Understanding the image of God helps us to understand who God is, who we are, and our eternal destiny. The image of God also clarifies the existence of Hell.
And above the firmament over their heads was the likeness of a throne, in appearance like a sapphire stone; on the likeness of the throne
Image of God
was a likeness [k’mareh כְּמַרְאֵ֥ה] with the appearance of a man[adam אָדָ֛ם] high above it.Also from the appearance of His waist and upward I saw, as it were, the color of amber [electricity] with the appearance of fire all around within it; and from the appearance of His waist and downward I saw, as it were, the appearance of fire with brightness all around …This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the LORD. (Ezekiel 1:26-28).
“Her seed brought forth the Savior; Satan’s seed will bring the Destroyer.”
The New Age and Alien Channelers often speak of bodies of light that the other-worldly beings possess. The truth is, however, that bodies of light were first spoken of in the Bible. In this post we will examine the many places Scripture speaks of bodies of light and how our DNA emits light. Understanding the truth will again help us to spot the demonic deception that is coming in these last days.
We have seen that Adam was created in God’s image and likeness which includes the appearance of God. We can deduce more of how Adam was before the Fall and also how we shall be upon resurrection from the teaching of the Lord Jesus. We first note that while up by Cesarea Philippi Jesus took the disciples Peter, James and John to the top of Mount Hermon. [i] “And He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light [phos φως],” (Matthew 17:2). Jesus’ clothes were not only white, but they were
literally white as light, which is the Greek word φως phos from which we get the word photo or photon. In other words, the light of Jesus, Who is the source of that light, emanated through His clothing. When the end of the tribulation draws to a close the Lord Jesus will return to earth on a horse and those who have trusted in Him will return with Him. Speaking of the called out ones (believers in Jesus) John notes in Revelation: “And to her it was granted to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright [lampron λαμπρον], for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints,” (Revelation 19:8).
We see from this verse that the covering will be bright or luminous. The Greek word λαμπρον lampron signifies bright or shining. The Liddell, Scott and Jones Classical Greek Lexicon defines it as “bright, radiant, of the sun and stars”. Thus, when we occupy our heavenly or celestial bodies we will also be enveloped in or clothed in garments of light. Jesus confirmed this reality when he said concerning the righteous in the world to come: “Then the righteous will shine forth [eklampo ἐκλάμπω] as the sun in the kingdom of their Father,” (Matthew 13:43). The same was revealed to Daniel concerning the resurrection of the righteous. The Septuagint (LXX) version uses the same word as is found in Matthew 13 above, which is also related to the garments in Revelation 19:8.
Those who are wise shall shine [LXX: eklampo ἐκλάμπω, Heb. יַזְהִ֖רוּ] like the brightness [LXX: lamprotes λαμπρότης] of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever, (Daniel 12:3).
This truth was revealed as far back as the time of Judges when Deborah, Barak and Abinoam sang: “Thus let all Your enemies perish, O LORD! But let those who love Him be like the sun when it comes out in full strength.” (Judges 5:31a). This is further evidenced in the book of Proverbs “But the path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day,” (Proverbs 4:18). If we recall that Jesus said that in the resurrection we will be like the angels, then taking a look at them and how they are radiant beings shows us that we too shall be like that. This is also the conclusion of Bible commentator Arthur Pink when he states in his book The Doctrine of Revelation:
So far from regarding his soul as a mysterious, nebulous and indefinable thing, the believer looks upon it as a living, intelligent, sentient being—his real self. We should view a disembodied soul as one which has cast off its earthly clothing and is now appareled in a garment of light, or, to use the language of Scripture, “clothed in white raiment” (Revelation 3:5; 4:4). At death the soul of the saint is freed from all the limitations which sin had imposed upon it, and its faculties are then not only purified, but elevated and enlarged. [ii]
There are many verses that reference the angels’ glorious appearance. We of course recall that the angels shone in the night sky at the announcement of the birth of the awaited Messiah in Luke 2:9. The root word in that passage is perilampo (περιλάμπω), meaning “to shine around”, which is simply a derivative of lampo, “to shine”. In Luke 24:4 we read that there were two men (or angels) who stood by the tomb in “shining garments” (astrapto ἀστράπτω, like what a star does). This same word for shining is used to describe lightning as it shines from one part of heaven to the other according to Luke 17:24.
Perhaps the most telling examples of what angels look like and how we will look are found in Daniel and Revelation. In Daniel chapter ten, Daniel tells us of a vision in which he saw an angel (who was detained by the prince of Persia and thus could not be Jesus) and how he had a shining appearance.
