With just a bit of research and Scripture study I've learned about something that ties to the Exodus 2 encampment around the Tabernacle and its Most Holy Place that held God's throne, the Ark of the Covenant and it Mercy Seat that Almighty God told Moses to build precisely as he was shown to do atop Mount Sinai.
The Hebrew name for the mercy seat is "Kapporet" כַּפֹּרֶת. This term comes from the Hebrew root "kaphar," which means "to cover" or "to atone." The Kapporet was a crucial element in the Holy of Holies of the Tabernacle and later the Temple, serving as the lid or as it called today, the Mercy Seat cover of the Ark of the Covenant.
The Kapporet was made of pure gold and had two cherubim positioned on top, facing each other with their wings spread out. It is the most sacred object, representing the place where God's presence would meet with the high priest during the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur).
The significance of the Kapporet is deeply rooted in the concept of atonement and God's mercy, as it was the place where the blood of the sacrificial offering was sprinkled for the sins of the people of Israel.
It points to some important things we might consider.
First, let's look at a quote outside the Bible from one of the greatest minds ever.
First, let's look at a quote outside the Bible from one of the greatest minds ever.
It is from Scripture student Sir Issac Newton. He wrote a lot about science and math, but few people know he wrote more about what he learned from the Bible. Here he comments about the Lion, the Man, the Ox and the Eagle surrounding the Most Holy Place:
"And in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four Beasts full of eyes before and behind: that is, one Beast before the throne and one behind it, appeared to John as in the midst of the throne, and one on either side in the circle about it, to represent by the multitude of their eyes the people standing in the four sides of the peoples court.
At first glance, it seems there is not much in the Bible to tell us much about these graphic standard images, but there's a link to the symbols or ensigns on the banners of Judah, Ephraim, Reuben and Dan surrounding the Tabernacle that we need to understand.And the first Beast was like a lion, and the second was like a calf, and the third had the face of a man, and the fourth was like a flying eagle. The People of Israel in the wilderness encamped round about the Tabernacle, and on the east side were three tribes under the standard of Judah, on the west were three tribes under the standard of Ephraim, on the south were three tribes under the standard of Reuben, and on the north were three tribes under the standard of Dan."
And the standard of Judah was a Lion, that of Ephraim an Ox, that of Reuben a Man, and that of Dan an Eagle. Whence were framed the hieroglyphics, of Cherubims and Seraphims, whose wings and many eyes represent the people of Israel. A Cherubim had one body with four faces, the faces of a Lion, an Ox, a Man, and an Eagle, looking to the four winds of heaven, without turning about, as in Ezekiel’s vision, chap. i. And four Seraphims had the same four faces with four bodies, one face to every body."
They are described in Numbers 2, and they represent the whole camp of Israel and picture them as a lion, a calf, a man and an eagle, the four cherubic symbols, but why those?
Newton said he picked up some of his references from the Talmud.
Newton said he picked up some of his references from the Talmud.
I'm thinking he likely referenced a Talmudic commentary from Abraham ben Meir Ibn Ezra aka Aben-Ezra as noted above. Aben-Ezra wrote 600 years before Newton that the ensign or standard of Dan was the picture of an eagle (more on that later).
In 1878, Joseph Barclay, an Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem published his translation of the Talmud's primary text of the Mishna, it included a commentary on the Tabernacle stating:
Not only that, the four living creatures on the ensigns on each of the four sides of the Tabernacle in the wilderness show us attributes of our Savior and Messiah:
The face of a suffering servant, the Messiah.
The face of a lion in His leadership and power.
The ox, His strength and determination, and finally...
The eagle in the coming execution of heavenly judgment.
In this way, we might see that not only the ensigns around it, but the heavenly design of the Tabernacle not only served as God's dwelling place on earth complete with the throne room, aka the Most Holy Place among Israel and the sojourners with them, but we might just see a spiritual visual aid in the ensign banners to give us a clearer understanding of Messiah's redemptive work on the four corners of the earth.
Bottomline, the Tabernacle can give us many precious insights about our privilege and honor as believers and followers of Messiah and the future when the earth and our relationship with God is restored as it was intended from the beginning which is the Garden of Eden picture given in Revelation 21-22.
Moses counted 603,550 men of a warrior's age and the tribe of Levi which numbered 22,300 was counted separately from the other tribes because the Levites were given an assignment when they replaced the firstborn to serve tand keep the Tabernacle sanctuary and camp around it after the firstborn of each tribe were disqualified when they sinned in the idol worship of the golden calf.
Do you see the Levite duty connection to take care of the Tabernacle?
There are at least four levels, or depth of meaning in every storyline in Scripture.
Today, the dividing wall of partition between Christian and Jew is cracking and it will crumble and fall.
How is the partition crumbling?
During Yeshua’s first arrival, He walked as a humble man as Messiah ben Joseph, He was fully present at every Feast, after all He fulfilled the Spring Feasts on celebrated on God's calendar including the Lamb of God Passover and He will keep the promise to fulfill the Falls Feasts right on time at His return to reign as King Messiah ben David.
We noted Dan's ensign was an eagle but Jacob's blessing on Dan was strange, Jacob blessed him mentioning a snake.
Back in the wilderness, Ephraim camped to the west and Ephraim was scattered like lost sheep among the nations with the lost tribes, yet the Lion of the Tribe of Judah of which Yeshua is a family member will lead Ephraim back to the east, to Jerusalem the place of God's name.
It's not just the visionary book of Revelation that harkens back to the exodus and the wilderness Tabernacle scene.
John is joined by the witness of three prophets Ezekiel, Isaiah and Zechariah. They all provide a vision linked to the four ensigns on the banners of Israel surrounding the Tabernacle.
No doubt, the first century Jewish believers that wrote of Messiah Yeshua's first trip understood what Pardes is about. They understood the symbol of the lion - the king that is represented in the Gospel of Matthew, and in Mark we see the ox - the servant, and in Luke the man, the kinsman redeemer and finally in John the eagle - the savior that is to return from above in swift judgment bringing salvation.
