THE ISSUE - II
CONT., page 20
THE CLAIM OF A REMNANT
Let us now consider the second important prophetic event which took place, foretelling what would happen to the Jeroboam Christianity kingdom of God. We know from the Scriptures that the kingdom is promised to the Remnant, having its foundation on the work of Yahshua while He ministered here on earth. Yahshua personally built the foundation - the first Remnant. But Christianity has abandoned that foundation in practice, teachings, character, and power, and loses its rights to the kingdom. It is now time for Yahshua to complete His work and continue building on the first Remnant. Thus, in this account of the kingdom of Yahweh given to Solomon, there should be a testimony of this transfer of the kingdom back to a second-Remnant-representing Judah king, and there is. It did not come in the time of Rehoboam. He was specifically forbidden by Yahweh from attempting to reunite the twelve tribes. But it did occur in the next generation, even as the second Remnant will be the next generation to complete the work the first Remnant began, but lost.
In 2 Chronicles 13 we read the account of Rehoboam's son, King Abijah, who went to Jeroboam with an army of 400,000 valiant warriors. However, Jeroboam drew up an army of 800,000 valiant warriors and surrounded Abijah.
First, it is unmistakably obvious that Yahweh is saying something when the name of Jeroboam's son who died after his disguised gift-bearing wife was sent to inquire of his fate (provoking Yahweh to announce His rejection of Jeroboam and his offspring), and the name of the one here in battle with Jeroboam, bear the identical name - Abijah. Abijah means - "Father is Yahweh." It was when Jeroboam inquired of the prophet through his wife regarding the fate of their son that Yahweh announced the calamity that would come upon his house. Now that calamity is going to come in an even more decisive way through his defeat in battle. First his personal calamity came with the death of his son, Abijah; now his corporal calamity was about to come with his defeat in battle with another Abijah.
We see that though Yahweh rejects Jeroboam Christianity's posterity and gifts, He gives favor to the Remnant's place and grants them success over Christianity. Though they are both Abijahs where "Father is Yahweh," the former is a false Remnant that He will reject, and the latter true second Remnant He will prosper.
Let us now look at King Abijah's bold proclamation to Jeroboam beginning in verse 4. As with the prophet Ahijah's proclamation to Jeroboam, we will consider its significance in portions. Thus spoke Abijah to Jeroboam:
"Listen to me, Jeroboam and all Israel: Do you not know that Yahweh God of Israel gave the rule over Israel forever to David and his sons by a covenant of salt?
This opening statement of the son of Rehoboam is, frankly, a very amazing and bold statement, revealing the rights of the kingdom belonging to Yahshua and the Remnant "forever." We will examine this most important point, but first let us consider this "covenant of salt" and its meaning.
In Numbers 18:19 we see this same term - "covenant of salt" - in reference to the promise of the rights of the Levitical priesthood to eat from the offerings. In that case it was called "an everlasting covenant of salt." This "covenant of salt" refers to the Levitical law requiring that every grain offering to Yahweh be seasoned with salt - "so that the salt of the covenant of your God shall not be lacking from your grain offering" (Leviticus 2:13). In fact, salt was evidently to be a part of every burnt offering, as we read in the conclusion of that verse - "with all your offerings you shall offer salt" - and as testified to in Ezekiel 43:24. Why the salt on all burnt offerings and David's "covenant of salt" by which he received the rights to rule over Israel?
Unquestionably, burnt offerings prophetically speak of resurrecting to God - ascending to Him. Salt is savor, as Yahshua spoke of it, and it evidently has to do with the pleasure Yahweh receives in resurrecting men out of death to Himself (which has only occurred with Yahshua thus far). The "covenant of salt" David received must look to the prophetic assurance and association of the promise of the kingdom, and with it resurrection. This is not the kingdom experience Christianity has received while still in their carnal bodies, as they have all gone to the sea of death. Yet the promise with the kingdom is a "covenant of salt" - the assurance of resurrection or ascension to Yahweh. (Of course Christianity likewise has the promise of resurrection, albeit at the second resurrection. In the sea of death is salt, though it be salt that preserves them for their day of ascension. Likewise, Lot's wife was turned to a pillar of salt.)
Concerning Christianity, what we find is that it is two loaves (2,000 years) of Pentecost leavened bread, and leavened bread could never be offered to Yahweh as a burnt offering. In those same verses in Leviticus 2, verse 11, we read - "No grain offering, which you bring to Yahweh, shall be made with leaven, for you shall not offer up in smoke any leaven or any honey as an offering by fire to Yahweh." Why no leaven in grain offerings? Because leaven represents corruption and sin - alterations of the kingdom by the flesh and Satan. Thus, Yahweh will not allow the leavened work of Christianity to ascend to Him in resurrection. It must be changed first.
