21 12 21 12 12 12 12 12 12 ?

Most likely we have all heard the references to Heavens pearly gates and it may be that the image we have in our minds is something like the picture below.

A huge gate made out of a single pearl?

Our frame of reference is limited to what we know and of what we see in our physical earth realm.

What size must the oyster have had to be?

Impossible?

.. all things are possible with God!

Mark 10:27

We limit Him and ourselves by our humanity and our measures..His Ways are not ours neither are His thoughts. Is.55:8.. It’s time to stre-a-t-c-hh our spiritual muscles!

The pearl is often associated with tears because it’s believed that the pearl is formed through intrusive particles like sand, they become an agitant within the mollusk and cause discomfort/pain. It apparently secretes a substance around the particle to prevent further irritation and damage. The build up of this secretion eventually forms the beautiful pearl. If this is so, tears are then the symbols of the gates and the Way into heaven.

Pearls represent tears and if, as we have previously noted, tears bring life…

click link for more on tears https://www.minimannamoments.com/keeping-it-all-bottled-up-part-1/

..then as we enter into life through the pearl gate – the tears of sorrow turn to beautiful pearls/tears of joy.

 Ps. 30:5 in his favour is life: weeping/tears may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

Tears of true repentance are essential and integral to salvation. He wipes away all tears as we enter through that Pearl/symbol.

Rev. 21:4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the former things have passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful.

It’s the last reminder of the tears we have shed in this life as we enter in to His joy unspeakable and full of glory.

Many times we have only heard what someone else says of Heaven and have not actually read the scripture references for ourselves and because if this we sometimes miss some amazing details.

Maybe each of the gates are more like this??…

Heaven is in the spiritual realm and is beyond the veil separating the dimensions and yet it exists just as solidly as anything here on earth and is in many ways more real!

How do we know that?

Matthew 6:19 Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Nothing in Heaven decays in any way and is eternal, whereas this earth is scheduled for renewal in the future.

According to revelation, heaven is the location of Fathers’ throne and it is also where the new Jerusalem is – are they one and the same?

What we do know is that according to Revelation, the new Jerusalem is going to come down to the earth and that is where Messiah will rule from in the millenial reign.

So it’s at least a portion of shamayim/heaven that is coming to earth. Rev 21:12-21.

The first thing that is clear, is that there is more than one pearl because, there is more than one gate to enter into the New Jerusalem.

Jerusalem

Yerusalyim/Yerushalyim

(Remember the im Hebrew suffix means more than one – spiritually speaking, there has always been more than one Yerushalyim) 

חָדָשׁ      (chadash) — new

Phonetic Spelling: (khaw-dawsh’)

חָדָשׁ

In the same pattern that there were 12 gates

into the old city of Jerusalem in Israel,

there are 12 gates into the New Jerusalem (Rev. 21:12).

The 12 gates in Revelation 21 belong to the New Jerusalem, which comes down from heaven to the new earth (verse 10), shining with the glory of God (verse 11). John describes the city: “It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates.”

The gates are most likely equal distances apart. As the structure is a square, it would make logical sense for there to be 3 gates on the north, 3 on the east, 3 on the west and 3 on the south. (Rev. 21:13).

In Revelation 21:10-12 the apostle John says “And he …showed me the holy city, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God….It had a great and high wall and had twelve gates.”

Our natural, fallen man is excluded from New Jerusalem by the (soreg), wall (of separation), the only

WAY to ENTER IN is through THE GATE.

The pearl signifies the death and resurrection of Messiah, through whom we enter New Jerusalem. He tore down that wall which had a literal physical manifestation when the veil/curtain/wall to the Holy of Holies was rent in two. This thick veil in the temple kept everyone out of His Holy presence including the Jewish men.

Eph.2:14  (τὸ μεσότοιχον του̂ φραγμου̂). Paul asserts that Messiah has broken down the “middle wall of partition” (niv “dividing wall of hostility”) that divided Jews and Gentiles, and has made of the two, one new people/man. Paul probably had in mind a literal wall as a tangible symbol of the division between Jews and Gentiles—the wall in the temple area in Jerusalem separating the court of the Gentiles from the courts into which only Jews might enter.

