It may come as a surprise to many of us that heavenly inhabitants including Jesus appeared in scriptures as Black people.  This will certainly increase the self image of the Black Race and dispel the wickedness and opression that is related to the oppression of the Black race throughout the earth.

2. A Black angel appears to Daniel with skin of “polished brass”

In those days I Daniel was mourning three full weeks.

I ate no pleasant bread, neither came flesh nor wine in my mouth, neither did I anoint myself at all, till three whole weeks were fulfilled.

And in the four and twentieth day of the first month, as I was by the side of the great river, which [is] Hiddekel;

Then I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen, whose loins [were] girded with fine gold of Uphaz

His body also [was] like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude (Daniel 10: 2 – 6)

Qalal  is the Hebrew word used in the text for “polished”. It is used in several  ways in scripture, but  we would need to interpret it in this context to mean LIGHT.  Nĕchosheth is the Hebrew word used in the text for “brass”.    In scripture, brass was a metal used to make musical instruments, sockets, hooks, chains and  pots and pans to name a few.

3. The word “brass” is used to describe the color of the angel’s skin

We see that in scripture the word brass is used to describe various kinds of metal work made with brass.  Brass is comprised of copper and zinc.  In the vision,  the angel did not appear in a ghostly apparation, but as a real man who Daniel referred to as “a certain man”. I believe that he was referring to Archagnel Gabriel who had appeared to him previously.

The angel had  a body, a face, eyes, arms and feet and spoke to Daniel.  Daniel gave us a vivid description including his skin color:

His body also [was] like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude  (Daniel 10: 6).

A search of Google images will show that brass  varies in color from a light to deep golden color. This is no surprise since copper is one of its components.  Strong’s in blueletterbible.com defines Nĕchosheth as “copper, bronze”.  Copper and bronze are in the color wheel of the black race. When combined with “polished” we know that the Angel who appeared to Daniel was  light gold or copper in color – he had some melanin in His skin!

4. A Black angel also appeared to Prophet Ezekiel

And he brought me thither, and, behold, [there was] a man, whose appearance [was] like the appearance of brass, with a line of flax in his hand, and a measuring reed; and he stood in the gate (Ezekiel 40: 3) .

5. Jesus appeared to Apostle John in the form of a Black man

Jesus also appeared to Apostle  John in the form of a Black man:

And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks

And in the midst of the seven candlesticks [one] like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.

His head and [his] hairs [were] white like wool, as white as snow; and his eyes [were] as a flame of fire;

And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters (Revelation 1: 12 – 15).

Chalkolibanon is the Greek word used in the text for “brass.”  This brass means “some metal like gold if not more precious.”  It comes from a  root word  in which brass was used in reference to money. Since the scriptures were originally written in Hebrew, we would have to infer that the brass meant that Jesus was golden or bronze in color. 

6. Does this mean that God is black?

No. God and His angels can appear to humans in any form. They can change form just as Jesus did after His resurrection. I believe that the heavenly visitors appeared in a form that was familiar to Prophets Daniel, Ezekiel  and John. They  must have been black men. Read more about the spiritual body .

Blessings!

A few years ago, I made the startling discovery in scripture that Adam was a black man. The truth lies under our noses in the imagery of the Book.  First of all, we need to review the truth that God formed Adam:

And the LORD God formed man [of] the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul (Genesis 2: 7).

Yatsar  is the Hebrew word used for FORMED in the text. Here is the CLUE. Yatsar is used in the following ways:

• earthen vessels (2 Samuel 17: 28)
• potters (1 Chronicles 4: 23; Psalm 2: 9; Isaiah 29: 16; Jeremiah 18: 2 – 4 & 6; Jeremiah 19: 1 & 11; Zechariah 11: 13)
• formed the eye (Psalm 94: 9)
• formed the dry land (Psalm 95: 5)
• God forming body parts (Psalm 139: 16)
• potter’s clay (Isa 29: 16)
• potter’s vessel (Isa 30: 14)
• potter treading clay (Isa 41: 25)

Yatsar is also used in relation to silversmiths who “make a graven image” and fashion a piece of metal into a finished product (Isa 44: 9 & 12). Can you picture the Father shaping and fashioning man’s body parts?  Even more interestingly, yatsar comes from a Hebrew verb which carries the picture of something being spread  into shape (Strong’s in blueletterbible.com).

2.  Clay is the “dust”  from which God made Adam

Clay is “dust”  combined of clay minerals such as iron, the component responsible for the color.  It becomes plastic when mixed with water. Maybe this is the reason why water comprises 70 %  of  the human body  composition (Wikipedia.com).  In order to determine the Hebrew meaning and usage of  dust in scripture, I explored the texts in which the Hebrew word was used. However, its usage mainly turned up the word “dust”.   However, God (with His usual sense of humor), revealed in the imagery of the scriptures that he used  clay to make Adam and Eve.

