“1Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. 2Then I, [a]John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”5Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said [b]to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.”6And He said to me, “It[c] is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. 7He who overcomes [d]shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.” (Revelation 21)
Today is the 8th day of God’s holy day of Tabernacles. In Scripture it is referred to as the day of a “solemn assembly” (Leviticus 23). This is the only one of God’s holidays that has an 8th day, which of course stands out because there are not eight days in the week. This is indeed significant and not to be overlooked.
It is my theory (after all, no one really knows) that this 8th day follows the Millennial reign of Christ. Thus, upon Jesus’ Second Coming when His garments are dipped in blood and Satan is thrown into prison (Revelation 20), He fulfills Tabernacles by dwelling among us physically as well as ruling and reigning. But, the 8th day of Tabernacles will not yet be fulfilled. That is a special day, a separate day. The “solemn” day of assembly will likely come in Revelation 21 when the New Heavens and the New Earth will appear, and the Holy City the New Jerusalem shall descend out of heaven. Revelation 21 states in verse 3 and 5a, “And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and god himself shall be with them, and be their God…And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new.”
Even as we can equate the fulfillment of Tabernacles as being Christ’s soon coming Millennial reign, the 8th day of Tabernacles will be fulfilled at the end of the Millennium when all is made new and God will dwell with us forever. In other words, the 8th day is the new beginning of forever, an eternity that we know nothing about except that it is spent in the presence of the Most High in perfect majesty and holiness and is unending. Oh what a day, glorious day that will be!
How incredible! May this blow your mind today and fill you with hope and joyful expectation!
“13You have a mighty arm; Strong is Your hand, and high is Your right hand. 14Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne; Mercy and truth go before Your face. 15Blessed are the people who know the joyful sound! They walk, O Lord, in the light of Your countenance. 16In Your name they rejoice all day long, And in Your righteousness they are exalted. 17For You are the glory of their strength, And in Your favor our [c]horn is exalted. 18For our shield belongs to the Lord, And our king to the Holy One of Israel.” (Psalm 89:13-18)
The religion of antichrist is emerging. It has been rising for some time, but is now becoming more evident to more and more people, including myself (August 14th), Dr. Zelenko (August 25th), Dr. Palevsky (August 30th), and now Tucker Carlson (September 27th). Though hundreds of thousands are being mesmerized by its siren call, driven by unreasoning fear, there are a few who are calling it exactly what it is: a religion. It is fear and works based, as are all religions and cults of the world, from the mystery religions, to Islam, to Hinduism, to Satanism, to Buddhism, to Mormonism and Jehovah’s Witnesses. It is ecumenical. It is interracial. It is global. It is inclusive of all political parties. It has its own Eucharist, prayer candles, jewelry, priests and priestesses, sacrifices, and worshipers. Not only is it a religion of the elites who were early on in the “plandemic” immersing unwitting initiates into a new world order, but is now a religious cult of brainwashed, active participants who firmly believe that what they are doing is what Jesus would have them do. These obedient converts who have already rolled up their sleeves are now being called to the apostolic ministry of helping others who cannot hear God’s commission to comply and of following Jesus’ command to love each other to life and safety. Actually, “peace and safety” is their motto (1 Thessalonians 5). As with any cult, these adherents think they are truly following the real Christ. But, they are not. Nevertheless, there is a frenetic energy and demonic vibe coursing through the veins of this idolatrous image which is made in the fashion and form of its proponents. The deception is thick. The darkness is palpable.
Over night this has sprung up, but the seed has been sprouting roots for a long time. And like a weed it has grown swiftly and spread profusely, like tares among the wheat. Some of the priests and priestess and prophets of this new world order religion have been: Dr. Anthony Fauci, Dr. Francis Collins, many governors of the United States including the blasphemous Kathy Hochul of New York, health organizations of various nations, world leaders (kings, princes, prime ministers, parliaments, judges, etc), military and police forces, and a plethora of so-called Christian pastors across America and around the world, even Israel and Japan.
So, what is this antichrist religion? What is their salvation? Who are its followers?
It does not yet have a name, for everyone from every religion and political party and racial group are apart of it. But it does seem that counterfeit Christianity is leading the charge in this, even a counterfeit that has two horns like a sheep but who speaks as a dragon (Revelation 13). And much like the Israelites in the wilderness deceived themselves into believing that the golden calf was indeed Jehovah God who had rescued them out of Egypt, even so, the adherents of this antichrist religion are deceived into believing that their salvation is found in a modern day golden calf. Only this time, the golden calf is in the form of an elixir inside a syringe called a vaccine, and ironically enough the word for vaccine comes from the Latin word for cow. So, it is literally a liquid golden calf! According to the wording superimposed over the Christ the Redeemer statue in Brazil, “Vaccines Save.” And to top all of this off, the followers of this new Occult religion are those who have partaken of the flesh and blood of their own Eucharist – in this case, the vaccine which utilized sacrificed babies in the making of them. Thus, this new religion could be called something like, “Vaxxianity” or “Vaccolicism.”
I am not trying to be funny. These facts are horrifically true, and blasphemously real. For an image has arisen, much like Nebuchadnezzar’s golden statue of Daniel 3, and even more so like the year 167 B.C. when Antiochus IV, Epiphanes erected an altar to Zeus in the holy Temple of God, declaring himself to be “God manifest”, and then sacrificed a pig on that altar. And this profane image has sprung up in the Church in the name of Christ, just as the altar to Zeus arose in the Temple. It is an abomination and out-and-out blasphemy to declare that vaccines save, for it is equivalent to saying the golden calf saves. It is foul. It is a stench. If is beyond evil.
And just like only three men, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, stood up against bombastic King Nebuchadnezzar, entrusting themselves to God rather than to prostrate themselves to the golden idol, there are a few who are daring to resist bowing down to the liquid golden calf. As the music plays, and everyone bows to the mesmerizing melody, there are those who will not bow. For indeed, as followers of God it has NEVER been about saving one’s physical life. After all, how many believers throughout the centuries in both the Old and New Testaments, laid their lives on the line for the sake of God’s honor and glory? How many did not value their lives and comforts above that of truth and righteousness? All one needs to do is read Hebrew 11 to see this in living color. And did not Jesus say that those who try to save their lives will actually lose their lives? (Matthew 16:25; Luke 17:33).
In Exodus 32 we read how Moses tarried on the mountain for longer than the people understood. Not knowing what had become of him, they called on Aaron to make them an idol to symbolize the god who had brought them out of Egypt, and so Aaron had them bring him their gold jewelry and fashioned an idol for them. While the people danced in a demonic frenzy around their newly crafted calf, Moses descended the mountain with the Ten Commandments in his hands and Joshua at his side. Upon seeing the people doing dastardly, horrific, immoral things, Moses threw down the Ten Commandments, smashing them. In verse 25 it then reads, “And when Moses saw that the people were naked; (for Aaron had made them naked unto their shame among their enemies:)26 Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the LORD’S side?let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him.27 And he said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour.28 And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men.”
It is incredible how history repeats itself, how the same sins are repeated, especially when believers are historically and Biblically illiterate. After all, God’s people perish for lack of knowledge of the holy (Hosea 4:6). This is exactly what is happening today. God’s people are naked, dancing around this liquid, golden calf, and bowing down to Nebuchadnezzar’s image as the music plays, and this is happening in the presence of our enemies – to the Church’s shame!!!! Christians are being played by Satan, and they have been left as humiliated and naked as Adam and Eve in the garden (Genesis 3). The demons are squealing with glee over this, and all hell is rejoicing.
Dear Christian, a line has been drawn. If you have already taken the vaxx and are devastated by what you’re reading in this article or hearing elsewhere because you didn’t know, there is still time to repent. There is always room for repentance. God’s arms are always open. He is LOVE after all. But, there is a line drawn, and it is time to get on the Lord’s side. So, do not tarry. (1 John 1:9).
And for those of you who have not partaken of this witchcraft vaccine, be strong and of good courage, like Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah of Daniel 3, who fearlessly stood up against the evil of their day regardless of the consequences. Please, take to heart what they said, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 17If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. 18But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.” Whether or not God would deliver them from the fiery furnace, they would not bow.
And so I say to you, do not bow, do not bend, do not break. When God is for you, who can be against you? (Romans 8:31). Fear not! God is still your Shepherd who provides (Psalm 23). Bad times do not render God inoperable or unable or powerless. Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8). Today is the day to trust, to chose this day whom you will serve (Joshua 24:15).
