A Palindrome

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way- in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on it's being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only."
                                                                                            Charles Dickens
                                                                                           A Tale of Two Cities


     Throughout the book,  A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens masters the motif of doubles. Using the literary device anaphora, he skillfully repeats words and phrases over and over many times to poetically emphasize repetition, as well as to delineate differences between his two main characters and his two main cities. Written in 1859, it is a historical novel that focuses on the years that lead up to the French Revolution and ultimately concludes during the Jacobin Reign of Terror.
     Reflecting on the current times in which we live, it is eerily similar with many parallels and ironies. Because I believe that the Bible holds all wisdom and knowledge for life and our world, I am intrigued to search out deeper meanings for current day events and happenings. Entrenched in a culture that utilizes the Gregorian calendar, I believe we often miss subtle nuances, as well as overt signals that The Lord would have us to know. Most Biblical scholars would agree that it is the Hebrew calendar which offers us the most insight into God and what He is currently doing in the earth.
     The Jewish New Year begins on Wednesday, September 24, 2014 on Rosh Hashanah. This new year, corresponding with our year of 2015, will conclude on September 13, 2015. It is the Hebrew year corresponding with the number 5775, which means it is a palindromic Jewish New Year. A palindromic year is a very rare occurrence.
     A palindrome is a word or a number that can be read identically from left to right and from right to left. There is perfect symmetry and in the case of 5775 there are two sets of doubles in that the numbers in each set are identical. From a Biblical perspective, the number five symbolizes the grace or goodness of God or it symbolizes bondage and works of the flesh. The number seven symbolizes perfection or completion. It is dubbed as God's perfect number. The combination of these numbers emits a sense of joy and hope. The rarity of this palindromic year is further emphasized in the fact that it will not occur again for another one hundred and ten years in the Hebrew year 5885.
     Additionally, there are two other rare occurrences that take place during this year. The first thing is that it is also a Shemitah year. The second thing is that there are four blood moons (lunar eclipses) that occur on Jewish feast days (Passover and Feast of Tabernacles). These three rare occurrences happening simultaneously marks a year of extraordinary occurrences. Because of the palindrome, it also marks a year of doubles (or double doubles).
     The Shemitah is a seven year cycle that began for the Israelites in 1258 BC. Fifteen years after God's chosen people crossed the Jordan river (fourteen years of conquering and dividing the land), the first Shemitah occurred. Every cycle of seven years culminates in a Sabbatical year, which is also called a Shemitah. The word Shemitah literally means, "to release". Deuteronomy 15:12 describes a release of all outstanding debts. It was also a time when the Israelites were to desist from cultivating their land and fields. Whatever produce grew on the land was communal property. This aspect of the Shemitah is known as shmitat karka which literally means, "release of the land".
     Shmitat karka can also be a difficult challenge for those who do not fully trust God. But for those who have fully put their faith in God, it is a time to see His promises fulfilled. Leviticus 25:21-22 shows how God literally commands His blessing for those who trust Him with their whole heart.
     Because of the three rare occurrences in Hebrew year 5775, there are some who believe that this could be the year of Christ's return. In Matthew, Chapter 24, there is a description of the chaotic, turbulent times in the world that precede Christ's return. There will be a colossal showdown between the forces of good and evil that will occur. While I recognize that no man knows the day or hour (Matthew 24:36), we are also admonished to understand the times in which we live.
     Hebrew numbers also correspond with Hebrew letters. The Hebrew letters involved in Hebrew year 5775 are as follows: Hey, Tav, Shin, Ayin, Zayin and Yod. There is Biblical symbolism and meaning for both the numbers and letters that is extremely fascinating. When you put them together like pieces of a puzzle, they give insight into the year ahead.

NUMBERS

5000 -- Full stature; Mature judgement; Glory of God

700 -- Full measure; complete recompense or complete reward

70 --   Universality; Completely accepted or completely rejected

5 --      Goodness and grace; Bondage; Five-fold gifts of the Holy Spirit


LETTERS

Hey (5) - picture of a man with raised arms.

