Shana Tovah!
Rosh Hashanah- Judaic New Year starts on September 10 2010. The Year of the Lion ending the Year of the Eagle.
This has special significance to me.
A few years ago, I had revelation knowledge of anti-aging products to start our business on a prayer: "God renew my youth like the Eagle"
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| Molting Eagle |
So what does this Lion symbolize?
I had already heard symbolism of becoming lions that devour prey, but I wondered still.
As I pondered this and read my Bible, something I heard about lions, slipped through my mind and stuck there.
It sprang to mind because I met a couple last weekend with whom I had discussed a message on Lions from the Jordan, 9-10 years ago.
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# Jeremiah 49:19
Behold, he shall come up like a lion from the swelling of the Jordan against the habitation of the strong;"
# Jeremiah 50:44 Behold, he shall come up like a lion from the swelling of the Jordan unto the habitation of the strong;"
Lions from the swelling of the Jordan?
In Spring, when the snows of Mount Hermon melt, the Jordan, overflows its banks and swells into the surrounding (dry) floodplain. This floodplain is full of thick brush, where only wild beasts, notably Lions live.
These angry lions, forced out of their habitation, as they come out of the water, hunt in the neighboring areas for a short time, till the waters subside.
Jeremiah alone has this imagery in the Bible, because of the life he led - it was almost like he lived among men like lions, who tried to rend him: physical suffering, prison, living in a well-
the whole of the book is trouble and agony, physical, emotional.
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The other place it comes up is when talking about the mighty men of David, his choice soldiers.
1 Chronicles 12
14These were of the sons of Gad, captains of the host: one of the least was over an hundred, and the greatest over a thousand.15These are they that went over Jordan in the first month, when it had overflown all his banks; and they put to flight all them of the valleys, both toward the east, and toward the west.
Men who went fighting when Lions went hunting.
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Back to Jeremiah, the weeping prophet.
The Lord has a hard answer when he complains of the wicked taking root and making the land to mourn:
" 12:5"If thou hast run with the footmen and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? And if in the land of peace, wherein thou trusted, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling of the Jordan?"
Whatever Jeremiah was complaining about, He said, it is as if he was fighting with the foot soldiers. What will you do with the mounted soldiers, He asks.
And what will you do in the swelling of the Jordan- when the lions come?
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Lions hunting - Worst of the worst troubles.Spiritually,
It seems like your safety is breached, hedge seems cut off. What could not be imagined before has come against you. It is as if you cannot escape the lion- and it will surely put you to death.
The imagery is so powerful that a dream of a lion (there is a specific phrase in telugu: simha swapnam) is an interpretation of a sign of death in your close circle.
1 lady I knew dreamt of a lion and her husband died in the following weeks- this was the most recent, less than a month ago- but I have heard of many dreams of lions interpreted as death, a few in retrospect.
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But there is something remarkable here.
In Joshua, an incident happens when the Jordan was swelling.
Joshua says, "we're crossing the Jordan- priests, start moving with the Ark."
Joshua 3:15
And as.. feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water, (for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest,)
16That the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon an heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan: and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed, and were cut off: and the people passed over right against Jericho."
The Jordan's overflowing waters stopped in 2 heaps And the people crossed over!
The priests stopped the Jordan - when it was swelling!
It is remarkable because Christian symbolism interprets passing the Jordan as associated with crossing over from Death to Life
Not only did they pass over, they took 12 stones from the middle of the Jordan- as a memorial.
3and command ye them, saying, `Take you hence out of the midst of the Jordan, from the place where the priests' feet stood firm, twelve stones; and ye shall carry them over with you and leave them in the lodging place where ye shall lodge this night.'"
6that this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, `What mean ye by these stones?'
7then ye shall answer them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD: when it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. And these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever."
Priests are the elite worshipers of God. Only they had the right to bear the Ark of the Covenant. Anyone who touches the Ark would be stoned to death. In the case of Hophni & Phinehas, they were struck down by God.
Priests are consecrated, separated, to God. They are not the singers- the people who get up in church to sing and praise God- yes, God has a place for Singers, but they arent Priests.
Priests are ordered to not do any regular work, their only work being the mediators between God and men. Not just singing, for these elite, their whole lives are worship to God.
Through the new covenant of Jesus, God names us "royal priesthood".
All of us, related to Jesus by covenant, are priests. To us is given the responsibility of bearing the Ark, the presence of the Living God.
They took orders from Joshua- he give the directions - they obeyed.
Be obedient to spiritual authority over you. Many people think worshiping God is everything. And now we see that, even consecration to God is not everything. To cross over the Jordan, you need obedience.
Pick up the Ark of the Covenant. It takes physical work, to bring in the presence of God.
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Dont be afraid of the Lions that seem like they are all but tearing you limb from limb.
Maybe you are seeing in your life that death is imminent, but the devil has always been and always will be a big fat liar
If you are a worshiper of Jesus, bearing the burden God has placed on you, obedient to the man of God in your life, I say this to you
God is about to cross you over the Jordan, passing from Death to Life.
Plan on making your memorials, picked from the middle of Jordan,
God is going to do something to tell your children about.
"The Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the book (of Life)..." Rev 5.5 (Thank you, Kathy)
Judgement Day, the Lion of Judah will open our lives up to public display - He only has prevailed, because to open this book, He had to give up His life to overcome (sin and) death.
Jesus said, I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
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On Rosh Hashanah, the Shofar is blown.
Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound (of the shofar) they shall walk, O LORD, in the light of thy countenance.Psalm 89:15
The Shofar (rams horn trumpet) is blown on several occasions- celebrations, war, and during the leading of the Israelites through the wilderness.
Listen to the Rosh Hashanah Shofar sound
The clip below isnt a Rosh Hashanah sound, but is extremely beautiful, it has added reverb and effects for a mountaintop effect.