He is the pearl of great price.Each of the 12 pearls speak of great price for which the Messiah/Moshiach ‘sold’ all that he had by giving His all. (Mattiyahu 13:45,46)

Messiah is the crown jewel of heaven and our entrance into the city is through His death and resurrection.

He is the Gate and as Eph. 2:14 tells us: ‘For He is our peace, who of both has made one, breaking down the middle wall of separation.’

The wall in the Temple was only a symbol of the spiritual wall that existed between Jew and Gentile, now because Messiah has broken down the wall, Jew and Gentile can step across it and worship the Lord together. This worship will be for all eternity in Heaven.

Notice the square/cube plan of the Temple blueprint above is the same shape as the New Jerusalem.

Our Heavenly Father Creator of the universe has a blueprint which seems to be recurring throughout Hi-Story.

We are seeing more and more how everything is connected.

As God declares the end from the beginning… did He plant the garden east of Eden, based on His design of the New Jerusalem? It is only new to us!

Gates are significant in scripture and in the days of the New Testament, the Israelites would enter Jerusalem for Passover/Pesach through the Eastern Gate, which led to the Temple. Also called the Golden Gate and the one which Messiah will enter on HIs return.

crucifixion and death at Pesach/Passover. Matt. 21:1-11.

By our inclusion in His death and resurrection, our old man was terminated and buried, the created part of our being was redeemed and justified, we were made alive by being born of the Spirit, and we were raised up in Messiah to walk in newness of life.

All this together is our entrance into New Jerusalem through the PEARL of great price.

Our includes All Gentile/Goyim/Nations/Tribes/Cultures/ Languages/Heathen. Mark. 13:10.  And the gospel of the KINGDOM must first be preached unto all the nations. (The ‘Kingdom of the Heavens/shamayim‘, as John preached; ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.’ Matt. 3:1-2).

Also that the Kingdom of God is also spiritually within us; this is the real meaning of ‘as above so below’! (As always the adversary has taken what was originally Fathers’ and perverted it.)

Before He returns, Matt. 24:14 says it shall be preached “in the whole world, for a testimony unto all the nations” (ἐν ὅλῃ τῇ οἰκουμένῃ εἰς μαρτύριον).

Revelation 21:21a says, “ And the 12 gates were 12 pearls; each one of the gates was, respectively, of one pearl.

Then we see 12 gates, portals, doors or entryways into the city. 

In as much as the ‘city’, is probably an entire planetary celestial object, we must now envision 12 portals or entryways into an entirely new realm, of which we have very little experience or comprehension.

These are guarded by 12 cherubim.  We saw 2 cherubim at the Garden of Eden and 4 surrounding the Throne of God. 

Are these the guardian angels (Cherubim/kerubim) for each of the 12 tribes represented by the 144,000? (Rev. 7:4-8)

The word kerubim has a meaning of ‘one who prays’, or ‘one who intercedes.’ Cherubim or Kerubim are an order of angel described in the Bible and ancient texts as a combination of two, or more often, four creatures — including that of a human. Both the mythical Sphinx and the scriptural cherubim are “hybrid” beings combining two to four creatures.

Click links below for more on Cherubim + pictures.

https://www.minimannamoments.com/who-are-those-around-the-throne/ 

https://www.minimannamoments.com/keruvim-not-quite-like-we-imagined/

Because the pearl signifies the death and resurrection of Messiah, through which we enter New Jerusalem.  Revelation 21:21 gives an understanding that each gate of the Holy city is one single pearl, signifying that the entrance to the city is unique and is once for all; that is, we can enter the city only through the once-for-all regeneration accomplished by Messiah’s overcoming death and life-imparting resurrection.

The gates of pearl at the entrances to New Jerusalem, are they real?

