That was the sound of the shofar and at the journey or movement of the Ark, Moses would exclaim: “: “Arise, O LORD! Let Your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate You flee before You!’’
Shalom – shalom; peace in the name of Yeshua. This is Crystal Sharpe and welcome to the Ancient Scrolls program. (March 10, 2019)
I am still in the process of putting these teachings on a website called Ancient Scrolls online.com.
The evening of March 20 will begin the Jewish holiday of Purim and the evening of the 19th of April will begin Passover.
A couple of months ago, in January, several social media outlets and news networks reported an invasion of near apocalyptical proportions of locusts, crickets and “night cockroaches” (Newseek, January 11, 2019) in Mecca. The Makkah Municipality in Saudi Arabia agreed with residents that the phenomenon was unprecedented and had given the task of removing these insects to specialized teams of sanitation workers.
I could not help but think about Egypt, and how their veneration of different creatures as gods turned on them. They worshiped frogs and were infested with frogs, they esteemed the dung beetle, scarabs, and were infested with scarabs (we would interpret scarabs as “flies.” They honored cows under the god Apis, and their domestic animals developed a contagious disease. These are just a couple or three incidences that happened before the Exodus of the Hebrews from Mizraim, or Egypt. Egyptian society served the creature, or creation. They did not serve the God over creation. The Egyptians had been introduced to the God of the Hebrews, the God of Abraham, but apparently they did not value Abraham’s God.
Anyways, it is irony that the things we highly esteem more than God turns on us. I was thinking of irony when reading these articles on the locust plague that bombarded Mecca. In a Bedouin romance of Antar and Ablah, “the locust is introduced as the national emblem of the Ishmaelites (European History Foretold, pg. 58, 2007). Arab tradition speaks of a locusts having dropped into the hands of Mohammed, bearing on their wings this inscription: ‘We are the army of the Great God.’’’ Just saying it is interesting, that’s all. Things that make you go hmmm . . . . (C+C Music Factory)
Today, I am going to share some information that I came across when researching for another teaching some weeks back. We are going to look at two men that were in the wilderness with Moses. I found some information on what some of the sages said concerning these two witnesses. If we have time, we will read the passages in Revelation 11 concerning the two witnesses mentioned there.
I will recite the Shema. Shema means to hear, to understand, to obey:
Shema, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One. The first commandment is to love the Lord Your God with all Your heart, with all Your soul and with all Your strength.
Father,
Shema, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One. The first commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your strength.
I thank You for being God. You are the King of the universe, King over the heaven and earth. The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof; the world and those who dwell therein. Psalm 24
I ask that You would cleanse me from all unrighteousness. I am an undone person without You in me, in my life.
We continue to pray for Your martyrs in the nations. They endure extreme sexual abuse, starvation, torment and death; we pray for them to receive supernatural strength to endure. We pray they experience Your peace in every situation. It is merciful when Your people are quickly removed from this life.
Father, we are a nation in critical trouble. There is a war against children, not just in this nation, but the nations. The churches are guilty of child molestation, and abortion. Merciful Father, we desire Your righteousness and justice to prevail over the barbarity of the nations.
I pray for us to be bold and courageous for the persecution that is coming.
We bless Your name and we bless Your word today. In Yeshua’s name.
I did say that some weeks ago I came across some information while researching Gog and Magog in the Artscroll book of Ezekiel.
In Ezekiel 38, he addresses a prophecy to Gog of the land of Magog. This is what this prophecy consists of, three parts: the intentions of Gog to attack Israel, and God’s plan to annihilate Gog. The latter part deals with the aftermath of the war and the cleansing of the land of Israel.
So, let’s read Ezekiel 38:17
Thus says my Lord Elohim: Are you (referring to Gog) the one about whom I spoke in ancient days through My servants, the prophets of Israel, who prophesied in thosedays many years ago that I would bring you against them?
The ancient days before Ezekiel would be the time of Moses. So, who were these prophets in the ancient days that prophesied Gog?
Out of curiosity I got out the Strong’s Concordance, to see if it listed any other places other than Ezekiel where Gog could have been mentioned. Ezekiel is the only book that makes reference to Gog and Magog, besides in the book of Revelation 20.
It is curious that the LORD is saying He spoke to prophets in the more ancient days, before Ezekiel, concerning Gog.
