Ephraim And The House of Judah: Part 8 of 9.

Part 8:  Ephraim and the House of Judah.
 

Ezekiel 37:15-20

¹⁵ Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ¹⁶ “As for you, son of man, take a stick for yourself and write on it: ‘For Judah and for the children of Israel, his companions.’ Then take another stick and write on it, ‘For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel, his companions.’ ¹⁷ Then join them one to another for yourself into one stick, and they will become one in your hand.
¹⁸ “And when the children of your people speak to you, saying, ‘Will you not show us what you mean by these?’— ¹⁹ say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Surely I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the tribes of Israel, his companions; and I will join them with it, with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and they will be one in My hand.”’ ²⁰ And the sticks on which you write will be in your hand before their eyes."

(Aaron's rod budded overnight.)

We are nearing the end of this exciting topic.  But before we see how the House of Judah relates to Ephraim, we’ll need to know all about ‘the family stick.”

Every Jewish family in ancient Israel had something called, “The family stick.”  On it was written the head of the family and all their patriarchs.  It was a sign of authority and leadership.  Abraham had such a stick as did all the leaders of the tribes of Israel.  

Remember when the leaders of Israel complained to Moses about Aaron being their leader?  Each of the tribal heads brought their family stick or rod to Moses who set them down before the Ark of the Covenant.  In the morning, Aaron’s rod was the only one that had buds, blossoms and mature fruit on it, showing them definitively that Aaron was indeed the leader whom God had chosen.

God has two families of people in covenant with Him in the world:  The Jewish people and The Church.  We have the full blessing, they have only part of the blessing of Abraham.  When they get saved they receive the full blessing.  Righteousness is by far the biggest part of those blessings.

(We are grafted into a Jewish tree.)

You remember from an earlier portion of this study that Ephraim and Manasseh were both adopted by Jacob to be as sons to him in place of Reuben and Simeon.  In the same way we, the non-Jewish Church, have been adopted into the family of God and grafted in to the Jewish family tree!  (For more on this topic, follow this link:
http://emmausrevelations.blogspot.com/2014/11/part-13-of-16rightly-dividing-word-of.html)

Who are Reuben and Simeon?  Reuben means “See the Son” and Simeon means “Hear.”  They represent Natural Israel.  It was Jesus’ natural family, the Jewish people, who primarily got to “see and hear” Jesus when He walked on earth.

Reuben and Simeon lost their positions as first and second born, though they are still family. That doesn’t mean the Church has replaced Israel.  NO.  We have simply been given first born status.

Has God forgotten His natural family?  CERTAINLY NOT! They were set aside for a time, temporarily you understand, while Jesus became the Savior to the whole world:  To the Gentiles.  Please refer to the link above for more on this topic.

How exciting to see how, in these last days, God has turned back to the Jewish people just prior to Jesus’ return.  That miracle we are waiting to see:  Jewish people getting saved, is beginning to unfold right before our eyes!  HALLELUJAH!!!

Please proceed to part 9 where we’ll wrap up this exciting topic.  The final clue of Eprhaim and the House of Judah is found in what may seem the unlikeliest of places:  http://emmausrevelations.blogspot.com/2016/04/ephraim-and-house-of-judah-part-9-of-9.html

Ephraim And The House of Judah: Part 3 of 9.

Part 3:  The Blessing of Abraham.

Genesis 12:1-3

Now the Lord had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I WILL BLESS YOU AND MAKE YOUR NAME GREAT; And you shall be a BLESSING. I will BLESS those who BLESS you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be BLESSED.”

You saw in parts one and two how Joseph’s life story shows us wonderful things about Jesus.  We learned about his two sons, Ehraim and Manasseh, and how they depict the Church.  We also learned that, as spiritual Israel and adopted sons, we also have on us the blessing of Abraham, just like our Jewish brethren.

What is it and what does it entail?  That is our topic of discussion in this portion.

