'Remember' is a Significant Biblical 'Re' Word

     In Old Testament Hebrew, ‘remember’ has several common synonyms including ‘recollect,’ ‘recount,’ or ‘to bring up a memory again.’

     In the Old Testament the Israelites were told time and time again to remember the historical sovereign acts of God which He did on their behalf.  In reality, Israel’s success or failures were based on what they had remembered, or forgotten.

     In New Testament Greek, ‘remember’ also means to exercise one’s memory, or to bring to mind.  ‘Remember’ is said to be a God given gift to keep certain thoughts and memories fresh in one’s mind for learning and interpretation of future events and circumstances.

      In the New Testament the word ‘remember’ is used predominately to bring to mind what Jesus had taught.

     Webster’s contemporary meaning is basically the same as the Hebrew and Greek, i.e. to consciously exercise one’s memory to bring to mind some past event or words.

     Thus ‘remember’ corresponds with other significant ‘re’ words in the Bible such as ‘repent’ and ‘return’ meaning to ‘go back again.’

     One of the earliest and most significant applications of ‘remember’ is found nearly immediately after Israel was redeemed out of bondage from Egypt.

     “And Moses said to the people: ‘Remember this day in which you went out of Egypt, out of the house of bondage; for by strength of hand the LORD brought you out of this place…’”  Exodus 13:3

     Israel was told numerous times throughout the Old Testament to remember their previous time of slavery and bondage in the hands of the Egyptians.

     Following the giving of the law, Moses told the Israelites to remember all of God’s commandments.  They were told to place tassels on their garments as reminders.

     “Again the LORD spoke to Moses… ‘And you shall have the tassel, that you may look upon it and remember all the commandments of the LORD and do them…’”  Numbers 15:37, 39

     And then just prior to crossing the Jordon the Israelites were told to remember how their God had provided for them during the wilderness journey.

     “And you shall remember that the LORD your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you…whether you would keep His commandments or not.”  Deuteronomy 8:2

     Before possessing the land Moses wrote a ‘song’ describing Israel’s future history.  The purpose of the song was to tell Israel in advance what they would do and think.  The song was to be a testimony to them when the words of the song became reality.

     “Remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations.  Ask your father, and he will show you…When the Most High divided their inheritance to the nations, when He separated the sons of Adam, He set the boundaries of the peoples according to the number of the children of Israel…”  Deuteronomy 32:7-8

     Approximately 400 years later when David assumed the kingship of Israel, he placed the Ark of the Covenant in a tabernacle that he had erected for it in Jerusalem.  On that day he offered the following psalm to thank his LORD God.

     “Remember his marvelous works which He has done, His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth, O seed of Israel His servant, you children of Jacob, His chosen ones!”  1 Chronicles 16:12-13

     David wrote numerous psalms extolling the sovereignty of his God.  He wrote the following depicting the correct preparedness for battle.

     “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.”  Psalm 20:7

     All the military strength of a nation cannot compare to placing trust in God for victory.

     And then David describes the everlasting mercy of God to those who remember Him compared to the transitory nature of mortal man.

     “As for man, his days are like grass; as a flower of the field…For the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.  But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him…and to those who remember His commandments to do them.”

Psalm 103:15-18

     Is remembering God and His laws a priority for America today?

    

    

    

Cities and Towers - Past, Present, and Future

     Recall Nimrod, son of Cush, son of Ham, son of Noah attempted to nullify God’s plan to replenish the earth by settling in Babel.  Interestingly Nimrod was not only a ‘mighty warrior,’ but his name also means ‘tyrant’ and ‘rebel.’

     God subsequently scattered Nimrod and his followers from Babel.  Thus Nimrod abandoned his plan to build a city and tower in Babel and journeyed to Assyria to build several cities there including Nineveh.

     The present focus will be on Nimrod’s intent and reasoning to build ‘a city and tower.’

     “…Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves…”  Genesis 11:4

     According to the Hebrew language, a tower represented pride, exaltation, boastfulness, and greatness.  ‘…whose top is in the heavens’ reveals that Nimrod and his followers thought they were self-sufficient and didn’t need God.

     The phrase ‘let us make a name for ourselves’ implied that the rebels were seeking fame and renown, while simultaneously flaunting their selfish purpose.

     Now let’s fast forward to current times.  In the 1970s the World Trade Center, featuring the twin towers, opened for business and occupancy.  The twin towers were 1,368 and 1,362 feet in height respectively.  At that time they were the tallest buildings in the world.

