I Have a Question

[Minister Robbin Swinger Otey]

Jack Wilson's vision

Wovoka—Paiute spiritual leader and creator of the Ghost DanceJack Wilson, the prophet formerly known as Wovoka until his adoption of a Westernized name, was believed to have experienced a vision during a solar eclipse on January 1, 1889. It was reportedly not his first time experiencing a vision directly from God; but as a young adult, he claimed that he was then better equipped, spiritually, to handle this message. Jack had received training from an experienced holy man under his parents' guidance after they realized that he was having difficulty interpreting his previous visions. Jack was also training to be a "weather doctor", following in his father's footsteps, and was known throughout Mason Valley as a gifted and blessed young leader. He often presided over circle dances, which symbolizes the sun's heavenly path across the sky, while preaching a message of universal love.

Anthropologist James Mooney conducted an interview with this charismatic preacher in 1892. Mooney confirmed that his message matched that given to his fellow aboriginal Americans.[4] This study compared letters between tribes and notes that Jack asked his pilgrims to take upon their arrival at Mason Valley. Jack told Mooney that he had stood before God in heaven and had seen many of his ancestors engaged in their favorite pastimes. God showed Jack a beautiful land filled with wild game and instructed him to return home to tell his people that they must love each other, not fight, and live in peace with the whites. God also stated that Jack's people must work, not steal or lie, and that they must not engage in the old practices of war or the traditional self-mutilation practices connected with mourning the dead. God said that if his people abided by these rules, they would be united with their friends and family in the other world.

In God's presence, Jack proclaimed, there would be no sickness, disease, or old age. According to Jack, he was then given the Ghost Dance and commanded to take it back to his people. Jack preached that if this five-day dance was performed in the proper intervals, the performers would secure their happiness and hasten the reunion of the living and deceased. God purportedly gave Jack powers over weather and told him that he would be the deputy in charge of affairs in the western United States, leaving current President Harrison as God's deputy in the East. Jack claims that he was then told to return home and preach God's message.

Jack Wilson claimed to have left the presence of God convinced that if every Indian in the West danced the new dance to "hasten the event", all evil in the world would be swept away, leaving a renewed Earth filled with food, love, and faith. Quickly accepted by his Paiute brethren, the new religion was termed "Dance In A Circle". Because the first European contact with the practice came by way of the Sioux, their expression Spirit Dance was adopted as a descriptive title for all such practices. This was subsequently translated as "Ghost Dance".

[Minister Robbin Swinger Otey]

My question is:

What role, if any did/does dance play in the Life of Yeshua or in the culture of His people?

I see in the old testament a few examples of dance being used to celebrate victory. David, Mariam come to hand.
Can you build on that for me please.?


t.e.y.a.

[Rabbis Aviyah Byers]

Shalom!

I am a Hebrew dance instructor and have actually made a Hebrew dance video teaching the art of Worship dance. Worship dance is extremely important to celebrating the Wonders of our Yah. In ancient times the dance was done to help illustrate thankfulness for what Yah had done, as in Miriam dancing when Father drowned pharaoh in the Sea of Reeds. Ancient Hebrew culture a bridegroom would dance over his bride during the wedding feast, and In Isaiah 62:5 Yah talks about Him rejoicing over His bride. Dance is so in line with rejoicing and giving thanks to the Father. Every dance move means something they are not just movement. I believe when we dance to the Father, that we cause things to change around us.
Now the word Pesach means to Leap or Jump or as we know that is literally means to 'Passover' so, Yah leaped over Israel to bring judgment on the Mizrites. I believe that maybe this is where the indigenous people get the meaning of war dance. Also in Hebrew culture they did many things that would look crazy to us, but when we move through the earth we bring changes that we don't realize. One of the moves in Hebrew dance is called a Miyiim, this word literally means water and is done during the times of draught. When we move together in a circle we look like flowing 'living' waters. Yahshuah told the woman at the well that if anyone would take of the water that He had would never thirst again, but this is the great part: He went on to say:
John 4:14 but whoever drinks of the water I give him shall certainly never thirst. And the water that I give him shall become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life.” The word springing means the same as Pesach!
So those who drink from Messiah Yahshuah out of our bellies will flow rivers of 'Springing and Leaping' waters!!! Bringing life to those who will receive the living waters. The word Feast in Hebrew is Chag which also means to dance in circles. Historically dances have been done in many cultures before and after war.
Blessings and Shalom!

