Child Of Zion

 

You who call on the name of the LORD, give yourselves no rest, and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem, and makes her the praise of the earth.  Isaiah 62:6       For the LORD has chosen Zion, he has desired it for his dwelling: "This is my resting place for ever and ever; here I will sit enthroned…."  Psalm 132:13

Dear Friend

 

With God’s judgment almost upon us, it’s a good time to look at what God requires of us in the end time. Anyone who wants to serve the God of heaven and earth wants to serve in truth and faithfulness. There are many religions, and within my favored religion, Christianity, some say there are 25000 registered denominations. If this is the case, we must have all gone astray to some extent. We agree that there is only one God over all mankind, therefore one truth. I have been searching the bible for some time, and here I present some of my findings. My basis for establishing absolute truth is; God’s word through his servants the prophets, and of his son Yeshua, the Messiah, who I call Jesus.

These are the very words of God.

My beliefs have changed greatly, but I am more confident than ever that God has a masterful plan, one that will benefit mankind beyond our imagination. My understanding now, is that God’s plan for mankind centers on God’s plan for the ancient tribe of Israel, and that this plan encompasses all of us. Here follows a series of key scriptures that outline God’s plan for Israel. My hope is that they will capture your attention, and inspire you to continue reading to discover what Israel has to do with you…..

 

ISRAEL – KINGDOM OF PRIESTS

 

Follow the bullet points to discover that Israel will be God’s priesthood;

 

• Hear this word the LORD has spoken against you, O people of Israel – against the whole family I brought up out of Egypt: You only have I chosen of all the families of the earth…. Amos 3:1,2 [So God has chosen the natural descendants of Israel for his own people.]

 

• For the Lord has chosen Jacob to be his own, Israel to be his treasured possession. Psalm 135:4, Deut. 14:2

 

• IF you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all the nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a KINGDOM OF PRIESTS and a holy nation. Exodus 19:5,6 [So this is a conditional agreement, between God and Israel, regarding the Kingdom of God]

 

• [Israel] WILL follow my laws and be careful to keep my decrees…….I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant. Ezekiel 37:24-26. Also see 36:16-36 and 11:16-20 [So God has said that Israel will keep the law, and thus satisfy the conditions of God's agreement, becoming a kingdom of priests. This is in the future. Neither Israel, nor any other nation fully obeys God.]

 

• The time is coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah……. This is the covenant I will make with the house of ISRAEL after that time, declares the LORD. I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people…. For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more. Jeremiah 31:31-34

  [So here is the mechanism by which Israel will keep God's law, and thus fulfill the agreement – God will write his law on the hearts of the Israelites, and forgive their past sins. It is plain that this covenant will be made with the two kingdoms of Israel, and that there is nothing in this covenant about abolishing the law. Quite the opposite is true if you believe the preceding bullet point scripture from Ezekiel 37 ]

 

• Then you will know that I, the LORD your God, dwell in Zion, my holy hill. [on earth- Ezekiel 43:7, Revelation 21:2,3] Jerusalem will be holy; never again will foreigners invade her….. A fountain will flow out of the LORD’s house and will water the valley of acacias [River of life - Ezekiel 47, Zechariah 14:8, Psalm 46:4, Revelation 22:1,2]…..Judah will be inhabited forever, Jerusalem through all generations. Their blood guilt, which I have not pardoned, I will pardon. The LORD dwells in Zion! Joel 3:17-21[So the forgiveness of sin and the new covenant coincide with the coming kingdom, God dwelling with man, at the time of Jesus return]

 

• They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations. Aliens will shepherd your flocks; foreigners will work your fields and vineyards. And you will be called PRIESTS OF THE LORD, you will be named ministers of our God. You will feed on the wealth of nations and in their riches you will boast. Isaiah 61:4-6

• Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be PRIESTS OF GOD and of the Messiah and will reign with him for a thousand years. Revelation 20:6

 

• But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart though all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he chose for his inheritance. [namely - Israel] Psalm 33:8,9 [So God will never change his mind about Israel – they will forever be the Kingdom of God.]

 

The above quote from Revelation shows that God’s plan for Israel carries over into the Christian faith, as does the reference to the tribes of Israel found in Revelation 7:1-8. The following prophesy from Deuteronomy also makes it clear that Israel will be God’s kingdom at Jesus return, and that the Mosaic law will continue into the coming kingdom. [Note:- Jeshurun = the upright one, a name God has given to the holy ones of Israel – see Isaiah 44:2]

 

The LORD came from Sinai, and dawned over them from Seir; he shone forth from Mount Paran. He came with myriads of holy ones from the south, from his mountain slopes.

