…That’s All She Wrote

Have you ever written a book? Or thought you might? It seems like a good idea until you start trying to put the words on the page. Or laptop. Everyone has the material to write a book, but not everyone will take the time to write it.

The truth is that every single human being has written a book, is still in the process of writing it, or will write it when they are born. The biographies of our lives are transcribed in Heaven.

And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. (Re 20:12)

So there are books of our lives. Why so many? Perhaps we are also judged according to the places our lives intersected other lives in their books. And then there is THE book, The Book of Life. This is the standard by which every life will be judged. It is the Law of the Land and the Law of Heaven. The Word of Adonai.

The things written in the book are the deeds of each individual. What you write is your “name,” or reputation, based on your deeds and attitudes. In Hebrew naming, the name chosen for a child represents the many righteous deeds that the parents hope will characterize his or her biography. The Greek word for “written” is grapho:

Strong’s Definitions

????? gráph?, to “grave”, especially to write; to describe.

Outline of Biblical Usage

I.to write, with reference to the form of the letters

to delineate (or form) letters on a tablet, parchment, paper, or other material
II.to write, with reference to the contents of the writing

to express in written characters
to commit to writing (things not to be forgotten), write down, record
used of those things which stand written in the sacred books (of the OT)
to write to one, i.e. by writing (in a written epistle) to give information, directions

So congratulations, you’re an author!

Your book will be judged by the Author of Life Who wrote THE Book of Life, our instructions. He wrote the basics of life, gave us THE Book, and then breathed life into us so we could start writing.

As we grew and learned His Book, we began to write, first instinctively, then consciously, our book intersecting with thousands, maybe millions, of other biographies. Imagine the size of Abraham and Sarah’s books at this point. What you write can certainly affect the biographies of those who are born after you!

While the Torah instructs us in the precepts, each person may creatively live them, making the biography uniquely his or hers. Imagine how the Father takes joy when we find a beautiful or inspired way to write that precept into our own biography.

When we write such beautiful things in our book, we are beautifying our garments as a Bride-to-be awaiting the arrival of her husband. That’s not nearly as scary as the second resurrection, which is reserved for those who were not gathered into the cloud at the first resurrection.

In our weekly Zoom classes, we have been examining the twenty-four garments of the Bride as listed in Isaiah Three. Although Isaiah is chastising Israel for using those garments for the harlotry of idolatry, the judgment prophesied gives insight into how those twenty-four garments should be used to prepare for the Bridegroom’s coming.

“Around the throne were twenty-four thrones; and upon the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white garments, and golden crowns on their heads.” (Re 4:4)

Everything is double on Shabbat. Double manna. Double joy. Double peace. Guard and remember. In celebrating Shabbat, the Bride experiences a taste of Heaven on earth, a peaceful millennium and firstborn double portion under the rule of Messiah when “the day that is all Shabbat” is administrated by the twelve tribes of Israel from their assigned gates of New Jerusalem. By putting on the twenty-four garments of the Bride, Israel signifies the “double” principle of the millennial Kingdom of Messiah.

To illustrate the garment preparation for the Kingdom of Messiah, this week we focused on garment Number Twenty-three, gilyonim, or “robes.”

23. robes [gilyonim] [hand mirrors] ?????????? a tablet for writing (as bare); by analogy, a mirror:—glass, roll.

How interesting is it that one garment can connote such different things:

Hand mirrors?

A writing tablet?

A scroll (roll)?

A glass?

Each of these items is reflective. How do we see ourselves? James picks up the mirror-garment as one of the essentials for the Bride, explaining how it works:

“But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.” (Ja 1:22-25)

Each day we write on our scroll, either copying what is written of our life from the tablets of the Torah, or arrogantly writing our own Bible, mixing Babylon and Egypt instead of New Jerusalem into the text of what is written of us in the books of Heaven. Our biography. It is not wrong to be self-conscious if that consciousness is a continuous reflection of whether we are reflecting the beautiful life of the Word in our deeds, which are being transcribed.

The foundations of New Jerusalem are made up of precious stones, just as the Kohen HaGadol ministered with twelve precious stones of judgment representing the tribes of Israel. Judgment will reveal the stones when they are finally subjected to the penetrating Light of the Torah. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JhC6iPuh4XM

What may have shined as the most beautiful diamond in this world may be revealed as only a dull, colorless stone. What was perceived as only a semi-precious stone or trinket in this world may be seen for what it is in the Light of judgment when the books are opened: resplendent with Light.

In a recent newsletter, we read:

“Arise, O LORD, confront him, bring him low; deliver my soul from the wicked with Your sword, from men with Your hand, O LORD, from men of the world, whose portion is in this life, and whose belly You fill with Your treasure; they are satisfied with children and leave their abundance to their babes. As for me, I shall behold Your face in righteousness; I will be satisfied with Your likeness when I awake.” (Ps 17:13-15)

The psalm highlights the difference between the wicked and those who will be rewarded when they “awake,” or resurrect.

While those who seek the things of the world are satisfied with their reward in this life…in fact, they get a “bellyful” of rewards…a hint to those who serve the serpent and the beast. The serpent, the most cunning beast of the field, falls down and goes “on your belly.” He habitually allows his soul (nefesh): appetite, emotion, desire, and intellect to rule; whereas the Ruach-led Bride-to-be will copy faithfully what is written in the Word. The Ruach guides and disciplines the soul. Feelings are not true, only real.

In the millennium, the full-bellied wicked do not “awake” to the same reward as the one who is clothed in the righteousness of the Word, Yeshua. Only then do the righteous fully inherit because they conformed themselves to the likeness of Elohim and were satisfied from His hand with spiritual riches until their resurrection. They are the Bride of His intimacy in His House, in New Jerusalem.

