Christian Zionism – part 1

Christian Zionism – part 1

Christian Zionism – part 1

Jewish Opposition to Zionism

There should be no doubt in anyones mind that the Jewish people have endured tremendous persecution throughout the ages and persists to this day. It appears to me though that most of today’s anger towards the Jewish people revolves around the land of Israel and the conflict with the displaced Palestinian people.

On closer investigation into the term ‘antisemitism’ I discovered that there are many angles of attack that all seem to be branded as ‘antisemitic.

I have included below some content which sets out to describe what ‘antisemitism’ is and it’s many disguises in the world today – articles by Ellen Wexler and Rabbi Sacks.

What I find the most interesting, is to find how outspoken the religious sector of Judaism is with regards to the state of Israel and its legitimacy to exist – refer videos.

 My interest in this topic is solely from the perspective of understanding Scriptural Truth and not any political agenda or interest,

Before continuing, the reader needs to remember that the Jewish people do not recognise the Renewed Covenant i.e. the New Testament, and therefore any understanding of the New Testament believer pertaining to the future land of Israel and the city of Jerusalem should differ greatly from that of the Jew. For instance the book of Revelation reveals that the New Jerusalem is the ‘Bride’ of Yahushua and is not a reference to a section of land in Israel called Jerusalem. This is how Bible scholars should see the future Jerusalem anyway – emphasis on ‘future’.

The same principle applies to Israel. When one unpacks the story of Jacob’s name change to Israel then one discovers who New Testament Israel is. This is a reference to those people who have wrestled with their flesh nature, which opposes righteousness, and have overcome their flesh nature to submit wholly to the will of the Almighty.

There is much more detail/Scripture to back this claim up but I do not want to digress here.

Having said the above, all New Testament believers in the Messiah should understand and recognise the Jewish people as our lost brother. After all Jacob had twelve sons which eventually split up into the two separate kingdoms – North and South. The majority on New Testament Believers/Christians are seen as the lost Northern house/kingdom – the ‘Prodigal son’.

New Testament believers are the wild olive which has been grafted into the olive tree – Romans chapter 11:

For if the casting away of them be the reconciling of the world, what shall the receiving of them be, but life from the dead?

For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root beholy, so are the branches.

And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree;

Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.

Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in.

Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear:

For if God spared not the natural branches, take heed lest he also spare not thee.

Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in hisgoodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off.

And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be graffed in: for God is able to graff them in again.

For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and wert graffed contrary to nature into a good olive tree: how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be graffed into their own olive tree?

Romans 11:15-24

 

Romans chapter 2 defines who a New Testamnet Jew is:

 For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is thatcircumcision, which is outward in the flesh:

But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.

Romans 2:28-29

 

Following my investigation into the term ‘antisemitism’ it does appear to me that this label would be applied to anyone who criticises or maligns anything to do with Jewishness, whether it be Judaism as a religion or Israel as a country. It has become equally apparant to me that the more religious group of Jewish people i.e. the vast majority of Torah observers, are very critical of the existance of Israel as a sovereign country. A quick search on ‘Google’ images of ‘Jews against Zionism’ will reveal how big this opposition is.

 Many Christians and others would probably think that most Jews are united in their view concerning the land of Israel today. This is however not the case. According to the statements made by the Rabbis in the video material provided It appears that mostly secular Jews are the patriotic people.

There are many Christian church groups and organisations who stand in support of Isreal as a sovereign state and believe that the formation of Israel as a country is the fulfilment of Biblical prophecy. The vast majority of religious Rabbis it seems, would disagree with this view.

My view is that the Father is Almighty and Sovereign. It is clear that He has allowed the formation of Israel as a country and Jerusalem as it’s capital city. Whether it appears to be legitimate or not to us, it is clearly the will of the Almighty for this time. The New Testamant Scripture reveals a change though, which is soon coming. Until that time comes we are faced with the world as it is – in it’s fallen state.

I would like to express my view that I am against any human rights abuse, or the persecution of any indiviual or group, based on either their ethnicity or religion. We must embrace the teaching of our Messiah Y’Shua in that he did not come the first time 2000 years ago to judge but rather to set free. The time for judgement is coming when Y’Shua will judge all people as the King of Kings and Master of Masters.

Until then let us keep our peace and pursue righteousness in our own lives.

I have provided you with some material below to enlighten you and possibly broaden your traditional view on this subjcet.

 

After reading the following and watching the video footage – You decide.

 

The Semantics of Anti-Semitism

BY ELLEN WEXLER

In the late 1800s, a German writer and political agitator named Wilhelm Marr published a pamphlet called “The Way to Victory of Judaism over Germanism.” The idea was that Jews and Germans were locked in perpetual conflict, which could only end, Marr worried, with one group’s victory over the other. And the Jews were ahead.

Today, Marr is credited with coining the term “anti-Semitism.” Compared to previously existing words, anti-Semitism “was meant to be a kind of technical term,” says Ken Jacobson, deputy national director of the Anti-Defamation League. It described an attitude based on ideas about Jews as a race, and it was intended to foster a scientific basis for hatred.

But since Marr’s time, the term “anti-Semitism” has evolved. As scholarship on the subject grew, the available vocabulary expanded. Today, its definition—and its boundaries—are uncertain. “Anti-Semitism” is but one of a convoluted, interconnected web of similar words—including “anti-Judaism,” “anti-Zionism,” “Judeophobia” and “Zionophobia.”

What, for instance, is the difference between “anti-Semitism” and “anti-Judaism”? David Nirenberg, author of Anti-Judaism: The Western Tradition, makes a nuanced distinction: Anti-Semitism takes aim at real Jews, while anti-Judaism opposes a broader system of thought. When the word “Judaize” first appeared in a conversation between the New Testament’s Paul and Peter, it referred to Christians who wanted—mistakenly—to observe Jewish laws. For early Christians, Judaism became associated with a misguided set of beliefs: taking something too literally, or placing too much emphasis on the law. Over the years, anti-Judaism took on a broader meaning: Someone could be accused of acting like a Jew for displaying greed or lending money. “If you read any source about the economy, say, from roughly the 12th century to the present,” says Nirenberg, “people are constantly talking about certain forms of relationship to money, certain uses of money, as being Jewish.” These prejudices played out everywhere from Shakespeare to Marx. The hatred of Judaism, and the need to fight against it—even in communities that had never met a Jew—became a constant in Western culture.

Some historians see anti-Judaism as a religious prejudice and anti-Semitism as a racial prejudice. But this framework is contentious. “The distinction that’s made between anti-Judaism and anti-Semitism is a fallacious one,” says Brown University professor David Kertzer, who has written extensively on the Vatican’s role in modern anti-Semitism. In 1987, Pope John Paul II commissioned an investigation into this matter. The verdict was that, while the church had promoted anti-Judaism—or prejudice based in religion—it had not encouraged anti-Semitism. But “this narrative, while comforting,” says Kertzer, has no basis in reality. The church “had been involved in modern anti-Semitism right from the very beginning,” and Nazi messaging relied heavily on Christian imagery.

“Anti-Semitism” is but one of a convoluted, interconnected web of  similar words.
After the Holocaust, the world’s conception of anti-Semitism changed. When the horrors of the Holocaust became known, overt prejudice was no longer publicly acceptable. “People refrained for quite awhile,” says Jacobson. “But then along came this convenient thing, the State of Israel.” With the new country came a new vocabulary; words like anti-Zionism and anti-Israel entered the lexicon. In some cases, these prejudices drew on older ones: Criticizing the young country became “a convenient cover for those who had anti-Semitic attitudes but didn’t want to be seen that way.”

Still, “we hardly ever simply say that any criticism of Israel is anti-Semitism,” Jacobson adds. “That’s absurd.” In fact, before Israel’s founding, many mainstream Jews were anti-Zionist—some Orthodox Jews feared Zionism’s secular focus, while some Reform Jews preferred to focus on a worldwide Jewish community—and some Jews, for various reasons, still identify this way. But when contemporary groups, Jewish or secular, reject Zionism, they are often labeled anti-Semitic.

Today, debates about anti-Zionism are fraught—“Is Anti-Zionism Anti-Semitism?” headlines ask—and the line between political critique and outright prejudice is hazy. “I don’t think the criticism of Israel today is necessarily anti-Jewish or anti-Semitic,” says Nirenberg. But if critiquing Israel becomes “a particularly important part of overcoming evil in the world,” he adds, “you have to ask yourself why.” Jacobson says there’s legitimate criticism of Israel, there’s criticism obviously motivated by prejudice—and then there’s everything in the middle, where the distinctions are harder to parse. The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement sometimes falls into this third category, he says. “Many people behind BDS are anti-Semitic, but that doesn’t mean everyone who supports BDS is anti-Semitic.”

