Jeremiah: Ishtar and God
This week’s Sabbath reading from the prophets is Jeremiah 7:21-8:3. I began reading the portion and wondered about the backstory of the beginning verses. So I began reading in Jeremiah 21:16.
The reason I entitled one of the books I have written “Journey With Jeremiah” is that so much of my life and what Adonai says to me, teaches me, comes from Jeremiah; so much so that sometimes I feel like I am that prophet in the world. Today is no different.
Beginning with verse 16:
“So you, [Yirmeyahu,] don’t pray for this people! Don’t cry, pray or intercede on their behalf with me; because I won’t listen to you. Don’t you see what they are doing in the cities of Y’hudah and in the streets of Yerushalayim? The children gather the wood, the fathers light the fire, and the women knead the dough to make cakes for the queen of heaven; and, just to provoke me, they pour out drink offerings to other gods! Are they really provoking me,” asks Adonai, “or are they provoking themselves, to their own ruin?” (Jeremiah 7:16-19).
These words are actually an answer to prayer for me. In the past few days I have been struggling with how to pray for a nation that no longer cares to hear what God has to say to them? How am I to pray for a nation that I know won’t repent because evil has been transformed into good? Is there even a prayer for a people or nation who consider righteousness wicked?
The answer God gave Jeremiah is “Don’t.” Don’t pray for them because He isn’t going to listen! For those who would argue otherwise believing that God hears every prayer, Adonai tells Jeremiah why He won’t listen and, His words are exactly for this exact day and time.
The people of God are worshipping the Queen of Heaven! Who is the Queen of Heaven? Ishtar who is commonly known as Easter in our culture. The short story of Ishtar is she is a goddess who had a son, Tammuz, who died by a wild boar attack. Those who worshipped the trinity of Ishtar (as the mother of god), Tammuz (as the son of god) and Nimrod (as the father god) mourned the death of Tammuz for a period of 6 weeks. Today that ‘mourning’ time is called Lent and, according to the prophet Ezekiel, is considered ‘disgusting’ by Adonai.
“He brought me to the entrance of the north gate to Adonai’s house; and there before me were women weeping for Tammuz. ‘Human being,’ he asked me, ‘have you seen this? You will see practices even more disgusting than these'” (Ezekiel 8:14).
The designated reading for today:
“Thus says Adonai-Tzva’ot, the God of Isra’el: “You may as well eat the meat of your burnt offerings along with that of your sacrifices. For I didn’t speak to your ancestors or give them orders concerning burnt offerings or sacrifices when I brought them out of the land of Egypt. Rather, what I did order them was this: ‘Pay attention to what I say. Then I will be your God, and you will be my people. In everything, live according to the way that I order you, so that things will go well for you.’ But they neither listened nor paid attention, but lived according to their own plans, in the stubbornness of their evil hearts, thus going backward and not forward” (Jeremiah 7:21-24).
There are no burnt offerings today, not because Yeshua’s death and resurrection cancelled everything, but because there is no Temple standing in Jerusalem. When there is another Temple/Tabernacle, there will be sacrifices again. It is even possible that this year, Pesach 2020, there will be a Passover sacrifice on the Temple mount for the first time since its destruction nearly 2000 years ago.
The significant part of today’s reading for anyone who claims to follow yod-hey-vav-hey is “Pay attention to what I say … living according to the way that I order you.” Unfortunately, because of the stubbornness in evil hearts and the desire of people to live according to their own will, those who worship other gods and goddesses will continue to go backward and not forward. The Hebrew word for ‘backward’ refers to ‘turning away.’ The Hebrew word for ‘forward’ is lepanim and refers to ‘the face of Elohim.’ Rather than seeking the face of the One, True, Living Elohim for what is coming on this world, they turn away and cling to their false gods and goddesses.
“Therefore, say to them, “This is the nation that has not listened to the voice of Adonai their God. They won’t take correction; faithfulness has perished; it has vanished from their mouths. Cut off your hair, and throw it away, take up a lament on the bare hills, for Adonai has rejected and abandoned the generation that rouses his anger'” Jeremiah 7:28-29).
Such a nation will not listen to the voice of Adonai. They won’t be corrected for their worship of Ishtar and Tammuz. They like what they are doing and have rationalized what they are doing is honest worship. In reality, they have become so lacking in true faith that their mouths no longer utter truths. For this nation, one should not pray, but only express deep sorrow for their impending death for they have been rejected and abandoned by Adonai.
