The Mysteries of IM – Part 2

People are often curious as to where our term ‘alphabetical order’, comes from.

Logically this has it’s root in the sequence of the Hebrew letters that form the alef beis (alphabet) or Alef-Tav/Tau.

Due to the *occult/hidden connotations connected with the Mazzaroth /zodiac; our initial reaction to anything to do with it is a negative one.

The word occult comes from the adj. 1530s, “secret, not divulged,” from Middle French occulte and directly from Latin occultushidden, concealed, secret,” past participle of occulere “cover over, conceal,” + a verb related to celare “to hide.” Today’s meaning in general is supernatural, mystical, or magical beliefs, practices, or phenomena:“a secret society to study alchemy and the occult hidden- forbidden knowledge. To say something is occulted is to say it is hidden. Connecte to sight as it is similar to oculus – a round or eye-like opening or design.

 

However the scriptures say that God created the heavens and set them for signs and seasons.

ElohIM: God transcends all life and all we think He is.

He is the creator and the adversary (ha satan) is the one who takes what was good and perverts it and because of that we miss the good things in their origins. There seems to be some truth in the saying, ‘it’s written in the stars’?

From this is a possible explanation why Hebrew language is read from right to left because this is the same order in which they become visible in the heavens during the course of an annual cycle? In the picture below is our Earth, located in the center and the heavens where the stars, (in their constellations) are around us.

Where the arrows point to Aleph, Bet, Gimel, Dalet; that is A, B, G, D in our alphabet.

We are made in His IMAGE..

Five times we are told we are made in His image/essence.

B’REISHEET. (In the Beginning) TAV YUD SHEN ALEF REYSH BET.
ELOHIM (God) FINAL MEM YOOD HEY LAMED ALEF.
YAHWEH (Lord) HEY VAV HEY YUD.
YESHUA (Jesus) HEY AYIN VAV SHEN YUD.
A-HAV (Love) VET HEY ALEF.
TZALEM (Image) FINAL MEM LAMED TZADIK.
5 TIMES. WE ARE TOLD. WE ARE CREATED. IN GOD’S IMAGE. GOD. is. LOVE.

“Elohim” אֱלהִים is an important word with several meanings. Although this word is not the main focus of this post it bears adding more than a brief mention, as some scholars have questioned its plural inference used as a name for God – citing El as from EmmanuEL, MichaEL, ELyon, etc.

Strong’s Hebrew: 430. אֱלֹהִים (elohim) — God, god with both a capital G and lower case g. Phonetic Spelling: (el-o-heem’)

angels divine (1), divine being (1), exceedingly (1), God (2326), god (45), God’s (14), goddess (2), godly (1), gods (204), great (2), judges (3), mighty (2), rulers (1), (Brown Driver Briggs #2570 for many other scripture references at https://www.biblehub.com/hebrew/430.htm)

The word Elohim is the plural of El (or possibly of Eloah as the singular form of the word Elohim is Eloah (אלה), and that form is used frequently in the Bible.) It is the first name for God given in the Tanakh: “In the beginning, God (Elohim) created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1): The name Elohim is unique to Hebraic thinking: it occurs only in Hebrew and in no other ancient Semitic language.

The Meaning Of Elohim In Hebrew.

Translated into English, the word is “god” (capital or lowercase “g”), and oddly enough can refer to either Yahweh God, or to humans.

‘Elohim’ is a plural word, which is peculiar because God is one (Deuteronomy 6:4). Still, the singular form of the word Elohim is Eloah (אלה), and that form is used frequently in the Bible as well.

The modern western perspective of God ignores the Hebraic concept of “balance,” which is an integral part of the Ancient Hebrews perspective of who God is. Elohim is a grammatically plural noun for “gods” or “deities” in Biblical Hebrew. In Hebrew, the ending -im normally indicates a masculine plural. However, when referring to the Hebrew God, Elohim is usually understood to be grammatically singular (i.e. it governs a singular verb or adjective).

It can either mean “gods” plural (i.e. heathen gods), or it can mean God Himself, singular. The idea of calling God “Elohim” is that God is so infinitely powerful, a plural of the word “God” demonstrates His all-encompassing nature. Rather than Yahoveh, which signifies His existence, or Adonai, which signifies His lordship, “Elohim” simply emphasizes that He is a divine being, or a God, one worthy of worship. Since it is plural with the same type of suffix that can be translated “ites” in English, “Elohim can also refer to the “Sons of God,” meaning Angelic beings.

Elohim is one of three Divine Names by which the Creator is known as He creates. The creation account is probably the most difficult and most enigmatic passages in the Bible. It starts at the beginning and it doesn’t really end. ‘Elohim’ is a plural word, which is peculiar because God is one. Echad. (Deuteronomy 6:4). 

Elohay ha Elohim – God of gods.

There are three stages upon which the creation unfolds. The 1st stretches from Genesis 1:1 to 2:4. In this period God is known as Elohim.
Second, He is known as YHVH Elohim from Genesis 2:4.
The 3rd stage begins around the Noah cycle and flows over into the Abraham cycle and beyond, across the remainder of the Scriptures. Abraham was the first to believe and became not only a ‘new creation’; (Possibly after his face to face, panim el panim?), but he was also the first of a new family of new creations, the set apart – Holy – Kadosh Nation of Israel – His KedoshIM). During this stage God is known as Dabar YHVH, or Word Of God.
The Word of the Lord YHWH, or דבר־אדני יהוה (Dabar Adonai YHWH)
Where some names of God come uniquely from rare roots, the names Elyon and Dabar come from roots that have truly vast domains of application. The word Dabar, however, outdoes even Elyon and is a universe of meaning in itself:
This beautiful name is introduced in Genesis 15:1 where the Word of God is in a vision to Abraham and speaks to him (compare: Elohim where it occurs in Genesis 1:1, YHWH Elohim in 2:4, and Elyon in 14:18).

דבר־יהוה

A brief look at some of many other EEMS..

KedoshIM, K’doshim, or Qedoshim (קְדֹשִׁים — Hebrew for “holy ones,” is a word in plural form found in the Bible several times with respect to persons, their way of life and their interaction with the world around them.

Joshua 24:19b He is a set-apart (Holy) separate from everything and everyone, unique and pure.

There is no measure of uncleanness in Him, and nothing can make Him greater than He is. It is for this reasons the Holy angels sing before the Lord day and night, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty” (Revelation 4.8).