I lifted my eyes and looked, and behold, a certain man clothed in linen, whose waist was girded with gold of Uphaz!His body was like beryl, his face like the appearance of lightning, his eyes like torches of fire, his arms and feet like burnished bronze in color, and the sound of his words like the voice of a multitude,(Daniel 10:5, 6).
John also saw shining angels in the book of Revelation. The angels were clothed in linen that was shining (lampron λαμπρον). “And out of the temple came the seven angels having the seven plagues, clothed in pure bright [lampron λαμπρον] linen, and having their chests girded with golden bands,” (Revelation 15:6). We can therefore conclude that our future “clothing” is in the likeness of how God is clothed in light according to Psalm 104:1-2 and because Adam was created in His image then Adam must have lost the light at the fall. “You are clothed with splendor and majesty, covering yourself with light as with a garment, stretching out the heavens like a tent,” (Psalm 104:1-2).
Supported by Ancient Jewish Interpretation
What is fascinating is that Jewish interpretation held that Adam and Eve were at first clothed in garments of light and then later clothed in garments of skin. The Midrash Rabbah (Rabbinic literature from the first or second century AD) of Genesis 3:21 reads,
AND THE LORD GOD MADE FOR ADAM AND HIS WIFE GARMENTS OF SKIN [‘or עֹור],AND CLOTHED THEM (III, 21). In R. Meir’s Torah it was found written, ‘Garments of light (or)’ this refers to Adam’s garments, which were like a torch, broad at the bottom and narrow at the top.
The Soncino Zohar of Bereshith, though a medieval (Jewish) writing, describes in even greater detail how the rabbis interpreted the original garments of Adam and Eve:
AND THE EYES OF BOTH OF THEM WERE OPENED. R. Hiya says, their eyes were opened to the evil of the world, which they had not known hitherto. Then they knew that they were naked, since they had lost the celestial lustre which had formerly enveloped them, and of which they were now divested. AND THEY SEWED FIG LEAVES. They strove to cover themselves with the (delusive) images from the tree of which they had eaten, the so-called “leaves of the tree”. AND THEY MADE THEMSELVES GIRDLES. […] Afterwards God clothed Adam and Eve in garments soothing to the skin, as it is written, HE MADE THEM COATS OF SKIN [‘or עֹור]. At first they had had coats of light [‘or אֹור], which procured them the service of the highest of the high, for the celestial angels used to come to enjoy that light; so it is written, “For thou hast made him but little lower than the angels, and crownest him with glory and honour” (Ps. VIII, 6). Now after their sins they had only coats of skin [‘or עֹור], good for the body but not for the soul, (emphasis mine). [iii]
The (Soncino) Zohar, chapter Shemoth (Exodus) further comments on how Adam was originally clothed with light [‘or אֹור] so that he could be in the garden; if he had not had that, the text suggests that he could not have been in God’s presence.
Adam in the Garden of Eden was attired in supernal raiment, of celestial radiancy. As soon as he was driven from the Garden of Eden and had need of forms suited to this world, “the Lord God”, Scripture says, “made for Adam and for his wife garments of skin [‘or עֹור] and clothed them” (Gen. III, 21). Formerly they were garments of light [‘or אֹור], to wit, of the celestial light in which Adam ministered in the Garden of Eden. For, inasmuch as it is the resplendency of the celestial light that ministers in the Garden of Eden, when first man entered into the Garden, the Holy One, blessed be He, clothed him first in the raiment of that light. Otherwise he could not have entered there. When driven out, however, he had need of other garments; hence “garments of skin, (emphasis mine). [iv]
The Jewish apocryphal work of the Life of Adam and Eve, written sometime between the third and fifth century A.D. records the belief many held concerning the original state of Adam and Eve before their fall.
