Introduction To The Tribes 555h4m

Introduction to the Tribes by Gwen R. Shaw

Copyright 1982, Gwen R. Shaw End-Time Handmaidens, Inc. P.O. Box 447 Jasper, Arkansas 72641 All rights reserved.

Printed in the United States o f America

FOREW ORD

While still on the mission field, God began to speak to me concerning the sym bolic meaning o f the Tribes o f Israel in these last days. When I returned to America in 1970, I found th at God was speaking to others also. I began to m ake an in-depth study on the 13 tribes o f Israel. I soon saw th at, even as the Tabernacle, the furnishings o f the Tabernacle, the priestly garm ents and order o f sacrifices all pertained to a later fulfillm ent in G od’s tim e plan. So the different tribes are symbolic o f G od’s great com pany o f overcomers. Before you begin this study, let me share w ith you th at God has not shown me th at the 144,000 o f Revelation 7 are natural Tribes o f Israel. I believe they are spiritual tribes, even Gentiles who will fulfill the callings, inheritances and destiny o f the original Tribes o f Israel. God is speaking to m any, revealing to them what tribe they are. These are exciting days. G od’s Word is coming alive. I pray th at as you begin this study you will find your place around the Tabernacle o f God, that you m ay fulfill your holy destiny. Gwen R. Shaw

TYPES AND SYMBOLS Types and sym bols in the Bible hold the secrets o f G od’s heart. We can never know the depth o f G od’s tru th s unless we can com prehend the m eaning o f types and symbols. Not only does God teach through types and shadows, Jesus Christ also taught in parables. God wants us to do some digging in His word. While the Gospel story is so simple th at even a child can understand it, the deeper things o f God are dis covered by searching and researching into His word.

NUMBERS Even num bers mean som ething im portant in the Bible. Whole books have been w ritten by excellent scholars on num erology. Some Bible students have made it a life tim e study just to search out the m eaning o f the different num bers o f the Bible, such as 1 , 2 , 3, 6, 7, 10, 40, 120, 144,000 and so forth. The purpose o f this study is not to take time to search out these things. O thers m ore capable than m yself have done m uch research on this subject. I would encourage you to get a good book and spend some time in this type o f research.*

PERSONAL PRONOUNS No good Bible teacher ever by-es the meaning of the different names in the Bible. Every nam e bears a definite im pact upon its owner. When God chose a prophet, He usually gave him a name. This was so im portant that even heathen kings such as Pharaoh and N ebuchadnezzar changed the names o f those who played an im portant part in their kingdom . Joseph’s name was changed to Zaphnath-paaneah (the saviour o f the world, the bread o f life) by Pharaoh (Genesis 41:45), and Daniel’s name was changed to Belteshazzar (the p rotector o f his life). Hananiah’s, Mishael’s and Azariah’s names were changed to Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and we still know them by these names. (Daniel 1:7) When Abram was ninety-nine years old, after the birth of Ishmael, God appeared to Abram and m ade a covenant o f holiness with him and promised th at he would make him the father o f m any nations. He also changed his name from Abram (great father) to Abraham (fath er o f m ultitudes). “ Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram , but thy name shall be Abraham ; for a father o f many nations have I made th ee.” (Genesis 17:5) God changed his name to fit his calling. i

God named Isaac before he was conceived in Sarah’s womb. “ And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish m y covenant w ith him for an everlasting covenant, and w ith his seed after ’ “ Numbers In Scripture” by E.W. Bullinger available from End-Time H andmaidens, P.O.Box 447, Jasper, ARK 72641 for S9.95 plus postage and handling.

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him .” (Genesis 1 7:19) Isaac m eans “ laughter, cheerful, happy, serene, calm, un ruffled.” This v truly typical o f the life o f Isaac. Even in trying circumstances, when his enemies filled up his wells, he was able to stay serene and unruffled. His nam e was a rem inder to Sarah, th at after ninety years o f suffering and waiting for a son, God had caused her to be happy and to laugh. Isaac becam e her happiness. It was through him th a t the descendants o f Israel would come.

JACOB, THE SUPPLANTER When Jacob, th e son o f Isaac, was bom , he was the youngest o f tw in boys. His brother “ came o ut red , all over like an hairy garm ent; and they called his nam e Esau. And after that came his brother out, and his hand took hold on Esau’s heel; and his name was called Ja co b .” (Genesis 25:25,26) Jacob means “ supplanter” or “ to take the place of, especially through force or scheming.” Jacob was not named Jacob by the Lord. His fam ily or the midwife gave him his name and he lived up to it when he stole the birthright o f Esau by trickery. Esau in grief cried out, “ Is n o t he rightly named Jacob? for he h ath supplanted me these tw o times: he took away my birth right; and, behold, now he hath taken away my blessing.” (Genesis 2 7 :3 6 ) God blessed Jacob because o f the promise He had given his m other Rebecca even before he was born, (Genesis 25:23) and even under the name of supplanter He pros pered him greatly. He became rich in cattle, sheep and children. But God could not fulfill the covenant o f true greatness, which is an eternal covenant, until He could change his name; and God could not change his name until He had broken his old nature of cunning and trickery. God cannot use us as long as we allow the “ old nature” to rule us and control us. If there was one thing that Jacob feared, it was the w rath o f his brother Esau. If God had n o t appeared to him in Haran and told him to return to his family he would never have gone back, no m atter how m uch he had to suffer from his father-in-law, Laban. (Genesis 31:13) When God speaks to us and comm ands us to do som ething hard, He gives us the strength to do it. Jacob still was n o t ready, in his old nature, to face his enemy. First o f all, God began to “ work him over.” God got him alone, and there He wrestled w ith Jacob as man to man until the breaking o f the day. Jacob knew it was God who was wrestling with him and th a t he could n o t let Him get away until He had blessed him. The m ighty Wrestler “ touched” the hollow o f Jacob’s thigh and p u t it out o f jo in t. Jacob was in agony; he could n o t trust in the strength o f his loins to conquer his Adversary. But w ith the m ighty pow er o f his shoulders and arms and hands he held on to God. Jacob’s arms had been m ade strong from the many years, when he, as a shepherd, had carried the sick and lame lambs and sheep for miles in the wilderness. Now this strength was the key to overcoming his O pponent. He held on so desperately th at the heavenly Wrestler could n o t get away u ntil He had blessed Jacob, and then Jacob released his hold on Him. 2

ISRAEL, THE PRINCE This blessing could not be his until he dropped o ff the “ Jacob” nature and took on the princely nature o f the Lord w ith whom he had wrestled. The Lord said to him, “What is th y name? And he said Jacob. And he said, Thy name shall be called no m ore Jacob, b u t Israel: for as a prince hast thou pow er w ith God and with m en, and hast prevailed.” (Genesis 32:27,28) Israel m eans “ G od’s fighter, G od’s hero, wrestler w ith G od, ruler with El (God), Prince o f G od.” Before God could raise him up as the m ighty father o f a holy race, God had to sanctify him. U nfortunately, all his sons except Benjamin were bom o f the old Jacob, and n o t o f the new m an, whose nature had been changed at Peniel, the place where he w restled w ith God. This is one reason th at they had so many faults and weaknesses which they had to deal w ith in their lives before they could become the great patriarchs o f the nation o f Israel. Israel was b o m through wrestling, even great and terrible wrestling. He was bom in the darkness o f the night. All alone, as one man, Jacob fought with his old nature to conquer it th a t he m ight be reborn for greater and nobler things. God must often get us alone, and in the darkest places o f our life, He brings us face to face with reality. Jacob’s greatest victory was n ot his strength to hold on to the mighty Wrestler, but when he was asked by the Lord, “ What is thy nam e?” and he had to confess... “ Jacob.” God w ants us to look at ourselves and see what we really are. He cannot change us until we see the need for change in our lives.

RESTORATION A fter the resurrection o f Jesus Christ, the disciples asked Him a very im p ortant question th at was on all o f their hearts. “ ...Lord, wilt thou at this time re store again the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6) This question was on the heart of every Jew. They knew th at their prophets had prophesied th at Israel would be re stored in the last days. Daniel, the great end-tim e prophet had prophesied, “ Know therefore and understand, th a t from the going forth o f the com m andm ent to restore and to build Jerusalem unto the Messiah the Prince shall be seven weeks, and threescore and tw o weeks: the streets shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous tim es.” (Daniel 9:25) Many prophets had prom ised the restoration o f Israel. Jerem iah, Isaiah, Eze kiel, Zechariah, Malachi, and others. Joel had prophesied, “ I will restore to you the years th at the locust h ath eaten, the cankerw orm , and the caterpiller, and the palm erworm , m y great army which I sent among y o u .” (Joel 2 :25) This great army was the tw o different armies from the n o rth who had carried the children of Israel into captivity. First, the Assyrian arm y came down on the divided kingdom 3

o f the ten tribes, besieged Samaria, and carried them into captivity (II Kings 17:4-6); and only the tribe o f Judah was left, (II Kings 17:18) Assyria was a great and power ful co u n try lying on th e Tigris; its capital was Nineveh. Ten tribes were taken into cap tivity around B.C. 700. In B.C. 600 the tribe o f Judah was carried into captivity by the great Babylonian army o f Nebuchadnezzar. (Jerem iah 52:24-30) Jerusalem was burnt dow n, the great tem ple o f Solomon was destroyed, together w ith the houses and palaces o f the great m en. (Jerem iah 5 2 :1 3 ) Joel, the end-tim e prophet, dared to cry o u t in the face o f all this holocaust that Israel would be restored: the years th a t the great arm y had destroyed would be re stored. Zechariah prophesied the rebuilding of G od’s house in Jerusalem and the full restoration o f the city. Jerem iah prophesied that the Lord would lead the seed of the house o f Israel out o f the n o rth c o u n try ,.a n d all the countries w hither they had been driven, and they “ SHALL DWELL IN TH EIR OWN LAND.”

RESTORATION OF THE TRIBES PROPHESIED One of the greatest prophecies concerning the restoration o f Israel is given by the great prophet Isaiah. In Isaiah 49:6 he says, “ ...It is a light thing that thou shouldest be m y servant to raise up the tribes o f Jacob, and to restore the preserved of Israel:...” In Isaiah 63 :1 7 : “ ...R eturn for thy servants’ sake, the tribes o f thine in heritance.” The word RESTORATION in the Old Testam ent is taken from the Hebrew word, shalam which means “ to be safe, com pleted, to finish, to give again, to recom pense, to m ake restitu tio n .” In the New Testam ent it comes from the Greek word apokathistem i which m eans “ to reconstitute in health, hom e and organization.” Malachi prophesied, “ Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming o f the great and dreadful day o f the Lord: And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart o f the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth w ith a curse.” (Malachi 4:5,6) Jesus said in M atthew 17:11, “ ...Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.” Who is this Elijah th a t shall return to earth? Was John the Baptist a reincar nation o f Elijah as som e believe? No, I believe th at John was n o t Elijah, b u t th at he 4

came in the pow er and the anointing o f Elijah. Even as Elijah bequeathed to Elisha his double p o rtio n o f pow er, so he bequeathed it to John the Baptist. In the last days, the days o f restoration, when the Lord will fulfill the prophecy o f Joel and send us the form er rain and the latter rain together (Joel 2:23), we will have that double-portion-anointed com pany o f saints who will be raised up as deliverers with b o th the anointing o f Elijah and the anointing o f John. They will finish the old kingdom and bring in the new kingdom o f God. Elijah’s m inistry was to judge the system o f id o latry and Jo h n ’s m inistry was to proclaim , “ The Kingdom o f God is at hand,” and to call all m en to repentance. This will be the double-portion, endtim e m inistry. Paul saw th e restoration o f Israel when he w rote, “ F o r I would n o t, brethren, that ye should be ignorant o f this m ystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in p a rt is happened to Israel, until the fulness o f the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is w ritten, There shall come o u t o f Sion the Deli verer, and shall tu rn away ungodliness from Jaco b :” (Rom ans 11:25,26) He saw the great work w hich this restored Israel would do when he said, “ F or if the casting away o f them be th e reconciling o f the world, what shall the receiving o f them be, but life from the dead?” (Rom ans 11:15) R estoration can never be com plete until Israel is restored. But the w onderful m ystery is that Israel is not only the blessed and loved nation we call Israel, b u t every child of faith who has been grafted into the root of Abraham by faith. In Galatians 3:7 we read, “ Know ye therefore that they which are o f faith, the same are the children of Abraham .... And if ye be C hrist’s, then are ye Abraham ’s seed, and heirs according to the prom ise.” (Galatians 3:29) Isaiah prophesied, “ Doubtless thou art our father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us n o t.” (Isaiah 63:16) Paul echoed this tru th in Romans 9:6: “ ...F or th ey are not all Israel, which are o f Israel...but the children o f the promise are counted for the seed.” (verse 8) If we are the chosen seed of Israel by faith, then we can claim th e promises o f full restoration prom ised to Israel in health, spiritual authority and in the end-tim e organization o f the Holy Spirit. The tim e has come for us to come into m aturity and know our place in G od’s end-time organization o f the Holy Spirit. We cannot be restored o r be a part of the Lord’s restoration unless we know what G od’s divine plan o f the ages is. To find th a t, we m ust look into G od’s original plan.

TH E TABERNACLE, THE PRIESTHOOD AND THE TRIBES The tabernacle in the wilderness was a type o f the eternal, heavenly sanctuary o f saints o f all ages on earth and in heaven. It is th a t great body o f believers in whose 5

innerm ost being the Holy one o f Israel dwelleth. It is a shadow o f the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched, and not man. (Hebrews 8:2) It is the eternal dwelling place o f God. “ ...the tabernacle o f God is w ith men, and he will dwell with them , and they shall be his people, and God him self shall be w ith them , and be their G od.” (Revela tion 2 1 :3) The FURNISHINGS O F THE TABERNACLE are a shadow o f the different attributes o f Christ in our lives. The lam pstand is the Christ-light in us, the Table of Shewbread is the Word o f God in our lives, the Table of Incense is the com m union and intercessory prayer life o f the believer. The Brazen Altar on the outside speaks of the altar o f God whereon the sacrificial offering for sin was made and the Laver of Cleansing, also on the outside, was a shadow o f the cleansing one m ust experience before one can becom e the tabernacle of God. The sacrificial offerings were a type o f Jesus Christ, the Lamb .of God who died to take away the sins o f the world. The poured out blood o f the sacrifices was fulfilled when Jesus Christ ascended into the heavens with His mystical blood and offered it to the F ather for the sins o f the world. The priesthood is a type of all who minister before the Lord and the High Priest who entered the Holy o f Holies was a type of Christ who would m ake the perfect offering for sins and enter into the Holiest o f all, once and for all, to offer the perfect sacrifice for all time. Hebrews 8:5 tells us, these things “ ...serve unto the example and shadow of heavenly things, as Moses was ad monished of God w hen he was about to make the tabernacle: for, See, saith He, that thou make all things according to the pattern shewed to thee in the m o u n t.” Hebrews 9:11,12, “ But Christ being come an high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building, Neither by the blood o f goats and calves, but by His own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redem ption for us.” Even as God gave man the tabernacle, the priesthood, the ordinances and fur nishings as a type o f the eternal, so also He had His com pany o f holy people. They were not scattered about and living in confusion, but they were organized under the leadership o f the princes o f each of the tribes. Each one had their designated position and location around the tabernacle. The tribes are a symbol of that holy com pany of saints whom God is preparing in the end-time to com plete His great w ork o f resto ration. They are a sym bol o f the perfected and m ature spiritual Israel.

WHO ARE THE 144,000? Through the years m any cults and religious groups have claimed th at they are the 144,000. Some believe that these 144,000 are the actual tribes o f Israel who have been called the “ lost tribes.” They are believed by them to be the ten tribes o f the northern kingdom who were carried captive into Assyria around B.C. 700. They expect that they will suddenly appear from the regions o f Europe. 6 /

Some w o rth y scholars and students believe th a t the lost tribes are , , Holland, D enm ark, Great Britain and the United States, etc., and th at o u t of them will come th e ten lost tribes who will be num bered in the 144,000 m entioned in Revelation 7:5-8. “ And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four com ers o f the earth, holding th e four winds o f the earth, th a t the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, n o r on any tree. And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal o f the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to h u rt the earth and the sea. Saying, H urt not the earth, neither the sea, nor th e trees, till we have sealed the servants o f our God in their foreheads. And I heard the num ber o f them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and fo u r thousand o f all the tribes of the children o f Israel. O f the tribe o f Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe o f Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. O f the tribe o f Gad were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe o f Aser were sealed twelve thousand. O f the tribe o f N ephthalim were sealed twelve thousand. O f the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve thousand. O f the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. O f the tribe o f Levi were sealed twelve thousand. O f the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand. O f the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. O f the tribe o f Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. O f the tribe o f Benja min were sealed twelve thousand.” (Revelation 7:1-8) While I was still a missionary in Hong Kong. 1 became a diligent student o f G od’s Word. I have read the Bible through m any times. Every tim e I came to this portion of scripture I w ondered who this great com pany o f people could be. I have learned that God is the revealer o f secrets. As I was m editating upon it, the Lord spoke to my heart to take note o f the names o f the different tribes and to pay particular attention to the m eaning of each name. This I found back in Genesis 30:1-24, and Genesis 35:16-18 where they were given their names: Reuben...a son Simeon...hearing Levi...ed Judah...praise Dan...judging Naphtali...wrestling G ad...a troop A sher...happy Issachar...for hire Zebulun... dwelling Joseph...adding Benjamin...son o f com fort I began to see a beautiful and perfect plan o f God being fulfilled in a great com pany o f people, ordained by God- and perfected through the workings o f the Holy 7

Spirit in their i,.cs. Each one had special qualifications and each one had special callings. I also found th a t each tribe had weaknesses and im perfections from which God was able to deliver them . It is His divine plan th at we be conform ed to the image o f His Son. (R om ans 8 :2 9 ) There is m uch jealousy and com petition among G od’s people because people do n o t know who th ey are in God nor w hat their calling or election is. When we find our place in the body o f Christ, we are co n ten t to fulfill ou r destiny. Paul will n ot try to be like Esther, and R uth will h o t seek to be Peter. Each takes his or her place in the ranks o f G od’s arm y. As God began to open to me these w onderful truths concerning the tribes I was hesitant about sharing them w ith others. The religious world is so quick to cry, “ Cult! Heresy! False teaching!” even before they take time to hear you out. But as time went by, and God began to reveal this precious tru th to m ore o f His children who were listening, I started to share it with twos and threes, and then finally I have had per mission o f the Lord to share it in our great End-Time Handm aidens’ conventions. It is available in tape form , and for years th a t’s all we had, but now, after m any requests, I am preparing it in book-form so that you can take tim e to study it, dear student of G od’s word.

NATURAL AND SPIRITUAL ISRAEL I would like to say th at this is not British-Israel teaching. I am not trying to prove that the tribes are in actual existence today in the natural, though there is some proof th at D enm ark could be descendants o f Dan, Holland o f Zebulun, and the Pathans o f Baluchistan and Afghanistan claim that they are descendants o f the lost tribes. In this book, in our tapes and in m y understanding o f this teaching, I interpret the tribes in the spiritual aspect. Jo h n saw 12,000 from each of the tribes except Dan. And before we are finished w ith this study, we will also find Dan in G od’s eternal plan, “ for the gifts and calling o f G od are w ithout repentance.” (Rom ans 11:29) The tribes o f Jacob shall be raised up and there shall be a restoration o f a com plete Israel. The Israel we know today in the natural consists m ostly o f descendants o f Judah. They are called Jews in the Bible, first in II Kings 18:26 when Jerusalem was besieged by Sennacherib during the reign o f Hezekiah. When Assyria invaded and occupied the ten n orthern kingdom s, he also attacked Jerusalem . Rabshakeh, the com m ander o f his army did n o t w ant th e people o f Jerusalem to hear the threats w ith which their ene mies threatened Jerusalem , and to be frightened, so he stood and cried w ith a loud voice in the Jews’ language. (II Kings 18:28) “ Jew ” is short fo r Judah, the people o f the tribe o f Judah. They were called Jews in E sther 3 :10,8:11, N ehem iah 13:23,24, Jo h n 2 :1 3 ,7 :2 ,1 1 :8 ,1 1:55, Galatians 1:13,14. 8

The Land o f Israel and the restoration o f the nation is n o t the com plete fulfill m ent o f prophecy. All tribes m ust be restored. Spiritual Israel with natural Israel will be restored together in these last days.

JACOB’S PROPHECY WAS FO R THE LAST DAYS When Jacob gave his prophecy for his sons he began by saying some very re m arkable words. “ And Jacob called unto his sons, and s a i d , G ather yourselves together, th at I may tell you th a t which shall befall you in the last days. G ather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons o f Jacob; and hearken unto Israel your father.” (Genesis 49:1,2) Jacob calls him self by tw o names, Jacob and Israel. He calls them sons of Jacob, thus rem inding them th at they were bom while he was still the supplanter and that they were therefore bom in sin and conceived in iniquity, but that they m ust listen to the word which the reborn Jacob, the Israel o f God, the overcoming prince had to say to them . He was G od’s m outhpiece to them and had G od’s authority. A nother rem arkable thing is that he said, “ I will tell you that which shall befall you in the last days.” He was speaking concerning this tim e in which we are living now. The Hebrew word for last, which is used here, is acharyith which means “ the last or end. hence the future; also end-tim e.” He was not speaking only about the time until they were carried into captivity, but far down into the millenia of time when the tribes would be gathered together again by the Holy Spirit and would fulfill all the Word o f God spoken to them by Jacob. MOSES’ PROPHECY CONCERNING THE TRIBES The Word o f God says, “ ...at the m outh o f tw o witnesses, or at the m outh of three witnesses, shall the m atter be established. (D euteronom y 19.15) God first gave these trem endous prophecies for the tribes through their father Jacob. Then, over 400 years later, when they had come o ut of Egypt, God confirmed alm ost every w ord through the m outh o f His servant, prophet and spiritual father of the tribes, Moses, shortly before God took him hom e. F or this study we will be using both o f these prophecies, the one by Jacob and the o ther by Moses.

PENIEL, THE PLACE WHERE GOD MEETS MAN Jacob called the name o f the place where he wrestled with the Lord, “ Peniel.” For he said, “ I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.” “ Peniel” means “ the face o f God (El) who reveals Himself.”

Jacob said hat because he had seen the Lord, his life was preserved. Jacob was an ordinary, m ortal man until the touch o f God changed him . It is the touch o f G od in our lives th a t will bring us into our inheritance. It is n o t enough to be “ the son o f A braham .” Ishmael was a son o f Abraham, Esau was his grandson, and through Ishmael, A braham had m any grandsons. But none o f them inherited the great calling o f the ancestry o f Jesus Christ, o f the receiving o f the Holy laws and ordinances. Neither were they G od’s chosen people. In the same w ay, it is n ot enough to know that you are a Christian, and of the seed o f Abraham. Do n o t be satisfied just to know you are a Christian and that you are going to escape hell. It is tim e to come into the blessings and the in heritance which the Lord has for those who will be His royal priesthood and His rulers in the m illenium . To come into these blessings and inheritance is going to cost us a price. T here will be wrestling with God for the anointing, and striving for the pow er of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Israel was born through wrestling, born in travail. Israel was born in an hour of extrem e anxiety, on the very eve of a catastrophe which he was only able to avert because he had w restled with the Lord. It was Jacob’s “ zero-hour.” God brings us into our “ zero-hour” where we have to get hold o f the hom s o f the altar. In that strategic m om ent, on the eve of our personal holocaust, is when we will have one last opportunity to keep o u r appointm ent with God, that our lives might be preserved. The stage is being set throughout the world right now for the Christian nations to face their brother “ Esau.” The Arab world possesses the oil and the power and the wealth. There is a spirit o f vengeance in the air. Old grudges caused by our trans gressions in the past and our foolishness are not forgotten in this hour. If we do not wrestle with God and get G od’s anointing in our lives, we will never be able to face our adversary in the upcom ing days o f retaliation. We cannot face Esau as Jacob, only as Israel, the prince of God. We are on the eve of a world holo caust, and it is in this hour that the Israel o f God will be born, if we will pay the price and n o t presume th at in our own strength we can face the antichrist spirit. I believe that in this hour m any Jacobs will be reborn into Israel. Then the tribes of Israel, in the spiritual realm, will rise up to be restored to take their place and possess their inheritance to fulfill their destiny in the eternal plan of God. God Himself is going to bring us in, as we wrestle with Him, and we will prevail! God will touch us and leave His m ark on us and that, m ark will identify us as belonging to the seed of Israel. The beautiful thing is th at God uses our personal agony to produce sonship in our lives. We cannot come into sonship w ithout the terrible ordeal o f travail and birth pangs.

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PREPARING FO R THE END-TIME We hear a lot about how to m ake preparations for the end-times these days. There are those w ho sell end-tim e foods which are guaranteed to be able to be stored for m any years. Some are digging shelters, others are preparing clothing, and some are leaving the cities to go and live o u t in the wilderness. We know th at it is n o t going to be long before terrible things are going to happen in our big cities; rioting, dem onstra tions, crime and m ob violence will take place m ore and m ore. Places o f business, de partm en t stores, superm arkets are going to be closed. Already it is dangerous in some parts o f the world for these great houses o f m erchandise. In Zurich, Switzerland, m ob violence has caused the destruction o f m any o f the great stores, m erchandise has been looted, show-windows smashed, and millions o f dollars in damage has been caused by young people, n o t because they were hungry and needed food or clothing, but because they were filled w ith madness and anger at the establishm ent. When the econom y collapses it will be worse. Hungry fathers with starving children will go mad. Super m arkets will be ransacked. The lack o f food supplies will n o t be lim ited to Poland and a few o f the third-w orld countries, but even right here in the Western world and in the w ealthier nations, the shelves will be em pty o f food supplies. It is wise to preserve life in every way possible and m ake provision. But there is one thing that you need more than all that, and th a t is to have a face-to-face m eeting w ith God. You need to keep your Peniel appointm ent. Only then will your life be preserved. We have been taught through the years by our religious teachers that we do not need to worry a b o u t the tribulation. We are going to hear the trum pet sound just before the antichrist is revealed and we are all going to m ake a fast, clean get-away. The Word o f God tellsusin II Thessalonians 2:3, “ Let nom an deceiveyou by any means: for that day shall n o t com e, except there come a falling away first, and that man o f sin be re vealed, the son o f perdition;” Daniel had itre v ea led to h im ,“ A ndheshallspeakgreatw ords against the m ost High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a tim e and times and the dividing o f tim e.” (Daniel 7:25) In the same chapter, verse 21, he says, “ I beheld, and the same horn (antichrist) made war w ith the saints, and prevailed against them .” Yes, he will m ake war w ith the saints... “ Until the Ancient of days comes and judgm ent is given to THE SAINTS o f the m ost High;” And they shall possess the kingdom and all people, nations and languages shall serve Him, for His dom inion is an everlasting dom inion which shall n o t away, and n o t be destroyed. (Daniel 7:13,14) God is preparing His saints for th at great day by trials and testings and by persecution and rejection. Those who overcome shall rule and reign w ith Him in His kingdom right here on earth. God is going to choose Him self a people out o f the people, a church out o f the church, and a fam ily out o f the families o f the earth. God does not w ant you to fear when you face your m orning o f tribulation, because God is going to be with you to preserve you in the face o f the enemy. Like David, the sweet m instrel o f Israel you can say, “Thou preparest a table before me in the presence o f mine enem ies:” (Psalm 23:5) Y our cup will “ run over” in th e very presence o f the antichrist system th a t is being set up even now. 11

Because our news m edia are censored we are not aware o f all th at is taking place, but things are happening very fast. It is tim e th at we get hold o f God and let the Spirit o f God move in our lives so that we are able to wrestle through and get that anointing and blessing o f God upon our lives.

THE MARK O F GOD One thing happened when God touched Jacob: God p u t a lim p in him. God touched his thigh and this set Jacob apart from all men. From then on, he walked haltingly. Genesis 32:31 says that he “ halted upon his thigh.” The word “ h a lt” comes from the Hebrew word tsela which means “ a limping, or fall, adversity, , halting.” The word “ hollow ” comes from the Hebrew word kaph which means “ the m iddle.” This is where God touched him , in the middle of his thigh. Genesis 32:32 says th a t the sinew shrank. “ The sinew” m eans “ the ten d o n .” The word “shrank” in Hebrew is nashah which means “ failed, got crippled.” The m ark o f im perfection is upon the natural and spiritual seed o f Israel till this day. But G od’s grace goes beyond your im perfection and He calls us to Himself through grace, to take our place in the end-time plan, in spite o f our halting and our crippled spirits. In Micah 4:6-8 we read these wonderful words for today, “ In that day, saith the Lord, will I assemble her that halteth, and I will gather her that is driven out,' and her that I have afflicted; and I will make her that halted a rem nant, and her that was cast far o ff a strong'nation: and the Lord shall reign over them in m ount Zion from henceforth, even for ever. And thou, O tow er o f the flock, the strong hold of the daughter o f Zion, u n to thee shall it come, even the first dom inion; the kingdom shall come to the daughter o f Jerusalem .” God is going to call out all who have been touched by the Lord and who are walking in His strength and not their own, and He will know who they are because He has m et them face to face at Peniel. Through great suffering, natural Israel was bom and it is through great suffering th at spiritual Israel is being bom at this very time. It was in the year 1948 th at natural Israel became a nation. It was also in that year th at the great outpouring began in America. Natural Israel is the sym bol of spiritual Israel. The tragedy is that m any Christians do not want to recognize natural Israel. They do n o t realize th at everything that happens to natural Israel will also happen to spiritual Israel. If we “ chop dow n” natural Israel, we are cutting o ff our own spiritual branches. F or the branches cannot live on a dead tree. In these days o f preparation the Lord is sending out the “ man with the ink-horn” who is m arking those who sigh and cry for the abom inations th at are taking place in the m idst o f Jerusalem . Read Ezekiel 9:1-11. In verse 2 it tells about “ one man among them was clothed with linen, with a w riter’s inkhorn by his side:’’who is about to leave the brazen altar — the place o f judgm ent — and as the glory o f God lifts from the cherub and 12

moves to the threshold o f the house, he goes through the m idst o f the city, and the m idst o f Jerusalem , and sets a m ark upon the foreheads o f the men th at sigh and that cry for all abom inations th at are being done in the m idst thereof. Im m ediately after th at, “ six m en” (antichrist system ), each w ith a slaughter weapon in his hand, will go after the m an w ith th e inkhom and will sm ite w ithout pity, killing old and young, both maids and little children and wom en, b u t they will n o t come near anyone th at has the m ark o f the in k h o m on them . So terrible will be this outpouring of G od’s w rath, that the courts o f the holy places will be filled w ith the slain. The terrible tribulation is the outpouring o f G od’s w rath on all the careless and indifferent who are not living in the heat o f the Spirit o f God and under His m ighty anointing. It will begin in the house of God and finish w ith the ungodly. It will remove m ultitudes o ff the face o f the earth. Only if you are hidden in “ the cleft o f the rock” will you be safe. Only if you have the m ark o f the one w ho has had a face-to-face experience with God, will you escape this judgm ent. God said to Abraham , “ In Isaac shall thy seed be called.” (Genesis 21:12) But that is n o t enough. Esau was also the son o f Isaac, but he was not chosen. It is not enough to say y o u are a Christian in these coming days. You cannot hide behind who your father is. Y ou need to m eet God on your own. Only after Peniel was Jacob marked as a prince o f God. Up until th at tim e, even he did not have G od’s mark, though he was Isaac’s son also. That was the difference between him and Esau. Esau was a son of Isaac b u t he didn’t have the m ark. So it is today; there are m any “ sons of A braham ” in religious organizations, but not all are going to have this mark o f divine princely inheritance upon their m anner of going. Only as we walk with the walk of Israel (holiness u n to the Lord) will we be G od’s chosen seed.

A NATION FROM THE MIDST OF A NATION In D euteronom y 4:32-34 we read, “ ...ask now of the days that are past, which were before thee, since the day that God created man upon the earth, and ask from the one side o f heaven u n to the other, w hether there hath been any such thing as this great thing is, or hath been heard like it? Did ever people hear the voice o f God speaking out o f the m idst o f the fire, as thou hast heard, and live? Or hath God assayed to go and take him a natio n from the m idst o f another nation by tem ptations, by signs and by .wonders, and by war, and by a m ighty hand, and by a stretched o ut arm, and by great terrors, according to all th at the Lord your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes?” This scripture applies to us, spiritual Israel, today. God says you should look into the past and look on this earth from one end to the other. Can you rem em ber any thing happening like w hat is happening now? What is m ore, God says, “ Look right up into the heavens, from one end o f the heavens to the other, Has anything ever hap pened like w hat I’ve done?” Where did G od do it, and when did it all begin?

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G od did n o t begin th at great nation o f Israel when Moses led them o u t o f Egypt. It started over 400 years earlier, when Jacob wrestled with God. Som etimes, it seems th at your travail is all for nothing. You travail, and then you wait for years after y o u have prayed through, before you see God fulfill His promises to you. But God will fulfill His word to you. None o f His promises will fall to the ground. Even as natural Israel was born in the hour o f travail, through great personal agony and testings and wrestling, and w ith a m iraculous deliverance, so the spiritual Israel will also come fo rth in the same way. Even as God called Israel out of idolatrous Egypt through a great deliverer who w rought mighty signs and wonders, God is going to bring o ut spiritual Israel through the great deliverer, Jesus Christ, Himself, with m ighty signs and w onders. God is going to lead us out w ith a “ high hand ’ and with signs and wonders and a fiery cloud and a pillar of G od’s protection by day and by night. The sea will p art and God will make a way for us. As God spoke to them and gave them His law, He is speaking again and writing His new law o f love in our hearts. Deuteronom y 4 :3 4 tells us how God prepared His nation from the m idst o f another nation...by TEMPTATIONS, SIGNS, WONDERS, WAR, A MIGHTY HAND, A STRETCHED OUT ARM and GREAT TERRORS. Let us look at these different m ethods which God is going to use to bring us into His victorious spiritual Israel. T em ptation: How m any of us have been going through fiery tem ptations! Even as Jesus was m et by Satan in the wilderness and tem pted three times, in every aspect of life, we, too, are going to go through trem endous tem ptations. They will be the kind we have never even dream ed possible. Only if we have been living a life o f fasting will we be able to overcom e this time in our lives, and come o ut w ithout being marred and scarred. Signs and W onders: God is going to prove Himself m ighty to us by m any signs and wonders. Our lives will be filled w ith miracles. The walk o f faith will become the norm al way of living. We will have answers to prayer as never before in our lives. God is going to show Him self strong on our behalf. War: While it is true th at in this time there will be wars and rum ours o f war, still the war that I know we will all go through is spiritual warfare. This warfare is coming right down into the churches, the homes, organizations and in our personal lives. t

A Mighty Hand, a Stretched O ut Arm: God is going to show His m ighty hand on our behalf. We will see His glory and His power working in judgm ent and in w rath as well as in victory and blessing. Great Terrors: There will be dangers and terrors, the kind o f which we have never known on the face o f this earth which will be caused by the act of man and by the act of 14

God. There will be such terro r throughout the whole world that m en’s hearts will fail them for the fear o f all these things which shall come upon the earth.

CHOSEN AND INSTRUCTED BY GOD D euteronom y 4 :3 5 : “ U nto thee it was shewed, th at thou m ightest know th at the Lord he is G od; there is none else beside him .” D euteronom y 4:36: “ O ut o f heaven he made thee to hear his voice, that he might instruct thee: and upon earth he shewed thee his great fire; and thou heardest his words out o f th e m idst o f the fire.” What is He doing in your life? He is instructing you. God cannot instruct most people because m en are so busy instructing them , that they cannot hear the voice of God. Even the greatest Bible schools and seminaries in the world cannot instruct you like the Holy Spirit can. It is when we sit at the feet o f Jesus, like Mary of old, that He will reveal the secrets of heaven to us. You will n o t only learn the deep truths of heaven, but also how you should go, and the will o f the Lord and the plan o f God for your life. God is still speaking to spiritual Israel and He is showing His great fire of Pentecost right here on earth and like Moses, we can hear G od’s voice talking to us out o f the fire.

OUR GODLY FO REFA THERS D euteronom y 4:37: “ And because he loved thy fathers, therefore he chose their seed after them , and brought thee out in his sight with his m ighty pow er out o f Egypt.” O ur forefathers are going to receive a part o f the inheritance w ith us also. They have not paid the price o f rejection, holiness and self-denial in vain. O ur spiritual mothers-in-Israel are going to see the answer to their travail and tears and our spiritual fathers are going to be rewarded for their fasting and their holiness. I rem em ber in the days o f yesterday, th at in ou r churches we used to have a room set apart as the Prayer Room . This was G od’s power-house, His “ delivery room .” It was never visited by the crowds, but you would always find some spiritual “ m others and fathers” dow n on their knees praying and getting hold o f God. When I walked inside, I could ju st feel the pow er o f God; it was like electricity all over the place. Sinners walked softly there! You don’t find them in m any churches these days. We have fine kitchens with stainless steel appliances, beautiful choir lofts, the m ost costly o f pianos and organs and the m ost com fortable pews. The carpets are o f thick pile and designed to m atch the robes of th e choir but the old fashioned prayer room s where the travailing o f the 15

saints ascended into the heavens are strangely missing.

VICTORIOUS ISRAEL D euteronom y 4 :3 8 , “ To drive out nations from before thee greater and mightier than th o u art, to bring thee in, to give thee their land for an inheritance, as it is this day.” This is what it is all about. This is the purpose o f G od calling together the spiritual tribes o f Israel...to give them their possessions and drive out enemies who are greater and m ightier than they are. The devil has been in control long enough; it is tim e for us to take the kingdom. God is getting us ready to take over the lands which today are in th e grip o f Com m unist dictatorship and Islamic fanaticism. He wants to set the people free to worship Him, the one true God, Jehovah, in the spirit o f tru th and love. I feel that natural Israel is a type o f what we are going to do in spiritual Israel. Just as they flew in to Uganda and rescued the plane load of hostages from Entebbe, we will move w ith the speed o f lightning to do the works o f deliverance o f our God, worldwide. We are going to go into the prisons and concentration camps and rescue out people w ho are in peril. One o f these days we are going to get our “ Ho ly Ghost wings” and they will find us in Siberia, opening the prison doors, saying to the captive, “ Come o u t!” The Lord is preparing us to proclaim liberty to the captives.

TRANSLATION OF SAINTS You say, “ Sister Gwen, do you think you could be translated over to Siberia to open prison camps and let the prisoners o u t?” Yes, I do! Let me tell you a wonderful true story. I had the privilege when I was in London, England, o f m eeting some o f the Lord’s elect saints. The Lord’s elect are n o t always the fam ous, well-known people Most o f them are the little, hidden, secret intercessors who are unknow n in this world. While I was there I m et a sister whose name is Margaret. She loves the Lord, and is a prayer warrior. One Sunday afternoon she was in her room praying and resting, and all o f a sudden she found herself in another land. Instead of the cold, bleak, English w eather, she found herself walking on the beautiful, sunny slopes o f the foothills o f some high m ountain. The grass was green and the sun was shining. It was warm and beauti ful. Standing near her was som eone who resembled the Lord. He showed her a cage and inside o f that locked cage was a woman with oriental features. He said to her, 16

“ Open the cage, and set her free.” The wom an had been locked in there and left alone so th at she w ould starve to death. Margaret opened the cage and released her. She was greatly relieved and full o f thanks to M argaret b u t before Margaret could say anything m ore, she found herself back in her room in London. Margaret said to m e, “ Sister G w en, I don’t know if it was in m y natural body, or my spirit th at I w ent there, because there was nobody there to witness w hether I had left my room or not. But I feel th at I w ent there m yself.” Then she asked me a question, “ Is there a place in the world where they lock people in a cage and leave them to starve to death?” I said, “ O f course, there is. They do th at in Tibet and Mongolia all the time. They do n o t w ant to be responsible for killing anyone because they are Buddhists, so they lock them in a cage and leave them there until they literally starve to death.” I have seen some o f these cages m yself when I was in Lhasa, Tibet. In the trem endous story about a Russian soldier called Vanya, Myrna G rant tells how one night V anya was taken physically by an angel up to heaven where he m et the A postle John and spoke to him. When he returned to his barracks after a night in heaven, his com rade in the bed next to him w anted to know where he had gone in the night, because he had not been in th e room all night long. The sentry on duty said that no one had left the room. This is a story that you need to read.* Paul says in II Corinthians 12:2-4, “ I knew a man in Christ above fourteen years ago, (w hether in the body, I cannot tell; or w hether out o f the body, I cannot tell: God know eth;)...H ow th at he was caught up into paradise, and heard unspeakable words, which it is n o t lawful for a man to u tte r.” We are the seed of Abraham by faith, and Galatians 3:8 tells us that through us the nations o f the world shall be blessed. The blessing will come through us and the judgm ent will come through us.

A PECULIAR PEOPLE D euteronom y 14:2 describes what kind of a people we shall be. “ For thou art an holy people u n to the Lord thy G od, and the Lord hath chosen thee to be a peculiar people u nto himself, above all the nations th a t are upon the earth .” The Hebrew word used here for “ peculiar” is cegullah which means “ to shut up, wealth, jewel, peculiar treasure, proper, good, special, beyond the ordinary.” In D euteronom y 7:6 we read, “ F or thou art an holy people u nto the Lord thy God: the Lord th y God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all *“ V anya” by Myrna G rant available from End-Time Handm aidens, P.O. Box 447, Jasper, ARK 72641 for S5.95 plus postage and handling.-

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people th a t are vpon the face o f the earth.” Jesus said, “ Ye are the light o f the w orld.” (M atthew 5:14) God has chosen us to be His light-bearers, His m orning star, shining in the dark night, announcing to the world th at th e daylight will soon break through. To have light is to have life. John 1:4 says, “ In him was life; and the life was the light o f m en.” So light is life and life is light, and if we are peculiar people and lightbearing people, then we are also light-producing and life-producing people. O f John The B aptist it is said, “ He came to bear witness o f the Light.” The word “ bear” does not only m ean “ to carry,” it also means “ to produce.” There are m any scriptures th at confirm th a t we are the Lord’s peculiar treasure. Peter said it in I Peter 2:9, “ Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises o f him who hath called you o ut o f darkness into his marvellous light.” Paul, in Titus 2:14 said, “ ...Jesus Christ; Who gave him self for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify u nto him self a peculiar people, zealous o f good works.”

LAUGHTER AND HAPPINESS IS LIGHT AND LIFE In Genesis 21:12 we read, “ In Isaac shall thy seed be called.” As I m entioned earlier, Abraham had m any sons, not only Ishmael and Isaac. A fter Sarah died, he married K eturah and had sons by her. In Genesis 25:2 six o f his sons by K eturah are m entioned. In verses 3 and 4 his grandsons by these six sons are also m entioned. Then, in verse 6 we read, “ But unto the sons o f the concubines, which Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts and sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, eastward, unto the east co u n try .” Yes, although A braham had m any sons, God chose only Isaac, “ Laughter.” This glorious tru th m eans th at n o t only out o f personal agony, personal travail, will Israel be b o m , b u t also out o f laughter, praise and rejoicing. If we only travail, agonize and suffer, we will have only one wing. A bird or plane w ith only one wing gets exactly nowhere! Stretch y o u r wings, daughters and sons o f the living God! God is calling you out o f joy and out o f agony. D on’t let your jo y ever be an em barrassm ent to you. Sometimes when the devil sees that you are happy, he m akes you feel guilty about it. He comes along and says, “ You ought to cry m ore. Y ou ought to m ourn m ore, you ought to weep m ore. You will be m ore holy if you go around with a long and sober face m aking everyone else m iserable.” The devil doesn’t w ant us to be happy any more than he wanted Isaac to be bom . When he sees us rejoicing and stretching out that wing o f happiness he gets all upset w ith us. Every tim e you get a blessing and 18

come hom e happy from a great Holy G host convention he is waiting for you behind the kitchen door...tail and all! It is warfare! And God said He would call His people through warfare. Hebrews 11:17,18 says, “ By faith A braham , when he was tried, offered up Isaac: and he th a t had received the promises offered up his only begotten son, O f whom it was said, T hat in Isaac shall th y seed be called:” The New Testam ent confirm s w hat the Old T estam ent announces. We have to be willing to do w hat Abraham did. If you w ant to be an Israelite, you’ve got to be willing not only to endure y our personal agony, b u t also to offer up your Isaac (your joy). Can you lay y our Isaac upon the altar and give him to the Lord? Can you give the dearest thing in your life back to God, together with all the promises th at you feel God has given to you?

WHY DID GOD CHOOSE JACOB INSTEAD OF ESAU? Why did G od choose Jacob instead o f Esau? Is God fair? Didn’t he say that He was no respecter o f persons? Is He a liar when He says in one place th at He is no respecter o f persons and in another He says, “ Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated.” ? (R om ans 9:13) There is an interesting scripture in Jerem iah 4 9 :1 0 th at may help to answer this question. “ I have made Esau bare, 1 have uncovered his secret places, and he shall not be able to hide himself: his seed is spoiled, and his brethren, and his neighbours, and he is n o t.” The word “ spoiled” comes from the Hebrew word shadad which means “ spoiled, destroyed, dead.” When the seed has no life in it, it cannot reproduce. Strong seed produces strong life. It is through trials and tribulations and testings and self-denial th at we become strong. Look at the life of Esau! What do you see? When he was hungry, did he deny himself? No. He sold his birthright for a mess of pottage, because he could n o t deny the lust o f the flesh. When he lost the birthright, he lost the blessing. He was a strong man and a great hunter, but he was weak spiritually. He was also a lustful man. He ran ahead o f God and chose his own wives out o f Edom. You will rem em ber th at they were a grief to his m other Rebecca and his father Isaac all the days o f their lives. He tried to m ake up for it at the end by m arrying one o f Ishm ael’s daughters, b u t there is a tim e when it is ju st too late! Esau never had the strength to grow into the plan and purpose o f God. There was a m oral weakness in him. A m an who cannot deny his belly, cannot deny his body. Many people who have a problem conquering their spirit o f lust would find th at they w ould win a great victory over their problem s if they would fast. 19

Do n ot hide behind your faults and say, “ I am weak.” No! Get hold o f the horns o f the altar and God will make you strong. Esau was weak all through his life. He was a good m an in m any respects, and in some ways he was ired above Jacob. There was a sweetness and tenderness in Esau th at I love to see, because .he forgave Jacob in the end, and th a t was beautiful. But the tragedy is th at his seed “ was spoiled” ... and it fell before its tim e. He was n o t developed into m aturity and righteousness because he did not endure tribulation. He did n o t await God’s appointed time. Many Christians are doing the same today. May God help us to deny the flesh so th at we can possess the promises o f God.

