The Wilderness Way - By the Numbers

Joseph Herrin (03-06-2012)

Deuteronomy 8:15-16
He led you through that great and terrible wilderness, in which were fiery serpents and scorpions and thirsty land where there was no water; who brought water for you out of the flinty rock; who fed you in the wilderness with manna, which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do you good in the end.

I shared previously that some of the saints, myself included, are finding themselves in a time of transition. Yahweh is leading us forth into a new thing. There are numerous affirmations that this new thing, this path we must take, will be through the wilderness. By this I mean a wilderness in the spiritual sense of the word. The wilderness is a place where the abundance of Egypt is no longer present, where there is hardship, and an absence of creature comforts. It is a place where the flesh is sorely tried, giving opportunity for the Spirit of Christ inside to ascend and for the children of God to find joy in doing the Father’s will. The wilderness is a place especially designed to humble man. Humility is a good thing for Yahweh gives grace to the humble, but resists the proud.

I would share a particular affirmation the Father gave to me that the journey ahead is into the wilderness. About two years ago I purchased a TomTom GPS unit to help me on my travels across the country. This unit was an exceptionally valuable guide to me. Instead of having to print out maps and try to watch the road and maps at the same time, I was able to focus on my driving while the GPS unit gave me audible and visual instructions on where to go, where to turn, and even told me what lane to stay in when driving through cities and towns. In a sense, the GPS unit reminded me of the pillar of fire and the cloud that directed Israel through the wilderness. All they had to do was pay attention to the cloud and follow it when it moved and they would be assured that they would be where God desired them to be.

Significantly, the GPS unit receives its signal from above. It receives location data from satellites high in the sky. It is also Yahweh, seated in the heavens, Who gives guidance and direction to His sons and daughters.

Isaiah 30:21
Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, "This is the way, walk in it," whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left.

About a year ago I updated the maps for my GPS unit, and I also sought to customize the image on the screen. The TomTom GPS allows a user to choose a vehicle image to portray on the screen that represents them as they travel down the road. There is a library of images online that can be downloaded. When I had my 1986 Dodge van I found an image that looked precisely like it, even the same color, and I always thought it looked neat to see it driving down the road on the GPS screen mirroring what I was doing in real life.

When I fixed up the 1972 Carpenter School Bus and began driving it and living in it I looked to see if there was an image of a bus that I could use. There was nothing close. However, the TomTom included instructions on how to create your own image from a photo. It had to be a certain size, and the background had to be red to display properly. A year ago I took a photo of the back of the bus and altered the image to the prescribed format and uploaded it into my GPS. However, when I tried to load the image it would not appear on the screen. I concluded that I must have done something wrong, and left it at that.

I had the GPS mounted in the bus behind the steering wheel, but the glue holding the base to the bus frame came loose months ago, so I set the unit aside as I was not driving and felt no pressing need to remount it. Last week, while parking the bus at Walmart, the time seemed appropriate to remount the GPS. I purchased some Super Glue and put it back in place. I hooked up the GPS and went through the set-up options and saw the image of the bus where vehicle icons can be selected, and I picked it. Voila! It showed up and began appearing as the image driving down the road.

TOMTOM Screen Shot w/Bus Image

I was delighted to see the bus image appearing on the GPS as I sensed that the Father was testifying that it was time to begin a journey. As I have previously mentioned, the bus is 40 years old this year. Forty is a number particularly associated with the wilderness.

Numbers 14:33
And your sons shall be shepherds in the wilderness forty years...

Deuteronomy 2:7
He knows your trudging through this great wilderness. These forty years the Lord your God has been with you; you have lacked nothing.

Deuteronomy 8:2-5
And you shall remember that Yahweh your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of Yahweh. Your garments did not wear out on you, nor did your foot swell these forty years. You should know in your heart that as a man chastens his son, so Yahweh your God chastens you.

Christ was also tested in the wilderness for forty days as He was instructed to fast and then was tempted of the devil. The passages above not only reveal the association of the number forty to the wilderness, but they reveal the nature and purpose of it. The wilderness is a place of testing. It is a place where abundance of that which appeals to the flesh is lacking. Nevertheless, Yahweh’s provision is perfect in the wilderness, sufficient to produce spiritual beings out of fleshly creatures. We also see the wilderness’ close association with humility. Yahweh led His people through the wilderness to humble them. It was in the wilderness that John the Baptist declared, “[Christ] must increase, but I must decrease.”

While setting up the GPS I went into the option to set how the time is displayed. I had forgotten that the time is received automatically from the satellites overhead, and I thought I would have to set it. I was surprised when in large numbers covering the entire screen the time appeared automatically and it read 4:44 P.M..