“For the people of Y’hudah have done what is evil from my perspective,” says Adonai; “they have set up their detestable things in the house which bears my name, to defile it” (Jeremiah 7:30).
The weekly reading continues with Adonai saying those ‘houses’ that bear His name are defiled because of detestable things. Defiled with the Queen of Heaven, Ishtar. Defiled with mourning for Tammuz, Lent. Defiled by false gods and goddesses. This generation rouses His anger.
“For the time has come for the judgment to begin. It begins with the household of God; and if it starts with us, what will the outcome be for those who are disobeying God’s Good News?” (1 Peter 4:17).
Peter says that judgment begins with the ‘house’ of God and this is why. The ‘houses’ of God throughout the world have embraced the false goddess Istar and false god Tammuz. As the fast of Lent comes to an end, they prepare for Easter with baking of cakes (hot cross buns), pouring out drink offerings and preparing their ‘wild boar’ roasts. The ‘houses of God’ have created a worship system that is not recognizable to Adonai and it rouses His anger.
Each individual in the ‘house of God’ has a choice in this ‘appointed season.’ They can choose to live according to the ways Adonai gave His people – Passover, Unleavened Bread and Firstfruits and be God’s people and things will go well or continue in the worship of false gods and goddesses that Adonai calls abominations and bring ruin on oneself.
Harsh? Not my words, but God’s. We are living in very serious times. We need to be very serious about the Word of God and follow His ways or suffer His anger.
“Now this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, but people loved the darkness rather than the light. Why? Because their actions were wicked” (John 3:19).
©2020 Tentstake Ministries Publishing, all rights reserved. No copying or reproducing of this article without crediting the author or Tentstake Ministries Publishing.
Test the Spirits
“Dear friends, don’t trust every spirit. On the contrary, test the spirits to see whether they are from God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. Here is how you recognize the Spirit of God: every spirit which acknowledges that Yeshua the Messiah came as a human being is from God, and every spirit which does not acknowledge Yeshua is not from God — in fact, this is the spirit of the Anti-Messiah. You have heard that he is coming. Well, he’s here now, in the world already!” (1 John 4:1-3).
I am living in an RV park in Las Vegas with a LOT of retirees. As I lay in bed this a.m. some people were walking by and talking very loudly about how they no longer believe what is being told them about the virus because the numbers don’t add up. I couldn’t believe my ears. We’re not the only ones who discuss this?
I graduated from high school in 1976. Our class was known as the Bi-Centennial Senior Class – 200 years of America. But over the past 44 years, I’ve watched a country that I have loved, felt safe in and wanted my children – born in America to American citizens – to have that ‘American Dream’ decay into a place I no longer recognize. I doubt my children will see their dreams to the fullest as they will either be taking care of the world through incredible taxation or being taken care of by a global financial entity promising them utopia. With even my grandchildren, will they grow up wearing masks thinking this is how it always was because of Los Angeles and now, Colorado? As we begin to look like China, will we become China?
My son, a health care provider, told me TB has the same symptoms and is as contagious as this ‘novel’ coronovirus. Fifteen hundred (1500) people die everyday from TB and the country never locks down to destroy its own growing strong economy.
I’m tired of this – not being ‘set apart,’ but knowing that a government that I once trusted, I no longer do. I just don’t. You can if you want. You can watch your retirement investments go down, down, down. You can take your bailout money and watch inflation go high, high, high. Where are they getting $2 trillion? The amount adds $60,000 per person in taxes?
You can watch politicians like the King and Queen of Evil continue to babble mindlessly on the left; you can continue to support those on the right who were elected and are trying to do the best they can in this moment. You can believe there’s a virus that at some point is going to kill millions or will go away and life will continue on. I just don’t. I just don’t believe the rhetoric from either side any more. I’m sorry there are people dying, but people die everyday from so many different things that the focus of this virus reveals a deeper sickness.
There is no test for this virus so who knows what numbers are accurate? And, if there is a test, how was it made so fast? From what I understand, they are only testing for pneumonia. Pneumonia. A good friend in the medical field told me there is evidence that whatever tests they are doing in the UK were giving the virus to the people. Fresh, clean infected tests! Now, the Chinese want to send us masks because they can make them so fast.