I will end with this passage from Hebrews 12:1-4. May the words stir your heart, embolden your actions, and fill you with incredible peace!
“1Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2looking unto Jesus, the [a]author and [b]finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.3For consider Him who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. 4You have not yet resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin.”
God bless you as you press on! Jesus is coming SOON! When He returns, may He find you filled with faith, without spot and without blemish, upholding the word of Truth.
Quote: ““I think if there were vaccines available in the time of Christ, Jesus would have made reference to them and used them. I believe it is consistent with Scripture that we protect our lives and do whatever we can to save life,” Graham said. “So, I don’t have a problem with telling a person to take an aspirin or telling a person to have a vaccine.” Graham also expressed that vaccines are proof of God’s love…A few other evangelical leaders and faith leaders also came out in support of vaccinations to combat COVID-19, including pastors John Hagee and Greg Laurie.”
Quote: ““We are not through this pandemic. I wished we were, but I prayed a lot to God during this time and you know what, God did answer our prayers. He made the smartest men and women, the scientists, the doctors, the researchers — He made them come up with a vaccine. That is from God to us and we must say, thank you, God. Thank you,” Hochul said. She then praised the congregants attending the church in-person for being “the smart ones” and getting vaccinated, but added that there were those “who aren’t listening to God and what God wants,” and she needed their help to reach the vaccine-hesitant. “I need you to be my apostles. I need you to go out and talk about it and say, we owe this to each other. We love each other. Jesus taught us to love one another and how do you show that love but to care about each other enough to say, please get the vaccine because I love you and I want you to live, I want our kids to be safe when they’re in schools, I want to be safe when you go to a doctor’s office or to a hospital and are treated by somebody, you don’t want to get the virus from them.””
Quote: ““Give God the glory but roll up your sleeve,” said Francis Collins, an evangelical Christian who heads the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Md.It is not enough for Christians to say they trust God to deliver them or to pray for God’s protection from illness when they are unwilling to partake of the means of protection God has made available, he said.”
Quote: “The world’s most famous statue of Jesus Christ was lit up in Rio de Janeiro to promote vaccine equality as Brazil and developing countries struggle to protect residents from COVID-19.The message “Vaccine saves, United for vaccines” was projected on Saturday onto the 98-foot (30-meter) statue by Unidos Pela Vacina (United by the Vaccine), in partnership with the Cristo Redentor Sanctuary and the Ogilvy Brazil advertising agency.”
Quote: “To summarize, if the in vitro lab test is part of the production manufacturing protocol, and it almost certainly is, then the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines are no different ethically than the AstraZeneca vaccine or any other vaccine grown in fetal cell lines. In both cases, the production of the vaccine depends on the ongoing use of the illicit fetal cell line. To accept the vaccine means accepting the continued use of cells originating from an aborted child. Given the horrifying way aborted children are still being butchered for scientific research, this is not a time for complacency.”
“Moms have a saying about evil when kids want to argue that a little wrong should be okay. “It’s like poop in brownies. If I baked you a pan of brownies and told you that I accidently got some of the baby’s poop in the mix while stirring the batter, would you eat a brownie from the pan?”
Obviously, no. It does not matter if there is the tiniest smudge of poop, or if there is one or two bigger chunks, nobody is having it. In the professional realm, we call this “zero-tolerance.” A company that has a zero-tolerance policy for sexual abuse, for example, is not going to engage in a debate about whether one case of employee abuse is acceptable while two or three would cross a line. None of it is acceptable.
To bring this idea into the COVID-19 vaccine and aborted fetal cell line debate, I propose that the pro-life community get back zero-tolerance of the evil of abortion. Stop arguing about whether testing is better than production and specifically demand that all testing and production be ethically performed. Then focus energy on demanding an end to the use of aborted children in research and an end to abortion absolutely. As the Pontifical Academy for Life and the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith instruct, that should have been the guiding principle all along.”
“Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Interviews Dr. Theresa Deisher,” July 17, 2020, (the 12 minute mark explains 5-6 month old babies whose organs are harvested while they are still alive – that’s right, they are still alive when they are cut into for their beating hearts) https://www.bitchute.com/video/U2i5UzXj3hln/
Quote: “And you know what’s really alarming is that lack of outcry over human babies born alive at 5-6 months old so that their hearts can be attained beating. And they have to be beating to be used in the research that’s being done. If the heart has stopped beating it’s not useful. You cannot use it. And so these babies are delivered alive and their hearts cut out without anesthesia. I wouldn’t do that to a mouse.” Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at this point clarifies that this is a fetus that is 5 months old that is “live” birthed for this purpose. Dr. Deisher continues, “Their hearts are cut out. Or they cut through their faces to get good brain tissue.”
“Certain scientists will purchase the heart, another scientist would purchase the brain, and they purchase the legs, the eyes…the body parts are sold for research.”
“Theorigin of the abortion-tainted vaccines, fetal cell line will sicken you – LifeSiteNews 1-12-21,” (interview of Pamela Aker by John-Henry Weston of Life Site News) January 14, 2021, https://www.bitchute.com/video/aogFUnP9C2O0/
Quote: “The spike protein by itself is in the words of one researcher ‘kind of floppy’. It doesn’t tend to keep its shape very well. And so scientists actually genetically engineered a spike protein that will keep its shape…and so this original design of this protein…they took that genetic information and they transformed cells to produce the spike protein…and that original experiment was done in HEK293 cells. So the spike protein that the vaccines code for was originally developed effectively in aborted fetal cells. And an additional way that the aborted fetal cells was used in the project is before they were going to inject this mRNA into a human being to see if you could get human cells to make coronavirus spike protein you would want to test that in cell culture, you’d want to test that in the laboratory because it’s a lot less expensive and dangerous than testing it in a human being…And so the cells that this was tested in were also HEK293 cells. And this has all been published in the literature…documenting that both of these vaccines used HEK293 in their testing…These also have to go through quality control testing…So the testing with these aborted fetal cells may actually be ongoing in the production of these vaccines.”
“There is a whole industry based on these aborted fetal cells in basic science research that I think people aren’t super familiar with.”
What is HEK293? Was it just one baby? And what about the other fetal cell lines such as WI-38, MRC-5, and PER.C6?
“For HEK293…people say ‘oh…there wasn’t documentation that that was an elective abortion…this is a bit disingenuous or ignorant on the part of these authors because in order to produce a viable cell line there’s a number of things that kind of go into that. And it is a very difficult thing to do…the number system that’s involved there (HEK stands for Human Embryonic Kidney) but 293 stands for…the 293rd experiment that this particular researcher did to develop a cell line. And that doesn’t mean that there were 293 abortions, but for 293 experiments you need far more than one abortion. And we’re talking probably hundreds of abortions.”
“Why couldn’t HEK293 have been just a spontaneous abortion? Why couldn’t it have just been a miscarriage? Because, you know, the hospital lost the documentation about this particular baby that was used to develop the cell line and so we don’t really know whether it was an elective abortion or a spontaneous abortion. Well, we have all the reason in the world to believe that it was actually an elective abortion that was done on purpose because the researchers who’ve been involved in this sort of thing have gone on record saying basically that you need to get that tissue within about 5 minutes of the abortion in order for it to be optimally viable. And if you wait an hour it’s useless…So this had to have been a baby that was aborted and they knew that that tissue was going to be used for research so they could get there within that 5 minutes to an hour window, preferably within the first 5 minutes in order to get that tissue preserved.”
(at 20 minutes and 40 seconds mark) “I was gonna say it’s even worse than that. Because – and this is where I always sort of issue a warning in case there are any little ears listening to me talk on a recording – because it’s a lot more graphic even that what I described. Because in a lot of cases the babies – because it is done on purpose for research purposes – so they will actually deliver these babies via Cesarian section. The babies are in some cases still alive when the researches start extracting the tissue, to the point where their heart is still beating and they are generally not given any anesthetic because that would disrupt the cells that the researchers are trying to extract. So, they are removing this tissue while the baby is alive, and in extreme amounts of pain. So, this makes it even more sadistic…likened to what the Aztecs used to do when they would consecrate their temples. They would literally rip out the beating hearts of the victims they were slaying on top of the temples and then sort of cast their bodies down the side. This is pretty much exactly the same thing that these researchers are doing.”
