WHO HAS THE KEYS
July 2, 2009
Who has the Keys?
by: Juanita Bequeath
Introduction:
There is a danger in giving out revelation. There are those who use the information for sermon highlights, or to fill their heads with head knowledge. Instead of revelation, it becomes carnal information to them. The word “revelation” means removal of the veil, and in order for it to remain revelation the veils over our eyes must continually be being removed. That is what happened with the New Testament revelation of Yeshua. The references to the Torah and Tenach were revelation to the writers, and people of that day, but that information was to be used as “eye salve” to the Gentiles, so that they would learn how to get eyes to see and ears to hear. Instead it became for many just more head knowledge.
The illustration given in Deut. 22: 6 and 7, of the bird’s next found in the way, is an example of this. The mother bird is the revealed revelation. You are to take the young to yourself, and let the mother go free. In other words, that which is already revealed should work as a springboard for you to “grow up” other revelation which the Holy Spirit wants to reveal to you.
We tend to think each time we get revelation that that is as deep as it goes. It always goes deeper. The natural example is the physical world. When the cell was discovered through the microscope we thought we had the answer to everything. Then came the nucleus, then DNA, then molecular compounds, then the discovery of all time – atoms. But, from the atom sprang electrons, protons and neutrons, then mesons and hadrons, then quarks. But it didn’t end there, there were things (gluons and pions) that held these together which were smaller yet, and now they’re talking about string theory, and it goes on and on. Spiritually we think we are catching up? Hardly. There is always more to discover in God. Since the spiritual usually follows the natural, it seems we have a long way to go. Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, were honored, because at the very least, they saw the next level. At times they realized they were acting out prophecy. Abraham became the Father of Faith, because faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Abraham saw the revelation through the Word. After he “saw” it he believed the truth. He also through spiritually “seeing” came to the conclusion; God is awesome, and he can do anything…. So Abraham changed his life, to walk in that revealed truth.
Jesus came to say, “Herein lies the key. There is something different here. The scriptures are not what they appear to be… they are me, “Yeshua”. The end is me. I am the beginning and the end. Every layer you unveil is more of me”. Before his resurrection why didn’t he tell them plainly? Because he wanted them to be like him. The veil removal from your eyes and ears, also removes it from your heart, from your life. It’s the circumcision. As you eat of that revelation it becomes a part of you. But it can’t be eaten with natural eyes for flesh gives birth only to flesh. The information you learn with your natural eyes is the carnal or baby stuff – it’s the young from the mother bird, which allows you to take it, grow it up yourself, and have yourself unveiled.
Just as Yeshua was not who he appeared to be in the natural, your real self is not who you appear to be. You are the image of God, and that image has to be unveiled for you to walk in it. The carnal, natural is only the springboard to help you enter into the spiritual. Those who worship (lay down their lives and take up the life of another), must realize that God is spirit, and those that worship Him must worship in Spirit and in Truth. (The Spirit is the Holy Spirit, and the Truth is the Word.) In short, it is the revelatory or spiritual, rhema Word. In other words, they must lay down their life by getting the revelation, and at the same time they are picking up the life of Yeshua. It is a continual cycle, explained by the day and night. Every time you get a revelation you lay down your life and die to yourself (night), then pick up his life and live in it (day), lay down your life and die to it, pick up his life and live to it. In the dawning your eyes are opened.
When we are filled to the brim with revelation, Yeshua sets our sacrifice on fire. We become that burning bush of revelation that only speaks forth Him.
The rabbis teach that there are four levels (rivers) of teaching in the Torah: peshat, remez, derashah, and sod. Peshat and remez deal primarily with natural understanding. Derashah and sod understanding comes through revelation from the Holy Spirit. The sod is the deep mysteries and most intimate level. The four levels can be summed up in the following verse:
Eph 3:17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
Eph 3:18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
Eph 3:19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
Of note, is that one river flowed into Eden, and four rivers flowed out. With the same token, only two rivers flowed out of Babylon. (The first two, the natural understanding only).
