Let’s all Gather at the River Saturday May 29th at 1:30pm for a Baptism/Mikvah Gathering. We will meet at the Creekside RV Park area of Renfro Valley in Mt Vernon. (we will have signs)
Although the primary reason for this meeting is the water baptism of a brother confirming his profession of faith in Yeshua/Jesus as his Master and Savior, this gathering is open to ALL who would desire to renew, refresh, rededicate or confirm their individual relationship and walk with our Heavenly Father through Messiah Yeshua/Jesus the Christ.
There will be a time of fellowship and food after wards (picnic style potluck J J) .
Please RSVP IF YOU ARE PLANNING TO ATTEND AND /OR PARTICIPATE.
“And I looked, and behold, a white horse. He who sat on it had a bow; and a crown was given to him, and he went out conquering and to conquer.” (Rev 6:2)
While listening to a recent audio posting ( https://youtu.be/9_Ti19DsDUU ) we heard the speaker mention this verse in general and the word ‘bow’ in particular, what was said caught our attention. After doing some additional homework, we thought it interesting enough to pass along.
Many believe the verse mentioned above is in reference to the ‘antichrist’ figure in the last days. Whatever your thoughts or beliefs concerning this figure, you should find this information intriguing.
First, let’s dissect the verse a little. The appearance of a ‘white horse’ normally evokes the image in the mind’s eye of that which is good. The ‘good guy’ is normally the one who rides the white horse, right? But then, things are not always as they appear, especially in prophetic matters. The greek word for ‘white’ (leukos) can denote dazzling brilliance, innocence and purity, as well as describe that which is dead – dead white. (Strong’s greek 3022) We also see reference in Revelation 19:11 to another white horse and Rider. This passage, we understand, is a direct reference to Messiah. The white horse and rider in Revelation 6:2 is someone that comes upon the scene before the triumphal return of Messiah.
We also should take note that this first white horse rider does have some degree of authority or power. He not only has a crown, which denotes a person of rank or authority, but the verse plainly states that he ‘went out conquering and to conquer.’ The crown may also have additional meanings, such as what we find discussed in this link https://www.businessinsider.com/where-coronavirus-name…
But the word that we really want to hone in on is the English word ‘bow’. This word is normally in reference to an archery bow. But there again, things are not always as they appear. And as a well-recognized side note, this rider has a bow, but no mention of any arrows. A bow is not very effective without arrows, unless it’s not a ‘bow’ in the normal sense. And if it is not a bow in the normal sense, then perhaps ‘the conquering’ is not in the traditional sense as well. ‘War’ can be waged in ways that are not only non-traditional, but in ways that don’t seem like ‘war’ at all, and yet still very much be ‘war’.
The word in Revelation 6:2 that is translated into the English as ‘bow’ is the Greek word ‘toxon’, which sounds eerily similar to the English word ‘toxin’. But going merely on similar sounds can be extremely deceiving. So let’s examine a quick etymology search for the word ‘toxin’ and see where it takes us.
‘Toxin’ comes from the Latin ‘toxicum’ – poison. ‘Toxicum’ is from the Greek ‘toxikon’ (in connection with ‘pharmakon’) which is ‘poison for use on arrows’ and comes from ‘toxikos’ which ‘pertains to arrows or archery’ and takes us to the word ‘toxon’ or ‘BOW’. So the reverse of that etymology takes us from the Greek word ‘bow’ (Rev. 6:2) to the English word ‘toxin’. Couple that fact not only with what we see swirling around us daily in local, national and global medical news reports, but with this statement in Revelation 18:23, hopefully we realize the obvious. “”The light of a lamp shall not shine in you anymore, and the voice of bridegroom and bride shall not be heard in you anymore. For your merchants were the great men of the earth, for by your sorcery all the nations were deceived. (Rev 18:23)
The word that is translated as ‘sorcery’ in the passage above is the Greek word ‘pharmakeia’, Strong’s #5331 φαρμακεία {far-mak-i’-ah}, the meaning of which is ‘1) the use or the administering of drugs 2) poisoning 3) sorcery, magical arts, often found in connection with idolatry and fostered by it 4) metaph. the deceptions and seductions of idolatry.’