At about the 37 minute mark addressing adverse reactions including autism: “… but also it makes sense when you think about it from natural law if you’re going to do something as heinous as inject into yourself the remains of somebody who was murdered there’s going to be a natural consequence to that. Like you can’t just do that and not have any negative effects.”
Quote: “those who knowingly and voluntarily receive such vaccines enter into a kind of concatenation, albeit very remote, with the process of the abortion industry. The crime of abortion is so monstrous that any kind of concatenation with this crime, even a very remote one, is immoral and cannot be accepted under any circumstances…We are living through one of the worst genocides known to man. Millions upon millions of babies across the world have been slaughtered in their mother’s womb, and day after day this hidden genocide continues through the abortion industry, biomedical research and fetal technology, and a push by governments and international bodies to promote such vaccines as one of their goals…Bio-medical research that exploits the innocent unborn and uses their bodies as “raw material” for the purpose of vaccines seems more akin to cannibalism than medicine. We also ought to consider that, for some in the bio-medical industry, the cell lines of unborn children are a “product,” the abortionist and vaccine manufacturer are the “supplier,” and the recipients of the vaccine are “consumers.” Technology based on murder is rooted in hopelessness and ends in despair. We must resist the myth that “there is no alternative.”… The Lord said that in the end times even the elect will be seduced (cf. Mk. 13:22). Today, the entire Church must urgently seek to be strengthened in the doctrine and practice of the faith. In confronting the evil of abortion, more than ever [we] must “abstain from all appearance of evil” (1 Thess. 5:22). Bodily health is not an absolute value. Obedience to the law of God and the eternal salvation of the souls must be given primacy. Vaccines derived from the cells of cruelly murdered unborn children are clearly apocalyptic in character and may possibly foreshadow the mark of the beast (see Rev. 13:16).” (Bishop Athanasius Schneider is auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of St. Mary in Astana, Kazakhstan.)
Quote: “The most prominent cell line, called HEK 293, comes from an abortion performed in the 1970’s. It’s labeled 293 because that’s how many experimental attempts the researchers needed to get a working cell line. Therefore, though the abortion-to-experiment ratio is not precisely one-to-one, hundreds of abortions went into the project, even if they didn’t result in the working line.
HEK stands for human embryonic kidney. To harvest a viable embryonic kidney for this purpose, sufficiently healthy children old enough to have adequately-developed kidneys must be removed from the womb, alive, typically by cesarean section, and have their kidneys cut out. This must take place without anesthesia for the child, which would lessen the viability of the organs. Instead of being held, rocked, and comforted in the time intervening between their birth and their death, they have organs cut out of them alive.
There is no way that a spontaneous abortion could result in the cell line (as the kidneys cannot remain viable past the brief window in which they must be harvested) or that some brilliant researcher found a way for great good to come out of a rare tragedy by making use of a child’s body donated to science after it was aborted. The deliberate killing of an unwanted child (a little girl, in the case of HEK 293) took place in the tortuous manner it did precisely to obtain her organs for research. The harvest of her organs was the direct cause of her death, prior to which, she was a living child, outside the womb…”
“…The information about how HEK 293 was created may call vividly to mind the current scandal of Planned Parenthood, who is selling human tissue to the highest bidder, and performing abortions in specific ways to obtain organs and preserve their viability—for the right price. Put more bluntly, the abortion industry performs vivisections on viable, healthy, and well-developed living children for massive profit, on a massive scale. What we are seeing now is the explosion of an industry trafficking in children’s bodies, which began with experiments in the 1970’s, including those on which the available COVID-19 vaccines rely.”
Quote: “To summarize, appropriation of evil in its strictest sense is not about contribut- ing to, but about benefiting from evil. In cooperation cases, the obvious evil to be done is prospective, while in appropriation cases the gravely wrong act has already happened. However, the appropriator now becomes the principal agent (compared to the cooperator, who remains an auxiliary agent), and is faced not so much with an external and visible problem, but with a more internal and intangible one, of how to justify his profiting from a grave evil already committed.” (pg 480, “The Ethics of HEK 293,” by Alvin Wong, MD. “https://www.pdcnet.org/C1257D43006C9AB1/file/5265B61D5497F52585257D94004802BB/$FILE/ncbq_2006_0006_0003_0077_0099.pdf
“Self-deception, the second moral hazard, occurs when the cooperator becomes self-deluded about the nature of his or her own intentions in acting. Particularly if working in very close quarters with the principal agent, it is very difficult for a cooperator not to get swept up into the principal agent’s project in such a way that he or she wills its success. If he or she is an employee of the principal agent, the cooperator’s career advancement may very well be tied to such success. Rather than candidly acknowledging a sea-change or a gradual shift in his or her moral stance, the cooperator might simply develop an elaborate scheme of self- deceiving rationalization instead… If another agent’s evil acts contribute in some way to our own objectives, par- ticularly in an ongoing manner, it is difficult not to view them in a more positive light than we otherwise would. Moreover, it is tempting to accustom ourselves to the benefits that flow from appropriation that we would be inclined to decide against taking steps to eliminate the wrongdoing, if the opportunity presented itself… Similarly, self-deception about one’s motives is also possible in appropriation cases.” (M. Cathleen Kaveny, “Appropriation of Evil: Cooperation’s Mirror Image,” Theo- logical Studies 61 (June 2000): 306 from “The Ethics of HEK 293,” by Alvin Wong, MD. “https://www.pdcnet.org/C1257D43006C9AB1/file/5265B61D5497F52585257D94004802BB/$FILE/ncbq_2006_0006_0003_0077_0099.pdf pg 482) Web address: https://livinginfaithnetwork.files.wordpress.com/2021/02/use-of-aborted-human-fetal-tissue-in-vaccines-1.pdf Web address: https://avoicefortruth.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/COVID-19-Vac-Under-Reported-Facts.pdf Web address: https://apologeticacatolicasite.files.wordpress.com/2021/03/covidcomparemoralimmoral.pdf
In Nehemiah 8 it is autumn (September/October), and perhaps it has begun feeling a little cooler. It is the first day of the seventh month, and thus is Yom Teruah. Thousands of men and women are gathered in Jerusalmen and are seated upon the ground. Then, Ezra the priest ascends to a special podium built for the occasion, the fragrance of spices (Cinnamon, frankincense and myrrh) from the Temple waft on the air. As Ezra takes his place and blesses the Lord aloud, everyone stands to their feet, raises their hands, bows their heads and lifts their voices in agreement. For hours they then stand silently and listen to the reading and explanation of the reading of God’s word. And the more they hear, the more they weep.
They have come from captivity. They do not have their own copies of the Bible. And the words of Scripture, that are sharper than a two-edged sword, divide between their souls and spirits, moving them deeply to tears. After dispersing, celebrating, eating and drinking and sharing with each other, they regather many times over the course of twenty two days to eagerly hear and learn more, and in so doing, come to realize that they have not kept the feast of Tabernacles for nearly a thousand years — since the days of Joshua!
Nehemiah 8 is incredibly special, and deeply profound. Before we continue to explain what the feast of Tabernacles is all about, please, be blessed as you read Nehemiah 8, even as the returned remnant of Nehemiah’s day were blessed and deeply touched when they heard the word of God.
