A view of modern-day Jericho from our bus as we headed back to Jerusalem after a day of touring Masada followed by a dip in the Dead Sea.
I hope you had a Merry Christmas...we had a sweet time with family that included a birthday cake for Jesus. This year's cake was an angel food I whipped up quickly Christmas morning. I used my friend and neighbor Niecy's recipe as usual but this time, in spite of the fact I hurriedly threw it together and only let it cool half the time it called for, it turned out really delicious. In fact, there was hardly a crumb left. I will post the recipe for you.
Mixing the ingredients gave me time to reflect on my friendship with Berniece or Bernie as some called her. She was Niecy to my children - they loved to take the back roads and drive to her house with some goodie to eat or a garden vegetable to share. And they always returned with flowers, vegetables or something from Niecy's kitchen. Niecy slowly slipped away from us last August at the ripe old age of 98 and I certainly miss her phone calls and sage advice such as when to bring my houseplants inside for the winter and when to plant the peas and potatoes and which tomato plants should I purchase...she knew how to grow a garden and her houseplants thrived but it was her geraniums that stole the show. She prepared the soil and started the tiny plants inside her kitchen while it was still winter outside and by spring they could compete with any nursery. In summer her geraniums were blooming profusely - vibrant shades of rosey reds and pinks with white mixed in for contrast. Yes, Berniece knew the signs and seasons of gardening.
Knowing signs and seasons makes me think of our BSF study of Elijah this fall. I was intrigued by the fact that Elijah knew his time had come and he visited the Schools of Prophets located in Bethel, Jericho and Jordan just before he was taken up in the whirlwind. You can read about these encounters in 2 Kings chapter 2.The scriptures indicate that the prophets and Elisha realized it was Elijah's last day on earth and it seems it was extremely vital to Elijah that he traveled to these schools and encourage the prophets before he was taken. Wonder what he said to them? I wonder if he reminded them of the his prophetic timeline that Every Man's Talmud records the School of Elijah taught the young prophets:
Two Thousand Years = Desolation (Tohu)
Two Thousand Years = Instruction (Torah)
Two Thousand Years = Days of Messiah (Y'Mot HaMashiach)
One Thousand Years = Messiah Reigns (Athid Lavo Then all turns to Yahveh
Eternity= World to Come (Olam Haba)
Ministries of New Life's Restoring the Father's Teaching quotes Abraham Cohen in Everyman's Talmud: "It was taught in the School of Elijah, the world will endure six thousand years - two thousand years in chaos, two thousand with Torah, and two thousand years will be the Days of Messiah."
All dates are figured from the creation of Adam based on Genesis 1:1- 2:2 and Psalm 90:4 "For a thousand years in Your sight are like a day, And like a watch in the night."
So the two thousand years of desolation (Tohu) equal Days 1 and 2 or 0 - 2000
the two thousand years of instruction (Torah) equal Days 3 and 4 or 2000 - 4000
the two thousand years of the Days of Messiah equal Days 5 and 6 or 4000 - 6000
the one thousand years of Messiah Reigns = Day 7 (Sabbath) or 6000 - 7000
and Eternity - Olam Haba - The World to Come = Day 8
Was Elijah preparing the prophets for Messiah's first coming? The prophet Micah prophesied about Jesus' first coming: "But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from old, from everlasting." Micah 5:2
In Mysteries of the Messiah, Rabbi Jason Sobel writes, "God created the world in six days and rested on the seventh. In Jewish thought, the six days of Creation indicate that the world can exist for a maximum of six thousand years before the Messiah has to come and reign for one thousand years. As the Midrash Pirkei De Rabbi Eliezer stated, in the Hebrew reckoning of time, "Six eons for going in and coming out, for war and peace. The seventh eon is entirely Shabbat and rest for life everlasting. There is a universally acknowledged belief in Judaism that the Messiah must come by the seventh millennium. The Messiah can come earlier, but not later. Currently on the Hebrew calendar we are in the decade of 5780."( This was written three years ago. On the Hebrew calendar this is year 5783 and some scholars believe it is short by 210 years or so - if so, it could be 5993!)
WOW! Rabbi Sobel, a Messianic rabbi and Ministries of New Life, like Elijah, are preparing us and showing that Messiah may be coming anytime! Of course, we do not know the exact moment of His return - but we can see the signs and seasons (like Berniece knew the time to plant and the time to bring flowers inside) we can read in Matthew chapter 24 the time is near.
The other night I learned that company would be stopping by the next morning about 9 am. Believe you me, I was up early and had the floors swept, the trash removed, the dusting done, a load of laundry washed and a coffeecake baked with the table set and coffee made. I was peacefully ready and joyfully waiting for my company by 8:30 a.m.
But here is the question? Am I prepared for Jesus' return? Are you? and if not, how DO we prepare?
When Jesus' cousin, John the Baptist was born, his father, Zacharias prophesied, "And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; For you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways, To give knowledge of salvation to His people By the remission of their sins, Through the tender mercy of our God, With which the Dayspring from on high has visited us; To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, To guide our feet into the way of peace." Luke 1:76-79
And that is what John the Baptist did. Isaiah prophesied about it hundred of years before:
"The voice one one crying in the wilderness; Prepare the way of the LORD; Make His paths straight." Isaiah 40:3
According to Matthew chapter three, verses one and two, John preached in the wilderness of Judea, saying "Repent (turn) for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!"
Here's the thing: I can't clean myself up to prepare for Jesus like I cleaned my house to prepare for company. I've tried and things just got worse! No, I have to humbly come to Jesus, admit I am not perfect - I am a sinner. And by faith (believing) I trust that His perfect blood cleanses me and I turn from my wicked, selfish ways. Isaiah says it better in Chapter 55 verse 7: "Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the LORD, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon."
So if we are prepared, there is Peace and Joy in 2023/5783! It's an exciting time to "Prepare the way of the LORD"! None of us know exactly what the Lord's Return will look like, but I want to be ready, don't you?
Berniece's Angel Food Cake
1 and 3/4 C granulated sugar
1 C plus 2 tablespoon cake flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
12 large egg whites, at room temperature (thank goodness our Cinnamon Queens are still laying!)
1 and 1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 and 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1.Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2.Pulse the sugar in a food processor until fine and powdery. Remove 1 Cup and set aside to use in step 3. Keep the rest inside the food processor. Add the cake flour and salt and pulse 5-10 times until sugar/flour/salt mixture is aerated and light.
3.Whip egg whites and cream of tartar together on medium low until foamy. Switch to medium-high and slowly add the 1 cup of sugar and whip until SOFT peaks form. Add vanilla and beat just until incorporated.
4. Slowly sift the flour mixture in the egg white mixture using a fine mesh strainer, gently folding with a rubber spatula. Don't add the flour mixture all at once.
5. Pour and spread batter into an ungreased 9 or 10 tube pan.
6. Bake the cake until a tooth pick inserted comes out clean, about 40-45 minutes. Cool cake completely upside-down set on a wire rack, about 3 hours
I frosted mine with a cream cheese frosting and added some sprinkles. It could be served with whipped cream and fresh berries.
ENJOY!
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