Podcasts about First Fruits

In today's podcast, Kids Ministry Director Jared Campbell talks about the fruit of our labor for both God and man.Reading Plan: Old Testament - Ezekiel 44-45Psalms - Psalm 136:23-26Gospels - John 12:37-50New Testament - Revelation 7:1-8Visit https://www.revivalfromthebible.com/ for more information.

Listen to Chuck Pierce speak on "Kislev Firstfruits: Making Adjustments as YOU War for Your Promise!"

This week’s message calls believers back to the spiritual power of putting God first—in our day, our priorities, and our trust. From Jesus rising early to pray, to the widow who honored Elijah with a cake, to the biblical commands of firstfruits, Scripture shows that giving God the first is an act of love and allegiance. When the first is holy, the rest is blessed; when it’s withheld, everything else is hindered. As we look ahead to the end of 2025 and beyond, we’re challenged to reorder our hearts, practice opening ourselves to God, and let our “first” declare who truly sits on the throne of our lives.(00:00) Walking in Victory With God(02:43) The Concept of Firstfruits(08:00) Prioritizing God in Everyday Life(21:26) Provision Through Honoring God First(26:47) The Power of First Fruits(34:58) Faithful Giving and Prioritizing God(48:20) The Joy of First Fruits Givinghttps://citylightnyc.com/ 

Join us for a very special Thanksgiving Celebration at Summit Church. Pastor Wayne introduces a new original Thanksgiving Song, we celebrate Baptism and have a powerful time of sharing Testimonies as a congregation. We'll finish our Study of 1st Corinthians in Chapter 16 with a message titled: "First Fruits & Final Words." You can also find out more about Summit Church by visiting: www.MySummitChurch.com Join us for IN-Person Worship, 10:30am Sundays at 4240 N Perry Park Road, Sedalia, CO 80135 Or across our many Social Media Streams. #Church #DrWayneHanson #BibleTeaching #SummitChurch #Jesus #Praise&Worship #WayneHanson #Culture #Politics #Celebrity #Humility #Recovery #ARCchurch #Priorities 3 Ways to Give There are 3 ways to give at Summit Church today. You can give by envelope, give online at www.MySummitChurch.com and hit the DONATE button or TEXT your gift to 303-625-9434, follow the prompts on your smartphone (this method is FREE and there is no carrier charge to give by phone)! Mail Your Donation to Summit Church 200 S Wilcox St #243 Castle Rock, CO 80104 https://www.facebook.com/summitchurch... Want to Learn How to Start a Relationship with God? visit: www.29Minutes.org CCLI License - Summit Church CCLI Streaming Plus License #20939176 CCLI Church Copyright License #11543919

In this week's sermon on Leviticus 23:9–14 and 1 Corinthians 15:13–28, Robin Kinstead continues the Thanksgiving for Jesus the Messiah series by teaching on the Feast of First Fruits and its fulfilment in the resurrection of Jesus. He explains how Israel offered their very first sheaf of grain to the Lord as an act of trust, gratitude, and anticipation of the full harvest to come, and shows how this practice points forward to Christ as the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. Robin contrasts “first fruits” with the imagery of “FOGO” (waste), urging believers to offer God their best rather than leftovers in their time, talents, resources, and spiritual devotion. He also highlights how Jesus' resurrection guarantees the future resurrection of His people, shaping how Christians persevere through waiting, suffering, and even death with confidence in God's promises. 5 Questions to Think About 1. What “first fruits” is God calling you to offer Him—time, talents, treasures, or attitudes—and what might currently be “FOGO” instead? 2. How does the Feast of First Fruits in Leviticus 23 deepen your understanding of Jesus as the first to rise never to die again (1 Corinthians 15:20)? 3. Where do you need to trust God's promises in seasons of waiting, just as Israel trusted God would bring them into the land? 4. How does Jesus' resurrection reshape the way you view death, grief, and the hope of seeing loved ones again? 5. What current commitments or habits might need re-ordering in light of the future harvest God has promised?   3 Things to Take Away 1. Jesus is the first fruits of resurrection — His victory over death guarantees the full future harvest of all who belong to Him. 2. First fruits belong to God — Followers of Jesus are called to give Him their best, not their leftovers, in every area of life. 3. Hope sustains perseverance — Because God is a promise-keeper, believers can endure hardship, wait with patience, and live confidently in light of the coming resurrection.

Many Christians are familiar with the Old Testament tithe. In fact, Deuteronomy 14 teaches how tithes help God's people prioritize Him and care for others. What might surprise many is that tithing is meant to be an act of worship.Listen as Pastor Kevin Pobursky shares our latest message, First Things First, explores how our generosity truly begins when we remember that God comes first.

Deuteronomy 26:1-11 - Firstfruits and Tithes 26 When you have entered the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance and have taken possession of it and settled in it, 2 take some of the firstfruits of all that you produce from the soil of the land the Lord your God is giving you and put them in a basket. Then go to the place the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his Name 3 and say to the priest in office at the time, “I declare today to the Lord your God that I have come to the land the Lord swore to our ancestors to give us.” 4 The priest shall take the basket from your hands and set it down in front of the altar of the Lord your God. 5 Then you shall declare before the Lord your God: “My father was a wandering Aramean, and he went down into Egypt with a few people and lived there and became a great nation, powerful and numerous. 6 But the Egyptians mistreated us and made us suffer, subjecting us to harsh labor. 7 Then we cried out to the Lord, the God of our ancestors, and the Lord heard our voice and saw our misery, toil and oppression. 8 So the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great terror and with signs and wonders. 9 He brought us to this place and gave us this land, a land flowing with milk and honey; 10 and now I bring the firstfruits of the soil that you, Lord, have given me.” Place the basket before the Lord your God and bow down before him. 11 Then you and the Levites and the foreigners residing among you shall rejoice in all the good things the Lord your God has given to you and your household.

What if gratitude could become a way of life—even on the hard days? Pastor Matt explores how seven ancient festivals from the Old Testament point us toward seven powerful reasons to live with overflowing thankfulness every day. Discover how Passover, First Fruits, Pentecost, and four other feasts all foreshadow Jesus and reveal what we have in Christ: forgiveness, new life, resurrection hope, empowerment, cleansing, and God's constant presence. Whether life is amazing or difficult right now, this message offers practical ways to cultivate lasting gratitude through faith.

I. An unlikely place II. An unlikely person III. A glorious profession 

Who truly sits on the throne of your heart? In Part 3 of our Kingdom Impact series, Pastor Travis Hearn delivers one of the most honest and spiritually challenging messages yet: The Battle for First Place. This isn't just a sermon about priorities—it's a revelation about possession. What owns your decisions, your emotions, your values? Is it fear, money, opinions, shame—or is it Jesus Christ? We kick off with Savvy's powerful testimony, and story after story of how God has transformed lives through Impact Church. From a man on the edge of suicide who found purpose in Christ, to a couple whose broken marriage was resurrected through surrender and service, this is what Kingdom Impact looks like! With passion and realness, Pastor Travis dives deep into the spiritual battle that rages daily for first place in our hearts. He reminds us: “Whatever is first place in your life sets the pace in your life.” In this message, you'll discover: Why the throne of your heart is the most contested territory in your life How money—more than anything else—tries to dethrone God Why tithing isn't about giving money, but proving trust The blessing God promises when we test Him in this area (Malachi 3:10) It's more than a teaching—it's a wake-up call. It's not about God needing your money. It's about whether He has your trust, your heart, and your allegiance. This is the moment to reorder your life. To put God back where He belongs—FIRST. Because when He's first, everything else falls into place. When He's not... everything else falls apart. Let's make an impact. Let's win the battle for first place.

Firstfruits are the Best Fruits

Amos concludes our God's Got Room series on Commitment Sunday

Welcome to Orrville Christian Church!Chapter Timecodes & Key Points:0:00 – Introduction & Holiday Context – Discusses Christmas services, preparing homes, and the metaphor of a cluttered garage representing spiritual life.1:53 – Spiritual Clutter – Distractions, neglected priorities, and unattended sins slowly creep in, affecting our relationship with God.3:37 – Malachi 3 Overview – Encourages honest reflection on self-deception and drifting spiritually; God calls for a return to Him.4:09 – The Three C's of Malachi 3 – Constant: God's unchanging character and people's unfaithfulness.7:20 – Confrontation – God challenges Israel on tithes and offerings; the principle of returning to God through giving.9:37 – The Challenge – Practical teaching on tithing: first fruits, Levitical tithe, festival tithe, and poor tithe.15:06 – Trust & Obedience – God calls for trust in adverse conditions; returning the whole tithe demonstrates faith.16:07 – Biblical Principle of First Fruits – Proverbs 3:9-10 emphasizes honoring God with the first and best of finances.18:09 – Practical Illustration with Apples – Visualizing financial stewardship and prioritizing giving back to God.21:46 – Practical Takeaways – Enroll in Financial Peace University, start a 90-day tithing challenge, and grow in generosity.26:22 – Closing & Prayer – Encouragement to put God first, live for His mission, and give with faith and joy.Scripture References:Malachi 3:6-12Exodus 3:14Proverbs 3:9-10 -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------We're so glad you're here! Visit us online at www.orrville.church Or connect with us on:• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/orrvillechristian.church/ • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/orrvillechristian/• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@orrvillechristianchurch5959 If you'd like to partner with us in giving, you can give online here: https://www.occgive.com/ As our guest, please feel no pressure to give—this is for those who call OCC home. Let us know you're listening! Fill out a Connection Card: https://www.orrville.church/connect We'd love to meet you in person! Join us any Sunday at 8:30, 9:45, or 11:00 AM

When the day of Pentecost came . . . they saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. — Acts 2:1-3 Many of us view rules or laws negatively. Speed limits can seem to bog us down, and who wants to pay extra taxes? Even God's law can feel restrictive at times. But, of course, all of these things are important.The Feast of Weeks—taking place seven weeks after the Feast of Firstfruits (see Nov. 20)—celebrated the wheat harvest, and it became an occasion to thank God for the gift of his law. Yes, that's right—as the Israelites lived in the presence of a holy God, his law taught them how to live in a way that was pleasing to the One who had redeemed them.Of course, Israel's struggle was that obedience was not just difficult—it was impossible. And the same is true for us. Look back over the past day or so, for example. Have you kept from saying unkind words? Have you resisted every bitter thought? Have you avoided the subtle sins of greed and impatience? Not one of us can obey God's law perfectly.On the Feast of Weeks, God sent his Spirit to renew us in terms of celebrating the harvest as well as the law. The Spirit empowers us for the greater harvest that God has prepared, bringing people from every nation into his kingdom! And the Spirit transforms us to act with true obedience from renewed hearts. If you have received Jesus as your Savior, his Holy Spirit is shaping you for mission and obedience! Father, help us to live with glad obedience to you, in gratitude for all that you have done for us in Jesus. Amen.

Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. — 1 Corinthians 15:20 A member of my church was diagnosed recently with terminal cancer. Another family close to me is watching as dementia robs their family member of memories, one at a time. A colleague recently died unexpectedly, leaving behind a dear wife and two children. Daily headlines announce war, disease, and natural disasters. In short, we live in a world marked by death.The Feast of Firstfruits pointed to a glimmer of hope on the horizon. The people offered God a portion of the first crops of their barley harvest. The offerings were given in gratitude and as an act of trust that God would continue providing for his people. This feast signaled that the first of the crop would lead to more.On the Sunday after Jesus' death, the sun rose bright on the Feast of Firstfruits. Jesus, the firstfruits of resurrection, opened his eyes from the sleep of death and walked out of the grave, alive! He was the first, but he will not be the last. All who believe in him will also rise from the grave, brought out of death into life!To know what we will be like after rising from the grave, we need only look to Jesus. A perfected body and mind. No more dementia, no more cancer, no more Parkinson's, no more depression, no more wearing out of bodies and minds!The Feast of Firstfruits invites us to trust that Jesus' resurrection was just the beginning—and there is more to come! Lord of life, comfort and sustain us with the hope that we will join you in resurrection! In your powerful name we pray. Amen.

