Hi all! The entries are in consecutive order. It is like an ongoing book; so to make sense of things, just start with the first entry. From the bottom to the top. Hope it isn't confusing!

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

PAGE 42 BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (THE FIG TREE)

Satan's false religious system is a copy of God's priestly system.  It looks good and pious on the outside but is spiritually dead.  It deceives many into believing that they have no need of salvation from Yahweh Elohim because either that 1. God does not exist. or 2.  There is no such thing as sin or that we are in an imprisoned state or 3. Any idol, any thing other than the true God, Yahweh, will save or fulfill us. or 4.  That man can save himself by his own works. or 5.  That man will establish his own utopian kingdom through the governments of the earth.  This false religious system is represented by the tree of the knowledge of good and evil or the bad fig tree which bears bad or unripe figs or no fruit at all.  The bad fig tree has many leaves which represent man's self-righteous works  and from afar appears like the good fig tree, the tree of life, but has no fruit or spirit.


The good fig tree and the bad fig tree are two separate trees.  Yeshua, Jesus, says:


"No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit." Luke 6:43


"Watch out for false prophets.  They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them.  Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." Matt 7:15-19


Throughout the Bible,  scripture speaks of these two trees in Israel.  Yahweh gives the Prophet Jeremiah a prophecy:


"Then Yahweh said to me, 'What do you see, Jeremiah?' I said, 'Figs, the good figs very good, and the bad figs very bad, so bad that they cannot be eaten.' 'These good figs...they will be my people and I will be their God, for they will return to me with all their heart. But like the poor figs, which are so bad they cannot be eaten' says Yahweh, 'so will I deal with Zedekiah king of Judah, his officials and the survivors from Jerusalem, whether they remain in this land or live in Egypt...I will send the sword, famine and plague against them until they are destroyed from the land I gave to them and their fathers.'" Jeremiah 24


During the time of the Messiah Yeshua's visitation to Israel, there are two villages right next to each other in the Mount of Olives.  One is Bethany,  which means "house of figs" , and the other is Bethpage, which means "house of unripened figs."  The tree of life, the kingdom of God, was flourishing in Bethany and the bad fig tree had its hold on Bethpage.  To this day, the Mount of Olives is called the Mount of Annointing because the Kings of Judah were annointed as King with the olive oil from there and it is where King David went to worship God(2 Samuel 15:32).  It is also called the Mount of Corruption or of Evil Counsel because King Solomon on the southern ridge erected altars to false Gods for all of his foreign wives  (1 Kings 11:7). 


 Bethany is where Yeshua, Jesus, was annointed by Mary and was his home in Judah.  I believe Bethpage to be located on the southern ridge near the place King Solomon fell under the authority of Satan.  Bethpage during the time of Yeshua, was one of two meeting places for the Sanhedrin, the supreme ruling body of Israel.  Their main meeting place was at the Temple known as the Chamber of Hewn Stones.  Their other meeting place was in Bethpage near where the third altar, the Miphkad Altar was.  The priestly members of the Sanhedrin tended to  two altars within the Temple, the Incense and Burnt Sacrifice altars, and to the third, Miphkad altar that was "outside the camp" or outside the city of Jerusalem beyond the East Gate. This is where the red heifer offering is made for purification of the Temple (Numbers 19) and where the day of atonement sacrifices are burnt.  The Priests that served in the Temple lived in nearby Bethpage.  Nehemiah, when he is rebuilding the temple, discusses strengthening the place where the temple servants live above the gate of the Miphkad, the East Gate.  He says:


"... Malchiah, son of the refiner, strengthened the place of the temple servants and of the merchants, over-against the gate of the Miphkad, and to the ascent of the corner." Nehemiah 3:31


This home of the temple servants is up and above the Miphkad gate or the gate that leads to the Miphkad altar.


The Sanhedrin performed special duties at Bethpage at the time of Yeshua.  They took a census of the people, made decisions about the measurements of the Temple and Jerusalem, announced the arrival of the new moon, numbered the calendar and discussed matters concerning the red heifer.


Here on the Mount of Olives, which lies East and above the Temple in Jerusalem, we have the Tree of Life in Bethany and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil in Bethpage.