Exodus 19:4 tells us what Almighty God said: "I bore you on eagles' wings."
This give us a poetic and picturesque description of deliverance from sin depicted as slavery in Egypt. It also vividly portrays God's miraculous future provision.
Israel and others were delivered from the Egyptian Pharaoh's bondage, an enslavement after Jacob's family sojourn to Egypt during the days of famine when Joseph provided provision for life for everyone.
"Aben Ezra and Ramban, repeating the old tradition, say, there were figures on every standard. On the standard of Reuben was the picture of a man. On the standard of Judah the picture of a lion. On the standard of Ephraim the picture of an ox. And on the standard of Dan the picture of an eagle. So that they were like the Cherubim which the prophet Ezekiel saw."
Newton, went on to explain his perspective on the significance of each of the ensigns...
Newton's book, Observations upon the Prophecies of Daniel, and the Apocalypse of St. John (1733) was published after his death by Newton's nephew, Benjamin Smith. I think it's possible that Newton found it to much easier to work on the infinite numerations of calculus than he did in completing his own study of these two books of the Bible.
Today, from a unique study of another great mind titled: "The Gospel of Matthew" by Chuck Missler, we can learn more about the possible design of the encampment from an aerial view of the census volume given in Scripture as depicted above.
Newton, perhaps one of the finest scientific minds of all time is best known today as the man that "discovered gravity." I'm not sure if that story about the apple falling is true or not. For others he is better known for his experiment for the fracture of visible light into the seven color spectrum, but the truth is he spent most of his time studying and writing about the Scriptures that gove light to the world thought God's voice."The four Beasts are therefore four Seraphims standing in the four sides of the peoples court; the first in the eastern side with the head of a Lion, the second in the western side with the head of an Ox, the third in the southern side with the head of a Man, the fourth in the northern side with the head of an Eagle: and all four signify together the twelve tribes of Israel, out of whom the hundred forty and four thousand were sealed, And the four Beasts had each of them six wings, two to a tribe, in all twenty and four wings, answering to the twenty and four stations of the people. And they were full of eyes within, or under their wings. And they rest not day and night, or at the morning and evening-sacrifices, saying, holy, holy, holy Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.
These animals are therefore the Seraphims, which appeared to Isaiah in a vision like this of the Apocalypse [Isa. vi.]. For there also the Lord sat upon a throne in the temple; and the Seraphims each with six wings cried, Holy, holy, holy Lord God of hosts. And when those animals give glory and honour and thanks to him that sitteth upon the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, the four and twenty Elders go into the Temple, and there fall down before him that sitteth on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
At the morning and evening-sacrifices, so soon as the sacrifice was laid upon the Altar, and the drink-offering began to be poured out, the trumpets sounded, and the Levites sang by course three times; and every time when the trumpets sounded, the people fell down and worshiped. Three times therefore did the people worship: to express which number, the Beasts cry Holy, holy, holy; and the song being ended, the people prayed standing, till the solemnity was finished. In the mean time the Priests went into the Temple, and there fell down before him that sat upon the throne, and worshiped."
Newton's book, Observations upon the Prophecies of Daniel, and the Apocalypse of St. John (1733) was published after his death by Newton's nephew, Benjamin Smith. I think it's possible that Newton found it to much easier to work on the infinite numerations of calculus than he did in completing his own study of these two books of the Bible.
Newton is also well known for his scientific discoveries on motion and matter as well as mathematics, but as noted his genuine focus was on Scripture study and recording his thoughts on Biblical interpretation. He had an intense desire to understand God's word. You can find all his writing on the Bible, math and science at this link for The Newton Project.
Because of his intense desire to study and understand the Scriptures, Newton became fluent in Hebrew, and the reason he gave is that he wanted to study the Bible without the influence of a translator's pen.
Because of his intense desire to study and understand the Scriptures, Newton became fluent in Hebrew, and the reason he gave is that he wanted to study the Bible without the influence of a translator's pen.
Imagine that.
In his work, Observations upon the Prophecies of Daniel, and the Apocalypse of St. John, Newton explained his view of the timelines of Messiah shown in Daniel that speak of two comings of The Anointed One.
Newton wrote:
After all in Bible time, Newton is not far removed from today. The fact is Newton wrote just 300 years ago when he penned Observations upon the Prophecies of Daniel, and the Apocalypse of St. John.
If you read it, I'd encourage you to check out pages 128-143. They describe Newton's perspective as he wrote that the return of Messiah will tie to a Jubilee Year with a connection to the restoration of the sanctuary of God at The Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem.
I believe he got that right.
In his work, Observations upon the Prophecies of Daniel, and the Apocalypse of St. John, Newton explained his view of the timelines of Messiah shown in Daniel that speak of two comings of The Anointed One.
Newton wrote:
"Know also and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to cause to return and to build Jerusalem, unto the Anointed the Prince, shall be seven weeks. The former part of the Prophecy related to the first coming of Christ, being dated to his coming as a Prophet ; this being dated to his coming to be Prince or King, seems to relate to his second coming. There, the Prophet, was consummate, and the most holy anointed : here, he that was anointed comes to be Prince and to reign. For Daniel's prophecies reach to the end of the world ; and there is scarce a prophecy in the Old Testament concerning Christ, which doth not in something or other relate to his second coming."There's more to learn from Sir Isaac Newton than an apple falling from a tree. I think he understood the ensigns of Israel as the character of Messiah. He may have missed the mark on his understanding of historic events since we know he did not live at the time of the end as he thought, or perhaps he did.
After all in Bible time, Newton is not far removed from today. The fact is Newton wrote just 300 years ago when he penned Observations upon the Prophecies of Daniel, and the Apocalypse of St. John.
If you read it, I'd encourage you to check out pages 128-143. They describe Newton's perspective as he wrote that the return of Messiah will tie to a Jubilee Year with a connection to the restoration of the sanctuary of God at The Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem.
