A Shepherds Rod for the Hebrew Year 5776 and the Gregorian Year 2016

Beloved People of God,

This prophetic word is meant to serve us as piecemeal and reference for the coming biblical year (note: 5776/2016).
I encourage every reader to pray over this word and to declare the plan of the Father over the coming year.


(artwork of Simon Glimm)
 

The 13th of September and the New Biblical Year 5776

On the eve of September 13th, 2015 the Jewish people enter into the new biblical year 5776. This is also relevant for us, the wild olive branches who have been grafted into the precious olive tree, as we partake in the oiliness (note: anointing) of the root (see Romans 11:17-18).

Romans 11:17-18:
17 If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, 18 do not consider yourself to be superior to those other branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you.

The Apple of God's Eye

Furthermore, according to Zechariah 2:8b, Israel has the status of the eyeball of God, with Jerusalem acting as His pupil. So, as Heathen Christians we benefit greatly from viewing our life and environment through Israel in order to confidently enter into our future with Christ Jesus with enlightened eyes.

Zechariah 2:8b:
8b ...for whoever touches you (note.: Israel) touches the apple of his eye.

The revelations we receive by this approach contain strategic methods that help us position our lives in the centre of the will of God and in His peace, just as Epaphras prayed (see Colossians 4:12).  

Colossians 4:12:
12 Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings. He is always wrestling in prayer for you, that you may stand firm in all the will of God, mature and fully assured.

The Number “6”

As this year is connected to the Hebrew letter „Waw“, which also has the numeric value of “6”, I would like to explain the significance of this number first mentioned in Genesis 1:31; there it is connected to the creation of wild animals, as well as man (see Genesis 1: 24-31).

Genesis 1:24-31:
24 And God said, “Let the land produce living creatures according to their kinds: the livestock, the creatures that move along the ground, and the wild animals, each according to its kind.” And it was so.
25 God made the wild animals according to their kinds, the livestock according to their kinds, and all the creatures that move along the ground according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good.
26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
29 Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food.
30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.
31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And there was evening, and there was morning—the sixth day.

The Wild Animal and Man

The various animals in the above mentioned scripture, which were created before man (who was created in the image of God) are an indication for us as God's people to advance on our future path with a humble heart (see Philippians 2:3-4 i.c.w. 1 Peter 5:5b-6).  

Philippians 2:3-4:
3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4 not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

1 Peter 5:5b-6:
… 5b All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but shows favour to the humble.”
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.

Man and His Awareness

God endowed animals with a natural value, whereat He gave man an awareness or a conscience by which we can discern good and evil.
As humans we are the only creatures on earth who can decide on good or evil, which means it is our decision whether we want to sin or not.  
Because we possess this ability, it is a privilege to view the people and entities we encounter during our life with a humble and pure heart; and in doing so we decide to first seek the glory of God, and then that of our neighbour (see 1 Corinthians 10:31 i.c.w. Matthew 22:36-40).

1 Corinthians 10:31:
31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.

Matthew 22:36-40:
36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
37 Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind’ (see Deuteronomy 6:5).
38 This is the first and greatest commandment.
39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself’ (see Leviticus 19:18).
40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

The Year of Alliance

It is the plan of the Heavenly Father in the biblical year 5776/2016 to establish divine alliances among His people (note: Jewish and Heathen Christians), so that Christ will be glorified even more as the crucified and risen one, and His message of the cross shall spread faster than before (see 1 Corinthians 1:18-25 i.c.w. Ephesians 2:13-18).

1 Corinthians 1:18-25:
18 For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.
19 For it is written (see Isaiah 29:14): “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.”
20 Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?
21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.
22 Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

Ephesians 2:13-18:
13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
14 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, 15 by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, 16 and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.
17 He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.
18 For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

This will lead to the recognition of the “one new man” (see Ephesians 2:15), by speaking unitary words, by having one mind (see Acts 1:14; Acts 2:46 i.c.w. Philippians 2:2) and by being aware of the connection between heaven and earth, which in turn is connected to having a supernatural understanding according Colossians 3:1-4.

