Did you ever wonder why the second month on the Hebrew calendar is linked with light—light that signifies revelation? If we look back to the journey the Israelites made from Egypt to Mt. Sinai, we can see that God was teaching them His names and nature by physical manifestations of healing, provision of water and food, and victory in battle. He wanted them to learn to trust Him.
The revelations that came were a part of a covenant that God was making with them. He promised to help them when they did their part. "He said, 'If you listen carefully to the Lord your God and do what is right in His eyes, if you pay attention to His commands and keep all His decrees, then...'" (Exodus 15:26) From the mountain of Sinai, God gave Moses more details to the covenant: "You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles' wings and brought you to Myself. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation." (Exodus 19:4-6) When we look at Deuteronomy 29:29 we see how important this revelation was to our ancestors and is to us. "The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law." During the same period we are in now (the 2nd month), Jesus walked the earth and gave more revelation. "After His suffering, He showed Himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that He was alive. He appeared to them over a period of 40 days and spoke about the kingdom of God. On one occasion, while He was eating with them, He gave them this command: 'Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.'" (Acts 1:4-5 - TPT) For 40 days after the resurrection Jesus would appear to His disciples. Paul records, "He also appeared to more than 500 of His followers at the same time, most of whom are still alive as I write this, though a few have passed away. Then He appeared to Jacob and to all the apostles." (1 Corinthians 15:6-7 - TPT) He met two of the disciples walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus. The Bible says, "He carefully unveiled to them the revelation of Himself throughout the Scripture. He started at the beginning...and revealed the truth about Himself." (Luke 24:27 - TPT) The men did not recognize Jesus until He sat at the table with them and "took bread and blessed it and broke it, and then gave it to them." (V. 30) After Jesus vanished, they said of Him, "He unveiled for us such profound revelation from Scripture." (Luke 24:32 - TPT) Jesus commissioned His disciples before He returned to heaven to be seated at the right hand of Father God. "All authority of the universe has been given to me. Now wherever you go, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And teach them to faithfully follow all that I have commanded you, and never forget that I am with you every day, even to the completion of this age." (Matthew 28:18-20 - TPT) With all the revelation that Jesus gave to His disciples during His lifetime and the 40-day period after His resurrection, there was still more for them to receive. Luke 24:49 tells what Jesus said about this: "And I will send the fulfillment of the Father's promise to you. So stay here in the city until the mighty power of heaven falls upon you and wraps around you." (TPT) He was talking about the Holy Spirit who is still the one who gives us wisdom and revelation. Our time set apart from the rest of the world comes during the anniversary of the 40 days that Jesus taught the disciples about the Kingdom of Heaven before He ascended to His Father. This is the perfect time for us to seek the Holy Spirit for increasing understanding of the secrets of heaven and revelation of our part in bringing the gospel and the love of Jesus to the world around us. This is Paul's prayer for the church at Ephesus. "I pray that the Father of glory, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, would impart to you the riches of the Spirit of wisdom and the Spirit of revelation to know Him through your deepening intimacy with Him." (Ephesians 1:17 - TPT) We must pray this prayer over ourselves as we pursue more intimacy with the Lord |
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