GOD CHANGES A NAME In II Kings 17:34 we read th at God gave Jacob his name, Israel. It doesn’t help to change your name if God doesn’t change it. But if God changes your name, then it is an indication that He has done a work o f grace in your life. It is a positive word of confession and it will take you a long way. It means that God has a new plan for your life. When a woman gets m arried, she usually changes her name. This is a sign that she is starting all over again. When God changes your name, He is giving you a new be ginning. God does it, because He wants to give you a new life. Yesterday’s child has grown up and you cannot carry it around forever. So God has named His people, and we have been nam ed spiritual Israel. And in spiritual Israel, we have our identity in the tribes. It is im portant to know what your name is in the tribes, w hether you are Judah, or R euben, or Manasseh, or Issachar or Zebulun, or whatever. You need to know your identity.

A REDEEMED AND CHOSEN PEOPLE In II Samuel 7:23 we read, “ And what one nation in the earth is like thy people, even like Israel, w hom God went to redeem for a people to himself, and to make him a name, and to do for you great things and terrible, for thy land, before thy people, which thou redeem edst to thee from Egypt, from the nations and their gods?” God redeemed us for a people to Himself, to make God a name, and n o t to make ourselves a name. We live for the glory o f God alone. Isn t it wonderful th at my life gives God a reputation! G od’s reputation depends on me! II Samuel 7:10 says, “ Moreover I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them , th a t they m ay dwell in a place o f their ow n, and move no m ore; neither shall the children o f wickedness afflict them any m ore, as beforetim e.” This means th a t you will know where you belong. In verse 11 He says, “ Also the Lord telleth thee th a t He will make thee an house.” You will know what y our in 20

heritance is, y o u r fam ily or tribe...your house. God redeem ed you, so th a t you will know y our own place in God. We need to know where we belong in the plan o f God. If we know w hat G od wants us to be or to do, then we do n o t need to envy what som ebody else is called to do. Many people are critical about the fact that I am the preacher in the family. think m y husband Jim should be the preacher. Jim doesn’t feel th a t way at all. happy to be the p ilot o f our plane, to do a lot of the inistrative work, and treasurer for the End-Time Handm aidens and “ papa” to our big family. Now I never fly the plane, I cannot do ing (never was good at arithm etic) and never play the p art o f papa to ou r family.

They He is to be could could

A PEOPLE WITH A SPECIAL MINISTRY People w ho try to change our status are fools. God puts each o f us in the place He has planned for us from eternity. I know I am in G od’s perfect will and my hus band knows th at he is in G od’s perfect will. We are b oth happy, and so is the Lord. God says, “ I will plant them th at they may have a place o f their ow n.” God is doing the planting. I cannot plant you. You have got to get yourself planted by God and you will know when you are planted by Him and you will be content, and your soul will be at rest. When you are planted, you will have roots which becom e strong and give life to the branches. Som eone has said, “ Grow where you are planted.” I like th at. Sometimes we say, “ But 1 d o n ’t like where I am planted.” The distant pastures look greener to us. But if we will let God fulfill our lives in whatever place He places us, we will be content and our lives will be w orth living. “ N either shall the children o f wickedness afflict them as before tim e.” Read Exodus 6:6-8. “ W herefore say u n to the children of Israel, I am the Lord, and I will bring you o ut from under the burdens o f the Egyptians, and I will rid you out o f their bon dage, and I will redeem you w ith a stretched out arm , and with great judgm ents: And I will take you to m e for a people, and I will be to you a G od: and ye shall know that I am the Lord y o u r G od, which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning the which I did swear to give it to Abraham , to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it you for an heritage: I am the L ord.” God promises to bring us o u t from under the burden of the “ Egyptians” . We have no right to carry the burdens of our form er life or those who were involved with it. M any grandparents carry the burdens o f “ the Egyptians” . Sometimes it grieves my soul, because grandm a has to stay hom e and babysit while m amma and daddy or son and daughter-in-law go o ff on some kind o f drinking party or a week-end o f gambling 21

in Las Vegas. Many wrong marriages have brought terrible burdens upon the older mem bers o f the fam ily. Sin in the lives o f the children has robbed the parents o f peace in their old age. O lder women who should be able to rest and enjoy their sunset years have to bear the burden o f the sins o f their family. Jesus said, “ Let the dead bury their dead; b u t go thou and preach the kingdom o f God.” (Luke 9:60) God doesn’t want you to build the tom bs o f the dead and plant flowers by the graves. He wants you to go out and serve Him by taking the words o f life to the nations. God can give you a place in the front lines even in your old age. I have seen seventy-year-old men go to the mission field and preach the Gospel in great power and anointing. God has said He would bring us into the land which He has promised us and that we will have a heritage in it. You have been chosen for a future m inistry. God has a plan for your life which is wonderful. Do not let the sins o f others hold you back. Do not let the bondages th at others are in. tie you up. If they want to make a prison for themselves, then th at is their doing, but your God has set you free. “ He whom the Son sets free, is free indeed.” (John 8:36) Do not let the spiritual blindness and m isinterpretation of the scriptures that others are entangled in bog you down. Many are bogged down by m ates who are living in sin. False teachers tell G od's daughters that they m ust “ go along” with their un saved and rebellious husbands even to houses of sin. This is not the teaching of the ~Bible. I refuse to sow the seed of wickedness. I want to sow the healthy seed of the righteous; I want to walk with God.

A PEOPLE WHO CANNOT BE CURSED In Numbers 23:23 we read a scripture for which I always thank God, “ Surely there is no enchantm ent against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel: according to this tim e it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel. What hath God w rought!” God has chosen Himself a people who cannot be cursed and upon whom witch craft and sorcery will not work. We are living in a day when Satanism is taking over the world. There is much o f it even in so-called Christian nations. I have even seen it invade churches. Christians have come to me saying, “ Sister Gwen, someone has put a curse on me since I w-as a child. My grandm other worshipped the devil, now there is a spell on me. How can I get free?” I always take them to Num bers 23:23. In verse 11 we read how Balak had hired Balaam to curse Israel. Every kind o f pressure was brought upon him to get him to curse G od’s people b u t he was unable to do it. Instead he blessed them three times. I rem ember an interesting thing that happened to me one tim e as I was minis tering. A man and tw o women came into the service. I could im m ediately sense that they had only come to “ check me o u t.” Their critical spirit was easily visible by their 22

facial expressions. When the preaching was over and the altar call had been given prayed with th e people around the altar for a while. Then I went and sat at the piano and started playing and singing to help w ith the spirit o f worship. Suddenly, I saw these three leave th e back o f the church and head straight for me. They came and stood behind m e. I could feel the hair o f my head alm ost standing up, b u t I kept right on playing and singing and quietly asking the Lord to cover me w ith His precious blood to protect me from all false confessions or enchantm ents th a t they m ight try to work against me. Suddenly one o f them began to “ prophesy” over me. The “ prophecy” began with accusations and condem nation. But I kept on pleading the Blood o f Jesus to cover me. Suddenly I noticed th at the prophecy changed and instead o f being w hat it had started o u t to be, it tu rn ed into a blessing. I have received letters which started o u t with the same spirit o f accusation and condem nation, b u t the second page was com pletely different. It was as if a different person had w ritten the second page. God had turned it around. Num bers 2 3 :1 0 says, “ Who can count the dust of Jacob, and the num ber of the fo u rth part o f Israel? Let me die the death o f the righteous, and let my last end be like his!” Praise the Lord! We have a wonderful end. The devil’s prophet had to look into the future and see the glory o f God that is going to be upon the end-time days of Israel and he had to exclaim , “ Oh, if only my end would be like th a t!” Even the devil has to it that it is going to end up great for us. Numbers 23:8, “ How shall I curse, whom God hath not cursed? or how shall I defy, whom the Lord hath not defied?” The word “ d efy ” comes from the Hebrew word zaam which means “ to abhor, to be angry w ith, to foam at the m o u th .” Foam ing at the m outh is often associated w ith dem on possession. T hat scripture shows me that the dem ons cannot even foam at the m outh against G od’s anointed. Numbers 23 :9 , “ For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from the hills I be hold him: lo, the people shall dwell alone, and shall n o t be reckoned among the na tions.” God has called us to separation. We are n o t just another nation. We are a chosen people, a royal priesthood. Like the tribe o f Levi, the Lord is our inheritance.

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A PEOPLE WHOM GOD HAS BLESSED Num bers 2 3 :1 1 , “ ...thou hast blessed them altogether.” The devil and all the dem ons o f hell cannot change the blessing o f God. Hallelujah! Verse 19 says, “ God is n o t a m an. th at he should lie:...hath he said, and shall he n o t do it? or h ath he spoken, and shall he n o t make it good?” N um bers 2 3 :2 0 , “ Behold, I have received com m andm ent to bless: and he hath blessed; and I cannot reverse it.” Satan cannot reverse it. We are living in the end-tim e when the devil is going to do everything he can to reverse the prophecies o f God and the promises o f God, b u t he can’t because it is locked into gear.

A PEOPLE WHO CANNOT BE DESTROYED Let us return again to Num bers 23:23. “ Surely there is no enchantm ent against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel:” Unless you know this is the truth, d o n ’t you ever try to go to a mission field. Every kind of devil and demon will work against you to destroy you in these pagan countries. I thank G od that in all the years that I have served Him since 1947 and in all the nations (over 70) I have never seen Satan m ore powerful than my God. He has surely destroyed every evil work that the devil has tried to work against me. We have an Indian End-Time Handm aiden, Kusum lata Rana, who goes into some of the m ost difficult areas o f the world, where whole villages are given over to devilworship, and there she preaches Jesus Christ. She could write books about her expe riences. Many o f them are so evil that missionaries and men preachers refuse to go to them ; b u t this handm aiden bears the call to go to them , and when she knows th at the Lord has sent h er...o ff she goes and God has used her to pull down m any strongholds of Satan. She is fearless because she knows that as she stays under the Blood o f Jesus, no divination can w ork against her. This type o f w itchcraft and satanic trickery is n o t lim ited to India. Right in Canada a story was told me about a couple o f missionaries who were working among the Canadian native Indians in the province o f British Columbia. Those Indian^ tried to get rid o f the missionaries. They gave them some big juicy steaks o f m eat to eat. When the missionaries cooked them , they sat down to eat b u t suddenly they were not hungry. They couldn’t touch the food. The one said, “ I’m ju st n o t hungry.” The other one said, “ N either am I.” They said to each other, “ This m eat is ju st too good to waste; we’ll just p u t it away until tom orrow .” They had a little dog who was hungry and begging for som ething to eat so they cut o ff a little piece for him. He gulped it down, 24

and the next m inute he dropped, dead. God had p ro tected their lives by taking away their appetite. God is able to protect us in m any, m any ways from every evil attack o f Satan1. Num bers 2 3 :2 4 , “ Behold, the people shall rise up as a great lion, and lift up him self as a young lion: he shall n o t lie down until he eat o f the prey, and drink the blood o f the slain.” That scripture m eans full and com plete victory for G od’s end-tim e arm y. The lion is the king o f the beasts. He will n o t go to sleep hungry. The victory shall be his before he goes to rest. We have a w ork to do and we are going to finish it before we go to our rest.

A PERFECT PEOPLE Num bers 2 4 :3 , “ And he took up his parable, and said, Balaam the son o f Beor hath said, and th e man whose eyes are open hath said: He hath said, which heard the words o f God, w hich saw the vision o f the Alm ighty, falling into a trance, but having his eyes open: How goodly are thy tents, O Jacob, and th y tabernacles, O Israel! As the valleys are th ey spread forth, as the gardens by the river’s side, as the trees o f lign aloes which the Lord hath planted, and as cedar trees beside the waters. He shall pour the w ater out o f his buckets, and his seed shall be in m any waters, and his king shall be higher than Agag, and his kingdom shall be exalted. God brought him forth o ut of Egypt; he h ath as it were the strength o f an unicom : he shall eat up the nations his enemies, and shall break their bones, and pierce them through w ith his arrows. He couched, he lay dow n as a lion, and as a great lion: who shall stir him up? Blessed is he that blesseth thee, and cursed is he th at curseth thee.” This prom ise is for you, spiritual Israel. God sees us through the blood o f His Son, Jesus. T hat is how He can say these beautiful things . He does n o t see sin in our tents. He sees only His w onderful grace. We are as the garden by the river side, as the cedar trees that are always green. O ur wells are filled w ith water th at is constantly being poured o u t on the dry ground and our king (Jesus) is greater than any other king. G od will bless all who bless us and He will curse those who curse us. Numbers 24:17-20, “ I shall see him, b u t n o t now: I shall behold him, b u t not nigh: there shall come a Star o u t o f Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise o u t o f Israel, and shall smite the com ers o f M oab, and destroy all the children o f Sheth. And Edom shall be a possession, Seir also shall be a possession for his enemies; and Israel shall do valiantly. O ut o f Jacob shall come he th a t shall have dom inion, and shall destroy him that rem aineth o f the city .”

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A PEOPLE WHOSE KING IS THE STAR OF JACOB AND THE SCEPTRE OF ISRAEL Praise G od, the Star o f Jacob and the Sceptre o f Israel has already risen over our lives. He has liberated us from all enemies and we will not be destroyed because we have Him as our King. Truly He is the King of Kings and the Lord o f Lords! King Balak who had called Balaam to curse Israel, was the king o f Moab. (Num bers 22:4) But w hen God turned the curse into a blessing, He also cursed Moab. Numbers 24:17 says, “ And shall smite the com ers o f Moab, and destroy all the children o f Sheth.” Sheth is Seth. When Balaam prophesied this judgm ent against Seir and Moab, he was prophesying against those who had called him to prophesy against Israel. The very axe they put in his hand was used against them . That is how God takes the sword o u t o f the hand o f the enem y and uses it on the enemy. All these records of the past are w ritten for us so that we can know the greatness of God. The Old Testam ent is a shadow o f what God was planning for eternity. The Word was given by God through angels and scribes until the time when God Himself would come in the person o f Immanuel and be the fulfillm ent o f the type. He was not only the fulfillm ent o f the tabernacle and priesthood, He was also the fulfillm ent o f the law. That is why He could say in M atthew 5:17. “ Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets; I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.” Glory to God! It is im portant that you understand what the teaching o f the tribes is all about. It’s impossible for you to understand that you are the fulfillm ent of the tribes, if you don’t see that God has done everything by types and shadows. The shadow is not the real thing. The shadow is only a very vague indication o f the real thing. Revelation 7 :3,4, “ ...H urt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants o f our God in their foreheads. And I heard the num ber o f them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel.”

144,000 ARE CHOSEN FOR RULERSHIP FROM THE EARTH Here we see w here God is getting His spiritual Israel ready. This is the voice of the Lord speaking to the angels, telling them th at there is a group o f people, 144,000, who will be m arked for deliverance when the judgm ent begins to fall. God forbids them to pour o ut the vials o f wrath, until He has securely m arked them . There are 12,000 o f each tribe. Twelve is the num ber o f “ perfect governm ent.” God is getting people ready who will govern. The num ber 144 speaks o f “ spirit-guided life.” God cannot have a perfect governm ent, until those who are in governm ent office live a spirit-guided life. 26

America m akes a great deal out of electing a Christian m an as president, b u t un less th a t Christian m an is guided by the Holy Spirit in his decisions, he will bring as great a calamity upon this nation as any other wise sinner. I have seen those who call themselves Christian, n o t only in politics, b u t also in the m inistry who have done more harm to the kingdom o f God than sinners. So God is going to do the selecting and choosing for this great com pany o f 144,000. N either you, nor I, will be able to choose according to ou r personal likes or dislikes. It says in Revelation th at they are “ sealed.” The word “sealed” in Greek is the word sphragizo w hich means “ to stam p for security or preservation, to keep secret, to attest, to seal up, to sto p .” It identifies the elect group as being “ servants o f G od.” Rem em ber that Jesus said, “ But he th a t is greatest among you shall be your servant.” (M atthew 23:11) He did n ot com m and the angels to seal up the missionaries and evangelists, etc., but the servants. If you w ant God to count you in, then roll up your sleeves and get to work in the hum ble tasks. There is always a m inistry for everyone. U nfortunately, many only w ant to preach, and because they do n ot have that anointing they become dis gruntled with life and becom e bitter. God needs m ore scrubbers and carpenters than He needs preachers.

144,000 SEEN IN HEAVEN (MT. ZION) Revelation 14:1, “ ...I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the m ount Sion,and w ithhim an hundred fo rty and four thousand, having his F a th er’s name w ritten in their foreheads.” The group th a t we see here is another picture of the same 144,000. Why do I say that? Because it is identified with the same m ark o f identification, the spirit-guided life in divine governm ent m inistry. The first 144,000 is seen by John as being on this earth ju st before the tribulation breaks out. The second 144,000 he sees on M ount Zion, established in its divine place o f governm ent. I believe that the first is before the tribulation and the other is after. Their F ather’s name is w ritten in their fore heads ... th at is, in their minds. The Lamb is standing w ith them . T hat m eans that Jesus is right beside them . The signature o f God is upon their minds, causing them to do only that which God would have them to do. Jesus said, “ I seek n o t mine own will, b u t the will o f the. F ather which hath sent m e.” (John 5:30) Many times He said that He could only do w hat the F ather wanted Him to do. This com pany o f believers will be selected for sealing because they will have the same spirit as Jesus had, absolute obedience to th e Father.

THEY HAVE A NEW SONG Revelation 14:2,3, “ And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice o f m any waters, and as the voice o f a great thunder: and I heard the voice o f harpers harping with their harps: A nd they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn th at song b u t the 144,000 which were redeemed from the earth .” They were a people redeem ed from this earth, they were not angels. They sang a very special celestial song which only they could sing. This was the song about their life and their experiences. There is som ething about them th at qualifies them in a way th at no one else is qualified. The fact th at they are on the heavenly M ount Zion is a sign th a t they are identified with Israel.

THEY ARE UNDEFILED Revelation 14:4, “ These are they which were not defiled with wom en; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among m en, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. The scripture gives us a little more inform ation about this ruling com pany o f ser vants o f God. They are not defiled. They are virgins. We see both men and women in this great company. Men who had not been defiled and who are virgins. So, this com pany is not excluded to men or women alone. Their life is holy and dedicated to God. They follow the Lam b in absolute obedience, even u nto death. I do not believe that this means that you have to live a life of celibacy to belong to this group. It is not through works o f o u r own, but only through the grace of God working a work o f ab solute obedience and dedication in our lives, through love. They are the pure in heart. II Corinthians 11:2, “ F o r I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have es poused you to one husband, th at I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.” Paul called the saints “ chaste virgins.”

THEY ARE THE “ FIRST-FRUITS COMPANY” They are called “ the first-fruits unto God and to the Lam b.” The first-fruits were the first ripened fruit or grain o f the harvest. And they were gathered up while the rest o f the harvest remained for a while in the field. The first-fruit was brought into the temple and given as a special offering to the priests.

THEIR WORDS ARE WITHOUT GUILE Revelation 14:5, “ And in their m outh was found no guile: for they are w ithout 28

fault before the throne o f G od.” James said, “ .„ If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect m an, and able also to bridle the whole body.” (Jam es 3:2) It is in simple ways that man reaches perfection, and n o t in being able to do some great trem endous thing. God has made the way to sainthood so easy th at even a child can come in through that door.

CONCLUSION In closing, I’d like to quote Colossians 2:17, “ ...Which are a shadow o f things to com e; but the body is o f C hrist.” Paul is saying that all the laws and rituals o f Israel are only a shadow o f things to come. We have now come to that hour when all things are about to be fulfilled. Ezekiel 36 :8 , “ But ye, O m ountains o f Israel, ye shall shoot forth your branches, and yield your fruit to my people of Israel, for they are at hand to com e.” As surely as natural Israel is being gathered in, so the spiritual Israel is coming in to find their place in the spiritual tribal possessions. The cry of Isaiah rings out today, clear and plain, “ Return for thy servants’ sake, the tribes o f thine inheritance.” (Isaiah 63:17) In Ezekiel 4 5 :8 , the prophet prophesies, “ ...and the rest of the land shall they give to the house o f Israel according to the tribes.” Surely the tribes will possess their possessions. Hosea 5:9 says, “ ...among the tribes o f Israel have I made known that which shall surely be.’ It is tim e for us to know the prophecies that concern us in this our day. Zechariah 9:1 says that the eyes o f all the tribes o f Israel shall be tow ards the Lord. And in closing, David the psalmist says, “ Jerusalem is builded as a city that is com pact together: W hither the tribes go up, the tribes o f the Lord, unto the testim ony o f Israel, to give thanks unto the name o f the L ord.” (Psalm 122:3,4) As you find y our identity in the tribes, you find your identity in Israel. There is a great bond o f love for natural Israel that God plants in your heart. You will feel the Spirit o f God tugging at your heart and pulling you up to Jerusalem to worship the Lord again and again.

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NOTES

APPENDIX TO INTRODUCTION TO THE TRIBES

GENEOLOGY OF THE TRIBES

Noah (lived 950 years)

Shem

Japheth became father o f Gomer Magog Madai Javan Tubal Meshech Tiras

Ham (his wife was a descendant of Cain, m other o f all giants in the land o f Canaan)

A rphaxad (438 years) Salah (433 years) Eber (464 years) Peleg (239 years)

Joktan

Reu (239 years) Serug (230 years) Nahor (148 years) Terah (205 years) Abraham (Sarah) (Genesis 1 1:29; 20: 12)

Ishmael

Isaac

Esau

Nahor (Milcah)

Haran (died early in the land o f Chaldea). Genesis 1 1:26-28

Bethuel

Milcah and Lot

Laban, Rebekah (Isaac) (Genesis 24:15,29) Jacob

Leah

Rachel

Reuben Levi Simeon Judah Dan Naphtali Gad Asher Issachar Zebulun Joseph Benjamin

(Leah) (Leah) (Leah) (Leah) (Bilhah, Rachel’s handm aiden) (Bilhah) (Zilpah, Leah’s handm aiden) (Zilpah) (Leah) (Leah) (Rachel) (Rachel)

THE STANDARDS OF THE TRIBES In Num bers 2 we read th a t the twelve tribes encamped and m arched under four standards. (Levi is n o t counted here because this tribe did not go to war.) The standards were as follows: 1. Lion - East - Num. 2:3 - Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun 2. Man - S outh - Num. 2:10 - Reuben, Simeon, and Gad 3. Ox - West - Num. 2:18 — Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin 4. Eagle - N orth - Num b. 2:25 - Dan, Asher, and Naphtali It is interesting to see the way these four standards are also fulfilled in the four Gospels, as M atthew , Mark, Luke and John reveal four different aspects o f Jesus Christ. 1. Lion - M atthew - Jesus, the King 2. Man -.L u k e - Jesus, the Man 3. O x

- Mark - Jesus, the Servant

4. Eagle - John - Jesus, the Son of God

T h e ill ustrati ons o f t he se s t a n d a r d s can be seen on the back o f this page.

E A ST

J u d a h , Issachar, Z e b u lu n

W EST

E p h raim , M anasseh, B e n ja m in

SO U TH

R e u b e n , S im eo n , G ad

NORTH

D an , A sher, N a p h ta li

Father of the 12 tribes - Jacob Mothers of the 12 tribes: Leah

Bilhah (Rachel’s m aid)

Zilpah (Leah’s maid)

Rachel

Reuben Levi

Dan Naphtali

Gad Asher

Joseph Benjamin

Simeon Judah Issachar Zebulun

Meaning of their names 1. 2. 3. 4.

Leah - tired, exhausted, the one who is making her efforts in vain. 2. wild cow; Rachel — m o th er sheep, sheep, lam b, m other o f the sheep, Bilhah — fear, dread (is God), tim idity, m odesty, tenderness, Zilpah — drop, tear, closeness, intim acy; m aybe also: w et w ith m yrrh.

In The L o st B ooks o f the Bible we read an interesting o f the hand m aidens o f Rachel (Bilhah) and Leah (Zilpah). I do not know the authenticity o f this record, but I believe that you will find it interesting. It is reportedly the testim ony o* N aphtali, the father of the tribe by th a t name. “ Now my m other was Bilhah, daughter of Rotheus, the b rother of Deborah, R ebekah’s nurse w ho was bom on one and the self-same day w ith Rachel. And was of the family o f Abraham , a Chaldean, God-fearing, free-born, and noble. And he was taken captive and was bought by Laban, and he gave him Euna his handm aid to wife and she bore a daughter, and called her name Zilpah, after the nam e o f the village in which he had been taken captive. And next she bore Bilhah, saying: My daughter hastens after w hat is new, for im m ediately th a t she was bom she seized the breast and hastened to suck it.” (T estam ent of N aphtali 1:9-l 2)

Of the family of Abraham R otheus — taken captive — bought by Laban - b rother o f Deborah (R ebekah’s nurse) (Genesis 24:59; 35:8) — m arried to Euna Zilpah (Leah’s m aid)

Bilhah (R achel’s m aid, same age as Rachel)

THE GEM STONES ON THE BREASTPLATE O F THE HIGH PRIEST There is a great deal o f controversy among Bible scholars about what the different tribal gemstones are. I have done quite a bit o f researching and have finally concluded th at the only reliable inform ation we have on this is to be found in the writings o f Jo sephus. Josephus was a Jewish historian, born in A.D. 37 o f a priestly Jewish family. He came from a family o f Pharisees and had the privilege o f being well educated. His his to ry o f the Jews, The A ntiquities o f the Jews, which tells the story o f Israel from the creation o f Genesis until the fall o f Jerusalem , is very interesting and informative. He had access to m any historical scrolls which were destroyed when Jerusalem fell under the crushing blows o f the Roman Army comm anded by Titus in A.D. 70. Josephus, in his history on the Aaron priesthood m entions the gemstones. would like to quote from his writings.

I

“ Twelve stones also there were upon the breastplate, extraordinary in largeness and beauty; and th ey were an ornam ent not to be purchased by men, because o f their immense value. The stones were inserted into the breastplate, and were so made that they might not fall o u t.” (Book iii, chapter viii, section 5) “ Now the nam es of all those sons of Jacob were engraved in these stones, whom we esteem the heads o f our tribes, each stone having the honour of a name, in the order according to which they were born.” (Book iii, chapter viii, section 5)

Levi

Simeon

Reuben

Naphtali

Dan

Judah

Issachar

Asher

Gad

Benjamin

Joseph

Zebulun

In Exodus 28:17-20 we read the names o f the different gemstones. “ And thou shalt set in it settings of stones, even four rows of stones: the first row shall be a sardius, a topaz, and a carbuncle: this shall be the first row. And the second row shall be an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond. And the third row a ligure, an agate, and an am ethyst. A nd the fourth row a beryl, and an onyx and a jasper: they shall be set in gold in their inclosings.” No one really knows the exact positioning. The Bible only gives us the order. The four rows could be horizontal or vertical and would m ost likely be read from right to left, as it is the Hebrew style.

In this study we will apply the gemstones to the tribes in the order in which they were bom and in which they were listed in Exodus 28.

1.

Reuben - Sardius - Ruby

2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.

Simeon - Topaz Levi - Carbuncle — G arnet Judah - Emerald Dan - Sapphire N aphtali - Diamond Gad — Ligure — Deep Blue Asher - Agate - Green, Black, Brown (Cameo) Issachar - A m ethyst Zebulun - Beryl - Aquam arine Joseph - O nyx - Brown, Red - (Cameo) Benjamin - Jasper

We will enlarge on the meaning o f each o f the gemstones more fully as we proceed w ith the individual studies on the tribes. Each o f these stones was given to th*-tribes by the Lord. T he order and the m eaning o f each gem is divine. It reveals som ethi g about each o f the tribes. THE CENSUS OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL When they came o u t o f Egypt R e u b e n ................................. 46,500 S im e o n ....................................59,300 G a d ...........................................45,650 J u d a h ...................................... 74,600 Issachar....................................54,400 Zebulun....................................57,400 E p h ra im ................................. 40,500 M anasseh................................. 32,200 B enjam in................................. 35,400 D a n ....... ................ .................. 62,700 Asher........................................ 41,500 N a p h ta li................................. 53,400 L evi...........................................22,000

W hen they entered Canaan Land R e u b e n ............................ 43,730 S im e o n ............................. 22,200 G a d ................................... 40,500 J u d a h ............................... 76,500 Issachar............................. 64,300 Z ebulun............................. 60,500 E p h ra im .......................... 32,500 M anasseh.......................... 52,700 Benjam in.......................... 45,600 D a n .................................... 64,400 A sher................................. 53,400 N a p h ta li.......................... 45,400 L e v i................................... 23,000

THE BLESSING AND THE CURSING (D euteronom y 27:11-13) These shall stand on Mt. Gerizim to bless the people: Simeon Levi Judah Issachar Joseph Benjamin

These shall stand on Mt. Ebal to curse: Reuben Gad Asher Zebulun Dan Naphtali

LOCATION OF THE TRIBES AROUND THE TABERNACLE IN THE WILDERNESS EAGLE NORTH FOURTH D IV ISIO N

DAN

NAPHTALI 53,400

157,600

DAN

ASHER

62,700

41,500

oo

3 on

H O <

MERARITES 3,200

£2

o

MANASSEH

ISSACHAR

32,200

OX

H -J~) <

EPHRAIM 40,500

MOSES

GERSHONITES 2,650

*

13J © 0

AARON

BENJAMIN

z

o 35 > 5 Q X t-

LEVITES

35,400

z

54,400

JUDAH 74,600

c

ZEBULUN 57,400

KOHATHITES 2,750

o o

GAD 45,650

SECOND DIVISION

REUBEN

SIMEON

46,500

59,300

REUBEN SOUTH

MAN 1 - BRAZEN ALTAR 2 - LAVER 3 - HOLY PLACE 4 - HOLY O F HOLIES

151,450

m

c > > 2 rr

LION

This map was taken from

the Thompson

Chain-Reference Bible.

Used by permission

Israel Song

Israel Song GWEN R. SHAW

G. R. S.

Arr. b y D orothy C. Buss

C o p y rig h t 1 9 7 6 b y E n d T im e H A n d m a id en s, In c.

P. O. B ox 117

Ja sp e r, A rk . 7 2 6 4 1 .

Chorus 4. ASHER

Chorus 10.

Asher, My happy tribe, arise, Thou blessed w ith children o f the Lord. T hy c o f -----fers shall be full As royal dainties th o u shalt give To others sad w ith poverty. Dip th o u th y feet in holy oil; With shoes o f iron, BE STRONG.

Come, Zebulun, My sons o f light, Take up th y pen and for Me write. Point wan - - - derers to Me, A haven for the travellers worn, A dwelling by the sea. Send forth th y sons to distant parts; Rejoice while going out.

Chorus 5.

Chorus 11.

NAPHTALI

ZEBULUN

JOSEPH

Come, Naphtali, th o u blessed ones, The west and so u th d o th wait for thee; Come rule . . . in m ajesty. T hou shalt be satisfied in Me; T hy blessings shall be full As places high y o u ’ll climb w ith grace A nd goodly words you speak.

Joseph, thou child o f sorrow, pain, Rejected by thy very own, Thy tears . . . have m ade thee great. The blessings o f the Lord are thine, The precious gifts o f heaven divine, The dew, th e deep, the sun and m oon, The m ountains, earth and hills.

Chorus 6.

Chorus 12.

MANASSEH

EPHRAIM AND MANASSEH

Manasseh, Joseph’s firstborn son, Thy presence m akes us to forget The toil . . . and sorrows past. Thy glory is the bullock’s strength. U nite all men in one through Me; Be ed in blood to Ephraim And set th y thousands free.

The blessings fall on thy two sons, Thou twice-blessed son o f Israel. M an as-----sell, Ephraim , A fruitful bough beside the well Whose branches climb all walls. Thy enemies can’t hinder thee. Their hate has m ade thee strong.

Chorus 7.

Chorus 13.

SIMEON

BENJAMIN

Hear, hear, oh, hear Me, Simeon, Thy fath er’s God calls unto thee, The God . . . o f Israel. Turn from thy sins o f anger, hate; The hour groweth very late. G od’s m ercy thou shalt feel and see; Repentance leads to Me.

Come, Benjamin, My little one, Thou son o f My right hand and strength; Five por - - - tions shall be thine. Come dwell in safety by thy Lord, For He shall always cover thee; Upon His shoulder thou shalt dwell Beloved of the Lord.

Chorus 8.

Chorus 14.

LEVI

Levi, th o u children o f G od’s grace, Ye chosen seed o f Israel, A t M a -----sah th o u wast tried. My way you chose, My law you loved, My altars you did keep. Thy Urim, Thum m im come and claim; I’m thine inheritance.

These are the sons of Israel, Beloved chosen ones o f God. Twelve thou . . . sand from each tribe, Arise, prepare to m eet thy God. His kingdom rule in right. Come, take th y place in this end time; Tom orrow ’s day is here.

Chorus 9.

Chorus 15.

ISAACHAR

Come, Isaachar, My sons o f strength, Thy two-fold burden bear for Me. T hou bow ... ed to bear My load. H um ility has m ade th ee strong; Thy meekness m ade thee great. The pleasant land com e enter in, The rest thou wilt find sweet.

The feast o f trum pets is today; Oh, hear His calling thee ARISE. Fold up . . . thy tents and march. The long, long weary night is o’er; The m orning dawns in glory’s rays. Come, sons o f Israel, take thy place, Ye chosen by G od’s grace.

End-Time Handm aidens, Inc. P.O. Box 447 Jasper, Arkansas 72641 U.S.A.

This chart w is taken from The Adam and Eve Family Tree, produced by the Good Things Comj any. Used by permission.

Cover by Cynthia Peall

Copyright 1982, Gwen R. Shaw End-Time Handmaidens, Inc. P.O. Box 447 Jasper, Arkansas 72641 All rights reserved.

Printed in the United States o f America

PRAYER “ Lord, please open the eyes o f our understanding th a t we can see in the spirit th a t you are doing a new thing; You are gathering Y our lost tribes o u t o f the nations o f the w orld. F or a long tim e, we have n ot know n our iden tity , but now Y ou are showing us o u r place in th e body o f Christ. I th an k You for the way You are now revealing these things which have been hidden from the foundation o f the world, and th at You are revealing them to babes. Open o u r hearts and o u r understanding th at we may know and discern the dispensation o f time. A m en.”

TH E NAMING O F REUBEN “ And when the Lord saw that Leah was hated, he opened her wom b: b u t Rachel was barren. And Leah conceived, and bare a son, and she called his name Reuben: for she said, Surely the Lord hath looked upon m y affliction; now therefore my husband will love m e.” (Genesis 29:31,32) It is really necessary for you to read Genesis, chapters 27, 28, 29:1-32.

MEANING OF NAME Reuben m eans, “ See, a son! words:

A new beginning.”

It comes from tw o Hebrew

raah (raw -aw )...“ to see, consider, to look, to make to enjoy, to have experience, to perceive, to present, to provide” ; ben (bane)...“ a son (as a builder o f the family nam e), anointed one:”

SYMBOL The sym bol o f Reuben is usually the sign o f the rising sun. More recently the sym bol o f a blossoming plant, possibly a m andrake plant, is also used. Both the rising sun in its full strength and the blossoming plant speak o f “new beginning, new anointing, new life and beauty coming fo rth .” They also speak o f hope. No tribe needs this sym bol o f hope for a new beginning m ore than the tribe o f Reuben.

GEMSTONE The gem stone o f Reuben is the sardius. Its Hebrew word is odem (o-dem). It comes from the root-w ord adam ...“ to show blood, to flush or turn rosy, red.” It could 1

be the ruby, the garnet o r another type o f stone th a t is red in colour. Josephus calls it sardonyx (Ant. iii 7 :6 ) Sm ith’s Bible D ictionary says, “ The Sardius is a kind o f flint, or chalcedony, and is valued m ore as it is deeper red. The nam e Sardius was given it at Sardis, where it was w orked and engraved. It is also m entioned in Revelation 4 :3 .” Because o f the quality o f the sardius stone, it was used for making signets or seals. It is said th a t the sealing wax does n o t adhere to it. Its blood-red colour speaks to us o f the precious Blood o f Jesus. As such, it is the foundation stone and deserves to be first m entioned and first placed in the breastplate o f the high priest. We cannot approach God or His great holiness w ithout the token o f the blood. Reuben is blessed above all tribes in its gem stone because God gave Reuben the sym bol o f the blood-covering. Every tim e Reuben looked at his own weakness and failures, he also had to rem em ber the covenant o f forgiveness through the blood. And when the high priest came before Jehovah in his official capacity, representing the tribes o f Israel, God had to see the gem which spoke o f the blood-covering, which He Himself had given to Reuben as the covenant stone. God does n o t look a t us w ith all our past failures and m istakes when we have put them under the blood o f His Son. He only sees the ruby-red blood covering, and so we are accepted into His holy presence.

PROPHECIES Jacob: “ R euben, thou art my firstborn, my m ight, and the beginning o f my strength, the excellency o f dignity, and the excellency o f power: Unstable as water, th o u shalt n o t excel; because thou wen test up to thy fath e r’s bed; then defiledst thou it; he went up to my couch.” (Genesis 49:3,4) Moses: nom y 33:6)

“ Let Reuben live, and not die; and let n o t his men be few .” (D eutero

HISTORY O F REUBEN - REUBEN’S BIRTH Genesis 30:14-18, “ And Reuben w ent in the days o f w heat harvest, and found m andrakes in the field, and brought them unto his m o th er Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, Give m e, I pray thee, o f thy son’s m andrakes. And she (Leah) said unto her, Is it a small m atter th a t th o u hast taken m y husband? and w ouldest thou take away my son’s m andrakes also? And Rachel said, Therefore he shall lie with thee to night for thy son’s m andrakes. And Jacob came o u t o f the field in the evening, and Leah went o u t to m eet him, and said, T hou m ust come in unto m e; fo r surely I have hired thee w ith my so n ’s m andrakes. And he lay with her th at night. And God hearkened unto Leah, and she conceived, and bare Jacob the fifth son.” 2

We know th a t Jacob was in love w ith Rachel. On the night o f his marriage to her he was deceived by her father Laban. It m ust have been a terrible shock to him, to find in th e m orning after the consum m ation o f the marriage, th at the woman who he had really taken as his wife was n o t his beloved Rachel b u t her sister Leah. Because she was veiled and no doubt, he had been induced by Laban to drink wine until he was in a drunken stu p o r (Josephus says he was intoxicated), plus the advantage o f darkness and Leah’s own co-operation in the m atter, he was deceived until the m orning lig t revealed the tru th . But after the covenant vows had been made, there was no way to reverse it. So he had to live w ith Leah. But he worked seven years m ore and pur chased for himself, through his labour o f love, the woman o f his love. It seems th a t, because o f this tragedy in his life, there m ust have been a deep hurt and resentm ent in Jacob’s life. I am sure that he only used Leah because o f his ion and because it was his duty. But he did not love her. His real, true affection was for Rachel. Because o f this, we see th at Leah’s life was one o f rejection, heartache and much personal agony and sorrow, and so God opened her w om b and gave her a son, Reuben, to com fort her. When she held baby Reuben in her arm s, she called him ...Behold a son! The greatest blessing that any woman.can have, be she Christian, Moslem, Buddhist, Jewish or Hindu, is to be the m other o f a son. In m ost o f the nations o f the world, a wom an who never has a son will always be a woman o f shame as long as she lives. To have given birth to a second son is even a greater honour, and then, to give birth to three sons, as far as the Chinese are concerned, is an indication that you have truly been blessed and favoured by the “ gods.” When Leah called her first-born Reuben, she was really trying to draw Jacob’s atten tio n away from Rachel. She wanted him to forget Rachel for a while and to see this great gift o f love which her young body had produced. She was hoping that some how, as he looked at Reuben, Jacob would rem em ber the sacrifice o f love and pain that she had gone through to give him this joy. And, no d o ubt, it m ust have helped for a little while, as she saw him play with baby Reuben, and perceived the jealousy and h urt in the eyes of her loved sister Rachel. Women use m any tactics to try to gain back or to win the love o f their erring husbands. Som etimes they sink very low, almost like a city pro stitu te to “ buy” one night o f “ love.” Only to awaken the next day, feeling defiled and com m on because it was not love, but lust which they had hired for the night. W omen, through the years, have used every kind o f subtle weapon to gain their husband’s love. They use tears, sons, jew elry, perfum e, make-up and sex-appeal. A woman who is desperate will use anything. And when they don’t know what to do, they use a nagging spirit, and o f course th at is the w orst thing that a woman can do. And so you see poor Leah, in her agony calling o u t, “ Behold a son, a new be ginning.” What she really is saying is, “ Jacob, can’t we start all over again, as if it had 3

not even happened th a t you were deceived, and th at I allowed my lather to put me in to R achel’s place on y o u r wedding night?” There is no d o u b t that Jacob did love Reuben. We hear this in the first words o f his prophecy to Reuben, “ Reuben, you are m y firstborn, m y m ight, and the beginning o f m y strength, the excellency o f dignity, and the excellency o f pow er.” For a brief m om ent Jacob has forgotten to be angry and h u rt as he recalls th at first-born son and rem em bers how he held him in his arms the day o f his birthing. I can ju st picture Jacob’s pride as he told his com rades in the fields, “ My wife, Leah, has born me a son.” Reuben had proved to the world th at Jacob was a man. I can see, in my im agination, how Jacob m ust have straightened his shoulders and said, “ I’m going to teach him how to tend those sheep. I am going to m ake him m y ‘buddy’.” As the first-born, Reuben had the advantage over the others who followed. He received the first love, the first atten tio n and the first-born privileges. There was instilled in Reuben a beautiful spirit. Reuben, I believe, has one o f the most beautiful spirits o f all o f the tribes o f Israel. He stood betw een his m o th er’s broken heart and his father’s love for his aunt Rachel. He stood there as a sym bol between the three of them . Reuben knew th at he was the one key th at could be used to bring his father into the arms o f his own m other. In the story o f Genesis 30, he is about fourteen or fifteen years old. His m other has left child-bearing for some time. She had already given birth to four sons and now the years had ed and she had n o t born any more children for quite some time. Suddenly, this evening, as Reuben is walking home from the shepherd’s fields he discovers a m andrake.

MANDRAKE The word comes from the Hebrew word duw day (doo-dah-ee). It comes from the root-word d o w d ...“ to boil, to love, a love-token, lover, beloved, love.” The m an drake was a aphrodisiac. The fruit o f the m andrake was about the size of a small apple, 2'/z inches in diam eter. It ripened in early May, was ruddy or yellow in colour and has an exotic flavour. The Arabs call it “ devil’s apple,” from its pow er to excite volup tuousness. It was used by the ancients as an anaesthetic, and used in small quantities like opium . It excites the nerves and is a stim ulant. It is also m entioned in Song o f Solomon 7:13. Anyone who had a m andrake could use it for all kinds o f purposes. It was used as a love potion to make people fall in love. Men would p u t it in a drink when they were drinking with a woman and a woman would lose her senses and before she knew what was happening, she could be induced into having an affair with him. Women also used it to p u t it in to m en’s drinks. It is still used today. If it is taken in considerable 4

q u an tity , it is an acid narcotic poison. In Hong Kong w here I lived, the Chinese used to use it*quite a bit. They would use it in the bars where o u r GI soldiers who were on R and R from V ietnam came in to drink. T he prostitutes, w ho were owned by their m asters, were forced to induce these men to co-habit w ith them , th at they m ight get their m oney. Som etim es, if the fellow seemed reluctant, a portion o f aphrodisiac was p u t in to his beer and the foolish fellow was led away as a lam b to the slaughter. Some tim es it was given to b o th o f them in such portions th a t they would be found dead a day o r tw o later. O ften the girls w ould drink it to o because they would get weary and tired o f their life o f sin. I have know n some o f these girls. Some o f them lived this life only because it was a m eans o f ing their parents and their brothers and sisters. O ften th ey com m it suicide because they cannot bear their life any longer. When R euben came hom e from the fields, Leah knew th at she had the means of capturing her husband for one night o f love. All she had to do, was put it in his food or drink, at the right m om ent, when Rachel wasn’t around and she would be able to have him share th e bed w ith her. I have lived m y life in the O rient, where often a man has more than one wife. I have seen the h u rt and pain th a t results from polygamy. The women o f the same hus band always are jealous, always vying for first place. In Hong Kong some men have one wife on the Hong Kong side and another on the Kow loon side. Usually they try to divide them selves equally betw een the tw o of them . But it does not seem that Jacob did th at. It seems as if Jacob gave m ost o f his tim e to Rachel. So Leah had to have som ething to capture the a tte n tio n o f her husband. And now she had it in the m an drake. But when Rachel saw it, she wanted to have it. “ Give me, I pray thee, thy son s m andrakes.” Leah was im m ediately angry. T hat is why she was angry. It was not an ordinary fruit th a t Rachel was wanting. Leah spoke in anger, “ Is it a small m atter th at you have taken m y husband? And w ouldest thou take away my son’s m andrakes also?” Then Rachel said, “ If you give them to me, he can sleep with you ton ig h t.” This indicates th at for a long tim e Leah had been sleeping in a lonely bed. She had been spending the night as a rejected wife. Some o f you women reading this, know all about this kind o f a life. You know the hurt, the anguish and the pain. So Rachel and Leah made a bargain. Perhaps Rachel was thinking th at the m andrake w ould open her womb and help her to conceive. Certainly she did n o t need to hire her husband for one night, she already had him. Whatever her m otive was, she w anted th at m andrake and she would sto p at nothing to obtain it, even if it m eant “ selling” Jacob to Leah for one night. She w anted it and she would get it at any cost. She didn’t care w hat she paid to have it, she was going to have that m andrake. As m uch as we love Rachel, we must 5

confess th a t we see som e very dispicable things in the life o f this beautiful person. When Leah surrendered the m andrakes to her sister she was rising above the natural help and casting herself upon God. Instead o f trusting in the arm o f flesh, she was p u ttin g her reliance on an alm ighty God, and not in som e magical potion that would w ork for her. I love this strength and faith which we see in Leah. I see Reuben standing there, hearing his m other and a u n t Rachel arguing betw een them . I can see the tears in th at boy’s eyes. I can feel his heartache and his sadness. Those oriental boys knew the facts o f life. They had their sex-education o u t in the fields w ith the sheep and the birthing o f the lambs when they were still very young. He is thinking, “ I got som ething to help m om m y get daddy back, and here, she gives it to aunt Rachel,” and he can’t understand. Rachel walks o u t o f the ten t w ith the m andrake, thinking she got the better end o f the deal, and young Reuben looks up and says, “ Mom, don’t you think you m ade a m istake?” Leah says, “ It’s alright honey, we’re ju st going to trust G od to make everything right.” The Bible says th a t God hearkened to Leah and she conceived and Issachar was bom by an act o f faith. Yes, Issachar was born after the Lord had already stopped Leah’s womb from child-bearing. (Genesis 29:35) Issachar also opened her womb so th a t she was able to bear two m ore children after him , Zebulun and Dinah. The character o f Reuben is so beautifully portrayed in this act o f kindness and love which he revealed as he brought his m other the m andrake. He could have wanted to try it o u t himself. He was at the age o f puberty, the age o f adolescence, when curiosity in such things is aroused. His curiosity could have gotten the best o f him , but instead he gave it to the one he loved the most. He didn’t give it to Jacob, because he did not trust his father to have it. He gave it to someone he trusted. He was a lover and he was generous and he was kind. If you are a R eubenite, you will find that there is som ething in you th a t wants to give things to people. If you see som eone you love has a need, you will not rest until you can discover a way to m eet th at need. The R eubenite goes o u t o f his way to do some kind act or deed. You will find them in the wheat harvest where the love-apples grow because they are lovers. And when no one can find a love-apple, the R eubenite will, because he is a lover. This love is his strength and it also is his weakness.

