Prophetic
Insights: Seeing Events From Heaven's Throne Room
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This follows the Report, "Lord, Is It Now...?" It is Part
2 of a series.
We need to more fully understand the expectations our Father has
for us.He
has plans for our welfare and not for calamity, plans that will
give us a future and a hope as we move into our destiny (Jer
29:10-14).
Imagine for a moment that you are standing on the Mount of Olives,
gazing up at Yeshua ascending into the heavens and disappearing out
of your sight. You remember His final words to you: "It is not for
you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own
authority; but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come
upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in
all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth"
(Acts 1:7-8).
Your first reaction might be, a witness to what? To whom am I to be
a witness? What is the purpose of my witness?
Your mind flashes back to the time when Yeshua sent you and the
other disciples out. He instructed you to go to the lost sheep of
the house of Israel, and as you went, you were instructed to exhort
them saying, "The kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Mat
10:6-7)!
You say to yourself, "That makes sense. I know Yeshua's mission is
to bring the kingdom of heaven to earth by restoring the kingdom to
Israel. Every kingdom requires three basic elements: a king, a
people and a territory. Therefore, the restored Davidic kingdom
will have Yeshua, the greater Son of David, as its King (Eze
37:25). The people will be the twelve tribes of Israel and their
companions (Eze 37:15-21). The land will be the land promised to
the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
It now becomes clear to you why the kingdom is not being restored
at this time. You realize that a lot of work needs to be done to
gather Israel's lost sheep. After all, they were scattered into
every nation, tribe, tongue and kindred (Rev 14:6). In order for
the kingdom to be reunited and restored they must become "found
sheep." They must be brought back to their own soil (Jer 23:8). You
realize that some of the sheep are lost because they do not
understand that Yeshua is Israel's Messiah. On the other hand,
there are many sheep who are oblivious to their heritage as being
part of the people of Israel.
You say to yourself, "It could take generations to get this job
done. There is a lot of land to posses and it will take a lot of
people to fill it. I need help! We need help! What is expected of
us? What do we do now?" You call out to Peter "What do think
Yeshua's expectations are for each of us in restoring the Kingdom
to Israel?"
Peter answered, "We must encourage the lost sheep to repent and
return, so that their sins may be wiped away, in order that times
of refreshing may come from the presence of YHVH, the Lord their
God; and that He may send Yeshua, the Messiah appointed for them,
whom heaven has received until the period of restoration of all
things about which YHVH spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets
from ancient time" (Acts 3:19-21).
In other words, Yeshua has ascended into heaven, is seated at the
right of the Father, and He is not coming back until all the
prophecies in the First Covenant have been fulfilled (Eph 1:20).
There are some 520 prophecies that have not been fulfilled and they
primarily have to do with the regathering of Israel's lost sheep
and returning them to their own soil (Jer 23:1-8). Who is going to
fulfill them? Yeshua said in His final report to the Father, "I
have finished the work you gave me to do" (John 17:4). And on the
cross, He said, "It is finished" ( John
19:30).
So who is going to gather the lost sheep? Do we have a part to play
in the regathering? And if we do, what is our part? Looking back we
can see the many astounding miracles surrounding the first return
(exodus from Egypt). And we have seen many miracles "as the tents
of Judah and his companions have come up first" in the second
return, which is currently in progress (Zec 12:7). However, it will
take many more miracles to "bring up the tents of Joseph and his
companions" (Eze 37:19-25).
The challenge in gathering Israel's lost sheep is to find them,
help then to discern what they use to possess which they have lost,
but must find again so they are not lost!
Yeshua, speaking to a group of Pharisees, said, "I am the good
shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, and I lay down My
life for the sheep. I have other sheep, which are not of this fold;
I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will
become one flock with one shepherd (John
10:14-16).
There are two key phrases in the preceding sentence. Both phrases
are future tense: "They will hear My voice," and "They will
become one flock." So when Yeshua ascended into heaven He
anticipated a future time when those other sheep of another fold
would hear His voice and become one flock. Even today YHVH's people
anticipate the two folds becoming one flock, with one
shepherd.
Obviously the Pharisees were His sheep, and yet they were sheep
that were lost---lost to the fact that He was the Messiah. Yeshua
said, "I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel"
(Mat 15:24). So when Yeshua send out His twelve disciples He
instructed them: "Do not go in the way of the Gentiles, and do not
enter any city of the Samaritans; but rather go to the lost sheep
of the house of Israel"(Mat 10:5-6). Initially the primary task of
the disciples was to go to lost sheep who understood their heritage
but did not realize that He was the Messiah. As they made headway
in this area, their scope expanded and they, and especially the
Apostle Paul began to witness to non-Jews (people who felt drawn to
Yeshua, Judaism and Israel but yet did not see themselves as
Jews).
The biggest change over the past two thousand years has not been in
the basic challenge of restoring kingdom elements. The change has
been in numbers. Today we have a lot more of Israel's lost sheep
who do not understand who the Messiah is, and a lot more that do
not realize their heritage as being part of the people of
Israel.
