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Peniel, the Angel of Tabernacles

On the morning of October 8, 1995, as I was having breakfast in North Carolina (where I was teaching at a conference), I suddenly noticed an angel standing in the corner of the room. No one else appeared to see him. I asked (silently), “Who are you?” His reply was: “Peniel.”

I thought that was quite strange, because I had always thought that Peniel was a place, not a name. I quickly finished eating and then excused myself to search this out more fully. Only then did I come to see that Jacob named the location Penuel, but the name of the angel he had wrestled was Peniel. Genesis 32:30 says that “Jacob named the place Peniel,” but the next verse says, “Now the sun rose upon him just as he crossed over Penuel.”

The word “place” in verse 30 comes from the Hebrew word, which often means “a condition of body or mind” (Strong's Concordance #2725). It appears that the condition of Jacob's body or mind was called “Peniel,” but the place on earth was called Penuel. Years later, during Gideon's battle, it was still called Penuel (Judges 8:8).

I believe that the condition of Jacob's body or mind was the work of Peniel, and the account tells us something of Peniel's job description. In the sequence of Jacob's prophetic journey to Padan-aram and back, he prophesied of all the feast days. (See The Laws of the Second Coming, chapter 4.) His experience at Penuel represented the Jubilee just before he concluded his journey at Succoth (Tabernacles).

Peniel Leads Israel Out of Egypt

As I studied the Scriptures that day, I discovered that Israel had been led by Peniel in coming out of Egypt. Exodus 13:18 says that “God led the people” from their starting point at Succoth (Exodus 13:20). When they reached the Red Sea, we are told that “the angel of God, who had been going before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them” (Exodus 14:19). The context shows that the angel was visible in the form of the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire.

In other words, God led them, but His presence was actually represented by an angel. Hence, Isaiah 63:9 tells us that “the angel of His presence saved them.” The Hebrew word translated “presence” is paniym, “face, presence.” It is how we get the name Peniel, “God’s face/presence.”

The Israelites lost Peniel's presence after they rebelled against God and worshiped the golden calf. Moses interceded for the people, but in Exodus 32:34 God tells Moses, “go now, lead the people where I told you. Behold, My angel shall go before you.”

A few verses later, God says in Exodus 33:2, 3, “I will send an angel before you… for I will not go up in your midst, because you are an obstinate people, and I might destroy you in the way.” The people took this as “sad news,” as verse 4 tells us,

⁴ When the people heard this sad word, they went into mourning, and none of them put on his ornaments.

It was sad news because God Himself—that is, His personal presence through Peniel—was removed from them. Hence, the “angel” that led them from then on was a different angel. God gave them a substitute angel at that point to lead them into the Promised Land after 40 years in the wilderness.

Michael’s Calling

Peniel was being replaced by a different angel, later revealed to be “Michael, the great prince who stands guard over the sons of your people” (Daniel 12:1). Daniel tells us further that when Michael fulfills his calling, “many of those who sleep in the dust of the ground will awake” (Daniel 12:2). In other words, Michael is the Angel of Resurrection. Peniel, on the other hand, is the Angel of Transfiguration (without dying first).

Peniel would have led Israel into Canaan from Kadesh-barnea in the south, without having to cross the Jordan river. Michael, however, would eventually lead them into Canaan from the east, and they had to cross the Jordan to get there. Israel’s opportunity to enter the Kingdom through transfiguration thereby ended, making it necessary for them to enter the Kingdom only through the Jordan River—which is a type of death and resurrection.

Both Peniel and Michael will get people into the Kingdom, but through different means. So Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15:51, “we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed.” Again, in 1 Thessalonians 4:17, Paul speaks of the dead in Christ being raised first, followed by those who are “alive and remain” who will be changed. The final result is the same; either way will work, and both are important.

Michael is the natural enemy (or counterpart) of the Red Dragon, as shown in Revelation 12:3, 7. Dragons eat pearls, and the Red Dragon has “eaten” the Pearl of Great Price, the church, much like Jonah was swallowed by the sea monster. Michael’s calling is to force the Red Dragon to disgorge the church in resurrection.

But Peniel, who revealed himself in October 1995, is the natural enemy of the Prince of Persia and is the angel who brings about the transfiguration of the overcomers at the end of the age. When Peniel was unveiled on October 8, 1995, it sent the signal that we were then on a countdown toward transfiguration. That was 30 years ago. At the time, there was no way to know that there was yet much preparation to be done before Peniel’s work could be completed.

Results of Israel’s Rebellion

Israel's rebellion in the days of Moses delayed their entrance into the Kingdom for 38 years (Deuteronomy 2:14). It also changed the manner in which most of them were to enter the Kingdom. In long-term prophecy, the rebellion of “the church in the wilderness” (Acts 7:38 KJV) postponed the fulfillment of the feast of Tabernacles for another 70 Jubilees, dating from the Jordan crossing. It is like a great 70-Jubilee delay while the Red Dragon of Babylon attempts to digest the Pearl.

The year 2024-2025 is 70 Jubilees from the Jordan crossing. Furthermore, from the 120^th Jubilee (1986-1987) until 2024-2025 is 38 years. This should make us watchful.

The Evil Report Overcome

When Peniel revealed himself in North Carolina that Sunday morning, October 8, 1995, I did not know that he had already been released in Japan by a group of believers among the United States Marines. But six weeks after Peniel revealed himself to me, I had a meeting in Portland, Oregon, and a missionary named Ginny drove up from Roseburg to attend the meeting. She had just returned from Japan. She told me that a group of about 40 Marines at the base in Japan had prayed and fasted from October 1-7 in order to be allowed to have “revival” meetings on the base. However, they were frustrated because the chaplain would not allow it.

On Sunday morning, Oct. 8, they went to the sea wall and asked God about the dark spiritual force that was over the base. Suddenly, out of the heavens the voice of God spoke audibly, and they all heard Him say, “Its name is Evil Report.”

The voice came again, “Whose report do you believe?” They all responded that they believed God's GOOD report. The voice then came a third time, saying, “Blessed are those who believe all that the Lord has spoken will come to pass.”

The day begins in Japan, “the land of the rising sun.” When the sun later rose over North Carolina, Peniel revealed himself that same day, thanks to 40 Marines in Japan, who broke the power of the Evil Report after 70 Jubilees of history. When Ginny told me that story, it confirmed to me the reason for Peniel's release, and it told me that the feast of Tabernacles will soon be fulfilled in us.

This story also confirmed an earlier revelation from my friend Ron about Jacob’s Peniel experience. After wrestling with Peniel at the place called Penuel, we read in Genesis 32:31,

³¹ Now the sun rose upon him just as he crossed over Penuel, and he was limping on his thigh.

Ron connected this to Japan, the land of the rising sun. However, we did not know how Japan might be involved in this prophetic story until Ginny told me the story of the 40 US Marines in Japan whose belief in the Good Report had released Peniel. Only then was Peniel released to begin the countdown toward transfiguration—and also to show us who the true Israelites are today. Jacob became an Israelite at the word of Peniel, essentially confirming him as the rightful holder of the birthright (as opposed to Esau-Edom).

Hence, it is necessary once again to put the Edomites on notice that they are NOT the rightful heirs of the birthright, even though they have taken for themselves the name Israel. The time is fast approaching when Edom—which the world calls Israel—has proven himself unworthy of the birthright and will be judged by the law of the “stubborn and rebellious son” (Deuteronomy 21:18-21).