“And all the people gathered themselves together as one man into the street that was before the water gate; and they spake unto Ezra the scribe to bring the book of the law of Moses, which the LORD had commanded to Israel.2 And Ezra the priest brought the law before the congregation both of men and women, and all that could hear with understanding, upon the first day of the seventh month [Yom Teruah]. 3 And he read therein before the street that was before the water gate from the morning until midday, before the men and the women, and those that could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive unto the book of the law.4 And Ezra the scribe stood upon a pulpit of wood, which they had made for the purpose; and beside him stood Mattithiah, and Shema, and Anaiah, and Urijah, and Hilkiah, and Maaseiah, on his right hand; and on his left hand, Pedaiah, and Mishael, and Malchiah, and Hashum, and Hashbadana, Zechariah, and Meshullam.5 And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up:6 And Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the LORD with their faces to the ground.7 Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law: and the people stood in their place.8 So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.9 And Nehemiah, which is the Tirshatha, and Ezra the priest the scribe, and the Levites that taught the people, said unto all the people, This day is holy unto the LORD your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law.10 Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.11 So the Levites stilled all the people, saying, Hold your peace, for the day is holy; neither be ye grieved.12 And all the people went their way to eat, and to drink, and to send portions, and to make great mirth, because they had understood the words that were declared unto them.13 And on the second day were gathered together the chief of the fathers of all the people, the priests, and the Levites, unto Ezra the scribe, even to understand the words of the law.14 And they found written in the law which the LORD had commanded by Moses, that the children of Israel should dwell in booths in the feast of the seventh month:15 And that they should publish and proclaim in all their cities, and in Jerusalem, saying, Go forth unto the mount, and fetch olive branches, and pine branches, and myrtle branches, and palm branches, and branches of thick trees, to make booths, as it is written.16 So the people went forth, and brought them, and made themselves booths, every one upon the roof of his house, and in their courts, and in the courts of the house of God, and in the street of the water gate, and in the street of the gate of Ephraim.17 And all the congregation of them that were come again out of the captivity made booths, and sat under the booths: for since the days of Jeshua the son of Nun unto that day had not the children of Israel done so. And there was very great gladness.18 Also day by day, from the first day unto the last day, he read in the book of the law of God. And they kept the feast seven days; and on the eighth day was a solemn assembly, according unto the manner.” Nehemiah 8
There is so much to say about the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot). This feast is so exciting that everything said about it is important and joyful. This I must say is my favorite of all God’s appointed times, for it is all about Jesus coming to live with us and set up His Kingdom here on earth!!! That which is related below is gathered from both Scripture and Jewish historical tradition. Mark Biltz is also an excellent source.
Leviticus 23:34-43 expresses what this day looks like to God. The Feast of Tabernacles was one of 3 feasts that the men were commanded to attend in Jerusalem. The women and children were very much invited, but all the men 20 and over were commandedto come (Exodus 23:17; Deuteronomy 16:16). Then, every seventh year, ALL were to attend and hear the reading of the law (Deuteronomy 31:10). It was in Jerusalem that everyone was to build temporary dwelling places called “tabernacles, booths, huts” that were 3 sided and made so that one could see the stars through the roof. The Jews specifically were and are to dwell in booths like this (Leviticus 23:34-43) to commemorate how they lived when God brought them out of Egypt. There are to be seven days of offerings (Numbers 29;12-38). The first day and the last day of the feast are to be days of rest.
It is an 8 day feast that is all about lights, water, wind, great joy and God coming to dwell among us. It is all about light for it was at that time when the Jews would celebrate it from Jerusalem (even in Jesus’ day) and the lights of Jerusalem would be seen 20-40 miles in all directions. Those north in Galilee and west out onto the Mediterranean Sea would see the lights. Indeed, Jerusalem at that time of the year was referred to as “the light of the world”. In the temple court there were four tall candlesticks rising 7.5 stories into the sky. Each would be filled with gallons and gallons of oil continually so that all night the people could continue celebrating. It was at this time that Jesus stood up and declared in John 8:12, “I am the light of the world.”
Part of the ceremonies performed was that of the water libation wherein 8 priests, with singing and music and many following, would descend from Jerusalem to the Pool of Siloam to draw water with a golden pitcher. Then they would all march uphill back to the Temple with the water as well as a silver pitcher of wine. Once they reached the Temple they would pour the water into a cup on the brazen altar and the wine into another cup on the altar. While they poured out the water and the wine they would be singing Isaiah 12:3 which speaks of drawing water out of the wells of salvation. Furthermore, when the priests were pouring out the water and praying for rain in order to have good crops the following year, Jesus said, “If any man thirst, let him come to me and drink. He that believeth on me as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water” John 7:37-38. And interestingly enough, the name of Jesus–Yeshua–means salvation.
While 8 priests were drawing the water from the wells of salvation, 8 other priests went out and cut down long (even up to 30 feet) branches of willow trees. Then, they along with a crowd, would travel back to Jerusalem waving the branches causing a great sound of a wind to blow. Not only this, but everyone else also held onto such branches and waved them about during the celebration. The Holy Spirit is depicted in the great feast through the wind caused by the willow branches being waved. The word for Spirit in Hebrew quite literally means, “wind, breath.” Thus, the wind being caused is symbolic of the blowing of the Spirit. Indeed, later on in Acts 2, the Spirit would come upon those in the upper room who were waiting for the promise of the Father like the blowing of a violent wind.
The first day God called a sabbath, and the eighth day was called a sabbath and a “solemn assembly”. The term “solemn assembly” is used 4 times regarding the 8th day of the feast of Tabernacles in Leviticus 23:36; Numbers 29:35; 2 Chronicles 7:9; and Nehemiah 8:18. One time regarding the 7th day of Unleavened Bread in Deuteronomy 16:8. One time regarding a nameless fall feast day in Isaiah 1:13, and two times in the book of Joel regarding a large, impromptu gathering for the sake of repentance and prayer in Joel 1:14; 2:15, which very well had to do with this season. The Hebrew noun for “sacred assembly” is atsarah (#6116) which means exactly that, “an assembly” for religious purposes, and also means, “to restrain, to shut in” to hold something back, to stop something, to keep something or someone in bondage. https://holylight4u.wordpress.com/2020/07/24/the-restraining-power-of-a-solemn-assembly/. Interestingly enough, the definition of the name “Church” in Greek means just that, “the called out, assembled ones.” For more info on this, please link up with this address: https://holylight4u.wordpress.com/2020/07/28/the-church-to-assemble-or-not-to-assemble/
The 8th day of the feast has been called Simchat Torah, which means, “rejoice in the teaching” or Word of God. For even as the people needed rain for their crops and were praying to God for that rain, the people also needed the Word of God to fall like rain and for the knowledge of the Lord to cover the earth as the water covers the sea (Isaiah 11:9). The Word of God is compared to water and rain. Their songs were taken from the Psalms and Isaiah, and their joy was in God their savior. And their rejoicing was not simply in good food, hanging out with friends, singing their favorite songs or in the hopes for the rains to come, but rather, their rejoicing was in the knowledge of God one day raining down upon all.
This is a feast of great celebration and meaning. When the people actually celebrated it as they should, over 2 million people would be in attendance. Men would be dancing and juggling lit torches, while the sounds of singing filled the air and music wafted on the breeze. All week long people participated in God-ordained rituals, sacrifices, camping out under the stars, praying, feasting, dancing, singing, music, and then they did it all over again into the night and into the next day and the day after that. If anyone thinks that God is a stick in the mud and doesn’t know how to have fun, then they have not celebrated this feast! However, unlike all other parties, at this great party God was the focus, for it was about God coming down as the blessing of rain to dwell among humanity.
But, as depicted in Isaiah 2:1-5, Micah 4:1,2 and specifically in Zechariah 14 this is also a feast for the nations, for one day all nations during the Millennial reign of Yeshua ha Meshiach (Jesus the Messiah) will come up to Jerusalem to keep this feast. It is then that “He shall come down like rain on the mowed grass, like showers that water the earth. In His days the righteous shall flourish; and abundance of peace, until the moon is not. He shall also have the rule from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth,” Psalm 72:6-8. And “the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea,” Habakkuk 2:14. This appointed time is about one day soon and very soon that Jesus will come and dwell among us as King of kings and Lord of lords. May it be sooner than soon!
The inspired, unchanging Word of God states that there is a God who still rides the whirlwind, who prepares hail for the day of battle, who still commands the wind and the waves, who sends the rain and snow, and who sits enthroned in unshakable majesty and power. In the midst of all that is coming, our Lord Jesus has not changed. He is still the same yesterday, today and forever! And He is still coming soon! Indeed, one day, Jesus will descend with a shout and His Bride will be caught up in the clouds to meet Him in the air.
Then, following a time of the most horrendous tribulation that this world shall ever know, also called Jacob’s Trouble, Jesus will set His feet down on the Mount of Olives, and after slaughtering the enemy that has gathered to prevent His arrival, He will set up His Kingdom that will have no end. He will be here. God with us, abiding with us, tabernacling among us…finally…at long last, physically here!
Though America is coming to a close, though Christians around the world are undergoing persecution and that persecution may very well intensify in the coming days and months, though a grave and evil vaccine that is not a normal vaccine has been and is being mandated in order to travel, be employed, and even go to the doctor, though great darkness is descending upon and encompassing the entire earth, this holiday – the Feast of Tabernacles – unlike all the other holidays gives us an even greater HOPE that there is a day coming when Christ will rule and reign and will judge the world in righteousness and the people with equity (Psalm 96 and 98).
