Egypt Wails, and Torah Never Fails
Vayechi “and lived”
Genesis 47:28-50:26
1 Kings 2:1-12
Psalm 41
Matthew 27:27-32
Take a good look at the photo above. Today it is called Beit Hoglah. Before that, it was Avel-Mizraim. Before that, it was Atad. When a particular place's name changes in Scripture, it's a huge red flag waving at you. For instance, Beit El is repeatedly mentioned as that which was formerly Luz, a hint to its resurrection roots. Can you see a big, red flag waving atop Beit Hoglah? Let's look closer into the Torah portion, and maybe you will.

Sages ask the question, why was Ezekiel so preoccupied with prophesying against Pharaoh, when it was Babylon who was at the very gates of Jerusalem? And I had a personal question. Why was the mourning processional for Jacob so far off course from Hebron in the Torah portion? Hebron is a long way from Atad, which you see in the photo above. For some reason, the Egyptians overshot Hebron significantly because they wanted to wail and mourn. And therein lies the rest of the story.

In last week's portion and livestream, we hinted to Pharaoh's connection to Leviathan:

  • In the tenth year, in the tenth month, on the twelfth day of the month, the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Son of man, set your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him, and against all Egypt. Speak, and say, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD:  Behold, I am against you, O Pharaoh king of Egypt, O great monster who lies in the midst of his rivers, who has said, ‘My River is my own; I have made it for myself.’ But I will put hooks in your jaws, and cause the fish of your rivers to stick to your scales; I will bring you up out of the midst of your rivers, and all the fish in your rivers will stick to your scales. (Ezek 29:1-4)

The "fish" in the prophecy are people who stick to the dragon (tanin), which is an equivalent expression to Leviathan. The governmental, health, military, political, and even religious systems controlled by the dragon will draw people to stick to the scales of Pharaoh. And just to clarify, it's not likely to happen by accident. A fish would have to ignore and disobey the plain truth of the Word, not win an end-time guessing game with the Holy One. The caution is that when we desire the things those systems offer MORE THAN we desire the Word, when we are too proud of managing our own little comfort kingdoms, then a confusing blindness can set in, and we might not even realize how far we've wandered from Him and His tribulation vaccination, His Word.

  • Nothing on earth is like him [Leviathan], one made without fear. He looks on everything that is high; he is king over all the sons of pride.” (Job 41:33–34)

Like Leviathan, Egypt is the sea-dragon tanin, father-kingdom to all the kingdoms that attempt to destroy Israel, its people, its covenant, and to occupy a covenant-Land.

There are hints to Pharoah’s role as sea-monster to the kingdoms of many peoples in Vayechi. In a sense, Egypt is death misconstrued. This is the power and authority it gives to its offspring, the beast-kingdoms in Nebuchadnezzar's dream and in John's Revelation. Pharaoh, the sea-serpent, is like the serpent of old. He tells human beings, “You will not surely die…” And so we sin a little sin, and it seems like nothing bad happens. We are god after all. We conform ourselves to the image of the most cunning beast of the field, the serpent, and we are like Elohim. The serpent must be right. Wrong! 

This is how the serpent drew Eve into the abyss of death. And this is how Pharaoh drew his servants and army “fish” also into the abyss. Prophecy indicates a future even that is like the past event. Pharaoh is collecting fish even now, but those fish are destined for destruction with him in the abyss. They don't realize that a hook has been set in Pharaoh's jaw. In Vayechi, two odd mentions of Egypt put the dragon in our crosshairs:

  • “When the time for Israel to die drew near, he called his son Joseph and said to him, “Please, if I have found favor in your sight, place now your hand under my thigh and deal with me in kindness and faithfulness. Please do not bury me in Egypt, but when I lie down with my fathers, you shall carry me out of Egypt and bury me in their burial place.” And he said, “I will do as you have said.” He said, “Swear to me.” So he swore to him. Then Israel bowed in worship at the head of the bed.” (Ge 47:29-31)

Genesis 50:3 tells us that Jacob had dug his grave at Machpelah with his own hands. His burial in Hebron with Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rebekah, and Leah was so important that he dug out the rock himself. He didn’t delegate the preparation of his final resting place. Machpelah is said to be an entrance to the Garden of Eden. Being buried there is a sign of faith in the resurrection. Since the Abyss is figurative of the grave, in a proto-prophecy, Jacob ensured that everyone who read this Torah portion knew that he expected Death to be swallowed up in its own grave, Abaddon.

