| "If I shut up the heavens and there is no rain; if I command the locusts to ravage the land; or if I let loose pestilence against My people, when My people, who bear My name, humble themselves, pray, and seek My favor and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear in My heavenly abode and forgive their sins and heal their land." II Chronicles 7:13-14 |
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By Charles J. Voss
What was our ETERNAL CREATOR's promise to our Israelite ancestors at Mt. Sinai? Do you know the correct answer: a) To be a Kingdom of Kings and Priests? b) To be a Kingdom of Kings? c) To be a Kingdom of Priests? For the answer, see footnote. 1 Notice the promise in the Hebrew Scripture:
Exodus 19:6 2 And you shall be to Me a KINGDOM OF PRIESTS and a righteous nation. These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.
Role of Priests
Meditate deeply on Israel's future role as a Kingdom of Priests and a righteous nation. It is a very comforting, heart warming thought to be truly able to help this very sick and dying world rather than have a continuation of the present way of rape, pillage, and burn.
The role of Priests in a nation is very important! They are the chief moral advisors to the king. They keep the nation on the way of love and give rather than hate and get. Consider Nathan's role when he corrected King David:
2 Samuel 12:1-4 Then ETERNAL sent Nathan to David. And he came to him, and said to him: "There were two men in one city, one rich and the other poor. The rich man had exceedingly many flocks and herds. But the poor man had nothing, except one little ewe lamb which he had bought and nourished; and it grew up together with him and with his children. It ate of his own food and drank from his own cup and lay in his bosom; and it was like a daughter to him. And a traveler came to the rich man, who refused to take from his own flock and from his own herd to prepare one for the wayfaring man who had come to him; but he took the poor man's lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him."
...5-6 So David's anger was greatly aroused against the man, and he said to Nathan, "As ETERNAL lives, the man who has done this shall surely die! And he shall restore fourfold for the lamb, because he did this thing and because he had no pity."
...7-9 Then Nathan said to David, "You are the man! Thus says ETERNAL SOVEREIGN of Israel: 'I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. I gave you your master's house and your master's wives into your keeping, and gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if that had been too little, I also would have given you much more! Why have you despised the Commandment of ETERNAL, to do evil in His sight? You have killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword; you have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the people of Ammon.
...10-12 'Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.'" Thus says ETERNAL: "Behold, I will raise up adversity against you from your own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, before the sun."
...13 So David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against ETERNAL." And Nathan said to David, "ETERNAL also has put away your sin; you shall not die."
Notice also the role of Samuel when ETERNAL sent him to direct Saul:
1 Samuel 15:1 Samuel also said to Saul, "ETERNAL sent me to anoint you king over His people, over Israel. Now therefore, heed the voice of the words of ETERNAL."
...2-3 Thus says ETERNAL of hosts: "I will punish Amalek for what he did to Israel, how he ambushed him on the way when he came up from Egypt. Now go and attack Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and do not spare them. But kill both man and woman, infant and nursing child, ox and sheep, camel and donkey.'"
...4 So Saul gathered the people together and numbered them in Telaim, two hundred thousand foot soldiers and ten thousand men of Judah.
Saul leaves to go to war and later returns:
...13-15 Then Samuel went to Saul, and Saul said to him, "Blessed are you of ETERNAL! I have performed the Commandment of ETERNAL." But Samuel said, "What then is this bleating of the sheep in my ears, and the lowing of the oxen which I hear?" And Saul said, "They have brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep and the oxen, to sacrifice to ETERNAL your SOVEREIGN; and the rest we have utterly destroyed."
...16-19 Then Samuel said to Saul, "Be quiet! And I will tell you what ETERNAL said to me last night." And he [Saul] said to him, "Speak on." So Samuel said, "When you were little in your own eyes, were you not head of the tribes of Israel? And did not ETERNAL anoint you king over Israel? Now ETERNAL sent you on a mission, and said, 'Go, and utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and fight against them until they are consumed. Why then did you not obey the voice of ETERNAL? Why did you swoop down on the spoil, and do evil in the sight of ETERNAL?"
Saul tries to argue with Samuel and blame the people about keeping the spoils. Then Saul said he had sinned because he feared the people and obeyed their voice; and asked Samuel to forgive him and return with him to pray. Samuel refused because Saul had disobeyed ETERNAL:
...27-28 And as Samuel turned around to go away, Saul seized the edge of his robe, and it tore. So, Samuel said to him, "ETERNAL has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today, and has given it to a neighbor of yours, who is better than you."