Colossians 3:1-4:
1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.
3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.
4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.

The Departure of Doubt

Furthermore in the biblical year 5776/2016, the Heavenly Father plans to eliminate doubt and unbelief among His people through His resurrection power by freeing them from a state of hopelessness where people felt they were stuck, and showing them a clear exit, which enables them to continue on and act in greater faith and love.

John 20:24-29a:
24 Now Thomas (also known as Didymus/twin), one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came.
25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
26 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!”
27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.”
28 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!”
29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed;

The saints who previously were in doubt will become important links in the Body of Christ, so that unity will be clearly visible on earth (see John 13:35).

John 13:35:
35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Also, the „twin-Thomas-guys“ in the body of Christ will have a share in God's glory alighting on His people, because they act as tent makers who secure the tent in its upright position, like a stake rammed into the ground (see Isaiah 54:2-3).

Isaiah 54:2-3:
2 “Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes.
3 For you will spread out to the right and to the left; your descendants will dispossess nations and settle in their desolate cities.

Covenant Connections

God set the biblical year 5776/2016 to make known to us, His people, whom He has connected us to for the future in His covenant plan.
This amalgamation of saints will lead to His eternal light (note: Jesus Christ) piercing the earth, and it will establish the order of the Heavenly Father for this time (see Genesis 1:1-5 i.c.w. John 1:1-5; John 8:12).

Genesis 1:1-5:
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
4 God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness.
5 God called the light “day,” and the darkness he called “night.” And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.

John 1:1-5:
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 He was with God in the beginning.
3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.
5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

John 8:12:
12 When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

The Effect of Eternal Light

The eternal light will affect people similar to Saul (who threatened and killed followers of Jesus Christ), as they are visited by the eternal Light of Heaven. This will cause them to abandon their old thinking, as they recognise the grace of God, which is Jesus Christ, to take the new and higher way (see Acts 9:1-9 i.c.w. Titus 2:11-14; 1 Corinthians 12:31b).

Acts 9:1-9:
1 Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem.
3As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.
4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”
5 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied.
6 “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
7 The men travelling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone.
8 Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus.
9 For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.

Titus 2:11-14:
11 For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people.
12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

1 Corinthians 12:31b:
31b And yet I will show you the most excellent (note.: higher) way.  

The Annual Biblical Slogan for the Year 5776

The Herrnhuter annual biblical slogan for the Gregorian year 2016 is taken from Isaiah 66:13 where it states:

"As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you; and you will be comforted over Jerusalem.” Isaiah 66:13

The above mentioned verse from Isaiah 66 points to the power of the hen, which Jesus Christ mentions in conjunction with Jerusalem (see Matthew 23:37).

Matthew 23:37b-c:
37b-c how often I have longed to gather your (note: Jerusalem) children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings,…

The strength of the hen includes true protection and taking God's people into unity while the true love of the father – which is Christ Jesus – covers His people.
This covering results in an assurance for us, the people of God, that we may be safe in all challenges in our Heavenly Father, just as David expressed in Psalm 91 (see Psalm 91:1-4).

Psalm 91:1-4:
1 Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.  
2 I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”  
3 Surely he will save you from the fowler’s snare and from the deadly pestilence.
4 He will cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you will find refuge; his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

It is important in all of this, that we as the people of God will not be elicited from the presence of the Most High by the enemy or by challenges surrounding us, but that we remain in Him (see John 17:20-23).

John 17:20-23:
20 “My (note: Jesus Christ) prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
22 I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— 23 I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

When we remain in Jesus Christ, we will personally experience Him in terms of salvation, protection, favour, provision and true life (see Psalm 91:14-16 i.c.w. John 17:20-23).

Psalm 91:14-16:
14 “Because he loves me,” says the Lord, “I will rescue him; I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name.
15 He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honour him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.”

Amen and Amen.

A sweet new year 5776,

Daniel Glimm