Shalom everyone,

As we continue this series the next obvious sign of the resurrection in the Old Testament is the sign of Isaac and Abraham.

Gen 22:1  After these things God tested Abraham and said to him, “Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.”
Gen 22:2  He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”

So God “tests” Abraham and as a perfect picture of the coming sacrifice of God’s only begotten Son (Yeshua – Jesus) God instructs Issac to go and sacrifice his son, Issac.  Where does he say to offer him?  On Moriah — the exact location of the Temple Mount.

Gen 22:3  So Abraham rose early in the morning, saddled his donkey, and took two of his young men with him, and his son Isaac. And he cut the wood for the burnt offering and arose and went to the place of which God had told him.

Notice Abraham didn’t waste any time — he left the next morning!  And arrived on a donkey — just as Yeshua triumphantly entered Jerusalem on a donkey!

Gen 22:4  On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar.

You’ll notice over and over again the number 3 in connection to the resurrection throughout the Old Covenant.

Gen 22:5  Then Abraham said to his young men, “Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you.”

At this point, we get an understanding that Abraham knew something — he wasn’t sure about the test — but he did expect to RETURN with Issac.

Heb 11:17  By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son,
Heb 11:18  of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.”
Heb 11:19  He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.

Abraham wasn’t sure what God was going to do — but He “considered” even at this point the — RESURRECTION!

Gen 22:6  And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering and laid it on Isaac his son. And he took in his hand the fire and the knife. So they went both of them together.

This is a perfect picture of the cross that Yeshua would carry before his crucifixion.

Gen 22:7  And Isaac said to his father Abraham, “My father!” And he said, “Here I am, my son.” He said, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?”
Gen 22:8  Abraham said, “God will provide for himself the lamb for a burnt offering, my son.” So they went both of them together.

So even here, God would provide the Lamb for himself — just as the Lamb of God was provided for the world.

Gen 22:9  When they came to the place of which God had told him, Abraham built the altar there and laid the wood in order and bound Isaac his son and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood.

This is the Hebrew understanding of “Akeda” which is the “binding of Isaac” and its root comes from the Hebrew word, akod, which meant — bound but it literally means “ringed” or “striped”.  One of the ancient scholars of Israel, Rashi, explained the use of the verb as “stripe-like marks” left by ropes on the ankles and wrists of a person who is tied hand and foot.  Thus the reason for the word “akeda” for the naming of the story is named after the marks that were left on Issac’s body!   A perfect picture of the fact that Yeshua still had marks even after his resurrection.  As Thomas only believed after reaching his hands into his side — and his wrists — a perfect picture even to the Hebraic understanding of word — akeda.  As Issac was laid on the wood — so Yeshua was laid on the cross.

Gen 22:10  Then Abraham reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son.
Gen 22:11  But the angel of the LORD called to him from heaven and said, “Abraham, Abraham!” And he said, “Here I am.”
Gen 22:12  He said, “Do not lay your hand on the boy or do anything to him, for now I know that you fear God, seeing you have not withheld your son, your only son, from me.”
Gen 22:13  And Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in a thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son.
Gen 22:14  So Abraham called the name of that place, “The LORD will provide“; as it is said to this day, “On the mount of the LORD it shall be provided.”

Issac by this age was strong enough to fight off his father Abraham who was well into his age — yet Issac was willing to lay down his life — just as Yeshua was willing to lay His life down for His Father.  Even the exact location of the sacrifice would be known years later as the PLACE where the Lord would provide His Son as the “lamb of God” for the sins of the world!

Gen 22:15  And the angel of the LORD called to Abraham a second time from heaven
Gen 22:16  and said, “By myself I have sworn, declares the LORD, because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son,
Gen 22:17  I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies,
Gen 22:18  and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.”

The sacrifice of Issac was connected to the blessings of the nations — and years later the sacrifice of Yeshua — is the blessing to the nations!

I’m sure there’s more comparisons, but this summarizes the story of Abraham and Issac and the connection to the Resurrection,

Your brother in the Lord with much agape love,

George

Shalom everyone,

I thought I would do a series of teachings on the parallels on one of the most “prophesied” event in the Old Testament — and the focus of the New Testament authors — the Resurrection.

