|
Last week we reviewed the Armageddon pattern of Scripture. This week, let’s focus more on the preparation for it.
Deborah and Barak were our examples of preparation through study and good judgment in the Word…so much so that others come to us of their own volition to seek the heavenly wisdom…and holiness. King Josiah was our example of a pierced one at Armageddon, a necessary symbol of the suffering servant who was not recognized by the enemy in his death. The return of the King of Kings will surprise the enemy who believes Armageddon is a vulnerability, not a victory, for the holy ones of Adonai Tzvaot.
- “I am coming quickly; hold fast what you have, so that no one will take your crown.” (Re 3:11)
Our crown(s) are dependent upon Yeshua’s crowns.
Main Hebrew Crown Terms
• Keter (כֶּתֶר): Denotes a royal crown representing the "crown" or supreme will of God.
• Atarah (עֲטָרָה): A general term for a crown, wreath, or circlet derived from the verb meaning "to encircle". It often refers to a royal diadem such as the gold crown of King David or metaphorical crowns of honor, such as children, a virtuous spouse, or wisdom. “But we were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children…(1Th 2:7) ...as you know how we exhorted, and comforted, and charged every one of you, as a father does his own children…(1 Th 2:11) For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?” (1 Th 2:19)
• Nezer (נֵזֶר): A crown associated with consecration, dedication, or separation. It was worn by the High Priest as the Nezer Ha-kodesh (Holy Crown) on his turban (Exodus 29:6) and by anointed kings. It is also the linguistic root of Nazir (Nazirite).
• Zer (זֵר): A golden molding, rim, or ornamental crown placed around sacred furniture and ark vessels in the Mishkan (Tabernacle).
• Kelil (כְּלִיל): A complete crown or "crown of glory" (kelil tif'eret), connected to wholeness and perfection (etymologically linked to kallah, bride).
• Tagin (תָּגִין): The decorative crowns or small ornamental strokes placed above certain Hebrew letters (ketiv / otiyot) in a Torah scroll.
Preparation of the Bride for Armageddon
If we are to hold fast until Yeshua comes so that our crown remains in place, our time machine still hovers at Sinai for encouragement:
- “So it came about on the third day, when it was morning, that there were thunder and lightning flashes and a thick cloud upon the mountain and a very loud trumpet sound, so that all the people who were in the camp trembled. And Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God, and they stood at the foot of the mountain.” (Ex 19:16-17)
The third-day theme in Scripture is resurrection, a first fruits of life even in the Creation week. The pattern is “evening and morning,” implying that much creation work went on in the darkness, and at the dawn, that work was revealed. Likewise, dawn can be a metaphor of resurrection or the end of exile for Israel. Just because it’s dark doesn’t mean that nothing is happening! The dawn reveals the preparatory work that’s been done in darkness, which is why Yeshua often hints that he will arrive for his holy ones in the time zone of darkness just before dawn.
The Revelation, to Jews, refers to the giving of the Torah at Mt. Sinai. When John would have thought of the Revelation, he was grounded in the giving of the Torah at Sinai. The Book of Revelation is like pieces of the Torah portions cut and re-pieced together. Like Daniel’s vision, John’s vision has been obscured for millennia now, but not for lack of trying on our part!
That’s the point. If we diligently look into the Word, we spend time with the Father, absorbing His will, which somehow turns into crowns when we heed and do it. We have to quit studying prophecy like a Rubik’s cube to be solved and “win,” and instead study to know the Bridegroom and what is in His head. We learn right so we’ll do right. This is what makes a disciple, a child of the Father, a Bride. The preparation work the children and Bride have done in the darkness of exile, waiting patiently, is revealed in the morning, at the dawn:
- “Bind up the testimony, seal the Torah among my disciples. And I will wait for the LORD who is hiding His face from the house of Jacob; I will even look eagerly for Him.Behold, I and the children whom the LORD has given me are for signs and wonders in Israel from the LORD of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion…To the Torah and to the testimony! If they do not speak according to this word, it is because they have no dawn (שָׁחַר).” (Is 8:16-18, 20)
That’s a key identification on Isaiah’s part: “I and the children whom the LORD has given me are for signs and wonders in Israel…” These are the atarah crown of Yeshua, his Bride and children who hold his Word and testimony.