Surely it is you who love the people; all the holy ones are in your hand. At your feet they all bow down, and from you receive instruction, the law that Moses gave us, the possession of the assembly of Jacob He was king over Jeshurun when the leaders of the people assembled, along with the tribes of Israel. Deuteronomy 33:1-5

 

There is no one like the God of Jeshurun, who rides on the heavens to help you and on the clouds in his majesty. The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. He will drive out the enemy before you, saying, “Destroy him!” So Israel will live in safety alone; [This has not yet happened, nor has Israel ever received it's full inheritance.] Jacob’s spring is secure in a land of grain and new wine, where the heavens drip dew. Blessed are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD? He is your shield and helper and your glorious sword. Your enemies will cower before you, and you will trample down their high places. Deuteronomy 33:26-29

[References to Jesus return; Habakkuk 3:1-13, Zechariah 9:13-17, 14:1-15, Matthew 24:26-31, 26:64, Psalm 18, 68. Joel 3, Revelation 19:11-21, Ezekiel 39:17-21, Jeremiah 25:30,31, Isaiah 13:1-13, 30:27-30, 31:4,5, 34:1-8, 63:1-6]

 

For myself, coming from an upbringing of the Christian faith, this has been a new insight of God’s plan for mankind, one that is foreign to my previous beliefs. God’s grace has not passed Israel by. His promises have simply not yet been fulfilled. There are not two salvation plans – one for Israel and one for Christians. We have to be Israelite to receive God’s promises for Israel, and we are. We Christians have a double minded interpretation of God’s word. We claim the promises God has made to Israel, even though they are not yet fulfilled, and we reject any of God’s rebukes for Israel, even though they are directed at us. That’s right – God has said that we are all Israelite. But you must read on to find out why I have reached that conclusion. First I must try to dismantle a false belief we have had. I no longer trust the New Testament letters of the Bible to be the absolute word of God. The following example, giving two conflicting statements regarding the Mosaic Covenant, should illustrate this point;

 

For he himself [Jesus] is our peace, who has made the two one [Jew and Gentile] and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the Law with it’s commandments and regulations.

[Paul the apostle] Ephesians 2:14

 

Do not think I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them….

Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven,… [Jesus, the Messiah] Matthew 5:17

 

It should be evident that these can’t both be true. Jesus either abolished the Law or he didn’t. [also compare Galations 5:2-4 with Acts 16:3, and Galations 3:25 with Acts 21:20-24]. By the prophet Isaiah it is possible to recognize that Jesus spoke the truth, and that we are all still under obligation to comply with the Mosaic Law, or suffer God’s judgment. Our failure to obey the Law is the reason God’s judgment is about to fall on us;

 

The earth is defiled by it’s people; they have disobeyed the laws, violated the statutes and broken the everlasting covenant. Therefore a curse consumes the earth; it’s people must bear their guilt. Therefore earth’s inhabitants are burned up, and very few are left. Isaiah 24:5

This represents God’s judgment against our sinful nature and our mortal bodies, NOT our eternal soul [identity]. Nor is it the end of God’s salvation plan; But your dead will live; their bodies will rise. You who dwell in the dust, wake up and shout for joy. Your dew is like the dew of the morning; the earth will give birth to her dead. Isaiah26:19

 

If you love me, you will obey what I command…. Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me…. If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching…. He who does not love me will not obey my teaching…. I do exactly what my Father has commanded me….If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love…. You are my friends if you do what I command. [Jesus, the Word of God] John 14:15 to 15:14

 

We have been ignoring these words, and the previous quote from Matthew 5:17, explaining them away because of what the New testament letters say. By attempting to reconcile the word of God, which is the truth, with the word of the apostles, who are men, we have lost the truth. All manner of false religious beliefs have sprung up like weeds.

The one that is mortally fatal [not eternally fatal] is that we are under God’s grace but not under God’s law.

 

Consider the deaths of Ananias and Sapphira [Acts 4:32-5:11]. They brought some money received from the sale of a property to the Apostles, as a gift to God for the spreading of the gospel. Very good, highly commendable. But they lied to the apostles and to God, saying they had presented the full sale price, but withholding a portion for themselves. This was a breach of the 9^th commandment – Thou shalt not give false testimony, so God struck them dead.