               The divine meaning of this letter is being called into God's purposes. The introduction of
               this letter is found in Genesis 17:5 when a God changed Abram's name to Abraham and in
               Genesis 17:15 when God changed Sarai's name to Sarah.

               The meanings of Hey also include: look, reveal, breath, and behold. There is a particular
               sense of divine breath, revelation, light, and God's creative power. (Genesis 1:3-4) and
               (Psalm 33:6).

Nun (700)- pictograph representing a seed.

               Meanings include: seed, son of, heir, son, continue, faithfulness and promised seed.

               In Aramaic, it has the meaning of fish, which symbolizes Christ and Christians.

Shin (300)- pictograph representing two front teeth.

               Meanings include: sharp, press, eat and two.
           
               Also stands for Shaddai, a name for God. When combined with Ayin, it can instruct us to
               look for the coming of The Lord.

Tav (400)- pictograph of crossed sticks.

               Meanings include: mark, sign, signpost, monument and the Cross of Christ

Ayin (70)- picture of an eye.

               Meanings include: to watch, see, discern, understand and know. Gives the sense of a
               prophetic watch. It also speaks of the will ( good or bad).

Zayin (7)- picture of a sword or mattock.

               It speaks of war and food (even warring for food).

               It represents a crowned man, King of Kings, and returning light of Heaven.

               It speaks of cutting time in seven:
                                        Shabbat (Sabbath)- 7th day
                                        Shauvot- 49th day of Passover
                                        Tishri- 7th month of Jewish calendar
                                        Shemitah- 7th year of rest for the land
                                        Yovel- 49th year
                                        Millennium kingdom- the 7th millennium of human history (week of
                                                                            millenniums)

Yod (10)- picture of an arm with a closed hand, resembling a man who is in prayer.

               This symbol is used in every other character of the Hebrew alphabet.

               It speaks of God's presence in all things.

               The meaning is to work or to worship.

      The Hebrew decade of 577 (0-9) shows a season involving two realms- the natural and the spiritual. In the natural realm, we have kings warring against other kings. In the spiritual realm, there is increased warfare requiring mature warriors to pray and declare God's Word. In this season we must remain focused on the King of Kings and remember that it is in Him we find our victory.
     Considering the doubles, we can see: grace versus judgment, good versus evil, God's presence versus the enemy, and an outpouring of light in the midst of gross darkness. It appears that in this season God is making a distinction between those who are His and those who are not. He is also releasing grace, goodness, miracles, prophetic knowledge, anointing, provision, transformation and restoration.
     Additionally, this is a season of deliverance, redemption, rest and intimacy in Christ. He is providing shelter and refuge in the midst of war. He is delivering hope and joy and peace during tumultuous times. There will also be a release of the Holy Spirit to His people and the Jews.
     According to the meanings and symbolism involved in the Hebrew year 5775, it looks like this next year will not be boring. It appears that the natural realm will continue to clash with the spiritual realm. It also appears that God will be releasing the power of the Holy Spirit in increasing measure. It is a prophetic and an apostolic year. There will be an outpouring of grace that will supercede this season of war. Our battle strategy is three-fold: resting in God, declaring His Word, and trusting Him in the midst of all circumstances.
     We also need to be watchful and mindful of His imminent return while continuing to build His kingdom. It will be a season of overflow and completion. These are exciting times, to be sure, and each one of us has been chosen to be on this earth during "such a time as this".


"Become blameless and pure, 'children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.' Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the Word of Life."
                                                                                                                Philippians 2:15-16

Hope Conferred

                                               "Hope deferred makes the heart sick."
                                                                  Proverbs 13:12

We live in wicked times!  Around the world there is a human rights disaster of epic proportions that is currently being kept a secret by most of the media outlets.  Christians are being persecuted and martyred in untold numbers.  From the year 2000 to 2010, it is estimated that over one million believers have died for their faith, and this number continues to escalate.

The early church also experienced this grim reality.  Those in the first century church were fed to lions, nailed to crosses, burned at the stake and boiled in tar.  The reason they suffered was because of the Word of God and the testimony of Jesus.