But as they [Adam and Eve] were going in the way, and before they reached that place, Satan, the wicked one, had heard the Word of God communing with Adam respecting his covering. […] Then came the Word of God to Adam and Eve, and said to them, “This is he who was hidden in the serpent, and who deceived you, and stripped you of the garment of light and glory in which you were. This is he who promised you majesty and divinity. Where, then, is the beauty that was on him? Where is his divinity? Where is his light? Where is the glory that rested on him? Now his figure is hideous; he is become abominable among angels; and he has come to be called Satan. [v]
Confirmed by Ancient Christian Interpretation
The understanding that Adam and Eve were once clothed in light before their fall is not only confirmed by the ancient Jews but also hinted at by the ancient Christians in what they have to say concerning the celestial bodies that are awaiting the believer. Church Father Arnobius, in his work Against Heathens writes in the notes the following about what believers have to look forward to:
But let us not reason from things terrestrial as regards things celestial: our coarse material fabrics are “shadows of the true.” The robes of light are realities, and are conformed to spiritual bodies, as even here a mist may envelop a tree. [vi]
Methodius, another church father says the following concerning the light that we shall be clothed with. He derives his comments from Isaiah 60 which speaks of the future messianic kingdom in which Israel will be in the center. He envisions what a body completely free from sin and corruption will be like. He writes:
Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. […] It is the Church whose children shall come to her with all speed after the resurrection, running to her from all quarters. She rejoices receiving the light which never goes down, and clothed with the brightness of the Word as with a robe. For with what other more precious or honourable ornament was it becoming that the queen should be adorned, to be led as a Bride to the Lord, when she had received a garment of light, and therefore was called by the Father? Come, then, let us go forward in our discourse, and look upon this marvelous woman as upon virgins prepared for a marriage, pure and undefiled, perfect and radiating a permanent beauty, wanting nothing of the brightness of light; and instead of a dress, clothed with light itself; and instead of precious stones, her head adorned with shining stars. For instead of the clothing which we have, she had light; and for gold and brilliant stones, she had stars; but stars not such as those which are set in the invisible heaven, but better and more resplendent, so that those may rather be considered as their images and likenesses, (emphasis mine). [vii]
The second century Christian document, the Revelation of Peter, written after 135 AD affords us a wonderful commentary as to what undoubtedly many Christians believed had happened and would come to pass. Again, we do not look at such texts as inspired of God, but as early Christian commentaryon the Scriptures. Concerning the resurrected believers, the text states:
There appeared two men standing before the Lord […] upon whom we were not able to look. For there issued from their countenance a ray as of the sun, and their raiment was shining so as the eye of man never saw the like: for no mouth is able to declare nor heart to conceive the glory wherewith they were clad and the beauty of their countenance. Whom when we saw we were astonished, for their bodies were whiter than any snow and redder than any rose. And the redness of them was mingled with the whiteness, and, in a word, I am not able to declare their beauty. […]These are your (our) righteous brethren whose appearance ye did desire to see. […] the dwellers in that place were clad with the raiment of shining angels, and their raiment was like unto their land, (emphasis mine). [viii]
Note that the writer of this document believed that the resurrected saints would literally emit light from their bodies just as we have seen from numerous Scriptures. The writer identifies the two saints as Moses and Elias (Elijah). He also sees the shining analogous to the colors of a rainbow just like the colors that surround God in Ezekiel 1:28.
‘The Son at his coming will raise the dead . . . and will make my righteous ones shine seven times more than the sun, and will make their crowns shine like crystal and like the rainbow in the time of rain (crowns) which are perfumed with nard and cannot be contemplated (adorned) with rubies, with the colour of emeralds shining brightly, with topazes, gems, and yellow pearls that shine like the stars of heaven, and like the rays of the sun, sparkling which cannot be gazed upon.’ Again, of the angels: ‘ Their faces shine more than the sun; their crowns are as the rainbow in the time of rain. […] Their eyes shine like the morning star. […] Their raiment is not woven, but white as that of the fuller, according as I saw on the mountain where Moses and Elias were. [ix]
There seems to be little doubt that the early Church interpreted the resurrected bodies of the believers to be such that they would emit light and shine like the sun. Given that Jesus came as the second Adam and that we are in the corrupted image of the first Adam, we can infer that when God made the first Adam (in an uncorrupted state), that Adam must have radiated light in a manner similar to our resurrection bodies.
Biophotons
Remembering that man is in the image of God will serve as a clue to answer our question as to the origin of the light and with a bit of logic we will see that the light must come from God’s essence. Returning to Ezekiel 1 we recall that the prophet saw: “a whirlwind was coming out of the north, a great cloud with raging fire engulfing itself; and brightness was all around it and radiating out of its midst like the color of amber [khashmal חַשְׁמַ֖ל], out of the midst of the fire,” (Ezekiel 1:4).
We learn in verse 28 that this was the entourage of the Lord Himself, a man of fire, as it were and thus, the light must radiate out from the Lord Himself (and not from His robes, per se). In fact, we are told that specifically “The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light,” (Revelation 21:23). Isaiah describes the light coming from God as well:
The sun shall no longer be your light by day, Nor for brightness shall the moon give light to you; But the LORD will be to you an everlasting light, And your God your glory. Your sun shall no longer go down, Nor shall your moon withdraw itself; For the LORD will be your everlasting light, And the days of your mourning shall be ended, (Isaiah 60:19-20).
