Olly, Olly, Oxen Free!
~ Childhood game catchphrase
Today we reach Day #42 in Counting the Omer. The number
42 signifies "arrival" in scripture. Christ's arrival or "Advent" can be viewed as a rapturous event or coming judgment. This will be our Blessed Hope or our Doomsday, depending on which side of the spiritual fence we fall on.
In Hebrew letters, the number
42 is written as "mem" and "beth." The Hebrew letter Mem signifies the flow of water and Bet means House or Household. Thus, to state this another way:
42 signifies the flow of time until Jesus returns to bring us permanently into His Household.
Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. ~Matthew 24:
42
We find this concept again in Revelation. The time of tribulation in Revelation is a period of
42 months...then comes the Advent of Christ.
The beast was given a mouth to speak arrogant and blasphemous words, and authority to act for forty-two months. ~ Revelation 13:5
To quickly sum up from our previous devotionals:
40 = testing time period
+
2= separation, division
=
42 (Test over, Marking begins).
Spoiler Alert: Tomorrow's Devotional (#43) indicates RESULTS of the Test.
Will we pass or fail?
Remember those carefree days of innocent childhood? Nobody questioned the seemingly nonsensical rules for "Kick the Can" or "Hide and Seek." We just simply accepted that you had to abide by certain precepts and repeat specific sayings in order to properly play the game. When someone chanted "Olly, Olly, Oxen-Free!" you knew it was safe to come out into the open without getting tagged. If you failed to follow the rules you were called OUT!
In religious terms, the word ecstasy has an interesting meaning. "Ek", in Greek means: "to come out from, being called out." "Stasy" has the root of "Stasis" meaning, "standing, stopping, remaining status quo". It is where we get words like homeostasis (maintaining equilibrium, standing still) or static (showing little or no change). So, if we put these two Greek root meanings together we get a meaning like:
COME OUT FROM YOUR APATHY
When Jesus was preaching his amazing insights, his family came to "lay hands on him" or "take a hold" of him because they said he was "out of his mind."
When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, "He is out of his mind." ~ Mark 3:21
The Greek word here for "out of his mind" is eks-ē'-stā-mē.
Like Jesus, if we are experiencing a true revelation from God we are literally "out of our minds!" We become "in the mind" of God, not our own. In spiritual terms, the passionate state of believers experiencing a vision is often referred to as a "religious ecstasy."
Similar to this childhood game, "ecstatic" Christians need to start "calling out" people from their static unchanging positions. Come out from the unchanging, lukewarm-ness of your compromised lifestyle! Take a stand-show yourself. For the apathetic Church, this means it is high time to make a public break from the cultural apostasy.
The devil is well aware of the POWER of this spiritual principle and the need to "come out" and identify yourself. The homosexual movement uses terminology of "coming out" also. It is no coincidence, that at the same time, Christians are being required by new laws to "get in the closet and shut up." We are being marginalized and shamed with the new human secularist make-believe sins of homophobia and intolerance. Apparently, Human Secularism has turned out to be an alternate new religion after all with its own set of rules, transgressions and commandments. Who knew?
We are now being asked to AFFIRM, not just tolerate, homosexuality and gender identify politics. Neutrality is no longer an option. Come out, Come out says the government! How is this possible for sincere Christians?
Innkeepers, Photographers, Bakers and "Candlestick-makers" are being sued all across the country for refusing to compromise their religious beliefs. One by one they are being called out. If they comply, they may get a temporary "olly, olly oxen-free" pass from the government. However, it will not be truly safe.
Playing it safe or "going along to get along" may buy you some friends and time in the natural realm, but in the spiritual realm you will be dealt with harshly. Plainly and simply...If you deny Christ, He will deny you. He said so Himself:
But everyone who denies me here on earth, I will also deny before my Father in heaven.
~ Matthew 10:33
It's as if Jesus is saying: "Deny me in front of your government with your testimony, and I promise you, I will deny you before my Father in Heaven with My testimony."
Interestingly, just a few verses prior to this one Jesus said:
Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
~ Matthew 10:28
In Revelation, God tells His Church: Come out from her (Mother of Abominations/Whore of Babylon) lest ye share in her punishment.
Then I heard another voice calling from heaven, "Come out of her, my people. Do not take part in her sins, or you will be punished with her."
~Revelation 18:4
We need to take this warning to heart. As supporters of our Judeo-Christian beliefs, we need to make a public stand against sin and apostasy. We need to "call out" government and church leaders that have gone astray. We can no longer continue to be silent or wishy-washy about our convictions hoping we will maintain the "homeostasis" of our lifestyle.
Soon, the harsher door knocks will begin and the "Nazi Gestapo" will be at your front door. A current example of government overreach has been evident in the recent COVID "crisis." Some are beginning to say: "You MUST take this coronavirus vaccine" with some sort of tracing device. Once your "health care" is under their control, the n
ext week it will be your profession or religious beliefs that are under fire. Comply or die.
The authorities will begin to DEMAND that all those hiding need to COME OUT. You will NOT escape by trying to stay hidden...you will be found. The question is by whom? Will the government find you cowering in your workplace first or will it be Jesus/Yeshua that finds you hiding behind a bush? I'd rather that when Jesus calls "olly, olly oxen-free" He finds me out in the open so I'm not eternally tagged out.
Ready or not...
HERE HE COMES!