There are other factors – putting Pentagon commanders in NORAD at Cheyenne Mountain, in Colorado Springs for a virus? That bunker was made for nuclear war! Watching Chinese videos showing that to go anywhere you need to QCode yourself safe in order to enter a business or restaurant? A nice tracking system in place, don’t ya think? How did that happen so fast? How did every business, restaurant and museum in China get a QCode so quickly? I’ve read articles from other countries that know China created a warfare virus, but that truth is covered up. Wuhan, China is the ‘ground zero’ for biowarfare for the world. Look it up. The facts are there.
I saw a meme the other day that mocked anti-vaxers with something like, ‘Now you know!’ Now we know what? The global community needs to be injected with some patented viral antidote for a patented virus in order to stay healthy or in order to always be sick? My understanding is that those with immune system weaknesses or other health issues are at risk. Don’t you think that all of the pharmaceuticals that people take on a daily basis affect their immune system and put their health more at risk? Drugs to control bodily functions is not health. Don’t be deceived.
I am healthy. No symptoms, no signs and I went through the Seattle Airport to get here. After talking to several health care professionals, it is highly probable that my daughter had the virus in January and passed it to all of us – dry cough, sore throat, high fever, exhaustion. I may already have the antibodies; I don’t need a test or a vaccine. I don’t need to prove to anyone that I am healthy or sick. It’s my body! Isn’t it? Or is that just a catch phrase for when one wants to murder a child?
For the record, I would rather die than be injected with whatever will be in any vaccine. I don’t eat unclean meats like pork or bat or monkey or bears or whatever is sold in wet markets in China. I don’t want to be injected with their DNA/RNA in order to have ‘immunity.’ I am immune! Be informed. Research Bill Gates, the vaccine guru, and what he is wanting to do with vaccines. He’s only focused on Africa because they are tribal nations and harder to get into his collective global community.
There is a theory touted ‘conspiracy’ being circulated regarding QAnon, the deep state and the cabal. It’s an interesting theory about bad vs. evil because it touts that the ‘swamp’ is truly going to be drained from ‘evil’ men by ‘bad’ men. The whole concept while sounding like a wonderful way to rid the world of evil is a humanistic approach to cutting down the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil vs. actually eating from the Tree of Life. The utopia will be brought in by men, not by God, not by Yeshua. There are aspects of the QAnon theory that would be nice with regard to destroying corrupt people in high places. For me, only if I see the King and Queen of political corruption brought down could I even begin to believe the far-reaching somewhat over-the-top claims of this theory.
5G. Research it yourself. Worse than the band width is the surveillance that it involves – and components were developed in China! Belgium refused it because it wanted nothing from China. Maybe we should have learned from them or India! Or even Taiwan who didn’t listen to anything China had to say about the virus and they’re just fine. Let’s stop dealing with China! My uncle said in the 1960s after being a marine during the Korean War that the US would become Communist without ever firing a bullet. It would implode from the inside out. It seems he was prophetic.
I don’t watch Glen Beck, but he’s spot on with this video. Grunt and roll your eyes all you who are more political than American, more Democracy oriented than Constitutional Republic, but he’s not lying. He is telling the truth. I remember reading in a newspaper in Rio de Janeiro 10 years ago about losing our fourth amendment rights for privacy. A foreign newspaper reported how the Patriot Act took away an American right! I never heard it from anyone else except for men like Glen Beck who are judged as conspiracy theorists or fear mongers. Remember it’s only conspiracy if it’s not true. Remember it’s fear that is being played on the American people right now from the media and government and not from radio talk show hosts.
Even now the right to free speech is infringed upon by those who don’t agree with what is being spoken or written. That’s why Facebook and the like remove posts and put people into ‘jail.’ The second amendment is being chipped away because of the fear mongering of those who don’t want to own firearms. Well, don’t own firearms, but don’t take away the right of an American to own firearms. Ironically, we watched the movie “Contagion” the other evening and leftist Matt Damon steals a weapon from his neighbor’s house to protect his own. Way to go, Matt! Steal!
The right to freedom of religion is being tested with the social distancing and gatherings of no more than 10 people. Some say they are doing it to protect people; others see it as an infringement on their right to gather. Anti-religion people think it’s the best thing since pulled pork. Those of faith discuss the differences happening between Islam and Christianity and what is allowed for one isn’t allowed for the other. There are those who say people of faith must abide by the laws of the land until they must break God’s laws, but then wasn’t the law of the land based on constitutional rights?