REUBEN’S GREAT SIN Genesis 35:22, “ And it came to , when Israel dwelt in th at land, th at Reuben went and lay w ith Bilhah his father’s concubine: and Jacob heard it.”

6

T hat little verse contains a life-time o f agony, suffering, shame and disgrace. Bil hah was Rachel’s handm aiden, and the same age as Rachel. You will rem em ber that Rachel and Leah gave their handm aidens as concubines to Jacob. This was accepted by the social custom s o f that day. So Bilhah really was like a m other to the sons o f Jacob. In the O rient she would have been called “ m o th er.” Every one o f the father’s wives are called “ m o th er.” So when Reuben fell into sin w ith Bilhah, it was a very grave sin, even incest. Bilhah m eans “ fear, dread (o f God), tim idity, tenderness, m odesty.” It could m ean th at she was a woman o f a tim id spirit and backward. As a servant, pushed about by a strong-willed mistress like Rachel, she never had the strength to m ake any de cisions on her ow n. Now Rachel has died in childbirth, and Bilhah is left alone. She has never had a chance to stand on her own or to develop her own character. Some of the m ost pitiful women in the world are the ones whose parents have m ade every decision for them when they were growing up and when they were m arried, their hus bands to o k over and managed their lives totally. When their husbands die or divorce them , these wom en are left floundering around, full o f fears and inhibitions, never able to have any spirit of independence. Bilhah had been a slave from her childhood and had never know n anything else b ut servitude all o f her life. She was used only to gratify Rachel s desire to have more children. History tells us that Reuben was about thirty years o f age when this happened. He happened to be in a place alone and he saw her bathing and in that m om ent, when he saw her nude, he was overcome with ion, and he took her and possessed her. We know that in a m om ent o f recklessness Reuben was overcome. The tem ptation o f the hour was too great. He was not able to stand against it. We see here th at R eubenites have a weakness. They are a loving people, a com ionate people, they are a people who are full o f good-hearted deeds, b ut they are a people whose comion can suddenly turn into uncontrolled ion. There are a lot o f Reubenites in the m inistry, because God needs the comion th a t the Reubenites have. He knows them , and He know s their weakness and HeJias com ion on them , for He sees the beautiful spirit th at they have. Do n o t despise or scorn the Reubenite or think he is the only sinner in the tribes. There are weaknesses in all o f the tribes and not everybody who is overcome by ion is a R eubenite.

REUBEN, THE ELDER BROTHER Genesis 37:19-22, “ And they said one to another, Behold, this dream er com eth. 7

Come now therefore, and let us slay him , and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast hath devoured him: and we shall see w hat will becom e o f his dreams. And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out o f their hands; and said Let us n o t kill him And Reuben said unto them , Shed no blood, but cast him into this pit th at is in the wilderness, and lay no hand upon him ; th at he m ight n d him out o f their hands, to deliver him to his father again.” Here again we see Reuben’s comion. He is not full o f bitterness against Jo seph like his brothers are. Reubenites do not harbour bitterness. They see their own weaknesses and so they find it easy to forgive w hat others do to them . Reuben feels his responsibility tow ards Joseph because he is the first-born. He is playing the: p a r to f big brother, going against all the angry brothers who are full o f hate and m urder. We see here the courage and loyalty o f Reuben. The R eubenites have great courage and loyalty to those whom they love. They are willing to “ stick th e.r necks out and risk their own lives or favour to help someone in need. Something rem arkable about this relationship betw een Reuben and Josephi is that Reuben was the first-born o f Leah, and Joseph was the first-born o f Rachel his m other’s rival. In the natural, we would think th at he, of all the brothers, would have reason to hate Joseph, because Joseph would likely get the first-born rights, simp y because his m other was his father’s favourite. He also knew that Jacob loved Josep^ more than he loved him. Had ho not made him the beautiful coat o f m any colours. But even so. we find no trace o f cruelty, or conniving in Reuben. He has a plain, old, loving heart. He is a beautiful person. A R eubenite will n ot easily work tricks on you He will assume the responsibility o f caring for the little b ro th er He stood agains his own “ blood-brothers,” the sons o f his own m other Leah, to defend Joseph. T i is character! A nother thing you see in this story, is the wisdom o f Reuben in handling the case. If he had openly opposed his brothers, he would not have been strong enough to handle them all. He speaks with real intelligence, “ We should not be the ones to she his blood. It is not good for us to shed blood. Let us just throw him into the pit He will never get out of it alive and we will be able to say honestly th at we never hurt him, we never did a thing to him .” But in his heart, he had the intention, when they w eren’t looking, to go back and pull him out o f that deep pit and save his life. And so we see the loving comion ot Reuben. It is so beautiful. I would rather have a Reuben w ho makes a few mistakes and is sorry for them , than someone who is cruel and thinks he is so very righteous an perfect, can never make a mistake in his life, and has no love or forgiveness.

REUBEN, HIS BROTHER’S KEEPER Genesis 37:28-30, “ Then there ed by M idianites m erchantm en; and they drew 8

and lifted Joseph o u t o f the pit, and sold Joseph to the Ishmeelites for tw enty pieces o f silver: and they brought Joseph into Egypt. And Reuben returned unto the pit; and behold, Joseph was n ot in the pit; and he rent his clothes. And he returned unto his brethren and said, The child is n o t; and I, w hither shall I go?” Even if you manage to tear a R eubenite away from his responsibilities, he will not be happy. You can lead him easily into sin, but he is a miserable sinner. You can call him easily away from the calling o f God, b ut he will never be happy doing anything that is outside o f G od’s will. A Reubenite is m’arried to the high calling o f G od, and though easily persuaded to do wrong, is the m ost unhappy, unfulfilled soul when he is not where he knows God wants him. He will shed m any tears if he is outside the will o f God. A R eubenite has courage but little m oral strength. He has love, but also is often confused betw een love and lust. He has comion b ut is often ruled by ion. When Reuben returns to the pit after a brief absence, in which Joseph has been sold to the Ishmaelites and carried o ff in to slavery in Egypt, his heart is filled with terrible anxiety. He cries, “ What has happened to that boy?” In frustration he tears his shepherd’s robe and screams, “ What am I going to do?” He took upon him self the responsibility o f taking care o f Joseph. Reuben is “ a b ro th er’s keeper.” And if you are a R eubenite, then d o n ’t think for one m inute that you will get away from being “ your b ro th e r’s keeper.” You are going to have the burden and the concern o f your brothers, and o f the weak and those who are hated and who are rejected and despised. You are going to defend them , you are going to stand up for them . You have a big-brother heart.

REUBEN’S TENDER CONSCIENCE Genesis 42:2 1 .2 2 , “ And they said one unto another. We are verily guilty concer ning our brother, in that we saw the anguish o f his soul, when he besought us, and we would n o t hear; therefore is this distress come upon us. And Reuben answered them , saying, Spake I n o t unto you, saying. Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? therefore, behold, also his blood is required.” The sons o f Jacob are standing before Joseph, but they do not know who he is. Joseph has just put them into “ w ard” for three days and has brought them out and now they are all filled with terror. Reuben suddenly speaks up and Joseph understands it, because it is his own tongue. You can still, after all these m any years have ed by (about 22 years), see his tender conscience. His old, tender conscience never let him rest. Yes, the Reubenite m ay sin easily in a m om ent o f uncontrolled ion, but he will not sin com fortably. He will be so miserable, so unhappy, so guilt-ridden that he will not be able to live with his sin, and even if he tries to make things right, there will always be, within his heart, a feeling that says, “ Oh, why didn’t I do it different? Oh, why wasn’t I m ore careful? Oh, why was I such a fool?” 9

REUBEN’S RADICAL GUARANTEE Genesis 42:3 6 ,3 7 , “ And Jacob their father said unto them , Me have ye bereaved of m y children: Joseph is n o t, and Simeon is n o t, and ye will take Benjamin away: all these things are against me. And Reuben spake unto his father, saying, Slay my two sons, if I bring him n o t to thee: deliver him into m y hand, and I will bring him to thee again.” In this chapter we find th at the brothers have been released from Joseph and re turned to their father, b u t they still do n o t know who Joseph is. The famine is con tinuing and they need to return to Egypt to get m ore grain because the supplies they brought back the first tim e, are used up. Jacob has refused to let them take Benjamin w ith them , which was the condition th at Joseph had laid down for them to be able to see his face and obtain Simeon’s release from the Egyptian prison where Joseph was holding him. This is where Reuben makes the rash and im petuous promise to his father Jacob, “ If I do not bring Benjamin back with me again, you can kill my two sons.” However, perhaps we should not think it too strange th at Reuben makes such a guarantee. We know that in Com m unist countries they w on’t let you o u t o f the country until someone guarantees that you will come back. F or example, if this were a Com m unist country, and my husband wanted to leave to go to another country, then 1 would have to guarantee my life for his, if he did not come back. Many fathers and m others have done this for their children in China. The children have said that they will go to Hong Kong and return, but the parents have m ade a secret pact with their children that they should not return, saying, “ Never mind, I am an old person. 1 w on’t live m uch longer, and if I die, it doesn’t m atter. But you are young and you have your whole life in front o f you. You go, and stay, and d o n ’t retu rn .” The m other or the father is brought in for interrogation, often with tortu re and finally with im prison m ent. That is the custom o f the O rient, and this may have been what Reuben really m eant. He offered his sons as guarantee, because it was the best he had to give. They were the dearest treasure of his heart. T hat is how concerned he was for the welfare of the whole family o f seventy souls. Maybe he thought too, that the death o f his tw o sons would somehow atone for the death o f Joseph and even Benjamin, if Benjamin should be held there, and th at he, through this great sacrifice would find peace and forgiveness w ith God. When he made this promise he had tw o sons, and when they w ent into Egypt soon after th at, he had four, so God gave him the double portion. God has prom ised that if we give, He will give back to us, pressed down, shaken together and running over.

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TH E FAM ILY TR EE The sons o f Reuben were: (Genesis 4 6 :9 ) 1 Hanoch (E noch): consecration, dedication, sacrificial offering, beginner; Phallu■G od has m arked him , separated, w onderful, unusual, fam ous; 3. Hezron: greening, blossom ing, lovely, entrenched, fortified, hedged ab out, farm, farm building, farm stead; 4. Carmi: m y vineyard, my noble planting, settlem ent, colony. H anoch: H anoch is another adaption o f the word Enoch. You will rem em ber that Enoch was the great patriarch who walked w ith God and was not, for God took him. He experienced translation. When parents nam ed their children in Bible tim es, they re vealed their very own lives in the names o f their children. They didn t choose the name o f some fam ous person whom they idolized, like people do these days but they revealed their soul in the naming o f their children. When Reuben named his first-born Enoch he m ust have had a longing for the purity th at Enoch had experienced. For Enoch was the m ost pure o f all the men that had ever lived since Adam s time in cluding Adam. He was so pure, that in that antideluvian age. when all around, flesh became so vile th at God said the stench o f it had gone to His nostrils and He was going to destroy the earth. Enoch walked with God in love and purity and perfection to such a degree, th a t God said, “ I can’t let you stay down there in th at old mess pot any m ore; you just come right along with Me.” And He to o k Enoch home with Him. 1 see in Reuben a longing and a desire for the purity o f God. Som etim es it is good for us to make a m istake. It m akes us cry. “ Woe is me, for I am undone! I a m a m a n o f vile ions!” When you see there is nothing good in you. you long for the absolute purity of God. You long for His perfection and holiness. Phallu- It m eans someone m arked by G od. unusual, separated, w onderful, famous. Do we sense a bit o f pride in the naming o f this son? Pride is a very dangerous thing and is som ething that we have to be very, very careful of. If we trace the■line and lineage o f Phallu, we find some very distressing things ab o u t this branch o f the family o f Reuben later on in the scripture. Num bers 26:5-10, “ Reuben the eldest son o f Israel: the children o f Reuben; Hanoch, o f whom com eth the family o f the H anochites: o f Pallu, the family o f t e Palluites: Of Hezron, the family of the H ezronites: o f Carmi. the family o f the Carmites. These are the families of the Reubenites: and they that were num bered of them were forty and three thousand and seven hundred and thirty. And the sons ° f pallu > Eliab. And the sons of Eliab; Nemuel, and D athan, and Abiram. This is that Dathan and Abiram , which were fam ous in the congregation, who strove against Moses and against Aaron in the com pany o f Korah when they strove against the Lord: And the earth opened her m o u th , and swallowed them up together w ith Korah, when th at company died, what time the fire devoured two hundred and fifty m en: and they becam e a sign. 11

This is where pride is going to get you. Phallu’s descendants rose up against Moses and brought revolution in the camp even though they were the Lord’s separated, w onderful, unusual children. Num bers 16 gives the story in detail. Read it, beginning at verse 1. Verse 3 says, “ And they gathered themselves together against Moses and against A aron, and said to them , Ye take too m uch upon you, seeing all the congrega tion are holy, every one o f them , and the Lord is am ong them : wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above th e congregation o f the Lord? ’ When Moses wanted to reason with them , they said, “ We will n o t come up!” And they accused Moses o f bringing them OUT o f a land th a t flowed with milk and honey to kill them in the wilderness, accusing him o f m aking him self a prince over them . Rebellion against G od’s anointed leadership is a terrible thing. The reason that Reuben was so easily led astray was be cause he is easily influenced. In this case, he was influenced by Korah, o f the tribe of Levi. Korah rose up against Moses because he was jealous o f Moses’ call o f God and position o f leadership. He was an am bitious, bold and haughty man. In Jude 11 his name is linked with Cain the m urderer and Balaam the false prophet. Yet he was of the Levite family. The judgm ent o f God came upon these people, and together with their wives and children all o f them perished. This is the tragedy of error. When Reuben went astray from the will o f God for his life, he brought his wife and children into the pit with him. “ And it came to , as he had made an end o f speaking all these words, th at the ground clave asunder th a t was under them : And the earth opened her m outh, and swallowed them up, and their houses, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods.” (Num bers 16:31,32) This is the sin o f pride and its result. They rose up against Moses. After all, did their name not mean distinction and famous. Their attitu d e was, “ We ought to be a little m ore im portant around here with a name like ours. We com m and a little respect. And who does Aaron think he is and who does Moses think he is, that these tw o should be the ONLY honourable ones.” They ed with the K ohathites and m ade an allegiance th at resulted in the judgm ent o f God falling upon them and the earth opened up and they were destroyed. Many o f the descendants o f Reuben were lost in that act o f rebellion. We m ust be careful not to allow a spirit o f pride and rebellion against G od’s anointed leadership to bring destruction upon us. Beware o f “ doing your own thing,” even if it is “ for the L ord.” As long as Reuben walked in hum ility, God blessed him , in spite o f his sin. This was because he had confessed it, but he never confessed the sin o f rebellion. Pride goeth before a fall. T hey disappeared from sight as the earth swallowed them up and then covered them over. The man who goes his own rebellious way will also be for gotten in the end. We m ust beware th a t we d o n ’t try to be what God didn’t mean us to be. Keep hum ble before the Lord. Don’t ever think you are someone when God has n o t decreed th at it is your m inistry and calling. Let every R eubenite be content in 12

the calling w herein he is called. Beware o f assuming th at God has called you to some thing which you are not capable of, or prepared for, o r destined for, lest you waste your precious life like a prodigal son. R euben, be c o n ten t w ith th at good thing God has given you. lust after the green pastures o f Bashan. D

o

n o t

Reuben had this fault, that he w anted to accom plish G od’s plan in his own way. He w anted to be a father at the wrong tim e and in the wrong place w ith the wrong wom an. We find again, th at he w anted to be som eone im portant here in the m inistry o f the tabernacle, and it was to his destruction. So we m ust each o f us keep our own calling in God. This is one o f the reasons for this teaching o f the tribes. It is so that you can learn to know who you are in the body o f Christ and do n o t presum e to be som ething that G od didn’t w ant you to be. Hezron: greening, blossoming, lovely, entrenched, fortified, hedged about, farm, farm building, farm stead. Carmi: my vineyard, my noble planting, settlem ent, colony. Reuben Hanoch

Pallu

Hezron

1 Carmi

Eliab Nemuel

Dathan

Abiram

REUBEN ON THE WRONG SIDE OF TH E JORDAN These two last sons o f Reuben, Hezron and Carmi, were involved in the work and the produce o f the fields. They also had great herds of cattle. Num bers 32:1-5, “ Now the chil dren o f Reuben and the children o f Gad had a very great m ultitude o f cattle: and when they saw the land o f Jazer, and the land o f Gilead, th at, behold, the place was a place for cattle; The children o f Gad and the children of Reuben came and spake unto Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and unto the princes o f the congregation, saymg, and Dibon and Jazer, and Nim rah, and Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Shebam, and Nebo, and Beon, Even the country which the Lord smote before the congregation o f Israel, is a land for cattle, and thy servants have cattle: W herefore, said they, if we have found grace in thy side, let this land be given u n to thy servants for a possession, and bring us not over Jordan.” When they saw the land on the east side o f Jordan they wanted to settle there. No d o u b t they also were influenced by Gad and the h alf tribe o f Manasseh. A ter coming this far, fighting the enem y all the way, they w anted to possess these green pastures which were n o t an original part o f the Canaan land which God had promised 13

them . R euben m ust be careful th a t he does n o t fail to en ter into the full promises o f God. The R eubenites reasoned w ith the natural m ind. The land was good for grazing sheep and cattle. They had large flocks and herds. Joshua 13:15-23 tells us where the border o f Reuben was. God heard their cry and gave it to them and to Gad and the half tribe o f Manasseh. We m ust be careful w hat we ask o f God. He often gives it to us, and then sends leanness to our souls. The whole chapter o f Num bers 32 also has a lot o f inform ation on what took place at this tim e. It is a very im portant chapter and you need to read it and m editate on it.

REUBEN RELUCTANT TO FIG H T Moses im m ediately sees their weakness. A good father sees the weakness o f his spiritual children. Moses said, “ Shall your brethren go to war, and shall ye sit here? And w herefore discourage ye the heart o f the children o f Israel from going over into the land which the Lord hath given them ?” (Num bers 32:6,7) One thing is certain about the Reubenites. They do not like fights. They just don’t like to get involved when there is a battle. They do n o t like bloodshed. They would rather avoid it. If there is any way th at they can sneak out o f it they will. But Moses said, “ This tim e you have to fight. If you do not, you will discourage your brothers. All o f Israel will be discouraged about entering into their promised land.” This is the tragedy ab o u t Reuben, he is tem pted to settle down in a good place, rather than persevere, fight through, and win that best place that God has for him. Reuben, be careful th at you do not put up your big sheep-folds and enjoy life, while the rest of your team is fighting the enem y in the front lines. This is warfare. How can you run away from the battle and seek o u t an easier life? You will not be left to rest in peace. Your conscience is too tender. God will make you miserable. Your life in unfulfilled. This is your prom ised land, not th a t one over there on the other side of the “ Jo rd an .” You are only there because som eone influenced you, and n ot because God called you there. Turn around Reuben, and come with us into the battle. Reuben always needs to be exhorted. If you ask Reuben to testify, he always is reluctant to stand up and give his testim ony. But when he is supposed to sit quiet and pray, he is ready to preach sermons. This is the unpredictableness o f Reuben. Reuben, in a m om ent o f ion will say things that will shock him tw enty-four hours later. He, himself, w on’t believe th a t he could have said such a thing. When Moses had finished dealing with Reuben, o f course, he was ready to go to battle. Reuben is n o t hard to lead. They said to Moses, “ Thy servants will do as my lord com m andeth.” Moses had warned them th at if they did n o t go to battle they would be judged, “ Be sure y our sin will find you o u t.” (Num bers 32:23) How well Reuben knew the tru th o f that. Had his father not discovered his sins with Bilhah? Did not all Israel 14

know w hat R euben had done? Had Jacob n o t announced it before all the tribes? Reuben can never cover his sins and get away w ith it. G od will n o t let him do it. God loves him to o m uch. I th an k G od th a t God does n o t let us get away w ith ou r sins. We will be caught in the very act. So d o n o t try to hide your sin. Y ou will n o t succeed. Y our conscience is to o ten d er before the Lord. R euben w ent to battle w ith th e soldiers o f Israel. F o r five long years they fought in th e land o f Canaan against giants and m ighty armies. They m ade a sacrifice. The R eubenites are able to bring great sacrifices to G od, because it takes love to bring a great sacrifice, and R euben has th a t kind o f love. The age o f the Hebrew soldier was “tw e n ty years old and upw ard, all th a t were able to go fo rth to w ar.” (Num bers 1:3) Probably som e o f the older men stayed hom e to look after the wom en and the children, the sheep and the cattle.

REUBEN RETURNS FROM THE BATTLE In Joshua 22 we read how they returned after the conquest o f Canaan to enjoy their possessions. It m ust have been a great day o f rejoicing. They were so very happy to see their wives and children whom they had n o t seen for such a long tim e. Some of them would find their parents had ed on, or children had died, but on the whole, it was a tim e o f great rejoicing. They returned w ith m uch riches to th eir tents. God will bless the R eubenite for his faithfulness and God will prosper him. When his battle is over, he will return with his arms loaded w ith m any good things. However, now comes the thing th at is hard to understand. “And when they came unto the borders o f Jordan, th a t are in the land o f Canaan, the children o f Reuben and the children o f Gad and the half tribe o f Manasseh b u ilt there an altar by Jordan, a great altar to see to .” (Joshua 22:10) They had no sooner gotten back, then they did som ething which God had n o t re quired o f them . This is the impulsive nature o f Reuben. Joshua had com plim ented them and blessed them and sent them back to their tents. But instead o f ju st relaxing and enjoying the fruit o f their labours, they decided to build a GREAT altar u n to the Lord. This is ju st like a R eubenite. He is always so busy doing som ething th a t he has no business doing. I read a m o tto th a t said, “ There is no point in doing well that which you should n ot be doing at all.” In verse 5 Joshua warns them to be careful to heed to do the com m andm ent and the law and to cleave to the Lord w ith all their heart and soul. He knew they would be separated from the rest o f Israel and there would be a tem ptation to forget the Lord and not to m ake the effort to go all the way 15

to G od’s house, th e place where He would set up his tabernacle, on the o th er side of Jordan. T he R eubenite has to be encouraged to stay in fellowship w ith the anointed ones, or he will w ander o ff by him self into the back-siide o f th e desert. God says, “ Cleave u n to Him and serve Him w ith all y our heart and w ith all your soul.” This is a beautiful challenge to the Reubenites. When th e children o f Israel heard about the building o f the great altar they said, “ Behold th e children o f Reuben and th e children o f Gad and the half tribe o f Manasseh have built an altar over against the land o f Canaan, in the borders o f Jordan, at the age o f th e children o f Israel. And when the children o f Israel heard o f it, the whole congregation o f the children o f Israel gathered themselves together at Shiloh, to go up to war against th em .” (Joshua 22:11,12) They were filled w ith consternation, as they were sure th a t Reuben was preparing to set up some kind o f a foreign place o f worship, o th er than th e tabernacle which God had given Moses and his people. They rem inded Reuben o f th e sins o f Peor and the judgm ent on Achan. They knew th at the price of sin was to o great. Reuben came up w ith a great excuse, saying th a t it was a m em orial to rem ind their children and the children o f Israel th at they were o f the same nation, even though they were separated from each other. The validity is questionable, b u t it satisfied Joshua and the leaders who returned in peace. As tim e ed, this altar did not keeo them close to God. No building can. It takes the fire o f God and His glory to keep one near to God. God had chosen Shiloh as the place where His glory would be. I do n o t know w hat the real reason for them building the altar was, b u t I can tell you one thing, that if they intended it as a place of worship, they changed their m inds when they saw the m ilitary leaders of Israel coming against them to battle. Sometimes people, in a m om ent o f im petuousness can do som ething th at they th in k they are doing for God. N ot everything that we are “ doing for G od” is done “ in the will o f G od.” Rem em ber that! T hat is when we get into trouble, and when we m ake mistakes. There is a place th a t God has chosen for you, a plan th at He has established, a law th at He has made. Try to find it. The spiritual leaders o f Israel were no weaklings. They came over Jordan and dealt with this situation. Too m any times we are guilty o f ignoring a danger, hoping th at it will go away. Sometimes we need to be ready to give a spiritual rebuke. They called the altar E. Just plain E, b u t the translators and the scribes o f the Bible have added a “ d ” on it. The interpretation o f th at word is “ witness.” In the Lamsa translation (w hich is one o f the beautiful early translations of the Bible, as it comes from the ancient m anuscripts th at have been discovered in the eastern area around T urkey and A rm enia), it says, “ And the R eubenites and the Gadites and the Manashites called the altar which they had m ade, The A ltar o f Testim ony, for it is a witness betw een us th a t the Lord is the only G od.”

REVIEW ING THE PROPHECIES Genesis 4 9 :3 ,4 , “ Thou a rt m y firstborn, my m ight, and the beginning o f my strength, the excellency o f dignity and the excellency o f power. Unstable as water, th o u shalt n o t excel; because th o u w entest up to thy fath er’s bed; then defiledst thou it; he w ent up to my couch.” T he patriarch Jacob is rem em bering his strength in those days. As he looks at R euben, he sees himself. Jacob rem em bers how he was able to roll the stone o ff the m outh o f th e well when Rachel came to w ater her sheep. He did alone w hat to o k the strength o f three o r four m en. He had a great strength in those days. Had he not wrestled w ith the angel at Peniel? This strength had gone into the making of Reuben. The Reubenites are a strong people physically. D on’t ever try to tell a Reubenite that he can’t do it. He is going to pick up th at piano and walk away with it. He is no t going to ask for help either. He is going to do it all by himself. When you go away and return you will find th at he has moved heaven and earth in your absence. His is “ my m ight, the beginning o f strength, the excellency o f dignity, the excellency o f pow er.” We see all this in the beautiful Reuben character. We also see the strong m ind. The R eubenites have a p retty stubborn m ind, they can be headstrong. If they have it in their m ind to do som ething, you will n o t be able to stop them . You better get out of their way, because it is going to be done ju st like they have planned to do it. That is the R eubenite spirit, the excellency o f dignity. Excellency means super-abundance. This speaks o f super-abundance o f dignity and power. Unstable as water: (Genesis 4 9 :4 ) It is impossible to make water stand up in the corner. It takes on the shape o f the vessel that contains it. Put w ater in a glass, and it will take on th e shape o f the glass. It will adapt itself to any situation. This is a good thing when it is controlled by the Holy Spirit, b u t when under the wrong in fluence it is detrim ental. A Reuben m an, guided by a G odly woman will be a great pow er fo r God and an excellency in the earth. The same man, led by a self-seeking, spoiled and self-willed, undedicated wom an, will easily be led astray. This is the weakness o f Reuben. He is to o easily swayed and too easily moved. It is hard for us to understand. He could be stubborn in his own will, and yet he could easily be moved to do the wrong thing. One m inute no one can do anything with him , and the next m om ent, the right person at the right tim e can m ake him do just about anything. It was n o t the forceful character o f Bilhah th at made Reuben sin. She was not Potiphar’s wife. If you are a R eubenite, be careful. You will find yourself just flowing along with any situation and you can easily be misused by the wrong people. An unscrupulous woman will get you to bed before you know what is happening to you. If you are a wom an, you are easy prey to unscrupulous men who will use you and then cast you aside when their lust is satisfied. You will be a pawn in their hand, unless you rise above this in the anointing o f the Holy Spirit and possess your original calling, the beginning o f y o u r strength, the excellency o f dignity, and the excellency o f power. 17

You do n o t need to be weak. Y ou have the prom ise o f strength. Take it, and run with it. If you sin you will be in the bowels o f hell. The testim ony o f Reuben in the Lost Books o f the Bible tells us th at he died at the age o f 125, tw o years after Joseph, and th a t he was carried to Hebron for burial in the cave o f M achpelah. He was th irty years old when he com m itted his great sin, and th at he was sick for seven m onths in his groins. Jacob was warned by an angel about his son’s sins. He prayed for him , and he was healed and m ourned for his sins and drank no wine and ate no m eat for seven years. In o th er w ords he truly repented and chastised himself. This is why God could receive him and m ake him one o f the great patriarchs. He was ardent, im petuous, unbalanced, generous, w ithout any craft, or malicious ness, or cruelty o f any kind. His occupation was that o f a cattlem an. History tells us th a t there were no great judges, or heroes, o r prophets, or warriors, or kings o f th a t tribe. They were ju st ordinary people. They were a peace loving people who hated to go to battle.

REUBEN’S LAST CALL TO GREATNESS Judges, 5:15, 16, “ For the divisions o f Reuben there were great thoughts o f heart. Why abodest thou am ong the sheepfold, to hear the bleating o f the flocks? For the divisions o f Reuben there was great searchings o f heart.” We find th at in D eborah’s tim e, when national distress and crises arose, that Reuben, just reverted to what he was, a man th at didn’t like to go to battle, a man who didn’t w ant to see war. He preferred the shepherd’s pipe to the trum pet s call, and when the h our o f emergency came, he didn’t rally to the battle. You see here how he was unreliable - unstable as water. He looked over the situation and said to himself, “ We will w atch and see what happens and how things tu rn o u t. We’d rather not go to battle we would rather stay here on this side o f Jordan and not get involved. A fter all it is their battle. It is n o t ours.” This is the weakness o f Reuben. We find here th a t it says there was a great deal o f heart-searching concerning Reuben. The Hebrew word for “ divisions” is palag...“to split, divide.” Reuben was now no longer just divided and separated from the o th e r tribes by the Jordan, but also by their own way o f thinking. They had drifted away from the vision and the union of the family o f God. Once a Reubenite gets far away, it is hard to bring him back. The call went o ut to come and help. D eborah sent it to them also. Reuben called a council and decided to stay in the sheepfold The bleating o f the flocks was louder than the cry o f distress o f their brothers in the day o f battle. The “ bleating” can be interpreted as “ whistling and scorn, or hissing.” This would mean th at when the call came to go to battle, they only m ocked and hissed and said, “ Ha, who is going to battle? Not me. No thanks, don’t want to be involved.” 18

B ut this was their last great o p p o rtu n ity to be counted w orthy o f their calling. This was the h o u r o f their testing, their searching. Where there is division or separation in a fam ily, there is great exam ining o f the heart, great deliberation, great searching o f the soul. The w hole o f Israel suffered because o f the waywardness o f their brother R euben. T hat is th e last we hear ab o u t Reuben. A fter this, they quickly into obscurity. T hough they were great valiant m en, able to bear buckler and sword and shoot w ith bow and skillful in war, and God heard them when they p u t their trust in Him (I Chronicles 5:18,20), still, in the h o u r o f testing, they failed. They didn’t need to fail. T hey had the strength to be great warriors, b u t there was a weakness in them th a t they never overcame. They were am ong the first to be carried away into captivity under Tilgathpilneser, king o f Assyria. (I Chronicles 5:26)

“ LET REUBEN LIVE, AND NOT DIE: AND LET NO T HIS MEN BE FEW .” (D euteronom y 33:6) The Lamsa Bible says, “ Let his people be num erous.” How appropriate was this prayer-prophecy uttered from the heart o f Moses as he gave his last blessing on the tribes o f Israel! Although Reuben had lost the birthright o f the first-born son, (I Chronicles 5 :1 ), and m any o f his descendants had perished in the rebellion o f their leader and princes, still God wants to bless and prosper Reuben. The cry from the lips o f Moses is th at o f the Lord. It came when Reuben needed it the m ost, for when Reuben had stood at M ount Sinai, there were 4 6 ,500 men ready for battle. Now, forty years later there were 43,730. While m any o f the o th er tribes m ultiplied, they re m arkably declined. The reason was because a large portion o f the tribal fathers, who had produced the children, died when the earth opened up and they were swallowed up. Moses asked God to bless Reuben and m ultiply him. There is a controversy am ong Bible scholars as to the meaning o f this scripture. There is one w ord in italics, which m eans it was supplied by the translators. That is the word “ n o t.” This would m ake the scripture read, “ Let his men be few .” This sounds as though God wants to lim it them in num bers. This Hebrew word for “ m en” is used very seldom in the Bible. It is math (m ath), meaning “ an adult o f full stature, o r the tall ones, the grown ones, the m ature ones.” Let us look m ore closely at the word “ few .” It comes from the Hebrew miar (mis-pawr), which means “ n ot only few, b u t num bered, a certain num ber.” It comes from the ro o t word caphar (sawfar) which m eans, “ to be m arked, to be recorded, to be counted.” I feel th a t the Holy Spirit was looking ahead into the day of Revelation 7 when John would hear the num ber o f them th a t were sealed in their foreheads...“ Of the tribe o f Reuben were sealed twelve tho u san d .” “ Let his m ature ones be num bered” or “ m arked” is a better translation o f D eute ronom y 33:6. 19

NOTES

T he situation o f the different tribes was very im portant. The Lord knew which tribes w ould get along together. Have you ever noticed how you can get along b etter with some people than you can with others? This is true o f the tribes also. In Ezekiel we read, “ So I prophesied as I was com m anded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, BONE TO HIS BONE.” (Ezekiel 3 7 :7 ) You cannot connect the neck bone to the ankle bone. It just doesn’t work. They m ay love and appreciate each other, b u t they do not fit together. So, God puts together the different m em bers o f His body in such a way th at they can live in harm ony together. He never m akes a m istake. It is all in His divine plan. Y ou will find th at you will be m ore intim ately related with some individuals and be able to flow in the Spirit w ith som e more than w ith others. If you want to know who you can get along w ith best, look at how th e Lord assigned the tribes around the tabernacle. Find o u t who your neighbours are. This does not mean that you cannot work w ith others who are m ore distantly rem oved. It just shows who you are m ost com patible with. In the Prom ised Land: Reuben never did enter the Promised Land. He took his possession on the east side o f the Jordan. It is bordered on the south by the River A rnon, on the west by the Dead Sea, on the north by Gad and on the east by Arabia. Moab was his southern neighbour. It was a land that was good for pasture and cattle grazing. D euteronom y 27:12,13 - Notice too, th at Reuben was among those who stood on Mt. Ebal to “ curse,” and n ot among those who stood on Mt. Gerizim to “ bless.” In the Millenium (Ezekiel 4 8 :6 ) Reuben will have his portion betw een Ephraim and Judah, north o f Jerusalem. T he G ate o f R euben - Ezekiel 48:31. R euben’s gate is the first gate m entioned in the New Jerusalem . It is on the no rth side, where also the gate o f Judah and Levi are placed. So we see th at God is going to restore h onour and dignity to Reuben. It is w onderful to know th a t the Blood o f Jesus Christ cannot only obliterate o u r past, but it can restore us to ou r first-born privileges and give us back the honour we have lost through weakness and sin. Reuben is a beautiful tribe. The character is that o f a lover. We see comion, understanding and strength. The weakness o f Reuben shall be overcome through the working o f the Holy Spirit, leaving a gem-like quality th roughout eternity.

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NOTES

Simeon BY GWEN SHAW

This chart was taken from The Adam and Eve Family Tree, produced by the Good Things Company. Used by permission.

Cover by Cynthia Peall

Copyright 1982, Gwen R. Shaw End-Time Handmaidens, Inc. P.O. Box 447 Jasper, Arkansas 72641 All rights reserved.

Printed in the United States o f America

PRAYER “ We come in to Y our presence now in the w onderful name o f Jesus. T hank You, Lord, th a t Y ou are w ith us as we study Y our Holy Word. We pray for a special visita tio n from Y ou L ord, as we go into the deeper things o f God to search o u t the hidden secrets o f our God concerning the ancient things o f the past and th e things o f to m orrow . Give us enlightenm ent and the Word o f Knowledge. Open the hearts o f Your children who have a hunger to know the deeper things o f God. We pray T hee, Lord, take us out from th e foam and th e fro th o f o u r Christian experience, th a t we will have m ore than ju st a sh o u t and a dance, and th at we will indeed, becom e the deep that calleth u nto deep. We ask fo r the Divine anointing on the Oracles o f God and for the H o l y Spirit to reveal His tru th to us. In Jesus’ name. A m en!”

TH E NAMING OF SIMEON “ And she (Leah) conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Because the Lord hath heard th a t I was h ated, he h a th therefore given me this son also: and she called his nam e Sim eon.” (Genesis 29:33)

MEANING OF NAME Simeon m eans “ I have been heard, hearing.” It comes from the Hebrew word shimown (shim -one). Simeon m eans “ one who hears and obeys. It is n o t enough to hear. You m ust have the capacity to obey as well. Otherwise y our hearing ability isn’t w orth anything. Som etimes, it is better to have n o t heard, than to have heard and then to disobey. When God is calling o u t His Simeonites in these last days, they will be a people who will know , n ot only how to hear the word of the Lord, b u t to obey the things which God is speaking to them about. God is getting Him self a people ready who shall be very obedient to the finest little detail o f the Holy Spirit’s whisper to their heart. God is weary o f having to lead around a people who He has to issue com m ands to repeatedly. The Simeonites will be a people who will be able to hear the little nudgings o f the Holy Spirit. Som eone, who tries to get away with everything th at he can, and has only stopped after you have ordered him to do so twice o f m aybe three tim es, certainly is n o t a Simeon. A Simeon is one who hears w hat the Holy Spirit is saying. G od is going to have an end-tim e army which will include those twelve thousand glorious, Holy Spirit led, and G od-controlled Simeonites who know w hat the Spirit has to say concerning things in these last days. I thank God for the Simeonites. T heir character is developed through rebellion and suffering. Just like Jesus, they learned obedience by the things they have suffered. (Hebrews 5 .8 ) They have learned the golden quality o f obedience through the sufferings which they brought on themselves by their rebellion. It seems as if those who have gone through the school o f suffering m ake th e best teachers at the end. 1

SYMBOL Simeon has tw o different symbols. The one th at is used the m ost is th a t of the pitcher and the dagger. The o th er one is th at o f the city gates. The pitcher speaks o f the insignificant w eapon th at G ideon used and the dagger speaks o f th e sword o f the Lord. It reveals th e warlike characteristics o f this tribe. T he Sim eonites were fighters from the beginning. The pitcher also speaks about the earthen vessel. Y ou can see the tw o opposites o f the tribe o f Simeon, the earthly earthliness o f Simeon w ith his warlike, fighting characteristic and the glorious victory w hich is theirs when th ey use their dagger for spiritual warfare. God is working on the Sim eonites, transplanting them o u t o f their earthliness into the heavenly realm o f G od, the superior and high places o f their God. Simeon, in his natural elem ent, is nothing b u t a fighting worldling, and God help you if you have a Simeon living in your house th at hasn’t been touched w ith the glory o f God! They will be getting into all kinds o f battles, b u t when th a t sword o f theirs is consecrated to God, then they are a vessel in the hands o f God for high quality fighting in the battles o f their God, and God is going to use the Simeonites in these last days; and in the beginning o f the ushering in o f the new kingdom , they will be used by God to clean up the world and get it ready for King Jesus. Praise God! The sym bol o f th e city gates speaks o f Shalem, a city o f Shechem, in the land o f Canaan which Simeon and Levi totally destroyed in a vicious attack upon it. (Gene sis 34) God prom ised A braham , “ Thy seed shall possess the gate o f his enem ies.” Simeon is o f the seed o f A braham , so he has this promise given to him, th at he will conquer every city. With such a m ighty promise from G od, it is im portant that the Simeonites do n o t fight th eir own battles. This is the terrible m istake that they did in Shalem. They fought th eir own battle. God will give them the victory, because it is theirs, but they will destroy themselves if they go to war in their own strength and in their own gifts and callings, and n o t in the will o f God. A Simeonite has the danger o f using his God-given gifts to his ow n destruction.

GEMSTONE The gem stone o f Simeon is the Topaz. It is the second on the top row of the breastplate o f the high priest. The topaz is a very beautiful and precious gem. It is usually yellow and o ften brow nish in colour, alm ost like am ber at times. There are several kinds o f topaz. Brazil mines a pale blue topaz. Good crystals o f pale blue and green have come from the Ural m ountains in Siberia. I rem em ber seeing in India a very large topaz jewel, the size o f a m an’s fist, which had come from the buckle o f a great M aharajah o f India. I held it in my hand and it was very heavy. In the American Mu seum of Natural H istory in New York there is a topaz th at was found in Brazil, which weighs 600 pounds in its uncut condition.

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One o f the unique things about a true topaz crystal is th at it often breaks along a flat surface parallel to th e basal plane, when it is detached from the m atrix. This perfect cleavage is an im p o rtan t character, and enables topaz to be distinguished at sight from o th er m inerals o f similar appearance. There are stones very sim ilar to topaz and sold as such. Jo b m entions the topaz of Ethiopia and he says that it is likened u n to wisdom. (Job 28:19,12) Even as the topaz is G od-created, so our wisdom is given to us by a gift o f God. Education and learning is n o t wisdom. Paul prayed fo r the saints at Colosse, “ F o r this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do n o t cease to pray for you, and to desire th a t ye m ight be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.” (Colossians 1:9) Jam es said in chapter 1:5, “ If any o f you lack wisdom, let him ask o f God, that giveth to all m en liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given to him .” In Jam es 3:17 he also said, “ The wisdom th a t is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full o f m ercy and good fruits, w ithout partiality, and w ithout hypocrisy.” Surely, this is a scripture text th at should be the life m otto o f every Simeonite. F o r if this was the way the Sim eonite would live, it would keep him o u t o f all trouble. How appropriate then is the topaz stone for this tribe, the stone o f wisdom and ba lance. God desires that Simeon have this purity and peaceful spirit, with the gentle heart th at is easy to be intreated, full o f m ercy and good fruits, w ithout partiality and w ithout hypocrisy. If Simeon had lived by this m otto he would have been spared from doing m uch evil in his life. Surely the blessings o f God would have been upon him and his seed in a greater way than w hat it was, as we shall see.

