THE DREAM: In the dream, I was seated all the way to the east of a long rectangular-shaped table, yet on the south side of it facing north. I glanced down the table to my left (west) and noticed that down at the other end, though still on the same side as me, sat a woman who is an x-wife of a man. She was followed by the other woman who is now the man’s wife. I thought it odd that they would agree to be at the same event together, much less that they would end up seated right next to each other. END
Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening. I read Acts 22:30-23:15:
Before the SanhedrinMy Understanding: I read this news story: Egypt: Mubarak forms reform committees - http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/M/ML_EGYPT?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2011-02-08-07-05-39. The title to this news story stood out to me because it was about the forming of a committee. I saw the long rectangular-shaped table in my dream, with everyone seated all on one side, as representing some kind of a committee. So, I committed this to prayer, asking for the Lord’s understanding. And, this (following) is what I understand of what I believe the Lord is showing me here today as a practical application to today’s Bible lesson.
30 The next day, since the commander wanted to find out exactly why Paul was being accused by the Jews, he released him and ordered the chief priests and all the Sanhedrin to assemble. Then he brought Paul and had him stand before them.
Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin and said, “My brothers, I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day.” 2 At this the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near Paul to strike him on the mouth. 3 Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! You sit there to judge me according to the law, yet you yourself violate the law by commanding that I be struck!”
4 Those who were standing near Paul said, “You dare to insult God’s high priest?”
5 Paul replied, “Brothers, I did not realize that he was the high priest; for it is written: ‘Do not speak evil about the ruler of your people.’”
6 Then Paul, knowing that some of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, called out in the Sanhedrin, “My brothers, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee. I stand on trial because of my hope in the resurrection of the dead.” 7 When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. 8 (The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, and that there are neither angels nor spirits, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.)
9 There was a great uproar, and some of the teachers of the law who were Pharisees stood up and argued vigorously. “We find nothing wrong with this man,” they said. “What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?” 10 The dispute became so violent that the commander was afraid Paul would be torn to pieces by them. He ordered the troops to go down and take him away from them by force and bring him into the barracks.
11 The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.”
The Plot to Kill Paul
12 The next morning the Jews formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul. 13 More than forty men were involved in this plot. 14 They went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have taken a solemn oath not to eat anything until we have killed Paul. 15 Now then, you and the Sanhedrin petition the commander to bring him before you on the pretext of wanting more accurate information about his case. We are ready to kill him before he gets here.”
I struggled before God to understand the relationship of this dream to this passage of scripture and to this news story, since the dream had little detail contained within it. So, I inquired of the Lord as to whom the x-wife and the other woman represented in this dream. I realized that this is about relationships. The man (in real life) divorced his wife in order to marry the other woman. What I believe the Lord is showing me here, in relation to this news story about Egypt’s government, is that the man represents Egypt, the x-wife represents the government of Egypt and the other woman represents the N.W.O. In other words, Egypt is now, as a nation, divorced from its government and it is now married to the New World Order, which is now its wife. This is not to imply, though, an exact parallel to these people in real life, as I don’t believe the people of Egypt willingly divorced their present government in order to marry the New World Order.
The article stated that Mubarak, the President of Egypt who was being asked to step down, has set up two committees – one to recommend constitutional amendments as a compromise, supposedly with protesters, and the other to monitor the implementation of all proposed reforms. The article stated that the two committees will start working immediately, which was said by Murbarak. Then, the article stated that Mubarak’s efforts (his compromises) to stay in office got a boost from the Obama Administration, which I believe I am representing in the dream, “which conceded that it will not endorse calls for the president’s immediate departure, saying a precipitous exit could set back the country’s democratic transition.” The article also said: “After several mixed messages about whether it wants to see Mubarak stay or go, Washington stepped up calls for a faster, more inclusive national dialogue on reform in Egypt.” “A question that that would pose is whether Egypt today is prepared to have a competitive open election.”
Ok, this is what I see here. The two committees are really one, and they represent a Sanhedrin – “the supreme judicial and ecclesiastical council;” "’sitting together,’ hence ‘assembly’ or ‘council’) was an assembly of twenty-three judges appointed in every city;” “the supreme governing body…, which administered religious, political and juridical affairs…;” “They had some powers of their own, although their decisions were subject to the approval of the governor;” and was “presided over by the High Priest, the ultimate civil and criminal court, and governing body” - http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&rlz=1R2TSNA_enUS390&defl=en&q=define:sanhedrin&sa=X&ei=vaJRTa2-DIH7lwff1cykCg&sqi=2&ved=0CBcQkAE. I see this as representing the New World Order’s governing council, not just in Egypt, but in various nations in the whole world, which is why it is represented by this long rectangular-shaped table, because it stretches the distance of the globe, i.e. this is a world and a global order, not just local committees under the government of Egypt.
