|
|
|
Volume 1 -THE GARDEN OF EDEN - Adam's Creation and His
Volume 2 - NEW BEGINNING AND NEW WORLD ENVIRONMENT Volume 3 - JOSEPH, EPHRAIM AND MANASSEH - A Foreshadow of God's Agenda for Jew and Gentile Volume 4 - CROSSING THE JORDAN RIVER - A Foreshadow of Salvation for Jew and Gentile Volume 5 - THE BOOK OF REVELATION - God's Agenda for the End Time Volume 6 - THE SEVEN LETTERS TO THE SEVEN CHURCHES Volume 7 - CHRIST IN THE TABERNACLE - A Foreshadow of Redemption **************** |
(An excerpt from Volume 3 - JOSEPH, EPHRAIM AND MANASSEH - A Foreshadow of God's Agenda for Jew and Gentile) ********************************* THE SPIRITUAL INHERITANCE OF EPHRAIM - A Meaningful Metaphorical Interpretation The following scripture concerning Ephraim is hidden manna concerning those who are born of God. Jeremiah 31:9 - They will come with weeping; they will pray as I bring them back. I will lead them beside streams of water on a level path where they will not stumble, because I am Israel's father and Ephraim is my firstborn son. "I am Israel's father"- This scripture refers to spiritual offspring. Even as Jacob is the father of natural Israel, God is the Father of spiritual Israel, the spiritual descendants of Abraham, which includes Gentiles. Why Did God Call Ephraim His Firstborn Son? Christ is the firstborn from among the dead - Colossians 1:18 (KJV) - And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence. (Also, see Hebrews 1:6; Revelations 4:5). Each Christian is considered to be firstborn - Romans 8:29 (KJV) - For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. The church is considered to be firstborn - Hebrews 12:22-23 (KJV) - But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, (23) To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect.... Ephraim is firstborn because he represents Christians who are the general assembly of the firstborn church and the first to be harvested from the earth, according to God's agenda for the gospel. Ephraim represents the firstborn spiritual offspring of God through Christ, according to Jeremiah. When God sees Ephraim as His firstborn son, He sees Ephraim and Christ as one entity. Why? Because Christ is the firstborn and Ephraim is firstborn, then they are one, unified in the body of Christ. Remember, the mystery of the gospel is to bring Jew and Gentile together into one body as heirs of God (Ephesians 3:6). If the head is the Firstborn, so is the body. Therefore, Ephraim figuratively represents the first harvest (firstborn) of believers united as one with Christ under the New Blood Covenant. To be a firstborn son of God one must be born of Christ because Christ is the beginning of eternal life in the spiritual realm - John 3:3 (KJV) - Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Therefore, Jeremiah's prophecy is concerned with those Gentiles (Ephraim) born to God under the New Blood Covenant. There can be no other interpretation to Jeremiah's prophesy that "Ephraim is my firstborn son". WHEN Does Ephraim Become the Firstborn Son of God? In Revelation 7:1-8 the 144,000 Jewish evangelists are sealed during the seven year tribulation of the end times. Twelve thousand were taken from each tribe of Israel. I believe this list represents two important end time factors - 1. The 144,000 are evangelists that will continue preaching and teaching the New Testament gospel not only to the nation of Israel for salvation, but also globally to replace the holy and true preachers and teachers that were harvested from the earth after the pre-tribulation judgment of the House of God. 2. The list is a list of Israelite tribes that will receive their spiritual inheritance under the preaching and teaching of the 144,000. These tribes will be saved and receive their spiritual inheritance during the seven year tribulation period (fulfilling the seventieth week of Daniel's prophecy for the salvation of Israel). The absence of Ephraim on this list points to this conclusion. In the same manner as the tribes of Israel which crossed over the Jordan to receive their promised land inheritance were listed in the scriptures, the tribes that are saved during the end time are listed in the book of Revelation. Revelation 7:3-4 (KJV) - Saying, hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. (4) And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel. To be sealed by God is to be set apart for God. These are servants of God. Revelation 7:5 KJV) - Of the tribe of Judah were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand. 6) Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nephthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasseh were sealed twelve thousand. (7) Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand. (8) Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand. The 