Paul affords us this insight into what we shall become: “to put on the new man who has been created in God’s image – in righteousness and holiness that comes from truth,” (Ephesians 4:24 NET).
Our new man has been created in God’s image – imagine that! We, as new creations are in the image of the One who made us! Paul states that Jesus is the image of God: “He is the image [eicon εικον (icon)] of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation,” (Colossians 1:15 NET). Then he states that we are in that image using the same Greek word eicon (εικον) “and have been clothed with the new man that is being renewed in knowledge according to the image [eicon εικον] of the one who created it,” (Colossians 3:10 NET). We must not forget, however, that Adam was originally created in the image of God. Thus if in our new man we will be like God (not be God in all of his glory, but like Him!), then we must conclude that when God made Adam in His image (the Septuagint translates the Hebrew tselem צֶ֥לֶם as eicon εικον) and likeness, Adam emitted light in a way similar to God. Since we will have bodies of light once our image is fully restored, so too Adam must have had that covering of light before his fall into corruption. There appears to be no difference between Adam in his pre-fall state and we in our heavenly state as far as our bodies are concerned. Nevertheless, there will be one enormous difference: Adam could have refrained from sinning and so have enjoyed the bliss of the Lord’s presence. However, he never would have known the depths to which God was willing to humble Himself to buy back his creation. As redeemed sons of God, we and Adam will now enjoy the bliss of heaven and know full well that we are there because of the mighty sacrifice of our Lord Jesus.
The ultimate deception that Satan so cleverly concocted for the first couple was to entice them to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in order to become like God when they already were! They looked like God (Exodus 24:9-10, Daniel 7:9, Isaiah 6:1-6, Ezekiel 1:26-28, Revelation 4), they had the Spirit of God and they emanated light like God. Lastly, they were already wise (or prudent) and were not ashamed. Thus, they were perfectly suited to have fellowship with God. When Satan deceived them he suggested things that they already had – the real deception was that they already were like God.
We have seen that Adam being “clothed” with light is a very likely biblical possibility. Now let’s consider just how Adam might have radiated light.
DNA Emits light
Around 1923 Ukrainian Biologist Alexander Gurwitsh discovered that living things such as onions and yeast produced an ultra-weak photon emission according to the Fritz-Albert Popp Institute. [xvi] This discovery was then confirmed independently by Russian scientists around 1950 when they discovered an “ultraweak photon emission” from living organisms. Again, the discovery of photon emission was confirmed independently of the previous finding by Italian nuclear physicists L. Colli, U. Facchini, G. Guidotti and R. Dugnani-Lonati, M Orsenigo in 1955 who “by chance discovered a ‘bioluminescence’ of seedlings,”. They published their finding in an article. Further Measurements on the Bioluminescence of the Seedlings [xvii] even though they did not believe it to be of great consequence.
The fact that DNA emits light is now a well established fact, even if it is relatively unknown to the general public. The Fritz-Albert Popp
Institut discusses the work going on in the field around the world. Independently from each other and driven by different motivations scientific groups in Australia (Quickenden), Germany (Fritz-Albert Popp), Japan (Inaba), and Poland (Slawinski) showed evidence of ultraweak photon emission from biological systems by use of modern single-photon counting systems. [xviii]
Just what is a biophoton? A biophoton is the emission of light from DNA. Dr. Popp and the Marburg group discovered that the “essential source of non-equilibrium biophoton emission is the DNA.” [xix] They define biophotons in the following way:
Biophotons are single quanta being permanently and continuously emitted by all living systems. They are a subject of quantum physics and they display a universal phenomenon attributed to all living systems. [xx]
Researchers from the School of Medicine at Kanazawa University, in Kanazawa, Japan confirm the universality of DNA emitting light. They add that light is not only emitted but also absorbed by living things.
All organic life absorbs, emits and processes light. Biophoton emission or spontaneous ultraweak light emission has been observed from almost all living organisms, with intensities ranging from 10-19 to 10-16 W/cm2. [xxi]
A recent article published by researcher Daniel Fels discusses the possibility that light appears to be the mode of communication with cells. Fels states the following:
Cells can influence each other without using a molecular signal for the purpose: this means that not all cellular processes are necessarily based on a molecule-receptor recognition. The nonmolecular signals are most probably photons. If so, cells use more than one frequency for information transfer and mutual influence. The effects are manifold, acting positively or negatively on cell growth, correlated growth and energy uptake […] it might be that many cell processes are triggered by photons, (emphasis mine). [xxii]
Adam’s Biophotons
Could biophotons have anything to do with the covering that Adam once had? The answer is arguably yes. From all that we have seen, Adam was covered with light as with a garment, similar to his Creator. We also have seen that the Holy Spirit was indwelling Adam when he was created (see appendix two). Given all of the evidence so far, we can create a picture of what life was like before and after the fall. What life was like before the fall is especially exciting as we will be going back to those Edenic conditions in the age to come. A summary of the points will help us create the composite image of just what Adam was like back then.