PROPHECIES Jacob: (Jacob unites Simeon and Levi together in the prophecy he gives.) “ Simeon and Levi are brethren; instrum ents o f cruelty are in their habitations. O my soul, come n o t th o u into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honour, be thou not united: for in their anger they slew a m an, and in their selfwill they digged down a wall. Cursed be th eir anger, for it was fierce; and their w rath, for it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.” (Genesis 49:5-7) Moses does n o t m ention Simeon at all in his last prophecies to Israel. This may sound strange, b u t when we read again the prophecy th a t Jacob gave to Simeon and Levi, we can understand, “ I will divide them in Jacob.” The Lord said he would put a separation betw een them , because when they were together they were a bad influence in each other. And this is w hat happened. Simeon was Jaco b ’s second son, born by Leah. He was born right after his older brother Reuben, and after him came Levi. Levi and Simeon were always very close to gether. They probably were n ot m uch m ore than a year or fifteen m onths apart. They 3

planned their m ischief to g eth er as boys and when they grew older, their father said ^ them , “ My soul, come n o t th o u in to their secret, mine hon o u r, be th o u n o t united. He knew th a t their affinity w ith each o ther was an evil one, and that only, as y would be separated from each other, would they be able to grow into spiritual m aturi ty . This is true o f m any o f G od’s children today. I have seen how som etim es tw o people w ho b o th have a prom ising depth in the Lord will destroy each o t er i ey are perm itted to w ork to g eth er and continue a relationship where one c o n tr o l the^other. G od has to split them ap art, so th a t they do n o t gain strength to do other. It is to o bad th a t they cannot influence each o th er to good. m ostly the o th er way around, they influence each o th er to evil. So God, m His good ness to them , parts them . HISTORY O F SIMEON — THE DESTRUCTION O F A CITY Please read Genesis 34:1-31. Here we read one o f the m ost tragic stories in the Bible. I would like you to take tim e to read it carefully if y ou really w ant to understand this tribe. A fter Jacob left Laban, he came w ith his wives and sons to the area o f Shechem in Samaria to a tow n called Shalem. (Genesis 3 3:18) He bought a piece o f land from H am or th e Hivite who was a ruler o f th at country, for a 100 pieces o f silver, erected an altar to the Lord there calling it El-elohe-Israel (G od, the God o f Israel). It was probably th is transaction th at proved the undoing o f Dinah, for the prince of th a t area, the son o f H am or, Shechem, saw her and “ took her, and lay w ith her an defiled her.” The Bible says he loved the damsel and spake kindly to her. He asked father to arrange a marriage betw een them , and kept her there, not perm itting er return to her family. You m ust rem em ber th a t Dinah was probably about 10 years younger than Simeon. She m ust have been in her teens. Being the only daughter o t e ami y o Jacob, she wais m uch loved and teased by all o f her brothers. When they all heard w hat had happened they were filled with great anger and sham e th at their sister Dinah should have been so used. A counsel m eeting was called, and Jacob was in a great dilemm a, not know ing what to do. H am or and Shechem , his son tried to m ake an alliance w ith the family o f Jacob saying, “ Make marriages wi us and give your daughters u n to us, and take our daughters unto you. And ye shall dwell with us: and th e land shall be before you; dwell and trade ye therein, and get you possessions therein.” This sounded like an ideal arrangem ent, b u t it w ould have marred the inheritance o f Israel. Satan knew it, and th at is why he allowed it to happen, and then tried to 4

make It look like a good arrangem ent for them to en ter into a covenant w ith the heathen. It is ju st like th e devil to do a thing like that ju st after Jacob had erected an altar to th e w itness o f God, the God o f Israel. T he sons o f Jacob acted w ith cunning. They said th a t they could n o t interm arry w ith th e uncircum cised, inducing them all to be circumcised, and planning to attack when they were n o t in a physical condition to fight. There was deceit and wrong m otive on the part o f the men o f Shalem also, for they said, “ Shall n o t their cattle and their substance and every beast o f theirs be ours?” (Genesis 34:23a) The Bible says, “ And it came to on the third day, when they were sore, that tw o o f the sons o f Jacob, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brethren, took each man his sword, and came upon the city boldly, and slew all the males, and they slew Ham or and Shechem his son w ith the edge o f the sword, and took Dinah out o f Shechem ’s house, and w ent o u t.” And then after th a t, the rest o f the sons o f Jacob came and spoiled the city, taking all the people captive, and capturing all their wealth. It was n o t the tim e for Israel to wipe o ut the people o f Canaan. Their cup o f in iquity was not y et to the brim , and so when they did this, they acted ahead o f the Lord. This is the weakness o f Simeon. He is going to fight G od’s battles, b u t he may n o t be fighting them in G od’s tim ing or in G od’s will. They had n o t received their fath er’s perm ission to do w hat they did, and so they w ent o u t from under his covering. They acted in secret and in the spirit o f anger. The Sim eonite has to be careful, es pecially, when he is linked w ith Levi, who is very good at offering up sacrifices. Simeon is ju st too ready to use th a t sword. Perhaps Peter was of the tribe o f Simeon. Rem em ber, how he used the sword to cut o ff the right ear o f Malchus, the high priest’s servant in the garden when Jesus was arrested. (John 18:10) God blesses and uses Simeon under the anointing, and Simeon will one day be a great instrum ent, a weapon of justice, in the hand of God. But when Simeon is ruled by his own hand, his ion, his own tem per, he can, though trying to do G od’s job for God in his ow n strength and wisdom, do a w ork o f destruction against G od...rather than for God. This is also true o f all o f us. Some o f us think th at we are going to help God o u t by helping God get His job done, in getting things straightened out and putting people in their place, but when we do th a t, we “ becom e a stench in Israel.” Genesis 3 4:30 says, “ And Jacob said unto Simeon and Levi, Ye have troubled me to make me to stink am ong the inhabitants o f the land, am ong the Canaanites and the Perizites: and I being few in num ber, they shall gather themselves together against m e, and slay m e; and I shall be destroyed, I and my house. It is sad, but m any o f G od’s people m ake God stink by their character. I rem em ber som eone saying once, “ It is n o t w hat we do th at counts, but how we smell.”

HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH JOSEPH Please read Genesis 37:1-36. N otice again verses 19 and 20. “ And they said one to another, Behold this dream er com eth. Com e now therefore, and let us slay him , and cast him into some pit, and we will say, Some evil beast h ath devoured him : and we shall see w hat will becom e o f his dream s.” A lthough it does n o t tell us who said these words, I feel th a t Simeon had a lot to do w ith th e hate spirit and th e jealous spirit th at was kindled against Joseph. There certainly m ust be som e reason th a t Simeon was selected from among his brethren by Joseph and kept in prison w hile the rest o f the brothers were perm itted to retu rn to their father. Please read Genesis 42:1-24. Notice verse 24, “ A nd he tu rned him self about from them , and w ept; and re turned to them again, and com m uned w ith them , and to o k from them Simeon, and bound him before th eir eyes.” I love the way G od can get His Simeon “ in the corner.” Joseph had a reason for p u tting Simeon in an E gyptian jail while he let the rest retu rn to their father. He was k ep t in prison until his b ro th e rs returned to Egypt the second time. Then Joseph brought him out to them and he was restored to his brothers. (Genesis 4 3:23) There also was a reason Joseph gave Benjamin five tim es as m uch as he gave the others, (verse 34) Joseph was testing them to see if they still had a jealous spirit. Joseph was doing a w ork o f grace on Simeon and on all o f them . The prison was a “ softening up tre a tm e n t.” He separated him from his brothers because the only way God can work with a Sim eonite is to get him o u t o f the crow d, where He can deal with him alone. There are certain people w ho are powerless when they are alone, b u t when they get w ith som ebody o f th e same kind o f spirit, or the unconsecrated Levite spirit, they becom e dangerous. T he weapon o f destruction is in their hand and they will use it recklessly. I believe th at Sim eon was th e key instigator who w anted to destroy Joseph. Gad hated Joseph also, b u t fo r an o th er reason. So we see th a t God was working in Egypt through Joseph, trying to accom plish a w ork o f grace in the heart of Simeon, so that Simeon would be broken dow n and m ade tender by God in th at Egyptian prison, all alone, far away from his brothers. When fear got a hold o f him , then God began to mold Simeon into th e beautiful character th a t He intended him to be, because he was to give birth to sons w ho w ould be b o m o u t o f a m olded and perfected character, and n o t o f the old Sim eon th a t he had been.

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SIMEON’S FAMILY TR EE Simeon had six sons. (Genesis 4 6 :1 0 ) 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Jem uel: a day o f God, El (G od) is light, shining; Jam in: the right hand, the right side, luck, good journey, south; Ohad: strong, pow erful; Jachin: He (G od) establishes, gives existence, allows establishm ent, established; Zohar: a bundle, a package, a stone, a pebble, a flint. It comes from the root-

w ord th at m eans “ w hiteness” ; 6. Shaul: intercessor, one who obtains by prayer, dem ander, claimed, obtainer. Jem uel: The name is changed in I Chronicles 4 :2 4 to Nemuel. These were the people later know n as Nem ulites (G od’s light, G od’s people, G od’s day). (Numbers 26:12) Jam in: From him came the Jam inites, the people o f the right hand. Ohad: He is m entioned again in Exodus 6:15 as one o f the heads o f the father s houses. However, he is n o t m entioned in Num bers 26:1 2 , where the family lines are given. So it seems th a t he m ust have died w ithout leaving any children, especially sons who could carry his name. M aybe the name “ strong” was given to him in hopes th at it w ould strengthen their faith. Jachin: F rom him came the fam ily o f the Jachinites. When Solom on’s tem ple was built there were tw o great pillars in front o f the tem ple. The name o f one o f these pillars was Boaz (In Him I am strong) and Jachin (He establishes). “ And he reared up the pillars before the tem ple, one on the right hand, and the other on the left; and called the name o f th at on the right hand Jachin, and the name o f th at on the left, Boaz.” (II Chronicles 3:17) In this beautiful way G od im m ortalized the tribe o f Simeon. Zohar: From them came the family of the Zarhites. In I Chronicles 27:11,13 tw o o f David’s officers were from this family line. In I Chronicles 4:24 the name is changed to Zerah. Judah’s family line also has a branch called the Zarhites. They are descendants o f Judah through their father Zerah. (Num bers 2 6:20) It was one o f these descendants, Achan, o f the tribe of Judah, who com m itted the great sin at Jericho. (Joshua 7 :17) Shaul: There is som ething different about Shaul. Genesis 46:10 says, and Shaul the son o f a Canaanitish w om an.” This is repeated in Exodus 6:1 5 , and in Numbers 26:13 we are told th at his descendants were called Shaulites.

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Shaul’s m o th er was a Canaanitish wom an. Is it n o t strange th at Simeon, who m urdered the Canaanites w ith such vengence and anger should later take the Canaani tish wom an as his wife o r concubine? Could she have been one o f the little ones or wives o f Shalem w hich he to o k captive? (Genesis 4 9:29) How true it is th at often the m an, who preaches the hardest against a certain sin, is the first to fall in to it.

EXPLOITS O F TH E FAM ILY LINE O F SIMEON - TH E SIN OF ZIMRI Please read N um bers 25:1-18 We read here one o f the great tragedies o f Israel. While they were still in the wilderness they cam ped in Shittim near the borders o f M oab, and there they were led into great tem p tatio n w ith the daughters o f Moab. They n o t only com m itted w hore dom w ith them but th ey sacrificed to their idols and bowed dow n to their false gods. The anger o f God was kindled against Israel and the Lord to ld Moses to take all the heads o f the people and hang them up before the Lord in the face o f the sun. G od told Moses to slay all the m en th at had com m itted spiritual and physical fornication with the idol, the false god, Baal-peor. The people began to weep and travail for their sin in fro n t o f the door o f the tabernacle. In the m idst o f all this, Zimri, the son o f Salu, a prince o f a chief house am ong the Sim eonites, boldy and brazenly, in the sight o f all the congregation o f the children o f Israel brought a Midianitish wom an by the name o f Cozbi, the daughter o f Z ur who was head over a people and a chief in Midian, into his tent. It was a grave and wicked sin, flaunting G od’s laws and His holiness. If he got away w ith it w ithout judgm ent, then it w ould be certain th at m ore would fall into the same sin and soon the whole camp would be defiled. Phinehas, the son o f Eleazar, the son o f Aaron the high priest, saw it and he rose up from am ong the congregation and to o k a javelin in his hand and went in after the man of Israel into the te n t and th ru st both o f them through, the man of Israel and the woman through h er belly. The plague which had broken o u t was stayed and Israel was saved. This episode separated Levi from Simeon indefinitely. It probably is the reason th a t Moses did n o t bless this tribe. Josephus gives us a lengthy and interesting in A ntiquities o f the Jews, Book IV, chapter 6:6-13. I will atte m p t to tell it briefly. A fter Midian had hired Balaam to curse Israel and Balak was n o t perm itted by God to do so, (N um bers 23), Midian was very angry. In order to keep the good will o f Midian, and m aintain his high position as a man with great pow er, Balaam gave Midian a key for the destruction o f Israel. He said, “ O Balak, and you Midianites th at are here present, it is true no entire destruction can seize upon the nation o f the Hebrews, neither by war, nor by plague, n o r by the scarcity o f the fruits o f the earth, no r can 8

any o th e r unexpected accident be their entire ruin, for the providence o f God is con cerned to preserve them from such a m isfortune; nor will it perm it any such calamity to com e upon them whereby they may all perish; but some small m isfortunes, and those fo r a short tim e, whereby they m ay appear to be brought m ay still fall upon them , and after th a t they will flourish again, to the terror o f those th a t brought those m ischiefs upon them . So th a t if you have a m ind to gain a victory over them for a short space o f tim e you will obtain it by following my directions: He thereupon gave instructions for them to send some o f their m ost beautiful daughters “ adorned and trim m ed to the highest degree” near the Israelite cam p, and to flirt w ith the young men o f Israel, allowing them to go as far as they wanted until they w ould becom e enam oured o f them . This they did, and the Hebrew young men were allured by their beauty and fell in love w ith them . When the girls w anted to leave them , the young men begged tte m w ith tears to stay w ith them , saying they could not live w ithout them any longer. The girls protested th a t they did not w ant to be used and then forgotten, so the young men m ade them prom ises to own them as mistresses o f all they had. They said it with an oath and called G od to be a witness o f their promise. As soon as the girls saw th at they had m ade these m en their slaves they began to complain about the custom s o f Israel the food, the rules, the religion, their loneliness for their homes, and the b e tte r food and easy living. Soon they lured the young men into the Midianite cities where they seduced them even further, and the ion o f these young men was so great that soon they were bowing before the gods o f Midian in order to please their women and to not contradict them . Much o f the army o f Israel was involved in this great seduction. They were m esm erized by the daughters o f whoredom . One o f the leaders who fell in this snare was Zimri o f the tribe o f Simeon. When he returned w ith Cozbi, the wom an, he openly rebuked Moses, “ Yes, indeed Moses, th o u art at liberty to make use o f such laws as thou art fond of, and hast, by accus tom ing thyself to them , made them firm ; otherwise if things had n o t been thus, thou hadst often been punished before now, and hadst know n that the Hebrews are not easily put upon; b u t thou shalt n o t have me, one o f thy followers in thy tyrannical com m ands, for th o u dost nothing else h ith erto , b u t, under pretence o f laws, and of God, wicked impose on us slavery, and gain dom inion to thyself, while thou deprivest us o f the sweetness o f life, which consists o f acting according to our own wills, and is the right o f free m en, and o f those th at have no lord over them . Nay, indeed this man (Moses) is harder upon the Hebrews than were the Egyptians themselves, as pretending to punish, according to his laws, every one’s acting w hat is m ost agreeable to himself; b ut th o u thyself b e tte r deservest to suffer punishm ent, w ho presum est to abolish what every one acknowledges to be w hat is good for him , and aimest to make thy single opinion to have m ore force than th at o f all the rest: and what I now do, and think to be right. I shall n o t hereafter deny to be according to my own sentim ents. I have m arried, as th o u sayest rightly, a strange wom an, and thou hearest w hat I do from m y self as from one th a t is free; for truly I did not intend to conceal myself. I also own 9

th a t I sacrificed to those gods to w hom you did n o t think it fit to sacrifice; and I think it right to com e a t tru th by inquiring o f m any people, and n o t like one th at lives under ty ranny, to suffer th e w hole hope o f m y life to depend upon one m an; no r shall any one find cause to rejoice w ho declares him self to have m ore authority over my actions than m yself.” It was right after this th a t Phinehas a m an o f great respect rose up, being greatly troubled and w ent in to the te n t and slew b o th Zimri and the wom an. Upon which, all those young m en w hich “ had a regard to virtue, and aim ed to do a glorious action, im itated his boldness, and slew those th a t were found to be guilty o f the same crime w ith Z im ri.” So, m any perished by the sword o f the righteous and others by the terrible plague th a t broke o u t, which scholars believe was a venereal disease th at raged through the camp o f Israel. T w enty-four thousand died at th at tim e, and the arm y o f Israel, the young m en who were her glory, were defiled w ith m any o f them slain. This was a terrible tragedy, and one which we m ust take tim e to think about. It makes us alm ost feel sick in o u r soul. We see where, when ion rules Sim eon, he gets in to terrible trouble. In a m om ent o f recklessness he not only m ade a fool of himself, b u t he also destroyed m any lives. Zimri was a prince. His nam e m eans “ som eone who has lost the song o f praise, the opposition to m y praise.” If we lose our song o f praise, we will revert to being only earthen vessels th a t will bring th e sword, n o t only against others, but also upon ourselves. W hat good is the earthen vessel w ithout the glory? I w ould also like to draw your atten tio n to the m eaning o f the w om an’s nam e, Cozbi. It m eans “ cheater, liar, deceiver.” It is a dangerous thing to take “ the deceiver in to o u r arm s.” It will destroy us. Even though Zimri defended his act, God judged him and he was destroyed. In som e o f the drawings o f the sym bol o f Simeon (the sword and the pitcher), the sword is drawn as though it had pierced through the earthen vessel, breaking it. In this great tragedy at Shittim , God broke Simeon once and for all. This is where God broke the unholy alliance and union betw een Simeon and Levi, because Levi turned against Simeon in answer to G o d ’s call. We read in Num bers 15:13b, “ Because he was zealous for his G od, and m ade an atonem ent for th e children o f Israel.” When the anointing came on Levi, he turned and killed his own b ro th e r Simeon.

T H E IR NUMBER When the children o f Israel were counted at Mt. Sinai, Simeon had 59,300. F orty years later, when they were ready to en ter in to the prom ised land there were only 22,200. They had been reduced from being the greatest tribe (except for Judah and 10

Dan w ho had 74,600 and 62,700 respectively) to being the smallest o f all tribes. Com pare N um bers 1:23 w ith Num bers 26:14. A great destruction had come upon Simeon. 31,100 died in the wilderness. Beloved, if God is fixing to break you, He is going to break you and m ay God have m ercy on you. Let th e Spirit o f God do His work within you. Do n o t harden y our neck. Y ou m ay say, “ But I am n o t a Sim eonite!” B ut all o f us are earthen vessels. All o f us are b o m in sin and conceived in in iquity. All o f us have rebellious spirits w ithin us th at have to be broken dow n And the sooner we let God break us dow n, the b e tte r it is fo r us. May God tru ly help us to let the Spirit o f God break us! O ur hearts ache for the Zimris, those who have lost their song o f praise. Zimri did n o t realize he was taking a deceiver into his arms and into his ten t, because he himself was deceived. No one is m ore deceived by the deceiver than the one who is alrea y deceived by his ow n self-will, pride and stubborn, rebellious spirit. The only ones th at can really be alert in the Spirit, to know and to understand w hat sin is, is the one who lives in th a t place o f high praises. It is one thing to sing and to dance and to praise the Lord, but it is another thing to live in that song o f praise. It is im portant to live in th at place where y o u r soul is full o f the beauty o f the Lord your G od, and where the fragrance o f Sharon’s rose wafts from your being. May God help us to come into th at high place with our God!

THE SIMEON OF THE TWELVE SPIES There were m any different Simeonites th at were m entioned. I w ant to briefly m ention some o f them . N um bers 13:5 tells us th a t the name o f the leader for Simeon was called Shaphat, the son o f Hori. Shaphat m eans, “ a judge.” Hori means “ a cave-dweller.

PRINCE OVER THE TR IB E OF SIMEON T he prince over the tribe o f Simeon was Shelumiel. (Num bers 1:6) It means “ a friend o f G od, or peace w ith G od.” He was the son of Zurishaddai, “ My rock is the A lm ighty.” In N um bers 3 4 :2 0 we read th a t Shemuel was the head o f the tribe o f Simeon. Shemuel m eans “ heard by G od.” He was one o f those th a t was chosen by God to divide up the land o f Canaan. Shemuel was the son o f A m m ihud, which means, 11

people o f praise.” So we see th a t God was bringing back their praise. Hallelujah!

SIMEON LINKED WITH JUDAH We see an interesting grow th in Simeon. In his y o u th , during the tim e o f re bellion and self-will, his com panion was Levi. In the wilderness, as he w ent through suffering and trials and hard experiences, his com panions were Gad and R euben, with Reuben playing the p art o f elder brother. And now, as he is preparing to come into the Promised Land, we see him linking w ith Judah. This is an indication o f the spi ritual grow th in to m atu rity through trial and suffering. Judges 1:3,17, “ And Judah said u nto Simeon his b ro th er, Come up w ith me into my lot, th a t we m ay fight against the Canaanites; and I likewise will go w ith thee into thy lot. So Simeon w ent w ith him ...A nd Judah went w ith Simeon his b ro th er, and they slew the Canaanites th a t inhabited Z ephath, and u tterly destroyed it. And the name o f the city was called H orm ah.” Judah asked Sim eon to fight with him because he knew the power behind that consecrated sword. T ogether they overcame the enemy. As long as Simeon is linked w ith Judah (Praise) under the anointing, there are prospects o f great victory in his life. T ogether they will inherit the promises o f God and take the nations for God. Simeon never received their own inheritance, they were incorporated into Judah. Noreen Nichols, who is an expert on the teaching o f the tribes, says, “ You can be sure that Judah takes more than he can possess by him self, and every Judahite is know n by this characteristic. Yet Judah does n o t selfishly try to spread him self to o thin over too great an area, b ut instead, w ithin his inheritance, others take their place.”

THE INHERITANCE OF SIMEON We have already said th a t Judah incorporated Simeon into their inheritance. It is interesting to see th e nam es o f the cities th a t became the possession o f Simeon and the m eaning o f their names. (Joshua 19:1-9) Beersheba: T he first city o f great im portance is Beersheba. Beersheba, “ the well o f the o a th ,” was m ade fam ous in Genesis 21:14,31. It was here th at the m iraculous well sprung up for Hagar so she could save the life o f her son Ishmael and w here God gave Isaac w ater w hen he dug his wells. Beersheba is m entioned all through the Old Testam ent. Even to d ay it has becom e an im portant city in southern Israel; and still men speak o f Israel as being the portion o f land “ from Dan to Beersheba.” Beersheba is south o f Jerusalem , a half d ay ’s jo u rn ey by car. It is in the wilderness o f Paran and only a small distance from Kadesh-Barnea. It seems strange th a t Simeon, after com ing into their inheritance should m ake a 12

com plete circle to where they had lived in Kadesh-Barnea for forty years to possess their inheritance. How strange are the ways o f God! They could have m arched right into it from where they were when they sent spies into the land. M oladah: It m eans “ birth and race.” A fter the captivity it seems to have come back in to the hands o f Judah and was re-inhabited by them . (Nehemiah 11:26) It is 17-18 miles from Beersheba. Hazar-shual: “ village o f Jackals” betw een Hazar-Jaddah and Beersheba. (Joshua 15:28,19; 19:3, I Chronicles 4 :2 8 ) Azem : “ a b o n e,” in the extrem e south of Judah. A llotted to Simeon. E ltolad:

“ G od’s kindred.” Simeon possessed it at the time o f David. (I Chro

nicles 4 :2 9 ) Bethul: “ dweller w ith G od.” H orm ah: “ a place laid w aste.” M entioned in Judges 1:17 as a chief tow n o f a Canaanite king. D estroyed by Joshua. (Joshua 15:30) It became David’s haunt in the years when fleeing from Saul. (I Samuel 30:30) Ziklag: “ w inding.” I t w a s the residence and private property o f David. Philistines occupied it at the tim e o f David. (I Samuel 27:6,7; 30:14,26, I Chronicles 12:1,20) B eth-m arcaboth: “ house o f the chariots.” Hazar-susah: “ village o f horses.” B ethlebaoth: “ house o f lionesses.” Sham ruhen: “ refuge of grace” no rth west o f Beersheba. Ain: “ spring.” R em m on: “ pom egranate.” E th er: “ abundance.” A shan: “ sm oke.” It is n o t identified. R am ath: David sent spoils o f battle to them . (I Samuel 30:27)

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Joshua 19:9 says, “ O ut o f th e p o rtio n o f the children o f Judah was the inheri tance o f the children o f Sim eon: for the p art o f the children o f Judah was to o m uch for th em : therefore th e children o f Simeon had their inheritance within the inheritance o f th em ” In Judges 1:3-6 we read how Judah and Simeon fought together. They slew 10,000 m en, caught King A donibezek (verse 6) and cut o ff his thum bs and great toes.

W ARRIORS O F SIMEON I Chronicles 4 :4 1 -4 3 , “ And these w ritten by nam e cam e in the days o f Hezekiah king o f Judah, and sm ote th eir tents, and the habitations th a t were found there, and destroyed them u tte rly u n to this day, and dw elt in their room s: because there was pasture there for th eir flocks. And som e o f them , even the sons o f Simeon, 500 men w ent to M ount Seir, having fo r th e ir captain Pelatiah, and N eanah, and R ephaiah, and Uzziel, th e sons o f Ishi. And they sm ote th e rest o f the Am alekites th at were escaped, and dw elt there unto this day. The meanings o f th e above nam es are: Pelatiah: “ Delivered by Jehovah;” N eariah: “ Servant o f Jehovah;” R ephaiah: “ Healed o f Jehovah.” He was a chieftain. Uzziel: “ G od is m y strength.” He was a captain. Ishi: “ My husband.” (Com pare Hosea 2:16) So we see the great m en th a t were in the tribe o f Simeon at th at time.

IN DAVID’S ARMY I C hronicles 12:25 “ A nd o f the children o f Sim eon, m ighty m en o f valour for the war, 7,1 0 0 .” They came to David to help him . (verse 22) They could only becom e the servant o f Jeho vah when their innerm ost being had been healed by the Lord and their strength came from Him. When y o u realize th a t o u t o f Judah there were only 6000 and o u t o f Levi 4000 Benjamin only 3000, and o u t o f Issachar only 200, you can realize the trem en d o u s ’grow th and spiritual developm ent th a t the tribe o f Simeon experienced dow n in their wilderness inheritance under the care o f Judah. They came w ith the cause o f the King in their hearts. T hey had an eye for the future. They had heard the will o f God and followed him w ith all th eir hearts.

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SIMEON IN THE TIMES OF REV IV A L T here were tw o great revivals in the days o f the Old Testam ent. One under King Asa and one under Josiah. II Chronicles 15:9, “ And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and the strangers w ith them o u t o f Ephraim and Manasseh, and out o f Simeon: for they fell to him out o f Israel in abundance, when they saw th at the Lord his G od was with him .” This took place in B. C. 941. This great revival to o k place when the Spirit o f God fell on Azariah and he prophesied to Asa, the king o f Judah. The tribes m entioned came with oxen and th o u sands o f sheep and m ade a fresh covenant with the Lord. They vowed th at whosoever would n o t serve th e Lord should be p u t to death, small or great, man or wom an. “They sware u n to th e Lord w ith a loud voice, and with a shouting, and with trum pets, and with com ets. And all Judah rejoiced at the oath: for they had sworn with all their heart, and sought him w ith their whole desire; and he was found o f th e m : and the Lord gave them rest round a b o u t.” (verses 14,15) Read the whole 15th chapter. This is a real revival. This is the kind th a t we need these days. God will use the Judahites, the Benjaminites, the M anassehites and all the strangers o u t o f Ephraim together to usher in this last great move o f God. II Chronicles 34:6, “ And so did he in the cities o f Manasseh, and Ephraim , and Sim eon, even unto N aphtali, w ith their m attocks round a b o u t.” This second great re vival to o k place 300 years after the last one. It came under the anointed leadership o f King Josiah. Again we see Simeon united with the moving of the Holy Spirit. He always knew when God was doing a new thing and was ready to get involved with it. There are some ways in which Simeon is m uch like Reuben and som etim es it is hard to see the difference betw een the tw o tribes because they are easily influenced by what is going on. However, even though they had failed God and were often moving in the flesh realm, yet when the Spirit o f God began to move in Jerusalem , Simeon “ reported in” and was there for the moving o f the Spirit. Hallelujah! They always wanted to do G od’s jo b . It was ju st th at their carnality and their ions got in the way. Many of G od’s finest leaders have been destroyed by their own carnal ions and their own natural weaknesses which they have never been able to overcome.

POSITION OF SIMEON A round the tabernacle: They were situated on the south side along with Reuben and Gad. They m arched under the banner o f Reuben. In the Promised Land: They were given a portion o f Judah, m ostly in the southern area. 15

In the Millenium: They will be between Benjamin and issachar. (Ezekiel 48:24) T he G ate o f Sim eon in th e New Jerusalem : The gate o f Simeon is on the south side along with Issachar and Zebulun. (Ezekiel 4 8 :3 3 )

TH E LOST BOOKS OF TH E BIBLE Simeon gives an interesting testim ony ab o u t him self in The Lost Books o f the Bible. I do n o t know th e authenticity o f this book b u t I understand th a t the m anu script is very old. Certainly there are m any thousands o f holy scriptures hidden in the m onasteries o f the w orld. I have seen some o f them in St. Catherines m onastery in Mt. Sinai. Only recently som e o f them have been discovered and translated in to our language. If you are interested in securing this book, it is available from us.* The last words th a t Simeon spoke before he died, give us understanding about his life. I would like to share a little b it o f it. “ I was b o m o f Jacob, as m y father’s second son. My m other Leah called me Simeon because the Lord had heard her prayer. I becam e exceedingly strong. I shrank from no achievem ent, n o r was I afraid o f anything. F o r m y heart was hard and my liver was imm ovable and m y bowels w ithout com ion. F o r in the tim e o f my youth I was jealous o f m any things o f Joseph because m y father loved him beyond all. I set my m ind against him to destroy him because th e prince o f deceit had sent forth the spirit o f jealousy and blinded m y m ind, so th a t I regarded him n o t as my brother. But his God and th e God o f his fath er sent fo rth His angel and delivered him out ot my hands. F o r when I wasn’t there, Judah, m y brother, sold him to the Ishmaelites. But upon hearing this, I was exceedingly w roth against Judah, th a t he had let him go away alive. F o r five m onths I continued w rathful against Ju d ah .” (Perhaps th a t is why God let him come under th e control o f Judah later on). “ The Lord restrained me and w ithheld m e from the pow er o f my hands, (for my right hand was half w ithered for seven days. And I knew, m y children, th a t because o f Joseph this had befallen m e and I repented and w ept and besought the Lord God that m y hand m ight be restored, th a t I m ight hold aloft from all pollution and from envy. F o r envy ruleth over th e whole m ind o f a m an and suffers him neither to eat nor to drink nor to do any good thing. But it ever suggests to destroy him , and he that envieth, so long as he envieth, will n o t flourish, b u t he will fade away. F or tw o years I afflicted m yself w ith fasting in the fear o f the Lord. F or I believe th a t if a m an flee to th e Lord, th e evil spirit will run away from him and his m ind will be enlightened again. A nd I m ourned m ore than all, because I was found guilty o f the

• “T he Lost Books o f th e B ible” avaUable from End-Time Handm aidens, P.O. Box 447, Jasper, ARK 72641 fo r $8.95 plus postage and handling.

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way I had handled Joseph. And when we went down into Egypt, Joseph bound me as a spy and I knew th a t I was suffering justly and I grieved not. Now Joseph was a good man and had the Spirit o f G od within him , being com ionate and pitiful. He bore no m alice against m e, b u t loved m e, even as the rest of his brethren. Beware, therefore, m y children, o f all jealousy and envy and walk in singleness o f heart th at God m ay give you also grace and glory and bleson your heads, even as you saw in Joseph s case. Do ye also, children, love each other with a good heart and the spirit o f envy wi w ithdraw from y o u .” He warned them o f the sins o f fornication and o f battling with Levi. He said that they w ould becom e few in num ber and be divided in Levi and Judah; and th at none would receive great sovereignty. He said th at if they would rem ove all envy and stiff-necked ness, th a t his bones would flourish in Israel. Then he looked far o ff into the end-tim e, when the land of Ham shall come into great suffering and perish. He saw the bloodshed o f Africa in our tim e and said, Then shall all the earth rest from trouble and all the world under heaven from war. Then the Mighty One o f Israel shall glorify Shem, for the Lord God shall appear on earth and Himself save m en. Then shall all the spirits o f deceit be given to be trodden under foot and m en shall rule over wicked spirits.” He said th at he w ould be resurrected at that tim e and eat with God, Who will have taken on th e body o f a man and eat with men. He truly saw the incarnated Christ.

SIMEON,IN TH E TEMPLE Please read Luke 2:25-38. A fter reading the above, it is n o t strange therefore, th at in the book o f Luke, chapter 2, we should see th a t as Jesus is brought into the tem ple by His m other Mary and Joseph, the one who is there to m eet Him is a man by the name o f Simeon. It is elieved by some th at he is a direct descendant o f Simeon, a m em ber o f the tribe o f Simeon. H istory says th at he could have been the Simeon who was the president o f the Sanhedrin who succeeded his father, Hillel, about A.D. 13. He had a son called Ga maliel. (A cts 2 2:3) How significant th a t God should give to the Sim eonites this prom ise, th at he would n o t depart until his eyes had beheld the Lord’s Christ, for Jesus was the Messia th at Sim eon, the patriarch, had predicted would come in the flesh. It was only right that his descendant should see the L ord’s Christ. Anna, the prophetess who also bore witness, was o f the tribe o f Asher. Paul was o f Benjamin, John the Baptist was o f Levi, Joseph was o f Judah. It would be interesting to know how many tribes bore witness to the Christ. 17

Sim eon, the p atriarch, had seen th e star th at would rise over G od’s people to save them . How appropriate th a t when Jesus was brought as a babe in His m other s arms into the T em ple, a Sim eonite should be there to take Him into his arm s and hold Him there before the w orld and bear witness saying, “ Mine eyes have seen th y salva tio n .” (Luke 2 :30) It says in Luke 2 :2 6 , “ And it was revealed unto him by the Holy G host, th at he should n o t see death, before he had seen the L ord’s Christ.” Surely God fulfilled His word to Sim eon, because he was a m an w ho could hear w hat the Spirit was saying. Verse 27 says, “ And he came by the Spirit into the tem ple;” He was led by the Spirit because he was a true Sim eonite — one who could hear and obey. As we said at the beginning o f this teaching, it is n o t enough to be able to hear w hat God is saying, one m ust be ready to obey. Otherw ise we will miss our appointm ent w ith God. Sure ly Simeon had an a p p o in tm en t w ith God in the tem ple th at day. The Simeonites will n o t miss their end-tim e appointm ent. They will be there for the day o f m arking; all 12,000 o f them . Hallelujah! G o d is sealing them in at this tim e.

PROPHECY REVIEWED “ Simeon and Levi are b rethren; instrum ents o f cruelty are in their habitations. O my soul, come n o t th o u in to their secret; unto their assem bly, mine honour, be not thou united: for in th eir anger they slew a m an, and in their selfwill they digged down a wall. Cursed be th eir anger, for it was fierce; and their w rath, for it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.” (Genesis 49:5-7) As we already m entioned, Jacob was, no doubt, referring to Genesis 34.25. The prophecy was fulfilled when the Lord “ divided them in Jacob and scattered them m Israel,” for when the land was divided among the tribes in the days o f Joshua, Simeon did n o t receive a separate territo ry in the Promised Land, but obtained his portion within the inheritance o f Judah. This was true, o f the Levites also, for their portion was the 48 cities th a t were scattered throughout all the tribes o f Israel. So the Word of God, by His p ro p h et Jacob, was fulfilled: Simeon and Levi were “ divided and scattered.” If th a t word was fulfilled, shall n o t the rest o f the prophecies be ful filled also? In closing I w ould like to ex h o rt the Simeonites to n o t be ashamed o f their high calling. Theirs is a very im portant one. Because they are the “ hearers o f the tribes, they will be the first to bear witness and to give the report o f w hat the Lord is doing in the last days. They will have heard before the rest o f us and they will be led by the Spirit to keep their appointm ent w ith God to behold the Lord s Salvation. We would do well to stay close to the Simeonites and listen to w hat they have to tell us, as God reveals end-tim e tru th s to them .

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Xew BY GWEN SHAW

Copyright © Gwen R. Shaw 1982 End-Time Handm aidens, Inc. Engeltal P.O. Box 447 Jasper, Ark, 72641

Cover by Susan Wright

Printed in the United States of America

D u t c h o a k s t a t u e of a h i g h p rie st, e a rly 1 8 t h c e n t u r y

PRA Y ER Dear F a th er in heaven, we hum bly beseech Y our help as we begin th e study o f this great and noble tribe w hich You have given us. As we look at Y our Son, Jesus, we see th e perfect Levite, the High Priest, who ever liveth to make intercession for us. We feel as though we are such children, and know so little, in com parison to Y our great wisdom and understanding. But we pray th a t You will give us the gift o f the Urim and T hum m im th a t we m ight receive counsel o f Thee and have the know ledge to teach T h y people the tru th s which are appropriate for us to know at this tim e. In Jesus’ nam e. Amen.

TH E NAMING O F LEVI “ And she (Leah) conceived again, and bare a son; and said, Now this tim e will m y husband be ed unto m e, because I have bom him three sons: therefore was his nam e called Levi.” (Genesis 29:34)

MEANING O F TH E NAME Levi m eans “ed, to be fastened to , devoted to , attached to , veering, united, ed to , k n o tte d .” Leah, as you know , had been seeking for the unity and the oneness betw een her and her husband, Jacob. There had been a great estrangem ent, even from the beginning, and she longed th at they m ight be one. She looked for som eone to stand as a m ediator betw een her and her husband to bring u nity betw een them . Isn’t it a beautiful thing th a t the nam e for the priestly family should be so descriptive? The Lord is o u r heavenly Bridegroom and we are His Leah, we have been His estranged bride. It is true th a t we are His true bride, His first bride, but there has come an estrangem ent betw een us and our G od because o f sin, and Jesus, the tru e Levi, th e tru e Priest, came dow n and becam e the “ing o n e” betw een God and His bride, uniting us for etern ity in true love. So now we can see how pro phetic was the nam e she gave this third-bom son o f hers who became the priestly fam ily o f Israel. Our heavenly Levi stands betw een heaven and earth , betw een G od, the husband (Jehovah-Ishi), and us, His bride. And even as Levi stood and offered sacrifices on behalf o f the bride (Israel), so Jesus, ou r Levi and High Priest, offered the perfect sacrifice o f His own shed blood to bring reconciliation betw een Jehovah-Ishi and us, His bride.

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Jesus is o u r Levi, our m ediator and m iddlem an w ho stands betw een us and G od, m aking intercession fo r us. Praise His w onderful Name!

SYMBOL The sym bol o f Levi is the breastplate which holds th e twelve different stones on w hich are engraved the names o f the tribes o f Israel, ing Manasseh and Ephraim under th e nam e o f Joseph. The breastplate was o f utm ost im portance. In Exodus 28:15 it is called the breastplate o f judgm ent and it was m ade o f ex pert w orkm anship. It was foursquare in shape. A span was the length o f it and a span th e breadth thereof. A span is th e distance betw een the thum b and little finger when spread out. The dictionary gives it as 9 inches. E xodus 28:17-20 gives us the nam es o f the twelve different gemstones th a t were set in it, one for each tribe. E xodus 2 8 :2 2 ,2 3 , “ And th o u shalt m ake upon the breastplate chains at the ends o f w reathen w ork o f pure gold. And th o u shalt m ake upon the breastplate tw o rings o f gold, and shalt put the tw o rings on the two ends o f the breastplate.” Exodus 28:2 9 , “ And Aaron shall bear the names of the children o f Israel in the breastplate o f judgm ent upon his heart, when he goeth in unto the holy place for a m em orial before the Lord continually.” Exodus 2 8 :3 0 , “ A nd th o u shalt put in the breastplate o f judgm ent the Urim and the T hum m im ; and they shall be upon A aron’s heart, when he goeth in before the Lord: and Aaron shall bear the judgm ent o f the children o f Israel upon his heart before the Lord continually.” This sym bol is one o f the m ost beautiful in Israel because it shows the loving care th a t the Lord has for each one o f the tribes. Jesus has us upon His heart at all tim es. Aaron carried these tribes always over his heart when he came before the Lord. It did n o t m a tte r if they sinned and did evil, or if they were good and holy, he carried them upon his heart. They were chained in place with rings, fastened to his ephod. He could only remove them when he left the tabernacle. The true Levite will always carry the m inistry which the Lord has given him upon his heart. He will n o t be able to lay it dow n day or night. W hether the people he works w ith are easy to get along w ith, or w hether they be full o f rebellion and sin, he will constantly be bringing them in to the presence o f God. He will n o t be perm itted to lay dow n his burden o r to take a vacation from the call o f God which is upon his life. He is very specially dedicated to God and also to the people whom he represents. He m ust be m ore like Jesus than any o f the o th er tribes. 2

He never wears the breastplate as an ornam ent. It is a token o f judgm ent. As he stands before God and serves G od, the glory o f God shines upon th a t breastplate and it strikes every single one o f the gems, revealing the colour, clarity, purity and the flaws th a t are in each one. N either can anyone hide anything from the eyes of the Levite. Do n o t try to deceive a Levite, God will show you up to be a fool. The closer the Levite walks w ith G od, the m ore he will see into the depth o f each tribe th a t he is m inistering to. N ot all Levites had the m inistry o f the high priest, however. There were certain branches o f the tribe th a t had o th er m inistries, and we will go into these later. But the ones w ho are given the charge o f the Tabernacle, the sons of A aron, are those o f a very high and holy calling, and these are the ones I was speaking about. As we look into the o th e r families o f the Levites, you m ay find your calling and election is one o f them .

GEMSTONE The gem stone o f Levi is the carbuncle. Sm ith’s Bible Dictionary says, It is a precious stone o f a deep red colour, com m only called garnet.” There is controversy by some Bible scholars about the order o f this stone. Some say th at the third stone on the top row and the first stone of the second row have been reversed in the translation. T hat would make the emerald the stone of Levi and the carbuncle the stone o f Judah. However, I feel that the King James V ersion, which is the one I am using is the accepted one for Levi. The name garnet comes from the Latin granatum, which means ‘pom egranate, and alludes to the resem blance o f some red varieties o f this fruit. The pom egranate is a fruit that is closely related to the priesthood. The Lord had pom egranates de signed into the hem o f the priestly robe. (Exodus 39:24) The pom egranate, because o f its m any seeds, is a symbol o f fruitfulness and righteousness. Certainly, this makes the garnet a priestly stone. Its deep red colour portrays, so beautifully, the precious blood th at was shed as the sacrificial offering through the m inistry o f the Levite family. Garnets typically occur in m etam orphic rocks, which is a type o f rock th a t is characterized by its ability to change in structure under pressure and heat and expe rience a kind o f transform ation. Surely the hope o f every true Levite is th at God will, through the agony o f our pressures and the heat o f our trials, transform us into the beautiful garnet stone th at takes on the colour o f the Precious Blood o f Jesus, even the very blood which flowed from Em m anuel’s veins. In ancient times it was believed th a t the garnet had power to ward o ff accidents during travel. (This o f course was n o t believed by the Jews). A m ore diabolical use 3

o f the garnet is th a t it was used as bullets in ancient firearm s. Perhaps, when we transfer this to the glorious pow er o f the Blood o f Jesus, it is a m ore appropriate and beautiful sym bol o f pow er, in th at it will ward o ff the w ork o f dem on spirits who are w orking against th e righteous. Even as David used the sm ooth pebble from the brook to conquer th e giant, G oliath, the Levite uses his garnet, i.e. the Blood o f Jesus to destroy all evil giants th a t come against us. A nother reason w hy the garnet is applicable to the tribe o f Levi is because it m eans “ seed,” and th e Levites were given the calling o f planting the “ seed” o f G od’s word in all o f Israel. They were the teachers o f the Oracles o f God.

PROPHECIES TO LEVI Jacob: Genesis 49:5-7, “ Simeon and Levi are b re th re n ; instrum ents o f cruelty are in their habitations. O m y soul, come n o t th o u into th eir secret; u n to their assembly, m ine hon o u r, be n o t thou united: for in their anger they slew a m an, and in their selfwill they digged dow n a wall. Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their w rath, for it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel. Moses: D euteronom y 33:8-11, “ And o f Levi he said, Let thy Thum m im and thy Urim be w ith th y holy one, whom th o u didst prove at Massah, and with whom th o u didst strive at the waters o f M eribah; Who said u n to his father and to h s m other, I have n o t seen him ; neither did he acknowledge his brethren, nor knew his. own children: for they have observed thy word, and kept thy covenant. They shall teach Jacob thy judgm ents, and Israel thy law: they shall p u t incense before thee, and whole b urnt sacrifice upon thine altar. Bless, Lord, his substance, and accept the w ork o f his hands: sm ite through the loins o f them th a t rise against him and o f them th at hate him , th a t they rise n o t again.”

