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"If I shut up the heavens and there is no rain; if I command the locusts to ravage the land; or if I let loose pestilence against My people, when My people, who bear My name, humble themselves, pray, and seek My favor and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear in My heavenly abode and forgive their sins and heal their land." II Chronicles 7:13-14;
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by Charles J. Voss
Transcribed by Kim Taylor from the original tape.
Some people say that we are part of the "Lost Ten Tribes of Israel." Without arguing that point now, we can learn something from the experiences Of Hosea in the "Old Testament" (Hebrew Scriptures). Let us look at the people of ancient Israel and make some observations of their society, as we are like them in many respects. For example King David, who is called "a man after our The Mighty One's own heart," led the nation during a time when they were close to their CREATOR. Then under King Solomon, who made images of wood, metal, and stone for his foreign wives, the country slipped away from being close to their CREATOR. Under Solomon's son, Rehoboam, the northern tribes rebelled and Jeroboam, their king, set up golden calves for them to worship. Some centuries after that, they were taken into captivity by the Assyrians and supposedly lost to history.
The historical backgrounds for Israel the Northern Kingdom, composed of ten tribes of Israel. The Northern Kingdom, was taken into captivity in the 8th Century BCE. The records show that the Assyrians carried 200,150 captivities back to Assyria--the captives were men, women, and children--no one was spared. The capture of Israel happened during the time of Hosea who lived before, and after, their captivity. The thrust of the book is that our SOVEREIGN is bringing His people (both Northern and Southern Kingdoms) back from the north countries to the Promised Land. Thus, we know this is a "latter day prophesy." How do we know that? Because it has not yet been fulfilled. Jeremiah was living in Judah, the Southern Kingdom when they were taken into captivity in the 6th Century BCE. The Babylonians carried 10,000 captives back to Babylon--again men, women, and children with no one spared. A further uprising in Jerusalem led to the destruction of the city and Temple in 587 BCE. The Jews of the Southern Kingdom of Judah were captured and some of them returned home after 70 years. However, Hosea is not speaking to those ancient Jews of his time, because in the end time both Kingdoms, the Northern and Southern will be taken at the same time and brought back together to the Promised Land at the same time. Scofield's Notes state: The theme of the opening chapters of Hosea's prophecy is the unfaithfulness of Israel, set forth in terms of the marriage relationship, which is a familiar figure of speech depicting [the] SOVEREIGN's 3 relation to His chosen people. Israel's forsaking of ETERNAL was brought home to Hosea in the adulterous acts of his own wife, so that his personal experiences became an allegory of ETERNAL's experience with Israel. There are four reasons for prophecy:
When the prophet Hosea came on the scene, Israel was enjoying the greatest peace and prosperity since the time of their division into two separate nations. They were living in luxury and splendor. If we could have a newspaper from Israel back then, it would be similar to ours of today. The articles would show how much material wealth they/we have, how good the economy is, how the stock market is going up, how people are living in comfort, and it is better than it has ever been before. On the other hand, their world then as well as ours now is still filled with violence and evil to the degree that its unimaginable. They were constantly embroiled in little wars, just as we are today. The same things that were going on in Israel at that time are still going on in Israel at this time. Which is why, in my opinion, the book of Hosea is very important. Our SOVEREIGN had a marriage relationship 4 with Israel, but Israel had turned to other gods 5 and in addition had made alliances with other countries and adopted their pagan cultures. Consequently physical Israel became Lo-ruhama (meaning "not having obtained mercy from ETERNAL") and Lo-ammi (meaning "not ETERNAL's people"). In other words, they were cut off from their SOVEREIGN--they were divorced.Israel then/now was/is commanded to repent and turn to our SOVEREIGN in humble repentance. However, this did not happen then and it will not happen now, until we are well into "The Time of Jacob's Trouble" (the great tribulation). It will take a period of destruction and captivity to bring stiff-necked Israel to a point of a humble and contrite heart before our SOVEREIGN.