Manifesting First Fruits (1) (audio) David Eells 11/19/25 Jesus Is Coming in His First-Fruits Teddy Lishan Desta - 06/22/2005 You shall rise up in My Name, you shall stand in My very Glory. In the majesty of the Name of your God, you shall shepherd My flock (Micah 5:4-5). For the sake of My Name, which I have bestowed on you, and for the Divine strength I have put in you, the obedience of the nations shall be yours, and all the nations of the earth shall bring their homage to you. All the nations shall be blessed through you (Genesis 49:10; Psalm 72:11). For your God has anointed and glorified you, you shall be made princes and leaders to the nations; and a people who knew not you, shall follow you (Isaiah 55:4; 32:1). You have eaten from the hidden manna; you have received the white stone. You have passed through the deep waters of afflictions, and you have overcome your trials. Therefore, I have given you access to My presence; I have made you My cherished heritage. You have been made a royal vessel, a chosen seed to carry My Name. Arise now and display the white stone and manifest the Name written on it (Revelation 2:17). Arise and proclaim the hidden manna, I have fed you all these years. What you have heard in secret, now you should proclaim in the public; what you have been told in the ears, now you have to shout it from the rooftops (Matthew 10:27). I have made you the express image of My Son, and the manifestation of His invisible power (Hebrews 1:3; Revelation 3:12). You shall soon leave My hiding place, and you will carry His Name before the nations. And those who do not bow down to this Name, they shall fall and never rise again (Psalm 45: 5-7). This is the day your Lord has chosen to magnify His Holy Name above all names. I have shaped you all these years in the furnace of affliction. You have languished under a heavy burden and endured the rod of My chastisement. I have intended you to be a caring leader, so I have chosen you by fire (Isaiah 49:11). But look, I shall come to you to open your grave and to release you from your dungeon. I shall come to you to shake off your dust and to change your humble state. When I exert My resurrection power on your behalf and raise you from the dead and sit you on a throne in the highest place of this world, then you shall be like one who dreams. I shall place you above all dominion, principalities and powers, and all those who will see this will acknowledge that I have exerted the exceeding power of My strength on your behalf. I have anointed you for My grand purpose. You are the chosen instrument to bring to an end the groaning and sighing of creation (Romans 8:19). You shall gather the little ones in your nurturing arms, and they will thrive under your protective care. The poor and the needy shall get solace under your guidance, and you shall destroy their destroyer and make their Earth to rest in peace. You shall be the spring shower on the dry land. The lives that have been blighted by sin shall be healed and restored. The weak and the oppressed shall have their lives revived under your sight. You shall raise the dead and restore the deceased. You will be made the dew of light, which shall make the earth to sprout her dead back to life. The rubbles of generations you shall rebuild. But you shall burn also like a fire (Malachi 3:1-2). Your blaze shall sweep the world; it shall devour all that causes offense. You shall serve Me as the gatekeepers of My Kingdom lest the uncircumcised of heart enter My Kingdom and defile My Sanctuary. Your all-seeing eyes shall keep out the wicked, the arrogant, and the pervert from My holy city. To understand all these, look what I did in the life of Moses when I took him from the vocation of a shepherd to make him a leader of My people; study what I did for Joseph when I led him out of the recesses of the dark dungeon to sit him next to the king, and discern My mighty deeds how I glorified Mordecai lifting him up from his humble state to make him a viceroy of the Persian Empire. My people, all these are types of your end-time destiny; it shall be so with you in these last days. I have promised that the overcomer shall inherit My Name and sit with Me on My Divine Throne. He shall be My son and I shall be his Father; and He shall rule the nations with the rod of iron (Revelation 2:26-27, 3:21-22). Get ready, your day of visitation hastens to its fulfillment.   Jesus Will Soon Bring Us to the Father  Amos Scaggs vision - 03/01/2006 I was on the side of a mountain with another person who I knew to be one of the sons of the prophets. I was tending a solid white lamb that had an ever-smooth, slick coat of wool. I was holding a white rope that was attached to the lamb's neck while it was grazing. All of a sudden, the lamb started to move around the side of the mountain and then went straight up towards the top. The son of the prophets did not go with me. As I gave the lamb more rope, it started running full speed higher and higher. I was so amazed that I could keep up with the lamb running like that. I never let go of the white rope that was around the lamb's neck. When the lamb broke into a full gallop, it sensed its owner and master. At the top of the mountain was an old white-haired man with a white beard who was slowly descending the mountain to meet the lamb. But it seemed that the old man had not moved more than 5ft from the top of the mountain until the lamb had reached him. The old man caressed the lamb, and I was still holding on to the white rope that was around the lamb's neck. Jesus, the Lamb, through the Holy Spirit, the rope, will very quickly cause us to ascend the mountain of the Kingdom to our Father. I believe this will soon happen. The sons of the prophets failed to receive the anointing that I did. In 2 Kings 2:15-18 the sons of the prophets didn't believe that Elijah had been taken into the presence of God but thought he was still on earth and so were not included in the gathering. They represented those who were trained by the school of the prophets and, as such the Church System.   First-Fruits Rise as World Falls The Trumpet Bill Burns -- 12/26/2005 You shall be astonished as you walk forward from this day. I tell you that I am going to build My house. It is a house that no man can build, and I will build on the mountain tops, and I will build in the places that people will flow into. I will build a house of power, for indeed this is the season of the horse (of power) when the sons of My right hand shall arise to their positions. I shall dispel the lies that I no longer move in power. I shall break through the darkness, for I Am the Light of this Day. I Am the Way, the Truth and the Life. Truth is going to be revealed in an unprecedented way as I come forth in power and build My house. It will be a house that I can dwell in, a place of healing and resurrection life, a place of revelation knowledge. You, My people, will see that house. Arise and rejoice, for I come, says the Lord!   Small Straws in a Soft Wind Marsha Burns - 12/26/2005 There is a rumbling; it is My power in the earth. It is resurrection power. I have been touched with the feeling of your infirmities. I have been touched by your grief and sorrow. Come forth. Rise up and come forth. You have been bound in grave clothes, but I call to you to come forth! I will bring you up and loose you from your bondages. I will cause you to overcome and to be victorious even over the death in the things you have experienced, says the Lord.   Glorified in His Saints Aaron Lim - 10/02/2006 I received this vision as I was listening to a talk by David Eells. In the vision, the whole land was dark, and nothing could be seen in the background. I saw the Lord Jesus Christ with a light around Him on the cross on top of a hill in the middle of the land. All around, at the bottom of the hill, I saw people who looked exactly like Jesus, like they were clones of Him. They were all wearing the exact same garments as each other and had the same light around them as Christ did, and they were all looking up towards Him on the cross. Praise His name! 2 Cor.3:18 But we all, with unveiled face beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are transformed into the same image from glory to glory, even as from the Lord the Spirit. 2 Cor.4:11 For we who live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh. Gal.2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I that live, but Christ living in me: and that [life] which I now live in the flesh I live in faith, [the faith] which is in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me. 2 Thes.1:10 when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be marvelled at in all them that believed (because our testimony unto you was believed) in that day. 11 To which end we also pray always for you, that our God may count you worthy of your calling, and fulfil every desire of goodness and [every] work of faith, with power; 12 that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and ye in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Christ. After the vision, I knelt down to pray and closed my eyes, and I pictured Jesus Christ on top of the hill, as if through the eyes of one of the saints, and I said to Him a prayer from King David: “With all my heart have I sought you, don't let me wander from your commandments.” He looked at me and said, “Ask the Father, because anything you ask of Him will be done by the Father”. So I looked up to the sky and asked our Father, and tears started flowing from my eyes. To Him be the kingdom and the glory forever and ever. My brothers and sisters, seek diligently and keep your eyes on the Son because everything else is darkness, and in Him there's hope. Ask the Father to lead you by the hand to our Lord because we can't find Him on our own. I have faith in His power to perfect all of us in Jesus Christ.   Greater Works Coming  Rex Veron - 10/04/2006 Last night, around 1:30 or 2:00 AM, I dreamed; actually, it was like I was translated to this place. I was among many people of all walks of life and backgrounds. All of them were between 16 - 20 years old, except me. We were working as a team, casting out demons, praying, and exalting Jesus. We would speak and it would come to pass; healings, prophesying, deliverances, growing and replacing of limbs, it was awesome. It replayed several times, and I remember thinking I'm actually here with these people doing this. The feeling of presence was overwhelming. The people were non-descript, nothing distinguished one from another, and all had in common the love, reverence, and fear of the Lord. I have a strong sense this morning that this has something to do with the birth of the man-child and how the corporate body will function.   A Bird of Prey Teddy Lishan Desta (David's notes in red) What I have purposed from eternity that I will perform in its appointed time. My eternal counsel shall stand, and what I have purposed will be done. I am not a man to lie, not a son of man to change My mind. I will do what I counsel to do; I cannot deny Myself. Many have written about My plan for the last days. But did they truly learn from Me, or did they hear from My eternal counsels? Did they partake of the secrets of their God; did they visit the inner recesses of My word? Were the mysteries of the Holy One of Israel disclosed to them? Had they known My counsel, they would have declared My mind. Had they truly heard from Me, there would have been no error among My people. But what they spoke was of man; what they wrote was out of the learning of man. Neither the wise of this world could know about My doing, as it is discerned by My Spirit. None of their learned men could predict about My plan, as this was My much-kept secret. Jer.23:16 Thus saith Jehovah of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they teach you vanity; they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of Jehovah. 17 They say continually unto them that despise me, Jehovah hath said, Ye shall have peace; and unto every one that walketh in the stubbornness of his own heart they say, No evil shall come upon you. 18 For who hath stood in the council of Jehovah, that he should perceive and hear his word? Who hath marked my word, and heard it? 19 Behold, the tempest of Jehovah, [even his] wrath, is gone forth, yea, a whirling tempest: it shall burst upon the head of the wicked. 20 The anger of Jehovah shall not return, until he have executed, and till he have performed the intents of his heart: in the latter days ye shall understand it perfectly. 21 I sent not these prophets, yet they ran: I spake not unto them, yet they prophesied. 22 But if they had stood in my council, then had they caused my people to hear my words, and had turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings. My people, listen to Me as I speak My heart to you; and carefully weigh My words which are from My heart. My secrets I disclose to you, and that which has not been known to past generations I reveal to you. You have not heard it before; only now I lift the shroud and reveal that which has been hid from the ages. You are My chosen generation, so I reveal My truths to you. This I do so that you shall build My Kingdom on earth and bring Me the glory (Isa 48; Eph.1:17-20; Rom.16:26-27). This is My will, My eternal counsel. Your God will stir a bird of prey, His instrument of judgment from its abode. God has readied His bird for these days. God shall use it to bring His eternal plan to pass on earth, and God's hand shall guide it into action. God will call it from the valleys of the Jordan, and make it to emerge from the lowest parts of the earth. As the phoenix rises from its ashes, so shall My bird rise from the furnaces. It will come forth from the smoldering fires, so it will gleam like burnished steel. It will ascend to the heights and strike across the skies like lightning. The world will be taken by surprise; its appearing shall strike fear among many. I have fully equipped the bird to fulfill all that I have called it to do. (This phoenix is the first fruits sons of God, in whom Jesus is resurrected from the death of the Jordan to do His works of old when He was the first fruits. They will bring truths hidden from the foundation of the world and authority to bring judgment on the beast and harlot.) Its eyes are like those of the eagle, penetrating and discerning from afar. Its wings are large and strong; it will not weary or tire. Its talons and beak are sharp and strong; none of its prey can escape its grips. My bird shall strike fear in the hearts of the kings of the earth, and the girdles of their loins will untie. Those who eat My people as one who eats bread, they shall be judged by My hand. Those who say they reside in their strong towers, them it shall attack and humble for their pride. Many will cry out to God for His mercy and forgiveness; many may find the door of repentance closed. But to you, My sons and daughters of the Faith, the bird shall come to you as a comforter, carrying healing in its wings. To you, it shall bring good tidings, the news of eternal joy and rest. You shall get protection under its wings and deliverance from your mortal enemies. With your eyes, you shall see the destruction of the wicked, and none of the pestilences coming to your gates. Mal.4:2 But unto you that fear my name shall the sun of righteousness arise with healing in its wings; and ye shall go forth, and gambol as calves of the stall. 3 And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I make, saith Jehovah of hosts. You shall see My salvation coming to the earth; you shall see as the captives go free. You shall see your corporate prayers answered and your righteous petitions granted. I will wipe away your tears from your faces, and your mouth shall be filled with mirth. You will see the righteousness of God filling the world, as the Word of God is honored by all. Hos.6:2 After two days will he revive us: on the third day he will raise us up, and we shall live before him. 3 And let us know, let us follow on to know Jehovah: his going forth is sure as the morning; and he will come unto us as the rain, as the latter rain that watereth the earth. Mal.5:2 But thou, Beth-lehem Ephrathah, which art little to be among the thousands of Judah, out of thee shall one come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting. 3 Therefore will he give them up, until the time that she who travaileth hath brought forth: then the residue of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel. 4 And he shall stand, and shall feed [his flock] in the strength of Jehovah, in the majesty of the name of Jehovah his God: and they shall abide; for now shall he be great unto the ends of the earth. Therefore, My people, wait upon your God expectantly as I AM to begin to fulfill My eternal plans. But many others will attempt to fight My will, but they shall fail. Many will try to shoot down My bird of prey, but no weapon fashioned against it can prosper. I AM your God Who does His eternal counsels faithfully in its appointed time. I do that which is truth, and I owe no one an apology, says the Lord. Word From the east, I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill My purpose. What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do (Isa.46:11). I am calling a man to come from the east; he will swoop down like a hawk and accomplish what I have planned. I have spoken, and it will be done (Isa.46:11). For as lightning that comes from the east is visible even in the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man (Mat.24:27, NIV).   Man-child and Tribulation Approach He Shall Come to Be Glorified in His Saints Word given to Debra Klein - 02/08/2004 You cry out to me, My love, in heavy labor, groping for the touch of My hand ... the comfort of My Words in thy ears! You are drunk and delirious with the birth pangs to deliver my Son from thy womb! The tears of your pain have clouded thy sight and discernment as to where you are! You are here ... in the labor room ... in the holding pattern, laboring to bring forth My Son! I am with you, though you cannot see Me through your suffering and labor. Do you not hear the tender words of comfort I whisper in thy ears? Am I not so close that you do not feel my heart beating with yours as the labor increases? For in just a little while, He shall come forth from thy womb and we will rejoice in Him! My Child in you is stirring and restless, and also labors to come forth from you. The two of you labor together through the writhing pain, and I labor with you also. The Child is still now as He comes through the birth canal ... still and waiting for the last powerful thrust and push to come forth from thy womb to be delivered onto the earth and manifest My Glory! Fear not My Beloved. I am with you! Lean on me heavily as the labor grows hard! For I hold you completely in My Arms and wipe the sweat of your brow through these last excruciating pains before the final thrust! Listen, My love ... do you hear His heart beat within you? His heartbeat is increasing as He rises up within you! Any moment now My Beloved, He will come forth! Let Me wipe the tears from your eyes so that you can focus on Me as the labor grows. Focus on My Face and do not turn your eye from Me during these last pains. Hold tight to Mine Arm and the work of Mine Hand will deliver thee! Just a little while, My Beloved! Hold tight to Me! And the world will know that I, the Father, have brought forth My Son through you! Fear not My Love, the dragon lies cunning in anticipation of His birth, but I am here and will protect Him and you from the evil one who desires in his heart to devour Him. He has no victory over My Hand that delivers My Son onto the earth! Rest My Love, between the pangs of labor, for you will need to be strengthened to endure the final moments of the labor. Lay back in My Arms and rest heavy upon Me, for soon, very soon My Son will come forth and I will deliver you into My Glory!   Tribulation Translations to Safety Javier Keefe - 03/01/2012 (David's notes in red) In the dream I had this morning, there was a nuclear missile that was heading to Earth. There were three types of people whom I saw when it was known that this missile would be crashing to Earth. The first group just gave up and started partying and drinking, reasoning, Well, we're all going to die, so we'd might as well enjoy our last moments. The second type of people thought, everyone for themselves, and a hoarding spirit prevailed in them. (Even though this missile could be a natural sign of what will come to many places on Earth, this missile is a symbol of coming catastrophe. Many people know that the end is near and lean upon whatever they trust in or gives some comfort to them.) The third type of people knew that when this missile hit the Earth, the yoke of this world system will be broken off of them supernaturally and that an anointing of protection with every need provided by the hand of their Father would be speedily met. They knew that the Lord's power and great grace, like could only be imagined by the heart, would become reality. (These saints knew that the end of hope in the world system brings the freedom of a new beginning. People can stop worrying about going to college and getting ahead and seek to know God and be in the “Secret place of the Most High”, Jesus Christ. The renewed imagination of faith in the promises of God's Word will supply every need, including protection.) This third group of people found they were able to fly and be translated to help the first two types of people. (See my dream below of translations to come.) The third group of people had so much faith in the good news of the latter rain anointing that they were a great help to many, and they were able to bring some to a safe house. (Those who believe the Gospel of Jesus bearing the curse for us can be delivered from it -- Galatians 3:13.) Even though some people were told about the safe house, some non-believers complained, “Nothing can help us from this coming tragedy”, and they refused to enter the safe house. (The safe house represents abiding in the Word, the Ark of Jesus Christ, and also physical places protected by the angels for people who are in the Ark of Jesus.) The missile was seen in the air like a large, bright star falling to Earth, but everyone knew it was a nuclear missile that would change the world forever once it hit. (America has been seen as a falling star. In the natural, one nuclear missile could bring America down to third-world nation status if exploded miles in the air to “hit Earth” with an EMP to destroy all electronics. Iran has tested their missiles for a high air burst. Javier never saw the missile hit Earth. Many have seen in dreams electronics come to a standstill in America.) The third group of people were at times, like Peter walking on the water; although they could fly at times, the awe of this phenomenon troubled them and kept them from continuing to fly. (Like Peter, when we pay attention to the wind and the waves, it drags our mind down into the natural and causes us to lose faith and sink.) As these people battled with their flying trouble, they got their eyes more on themselves. They thought they were failing to lift off the ground because they were not taking off fast enough, so they started to run and tried catching speed to lift off. Then, when that wouldn't work, they thought they had to be up off the ground and jump off something to catch air. (Salvation in all forms is by faith and not by self-works.) They finally realized they just had to stop confessing they “couldn't fly” and when they simply professed “they could fly,” they could fly again. (We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. Once this confusion of works versus grace through faith is past, there will be consistency to walk in the steps of Jesus under the latter rain anointing. Although in the spiritual we fly, or overcome the world, by faith, real translations were common in the New Testament, early rain and will be more so in the latter rain.) Overall, there was a great peace within the third type of people and it was spreading to some others and the scriptures of God's promises were being quoted non-stop, and the Word was the most important thing in the world that was held onto. Mar.11:23 Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou taken up and cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that what he saith cometh to pass; he shall have it. 24 Therefore I say unto you, All things whatsoever ye pray and ask for, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them. According to this verse, if you were caught in a place of apparent danger, since you are not under the curse, you could believe God to translate you somewhere else.)   David Eells - 08/18/2010 I was translated from Louisiana many years ago to preach in tongues in some Eastern European church. It was clear they were expecting me to appear in the pulpit, but were very excited when it happened. More recently, I asked the Lord for this gift and have expected it after the Man-child latter rain ministry begins, since it was also common in the early rain. Jesus “disappeared” in the numeric -- John 5:13; Luke 4:28-30; Acts 8:39; John 10:39? In type -- Ezekiel 3:14; 1 Kings 18:12. The boat translated in John 6:16-21. I believe in answer to this prayer, I received a dream in which I saw large, beautiful, tasty strawberries. (Which I believe represent the first fruits Man-child ministry, since strawberries are a spring fruit.) As I examined them, they were inside a dead fish with all kinds of nasty mud and trash around it. (I believe this represents the Man-child being born out of an apostate religious system represented by the fish and the mud and trash represent all the garbage doctrine and living associated with this system.) Also, I saw a war in which the enemy had large plastic tanks with metal straps around them (the kind used in the chemical industry where poisons and corrosives would destroy metal tanks.) We sought to destroy these tanks. (This poison represents strong demonic delusions sent in lying words and doctrines to destroy God's people. We are seeing some of this now.) Then I saw that I had been given a gift to translate from place to place and also to move people out of harm's way by this method. A group would stand beside me and be translated with me to a safe place. (The Man-child took the Woman into the wilderness refuge. Rev.12:5 And she was delivered of a son, a man-child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron: and her child was caught up unto God, and unto his throne. 6 And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that there they may nourish her a thousand two hundred and threescore days ...) When we translated, I said to the translated ones, “And we didn't even have [natural] wings”. (In Javier's dream, flying was translation. 14 And there were given to the woman the two wings of the great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness unto her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. These next two verses could refer to the poison in the plastic tanks of strong delusions, which we sought to destroy. 15 And the serpent cast out of his mouth after the woman water as a river, that he might cause her to be carried away by the stream. 16 And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth and swallowed up the river which the dragon cast out of his mouth.)