The right to a speedy trial is now being discussed so that anyone can be taken hostage and held for as long as ‘the powers that be’ deem necessary and you won’t have a lawyer or trial. We will lose due process with the possibility of being ‘put in captivity’ for a very long time even if we’re innocent. Of course we all have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, but at what cost and whose happiness?
Remember when the scanners were opened in airports and there was such a backlash? Now everyone does it because they just do. Except me. I still don’t go through them, haven’t even one time. Why? Because I want to exercise my rights as long as possible.
Ben Franklin once said, “Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.” He was right then and he’s right now. Which do you prefer as an American? Safety or Liberty? Even Patrick Henry understood the difference, “Give me liberty or give me death.”
Today we have leaders who tell us ‘everything will go back to normal.’ It won’t. It won’t because no one will actually stand up to the government and say ‘enough.’ First it was 14 days, now it’s 30 days, soon it will be months. When is enough, enough? As each of our liberties are chipped away, people become more thankful with the belief they are more safe than before. It’s a smoke screen for being controlled like communism. With the release of stimulus checks and the possibility of government bailouts of small businesses, we skipped socialism all together!
There are false prophets. Yeshua warned about false prophets and not to follow them or believe their prophecies. Before the destruction of Jerusalem, the false prophets said ‘everything would be all right.’ God said through His prophets that Jerusalem would be destroyed and the people taken into captivity. Which happened?
I do study Biblical prophecy and whether or not we are living in some of the Revelation seals, trumpets or bowls, I won’t say and be labeled a ‘false prophet.’ I do, however, see the framework for much that John saw in Revelation coming to pass, especially a global system without borders and the ‘mark of the beast.’ No one actually knows what it will be until is is required to buy and sell. But if it comes to having a QCode or you are required to have a vaccine that is branded on your arm, what will your choice be?
“First, understand this: during the Last Days, scoffers will come, following their own desires and asking, “Where is this promised ‘coming’ of his? For our fathers have died, and everything goes on just as it has since the beginning of creation” (2 Peter 3:3-4).
First, everything is not going to go on as it has since the beginning. There will come a time of distress such that has never come upon the world. All three major world religions know and teach this – Judaism, Islam and Christianity. For those who would say this kind of ‘stuff has happened forever’ never consider that Israel is the center of God’s plan, not the United States of America or even China. Before our generation, there was no Israel. There was no timepiece for any fulfillment of prophecies we are witnessing today because they all revolve around Israel. Why do you think that tiny little nation receives such negative reactions from the world? We do live in prophetic times.
Second, scoffers will scoff. They will mock those who choose a different path – swimming upstream like a salmon. Scoffers will go with the flow and do whatever they are told to do because to them everything else is a conspiracy. They will take whatever mark is given to them because they have put their faith in the wrong god – the government, the system of the ‘beast’ that is now ‘rising up out of the sea.’
I am not a scoffer, I am a believer. I believe what the Bible says about everything from the origin of life to death resulting from sin to repentance from sin for forgiveness to even the judgment of the righteous and the wicked. I believe in a coming Jewish King named Yeshua and his earthly reign for that Kingdom for 1000 years from Jerusalem. You want to live 1000 years? Well, put your faith not in adrenochrome, but in Yeshua and it will happen.
I also believe in a spiritual realm that is unseen and I walk by faith in that realm with glimpses into that realm when my ‘eyes’ are opened. Though I can view what is happening in this present world with a virus and how it will change not only this country, but the world, I know the Creator of the Universe. I know He has a plan and He is in control. I know the changes that are happening, however painful, will bring in the Millennial Kingdom and lead to eternity. Yeshua called these pains birthpangs and well, having gone through childbirth naturally four times, they only get stronger and closer together. The final event, coming out of the womb through the birth canal, is the hardest work with the greatest reward.
Still, what does that mean for me now? What am I to be doing? Apart from being informed, I am to ‘occupy’ until Messiah comes. If I am to die by the sword, I will die. If I am to be taken captive, I will be taken captive. In all scenarios, my faith and what I know is coming doesn’t change. I will witness with my death; I will witness in captivity; I will ‘occupy’ until Yeshua shows up with blood on his hands from the enemies of his people.
“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who change darkness into light and light into darkness, who change bitter into sweet and sweet into bitter!” (Isaiah 5:20).