The CREATOR used Hosea to make a point that is really heart rendering when you stop to think about it. Thus maybe, just maybe, we can see how our Father looks at both these situations (Israel-then/Israel-now). We will start in Hosea chapter one verse one.
In King Hezekiah's time the Scrolls of Moses had been lost for about a hundred years. They were lost under Ahaz because he had destroyed a much of the inside the Temple. Hezekiah had begun to repair the Temple and in his tenth year, the lost Scrolls were found. The point for us today is that we are like Hezekiah and his people who were coming out of sin. They had just found the Book of the Law and were unbending the knee to b-al, asking our SOVEREIGN to have mercy and forgive them even as they learn His truth. Although they had the Temple it was not up and running at the time that they found the Scrolls. Today we are in the same boat of having just found the scrolls. In the days of Hosea, the king of Israel (Northern Kingdom) was Jeroboam II and Ahaz was King in Judah (Southern Kingdom). During Ahaz's reign Israel (Northern Kingdom) was taken into captivity. Hezekiah succeeded Ahaz and he had observed the captivity of Israel, which probally helped his attitude in turning to the SOVEREIGN, when the Scrolls were found during his reign. In a time comparison, we today would be living during the time of Jeroboam II and Ahaz, just before Israel's fall. The six o'clock news would be about the same in both ages. There was relative peace and prosperity with minor skirmishes outside the country. Morality is about the same in both eras, with unbelievable evil going on--sacrificing babies (today we have abortion and stem cell research), men with men, murder, stealing from the widows and orphans, with mayhem on every corner. We, just like Israel of old are steeped in b-alistic Sunday worship. Hosea's word of an "Indictment" of both Houses of Israel, would fit then, just as it does today and that is what makes this book so interesting and valuable. We today, like those in Hosea's time are not quite to the "Retribution" stage upon Israel; we are in the cusp but not quite yet in the vortex of "Jacob's Trouble." Hosea's Marriage and 1st ChildTurn to verse two if you would:Hosea 1:2 Here is the first message: ETERNAL said to Hosea, "Go and marry a girl who is a prostitute, so that some of her children will be born to you from other men. This will illustrate the way My people have been untrue to Me, committing open adultery against Me by worshiping other gods. Scofield states: The SOVEREIGN permitted Hosea to carry out his desire to marry Gomer. [Yet] warning him that she would be unfaithful, and using the prophet's tragic experience as a basis for portraying [our] SOVEREIGN's relation to Israel during a period of unfaithfulness. Hosea's marriage is no less historical because his children were given symbolic names as a message to Israel. Think back to the time that ETERNAL called His son Israel, out of Egyptian paganism. Yet, when He brought them out, He said, "they are now new, fresh, and they are a virgin bride." However, they very quickly went back into paganism and this is what Hosea's experience was to portray. When ETERNAL's children worship other gods, our Father, the SOVEREIGN looks upon that as "adultery" against Him. The land had committed great harlotry just as we do today. Understand that the b-alistic sun worship was of composed of sacrificing (often a child) to an idol and included the congregation indulging in a fertility sexual orgy. Interestingly, the sexual activities continued until the time of the Romans who stopped that form of "worship." However, it has continued forward in today's churches symbolically, i.e. rabbits and eggs as fertility symbols.
Hosea 1:3 So Hosea married Gomer, daughter of Diblaim, and she [Gomer] conceived and bore him a son.
Thus, their names together mean that Gomer would give Hosea "sensual pleasure to the full." In addition, Gomer's name symbolically means "the filling up the measure of idolatry which included the sexual pleasures." Thus, right in front of His face, ETERNAL's once new, fresh, virgin people Israel would "engage in the sensual pleasures of idolatries to the full." Repeating the last verseand picking up two more:
The Companion Bible points out that the usage of the Hebrew words for Israel and Jezreel are a play on words that has a great meaning:
Jezreel the "fruitful valley" had been defiled with blood (2 Kng 9 & 10), Israel was scattered then, and the Commonwealth of Israel today will also, be scattered, and resown among the nations. But, when ETERNAL's Words are ripe, Israel shall be re sown in their own land.
