| "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 heal their land." II Chronicles 7:14; |
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The Two-fold Aspect of the Promises to Abraham
Judah's Scepter and Joseph's
Chapter 8 - Birthright Withheld
In looking at the prophecies in Scripture very seldom is the starting date for a prophecy given. For example Abraham was told his descendants would serve the people of the land they would be in for four hundred years, but Abraham is not told when it would begin (Gen 15:13-16).
The Mighty One sent Ahijah to tell Jeroboam--the first king of the separated Israel--that because of his sins that ETERNAL would give Israel up, remove them form the land, and scatter them abroad (1 Kings 14:9-16). Even for this momentous event no time-frame is given.
ETERNAL saved Hezekiah from the Assyrians and gave him an extra fifteen years of life. Later Isaiah told him that ALL the substance his fathers had stored, and that ALL of his descendant sons would be taken to Babylon as slaves, but no time frame is given (2 Kings 19:20-20:18). Hezekiah is also told that a remnant would escape from Jerusalem, but he is not told when it would happen (2 Ki 19:30-31). However, when it did happen the prophesy was given that they would be in captivity for seventy years (2 Chron 36:21; Jer 11:25).
Even when Isaiah, speaking for ETERNAL told Zedekiah, the last king of Judah, that that he would be captured and taken to Babylon; no time frame was given (Jer 34:2-22). The only way Zedekiah knew the time, was when the Watchmen on the tower saw the enemy approaching and blew the shofar.
A Year For a Day
Many "scholars" use the principle of "a day for a year" and apply it to prophecy. Let us examine the subject a little to determine if that is a valid approach. When the Mighty One brought the Children of Israel to the brink of the Promised Land, Moses sent in spies to spy out the land. The spies were in the land for forty days and all brought back a bad report, except Joshua and Caleb. The people wanted to return to Egypt and ETERNAL sentenced them to wander in the desert for forty years, a year for each day the spies were in the land (Num 14:34-36). In Vs 34, ETERNAL tells them that they will bear their iniquity for 40 years. The following verses speak of the "day of ETERNAL" and a "year of vengeance" Isaiah 34:8, 61:2 and 63:4 but these also concern punishment. Another Scripture the "scholars" use to verify "a day for a year" approach:Ezek 4:4 "Lie also on your left side, and lay the iniquity of the House of Israel upon it. According to the number of the days that you lie on it, you shall bear their iniquity."
The Scriptures plainly state that the "day for a year" principle is concerning punishment. The question is "Does the day for a year for punishment carry over to include prophecy?" Regardless of what we have been told by "scholars" there IS NO INDICATION anywhere in the Hebrew Scriptures that a day for a year carries over from punishment to prophecy--unless the prophesy is concerning a period of punishment as in Num 14:36 and Ezek 4:4. In both of these cases, ETERNAL uses a day to equal a year, but that IS NOT a general the rule for all prophecies.
This is especially true for Daniel chapter nine where "scholars" try to convince us to accept the time they think the seventy weeks are. There is not space to cover the subject here, but see our article "Does Daniel 9 Prove That `Jesus' is the `Christ'?"
Before going forward it is important to remember that Israel was taken into captivity in the 8th century BCE which was over a hundred years before Ezekiel was even born in the 6th century BCE. Since Israel had been taken into captivity and dispersed by the time of Ezekiel's prophecies, any thing he has to say about Israel is for the future, because Israel has never heard the warnings of Ezekiel, who is to be a Watchman to the House of Israel (Ezek 3:17). In addition, Judah was in captivity also, so we are left with a quandary. Either Ezekiel did what he did and wrote a history lesson, or it is an eschatological prophecy. Either it had already happened by the time of Ezekiel and he is just blowing smoke, or it is prophecy for the end time that will soon come to pass as the sure will of the Mighty One. The choice is yours, to believe it or not.
The last quoted Scripture is plainly a punishment situation and days and years are concerned. ETERNAL instructed Ezekiel to make a portrait (one translation says map) of Jerusalem (Ezek 4:1). Then to build a siege wall and lay siege against it and put an iron plate between him and the portrait (vs. 2-3). Now notice carefully, that Ezekiel is to bear the iniquity, not to symbolize it but he was ACTUALLY TO BEAR THE INIQUITY of Israel in his own body:
Ezek 4:4-5 "Lie also on your left side, and lay the iniquity of the House of Israel upon it. According to the number of the days that you lie on it, you shall bear their iniquity. For I have laid on you the years of their iniquity, according to the number of the days, three hundred and ninety days, so you shall bear the iniquity of the House of Israel.
