(See the article by the same name. This study is part of The Resurrected Bride book.)
Related Bible studies, articles, and books:
The Resurrected Bride (book)
911; God’s Last Offer To The Church (book)
Profaning The Covenant (book)
Shelley’s Dream (article)
The Dry Bones Revival
Joined Together
Wholly Illumined, No Dark Part
Binding And Loosing
The Goodness Of God
The Presentation Of The Bride
Spiritual Metamorphosis
The Scriptures tell us of someone else who was sleeping in the boat. Unlike Jesus, his slumber was not due to his obedient walk, but rather because of his rebellion.
In the book of Jonah we read about a prophet who was called by God to cry out against the sin of Nineveh, the capital of Assyria. It was a very large city that was filled with wickedness, much like our nation’s capital. Jonah refused and tried to run from the presence of God. I see in this a picture of the American church that is, presently, running from their calling from the Lord to warn others of what God is about to do in the wicked cities of our nation, and the rest of the world. She too is sleeping in the ship while a great storm is building around her.
Because of her rebellion, the Lord has placed a spirit of deep sleep over her (Isaiah 28:9-10). In this spiritual state of slumber she is oblivious of the raging sea that is about to shipwreck her faith and destroy others. It will take a great shaking to awaken her. In the meantime, our entire nation is being affected by her sin.
Like the sailors on the ship with Jonah, fear will grip many hearts in the calamities that will strike us if she does not turn from her wickedness. As we’ll see, the cry of impending judgment is actually the mercy of God to let us know what He is about to do. Through it He is offering a window of opportunity to repent and be spared, whether that be an individual or a community. (See my book 911; God’s Last Offer To The Church.)
If, like the leaders of Nineveh, the leadership in these cities will issue a similar proclamation, asking its citizens to earnestly fast and seek the Lord, turning from their evil ways and their violence, and the people repent, God will relent concerning the calamity which He has declared He would bring upon them.
If this proclamation came from Washington DC, as some of our past presidents have declared, an entire nation could be spared. May those with ears to hear be burdened by the Lord to pray for their families, their city, and their nation.
Jonah 1:1-3 – Jonah disobeys God’s command to go to Nineveh and cry out against their wickedness. Instead, he paid the fare for a ship to Tarshish in an attempt to flee from the presence of God, which is impossible. He would soon learn that when choosing to flee from the calling of God there is always a price to pay. In fact, his sin would affect all those near him.
1 The word of the Lord came to Jonah [“dove”] the son of Amittai [“my truth”] saying,
2 "Arise, go to Nineveh [the capital of Assyria] the great city and cry against it, for their wickedness has come up before Me."
3 But Jonah rose up to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. So he went down to Joppa, found a ship which was going to Tarshish, paid the fare and went down into it to go with them to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord
NASU
Jonah 1:4-6 – See the note below.
4 The Lord hurled a great wind on the sea and there was a great storm on the sea so that the ship was about to break up.
5 Then the sailors became afraid and every man cried to his god, and they threw the cargo which was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. But Jonah had gone below into the hold of the ship, lain down and fallen sound asleep.
6 So the captain approached him and said, "How is it that you are sleeping? Get up, call on your god. Perhaps your god will be concerned about us so that we will not perish."
NASU
The storm of the Lord was so fierce that the ship was about to be destroyed. The strange thing in this is that Jonah was below deck, fast asleep. The unbelievers in the ship, as well as myself, wondered how this could be at such an extremely tumultuous moment.
After they discovered through the casting of lots that the storm was because of Jonah, he confessed to them, saying, “on account of me this great storm has come upon you.” (Jonah 1:12/NASU)
Although this applies to an individual or a group, I see in this a picture of what our nation will go through because of the rebellion among God’s people. As a whole, the church in America has rejected her call from God to go out and warn others of God’s wrath in the day of the Lord that will soon occur. We used to lead the world in sending out many missionaries to many different people groups. Now, the majority of the church sits back in a self-glorifying state of apathetic indifference, asleep in the hold. Unless they are soon awakened, their faith will be shipwrecked and they, along with those near them who they refused to warn, will perish.
A Spirit Of Deep Sleep
Isaiah 29:9-10 – See the note below.
9 Be delayed and wait, Blind yourselves and be blind; They become drunk, but not with wine, They stagger, but not with strong drink.
10 For the Lord has poured over you a spirit of deep sleep [8639], He has shut your eyes, the prophets; And He has covered your heads, the seers.
NASU
OT:8639 tardemah (tar-day-maw')
(Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)
from OT:7290; a lethargy or (by implication) trance:
KJV - deep sleep.
(Brown Driver Briggs Hebrew Lexicon)
a deep sleep, a trance
In the Lord’s indictment against Jerusalem, He says that He will pour over them a spirit of “deep sleep,” shutting their eyes, meaning the prophets, and covering their heads, the seers, so that they could not understand the vision. Because of their rebellion against the Lord it would be hidden from them.
The Hebrew word we interpret in English as “deep sleep” is tardemah (tar-day-maw'). It’s described as “a lethargy or trance.” Lethargy is defined as a lack of energy and enthusiasm, of abnormal drowsiness. It’s also described by Merriam-Webster as; “the quality or state of being lazy, sluggish, or indifferent.” This aptly describes the present spiritual condition of the church in America concerning our call from God.
The prophets, who are the eyes of the Body, have been shut in most denominations. Often, they are told they are not for today thereby blinding the Body of Christ. A preacher can give you a nice three point sermon looking back from today, but only the prophet is given the eyes to see what lies ahead through the word of the Lord.
The Lord continues in Isaiah with His rebuke of His people, saying;
“Because this people draw near with their words and honor Me with their lip service, but they remove their hearts far from Me, and their reverence for Me consists of tradition learned by rote, Therefore behold, I will once again deal marvelously with this people, wondrously marvelous; And the wisdom of their wise men will perish, and the discernment of their discerning men will be concealed.” (Isaiah 29:13-14/NASU)
Jesus quoted this passage when He rebuked the Pharisees and scribes in Matthew 15:7-9, calling them hypocrites. Much of our reverence today in the church is of the same spirit. We too have become filled with religious traditions of worship that consist of rules taught by men. Like these religious leaders in Jesus’ day, the majority of the leadership in the church today have invalidated the word of God for the sake of their traditions (Matthew 15:6).
Invalidating The Word Of God
Biblically speaking, to invalidate God’s word is to render it void, to deprive it of force and authority. Useless traditions of man have caused it to be of no effect in the lives of those who remain in these congregations. The word of God makes no progress in those who are under these blind leaders. Jesus told His disciples;
“Let them alone; they are blind guides of the blind. And if a blind man guides a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”
(Matthew 15:14/NASU)
In his letter to the believers in the city of Ephesus, Paul encourages them to be imitators of God in their walks. After warning them to not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but to even expose them, he then declares; “Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” (Ephesians 5:14/NASU)
To awake is to arouse from sleep, from a lethargic state. The captain of the ship was used by God to do this with Jonah. I see a great shaking coming to our land that will be used to arouse the church in America. The question that comes to my mind is who, or what will the Lord use for us? We will soon find out.