God is light and in Him is no darkness at all (1 John 1:5, Revelation 21:23).
Jesus transfigured and emitted light (Matthew 17:2).
Angels emit light (Daniel 10).
Angels look very similar to God (Dan 7, 10, Ezekiel 1, Matthew 28:3, Revelation 10:1; 22) and can be mistaken for God.
We will be like the angels in the world to come (Matthew 22:30, Luke 20:36).
Our bodies will be like God’s (1 John 3:2, Psalm 17:15, Ephesians 4:24, Philippians 3:21, Colossians 3:4, 10; 2 Peter 1:4).
Sons of God have the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:14).
Adam was a Son of God (who fell) (Luke 3:38).
We will be given shining garments (Revelation 19:8).
Thus God created Adam in His image and likeness concerning his general shape (head, shoulders, hands, and feet) plus Adam was emitting light in a manner similar to God and he was also inbreathed with the Spirit of God. We have learned that our DNA not only emits light, but absorbs light as well. It would seem that our DNA is like an electric capacitor which can store tiny amounts of electricity and then discharge it (capacitors do not produce their own energy like a battery). In a similar way, we can speculate that the light that was coming from Adam was not being produced from his own self, but was first absorbed from God and then reemitted, very much like how things glow in the dark.“Glow-in-the-dark objects need to be exposed to light, or charged, in order to glow. The light energizes the phosphors and excites their electrons. As the electrons lose this extra energy, they release it as a light of their own.” [xxiii]
When Adam sinned the Holy Spirit left him and the direct connection to the light source was broken. Thus, the light that is now emitted from living things is not coming from the ultimate light source which is God himself but presumably from the sun. Before his fall, Adam therefore must have emitted large quantities of light, very similar to the angels who have access to God’s light and energy. Thus we are left with the picture that as this light came out of Adam’s very DNA, it would have covered his body in a way similar to the shining of the angels and he was therefore covered with a garment of light.
Moses’ Shining Face
We have apparent evidence of God energizing our DNA with His light when Moses was on the mountain with God for forty days. The Bible says:
Now it was so, when Moses came down from Mount Sinai […] that Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone [פָּנָ֖יו עֹ֥ור קָרַ֛ן] while he talked with Him.So when Aaron and all the children of Israel saw Moses, behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him.And when Moses had finished speaking with them, he put a veil on his face.But whenever Moses went in before the LORD to speak with Him, he would take the veil off until he came out; and he would come out and speak to the children of Israel whatever he had been commanded.And whenever the children of Israel saw the face of Moses, that the skin of Moses’ face shone, then Moses would put the veil on his face again, until he went in to speak with Him, (Exodus 34:29-30, 33-35).
Moses didn’t realize it, but in his talking with God he had received the light from God. In a manner similar to material that glows after being exposed to a light source, so too did Moses glow after being exposed to the light of God. As we have seen, God is a “man of fire” if you will. Tremendous energy and electricity [xxiv] are radiating out of His being. Light is coming out of the Lord and as Moses spoke face to face with God, that light was absorbed by Moses and then reemitted causing Moses to shine. Moses was apparently in very close proximity to the Lord as the Scriptures say “So the LORD spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend (Exodus 33:11). However, Numbers 12:8 adds another level of closeness between the LORD and Moses. While the English translation reads “face to face”, the Hebrew actually says “mouth to mouth”: I speak with him face to face [pe el pe אֶל־פֶּ֞ה פֶּ֣ה], Even plainly, and not in dark sayings; And he sees the form of the LORD [t’munat YHWH תְמֻנַ֥ת יְהוָ֖ה] (Numbers 12:8 ).
Just how close they were we do not truly know, but the description is sufficient to give us the picture that Moses was in fairly close proximity to God’s face. Nevertheless, God must certainly have remained somewhat veiled, since God Himself said that no one could see his face and live. He must have indicated a complete unveiling of His glory was impossible, but a partial unveiling was possible.
