A MESSAGE OF TU B’AV: LET THE LIVING SEPARATE FROM THE DEAD

Marvelous wonders and a significant exodus defined the previous season. The Lord executed His authority as El Elyon, the Most High God, delivering many people out of (proverbial) Egypt. It was a great crossover by faith, as many were rescued from captivity. From Tishri last year through Nissan, the Lord performed many miracles to confirm that He is the Most High God and He rules over all. This crossover season was marked by signs and wonders that were viewed by the entire world.

This divine appointment of crossing over resembled the significance of the month of Nissan. It was undoubtedly an impactful season. As mentioned in our previous article, “The Apocalypse of Jesus: An Ever-Increasing Presence,” we will continue to appreciate the significance of Nissan’s secrets as the Spirit unveils them. We are now approaching another great shift, which will be represented by the symbolism of the month of Av.

We could look at the month of Av as a love letter written to the final generation. Though the salutation is woeful and sincere, Joy is its final signature. The story’s theme includes destruction and rebirth, a transformation likened to a metamorphosis. Tu B’Av is the 15th day (midway through the story) and a celebratory day when a chosen people recognize that the curse of their ancestors is broken, resulting in their access to the promised land and the realization that they are the chosen generation (For more information on Av, see The Dancers of Tu B’Av Part One and The Season of Basilisk).

THE END OF THE DESERT GENERATION

The Lord worked through Moses to deliver an entire generation of Israelites out of Egypt. The Israelites, given the opportunity to pursue the promised land, sent over 12 spies. Ten of those spies, in fear of the giants, refused to pursue the promised land. Due to cowardice and contempt toward God, they were sentenced to die in the wilderness.

“As surely as I live, declares the Lord, I will do to you the very thing I heard you say: In this wilderness, your bodies will fall—every one of you twenty years old or more who was counted in the census and who has grumbled against me. Not one of you will enter the land I swore with uplifted hand to make your home, except Caleb son of Jephunneh and Joshua son of Nun. 31 As for your children that you said would be taken as plunder; I will bring them in to enjoy the land you have rejected. But as for you, your bodies will fall in this wilderness. Your children will be shepherds here for forty years, suffering for your unfaithfulness, until the last of your bodies lies in the wilderness. For forty years—one year for each of the forty days you explored the land—you will suffer for your sins and know what it is like to have me against you.’ I, the Lord, have spoken and will surely do these

things to this wicked community, which has banded together against me. They will meet their end in this wilderness; here they will die.” (Numbers 14)

According to Jewish tradition, they believed that every year on the same day, Moses would command the people to go out and dig their (own) graves and sleep in them overnight, expecting some to die. One year, nobody died. In previous years, a powerful statement had been made on this day: “Let the living separate from the dead!” This specific year, there was no one to separate. Assuming they had messed up the calendar days, each slept in their graves another night. This continued several nights until Tu B’Av (the 15th of Av). Recognizing the full moon, the Israelites realized their calculations were correct and declared Tu B’Av a day of celebration, marking the end of the desert generation.

The generational curse was broken, and those who entered the promised land (under Joshua’s leadership) represented the motto, “Be Strong and Courageous.” They are akin to the end-of-the-age generation who will take courage and stand for Truth, thus witnessing the greatest glory ever known.

AUTHORITY OVER DEATH

Recently, I dreamed about this final generation. I saw a large crowd of people gathered in groups. A woman shouted, “Has Jesus started God’s Transport?” At this moment, people were becoming alert. Awakening to the reality that the Lord was drawing His Beloved to Him. They opened their eyes and began to see valid evidence of the Lord’s return, which increased their confidence that the Marriage Supper is an actual Kingdom event requiring divine preparation.

Hundreds of powerful events are about to take place before the marriage supper. These long-awaited miracles are the culmination of prophecy and will play out in one span of time. It is the pinnacle hoped for by the cloud of witnesses as they cheer this generation on into the promised land.

I saw these paramount events laid out on the timeline of God. One of which was the separation of the living and the dead. I saw many go home in the Lord, preceding His return, while others lived until His return. I was given a deeper understanding of Revelation 14:13:

“Blessed are those who die in the Lord from now on. Yes, they are blessed indeed that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them.”