I believe he got that right.
Newton's reflections included the living creatures, the cherubim of Ezekiel 1:10 and Ezekiel 10:14 as well as Revelation 4:7 and his focus on them has helped peak my own interest to learn and consider more.
Missler has a Masters degree in engineering.
He did the math and according to Missler, if we assume the camps were aligned directly east, west, north and south and shaped in the census volume aligning in sequence to the Tabernacle's shape and dimensions, a graphic interpretation of the numbers given in the census of the four camps can provide an amazing image. I wonder, was that the hidden purpose of the census?
If we take the number of the tribes and apply it to their direction, we can then assign the dimensions and shape by their volume. By putting the census numbers into alignment in the camps of the tribes that surrounded the Tabernacle, what we might actually see from above is none other than the shape of a cross which happens to be the Proto-Sinaitic script of the paleo Hebrew "Tav" shown below.
Important too is the fact that the letter "Tav" has an ancient pictographic meaning, the "sign of covenant" and what was at the center of the encampment, the Ark of the Covenant in the Most Holy Place.
Not only that, the four living creatures on the ensigns on each of the four sides of the Tabernacle in the wilderness show us attributes of our Savior and Messiah:
In this way, we might see that not only the ensigns around it, but the heavenly design of the Tabernacle not only served as God's dwelling place on earth complete with the throne room, aka the Most Holy Place among Israel and the sojourners with them, but we might just see a spiritual visual aid in the ensign banners to give us a clearer understanding of Messiah's redemptive work on the four corners of the earth.
Bottomline, the Tabernacle can give us many precious insights about our privilege and honor as believers and followers of Messiah and the future when the earth and our relationship with God is restored as it was intended from the beginning which is the Garden of Eden picture given in Revelation 21-22.
My goal is to help you learn more about that so you can share it with others, becuase the Old Testament is not old.
The big picture started in Eden with the cherubim, it came to better focus when God told Moses to place cherubim above the Ark of the Covenant and weave cherubim on the curtains before that Mercy Seat.
Next, Moses was told to count the twelve tribes of Israel.
Moses counted 603,550 men of a warrior's age and the tribe of Levi which numbered 22,300 was counted separately from the other tribes because the Levites were given an assignment when they replaced the firstborn to serve tand keep the Tabernacle sanctuary and camp around it after the firstborn of each tribe were disqualified when they sinned in the idol worship of the golden calf.
Now, think about Adam, what were his assignments, his duties?
Adam's first assignment was to name the animals in the Garden of Eden, which is found in Genesis 2:19-20.
Adam's next assignment was to care for the Garden of Eden as noted in Genesis 2:15:
"The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it."
Do you see the Levite duty connection to take care of the Tabernacle?
Beyond the Levite camp, the other tribes camped outside of their area in four groups all marked by four lead family ensign banners. The Torah portion Bemidbar במדבר which means "In the wilderness" describes the census of Israel's warriors against evil and the arrangement of all families encamped around the Tabernacle of God:
The ensigns of the four camps of Israel show us attributes of the Messiah's two trips including suffering, strength, determination and on return judgment. In a similar way, the four gospel writers, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are unique as those Gospel accounts tie together to give the same picture of the attributes of Messiah Yeshua.
These are seen in the astronomy of creation too. The mazzaroth described in Job 38:31-32 or the so-called zodiac as we have renamed it today gives us the same imagery of these four ensigns.
Four is an important number.
First, we have four corners of the earth: north, south, east and west. Not only that, but God's creation there are four classic themes: earth, wind, fire and water.
There are also four major lunar phases each month as the moon encircles the four corners of globe.
To the 'east' stood the ensign of the lion and the tribe of Judah (74,600), Issachar (54,400) and Zebulun (57,400); to the 'south' was the ensign of the man Reuben (46,500), Simeon (59,300) and Gad (45,650); to the 'west' stood the ensign of the ox before the camp of Ephraim (40,500), Manasseh (32,200) and Benjamin (35,400); and to the 'north' stood the eagle ensign and the tents of Dan (62,700), Asher (41,500) and Naphtali (53,400).That formation was kept while following YHVH's pillar of fire through the desert for 40 years.
The ensigns of the four camps of Israel show us attributes of the Messiah's two trips including suffering, strength, determination and on return judgment. In a similar way, the four gospel writers, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John are unique as those Gospel accounts tie together to give the same picture of the attributes of Messiah Yeshua.
These are seen in the astronomy of creation too. The mazzaroth described in Job 38:31-32 or the so-called zodiac as we have renamed it today gives us the same imagery of these four ensigns.
Four is an important number.
First, we have four corners of the earth: north, south, east and west. Not only that, but God's creation there are four classic themes: earth, wind, fire and water.
There are also four major lunar phases each month as the moon encircles the four corners of globe.
We have four seasons too, spring, summer, fall and winter each governed by our planet's daily spin on its axis and its annual orbit around the Sun.
These show us we all need to study of the Word of God. They are like the four measurements of creation that The Father spoke into existence: height, length, breadth and depth.
There are at least four levels, or depth of meaning in every storyline in Scripture.
These are called Pardes, meaning peshat, remez, derash and sod and they tie to the ensign attributes of Messiah. In the historic manner of Jewish teaching and Biblical study the gospels also give the lessons of Messiah in the form of peshat or direct (Luke), remez or allegory (Matthew), derash or seek (Mark) and sod or hidden (John).
Luke was a great historian. He describes the life of the man Yeshua in a diary-like format. Matthew points at His Kingship as the theme of the Kingdom of God repeats over and again while Mark seeks meaning in understanding His birth and death as a man as well as the resurrection. Finally, John portrays the hidden or mystery of Messiah beginning in his gospel narrative as well as the book of John, his letters in 1 John, 2 John 3 John and the graphic vision pictures in Revelation.