We conclude, therefore, that Adam must have emitted large amounts of light or photons from his DNA. When he sinned, the light that he received from God, the source of the light, was presumably extinguished and the small traces of light that are emitting from our bodies are due to the light of the sun and not from God. Proverbs 13:9 says: “The light of the righteous rejoices, But the lamp of the wicked will be put out,” (see also: Proverbs 20:20, 24:20; Job 18:5, 21:17). I would like to suggest that when a non-believer dies the little bit of internal light that he had (due to the sun) is lost and being completely disconnected from God, his light is extinguished. However, the believer, just like Adam, will have light emitting from his spiritual body (hence “clothed in light”) which is not his own light, but is the absorption and reemission of the Lord’s light and so we will be restored to the true image of our Creator. Let’s see next how the Scriptures demonstrate that Jesus would come as the second Adam to restore in us the uncorrupted image of God.
Yom Kippur (last chance to repent before judgment)
We come back with him (on horses) clothed in light (Rev 19:8)
He (with us) comes from Teman with light flashing from his hands (Habakkuk 3:4)
Jesus destroys the Antichrist (2 Thess, Isaiah 11:4)
The nations are judged (Matthew 25, Joel 3:2)
Satan is cast into the pit
New Heavens New Earth
Holy City Descends (?)
Jewish people have access to the fountain of living water
The nations must come up for the Feast of Tabernacles
Order of Events (cont)
Fountain of Living Water
The Tree of Life and its leaves are available for healing
People have up to 100 years before they die – the must go up to Jerusalem (Isaiah 65:20)
Satan is released for short time
Fire descends and destroys them
Final judgment
All sin and death destroyed
Life continues without end
God dwells with his creation forever and ever (heaven and earth are together)
The Biblical Feasts
Trumpets
No one knows the day or the hour
Happens on the feast of the new moon
Two witnesses had to confirm that they saw it and then ran into the Sanhedrin.
They were cross examined and if authenticated, then the new moon was confirmed.
Thus people always knew approximately when the festival would start but never knew the exact day or hour
“Watch, therefore; for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.”(Matthew 24:42).“Therefore, let us not sleep, as do others, but let us watch and be sober-minded.”I Thessalonians 5:6“Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior, Jesus Christ” (II Timothy 2:13).
“So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation”” (Hebrews 9:28).“Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, in which the heavens, being on fire, shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless, we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, in which dwelleth righteousness. Wherefore, beloved, seeing that ye look for such things, be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace, without spot, and blameless” (II Peter 3:11-14).
Yom HaKippur
The people of Israel were to humble (afflict) their souls (Leviticus 23:27). “If there is any person who will not humble himself on this same day, he shall be cut off from his people” (Leviticus 23:29).
According to Jewish custom, three books are opened on the Feast of Trumpets: the Book of Life for the righteous, the Book of Life for the unrighteous, and the Book of Life those in-between. If a man is deemed righteous, his name is written in the Book of Life for the righteous at the Feast of Trumpets. If a man is unrighteous, his name is written in the Book of Life for the unrighteous, and he will not survive the year. If a man is deemed in-between, judgment is delayed for ten days from the Feast of Trumpets to the Feast of the Day of Atonement. It is during that period of time that a man is given opportunity to repent before the book is closed and his destiny sealed. Thus, at the Feast of Trumpets, the Church will be raptured and the Lord’s wrath will begin on the earth. It will occupy a relatively brief period of time. http://www.christcenteredmall.com/teachings/feasts/yom-kippur.htm
The Season of Jacob’s Trouble (Affliction of the Jewish Soul- Yom Kippur)
Alas! For that day is great, So that none is like it; And it is the time of Jacob’s trouble, But he shall be saved out of it. (Jer 30:7)
Days of Awe Between Trumpets and Yom HaKippur
“The moon will not shed its light.” Isa 13:10
“The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.” Joel 2:31
“And There Will Be Signs In The Moon” (Luke 21:25)
“The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come.” Act 2:20
“And I beheld when he had opened the sixth seal, and, lo, there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood.” Rev 6:12
Blood Red Moon
Hebrew Calendar
3 Tetrads Fall on Biblical Feasts
Three sets of blood-red moons that corresponded to significant events:
The Spanish Inquisition final year 1492 when the Alhambra Decree ordered all remaining Jews who would not convert to Christianity to leave Spain, the 1948 War of Independence and the 1967 Six-Day War had back-to-back, blood-red moons occur on the first day of Passover and Sukkoth the following two years or beginning the same year of the 1967 Six-Day War for two years.
