Due to current global political developments, this word should serve as a strategic advice for orientation for the ecclesia in the field of prophetic intercession. The reason for us is that we received an open vision of an eight-year-old girl believing in Christ, and thereupon we were also informed of a dream of a faithful believer over seventy years old, the contents of which bear the same revelation and current relevance.

 

The vision as well as the dream were received in the biblical month of Tishrei/Ethanim 5784, which heralded the new biblical year ‚Pe-Dalet’ and is associated with the communication of God and the open door to enter more deeply into the God-given promise.

 

What is also striking here is that the Holy Spirit speaks to us through a young girl and a mature woman as a grandmother in the body of Christ, to point through both of them in this biblical month of Tishrei/Ethanim to the dimension of Joseph ‘merged’ in his sons Manasseh and Ephraim, who were blessed with crossed arms by their grandfather Jacob, his father, even before him and his brothers (Note: More background on the biblical time frame of the aforementioned month can be found here.).

 

 

We know from the Word of God that the entrance into the promise does not come without resistance from the adversary, and we would like to present the directions of the vision as well as the dream in the form of a strategic advice without describing them in detail. It is intended to help us to move the strategy before the Lord in sobriety of the spirit and to direct our prayers spiritually according to the revelation that resonates within us (cf. 1 Peter 5:8-9a).

 

1 Peter 5:8-9a:
8 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
9a Resist him, standing firm in the faith, …

 

Both vehicles of revelation contain the hint of a threat that has its seat in the spiritual realm and operates in a covert form to bring forth sinful and deceitful things with the goal of contaminating or influencing the environment.

 

This is about the way of intimidating communication by a system that wants to extend globally and with perfidious intention over the earth.

 

The statement of the prophet Isaiah is of great importance here, who said: “See, darkness covers the earth and thick darkness is over the peoples, but the Lord rises upon you and his glory appears over you.” Isaiah 60:2

 

Many things have already been said and will be said about the end-time developments and also interpreted on the basis of Bible prophecy as we all certainly experience or know. But on the basis of this currently relevant Bible passage in verse 2 it becomes clear that interestingly it is about a twofold character of darkness in its influence on the sphere of the earth and its inhabitants.

 

This is about the shadow from the throne of the adversary with the purpose of strengthening and protecting his ‘sons of disobedience’ surrendered to him in their position in public. This kind of evil ‘protecting shadow’ is accompanied by a certain measure of time allowed by God until the fulfilled time of God dawns and the righteous in Christ Jesus become active and revealed.

 

This is connected with the revelation of the statement of Joshua and Caleb, who during the exploration of the Promised Land spoke of the protective shadow having departed from the ‘giants’ (cf. Numbers 14:9).

Numbers 14:9:
9 Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them.’

 

The Hebrew word for ‘throne – kiśśē’’ and its root word ‘kāśāh’ emphasize this statement, since the word for ‘throne’ includes, among other things, the governing influence of a ruler in the form of sitting on the throne, as well as the Hebrew root word ‘kāśāh’ means ‘to cover’.(Note: Part excerpt from the ‘Prophet’s Dictionary’ by Paula A. Price, Ph. D.; page 558 and the Elberfelder Study Bible on the word “Thron – kiśśē’” and “to cover – kāśāh”; word key numbers: H3749, H3750).

The craving of these ‘sons of disobedience’, whose ruler is Satan, the ‘father of lie’ himself, is to bring the hidden evil into a public normality in order to plunge mankind into chaos (Note: You can find more about the tactics of the enemy here.). Not only a certain group or nation is meant, but they want to reject any biblical order, which ultimately leads to ruin.

 

This plan does not respect any boundaries and is directed against all generations of the living people (cf. Ephesians 5:6 i.c.w. John 8:44).

Ephesians 5:6:
6 Let no-one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things God’s wrath comes on those who are disobedient.

 

John 8:44:
44 You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

 

 

It is necessary that we as ecclesia abide in the increasing light of the presence of the Heavenly Father, who is the Father of Light, and not allow any worldly, medial, or hostile influence to enter our sphere. Rather, we are called to allow His glory to confirm us in His walk of truth and righteousness (cf. Isaiah 60:1.3 i.c.w. Psalm 36:9; James 1:17).