Luke was a great historian. He describes the life of the man Yeshua in a diary-like format. Matthew points at His Kingship as the theme of the Kingdom of God repeats over and again while Mark seeks meaning in understanding His birth and death as a man as well as the resurrection. Finally, John portrays the hidden or mystery of Messiah beginning in his gospel narrative as well as the book of John, his letters in 1 John, 2 John 3 John and the graphic vision pictures in Revelation.
Just check out these words from John:
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it." John 1:1-5Looking at how the prophets and vision of John in Revelation describe the Lion, the Man, the Ox and the flying Eagle, we can consider there's much to learn about the attributes of Messiah and a link to camp ensigns.
The tribes were arranged in specific camps around the tabernacle, and each had a distinct standard or ensign. According to Jewish traditional sources, the tribal standards were associated with the prophecy in Genesis 49 and Numbers 2, which describes the arrangement of the tribes.
The traditional Jewish interpretation associates the four primary tribal standards with the four faces mentioned in Ezekiel's vision being four ensigns of the encampment:
Judah - Lion
Reuben - Man
Ephraim - Ox
Dan - Eagle.
We should know these attributes match the prophetic descriptions of the "branch" too. In Hebrew, this branch is "tsemach." The branch is the 'shoot' of Messiah from the Jewish root of the Davidic family tree and we can learn about these descriptions from Jeremiah and Zechariah...
We should know these attributes match the prophetic descriptions of the "branch" too. In Hebrew, this branch is "tsemach." The branch is the 'shoot' of Messiah from the Jewish root of the Davidic family tree and we can learn about these descriptions from Jeremiah and Zechariah...
Lion = a King
Jeremiah 23:5 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous BRANCH, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.
Servant = A Man
Zechariah 3:8 Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the BRANCH.
Determination = An Ox
Zechariah 6:12 And speak unto him, saying, Thus speaketh the LORD of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD.
Eagle = A Judge
Jeremiah 33:15 In those days, and at that time, will I cause the BRANCH of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land.
The Messiah is described in Jeremiah 23:5 as well telling us He will one day reign in Jerusalem in the area allotted to Judah.
He is the King who will return for all nations to restore to life and re-unite the Kingdom of God.
Today, the dividing wall of partition between Christian and Jew is cracking and it will crumble and fall.
Consider the message of Ephesians 2:11-22.
"For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us."
What the middle wall of Partition? Yeshua, the Messiah from the tribe of Judah.
How is the partition crumbling?
Today, many Christians on the four corners of the globe that forgot Jesus is a Jew are now returning to the Sabbath and the Feasts of the LORD and the front of the Bible called the Torah.
These that have long been a critical part of observant Jewish culture that set them apart and their commitment to the Torah has never been extinguished despite antisemitism, replacement theology or relabeling the only Bible Jesus taught as old.
If you are still wandering in the wilderness thinking the front of the Bible is old and have not returned to it, remember what Jesus said at the Sermon on the Mount, do not think:
"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them." Matthew 5:17
One reason He said do not think that is because Almighty God's appointed Sabbaths have been ordained at times woven into the gospel plan of redemption by our Creator. They are the forever Feasts of The LORD and they are the ensigns that the wall of partition dividing the camp is finally crumbling as the time of the Gentiles is coming to an end.
During Yeshua’s first arrival, He walked as a humble man as Messiah ben Joseph, He was fully present at every Feast, after all He fulfilled the Spring Feasts on celebrated on God's calendar including the Lamb of God Passover and He will keep the promise to fulfill the Falls Feasts right on time at His return to reign as King Messiah ben David.
Here's more about that eagle.
We noted Dan's ensign was an eagle but Jacob's blessing on Dan was strange, Jacob blessed him mentioning a snake.
So, consider Yeshua suffered on a stake lifted above the earth, that goves us a picture of the snake God told Moses to life up to heal those in the wilderness as noted in Numbers 21. This event is later referenced in John 3:14-15, where Yeshua uses this incident as a "to fulfill" metaphor for his own crucifixion, saying that just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life.
Yet, Yeshua will return like lightning from the east in a cloud of glory like a high flying eagle lifted up by the wind bringing judgment on "the serpent."
Messiah's next arrival is also described like lightning by . The thing about lightning, it always returns to its source. Where does Messiah return to? Israel, the promised land.
There is a prophetic passages that use vivid imagery about the Messiah's return:
Isaiah 9:1-2 describes the Messiah as a great light: "The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned."
Yeshua alludes to this in Matthew 24:27: "For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man."
Do you remember what Jesus said about lost sheep?
"I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel." Matthew 15:24
The good news is He also said:
"And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, [and] one shepherd." John 10:16
This is tied to an ensign:
"And the LORD their God shall save them in that day as the flock of his people: for they [shall be as] the stones of a crown, lifted up as an ensign upon his land." Zechariah 9:16
Let's repeat those words of Yeshua becuase they are for you:
"And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life..." John 3:14-18
Ultimately, the four ensigns give us a reflection of our Savior in the midst of His people when He returns.
A unique perspective of the wilderness exodus camp is repeated and revealed in Revelation.
A unique perspective of the wilderness exodus camp is repeated and revealed in Revelation.
The Mercy Seat is the throne is there in the middle, The four ensigns, the lion, calf, man and eagle are all there in plain sight. Even the eyes of all the Israelites and two elders of each of the 12 tribes of Israel are pictured in John's vision as they peer and look toward the Holy of Holies while worshipping and singing to The Lord. We even hear the Song of Moses and the song of the Lamb:
If you ask me, the eyes of God's children can be seen looking for Messiah within the imagery of the camps of the ensigns surrounding and praising the eternal "one" in the Tabernacle as Almighty God tabernacled among them.
"And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvelous [are] thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true [are] thy ways, thou King of saints." Revelation 15:3Why did John see all those eyes?
If you ask me, the eyes of God's children can be seen looking for Messiah within the imagery of the camps of the ensigns surrounding and praising the eternal "one" in the Tabernacle as Almighty God tabernacled among them.