Friday, May 18, 2012

PAGE 41 BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (THE FIG TREE)

When Yeshua, Jesus came to Israel in his first coming, there was a man named Nathanael who became a believer in Yeshua. The scripture says:


"Phillip found Nathanael and told him, 'We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote--Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.' 'Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?' Nathanael asked. 'Come and see,' said Phillip. Jesus saw Nathanael coming to Him, and said of him, 'Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!' 'How do you know me?' Nathanael asked.  Jesus answered, 'I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Phillip called you.'" John 1:45


Yeshua saw Nathanael "under the fig tree" which reveals Nathanael's love of the scriptures and his longing for the promise of the Messiah to come to Israel.


When Yeshua was in Israel at his first coming, he stayed often in Bethany with his followers Mary, Martha and Lazarus.  He also ascended to heaven and gave the promise of the Holy Spirit and blessed the disciples in the town of Bethany.  The name Bethany means "house of figs." Here the fruit bearing fig tree, representing the kingdom of God was flourishing.  


The prophet Jeremiah makes a prophecy about the remnant of the tribe of Judah that will have a heart for God and are called "good figs."  He says:


"'Like these good figs, I regard as good the exiles from Judah, whom I sent away from this place to the land of the Babylonians. My eyes will watch over them for their good, and I will bring them back to this land.  I will build them up and not tear them down;  I will plant them and not uproot them.  I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord.  They will be my people, and I will be there God, for they will return to me with all their heart.'" Jer 24:5-7


This was partially fulfilled at Yeshua's first coming as symbolized by what happened in Bethany and will ultimately be fulfilled with Yeshua's second coming to Israel.


When Yeshua, the tree of life, returns to Jerusalem to rule and reign, this tree will gloriously be bearing much fruit in Israel. The fruit bearing fig tree represents the kingdom of Yahweh Elohim returning to Israel.


The fruit is the Holy Spirit, that which comes from God and the fruit of the spirit as is said in Galatians 5:22 is :


"love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control."


The Messiah Yeshua, Jesus, is this fruitbearing tree that refreshes and gives rest to those that believe in him and those that believe in him are his fruit or "figs".


Adam and Eve didn't pick the fruit from this Godly tree to cover themselves but chose leaves from a bad fig tree, which I believe to be the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

PAGE 40 BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (THE FIG TREE)

Satan's false religious system which leaves out God and elevates humans to Godhood is called "mystery Babylon" in the book of Revelation.  We get a glimpse of it here when Adam and Eve apply an apron of fig leaves to cover their sin.  All religious systems, other than the true one based on God's word in the Holy Bible, are different manifestations of mystery Babylon that Satan is the author and leader of.

I believe that the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, Satan's tree, was a copy of the tree of life.  It looks the same but has inedible fruit or no fruit at all.

The enemy sows his seed at the same time as God is sowing his. The seed of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  These are the tares that look like the wheat but are there to choke out the wheat.

  I believe the tree of life to be a wonderful fruit bearing fig tree.  It represents the word of God and Yeshua, Jesus, the Messiah. Proverbs 27:18 says:

"the keeper of a fig tree eateth its fruit, and the preserver of his master is honoured."

The master is God and it is equated with a fig tree.

When God's Holy Spirit, the Shekinah glory, rested on the temple in Jerusalem during King Solomon's reign it is said:

"During Solomon's lifetime, Judah and Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, lived in safety, each man under his own fig and vine tree." 1 Kings 4:25

When scripture speaks of the future time when the Messiah will be ruling on earth, it says that "men will live in safety under his own vine and fig tree." Micah 4:4, Zecariah 3:3.  The word "under" in Hebrew can mean under the authority of.  Being under the authority of the messiah will bring rest and peace.

Another description of the messianic age is written in Joel 2:23:

"The trees are bearing their fruit; the fig tree and the vine yield their riches." 

And in the Song of Solomon the first coming of the messiah is described

"Flowers appear on the earth; the season of singing has come, the cooing of doves is heard on our land.  The fig tree forms its early fruit; the blossoming vines spread their fragrance." Song of Solomon 2:12




Friday, May 11, 2012

PAGE 39 BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (THE ACCUSER)

Satan's strategy worked:  Adam and Eve were tempted to sin; they agree with the lie and then willfully act out the sin; they are immediately accused by Satan of it.  Their hearts are still tender so that they feel guilt and shame.  They know that their shame is totally exposed before God and that they now possess the same cunning sin nature as Satan.  Instead of being in the perfect love relationship with God, they are now scared of him.