 

Isaiah 60:1.3:
1 ‘Arise (Note: leave your old environment/thought pattern), shine (Note: become one with the presence of God allotted to you and His thoughts), for your light has come (Note: presence of the Son – Jesus Christ), and the glory of the LORD (Note: presence of the Heavenly Father) rises upon you.
3 Nations will come to your light (Note: revelatory knowledge through the revelatory truth of the Word of God), and kings to the brightness (Note: shining presence of the Heavenly Father in the personal life) of your dawn.

 

Psalm 36:9:
9 For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light.

 

James 1:17:
17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

 

In order for us to shine and increase in the light of God, it is necessary as saints of the ecclesia to spiritually ‘go higher’ to the one who sits on the throne and is Spirit. This means leaving the old environment and breaking with erroneous and sinful thought patterns that only hold us back and lead to wrong conclusions.

It is necessary for us to make the decision to align with the allotted presence of God and His thoughts. The reason is because the glory of the Son – Jesus Christ is approaching, and the glory of the Father wants to rise above it (cf. Isaiah 60:1).

 

Isaiah 60:1:
1 ‘Arise (Note: leave your old environment/thought pattern), shine (Note: become one with the presence of God allotted to you and His thoughts), for your light has come (Note: presence of the Son – Jesus Christ), and the glory of the LORD (Note: presence of the Heavenly Father) rises upon you.

 

 

The previously mentioned system resembles the communication of the intimidating giant Goliath (Note: ‘shine, shining’ or ‘soothsayer’) from Gath (Note: ‘proclamation in the form of intimidating to destruction’ or ‘winepress’), who positioned himself at the gate of the day and evening before the people of Israel/people of God to intimidate them unto destruction (cf. 1 Samuel 17:4.16 i.c.w. 2 Corinthians 11:14-15).

 

1 Samuel 17:4.16:
4 A champion named Goliath, who was from Gath, came out of the Philistine camp. His height was six cubits and a span. …
16 For forty days the Philistine came forward every morning and evening and took his stand.

 

2 Corinthians 11:14-15:
14 And no wonder, for Satan himself masquerades as an angel of light.
15 It is not surprising, then, if his servants also masquerade as servants of righteousness. Their end will be what their actions deserve.

 

The ‘Goliath’ system now consists of an alliance of ‘political forces’ that have an agenda of unrighteousness and aim to drag believers in Christ into their agenda.

Here, extreme vigilance is required, which we should not sacrifice with a life according to Romans 13, because our Lord Jesus also had this vigilance and called Herod a fox, for example. Jesus recognized the craftiness of human wisdom in Herod (Note: political power), which does not come from above, but pursues its own evil plan, which leads to conflict and ultimately terror (cf. Luke 13:31-32 i.c.w. James 3:14-15).

 

Luke 13:31-32:
31 At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him, ‘Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you.’
32 He replied, ‘Go and tell that fox, “I will keep on driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.”

 

James 3:14-15:
14 But if you harbour bitter envy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast about it or deny the truth.
15 Such ‘wisdom’ does not come down from heaven but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic.

 

The place ‘Gath’, as already mentioned, means ‘proclamation in the form of intimidating to destruction acting as a winepress’ and in this context means a deceptive communication that pursues an evil plan.

 

Not without reason does the Word of God reveal to us that out of Gath came a giant who had six fingers on his hands and six toes on his feet, which is an indication of the carnal or evil nature of man, namely, to do works and ways of unrighteousness and to walk in them (cf. 2 Samuel 21:20).

 

2 Samuel 21:20:
20 In still another battle, which took place at Gath, there was a huge man with six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot – twenty-four in all. He also was descended from Rapha.

 

In order to be able to put a stop to this evil system in the spiritual realm, it is necessary for us as ecclesia to go forward with David’s heart. David acted from the presence of his father, Jesse, and as the eighth son was sent by him with provision to the battle line between good and evil, or righteousness versus unrighteousness.

 

This sending from the Father’s presence includes an apostolic call with a renewed mind and spirit to contribute to the strengthening through the fatness of the Holy Spirit’s anointing that accompanies revelatory truth (cf. 1 Samuel 17:17-19 i.c.w. 1 Samuel 17:12a-b; Ephesians 4:23-24).

 

1 Samuel 17:17-19:
17 Now Jesse said to his son David, ‘Take this ephah of roasted grain and these ten loaves of bread for your brothers and hurry to their camp.
18 Take along these ten cheeses to the commander of their unit. See how your brothers are and bring back some assurance from them.
19 They are with Saul and all the men of Israel in the Valley of Elah, fighting against the Philistines.’