Equally, as honey could not be offered in a burnt offering, neither can man present to Yahweh as an offering the kingdom of God received by Christianity (the promised land of milk and honey). Any "honey" which man is a part of offering to Yahweh in a "burnt offering" is forbidden. Likewise, neither was the honey of Jeroboam's wife a persuading gift to the prophet Ahijah, as she sought for the fate of her son. Thus, when man in carnal flesh received the honey of the kingdom, he cannot expect that that kingdom will be an acceptable offering to Yahweh. The honey of Christianity cannot ascend via resurrection to Yahweh. Leavened bread has to have some form of sugar added in order for it to rise - most likely honey. So, the leavened bread of Pentecost undoubtedly had two objectionable ingredients - leaven and honey. These are the two loaves of leavened Pentecost bread of the church kingdom that can legally be waved before Yahweh; but, it must remain attached to the earth in the hands of the priest. This is the Pentecost church bread with honey and leaven that will not ascend to Yahweh.
"Yet Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the servant of Solomon the son of David, rose up and rebelled against his master, and worthless men gathered about him, scoundrels, who proved too strong for Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, when he was young and timid and could not hold his own against them.
It is quite interesting how this account by King Abijah of Jeroboam's takeover differs so remarkably from what was recorded in the actual account of the transfer of the kingdom. You will recall that the prophet Ahijah went to Jeroboam and told him beforehand that ten tribes would be taken and given to him, and that when this split occurred, Rehoboam assembled an army of 180,000 men to stop it; yet Yahweh spoke to him by Shemaiah the prophet, saying - "You must not go up and fight against your relatives the sons of Israel; return every man to his house, for this thing has come from Me" (1 Kings 12:24). It is interesting how this split was from Yahweh, yet when Abijah laid out the issue to Jeroboam, he referred back to the original promise to David. The kingdom was clearly given to Jeroboam, yet Abijah laid hold of a higher and preceding promise - that kingdom right rested with the house of David via "a covenant of salt." Rehoboam had assembled an army to stop the split, yet here we read of a "young and timed" leader who "could not hold his own against them (his counselors)." One could say that Abijah's words were simply the sympathetic words of a son, defending the valor of his father; but, from a prophetic standpoint we see much more.
Christianity was clearly given the rights to the kingdom, and frankly no one knew at the time (nor up to this day) that a breach was occurring. It undoubtedly seemed like an uninterrupted continuation of the kingdom of God, even welcomed spontaneous growth. But Yahweh does not often tell man exactly what is going on until the events are all over. Here we have in this account at hand a dissimilar and even contradicting message concerning the transfer of the kingdom of Yahweh, prophetic of the dissimilarity in what men have thought was taking place and what was truly taking place in the events surrounding and following Stephen's death - the transfer of the kingdom of God.
Despite the earlier proclamations of the prophets Ahijah and Shemaiah, Abijah stood before Jeroboam and boldly declared a differing account - the kingdom rights belong to the house of David and they were taken away by worthless men. Equally, the voice of the second Remnant declares a message contrary to what is believed and accepted as having taken place with the stoning of Stephen and the placement of the mantles of lying witnesses at the feet of Saul/Paul - the kingdom rights were taken away from the first Remnant and laid at the feet of Christianity. Are we contradicting what Christianity says? All the same that Abijah contradicted Jeroboam who could boast that the prophet of God had given him his mission and his rights. But has the second Remnant succeeded in reclaiming their rights to the kingdom? Yes indeed, because the original promise of the kingdom belongs to the Remnant, not to Christianity. As with Abijah's appeal, the Remnant's promise is a higher and preceding promise. Despite the moves of the Spirit either in the works of Paul/Saul, or in the works of Christianity since then, the "fresh oil" of the kingdom and the "covenant of salt" rights to resurrection belong to the two sons of fresh oil, the two olive tree Remnants.
"So now you intend to resist the kingdom of Yahweh in the hands of the sons of David, being a great multitude and having with you the golden calves which Jeroboam made for gods for you."
Here is the crux of the entire matter - To whom does the kingdom belong? Abijah confronted Jeroboam based on the original promise that the kingdom of Yahweh belonged to the house of David of the tribe of Judah, not to Ephraim (out of which was Jeroboam). Abijah disregarded the prophet's transfer and went straight to the original promise - the kingdom rights belong to the household of David and Solomon. On this one truth Abijah confidently took his stand before Jeroboam!
Equally, the second Remnant justly claims its rights to the kingdom of God. These kingdom rights belong to Yahshua and His Solomon, the first Remnant. Even as Solomon declared concerning the teachings of his father, David - "When I was a son to my father, tender and the only son in the sight of my mother, then he taught me and said to me ..." (Proverbs 4:3f) - so it is only the first Remnant who can claim to have sat under the teachings of their "father" Yahshua. And it is this "tender" son that received the rights to the kingdom. And it is this "tender" son who is the forerunner of the second Remnant, the prophesied "tender" growth of the fig tree that grows once again following the pruning away of old-growth Christianity.