Their sinful flesh and Satan's whisper prompts them to cover themselves or their sin by themselves and without God's help.  Satan is trying to drag them away from Yahweh Elohim more and more; to convince them that man can save himself.  The scripture says:  


"Then the eyes of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves."  Genesis 3:7


The statement "made coverings for themselves",  is the root of all false religions that spring up from Satan's tree, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  This is another of his deceptions, for  humans are incapable of covering or making atonement for their own sin.  The scripture says:


"Nothing in creation is hidden from God's sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account." Hebrews 4:13


Satan's lie is that humans don't need God at all and that they are actually gods and can do it all without Him.



Wednesday, May 9, 2012

PAGE 38 BEAUTY AND THE BEAST(THE ACCUSER)

Once God in his sovereignty allowed Satan to receive from Adam and Eve legal authority over the earth and mankind, Satan was allowed access up to the heavenly courts to accuse anyone who sins and also bring accusations that turn out to be false.  God who is a holy and righteous judge has to pronounce judgment if the accusations are proven to be true.


Scripture speaks about this in the book of Revelation:


"...for the accuser of our brothers, who accuses them before our God day and night..." Rev 12:10


and in the book of Zechariah:


"Then he showed me Joshua, the High Priest, standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him." Zechariah 3:1


In Greek, the word accuser can also mean prosecutor.


Satan, the one who scripture calls "the father of lies", his strategy is to tempt humans into sin by deception and then accuse them in the courts of heaven. Then they know in their spirit that they have sinned.


He is also called "the tempter" in scripture in Matthew 4:3 and 1 Thessalonians 3:5.  The word to tempt can mean to entice or solicit to sin. We see this in 1 Chr 21:1:


"Satan rose up against Israel and incited David to take a census of Israel" 

Monday, May 7, 2012

PAGE 37 BEAUTY AND THE BEAST(WAR IN THE BODY)

Before the fall, Adam and Eve were at peace or "shalom" with their creator.  Their body, soul and spirit were also in "shalom" with each other.  The word "shalom" in hebrew means wholeness and completeness.  Their spirit was getting recharged continuously  from the tree of life and was ruling over their soul and body, which brought unity and wholeness to them.


When Adam and Eve decided to agree with Satan and then willfully act upon it,  the three parts of their body became disunited and were at war with one another. Now the part of them that is like Satan, the flesh,  rules over their soul.  Their spirit has now become disconnected from the power of God and can be overwhelmed by fleshly desires and uncontrolled emotions.  


Satan, the adversary of God, is ecstatic because he now has what he wanted:  to be ruler of the world and of mankind.  He believes he has now thwarted God's plan to give humankind the ability to spread the kingdom of Yahweh Elohim to all the earth.  All he has to do is to get men to willfully sin and then they will have to be condemned by the righteous God who cannot live with sin or evil.  He thinks this will be easy to do since he controls them by their flesh and prompts them by whispering in their ear to act out against the moral law of god, that they know by their spirit, and against God himself.  The Apostle Paul describes this struggle in himself and all humans as it was up until the Holy Spirit was poured out on the day of Pentecost.  He says:


"For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am of the flesh, sold under sin. I do not understand what I do.  For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.  And if I do what I do not want to do,  I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin that dwells in me.  I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh.  For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.  So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand.  For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members."  Romans 7:14-23


Now Yahweh Elohim,  who wanted to partner with humankind on the earth and who is a God of justice,  cannot destroy Satan without destroying all people because Satan doesn't actually commit the sins, but gets humans to.

Friday, May 4, 2012

PAGE 36 BEAUTY AND THE BEAST(FLESH,SOUL,SPIRIT)

Yahweh Elohim created humans with three parts:  the blood and flesh, the soul and the spirit.  The Apostle Paul speaks of this:


"May God himself, the god of peace, sanctify you through and through.  May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ."  1 Thes 5:23


The soul ("nefesh" in Hebrew and "psyche" in Greek)  of a person is unseen and located in their heart.  The soul is the seat of the emotions, intellect and the will.  The soul is the essence and personality of person.  It's who we are without our skin.  The definition of "will" in the American Heritage Dictionary is: "the mental faculty by which one deliberately chooses or decides upon a course of action."


The spirit in a person is also unseen and located in a person's heart. The spirit is what comes from God and encompasses his moral law. It is with the spirit that a human worships and connects with the one true God,  Yahweh Elohim.  


It is the soul of a person that freely chooses to agree with a person's flesh or their spirit or with Satan or God.


Both the invisible soul and spirit are located inside the heart of a person.  The heart is also the center of the circulation of blood throughout the body; therefore, the part of the human that is the flesh.  The heart contains all three aspects of a person and is the center of all physical and spiritual life.