The Two-Hundred-Sixty-Sixth (A Shaking)

I was listening to the latest episode of The Life Podcast recently and the guest they had on made an interesting statement at the end of the episode.  He said there’s a shaking going on, and that’s interesting to me for two reasons.  The first reason is the word choice he used, and second is its connection with something we mentioned a few weeks ago regarding end times.

The word choice, him saying “shaking,” is interesting to me because if you’ve been around Christianity long enough you know this is not a typical word used for what we’re seeing in the world today.  To be a little more specific, so we’re on the same page about what we’re talking about, the world is seeing an increase in spiritual activity on both the good and the evil sides.  We mentioned this last week when we were talking about the importance of discernment.

Typically, when you hear this type of spiritual activity increase talked about in Christianity, along with the associated dividing of those who choose Truth versus those who choose the deception, the reference to the wheat and tares parable is used (Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43).  A corollary to this imagery, the sifting of wheat from chaff, is another typical picture we hear about in Christianity when it comes to sorting those who are true to YHWH and Yeshua from those who are not.  That’s not to say this is an incorrect picture to paint to talk about what’s happening, by any means.  It’s just that the word “shaking” is not normally used when talking about the subject.  

You may think, “what’s the big deal?  So he used a different word, what does that matter?”  Well, personally, that’s exactly the word that has been in my mind with the recent events in the world, both spiritual and physical.  So, it’s interesting to me that it’s the same word he chose to describe it.  Also, just to be clear, his whole message on the podcast had nothing to do with end times or anything like that.  And this was a sort of off-the-cuff statement he said at the very end, so it’s not like he mentioned this in conjunction with a discussion on eschatology.

To provide a little more context on this podcast guest before we move on, the man’s name is Kenny Russell and man does he have a testimony!  I have no doubt that he is being led by the Holy Spirit in everything he does regarding the Kingdom.  Not only does he have a very deep knowledge of scripture, the events in his life, which was the main topic of discussion during the podcast, tell me he is on a mission from Yeshua.    

The second reason the word he used is interesting to me is because it’s connected, in a way, to the idea of believers today being represented as olives in scripture.  If you recall, a few weeks ago we talked about how each of the major annual harvest seasons, all of which were used by Yeshua in parables, seemed to be a representation of the different major spiritual events that occurred starting with Yeshua’s resurrection.  Barley/wheat seemed to be aligned with His resurrection, Grapes and Figs seemed to be aligned with the events of 70AD, and therefore it seems olives would be aligned with believers.  This pattern even seems to be so closely aligned with those things that the harvest season for olives overlaps with the Grapes/Figs season, which would correlate to believers (olives) being present starting at Pentecost and through 70AD.  In other words, they were there when the Grapes/Figs harvest occurred in 70AD.

If you don’t know anything about how olives are harvested, it’s quite interesting.  There are a few different ways this was done in Yeshua’s time.  Some, the first and most prized ones, were picked by hand.  Then, later, the olive trees were either beaten (Deuteronomy 24:20) or…you guessed it…shaken to harvest the majority of the rest of the crop.  The “gleanings,” or those olives that didn’t fall off the tree during these processes, were then left to the sojourner (ger, from our study on that), orphan, and widow to pick.  This was the same practice as when grapes were harvested (Deuteronomy 24:21).  

Now, it’s important not to get too far down the rabbit hole when it comes to imagery like this.  For example, we could ask ourselves, “ok, so if the shaking we’re seeing right now is like a harvest, what does that mean for those hanging onto the tree?  What do the sojourners, orphans, and widows represent as they come pick the remaining olives?”  Maybe they do represent something spiritual, and if you think you know what that is, by all means let me know!   But I think the important thing to focus on is if what we’re seeing right now spiritually is what Yeshua was intending us to understand with His parables, what does it mean for us to be one of the olives that falls during the shaking?

One thing we can make a connection to with all these harvests, is what happens to the crop once it is harvested.  As with pretty much every crop, and certainly with how Yeshua portrayed these harvests in His parables, once it is harvested it doesn’t generally just go straight to a market for selling or to consumers themselves.  They go to some holding location and then they go through some sort of processing.

We see this in Yeshua’s barley/wheat harvest as the crop was gathered into the barn (Matthew 13:30).  For the grapes, while not specifically stated in the parable given the message Yeshua was presenting (Matthew 21:33-44), they are taken to some sort of holding place prior to being put in the winepress to be made into wine.  Similarly, olives are harvested and taken to a holding place prior to being pressed for olive oil (Matthew 25:1-13).

This brings us to a good point to discuss.  Many view the oil in the ten virgins’ lamps as the Holy Spirit, and somehow the wise virgins have some “extra” Holy Spirit so they can make it through the night to when the bridegroom comes.  However, if we were to play this imagery of believers being olives out, that sort of connection doesn’t quite line up with what actually happens with olives.

You see, in order to get oil from olives you have to press them.  They are put under greater and greater stress and strain, pressure, in order to get every last drop from them.  Most obviously, this would represent the trials and tests, tribulations, that believers go through, but through those things do we really get more Holy Spirit?  