MoedIM – appointed times (or feasts) of the Lord.

IM’s – EEM’s

ים

of The Hebrew Scriptures.

The Writings (Kethuvim) The Law (Torah)

The Prophets (Nevi’im) Poetical Books. Psalms. Job. Proverbs.

Five Rolls (Megilloth) Ruth. Song of Songs. Ecclesiastes. Lamentations. Esther.

Historical Books. Daniel. Ezra-Nehemiah. Chronicles.

Former Prophets. Joshua. Judges. Samuel. Kings. Latter Prophets. Isaiah. Jeremiah. Ezekiel. The Twelve.

Genesis. Exodus. Leviticus. Numbers. Deuteronomy.

The Hebrew Scriptures also called the TANAK/TANAKH, an acronym for:

TORAH (Law or Instruction); – NEVI’IM (The Prophets); and. – KETHUVIM (The Writings) ketuvim writings

 Nevi im prophets

Strong’s Hebrew: 4941. מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat) — judgment

מִּשְׁפָּטִים Mishpatim

The word mishpatim means “rules” or “ordinances or laws” and is derived from the Hebrew word shaphat (“to judge”). Parashat  פָּרָשָׁה Mishpatim is sometimes called Sefer HaBrit (“the Book of the Covenant”), since it contains over 11.5% of all of the mitzvot (commandments) found in the entire Torah (53 of 613).

Another example of a word with both an open and closed MEM is Mitzrayim – Egypt.

Mizraim/Mitzrayim is the Hebrew and Aramaic name for the land of Egypt, with the dual suffix -āyim, perhaps referring to the “two Egypts”: Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt?

According to Genesis 10, Mizrayim (a son of Ham) was the younger brother of Cush and elder brother of Phut and Canaan, whose families together made up the Hamite branch of Noah’s descendants. Mizraim’s sons were Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, Pathrusim, Casluhim (out of whom came Philistim), and Caphtorim.

The Symbolism of the Word “Mitzrayim” (Egypt) found in the root word of Mitzrayim, according to Brown, Driver and Briggs, is mem/tzadi/resh, metzeir, meaning to border, to shut or to limit.

Mitzrayim, also means straits, narrow place, or blockages which translates as tight spot. (Idiom -The blessing of a skinned knee.)

It’s significance to the believer is in Liberating Ourselves from Narrowness … When God took us out of Mitzrayim, He extricated us from the place of constricted opportunities, tight control.

The root word of Mitzrayim, according to Brown, Driver and Briggs, is mem/tzadi/resh, metzeir, meaning to border, to shut or to limit. Other sources claim the etymology of the word Mitzrayim lies in tzar, either/or; the verb: means to bind, tie up, be restricted, narrow, scant, or cramped, while, a noun: means straits, or distress, and as an adjective means narrow, or tight.

All commentators agree that the word Mitzrayim, represents hardship, distress, oppression, a narrow place or straits.

The sum of all the words in Hebrew which have the plurality’s are indicative of that which is beyond –

the word Hebrew, in Hebrew is the word ivri, the singular of ivriIM, the Hebrews. Ivri comes from the root word avar, which means cross over. The ivrIM, the Hebrews are those who cross over.

The Hebrew word ivri may come from the Hebrew word ever which means beyond.

pronounced as iy-VRiy

means Israeli man

The inner meaning of being an Ivri is transcendence, the ultimate other side spirituality whicht we can achieve. That means that as descendants of Abraham we have the ability through Jesus/Yeshua, to leave/be free from, the system of natural cause and effect that governs the world. The world system typified in MitzrayIM.

Elohei ha’Ivriyim, translated, God of the Hebrews, in Exodus. 3:18

He who is more than-exceedingly abundantly above all-Beyond being contained, without limits and in this,

the exodus from Mitzraim which meant to limit – This is what we come out of, from bondage into freedom –

Beyond the end of ChaIM, the natural life…

Beyond the end of this age, Beyond the end of all thought or imaginations, beyond all that we can offer to Him in our loves, praise and worship, For He has no limits, He is the One who sits on the Eternity of Eternity’s. With God there is always more. All these things… Matthew 6:33

There are many other words with the suffix IM some are:

Talmidim   תלמידם

A plural Hebrew noun meaning “disciples” in its’ truest sense: those who leave family to study and follow the ways of their teacher [rabbi].

They study not only to learn what their teacher knows but to become the type of person their teacher is.  From the Hebrew root word “limmud” meaning “instructed”.  

Strong”s #8527.  Pronounced tal mee DEEM.  Singular: talmid.

Cherubim cher’-u-bim, cher’-oo-bim (kerubhim, plural of cherub, kerubh):

Strong’s Hebrew: 3742. כְּרוּב (kerub)

k’-ru-VEEM כְּרוּבִים

The word Cherub may come from a term ‘to guard’ which would fit well with their role over the ark of the covenant and the throne in heaven

The plural of cherub in English is cherubs, however there is no s on the end of cherubim as translated in KJV

Seraphim. mentioned in Isaiah 6:2 Isaiah 6:3 Isaiah 6:6 Isaiah 6:7.This word means fiery ones, in allusion, as is supposed, to their burning love. They are represented as “standing” above the King as he sat upon his throne, ready at once to minister unto him.  The seraphim (fiery, burning ones)  Strong’s Hebrew: 8314. שָׂרָף (saraph)

plural שְׂרָפִים seraphim …

Strong’s Hebrew 8314

See post for more details:

https://www.minimannamoments.com/a-keruvim-cherub-not-quite-like-we-imagined-part-2/

Angels – Malakim

Strong’s Hebrew: 4397. מַלְאָך (malak) — a messenger

מלאכים – mal’akhim – messengers

Angel of the lord – 

Archangel

One of the 12 tribes of Israel..

in biblical times comprised the people of Israel.

The tribe was named after one of the younger sons of Joseph, himself a son of Jacob (Israel).

 Ephraim, son of Joseph, who was the son of Jacob and Asenath, daughter of Potiphera (priest of the sun god Re of Heliopolis). A position apparently of some importance, since the position of Baal-hazor (probably = Tell `Asur) where Abraham’s sheep- farm was located, is determined by relation to it (2 Samuel 13:23).