Is it a coincidence that ‘bow’ is firmly connected with the concept of poison and arrows and ‘toxin’? Is it coincidental that this ‘bow’ is going forth under the guise of white – good and pure and innocent – when in fact it could very well be ‘dead white’? Is it coincidental that, on one hand, virtually the entire global community is pushing the mass administering of an experimental drug, while on the other hand the Scripture says ‘the nations will be – by definition – deceived by the administration of drugs? I guess it would be a stretch to wonder if needles and syringes could be considered ‘little arrows’? Just something to consider.
The medical industry has become a ‘high place’ in our society today. As people of faith in the Almighty Creator and His Messiah, we must operate as ‘Bereans’ in every aspect of our daily lives and not just in ‘religious matters’. We must be ‘wise as serpents and harmless as doves’ in all things in which we are involved and in all things by which we are confronted.
‘In the volume of the book it is written of Me . . .’ ‘And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded unto them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.’ ‘In the beginning was The Word . . . and The Word became Flesh . . .’ Therefore, we should be able to find a ‘picture’ of Messiah throughout Scripture. Here is a brief ‘Messianic’ overview Numbers 8. Shalom
The Creator speaks through the Prophet Isaiah,
saying “Remember the former things,those things
of long ago;for I am God (El), and there is none other; I am
Elohim, and there is none like Me. 10 I make known the end out of
the beginning,and from ancient times, that which is still to come.I say: My purpose is established,and I will do as I see
fit.” (Isa 46:9-10)
No place do we see a greater
testimony to this truth than in the leading verses of the 29th
chapter of Genesis. In those verses, we see the prophetic format for the
‘restoration of the two sticks of the house of Israel’ by Messiah Yeshua, even before
a ‘House of Israel’ had even come into being.
Let’s recap briefly a previous
teaching that is connected to the passage in Genesis 29. The encounter of
Yeshua with ‘The Woman at Well’ in John chapter 4, details an event that marks
the beginning of the promised restoration of ‘The Two Sticks’, beginning with
the ‘stick of Ephraim’, in the place where it was said you are not my people,
there you will be called sons of the Living God. (https://prodigalministries.wordpress.com/the-woman-at-the-well-2/)
And even though Judah’s final exile
for her treachery would begin at a later date, the foundation for her
restoration is laid in Yeshua’s earthly ministry, an example of which is
portrayed in the ‘Woman Caught in Adultery’ as well as Yeshua’s presentation at
the sixth hour to Judah by Pilate as ‘The King of the Jews.’(it is interesting
both events occurred at the ‘6th hour – John 19:14). Peter’s vision
of the gentiles coming in also happened at the 6th hour. We see
another example of the beginning of this restoration process in the ‘Two
Donkeys’ brought into town by Yeshua at
His Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem. (https://prodigalministries.wordpress.com/johns-wayward-women-whats-the-word-say-03-31-16/ ) (https://prodigalministries.wordpress.com/johns-wayard-women/)
So how does that recap tie into
the Scripture portion beginning in Genesis 29? Should it give insight into the
prophetic picture of the opening scenes of Genesis 29? The answer is a
resounding ‘yes’.
We see three flocks waiting on
the arrival of the fourth so that the ‘stone can be rolled away’ from The Well and
all the flocks partake of the much needed Water. We know that eventually Jacob
(whose name would become Israel) would father twelve tribes by four women, or
four flocks, if you will.