What reveals and authenticates the Bride at the judgment is the “books.”

“A river of fire was flowing and coming out from before Him; Thousands upon thousands were attending Him, And myriads upon myriads were standing before Him; The court sat, and the books were opened.” (Da 7:10)

At the judgment of the righteous, books full of good deeds will be opened. White garments will dazzle. The joy of eternally continuing in those good deeds makes them open books with eternal sequels from the Book of Life. They can celebrate in rivers of fire that do not burn them, or even singe those twenty-four garments!

What of the potential Bride who persistently writes his or her own bible? Made a name for herself like the ancient ones of Bavel who brought about the confusion of languages? They forgot the judgment of the flood and thought mixing in bricks of disobedience with Heavenly aspiration would be okay. What will she do when the books are opened?

“For the time has come for judgment to begin at the house of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the end of those who do not obey the gospel of God? If the righteous one is scarcely saved, where will the ungodly and the sinner appear?” (1 Pe 4:17-18)

It will too late in this world for that Bride-was-to-be to write anymore obedient life into her biography.

Because that’s all she wrote.

The King’s Authority, Angels, and Demons

Last week, we examined the prophetic value of waving and shaking the lulav:

• With the lulav, we call home the exiles from all directions of the earth to the sukkah. They are called to their Kingdom assignments, their reward, and to further repentance.

• First fruits offerings and those consecrated for service are typically waved

• Is 13:13; Mt 24:29; Mk 13:25; Lk 21:26; Re 6:13 describe how powers and principalities will be shaken out of the way to prepare the way for Messiah’s return and Kingdom.

• When Messiah sets up his Kingdom, the tribes will take the places of the removed “stars,” ruling from the twelve gates of Jerusalem under the King’s authority. (For the full explanation, review Powers and Principalities)

Today, disciples of Yeshua are still commissioned to learn, practice, and rehearse their future Kingdom responsibilities wherever they live among the nations. Learning to walk both in and under authority is something vital to orderliness in our walk today and absolutely vital in serving our now-and-future King in the millennium. Yeshua left us an incredibly valuable teaching on our preparation:

And when Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, imploring Him, and saying, “Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, fearfully tormented.” Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.” But the centurion said, “Lord, I am not worthy for You to come under my roof, but just say the word, and my servant will be healed. For I also am a man under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes, and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.” Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled and said to those who were following, “Truly I say to you, I have not found such great faith with anyone in Israel.
I say to you that many will come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven; but the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into the outer darkness; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” And Jesus said to the centurion, “Go; it shall be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed that very moment. (Mt 8:5-13)

The text implies the servant was not suffering only from a physical malady, but a demonic oppression, or torment. The centurion frames his discussion on authority as being able to tell a subordinate to come or go, and they have to obey. Even demons are subordinate to the Word, and the centurion recognized Yeshua’s authority to send them away. Our King is the Living Word, not to be argued with by any demonic entity.

This is the authority that was to be invested in Israel as rulers with King Messiah. As they rehearsed their leadership in the wilderness encampment, preparing to replace powers and principalities, so Yeshua dispatched his disciples with instructions to practice healing and casting out demons in his Name, or authority. As with any learning exercise, sometimes they encountered challenges. Some demons didn’t accept their authority to send them back to their own realm. By definition, a demon attached to a human is out of bounds. Out of authorized areas. The question is, does the believer understand the authority to send it back to its assigned space?

And the evil spirit answered and said to them, “I recognize Jesus, and I know about Paul, but who are you?” (Ac 19:15)

Yeshua taught the disciples that for stubborn cases, prayer and fasting beyond the annual Yom HaKippurim was necessary. Just as some ancient warriors, like Uriah or Jonathan, purified themselves, abstained from marital relations before a battlefield encounter, or made vows, so a little yom kippur is a way of preparing for serious spiritual battle by humbling the soul.

This does not mean that if you are not healed, you are deficient in faith. Even Timothy was often ill. Early believers fell ill and were subject to torture and death, so we prepare, pray, and practice using Yeshua’s authority, but sometimes the answer is no. We walk within the authority of the King, and if He has willed a different outcome, then we can only pray and accept that our ministry is not authorized to override a royal decree, only to appeal that it be somehow mitigated.

Yeshua links the final gathering at the resurrection to calling in the Bride-to-be with the “lulav” principle of Avraham, Isaac, and Jacob who are buried at Hebron, awaiting the resurrection. If you’ll remember from last week, the three myrtle branches of the lulav symbolize the three pairs of patriarchs/matriarchs who are buried at Hebron. Because Hebron was thought to be an entrance back to the Garden of Eden, it was a signal to all their descendants that there will be a resurrection.

Having faith in that central idea of the Word is what characterizes those who will return to the Garden, which hovers just above Jerusalem. In the Jewish tradition, when a righteous person crosses into the Garden after death, he is greeted first by Adam with joy, and then there is a sit-down meal with the Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the fathers of our faith. Yeshua said there will be lots of room at that table of believers in him. If they walk in righteousness with him, they will experience a pleasant family reunion while they await the resurrection.

So why did Yeshua connect walking in the authority of the Living Word of Adonai with the resurrection?

Learning to walk in authority and under authority today is our preparation FOR the resurrection. Life is not over then, but just beginning. We need faith skills. We need humility. We need a ministry work ethic. We need to understand what authority we have and don’t have in the Word especially if we must be prepared to judge angels! (1 Co 6:3)