At sundown on September 18, 2009 we entered the New Year of 5770 on the Jewish calendar. During my times of prayer and study I have sensed there are about to be some dramatic changes in the coming year. As I continued to pray, further definition came. The purpose of this post is to share my impressions regarding this new season we are entering as the Body of Christ. I must emphasize here that we have entered not just a new season, but a new era. I will compare it to those life-changing times like graduating from school, being on your own for the first time, marriage, or the birth of your first child. Not just a change of season, but dramatic change that makes us realize we have never been this way before.
During a time of prayer I received the following impression:
It is the time of the glory of the burning bush. Like Moses there is a turning to "see" the fire. When the wonder of the fire is seen, there will be a hearing of the voice of God. God is calling forth His deliverers from the wilderness. The law has sentenced them to die, but they shall hear the voice of their Redeemer and shall declare, "My Redeemer lives!" Let the redeemed of the Lord say so!
Your wilderness season has come to an end. You must walk out of the wilderness and into your destiny. Can you hear the cries?
It is time to deliver the church from the taskmasters. The people of God have been in bondage too long. Release the signs and wonders that will harden the hearts to bring a greater glory. Release the message of grace that will bring shock and awe. The message of grace will release shock waves through the church and transform the culture. It is time to set the captives free.
Moses understood the protocol of kings. His past prepared him to walk out his destiny, but the wilderness formed his character to release the miracles.
The symbol for the Year 5770 is the 16th letter of the Hebrew Aleph-Bet, AYIN. The letter AYIN has a numeric value of seventy.
The word “ayin” means – eye; to see, and by extension, to understand and obey. It also means "Divine Providence".
Ayin represents the primeval light or the spiritual light of God.
Genesis 1:3
Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.
I believe that as we pray during this new season, we will see an illumination. The hidden things that have been done in darkness will be brought to light.
The ayin is described as having 2 eyes – the choice of using good or evil to perceive things – optimism or pessimism. It is vital during this new season that we pray concerning the media. The perceptions of people around the world are being molded daily by the media. We must pray for new media outlets to emerge that will speak the truth. We must pray for reporters to present us with facts and not just opinions on what is happening in the world. In the past we have seen a targeted effort to alter the way events are perceived – evil or good.
Must pray for an arising of alternative media who will perceive from the “good eye”.
Ayin is a silent letter. (No translation of it in English) It sees, but does not speak; represents humility.
The name ayin can also mean “eye” or “fountain”, a fountain of wisdom and the ability to perceive wisdom.
The ayin is said to represent two eyes connecting to the optic nerve. The shape of this letter also is similar to a "spade" or a "shovel" used for digging. This brings me to the next part of what was revealed for this season. During a recent time of corporate prayer at our church a declaration was released that it is time for the "Sarah's and Elizabeth's" to give birth. Sarah and Elizabeth both conceived and gave birth in their old age. I believe during this season we will see a revitalizing of the "senior saints" to play a more active role. I am also praying for a coming together of the generations to unite the wisdom of the elders with the energy of the youth.
The word “ayin” means – eye; to see, and by extension, to understand and obey. It also means "Divine Providence".
Ayin represents the primeval light or the spiritual light of God.
Genesis 1:3
Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.
I believe that as we pray during this new season, we will see an illumination. The hidden things that have been done in darkness will be brought to light.
The ayin is described as having 2 eyes – the choice of using good or evil to perceive things – optimism or pessimism. It is vital during this new season that we pray concerning the media. The perceptions of people around the world are being molded daily by the media. We must pray for new media outlets to emerge that will speak the truth. We must pray for reporters to present us with facts and not just opinions on what is happening in the world. In the past we have seen a targeted effort to alter the way events are perceived – evil or good.
Must pray for an arising of alternative media who will perceive from the “good eye”.
Ayin is a silent letter. (No translation of it in English) It sees, but does not speak; represents humility.
The name ayin can also mean “eye” or “fountain”, a fountain of wisdom and the ability to perceive wisdom.
