The Book of Mysteries
Page 9
The Mission: Live this day as a camper. Don’t get caught up in your circumstances. Focus instead on the journeying. And travel lightly.
2 Corinthians 4:16–5:5; Hebrews 11:8–16
The Feast of Camping
DAY 51
HEAVEN’S DESCENT
IT WAS MID-AFTERNOON. We were sitting outside in a desert plain. He was pointing to the sky.
“Look,” said the teacher, “the heavens . . . a shadow of the true and ultimate heaven. How do you get there?” he asked. “How do you get into heaven?”
“Most people would say you get into heaven by doing good deeds.”
“Yes,” he replied. “Most religions would say that. If you do enough good works, if you avoid enough evil, if you master the discipline, if you end the self, if you attain the enlightenment, then you get into heaven. But is that the way?”
“You would say it’s not.”
“If it’s based on what we do, then the source of our salvation is ourselves. And if we could save ourselves by ourselves, then we wouldn’t need salvation in the first place. How can the answer come from the one in need of the answer? It’s like telling a drowning man that if he would only swim well enough, he could save himself. If he could swim well enough, he wouldn’t be drowning. He’d be the lifeguard.”
“So then what’s the answer?”
“The answer is that the problem can never answer itself. Only the answer can answer. So the earthly can never attain the heavenly. But the heavenly can attain the earthly.”
“What do you mean?”
“Salvation can never come from earth to heaven . . . but only from heaven to earth. All these paths are hands reaching up to heaven. But the answer is radically different. It’s a hand reaching down to earth. The answer must come from the Answer. So salvation can never just end in heaven. It must begin there.”
“So it’s not so much about getting into heaven.”
“No,” he said, “it’s about heaven getting into you.”
“Heaven coming down . . . to us.”
“The descent of heaven . . . the heavenly visiting the earthly . . . the heavenly One becoming earthly . . . so that the earthly might become heavenly.”
“So it’s not about attaining anything.”
“No,” he said, “it’s about receiving everything . . . starting with heaven.”
The Mission: Make it your aim today not to strive for heaven, but let heaven—its love, its blessings, and its joy—get into you.”
Isaiah 45:8; 55:10–11; John 6:51
Jehovah of Nazareth
DAY 52
YAMIM NORAIM: THE DAYS OF AWE
THE DAYS THAT open the Hebrew month of Tishri,” he said, “from the Feast of Trumpets to Yom Kippur, are seen as the holiest time on the biblical calendar.”
“Why?”
“They are the days of repentance. When the shofar sounds on the Feast of Trumpets, it signals that only ten days remain until Yom Kippur. And Yom Kippur is linked to the sealing of one’s eternal destiny, as on the Day of Judgment. But it’s not just these two days that are considered most holy but all ten. Together they are called the Yamim Noraim, the Days of Awe, or the Awesome Days.”
“Why awesome?”
“Because their end is linked to the final Day of Judgment. So they declare that one doesn’t have forever to repent or to make things right. One only has these set days before it’s all sealed.”
“So they must be pretty intense.”
“They are. During the Days of Awe, observant Jews do everything they can to get right with God, to make things right with others, to forgive and be forgiven, to repent, to seal up loose ends, and to right what was wrong. It all has to be finished before the sun sets on the eve of Yom Kippur.”
“But does this apply to us now,” I said, “in Messiah?”
“The Days of Awe are a shadow of something much greater. For the days you have on earth are not forever. They have an appointed end. And at their end comes eternity, beginning with the Day of Judgment when your destiny is sealed, either for judgment or redemption. And the only time you have to determine your eternity are the days of this life, the days you now have on earth. Once they end, it’s all sealed. So these are the only days you will ever have to get right with God, to make things right with others, and to right what is wrong. So if you would ever get right with God, get right with God now. If you would ever make things right with others, make things right with them now. If you would ever rise to your calling, rise now. And whatever good you would ever do in your life, do it now. For the time you have left on earth is nothing less than the Yamim Noraim, your Days of Awe.”
The Mission: Look at the remainder of your days of life in a new way, as the Yamim Noraim. Get right with God and those in your life, for today is a Day of Awe.
Isaiah 55:6–7; Ephesians 5:16
The Awesome Days
DAY 53
GATSHMANIM
IN ONE OF the gardens was a large circular object of stone with a ridge around its top. He motioned for me to sit down next to the object, beside him. At first, he said nothing as to its nature or function.
“On the night before His suffering, Messiah went to the Garden of Gethsemane. There He surrendered His will in the face of His approaching sufferings and death. It was there, in Gethsemane, that the Temple guards came to arrest Him. So Gethsemane is the place where His sufferings begin.”
It was then that the teacher turned his attention to the stone-like object.
“This is an oil press,” he said. “The olives would be placed here on the top and a large wheel-like stone would roll over them, crushing them. The crushing of the olives would release their oil. In Hebrew, the word for olive oil is shemen. And the word for press is gat. An oil press is a gatshemen or gatshmanim. What does gatshmanim sound like?”