To really know what is going to happen next, no one can be positive until it comes to pass. That is why we need to be prepared – not just physically with toilet paper and flour, but spiritually in our hearts and minds before the One who made us. The message of the gospel is not just about the love of God and the death of Yeshua, it’s about individual and national repentance and turning away from ungodliness and evil. Of course, that will be difficult in today’s global climate of abominations of life and lifestyle being accepted as normal and good. It is not easy, nor will it be easy for those who stand for righteousness to even be counted as worthy in this world any longer. Like the man from ‘My Pillows,’ those who are worthy of the Kingdom of God will be mocked and judged rather than heeded. This is prophesied too. Because of it, many righteous will perish. MANY.
I am living in an RV park in Las Vegas with a LOT of retirees. Apparently we’re not the only ones who discuss the discrepancies between what is seen and what we’re being told. I hope those who read this become informed people and stop being sheeple believing everything they’re told, but I also pray that those who read this have prepared themselves spiritually for what lies ahead. If not, it’s time to open your Bible and know the Truth so you can be set free.
Come Messiah. Bo Yeshua.
©2020 Tentstake Ministries Publishing, all rights reserved. No copying or reproducing of this article without crediting the author or Tentstake Ministries Publishing.
Chapter 7 – Servants of God
“After this, I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, so that no wind would blow on the land, on the sea or on any tree. I saw another angel coming up from the east with a seal from the living God, and he shouted to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea, “Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads!” I heard how many were sealed — 144,000 from every tribe of the people of Isra’el: From the tribe of Y’hudah, 12,000 were sealed, from the tribe of Re’uven, 12,000; from the tribe of Gad, 12,000; from the tribe of Asher, 12,000; from the tribe of Naftali, 12,000; from the tribe of M’nasheh, 12,000; from the tribe of Shim’on, 12,000; from the tribe of Levi, 12,000; from the tribe of Yissakhar, 12,000; from the tribe of Z’vulun, 12,000; from the tribe of Yosef, 12,000; from the tribe of Binyamin, 12,000” (Revelation 7:1-8).
After ‘the Lamb’ opens the sixth seal, there is an interlude before opening the seventh seal. Angels standing at the four corners of the earth hold back the four winds so that no wind (ruach) blows upon the land (eretz). The Hebrew word kanaph is translated into ‘four corners’ and means ‘to the extremity’ and ‘wings.’ These angels or messengers of Elohim stand at the ‘extremities of the earth’ or ‘as far as their wings ‘can go’ and hold back the four winds.
Years ago when I listened to one teacher of prophecy, he suggested that perhaps events in Revelation were not so much chronological, but happening at the same time. Whether all that happens with the four winds occurs simultaneously I don’t know, but all of the following Scriptures include the four winds and from the events it seems plausible that these events happen concurrently.
“Adonai-Tzva’ot says: ‘I will break ‘Eilam’s bow, the mainstay of their might. I will bring against ‘Eilam the four winds from the four quarters of the sky and scatter them to all those winds” (Jeremiah 49:35-36).
The four winds according to the prophet Jeremiah are the winds of war. The four winds will come against Eilam and scatter its people into those winds. The ancient name Eilam is the modern Iran. For a moment after the opening of the sixth seal, the ‘four winds’ of war and judgment will be held back.
“Next he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath! Prophesy, human being! Say to the breath that Adonai Elohim says, ‘Come from the four winds, breath; and breathe on these slain, so that they can live.’ So I prophesied as ordered, and the breath came into them, and they were alive! They stood up on their feet, a huge army!” (Ezekiel 37:9-10).
The ‘four winds’ according to the prophet Ezekiel bring forth the breath of life that raise the dead to life. In the moment after the opening of the sixth seal, the breath of life will enter dry bones preparing a massive army.
“I had a vision at night; I saw there before me the four winds of the sky breaking out over the great sea, and four huge animals came up out of the sea, each different from the others” (Daniel 7:2-3).
The prophet Daniel has a vision of the ‘four winds’ breaking out over the sea. In the moment following the sixth seal, four beasts will appear out of the nations. One, a lion with eagle’s wings, will stand on two legs and be given a human heart though not human, one like a bear gnawing on three ribs will be told to devour the flesh of humans, one like a leopard with bird’s wings and four heads will rule over humanity, and the last with iron teeth and 10 horns will crush whatever opposition remains.
“Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, all the tribes of the Land will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with tremendous power and glory. He will send out his angels with a great shofar; and they will gather together his chosen people from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other” (Matthew 24:30-31).
