Twelve, Twelve, and Twelve
By Mitiku Adisu
Today is the 12th day of the 12th month in the Year of our Lord 2012. Let me say this; Every day of the month and every month of the year is the Lord’s. In other words, there is no day, month or year that is not the Lord’s. It was God who instituted time in six days of Creation, reserving the Seventh for rest and established weekly, monthly, yearly observances, etc. So what makes today unique other than that it has arrived with three 12s in tow? Well, according to this retired professor of mathematics those who are on the Gregorian calendar and want to see a repeat of a similar event will have to prolong their earthly life by one hundred years!
I am sorry but the likelihood of any reading this post not reaching that mark is 100 per cent. But should that stop us from making a statement of the Century and, per chance, launching few choice words for storage in The Cloud, if only someone would show us how? But first we want to distance ourselves from those who seem to always have plenty of time on their hands to kill, to speculate, and to force meaning into things. I believe my guess is as good as the good professor's.
The first 12 is, therefore, for the 12 Tribes; the second
for the 12 Apostles; and the last, for 12 Gates to the City of
It was one man, Abraham, whom God called to leave the land of his birth, his relatives, and his
father’s home and go to a promised land. Out of the one came a
people – 12 missionary Tribes – whose charge was to live out and reveal to the
world the character of the Eternal God, that is, Yahweh, the Great I Am.
At the appointed time, God sent his only Son, Jesus to enter
Time [commonly referred to as Christmas]. Later, some of his hearers began to
compare Jesus to Abraham. To such his reply was even more perplexing. He said, “Your
father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.” They
shot back, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” Jesus
said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I Am.” He declared further, I am
the Bread of Life [he who comes to me will never go hungry]; I am Light of the
world [whoever follows me will never walk in darkness]; I am the Way, the Truth
and the Life [no one comes to the Father except through me]; I am the Good
Shepherd [the Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep]; I am the
Resurrection and the Life [he who believes in me will live, even though he
dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die] and so on.
This same Jesus “appointed twelve--designating them
apostles--that they might be with him and that he might send them out to
preach.” These preached in the power of the Holy Spirit that Jesus is “the Lamb
of God that taketh away the sin of the world” and that there is now forgiveness
and hope for those who believe. "For God so loved the world that he gave
his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have
eternal life.” The Twelve did not only preach but also left us a
record of what they heard, saw, looked at and touched. And as a result, a great
multitude “which no one could count, from every nation and
tribes and peoples and tongues” believed. The evidence is simply too strong
to not believe. We, too, believe and await Jesus’ return to enter with him into
a place he prepared for all those who believe. Then Time as we know it will
come to an end. The City of
“does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives
it light, and the Lamb is its lamp." No need for Lunar, Gregorian, or Julian
calendars.
John the Apostle wrote down what he saw "what is now and what will take place later" thus: “Now the dwelling of God is
with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself
will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes.
There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of
things has passed away.” Hallelujah!
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