John uses this phrase to pinpoint the object of the dragon’s wrath: “So the dragon was enraged with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her children, who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus.” (Re 12:17)
These are not the Father’s secret children even though they labor for the Kingdom in the darkness of exile. The darkness is exactly what makes them so noticeable. The Torah learning and practicing that one does continues to glow and shine on the face at night. The study of Torah guides the doing of workday: “The Book of the Torah shall not depart from your mouth; rather you should contemplate it day and night.” (Joshua 1:8)
A sign and wonder is something visible, not invisible. Hearing the voice and doing the Word makes you a wonder! Yes, obey the Father and make people wonder about you. Be wonderful. Make it easy for the dragon and kings of the east to find you. Your victory will be a sign like Deborah’s victory over Sisera and his iron chariots. They probably sank like Pharaoh’s chariots in the mud of the Jezreel Valley due to the dripping Word from Heaven. What traps the enemy is the firm ground you walk on. To the enemy, obedience to the Word is sinking sand.
Consider the additional mentions of the Word (Torah) and testimony in Revelation:
• ...who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw. (Re 1:2)
• I, John, your brother and fellow partaker in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance which are in Jesus, was on the island called Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. (Re 1:9)
• Then I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” (Re 19:10)
As we traveled around Sinai, we reviewed the “myriads” gathered there, the angels who accompanied the Revelation (Ga 3:19). The myriad (the number ten thousand) suggests the myriads of holy ones who accompanied THE Holy One at Mt. Sinai at the giving of the Torah:
- “The LORD came from Sinai, and dawned on them from Seir; He shone forth from Mount Paran, and He came from the midst of ten thousand holy ones; at His right hand there was flashing lightning [“a fiery law”] for them.” (Dt 33:2)
The imagery of the ”ten thousand” or myriads of angels, the lightnings and fire hints to the coming victory of the ten thousand Israelite warriors, Deborah mustered from Kedesh to Mount Tabor, over Sisera’s iron chariots. The two events, though separated in time, are linked in the names of Lapiddot (torches) and Barak (lightning). Barak was from Kedesh-Naphtali, or holiness [holy/I wrestled], a city of refuge in Naphtali. In the Song of Songs, the myriad of ten thousand is mentioned as well. In the Song, the Bridegroom is “outstanding among ten thousand.”
My beloved is dazzling and ruddy,
Outstanding among ten thousand.
His head is like gold, pure gold;
His locks are like clusters of dates
And black (שְׁחֹרוֹת) as a raven. (So 5:10-11)
“A human king of flesh and blood may be recognized among his attendants by his robes, i.e., by his regal appearance. However, here is the case of God, He is fire, and His servants the angels are fire. Nevertheless, it is written, ‘and He came with some of the holy myriads’ (Dt 33:2) meaning, ‘And he is like a sign (ot) in the midst of the holy myriads.’” (Midrash to Shir HaShirim 5§6)
This outstanding Bridegroom’s head is like gold, pure gold. This reminds us of the crowns, primarily symbols of doing the will of the Father. To merit the crowns, however, two aspects of kingship were necessary. The second depended upon the first. To clarify, let’s look at the two aspects expected of Messiah: Mashiach ben Yosef and Mashiach ben David. Suffering servant (first) and conquering king. The sages even comment upon it:
Joseph and Judah represent the Testimony and Torah.
Joseph represents Israel’s responsibility to be a light to the nations, a universal responsibility. Judah represents the Israel’s own responsibility for spiritual development, being obedient to the Torah. “The Jewish people are crowned with two qualities, eidut (testimony) and Torah, as it says: ‘God established testimony in Jacob; He set down Torah in Israel’ (Ps 78:5).
"What are these two qualities? The essence of Eidut (testimony) is to report facts as they occurred. Nothing may be added or altered when giving testimony. Torah study, on the other hand, requires creative thought. This dichotomy is the root of the conflict between Jacob’s sons. Joseph stressed eidut, as it says ‘a testimony for Joseph’ (Ps 81:6). The aspect of eidut reflects Joseph’s desire to interact with the nations and expose them to the message of monotheism and morality. Judah emphasized the Torah and the special holiness of the Jewish people. They sought to develop and cultivate the unique heritage of Israel.” (Kook, Sapphire from the Land of Israel, pp. 100-101)
John's revelation includes both!
So let’s review how these crowns explain the work of the Anointed One, the Messiah:
• Keter כֶּתֶר Denotes a royal crown, representing the supreme will of God.
• Atarah עֲטָרָה A general term for a crown, wreath, or circlet derived from the verb meaning "to encircle". It often refers to a royal diadem such as the gold crown of King David or metaphorical crowns of honor, such as children, a virtuous spouse, or wisdom.
The idea of discipled people being a crown is echoed in the letters of Paul:
- “But we were gentle among you, just as a nursing mother cherishes her own children…(1Th 2:7) ...as you know how we exhorted, and comforted, and charged every one of you, as a father does his own children…(1 Th 2:11) For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?” (1 Th 2:19)
- Nezer נֵזֶר A crown associated with consecration, dedication, or separation. It was worn by the High Priest as the Nezer Ha-kodesh (Holy Crown) on his turban (Exodus 29:6) and by anointed kings. It is also the linguistic root of nazir (Nazirite).