The iron plate Ezekiel is behind (Ezek 4:3) and the fact that he is tied up (Ezek 3:25; 24:7) show that what he is portraying is captivity. Notice that this is different from Num 14:36 where Israel was to bear their own iniquity. This time EZEKIEL IS TO BEAR THE INIQUITY OF ISRAEL, who, remember had been taken captive over a hundred years earlier. Since, Ezekiel personally bore the iniquity of Israel in his flesh, is Ezekiel the "suffering servant," or is there something else at play here? In addition, notice:
Ezek 4:6 "And when you have completed them, lie again on your right side; then you shall bear the iniquity of the House of Judah forty days. I have laid on you a day for each year.
Therefore, EZEKIEL IS PERSONALLY TO BEAR INIQUITY, this time for Judah, Jerusalem. Since he was in captivity during the siege days show that he bore their iniquity--which was captivity. Also all the things that were to happen to Jerusalem, were to be a sign to Israel (Ezek 4:3).
Days of Freedom for Israel and Judah
To summarize the days of Ezek 4:4-6. Ezekiel personally bore in his flesh for 390 days, the iniquity of 390 years for the people of Israel. During those 390 days he was tied up behind bars as a captive, thus the days portrayed captivity. Since, Ezekiel is future prophecy, when he suffered on his side 390 days he suffered for Israel's future iniquity of a 390-year period. Likewise, Ezekiel personally bore in his flesh for 40 days the iniquity of 40 years for the people of Judah of Jerusalem, sometime in the future. Ezekiel was bound in cords for the entire period behind an iron wall (Ezek 3:25; 4:3,7). Since Ezekiel bore the iniquity, so he was bound for 390 days, so Israel would have FREEDOM 390 years. Likewise, he was bound for Judah for 40 days, so they would have FREEDOM for 40 years.
Any punishment given to Israel or Judah would be administered by the stripes of men (2 Sam 7:11-14). Therefore, if Ezekiel bore the punishment for Israel and Judah, what does that mean? For one thing, what ever they did as nations during those time-periods they would not suffer at the hands of men--meaning that they would not be beaten in war, they may lose battles but they would win the wars and maintain their FREEDOM. The second consideration is that during this period of being successful at war and FREE from captivity the Mighty One could finally confer the unconditional blessings to Abraham upon them. Remember, that these blessings were promised to Abraham and would be unconditionally conferred on his descendants regardless of their beliefs or religion at the time of conferral.
The question is when did the Birthright and Scepter nations ever enjoy such a period of freedom, from national captivity by other nations?
If you have read our article "Does Daniel 9 Prove That `Jesus' is the `Christ'?" you will remember that the people did not understand when the time-frame of the prophecy was--until it was being fulfilled during the era of the Maccabees. The same is also true today we can only look back into history to see when these two periods could have begun. Beginning in the days of Ezekiel, when could Israel receive the Birthright promises, while winning their wars and remaining free, for a period of 390 years and Judah for a period of 40 years?
It is interesting that the first permanent English settlement in America was on May 14, 1607 CE, at Jamestown.* From that time forward, the unconditional Birthright to Abraham began to be bestowed on Joseph. England was destined to become a Commonwealth of Nations and America the world's greatest single nation. If you count forward 390 years from the Jamestown date, we come to 1997, which signaled the end of the Birthright promise to Joseph. That does not mean that our country or our freedom was to end in 1997, but that the Mighty One had completed His promise to Abraham and by 1997 and He had completely removed the protective hedge around us. So beginning in 1997 we were totally on our own, in a hostile world that truly does not like us all--in fact hate might be a better word. To understand that all we need to do is look about us today and see what has been happening in the last few years.
*We have seen how Jamestown could have equally been named "Jacobtown" or "Israeltown."
What about the Scepter promise?
In addition to Judah ruling his brother nations as mentioned earlier, the national homeland for the Jewish people was also to be setup.