So let’s go back to that first
scene in which there are three flocks in waiting. We submit this is a picture
of all those faithful in the past, diligently and expectantly looking forward
to the time of the coming of Messiah when the stone is rolled away from The
Well. The 4th flock is the flock of Rachel – Joseph and Benjamin,
also known as The Northern Kingdom. Yeshua began the process of bringing that 4th
flock back in with the strategic meeting at Jacob’s Well and now all the flocks
are ‘now on site’ and ready to receive the Living Water, once the stone is
rolled away.
We see, in Genesis 29, a picture
of the conception of the House of Israel, a picture of their eventual
regathering after their exile due to sin, an exile we see take place for The
Northern Kingdom in 2 Kings 17 ( as prophesied in Hosea) and Judah’s eventual
expulsion from The Land in 70 AD due to her sin and treachery. (Jer 3:10-11)
And, along with the regathering
of the ‘Two Sticks’ will also come the harvest from the nations. Isaiah 56:7-8
– ” these I will bring to my holy
mountainand give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt
offerings and sacrificeswill be accepted on my altar; for my house
will be called a house of prayer for all nations 8 The Sovereign
LORD declares– he who gathers the exiles of Israel: “I will gatherstill
others to them besides those already gathered.”” (Isa 56:7-8) We
see it again in John 10:16 – ” I
have other sheepthat are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them
also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flockand one shepherd.”
(Joh 10:16) “Ephraim mixes with the nations” Hos.7:8 and “they will return
to Egypt” Hos.8:13 & 9:3
And although all this was
prophesied and portrayed well in advance, it could only begin at the
‘consummation of the ages’ ( Hebrews 9:26), with the advent of Messiah in the earth, the
One Who would bring the reconciliation and atonement. Genesis 29 is a prequel
to all that was prophesied, both judgment and restoration, the restoration promised
from of old and begun by Messiah Yeshua in His earthly ministry.
Now let’s look at some other
interesting numbers in the Genesis passages. We have 4 flocks, 14 years for two
sisters/two daughters, 20 years in a foreign house, 6 years for one flock and
10 changes in wages.
But what can these numbers and
images mean in light of Biblical prophecy? The number 20 carries the concept of expectation
– looking forward to that which is to come. Jacob spent 20 years in a foreign
house and now – expectancy – he is going home – the 21st year. 20 =
4 x 5. ‘5’ represents mercy and grace
and it is the redemption price, according to Scripture. Here we see the hope –
tikvah – the expectancy of the provision for redemption for all 4 flocks, for
they/we ALL need a Redeemer.
The number 14 is 2 x 7, seven
years for each of the two sisters. Seven, in Hebrew, is sheva and comes from
the word ‘shava’ which means ‘oath’. By this prophetic and symbolic ‘7’ for
each sister, The Creator is sealing His promise to bring them back in and back
home. ‘14’ is also the same number of lambs slain each day during the seven
days of Sukkot, until there is only one set of seven lambs slain on the 8th
day, symbolizing the completed unification of the two sticks into One Stick in
His Hand.
After working for the two
sisters, ‘two sticks of his house’, Jacob worked 6 years for ‘the flock’. It
has been 6 days or 6,000 years since the fall of man. During those ‘six days’ our
Heavenly Father has been working to bring about the return of ‘His Flock’.
Yeshua stated that, in addition to ‘the two sisters’, there are other sheep
that still remain to be brought in.
Finally, we have the number 10.
‘10’ signifies, among other things, ‘divine order’. That does NOT mean every
incident along the way is ‘divine’. It does remind us however of our Creator’s
divine presence in the order of events and, even though we muddle around and
muddy the waters, our Creator’s divine order and sovereign plan will come to
pass. ‘For He makes known the end out of the beginning,and from
ancient times, that which is still to come, and says: My purpose is
established,and I will do as I see fit.” (Isa 46:9-10)
” . . . My wordthat
goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty,but will
accomplish what I desire and achieve the purposefor which I sent
it.” (Isa 55:11)
So our Father YHVH did all
this, and not only for His good pleasure and the sake of His reputation and
kingdom, but He did it for ‘all the lost sheep of the House of Israel.’ Of
course, that statement begs the question, who ARE the lost sheep of the House
of Israel’? There are many who believe the lost sheep are comprised of only the
northern kingdom (Ephraim). There are those that believe the ‘lost sheep’ are
just those of out of the nations. Although produced by Catholic Press, an interesting
footnote in The Complete Jewish Bible says the lost sheep are ‘the Jews’. So who
ARE the ‘lost sheep’? Are they the Ephraimites, are they the nations or are
they the Jews?