When Yeshua explained the signs before his return, he used the ‘four winds’ to reveal the ‘extremity’ of the places from where his chosen people would be gathered. In the moment following the opening of the sixth seal along with a great shofar blast, the chosen of Yeshua will be gathered from one end of heaven to the other.
In that moment when the ‘four winds’ of judgement are held back, the dead are raised, the chosen are gathered, and the demonic forces are prepared. A stillness will cover the land, the sea and the trees.
Another angel comes up from the ‘east.’ In the Hebrew the phrase is ‘to the east of the sun.’ The same phrase is translated in Psalm 113:3 as ‘sunrise.’
This messenger that ‘rises with the sun’ like the dawning of a ‘new day’ has the seal of Elohim. This messenger tells the other angels to ‘Wait!’ They are not to harm, injure or wound the sea and the trees until the servants of Elohim are sealed. The Hebrew word for ‘servant’ is avar which means ‘bondsman’. It comes from the word avodah which means ‘worker’ or ‘laborer.’ Those who are going to be sealed will be the ‘laborers’ for Elohim, they will be bound to Him in the time to follow the sixth seal.
The Seal of Elohim Himself
Once again a ‘seal’ is used to show the authenticity of Ehyeh Asher Ehyeh Himself. It is His seal that will ‘set apart’ those workers who He marks. The Hebrew word for ‘seal’ is chatham and is used for the word ‘sign’ of circumcision to ‘mark’ the covenant Elohim made with Avraham. In Romans 4:11, this ‘seal of righteousness’ was given to him because of his faith before he was circumcised in the flesh. The ‘seal’ of Elohim is a covenant mark and when it is established, it becomes ‘law’ and cannot be revoked or changed.
Revelation chapter 14 gives a little more insight into those in Isra’el who are given the covenant mark. First, they are men redeemed from among the men of Isra’el as firstfruits for Elohim and ‘the Lamb.’ They are not men redeemed from the world, but from the nation of Isra’el. Firstfruits is an allusion to the Feast of Firstfruits and a great harvest. Whether or not these firstfruits are those who are raised from the dust to become a great army is not specifically stated, but they are firstfruits and the symbolism is those who are raised from the dead.
“Isra’el is set aside for Adonai, the firstfruits of his harvest; all who devour him [Isra’el) will incur guilt; evil will befall them,” says Adonai” (Jeremiah 2:3).
“But the fact is that the Messiah has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have died” (1 Corinthians 15:20).
These men of Isra’el have never lied from their mouths. They have no fault, no blemish on their lives, and are considered blameless. They have not had sexual relations with women. In this day and age of apostasy and immorality, finding one or two men who are celibate is difficult, but Elohim will seal 144,000 Israeli men who have remained sexually pure and are virgins.
“These are the ones who have not been defiled [by relations] with women, for they are celibate. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These have been purchased and redeemed from among men [of Israel] as the first fruits [sanctified and set apart for special service] for God and the Lamb. No lie was found in their mouth, for they are blameless (spotless, untainted, beyond reproach)” (Revelation 14:4-5, Amplified Bible).
Over the years, I’ve read different perspectives about the ‘purity’ of these men. Those who don’t believe the verses mean physical purity suggest it is spiritual purity where these men never defiled themselves with other religions and/or Christian ideologies and denominations. There are also those who want to include women as part of those sealed. There is no suggestion of either of these perspectives in the Hebrew.
Though it would be politically correct in this modern age to include women, women weren’t called to be warriors. In our modern cultures, women in the military has become normal, but it is not part of Elohim’s kingdom culture. Men were the warriors with few exceptions. Though men and women can be workers for the Kingdom, the battle during the coming judgments to usher in the Kingdom of Yeshua are not meant for the faint of heart. The men sealed for the years of Jacob’s Trouble are unique men and were born and raised for this very purpose and time. Women being defiled with women is an abomination to Elohim and would automatically disqualify them from the equation.
As for spiritual purity, there is some merit to including this concept because with their ‘virginity’ and ‘sexual purity,’ these men are focused solely on being a ‘bondservant’ of Elohim. They have no deviated from serving Elohim and He is their entire life. Because of this, they may be the very men Adonai told Ezekiel to ‘seal.’ These ‘sealed’ men have not succumbed to accepting the abominations the culture condones nor approve of the behaviors. They grieve over the disgusting practices being allowed in the holy city of Jerusalem.