A Plan
Since our future promise is to be a Kingdom of Priests, it would be only logical that as the end-time approached, there would be those whom ETERNAL would be working with. Also since ETERNAL has LONG RANGE plans, surely He has been training a group for quite some time and is not desperately trying to claw up a team in the closing minutes of the game.What if YOU were given the job to prepare a plan for ETERNAL to use in the end-time? To see what you would be working with, you looked down from above and saw all thirteen tribes of Israel steeped in camouflaged paganism and worshipping a trinity of god's rather than the one true ETERNAL SOVEREIGN Who is One and only One, the Mighty One of Israel. What would your plan be?
I did not make a plan, nor was I informed of the Plan ETERNAL is using. However, in looking over the path my life has followed, taking me through Armstrongism and to this point, it seems that the following seven phases are way markers on the path I have been walking.
Phase One
A few individuals were called from universal Catholicism, which includes all of Protestantism, into a unique type of Protestant church that would be looking to the Hebrew Scriptures for the laws and Feast Days and turning away from pagan holidays. These paganized Israelites were called from a trin~ity (of three beings), Catholic type environment into a twin~ity (of two beings) Protestant organization. In addition, the new organization opposed the pagan trimmings of the universal (catholic) church. To understand the pagan influence required learning the total ins and outs of universal Catholicism and Protestantism. (An alternate to this would be calling out individuals of high rank in the Chr-stian organizations, such as a Catholic priest, who would skip to the 5th phase.)This new organization of Sabbatarians became a worldwide church and this unique group considered themselves as g-d's only people.
Phase Two
The next step was the death of the original leader and his replacement by a totally "worldly" new leader (not that the first leader did not turn out to be very "worldly" himself). The new leader and his son would turn the unique church that looked to the Torah and a single Mighty One back to trinitarians that looked to the church in Rome. Those of the selected people who listened to the dynamic-duo and followed them back into trinitarians failed the first test by turning back toward the daughter of Babylon.Phase Three
Next was the introduction to the second test. If you desire to see which direction the apples will roll, you must turn the apple cart upside down. Thus, satan (under ETERNAL's watchful eye) caused nearly all of those who jumped the ship of Armstrongism to form themselves into different organizations. These various groups would develop various doctrines and begin infighting like a group of tomcats in a burlap sack.The upshot of that development was that these various organizations also broke apart so that now there are nearly 500 different groups of former Armstrongites. These and others would now be ready to take the second test.
Phase Four
At this point, ETERNAL caused two books to be written. The first book, Mystery Babylon the Great, the Mother of Harlots and Abominations of the Earth, fully exposed the nakedness of the universal catholic beliefs, and exposed their pagan beginnings. The second book, Mystery Babylon, and the Lost Ten Tribes in the End Time, would knock those exposed pagan beliefs in the head, leaving them as road-kill by the side of the road of life. In addition, the second book revealed the depths of total symbolic paganism that the entire nation of Israel (all 13 Tribes) has fallen into.The second test was for those who wrote, wrote about, or read the second book to determine if they would stop and pause at the burning bush. If they do stop, they become exposed to the fact that our ETERNAL CREATOR is SOVEREIGN, that He is One and only One, the Mighty One of Israel. In addition, He is in total control and requires TOTAL OBEDIENCE and WORSHIP from those seeking to follow Him.
Therefore, the test is that once faced with the knowledge that our ETERNAL CREATOR is One and only One, the Mighty One of Israel, would these people acknowledge Him as the monotheistic SOVEREIGN? Will they give Him TOTAL OBEDIENCE and WORSHIP? Or, would they refuse to leave their comfort zone and remain in some polytheistic religion, worshipping a "godhead" made of two, three, or four beings?
