Standing in support of Israel, Jews, and believers in all the nations, in the name of Jesus (Yeshua). Sharing biblical truth, encouragement, news and prophecy.
Last night, Tuesday, May 30 at 7 p.m., we celebrated Shavuot (Pentecost). We counted the omer and anxiously waited for this moment. Each day brought us closer to the expectation of God's promised revelation and renewal. We believed for echoes of the first Shavuot at Mount Sinai and the first Shavuot at the Temple in Jerusalem, ten days after Yeshua (Jesus) had ascended to heaven. Both events included heavenly fire, noise and extraordinary phenomena. At the original Shavuot, the people of Israel stood before the Lord at Sinai, and the Lord called them to be a holy nation before Him: "All the people answered together and said, "We will do everything that the Lord has spoken'" (Ex. 19:8).
The instructions to count seven complete weeks (fifty days) "from the day after the Sabbath, from the day when you brought in the sheaf (tied bundle of grain) of the wave offering", to the day after the seventh week, are found in Leviticus 23:15-16. The omer (sheaf) counting began as an agricultural commandment to wave the first fruits of the barley harvest. Symbolically, it points to Yeshua who is the first fruit of the dead through His resurrection. Spiritually, it is a time of "cheshbon" or spiritual accounting. For 50 days, we elevate to God all the different attributes of our personality and examine our ways to see if we are truly following the commandment to "love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind" and to "love your neighbor as yourself."
Shavuot (Weeks) is one of the most important times in Jewish history. It is one of the three major religious and agricultural festivals (Passover, Shavuot and Sukkot, or Tabernacles) of which, the Lord has commanded us to make the pilgrimage to the temple in Jerusalem and bring a special sacrifice offering to Him. It is the time, 3500 years ago, that God gave the Torah to the Jewish people (and those of the nations that feared God and wanted to stand at Mt. Sinai with His people), and it is the time 2,000 years ago that God gave the Holy Spirit (Ruach ha-Kodesh) to the Jewish people (and those of the nations) who believed that Yeshua (Jesus) was the Messiah. At this appointed time (moed), a new grain offering was presented to the Lord, and two loaves of bread were waved before Him (Lev. 23:17). Many believe that the two leavened loaves represent the Jew and the Gentile.
After Yeshua ascended to the heavens on the 40th day of the counting of the omer, His followers returned to Jerusalem. There they continued in prayer and supplication "with one accord" (Acts 1:14). Ten days later, when Shavuot arrived, they were still "with one accord" in one place (Acts 2:1). There, the Spirit was poured out upon the disciples in the sight of all the Jewish people gathered for the festival. Simon Peter declared this outpouring to be the work of Yeshua, the risen Messiah. Thousands of Jewish worshipers repented of their sins and became followers of Yeshua. They joined the messianic community and continued daily "with one accord," worshiping in the temple and meeting together from house to house (Acts 2:46).
"When the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like a mighty rushing wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 There appeared to them tongues as of fire, being distributed and resting on each of them, 4 and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit enabled them to speak" (Acts 2:1-4)
"Peter said to them, 'Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you, and to your children, and to all who are far away, as many as the Lord our God will call.'"
(Acts 2:38-39)
The story of Ruth is read at this special time. Rabbinic writings of antiquity believe that King David was born and died on Shavuot so it makes sense that we would read and study about his ancestry. Nevertheless, the book of Ruth speaks about the beautiful relationships between Ruth and Naomi and Ruth and Boaz. This presents a symbolic and prophetic story of the dispersion of the Jewish people into the diaspora generations ago, followed by the redemption of Israel.
As Yeshua spreads out his tallit upon all who believe in Him, there will be a crossing over of cultures, languages and traditions. Under His tallit we will come together as one. He will look with favor upon us and transform us unto dynamos of spiritual impact. Together we will become the "one new man" prophesied by Rabbi Shaul (Paul, Eph. 2:15).
Chag Sameach (Happy Holiday)!
Charisma's Special Anointing Bundle. Get Charisma magazine plus these 2 Books - The Deborah Anointing & The Esther Anointing for only $24.97. Subscribe Now!
Hearing God's voice changes everything. You'll gain clarity, purpose and direction for your life. Start your journey to live your Life in the Spirit. Click here to draw closer to God!
