoverished and oppressed God's people and the land.
The judges of Israel were a fascinating lot, but they are not only relegated to the Old Testament. Isaiah wrote that the judges would be restored by God:
"I will restore your judges as at the first, And your counselors as at the beginning. Afterward you shall be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city. Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness.”  Isa. 1:26-27
The impact of judges in their office, as you can see above, has a wide sweeping effect on peoples and cities. Just as the judges of old were equipped by God for their calling, Jesus told us, "Behold, I have given you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you." (Lk. 10:19). However, this is made possible because of our connection with Christ in the fact that our names are written in heaven (v. 20). Again, this shows us our divine creation and purpose. We are from above, in Christ, not beneath (Jn. 8:23, 1:12-13). How does our New Testament judgeship, ridding the land of the enemy, work?
 Paul tells us that our warfare is not carnal against flesh. Our weapons also are not carnal, but spiritual. We have indeed been called into a deliverance warfare against the enemy, but that warfare begins in us. It begins in our own minds and with our own obedience:
"For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ, and being ready to punish all disobedience when our obedience is fulfilled."  2 Cor. 10:3-6
The importance of victory in that spiritual warfare is not just for our benefit, but for the benefit of many. There is a song entitled, "Making War in the Heavenlies", and it's a great song, but the victory in the heavenlies begins on a much smaller scale- within us. Just as the enemy put Delilah across Samson's path to destroy his consecration and derail his judgeship, so also the enemy places similar disruptions in our path, disruptions that appeal to us. Those distractions and disruptions "pester" us, returning again and again. How do we overcome the continual challenge to our New Testament judgeship?
The accuser of the brethren is cast down, and salvation and strength comes as,
"... they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death".  Rev. 12:10-11
In understanding this scripture in the context of the story of Samson, the blood of the Lamb is our consecration. The Lamb of God was slain before the foundation of the world (Rev. 13:8), and we were consecrated in Him before we were formed in our mother's wombs:
"For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified. What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?
                                                                                                           Rom. 8:29-31
The word of our testimony, which is the Word of God in us, is our Nazirite vow. Concerning our not loving our lives unto the death stated above, as we will see, to Samson, his purpose as a deliverer and his service to God as a judge in Israel was more important to him than his own life.
Though captured, blinded and enslaved, Samson's hair grew back. His Nazirite vow was of the type that, like the re-growing of hair, would continue until his death. In the last moments of his life, Samson's strength returned as his hair grew, and he asked God to let him move in his Nazirite consecration and purpose once again. Samson pulled down a whole stadium containing the enemies who had come to mock him, and the God he represented. Samson destroyed more of the enemy in his death than he had during his whole life (Judges 16:28-31).
Our judgeship is not about destroying flesh enemies as it was in the Old Testament, but in the pulling down of spiritual strongholds through our obedience in Christ. We cannot allow those things that the person of Delilah represents to abort our purpose, trying to cut off the ascending light of Christ in us, or to hold God's people in captivity to impoverishment, oppression and enfeeblement.

Our Father has called us to be part of His Light of Deliverance.

