"We have patrolled the earth and behold today, all the earth is rumbling with wars and rumors of war."

Last Friday we had an interesting, and maybe even prophetic, series of events that started with the following email exchange with a friend:

Shalom Batya,
I read Angus' letter and we would like to support the effort [Feast Book Campaign]. Our income is way down right now but my children, my wife and I have $613 saved back for tithe that we would like to invest in your ministry.

Daniel

I answered Daniel, not only to thank them, but learn why 613 dollars?

613 is an interesting number. It is the number of the commandments contained in Torah. I knew that Daniel was Jewish, and I felt that somehow there was a message in that number 613. There is an old saying. “Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought him back. So I sought satisfaction in my reply.

Shalom Daniel,
We really appreciate your support. 613 is an interesting number. My question is why 613? I know that you are well aware that traditionally, of the 613 commandments, 248 are mitzvot aseh ("positive commandments," commands to perform certain actions) and 365 are mitzvot lo taaseh ("negative commandments," commands to abstain from certain actions). Three-hundred and sixty-five was thought to correspond with the number of days in a solar year, and 248 was believed to be the number of bones and significant organs in the human body.

So I tend to see that your support could very well be, not only some very helpful funds, but an even more helpful and encouraging message. Our Father may well be saying that the coming year will see some giant strides in rebuilding His body to accomplish the redemption of His people.

Angus

Dear Angus,
Wow! You are right. I never thought about the 613 mitzvot. I simply combined all the money we all had saved [father, mother and children] in our tithe envelopes and that is what the total came to.

Daniel

Daniel’s reply in a way raised more questions than it answered. Was the 613 just a coincidence, or was there some message?

Later that evening, Batya and I felt led to watch a film to wind down from an eventful week. The film we choose was, Evan Almighty. It is about a newly elected congressman whose campaign slogan is, “Change the World.” He prays to God to help him change the world, and God, through a combination of circumstances which culminate with a personal appearance, turns Evans life upside down and commands him to build an ark.

Having earlier in the day received a contribution of 613 dollars, it really caught my attention when the number “613” is used to attract Evan’s attention. On several consecutive mornings Evan is awakened by his bedside alarm clock. It is a “General Electric” clock with some letters that are not illuminated. Thus, in the film the face of the clock initially shows the letters GEN and the number 6:13. Then the clock face immediately moves to 6:14 and stops.

The play on GEN 6:14 is reflected in several ways early in the film. His new congressional license plate is GEN 614, a friend sends a birth announcement and the baby weighs 6 pounds and 14 ounces, etc.

This play on Genesis 6:14 causes Evan to look up the verse in the Bible, “Make for yourself an ark of gopher wood; you shall make the ark with rooms, and shall cover it inside and out with pitch.” While he does not look up 6:13 it is interesting to review this verse as well, Then God said to Noah, “The end of all flesh has come before Me; for the earth is filled with violence because of them; and behold, I am about to destroy them with the earth.”

The film goes on to show Evan being visited by God, and building an ark near his home outside of Washington D.C. Then a bursting dam sweeps the ark to steps of the Capitol building, and Evan is able to change the world by stopping some devastating legislation.

The film makes an excellent point by showing the manner in which God was answering Evan’s prayer to help him change the world. God did this by giving him an opportunity to change it. For example, if someone prays for patience, God gives them the opportunities to develop patience. Pray for courage, and you will be given opportunities to be courageous. Pray to change the world, and you will be given opportunities to change it.

Some Reflections to Ponder

Is there a message for the Messianic Israel Alliance in the occurrences that I have outlined in the foregoing? Could our Father be saying to us, “You have prayed to change the world by redeeming, restoring and reuniting My people Israel. Therefore, this coming year will be one in which I will pour out My blessing on your efforts to follow the ways of restoration that I have prepared for you.”

Well, if that is the message, in the spirit of Joshua, I pray that our answering cry is, “As for me and my house we will take advantage of every opportunity given us to Change the World!”

Our goal is to reignite the Messianic Israel Alliance, and all of Messianic Israel with renewed evangelical fervor. We want to get them out of the stands, out of the audience, and onto the playing field and on center stage. Hopefully we forerunners, working together, can change the people from being spectators and observers, into players who are walking, talking, and spreading the truth. It is quite a challenge for all of us, for we must not just match the dedication and fervor of our enemies, our Father expects our commitment and passion to far exceed theirs.

If you have not as yet joined, the growing trickles of spectators out of the stands and onto the playing field do it now! It is the players, who will change the world. For some of the opportunities available to players to make the trickles a flood, and Change the World, see:

Israel's Feasts and Their Fullness: Expanded Edition Coming Soon
All Creation Appeared to Hold its Breath

The situation in Noah’s day, as described in Genesis 6:13 and 6:14, was that the earth was filled with violent people, and the Almighty was going to destroy them. However, He had Noah build an Ark, and thus He saved Noah and his family from the coming destruction. The situation in our day is likewise an earth filled with a lot of violent people and predictions of coming devastation upon the earth.

It is generally accepted by Believers that their God will make “a way” for His redeemed to escape the coming great tribulation, which many believe is prophesied for our generation, as He did for Noah. Though there is quite a bit of controversy on what that way will be. But just maybe the God who does not change will stick with an ark, but this time a much bigger ark. Possibly the ark for our generation is the restored Davidic Kingdom, which will encompass the land promised to Abraham. And the passengers are the lost sheep of Israel, whom the Father is now gathering.