Kingdom Come

Richard Dawkins enjoys the freedom of speech in a country that won the right to do so by going on the offensive against the Nazi and Japanese regimes which were slaughtering millions of people.

Success in WWII led to a massive reduction in genocide worldwide.

The overriding theme in every single account of biblical battle is how the current Melchizedek leads God’s people into delivery from the Adversary determined to wipe out God’s people.

So why don’t the historians who demonize the fledgling nation of Israel who were destroying monsters at this same time in history demonize the Sea Peoples who utterly destroyed an entire civilized world?

Continue reading “137) Taking Dominion Against Genocide”

After Moses the Levite dies he is succeeded by Joshua the Ephrathite who leads the newly constituted nation of Israel into the Promised land. He is succeeded by a variety of tribal leaders within the scattering and burgeoning twelve tribes.

Ironically, the social peace brought about by following God’s ways, which by natural law allows prosperity, by human nature relaxes one’s reliance on God, promotes a prideful conviction of achievement by one’s one efforts with a sense of entitlement and results in a cycle of domestic violence on a grand scale.

If you’ve ever poured your life into improving someone else’s only to have them put you down, you’ll understand how God feels.

Continue reading “138) Melchizedeks In The Running”

As this account progresses, it is important to maintain the timeline in the chapter numbers.

I Samuel 13:

“And the Philistines gathered themselves together to fight with Israel, thirty thousand chariots, and six thousand horsemen, and people as the sand which is on the sea shore in multitude: and they came up…then the people did hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits… (I Sam 13:1-6) 

Except for one intrepid teenager.

Chapter 14:

“Now it came to pass upon a day, that Jonathan the son of Saul said unto the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over to the Philistines’ garrison, that is on the other side.

And between the passages, by which Jonathan sought to go over unto the Philistines’ garrison, there was a sharp rock on the one side, and a sharp rock on the other side: and the name of the one was Bozez / shining / in context of rock climbing, “smooth as ice, sheer face” and the name of the other Seneh / thorn / sharp, jagged rocks. (My son is a mountaineer and rock climber, that’s why I know this stuff.)

 

“And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised / rejectors of YHVH’s covenant: it may be that the LORD will work for us: for there is no restraint to the LORD to save by many or by few. And his armourbearer said unto him, Do all that is in thine heart: turn thee; behold, I am with thee according to thy heart….And Jonathan climbed up upon his hands and upon his feet, and his armourbearer after him:

and they fell before Jonathan; and his armourbearer slew after him…and the earth quaked… 

• and, behold, every man’s sword [of the Philistines’] was against his fellow,
• And Saul and all the people that were with him assembled themselves, and they came to the battle:
• the Hebrews that were with the Philistines before that time…turned to be with the Israelites that were with Saul and Jonathan.
• the men of Israel which had hid themselves in mount Ephraim, followed hard after them in the battle.
• So the LORD saved Israel that day: and the battle passed over unto Bethaven.” (I Samuel 14) 

Naturally Jonathan’s fame as the champion of Israel spread throughout Israel. 

Chapter 15:

“Samuel said unto Saul…thou hast rejected the word of the LORD…The LORD hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to a neighbour of thine / i.e. not your son.” (I Samuel 15:23-28)

Chapter 17:

“there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span [9-10 feet]…Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied…So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and with a stone, and smote the Philistine, and slew him…And when the Philistines saw their champion was dead, they fled. And the men of Israel and of Judah arose, and shouted, and pursued the Philistines…to the gates of Ekron. (I Samuel 17:1-52)

When David returned triumphant from battle, Jonathan had a choice to make:

1. compete with this most evidently exceptional rival to his popularity and heir to the throne, or
2. accept YHVH’s choice of king and submit to him.

“the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul…Then Jonathan and David made a covenant, because he loved him as his own soul. And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe / like Joseph’s coat of many colors, insignia of royalty that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle / belt to carry his weapons.” (I Samuel 18:1-4) 

Jonathan’s behavior towards David is exactly what anyone who claims to accept the son of David as their lord and savior must do – publicly surrender to his authority, knit his soul and become one with the LORD’s anointed.

“And David sware moreover…truly as the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, there is but a step between me and death. Then said Jonathan unto David, Whatsoever thy soul desireth, I will even do it for thee…Saul’s anger was kindled against Jonathan, and he said unto him…do not I know that thou hast chosen the son of Jesse to thine own confusion…For as long as the son of Jesse liveth upon the ground, thou shalt not be established, nor thy kingdom. Wherefore now send and fetch him unto me, for he shall surely die…And it came to pass in the morning, that Jonathan went out into the field at the time appointed with David…and they kissed one another, and wept one with another, until David exceeded. And Jonathan said to David, Go in peace, forasmuch as we have sworn both of us in the name of the LORD, saying, The LORD be between me and thee, and between my seed and thy seed forever. ” (I Samuel 20:3-42)

The covenant of everlasting peace between Jonathan and David is the same means by which all followers of the ultimate Chosen One / Christ are accepted into a covenantal relationship with God, whether under the old terms or the new.

“Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.” (John 15:15)

Righteous has always been defined, in God’s eyes, as restoring a right relationship with God. It starts by believing God but proceeds beyond that to acting in accordance with what pleases God. It’s like a marriage relationship. You can go through the ceremony and say the words “I do”, but unless you actually “do” and consummate the marriage you are not in a marriage relationship and it can be annulled.

This is what Yeshua meant when he said

“If any man come to me, and hate not [instead continue prefer and side with]  his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.” (Luke 14:26)

Because his soul was knit with the Chosen One’s soul, i.e. his identity was now one with the LORD’s Anointed One, Jonathan gave up his own life in every way possible – family, social standing, even to death, to promote God’s Anointed Savior’s supreme reign.

 “Now the Philistines fought against Israel: and the men of Israel fled from before the Philistines, and the Philistines followed hard upon Saul and upon his sons; and…Saul died, and his three sons, and his armourbearer, and all his men, that same day together.” (I Samuel 31:1-5)

“And David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan his son…

The beauty of Israel is slain upon thy high places: how are the mighty fallen!…the shield of the mighty is vilely cast away, the shield of Saul, as though he had not been anointed with oil…From the blood of the slain, from the fat of the mighty, the bow of Jonathan turned not back, and the sword of Saul returned not empty. Saul and Jonathan were lovely and pleasant in their lives, and in their death they were not divided: they were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions. Ye daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet, with other delights, who put on ornaments of gold upon your apparel. How are the mighty fallen in the midst of the battle! O Jonathan, thou wast slain in thine high places. I am distressed for thee, my brother Jonathan: very pleasant hast thou been unto me: thy love to me was wonderful, passing the love of women.” (II Samuel 1)

The magnificent historically based series A Song Of Fire And Ice provides the best extra-biblical example I know of what it means to be the Friend of God, where the role is called, quite logically, the “Hand of the King.”

The Hand of the King…is the most powerful appointed position in the Six Kingdoms, second only to the monarch in authority and responsibility. The Hand is the monarch’s closest advisor, appointed and authorized to make decisions in their name. The Hand is the highest-ranking member of the small council, and leads meetings of the council as proxy for the monarch when they are absent…During the reign of strong and able monarchs, the Hand is the chief agent for coordinating and carrying out their plans. 

I can’t help imagining Yeshua’s eyes rolling as James’ and John’s mother ask him to delegate the highest governmental authority to her sons.

Seriously?

After what Jonathan did to prove his worth?

“And Jacob [the current Melchizedek] called unto his sons, and said,

1. Gather / אָסַף yourselves together / removing any discord]that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the last days / end of space-time
2. Gather /  קָבַץ yourselves together / a different word, meaning bring together what was scattered] Prophetically this is noted by James, brother of Jesus, writing to “the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad” (James 1:1) and hear / pay attention to this message ye sons of Jacob; and hearken/ respond obediently unto Isra-el / The Prince of El your father.

“Judah is a lion’s whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up?

As evidenced by cave paintings, lions have been symbolic of power since the most ancient times. Since the earliest historical times in Mesopotamia lions symbolized kingship, being associated with Nimrod / Gilgamesh. depicted in Assyrian art and architecture, notoriously at the Ishtar Gatein Babylon, in Egypt, throughout  East Asia, Classical Greek and Roman culture, into modern times. 

No question about it, Judah is being declared Adam’s successor King of the World in opposition to the Adversary’s Pretenders.

“The sceptreshall NOT depart from Judah,” 

Continue reading “140) Judah’s First Melchizedek. Finally.”

After Shem and Abram, King David has the only other Old Testament explicit declaration of filling the position of Melchizedek. David’s proclamation of “Death to the enemies of God’s people!”  is consistent with the first documented mention of Melchizedek by name honoring Abram for the “slaughter of the kings”. As detailed in previous post, he is a Man of War. He brings peace the only way possible when evil rules – by fighting back.

“Thus saith the LORD of hosts / armies, I took thee from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, to be

• ruler over my people, over Israel:
• And I was with thee whithersoever thou wentest,
• and have cut off all thine enemies out of thy sight,
• and have made thee a great name, like unto the name of the great men that are in the earth.
• Moreover I will appoint a place for my people…that they may dwell in a place of their own, and move no more; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any more, as beforetime…
• And when thy days be fulfilled, and thou shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom….and I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever.
• I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men:
• But my mercy shall not depart away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before thee. (II Samuel 7:8-16)

There are too many contextual specifics to claim that this is “foreshadowing” Jesus the Christ. This appointment in the lineage of the Seed of the Woman is conferred on David himself. Jesus Christ never herded sheep, nor yet has become the ruler of the nation of Israel. This is confirmed in the psalm written by and about David publicizing this appointment, quoted in application to Jesus Christ by the author of the letter to the Hebrews,

Continue reading “141) The Sacral King David”

“the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart…because thou [Saul] hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee.” (I Samuel 13:14)

What commandment is this?  It cannot be any one of the commandments given to the nation of Israel at Mount Sinai, which include “Thou shalt not kill” and Thou shalt not commit adultery“, both of which David transgressed.