Did you enjoy this blog? Click here to receive it by email.
A group of young men walk to a synagogue during the celebrations of the Jewish festival of Purim in Stamford Hill in north London, Britain, March 24, 2016. (Reuters/Neil Hall)
The Prophetic Significance of This Year's Purim Intercessory Fast
The biblical feast of Purim ("Lots") takes place this year on the evening of March 11-13. The merriest of all Jewish holidays, Purim is based on the book of Esther. As you likely know, the book is an historical account of events that occurred in Persia (modern Iran) approximately 2,500 years ago. At that time, virtually all the Jewish people lived under Persian rule. An unprecedented genocidal death decree was issued against them, which was miraculously overturned.
The story of Esther brims with prophetic meaning and wisdom for today. It contains at least four specific keys to overturning the kingdoms of this world and releasing over them the government of God. These keys are effective at every level of human government, from personal to national and international levels. This Purim season and beyond, God is sharpening and "duplicating" these keys for Purim-like victory in and through His people. He is making them available to "whosoever," or anyone willing to accept them.
Humility
The first key to Purim-like kingdom turnaround is humility. In the book of Esther, two champions arise, Mordecai and Esther. Both are Jews and serve as models of humility. Mordecai is dutifully going about his business when he "just so happens" to save the life of Persian King Xerxes I. For this heroic deed, however, he seeks neither reward nor recognition. Eventually, he is paraded around town in a delayed, and ironic, demonstration of honor. Still, Mordecai takes no glory in the fact his praises are shouted in the streets. Following the hoopla, he immediately resumes his own—and extremely serious—business. By the end of the book, Mordecai is exalted to second in command of the Persian Empire. But consistently he seeks only the good of His people, not his own (Esth. 10:2)
Likewise, Esther displays no pride in her physical beauty, position as queen or final vindication in overriding the genocidal decree. Time and again, she humbly waits on God before she acts. As a result, she is given divine favor and strategy with which to navigate otherwise fiendishly impossible circumstances. "With the humble is wisdom" (Prov. 11:2). And so Esther receives wisdom to bring down ungodly government authorities and systems, replacing them with the government of God. She gains authority to issue decrees which override the enemy's plot to destroy her people. She teaches us much about governmental intercession.
God raises up both Mordecai and Esther, in due season, beyond what they could imagine (1 Pet. 5:6; James 4:10). Because He "crowns the humble with victory," the two come to possess the gates of their enemies (Ps. 149:4). Through them we see how humility—especially as God increases our authority—is prerequisite to honor. We see that humility does not imply lack of boldness or leadership. Rather, the humble of spirit gain honor from God (Prov. 29:23, 15:33).
This Purim and beyond, you can be intentional about humility. Choose to stay low before God and man. Wait on Him to lift you up in due season. Then, however high He takes you, go low again. In this manner, you will be positioned to receive endless grace (Prov. 3:34; James 4:6).
Hiddenness
The second key is to Purim victory is embracing hiddenness—when God brings hiddenness into our lives. Any believer I've known who has walked with the Lord more than a few years has said they've experienced a time when He seems to have hidden from them His manifest presence. At other times, God may choose not to hide Himself from us, but to (somewhat) hide us from others. Either experience is normally hard to embrace.
Perhaps no story in Scripture highlights the embrace of hiddenness like that of Esther. All but one of the main characters in the story are strategically hidden for a period of time: Esther, Mordecai, Vashti and even Haman in the sense that his evil schemes are concealed from the king. God Himself is hidden throughout this intriguing tale in that His name is nowhere mentioned. Esther is the only book in the Bible with no direct reference to YHVH.
Some rabbinic scholars say God's absence in Esther comprises the core message of the book, that of hester panim. Hester panim refers to the concealed face of God and is based on Deuteronomy 31:18. That verse reads, "And I [God] will surely hide My face in that day for all the evil things which they [Israel] shall have done, in that they turned to other gods." The rabbis point out the name "Esther" is actually found in that sentence. In biblical Hebrew, the phrase "surely hide My face" is pronounced "hester ahster panai." If you speak it aloud, you will hear the words sounding almost identical to "Esther, Esther."