     Tragically, the twin towers of the World Trade Center collapsed in ‘an hour’ on 9-11-2001.  At that time our nation’s leaders resolved to quickly bring the stock market back in operation to prove to the world that America was financially strong and resilient.

     The World Trade Center has since been replaced with 1 World Trade Center, featuring a center piece that is known as the Freedom Tower.  The height of the Freedom Tower is 1,776 feet which is a deliberate reference to the date of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

     It should not be forgotten that on 9-11-1683 the Ottoman Empire was derailed in Vienna.  That stopped the western leg of the Roman Empire.  Bin Laden used that date to rekindle the war.

    

     However, the Freedom Tower is not the tallest building in the world at this point in time.

     A taller building is found in DuBai.  It is called Burj Khalifa which is 160 stories with a height of 2,723 feet.

     A lesser known building in progress is the Kingdom Tower in Jeddah Arabia.  The Kingdom Tower has presently completed 23 stories and is scheduled for completion in 2019 or 2020.  Its height is planned to be 3,250 feet.

     In a CNN report dated January of 2018, the Chief Executive Officer of Jeddah Economic Company made a statement that sounded more like Western Civilization than Eastern ways.

     “With this deal, we will…fulfill the company’s objective of creating a world-class urban center that offers an advanced lifestyle, so that Jeddah may have a new iconic landmark…”

     And lastly there are plans for a city/tower reaching a height of 3,780 feet.  It is interestingly named ‘The Bride.’  It will be by far the tallest building in the world.

     It will be a complex of four conjoined towers resulting in what is called the world’s first ‘vertical city.’

     Where will ‘The Bride’ be built?

     ‘The Bride’ is to rise in Iraq’s oil-rich Basra Province.  The Basra province in Iraq is locally known as ‘the bride of the gulf’ owing to its fertility in growing vegetation and agriculture products.  Basra is also recognized as Iraq’s main port. 

     Recall, Iraq is situated between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in the land of Shinar.

     There are numerous visual projections of the planned city/tower readily available.

     The rebuilding of ‘Babylon’ called ‘The Bride’ is in the same place where it all started with Nimrod.

     Now note the similarity between the proposed ‘Bride’ in Iraq and the future New Jerusalem that will descend out of heaven after the earth is renewed.

     “Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” 

Revelation 21:3

     The Bridegroom in the above Scripture is well known.  What is not known, who is the groom of ‘The Bride’ in Iraq?

   

The Beginning of the End

     Nimrod and his followers devised a plan for dwelling in the city of Babel and settling in the land of Shinar.

     “And they said, ‘Come let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.’”  Genesis 11:4

   

     To avoid being scattered was exactly opposite of God’s intent for mankind to replenish the earth.

     Of course God’s immutable plan became reality.

     “So the LORD scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth, and they ceased building the city.”  Genesis 11:8

     The deserted city was named ‘Babel’ which has several meaningful synonyms including ‘mingle,’ ‘gate to god,’ and ‘confusion.’

     But as we’ll see, God wasn’t done with the land of Shinar, or the deserted city.

     As history progressed, three world kingdoms had come and gone beginning with Egypt, then Assyria, and Babylon. 

     Shortly after Babylon’s demise in 539 BC the prophet Zechariah issued a proclamation relative to the land of Shinar which would occur in the future.

       And so it was, an angel had just revealed to Zechariah that in a far off day Israel would be cleansed of evil, and the evil doers would be ‘cut off’ from the land. 

     Zechariah observed something departing (going forth) from the land.  He inquired to the angel as to what it was that he was seeing.

     “…and he (angel) said, ‘it is a basket that is going forth.’” 

Zechariah 5:6

     The departing basket was more specifically an ephah which is a bulk measuring container which holds approximately two-thirds bushels.  On the top of the ephah was a lead cover to contain the contents of the ephah.

     The lead cover represented a large round coin weighing approximately a talent, or 100 lbs.

     Thus the ephah with its lead cover represented commerce.  Then the angel lifted the lead cover and revealed the contents of the ephah.

     “Here is a lead disc lifted up, and this is a woman sitting inside the basket (ephah).”  Then he said, ‘this is Wickedness!’   And he thrust her down into the basket, and threw the lead cover over its mouth.” 

Zechariah 5:7-8

     Then Zechariah saw two women lifting up the basket between earth and heaven, and he asked the angel where the women were carrying the basket.