” I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will.” (Acts 13:22),

And what is YHVH’s Prime Directive Will? For man to take dominion!

I grew up in your basic Baptist church with a list of “Thou shalt not…” As long as you abstained from sexual immorality, drinking and drugs, and dancing, you were a righteous person. It’s not that you went to hell because you committed these sins, it’s that the commission of these sins proved you never seriously asked Jesus to come into your heart in the first place.

I know everyone doesn’t think like that, but there’s no question that a certain self-righteousness permeates Christianity, consigning “for all have sinned” to degrees of sinfulness of which the lesser sort are easily overlooked. Like pride in one’s good behavior.

In my lifetime I’ve discovered that the people who are the most ashamed, most regretful, most sorrowful, most aware of how far short they’ve fallen, are most appreciative and grateful of God’s mercy and aware of the price paid to redeem them and most committed to reflecting God’s light and love in a dark world.

And David is the prototype of the repentant sinner, and through that process, becomes the prototype redeemed son of God, fulfilling all God’s will for mankind.

Continue reading “142) Righteousness Is Fulfilling All God’s Will”

Intermarriage between royal dynasties has been a political strategy as far back as the Late Bronze Age...

• avoided the inevitable border conflicts
• promoted peace and trade between nations
• secured a military alliance against a third dynasty,
• provided a legal claim of inheritance to expand into the allied territory whenever the allied monarch failed to leave an undisputed heir. (Emphasis added.) 

We see this strategy being accomplished under King David in his extension of the boundaries of Israel.

“Absalom the son of Maacah the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur…(II Samuel 3:3)

Geshur was a powerful nation holding a military advantage with what is now called the Golan Heights. This is such strategic high ground that in our day the United Nations maintains a peacekeeping force there.

When Absalom fled to Geshur to escape the legal consequences of murdering his brother, King David did not extradite him. Undoubtedly partly because of his love for Absalom, partly because of his own blood guilt over Uriah the Hittite, but very likely because of the geographical ability of Geshur to harbor their son and the high number of deaths that would cost to storm their stronghold.

Continue reading “SECTION XXVII: Be Ye Not Unequally Yoked With Unbelievers”

Solomon, the first heir to this dynasty, was known for his wisdom, documented in his collection of Proverbs. Yet he let his emotional and physical desires overwhelm his better judgment.

“Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination / hybrid demi-god of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination / hybrid demi-god of the children of Ammon. And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods.

And the LORD was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice, And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the Lord commanded.” (I Kings 11:7-12)

But God had covenanted with Solomon’s father to guarantee an everlasting kingdom.

“God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good? (Numbers 23:19-20)

“[this is how] I will stablish the throne of his kingdom for ever…If he commit iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men, and with the stripes of the children of men…And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.” (II Samuel 7:1-14)

Continue reading “143) What God Hath Joined Together, Let Not Man Put Asunder”

“Jeroboam…an Ephrathite…ruler over all the charge of the house of Joseph…thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, Behold, I will rend the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon, and will give ten tribes to thee:” (I Kings 11:26-31)

Since Jacob had split the Melchizedekian blessing between Judah and Joseph, then adopted Joseph’s two sons as his immediate heirs / begotten sons, is the logical addition to a ruler from the tribe of Judah. 

“And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim’s head, And he blessed Joseph, and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk…The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads;

• and let my name [parent rather than grandparent] be named on them [for the purpose of greater share of inheritance instead of splitting Joseph’s share] 
• and the name / title of my fathers Abraham and Isaac [clearly, Melchizedek];
• and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth…truly [Ephraim’s] seed shall become a multitude of nations…

And Israel said unto Joseph…I have given to thee one portion above thy brethren.” (Genesis 41:52, 48:14-22)

Note – that’s one portion above Judah as well. And it shows when Jeroboam the Ephrathite is awarded political rule over 10 out of the 12 tribes of Israel.

This certainly didn’t stop these ten tribes from making the Passover pilgrimage to YHVH in Jerusalem, but Jeroboam was afraid he would lose power, so he plagiarized the true worship of YHVH into his own denomination.

Continue reading “144) The Sins Of Jeroboam”

Despite the fulfillment of the prophecy that God would hand over to him the majority of the kingdom of Israel without a fight, Jeroboam failed to trust God for an everlasting kingdom.

“And Jeroboam said in his heart…If this people go up to do sacrifice in the house of the Lord at Jerusalem, then shall the heart of this people turn again unto their lord, even unto Rehoboam king of Judah, and they shall kill me. Whereupon the king…said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem:

• made two calves of gold, and said, behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt…
• the people went to worship unto Dan.
• And he made an house of high places,
• and made priests of the lowest of the people, which were not of the sons of Levi…which he had devised of his own heart;
• and ordained a feast unto the children of Israel: and he offered upon the altar, and burnt incense.”

The natural consequence of distrust is a never-satisfied need to control to feel safe, leading to tyranny.

Continue reading “145) A Kingdom Divided Against Itself Cannot Stand”