As Deuteronomy 31:18 foretells, the Jews of Persia had sadly forsaken the ways and the Word of God. As a result, in love and holiness, He had to hide His face from them for a season. But during that time, God never truly absented Himself from His people. Although it appears He has left the scene, He remains actively engaged behind the scenes. All the while, He very actively works on His people's behalf.
Today, when believers experience periods of God's seeming hiddenness, sometimes that is the result of unrepentant sin. But always it is because God is a good, loving Father. Like any good father, our heavenly Abba disciplines the children He loves. "My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor be weary of His correction [discipline] ... for whom the Lord loves He disciplines, and scourges every son whom He receives" (Prov. 3:11-12).
Some Bible translations substitute the word "discipline" for "correct" in the verse above. That is a fair translation because the meaning of "discipline" is related to that of "disciple." Discipline does not mean punishment. Rather, it suggests discipleship, or dedicated training and instruction. In the Scriptures, God disciplined/discipled His beloved Abraham, Joseph, Moses, David and others. He even disciplined/discipled Yeshua, who learned obedience through suffering (Heb. 5:8). Should we be dismayed or offended when He treats us similarly?
When your heavenly Father disciples you, be encouraged that He is preparing you for kingdom victory. In the recent movie God's Not Dead 2, a Christian school teacher faces the hardest trial of her life. A deeply committed believer, she is greatly troubled because during the ordeal God has hidden Himself from her. She does not sense His presence or hear His voice. Then she is wisely counseled, "As a teacher, you of all people should know that when you give your children a test, you don't engage them or give them the answers" (my paraphrase).
When God disciples you as His child, He is testing you to prove and promote you to the next level. When it appears He has left the scene, He is lovingly working behind the scenes on your behalf. He is preparing you for face to face fellowship with Him throughout all eternity.
Sometimes, rather than hide His manifest presence from you, God may call you to a season of hiddenness—not from Him, but from others. This was the case for Esther, both before and after her appointment as queen. The call, "Come away, My beloved" (Song 2:8) takes you intimate places in God that you can only go alone. The call may last weeks, months or even years. You may feel lonely and misunderstood. But as it was for Esther, hiddenness is intended to transform you. Esther emerged from it matured and emboldened to exercise new levels of governmental authority. God gave her the keys with which to overturn a worldly kingdom to the kingdom of heaven. So it can be for you.
Joy
A third key to kingdom turnaround is joy. The story of Esther contains, from beginning to end, many expressions and lessons on joy.
Ten different banquets or feasts take place in Esther. Half are given by worldly Persian rulers and half are given by Jews. (Esth. 1:2, 5, 9; 2:18; 3:15; 5:5, 8; 8:15-17; 9:18-23) The worldly banquets are characterized by pride, self-indulgence and over-feeding sensual appetites. The Jewish feasts take place in the opposite spirit as God's people rejoice in His glory and victory. They do not overly self-indulge but share their bounty with the poor. According to the Hebrew text, their joy became key to the fact many, many Persians turned to YHVH. (Esth. 8:17) For the kingdom of God is righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
The joy of the Lord is our strength (Neh. 8:10), and Purim is the most joyful of all the biblical feasts. It is God's appointed time to renew our spiritual, mental and physical strength. This does not mean we muster up our own happiness; instead, we engage intimately with the joy that is in God's own heart. He imparts His personal joy to us. While we can access the joy of His heart any day of the year, I believe He releases unique grace at Purim to celebrate with Him. It is an appointed time to celebrate His victory in your own life, seen and not yet seen, as well as in Esther's.
Rejoicing on Purim can serve as a prophetic intercessory act for the battles ahead. According to Esther 9:22, Purim is remembered as the time the Jews got "relief" or "rest" from their enemies, and their sorrow was turned to joy. Their enemies (Haman and company) were the descendants of Amalek, with whom God said He would wage war from generation to generation (Ex. 17:16). Any reprieve from that war, therefore, is temporary. Rejoicing in the Lord when you experience relief from your enemies renews your strength for battles ahead. As those battles intensify in coming years, His joy will prove increasingly important. Cherish joy!
