A Shepherds Rod for the Biblical Year 5779 and the Gregorian Year 2019

Beloved People of God,
 
this prophetic word shall serve as a piecework and reference for us for the next biblical year (note: 5779/2019).
I encourage everyone reading it to pray over this word and to proclaim the purpose of the Father over this coming year.
 
5779_Ajin-Teth
                      (artwork from Simon Glimm)
 
September 9th, 2018 and the New Biblical Year 5779
 
On the eve of the 09’th of September 2018 the Jewish people entered into the new biblical year 5779, which is also of importance for us, as we are the wild olive shoots that have been grafted into the noble olive tree, and as we partake in the fatness or nourishing sap (note: anointing) of its root (see Romans 11:17-18).
 
Romans 11:17-18:
17 If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, 18 do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you.
 
The Apple of God's Eye
 
Furthermore, Israel holds the position of the apple of God's eye (according to Zechariah 2:12b), with Jerusalem functioning as His pupil. As Gentile Christians, we do well to look at our life and environment through Israel so that we may enter our future with Jesus Christ confidently and with enlightened eyes.
 
Zechariah 2:8b:
… 8b For whoever touches you (note: Israel) touches the apple of his eye.
 
The revelations gleaned from this approach contain strategic measures to help us position our lives in the center of God's will and in His peace, just as Epaphras prayed (see Colossians 4:12).
 
Colossians 4:12:
12 Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured.
 
The Number “9”
 
Because this year is connected to the Hebrew letter “Teth”, which has the numeric value of “9”, I would like to take a close look at the meaning of this number first mentioned in Leviticus 23:32. For one, it is connected to the great Day of Atonement (note: Yom Kippur), and it is the highest day of fasting.
 
Leviticus 23:32:
32 It is a day of sabbath rest for you, and you must deny yourselves. From the evening of the ninth day of the month until the following evening you are to observe your sabbath.”
 
The Importance of the Great Day of Atonement
 
The great Day of Atonement is the holiest day (note: „set apart, special, a day like no other”) of the year; it was established by God for a very important purpose.
The great Day of Atonement is not like other feasting days in God's calendar; it is a fasting day. On this day, by fasting, people humble themselves before God.
This day was a permanent commandment of God, established for all generations.
Through His appearance Jesus fulfilled this command of God, but it didn't make it obsolete.
By fulfilling God's command Jesus, opened a way for all who believe and filled it with new relevance.
God wanted His people to observe this great Day of Atonement, so He could bless all of her generations.
God longs for everyone of us to experience His atonement each year afresh.
One question is hidden in the Day of Atonement, namely:
 
How can a sin-laden person enjoy fellowship with God?”
 
Yom Kippur celebrates the power of the victory of Jesus Christ at the cross, where He took the sin of all mankind upon Himself to supply those with His power of forgiveness who have repentant hearts and are willing to accept and apply His work on the cross in and for their lives (see Hebrews 9:14 i.c.w. 1 John 1:9; 1 John 3:5).
 
Hebrews 9:14:
14 How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, 3 so that we may serve the living God!
 
1 John 1:7.9:
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. …
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
 
1 John 3:5:
5 But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin.
 
Jesus, the High Priest after the Order of Melchizedek
 
Originally, Yom Kippur was the day where the high priest entered the Holy of Holies.
Jesus is our high priest who by His death on the cross entered into the Holy of Holies and prepared the way to the Father for us (see Hebrews 4:14-16; Hebrews 5:1-6).
 
Hebrews 4:14-16:
14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess.
15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are – yet he did not sin.
16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
 
Hebrews 5:1-6:
1 Every high priest is selected from among the people and is appointed to represent the people in matters related to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.
2 He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he himself is subject to weakness.
3 This is why he has to offer sacrifices for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people.
4 And no one takes this honor on himself, but he receives it when called by God, just as Aaron was. 5 In the same way, Christ did not take on himself the glory of becoming a high priest. But God said to him (see Psalm 2:7), “You are my Son; today I have become your Father.”
6 And he says in another place (see Psalm 110:4), “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.”
 
The Power of God's Forgiveness Through Jesus Christ
 
As the Hebrew letter „Teth” is connected to „mud, wet loam, clay, a womb, as well as a wine skin and the illustration of a snake”, one can – in connection to the great Day of Atonement – conclude that a believer breaks with a sinful pattern, wherein the adversary tries to take or hold the believer captive. The believer can achieve this by acknowledging the victory of Jesus at the cross and by living in His power of forgiveness that is activated in repentance.
 
Walking in God's power of forgiveness, which is only activated in people with a repentant heart, results in God keeping the life of the respective believer vibrant. He achieves this by intensifying the presence of the Holy Spirit in the life of the respective believer; and this is what Jesus Christ meant, when He said that new wine has to be poured into new wineskins (see Mark 2:22).
 
Mark 2:22c:
… 22c No, they pour new wine into new wineskins.
 
Repentance is an important key in the life of a believer, so he can be formed and shaped by God in a new way, as the Prophet Jeremiah saw when he went down to the potter's house (see Jeremiah 18:1-6).
 