Instantly, I recognized why, in the final days before His return, we are granted greater authority over the spirit of death than ever before. This authorization is motivated by the Spirit of Life to ensure the Beloved fulfills the destiny ordained for her before the foundation of the world. The Spirit of Life is eternal, so its purpose goes infinitely beyond the boundaries of time and space. We can see now the connection of Revelation 14:13 with 1 Thessalonians 4:

“But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about those who are asleep, so that you will not grieve as indeed the rest of mankind who have no hope. If we believe that Jesus died and rose from the dead, God will also bring with Him those who have fallen asleep through Jesus. For we say this to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who remain, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore, comfort one another with these words.”

It is imperative that we understand the different realities for those remaining now and even for some born in this hour. Each role is crucial. Some will go on to sleep in the Lord because their destiny is to rise at His return when the dead in Christ rise first. They must go home in Him and return when He returns. The spirit of death will also be in operation, and the enemy will kill many before their time, but they will be immediately risen from the dead to fulfill their calling. Though death is the culture of the world during these perilous times, the Spirit of Life dwells amidst the Sons of God. The Lord has the final say regarding death and life.

Those who remain awake are responsible for courageously executing the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth until He returns. They will be like those who walk in darkness and see a great Light; who live in a dark land, and the Light shines upon them (Isaiah 9). Both groups of people make their home in Him. Jesus said,

“I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die.” (Matthew 11:25)

We are being equipped with strategies aligning us with heaven so that we can pray for what is on God’s heart regarding each situation. A specific allotment of favor will be granted to those who remain on Earth and live to see Him return. Curses, including death, will be broken. This community will understand timelessness.

“But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal body through His Spirit who dwells in you.” Romans 8:11.

End-of-the-age prophecies, which are unique in themselves, have been activated. I implore you to embrace the distinctive message and see your destiny beyond the boundaries of time. What will soon be a reality for us was revealed to me in my dream: timelessness and the process of transportation for the sake of Kingdom agenda and true knowledge.

CONVEYANCE
The woman in my dream shouted: “Has Jesus started God’s transport?”

The transport is not one moment or event. It is the culmination of end-time prophecies and the process to accomplish them. In part, the transport that will take place as described in Daniel 12:3-4:

“Those who have insight will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven and those who lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. But as for you, Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time; many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase.”

Many power encounters will occur upon those who remain, preparing them for His return. In the dream, I saw that their countenances became progressively more transparent with each miraculous conveyance, and joy was evident. They were enlightened and traveled back and forth into the spirit, ascending and descending. They brought inspiration to the land, which encouraged the unity of the faith as they were transported to and from, also increasing in the true knowledge of God. This is spiritual transportation.

I was drawn to the words penned in my book Divinely Powerful: Introducing the Coming Age (page 129):

“Beloved, do not let this one thing escape your notice: With the Lord, a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, and we will arrive at the culmination of all these things. His Beloved will operate in the realm of the Spirit to come to the unity of the faith and the fullness of the knowledge of God. The remnant will have authority inside and outside the realm of time. The understanding that we are not bound to time will

give them the authority to move through time to accomplish all that must be accomplished before the Lord’s return.”

In many ways, this dream resembles the story recognized during the days of Av. A final generation comparable to Caleb and Joshua will enter the new day and will be “transported” into the promised land. God will equip them to conquer giants in the land, even death, and ensure they access His Kingdom. During the month of Av, the celebration occurs midway through the month, celebrating the victory over death and the end of the (generational) wilderness curse. We are entering a time now when the month of Av is relevant to us. We are the generation likened to Joshua, unbound by delay and free from the law of death.

EL SHADDAI

He brought us out of the bondage of Egypt the previous season. By faith, we crossed over, and God, who is El Elyon, revealed His authority as the Most High God, conquering over spirits and principalities that had held us from the breakthrough. There will be another crossing over into new land. El Shaddai, the All-Sufficient One, is performing miracles on our behalf, securing the fulfillment of these promises.

May God Almighty (EL Shaddai) bless you and make you fruitful and multiply you that you may become a company of peoples. May He also give you the blessing of Abraham, to you and your descendants with you, that you may possess the land of your sojournings, which God gave to Abraham. (Gen 28:3_4)

There are many divine attributes of the Father, all of which are revealed in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is God’s expressed image and the exact representation of His nature. However, presently, we emphasize His eternal quality as El Shaddai.