Judea Pearl, an Israeli-American computer science professor at UCLA, rejects that framework. “It is a grave mistake,” he says, “to calibrate the evils of anti-Zionism by the extent to which it resembles, or leads to, or encourages anti-Semitism, as if anti-Zionism is the lesser of the two evils.” In recent years, Pearl, whose son, Daniel, was murdered by Pakistani terrorists in 2002, has been pushing a new term: “Zionophobia,” which he defines as “the irrational fear of Zionism.” For Pearl, the word describes not just a political stance, but an immoral one: denying Jewish nationhood and self-determination. “Islamophobia” already holds a place in the public discourse, and he hopes that Zionophobia will be seen in a similar light. It “reminds us that religion does not have a monopoly on human sensitivity, and that Zionism has a moral dimension to it.”

With the addition of “phobia,” prejudices are framed as psychological phenomena. In 1882, Russian writer and activist Leon Pinsker used the term “Judeophobia,” which he considered a psychological disorder—specifically, a “psychic aberration”—that could be inherited and could not be cured. Still, for the most part, describing prejudice using the language of phobias is a modern phenomenon, related to psychology’s cultural dominance in the 20th century, says Jacobson.

The history of prejudice against Jews is complex, and so is the language we use to describe it. Most of the time Jacobson sticks with “anti-Semitism.” But even then, he says, “one has to use it sparingly and appropriately.”

https://momentmag.com/semantics-anti-semitism/

 

 

Anti-Zionism is the new anti-Semitism

(Rabbi Sacks writes for Newsweek)

 

On March 27, speaking to the Sunday Times, former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams expressed his concern at rising levels of anti-Semitism on British university campuses. There are, he said, “worrying echoes” of Germany in the 1930s. Two days later, in The Times, Chris Bryant, the Shadow Leader of the House of Commons and a senior member of the British Labour party, warned that the political left was increasingly questioning the right of the state of Israel to exist, a view he called a “not too subtle form of anti-Semitism.”

Across Europe, Jews are leaving. A survey in 2013 by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights showed that almost a third of Europe’s Jews have considered emigrating because of anti-Semitism, with numbers as high as 46 percent in France and 48 percent in Hungary.

Nor is this a problem in Europe alone. A 2015 survey of North American Jewish college students by Brandeis University found that three-quarters of respondents had been exposed to anti-Semitic rhetoric. One third had reported incidents of harassment because they were Jewish. Much of the intimidation on campus is stirred by “Israel Apartheid” weeks and the BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions) campaign against Israel. These have become what Easter was in the Middle Ages, a time for attacks against Jews.

Something is clearly happening, but what? Many on the left argue that they are being wrongly accused. They are not against Jews, they say, only opposed to the policies of the state of Israel. Here one must state the obvious. Criticism of the Israeli government is not anti-Semitic. Nor is the BDS movement inherently anti-Semitic. Many of its supporters have a genuine concern for human rights. It is, though, a front for the new anti-Semitism, an unholy alliance of radical Islamism and the political left.

What then is anti-Semitism? It is not a coherent set of beliefs but a set of contradictions. Before the Holocaust, Jews were hated because they were poor and because they were rich; because they were communists andbecause they were capitalists; because they kept to themselves and because they infiltrated everywhere; because they clung tenaciously to ancient religious beliefs and because they were rootless cosmopolitans who believed nothing.

Anti-Semitism is a virus that survives by mutating. In the Middle Ages, Jews were hated because of their religion. In the 19th and 20th centuries they were hated because of their race. Today they are hated because of their nation state, Israel. Anti-Zionism is the new anti-Semitism.

The legitimization has also changed. Throughout history, when people have sought to justify anti-Semitism, they have done so by recourse to the highest source of authority available within the culture. In the Middle Ages, it was religion. In post-Enlightenment Europe it was science. Today it is human rights. It is why Israel—the only fully functioning democracy in the Middle East with a free press and independent judiciary—is regularly accused of the five crimes against human rights: racism, apartheid, crimes against humanity, ethnic cleansing and attempted genocide. This is the blood libel of our time.

Anti-Semitism is a classic example of what anthropologist René Girard sees as the primal form of human violence: scapegoating. When bad things happen to a group, its members can ask two different questions: “What did we do wrong?” or “Who did this to us?” The entire fate of the group will depend on which it chooses.

If it asks, “What did we do wrong?” it has begun the self-criticism essential to a free society. If it asks, “Who did this to us?” it has defined itself as a victim. It will then seek a scapegoat to blame for all its problems. Classically this has been the Jews.

Today the argument goes like this. After the Holocaust, every right-thinking human being must be opposed to Nazism. Palestinians are the new Jews. The Jews are the new Nazis. Israel is the new crime against humanity. Therefore every right thinking person must be opposed to the state of Israel, and since every Jew is a Zionist, we must oppose the Jews. This argument is wholly wrong. It was Jews not Israelis who were murdered in terrorist attacks in Toulouse, Paris, Brussels and Copenhagen.

Anti-Semitism is a form of cognitive failure. It reduces complex problems to simplicities. It divides the world into black and white, seeing all the fault on one side and all the victimhood on the other. It singles out one group among a hundred offenders for the blame. It silences dissent and never engages in self-criticism. The argument is always the same. We are innocent; they are guilty. It follows that if we—Christians, members of the Aryan race or Muslims—are to be free, they, the Jews, or the state of Israel must be destroyed. That is how the great crimes begin.

Jews have been hated because they were different. They were the most conspicuous non-Christian minority in pre-World War Christian Europe. Today they are the most conspicuous non-Muslim presence in an Islamic Middle East. Anti-Semitism has always been about the inability of a group to make space for difference. No group that adopts it will ever create a free society.

The hate that begins with Jews never ends with Jews. In a world awash with hate across religious divides, people of all faiths and none must stand together, not just to defeat anti-Semitism but to ensure the rights of religious minorities are defended everywhere.

History will judge us by how we deal with this challenge. We must not fail.

 

 

 

 

The following videos are listed from the shortest (8.37min) to the longest (1hr29).

 

The 70th Palestinian Nakba Day – The Jewish perspective

Jews Worldwide Mourn 70 Years Existence of ‘Israel’ A Rebellion against the Almighty And a Disaster for Humanity

 

Rabbi Dovid Weiss:

Zionism has created ‘rivers of blood’ | Talk to Al Jazeera

The Jewish scholar explains why Zionism and Judaism are not necessarily the same thing and why he believes that Israel as a state is not legitimate.

 

Rabbi Dovid Weiss on Judaism, Israel and Zionism.

Rabbi Yisroel Dovid Weiss speaks about Judaism, Israel and Zionism. He shares the view that the state of Israel goes against the teachings of the Torah and that Judaism has been used and manipulated for political aims at the expense of the Palestinian people.

 

 

A documentary interview with Rabbi Yisroel Dovid Weiss and Rabbi Moshe Dov Beck.

The documentary film is about the connection and differences between Judaism and Zionism.

 

 

Donna Nevel Zionism vs Antisemitism

Criticism of Israel, or of Zionism, which is an ideology, has become rampant, leading to accusations of anti-Semitism. A discussion between a jewish activist and a Jewish radio host, challenging labels of Anti-Semitism because people criticize Israel or advocate for BDS

 

The Business of Televangelism

The Business of Televangelism

The Business of Televangelism

 

 

Love them or hate them, Televangelists are woven into the very fabric of American life. Make no mistake about it, while the world of Televangelism has a 24/7 global reach, virtually all of the TV ministers hail from, live in, and operate out of the US. This is not to say that you won’t find any Televangelists in other countries – of course there are, but compared to the US operators, those based in other countries are small time operators, at best.

 Here in the US though, it is big business. How big, no one really knows, because all of the high profile ministers and their churches keep their financial records confidential. There’s no transparency, and according the American tax law, there doesn’t have to be.

 The reasons for this are easy to understand. In the US, we’ve had a tradition of building a wall of separation between Church and State that dates back as to the earliest days of our nation. That cuts both ways though: The Church stays out of government, and the government stays out of Church business.

 Unfortunately, the almost complete lack of oversight can (and has) led to a number of high profile abuses and excesses, and it may be causing at least some people in government to start to question whether they’ve been a bit too permissive where Churches (especially ones with large media footprints) are concerned.

 Who The Big Players Are

 The core doctrine of the Televangelist seems to be this: If you plant a seed in the form of cash, by giving it to one of these churches, then your seed will grow, and you’ll wind up getting the money you donated back, many times over.

 Exactly how or when you’ll get your money back is never explained. This, apparently is in God’s hands, and He hasn’t been terribly forthcoming about such things. In the meanwhile, even though we cannot peer directly into the financial records of the biggest Churches run by Televangelists, we can get a fairly good idea what they’re doing with all the money people keep sending them by examining the net worth of the ministers who run these Churches.