 

This judgment may seem harsh to us, and unfortunate for them, but their deaths can teach us a very valuable lesson. We are still obligated to comply with the Mosaic law. Teachers of the “Grace not Law” doctrine say that the blood of Jesus covers our sin so God can’t see them. Or else they acknowledge that our sin separates us from relationship with God, but we are not held accountable for them because of God’s grace. The deaths of Ananias and Sapphira prove that both of these doctrines are false. Yes, God can see our sin. Yes, we still are accountable for our sin.

 

If you learn this lesson now, before the judgment comes, you may be sheltered from the most severe of God’s wrath. [see Zephaniah 2:3] If this occurs, give Ananias and Sapphira a big hug when you greet them in the Kingdom of God. What reason do we have for despising them for their sin, when our sin is greater. We have refused to obey God’s commands, and have ignored the word of his son Jesus. Don’t be thinking that the New covenant is in place yet, or that it nullifies the Mosaic covenant. The New covenant comes into effect at Jesus return, when his kingdom is established. It’s effect will be to empower us to keep the Law;

 

My servant David will be King over them…. They WILL follow my laws and be careful to keep my decrees.... David my servant will be their prince forever. I will make a covenant of peace with them; it will be an everlasting covenant…. I will put my sanctuary [temple] among them forever. [Ezekiel 37: 24-26]

 

Most of Christendom teach that the New covenant is already in place, even though it’s commencement is announced NOWHERE in the bible, and nor is the Kingdom of God [see Luke 21:31, 22:17, Rev 11:15, 12:10, Daniel 7:24-27] Most teach that the New covenant means we are under God’s grace [true], but not under God’s Law [false].

If you examine the nature of the New covenant specified in Jeremiah 31:31-34 and 32:37-41, you will see that God’s law will be written on our hearts, not abolished. Further reflection should tell you that none of the outcomes of this covenant have yet been achieved;

• We will all know the Lord [Jeremiah 31:34]. Yet still we are trying to teach our brother and our neighbor who God is. Jesus said this; “Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. In that day you will no longer ask me anything.” [John 16:22]. So, when Jesus returns, we will all know him, in fulfillment of the new covenant.

• We will have singleness of heart and action [Jeremiah 32:39]. This has not yet occurred. Jesus said this; “Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division.” [Luke 12:51] Division we do have. Singleness of heart / undivided heart /oneness, we do not have.

• Nor have we returned to Israel yet – a prerequisite for this covenant; “I will surely gather them from all the places where I banished them in my furious anger and great wrath; I will bring them back to this place and let them live in safety [the promised rest – see Jeremiah 31:2] They will be my people, and I will be their God. ….. I will make an everlasting covenant with them.” Jeremiah 32:37-40

• ….. set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus the Messiah is revealed. 1 Peter 1:13

Most important is to notice that this covenant is for Judah and Israel. To get the truth from the Law and Prophets you need to carefully examine what God has actually said, and believe that he meant it. In this case, God means that the New covenant is for Judah and Israel. You probably think of yourself as a Gentile believer, if you are a servant of Jesus the Messiah. You’re probably right – if you don’t adhere to the Mosaic Law. Gentile simply means uncircumcised, signifying non – conforming to God’s Law, but that doesn’t mean you are not a descendant of Israel.

You HAVE to be an Israelite to receive the promised New covenant. Happily, you are an Israelite.

 

This is the most extraordinary discovery I have made since resolving to find out what God’s plan for us is. Everyone on Earth is now Israelite by descent. It’s not an obvious truth, but I’ll do my best to give you enough reason to search the Law and Prophets for yourself. I believe this is at least a part of the mystery that God has referred too;

 

But in the days when the seventh angel is about to sound his trumpet, the mystery of God will be accomplished, just as he announced to his servants the prophets. Revelation 10:7

 

I promise you that I have found plenty of evidence from the prophets, and a little from Jesus the Messiah, that confirm that we are all indeed Israelite by descent. None of it easily registers as being the truth, so instead I have chosen scriptures that say that; you have to be Israel to be God’s people. God does not have two plans of salvation – one for Israel and one for everybody else. There will never be two Kingdoms of God – one earthly, and one heavenly. Instead, the Kingdom of God / Heaven is coming to earth. Here are some scriptures that say so;

