Author: Hollisa Alewine

Dr Hollisa Alewine – Footsteps of Messiah Part 73 (The Greater Exodus Pt 3: Greater Exodus as Inheritance)

In the last teaching, we saw how The Footsteps of Messiah are directly linked to the feasts. More specifically, it is the three “foot festivals,” also known as the chagim:

Pesach
Shavuot
Sukkot

A feast is not just a moed or chag, but mikra [convocation]. It is a planned happening. Here is our working text:

Your neck is like the tower of David,
Built with rows of stones
On which are hung a thousand shields,
All the round shields of the mighty men. (So 4:4)

Prophecies are planned things, but we don’t always understand they are guides that inform every generation…prophetically, a thousand generations, thus “a thousand round shields.” Because the neck is a vulnerable spot, the Tower of David is an excellent analogy. It is tall and conspicuous in Jerusalem, yet a thousand shields cover it. Likewise, in the Shabbat Blessing After Meals, every week we acknowledge that Adonai is a tower of salvations to His King, a Shield keeping His promises to 1,000 generations of Israel [1,000 is a symbolic number-don’t get out the calculator!]

“He is a tower of deliverance to His king,
And shows lovingkindness to His anointed,
To David and his descendants forever.” (2 Sa 22:51)

In return, the righteous of each generation walk in the Covenant, and they become shields for their generations. The obedient service of Israel protects the earth in their generations from total calamity. It almost makes me wonder if the sealing of the saints in Revelation and the half-hour silence is not just to protect them, but also to silence them from interceding so that the final destructions can be loosed.

Like a mikra, or appointed time of the feast, the prophecies of the gathering of the twelve tribes of Israel are already known. The Temple was the focal point of gathering, and the Tower of David thought to represent it. Rather than the modern Tower of David built in the Second Century BC on the ruins of earlier fortifications, the Biblical tower is thought to be the Temple itself:

Pesikta Rabbati 33:1 R’ Avin the Levi said: “our neck is like the Tower of David, built as a model …” What does talpiyot mean? The hill toward which all turns are directed. [tel-hill; “the holy hill,” the Temple Mount]

Proverbs 15:6 “The house of the righteous one [i.e., the Temple, built by David] is a tower of strength, but with the entrance of wickedness, it is polluted.”

Tosafot on Berakhot 30a:10:1 The Gemara concludes that the verse “as the tower of David”, refers to the Beit Hamikdash [Temple]. ??????? literally means a landmark.

The House, or Temple, is a metaphor for Israel, something Paul emphasized. The Temple past, present, and future is the place where it all “happens.” It is part of the prophecy of the Greater Exodus to gather a single people from every nation, tribe, and tongue. What could possibly unite that remnant from every nation on earth? The appointed times.

On the other hand, isn’t Israel still very scattered? Some faithful, like Joshua and Caleb, visit the Land of Israel and attend the feasts anyway, setting steps in the Land, giving a good report, and establishing a claim to their future inheritance. Even if they are prevented from living there now, they will be back at the conclusion of the Greater Exodus!

Others cannot afford it or are too feeble. Nevertheless, they continue guarding and serving in the lands of their exile faithfully. They gather for the feasts and understand that they are little temples stationed wherever they are to testify to the Covenant by being “conspicuous,” like a tower hung with a thousand shields.

These are the shields of their generation, leaving no generation’s place with an empty spot. Because the rows of stones graduate higher and higher, each generation builds on some strength or advances a step higher than the previous ones. This allows them to “shield” their generation with obedience and prayer. Scorn for the shortcomings of previous generations completely misses the point of restoration from such low spiritual places. Instead, appreciate the sacrifices each made to prepare another layer for the next generation’s shield.

Preparing for the Greater Exodus is a matter of protecting and serving with one’s individual temple, something about which Paul obsessed in his letter to the Corinthians, by all reports a real wild bunch of believers:

Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? 1Co 3:16
If any man destroys the temple of God, God will destroy him, for the temple of God is holy, and that is what you are. 1Co 3:17
Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? 1Co 6:19

In what reality would the Temple service omit the daily sacrifices, prayers (incense), renewal of the menorah’s oil, the special Shabbat sacrifices, and the seven feasts? Only in an apostate reality of the harlot riding the Beast, eras when wickedness was allowed through the gates of the Temple and Israel failed in her twenty-four watches at every level: priestly, Levitical, plus each tribes’ 24,000 representatives who served each month on a schedule.

