Moses puts it all in perspective in his prayer in Psalms 90: 1-2: “My Lord, You have been our dwelling from generation to generation. Before the mountains were born, or You gave birth to the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God!” When God put the earth in order and placed the sun and moon for signs and for seasons, time began. Ecclesiastes tells us that God is a God of timing: “There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven.” God is sovereign over human history and determines the timing of significant events. According to Galatians 4: 4-5 Paul writes: “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive adoption as sons.” God’s timing is perfect and is moving forward hour by hour, minute by minute ultimately highlighting the eternal plan of salvation through Jesus Christ, the Author and Finisher of our faith! God wants us to understand and recognize the divine shifts when God changes the times and seasons.
Truly, change is ahead. Paradigms are shifting. New approaches to life and work are going to be necessary as the clock strikes a new hour and a new era that will set in motion a time of grace and reset according to heaven’s blueprint that God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven! In order to grasp the full impact of this shift, it is important for us to do a review of the Hebrew meanings of numbers for this present year 5784/2024 and look forward to the possible prophetic pictures for 5785/2025. The meanings revealed in the numbers for 5784/2024 were: doors or new pathways begin to appear (we saw this in the election); signs in the heavens (we saw this in the eclipse and now in the drones); times of vulnerable defenses (we see this in the border crisis and unrest among nations.) Now, let’s look at the meanings for the upcoming year 5785/2025 and how they may affect this nation, world and us personally: watch for activity in the air and sea; powerful manifestations of the Spirit; new administrations will be tested; old foundation weaknesses will be tested and a fall will occur. Let us keep this in mind as we move forward into the new year. But I want us to focus personally on the Hebrew year 5785 and how God wants to move in our lives in a special way—to come alive and be revived in Christ in 2025!
Scripture reveals how God speaks not only through words but through numbers as well to unfold His plan. For example, we have God as a Trinity—God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirt—the three members of Divine perfection. Let us look at the number 5 found in this year’s dates on both our calendar and the Hebrew calendar. The number 5 in scripture is the number of God’s wonderful grace! In Genesis 1: 20-21 we read of the manifestation of God’s grace in bringing living beings into existence on the fifth day. In the Hebrew, the words: life, living and living thing occur five times! On the first day of creation, the Hebrew word for light appears five times—God’s grace in bestowing light upon a dark world! Grace is the number of God’s underserved favor. How wonderful that God, who brought life into the natural world, can bring spiritual life through His Son, who is the Light of the world. The easiest way to remember it is God’s Riches, at Christ’s Expense. So, we see in the year 5785 that it both begins and ends with the number 5 which is double grace for 2025! Isaiah 30: 18-21 says: “The LORD is longing to be gracious to you. Thus He will be exalted, so He may have mercy on you. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for Him.” The present time known as the Church Age or Age of Grace in God’s order has extended for almost 2000 years! Only God knows the time that Jesus will return to this earth to Rapture His Bride so we must recognize our need for God’s grace and receive it as a free gift, acknowledging our sinfulness and dependence on Him. We need to understand that God’s grace is not based on human merit, but on His sovereign love and mercy. We must allow God’s grace to transform our life, seeking to live in obedience to His will and demonstrating His character to others. We are to reflect God’s grace to others, demonstrating kindness, compassion, and mercy, just as He has shown to us.
Next, we will look at the number 7 in scripture which is the number of divine fulness, perfection, and completeness. God set time in the order of seven days with the seventh day being a day of rest. Seven appears throughout scripture but especially in the Tabernacle: seven-branched lampstand (Menorah); seven days of consecration; seven Levitical divisions of priests; seven offerings; seven-fold pattern in the architecture and furnishings. Seven is associated with God’s sovereignty and authority and in Revelation is associated with God’s judgment and Divine fulfillment. In summary, the number 7 in Revelation appears in various contexts, including the seven churches, seals, trumpets, bowls, mountains, kings, angels, and spirits, emphasizing the importance of God’s judgment and plan for humanity. All are reflections of the Divine perfection. God wants to complete His work in us—5785!