It’s plain to see that Jews around the world have the blessing of Abraham and are enjoying great MATERIAL BLESSINGS from God.  Though a minority race, they have won more noble prizes than all other races combined.  They have blessed the whole world with more of their creative, inspired ideas than all others combined.  Practically every great invention, innovation, medical breakthrough and discovery of our modern era has a Jewish person either at the forefront of it or somehow involved.  They are in every successful endeavor be it science, music, art, movies, you name it.  AMAZING!  All because of the blessing of Abraham.  

And yet, they don’t have the full blessing; only part of it.

(For more on this topic, follow this link:  http://emmausrevelations.blogspot.com/2014/06/is-genesis-38-in-wrong-place.html)

The covenant God made with Abraham, unlike the big Ten, was UNCONDITIONAL. It was entirely based on grace and is still in effect today.

You and I, Church, as spiritual Israel, are also included in THE BLESSING OF ABRAHAM.  It’s true: We are enjoying Jewish blessings today.  Everything we have, like our Bible, came via the Jews.  This culture of the blessing of the first born came via the Jews.  All the prophets and heroes of faith that we admire in the Bible are all Jewish.  Of course, the greatest hero of all, the One Who gave His life for us:  Our JESUS, He is Jewish!

Now do you understand why satan hates them?  The ONE Who crushed his head CAME AS A JEW.  That’s why he tried to get his buddy, Hitler, to wipe them off the face of the.  Sadly, he succeeded in killing 6 million of them.  There can be no other explanation for his heinous crime but that he was demon possessed.  Why else destroy 6 million people?

They have suffered for 2,000 years because, though they are God’s people and beloved for the Father’s sake, they are enemies for the gospel’s sake because they rejected Jesus, their covering.  He is the only One Who could have protected them, but they refused his help; and He is a great respector of your free will.    

(Jesus weeping over Jerusalem.)

When Jesus entered Jerusalem, He wept so vehemently because His heart was literally breaking!  He saw their future.  He saw their temple being destroyed in 70 A.D.  He saw 2,000 years of suffering and persecution.  He saw the Holocaust.

How He wished He could have gathered them under His wings like a mother hen gathers her chicks TO PROTECT THEM, but  they didn’t want Him.  Their leaders even went so far as to tell Pilate, “His blood be on us and on our children.”   BIG MISTAKE.  They should never have said that.  It wasn’t meant in a blessing way.  You see, Jesus’ death was for all of us; but you must be on the right side of the death.  Otherwise, you are guilty of the blood of the Lord.  That’s why, though they are God’s people, they are still suffering.

But in these last days, it is starting to change!

Question:  If the Church is under the Abrahamic covenant, why are more Christians today not enjoying the full blessing?  Because they are trying to earn it by law. They are either putting conditions on themselves or preachers have put conditions on them.  They are, in fact, too busy falling from grace, trying to merit God’s blessings by their works when it is a free gift received by faith.

Paul plainly says all throughout the book of Galatians that the Law IS NOT OF FAITH.

Please continue to part 4 where we’ll discuss prophesies more than 2,500 years old that concern our times:  http://emmausrevelations.blogspot.com/2016/04/ephraim-and-house-of-judah-part-4-of-9.html

Ephraim And The House Of Judah: Part 1 of 9

Genesis 48:1-7

“Now it came to pass after these things that Joseph was told, “Indeed your father is sick”; and he took with him his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim. And Jacob was told, “Look, your son Joseph is coming to you”; and Israel strengthened himself and sat up on the bed.”         

“Then Jacob said to Joseph: “God Almighty appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan and blessed me, and said to me, ‘Behold, I will make you fruitful and multiply you, and I will make of you a multitude of people, and give this land to your descendants after you as an everlasting possession.’ 

And now your two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine. Your offspring whom you beget after them shall be yours; they will be called by the name of their brothers in their inheritance. 

But as for me, when I came from Padan, Rachel died beside me in the land of Canaan on the way, when there was but a little distance to go to Ephrath; and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem).

 

(Jacob blessing Ephraim and Manasseh.)

Here in Genesis 48 we find a most prophetic chapter. Through our study of this portion and other accompanying scriptures we’re going to look at what it says about Jesus, what it reveals to us about the Church in general and what is happening in these end times around the world.