To arise from the dead (in heart) is to stand up, or to make a stand by not participating with the unfruitful deeds of darkness, separating yourself from them lest you be separated with them when the Lord acts (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43). When we do this, in an act of consecration unto the Lord, sanctifying Christ as Lord in our hearts (1 Peter 3:15), He will shine on us for others to see His light. Without this we, and they, will not see the Way of salvation in Christ. This is why we who have received Jesus Christ as our Messiah must be careful how we walk, not foolishly but to understand what the will of the Lord is in order to then do it (Ephesians 5:15-17).
The Lord’s salvation of His people draws near and many are sleeping. God in His mercy will use a great shaking in the world at the end of this age to awaken those that have become lazy in their Christian walks and been given over to the spirit of deep sleep through continued participation with the works of darkness.
Romans 13:10-14 – The Lord’s salvation of His people draws near and many are sleeping, in a spirit of deep sleep. God in His mercy will use a great shaking in the world at the end of this age to awaken those of His people that have become lazy in their Christian walks and been given over to the spirit of deep sleep through participation with deeds of darkness. (See the Bible study The Dry Bones Revival; the “rattling” of the bones is, by definition, their shaking!)
10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
11 Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken [1453- see def. above] from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed. [“first believed”]
12 The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.
13 Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy.
14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.
NASU
Removing The Bride To Be
Genesis 2:20-25 – See the note below.
20 The man gave names to all the cattle, and to the birds of the sky, and to every beast of the field, but for Adam there was not found a helper suitable for him.
21 So the Lord God caused a deep sleep [8639] to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place.
22 The Lord God fashioned [“to build, establish, construct, rebuild”] into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man.
23 The man said, "This is now bone of my bones, And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man."
24 For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh. [See the Bible study Joined Together.]
25 And the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.
NASU
There is another event, a hidden one of great joy that is taking place during the deep sleep that now envelops the Body of Christ. The Bible reveals it for us in Genesis when God formed Eve, the first bride. While the Body of the second Adam, who is Christ, is in a deep sleep that has been induced by the Lord Himself, He has removed His chosen ones who, because of their love and devotion to Him, will be established as His Bride. They are in the process of being built up in Him and will be presented back to Him as His beloved. They will be His perfected Bride, the pure children of the One who bore them (S.O.S. 6:9). Her unveiling to the world will be for the glory of her Heavenly Bridegroom. (And the defeat of His enemies! S.O.S. 6:4, 10; the bride is an army with banners! See the Bible study The Dry Bones Revival). To God be the glory!
God’s Life-givers
John 1:4-9 – John declares that Jesus’ life is the light of men. See the note below.
4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.
5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.
6 There came a man sent from God, whose name was John.
7 He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him.
8 He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light.
9 There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man.
NASU
The Bible tells us that Adam gave his newly presented bride the name Eve which means “life-giver.” She would be the one who, being implanted with the seed of her husband, would be used to bring forth, through labor and hardship, new life on earth in the image of her husband (Genesis 3:16). This new birth is being painfully continued on earth through those who are also known by the second Adam as His life-givers.
This life-giving light does not originate from man, but from God. Jesus said;
“I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” (John 8:12/NASU)
His light-bearing followers are sent into the darkness of the world to testify about His Son so that those living in darkness may see that Jesus Christ is the Messiah that was sent to all mankind for our salvation.
When we walk in disobedience, His light remains hidden from those who do not yet possess Him. This is why Jesus exhorts His followers, saying;
“Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”
(Matthew 5:16/NASU)
Indeed, church, WE are His light for the world that must not be hidden through careless neglect and spiritual laziness of heart. LET your light shine before mankind before the deep darkness engulfs them in the great and terrible Day of the Lord’s vengeance on all wickedness. They must see and understand through His witnesses that the Savior of the world gave Himself at Calvary for their salvation.
Ephesians 5:11-17 – See the note below.
11 Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them;
12 for it is disgraceful even to speak of the things which are done by them in secret.
13 But all things become visible when they are exposed by the light, for everything that becomes visible is light.
14 For this reason it says, "Awake [1453], sleeper [2518], and arise [450] from the dead, and Christ will shine [“to illuminate”] on you." [See definition for Joppa in Acts 9:36-43 below.]
15 Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise,
16 making the most of your time, because the days are evil.
17 So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.
NASU
NT:1453 egeiro (eg-i'-ro)
(Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)
probably akin to the base of NT:58 (through the idea of collecting one's faculties); to waken (transitively or intransitively), i.e. rouse (literally, from sleep, from sitting or lying, from disease, from death; or figuratively, from obscurity, inactivity, ruins, nonexistence):
KJV - awake, lift (up), raise (again, up), rear up, (a-) rise (again, up), stand, take up.
(Thayer’s Greek Lexicon)
properly, rise, i. e. Up! Come!
1. to arouse from sleep, to awake (Acts 12:7)
2. to arouse from the sleep of death, to recall the dead to life (John 5:21)
3. in later usage generally to cause to rise, raise, from a seat, bed, etc.
a. of one sitting (John 11:29 Matthew 9:19)
b. of one reclining (John 13:4)
c. of one lying, to raise up (Acts 10:26)
d. of one "down" with disease, lying sick: active (Mark 9:27; Acts 3:7)
4. To raise up, produce, cause to appear
a. to cause to appear, bring before the public Acts 13:23
b. to raise up, incite, stir up, against one
c. to raise up, i. e. cause to be born (Matthew 3:9)
d. of buildings, to raise, construct, erect (John 2:19)
NT:2518 katheudo (kath-yoo'-do)
(Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)
from NT:2596 and heudo (to sleep); to lie down to rest, i.e. (by implication) to fall asleep (literally or figuratively):
KJV - (be a-) sleep.
(Thayer’s Greek Lexicon)
1. to fall asleep, to drop off to sleep (Matthew 25:5)
2. to sleep
a. properly (Matthew 8:24; 9:24)
b. euphemistically, to be dead (1 Thess. 5:10)
c. metaphorically, to yield to sloth and sin, and be indifferent to one's salvation (Eph. 5:14)
NT:450 anistemi (an-is'-tay-mee)
(Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)
from NT:303 and NT:2476; to stand up (literal or figurative, transitive or intransitive):
KJV - arise, lift up, raise up (again), rise (again), stand up (-right).
(Thayer’s Greek Lexicon)
I. Transitively, in the present 1 aorist and future active, to cause to rise, raise up
a. properly, of one lying down (Acts 9:41)
b. to raise up from death (John 6:39,44,54)
c. to raise up, cause to be born (Matthew 22:24)
II. Intransitively, in the perfect pluperfect and 2 aorist active, and in the middle voice
1. to rise, stand up
a. of persons lying down (on a couch or bed) (Mark 1:35)
of persons lying on the ground (Mark 9:27)
b. of persons seated (Luke 4:16)
c. of those who leave a place to go elsewhere (Matthew 9:9)
d. of the dead (Matthew 17:9)
2. to arise, appear, stand forth; of kings, prophets, priests, leaders of insurgents (Acts 5:36)
In his letter to the believers in the city of Ephesus, Paul encourages them to be imitators of God in their walks. After warning them to not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but to even expose them, he then declares; “Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” To awake is to arouse from sleep, from a lethargic state like the captain of the ship did with Jonah. To arise from the dead is to stand up (see the Bible study The Dry Bones Revival; the exceedingly great army that stood on their feet in Ezekiel 37:10), or to make a stand by not participating with the unfruitful deeds of darkness, separating yourself from it lest you be separated with it (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43). When we do this, in an act of consecration unto the Lord (sanctifying Christ as Lord in our hearts; 1 Peter 3:15), He will shine on us for others to see His light (see the Bible study Wholly Illumined, No Dark Part). Without this we, and they, will not see the Way of salvation. This is why we who have received Christ (John 1:12) must be careful how we walk, not foolishly but to understand what the will of the Lord is.