The scriptures further paint a picture in which  God is a Potter who shaped man like clay and from clay. Prophet Isaiah must have been shown a video of the creation of man, because he repeatedly drew the imagery of  Potter God molding and shaping clay into a man. Other writers in scripture also point to this truth:

Remember that you molded me like clay. Will you now turn me to dust again? (Job 10: 9)

But now, O LORD, thou [art] our father; we [are] the clay, and thou our potter (yatsar) ; and we all [are] the work of thy hand (Isaiah 64: 8).

Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! [Let] the potsherd [strive] with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth (yatsar)  it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands? (ISaiah 45: 9)

The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter (yatsar) !(Lamentations 4: 2)

Behold, I [am] according to thy wish in God’s stead: I also am formed out of the clay. (Job 33: 6)

3. Adam was God’s “potsherd” or earthen vessel

As Prophet Isaiah compared God to the Potter who made Adam from clay,  he warned humans not to strive against God because we are just  “potsherds” or earthen vessels:

Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker! [Let] the potsherd [strive] with the potsherds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that fashioneth (yatsar)  it, What makest thou? or thy work, He hath no hands? (ISaiah 45: 9)

Cheres,  the Hebrew word used in the text for “potsherd” is rendered 9 out of 17 times in the following ways in scriptures:

• earthen vessel
• vessel of earth
• earthen bottle
• earthen pitchers

Since Prophet Isaiah also used the word potsherd as a synonym with clay in Isaiah 45 : 9;  he reinforces the revelation that Adam and Eve were formed from clay.
4. What was the color of the clay from which Adam was formed?

Chamar  is the root word for clay used in Isaiah 64: 8) and Job 33: 6).  Scriptures reveal through this word that clay:

• could be daubed (Exodus 2: 3)
• was red (Psalm 75: 8)

When the members of the God Family said, “let us make man/‘adam in our image, after our likeness…” (Genesis 1: 26),  they were speaking about making a reddish man who would derive color from the clay from which he was made.  Amusingly, Adam means reddish or “dyed red”.

5. What did Adam look like?

What color red was Adam?  Was he bright red?  Well,  I doubt there are races of people whose color is red.  If you Google  “images of red clay” , an astonishing range of  hues turn up.  The red clay color wheel reveals a wide range of colors from red to reddish brown to to pink to brownish. Obviously Adam was not a frank red, but carried one of the colors in the  color wheel as well as the genes for  a variety of  human skin colors.

I would safely say that brown is the dominant hue of  red clay. 

In fact, dictionary.com (2012) defines “red clay” as “brown to red”  in color.

6.  Who is a potter and how does he or she form  clay into a vessel?

A potter is someone who makes pottery or “earthen vessels”, the material referred to in scripture. We know from 2 Samuel 17: 28 that  potters of the day made “earthen vessels”  which were derived from clay.  There is no doubt that God made man from clay since the scriptures made this direct comparison.

The  Scriptures of Truth  reveal the following truths about the formation of pottery from clay and therefore the formation of man:

• the potter treaded the clay with his feet (Isaiah 41: 25)
• the potter used his hands to carefully mold the clay into shape (Isaiah 45: 9; Psalm 95: 5)
• the finished product could be dashed into pieces (Psalm 2: 9). The human body can indeed be broken

Can you imagine how God carefully took time to fashion and mold Adam? I encourage you to celebrate the God who created you and to thank Him for His manifold wisdom in creating you in His own image and likeness.

Blessings! Celebrate your creation.

After defining the boundaries of  Israel’s territories, Moses divided the land by “lot”:

And Moses commanded the children of Israel, saying, This [is] the land which ye shall inherit by lot (Numbers 34: 13)

The lot was used by the Jews as a fair means of  fairly and impartially dividing their deeded land among the tribes.  They then cast lots to subdivide the inheritance of each tribe to the families (1 Chronicles 6: 61 for example).   The lot was also used  in the following examples:

1. King David used the lot to assign duties to the priests (1 Chronicles 24)
2. David also used the lot to assign duties to the music ministers (1 Chron 25)
3. Nehemiah and his team cast lots to impartially designate the time the people should bring wood for the fires in the temple (Nehemiah 10: 34)
4. The purpose of the lot was to “cause  contentions to cease and parteth between the mighty” (KJV).  In other words,  “the lot puts an end to quarrels and decides between powerful contenders” (ESV). (Proverbs 18: 18)

2. God invented the “lot”

The Prophets revealed that God invented the lot as a method of revealing His Will:

a.  Prophet Isaiah spoke about God’s anger with the nations and the outpouring of His wrath and destruction on them. The prophet spoke of the anger of the Lord over the “Controversy of Zion“  The Prophet spoke of the desolation of  the land of Israel and its barrenness. No one would live there except the wild beasts, owls, vultures and dragons. Its fertility would  be replaced by thorns,  nettles  and brambles.