“Adonai said to him, “Go throughout the city, through all Yerushalayim, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who are sighing and crying over all the disgusting practices that are being committed in it” (Ezekiel 9:4).
Tribes of Israel
In this day, there are many non-Jews who claim to be Isra’el. Though as believers in Yeshua, non-Jews become part of the Olive Tree of Isra’el and join the community of Isra’el, they are not DNA Isra’el. Some may suggest that the ‘sign’ for Isra’el is the Shabbat based on Ezekiel 20:20 “and keep my shabbats holy; and they will be a sign between me and you, so that you will know that I am Adonai your God.” Though this may be a possibility, this ‘sign’ is for all Isra’el, not just men.
The ‘seal’ of Avraham and his descendants was ‘circumcision,’ and one of the ‘signs’ for a man to be of Israeli descent is ‘circumcision.’ It stands to reason that the 144,000 men who are sealed are actually descendants of the sons of Avraham, Yitzak, and Ya’kov except for those in the tribes of Ephraim and Dan.
The number of men who are sealed is 144,000 or 12,000 from each Tribe of Israel: Y’hudah, Reuben Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Manasseh, Simeon, Levi, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph and Benjamin.
There isn’t much description about the 144,000 in Revelation 7. They are just men being sealed from the 12 Tribes of Isra’el. In Revelation 14 details are given suggesting that perhaps as they walked through the days of tribulation, they were transformed from just men of Isra’el into powerful men of Elohim who became firstfruits of those redeemed from the earth singing a new song before the Creator of the Universe.
©2020 Tentstake Ministries Publishing, all rights reserved. No copying or reproducing of this article without crediting the author or Tentstake Ministries Publishing.
It’s Vegas – Baby
Our crazy excursion from Alaska to Nevada was meant to be. Every door we went through on our way here shut as soon as we passed. Anchorage shut down right after we left. Seattle airport was quite empty for 5:00 a.m. The plane to Las Vegas only had 48 passengers with a capacity of over 200. Las Vegas shut down their airport the day after we arrived except for people coming home. Canada shut their border two days after our arrival.
We picked up our new trailer at Blue Dog RV on Tuesday. We had about 3 hours to move everything from the Crusader into the Solitude which for now I’m calling Goshen. Let me just say that without my son and his girlfriend, we could never have accomplished the overwhelming task. The next day the dealership closed except for phone calls which doesn’t help much for an issue with a broken drawer.
We’re staying for the next month at the Las Vegas RV Resort on Nellis. All amenities like the clubhouse and pool are closed. One person at a time may enter the office. And, like everywhere else, toilet paper, paper towels, flour and sugar are non-existent. The worst part of this mess is that we have moved into a new ‘home’ and had no food. We have no need to stock up, just buy food. We had some toilet paper and paper towels hidden in the trailer. I found sugar on one of my adventures. Flour? Not to be found in Albertsons, Trader Joes, Sprouts or Whole Foods.
So, it’s Vegas, baby! Right? Not this time. We won’t be enjoying all the activities we had planned with our son and his girlfriend: zip-lining, hot air balloon ride, going up the Eiffel Tower in Paris, riding a gondola, and the rest of the experience that is The Strip. All of the casinos are closed, all of the hotels are closed, and all of the restaurants, too.
Our little resort is just off Flamingo which goes directly to the Flamingo on The Strip. My husband and I decided to take a little detour on the way to our son’s house to take pictures of this unprecedented event – the ghost town of Vegas. For those who have been here and know this city, note the number of vehicles on The Strip, the empty parking lots, the vacant sidewalks, and the missing fountains at the Bellagio. In fact, without all of the normal activity, The Strip is also silent.
Yes, this is Vegas, baby. We know we’re supposed to be here – for now. What God’s plan for us after our month is up, we have no clue. We had to cancel plans with our other son and his wife to go Jeepin’ in Moab. We have no idea if our reservations at Cherry Creek State Park and the KOA in Fort Collins will be honored. At some point, we need to head north to Alaska for the summer, but we don’t know when the border to Canada will be open. Yes, this nomadic life is always an adventure, but now is also challenging when we need to be able to find a place to park a rather large 5th wheel. Any suggestions?
©2020 Tentstake Ministries Publishing, all rights reserved. No copying or reproducing of this article without crediting the author or Tentstake Ministries Publishing.