Good/Evil

We are living in times when we see a prophecy of Isaiah coming to pass:
"Woe to those who call evil (wickedness, giving pain, unhappiness, misery, malignant, unkind, distress, injury, calamity, wrong. Root word- to break, to be broken, crushing, raging, tumultuous) good, and good (pleasant, excellent, merry, valuable, prosperous, kind, benefit, bounty, delightful, act rightly) evil; who put darkness (misery, destruction, death, ignorance, sorrow, wickedness, dark place/prison/Hades) for light, and light (bright, clear, illumination, daylight, light of life, brightening of countenance, light of teaching. Root word-to become light, glorious, to make shine) for darkness; who put bitter (the end that comes from wickedness, pain, angry, discontented, sorrowful, the bitterness of death, fierce, powerful, raging, destructive, having a harmful effect especially in a gradual or subtle way) for sweet, and sweet (sweet, pleasant) for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!"  Isa. 5:20-21
It is difficult to imagine how man could become so lost, so far from God as to be in this condition. We can see it all around us, but we don't have to look far to see it, because it is sometimes no farther than our own hearts and minds. It is a trap into which we can easily and quickly fall. There is an example in scripture.
There was a great and blessed king. On a day when he was in a place where he was not supposed to be, at a time when he shouldn't have been there, this king spotted a beautiful woman. Unfortunately, she was the wife of one of his trusted soldiers, who at that time was away fighting in battle on behalf of his king. The king began an affair with the soldier's wife, and she became pregnant. Wanting to prevent discovery, the king arranged a leave for her husband, and brought him back from the battlefield for a short visit with his wife. However, the soldier was a noble man, and felt he should not enjoy a visit with his wife while he was home on leave, because his fellow soldiers were still suffering away from home. The soldier, therefore, was not intimate with his wife on the visit. The Plan A cover-up was not successful. The king moved to Plan B. This plan had the soldier reassigned to the front line of battle upon his return to duty, where the likelihood increased that he would get killed. This plan is successful. The only person who would know besides the king and the soldier's wife that the child was not the husband's, had been killed in action (2 Sam. 11:1-17, 26-27).
This whole plot is evil at its worst. The king involved, King David, had an intimate knowledge and relationship with God, probably more so than most of us. He sought, loved and treasured God so much that God had called him, "A man after His own heart" (1 Sam. 13:14). David received revelation knowledge from God, yet in this case he did not recognize the evil that he had done until a prophet of God showed it to him in a parallel example (2 Sam. 12:1-15). God sent His prophet because He needed David to face this evil in order to bring David to repentance, so David could live:
"So David said to Nathan ("Gift"), "I have sinned against the LORD." And Nathan said to David, "The LORD also has put away ("abar"- put away, pass over, pass beyond, cross over, vanish, become invalid) your sin; you shall not die."  2 Sam. 12:13
God's great plan of redemption required that David live. David wrote Psalm 51 out of that repentance. However, there would be more to this picture than our minds could ever anticipate, which we will see later.
Our perception of good and evil gets twisted, because we tend to judge good and evil based upon appearances. We see with our eyes, hear with our ears, taste, touch and smell using our senses. We analyze the information that our senses receive with our natural minds. We are then judging these spiritual things using our flesh. Scripture says that no good thing dwells in the flesh:
"For I know that in me (that is in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find."   Rom. 8:17
The above is what apostle Paul spoke of himself. It is no different for you or me. Using the flesh, including the natural mind and its reasoning, is not the way to identify good and evil. It is a trap for failure.This is the same as eating from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, which Adam and Eve were forbidden to do. As Eve observed the Tree and its fruit, this is what happened:
"So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate."   Gen. 3:6
After hearing the convincing argument of the Serpent, although it was a lie, Eve looked at the Tree and found that it didn't look any less beautiful than the other trees in the garden. The fruit of it looked fine also. The commandment of God not to eat of it didn't make sense considering the evidence she saw with her eyes, and the deductions being formed in her mind. Adam was with her, and he didn't see the evil of the situation either. Good and evil are spirit, and it is defined by what God says, not by what man sees and thinks. When Adam and Eve chose to rely upon their flesh to make the determination between good and evil, rather than by the revelation of God, it meant the death of them. Are we eating of this same Tree every day? If so, is it bringing us death, or death to others? This might very well be the case.
The greatest Good the world has ever received, the birth, atonement death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, could not and cannot be perceived by the natural senses and mind of men. Jesus said that the knowledge of Him could only be revealed to someone by the Father, Who is Spirit:
"And He (Jesus) said to them (His disciples), "But who do say that I am?" Simon Peter answered and said, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus answered and said to him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father, who is in heaven."   Mt. 16:15-17
Paul said the same: the Gospel of Christ is foolishness to the wisdom of man, and can only be revealed by the Spirit (1 Cor. 1:21-24,  2:10, 14-15). If we cannot perceive this greatest Good, which is Jesus, by our flesh, what makes us think that we can perceive any other good, or by extension, any evil by our flesh?