 

1 Samuel 17:12a-b:
12a-b Now David was the son of an Ephrathite named Jesse, who was from Bethlehem in Judah. Jesse had eight sons, …

 

Ephesians 4:23-24:
… 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

 

 

In addition, the Lord emphasized the saints of the ecclesia from the region of Turkey, placing His emphasis on two of the first seven churches mentioned by name in the book of Revelation. Here the church in Ephesus is emphasized as well as the church in Pergamum, which is the first and third church mentioned.

 

The following can be briefly summarized about these churches:

 

 

Attributes of Christ:
Jesus Christ holding the seven stars in His right hand and walking in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks => The dimension of the angels and the church – ecclesia

 

Praise:
Works, labour, patience, as well as condemning the wicked and exposing the false apostles, bearing burdens, indefatigability

 

Exhortation:
First love forsaken

 

Encouragement:
To return to the first love through repentance in order to maintain a spiritual ‘overview’

 

Promise:
To him who overcomes, the LORD will give to eat of the tree of life which is in the paradise of God.

 

This promise is a reference to the love of God carrying the need to receive it and to walk in fellowship as well as in relationship with God the Father in Christ Jesus, who is the tree of life.

 

Thus, walking in the love of God is expressed, among other things, in our consistently doing the works of righteousness despite the opposition of darkness.

 

We expose deception as deception, and in doing so, we do not get tired of bearing one another’s burdens. As a result, we increase in life in the form of inner strength, courage, joy, energy, activity in Christ and the quality of fellowship with the Heavenly Father increases.

 

 

Attributes of Christ:
Jesus Christ bearing the sharp two-edged sword => dimension of Jesus Christ as the living Word of God (cf. Hebrews 4:12 i.c.w. Joshua 5:13-15)

 

Praise:
To live steadfastly in faith in Christ despite the dominion of greater darkness ‘throne of Satan’

 

Exhortation:
To repent and turn away from the false doctrine of Balaam, indicating corruption in the form of ‘mixture – a seeming morality based on pagan/humanism’ and treachery, as well as from the Nicolaitans, associated with pride and immoral behaviour

 

Encouragement:
To walk in repentance as well as turning away from one’s previous lifestyle

 

Promise:
The gift of hidden manna and new identity in Christ Jesus

 

This includes, among other things, the dimension of the hidden treasures in Christ Jesus according to Colossians 2:3, from which comes a new knowledge of our Father-assigned identity in Christ Jesus.

 

 

The Holy Spirit requires us, as His people, to come into prophetic intercession in accordance with His red line which encompasses His standard of justice and grace. In places where we spiritually recognize that evil is stepping over this boundary line, it is imperative to denounce it before God and clearly rebuke it according to the authority God has given us (cf. Matthew 16:19).

 

Matthew 16:19:
19 I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind (Note: forbid) on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose (Note: allow) on earth will be loosed in heaven.’

 

Our ‘denunciation’ before God has the consequence that we leave it to God to put the adversary in his place (cf. Zechariah 3:2a-b i.c.w. Jude 1:9).

 

Zechariah 3:2a-b:
2a-b The Lord said to Satan, ‘The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! …

 

Jude 1:9:
9 But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not himself dare to condemn him for slander but said, ‘The Lord rebuke you!’

 

 

Furthermore, the LORD let us know that the focus at present is around the angelic powers of Michael and Gabriel, because it is a new quality of spiritual warfare associated with going deeper into God’s predestined promise (cf. Daniel 9:21-22; Daniel 10:13).

 

Daniel 9:21-22:
… 21 while I was still in prayer, Gabriel, the man I had seen in the earlier vision, came to me in swift flight about the time of the evening sacrifice.
22 He instructed me and said to me, ‘Daniel, I have now come to give you insight and understanding.

 

Daniel 10:13:
13 But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia.

 

We are in a time of battle and conflict over the truth, and this is, among other things, the reason why the adversary stirs up new conflicts in order to withhold truth. This truth in itself, is shocking to many people as well as for some believers, because they evaluate the worldly situation from a viewpoint of deception, and not in the soberness as well as vigilance of the Spirit (cf. Daniel 10:20-21).

 

Daniel 10:20-21:
20 So he (Note: Gabriel) said, ‘Do you know why I have come to you? Soon I will return to fight against the prince of Persia, and when I go, the prince of Greece will come; 21 but first I will tell you what is written in the Book of Truth. (No-one supports me against them except Michael, your prince.

