Sivan 5786

As the matters of this world swirl around us at a pace unprecedented, and the distractions and deceptions pile up like mountains threatening to blot out the truth altogether, how should we stand this Sivan, and how do we remove these mountains and find our voice once more in the midst of the chaos? The buildup from Pesach (Passover) to Shavuot (Pentecost), 50 days in total, is nearly at its crescendo as we are set to celebrate starting on the evening of June 1st as the sun goes down .

This day marks Moses receiving the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai and the receiving of the Holy Spirit in the upper room in Jerusalem — two pivotal moments that not only shaped history forever, but more importantly brought us into oneness with Yahweh Himself. Prepare yourself for your encounter this moed (Appointed Time of God). He is waiting for you.

Restoration, Renovation, and Activation

This Sivan, empty and dry vessels will be filled with the Living Water that never runs dry. If that is you, let the King of Glory hear your heart’s cry! For those who have seemed to lose confidence or certainty in the words spoken over them directly from the mouth of God, the breath of life is being restored in you once more, and your roar will drown out every lie of the enemy over your life. Remember, the Living Word in you yearns to be trumpeted from within you to see the walls of doubt, fear, worry, anxiety, hate, depression, and loneliness crumble like the walls of Jericho in your midst and flee to the driest places of the earth! Remember your roar! In the darkest circumstances and the most uncertain situations, do not let the enemy silence your voice and steal your roar — it is yours.

For those who feel stuck in one place even with eyes on a set course given by the Almighty, your sails will be filled with the rushing wind of the Holy Spirit, propelling you in the direction you need to go. Let Him be the Master and Commander of your ship! Let Him take the wheel, fill your sails, and be your rudder in the storm. For those who have felt your flame burning low, down to the very last coals, wood is being piled upon you, and His oil is being poured over you — an altar of sacrifice unto the Great I AM. Let it soak into every fiber of your being, as His bellows will have your fire raging hotter and brighter than you have ever experienced — a beacon of victory, hope, and glory seen even on the highest and farthest mountaintops. This Sivan is your time to be restored, renovated, and activated, just as the 120 in the upper room when tongues of fire rested upon them, a mighty wind blew among them, and for the first time since Adam and Eve, the Holy Spirit indwelt man once more.

Zebulun (Glorious Dwelling Place)

The tribe of Zebulun represents the month of Sivan. He was the sixth son of Leah and the tenth son of Jacob. The meaning of Zebulun is “Glorious Dwelling Place,” but it is also closely related to the word meaning “dowry” or “wedding gift.” Don’t forget to enter into the Holy of Holies and have your appointment with the Bridegroom this Sivan on a daily basis. You will not be disappointed by your wedding gift.

In Genesis 49:13, Jacob prophesies over his son Zebulun saying, “Zebulun will live by the seashore and become a haven for ships; his border will extend toward Sidon.” The tribe of Zebulun was the most business-minded of the tribes and played a very important role in providing resources and finances to support the Levites and the tribe of Issachar. In Deuteronomy 33:18, Moses says of Zebulun, “Rejoice in your going out, and you, Issachar, in your tents.” Zebulun traveled extensively due to trading with many nations and being a haven for ships. Because of this, Sivan is also known as the month of “Business People.” Zebulun was known for its prosperity, but said prosperity was rooted in using these resources, along with the tribe of Issachar, to gather the twelve tribes each year at Mount Hermon to make proper sacrifices to Yahweh (Deuteronomy 33:18–20). Their wealth was rooted in worship.

May this Sivan, as the incense of worship in Spirit and Truth rises to the throne room, be one of great increase in the natural and in the Spirit.

Lastly, the tribe of Zebulun was always prepared, organized, and never with a heart to retreat from battle. “Of Zebulun, such as went forth to battle, expert in war, with all instruments of war, fifty thousand, which could keep rank: [they were] not of double heart” (1 Chronicles 12:33). As we enter Sivan, it is time to check your heart before entering the battlefield this month, knowing retreat is not an option — only standing fast and moving forward in the victory of Yeshua. Put on the full armor of God (Ephesians 6), hold fast to the promises of God over your life, let your decisions be guided only by the perfect love of the Prince of Peace, and you will surely be victorious in all your endeavors as the Lord of Lords fights your battles.

Constellation: Te’omim (The Twins)

The constellation during the month of Sivan is Te’omim, the twins, also representing the Two Tablets. In the night sky, it is hard to tell apart the nearly identical stars of Te’omim. It represents the two tablets that God wrote the Ten Commandments on with His finger (Exodus 31:18). It is also a representation of the mercy of God, as after Moses broke the first two tablets upon seeing Israel worshipping the golden calf (Exodus 32:19), Yahweh gave Israel another chance and gave the Ten Commandments once more on two nearly identical stone tablets (Exodus 34:28). If you at first chose wrongly in any part of your life, it is never too late to repent and receive forgiveness and complete restoration of what has been lost or stolen. Your restoration and transformation are one choice and one prayer away. Take your inheritance in Yeshua with eagerness and zeal — He is waiting for you to choose.

The other meaning of the Two Tablets is that God-given revelation does not come from the Word alone, but has a partner. “And the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters; and God said” (Genesis 1:2–3). Look closely and see the two ingredients of creation and revelation. First, the Spirit of God is hovering, and nothing had happened yet — but then “God said,” i.e., the Word of God, which John speaks of in John 1:1, is clearly depicted here in tandem with the Spirit of God. Without first having the Spirit of God, the Word is just letters on a page. But when read with the help of the Holy Spirit, our teacher, divine instruction and revelation consume and overflow us as we come to know our Lord and Savior better than ever before. The treasures and mysteries of the Living Word will fill you to overflowing as you commune with the Holy Spirit this Sivan.