Both Jesus and Paul warned of judging by the flesh (Jn. 7:24, 8:15-16, 1 Cor. 4:5). Yes, as Paul said, we will judge angels (1 Cor. 6:3). However, it won't be by appearance or the use of natural knowledge and understanding. Yet we judge and analyze people and situations, good and evil, every day by incomplete information and natural understanding. It happens so quickly, and so "naturally", we don't realize that we have fallen into the trap.
We may feel confident that we can judge good and evil by the Word of God. This is true, as far as the extent of our knowledge of the Word goes. What we lack, however, is the omniscience of God, the knowledge of the eternal plan of God concerning any individual, even ourselves, unless He specifically reveals these things to us. This brings us back to our story of David.
God sent His prophet to bring David to a recognition of his evil, and to a place of necessary repentance, God also had something else in mind that was not indicated by appearances, and that no human reasoning could have deduced. As David pressed into the LORD in repentance, seeking forgiveness, God revealed something greater to David. God planned to redeem something good out of this evil. What David caught a glimpse of spiritually, was too precious and miraculous to imperil with other men's faulty, natural judgment. David said that this matter was between David and God only (Ps. 51:4). David determined that he must depend upon the righteous judgment of God, not the flawed judgment of men. On another occasion David had said,
"I am in great distress. Please let me fall into the hand of the LORD, for His mercies are very great; but do not let me fall into the hand of man." 1 Chron. 21:13
David came to understand that not only was there cleansing in bringing to God the offering of repentance, there was also a redemption available that would result in renewal and restoration (Ps. 51:10-17). The words of revelation David used regarding this redemption were: create ('bara"- of new conditions and circumstances, of transformations, of birth, of something new, of miracles), renew ("chadash"- be new, renew, repair, make anew), and restore ("shuv"- turn back (from evil/to God), restore, refresh, repair, bring back, reverse).
Can we blame David for not trusting this work into the understanding of men?
It is only in the righteous, spiritual judgment of God, that good could possibly come from this evil situation of adultery and murder. Man could not have guessed that from this same couple, David and the soldier's widow Bathsheba, a second child would later be born (the first child had not survived). That second child, Solomon, David's tenth son over all, would become the next, and great king of Israel, known world-wide for his wisdom. Solomon built the temple of God in Jerusalem, following the plans left for him by his father, David. Solomon also wrote three books of the scriptures. Proverbs is a book of seemingly simple wise sayings, which are not simple at all, but deep truths, including the following, which pertains to our discussion here:
"There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death."  Prov. 14:12
Solomon also wrote the deep book of Ecclesiastes, so named after the Greek translation of the word "Preacher", which Solomon called himself in the first verse of this book. This "Preacher", or kohehleth, is by the Hebrew meaning of the word, addressing an assembly of God's called out people, the Ekklesia.
The third book of scripture written by Solomon is the Song of Songs, sometimes called the Song of Solomon, or Canticles, meaning a hymn or chant based on scripture. This is another book that is not as it seems on the surface, but embedded within it is an astounding prophetic allegory of the Messiah.
Shortly before this terrible sin entered David's life, God had made a covenant with him. He prophesied of David's future generations, and the eternal kingship which would come from David's house (2 Sam. 7:12-19). This referred to the everlasting reign of the Messiah. A man might assume that this line could descend from one of David's already-born sons. However, God knew that the Messiah would descend from David's line through that yet-to-be-born son, Solomon. Solomon carried the seed of the coming Messiah, Jesus. From the genealogy of Christ as recorded in scripture comes this entry: "...David the king begot Solomon by her (who had been the wife of Uriah)." (Mt. 1:6).
This evil was placed in front of David's face for his repentance, to save David's life, and to continue the line of Messiah. God also showed s this example from David's life to show forth to all of us His redeeming power to fulfill His word, despite what was meant for evil, by the grace of the Passover Lamb slain before the foundation of the world. God knows the end from the beginning, as He did in this case. We, on the other hand, do not. Could anyone have foreseen, anticipated, understood this redemption of good from the evil that David had committed?
The Psalms sing:
"O Israel, hope in the LORD; for with the LORD there is mercy, and with Him is abundant redemption. And He shall redeem Israel from all His iniquities."  Ps. 130:7-8
Most people do not choose evil, darkness, and bitterness because they want them in their lives. It is often a trap we fall into because man prefers to rely upon and exalt his own will, desires, observations, and reasoning, rather than the Word and Spirit of God. The Breastplate of Judgment worn by the priests of God contained Urim ("Lights") and Thummim ("Perfection, Righteousness") to be consulted in all things (Ex. 28:30). We are also commanded to wear our breastplate of righteousness (Eph. 6:14, Isa. 59:16-17). Isaiah said that this is the breastplate worn by our Salvation, the Right Hand of God, Who eternally lives to make intercession for us, even when no man will intercede.
Let us learn from David's struggle. In the face of evil, we can pray for God's redemption. Let us ask God to "create, refresh, and restore", to turn for good what is meant for evil for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.