Jeremiah 18:1-6:
1 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD: 2 “Go down to the potter’s house, and there I will give you my message.”
3 So I went down to the potter’s house, and I saw him working at the wheel.
4 But the pot he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping it as seemed best to him.
5 Then the word of the LORD came to me.
6 He said, “Can I not do with you, Israel, as this potter does?” declares the LORD. “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, Israel.
 
The New Life and the Womb
 
Just as a pregnant woman carries new life in her womb and gives birth in due time, so we may expect a biblical „Teth-Year” to turn out for us!
 
In most cases, a birth is a painful experience and challenges the baby as well as the mother, because both of them are in the so-called “pushing stage.”
 
The Ninth Hour
 
At this point I would like to note that it was the ninth hour (note: „Teth => numeric value 9“), when Jesus Christ gave up His spirit and died on the cross in order to “birth” the bride with blood and water from His side (see Matthew 27:46 i.c.w. John 19:33-34).
 
Matthew 27:46:
46 About three (note: ninth hour) in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”).
 
John 19:33-34:
33 But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs.
34 Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus’ side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water.
 
The Lame Man at the Gate Called Beautiful
 
What's more, it was the ninth hour, when at the behest of God the lame man sitting at the gate called Beautiful was healed by the apostles Peter and John. In this situation, too, there was a “muddy” (note: adverse) circumstance that turned into a “womb” to produce new life (see Acts 3:1-8)!
 
Acts 3:1-8:
1 One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer – at three (note: ninth hour) in the afternoon.
2 Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts.
3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money.
4 Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!”
5 So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.
6 Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.”
7 Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong.
8 He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God.
 
The centurion Cornelius also experienced a visitation from God in the ninth hour, as an angel came to him because of his giving heart and his prayers, to prepare him and his house for the new time of the Holy Spirit (see Acts 10:1-4.22.30-33.44-48a).
 
Acts 10:1-4.22.30-33.44-48a:
1 At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment.
2 He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly.
3 One day at about three (note: ninth hour) in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, “Cornelius!”
4 Cornelius stared at him in fear. “What is it, Lord?” he asked. The angel answered, “Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. …
22 The men replied, “We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to ask you (note: Peter) to come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say.” …
30 Cornelius answered: “Three days ago I was in my house praying at this hour, at three (note: ninth hour) in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes stood before me 31 and said, ‘Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor. 32 Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner, who lives by the sea.’ 33 So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us.” …
44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. 45 The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles.
46 For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. Then Peter said, 47 “Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.”
 48 So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.
 
The above mentioned scripture passages shall serve as an encouragement for the biblical year 5779/2019 and they illustrate that the LORD turns bitter circumstances into sweet ones.
There is nothing that is impossible for God (see Matthew 19:26)!
 
Matthew 19:26:
26 Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”
 
Discerning Good and Evil
 
The biblical year 5779/2019 is also a year to improve on our discernment of good from evil, and pure from impure.
Here it is important that we are trained in the word of righteousness and have previously used our senses (note: hearing, vision, sense of taste, sensation, sense of smell) in a prophetic context in order to distinguish good from evil.
As a result we can receive the solid food from the apostolic hand of God (see Hebrews 5:13-14).
 
Hebrews 5:13-14:
13 Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness.
14 But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.
 
King Solomon's Request
 
King Solomon's request that he put to God in a dream, namely to discern good from evil, led him to receive favor and wisdom from God (see 1 Kings 3:9-14)
 
1 Kings 3:9-14:
9 So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?”
10 The LORD was pleased that Solomon had asked for this.
11 So God said to him, “Since you have asked for this and not for long life or wealth for yourself, nor have asked for the death of your enemies but for discernment in administering justice, 12 I will do what you have asked. I will give you a wise and discerning heart, so that there will never have been anyone like you, nor will there ever be.
13 Moreover, I will give you what you have not asked for – both wealth and honor – so that in your lifetime you will have no equal among kings.
14 And if you walk in obedience to me and keep my decrees and commands as David your father did, I will give you a long life.”
 
The Hebrew Letter „Teth“
 
The reason for the call to a more intense discernment of good from evil in the year 5779/2019 lies in the meaning of the Hebrew words beginning with the letter „Teth” – many words have a positive meaning, and just as many others have a negative one.
 
Positive words beginning with the letter „Teth” are for instance: „clean, pure, purity, purify, sanctify, clear, splendor“.
 
Negative words beginning with the letter „Teth” are amongst others: „contaminated, impure, defile, pollute, dirty, sink in mud“.
 
Submitted to God
 
In the biblical sense, being good means, the believer submits his life to the King (note: Jesus Christ) and honors Him in everything.
It does not just entail to merely follow a set of rules, but to have a regard for His word and to obey it from the love relationship with Jesus Christ (see John 14:21; Matthew 22:37-38 i.c.w. Luke 9:23).
 
John 14:21:
21 Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”
 
Matthew 22:37-38:
37 Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ (see Deuteronomy 6:5)
38 This is the first and greatest commandment.
 