His Glorius Return in Power
God comes from Teman, And the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah. His splendor covers the heavens, And the earth is full of His praise. [His] radiance is like the sunlight; He has rays [flashing] from His hand, And there is the hiding of His power. […] He stood and surveyed the earth; He looked and startled the nations. Yes, the perpetual mountains were shattered, The ancient hills collapsed. His ways are everlasting. […] Did the LORD rage against the rivers, Or [was] Your anger against the rivers, Or [was] Your wrath against the sea, That You rode on Your horses, On Your chariots of salvation? Sun [and] moon stood in their places; They went away at the light of Your arrows, At the radiance of Your gleaming spear.(Habakkuk 3:3-8,11)
We Will Come With Him
And the armies which are in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white [and] clean, were following Him on white horses. From His mouth comes a sharp sword, so that with it He may strike down the nations, and He will rule them with a rod of iron; and He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty. (Rev 19:13,14)
Judgment in the Valley of Jehoshaphat Joel 3, Matthew 25
I will gather all the nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. And I will enter into judgment with them there, on behalf of my people and my heritage Israel, because they have scattered them among the nations and have divided up my land, (Joel 3:2)
“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. (Matthew 25)
God’s Desire of the Ages: Dwelling with Man
Rev 21:3-4 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God.He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” ESV
Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them.They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat;for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”(Rev 7:15-17)
Moreover I will make a covenant of peace with them, and it shall be an everlasting covenant with them; I will establish them and multiply them, and I will set My sanctuary in their midst forevermore.My tabernacle [משכן, ‘Mishkan‘] also shall be with them; indeed I will be their God, and they shall be My people.The nations also will know that I, the LORD, sanctify Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst forevermore. (Ezek 37:26-28)
But…there was a divorce years ago
The Divorce in the Garden
Gen 3:24 “He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.” (ESV)
Yeshua Tabernacled/Dwelt
“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”(John 1:14)The Greek word εσκηνωσεν comes from the word σκηνόω–
1. to fix one’s tabernacle, have one’s tabernacle, abide (or live) in a tabernacle (or tent), tabernacle 2. to dwell
שׁכן
Shachan שׁכן to settle down, abide, dwell, tabernacle, reside
…He will dwell in Jerusalem (Zec 8:3). …There is another verb in Hebrew that also means “to inhabit, dwell” and it is yashab. What is the difference between the two? For God’s dwelling (yashab) is Jerusalem and Zion (cf. Psa 135:21; Psa 9:11. shachan, on the other hand, underscores the idea not of loftiness but of nearness and closeness. (TWOT)
The Incarnation: The First fruits of God Tabernacling Among Us
Seeing in his spirit of prophecy that the time would come when the משכן, ‘Mishkan‘ (the Sanctuary) would cease to exist and the Shechinah dwell no more in Israel’s midst, Moses was anxious to know by what means the sins of his people would then be expiated. The Almighty vouchsafed the information that He would choose a righteous man from their midst, and make him a משכן(pledge) for them, and through him their sins would be forgiven.–Exod. Rabba 35.
The perpetual light in the Mishkan was typical of the light of King Messiah.–Levit. Rabba 31.
Yeshua – the Door to the Tabernacle
We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens, a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man. For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices. […] who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, “See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.” (Hebrews 8:1-5)
But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. (Hebrews 9:11)
Conditions in the Millennium: Isaiah 4
In that day the branch of the Lord shall be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the land shall be the pride and honor of the survivors of Israel. And he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy, everyone who has been recorded for life in Jerusalem, when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and cleansed the bloodstains of Jerusalem from its midst by a spirit of judgment and by a spirit of burning. Then the Lord will create over the whole site of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud by day, and smoke and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory there will be a canopy. There will be a booth (Sukkah) for shade by day from the heat, and for a refuge and a shelter from the storm and rain.
The King of the Millennium: Isaiah 11
There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. […] And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear, but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins. […] In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples-of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious. In that day the Lord will extend his hand yet a second time to recover the remnant that remains of his people, (Isaiah 11)
The Animals Restored
“The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, The leopard shall lie down with the young goat, The calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; Their young ones shall lie down together; And the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play by the cobra’s hole, And the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper’s den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD As the waters cover the sea. (Isaiah 11:6-9)
Partakers of the Divine Nature
“As for me, I shall behold your face in righteousness; when I awake, I shall be satisfied with your likeness [t’munatkha תְּמוּנָתֶֽךָ],” (Psalm 17:15 ESV).
by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.(2 Peter 1:4 ESV)
The sun shall be no more your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give you light; but the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. Your sun shall no more go down, nor your moon withdraw itself; for the Lord will be your everlasting light, and your days of mourning shall be ended,” (Isaiah 60:19-20 ESV).