John heard a verse of the Song of the Lamb that points us back to the wilderness scene.
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. 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.
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. And when those beasts give glory and honor and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. Revelation 4:6
And Moses spake in the ears of all the congregation of Israel the words of this song, until they were ended. Deuteronomy 31:30
And I heard the number of them which were sealed: [and there were] sealed an hundred [and] forty [and] four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel. Of the tribe of Judah [were] sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben [were] sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad [were] sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Asher [were] sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nepthali [were] sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manassah [were] sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Simeon [were] sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi [were] sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar [were] sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Zebulon [were] sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph [were] sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin [were] sealed twelve thousand.
After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. And all the angels stood round about the throne, and [about] the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshiped God, Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, [be] unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.
And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. Revelation 7:4-17Just like the first exodus when Israel and the sojourners with them were saved by the blood of the lamb and came out into the wilderness, they were protected by Almighty God, so it will be in the final greater exodus return.
It's not just the visionary book of Revelation that harkens back to the exodus and the wilderness Tabernacle scene.
John is joined by the witness of three prophets Ezekiel, Isaiah and Zechariah. They all provide a vision linked to the four ensigns on the banners of Israel surrounding the Tabernacle.
No doubt, the first century Jewish believers that wrote of Messiah Yeshua's first trip understood what Pardes is about. They understood the symbol of the lion - the king that is represented in the Gospel of Matthew, and in Mark we see the ox - the servant, and in Luke the man, the kinsman redeemer and finally in John the eagle - the savior that is to return from above in swift judgment bringing salvation.
Exodus 19:4 tells us what Almighty God said: "I bore you on eagles' wings."
This give us a poetic and picturesque description of deliverance from sin depicted as slavery in Egypt. It also vividly portrays God's miraculous future provision.
Israel and others were delivered from the Egyptian Pharaoh's bondage, an enslavement after Jacob's family sojourn to Egypt during the days of famine when Joseph provided provision for life for everyone.
What can we conclude?
The ensigns and the encampment point us toward the Messiah.
He is the anointed one. He came first as a suffering servant in His humanity, and in the image of God He is our kinsman redeemer. He will return as our the Priest King from above - judging in righteousness and bringing ressurection and eternal life as it was intended for manknd from the beginning in Eden.
The gospel writers, each with their four perspectives on the life and times of Messiah combine to form a view of Yeshua and His mission is hidden in the ensigns and design of the camp described in Exodus.
He is Servant and King, and He asks that we will live like Him in God's Kingdom.
The book of Revelation describes a "Greater Exodus" promise with a focus on the Jewish people that have been returning to Israel to prepare the land for Messiah Yeshua's return since 1948 whether they know it or not.
The gospel writers, each with their four perspectives on the life and times of Messiah combine to form a view of Yeshua and His mission is hidden in the ensigns and design of the camp described in Exodus.
He is Servant and King, and He asks that we will live like Him in God's Kingdom.
The book of Revelation describes a "Greater Exodus" promise with a focus on the Jewish people that have been returning to Israel to prepare the land for Messiah Yeshua's return since 1948 whether they know it or not.
This is noted by Isaiah, Ezekiel and Jeremiah:
"And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth." Isaiah 11:12
"When I bring them back from the peoples and gather them from the lands of their enemies, then I shall be sanctified through them in the sight of the many nations. Then they will know that I am the Lord their God because I made them go into exile among the nations, and then gathered them again to their own land; and I will leave none of them there any longer." Ezekiel 39:27-28
"Therefore behold, the days are coming," declares the Lord, "when they will no longer say, ‘As the Lord lives, who brought up the sons of Israel from the land of Egypt,’ but, ‘As the Lord lives, who brought up and led back the descendants of the household of Israel from the north land and from all the countries where I had driven them.’ Then they will live on their own soil." Jeremiah 23:7-8
The disciple John like Ezekiel, saw the vision of the "One" that looked like a lion, man, ox and eagle in his record of the Revelation of Yeshua.
Do you think it possible that Yeshua is the "one" like that described in Exodus 14:9 before the pillar of fire, the messenger (angel) going before the camp of Israel?
He is the "One" that like Moses will lead the Greater Exodus but with a lightning bolt from the east to the west at the last trump.
Do you think it possible that Yeshua is the "one" like that described in Exodus 14:9 before the pillar of fire, the messenger (angel) going before the camp of Israel?
He is the "One" that like Moses will lead the Greater Exodus but with a lightning bolt from the east to the west at the last trump.
The word of the LORD came expressly unto Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and the hand of the LORD was there upon him. And I looked, and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness [was] about it, and out of the midst thereof as the color of amber, out of the midst of the fire.
Also out of the midst thereof [came] the likeness of four living creatures.
And this [was] their appearance; they had the likeness of a man. And every one had four faces, and every one had four wings. And their feet [were] straight feet; and the sole of their feet [was] like the sole of a calf's foot: and they sparkled like the color of burnished brass. And [they had] the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and they four had their faces and their wings. Their wings [were] joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward.
As for the likeness of their faces, the four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and the four had the face of an ox on the left side; the four also had the face of an eagle. Ezekiel 1:3-10
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. Revelation 4:7
The Cloud of Glory Fire
Did you also notice that Ezekiel saw the manifest presence of the glory of God, before the "shechinah'?
That is the fire that appeared and led Israel up from Egypt through the wilderness. The fire cloud was God's presence and the same God spoke to Moses through the "shechinah" fire in the burning bush.
If you ask me, the "shechinah" is the same whirlwind that took Elijah up (2Kings 2:1-11); the same whirlwind that answered as described in Job 38; it is the same that Paul said will raise up the dead:
That is the fire that appeared and led Israel up from Egypt through the wilderness. The fire cloud was God's presence and the same God spoke to Moses through the "shechinah" fire in the burning bush.