What I have been talking about when I talk about getting eyes to see and ears to hear, is the spiritual understanding. It is the understanding of the last two levels. It has to be guided into through the Holy Spirit, because it is the Holy Spirit which must fill us with the fulness of God. The “mother bird” (Deut. 22:6-7) is not the revelation which will give you light. It will only produce the moon glory, or reflected glory in you. Only when you take that revelation to yourself, meditate upon it, and “hatch” the eggs and raise the young produced by that revelation will you become that light. There you move from the moon glory to the star (that which also has some darkness) and the sun (total light) glory.
But Jesus said to put eyesalve upon your eyes. Eyesalve is natural understanding produced by those who see. It is studying the symbolisms, and known revelation so that you can see more. It is the “mother bird” which will lay the eggs for you to grow more.
Joel refers to these mysteries as the former and latter rain. The former rain refers to Yeshua’s first coming, and the latter rain refers to his second coming. Yeshua showed us that the whole scripture is written as a parable. Dad (YHVH) orchestrated it so that it all happened, but the nation of Israel was to be that parable to the world. Yeshua also said that Moses wrote of him (Jn 5:46). Moses wrote all the stories of the Patriarchs, and about the Tabernacle, and the Law. John 1:14 says that the word (logos, or written Torah) was made flesh … speaking of Yeshua. So the biggest key we have was the one Yeshua gave us. To look for him and God’s redemptive plan throughout.
The latter rain is the revelation of the second coming of Yeshua. The second coming is about Yeshua coming first in the Bride. Once you have found Yeshua in the scriptures it is easy to start seeing the Bride, for nearly everything that is true of Yeshua is later true of the Bride.
Rom 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.
Once you start seeing the Bride portrayed, you realize that there is even a deeper revelation. It brings even more union which Yeshua. It’s what cleans up the Bride. It’s how the Bride must “make herself ready”. It’s the intimacy with the Father, it’s realizing that everything you thought was “outside”, is also inside. It’s getting the “ites” or “giants”, not only out of your physical house, but out of your spiritual house – out of you. You are the house, you are the land, there are wars within you that have to be overcome. It’s seeing what you are battling with through the Word. It’s seeing every story unveiled in you. It’s not only crossing over and entering the land, but living in the Land, and becoming the Land. Not only living in the Sabbath, but becoming the Sabbath, not only living in the Garden of Eden, but becoming the Garden of Eden. Not only living in Yeshua, but becoming a part of Yeshua. It’s returning to the state of Adam before the fall.…
Soooo, that was the introduction for our story of Ehud and Eglon in Judges 3.
Ehud and Eglon — Who Has the Keys?
Jdg 3:12 And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD: and the LORD strengthened Eglon the king of Moab against Israel, because they had done evil in the sight of the LORD.
Jdg 3:13 And he gathered unto him the children of Ammon and Amalek, and went and smote Israel, and possessed the city of palm trees.
Israel means “to rule as God”, it also means “to prevail with God”. The “with God” is key though. The city of the palm trees is Jericho, the first city taken after crossing over into the promised land. This battle is key to walking in victory. The name Jericho comes from the root, resh, het. Associated words include “month”, and “ruach”. In Hebrew the months mark different feast times – all which speak of returning to God’s timetable of events. Ruach, of course, speaks of the breath of God. His breath is necessary to make the dry bones (those spiritually asleep) arise. Jericho is called the “city of palm trees”, for palm trees are the spiritual pillars of the faith. They produce the date palm which in scripture is usually what produces the honey. The Promise Land is a land flowing with milk and honey. The milk is for the new babies, and the honey is the sweetness of the Word produced from those who have become the Word.
Moab and Ammon are both children of Lot from the incestuous relationship with his daughter. This speaks of a people that are not getting the seed Word of God from the true Father, but instead are impregnating their own daughter (carnal nature). They then have no ability to pass on the true seed.
