Why Do We Need To Remember Amalek?

עֲמָלֵק Amalek

Remember what Amalek did unto you by the way, when you came forth out of Egypt;  Deuteronomy 25:17 

Aren’t we supposed to forgive and forget? Why does it sound like the people of Israel are not to forget the evil things that the Amalekites did to them?  

Who were the Amalekites and what did they do?

Amalekites is the name of an ancient nomadic nation south of Canaan/Palestine/Israel.

The Amalekites were not Arabs, but of a stock related to the Edomites and therefore also related to the Hebrews, which can be deduced from the genealogy in Gen.36:12 and in I Chron. 1:36.

Amalek was a son of Esau’s first-born son Eliphaz and of the concubine Timna, the daughter of Seir, the Horite, and sister of Lotan.  Esau was the patriarch Jacob/Israel’s brother and sworn enemy. So the Amalekites were blood relatives as Amalek is shown to be the grandson of Esau, the brother of Jacob.

Amalek grew up in Esau’s household, Esau’s uncontrolled hatred of the descendants of Jacob rubbed off on Amalek and although a relative of the Israelites, Amalek displayed the most intense hatred toward them.

His descendants became the Amalek nation, who lived in the south of Israel, the area now known as the Negev Desert.

After the Israelites crossed the Red Sea, they camped in a barren location in the Sinai Desert called Rephidim. Here they needed water, and God provided a miraculous well of water to accompany them on their journey through the wilderness.

While they were still at Rephidim, recovering from their escape/exodus from Egypt; the nation of Amalek launched a brutal surprise attack on them, even though the Israelites had no plans to fight for Amalekite territory nor were they even going in that direction.

Moses ordered Joshua to take an elite troop of soldiers into battle the next day.

The Amalakites were the first nation to attack the Hebrew children after their Exodus from Egypt, and because of that they are seen as a symbolic type of their enemies.

When other nations hesitated to harm God’s chosen ones, Amaleks’ wicked example tempted others to join him in the attack and they moved very quickly over hundreds of miles to intercept them.

“Like a robber he waylaid Israel”; “like a swarm of locusts”; “like a leech eager for blood”; “like a fly looking for sores to feed on”;

Amalek  עֲמָלֵק  ‘am laḳ

meaning:

the people which licketh.

Moses himself ascended a nearby mountain to pray for God’s salvation/deliverance.

The Israelites defeated Amalek in battle, killing their strongest warriors while allowing the others to return home.

Following the battle, God commanded Moses to record the details of Amalek’s treacherous attack for future generations, and to instruct  Joshua to remember as he would succeed Moses. God promised to completely wipe out the memory of Amalek from the earth, and that He would wage an everlasting war with Amalek in every generation. God swore that His name and throne would not be complete until Amalek was destroyed.

40 years later, as the Hebrew children stood ready to enter the promised land of Israel, Moses reminded them of the command to fight Amalek.

Amalek had taken advantage of the Hebrews weaknesses and vulnerabilities; following years of slavery and due to their bondage, they were lacking in experience needed for battle. The Amalekites viciously slaughtered those who were the most innocent, the elderly, the sick and the children.

Strong’s Hebrew: 6002. עֲמָלֵק (Amaleq) — a descendant of …

עֲמָלֵק 39 proper name, of a people Amalek

fierce and war-like Bedawin

עֲמָלֵק

The nation of Amalek has long gone, but they live on as the type of the internal enemies that we each battle on a daily basis.

The Amalekites represent Satan and the flesh and their ongoing endless war against God’s people and all that is good and right.

List of the Descendants of Esau in the Old Testament.

Esau and Adah: Eliphaz: Teman Omar zepho gatam kenaz amalek

Esau and Oholibamah: Jeush: : Jalam Korah:

Esau and Bashemath: Reuel: Nahath: Zerah: shammah mizzah

Edomites are people worldwide who call themselves “Jews”. They are descendants of Esau, the son of Isaac who forfeited the blessing of God to his younger brother, Jacob. These descendants of Esau are known as “ Edomites ” in the Old Testament. Gen. 36:43.

Amalek represents the worst form of ungodliness, evil and wickedness. The prophet Balaam refers to Amalek in the following passage: “Amalek was the first of the nations, and his fate shall be everlasting destruction.”

