The Hebraic month of Elul
5780
Sept. 1 – Oct. 9, 2020
by Lori Perz
We are now flowing in the 6th Hebraic month of Elul. The Hebrew letters of Elul form an acrostic that means “I am my Beloved’s and my Beloved is mine”. That sums up the essence of this month–intimacy with Father, Son and Holy Spirit. It’s a month where we are being invited to draw near to the Lord in a deeper way. He is whispering to our spirit, “Come away with me my beloved”. Will we set aside all distraction and choose to accept this invitation to draw near to Him and hear His heartbeat? “Draw me into your heart. We will run away together into the king’s cloud-filled chamber.” (Song of Songs 1:4 TPT).
Time of Returning
Elul 1 through Yom Kippur, fromSeptember 1-October 9, marks a 40-day window for drawing close to the Lord. Please consider how you can set yourself apart to the Lord afresh in these 40 days! The Hebrew word Elul actually means “to search.” It’s a time of searching our hearts.Therefore, Elul is also a month of TESHUVAH, or repentance, as we move into the Hebrew new year, the 10 Days of Awe, and Yom Kippur. Teshuvah means to RETURN. It’s a time of returning wholeheartedly to the Lord, of returning to our First Love! Acts 3:19-21 TPT states: “And now you must repent and turn back to God so that your sins will be removed, and so that times of refreshing will stream from the Lord’s presence.”
Note that “times of refreshing” can also be translated “cooling breeze”. The Passion Translation states that this hints of the time when God walked with Adam in the cooling breeze of the day. This is a RETURN to original intent.
Ascending the Mountain of God
Many believe that on Elul 1, Moses ascended the mountain of God the second time to receive the stone tablets/10 Commandments. This is about the renewal of the covenant. What does this mean for you? Elul is an invitation for each of you to ascend and COME UP HIGHER. To receive from the Lord. Covenant intimacy renewed. Also, just as God wrote on the stone tablets, He is going to WRITE on the TABLET of your heart anew in this month. “Hold on to loyal love and don’t let go, and be faithful to all that you’ve been taught. Let your life be shaped by integrity, with truth written upon your heart” (Proverbs 3:3 TPT).
Scripture even speaks about God Himself writing on these tablets (Exodus 34:1). After 40 days, Moses descended the mountain on Yom Kippur: “When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand as he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God” (Exodus 34:29).
Fresh Transfiguration
God has been speaking to me for several years now about the FULLNESS of the King of GLORY coming OUT of us, His people, in a new way–like the account of the Transfiguration in Matthew 17. I recently read this Scripture passage and was pondering all of this with the Lord, and later that day, a friend of mine prayed for me and ended her prayer with this same Scripture! I went to an intercessor meeting and we were discussing and praying into all of this and as I drove home that night, I passed a small sign (for a school) in someone’s front yard that said “TRANSFIGURATION”! What confirmation! We are sons and daughters of LIGHT and we are a city on a hill–destined to shine His glory brightly for all to see!
WATCH to see new expressions of God’s glory manifesting from His sons and daughtersin this new season we are moving into!
Key Window of Restoring Gates and Boundaries
Last month (Av), I mentioned that the 52-day timeframe of Nehemiah rebuilding the walls and gates of Jerusalem began. This culminates on Elul 25 (Sept. 25). I believe that we are in a key time of restoring gates, borders and boundaries, even the reality of you and I being the gates between heaven and earth that God’s glory comes through (Ps. 24:7 TPT)! Ask God for revelation and strategy about your gates, borders and boundaries.
Just like Moses ascended Mt. Sinai during Elul to receive the second set of tablets and the covenant was renewed, Nehemiah and his men came together AS ONE during Elul for covenant renewal. They labored with a trowel in one hand and a sword in the other to bring physical restoration, which speaks of the timeframe we are in. We need to be “on the wall” and warring, especially in this “high alert” season in America, while building God’s kingdom. The 52 days speaks of a supernaturally accelerated timeframe, and there have been many prophetic voices speaking about a time of acceleration that we are in right now. One of the ways that we honor God is by honoring His calendar of the Hebraic months, to know what time it is and to be established in His cycle of timing and blessing. This is Father God’s heart for us!
This PHYSICAL restoration of the walls and gates of Jerusalem set the stage for the SPIRITUAL restoration that God brought to the Israelites. Nehemiah the governor and Ezra the scribe teamed together to lead the people in repentance, revival and ultimately sweeping REFORMATION. Isn’t it amazing that God called a government official and a priest co-laboring to do this? Just like Nehemiah’s time, we need this kind of new wineskin to steward this current move of God in America.
We truly are in a new apostolic era. A shift from institutional Christianity to the KINGDOM of GOD. It’s a new era of REFORMATION in which authentic change and transformation comes to an entire nation and culture because of a sweeping move of Holy Spirit. This is the Third Great Awakening that is HERE and poised for greater catalyzing and expansion.
The King is in the Field
One of the phrases connected to Elul is “The king is in the field”, referring to days of old when the king would come out of his palace and set up a tent to meet with the people in the field. It was a time of access to the king. As believers in King Jesus, we know that we have 24/7 access to Him because He tabernacles in us by His Spirit! Yet, Elul is a time of coming even closer to our King.