Let us reflect deeply on that 8th day which is referring to a “solemn assembly,” and let us again be reminded that our assembly as the Church is imperative. It is non-negotiable, especially as the day of the Lord draws ever nearer. We as the body of Christ are God’s dwelling place. We as the solemn assembly of the Church are God’s Holy of Holies (1 Corinthians 3:16) where the Ark of the Covenant stands. May we live like it. May we act like it.
Let us also think on the fact that one day soon Jesus will physically be here among us. He is coming for real. This festival reminds us of this beautiful and powerful promise that will soon be fulfilled.
Jesus is coming SOON. The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” Yes, come quickly LORD Jesus!!!!
Day of Atonement: High Priest Enters the Holy of Holies (free Pinterest pic)
We are in a very special time of year. Aside from the fact that it is the changing of the seasons, and the crisp feeling of autumn is in the air and the crunch of red and gold leaves are under our feet and the fragrance of apple cinnamon and pumpkin intoxicates our senses, it is also a time of God’s holidays. Now, there are seven holidays all together that are holy to the Lord. In Leviticus 23:1 it says that, “The Lord spoke . . . saying, “Speak to the people . . . and say to them, These are the appointed feasts of the Lord that you shall proclaim as holy convocations; they are my appointed feasts.”” These are not like our American holidays or other national holidays, for these holidays were set a part by the Lord. In the Hebrew language “feast” actually means “an appointment, a fixed time.” And when God calls them “holy convocations,” convocation actually means “a rehearsal.” Therefore, all of God’s holidays are God-ordained, divine appointments set by God on His calendar as dress rehearsals and foreshadowing that would be or will be fulfilled by Jesus.
The first of the fall festivals is Yom Teruah, the Day of Blowing, otherwise known as the Feast of Trumpets. In Leviticus 23:23-24 it says, “Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “Speak to the children of Israel, saying: ‘In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall have a sabbath-rest, a memorial of blowing of trumpets, a holy convocation.” Yom Teruah has been known for centuries as the day of “the Last Trump” for it is the last call to the nation to repent before the day of judgment/atonement Yom Kippur. For more on Yom Teruah visit this link https://holylight4u.wordpress.com/2021/09/04/yom-teruah-2021/
Leviticus 23:26-29 speaks of the second God-ordained, autumn feast called Yom Kippur, Yom meaning “Day” and Kippur meaning “Atonement.” “And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: “Also the tenth day of this seventh month shall be the Day of Atonement. It shall be a holy convocation for you; you shall afflict your souls, and offer an offering made by fire to the Lord. And you shall do no work on that same day, for it is the Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before the Lord your God. For any person who is not afflicted in soul on that same day shall be cut off from his people.” Furthermore, it is the ONLY day of the year that the high priest enters the Holy of Holies (Leviticus 16 and Hebrews 9) to apply blood to the Ark of Covenant for himself, his family, and the nation.
Yom Kippur in Scripture
In Exodus 32 we read of the first Yom Kippur. In this passage we see that Moses had come down from Mount Sinai with the Ten Commandments and found that the impatient, impetuous people were all naked and dancing around the golden calf they had made for themselves. After several things transpired, Moses tells the people he will go back up to the Lord to see if he might be able to make atonement for their great sin. We see this story in Exodus 32:30-34.
“30 Now it came to pass on the next day that Moses said to the people, “You have committed a great sin. So now I will go up to the Lord; perhaps I can make atonement for your sin.”31 Then Moses returned to the Lord and said, “Oh, these people have committed a great sin, and have made for themselves a god of gold!32 Yet now, if You will forgive their sin–but if not, I pray, blot me out of Your book which You have written.”33 And the Lord said to Moses, “Whoever has sinned against Me, I will blot him out of My book.34 Now therefore, go, lead the people to the place of which I have spoken to you. Behold, My Angel shall go before you. Nevertheless, in the day when I visit for punishment, I will visit punishment upon them for their sin.”
So, Moses reascends the mountain for 40 more days, and it is said that at the end of it as Moses descends the mountain with second set of Commandments, that this was God’s mercy extended to the people on the first Yom Kippur. While Moses was on the mountain those 40 more days, the people were to be preparing their hearts and lives for God’s judgment.
Later, Jesus would be in the Wilderness, fasting and being tempted by the devil for 40 days. Just as Moses went into the mountain of Sinai for forty days, Jesus went out into the wilderness for forty days. After all, Jesus is the predicted “Prophet” that Moses said would be like him (Deuteronomy 18:15-19) and yet is far greater than Moses (Hebrews 3:1-3).
In Luke 4:13-30 we find an incredible story following Jesus’ fast and temptation in the wilderness. But, there is something amazing in this story that I missed for years. Yom Kippur is everywhere if you know for what to look. Let’s take a look!
“13 Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time.14 Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region.15 And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.16 So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.17 And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written:18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed;19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”20 Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him.21 And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”22 So all bore witness to Him, and marveled at the gracious words which proceeded out of His mouth. And they said, “Is this not Joseph’s son?”23 He said to them, “You will surely say this proverb to Me, ‘Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in Your country.’ “24 Then He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country.25 But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land;26 but to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath, in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.27 And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, and none of them was cleansed except Naaman the Syrian.”28 So all those in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,29 and rose up and thrust Him out of the city; and they led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city was built, that they might throw Him down over the cliff.30 Then passing through the midst of them, He went His way.”
We’ve read this story before and have probably heard sermons on it at some time or another. But, what was happening here has probably been lost on us because we did not know about God’s holidays and the scripture passages that were read on those holidays. The fact that Jesus read Isaiah 61 meant beyond a shadow of a doubt that it was Yom Kippur. This then meant that it was the Fall season. This also meant that Jesus had been out in the Judean wilderness for forty days in the heat of summer. This also meant that Jesus was essentially telling them that their Jubilee passage of Isaiah 61 was now fulfilled through Him. In other words, Jesus was their Jubilee who had come to set the captives free, and it was the “acceptable year of the Lord.” Interestingly enough, Jesus ended His reading of Isaiah 61 mid sentence. He did not finish the sentence which reads, “and the day of the vengeance of our God.” He did not finish the passage because the day of judgment has not yet come. However, the day of the Lord’s atonement had come through Jesus, and was fulfilled that day in their hearing. The day of the Lord’s vengeance, even as seen in the book of Revelation, is still in the future and is coming and will be fulfilled in Jesus.
But there’s more…
In Luke 4 we read of Jesus being pushed and pulled and pummeled to the edge of a cliff. This is significant and is directly linked to Yom Kippur as well. Historically, on Yom Kippur, two goats were selected, both without blemish. One was selected to be sacrificed in the Temple for the people while the other was selected to be what was called the “scapegoat.” Now, it was on the “scapegoat” that all of the sins of the people were placed. After this ceremony was conducted, the “scapegoat” bearing all the sins of the people was marched out of town where it was to be released into the wilderness. The problem was, the scapegoats didn’t stay in the wilderness, but instead kept coming back into town! So, they decided to make sure that the goat died, because they did not want their sins returning to them. Thus, certain people were selected to drive the goat into the wilderness where they would drive it off of a cliff.
Well, in Luke 4 it is the holiday of Yom Kippur and Jesus has just read Isaiah 61 and has declared Himself to be their atonement, their deliverance and has also gravely offended his listeners by saying they have no faith and are as bad as their unbelieving forefathers. Thus, His audience decided to treat Jesus as their “scapegoat.” It’s as if they were saying, “Are you really saying our atonement? Are you really saying you’re our deliverer? Well then, let’s see if you mean it! How dare you say you’re a prophet and can save us! Here, put actions to what you’re saying and die like the scapegoat! See how you like being a prophet now!” They were furious, and they in a blind rage treated Jesus like the scapegoat of Yom Kippur when they attempted to drive Him off of the cliff.
But…God had other plans. Jesus was not the scapegoat. He was the Passover Lamb, and would lay down His own life as a ransom for many when the time was God’s appointed time, not man’s.
Christians and Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur is the most solemn day of God’s feasts and is the holiest of His holy days, and is the final day of what are called “the Days of Awe” (which are 10 days sandwiched between Yom Teruah and Yom Kippur). It is and has historically been a day of fasting and prayer. However, it is not merely a Jewish holiday. It is God’s holiday that will one day be fulfilled, and therefore it applies to Christians today.