Prayer and Fasting
A fourth key to Purim victory is that of prayer and fasting. A satanic stronghold was overturned at Purim not only through Esther and Mordecai, but because the Jews turned to YHVH. Recall that in that day, virtually all the Jewish people lived within the vast Persian Empire. Therefore, had Haman's decree been executed as planned, and God not spared His people, the Messiah would not have been born. The Jews were facing off against the spirit of the Antichrist, not just anti-Semitism. Such a battle had to be fought and won in the spirit realm.
As a result, kingdom intercession broke out even before Esther called for her three day fast. When the genocidal decree was issued, Jews across the kingdom turned with desperation to God: "When Mordecai learned of all that had been done...he sent out into the city, wailing loudly and bitterly...In every province to which the edict and order of the king came, there was great mourning among the Jews, with fasting, weeping and wailing. ... Esther's maids and eunuchs came and told her about Mordecai." (Esth. 4:1-4) Only then did she learn what had taken place. Not until verses 15 and 16 did Esther call for a three-day fast.
Perhaps the Jews (or Jewish remnant) who cried out to God before Esther's fast are unsung heroes in the story. Their repentant and desperate prayers for deliverance may have turned circumstances around as much as Esther's personal appeal to the king.
As in Esther, war wages today in and over the governments of men. This is taking place on a global level as never before. You may not be an Esther or Mordecai in the sense of holding high office in the natural realm. But in the Kingdom of God, you have already been called, authorized and strategically placed into office. You are positioned even now to mediate or intercede between heaven and earth.
Intercessory prayer and fasting is part of every believer's lifestyle, to varying degrees and expressions. For whatever your gifting or destiny may be, you stand in the gap between heaven and earth. Therefore, you are positioned to mediate heaven to earth.
Revivalist Lou Engle writes: "Esther is a prototype of history's hinge: a courageous [individual] who humbly and artfully spoke truth to power. Facing witchcraft and dark conspiracies in Persia's power base, Queen Esther risked her life, armed with nothing but an undying love for her people, a providential position of authority, her own dignity and the secret arsenal of corporate prayer and fasting. Through her, a nation was spared annihilation." So it can be with you! (See Lou's important message here.)
I believe intercessory prayer and fasting serves as the master key to the kingdom of God overtaking the kingdoms of this earth. So this Purim season and beyond, as God's people, let's humble ourselves before Him, embrace hiddenness when He strategically wills it, and stay intentional about rejoicing in Him. Let's turn the master key to His kingdom. Then let's join in the chorus, "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!" (Rev. 11:15). Chag Purim Sameach (Happy Purim)!
Sandra Teplinsky has been in Messianic Jewish ministry since 1979. She is president and founder of Light of Zion, a Messianic outreach to Israel and the church based in California and Jerusalem.
Leaders are readers! Subscribe now and get 3 magazines for the price of 1. Get Ministry Today, Charisma and SpiritLed Woman all for $24. YES - Sign me up!
3 Reasons Why you should read Life in the Spirit. 1) Get to know the Holy Spirit. 2) Learn to enter God's presence 3) Hear God's voice clearly! Click Here to draw closer to God!
Did you enjoy this blog? Click here to receive it by email.
Like you, I have read Psalms 91 countless times and have always been comforted by its familiar theme but this morning during my prayer time, the prophetic significance of this passage affected me in a deep way:He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust."(Ps. 91:1-2 MEV).
The promise of protection is so clear and yet we as believers spend so much of our time filling our minds and hearts with fear. Our fascination with calamity and destruction aborts the power of faith and quenches the flow of exploits in our lives. At any given time, there are two voices that are resounding in our minds: the voice of faith which releases and empowers the kingdom; and the voice of fear which confines, constricts and derails.
There are plans of great outpouring, tremendous revival moves and radical awakening for this generation, yet these intentions are being overridden by a fear mentality that wants to run and take cover!
Our proximity to our Father is critical in securing our safety, and our future and present promises. In this powerful chapter, we are told to abide (remain) close to Him under the cover of His feathers. It is really difficult to heed the voice of the enemy when you are snuggled up next to the Father!
As I dove into this passage, the relevance to this emerging move of God struck me in a new way. This current move of God is presence-centered, presence-based and presence-fueled! One of the chief components of the emerging paradigm of revival hubs and apostolic centers is prayer. These radical bases are places of prevailing prayer and governmental intercession. No movement has fueled this fire more than the prayer movement.