Aren’t you glad that nothing takes God by surprise?  He doesn’t fall off His throne every time you and I do something stupid or when some major event happens in the world.  He demonstrates that He’s in charge time and again through prophetic scriptures like this one.

Sometimes He’ll actually allow evil to prevail for a while that He might show forth His glory which also results in greater victory for us.  Though it can get very frightening, He is ALWAYS FAITHFUL!  Like the children of Israel standing in front of the Red Sea, sometimes He’ll wait until the armies of “Egyptians” come running up to us.  He doesn’t open the sea until it almost seems like it’s too late.  

But when we call upon Him, our God Is always right on time.  You see, it’s easy to take Him for granted if we only know protection all the time.  We’ll never know what deliverance is.  He wants to show forth His utter faithfulness when we are both preserved from or delivered out of situations.  In either case, we need not ever be afraid.

So, let’s begin this study of Ephraim and the House of Judah.

(Jesus is hidden in every line of the whole Bible)

Ephraim And The House of Judah:  Part 1 of 9.

Part 1:  Parallels Between Joseph and Jesus.

Bible prophecies, first and foremost, tell us wonderful things about Jesus, particularly from the life story of Joseph.  His is the clearest of all typologies and really showcases what a wonderful God we serve.  He isn’t content simply to answer our prayers; He OVERanswers them!

For example, as you know Jacob had been told by Joseph’s brothers that his son was dead, killed by a wild animal. He could hardly believe his ears when these same sons returned from Egypt years later and told Jacob that his son was alive!

Never in his wildest dreams did he ever think he’d see Joseph again, let alone his sons.  Yet, here they were:  Ephraim and Manasseh.  Blessing upon blessing!

(Joseph is rejected and sold into slavery to Ishmaelite merchants)

Joseph was rejected by his brothers, thrown into a pit and sold into slavery for 20 pieces of silver to some Ishmaelite traders. He lived in Egypt for a number of years during which time he married a Gentile girl named “Asenath.”  Her name means ” belonging to wisdom.”  Apt description!  During His exile in Egypt, she gave him comfort, made him forget the rejection of his family and his father’s house and bore him two sons:  Manasseh and Ephraim.

(Asenath bore Joseph two sons.)

Manasseh means “forgetfulness.”  His Egyptian family made him “forget” his rejection and his father’s house.  Ephraim is the plural of the feminine Hebrew word, “Ephratha,” which means “fruitful;” therefore Ephraim means “double fruitfulness.”  Joseph said that God had made him “doubly fruitful in this foreign land.”

Well, He sure did!  Joseph ended up second only to pharaoh himself!

God also gave great wisdom to Joseph, something he lacked as the young boy who told his dreams to his brothers, making them very jealous and spiteful.  Under his rule, both he and the Egyptians enjoyed great blessings.  So great was his wisdom, in fact, that during a time of deep famine, the whole world came to their land for food, including his brothers.  Even though Egyptians are non-Jews, they had no lack of provision.  The whole earth was blessed because of him.

 Like Joseph, Jesus was rejected by His brothers, natural Israel.  He was crucified (thrown into the “pit”), sold off to the Gentiles (non-Jewish nations) and has been the Savior for 2,000 years primarily to the world which, like Egypt, is predominantly comprised of Gentiles/non-Jews.  He married a Gentile bride: You and I, Church!

We have been blessed because of His wisdom.  Through us, Jesus has been doubly fruitful in “Egypt,” although He, unlike Joseph, has not forgotten His Father’s house.  During this 2,000+ years of rejection and exile, so to speak, we have given Him comfort and helped Him forget His rejection.  Like Joseph, one day soon our Jesus, the greater Joseph, will be restored to His natural family, Israel, and He will reveal Himself to them!

(Joseph interprets the dreams of the butler and the baker.)

Joseph, as you know, was in prison for three years. This is another depiction of Jesus’ death on the cross.