Though many adhere to fasting on Yom Kippur, the Bible does not specifically mention physically “fasting” on this day. Truly, the fast that God requires of us as Christians is not necessarily a physical one, but is something deeper as found in Isaiah 58. In Isaiah 58:3-10 we read of the Jews who were keeping Yom Kippur by fasting, but God was not pleased with them at all because the fast He requires is not simply a bodily one, but is one wherein our hearts are changed and our actions follow. Let us take seriously what the following scriptures say and take them to heart until they become faith in action. We as Christians need to take seriously the call to humble ourselves before our God, to confess our own individual sins and to pray for God to clean house in His Church. He is coming again soon for a Bride without spot and without wrinkle (Ephesians 5:27).
Isaiah 58 reads, “3 ‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and You have not seen? Why have we afflicted our souls, and You take no notice?’ [referring to Yom Kippur] “In fact, in the day of your fast you find pleasure, And exploit all your laborers.4 Indeed you fast for strife and debate, And to strike with the fist of wickedness. You will not fast as you do this day, To make your voice heard on high.5 Is it a fast that I have chosen, A day for a man to afflict his soul? Is it to bow down his head like a bulrush, And to spread out sackcloth and ashes? Would you call this a fast, And an acceptable day to the Lord?6 “Is this not the fast that I have chosen: To loose the bonds of wickedness, To undo the heavy burdens, To let the oppressed go free, And that you break every yoke?7 Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out; When you see the naked, that you cover him, And not hide yourself from your own flesh?8 Then your light shall break forth like the morning, Your healing shall spring forth speedily, And your righteousness shall go before you; The glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard.9 Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; You shall cry, and He will say, ‘Here I am.’ “If you take away the yoke from your midst, The pointing of the finger, and speaking wickedness,10 If you extend your soul to the hungry And satisfy the afflicted soul, Then your light shall dawn in the darkness, And your darkness shall be as the noonday.”
I John 3:16-18 agrees wholeheartedly with Isaiah 58 when it says, “16 By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.17 But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?18 My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.”
And James 2:15-17 agrees with both Isaiah 58 and I John 3 when it says,“15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food,16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”
Let us as Christians therefore, keep Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, in the way that God requires: with a change of heart toward our brothers and sisters in Jesus. Let us humble ourselves and repent; let us chose to love one another; let us build each other up as the Day of the Lord draws near. Indeed, let us live out John 13:34-35 which reads, “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”
As many are still hearing about this and are taking it in, wondering about the certainty of their jobs, the fate of their families, the precarious nature of their lives, the future of this nation, whether or not they’ll be able to go to school or get a degree or pay off their car loan, house mortgage, etc., and wondering where they could possibly go to get away from all the insanity, my heart turns to Revelation 4.
“…a throne was set in heaven, and One sat on the throne.3 And He that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald.4 And round about the throne were four and twenty seats: and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they had on their heads crowns of gold.5 And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.6 And before the throne there was a sea of glass like unto crystal: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind.7 And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.8 And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.”
Day and night, God is still on His immovable, ancient, unshakable throne. Day and night, God is still being worshiped. In the past. In the present. In all days and nights to come in the future. Our God reigns, and is still the One who Job says, “removeth the mountains, and they know not: which overturneth them in his anger.6 Which shaketh the earth out of her place, and the pillars thereof tremble.7 Which commandeth the sun, and it riseth not; and sealeth up the stars.8 Which alone spreadeth out the heavens, and treadeth upon the waves of the sea.9 Which maketh Arcturus, Orion, and Pleiades, and the chambers of the south.10 Which doeth great things past finding out; yea, and wonders without number.11 Lo, he goeth by me, and I see him not: he passeth on also, but I perceive him not.12 Behold, he taketh away, who can hinder him? who will say unto him, What doest thou?” (Job 9:5-12)
Thus, as we all experience various levels and types of emotion regarding these most recent announcements, let us hold fast to the One who does not fade nor fail, the One whose strength is made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9), the One whose ways are not our ways nor are His thoughts our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8), the One who appoints world rulers and also brings them down (Daniel 2:21), the One who does not change (Malachi 3:6) and is forever God clothed in majesty and strength (Psalm 90:2; Psalm 93). And when all pompous new world order rulers of this present darkness will not even amount to a speck of dust in our memories, our great and glorious eternal God will still be seated upon His rainbow encircled throne with its lightning and thunder and fiery lamps of the eternal seven spirits of God, to the tune of worship and adoration forever without end.
Hold on, children of the Most High God! Jesus is coming soon! Let’s be ready!
Looking up,
Holy Light Ministries
P.S. Thank you to my cousin who inspired this article when I received a picture of the verse from Revelation 4:8.
Today, listening to Pastor JD Farag’s Prophecy Update in which he had referred to an anonymous person who had written in, saying they had been strongly tempted to just completely give up and commit suicide, I was reminded of a quote from a book by Lucy Maud Montgomery called Anne of Green Gables. In it, one of the characters said something like, “I’m in the depths of despair. Have you ever been in the depths of despair?” The other then said that they had not ever experienced despair because, “To despair is turn one’s back on God.”
Today, I am not about to go into the technical definitions of words. I am not a psychologist nor a psychiatrist nor a social worker. So, this article is not going to argue semantics nor psychology. Rather, I am a chaplain, and my heart is the word of God. Thus, I will approach this topic from that perspective.
What I am writing about here is this…. For you who are going through the depths of despair, know this. Suicide is NOT an option.
You who are not a Christian, you do not want to commit suicide. If you think hopelessness is consuming you now, then you’ve got some concept of what an eternity of it will look like. Do you want an eternity of what you are feeling right now? If you pull the plug now, that is exactly what you will get. Forever. Outside of Christ, this is your future. You do not want this, do you? Aren’t you wanting to run from hopelessness??? Suicide is not the right direction. To run toward suicide is like running back into a burning building. There is no hope in there, and never will be!!! The enemy is seeking to destroy you for eternity. Do not play into his hands. Jesus came that you might have life and life more abundantly. No, this does not mean earthly wealth or fame. It does mean unshakable peace and unspeakable joy and all that you will ever need, even your daily food. Jesus wants to save you from despair, from your present hell and from your eternal hell. Will you let Him? All you have to do is call on His name and you will be saved.
Christian, suicide is NOT an option. And really, despair is not an option either. There is no room for despair in God. Let me remind you of something. Is our God not still the One who parted the Red Sea? Is He not the one who answered Elijah with fire from heaven? Is He not the one who directed the stone into the forehead of Goliath? Is He not the one who surrounded Elisha and his servant with the heavenly host and blinded the Syrian army? Is He not still the same God who created the heavens and the earth in all of its intimate detail? Is He not the same God who sent His only begotten Son Jesus to die for our sins and be resurrected in order to make us new creations in Christ? Are we not holy and set a part? Are we not the body and Bride of the living and returning Christ?
Lift up you eyes, you who are weary and heavily burdened. Cast your care upon the Lord, for He cares for you (1 Peter 5:7). He cares for you. I’ll say it again. He cares for you. Let that sink into the soil of your heart and produce the fruit that is worthy of His glory (Matthew 13).
When we are Christians, our life belongs to God, not to us. He formed each of us in your mother’s womb (Psalm 139). Jesus died for each of us – for you. That is how priceless you are, how treasured you are. No matter how horrific your situation is, no matter how hopeless or murky you may think it is, there is no hopelessness in God. Why are you trusting in the words of your enemy? Is Satan worthy of your faith? Why not instead lean heavily on the promises of God? He is worthy of the weight of your faith.
You know what? Nothing can take you from the hand of God – except you. That is why the enemy is turning you upon yourself. So, here’s the deal. Stop it. Stop looking down upon yourself. Actually, stop thinking of yourself at all. In Jesus’ name, stop it.
Instead of looking at yourself, we as Christians are commanded to set our minds on things above, not earthly things (Colossians 3:2). How do you think on things above? Read the word. Think on what is written therein, for there is life there, there is peace there, there is hope there. “6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
“To be careful for nothing” means to not be anxious, to not be worried, but instead, to set our hearts and minds on all that is true, pure, and worthy of praise. In other words, we are to set our minds on Jesus. For who else is so worthy, pure and true?
“25 To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One.26 Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: he calleth them all by names by the greatness of his might, for that he is strong in power; not one faileth.27 Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the LORD, and my judgment is passed over from my God?28 Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:25-30) You’re going to “wait” and have your hope all wound up in something. Why not let it be wound up in God?