According to The Word of Our
Father – it is all three.
So who WAS
Yeshua referring to when He spoke on two separate occasions concerning “ the
lost sheep of the House of Israel”? In
Matthew 10:5, Yeshua specifically instructs the disciples to not go into the
cities of the Samaritans, or to the gentiles, but to the lost sheep of the
House if Israel. The cities of the Samaritans would be the territory of the
northern kingdom. So, if they were not to go the samaritans, nor to the
gentiles, that basically only left them with the territory of the southern
kingdom (Judah) and it’s inhabitants which would be, for all intents and
purposes, the Jews. In Matthew 15:22-28, Yeshua uses that same ‘lost sheep’ phrase
again when confronted by the Canaanite woman in the territory of Ephraim. Did
you know, through the Prophet Jeremiah, the Creator refers to both Judah and
Ephraim as ‘lost sheep’? (Jeremiah 50:4-6)
The Prophet
Isaiah declares “All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one,
to his own way; And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah
53:6)
“And Yeshua, the One on Whom
the iniquity was laid, said to them then and to us today – “I am the way, the
truth and the life. No one comes to the Father, but by Me.”” John 14:6
Therefore remember
that you, formerly gentiles in the flesh– who are called Uncircumcision by
what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands– 12 were at that time without Messiah, being
aliens from the citizenship of Israel and strangers from the covenants of
promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in
Christ Jesus/Messiah Yeshua, you who formerly were far off, have been brought
near by the blood of Messiah . . . 19 Now, therefore, you are no
longer strangers and aliens, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of
the household of God, 20 having been built on the foundation of the
apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ/Messiah Yeshua Himself being the chief
corner, 21 in whom the whole building, being joined together, grows
into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built
together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. (Eph 2:11-13,19-22)
So, who are the lost sheep of
the house of Israel? It is every soul down through the ages in need of a
Savior, a Redeemer, in need of the miraculous work brought about through the
death, burial, resurrection and first ascension of the Promised Messiah of
Israel – Yeshua/Jesus of Nazareth that came in the flesh . . . and He’s coming
again to finish what was started. Will we be found faithful and ready? Will we be found doing His work in the earth?
For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ,
for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew
first and also for the Greek. (Rom 1:16)
And (Yeshua) said to them,
“Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” (Mark
16:15)
Feed the hungry, quench the
thirsty, clothe the needy, visit the captive . . . “And the King will answer
and say to them,`Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one
of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’” (Mat 25:40)
“Woe to you, scribes and
Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have
neglected the weightier matters (the kavod) of the law: justice and mercy
and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone.
(Mat 23:23)
“And as you go, preach,
saying,`The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ 8 “Heal the sick,
cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received,
freely give. (Mat 10:7-8)
“ . . . and lo, I am with you
always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. (Mat 28:20)
And through the work of Messiah Yeshua, the four flocks become the two loaves, the two donkeys, the two sticks. And the two become one in My Hand, says YHVH. (Eze 37:19) And Who is the Hand of YHVH? Messiah Yeshua/Jesus of Nazareth that came in the flesh.
And no one comes to the Father,
but by Him. Shalom
Just a reminder – The next inter-congregational Praise Gathering will be Sunday afternoon December 8th, 2:00pm, Lancaster KY at the First Southern National Bank Community Room. A potluck fellowship meal will follow the service. Mark your calendars now and plan to be a part. Bring your voice, your praise and come expecting . . .
prodigalministries 