Phase Five
If the people followed CREATOR, He would reveal more about Himself, His nature, and the calendar of the Hebrew Scriptures. An interesting side note on the full moon, first of the month calendar is that NOT ONE, BUT TWO CALENDARS were developed in the USA independently, but simultaneously, of each other, and unknown to either developer. This fact can be attested to by reading Servant's News. 3 Interestingly they both contain the same times for the Festival Days.This increased knowledge would include deeper understanding that the Mighty One of Israel is ETERNAL Elohim (ETERNAL CREATOR). The Hebrew Scriptures stand alone as the Word of our ETERNAL CREATOR, and the world will see the advent of the Branch of David, who will build the Third Temple in the end-time Messianic age that will establish the Kingdom of our ETERNAL SOVEREIGN on earth forever
Additionally, we will understand the truth of the Passover (Night of Protection), the fact that blood is not required for atonement, the proper way to keep the Sabbath, and the knowledge of the Covenant between ETERNAL and the Fathers. The relationship of ETERNAL and any who want to repent before Him is a personal matter, only between the person and his or her SOVEREIGN, no middle person, mother or child is needed. Other truths revealed would be more fallacies of the NT, more insight on who and where Israel is, more understanding of the adversary's 4 role in its testament of chapters and verses, why the adversary cannot win, and a better understanding of the goals and purpose of those remaining selected people. Hopefully, many more things not yet fully understood will become clear.
The primary goal of phase five was developing a bottoms-up organization that would be dedicated to working toward the restoration of the Houses of Israel and Judah. Some other goals are to begin the development of an open society to ALL races and nations, to raise the consciousness that the "Old Testament," the Hebrew Scriptures, stand alone as the Word of our ETERNAL SOVEREIGN, to build a growing bond between all believers, to begin preparing the way in the nations of Israel for the advent of the Messiah (Mashiach), who will establish ETERNAL's Government on earth, and to grasp any other goals that might become known.
In addition, this organization is not critical of any government, race, gender, religion, or creed and DOES NOT advocate any type of civil disobedience, whether it is violent or nonviolent, for any cause or purpose, whether the cause or purpose be religious, sexual, political, gender based, racial, or any other purpose.
The structure of a bottoms-up type of "work" could consist of many "sub-works" under an umbrella of a central work. This structure would be similar to an automobile assembly facility in which many subparts are assembled into the finished automobile. The total umbrella would have the task of proclaiming our ETERNAL SOVEREIGN to the world, telling Israel who they are, and blowing the shofar at the appointed time.
A sub-work could consist of sending out brochures, putting ads in local papers, managing many of the activities of the central work, and sending out copies of the full moon, the first-of-the-month calendar, the Hope of Israel, or any other specific books and literature. The workers also will know to assemble on the Sabbath (if possible) for Scripture Study.
We can relate the Armstrongite 5 organizations, with their top-down approach, to a sunflower plant with one very visible flower (head). One swift stroke with a blade and the head is gone. Now relate a bottoms-up approach organization to Johnson grass. 6 If you have a lawn or garden, you know it is almost impossible to root-up, dig-up, claw-up, or stomp-out Johnson grass.
With Jacob's trouble just around the corner, which type organization would be best for blowing a shofar? Would it be a glitzy slick sunflower organization that does not even know ETERNAL and is easily cut down, or a bunch of deep rooted, ETERNAL-respecting Johnson grass type people doing sub-works under the umbrella of a central work? Obviously the bottoms-up, spread-out organization would be because it would be harder to stop.
Phase Six
The sixth phase would consist of Jacob's Trouble and the warning associated with it. Jacob's Trouble includes war, pestilence, famine, and captivity for all thirteen tribes of Israel. The haughty, hard headed Israelites will finally be humbled enough to repent of sun worship and go the Way of ETERNAL, our ETERNAL SOVEREIGN, the Mighty One of Israel.Phase Seven
Once the remnant of Israel has been taken captive, then ETERNAL will set His hand to save them. He will stand on the Mount of Olives and will resurrect King David 7 and Elijah, the Prophet (of Malachi), to bring the captive remnant of Israel back to the Promised Land. This return of Israel from captivity to the Promised Land WILL BE THEIR SECOND RETURN.This seventh phase would consist of ETERNAL establishing His government on earth, with peace on His Righteous Mountain for all of eternity. This is a place where the lion and the lamb will dwell together and be led by a little child.
The Priests
Returning to the Priests and our promise to be a Kingdom of Priests, it is only logical that as the end-time approaches, there will be those with whom ETERNAL is working. They will be the nucleus of that future Kingdom of Priests. They will be those who passed test two and know that our CREATOR is ETERNAL and that He is one and SHARES HIS GLORY WITH NO ONE.They will also know He is our SOVEREIGN and there is no SOVEREIGN else beside ETERNAL, a just CREATOR and a Savior, and there is none beside Him (Isa. 45:21). They will keep this knowledge in their head and heart (not tied around their arm and head). They will know that our ETERNAL CREATOR is one. They will love ETERNAL CREATOR with all their heart, with all their soul, and with all their strength! (Deut. 6:4-5). They will be ETERNAL's Priests in the latter days.