Alert And Sober Minded
1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 – To be awakened is to be alert (watchful) and sober (minded). You are cautious in regards to your Christian walk, being careful not to become slothful and indulging in sin with those who walk in darkness. Paul compares this place to the night when most people do their sleeping and drinking. He exhorts us to be careful, living a life of self-control and obedience, putting on the provision of the Lord, His garment of salvation, so as to be ready for His return. The day of the Lord is a day of His wrath. We are in the day of His mercy now. It is a door in the ark of His deliverance that will not be open forever.
1 Now as to the times and the epochs, brethren, you have no need of anything to be written to you.
2 For you yourselves know full well that the day of the Lord will come just like a thief in the night.
3 While they are saying, "Peace and safety!" then destruction will come upon them suddenly like labor pains upon a woman with child, and they will not escape.
4 But you, brethren, are not in darkness, that the day would overtake you like a thief;
5 for you are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness;
6 so then let us not sleep [2518- see Eph. 5:14 above] as others do, but let us be alert [“to keep awake, to watch, i.e. give strict attention to”] and sober.
7 For those who sleep do their sleeping at night, and those who get drunk get drunk at night.
8 But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on [“to enter into, get into, as in clothes”] the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation.
9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
10 who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him.
11 Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.
NASU
Paul compares this place of being slothful in our devotion to Christ to the darkness of night when most people do their sleeping and drinking. He exhorts us to be careful, living a life of self-control and obedience, putting on the provision of the Lord, His garment of salvation, so as to be ready for His return.
The day of the Lord is a day of His wrath, a day of deep darkness that will cover the earth (Isaiah 60:2). Without the light of His word illuminating the way in which we should go, we will find ourselves dwelling in the dark, unable to see the path leading to our salvation. We are in the day of His mercy now. It is a door in the ark of His deliverance, though, that will not be open forever.
The Prayer Of Repentance
Jonah 1:17-2:4 – See the note below.
17 And the Lord appointed [“to tell, to assign, to prepare, to ordain”] a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the stomach of the fish three days and three nights.
1 Then Jonah prayed to the Lord his God from the stomach of the fish,
2 and he said, "I called out of my distress [“tightness, straits, trouble”] to the Lord, And He answered me. I cried for help from the depth of Sheol; You heard my voice.
3 "For You had cast [“to throw, to hurl, to fling”] me into the deep, Into the heart of the seas, And the current engulfed me. All Your breakers and billows passed over me.
4 "So I said, 'I have been expelled [1644] from Your sight. Nevertheless I will look again toward Your holy temple.'
NASU
OT:1644 garash (gaw-rash')
(Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)
a primitive root; to drive out from a possession; especially to expatriate or divorce:
KJV - cast up (out), divorced (woman), drive away (forth, out), expel, surely put away, trouble, thrust out.
to drive out, to expel, to cast out, to drive away, to divorce, to put away, to thrust away, trouble, to cast up
a) (Qal) to thrust out, to cast out
b) (Niphal) to be driven away, to be tossed
c) (Piel) to drive out, to drive away
d) (Pual) to be thrust out
Like Jonah, there are those who are running from God’s Presence and now find themselves in the depths of affliction. To run from God’s call is to arrive by Divine design at a prepared place of trouble that is intended to produce repentance. It is for our good so as not to remain banished from Him. “God does not take away life, but plans ways so that the banished [5080- “to be thrust out, to be driven away”] one will not be cast out [5080] from him.” (2 Samuel 14:14/NASU) The Lord had prepared a way for Jonah to repent and return. This is interesting because Jesus told His disciples that He was going back to the father to prepare a place for them. It seems as though which place this is will be determined by our response to His call.
To be expelled is defined in Hebrew as “to drive out from a possession; especially to expatriate or divorce.” An expatriate describes a person who is temporarily or permanently living outside their native country. If you are running from God, what will it take to make you turn back to Him? To what depth must you be cast in order to respond in obedience to God’s call on your life? In His rebuke of Israel for their spiritual harlotry, the Lord declared through the prophet; “I will go away and return to My place until they acknowledge their guilt and seek My face; In their affliction they will earnestly seek Me.” (Hosea 5:9/NASU) Without repentance many in the church in America will also experience a great depth of distress for not answering their call after turning to Christ.
Forfeiting God’s Grace
Jonah 2:8 – See the note below.
8 "Those who cling [“to keep, to guard, to give heed, to retain”] to worthless idols [1892] forfeit [5800] the grace [2617- “loving-kindness; steadfast love; grace; mercy; faithfulness; goodness [see the Bible study The Goodness Of God]; devotion.”] that could be theirs. [See The Breath Of Life in the Bible study The Dry Bones Revival; “worthless idols” definition below: “breath, vanity, idol; something meaningless and purposeless.” The breath of man, the word of man is meaningless, empty, without life.]
NIV
Jonah 2:8
8 "Those who regard vain idols [1892] Forsake [5800] their faithfulness [2617],
NASU
Jonah 2:8
8 "Those who regard worthless idols [1892] forsake [5800] their own Mercy [2617].
NKJV
BREATH
hebel [OT:1892] – “breath; vanity; idol.” Cognates of this noun occur in Syriac, late Aramaic, and Arabic. All but 4 of its 72 occurrences are in poetry (37 in Ecclesiastes).
First, the word represents human “breath” as a transitory thing: “I loathe it; I would not live always: let me alone; for my days are vanity [literally, but a breath]” Job 7:16.
Second, hebel means something meaningless and purposeless: “Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity” Eccl. 1:2.
Third, this word signifies an “idol,” which is unsubstantial, worthless, and vain: “They have moved me to jealousy with that which is not God; they have provoked me to anger with their vanities...” Deut. 32:21 — the first occurrence.
(from Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words, Copyright © 1985, Thomas Nelson Publishers.)
OT:5800 `azab (aw-zab')
(Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)
a primitive root; to loosen, i.e. relinquish, permit, etc.:
KJV - commitself, fail, forsake, fortify, help, leave (destitute, off), refuse, surely.
(Brown Driver Briggs Hebrew Lexicon)
1) to leave, to loose, to forsake
a) (Qal) to leave
1) to depart from, to leave behind, to leave, to let alone
2) to leave, to abandon, to forsake, to neglect, to apostatize
3) to let loose, to set free, to let go, to free
b) (Niphal)
1) to be left to
2) to be forsaken
c) (Pual) to be deserted
2) to restore, to repair
(Qal) to repair
This is part of the prayer of repentance of Jonah while he was in the stomach of the great fish. It’s interesting that one of the definitions of hebel, the Hebrew for worthless idols in Vine's Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words is that “it represents human ‘breath’ as a transitory [“not permanent, fleeting”] thing.” It’s also defined as something meaningless and purposeless. This is in direct contrast to the breath of life that comes from the Spirit of God.