Based on the statement made, the focus is on the task of the angelic princes Gabriel and Michael. In this is hidden the Messianic principle of the ‘one new man’ in Christ Jesus, concerning the saints from the Jews and the saints from the Gentile nations (cf. Galatians 3:28 i.c.w. Ephesians 2:14-18).

Galatians 3:28:
26 So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, …

 

Ephesians 2:14-18:
14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility,
15 by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace,
16 and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.
17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.
18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

 

It was Gabriel who was sent to Daniel at Babylon with a commission conveyed by God, and it is again Michael who is authorized by God over Israel.

The statement of the angelic prince Gabriel makes it clear to us that it is about different spiritual regions of spiritual warfare connected with the revelatory truth released by God for this time and the time to come. It is the concern of the prince of the air (Note: Satan) to stop this truth, which is why the angelic prince of the people of Israel, namely Michael brought supportive remedy for Gabriel, so that he could reveal the revelatory truth to Daniel.

 

Daniel 10:12-13:
12 Then he continued, ‘Do not be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day that you set your mind to gain understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your words were heard, and I have come in response to them.
13 But the prince of the Persian kingdom resisted me twenty-one days. Then Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, because I was detained there with the king of Persia.

 

Currently, we are focusing our attention on the spiritual warfare in the spirit realm of the Middle East and the realm of the North, which is Europe or Eurasia, represented by the ‚Prince of Jawan – Greece’.

 

Related to this is the application of the living Word of God – revelatory truth within us that comes forth from our mouths like a sword (cf. Hebrews 4:12 i.c.w. Revelation 1:12-13a.16b; Revelation 19:11.15a).

 

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.

 

Revelation 1:12-13a.16b:
12 I turned round to see the voice that was speaking to me. And when I turned I saw seven golden lampstands, 13a and among the lampstands was someone like a son of man, …
…, 16b and coming out of his mouth was a sharp, double-edged sword. …

 

Revelation 19:11.15a:
11 I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. …
15a Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword …

 

As we can see from Revelation 1 and Revelation 19, this is a higher level of spiritual communication in the governmental reign of the Sonship of God in Christ Jesus.

 

 

God demands from us as ecclesia to become active in the kingship of the Son of God as the trailblazer of righteousness! It is about Jesus Christ who rides on a white horse and is currently not ‘on foot’.

 

This reveals the dimension of His faithfulness, truthfulness, undiscovered presence of His being, the power of His word, as well as the eternal reign as King on the spiritual level and the political-social level (cf. Revelation 19:11-13.16).

 

Revelation 19:11-13.16:
11 I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war.
12 His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no-one knows but he himself.
13 He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. …
16 On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: King of kings and lord of lords.

 

 

The intervention of the two angelic forces is likewise accompanied by the spiritual movement within the ecclesia of Joshua, representing the Spirit-filled nation of Israel, and Caleb, representing Spirit-filled believers from the Gentile nations, which is a Messianic (Note: anointed with a biblical/Hebrew mindset) movement. This movement carries the proper spiritual perspective about the circumstances and the necessary realization that the protective shadow of ‘the giants’ has departed – just as it did for David and was present for Joshua and Caleb (cf. Numbers 14:6-9).

 

Numbers 14:6-9:
6 Joshua son of Nun and Caleb son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had explored the land, tore their clothes 7 and said to the entire Israelite assembly, ‘The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good.
8 If the Lord is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us.
9 Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them.’

 

Therefore, as ecclesia, the awakened part of the believers, we are called to continue to take our God-given promise without being afraid of conflict, but like David, to 1. call the ‘uncircumcision’ of the evil adversary by name and 2. act according to God’s instruction in firm confidence as well as faith in Christ Jesus or rather going forward in His grace to be fruitful (cf. 1 Samuel 17:26).

 

1 Samuel 17:26:
26 David asked the men standing near him, ‘What will be done (Note: promise) for the man who kills this Philistine and removes this disgrace from Israel? Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?’

 

This Messianic movement steps from the outward touch of God into an uplifting by the inward touch of God, which is through His Spirit, so that a new spiritual vitality is evident, accompanied by great joy and strength.

 

It is similar to the creation of Adam, what the Spirit of God wants to bring forth in a new way for the saints of this time (cf. Genesis 2:6-7).