Today, we have concentration camps in North Korea, Boko Haram in Northern Nigeria, Coptic Christians martyred on crosses in Egypt, Syrian Christians being massacred, not to mention women and children being buried alive or decapitated with their heads then being placed on posts in Iraq.  And there are many other examples.

Jesus described a time that would come to the earth known as 'great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now--and never to be equalled again."  It is quite possible that we are living in the very times that Jesus prophesied long ago.  In the midst of such horrific atrocities, how in the world can we have hope?

In Mark Blitz's book, The Significance of the Blood Moons, he discusses the signs in the heavens that we can identify.  On Passover of 2014, we experienced the first of four blood moons that will occur on Jewish feast days over the next fourteen months.  This signal was to show Israel there would be a war.  The blood moon also symbolizes persecution of Christian believers.

Jonathan Cahn also wrote a book concerning the signs and warnings of the times in which we live named The Harbinger.  He describes nine signs that the prophet Isaiah foretold would occur.  In the United States, we have now experienced the first seven warnings of God's judgment on our nation.  Sign number seven was the Tree of Hope planted at Ground Zero that died early this spring.  He wrote that "when a nation such as this places its hope in its own powers to save itself, then its hope is false.  It's true hope is found only in returning to God.  Without that, the Tree of Hope is a harbinger of the day when its strong cedars come crashing down to the earth."

America's progression to judgment is continuing and possible even accelerating.  As a nation, we are on a fast track of moral collapse and of apostasy from God.  Our ominous warning is that America is quickly approaching a day of judgment.

There are global concerns and there are national concerns.  Additionally, in our personal lives it seems as if we are facing distressing challenges as well.  There are serious illnesses, unwanted fears, concerns about finances, job losses, death, addictions and so many more.  We can try to stir up hope-- but in the midst of earth shattering, heart breaking, knee dropping kinds of moments this can often seem like an impossibility.

If we rely solely on our emotions, we will misunderstand God's patience for a tolerance of sin and evil.  This is not correct.  The generation that takes God's patience for granted will fall under His final wrath and judgment.  Since God's judgment is progressive, it is the tendency of human nature to ignore it or to offer explanations for it.  In the first chapter of Romans, we are told that often God's wrath is revealed through His progressive abandonment of the wicked.

Has God abandoned us?  Or, is He trying mercifully to get our attention?  The purpose for His signs, and even His progressive judgment, is for us to identify the places in our lives that are not fully submitted to Him and to repent and make every crooked place straight.  His patience is for our salvation and our benefit.

In this world, our journey only consists of two paths for us to choose.  Proverbs 12:28 tells us 'there is life in the path of righteousness, but another path leads to death.'  The path of righteousness, including a right relationship with Jesus, is our only hope.

As children of the One True King, Jesus bestows hope upon our lives.  It is a gift given to those who belong to Him.  This gift is not found in mere optimism or in a Pollyanna type of attitude.  It is knowing in the depths of your soul that we are on this earth with a purpose.

We are not called to be religious or even to be  great Christians.  We are called to be great followers of Jesus.  Where He leads, we follow.  What He does, we likewise do.  We are called to put His kingdom and its priorities first in our lives.  God looks for obedience in each of our decisions and actions.

Daily we are called to pick up our cross and to follow Christ.  Each person has their own cross and their own challenges to face.  Our true cross is where our will crosses with the will of Christ.  To whom will we bow our knee?

Day by day.  Step by step.  Decision by decision.  This is how we follow Jesus.  When we follow Him along the path of Peace, we can have confidence that He will supply every provision we need to have strength and victory in our journey.  Our gratitude is what transforms our trials into blessings.  The more time we spend with Him, the more we will be like Him.  This, my sweet friend, is what gives us our hope.

"Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.  We have also obtained access through Him by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.  And not only that, but we also rejoice in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces endurance, endurance produces proven character, and proven character produces hope.  This hope will not disappoint us, because God's love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us."

                                                                   Romans 5:1-5