 

The seventh angel sounded his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, which said; “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Messiah, and he will reign for ever and ever.” Revelation 11:15

 

Then I heard a loud voice say: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah. Revelation 12:10

 

But the court will sit, and his power [the boastful king – false messiah] will be taken away and completely destroyed forever. Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be handed over to the saints, the people of the Most High. [Israel – see Psalm 148:14] His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will worship and obey him. Daniel 7:26,27

 

I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God,….. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.” Revelation 21:2,3

 

Note; Israel are the only people ever named in bible prophesy to receive this promise :- “They will be my people, and I will be their God.”

 

Regarding the future temple; He said; Son of man, this is the place of my throne and the place for the soles of my feet. This is where I will live among the Israelites forever. Ezekiel 43:7

 

The highest heavens belong to the Lord, but the earth he has given to man…. it is we who will extol the Lord, both now and forevermore. Psalm 115: 16-18

 

Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. [Jesus the Messiah] Matthew 6:9,10

 

So this is the Kingdom of God – the only eternal kingdom. There are, however, two kingdoms of Israel, the Southern Kingdom of Judah [historically Judah, Benjamin, and most of Levi, now referred to as Jews] and the Northern Kingdom of Israel [called Israel, Ephraim, House of Jeroboam, or “the ten lost tribes of Israel” having been scattered about 720BC]. This has caused some confusion in the distinction between Jew and Gentile / Judah and Israel.

Although we may have lost track of the ten northern tribes, God has certainly NOT forgotten where and who they are, or his promises to them.

 

THE RESTORATION OF ISRAEL

 

Follow these five bullet points to discover that you are Israel;

 

• Have you not noticed that these people are saying, “The LORD has rejected the two kingdoms he chose”? So they despise my people and no longer regard them as a nation. This is what the LORD says: “ …….I will restore their fortunes and have compassion on them.” Jeremiah 33:24-26

 

This promise is not yet fulfilled, but will be in our time. Jesus confirmed this promise in his mission statement when he visited the Jews 2000yrs ago, evident when aligned with the apostle John’s testimony and Ezekiel’s prophesy;

 

• I am the good shepherd, I know my sheep and my sheep know me – just as the Father knows me and I know the Father – and I lay down my life for the sheep. [The Jews] I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. [The Gentiles] I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be ONE flock and ONE shepherd. [Jesus the Messiah] John 10:14-16

 

• “You do not realize that it is better for you that one man die for the people than that the whole nation perish.” [Caiaphas] did not say this on his own, but as high priest that year he prophesied that Jesus would die for the Jewish nation, and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, [the Gentiles / the scattered northern kingdom] to bring them together and make them ONE. John 11:50-52

 

Now tie these promises back in to the prophesy from Ezekiel 37 that we looked at earlier, regarding God’s promise to restore the two Kingdoms of Judah and Israel to unity under one king;

 

• This is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am going to take the stick of Joseph – which is in Ephraim’s hand – and of the Israelite tribes associated with him, and join it to Judah’s stick, making them a single stick of wood, and they will become one in my hand……. I will take the Israelites out of the nations where they have gone. I will gather them from all around and bring them back into their own land. I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. There will be one king over all of them and they will never again be two nations or be divided into two kingdoms. They will no longer defile themselves with their idols and vile images or with any of their offenses for I will SAVE them from all their sinful backsliding and will CLEANSE them. They will be my people and I will be their God. My servant David will be king over them and they will all have one shepherd. They will follow my laws and be careful to keep my decrees. Ezekiel 37:19-24

 

Hopefully you recognize a pattern, and the truth is starting to dawn that God’s plan for the Jews and Gentiles is God’s plan for Judah / Israel [Ephraim], and is God’s plan for you. We non Jewish, are [most likely] descended from the Northern kingdom of Israel, which was scattered among the nations about 2730 years ago. The intermingling of Israels bloodline with other nations goes even further back, to the captivity in Egypt. They intermarried with the Egyptians, and bred like rabbits, at a time when Egypt was a superpower on earth. This happened only about 580yrs after the flood, when earths population started again from scratch. Jesus told this parable; “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough.”