On this episode of the CityLight Podcast, we’re diving into what makes prayer powerful—humility, boldness, and real faith. Tune in as Pastor Bo draws from the example of Solomon, amongst other biblical moments, to remind us that effective prayer is about posture rather than performance.     You’ll learn why confidence in the name of Jesus matters, how to pray with clarity and authority, and what it looks like to align your desires with God’s will. From miraculous provision to the principle of First Fruits, this episode will stir your faith to pray big, believe boldly, and walk in the overflow of God’s grace.(00:00) The Power and Purpose of Prayer(15:05) The Power of Humble Prayer(29:37) The Power of Bold Prayer(46:11) Principles of Effective Prayer(58:26) First Fruits End of Year Offering(01:02:58) Overflowing Blessings and Gracehttps://citylightnyc.com/ 

This episode we cover the first silver mine in Japan, as well as the way that this sovereign is approaching offerings to the kami and handling family matters. For more check out: https://sengokudaimyo.com/podcast/episode-138   Rough Transcript: Welcome to Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.  My name is Joshua and this is Episode 138: Offerings and Covenants   A gentle summer breeze blew through the cherry-tree-covered hills of Yoshino valley.  The royal residence, a kind of summer home for the royal family, normally somewhat quiet, was suddenly abuzz with activity.  The regular groundskeepers and those who tended the site throughout the year mingled with servants sent from the capital to make it ready for a royal visit.  Rooms were aired out and swept. Metal fixtures were polished.  The kitchen was stocked and ready to go. It had been some years since the prince—now sovereign—had resided in the valley as an attempt to proclaim he had retired from the world.  Now he was sitting at the top of the state government, but as such, he was more often than not living in the grand palace in Asuka, which he had renovated at the start of his reign. This, the Yoshino palace, was left as more of a vacation home—though "home" hardly did it justice given its majesty compared to the meager dwellings that otherwise surrounded it. And now there was a massive royal procession on their way.  Sure, it was the sovereign and his queen, and only a handful of princes, but they would each need their own quarters and likely have their own household staff that would no doubt need to be fed and housed.  In such a way a "simple" outing for the royal family was so often anything but for those who had to make it happen. And yet, such labor was much preferred to toiling in the fields, especially as the heat of the day started to rise, and the height of summer loomed large in the all-too-immediate future.   Alright, so we are in the midst of the reign of Ohoama, aka Temmu Tennou, the brother of Naka no Ohoe, who came to power through the use of military force—purportedly used in self-defense—and the sovereign who would have a profound effect on solidifying the Ritsuryo state, as well as the Chronicles and the history of the archipelago as we know it.  We've talked about Ohoama's ascension to the throne, and even his first year.  We mentioned how, during his reign, he rewarded those who helped him, tweaked the rank system, and we talked a bit about what we know of the clothing and the material culture of the period. This episode, we continue looking at what occurred during Ohoama's reign.  Specifically we'll be covering some of the ways in which Ohoama and his court were shaping the government and the structures of power to serve him and his family.  This includes everything from ritual, such as making offerings to various kami, to the way that he seems to have centralized power to himself and his family, which would have lasting impacts through the Asuka and Nara periods. First, though, a tiny little digression about silver.  We start in the 3rd lunar month of the second year since Ohoama ascended the throne, or the year 674 by the western calendar.  We are told that Woshiumi no Miyatsuko no Ohokuni, the governor of Tsushima, the island that formed the main border between the archipelago and the mainland, reported that silver had been produced there for the first time, and sent in some as tribute.  This is the first recorded instance of silver being produced in Japan. At this time, silver mining was mostly limited to finding a vein of silver on the surface and digging it out as far as one could possibly go into the rock and stone.  Still, silver would eventually become an important resource for the archipelago.  Tsushima would continue to produce silver through modern times.  Granted, production was limited until new refining techniques were introduced from Joseon Korea in the 16th century.  This was just as Ming dynasty deposits were declining, and as such, silver would become a major export from the archipelago to the mainland.  Indeed, by the 17th century, it is said that Japan accounted for one quarter to one third of the entire world's silver production. For now, however, the discovery of native silver was certainly a good start, but the Yamato court wasn't switching to a silver coin currency just yet—rice and cloth were still the major currencies for tax and trade purposes.  Still this find seems not insignificant, and clearly the chroniclers thought so as well -- as did the court.  They granted Ohokuni, the governor of Tsushima, the rank of Lower Shoukin.  The silver produced by the mine was offered to the various kami of heaven and earth, and presents were made to the high ministers and others of the rank of Shoukin and above. Now back to the Chronicles, and to the meat of what I'll be talking about this episode. On the 3rd day of the 8th lunar month of 674, we are told that the Royal Prince Wosakabe was sent to Isonokami shrine to polish up the divine treasures, at which point the sovereign made a rather spectacular decree:  he declared that all of the precious things originally deposited in the sacred treasuries by the various houses should be returned to their descendants. This appears to be a reference to the long-standing practice by Yamato of demanding that those they had gained some level of hegemony over turn over their sacred objects for Yamato's keeping.    We talked about this back in episodes 19 and 29, for example, when we talked about how Mimaki Iribiko, aka Sujin Tenno, and Ikume Iribiko, aka Suinin Tenno, had both requested treasures from Izumo and elsewhere, to be stored in the treasure house of Isonokami. We aren't told what all of these treasures were, but we can deduce that these were sacred treasures of the different houses and localities, much as the mirror, jewel, and sword were sacred treasures of Yamato.  These were items that early on distinguished the elite class in the archipelago, and had come to be gathered in the divine store houses.  You may recall how, early on, we saw mentions in the Chroncles that ships sent out to meet with others from different lands would place such treasures on a makeshift tree on the deck as a way of depicting who they were—who they represented. It would seem that these sacred objects came to represent the divine ancestors of the elites, and so eventually were associated with the idea of power and authority.  As Yamato spread its influence, possibly as much through the spiritual authority of Mt. Miwa as through its economic and military capability, it seems to have demanded that the various lands that came under its sway place their sacred treasures in Yamato's storehouse—a powerful image of Yamato's authority.  In a sense, this was a kind of hostage situation: recognize our authority, or your most sacred treasures, representing your ancestors, will be at risk .  One wonders if this isn't part of the reason that we find buried caches of bronze ritual items, including weapons, bells, and other such things, perhaps as a means of keeping them safe from those who would steal them away. However, in the new era of the Ritsuryo system, those objects, while still considered divine and sacred, did not hold the same value as they once had.  Perhaps I'm reading too much into it, but this really seems to me to be particularly illustrative of the idea that the cultural imaginary of state power and authority had shifted.  Yamato's power and authority was no longer based on its role as a spiritual powerhouse as much as it was centered on the continental framework of a heavenly mandate and a system of laws and punishments.   And so, the sovereign could return the sacred items back to their descendants, because to do so did not cost him anything, and at the same time would no doubt earn him goodwill.  He could appear magnanimous and, in so doing, solidify his position as the supreme hegemon of this new state.  In many ways this acknowledged the importance of the divine treasures to the people and to the kami while also no doubt reinforcing Confucian stereotypes of the benevolent ruler. More importantly, this shows how Ohoama was restructuring the rituals of the state.  After all, he had the Jingikan, an entire governmental department dedicated to administering the various shrines and sacred rituals; so even if the sacred treasures were returned, they were still technically under the control of the state apparatus.  We've already talked about the Daijosai, the Feast of First Fruits for a new reign, a central ritual to which Ohoama had added further pomp and circumstance.  But as no less a scholar than Herman Ooms has written about, Ohoama also initiated the practice of ordering regular centralized offerings to not just one particular kami, but to several or even a number of kami, or shrines, at any given time.  We see this in the following year, on the 23rd day of the first lunar month of 675, in an almost off-hand remark. Later, in the 10th month of 676 offerings were made to all of the "Ahimbe" kami of Heaven and Earth—that is all of kami that were part of the festival of first fruits held on the first day of the rabbit on the 11th lunar month.  Offerings were also made to all of the Heavenly and Earthly kami on the second day of the year in 681. Of course, these offerings would not just be enriching the shrines of these various kami, but it would also reflect on the various uji connected to each of those shrines, as well. Another example of the court's involvement in these ritual innovations appears to be the worship of the deities at Tatsuta and Hirose.  The first example of that is also in 675, in the 4th month of that year.  Prince Mino and Saheki no Muraji no Hirotari were sent to the Wind-gods at Tateno, in Tatsuta.  Aston notes that there is a litany to the Wind-gods mentioned in the Engishiki, a 10th century collection of information on various rituals of the time, so this practice seems to have taken hold, at least enough to persist over 3 centuries later.  Also in the 4th month of 675, Hashibito no Muraji no Ohobuta and Sone no Muraji no Karainu were sent to worship the Oho-imi deity at Kahawa, in Hirose. The Oho-imi appears to be a "big abstinence" deity, whom Aston identifies with Waka'ukahime, responsible for food.  Worship is again paid twice in the year 676, once in 677, then twice again in 679, continuing twice a year, almost exclusively in the 4th and 7th lunar months, through the end of the reign.  Why were these particular deities chosen for special worship by the court?  Ooms notes that these shrines were built downstream along the Yamato river, which, along with its tributaries, was responsible for the irrigation of the crops in the Nara basin.  This mirrors, in some ways, the responsibility of rulers in the Yellow River and Yangzi river regions to help ensure the flow of the rivers while preventing devastating flooding – a very continental idea of the responsibilities of the sovereign, though expressed here with a particularly Japanese style. Indeed, Aston associates the deity at Hirose, with the deity of food.   Likewise, the Wind-deities at Tatsuta were also related to helping to grow crops.  After all, Tatsuta would have been situated near the break in the mountains that surrounds the Nara basin, where the Yamato River flows out towards the Kawachi plain.  As anyone who lives near a mountain gap is no doubt familiar, those areas are notorious for channeling weather phenomena, including storms, which can bring rain, but could also bring terrible winds.  So it does seem a natural point to pray for good weather for your harvest or otherwise, given the geography that made up the sovereign's world. We also have, in this reign, considerably more discussion of Ise than we've seen, previously.  In 673 we have the Royal Princess Ohoku no Himemiko entering the Saigu, the Abstinence, or Purification, Palace, where she was to be purified before going to Ise, which she did in the 10th lunar month of 674.  Ohoku is said to have been the first official Saiou, the unmarried royal princess sent to oversee shrine operations, of Ise Shrine.  This is a practice we see at multiple shrines, although it's most prominent at Ise. The term for the position in general is Saiou, although at Ise the royal princess would also be known as the Saiguu, after the purification palace.  Although Ohoku is said to have been the first Saiguu at Ise, this is muddied somewhat by some earlier mentions in the Chronicles.  There are those who are said to have been sent as Shrine Princesses to Ise back in the time of Mimaki Iribiko and Ikume Iribiko, but the process was largely discontinued—or at least rarely mentioned—until this period.  There are certainly several named individuals who are said to have served the Deity of Ise previously, starting with the presumably mythical Yamato Hime, who is credited with founding the shrine.  There are also various royal princesses are noted as either having served or as having been made ineligible due to their indiscretions. However, those earlier mentions rarely go into the detail we see here —starting with the abstinence hall, where the would-be Shrine Princess must purify herself prior to approaching the shrine, a process that took some time.  Certainly we first really see this put into action with Ohoku, and from that time the position of Saiguu or Saiou at Ise does appear to have been regularly filled.  That Ohoku was actually the first "Saiguu" shrine princess appears to be confirmed by the "Fusou Ryakki", which states that the first Saiou was appointed when then Prince Ohoama, in the midst of the Jinshin war, made a prayer to Ise and offered the royal princess Ohoku no Himemiko in exchange for victory.  In fact, a lot of the focus on Ise seems to stem from its apparent involvement, at the behest of either Ohoama or his consort, Uno no Sarara Hime, in the conflict. The following year we are told that the Royal Princesses Towochi and Abe proceeded to Ise Shrine as well, though presumably just for a brief visit.  Towochi, you may recall, was Ohoama's daughter who had been married to Ohotomo, aka Koubun Tennou, whom Ohoama had defeated to take the throne.  Abe was a daughter of Naka no Oe, half-sister to Ohoama's queen, Uno, and would eventually go on to marry the Crown Prince, Kusakabe.  That gives you some idea of the position of those were going to the shrine. Princess Towochi herself would fall ill a few years later in 678.  In fact, it was just as the sovereign himself was preparing to go pay a visit to the abstinence palace, perhaps so that he could also head out to Ise.  The court had a divination to figure out when he would leave, officers had cleared the roads, and the public functionaries were in a line of procession when word came that Princess Towochi, suddenly took ill and died within the palace.  This stopped everything in its tracks, and in that year there was no sacrifice made to the kami of heaven and earth.  I suspect that this was in part due to mourning and in part due to the pollution more generally associated with death. Two weeks later, she was buried at Akaho, and Ohoama raised a lament for her. Later, in 686, we are told that the Royal Princess Taki, the Princess Yamashiro no Hime, and the Lady Ishikawa were all sent to Ise Shrine, though Princess Taki returned in less than a fortnight. Why all this focus on Ise?  Remember that the Chronicles were begun in this era, and so the "truth" they would tell would be the truth that Ohoama and his immediate successors orchestrated. The focus on Amaterasu, her shrine at Ise, and the role of the sovereign as Heavenly Descendant was thus part of the overarching narrative that the Chroniclers tried to promote.  Still, hints that the focus on Ise shrine may have been something largely created in this era, however, are scattered throughout the existing literature, despite the Chroniclers' best efforts. For one thing, it is fairly clear that early on, the focus in the Chronicles is on  Mt. Miwa and the deity  Ohomononushi, rather than Amaterasu.  