144,000 servants are taken from 12 tribes, but not all the tribes of Israel are listed in the selection of the 144,000. Why are Dan and Ephraim are missing from the tribes of the 144,000? Evidently Christ has something else in mind for Ephraim and Dan. Ephraim - Joseph died in Egypt and was not alive when the promise land was allocated to the tribes. Joseph's inheritance was given to Ephraim and Manasseh. They are referred to as the House of Joseph. They shared Joseph's allotted inheritance of the promise land. Also, Joseph is on the list of tribes with Manasseh? Did Joseph replace Ephraim on the list? Why? What happen to Ephraim? Since the day Jacob adopted Ephraim and Manasseh as his sons, Joseph was never listed on a tribal list of Israel again. All tribal lists after that time have included Ephraim and Manasseh in the place of Joseph. Again I ask, where is Ephraim? Remember when Jacob moved second born Ephraim ahead of first born Manasseh for the traditional blessing of the father over his sons? Genesis 48: 12-14 (NIV) - Then Joseph removed them from Israel's knees and bowed down with his face to the ground. And Joseph took both of them, Ephraim on his right toward Israel's left hand and Manasseh on his left toward Israel's right hand, and brought them close to him. But Israel reached out his right hand and put it on Ephraim's head, though he was the younger, and crossing his arms, he put his left hand on Manasseh's head, even though Manasseh was the firstborn. Jacob was prophetically seeing into the future, beyond traditional blessing of heirs. Joseph tried to correct Jacob's placing his right hand on the head of the second born instead of the firstborn, but Jacob refused to follow the traditional protocol - Genesis 48:19 (KJV) - And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations. Jacob was seeing Ephraim as representing a multitude of nations. Jacob had to be looking into the spiritual realm to see Ephraim as a "multitude of nations" because literally it is not possible to have a group of nations inside one nation. Inside Israel, Ephraim could never advance beyond the status of a tribe. For Ephraim to become a multitude of nations this must take place outside the nation of Israel in a distant future time. Foreshadow: The Gentiles (Ephraim) are not a single nation like the nation of Israel consisting of twelve tribes. Ephraim will be a multitude of nations (Jacob has a global vision during this blessing of Ephraim). Literally, there was a time when the name of Ephraim did represent a group of tribes when the nation of Israel was divided, but never a multitude of nations. Therefore, this scripture must be a prophetic revelation of the growth of spiritual Ephraim - the Gentile nations. Ever since Jacob put second born Ephraim ahead of firstborn Manasseh when receiving his blessing, Ephraim was always given preference over Manasseh. When God arranged the four encampments around the Tabernacle, Ephraim was placed ahead of Manasseh. He placed Manasseh and Benjamin under the encampment of Ephraim on the west side of the Tabernacle Courtyard (Numbers 2:17-24). Using one name to represent many other tribes as a whole was often done in the Old Testament. The following are three instances where God used the name of one person to represent the nation of Israel. a. God changed Jacob's name to Israel because he was the patriarchal father for the entire nation Israel as a whole. b. God used Judah's tribal name to represent the southern kingdom during the time the nation of Israel was divided. Ephraim's tribal name was used to represent the northern kingdom. c. Joseph's name was used to represent both Manasseh and Ephraim in the Old Testament as the House of Joseph. Jacob's prophetic vision also included the adoption of Manasseh and Ephraim as sons, which foreshadows God's adoption of sons through Christ (keep in mind Joseph is an Old Testament representation of Christ. Ephraim and Manasseh are Old Testament representations of Gentiles and Jews). Therefore, the names of Ephraim and Manasseh used as symbolic representations of the Jews and Gentiles in this foreshadow is within this biblical precedent of the adoption of sons - Ephesians 1:4-6 (NIV) - For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love (5) he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will. Ephesians 3:5-6 (NIV) - This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus. When Ephraim and Manasseh are seen as Old Testament representations of Gentile and Jew, we need to see the list of tribes of the 144,000 as having significance in God's agenda for the salvation of the Jews because the seven year tribulation of a time of fulfilling Daniel's seventieth week, a