Let’s go up to the mountain of Elohim…

Psalm 121:1, Lift my eyes to the hills. Hills is the Hebrew word har and also mean “mountain.” This psalm is a Song of Ascents. Ascents is the Hebrew word ma’alah meaning “elevation, that is, the act (literally a journey to a higher place, figuratively a thought arising), or (concretely) the condition (literally a step or grade mark, figuratively a superiority of station); specifically a climactic progression (in certain Psalms).” There are 15 ascent songs recorded in the psalms (from Psalm 120 through 134) that were song as the priests were climbing the steps to the temple; there was one song for each step. This first verse along with its title teaches us several things.

First, for the Israelites, coming into the set-apart or kadosh presence of Elohim was viewed as an upward, progressive movement, one step at a time like climbing a mountain. This was a slow, reverent, thoughtful and deliberate process accompanied by songs of worship and praise at each step. They literally “enter[ed] into His gates with thanksgiving, and into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name” (Ps 100:4).

Second, YHVH Elohim’s kadosh presence was metaphorically represented as being located on a mountain, which is the highest place on earth that represents heaven. This is why the temple was located in Jerusalem, which was the located on the highest geographical point in the land of Israel (with the exception of Mount Hermon in the extreme north). For this reason, when traveling to Jerusalem, Scripture almost always refers to it as “going up to Jerusalem,” for this is where the physical dwelling place of Elohim among his people was locate—at the highest point in the land of Israel. 

The laborious act of going up, like climbing a mountain, required physical exertion—especially since travel in ancient times was by foot. Whichever direction the Israelite pilgrim was traveling to Jerusalem from whether coming from the western coastal plains along the Mediterranean Sea or from Jordan Valley at the Dead Sea—the lowest point on earth, or from any other direction, the journey required hard work, perseverance, determination and endurance; all physical obstacles and gravity and fleshly limitations had to be overcome one step at a time. 

This journey to Jerusalem is an apt symbolic picture of the saints spiritual journey against the downward pulls of the world, the flesh and the devil that is required come into the heavenly presence of Elohim. Yeshua likens it to climbing a ladder—Jacob’s ladder (John 1:51).

The idea of Elohim’s presence being on a mountaintop was not lost on the heathens, who, in their perennial attempt to counterfeit the truth of Elohim and subvert humans to their own devilish religious systems, typically located the temples to their demon gods on mountains. 

This psalm, by contrast, enjoins YHVH’s people to lift their eyes up to him and view his presence as symbolically being on a mountain, rather than looking to demon gods, false religious systems and men’s governments and human institutions, which are often also located on hills or mountains. In this light, think of the Vatican located on its seven hills of Rome, or Mount Olympus, the Acropolis in Athens, the mountains of Tibet for those into Buddhism, the stereotypical guru is perched on some mountain top somewhere, Capital Hill in Washington D.C. as well as many churches and hospital complexes. These can all serve as false gods to which many people lift their eyes instead of the one true God of the Bible, YHVH Elohim.

 

22 Tips to Walking in the Presence of Elohim

(From Hoshana Rabbah Biblical Discipleship Resources at www.hoshanarabbah.org.) 

It’s time to extricate YHVH Elohim from the religious boxes we all too often have confined him to in our lives. These boxes are times and places we do our “God-thing.”  This can be church or other religious services, grace at meals,  and even or personal devotional times. After having thrown a bit of religiosity at Elohim, we then go our way as if he weren’t much of a part of our lives. In this way, we keep Elohim confined to a few boxes labeled “religion.”  We keep him trapped in these closets when he wants and demands to be part of every aspect of our lives.

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Here are 22 practical tips for bringing YHVH into every aspect of your daily life.