Luke 9:23:
23 Then he said to them all: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.
 
A life lived in submission to the LORD will lead to the right development of the nine fruits of the Spirit in the life of a believer (see Romans 12:1 i.c.w. Galatians 5:22-23).
 
Romans 12:1:
1 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.
 
Galatians 5:22-23:
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
 
The Result of Refusing to Submit to Jesus Christ
 
If believers do not want to submit to their King Jesus Christ, evil is waiting at their door, ready to pounce on them.
 
Refusing to submit to Jesus Christ as King results in a change in the believer: His inward life takes on the character of the snake, representing Satan (see Revelation 12:9a).
 
Revelation 12:9a:
9a The great dragon was hurled down – that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. …
 
Should a Christian decide to live for himself by depending on his own inner beliefs of self-rule, it will lead to the believer following the rule of the adversary (note: Satan) and consequently, he ends up “eating dust”. Such is the result, when a Christian pursues the desires of his flesh.
 
=> The term “flesh” describes the mind, will and actions of a person that is not controlled by God, but only by the earthly character – by sin (see Romans 8:1-17; Galatians 5:13-6.12; Ephesians 2:3; Philippians 3:3-4). Contrary to the spirit, the flesh in this case describes the condition by which sin has such a hold over a person and his members that his “flesh”, like a foreign body, controls his whole being, and this is connected to death (see Romans 7:5-25). <= (part excerpt from the CD-ROM Bible Edition of the Luther bible translation from 1984; word key number 10)
 
The Staff of Moses
 
The principle of submitting to the LORD or of pursuing ones own will can be found in the account, the bible gives about Moses and his staff (see Exodus 4:2-4).
 
Exodus 4:2-4:
2 Then the LORD said to him, “What is that in your hand?” “A staff,” he replied.
3 The LORD said, “Throw it on the ground.” Moses threw it on the ground and it became a snake, and he ran from it.
4 Then the LORD said to him, “Reach out your hand and take it by the tail.” So Moses reached out and took hold of the snake and it turned back into a staff in his hand.
 
The staff in Moses' hand represented the scepter of his human or fleshly authority which God wanted Moses to “cast down” in obedience to Him.
In the process, the “fleshly staff” was transformed into the spiritual staff of the Lord, although it still carried the principle of the snake within (i.e. the carnal principle of the life of Moses).
 
Moses sinned later on by using the staff in a fleshly way, as he struck the rock twice, although God had instructed him to speak to the rock.
This kind of behavior shows us that Moses tried to act on his own ideas instead of following the will of God (see Numbers 20:7-8.11-12).
 
Numbers 20:7-8.11-12:
7 The LORD said to Moses, 8 “Take the staff, and you and your brother Aaron gather the assembly together. Speak to that rock before their eyes and it will pour out its water. You will bring water out of the rock for the community so they and their livestock can drink.” …
11 Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank.
12 But the LORD said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.”
 
Biblical Watchword for the Year 2019
 
The “Herrenhuter” biblical watchword for the Gregorian year 2019 is taken from Psalm 34:15b, where it states:
… seek peace and pursue it.
At this point, it is interesting to note that the complete verse from Psalm 34 says to turn from evil and do good, and then seek peace and pursue it.
 
Psalm 34:15:
15 Turn from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.
 
This verse as a whole is closely connected to the Hebrew letter „Teth” and is a call to distinguish good from evil.
As a result, we as people of God are able to find the peace of God so we may pursue it.
 
Peace – Shalom
 
The Hebrew word for „peace” used in Psalm 34:15 is „shalom” and means far more than mere „peace“„Shalom” is closely connected to JAHWE as “SHALOM” at the time of Gideon, but also to Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace (see Judges 6:24; Isaiah 9:5).
 
Judges 6:24:
24 So Gideon built an altar to the LORD there and called it The LORD Is Peace (note: Shalom). To this day it stands in Ophrah of the Abiezrites.
 
Isaiah 9:6:
6 For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
 
The peace of the Prince of Peace, Jesus Christ, can only be maintained, if a person accepts Jesus Christ as the son of God in his life. Does this not happen, Jesus Christ will still be a “gift” from the Heavenly Father, waiting as a present to be accepted in the heart of the respective person, and thus to receive the privilege of the revelation of the sonship of God through the Holy Spirit!
 
It is this presence of shalom – of peace from Jesus Christ – which makes believers bold like Gideon to confront wrong attitudes of the heart in people, in the truth and love of God; this gives them the chance to bow before the LORD in order to be ennobled as kings and priests by His blood (see Revelation 1:5-6).
 
Revelation 1:5-6:
… 5 and from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, 6 and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father – to him be glory and power for ever and ever! Amen.
 
The Hebrew word „Shalom” also means „completeness, perfect condition, well-being, peace as well as peace in the relationship with God and people, safety, health, success, calm, contentment and alignment.” (part excerpt from Strong's Concordance No H7965).
 
Amen and Amen.
 
A spirit-filled and sweet year 5779,
 
Daniel Glimm