We need to note that Prophet Isaiah began to prophesy about 809 BC,  204 of years before the first exile in 605 BC and before the desolation in 586 BC.   Isaiah revealed in the text of  Isaiah 34: 7 that God would call the animals and birds to inhabit the land and assign their portions by lot:

And he hath cast the lot for them, and his hand hath divided it unto them by line: they shall possess it for ever, from generation to generation shall they dwell therein (Isaiah 34: 17).

He allots their portions; his hand distributes them by measure. They will possess it forever and dwell there from generation to generation (Isaiah 34: 17). 

The Prophet further reveals that God also measures out each boundary “by line” or with a measuring tape when He divides the land by the lot.

b. Prophet Jeremiah revealed that God assigned judgments to Israel by lot:

This [is] thy lot, the portion of thy measures from me, saith the LORD; because thou hast forgotten me, and trusted in falsehood.

This is your allotment, the portion I have assigned to you,” says the LORD, “for you have forgotten me, putting your trust in false gods. (Jeremiah 13: 25)

c. Prophet Daniel revealed that God has deeded an eternal inheritance for those who love Him:

  But go thou thy way till the end [be]: for thou shalt rest, and stand in thy lot at the end of the days.

“As for you, go your way till the end. You will rest, and then at the end of the days you will rise to receive your allotted inheritance.” (Daniel 12: 13)

 

3.  God used the lot to deed His property and possessions to His children

The earth is the Lord’s and as landlord, He wanted to show the Jews and earth’s inhabitants a fair and impartial method of:

• assigning property
• solving disputes
• assigning duties
• among others

This is not gambling. God decided on the land portions by lot and precisely measured out each portion with a ruler. This further confirms that He has an eternal plan and reason for each nation having a specific land mass.

Blessings.

In today’s post, we will explore the Biblical revelation on the territorial boundaries of the Nation of Israel.  God defined the boundaries of their inheritance for Moses prior to re – entry in the Land of  Canaan.  :

Command the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye come into the land of Canaan; (this [is] the land that shall fall unto you for an inheritance, [even] the land of Canaan with the coasts thereof:  (Numbers 34: 2).

God gave the commandment close to the end of the forty year period of  wandering in the wilderness and just prior Moses’ death. This was the end of the year 2708 from Creation. Israel entered Canaan on the first month of the Jewish New Year :

And it came to pass in the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first [day] of the month, [that] Moses spake unto the children of Israel, according unto all that the LORD had given him in commandment unto them (Deuteronomy 1: 3)

After Moses’ death, God told Joshua:

From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast  (Joshua 1: 4).

The nation of Israel miraculously crossed the river Jordan and entered the Land of their inheritance on the tenth day of the first month of the Jewish New Year in the 2708th year after Creation:

And it came to pass, when the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD were come up out of the midst of Jordan, [and] the soles of the priests’ feet were lifted up unto the dry land, that the waters of Jordan returned unto their place, and flowed over all his banks, as [they did] before.

And the people came up out of Jordan on the tenth [day] of the first month, and encamped in Gilgal, in the east border of Jericho  (Joshua 4: 18 & 19).

2.  God reminded Prophet Ezekiel about the national boundaries or coasts of  Israel

On the tenth day of the  Jewish New Year, during the twenty fifth year of the Babylonian captivity, God reminded Prophet Ezekiel about the boundaries of  Israel.    The revelation came on the commemoration of the entry into the Promised Land in the Year 2708 after Creation. 

Day 10 of the Jewish New Year  was significant because God had commanded the nation to set aside an unblemished lamb was set aside on the tenth day for sacrifice on the evening of the fourteenth day.  God killed all the firstborn of Egypt on midnight of that fourteenth day (Exodus 12:  3 – 13).  That month was  Jewish Abib or Gregorian April:

Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth [month], in the fifth [day] of the month, as I [was] among the captives by the river of Chebar, [that] the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.

In the fifth [day] of the month, which [was] the fifth year of king Jehoiachin’s captivity  (Ezekiel 1: 1 & 2)

In the five and twentieth year of our captivity, in the beginning of the year, in the tenth [day] of the month, in the fourteenth year after that the city was smitten, in the selfsame day the hand of the LORD was upon me, and brought me thither.

In the visions of God brought he me into the land of Israel, and set me upon a very high mountain, by which [was] as the frame of a city on the south.