The identity of Amalek has been lost over the millennia, so the command to destroy him and his offspring cannot be fulfilled the same way today. However, the command to remember Amalek is still a reality in the spiritual realms.

For us, the command to blot out Amalek’s memory appears very harsh; its’ justification was seen in the leniency shown to Agag, the king of the Amalekites, by King Saul, the son of Kish. 

and Kish begat Saul; the first king of Israel.

I Sam. 15:9; 1 Sam 9:1

The last mention of the Amalekites is found in the book of Esther where we read of Haman the Agagite, a descendant of the Amalekite king Agag.

Haman, Hamon or Hamen, the villain in the story of Esther, was famous or rather infamous, for his hatred of the Hebrew people and his plans to kill them, completely wiping out all the Hebrews in Persia. (Modern day Iran.)

Haman was an Agagite and the son of Hammedatha.

 Hebrew: אֲגַג ʾĂgāg

Recall, Agag, who made it possible for Haman the Agagite to appear, Esther. 3:1; his cruel plot against the Israelites could only be counteracted by another descendant of Kish, who in this case was Mordecai.

Every year on the Sabbath preceding Purim,

Deut. 25:17-19

“Remember what Amalek did unto thee

is read in the synagogues.

The memory of the stealing of a birthright runs very deep, not being easily forgotten as being firstborn has such a significant place concerning inheritance and family seniority in Hebrew culture.

Agag also refers to the Amalekite king who survived King Saul ‘s extermination campaign as punishment for Amalekite crimes. The account is recorded in 1Samuel. King Saul did not kill Agag and he allowed the people to keep some of the spoil. This act of disobedience resulted in the prophets declaration that God rejected Saul as king. Agag, was finally killed by Samuel. I Samuel 15:32-33

If the people of Israel are to not forget the evil things that the Amalekites did to them; it seems almost the same as asking victims of the holocaust to not forget what happened to them. Through Jesus, our Heavenly Father showed love, mercy and forgiveness. Is this scripture showing an angry God Who’s telling Israel to remember what their vicious enemies did and to get ready to take revenge on them?

Here we are to remember God will do things in His way and time, we are not to do His job.

Romans 12:19  Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, but leave room for God’s wrath. For it is written: “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord.”

 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave the way open for God’s wrath [and His judicial righteousness].

Deuteronomy 32:35 Vengeance is Mine; I will repay. In due …

Vengeance is mine, and recompense, for the time when their foot shall slip; for the day of their calamity is at hand, and their doom comes swiftly.

Hebrews 10:30

2 Timothy 3:1-17 

Many Hebrew scholars and rabbis think that God isn’t commanding Israel to remember the horrible crimes of the Amalekites, but rather to only remember the lessons to be learned from them.  

One of the lessons can be found in the word Amalekite, because this word comes from the root word Amalak 

 Hebrew: עֲמָלֵק, 

Amaleq: a descendant of Esau, also his posterity

Original Word: עֲמָלֵק
Phonetic Spelling: am-aw-lake’

which means:

to travail, vexation and sorrow.  

In other words…

when the Amalekites attack us don’t let them destroy our faith!

Scripture says to remember Amalek and NOT the Amalekites? 

Sometimes we slide over names that are difficult to pronounce, however, there is a lot to be learned from biblical names. It’s no doubt very possible that the Hebrew sages understood some of the details of Scripture that we as believers in the west have missed.  

Remembering the Hebrew language is an alpha numerical one, meaning each letter also represents a number value. In the word Amalek

ע מ ל ק  

made up of the letters

Ayin lamed mem qoph.

Numerical value of the word Amalek

Ayin=70,

Mem=40,

Lamed=30,

Qop=100

Total 240.   

The Hebrew rabbis have noted that words with the same total numerical value, have a connection in revealing the details in scripture.

The word: safeq is spelled: samek pei and qop

Samek =60,

Pei=80,

Qop=100

so safeq also has a value of 240.   

In Hebrew the word Safeq means: doubt.  

and the numerical value of the Hebrew letters of

Amalek (עמלק) is also 240

the same as the value of the Hebrew word for “doubt” (ספק).

This was the crime of Amalek and this was what the children of Israel were to remember, not the evil actions and wicked deeds.

We know from reading scripture that the Israelites always remembered God’s command to forgive, which never changed, However what He did command the Hebrew children to remember is how the Amalekites were able to CAST DOUBT ON THEIR FAITH. 