The Book of Malachi is written for the latter days. It is a message for ETERNAL's end-time Priests. Therefore, those individuals spoken to in the book of Malachi would be the Priests of the Latter Days.
The only conclusion is that all of those (male & female) who now know ETERNAL will be the nucleus of the Kingdom of Priests. Thus WE (not one, but all) are the ones in the end-time for whom Malachi was written. This is for the time just prior to the advent of ETERNAL along with the resurrection of the Branch of David and the Prophet. We are the ones ETERNAL appears to be working with in these latter days.
Message to the Priests Who Know ETERNAL
Malachi's main concern is warning the Priests (those who now know ETERNAL) to return fully to the faith of the Fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He wants the Priests to renew their faithfulness to their Covenant with Him. Clearly, laxity and spiritual corruption define the lives and worship of ETERNAL's Priests. This is caused by their not fully living according to, and proclaiming, His teachings. That is the meaning of the word BURDEN in verse one.The book is written as a soliloquy (one person's thoughts or speech), but it is viewed as a discourse (two or more people speaking). The discourse is between ETERNAL, the Priests, and the descendants of Esau, who are heard from only once. The letters in the margin indicate who is speaking: E is ETERNAL speaking and will be in blue. P is the Priests speaking. A is Esau's lineage speaking. This is presented as a stage play with three actors and is based on the book of Malachi (NKJV). The curtain goes up on Malachi 1, verse 1.
ETERNAL Loves His Priests
The Priests pretend to be unaware of ETERNAL's love.1The burden of the word of ETERNAL to Israel by Malachi.
E -- 2 "I have loved you..." [said tenderly and from the heart].
P -- "In what way have You loved us?" [haughtily, not seeing the love and care]
E -- "Was not Esau Jacob's brother? ...Yet Jacob I have loved; 3But Esau I have hated [loved at one time, in that he was given promises, but never as much as Jacob], and laid waste his mountains and his heritage for the jackals of the wilderness."
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A -- 4 "...We have been impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places;"
E --"...[You] may build, but I will throw down; [yours] shall be called the Territory of Wickedness, and the people against whom [I] will have indignation forever.
P --"...ETERNAL is magnified beyond the border of Israel" [You are known as mighty in other countries, just not in ours].
ETERNAL Reprimands His Priests
E --6 "A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am the Father, where is My honor? And if I am a Master, where is My reverence? ...To you Priests who despise My name." [said with patience and caring]P --"In what way have we despised Your name?" [Haughtily, seeing nothing wrong]
E --7 "You offer defiled food on My altar..."
E --"By saying, 'The [altar] of ETERNAL is contemptible.' 8And [you show that] when you offer the blind as a sacrifice [you do not give the best you can]. Is [that] not evil? And when you offer the lame and sick, is [that] not evil? Offer it then to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you favorably? ...
E -- 9 "But now [Oh Priests] entreat [My] favor, that [I] may be gracious to [you]. While this [evil] is being done by your hands, will [I] accept you favorably?... 10Who is there among you who would [even] shut the doors [to My altar], so that [none] would kindle fire on [it] in vain? I have no pleasure in you. ...Nor will I accept an offering from your hands.
E --11"[For example,] from the rising of the sun, even to its going down, My name [is] great among the Gentiles. In every place incense [is] offered to My name, and [it is] a pure offering, for My name [is] great among the nations. ...12But you profane it, in that you say:"
E --13 "...Oh, what a weariness! And you sneer at it, ...[by bringing] the stolen, the lame, and the sick. Thus, you bring an offering! Should I accept this from your hand? ...14But cursed be a[ny] deceiver, who has in his flock a male, and takes a vow; but sacrifices to ETERNAL what is blemished [and does not give the very best that he has]. For I am the GREAT KING, ...And My name is to be feared among [all] the nations. And now, Oh Priests, this commandment is for you.