JACOB’S PROPHECY Let us first o f all begin w ith their father Jaco b ’s prophecy. As it is united with Sim eon, some o f it will be repeated here. “Sim eon and Levi are breth ren ; instrum ents o f cruelty are in their habitations.” (Genesis 4 9 :5 ) The ancient Lamsa translation renders it, “ instrum ents o f anger are in their n atu re.” This explains the m eaning m uch m ore correctly. One can punish and judge a situation, b u t one m ust be careful to do it w ithout cruelty. There is a difference betw een spanking your children and being cruel to them , when they need correction. God judges us w ithout cruelty. A Levite m ust guard against his tendency to be cruel in a m om ent when th e spirit o f anger comes upon him. 4

The word “ instrum ents” comes from the Hebrew keliy (ke-lee) ...“ som ething prepared, any apparatus (as an im plem ent, utensil, artillery, weapon, etc.), that is m ade on the forge. It is so im p o rtan t, beloved, th a t w ithin our nature, which is our true habitation, there should be no self-made weapons o f cruelty. These instrum ents aren t some th ing th at you were born with. It is som ething you m ake, you chisel o u t. You put it on the fire and you beat it into shape like a sm ith forging his weapon. Life is like being on an anvil. It is like being form ed in the fire, and this is why y our experiences, your fiery trials, will either make o u t o f you a weapon of cruelty, th a t will be used to destroy others, or it can make o u t o f you a shield. It also can m ake o u t o f you som ething for a blessing, a household item , a vessel for the Master s use. The word “ cruelty” translated from the Hebrew means “ violence, instrum ents o f anger and instrum ents o f injustice.” That m eans that these things are in the nature o f the Levite. Beware, dear Levite! This is your weakness. This is where you need to turn to God for your help. “O my soul, come not thou into their secret; u n to their assembly, mine honour, be n o t thou united: for in their anger they slew a m an, and in their selfwill they digged dow n a w all.” (Genesis 4 9:6) We see here again, where Jacob thought it was not Godly righteousness or the act o f God th at Levi and Simeon were carrying out when they m urdered a whole village. They were acting upon their own self-will and their own secret assemb y. Have you ever m et anyone th at, when he is alone, he is a very beautiful person and when he gets together with som ebody else, he is a very devil, to be feared, and to be avoided? I knew tw o men like th at, and both o f them happen to be m inisters o f the Gospel. They even profess to be Spirit-filled! You could work along beautifu y with either one o f them . But when these two men got together, it was as it they both becam e com pletely different people. I used to wonder about it, and I rem em ber, the scripture the Lord gave me was this one about Simeon and Levi. It does not mean th at they were just blood-brothers or even spiritual brothers, but they were united in the same evil spirit. A Levite and a Simeonite m ust be very careful m their relationship w ith each other. They can really m ake trouble if the Holy Spirit is no guiding their lives and leading them . Jacob said, “ I d o n ’t w ant anything to do with th at kind of conference or agree m ent which these tw o will make tog eth er.” One o f the translations renders it, never agreed to their counsel.” We have to be careful we d o n ’t agree w ith unrighteous 5

counsel. Jacob could have agreed. He could have said, “ T hat was a good thing, boys, th at you killed them . Now we w on’t have any m ore trouble with that bunch o f heathen dow n in th at to w n .” T radition tells us th at it was the same Shechemite fam ily th at tried to steal even Sarah away from A braham and Rebecca from Isaac, They had been a con niving, wicked bunch, seizing every wom an th a t they saw was beautiful, lusting after her and kidnapping her from her husband, raping and abusing her. The “ love” Shechem had fo r Dinah was n o t love, b ut lust. In spite o f their deserving this kind o f judgm ent, Jacob knew that it was not right for Levi and Simeon to do w hat they did. He grieved over their anger and their murder. Som etimes Christians have a tendency to feel glad when one o f their enemies drops dead. Have you ever heard som eone say, “ Well, what do you know, God has finally wiped them o u t. I was expecting it to happen!” We have got to be careful th at we d o n ’t get that way. T hat is the spirit o f the unrighteous Levi upon us. Jacob said, “ I did n o t agree with their counsel.” Even though his very own daughter had been abducted and raped, and he had cause to be angry, still he knew that God would handle his enemies for him. Jacob showed th e beauty o f his charac ter in this hour. Honour cannot be un:ted with the secret o f violence, injustice, cruelty and anger. Y our honour cannot be united with som eone’s dishonour, violence, and cruelty, even if it seems to be done for a “ righteous cause.” There are a lot o f im perfected “ Levites” in the m inistry today. They think they can judge your case. They think they can put you o ff and destroy you. They may not use the sword th at is m ade o f m etal, instead they use the “sw ord” that is made o f flesh, even the tongue. They go out o f their way to destroy your character and reputation and to drive you o u t from possessing your inheritance in the Lord, even as Saul did with David. (I Samuel 2 6:19) But while they th in k they are doing a thing which pleases God, the “ Jacobspirit” o f the F ather looks dow n upon them and says, “ I never agreed to their counsel.” Let them bring counsel against you! Let them declare war against you! Let them even cut you off, w ith the cruelty o f their tongue, you have a God in heaven who will judge a righteous judgm ent. We have every confidence in Him, that we can lay o u r cause in His hands, for He says, “ Be still, and know th at I am G od.” (Psalm 4 6:10) It was the anger o f Levi th at m ade him a killer. He had the “ instrum ent” in himself th at could be used in a m om ent o f violent rage to destroy and to change his nature. His testim ony in The Lost Books o f the Bible says, he was only 20 years old at that tim e. He also believes, so he claims, th at God told him to do it. God 6

w ould n o t have told him to do it and then cursed him later for having done it, as we read in the prophecies th a t Jacob, his father, gave over him. Beware, dear m inisters o f the Gospel, th a t you do n o t allow th a t self-de veloped w eapon, forged in the heat o f the fires o f anger and jealousy” to be used against an innocent child o f God! Jesus cam e against this spirit o f the im m ature Levite when th e Pharisees dragged the w om an “ found in adultery” to Him and wanted to condem n her to be stoned to death. This spirit is still in the Pharisaical Levite today. They are ready to throw a stone a t every wom an whom they suspect o f n o t living th e life that they dem and o f her. Jesus did n o t agree with their counsel. He said, “ He th a t is w ith o u t sin am ong yo u , let him cast the first stone at her.” (John 8 :7 ) And to h er He said, “ N either do I condem n thee: go, and sin no m ore.” (John 8:11) “Cursed be their anger.” It seems as if old Jacob was as angry w ith his very ow n sons as he had been w ith the Shechemites. Years had gone by, and now Jacob was 147 years old. B ut still he had n o t forgotten. M aybe he had n o t thought o f it for years, b u t in the m om ent when the Holy Spirit came upon him , it was not really Jacob talking, it was the Lord bringing up the past and the Spirit o f the Lord was “ calling to rem em brance.” “ Cursed be their anger!” These are strong w ords, b u t have you n o t used the same term inology when you have cast o u t dem ons o f tem per and anger? T hat was ju st w hat God was doing through Jacob. He was cursing the dem on o f anger in Levi and Simeon. Could this have been the m om ent when Levi was delivered o f the spirit o f anger? Levi could never have come into his priestly m inistry w ith any o f his old self in his nature. Beloved, we cannot be used o f God with all those weapons of self and anger in our nature (habitation). Praise God! I believe th a t in this h o u r the dem ons o f anger and cruelty were cast o u t o f old Levi. I believe th a t he was set free, and all the Levites have to get this deliverance from unreasonable and unjust anger that can destroy others in a m om ent o f ion. G od has a special w ork for the Levites to do, for they have a special nature th a t God needs in His plan. But the Levite nature has to be God-con trolled. Rem em ber R euben’s trouble! His sin was the ion o f lust which led to adul tery. Levi’s was the ion o f anger th a t led to m urder. Levi was no b e tte r than R euben, m aybe even worse. How can we say then th a t we prefer Levi above Reu ben. Sin is sin. Weakness is weakness and we cannot pam per one and hide it away in th e closet, feeling we can continue to do G od’s works ju st because we have not been caught in bed w ith ou r neighbour’s wife. O ur anger m ay have killed ou r neigh bour, and we still stand behind a “self-righteous p u lp it” clothed in filthy rags of self-righteousness. The day o f the Lord is at hand. He is calling our sins to rem em 7

brance; n o t because He w ants to bring us to shame, b u t because He wants to bring us to deliverance. “I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel.” This was G od’s answer to a standing problem . Deliverance is n o t always enough. Sometimes you m ust separate th e tw o. We need a little Christian diplo macy. W hat happens when y o u r children start fighting? What do you do? You scatter them . God did the same w ith Simeon and Levi. And by scattering Levi all over Israel in 48 different cities they brought their anointing and their intercession and their Word o f the Lord w ith them . Do you see w hat G od did? He takes every thing in us th at He can use and turns th at into His glory - m y failures, my weakness and my m istakes. That is w hat the devil does also, only he uses my good points for my destruc tion. B u t G o d u s e s my weak points for my blessing. Praise God!

MOSES’ PROPHECY Read D euteronom y 33:8-11. Moses’ prophecy is the opposite o f Jaco b ’s. Rem em ber, Moses was a Levite. You can see the same thing in him th at you saw in his great grandfather, Levi, when he went out there, ready to cut o ff Shalem. What did Moses do to prove he was the son o f Levi? In the hour of indignation when he saw how his brothers, the Israelites, were suffering in Egypt, he to o k out his sword and slew the Egyptian and hid him in the sand. (Exodus 2:12) He was sure that God would be very pleased with this act, but instead, he had to flee into the wilderness where he had to endure 40 years o f wilderness training in th e back side o f the desert. God is n o t in a hurry to get you delivered. He will let you sweat it o u t, until you are ready to fall on y o u r face before Him and say, “ Lord, I’m just sick and tired o f myself. You can do anything w ith m e.” Moses came to th a t place o f absolute surrender. T hat is where you have to come to , even the place w here you hate and reject yourself. He was so .low, th a t when the Lord spoke to him o u t o f the burning bush and told him to go and deliver his people he said, “ N o, Lord! I am the last one for that jo b .” When you get to th a t place, where you are small in y our own eyes, that is when you have the possibility o f becom ing an instrum ent for the glory o f God. You can prepare to rise up and becom e a deliverer. 8

T he Levite fam ily was called for th e deliverance o f G od’s chosen people, but th ey all had to go through their personal G ethsem ane. They had to learn the weak ness o f th eir anger and the injustice o f their judgm ent. Levi is so im portant in God s plan: and th a t is why the devil will take his weakness and his strength and try to des tro y him so th a t others will be afraid o f a Levite and will not w ant to work with him and will n o t have anything to do with him , because they can see w hat he can do in the m om ent o f unguarded ion. “ A nd o f Levi he said, L et th y Thum m im and thy Urim be w ith thy holy one.” This word “holy,” which is chaciyd (khaw-seed) in Hebrew, is only used once in th e Bible. It is interpreted as “ kind, pious, good, holy, m erciful, saint, G odly.” Moses saw the Levite fam ily, a holy one. When God gets finished with us, that is w hat we are, only He can m ake us into holy instrum ents. Isn’t th at beautiful? We are changed from instrum ents o f cruelty into holy creatures for the glory o f God. The m ystery o f the Urim and Thum m im has never really been fully explained. I know th a t Urim m eans “ lights” and Thum m im m eans “ perfection.” As far as we can understand, the Urim and the Thum m im were tw o little stones th at were carried in the breastplate o f the high priest. This spoke o f inner light and inner tru th . When there was a situation facing Israel where they needed Divine guidance, the people w ent to the high priest and he would put his hand inside the breastplate and take o u t these tw o stones which were called the Urim and Thum m im , (light and tru th), and he w ould receive Divine guidance from the Lord. It speaks o f the inner light w ithin us and the inner tru th within us which we all have as priests o f the Lord, because the Holy Spirit is dwelling within us. When you come to a problem and you d o n ’t know where to tu rn for guidance, you don t have to run to this person and ask them w hat to do, or to th at one and ask them , be cause you are now a priest u n to God. You only need to look inside and ask the Holy Spirit to give you guidance, for you have light and tru th within. One o f the translations renders it “ Thy Thum m im and thy Urim be w ith thy ju st o n e.” Moses saw Levi as having been justified through the sacrifices which he had offered. As you bring sacrifices to God, an eternal work of holiness and justifi cation is being done in you. “ Whom thou didst prove at Massah, and w ith whom thou didst strive at the w aters o f M eribah.” (D euteronom y 33:8) Please read Exodus 17:1-7. This was the proving ground o f the Levites, even Massah and Meribah. Massah m eans, “ trial, tem ptation, testing.” M eribah means “strife, quarrel, dissatisfaction, rebellion, m u tin y .” 9

Can you n o t imagine all o f Israel striving, arguing, com plaining, full o f fear and anger, blam ing Moses, threatening to stone him to death, and wishing themselves back in Egypt! They were full o f fear and unbelief which resulted in complaining and m utiny. In th a t hour, Levi (Moses) proved him self w ith God by taking the rod in his hand and acting in faith; he struck the “ hard place” and produced blessing in the m om ent o f strife. If you are a Levite, th at is w hat you can do when you are living in the place o f anointing and com m union w ith God. T hat is y o u r rightful place in God. You can step into a situation w here there is strife, confusion, anger and all kinds o f mis understandings, plus fear and a feeling o f giving up and going back, and you will step up, w ith th e authority o f God in y our hand and strike the hard place, and out o f it, you will bring living w ater th a t will solve the problem instantly. T hat is the blessed ness o f being a Levite. Y ou can stand in a hard place with th e right answer. In that m om ent, Levi (Moses) w asn’t the “ old Levite” any m ore. He had been proven and was found perfect before God. O ut o f the rock flowed rivers o f living water. T hat water, we believe, m ay have watered as m any as 3 million people, besides much cattle. The bedouins still point o u t this spot and we saw it as we journeyed through the wilderness o f Sinai. The rock is still there and the w ater still flows. Hallelujah! “Who said u n to his father and to his m other, I have n o t seen him: neither did he acknowledge his breth ren , nor knew his own children: for they have observed thy word, and kep t thy covenant.” (D euteronom y 33:9) This is not exactly a prophecy (fore-telling), it is m ore o f a pronouncem ent o f som ething th at happened in the past. If so, when did it happen? This was fulfilled in Exodus 32:25-29 when Moses came dow n from Mt. Sinai with the tables o f the testim ony and found G od’s people dancing around the golden calf that they had m ade. Read all o f chapter 32. “ And when Moses saw th at the people were naked; (for Aaron had m ade them naked u nto th eir shame among their enemies:) Then Moses stood in the gate o f the cam p, and said, Who is on the L ord’s side? let him come u n to me. And all the sons o f Levi gathered themselves together unto him. And he said u n to them , Thus saith the Lord God o f Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and o u t from gate to gate throughout the cam p, and slay every m an his b rother, and every man his com panion, and every man his neigh bour. And the children o f Levi did according to the word o f Moses: and there fell o f the people th at day about three thousand m en. For Moses had said, Consecrate yourselves today to the Lord, even every man upon his son, and upon his brother; th at he may bestow upon you a blessing this d ay.” (Exodus 32:25-29) It cost the Levites a great price th at day to stand on the Lord’s side. It cost some o f them their very own fathers, brothers, sons and fam ily. This is what Jesus 10

m eans when He says, “ He th at loveth father o r m other more than me is n o t w orthy o f m e: and he th a t loveth son o r daughter m ore than me is not w orthy o f m e.” (M atthew 10:37) It is tim e we recognize people in God and n o t ju st because they are som ebody in the fam ily. Do you know w hat the trouble is in the m inistry today? We m ake an im portant place in the church for som eone who is our relative. J ‘Oh, th a t’s my sis ter, so I am going to give her an im portant place in the church.” Or, “ T hat is my b ro th er, so I am going to m ake him a head deacon o r elder o f the church. God says a true Levite will n o t regard family connections. A true Levite will always be ordered by the Lord and will do the will o f God. God said, he will not regard his m other o r father; he is going to be led by the Spirit and not m ake com promises because o f a physical relationship. Let us rise into our place in God. This is the thing th a t is destroying the church. We are showing favouritism in God s cam p The blood is thicker than the Word. I mean the family relationships are more im portant than w hat God has to say about the m atter. This is destroying the m inistry. We are com prom ising w ith evil. Some churches are nothing but cliques. A Levite can never have a clique around him . God will not perm it him to do so. His inheritance is in the Lord. As soon as he gets attached to som eone, God will cut th a t relationship apart. Even th e Com m unists do n o t do that. They have an ideology, and they are going to fulfill th a t ideology, even if it costs them their family, their loved ones, and their very own life. Can we n o t, for the sake o f souls, take up our cross and follow Him? A true Levite will lay everything on the altar. His life is a life o f sacrifice. Not only does he make great sacrifices himself, but he dem ands the same o f others. Som etimes they are alm ost radical in their strictness w ith themselves. T hat is where they need to be tem pered dow n and follow Jesus in His love and comion. “They shall teach Jacob thy judgm ents, and Israel thy law: they shall p u t in cense before thee, and whole b u rn t sacrifice upon thine altar.” (D euteronom y 33:10) The Lord has given the Levites the gift o f understanding and teaching His word to others. From them came the great scribes o f Israel, the synagogues and the scriptures which we cherish m ore than o u r very breath today. Many o f them spent their lives in writing o u t the holy scrolls o f G od’s Word. They lived in caves and died for their calling. God was first in their life. They were separated from loved ones, m isunder stood and abused, but they loved His Word more than their daily bread. They offered incense before the Lord, living a life o f prayer and praise and a life that still is rem em bered in the history o f heaven.

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They offered b u rn t offerings constantly, m aking intercession for the people. T he true Levite lives fo r God and for others. He is the intercessor, the guardian o f the people.

“ Bless, Lord, his substance, and accept the work of his hand: smite the loins of them that rise against him, and of them that hate him, that they rise not again.” (Deuteronomy 33:11) The tribe o f Levi, when under the anointing o f the Holy Spirit, is invincible. God has prom ised a supernatural supply o f all their needs because their life was a faith life. God takes special care o f the Levites because He has promised to be their inheritance. Smiting through the loins m eans th at the strength o f the m an who comes against them is com pletely broken and he becomes crippled. All those that rise up against the anointed o f the Lord shall be sm itten by the Lord Himself and crippled perm anently.

TH E FAM ILY TR EE O F LEVI The three sons o f Levi becam e the fathers o f the tribe o f Levi. G ershon means “ a stranger, banished, expelled.” He was the father o f the Gershonites (Num bers 2 6 :5 7 ) I believe that Levi m ust have given his first-born son this sad name after his father Jacob had given that terrible prophecy over him. I know th at the boy was already born at that tim e, but it could easily have been changed. Some day we will find o u t why he had this sad name. In Num bers 3:21-26, they num bered 7,500 males, pitched on the west side o f the tabernacle and had charge o f the tabernacle, the ten t, the covering, the hanging for the door, the court, and the cords o f it. K ohath means “ a gathering, a m eeting.” He was the father of the Kohathites. In Numbers 3:27-31 we read th at they num bered 8,600 males. They had the charge o f the keeping o f the sanctuary. They pitched on the south side o f the taber nacle and the chief o f their house was Elizaphan, the son o f Uzziel. Elizaphan means “God has judged.” Uzziel means “ God is m ighty.” The Kohathites had the charge o f the ark, the table, the candlestick, the altars and the vessels o f the santuary where they m inistered, the hangings and all the service involved with the tabernacle. K ohath’s son, A m ram , m arried Jochebed and became the father o f Aaron, Moses and Miriam. A geneology chart is provided to enable you to understand the family line o f Levi m ore clearly because it is a very im portant one.

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M erari m eans “ sad, b itter, bitterness, my sorrow .” He was the father o f the M erarites. (N um bers 2 6 :5 7 ) In Num bers 3:34 their males from a m onth old and upw ard were 6,200. They pitched on the no rth side o f the tabernacle and were in charge o f the boards o f the tabernacle, the bars, the pillars, the sockets, the vessels, the pins and th eir cords. (Num bers 3:33-37) O ut o f this tribe came some o f the great singers o f the tem ple in the days o f David and Solom on. “ And they m inistered before the dwelling place o f th e taber nacle o f the congregation w ith singing, until Solomon had built the house o f the Lord in Jerusalem : and then they waited on their office according to their order. And these are they th a t waited w ith their children. O f the sons o f the K ohathites; Heman a singer, the son o f Joel, the son o f Shem uel...the son o f Korah, The son o Izhar, the son o f K ohath, the son o f Levi, the son o f Israel. And his b rother Asaph, who stood on his right hand, even Asaph the son o f Berachiah, the son of Shimea,... the son o f G ershom , the son o f Levi ” (I Chronicles 6:32-43) As we look closely, we can see all these three branches o f the family o f Levi m inistering at the altar at the tim e o f David in service and in song.

EXPLOITS OF THE FAMILY LINE O F LEVI First, I w ould like to draw your attention to the fact that some o f these hap penings have already been m entioned under the heading of prophecies concerning Levi. We will now discuss some o f the history of the tribe of Levi in a chronological order. Jochebed: Jochebed, the daughter o f Levi, wife o f Amram and m other of Aaron, Moses and Miriam was one o f the great women o f the Bible. We can see how she sets a perfect exam ple o f faith and courage and daring to obey God in the face o f all opposition from the rules and laws o f Egypt. She lives by her own law, the law o f the h eart, like any true daughter o f Levi should. By obeying God and dis obeying the laws o f the nation, she gives her people a deliverer, even Moses. Joche bed means “ Jehovah is rich, glorious, honour, fame, your fame is the Lord. M iriam, the daughter o f Jochebed is known in the Bible as the singing prophet ess. From the tim e she was a little girl, she showed the same courage as her m other i n s a v i n g the life o f her little b rother Moses. (Exodus 2:4-10) Miriam means un m anageable, rebellious, unruly, stubborn, untam ed, bitterness, sadness, strong and fa t.” Moses and A aron: These tw o brothers did n o t grow up together. Moses was raised in the courts o f Pharaoh and Aaron was, no d o u b t, a slave to the Egyptians. The nam e Aaron m eans, “ one who illum inates, one who raises up and prom otes, a m ountain dw eller.” When God called Moses, he also called Aaron to w ork with him. Together, as they stood before the congregation o f Israel and Pharaoh, they were in 13

vincible Y et when G od called Moses to com e up into the m o u n t, He did n o t per m it Aaron to accom pany him . God was closer to Moses th an to Aaron. Yet Aaron was the high priest who stood before G od to m ake atonem ent for th e people. Aaron was Moses’ m o u th . Moses was G od’s eyes to Israel. They are a beautiful exam ple o f tw o brothers working to g eth er and w ith their sister Miriam, a prophetess and singer in Israel, leading the w orship and praise, th ey were a three-fold cord th a t was n o t easily broken. *

TH EIR G R EA T TESTING

We have already m entioned how they were tested through their faithfulness to God concerning the golden calf and this is w here they were selected to be the L ord’s priesthood com pany in Israel, even His first-born. (Exodus 32:26-29)

GOD’S FIRST-FR U ITS COMPANY The Levites were n o t perm itted to be num bered, because the Lord had them as His first-fruits com pany. “ But the Levites after the tribe o f their were n o t num bered am ong them . For the Lord had spoken u n to Moses, Only thou shalt n o t num ber the tribe o f Levi, neither take the sum o f them the children o f Israel.” (N um bers 1:47-49)

chosen fathers saying, among

From the day th a t God sm ote the first-born in the land o f Egypt, He hallowed (consecrated) to Him self all the first-born o f Israel. Even as He chose Israel out o f all the families o f the earth, He chose Levi as His priestly fam ily, his first-born family o u t o f Israel. They represented all o f Israel before the Lord. “ And the Lord spake unto A aron, T hou shalt have no inheritance in their land, neither shalt thou have any part among them : I am thy p art and thine inheritance among the children o f Israel.” (Num bers 18:20) They were the Lord’s special com pany. They were not to own any part in Israel, except for the cities th at were given to them by the different tribes to dwell in. The Lord was to be their entire inheri tance. See D euteronom y 10:8,9; 18:1-8; 2 1 :5; Joshua 13:14. “ And the Lord said u n to Moses, N um ber all the firstborn o f the males o f the children o f Israel from a m onth old and upw ard, and take the num ber o f their names And thou shalt take the Levites for me (I am the Lord) instead o f all the firstborn am ong the children o f Israel; and the cattle o f the Levites instead o f the firstlings among the cattle o f the children o f Israel.” (N um bers 3:40,41)

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TH E TITH ES OF ISRA EL BELONG TO LEVI “ All th e b est o f the oil, and all the best o f the wine, and of the w heat, the firstfruits o f them w hich they shall offer unto the Lord, them have I given thee. And w hatsoever is first rif>e in the land, which they shall bring unto the Lord, shall be th in e; every one th a t is clean in thine house shall eat o f it. Every thing devoted in •Israel shall be th in e. Every thing th at openeth the m atrix in all flesh, which they bring u n to the L ord, w hether it be o f men or beasts, shall be thine: nevertheless the firstborn o f m an shalt thou surely redeem , and the firstling o f unclean beasts shalt th o u redeem . A nd those th at are to be redeemed from a m onth old shalt th o u re deem , according to thine estim ation, for the m oney o f five shekels, after the shekel o f the san ctu ary , which is tw enty gerahs. But the firstling o f a cow, or the firstling o f a sheep, o r th e firstling o f a goat, th o u shalt n o t redeem ; they are holy: thou shalt sprinkle th eir blood upon the altar, and shalt b u m their fat for an offering m ade by fire, for a sweet savour unto the Lord. And the flesh o f them shall be th ine, as the wave breast and as the right shoulder are thine. All the heave offerings o f the holy things, which the children o f Israel offer unto the Lord, have I given thee, and thy sons and thy daughters with thee, by a sta tu te for ever: it is a covenant of salt for ever before the Lord unto thee and to thy seed w ith th ee.” (Num bers 18:12-19) “ B ut th e tithes o f th e children o f Israel, which they offer as an heave offering u n to the Lord, I have given to the Levites to inherit: therefore I have said unto th em , Am ong th e children o f Israel they shall have no inheritance.” (Num bers 18:24)

t h e ir

t im e o f s e r v ic e

“ And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying, This is it th a t belongeth to the Levites. from tw en ty and five years old and upw ard they shall go in to wait upon the service of the tabernacle o f the congregation: And from the age o f fifty years they shall cease waiting upon th e service thereof, and shall serve m ore: But shall m inister with their brethren in the tabernacle o f the congregation, to keep the charge, and shall do no ser vice. T h u s shalt thou do unto the Levites touching their charge.” (Num bers 8:23-26) Their tim e o f service was twenty-five years - from the age o f 25 till 50. After th at they could m inister to the Lord in other ways.

GOD DEMANDED PURITY O F LEVI They were chosen to set a perfect example before all o f Israel by keeping His Word and His covenant, to offer the sacrifices and to teach the judgm ent and the law. They had to p u t incense before the Lord and offer whole sacrifices on the altar, w ithholding nothing for themselves. They were never given an inheritance. God said, “ I will be the inheritance o f Levi.” 15

The Levites are a people w ith the high calling o f God upon their lives. As soon as th ey try to accum ulate w ealth, houses and land and try to get into a business establishm ent, unless th ey are absolutely led by God in a sovereign way, they are going to get in to trouble. God wants to be their inheritance, their all-in-all. He w ants them to live th a t life o f faith. He w ants to supply their needs. As they look to Him and give the sacrifices o f the Lord on the altar, He will give the finest o f the grain and th e first-fruits o f the field and th e “shoulder o f th e lam b” to His Levites. And because they are teachers o f the law, they m ust live the law. How can they teach w hat they cannot live? A Levite is called to offer prayers and praise and m ake intercession before the Lord, n o t ju st now and then, b u t his w hole life through. N either can he take a va cation from being a Levite. He is called to be a m ediator betw een God and m an. He not only offers up the sacrifices to G od, he is called to be a sacrifice himself. He has a lifetime o f service before him. When the Levites try to get into business, God will soon chase out the m oney changers from their lives! He said to Levite, “ My house is a house o f prayer.” The Levites have no business doing business in G od’s house. They m ust beware o f using psychology, o r even hypnosis, in order to take the m oney from the people. Their motive m ust be pure when it comes to m oney. They dare not touch the gold o r the glory. The great law that the Levites m ust keep and teach is the law o f LOVE. The great laws o f Moses can be sum m ed up in one w ord, LOVE. Read Leviticus 19:16,17,32,33,34; D euteronom y 6 :5 ; 10:12,15,18,19; 11:26; 19:9; 23:5 ,7,15,20; 24:5,6 ,1 1 ,1 2 ,1 4 ,1 5 ,1 9 ,2 0 ,2 1 ; 30:6,11,13,14,16,20. All o f these above scriptures are good to read if you will take time for it. You will find th at the law o f Moses is n o t a law o f “ d o n ’t,” b u t a law o f “ do” — a law o f love. They teach us kindness, gentleness, thoughtfulness. The fruits o f the Spirit are found right here in these scriptures listed above. The law o f love originated before Moses. The patriarchs who preceded him had this law o f love in their hearts. Abraham had a beautiful consciousness of w hat was sin and w hat was holy, even before the law o f Moses had been given. I believe th at we d o n ’t really need the law to tell us w hat is right and w hat is wrong. There is a God-conscience in each o f our lives and th a t God-conscience should be our Divine guide. It should tell us w hat is right and w hat is wrong. 16

The laws are given for the hard-hearted, the cold-hearted, the stiff-necked, who d o n ’t know w hat is right, unless som ebody tells them . There is a law o f love th a t is so beautiful th a t everyone can live by it, so th at no one needs to tell yo u , “ d o n ’t do this,” o r “ d o n ’t do th a t.” This is the law of the angels. T he angels do n o t have any law books w ritten, telling them w hat they have to do, like we here on earth have. If we com e into the realm o f God-conscience, th at place o f intim acy w ith G od, where we know the heart o f God and what makes Him rejoice, we will autom atically seek to please Him. It is like the relation ship betw een a loving husband and wife. There should not be a set o f rules th at a man has to give his wife on their wedding day. The wife is only required to love him and he is required to love her. When they find each o th er in the spirit, they will be able to please each other. When we please our heavenly Lover like th at, He will give us the desires o f our heart. When we live in that place o f intim acy and love, we receive m any things from the Lord which we never ask Him for.

LEVITES MUST O FFE R A SACRIFICE TH A T IS PURE One o f the m ost tragic lessons which the priesthood family had to learn, came early in their career as priests. In Leviticus 9:23,24 we read how the glory o f the Lord appeared unto all the people and there came a fire o u t from before the Lord and consumed the burnt offering upon the altar. Im m ediately after that we read these sad words, “ And Nadab and A bihu, the sons o f Aaron, took either o f them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the Lord, which he com m anded them not....A nd Moses spake unto A aron, and unto Eleazar and unto Itham ar, his sons th at were left, Take the meat offering that rem aineth o f the of ferings o f the Lord made by fire, and eat it w ithout leaven beside the altar: for it is m ost h o ly :” (Leviticus 10:1,12) Nadab m eans “ freewilling, noble, willing.” A bihu means “ He is my fath er.” The strange fire they offered unto the Lord is hard to understand. The word comes from the Hebrew word zuwr (zoor) and means “ to turn aside, foreign, profane, strange.” I understand it, as m eaning som ething that is n o t the real thing. There is m uch o f that in the m inistry today. God is n o t pleased w ith our “ show-business.” He desires that our m inistry be in the anointing o f the heaven-sent fire o f the true Pentecostal spirit and n o t a false display o f em otion and religious zeal. There is a big difference betw een the pure heaven-sent fire and the sham we see in the minis 17

try to d ay .

A tru e Levite know s the difference because he has learned it the hard

way. SED ITIO N IN TH E CAMP O F ISRA EL NUMBERS 16:1-40 T h e children o f Israel had n o t even begun to settle dow n a fter the twelve spies returned from Canaan and G od had pronounced judgm ent and 40 years o f tribula tio n in the wilderness upon th em , b efore there arose a terrible rebellion in the camp under the leadership o f a pow erful Levite o f the K ohathites, Korah. Korah was a wealthy m an (according to Josephus and o th er historians). Besides th a t he was in a pow erful and honourable position in the Levite tribe. He was a persuasive speaker and had a way o f influencing the whole arm y. He won m any o f the tribe o f Reuben on his side by insisting th a t Aaron was n o t G od’s chosen priest to lead the people and th at if anyone should be chosen, it should be one w ho qualified by riches and age, and th a t it should have been given to the eldest tribe, the tribe o f Reuben. And from the tribe o f Reuben it would have been Dathan and Abiram who would be the right ones to be the leaders o f Israel, for they were the oldest men o f that tribe and powerful because o f th eir great w ealth. (Josephus) You will rem em ber that Korah, who was a K ohathite was situated on the south side o f the tabernacle, where also the Reubenites were located and so he had great influence upon them . The Reubenites were easily influenced by his persuasive speeches and he persuaded many people his way. Those that conspired w ith Korah were 250, and these were principal men who were eager to have th e priesthood taken away from Aaron and bring both Aaron and Moses into disgrace, and possibly death. When Moses heard this, he fell upon his face and the Lord told him what to do. He asked Korah and all his com pany to come for a m eeting on the next day, saying that God would show w hom He had chosen. They were to bring their censers (which they had, because they were from the m inistering priesthood com pany) and appear before the Lord at the tabernacle. Moses also called for D athan and Abiram to come up for this m eeting, but they refused saying, “ We will n o t come u p !” and accused Moses o f trying to kill them in the wilderness, o f m aking him self a prince over them , and o f failing to bring them into the land o f milk and honey as he had prom ised. Moses was filled w ith great anger and he began to pray. He com m anded the people o f the congregation to leave the area where the tabernacle o f Korah, D athan and Abiram stood. As these three m en stood by their ten ts (they were all in one area) together w ith th eir wives, th eir sons and their little children, Moses began to pray. Even as he was praying, a terrible thing happened; the earth opened up into a great gap, they all fell inside, and then the earth closed behind them , leaving nothing o f them , eith e r o f people o r th eir tents or goods. Their wealth was des 18

troyed w ith them in a m om ent o f tim e. At the same tim e, the fire o f God fell upon th e 250 principal m en who were standing at the d o o r o f the tabernacle and burnt them up. Josephus says it was a “ terrible flame, such as is kindled at the com m and o f G od; by whose eruption on them , all th e com pany, and Korah him self, were des troyed and this so entirely, th at th eir very bodies left no rem ains behind them . This agrees w ith m any o f th e early church fathers who said th a t Korah was n o t swallowed up in th e earth , b u t died by the fire o f God. However, K orah’s children did not perish w ith th eir father, “ N otw ithstanding the children o f Korah died n o t.” (Num bers 2 6 :1 1 ) T hey becam e the sweet singers o f Israel. (See the title for Psalm 42,44, 45,46,47,48,49,84,85,87,88).

JUDGM ENT CONTINUES N um bers 16:41-50 The sad thing is th a t this did n o t end the m urm uring and the spirit o f sedition in th e camp. T he people continued to m urm ur against Moses and Aaron saying, “ Ye have killed the people o f the L ord.” (N um bers 16:41) How quick we are to defend the unrighteous and to turn against the Lord s anointed! The congregation gathered together against Moses and Aaron who stood before the tabernacle. They were defenceless against this mad and angry m ob, but as they looked tow ards the tabernacle, behold, the cloud covered it and the glory of the Lord appeared. God told Moses to separate him self from the m ob so th at He could destroy them in a m om ent. Moses told Aaron to take a censer, p u t fire from the altar and incense on it, and to run quickly into the congregation and m ake an atonem ent for them , for the w rath o f God had come upon the people and they were beginning to fall down dead. Aaron did as Moses com m anded. People were dying everywhere, and Aaron was offering u nto G od, on behalf o f the guilty and the dying, the incense and the holy fire o f God. T he Bible says, “ And he stood betw een the dead and the living; and the plague was stay ed .” (Num bers 16:48) However, the plague was so fast and so furious th at 14,700 died in th at m om ent. Had Aaron not made intercession, all o f Israel would have perished in one hour. The calling o f the tru e Levite is n o t to defend him self (God will do th at), but to “stand betw een the dead and the living ” and to plead God s m ercy on the sinner, even the one w ho falsely accuses him and tries to destroy him.

THE ROD THAT BUDDED N um bers 17:1-13 Because th e Levites were n o t perm itted to engage in warfare and n o t perm itted 19

to handle the sword, God had to be their defence. God w anted to prove, once and fo r all, who tru ly was His chosen, anointed leader and high priest, so He com m anded th at each o f the princes o f th e twelve tribes take the rod th a t they used, w rite their nam e on it (so there be no m istake) and bring it to the tabernacle where it w ould be laid o u t before the testim ony. God said, “ And it shall com e to , th a t the m an’s rod, whom I shall choose, shall blossom : and I will m ake to cease from m e the m urm urings o f th e children o f Israel, whereby they m urm ur against y o u .” (N um bers 17:5) All night these rods lay before the Lord while Israel slept. In the m orning Moses w ent into the tabernacle o f witness (notice it is now given a new nam e...the tabernacle th at bears witness), and to his great astonishm ent the rod o f A aron, which was the rod for the tribe o f Levi, had budded and brought forth buds and bloom ed blossoms and even yielded alm onds. Josephus says th a t the rod had been cut o u t o f an alm ond tree. “ The people were so amazed at this strange sight, that though Moses and Aaron were before, under some degree o f hatred, they now laid th at hatred aside, and began to ire the judgm ent o f God concerning them ; so th at hereafter they applauded w hat God had decreed, and perm itted Aaron to enjoy the priesthood peaceably, and he retained th a t honour w ithout further disturbance and hereby this sedition o f the Hebrews, which had been a great one, and had lasted a great while, was at last com posed.” So we see how God peaceably, and w ith an act o f love and beauty, finally over comes all the workers o f iniquity. It was the witness o f “ resurrection life th at si lenced the disputers. Today to o , it is the witness o f resurrected life that will silence all dispute and sedition.

MOSES’ ONE GREAT SIN N um bers 20:1-13 As m uch as we love Moses and appreciate him , God shows us that he was not infallible. So often we think th a t those whom God chooses m ust be infallible. This is not true. God w ants us to walk and live perfect before Him, but there is n o t a man who has lived, who has always been perfect. We are called to perfection, and it is possible to attain unto it, but ou r past holds mistakes. A fter all this glory and all this witness, Moses makes one terrible m istake which keeps him from entering the Promised Land. How sad! A fter the death o f Miriam, as the people abode in Kadesh in the desert o f Zin, there was no w ater for the congregation. Instead o f praying to G od, they began to accuse Moses and Aaron.

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Moses and Aaron fell upon their faces and the glory o f the Lord appeared unto them . The Lord said to Moses, “ Take the rod, and gather thou the assembly to gether, th o u , and Aaron thy b rother, and speak ye u n to the rock before their eyes; and it shall give fo rth his w ater, and thou shalt bring fo rth to them w ater o u t o f the rock: so th o u shalt give the congregation and their beasts drink.” (N um bers 20:8) Do you notice how the rock was masculine? God uses the personal pronoun “ his.” This is because the rock was a ty p e o f Jesus Christ. In I C orinthians 10:4 we read, “ for they drank o f th a t spiritual Rock th at followed th e m : and th at Rock was Christ. Moses to o k the rod from before the Lord and they gathered the congregation together before the rock, and he said u n to them , “ Hear now , ye rebels; m ust we fetch you w ater o u t o f this rock? And Moses lifted up his hand and with his rod he sm ote the rock twice: and the w ater came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their beasts also.” (N um bers 20:10b, 11) The first tim e th at Moses struck the rock he was obeying the Lord. He acted in an act o f faith, b u t the second tim e, th at old Levite spirit came up in him , that spirit o f anger, and he said, “ Listen, you rebels, shall we fetch you w ater out o f this rock?” M oreover, he ‘.m ote the rock tw o times, once for Aaron, and once for Moses and b o th o f them could not cross into the land o f prom ise and blessing. I tell you, it is a dangerous thing, Brother Levi, Sister Levi, for you to keep that anger. It is wrong to let it get o ut o f control and think that you are proving your with God to someone. God will not be with you. It says in the W ord, that there never was a man as m eek as Moses. We know how longsuffering he was through the years and his hum ility was exem plary, but his anger destroyed his future. Anger will turn a person th at you love so m uch, a beautiful person, into som ething th at God cannot bless. Let us be careful, lest in the end, after all the hard places we have ed through, after all the years of suffering, the miracles, the life o f faith, the exam ple we have been to others, we should fail ourselves. Moses didn’t only fail God, he failed himself. But he did disappoint G od, for God wanted to show the people th at Moses had come to such a high place in Him th at he didn’t need to use his rod any m ore. You see, they relied on th at rod. T hat rod became alm ost a token of idolatry. Do you know th at the children o f Israel later did worship tokens o f deliverance? In II Kings 18:4 we read how that Hezekiah “ removed the high places and broke the images and cut dow n the groves, and brake in pieces the brasen serpent th at Moses had m ade: for unto those days the children o f Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it N ehushtan (which means ‘a piece o f brass’).” 21

T he children o f Israel also w orshipped G ideon’s coat o f arm our which he had worn. (Judges 8:27) Now it had come to the place where they were ready to worship the rod, because w ith it m any great miracles had been perform ed. God wanted them to see Him, to hear His voice, obey His Spirit. The Holy G host in Aaron and Moses would do the w ork, n o t the rod. Moses was so great in God th at he only had to speak and the rock would release its m iracle supply. God wanted to reveal the Word o f A utho rity th a t is in His saints, even as He did through the life o f Jesus. The Rom an centurian recognized this au thority which Jesus had in the spoken word when he said, “ I am n o t w orthy th at thou shouldest come under my roof: but speak the w ord only, and my servant shall be healed.” (M atthew 8:8) Anger robbed Levi o f th a t glory, and instead o f speaking to the rock, he used his tongue to curse the people. A Levite m ust be very careful th at he doesn’t call people bad names. Oh beloved, let us take a lesson o u t o f the Word o f God. Let His Word be a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path. (Psalm 119:105) The Spirit o f God was grieved because: 1. Moses had lost his tem per and had finally becom e very angry with the people. 2. Moses had disobeyed the com m and o f th t Lord to speak the word o f faith and to prove to the congregation th at he had power to com m and the rock to pour out water. 3. Moses sm ote the rock two tim es, showing he had lost control o f the situ ation. 4. Moses called the people nam es, “ Ye rebels.” 5. Moses did not believe God to do som ething “ New.” He kept the old pattern. 6. Moses broke th e types and sym bols o f G od’s redem ption plan. The rock (Christ) has already been sm itten in Horeb. (Exodus 17:5-7) 7. Moses’ faith was in the rod. 8. Moses injured th e “ resurrected” rod. 9. Psalm 106:33 says, “ he spake unadvisedly with his lips.” 10. Moses failed to “ sanctify” the Lord in the eyes o f the Children o f Israel. I w ant you to see one thing. Supply and abundance is n o t always a sign o f G od’s favour. God honoured Moses before the people and the water came out “ abundantly” for all. B ut Moses had failed to h o n o u r God before the people; and for this he w ould be judged. The word “ sanctify” comes from the Hebrew quadash (kaw-dash) which means “ to pronounce cerem onially clean, appoint, consecrate, dedicate, hallow.” What Moses did, was not “ kosher.”

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We m ust be careful, as Levites, th a t everything we do in G od’s service is abso lutely “ k osher.” The word “ kosher” comes from th e Hebrew word kasher which m eans “ to fit, be right, proper, correct, or to be cerem onially clean in cooking, e tc ..” Because o f this great m istake, Moses was n o t perm itted to enter into the Canaan land w ith the arm ies o f Israel. When Moses begged the Lord to let him go over and “ see th e good land th at is beyond the Jo rd an ,” God said unto him , “ Let it suffice th ee ; speak no m ore unto me o f this m atte r.” God would n o t let Moses even pray ab o u t it. B ut God let him have a w onderful experience which is a m ystery to m any u n to this day. (D euteronom y 3:25,26)

M OSES’ DISAPPEARANCE FROM AMONG MANKIND D euteronom y 34:1-12 A fter Moses had given his last words o f prophecy to the tribes, the Lord told him to go up to the top o f Pisgah in the Nebo m ountain, and there the Lord showed him all the land o f Gilead, even unto Dan, and all N aphtali, Ephraim , Manasseh, Ju d a h , even u n to the M editerranean Sea. He saw the Valley o f Jericho and the little city o f Z oar where Lot had run for refuge. God said. “ This is the land which I sware u nto A braham , u nto Isaac, and unto Jacob, saying, I will give it unto thy seed: I have caused thee to see it with thine eyes, but thou shalt not go over th ith er.” The King James Bible says, “ So Moses the servant o f the Lord died there in the land o f M oab, according to the word o f the Lord. And he buried him in a valley in the land o f M oab, over against Beth-peor: but no man know eth o f his sepulchre unto this d a y .” (D euteronom y 34:5,6) Josephus says th at there was great m ourning and lam entation, even as Moses walked o u t o f the camp and began his journey into the presence o f God. He was accom panied by the weeping m ultitudes until he bade them stay behind in quiet, and asked those who were nearer to him to not make his departure so lam entable. “ All those who accom panied him were the senate, and Eleazar the high priest, and Joshua their com m ander. Now as soon as they were come to the m ountain Abarim (which is a very high m ountain, situated over against Jericho, and one th at affords to such th a t are upon it, a prospect o f the greatest part o f th e excellent land o f Canaan), he dismissed the senate; and he was going to em brace Eleazar and Joshua, and was still discoursing w ith them , a cloud stood over him suddenly, and he disappeared in a certain valley, although, he w rote in the holy books th a t he died, which was done o u t o f fear, lest they should venture to say th at, because o f his extraordinary virtue, he w ent to G o d .” Jude, verse 9, says th a t Michael the archangel, when contending w ith the devil, disputed ab o u t the body o f Moses.

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There is a great m ystery about the body o f Moses. I can see tw o great forces fighting fo r it. The evil force th at w ants to take Moses’ body and kill it, and the resurrection life o f th e good force, which he had served for a third o f his life, that wanted to perform the same m iracle upon it as w hat had been perform ed upon the rod o f A aron, even the m iracle o f resurrection life. So today your body is a contest ground betw een Satan and the Lord. Michael is fighting f o r ’you, and Satan is fighting for you. No w onder there are such c o n tro versies inside o f you! Paul experienced this when he said, “ I see another law in my m em bers, warring against the law o f my m ind, and bringing me into captivity to the law o f sin which is in my m em bers. F or the good th at 1 would I do not: b u t the evil which I would not do, th a t I d o .” (Rom ans 7:23,19) And o u t o f this pitiful condition, he breaks forth into the m ost glorious hope, “ But if the Spirit o f him th a t raised up Jesus from the dead dwell m yo u , he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your m ortal bodies by his Spirit that dw elleth in you.” (Rom ans 8:11) Oh glory to God! This is the eve o f our crossing over into the Land o f Promise, even the Canaan land o f the Millenium. We have gone through the wilderness ex perience for our 40 long years and we are on Pisgah’s lofty heights, viewing the land before us which He has prom ised us. We are wrestling to be num bered w ith the resurrected throng w ho shall not taste o f death until He come. The glory-cloud is even now upon us and it is separating the m ultitudes, and one day soon, we shall be no m ore, for He shall take us.”

POSITIONS O F THE TRIBE OF LEVI Around the tabernacle: They were placed around the tabernacle as w atchm en and guardians. With Moses’ and A aron’s families being at the East G ate (th e en trance). The K ohathites were on the south near Gad, Simeon and R euben, the Gershonites were on the west side with Benjamin, Ephraim and Manasseh, and the Merarites were on the n o rth with N aphtali, Dan and Asher. The tribes on the east where Aaron and Moses’ fam ily was located, were Zebulun, Judah and Issachar. In the Promised Land:

They were scattered throughout the tribes in 48

different cities. (Joshua 21:1-42) The allotm ent was as follows: 1. O ut of the tribes o f Judah, Simeon, Benjamin... 13 cities (Joshua 21. ), 2. o u t of the tribes o f Ephraim , Dan and Manasseh... 10 cities (verse 5), 3. out o f the tribes o f Issachar, Asher, Naphtali and the half tribe o f Ma nasseh... 13 cities (verse 6); 4. o ut of the tribe o f Reuben, Gad and Zebulun... 12 cities (verse 7). 24

In th e M illenium: Ezekiel 4 8 :2 2 says, “ Moreover from the possession o f the Levites, and from the possession o f the city (New Jerusalem ), being in the m idst of th a t which is th e prince’s, betw een the border o f Judah and the border o f Benjamin, shall be for th e prince.” They will be the closest to the the city o f Jerusalem . T h e G ate o f Levi in th e New Jerusalem : “ And the gates o f the city shall be after th e names o f the tribes o f Israel: three gates northw ard; one gate o f Reuben, one gate o f Ju d a h , one gate o f Levi.” (Ezekiel 48:31) Levi is m oved from the eastern gate to the n o rth side o f Jerusalem . I believe this is because there will be no need o f Levi acting as guardians and custodians of Israel. There will be a new Divine order. No longer will the sacrifices be offered or intercession be m ade before the Lord. It will be a city o f praises u nto the King of Kings and Lord o f Lords!