Our Redeemer lives, and He redeems good from evil to fulfill His plan for us.

 

Cause/Effect

In the two previous posts, we have looked at some interesting scriptures regarding the last days and the nations of the earth. We have seen the importance of the role of Jerusalem among the nations, even in the comprehensive meaning of the name of the city of which the Hebrew means, "teaching of peace". We read why the command in the Psalm 122 to "pray for the peace of Jerusalem", means so much more than that short phrase encompasses, not only in regards to the destinies of the nations, but for our individual destinies found in the phrase, "for the sake of my brethren and companions".
In this entry, I would like to look at how our individual walks as believers and followers of Christ directly effects the nations of the earth:

"I will greatly rejoice ("suws suws" , a word repeated here in Hebrew reflecting the intensity of meaning as "to be bright, exult, display joy, to leap of spring with joy) in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful ("giyl"-go in a circle, dance, leap for joy) in my God;
For He has clothed me with the garments ("beged"- cloth, covering, vesture, precious garment, with which anything is "wrapped up"*) of salvation ("yesha"- deliverance, salvation, rescue, safety, prosperity, victory, liberty. Root: avenging, defend, ample, broad, opulent, to set free),
He has covered me with the robe ("m'iyl"- mantle, cloak, outer robe, garment of the high priest) of righteousness ("tsedaqah"- justice, righteous acts. Root: cleansed, to justify, to vindicate, to clear self),
As a bridegroom ("chathan"- bridegroom, husband, circumcised child as a species of religious espousal as in "bridegroom of blood" as a sign of covenant relationship. Root: to cut off, to circumcise) decks ("kahan"- priest's office, to mediate in religious services, prophet, put on regalia, rich, opulent) himself with ornaments ("pe'er"- fancy headdress, beauty, bonnet, tiara, turban. Root: glorify, beautify, to gleam, white glowing heat),
And as a bride ("kallah"- bride, betrothed, crowned with a chaplet meaning a garland or wreath for the head or a number of beads strung together signifying prayers. Root: to complete, to perfect, to put a crown upon) adorns herself with her jewels ("kelly"- vessel, instrument, weapon, armor, armor-bearer, utensil, implement (of hunting, war, music, labor), yoke of an oxen, artillery, vessel for the temple. Root: to end, to finish, be completed, be fulfilled, vanish, wholly reap).
For as the earth brings forth its bud,
As the garden causes things that are sown in it to spring forth,
So the LORD God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth ("tsamakh"- to sprout, to grow abundantly or thickly, to cause to sprout, to shine, shining forth, to cause deliverance (righteousness) before all nations."   Isa. 61:10-11