The number 8 in scripture is resurrection or new beginnings. Eight people were saved in the Ark and had a new beginning. Bethlehem, where Christ was born, is mentioned exactly eight times in the New Testament. From the time the Passover lamb was selected until the time of sacrifice was 8 days. Christ was the Lamb of God sacrificed for the sin of the whole world! In the 40 days after His resurrection He appeared 8 times before His ascension into heaven. Forty is the product of five (symbolizing grace) times 8 (symbolizing a new beginning). It is therefore only by God’s grace and love that man will someday be given a chance for a new beginning, as promised in the Word of God. Jesus began the Sermon on the Mount, his introduction to the New Covenant, with the beatitudes. The beatitudes are a list of 8 behaviors or attitudes that, if manifested in this life, will receive a reward or blessing from God. 1. The poor in spirit (contrite before God) will inherit the Kingdom of God (Matthew 5:3, Luke 6:20). 2. Those who mourn (hate to see sin and its consequences) will be comforted (Matthew 5:4, Luke 6:21) 3. Those who are meek (humble) shall inherit the earth (Matthew 5:5). 4. Those who hunger and thirst after righteousness will be filled (Matthew 5:6, Luke 6:21). 5. Those who are merciful shall receive mercy (Matthew 5:7). 6. Those who are pure in heart (who have a clean conscience) will see God (Matthew 5:8). 7. Those who are peacemakers shall be considered the children of God (Matthew 5:9). 8. Those who are persecuted and reproached for believing in God and Jesus shall inherit, for all eternity, the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 5:10 - 12, Luke 6:22 - 23). God wants each of us to experience a new beginning—putting off the old and putting on the new in Christ—5785! The message is clear from God to each of us!
God is doing new things in the earth. He’s making some radical changes. Unfortunately, some people won’t be able to receive these changes. They won’t be ready to move with God in His process of bringing us from the old to the new. The shift is coming, but will we recognize the timing and will we be ready? In scripture when God begins to do something new, it is often something that was hidden. He often keeps it a secret right up to the last minute. God is changing the times and seasons—His timing is perfect! We must be alert and flexible. As the processes of God’s plans unfold, the new is connected to the old and in fact, is often the result of what happened in the old. We have seen this principle occurring over and over in the Bible. His overall agenda does not change. He simply takes us through one phase of a process in which our perseverance and faithfulness have allowed Him to shift us into the next phase.
God changes the time and season, transforming us into His image. 2 Corinthians 3: 17-18 says: “Now the Lord is the Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 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 from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” When God’s glory shines upon us, He transforms every fiber of our being: renews our mind, cleanses our heart, invigorates our body. May 2025 be the time our body, soul, and spirit will fully experience His Presence and be awed by His glory! 2 Corinthians 4:6 says, “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ is the One who has shone in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.” Paul points us to Jesus’ example in Philippians 2: 1-5: “Therefore if there is any encouragement in Messiah, if there is any comfort of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if there is any mercy and compassion, then make my joy complete by being of the same mind, having the same love, united in spirit, with one purpose. Do nothing out of selfishness or conceit, but with humility consider others as more important than yourself, looking out not only for your own interests but also for the interests of others.” He instructs us to get personal with God in verses 12-13: “Therefore, my loved ones, just as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now even more in my absence—work out your salvation with fear and trembling. For the One working in you is God—both to will and to work for His good pleasure.”
We must stop and evaluate our life as we move from 2024 into a new year 2025. We must look back on where we have been, look at where we are and seek God’s direction as He desires to do a new thing in our life—He wants to get personal with us in 2025! We must not despair about the aspects of our life we don’t understand. God knows what He is doing. And when the time comes, we’ll rejoice at how specifically and perfectly He’s provided for us all along! We must press into Him and press on with Him by opening His Word each day that is our portal to God and let it direct our prayers. His Word reveals God’s purpose for our life and imparts His wisdom and grace upon us. God wants us to enjoy victory as opportunities are presented to us. God wants to reveal His timing, His will, and His way! He wants us to hear His voice and follow Him.
God has made intimacy with Him possible. But all too often, we hold back. Distracted by earthly concerns and we put limits on His involvement in our life and set family and friends as higher priorities. May we commit to placing the Lord first and pursuing Him with our whole hearts in 2025! Jesus said in Mark 12: 30: “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind, and with all your strength.” Paul encourages us in Galatians 6:9: “Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we shall reap if we do not grow weary.” This should be a great encouragement to each of us. This season of our life may be trying—a time of plowing, standing, believing and persistent praying but we must look at the bigger picture—God’s perfect timing and press on, doing what is necessary at such a time as this so that we will reap a harvest that brings glory and honor to God! Our times are in His hands!
Meditate on and pray Psalms 64 for our nation —Another Prayer of Moses as he prays for Protection from Conspiracies:
Protect us from the enemy terrorists. Protect us from the plots of evildoers and their evil schemes. Protect us from the bitter and lying words of those who target the innocent. Protect us from the evil plans and secret traps designed to cause fear. Protect us from the agendas to bring injustice. Protect us from perversion of men’s hearts that is deep—the Deep State. BUT GOD will shoot arrows and wound them with His Divine justice. Their tongue will be their downfall, and fear will come upon them. All will see and declare the work of God and be amazed at what He has done. The righteous will be glad in the LORD and take refuge in Him and give Him praise and glory! AMEN—So be it in 2025!