Jehu had carried out the judgement of ETERNAL on the house of Ahab, but he was guilty of murder because it was not executed according to the will of ETERNAL. After disposing of Ahab and Jezebel, [Jehu] practiced the [same] idolatries for which Ahab had been judged.
Holmon's states: Jezreel is to a major valley, the low-lying area separating the mountains of Galilee from the mountains of Samaria. Militarily the valley was an important site, for many battles were fought there and Saul and Jonathan died there. The geography of Palestine made Jezreel a major route for travel from north to south and from east to west. It would be natural to think of it as the site of the last and greatest battle of all, which will release Israel and Judah from their upcoming and captivity and then ETERNAL will sow seeds of prosperity. 8 Hosea serves as symbolism of ETERNAL as a husband who is compassionate and forgiving. Although judgement is the main theme of the book, it is interwoven with the golden strands of mercy and love. Divorce--The Beginning of the RetributionHosea 1:6 Soon Gomer had another child--this one a daughter. And SOVEREIGN said to Hosea, "Name her Lo-ruhamah (meaning 'No more mercy') for I will have no more mercy upon Israel, to forgive her again.Lo-ruhamah means "I will have no more mercy upon the house of Israel" and He did utterly take them away and they are now known in history as the Lost Ten Tribes. Gomer's first child, a son was Hosea's, but the second child, a daughter was born out of wedlock--as an example of Israel adulterating herself from her SOVEREIGN. And that is the same unrepentant Israel that we are in today, because Israel still has not turned to the worship of The One True CREATOR--thus Israel is still divorced, thus we are not His people! You cannot appreciate the feelings of a person whose mate has committed adultery unless you have experienced it and gone through it. It is such a gut wrenching and heart breaking experience that you have no idea of the depression and anxiety with which it saddles a person. It has to be more heart wrenching than the death of a mate. Why? Death brings a finality, but in a divorce, you not only have the loss of a loved one, you also have the rejection and shame that accompanies it. In addition, the ex-mate is always in the background, due to family functions--it is never over. If you have been through the situation, you can understand what Hosea was going through. Now take that feeling and greatly multiply it and then maybe, just maybe, you can begin to understand what our loving, kind, gentle CREATOR was and is going through with His Bride Israel (Ezek 16).
Hosea 1:7 But I will have mercy on the tribe of Judah. I will personally free her from her enemies without any help from her armies or her weapons.
That was not true for Israel who was captured by the Assyrians. Israel was dislodged and relocated on Assyria's western flank, as a barrier against the mongrel forces. When Babylon, to Assyria's east, began to rise in power the Assyrians decided they would rather switch than fight--so they moved westward. This pushed the Israelites on their western flank further west into northern Europe, the British Isles, and finally to America and most of the rest of the world. Both Israel and Judah (as we will soon see) will be taken away captive in "The Time of Jacob's Trouble." You Are NOT My PeopleHosea 1:8-9 After Gomer had weaned Lo-ruhamah, she again conceived and this time gave birth to a son. And the SOVEREIGN said, "Call him Lo-ammi (meaning 'Not mine'), for Israel is not mine and I am not her SOVEREIGN. The imagery here is powerful. In the Valley of Jezreel ancient Israel was told "Lo-Ruhamah for I your CREATOR, will no longer show love to the House of Israel," and the people were taken into captivity in the Valley of Jezreel.During the long years of separation from then until now, The Mighty One said of Israel, "You are Lo-Ammi, for you are not My people, and I am not your SOVEREIGN." We need to let that sink in very deeply, as it is a profound statement. ETERNAL does not consider any nations of the Northern Kingdom to be His people any longer. The next statement is very hard hitting. The Mighty One of Israel DOES NOT CONSIDER AMERICA, ENGLAND, OR OTHER ANGLO-SAXONS TO BE HIS PEOPLE TODAY! Why would I dare say that? Because we are descendants of the people of the Northern Kingdom--that our SOVEREIGN divorced. We are now Lo-ruhamah (meaning 'No more mercy') and The Mighty One said, "I will have no more mercy upon Israel, to forgive her again." In addition, we are now Lo-ammi (meaning 'Not mine') and The Mighty One said, "For Israel is not mine and I am not her SOVEREIGN." Yes, I know that He has blessed us tremendously. Yes, I know that He has made us a mighty people. Yes, I know that He has protected us and given us the gates (militarily strategic places on the earth) of our enemies. However, you should know that He has not done that because of anything that we have done. He has done that IN SPITE of what we have done. You may be asking, why would He do that? It is an excellent question and the answer is simple. The Mighty One has blessed us to fulfill the promises that He gave to our forefather Abraham. 