As usual, the wonderful prophet Isaiah gives us a prophetic look into things that most others were seldom shown. This is an individual and personal revelation of Isaiah using the words "I, my, me". The salvation work produced in the individual living in the earth has an inevitable witness or impact upon the nations of the earth, in the same way that the purpose and achievement of a garden is to bring forth buds. The manifested effect must follow the cause.
Jesus pointed us to this chapter of Isaiah when He preached the first verses of this chapter in the synagogue, and announced that He was the fulfillment of those verses (Lk. 4:18-21). We are a fruit of that fulfillment in a special way.
As we look at the meanings of the Hebrew words used in the verses from Isaiah, above, we can learn many things that perhaps the English meaning wouldn't show us. We can learn what the believer looks like in the Spirit, and the effect the properly clothed believer has in the earth.
First of all, Isaiah reveals that the joy found in the person who receives salvation is so great that it cannot be contained in a calm body, but the body must explode with it in jumping, dancing, or movement of some kind. When is the last time we felt or exhibited this kind of all-consuming joy? Most of our thoughts, emotions, actions and reactions unfortunately are responses to earthly circumstances and conditions, and not around the joy of the salvation glory with which we have been filled. This joy of the LORD is our spiritual and physical strength (Neh. 8:10, Ps. 21:1) and it is of eternity, yet we quickly forget it in our changing circumstances, which are temporal. Just when we need strength the most, we seek it in other ways, but it is found in the joy. Even in daily struggles and challenges, we are so much more spiritually effective if we keep and activate that joy, knowing that God turns for good, even what the enemy meant for evil (Gen. 50:20, Rom. 8:26-28). It is in the worst of circumstances that we especially need that strength of joy for ourselves and others. Maintaining this kind of joy is a big challenge for me, but Isaiah's words teach me its importance and encourage me to keep it in mind.
The salvation and righteousness with which we have been clothed, have a rich and extensive meaning in these verses from Isaiah. Isaiah is speaking here of spiritual clothing, but that spiritual clothing can still be discerned by others. The spiritual outerwear reflects the inner condition, the working of God's salvation and righteousness within us, making it readily apparent. Scripture tells us that the wife of the Lamb is clothed in clean, bright, fine linen garments that reflect "the righteous acts of the saints" (Rev. 19:7-8).
We are familiar with the imagery of the Bridegroom and Bride as it refers to Christ and His believers or "ekklesia" church, but the image of the bridegroom here in these verses very much centers around circumcision, and the covenant it represents, and the sacrifice with which it is sealed. Paul taught that circumcision was not an outward act, but an inward condition of the heart (Rom. 2:28-29). This is where covenant with God is made and kept. Have we allowed our hearts to be circumcised in this manner? Do our lives reflect the sacrifice surrounding our covenant with our Lord and Savior? The receiving of salvation is free to us, though it was not free for Jesus to make that provision for us, but the working of it in us is accompanied by this kind of spiritual circumcision in order for it to have an effect on others.
According to the Hebrew words used in the verses from Isaiah, the bridegroom's garments express his priestly office, and his prophetic calling. Do we intercede and mediate for others, or are our "religious" duties mostly concerned with benefit to ourselves? Do we believe in the prophetic promise contained in every word of God, therefore speaking it and praying it? These are the garments we must wear to be effective in the earth, as well as in the Spirit.
In the above verses, the jewels with which the bride adorns herself are not earthly precious stones, which man would find impressive, but it refers to weaponry, tools and implements that produce a work (effect) of some kind, even a creative work. According to the meaning of the word used, the bride is adorned with temple vessels that contain sanctified elements of worship and sacrifice. Do we love the glory of jewels of honor and wealth, but fail to value the true glory of the jewels of effective, creative works produced by faith, saving many, rather than religious works of the law which are dead (James 2:14-20, Heb. 6:1)? Are we wearing temple vessels representing cleansing and sanctification? In these verses according to the Hebrew, the bride's crown, which is made of a living garland that the she wears around her head, also contains beads representing her prayers. The prayers of the righteous are effective and avail much, even saving the sick (James 5:15-16).
Isaiah wrote that the coverings put upon us by God represent the spiritual work of salvation in us that have an impact on nations and peoples even as gardens bring forth the fruit of what has been sown in them. Are we wearing the garments that have been provided for us by God, garments that impact and effect, or have we woven and worn our own idea of what the garment of salvation and the robe of righteousness should look like: whitewashed and impressive to others on the outside, but inside filled with corruption (Mt. 23:26-28)?
At His death, Christ was "wrapped up"* in a garment that not only carried His image, and reflected His death and resurrection, but the garment carried the signs of His suffering on behalf of many others (Isa. 53:11). This is indeed the nature of our garment of salvation, and our robe of righteousness, but will we wear them? If we will wear them, then the nations of the earth will see, and we will be a witness and an instrument in God's desired effect upon the nations through us.

Our Father desires to cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all nations.