 That then, is where we’ll start. Now, understand that the people we’re about to mention all make basically the same claim. God blesses those who do His good work by providing them with riches, so according to these people, they deserve the riches they have, because it’s a sign that they’re doing what God wants them to do.

 To many, this may seem like a self-reinforcing “prophecy.” If you, as a Televangelist, can convince large groups of people who don’t have money to send you more than you can actually afford to send without skipping a meal, you can buy a multi-million dollar jet and a whole slew of multi-million dollar mansions (just call them “parsonages” and it’s fine with the IRS), and somehow convince yourself that it’s okay, because after all, God must want you to have these things, since you have them. Somehow the part about telling people that if they send you money, they’ll reap a return down the road just never enters into the equation.

 At any rate, here’s the list of the top Televangelists in the country, as ranked by their net worth:

 Kenneth Copeland – With a net worth of more than $760 million dollars, Kenneth and Gloria Copeland, who jointly run Kenneth Copeland Ministries, are the 800-pound gorillas of the Televangelism world. They have more wealth than the rest of the name on the top list combined. His ministry’s campus is a sprawling 1500 acre estate near Fort Worth, Texas, and includes not just a church, but also a private airstrip, and a deluxe hanger for the ministry’s $17.5 million dollar jet. The ministry also owns a $6 million dollar “parsonage” which sits on the shores of a lovely lake, and is used to house the hard working minister and his family.

 ◊ Pat Robertson comes in a very distant second, with a still-hefty net worth of $100 million. His biggest claims to fame are the Christian Broadcasting Network, which operates out of Virginia, and an unsuccessful Presidential bid in the 1980’s. So much for the separation of Church and State.

 ◊ Benny Hinn – Weighing in with a net worth of $42 million, Mr. “Miracle Crusade” holds his meetings and revivals in major stadiums across the country and televised around the world.

 ◊ Joel Osteen – The media darling has a net worth of $40 million, and has one of the largest churches in the country, despite having almost no actual religious training. He inherited his church from his father, and took it up a notch when he moved the church to an old stadium that the city was abandoning.

 ◊ Creflo Dollar – Founder of World Changers International, more recently better known as being the guy who told his global congregation to “plant seeds” (code for sending him money) so he could buy a $65 million dollar jet that he wanted. Sadly, he got the money from people eager to plant seeds and reap eventually goodness in return for their generosity. Something about this message just seems to resonate with those who have little, and guys like this take full advantage.

 ◊ Billy Graham – With a net worth of $25 million, Billy Graham is the elder statesman of Televangelism, and is markedly different from everyone else on the list. Where the others use the meme “plant seeds” by sending me money, Billy Graham is, by all accounts, the genuine article. He puts his money where his mouth is. For instance, he was active in the civil rights movement and personally posted bail for Martin Luther King Jr., on numerous occasions. He also refused to speak at events that were segregated. Basically, you could say that Billy Graham is a minister who uses media to get his message out to more people, as opposed to being a businessman using the church to pretend to be something he’s not. He’s one of the (few) good guys in the business.

 It should be noted that most of these ministers and the Churches that they lead DO have missions in third world countries and they do spend some fraction of their money feeding and clothing the poor and doing the actual work God’s message talks about.

 It is equally clear, however, simply by looking at the parade of mansions, private jets, extensive security details, and skyscrapers built not to glorify God, but to glorify the ministers who built them, that significant portions of the donations they receive aren’t doing anything that could even remotely be described as “God’s Work.” 

 The Hall of Shame

 Part of what makes us cringe at high profile Televangelists is the fact of their excesses. The other part though, is the fact that their personal lives are often quite different from the gospel they preach. They can’t seem to live up to God’s ideal any more than the rest of us. The problem with that is that they use other people’s money to fund their lavish lifestyles. Then, of course, there’s a special subcategory of particularly slimy practices. Here, in no particular order, are the worst of the worst offenders:

 ◊ Gloria Copeland – Regularly tells her audience not to seek medical treatment like chemotherapy. Instead, they should be “planting seeds” (sending money to the Copeland Ministry) so God will bless them with a cure.

 ◊ Mike Murdock – Many of Mike’s followers are poor. So poor that they can’t afford to send him the money he needs to maintain his lavish lifestyle. His solution? He’s told his followers on national TV that if they put their donation on a credit card, that God will erase their credit debt for them. That’s disgusting.

 ◊ Robert Tilton – Best known for “speaking in tongues” on live TV, an ABC expose on the man revealed that he spent 67% of his on-air time asking for money. Unfortunately, Tilton’s ministry seems to be all about Tilton. He used his money to purchase his half million dollar vacation home in Florida, and is fifty-foot Carver yacht, among other things. The ABC expose found that most of the prayer requests his organization receives are simply thrown in the landfill, after the cash is removed.

 ◊ Jim and Tammy Bakker – Their well-known explosion was all over the news back in 1989 with fraud and infidelity being the twin missiles that brought the rising stars in the Televangelism world down. In addition to defrauding the public to help fund Heritage, Mr. Bakker was caught having a threesome with a church secretary named Jessican Hahn and John Wesley Fletcher in a Clearwater, Fl. Resort. The Bakkers were the founders of Heritage USA, which, back in its day, was a Christian Theme park and the third most popular theme park destination in the country, that featured, among other things, a life-sized version of the upper room, where the Last Supper was held. Although the Bakkers raised more than enough money to finish the Grand Tower, it was never completed, and to this day, nobody’s quite certain where all the money went, or why the church kept asking for more.

 ◊ Terry Smith – The pastor of Canyon Creek Baptist Church is a real piece of work. Not only was he caught having affairs with a variety of women who came to the church seeking marriage advice, but to help support his habit, he was arrested for shoplifting condoms! A relatively small fish in the pond we’re talking about, but put here to highlight the fact that even the guys who don’t have a truly global reach will often abuse what power and privilege they’ve got.

 ◊ Oral Roberts – Most famous for making a teary-eyed plea to his followers in 1987, warning them that God would “call him home” unless his ministry raised $8 million. His stunt actually pulled in $9.1 million. Nobody really knows why God insisted on that specific amount of money, or what was ultimately done with it. It remains a mystery.

 ◊ Jimmy Swaggart – Compared to many other Hall of Shame members, Swaggart really isn’t all that bad. So he’s been caught spending church money on a few high-dollar hookers. What’s wrong with that, right?

 ◊ Bob Larson – Mr. Larson might not be as big, or as well-known as some of the others, but in a lot of respects, he’s the poster child for everything that’s wrong with the industry. He’s been accused of plagiarism, been caught with hookers, been caught on film walking out of gay bath houses, molested a string of secretaries, and more. His answer to those charges? It wasn’t him. He claimed to have been physically impersonated by demonic doubles. Simply unbelievable.

 The list goes on, but you certainly get the idea. For every “good guy” using media to expand his (or her) reach and do God’s work, there appear to be several whose goal is to simply abuse the system and rake in as much money as possible before they’re caught.

 The bad news is, they are almost never caught. The IRS has only audited 3 churches since 2009. Three. You’re almost as likely to win the lottery as you are to be audited by the IRS if you run a church, and it’s incredibly easy to found one. Almost depressingly easily, actually.

 The Bottom Line

 Clearly, there are few people who would make the claim that one must make a vow of poverty in order to sincerely do God’s work (although our current Pope might disagree). It is equally clear though, that the biggest names in Televangelism have gone too far in the other direction. The signs of their excesses are everywhere, and if they were genuinely interested in doing God’s work, then one would imagine that the money they make would be better spent on more programs for the poor than on the sixth, tenth, or thirtieth multi-million dollar mansion for the ministers, their friends, and extended family.

 It’s hard to reach any other conclusion except that these people aren’t actually running Churches at all. They’re running vast corporate, self-serving empires that only masquerade as Churches in order to take advantage of lax IRS rules where Church oversight is concerned.

 Author: Nat Berman 

 https://moneyinc.com/dissecting-multi-billion-dollar-business-televangelism/

 

Please  read my article 

‘ A House of Merchandise’, 

inspired by the following Scripture: 

 

And said unto them that sold doves, Take these things hence; make not my Father’s house an house of merchandise.

And his disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thine house hath eaten me up.

John chapter 2 verses 13-17

And he went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold therein, and them that bought;

Saying unto them, It is written, My house is the house of prayer: but ye have made it a den of thieves.

 

 Luke chapter 19 verses 45-46

The Bereishit Prophecy

The Bereishit Prophecy

The Bereishit Prophecy

Is there a prophetic message contained in the first word of the Hebrew text of the book of Genesis?
Does the Hebrew word ‘Bereishit’ – ‘in the beginning’, reveal the plans of the ages of mankind?
  