This descriptive expression depicts the Father as our “all-sufficient One,” providing for all that we need. It often depicts Him as the “many-breasted One,” symbolized by a nursing mother providing all that an infant needs for growth, maturity, and protection. In like manner, as we draw near to Him and rely upon His sufficiency, we will be drawing the very tissue of God into ourselves, transforming us into an overcoming body bearing His qualities and attributes.

IMPARTING THE BLESSING

In the book of Genesis, we discover the Lord revealing Himself to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as El Shaddai. In each case, there was the impartation of this specific divine

attribute essential for the patriarchs to become fruitful and multiply and occupy the land of their sojourning. The Lord released this divine blessing upon Isaac, and it was so profound that the enemies of Isaac desired to enter into a covenant of peace with him because of the obvious favor of God.

In Genesis 26 we discover Isaac re-digging the old wells of Abraham. On the day that Abimelech chose to approach Isaac with a proposition of peace, a well was discovered that remains to this day. The well is called “The Well of the Oath” or Beersheba.

THE VISITATION OF JACOB

Immediately following the release of this blessing upon Jacob, a subsequent open heaven experience was granted to the patriarch, unveiling his divine destiny and that of his people. Upon departing Beersheba, he traveled toward Haran and desiring to rest he placed a stone under his head and encountered the Lord in a penetrating revelation of kingdom purpose. Presently, many have been prepared by the Holy Spirit to encounter the Lord in such a way that kingdom objectives are being revealed and imparted so that we can become fruitful and multiply and begin to occupy the land of our sojourning.

Jacob watched as angels ascended and descended a “ladder” linking heaven with Earth and listened as a Heavenly promise was given.

“Your descendants will also be like the dust of the Earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south; and in you and in your descendants shall all the families of the Earth be blessed. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go, and will bring you back to this land; for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you. Then Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, “Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it. He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.” (Gen 28:14-17)

We will purposefully draw near to God during emphasized dates, between August 18 and November 6. We are encouraged to lean in restfully, as Jacob, and hear what the Spirit says. He will speak to us. We will practice the art of listening.

We believe that the sound of thunder will soon roar over a generation, bringing profound revelation. What we hear in the hiding place of Thunder will eventually become the vision of the promised land that we pursue. The month of Av is connected to “hearing” and hearing what the Spirit says. As we hear His Spirit, we will watch the vision unfold (in time), which will happen as we receive the El Shaddai blessing.

THE SEALED BOOK

The “promise land” is the parabolic language describing the heart of the Father that has been concealed until this final generation. The El Shaddai blessing is the blessing of the Father. Av means “father.” As the age continues, those poised to receive will increase in true knowledge, and many will access what is sealed. As previously mentioned, they will go to and fro according to Daniel 12:4:

“As for you Daniel, conceal these words and seal up the book until the end of time; many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase.”

A BROADER UNDERSTANDING OF EL SHADDAI

Although we appreciate the understanding given to us by many authors concerning the definition of El Shaddai as “the all-sufficient One” or the “many-breasted One.” We must also consider what many Jewish writers have suggested concerning this divine attribute as much more far-reaching than our present understanding discloses. As one Jewish scholar put it, “It (the name EL Shaddai) belonged to the sphere of salvation, forming one element in the manifestation of Jehovah, and describing Jehovah, the covenant God, as possessing the power to realize His promises, even when the order of nature presented no prospect of their fulfillment and the powers of nature were insufficient to secure it. The name which Jehovah thus gave to Himself was to be a pledge…”

Charles Spurgeon spoke of this divine attribute in this way, “Here is this name, “El Shaddai;” “El,” that is, “the strong one,” for infinite power dwells in Jehovah. How readily may we who are weak become mighty if we draw upon him! And then, “Shaddai,” that is to say, “the unchangeable, the invincible.” What a God we have then, who knows no variableness, neither shadow of turning, against whom none can stand! “El,” strong; “Shaddai,” unchangeable in His strength; always therefore strong in every time of need, ready to defend His people, and able to preserve them from all their foes.”

In another message preached from Psalm 16:1. Spurgeon furthered his thoughts on this aspect of God’s sovereign power. “I wish we could acquire a more intimate knowledge of the divine character so that, in calling upon Him in prayer, we could seek the aid of that special attribute which we need to have exercised on our behalf. What a blessed title is that of El Shaddai… Then take the other names or titles of God, Jehovah Nissi, Jehovah_Shammah, Jehovah_Shalom, Jehovah_Teidkenu, and any others that you can find, and think how much better we could pray if, instead of always saying, ‘O Lord!’ or

‘O God!’ we appealed to Him under some title which indicated the attribute which we desired to be exerted on our behalf.”