Persia

Persepolis-Ancient Ceremonial Capital
of Persian Empire, located in Iran

This entry is a companion piece to the previous entry entitled, "Yeruwshalaim".
We know from prophecy in scripture, from both the Old and New Testaments, that nations will be brought to a place of battle. Ezekiel describes the LORD "putting a hook in the jaws" of these nations, and compelling them into this huge world-involved war of attack on Israel. The LORD prophesies of these nations that "thoughts will arise in your mind, and you will make an evil plan...to take plunder and to take booty" (Ezek. 38:4,10-12). The purpose of the LORD in this moving of the nations to join together and attack Israel in the latter days is "so that the nations may know Me, when I am hallowed in you, O Gog (name of the spiritual stronghold prince over Russia, which is called Magog, Tubal, Rosh: see Ezek. 38:1-3), before their eyes." (v. 16).
The Book of Revelation prophesies that demons or spirits of devils will tempt these nations to gather together(meaning like fish gathered up in a net) to make war in a place in Israel called Armageddon, a Hebrew word meaning "place of crowds, penetrate, cut into, attack, gather in troops or crowds of people, to press, crowd upon, invade with troops". (Rev. 16:14-16).
The LORD will gather these nations not because He hates them, but rather to do warfare against the spiritual principalities that rule over them, according to Ezekiel. We can say that these spiritual powers think they are manipulating the nations to enter into this foolish attack, but meanwhile, God is manipulating these spiritual powers to fall into His trap. For once they touch His covenant people, and His covenant land, He can execute judgment promises according to His covenant Word (Ezek. 38:18). Because of this everlasting covenant, Israel becomes irresistible bait for the trap that has been set for these overreaching spiritual powers. It is in their own interests that the spiritual powers are determined to prove to man and all creation that the everlasting covenant of peace declared by God (Ezek. 37:26) and sealed in the blood of Christ (Heb. 13:20) is a lie. In fact, there are four miraculous prophetic promises made in Ezekiel 37, and they all revolve around the nation of Israel, including the rulership of Messiah, referred to by Ezekiel as David, king and shepherd, forever (v. 24-25). To the spiritual prince over this area, the possibility of destroying Israel to prevent these prophetic promises from being fulfilled would be a temptation impossible to resist. However, God will prove it to be truth to His glory. He will hallow Himself right in the midst of their plan, and the whole world will see it. The prophetic promise made to Israel through the prophet Ezekiel regarding the everlasting covenant of peace would benefit all of us.
One of the nations specifically mentioned in Ezekiel as coming together with others against Israel is Persia (Ezek. 38:5). It is interesting that Persia is modern day Iran/Iraq, which has been creating very troubling headlines. Remember though, God is dealing with great spiritual powers over the nations. We will see that Persia has a great and interesting history with God, and His people.
The word Persia means "pure", "splendid". Let's look at some of the history of Persia in scripture.
As the time drew near for the children of Israel to be returned to their land from the Babylonian captivity, as prophesied by Jeremiah (Jer. 29:10), The LORD sent the Persian army, brilliant engineers of their time, to overthrow the king of seemingly impregnable Babylon. This Babylonian king was that night, defiling the sacred vessels of the Temple of Jerusalem, which had been taken as spoil seventy years before, by using them for drunken revelry (Dan. 5:22-23). According to the historian Herodotus, the Persian army diverted the mighty Euphrates river that ran through the city, and entered under the massive wall around Babylon through the now nearly empty river bed.
The very first year that Cyrus, the Persian ruled from Babylon, "the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus". As a result, he issued a decree to return the exiles back to Judah, and financed the rebuilding of both Jerusalem and the Temple of God. He also ordered his people to "send free will offerings for the house of God which is in Jerusalem" (Ezra 1:1-4/2 Chron. 36:22-23). God had prophesied hundreds of years before through Isaiah, that He would know Cyrus the Branch, awesomely prophesying him by name, and that Cyrus would serve Him (Isa. 44:28, 45:1-7). Cyrus also had all of the gold and silver vessels of the Temple that had been taken as spoil and brought to Babylon, 5,400 items, returned to the prince and captives of Judah before they left (Ezra 1:7-11). These vessels were worth a fortune for their silver and gold value alone, but Cyrus of Persia obeyed the LORD and freely gave them back. Not many kings of history give away the silver and gold in their possession.