 

 

 

I have more evidence to present but first let’s put being Israelite into perspective, and complete this series of bullet points. Once you establish your identity as Israel, you will find overwhelming evidence from prophesy that we are still under the Mosaic covenant, and are about to be judged by it. Being Israel and obeying the Mosaic Law does not dismiss faith in God as the prerequisite for eternal life. None of us will be found righteous before God by our own efforts of observing the Law, but God requires both faith and obedience, and will not be mocked. It is in our own interest to be obedient to God’s Law. The source of our righteousness was promised by the prophet Jeremiah – another promise for Israel that we Gentiles have claimed, while disclaiming our identity as Israelites;

 

• The days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up from David’s line a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. In his days JUDAH will be SAVED and ISRAEL will live in SAFETY. This is the name by which he will be called: YHVH Our Righteousness. [meaning Yeshua – Jesus] Jeremiah 23:5,6 and again in Jeremiah 33:15-16

So Jesus two flocks of sheep are the Jews [Judah] and the Gentiles [Israel / Ephraim]. They will return to Israel when the Kingdom of God is established, and be one nation under one shepherd – Jesus the Messiah, the Root and the Offspring of David [see Revelation 22:16]. You can find out more about Jesus flock by reading Ezekiel 34, and notice again from verses 30,31 that his flock is Israel. I have highlighted the words saved, cleansed, and safety [rest] in the preceding two quotes so that there can be no doubt that this restoration for Judah and Israel will occur in the end time, as testified by the apostle Peter;

 

….. he has given us new birth into a living hope….. until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time….. set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus the Messiah is revealed. 1 Peter 1:3-13

 

Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah.” Revelation 12:10

 

Martha answered, “I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.” John 11:24

 

For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. [Jesus the Messiah] John 6:40

 

At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people – everyone whose name is found written in the book – will be delivered [saved]. Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt. Daniel 12:1,2

 

At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to take place , stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near….. when you see these things happening, you know that the Kingdom of God is near. [Jesus the Messiah] Luke 21:27-31

 

This is what the Sovereign LORD says: On the day I cleanse you from all your sins, I will resettle your towns, and the ruins will be rebuilt. Ezekiel 36:33 [also see Zechariah 3:9]

 

Judah will be inhabited forever and Jerusalem through all generations. Their blood guilt, which I have not pardoned, I will pardon. The LORD dwells in Zion! Joel 3:20,21

 

And similarly, when Judah and Israel receive the new covenant; The days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will plant the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the offspring of men and of animals…….For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more. Jeremiah 31:27-34

 

WE ARE ALL ISRAEL / WE ARE NOT ALL ISRAEL

 

You [Israel] only have I chosen of all the families of the earth. Amos3:2

I will enter into judgment against them concerning my inheritance, my people Israel,… Joel 3:2

Remember the people you purchased of old, the tribe of your inheritance,…. Psalm 74:2

…he is the Maker of all things, including Israel, the tribe of his inheritance…. Jeremiah 10:16

For the LORD’s portion is his people, Jacob his allotted inheritance. Deuteronomy 32:9

Rise up, O God, judge the earth, for ALL the nations are your inheritance. Psalm 82:8

 

But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations. Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he chose for his inheritance. [only Israel / all the nations] Psalm 33:11,12

Both of these answers are correct according to God. Given that God will never change his mind about Israel being his inheritance, this leads me to conclude that everyone on earth now carries the natural bloodline of Israel.

 

He told them another parable: The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough.” [Jesus the Messiah] Matthew 13:33

 

He has remembered his love and his faithfulness to the house of Israel; all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. Psalm 98:3

 

Shout for joy to the LORD all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. [referring to the new covenant, see Jeremiah 31:34] It is he who made us, and we are his, we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. [Israel – see Ezekiel 34:30,31] Psalm 100:1-3

 

He has raised up for his people a king, the praise of all his saints, Israel, the people close to his heart. Psalm 148:14

 

I tell you the truth, you will not finish going through the cities of Israel before the Son of Man comes. Matthew 10:23

 

There are many other pointers like this, but if you are desperate to cling to your religious beliefs, none of them will register. Funnily enough, I got it by the merest suggestion, and a desperation to find the truth – once I realized that God is about to destroy me for my disobedience. I’m sure that genuine fear of God, combined with believing what God has actually said, is the key to finding the truth. [Rather than believing what the apostles or anyone else say God means.]