During his imprisonment, there were two men with him.  Both these men had troubling dreams to which God gave Joseph the interpretation.  One lived, one died.
One dreamed he was pressing grapes into Pharoah’s cup, the other dreamed of leavened white bread on his head being picked apart by ravens.
Wine in Biblical typology is a picture of life and celebration.  The idiom there to the Hebrew mind is “blood of grapes,” depicting our Lord Jesus and His sacrifice.  This man was restored to Pharoah’s house.

Leaven, however, depicts sin while ravens typify evil spirits.  Leavened bread, therefore, is not good bread.  That’s why this man received the sentence of death.  These two are a typology of the two thieves who were crucified alongside Jesus:  One lived, one died.

(Every knee bowed to Joseph.)

After he became Viceroy of all Egypt, every Egyptian had to bow their knee to Joseph wherever he went.  He was the most powerful man in the whole land, second only to Pharoah.  The name they gave him, “Zaphnath-Paaneah,”means “savior of the world” in Greek, but in Hebrew it means “revealer of secrets.”  Joseph did that for his generation while Jesus does that for the whole world!  Both meanings perfectly describe Jesus, don’t they?   Because the Jewish people rejected their Messiah, Jesus has become the Bread of Life primarily to the Gentile world for the last 2,000 years.  Like for Joseph, At the Name of Jesus, EVERY KNEE MUST BOW.

Please proceed to part 2 where we’ll discuss who these boys are, what they represent and what they tell us about the church today:  http://emmausrevelations.blogspot.com/2016/04/ephraim-and-house-of-judah-part-2-of-9.html

Meditate: [הגה] Hagah: Tree Series Part 2 of 7

Psalms 1 

"1Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful; But his delight is in the *law of the LORD, 2 And in His *law he meditates {hagah-[הגה]} day and night. He shall be like a tree 3 Planted by the rivers of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper.

4 The ungodly are not so, But are like the chaff which the wind drives away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, 5 Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

6 For the LORD knows the way of the righteous, But the way of the ungodly shall perish."

In this, the very first Psalm, The Holy Spirit is painting beautiful pictures for us, always pointing to Jesus!  He says, "his delight is in the LAW of the LORD."  Law, in this context, is referring to the whole council of God, which the Jews call "Torah."  It simply means "ALL the scriptures," not just the Ten Commandments.  Torah means "instructions," in Hebrew. The entire Old Testament is "instructions about Jesus."

The one who meditates on Jesus will be "like a like a tree planted by the rivers, or rivulets, of water, That brings forth its fruit in its season, Whose leaf {health} also shall not wither; And whatever he does shall prosper."

Meditation can be either positive or negative.  Fear is actually meditation in reverse.  Instead of focusing on the positive and confessing God's word, we are focusing on and confessing the negative, imagining all the possibilities of what could happen.....and probably won't.  99% of what we worry about doesn't come to pass anyway and the 1% that does are usually things over which we have no control anyway.....so why worry?

How does Jesus define fear?  Follow the link below for more on this topic: 

http://emmausrevelations.blogspot.com/2014/07/fear-worship_9.html

It doesn't matter what is happening in the world or all around us right now.  The one who meditates on Jesus will be "well-watered, prosperous and blessed" in the midst of it all. He will be evergreen, always fruitful; his health also will never fail and he will enjoy long life, always young!

In Ezekiel, it says this about the tree of life:

Ezekiel 47:12

12 "Along the bank of the river, on this side and that, will grow all kinds of trees used for food; their leaves will not wither, and their fruit will not fail. They will bear fruit every month, because their water flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their LEAVES FOR MEDICINE.”  

Our "leaves" are also for the healing of the nations (See Revelation 22:1-3.)

How can we be assured that these things are so?  The Bible says that all things can be established in the mouth of two or three witnesses. That doesn't mean you need to get two other people's opinions but look for other corroborating scriptures that reinforce a given truth.  
Prosperity, for instance, is not just about finances, though finances are included in the blessings of Abraham. True prosperity is holistic, touching every area of your life:  Wholeness inside, meaning no depression, fear, guilt, mental illness as well as wholeness outside:  No disease, infirmity, even aging is slowed or reversed!