The House, or Temple, is a metaphor for Israel, something Paul emphasized. There was no point in using it to teach the Corinthians about their role unless he intended for them to correlate it to the Temple patterns. Paul’s rabbinic training explains his obsession with this metaphor, which matches that from the Jewish sages’ insight into the destruction of both Temples:

Proverbs 15:6 “The house of the righteous one [i.e., the Temple, built by David] is a tower of strength, but with the entrance of wickedness, it is polluted.” (Midrash Rabbah Shir HaShirim 4§7)
The Gemara concludes that the verse “as the tower of David”, refers to the Beit Hamikdash [Temple]. ??????? literally means a landmark. (Tosafot on Berakhot 30a:10:1 )
“Now, does it not stand to reason that if to His Temple the Holy One, blessed is He, showed no favor, then when He comes to exact retribution from those who destroyed it, all the more so will He not show them favor?” (Midrash Rabbah Shir HaShirim 4§7)

Yeshua’s own conspicuous “Temple” was torn down and rebuilt for all mankind’s redemption in three days. (Mt 26:61; 27:40) There are consequences for Israel allowing wickedness into the Temple, and likewise there are consequences for those saved by Yeshua’s death, burial, and resurrection who invite wickedness back into the Temple of their bodies. Those who destroy it will repay the Holy One, including those who engage in self-destruction.

This is why a life of repentance is necessary to maintain holiness in the temple of the Ruach HaKodesh. We must conduct the services daily. We are a “landmark” wherever we are, something and someone who will be noticed either for a beautiful “neck,” growing spiritual stature, or for a polluted waste of opportunity because of harlotry. Those who grow, pray, and obey, are the shields of their generation.

To understand a thousand shields and generations, we look at the First Mention of a thousand:

To Sarah he said, “Behold, I have given your brother a thousand pieces of silver; behold, it is your vindication before all who are with you, and before all men you are cleared.” (Ge 20:16)

Silver represents a redemption-price. Sarah’s reputation was redeemed before all men.

Sarah is a prophetess known for both physical and spiritual beauty. She appeared much younger than her age, having vitality from a spiritual source. Her barrenness was Divinely-appointed, perhaps waiting until she (and Avraham) attained a height, a tower of faith and noticeably righteous living to pass on to Isaac. This protected him the Land from giants. Abraham was even friends with giants! There was no reason for the ten spies to be discouraged by giants, but to be conspicuously righteous in one’s generation is to stick his or her neck out.

Righteousness in Yeshua is taller than giants.

Sarah’s “neck” was unfettered by foreign kings, and unlike the scarlet harlot in Revelation, she does not make covenant with the Beast. In Sarah’s case, she did not enter in covenant with Pharaoh, the Dragon-king, nor Avimelekh, a Canaanite king. The 1,000 pieces of silver “clear” her reputation before the entire world. She maintains spiritual integrity and prominence. This is Israel, Sarah above, Jerusalem above, “a thousand generations” and “kings of peoples” which will descend from her.

Until she is released by both Pharaoh and Avimelekh, plagues descend upon their houses. In the generation of Moses, when Pharaoh doesn’t let Israel return to its Promise, plagues descend upon his house and all Egypt, much worse than when Sarah brought the first plague upon Egypt (symbolic of the world, the wilderness of the peoples, the wilderness of Egypt, Ezek 20:35-36).

Revelation describes the plagues that will also descend upon the nations of the earth until they release the Woman Israel who is not rightfully theirs, the descendants of Sarah and Abraham, the last exodus of the 1,000 generations. The gathering of the Greater Exodus will be tribulation on earth, but necessary to release the Woman Israel and clear her name before “all men.” That means all.