The Obama administration had been putting pressure on Mubarak, and now they supposedly are conceding not to endorse calls for the president’s immediate departure. What I believe the Lord is showing me, instead, is that Murbarak is the one who is conceding in order to join with the New World Order and to be seated beside “the other woman” instead of to be ousted entirely, so that is why I was surprised or thought it odd that the x-wife would agree to be seated alongside “the other woman.” So, Mubarak is not the one in power in Egypt. The New World Order is in power. They have just allowed him to be seated on the council because he has made the necessary compromises that they were calling for, and instead of being ousted, he has agreed, apparently, to join them. So, I see the “democratic transition” as this transition to the rule of the New World Order in Egypt with the President remaining on the Council, at least during the transition period. I also see the “more inclusive national dialogue” as referring to Egypt’s leadership as agreeing to include the New World Order by subjecting itself to submit to the new order of rule. And, I see the “competitive, open election” as having to do with this idea of the “other woman” taking “the man” from the wife who is now the x-wife, but not by her choice. Again, this is not to be taken as an exact parallel to the real life situation, but rather is symbolic of this idea of an x-wife seated alongside “the other woman” on a council because the x-wife was made to be the x-wife, not by her choice, but by the choice of the “other woman’s” entry into her husband’s life.
Then, the article stated that “Mubarak also ordered a probe into last week’s clashes between the protesters and government supporters as well as mass detentions of human rights activists and journalists. The committee will refer its findings to the attorney-general, Suleiman said.” The article continued by saying that “The committee considering constitutional and legislative changes will be led by the head of Egypt’s highest appellate court and composed of six senior judges and four constitutional experts…” This sounds a whole lot like the description of the Sanhedrin. Then, the article said “The Brotherhood also accused pro-Mubarak thugs of detaining protesters, including Brotherhood supporters, and handing them over to the army’s military police who torture them.” The article alluded but did not come right out and say that this “brotherhood” was of Islamic faith. I was praying about this, especially since the Lord gave me this dream with this passage of scripture about Paul coming before the Sanhedrin because he was preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. The Lord brought the song to mind “Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee,” which speaks of a different brotherhood, and that is of those who are brothers through faith in Jesus Christ. I believe, thus, that the Lord is speaking here to me that the people that the Egyptian and New World Order authorities are really coming against with this Sanhedrin are those who are genuine believers in Jesus Christ. And, that takes me to the passage of scripture.
There were 3 main verses that stood out to me in this passage of scripture: Acts 23:1, 11 & 12. I am going to take the last one first and move backwards because I believe this order applies to this news story and dream and the message the Lord would have me convey. I believe there is a conspiracy in the New World Order to kill true believers in Jesus Christ - not all people who call themselves Christians, but the true saints of Almighty God who stand up for what is right and who refuse to bow to any other gods of men, especially those saints who are verbal about their faith and are witnessing and sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ so that others can know Jesus, too. And, I believe, too, that there is an oath that has been taken by the opposition for the purpose of ensuring that this takes place and is accomplished.
Then, going back to v. 11, the Lord Jesus visited Paul at night and told him to “Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.” This kind of persecution has not yet reached America, but it will because the Bible says it will be everywhere and that all people will be subject to a one world rule of government and that the saints of God will be killed for their faith in Jesus Christ. So, we are to take courage, because God will keep opening the doors for us until he is ready to take us home.
Then, lastly, in v. 1 it says that Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin and said, “My brothers, I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day.” When we are brought before the Sanhedrin, and when God gives us the courage to do so, we, too, should be able to stand with Paul and say the same. And, then if Jesus takes us home, we will have left this earth having given testimony to the fact that we have fulfilled our duty to God in good conscience, we have finished the race, and we have kept the faith.
Sometimes people will conspire against us because they hate us and what we are doing and/or what we stand for. First we need to examine our hearts to see if we are at fault, and then if God clears us, we need to speak confidently that we have fulfilled our duty to God in all good conscience, and we should not allow their threats to dissuade us from what we have been called to do. As I was praying about this, the Lord brought to mind Acts 26:14, where Jesus said to Paul on the road to Damascus (Paul is telling the story here), “Saul, Saul. Why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.” My commentary said this was “A Greek Proverb for useless resistance – the ox only succeeds in hurting itself.” When people persecute us for our faith in Jesus Christ, they are kicking against the goads, for they are truly resisting God. May it not be said of us that we are persecuting Jesus because we are kicking against the goads in resistance to his teachings. It is useless, because we will only hurt ourselves. Instead, may we humble ourselves in complete surrender to Jesus Christ and to no longer kick against the goads in resistance to God’s voice.
I Surrender All / Judson W. Van De Venter / Winfield S. Weeden
… Lo, we have left all, and have followed Thee. (Mark 10:28)
All to Jesus, I surrender;
All to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him,
In His presence daily live.
All to Jesus I surrender;
Humbly at His feet I bow,
Worldly pleasures all forsaken;
Take me, Jesus, take me now.
I surrender all, I surrender all,
All to Thee, my blessèd Savior,
I surrender all.
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