So, we are going to visit the more ancient days of Moses to determine who His servants were that spoke of Gog. Let’s take a look at an event that happened at the time of Moses when they all were in the wilderness. Numbers 11
In this chapter the mixed multitude, these are the idolaters in Egypt that left with the Hebrews, they are complaining they are weary of the manna and desire flesh to eat. The Hebrews join their complaints against God. God consumes some of them with fire on the outskirts of the camp. For a while this puts some fear in them but then they return to complaining again. They all stand at their tent doors weeping and wailing for the good ol’ days in Egypt.
Moses is disgusted at this sight and God’s anger is aroused. Moses is stressed and in his frustration complains to God: “Why have You afflicted Your servant? And why have I not found favor in Your sight, that You have laid the burden of all these people on me? Where am I to get meat to give to all these people? For they weep all over me, saying: ‘Give us meat, that we may eat.’ I am not able to bear these people alone, because the burden is too heavy for me. If You treat me like this, please kill me here and now—if I have found favor in Your sight—and do not let me see my wretchedness!” (I scan ympathize with Moses)
16 So the Lord said to Moses: “Gather to Me seventy men of the elders of Israel, whom you know to be the elders of the people and officers over them; bring them to the tabernacle of meeting, that they may stand there with you. 17 Then I will come down and talk with you there. I will take of the Spirit that is upon you and will put the same upon them; and they shall bear the burden of the people with you, that you may not bear it yourself alone.
The LORD is still upset with the people, and He is going to honor their lust for meat; but it is going to end up badly for them when the quails arrive. Moses departs and speaks to the people the words of the LORD.
Following God’s directions, Moses gathers seventy men of the elders of the people and places them around the tabernacle. 25 Then the Lord came down in the cloud, and spoke to him, and took of the Spirit that was upon him, and placed the same upon the seventy elders (they are infused with the fullness of wisdom, knowledge and understanding, authority and power); and it happened, when the Spirit rested upon them, that they prophesied, although they never did so again.
26 But two men had remained in the camp: the name of one was Eldad, and the name of the other Medad. And the Spirit rested upon them. Now they were among those listed, but who had not gone out to the tabernacle; yet they prophesied in the camp. 27 And a young man ran and told Moses, and said, “Eldad and Medad are prophesying in the camp.”
28 So Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, one of his choice men, answered and said, “Moses my lord, forbid them!”
29 Then Moses said to him, “Are you [i]zealous for my sake? Oh, that all the Lord’s people were prophets and that the Lord would put His Spirit upon them!” 30 And Moses returned to the camp, he and the elders of Israel.
So, here I think we can see a couple of patterns and similarities in the New Testament. We had been going over the number seventy in relationship with the nations and with Jacob who had seventy members of his family going down to Egypt. The sages say that Abraham had seventy descendants from his 3 wives; Sarah, Hagar and Ketura. Moses had the teachings of God inscribed in seventy languages on the altar he built. There were seventy bulls that were sacrificed for the nations at the LORD’s feast of Succot/Tabernacles. So, the number seventy is repeated again here in this situation with seventy elders.
And in Luke 10, Yeshua appoints seventy other disciples and sends them to locations where he plans to go and minister. These seventy are going to plow some ground before Yeshua reaches these areas.
What else do we notice in Numbers 11? Well, it looks like there is a mini–outpouring of the Holy Spirit that rests upon the seventy elders and they begin to prophesy, they “spoke in ecstasy,” clearly as a result and sign of their newly acquired spirit (verses 24—25). Sort of like a book of Acts chapter 2 experience where the followers of Yeshua fall out into the streets and are speaking in the tongues of the nations.
The nations understand these are the more primitive Galileans who are not a learned people, and they are surprised by their speaking the different languages of their nations. This is what many people consider the evidence of the baptizing of the Holy Spirit. These Galileans are speaking the tongues of the nations; and what are they saying in the tongues of the nations? Verse 11 shows us. Acts 2
5 And there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. 6 And when this sound occurred, the multitude came together, and were confused, because everyone heard them speak in his own language. 7 Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, “Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? 8 And how is it that we hear, each in our own language in which we were born? 9 Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes,11 Cretans and Arabs—we hear them speaking in our own tongues the wonderful works of God.”
The Galileans are prophesying in the tongues of the nations “the wonderful works of God.”
A pattern emerges of an outpouring in the future in Acts; and there will be another outpouring before the return of Yeshua. Joel declares: And it shall be afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams and your young men shall see visions. This is noted to occur before the great and awesome day of the LORD.