(For more on this topic, read about the complete meaning of the word "Shalom:"

http://emmausrevelations.blogspot.com/2014/07/shalom.html)

The word for prosper in Hebrew is "Tselakh."  It is the exact same word as used in Joshua 1:8  and the most frequently used word for "prosperity" in the Bible. 

"Hagah," which is Hebrew for meditate, means to "mutter under your breath."   Let's go even deeper and see what the Hebrew letters reveal.

Hebrew reads from right to left and is a form of picture writing, like Chinese. 

Hagah is spelled:  [הגה].  The individual letters are these pictures:

[ה] = hei, grace; 

[ג] = gimel, camel/transportation.

[ה] = hei. 

The two "hei [ה]" are separated by the letter "gimel [ג]." Hei a picture of an open window.  And what does God open up to pour out on us His blessings and grace?  WINDOWS!  He poured out His grace on us when He sent Jesus. "Hei = grace."  

Hei is the 5th letter of their aleph-bet.  Hebrew doesn't use numbers like we do in the West.  They use letters. That's why we say "five is the number of grace."  "Gimel" is a picture of a "camel." Camels were a common mode of transportation in those days.  As for "hei," God, Whose Name {Yahweh} is full of GRACE, [יהוה] has two of them. He fills us with His grace and, since Grace IS Jesus, we are filled with Jesus!  

Want something on which to meditate that will really blow your mind?  Meditate on the Name of God, "Yahweh," sometime and see what the Hebrew of His Name letters reveal.  If that intetests you, please follow this link: 

http://emmausrevelations.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-name-of-god-yahweh.html

[הגה] Hagah is:  Grace (Jesus) is transported to grace (us) by chewing on little bits of His word (The bread of life) over and over again, like a cow chewing it's cud, to extract all the goodness and nourishment out of it.

Cows are ruminant animals because they chew their cud, having one stomach with four compartments. By chewing, regurgitating and chewing over and over again, the animal is able to extract every last bit of nutrition out of it's food. Most often they are found sitting and resting during this lengthy process.

And what is our Abba always trying to get US to do? Sit and REST!   What are we naturally inclined to do?  Worry, stew, fret, pace the floor.  In any case, we are not resting.  
 

Worry and fear, as I said, are meditating in reverse; confessing what you DON'T want or what it IS rather than what you DO want or WHAT GOD'S WORD SAYS about whatever "IT" is that you are troubled.

1 Timothy 4:15 it tells us to do the same thing as in this Psalm; to "meditate {melataó} on these things.  Give yourself ENTIRELY TO THEM, that your progress may be evident to all."  "Melató" is the Greek equivalent of "hagah," in Hebrew.  The word for progress in the KJV is translated as "profiting."

There you have it; three corroborating statements on the subject.  Prosperity is clearly linked with meditation.  So, whether there is a financial famine in the world, your company suffers a downturn, you have health problems or some other lack in your life, YOUR FRUIT WILL ALWAYS BE THERE.

Your leaves will always be green and they will NEVER DRY UP as long as you are PLANTED BY THE RIVERS OF WATER  and Meditate, "HAGAH," on the Word of God.



 

Rain Falls On The Just And The Unjust: Flood Series Part 8 of 8

Matthew 5:43-48
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’  But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, DO GOOD TO THOSE WHO HATE YOU, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you,  that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He (God) makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, AND SENDS RAIN ON THE JUST AND ON THE UNJUST.  

"For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?  And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so?  Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect."

We've come to the end of our study of the Flood Series.  We've been talking a lot about the flood, rain:  LOTS OF RAIN, judgment and grace.  The final topic I'd like to discuss is another one about rain:  "for He (God) makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, AND SENDS RAIN ON THE JUST AND ON THE UNJUST."