Mount Sinai to Mount Zion

“Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because Adonai descended upon it in fire; its smoke ascended like the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain quaked violently” (Exodus 19:18). On Shavuot (Pentecost) in Jerusalem, after the ascension of Yeshua, in the upper room there appeared to them tongues of fire, and they were filled with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:3). Malachi 3:3 tells us Yeshua is like a refiner’s fire and like launderer’s soap [which removes impurities and uncleanness]. Yahweh is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and He continues to purify His Bride that was born that day in the upper room in Jerusalem. That day was a new normal the likes of which the world had never seen, and it has been the mission of the fallen kingdom of darkness ever since to ensure such an Ekklesia as in those times would never be seen again. The enemy has failed, and now is the time when a refined and purified Bride is being raised up from the ends of the earth back to Jerusalem. This means no more business as usual for the global body of Messiah. It means a paradigm shift — completely shaking ourselves from tradition and sleepiness, and instead, moving in the power of the Kingdom. If the signs and wonders do not follow us, as Yeshua spoke about before His ascension on the Mount of Olives, rest assured, others will be raised up to do so.

How do we do this? The formula is hidden in plain sight.

Look closely at the posture of Israel before the Eternal at Mount Sinai and the 120 in the upper room. At Sinai, after hearing the ordinances of Yahweh, all the people answered with one voice, “Everything the Lord has said we will do” (Exodus 24:3). In the upper room it says, “All these with one mind and one purpose were continually devoting themselves to prayer, [waiting together]” (Acts 1:14). How can we be of one voice, one mind, and one purpose if we are not clear on the purpose? Clearly, the men and women in the upper room were gathered for the purpose of receiving the promise of the Holy Spirit — and it was received. But it did not stop there, because Yeshua was clear on what their next goal was, telling them, “And you will be My witnesses [to tell people about Me] both in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and Samaria, and even to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8). That is still our mission today, and doing so in the oneness of the Holy Spirit followed by miracles, signs, and wonders for the glory of God as witnesses of Yeshua.

From Helpless to Harvester

The meaning of Sivan is “Harvest” or “Month of the Harvest.” Exodus 23:16 designates it as “Hag HaKatzir,” the Festival of the Harvest — identifying the holiday with an agricultural season. The Book of Numbers 28:26 designates it as “Hag HaBikkurim,” the Festival of the First Fruits, which specified the time to offer the first fruits. Oftentimes we feel we have nothing to harvest in our lives, and are remiss to give our first fruits offering because we may be in exceptionally hard financial times and see no reason to give so little unto God — or think it an unwise financial decision. However, it is in these times that God shows us that He is our helper, which allows us to go from helpless to harvester. Just like during the time Elijah ran for safety from King Ahab after prophesying a drought over the land, he fled with nothing, and miraculously God sent him ravens each day with bread and meat (1 Kings 17:7–24). But what Elijah did directly after his time in hiding is what God is calling us into today.

God sent Elijah from the Ravine of Kerith to Zarephath in the region of Sidon, where he was to meet a woman who would feed and house him. But when he arrived, the woman was about to have her last meal with her son and ready to die soon after. It was Elijah’s turn to return the favor of the Lord in power and love, just as God had done for him in the ravine. The flour and oil, which were to be her and her son’s last, never ran out while Elijah stayed with them. What Elijah had learned in his waiting in the secret place became life and a major blessing to this woman and her son. Elijah went from helpless to harvester of souls at the behest of Almighty God. As we approach Shavuot on June 2nd, marking the Feast of First Fruits in Israel — when the first fruits of the harvest were brought before God (Exodus 23:16, Numbers 28:26, Exodus 34:22, Leviticus 23:16) — we are being called, like Elijah, to go from the hidden place where God provides, to now allow God in us to do so for others as He leads. No matter your circumstance or situation in this moment, it is a time of preparation, trusting in Him, and being enabled to give by grace the blessings He has given you — to others, by grace, as well.

Conclusion

The time and the season are clear now. While the world spews deceptive rhetoric and agendas as always, we are called into the here and now according to God’s calendar. We are being called to the throne room on the winds of the Holy Spirit to know what God is doing and saying — to bind and loose on earth what He has already bound and loosed in heaven. Restoration, renovation, and activation are our lot this Sivan, and now is the time to flow in all three. Like the tribe of Zebulun, we are being called to bring together the body of Yeshua like the 120 in the upper room, and to use our resources for the glory of God as the Holy Spirit leads.

In the hidden and secret place, like Elijah in the Ravine of Kerith, we are being provided for in supernatural ways by the ravens Yahweh is sending — to know and remember that He is, and always will be, our provider. With the now indwelling of the Holy Spirit, we have great confidence and assurance in the King of Kings — in our ability to go from helpless to harvester for the Kingdom of Heaven, from sorrow to joy, from fear to boldness and courage in the perfect love and power of God. Giving by grace that which was given by grace to each of us. May this Sivan be unforgettable as you walk it out, unhindered by the chains of past failures and sins, and launched into this month by the fuel and fire of the Holy Spirit — completely renewed, encased in the armor of God, and laced up in the boots of the Gospel of Peace, embedded with the love and power of God for all to receive. Yahweh bless you and keep you!