We also see the fingerprints of deities like Takami no Musubi, who in one story is the one who is actually responsible for sending the Heavenly Grandchild down to earth in the first place. It also seems telling that Amaterasu is not mentioned in earlier court rituals.  Worship of Amaterasu by the royal family takes place at Ise shrine.  Meanwhile, there are various rituals preserved within the traditions of the palace that include many other, seemingly older deities. I have also noted in the past how Ise shrine isn't even the primary shrine of Ise no Kuni.  In fact, that is claimed by Tsubaki shrine, the shrine to Saruta Hiko no Ohokami, with a separate shrine to Ame no Uzume, who are both said to have met the heavenly grandchild on his descent. None of this is to say that Ise Jingu was brand new at the time of the Chronicles' writing —there does seem to have been a shrine on that spot for some time, though even the Chronicles suggest that it might have been moved from a shrine originally housed in the Nara basin.  It is also possible, and even likely, that the rise of Ise and Amaterasu coincided with other trends at the time.  Even if the Sun Goddess had not always been centered in Yamato ritual, she was not a new deity, and it may have been the case that her prominence, and that of her shrine in Ise had been growing in prominence before this time, and so the court was now adopting that popularity for themselves.  Of course, Ohoama and Uno don't exactly spell out what they were attempting to achieve, beyond the unification of the archipelago, more broadly.  How, exactly, their focus on Ise Shrine was meant to play into that I don't know that I could fully state, but it certainly seems to have allowed the sovereign to create a new cultic focus for kami worship with a story that touched on regions from Kyushu all the way to the eastern shore of the Kii peninsula. Given the decentralized nature of kami worship, I don't believe it was possible to completely rewrite all of the stories—hence the numerous and conflicting accounts given in the Chronicles.  However, that is also what would have made it easier to hide newly fabricated—or perhaps simply exaggerated—stories in the mix.  And of course, it wasn't necessarily that the Chroniclers were creating things out of whole cloth, but they were able to choose those things that people would remember and what would be lost and forgotten over time.  They had to make the decision, for instance, which story they told was the "main" storyline, and which were listed as coming from "other books", implying a degree of separation from the truth. Through all of this, it certainly seems that propping up the royal family and its lineage was a central focus—even if that lineage was largely something that had recently been created.  As a reminder, we see a lot heavier reliance at this point on royal princes as opposed to other elite families, and an actual or implied reliance, in particular, on the royal family, as that is where Ohoama was consolidating most of the power and authority. Kitayama Shigeo coined the term "Koushin Seiji" to refer to this idea of a consolidated royal—or imperial—family managing the affairs of state.  Literally it is something like "Imperial Family Government".   In Shigeo's concept this was specifically an autocratic authority executed by the sovereign, and those of his immediate family.  Of course, writing in the post-war era, it is more than a little likely that Shigeo and others were looking at the concept of Tennou in the 20th century compared with many other world monarchs.  In that vein, the Asuka and Nara periods do seem to have been one of the rare times—perhaps even the last time—that the sovereigns had such a direct hand in the government and the making and establishment of law and tradition. That said, not everyone ascribes entirely to the idea that Ohoama was a completely autocratic despot—after all, it was clear that there were still plenty of powerful families in the archipelago, and the Ritsuryo state itself was also being strengthened.  Still, it does seem that Ohoama had brought his queen, Uno no Sarara, and his descendants into government.  And they would not only assist him, but continue his work for the next generations, such that even though the histories would not be finished until well after Ohoama's death, they would still show his influence on events. The dedication of the royal family to work as one is perhaps most clearly demonstrated in the events of the 5th lunar month of 679.  It was then that the sovereign, and his family, proceeded to the Yoshino Palace.  Now Ohoama had plenty of offspring—among them 10 sons.  And as long as he was around, there would be a certain amount of civility, but he knew all too well how things could break down after a sovereign's death.  And so he brought them together and he made them enter into a pact, which we know as the Yoshino Covenant, or Yoshino no Meiyaku.  Besides Ohoama himself, there were several others in attendance, presumably those who might stand to one day inherit the realm.  These included his partner and queen, Uno no Sarara Hime, as well as her son, Prince Kusakabe, who would be named Crown Prince, only a couple of years later.  It also included the Royal princes Ohotsu, Takechi, Kawashima, Osakabe, and Shiki.  All of these individuals were made to swear an oath to support each other, even though they were all from different mothers, and they agreed. But so what?  Why does it matter?  It is all well and good that Ohoama brought them together for a bit of kumbaya in his old digs away from the capital, but was there anything really to this covenant. This covenant is significant in several ways.  First off, it is clear that Ohoama was pulling in his family and trying to ensure they were onboard with what he was doing and what was planned.  Furthermore, it set out a clear line of succession, something that had not really been done up to this point. We have ideas on what would have made a candidate eligible, but other than naming a particular crown prince there hasn't exactly been any clear process or rules of precedence for who would assume the throne.  Here, though, we have a list that appears to be in order of precedence, since it otherwise may not seem to make sense, at least from a modern perspective. A key clue in the Chronicles is often the order of the names.  The most important or highest ranking person is usually given first, and then names are typically given in descending order of precedence.  There are clues that this is the case, but it becomes even more stark when we actually see reference to an individual's court rank or the size of their fief.  Since this period brings about court rank even for royal princes, we have some of that, at least in later records.  As such, there is the idea that this order was actually providing for a line of succession.   As I mentioned, up to this point, the contest for the throne was a toss up with each monarch's death.  Claims from competing princes were often considered equally valid until one proved their claim through a political or military victory.  Ohoama appears to have been trying to add greater structure to this.  Specifically, we see that Uno no Sarara's son, Kusakabe, is given pride of place.  In fact, throughout the Chronicle it is typical that we see the Chroniclers designate a queen—a Kougou—that is considered the primary wife.  This queen is almost always found to be the descendant of previous royalty, granting their child a doubly royal lineage, through both the maternal and paternal lines.   There has been plenty of reason to doubt that this was actually the case, and it often seems like the Chroniclers stretched things more than a bit to make it all work out.  However, now we are almost more concerned with the very *truth* that the Chroniclers were attempting to burn into the social consciousness rather than the historical facts, because that gives us direct insight into how the court of the day viewed succession and legitimacy.And that does lead to another possible thought:  since the Chroniclers knew how things turned out it is possible that they were the ones ensuring that the order was as we have it.  So we cannot definitively say that this exactly mirrors's Ohoama's idea, but it certainly seems in line with his history and intentions and helps set the stage for us, at least, regarding what would later transpire in regards to succession.. Getting back to the covenant, as I noted, the first person listed, after Ohoama and Uno no Sarara Hime, is Prince Kusakabe.  He would be about 17 or 18 years old at this time, which is probably why he wasn't formally named Crown Prince until a couple of years later.  He isn't the eldest son, however.  Rather he was the second son.  Ohoama's eldest son, Prince Takechi, was actually third in line. Takechihad been with his father helping to lead the troops during the Jinshin War. While he was some 8 years senior to Kusakabe, he was nonetheless a son of Amago no Musume, one of Ohoama's consorts from a powerful clan, but not a royal princess like Uno no Sarara, Kusakabe's mother. Between Kusakabe and Takechi, in the second place spot for succession, was actually Prince Ohotsu, whom we also mentioned during the Jinshin War.  Ohotsu was likely 16-17 years old around this time.  While he was the third eldest child, he, like Kusakabe, was the son of a Royal Princess, Princess Ota, daughter of Naka no Oe, giving him greater bonafides than Takechi, apparently. So, in the top three slots, we have: Ohoama's eldest son by a royal mother, Ohoama's second eldest son by a royal mother, and finally Ohoama's eldest son by a non-royal mother. Fourth in line, and the 4th eldest, presumably, though I don't know that we have an actual age for him, is Prince Wosakabe.  He likely wasn't too young, however, as he had been given the task, previously, to polish the divine treasures in Isonokami's storehouse. It would appear that six of Ohoama's other sons didn't even get a mention.  That includes Princes Naga and Yuge, born to another daughter of Naka no Ohoe, Ohoye no Himemiko.  Then there is Prince Toneri, son of Royal Princess Nittabe, not to be confused with Royal Prince Nittabe, Ohoama's son by way of a daughter of Fujiwara no Kamatari.  Finally there was Royal Prince Hodzumi, a maternal grandson of Soga no Akaye, and Prince Shiki, a full brother to Prince Wosakabe. Prince Toneri is particularly conspicuous in his absence.  We know that he held the 5th rank, and two positions in government—that of Nagon, or Councillor, as well as the Minister of the Household, our Kunaikyou.  This may be because he was not doing so well.  We aren't told the story until the following year, on the 2nd day of the 7th lunar month of 680, when we are told that Prince Toneri took ill and was on the point of death.  His half-brother, Prince Takechi, went to check on him, and a day later Toneri passed away.  The way these are written it would be easy to believe that it all happened in a pretty short timeframe, but it is also just as likely that illness lingered, especially without modern medicine.  So it is possible that Prince Toneri was too sick at the time of the original covenant, though there could be some other reason we weren't told. This doesn't necessarily hold for all of the others, though.  For instance, we have the Princes Naga and Yuge mentioned in 693, well over a decade later, being granted the 2nd Broader Pure Rank at the same time that Prince Takechi is granted the 1st Broader Pure Rank.  So we can at least see that they were ranked below Takechi.   Similarly we see Prince Hodzumi likewise attained 2nd Broader Pure Rank at some point, and was still around to have his own fief and to receive houses to it in the following reign.  Hozumi even ranked above some of the others were in Yoshino, and yet was not present. It is possible that the princes not mentioned, assuming they had not met with an untimely end that was not mentioned in the record somewhere, could have been too young or too junior at the time of the meeting.  After all, when we look at the known ages of those who were there, we see that Prince Takechi may have been 25 years old, but Prince Kusakabe and Prince Otsu were just under 20, and it is unclear if others were older or younger than they were. There are two other princes who were part of the covenant who were not, perhaps surprisingly, sons of Ohoama.  Rather they were his nephews, sons of Ohoama's brother, Naka no Ohoe.  They were the princes Kawashima and Shiki. Kawashima is mentioned several times throughout the record.  Kawashima's mother was from a high ranking noble family, but given that Kawashima was married to his cousin, one of Ohoama's daughters, that may have brought him closer to the family.  He was about 22 years old at the time, too.  We see him often teaming up with Prince Osakabe on various projects, including the project to compile together the history of the royal household.  In fact, Prince Kawashima always precedes Prince Osakabe when they are mentioned together.  That said, we have evidence of Kawashima only being awarded up to 3rd Greater Pure rank, below even that of some who were not present, such as Prince Hodzumi.  His importance and impact, however, is noted through his numerous appearances in the record. In contrast, Prince Shiki has almost no mentions in the record.  It doesn't help that there are two Princes Shiki, one born to Naka no Ohoye and one born to Ohoama.  Their names are spelled differently, however, and although the first character of "Shiki" used in the Yoshino record matches neither name, the second character suggests that this was the son of Naka no Ohoye and not the Shiki that was brother to Prince Osakabe—though given that one followed the other in the record, there may have been some confusion on this point. And with all of that we have our apparent line of succession, as well as an idea of who the movers and shakers might be within the royal family.  From Ohoama and Uno no Sarara, we have Princes Kusakabe, Ohotsu, Takechi, Kawashima, Osakabe, and Shiki.  Six princes, four directly descended from the current sovereign, Ohoama, and two from the Naka no Ohoe lineage. Obviously, promoting the idea of a strictly patrilineal succession of father to son would have caused some problems for Ohoama's own legitimacy, not that anyone was going to gainsay him while he was on the throne.  However, with Kusakabe they seem to have established that in a de facto format, at least.  Furthermore it provided a blueprint for succession might fall to the other lines should the main line not work out.  This put Prince Ohotsu as next in line, should anything happen to Kusakabe, followed by Takechi.  That Kawashima may have had a shot over Osakabe and then Shiki is interesting as it suggests that it wasn't strictly about who descended from whom. We'll have to wait for Ohoama's death before we can fully appreciate how well this worked, of course.  Throughout history, agreements and covenants amongst powerful interests are often only as permanent as long as all of the interests remain aligned with one another, whether through mutual benefit or threat of consequences.  Once the power shifts, as it always does, those promises and treaties are almost always up for renegotiation, unless they are supported by some higher authority, whatever that might be. Following the royal family's off-site, they returned to the palace in Asuka.  There they had a formal ceremony in the Great Hall, the Ohodono, where the six princes all demonstrated their allegiance and paid respects to Ohoama.  Given the timing of this event, one can likely assume that it was a kind of public acknowledgement of the covenant and the agreement that they would all be working together as a united front on the project of the government. And with that, I think we can bring it to  a close for now.  There is plenty more about this reign to discuss before we move on, but we'll get there. Until then, if you like what we are doing, please tell your friends and feel free to rate us wherever you listen to podcasts.  If you feel the need to do more, and want to help us keep this going, we have information about how you can donate on Patreon or through our KoFi site, ko-fi.com/sengokudaimyo, or find the links over at our main website,  SengokuDaimyo.com/Podcast, where we will have some more discussion on topics from this episode. Also, feel free to reach out to our Sengoku Daimyo Facebook page.  You can also email us at the.sengoku.daimyo@gmail.com.  Thank you, also, to Ellen for their work editing the podcast. And that's all for now.  Thank you again, and I'll see you next episode on Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.  