Although the need to anoint the high priest is not questioned (Le 21:10), there is a pattern in Scripture of anointing a king when his succession to the previous one is in question. If there is not controversy, no anointing was necessary. If there was controversy, there would be conflict over authority to rule, so the new king was anointed. This pattern helps us understand the Messiah as the Mashiach, or Anointed One. His authority would be controversial along the pattern of Joseph, who was ”consecrated among his brothers,” yet unrecognized. Look at these two blessings on Joseph, the n'zir:
- “The blessings of your father have surpassed the blessings of my ancestors up to the utmost bound of the everlasting hills; may they be on the head [לְרֹאשׁ] of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of the one distinguished [נְזִיר] among his brothers.” (Ge 49:26)
- And with the choice things of the earth and its fullness, and the favor of Him who dwelt in the bush [סְנֶה]*. Let it come to the head of Joseph, and to the crown of the head of the one distinguished [נְזִיר] among his brothers. (Dt 33:16)
*From an unused root H5572 meaning “to prick, thorn, a bramble”
Isn't that a strange description of Joseph? “The one who dwelt in the bush...”
Which thorny bush? The one on Mt. Sinai. Sinai itself holds the root of sneh, or thornbush:
- The angel of the LORD appeared to him in a blazing fire from the midst of a bush; H5572 and he looked, and behold, the bush H5572 was burning with fire, yet the bush H5572 was not consumed. Ex 3:2
- So Moses said, “I must turn aside now and see this marvelous sight, why the bush H5572 is not burned up.” Ex 3:3
- When the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush H5572 and said, “Moses, Moses!” And he said, “Here I am.” Ex 3:4
The nezer is associated with the nazir[ite], whose head is consecrated. Yeshua seems to have taken this vow at the Pesach he shared with the disciples before his death and resurrection. He tells them that he will not drink the cup of wine again until he drinks it with them in the kingdom (Mt. 26:29).
Identification with the nazir/nezer crown may signal of Yeshua’s acknowledgment that his authority and succession would continue to be questioned as Mashiach ben Yosef until his glorious return as Mashiach ben David, wearing the glorious crown of kelil to collect the Bride, kallah.
His bride is also an atarah עֲטָרָה derived from the verb meaning "to encircle”: a royal diadem such as the gold crown of King David or metaphorical crowns of honor, such as children, a virtuous spouse, or wisdom: evidence of his fruit and work in the natural realm.
Even more, the royal priesthood of Messiah Yeshua is another type of crown for him: a zer זֵר A golden molding, rim, or ornamental crown placed around sacred furniture and ark vessels in the Mishkan (Tabernacle). [The two-letter shoresh of zer is "to diffuse or flow out, radiate"] That which was serviced in secret, holy places, would radiate into the world via the royal priesthood. They would proclaim the Word and testimony from the holy places, for they are an Army-geddon people, a prepared Bride.
Psalm 68 holds many of Deborah’s Army-geddon themes:
- “The Lord gives the command; the women who proclaim the good tidings are a great host. Kings of armies flee, they flee, and she who remains at home will divide the spoil!”...The chariots of God are myriads, thousands upon thousands; the Lord is among them as at Sinai, in holiness... To Him who rides upon the highest heavens, which are from ancient times; behold, He speaks forth with His voice, a mighty voice. Ascribe strength to God; His majesty is over Israel and His strength is in the skies.” (Ps 68: 11-12;17; 33-34)
This is an army who puts a tagin crown on the Word! We can honor and beautify the Word when we do and hear. It’s not just a stroke of ink on parchment, but alive. Those who have prepared and made themselves ready are crowns on Yeshua’s head, not dishonor.
Honor the King.
Exhortation of Thorns
Samach means to lean upon something, to press upon something. And it has a meaning also of “to ordain” something, because that's what you do when you ordain something.
You press your hands onto the person, or you lean your hands onto the person, not very gently and softly to be nice. When someone was ordained in ancient times, it was a very heavy placement of the hands.
Like the Yom Kippur goats. Each of those goats was going to be ordained for its purpose. One to die and have its blood placed in the presence of the Most High, and the other to be sent out with the sins of the people and pushed over a cliff to die so that it wouldn't bring the sins back. And for both of those goats, putting the lot...the Pur is what it's called...which is where you get Yom Hakippurim. Pur is a die. It's a lot.
And so when we say Purim, Yom HaKippurim, you hear in the word for covering also the word Pur for a lot. We would call it not dice, but a die. Within the kippur of Yom HaKippurim is the Purim or the lots. One lot placed upon one goat, one lot placed upon the other goat, and so you would lean very heavily upon each of those goats to press in his ordination to do the thing that the goat was ordained to do for the nation of Israel.