Name written in the land: see post

https://www.minimannamoments.com/i-will-put-my-name-here/
https://www.minimannamoments.com/i-will-put-my-name-part-2/

There are many other IM words including:

Y’hudirim – (yeh-hoo-deem’) – Jews   יְּהוּדִ֧ים

T’hiliym – Psalms

Sh’l’ychiym – Emissaries – Apostles   שָׁלִיחַ רבים

and Dagim – fish.

He will make us fishers of men

Goy – גּוֹי –   Goyim – Heathens –Gentiles – People – Nations   גוֹיֵהֶֽם    (go’-eem)

Q’doshiym – Saints   םקַדִּישֵׁ֣י

Chaverim (Hebrew: חברים ‎, literally, “friends”), also spelled Chaveirim (plural). Its origin is from the Hebrew  חבר. 

Yeshua said to lose our lives that we may find them – in HIM! – eem –  ים

and solve the mystery of HIM! – eem –  ים

You are greatly loved so please don’t leave this page before you experience the mystery of new life that will be revealed as you take the next step right now..

He longs to give you the Shalom He paid the ultimate price for.. and to call you chaverim…

SIMPLY SAY THE FOLLOWING, MEANING IT FROM YOUR HEART..don’t delay one more minute, SAY IT RIGHT NOW…

Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.

I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name. Amen.

Where’s Home?

Heaven is our home and we’re in Seventh Heaven?!

Shamayim: heaven, sky יִםשָׁמַ֫  

Phonetic Spelling: (shaw-mah’-yim)

יִםהַשָּׁמַ֖  haš-šā-ma-yim   the heavens.

This is the word used in the expression, the heavens and the earth, or the upper and lower regions. Genesis 1:1

The usual Hebrew word for heavens is shamayim, a plural form meaning heights, elevations (Gen. 1:1; 2:1).

The Hebrew word marom is also used (Ps. 68:18; 93:4; 102:19, etc.) as equivalent to shamayim, high placesheights.   Used for heaven in (Psalms 18:16; Isaiah 24:18; Jeremiah 25:30). Properly speaking it means a mountain, as in (Psalms 102:19; Ezekiel 17:23)Heb. galgal, literally a wheel, is rendered heaven in Ps. 77:18 (R.V., whirlwind). like a spiral galaxy?Heb. shahak, rendered sky (Deut. 33:26; Job 37:18; Ps. 18:11), plural clouds (Job 35:5; 36:28; Ps. 68:34, marg. heavens),  probably means the firmament.

In the last post we looked at the universe and our place in it.We saw some of the amazing images sent back by Hubble.

The night skies have always fascinated mankind, who has always been searching for a way to get a closer look at those twinkling points of light in the heavens above.History records many who invented and built telescopes for that very purpose; including a 17th century Christian, German astronomer, Johannes Kepler. (1571-1630). He used mathematics to calculate the path of the planets and discovered three laws of planetary motion, amongst other discoveries.Johannes had a friend who denied the existence of God and maintained the universe came into existence by itself.

This troubled Johannes, so he construct a model of the solar system. When he showed it to his friend, the friend exclaimed how beautiful it was and wanted to know Who had made it?

Cryptically Kepler replied that no one had, it had made itself! ‘Nonsense’ replied his friend ‘just tell me who made it’. Kepler proceeded to say to his friend that if he believed the model could not have made itself, which was but a simple imitation of the great universe, how could he believe the universe could make itself!It seems to be a silly statement, in light of what we know today. Johannes Kepler’s model could no more have made itself than a car could manufacture itself.

However according to many scientists, the universe came into existence by accident and so did human life!!!

Rest assured that your life was not an accident and God has a purpose for you.

You’re here because of Him and there is hope and a future.  I know the plans I have for you plans for welfare and not for calamity, to give you the future and hope.  Jeremiah 29:11You are created from the high purposes of God.

Heaven is our home and one day we will be there with Him.

How to translate bikeseh hashimayim in Deut.30:4 which most English translations render as the outermost parts of heaven.

Are we talking about space travel here? Or is it just a metaphor?

Remember, nothing is placed in the Bible by accident.

Every note and detail has a reason for it being placed there. So there must be a reason why God is speaking of gathering the nation of Israel from the outermost parts of heaven. Bikeseh comes from the root kesah and has the proposition Beth (in or on) in front of it and literally means “in the end or extremity.”

 The following word “hashimayhim” is from the root shama’ which means heaven.

The word has a definite article Hei at the beginning and a plural ending and we would render that as the heavens. So we are not referring to our final resting place and the celestial city but most likely it is used to describe the sky or outer space. If the writer wanted to depict God gathering the Jews from the ends of the earth he would have said kesevi eres. So why does the writer say the heavens or sky? Here is where opinion comes into play. We creating an opinion that makes sense and we are left with just a metaphor, a poetic expression and a wonderful one at that. God will not only search out every corner to restore the ones He loves, but He will even look in the most unlikeliest places and if necessary in outer space.

 God cares for and is mindful of everything in His creation.

Taken from a study on the sparrow falling. In the Aramaic language, you say that God is aware of everytime a sparrow lands. He is not only aware when a sparrow dies, He is aware when a sparrow lands and they do a lot of landing. Again another verse to show how aware God is of every individual He created and how He longs to draw them to Him. He knows every corner and every rock on earth; and every place in the sky and the universe, we just cannot escape His noticeIsaiah 66:1 Heaven is my throne and the earth my foot stool.
Heaven is ‘as the chair’, to God.Because that’s where He dwells and the stool is the earth.

 By nature He doesn’t dwell there but He does touch it with the ‘feet of His presence’ as part of His footstool. It is therefore under ‘His feet’ and under His control and His perfect will and plans and purposes.

According to Ephesians 1:22, all things are under Messiah’s feet and under ours too!

The constellation in the picture above is called the hand of God.

When we have a friend we spend time in each other’s company, we have the same interests and talk about them together. So we should be the same with God. His home is in heaven as well as in our hearts; and we are already invited for a future event where He lives.

The marriage supper of the Lamb.

Home is where our hearts are fixed and focused.

Meanwhile we have His spirit with us and He never leaves us or forsakes us. Hebrews 13:5. Jesus told us,  I am with you always. Matt. 28:20

However our human curiosity wants to know what heaven is really like.
Paul said in 2 Corinthians 12:2, he thought it was the third heaven.
Just how many are there?The Hebrew language gives seven words for heaven and the ancient model in the form of drawings illustrates what Genesis describes; and the meaning of the seven Hebrew words; and how they saw everything fitting together.This is the root of where we get our idiom to be in the seventh heaven.The word in Genesis, in the beginning God created the heavens and earth. The word heavens is plural; it is not singular, meaning, that there is more than one heaven.