 One of my favourite study pursuits is the understanding of Biblical prophecy, specifically as it pertains to the end times.   

 

 I came across a fantastic video which breaks down the Hebrew word ‘Bereishit’, the first word in Scripture, to reveal a picture of our Father’s plan for the age of mankind.    

There are some statements in the video that I do not agree with but one will always find this with any teaching from man. I would however just like to state that I do not align with his statement pertaining to the identity of  Israel and near the end of the video the assumption is put across that the ‘church’ as a whole is raptured away prior to the wrath of YHWH.  

Firstly, my position on the identity of ‘Israel’ comes from my interpretation and understanding of the story of Jacob and his name change to ‘Israel’ and what that means.    

Secondly, I believe that the Scripture reveals that Yahashua the Messiah is only coming back for his ‘Bride’ prior to the outpouring of the wrath by the Almighty. After this set of events/period Yahushua will return with his bride to establish his Kingdom on the earth for the one thousand year millennium age/Sabbath day. His bride will rule and reign with him during this millennial rule – Revelation 20:6  

 There are many puzzle pieces to put together to see the picture of the bride. I continueally  search for more pieces as this is one of my favourite end-time topics . There are many clues contained in the feast days and the harvest message. The bride is the ‘first fruit’ of the wheat crop. This bride – ‘first fruit’, is harvested before the tares and the balance of the ripened wheat is separated and harvested.   

The seals of Revelation reveal more end -time clues  pertaining to the ‘bride’s’ timing and purpose.  

 The whole church is not the ‘bride’ as is widely taught in the Christian Church. This erroneous teaching has led to a false hope and has caused most to stop searching for Truth from Scripture themselves.  

Those who have not searched out this Truth and who are not ready at the appointed time will not be part of the bride group. There are many who will just adopt a ‘wait and see’ attitude. The Scripture states ‘ A wicked and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign’ – Matthew 16:4. Waiting for too long and a sure sign will only leave you wanting.  

Please do not perceive my comments on this subject as arrogance or presumptious. I am not claiming that I myself will be part of the bride company. My hearts desire is to be part of this ‘chosen’ group but I am well aware of some of the set-apart attributes of the ‘bride’. Selection will require crucifying the flesh and complete surrender to the will of the Father and His ways.  

One must follow the example of our Messiah according to his words in Luke 22:42:   

 ‘nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.’   

Yahushua has shown us the way and we must follow his path and example – complete obedience and dedication to the Word of YHWH. 

 

We must surely all desire to be the ‘bride’ of our Messiah Yahushua.  

 

On the timing of the ‘end’ some may quote Matthew 24:36    

‘But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only.’

 

Clearly this verse is declaring both Devine Truth and reality but it does not state that we will not know the season or the broader timeframe. It does not state that we will not know the week for instance. What about the year, month or even the week? 

 

  We are told in Matthew 24:42 to watch i.e. pay attention:   

‘Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.’

 

Yahushua goes on further in the chapter to say that we must be ready and faithful:  

But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up. 

 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh. 

 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season? 

  Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. 

  Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods. 

  But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; 

  And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; 

  The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, 

 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.  

 Mat 24:43 -51

  

I believe that Scripture contains all of the clues that are required to understand the timing and season of the end of the age – the close of the sixth day (millennium), prior to the seventh day of rest – the millennium shabbat.  

 Another timing clue is contained in the statement in Genesis 6:3: 

 ‘And the LORD said, My spirit shall not always strive with man, for that he also is flesh: yet his days shall be an hundred and twenty years.’ 

   

 This prophetic declaration is again revealed through the life of Moses who died at the age of 120 without entering the promised land – Deuteronomy 34:7:  

‘And Moses was an hundred and twenty years old when he died: his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated.’  

The mention of the 120 years must be understood as three age cycles of testing i.e. 40 years coupled with the 50 year Jubilee cycle. Look and you will see three distinct ages of 2000 years. And on the third day shall we be raised to life.

This formula reveals the age of mankind. 120 years or 6000 years. Thereafter  mankind will enter his Sabbath rest. Well not all of mankind will enter their rest at this time but those who are the ‘overcomer’ – the ‘bride’. 

 I believe that we are very, very close now to the end of the age of man – the close of the 120 years or 6th day.

 

 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

 Revelation 22:17  

 The attached video is a marvellous study and I believe is too good not to share.  

 

 

 

The Star of David

The Star of David

The Star of David

Why is it that some believers in the New Testament Messiah, Yahushua, embrace the Jewish emblem – the Star of David. Could it be because these believers are naively led to believe that this emblem is from Scripture somewhere and somehow has become lost to Christianity.

Do these believers feel that by embracing this emblem that they are drawing closer to their Biblical roots?

What is the origin of this emblem and what meaning does it hold for believers in Y’Shua?

After reading the following and watching the video footage – You decide.

The Israel Flag and the Emblem

The Star of David

The following information was taken off the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs website – link below:

Unlike the menora (candelabrum), the Lion of Judah, the shofar (ram’s horn) and the lulav (palm frond), the Star of David was never a uniquely Jewish symbol. The standard name for the geometric shape is a hexagram or six-pointed star, composed of two interlocking equilateral triangles. In a classic article, Gershom Sholem shed light on the history of the “Star of David” and its connection with Judaism and tried to answer the question whether it was appropriate to include it in the national flag or state emblem.*

One of the first Jewish uses of the Star of David was as part of a colophon, the special emblem printed on the title page of a book. Sometimes the printer included his family name in the colophon; or chose an illustration that alluded to his name, ancestry, or the local prince, or a symbol of success and blessing. The idea was to differentiate this printer’s books from those of his competitors and to embellish the title page. Colophons are as old as the printing press itself.

According to Sholem, the motive for the widespread use of the Star of David was a wish to imitate Christianity. During the Emancipation, Jews needed a symbol of Judaism parallel to the cross, the universal symbol of Christianity. In particular, they wanted something to adorn the walls of the modern Jewish house of worship that would be symbolic like the cross. This is why the Star of David became prominent in the nineteenth century and why it was later used on ritual objects and in synagogues and eventually reached Poland and Russia. The pursuit of imitation, in Sholem’s opinion, led to the dissemination of an emblem that was not really Jewish and conveyed no Jewish message. In his opinion, it was also the reason why the Star of David satisfied Zionism: it was a symbol which had already attained wide circulation among the Jewish communities but at the same time evoked no clear-cut religious associations. The Star of David became the emblem of Zionist Jews everywhere. Non-Jews regarded it as representing not only the Zionist current in Judaism, but Jewry as a whole.

* G. Sholem, “The Curious History of the Six Pointed Star; How the ‘Magen David’ Became the Jewish Symbol,” Commentary, 8 (1949) pp. 243-351.

 

The Star of David is an outstanding example of the variable significance of symbols. The power of the message they convey stems less from the original use in history. At first the Star of David had no religious, political, or social connotations whatsoever. It gained a very powerful connotation precisely as a result of its terrible abuse by the Nazis.

The blue and white stripes which symbolize a life of purity, guided by the precepts of the Torah, and the Star of David, which symbolizes rebirth and new life for the Jewish people, tie the State of Israel, through its flag, to the past, present and future. This is evidently why the Zionist flag prevailed over the political considerations that had prompted the leaders of the new state to propose substitutes for it.

source – https://www.mfa.gov.il/mfa/aboutisrael/israelat50/pages/the%20flag%20and%20the%20emblem.aspx

 

King Solomon’s Seal

What is the relationship or connection between the Star of David and King Solomon’s Seal?

Does this relationship outline the origin of the Star of David that is used as the emblem for Israel?

The following information was also found on the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs website – link below:

‘Set me as a seal upon thy heart’

(The Song of Songs which is Solomon’s, 8:6)

King Solomon, the son of King David, established Jerusalem as the city of justice and peace. His name reflects the original name of the city, Shalem. Solomon is said to have been given both “wisdom and knowledge”, this is usually taken to mean wise government, the ability to distinguish morally between good and evil, and a thorough understanding of the universe. “Behold I have given you a wise and understanding heart; there has been none like you before you, nor after you shall any arise like you” (Kings 1, 3, 12).

The legend of King Solomon’s Seal, of the wondrous signet ring which he received from heaven, is common to Judaism, to Christianity and to Islam. King Solomon’s Seal, whose base is on the ground and whose tip reaches heaven, symbolizes a harmony of opposites, whose significance is manifold as much as it is multi-cultural. It reflects the cosmic order, the skies, the movement of the stars in their spheres, and the perpetual flow between heaven and earth, between the elements of air and fire. The Seal, therefore, symbolizes super-human wisdom and rule by divine grace.

