THE UNSEEN

As the first day of January 2000 rolled around many people felt used and abused. They planed, and prepared for the worst etc. Others breathed a sigh of relief and released their pent up anxiety by an extra exuberant burst of joyous celebration. Many spent hours glued to the television to see if anything would happen in countries that came first into the 21st century. As each hour ticked off, a grateful groan was sounded, especially in the western world. The ones that really made out were those who had the foresight to make money off the ignorance and fear of people caught in the “matrix”. If you haven’t seen the movie after this title, it may be worth seeing. Although the movie’s imagery is highly exaggerated, one cannot help but sense that our lives indeed are subjected to an imprisoning system.

Being born in this matri, “womb” of a world of sin and death, we have fallen asleep and our dream world has become our reality. Periodically we are stirred from this state of slumber, but are so drowsy that we fall back into unreality. Howbeit, the prophets of old, because of their giftings, were able to get glimpses into the unseen realms. Elisha, for example, was praying to YHWH to open the eyes of his servant who was in that moment stressed out by an Aramean army surrounding his village. Apparently the young servant had gone out early in the morning and lo and behold, much to his dismay, here was this enemy poised to greet him. “Alas, my Master!” he exclaimed: “What shall we do?” “Do? What shall we do?” The first recommendation that this old seer gave him was: “you want to do something? Then DO NOT FEAR!” Elisha’s answer was not based on an imaginary faith but on an unquestionable actuality, “those who are with us are more than with them.” I can just hear the thoughts of the helper: ‘Yea, sure! I count two of us and a multitude of them. Where in the world did you go to school Elisha? Look, get your laptop out and come up with some practical ideas on how we deal with this predicament, like trading in some land for peace maybe?’ The prophet’s reality was hidden from the young man. So Elisha prayed to the One who could open blind eyes, and said, "’YHWH, I pray, open his eyes that he may see.’ Then YHWH opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw. And behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha” (2 Kings 6:15-17).

Although the two of them were standing in the same place, each was experiencing a different reality. Many years later, Paul an apostle, in writing to the believers exhorted them to “set their mind on things above, not on the things that are on the earth…and not to look at the things that are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal” (Col.3:22; 2 Cor. 4:18). To be in this world but not of it, presents to us a unique but strange challenge. How do we do that, when our eyes, ears, nose, tongue and skin are all dictating to our soul what is real? We all have had many experiences in this earthly journey, which have been a part of creating our “matrix”. However, along this journey we have come into the reality of another world, the world of faith. Faith as defined by the Word is “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. By faith we understand that the ages were prepared by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible” (Heb. 11:1-3).

The Word of God was not seen, yet it was revealed to those who believed. “For since the creation of the world His invisible nature is clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse” (Rom. 1:20). Faith in His Word transfers the believer into another “matrix”. Even though standing in the same place as a non-believer, our reality will be different. For example, some may read Ezekiel 37 and the prophecies pertaining to Israel and Judah’s restoration, but be totally blind to their reality. God is fulfilling His Word right before our very eyes, but if His Grace has not opened the “eyes of our understanding”, we will not see His invisible Word as it comes to pass in and through a people. The scriptures ask us to examine ourselves to see if we are in the faith; for do we not know this about ourselves, that Yeshua the Messiah is in us? (ref. 2 Cor. 13:5).

This lack of awareness may also pertain to other areas of our life. For instance, having been nurtured in this world under the power of the evil one who is a liar and the father of lies, we most likely have taken in these lies as truth (with very few exceptions). We, therefore, may have been interpreting our life and circumstances through this grid of lies. To use a borrowed example: Anyone who is regularly degraded and told how stupid and incompetent he is, will gradually embrace this thought, believing it to be true. Once that is done, this person’s interpretation of life will reinforce this belief with is own affirmations. Others’ reactions and behavior toward that person will seem to be connected to this self-perceived stupidity. Over a period of time such a person will have build defenses that only God is be able to penetrate and tear down.

Perhaps this is why the scriptures exhort us to “speak the truth in love.” That is if we know the truth! Let us pray the prayers of Elisha and Paul, that the Lord will open our blind eyes that we may see what is truly real and eternal, right here in the reality of our God-given experiences. We may hear of wars and rumors of wars, earthquakes, pestilence, and computer breakdowns that could cause a domino affect on the world economy, but what is God’s answer to all of these seeming realities or potential scenarios? “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand”. (Isaiah 41:10). “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you” (John 14:27). "Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for YHWH your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you” (Deuteronomy 31:6). We may also enquire, as did king David: “Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? If I ascend into heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me.” Yes, the realities of His hidden presence within us, the revelation of His invisible prophetic word coming to pass in our lives personally and corporately as a united house of Israel, can only be seen through the eyes of “the faith”.

