The Odyssey Dawns

Joseph Herrin (03-25-2011)

I mentioned in the last post that there is an intensification in my life of signs and events. I believe the Father is indicating that a great transition is at hand. Discerning that these things apply not only to myself, but to the body of Christ, I want to share what I am experiencing and discerning.

Christchurch Earthquake

First, let me begin by recounting some of the very extraordinary things that have been occurring in the world which the Father has been giving forth as signs. In the past year Christchurch, New Zealand (New Zeal Land) has experienced two devastating earthquakes. The most recent one occurred on February 22 of this year. In New Zealand, this date is written as 22/2. In America it would be written as 2/22. Either way we end up with a series of three 2s.

As I mentioned in the last post, the camper/van the Father provided for me some years back that I have been using up until this time is an Xplorer Van Model 222. The Father first sent me out to minister by speaking to small groups in 2008. My van is a 1986 model, so at that time it was 22 years old.

This number 22 has been used profoundly by the Father in my life to represent flesh cutting by the work of the cross. It speaks of the removal of wickedness, and we see this association throughout the Scriptures. Jeroboam, who made all Israel sin by setting up idols at both ends of the kingdom reigned 22 years and God removed him.

I Kings 14:20
The period that Jeroboam reigned was twenty-two years.

The most wicked king to rule over Israel was Ahab. He too reigned for 22 years and God removed him.

I Kings 16:29-30
Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years. Now Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord, more than all who were before him.

This pattern is revealed in numerous places in the Scriptures. Yahweh has established the witness in my life that the number 22 speaks of the removal of the flesh and the work of the disciple’s cross.

That Christchurch (Christ’s church) suffered a great judgment on 2/22 speaks of a double portion of flesh cutting, an intensification of the work of God in refining His people. This sign in the earth was given to proclaim a time of judgment being at hand for the people of God.

I Peter 4:17-19
For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And if it is with difficulty that the righteous is saved, what will become of the godless man and the sinner? Therefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right.

Even the year in which this earthquake occurred is significant. The year is 2011. E.W. Bullinger shares the following regarding the Biblical meaning of the number 11.

ELEVEN

If ten is the number which marks the perfection of Divine order, then eleven is an addition to it, subversive of and undoing that order. If twelve is the number which marks the perfection of Divine government, then eleven falls short of it. So that whether we regard it as being 10 + 1, or 12 - 1, it is the number which marks, disorder, disorganization, imperfection, and disintegration.
[Source: http://philologos.org/__eb-nis/eleven.htm]

These words certainly describe the condition of Christchurch after the earthquake. Of particular note, many churches in the city were greatly damaged, as well as peoples homes. In the last quake it is estimated that 10,000 homes were destroyed and 100,000 damaged. This is in a city with a population somewhat greater than 300,000. As you can imagine, everyone in the city has been impacted by this event.

The Spirit is signifying that a time of judgment is at hand. This time of tribulation is intended to purge, purify and refine a remnant of Yahweh’s people and to bring forth mature sons from the body of Christ that has long remained barren. Although outwardly it will appear that things are falling apart and disintegrating, there will be a few among the body of Christ who surrender to the will of Yahweh with the result of coming to spiritual maturity and a greater conformity to the image of Christ. Consider that the date 22/2 could also be read as a math equation with the forward slash indicating that the first number is to be divided by the second. Even in this we find the testimony of disintegration, disorder, and disorganization as these outer forces work to bring forth an inner order and conformity to Christ.

The more recent earthquake in Japan which occurred on March 11 (3 times 11) indicates even a greater magnitude of judgment and disintegration. If Christchurch symbolizes the body of Christ, then the earthquake in Japan represents the judgment of the world. “If it is with difficulty that the righteous is saved, what will become of the godless man and the sinner?”

The earthquake in Japan has been determined by the Japanese to be a 9.0 in magnitude. The number 9 in the Scriptures signifies judgment.


NINE


THE NUMBER OF FINALITY OR JUDGMENT

for judgment is committed unto Jesus as "the Son of man" (John 5:27; Acts 17:31). It marks the completeness, the end and issue of all things as to man—the judgment of man and all his works.


•    It is a factor of 666, which is 9 times 74.
•    The gematria of the word "Dan," which means a judge, is 54 (9x6).
•    "th orgh mou" (tee orgee mou), my wrath, = 999 (Heb 3:11).
[Source: http://philologos.org/__eb-nis/nine.htm]

In the previous post to this blog I shared some of the remarkable testimonies the Father has placed in my life regarding the numbers 153 and 17. In that post I included the following picture that I snapped in 2009 (the post said 2008) in Fort Wayne, Indiana as I drove to meet a brother whose last name is Fish.

