Now, as in times of old in Israel, is the season of the olive harvest. This is the last of the beautiful 7 species of the land to come to completion. I love olives!
      Here are a few associations we have in the Scriptures. The dove is sent out from the ark and returns with a sprig of olive branch in its little beak. Olive oil was used to anoint kings. The bride and her 10 friends used olive oil for their lamps. Our Christ experienced a spiritual olive press upon himself at the midnight hour at Gethsamane.
      Thank you, Gary Rich, for your recent articles about Hanukkah, starting this year on 12-16-2006. These numbers add up to 8! The number for departure? For Hanukkah. they used olive oil lamps. And olives could be brought as firstfruit offerings up to and including the first day of Hanukkah. No more olives or any other kind of first fruits could be offered after that last day. The harvest was over. This information is in a fascinating article by our friend MJ Agee dated 9-27-2005 at Prophecy Corner. Thank you MJ!
      And lastly we can think upon eternal spiritual Israel as the olive tree. How generous and gracious for Abba Father and our Christ to start with the ten tribes yet also engraft onto the olive tree so many wild olive engraftings from among the gentiles as ourselves! May we appreciate anew how we are part of the eternal harvest at this time of thanksgiving.Let us pray for that light bearing extra oil for our lamps.
      As always, thank you John Tng for your constant care for us Doves to cling to that blessed hope.

                                                          Jean Stepnoski