Because of their struggle, the aggravation, sadness and distress- amalek caused them to safeq – doubt the Lords provision in every way.

Isn’t this just what still happens to believers today? The enemy has not changed his tactics and will bring struggle, aggravation, sadness and distress – amalek, and cause us to safeq- doubt the Lords provision in every way, as we go through those times of testing.

The times of amalek and safeq will continue while we are still on this earth and we can be victorious overcomers if we walk in obedience to what we have been told to do.

Our father does not give us direction without instruction. The writer of Iv’riym Hebrews 6:1, 2. Says:

Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity.

We are called to be spiritually mature in Messiah and here is noted the danger of not continually moving forward in our walk with the Lord; and it includes a strong warning against falling away. 

Hebrews 6:1-2 Therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God,

Our faith is founded on the basic teaching about Messiah. The simple foundational truths about the master. The writer of Hebrews greatly encourages us to leave these teachings behind once we have learned them, and to go on to maturity, not again laying foundation. These elementary teachings form the basis for our faith giving us a seed bed, good ground, in which to take root and grow.

So why is it so difficult for us to go on to maturity? Why is it so hard to develop and mature in Messiah?

Perhaps part of the difficulty is that we continue to lay our foundations over and over again; rather than learning things the first time so that we can move on, we forget what we have learned and have to keep going back over the fundamental teachings of Messiah.

People are often heard to say it’s time to stop going around this same mountain again.

We end up going in circles in our Christian walk staying on the same level year after year.

We are warned in the following verses that there is a danger of us crucifying Messiah over again.

Hebrews 6:4-6 

There was no deep spiritual root and they fell away. Those who sound like Christians, but something is missing, maybe they are not saved, and if they are, the author is presenting a possible situation.

It’s one thing to be diligent in keeping the simple truths of the Word before us, but it’s another thing altogether to continually be re-learning what should have become completely apparent and natural to us by now. On the other hand sometimes we are perfectly willing to leave behind the elementary teaching about the Messiah, but instead of going on to maturity, we ignore the foundational things and believe we are too mature to revisit them. Out of this comes the invention of our own personal set of beliefs and religions; strange doctrines that do not hold up to the proof and truth of the Bible. Many people will just pick out scriptures that back up what they want to believe and those which support their way of life, it could be called cherry picking.

Without being fastened securely to the fundamental truths of the faith we run aimlessly in all directions. Eph 4:14-16

We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming.

We sometimes think that we are mature when in reality we are only misguided.

With regard to maturing in the Lord, we must remember this simple truth:

Maturity comes from building on the foundation which is Messiah,

the rock, the cornerstone prophesied by

Isaiah 28:16

Therefore thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, a tried stone, a precious cornerstone, a sure foundation; whoever believes will not act hastily.

Historically, the cornerstone was the most important part of any building. The total weight of a structure rested on this particular stone, which, if removed, would collapse the whole structure. The cornerstone was also the key to keeping the walls straight. The builders would take sightings along the edges of this part of the building. If the cornerstone was set properly, the stonemasons could be assured that all the other corners of the building would be at the appropriate angles as well. Thus, the cornerstone became a symbol for that which held life together.

In Isaiahs day, Israels leaders had chosen to rest their security on a different cornerstone. They chose to put their trust in their own political confidence and by making various alliances militarily, they believed they could keep their nation together; however, this unstable cornerstone was a failure and the Babylonians took Israel captive.

Through Isaiah, God declared that He would establish a cornerstone that would never fail; a stone that could be trusted, because it had been tried and proven to be precious and sure.

The writers of the New Testament recognized that this stone was the Messiah, Jesus Christ, Who said of Himself, “Did you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone which the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone'” (Matt. 21:42).  Peter repeated Isaiah’s prophecy and added, “And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame” (1 Pet. 2:6).

Ephesians 2:20 built on the foundation of the apostles and … built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.

If we fail to build on Messiah or, if we build on anything other than Him, we will not go on to maturity. There’s one foundation and one goal and it is the one and only Messiah Yeshua Jesus. If the foundation fails to be established we have no hope.

Let us therefore build on the elementary teaching about the Messiah so that we can go on to maturity and grow up in Him.

Amalek represents the height of evil, it is the ability to

know the Father and intentionally rebel.