Priests to be Disciplined by ETERNAL
E --2:1 "If you [priests] will not hear, and if you will not take it to heart to give glory to My name, ...I will send a curse upon you. ...I will curse your blessings; yes I HAVE CURSED THEM ALREADY, BECAUSE YOU DO NOT TAKE IT TO HEART. 3Behold, I will rebuke your descendants and spread refuse on your faces, [even] the refuse of your solemn feasts; and one will take YOU away with it [into captivity]. 4 Then you shall know that I have sent this Commandment to you, [so] that My Covenant with Levi may continue... [The Priests are all of those who now know ETERNAL or ETERNAL. At the building of the third Temple, the Covenant with Levi will be continued.]E --5 "My covenant with [Levi] was one of life and peace. And I gave [it] to him that he might fear Me. So he feared Me and was reverent before My name. 6The law of truth was in his mouth, and injustice was not found on his lips. He walked with Me in peace and equity, and turned many away from [their] iniquity. 7 [BECAUSE] THE LIPS OF A PRIEST SHOULD KEEP KNOWLEDGE, AND PEOPLE SHOULD SEEK THE LAW FROM HIS MOUTH; FOR HE IS THE MESSENGER OF ETERNAL.
E --8 "But you [Priests] have departed from the way; you have caused many to stumble at the law. 8 You have corrupted the Covenant of Levi... 9Therefore, I also have made you contemptible and base before all the people, because you have not kept My ways, but have shown partiality in the law."
P --10 "Have we not all one Father? Has not one CREATOR created us? [Okay, then, now You tell us], why do we deal treacherously with one another?"
Specific Faults of the Priests
E -- [The first reason is] "by profaning the Covenant of the fathers. 11[For example], Judah has dealt treacherously, and an abomination has been committed in Israel and in Jerusalem. For Judah has profaned ETERNAL's Righteous Institution which He loves. He has married the daughter of a foreign SOVEREIGN. 9 [Judaism is a counterfeit of the Hebrew faith of the Fathers and it is a mixture of Rabbinicalism and paganism.]E --12 "ETERNAL [will] cut off from the tents of Jacob [any] who [marries the daughter of a foreign SOVEREIGN], [who] being awake and aware 10 [and] yet who [still] brings an offering to ETERNAL!
E --13 "And this is the second thing you do, [My people ARE NOT CONFIDENT TO MOVE FORWARD; rather they hang back and] cover the altar of ETERNAL with tears, with weeping and crying [we do not know all the answers so how can we tell others? And besides that, we have been so mistreated by these churches of men, how can we dare trust again?]. So, [I] do not regard [your] offering anymore. Nor [do I] receive it with goodwill from your hands. 14Yet you say:..
P --"For what reason [will you not accept it]?"
E --"Because ETERNAL has been witness between you and the wife of your youth [your belief in Me, when you first knew of Me, the ETERNAL CREATOR, and that I am only One]. With [that belief] you have dealt treacherously [You have left Me to do your own thing]. Yet, [the wife of your youth] is your companion and your wife by covenant. 15But did [I] not make [you as] one [when you first believed], having a remnant of the Spirit? And why one? [I] seek a [Righteous] offspring. THEREFORE, TAKE HEED TO YOUR SPIRIT, and let none deal treacherously with the wife of his youth [your belief when you first knew of Me. Remember how zealous you were?]."
Remain True, Oh Priests
E --16 "For [I], ETERNAL CREATOR of Israel sa[id] 'That [I] hate divorce [both physical and spiritual because] it covers one's garment with violence.' ...Therefore take heed to your spirit, that you do not deal treacherously [with Me by turning your back on Me]. 17You have wearied [Me] with your words...."P --"In what way have we wearied [You]?" [They refuse to get it!]
E --"In that you say, 'Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of ETERNAL, and He delights in them,' or, 'where is the CREATOR of justice?'" [This is blasphemy to Me! Because you look at the injustice in the world of your making and then say, "How can the Righteous One of Israel be our SOVEREIGN? If He is, then why is there so much violence, hatred, war, pestilence, famine, and suffering for innocent children? Therefore, the Mighty One of Israel must not be the CREATOR of all of humankind."]
E --3:1 "Behold, I [will] send My [Prophet, Elijah], and he will prepare the way before Me: and the Ruler 11 [the Mashiach], whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. Even the Deputy 12 of the Covenant, in whom you delight: behold, he is coming, ...2But who can endure the day of his coming? And who can stand when he appears? For he is like a refiners fire and like [a] launderer's soap. 3He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; he will purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver. "[Then] they may offer to [Me] an offering in righteousness. 4Then the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasant to [Me], as in the days of old as in former years."