At the beginning of 2019, Chuck Pierce released a word that “It’s time to plow!” It’s time for the ekklesia to plow to prepare the land and the people for awakening–for HARVEST. Awakening is HERE! Recently, the World Ploughing Contest was held in Lake of the Woods, MN (at northern border near Canada) hosting 30,000 people from around the world! It took place on the weekend of August. 30-Sept. 1. The U.S. portion was held on Sept. 1,the head of the month of Elul–when “the king is in the field”! Can you feel the prophetic implications of this? And, this contest was about HARVESTING–even bringing the harvest in early! And, Elul comes from a root word meaning “harvest”! You truly can’t make this stuff up!
The World Ploughing Contest had not been held in America for 30 years. The number “30” is significant in Hebraic culture. It means “mature son” and it was the time when a son had reached a point of maturity to be able to inherit his father’s business. So, I believe that God is saying that the sons and daughters of the ekklesia in America have reached a point of maturity to inherit the Father’s business–to have a kingdom focus! The KING is in the FIELDS of AMERICA and IT’S TIME to plow and bring in the HARVEST of NATIONS in America!
Elul, Tribe of Gad—Enlarging Domain
The Hebrew tribe associated with this month is the tribe of Gad. Moses released this blessing over Gad: “Blessed is he who enlarges Gad’s domain! Gad lives there like a lion, tearing at arm or head. He chose the best land for himself; the leader’s portion was kept for him. When the heads of the people assembled, he carried out the LORD’s righteous will, and his judgments concerning Israel” (Deut. 33:20-21).
The tribe of Gad gave their best in obedience to God in contending for the Promised Land, and through Joshua, God gave them the best of the land. As we draw near to the heart of God in Elul, our hearts will long to give Him our best, in obedience, out of our love for Him. Father God longs to give us His best, too. “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? (Romans 8:32).
The Gadites not only fought to secure their own land east of the Jordan, they came alongside the other tribes and declared, “We will not return to our homes until every Israelite has received his inheritance” (Numbers 32:18). They displayed maturity and selflessness. We need to exemplify the same qualities if we want to be chosen and empowered to build God’s kingdom in this hour!
September 17: Convergence Date
Several years ago, I discovered that we actually have a Constitution Day in the United States. This year, the Lord highlighted that this date, September 17, synchs up with Israel’s elections! This is a profound convergence. Just as the Constitution is the foundational document for our government, these elections in Israel (which are like a “round 2” of the previous elections in April) are also foundational. God is speaking about the FOUNDATIONS of two COVENANT nations aligning on this day. Additionally, the Middle East Peace Plan will likely be released not long after this date. All of this has massive, global implications. Let’s watch and pray into this!
Feast of Trumpets/New Year and Decade of 5780
As a preview for next month, I want to mention that on Sept. 29, we will celebrating Yom Teruah, the Feast of Trumpets. This is a significant time gate of the Lord. At that time, we will be transitioning from the Hebrew year of 5779 to 5780. Therefore, we’re not just moving into a new year, we’re stepping into a new decade. As I noted before, I believe that the shift that we are in from institutional Christianity to the kingdom is a new ERA and this new decade will be a strong catalyzer of this.
There is a flood of revelation about Yom Teruah and this upcoming new Hebraic year/decade, which I will save for next month’s Word in Due Season.
For now, I want to share a few preview pieces as we move from 5779 to 5780 at the end of September. This is a shift from “9” to “10”. The number “10” speaks of divine order, law and order, completion and the office of pastor (taken from Dr. Barbie Breathitt’s book A to Z Dream Symbology). Consider what it means for us to move into a year that is about completion–like the completion of the Daniel 7:22 Turnaround Verdict that Jon and Jolene Hamill have prophesied about! It’s time for the FULL CIRCLE!
The number “10” also means “full manifestation” and “fullness of time”. Ponder the prophetic significance! God is not only saying it’s a time of completion–it’s a time for full manifestation and fullness of time. Do you see how dovetailed these pieces are? As the full manifestation of the kingdom of God IN us comes OUT of us, and the fullness of time comes, there will be completion and full circle moments in this new year! And, there is a connection to pastors and pastoral ministry in all of this. This new move of God needs the heart of shepherds to release the heart of Father God to steward this well and bring about God’s FULLNESS.
We are also transitioning from the Hebraic decade of the 70’s to the 80’s. The 70’s connect to the letter AYIN, which means to “look and look beyond, and to come of out captivity and be restored”. This is what God has been doing in a profound way these past 10 years! The Hebrew letter connected to the 80’s is PEY. This essentially means “mouth, speak, breath and expression.”
So, we are moving from SEEING to SAYING. From perceiving and gaining insight and understanding through our EYE GATE, to expressing it through our MOUTH gate! It’s a decade of DECREEING and DECLARINGin the kingly anointing that God has given to us (Rev. 1:6). It’s a time to SAY what we SEE from the Lord! We are made in the image of God and our tongues have the power of life and death (Proverbs 18:21). Therefore, our words have CREATIVE POWER. In a sense, our words really do create our world. This is foundational.
In this month of Elul, I bless you to draw near to God as He draws near to you. I bless you to lean back in your Father God’s arms and hear His heartbeat and hear the love songs that He sings over you. I bless you to wholeheartedly obey God out of this deep love, and trust and receive the best that He has for you–and your domain enlarging. I bless you to repent and “change your mindset” and return to God with all of your heart in this 40-day window until Yom Kippur. May you experience a profound return to God’s original intent for you, as you walk in the cooling breeze of His refreshing Presence each day.