God is the God of the Heavens El HaShamayim’

שָׁמַ֫יִם = heavens

2 Corinthians 12:2   (2 Cor. 12:7)

The phrase “heaven and earth” is used to indicate the whole universe (Gen. 1:1; Jer. 23:24; Acts 17:24).

According to the Jewish notion there were three heavens,

Shechakim  “expanses,” with reference to the extent of heaven. (33:26; Job 35:5) Pauls’ expression “third heaven,” 2 Cor. 12:2, had led to much conjecture. Grotius said that the Jews divided the heaven into three parts:

1) The First Heaven: Earth & Man. The air or atmosphere, where clouds gather. The firmament, as “fowls of the heaven” (Gen 1:26 2:19; 7:3, 23; Ps. 8:8 etc.), “the eagles of heaven” (Lam. 4:19)

2) The Second Heaven: Space and Stars* The firmament, in which the sun, moon and stars are fixed;The starry heavens (Deut. 17:3; Jer. 8:2; Matt. 24:29).

(Isaiah 13:10)…(Isaiah 14:13)

Astronomy is the scientific study of the individual celestial bodies (excluding the earth) and of the universe as a whole.

Astrology is the study that assumes and attempts to interpret the influence of the heavenly bodies on human affairs. (a form of prophecy but is false prophecy, false predictions, demonic, a diversion away from God’s truth).

3) The Third Heaven: God and Glory The upper heaven, the abode of God and his angels, the invisible realm of holiness and happiness the home of the children of God. “The heaven of heavens,” or “the third heaven” (Deut. 10:14; 1 Kings 8:27; Ps. 115:16; 148:4; 2 Cor. 12:2, 

The Bible speaks of three heavens, the third heaven is the heaven of heavens, the dwelling place of God, where His throne has always been. Seven Hebrew Words translated into the word “Heaven” – (please note you will have difficulty in locating these words without extensive study. You will not find them in the Strong’s Concordance since the Majority Text utilizes only the Hebrew Word ùÑîä ùÑîéí shâmayim ).

The word for Heaven is always plural in Hebrew. Here are the seven levels noted in Scripture. The names are:

Dok 

Rakia

Shechakim

Maon

Machon

Aravot

The meanings are noted below for information, as the Hebrew words describe:

DOK

Pronounced like Coke, is the word used in Isaiah 40:22. In the Hebrew commentary they use another synonym. Vilon

Vilon or SHAMEH – Isa 40:22 It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in: H8064 ùÑîä ùÑîéí shâmayim shâmeh

Vilon (“curtain”): a curtain which is rolled over the earth at nighttime to block the sun (Isaiah 40:22); contains the atmosphere, minor stars, snow and dew; abode of Adam and Eve; governed by Gabriel; called curtain or veil because it veils or hides the other six levels; represented by the moon – Word describing the hand of God stretching out like a tent or curtain separating the heavensDok retires in the morning and comes out in the evening and renews the work of creation daily. Dok is the entire universe, going beyond what we can see with telescopes.

ḵad-dōq       כַדֹּק֙ as a curtain 1852 [e] strongs

Rakia

– Genesis 1:17 – Word describing the physical and visible heavens of the stars, moon and sun.

Heb. rakia is closely connected and is rendered “firmamentum” in the Vulgate, whence our “firmament” (Gen. 1:6; Deut. 33:26, etc.), regarded as a solid expanse.

Rakia is where God set them in the firmament (Rakia) and spread them out like a tent to dwell in. Genesis 1:17Raqi’a/Raki’a (“expanse,” “canopy”): possibly refers to the frozen canopy over the earth before the Flood (Genesis 1:7-8; Deuteronomy 11:11); Did Moses visit Paradise here to receive the Ten Commandments? Fallen angels are imprisoned here for marrying human women (Genesis 6:4); dwelling place of souls awaiting judgment including “men of renown,” apostates, tyrants; called expanse because it’s where the sun and planets dwell (Genesis 1:14, 17); represented by Mercury.

 It’s a reference to the stars, Sun, Moon, and planets: it refers to outer space where the various heavenly bodies move in their prescribed orbits and or maintain relationships in constellations, solar systems galaxies etc. Rakia is the part of the heavens that can be seen with the naked eye both in the day and at night.

bir-qî-a‘     יעַבִּרְקִ֣     in the firmament 

SHECHAKIM

Psalm 78:23 – Word describing atmosphere/air

Shechakim is from the Psalms 78:23, 24. though He had commanded the skies (Shechakim) from above and opened the doors of heaven, and had rained down manna on them to eat and had given them the grain of heaven.

This is where it is believed the millstones are located that grind manna for the righteous.

His word is still miraculously feeding us.

Shechakim is the atmosphere.

wə-ḏal-ṯê יוְדַלְתֵ֖ and the doors

šā-ma-yim   יִםשָׁמַ֣ of heaven

Meaning of term. Isa. 14:13, 14; “doors of heaven” (Ps. 78:23); heaven “shut” (1 Kings 8:35); “opened” (Ezek. 1:1). (See 1 Chr. 21:16.)

Spiritual meaning. The place of the everlasting blessedness of the righteous; the abode of departed spirits.

Shehaquim/Shehaqim/Shehakim (“clouds”): Eden and Tree of Life, also includes paradise and hell/hades (Psalm 78:23-24); represented by Venus.

ZEBUL/ZEVUL

Zebul or Zevul – Isaiah 63:15 – Word describing where God’s glory exists as in a Heavenly City.

Zevul is the location for 1Kings 8:13 for I have surely build you a house of habitation (Zevul) a place for you to dwell in for ever. This is said to be the location of celestial Jerusalem and the Temple with the heavenly altar. How do we know that Zevul may be this place? Because Isaiah 63:15 tells us look down from heaven and behold from the habitation (Zevul) of your holiness and your glory.

zə-ḇul   לזְבֻ֖   to dwell in

Zebul (“habitation”): stratosphere, sun, moon, and “four great stars,” including celestial mechanics; dwelling of the winds; called habitation because it’s where the New Jerusalem is located with its temple (Isaiah 63:15); and is represented by the sun.