I found this remarkable at the time, but had not noticed until I wrote the last post that the vehicle name was “Odyssey.” I shared that the word odyssey denotes “a long, eventful journey.” A sister wrote to me after reading the post and asked if I was aware that the recently declared military intervention in Libya is named “Operation Odyssey Dawn.” I was not aware of this, but I believe it is significant.

I shared with the sister that my mailing address is Montezuma, Georgia. The capital of Libya is Tripoli. Both of these names are found in the opening lines of the Marine Corps Hymn.

From the halls of Montezuma,
To the shores of Tripoli

The Marine Corps slogan for many years has declared that they are “looking for a few, good men.” This too is the focus of the Father in this hour, and it relates to the number 153. There is a remnant that the Lord has His eyes upon in this last hour, and like those 153 fish in the net, He does not want to lose any of them.

John 6:39
"This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day.”

Although the Lord has set His focus to lose none of those the Father has given to Him, He will nevertheless put them through the fire. Even as New Zealand and Japan are both island nations with large fishing fleets, and both lie along the Ring of Fire, we will see the Lord drawing in the nets in this hour and placing the fish (the sons of God) into the fire. As I have written elsewhere, the expression “sons of God” (Beni Ha Elohim) has a Gematria value of 153. The Greek word for “fishes” (ichthus) has a value of 1224 which is 8 x 153. The New Testament words for “the net” have the same value.

I pointed this out last year as I traveled across the nation. I was sent to a home where the owner’s fishing boat was parked in a prominent place near the house and it had the numbers 8153 clearly marked on it. The Father speaks through many remarkable testimonies.

Note that the letters ID stand for Idaho, but they are commonly used to denote “Identification.” Also note the “09" after these identifying marks, for it is time for judgment to begin at the house of God, and none will be able to escape the shaking that is coming. We are called to endure, not escape.

II Thessalonians 1:4
We ourselves boast of you among the churches of God for your patience and faith in all your persecutions and tribulations that you endure...

Returning to the military action in Libya, the words “Odyssey Dawn” denote the dawning, or beginning, of a long, eventful journey. I believe the Spirit is testifying that such an experience is at hand for the saints of God. What is coming will not be a sprint. It will be a marathon. I have written of this previously, relating it to the voyage of Sir Ernest Shackleton to the South Polar regions in 1914. His experiences, and that of the 27 men who went with him, are recorded in the book titled “Endurance.”

The Shackleton family crest was emblazoned with the expression, “Through Endurance We Conquer.” You can read more about the parable in his expedition here:

http://parablesblog.blogspot.com/2008/10/endurance-part-1.html
http://parablesblog.blogspot.com/2008/10/endurance-part-2.html

Shackleton’s Men Camping on Ice

Ernest Shackleton’s adventure could aptly be described as an “Odyssey.” It was not a sprint. He and his men endured 522 (5 - Grace; 22 flesh cutting) days in one of the most hostile environments on earth. Yet all made it back alive. A few weeks ago I came across a DVD in the documentary section of a video store. It was on Shackleton’s incredible voyage. I purchased it, and have watched it twice since then. I sense that the Father is testifying that the time for His own people’s odyssey of endurance to begin is close at hand.

One thing that impressed me as I watched this documentary is that Shackleton’s voyage began at the same time that World War I was beginning. Seeing that England would be going to war, Shackleton offered his ship and crew to the service of the British Naval War Office, but they told him to continue on his expedition. I believe there is a testimony in this that the odyssey the people of God will pass through will coincide with great conflicts and a time of trouble in the world, but their own battles will not be against the same enemies.


Some saints even now have confused the path God has appointed to them with national patriotism and political systems. This is great error. Our call is to follow Christ wherever He leads, and to see ourselves as aliens and strangers in this land. As the apostle Paul told Timothy.

II Timothy 2:4
No soldier in active service entangles himself in the affairs of everyday life, so that he may please the one who enlisted him as a soldier.

Our service is to Christ. He testified to Pilate,

John 18:36
“My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting so that I would not be handed over to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.”

It is not the will of Christ that His servants become entangled in Tea Party political movements, or other carnal means of combating evil men or establishing an earthly kingdom. Christ declared:

Luke 17:20-21
"The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there!' For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you."