In 1536 ce, Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent ordered extensive restorations on the Temple Mount and converted the church which had been built on Mount Zion during the Crusader conquest into a mosque. By building this mosque, Suleiman linked himself both to Solomon the son of David and the Davidic Messiah who, according to Christian belief, is Jesus. It was Sultan Suleiman’s messianic consciousness which led him to develop the link between himself and King Solomon. On the walls which be built around Jerusalem are stone decorations in the form of two interlocking triangles Stars of David, known to Moslems as Khatam Suleiman and to Jews as Khatam Shlomo (King Solomon’s Seal) whose function was to protect the city. The symbol of the hexagram, the star-like figure formed by two triangles, has many connotations, especially when it is enclosed by a circle; super-natural powers have been attributed to it in many parts of the world since ancient times. Beyond the Jewish national associations which have only become attached to it in the last few hundred years, the abstract element of the figure (which is connected to the celestial stars) and its geometrical completeness make it a universal symbol. Together with the five-pointed star (the pentagram, which is of much earlier origin) the hexagram represents the development of mathematics and geometry by the Greeks and their successors around the Mediterranean.

Through geometry, in which the Pythagoreans and their followers saw cosmic symbolism, the hexagram and the pentagram became an expression of heaven and its reflection on earth, the divine and its reflection in creation and of the connection between heaven and earth, between the macrocosm and the microcosm, and between spirit and matter.

Islamic civilization was a vibrant crossroads of culture through which the achievements of the ancient world flowed into modern-day Europe, through which information passed from east to west and back again, and in which various ethnic groups of different languages and religions lived side by side and contributed to cultural advancement.

King Solomon’s Seal combines strength and beauty, symbolism and illustrative quality and all within a geometric figure, the most important characteristic of Islamic art. The Moslem artist’s love of geometry allows the true essence of King Solomon’s Seal as a symbol of the connection between the two worlds to be expressed; in this context, it symbolizes the link between science, beauty and metaphysics, with elements of medicine and magic, astronomy and astrology, the art of irrigation and its influence on the garden, and the symbolic connection between pleasure gardens and the Garden of Eden, between the sky and architectural domes and on traditional cosmology and its connection to religion.

Today, the hexagram is known as the “Star of David” and is seen as the definitive symbol of Judaism the term is even used in Islamic countries. There is a degree of confusion about its origins, name and associations. In Europe, the pentagram is usually known as King Solomon’s Seal, while the hexagram is known as the Star of David; and it is often assumed that this was always the case. However, the evidence points to the gradual evolution of the hexagram from a Roman cosmological symbol to a religious and magical symbol which was not specifically connected to one religion or people. Research suggests that both motifs were used by different religions and that the clearest meaning of the hexagram is associated with magical techniques to ward off evil forces. Professor Gershom Scholem, the noted scholar of the Kabbalah (Jewish mystic writings) studied the protective function of the hexagram and its entry into Judaism from Islamic traditions. In a series of articles on the Star of David and its history, Scholem made the following claims:

First: The hexagram is a universal symbol, whose Jewish associations developed gradually. It began as the symbol of the Jewish community in Prague, probably in the 14th century, though it might have been only in the 17th century. It was recognized as the symbol of the Jews as a whole in the 19th century.

Second: Several Jewish and Christian examples of the hexagram and other decorative motif, exist from the ancient period and later on in Islamic art. In the 13th century, the motif passed from copies of the Bible, which had been transcribed in Islamic countries, to Hebrew manuscripts in Germany and Spain. In Spain, until the 13th century, the hexagram was known as King Solomon’s Seal by the Jews; from the 13th until the 15th century, both names were used simultaneously. It was only later that the term Star of David gradually became dominant in Ashkenazi communities, while King Solomon’s Seal became identified with the pentagram.

Third: The hexagram or the pentagram, appear first on “magic” mezuzot (doorpost scrolls) and later on various talismans in literature. The magic drawings of the hexagram and the pentagram were known as seals, in keeping with the idea that a person “stamps himself” with these signs in order to protect himself from harmful spirits. This term is connected to the legend of King Solomon who controlled the demons by means of a special signet ring on which was engraved the Tettragrammaton. The seal only had power for one thing to provide protection from malevolent forces.

It is possible that the hexagram served as a symbol of the Temple at an early stage in its development. A Jewish drawing from the tenth century is the earliest example of the connection between the two symbols; we do not know whether its origins in Jewish tradition were earlier, or whether it reflected a connection with Islamic art. In Spain, starting in the 13th century, Jewish religious books were decorated with Stars of David, sometimes as the colophon in books written in micrography. The hexagram had appeared earlier as a decoration used to fill spaces or to show the divisions within chapters in both Hebrew and Arabic manuscripts. In some Hebrew manuscripts from Spain, several Stars of David have been drawn next to verses which speak of the longing to return to Zion.

source – https://mfa.gov.il/mfa/mfa-archive/1999/pages/king%20solomon-s%20seal.aspx

 

 

King Solomon’s Seal is used extensively in Kabbalah. A Kabbalah website had the following to say about King Solomon’s Seal:

King Solomon, the son and heir of King David, builder of the Lord’s Temple in Jerusalem, was considered to posses the wisdom of nature. It was believed Solomon could speak the language of animals and spirits, and submit the spiritual world to serve justice for the benefit of men.

King Solomon Seals presented here are attributed to King Solomon, who was given the knowledge associated with the King Solomon Seals creation of the seals by an angel of the Lord.

According to ancient traditions the various seals were used by the magic-wise monarch in magical rituals to evoke spirits in order to achieve benevolent and just goals.

How the seals have become part of kabbalistic magic (Jewish ,mysticism) and also valued by the occult in other forms of medieval and even Eastern magick, is not yet clear and is a matter of historical, archeological and spiritual research and investigation. So is true for the use of the seals in different rituals. While some of the letters and markings on the seals can be recognized, a great many of them are obscure, at least to those who do not possess the ability to understand their true nature. Some of the Seals are represented in our jewels.

King Solomon’s seals are known as symbols which are used to write amulets and talismans, aside from being talismans for exorcism or summoning demons. Each symbol has its own specific text that was written on parchment. Some of the icons that appear here are used for reunion relationships, finding a match, marital harmony, removing the evil eye or witchcraft, exorcism and all kinds of ghouls from home or the environment, success and livelihood, love, keeping away of disaster or illness, health and recovery from illness. Among the icons that appear here, there are also symbols that are used to cause damage like a curse, suicide, diseases, disasters, etc.

Details and images of the designs available can be viewed on their website:

https://www.p-kabbalah.com/seals-incantations-and-virtues/king-solomons-seals/

 

Star of David

The Mystical Significance

 The Star of David appears to be widely used in Kabbalah. Chabad.org had the following information to offer regarding the mystical significance of the Star of David:

This same website, in an article entitled ‘What Is Kabbalah?’, states the following:

‘Judaism stripped of Kabbalah is a body stripped of its soul.’

(https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/1567567/jewish/Kabbalah.htm)

Kabbalistic Insights Into the Star of David

The Star of David is a symbol commonly associated with Judaism and the Jewish People. In Hebrew, it is called Magen David (“Shield of David”). A six-pointed star, the Star of David is composed of two overlaid equilateral triangles, one pointing up and the other pointing down.

Two Triangles in the Star of David

The Zohar (3:73a) states, “There are three knots connecting [three entities] one to another: the Holy One, blessed be He; Torah; and Israel.” The Jewish soul connects to its Creator through the study and observance of Torah. The triangle represents the connection between these three entities.

The essence of the soul connects with G‑d’s essence through the study of the teachings of Kabbalah

These three entities are each comprised of a pnimiyut(inner dimension) and a chitzoniyut (external dimension). The Torah is comprised of both exoteric teachings (the Talmud, Jewish law, etc.) as well as esoteric teachings (the Kabbalah). G‑d’s “revealed” energy permeates and provides existence to all worlds, but His essence is completely hidden, transcending all of creation. Similarly, the soul (which is a reflection of G‑d) has a revealed element, that level that expresses itself within and vivifies the body, as well as an essence that transcends the body.

The double triangle of the Star of David (Magen David) symbolizes the connection of both dimensions of G‑d, Torah and Israel: the external level of the soul connects to the external expression of G‑d via studying the exoteric parts of Torah; the essence of the soul connects with G‑d’s essence through the study and application of the teachings of Kabbalah.

The Seven Fields of the Star of David

Kabbalah teaches that G‑d created the world with seven spiritual building blocks—His seven “emotional” attributes. Accordingly, the entire creation is a reflection of these seven foundational attributes.

They are: chesed (kindness), gevurah (severity), tiferet (harmony), netzach(perseverance), hod (splendor), yesod (foundation) and malchut (royalty).