Because they signify the death and resurrection of Messiah as our entrance into the new creation. They are far more ‘real’ or precious than any physical pearl.

The New Jerusalem, which will also be connected with the New Earth, a large portion of verses are used in describing the foundations of the city. (Hebrews 11:10, Revelation 21:14, 19)

Scripture states these foundations will be 12 in number, 12 has a significant symbolism to the Father.  **There was similar creative detail in the formation of the foundations of this earth in Genesis. The Lord of Hosts marked off its dimension and stretched a measuring line across it, which provided footings to set it, and laid its cornerstone.

(Footings could refer to magnetic properties, as in grounding or earthing as in an electrical power source; and the cornerstone refers prophetically to Messiah Jesus/Yeshua. Eph.2:20. Jesus Himself being the cornerstone, the Alef/Tav-Alpha/Omega-Beginning/End-Genesis/Revelation – the End from the Beginning).

Job 38:5“Who hath laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? or who hath stretched … Or who shut up the sea with doors, when it brake forth, as if it had issued out of …

Isaiah 45:12 KJV: I have made the earth, and created man upon it: I, [even] my hands, have stretched out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded.

Most significant is the shape and size of the celestial city, which is enormous. 

Calculated at a diameter of 1,325.75 miles or 2,133.58 km across. 1,200,000 x the height of a man. It’s impossible that 2000 yrs ago a ‘precise guestimate’ was made for its length and breadth as these are = to the principals used in today’s modern engineering. These formulas based on mathematics that validate such construction, have only existed less than 80 years, highlighting the fact that the design of the New Jerusalem, is beyond our current abilities!

Here are some world maps with the New Jerusalem overlaid on different countries to give us a better understanding of its size.

Over the Middle East

Mediteranean

Over America

and Australia

According to scripture, the foundation of the Throne of the Father lies upon a crystal sea, which is the canopy over the cherubim, who in turn form the footings and the cornerstone for the Throne.

Is this a real, liquid, sea?

We know a sapphire-blue is the color of pure water, however, the great multitude of people is standing on the sea. So, this crystalline sea has to be solid enough to support a great multitude and a giant sapphire throne, and has to have the hardness similar to that of a diamond.

According to scientific research, the core building material of this earths matrix is Silicon, and at least one archangel or anointed cherub, Lucifer, was made of silicon and gold.

See in Ezekiel 28:11-19 and Isaiah 14:12-17 the scripture speaks of the King of Tyre/stones of fire?..

Y’ḥezqēl   חֶזְקֵאל

Every precious stone was your covering, the ruby, topaz, and emerald, the chrysolite, onyx, and jasper, the sapphire, turquoise, and beryl; your settings and mounts were made of gold. On the day you were created they were prepared. Ezek.28:13.

Silicon based stones seem in large part to encompass the foundations of the New Jerusalem and silicon is the number one conductor of energy (electricity/power) and so is gold. So what is described for us is an enormous storehouse of the eternal, inexhaustible energy of HaShem, our Father, the source of all creation; who upholds all things by the Word of His power.

In Revelation 21:19, the 12 foundations of the New Jerusalem are described:

The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone.

 Are the stone foundations on top of one another in layers or next to each other side by side, around the base where each of the 12 tribes gates are?

The first foundation was jasper.

Jasper is a common mineral.  It can be found in many colors one is a very opaque, dense burnt-orange/red colored stone.

There is also a crystalline type of jasper, which is an emerald green color and very similar to crystal clear green Jade which is valued as a very precious stone.

According to some scholars, iaspis, (Strong’s Greek 2393) is a brilliant green crystalline structure.  John writes that the city itself had every appearance of a precious jewel, like jasper, clear as a crystal.

Is it envisioning a traditional foursquare city with foundations settling on a flat surface like the earth?  It does not appear that way because the Greek word, krustallizo, means to be clear or brilliant like a crystal, or having a crystalline matrix like a clear crystal.

The Hebrew is yashpheh, היֱשְׁפֵ        Phonetic Spelling: (yaw-shef-ay’)

(Strong’s 3471) coming from an unused root meaning to polish.

