Then Israel came to Elim, where there were twelve wells of water and seventy palm trees, so they camped there by the waters. (Exo. 15:27, Num. 33:9). Elim means palms or trees. The date palm tree of the oasis depicted fertility in the midst of the desert, often bearing fruit for over one hundred years. The uprightness of the palm tree symbolized connecting heaven’s uprightness to earth, in victory, bearing everlasting fruit. From Psalm 92, a Psalm for the Sabbath, the righteous flourish like a palm and declare that YHWH is upright.

Psalm 92:12-15
12 The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree,
He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.13 Those who are planted in the house of YHWH
Shall flourish in the courts of our God.
14 They shall still bear fruit in old age;
They shall be fresh and flourishing,
15 To declare that YHWH is upright;
He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.

Elim’s seventy palm trees, symbolizing Israel’s seventy elders, and the twelve wells of water, representing Israel’s twelve tribes, were not just physical elements but profound symbols of Israel’s beauty and identity with YHWH. They represented the spiritual nourishment and sustenance that Israel derived from YHWH, enabling them to bear the fruit of righteousness.

Elim also reminded YHWH’s firstborn bride-nation of the covenant to bear His enduring fruit of righteousness and justice before the world’s seventy nations. Israel’s founders were Jacob’s twelve sons; the new Israel’s founders were Yeshua’s twelve apostles (Mar. 3:14). Yeshua’s twelve would someday sit on twelve thrones judging Israel’s twelve tribes, wellsprings of truth and mercy flowing from the foundation of His throne (Mat. 19:28, Luk. 22:30). Imprinted with His covenant love, Isaiah likened Israel to a spring of water that does not fail, building up the old waste places, raising the foundations of many generations, repairing the breach, and restoring the streets for a dwelling (Isa. 58:11–12). Israel’s restoration is marked by the twelve gathering twelve baskets of bread following their feeding of the five thousand (Mar. 7:43, 8:19). Through a new Israel, all nations receive the blessing, the opportunity to rest in YHWH’s Presence.

The seventy nations descended from Noah (Gen. 10) form the backdrop to the seventy of Abraham’s seed at the end of Genesis (Gen. 46:27), through whom all nations of the earth will be blessed (Gen. 22:18). The same Spirit that was given to Moses to judge Israel rested on Israel’s seventy elders so that they might teach justice, protect, and defend His people (Num. 11:16, 24–25). In ancient times, a judge was viewed as the door of life (Seekins, p. 175). Later, seventy made up the Jewish council’s Sanhedrin. The seventy palm trees at Elim foreshadowed Yeshua’s seventy of His new Israel sent to cast out demonic powers and judge (teach) between holy and profane (Luk. 10:1–18). And when the seventy returned in joy, Yeshua, Israel’s Warrior King (Num. 10:35), shared with them the vision of Satan’s fall. By the tenfold of seven Yeshua sent out, He announced to humanity’s generations that God’s governing power in judgment was the door to life. And because righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne (Psa. 89:14; 97:2), His judgments toppled the evil powers.

At Elim, YHWH set Israel in an order, an assembly of what the palms and wells signified. YHWH arranged Israel in a military array to overcome Satan’s evil grip on humankind, teaching righteous judgment, loosing evil’s bonds, undoing heavy burdens, letting the oppressed go free, and breaking every yoke, bringing Sabbath rest and peace. Yeshua shared His doctrine with the hungry and His water with the thirsty. The Spirit in Yeshua rested upon His warrior disciples in their assignment to carry the gospel outside of Israel’s boundaries, initiating the universal mission of the new Israel. Today, members of His body enlist in Yeshua’s campaign against evil powers, wearing the same armor as their Head (Isa. 59:17, Eph. 6: 13-18). At Elim, Israel’s congregation were YHWH’s “called out” soldiers, set in military array to combat the occupying forces of evil. With roots fed from His wells of salvation, Israel stood as pillars of the truth like the palms (Bible’s definition of “church” and “helpmeet,” Strong’s H5828, G1537, G2564, Eph. 6:12–13).

Takeaway:
The image of the stately palm portrayed the joining of heaven and earth, providing access and communication. The connection produced the fruit of righteousness, a victory over lawlessness. Israel was the palm tree and the living water flowing out to the nations because of the covenant oneness with YHWH. Since righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne, a Sabbath peace pervades the earth. YHWH set the congregation of Israel in a military array, calling them out to battle evil, bear fruit, and flow life to the nations. Elim depicts Eden, Genesis 1-2’s and Revelation 21-22’s description of the Tree of Life with a pure river of life proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb.

Fun Factors:
Elim, אֵילִם, has a value of 81, the 81 that is connected to the two ten-generation disruptions (see Blog 64). At Elim were 70 trees, a tenfold of seven, YHWH’s 10 + 7 victory, and 12 wells representing the twelve founding tribes of Israel, 12 = 5 + 4 + 3, I AM who I AM (543, 3 × 181).

Exodus 15:27 has 52 letters, 13 words, sum 4135, 5 × 827, T₅₁ + T₅₂ + T₅₃ (51 = 3 × 17, sure victory, 52 = 2 × 26, double of YHWH, 53 = Garden and Oholibah meaning “My tabernacle is in her”). The 53rd-centered triangular number is 4135. When added to its reverse, 4135 + 5314 = 9449, the same number pattern as Lev. 32:15-16’s command to count, 94² + 49². The factor 827 is the 144^th prime number, so 4135 = 5 × 144^th prime number.