The Apostle John further expands on this concept of Yeshua
gathering His sheep into one flock when he relates the prophecy
made by Caiaphas, "who did not say this on his own initiative, but
being high priest that year, he prophesied that Yeshua was going to
die for the nation, and not for the nation only, but in order that
He might also gather together into one the children of God who are
scattered abroad" (John 11:47-53).
Why would Yeshua have two flocks? In His earthly ministry we find
Yeshua dwelling with the flock composed of the people of Judah and
his companions. So, who is the other flock? After the death of King
Solomon the Kingdom of Israel was divided. They had become two
flocks, Judah the Southern Kingdom of Israel, and Ephraim the
Northern Kingdom of Israel. That division was further amplified in
70 AD, after the destruction of the temple, the end of the animal
sacrificial system and of a Levitical priesthood. During this
period many of the first century Jews who refused to acknowledge
that Yeshua was Israel's Messiah, founded Rabbinical Judaism. At
the same time those Jews who had accepted Yeshua as their Messiah
founded "The Way," which eventually became known as
Christianity.
Over the past two thousand years there have been many millions who
have heard Yeshua's voice. But, we still have two folds. They must
become one flock if we are to fulfill the desires of the Father's
heart and have one united people living in the Promised Land. For
this to be accomplished the divided Kingdom of Israel must be
reunited. There is a good reason why there has only recently been
progress made towards this goal by sheep who are lost to their
heritage. Because of disobedience, Ephraim was sentenced to the
loss of his identity as a people (Hosea 1:2-10). The duration of
this punishment was initially 390 years, however, because Ephraim
would not repent and turn back to YHVH, He multiplied Ephraim's
punishment sevenfold, for a period of 2,730 years (Lev
26:18,21,24,28; Eze 4:4-5).
When did the punishment start? While the city of Samaria was
destroyed in 722 B.C., the majority of the Northern Kingdom had
become a vassal state of Assyria by 734 B.C. Using the year of 734
B.C., as a starting point means that the punishment would have been
completed in 1996, which is also the beginning of the fiftieth
(Jubilee) generation from Yeshua. That year each of Israel's Feasts
was marked with a blood red moon. Using the latest realistic
starting point of 722 BC, the punishment would have ended in 2008
(For a complete discussion of the punishment of Ephraim and Judah
see the book Restoring Israel's Kingdom Chapter
11.)!
The great news for our generation is, the awful sentence of a
complete loss of identity as God's chosen people is over for
Ephraim! The people of Ephraim, once a people who were not a people
are now recognized as sons of the living God! "For the number of
the sons of Israel will be like the sand of the sea, which cannot
be measured or numbered; and in the place where it is said to them,
"You are not My people," It will be said to them, "You are the sons
of the living God. And the sons of Judah and the sons of Israel
will be gathered together...and they will go up from the land, For
great will be the day of Jezreel" (Hosea
1:9-11).
Jezreel is the name of Hosea's first child, and it means
"judgement." Initially this referred to the judgement poured out on
the Northern Kingdom, but the day will come when judgement is
poured out on Israel's enemies, and the sons of Judah and the sons
of Israel will together defeat their enemies, once again taking
possession of their land (Isa 11:11-14).
For the great day of Jezreel to take place we need the sons of
Judah and the sons of Israel to come together, defeat their
enemies, and occupy the land. Obviously to accomplish this
monumental task we need adequate numbers of the sons of Judah and
sons of Israel. I believe we can all agree that the recognizable
sons of Judah today are the Jewish people. However, who are the
sons of Israel? Probably the answer which would best receive
general agreement is that they are Israel's lost sheep, sheep that
are lost to the fact that they are actually sons of
Israel.
How could that have happened and what can be done to enable the
lost sheep to become found?
Let us revisit those two key phrases which were mentioned earlier:
"They will hear My voice," and "They will become one flock." Let's
give them descriptive names. "They will hear My voice" we will name
Individual and "They will become one flock we will name
People.
Yeshua tells us that each sheep knows his Shepherd's voice, and you
could say has a personal relationship with its Shepherd However the
sheep may not understand its relationship to the flock. For
example if you ask a Christian to explain their relationship with
the God of Israel the answer will normally be, "I have a personal
relationship with Him through His Son. It doesn't matter who my
ancestors were; what matters is my personal relationship with
Jesus."
On the other hand you ask a Rabbinic Jew the same question, and you
will get a completely different answer, "I am part of the people of
Israel." So we have the sons of Judah basing their relationship
with the God of Israel based on being members of His flock, and the
sons of Israel basing their relationship on hearing His Son's voice
and having a personal relationship with Him.
We are not only facing the challenge of putting the divided kingdom
back together, but also the seeming discrepancy between enjoying a
personal relationship with the God of Israel, and yet realizing
ourselves as part of a grand, eternal plan. For Moses tells us,
"The LORD your God is testing you to find out if you love the LORD
your God with all your heart and with all your soul. You shall
follow the LORD your God and fear Him; and you shall keep His
commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and cling to Him"
(Deu 13:3-4). Passing this test requires having a personal
relationship with Him, but it also requires that we understand that
we are a part of His people. Time after time in Scripture YHVH
recounts His desire to have a people for His own possession, also
He makes it clear that we are part of a
people.