[The LORD] will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the LORD is the key to this treasure. Isaiah 33:6

 

But if we are all Israel by descent, then who misses out on eternal life? I don’t know. Nor do I know that I myself will receive eternal life. God is the righteous Judge, and will have mercy on whom he will have mercy. Thankfully, He is a Merciful God. I am content to trust God to lead me toward salvation, while I endeavor to live in obedience. If you want the nuts and bolts of obedience, then read the Law, all 600+ laws, many of which are not achievable in our times. To me, the real value of the Law [and the Prophets] is in finding out who God is, and what is important to him. But they also keep us from stumbling into the deception of lying spirits, and into sin;

 

The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks what is just. The Law of his God is in his heart; his feet do not slip. Psalm 37:30,31

 

He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you?

To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8

 

Ezekiel 18 also gives a summary of what God requires, and I know this is talking to us in our times. Regarding the selection of mankind into God’s eternal Kingdom, according to the apostle Paul; “…not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.” [Romans 9:6] This agrees quite well with what God has said, if you consider the following scriptures;

 

For the LORD has chosen Jacob to be his own, Israel to be his treasured possession. Psalm 135:4, Deuteronomy 14:2

 

A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the LORD and honored his name. “They will be mine,” says the LORD Almighty, “in the day when I make up my treasured possession. I will spare them, just as in compassion a man spares his son who serves him. And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not. Malachi 3:16-18

 

Has any god ever tried to take for himself one nation out of another nation, by testings, by miraculous signs and wonders, by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, or by great and awesome deeds, like all the things the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your very eyes? Deuteronomy 4:34 [a pattern of things to come?]

 

Not everyone who says to me “Lord, Lord,” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. [Jesus the Messiah] Matthew 7:21

 

But at that time Israel – everyone whose name is found written in the book – will be saved. Daniel 12:1 [paraphrased]

 

“….continue to work out your own salvation with fear and trembling,…” [The apostle Paul] Philippians 2:12

 

And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved. Joel 2:32

 

I’m now confident that God’s judgment on mankind, though traumatic for us, is a vital part of God’s salvation plan. Like the saying; “There are no atheists in a plane crash.” I believe many will “call on the name of the LORD” when confronted with their own mortality, and inadequacy, once the holocaust hits us;

 

When your judgments come upon the earth, the people of the world learn righteousness. Though grace is shown to the wicked, they do not learn righteousness; even in a land of uprightness they go on doing evil and regard not the majesty of the LORD. Isaiah 26:9,10

Men gnawed their tongues in agony and cursed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, but they refused to repent of what they had done. Revelation 16:11

 

Another benefit of the judgment is that we get rid of our mortal bodies, and our sin nature is dealt away with. Unless a seed falls to the ground and dies, it remains just a single seed. We are sown in dishonor, but raised in glory, in the likeness of the Angels. The book of Enoch gives a reasonably clear summary of the heirachy in God’s kingdom;

 

1. In those days the saints and the chosen shall undergo a change. The light of day shall rest upon them; and the splendor and glory of the saints shall be changed. In the day of trouble evil will be heaped upon sinners; but the righteous shall triumph in the name of the Lord of spirits. 2. Others shall be made to see that they must repent, and forsake the works of their hands, and that glory awaits them not in the presence of the Lord of spirits, yet that by his name they may be saved. The Lord of spirits will have compassion on them, for great is his mercy, and righteousness is in his judgment, and in the presence of his glory, nor in his judgment shall iniquity stand. 3. He who repents not before him shall perish. Henceforward I will not have mercy on them, saith the Lord of spirits. [toast] Enoch 49

 

Jesus replied, “The people of this age marry and are given in marriage. But those who are considered worthy of taking part in that age and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage, and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God’s children, since they are children of the resurrection. [So the “born again” experience occurs at the resurrection – see John 3:3] Luke 20:34-36

 

Although John was the greatest of all men born of woman, even the least in the kingdom of God will be greater than he. Satan, the accuser and lier, will be bound and imprisoned. The whole earth will be filled with the knowledge of the LORD. Habakkuk 2:14 [From the least to the greatest we will all know him - the new covenant – Jeremiah 31:34]

If any of what you have read here has registered as the truth, then hear some encouragement and rebuke from God toward his servant Israel [ You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will display my splendor. Isaiah 49:3 ];

 

On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The LORD has spoken. Isaiah 25:7,8

 

Hear, you deaf; look you blind, and see! Who is blind but my servant, and deaf like the messenger I send? Who is blind like the one committed to me, blind like the servant of the LORD? You have seen many things, but have paid no attention; your ears are open, but you hear nothing.