The Hebrew word `azab (aw-zab') [5800] which is interpreted in different versions as “forfeit” and “forsake” is defined as “to leave, to loosen, to let go [see Mark 7:8/NIV, Prov. 4:13, Jer. 17:4 (look up def. of “let go”/NASU)], to forsake, to depart from.” To forfeit God’s grace is to loosen yourself of Christ, to leave or let go of Him (see the Bible study Binding And Loosing).
A Second Chance
Jonah 3:1-4 – See the note below.
1 Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying,
2 "Arise, go to Nineveh the great city and proclaim to it the proclamation which I am going to tell you."
3 So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh according to the word of the Lord. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three days' walk.
4 Then Jonah began to go through the city one day's walk; and he cried out and said, "Yet forty days and Nineveh will be overthrown [2015]."
NASU
OT:2015 haphak (haw-fak')
(Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)
a primitive root; to turn about or over; by implication, to change, overturn, return, pervert:
KJV - become, change, come, be converted, give, make [a bed], overthrow (-turn), perverse, retire, tumble, turn (again, aside, back, to the contrary, every way).
(Brown Driver Briggs Hebrew Lexicon)
to turn, to overthrow, to overturn
a) (Qal)
1) to overturn, to overthrow
2) to turn, to turn about, to turn over, to turn around
3) to change, to transform
b) (Niphal)
1) to turn oneself, to turn, to turn back
2) to change oneself
3) to be perverse
4) to be turned, to be turned over, to be changed, to be turned against
5) to be reversed
6) to be overturned, to be overthrown
7) to be upturned
c) (Hithpael)
1) to transform oneself
2) to turn this way and that, to turn every way
d) (Hophal) to turn on someone
Having spent three days and three nights in the stomach of the fish, Jonah readily went where he was told to by God. Often when God calls you to proclaim something in His name He will not give you the full proclamation until you “arise and go.” The same thing happened to Moses. God told him that on his way back to Egypt He would teach him what to say and what to do (Exodus 4:12, 15). First, though, he had to get going.
The Hebrew for “overthrown” is haphak (haw-fak'). Its definition reveals something very interesting. It means “to turn, to overthrow, to overturn; by implication, to change, overturn, return, pervert.” We see through this that when God sends a message of coming judgment it comes with an offer to repent. His mercy is to let us know first before He acts. If we repent we’ll be spared, like Nineveh. If not we will suffer the consequences, no matter what we claim to be with our mouth.
The Proclamation
Jonah 3:5-10 – See note below.
5 Then the people of Nineveh believed in God; and they called a fast and put on sackcloth from the greatest to the least of them.
6 When the word reached the king of Nineveh, he arose from his throne, laid aside his robe from him, covered himself with sackcloth and sat on the ashes.
7 He issued a proclamation and it said, "In Nineveh by the decree of the king and his nobles: Do not let man, beast, herd, or flock taste a thing. Do not let them eat or drink water.
8 "But both man and beast must be covered with sackcloth; and let men call on God earnestly that each may turn from his wicked way and from the violence which is in his hands.
9 "Who knows, God may turn and relent and withdraw His burning anger so that we will not perish."
10 When God saw their deeds, that they turned from their wicked way [see 2 Chron. 7:14], then God relented concerning the calamity which He had declared He would bring upon them. And He did not do it.
NASU
This part of the narrative is incredible to me. It shows the desired result of crying out against wickedness. The Bible tells that after Jonah walked through Nineveh, declaring that God’s judgment would occur in forty days, that they miraculously repented and God relented.
When an individual repents, they are forgiven and protected from God’s judgment. When a father repents, he and those under the covering of his home are protected. When the leader of a city or nation proclaims a fast for its citizens under their care to earnestly call upon God and to turn from their wicked ways, a much greater segment of the population, even a nation, can be spared. This has, in fact, been witnessed numerous times by our nation throughout our history.
The awakening of the sleeping Bride within the church in America will occur as we are moved by God to remember, repent, and then renew the covenant our nation has with God (see chapter 12, Remember, Repent, Renew in my book Profaning The Covenant). It is the only way to finish our call.
Peter Raising Up The Dead in Joppa (Acts 9:36-43)
(Also see Acts 3:1-10 and Luke 8:49-56.)
Long after Jonah’s attempt to run from God by going to Joppa and boarding a ship to Tarshish, a remarkable incident is recorded for us in the New Testament that occurred within the same city.
A woman named Tabitha who was a disciple of Jesus had died. The disciples sent for Peter who then came and miraculously raised her from the dead. The miracle alone is noteworthy in this description, but there is something else hidden within this story that I see pertaining to the Bride of Christ.
At the time of Tabitha’s death, Peter was nearby in the city of Lydda. By the name of Jesus Christ he healed a man who had been bedridden for eight years. Many who saw the man afterwards turned to the Lord. From here he would go to Joppa where the next miracle of healing would occur.
The Bible says that the two men who were sent to get him pleaded with him, saying, “Do not delay in coming to us.”(Acts 9:38) Our prayer regarding the condition of the seemingly dead Bride of Christ and His coming to her aid should be of the same urgent manner. The church in America is truly in a critical situation.
After Tabitha had become sick and died, her body was washed and placed in an upper room (Acts 9:37). Even though she had been cleansed, she was still a dead body at this point, void of any life. It is important to notice that it was those who were alive that washed her. Obviously, the dead cannot wash the dead. Only those filled with the breath of life have that capability. This is also true in the spiritual realm. We cannot give what we do not possess.
Acts 9:36-43 – In Joppa a woman named Tabitha (Dorcas in Greek) had died. The disciples sent for Peter.
36 Now in Joppa [from a word that means “to shine, be beautiful”] there was a disciple named Tabitha [“the gazelle”](which translated in Greek is called Dorcas [“a wild she goat, a gazelle”]); this woman was abounding with deeds of kindness and charity which she continually did. [See Ephesians 5:14 above.]
37 And it happened at that time that she fell sick and died; and when they had washed [“to bathe (the whole person), to wash the body”] her body, they laid it in an upper room.
38 Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, having heard that Peter was there, sent two men to him, imploring him, "Do not delay in coming to us." [see Rev. 10:6]
39 So Peter arose and went with them. When he arrived, they brought him into the upper room; and all the widows stood beside him, weeping and showing all the tunics and garments that Dorcas used to make while she was with them.
40 But Peter sent them all out and knelt down and prayed, and turning to the body, he said, "Tabitha, arise [450]." And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up.
41 And he gave her his hand and raised her up [450]; and calling [“to invite”] the saints and widows, he presented [3936] her alive [2198]. [See The Presentation Of The Bride]
42 It became known all over Joppa, and many believed in the Lord.
43 And Peter stayed many days in Joppa with a tanner named Simon.
NASU
NT:450 anistemi (an-is'-tay-mee)
(Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)
from NT:303 and NT:2476; to stand up (literal or figurative, transitive or intransitive):
KJV - arise, lift up, raise up (again), rise (again), stand up (-right).
