- Grafting Gentiles into the Olive Tree of Israel
- The Sphere of Green
- A Sphere of Green encircles the Throne
- The Torah colors of Innocence and Righteousness
Grafting Gentiles into the Olive Tree of Israel:
Observation #1. The Olive Tree requires “grafting” if it is to produce good fruit. Therefore, God’s grafting the Gentiles into the tree of Israel will ultimately only serve to enrich the overall yield of Israel’s fruitfulness.
Observation #2. The Olive Tree is most sacred due to its many associations with the Messiah. In the millennial age the beauty and splendor of Israel will be like that of the Olive Tree (Hosea 14:7).
Observation #3. The Olive Tree is first among the trees and is worthy to be called the King of all trees (Judges 9:8ff).
The Sphere of Green:
In the prophetic vision of Yochanan ben Zavdai the glorious light of Adonai (the LORD) is described as being brilliantly reflected through a cloud of shimmering green, a “rainbow” of luminescent green (a sphere of green):
.ראה ההתגלות פרק ד
מיד הייתי בהשראת הרוח והנה כסא מצב בשמים ועל הכסא יושב. והיושב דומה במראה לאבן ישפה ואדם, וקשת סביב לכסא דומה במראה לברקת. סביב לכסא עשרים וארבעה כסאות, ועל הכסאות יושבים עשרים וארבעה זקנים לבושים בגדים לבנים ועטרות זהב על ראשיהם. ומן הכסא יוצאים ברקים, קולות ורעמים. פ
מִיָּד הָיִיתִי בְּהַשְׁרָאַת הָרוּחַ וְהִנֵּה כִּסֵּא מֻצָּב בַּשָּׁמַיִם וְעַל הַכִּסֵּא יוֹשֵׁב. וְהַיּוֹשֵׁב דּוֹמֶה בְּמַרְאֶה לְאֶבֶן יָשְׁפֶה וְאֹדֶם, וְקֶשֶׁת סָבִיב לַכִּסֵּא דּוֹמָה בְּמַרְאֶה לְבָרֶקֶת. סָבִיב לַכִּסֵּא עֶשְׂרִים וְאַרְבָּעָה כִּסְאוֹת, וְעַל הַכִּסְאוֹת יוֹשְׁבִים עֶשְׂרִים וְאַרְבָּעָה זְקֵנִים לְבוּשִׁים בְּגָדִים לְבָנִים וְעַטְרוֹת זָהָב עַל רָאשֵׁיהֶם.וּמִן הַכִּסֵּא יוֹצְאִים בְּרָקִים, קוֹלוֹת וּרְעָמִים. פ
At once I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne (כִּסֵּא-covered) was standing in heaven, and one was sitting on the throne (הַכִּסֵּא יוֹשֵׁב-the seat of judgment). And He who was sitting (היושב-seated to judge) on the throne was like in appearance a red ruby resting inside a transparent, brilliantly cut diamond; and the diamond reflected the bright light of the fiery red ruby that dwelt within it; and the throne was encircled (completely covered) by a sphere of many shades of luminescent emerald green colors; whose appearance was like a rainbow. Around the throne were twenty-four thrones; and upon the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white garments, and golden crowns on their heads; and out from the throne came flashes of lightning and sounds of peals of thunder.
A Sphere of Green encircles the Throne:
Rainbows are images created by the bright light of the sun reflecting off the tiny droplets of water that issue out of the clouds. In rainbows the host of little water droplets function like “mirror cells” (cf. mirror neurons, the mind’s mirror) that together serve to reflect the image of the light of the sun. The word translated into English as “emerald” in Yochanan’s vision of the Throne of HaShem (the NAME) is used to communicate various shades of green; not just a single color of green (i.e. not just emerald). The Hebrew words translated into English as an “encircling rainbow” (וְקֶשֶׁת סָבִיב) refers to a complete sphere of various shades of green colors that completely encircle and covers the throne at its center (and not a half-circle).
The Torah colors of innocence and righteousness:
This depiction of the Presence of the Holy One as a sphere of various green colors encircling the One sitting on the throne, who is described in appearance as a fiery red (אֺדֶם) ruby (i.e. a Consuming Fire), reveals to us four important things:
Symbol #1. The brilliant red ruby color residing at the heart of the One who is sitting on the throne is symbolic of the righteousness and holiness of the Holy One, who is described as a Consuming Fire (Esh Okhlah)…The Holy One need not be feared by the humble. He is gracious to the humble, not willing that any should perish (in judgment). However, He should be greatly feared by the proud. For He opposes the proud, who arrogantly claim that they are worthy to stand righteous before Him based on their own good works and not through the righteousness that solely comes through exercising faith in His—the Father of Mercies—Kindness and Favor (chesed, chen, chanan) alone.
Symbol #2. The brilliant color of green that completely encircles the throne of the Majesty on High illustrates the pure “innocent,” gracious character (virtue) of God and His heavenly Messiah (green symbolizes innocence).
The pure and innocent color of green reveals that the Messiah is permanently anointed with the Presence of the Spirit of the Holy One and that he is able to manifest individually and corporately through his people (Israel) the powerful works (without limit) of the Spirit.
Symbol #4. “Around the throne were twenty-four thrones; and upon the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white garments, and golden crowns on their heads.”
This is a vision of the Great Court of Judgment (הסנהדרין הגדול-the Great Sanhedrin) where the “Nasi” (נשיא-the Prince) sits at the center seat of judgment with all of the other 24 members (rulers) seated around him. However, here the Nasi is the supreme and sole Judge (HaShofet) of everyone; so that the twenty four elders are present only to bear witnesses to (attest) the purity, completeness, and perfection of the Divine Judgment of the Holy One that resides in and is manifested through His Prince.
Symbol #5. “Out from the throne came flashes of lightning and sounds of peals of thunder.”
This prophetic description is indicative of the brilliance and power of the Presence of HaShem. Out from the Divine Presence comes “lightning.” Lightning is an apt symbol for the Divine Light; both in its swiftness and expansiveness. For the light of the Presence of HaShem is able, in an instant, to ubiquitously appear at one place and every other place—at the same time.
The “thunder” is symbolic of the incredible authority, majesty, and power of the D’var HaShem. Therefore, the prophets and shlichim (emissaries) of HaShem are referred to as sons of thunder. For through these sons of Abraham, Adonai Avinu (the LORD our Father) has spoken to us ‘in part.’ However, in these last days, the Holy One no longer communicates to us in part. For through His Son, the heavenly Messiah, He (Abba Avinu) now both speaks to us directly (supernaturally) and shall one day reveal to us His Face, the all-surpassing beautiful Face of our Father, the Majesty on High (הגדלה במרומים).