The ayin is said to represent two eyes connecting to the optic nerve. The shape of this letter also is similar to a "spade" or a "shovel" used for digging. This brings me to the next part of what was revealed for this season. During a recent time of corporate prayer at our church a declaration was released that it is time for the "Sarah's and Elizabeth's" to give birth. Sarah and Elizabeth both conceived and gave birth in their old age. I believe during this season we will see a revitalizing of the "senior saints" to play a more active role. I am also praying for a coming together of the generations to unite the wisdom of the elders with the energy of the youth.
Sarah gave birth to Isaac. Isaac was the son of promise of Abraham and Sarah. The story of Isaac from Genesis 26 gives us great insight into the season we have just entered.
1 There was a famine in the land, besides the first famine that was in the days of Abraham.
A famine in the land - FAMINE - drastic food shortage; severe hunger and starvation.
A famine in the land of Jehovah’s word.
“Besides the first famine” - the famine touched each generation.
Natural circumstances were put in place to disclose the hunger of the heart.
And Isaac went to Abimelech king of the Philistines, in Gerar.
Abimelech was the common name for a Philistine king, like pharaoh was the common name for an Egyptian king.
2 Then the LORD appeared to him and said: “Do not go down to Egypt; live in the land of which I shall tell you. 3 Dwell in this land, and I will be with you and bless you; for to you and your descendants I give all these lands, and I will perform the oath which I swore to Abraham your father. 4 And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed; 5 because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.”
I was during this time of famine that the Lord appears to Isaac. He gives him an instruction - “Dwell in THIS land” and I will be with you and bless you.
Isaac could not look at the conditions in the natural. He had to choose to obey.
The Lord reminds him of the generational promise.
“I will perform the oath which I SWORE to Abraham you father."
The word SWORE is shaba (shavah) - to swear, to give one’s word, to bind oneself with an oath. The origin of this verb is the noun sheba, which means “seven”. To completely bind oneself to fulfilling an oath, or to “seven” oneself, to repeat some detail of the oath seven times or “complete”.
God is giving Isaac an irrevocable oath or promise.
It is really important that we understand the surety of this oath. In Genesis 21:29-30 during the life of Abraham, Abraham makes an oath with Abimelech with 7 ewe lambs to seal a covenant that Abraham had ownership of a well at Beersheba.
6 So Isaac dwelt in Gerar. 7 And the men of the place asked about his wife. And he said, “She is my sister”; for he was afraid to say, “She is my wife,” because he thought, “lest the men of the place kill me for Rebekah, because she is beautiful to behold.” 8 Now it came to pass, when he had been there a long time, that Abimelech king of the Philistines looked through a window, and saw, and there was Isaac, showing endearment to Rebekah his wife. 9 Then Abimelech called Isaac and said, “Quite obviously she is your wife; so how could you say, ‘She is my sister’?” Isaac said to him, “Because I said, ‘Lest I die on account of her.’” 10 And Abimelech said, “What is this you have done to us? One of the people might soon have lain with your wife, and you would have brought guilt on us.” 11 So Abimelech charged all his people, saying, “He who touches this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.”
Immediately after the promise - Isaac has his faith challenged. He is confronted by generational sin. His daddy’s devils came after him. When is father Abraham was in this same region of Gerar - he allowed fear to cloud his judgement. Abraham lied about his wife being his sister (a half-truth) - it was deceptive, unnecessary, and faithless.
Abraham made God small and relied upon himself. Isaac chose the same path. Isaac needed to learn about covenant.
It was after this that Isaac stepped out in faith.
12 Then Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold; and the LORD blessed him. 13 The man began to prosper, and continued prospering until he became very prosperous; 14 for he had possessions of flocks and possessions of herds and a great number of servants. So the Philistines envied him.
The blessing of wealth came with persecution.
Mark 10:29"I tell you the truth," Jesus replied, "no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel 30will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age (homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—and with them, persecutions) and in the age to come, eternal life.
Genesis 26:15 Now the Philistines had stopped up all the wells which his father’s servants had dug in the days of Abraham his father, and they had filled them with earth.
I believe the wells represent “digging” for life, “digging” for revelation. The Philistines filled these wells with earth. Many times the wells that we have dug in prayer, or that others in previous generations have dug in prayer becomes filled with the world.
Sometimes we need to “pick up the shovel and dig another well.”