By Tim Pebworth - In what state will those people be who live through the Tribulation into the Kingdom of God. Many, if not all, will be suffering emotional and mental impacts of what they've been through. It will be incumbent on the First Fruits to help Christ heal their trauma.

In this Bible Study we walk through Leviticus 23 looking at the major Holy Days or Festivals. The Sacred Assemblies to the Lord include Sabbath (Shabbat), Passover (which includes the Festival of Unleavened Bread, and the Feast of Firstfruits. We also look at the Festival of Weeks (Shavout), the Festival of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah) and the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). The last celebration we look at is the Festival of Tabernacles (Sukkot).Lots to look at as we unpack each of these Sacred Assemblies.

In this powerful kickoff to our brand new series Kingdom Impact, Pastor Travis Hearn delivers a raw, personal, and deeply challenging message about surrender, sacrifice, and putting God first. From a teenage dream of playing in the Arizona All-Star Game to choosing a missions trip instead, Pastor Travis shares how giving up what mattered most opened the door to a purpose he never imagined—ultimately becoming the chaplain for the Phoenix Suns for over two decades. But this message isn't just about his story—it's about your story. It's about that thing in your life that's fighting for first place. It's about burying the seed of selfish ambition so God can raise a harvest of Kingdom impact. Rooted in Luke 9:23–24 and John 12:24, “Give It UP” challenges us to examine what's really #1 in our lives. Are we holding back something God is asking us to surrender? Are we making excuses that sound valid but keep us from obeying His voice? This sermon will stir your soul to stop negotiating with God and start honoring Him with your firstfruits—your time, your talents, your treasure, your heart. Because when we give God the first and best, He blesses the rest. This isn't just about money—it's about mastery. Who's really Lord of your life? Join us as we begin a journey toward radical obedience, sacrificial generosity, and eternal significance. Because what you give up in faith, God uses to impact the Kingdom.

Listen to Chuck Pierce speak on "Firstfruits Celebration for the Month of Cheshvan: Change, Renewed Expectations, and the New Anointing!"

In the fourth message of our series called Feasts, Pastor Mel explains the Jewish "Shavuot" which means "Weeks". God instituted the feasts so the people of Israel would celebrate His provision, memorialize significant events, and foreshadow things to come. The Feast of Weeks celebrates the giving of the Torah on Mount Sinai, as well as the wheat harvest in the land of Israel. Pentecost is the Greek name for the Feast of Weeks which occurs 50 days after the Feast of Firstfruits. God orchestrated the feast schedule so that a crowd of Jews from various nations were gathered into one place when the Holy Spirit was poured out on them. Robert Baer said, "Bethlehem was God with us, Calvary was God for us, and Pentecost is God in us."

The adventures of the many flying-squirrels continue and as the oldest Lenz child is getting close to driving age, now comes the choices of getting a job, paying for insurance and gas, buying a car - all those fun things!  Pastors Zac and Ashley discuss some of thier early employment ventures and it seamlessly transitions into financially preparing for the holidays, because in just a few short weeks we'll all be decking the halls!  Topic Ideas:  info@hpc.church 

In the season finale of The Make, Pastor Trevor unpacks why tracking your spending isn't just financial — it's formational. Discover how clarity, accountability, and first-fruit generosity can shape spiritual habits, reduce anxiety, and bring lasting peace to your financial life.