Most people have never examined how many stories are directly connected to the most historic and earth changing event in the history of the world — the resurrection.

I will begin with the sign of Jonah and continue this series showing how many “pictures” of the resurrection are throughout the Scriptures.

Jonah is laid out in a chiastic structure, which means that it a story that is laid out in a fashion where the story is unveiled — then its central theme is identified — then re-wrapped the same way it was originally wrapped.

A) Jonah 1:15  So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from her raging.

B) Jonah 1:16 Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and offered a sacrifice unto the LORD, and made vows.

C) Jonah 2:1-2a Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the belly of the fish,  saying, “I called out to the LORD, out of my distress, and he answered me;

D) Jonah 2:2b out of the belly of Sheol I cried, and you heard my voice.

E) Jonah 2:3 For you cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the flood surrounded me; all your waves and your billows passed over me.

F) Jon 2:4  Then I said, ‘I am driven away from your sight; yet I shall again look upon your holy temple.’

E) Jonah 2:5 The waters closed in over me to take my life; the deep surrounded me

D) Jonah 2:6b yet you brought up my life from the pit, O LORD my God.

C) Jonah 2:7 When my life was fainting away, I remembered the LORD, and my prayer came to you, into your holy temple.

B) Jonah 2:9 Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love. But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay. Salvation belongs to the LORD!”

A) Jonah 2:10 And the LORD spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land.

So it’s a story wrapped up with Jonah being cast into the sea and concludes with the sea casting Jonah to the land.  Each point A coincides with A, and B with B, so this story unveils itself in a unique way so we can examine the main point.

The main point of Jonah — that he was driven out of the sight of the Lord — yet will once again look to the Temple!

As Yeshua (Jesus) stated in Matthew —

Mat 12:39  But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.
Mat 12:40  For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.

He’s referring to Jonah’s sign — of three days and three nights — the number 3 will be used by the LORD over and over again as a sign of the resurrection.

Jonah 1:17  And the LORD appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

Just as Jonah “died” and was “resurrected” so this was a sign of the resurrection.  Jonah should have died — yet he didn’t!   Jonah swallowed by a great fish — a picture of death.  Was in the belly of the fish, three days and three nights — a sign of the burial of Yeshua.  Jonah being spew up out of the belly of the great fish — the resurrection.  Notice that Jonah’s head was wrapped — Jonah 2:5 weeds were wrapped about my head as a picture of the crown of thorns!

Just as Yeshua left His glory when he came to earth — driven out of the sight of the Lord at his death — YET He was restored to His glory in the Holy Temple.

John 17:5  And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.

He RETURNED to the TEMPLE!  Resurrection!

As you can see the picture of Jonah is much deeper, and I’ll do a series of teachings dealing with one of the most prophesied events in the Bible — the resurrection!

Your brother in the Lord with much agape love,

George

As I speak around the world, I’m often talking about the “greatest” opportunity that we’re a living part of! So often in the discussion of the “end of the world” a bunker mentality — or a “escapism” mentality develops instead of “seizing” the day!

When the Apostles were discussing what to do with the “newly” converted Gentiles, James stands up in Acts and proclaims this passage as being fulfilled,

Act 15:13 After they finished speaking, James replied, “Brothers, listen to me.
Act 15:14 Simeon has related how God first visited the Gentiles, to take from them a people for his name.
Act 15:15 And with this the words of the prophets agree, just as it is written,
Act 15:16 “‘After this I will return, and I will rebuild the tent of David that has fallen; I will rebuild its ruins, and I will restore it,
Act 15:17 that the remnant of mankind may seek the Lord, and all the Gentiles who are called by my name, says the Lord, who makes these things
Act 15:18 known from of old.’

Now the passage that James refers to is in Amos 9 and this is the entirety of the passage,

Amo 9:11 In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen, and close up the breaches thereof; and I will raise up his ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old:
Amo 9:12 That they may possess the remnant of Edom, and of all the heathen, which are called by my name, saith the LORD that doeth this.

But James stops in the passage, and the reality is that this passage is being fulfilled in our day!

Amo 9:14 And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them.

How can they build waste cities — or return back to their land — unless they were first expelled from the land — and RETURNED to the land! This is happening in our day!