If you ask me, the "shechinah" is the same whirlwind that took Elijah up (2Kings 2:1-11); the same whirlwind that answered as described in Job 38; it is the same that Paul said will raise up the dead:
In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 1Corinthians 15:52Ezekiel incredibly describes the fire as amber color for us. Let's look at some references about the fiery cloud during Israel's wilderness wanderings:
And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness [to them], but it gave light by night [to these]: so that the one came not near the other all the night. Exodus 14:20
Then a cloud covered the tent of the congregation, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. And Moses was not able to enter into the tent of the congregation, because the cloud abode thereon, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle. And when the cloud was taken up from over the tabernacle, the children of Israel went onward in all their journeys: But if the cloud were not taken up, then they journeyed not till the day that it was taken up. For the cloud of the LORD [was] upon the tabernacle by day, and fire was on it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel, throughout all their journeys. Exodus 40:34-38
And Moses and Aaron went into the tabernacle of the congregation, and came out, and blessed the people: and the glory of the LORD appeared unto all the people. And there came a fire out from before the LORD, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat: [which] when all the people saw, they shouted, and fell on their faces. Leviticus 9:23-24
And it came to pass, when the congregation was gathered against Moses and against Aaron, that they looked toward the tabernacle of the congregation: and, behold, the cloud covered it, and the glory of the LORD appeared. Numbers 16:42.
We also see a description of His glory, this "cloud of fire" on the Mountain of Sinai:
And the glory of the LORD abode upon mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days: and the seventh day he called unto Moses out of the midst of the cloud. And the sight of the glory of the LORD [was] like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel. And Moses went into the midst of the cloud, and gat him up into the mount: and Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights. Exodus 24:16
Back to the Four Faces one more time
The four faces of the beast John saw, the lion, man, ox and eagle represent the ensigns, the banners on the standards of the tribes of Israel that are to be seen by the nations at the great regathering.
Let's look back at Moses' description again:
The four faces of the beast John saw, the lion, man, ox and eagle represent the ensigns, the banners on the standards of the tribes of Israel that are to be seen by the nations at the great regathering.
Let's look back at Moses' description again:
Every man of the children of Israel shall pitch by his own standard, with the ensign of their father's house: far off about the tabernacle of the congregation shall they pitch. Numbers 2:2Isaiah tells us that the four ensigns seen in the wilderness journey represent a future prophetic event, the regathering of all nations of peoples from all over the earth following the last trumpet.
In keeping with the requirement of two or three witnesses, the prophets Zechariah and Isaiah as well as Matthew confirm this amazing event.
The Lion of Judah on the East Side:
The 1,000 year period between the return of Messiah at the first resurrection (Matthew 24:30, Zechariah 14:4, 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17), and the second resurrection (Revelation 20:5,11-15) at the end of the millennium day will occur.
In the words of Moses we can see the prophecy of the millennium if we look closely:
Today, as in the past, Judah leads.
Isaiah 26:30 And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth: and, behold, they shall come with speed swiftly: None shall be weary nor stumble among them; none shall slumber nor sleep; neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosed, nor the latchet of their shoes be broken: Whose arrows [are] sharp, and all their bows bent, their horses' hoofs shall be counted like flint, and their wheels like a whirlwind: Their roaring [shall be] like a lion, they shall roar like young lions: yea, they shall roar, and lay hold of the prey, and shall carry [it] away safe, and none shall deliver [it]. And in that day they shall roar against them like the roaring of the sea: and if [one] look unto the land, behold darkness [and] sorrow, and the light is darkened in the heavens thereof.
Isaiah 5:26-30 And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious.
Isaiah 11:10 And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.
Isaiah 18:3 All ye inhabitants of the world, and dwellers on the earth, see ye, when he lifteth up an ensign on the mountains; and when he bloweth a trumpet, hear ye.
Zechariah 9:9-16 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: he [is] just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass. And I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow shall be cut off: and he shall speak peace unto the heathen: and his dominion [shall be] from sea [even] to sea, and from the river [even] to the ends of the earth.
As for thee also, by the blood of thy covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit wherein [is] no water. Turn you to the strong hold, ye prisoners of hope: even to day do I declare [that] I will render double unto thee; When I have bent Judah for me, filled the bow with Ephraim, and raised up thy sons, O Zion, against thy sons, O Greece, and made thee as the sword of a mighty man.
And the LORD shall be seen over them, and his arrow shall go forth as the lightning: and the Lord GOD shall blow the trumpet, and shall go with whirlwinds of the south. The LORD of hosts shall defend them; and they shall devour, and subdue with sling stones; and they shall drink, [and] make a noise as through wine; and they shall be filled like bowls, [and] as the corners of the altar. And the LORD their God shall save them in that day as the flock of his people: for they [shall be as] the stones of a crown, lifted up as an ensign upon his land.
Matthew 23:31 And he shall send his angels with a great sound of His trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.We need to see that Moses was instructed how to arrange the encampment of Israel for good God reason.