Most evil can be combated by arguments of reason; not so Amalek. He scoffs cynically at every effort or reasoning to do good, sowing doubt, confusion, strife and division.

Irrational doubt/safeq makes the most convincing arguments or uplifting experiences null and void.

Amalek is the unrelenting doubter, and responds immediately to any sign of passion for holiness with anything he can muster, moving  to quickly quench it.

Our only response to Amalek is to be consistent in our walk, and by establishing the essential relationship with our Heavenly Father that is hidden within us and rooted in His Spirit. Such a relationship is above logic or feelings, so Amalek cannot oppose it losing his taunting power, this allows each believer to grow and develop.

Some of the severest language in the Bible is contained in

Hebrews 6:1-6

Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.

The author of Hebrews has a way of causing his readers to stop, look, and listen.

This is because he wants them to take a serious look at and consider their personal relationship with Messiah. He warns against any false security and all forms of religious deception, especially religious experiences that don’t produce spiritual maturity and Christlike behavior.

 Wherefore (since it is so incumbent on us to advance out of the state of milk-fed infants), leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us press on unto perfection (τελειότητα, continuing the image of maturity).

Let us go on.

Better, let us press onwards unto perfection

There is an urgency in the words which is missed by the ordinary rendering. The word “perfection” (teleiotes) answers to that rendered “full grown” (teleios) in the previous verse, and  it expresses maturity, fullness of growth. 

1Peter 2:2

A new born child needs great care, their environment needs to be safe and clean. The best way for a baby’s life to be the healthiest, is having a strong immune system; and until the baby is ready to eat solid food, one of the most important ways in building immunity is for the baby to drink only the mothers milk. Many parents start their children baby formula and there is nothing wrong with that however, there is no true replacement for the pure milk that comes from the mother because no matter how close it may be to the original, everything else is just a substitute for the real thing. However good the nourishment may be, it can never replace the milk that was designed by our Heavenly Father for a mother to feed her baby. This is the 1 Peter 2:2 the words pure milk that we are encouraged to desire.

1 Peter 2:2
As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

1 Cor. 3:1-3 New American Standard Bible
Brothers, I could not address you as spiritual, but as worldly—as infants in Christ.

I gave you milk to drink, not solid food; for you were not yet able to consume it. But even now you are not yet able,

You are still worldly [controlled by ordinary impulses, the sinful capacity]. For as long as there is jealousy and strife and discord among you, are you not unspiritual, and are you not walking like ordinary men [unchanged by faith]?

Hebrews 5:11-13 Amplified Bible

11We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain, because you are dull of hearing
For though by this time you ought to be teachers [because of the time you have had to learn these truths], you actually need someone to teach you again the elementary principles of God’s word [from the beginning], and you have come to be continually in need of milk, not solid food.

For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.

But solid food is for the [spiritually] mature, whose senses are trained by practice to distinguish between what is morally good and what is evil.

Ephesians 4:13
until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God, as we mature to the full measure of the stature of Christ.

It seems that Peters point here, is not that we need to be bottle-fed the word because we are immature; but that we should feed on the word as a newborn baby feeds from its’ mother because it’s the very best you can get. Why?

Because there is no chance for that pure milk to become tainted as it goes directly from the source to the child.

This ‘milk’, nourishes us naturally just as God intended, because by its purity we will build a strong resistance to infection; we will be quicker to heal and are not easily stricken by the things around us. This is how we are to grow into salvation, we thrive because we were given something pure. Without the untainted word inside us, we cannot grow into the fullness of what God has for us; and we often become sick and our bodies are unable to withstand illness because we did not get the strength and protection we needed from His Word. We need to be thirsty for, and satisfied only by the pure milk and meat of the Word of God.

Next Hebrews stresses the importance of the perseverance of the believer. We know a person is a true believer because they will persevere and not give up. The true believer will continue trusting Messiah and will go on to spiritual maturity in a growing relationship with the Father in and through Messiah Yeshua/Jesus Christ.

In Acts 8:8-18  Simon Magus is an example of an individual who is a “partaker” but in the years following he became detrimental to Biblical Christianity. He was not a true believer; because he only used Christianity for his own personal financial gain.