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NOTES

Judah BY GWEN SHAW

Cover b y C y n th ia Peall

C opyright 1982, G w en R. Shaw End-T im e H andm aidens, Inc. P.O . Box 447 Jasp er, A rkansas 72641 All rights reserved.

Printed in the United States o f America

PRAYER “ Heavenly F a th er, we come to You hum bly in the nam e o f Jesus, beseeching You to open o u r h earts to understand the w onderful tru th s o f God concerning the great tribe o f Judah. Jesus, Y our Son, came to us through this tribe and surely there are w onderful secrets hidden from our understanding which you are ready and willing to teach us concerning this royal lineage o f the household o f David. “ Grace and a heart o f understanding is w hat we need to see the tru th s which we

know You are willing to teach us. In Jesus’ nam e. A m en.” TH E NAMING OF JUDAH “ And she (L eah) conceived again, and bare a son: and she said, Now will I praise the Lord: therefore she called his name Judah; and left bearing. (Genesis 29.35)

MEANING OF THE NAME “ Judah” com es from the Hebrew word Yehuwdah (ye-hoo-daw). Yehuwdah comes from the Hebrew root word Yadah (yaw-daw) which has quite a variety o f inter pretations. A m ong them are: “ to use (i.e. hold o ut) the hand, to throw (a stone an L o w ) to revere o r worship (with extended hands); to bem oan (by wringing o f the hands)’, cast o u t, m ake confession, praise, give thanks, thankful, thanksgiving, con secrate, m inistry, pow er, presum ptuous.” In the New T estam ent, the word “ Judah” is only used once (in Hebrews 8:8), b u t its Greek form , Judas, is used a num ber o f times when referring to two of the Lord’s disciples, Judas Iscariot and Judas (also called Jude), the b rother o f James. There was also Ju d as, the Lord’s brother. Because o f th e m any meanings o f the name Judah, it is im portant th at we under stand these interpretations so th a t we can understand the com plexity o f the_nature o f Judah. Judah is full o f contradiction, just as his name implies. We often hear Bible scholars say th a t Judah m eans “ praise.” And indeed it does, but it also means to cast o u t” (as Ju d a h cast o u t Jesus Christ), for the Word says, “ He came unto his own and his own received him n o t.” (John 1:11) Judah m eans “ to bem oan.” No one can travail w ith great weepings and groanings m ore than the sons o f Judah. We only need to spend an h o u r at the wailing wall to know the tru th o f this interpretation. Judah m eans “ presum ptuous.”

We see this fault throughout the history o f the

tribe, and then we find it in the lives o f the Lord’s disciples.

Judah means “ to bem oan” (by wringing o f the hands), and this we see in Judas Iscariot, who becam e so desperate after he had sold our Lord, th at he w ent o u t and hung himself. T hen, last, b u t n o t least, we see the consecration, m inistry, the pow er, the praise and the worship (w ith extended hands) in the character o f the tribe o f Judah. They lift us to the throne room o f G od, because they are throne room people. But they are only this, as they come in to perfection and into the likeness o f Jesus, the perfect son o f Judah, the “ Lion” o f th eir tribe.

SYMBOL OF JUDAH The sym bol o f Judah is the lion. There are seven different words used for Lion in the Old Testam ent indicating different ages and stages. The three that are used in the prophecy th at Jacob gives his son, Judah, are: 1. Gur or gu w r (goor): “ Judah is a lion’s w help.” (Genesis 4 9:9) The word, whelp (gur or g u w r ) m eans “a cub.” It comes from the root-w ord guw r which means “ to tu rn aside from the road, to fear, to gather for hostility, to gather together, e tc ..” 2. A ryeh (ar-yay): “ He coucheth as a lion.” (Genesis 4 9:9) This word aryeh, portrays the young, violent lion. 3. L ebaow th (leb-aw -oth): “ As an old lion who shall rouse him u p ?” sis 4 9:9) This is the great, old, stout lion.

(Gene

THE LION The lion is know n through all ages as the majestic beast, the king of beasts. There are certain characteristics about the lion which I feel we ought to consider. The “gur” (whelp o r cub): First o f all, the whelp. This is the baby lion, who has still n o t been taught to defend itself. It relies on its m other for protection and spends the first part o f its life in playing and getting into mischief, vexing its wiser and older family m em bers. It is afraid of its shadow, and in its foolishness it gathers together w ith o th er little cubs, thinking th at it will be protected by q u antity, rather than quali ty and strength. It is know n for its yelping rather than for its roar. The roar has still n o t been developed. The new born cub is covered by dark spots on a pale ground colour, b u t these m arkings are generally lost with approaching m aturity. In some lions, however, the spots are retained on the limbs, under parts, and flanks throughout life. The cubs are born at any time o f the year (there is no definite breeding season). The litter varies from tw o to four (rarely six). They are born blind. The eyes open when they are about a week old. They do not becom e adult until the perm anent canines re

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place the milk te e th , a t the age o f about one year. The lion reaches its prime at about five o r six years o f age. The life span o f the lion is about 25 years or more. Judah, until he reaches spiritual adulthood, is far from m ajestic. He know s his birthrights, b u t in his blindness, with his undeveloped and im perfected nature (spots), he is an easy prey fo r his enem y. As long as Judah is living on the milkdiet, he cannot reach the stage where he enters into his m inistry. There are m any Christians today who are in the tribe o f Judah, b u t there is no indication o f their royal birth because they are in the yelping-cub stage. They are either playful or bossy, and becom e obnoxious because they have n o t grown into th e greatness o f m aturity. In their neophyte state they irritate and aggravate those they work with and are very unteachable and untrainable. Many are cast on the rubbish heap o f hum anity, because those w ho could have trained them gave up on them , having been worn out in the process o f trying. The “ ary eh ” : This is the second stage, and it portrays the young, violent lion who is full o f self-confidence and foolishness. He has developed his roar, and goes around terrorizing the neighbourhood with his com m ands and threats. Because he is full-grown in size, but n ot in intelligence, his worst enem y is himself. At this stage, he has outgrow n his yelping, and developed other sounds such as coughs, grunts, growls and deep, purring noises. We m eet Judahites every day who are working on these dif ferent ways o f expressing themselves. Don’t let their deep purring fool you! In the lion parks o f Africa these young lions som etim es bite the tyres o f a m otorcar. Sometimes they are so playful th at they may run after the car. O ften, in the evenings they start roaring, and their roaring can reach such a crescendo th a t they can be heard m any kilom etres away. It is not done in anger, but generally to pronounce their presence. T he “ Iebaow th” : This is the full-grown, old, sto u t, mighty lion who has grown into m aturity and wisdom through experience. He is honoured and respected by all. He may have tw o , three o r m ore “ wives.” He lives in a pride (group). Because lions are very jealous o f their territo ry , the prides must be kept apart. When in a lion park, they are divided by 6-7 feet high fences. Even th en , they are known to have jum ped over these fences, and when they do, a violent fight will imm ediately erupt with death or injury as the result. 3

Am ong themselves, in their own pride, they are usually sociable, and live together in parties o f a dozen o r m ore. The lion hunts by night and spends the day lying under cover in the shade o f trees o r rocks. A fter the lion has patiently stalked his prey, he makes a lightning-fast charge for the kill. They operate w ith great cunning and skill. Because o f their skill, strength and size (some average 9 ft. 6 in., including the tail and stand ab o u t 3 ft. at the shoulder, weighing 400-500 pounds), they are truly the king o f the beasts.” Their beauty and m ajesty reminds one o f the m ature Christian who knows who he is in G od. He will guard his territory and n o t allow the enem y to come in and possess his inheritance which G od has given him. He moves in the wisdom o f experience and rules over th e darkness o f the night as king over all the “ animal nature” th a t would victimize him and rob him o f his royal possession in God. May the tribe of Judah truly grow in to the m aturity o f the lebaoth!

THE GEMSTONE OF JUDAH The gem stone o f Judah is the emerald. The word which is translated “ em erald” in the King James version comes from the Hebrew n ophek (nophek), meaning “ to glisten; shining, a gem ,” and interpreted as “ em erald.” Please rem em ber th a t there is some controversy amongst Bible scholars about the correct gem for Levi and Judah. Some believe th at Levi s gem is the emerald and Judah’s is the carbuncle. If the transcribers have changed it, then it is easily possible th at this m istake could have been made. Lamsa Bible gives Levi the emerald and Judah th e carbuncle. C ertainly, the quality o f both o f these gems and the application to either tribe is adaptable. W ithout definitive docum entation, however, we will continue to use the emerald as th e gem stone o f Judah. You are free to m ake your own decision. Perhaps there are historical records th at we do not know about th at can give us more inform ation on this. If y o u come across some, please write to me and share these things w ith me.

THE EMERALD The E ncyclopaedia Britannica says, “ The emerald is a bright green variety 9 f beryl, highly valued as a gem stone since about B.C. 2,000. It was intensively mined from Egyptian deposits during the tim es o f Alexander the G reat, Cleopatra and the Roman empire. “The properties o f em erald are essentially those o f com m on beryl. The green colour is due to the presence o f a little chrom ium in substitution for alum inum . 4

Emerald is slightly harder than q u artz, softer than topaz and considerably softer than diam ond. Its high value is based upon its colour, tansparency and freedom from flaws. Com pletely unflawed deep-green emeralds are unobtainable in large pieces. The emerald is created through the m eans o f a fluid containing granules invading it. “‘Many virtues were form erly ascribed to the em erald. It was reputed to have m e dicinal value, and because o f its colours was said to be good for eyesight. When worn, it was held to be a protection against epilepsy; it cured dysentery, it assisted women in childbirth; it drove away evil spirits; and it preserved the chastity o f the wearer. Be cause o f the presum ed religious significance o f its colour as a sym bol o f im m ortality, it was widely sponsored by the church. ’ The emerald m akes a perfect gem for the royal tribe o f Judah. God said to David, “ And when thy days be fulfilled, and th o u shalt sleep with thy fathers, I will set up thy seed after thee, which shall proceed o u t o f thy bowels, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build an house for my nam e, and I will stablish the throne o f his kingdom for ever. I will be his father, and he shall be my son. If he com m it iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod o f m en, and with the stripes o f the children o f m en: But my mercy shall n ot depart away from him , as I to o k it from Saul, whom I put away before thee. And thine house and thy kingdom shall be established for ever before thee: thy throne shall be established for ever.” (II Samuel 7:12-16) God promised David an everlasting kingdom . Em erald is sym bolic o f im m ortality. It speaks o f the eternal royalty of the house o f David which is fulfilled in Jesus Christ. “ The kingdoms o f this world are be come the kingdoms o f our Lord, and o f his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.” (Revelation 11:1 5) Just as the emerald is developed through the suffering th at it must endure, even that granulated fluid th at washes over it and through it for centuries of tim e, in order to form it and give it its beautiful green colour which is a sym bol o f e te rn ity , so the Judahite is not born in a day. He is developed through suffering and enduring that friction constantly through years o f hard trials and testings. It takes a lifetim e to make a saint ; and it takes a lifetim e to perfect a Judahite and bring him into the likeness o f Jesus Christ. But when God is finished w ith him , he is the gem o f priesthood and royalty.

PROPHECIES Jacob: “ Ju d ah , thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck o f thine enemies; thy fath er’s children shall bow down before thee. Judah is a lion’s whelp: from the prey, m y son, thou art gone up: he stooped dow n, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up? The sceptre shall n o t depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from betw een his feet, until Shiloh com e; and u n to him shall the gathering o f th e people be. Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass s colt u nto the choice vine; he washed his garm ents in wine, and his clothes in the blood o f grapes. His eyes shall be red w ith wine, and his teeth w hite w ith m ilk.” (Genesis 49:8-12)

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Moses: “ And this is the blessing o f Judah: and he said, Hear, Lord, the voice of Judah, and bring him u n to his people: let his hands be sufficient for him ; and be thou an help to him from his enem ies.” (D euteronom y 33:7)

HISTORY OF JUDAH - JU D A H ’S BIRTH And Leah conceived again, and bare a son: and she said, Now I will praise the Lord; therefore she called his name Judah; and left bearing.” (Genesis 29:35) Judah, the fourth son o f Jacob and his wife Leah, was bom when Leah could have been so filled with h u rt and despair th at she could have taken her own life. But the w onderful thing is th a t his birth was the first true breakthrough th at Leah had in her life o f rejection and suffering. She had striven for her husband s affection, but in spite o f the fact th at she had born him three sons, he still loved Rachel and preferred her above Leah. Now, she has her fourth son, and she breaks through in a revolutionary way that indicates she m ust have had a secret revelation from the Lord concerning what God would do in her life and how He would answer her prayers. She did not look at circum stances when she decided to call her fourth son Judah, which means, among other things, “ praise!” ^ In spite o f the darkness, in spite o f her hopeless situation in spite o f her sorrow, she began to praise the Lord. She found the power o f praise. This unloved woman found the tru th and the revelation o f receiving things from God through praising the Lord. Every time she called his name “ Ju d ah ,” she was saying “ 1 praise the Lord.” It would begin in the morning when she awakened her son, “ Praise the Lord, it s time to get up! Praise the Lord, get your clothes on! Praise the Lord, come and eat your breakfast! Praise the Lord, it’s tim e for you to go out and see what daddy wants you to do today! Praise the Lord, it’s tim e to go to bed! e tc ..” As she filled her m outh with praises, God began to intervene on her behalf. We know th a t this is exactly what happened. We all know the story. Later on in life, in the not to o distant fu tu re, God took Rachel to Himself and Leah was able to spend all the rest o f her life w ith her husband as his only wife. Not only th at, but when he was dying, he said to his sons, “ Bury me w ith my fathers in the cave that is in the field of Ephron the H ittite, In the cave th at is in the field o f M achpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land o f Canaan, which Abraham bought with the field o f Ephron the H ittite for a possession o f a buryingplace. There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife, there they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife; and there I buried Leah.” (Genesis 49:29-31) Jacob requested to be buried with his wife, Leah. Rachel has a lonely grave in Behlehem, b u t Leah has been resting beside her husband for millenia o f time.

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So we see th a t when we begin to praise the Lord, things will begin to happen in o u r life. We all need to give birth to a “ Judah” in o u r lives. Judah only succeeds and becomes great as he enters into the spirit o f his nam e, the life o f praise and thanks giving to God. If you are a person who loves to praise tjie Lord, and whose heart is full o f praises to G od, it could be that you belong to the tribe o f Judah. It also could be true that you do belong to the tribe o f Judah, but you have never developed the art o f praising the Lord. Then there is som ething lacking in your spiritual life, and you are still living in the stage o f m ourning and travailing. Now, I am n ot speaking about travailing in the Spirit. This is absolutely necessary, even for a Judah. But it is im portant th at we pro gress, and that we also adopt the o th er im portant aspect o f a m ature life, and th at is a heart that is filled with gratitude and praises to God. Mechanical praises will not be accepted either. It must come from the heart. A Judahite will not attain unto his high calling o f rulership unless he enters through the gate o f praise. I counsel you and challenge you to turn away from your spirit o f rejection, self-pity, complaining and fault finding. Some of you live constant ly in a feeling o f inferiority, feeling that you are unloved, feeling that you are un w anted, and the devil thrives on those carnal feelings you gender. God is calling you to stop being like th a t. You are a child o f God. Believe th at, if God has som ething for you to do, God is going to 'm ak e a way for you to do it, as you begin to praise Him. Let the high praises o f God be in your m outh!

“ WHAT PR O FIT?” “And Judah said u nto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his b lo o d ?” (Genesis 37:26) The first recorded words th a t come o u t o f the m outh o f Judah are, “What profit? There is a gross m isunderstanding among the Gentiles today as to who the Jews really are. Let me begin by saying, “ Every Jew is an Israelite, but not every Israelite is a Jew .” The Jew is the descendant o f the tribe o f Judah. They were first referred to as Jews in the b o o k o f Esther, when the Jews (the people o f Judah) were carried into cap tivity. Among those carried into captivity from Judah were people o f the tribe of Judah, as well as some o f Levi, Benjamin and Simeon. They too were called “ Jews” because they came from the kingdom o f Judah. But prim arily a Jew is a descendant of the tribe o f Judah. Now there is one thing th a t you think o f in connection w ith a Jew , and th at is th at he is always interested in m aking a profit. Look at the very first words th at Judah speaks, which are recorded in the Bible, “ What profit is it?”

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If this isn’t a pictu re o f the Jew, even after all these millenia o f tim e, then what is it? If you are o f th e spiritual tribe o f Judah, you will always be tem pted to think, “ What profit is in it fo r me? How m uch am I going to be m aking?” You are going to be counting up y our assets even before you m ake your deposit, and m aybe even before you have earned them . You are a born business man o r wom an. You have access to the blessing o f finances. Look at verse 2 7 , “ Come, and let us sell him .” Here is Judah; he is ready, n o t only to sell his cattle, his camels, his sheep, but he is ready to sell his b ro th e r, that he m ight be able to get...how m any pieces o f silver? Tw enty! Yes, Judah bargained for his b rother, Joseph, for tw enty pieces o f silver. teen hundred years later his namesake, Judas (which is the Greek for Judah), bargain with the religious rulers and sell his Saviour for thirty pieces o f silver. was a Jew o f the trib e o f Judah, too. D on’t forget that! A nother Jew that

Seven would Judas sold a

Jew! Today, Judah’s sons are the w orld’s top financiers. They control the money m ar ket o f the world. In , it is the Rothschilds; in Britain, the Barkleys; and in the United States, the Rockefellers. There is an end-tim e struggle between the sons o f Ishmael and the sons o f Isaac for the control o f the w orld’s money system . The anti christ will be identified with Money Conspiracy, for the conspiracy will finance his ele vation into a position o f world-power. They will hold the wealth o f the world, until Jesus, Himself, comes and takes the reigns o f the governm ent in His hand. All the Communism in the w orld is not going to get it o u t o f the hands o f Judah. But Judah needs to consecrate his wealth to Jesus Christ, or it will destroy him. There is treachery in Judah. There isn’t a thing that the unconsecrated Judah will not do for the dollar. Only the grace o f God can intervene in the life o f a Judah and transform him from the love o f wealth and the desire for it, the selling out o f his soul for it, and that is the Blood o f Jesus. Only when he knows how precious the Blood o f Jesus is, will a Jew be able to let go o f his “ dollar” that he might win Christ.

JU D A H , THE ADVOCATE “ ...let n o t our hand be upon him ; for he is ou r brother and our flesh. And his brethren were c o n te n t.” (Genesis 37:27b) We see here an o th e r characteristic in Judah th at is the gift o f reasoning. He re veals his gift as an advocate and intercessor. The top lawyers o f the world today are Jews. If you w ant a good lawyer, find a Jew. Even if he does n o t believe in your Jesus, if you hire him and pay him the fee he charges, he will win y our case for you.

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O f all the law yers and advocates o f all tim e, none can outshine the Jew from the tribe o f Ju d ah , Jesus Christ. John says, “ ...And if any man sin, we have an advo cate w ith the F ath er, Jesus Christ the righteous.” (I John 2:1) He is the great Inter cessor; He is th e great M ediator and He stands as Advocate between God and man. All who belong to th e tribe o f Judah have this same characteristic. This makes them good intercessors and advocates in the law courts o f the world and also in the spiritual gift of reconciliation and judging a case wisely and fairly. “ ...and his brethren were c o n te n t.” Judah has influence with his brothers. He is a gifted m ediator. He can settle crucial and difficult problem s and solve crises, bringing peace into situations that were full o f turm oil. He makes a great international statesm an; When Judah speaks, his brothers always agree with him. It could be th at the anti christ will come from this tribe, for he certainly will give counsel that will be accepted by all the world. He will be a very high statesm an and he will be able to do things and say things that are going to effect the entire world and seem to bring a peaceful solu tion to situations th at are explosive and unsolvable. It will not be a long-lasting peace, but it will have a peaceful appearance for a short while.

THE SIN OF JUDAH Please read Genesis 38:1 -30. This great tragedy begins in verse 1 with these words, “ ...Judah went down FROM his brethren.” Most o f Judah’s problem s come when he leaves the fellowship and the safety o f his “ pride.” Like the young lion who is brave and foolish, Judah, in his early years, left the safety o f his family and “ turned in to ” a certain Adullam ite whose name was Hirah. This Adullam ite is named after an area or a town called Adullam. It is in this area where Ju d a h ’s descendant, David, spent m uch of his time when he was fleeing from King Saul. It is located southw est o f Jerusalem . At the tim e o f Judah it be longed to the Canaanites (very wicked people) and Adullam was a very high m an, a sort o f chieftain o r small king o f th a t area. When Judah began to have a friendship w ith this m an, it was the beginning o f his down-fall. He carried on with his relation ship for an indefinite period o f time. Adullam m eans: “ a turn in the terrain, place o f resting, hiding place,” and it also means the same as Laodicea, the lukewarm church o f Revelation. (Revelation 3:14-22) Hirah m eans: “ noble, aristocratic.” It was here th at Judah m et the woman who was to become the m other o f his first 9

three sons, Shuah or Bathshua (as it is given in The L ost B ooks o f the B ible). Shuah means: “ easy circum stances, opulence, wealth, good advancem ent, riches. r Hoh tPiu n< in his testim ony in The L ost B ooks of, the B ible th at he was tw enty « old at that tim e While he was down there, making friends with this family,

t S u s o f tacidents that are no. written in the Bible. I do not know the o f it but l w ant to share it with you so that you can have this information 'T 1 The storv is really a very sad one. It is a warning to every Judahite because it portrays the weakness o f Judah, especially in his im maturity; and most Judahites are more im m ature than w hat they would confess to themselves. c tpctimonv he tells how he went down there and the king of Adullam made ? f t , for him He drank too m uch wine and then he says, “ I had m uch cattle 3 had for chief herdsm an Iram (Hirah) the Adullam ite. And when I w ent to him 1 and he m ade us a feast; and when I was heated he gave Saw Parsaba g > and Qnan and Shelah; and two Gf t

S h e lh lived, and his children are y e.- (These are supposed to be Ju d ah ’s dying w ords to his descendants).

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Judah tells o f th e mighty conquests and victories that he had won in battle before that tim e and how G od fought with him , and how no w om an’s beautiful face had ever enticed him and how he had reproved Reuben his brother, concerning his sin with Bilhah and then after th a t, the spirits o f jealousy and fornication arrayed themsel •net him until he “ lay” with Bathshua the Canaamte and later Tamar, who was esagainst him until he he fcI1 jn hjs fifSt sjn with Bathshua (Shua). “ I said to my father-in-law: I will take counsel But he was unwilling, b ut he showed behalf (her dowry) for he was a king. caused her to pour o u t wine for us at

with my father, and so will 1 take thy dau8h ^ _ me a boundless store of gold in his daughter s And he adorned her with gold and pearls and the feast with the beauty o f women. And the

wineTtumed aside my eyes, and pleasure blinded my hear, and became enamoured of her and I lay with her, and transgressed the com m andm ent o f the Lord and t commandment of my fathers, and the Lord rewarded me^accord,n(; to.the -o Of my heart, inasm uch as I had no joy in her children. And then he adds, And now my children, I say u n to you, be not drunk with wine; for wine turneth away the mind from the tru th and inspires the ion o f lust and leadeth the eyes into error.

JUD AH’S WEAKNESS He earnestly w arns his children to beware of drunkenness saying, “ F or m uch dis cretion needeth the m an who drinketh wine, my children; and herein is discretion in drinking wine, a m an m ay drink so on as he preserveth m odesty. But i f h e gc>be y ° " ? this lim it the spirit o f deceit attacketh his m ind, and it m aketh the drunkard filthily, and to transgress and n o t to be asham ed, but even to glory in his sham e, and to himself h o nourable.”

Judah also w arns his children concerning the love o f riches and lust, “ And now, I com m and y o u , m y children, n o t to love m oney, n o r to gaze upon the beauty o f w om en; because fo r the sake o f m oney and beauty I was led astray.” He also says, “ My children, th e love o f m oney leadeth to idolatry; because, when led astray through m oney, men nam e as gods those who are n o t gods, and it causeth him who hath it (m oney) to fall in to madness. F or the sake o f m oney I lost my children, and had not my repentance, and m y hum iliation, and the prayers o f m y father been accepted, I should have died childless.” And so we see the weakness o f Judah is m oney, beautiful women and wine. This weakness is n o t only in the tribe o f Judah, it is in the heart o f everyone o f G od’s children, unless overcom e by the grace o f Jesus Christ. Even in the m inistry, there is a tendency for m en and women o f God to sell o ut their birthright and the purity o f their soul for the love o f riches; Hirah means “ chief o f high rank, aristocrat, splendour, pale ness and hollow ness.” We read here th at this Adullam ite whose name was Hirah was used to bring tem p tatio n into Judah’s life. Judah was overcom e in his youth by the fact that a king w ith all his m oney, gold, pearls would make such a fuss over him. A Judahite has to be careful th at he is not overcome by the glam orous things o f this life. Judahites are very tem pted to sell their birthright for the gold, silver, jewels and fame o f this world. T hey have to be very, very careful th at they do n ot sell the precious and eternal for the mess o f pottage th at es away.

JU D A H ’S FIR ST TH REE SONS Judah had three children by Shuah: Er, which m eans “ w atchful, aw ake.” terrible m istake.

(A pparently Judah woke up after his

O nan, w hich means “ pow erful, sinful, wicked, m alicious, spiteful, m alignant.” Shelah, w hich means “ rock, crag, crevice.” It also m eans “ silence, pause and to th in k .” As such it is used in the Psalms, “ Selah.” For exam ple in Psalm 3:2 and m any m ore places. It seems that God was calling Judah to stop and think o f w hat he was doing. But still Ju d ah was carrying on heedlessly because o f his friendship and rela tionship w ith th e Adullam ite. When a Judahite gets in to a lukewarm condition spiri tually, it is very dangerous for his soul. TAMAR Genesis 38:6-30 When his oldest son was o f age, Judah to o k a wife for him whose name was Tamar.

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The L o st B o o k s o f th e B ible tell us that Tam ar was from M esopotamia, the daughter o f one called Aram. Aram is the name o f one o f the sons o f Shem, the son of Noah and probably o f the same family as Abraham. C ertainly, she came from the same area. Possibly Judah was trying to introduce cleaner and purer blood into his family, for the Canaanites were wicked, as we have already said, and which the Bible strongly indicates. Read Genesis 10:22.

The name “ T am ar” means: “ palm tree, datepalm .” She was a good woman who used the wily ways o f the world to fulfill a motive th at was innocent and pure. She had no Bible, nor did she ever go to Sunday school. Her mother-in-law, the testim ony o f Judah says, was an evil, crafty woman who persuaded her son. Er, to “ not have children by Tam ar.” On the third night o f his wedding feast God sm ote him. Judah m a d e arrangem ents for T a m a r to marry his second son. Onan. In wicked ness he also refused to consum m ate the marriage, though he spent a year with her. Judah says. “When I threatened him , he went in unto her. but he spilled the seed on the ground, according to the com m and o f his m other,and he also died through wickcdness. th e n

Then Judah tried to give his third son. Shelah. to Tam ar in marriage, but his m other did not perm it it for she “ wrought evil against Tamar, because she was not ol the daughters of Canaan, as she also herself was.” He says that his wile arranged another marriage for his youngest son. Shelah. in his absence and when lie found out what she had done, he “ cursed her in the anguish o f my soul." And she died also through her wickedness, together with her'tw o sons. “ And now Judah was a widower and Tam ar, his daughter-in-law. was a w'idow.

JUD AH 'S SIN WITH TAMAR For two years she waited to be given a husband that she might be Iruittul. and when she saw that she was forgotten and rejected, she decided to solve the problem in her own way. She exchanged her widow's garment for a “ bridal array and sat in the city gate. Judah says that it was the law o f the Am orites. that she who was about to marry should sit in fornication seven days by the gate. Such was the corruption of the people of that time. Judah tells th a t he was with his “ friend. Hirah the Adullamite. In his testim ony he says, “ Therefore being drunk with wine. I did not recognize her; and her beauty de ceived me, through the fashion o f her adorning. And 1 turned aside to her and said: Let me go in unto th e e .” Tam ar, in her w isdom , asked him , “ What wilt thou give me? And Judah being unprepared financially for this occasion, in the heat o f his ion gave her his signet, his bracelet and his staff. In doing this, we see his recklessness and uncontrollable ion.

The word translated “ signet” comes from the Hebrew chotham (kho-thawm ) which means “ a signature ring! o r a seal.” It speaks o f the power o f authority which his name carries. A nyone possessing it can transact business in the name o f that person. “ Bracelets” comes from the word p a th iy l and means, “ bound, bracelet, lace, line, thread, wire.” It comes from the root-w ord that means “ to twine around.” It was a mark o f identification which he wore, signifying his identity as to his tribe. It also speaks o f beauty. The word “ s t a f f ’ is m at tali (mat-aw) which means “ a. branch, a rod, a ruling sceptre, the su p p o rt o f life.” This was a sign o f his kingdom heritage. It also speaks of guidance and strength. All these things can a man lose for a woman. Certainly King Edward VIII, the Duke o f W indsor, lost these precious things for the love of Mrs. Wallace Wartield Simpson. Judah m ust be careful that he places value on the true values which are eternal. For you to lose your authority, your identity and your inheritance, is to lose every thing precious. JUDAH S HARD SPIRIT IN JUDGING OTHERS The result o f this "one night stand" was that Tam ar conceived. When Judah heard later that his widowed daughter-in-law was pregnant he was indignant and sen tenced her to d e a th , not realizing that he was the one who was the lather ot her seed. He wanted to have her burnt to death. How righteous! Here we see the false religious, pharisaical spirit o f those who later crucitied Jesus. “ We have a law. and by our law he must die.” (John 19:7) Let us stop and think for a m om ent about Tamar. Can you understand what she went through? Can you know her suffering? Can you feel for one m om ent her agony? She knew that unless she bore children, her life would be one o f rejection. Even today in the O rient, if a woman does not have a child, she is looked upon as som eone not quite physically norm al. Even a wom an that is not married is looked upon as being ab normal. They expect every wom an to marry and to bear children. This is a natural calling. And here is a woman who is full o f contradiction. , she has, had two husbands and not one o f them has consum m ated a marriage with her. Can you under stand her agony? Once she was married for three days and was only misused until she saw God smite her husband dead in her bed. She was married again, m aybe even immediately while the wedding feast for the first husband was going on, and for a whole year she lived with this m an, and he d idn’t touch her. until one day he comes to her in anger, and after he has aroused her ion, he spills his seed on the ground. 13

This is w hy, in her agony, h urt and bitterness she decides that she m ust have a child, or her shame and her disgrace will go w ith her to the grave. I believe th a t she had a respect for Judah, her father-in-law, because she had seen his agony and travail. She had lived in that household with him for one year as his daughter-in-law and she had seen how he was suffering from the cruelty o f his wife. Many tim es, that young girl who had come from M esopotamia, the hom e o f Ju d ah ’s people, had w ept through the night. Do n o t ask me to explain why God allowed her to do w hat she did. But it seems that He p u t His bleson it. It was a blessing to such a degree, th at from her act, o f w hat seems like h arlo try and adultery, comes forth the lineage th at gave birth to the royal family o f Judah and the son o f Mary, Jesus. We will m eet Tam ar in heaven. She will be there. And rem em ber, when you see her, th at God loves her, for He has weighed her suffering and her ignorance. She was a woman who sacrificed everything and even laid her life on the line to save the tribe of Judah. Her nam e, Tam ar, which means “ palm tree,” speaks o f the royal palm, the most beautiful o f all trees th a t sways with the storm so th at it can bend and not break under heavy trials. Her nam e speaks o f dignity and depth o f character, for this palm has deep roots, which strengthen it. It also speaks o f royalty. She was to become the m other of an endless generation o f kings. She also kept her senses, because she knew Judah, and she knew the law that Judah lived by. She knew that it could cost her her life. She had to have proof of his sins to save her own life. She was his equal. She probably was the woman that he should have married in the first place, had he not been deceived by the lust o f the eye and the lust o f the flesh. She gets the three things that have the most value to the eastern man: his signet, his bracelets and his staff. The first time Judah “sold o u t” to wrong was when he: was ruled by the ion o f y o u th . This time he is not a young man any m ore. He likely is about 47 years old. But he is in grief and heartache. His two oldest sons have been killed by God and his wife is also struck down. In his m om ent o f heartbreak he goes to someone, who he thinks is a harlo t, for com fort. It wasn’t som ething he had planned, or he would have had m oney with him. He was overtaken, caught o ff balance. This is typi cal o f Judah. The tw o times when Judah is tem pted the m ost are in times o f great ion and great grief, when he wants someone who he can turn to for com fort. Verse 20 tells us th a t Judah sent the kid to Tam ar by the hand o f his friend. This is w hat Judah will do. He will get his friend to do his “ dirty w ork.” Judah doesn’t like to do the difficult things. It is alright if no one is watching, b u t if he m ight get into trouble, o r there is som e problem involved and he m ight lose face over the situation, 14

he will get som eone else to “ make th a t phone call, write that letter, talk to that person, e tc ..” In the m om ent o f ion, the darkness o f the night, he is reckless and uncon cerned, b u t now , in broad daylight, he doesn’t w ant to be seen walking down the road w ith a little kid, giving it to some strange wom an, who everyone “ know s” is a harlot, sitting by the side o f the road. So he gets his friend and asks him to do it for him. In Genesis 38:23 Judah says, “ Let her take it to her, lest we be sham ed.” He is not worried ab o u t his friend being sham ed; he is worried about himself. It was one of the w orst things th a t ever happened to Judah when he lost his signet, his bracelets and his staff. But there was one thing he did n ot want to lose, and that was his “ face.” He is afraid for his reputation. There are a lot o f things a man will sell for his reputation.

“ LET HER BE BURNT!” “ And it came to abo ut three m onths after, that it was told Judah, saying. Tam ar thy daughter-in-law hath played the harlot; and also, behold she is with child by w horedom . And Judah said. Bring her forth, and let her be b u rn t.” (Genesis 38:24) Judah is quick to judgm ent on som ebody else. He is ready to let God clean up o th er people’s lives and bring everything into order. He is ready to fight for God and defend His laws. After all. Judah is not the law-giver for nothing! Verse 25: “ When she was brought fo rth .sh e sent to her father-in-law. saying. By the m an, whose these are. am 1 w ith child: and she said, Discern 1 pray thee, whose are these, the signet and the bracelets and the sta ff.” Can you n o t see her brought forth with her arms tied, ashamed and disgraced, and there she is, but in her skirts is the key to her salvation? Out o f her pocket come these tokens o f her salvation and her ju d g e’s condem nation. Judah falls o ff the “judge’s bench” in a hurry. Is it not true w hat Jesus said. “Judge not, lest ye be judged?” (M atthew 7:1) Judah judged, and he was judged just as he had judged. It is a mercy he wasn’t taken and burnt by fire. For this is the punishm ent he decreed on her and he should have suffered exactly the same punishm ent he had decreed on her. You can see, how for years the women have had to 'su ffer and the men were free to sin. (At least in the opinion o f the world.) The Lord will the final judgm ent on many who think they have gotten away w ith it.

JUDAH REPENTS Genesis 3 8 :2 6 : “ And Judah acknowledged them , and said, She hath been m ore righteous than I; because that I gave her n ot to Shelah my son. And he knew her again no m ore.”

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When Judah acknowledged these things, he confessed his own sin and pronounced her to be a righteous w om an. Judah has to sin and to be hum bled to have comion on others. It seems as if Judah is never going to come to his place in God until he m akes a big m istake o r until he falls. This is because o f his pride, self-confidence and self-assurance, and it is only after they fall flat on their faces and realize their weakness that they can walk in hum ility and convert their brethren to righteousness. So if you are a Judahite and y o u have fallen, d o n ’t stay there lying on the ground in your filth, and d o n ’t cover it up o r deny it, o r you will be lost. But confess it, forsake it and be honest enough to recognize your weakness so th at God can raise you up to walk in His righteousness and n o t y our own. Judah never felt he needed a Saviour and that is why Jesus was rejected by Judah (his own people). They wanted a king, but they did n ot w ant a Saviour because they thought they didn’t need one. But the day is coming when they will, “ ...and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall m ourn for him , as one m oum eth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him , as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. In th at day there shall be a great m ourning in Jerusalem ...” (Zechariah 12:10,11) But Judah does n o t need to wait until that day o f the Lord’s appearing to enter into His blessings and His royal heritage, for as soon as he sees his weakness and walks in hum ility before the Lord, the Lord will lift him up and make him to sit upon the high places. TH E BIRTHING OF PHAREZ AND ZARAH Please read Genesis 38:27-30. “ And it came to in the time o f her travail, th a t, behold, twins were in her w om b.” (Genesis 3 8 :2 7 ) God knew that Judah would never have any more relationship with women and so God, in His goodness, gave Judah a double portion o f children in the womb when he was father for the last time. “ And it came to , when she travailed, that the one put out his hand: and the midwife took and bound upon his hand a scarlet thread, saying, This came o u t first. And it came to , as he drew back his hand, th at, behold his brother came o u t: and she said, How hast th o u broken forth? this breach be upon thee: therefore his name was called Pharez. A nd afterw ard came o ut his brother, that had the scarlet thread upon his hand: and his name was called Zarah.” (Genesis 38:28-30) Those o f y o u , w ho have done m idwifery or who are doctors, will understand th at this m ust have been a terrible birth because when a “ protracted arm condition” takes place, the woman is in agony and it is impossible to give birth unless som ething is done ab o u t it. 16

I rem em ber seeing a case like this in Assam, India, where the m other, a young woman working on the tea plantation, was in labour for many hours. Her uterus ruptured and she was rushed in to the missionary hospital in a dying condition. The baby was already dead The d o c to r had to am putate the protracted arm and then perform a Caesarian section, to remove the dead infant, and a hysterectom y. If she had not re ceived expert care, the m other would also have died. This was the kind o f ordeal th at Tam ar went through to save the tribe o f Judah. It is a miracle th at she ever gave birth to these children. When the midwife put the scarlet thread on the baby’s little hand, she was trying to identify him as the first-born child o f Tam ar, w ho would receive the first-born rights. She m ust have been a good m idwife, for she had to turn the babies com pletely around in the m other’s uterus, and th at is how the o th e r one came out first (by breach birth). Now that is a storm in the uterus. It was a prediction o f the storm y turbulence that would take place in the tribe o f Judah right through until the end-time. All the sons o f Judah have lived lives o f turbulence, strife, suffering, and travail with anguish and confusion. O h, what tragedies they have suffered even up until this time! We look at Israel today and see only the same travail and confusion since the hour of their birthing as a nation in 1948. Look at what happened in the days o f Nazi G erm any, in the Soviet U nion, behind the Iron Curtain o f Romania. Poland, etc.. You see the storm and the travail, the turbulence in the womb o f this Tam ar from the first descendant of Judah until now. Look again at the names o f Judah's last tw o sons. Pharez m eans, “ a breach, a breaking forth, gap. a tear. etc..

It speaks ol suf

fering. Zarah, the second son means, “ a rising o f light, to be set free.” He had the scarlet thread on his arm . This is prophetic o f what will happen to Judah in the last days when they accept the scarlet thread o f salvation, the Blood o f Jesus, their Messiah. The light o f the glory o f the Lord will shine upon them and they will, at last, be set free from the laws o f Moses and traditions o f the elders, to walk in the liberty and the tru th o f Jesus Christ.

JUDAH, TH E ADVOCATE Turn to Genesis 43:1-15. Please read these scriptures. The tim e has come for Jacob’s sons to return to Egypt for their second supply of grain, etc.. But Jacob refuses to let Benjamin go with them , and Joseph has said that

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unless he com es, they will not see his face. Reuben has offered his two sons as guaran tee, b u t Jacob is n o t listening. Now Judah speaks up, trying to reason with his un reasonable father. “ The m an did solem nly protest unto us, saying, Ye shall not see my face, except your b ro th e r be w ith you. If th o u wilt send our brother w ith us, we will go dow n and buy thee food: But if thou wilt not send him , we will n o t go down: for the m an said u n to us, Ye shall n o t see my face, except your brother be w ith y o u .” (verses 3-5) “ And Judah said unto Israel his father, Send the lad w ith m e, and we will arise and go; that we m ay live, and n o t die, both we, and th o u , and also our little ones. I will be surety for h im ; o f my hand shalt thou require h im : if I bring him n ot unio thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame for ever: F or except we had lingered, surely now we had returned this second tim e.” (verses 8-10) Judah, w ith his gift as intercessor and m ediator, is seen winning his case. Judah is reaching m aturity, he has come into adulthood, he now has the wisdom which he never had in his y o u th o r before his fall. His willingness to p u t his life on the line as a guarantor, is his first indication of love. Ju d ah , who earlier only thought o f himself, is now thinking of his father and their little ones. This is the beauty o f Judah as he reaches m aturity. As he grows in G od, we see the balance, the strength, the poise, the dignity, the graciousness, the comion and the reasoning powers develop in his beautiful nature. Judah has no ability to reason correctly until he is consumed by love. As Judah comes into m aturity he is willing to take a risk for the price of love.

JUDAH BEFORE JOSEPH Please read Genesis 44:14-34. When the cup o f Joseph was found in the bag o f Benjamin and the brothers were brought back to the house of Joseph under armed escort, Judah knew that this would be his suprem e h our o f testing. Now it would prove, if he was the old Judah who would fight for him self and allow guilt and accusation to fall upon his brother, Ben jam in, o r if he w ould assume the full responsibility o f the terrible thing that had happened. They all fell dow n before Joseph on the ground and when Joseph accused them , Judah said, “ What shall we say unto my lord? What shall we speak or how shall we clear ourselves? G od hath found o u t the iniquity o f thy servants.” He begins his m agnificent defence by pleading guilty before the governor o f the land. Read it again. You have never heard such a qualified law yer’s speech before a judge. Never! That is why you can see th a t Judah holds the sceptre in his hand. He has gained back his m aturity through his hum ility and through his honest confession. He wins the sym pathy o f Joseph and m ercy is extended.

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It is the w ords o f Judah th at move the heart of Joseph, so that instead o f throw ing them all in to prison, he breaks dow n, and crying, he tells them who he is: the brother o f the lawyer! O h, I love th a t story, d o n ’t you? Take tim e to read it and m editate on it, es pecially if you are o f the tribe o f Judah, or if you are closely related to one who is.

JUDAH, THE DIRECTOR Genesis 4 6 :2 8 , “ And he (Jacob) sent Judah before him unto Joseph, to direct his face unto Goshen and they came into the land o f G oshen.” Jacob recognizes the m aturity o f Judah and he sends him before the family into the land o f Egypt to arrange for the arrival o f the entire family o f Israel. He goes to stand before Pharaoh and Joseph to get everything organized for their coming. Judah is an organizer. If you w ant an organizer, then look for som eone of the tribe o f Judah. They can organize! They have a head that can figure out and plan and scheme a way on up into the future. That is why the Jews never go bankrupt! And if you see a sign on a Jewish store. “ SALE! GOING OUT OF BUSINESS DUE TO BANKRUPTCY.” d o n ’t you believe it! They are just pulling their m oney out of here and putting it som ewhere else. They are planning ahead. A good Jew has his invest m ents in three or four different places at the same time.

THE FAMILY TREE OF JUDAH The sons o f Judah were five. Three by Shuah (Genesis 38:1-5): 1. Er, killed by the Lord; 2. O nan. killed by the Lord; 3. Shelah, married to a Canaanite woman. He was the father o f the Shelamites. (Num bers 2 6:19)

Two by Tamar, Judah’s daughter-in-law: “And it cam e to in the time o f her travail, th at, behold, twins were in her wom b. And it came to , when she travailed, that the one put out his hand: and the midwife took and bound upon his hand a scarlet thread, saying, This came out first. And it came to , as he drew back his hand, th at, behold his brother came o u t: and she said, How hast thou broken forth? this breach be upon thee: therefore his name was called Pharez. And afterw ard came o u t his b rother, that had the scarlet thread upon his hand: and his name was called Z arah.” (Genesis 38:27-30)

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4. Pharez, w hich means “ breaking fro th , a gap, a tear, incision.” He was the an cestor o f Jesus, and th e father o f the Pharzites th at dw elt in Jerusalem . (I Chronicles 9:4) 5. Zarah, w hich means “ a rising o f light, to be set free.” He was the father o f the Zarhites.

Judah’s grandchildren (born of Pharez) were: 1. H ezron, which means “ green, blossoming, beautiful.” Jesus was his descen dant. Besides Jesus, he had in his lineage such great m en as Boaz, O bed, Jesse, King David arid Caleb. (I Chronicles 2:1-18) There is an interesting verse in I Chronicles 2:10, “ And Ram begat Am m inadab, and Am m inadab begat Nahshon, prince o f the children o f Ju d ah .” It seems that Nahshon was chosen o u t as the father o f the royal family o f Judah even five generat ions before David was anointed king. Hezron was the father o f the Hezronites. (N um bers 26:21) 2. Hamul, w hich means “ pitied, to have comion, to spare.” father o f the Ham ulites.

He was the

Ju d a h ’s grandchildren (born o f Zerah) were Zimri, Ethan, Heman, Chalcol, and Dara. The descendants o f Zerah were called Zarhites, Ezrahites and Israhites (Numbers 2 6 :2 0 ,1 Kings 4:31) I Kings 4:31 tells us that Ethan, the Ezrahite, was one o f the great men o f wis dom. It was one o f his own tribe, Solom on, who was wiser than him. One o f the descendants of Zerah, Achan, was called the “ troubler o f Is ra e l.” (Joshua 8:19 and I Chronicles 2:7) •

BRIEF HISTORY OF JUDAH The history o f th e tribe o f Judah, with all o f their kings, warriors, etc., is so great th at it would take a book to write about Judah alone. However, there are some things that I would like to draw your attention to.