The League of Nations approved the Balfour Declaration in 1922. Great Britain exhausted by seven years of war and eager to withdraw from overseas colonial commitments, decided in 1947 to leave Palestine and called on the United Nations (UN) to make recommendations. In response, the UN convened its first special session, and on November 29, 1947, it adopted a plan calling for the partition of Palestine into Jewish and Arab states, with Jerusalem as an international zone under UN jurisdiction.* In 1948, the British pulled out and the Jews won their first war with the Arabs and became a free nation.
*Microsoft Encarta 97 Encyclopedia "Israel (country)."
Starting in 1947 and adding the 40 years, represented by Ezekiel laying on his side for 40 days, brings us to 1987 which is the date of the beginning of the intifada.
Before coming to the prophecies concerning the Birthright and Scepter nations, remember they are a mighty nation, a Commonwealth of Nations, and the nation of Judah. In addition, Britain has always had a monarch and America has always had a President that is of the Judo-Davidic family. Thus, to this day Judah has ruled over his brothers.
Then reading the rest of Ezekiel chapters four and five we regrettably read that in Jerusalem, one-third of the people will die in pestilence and famine, one-third by war, and one-third will be again be scattered abroad in captivity. In addition, all the things that are to happen to Jerusalem are to be a sign to Israel (Ezek 4:3).
Birthright Withheld Many Years
Notice again the original promise: "A nation, and a company of nations shall be of you" (Gen 35:11). Remember, in passing on the Birthright the dying Jacob (Israel) said of Ephraim and Manasseh, sons of Joseph, "...let my name be named on them" (Genesis 48:16). Hence, it is THEY--the descendants of Ephraim (the British) and Manasseh (Americans) not the Jews, WHO RIGHTFULLY OWN THE NAME "Israel." Continuing, Jacob added, "...and let them grow into a multitude."Then, speaking of Manasseh and his descendants alone, Jacob said prophetically: "...he also shall become a people [nation]. He shall be GREAT: but truly his younger brother [Ephraim] shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a MULTITUDE [company, or COMMONWEALTH] of NATIONS (Genesis 48:19).
For a while after coming out of Egypt, the Israelites went CREATOR's way--but not very long. Soon they were adopting the customs and ways of the Gentile nations around them. After Solomon's death Israel rejected her king, and split off from Judah thus splitting the thirteen tribes into two nations.
The House of Israel sinned first. Finally, after nine dynasties beginning with Jeroboam, and the reigns of 19 kings (not David's dynasty, which was now in Judah), Israel was uprooted from its homeland of Samaria, and taken captive to Assyria. Having refused the Sign of the Sabbath, they became lost in history. Then beginning in 1607 CE the long years of national banishment from the Birthright inheritance ended. The Mighty One punished the people for their sins, yet kept His promises to Abraham. The promises must be fulfilled and ETERNAL decided it was time, because only He knew when He would give them the 390 years of freedom before the end of the age and the time of Jacob's trouble. Remember that EZEKIEL BORE THEIR INIQUITY for 390 days in bondage, which ETERNAL said, would equal to 390 years of no bondage, thus freedom.
Little did the world, including the intended recipients of promises, know that in 1607 CE that ETERNAL was about to begin the promised blessings to a free people. It took about 200 years before the blessing begin to really grow. By 1800, the United Kingdom and the United States were small and insignificant among the nations of the earth. The United Kingdom had only the British Isles, a very small part of India and of Canada and a few little islands. The United States consisted only of the original 13 colonies and three added states. Thus, neither nation possessed any great wealth or power.
However, these two little nations began to sprout and to grow into vast national riches and power such as no people ever possessed. Soon Britain's empire spread around the world, until the sun never set upon her possessions. Canada, Australia, South Africa were given dominion status--made free and independent nations, ruling themselves independent of England--a company, or commonwealth, of nations joined together, not by legal government, but solely by the throne of David!
Furthermore, the British Commonwealth of Nations is the only COMPANY OF NATIONS in all of the history of earth. Could we so exactly fulfill the specifications of the Birthright, and not be the Birthright people? The United States expanded rapidly in national resources and wealth after 1800 gaining a vast track of land in the Louisiana Purchase, but reached world dominance among nations later than the British Commonwealth. It became a giant world power by the end of World War I. Together Ephraim and Manasseh grew into a multitude according to Jacob's prophetic blessing of Genesis 48. Only our people have fulfilled this prophecy.
Continued in Chapter 9
[ Chapter 9 ] [ The Promises to Abraham - Introduction Index Page ]
