Footsteps of Messiah
How Far Gone is the Night?
Shelach Lekha
"Send for yourself"
Numbers 13:1-15:41
Joshua 2:1-2:24
Psalm 64
Revelation 13:1-6
In a previous newsletter, we established the following principles:
Israel Ascends to Greatness from the Wilderness
Israel’s “Removal” is from the Wilderness
- The Torah is from the Wilderness
- The Mishkan (Tabernacle) is from the Wilderness
- The Sanhedrin (Court) is from the Wilderness
- The Priesthood is from the Wilderness
- The Levitical divisions are from the Wilderness
- The Monarchy is from the Wilderness: “a kingdom of priests” and Mercy Seat
- The Goodly Gifts are from the Wilderness
The Well
The Manna
The Clouds of Glory
- *Two crowns were bestowed to each individual Israelite by sixty myriads of ministering angels when Israel said, “We will do and we will hear,” and crowns were taken away upon the sin of the Golden Calf. Although this is tradition, not Torah, the writer of the letter to the Hebrews also alludes to it.
- Prophecy is from the Wilderness (including burning bush).
In Shelach Lekha, the Israelites find themselves at the second major sin of the wilderness, the evil report of the ten spies. The Golden Calf had already brought a tempest of Divine anger and a significant period of judgment, repentance, forgiveness, and rebuilding. The Mishkan (Tabernacle) provided a constant reminder of the Divine Presence that would remain even when Moses departed. Nevertheless, the ten spies did not grow strong in the wilderness with Caleb and Joshua. Instead, their lack of faith brought about the removal of themselves and nearly a whole generation.
We are now in the "second exile" of Babylon, initiated by the Red Beast of Rome, and now Rome's daughters hold us within the nations and their beastly systems. In this wilderness of the peoples, Israel is given an opportunity to exit the exile of of night and enter the morning of freedom from the Beast and Babylon the Great, the feet and head of the Beast's image. In this wilderness of the peoples, we have the opportunity to grow strong and go up.
Grow strong and go up.
Grow strong and go up.
The wilderness and the mishkan are associated with a verse in the Song of Songs that prophesies the end of the exile:
THE BRIDE
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“What is this coming up from the wilderness like columns of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all the scented powders of the merchant?” (So 3:6)
The Song of Songs documents how the Bride will go up from the wilderness to enter the Land of Promise, from Mishkan to Mikdash (Temple), a permanent residence. As a review, the wilderness and the Mishkan grow strong in the wilderness, for Israel abides with the Mishkan, the abiding Presence of Adonai, and it IS the Mishkan in the wilderness of the peoples. The Bride comes up with:
- Columns of smoke: Pillar of fire, pillar of cloud, incense offerings, outer altar smoke.
- Perfumed with myrrh and frankincense: The spices of the altar sacrifices
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With the scented powders (avakah H81) of the merchant: The variety of “dust” resulting from Jacob’s wrestling at the crossing of the Jabbok River returning his sons to their inheritance after his exile with Lavan. (from H79/80 avak, the Jacob’s wrestling match “Esau’s angel” who had to depart at daybreak in Ge 32:24-25). Each of the twelve tribes represents a different “spice,” or gift, blessing.
The dragon gives the Red Beast his power and authority to blaspheme the Holy Name and the Mishkan as they dwell among the peoples:
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And the dragon stood on the sand of the seashore. Then I saw a beast coming up out of the sea, having ten horns and seven heads, and on his horns were ten crowns, and on his heads were blasphemous names. And the beast that I saw was like a leopard, and his feet were like those of a bear, and his mouth like the mouth of a lion. And the dragon gave him his power and his throne, and great authority.
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I saw one of his heads as if it had been fatally wounded, and his fatal wound was healed. And the whole earth was amazed and followed after the beast; they worshiped the dragon because he gave his authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast, and who is able to wage war with him?” A mouth was given to him speaking arrogant words and blasphemies, and authority to act for forty-two months was given to him. And he opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle [*Mishkan], that is, those who dwell in heaven. (Re 13:1-6)
*Hebrew cognates to Greek skaynay are: ohel, mishkan, sukkah
The wilderness, however, was a place of gathering. In spite of Israel's scattering, many have gone home to the Promised Land at great expense and loss of life. Others will follow in the Father's timing. Although scattered, yet the Ruach HaKodesh is gathering. How is this possible?
The Ancient of Days is using the gathering place He established from the Fourth Day of Creation, the moedim, or appointed times. Within the appointed times, Israel can be gathered even when she is scattered in the wilderness of the peoples. Gather with like kind and like mind on the weekly Shabbat and the moedim, and you will be gathered with the Mishkan and as the Mishkan, for another name for the Mishkan is Ohel Moed, or Tent of Meeting. This is the writing on the wall for the last king of Babylon. To the wicked of the world, it will appear that his fatal head wound is healed and he can do wonders. Instead, it is the deception of the Beast literally on his last iron legs and crumbling feet.
When you see Mishkan raised up all over the world in the wilderness of the peoples, look up, for the night of exile is almost over.
The pronouncement concerning Edom:
One keeps calling to me from Seir,
“Watchman, how far gone is the night?
Watchman, how far gone is the night?”
The watchman says,
“Morning comes but also night.
If you would inquire, inquire;
Come back again.” (Is 21:11-12)
The couplets in the passage above hint to two exiles of Israel. First, the Babylonian exile from which the Jews returned. The second, the Roman exile from which not all have returned. Isaiah says a "morning" will come, or end of the Babylonian exile, yet "also night," another exile of Babylon's golden head brought about by its iron feet, Edom/Rome. Yeshua will "come back again." Tradition says that King Messiah waits at the gates of Rome, tying and untying bandages, taking our griefs, wounds, and sorrows, awaiting the Father's command to go rescue Israel.
The watchman is the “shomer,” or guardian, just as the “Guardian of Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps.” In other words, He knows exactly what time it is. It is the watchmen, also the sovevim, who know the times of the night’s watches and end of watch. They circle the Holy City, ears in tune with the sounds of the night. They can see the first lightening of the night sky. The twilight is both the descending darkness in the evening and the first lightening of the sky in the morning. They move in the cycles and circles of the moedim, informing those who will inquire. Come back again. Keep inquiring. Grow strong and go up.
Edom is Rome, the last beast kingdom, and its feet standing upon the earth mixed with the clay, the peoples of the earth, is about to be shattered by the Stone of Israel. When the deception of the Beast's power is smashed, Israel's tribes will still be gathered under the Sukkah, ready to go up. Perfumed. And spicy!
We plan to live stream Footsteps on YouTube at approximately 4:00 pm Eastern on Shabbat.
The Israel Sukkot tour is full, but...
the LIMITED MOBILITY TOUR is November 28th-December 8th. Itinerary and registration are now available to view. Scroll all the way down the newsletter or click here to read more.
SHABBAT SHALOM!