The dedicated warriors from the various branches of the prayer movement have given their lives to the task of establishing the throne room in communities around the globe. What is the throne room? It is a place of habitation! This is the call of the hour—to create ministries that demonstrate and value God's abiding presence. The presence of God is truly the marker in this move.
The Lord spoke to me recently and said: "The main room will become the prayer room." I saw intercession and worship based prayer taking over the corporate gatherings of the body of Christ. There is a divine marriage between worship and intercession. We have entered into an era where worship is at the forefront and the presence is the prize. In this generation we have coined terms like "revival culture" and "mantles of awakening."
These terms identity concepts of ministry that reject the methodology of church culture simply focused on filling seats and building buildings. These terms and paradigms emphasize finding ways to receive and maintain rich wells of glory. A generation is tapping the wells of power in order to press for awakening and unprecedented global transformation. There is a remnant that is not satisfied with religious duty but desperately longs for the heart of God and His full manifest presence.
As we move deeper into the place of surrender and intimacy, we become overwhelmed and surrounded by God's presence. When we minister to others there is heavenly residue. The residue of His glory spills over into sickness and releases healing! The residue of His peace overcomes torment. We are no longer trying to manifest signs and wonders, they are just breaking out as a result of the tangible residue of heaven. We are called to be heaven dwellers and Earth conquerors. Our DNA is that of the kingdom. The glory is our birthright! Wonders are the norm. Revival outbreaks are typical.
Divine protection and angelic assistance are the norm for the sons and daughters of the living God! The heaven dwellers should absolutely expect divine protection, warnings and spirit leading. We should live with the full expectation of Daddy's goodness being manifested in our lives. It is absolutely true that we are living in a time of crazy and intense demonic battle.
Demon-possessed people are committing horrendous acts and this is the result of our culture's full embrace of hell's agenda. Yet in the midst of these times of adversity there is an abundant level of security and promise for the people of God! Our close and intimate relationship with the Father empowers divine security. I believe that we are seeing and will see an increasing awareness of angelic activity. This is an era of the supernatural! Psalm 91:11 (MEV): For He shall give His angels charge over you to guard you in all your ways.
Let us embrace our identity as sons and daughters with absolute assurance! Let us reject the lies and the fear-based religious bondage that the enemy wants to enslave us with. We are called to live lives of full surrender, glorious manifestation and kingdom exploits.
There is a radical and fresh move of God unfolding that values the presence of God, and is proximity-based and prayer-driven. A generation is being invited not just to encounter but to dwell in the Father's house.
Ryan LeStrange started in ministry after training and serving under his spiritual father, Dr. Norvel Hayes. Ryan and his wife, Joy, lead Impact International Ministries based in Bristol, Virginia, which consists of several local churches and revival ministries. Through Ryan LeStrange Ministries, he travels the globe preaching, igniting revival and moving in the power of God. Ryan can be seen weekly on his television program, Power 4 Today, airing around the world on GodTV. He is the founder and apostle of Impact International Apostolic Fellowship, networking and fathering ministers around the world. Ryan has written several books releasing an apostolic and prophetic perspective to the body of Christ.
Draw closer to God. Experience the presence of the Holy Spirit every month as you read Charisma magazine. Sign up now to get Charisma for as low as $1 per issue.
Get to know the Holy Spirit and how to interact with Him on a daily basis. Learn to enter God's presence and hear His voice clearly for yourself! Go deeper in your faith with Life in the Spirit and change your life and destiny. Are you ready to start your journey?
Did you enjoy this blog? Click here to receive it by email.
The prophetic significance of the four lunar eclipses occurring on Jewish biblical feast days in 2014-15 has become a recent focus on the internet and even a best seller on Amazon. A few voices are suggesting that the so-called ‘blood moons’ are a portent of earth-shaking prophetic significance regarding the Jewish people.
The first of these ‘tetrads’ (a grouping of four – in this case, four lunar eclipses) kicks off on the first night of Passover next week. Here are some reflections on this subject.
How many tetrads?