The Father had revealed to me through a brother in Christ about 8 years ago that the number 4 denotes humility. The Father has since affirmed this to me, and I have observed numerous instances where the Father used this number for myself, or with another, to indicate some experiences were ahead that were related to producing humility, or which would require humility. That this was 4:44 in the evening indicates that this experience is at the end of times appointed for God’s people in this age. This number being repeated three times denotes a fulness, a bringing to completion of a work. The Father has specifically shown me the number 4:44 on my GPS where the image of my bus now shows up, indicating that the journey ahead will be a humble one, and will be used of Yahweh to humble His people.

The witness I have received from these events as I set up th GPS is that the time is near at hand for the saints of God to enter into the wilderness experience appointed to them. This experience is prophesied in the Scriptures.

Revelation 12:6
Then the woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days.

During the same period of time, I received a number of affirming testimonies from other individuals that strongly corroborate this message. I mentioned that Randy Simmons, a brother I have traveled with in ministry, also is going through a transition. His time of sojourning at his grandfather’s home has come to an end, and the Father is leading him into new experiences. The first place he was led to go was to a nearby motor court where he rented a room. He called me and told me that the address of the motor court is 2240 Gray Highway. Gray Highway is also Highway 22. (22 is flesh cutting, and 40 is the wilderness). Randy was given room number 4 (humility).

During this same period of time I received two separate e-mails that gave strong witness to a time of transition and an entering into the wilderness to be at hand. This came from two separate brothers.

Joseph,


After reading your recent blog entries, I thought I'd pass along something that happened to me a few weeks ago.  I start my day by running on a treadmill. Not a new motor powered one, but a garage sale special which is powered by me. It has a battery powered display which counts pulses from the moving track and displays time, distance etc.. This feature has not worked for about a year now, but no big deal. I simply spend my time praying while I run, eyes mostly closed and thinking about whatever is going on at the time.


That morning among other things, I was thinking about the state the world is in and how close things seem to those of us who are looking. I have made the analogy to a couple of people recently how it seems like a computer software install which has a progress bar. The progress bar usually proceeds to near the completion and then sits there for a while as you wonder what is going on. I thought about that  and wondered how longer must we wait as things seem to get worse and worse and societies get more and more wicked.


I realize that God has reasons for everything and that there are things being accomplished that we will certainly understand when this life is over. I had just made that statement to Him in my head when I heard the display on my treadmill chirp. Opening my eyes, I saw that the time was now counting, something that, as I said, has not worked for at least a year. This certainly (in my head) was not a coincidence! The counter advanced to the count of 40 seconds and then the display froze and went back to nonfunctional. So there it sat with 40 (probation/testing) on the display for the rest of my run.

Somehow it seems to me that things will begin happening soon, moving us to our time of testing. I was wondering what your take on this would have been. I am not as good as you and a few others at extracting the full message from things and thought I'd run it by you. This seems to confirm in my own experience, that we are soon to enter our time of trial and endurance. Thank you for your inspiring words and may God continue to bless you.


Dave

One thing that stands out to me is that this treadmill monitor which had not worked for a year suddenly began working. Similarly, it has been 14 months that I have had my bus parked, the brakes were locked up, and then I received a serious leg injury, and all of these things kept me in one place. Recently, the Father not only sent a mechanic to release my brakes, but my leg is healed so that I can travel again. Also, my GPS unit started to display the image of my bus on it a year after I had uploaded the image. Thus, both Dave and I had electronic gadgets that were not functioning properly, but suddenly began working, and in doing so provided a witness and testimony of things to come which are now near at hand.

Also, Dave’s treadmill is a very humble one. It is not one of those motorized, AC powered behemoths with automatic incline control, computer operated resistance settings, etc.. It was a very basic unit, and this is fitting since the wilderness represents a spare and basic walk that the people of God must embrace.

The next e-mail came from Andrew Eberly. Following is a portion of that correspondence. I received Andrew’s letter exactly 1 hour and 17 minutes after Dave’s. This could also be written as 77 minutes later. 7 is a number Yahweh has chosen to indicate fulness of time, as in there being 7 days in a complete week.

Brother Joseph,


I have been reading your Parables Blog regarding recent events and happenings in your life and can attest that we are coming into a time of transition.  I think that it is a profound thing that the Lord moved both you and Randy out of your current residences around the same time.  The Lord has been stirring some things in my heart and I, too, sense that we are in a time of transitioning where the people of God are entering wilderness places (not necessarily literally, but figuratively in that abundances will be removed and we will be tested like the Israelites with hunger and thirst to see what's in our hearts). 


Furthermore, it will be a time when the people of God learn obedience, like our Master, through the things that we will suffer.  Babylon is definitely arising to put the people of God on their crosses!  My prayer is that I will lay down my life willingly, like Jesus did, so that I won't have to be forced on to my cross.


I want to share a couple things that bear testimony and confirm the season that we are in.