MAON

Maon – Psalm 42:8 – Word describing where angels reside which comes from songs

Maon is where the Lord will command his lovingkindness in the daytime and in the night His song will be with me, according to Psalm 42:9. This is where He is ministering and it is said where angels stay. We know that this could be heaven because of Deuteronomy 26:15 looked down from your holy habitation (Maon) from heaven.

מָעוֹן Phonetic Spelling: (maw-ohn’) habitation, strongs 4584

Ma’on (“refuge”): apparently home to “Grigori” — fallen angels who mourn for their brothers in Raqi’a; hell/Gehenna; Michael possibly presides; filled with ministering angels who sing by night; called refuge because it’s where most of the angels reside; represented by Mars.

MACHON

Machon – Deuteronomy 26:15 – Word describing the location of God’s storehouses of treasures of rain and snow, rain, hail, whirlwinds, storms etc. for the earth.

The Lord will open unto you his good treasure. Deuteronomy 28:12. We know that this is heaven because the same word is used in 1Kings 8:39 then here in heaven your dwelling place (Machon).

מָכוֹן Phonetic Spelling: (maw-kone’)

1 Kings 8:39HEB: תִּשְׁמַ֨ע הַשָּׁמַ֜יִם מְכ֤וֹן שִׁבְתֶּ֙ךָ֙ וְסָלַחְתָּ֣ 
NAS: Your dwelling place, and forgive
 KJV: thy dwelling place, and forgive,
 INT: hear heaven place your dwelling and forgive.

Makhon/Machon/Makon (“city,” “established place”): home for angels in charge of nature’s cycles and good governing systems of the world; angels who write men’s actions in books; (Deuteronomy 28:12); It is called city, because it is said here is the City of Angels; represented by Jupiter.

ARABOT/ AVAVOT

Arabot or Aravot – Psalm 6:4 – Word describing the storehouse of righteousness and peace, where angels also reside and it is thought by some scholars this is where souls of those not yet born are waiting. 

Aravot is that in which are, righteousness, judgement and charity. The storehouses of life, of peace and blessing, the spirits of the righteous, with which the Lord will hereafter revive the dead. Those living here, include the Ophannim, Seraphim, Holy Chayyot, the ministering angels, the throne of glory and the King of the universe; according to Psalm 68:5, extol Him who rides upon the clouds (Aravot) by His Name, Yahweh. YHWH

The storehouse of life contains the force of life for all those yet to be born because it is said that when God finished creation in Genesis 2:1; He had made everything that would ever be – including our descendants. It is also thought that here, the spirits of the righteous dead are sleeping with their fathers. An interesting concept!Araboth/Aravot (“deserts”): also known as the 10th heaven; The throne of Glory and God dwell here, as well as Seraphim, Cherubim, justice, righteousness, souls of the righteous, and ineffable light (Psalm 68:5); called desert because it has no moisture and no air; God also said to be above the seventh heaven; represented by Saturn.

It’s possible that Judaism’s belief in multiple heavens could have been influenced by their exile in Babylon.. In fact, the word “paradise,” one of many words used to reflect heaven, comes from the Persian for “enclosed park or garden.”

Also note here that the first three represent the universe, the visible night sky and sun, and the atmosphere. These are natural physical things even when beyond the range of telescopes.

Each of the other four levels is both physical and spiritual. Three levels are translated habitation. Three levels are said to be populated: Zevul Maon and Aravot with various heavenly beings, the throne, and the spirits of the Saints. That is probably the level Paul referred to, the third of the populated levels as the dwelling place of the Most High, the third heaven, is the highest heaven. (2 Cor. 12:2)

One thing is certain, whether 3, or 7, or how ever many heavens, levels, realms and dimensions there are…Heaven is our final home and the ‘heaven’ of it will simply be dwelling in His presence. Shalom!

Hubble CROSS-ing The Great Divide

Hubble Sees aCROSS The Event Horizon Into The SingularityWe’re going on a stunning journey, surveying all the wonders He has created.  Thanks to the Hubble telescope, we can ‘virtually’, travel millions of light years from here, to see what a distant black hole has in common with our own DNA

Above the structure of a black hole.

An earlier mmm post asked us if we felt small yet, and showed just how BIG our Heavenly Father is.

https://www.minimannamoments.com/dare-feel-small/

Its something that we should remind ourselves of on a regular basis; as it keeps everything in our lives in its correct perspective. Because…

whatever the problem is and how huge it seems, it will pale in comparison to what is out there in the heavens where God is.

Ps 33:13-14 The Lord looketh from heaven; He beholdeth all the sons of men. From the place of His habitation He looketh upon all the inhabitants of the earth.

Our situations will not seem so insurmountable after we look at these pictures and we will realize that God is BIG enough to handle anything and that we can overcome all obstacles together.

We looked at the relative size of the universe and our solar system,the Milky Way galaxy and at our place within it.

The pictures below are to scale! and YES the big yellow one is our sun, our star. The sun is 93 million miles from earth, it takes 499 seconds, (about 8 mins) for light to reach us.

and if we think that is BIG just look at this…

and Betelgeuse is small compared to Antares and Antares is tiny compared to VV Cephei!Betelgeuse can be located in the night sky NNW of Orion’s Belt As earth turns at night a long exposure camera records the tracks of the stars in the heavens above.

WOW! HOW GREAT IS OUR GOD

God cannot be contained. He is omnipresent, omniscient and omnipotent, everywhere all at once. Not constrained by time or location there are no limitations for Him. He is not bound by our three-dimensional parameters or our five senses.He is pure spirit, pure life, pure light, pure love, purity itself… manifested as HOLINESS… (Kadosh in Hebrew).A Holy, perfect, infinitesimal being, comprising spirit and light, beyond our finite understanding.

In Him was life; and the life was the light of men. John 1:4

This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. 1John1:5

And the city had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it: for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. Rev 21:23

We attempt to quantify His attributes and character and draw some conclusions from His words about Himself. Our human senses, abilities and descriptions are too incomplete and will never do Him justice. He exists outside of our known 3 dimensions of length, breadth and height, (4 if you include dimension of time and 5 if we add the dimension of the spiritual realm). Mathematicians, scientists and physicists project their ideas and question everything; theorizing that there may possibly be as many as 11 dimensional layers, realms and parallel dimensions.

Col 1 :15-17 Who is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist.From the vast universe to the feathers on this beautiful bird. Picture sent to us by M.E.