The Lion of Judah on the East Side:
And on the east side toward the rising of the sun shall they of the standard of the camp of Judah pitch throughout their armies: and Nahshon the son of Amminadab [shall be] captain of the children of Judah. And his host, and those that were numbered of them, [were] threescore and fourteen thousand and six hundred. And those that do pitch next unto him [shall be] the tribe of Issachar: and Nethaneel the son of Zuar [shall be] captain of the children of Issachar. And his host, and those that were numbered thereof, [were] fifty and four thousand and four hundred. [Then] the tribe of Zebulun: and Eliab the son of Helon [shall be] captain of the children of Zebulun. And his host, and those that were numbered thereof, [were] fifty and seven thousand and four hundred. All that were numbered in the camp of Judah [were] an hundred thousand and fourscore thousand and six thousand and four hundred, throughout their armies. These shall first set forth. Numbers 2:3-9The Man Reuben "the firstborn" on the South side:
On the south side [shall be] the standard of the camp of Reuben according to their armies: and the captain of the children of Reuben [shall be] Elizur the son of Shedeur. And his host, and those that were numbered thereof, [were] forty and six thousand and five hundred. And those which pitch by him [shall be] the tribe of Simeon: and the captain of the children of Simeon [shall be] Shelumiel the son of Zurishaddai. And his host, and those that were numbered of them, [were] fifty and nine thousand and three hundred. Then the tribe of Gad: and the captain of the sons of Gad [shall be] Eliasaph the son of Reuel. And his host, and those that were numbered of them, [were] forty and five thousand and six hundred and fifty. All that were numbered in the camp of Reuben [were] an hundred thousand and fifty and one thousand and four hundred and fifty, throughout their armies. And they shall set forth in the second rank. Then the tabernacle of the congregation shall set forward with the camp of the Levites in the midst of the camp: as they encamp, so shall they set forward, every man in his place by their standards. Numbers 2:10-17The Ox Ephraim on the West Side:
On the west side [shall be] the standard of the camp of Ephraim according to their armies: and the captain of the sons of Ephraim [shall be] Elishama the son of Ammihud. And his host, and those that were numbered of them, [were] forty thousand and five hundred. And by him [shall be] the tribe of Manasseh: and the captain of the children of Manasseh [shall be] Gamaliel the son of Pedahzur. And his host, and those that were numbered of them, [were] thirty and two thousand and two hundred. Then the tribe of Benjamin: and the captain of the sons of Benjamin [shall be] Abidan the son of Gideoni. And his host, and those that were numbered of them, [were] thirty and five thousand and four hundred. All that were numbered of the camp of Ephraim [were] an hundred thousand and eight thousand and an hundred, throughout their armies. And they shall go forward in the third rank. Numbers 2:18-24The Eagle Dan on the North Side:
The standard of the camp of Dan [shall be] on the north side by their armies: and the captain of the children of Dan [shall be] Ahiezer the son of Ammishaddai. And his host, and those that were numbered of them, [were] threescore and two thousand and seven hundred. And those that encamp by him [shall be] the tribe of Asher: and the captain of the children of Asher [shall be] Pagiel the son of Ocran. And his host, and those that were numbered of them, [were] forty and one thousand and five hundred. Then the tribe of Naphtali: and the captain of the children of Naphtali [shall be] Ahira the son of Enan. And his host, and those that were numbered of them, [were] fifty and three thousand and four hundred. All they that were numbered in the camp of Dan [were] an hundred thousand and fifty and seven thousand and six hundred. They shall go hindmost with their standards. Numbers 2:25-31
These [are] those which were numbered of the children of Israel by the house of their fathers: all those that were numbered of the camps throughout their hosts [were] six hundred thousand and three thousand and five hundred and fifty. But the Levites were not numbered among the children of Israel; as the LORD commanded Moses. And the children of Israel did according to all that the LORD commanded Moses: so they pitched by their standards, and so they set forward, every one after their families, according to the house of their fathers. Numbers 2:32-34
When we read these words we need to ask ourselves about the numbering, it is important.
Where can we find a final census numbering of the tribes of Israel?
Where can we find a final census numbering of the tribes of Israel?
In Revelation 7:4-8, there is a detailed listing of the 144,000 sealed servants of God and 12,000 are selected from each of the 12 tribes of Israel. The tribes are listed as: Judah, Reuben, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Manasseh, Simeon, Levi, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, and Benjamin.
Revelation 14:1-5 provides additional context about these 144,000, they are described as standing with the Lamb of God on Mount Zion and they have the Father's name written on their foreheads.
Not only that, John describes the four beasts and the hundred forty [and] four thousand singing the song of Moses, the song of The Lamb.
It's not a new song:
God's People will be Re-gathered and Sing.And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Zion, and with him an hundred forty [and] four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred [and] forty [and] four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. Revelation 14:1-3
And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvelous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thy judgments are made manifest. Revelation 15:3-4
The 1,000 year period between the return of Messiah at the first resurrection (Matthew 24:30, Zechariah 14:4, 1 Thessalonians 4:15-17), and the second resurrection (Revelation 20:5,11-15) at the end of the millennium day will occur.
In the words of Moses we can see the prophecy of the millennium if we look closely:
When all Israel is come to appear before the LORD thy God in the place which he shall choose, thou shalt read this law before all Israel in their hearing. Gather the people together, men, and women, and children, and thy stranger that [is] within thy gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear the LORD your God, and observe to do all the words of this law: Deuteronomy 31:11Isaiah confirms what will happen:
He will raise an ensign for the nations, and will assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. The jealousy of Ephraim shall depart, and those who harass Judah shall be cut off; Ephraim shall not be jealous of Judah, and Judah shall not harass Ephraim. Isaiah 11:12-13And Ezekiel promises:
For I will take you from the nations, and gather you from all the countries, and bring you into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. A new heart I will give you, and a new Spirit I will put within you; and I will take out of your flesh the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes and be careful to observe my ordinances. You shall dwell in the land which I gave to your fathers; and you shall be My people, and I will be your God. Ezekiel 36:24-28We have not yet seen “all Israel” restored to Torah by the Spirit of God in the land just yet, but we are seeing Judah’s camp re-enter first under an awesome banner to prepare the land for the Lion of the Tribe of Judah.
Today, as in the past, Judah leads.
Judah’s camp was the first to cross through the Red Sea and the first to set out in the wilderness journey; he is and always was the first into battle.
This assignment remains although many confuse Judah’s banner as if it represented all of Israel’s camp despite what Moses and the prophets tell us. When we confuse just who Israel is intended to be, we can’t see the whole prophetic picture that Messiah is to be King of all nations including Judah.
We know Reuben lost his firstborn right, so Reuben and his divisions set out second from the southside of the camp. Perhaps we are seeing a part of this today with the great return from Africa that began in 1991 with Operation Solomon as Ethiopia's Falash Mura tribes began their aliyah.