Amo 9:15 And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the LORD thy God.

Now let’s turn our focus on verse 13,

Amo 9:13 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that soweth seed; and the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt.

This is the Keil – Delitzsch commentary of this particular verse so we can better understand its meaning.

The ploughman will reach to the reaper.” Even while the one is engaged in ploughing the land for the sowing, the other will already be able to cut ripe corn; so quickly will the corn grow and ripen. And the treading of the grapes will last to the sowing-time, so abundant will the vintage be.

The harvest is SO ABUNDANT, that there’s reaping and sowing happening at the same time!

Mat 13:24 He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field,
Mat 13:25 but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away.
Mat 13:26 So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also.
Mat 13:27 And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’
Mat 13:28 He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’
Mat 13:29 But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them.
Mat 13:30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.'”

The harvest of the world is upon us. What most people don’t understand is what is happening on a global scale, and what generation we’re a part of!

As you can see the population of the world was ESSENTIALLY FLAT for 1900 years after the birth of Christ. But now it’s shooting STRAIGHT UP! It’s the HARVEST coming to pass! If you can imagine this — let’s suppose for hypothetical sake that 10% of the world comes to a saving knowledge of the Lord. The population’s of the world combined for the first 1900 years let suppose is about 4-5 billion people. So hypothetically for the first 1900 years roughly 400,000,000 to 500,000,000 people came to faith. We’re alive and the population of the world is over 7 billion people!  So if we continue with our same “hypothetical” understanding then we will see 700,000,000 people come to faith. But if you were seeing all the signs of the truth — and prophecy being fulfilled — my thoughts are it could MUCH HIGHER than these “hypothetical” estimates!

We’re will see MORE PEOPLE come to faith in our LIFETIME than the ENTIRE HARVEST of the WORLD for the previous 1900 years COMBINED!

And we’re alive for this! We’re alive to see the fulfillment of the entirety of Amos’ prophecy!

So often, I’m confronted with challenges in the chat rooms with simply the fact we get so many people that come that do not know the Lord and when to say “enough is enough” when they are clearly simply a “weed” that the enemy is sowing in the field of wheat! But the Lord says to allow them to “grow together”, however at some point, you realize that you’re simply “casting pearls before the swine” and it’s time to cut the rope and let them be on their way. This is a tough balance that is always weighing on the hearts of the moderators. We are a ministry of outreach — FIRST and FOREMOST — why? Because that is our commission by the Lord! If we neglect this commandment — we’ve forgotten our whole purpose for being here!

We’re called to be “fishers” of men. If you can imagine someone fishing — they don’t pull in fish perfectly cleaned, fileted, and ready to eat!

The first thing fishermen do is you need to go to the lake, river, or ocean where “fish” gather. Can you imagine trying to fish on your front yard? You wouldn’t catch any fish! You can’t catch fish — unless you’re in the water!

Secondly, when you cast a net to draw in a school of fish, you have to understand that you often draw in all kinds of “unwanted objects”. The old tire, the old shoe, the stick! Jewish fisherman often had to separate the “clean and the unclean” fish! Catfish was considered unclean, while Tilapia (St. Peters fish) was clean. But you can’t separate the fish — until you draw the net in!

Thirdly, even after the catch — the fish need to be scaled, gutted, and deveined! It’s a MESSY process! If it were easy, we wouldn’t be called fishers of men!

So people don’t like the “messiness” of fishing for men, whereas I see the schools of fish just waiting for us to cast the net! I see prophetically the millions coming to faith in our generation — and we’re part of it!

If you didn’t get a chance to listen to my message — It’s not the end of the world — I suggest listening to it to get an understanding of where we are prophetically.

Are you prepared spiritually for the greatest opportunity the Lord has provided us?

So the next time you post — perhaps you should remember that every word — is being judged by the King of Kings — and before you post — ask yourself — is this “worthy” of being recorded in the books? I believe people don’t realize that their posts are being read by thousands of guests on a daily basis — is your post drawing in the fish? Or is it creating a whole in the net? I pray that this message is taken to heart — for we’re part of the prophetic history!

Your brother in the Lord with much agape love,

George