And he brought me thither, and, behold, [there was] a man, whose appearance [was] like the appearance of brass, with a line of flax in his hand, and a measuring reed; and he stood in the gate (Eze 40: 1 – 3)

Thus saith the Lord GOD; This [shall be] the border, whereby ye shall inherit the land according to the twelve tribes of Israel: Joseph [shall have two] portions.

And ye shall inherit it, one as well as another: [concerning] the which I lifted up mine hand to give it unto your fathers: and this land shall fall unto you for inheritance (Ezekiel 47: 13 – 14)

3. What was the timeline of  Prophet Ezekiel’s visions?

We need to pay attention to the timeline since the revelation about Israel’s territorial boundaries came hundreds of  years after the first one given by Apostle Moses.   Let us review the timeline of the  captivity for greater clarity. Two Kings of Israel had been taken into captivity by King Nebuchadnezzar as a result of their sin.  They were:

a. Jehoiakim = captives taken in 605 BC

He began to reign in 608 BC which was  3695 years after Creation. The city of Jerusalem was  besieged by Nebuchadnezzar in the third year of Jehoiakim’s  reign, which was 605 BC  and a contingent of Jews taken captive.  Prophet Daniel was one of these individuals taken into captivity (Daniel 1: 1 & 2) .  Prophet Jeremiah revealed that  Nebuchadnezzar’s first year of reign (605 BC) coincided with Jehoiakim’s fourth year (Jeremiah 25: 1).  The seeming conflict between Daniel and Jeremiah’s account relate to the fact that the Jewish calendar began in April.

b. Jehoiachin/Coniah/Jeconiah  (Jer 37: 1o) – King and inhabitants of Jerusalem taken captive in 597 BC

Son of King Jehoiakim,  Jehoiachin was 18 years old at his coronation and reigned for only three months  (1 Kings 24: 8; 2 Chron 36:9).  He was captured in the eight year of King Nebuchadnezzar’s reign (2 Kings 24: 12).  Since 605 BC was the first year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, his eight year was  597 BC and also the year of Jehoiachin’s  captivity.

c. Zedekiah – King and inhabitants of Jerusalem taken captive in 586 BC.

Zedekiah  was Jeconiah’s  uncle and was appointed by Nebuchadnezzar. He was 21 years at his coronation in 597 BC and reigned for eleven years.  Nebuchadnezzar’s army besieged the city of Jerusalem and captured it in the eleventh year of Zedekiah’s reign. This was  586 BC.

Prophet Ezekiel stated at the beginning of the book that  Year 30 of the captivity coincided with the fifth year of Jehoichin’s captivity. Since Jehoiachin was taken into captivity in received the vision in the God’s action in reminding His people about their national inheritance was a way of reminding them that He had not changed His mind about their title deed, although they had been bad:

4. The vision of the nation’s boundaries took place in the twenty fifty year of which captivity?

Prophet Ezekiel said that:

• the thirtieth year of captivity coincided with Jehoiachin’s fifth year in captivity. Jehoiachin’s first year in captivity was  597 BC and the fifth year was therefore  592 BC OR 3696 years after creation  (Ezekiel 1: 1 & 2).
• This would mean that the first year of this captivity would have been  592 BC + 30 = 622 BC. 
• I am stumped because there is no apparent record of this event since Nebuchadnezzar first took captives in 605 BC.
• Thirty years after 605 BC = 575 BC
• Was there an earlier captivity? This would be during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar’s father and the reign of King Josiah, but there is no evidence in scripture
• Is  this a typographical error?  592 BC + 13 = 605 BC and this would indicate that Ezekiel was taken captive in 605 BC

5. Why all the fuss and bother about timelines?

The historical references point to Israel’s duration of existence on titled land for a period spanning 4287 years.  Archangel Gabriel says that this is  a critical issue in any land dispute regarding Israel’s territorial and titled possessions.  God did not change His mind about Israel’s ownership of the land.  One thousand years had elapsed since the first revelation of its exact boundaries in 2798 to the time of  Prophet Ezekiel in 3708.

Humans would have forgotten, but not God. What a God we serve!

6. Israel’s boundaries are a reminder of God’s Eternal Faithfulness to His Promises and Israel’s national identity as God’s people

Israel’s territorial boundaries are important to God because they marked  the land mass of a nation of kings and priests unto Him who lived in the midst of heathen nations.  This is still largely true today.  Additionally, they reentered their territory on Abib,  which God designated as the commemoration of  the Jewish Year (contrary to popular Jewish practice today).

Israel’s national identity is built on them living on the land deeded to them by God.  God never forgot His promise to His people and reinforced this throughout history,  even at times when they were not living on their property.