From the context of its use, we could assume that the city is constructed of gem stone quality but this type of gem is only assumed because of the similarity of yashpheh with jasper.

Until the original Breast Plate of the Hebrew High Priest is recovered, it will remain a mystery.  The Greek word for jasper is iaspis (Strong’s 2393) and it’s only translated as jasper.

So we could conclude that when looking from the exterior surface, the city will look like jasper, however there are 12 foundations of the city, the 1st and exterior surface being jasper, the 2nd being sapphire.

While considering these concepts, it’s helpful to remember that we are dealing with crystalline or minerals structures.  Each of the foundation stones has a crystalline matrix and as such, each one transmits energy in a different way.  The transmission of light (energy) will depend on the hue of the color (light frequency) that is transmitted. We looked at the rainbow and light frequencies in a previous post.

The 12

foundation stones

אבן השתייה

Even ha-Shtiyya

There are several variations of the stones names and colors due to translations and modern names. Here are some to help give a visual reference.

v.19 The 1st foundation was Jasper (in some listed as diamond/Yahalom), Jashepheh/Yashpheh-RED/GREEN

the 2nd Sapphire, Sappiyr, Leshem,  -BLUE

the 3rd chalcedony/carbunkle/garnet, Bareqeth from same word as lightning purple-blue or possibly green?

the 4th emerald, Nophek.

v. 20 the 5th Sardonyx, RED and WHITE

the 6th Sardius, Odem-RED

the 7th Chrysolite, Shoham-YELLOW like chrysolite Tarshish (Yellow). 

the 8th Beryl, Tarshish 

the 9th Topaz, Pitdah-YELLOW/BROWN

the 10th Chrysoprase/chrysoprasus, 

the 11th Jacinth or Carbunkle, REDDISH BLACK

and the 12th Amethyst, Aclamah-PURPLE.”

So, if the 1st foundation is an emerald green crystalline hue like jasper where the Throne of the Father positioned upon it, (within its midst).  Then the 2nd foundation is the brilliant blue of sapphire, the same as the foundation below the throne of God, seen as the sea of glass, clear as crystal. 

Is it possible that we are seeing described as the New Jerusalem, is another spherical body, a planet, that has its orbit along side earth during the millennium and at the end of a thousand years it will come down and rest upon the earth?

Revelation 21:1-3 – “Now I saw a New Heaven and a New Earth, for the First Heaven and the First Earth were passed away.  Also there was no more sea.”

Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God.”

When John saw the Holy City descending down out of heaven, as described, he stated:

Revelation 21:10-12 – “And he carried me away in the Spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me the Holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, having the glory of God.  Her light was like a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, clear as crystal.  And she had a great and high wall with twelve gates, and twelve angels at the gates, and names written on them, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel.

Traditional pictures of the New Jerusalem are all modeled after ancient or medieval 3-dimensional walled cities. 

None depict a crystalline structure, yet in the days of Herod, Jerusalem ancient writers described the city as shining with the brilliance of whiteness due to the gleaming temple, which was built of polished limestone.

The 12 foundations describe a huge structure, and the measurements are for a 4square or cube-like shape.

The almost unimaginable beauty of the New Jerusalem becomes clear, emerging out of the words in Johns descriptions: whose length, breadth and height are equal, yet having 12 foundations with 12 gates (or we may could call them energy portals) with height, (Greek hypsos), which interestingly suggests some kind of points or crowns, (like a a geo-magnetic structure).

The other possibility is that all the 12 foundations are Diamonds…

Taking the measurements from the ancient human cubit scale and converting into those we use today, the size of such a city would be 12,000 furlongs in height, width and length. A furlong is 220 yards, therefore, each side is 660 feet x 12,000 feet = 7,920,000 feet per side. One mile is 5,280 feet, so each side is 7,920,000 divided by 5280 feet = 1500 MILES on each side.

We are not looking for something the size of our home village, town or city! Or even a place where humans could live!