Ephraim

Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity. (Psa. 133)

AS IT WAS THEN SO IT IS NOW

"Now Hezekiah went to all Israel and Judah and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Menashe, that they should come to the house of YHVH at Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover to Adoni Elohey Israel. So they established a decree to circulate a proclamation throughout all Israel from Beersheba even to Dan, that they should come to celebrate the Passover to Adoni Elohey Israel at Jerusalem. For they had not celebrated it in great numbers as it was prescribed. And the couriers went throughout all Israel and Judah with the letters from the hand of the king and his princes, even according to the command of the king saying, 'o sons of Israel, return to Adoni Elohey Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, that He may return to those of you who escaped and are left from the hand of the kings of Assyria, and do not be like your fathers and your brothers, who were unfaithful to the Elohim of their fathers, so that He made them a horror, as you see. Now do not stiffen your neck like your fathers, but yield toYHVH and enter His sanctuary which He has consecrated forever, and serve Adoni your Elohim, that His burning anger may turn away from you. For if you return to YHVH, your brothers and your sons will find compassion before those who led them captive, and will return to this land. For Adoni your Elohim is gracious and compassionate, and will not turn His face away from you if you return to Him'. So the couriers passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Menashe, and as far as Zebulun…" (2 Chron. 30:1,5-10a).

The call to join Judah (a remnant thereof) in its process of consecration before entering the sanctuary and in its preparation to celebrate the Feast (Passover - the feast of "salvation") is being issued forth… "But they [those hearing the call] laughed at them [at the couriers] to scorn, and mocked them. Nevertheless some men of Asher, Menashe, and Zebulun humbled themselves and came to Jerusalem. The hand of God was also on Judah to give them one heart to do what the king and the princes commanded by the word of the Lord" (Chro. 30:10b-12).

"The hand of the Lord was also on Judah to give them one heart to do … the word of the Lord". In our day and age something similar is happening among a remnant of Judah here in the land. Some of this remnant are expecting and anticipating to be joined by their long-lost Ephraimite brothers. They are looking for evidence that Yosef's shoulder ("shechem") is being joined to theirs, in these perilous but potentially glorious times.

This is not the first time such an appeal is going out. Will there be those who will "humbled themselves and go to Jerusalem?" It is not enough to merely recite, "next year in Jerusalem" at the end of each Passover meal. Lip service is cheap and easily paid without any real cost, effort or sacrifice. True giving of one's substance, time and energy, while displaying evidence that the gentile garments are being shed off, are all harder to come by, and rare. Who wants to stay in the camp of those who laughed and mocked? Having mocked and scorned did not suddenly render them non-Israelites; neither will paying lip service and remaining passive. However, such approaches will move one to the camp here described, where "mocker" is replaced by another adjective: "hypocrite".

Judah is waiting, and moreover Judah's God is waiting, nay, beckoning you. Will you respond? Or should Judah wait for you until after the "holidays", until the millenium celebrations die down, or until you've finished trading in your Christmas gifts at the department stores' January sales? Will you be the proverbial "Sunday Ephraimite"? (Actually, Saturday is better, this way the most is made of both worlds.)

Another interesting point, worthy of notice is the charge that was presented before the remnant of the two houses remaining in the land. "For if you return to the Lord, your brothers and your sons will find compassion before those who led them captive, and will return [emphasis ours] to this land. For the Lord your God is gracious and compassionate, and will not turn His face away from you if you return to Him'." In other words, the remnant was to be their brothers' keeper. However, the deported tribes did not return to the land, as the remnant, which stayed in the land, did not return to the Lord! Hezekiah's attempt to gather all Israel and to unite the two sticks, by calling them to Jerusalem and to the feast of Passover, sadly failed because a remnant did not respond to the word of the Lord and His grace in that given opportunity in Israel's history. Nevertheless, ultimately God's plan will not falter.

His program is not dependent on any one of us. However, where will we be while it is being unfolded, is the question. Will we be found among those who are returning to the Lord (and to the land), and are thus also being used as "instruments of return" for the rest of the brethren? Or will we be numbered among the mockers-cum-hypocrites, who are not only responsible for their own demise, but are possibly putting a stumbling block in front of others, whose eyes have not yet been opened? Will we be counted with Judah, as we stand together, while prophecy is being fulfilled, consecrating ourselves before Him, provoking one another to jealousy in the course of preparation for the celebration of the great Passover? Choose ye this day…

We have looked at a historical episode, paralleling it to the present, focusing on the spiritual implications. Thus, in a very important way, "as it was then, so it is now", even though perhaps still in an incipient state, yet enough to warrant our attention.

In times past there were others who also made this statement: "as it was then, so it is now," meaning, "all continues just as it was…" This they said regarding the "promise of His coming." In 2Peter 3:3 they are referred to as "mockers"; affiliated, if you will, with the party of the scoffers mentioned above. Yes, as things were then, so they are now, in order to teach, edify, warn and prepare us for that which is soon to come.
Look-up for your redemption draws near.
Ephraim