Next week, we’ll take a closer look at the prophecy pattern concerning Sarah and her descendants, illustrated by Yeshua, and then taught by the apostles. As Israel prepares for her gathering, she must:

guard against wickedness entering her house, a temple of the Ruach HaKodesh
pray for her generation (until the Holy One Himself seals our lips)
obey her Covenant, especially assembling on Shabbat and at the feasts, conspicuously holding daily “services” the lost may easily find because they are landmarks

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Dr Hollisa Alewine – Footsteps of Messiah Part 72 (The Greater Exodus Pt 2: The Silence of The Greater Exodus)

In the last episode, we saw how The Footsteps of Messiah are directly linked to the feasts. More specifically, from among the seven moedim, it is the three “foot festivals,” also known as the chagim:

Pesach
Shavuot
Sukkot

Nahum explains:

Behold, on the mountains the feet of him who brings good news,
who announces peace!
Celebrate [chag, verb] your feasts [chag, noun], O Judah; pay your vows.
For never again will the wicked one pass through you;
He is cut off completely. (Na 1:15)

The key to hearing the footsteps of Messiah is to know and celebrate the feasts of Adonai, which are in perfect synchronization with the footsteps of Messiah Yeshua’s return. Here is our working text:

Your neck is like the tower of David,
Built with rows of stones
On which are hung a thousand shields,
All the round shields of the mighty men. (So 4:4)

Mah karah? In Hebrew, mah karah means, “What happened?”

A feast is not just a moed, but mikra [convocation]. It is a happening.  If something just happens randomly, karah. Mikra, however, is a planned happening. It may appear random to the unspiritual eye, but it didn’t just happen. It was planned to happen.

We accept that prophecies are planned things, but we don’t always understand there is a method to the planning that informs every generation…prophetically, a thousand generations, thus “a thousand round shields.” Compare the definitions of karah below. See how similar they are? They are pronounced the same, yet one is a random happening, and one is a planned happening. Feasts are planned happenings; therefore, planned prophecies. In fact, H7121 is a “calling” to something. These are two side of the same word-coin. We can live our lives randomly, or we can walk in our calling.

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Dr Hollisa Alewine – Footsteps of Messiah Part 71 (The Greater Exodus Pt 1)

The Footsteps of Messiah are directly linked to the feasts. More specifically, from among the seven moedim, it is the three “foot festivals,” also known as the chagim:

Pesach (Passover)
Shavuot
Sukkot

Nahum explains:

Behold, on the mountains the feet of him who brings good news,
who announces peace!
Celebrate [chag, verb] your feasts [chag, noun], O Judah; pay your vows.
For never again will the wicked one pass through you;
He is cut off completely. (Na 1:15)

The key to hearing the footsteps of Messiah is to know and celebrate the feasts of Adonai, which are in perfect synchronization with the footsteps of Messiah Yeshua’s return. Although we do not know the exact date of his return, we are commanded to rehearse these foot festivals so that we will be ready every year. Additionally, by rehearsing, the next generation is show the way to salvation in Messiah Yeshua and the path for growth and maturity. Let’s return to our working text, the Shir HaShirim, Song of Songs, focusing on the context of Chapter 4:1-5

How beautiful you are, my darling, how beautiful you are! Your eyes are like doves behind your veil; your hair is like a flock of goats that have descended from Mount Gilead. Your teeth are like a flock of newly shorn sheep which have come up from their washing, all of which bear twins, and not one among them has lost her young. Your lips are like a scarlet thread, and your mouth is beautiful. Your temples are like a slice of a pomegranate behind your veil. Your neck is like the tower of David, built with layers of stones on which are hung a thousand shields, all the round shields of the warriors. Your two breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle that graze among the lilies.

In past newsletters, we did more in-depth study of these verses. In a nutshell, they describe the spiritual growth of Israel in the Exodus from Egypt. To recap:

• The glory of Adonai is the glory “hair” of Israel, who descend from Mt. Sinai after their meeting with Him.
• They came up from their two “washings,” the crossing of the Sea of Reeds and the washing to prepare for their meeting at Mt. Sinai.
• Israel’s agreement to “do and hear” the covenant is a scarlet thread, two lips acknowledging their redemption.
• The pomegranates are the commandments.
• The neck is the increase in spiritual stature.
• The shields are the “perfect” and symbolic 1,000 generations promised to Abraham and Sarah.
• The two breasts are the twin tablets of the commandments, Moses and Aaron, Joshua and Elazar.