These attributes are divided into three columns: right, center and left:

    Gevurah     Tiferet Chesed
       Hod      Yosed Netzach
   Malchut

Correspondingly, the Star of David contains seven compartments—six peaks protruding from a center.

The upper right wing is chesed.

The upper left wing is gevurah.

Correspondingly, the star contains seven compartments—six peaks protruding from a center

The upper center peak is tiferet. Kabbalah teaches that tiferet finds its source in keter, “the Crown,” which is infinitely higher than all the divine attributes which are involved in the “mundane” pursuit of creating worlds.

The lower right wing is netzach.

The lower left wing is hod.

The center is yesod. Yesod is “Foundation,” and as such, all the other attributes are rooted in, and rise from, this attribute.

The star’s bottom that descends from its belly is malchut—the attribute that absorbs the energies of the higher six attributes and uses them to actually descend and create everything—and to “reign” over them.

source – https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/788679/jewish/Star-of-David-The-Mystical-Significance.htm

 

 

Below are a few videos which provide some more insightful history of the Star of David.

 

Eagle Saints – Chapter 6

Eagle Saints – Chapter 6

Eagle Saints – Chapter 6

Preface

The six chapters of this book are made up from a series of messages written and published in a booklet form in earlier days of this writing ministry.

Don’t be fooled by the simple titles and the familiar subjects of this book. There are truths revealed here that are not generally preached or written about. Using simple illustrations as Eagles, chickens, horses, and the lives of Old Testament men of God, the Holy Spirit has brought forth some profound truths concerning the Body of Christ and the Sons of God. These things are vitally important to you.

Our purpose in these messages is to show that God has a people that are rising above the earth-bound conceptions of carnal men and their static theology. The ecclesiastical orders and religious organizations of our day would keep God’s people in spiritual slavery if they could.

But thank God, the Truth is flowing like a river in this generation, freeing the minds of the elect from the traditions of men, enabling them to soar to new heights of revelation. God is not dead, and the Holy Spirit has not stopped opening up the Scriptures to those who have eyes to see, ears to hear, and hearts to believe. The Word is coming forth as “strong meat” to those who are growing up to “full age”. His promises to us in this hour are so great as to stretch our faith… But He is able. Bless His glorious Name!

The revelations brought forth in this book are not the ultimate of God, no such claim is made. But as we eat of His Word, and digest the Truth, then He will draw back the Veil and reveal more of the glory and beauty of the Christ. Beloved, be not fearful of that which you have not heard before. His Spirit will lead you into all truth. If you are of His fold, you will hear and recognize His voice, and you will know that you are being introduced to deeper truths.

And now, may God bless you as you open this book, with your Bible near at hand, to carefully and prayerfully consider these things that our dear Lord has given me to share with His Body. May the spirit of revelation and wisdom in the knowledge of Him be yours at this time!

In Him ~ Brother Bill Britton

Chapter 6 (final)

David And Goliath

Men gasped in shock and amazement as they watched the strange proceedings. Some cried out a protest against the inequality of it. For, running down the mountainside, hair flying in the wind and singing a joyous psalm of victory, was a handsome young Israelite. Waiting for him in the valley was a giant Philistine, standing over nine feet tall, armed with a coat of mail and a helmet of brass, and burning with a hatred for Israelites that could not be equaled. He had cursed and defied the armies of Israel, and none had dared to oppose him. Until now. He gave a cry of rage as he saw the young lad approaching, armed only with a shepherd’s staff and a sling. The battle was on!

The Shame of Israel

To get the true picture of how Israel arrived at such a low state as to let a little shepherd boy have to take up their battle against the Philistines, you must needs go back and read the entire book of 1 Samuel. You will see how that in a time when the old order priesthood ministry became blind and heavy with flesh that God moved upon the scene and brought forth a little lad named Samuel. Tho he was young and immature, God anointed him with a prophetic ministry, and thus led and judged His people by His Spirit. It was God’s order, not man’s. It was divine order, not human organization or system.

This was a wonderful type of the Spirit-led, Spirit-filled Pentecostal movement that God raised up at the beginning of this 20th century. The old order ecclesiastical systems of man had gotten so fleshy and so blind that they could head God’s people no further in the Spirit. So God set them aside, even as He did Eli. Oh, true enough, Eli’s grandson still lived and tried to carry on the traditional religion, but it had to be named “ICHABOD”, for the glory of the Lord had departed. The Ark of God was gone.

Give Us a King

But when Samuel was old and his sons walked not in his ways, we find that Israel could not trust God to bring about another move of the Spirit and raise up another true ministry to lead them. Now they were not opposed to Samuel, as such. They still loved to talk about the “good old days”, when the Spirit moved in such a marvelous way through their prophetic ministry. But those days were gone, and it was time to organize this thing.

It seemed like such a good idea. Protect us from our enemies. Make us some laws to keep things in order, so that we still all speak the same things. Why, nearly all the most spiritual men in Israel are in favor of it. It must be the will of God.

They Have Rejected Me

But there were some, like Samuel, who wept at the idea of organizing God’s move in the earth. And he opposed it, and prayed against it. But God saw that the people were determined, and He said: “Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.” Now this was God’s word concerning the whole idea of organizing His people. The people would not have agreed to such strong language. But God said it, not me. He told His prophetic ministry to “protest solemnly” unto the people, and that’s exactly what I am doing today, and have been doing for years. (1 Samuel 8:9)

The Manner of the King

And God, through Samuel, showed the people the manner of the king that should reign over them. He would be so nice, in the beginning. He would have the anointing of God, and do great exploits. He would chase the Philistines, devils would be cast out. Great things would be accomplished, and the people would be much pleased with him. And he would be a man of great stature. He would look after their affairs. The responsibility of the local church could be thrown over on the organization and it’s ecclesiastical leaders. But God saw something else…

The time would soon come when Saul would put a strong bondage on the people. He would take their harvests for himself, and their efforts would be only for his gain. He would use their sons and daughters for his own purposes. No longer would there be God-called men, Spirit-anointed and aflame with the message of the hour, going into their chosen field of labor. But the organization would choose and train men according to it’s own plan and it’s own needs. And they would be servants of the organization, not servants of God. But the people would not listen.

In effect, God was saying to the people, go ahead and organize the move of the Spirit if you are determined. Legislate the Gifts of the Spirit, try to harness the power of God into one big ecclesiastical system if you think you can. But before it’s over, I’ll make you so sick of what you have created, you’ll wish you had never heard of Saul. But they said: “We want to be like all the nations: and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles.” So God gave them their king, and in His grace, God even blessed Saul and gave him victory over the Philistines (which represent the Devil and his horde of demons). But when God sent Saul against the Amalekites (which represent the flesh) we find Saul holding back the part he liked. And God rejected Saul from being king, furthermore, Saul was no longer in contact with God’s prophetic ministry. For it says (15:35) that Samuel came no more to see Saul until the day of his death.

What a picture of the Pentecostal movement! For a time, even after they organized, God blessed them and gave them victory over demons and devils. But they had their “Agags” which they wanted to save back. They would go so far, and no farther.

“But thus saith the Lord thy redeemer, the mighty One of Israel, even now in the midst of all your organizing and in the midst of all the confusion of Saul’s order, I yet have my prophetic ministry. For ye have not brought my prophets into your bondage, and they shall yet speak my Word, saith the Lord. For I have commanded them not to mourn longer over the old order, nor for the systems of the past that I have rejected. But there is a young lad in the land, watching over the sheep, protecting them from the lion and the bear by the power of my Spirit. And my prophetic ministry shall bring him a word concerning the throne, and he shall be anointed by my Spirit, even with that kingly anointing for power and authority and for governing my people. Tho he be small, despise him not, for he shall rise to great heights, for I have searched his inward parts and purified him, and he is mine saith the Lord”. Hallelujah to God!

A Little Lad Anointed

Samuel is instructed of the Lord (chapter 16) to go to the house of Jesse and anoint one of his sons as the new king over Israel. Jesse had eight sons. Now all of them were in the right family, born of the right father. But God is going to make a choice. So they gather the boys together. Except one. One lad is so small, so insignificant, so weak in outward appearance that they don’t bother to call him in from the wilderness. Anyhow, he’s not too popular, for all he seems to do is sing psalms and worship God in the Spirit. Unlike his big brothers who are out chasing Philistines, fighting Saul’s battle, knocking on doors, building up Sunday Schools, David is just resting in God. What he does, he does by the power of the Spirit. His brothers despise him.

So Samuel looks at the eldest, and likes what he sees. God is looking on the heart, and the scene is not so pretty. You are not going to fool God. Either clean up on the inside, or forget about going on with God. The old laws, “don’t touch, don’t taste, don’t look”, are not enough anymore. God is searching the inward parts. There must be a purity of heart to receive this anointing.