From Proverbs 3:5-10, Fr. Greg talks about how offering firstfruits will pour the blessings of almighty God out of Heaven and into your life.  Download the service Bulletin here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1ZFXgrCVDyKGBMI8ECqUQQNiCL16m30hi

In the third message of our series called Feasts, Pastor Mel explains the timeless biblical principles represented by the Hebrew feast of firstfruits. In scripture the Jewish feasts are instituted to celebrate God's provision, remember significant events, and foreshadow things to come. The feast of firstfruits represents the biblical principle of "firsts" which points to the reality of God's own preeminence. God is first whether we believe He is or not. Putting God first in our lives will facilitate a proper affection for everything else which is important to us. Like Abel in Genesis chapter 4, we must give our first and our best to God because we are our best selves when we put God first.

Teachers: Kerry & Karen Battle — Ahava~Love AssemblyLesson: Leviticus 2 — The Law of Honor: The Offering of the Hands Before YahuahTheme: When work becomes worship. The minchah (grain offering) reveals how refined labor, oil, frankincense, and salt turn daily work into honor before Yahuah.What You'll Learn:• Why the grain offering has no leaven or honey• Why every act must be seasoned with the salt of the covenant• How firstfruits are refined by fire• How a servant's work becomes worshipKey Verses:Leviticus 2:1–16 | Numbers 18:19 | Exodus 30:35 | Psalm 141:2 | Matthew 5:13 | Colossians 4:6Leviticus 1 taught how to approach; Leviticus 2 teaches how to honor.Yahuah wants both your heart and your hands — purified, portioned, and preserved by covenant salt.Connect:

What gets your attention first thing in the morning? I've been reminded lately how important it is to give God the “first fruits” of my day - before the to-do list, before the noise, before the distractions. Just a few quiet moments with Him changes everything.

The following audio was recorded at Stone Oak Bible Church. For more information about our church or for more resources, visit us at StoneOakBible.com.

Pastor Phelps continues his series through the feasts of Israel by explaining the symbolic importance behind the feast of the first fruits. Message originally preached Wednesday evening October 1, 2025.

Send us a textA fresh lens changes everything: when Exodus says, “When I see the blood, I will pass over you,” it's the Lord—not the destroyer—who shields the house. That single detail reframes Passover and sets the tone for our journey through the seven feasts of the Lord, where each appointment in Israel's calendar becomes a signpost to Jesus and a blueprint for how we live and worship today.We press pause on Galatians to trace a clear path from Leviticus 23 to the cross and beyond. We list each feast—Passover, Unleavened Bread, Firstfruits, Weeks, Trumpets, Day of Atonement, Tabernacles—and draw out what they memorialized for Israel and how they anticipate Christ's life, death, resurrection, ascension, and present reign. Along the way, we sort divine appointments from later celebrations like Purim and Dedication, not to diminish them, but to keep our focus on the feasts God himself instituted as a prophetic calendar of redemption. With Bibles open and mics on, the panel reads the text, compares notes, and keeps the center fixed on Jesus rather than private impressions or shortcuts around Scripture.Passover anchors the study: judgment is real, mercy interposes, and the blood marks a people God personally covers. From there, Unleavened Bread calls us to remove corruption and live set apart; Firstfruits points to resurrection hope; Weeks anticipates the Spirit's outpouring and the church's formation; Trumpets awakens us to gather and await; the Day of Atonement unveils priest, sacrifice, and cleansing fulfilled in Christ; and Tabernacles celebrates God dwelling with his people—a joy that began in the incarnation and finds its horizon in the world to come. If the Old Testament once felt opaque, this walk-through offers a sturdy, Christ-centered map that will deepen your reading and brighten your worship.If this study sparked new connections for you, follow the show, share the episode with a friend who loves biblical theology, and leave a review with the feast you want us to unpack next.Support the show

Send us a textBlood on doorposts, striped and pierced bread, a sheaf lifted after Sabbath—ancient signs that still throb with life. We follow the thread from Passover to Unleavened Bread to Firstfruits, and watch how each feast points straight to Jesus: the Lamb who saves, the Holy One without leaven, and the Firstfruits whose resurrection guarantees our own. This isn't trivia; it's a map for leaving Egypt fast, purging the old leaven, and living with the kind of urgency that refuses to delay obedience.We talk about matzah's simple ingredients and surprising symbolism, why Paul calls us to “purge the old leaven,” and how the world still chases us like Pharaoh. Then we pivot to the center: if Christ didn't rise, faith is empty and preaching is pointless. But if he did—and we argue why that claim stands alone—then hope is not a feeling; it's a certainty. Firstfruits means the rest of the harvest is coming, and that harvest includes us. We explore what resurrection hope looks like in real life, from our future bodies to the eternal memory of Christ's scars, which remain the unending testimony of the price paid.Along the way, we get practical and direct. God ordinarily saves through the preached word, so silence is not neutral. If you want friends, family, even enemies to meet Jesus, speak up with humility and love. The pattern continues toward Pentecost—fifty days that signal power, presence, and mission—so the arc is clear: redeemed by blood, cleansed for haste, raised with Christ, and sent to gather. Subscribe, share with someone who needs courage today, and leave a review to help others find this conversation. What part of the pattern are you stepping into right now?Support the show

Send us a textFire didn't start the story of Pentecost; harvest did. We begin with Firstfruits and follow the thread fifty days forward to the moment the Holy Spirit descends—not as a vague comfort, but as the Spirit of truth who testifies of Jesus, frees us from the law's condemnation, and grows fruit we cannot fake. Along the way, we ask hard questions about tradition, sift Shavuot's memories through Scripture, and show why the timing and symbols of the feasts are more than religious décor—they're the spine of a gospel-shaped calendar that points straight to Christ.We open John 15:26 and let it lead: the Comforter comes to make much of Jesus. That claim is either blasphemy or divinity, and the implications reach into daily life—conviction that heals, guidance that steadies, power that resists the flesh. Then we widen the lens: Ezekiel's promise of a new heart, the imagery of wind and fire, the global call that follows Pentecost as the gospel trumpet sounds beyond Palestine. If you've ever wondered why many missed the Messiah amid such bright signs, we talk about veils, timing, and the difference grace makes when understanding moves from data to worship.From there we connect the fall feasts. Trumpets summons repentance and gathering; the Day of Atonement reveals the cost of mercy and the beauty of a high priest who enters once for all. Hebrews 9 becomes a guide to Christ's finished work and His ongoing intercession at the Father's right hand. That's where confidence lives: your debt is handled, your Advocate is alive, your future is secure. And if the feasts lead anywhere, they lead to celebration—less posturing, more gratitude; fewer intramural fights, more awe at a plan that holds together from Genesis to Revelation.If this journey helped you see Jesus in the feasts and the Spirit's role with fresh clarity, follow the show, share it with a friend, and leave a review to help others find thoughtful, Scripture-rich conversations like this. What feast theme most reshaped your view of the gospel?Support the show

Pastor Lindsay's sermon begins with two illustrations—a child questioning the need for sleep and a phone plugged into the wrong charger—to show how rest and connection are vital to life. Just as our bodies need rest to be restored, our souls need worship to be spiritually renewed. The message connects to the church's five spiritual practices—Gather, Get Connected, Grow, Go, and Give—rooted in Acts 2:42–47. This sermon focuses on Gathering, or worshiping God. The biblical concept of First Fruits teaches that God deserves our first and best—our time, devotion, and resources. Worship means placing God above everything else and adoring Him for who He is. Psalm 103 gives reasons to worship: God forgives, heals, saves, loves, and sustains us endlessly. True worship is not passive attendance but offering our whole being—our thoughts, emotions, doubts, and gratitude—to God. Worship isn't about what we get out of it, but about honoring God because He is worthy. Yet, as a side benefit, worship restores our spirit, just as sleep restores the body. The sermon shares powerful examples of worship's impact—from personal experiences of deep connection during services to stories of global believers finding joy in worship despite hardship. Ultimately, worship honors God and transforms us. It reminds us of God's goodness, recenters our hearts, and renews our spiritual strength. The invitation closes by urging everyone to “praise the Lord and forget not all His benefits,” finding rest and restoration in Him. fmhouston.com

Crystal Rivers | Word for Now | Oct 6, 2025 Life's true essence isn't found in possessions but in knowing Christ intimately and becoming like Him. You are already God's child—this discussion is settled. You carry divine DNA, and your journey is allowing these spiritual genes to manifest until it becomes undeniable that you belong to God. You carry an unusual enrichment of the Holy Spirit—Scripture calls this the "earnest" or "first fruits." There's a literal saturation of God's presence concentrated in you. Creation itself groans for your manifestation, and these groanings are captured in the seven feasts of Israel—actual times when the Holy Spirit's voice becomes more tangible in creation. When cosmic signs appear during these appointed times, discern what God is saying. Jesus submitted to this protocol: He died during Passover, rose during First Fruits, and the Spirit came on Pentecost. Develop spiritual intelligence. Numbers in Scripture—Job's seven sons and three daughters, his 7,000 sheep and 3,000 camels, Daniel's twenty-one day fast—reveal angelic operations and wisdom patterns that godly people trapped on earth through their walk with God. Multiple spiritual forces broadcast to you simultaneously, like earth's atmosphere: 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen. Each gas represents different spirits trying to communicate. Nitrogen isn't giving you life—oxygen is. Consecration increases the "oxygen" in your spiritual atmosphere, amplifying God's voice until He becomes the dominant influence. Apply the greenhouse effect: specific atmospheric conditions allow specific seeds to grow. Expose yourself to something's atmosphere through consecration, and that thing's wisdom blossoms in your life. Joshua was told to meditate on God's Word day and night so his way would be prosperous. Increase God's presence in your life and experience prosperity. Understand Kronos versus Kairos. Kronos is ordinary time under wickedness's influence—"the days are evil." But when filled with the Spirit, you break into Kairos—time under God's influence where His purposes manifest. This is redeeming time. Spiritual sight operates differently than natural sight. In the spiritual realm, you see by the light within you. Satan's light makes his deceptions appear normal. Under his light, Peter tried preventing Jesus from the cross. But under God's light, Jesus saw the joy set before Him. Once you can see something spiritually, it becomes tangible—it's just a matter of prolonged engagement. The ten plagues of Egypt weren't God directly killing but His light progressively infiltrating Egypt, revealing the pain demonic powers were already inflicting. Each plague represented increasing measures of God's presence. At the third plague, magicians encountered "the finger of God"—a threshold where they could no longer replicate God's presence. Consecration does this in your life: increases God's presence until darkness's tricks stop working. This same finger that wrote the Ten Commandments now writes on your heart through communion with God. Where the Spirit is Lord—the only one speaking—there is liberty. When you create that atmosphere, plagues break out: the death of this age's gods in your life. Things gripping your soul lose their hold. Strongholds are pulled down. Paul said if you live according to the flesh, you'll discover you're not truly alive. But if through the Spirit you mortify the deeds of the body, you will live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. Sonship is about God's glory influencing, ruling over, saturating you until your genetic correspondence with God manifests visibly. You're designed to be a true human being: a priest and king after the order of Melchizedek. Take advantage of strategic times like the Feast of Tabernacles—times when creation's groaning intensifies and the Holy Spirit's voice becomes more accessible. Consecrate yourself during these seasons through worship, meditation on God's Word, and fasting. Remember: repentance isn't saying "I'm sorry"—it's changing your mind. Transformation isn't trying harder; it's exposure to the right light. In God's light, Satan appears undesirable. In God's light, you see yourself as you truly are in Christ. The closer you draw to God, the more your sonship manifests, the less influence this age has over you, and the more you realize you're born of God, carrying His DNA, destined for glory. This is your inheritance. Walk in it. Zoom every weekday : http://www.caveadullam.org/zoom