It pleased the LORD to make his law great and glorious. But this is a people plundered and looted, all of them trapped in pits or hidden away in prisons. They have become plunder, with no one to rescue them; they have been made loot, with no one to say “Send them back.”

Which of you will listen to this or pay close attention in time to come?

Who handed Jacob over to become loot, and Israel to the plunderers? Was it not the LORD, against whom we have sinned? For they would not follow his ways; they did not obey his law. So he poured out on them his burning anger, the violence of war. It enveloped them in flames, yet they did not understand; it consumed them, but they did not take it to heart. Isaiah 42:18-25

 

Forget about this scripture being an ancient prophesy, this is going to be our reality in a few short years. If you believe this is true, you may be wondering what you can do about it. I am still discovering that for myself. The following recommendations should be fairly safe;

• Devote all the time you can spare to the Law and the Prophets. This is the only safe place to hear the word of God, [Isaiah 8:20] and will preserve you in the trouble ahead. We are heading towards the greatest idolatry of all time, one that may seem like God’s answer to our prayers [to the unwary]. Great peace have those who love your law, and nothing can make them stumble. [Psalm 119:165] All of it is good. Deuteronomy, Psalms, Isaiah and Ezekiel are my top recommendations. Ezekiel is a hard slog, but represents a run through of end time events. Once you work that out, you”ll be able to treat all prophesy as current, and addressed to you personally. With very few exceptions they are. In particular, read Ezekiel chapters 40 to 48, and Zechariah 14:16-19. This is our future with God. We will all soon be worshiping God at his temple, on the holy mountain, at Jerusalem, planet Earth.

 

• Stop trusting the New Testament letters to be the word of God. That was only ever an assumption. Jesus warned us that an enemy would sow weeds in amongst the good seed [Matthew 13:24-30 and 36-43].

 

• Get a modern translation bible. This is important. Not only does it put what God has said into terms we can understand, it will be much more accurate to the original prophetic scrolls. Finds such as the Dead Sea scrolls have meant that we now have a better understanding of the ancient language. God has arranged this for us, so take advantage of it. I now use an NIV bible, and when I try looking at the same text in my old Amplified bible, I find that the significance of what God has said is often completely lost.

 

• Don’t bother swapping religions or churches unless God says so. What would be the point? You’ll go from one false teaching to another. Better to work it out for yourself from God’s word. Beware your friends; do not trust your brothers. For every brother is a deceiver, and every friend is a slanderer. Friend deceives friend, and no one speaks the truth. They have taught their tongues to lie; they weary themselves with sinning. You live in the midst of deception; in their deceit they refuse to acknowledge me. [Jeremiah 9:4-6] So who would you trust?

 

• As to surviving the coming holocaust, that is entirely God’s decision. It’s pointless to build a survival bunker, or any other type of survival nonsense. Once you realize that God is judging us, it follows that there is nowhere we can go to escape from God. He who saves his life will lose it, but he who loses his life for Jesus sake shall find it.

 

• If there is something we can individually or collectively do to escape God’s most severe judgments, it’s to keep watch for a call to renew the covenant [approximately 2012] and jump at it. [This is speculation, but based on prophesy].

Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, you who do what he commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the LORD’s anger. Zephaniah 2:3

I said to the city, “Surely you will fear me and accept correction!” Then her dwelling would not be cut off, nor all my punishments come upon her. Zephaniah 3:7

When I shut up the heavens so there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:13

…. if that nation I warned repents of it’s evil, then I will relent, and not inflict on it the disaster I had planned. Jeremiah18:8 Who of us, believing God’s promises, wouldn’t want to reform in light of these scriptures???

 

Meanwhile, turn your heart away from religion, and towards the Kingdom of God – the real one that’s coming, not the mythical one that’s already here. If you can believe what I have presented here, you will realize that there is not a true religion or cult on earth. Christians have understood for eons that Jesus was a “stone that causes men to stumble” for the Jews. They didn’t recognize the messiah [Luke 19:41-44], because he didn’t fulfill their expectations [Luke 7:20].