Finally seven sons are examined and rejected. Is there not another? Jesse is an old man now. No more strength to bring forth again. If the promised one is not here, there is no more hope. Yes, there is an eighth son, but he is so small. Never mind that, send for him, quickly! Eight is a peculiar number. It is the number of resurrection, life out of death, a new beginning. So little David is sent for, and is anointed king.

Back to the Wilderness

Now that you have been anointed, David, now that you have received the word concerning the throne, WHEN will you put on your kingly garments and begin ruling? The times are in His hands. As for me, I will return to the wilderness to sing psalms and worship God in the Spirit. He will call for me in His hour.

But Saul’s organized system is troubled by an evil spirit from the Lord, and he needs someone around with the true anointing (16:14). So David is sent for and he dwells in Saul’s house for a season. But this is not God’s plan or destiny for David, and David has to finally flee for his life from Saul’s presence, lest Saul should kill him. Some folks would lead you to believe that you can return to the old order of religion with this new anointing and this new call to the throne, but beware lest Saul run you through with his javelin. Your anointing may soothe Saul’s troubled spirit for a time, and you may even have a measure of revival. But if you stay in Saul’s house you will lose all that God has given you or called you to inherit.

But some protest, saying; “Don’t you think that God will include all those precious Pentecostals and hungry fundamentalists in this last day move?” Absolutely not! Not as organizations, not as present day ecclesiastical systems. The last great revival will break in pieces all of man’s kingdoms and the man-made rulers would kill the revival if they could. Oh yes, I see the multiplied millions eventually coming out of the old harlot system, and God will most certainly bless them and include them in what He is doing, both preachers, laymen, and local churches. For God loves His people, Pentecostals and all others, and will do for them according to what they will receive of Him.

And Now to the Battlefield

Turning now to the 17th chapter of this book of 1 Samuel, we see a picture of the present condition of God’s people. We hear the devil’s bold challenge, and then comes God’s answer.

The battle is set in array. Notice in verse 1 that the Philistines were gathered together in Shochoh, which belonged to Judah. They were camped on God’s property. Now the Philistines are types of Satan and his army, and Paul wrote to the Ephesian church that we wrestle against principalities and powers and wicked spirits in the heavenlies. Today a war is going on, and Satan’s army is camped on God’s territory. Everytime I see some of God’s people tormented with sickness, sin, affliction and suffering, I feel like crying out “Oh God, when wilt thou arise and scatter thine enemies?” Everytime I drive down the road and see some precious child bound by some horrible affliction or stumbling along in a crippled condition, I long for the power to just stop the car and set them free. For it is not God’s purpose that man should be so bound.

The Boundary of Blood

Even so, it would be much worse were it not for God’s ‘hedge’. For the word Shochoh means “a hedge”, and that’s exactly why the enemy has not already destroyed the human race, God has a hedge built around them. Satan can go so far, and no further. The word Ephesdammim means “boundary of blood”. And that’s the thing that protected the armies of Israel, for they were unable to cope with the might of Goliath. Many times the enemy would have liked to destroy me, but by calling upon the blood of Jesus and availing myself of it’s power, I was able to defeat Satan’s efforts. Praise God for that hedge, and for the boundary of blood that holds the enemy back until he is defeated.

This land belonged to Judah. Now Judah means “praise”. This land belongs to our praise, it is for His glory. Satan must be cast off and put under foot. What a praise shall go up from all creation when the enemy of mankind is bound and thrown back into the pit from whence he came. Glory to God, hallelujah!

The Two Mountains

Now in the Bible, mountains represent kingdoms. And in verse 3 we see Israel on one mountain and the Philistines on another. There is no peace between them, there can be no peace between these opposing forces. For Satan is determined to destroy the human race, and the Church is just as determined to utterly destroy the powers of the devil. In fact, Hebrews 2:14 says that Jesus partook of flesh and blood so that by death, He might destroy the devil.

The Philistine’s Champion

It takes the next four verses to describe the might and strength of Goliath, and if we let our minds dwell on his power, we might surely end up full of fear, as Israel did. For it ways they were “dismayed and greatly afraid.” (1 Samuel 17:4-11)

Where was Saul, head and shoulders above all others? Oh, beloved, he cannot fight this Goliath, for he doesn’t have the anointing. No doubt he had conferences with his captains often, discussing ways and means of running the machinery more efficiently. Perhaps he had camp-meeting with all his army at times around the campfire at night. But it was all a game. For Saul’s armor hung in the tent. It was of no value. He did not have the anointing. So he made great promises of what would be done for the one who defeated Goliath, but he never expected it to be done.

Conquerors or Slaves

Now Goliath said a strange thing in verse 8. He admitted his own identity, then he called Israel “servants to Saul”. What a fulfillment of Samuel’s prophecy! Had they truly been servants of the Most High God, then Goliath would have been afraid of them, but the devil is not afraid of man’s machinery. Set up all the Sunday Schools, Bible Schools, Hospitals, women’s groups, men’s groups, youth groups, and other groups that you want. You may have so much harness that you can’t find the horse. But if that Holy Ghost anointing for true deliverance is not there, you won’t scare the devil one bit. Read verses 4-7 and you will see that Goliath was used to a lot of harness and machinery, in fact he had more than they all. The one who brings Goliath down will not be hampered with a lot of harness, but he will have the leadership of the Spirit, the faith of God, and the simplicity that is in Christ Jesus. “Servants to Saul”. What an indictment against the church world of today. Sold out their spiritual birthright for a mess of ecclesiastical pottage, and denominational flesh-pots.

“Choose you a man”. But the divided world of Christians cannot get together to form that One Body of Christ that is so necessary for the deliverance of mankind. Their carnal efforts to unite under the headship of ‘Saul’ is only folly. It will not work.

Yes, God is bringing together His Body. Under the headship of Jesus, who is truly the one and only Head of the Church. God has a man to answer the devil’s challenge. And when I speak of “God’s Perfect Man”, or “God’s Man of Faith and Power”, I am not speaking of some tent evangelist or well-known individual. But I am speaking of that glorious Body of Christ, made up of many humble members, with Jesus Christ as Head and Captain. Isaiah saw them and said: “A strong and mighty one”; Joel said: “A great people and a strong”; Daniel said they: “will be strong and do exploits”. Paul the Apostle spoke of them as when we all come ‘unto a perfect Man’.

“If he kills me, we will be your servants”. Yes, if you yield to Satan and he overcomes you, then you are his servant, to do his will. But if you overcome him, as Jesus did in the wilderness, then he must obey your every command. That is what the whole world is groaning for. For God’s David company to come forth and put the devil’s Goliath under their feet. Praise God! There can be no treaty in this war. It is either victory or slavery.

Now David…

In verse 12 David is mentioned for the first time in this chapter. He had returned from playing the harp for Saul, and was feeding his father’s sheep. Praise God, this David company, tho still in it’s minority, has something to feed the sheep.

Goliath drew near and challenged Israel for forty days. Now forty is the number denoting a time of trial and testing. God had given Israel a full trial and found them lacking in the ability to answer this challenge.

Then the father, in the fulness of time, told David to take some bread, corn, and cheese and “run” to the camp. Now I wondered why Jesse waited until the last minute and then had David to run. Why didn’t he start him out a couple days early, and just let him take his time. Beloved, there is to be a quick work done in these last days. It seems like we are making no progress at all, we wonder why this is all taking so long. And then suddenly we will hear the Father’s voice telling us to “run”.

“Notice that he left early in the morning”. It was the dawning of a new day, a very significant day in the life of David. The sheep were left behind. Not all of the “come-outers” will be ready to move in that glorious David-company in that hour. Some will have to be left behind. Some enjoy the blessings of this freedom, but they will just not come to maturity. So in the hour when the Overcomer rises up, they will be left in the wilderness.

Who is this Philistine?

David had received the kingly anointing, and he recognized no other power, no other authority but God’s. And when he heard the giant defying God and saw Israel running in fear, something rose up within him against this thing. He refused to accept this situation as inevitable. He refused to live under the heel of Goliath, he demanded either freedom or death.

Let others settle for a compromise of fear, hoping to just hold on to this last little mountain behind the hedge, trying to hang on just a little longer until Jesus comes and raptures them away beyond the blue. Let others dream about a ‘mansion in the sky’ while they close their ears to the screaming torment of the millions of earth’s lost. There are those who have received a kingly anointing, and they will not settle for anything less than total victory. They will not rest until the last enemy has been put under foot and Satan is bound and in the pit. They are those who will overcome and sit on David’s throne at last.