 

Genesis 2:6-7:
… 6 but streams came up from the earth and watered the whole surface of the ground.
7 Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

 

This brings about a new vision that has its focus from eternity, where the Father and the Son sit on the throne and cover the ecclesia on earth with their glory (cf. Luke 22:69 i.c.w. Colossians 3:1; Revelation 7:10).

 

Luke 22:69:
‘… 69 But from now on, the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the mighty God.’

 

Colossians 3:1:
1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.

 

Revelation 7:10:
10 And they cried out in a loud voice: ‘Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.’

 

This eternal perspective does not allow us in intercession to ask for things or to decree anything that corresponds to an earthly view according to humanistic tradition of Christians. Nothing can be heard that is outside the truth as it is laid to our hearts in Romans 11 in apostolic revelation – it is therefore necessary to distinguish whether we belong to this messianic movement and classify the enemy spiritually correctly or whether we cannot counter him because we cannot or do not want to see the truth without first love.

 

The Holy Spirit suggests to every member of the body of Christ to focus on building on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, whose cornerstone is Jesus Christ as the King of the Jews Himself, making us one with the “creating in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility” according to Ephesians 2:15-16.

 

This living God who is our peace is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Note: Israel). As the God of Abraham, who is also the forefather of the Ishmaelites, He is the same yesterday, today and forever, who has made promises in Christ as the Almighty, which we obtain only if we do not go astray from the path (cf. 1 Timothy 1:5-6).

 

1 Timothy 1:5-6:
5 The goal of this command is love, which comes from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.
6 Some have departed from these and have turned to meaningless talk.

 

Let’s stop any form of meaningless talk. This movement, which the enemy can no longer stop, is to be carried along in prayer and in one’s own discipleship, because it exhibits the only strong unity among the redeemed, which is described to us in the Revelation of Daniel in chapter 11:32b as ‘... the people who know their God will prove themselves and act accordingly.’

 

And it will be these saints, according to the first Christians in the region of Turkey today, who will become what Daniel describes in the next chapter 12:3.

 

Daniel 12:3:
3 Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars for ever and ever.

 

Lastly, we would like to point out that we have received these strategic clues from the vision of the girl and the dream of the older saint in this first week, which is connected to the Torah reading ‘Bereshit’ which means ‘In the beginning’ according to Genesis 1:1. It is the beginning of something that is in our hands to decide what it will become in the end: The head of Goliath who continues to curse David alive with his gods, or the head of Goliath who is beheaded with his own sword?

 

The name ‘David’ means ‘the beloved’ and is derived from the Hebrew root word ‘dôd’, which means, among other things, ‘to cook properly’. (Note: Word explanation taken from Strong’s Concordance with word key number: H1732, H1730).

 

Accordingly, let us go forward in love for God, praying and watching to enter more deeply into the promises for the generations to come as the ‘one new man’.

 

Accordingly, it is necessary to ask the right questions, to distinguish appropriately, and to proceed with eyes that see and ears that hear.

 

Amen and Amen.

 

In His Wisdom,

 

Daniel and Tina Glimm

Since Jesus Christ is the Word of God, it is helpful to explain how we can grow in the maturity of the Word of God. For this purpose, the different times of maturity of Christ, the Word of God should serve us when he lived on earth in flesh and blood (cf. John 1:1-4.14 i.c.w. Revelation 19:13).

 

John 1:1-4.14:
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 He was with God in the beginning.
3 Through him (Note: Jesus Christ) all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. …
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

 

Revelation 19:13:
13 He (Note: Jesus Christ) is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God.

 

 

Based on the different ages of Jesus Christ as the Word of God, there is a spectrum of principles to be observed.

 

We can see from the Word of God that Jesus Christ, as an infant of eight days, was brought by His parents to be circumcised in the temple according to the ordinance of the Torah, as well as publicly called by name (cf. Luke 2:21-24.39-40).

 

Luke 2:21-24.39-40:
21 On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.
22 When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, ‘Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord’), 24 and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: ‘a pair of doves or two young pigeons’. …
39 When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth.
40 And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.

 

The period before the circumcision could be called a phase of the mystery of the Gospel because Jesus was not publicly given His name until the eighth day after the circumcision, as communicated by the angel Gabriel on God’s behalf to Mary (cf. Luke 1:30-31).

 

Luke 1:30-31:
30 But the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favour with God.
31 You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus.