Did you know that the tribulations you are enduring are to produce hope not destroy it? “1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope:5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” (Romans 5:1-5)
Jesus is coming soon, beloved Christian and dearly loved non-Christian. Jesus is coming back just like He promised, and His return is immanent. And the enemy – Satan, the devil, Lucifer, the demonic, all that is evil – is out to steal, kill and destroy you before He can snatch you.
Christian, you have been given overcoming power in the name of Jesus, that you might trample every demonic serpent and scorpion. “19 Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you.20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.” He has given you authority over every demon, over ever thought of despair that raises its ugly head. “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh:4 (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;)5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ…” It is time to pull down those strongholds, to cast down those vain imaginations, to bring into captivity every thought. We’ve been delivered from the power of darkness and been translated into the Kingdom of His dear Son (Colossians 1:13). Let us not, therefore, live like we are still under the power of Satan in his kingdom of dark hopelessness and despair!!!!
Get up!!! Warrior of God! Arise, child of the living God!! Shake off the lies. Wash off the grime and slime of Satan with the Word of the Life!!! Dearly beloved Bride, “present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Romans 12:1-2). Yes, the storm is raging. Yes the waves are high. Yes the wind is crazy strong. But, Jesus is still in the boat. I repeat, Jesus is still in the boat!!! Do you really think the boat will sink with God in it????? So, then, why are you trying to jump overboard????
I pray for each Christian who is despairing: be set free in Jesus’ mighty name! I pray that you take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. In agreement, I pray with you that the lies of the enemy are broken off of you right now, and that the light of God’s truth breaks through. Our God who is light within light clothe you with the armor of light. I pray that you set you mind on things above, that you turn your eyes upon Jesus who is the author and perfecter of your faith, that you will be refreshed and that your mind and strength will be renewed as you hope in the Lord. I pray that the prison cell in which you find yourself is shaken like the one in which Paul and Silas sat. I pray that you sing at the top of your lungs like they did, that you are unafraid of the darkness like they were unafraid, and that the prison doors are swung wide for you even as they were for them. May He teach your hands to war that you might bend a bow of iron, and gird you with strength even as you hope in Him — for you will not be ashamed!!!
And as for you, unbeliever, would you like to be free? You have read above about the authority that a Christian has in the name of Christ. Without Christ, you have no authority, no power, no hope. Only in the name of Christ can you overcome. So, I call you today, to submit your life to Christ, to surrender all, to repent, and call upon the name of the Lord Jesus and be saved. Jesus not only came over 2000 years ago to live, die for our sins and be resurrected that we might have eternal life, but is coming again. Only this time, He is not coming to die, He is coming to rule and to reign. He is calling to you. Will you believe? Today is the day of salvation. “9 …if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.” (Romans 10:9-11). For, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9) Jesus loves you. Just believe.
I pray for you who would believe, that the scales fall from you eyes, that you will be brought to a knowledge of the truth, that you’ll believe and be saved, that you’ll be snatched out of the kingdom of darkness into the Kingdom of light.
I will say it again, Jesus is coming soon. It is time to be ready!
With urgency,
Holy Light Ministries
“For thou wilt save the afflicted people; but wilt bring down high looks.28 For thou wilt light my candle: the LORD my God will enlighten my darkness.29 For by thee I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped over a wall.30 As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he isa buckler to all those that trust in him.31 For who is God save the LORD? or who is a rock save our God?32 It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.33 He maketh my feet like hinds’ feet, and setteth me upon my high places.34 He teacheth my hands to war, so that a bow of steel is broken by mine arms.35 Thou hast also given me the shield of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath holden me up, and thy gentleness hath made me great.36 Thou hast enlarged my steps under me, that my feet did not slip.37 I have pursued mine enemies, and overtaken them: neither did I turn again till they were consumed.38 I have wounded them that they were not able to rise: they are fallen under my feet.39 For thou hast girded me with strength unto the battle: thou hast subdued under me those that rose up against me.40 Thou hast also given me the necks of mine enemies; that I might destroy them that hate me.” (Psalm 18)
There are two very important questions to be asked at this time in history as the world goes mad and all “heck” breaks loose. When Jesus returns will He find faith in the earth? And, in whom do we really trust?
I have been reflecting on the situation in Afghanistan, and that led me to further reflect on other persecuted Christians around the world, and Americans who may lose their jobs due to the vaccine mandates and on American Christians who have actually taken the jab. Who are we trusting?
It seems that now is a crisis of faith moment, a testing of our faith, a trying in the fire of affliction. This is when we find out not just what we are made of, but what we really believe and who really has our trust.
On our U.S. money is the statement, “In God We Trust.” But is it? Or have we trusted in money? Have we trusted in our job? Has money and our job been our security? Oh, we talk a good game, saying our faith is in God who provides for us. But, so often we have deceived ourselves into believing that our faith is in God when really it is in America, the Constitution, the rule of law, our political leaders, our doctors, our surgeons, our medications, our job, our bank account, our military, our family and on and on. Is it any wonder that we crumble? Is it any wonder that so many succumb to fear? Is it any wonder that some would rather take the jab than lose their job or their special privileges or their insurance money or their ability to go to the doctor or get surgery?
Were the Alfghans trusting in American troops or God for their needs, their protection, their hope? And what of poor, sick Chinese Christians who had been receiving money from the government only to have it cut off unless they would worship the president of China? Are the Chinese Christians going to surrender Jesus for insulin or food? Are the Alfghan Christians going to crumble because the U.S. military is gone, or are they going to remain steadfast knowing that their protector and provider is and always has been God? How about American Christians facing vaccine mandates?
It’s time to stop playing games with God. It’s time to mean what we say. It is time to really surrender all: all our money, all our time, all our hopes, all our confidence, all our bodies, all of our job, all of our education. It’s time to place it on the altar. After all, it’s not really ours. We are simply the stewards of God’s money, God’s time, God’s gifts, etc. We must quit clinging to the things of Earth – for the Earth is passing away. It is time to let the Spirit of God search our hearts and know what lurks in the deep corners of its chambers. In the words of David in Psalm 139, “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:24 And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Let us not be found to be trusting in chariots or horses like the Israelites, but instead be trusting in our God. As David also says, “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God,” (Psalm 20:7). Really if we trust in anything above God, it is idolatry. Plain and simple.
There is so much more coming to us in here in America, so much more. Should the Lord tarry, more baffling events are about to unfold before our very eyes. Let’s get our hearts right now. Let’s get our eyes on Jesus now. Let’s not be shaken now. Let’s choose to trust in God and in Him alone NOW.
In the Roman army their shields had to be oiled or else they would crack. And a Roman soldier did not want a cracked shield or else they would be a dead soldier. Secondly, they would saturate their shield with water before battle. Why? Because the enemy often lit their arrows on fire. Thus, a dry cracked shield would ignite in flames. However, a well oiled, watered shield would not.
Our shield as Christians is that of faith (Ephesians 6). But, our shields are on the verge of cracking unless we oil them by being filled afresh with the Holy Spirit and water them with the Spirit inspired word of the living God. Without this, our faith is cracked and ready to catch fire with the fiery darts of the enemy who is out to steal, kill and destroy us. For more on the shield of faith please refer to this link: https://holylight4u.wordpress.com/2018/10/01/we-are-at-war-the-shield-of-faith/
I want to remind us of Matthew 6. Mr. Tony Koretz of A Minute To Midnite quoted this passage from Matthew tonight, and I felt it quite fitting. It’s actually what spurred me on to publish this brief message tonight. “24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof,” Matthew 6:24-34.
So, in what or who is our faith? Jesus after telling the story of a poor widow who persistently presented her case before an unjust judge, asked the poignant question, “when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8).
Like a book that’s hard to put it down even when it’s over, it is difficult to shake the dust of this Earth off us. But, we must in order to pick up the sequel which is far better than the first, for it’s all about a conquering, eternal King of a majestic Kingdom that will never pass away and a Bride of resplendent beauty who will reign with Him forever.
Jesus is coming soon. Let’s be found with hearts like Job who declared upon losing everything but his wife and his life, “Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him…” (Job 13:15). After all, “the trying of your faith worketh patience.4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing” (James 1:3-4). And let us also say with the three Hebrews who were about to be thrown into the fiery furnace, “…our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.” And as Joshua said, “Choose this day whom you will serve… but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” (Joshua 24:15). May Jesus find this kind of trust in us. May He find faith in us.