But if you read Isaiah 8:14 again, you will see that Jesus has been a stumbling block for both houses of Israel, meaning us [Ephraim] as well. We thought he had abolished the Mosaic Law, have misunderstood God’s promises, and the nature of the coming kingdom.

It doesn’t look like these errors are eternally fatal for either house of Israel. Given that we’re all in deception regarding the Holy One of Israel, it follows that this suits the eternal purposes of God [no, I don't know how], and that our false beliefs are no barrier to God’s salvation plan. The problem is, we are about to be disgraced for our conduct and our actions [Ezekiel 20]. The faithful city is about to become a harlot [Isaiah 1:21]. This is inevitable; the coming Idolatry will take hold in our churches and places of worship, but need not take hold of you. You are Israel, who struggles with God till dawn and receives a blessing. So stop resting on what you think you know, and start struggling to find the true God of Israel. The dawn is coming, but also the night [Isaiah 21:12]. Seek God now, while he may be found.

 

 

APPENDIX

 

Ezra saw an apocalyptic vision, which includes the return to the promised land of Ephraim’s 10 tribes, still distinct from Judah in the end time. I have paraphrased and recorded part of the interpretation of the vision found in 2 Esdras 13, which you can find in the books of the Apocrypha;

 

This is the meaning of the vision:- You saw a man coming up from the midst of the sea, He whom God Most High has kept a long season, who shall save his creation, and shall rule the remnant of earth’s people. And you saw that from his mouth came a blast of fire, wind and storm. He held neither sword, nor any weapon of war, but by the breath of his mouth destroyed the multitude that had come to subdue him; this is the interpretation;

 

Behold, the days will come when the Most High will begin to save those on earth, and shall come, to the astonishment of those on earth. One will fight against another, city against city, nation against nation, people against people, kingdom against kingdom. Great signs shall appear, those which I showed you before [The sun suddenly shines at night, the moon 3 times during the day, blood comes from wood, stone will speak, 1yr olds will talk, 6mth premature babies will live, etc], and then my Son shall be revealed.

 

When they hear his voice, every man will cease battling one with another, and a great multitude will assemble to overcome him by war. And Zion shall come, and be seen by all men, being prepared as a hill hewn without human hands, and he shall stand upon Mount Zion. My Son shall rebuke the wicked plans of those nations, which, for their wickedness, shall fall into the tempest. He shall lay before them their evil thoughts, which will begin to torment them like a flame, and he shall destroy them without effort, by his word, which is like fire.

 

And you saw that he gathered a peaceful multitude unto him; Those are the ten tribes which were taken captive from their own land in the time of King Hosea, by Salmanasar, king of Assyria, who carried them over the waters to another land. But they left the heathen multitude to go further, to a land where no one dwelt [or possibly the “desert of nations” – Ezekiel 20:35], so that they might keep the statutes that they never kept in their own land. And they crossed the Euphrates, for the Most High held back the flood till they passed over [see Isaiah 11:15]. They traveled the region called Arsareth 1½ years, and dwelt there till the latter time. The Highest will stay the stream again, till they cross over. [the Jordan this time - into Israel]

 

The people within my borders are those who were left behind [Judah]. When he destroys the nations, he shall defend his people that remain, and show them great wonders.

 

Then I asked, “But why did the man come from the midst of the sea?”

And he said, “Just as you cannot seek or know the things hidden in the deep sea, even so, no one on earth can see my Son, or those with him, until that day dawns.” 2 Esdras 13:25-52

 

The rest of this chapter points out how dreadful those days will be, but how blessed the remnant will be, even better off than those who have previously died faithful to God. So even the darkest clouds have a silver lining apparently. I personally believe that many of the rebellious multitude depicted here will be saved, in the fashion of the “Others” of Enoch 49; that being eternal life, but without entering the presense of God. My reasoning is based on this scripture;

 

In that day the LORD will thresh from the flowing Euphrates to the Wadi of Egypt, and you, O Israelites, will be gathered up one by one. Isaiah 27:12

 

This tallies with all nations being Israel, and with the prophet Joel’s “multitudes in the valley of decision”. It is suggestive of a harvest of souls for salvation, even in the final destruction of the nations. But I hope you have no ambition to be one of these people. I’m picking that those who are destined for the “eternal fire” will well and truly deserve it. By this time, the wicked have set themselves above God, destroyed God’s people, and refused to repent, despite overwhelming evidence of the power and sovereignty of the Most High God.

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