 

The realm of the mystery of the Gospel relates to a spiritual battle, just as the apostle Paul said, speaking about being bound as well as the spiritual warfare he had to fight for the sake of the mystery of the Gospel (cf. Ephesians 6:18-20 i.c.w. Colossians 4:3-4).

 

Ephesians 6:18-20:
18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.
19 Pray also for me, that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.

 

Colossians 4:3-4:
3 And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains.
4 Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.

 

Since, according to the Word of God, the angels, are assigned to the little ones and see the face of the Father every day, and since Jesus also pointed out the importance of the children being allowed to draw near to His presence, it shows that this is a higher spiritual level (cf. Matthew 18:10-11 i.c.w. Matthew 19:14).

 

Matthew 18:10-11:
10-11 ‘See that you do not despise one of these little ones. For I tell you that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father in heaven.

 

Matthew 19:14:
14 Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’

 

Moreover, it is said that God has prepared for Himself praise from the mouths of children and infants (cf. Psalm 8:2 i.c.w. Matthew 21:16b).

 

Psalm 8:2:
2 Through the praise of children and infants you have established a stronghold against your enemies, to silence the foe and the avenger.

 

Matthew 21:16b:
… 16b ‘Yes,’ replied Jesus, ‘have you never read, ‘ “From the lips of children and infants you, Lord, have called forth your praise”?’

 

Jesus’ young age of eight days reveals to us the importance of obedience, because at that time He was under the authority of Joseph and Mary, who respected the Word of God and its instructions in order to assist in the fulfilment of the Torah in Jesus’ life.

 

 

It is said that Jesus, from His infancy, matured, became strong, was full of wisdom, and grace accompanied Him (cf. Luke 2:40).

 

Luke 2:40:
40 And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.

 

It is important that we pay attention to the childlike communication of the Word of God, because in it we get to a higher spiritual level through our childlike faith to see the things that the LORD reveals (cf. Matthew 18:3).

 

Matthew 18:3:
3 And he said: ‘Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. …’

 

Related to this is the nourishment of the Word of God in the form of pure milk, which springs from the nature of God in the facet of ‘El-Shaddai, the Almighty’ (cf. 1 Peter 2:2).

 

1 Peter 2:2:
2 Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, …

 

=> The dimension of ‘El-Shaddai’ relates to the character of the Provider. This name is associated with fruitfulness, the first part of His name representing the abundance of His abundance. The second part reveals His person, His will, and His provision for His people.

 

The name ‘Shaddai’ is derived from a Hebrew word meaning ‘mother’s breast’.
Applied to God, it has the meaning, ‘He is the One who cherishes.’ This leads to the conclusion of speaking of God’s motherly love.

 

‘El Shaddai’ is the most used name, expressing God’s relationship with His children. The mother is everything and enough for the infant. He nestles at her breast, knows himself safe there and is provided for. There he receives everything he needs. The name ‘El Shaddai’ is a vivid image of God’s caring and protecting love.

 

The presence of ‘El Shaddai’ behaves similarly to a cow, which has several teats on her udder and thus can feed several of her calves with milk at the same time. <=
(Note: The word explanation put in ‘=>’ to the name ‘El Shaddai’ is partly taken from the book ‘Names of the Eternal’ by Dr. Abraham Meister, word number: 112, page 141-145).

 

To attain the pure milk, spiritual closeness to God in the facet of ‘El Shaddai’ is required.

 

Since God is Spirit (cf. John 4:24a), it is necessary that we approach the LORD in full confidence as His children or sons and encounter His inner being. This results in that we internalize the truth available to us from Him and gain substance in it.

 

 

Occasionally it happens that the Lord demands from us a step of obedience, even if we don’t always understand it. It may even involve a painful learning process that helps us to a greater and clearer spiritual vision.

 

Such a learning process is tantamount to circumcision of the heart, which is designed to help us, with the eyes of our heart enlightened by the power of wisdom and revelation, to see our calling in Christ Jesus more clearly (cf. Deuteronomy. 30:6 i.c.w. Colossians 2:11; Ephesians 1:17-18).

 

Deuteronomy 30:6:
6 The Lord your God will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live.

 

Colossians 2:11:
11 In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ, …

 

Ephesians 1:17-18:
17 I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better.
18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, …

 

When we, as God’s people, submit through obedience to the mighty hand of God, we mature in strength and wisdom, so that His grace brings us into deeper maturity (cf. 1 Peter 5:6).