The first thing is seemingly little, but today when I scanned a document at work a number is automatically assigned to it and it read 'scan1414.' I normally don't pay attention to this number, but today it leaped off the page. I am reminded of the passage in Matthew 1 about the 14 generations and how God used this number as a major transitioning point in history.  Could we be at a major transition point right now?  I believe that we are, and may be seeing the times of the Gentiles coming to the full (Luke 21:24)...


The (next) thing that I would like to share is a word that the Lord gave me last year on 10/10/11.  You may notice the significance of this number (either double '11' or '111'), but even more so was the time that I wrote down after finishing writing it was 2:22 pm.  I have not shared this word with anyone or written much in my journal since then, but I feel it is timely that the Lord had me just pick it up and read it again today.  Here is what the Father spoke:


"Stand still and be amazed, for I am about to do something in your day that you cannot believe, even if it were told to you.  The United State will be no more.  I will remove its lampstand from its place.  I have seen her defilement and her wound is beyond cure.  I am sending a spirit of judgment and fire to refine my people in her midst, so that they may be preserved during its destruction like Lot and his family were preserved through the fire that fell on Sodom and Gomorrah.  I have done it before and I will do it again."


"Awake my son and stand still and be yet amazed.  The time is approaching quickly.  It will be in your time and in a day and hour when you think not.  Already the enemy stands at the gates and the hordes of hell await the final order to be released to steal, kill, and destroy."


"You will hear my call to flee into the wilderness.  Be strong and faint not in that day, for I will be with you and uphold you with my righteous right hand."


This word seems to fit perfectly with what you have shared recently regarding the Daytona 500 and the fire and refinement of the saints in this hour and being called to leave your present abode (ie. being driven into wilderness places).


May we all find grace and favor in the Lord's eyes and His strength to endure the fiery trials that are coming to the body of Christ. Satan knows that his time is short and he will be a vessel of dishonor in the Lord's hand to wash, refine, and purify the saints to make ready a people fit for the master's use...


Brother Andrew

I would comment on Andrew’s attention being drawn to the words “Scan1414.” When a number or other prophetic element is repeated, it often means that the matter is settled in God’s mind and He will quickly bring it to pass.

Genesis 41:32
“Now as for the repeating of the dream to Pharaoh twice, it means that the matter is determined by God, and God will quickly bring it about.”

I think it is also significant that these repeated numbers 14 were associated with the word “scan.” Looking into the etymology of this word, one sees that it originates from a word meaning to “ascend.” You can see a similarity to these words, but the meaning is obvious. To scan the surrounding land a man would ascend to a hill and have a look around. Thus the word ascend and scan became associated with one another.

Although the wilderness is associated with mankind being humbled, Yahweh led the people of Israel to the mountain. The mountain was a key element of the entire journey, for it was at the mountain that Moses ascended and brought back the Law of God. Moses was testified of God to be the meekest man on the face of the earth, and he was the once chosen to ascend to God’s presence. Similarly, it will be those exceptionally humble servants of God in coming days who will journey into the wilderness, ascend into His presence, and return with His law (rule) written upon their hearts. The glory of Yahweh will be upon them even as Moses’ face shone with the glory of Yahweh when he descended back down the mountain.

Lastly, I will mention that after two days spent parked in my bus at Walmart, the Father led George and I to a nearby campground. We are in site number 11. Joseph was the 11th son of Jacob, and Joseph is my first name. Bullinger, in his book Number in Scripture, writes the following:

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.

These are the things coming to America and the nations, yet out of the chaos and destruction Yahweh will bring forth a purified people who will be to the praise of His glory.

The street address of the RV park I am at is 800. Eight signifies new beginnings, and when a number is raised to the level of the hundreds it represents the nations, or Yahweh’s work among them. There are new things at hand for the nations, and I believe we are being given a brief time to make ready for that journey into the wilderness. Before the Israelites departed Egypt on the night of the first Passover, Yahweh gave them instructions to make themselves ready.

Exodus 12:11, 33-36
And thus you shall eat it: with a belt on your waist, your sandals on your feet, and your staff in your hand. So you shall eat it in haste. It is Yahweh’s Passover... And the Egyptians urged the people, that they might send them out of the land in haste. For they said, "We shall all be dead." So the people took their dough before it was leavened, having their kneading bowls bound up in their clothes on their shoulders. Now the children of Israel had done according to the word of Moses, and they had asked from the Egyptians articles of silver, articles of gold, and clothing. And Yahweh had given the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they granted them what they requested.

Yahweh gave notice to His people to prepare themselves ahead of time that they might depart in haste at the appointed moment. What this preparation will be for each individual will be different. It is necessary for all Yahweh’s children to be attentive to His voice, and obedient to His word. A wilderness journey is set before each of us.

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


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

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