(Brown Driver Briggs Hebrew Lexicon)
I. Transitively, in the present 1 aorist and future active, to cause to rise, raise up
a. properly, of one lying down: Acts 9:41
b. to raise up from death: John 6:39 f,44,54
c. to raise up, cause to be born Matthew 22:24
II. Intransitively, in the perfect pluperfect and 2 aorist active, and in the middle voice
1. to rise, stand up
a. of persons lying down (on a couch or bed): Mark 1:35
of persons lying on the ground: Mark 9:27
b. of persons seated: Luke 4:16
c. of those who leave a place to go elsewhere: Matthew 9:9
d. of the dead Matthew 17:9
2. to arise, appear, stand forth; of kings, prophets, priests, leaders of insurgents: Acts 5:36 f
NT:3936 paristemi (par-is'-tay-mee); or prolonged paristano (par-is-tan'-o)
(Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)
from NT:3844 and NT:2476; to stand beside, i.e. (transitively) to exhibit, proffer, (specifically) recommend, (figuratively) substantiate; or (intransitively) to be at hand (or ready), aid:
KJV - assist, bring before, command, commend, give presently, present, prove, provide, shew, stand (before, by, here, up, with), yield.
(Brown Driver Briggs Hebrew Lexicon)
transitive: to present, to bring into one's presence, to show; to offer to yield, to dedicate; to provide, to send; to prove (Acts 24:13); intransitive: to stand by, to be present, to stand; to come; to stand before; to stand together (Acts 4:26);
paristeemi; paristanoo
1. The present, imperfect, future and 1 aorist active have a transitive sense
a. to place beside or near (para, IV. 1); to set at hand; to present; to proffer; to provide: kteenee
(Acts 23:24)
b. to present (show) by argument, to prove: ti (Acts 24:13)
2. to stand beside, stand by or near, to be at hand, be present
a. universally, to stand by: tini, to stand beside one (Acts 1:10)
b. to appear: with a predicate nominative followed by enoopion tinos (Acts 4:10)
c. to be at hand, stand ready: used of assailants, absolutely (Acts 4:26)
d. to stand by to help, to succor (Romans 16:2)
e. to be present; to have come: of time (Mark 4:29)
NT:2198 zao (dzah'-o)
(Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)
a primary verb; to live (literally or figuratively):
KJV - life (-time), (a-) live (-ly), quick.
(Brown Driver Briggs Hebrew Lexicon)
I. properly,
1. to live, be among the living, be alive (not lifeless, not dead) (Acts 20:12)
2. to enjoy real life, i. e. to have true life and worthy of the name -- active, blessed, endless in the
kingdom of God
3. to live i. e. pass life, of the manner of living and acting; of morals or character:
II. Metaphorically, of inanimate things
a. living water, i. e. bubbling up, gushing forth, flowing, with the suggested idea of refreshment is
figuratively used of the spirit and truth of God as satisfying the needs and desires of the soul
(John 4:10 f)
b. having vital power in itself and exerting the same upon the soul (1 Peter 1:3)
Upon hearing what had happened to Tabitha, the Bible says that Peter arose and went to see her. The Greek for “arise”is anistemi (an-is'-tay-mee). It means “to stand up, to cause to rise, to rise up.” It is written that Peter turned toward the dead body first and then commanded her to arise. In this passage is a picture of the raising up of the Lord’s bride and her presentation to the “invited” ones.
Again, this is similar to Ezekiel’s vision of the dry bones being filled with the breath of life from God and standing up on their feet as he prophesied. It is the word of the Lord coming through His anointed servants that will awaken those who are in a deep sleep in the church. Their spiritual eyes will be opened, enabling them to see the outstretched hand of the One who can raise them up.
Joppa happens to come from a Hebrew word that means “to shine, be beautiful.” I am reminded of Paul’s exhortation by the Spirit to the church in Ephesus when he said, “Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine [“to illuminate”] on you.” (Ephesians 5:14)
Like Tabitha in Joppa, a remnant within the dead body of Christ will soon be washed through repentance and brought back to life. In her revived state she will then arise and shine with God’s glory, revealing His beauty that she has been covered with to the world.
The Upper Room
There are other notable events in the Bible that occurred in an upper room. The first was what most refer to as “the last supper” that Jesus partook of with the disciples. It was actually a Passover Seder that they ate together.
Before the meal His disciples said to Him, “Where do You want us to go and prepare for You to eat the Passover?”Jesus then sent two of the disciples with the following instructions;
“Go into the city, and a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him; and wherever he enters, say to the owner of the house, 'The Teacher says, ‘Where is My guest room in which I may eat the Passover with My disciples?’ And he himself will show you a large upper room furnished and ready; prepare for us there.” (Mark 14:12-15/NASU)
It’s noteworthy that the man who led them to the upper room was carrying a pitcher of water, a depiction of the need for cleansing. As with Tabitha’s dead body that was washed in an upper room, Jesus, in an upper room was about to explain that He would be crucified in order to provide a way to wash His body of followers. He was the Passover lamb that, when applied through repentance, was sacrificed for the forgiveness of our sin.
The Greek interpreted in English “prepare” means “to make ready, the act of preparing, readiness.” I believe the Teacher is asking us the same question today, “Where is My prepared guest room within you that I may come and dine with you?” (Revelation 3:20) A prepared heart is one that has been cleansed through the blood of Christ and is “dressed in readiness” (Luke 12:35). Being made ready they are looking with great anticipation for the return of Christ.
Jesus used the same Greek word in His parable of the king who gave a wedding feast for his son. He said that a king sent some servants to tell those who had been invited that he had “prepared” his dinner and everything was ready. It was time to come to the wedding banquet, “But they paid no attention.” (Matthew 22:4-5) Many in the church of America are now acting in the same manner. Jesus has prepared His “feast” but not many have prepared their hearts. How many cities will He be enraged at because of this? (Matthew 22:7)
It was also in the upper room where the Spirit was poured out on the disciples. Those who prepare their hearts by faith, cleansing them by the washing of the word of truth in these final moments of this age, will also be among those who receive the final outpouring of the Spirit for the final harvest of the earth.
The Cleansing Word Of God
In Paul’s exhortation to the church in Corinth he tells them to separate from all that would keep God from welcoming them as sons and daughters. He writes;
“Come out from their midst and be separate” says the Lord. “And do not touch what is unclean; and I will welcome you. And I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to Me,” says the Lord Almighty. Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting [“to bring to an end, complete”] holiness in the fear of God. Make room for us in your hearts…”
(2 Corinthians 6:17-7:2/NASU)
Paul was saying to them, and to us, that it is crucial to cleanse ourselves through separation from all that would cause filthiness within us, staining our inner man. We are to perfect or complete holiness (sanctification) in the fear of God, knowing that without our “coming out from their midst” we will not receive the promise of being welcomed. Instead, like the foolish virgins who did not take serious the midnight call to prepare, we, by not making room for the Lord in our hearts, will not be allowed into the wedding feast.
In comparing Christ’ love for the church to the love a husband should have for his wife, Paul said to the believers in the city of Ephesus;
“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.”
(Ephesians 5:25-27/NASU)
This reminds me of the dry bones that came together as a body after Ezekiel prophesied over them with the living word of the Lord (Ezekiel 37:1-10). Even though a body came together, it was still lifeless. It wasn’t until Ezekiel prophesied the second time that the breath of life from God filled them and they stood on their feet as a great army. This is a picture of what will soon occur. By the word of the Lord spoken through His life-givers, the “exceedingly great army” of God will rise up and defeat all of His enemies (we’ll discuss this further in the next chapter).