God so loved the world; the WHOLE WORLD.  That means both the just and the unjust.  He sends the sunshine and the rain on them both. This verse about rain has been quoted so many times, or should I say, "MISquoted," that is has been MISunderstood and MISapplied with a negative connotation in the Church.  You know what they're implying, right?  That judgment falls on believers just the same as on unbelievers. 
NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH.


If the flood of Noah's day is any indication, the rain did indeed fall on the just and the unjust. 

But consider this:  Romans 8:1 plainly says, "There is therefore now NO CONDEMNATION to them that are in Christ Jesus."   That means, ALL judgment, ALL punishment, even death, is behind the believer.  (For more on this topic, follow the link below:  

http://emmausrevelations.blogspot.com/2014/06/don-end-up-like-philistines.html)

Even if your earth space suit discontinues; you know, if you die, the real you goes on living.....somewhere.

In the beginning, God formed man out of the dust of the earth but he was nothing more than a mannequin, if you will; a lifeless form, until God BREATHED into him and he became a living soul.  Folks, the spirit inside you is the very breath of God.  That's why it cannot die.  It will continue on after you physically die and exist somewhere FOREVER.  Based on your acceptance or rejection of Jesus Christ, YOU CHOOSE THE PLACE.

We who have been born into God's family now no longer die but go on living forever; we relocate to heaven!  Now we are MORE ALIVE THAN EVER!  Our physical bodies and the forces against it are no longer a hindrance.  Suddenly, Church, you'll will find it hard to believe you are so alive after you are dead!

When Adam sinned against God and fell, he didn't die physically right away but spiritually.  There was so much of the life of God in him that he lived until he lived for 930 years old!  From that day to this, mankind is born into this world spiritually dead.  Every one of us needs Jesus to bring us spiritually back to life.  You see, He didn't come to make bad people good; He came to make DEAD PEOPLE LIVE! 

Those who refuse to accept Jesus as Savior will go on existing forever as well:  In hell, which, I assure you, is a very real place of eternal darkness.  

Don't listen to the devil's lies about Jesus and forfeit eternal life in heaven.  Jesus talked a lot about that evil, eternal place, because He loved us so much.  It was designed for the devil and his angels, not man. It's a place where the fire is not quenched and the worm never dies, where the condemned are tormented FOREVER:  No reprieve.  

Is that what you want?  I HOPE NOT!!!

That whole negative idea that "rain" is referring to judgment falling on the just and the unjust comes from you-know-who.  He is always trying to give Our Father a bad Name and to bring you and I under condemnation.  Read the verse IN CONTEXT, however, and it becomes clear what Jesus meant:  That God loves the whole world.  He blesses the unjust BECAUSE OF THE JUST.  

Remember, Jesus was talking to JEWISH people in the Gospel of Matthew.  (For more on this topic and about rightly dividing, follow the link below:  http://emmausrevelations.blogspot.com/2014/11/part-3-of-16-rightly-dividing-word-of.html

 

You see, they had the mistaken idea that the Messiah was only for them. They didn't 

understand, #1, that Jesus would die on a cruel cross and, #2, that He would die for the sins of the entire world; yes, even for those ignorant, barbaric Gentiles too.  Well, that's how they thought of them anyway.  They had no idea that Jesus was going to build His Church and, most assuredly, they would not have guessed that it would consist of Gentile people from every nation, every tribe and every tongue.  Aren't we glad Jesus had a more inclusive agenda?!

Of course, too much rain isn't good either.  Floods are destructive.  THE FLOOD of Noah's day was a judgment on all mankind at that time.  Lest you think God was unjust to send it, follow the link below.  The "people" that were killed in that flood weren't fully human.  Here's a link to part one of this study:   
 http://emmausrevelations.blogspot.com/2014/07/noahs-ark-flood-series-part-1.html

But now, because of Christ, there is therefore now NO MORE JUDGMENT of any kind for
us, Church.  HALLELUJAH!  

Be greatly blessed, highly favored, knowing that you are deeply loved by our awesome Abba!  And don't let the devil "rain on your parade."

 Rest assured:  Jesus was not referring to judgment or punishment for you and I when He said "The rain falls on the just and the unjust."