9 One of the promises (Gen 15:5) states that Abraham's seed would be as the stars in the heavens and the sand on the beach. Hosea 1:10 Yet the time will come when Israel shall prosper and become a great nation; in that day her people will be too numerous to count--like sand along a seashore! ... Not to worry or be upset for this has a beautiful ending.Remember that "in that day" refers to the Time of Jacob's Trouble. When taken back into captivity, Ephraim's 10 immediate history will have been that of a great and powerful nation, a superpower. However, the Commonwealth of Israel (including Judah known as the state of Israel today) will be defeated and her citizens will be taken away captive (Ezek 4-8).
Then the Mighty One comes down to earth and stands on the Mount of Olives and it splits in half. David (the Mashiach) and Elijah (the Prophet) are brought up from their graves. Then in a great and mighty war, all of those who are still alive in the tribes of Israel are brought out of captivity. They are brought to the Valley of Jezreel and:
Then the people of Judah 11 and Israel will unite and have one leader. They will return from exile together; what a day that will be--the day when The Mighty One of Israel will sow His people in the fertile soil of their own land again.
Just as ETERNAL divorced the Ten Tribes in the Valley of Jezreel, it is there that He will remarry the remnant of them again. Who are these people, this remnant, in verse ten, that ETERNAL brings out of captivity and then says to them, "You are now My people?" Although as nations, Israel was not ETERNAL's people, they were divorced with no part in Him--foreigners so to speak. Yet there is a faithful remnant of individuals that He will bring to His Holy Mountain and His House of Prayer (Isa 56:6-7). Who were these people, this remnant? They are people who sigh and cry over the abominations done in Israel (Ezek 19:4-6) enough to warn them of the coming disaster, even if brings condemnation to themselves. Those that keep the Sabbath as a Sign (Ezek 20:12,20). In addition, they keep all of His Commandments (Lev 22:31) and the sign of circumcision (Gen 17:11) that goes with it. Those who love ETERNAL and His ways with all their heart, soul, and strength (Deut 6:1-5) and is summarized in Isaiah 56:1-7. These are those, our loving SOVEREIGN will bring through the upcoming captivity. Are you a part of that remnant? To recap to this pointBoth the Northern Kingdom (ten tribes of Israel) and the Southern Kingdom (tribe of Judah, Benjamin, and part of Levi) anciently, were both taken into captivity. In the 8th century BCE, Israel was captured in the Valley of Jezreel and has never returned to the Promised Land. In the 6th century BCE, Judah was also taken captive. However, they were brought back not for anything that they did, but for David's sake--so that his line of successors would remain intact.The book of Hosea is primarily prophecy for Israel, the divorced wife at that time (Jer 3:8, 14). Some few, a righteous remnant of Israel and Judah, will be brought out of the latter day captivity to the wilderness before the Valley of Jezreel, with a very humble attitude and a contrite heart. Then our SOVEREIGN will tell the remnant of both houses, "Now you are Ammi (now, you are mine) and Ruhamah (loved of ETERNAL). Then there in the wilderness ETERNAL will separate the righteous ones from all of the mixed multitude brought out of captivity, and the righteous will go into the Promised Land (Ezek 20:33-38) together. Before Israel's retribution, the number of her people shall be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or numbered. We know that did not happen before the first captivity, so that makes this latter day prophecy! Israel's Indictment for Her SinThe indictment begins with Hosea sending the children to talk to their mother:Hosea 2:2 [Jezreel] Plead with your mother, for she has become another man's wife--I am no longer her husband. Beg her to stop her harlotry, to quit giving herself to others. Scofield states: Marriage is one of many figures used in Scripture to emphasize the relationship of CREATOR to [humankind]. This illustration is used to picture love, intimacy, privilege, and responsibility. In verse 2 and verses 16-23, Israel is described as the wife of ETERNAL, though now disowned because of disobedience. Nevertheless, eventually, upon repentance, Israel will be restored to her rightful place.