Later in time, Artaxerxes, another king of Persia who ruled from Shushan (in present Iran), allowed a most trusted Jewish man in his service as his cupbearer, named Nehemiah, to leave the king's service and go to Jerusalem to facilitate the rebuilding of that city and the Temple, and even appointed him as governor of Judah having the king's authority there (Neh. 2:1, 4-8 and Neh. 5:14).
Even later in history, Ahasuerus, thought to be Xerxes I, also ruled from Shushan (Iran). His empire covered territory from India to Ethiopia (which is also mentioned as one of the nations in the Ezekiel prophecy (Ezek. 38:5). As with all of the Persian kings, he was an absolute monarch. He could get rid of one wife and queen who failed to obey him to appear before his drunken friends, and order up a new queen. However, as he began dealing with the Jewish people in his city, he began to bow his very exalted head. God entrusted His beautiful young Jewish maiden, Esther, into this king's care as his new queen. A king's court was the most dangerous place for a king. Many plots and power grabs originate among those closest to the king among his court. They watch for the smallest sign of weakness in the monarch, so it was important that the king seem powerful, irreversible, unchallengeable and strong at all times, sometimes brutally strong. In front of his treacherous court, however, this Persian king lowered his scepter, the symbol of his judgment authority as king, and allowed Esther to approach him without being summoned first, which was a breach of royal protocol on her part punishable by death (Esther 4:11, 5:2). This absolute Persian king allowed a Jewish man, Mordecai, who had foiled an assassination attempt against the king, to be clothed in the king's royal robes, a royal crown placed on his head, and to be set upon the king's personal horse (Esther 6:3-10). This absolute monarch of Persia even rescinded one of his own decrees, an act which would be unthinkable for such a monarch, when Esther revealed the plot against the Jews, and her own identity as a Jew (Esther 8:6-17). By being willing to be seen as less than absolute, this Persian king saved thousands of Jewish lives across his whole empire, and the enemies of the Jews were destroyed. Many in the empire even became Jews themselves because of the fear of the miraculous favor given to the Jews by this king. It is true that Esther was the interceding vessel, but the ruling power of death or deliverance for the Jews was decided by the king of Persia. One of the great qualities of Esther as the intercessor for God's covenant people was that she was able to discern and reveal to true evil or enemy. It wasn't the nation of Persia, or its king, her husband, but the behind-the scenes lying manipulator, Haman (meaning "magnificent"), who was not a Persian, but an Agagite (descendants of Esau; meaning "I will overtop") (Esther 7:5-6).
The LORD said of Israel, "Blessed are those who bless you", a promise first made to Abram/Abraham in Gen. 12:1-3. The promise was again made concerning Jacob or Israel in Num. 24:5-9.  Persia has played an important role in ancient history in the deliverance or restoration of the Jews and Jerusalem. It is a nation that has been a remarkable blessing to Israel and the Jews in the past, because God has compelled them by His Spirit to do so. I think it is important to keep this in mind even though the headlines may provoke other thoughts and feelings towards peoples and nations. Like the intercessor Esther, we need to discern who the enemy really is, and how God will move against them. Our prayers need to keep in mind God's ultimate plan in all of this. Dark spiritual strongholds rule over nations, including Iran (Dan. 10:13, 20-21), and that nation now finances terrorist organizations' attacks against Israel. The prophesied battle mentioned in Ezekiel and Revelation is for the pulling down of those strongholds, so that the nations of the earth will see God's victory, and hallow God's name, and know that His Everlasting Covenant of Peace is true for them, for all, and it will be established.