We see a Divine historical emphasis on the Jewish New Year as the time when:

• The time of the Exodus from Egypt – a reminder of their deliverance from slavery
• Day 1o of the Jewish New Year being the a reminder of  the Passover and Jesus the Passover Lamb
• Day 10 of the Jewish New Year as the exact commemoration of the re – entry into the Land of Promise
• Day 10 0f  the nation’s 25th Year in captivity being a reminder of their promised land and its territorial boundaries
• The  revelation of the land boundaries in captivity was also a reminder of God’s faithfulness to His Eternal Promise to Abraham.

God made sure that He made these Deliberate Divine Interconnections to confirm to the nations the territorial boundaries of the Land of Israel. This is no coincidence.  Blessings and more to come!

Archangel Gabriel has been speaking with me about the Palestenian conflict over the past few months and has instructed me to write about it. I will discuss:

1. God created and owns the earth and its people
2. God is the Landlord of the earth
3. Figurative terms for earth and its people in scripture.
4. God gave specific properties or title deeds to the nations  of earth
5. Geographic boundaries of the  Land  of   Israel
6. Land ownership and restoration  of property from heaven’s perspective

2. God’s ownership and concept of earth and its people

 God told me to remind us that He is the Creator and Landlord of  all of the earth and its people. This truth reverbates throughout the Holy Scriptures of Truth. In one example, Prophet David wrote that:

 “The earth is the LORD’S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.

For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods” (Ps 24:1, 2 [KJV])

In fact, ‘erets  (H776), the Hebrew word for earth, is also translated as:

• Land
• Land of your possession
• Country
• The ground (as in lying with one’s face on the  ground)

As an aside, synonyms for earth in scripture indicate that God (rather amusingly in my opinion), viewed the earth as His:

• Pasture  and the inhabitants as His sheep  (Psalm 74: 1; 79: 13; 95: 7; 100: 3 & Ezekiel 34: 31)
• Nations as gardens with the people compared to its trees  (Ezekiel 31: 3)

God expected the sheep to behave and not to push other sheep out of their designated pastures.

3. God deeded specific properties or title deeds to the nations  of earth

As owner and landlord of the earth, God  deeded properties or geographic land spaces with defined boundaries to indicate the appointed place in which the nations would live after the rebellion at the Tower of Babel. The text in Deuteronomy 32: 8 indicates that He gave out Israel’s portion first then deeded the rest of the earth to the other nations based on Israel’s inheritance or portion:

 “When the most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds (gbuwlah)  of the people according to the number of the children of Israel. (Deut 32:8 [KJV])

4. God set borders, coasts and landmarks to define the geographic location of each nation

Gĕbuwlah (H 1367)  is the Hebrew word used in the text of Deuteronomy 32: 8 for “bounds” of the people. The usage of Gĕbuwlah  in the scriptures indicates that God defined the coasts,  borders and landmarks of the lands  given to each nation of earth:

 And Jordan was the border (Gĕbuwlah/H 1367)  of it on the east side. This was the inheritance of the children of Benjamin, by the coasts (Gĕbuwlah/H 1367) thereof round about, according to their families  (Josh 18:20 [KJV])

When they had made an end of dividing the land for inheritance by their coasts  (Gĕbuwlah/H 1367), the children of Israel gave an inheritance to Joshua the son of Nun among them   (Josh 19:49 [KJV])

5. God warned nations not to interfere with each others’ landmarks

 God warned the Jews not to remove, interfere with or  tamper with boundary  lines and about unfairly occupying the landmasses of other nations when He said through Prophet Moses:

 Thou shalt not remove thy neighbour’s landmark, which they of old time have set in thine inheritance, which thou shalt inherit in the land that the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it (Deuteronomy 19: 14)

Cursed [be] he that removeth his neighbour’s landmark. And all the people shall say, Amen (Deuteronomy 27: 17)

Remove not the ancient landmark, which thy fathers have set (Proverbs 22: 28).

Remove not the old landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless (Proverbs 23: 10)

In modern times,  we understand a landmark to represent a marker for a boundary, a point of reference to find one’s way back to a particular location. However,  scripture clearly reveals that God’s intent was greater than that.  We need to understand that God had defined the landmarks of  nations.  We also learn from scripture that God had assigned landmarks or boundaries for the nation of Israel as a whole as well as its specific tribes.

A landmark in scripture  (gĕbuwl/H1366) therefore refers to territorial boundaries and landmasses of a nation.

Although protection of  another’s landmarks was a moral and ethical law given to the Jews, God’s law applies to any and every nation on earth since Deuteronomy 32: 8 warns us that the Almighty gave each nation a specific inheritance and set their national bounds or territorial limits.