One is to be slaughtered and have his blood sprinkled in the holy place to be able to bring the nation of Israel into the Most Holy Place through His blood, which we read about in Hebrews, so heavily the lot is placed upon him.
Now, think of Yeshua. Was this done to him?
In a way, mikveh can be part of that process, but samakh/smikha is a very specific leaning or pressing of the hand. Think of what happened to Yeshua prior to his crucifixion. They pressed a crown of thorns into his head. In a sense, what are these Romans doing when they're pressing this crown of thorns onto his head? They are ordaining Yeshua for the work he is about to do, and he's about to do both kippurim simultaneously. Which goat was Yeshua? Yes.
His blood from his sacrifice was sprinkled once and for all in the Most Holy Place on our behalf. Pressing that crown of thorns represents the product of our sins, our violations of the covenant.
After Adam and Eve fell out of the garden because of their sin, the earth brought forth thorns and thistles instead of the good fruits that they were created to bring forth from the earth through obedience. Because of their disobedience, instead, the earth began to yield thorns and thistles. When you see a thorn or a thistle, it's the evidence of our sinful nature. That sinful evidence of our fall from the garden was placed on Yeshua's head, and then pressed onto his head, making it bleed. But with that same blood, what does he do? Mashiach ben Yosef, the suffering servant, the n'zir, makes a way for his nation to go into the most holy place.
Now think of the dual purpose. Not only is it going to extract blood out of Yeshua's head, but there is symbolism of the thorns. The crown of thorns rrepresents sin. You can also see how it fulfills the scapegoat because he takes those sins upon him.
He's basically pushed over the cliff. He's killed. That was kind of the point of sending that second goat, the scapegoat, out with a particular man once all the sins had been pressed onto the head of that goat. That's what the high priest will do. He presses those sins onto the head of that goat just like the crown of thorns was pressed into Yeshua. Then he was led out, and lest the sins come back, he's going to be pushed over a cliff so that it will kill him.
This also happened to Yeshua. Our sins were pressed upon him, and then he was killed. Literally killed. But in that death, what does he do? He takes our sins, a task for which he was ordained. He received a smicha, which is an ordination to do both of these things. The anointing is what prepares for the suffering of that ordination. Through his blood, we can enter the most holy place, and through his death and resurrection, he has carried our thorns, our sins, the evidence of our sins with him.
And so that's what we mean with smichut. That's a very graphic illustration of ordination, but it helps you to understand how purposefully the words are put in place on the parchment.
- “The LORD possessed me at the beginning (b’reishit) of His way, before His works of old.” (Pr 8:22)
The words of Torah possess immense power. Even the words that seem superfluous and pointless like thorns are of great significance. When Yeshua was crowned with thorns, a couple of clear messages were sent:
The BLB Lexicon states the meaning of Sinai is “thorny.” Yeshua brought forth the significance of the Torah in the “thorns,” but few had ears to hear what would bring them close to the Father. The generation did not receive the Word in order to bear life and good fruit; they rejected the “clusters” Yeshua taught. They only saw it as thorns, not refining gold.
My beloved is dazzling and ruddy,
Outstanding among ten thousand.
His head is like gold, pure gold;
His locks are like clusters of dates
And black (שְׁחֹרוֹת) as a raven. (So 5:10-11)
A cluster of dates on a palm tree actually starts out golden, then turns black like the word for "dawn" as it ripens, a mature fruit that originated in the mind of the Father, the heavenlies, then matures in the natural realm to give life. For this we, too, were created.
- “Then to Adam He said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat from it;
- Cursed is the ground because of you; in toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. Both thorns [kotz]and thistles it shall grow for you; and you will eat the plants of the field; by the sweat of your face you will eat bread, till you return to the ground, because from it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.” (Ge 3:17–19)
When we listen to the human voice instead of obeying Adonai, our works are clusters of dead, unripened works. Those works are reduced to the dust they come from.
When we listen to the voice that came from the thornbush, the One who dwelled in the bush, those golden clusters ripen into wisdom from above that is evidence of the prepared Bride. It was under the palm tree that Deborah judged Israel. It was there that she was prepared so that she could prepare others. Deborah was a different kind of woman, a different kind of wife, a different kind of crown. She was more than prepared for the first Armageddon.
The text doesn't need to mention Deborah's children specifically. It mentions them as who they were and who we are preparing to be: ten thousands of holy ones that form an army at Armageddon. Crowns for Yeshua. Not thorns, but purest refined gold of the Father's will. Why keep pressing the thorns of our sins upon him?
Honor to him. Honor to the Father.
Honor the King with many crowns.
|