1,500 X 1,500 x 1,500 = 3,375,000,000 cubic miles for the whole city. 1,500 miles = 2,414.016 kilometers so the city would be 14,067,613,676.25 cubic km. The length and breadth would be 2.25 million square miles, (3.86 million square meters) and including the height, or the cubic size, makes this planetary sphere about 3.375 billion cubic miles or in volume about the size of the moon!

  It will be a self-radiating, there is no need of light for the Lord Himself is the source of LIGHT. Due to His being eternally self-sustaining as an everlasting source of life energy; it will truly be the center of its own heavenly solar system, or universe/shamayim. Here our Heavenly Father Himself, will dwell there with His people and His Omnipotent, all-encompassing presence, will be that in which we will abide.

This is everlasting life, this is heaven – never being separated from Him and all that He is.

Revelation 21: 15-17 And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof. And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth. And he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal. And he measured the wall thereof, a hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel. – KJV

The new international version converts the above measurements to be 2,200km long and wide and high and 65 metres thick.

12,000 furlongs square, while the wall will be 144 (12 x 12) cubits.

To get an idea of how big this is, the average diameter of the earth is 12,742km Earth has an equatorial diameter of 12,756 km (7926 mi),

Since the height, width and length of the walls of the city of New Jerusalem is given, the best statistic to compare with our planet earth is volume. From the measurements of New Jerusalem described above the volume of New Jerusalem is 1.0648x 1010 km3.

According to calculations, the volume of the earth is 1.08321×1012 km3. This implies that the earth is 169 times larger in volume than the city of New Jerusalem! (All measurements are approximations, however we get the idea…Its HUGE!)

As for a planet that could possibly be made of diamonds… think again!

Scientists discover massive planet made of diamonds twice the size of Earth.

(Have scientists discovered a Sanctified World? George Potter) On August 25, 2011 the Reuters news agency announced that “Astronomers have spotted an exotic planet that seems to be made of diamond racing around a tiny star in our galactic backyard.

The new planet is far denser than any other known so far and consists largely of carbonBecause it is so dense, scientists calculate that the carbon must be crystalline, so a large part of this strange world will effectively be a diamond.” 

Link  to article below

https://www.space.com/18011-super-earth-planet-diamond-world.html

But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, Hebrews. 12:22.

There’s No ‘GPS App’ for Our Final Destination. Our Road map is in the Scriptures, so before leaving this page make certain this will be the destination at the end of your road; for His WAY is Clearly Truth and Life.

12 Pearl Gates, 12 Angels, 12 Foundations, 12 Breastplate stones, 12 Apostles, 12 Tribes. The number 12 signifies perfection of government or rule.

The 12’s of the New Jerusalem = the sign of the perfect covenant.

The Name of each tribe is written over a gate.

Does this mean it is only for the members of that tribe?

Shalom Mishpachah!

Conclusions coming in Part 2..

Please don’t leave this page without a certainty in your heart that you will one day enter in to Heaven through one of 12 gates of pearl.

Don’t put it off, the days draw ever closer to the door closing at end of this age just as it did in the days of Noah..

NOT CERTAIN?

YOU CAN BE..

Make sure Messiah Jesus/Yeshua is your Redeemer, Savior, Lord and soon returning King and that you have a personal relationship with Him.

It’s all about Life and Relationship, NOT Religion.

You are greatly loved and very precious in His sight.

SIMPLY SAY THE FOLLOWING MEANING IT FROM YOUR HEART..don’t delay one more minute, SAY IT RIGHT NOW…

Heavenly Father I come to you in the Name of Jesus/Yeshua asking for forgiveness of my sins for which I am truly sorry. I repent of them all and turn away from my past.

I believe with my heart and confess with my mouth that Jesus/Yeshua is your Son and that He died on the cross at calvary to pay the price for my sin, so that I might be forgiven and have eternal life in the kingdom of Heaven. Father I believe that Jesus/Yeshua rose from the dead and I ask you to come into my life right now and be my personal Savior and Lord and I will worship you all the days of my life. Because your word is truth I say that I am now forgiven and born again and by faith I am washed clean with the blood of Jesus/Yeshua. Thank you that you have accepted me into your family in Jesus’/Yeshua’s name. Amen.