Though only four specific eclipses are the main focus of these discussions, there are actually hundreds of examples of these tetrads available, and nearly all of them are passed over in silence by the advocates of the current ‘blood moon’ teaching, since 99% of these do not even come close to any major events in Jewish history.
Which major events in Jewish history are marked by ‘blood moons’?
Jewish history has seen many tragedies and victories. Haman’s potential campaign of Persian genocide, the destructions of the First and Second Temples, the defeat of the Syrian Greeks by the Maccabees, Bogdan Chmelniecki’s massacres of Ukrainian Jews, the Holocaust – these were all events of great magnitude. None had blood moon authentication or warning.
The three events currently being focused on in most of the ‘blood moons’ discussion concern –
– the Jewish aspects of the Inquisition (beginning in 1478 in Spain, and 1536 in Portugal, and continuing until 1821-26) with emphasis on the exile of Spanish Jewry in 1492,
– the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948,
– the liberation of Jerusalem during the Six-Day War in 1967.
Why these three events are chosen seems clear: they are the only major Jewish events that fall somewhat close to lunar tetrads.
Are these ‘blood moons’ really connected to any major events in Jewish history?
The lunar tetrads in question actually appeared after the events described – between ten months and sixteen years later! Therefore these ‘blood moons’ were not warnings at all but, as it were, ‘prophecies after the fact.’
The advocates of the current ‘blood moons’ teaching use special pleading in arguing why a lunar eclipse in 1949 is actually connected to 1948, or why a ‘blood moon’ in 1494 is connected to 1492, etc.
This non-professional use of Jewish history reveals a lack of precision and care, as well as a sensationalist and inaccurate ‘proof-texting’ regarding the issues of prophetic fulfilment. There is much smoke but little fire here. It indicates a grievous lack of discernment among some believers.
Mystical misunderstanding concerning the biblical Jewish calendar
The only calendar given by YHVH is what is commonly called the Jewish calendar; “YHVH spoke again to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to the sons of Israel and say to them, YHVH’s appointed times which you shall proclaim as holy convocations – My appointed times are these’” (Leviticus 23:1-2). The telling of time was based on the lunar calendar (Number 29:6), and one feast (Trumpets) falls on the new moon while Passover and Tabernacles falls on or close to the full moon (“Blow the trumpet at the new moon, at the full moon, on our feast day. For it is a statute for Israel, an ordinance of the God of Jacob”; Psalm 81:3-4)
So it is not surprising that a full moon might occur on a Jewish feast day. Nevertheless, the overwhelming majority of lunar eclipses do not fall on Jewish feast days and have nothing to do with significant events in Jewish history. Once one inserts these facts into the discussion, there is nearly no more need for intelligent discussion on the matter.
Are these ‘blood moons’ connected with a fulfilment of Joel’s prophecy?
The prophetic passages dealing with the moon turning to blood are Isaiah 13:9-11; 24:21-23; Ezekiel 32:1-10; Joel 2:10-12, 28-32; 3:12-17; Matthew 24:29-30; Acts 2:12-21; Revelation 6:12-16. One of these is specific to a localized judgment on Egypt, but the rest of the contexts deal with the final events on Planet Earth immediately preceding the return of Messiah Yeshua.
The context in these passages involves:
– An international time of severe judgment known as “The Day of the Lord”
– The darkening of sun, moon and stars – a simultaneous total blackout or gray-out
– The moon turning as red as blood
– A full multinational anti-Jewish military invasion of Israel
– Worldwide earthquakes of unprecedented magnitude
Next week’s miniscule pinkish-orange discoloration of the moon falls way short of the stunning biblical context described in these scriptural texts.
Is this truly a sign to Israel if the ‘blood moons’ are not visible in Israel?
According to NASA the lunar tetrads will not be visible over the skies of Jerusalem. So how then could these possibly be a sign to Israel?
One wag once said, “A specialist is someone fifty miles away from home.”
A fly in the ointment
One of the individuals associated with the ‘blood moon’ theory has had many of his teachings recorded and broadcast on public media. For some years he has denied that Yeshua ever claimed to be the Messiah; therefore the Jewish leadership of Yeshua’s day never rejected His Messiahship (he claimed). He also is on public record as stating that the Jewish people already have a covenant with God, and therefore do not need to accept the Messiah that Christians preach.