Amalek is a descendant of Esau. His name means “a dweller in the valley”. The Hebrew letters for “amal” mean, “toil, worry, misery”, etc. The Hebrew word “amar” was originally in Ancient Hebrew spelled “amal”. Amar means to “say or give an utterance”. Being a dweller in the valley, means that the person has never gotten past Jezreel or the place where the seed is sown. They have never progressed from being a baby Christian to ascending into the high places with Yeshua. This is a person who only knows the carnal interpretation of the word (the baby stuff – 1 Cor. 3:1 ) and when beset by the problems of this life, are overcome by doubt, worry, and filled with their own efforts. King Saul was killed by an Amalekite. He was wounded in battle. A young man came to him (all it takes is little thoughts). The thought given in 2 Sam 1:10, was that he would not live. He received this doubt, and it moved in and killed him with his own sword (his own carnal word). It removed his crown (authority) and bracelet (anointing on his hand – ministry) from him.
Vs. 12 says that the LORD strengthened Eglon, king of Moab against Israel. Eglon comes from the Hebrew word “aygel” which means a “frisky, male calf, a steer”. A “steer” is one that does not have the means to reproduce”. Spiritually speaking, he has been cut off from the true seed and can not reproduce. This is the problem in the church today. Pastors are not growing the seed within themselves to the point where they are becoming the seed. (seeds bring forth more seeds, unless it is a barren tree). Instead, the messages given out appeal to the soulish realm. Strong emotional appeals come from these “frisky calves”, but are these frisky calves receiving the rain of revelation which can grow up their trees to produce the true seed? This soulish realm draws followers that want to improve their lives, but there is a big difference between improvement and dying to self which brings forth the anointed (messiah) life.
Jdg 3:14 So the children of Israel served Eglon the king of Moab eighteen years.
Eighteen in this case speaks of a completion of the discipline (it is also often associated with brass or bondage) of the LORD, and an entrance into a new beginning (eight). Luke 13:16 is one example – the woman was bowed over in bondage eighteen years before Yeshua set her free.
Jdg 3:15 But when the children of Israel cried unto the LORD, the LORD raised them up a deliverer, Ehud the son of Gera, a Benjamite, a man lefthanded: and by him the children of Israel sent a present unto Eglon the king of Moab.
This is where it gets good. Because of their cry, the LORD raised them up a deliverer (Hebrew word: yasha – sounds a lot like Yashua – whose name/character is salvation). Ehud means united. It comes from Strong’s number H258 achad, which is spelled in Hebrew exactly the same as echad in the Shema. “Hear O’ Israel the LORD our God is one”. Ehud was the son of Gera which means grain. It is where the word gerah or coin comes from, it is also spelled with a gimel, resh parent root. Gimel, resh means to ruminate. It speaks of those who re-chew the Word and thoroughly digest it.
Ehud was a Benjamite. A Benjamite speaks of the Bride, being the younger brother of Joseph, who is a type of Yeshua in the Scriptures. Ehud was lefthanded. Yeshua did everything with his left-hand, meaning his whole ministry (his hand), was controlled from his left side – he was exalted to the right hand of the Father, so he operated from that side (his left). It’s just another way of saying, “I only do what I see my Father in heaven doing”.
By him, the children of Israel sent a present (sacrificial offering) to Eglon. “Thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift”. The gift was Ehud himself. Who does Ehud represent? First he represents Yeshua (early rain revelation). Then he represents the Bride (latter rain revelation), then he represents the Bride becoming the revelation or the revelation itself (intimacy or bridal chamber revelation). God made the Word become flesh, Yeshua makes the flesh become Word. We become the epistle written in flesh. When the children of Israel delivered Yeshua up to be crucified they were giving Eglon,— that principality that only carries the carnal Word or logos word, that never opens up the true seed of God so that it can grow,— they were giving him a present.