However, both Gomer and Israel scoffed at the idea of changing their ways and were told that penalties always accompany lawbreaking:
The book of Hosea is filled with a lot of imagery about adultery and nakedness. Physically, the book is referring to Hosea's situation with Gomer, who deserted him by going after other men. Allegorical it is referring to our CREATOR and how Israel has forsaken Him and gone after false gods:
Israel's Retribution for Her SinGomer, thus Israel, was told:Hosea 2:6-7 But, I will fence her in with briars and thorn-bushes; I'll block the road before her to make her lose her way, so that when she runs after her lovers she will not catch up with them. She will search for them but not find them. Then she will think, "I might as well return to my husband, for I was better off with him than I am now." This "Time of Jacob's Trouble" is described in detail in Joel and Amos with its the sorrows of captivity and nuclear war (Joel 2:30).
Notice though, that all she has to do, when it finally comes down to the bottom line, is return to her husband. This is what our CREATOR is doing with Israel and when Israel finally gets to the point that she wants to turn to the Mighty One, upon repentance, she can. Notice there is no mention whatsoever of human sacrifice of a half-god half-man being sacrificed or crucified. No mention that if they ate his flesh and drank his blood (John 6:53-54) that it would vicariously apply to them, or no mention of an animal blood sacrifice. The only requirement is that she repents and says, "I will return to my husband for it was better with me then, than now." Now let us flip over to Isaiah:
Again all that is required is repentance, no sacrifices of any kind; just a contrite and humble heart (Ps 34:18; 51:17). We have just covered what would happen if she repented. Back to Hoses with ETERNAL speaking:
...2:9-10 But, now I will take back the wine and ripened corn I constantly supplied, and the clothes I gave her to cover her nakedness--I will no longer give her rich harvests of grain in its season or wine at the time of the grape harvest. Now I will expose her nakedness in public for all her lovers to see, and no one will be able to rescue her from My hand.
Notice that ETERNAL calls them "her" festivals and "her" new moons. The part of the world that keeps a lunar calendar observes the dark of the moon or the crescent moon as the new moon, for the beginning of the month. Where as, on the Observational Biblical Calendar it is the full moon. 13 that begins the month. Thus the appointed festivals that she observes are the holidays of the Mystery Religion of the church in Rome and not the Pilgrim Feasts of the Mighty One of Israel. Restoration of Israel, the Adulterous WifeAfter Israel has been carried away in captivity in the upcoming "Time of Jacob's Trouble" and humbled, then ETERNAL will set His hand to save her.Hosea 2:14-15 But I will court her again and bring her into the wilderness, and I will speak to her tenderly there. There I will give back her vineyards to her and transform her VALLEY OF TROUBLES into a DOOR OF HOPE. She will respond to Me there, singing with joy as in days long ago in her youth, after I had freed her from captivity in Egypt. "In that coming day," says ETERNAL, "she will call Me 'my Husband' (H376) instead of 'my Master' (H1180). ETERNAL brings all of Israel out of the "latter day captivity" to the wilderness before the Valley of Jezreel; they will have a very humble attitude and a contrite heart. Then our SOVEREIGN will tell both houses, "Now you are Ammi (now, you are mine) and Ruhamah (loved of ETERNAL). Then there in the wilderness ETERNAL will separate the righteous ones from all of those brought out of captivity, and the righteous ones will go into the Promised Land (Ezek 20:33-38). Then her Valley of Troubles (Valley of Jezreel) will become her Door of Hope, isn't that beautiful?