Other scholars see this passage as professing Christians who have never been saved. They are lost and unregenerate even though they have had great emotional religious experiences. They have been inoculated with a form of Christianity, but it is not the real thing. They have heard the message of Good News, they have observed miracles, seen the work of the Holy Spirit in the congregation, have had emotional experiences, but like the seed of the sower planted on rocky ground have never been regenerated. The apostasy referred to is the final rejection of Christ. They have rejected the substitutionary sacrifice of Messiah for their sins, they were sympathetic to the Gospel, but never truly believed in their hearts and were therefore never saved.

In the opening verses of chapter 6, the author of Hebrews first encouraged his readers to go on to maturity and is clearly addressing believers. Then he changes focus to give a serious warning to those who have turned away from Messiah.

Hebrews 6:1-3 

Enlightened” (photizo) “to give light, to shine;” means spiritually enlightened. Through teaching they’d received spiritual light or knowledge and to some extent had been instructed in the teachings of the gospel of the kingdom.  Did it fall short of that which transforms and regenerates us?  “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit” 2 Corinthians 3:18. Certainly there’s a big difference between being enlighten and being regenerated. Was there any submission to the enlightenment received?

They had understood the truths to a point, but not gone on to put them into practice.

Some of those who were listening took offense at Him and they refused to apply His principles and teachings.

John 6:50-56.

The individuals in view had an association with Messiah, but had never made a commitment to Him once and for all. 

Matthew 13:20-21.

These people couldn’t say ‘Your words were found and I did eat them’ as did Jeremiah 15:16.

Of Herod it is written that he heard John the Baptist and “enjoyed listening to him” Mark 6:20, but he did not repent and even had John beheaded.

The serious committed disciple enjoys a real foretaste of the powers of the age to come, and will experience much more when Messiah returns. These unbelievers had personally witnessed miracles, and the outpouring of His Spirit at Shavuot/ Pentecost; so they were now without any excuse. They saw all the evidence that proved Yeshua/Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God and still they refused to fully commit themselves to Him.

There is a very strong emphatic statement made in Hebrews:

And then fallen away

The word apostasia was used earlier but the word used here is different from that one.

It’s parapipto and it means literally “to fall alongside.”

It’s a deliberate, complete denial of Messiah Jesus .

There is no forgiveness for this sin. It is a total complete final rejection of Jesus/Yeshua. and because of this, it’s impossible to renew these individuals again to repentance and their condition is beyond recovery. Because they have rejected the atoning sacrifice of Messiah, there is no other gospel to be preached to them. They’ve rejected the one sacrifice that can save from sin. It is a total abandonment of Christianity. Therefore, it is “impossible to renew them again unto repentance” those who have totally abandoned the gospel of Jesus Christ. The “impossibility” is used here in an absolute, there is no qualification.

Tragically, there’s no possibility of restoration “since they again crucify to themselves the son of God and put Him to open shame” (v. 7).

This is how serious this apostasy is, because the effect of falling away is to re-crucify Messiah and put Him to open shame. When He went to the cross and died as our substitute, He died to restore a right relationship with our Heavenly Father. When we turn our backs on Him and return to the world we’re saying the world is more worthy than the love of Jesus/Yeshua. We are also in effect saying that we agree with those who crucified Him.

Hebrews is not describing christians who backslide or believers who have fallen into sin. Even Peter who denied Christ three times wasrenewed unto repentance.The sin described in this passage is not the sin of a believer, but the open total renunciation of the person and work of Messiah. Peter experienced the work of Holy Spirit in his heart because he was a true believer. An unbeliever doesn’t experience this kind of heart change.

Scripture is forceful in that, the grace and forgiveness of sins and cleansing in the Blood of Jesus/Yeshua, is freely available to every believer who sins and comes to Him confessing them. Heb. 4:14-1610:19-221 John 1:7-102:1-2.

The scripture is not talking about theft or murder or drunkenness or adultery here; but is referring to a complete falling away from the gospel, in which the sinner has offended God not only in one respect but has utterly renounced His grace.

To so reject Jesus Christ is to be eternally damned. They arrive at a spiritual state where they can no longer repent “since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame.” There is no one else to turn to for salvation.

 This is a real warning against a real danger. It is true anytime there is a hardened heart of unbelief.

The critical question is were they ever born again? Were they ever saved?