     “And he said to me, ‘To build a house for it in the land of Shinar; when it is ready, the basket will be set there on its base.’”  Zechariah 5:11

     The ‘house’ represents a temple or palace which would be built in the future in the land of Shinar.  The basket (ephah) would be set on its own base when the predetermined time arrives.

     The prophecy indicates that the future commercial center of the world will be established where ancient Babel was, i.e. the land of Shinar, presently known as Iraq.

     The woman in the ephah is described in the final book of the Bible.

     And again, it is an angel that is talking, this time to John.

     “Come, I will show you the judgment of the great harlot who sits on many waters, with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication.’”  Revelation 17:1-2

     The ‘wicked woman’ in the ephah described by Zechariah is now identified as the great harlot at the end of days.  She will be destroyed by the ten nations of anti-Christ’s final world empire.

     The angel continues to explain the mystery to John.

     “And the ten horns (nations) which you saw on the beast, these will hate the harlot, make her desolate…for God has put it into their hearts to fulfill His purpose, to be of one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast (anti-Christ).”  Revelation 17:16-17

     The question is then, who will miss her the most?

     “And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore.”  Revelation 18:11

     That presents another question; what will be the priority of the nations in the end of days?

    

      Walt Thrun @ figtreeweek70.com

          

The Journey of the Ark of the Tabernacle

     Recall, the tabernacle and its furnishings were completed in the beginning of the second year after the Exodus and would be the place where God would talk with Moses and give instructions during the remaining years of the wilderness journey.

     “And there I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the Testimony, about everything which I will give you in commandment to the children of Israel.”  Exodus 25:22

     Consider the first verse in the Book of Leviticus.

     “Now the LORD called to Moses, and spoke to him from the tabernacle of meeting…”  Leviticus 1:1

     The Book of Numbers begins with the same statement.

     The Ark of the Covenant was considered to represent the very presence of God.  Thus there were times when the Ark was removed from the tabernacle during significant events to represent God’s presence.

     Recall the explicit instructions when crossing the River Jordan and the subsequent taking the city of Jericho.  Both of those major events included the priests carrying the ark without the tabernacle.

     The tabernacle was subsequently set up in the town of Shiloh located approximately 30 miles north of Jerusalem.

     “Now the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh, and set up the tabernacle of meeting there.  And the land was subdued before them.”  Joshua 18:1

     The tabernacle and Ark of the Covenant were prevalent throughout the time of the Judges.

      Now when the LORD directed the ark to be carried, all was fine; but when the people used the ark as a symbol of God’s presence and power without His direction, things didn’t go so well.

     Israel’s enemies, as well as Israel, learned that lesson the hard way.

     During a battle with the Philistines, shortly after young Samuel was established as a prophet in Shiloh, Israel was defeated and 4,000 of their army men were killed.  Israel didn’t understand the defeat.  Their solution:

     “Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD from Shiloh to us, that when it comes among us it may save us from the hand of our enemies.”

1 Samuel 4:3

     When the ark arrived the Israelites shouted so loud with joy that it stirred the Philistines.  Then the Philistines learned that the reason for the joy was the arrival of the ark into the war zone.

     “Woe to us!  Who will deliver us from the hand of these mighty gods?  These are the gods who struck the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness.”  1 Samuel 4:8

     Nevertheless, the Philistines fought with great vigor and again won the next battle; this time killing 30,000 Israeli soldiers including the two sons of Eli, and capturing the ark of God.

     The stress caused the death of the aged Eli.  The wife of Phinehas, one of Eli’s sons killed in that battle, shortly thereafter died during child birth, but not before naming the newborn son Ichabod, meaning ‘the glory has departed from Israel.’

    

     The Psalmist subsequently confirmed God’s forsaking of His tabernacle.

     “…so that He forsook the tabernacle of Shiloh, the tent He had placed among men, and delivered His strength into captivity…”  Psalm 78:60-61

     The misfortunes experienced by the Philistines after capturing the ark are humorous.  The Philistines then took major efforts to return the ark to the Israelites.

     “…The Philistines have brought back the ark of the LORD; come down and take it up with you…then the men of Kirjath Jearim came and took the ark of the LORD, and brought it into the house of Abinadab.”  1 Samuel 6:21, 7:1

     The ark remained in the house of Abinadab for 20 years until the rule of David.