The kingdom of Christ is not of this world. Neither are the weapons of our warfare carnal (fleshly). The kingdom of Christ is within mankind, and our warfare is to bring everything within us into subjection to the rule of Christ. The days ahead are designed to bring the saints to embrace this battle, ruling over the impulses of the flesh and soul which exhort man to deliver himself through force of arms, or the arm of the flesh. Our victory will be in trust and obedience to the One who is our true Ark.

The people of God will be called to suffer many things while entrusting their lives wholly into the care of Yahweh. The number 17 has been coming prominently to mind, and it is stamped upon the following passage of Scripture.

Romans 8:35-39
Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will
(1) tribulation,
(2) or distress,
(3) or persecution,
(4) or famine,
(5) or nakedness,
(6) or peril,
(7) or sword?
Just as it is written, “For Your sake we are being put to death all day long; we were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither
(8) death,
(9) nor life,
(10) nor angels,
(11) nor principalities,
(12) nor things present,
(13) nor things to come,
(14) nor powers,
(15) nor height,
(16) nor depth,
(17) nor any other created thing,
will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Yahshua our Lord.

We can be sure that the experiences and adversaries mentioned in this series of 17 will be encountered by the saints of Christ as they pass through the odyssey ahead. I have been blessed to begin my own odyssey 12 years ago, back in 1999. I have already encountered a great many of those things named in this list, even to being imprisoned for obedience to Christ.

Yahshua has not promised His sons and daughters that they will avoid such experiences. He has testified that He will provide them with all grace that they might pass through trials victoriously. Though outwardly it may appear that the righteous are being overcome by evil men, a great triumph is occurring in spirit realms.

This leads me to a final thing I want to share in this blog. It is another reason that I sense that we are at a time of transition, and this odyssey is set to begin in earnest (Pardon the pun, Sir Ernest).

About a week ago my van broke down beside the road. I had gone to a nearby town to deposit a check someone had sent to me. On the way back the van motor stopped, acting like it was starved for fuel. I looked at my odometer and it read 20202. Removing the zeros, one has the model number for my van, a number that the Father has often used to denote the ministry He has called me to. Vehicles represent ministry, as I have often shared.

I did not have any tools with me, so I called my daughter and she brought me my tools and a can of gas. I replaced the fuel filter, thinking perhaps that was the problem, and by pouring some gas in the carburetor I was able to get it started again. The van died a couple more times on the trip back to the campground, and each time I had to pour some gas in the carburetor to get it going again. I did eventually get it home.

The van is showing other signs of wear. It has begun to burn a lot of oil, and I am convinced that the engine will have to be rebuilt to correct this problem. The brakes are squealing, and the transmission occasionally shifts hard. I told someone that I believe the van is on its last leg, and I will soon have to part with it. I have been praying about this.

One brother wrote to me and said that he was also mindful that vehicles represent ministry. It struck him as significant that I had gotten the motor in my bus running good just prior to the van experiencing serious problems. Perhaps this is a another sign from the Father of the transition that is at hand. It is time for one season of ministry to give way to another.

Like Shackleton’s ship “Endurance” my bus “The Dreamer” has been compared to an ark. My bus will be forty years old next year, and I do not anticipate the Father having me drive it long distances. Shackleton’s ship also did not get far. It became stuck in the ice, and ended its days there. Yet, for a little more than half of his own odyssey, and that of his men, his ship served as a place of refuge.

I have recently been considering taking the bus down to Jekyll Island. These thoughts are especially desirable at this time, for the beach is the only place I have ever known relief from severe pollen allergies in the Spring. The past couple days have been miserable. I am mindful that Shackleton’s odyssey began after departing “South Georgia Island,” and Jekyll Island is a South Georgia Island.

I do not know for certain whether I will be going there, nor do I want to narrowly define the time period for these things that are coming to the people of God. I share these things for the Father seems to be intensifying signs at this time. There is much to ponder. My desire is to remain alert and watchful, and I exhort all the saints to do the same.

May you be blessed with peace and understanding in these days.

Post Script: As I continue to ponder the symbolism of the experiences I have recently been going through, it seems significant that my van broke down as I was on a trip to the bank, and that the van is starving for fuel. The Father has given testimony to the fact that America's banking system will collapse at some point not too far in the future. Also, there will be great disruptions in the supply of fuel.

Heart4God Website: http://www.heart4god.ws  

Parables Blog: www.parablesblog.blogspot.com  

Mailing Address:
Joseph Herrin
P.O. Box 804
Montezuma, GA 31063