4AM Awakenings

Studying Thomas in the bible before bed...  I woke up at 4 am with the thought, “Thomas became that double edged sword when he came into agreement with, or believed that Jesus was raised from the dead.”  Knowing that his name means “twin” and knowing that a double edged sword is a twin blade; that was the connection that I woke up making.  It  also means to be coupled with or joined together.  And that is what we are doing when we receive Christ as our LORD.  We are joined to him.  Adhering ourselves to Him.  (like the woman who “touched” the hem of His garment, adhering herself to Jesus).

Also, knowing that it takes agreement with heaven to establish something, or agreement with the enemy of a lie to be bound, it is imperative we recognize what and who we are joining to.

The first place we see “Thomas” is in Mark 3:18.  This is in a passage where Jesus calls His choice of the 12 to himself “that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach, and to have power to heal sicknesses and to cast out demons…”

Then there’s the list of names… I’ve listed them in order.  

Simon: to hear, to listen, to obey, to yield

Peter: rock or stone

James: supplanter

Zebedee: my gift or endowment

John: Jehovah is a gracious giver/Jehovah has graced

James: supplanter

Boanerges: sons of thunder (a roar)

Andrew: a man/a betrothed or future husband

Phillip: lover of horses/friend or associate/friend of the bridegroom who on his behalf asks for the bride’s hand in marriage and renders him various services in the closing the marriage and celebrating the nuptials

Bartholomew: furrow/to create a furrow

Matthew: gift of Jehovah

Thomas: twin/to be joined to/to be coupled together

James: supplanter

Alphaeus: in exchange for/to sprout again/begin anew

Thadaeus: large hearted, courageous

Simon: to hear, to listen, to obey, to yield

Cananite: zealous/jealous for God

Judas: he shall be praised/to throw, shoot or cast arrows

Iscariot: men of Kerioth/to be weak, sick frail, incurable, desperately wicked, woeful

As disciples we are called to hear, listen, obey and yield to the “rock”, He is our supplanter, our gift or endowment because Jehovah is a gracious giver and has graced us with the supplanter.  As sons of thunder, we will roar about this man, this betrothed or future husband because we are his friend, like friends of the bridegroom who on his behalf ask for the bride’s hand in marriage and render him various services in the closing of the marriage and the celebrating of the nuptials.  We are sent out to create the furrows for the gift of Jehovah. So others can be joined to and coupled together with the supplanter.  In this exchange they will sprout again and begin anew.  Becoming large hearted and courageous, they will hear, listen, obey and yield to the LORD.  They will be zealous.  Jealous for God.  When He is praised, His name confessed, arrows will be thrown, shot and cast at the origin of sickness, weakness, frailty, the desperately wicked and woeful. 

Now, back to a double edged sword

Thomas: twin, to be joined to, to be coupled with

Becoming a disciple of Jesus, coming into covenant with Jesus is coming also coming into agreement with His identity and the power of His name. We become that other edge of that double edged sword, just like the disciples did...