The way I see it, the tribulations we go through actually produce more faith rather than being associated with more of the Holy Spirit Himself.  In fact, when it comes down to it, as believers, what would we call those trials and tribulations?  If there were one word you could think of, that’s scripturally based, what would it be?  

Testimony.  We are told that we overcome evil, Satan specifically, through the blood of the Lamb, Yeshua, and the word of our testimony (Revelation 12:9-11).  So, rather than the virgins’ oil being the Holy Spirit, I believe it’s words of testimony of what YHWH did in their lives, how He brought them through trials and tribulations.  Through those events, and seeing YHWH’s work in them, our faith in Him grows and we add to our testimony.  That’s the oil the virgins had.

But what does that mean, then?  The foolish virgins buying the oil?  As believers, are we supposed to go out and purchase these trials and tribulations somehow?  Yes, but not with actual money!  This purchasing of oil Yeshua was talking about in this parable is simply our going out and doing His work.  

The wise virgins took initiative in their lives to go do YHWH’s will, to do the work of His Kingdom.  By this work, they went through trials and tribulations as the world hated and attacked them (John 15:19, 17:14) and their faith grew, along with their words of testimony, as YHWH brought them through those events.  The foolish virgins, on the other hand, were content to have the minimum faith needed in the moment.  They didn’t see the need for any additional oil, and so they didn’t have any.  In the end, it meant they missed out on the marriage supper, and the bridegroom, Yeshua, even told them that He didn’t know them.

That’s the end game, but right now we’re still in the shaking portion of the olive harvest.  Truth is being revealed all over the place, not just amongst believers.  I see stories of more and more scientists questioning evolution, people questioning narratives that authorities are using to deceive, the truth behind medicine being brought out in the open, and people everywhere realizing that they shouldn’t just trust everything they’re being told because much of it is actually lies.    

That’s why it’s so important for us to have discernment, like we talked about last week.  I believe those olives that are falling off the tree during this shaking are the ones that are seeking the Truth for themselves, using the Holy Spirit as their guide, because once someone finds it out for themselves it becomes easier and easier for them to spot deceit.  They “fall off the tree” and are no longer taking whatever is given to them at face value.  They gain confidence in their ability to actually find the Truth out, rather than being afraid to question things because they’re told they don’t have the right credentials, letters behind their name, or aren’t in a position of authority.

The Holy Spirit will let you know when you find Truth, believe me.  I know from experience.  When did Christianity turn into a copy of the Judaism that existed at the time of Yeshua, where the “common folk” were just supposed to trust man (religious leaders) without question?  I don’t know about you, but I can think of a few pretty serious consequences stated in scripture for doing this, and many warnings against it (Jeremiah 17:5, Psalm 146:3, 118:9, Isaiah 2:22, 30:2, 31:1, 36:6).  

Over time, Christians were drawn more and more into the belief that not only do they just have to “be a good person” and listen to a religious leader once a week and be saved, but also that they themselves didn’t even have the capability to understand what YHWH’s Word says, let alone question the religious leader about it.  And when they did have questions, or couldn’t understand from the scriptures being presented how a leader came to the belief or doctrine they were preaching, the person self-justified their misunderstanding by believing that their lack of a degree in theology would mean they could never understand it, and so they just accepted it.  Today, we’re seeing that attitude change, and thank YHWH for that!

It all comes down to choice, though.  Those that choose to take the easy route by staying on the tree not questioning or truly seeking to understand will continue to be deceived.  Those that seek and find the Truth by questioning, they will be the ones adding to their oil because once you find the Truth you become almost incapable of not trying to get others to see it as well.  And that testimony, the trials and tribulations we go through by spreading the Truth, is the oil we need to have until the bridegroom, Yeshua, returns.

Seek the Truth, in everything, not just scripture.  In addition to what YHWH is telling us in His Word, seek the truth in what’s really happening in the world and why certain people are doing the things they’re doing.  Test what the spirit is behind certain events and certain people, just like John said to test if prophetic spirits are from YHWH (1 John 4:1).  And the only way to test something is to question it!

There are more and more people saying the name “God,” and even talking about Jesus, but by no means should we just take them at face value and believe they are talking about our YHWH and our Yeshua, or that everything they say is truth.  Satan and his workers have no problem talking about those things to lure you down their path, and they will use those things more and more as time goes on.  You know how when you injure a snake it writhes around wildly?  That’s what it feels like to me in the world today, and Satan will do whatever it takes to pull as many people away from YHWH as he can.

Be an olive that falls during this shaking!  It will help you to keep from being deceived as Satan works harder and harder to destroy YHWH’s people and His Kingdom.  Shabbat shalom and YHWH bless you!

-Rob and Sara Gene

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The Gospel

We are born sinful as a result of Adam and Eve's sin (Genesis 2:17, 3:6, 1 John 1:8)

The consequence of sin, which is unavoidable through our own works, is death (Romans 6:23)

Yeshua, the Son of YHWH, lived sinless and was put to death (Hebrews 4:15)

His death, therefore, cleanses us of sin that would have required our death

(2 Corinthians 5:21)

He rose on the third day (1 Corinthians 15:4)

Because of His resurrection, we are confident in our future resurrection and eternal life

(1 Corinthians 15:17-18, John 3:16)