6. Landmarks of other nations in scripture

Scripture refers to the landmarks  of  nations other than Israel, showing that the Jews were aware of and respected the territorial boundaries of other nations. These included, for example, the:

• border of the Caananites (Gen 10: 19)
• borders of the field of Ephron (Gen 23: 17)
• Borders of Egypt (Gen 47: 21)
• Border of Edom. Scriptures say that the Edomites refused to allow Israel to pass through their border or territory (Numbers 20: 21)
• Border of Moab (Num 21: 15)
• Border of the children of Ammon (Numbers 21: 24)
• Read more on the landmark in the scripture

History shows that the indigenous peoples of  nations in the earth have vigorously resisted  foreign occupation of their lands. This was certainly the case of the American Indians and the Caribs of St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Led by National Hero Joseph Chatoyer, early Vincentians withstood British rule  until Chatoyer and his troops were overcome by more advanced “technology” of the British onslaught.

Occupancy of another’s possession is a very painful issue. Job bemoaned the behavior of  thieving individuals when he complained that:

[Some] remove the landmarks; they violently take away flocks, and feed [thereof].

Evil people steal land by moving the boundary markers. They steal livestock and put them in their own pastures. (Job 24: 2/New Living Translation)

 7. Why did God permit the Jews to occupy the land of Canaan?

Archangel Gabriel told me that the land inhabited by the nations overthrown by the Jews was the land that had been deeded to them by God:

 “When the most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds (gbuwlah)  of the people according to the number of the children of Israel. (Deut 32:8 [KJV])

 

Remember that God first promised that land to Abraham and to his descendants forever and fulfilled His promise by sending them back to occupy it after 430 years of slavery.

God gave Abraham a preview of the territory that had been deeded to him and to his descendants:

In the same day the LORD made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of  Egypt  unto the great river, the river Euphrates:

The Kenites, and the Kenizzites, and the Kadmonites,

 And the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaims,

And the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Jebusites (Genesis 15: 18 – 21).

 

More to come. Blessings!

They met every Sunday, on the Lord’s day

Thought they were hot – something to behold

Then God sent His servant called John

To tell them – “You are lukewarm,

neither hot nor  cold.

Fact is, you a’re  boring, I can’t bear to see

Think I’ll spit you out –  cause you just don’t love me”

The members of the church of Laodeica were wealthy and prosperous.  The deceitfulness of riches had caused them to lose their passion and zeal for the Lord. Furthermore they were not producing any fruit in the ministry:

And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God

I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot

So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked (Rev 3: 14 – 17).

2. Narcissism does not  produce a true self portrait

This is one of the harshest letters written by Lord Jesus. In fact, He told the Church of Laodecia that He would VOMIT them out if they did not repent. The church of Laodecia had looked in the mirror of self deception and truely beleved that they needed nothing because of their wealth.  Lord Jesus’  stern rebuke must have been shocking. You are:

“wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked”

Jesus painted a picture of a church that was down and out and told them that His TRUE RICHES were the remedy for their pitiful condition:

I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and [that] the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see  (Rev 3: 18).

3. The riches of which Jesus spoke referred to:

a. investing in the kingdom of God rather than in ones self (Lk 12: 21).

Jesus used  the parable of the rich man who hoarded all of his produce in barns rather than doing what the law required in giving tithes and offerings and helping the poor.  God killed him that night (Luke 12:  16 – 21).   This was the picture of the church of Laodecia.  None of their wealth  was reinvested in the kingdom of God.

b. becoming poor for the sake of  the kingdom of God

Apostle Paul reminded us of Jesus’ self sacrifice in giving up the riches of heaven for a relative state of poverty on the earth (2 Cor 8: 9). Self sacrifice for the sake of the gospel was evidently not a trait of the believers in Laodecia.   The church of Laodecia must have fallen into many traps and snares as a result of their riches (1 Tim 6: 9). This is the reason Jesus said they were “wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.”

4. What is the BIG question for us today?

Have we become complacent and poor towards the Lord as a result of wealth? The nation of St. Vincent and the Grenadines is a prime example. When we were poor in the 70s and 80s we were a God fearing nation. Today, people no longer fear God and our homes, vehicles and other signs of prosperity have made us poor, blind and naked.
God is calling His people to repent and seek true riches in Him. Blessings!

As I recently reflected on the meaning of 2012, I pondered on the New Beginnings that took place in 2011. The year 2011 matched Creation Day 1 in several ways:

• it marked the end of a 10 year reign of terror under the leadership of Osama Bin Laden in keeping with Jesus’ request. Nations can now breathe a sigh of relief to some extent. That reign of terror occurred in another Number 1- 2001. Early in the New Millennium, the world was shocked by the beginning of an outpouring of terror that I called World War 111 (at least in this era).