And is it to be of any consequence that Christianity, equally being "a great multitude," has by this virtue of size and tenure the rights to the kingdom? Christianity may indeed be "a great multitude," but this fact does not justify their continuing rights to the kingdom of God. Recall that a very small David killed and beheaded a very large giant, Goliath. Even so, a smaller companied Abijah would come to a twice larger and better positioned Jeroboam and win the contest. Because he was larger? Not at all, but because he came based on the original promise to David.
"Have you not driven out the priests of Yahweh, the sons of Aaron and the Levites, and made for yourselves priests like the peoples of other lands? Whoever comes to consecrate himself with a young bull and seven rams, even he may become a priest of what are no gods."
Jeroboam drove the priests out of Israel because their service to the temple tied them to Jerusalem. Jeroboam knew that if the people went back to Jerusalem three times a year for the Feasts, their hearts and wills might be drawn back to Judah. To avoid this, he created two golden calves (one on each northern and southern border).
What is the significance of these two golden calves Jeroboam built and (as we saw in the previous verse) took confidence in, along with their numbers? Even as Yahweh has His two Remnants, Christianity attempts to raise up their own two Remnants. These are Christianity's best efforts, and are what would be considered Christianity's two false Remnant. These "golden calves" of Christianity, these false Remnants, appear to be God's best, but are in fact altars that are to be torn down.
And, it is most appropriate prophetically that to become a priest under Jeroboam, all one had to have was "a young bull and seven rams." We have often noted that 7 is the number of Christianity and the mark of the beast - thus "seven rams" here once again bears clear testimony of seven-lampstand Christianity and its mark.
"But as for us, Yahweh is our God, and we have not forsaken Him; and the sons of Aaron are ministering to Yahweh as priests, and the Levites attend to their work. And every morning and evening they burn to Yahweh burnt offerings and fragrant incense, and the showbread is set on the clean table, and the golden lampstand with its lamps is ready to light every evening; for we keep the charge of Yahweh our God, but you have forsaken Him.
Even as Israel forsook Yahweh, so Christianity has forsaken Yahshua. Christianity does not follow His teachings or His ways. The 2,000 year church period has been a compromise period - part kingdom, part carnal man and his ways, and part Satan. This mix is what corrupts the kingdom, which man can neither keep pure nor fulfill the requirement thereof since he is carnal. These are major problems which cannot be overcome by man. To overcome them, Yahweh must send His Spirit in greater power to complete the work of His Remnant.
How then has the Remnant, like Judah, maintained the service in the temple? Hebrews 9:4 tells us that the altar of incense has been moved within the veil into the holy of holies. Prophetically, this is what has happened with the first Remnant. Revelation 6:9-11 tells us that they are under the altar, and their prayers ascend to Yahweh. Revelation 12:5 tells us they were taken to the throne of God. The first Remnant that was by-in-large the personal work of Yahshua, is in the heavenly temple of God offering priestly services in the spiritual sense (the natural becoming spiritual). Though Christianity has had the rights to the kingdom, it is the first Remnant that has actually maintained the hope and the full rights of the kingdom.
"Now behold, God is with us at our head and His priests with the signal trumpets to sound the alarm against you. O sons of Israel, do not fight against Yahweh God of your fathers, for you will not succeed."
"You will not succeed." What a bold declaration! This is the last word to Christianity. But the fact is, Christianity actually does not even know the issue, so as to understand that they neither will nor can succeed. The issue of the kingdom of God is not even within the scope of Christianity. It is so much above them, so far removed from their understanding, and Christianity is so carnal, so temporal, so much in bondage to Satan and the flesh, so much comparing themselves with themselves, so absolutely blind, that they do not even see the issue. It is absolutely necessary that Yahweh perform a work on Christianity's behalf that will eventually set them free. Though seemingly to them a threat and great error, the first thing that must take place is that Yahweh call the second Remnant in its entirety out of Christianity. To do this He must "defeat," "kill," or put to "sleep" the body of Christ.
In June, 1994, the Spirit of Yahweh came upon this man and revealed to him the marvelous truths regarding the two-part Remnant. For six years, despite some efforts on the part of this man to get others to see these marvelous truths, that time was liken to the six times of walking around Jericho - silence! No man understood. No man really responded.