A hint in the text tells us that at Jacob’s death, Egypt’s domination of Israel began. They took the lead in the funeral processional:

  • So Joseph went up to bury his father, and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his household and all the elders of the land of Egypt, and all the household of Joseph and his brothers and his father’s household; they left only their little ones and their flocks and their herds in the land of Goshen. There also went up with him both chariots and horsemen; and it was a very great company. (50:7-9)

The chariots and horsemen along with the elders of Egypt are a glimpse of that great company that will pursue Israel in the Exodus. The horsemen are lots of dead fish stuck to Pharaoh’s scales. And the Egyptians go AHEAD of the Israelites in the funeral processional. Now here’s the oddity. The Egyptians far overshoot Hebron to conduct their mourning over Jacob. The Canaanites don’t see Israel mourning, but EGYPT:

  • “Now when the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning at the threshing floor of Atad, they said, “This is a grievous mourning for the Egyptians.” Therefore it was named Abel-mizraim, which is beyond the Jordan.” (Ge 50:11)

Atad is located at the site of the Jericho crossing and in sight of Mount Nebo, where Moshe died. It is where Elisha saw the Divine chariot and its horsemen take Elijah out of sight. In the photo above, these significant events would all be within sight. Atad was a threshing floor, and Atad means "thorns, a fastening together [of thorns]."

There are three interesting bullet points by Rashi:

  • Genesis 49:33 is not clear about Jacob’s death, only that he breathed his last; the sages believe this hints that Jacob did not die, just drew in his feet [from the natural world], set them inside the Garden, and breathed his last. Only his body was dead.

  • Pharaoh was reluctant to let Joseph go [because Joseph had to justify by saying he’d sworn to his father]

  • The Goren Atad, or threshing floor of Atad was surrounded by thorns. The kings of Canaan and princes of Ishmael came to do battle with the sons of Jacob to prevent Jacob’s burial at Machpelah, but once they saw Joseph’s crown hanging from Jacob’s coffin, they all stood and hung their crowns from it, and encircled it with crowns like a threshing floor encircled by a fence of thorns. This was not out of true reverence, but fear of Joseph's crown.

When the Israelites crossed the Sea of Reeds (Yam Suf: final sea) with Moses leading, the mighty company of chariots and horses of Pharaoh were lost. In a sense, Abaddon was destroyed (avdah/Ex 10:7) a second time by the Yeshuat YHVH, the Salvation of Adonai. First the plagues, then the abyss of the “final sea.” A reed is a writing tool for a sefer (book). Moses the sofer (scribe) would receive the commandments for the people. The first set was on tablets, but its copies would be in “the scroll of the book,” a Sefer Torah. Before his death on Mount Nebo, Moses told the Israelites that a prophet like him would arise.

The Israelites then began to the journey to the Promised Land to a restored Garden destiny. After many wilderness tribulations, when it seemed all was lost, they crossed over with Yehoshua at Atad (Beit Hoglah) after Moses’ death on Mount Nebo.

The Israelites were free of the father-kingdom of death, Egypt, at the Sea of Reeds, then able to cross into the Kingdom of YHVH when the Jordan split at Atad. It was Moses [Torah, the Word of YHVH] and the movement of the Spirit that sustained them in the journey. They had a testimony of salvation and the Torah of Moses: two children of Israel. The House of Joseph and the House of Judah (see last week’s newsletter).

Atad’s significance makes even more sense when we compare the account of Yeshua's trial before his death and resurrection from the Hebrew Matthew, which uses slightly different descriptions than the Greek gospels:

  • Then the horsemen of the court took Yeshua under guard and came together before a great company of many people. They clothed Yeshua with silk garments and covered him with a greenish silk robe. They made a crown of thorns and placed it on his head and set a reed in his right hand and were bowing down mocking him: ‘Peace be upon you, king of the Jews...” “As they were going from the city, they met a man whose name was Simon the Canaanite...they came to a place called Gulgota [the skull]…” (Mt 27:27-29 & 32 Shem Tov, Howard)

The last hours of Yeshua’s death holds threads of Jacob’s burial:

  • He was accompanied by Roman horseman and a great company
  • Yeshua was encircled by a crown of thorns, a mockery because of fear he would start a revolt and because he was of qualified Davidic lineage; Yeshua could have legally ascended to the throne of Judah
  • A Canaanite becomes part of the death processional to the place of the skull, Gulgota
  • It is said that Esau’s skull only was buried in the Cave of Machpelah. Esau in Yeshua's day was Edom, Rome.

Jacob and his twelve sons along with Ephraim and Menashe ensured that his testimony of resurrection from the dead was preserved at Hebron. 

  • And with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all. (Ac 4:33)

The Egyptians somehow understood that Pharaoh and Egypt would be destroyed. Only those good fish who clung to the scales of Yeshuat Adonai, the Salvation Adonai, as Israel’s companions would resurrect to life with him. The Egyptians were somehow led of the Spirit from one entrance to the Garden to the very place where Elijah pictured the resurrection, where Israel would cross the boundary of the Jordan and “enter in” the promise, and where they could see that Moses was the faithful servant of the Torah, the Word, that escorted the Father’s people Israel safely from Egypt and death to Israel and resurrected life. An though Moses died, the prophet like unto him arose from the dead.

Not one jot or tittle of the Torah will fail until we also reach the Jordan. Even the Egyptians saw that. 

LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES

Are you ready to start the Book of Exodus? Check out our Creation Gospel Torah workbook series. They may be purchased from our Creation Gospel website under the tab Shop, through Amazon, or through your local bookseller. If you set your Amazon Smile account to The Olive Branch Messianic Congregation, Inc., your donation goes toward the ministry.


ONLINE CREATION GOSPEL WORKBOOK ONE CLASS! 
If you've never completed the foundational level of the seven days of Creation, seven Spirits of Adonai, seven feasts of Israel, and the seven assemblies of Revelation, a new online class is beginning at the end of January. Kisha Gallagher, Creation Gospel teacher extraordinaire, will be leading this online class. To enroll, contact her at kisha@graceintorah.net BEFORE THE 15TH OF JANUARY.

ARE YOU IN AFRICA OR A SIMILAR TIME ZONE? 
See the following from Colleen Martin, a most skilled Creation Gospel teacher:

Online Creation Gospel classes for Workbook 1 being offered for all South Africans, as well as those on the African continent, and in our time zone!

If you would like to delve into a weekly study with a group, to work through Dr. Hollisa Alewine’s Creation Gospel Workbook 1, please contact Colleen Martin. If you are in South Africa, you can also purchase your workbook directly from her. If you are in Europe, Workbook One should be available on Amazon.

The course will be starting at the end of January 2021.
E-mail address is magnum@iafrica.com
Cellphone number is +27836567828
Kindly note that she is not on Whatsapp, but is on Telegram. (https://telegram.org/ - it’s one of only 2 safe messaging platforms in the world, currently. It is a free app and can be used like Whatsapp for data calls and messaging.)
LIVE STREAM ON SHABBAT

We will do the Shabbat afternoon live stream at 4:00 pm Eastern on Saturday b'azrat HaShem. This will augment the teaching in the newsletter. Click to go to our YouTube channel.
ORPHANAGE (Good) NEWS
A time to build? We have raised the funds for the purchase of a new property for LaMalah Children's Centre, and we have begun transferring funds for purchase. A suitable acreage has been located in a more rural area farther from Nairobi. Please pray with us that the owner will hold the property until the funds arrive. We will then need approximately $12,000 to rebuild the building, but with the labor being performed by volunteers, it is possible to have it completed fairly quickly. Since the children do not have to be moved until a new facility is complete, we anticipate that the move can go smoothly.

Thanks to all who have donated to LaMalah Children's Centre. Your generosity at the Chanukkah conferences and in mail-in donations hurried us the goal faster than we anticipated. Your year-end giving was beyond all expectation in such economically troubled times. Please keep the children, their care-givers, and the Kenyan Torah community in your prayers.

MINISTRY EVENTS


We recorded twenty-eight programs to accompany Creation Gospel Workbook Two: The Wicked Lamp, Seven Seals, Seven Trumpets, and Seven Bowls. The programs cover The Wicked Lamp and the first four seals of Revelation. Look for those on Hebraic Roots Network early in 2021. We hope to return in late spring to record the remainder of the seals, the seven trumpets, bowls, and thunders. Who knew that when we first published this book that one day we'd live out its words? The Word of Adonai is alive, and we are so grateful that He reveals what we need in our generation to overcome tribulation.

We will also be joining The Rooted Kafe for an online conference on January 26th 6-7 pm and 7:15-8:15 pm. More information will be forthcoming so that you can register. There is an online Purim conference based in South Africa on February 27th. We will notify you with the specifics as they become available.

The weekly Shabbat table live streams will be available either on demand at our new Creation Gospel podcast page or at Hebrew Nation Radio. Please note the following air times (PST) on Hebrew Nation Radio:

Thursdays: 9-10 am & 10-11 p.m.

Mondays: 4-5 am & 2-3 p.m.
ISRAEL TOUR
Why are we planning Passover in Israel when all indications are that COVID restrictions will not allow it by then? It's our JEREMIAH step of faith. Jeremiah knew that Jerusalem would fall to the Babylonians, yet he bought property, made a copy of the deed, and sealed it. It was his way of saying, "I have faith that the Holy One will bring us back to fulfill His purposes in this place." It was irrational belief, which we may call faith! His "deposit" into the future redemption of Jerusalem made an impact on those who witnessed it.

The registration page and itinerary are up for the Song of Songs Passover in Israel tour! We are spending the winter doing an in-depth study of the Song of Songs as a parable of resurrection and the Garden. With God's help, we will crown the study with a tour of Israel that highlights the geographic locations of many significant Scriptural events, such as Beit Hoglah. Armed with an understanding of the deeper meaning of the Song, we experience those locations blooming with promise of the returning Messiah Yeshua. If we are unable to travel at Passover 2021, deposits can be refunded or shifted to the Sukkot 2021 study tour...in remembrance of when He brought us out of Egypt!

"Arise, My Love, for lo, the winter is past, and the springtime has come. The voice of the turtledove is heard in the Land..."

Click "Next Year in Jerusalem!" to view the itinerary and details of the Passover tour.