 

1 Peter 5:6:
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.

 

This is related to the meaning of His times, which is based on His sacrifice, that is, His love, which He has for us as Father, so that in the sonship of Christ we abide in the presence of the Father.

 

 

This becomes clear with the help of Jesus, the Word of God at the age of twelve, who at Passover representing the expression of God’s love (cf. Exodus 12:1ff. i.c.w. John 3:16; 1 Corinthians 5:7) went up to Jerusalem together with His parents and family members and dwelt in the presence of the Heavenly Father. Meanwhile, His earthly parents were already leaving Jerusalem with the family, which may represent a traditional heart attitude at this point.

 

In a spiritual context, they were already a day’s journey away from Jerusalem, they began to look for Jesus, the Word of God, without finding Him. Because of this, they returned to Jerusalem and searched for ‘the truth of the Word of God’ for another three days. Finally, Joseph and Mary found Jesus, the Word of God in the temple. There they got introduced by Jesus to the truth about the temple, which was the Father’s house (cf. Luke 2:41-50).

 

Luke 2:41-50:
41 Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover.
42 When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom.
43 After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it.
44 Thinking he was in their company, they travelled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends.
45 When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him.
46 After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.
47 Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers.
48 When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, ‘Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.’
49 ‘Why were you searching for me?’ he asked. ‘Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?’
50 But they did not understand what he was saying to them.

 

 

Based on the search for the twelve-year-old Jesus, it becomes clear that God, the Heavenly Father, is not after our actions out of tradition or a religious attitude in relation to His times and feast times. He is only interested in our hearts being filled with the knowledge of His love for us in giving His Son represented by the lamb at Passover (cf. John 3:16 i.c.w. 1 Corinthians 5:7).

 

John 3:16:
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

 

1 Corinthians 5:7:
7 Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch – as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.

 

As we walk through the biblical times from the redemptive work of Jesus, His power of grace is present, leading us into deeper spiritual realms about the knowledge of our position in the Heavenly Father.

 

If we come to a time in our faith life where we have a sense that the Lord is not present with His presence, it may be an indication that the Holy Spirit wants to lead us into a greater truth in Christ Jesus that we need at this time for the time to come.

 

This requires that we should not cling narrowly to our experiences but be willing to have our minds and spirits renewed by the Holy Spirit as well as be led by Him to the place where the Word of God speaks to us (cf. Ephesians 4:23-24).

 

Ephesians 4:23-24:
… 23 to be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24 and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

 

It is always advisable to examine ourselves to see if we have submitted ourselves to the mighty hand of God by respecting the saints in our life whom the LORD has superiorly assigned to us by grace for a season. Then we increase in wisdom, maturity, and grace with God and with men, so that at the appointed time we can stand and act in the anointing assigned by the Heavenly Father with the spiritual maturity we have already grown in the truth of God’s Word (cf. Luke 2:51-52 i.c.w. Luke 3:23a).

 

Luke 2:51-52
51 Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart.
52 And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.

 

Luke 3:23a:
23a Now Jesus himself was about thirty years old when he began his ministry. …

 

 

Since we cannot glean much about the youth of Jesus from the Word of God, a phase of the mystery of the gospel can be discerned in this as well. It is a phase that doesn’t contain youthful rebellion, lust, focus on desire, etc. but a purity of heart and perfect submission to the will of the Heavenly Father, to know and do His will alone (cf. John 5:19).

 

John 5:19:
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. …’

 

The prophet Daniel also understood this principle of the maturity of the Word of God and studied in it while in captivity in Babylon. He studied the scroll of Jeremiah and paid attention to the statement made by God to Jeremiah in the past, which had already matured for some time. As Daniel studied over the revelation of Jeremiah the prophet, he discerned the time of the freedom of the people of Israel and thus attained to revelatory truth (cf. Daniel 9:2).

 

Daniel 9:2:
… 2 in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, understood from the Scriptures, according to the word of the Lord given to Jeremiah the prophet, that the desolation of Jerusalem would last seventy years.

 

Accordingly, we are wise to carry the words of God in our hearts like Mary until life is breathed in by the Spirit of God, which involves the release of truth at the right moment. Everything needs a corresponding maturity for the fulfillment of time, agreement and the purpose of God, which we recognize in the maturity development of Jesus as the Word of God to apply it to our personal life in Christ.

 

Amen and Amen.

 

In His Wisdom,

 

Daniel Glimm