The preparing and raising up of a pure and spotless Bride in all her glory, holy and blameless, is for the Divine purpose of the Lord presenting her back to Himself, as He did with Eve to the first Adam. Paul refers to this preparation in his letter to Titus;
“He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal [“renovation”] by the Holy Spirit…”
(Titus 3:5/NIV)
It is the new birth and subsequent renewal by the Holy Spirit that will ensure the joining together of Christ and His Bride as one.
When Peter arrived in Joppa the local Christians spoke to him about all that Tabitha had done in the Lord’s name. It is written that she was “abounding with deeds of kindness and charity which she continually did.” (Acts 9:36) I think this speaks favorably toward some who are now sleeping in apathy in the church. Thankfully, the Lord is merciful. He remembers the deeds of kindness that we have done in the past.
In fact, He mentioned past deeds (works) when speaking to the seven churches in Revelation. Before His rebuke and call for them to repent, He would mention their works. It was a reminder to them to remember from where they had fallen and to wake up before it was too late. We need to do the same.
The Believer’s Metamorphosis
Matthew 17:1-3 – This passage is commonly referred to as the transfiguration. Jesus leads the closest disciples to Him, Peter, James and John, up a high mountain. This reminds me of Shelley’s dream (see the article Shelley’s Dream). In His transformation, Jesus’ face was literally changed. It “shone like the sun.” Ours will too, reflecting the light of Christ to those who are living in darkness, or a dark state of heart and mind. We are His light for the world (Matthew 5:14 below). The world sees the Way through His followers. If we hide the light through disobedience they cannot see and darkness will prevail.
The Greek for “transfigured” is metamorphoo (met-am-or-fo'-o) which we get our word metamorphosis from. It is defined as “to transform, to change into another form.” When used of Christians, “it describes our being transformed into the same image (of consummate excellence that shines in Christ), reproduce the same image (2 Corinthians 3:18).” (See the Bible study Spiritual Metamorphosis.)
1 Six days later Jesus took with Him Peter and James and John his brother, and led them up on a high mountain by themselves.
2 And He was transfigured [3339] before them; and His face shone [2989] like the sun, and His garments became as white as light.
3 And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him.
NASU
NT:2989 lampo (lam'-po)
(Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)
a primary verb; to beam, i.e. radiate brilliancy (literally or figuratively):
KJV - give light, shine.
(Thayer’s Greek Lexicon)
to shine (Matthew 5:15, see right below)
NT:3339 metamorphoo (met-am-or-fo'-o)
(Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)
from NT:3326 and NT:3445; to transform (literally or figuratively, "metamorphose"):
KJV - change, transfigure, transform.
(Thayer’s Greek Lexicon)
to change into another form (compare meta), to transfigure, transform:
of Christ, his appearance was changed (A. V., he was transfigured), i. e., was resplendent with a divine brightness (Matthew 17:2; Mark 9:2: for which Luke 9:29)
used of Christians: we are transformed into the same image (of consummate excellence that shines in Christ), reproduce the same image (2 Corinthians 3:18)
Matthew 5:14-16 – Christians are called to be the reflection of Christ’s light, of His glory, on earth (see 2 Corinthians 3:18 below). We hide the light of His countenance (i.e. His “face” in Matthew 17:2 above) from those who are living in darkness when we walk in disobedience, not working together with the Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 6:1). The Father is never glorified on earth because of this.
14 "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden;
15 nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.
16 "Let your light shine [“2989”; see def. above] before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
NASU
Luke 9:28-32 – In Luke’s account of the transfiguration he says something that is crucial to the awakening of Christ’ bride in the church. He states in verse 32 that Peter, James and John were “overcome with sleep.” The Greek for “overcome” is bareo (bar-eh'-o) which means “to burden, weigh down, depress.” It has the idea of being “oppressed with external evils.” To be asleep spiritually is to be weighed down internally through demonic oppression.
Luke then says that when they were “fully awake” they saw the glory of Jesus, along with Moses and Elijah. Those who enter into the fullness of Christ at the end of this age will also see His glory. Like Moses when he came down the mountain after being in God’s presence, they will “shine” forth with God’s glorious beauty in the coming age, distinguishing them as His Bride.
28 Some eight days after these sayings, He took along Peter and John and James, and went up on the mountain to pray.
29 And while He was praying, the appearance of His face became different, and His clothing became white and gleaming [literally “flashing like lightning”].
30 And behold, two men were talking with Him; and they were Moses and Elijah,
31 who, appearing in glory, were speaking of His departure which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.
32 Now Peter and his companions had been overcome [916] with sleep; but when they were fully awake [1235], they saw His glory and the two men standing with Him.
NASU
NT:916 bareo (bar-eh'-o)
(Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)
from NT:926; to weigh down (figuratively):
KJV - burden, charge, heavy, press.
(Thayer’s Greek Lexicon)
to burden, weigh down, depress
Used simply: to be weighed down, oppressed, with external evils and calamities (2 Corinthians 1:8)
NT:1235 diagregoreo (dee-ag-ray-gor-eh'-o)
(Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)
from NT:1223 and NT:1127; to waken thoroughly:
KJV - be awake.
(Thayer’s Greek Lexicon)
to watch through, to remain awake: Luke 9:32 to be fully awake,
2 Corinthians 3:12-18 – After being in God’s presence, Moses’ face would literally shine. Paul said to the church in Corinth that we are not like Moses who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites would not look at “the end of what was fading away… But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed [metamorphoo] into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:13, 18/NASU) It is when the veil between mankind and God is removed through faith in Christ that we are granted the right to behold the One who can transform us, and others.
12 Therefore having such a hope, we use great boldness in our speech,
13 and are not like Moses, who used to put a veil over his face so that the sons of Israel would not look intently at the end of what was fading away [see Exodus 34:29-35].
14 But their minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ.
15 But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart;
16 but whenever a person turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.
18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.
NASU
The Aaronic Blessing
Numbers 6:22-27 – See the note below.
22 Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,
23 "Speak to Aaron and to his sons, saying, 'Thus you shall bless the sons of Israel. You shall say to them:
24 The Lord bless you, and keep [“to guard, protect, to preserve, to keep within bounds, to restrain”] you;
25 The Lord make His face shine [215] on you, and be gracious [“to show favor, to pity”] to you;
26 The Lord lift up His countenance [“the face, in front of, before”] on you, and give you peace.'
27 "So they shall invoke [7760] My name on the sons of Israel, and I then will bless them."
NASU
26 the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace." ' [Compare this with Acts 9:40 when Peter turned toward Tabitha.]
NIV
OT:215 'owr (ore)
(Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)
a primitive root; to be (causative, make) luminous (literally and metaphorically):
KJV - break of day, glorious, kindle, (be, en-, give, show) light (-en, -ened), set on fire, shine.
(Brown Driver Briggs Hebrew Lexicon)
to be light or to become light, to shine
a) (in the Qal)
1) to become light (day)
2) to shine (used of the sun)
3) to become bright
b) (in the Niphal)
1) to be illuminated
2) to become lighted up
c) (in the Hiphil)
1) to give light, shine (used of the sun, the moon, and the stars)
2) to illumine, to light up, to cause to shine,
3) to kindle, to light (a candle [properly, a lamp], wood)
4) to enlighten (used of the eyes, His law, etc.)