The fabric of space and time is still an unknown, (to us). However there is One who does know because He created it all. He is ‘THE‘ math genius, scientist, engineer, physicist and IT technician and everything else, all rolled into one.

We know that the closer you get to traveling at the speed of light, everything slows down. Then at the speed of light.. time literally stands still. If God IS LIGHT, then by definition, He exists at the speed of light!

God exists at the speed of light where time stands still and He calls it Eternity, we call it Heaven!

Mass or weight of any object increases exponentially the faster it moves and the scriptures declare, the exceeding and eternal weight of glory or light of His presence, His Shekinah. 2 Cor 4:17He has all the answers and one day we will too but for now, our man-made telescopes and microscopes reveal a partial view.1 Cor. 13:12  For now we see through a glassdarkly.

They give us a minuscule window into some of the most astonishing details that God has placed within His creation. There is nowhere beyond His reach.

If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. Ps 139:8

He stretched out the heavens and named the stars

Is 42:5 Thus saith God the Lord, He that created the heavens, and stretched them out; He that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; He that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein: Is. 45:12 I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded.
Jer. 10:12 He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion.

Within the known universe and also within our own bodies – heaven is within us. Maybe we can add another dimension and layer of understanding to ‘the kingdom of God being within us’??

Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you. Luke 17:21 KJV

 Are the building blocks of our very existence planted deep within our DNA, having its source deep in the universe that God created?

Ps 33:6-9 By the Word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the BREATH OF HIS MOUTH. He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: He layeth up the depth in storehouses.  Let all the earth fear the Lord: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.  For He spake, and it was done; He commanded, and it stood fast.So then are we made of stars too? For the same God who breathed out stars at the moment of Genesis creation; also breathed into our forefathers the very same breath of His Eternal Essence.

Think of it …

We serve the God who breathed out stars when He spoke.

Stars are in His mouth. The breath of God is filled with stars and galaxies. When God breathes, He breathes out LIFE and when He breathed life into Adam, He breathed into him the stuff of stars.

Ps 139:13-14 For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

This is what our physical bodies are made up of:

Eternity is surely within our hearts. Ecclesiastes 3:11

He has made everything beautiful and appropriate in its time. He has also planted eternity [a sense of divine purpose] in the human heart [a mysterious longing which nothing under the sun can satisfy, except God]—yet man cannot find out (comprehend, grasp) what God has done (His overall plan) from the beginning to the end.

He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also put eternity in their hearts, but man cannot discover the work God has done from beginning to end

He has made everything beautiful and appropriate in its time. He has also planted eternity [a sense of divine purpose] in the human heart [a mysterious longing which nothing under the sun can satisfy, except God]—yet man cannot find out (comprehend, grasp) what God has done (His overall plan) from the beginning to the end. AMP

We need to remember within the immense vastness of untold galaxies and the myriad of distant universes; He sees every one of us and knows our down sitting and up rising. Ps 139:2

May these facts and pictures lift our spirits fuel our faith and remind us that nothing is impossible for him. Matt 19:26Nothing is too big to overwhelm Him and nothing is too small for him to ignore and not be concerned with Ps 139:11

Every hair on our head is numbered (Luke 12:7), in the same way, every star is counted Ps 147:4.

God is BIG and each of us, the apple of His eye (Ps. 17:8) He loves us with an everlasting love.(Jer. 31:3)

 Ps 33:6-9. By the word of the Lord were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap: he layeth up the depth in storehouses.  Let all the earth fear the Lord: let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.  For he spake, and it was done; he commanded, and it stood fast.

We are inside the small red circle on the one arm of the spiral of the galaxy we call the Milky Way.

This is only a small part of the galaxy that we see and call the milky way.  close up of lower section of previous photoIf we look at the other nine planets in our solar system around our star, the Sun, this is how BIG the sun is. However to get a better understanding of the size not only of our star at the enormity of the god with love and serve, here are some other stars /suns just a few light years from here!if you look up at the night sky, here it is, a tiny dot! Zooming in with the help of Hubble…

It’s the Whirlpool GalaxyHubble sends back jaw dropping imagesas the Whirlpool Galaxy is
seen sitting perpendicular to earth 31 million light years away

Some enLIGHTening facts about the Whirlpool galaxy

As Our Heavenly Father spoke and said ‘Light Be’, ‘Yhee Or’. Light came out of the Creators mouth traveling at 186,000 miles per second.

This will make your head spin:

How far light travels in 1 year = 1 light year

and 1 light year is = to 5.88 trillion miles!

If we wanted to get to the Whirlpool galaxy we need to multiply 31 million x 5.88 trillion miles! Or travel at 186,000 miles per second for 31 million years.

The Whirlpool galaxy contains 3,000 billion stars and is one of hundreds of billions of other galaxies in the known universe!

Now for the really incredible facts! 

The Whirlpool Galaxy also called Galaxy M51At its center Hubble found a black hole (four-frame comparison) Hubble Space Telescope provides a detailed look at the core of the giant spiral galaxy M51. These images, taken at different wavelengths of light, reveal complex structure and detail in the galaxy’s core, which is thought to hide a massive black hole.Hubble.org sent back THIS IMAGE of the center of the black hole in Whirlpool galaxy!

WOW! 31,000,000 light years away is the image of the agent of our salvation!

Furthermore…

WE ARE EACH PERSONALLY MARKED BY MAJESTY.

Our DNA is 6 feet long contains 3 billion parts, enough to go to moon and back.

It would take 96 years to read the description contained in the DNA of each individual. We are built from one cell and everyone is unique.

Ps 139:13-14 For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother’s womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

16 cells at 3 days old

In our DNA, scientists have found a cell adhesion protein molecule located in the ‘extracellular matrix’, These are the sheets of protein that form the substate of all internal organs and is also called the ‘basement membrane’.

They called the cell adhesion protein LAMININ.

Laminin is vital to making sure overall body structures hold together.

Why is this important?

Don’t be concerned with the scientific language. Simply see what Laminin looks like under a powerful electron microscope.

Laminin holds everything together,

as a cell adhesion molecule it’s the rebar of the human body.

There are literally millions of crosses holding us together and preventing us from falling apart! WOW!! ONLY OUR CREATOR Father could have designed us to be held together by the crosses in our DNA and at the same time placed a cross millions of light years way off in His universe.

Now how big was that problem?