     “…David gathered all the choice men of Israel…to bring up…the ark of God…and they brought it out of the house of Abinadab…So they brought the ark of the LORD, and set it in its place in the midst of the tabernacle that David had erected for it.”  2 Samuel 6:1-2, 4, 17

     So the Ark of the Covenant was brought to Jerusalem and placed in a tent erected by David.

www.figtreeweek70.com 

Man in the Presence of God

     The ultimate bliss for man is to be in the presence of the One who created him.  The story begins in the Garden of Eden when man was created in the very image of God.

     “And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.”  Genesis 2:8

     ‘Breath’ is synonymous with ‘spirit.’

      In the garden Adam and Eve lived in the very presence of God.

     There were two significant trees in the garden: the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

     While Adam and Eve had access to the tree of life, they were denied access to the tree of knowledge of good and evil.  Thus the devil tempted Eve to partake of the tree of which they were denied.

     Eve did in fact succumb to the devil’s cunning deception.  Having partaken of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, their eyes were opened and Eve and her husband became aware of their sin of disobedience.

    

     “And they heard the sound (voice) of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God...”  Genesis 3:8

     Their guilt caused them to attempt to hide from the presence of their Creator.  This is a major point; man attempted to hide from God. However, God in His mercy would be proactive in bringing man back into His presence.

     Furthermore, God sent Adam and Eve out of the garden so they could not partake of the tree of life in their sinful position. 

     Recall, however, that God had clothed them in the skins of animals to replace their covering of fig leaves.

     From that point forward, all mankind was born without the spirit of God.

    

     To focus on the point of man being in the presence of God, we’ll fast forward to the time shortly after God delivered the fledgling nation of Israel from Egyptian bondage.  God’s servant during that time was Moses who was appointed to be God’s spokesman both to the Israelites and Pharaoh.

     After the successful Exodus, God gave Moses instructions for building a place where God could be present with His people.  The place would be called a ‘sanctuary’ which would be patterned after the heavenly.

     “Now the glory of the LORD rested on Mount Sinai…Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: ‘Speak to the children of Israel, that they bring Me an offering…and let them build Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them.’”  Exodus 24:16, 25:1-2, 8

     God told Moses that He wanted to dwell among His people.  The sanctuary would also include specific furnishings to represent the way to approach the Holy God.

     “According to all that I show you, that is, the pattern of the tabernacle and the pattern of all its furnishings, just so you shall make it.” 

Exodus 25:9

     The ‘tabernacle’ has a more specific meaning than ‘sanctuary.’  Tabernacle means ‘residence,’ ‘dwelling place,’ and ‘presence of God.’  The tabernacle would be within the sanctuary. 

     God stressed to Moses that the sanctuary and tabernacle must be built exactly to God’s instructions per the master pattern.

     And so it was; the components were completed and the tabernacle was erected on the first day, of the first month, of the second year after the Exodus which would place the timing fifteen days less than a year after the initial Passover, or 1444 BC.

     The outer court of the sanctuary measured 150’ x 75’ while the tabernacle itself measured 45’ x 15’ x 15’.

     The tabernacle was further divided into the holy place and the most holy place.  The holy place where the lampstand, table of showbread, and incense altar were located, measured 30’ x 15’ while the most holy place where the ark and mercy seat were located was a cube measuring 15’ x 15’ x 15’.

     “Then the cloud covered the tabernacle of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the tabernacle.”  Exodus 40:34

    

     God would reside within the tabernacle throughout the wilderness journey years.

www.figtreeweek70.com

On Earth as it is in Heaven

     Daniel’s 70^th week ends with the victorious return of the Son of Man.

   

      Matthew provides a wonderful account of Jesus’ return.

     “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory.  All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another…”  Matthew 25:31-32

     Those on the right called ‘sheep’ had given the Master food, drink, clothing, and visited Him when sick and in prison.  They had done those things indirectly by caring for those in need, i.e. those others of His brethren.

     Their reward?

     “Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world…”  Matthew 25:34

     Those who did not care for the needy of Christ’s brethren were cursed.

     “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and angels.’ …And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”  Matthew 25:41, 48

     Everyone on earth will witness Jesus’ return which will occur immediately after the 7 year tribulation period, i.e. Daniel’s 70^th week.

     “For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be…and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”  Matthew 24:27, 30

     The Greek word for ‘mourn’ is kopto which means lament, or sorrow over their rejection of Jesus at His first advent.