Seeing Stars Or…

just simply over the moon?

Animation above shows moons shadow cast on earths spinning surface.

The previous post focused on the smallest components and patterns in the most intricate of God’s creations.

Time to look up once more.

Our worldview is rooted in our limited comprehension of the earth around us and depends very much from what vantage point we are viewing everything. Many things affect our outlook, such as the position of our dwelling place, the location and calibre of our lifestyle, as well as how we observe and process information, and interact with the world around us.

For one moment instead of thinking of ourselves standing on the earth looking up at the stars in the sky; embrace the reality that from any point on the surface, we are in fact actually staring down into the infinite abyss of the universe, with only gravity holding us to the surface of the earth.

(That’s where we instinctively reach for a seatbelt!) Every day we see the sun and almost every day we see the moon;this is because God said in Genesis 1:14 that He created the sun, (greater light) for day and the moon, (the lesser light) for night, for the seasons and for a way to measure and count the days, months and years.

After the Exodus God set the Israelites back on a lunar calendar to help them leave behind the Egyptian sun worship and solar based calendar.The size of our Earth and Moon in comparison to our Star, the Sun.

Today our calendar is again solar-based. It is named after Pope Gregory XIII, who introduced it in October 1582, (which is not all that long ago). The Gregorian calendar is internationally the most widely used civil calendar. It was adopted from the Julian calendar involving a correction to the length of a year. The reform was adopted initially by the Catholic countries of Europe. The last European country to adopt the reform was Greece, in 1923.

The Gregorian reform contained two parts: a reform of the Julian calendar as used prior to Pope Gregory XIII’s time and a reform of the lunar cycle used by the Church, with the Julian calendar, to calculate the date of Passover, (Easter).

From the lunar month cycle he extended the days of each of the 12 months and it is there that we lost the Lord’s original set days which were based on the lunar moon cycle.

The orbits of the Earth and Moon around our star can be accurately forecast and thus depended upon to give those observing it a specific time each year.

Until the printing press and almanacs became available, the phases of the moon were the only worldwide source of seasonal information for agricultural/farming and planning ahead. Nowadays we hardly notice the phases of the moon as we rely so much on modern technology.ECLIPSE FEVER IS TAKING AMERICA BY STORM AND EVERYONE IS, ‘SEEING STARS’ AND IN THIS CASE our moon is PASSING IN FRONT OF OUR VERY OWN STAR, the sun.In less than a month, on 21st August, the orbital paths of the earth and moon will converge during the daytime. As the moons orbit takes it between the earth and the sun, its relative distance will block out the sun for a short period of time as its shadow transverses the surface of the earth. It will only be seen along the mapped path above.
There is much excitement about the upcoming heavenly spectacle. For the first time in 100 years (99 to be exact) that an eclipse can be seen over a 70 mile wide track by people living in the continental United States.Eclipses occur more frequently than every 100 years and are seen more commonly from other locations due to the orbital path of the moon.Having experienced several, it is indeed a unique experience and very strange, as the moons mass passes between earth and the sun and blocks the suns brilliant light from reaching our planet.

Then daylight turns to dusk and the birds stop singing.

All of nature thinks that it’s night-time and there is an eerie silence.

But it doesn’t last long!

The brevity is rooted in the movement of the dark shadow of the moon known as the umbra. When you are inside the umbra, the entire solar disk of the sun appears to be covered by the dark disk of the moon.

In short the moons umbral shadow will take a leisurely trek across the USA covering 2,496 miles (4,017KM)

It will take just 90.7 minutes for the moon to pass fully across the sun, whizzing by at an average speed of 1,651 mph (2657km)/h.