Know this for certain, the same Heavenly Father who planned all this, has a plan for us and will bring the answers to our problems and needs.People travel all around the world to wonder at the elevation of the mountains to gasp at the height of the huge waves of the sea and gaze upon the vast open oceans with shoreless horizons. They marvel at the long and winding courses of the rivers and their secret sources from inner earth. Stare in wonder at the beauty of flora and fauna and all living creatures in their manifold splendor. They are speechless at the vast compass of the circular motions of the stars in the heavens… BUT they pass by themselves, and don’t even notice the complexity and wonder of the body, in which we can experience all that our senses are continually feeding to our brain.

In reality, we all see God, every day. We simply fail to recognize Him, as He is looking back at us from His creation, in which we live.The intricacies of our humanity, we are His creation, formed from the elements of the ground upon which we walk.

We are fearfully and wonderfully made knit together in the womb of the morning, in love, mercy and grace.

Jeremiah writes that He knew us before we were fully formed.He made peace with the blood of His cross, He is the star breather, the sin bearer amongst all His other attributes AND HE IS THE ONE WHO LOVES AND CARES FOR EACH ONE OF US.THANK YOU FATHER IN JESUS NAME!

TODA AVINU YESHUA HA MASHIACH. HASHEM

Seeing Stars Or…

just simply over the moon?

Animation above shows moons shadow cast on earths spinning surface.

The previous post focused on the smallest components and patterns in the most intricate of God’s creations.

Time to look up once more.

Our worldview is rooted in our limited comprehension of the earth around us and depends very much from what vantage point we are viewing everything. Many things affect our outlook, such as the position of our dwelling place, the location and calibre of our lifestyle, as well as how we observe and process information, and interact with the world around us.

For one moment instead of thinking of ourselves standing on the earth looking up at the stars in the sky; embrace the reality that from any point on the surface, we are in fact actually staring down into the infinite abyss of the universe, with only gravity holding us to the surface of the earth.

(That’s where we instinctively reach for a seatbelt!) Every day we see the sun and almost every day we see the moon;this is because God said in Genesis 1:14 that He created the sun, (greater light) for day and the moon, (the lesser light) for night, for the seasons and for a way to measure and count the days, months and years.

After the Exodus God set the Israelites back on a lunar calendar to help them leave behind the Egyptian sun worship and solar based calendar.The size of our Earth and Moon in comparison to our Star, the Sun.

Today our calendar is again solar-based. It is named after Pope Gregory XIII, who introduced it in October 1582, (which is not all that long ago). The Gregorian calendar is internationally the most widely used civil calendar. It was adopted from the Julian calendar involving a correction to the length of a year. The reform was adopted initially by the Catholic countries of Europe. The last European country to adopt the reform was Greece, in 1923.

The Gregorian reform contained two parts: a reform of the Julian calendar as used prior to Pope Gregory XIII’s time and a reform of the lunar cycle used by the Church, with the Julian calendar, to calculate the date of Passover, (Easter).

From the lunar month cycle he extended the days of each of the 12 months and it is there that we lost the Lord’s original set days which were based on the lunar moon cycle.

The orbits of the Earth and Moon around our star can be accurately forecast and thus depended upon to give those observing it a specific time each year.

Until the printing press and almanacs became available, the phases of the moon were the only worldwide source of seasonal information for agricultural/farming and planning ahead. Nowadays we hardly notice the phases of the moon as we rely so much on modern technology.ECLIPSE FEVER IS TAKING AMERICA BY STORM AND EVERYONE IS, ‘SEEING STARS’ AND IN THIS CASE our moon is PASSING IN FRONT OF OUR VERY OWN STAR, the sun.In less than a month, on 21st August, the orbital paths of the earth and moon will converge during the daytime. As the moons orbit takes it between the earth and the sun, its relative distance will block out the sun for a short period of time as its shadow transverses the surface of the earth. It will only be seen along the mapped path above.
There is much excitement about the upcoming heavenly spectacle. For the first time in 100 years (99 to be exact) that an eclipse can be seen over a 70 mile wide track by people living in the continental United States.Eclipses occur more frequently than every 100 years and are seen more commonly from other locations due to the orbital path of the moon.Having experienced several, it is indeed a unique experience and very strange, as the moons mass passes between earth and the sun and blocks the suns brilliant light from reaching our planet.

Then daylight turns to dusk and the birds stop singing.

All of nature thinks that it’s night-time and there is an eerie silence.

But it doesn’t last long!

The brevity is rooted in the movement of the dark shadow of the moon known as the umbra. When you are inside the umbra, the entire solar disk of the sun appears to be covered by the dark disk of the moon.

In short the moons umbral shadow will take a leisurely trek across the USA covering 2,496 miles (4,017KM)

It will take just 90.7 minutes for the moon to pass fully across the sun, whizzing by at an average speed of 1,651 mph (2657km)/h.

During its path across the sun, the moon allows the corona of the sun to glint briefly looking like a gigantic diamond ring in the sky. 
A corona is an aura of plasma that surrounds the sun and other stars.

The Sun’s corona extends MILLIONS of miles/kilometres into space and is most easily seen during a total solar eclipse, but it is also observable with a coronagraph.

The word “corona” is a Latin word meaning “crown”, from the Ancient Greek κορώνη.

The diamond-ring effect occurs both at the beginning and end of totality.Second diamond-ring effect at end of totality August 11, 1999 during a total solar eclipse.

Where the last rays of sunlight pass through the valleys on the moon’s limb, and the faint corona around the sun is just becoming visible, this is when it resembles a ring with glittering diamonds.It’s a most spectacular sight, which lasts only seconds.The highly transient diamond ring effect really shows that the universe is not as static as it appears to be.

There are other stunningly visual moments during transition called Bailys Beads.In itself the eclipse is nothing more than the heavens that God created doing exactly what He set them in place to do.

They have followed His directive for millennia and have been viewed by multiplied millions of human eyes over the centuries. The Scriptures speak of them and astronomers have mapped their orbits. All the visible constellations have names and tell the greatest story of all time. His-story.

The Scriptures tell us that God put the heavens that we see in place for signs and for seasons and Jesus reminded us of that in the book of Matthew.

In 1 Chron. 12:32 The tribe of Issachar and his children were noted for their knowledge and observations of the heavenly bodies and the times and seasons that their movements indicated. Maps were made of the heavens millennia ago, for they were a living calendar for agriculture and especially for God’s people Israel to follow His Appointed Times.