• 2011 also marked the enlightenment of Arab nations regarding their political freedom as people rose in protest against dictatorships, notably ending in the demise of another teerrorist leader – Muammur Ghaddafi.

The Year 2012  matches God’s original creation pattern since it begins on Sunday 1 st January

We need to pay attention to the fact that the year 2012 matches God’s creation pattern since it begins on Sunday. Read more about this in the post about  God’s creation pattern.  I challenge you in 2012 t0 begin to number the days and events of earth in keeping with the exhortation “teach us to number our days” so that we can live more consciously (Psalm 90: 12)

What is the meaning of 2012? – In Light of  Creation Day 2

I am going to attempt to interpret the meaning of  2012 in light of  Creation Day 2 in which God created the sky or heaven:

In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth

And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness [was] upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

And God saw the light, that [it was] good: and God divided the light from the darkness.

And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.

And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which [were] under the firmament from the waters which [were] above the firmament: and it was so.

And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day (Genesis 1: 1 -8).

The sky was created to relieve the pressure of water covering  the earth and reduce the intense darkness

We see God beginning the creation with Light, which in 2o11 referred to the political enlightenment of  Islamic nations such as Egypt, Bahrain, Libya, Tunesia, Syria and others.  This is a  new beginning and I am praying for the people of these nations to be enlightened by the truth of Jesus.

God continued His work on Day 2 by spreading out the sky above the waters  that was everywhere.  Psalm 104: 2 says that God stretched out the heaven like a tent and this is revealed in raqa`,  the root word for firmament.

We did not know it just yet, but dry land was hidden under those waters in much the same way that a fetus is protected in its amniotic fluid. The psalmists poetically made this comparison in the Psalms:

You covered it with the deep as with a garment; the waters stood above the mountains  (Psalm 104: 6).

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth  (Psalm 139: 13 – 15)

We need to look further to the purpose of the Creation of the heaven or sky.  It was created to divide the waters from the waters.   The picture is that there was heavy and intense water pressure over the earth. This water was referred to the deep in Genesis 1: 2.

This deep referred to a storehouse for a dark and unmeasurable volume of water – called “great water”  (Ezekiel 26: 19);  ”floods” (Ezekiel 31: 15).  Moreover, the Hebrew word used in Genesis 1: 2 for darkness indicated that the darkness was:

• thick
• like night
• painful
• silent and eerie
• associated with death and the shadow of death
• a place where people grope and stagger in order to move around
• shortening the duration of light
• a place where evil can prevail

The symbolism of the sky for 2012

As our eyes focused on the Islamic nations of  the Middle East, we see that these nations are in a spiritual state comparable to the darkness covering the earth before God brought change. The intense darkness of spiritual oppression has caused them to grope in the shadow of death for over 1400 years. Their help will come from the heavens where God dwells. We need to pray for their release from the darkness and the oppression under which they dwell.

I believe that 2012 will be a Year in which God will cause the people of the Middle East to look to Him for deliverance from the powers of darkness. Let us pray for God to miraculously release angels and His Light to the people who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.

Blessing for you in 2012:

“The LORD bless you and keep you;

The LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you;

the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.”  (Numbers 6: 24 – 26)

Sincerely

Mercedes His servant

The church of Laodecia was mentioned five times in the letters of Apostle Paul. Brothers  Epaphras (Col 4: 13) stands out as laboring fervently in prayer for the brethren while  Nymphas (Col 4: 15) hosted a gathering of believers in his house. Apostle Paul’s letter to the Colossian brethren also indicated that there was a close relationship between the churches of  Colosse and Laodecia.

Today, Laodecia is a pile of ruins.  Have a great day.

In the previous post I wrote that Jesus promised to make overcomers pillars in His temple. The Lord continued His letter to the Church of Philadelphia by promising overcomers that He will:

…I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, [which is] new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and [I will write upon him] my new name (Rev 3: 12).

Jesus emphasized to the church of Philadelphia that He would write on them:

•  the name of my God
• and the name of the city of my God
• I will write upon him] my new name  

The emphasis means that the “name” is critical and that we should pay attention to these names. I will therefore explore:

1. where the name will be written
2. scriptural examples of those who had been given the name
3. the meaning of the name for the believer

2. The meaning of the name

Onoma is the Greek word used for name in the text.  While a name was given as an individual’s unique identifier, people in scripture were given names with meanings.  However, in order to understand the meaning of the name that Jesus promised to write on the overcomers, we would need to make cross references with other texts.  We will therefore first explore the place where Jesus will write the name.