JUDAH, THE RULING TRIBE I Chronicles 5 :2 , “ And Judah prevailed above his brethren, and o f him came the chief ruler; b u t the birthright was Joseph’s.” Joseph did indeed get the double portion. 20

Later, when Israel was divided into

tw o kingdoms, Jo sep h ’s Ephraim had 10 tribes and the m onarchy that was established in Samaria. But Judah got the eternal m onarchy. Down through the years he prevailed above his brothers. It is from the tribe o f Judah that the kingly line descended through the years. I have been told th at even today, Queen Elizabeth II can prove th at she is a direct descendant o f King David. In Micah 5:2 we read, “ But thou, Bethlehem E phratah, though thou be little am ong the thousands o f Judah, yet o u t o f thee shall he come forth unto me th at is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from o f old, from everlasting.” This great prophecy was fulfilled in Jesus Christ, the Lion o f the tribe o f Judah. O thniel, the first judge o f Israel, was o f the tribe o f Judah. younger brother. (Judges 1 :1 3 ,3 :9 )

He was Caleb's

JUDAH HONOURS LEVI Concerning the m onarchy, Judah says in his testim ony in The Lost B onks <>,! th !c Bible. “ And now , my children, 1 com m and you, love Levi, that ye may abide, and exalt not yourselves against him , lest ye be utterly destroyed. For to me the Lord gave the kingdom , and to him the priesthood, and He set the kingdom beneath the priesthood. To me He gave the things upon the earth; and to him the things in the heavens. As the heaven is lighter than the earth, so is the priesthood o f God higher than the earthly kingdom , unless it falls away, through sin. from the Lord and is dom i nated by the earthly kingdom .” Yes, Judah is royalty, and Judah is great, but it is only as Judah realizes that the high calling and the God-given authority o f Levi is superior, that Judah can find his right place in G od’s Divine, eternal plan. The tribe o f Levi has the strength and God-given authority to truly stand up to a Judah.

PROPHECIES REVIEWED - JACOB Genesis 49:8-12, “ Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the neck o f thine enemies; thy father’s children shall bow down before thee. Judah is a lion’s w help: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped dow n, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up? The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, no r a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering o f the people be. Binding his foal unto the vine, and

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his ass’s colt u n to th e choice vine; he washed his garm ents in wine, and his clothes in the blood o f grapes: His eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with m ilk.”

“Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise.” Jacob is speaking about the m ature Judah. He is not a child any m ore. He is not a rebellious youth any m ore. He is now a prince over the tribe o f Judah in the land of Egypt. He is honoured and respected by the entire tribes o f Israel and also by Egypt. I believe that the key to Judah’s great honour is his new hum ility and his entering into a life o f praise. As he learns to praise, he becomes an object o f praise and adulation. It is only when you becom e a Judah (a praise unto God) th at you will receive the honour and respect o f the brethren. God says, “ Them that honour me, I will h o n o u r.” (I Samuel 2:30) But if Judah doesn’t enter into his inheritance and heritage and lives beneath it, then he is never going to gain the promises o f God in his life.

“Thy hand shall be on the neck of thine enemies.” This reveals the strength o f Judah. The neck speaks o f stubbornness, resistance and forceful opposition against Judah. God says through Jacob, that Judah will be able to put his hand on the neck o f his enemies and choke o ff their strength. When you put your hand on a person’s neck you choke o ff his breath. This is the promise of God to Judah when he is in the anointing, and woe to anybody that is going to put his hand on Judah, because my Bible tells me that Judah is going to break the neck o f his enemies. Any nation or any individual that will rise up against Israel, will be broken by God. God will break their necks! If America takes a stand against Israel, then Judah will put her hand on the neck o f America and America will be destroyed, because that is the promise o f G od to Judah. Some o f our politicians pretend to be friends of Israel to get the vote o f the American Jew. but when they come into power, they reveal that they have slit tongues. If we try to blackmail Israel into surrendering their God-given inheritance, we will suffer for it. He will bring the wrath o f God upon America. America needs men in governm ent who know the Bible and what God has spoken con cerning Israel in the last days. I trem ble for this nation when I read what God says concerning the arm ies that shall come against Israel in the last days, “ And I will smite thy bow out o f thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out o f thy right hand. Thou shalt fall upon the m ountains o f Israel, thou and all thy bands, and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds o f every sort, and to the beasts o f the field to be devoured.” (Ezekiel 39:3,4) America has com e to the crossroads where she has to decide between oil or Israel. God still fights the battles o f Israel, and He will fight against them that fight against her. If America ever sends her soldiers against Israel, we will be sending them to the slaughter house.

“Thy father’s children shall bow down before thee.” 22

We see here the respect and the honour that God is going to give Judah in the final end, because Judah has the sceptre o f m onarchy. When we w atch on the news how Israel wins every battle, going from victory to victory, we m ust confess that no one ever fought like, that for a long tim e. Surely they are a sign o f their greatness with God to the world. When will we learn? When will we understand what God is doing? God said in Ezekiel concerning Israel, “ A fter m any days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out o f m any people, against the m ountains o f Israel, whicli have been always waste: but it is brought forth o u t o f the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them .” (Ezekiel 3 8 :8 ) If God says they will dwell safely, th at means that God is going to protect them and there isn’t an enemy strong enough to destroy the one th at God is going to protect. “ Judah is a lio n ’s whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped dow n, he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up? ” You see the characteristic o f Ju d ah ’s greatness as he comes into m aturity. It is the old lion who can remain sitting and observing quietly, when all the young ones are rushing about in anxiety and confusion. I am not o f the tribe o f Judah, but I pray that God will give me the grace to wait while God takes care o f all the details. I could waste m y life trying to do it myself. As the old lion sits and watches, God is working things out. Woe to the world when the tail o f Judah moves in Israel. “The sceptre shall not depart from Ju d ah .” One o f the m ost im portant things that Que^-n Elizabeth II received on her corona tion day, besides her crown, was the royal sceptre. It is the symbol of ruling power. God decreed th at Judah would never lose it. When I was in Australia, an interesting genealogy chart o f the royal family o f Great Britain was given to me. It shows Queen E lizabeth’s roots going back to David. I do n ot know the validity of it, but it was pre pared by men o f learning, and it is interesting to consider. “ Nor a lawgiver from betw een his feet, until Shiloh com e:” This is one o f the greatest prophecies concerning Judah’s gift as a lawyer. God has promised to h o n o u r Judah w ith the gift o f oratory and reasoning, and never is this more evident than when he pleads the case o f his client. “ Until Shiloh com e.” Shiloh is a very interesting word. It is sh yloh (shee-lo) in Hebrew, and it means “ to be tranquil, an epithet o f the Messiah.” It comes from the Hebrew w ord meaning “ secure, successful, happy, prosper, safety.” God is prom ising Judah th at there will always be a ruler from his tribe until the

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day when the Messiah comes and then that last ruler will directly hand over the reigns o f the kingdom w hich he o r she is ruling into the hands o f Shiloh, the Messiah, who also will be o f the sam e tribe.

SHILOH, TH E F IR S T PLACE IN ISRAEL WHERE THE TABERNACLE WAS Shiloh is also the name o f the place where G od’s people first gathered together when they came in to Canaan. “ And the whole congregation o f the children o f Israel assembled together a t Shiloh, and set up the tabernacle o f the congregation there.” (Joshua 18:1)

SHILOH, WHERE HANNAH PRAYED “ And this man (Elkanah) went up out o f his city yearly to worship and to sacri fice unto the Lord o f hosts in Shiloh.” (1 Samuel 1:3) This is where Eli and his sons offered sacrifices u n to God for the children o f Israel. That man and his wife who went there, were Elkanah and Hannah, the parents o f Samuel. It was here in Shiloh that God spoke to Samuel. It was also here tha* Eli died. “ And unto him shall the gathering of the people be.” Not only did the people gather to worship the Lord in Shiloh of Israel, in the day when Shiloh, the M essiah, returns, the people of the Lord will gather unto Him. Per haps the reason they called that place Shiioh then, was that they were hoping that the Messiah would even then suddenly come into His tem ple and appear unto His people. And when He com es, He will bring all that His name implies: tranquillity, security, prosperity, safety and success. He will bring peace at last, and we will not know peace until He comes. We will all be gathered together unto Him. And the land o f Judah shall be the head o f all the nations o f the earth when the Lord returns. The people of all nations shall go up to worship the Lord in Jerusalem. Zechariah 14:16 says, “ And it shall come to , that every one th at is left of all the nations which cam e against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to w or ship the King, the Lord o f hosts, and to keep the feast o f tabernacles.”

“Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass’s colt unto the choice vine;” The colt speaks o f hum ility. We see the King o f Judah coming into Jerusalem in the last days o f His m inistry, riding the ass, the sym bol o f hum ility. Judah will only conquer when he comes riding in hum ility. This rem arkable verse not only m en tions the foal, b u t the fact th at the foal had a colt. We know th at Jesus came

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riding in to Jerusalem , He came riding on an ass whose colt was with her. M atthew 2 1 :1 ,2 says, “ ...th en sent Jesus two disciples saying u n to them , Go into the village over against y o u , and straightw ay ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her: loose them , and bring them unto m e.” Zechariah 9 :9 says, “ Rejoice greatly, O daughter o f Zion; shout, O daughter o f Jerusalem : behold, thy King com eth unto thee: he is ju st, and having salvation; lowly and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal o f an ass.” T he word “ binding” comes from the Hebrew acar (aw-sar) which means “ to hook o r h itch , to fasten in any sense, to battle, bind fast, to gird, harness, hold, keep, make ready, order, prepare, prison, put in bonds, set in array, tie.” “ Vine” com es from the Hebrew soreq (so-rake), meaning “ in a sense o f redness, a vine stock, one yielding purple grapes (of the richest variety), choice w ine.” Jacob is n o t speaking about the tribe o f Judah only, but about the Shiloh of Judah who w ould “ bind” His sacrifice to the horns o f the altar. When Jesus got on th at donkey to ride into Jerusalem , He was binding His soul to the will o f God. He was preparing His heart to “ the vine.” This vine is the sacrifice of His own blood, the choicest and m ost perfect stock o f Judah. That is why it is cailed the choice wine. When Jesus took the last com m union, with His disciples, He held the cup of wine in His hand, and said, “ This is my blood of the new testam ent, which is shed for many for the remission o f sins.” (M atthew 26:28) Jesus was bound to the will o f God for His life to secure for us the choicest of wine, even His ow n precious Blood, the Blood of the new covenant.

“ He washed his garments in wine.” The word “ w ashed” comes from the Hebrew kabac (kaw-bas), meaning, to tram ple, hence to wash by stam ping with the feet, it includes the process of bleaching while washing.” In the book o f Revelation, John sees the glorified Christ; he describes His gar m ents: “ And he was clothed w ith a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called the Word o f G od.” (Revelation 19:13) When Jesus hung on the cross, the only covering He had, was the Bl'ood that poured over His to m and scarred body.

“His eyes shall be red with wine.” This speaks o f His eyes th a t were red with the wine th a t flowed from His thorn-

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oierced brow When Jacob saw this, he did not understand it. God probably let him C w th at he was n o t looking a t wine, b u t at red blood, flowing over the face and body o f Shiloh.

“And his teeth, white with milk.” This speaks o f the purity o f o u r Lord. Judah is to follow Jesus and m ake Him the p attern o f his life in th e purity o f His character. MOSES “ And this is the blessing o f Judah: and he said, Hear, Lord, the voice of Judah, and bring him unto his people: let his hands be sufficient for him ; and be thou an help to him from his enem ies.” (D euteronom y 33:7) “ And this is the blessing o f Judah: and he said, Hear Lord, the voice of Judah ” Moses calls upon the Lord to listen to Judah when he reasons with God and when he makes intercession before the Lord as an advocate and m ediator. “ Let his hands be sufficient for him ;” Rem ember that Jacob said that his hand would be on the neck o f his enemies. Judah has great ability and gifts in his hands. Some o f the w orld’s greatest pianists and violinists were Jews. Some o f the great conductors were Jews. A rtur Rubenstein, Leonard Bernstein, Isaac Stern are ju st a few of the names o f great Jewish musicians. Some o f the w orld’s greatest scientists were Jews also. A lbert Einstein is a name will never forget. All these worked with their hands to produce music art ^ s c i e n t i fic discoveries for the world. Moses decreed it, “ Let his hands be sufficient for h . Moses said it and it will be, and no one can reverse it. “Be thou a help to him from his enem ies.” If Moses said this under the inspiration o f the Spirit o f G od, then I accept that this is a prophecy w hich shall surely be fulfilled in the last days.

POSITION OF JUDAH In the wilderness: Judah was situated on the east side with Zebulun and Issachar. These three tribes m arched under the banner o f Judah. In the Promised Land: Judah had the largest inheritance in Canaan land. Its terri to ry included the city o f Jerusalem and incorporated the tribe o f Benjamin.

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In th e M fllenium: Judah will be situated ju st no rth o f Jerusalem , which will be inhabited by Levi. T he G ate o f Ju d ah : In the New Jerusalem the Gate o f Judah will be on the north side w ith the G ates o f Reuben and Levi. (Ezekiel 4 8:31)

SOME FIN A L REFERENCES O F JUDAH Isaiah 11:1 0 ,1 2 , “ And in th at day there shall be a ro o t o f Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign o f th e people; to it shall the Gentiles seek: and his rest shall be glorious... And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts o f Israel, and gather together the dispersed o f Judah from the four com ers o f the e arth .” The whole w orld knows th at the ensign o f Israel is the sign o f the ro o t o f Jesse, the Star o f David. Surely this scripture has been fulfilled in o u r day. Isaiah 19:1 7 , “ And the land o f Judah shall be a terror unto Egypt, every one th at m aketh m ention th ereo f shall be afraid in himself, because o f the counsel o f the Lord o f hosts, which he h ath determ ined against it.” This is because o f the successful warfare waged by Israel. The nations who come against her shall be struck with terror from the Lord. Hebrews 7:12-14, “ For the priesthood being changed, there is m ade o f necessity a change also o f the law. F or he o f whom these things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe, o f which no man gave attendance at the altar. For it is evident th at our Lord sprang o u t o f Juda; o f which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood.” How strange th a t Jesus Christ, the King o f Kings o f the tribe o f Judah, also be comes the High Priest! But the w riter o f Hebrews tells us th at He is not a priest after the order o f the Levitical priesthood, but after the order o f Melchizedek. If you look closely at M elchizedek, you will also find th at he is called the King o f Salem, which really means th e King of Jerusalem . (Genesis 14:18) So, the first priestly order be comes the present priestly order, for today we do n o t have priests officiating after the order o f Moses’ law from the tribe o f Levi, b u t Jesus o f the tribe o f Judah, King o f Salem (peace), is o u r one and only High Priest. Revelation 5 :5 , “ And one o f the elders saith u n to m e, Weep not: behold the Lion of the tribe o f Ju d a , the R oot o f David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals th ere o f.” This slain Lam b is also the Lion o f the tribe o f Judah. Judah prevails through Jesus Christ alone. He is th e strength o f Judah.

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I Chronicles 5 :2 , “ For Judah prevailed above his brethren, and o f him came the chief ruler.” Judah prevailed above his brethren, and o f him is the Chief Ruler, a “ Prince. ’ The Hebrew word here is nagid and is the same term that is translated as Messiah the Prince” in Daniel 9 :2 4 . I Chronicles 2 :1 0 , “ And Ram begat Am m inadab; and Am m inadab begat Nahshon, prince o f the children o f Judah. ’ This rem arkable scripture, which we have m entioned earlier, has a secret revela tion to it concerning th e royal line o f Judah. The secret is in tw o names: Nahshon, the prince, which means “ oracle,” and Amminadab, which means “ the willing people.” The “ prince” was one who was called Nahshon (the oracle). The word oracle means, “ Divine announcem ent.” It is the message o f God to man. It is only as this one o f the tribe o f Judah com m unicated with God, that he could become the m outh piece o f God, or the “ oracle” o f God to m an, and in being this, he became the prince o f Judah. So Jesus, too, becam e the F ather’s oracle to Judah and to the world. But it does not need to be lim ited there. When you and 1 com m unicate with God and live in His presence we will have G od’s message to the world. We will become living oracles. Nahshon was born of Am m inadab, which means “ the willing people.” We can only becom e the oracle o f God if we have been birthed to this honour by a willing heart. God will not comm and us to be His “ oracle.” We must offer ourselves up to Him with a willing heart, that we might indeed become a Prince in Israel. Judah, you m ay be o f the princely tribe, but only as you have a willing heart to lay y o u r life upon th e altar and serve God with all o f your heart, not begrudgingly or for self-glory, can y o u become that living oracle which God will call to be His anointed end-tim e witness. In closing, let m e encourage you dear ones o f the tribe o f Judah to keep your eyes always on the One w ho was the perfect Prince o f your tribe. He has set you an exam ple, and if you follow it, you, too, will be changed into the lion o f Judah. F or eVen as Jesus is a m ature and beautiful Lion, resting in confidence and strength, so you, too, can be this same breed o f LION, by His Spirit th at dwelleth in you.

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(Dan BY GWEN SHAW

This chart was taken from The Adam and Eve Family Tree, produced by the Good Things Company. Used by permission.

Cover by Cynthia Peall

Copyright 1982, Gwen R. Shaw End-Time Handmaidens, Inc. P.O. Box 447 Jasper, Arkansas 72641 All rights reserved.

Printed in the United States o f America

PRAYER “ Loving Heavenly Father, we hum bly beseech thee to open ou r hearts to love this tribe. This is surely one o f the m ost m ysterious, m isunderstood, unloved and rejected o f all the tribes o f Israel. We need Y our heart o f understanding, Y our comion and Y our wisdom to know w hat the Spirit would reveal to us concerning Your servant, our b rother, Dan. Lord, if we judge after our own understanding, we will make mistakes, b u t if we see through Y our eyes, we, ourselves, will be spared the judgm ent o f the Lord. In Jesus’ name. A m en.”

TH E NAMING O F DAN “ And when Rachel saw th at she bare Jacob no children, Rachel envied her sister; and said u n to Jacob, Give me children, or else I die. And Jacob’s anger was kindled against Rachel: and he said, Am I in G od’s stead, who hath w ithheld from thee the fruit o f the wom b? And she said, Behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; and she shall bear upon my knees, th at I m ay also have children by her. And she gave him Bilhah, her handm aid to wife: and Jacob went in unto her. And Bilhah conceived, and bare Jacob a son. And Rachel said, God hath judged me, and hath also heard my voice, and hath given me a son: therefore called she his name Dan.” (Genesis 30:1-6)

MEANING O F NAME “ D an” (daw n) means “judge.” It comes from the root-w ord duwn (doon) which means “ to rule, to judge, to strive (as a law), contend, execute (judgm ent), judge, m inister, judgm ent, to plead (the cause), at strife, strive, discern.”

SYMBOL Dan has tw o symbols: 1. T he serpent: This is the m ost familiar one and it depicts the description which Jacob gave to his son in prophecy, “ Dan shall be a serpent by the w ay,” (Genesis 49:17) 2. T he scales: This speaks o f the true judgm ent which is the responsibility o f every Danite. Dan is called and ordained to execute righteous judgm ent am ong G od’s people because o f the gift o f discernm ent which God has given to him .

GEMSTONE T he sapphire: The w ord “ sapphire” comes from the Hebrew word cappiyr (sap-

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peer) which m eans “ a gem used for scratching other substances.” O f all the gemstones in the Bible, none are m ore identified with heaven than the sapphire. Here are some o f the scriptures about heaven, and the throne room , wherein the sapphire is m entioned. Ezekiel 1:26, “ And above the firm am ent that was over their heads was the like ness o f a th ro n e, as the appearance o f a sapphire stone: and upon the likeness o f the throne was the likeness as the appearance o f a man above upon it.” Ezekie! 10:1, “ Then I looked, and, behold, in the firm am ent th at was above the head o f th e cherubim s there appeared over them as it were a sapphire stone, as the appearance o f the likeness o f a th ro n e .” Ezekiel 2 8 :1 3 , “ T hou hast been in Eden the garden o f God; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, to p az, and the diam ond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jas per, th e sapphire, the em erald, and the carbuncle, and gold:...” Please notice th a t each o f the above m entioned stones are the gemstones o f the tribes. Only three are missing: ligure, agate and am ethyst. R evelation 2 1 :1 9 , “ And the foundations o f the wall o f the city were garnished w ith all m anner o f precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire;...” The sapphire is th e great stone o f India. On the great Peacock throne, the throne o f the em perors o f India, was one o f the largest sapphires ever known to man. It is o f a royal blue colour and is now in the crown o f Queen Elizabeth o f Great Britain. I have had the privilege o f seeing it. There is a huge sapphire, which probably is also the lar gest in the world (563 carats), in the American Museum o f Natural History in New Y ork. The sapphire was m entioned in the Talmud as the “ shamire stone” and it was of utm ost im portance because o f the im portant work for which it was used. The Temple o f God in Jerusalem could never have been built w ithout the sapphire (sham ir stone). When David and Solom on began to lay the plans for building o f the tem ple, they were instructed by the Lord th a t the stones were to be cut out at the quarry, shaped, and when they were the perfect size, transported to Jerusalem . There was to be no m ore use o f ham m er o r chisel upon the stone once it had arrived at the tem ple site in Jerusalem . The only thing th a t was allowed to be done to the stones, in order to sm ooth dow n any rough spots o r sharp edges that might project ou t, was the buffing o f the stone w ith the sham ire stone, the sapphire. The architects and the professional builders o f the tem ple o f Solom on used this shamire stone for the finishing and per fecting o f each stone before it was lifted in place.

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Som etim es there are people that grate on us and we would ju st as soon th at they would clear o u t o f our way, so th at we w ouldn’t have to have them around us, but we know th at God uses these “ sapphires” in our lives to w ork a work o f perfection upon us so th at we will fit in to ou r place in the heavenly design o f the eternal tem ple of God. When I discovered this tru th about the sapphire, I could understand why God had given us the blue sapphire stone as the End-Time Handm aidens’ gem. F or God has chosen us as a people who have been cut from the quarry by hum an hands, and have already been brought into the tem ple and now God is trying, testing and perfecting us. He is also using us to perfect those who are being brought in. The tem ple is almost com pleted. God is going to use the Danites, w ho are His special blue sapphire shamire stones, in a special m inistry in these very last days. God is going to change our personalities, ou r characters, ou r very natures, until we shall becom e heavenly creatures, seated in heavenly places in Christ Jesus, signaling the Messiah’s retu rn to the wise men o f the earth in our tim e. One type o f blue sapphire has a “ star” in the centre. This reminds us o f the star th at the wise men followed to find Jesus. I pray th at the End-Time Handm aidens and Servants will allow the Holy Spirit to do His w ork o f the “ shamire sto n e” upon their life. In the end it will not be a case of how m uch you can get away with that Sister Gwen doesn’t find out about, but it will be how perfected you are and how you have Him to w ork His w ork o f grace in your life. Have you perm itted Him to make you simple, childlike, Christ-like, sweet, holy, gentle and obedient to Him? God wants to choose you, as the sapphire stone th at will surround the throne o f God. I am not the one who will be your judge that day when we come up before judgm ent. I will n ot be able to say to G od, “ Lord, this one, reject th at one.” I m yself will stand in judgm ent. Some o f my smallest hand maidens m ay get far ahead o f m e, as they stand at the throne o f G od, surrounded by His glory, which is depicted as a glorious sapphire stone under His feet and the covering o f blue sapphire over His head like a great blue umbrella. I would like to m ention ju st one m ore scripture in connection with the sapphire stone. Isaiah 54:11, “ O thou afflicted, tossed with tem pest, and n o t com forted, be hold, I will lay th y stones w ith fair colours, and lay thy foundations with sapphires.” Hallelujah! God is laying the foundation o f the bride o f the Lord. He is laying her foundation even now , and it is one o f sapphires, ju st like His very own. His bride will have the quality o f the shamire gem, the glorious sapphire, the gem stone o f the throne room o f God. Beloved D anite, do n o t be discouraged th at you are n o t as appreciated as some other tribes. God calls you the gem stone o f heaven, the perfecter o f the tem ple stones o f His living tem ple.

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PROPHECIES Jacob: “ Dan shall judge his people, as one o f the tribes o f Israel. Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, th at b iteth the horse heels, so that his rider shall fall backw ard. I have w aited for thy salvation, O Lord.” (Genesis 49:16-18) Moses: “ And o f Dan he said, Dan is a lion’s whelp: he shall leap from Bashan.” (D euteronom y 3 3:22)

HISTORY O F DAN - DAN’S BIRTH Let us look again at the birth o f Dan. A fter Leah had born Jacob four sons, Rachel was beside herself. She was in agony. Her heart was torn w ith anger, jealousy, envy, fear, inferiority and hopeless ness. She expresses herself vividly in the cry o f her heart to Jacob, “ Give me children, or else I die!” Im m ediately Jacob was filled w ith anger tow ards her because he felt that she was insinuating th a t he was the one who was to blame because o f her barrenness. It is the first record we have o f Jacob being angry with his precious Rachel. He said, “ Am I in G od’s stead, who hath w ithheld from thee the fruit o f the w om b?” Jacob spoke like a p rophet o f God. He told Rachel th at it was God who had withheld from her the fruit o f the wom b. He was telling her that she better go to God and find o u t why she was barren, th at there m ust be som ething wrong with her, and she better find o u t ju st w hat it was. But instead o f going to G od, Rachel contrived a plan w hereby she could produce a child through her handm aiden, Bilhah. “ Behold my maid Bilhah, go in unto her; and she shall bear upon m y knees, th a t I may also have children by her.” It was custom ary in those days for a man to have m ore than one wife. This is what happened. Bilhah gave birth to this child while she was sitting on Rachel’s lap. In this way Rachel was identifying herself with the birthing o f Dan and felt th at Dan was like her ow n child. She was, as it were, a mid-wife to Bilhah. If you are a mid-wife you will have a close id en tity w ith the child you deliver. This is because the midwife enters in to the pain and the fear o f the m other. That is why it is im portant th at a father should atten d the birth o f his child. Too m any fathers have nothing to do with their own children’s birth and they d o n ’t feel the oneness w ith their child which they should feel. I encourage th e young fathers, whose wives are bearing children, to get permission from th eir d o c to r to atten d the birth o f their child. If the doctor says no, then find an o th er d o c to r th a t will say yes. This is a time when the families m ust come close together. 4

Rachel gave the baby his nam e, Dan. Dan means “ Divine judgm ent. So you see how Dan did not really have a good beginning. He was not bom because o f an act o f love. He was the product o f a w om an’s scheme to get ahead of her sister.

DAN’S LIFE Dan was the fifth son o f Jacob and his first by his concubine, Bilhah. He was the oldest o f Bilhah’s sons. I d o n ’t believe that Dan was loved very m uch by his father. He was born o f an inferior pedigree, and Jacob knew that he was the product o f a game played betw een tw o women for his affection. As Dan grew up, he knew this also. I am sure th at at tim es Rachel spoiled him terribly and betw een her permissiveness and his father’s indifference to him , Dan grew up unloved and unw anted, w ith much h urt and pain, until a seed o f bitterness could easily have developed in his heart. The Bible indicates th at he started getting into m ischief while he was still young, doing things o f which his father did not approve. Read Genesis 37 :2 , “ ...Joseph, being seventeen years old, was feeding the flock with his b rethren; and the lad was with the sons o f Bilhah, and with the sons o f Zilpah, his fath er’s wives: and Joseph brought unto his father their evil rep o rt.” There were things which these four brothers were doing th at weie not right. Joseph, young and foolish, was telling daddy all about it every chance he had. This created a strong feeling of anger and hate in the hearts o f these four brothers, Dan, Naphtali, Gad and Asher. (N aphtali was the second son o f Bilhah, bom after Dan, and Gad and Asher were the sons o f Zilpah, the maid o f Leah.) In these four sons there is a feeling o f rejection, o f not being as im portant as the sons o f Leah and Rachel. This made them rebellious and difficult, so they broke the laws o f Israel (Jacob).

TH E FAM ILY TREE I w ant you to look into the family o f Dan carefully. When we study the family tree of these patriarchs we find m any secrets concerning their lives at that tim e. It is very interesting. When we name a child, we put a lot o f thought in to it and it becomes the ex pression o f o u r life’s experiences, revealing our hopes, dream s, trials, etc.. Please tu rn to Genesis 4 6 :2 3 , “ And the sons o f Dan; Hushim. Just one verse! Isn’t th at strange? The sons (plural) o f Dan; Hushim. Sons is plural, but Hushim is singular. The w ord “ Hushim ” (who-shom ) comes from an ancient Hebrew word o f tw o parts:

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Hu from “ I.oosh” which m eans “ to be in a hurry, to be eager w ith excitem ent or

enjoym ent, to m ake haste, to be ready.” It is an Idumean name. (An Idumean is a descendant o f E dom .) It seem s therefore, th at Dan m ust have m arried an Edom ite, a wom an o f the descendants o f Esau. Into his offspring there came the bloodline o f Esau. Esau was o f a rebellious nature and into his seed was planted rebellion. In the nam e “ H ushim ” I can see th a t hurrying, th a t eagerness, th a t desire to be headstrong and get ahead w ith it and do o n e ’s own thing. T hat spirit o f hastiness th a t entered into the tribe o f Dan and his descendants is very noticeable all the way through. Now the strange thing is th a t this nam e, “ Hushim ” is n o t the name o f one person. It is the name o f th e tribe. It seem s, fo r some reason, the Holy Spirit never really gave us the names o f the sons o f D an, because it says, “ the sons,” (plural), and then it only names the tribal nam e. (The h asty ones, the Edom ites, the ones that are in a hurry and eager w ith excitem ent.) Y et, in spite o f the fact that there is E dom ite blood in the tribe o f Dan, God has included them in the nation o f Israel and they will be included in the m illenium.

STRANGE SILENCE In Genesis 4 6 , w here th e nam es o f all the children o f the patriarchs are given, the sons o f Dan are n o t nam ed. T here is a strange silence here. Then in Numbers 26:42 we find the same om ission. “ These are the sons o f Dan after their families: o f Shuham , the family o f the Shuham ites. These are the families o f Dan after their families. All the families o f the Shuham ites, according to those that were num bered o f them , were threescore and fo u r thousand and four hundred (6 4,400).” Issachar, Z ebulun, M anasseh, Ephraim , Asher, etc. are all nam ed, together with their children and descendants, b u t all it says about Dan is th at his children were the Shuham ites. Is th at n o t strange? And yet they were not a small tribe, there were 64,400 o f them . In N um bers 1:38,39 we read, “ O f the children o f Dan, by their gene rations, after their fam ilies, by the house o f their fathers, according to the num ber o f th e nam es, from tw en ty years old and upw ard, all that were able to go forth to war; Those th at were num bered o f th em , even o f the tribe o f Dan, were threescore and two thousand and seven hundred (6 2 ,7 0 0 ).” In Num bers 26:42 there are 1,700 more than when first num bered 4 0 years earlier, but they are all nameless people. God never took th e time to name th em , in spite o f the fact th at He carefully enum erates the names o f m any o f the others. Then we go on to I Chronicles 2-8, where all the tribes are again carefully named together w ith their genealogy, and after reading about Judah, Simeon, Reuben, Gad, Levi, Issachar, Benjam in, N aphtali, Manasseh, Ephraim , Asher, we find, to our amaze m ent, th at there isn t one w ord ab o u t Dan. Is th at not ironic? Is it not strange th at there is absolutely NO m en tio n o f the tribe o f Dan in one o f the m ost im portant genealogical records o f Israel? 6

I w onder if it has som ething to do with Psalm 69:27,28, “ Add iniquity unto their iniquity: and let them n o t come into thy righteousness. Let them be blotted out of the book o f the living, and n o t be w ritten with the righteous.” Read Psalm 109:13, “ Let his posterity be cut off; and in the generation following let their name be blotted o u t.” Verse 15, “ Let them therefore be before the Lord continually, that he m ay cut o ff the m em ory o f them from the earth.” Is this concealm ent o f the names o f Dan’s children the first indication o f that silent blotting o u t o f his nam e? Is th at what it is all about? Now, we turn to Revelation 7:4-8 where the tribes are sealed, 12,000 from each tribe. Again, there is no m ention o f Dan. All the other tribes are m entioned (Ephraim is called Joseph), but there is no m ention o f Dan being sealed into the 144,000. It seems th at there is an unwillingness o f the Holy Spirit even to m ention the tribe by name. Also, there are times when the tribe o f Dan is m entioned, but there is a peculiar pattern ab o u t this also. They are often at the END of the list, e.g.: In I Chronicles 27:16-22 Dan was the last tribe m entioned. In Numbers 10:25 we read th at Dan was at the rereward o f all the camps throughout their hosts when they went forw ard to battle or moved the camp. So we see some o f the mysteries o f our God are unexplainable and we can’t really find all o f the anwers. Perhaps, one o f the answers is this, that there was a weakness and an inability in Dan to come to their full and com plete fulfillm ent.

EXPLOITS O F TH E TR IB E OF DAN - AHIEZER I w ant us to look now at some o f the characters in the tribe o f Dan. Let us begin w ith Num bers 1:12, “ O f Dan, Ahiezer the son o f Am m ishaddai.” Ahiezer was the prince over the house o f Dan. His name means “ my b rother is a helper, ready to help.” Am m ishaddai means “ my closest relative, the Almighty is my protector, people or man o f the A lm ighty.” Ahiezer was n o t only the prince o f Dan, but the captain o f the host. Both Ahiezer’s name and the name o f his father reveal to us the Godly and dedi cated lives o f these early founders o f this tribe. Dan is always a brother w ho is ready to help and the secret o f his strength is th at he has this knowledge, th at the Almighty is his “ closest relative” and the p ro te c to r o f his life.

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AMMIEL Num bers 13:12 “ O f the tribe o f Dan, Ammiel the son o f Gem alli.” Ammiel was one o f the 12 spies sent in to Canaan to spy out the land. Ammiel means “ My father’s brother, m y closest relative, God is my p ro tecto r, G od’s people, m y people are strong.” Gemalli means “ camel ow ner.” U nfortunately, Ammiel did n o t really have the faith th at his nam e indicated, for he brought back an evil rep o rt concerning the land that God was giving them to possess.

BUKKI Num bers 3 4 :2 2 , “ And the prince o f the tribe o f the children o f Dan, Bukki the son o f Jogli.” Bukki was the representative o f the tribe o f Dan when they divided the land by lot. It was his responsibility to m ake sure that nothing crooked was done. Bukki m eans “ d estruction, em ptied o u L ” Jogli means “ led into the strange land, expelled, unveiled, exposed.” The names o f these tw o, b o th the father and the son, reveals the beginning o f tu r bulence and problem s in the lives o f the tribe o f Dan.

AZAREEL I Chronicles 2 7 :2 2 , “ O f Dan, Azareel the son o f Jeroham . These were the princes o f the tribes o f Israel.” Azareel was chosen by David to represent the tribe o f Dan in all official affairs. Azareel m eans “ God has bound him through a vow .” Jeroham means “ The Lord had m ercy.” The name o f Azareel is very descriptive o f the true Dan. When he makes a vow, he is bound, body and soul, to fulfill th a t vow. It is not som ething th at he can do lightly and then forget about. God will deal with him until God has brought him to a place where he says, “ yes.” When he does, there is no turning back, no m atter how difficult it may be.

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T H E SON OF A DANITE WOMAN AND AN EGYPTIAN FA TH ER In Leviticus 24:10-16 we read the sad story o f a young m an o f the tribe o f Dan who becam e an exam ple o f the judgm ent o f God.

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This young m an, whose nam e is n o t given, came w ith his parents, together with children o f Israel, o u t o f Egypt on the over night. Somewhere in the desert he in to a fight w ith a m an o f Israel. Here we see th at striving and uncontrolled tem which is typical o f the Danites. He lost his tem per and blasphem ed the nam e of Lord and cursed. He was brought before Moses for judgm ent.

The nam e o f this young m an’s m other was Shelom ith, “ peaceful oTie.” (It is the same nam e as Friederike.) She had m arried an Egyptian and born him this son. The name o f her father is Dibri, which m eans “ speaker, babbler.” It seems like his grand son inherited some o f his traits; for when he lost his tem per, he spoke words th a t cost him his life. His old grandfather’s Danite spirit rose up in him and he was no longer controlled by the Holy Spirit. This is a real warning for a Danite. Satan will try to provoke and anger him until he brings him to a place w here he will curse and swear to relieve the pent-up em otions th at he has been holding in check. A Danite has to be careful ab o u t this, because the devil w ants him to “blow it all.” He will lose his tem per suddenly because he is a peson who is quick to do w hatever he does. Sometimes this is good and sometim es it is bad, for he will do things in haste and afterw ards he is sorry about it. His conscience is tender and he suffers, thinking, “ O h, if only I could ju st undo it, if I could ju st live it all over again!” That is why a D anite has to be so careful th at he isn’t hasty and doesn’t hurry and do som ething before thinking. Because there is m uch spiritual strength and physical strength in a D anite, he is capable o f great feats. Spiritual strength and physical strength often go together. When this young m an got angry and cursed, it could be th a t some o f his Egyptian father’s unsanctified blood was in him. They p u t him in ward while they sought the Lord th at they m ight know what God would have them to do. The L ord’s judgm ent was very hard. He had to be stoned to death. God would n o t allow cursing in His camp. God was wiping out the re bellious spirit. When we know our weaknesses, it is a good thing. Woe to the m an or wom an who doesn’t recognize his weakness. They think, “ O h, there is nothing wrong w ith me. I’m fine! It is the o th er person who is to blam e; th a t is the one who is causing the trouble.” G od have m ercy on us when there is no room for correction in o u r lives.

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TH E WARLIKE NATURE O F DAN In Judges 17 and 18 we read a sad and detailed story about the tribe o f Dan which took place im m ediately after they entered into the Promised Land. Please read these tw o chapters. In these chapters you clearly understand Dan’s personality and the warlike way that he had o f fighting. The story takes place ab o u t B.C. 1,400. The portion o f land th a t Dan inherited was too small for them , so they began to look around for m ore land. Some o f the area that should have been possessed by them was not taken, because the giants o f Gaza were too great. Judges 1:34 says, “ And the Amorites forced the children o f Dan into the m ountain: for they w ould not suffer them to come down to the valley: But the Amorites would dwell in M ount Heres in Aijalon, (territory th at belonged to Dan) and in Shaalbim :...” God w anted them to possess their possessions but they were afraid to take the m ountain ranges. Because o f this, their land was too small for their great num ber. Joshua 19:47 says, “ And the coast o f the children o f Dan w ent out to o little for them : therefore the children o f Dan went up to fight against Leshem (also called Laish), and took it, and sm ote it with the edge o f the sword and possessed it, and dwelt therein, and called Leshem (Laish) Dan, after the nam e o f Dan their father.” In Judges chapter 17 and 18 we read the story o f how they did just th at. It is a story o f a people w ho were n o t courageous enough to fight the giant in their own back yard, but who w ent o u t and found a defenceless, helpless, innocent people, dwelling alone and wiped them o u t suddenly and viciously. This deed and this conquest became a snare to them . For on the way, they found a family in M ount Ephraim w ho were worshipping a graven image, a thing God had forbidden. This fam ily had a certain Levite who was hired by them to act as a priest for the family. As Dan came upon them , they coveted this priest and this image. Later they came w ith 600 m en, with weapons o f war and they to o k away the image and the priest and continued on their way to Laish where they set up the graven image. The priest’s nam e was Jonathan and he was the son o f Gershom . We find o u t certain characteristics about the tribe o f Dan in this sad story. 1. They were not obedient to God to possess their own inheritance which God had promised them . 2. They were afraid to fight the giants in their backyard, instead, they attacked defenceless people who were n o t in the area th at God had promised to give to them . 3. They were thieves. They stole the image. 10

4. T hey became idolators (th e first in Israel) when they set it up and began to wor ship an idol instead o f the true G od, whose dwelling place was in Shiloh at th at time. 5. They bribed a Levite to act as a priest for them . This Levite, Jonathan, was the son o f Gershom and grandson o f Moses. In Judges 18:30 it says, “ Jonathan, the son o f Gershom , the son o f Manasseh, he and his sons were priests to the tribe of Dan until the day o f the captivity o f the land.” Many Bible scholars and Jewish historians w rite, however, th a t in the original Hebrew, one letter 3 (n) was added to “Moses” ( n fo ), which turned it into “ Manasseh” ( ). This was done to hide this disgrace to the m em ory o f Moses.

TH E GRAVEN IMAGE We can have all the worship and religion we w ant, but if the foundation is not pure, it is really nothing but another Baal system. We have to be careful even in Christianity, th at the m otive o f ou r worshipping and serving God is absolutely pure and holy before God and th at we are not doing it out o f form or ceremony. Many have religion. Religion isn’t anything spiritual. It is a spirit and there are many different kinds o f religious spirits. There are even so-called “ charism atic” spirits that parade in a charismatic way. I hate to say it, but there are “ Pentecostal” spirits. They are very re ligious and very orthodox. There are “ O rthodox Jew ish” religious spirits. These are the ones th a t crucified Jesus. Religion will crucify Christ. Religion will say, “ We have a law, and by this law He m ust die.” Unless we have love, religion can do m ore harm than good. It is because o f this, th at in the United States, the church and the state are divided. But in the end-tim e anti-christ system , they will become one again. Religion will take over and rule like a ty ran t through the world. It happened in the middle ages and it will happen again. Watch for the linking up o f the one-world governm ent and the one-world church. The beast and the prophet (false prophet) will , hand-inhand. At first, it seemed like th a t little image wasn’t so bad, but it had introduced a spirit o f idolatry into the tribe o f Dan which was the opening for a m uch m ore power ful false dem on which was yet to follow.

THE GOLDEN CALF Turn to I Kings 12:26-29. Jeroboam , the new king o f Israel, after the dividing o f that nation, ordered th at tw o golden calves should be m ade for the nation o f Israel, the ten tribes that had broken away from Judah. He had one placed in Bethel (the south) and the other in Dan (the north). Jeroboam announced th at every year on the 15th day o f the eighth m onth there would be a great tim e o f feasting in both these cities. This was Satan’s counterfeit for the feast o f tabernacles, which also to o k place at that tim e. This becam e a sin and a snare to the tribe o f Dan; for with the feasting 11

came every kind o f sin and wicicedness into the city and to the tribe o f Dan, particular ly in the n o rth w here the calf had been set up. Jeroboam was a rebel and he knew t-iat the way to k 'ep the people separated was through religion. There is n othing in th e world th a t can divide people like re ligion. It is the biggest divider and it is mo» • powe. ful than politics. T hat is why we have so m any different churches. One church says, “ We will play instrum ents.’ another says, “ We w on’t ,” and so they divide! L ,ie says, “ We will serve com m union in separate cups,” th e o th er says, “ N o, it m ust be th at everyone drinks o ut o f one chalice!” and so they divide. One church says, “ We will baptize in the name o f the Father, Son and Holy G host,” and the o th er says, “ No, we will only baptize in Jesus’ nam e!” and so they divide. Religion is a terrible divider. I pray th at the day will soon come when we will forget w hat denom ination we are. Israel is spoken o f as being from “ Dan to Beersheba.” Dan was the furthest northern point and Beersheba the southern. Thus Satan had a terrible stronghold which continued until Dan was carried into captivity.

DAN DU RIN G R EV IV A L TIMES - UNDER JEHU In II Kings 10:18-36 we read how Jehu came in to pow er after he had killed the m em bers o f A hab’s fam ily. He began by breaking down the image o f Baal and his tem ple. It says in verse 27 th a t he m ade it a latrine. But a sad thing happened, in spite o f the fact th a t he got rid o f the images o f Baal, he still allowed the golden calves that were at Bethel and Dan to rem ain, (verse 29) Probably, he to o thought the same as Jeroboam , “ If I get rid o f th em , then the people will go back to Jerusalem to worship and I will lose control over m y kingdom .” So the calves were allowed to remain and the heart o f Dan becam e the h e a rt o f idolatry. Poor Dan!