5) to make (cause) to shine (used of the face)
OT:7760 suwm (soom); or siym (seem)
(Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)
a primitive root; to put (used in a great variety of applications, literal, figurative, inferentially, and elliptically):
KJV - any wise, appoint, bring, call [a name], care, cast in, change, charge, commit, consider, convey, determine, disguise, dispose, do, get, give, heap up, hold, impute, lay (down, up), leave, look, make (out), mark, name, on, ordain, order, paint, place, preserve, purpose, put (on), regard, rehearse, reward, (cause to) set (on, up), shew, stedfastly, take, tell, tread down, ([over-]) turn, wholly, work.
(Brown Driver Briggs Hebrew Lexicon)
to put, to place, to set, to appoint, to make
a) (Qal)
1) to put, to set, to lay, to put or to lay upon, to lay (violent) hands on
2) to set, to direct, to direct toward; to extend (compassion) (figurative)
3) to set, to ordain, to establish, to found, to appoint, to constitute, to make, to determine, to fix
4) to set, to station, to put, to set in place, to plant, to fix
5) to make, to make for, to transform into, to constitute, to fashion, to work, to bring to pass, to
appoint, to give
b) (Hiphil) to set or to make for a sign
c) (Hophal) to be set
In some churches, at the end of the service the pastor proclaims what is known as the Aaronic blessing over the congregation. The Hebrew for “shine” is 'owr (ore). It’s defined as “to be light or to become light, to give light, to illumine.” As we have seen, the Lord’s face shining upon us will not automatically happen. Neither will it remain upon us if we do not remain in Him, or should I say near Him, face to face.
In His rebuke of unfaithful Israel, the Lord said to Jeremiah;
“They have turned their back to Me and not their face; though I taught them, teaching again and again, they would not listen and receive instruction.”
(Jeremiah 32:33/NASU)
To turn away from the Lord, not facing Him in our hearts and minds, is to not listen and receive His instruction. It is an arrogant, disrespectful heart that does what it desires rather than God’s will. To turn “face to face” with Jesus is to receive His glory. If we do not face Him we will not be transformed.
Disobedience, which is our turning away from Him, allows the darkness to prevail thereby causing the light within, after turning to Christ, to be hidden. The only way to become His illumined light-givers is to awake from spiritual slumber with a repentant, guarded heart and “arise from the dead” so that others may see Christ through us.
In Zechariah’s prophecy over his newborn son, John the Baptist, he made the following declaration;
“And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways, to give knowledge of salvation to His people by the remission of their sins, through the tender mercy of our God, with which the Dayspring [“a rising of light, the east”] from on high has visited us; To give light to [“to shine upon”] those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
(Luke 1:76-79/NKJV)
To “go before the face of the Lord” is to go with Him looking upon you, in His power and authority. It is to go with His approval and favor with His watchful eye guarding and keeping you in His name, for His purposes. In this state His light shines on you, guiding those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death into the Way of peace, who is Christ.
According to Vine’s Expository Dictionary, the Hebrew interpreted above as “Dayspring” is used metaphorically of Christ as the One through whom light came into the world to dispel the darkness which was upon all nations. It also refers to the east which stands for that side of things upon which the rising of the sun gives light.
In the Day of the Lord when He judges all wickedness on earth by fire, He says that He, the sun of righteousness, will rise with healing on those who fear His name;
“‘But for you who fear My name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and skip about like calves from the stall. You will tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day which I am preparing,’ says the Lord of hosts.”
(Malachi 4:2-3/NASU)
Psalm 67:1-2 – To have the Lord’s “face shine upon us” is to reveal His Way of salvation, who is Christ. It is to make Him known among the nations.
1 May God be gracious to us and bless us and make his face shine upon us, Selah
2 that your ways may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations.
NIV
Isaiah 60:1-3 –At the end of this age, when a deep darkness covers the earth and its inhabitants, the glory of the Lord will rise upon His faithful servants. All the nations will be attracted to His light that has illuminated His chosen people. In the end when an extreme evil presence is prevailing over much of the earth, the nations will be attracted to the light of Christ that has illuminated His chosen people. They will stand out in the dark as those who have what others need in the very difficult times of the last days. But, understand that you will not stand out if you do not come out from among the dead! (Rev. 18:4-5)
1 "Arise [6965], shine; for your light has come, And the glory of the Lord has risen upon you.
2 "For behold, darkness will cover the earth And deep darkness the peoples; But the Lord will rise upon you And His glory will appear upon you.
3 "Nations will come to your light, And kings to the brightness of your rising.
NASU
Daniel 12:1-3 - The Hebrew for “shine” in this verse is zahar (zaw-har'). It is different in that it not only refers to a light shining but also refers to a word of warning from those who have been given insight from the Lord. It also is defined as “to admonish, to warn, to teach, to enlighten by caution.” It has the implication of a light of warning that will cause many in the church who have strayed with a divided heart to return to righteous living.
1 "Now at that time Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise. And there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found written in the book, will be rescued.
2 "Many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to disgrace and everlasting contempt.
3 "Those who have insight will shine [2094] brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.
NASU
OT:2094 zahar (zaw-har')
(Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)
a primitive root; to gleam; figuratively, to enlighten (by caution):
KJV - admonish, shine, teach, (give) warn (-ing).
(Brown Driver Briggs Hebrew Lexicon)
to admonish, to warn, to teach, to shine, to send out light, to be light, to be shining
a) (Niphal) to be taught, to be admonished
b) (Hiphil)
1) to teach, to warn
2) to shine, to send out light (figurative)
Reaching Out His Hand
The statement within Acts, chapter nine, that says, “And he [Peter] gave her his hand and raised her up,” is one of the most significant statements within this entire revelation.
I had thought about the cover for this book [The Resurrected Bride] for a long time. What was on my heart was the hand of God coming down from above, reaching out and grasping the hand of His Bride who was being raised up out of the church from a prostrate position. She was being raised up from her lukewarm, lethargic state among the dead in spirit within the Body of Christ.
I was at a meeting recently with other believers who are part of a global missions movement. During a break before lunch I was speaking with a young couple from the Netherlands. While sharing back and forth, our conversation led to this book and the thought in my mind regarding the cover. The husband then looked over at his wife and asked her to share the dream she had the night before.
She said she dreamed that the Lord was reaching His hand out to her and that she in turn reached out and grabbed it. She then said that she wasn’t sure what it meant. I believe the Lord was reaching out to her because she was being called out to be a part of His Bride. I also believe this won’t be the only dream or revelation of this nature among the Body of Christ. We pray that God will give others the same encounter so that they will be deeply moved when they see with the eyes of their heart His outstretched hand.
In Song of Solomon, the great love story from God in type of He and His bride, Solomon describes a time of great torment when the two were separated. There came a time, though, when she heard her bridegroom’s voice;
“I was asleep but my heart was awake. A voice! My beloved was knocking: ‘Open to me, my sister, my darling, my dove, my perfect one! For my head is drenched with dew, my locks with the damp of the night’… My beloved extended his hand through the opening, and my feelings were aroused for him.”