Jdg 3:16 But Ehud made him a dagger which had two edges, of a cubit length; and he did gird it under his raiment upon his right thigh.
When Yeshua came and became the Word, he brought the spiritual understanding to the Torah. He was thus making a dagger. A dagger has two edges. You could say it’s the Old and New Testament which when they merge together at the point are the revelation. You could also say it is the logos, parable Word (Messiah concealed), as one side, and the other side is the rhema, spiritual Word (Messiah revealed). Where the two sides come together is the point or the revelation or the parable, which when you receive it, kills all carnality or flesh in you. He gird the dagger under his raiment. Raiment refers to the priestly garments and the robe of righteousness which Yeshua wore. The bride is also to wear the same garments. Yeshua becomes our robe of righteousness, and our priestly garments, which are also our wedding garments. We wear Him. We are protected in Him. The right thigh also refers to the loins or reproductive area. When we become the Word, we are the dagger that Yeshua can pull from his right side (the side of the Bride), and use.
Jdg 3:17 And he brought the present unto Eglon king of Moab: and Eglon was a very fat man.
Eglon was a very fat man. Whereas the blood of the beast represents the beastly nature, fat represents the abundance of that system. It can represent prosperity both in the natural and spiritual. It can also be a veil over the heart and ears which spiritually prevents us from getting eyes to see and ears to hear. The fat was to be cut off and offered up as a sacrifice. As we die to self, He can live through us. As we get revelation, the veil is removed. (Apo- kalupto, the word for revelation means – removal of the veil).
Jdg 3:18 And when he had made an end to offer H7126 (H853) the present, he sent away the people that bare the present.
“When he had made an end” is the Hebrew word “kalaw” which means “to complete, finish, expire”. Ehud/ Yeshua offered up the present by expiring his life into us. By this he gave us the breath of the Holy Spirit. Notice there is an Aleph/Tav (Strong’s number H853) following the word “to offer”. Yeshua said He was the Aleph and Tav. There were those who “bore” the present. There were those who lifted him up, who brought him forth.
Jdg 3:19 But he himself turned again from the quarries that were by Gilgal, and said, I have a secret errand unto thee, O king: who said, Keep silence. And all that stood by him went out from him.
Gilgal is supposed to be a place of salvation, of the rolling away of burdens, but there were idols there. Yeshua turned away from these. Instead he said to Eglon, “I have a secret errand/message unto thee…” Ehud was bringing forth his secret weapon: the revelation, — the dagger he had made with his life.
Jdg 3:20 And Ehud came unto him; and he was sitting in a summer parlour, which he had for himself alone. And Ehud said, I have a message from God unto thee. And he arose out of his seat.
Eglon at the time reminds me of a leader that makes himself fat at the expense of others. Fat is prosperity. He had a summer parlor, a place of cooling off from the sun’s heat, but it was for himself alone. He was a disconnected part of the body. A head which keeps his body in bondage. Ehud now entered this arena. He approached him as the message from God because he has become the message. It’s not clear to me which one arose. Sitting speaks of being in a place of learning, especially sitting at someone’s feet. Arising sometimes means to fulfill, which would speak of the resurrection, and it could be to arise in a hostile sense.
Jdg 3:21 And Ehud put forth his left hand, and took the dagger from his right thigh, and thrust it into his belly:
With the authority of the Father he took out the dagger (the Bride or the revelation) which he had made. He took it from his reproductive area and area of strength and thrust it into Eglon’s belly (his prophetic womb).
Jdg 3:22 And the haft also went in after the blade; and the fat closed upon the blade, so that he could not draw the dagger out of his belly; and the dirt came out.
We can get the meaning of the haft going in after the blade from the Ancient Hebrew pictograms. It actually means the “seed going through the wall”. In other words after the dagger went into his prophetic womb, there was a true seed planted. “… and the dirt came out”, the dirt is excrement. It’s that which pollutes and defiles. It’s the evil spirits that prevent true birth.