Back to Numbers 11, it appears Moses is a Christ figure in this instance, and the Spirit of God that is placed on him is also placed on the elders. You see this in the gospel of John 20:22 where Yeshua breathes on His disciples and speaks to them to receive the Holy Spirit, and this was fully accomplished in Acts 2 on the Lord’s feast of Shavuot; also known as Pentecost.
The elders Eldad and Medad are summoned to meet with God at the Tabernacle, but they would not attend, and instead stay in the camp. The Holy Spirit seeks them out in the camp and rests on them as well. These two men in the camp are similar to the two witnesses in Israel at the end of the age in Revelation 11. The two witnesses, in Revelation, do not go outside the camp of Israel, that is–they do not go outside the nation to prophesy. No doubt there will be present in Israel other nations at the time of their ministry.
It seems the nations are always around in the background someplace to witness these wonderful works of God. The mixed multitude from Egypt are there to witness the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the 70 elders. The nations are there to witness the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2.
What else about the two men in Numbers 11, in the camp? They are prophesying, but what are they prophesying? The LORD told Ezekiel what they prophesied: Thus says my Lord Elohim: Are you (referring to Gog) the one about whom I spoke in ancient daysthrough My servants, the prophets of Israel, who prophesied in thosedays many years ago that I would bring you against them (meaning Israel)?
The sages say these two elders, Medad and Eldad prophesied a future war with Gog and the nations; and it is said they prophesied the death of Moses and succession of Joshua (so also Pseudo-Philo).
“The king from the land of Magog will unite all the hosts of the heathen in a warfare on the soil of Palestine against the Jews returning from the Exile at the Messianic time, but the Lord [ = Κύρις] will be ready in the time of distress and slay them with the fire issuing forth from His throne, and their bodies will fall upon the mountains of the land of Israel and be eaten up by the wild beasts and the birds of heaven. Then will all the dead of the people of Israel be revived and partake of the bliss prepared for them from the beginning”
http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/5516-eldad-and-medad
(Targ. Yer. to Num. xi. 26; comp. Sanh. 17a; Tan., Beha’aloteka, ed. Buber, 22). According to the fragment of Targum Yer. (ib.), the heathen will fall into the hand of the Messiah (comp. Bacher, “Ag. Tan.” i. 88, ii. 119; “Monatsschrift,” 1857, pp. 346 et seq.).
Some traditions have Eldad and Medad as half-brothers of Moses. Madad means “beloved” and Eldad means “beloved of God.”
Of the seventy elders mentioned, only Eldad and Madad are mentioned by name. I found that interesting.
I am at the end of the program. Rico Cortes will sing the Aaronic blessing in Hebrew from Numbers 6:24-26.
If it is God’s will I will be here next program. Remember to walk by faith and not by sight. Do two things this week: love and forgive. Ask God to cleanse you from all unrighteousness every day. Keep your spiritual garments clean from wrinkles, spots and blemishes. Love God, love your neighbor.
(1) According to the author of the Hebrew Questions on Chronicles (iv. 17), attributed to Jerome, they had other names, Epher and Jalon. After the giving of the Law, he goes on, Moses commanded his father Amram to put away his wife Jochebed, because she, being Levi’s daughter, was aunt to her husband. Amram did so, married again, and Eldad and Medad were his offspring. (2) A Midrash says that after Amram’ s death Jochebed married Elizaphan and bore Eldad and Medad to him. The gift of prophecy was bestowed on them (Sanhedrin, 1) because when chosen among the seventy Elders they said they were unworthy of the honour. Tanchuma says they prophesied of things that were to happen as long as forty years after, whereas the other Elders only predicted things near at hand. Alone among the Elders their names are recorded; they kept their gift of prophecy and entered the Promised Land, They prophesied of the death of Moses and succession of Joshua (so also Pseudo-Philo); or, say others, of the quails; or of Gog and Magog. https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Lost_Apocrypha_of_the_Old_Testament/Eldad_and_Medad
w are the martyrs the same as the two witnesses—the gel between them is their relationship with the Word—Moses the Torah and Elijah the prophets; the witnesses has the testimony of Yeshua and the commandments of God.
Witness came from the Roman tribunal when they asked if you were a follower of Yeshua and the witness would meet the fate of martyrdom
The witness against the nations against Jerusalem against the antichrist is the word
The great city, Jerusalem. Sodom spiritually (Ezekiel)and Egypt and that Sodom would stand up as a witness
The testimony hurt the world of idolatry
Zechariah 14 earthquake
Oracles of Histopes, darius father;
Apocalypse of Elijah