  1. Watch and pray (Matt 26:41; Mark 13:33; 14:38; Luke 21:36).
  2. Pray that you might be counted worthy to escape YHVH’s judgments that will be coming on the earth because of wickedness (Luke 21:36).
  3. Endure to the end (Matt 24:13; Mark 13:13).
  4. Keep your eyes on the Yeshua the Lamb and follow him wherever he goes (Rev 14:4).
  5. Occupy until Yeshua comes (Luke 19:13). Be busy doing what Yeshua has called you to do.
  6. Engage in intercessory prayer, though at this time, it may not do much good, since biblical prophecy has to be fulfilled as end time events occur. This means that things will be getting worse and worse until Yeshua returns and destroys Babylon the Great New World Order.
  7. Be an overcomer in every way possible. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good (Rom 12:21). Those who overcome spiritual evil will experience great rewards (Rev 2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21)
  8. Be prepared to engage in civil disobedience as a last resort, if necessary. If civil laws violate YHVH’s laws, the Bible tells us to obey YHVH’s laws over men’s laws (Acts 4:19; 5:29; Ps 94:16).
  9. Be prepared to help persecuted brothers and sisters in any way possible. You might be next the next one to be persecuted!
  10. Continue to be salt and light to those around you in every way possible (Matt 5:13–16).
  11. Don’t expect things on earth to get better. Yeshua never said it would get better, but only darker before his return. He’s coming at the midnight hour when evil will be the most pervasive and rampant on the earth.
  12. Expect intense persecution of Bible believers (2 Tim 3:12; Matt 5:10–12; 10:22–25; 23:34; Mark 10:30; John 15:19–21; 16:2, 33; 17:14; 1 Thess 3:3–4; 1 Pet 4:12–16; Rev 7:14). Yeshua and the Book of Revelation prophesy this will occur in the end times.
  13. Be wise as serpents (Matt 10:16). Find ingenious ways to circumvent Caesar’s evil and unbiblical mandates without getting caught, while at the same time being obedient to YHVH’s higher laws.
  14. Love not your lives unto death (Rev 12:11). Be willing to lose some or all of yourself for Yeshua including your material possessions. Greater rewards await you for your faithful obedience to Yeshua (Matt 10:39; 16:25).
  15. Be inspired by the great faith heros of the Bible and the Christianity (Heb 11).
  16. Come out of Babylon more completely (Rev 18:4) starting with the spiritual aspects of this evil and ungodly worldwide system.  Eventually, this may mean leaving the cities and going into communal situations into the wilderness with others like-minded believers. Some of the Roman Catholic monasteries were started by those fleeing the corruption of Rome.
  17. The more evil intensifies against you, love the light of YHVH’s truth, love Yeshua more and run to and hold on to him — the Rock of your salvation — more tightly.
  18. Love your enemies, do good to those who despitefully use you and pray for them (Matt 5:44).
  19. Put the audio Bible on your iPod or smart phone and listen to during the day.
  20. Wear tzitzits or fringes on the corners of your garments as the Torah commands to help you remember YHVH and the importance of loving him by keeping his commandments throughout the day (Num 15:37–41; Deut 22:12).
  21. Fast periodically even if it’s only for a meal or two. Among the many spiritual benefits of fasting, when you feel the hunger pangs, it will remind you to think about YHVH Elohim and the need to grow closer to him by controlling and sublimating the carnal appetites.
  22. Read your Bible and pray after you get up in the morning and as you’re going to sleep each night even if it’s only for a few minutes.

 

New Video: Tighten Up Spiritually — Self Discipline Is Key to Being an End-Times Overcomer

Maintaining a tighter walk spiritually characterized by self-discipline is crucial to not only surviving the hard times before the second coming, but being a victorious overcomer. Natan encourages the saints to established a more disciplined daily spiritual walk.


 

Where Are You in the Tabernacle of Moses?

The Tabernacle of Moses—A Picture of One’s Spiritual Journey. The Tabernacle of Moses from its from to back represents one’s progression in one’s spiritual journey starting with initial salvation leading to eternal life in YHVH’s eternal spiritual kingdom. Where would you place yourself in the tabernacle with regard to your spiritual walk?

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In the outer court of the tabernacle, all the rituals and furnishings pointed to death, judgment, washing or cleansing. These prophetically foreshadowed salvation through Yeshua’s atoning death on the cross, Yeshua being the door to salvation, and baptism for the remission of sins. In the set-apart (kadosh or holy) place inside the tabernacle, everything there pointed to life, light, food, fragrant incense, the fruits and gifts of the Set-Apart Spirit. The outer court speaks of basic salvation for the redeemed believer in Yeshua, while the set-apart place speaks of spiritual growth and maturity, of moving from spiritual babyhood into spiritual adulthood or maturity.

Paul speaks of man being subdivided into body, soul and spirit (1 Thess 5:23). The tabernacle’s outer court seems to relates to the physical realm, while the Set-Apart Place speaks more of the psychological, volitional and emotional aspects of man’s inner realm or psychological realm (i.e., his soul), and the most set-apart place (kadosh hakadoshim or the holy of holies) portrays man approaching YHVH through the realm of his spirit man.

As one progresses into the tabernacle, it is as if YHVH is drawing man into an ever deeper Continue reading