All of this is another way of showing that in the latter rain, Yeshua is coming in the rain. The rain is the dagger, the revelation of the Word. But, what is wonderful, is that if we allow that revelation to come in, Yeshua will come in with it.
It is interesting to note that William Branham had a vision of the Sword of the Lord. In this vision the handle was made of pearl. Pearl represents the parables, the mysteries of the Kingdom. It is something of worth that is hidden. It also is the hidden Messiah which is Yeshua.
Jdg 3:23 Then Ehud went forth through the porch, and shut the doors of the parlour upon him, and locked them.
Yeshua went into the carnal church system (a system which is actually supposed to be the true Kingdom), dealt a death blow to it’s leader and then reclosed the door and locked it, but now HE has he keys.
Jdg 3:24 When he was gone out, his servants came; and when they saw that, behold, the doors of the parlour were locked, they said, Surely he covereth his feet in his summer chamber.
Where is this God of Elijah. Where is the deliverance that he has promised? The servants or prophets of that system, have been waiting at the doors expecting their deliverer to come forth alive. They don’t realize that Yeshua came and went. Many have served a golden calf who for 2000 years through religion, has hijacked us away from the true God. But, for 2000 years has been dead. Now they are at the place where they are making excuses for him. Eglon is not coming out to them because now he no longer has the ability or the keys to come out. But you can go in – you can find the revelation. Inside those closed doors inside the carnal you will still find life. Inside the logos, or carnal Word is still the rhema or spiritual Word For the sword is the Living Word. With the revelation, the “haft” went in” . Within the carcass of the lion he made honey. Yeshua left his seed, and it’s alive. But it’s hidden, it’s locked up and they don’t even know it.
Jdg 3:25 And they tarried till they were ashamed: and, behold, he opened not the doors of the parlour; therefore they took a key, and opened them: and, behold, their lord was fallen down dead on the earth.
The only way to enter now is to get the keys (the eyesalve), open the door, realize that the false messiah that has been put there, has been put there by religion, and that he is dead. But the true messiah the hidden Yeshua is alive.
This is happening now. Just as Yeshua brought the revelation to Eglon, typified by the religious system during his first coming, the Bride is bringing the revelation during his second coming. The revelation is the Word of God. Yeshua became the Word by dying to self. Through Yeshua, the Bride becomes the Word by dying to self. When the revelation of the Word is brought forth it becomes that two edged dagger that kills the religious system. As the revelation goes in, the Haft or seed of Yeshua also goes in. It is Yeshua formed in us. It is the seed that will bring forth new life. The old Eglon with his waxed gross flesh dies as the seed starts to grow, and the true Kingdom is restored. The doors have been locked, Yeshua was the only one who could open the seal, but now he’s given us those same keys.
Who is Eglon? Intimacy revelation reveals that you are Eglon. I am Eglon. Eglon is our beastly nature that has captured us and put us into bondage by Moab, the Ammonites and Amalekites – by our own carnal thinking, by toil, fear, and terror. But, it is not the true image that we were made to be. We are not what we appear to be. Yeshua, or the Bride is still being presented to us carrying the revelation, carrying that message, which when revealed will kill the carnal nature within us. He’s presenting to us his Word, his revelation, his revealed mystery which will go into us. But let it go all the way in. Ruminate on it, let it become a part of you — receive it all the way in. Let our fat, let our veils close over it, and leave it there. For when he has done his perfect work we become the horizon – the end of one and beginning of the other. We pass from the moon and star glory to the sun glory. We cross over, from our land, to His Land, and we become His Land. “Yeshua in us, the hope of Glory”.
***References to word meanings are all taken from Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Definitions, Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries, Thayer’s Greek Dictionary and Ancient Hebrew Lexicon of the Bible. You are encouraged to check out these definitions. Free downloadable programs are available through e-sword: http://www.e-sword.net and Jeff Benner’s Ancient Hebrew site; http://www.ancient-hebrew.org