Rebekah and Isaac - a Rapture Love Story for Now/Today!
In my first letter Rebekah and Isaac - a Rapture Love Story I provided some comments in dot points) on Genesis 24. As an important follow on I would like to look at what the Rebekah and Isaac love story may mean for us (prophetically) now/today. Here are my thoughts.
He is sent by the Heavenly Father to quickly find and bring home a bride!
On the Day of Pentecost the Promise of the Father roared into the upper room and tongues of fire appeared to light the hearts of those waiting and ready! The Holy Spirit was sent! Joel prophesies of an end-time outpouring of the Spirit upon all flesh! This final outpouring is imminent, and will quickly identify and purify the remnant bride and make the final preparations of the heart for taking the bride, catching her away, to her Eternal Home (the Rapture!)
Who is the servant? Elijah coming in the Power of the Holy Spirit?
There are two interesting aspects at this time of Chanukah that point to Elijah. First, just before the so-called 400 years of silence (within which are the origins of Chanukah), God promised in Malachi to send Elijah before the Day of the Lord. Is he the servant/prophet (the servant centre candle) who will, through the power of the Holy Spirit, light the candle of each of the seven churches - lit so that their true nature can be revealed, and for them to be given an opportunity to repent! Is this about to happen - chapters 2/3 of Revelation?
He comes unannounced, unexpectedly and uninvited!
As Jesus warned - at such a time as you think not the Son of Man will come! One of the most vital aspects of the servant is that he is sent, and then simply turns up, arrives unexpectedly, unannounced and uninvited one special day. For those who are ready and watching for Jesus we will not be surprised, and our hearts will respond with expectancy when we feel His presence coming nearer!
She’s gone - and we’ve been left behind - the other women!
The women used to come out to draw water in the evening, and would have got to know each other. I believe that Rebekah would have stood out, in both inward and outward beauty and in her purity. Then one day Rebekah was gone - did she even say goodbye? The word would have got around that Rebekah had left quickly and gone to another country to meet and marry her (unseen) husband. How poignant? How sad for the women as they kept coming to the well (their Church)! I wonder how sad it will be when people miss the Rapture, notice who has gone missing and feel the sadness of being left behind. How we wish that many more were ready!
A new appreciation of the gifts of the Spirit - exercised in love!
In these closing days of the Church, the Holy Spirit will seek those who will readily accept his gifts, and be adorned with them. Like two nine holes of a beautiful golf course, the nine gifts and nine fruit of the Spirit show us the course to follow! How beautiful this should be as we edify, exhort and encourage each other! The gifts of the Holy Spirit will be released bountifully through those who have a servant heart (like Rebekah), and with love for one another, and the Lord’s imminent return, as the motivation.
Gifts of wealth and beautiful garments - importance of a servant heart!
When Rebekah gave water to the servant, and then the camels she did not do it for any reward.. She did not expect any reward! But the Holy Spirit adorned her with gold, and later gave her gifts of silver and gold jewels and special garments to clothe her (the fine linen of the saints!) Gifts were also given to her family. While our hearts should not be set on the things of the Earth, the Heavenly Father will provide for the natural needs of His watching servants/bride – and the true wealth that we find in Christ the Living Word,
There will be no more delay in the catching away of the Bride (remnant church)
The family wanted to delay Rebekah’s going to Isaac for (at least) ten days - a reasonable expectation. The servant’s response - do not delay me, and send me on my way. Rebekah’s response - willing to go immediately to a man she had not seen (we should be no longer tied to this world). As we have moved along the prophetic time path, many events appear to hae been delayed. The warnings from the Holy Spirit and prophets, and the urgency and birth pangs we feel inside, tell us clearly that there will be no more delay! Jesus warned us strongly that He comes quickly!!!
Isaac walks across the field (the world) and Rebekah veils her face
In one of the greatest love moments ever recorded, Rebekah saw Isaac in the distance, walking across the field (that speaks of the world) in meditation and prayer. She veils her face so that the moment of face to face love intimate (and infinite) love is kept for within the tent. She had met the servant in the evening, now she meets Isaac in the evening! No words can describe that moment when we all experience the intimate loving gaze of Jesus Christ in His glory! As Paul says in 2 Corinthians 3:18:
But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
The promised blessing for Rebekah
They blessed Rebekah and said to her, You are our sister; may you become the mother of thousands of ten thousands, and let your posterity possess the gate of their enemies. This is a remarkable blessing - that Rebekah would be the mother of tens of millions, a promise to be fulfilled through the Church and also through Israel!
Rebekah comforted Isaac after a time of sorrow (the death of Sarah, Isaac’s mother)
The coming of Rebekah to Isaac provided comfort when he was mourning for Sarah his mother. As a remnant Church that will stand for Israel no matter what, we may need to share a time of sorrow with Israel, before the joy of the Rapture. The coming division of the land of Israel, and Israel’s growing isolation in the world could bring about this time of spiritual sorrow - Zion travailing before it gives birth. But in time this sorrow will be turned to the joy of the Rapture and watching God’s ultimate victory for Israel.
One final question - I wonder when Isaac told Rebekah of his Near Death Experience!
The message of the cross is the central theme of the Word of God, and the shape in the centre of our hearts. Yet Isaac almost wasn’t there for Rebekah - he willingly placed himself on the altar of sacrifice, trusting his father Abraham completely. God provided a ram as a substitute! In surrendering our lives to Him, we find our true identity and life in Christ, and His eternal purposes for each of us. Perhaps one special day he shared with Rebekah this experience, the way of the cross. We don’t know, but it is interesting that even in English the cross is clearly seen:
Through the cross, we enter the tent!!! Denis Maranatha!