It is the first year of a new reign, so come and let's take a look at how it all begins. For more, check out our blog page at: https://sengokudaimyo.com/podcast/episode-135 Rough Transcript   Welcome to Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.  My name is Joshua and this is episode 135: Year One The officials of the Ministry of Kami Affairs bustled to and fro as they prepared the ritual grounds and the temporary buildings.  They were carefully erecting the structures, which would only be used for a single festival, and then torn down, but this would be an important festival.  It was the harvest festival, the Niiname-sai, the festival of the first-fruits.  Rice, from the regions of Tamba and Harima, specifically chosen through divination, would be offered to his majesty along with the kami who had blessed the land.  But this time, there was more. After all, this was the first harvest festival of a new reign, and they had orders to make it special.  The ascension ceremony had been held earlier in the year, but in some ways that was just a prelude.  There had been various rituals and ceremonies throughout the year emphasizing that this year was special—even foreign lands were sending envoys to congratulate him on the event.  But this wasn't for them.  This was the sovereign taking part, for the first time, in one of the most important ceremonies of the year.  After all, the feast of first-fruits was the culmination of all that the kami had done, and it emphasized the sovereign's role as both a descendant of heaven and as the preeminent intercessor with the divine spirits of the land. And so they knew, that everything had to be bigger, with even more pomp and circumstance than normal.  This wouldn't just be about the new rice.  This would be a grand ceremony, one that only happened once in a generation, and yet which would echo through the centuries.  As the annual harvest festival, it was an ancient tradition.  But as something new—as the Daijosai—it was something else all together. And it would have to be perfect!   Last episode we talked about the Kiyomihara palace and a little bit about what it was like in the court of Ohoama, aka Temmu Tennou.  After defeating the Afumi court supporting his nephew, Ohotomo, in 672, Ohoama had taken control of the government.  He moved back to Asuka, and into the refurbished Okamoto palace, building a southern exclave known to us today as the Ebinoko enclosure, which held one large building, which may have been a residence or a ceremonial structure—possibly the first “Daigokuden” or ceremonial hall. Ohoama's court built on the ideas that his brother, Naka no Oe, aka Tenji Tennou, had put forth since the Taika era.  This was a continuation of the form of government known as the Ritsuryo system, or Ritsuryo-sei, literally a government of laws and punishments, and Ohoama had taken the reins.  He seems to have taken a much more direct approach to governance compared to some of his predecessors. For instance, the role of the ministerial families was reduced, with Ohoama or various princes—actual or invented relatives of the throne—taking a much more prominent role.  He also expanded access to the central government to those outside of the the Home Provinces.  After all, it was the traditional ministerial families—the Soga, the Nakatomi, and even the Kose—who had been part of the Afumi government that he had just defeated.  Meanwhile, much of his military support had come from the Eastern provinces, though with prominent indications of support from Kibi and Tsukushi as well. This episode we are going to get back to the events documented in the Chronicles, looking just at the first year of Ohoama's reign.  Well, technically it was the second year, with 672 being the first, but this is the first year in which he formally sat on the throne.  There's plenty going on in this year to fill a whole episode: it was the year of Ohoama's formal ascension, and there were numerous festivals, ceremonies, and other activities that seem to be directly related to a fresh, new start.  We will also look at the custom of handing out posthumous ranks, particularly to those who supported Ohoama during the Jinshin no Ran, and how that relates to the various ranks and titles used in Ohoama's court.  We have envoys from three different countries—Tamna, Silla, and Goguryeo—and their interactions with the Dazaifu in Tsukushi.  Finally, we have the first Daijosai, one of the most important ceremonies in any reign. And so, let's get into it.   The year 673 started with a banquet for various princes and ministers, and on the 27th day of the 2nd month, Ohoama formally assumed the throne at what would come to be known as Kiyomihara Palace.  Uno, his consort, who had traveled with him through the mountains from Yoshino to Ise, was made his queen, and their son, Royal Prince Kusakabe, was named Crown Prince.  Two days later they held a ceremony to convey cap-ranks on those deemed worthy. We are then told that on the 17th day of the following month, word came from the governor of Bingo, the far western side of ancient Kibi, today the eastern part of modern Hiroshima.  They had caught a white pheasant in Kameshi and sent it as tribute.  White or albino animals were seen as particularly auspicious signs, and no doubt it was taken as an omen of good fortune for the reign.  In response, the forced labor from Bingo, which households were required to supply to the State, was remitted.  There was also a general amnesty granted throughout the land. That same month we are also told that scribes were brought in to Kawaradera to copy the Issaiko—aka the Tripitaka, or the entirety of the Buddhist canon.  That would include hundreds of scrolls.  This clearly seems to be an act of Buddhist merit-making:  by copying out the scrolls you make merit, which translates to good karma.  That would be another auspicious start to the reign, and we see frequently that rulers would fund sutra copying—or sutra recitations—as well as temples, statues, bells and all other such things to earn Buddhist merit.  As the ruler, this merit didn't just accrue to you, but to the entire state, presumably bringing good fortune and helping to avert disaster. However, it wasn't just the Law of the Buddha that Ohoama was appealing to.  In the following entry, on the14th day of the 4th month, we are told that Princess Ohoki was preparing herself at the saigu, or abstinence palace, in Hatsuse—known as Hase, today, east of modern Sakurai, along the Yonabari river, on the road to Uda.  Ohoki was the sister of Prince Ohotsu.  Her mother was Ohota, the Queen's elder sister, making her a grandchild of Naka no Ohoye as well as the daughter of Ohoama.  Princess Ohoki's time at the abstinence palace was so that she could purify herself.  This was all to get her ready to head to Ise, to approach none other than the sun goddess, Amaterasu Ohokami. With all of these events, we see the full panoply of ritual and ceremony on display.  The formal, legal ceremonies of ascension and granting of rank.  The declaration of auspicious omens for the reign.   There is the making of Buddhist merit, but also the worship of the kami of the archipelago.  This is not an either-or situation.  We are seeing in the first half of this first year the fusion of all of these different elements into something that may not even be all that sensational to those of us, today.  After all, anyone who goes to Japan is likely well-accustomed to the way that both Buddhist and Shinto institutions can both play a large part in people's lives.  While some people may be more drawn to one than the other, for most they are complimentary. That isn't how it had to be.  For a time, it was possible that Buddhism would displace local kami worship altogether.  This was the core of the backlash that we saw from groups like the Nakatomi, whose role in kami-focused ceremonies was threatened by the new religion.  Indeed, for a while now it seems like mention of the kami has taken a backseat to Buddhist temples and ceremonies in the Chronicles.  Likewise, as a foreign religion, Buddhism could have also fallen out of favor.  It was not fore-ordained that it would come to have a permanent place on the archipelago.  This tension between local kami worship—later called Shinto, the Way of the Kami—and Buddhist teachings would vary throughout Japanese history, with one sometimes seen as more prestigious or more natural than the other, but neither one would fully eclipse the other. One could say that was in part due to the role that Amaterasu and kami worship played in the court ceremonies.  However, even there indigenous practices were not necessarily safe.  The court could have just as easily imported Confucian rituals, and replaced the spiritual connection between the sovereign and the kami with the continental style Mandate of Heaven. And thus, the choices that were being made at this time would have huge implications for the Japanese state for centuries to come. I should note that it is unlikely that this spontaneously arose amongst the upper class and the leadership.  I doubt this was just Ohoama's strategy to give himself multiple levers of power—though I'm not saying he wasn't thinking about that either.  But the only way that these levers existed was through their continued life in the culture and the people of the time.  If the people didn't believe in Buddhist merit, or that the kami influenced their lives, then neither would have given them much sway.  It was the fact that these were a part of the cultural imaginary of the state, and how people imagined themselves and their surroundings, that they were effective tools for Ohoama and his government. And so it seems that Ohoama's first year is off to a smashing success.  By the fifth month he is already issuing edicts—specifically on the structure of the state, which we discussed some last episode. But the high could not be maintained indefinitely.  And on the 29th day of the 5th month we have what we might consider our first negative entry, when Sakamoto no Takara no Omi passed away. You may remember Sakamoto, but I wouldn't blame you if you didn't.  He was the commander in the Nara Basin, under general Wofukei, who took 300 troops to Tatsuta.  From there he advanced to the Hiraishi plain and up to the top of Mt. Takayasu, to confront the Afumi forces that had taken the castle.  They fled, and Takara and his men overnighted at the castle.  The next day they tried to intercept Afumi troops advancing from the Kawachi plain, but they were forced to fall back to a defensive position.   We covered that in Episode 131 with the rest of the campaign in the Nara Basin. Takara's death is the first of many entries—I count roughly 21 through this and the following reign—which, for the most part, are all similarly worded.  Sakamoto no Takara no Omi, of Upper Daikin rank, died.  He was posthumously granted the rank of Shoushi for service in the Year of Mizu-no-e Saru, aka Jinshin.  We are told the individual, their rank at the time of their death, and then a note about a posthumous grant of rank.  Upper Daikin was already about the 7th rank from the top in the system of 664, and Shoushi would be the 6th rank, and one of the “ministerial” ranks.  This is out of 26, total.  “Kin” itself was the fourth of about 7 categories, and the last category that was split into six sub-ranks, with greater and lesser (Daikin and Shokin), each of which was further divided into Upper, Middle, and Lower ranks.  There's a lot to go into, in fact a little too much for this episode, so for more on the ranks in use at the start of the reign, check out our blogpost for this episode.        The giving of posthumous rank is mostly just an honorific.  After all, the individual is now deceased, so it isn't as if they would be drawing more of a stipend, though their new ranks may have influenced their funerary rites and similar things. As I said, on a quick scan of the text, I counted  21 of these entries, though there may be a few more with slightly different phrasing or circumstances.  Some of them were quite notable in the record, while others may have only had a mention here or there.  That they are mentioned, though, likely speaks to the importance of that connection to such a momentous year.  The Nihon Shoki is thought to have been started around the time of Ohoama or his successor, along with the Kojiki, and so it would have been important to people of the time to remind everyone that their ancestors had been the ones who helped with that momentous event.  It really isn't that much different from those who proudly trace their lineage back to heroes of, say, the American Revolution, though it likely held even more sway being closer to the actual events. After the death of Sakamoto no Takara, we get another death announcement.  This is of someone that Aston translates as “Satek Syomyeong” of Baekje, of Lower Daikin rank.  We aren't given much else about him, but we are told that Ohoama was shocked.  He granted Syomyeong the posthumous rank of “Outer Shoushi”, per Aston's translation.  He also posthumously named him as Prime Minister, or Desapyong, of Baekje. There are a few clues about who this might be, but very little to go on.  He is mentioned in 671, during the reign of Naka no Oe, when he received the rank of Upper Daikin along with Minister—or Sapyong—Yo Jasin.  It is also said in the interlinear text that he was the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Judgment—the Houkan no Taifu.  The Ministry of Judgment—the Houkan or perhaps the Nori no Tsukasa—is thought to have been the progenitor of the later Shikibu, the Ministry of Ceremony.  One of the major roles it played was in the selection of candidates for rank, position, and promotion. We are also told that in the year 660, in the reign of Takara Hime, one of the nobles captured in the Tang invasion of Baekje was “Desapyong Satek”, so perhaps this Syomyeong was a descendant or relative of the previous prime minister, who fled to Yamato with other refugees.  We also have another record from 671 of a Satek Sondeung and his companions accompanying the Tang envoy Guo Yacun.  So it would seem that the Sathek family was certainly notable The name “Satek” shows up once more, though Aston then translates it as “Sataku”, like a monk or scholar's name.  “Sataku” would be the Japanese on'yomi pronunciation of the same characters, so perhaps another relative. What we can take away from all of this is that the Baekje refugee community is still a thing in Yamato.  This Satek Seomyeong has court rank—Upper Daikin rank, just like Sakamoto, in the previous entry.  And we know that he had an official position at court—not just in the Baekje court in exile.  We'll see more on this as the community is further integrated into the rest of Society, such that there would no longer be a Baekje community, but families would continue to trace their lineages back to Baekje families, often with pride. The other odd thing here is the character “outer” or “outside” before “Shoushi”.  Aston translates it as part of the rank, and we see it show up a total of four times in some variation of “Outer Lesser X rank”.  Mostly it is as here, Outer Lesser Purple.  Later we would see a distinction of “outer” and “inner” ranks, which this may be a version of.  Depending on one's family lineage would denote whether one received an “outer” or “inner” rank, and so it may be that since Satek Syomyeong was from the Baekje community, it was more appropriate for him to have an “outside” rank. “Outer” rank would also be given to Murakuni no Muraji no Woyori, the general who had led the campaign to Afumi, taking the Seta bridge.  He was also posthumously given the rank of “Outer Shoushi” upon his death in 676.  Murakuni no Woyori is the only person of that surname mentioned around this time, so perhaps he wasn't from one of the “core” families of the Yamato court, despite the service he had rendered.  We also have at least one other noble of Baekje who is likewise granted an ”outer” rank. On the other side there are those like Ohomiwa no Makamuta no Kobito no Kimi, who was posthumously granted the rank of “Inner” Shoushi.  