[Eemah Martha aka Hephzybah]

Sister Te.y.a.bey,
Thank you for this post. I am doing my dissertation on Indigenous Spirituality and its implications for Education today. Well, it is almost prophetic that you made this post because for the past few days I have been pondering on Spiritual dances. Last week, my niece reminded me of the African dance classes I had the girls involved with via a video and not so long ago, I was observing Indigenous dancing and how next to their language, it is a great expression of their spirituality and I noticed all of the Praise dancing in both Christian and Hebraic faiths. Of course, there is much about David dancing in Scripture but I wondered too how much dancing did occur. I never studied Scriptures for dance. I say all of this because it is very clear that many of the Indigenous tribes were part of the lost Tribes of Israel. This is why I must obtain the study on the Elder Priest above. The problem is that when European anthropologists interviewed in their own worldview and certainly write this way as well. So even in the discourse between the Elder and G-d, I am not so clear on the authencity of the actual wording. Perhaps, once I read the actual research I will be able to gain better connections. Is it not odd that we do not read of any dancing in the Renewed Covenant ... at least none comes to mind but I will seek more on this? This is an excellent research area for biblical scholars... I will mention it to my sister who is completing her doctorate coursework in theology.

[Eemah Martha aka Hephzybah]

Sis,

A quick google gave me these:

Results 1-19 of 19

1. Exodus 15:20
And Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron, took a timbrel in her hand; and all the women went out after her with timbrels and with dances.
Exodus 15:19-21 (in Context) Exodus 15 (Whole Chapter)

2. Judges 11:34
And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances: and she was his only child; beside her he had neither son nor daughter.
Judges 11:33-35 (in Context) Judges 11 (Whole Chapter)

3. Judges 21:21
And see, and, behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out to dance in dances, then come ye out of the vineyards, and catch you every man his wife of the daughters of Shiloh, and go to the land of Benjamin.
Judges 21:20-22 (in Context) Judges 21 (Whole Chapter)

4. Judges 21:23
And the children of Benjamin did so, and took them wives, according to their number, of them that danced, whom they caught: and they went and returned unto their inheritance, and repaired the cities, and dwelt in them.
Judges 21:22-24 (in Context) Judges 21 (Whole Chapter)

5. 1 Samuel 21:11
And the servants of Achish said unto him, Is not this David the king of the land? did they not sing one to another of him in dances, saying, Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands?
1 Samuel 21:10-12 (in Context) 1 Samuel 21 (Whole Chapter)

6. 1 Samuel 29:5
Is not this David, of whom they sang one to another in dances, saying, Saul slew his thousands, and David his ten thousands?
1 Samuel 29:4-6 (in Context) 1 Samuel 29 (Whole Chapter)

7. 2 Samuel 6:14
And David danced before the LORD with all his might; and David was girded with a linen ephod.
2 Samuel 6:13-15 (in Context) 2 Samuel 6 (Whole Chapter)

8. Job 21:11
They send forth their little ones like a flock, and their children dance.
Job 21:10-12 (in Context) Job 21 (Whole Chapter)

9. Psalm 149:3
Let them praise his name in the dance: let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp.
Psalm 149:2-4 (in Context) Psalm 149 (Whole Chapter)

10. Psalm 150:4
Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs.
Psalm 150:3-5 (in Context) Psalm 150 (Whole Chapter)

11. Ecclesiastes 3:4
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
Ecclesiastes 3:3-5 (in Context) Ecclesiastes 3 (Whole Chapter)

12. Isaiah 13:21
But wild beasts of the desert shall lie there; and their houses shall be full of doleful creatures; and owls shall dwell there, and satyrs shall dance there.
Isaiah 13:20-22 (in Context) Isaiah 13 (Whole Chapter)

13. Jeremiah 31:4
Again I will build thee, and thou shalt be built, O virgin of Israel: thou shalt again be adorned with thy tabrets, and shalt go forth in the dances of them that make merry.
Jeremiah 31:3-5 (in Context) Jeremiah 31 (Whole Chapter)

14. Jeremiah 31:13
Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, both young men and old together: for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort them, and make them rejoice from their sorrow.
Jeremiah 31:12-14 (in Context) Jeremiah 31 (Whole Chapter)

15. Lamentations 5:15
The joy of our heart is ceased; our dance is turned into mourning.
Lamentations 5:14-16 (in Context) Lamentations 5 (Whole Chapter)

16. Matthew 11:17
And saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned unto you, and ye have not lamented.
Matthew 11:16-18 (in Context) Matthew 11 (Whole Chapter)

17. Matthew 14:6
But when Herod's birthday was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased Herod.
Matthew 14:5-7 (in Context) Matthew 14 (Whole Chapter)

18. Mark 6:22
And when the daughter of the said Herodias came in, and danced, and pleased Herod and them that sat with him, the king said unto the damsel, Ask of me whatsoever thou wilt, and I will give it thee.
Mark 6:21-23 (in Context) Mark 6 (Whole Chapter)

19. Luke 7:32
They are like unto children sitting in the marketplace, and calling one to another, and saying, We have piped unto you, and ye have not danced; we have mourned to you, and ye have not wept.
Luke 7:31-33 (in Context) Luke 7 (Whole Chapter)

Praise YAH for electronic search engines.... now, the time to peep at each one will be needed... :)