Our Father will hallow Himself in the sight of the nations.

Yeruwshalaim

Metaphorically speaking, there is a hub around which a huge wheel turns. There is a sun around which planets revolve. There is a nucleus around which electrons orbit. As important and central as this hub, sun, or nucleus is to our spiritual walk, we don't give it much thought, prayer or recognition. We tend to neglect it, but it is by this center, or "hub", that nations will rise or fall- our nation, your nation, all nations, regardless of continent or hemisphere. That "hub" is Jerusalem.
On the long timeline of history, we are currently living in the age of nations (goyim). Nations didn't always exist. In fact many nations are relatively new, but today there is no territory on earth that has not been mapped, bordered in, and defined as being within a nation. One of the last nations to be carved out of the earth, mapped with boundaries set, with the official approval of the other nations: Israel. The completion of this age of nations brought with it the beginning of the countdown of a scriptural prophetic clock. Jesus spoke of the significance of the completion of the age of nations and its connection to Jerusalem, which was also translated to us from the Greek as "the time (meaning includes: a limited period of time, a fixed and definite time; the time when things are brought to crisis, the decisive epoch waited for) of the Gentiles (meaning includes: a tribe, a nation, a people group)" (Lk. 21:24). Around that time in history when Jesus prophesied, there were few independent or self-governing nations. With a few exceptions, most of the earth was sectioned into huge empires, vast barbarian territories, a few city-states, and uncharted whole continents. His audience must have wondered what Jesus was talking about, but now, we can see it and understand it.
All nations are going to be drawn, and are now being drawn to an ultimate destination, and that destination is Jerusalem. What happens to those nations will depend upon how they deal with Jerusalem. This is the word of the LORD:
"Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of drunkenness to all the surrounding peoples, when they lay siege against Judah and Jerusalem. And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it...In that day the LORD will defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; the one who is feeble among them in that day shall be like David, and the house of David shall be like God, like the angel of the LORD before them. It shall be in that day that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem."   Zech. 12:2-3, 8-9
The nations are raging as never before. Frightening headlines of deep espionage and sabotage, underhanded election tampering, aggression, warfare, attacks and counter-attacks, assassination, missiles, nations blatantly supporting terrorist organizations, fill our eyes and ears daily. The LORD connects all of these things to the coming of His Anointed (Christ), His Son in Psalm 2:
"Why do the nations rage, and the people plot (imagine, growl, utter, mutter, fervor of mind, devise, roaring) a vain thing (emptied, worthless, fruitless)? The kings of the earth set themselves...against the LORD and His Anointed ("Messiah")..."  v. 1-2
In this Psalm the LORD guarantees:
"Yet I have set My King on My holy hill of Zion."  I will declare the decree: The LORD has said to Me, "You are My Son, today I have begotten You...I will give you the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession." v. 6-8
The nations, and the spiritual strongholds over them (Dan. 10:12-14, Eph. 6:12, Rom. 8:38-39, 2 Cor. 10:4-6), do not want to belong to the Messiah, their anointed and appointed King. They rage and writhe against the decree of God. They plot, kill, and destroy on a scale never seen before. Eventually they will all turn against the place from which the Word and Law of God flows which is Jerusalem, as we will see.
It is important here to look at the meaning of the word Jerusalem, the original Hebrew being Yeruwshalaim. Simply put, the word means, "teaching of peace". The use of the verb "teaching" means it is an ongoing activity. It was before, it is now, and it is continuing into the future. The Hebrew root word is "yara", meaning archers, to shoot (an arrow), instructed, teacher, flow as water (rain), to point out, aim the finger, i.e. to teach. The second root word that makes up the word "Yeruwshalaim" is "shalam". It means peace and more: "peace, to make peace, to recompense, to repay, to restore, restitution, amends, make safe, to complete and perform, to make an end of that is perfect, prosperous, reward, to live friendly, to submit oneself to the dominion of any one".
We can see the importance of this meaning of Yeruwshalaim, or Jerusalem, and the importance of its fulfillment in these verses from the prophets Isaiah and Micah:
"...concerning Judah and Jerusalem...Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the LORD's house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it. Many people shall come and say, "Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths." For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He shall judge between the nations, and rebuke many people; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. O house of Jacob, come and let us walk in the light of the LORD."  Isa. 2:1-5, Micah 4:1-3
The Law, the Word, and the teaching of the LORD will go forth from Jerusalem and Zion, and the nations will be taught and learn peace.
There is an interesting story about this verse above from Isaiah. The United Nations in New York City is a very impressive building inside and out. Across a wide avenue from the U.N., there is a small park named for the first African-American to win the Nobel Peace Prize, Ralph Bunche*. Inside that small park a wall was built that faces the U.N.. An excerpt from the verse above from Isaiah was carved into that wall, but there was no attribution to Isaiah under the carved quote. A decade later, a group of citizens went to Mayor Koch and told him that the name of Isaiah should be added beneath the quote, and he agreed to add it. That wall facing the U.N. has been referred to as "the Isaiah Wall" since that day (see here). The prophecy of Isaiah regarding the nations of the earth faces the one place on earth where all of those nations meet daily. It is the nature of the Word of God that all creation must eventually manifest it, or conform to it, and so must the nations.
Our governments wrestle continually with how to deal with the dangerous events among the nations today. However, scripture has told God's people what to do. David prophesied/wrote/sang of the importance of Jerusalem in this matter, "For the thrones are set there for judgment, the thrones of the house of David. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: "May they prosper who love you. Peace be within your walls, prosperity within your palaces." For the sake of my brethren and companions, I will now say, "Peace be within you." Because of the house of the LORD our God, I will seek your (Jerusalem's) good." 
                                                                                                    Ps. 122:5-9
David said that for many reasons, it is required of us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem, and all that its meaning contains.Do the headlines and threats of war alarm you? Are you concerned about the havoc surrounding the nations of the earth? Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, because the fates of all of the nations are directly tied to it. Within our prayers is the understanding that Jerusalem is indeed a physical place, but it also encompasses a meaning and truth for our age and for all time that prophesies regarding Zion, the Mountain of the LORD, the House of God, the thrones of judgment, the thrones of David, the out-flowing of the Law and the Word of God, the "teaching of peace" to all people and nations. Jerusalem is the sun, and all the nations revolve round it, whether they know it or not. As we pray for the peace of Jerusalem, we are praying the will and Word of God, and we are also praying for the nations, even the darkest and most oppressive of them, for God has promised that His kingdom will be composed from every nation, kindred, tongue and tribe (Rev. 5:9-10, 7:9-10).

Our Father has commanded us to "Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem".

*Ralph Johnson Bunche ( August 7, 1904 – December 9, 1971) was an American political scientist, academic, and diplomat who received the 1950 Nobel Peace Prize for his late 1940s mediation in Israel. He was the first African American to be so honored