DIVINE INTERVENTION

One of the most profound promises in the New Testament is the precious and magnificent promise that we can become partakers of His divine nature and Holy character, thereby escaping the corruption of this world and its lusts. (II Peter 1:4) When this work is complete, we can then be entrusted with the power and authority of His kingdom to make it known in the Earth and become the awesome army prophesied in scripture.

However, fulfilling this prophetic mandate seems distant and impossible when we look at it from the perspective of our strength and ability. Like Abraham, the realization of our promise requires divine intervention to become reality. The intervention of El Shaddai. The manifestation of God as El Shaddai overcame the deficiency and weakness of Abraham to do what he, by nature, could not. We are incapable of producing on our own, but He is all-sufficient and able to work through us. As we continue to yield ourselves to Him for the extraction of the seeds of corruption from our soul, we begin the journey to become partakers of His nature and escape this world’s impurity. El Shaddai will journey with us to occupy the land and enable us to conquer giants by His authority and impartation. He will continue to equip us to become fruit-bearers with kingdom attributes.

AV

We are watching and waiting with expectation for the entire month of Av, emphasizing the 15th day and all that it represents. The month of Av has timely significance for the Bride of Christ. The first half of Av can be related to a painful birthing process. What is birthed in Av, symbolically, will be birthed in us and through us. It is a personal experience representing the more excellent restoration coming to the Lord’s Beloved. The cruciality of Tu B’Av (15th of Av) has been under-appreciated. The Lord is enlightening us regarding the parabolic significance.

The three weeks of mourning begin on 17 of Tammuz (July) through the 9th of Av. We will be extra mindful in prayer during the highlighted times. We have been in a long season of sorrow and can recognize the parallel in these 21 days of mourning. That time of mourning has come to an end. The time of wandering in the wilderness, waiting

to die, has also come to an end. It is now time to live according to the Spirit of Life that dwells within.

The month of Av is pushed out to August this year due to the extra Adar. It will begin on August 4. The 15th day of Av will begin at sundown on August 18. These days are marked by times of fasting as recorded in Zechariah 8. The Lord encourages the heart posture of the Kingdom and promises joy and jubilation. Note the language below in Zechariah 8:19: the Lord directs them to know the ways of His heart and receive the blessing of celebration:

“The LORD of Armies says this: ‘The fast of the fourth, the fast of the fifth, the fast of the seventh, and the fast of the tenth months will become joy, jubilation, and cheerful festivals for the house of Judah; Therefore, love truth and peace.’ (Zechariah 8:19)

August through October 2024 are significant. The consequential dates will bring and represent this great transition appearing soon within the body of Christ. The significance of these days will have everlasting value for Israel as well. There is a strong emphasis on the 15th day of the month of Av (August 18) and the seven weeks directly following, which lead to the Feasts of Trumpets (October 2).

October will intensify greatly. We must be Kingdom-minded. Our earthly homes should be harmonious. Our spiritual home is in Him. The overcoming bride will not be tangled up in the lies of the land. Though we will continue to address current issues, we will not fixate our entire focus on the world’s woes—we already know that the world holds many sorrows. Jesus has overcome the world. Likewise, let us learn the posture of an overcomer.

GENERATIONAL CURSES

Tu B’Av is a celebratory day recognizing the end of the generational wilderness curse. We understand that every curse is broken by the blood of Jesus. Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us. For it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”. (Galatians 3:13) Though we understand and believe that His blood paid the price for our freedom, it is apparent that certain curses still affect many areas of the body of Christ. We will now see the evidence that these generational curses are broken. We have been in a process like that of a metamorphosis. And we will continue to be transformed into the character and likeness of Christ. As we have yielded to His design, we receive in this transformation, His same authority to break the curse of generations and the curse of death.

Undoubtedly, this is the most passionate generation to walk the Earth. The remnant who remains will, however, lay down (soulish) passion to access eternity. Boundless and free, they will express righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. The Kingdom within is the signature of this era. Joy is the portion. Miracles will manifest, and the sleeping ones will rise. The preparation for the Lord’s glorious return continues whether on the Earth or asleep in Him. It will be a pleasure to model the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth for those who remain.