“I don’t know.”
“Think.”
“Gethsemane!”
“Yes. Gethsemane is the oil press. And why is it the place where Messiah’s sufferings began? The word Messiah is linked to oil, olive oil, shemen. But for oil to be released, there must be a crushing. Gethsemane, Gatshmanim, is the olive press, the place where the crushing begins . . . first the crushing of His will, then the crushing of His life.”
“And what does oil represent?”
“In the Scriptures, oil is linked to healing and joy, and, in its most sacred application, to anointing. Oil would be poured out to anoint kings and prophets. So oil, in its highest symbolism, signifies the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.”
“So, then, if the crushing of olives in the olive press releases oil,” I said, “then the crushing of Messiah in Gethsemane, the oil press, would be linked to healing, joy, and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.”
“Yes,” said the teacher, “It is in the crushing of Messiah in His death that brings healing, joy . . . and the outpouring of the Spirit. It all begins in the oil press, Gatshmanim . . . Gethsemane.”
The Mission: Today, let every desire and ambition that is not of God be surrendered and crushed. And in their crushing, be filled with the oil of the Holy Spirit.
Leviticus 8:10–12; Luke 22:39–44
The God Price
DAY 54
THE MYSTERY NATION
THE TEACHER CAME to me in the late afternoon and shared with me in my room.
“God is the Eternal,” he said. “Now, what if He placed a witness of His existence, a specific witness, in human history? What if the witness was a kingdom, a nation, a people? What would that people be like?”
“They would be different,” I said. “I would think they would stand out.”
“And what else would the witnesses of the Eternal be?”
“I guess they would, in some way, be . . . eternal.”
“Exactly. They would bear the marks of eternity, even as the world changed around them. And the very fact of their perpetual existence would defy the laws of history.”
“Is there such a people?”
“How?”
“Their existence defies the laws of this world. They should, by all reckoning, not exist. In ancient times they lived among the Babylonians, the Hittites, and the Amorites. But the Babylonians have vanished, the Hittites are gone, and the Amorites are no more. If you want to see them, you have to visit the museums of this world, and then you’d only see shadows of what they once were. The peoples of the ancient world have vanished into the dust of history. But the Jewish people have not vanished but endured. You can also find them in the museums of this world, but walking the halls and passing by the stone reliefs of those among whom they once walked. They have witnessed the rise of the great kingdoms of this world and watched them fall. Against all odds, they live. Against all the laws of this world they are as alive as they ever were. They are the eternal nation, the mystery nation.”
“And the mystery of their existence is . . . ”
“The Eternal. The hand of God. Without it, they would have ceased to exist ages ago. Behind the mystery of Israel is the God of Israel. They exist because He exists. They are the eternal nation because they are the witnesses of the Eternal. That which is of God does not pass away, but endures—His Word, His love, His nation, and all who abide in Him . . . they become, themselves . . . eternal.”
The Mission: Live this day seeking to follow His will and purposes and to bear witness of His existence in everything you do.
Genesis 17:1–8; Jeremiah 31:35–37; Ephesians 2:11–22
The Secret of His Immortality
DAY 55
THE WELLS OF YESHUA
HE LED ME to the school’s well. It was built of angular stones, each of a light beige color that matched the desert landscape that surrounded it. We sat down on its perimeter where he began the teaching.
“During Sukkot, the Feast of Tabernacles, a unique ritual took place called the Water Drawing Ceremony. During the ceremony a solemn procession led by a priest would go down to the Pool of Siloam, draw water into a golden pitcher, and then ascend the Temple Mount where he would pour out the water at the altar while a verse from Isaiah would be read: ‘And in joy, you shall draw water from the wells of salvation.’”
He paused to lower an empty bucket into the well.
“The Water Drawing Ceremony,” he said, “was a central part of the feast, as water, or the lack of it, was a matter of life or death in a Middle Eastern land. So on every day of the Feast of Tabernacles the ceremony was performed.”
The teacher then pulled up the bucket, which was now filled with water.
“Messiah spoke of water,” he said. “One of the most famous statements He ever made began with the words, ‘If anyone is thirsty . . . ’”
“I’ve heard it.”
“Most believers have. But most have little understanding of its context.”
“And what is its context?”
“The Feast of Tabernacles,” he replied, “and its focus on water, with its drawing water during which these words from Isaiah would be proclaimed: ‘And in joy you shall draw water from the wells of salvation.’ But in Hebrew, it’s not the wells of salvation. It’s the wells of yeshua.”
“Which is like saying the name of Yeshua,” I said, “which is the name of Jesus. So it’s like saying ‘you will draw water from the wells of Yeshua’ or ‘from the wells of Jesus.’”
“Exactly. And it is recorded that He stood up during the feast and cried out, ‘If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water.’”
“And we shall draw water,” I said, “from the wells of Yeshua.”