Paul affords us this insight into what we shall become:
“and to put on the new man who has been created in God’s image – in righteousness and holiness that comes from truth,” (Ephesians 4:24 NET).
Our new man has been created in God’s image – imagine that! We, as new creations are in the image of the one who made us!
and have been clothed with the new man that is being renewed in knowledge according to the image [eicon εικον] of the one who created it, (Colossians 3:10 NET).
He is the image [eicon εικον (icon)] of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation, (Colossians 1:15 NET).
who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself. (Philippians 3:21)
Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.
Our Bodies Restored to Light
“and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light [phos φως].” (Matt 17:2)
Jesus clothes were not only white, but they were literally white as light which is the Greek word φως phos from which we get the word photo or photon. In other words, the light of Jesus, who is the source of that light, emanated through his clothing.
it was granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright [λαμπρον] and pure”- for the fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints.” (Revelation 19:8 ESV)
We see from this verse that the clothes will be bright or luminous. The Greek word λαμπρον lampron signifies bright or shining. The Liddel, Scott and Jones Classical Greek Lexicon defines it as “bright, radiant, of the sun and stars”. Thus, when we occupy our heavenly or celestial bodies we will also be clothed in garments of light.
Clothed in Light
Then the righteous will shine forth [eklampo ἐκλάμπω] as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear! (Matthew 13:43)
Those who are wise shall shine [LXX: eklampo ἐκλάμπω] Like the brightness [LXX: lamprotes λαμπρότης] of the firmament, And those who turn many to righteousness Like the stars forever and ever. (Daniel 12:3)
Clothed in Light
“Thus let all Your enemies perish, O LORD! But let those who love Him be like the sun When it comes out in full strength.” So the land had rest for forty years. (Judges 5:31)
“But the path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day,” (Proverbs 4:18).
The Fountain of Living Waters
“In that day a fountain shall be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness. (Zechariah 13:1)
And in that day it shall be that living waters shall flow from Jerusalem, Half of them toward the eastern sea And half of them toward the western sea; In both summer and winter it shall occur[…] (Zechariah 14:8, 10)
And it will come to pass in that day that the mountains shall drip with new wine, The hills shall flow with milk, And all the brooks of Judah shall be flooded with water; A fountain shall flow from the house of the LORD And water the Valley of Acacias.(Joel 3:18)
The Fountain
Then he brought me back to the door of the temple, and behold, water was issuing from below the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was flowing down from below the south end of the threshold of the temple, south of the altar And he said to me, “Son of man, have you seen this?” Then he led me back to the bank of the river. As I went back, I saw on the bank of the river very many trees on the one side and on the other. And he said to me, “[…] For this water goes there, that the waters of the sea may become fresh; so everything will live where the river goes. And on the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither, nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing.” (Ezek 47)
And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb.In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. (Revelation 22:1-3)
Jesus Is The Fountain
but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.“John 4:14
“For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, And hewn themselves cisterns–broken cisterns that can hold no water. Jeremiah 2:13
They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house, And You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures. Psalms 36:8
For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light. Psalms 36:9
There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High. Psalms 46:4
Obligated to Keep the Feast
Then everyone who survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Booths. And if any of the families of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, there will be no rain on them. And if the family of Egypt does not go up and present themselves, then on them there shall be no rain; there shall be the plague with which the Lord afflicts the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Booths. This shall be the punishment to Egypt and the punishment to all the nations that do not go up to keep the Feast of Booths. (Zechariah 14)
Sin Seems to Still Be Possible Outside the City of Jerusalem
Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. Butoutside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie. (Revelation 22:14-15)
And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let him who hears say, “Come!” And let him who thirsts come. Whoever desires, let him take the water of life freely. (Revelation 22:17)
Who may ascend into the hill of the LORD? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, Nor sworn deceitfully. (Psalm 24:3-4)
What If They Don’t Come?
“For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth… I create Jerusalem to be a joy, and her people to be a gladness. I will rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in my people; no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping and the cry of distress. No more shall there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not fill out his days, for the young man shall die a hundred years old, and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed […] (Isaiah 65)
Summary of the Millennium
Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while. Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. […] The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years (Rev 20)
Millennium’s End
And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them, and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. (Rev 20)
Final Judgment
Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. (Rev 20)
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