     Jesus’ return is also described by John in the final book of the Bible.

     “Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse.  And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war…Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations.  And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron.  He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.”  Revelation 19:11, 15

     When Jesus returns He will kill the followers of the anti-Christ with the sword, but not the anti-Christ or the false prophet.  They will be captured alive.

     “These two were cast alive into the lake of fire…”  Revelation 19:20

     But their leader, the devil himself, will be imprisoned in the bottomless pit and be used one last time to deceive any in the kingdom who will not adhere to the laws of the king.

   “He (an angel) laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years…”  Revelation 20:22

     Then John saw the souls of those who were martyred for the sake of the word.

     “Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God…and they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.”  Revelation 20:4

     Therefore, Christ will end the great 7 year tribulation and rule the nations from Jerusalem for 1,000 years. 

     “Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power.  For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet…Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.” 

1 Corinthians 15:24-25, 28

     Now the question (where is the kingdom?) has also been answered.

     The kingdom is presently in the heart of believers, but will subsequently be totally physical and visible for 1,000 years in preparation for the next and final stage of God’s plan.

     “For behold, I create new (renewed) heavens and a new earth; and the former shall not be remembered or come to mind.”  Isaiah 66:17

     “Now I saw a new (renewed) heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away…”  Revelation 21:1

    

    

    

    

Your Kingdom Come. Your Will be Done...

     The title words are included in the prayer Jesus taught His disciples.  That prayer confirms that God’s future Kingdom was a reality.  In that kingdom God’s perfect will would be done on earth as it is presently in heaven.

     The Old Testament has much more to say about the future kingdom than the New Testament.  It would take a separate book to adequately describe the attributes of the future kingdom, but we’ll list a couple of examples.

     “Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the LORD’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains…and all nations shall flow to it.”  Isaiah 2:2

     The phrase ‘latter days’ refers to the future millennial kingdom.  Jerusalem will be the capital and center of Israel from that time to evermore. 

     Recall when Ezekiel relayed God’s words when He entered the millennial temple.

     “Son of man, this is the place of My throne and the place of the soles of My feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the children of Israel forever.”  Ezekiel 43:7

     One wonders why there is so much unrest when President Trump announced that his administration would begin the process to make Jerusalem Israel’s capital.

     “…Your eyes will see Jerusalem…a tabernacle that will not be taken down…(for the LORD is our Judge, the LORD is our Lawgiver, the LORD is our King…)” Isaiah 33:20, 22

     The above passage settles the question of the separation of church and state.  That premise can be expressed during this Christmas season with the words: Bah! Humbug!

     But the kingdom described in Isaiah is in the future, how about the present?

     “Now when He (Jesus) was asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, He answered…‘The kingdom of God does not come with observation…For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you (in a person’s heart).’”  Luke 17:20-21

     The kingdom of God presently resides within the hearts of the Disciples of Christ by the presence of the Holy Spirit.  Therefore, the kingdom of God is invisible during the dispensation of the church. 

     However, the day will come when the invisible will become visible.  Present day believers embrace the invisible by faith, and such faith is a gift of God.

     “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen…”  Hebrews 11:1

     Jesus also spoke of the reality of the future kingdom to His disciples.

     “But you are those who have continued with Me in My trials.  And I bestow upon you a kingdom, just as My father bestowed one upon Me, that you may eat and drink at my table in My kingdom, and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”  Luke 22:28-30

     The disciples were excited and confident of the kingdom; however, they didn’t know the timing so they asked Jesus right before His ascension.

     “…Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”  Acts 1:6

     Jesus told them that the timing was strictly in the hands of the Father and would not be made known to them.

     At that time the disciples didn’t understand that there would be a wide gap of time between Jesus’ departure and His return.  The disciples thought that the future kingdom would be established immediately.  Jesus did, however, explain it to them.

     “…A certain nobleman went into a far country to receive for himself a kingdom and to return.  So he called ten of his servants, delivered to them ten minas, and said to them, ‘Do business till I come…’  And so it was that when he returned having received the kingdom, he then commanded these servants, to whom he had given the money, to be called to him, that he might know how much every man had gained by trading.”  Luke 19:12-13, 15

     Jesus would return to heaven for several thousand years, and while he was gone He gave His servants spiritual assets to put to work.  When He returned He would judge their stewardship of the assets He had left with them.

     The time He would be away is the present time gap between Daniel’s 69^th and 79^th week.