During its path across the sun, the moon allows the corona of the sun to glint briefly looking like a gigantic diamond ring in the sky. 
A corona is an aura of plasma that surrounds the sun and other stars.

The Sun’s corona extends MILLIONS of miles/kilometres into space and is most easily seen during a total solar eclipse, but it is also observable with a coronagraph.

The word “corona” is a Latin word meaning “crown”, from the Ancient Greek κορώνη.

The diamond-ring effect occurs both at the beginning and end of totality.Second diamond-ring effect at end of totality August 11, 1999 during a total solar eclipse.

Where the last rays of sunlight pass through the valleys on the moon’s limb, and the faint corona around the sun is just becoming visible, this is when it resembles a ring with glittering diamonds.It’s a most spectacular sight, which lasts only seconds.The highly transient diamond ring effect really shows that the universe is not as static as it appears to be.

There are other stunningly visual moments during transition called Bailys Beads.In itself the eclipse is nothing more than the heavens that God created doing exactly what He set them in place to do.

They have followed His directive for millennia and have been viewed by multiplied millions of human eyes over the centuries. The Scriptures speak of them and astronomers have mapped their orbits. All the visible constellations have names and tell the greatest story of all time. His-story.

The Scriptures tell us that God put the heavens that we see in place for signs and for seasons and Jesus reminded us of that in the book of Matthew.

In 1 Chron. 12:32 The tribe of Issachar and his children were noted for their knowledge and observations of the heavenly bodies and the times and seasons that their movements indicated. Maps were made of the heavens millennia ago, for they were a living calendar for agriculture and especially for God’s people Israel to follow His Appointed Times.

The birth of Jesus was written in the starry sky and led the Magi from the East to Him as they saw ‘His star’ in the constellations and understood it’s significance. They paid attention, should we be any less interested?

Jesus Himself told us of the signs to look for prior to His return in Matthew 24.

The Revelation of Jesus to John also speaks of many signs in the skies above.

In recent years there have been many unusual sights in the heavens. During the years 2014/5 there were four ‘blood moons’ and eclipses occurring ‘coincidentally’ on exact days of the Appointed Times of the Lord celebrated during the calendar year.

There is no specific Hebrew word meaning coincidence, as all things in the Hebraic mindset and Hebrew thought are designed and orchestrated by God/Hashem. In Hebrew nothing ‘just happens’ there is no luck, no chance, it is all by His co-ordinated design and planned from before the foundation of the world.

That being so, it may behoove us to pay attention to the skies above, look to the heavens for our redemption draws nigh. We are not told to look down and at our circumstances but encouraged to look up to where our Father exists in the heavens.

Shamayim in Hebrew (שָׁמַיִם).

In the Greek ouranos οὐρανός, οῦ, ὁ.

The Hebrew word shamayim a plural form meaning ‘heights’, ‘elevations’. It is constructed of two parts: sham (שָׁמַ) derived from Akkadian samu meaning “sky” or “lofty”, and Hebrew mayim (מַיִם) meaning “water”.

In Genesis 1:6 Elohim separated the “water from the water”. The area above the earth was filled by sky-water (sham-mayim) and the earth below was covered by sea-water (yam-mayim).

The Hebrew word for the sun is shemesh. It follows the same construction, where “shem” or “sham” (Akkadian: samu) means “sky” and esh (Akkadian: ish) means “fire”, i.e. “sky-fire”.

יָרֵחַ ‘yareach’ meaning ‘moon’  Phonetic Spelling:  (yaw-ray’-akh)

אָ֫רֶץ  ‘eretz’ meaning ‘earth’  Phonetic Spelling: (eh’-rets)

By some scholars calculations we are in the year 5778 and other scholars say that there are some 200+ years missing from the calendar having been miscalculated by some rabbis and scribes.

If that is correct we could be nearer the year 6000-16!