prophecy for the time for salvation of the Jews. In this time of salvation these tribes will become heirs of God through Christ Jesus to the Abrahamic promise. These tribes will receive their spiritual inheritance during the seventieth week. Levi: In the Old Testament the tribe of Levi was not on the list tribes receiving an allocation of the promise land (Joshua 13:14) because the Lord was their inheritance. The Levites received towns in the land of each of the other eleven tribes. But, the Levites are included in 144,000 list because they also must receive their spiritual inheritance under the New Blood covenant through the ministry of the gospel by the 144,000. No one can enter heaven without having their sins forgiven under the New Blood Covenant prior to the second coming of Christ. So, Why is Ephraim not on the list of the 144,000? The following foreshadow is valuable in seeing the pre-tribulation harvest / rapture of the church. The appearance of Joseph's name in the place of Ephraim in the list of the 144,000 is in keeping with God's agenda and Old Testament established precedents, Ephraim is still put ahead of Manasseh. At the time of the sealing of the 144,000, Ephraim has already become the firstborn son of God and is not on the earth at that time!! This occurred when agenda time for sending the gospel to the Gentiles came to a close. The holy and true Gentile church of Philadelphia was harvested from the earth. Ephraim is harvested (raptured) ahead of Manasseh (Israel). Israel will be taken at the mid-tribulation harvest of saints. The "First is Made Last and the Last is Made First" - the Jews were the first to receive the gospel and the last to be harvested; the Gentiles were the last to receive the gospel and the first to be harvested. Note: The list of tribes in the 144,000 is the only list where Joseph is listed with only one of his sons, making it an unique event in the end time. Joseph's inheritance was given to Ephraim and Manasseh because Jacob adopted them as his sons and heirs in equal standing with all of Joseph's brothers. Unlike his brothers, Joseph had no other children other than Manasseh and Ephraim. So, there was no need to list Joseph on any tribal list when Manasseh and Ephraim are listed. So, this list is truly unique in the Bible. ********************************* The Sealing of Ephraim (The Philadelphia Gentile Church) - Revelation 3:12 - Him who overcomes I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will he leave it. I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on him my new name. When Christ writes names on the Philadelphia church He is sealing them for God. Having been sealed by Christ, the 144,000 are saved and heaven bound. Thus, the seven year tribulation is God's agenda time for the salvation of the Jews. The Sealing of The 144,000 Revelation 7: 3-4 - "Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of God." (4) Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel. Revelation 14:1 - Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads. The sealing of the 144,000 and the sealing of the Church of Philadelphia are manifested when the name of Christ and the name of God are written on them. This sealing places them in the same spiritual classification - a holy priesthood set apart by God for specific purposes. The 144,000 preach the gospel after the rapture of the Philadelphia Church, during the seven year tribulation. Philadelphia Christians are used by Christ as pillars in the House of God during the millennium. Ephraim (The Philadelphia Church) is sealed before the 144,000 are sealed!! This indicates the Philadelphia Church no longer needed further sanctification after Christ judges the House of God at pre-tribulation when agenda time of the Gentiles is closed. So the Philadelphia Church is taken from the earth (harvested, "caught up" to meet the Lord). Therefore, Christ needs holy and true evangelists to take the place of harvested preachers, teachers, evangelists who will not be on the earth during the tribulation. So, He seals the 144,000. This is evidence for the pre-tribulation rapture of the church - MANASSEH IS LISTED IN PLACE OF DAN BECAUSE EPHRAIM HAS ALREADY BEEN TAKEN FROM THE EARTH. Review: God's agenda establishes a specific time allotted for the ministry of the gospel to the Gentiles. At the end of that time the Philadelphia church is harvested. Ephraim is taken off the earth and God turns to the nation of Israel with the gospel to fulfill the last week in Daniel's prophecy of seventy weeks allocated to Israel to bring an end to transgression and anoint the Most Holy. To anoint the Most Holy is to accept Jesus Christ as the Messiah - the promised Savior of Israel. RE: For the Eyes of Your Understanding - Volume V.
|