E --5 "And I will come near you [Priests] for judgment; I will be a swift witness against sorcerers, against adulterers, against perjurers, against those who exploit: wage earners, widows, orphans, and against those who turn away a [foreigner]; because they do not fear Me. ...6For I am ETERNAL, I do not change. Therefore, you are not consumed, Oh Sons of Jacob. 7Yet from the days of your fathers you have gone away from My ordinances and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you...."
E --8 "Will a man rob CREATOR? Yet you have [all] robbed Me!..."
E --"In tithes and offerings. 9 You [Priests] are cursed with a curse. For you have robbed Me, [as has] even this whole nation. 10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be food in My house. ...Try Me now in this. ...If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it. 11And I will rebuke the devourer for your [Priests] sakes, so that he will not destroy the fruit of your ground, nor shall the vine fail to bear fruit for you in the field... 12And all nations will call you blessed, for you will be a delightful land, ...13Your words have been harsh against Me...."
E --14"You have said,
Book of Remembrance
16THEN THOSE [PRIESTS] WHO FEARED ETERNAL [heard and took their obligation to heart] spoke to one another, and ETERNAL listened and heard them; so a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear ETERNAL and who meditate on His name.
E --17"They shall be Mine...on the day that I make them My jewels, and I will spare them as a man spares his own son who serves him.
E --18 "Then [all] you [Priests] shall again discern between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves CREATOR and one who does not serve Him. 4:1 For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, and all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up, ...that will leave them neither root nor branch. 2But to you who [now] fear My name the [Ray] of Righteousness [King David] shall arise with healing in his wings; and you shall go out and grow fat like stall-fed calves. 3You shall trample the wicked, for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day that I do this.
E --4 "Remember the Law of Moses, My servant, which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments. 5Behold, I will send you Elijah the Prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of ETERNAL; 6and he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse."
Moral to the Story
Hebrew Brothers and Sisters, our ETERNAL SOVEREIGN has said some pretty strong things about us and we must begin NOW to hear the warning and take heed. The time is late; the final hour draws near.The concept of United Hebrew Congregations (UHC) is a bottom-up organization. Many people are doing many "sub-works" under the umbrella of UHC's main "work." The main work is the motto of UHC: "Working toward the restoration of the House of Israel and the House of Judah." Included in that is proclaiming our ETERNAL CREATOR to the world, telling Israel who they are, and blowing the shofar.
A sub-work could consist of sending out brochures, putting ads in local papers telling our people that they are Israel, managing any of the activities of UHC such as sending out copies of the calendar or other literature, and doing many things on a local basis to promote the reunification of the full House of Israel. Local individuals or groups using local tithe money and time could carry on these activities. If ten percent of our increase belongs to ETERNAL, would not our time also belong? Those engaged in local sub-works should not forget the central work. Neither should they strike out on their own as an isolated entity. All must strive together under the umbrella of UHC in order to avoid the fate of the Armstrongite breakaways and have no central direction, yet remembering we are a bottoms-up, Johnson grass type of organization.
Any new people who come along must be nurtured toward the full truth of the Hebrew Scriptures. They should not be just banged over the head with the truth. If all of this gives you different feelings, believe you me, this is definitely not how I thought it would turn out either.
In fact, the fate of our failure will be much worse than the failure of any church of Rome Protestants. The truth is, it would result in total wipeout as ETERNAL will come and strike the earth with a curse or utter destruction (Mal 4:6). Those are His words. Oh, Hebrew brother and Sisters, can you see what our responsibility is? The whole world is about to go down the tubes, and when they do, our people Israel will go into captivity. We have a job to do. We must warn Israel.
This is not about building mailing lists or church rolls. This is not about a central organization, fancy cars, and fancy, glitzy jobs. This is about our families and friends being warned of the time in Jacob's Trouble. We need to worry about the coming world government and church; it does not matter if the protagonist is ten nations in Europe or Russia, or China, and their allies.
In regard to the church portion, there are rumblings in the halls of higher powers about national blue laws, which will separate Friday, Sabbath, and Sunday keepers.
Failure on our part will result in utter world destruction that will be death. The only alternative is life and work, but many will think why bother, as we will be in captivity? We will remain in captivity until we are regathered to the Promised Land. However, we are also being prepared to continue telling Israel to repent while in captivity! There WILL BE NO RAPTURE, either physically or spiritually. No one will be raptured off to Heaven or some special place on the earth, Petra, or some spot in Texas. Preaching either type of rapture is done to gain a following. However, UHC's purpose is to do a work!