16 And Abimelech said to Isaac, “Go away from us, for you are much mightier than we.” 17 Then Isaac departed from there and pitched his tent in the Valley of Gerar, and dwelt there.
Isaac “settled” in Gerar (lodging place) - a narrow place.
Sometimes God has to move us into a narrow place to realize that we need to dig.
18 And Isaac dug again the wells of water which they had dug in the days of Abraham his father, for the Philistines had stopped them up after the death of Abraham. He called them by the names which his father had called them. 19 Also Isaac’s servants dug in the valley, and found a well of running water there.
Isaac had already dealt with his father’s fears and had come into a narrow place. He now began to search out (dig) what his father had searched out.
20 But the herdsmen of Gerar quarreled with Isaac’s herdsmen, saying, “The water is ours.” So he called the name of the well Esek, because they quarreled with him.
Sometimes when you begin to search things out and dig a well you come to a place of “contention”. Esek means “contention”.
The “herdsmen” of the Philistines were not happy about his revelation. Some would call them “shepherds”, but they were worldly, just herdsmen. Not everyone will be happy about your revelation - there may be some contention.
21 Then they dug another well, and they quarreled over that one also. So he called its name Sitnah.
Sitnah - strife
James 3:16 - For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
Isaac was in a narrow place (a place of consecration) seeking a place without struggle or strife.
He was digging in the valley - the torrent valley (wadi - dry except during periods of rain) - the place of the palm tree (symbol of victory; flourishing and upright)
It says that Isaac’s servants dug. One of the definitions of that word servant is PROPHET.
The prophets dug in the valley and encountered/found revival!
Even though they found what they had been digging for, there was contention and strife. Isaac called it what it was!
Isaac did not camp there - he continued to move.
22 And he moved from there and dug another well, and they did not quarrel over it. So he called its name Rehoboth, because he said, “For now the LORD has made room for us, and we shall be fruitful in the land.”
He finally came into a wide place.
I believe that we have finally come into a wide place! We have had glimpses of revival - tastes of the glory. It is still here, even though we don’t always perceive it.
Pick up the shovel - we still have some more wells to dig!
23 Then he went up from there to Beersheba. 24 And the LORD appeared to him the same night and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham; do not fear, for I am with you. I will bless you and multiply your descendants for My servant Abraham’s sake.” 25 So he built an altar there and called on the name of the LORD, and he pitched his tent there; and there Isaac’s servants dug a well. 26 Then Abimelech came to him from Gerar with Ahuzzath, one of his friends, and Phichol the commander of his army. 27 And Isaac said to them, “Why have you come to me, since you hate me and have sent me away from you?” 28 But they said, “We have certainly seen that the LORD is with you. So we said, ‘Let there now be an oath between us, between you and us; and let us make a covenant with you, 29 that you will do us no harm, since we have not touched you, and since we have done nothing to you but good and have sent you away in peace. You are now the blessed of the LORD.’” 30 So he made them a feast, and they ate and drank. 31 Then they arose early in the morning and swore an oath with one another; and Isaac sent them away, and they departed from him in peace.
Isaac found a place of peace.
32 It came to pass the same day that Isaac’s servants came and told him about the well which they had dug, and said to him, “We have found water.” 33 So he called it Shebah. Therefore the name of the city is Beersheba to this day.
They continued to dig - there was a continual consecration.
Isaac proclaimed a “wide place”.
At last Jehovah has made room for us! And we will bear fruit and be fruitful in this territory!
God met with him and blessed him (fulfilled the oath).
Beersheba - the place of the sevenfold oath. The well of seven.
To establish ownership, Abraham paid 7 ewe lambs and swore and oath to Abimelech.
It is my strong conviction that the Lord has made room for us in this new season.
Many generations have dug in prayer what you have just unearthed. Take ownership! Own the revelation! Own the mantle you are called to wear!
Own the place of victory! Stop striving and continue to dig until you come to the place of true nature change!
Possess the gates of your enemies in prayer - it is part of the promise.
This is the time of the “seven”. The complete fulfillment of the oath of promise.
This is the year of completion. Cycles are being completed to bring about complete fulfillment.
You possess a more excellent covenant - shall it not be fulfilled!
It is time to unearth what is stopping up the wells.