“And He was speaking of the Spirit. So as much as they needed water to stay alive, we need the waters of the Spirit to stay alive in God. Therefore, you must draw of it every day of your life . . . and in joy . . . from the wells of Yeshua.”
The Mission: Today, come to the wells of Yeshua, and in joy, draw forth and partake of the rivers of the living waters of the Spirit of God.
Isaiah 12:1–3; John 7:37–39
The Water Pouring
DAY 56
RACHAMIM
DO YOU BELIEVE,” said the teacher, “that God has mercy?”
“Yes,” I replied. “Of course, you’ve taught me that.”
“No,” said the teacher. “God does not have mercy.”
“With all respect,” I said cautiously, “that’s not right.” It was the first time I had ever contradicted him in such a direct way.
“Prove your point,” he said.
“I was just reading the Book of Daniel. In it, Daniel prays for God’s mercy on the people of Israel. He says, ‘To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness . . . ”
“It doesn’t say that,” he replied, “not in the original language. It says ‘to the Lord belong rachamim.’”
“What is rachamim?”
“Some would translate it as mercy. But rachamim is not a singular noun. It’s plural. It doesn’t mean mercy. It means mercies. It means that God’s mercy is more than mercy. God’s mercy is so great, so strong, and so deep that it can’t be contained in a single word. Rachamim means that His mercy has no end.”
“What about the word for sin?” I asked.
“What do you mean?”
“Is it by nature singular or plural?”
“The word for sin,” said the teacher, “is singular.”
“But the word for mercy is plural,” I said.
“And what does that tell you?”
“That no matter what my sin is, no matter how great, the mercy of God is always greater. And no matter how much I’ve sinned, no matter how many sins I have, the mercies of God are more than my sins.”
“Yes,” said the teacher. “So don’t ever make the mistake of thinking that you’ve exhausted God’s mercy. You never have. You never could. And you never will. He will always have more mercies than you have sins, more than enough to cover every sin and to still have enough compassion left over to love you forever. For what the Lord has for you is not mercy . . . but rachamim.”
The Mission: Open your heart today to receive the rachamim God has for you, not only for your sins, but the overflowing rivers of His compassions and love.
Psalm 136; Lamentations 3:22–23; Daniel 9:9; 2 Corinthians 1:3–4
Rachamim
DAY 57
THE MANTLE OF MESSIAH
THE TEACHER LED me into a room I had never before been to. “This is the Chamber of Garments,” he said as he lifted up a large brown cloth, which I, at first, took to be a blanket.
“This is a mantle,” he said, “as in ‘the mantle of the prophet.’”
“And what exactly is a mantle?” I asked.
“A garment, a cloak, and yet more than that. The mantle represents the calling, the charge, the ministry, and the anointing of God. Before Moses ascended Mount Nebo at the finish of his ministry, he laid hands on his disciple, Joshua, and God’s Spirit fell upon him along with the mantle, the authority of Moses. When Elijah ascended to God at the end of his ministry, he dropped his mantle on the ground. His disciple Elisha picked it up, and the spirit of Elijah came upon him. Do you see a pattern?”
“Yes,” I said. “In each case, the man of God is about to finish his earthly ministry. In each case, he ascends to God. In each case, the ascension and the completion of the ministry are linked to the passing of the mantle.”
“Yes,” said the teacher. “Now, what happened at the end of Messiah’s ministry on earth? As with Moses, He ascended a mountain, and as with Elijah, He ascended to heaven. As with both of them, His disciples were present at the departure. But where’s the mantle? Every other element of the pattern is there. But where’s the mantle of the Messiah? Upon whom did it fall?”
“I never thought of it. Messiah’s mantle
appears to be missing.”
“The answer,” said the teacher, “is this: The mantle of Messiah is too big to fall on any one person. It can never fall on one disciple. It can only fall on all. When the mantles of Moses and Elijah fell, the Spirit of God came upon their disciples. So what happened after Messiah ascended to God?”
“The Spirit of God fell on His disciples . . . the Day of Pentecost.”
“And what was it that was given that day with the giving of the Spirit? The mantle of Messiah. And to whom is it given? His disciples. All of them. You see, we are all given a part of Messiah’s mantle. And it is in His mantle that our calling and ministry are found. And if we have a part in His mantle, then we also have a part in His anointing. For with every calling, God gives the anointing to fulfill it. So find your place and ministry in that mantle. For your calling can only be fulfilled in the mantle of Messiah.”
The Mission: Today, fully take up your mantle in Messiah. And by the power and the authority of the Spirit, step out to fulfill your high calling.
Deuteronomy 31:7–8; 34:9; 1 Kings 19:9; Acts 2:1–4
The Mantle
DAY 58
THE DAVAR AND THE OLAM
WE WERE SITTING in an open desert plain under the night skies. He had started a small fire. I think it was only so he could read the words on the parchment he was holding in his hand. It was a clear night. The sky was filled with stars.