It is imperative we first understand and then take the Gospel of
the Kingdom message to the lost sheep---having a personal
relationship with Yeshua means you are a full and equal citizen of
the Commonwealth of Israel (Eph 11-20; Gal 3:29). This is an
exciting life changing message not only for Ephraim but also for
Judah. For as Ephraim realizes he is part of the people of Israel
it will open Judah's eyes to realizing that Yeshua is Israel's
Messiah.
We are engaged in a task in which numbers are important. The
fulfillment of the prophecies 'to prepare the way for the return of
Yeshua' requires that the blindness (Greek: porosis, stupidity,
callousness, or blindness, or hardness) is removed from Israel and
the full number of the Gentiles has come in (Rom 11:25 NIV). Then
Paul tells us, "and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is
written, 'the Deliverer will come from Zion, He will remove
ungodliness from Jacob'" (Rom 11:26 NIV).
We Messianic Forerunners have a mission [great commission] to
execute! We are to be "more than conquerors, through Him who saved
us" (Rom.8:37), ministering the truth and realities of His
redemption in the earth. We are His means [instrument] to bring the
truth, healing, and life to the nations. Redeemed Israel, composed
of many peoples, will act and minister as Yeshua Himself in
refreshing the nations. Israel will be a mighty power, a warrior
nation in the earth, invincible and full of
power!
Angus
For the Patrol
Contact Angus |
Your thoughts and comments.
This is a team effort and we would like to hear your thoughts
and comments. To
share them go to ZechariahsPatrol.com. This
report will be shown. Click on the title of the report you would
like to comment on, then go to the end of the report. There you can
post your comments, and review comments made by others
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We
are engaged in a War of Words
Be sure that you are well armed!
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For Ephraim to once a again become a mighty man ready for YHVH's
Whistle to return to the land and join with his brother Judah, and
together defeat their enemies, he must increase his numbers (Zech
10:7-12). This requires that lost sheep become found sheep. This
transformation under the guidance of the Ruach Ha Kodesh can best
be accomplished by providing appropriate verbal and written
information, and fellowship to lost sheep.
Twenty
thousand copies Ephraim and
Judah - Israel Revealed which have been
distributed in the past have
been a key factor in turning lost sheep into found sheep. It has
proven to be an excellent initial word weapon.
However, Batya's classic
"handout book" Ephraim
and Judah -
Israel
Revealed, is now out of print in
paper, but it is available as a free eBook. Click here
to
download.
Several people have asked for the eBook
on a CD. So we have made it on a CD available at Key of David Marketplace$4 (to cover shipping and
handling costs).
The good news is that we will soon
have
a new and improved version of this classic book. It will be titled,
Who Is Israel - Redeemed Israel -
A Digest. This exciting new overview will make an excellent
and
inexpensive
handout
book. It can now be pre-ordered at a very special price at Key of David
Marketplace and is due for delivery in late October. For more
information see the Challenges of Being A
Watchman
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I Am
YHVH
We
encourage you to listen to a new song, written by Batya and
recorded by our friend, Will Spires. The song is titled
"I
AM YHVH"and it is truly inspiring. You might
want to listen to it before you pray. The song is about the
Father's heart cry for His chosen people: Judah and Ephraim. You
can hear it as you enter the Zachariah's Patrol
website or Key of David
Marketplace, and it can be downloaded for free
at Key of David
Marketplace.Several people
have asked for the song on a cd so they can play it in their cars.
So we have made available at Key of David Marketplace.a CD that has seven
renditions of the song for $4 (to cover shipping and handling
costs).
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Upcoming
Events
The Messianic Israel Alliance
Southeast Regional Conference will be held in the Tampa area on
Friday and Saturday, November 12th - 13th, 2010. For more
information go to Southeast Regional
Conference
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Contact Information
Key of David Publishing's
Books are available at the Messianic Israel
Alliance Marketplace (Phone 800-829-8777). They also are
available at Key of David
Publishing Marketplace,
where Bookstores, Ministries, and Way Stations are eligible for a
quantity discount.
Websites
to visit:
Messianic Israel Alliance The
MIA will help you to understand the Hope of Messianic Israel plus
Messianic Israel Inclusion Theology. You can become a Partner in
restoring the Kingdom to Israel.
Bnai' Ephraim International
This is the premier online presence that advocates for this
generation's sons and daughters of Ephraim.
Zechariah's Patrol Reports This
exciting site offers an abundance of prophetic insights that will
help you see how events on earth and in our own lives are viewed
from Heaven's Throne Room.
You can
support Key of David online. See the Key of David
Marketplace and the Messianic Israel
Alliance. Or send snail mail to Key of David, PO Box 700217,
Saint Cloud, FL 34770. Or call us at 407-344-7700.
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