Let’s return to “your hair is like a flock of goats that have descended from Mount Gilead.”

Previously, we considered an explanation of this flock as referring to the sons of Israel crossing from the territory of Laban into Israel. Although Laban pursued, he was prevented from harming the flock, “not one of them has lost her young.” Laban and Jacob made a pile of rocks [galeed] to commemorate their covenant of no harm, a “mound of testimony.” (Ge 31:47-48) After the covenant at the mound of testimony, Jacob was about to cross the Jordan to return to the Land of Promise. This is the seed prophecy for Israel later entering into covenant at another mound of testimony, Mt. Sinai, and then crossing the Jordan to the Land of Promise.

This Jordan [Yarden] crossing is mentioned in all three components of the TANAKH. Tanakh is an acronym of:

Torah
Neviim Prophets
Ketuvim writings

In the first mention of a miraculous water crossing in the Torah, the literal flocks of goats and sheep followed Jacob, creating a “pairing” with the sons of Jacob, the twelve tribes. In Genesis 32:11, Jacob refers to the importance of the crossing:

“For with my staff I crossed this Jordan.”

The Midrash Rabbah explains, “He placed his staff in the waters of the Jordan River, and God miraculously parted the waters for him.” 4§6

Later, Jacob’s descendants will experience the same miracle following a shepherd of their generation.

In the Prophets, Joshua reminds the Tribes of Israel of their forefather Jacob’s [Israel’s] prophetic crossing to encourage them, using heaps of stones to illustrate:

Now the people came up from the Jordan on the tenth of the first month and camped at Gilgal on the eastern edge of Jericho. Those twelve stones which they had taken from the Jordan, Joshua set up at Gilgal. He said to the sons of Israel, “When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, ‘What are these stones?’ then you shall inform your children, saying, ‘Israel crossed this Jordan on dry ground.’ For the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed, just as the LORD your God had done to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed; that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the LORD is mighty, so that you may fear the LORD your God forever.” (Jo 4:19-24)

Joshua reminds Israel of their forefather Israel’s testimony of crossing the Jordan with his staff and its miraculous parting. If Jacob (Israel) crossed at the same feast time, he crossed in the first month. The Jordan in spring is gushing from winter rainwater, which makes the miracle all the more notable. This parting and pairing of the water crossings is commemorated each year in the Passover Seder with the recitation of the Great Hallel. Psalm 114 (Writings) is part of the Great Hallel recited at the conclusion of the Pesach seder:

1When Israel went forth from Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language,
2 Judah became His sanctuary, Israel, His dominion.
3 The sea looked and fled; the Jordan turned back.
4 The mountains skipped like rams, the hills, like lambs.
5 What ails you, O sea, that you flee? O Jordan, that you turn back?
6 O mountains, that you skip like rams? O hills, like lambs?
7 Tremble, O earth, before the Lord, before the God of Jacob,
8 Who turned the rock into a pool of water, the flint into a fountain of water.

The point is rehearsal. The second Jordan crossing occurs during the Pesach week, just as the crossing of the Reed Sea occurred during Pesach week forty years previous. Prophecy recycles because that is its structure, the structure of the universe.

Joshua tells the Israelites to pass on the Jordan crossing to their children just as Moses told them to pass on the Passover to their children. By using Moses’ language, Joshua assumes the leadership of his new generation of prophecy with Elazar the High Priest. They are now the “two breasts” of our Shir.

This is the importance of rehearsing and passing along the feasts in every generation as though the great miracles happened to us personally. Because prophecy transcends time, we were there. We are there. We will be there. We taste something of the Divine nature of the Sacred name when we walk in the footsteps of Messiah, who will one day part the seas of the peoples to return his faithful ones to their Land of Promise. The question is, are we walking out our own generation of these prophecies? May it be so!

In Part Two, we’ll look more closely at another word for the feasts to learn even more about the importance of ear tuning to the Footsteps by keeping the feasts.

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