Just when the armies of Israel seem to be doing well on the field of battle, here came Goliath. How often has it happened, that just when we thought revival was breaking out in the church, and God was moving in a glorious way, then Satan would show his ugly head, and nullify any gains that had been made. Sometimes it would come through a sister, sometimes through the preacher, or a deacon. But the devil usually showed up before the revival got too far along.

How many times have I been having a wonderful meeting, folks getting saved, sick bodies healed, and right there in the meeting (usually right on the front row) would sit someone with a terrible affliction that somehow I couldn’t touch. One time it would be a blind girl, next time a crippled child, or a demon-possessed man. Somehow there was always a Goliath to remind me that we have not come to the measure of the full stature of Christ. Oh God, raise up thy David-people! I cannot settle for a part victory. It must be full and complete!

Opposition From Brethren

You would think that every Christian, every preacher would be glad to see someone willing to stay and fight for complete victory. Not so. Can’t you just see David’s brother Eliab (vs 28) as he says: “Why, David, little brother, I’m so glad to see you getting into the battle. If your faith gets weak, or you need encouragement, I’ll stick by you.” I can remember in the former wars how I was accused of being a devil, a “tongues-fanatic” and worse. So as you receive new revelation and move out into new realms in the Spirit, you can count on me for comfort and support. Oh no! It didn’t happen that way! How nice if our brethren had that kind of spirit. But sorry to say, we now begin to see what God had seen in Eliab’s heart that kept him back from the kingly anointing. His anger and jealousy became manifest.

Eliab rebuked David so sharply and tried so hard to discourage him, that finally David turned away from his brother altogether. I know it hurt him to do so, for I had to do the same thing one day. Remember, the father sent him first of all to his own brethren. But when they would not receive, he had to either turn away or lose the glory of that hour.

When it dawned on me the glory of what God was going to do in these last days in His Church, I just knew that I could show my brethren and that they would be glad and rejoice and accept it whole-heartedly. How simple I was! How much I had to learn about the ways of organized religion. They not only refused to listen to God’s Word, but they were ready to cast me out without a reason. I had to cry with David (vs 29): “Is there not a cause?”

Saul’s Armour

Finally the words of David came to Saul. And he was desperate. Something had to be done. So he talked to David. First he began telling David all the reasons why he would fail, looking only at the natural side. David was too immature, the giant was too much of a warrior. Never a word about faith in God, the power of the anointing. Saul was no longer depending on the supernatural for results. Oh, how like the Pentecostal movement of today. A number of years ago I had a good job in a nice city on the west coast of Florida. I was making good money, was buying a beautiful home, had positions of prestige and authority in the community life of the city. But the call of God was on my life, and the Spirit spoke to me to quit my job and leave Florida. So I did, but I found it tough sledding. One day I stopped in Chicago to see the pastor of a large church, a man whom I had heard much about. I was somewhat discouraged, not finding many open doors where I could preach, and not knowing exactly what I should do. When I told this brother my situation, he just about ruined what faith I did have left, saying that I should have kept my job in Florida and used my money and influence for the furtherance of the gospel. My insistence that I had heard the voice of God to leave did not seem to influence him. From his standpoint, I had made a mistake ever getting into the ministry. Thank God, I was able to get away from him and get alone with God where I could be led of the Spirit. His carnal wisdom did not fit my need.

All David could answer Saul was his testimony of the times when God had come to his rescue in the wilderness against the lion and the bear. All this must have sounded rather childish to Saul, who had fought many battles. But alright, David, if you insist, go ahead, but wear my armour. Let me show you how it is done, since you obviously don’t know how to run a church or have revivals. Notice in verses 38 and 39 that Saul put the armour on David, and that David took it off. Praise God!

Hang your armour back up, Saul, it didn’t work. It didn’t work for you and it won’t work for me. If organization could have brought the church to perfection, then it would have been perfect long ago. If forming denominations could take Goliath’s head off and put Satan’s power under our feet, then we have had many hundreds of chances at it. But it was the anointing on Saul that enabled him to defeat the Philistines at the first, and now that the anointing is gone, no amount of armour will make up for it. It was the anointing that made the Pentecostal movement great in the beginning, and now they are trying to make up for the lack of it with committees, departments, activities, etc. But it won’t work now any better than it did for Saul. Hang up your armour and cry out to God to restore the anointing of the Spirit.

Five Smooth Stones

When David left Saul to go meet Goliath, he didn’t even have a stone for his sling. He had his staff in his hand, a mark of his shepherd’s calling, but his shepherd’s bag was empty. He was totally unprepared for war. But he ran toward the enemy. It looked like sure suicide, but his trust was in the Lord.

When he got to the brook, which usually runs at the foot of the mountains, he stopped for ammunition for his sling. Stones. Smooth stones. Five smooth stones. This, of course, speaks of the five ministry gifts of Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors, and Teachers. Not any stones would do. They had to be smooth, so that any little wind (of doctrine) would not cause them to fly off course and miss their target. The running water in the brook had knocked these stones against each other until the rough edges were knocked off long ago. They had been in the processing of the Spirit for a long time before they wound up in David’s hand. Processed and polished and washed in the water of the Word. Oh how necessary it is for those who are going to be used of God, to submit to the dealings of God through our brother. I may not like the bumping I get from my brother, but I had better learn that if I am to be used in this last day revival, I will have to submit to the work that goes on in the brook. Isaiah 57:6 says: “Among the smooth stones of the stream is thy portion”.

It matters not which of the five stones David used. The rough edges of jealousy had already been ground off, so they did not care. The ministry gifts must begin to learn to work with one another, and not try to take the supremacy over each other.

Take a lesson from the stones of the brook, dear brother. Many are the stones lodged in the sides of the mountain, standing alone, with the sharp edges of their individuality protruding prominently. But they could not be used in that hour. Some stones, or ministers, have sharp cutting edges. They seem to take delight in cutting a fellow minister when they find opportunity. But they were not used for God’s high purposes. It was smooth stones God was after, stones that would not cut one another.

The Simplicity of Christ

Oh, the simple way God had of dealing with Goliath. Now any great warrior who had been through the battles, graduated from Bible School, advanced to the rank of presbyter, would know better than to attack such an enemy with only five little stones. He would know that you had to have lots of equipment, swords, shields, spears, helmets, coat of mail, etc. You can’t even start a church now days without proper advertising, finances, committees, assistant pastor, minister of music, minister of education, youth director, and a lot of other machinery.

But let me remind you that of all the swords in Israel, of all the shields and helmets hanging up in the tents, God didn’t use a one. He chose rather to use a little lad full of faith, anointed of the Spirit, going forth to battle unarmed, with the praises of God in his mouth. And don’t be fooled by those who tell you that with more and bigger buildings, finer pews, radio and TV broadcasts, and the sacrifice of your dollars will bring the church to perfection. I realize that we now use these “dead things”, and I would not be able to send these messages out if someone didn’t sacrifice to help me. But when complete victory is won over Satan and all his works, it will be God anointing His Body, His Perfect Man, with the mighty unction of the fulness of the Holy Ghost and power. “And all this assembly shall know that the Lord saveth not with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord’s.” (vs 47).

In the Name of the Lord

When David came running up to the Philistine, he came prophesying. All right, devil, you have come into this battle with your sword and spear, your weapons of sin and sickness and death. You have your cancers, your polio, your arthritis, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts!

David didn’t even boast of his stones. No use to glorify the ministries. They will be used all right, but the glory belongs to God. “This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee” (vs 46). What a bold statement for such a little lad. It must have sounded presumptuous to those who heard it. But he was willing to stake his life on the fact that he was speaking the word of the Lord. See what they said about Jesus: “And they were astonished at his doctrine, for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes.” (Mark 1:22).

Brace yourself, preacher. For in that hour you will have to learn to speak the word of the Lord, and with authority. Jesus did not have to preface what he said with a “thus saith the Lord.” For when He spoke, the Father witnessed to it. And so with David. And so with the end-time David company. Elijah stood before King Ahab and said: “There shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word.” (1 Kings 17:1) How could he dare to say such a thing? Because he stood before the Lord, and the will of God was known to him. Therefore he spoke, and therefore God confirmed the word.

When you truly go in the name of the Lord, and have the authority of that glorious name, you don’t have to scream it forth over every person you pray for, nor use it as some magical formula. You will simply go forth healing the sick, raising the dead, casting out devils, slaying your Goliaths, and everyone will know that you are come in the name and authority of the Lord.

The Battle is the Lord’s

What a glorious rest David had entered into, tho he was in the midst of the fierce battle. The outcome of this battle does not depend on me, it depends on Him. For I am not obligated to rescue the human race from their terrible plight, He is. I did not make the promise to perfect the Church, He made it. So my confidence is not in what I can do, it is in what He can do. Praise God, children, it’s time to rise up and shout the victory!

 

The End