CALENDAR

At this point in history (1999)the whole world’s attention is drawn to the end of the Millennium, according to the calendar developed by Julius Cesar in 45 BC, honoring the sun god, Apollo, or Helios. Fifteen hundred years later Pope Gregory VIII revised this calendar for his religious purposes. These undertakings were used to help bring unity to the realms overseen by these two individuals; a king (Roman Cesar) and a priest (Roman Pope), hailing out of Nimrod’s kingdom, changed the times and the seasons, as foretold by the prophets of old. However, this was not the first time that such changes had taken place. The Jews, during their stay in Babylon (6th century BC), failed to protect the sanctity of time and altered the Hebrew months, adopting the names of Babylonian gods, using the patterns of the Chaldean zodiac. But looking even further back in history; the first culprit to purposely set out to change the times and seasons, was an Ephraimite king called Jeroboam (10th century BC). Later on the scattered seed of Israel’s northern kingdom spread the sin of Jeroboam into all the nations where they had gone (Jer. 3:13). That testimony can be seen as the nations of this earth celebrate the end of a year, a century and a millennium, according to their non-biblical calendar. Unfortunately, these changes have been incorporated into, and are purported to center around, the birth of the “Messiah”. But was He really born at that time, and was his birth intended to change the biblical calendar?

In today’s world, with the rise of a restored ancient Greek political system called democracy, along with the efforts to reconcile the main monotheistic religions, man has devised a method of uniting the world around a single theme, “humanism”. Humanism brings together a type of a kingly and priestly order within one’s own being. It could very well be that in the near future a temple will be built in Jerusalem, where the man of lawlessness will sit and rule over an anti-Christ system. But what we must also consider, since God calls man a temple, is that the man of lawlessness may be the person living inside his own body (or temple); man being lord of his own destiny, worshiping through pride the works of his hands, doing what is right in his own eyes, and deciding what is holy and profane. Humanism in its political and religious form is a direct counterfeit of God’s kingdom in the earth. The Greeks established democracy in order to give the individual freedom, which would enable him to express the lusts of his own heart. The same is true today; the nations that have adopted this form of government have the highest rate of abortion, euthanasia, homosexuality, etc. They look for every opportunity to satisfy their lusts; setting times and seasons (feast days, birthdays), to indulge in food and drink resulting in gluttony, drunkenness and sexual promiscuity.

This freedom is symbolized by a statue, which stands in the harbor of New York City, called the Statue of Liberty. To those who are familiar with ancient Greek history, this modern day pictogram is very familiar. Around 290 BC, another such icon was erected, called the Colossus of Rhodes. Approximately three hundred tons of copper and iron were used to construct this “wonder of the ancient world.” It was built as a tribute to their savior “Helios”, who protected the islanders from being captured by an invading army. The sun god Helios, was an Egyptian god who according to legend took up residence on the island; later Helios became known as Apollo.


In a recent newspaper article, journalist John Rigos reports that the municipality of the city of Rhodes, aided by the European Union, is planning to rebuild this monument as a symbol of growing European unification and international peace and cooperation. In order to implement this theme of “new world in a new millennium”, as it was coined, the monument may be made out of melted-down coins from “all the members of the European Union and from prospective candidates abandoning their individual currencies in favor of one euro”.

Not surprisingly, the Europeans have also altered the arrangement of the weekly calendar, with “Sun-day” appearing as the last day, or seventh day of the week. The sun gods of the ancient empires were believed to give light and life. The Messiah came to do the same thing, thus it was not difficult to blend the two concepts. The purpose of the Gospel was also to bring peace, harmony and unity to humanity living in a world of wars, conflicts and strife between governments and religious factions. Political and spiritual leaders were always looking for the right combinations of governmental and religious ideals to advance their control and power over the populace. Constantine, in the 4th century, was one such leader who combined the “nativity of the Greek sun god”, with an alleged birth date of the Messiah. This was an intentional ploy on Satan’s part to deceive humanity and to lead it further away from the truth of God’s divine times and seasons. Thus, the celebration of the ancient festival of the sun god on the 25th of December was in reality honoring a more ancient Egyptian god, who during the Constantinian era was worshiped by thousands of followers of Mithraism.

The Torah gives us divine instructions on how to observe the calendar of YHWH. The enemies of Torah know the importance of a calendar as a tool, which keeps order in society. Without a calendar, humanity would be in a state of chaos. The current potential computer problem, termed Y2K, is a case in point. However, whether this situation will result in world pandemonium is yet to be seen. There are a few organizations and leaders who are saying that the new world order must be birthed out of chaos. However, although we may not see these changes overnight, they will definitely occur in the near future.

We, as God’s redeemed, have been exhorted to seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, being holy (separate) as He is holy. “Since we have been set apart to be the witness of His kingdom of righteousness peace and joy, what kind of people ought we to be in holy conduct and godliness? (2 Pet. 3:11). To be in the world but not of it, certainly would mean that we do not participate in pagan practices, nor mix them into the Torah that is being written on our hearts. The times and the season are in YHWH’s hands. “So let us be sober, knowing the time that it is already the hour for us to awaken from sleep; for now our salvation is nearer to us than when we believed. The night is almost gone, and the day is at hand. Let us therefore lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy. But put on Messiah Yeshua, and make no provision for the flesh in regards to its lusts” (Rom 13:11-14).

Ephraim
Come out of her my people, and be ye separate, and do not partake of her harlotries! (Isa. 52:11).