“Dead flies make a perfumer’s oil stink. So a little foolishness is weightier than wisdom and honor.” (Ecclesiastes 10:1)
Biblical perspectives on the moon
The Scriptures have some helpful things to say about heavenly signs and even about the moon,
“Then God said, ‘Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and for seasons and for days and years; and let them be for lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth;’ and it was so. God made the two great lights, the greater light to govern the day, and the lesser light to govern the night; He made the stars also. God placed them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, and to govern the day and the night, and to separate the light from the darkness; and God saw that it was good. There was evening and there was morning, a fourth day” (Genesis 1:14-19).
“He made the moon to mark the seasons, and the sun knows when to go down” (Psalm 104:19).
God’s sovereign creative power and order is seen in the created heavens: “Yours is the day, Yours also is the night; You have prepared the light and the sun. You have established all the boundaries of the earth. You have made summer and winter.” (Psalm 74:16-17).
The existence and procession of the moon through the skies is a spiritual sign that the nations recognize: “They who dwell in the ends of the earth stand in awe of Your signs. You make the dawn and the sunset shout for joy” (Psalm 65:8).
The phases of the moon are a nearly incredible expression of His power and glory: “He covers the face of the full moon, spreading his clouds over it … How faint the whisper we hear of him! Who then can understand the thunder of his power?” (Job 26:9-14).
The constancy of rhythm of the moon is seen as a prophetic reflection of God’s covenant faithfulness to David and to his dynasty: “I will not take My love from him, nor will I ever betray My faithfulness. I will not violate My covenant or alter what My lips have uttered. Once for all, I have sworn by My holiness – and I will not lie to David – that his line will continue forever and his throne endure before me like the sun. It will be established forever like the moon, the faithful witness in the sky” (Psalm 89:33-37).
The moon is not only a stopwatch marking out God’s time and His order; it is the basis of the biblical calendar and an expression of God’s majesty. It is a sign in the heavens that causes us all to wonder.
Some in the world are wondering about what the ‘blood moons’ may mean this Passover. They do not mean a fulfilment of Joel, nor do they specifically portend powerful eschatological events concerning the Jewish people. About those the Bible already has a huge amount to say.
Finger-pointing and prophecy
An ancient Chinese sage once spoke a parable concerning the dynamics of apprehending truth. He noted that when someone points at an object with his finger, people tend to focus on the finger before they focus on the object in question. Some even develop an obsessive focus on the finger and do not benefit from learning what the finger itself is pointing at.
In the same way, unbalanced emphasis on the ‘blood moon’ teaching could end up skewing important biblical focuses – for instance, the amazing process of restoration of Israel to their Promised Land and their Messiah; the rising violent opposition of the nations to the Jewish people, their restoration and their God; the final harvest of the nations; the coming judgment of God and the return of David’s Greater Son the King of the Jews.
As we enter into the Passover season, let any fears we may have about cataclysmic blood moons subside, and let us wait on God for Him to reveal His mighty hand and outstretched forearm – even as did Moses and the Sons of Israel on the shores of the Red Sea,
Your prayers and support hold up our arms and are the enablement of God to us in the work He has called us to do!
In Messiah Yeshua,
Avner Boskey
Donations can be sent to:
FINAL FRONTIER MINISTRIES
BOX 121971 NASHVILLE TN 37212-1971 USA
Donations can also be made on-line (by PayPal) through: www.davidstent.org
Love For His People Editor's Note: There have been many articles, books and TV interviews, from several sources, on the "blood moons" events over the past year. I personally appreciate all the attention given to the signs in the heavens, for they will come, as Jesus prophesied in Luke 21:25, "There will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth dismay among nations, in perplexity at the roaring of the sea and the waves" NASB
Whichever position you believe, the main thing is that you are looking to Jesus, the Savior, for He is the One who must have our attention in these last days. We must trust in His prophetic words and Holy Spirit's guidance into all truth, as the days get closer to His return.
Keep looking up, with your eyes fixed on Him, Yeshua HaMashiach, the Messiah, the Author and Finisher of our faith. He is coming back soon, as the King of kings and the Lord of lords. Be ready.