Here I would note that Ohomiwa certainly seems to suggest an origin in the Nara Basin, in the heartland of Yamato. The terms “Inner” and “Outer” are only used on occasion, however, and not consistently in all cases.  This could just be because of the records that the scribes were working off of at the time.  It is hard to say, exactly. All of these entries about posthumous ranks being granted tend to refer to cap ranks, those applying to members of various Uji, the clans that had been created to help organize the pre-Ritsuryo state. The Uji and their members played important roles in the court and the nation, both as ministers and lower functionaries.  But I also want to mention another important component of Ohoama's court, the members of the princely class, many of whom also actively contributed to the functioning of the state.  Among this class are those that Aston refers to as “Princes of the Blood”, or “Shinnou”.  These include the royal princes, sons of Ohoama who were in line for the throne, but also any of his brothers and sisters.  Then there were the “miko”, like Prince Kurikuma, who had been the Viceroy in Tsukushi, denying troops to the Afumi court.  Those princes claimed some lineal descent from a sovereign, but they were not directly related to the reigning sovereign.  In fact, it isn't clear, today, if they were even indirectly related to the reigning sovereign, other than through the fact that the elites of the archipelago had likely been forming marriage alliances with one another for centuries, so who knows.  And maybe they made their claims back to a heavenly descendant, like Nigi Hayahi.  Either way, they were the ones with claims—legitimate or otherwise—to royal blood.  Notably, the Princes did not belong to any of the Uji, , and they didn't have kabane, either—no “Omi”, “Muraji”, “Atahe”, et cetera. They did, at least from this reign forward, have rank.  But it was separate and different from the rank of the Uji members.  Members of the various Uji were referred to with cap rank, but the Princely ranks were just numbered—in the Nihon Shoki we see mention of princes of the 2nd through 5th ranks—though presumably there was also a “first” rank.  It is not entirely clear when this princely rank system was put into place, but it was probably as they were moving all of the land, and thus the taxes, to the state.  Therefore the court would have needed to know what kind of stipend each prince was to receive—a stipend based on their rank.  These ranks, as with later numbered ranks, appear to have been given in ascending order, like medals in a tournament:  first rank, second rank, third rank, etc. with fifth rank being the lowest of the Princely ranks. Many of these Princes also held formal positions in the government.  We saw this in Naka no Oe's reign with Prince Kurikuma taking the Viceroy-ship of Tsukushi, but during Ohoama's reign we see it even more. Beneath the Princes were the various Ministers and Public Functionaries—the Officers of the court, from the lowest page to the highest minister.  They were members of the elite noble families, for the most part, or else they claimed descent from the elite families of the continent.  Either way they were part of what we would no doubt call the Nobility.  Their cap-rank system, mentioned earlier, was separate from that used by the Princes. And, then at the bottom, supporting this structure, were the common people.  Like the princes, they did not necessarily have a surname, and they didn't really figure into the formal rank system.  They certainly weren't considered members of the titled class, and often don't even show up in the record.  And yet we should not forget that they were no doubt the most numerous and diverse group for the majority of Japanese history.  Our sources, however, have a much more narrow focus. There is one more class of people to mention here, and that is the evolving priestly class.  Those who took Buddhist orders and became Buddhist monks were technically placed outside of the social system, though that did not entirely negate their connections to the outside world.  We see, for example, how Ohoama, even in taking orders, still had servants and others to wait on him.  However, they were at least theoretically outside of the social hierarchy, and could achieve standing within the Buddhist community through their studies of Buddhist scripture.  They had their own hierarchy, which was tied in to the State through particular Buddhist officers appointed by the government, but otherwise the various temples seem to have been largely in charge of their own affairs. But anyway, let's get back to the Chronicles. Following closely on the heels of Satek Syomyeong's passing, two days later, we have another entry, this one much more neutral.  We are told that Tamna, aka the kingdom on Jeju island off the southern tip of the Korean peninsula, sent Princes Kumaye, Tora, Uma, and others with tribute. So now we are getting back into the diplomatic swing of things.  There had been one previous embassy—that of Gim Apsil of Silla, who had arrived just towards the end of the Jinshin War, but they were merely entertained in Tsukushi and sent back, probably because Ohoama's court were still cleaning house. Tamna, Silla, and Goguryeo—usually accompanied by Silla escorts—would be the main visitors to Yamato for a time.  At this point, Silla was busy trying to get the Tang forces to leave the peninsula.  This was partly assisted by the various uprisings in the captured territories of Goguryeo and Baekje—primarily up in Goguryeo.  There were various attempts to restore the kingdom.  It isn't clear, but I suspect that the Goguryeo envoys we do eventually see were operating largely as a vassal state under Silla. Tamna, on the other hand, seems to have been outside of the conflict, from what we see in the records, and it likely was out of the way of the majority of any fighting.  They also seem to have had a different relationship with Yamato, based on some of the interactions. It is very curious to me that the names of the people from Tamna seem like they could come from Yamato.  Perhaps that is related in some way to theories that Tamna was one of the last hold-outs of continental proto-Japonic language prior to the ancestor of modern Korean gaining ascendancy.  Or it could just be an accident of how things got copied down in Sinitic characters and then translated back out. The Tamna mission arrived on the 8th day of the 6th intercalary month of 673.  A Silla embassy arrived 7 days later, but rather than tribute, their mission was twofold—two ambassadors to offer congratulations to Ohoama and two to offer condolences on the late sovereign—though whether that means Naka no Oe or Ohotomo is not exactly clear.  All of these arrived and would have been hosted, initially, in Tsukushi, probably at modern Fukuoka.  The Silla envoys were accompanied by Escorts, who were briefly entertained and offered presents by the Dazaifu, the Yamato government extension on Kyushu, and then sent home.  From then on, the envoys would be at the mercy of Yamato and their ships. About a month and a half later, on the 20th day of the 8th month, Goguryeo envoys also showed up with tribute, accompanied by Silla escorts.  Five days later, word arrived back from the court in Asuka.  The Silla envoys who had come to offer congratulations to the sovereign on his ascension were to be sent onwards.  Those who had just come with tribute, however, could leave it with the viceroy in Tsukushi.    They specifically made this point to the Tamna envoys, whom they then suggested should head back soon, as the weather was about to turn, and they wouldn't want to be stuck there when the monsoon season came. The Tamna cohort weren't just kicked out, however.  The court did grant them and their king cap-rank.  The envoys were given Upper Dai-otsu, which Yamato equated to the rank of a minister in Tamna. The Silla envoys—about 27 in total—made their way to Naniwa.  It took them a month, and they arrived in Naniwa on the 28th day of the 9th month.  Their arrival was met with entertainments—musical performances and presents that were given to the envoys.  This was all part of the standard diplomatic song and dance—quite literally, in this case. We aren't given details on everything.  Presumably the envoys offered their congratulations, which likely included some presents from Silla, as well as a congratulatory message.  We aren't given exact details, but a little more than a month later, on the first day of the 11th month, envoy Gim Seungwon took his leave. Meanwhile, the Goguryeo envoys, who, like Tamna, had arrived merely with tribute, were still in Tsukushi.  On the 21st day of the 11th month, just over two months after they arrived, we are told that they were entertained at the Ohogohori in Tsukushi and were given presents based on their rank. The Ohogohori, or “Big District”, appears to mirror a similar area in Naniwa that was likewise known for hosting diplomatic envoys. With the diplomatic niceties over, there was one more thing to do in this first year of the new reign: the thanksgiving ritual always held at the beginning of a new reign, the Daijosai, or oho-namematsuri.  This is a harvest ritual where the newly enthroned sovereign offers new rice to the kami and then eats some himself.  At least in the modern version, he gives thanks and prays to Amaterasu Ohomikami, as well as to the amatsu-kami and kunitsu-kami, the kami of heaven and earth. The Daijosai shares a lot in common with another important annual festival, the Niinamesai, or the Feast of First Fruits.  This is the traditional harvest festival, usually held in November.  The Daijosai follows much the same form as the Niinamesai, and as such, in years where there is a new sovereign, and thus the Daijosai is held, the Niinamesai is not, since it would be duplicative. Many of the rituals of the Daijosai are private affairs and not open to the public. There are various theories about what happens, but only those who are part of the ritual know for sure, and they are sworn to secrecy. The first instance of the Daijosai in the Chronicles is during the reign of Shiraga Takehiko Kunioshi Waka Yamato Neko, aka Seinei Tennou, in the 5th century, but we should take that with a huge grain of salt.  Remember, one of the purposes behind the chronicles was to explain how everything came to be, and saying “we just made it up” wasn't really going to fly. I've seen some sources suggest that the Daijosai can be attributed to the first reign of Ohoama's mother, Takara Hime, aka Kougyoku Tennou.  The term used in her reign, though is Niiname, which seems to refer to the annual Niinamesai, though she is the first in the Chronicles that seems to celebrate it in the first year of her reign, sharing with the Crown Prince and Ministers. It is likely that the ritual is much older in origin.  After all, giving the first fruits of the harvest to the kami to thank them for their assistance seems like the core of harvest festivals around the world.  We see it mentioned as the Niinamesai in much of the rest of the Nihon Shoki, even back to the Age of the Gods, when it played an important part in the stories of Amaterasu and Susanowo.  It is in Ohoama's reign, though, that it seems to first take on its character as a true ritual of the state.  We see that the Nakatomi and the Imbe were involved.  Together these two families oversaw much of the court ritual having to do with kami worship.  We also know that the officials of the Jingikan, the Ministry of Kami Affairs, were also present, as they were all given presents for attending on the sovereign during the festival.  We also see that the district governors of Harima and Tamba, which were both in the area of modern Hyougo Prefecture, as well as various laborers under them, were all recognized with presents as well.  We can assume that this was because they provided the rice and other offerings used in the festival.  In addition to the presents they received, the two governors were each given an extra grade of cap-rank. Another Daijosai would be carried out in the first year of Ohoama's successor, and from there on it seems to have become one of if not *the* major festival of a reign.  It marks, in many ways, the end of the first year of ceremonies for the first year of a reign.  And even in other years, the Niinamesai is often one of the pre-eminent festivals. The Daijosai may have been the climax of the year in many ways, but the year was not quite done yet.  We have two more entries, and both are related to Buddhism.  First, on the 17th day of the 12th month, just twelve days after the Daijosai, Prince Mino and Ki no Omi no Katamaro were appointed Commissioners for the erection of the Great Temple of Takechi—aka the Ohomiya no Ohodera, also known as the Daikandaiji. The Daikandaiji was a massive temple complex.  It is thought that it was originally a relocation of Kudara Ohodera, and we have remains at the foot of Kaguyama—Mt. Kagu, in the Asuka region of modern Kashihara city.  Many of the ruins, however, seem to date to a slightly later period, suggesting that the main temple buildings were rebuilt after Ohoama's reign.  Still, it is quite likely that he had people start the initial work. In setting up the temple, of course it needed a head priest.  And so Ohoama called upon a priest named Fukurin and made him an offer he couldn't refuse… literally.  Fukurin tried to object to being posted as the head priest.  He said that he was too old to be in charge of the temple.  Ohoama wasn't having any of it.  He had made up his mind, and Fukurin was in no position to refuse him. A quick note on the two commissioners here.  First off, I would note that Prince Mino here isn't mentioned as having Princely rank.  Instead, he is mentioned with the ministerial rank of Shoushi.  Ki no Katamaro, on the other hand, is Lower Shoukin, several grades below.  Once again, a bit of confusion in the ranks, as it were. The final entry for the year 673 occurred 10 days after the erection of the great temple, and it was a fairly straightforward entry:  The Buddhist Priest, Gijou, was made Shou-soudzu, or Junior Soudzu.  Junior Soudzu was one of the government appointed positions of priests charged with overseeing the activities of the priests and temples and holding them to account as necessary.  Originally there was the Soujou and the Soudzu, but they were later broken up into several different positions, likely due to the proliferation of Buddhism throughout the archipelago. There doesn't seem to be much on Gijou before this point, but we know that he would go on to live a pretty full life, passing away over thirty years later, in 706 CE. He would outlive Ohoama and his successor.  And with that, we come to the end of the first year.  I am not planning to go year by year through this entire reign—in fact, we have already touched on a lot of the various recurring entries.  But I do think that it is worth it to see how the Chronicles treat this first year for a reign that would have been considered pretty momentous to the people of the time. Next episode we'll continue going through the reign of Ohoama, aka Temmu Tennou.  There is a lot going on, which, as I've said, will influence the nation for centuries—even up until the modern day. Until then, if you like what we are doing, please tell your friends and feel free to rate us wherever you listen to podcasts.  If you feel the need to do more, and want to help us keep this going, we have information about how you can donate on Patreon or through our KoFi site, ko-fi.com/sengokudaimyo, or find the links over at our main website,  SengokuDaimyo.com/Podcast, where we will have some more discussion on topics from this episode. Also, feel free to reach out to our Sengoku Daimyo Facebook page.  You can also email us at the.sengoku.daimyo@gmail.com.  Thank you, also, to Ellen for their work editing the podcast. And that's all for now.  Thank you again, and I'll see you next episode on Sengoku Daimyo's Chronicles of Japan.