Scrub out those spots, Bride of Christ! Iron out those wrinkles. Shake out that dress. Fix up you hair. Get on your jewels. Our Beloved is coming! Let’s be ready!!!!
Please, remember our Afghan Christians who have been abandoned by America — but not by God. And please, may they not be forgotten or abandoned by Christians who read/watch the article/video below. And as you remember to pray for Afghan Christians, remember also to uphold all of our persecuted brothers and sisters in prayer. Things are intensifying worldwide. But, God is greater, is still their Provider, and will never leave them nor forsake them.
Jesus is coming soon! Let’s pray that the Bride will not give up nor give in, but will be ready!!!
Quote: “My friends, we record this video as a testimony. We want it to remain in history. We want to be remembered by our friends and loved ones that today we have been left in the field by ourselves. But we are not leaving the field, we will fight harder and will continue God’s work.”
Believe it or not, we have arrived at the most incredible time of year again, the time of year wherein God’s feasts ought to be more front and center in our lives. Last year, 2020, this time was filled with prayer and repentance events in Washington D.C., Plymouth, Massachusetts, Texas, California etc. And though it seemed unlikely we would ever round this corner again, we have, and are here in 2021. So, what will this holiday be like this year? Guess we’re going to find out!
What Is It?
To begin with, Yom Teruah is the first of the three Fall feasts of the Lord. Yom Teruah means, “the day (yom) of blowing or shouting (teruah)”. It is also referred to as Rosh HaShanah (meaning Head of the Year) and the Feast of Trumpets. The Jews claim that before the time of Moses and Mount Sinai this was known as the beginning (head) of the year. The Jews also consider this as the time when the creation of the world took place, specifically Adam and Eve (Mark Biltz’s Blood Moons, pg 82, 152). It is also the day when Noah stepped out of the ark onto dry ground (Mark Biltz’s Blood Moons, pg 36). They also claim that this is the head of the civil new year, while the religious new year begins in the month of Abib/Nisan in the spring (around our March). In 2 Kings 8:2 it is referred to as “the month of Ethaniam, which is the seventh month.” Ethanim means to be permanent, and since it is a plural word it probably referred to the holidays of the month rather than the month itself. However, this month on most Jewish modern calendars is called Tishri, though it is never called this in Scripture. Tishri is instead yet another adopted Babylonian name. That being said, God does not observe this as the head of the a year, nor does He recognize a “civil” year, but rather, calls it the seventh month. It is important to go with what God has said in His Spirit-inspired word, and not with the opinion of those who adopted the Babylonian mystical view of the calendar.
It says in Numbers 29:1, “And in the seventh month, and the first day of the month ye shall have an holy convocation [dress rehearsal]; ye shall do no servile work: it is a day [yom] of blowing [teruah] the trumpets unto you.”
It is the first day of what are traditionally referred to as Ten Days of Repentance and Awe, and is the day that people are continually made aware of the holiness and awesomeness of God.
The Tradition of the Shofar
On this day the shofar is blown 100 times. The Jews have established four different types of sounds emitted from the shofar on Yom Teruah, but God does not specify any of them in the Bible. God just refers to it as a day of blowing, which infers many times. Nevertheless, tradition has it that the three/four different sounds have names: Tekia (one long blast to get everyone to wake up), Shevarim (compared to the sound of weeping), Teruah (staccato sounds followed by a long blast that is urgent), Tekiah haGedolah (one very long blast, also referred to “the Last Trump.” Truly, from a Biblical standpoint, the name is Teruah, and that sound is urgent and demands attention.
The Shout
Before continuing, it must be said that Numbers 29:1 does not actually have the word trumpets or shofars in it, nor does Leviticus 23:24. The translators must have assumed that one is blowing something, and so they inserted a word in English that is not literally there in the Hebrew. At best the word would merely be implied. It is important to note that elsewhere in Scripture this word “Teruah” is a majority of the time translated as “shouts” of joy, joyful sounds, shouts of war, cries of alarm, war cries, and battle cries. Teruah is also used of trumpets in a handful of other instances signaling war or alarm, such as in Numbers 31:6.
The Timing
Now when does Yom Teruah begin? It’s always been said that no one knows exactly when. Why? Because this festival is based on the New Moon which is very difficult to detect, and there is only a small window of time that it can be seen. Throughout history it took two credible witnesses to declare the time when the sliver of the moon appears. Thus, this feast is known as the day when “no one knows the day or the hour” it begins. But, once the sighting time of the New Moon is agreed upon by two witnesses, the feast day officially begins. Even though modern calendars predict the new moon accurately, God’s way is for two witnesses to spot it and officially declare it.
Day of Repentance or Shouting:
What is the point of Yom Teruah? It is called a “memorial,” and is a call to remember God. And when we remember God, our sin comes to light. So, the obvious result of remembering God is repentance. It is a call for God’s people who’ve not already searched their hearts and fallen on their faces before God, to do so then. This is all preparation for Yom Kippur that follows, which is known as the Day of Atonement and/or Judgment. Remember, this is not a call to those who do not know God to repent. This is a call to believers to repent before a holy God, as seen in Joel 2. It pictures a day of deep remorse and overwhelming alarm and gut wrenching weeping.
Oddly enough though, its name does not merely refer to calls to repentance, but shouts of joy. It is an enigma, for while one camp of believers may be weeping at calls of alarm in the light of remembering a holy God, the other camp is shouting war cries of victory. How strange to have so much difference in one word. I would therefore assess that if you’ve already repented and sought the Lord, then this holiday is a day of rejoicing and shouting for joy! If you have not yet repented with genuine brokenness and gut wrenching, heart-felt wailing, then now is the time. Either way, we are to lift our voices, and trumpet them towards heaven.
Fulfilled In-Part:
Jesus fulfilled the four spring feasts at His first coming. Will He not fulfill fulfill the last three feasts at His second coming? After all, “no one knows the day or the hour” this feast day will arrive. Is it possible that Jesus could return at this time? Actually, it is inevitable that Jesus’ return is immanent. Indeed, it will come as a thief in the night. Could it be now?
It does appear to me, that the Yom Teruah of 2020, was at least in part fulfilled. Incredibly as the Church called out to God desperately in repentance at various events across the nation, such as Jonathan Cahn’s The Return, Franklin Graham’s Prayer March, Pastor Jack Hibb’s week of prayer and fasting, Pastor Dana Coverstone’s call to daily prayer, and Carter Conlon’s call to pray at Plymouth, and the essence of Yom Teruah and Joel 1-2 began to come to pass.
I know that many have thought that Jesus would return on Yom Teruah because of the trumpets that sound this day, and it is still possible. After all, 1 Thessalonians 4 states that the Lord Himself shall descend with a shout, the voice of the archangel, and the “trump” of God. “16 For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first:17 Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.18 Wherefore comfort one another with these words.” And Yom Teruah has everything to do with loud noises — shouting and shofars!
Though we are called to pray without ceasing and to watch unto prayer and to be vigilant always and to keep looking up, this holiday is a good reminder to return to or continue in this behavior. At this time, too many Christians are thinking that normal could return, that things could get better, that everything will be alright, that we all need to just try a little harder or vote for someone else. As they hope in this, and yes, even as they physically and legally fight for this, their spiritual vigilance has gotten fuzzy and prayer has tapered off. Thus, this holiday has come yet again as a reminder that we must surrender all; we must return to prayer; we must see the state of this nation and our world for what it is. May this holiday find you looking up with your eyes and hearts fixed upon Jesus, for our redemption is nearer now than last year at this time.
Looking up,
Holy Light Ministries
Food for Thought:
Could this be when the 2 witnesses appear of Revelation 11? After all, it takes two witnesses to confirm that this holiday can begin. Could this be when God sends His Son to go and get His Bride? After all, it is the day that no man knows. If He does indeed come for His Bride on that unknown day, surprising all as a thief in the night (1 Thessalonians 4:16-chapter 5), then it would definitely be a call for great alarm as portrayed in Joel 2. Could this be when they sound the trumpet in Zion, sound the alarm in God’s holy mountain, calling all to repentance because they missed the Day, and they know it? After all, would this not cause the greatest weeping, the deepest repentance, the most overwhelming alarm? We’ll see!
I will leave you with those thoughts at this time. My thoughts on this are still developing. My blessings to you all as you prepare for the SOON return of the King!!!
HolyLight Ministries 
