ISRAEL UPDATEMarch 23, 2003 - There is an Arab teaching that “rih asfar”, a yellow wind, will soon come from the gates of hell in the east – setting the world afire. People will try to hide from it in caves and caverns, but they will find no shelter. It will blow on those who have performed cruel, unjust deeds, finding them between the cracks and boulders, it will exterminate them.
The rocks will crumble from white heat, mountains will crumble into powder, which will cover the land like cotton, and that same land will be littered with corpses.
As I write this article, the world is in effect expecting that east wind, not only to blow, but break out in a hideous way… with the possible use of chemical, biological, and even nuclear agents.
G-d's judgment fits this description, but regardless of what physical direction it comes, the wrath of G-d will cause men not to seek rocks and caves, but cry for the mountains to fall on them and hide them: Revelation 6:16, “And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb.”
And G-d's Word tells us that it won't just be mountains, but the earth will melt, literally dissolve, during this horrific time – II Peter 3:11, “Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of G-d, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat?”
The Arab belief is correct when it states that the unjust will be dealt with for their evil lives and deeds, but it will be by the judgment of Yahweh, not at the discretion of Allah, then the whole world will learn of the one true G-d!
-over-
March 23, 2003 - The third word in the abbreviation for altar is berachah, or blessing. We find this concept throughout the scriptures.
At the altar we find that when people have approached G-d with the proper attitude, there is literally nothing G-d can’t or won't do.
Noah built an altar in Genesis 8:20-22, and received the covenant of G-d: “And Noah builded an altar unto the L-RD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And the L-RD smelled a sweet savour; and the L-RD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done. While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.”
Abraham was willing to offer up his only son on an altar and found G-d’s provision – Yahweh Jirheh, the G-d that provides.
Elijah saw the blessing of G-d's power as His presence came down and fire consumed the sacrifice and the altar, thus showing the power of the one true G-d to all who watched.
Revelation 8:3 describes an altar with a golden censer that the prayers of all the saints go before the throne of G-d.
The concept of the blessing of the altar has its maximum effect on our lives when we comprehend and know that we can boldly approach Christ Jesus, our High Priest, without fear.
If we are to serve G-d as we ought, then the blessing of the altar must be a concept in our lives that we don't just understand, but put into practice - that we might have all there is from G-d. May He add His blessing as we seek Him…
To be continued…