It is good to remember that it’s not just 2017 years that have passed in total, that it simply the number of years since Jesus came the first time and was on the earth physically. There is some 4000 years prior to that as the story contained in scripture from Genesis began approximately 6 thousand years ago. If this is correct and we look at the reference to a day as a 1000 years; we are right in the cusp of entering the 7000th year which is symbolic of His Rest, (Shalom) indicating the start of the prophesied 1000 year reign of Messiah as He returns.

The only question is, are we ready, are we prepared for His return? Where are our hearts Focused?

It may not be in our lifetime that He returns, but what If it is?

Are these heavenly signs pointing to His soon return? Will He fulfill ‘the appointed times’ this coming September?

Even if it’s not this year, being ready and prepared spiritually is up to each individual and to make certain we have shared the good news of salvation and forgiveness through Jesus blood with everyone we can.

We looked at Israel, 70 years the nation. 50 years with Jerusalem as its capital and the significant date recently, when Jews were once again able to pray freely on the Temple Mount. We are now counting down to the first of the 3 fall Appointed Times dates and the 40 days of Teshuvah. Teshuvah is a time of repentance and soul-searching in preparation for the time of repentance that immediately precedes Rosh Hashanah.

It is always good to remember that numbers are important to the Lord and that every Hebrew letter has a numerical value. Nothing is insignificant or coincidental in God’s plan of the ages. Let as keep our eyes on the Lord and on the heavens where He is and on the apple of His eye, His beloved Israel.

Perhaps it is significant that 21st day August, day of the eclipse, is exactly one month to 21st September, which this year is Rosh Hashanah.

Jesus said no man knows the day nor the hour of his return but the Father only. Does this indicate it’s possible to know the season or the year?

All we can know for certain is what the scripture says

One thing is sure, it’s time for us to look up and away from the things that so easily draw us away from the Lord and from His presence. It’s time to focus on Him and not ourselves. We need to be as Jesus said, ‘about our father’s business’, pleasing Him by our lifestyles and our obedience to His commandments.

There’s only one sunset and its been going around the earth since God created the sun. (Gen.1:14-19)

and as you are watching that sun set…someone on the other side of the earth is watching the exact same sun rise!It takes the whole ocean and the moon to erase one footprint in the sand

 and everything we eat is processed sunshine…

Your shadow is a confirmation that light has travelled nearly 93 million miles without interruption…

only to be prevented from reaching the ground in the last few feet by your presence! Consider that we have never actually been in the same place twice, as the earth and the solar system we are part of and even the entire known galaxy, are all in constant motion through space.  

Not all starlight that we see is the same age, some of it possibly millions of years apart even though it reaches our eyes at the same moment.

Many of the stars we see in fact no longer exist, so we are literally looking back through time.

This being true, the night sky isn’t simply a single moment in the universe but rather a patchwork, a compendium, a compilation of countless years in the breadth of eternity. The Song of Solomon speaks of the bride as the moon but finishes by speaking of her as the sun. The final picture and mystery of the bride goes from moonlight to sunshine.The moon and the sun are two different kinds of light.

The moon is a light that shines conditionally. There has to be nothing blocking its face, nothing hiding it from the sun.

The sun shines regardless of where it’s facing, or anything blocking it, because its nature is to shine.We are the ‘bride’ and we are still in the moon phase, reflecting our Saviour’s glorious light.We’re rejoicing, but oftentimes our joy is conditional. The real victory comes when you move from the moon stage to the sun stage. Then the light of the glory of God is coming from within our being and we have completed the transition from glory to glory.

It’s when your joy moves from being conditional to becoming unconditional, then you truly praise Him, not just when things are good, but when things look terrible – at all times.You shine not just because things are shining around you, you shine because you are a light to the world.That’s what a light does – it shines.

You’re the bride, and the bride begins as fair as the moon, but ends as bright as the sun.Commit to being the light of Messiah today and shine like the sun!(The above image of a partial eclipse in 2012 was taken by NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory satellite.)

Final caveat.. although it’s tempting to stare at the sun during a solar eclipse, if you try to do so without protection, you could damage your eyes.

Shalom family and friends, be safe as you continue to enjoy the wonders of our Fathers Creation.