In the wilderness camp, Reuben, the son of Leah was followed from the west by Joseph’s son Ephraim and his divisions will set out third, they have the right of the firstborn that were given to Joseph because he was the firstborn of Rachel, Jacob’s first true love.
When we look closely we might see that Jacob and his two wives reveals God's plan of redemption for the whole world, as both Judah and Ephraim.
Rachel's life and her children tell us where we have been in the past and where we are going in the future.
She was the wife of promise for Jacob. Laban promised her to Jacob but it wasn't so until after Laban made sure that Leah was being taken care of first.
This assignment remains although many confuse Judah’s banner as if it represented all of Israel’s camp despite what Moses and the prophets tell us. When we confuse just who Israel is intended to be, we can’t see the whole prophetic picture that Messiah is to be King of all nations including Judah.
We know Reuben lost his firstborn right, so Reuben and his divisions set out second from the southside of the camp. Perhaps we are seeing a part of this today with the great return from Africa that began in 1991 with Operation Solomon as Ethiopia's Falash Mura tribes began their aliyah.
In the wilderness camp, Reuben, the son of Leah was followed from the west by Joseph’s son Ephraim and his divisions will set out third, they have the right of the firstborn that were given to Joseph because he was the firstborn of Rachel, Jacob’s first true love.
Genesis 28:1-4: “And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and charged him, and said unto him, Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan. Arise, go to Padan-aram, to the house of Bethuel thy mother's father; and take thee a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban thy mother's brother. And God Almighty bless thee, and make thee fruitful, and multiply thee, that thou mayest be a multitude of people; And give thee the blessing of Abraham, to thee, and to thy seed with thee; that thou mayest inherit the land wherein thou art a stranger, which God gave unto Abraham.”Jacob’s marriage to both daughters of Laban reveals many great and mysterious things that God is going to accomplish in His restoration.
When we look closely we might see that Jacob and his two wives reveals God's plan of redemption for the whole world, as both Judah and Ephraim.
Rachel's life and her children tell us where we have been in the past and where we are going in the future.
She was the wife of promise for Jacob. Laban promised her to Jacob but it wasn't so until after Laban made sure that Leah was being taken care of first.
Rachel's life and her children is an amazing allegory about all Israel. Rachel finally bore the children she always desired and this tells us even more about the future.
Her story confirms many prophecies in the Bible. She was barren as her promised children were not yet seen. Like her children that are described in the Bible, she too had a problem with idols.
Is Rachel a shadow picture of the people that constantly have problems with worshiping God His way?
Idol worship brought problems to Rachel and if you ask me, delayed the birth of her children. On the other hand, Leah began having children immediately and her fourth son was Judah.
Her story confirms many prophecies in the Bible. She was barren as her promised children were not yet seen. Like her children that are described in the Bible, she too had a problem with idols.
Is Rachel a shadow picture of the people that constantly have problems with worshiping God His way?
Idol worship brought problems to Rachel and if you ask me, delayed the birth of her children. On the other hand, Leah began having children immediately and her fourth son was Judah.
Yes, Judah was the fourth.
I believe the story of Leah and Rachel is a shadow picture of the restoration of Judah and Israel. Today, the two wives of Jacob show us a vital element for understanding Bible prophecy in that while Jews are Israelites, not all Israelites are Jews just as Paul said.
To wrap this up, what can we learn from the camps, their ensigns and their numbers?
It is not easy, but despite what we may think we “know” from other’s interpretation and teaching - Judah "alone" does not equal "all" Israel. We can’t interchange those words today or in our past – if we do, we may not know what is recorded by the prophets.
The key to understanding is to know God gives us His teaching and instruction for living because He loves us and He never changes His mind. He teaches us some very simple guidelines about how we are to live life.
It's the original message of the deceiver to fall for the idea that God does not mean what He says or that He changes His mind. Don't listen to that message any longer.
It means we need to know "Who is the One Called Jesus.
Shalom.
I believe the story of Leah and Rachel is a shadow picture of the restoration of Judah and Israel. Today, the two wives of Jacob show us a vital element for understanding Bible prophecy in that while Jews are Israelites, not all Israelites are Jews just as Paul said.
To wrap this up, what can we learn from the camps, their ensigns and their numbers?
It is not easy, but despite what we may think we “know” from other’s interpretation and teaching - Judah "alone" does not equal "all" Israel. We can’t interchange those words today or in our past – if we do, we may not know what is recorded by the prophets.
The key to understanding is to know God gives us His teaching and instruction for living because He loves us and He never changes His mind. He teaches us some very simple guidelines about how we are to live life.
It's the original message of the deceiver to fall for the idea that God does not mean what He says or that He changes His mind. Don't listen to that message any longer.
What does this all mean?
It's time for you to repent and return to God's voice, return to hear and do His word and walk in the faith of His Kingdom path so that you can ready your lamp for your coming assignment.
It means we need to know "Who is the One Called Jesus.
Consider a prayer: Please, God guide me by your Spirit as to what I should hear and do.
It's time to repent and return to God's voice, return to hear and do His words and walk in the faith of His Kingdom path so that you can ready your lamp for your assignment.
Stretch out your hand, and take from the tree of life, and live forever.
Open a Bible, read it, listen to God's voice and do Yeshua's teaching about the forever jots and tittles.
You can learn how the things which are written in the Torah, the Prophets, and the Psalms are concerning Messiah and you can teach others to live life like Jesus, it's love in God's way:
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved." John 3:16-17
Today is the time, open your eyes if you're dead in your own valley of dry bones.
Look up and you'll recognize Messiah from Abraham's promise passed on to Isaac and Jacob as written by Moses in the Torah. You can see Him too in the Prophets and the Writings.
Repent and walk your Emmaus Road with Messiah. Study the Scriptures He taught every Sabbath that are filled with doing life God's way in the Kingdom, and tell others about Him. Be a gatekeeper until the house is complete.
Shalom.