(Song of Solomon 5:2, 4/NASU)
Oh precious Bride of the King, do you hear Him knocking? Is your heart being awakened at the sound of His voice? Does He extend His hand to you as well, stirring your feelings of love and the desire for intimacy with Him in the closing moments of this age? Then reach out and take hold of your Heavenly Bridegroom because we know that He who raised the Lord will also raise you up through His power to sit and reign with Him on His throne. Praise the name of the Lord!
The Greek for “presented” in Acts 9:41 is paristemi (par-is'-tay-mee) which is defined as, “to bring into one’s presence, to stand beside, to show.” I see in this a time when the Lord will present His called-out Bride back to His Body, by His side, which is where Eve came out from Adam, revealing her glorious beauty for all to see. Her time of being hidden and unknown will be finished. She will be filled with the life of Christ, her heavenly Bridegroom, causing many to believe in Him. Times of refreshing will happen as rivers of living water pour out of the Lord’s renovated life-givers. The river of life will flow from the throne of God which has been established within them, bringing healing to the nations that have been devastated because of sin.
In Colossians, chapter one, Paul speaks of the reasons for Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross for us;
“He has now reconciled [“bring back to a former state of harmony”] you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach, if indeed you continue in the faith… We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete [“perfect”] in Christ.”
(Colossians 1:22-23, 28/NASU)
Paul emphasizes that the promise of being reconciled to Christ and our being presented complete in Him is conditional. Our perfection in Christ does not come without a warning of the need to “continue in the faith.” Through acceptance of the doctrines of demons as truth, many Christians cannot see or understand what we just read. It is completely hidden from them. Instead, they cry out, “Heresy!” It‘s a true statement that the farther people wander from the truth the more they hate those who proclaim it.
Psalm 105:17-20 – See the note below. (This was taken from the Bible study Binding And Loosing.)
17 He sent a man before them, Joseph, who was sold as a slave.
18 They afflicted his feet with fetters, He himself was laid in irons;
19 Until the time that his word came to pass, the word of the Lord tested [6884] him.
20 The king sent [7971] and released [6605] him, The ruler of peoples, and set him free.
NASU
OT:6884 tsaraph (tsaw-raf')
(Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)
a primitive root; to fuse (metal), i.e. refine (literally or figuratively):
KJV - cast, (re-) fine (-er), founder, goldsmith, melt, pure, purge away, try.
(Brown Driver Briggs Hebrew Lexicon)
to smelt, to refine, to test
a) (Qal)
1) to smelt, to refine
2) to test
3) to test (and to prove true)
4) a smelter, a refiner, a goldsmith (participle)
b) (Niphal) to be refined
c) (Piel) to be a refiner; a refiner (participle)
OT:7971 shalach (shaw-lakh')
(Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)
a primitive root; to send away, for, or out (in a great variety of applications):
KJV - any wise, appoint, bring (on the way), cast (away, out), conduct, earnestly, forsake, give (up), grow long, lay, leave, let depart (down, go, loose), push away, put (away, forth, in, out), reach forth, send (away, forth, out), set, shoot (forth, out), sow, spread, stretch forth (out).
(Brown Driver Briggs Hebrew Lexicon)
to send, to send away, to let go, to stretch out
a) (Qal)
1) to send
2) to stretch out, to extend, to direct
3) to send away
4) to let loose
b) (Niphal) to be sent
c) (Piel)
1) to send off or away or out or forth, to dismiss, to give over, to cast out
2) to let go, to set free
3) to shoot forth (used of branches)
4) to let down
5) to shoot
d) (Pual) to be sent off, to be put away, to be divorced, to be impelled
e) (Hiphil) to send
OT:6605 pathach (paw-thakh')
(Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance)
a primitive root; to open wide (literally or figuratively); specifically, to loosen, begin, plough, carve:
KJV - appear, break forth, draw (out), let go free, (en-) grave (-n), loose (self), (be, be set) open (-ing), put off, ungird, unstop, have vent.
(Brown Driver Briggs Hebrew Lexicon)
1) to open
a) (Qal) to open
b) (Niphal) to be opened, to be let loose, to be thrown open
c) (Piel)
1) to free
2) to loosen
3) to open, to open oneself
d) (Hithpael) to loose oneself
2) to carve, to engrave
a) (Piel) to engrave
b) (Pual) to be engraved
Joseph was a slave who was falsely accused and placed in prison. While there he interpreted a dream where He remained for a while, even after the word of the Lord given to him came true, proving him right. God’s word has a way of stirring up the demonic realm, exposing the darkness and revealing where the strongholds of the enemy exist in the hearts of others.
It not only exposes the darkness in others but also within God’s servant. The Bible tells us that, “Until the time that his word came to pass, the word of the Lord tested him.” The Hebrew for “tested” is tsaraph (tsaw-raf'). It’s defined as “to fuse (metal), to smelt, to refine, to test (and to prove true).” From my own experience of receiving a word from the Lord, and the time in between before it comes to pass, I understand this. Thoughts of whether or not I heard from God, or myself, will run through your mind. It forced me to check my heart and decide. When I come to the point of saying no to doubt it results in my being even more determined to hold my ground and wait for the Lord’s timing.
While waiting upon the Lord, Satan will try to tempt the one who has been told something by God to bring it into existence through human effort thereby creating an Ishmael. Creating doubt of whether or not you really heard from God, or of what God really meant, has been his modus operandi since the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:4-5).
In God’s timing, a Divine opportunity occurred for Joseph to be released; “The king sent and released him, the ruler of peoples, and set him free.” If we will remain faithful through our time of testing and proving, eventually the King of kings will stretch forth His hand and loosen His faithful ones from their imprisoned state.
(The following is from chapter one, Restoring The Hearts Of The Children To Their [Fore]Fathers, in my book Profaning The Covenant.)
Within many modern textbooks, and numerous schools and Universities, there is a growing disrespect for the Christian heart of many of America’s Founding Fathers, as well as what Father God undeniably initiated and accomplished in the birthing of this nation. I believe we are now in one of the most crucial moments ever known to our history. As a nation, we need to be reminded of our beginning in order to know our ending.
The response of God’s people to this urgent call to remember, repent, and renew their covenant with Him will determine the degree of what we are about to undergo. The window of God’s mercy is quickly closing. This is the last call for the church to return to Him before it’s too late and He shuts the doors of His ark of deliverance.
In mercy, He is going to help us by applying great pressure through very difficult circumstances. During this extreme period He is going to reveal a group of His servants who are, for the most part, currently unknown. They will lead the way for a remnant who will repent and come under the government of the only One who can save them.
Restoring The Hearts
While reading a portion of Scripture on August 30, 2007, the Holy Spirit revealed a nation-changing truth to me. While reading in Malachi the following passage which just happens to be the last two verses of the Old Testament;
Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the LORD. And he will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the land with a curse. (Malachi 4:5-6/NAS)
As I was reading, the Holy Spirit quite unexpectedly said to me, with great emphasis, “Fore!” right before I read the word “fathers.” It now read as; …and the hearts of the children to their [Fore] fathers. My heart stirred within me as the Lord began to reveal details concerning a last days, Elijah-like anointing that is being placed upon the messengers of His covenant. They will be used to restore the hearts of the remnant of His people within our nation back to the original call and covenant of our Founding Fathers. Under this anointing, they will rise up and become the Finishing Fathers. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, they will be used to bring to completion the corporate call of God upon His people who inhabit this nation…
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