In Matthew 18:20, Jesus Christ speaks of the measure of the saints in the arrangement of two different gatherings. Here He refers to the measure of two and three people who gather in His name. This reveals to us that it is the prerequisite for His presence among the respective community of saints.
Matthew 18:20:
‘… 20 For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.’
Hidden in this biblical passage is a mystery that carries a revelation to enrich us in our relationship with Christ Jesus.
The Two Separate Gatherings of Saints
First and foremost, Jesus speaks of two separate gatherings of saints in His name, which is why we can recognize the dimension of the Father’s will in this, which is a fellowship and another fellowship that can be mathematically described as ‘1+1’, resulting in ‘2’.
The numerical value of ‘1’ is connected to the Hebrew letter ‘Aleph’, which is, among other things, the first of the ‘leading letters’ of the Hebrew alphabet and can also be described as the ‘father letter’.
The numerical value of ‘2’ is connected to the Hebrew letter ‘Beth’, which among other things encompasses the ‘house’, which is a place where people come together.
If you put these two letters together, you get the Hebrew word for ‘father’, which is ‘Ab’, consisting of ‘Aleph’ and ‘Beth’.
Since Jesus said that He did not come in His own name, but in the name of the Father, and that He did not speak His own words and do His own works, but those of the Father, the above statement in connection with the gathering of saints takes on a special weight (cf. John 5:19.43; John 7:16).
John 5:19.43:
19 Jesus gave them this answer: ‘Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does. …
43 I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept me; but if someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him.
John 7:16:
16 Jesus answered, ‘My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me. …’
The Camel and Grace
If we now consider the first-mentioned gathering of saints that Jesus spoke of, those who gather in His name, we can recognize that in a spiritual context it is about three persons, since Jesus is in their midst.
This makes the numerical value ‘3’ recognizable, which in the Hebrew language is the ‘Gimel’, related among other things to a ‘camel’. In addition to other meanings, the ‘camel’ encompasses ‘servanthood and a bearing of glory, which is linked to the right of access to the kingdom of God.’ (cf. Isaiah 60:6-7 i.c.w. Matthew 19:24)
Isaiah 60:6-7:
6 Herds of camels will cover your land, young camels of Midian and Ephah. And all from Sheba will come, bearing gold and incense and proclaiming the praise of the Lord.
7 All Kedar’s flocks will be gathered to you, the rams of Nebaioth will serve you; they will be accepted as offerings on my altar, and I will adorn my glorious temple.
Matthew 19:24:
‘… 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.’
In Matthew 18:20, Jesus speaks of two independent fellowships that follow one another, in which a dimension of grace and spiritual warfare is shown, which comes to light through His presence, because this results in the letters ‘Gimel – 3’ and ‘Daleth – 4’ (Note: when three saints are together in His name and Jesus joins them). The Hebrew name ‘Gad’ is derived from these two letters. This name means ‘fortune, favour, grace’ and has its origin in ‘battle’.
Furthermore, the tribe of Gad, together with the tribe of Reuben and the tribe of Simeon, camped on the south side of the Tabernacle, where the Menorah - the seven-branched candlestick - was standing (cf. Exodus 40:24-25).
Exodus 40:24-25:
24 He placed the lampstand in the tent of meeting opposite the table on the south side of the tabernacle 25 and set up the lamps before the Lord, as the Lord commanded him.
The two independent fellowships of saints mentioned by Christ thus reveal the spiritual level, which is based on the work of the Spirit of God, made up of ‘2+3 saints’ who have gathered in His name. As a result, the Spirit of God begins to move to reveal the presence of Christ within the respective fellowship.
This is indicated by the numerical value ‘5’, which is the ‘breath’, i.e. the ‘Spirit of God’. The reason for this is hidden in the fact that the numerical value ‘5’ is connected to the Hebrew letter ‘He’, which means ‘breath, breeze’, calling us to recognize the revelation given by God in the moment.
Furthermore, it shows that the Lord doesn’t just count a single fellowship of saints who come together in His name, but He unites the measure of saints within the respective fellowships because He values the spiritual unity in His Son Jesus Christ.
The Presence of the Son of God and the Crowned Sword
Through the presence of the Son of God in the respective fellowship and the addition of the Father, the dimension of the ‘5 saints’ who have gathered in His name becomes a dimension of ‘7’ through the presence of Christ. This dimension of the ‘7’ reveals the presence of the crowned Word of God, i.e. His glory, which arises from His Word and is like a ‘crowned sword’, as indicated by the ‘Sajin’ as the seventh Hebrew letter with the same numerical value (cf. Hebrews 4:12).
Hebrews 4:12:
12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
This presence of the Word of God results in pure spiritual transparency (cf. Hebrews 4:13).
Hebrews 4:13:
13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
Furthermore, as already mentioned, the two aforementioned communities of saints who gathered in His name (Note: ‘2+3’) make clear the dimension of the spirit (‘5 => He = breath, breeze’) and the structure of the spirit (Note: ‘7 => Sajin = Menorah’), which are the number ‘5’ and the number ‘7’.
It is therefore no coincidence that the tribe Gad camped on the south side of the Tabernacle, within which stood the Menorah - the seven-branched candlestick.
This message makes it clear and evident that Jesus revealed much more to His audience through His statement than is perhaps evident from the text so far.
The Room Flooded with Light
Let us continue to make room for ‘Jesus – Yeshua’ in the form of God’s redemptive power in our communities by coming together in His name, in the way He wants to reveal Himself to us. In doing so, we create a space that is flooded with the light of God’s Spirit shining forth, as revealed to us by the Menorah - the seven-branched candlestick. (cf. Exodus 25:37).
Exodus 25:37:
37 ‘Then make its seven lamps and set them up on it so that they light the space in front of it. …’
It is the Holy Spirit who reveals to us the truth of the Word, that is, the communication of God, so that we recognize the truth in it and walk in the freedom of the Spirit, which is associated with peace (cf. Psalm 119:105 i.c.w. John 8:31-32; John 16:13; 2 Corinthians 3:17; 1 Corinthians 14:33).
Psalm 119:105:
105 Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.
John 8:31-32:
31 To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, ‘If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.
32 Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’
John 16:13:
13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.
2 Corinthians 3:17:
17 Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.
1 Corinthians 14:33:
33 For God is not a God of disorder but of peace – as in all the congregations of the Lord’s people.
For us, it reveals that it is in the LORD’s interest that we allow His hand to descend upon us and join us together in servanthood. In this we will be able to reveal the right time or timing of the Lord and maintain a realm of revelatory truth.
When we put our spiritual focus on this fellowship with Him as we come together, we can more intensely recognize the hidden communication of God and move forward with Spirit-filled vision as a result. It serves us to go from glory to glory, even when we are in spiritual warfare and people want to stop us.
To our Lord belongs the triumph and the glory that we give Him together in our fellowship with saints!
Amen and Amen.
In His Wisdom,
Daniel Glimm