3. The name will be written in the believers’ foreheads

Cross references with other texts in the Book of Revelation reveal that Lord Jesus will write the name in the believers’ foreheads.  In so doing, we discover  that:

a. the word “SEAL” was also used as a synonym for the “name”

b. The seal  of God was a  UNIQUE IDENTIFIER OR MARK of those who loved and served God:

Saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads (Rev 7: 3)

And it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. (Rev 9: 4)

And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty [and] four thousand, having his Father’s name written in their foreheads(Rev 14: 1)

And they shall see his face; and his name [shall be] in their foreheads   (Rev 22: 4).

4. Scriptural examples of those who had been given the name, mark or seal of God

One of the most fascinating examples in my opinion is found in Ezekiel 9.    In the text, Prophet Ezekiel saw a vision in which one of the members of the God family commanded six angels to go on a mission of destruction in the city of Jerusalem.

The revelation warns us that God will set His mark only on those who truely love Him.

WARNING!  Church members are not marked – only people who passionately live out God’s agenda of righteousness and intensely cry and weep for the abominations of the nations in which they live:

And the glory of the God of Israel was gone up from the cherub, whereupon he was, to the threshold of the house. And he called to the man clothed with linen, which [had] the writer’s inkhorn by his side;

And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof.

And to the others he said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity:

Slay utterly old [and] young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom [is] the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which [were] before the house (Ezekiel 9: 3-6).

This post is only a brief introduction to the name or mark of the Lord. It also leads into the fascinating discussion of the mark of the beast, which satan, the copy cat, used as a unique identifier for those who love him.

5. KEY HIGHLIGHTS ABOUT THE NAME OR MARK OR SEAL OF THE LORD

1. The name or mark of the Lord is invisible. 
2. The Lord gives His name to those who have  pledged ALLEGIANCE TO HIM,  just like the 144, 000 saints in the Book of Revelation
3. Only the righteous overcomers are given the name, mark or seal of the Lord
4. Church membership does not qualify a person to receive the seal of the Lord

Blessings and more to come on this exciting topic!  Who are the 144, 000 that were sealed?

As Jesus continued His letter to the church of Philadelphia, He motivated the believers by promising to make the overcomers a pillar in the temple of God:

Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, [which is] new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and [I will write upon him] my new name (Rev 3: 12).

2. Delving into the meaning of pillar (Stylos in the Greek)

The Greek word for pillar is used only three times in the King James Version.  The first is a reference by Apostle Paul the approval  of  Apostles Peter, James and John regarding his ministry to the Gentiles:

And when James, Cephas, and John, who seemed to be pillars, perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hands of fellowship; that we [should go] unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision (Gal 2: 9).

Apostle Paul was speaking to the  Galatian believers about a dispute that had arisen in the early church.  False teachers had come down from Jerusalem to Antioch where he and Barnabas were the pastors. These false leaders had begun teaching the non Jewish believers that they needed to be circumcised in order to be saved (Acts 15; Gal 2: 1 – 5).  Although Paul and Barnabas had tried to correct this falsehood, the false teachers persisted and the church was in a state of confusion. 

They went to Jerusalem in order to solve the conflict Acts 15; Gal 2: 1 – 5). Again, the Jewish believers were determined to bring the Gentiles into bondage. However, Acts 15 reveals that Apostles Peter and James stood up and clarified the issue. While Acts 15 does not mention Apostle John’s role. Paul revealed that John had also played a major role in solving the conflict and giving guidance to the church (Acts 15: 7 – 23).

3. Who are the pillars in the church of the Lord?

Based on the scriptures, we see a picture of who the Lord will promote as PILLARS in His temple:

a. They hold a  close  relationship with the Lord, just as Peter, James and John did. They were the disciples who He would show certain things to and say certain things to. The other disciples were not allowed to know these secrets. The Lord took Peter, James and John with Him when He went to resurrect Jairus’ daughter from the dead.  Peter, James and John were the only Apostles to witness His transfiguration on the mountain.

b. Apostles Peter, James and John therefore had deeper understading of the things of the Lord and were able to give insight and guidance to the church in the times of conflict.

c. They emerged as the natural leaders in the early church as a result, to such an extent that Apostle Paul referred to them as “pillars”.

d. Pillars hold up the church and bring forth the understanding of the word of the Lord as He intended it. They therefore invaluable to the health and unity of the Body of the Lord in times of conflict.

Conclusion

Jesus promises promotion as PILLARS to those believers who would overcome and walk with Him in such a close relationship that they know exactly what and how He is thinking about the troubling issues of the time. What does it take to become a pillar? This is an extraordinary walk and requires a deep love for the Lord and a desire to fellowship in His presence.  This position is reserved for those who are the true Apostles – people who walk and talk with Him face to face.

Blessings!