By My Spirit (2 and 22)

By My Spirit

It was the eve of Yom Teruah (Rosh Hashana 5782) and I was wondering and waiting to hear from the Spirit what the new year would bring. His quiet response came,

“By My Spirit.”

I immediately retrieved these Scriptures from memory.

‘Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit,’ Says the Lord of hosts. (Zechariah 4:6b)

[Jesus said] The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit. (John 3:8, bolded for emphasis)

And there was more. In this post we discuss:

The Wind of the Spirit of the Lord

When God prophesies His unique plans, things often look the exact opposite. It can be difficult to sense the direction of the Holy Spirit because He moves like wind through tree branches. We see subtle effects, and then suddenly, His Word is fulfilled.

Dreams about wind-powered vehicles (sailboats, hand gliders) or water activities (swimming or surfing in clean, clear waters) may indicate that the Holy Spirit is directing things (John 7:38-39).

Our Mental Feet

How can we know that we are walking in the Spirit or being led by the Spirit? Well, the Apostle Paul gave us a very practical and simple indicator in Romans chapter 8:

For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Those led by the Sprit are Sons of God. (verses 5-6, 14)

You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You (Isaiah 26:3).

Discernment and Disclosure

The Lord also highlighted the numbers 2 (discernment) and 22 (Light).

The number 2 is commonly interpreted to mean multiplication (1+1 = 2) or division (1 divides into 2 halves), but as we walk in the Spirit we discover that the number 2 can also represent discernment (a spiritual gift) and confirmation (witness).

By my own lay definitions: Discernment is the ability to distinguish the difference between two things or spirits. A confirmation means something is repeated. It “agrees” that the repeated thing will surely happen sooner than later. A disclosure occurs when secret things are revealed.

The Lord reminded me of two Dreams which I will share here. The first, from several years ago, concerns the Church and the second reveals the spiritual conflict behind politics in the USA.

August 2003 Dream: Two Brides

One woman was in a hotel luxury suite with a secure private patio overlooking the greens. She was there for a weekend event and her husband was enjoying a round of golf. She felt out of sorts without her circle of friends and thought about leaving earlier than planned. Muffled voices came from the suite next door. Annoyed, she phoned the hotel manager to complain about the lack of privacy. He encouraged her not to leave and assured her she was very safe.

The other woman had a room at the same hotel for the weekend, an unexpected reward from her employer for her stellar accomplishments. Oddly, her room had two different sized beds, a king and a twin. She felt grateful for the opportunity to rest and meditate on God’s promises as she curled up on the twin bed to read her Bible. (End)

Interpretation: This dream relates to the Church in a time of transition (the hotel manager symbolizes the Lord). The Bride of Christ sets her mind on spiritual things but still needs to develop intimacy with the King (king-sized bed). In contrast, the worldly Bride focuses on her personal comforts and preferences, which also dominate her prayer-life (the phone call).

July 2021 Dream: Light Overcomes Darkness by My Spirit

I dreamed that as I slept, the bedroom became extremely dark and I saw a dream. In that dream a TV screen opened (a vision) to a vivid, colorful movie. I began to watch.

Scenes 1 and 2

First, as 46’s VP Kamala tried to step up to a small podium, some people resisted this. The lighting of the vision dimmed as she made a speech. She was smiling, but seemed embarrassed by the spotlight and 45’s frequent “barbs.”

Scene 2: A sharp conflict between opposing political camps culminated in a gun battle and a high speed car chase. The black presidential limo tried to escape, but ended up in a cul-de-sac. As the pursuers closed in, it had no place to go. Suddenly, the entire top of the limo including the hood and trunk opened like a sunroof. Out sprang a car-sized black scarab shaped vehicle. It stepped out of the shell of the limo with its jointed legs, just like an insect, and then climbed up a wide vertical rope ladder and out of sight.

Scenes 3 and 4

Scene 3: A boxing match was already in progress. The contestants were two former US presidents: 44 and 45. 44 left for the hospital, wounded. So, the match ended.

Scene 4: The chase scene repeated, except the black presidential limo fled on a different road that led to a dead end. Again, the top of the limo slid open to reveal a beetle-like vehicle which then climbed out and up a ladder and out of sight. The TV screen disappeared (end of vision).

I (in the dream) awakened from the vision to a very dark room and I marveled at the things I had seen. (End, I woke up).

Analysis and Interpretation

This was a dream about a dream with an embedded vision (the TV). If written as an algebraic expression it would probably look like this:

Dream = (Me asleep (see a dream [watch a TV (see a vision)]) + me awake)

In sharp contrast to the thick darkness of the bedroom, the colorful “telescopic” vision disclosed hidden things. (Darkness in this context represents hiddenness. Abraham experienced thick darkness during an encounter with the Lord [Genesis 15:12]. We see clouds and thick darkness around God in Psalm 97:2. Further, darkness precedes God’s glory Isaiah 60:2).

I witnessed a forceful conflict (Matthew 11:12), perhaps because Light never retreats from darkness. It continually advances even when things look the opposite. By My Spirit says the Lord!

Do beetle transformer vehicles exist? I do not know. My research found that the black scarab is symbolic of an ancient “spirit of transformation.” Could it be “driving” the government’s agenda towards widespread changes?

Exposed, it retreated to the second heavens, perhaps to hide for a season (Luke 4:13). A retreat, not a defeat. I wondered why 44, not 46. Further, a repeated scene means the “thing is established by God, and God will shortly bring it to pass.” (Genesis 41:32, NKJV)

The number 22 is one of my favorite numbers. It symbolizes Light. Without Light, there is no discernment or understanding. After all, the things that are visible originate from the invisible, whether darkness or Light. When hidden things become exposed, conflicts may arise.

How we stand is based on where we sit

If the 80 (in 5782) represents the decade of פֶּה (peh), the mouth, then surely what we speak carries weight. The opinions we voice or the stand we take all originate from what we see and discern. What we see and discern will be influenced by where we are positioned (where we sit).

Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the law of the Lord, And in His law he meditates day and night. (Psalms 1:1-2)

The Bible tells us we are seated in heavenly places even while here on earth. Naturally, Heaven’s viewpoint is significantly different from that of broadcast and social media. We are to unapologetically echo what God is saying and doing.

Arise Shine for your Light has come (Isaiah 60:1), And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. (John 1:5).

As we journey into 2022 and keep pressing towards the Light. We are to:

1. Walk in the Spirit and be led by the Spirit by focusing our thoughts upon God’s Word. This produces Fruit and Peace.
2. Exercise spiritual discernment regarding what we hear or see in the Church, in government, and in media (see Prophetic Perspectives).
3. Know that God is Light. Light exposes and overcomes darkness. Guaranteed. As Light advances, darkness retreats.

How will this be? “By My Spirit,” says the Lord. Amen!