The answer may be that they are not true Christians/believers because they have never been regenerated by His Holy Spirit. They’re like earth that has had rain, but brings forth no good fruit because it’s a land full of thorns and weeds. They’ve taken part in worship services, had fellowship with other believers, but they are like the parable of the seed sown on rocky ground; there was no spiritual root and they fell away. They sound like believing Christians, but something is seriously missing, they’re not saved, and if this is the case, the writer is giving a theoretical case for them saying do not return to worship in the temple because you will be crucifying Messiah again.

What is our personal relationship with Jesus Christ/Messiah Yeshua?

When His Holy Spirit applies the redeeming blood of Jesus/Yeshua to a truly repentant sinner, the work of salvation cannot fail. Truly, those who are genuinely saved do not fall away; they grow in the grace and knowledge of Messiah. Salvation is our Heavenly Father’s work, not man’s. His work cannot fail to reach its intended plan and purpose because He never fails to finish His projects. Our salvation and full deliverance is His project and ultimate goal and He will bring it to its completion at the day of Christ Phil. 1:3-6.

Perseverance in faith in Jesus Christ/Yeshua HaMashiach proves that we have become a partaker in Him. If we don’t persevere in faith in Jesus Christ, it proves we never became a partaker in Him. We may be very religious, but are still lost. We may have had great religious experiences, but have never been justified.

In the end, only our Heavenly Father knows who is saved.

There is grace and forgiveness for every Christian who sins, read  the following verses.

“If we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us” 1 John 1:7-10.

All who profess to receive the Gospel are not born again.

Judas Iscariot is a great example of an individual who was in the presence of Jesus Christ, he saw and experienced the fullness of the Gospel of the kingdom of God, but he was never regenerated. He had all the evidence, but obviously was never saved.

In our day we would say they had their names on the church register, but were never saved. They participated in the Lord’s Supper, were baptized, enjoyed fellowship dinners at church, enjoyed the social benefits and trappings of religion, but were never regenerated by the Holy Spirit.

 (Mark 4:3-9)

What kind of soil was represented as being in the heart of the true believer? What kind of soil was being described in Hebrews? Only time reveals what kind of soil the seed was planted into. If it’s good soil, it will have an abundant harvest of good fruit. It will bear Messiah/Christ’s likeness.

Some of those who read the letter to the Hebrews never did belong to Him; they were never spiritually regenerated. However, those who were true believers persevered and went on to spiritual maturity.

Jesus said, All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out” John 6:37.

Paul wrote, “The Lord knows those who are His” 2 Tim. 2:19.

Our salvation is guaranteed through all eternity by the mystery of His divine election.   

We are kept by the power of God through faith in Christ Jesus. It’s the work of His Holy Spirit energizing the true Believers/Christians. Abiding in Christ keeps us in the the Fathers presence. Yeshua/Jesus said, “I in you, and you in Me.” He didn’t die in vain; and He rose from the dead, resurrected to prove it. It’s by continuing in the faith that demonstrates the reality of our profession.

Faith dies when it is separated from the thing in which it believes.

The only object of our faith is Yeshua HaMashiach/Jesus Christ, the author and finisher of our faith/salvation. Let’s stay securely fastened to the author and finisher of our faith!

The command to remember Amalek applies to all of us.  Do we have an Amalek in our lives; maybe it is a member of our own family or is it a member of the family of God who will attack from behind, when you least expect it?   

We are to always remember that no matter how great our victory in God, how strong our faith is in Him, the stronger our faith, the greater the Amalek will be that the enemy will raise up to try to destroy that faith. Sometimes after our greatest victory in faith he will rise up an Amalek, to try to destroy that newly strengthened faith.

In others words when the Amalekites attack us don’t let them destroy our faith!

Father help us to once and for all to learn the elementary teachings about You. Show us how to make those lessons a part of ourselves and our lives that we may move up to the next level spiritually. To come up higher and be seated in heavenly places with You. Heavenly Father teach us how to stop laying again the foundations but to go on to maturity and be a full grown, healthy, functioning vessel for Your kingdom. Thank you Father that you are our teacher by the power of Your Holy Spirit, and for leading us into the simple yet profound pearls in your Word.

שָׁלוֹם עֲלֵיכֶם‎,

Shalom aleikhem

chaverim and mishpachah!

Peace to friends and family.

Shavua Tov, Have a blessed week.

Make certain 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 very precious in His sight.

Not sure ..you can be…

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.

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.