When the new world order is in place, ALL FREEDOMS WILL BE GONE. The only thing that will save us then is the advent of ETERNAL SOVEREIGN who will resurrect the Branch of David and the Prophet.
Are We Free?
Yes, we are free! But, what are we free from? Think, is it the Commandments and Laws? Are we now free to disobey CREATOR? Oh, no, no, no, absolutely not. We must obey our CREATOR because He is ETERNAL and His laws never change! Then, what are we free from?We are free from the prying, invasive tenets of the church of Rome and her Protestants. We are now free to obey only the written word of ETERNAL CREATOR, the Mighty One of Israel.
One thing we are not free to do is that we are not free to decide for ourselves what is right or wrong. ETERNAL makes the laws and sets the conditions. However, like Adam, Eve, and Frank Sinatra we are free to decide to do it our way or to obey ETERNAL and do it His way.
Deuteronomy 30:19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live.
One last thing we are not free to do is to pick and choose what parts of the Hebrew Scriptures we believe and keep or that we discard. It is not a matter of deciding for ourselves. We cannot decide what we want to cull out based on the opinions of "Higher Biblical Critics." These are still the opinions of men based on early Germanic Higher Bible Criticisms, men who themselves were still only human beings. It does not matter who "they say" wrote what part of the Scriptures or what "they say" it means.
The only thing that matters is, what do the Scriptures state? That and that alone is what we will be judged on! True we must seek the meaning of the Hebrew and then, after that, what a Scripture states is what it states. ETERNAL is so adamant about this that He told us hardheaded Israelites not once but twice.
Deuteronomy 4:2 "You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the Commandments of ETERNAL CREATOR which I command you."
Deuteronomy 12:32 "Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it."
What Is Needed?
Any person who believes the ETERNAL CREATOR is the Mighty One of Israel and is of the belief system of UHC, that person is a priest. The Burden of Malachi tells us CREATOR is not pleased with us as a group. He has a job for all priests to do. He called us and trained us in all the finesses of the Church of Rome and of her Protestants, which most priests and preachers do not even know. We should know more about both sections of the Bible than any other group--and this includes the Jews, for they study the Talmud and not the Torah! So, what is needed?We need to come together as a group and do the work of warning Israel that ETERNAL has so patiently trained us to do. Some have been in training for thirty years or longer but most for much less. The length of training is not important. What we do with the training is important. We have a job to do and, if you decide not to participate in this work, but rather to eat, drink, and be merry, then consider this your warning. What are you going to do with it? We hope and pray that you will choose life--that is the burden of Malachi and that IS THE THIRD TEST.
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Footnotes
1. If you picked c), you are correct! (Exodus 19:6) The incorrect answer a) comes from the New Testament (Revelation 1:6; 5:9).
2. All Scripture is quoted from the New King James Version unless noted. All emphasis is the author's.
3. See Servant's News 1998 Issue #3 & #6
4. To those who think otherwise, Yes, Virginia, there is an Adversary. See our articles, "If satan Manipulated the New Testament, Why Doesn't it Win?" and "Who Am I?"
5. American Heritage Dictionary defines a cult as "A religion or religious sect generally considered to be extremist or false, with its followers often living in an unconventional manner under the guidance of an authoritarian, charismatic leader."
6. Grasses that spread rapidly because the freely rooting stems make them hard to remove.
7. Refer to our article, "New Proof of the Messiah."
8. For example, by teaching only four books of the Torah and wondering who wrote the rest, by teaching that the Sabbath lasts only from sunrise to sunset on Saturday, that the Sabbath fluctuates during the month depending when the first day of the month is, by teaching that ETERNAL CREATOR is just a beginning force of nature, by teaching that the first of the month depends on the crescent or dark moon, etc., ad infinitum.
9. Zechariah 2:7 "Deliver thyself, O Zion, that dwellest with the daughter of Babylon."
10. Do you still attend a paganized congregation?
11. Strong's #H113 'adown (aw-done' or 'adon). "From an unused root (meaning to rule), sovereign, i.e. controller, lord, or master. Compare to 'Adonay (Strong's #H136 ad-o-noy') an emphatic form of H113; the L-rd (used as a prop. Name of G-d only)."
12. Ibid. #H4397 mal'ak (mal-awk'). "From an unused root meaning to dispatch as a deputy; a messenger; spec. of G-d, i.e. an angel (also a prophet, priest or teacher)."