But at the completion of those six silent years, in May, 2000, at the time of Passover, men finally began to hear and understand and obey! Finally at the seventh year, in May, 2000, a shout was heard and the walls of Jericho began coming down in the minds of a Remnant. This shout continues - the sound of the alarm on the signal trumpet. The blast of this trumpet is required for victory over one's enemy per Yahweh's law of Numbers 10. In verse nine we read - "And when you go to war in your land against the adversary who attacks you, then you shall sound an alarm (or raise a shout) with the trumpets, that you may be remembered before Yahweh your God, and be saved from your enemies." This is exactly what Abijah did. In accordance with Yahweh's law (which Jeroboam did not follow), when Jeroboam and his twice-size army surrounded their forces, "the men of Judah raised a war cry, and when the men of Judah raised a war cry, then it was that God smote Jeroboam and all Israel before Abijah and Judah."
Yahweh is giving the second Remnant victory over Christianity, whose head is Satan; and that victory is won with a blast, a shout! It is a shout that brings down the walls of false teachings that have been built by 2,000 years of error. This is the shout of truth! In verse 16 we read:
And when the sons of Israel fled before Judah, God gave them into their hand. And Abijah and his people defeated them with a great slaughter, so that 500,000 chosen men of Israel fell slain.
Essentially two-thirds of Israel's army of 800,000 men were slaughtered. Thus, the two-thirds portion of Christianity will be cut off from the kingdom. Continuing in verse 19:
And Abijah pursued Jeroboam, and captured from him cities, Beth-el with its villages, Jeshanah with its villages, and Ephron with its villages. And Jeroboam did not again recover strength in the days of Abijah; and Yahweh struck him and he died.
While in Yahweh's scope of time Israel per se could not end here, its prophetic representation of Christianity necessitated that there be some testimony of Christianity's termination. This is seen in at least three ways. First, most significantly, Jeroboam's life was terminated. Jeroboam was given the kingdom of Yahweh, which Abijah came to reclaim based upon the original promise. And even as the two-part death of Abijah's son testified to the two-part (Passover and Tabernacles) death of Christianity, so Jeroboam's death appropriately testified to Christianity's two-part death. For we find that Jeroboam was not actually killed in this truth-declaring battle, but decisively lost his strength and never regained it, thus portending Christianity's first-blow Passover death. Next, this statement regarding the loss of Jeroboam's strength was immediately followed with a statement concerning the Tabernacles second and final death - "and Yahweh struck him and he died." This identification of Yahweh personally striking Jeroboam unto death dramatically foreshadows Yahshua's Tabernacles return to this earth, upon which He will personally effect the second-blow death upon Christianity - dispersing or sowing them throughout the nations. (This identical testimony is seen in 1 Samuel 25:32-38 where though David did not slaughter Nabal, Yahweh went ahead and took his life ten days later, and in that interim time "his heart died within him so that he became as a stone.") Thus, Jeroboam's death is a clear testimony of Christianity's two-part death and loss of the kingdom.
A second testimony to Christianity's termination or loss of the kingdom is the three cities Abijah captured from Israel. Once again, while Israel per se had to remain an ongoing and separate nation, by the capture of specifically three cities, a prophetic termination occurred, along with the transfer of the kingdom. This dualism (the prophetic termination while at the same time the literal continuance) is Yahweh's way of accomplishing two things at the same time. While the one continues, He gives prophetic evidence that within the realm of the unfolding pattern or picture, the termination and transfer is effected. This transfer is seen in Abijah's capture of these three cities.
We have noted numerous times that the number three represents Christianity - the three periods of its preparation time. At this prophetic juncture of Christianity's death and transfer of the kingdom, specifically three cities were captured, representative of the rights of three-part Christianity being "captured" by the Remnant. But the testimony of this transfer goes beyond the simple number of cities captured. When one considers the meanings of the city's names, the evidence of Christianity's loss of the kingdom rights is once again foretold. Let us look at the meaning of each city's name.
Beth-el - house of God
Jeshanah - old
Ephron - fawn-like
So, what did Abijah capture from Jeroboam? In prophetic testimony he captured the "old house of God," yet something in contrast which is "fawn-like." How is it once again that the church is divided? Is it not equally divided two parts and one part, even in the same manner as we see here in the meaning of these names. The first two parts are indeed the "old house of God." Christianity is the longest running work of Yahweh in the history of mankind, and it is indeed the house of God. Thus the two parts are seen appropriately characterized here. Now what about the third part, Ephron, or "fawn-like"?
The third part of Christianity is brought through the fire, is refined as silver and tested as gold. Yahweh will call them "My people," and they will say, "Yahweh is my God." The refining Yahweh performs to Christianity in the Millennium will cause them to become new, or "fawn-like." There will be a purity in them that has not existed in the "old house of God."
Thus we see then in this closing account regarding the meaning of these three city's names a third testimony of Christianity's death, marking the return of the kingdom of God back to its rightful possessor - the Remnant.
Continue to the final page of THE ISSUE - II for the CLOSING