Hosea 2:17 (KJV) For I will take away the names of "Baalim" out of her mouth, and they shall no more be remembered by their name.
Once Gomer (i.e. Israel) repents, she has more things bestowed upon her than she had ever gotten by her idolatry. In addition ETERNAL stated, "I will speak tenderly to her and I will give back her vineyards." Then, there in the Valley of Trouble it shall be as the day of hope and she shall sing there for in the days of her youth. Then it shall be as the time I brought her out of the land of Egypt. Now, notice several verses of the Day of Hope in the Wonderful World Tomorrow:
In the Valley of Jezreel, Israel found her "waterloo," in that Valley of Trouble. Jezreel means "CREATOR scatters and CREATOR sows" and the events will play upon the literal meaning of the names. ETERNAL told Israel "Lo-ruhamah" meaning "I will no longer show you love and mercy." Israel was taken into captivity and has never returned to Jezreel. From the 8th century until now, we have been "Lo-ammi" by the Word of the Almighty which means, "you are not My people, and I am not your SOVEREIGN." In these latter days when all of Israel goes back into captivity, we will be brought from the north country to the Valley of Jezreel (the Valley of Trouble). This time it will be our DOOR OF HOPE and we will be told that we will no longer be "Lo-ruhamah" but "Ruhamah" and this means, "you are My loved ones." We will no longer be "Lo-ammi" but "Ammi" which means, "Now, you are My people." How wonderful that will be, Praise our SOVEREIGN that He will soon bring us to our Door of Hope. In Hosea chapter three, we will see what that entails. In The Future Davidic Kingdom Israel Will Reverence Our SOVEREIGNHosea 3:1 Then ETERNAL said to me, "Go, and get your wife again and bring her back to you and love her, even though she loves adultery. For ETERNAL still loves Israel though she has turned to other gods and offered them choice gifts" (others say raisin cakes).This brings us back to the symbolism of the name of "Diblaim" meaning "a double cake of figs [or raisins], symbolical of sensual pleasure" and of "Gomer" meaning "completion or to the full." The two names together mean that Gomer would "sensual pleasure to the full." In addition, "Gomer's" name symbolically means "the filling up the measure of sexual idolatry," so that right in front of His face ETERNAL's once new, fresh people Israel would "engage in the sensual pleasures of idolatries to the max."
Hosea 3:2-3 (NIV) So I bought her for myself for fifteen shekels of silver, and one and one-half homers of barley. And I said to her, "You shall stay with me many days; you shall not play the harlot, nor shall you have a man; so, too, will I be toward you."
Hosea 3:2-5 So I bought her (back from her slavery) for a couple of dollars and eight bushels of barley, and I said to her, "You must live alone for many days; do not go out with other men nor be a prostitute, and I will wait for you." This illustrates the fact that Israel will be a long time without a king or prince, and without an altar, temple, priests, or even idols! (KJV says "teraphim" and leaves it untranslated). Afterward they will return to ETERNAL their SOVEREIGN and to the Messiah their King [David], and they shall come trembling, submissive to ETERNAL and to His blessings in the end times.
Paraphrased from Scofield "This prediction has been remarkably fulfilled in the condition of [the Lost Ten Tribes of] Israel. Scattered, they (Israel not the Jews) have lost their identity," beginning when Assyria took Israel into captivity in the Valley of Jezreel. However, we are still in idolatrous worship of sacred-stones or idols and are living in a Babylonian economic religious society. We are still "Lo-ammi (meaning 'Not mine') and it will not change until we return to the "Valley of Jezreel," after the very soon coming "Time of Jacob's Trouble." Jezreel will become our Door of Hope and we will be Ammi (meaning ' you are My loved ones') and again we will have a righteous King (David), 16 Priests, altar, Temple, and access to our Father as "Healer."
[ Hosea in the 21st Century -- Chapter Two ]
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O Israel, do you know the time? |
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