The birth of Jesus was written in the starry sky and led the Magi from the East to Him as they saw ‘His star’ in the constellations and understood it’s significance. They paid attention, should we be any less interested?

Jesus Himself told us of the signs to look for prior to His return in Matthew 24.

The Revelation of Jesus to John also speaks of many signs in the skies above.

In recent years there have been many unusual sights in the heavens. During the years 2014/5 there were four ‘blood moons’ and eclipses occurring ‘coincidentally’ on exact days of the Appointed Times of the Lord celebrated during the calendar year.

There is no specific Hebrew word meaning coincidence, as all things in the Hebraic mindset and Hebrew thought are designed and orchestrated by God/Hashem. In Hebrew nothing ‘just happens’ there is no luck, no chance, it is all by His co-ordinated design and planned from before the foundation of the world.

That being so, it may behoove us to pay attention to the skies above, look to the heavens for our redemption draws nigh. We are not told to look down and at our circumstances but encouraged to look up to where our Father exists in the heavens.

Shamayim in Hebrew (שָׁמַיִם).

In the Greek ouranos οὐρανός, οῦ, ὁ.

The Hebrew word shamayim a plural form meaning ‘heights’, ‘elevations’. It is constructed of two parts: sham (שָׁמַ) derived from Akkadian samu meaning “sky” or “lofty”, and Hebrew mayim (מַיִם) meaning “water”.

In Genesis 1:6 Elohim separated the “water from the water”. The area above the earth was filled by sky-water (sham-mayim) and the earth below was covered by sea-water (yam-mayim).

The Hebrew word for the sun is shemesh. It follows the same construction, where “shem” or “sham” (Akkadian: samu) means “sky” and esh (Akkadian: ish) means “fire”, i.e. “sky-fire”.

יָרֵחַ ‘yareach’ meaning ‘moon’  Phonetic Spelling:  (yaw-ray’-akh)

אָ֫רֶץ  ‘eretz’ meaning ‘earth’  Phonetic Spelling: (eh’-rets)

By some scholars calculations we are in the year 5778 and other scholars say that there are some 200+ years missing from the calendar having been miscalculated by some rabbis and scribes.

If that is correct we could be nearer the year 6000-16!

It is good to remember that it’s not just 2017 years that have passed in total, that it simply the number of years since Jesus came the first time and was on the earth physically. There is some 4000 years prior to that as the story contained in scripture from Genesis began approximately 6 thousand years ago. If this is correct and we look at the reference to a day as a 1000 years; we are right in the cusp of entering the 7000th year which is symbolic of His Rest, (Shalom) indicating the start of the prophesied 1000 year reign of Messiah as He returns.

The only question is, are we ready, are we prepared for His return? Where are our hearts Focused?

It may not be in our lifetime that He returns, but what If it is?

Are these heavenly signs pointing to His soon return? Will He fulfill ‘the appointed times’ this coming September?

Even if it’s not this year, being ready and prepared spiritually is up to each individual and to make certain we have shared the good news of salvation and forgiveness through Jesus blood with everyone we can.

We looked at Israel, 70 years the nation. 50 years with Jerusalem as its capital and the significant date recently, when Jews were once again able to pray freely on the Temple Mount. We are now counting down to the first of the 3 fall Appointed Times dates and the 40 days of Teshuvah. Teshuvah is a time of repentance and soul-searching in preparation for the time of repentance that immediately precedes Rosh Hashanah.

It is always good to remember that numbers are important to the Lord and that every Hebrew letter has a numerical value. Nothing is insignificant or coincidental in God’s plan of the ages. Let as keep our eyes on the Lord and on the heavens where He is and on the apple of His eye, His beloved Israel.

Perhaps it is significant that 21st day August, day of the eclipse, is exactly one month to 21st September, which this year is Rosh Hashanah.

Jesus said no man knows the day nor the hour of his return but the Father only. Does this indicate it’s possible to know the season or the year?

All we can know for certain is what the scripture says

One thing is sure, it’s time for us to look up and away from the things that so easily draw us away from the Lord and from His presence. It’s time to focus on Him and not ourselves. We need to be as Jesus said, ‘about our father’s business’, pleasing Him by our lifestyles and our obedience to His commandments.

There’s only one sunset and its been going around the earth since God created the sun. (Gen.1:14-19)

and as you are watching that sun set…someone on the other side of the earth is watching the exact same sun rise!It takes the whole ocean and the moon to erase one footprint in the sand

 and everything we eat is processed sunshine…

Your shadow is a confirmation that light has travelled nearly 93 million miles without interruption…

only to be prevented from reaching the ground in the last few feet by your presence! Consider that we have never actually been in the same place twice, as the earth and the solar system we are part of and even the entire known galaxy, are all in constant motion through space.  

Not all starlight that we see is the same age, some of it possibly millions of years apart even though it reaches our eyes at the same moment.

Many of the stars we see in fact no longer exist, so we are literally looking back through time.

This being true, the night sky isn’t simply a single moment in the universe but rather a patchwork, a compendium, a compilation of countless years in the breadth of eternity. The Song of Solomon speaks of the bride as the moon but finishes by speaking of her as the sun. The final picture and mystery of the bride goes from moonlight to sunshine.The moon and the sun are two different kinds of light.

The moon is a light that shines conditionally. There has to be nothing blocking its face, nothing hiding it from the sun.

The sun shines regardless of where it’s facing, or anything blocking it, because its nature is to shine.We are the ‘bride’ and we are still in the moon phase, reflecting our Saviour’s glorious light.We’re rejoicing, but oftentimes our joy is conditional. The real victory comes when you move from the moon stage to the sun stage. Then the light of the glory of God is coming from within our being and we have completed the transition from glory to glory.

It’s when your joy moves from being conditional to becoming unconditional, then you truly praise Him, not just when things are good, but when things look terrible – at all times.You shine not just because things are shining around you, you shine because you are a light to the world.That’s what a light does – it shines.

You’re the bride, and the bride begins as fair as the moon, but ends as bright as the sun.Commit to being the light of Messiah today and shine like the sun!(The above image of a partial eclipse in 2012 was taken by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory satellite.)

Final caveat.. although it’s tempting to stare at the sun during a solar eclipse, if you try to do so without protection, you could damage your eyes.

Shalom family and friends, be safe as you continue to enjoy the wonders of our Fathers Creation.