UN D ER HEZEKIAH Before Dan w ent in to captivity and before the judgm ent o f God came upon them , G od sent a great revival under King Hezekiah o f Judah. In fact, it seems as if the re vival came in the same year th a t they were carried into captivity. Those were D an’s last days as a tribe to g eth er on th e face o f this earth until the final closing chapter is w ritten and the m illenium begins. King Hezekiah sent letters th ro u g h o u t all o f Judah and Israel, telling the people th a t they should com e to the house o f the Lord a t Jerusalem to keep the over unto the Lord. II Chronicles 30:5 says th a t the decree w ent o u t from Beersheba even to Dan. Never had anything like th a t happened before. The co n tex t o f the message was, “ Ye children o f Israel, tu rn again u n to the Lord God o f A braham , Isaac, and Israel, and He will return to th e rem n an t o f y o u , th a t are escaped o u t o f the hand o f the kings o f 12

Assyria. And be n o t ye like your fathers, and like your brethren, which tresed against the Lord God o f their fathers, who therefore gave them up to desolation, as ye see. Now be ye n o t stiffnecked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves unto the Lord, and e n te r in to his sanctuary, which he hath sanctified for ever: and serve the Lord your G od, th a t the fierceness o f his w rath may turn away from you. For if ye tu rn again u n to the Lord, y our brethren and your children shall find comion before them th at lead them captive, so th at they shall come again into this land: for th e Lord y o u r God is gracious and m erciful, and will n o t turn away his face from you, if ye retu rn u n to him .” (II Chronicles 3 0 :6b-9) The posts ed from city to city throughout the country o f Ephraim , Manasseh, Zebulun, Asher. It says th a t some hum bled themselves and came to Jerusalem , and also in Judah th e hand o f God was upon them to give them one heart to obey the Lord. It was a great tim e o f soul-searching and rejoicing, and lasted for 14 days. It would never be repeated again. Several years ago m y husband, Jim , and I spent several weeks in Israel. We drove up to th e archeological site called Tel Dan, where once the city of Dan had stood. I sat there where the city gate had been, while Jim was walking around. I was praying and waiting upon th e Lord, and in th e anointing I had a vision. I was taken back long ago in tim e; th e year was 700 B.C. I saw the post coming, the m en on horseback, the riders with th e. message which they unravelled and read from the scroll. It was King Hezekiah’s invitation to com e to Jerusalem . They were begged to turn back to God, to forsike the blasphem ous golden calf and to cry to th e Lord in this last h o u r to repent with a sincere heart, for God to be merciful. They were already weeping, broken people, because m any o f their loved ones had been taken into captivity just a few weeks before. As I saw th e post riding up to the city gate, I heard the last call. I also saw the people o f Dan laughing and m ocking and ridiculing these riders who had come with the message from G od. They said, “We have ou r own god. See, this is our god! We d o n ’t need your God down there in Jerusalem , He can’t help us. He has never helped us.” I watched as they m ocked and laughed in scorn and I watched as they threw stones at horses and their riders until they silently turned and rode away. There is no record th at any o f them came down from Dan fo r the last great over, th e last great o p p o rtu n ity . In fact, Jerem iah cried to G od, th a t he had heard in the spirit the desperate, hopeless cry o f the people o f Dan when it was too late. “ For a voice declareth from Dan, and publisheth affliction from M ount Ephraim .” (Jere m iah 4 :1 5 ) It was a message o f woe, a message o f affliction, a message o f suffering th a t Jerem iah, the weeping pro p h et, heard. T urn also to Jerem iah 8:15-17. He saw the soldiers come riding into Dan, like I did. The only difference was th a t he saw only the horses of the enem y coming to kill and rape and carry into captivity. “We looked for peace, but no good came; and for

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a tim e o f healt! .:nd behold trouble! The snorting o f his horses was heard from Dan: th e whole land trem bled at the sound o f the neighing o f his strong ones; for they are com e, and have devoured the land, and all th a t is in it; the city, and those th at dwell therein. F or, behold, I will send serpents, cockatrices, among you, which will not be charm ed, and they shall bite yo u , saith the Lord.” And then he goes on to that terrib ly sad scripture, “ The harvest is past, the sum m er is ended, and we are n o t saved.” (verse 20) I saw this also in the spirit, th a t day at Dan. I saw how they rejected and threw stones a t the horsem en whom G od sent to them , b u t the next tim e the horses came in to the city there was no throw ing stones, there was no m ocking, there was no re fusing. Instead o f the message o f grace and peace, there was nothing b u t a sword and blood. Their children were tossed in to the air and caught on the point o f the sw ord; m others screaming w ith pain, th eir bodies bleeding from mass rape, pregnant m others ripped open w ith the sw ord, and th e men slain by the Syrian soldiers. The price o f re jecting the call o f the Spirit is very great. But God gave one m ore space to repent. ONE MORE TIME C

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Gwen R. Shaw G7

Why did Dan have to be lost? Let us look at Ezekiel 2 7 :19, “ Dan also and Javan going to and fro occupied in thy fairs: bright iron, cassis, and calamus, were in thy m ark et.” Dan was worldly. You see, they were a skillful people, and this gave them the ability to acquire things and the ability to prosper and get w ealthy. It became a downfall to them . Worldliness and the love o f nice things in the world is a great tem p tatio n to Dan, just as it is to Judah. In fact, it was the things o f the world that caused Dan’s greatest hero to fall.

SAMSON, THE MIGHTY DELIVERER Yes, Samson was a w orldly m an. He loved the things th a t the world could give him. A Danite has to be careful th a t he is n o t ensnared by the things o f this world and does not put his head in the lap o f Delilah. The word o f prophecy was given to Dan through his father, Jacob, “ Dan shall judge his people, as one o f the tribes o f Israel.” (Genesis 49:16) God fulfilled this word through Samson, one o f the greatest Danites w ho have ever lived. When you read the story o f Samson (Judges 13-16), you realize the strength, courage, cunning and great possibilites o f a Danite. God chose, o u t o f the tribe o f Dan, the greatest o f all His judges. There never was a judge or deliverer th at com pared to Samson in the pow er o f his strength, his subtlety, his gifts and his anoint ing. Let us briefly summ arize som e things about the life o f this fam ous Danite. First o f all, he was born in fulfillm ent o f the angel’s announcem ent Gust like Jesus). A m ighty angel came dow n and announced to the m other o f Samson th at she would be with child and would bear a son who would judge and deliver Israel. Secondly, he was to be raised as a Nazarite. (Jesus also lived by these vows o f dedication). He was bom in the city o r tow n o f Zorah. In Joshua 19:41 we read th at this was one o f the cities given to Dan by lot. In Judges 18:2, we find th at it was from there th at 600 m en w ent up to seize the tow n o f Laish which later becam e the city o f Dan, nam ed after their father, Dan. Sam son’s life was a fulfillm ent, b o th o f the prophecies o f Jacob and Moses, in th at he was serpent-like in his m ethods and lion-like in his strength. (Moses had said, “ Dan is a lion’s whelp: he shall leap from Bashan.” (D euteronom y 3 3:22) When you think about the strongest anim al, you think about the lion. When you th in k about the m ost cunning, you think ab o u t the serpent. It is not wrong to be subtle or cunning like the serpent. Jesus said, “ Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the m idst o f wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves!” (M atthew 10:16) It is n ot wrong to be wise like the serpent if Jesus told us to be. But we m ust rem em ber, we do

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n o t have the heart o f the serpent, only its cunning. We have the heart o f the sheep and we are amidst wolves. Dan dw elt am ong “ th e wolves” called the heathen and he needed that God-given wisdom . Samson could discern the hearts o f his enemies. The only one w ho fooled him was the wom an he lo'ved. It is always easier to discern the ones whom you are at enm ity w ith, than th e ones whom you dearly love. It is easy to be deceived when you w ant to be deceived. Most Christians are so naive they d o n ’t know the difference betw een coming in and going out. Because o f th a t, m any get persecution which they do not need to get. I believe th at m any tim es w om en are persecuted by their husbands because they lack some o f the D anite wisdom o f knowing when to keep their m ouths shut. As long as Samson kept his m o u th sh u t he stayed o u t o f trouble. It was when he started losing his Danite gift o f being quiet and keeping a secret, th at he got his hair chopped off. The reason he talked was because he was drunk w ith lust for Delilah. The affair ended tragically for him. Y et you can see how he fulfilled the prophecy o f Jacob in Genesis 49:16-18 th a t “ Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, th at biteth the horse heels, so th a t his rider shall fall backw ard.” It was fulfilled when he m arried a Philistine wom an. His parents were against it, but he was working in a way th at he could get a t those Philistines. If Samson w ould have stayed pure, there is no estim ating w hat trem endous minis try he would have had. L ook a t how m ightily he conquered the enem y, even in his uncleanness and in his backslidden condition. We d o n ’t need to approve o f his back slidden condition, b u t rath er cry within ourselves, “O h, I would to G od, th at he had stayed true to the vision and the high calling o f God! What would he have done for Israel!” Samson failed because he couldn’t conquer Samson. O h, beloved, it doesn’t m atter how m any great giants you conquer, if you cannot rule over the kingdom o f self. There are som e big preachers who are Danites in the m inistry, trem endous m en, w ho can sway audiences. People run after them and worship them alm ost as though they were Divine. But m any people do n o t know th at the very person whom they idolize is not able to conquer himself. In the end m any o f these m en are destroyed by their own lusts o f th e flesh. Samson d id n ’t need God until he lost his eyes. He relied on his natural, yet Godgiven abilities. T he only way th at Samson could get back to God was to go through the suffering o f losing his natural vision. Only after he becam e a slave, grinding at th e mill, living the life o f a com m on don key, did Samson com e back to G od. Som etim es th e only way th at God can get hold o f these people is to let them fall as low as they can go, until they realize th a t they cannot

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m ake it in their own strength. There is a lo t o f pride in Dan because he can do most things b e tte r th an th e next “ dum b-bunny.” They get tired o f telling someone how to do it. They say, “ F or goodness sake, you have got a head. Y ou ought to know how it is done!” A D anite is not a good instructor, because he knows it all; and he thinks that you should, too. G od, in His m ercy, allows the D anite to go into spiritual blindness and to lose that beautiful anointed strength which is a gift from G od, because He knows th at when they will be grinding a t the mill in the prisonhouse o f the Philistines, the place o f help lessness and hopelessness, where there are no “ Delilahs” to shave the hair o ff their heads, which in th a t place o f trial will grow again and the strength o f God will return one m ore tim e. Yes, God knows how to deal w ith his Dans. He puts them in a corner and doesn’t let them get o u t until God sees they are ready for it. That is the m ercy o f God to Dan. In th e end, Samson gave his life th a t he m ight attain u n to the fulness o f his calling. The Danites, w hen they are repentant, becom e the great m artyrs who are ready to lay dow n their lives for the Lord. Perhaps that is one reason th at some believe th a t the tribe o f Dan will play a p art in the tw o witnesses who shall prophesy during the tim e o f tribulation. F or they n o t only will be m artyrs who will prophesy, b u t they will also bring great judgm ents upon the wicked at th at tim e and they will surely be warlike in their attitu d e, bringing terro r upon the unrighteous, ju st like Samson did upon the Philistines.

DAN, TH E GIFTED ONE There are some very interesting characters in the tribe o f Dan who helped with the construction and the preparing o f b o th the tabernacle in the wilderness and the tem ple o f Solom on in Jerusalem .

AHOLIAB Exodus 35:34,35, “ And he (G od) h ath p u t in his heart th at he m ay teach, both he, and Aholiab, the son o f Ahisamach, o f the tribe o f Dan. Them h ath he filled with wisdom o f h eart, to w ork all m anner o f w ork, o f the engraver, and of the cunning w orkm an, and o f the em broiderer, in blue, and in purple, in scarlet, and in fine linen, and o f the weaver, even o f them th a t do any work, and o f those th a t devise cunning w ork.” Also read Exodus 38:23. The w ord “ cunning” can also be translated “ skillful.” The nam e o f Aholiab m eans “ ten t, o r fam ily o f the father.” Ahisamach means, “ m y b ro th er is a er.”

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The gifts -• the Danite are m any, but one o f his m ost im portant gifts is th at he is a true er o f a righteous cause. God called them to w ork w ith Judah in deg and preparing the beautiful things o f the tabernacle. This is because Dan and Judah are very m uch alike. Some tim es it is im possible to tell them apart. Both are gifted, artistic and quick-thinking. B oth have a gift for leadership. Judah was first in righteousness and Dan was first in idolatry. Both were influential on the neighbouring tribes. Both are very independent and quick to act and think later (im petuous). I am convinced th at m any Danites hide under the name o f Judah. It says here th a t they were “ filled with wisdom o f heart to w ork all m anner of w ork.” They m ake w onderful designers, builders, artists and are gifted in hand-crafts. Like Judah they are gifted w ith th eir hands. If you are going to build a tabernacle, ask th e Lord to give you a Danite to supervise the construction. God has put in their hearts the ability to w ork skillfully, for God has filled them with wisdom o f heart to w ork. It is a special, beautiful gift from God. They are also gifted in furniture con struction and hom e decorating. This is w hat they were chosen by God to do in the tabernacle. You say, “ How can a m an w ho has the strength to tear lions apart and lift up the gates o f Gaza and walk away w ith them , also do dainty em broidery?” That is strange, isn’t it? And y e t, this is one o f the paradoxes o f God which He has built into Dan. T oday, perhaps a man o f the tribe o f Dan will n ot em broider, b u t he m ight be a fashion designer. C ertainly, th ey m ake trem endous engineers. They can fix alm ost anything, and they love to p u tte r around with m otors (the more grease, the better.) They take pride in having accom plished a task and want a little praise (if not a lot) from others when they are finished. This is ju st like Judah. A nother thing ab o u t Dan is th a t they can get honey out o f a lion. A fter Samson killed the lion, he returned and found the bees had made honey in his carcass. The D anite will find true sweetness at the end o f his trials.

T H E SK ILLFU L MAN II Chronicles 2 :1 3 ,1 4 tells us how th at when Solom on was building the tem ple in Jerusalem , his friend, H uram , th e king o f Tyre, sent him a letter o f congratulations. In it he said, “ And now I have sent a skillful m an, endued with understanding, Huram m y m aster craftsm an (the son o f a woman o f the daughters o f Dan, and his father was a m an o f Tyre), skilled to w ork in gold and silver, bronze and iron, stone and w ood, purple and blue, fine linen and crim son, and to m ake any engraving and to accomplish any plan which m ay be given to him , with y our skillful men and with the skillful men o f m y lord David y o u r fath er.” (New King Jam es Version)

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This gifted and talented man was a gift to Solomon from the King o f Tyre. He comes w ith high recom m endations, “ to accom plish any plan which may be given to him .” The King James original says, “ to find o u t every device which shall be p u t to him .” In o th er words, no m atter what problem you p u t before him , he can figure out the answer. T oday, we would bring such a man a car, th at is ready to fall apart, and in a little while he w ould have it running. If we women w ould have taken it to the gara g e it would have cost us hundreds o f dollar; to get it fixed! If you have not married a Dan o r do n o t have one for a son, you’d better start praying th at one moves next door. They said, “ It can’t be do n e...” So, he did it! T hat is a Danite. He doesn’t take NO for an answer. He laughs as th e im possibility and it becomes a challenge to him. We have wom en w ho are beautiful leaders and hom em akers. U nder the anointing, nobody can fool them or get by w ith anything.

PROPHECIES TO DAN REVIEWED - JACOB “ Dan shall judge his people, as one o f the tribes o f Israel. Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path, th at b iteth the horse heels, so th a t his rider shall fall backward. I have waited for thy salvation, O L ord.” (Genesis 49:16-18) “ Dan shall judge his people as one o f the tribes o f Israel.” That is conclusive. We cannot change it. This word , “judge” speaks of m ore than ing a sentence on som eone. It comes from the Hebrew word duw n (doon) meaning “ to strive, co n ten d , execute (judgm ent), judge, m inister judgm ent, plead (the cause), to strive.” God has given the Danites a very keen gift o f discernm ent. Many times people think th a t they can fool Dan, but as long as he keeps his secret, he can sit back and discern the very ones who think that they have fooled him . This causes some o f the tribes o f Israel to dislike Dan. In fact, he is often the least loved, b u t only because he is “judging and discerning” the motives o f others and is very quick to judgm ent on them also. In this way, he has a little bit o f Levi in him ; he would like to take the rod o f God in his hand and handle a few o f the wayward ones himself. Let a lion m eet him and he will take care o f th a t lion! Because o f his victory over the lion (rem em ber Sam son), the Judahite who is n o t living the overcom er’s life will n o t like Dan very m uch. O f course, Dan, being the “ shamire stone” th a t buffs and trim s o ff the rough edges o f all o f us, is ju st n o t always to o com fortable to have around! But w hat would the tem ple o f God be like w ith o u t His w ork o f perfection on us all? “ Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the p ath , th at biteth the horse heels, so th a t his rider shall fall backw ard.” 19

This indicates to me th a t the horse is going to collapse as soon as it is bitten, li also shows th e wisdom o f Dan. He knows he cannot reach the rider. He is too high up o ff the ground, so he is going to get him dow n to his level so th a t he can deal with him. The only way to do th a t is to th row him o ff the horse, and the only way to throw him o ff is to m ake the horse rear up in fright: so the wise Dan goes after the horse. Now th e horse is n o t your enem y, and neither is that person, who is giving you all the trouble, y o u r enem y, b u t you have to get at your enem y, so you go after the person th a t he is riding. The devil rides into all o f ou r lives. He is our real enem y, b ut he uses different people, o r different vehicles to attack us. We see th at big horse and we run in terror, n o t knowing th a t God has given us a pow er in o u r tongue, like the adder has, th a t if we will speak the nam e o f “ Jesus” (which alm ost sounds like a hissing sound), we can bring the fear o f God dow n on the situation and throw the rider (who is the dem on spirit th at torm ents us) o ff this secure and sure place. This is warfare and it is tim e for us to know th a t we are in the m iddle o f this kind o f warfare. When Jesus hung on the cross, He bit the heel o f the horse (the Pharisaical laws th at crucified Him) and threw Satan o u t o f his saddle, on to the ground where today we can see God bruise him under ou r heels. (Rom ans 16:20)

MOSES “ And o f Dan he said, Dan is a lion’s whelp: he shall leap from Bashan.” (D eute ronom y 33:22) You will rem em ber th at Jacob said o f Judah, “ Judah is a lion’s w help.” And we described w hat it m eant. It is the young playful lion who is im m ature. Read it again, and you will understand how it is, th at there is such a close resem blance betw een the tribe o f Dan and th e tribe o f Judah. B oth have this same nature in them . Again, I w ould like to m ention th a t I feel th at m any who think they belong to the tribe of Ju d ah , really belong to the tribe o f Dan. “ He shall leap from Bashan.” Bashan was the territo ry around Laish which was conquered by Dan. The word “ Bashan” m eans “ fruitful ground.” Moses sees Dan leaping o u t o f his territo ry because he has becom e fruitful And indeed, this is w hat Dan did. Because his original territory was too small, he leaped way over in to Laish, which is a city o f the region o f Bashan; and there, w ith the feroci ty o f a lion, he possessed the territo ry for his fam ily. Dan m ust only be careful th a t when he leaps, he leaps in the anointing o f the 20

Holy Spirit and in the will o f God. It is only after his life has become fruitful that God -will com m and him to leap into a new adventure, a new calling, a new m inistry. If he leaps before th a t, he will find him self building altars to false purposes, false visions, false gods.

POSITION O F DAN Around the tabernacle: Dan was situated on the n o rth side o f the tabernacle beside Naphtali and Asher. You will rem em ber th a t N aphtali was his blood brother. They had the same m other, Bilhah. The three tribes m arched under the banner o f Dan. When on the m arch they were in the rear. In the Promised Land: When they entered into Canaan, the lot which fell to them was at the sea coast in the area where Herzlia is now. Here they were surrounded by the Philistines: to the south by Ephraim , Benjamin and Judah. In the no rth they were adjacent to Naphtali. I would like us to take tim e to study the meaning o f some o f the names o f his towns and cities. (Joshua 19:40-47) Zorah: “ hornet, wasp place, warehouse, d ep o t.” This was Sam son’s birthplace. (Judges 13:2) It was also one o f the places where the 600 men came from who a t tacked Laish. (Judges 18:11) Eshtaol: “ to desire, to wish, to plead.” Ir-shemesh: “ city o f the sun.” Shaalabbin: “ the place o f the fox.” Ajalon: “ wild district, deer’s place.” It was here th at the sun stood still in the days o f Joshua. (Joshua 10:1 2) There is also a place called Aijalon in the country of Zebulun. (Judges 12:12) Jethlah: “high place.” Elon: “ the possesser, the strong one, acorn.” Thim natha: “ an established place, possession.” Ekron: “ torn away, rooted o u t, unfruitful.” Eltekeh: “ his fear is G od.”

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G ibbethon: “ high city.” Baalath: “ belonging to Baal.” Jehud: “ w orthy o f praise.” Bene-berak: “ sun o f lightning.” G ath-rim m on: “ the wine cellar by the pom egranate tree.” Me-jarkon: “ yellow w ater.” Rakkon: “ well w atered.” Japho: “ beautiful,” (know n as Jaffa today.) Dan in the Millenium: D an’s is the first portion m entioned in the Kingdom age. He is no m ore at the tail. He is now a t the head o f the list. He is the farthest northern portion o f Israel. (Ezekiel 4 8 :1 ) G ate o f Dan in the New Jerusalem : Dan’s Gate is located on the east side to gether w ith Joseph and Benjamin. (Ezekiel 48:32) Again I ask the question. Why is Dan not m entioned in Revelation? Is he truly b lotted out o f G od’s book? Is there any hope for him at all? Is th a t the end o f a tribe, th e end o f a people? Is G o d ’s great sym bol o f the eternal plan o f the ages going to stay forever uncom pleted w ith o u t this precious tribe, this son o f Jacob? Will they have no portion w hatsoever in the millenium? Will one o f the families o f Israel be missing for eternity? I d o n ’t believe it. I believe th a t G od, in His m ercy, shall restore Dan to his part in G od’s eternal plan. Just as G od restored th a t back-slidden D anite, Samson, and let him win the greatest o f his victories after he repented, God will do th e same for Dan. The fact th at God has allocated a portion for them in Israel through th e millenium and th a t they will possess one o f the gates on the east side o f Jerusalem (m aybe even the great Eastern G ate through w hich the prince will enter,[E zekiel 4 4 :1 -3 ]), shows me th a t Dan will have a very im p o rta n t p art to play in G od’s eternal plan. I cannot explain why he is n o t m entioned in Revelation 7, no r w hy he is seeming ly forgotten in som e o f the genealogies o f the Old Testam ent, b u t I know th a t some day God will reveal this to us.

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THE MYSTERY OF DAN A nother o f th e m ysteries concerning the tribe o f Dan is found in Judges 5:17 as Deborah and Barak as th e question, “ Why did Dan rem ain in ships?” We know that Dan was located on the west coast near Herzlia. It is a beautiful place to live, right there on th e sea coast. One can enjoy the swimming. It is real fun to swim in the M editerranean; those waves toss you back and forth and you can get on the ships and go o u t to sea, fishing. It is especially a nice place to be when there is trouble and war in the o th er part o f the country! But let us look at this w ord, “ ship.” It comes from the Hebrew word aniyah (on-ee-yaw) which comes from the root-w ord anah (aw-naw) which means “ to groan, lam ent, m ourn as in the anguish o f a contraction.” The m ost painful m om ent o f birthing is th at second stage before the head appears and as the baby is coming through the birth channel. It seems, from this word, that God is trying to say som ething m ore than the fact that Dan was having a good time sailing his boat on the M editerranean. Perhaps we should read it like this. “ Why did Dan remain in the anguish o f a contraction?” It seems as if Dan was always “ about to be b irthed” spiritually, b u t never quite accomplishing it. For a while, because he is not num bered, it alm ost seems like he was a “ still-born” child. It seems as if Deborah, knowing w hat God was trying to do through Dan, cried o u t in travail for him, “ Oh Dan, why did you stay in the birth channel? Why did you n o t come forth?” I have seen m any people in this place, spiritually. Oh, the groaning, the crying, the travailing! Many m en, whose wives have agonized for years, just never seem to “get birthed.” They have no idea w hat they could be in God. They don’t realize how trem endous their place in God would be, if they could come fo rth into th at sonship, th at is destined for them , if they will only let go o f the womb o f their present exis tence. The w orld is waiting for their cry o f LIFE - that first cry o f a new-born babe which sounds so heavenly! It w ould break the power o f the “ Philistines” once and for all.

DAN KNOWS THE MOVING O F THE SPIRIT In I Samuel 3:20 we read th at all o f Israel knew th a t Samuel was anointed to be a prophet. It says, “ And all Israel from DAN even to Beersheba knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet o f the Lord.” Yes, Dan knew that m uch, th at God had anointed th a t boy to be a great prophet. It was in th e land o f Dan th a t one o f the greatest miracles o f all times happened, when Joshua said in the sight o f all Israel, “ Sun, stand thou still upon G ibeon; and th ou, M oon, in the valley o f Ajalon. And the sun stood still, and the m oon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies...So th e sun stood still in 23

the m idst o f the heaven, and hasted n o t to go down about a whole day. And there was no day like th a ‘> before it or after it, th at the Lord hearkened unto the voice of a m an: for the Lord fought fo r Israel.” (Joshua 10:12-14) Yes, and God fought for Israel in the dom ain o f Dan. He was fighting fo r Dan’s property. Last o f all, I w ant to conclude Jacob’s prophecy for Dan, “ I have waited for thy salvation, O L o rd .” (Genesis 4 9 :1 8 ) Dan is the only tribe th at Jacob intercedes for so intensely. He cries out th a t he is waiting for th e salvation, the restoration, the com plete redem ption o f Dan. This word also m eans “ Healing and w elfare.” How m any years has Jacob waited for the salvation o f Dan? Somehow Dan got lost in the tangles o f life. The devil used Dan’s cunning and his gifts to lead him astray; his self-confidence caused him to fall by the wayside. But I believe th a t in the end, God is going to restore the D anites, even as He restored Samson. If we d o n ’t give up pleading for Dan, then God is able to bring them in, because He is m arried to the backslider. (Jerem iah 3:14) In the end “ their hair will grow” and like Samson, Dan will rise to his finest hour to win his greatest victory. The world has n o t yet heard th e last from Dan! The strength o f Dan shall be restored to him again and together w ith his hum ility, he will rise w ith th e deliverers in the end-tim e to deliver his people. Obadiah verse 2 1 , “ And saviours (deliverers) shall come up on m ount Zion to judge th e m o u n t o f Esau; and th e kingdom shall be the L ord’s.” This is the w ork, the high calling o f D an...to rise to judge, for his name is JUDGE. So let us pray and travail for his birthing. He is still in the birth canal. His head has to be “ shaped,” so th a t he can come forth. This is the trouble with Dan; he is having a hard tim e w ith his head. But once God has finished hum bling him, he shall surely come fo rth in the glory o f the anointed one. It has been generally accepted by prophetic students, b o th ancient and m odern, am ong Jews and G entiles, th a t the anti-christ will spring from the tribe o f Dan. T hat is possible, b u t there is no proof. I d o n ’t think th at th a t should indicate th at Dan should be wiped o u t, as som e say. G od is bigger than th at. Judas was probably of the tribe o f Judah and he sold Jesus, b u t th a t did not cause God to obliterate the whole tribe of Judah. Peter betrayed the L ord, b u t he was n o t wiped o u t, no r his tribe. God is too big for that. Some say th a t the descendants o f Dan w ent up in to Magog and today their descendants are th e people o f Russia. This could be, b u t I am speaking about the spiri tual Dan and n o t th e natural. The natural is only a sym bol o f the spiritual and eternal.

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Dan is appointed to judge the tribes. We are waiting for thy salvation, O Lord! One o f these days, he shall com e, leaping out o f Bashan, to stand with us all at the great judgm ent seat o f Christ. Dan, we wait for y our salvation!

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Sam son a n d Delilah, by A ndrea Mantegna (c. 1431-1506)

BY GWEN SHAW

N A P H T ALI (N EPT H A U M ) " w r e s t li n g " G 3 0 :8

__________ JA H Z EEL ( J A H Z IE L ) G 4 6 :2 4

I C h 7 :) 3

N A P H T ALITES GU NI

JEZER

I

I

a 4 6 :2 4 I

G 4 6 :2 4 I

SHILLE M

(S H A U U M ) G 4 6 :2 4 IC h , 7 :’ 3

JA H ZEELITES G U N ITES JEZERITES SHILLE M ITES N 2 6 :4 8

N 2 6 :4 8

N 2 6 :4 9

EN A N C a p t a in A H IR A N 1 :1 5 : 2 :2 9 ; 7 :7 8 ,8 3 : 1 0:2 7 h e a d o f th e t ri b e d u ri n g f h * j o u r n e y In t h e w il d e r n e s s

N 2 6 :4 9

V O P H SI N A H B f, p rin c e N 1 3 :1 4 s p y s e n t b y M O SES

This chart was tak en from The A d a m and E ve F am ily Tree, produced by th e Good Things C om pany. Used by permission.

C o v er by C aro ly n W right

Copyright 1982, Gwen R. Shaw End-Time Handmaidens, Inc. P.O. B ox 447 Jasper, Arkansas 72641 All rights reserved.

P rinted in the U nited S tates o f A m erica

PRAYER “ Beloved F a th er in Heaven, we come to You in the name o f Jesus, asking that Y ou will open o u r hearts to understand the truths concerning this precious tribe called N aphtali. Lord, Y our Word tells us th at You knew us from our m o th er’s womb. Sure ly You have know n Naphtali even when You were in the act o f creating this one. I pray th at You will help us to look deep into the work o f creation in the life o f this tribe th a t we m ay understand it in our tim e and be able to m inister to those o f Your children who are called by this name. In Jesus’ name. Am en.”

THE NAMING OF NAPHTALI And Bilhah Rachel s maid conceived again, and bare Jacob a second son. And Rachel said, With great wrestlings have I wrestled with my sister, and have prevailed : and she called his nam e N aphtali.” (Genesis 30:7,8) Naphtali is the sixth son o f Jacob, and the second he had by Bilhah Rachel’s maid.

MEANING OF TH E NAME Naphtali comes from the Hebrew word naphtaliy (naf-taw-lee). Its root-w ord is pathal (paw -thal), which means “ to struggle, wrestle, forw ard, be (morally) tortuous self-unsavoury, to tw ine.” Naphtali m eans to wrestle, and it doesn’t just mean to wrestle, it means to wrestle and to conquer and win the victory. Rachel said, “ I have wrestled and I have prevailed. I have won the victory.” It is n o t enough to wrestle, it is im portant th at we wrestle right through until we indeed have prevailed and won the victory. T hat is why, when we pray, we m ust re m em ber th at there are m any different types o f prayer. It is not ju st enough to “ rest in the arm s” o f the Lord and rejoice in His presence, though that is a type o f prayer, b u t m any tim es we are called in to a prayer th a t is a true wrestling against the powers of darkness and doing great battle with dem on spirits and spiritual wickedness in high places. N aphtali (the wrestler) was bom o f Bilhah. Bilhah means “ God is to be feared, is terrifying.” Some o f us need to realize how terrifying God really can be. Most people are afraid o f a God who is to be feared. They only w ant a God who is loving and cuddles them all the tim e. They want a God who spoils them and pets them and pam pers them . B ut if you really want to know G od, you have to know Him in all as pects o f His personality and attributes. It was only as Bilhah could realize the terro r of 1

God in her life th at she could becom e a vehicle for producing the wrestler. You need to know the terro r o f G od, so th at out o f your life comes a wrestling m inistry, a minis try that will shake hell’s fbundations. It is good for our names to be known in hell. Most of us only w ant ou r names to be known in heaven. Everybody’s name is known in heaven, even the sinners’. But there are some names known in hell. Those are the ones that are the adversaries o f hell. The evil spirit spoke out o f the demon-possessed man in Acts 19:15 and said, “ Jesus I know, and Paul I know; b ut who are ye?” The evil spirits know G od’s anoint ed ones and fear them . Bilhah not only means “ God is terrifying,” it also means, “ tender, soft and deli cate.” The Hebrew language has m any meanings, even as the English language some times has. We see that her father was called Rotheus. He had been a man o f high de gree and God-fearing, related to the family o f Abraham. The Lost Books o f the Bible tell us that he had been caught in a war and sold as a slave. Laban had bought him and brought him to his house, given him one o f his handm aidens, Eunah, as his wife, and from 'this union both Bilhah and Zilpah were born. You will rem em ber that Bilhah was born the same day as Rachel. That is why her father. Laban, gave Bilhah to Rachel as her personal maid. Zilpah became Leah’s personal maid, because Leah was older and Zilpah was older, so when Leah was born, she was the first to get her handm aid. All of these four wom en, Leah and Zilpah. Rachel and Bilhah are women of great honour because they are the forem others of the genetic Israel. They are to be honoured for the great part they played in bringing forth the tribes of Israel.

SYMBOL The sym bol of Naphtali is taken from the prophecy that Jacob, their father, gave them . “ Naphtali is a hind let loose:” (Genesis 49:21) The hind is the female o f the red deer, in and after its third year. Let us think about the deer. Most o f the tim e, the deer lives in the forests and wooded areas but some live in open country and marshy areas. They swim well and are not afraid ot water. Next to the rabbit, the deer is the most hunted of all animals. Its meat is good and tastes like beef. In the Lapland the deer is dom esticated and used for milk, as a draft animal and for riding. In China, the breed known as “ Pere David” is dom esti cated. It is on the verge of extinction. When there is an overabundance of them they can be very destructive to the crops. The deer is lithe, com pact, short-tailed, with long, slender ears, long, slender legs and paired hoofs. Its sense of sight, hearing and smell is well developed. It is m ost active early in the m orning and late in the afternoon, resting at mid-day and during the night. They live in small bands (family groups). The males are usually solitary. An interesting thing about the deer is th at it has no gall bladder. The deer breeds any tim e, except in colder climates, where it breeds in autum n or winter. The males are polygam ous, having a harem o f more than one m ate. They are 2

very jealous o f o th e r males and will engage in ferocious battles over the does (hinds). Sometimes th eir antlers becom e so firmly engaged with each other that they die of starvation. The deer is known to be shy and furtive, and yet the large ones can be dan gerous. T heir disposition is described as “ irascible” which means “ easily angered, quick tem pered, irritable.” They will attack with antlers and hoofs; with the antler they will impale their victim , and with the hoofs they slash it. Because the hind is fem ale, I will use the feminine gender when speaking o f the tribe o f N aphtali. Jacob said, “ Naphtali is a hind let loose.” Let us look at this expression, “ let loose.” The w ord “ loose” comes from the Hebrew slialach (shaw-lakh), which means “ to send aw ay, cast away, to cast o u t, conduct, forsake, leave, let depart, push aw ay.” The Holy Spirit is saying through Jacob that Naphtali is like a young female deer who, at the tim e when she is old enough to produce her own kind, suddenly has a tem ptation to act like a calf let out wild in the field. This is a sign of reckless imma tu rity. G od said to His people whom He wanted to bring into m aturity, “ But unto you that fear m y nam e shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go fo rth , and grow up as calves o f the stall.” (Malachi 4:2) In this scripture God is showing the difference between the calf “ let loose and the one raised “ in the stall.” And by the way. one o f the meanings of the word “ hind is calf. So this scripture is applicable to Naphtali. G od’s Spirit sees th at strong self-will o f Naphtali, which He must harness and bring under His control in order to make it a power for Him. One o f the amazing things about the deer is that it has no gall bladder. The gall bladder is a very interesting part o f the anatom y. In the Testim ony of Naphtali, which is given in The Lost Books o f the Bible. Naphtali says, “ For God made all things good in their order, the five senses in the head, and He ed on the neck to the head, adding to it the hair, also for comeliness and glory, then the heart for understanding, the belly for excrem ent, and the stom ach for grinding, the windpipe for taking in the breath, the liver for w rath, the gall for bitterness, the spleen for laughter, the reins for prudence, the muscles o f the loins for power, the lungs for draw ing in. the loins for strength, and so fo rth .” (chapter 1, verse 20) The gall bladder is a m em branous sac attached to the liver, in which excess gall, or bile, is stored and concentrated. Bile is the b itter, yellow-brown o r greenish fluid secreted by the liver. It is discharged into the duodenum and aids in digesting, especially o f fats. It is a type of bitterness of spirit, choler and anger. N aphtali, being pictured as a female deer, having no gall bladder, reveals the beauty o f this tribe in th at it is w ithout bitterness. It cannot keep anger long, or a bad spirit. N aphtali has her faults, as we will see, but one o f them cer tainly is not bitterness.

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The fact th a t she is bom in wrestling and is a tribe w ithout bitterness enables her to fulfill her God-given m inistry. The m inistry o f the hind is pictured in Job 39:1 and Psalm 29:9. “ Knowest thou the tim e when the wild goats o f the rock bring forth? or canst thou m ark when the hinds do calve?” (Job 39:1) “ The voice o f the Lord m aketh the hinds to calve...” (Psalm 29:9) Being a fem ale, she has the gift o f m otherhood, the ability to travail to birth and bring forth the calves. The greatest gift o f the tribe of Naphtali is her strength to inter cede in prayer, and to lay hold o f the horns o f the altar and not let go until God hears. Naphtali will hang on tenaciously to the vision which God has given her, wrestling until she prevails. To wrestle m eans to struggle hand-to-hand with an opponent in an attem pt to throw or force him to the ground w ithout striking blows. Naphtali has great agility; th at is why she has the characteristic o f the hind. To wrestle, one must be sure-footed and this surely describes the hind, for the Word says in Psalm 18:33, “ He m aketh my feet like hinds feet, and setteth me upon my high places.” Surely, God is going to call forth his tribe of intercessors in the '.ast days who shall wrestle, not with flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers o f the darkness o f this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. (Ephesians 6 :12) This is the high calling of Naphtali, and she is able to fulfill it as long as she keeps her heart pure from all bitterness. As soon as bitterness comes into her heart, she will not be a true intercessor, for the intercessor loves the fallen, the unclean and demon-possessed one, and even the “ Judas” in the camp. It is impossible to pray effectively for anyone if there is bitterness in your heart toward that person. Naphtali has this gift, th a t she can, through the Holy Spirit’s power, approach the throne o f God in prayer w ithout the taint o f bitterness, and while wrestling in travail, she will birth her calves at the com m and o f the Lord. (Psalm 29:9) One could take m uch space com paring the hind with Naphtali, but you would do well to make a private study on it yourself.

GEMSTONE OF NAPHTALI The gem stone o f the tribe o f Naphtali is the diam ond. There are different grades o f diam onds. The im perfect ones are kept for industrial use. These are so im portant that a deficiency o f them w ould affect the m anufacturing industries o f the entire world. Then there is the diam ond dust called bort. It is used for grinding. Diamonds are 4

used for drilling also, both in dental work and in oil wells. The thing th a t makes the diam ond so beautiful is its high refractory power. It is able to refract the light in such a brilliance th at it is also called the “ stone o f fire.” There are different shades o f diam onds: colourless, pale blue, yellow, and even black. It takes a terrible tem perature to m elt the diam ond, 3,700 degrees Centigrade. In earlier times m ost diam onds came from India. In the 18th century diam onds were discovered in South America. Then in 1870 diam onds were discovered in South Africa. Today 97% o f the w orld’s diam onds come from South Africa. Annually their production runs as high as 4'/2 tons, which is 26 million carats. Some o f the fam ous diam onds are: 1. The G reat Mogul, which was said to have weighed 787 carats in the rough. It was last seen in 1665 by a French traveller. It came from India. 2. T he Koh-i-nor, which also came out o f India. It was taken from a royal family in 1304, and brought to England. It was 191 carats. It has been recut and now weighs 108 carats. It is the central stone o f Queen Elizabeth’s state crown. There is specula tion that it m ight be a part o f the Great Mogul stone. 3. The Hope D iam ond, which has a bluish colour and is reputed to have brought bad luck to its owners. It is in the Sm ithsonian Institution in Washington. D.C.. It is 4 4 Vi carats. 4. The Star of the S outh was found in the mines at Bagagem, Brazil, in 1853. It weighed in the rough 261.6 carats. 5. The Star o f South Africa or D udley, was discovered in 1869, and is 47.45 carats cut. Since th at time m any more large stones have been found. 6. The Cullinan. the w orld’s largest gem diam ond, was found in 1905 in South Africa. It weighed in the rough 3,106 m etric carats, (about 3 1/3 pounds). It has been cut into four large and five smaller gems and today they are a part of the crown jewels o f England. The diam ond is, as we said, known for two things: its hardness (its ability to grind everything down except itself), and its ability to reflect the light like no other gem. Surely this depicts the tribe o f Naphtali. They instantly attract you to themselves by the sparkle o f their nature, b ut d o n ’t let them fool you, they are hard. No one is going to tell a N aphtalite w hat to do. They have their own minds and they are going to use them . T heir sweetness and sparkle does not reveal how set they can be in their own ways. No one can catch th at diam ond, for ju st when you think you have it in 5

your hand, like a h ind, it will give one big leap and be far away from you. You can beg and you can w eep, and y o u can try anything, b ut you will n o t be able to catch that hind and bring it back into the stall, once it has been out free on the hills. The Lord is the only one w ho can control N aphtali. She will only listen to His com m and. N aphtali’s diam ond, like the ability to reflect light, reveals the tru th o f the pro phecy given by th e p rophet Isaiah in Isaiah 9:1 and fulfilled in M atthew 4:15,16, “ The land o f Z abulon, and the land o f N ephthalim , by the way o f the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee o f the G entiles; The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in th e region and shadow o f death light is sprung u p .” This was fulfilled when the Lord cam e in to th a t area bringing the light o f the Gospel. Zebulun and N aphtali are b o th know n as the tribes who dwell in the light. F o r N aphtali, there is nothing that can light up her life like the presence o f the Lord Jesus Christ. He is her Beloved and her first love. It is alm ost impossible to come betw een a N aphtalfte and the Lord. Her dedication and her life o f intercession gives her strength. Her biggest problem s are her absolutely independent nature and her diam ond hardness, which are good when controlled by the Holy Spirit, but destructive when ruled by self-will.

PROPHECIES TO NAPHTALI - JACOB Genesis 4 9 :2 1 , “ Naphtali is a hind let loose: he giveth goodly w ords.” The word “ goodly” comes from the Hebrew shephar (she-fer), which means, beau ty .” Its root-w ord is shaphar (shaw-far), which means “ to glisten, to be fair and goodly. The word “ giveth” in this case means “ to apply, ascribe, assign, bestow , bring fo rth , charge, to recom pense, to distribute, to shoot forth, to sing, to u tte r and to w eep.” We see th a t N aphtali is called to a m inistry o f sharing w ith others fair^and glistening w ords. This w ord “ w ords” is usually used only in connection w ith “ the word o f the L ord.” So we see th a t Naphtali is called, n o t to a lot o f idle and em pty chatter th a t bores people and tires them , but to give th at glistening “ diam ond which is theirs to give and to give it in the name o f the Lord. Sometimes she gives it in a song, som etim es w ith weeping. The Naphtalis weep easily and people cannot under stand why th ey cry so quickly when they give their words, but this is a part o f N aphta li. Som etimes to o , she “ shoots fo rth ” the word th at God gives her to give and then it pierces like an arrow ; o th er tim es she distributes it lightly, but with a purpose. This is her gift and it is a blessed gift. I also should say th a t Naphtali has the gift to scribe the words God gives her. In this way and in her gift o f light she is close to Zebulun. There are m any sim ilarities betw een Naphtali and Zebulun and they always get along very well together. 6

MOSES D euteronom y 33:23, “ And o f Naphtali he said. O Naphtali, satisfied with favour, and full w ith the blessing o f the Lord: possess thou the west and the south.” This is the first tim e Moses uses the expression, “ O” in connection with his pro phecies to the tribes. It is n o t to be ignored, as it is drawing our attention to some thing th a t God wants to alert Naphtali to. The words th at follow are very beautiful, “ satisfied w ith favour.” The word “ satisfied” means “ to be full o f ’ and “ to be satis fied w ith.” The word “ favour” here means “ delight, acceptable, favour, pleasure.” Naphtali is a happy tribe, gifted by God to enjoy the pleasures which the Lord has promised her, even the joy th at comes w ith freedom to fulfill the will o f God. Naphta li will not accept bondages o f any kind. She is that female hind let loose. D on’t try to catch her! She will not com e, except she does it o f her own free will. “ Full w ith the blessing o f the L ord.” This speaks o f the fulness which God wants to give all of His children who walk in His favour. He said. “ Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires o f thine h e a rt.” (Psalm 37:4) It is only as Naphtali is let loose to seek the green pas tures and to be led by the Spirit o f the Lord to the still w aters, like the hart o f Psalm 42, th at she can be filled with the blessings which, God provides for His beloved. “ Possess thou the west and the so u th .” The west speaks o f the land that lay to the west o f Naphtali, which was the m ighty M editerranean Sea. It was the gateway to new lands and new adventures. God wants Naphtali to possess the nations and to move out across the waters into new places in G od, both spiritually and in the natural also. The south speaks o f the pleasant things which lie at the foot o f Naphtali. Just west o f N aphtali was Zebulun. God wants the uniting o f Naphtali and Zebulun. It was in the southern coast o f Naphtali th at Jesus preached m ost o f His life. That was the sea coast o f Galilee, the tow n o f Capernaum and the little town round about. Here is where the great Sermon on the M ount was preached. God wants Naphtali to possess this message o f the Sermon on the M ount....the “ Blessed art th o u !”

FAM ILY T R E E O F NAPHTALI The sons o f Naphtali were: 1. Jahzeel: “ God (El) leads him .” 2. G uni: “ p rotected, covered, coloured, p ainted.” 7

3. Jezer: “ one who m oulds, one who creates, one who constructs.” 4. Shillem : “G od has rew arded, God has repaid, God has restored, refunded, com pensated.” As we m entioned earlier, when the people in Bible days named their children, they were revealing the experiences o f their lives. All o f these names are very beauti ful and their meanings are also w orth considering. Jahzeel means “ God (El) leads him .” It speaks o f how Naphtali, the .lind let loose, did n o t take her own freedom to do what she would like to do, but perm itted the Lord to lead her. This is the best way for a person from the tribe o f Naphtali to begin their life, to tru st and allow the Lord (El) to lead them . It is a right beginning. Guni means “ p rotected, covered, coloured, painted.” As Naphtali is led by the Lord, she is “ abiding under the shadow o f the Alm ighty.” There is a special blessing promised Naphtali. This is the promise o f protection if she will let El lead her. The colouring speaks o f the camouflage which God gives His own to hide them among the trees and the bushes o f the field so that the wild beasts and hunters will not see His hind and destroy it. Jezer, which means “ one who m oulds, one who creates, one who constructs,” is the third son, who was letting God do a work in his life. But not only th at, he himself was creative. He was, no d o ubt, another Michelangelo who could create sculptured works o f art and construct beautiful buildings. Rem em ber, that m agnificent St. Peter s o f Rome was designed by the sculptor and artist, Michelangelo! Shillem means “ God has rew arded, God has repaid. God has restored, refunded, com pensated.” What a beautiful way to finish a life’s testim ony! Naphtali gives this glory to God th at God will bless those who put Him first in their lives by rewarding them . My father used to say, “ God is no m an’s d e b to r.” I can confirm this, th at God does indeed reward us faithfully for every sacrifice that we make for Him.

CHARACTERS OF THE TR IB E OF NAPHTALI There are different men who are m entioned in the tribe o f Naphtali. 1. Ahira (Num bers 1:15), “ O f N aphtali; Ahira, the son of Enan.” He was the prince and captain o f the Naphtali armed forces. He is also m entioned in Numbers 10:27. In Num bers 7 :7 8 he is called the prince o f the tribe o f Naphtali. The name “ A hira” m eans, “ my b rother is angry,” or “ my brother has met w ith an accident.” This is an indication th at some calam ity happened to Naphtali. When they en 8

tered the wilderness, they num bered 53,400 and when they entered Canaan 40 years later they were only 45,400, having lost 8,000 souls. Som ewhere, there was a spiritual weakness in this tribe for which they were cut o ff in num bers, which is evidenced by the nam e o f their prince, Ahira. 2. Nahbi: Num bers 13:14, “ O f the tribe o f N aphtali, Nahbi the son o f V ophsi.” Nahbi was one o f the chosen spies who were sent into Canaan to spy out the land. His name m eans, “ buried, hidden, the Lord is p ro te c to r.” This speaks o f real suffering and danger in the life o f Naphtali. His father’s name was Vophsi, which means, “ My G od’s supplem ent, G od’s overweight m easure, God is praise.” The nam ing o f these m en took place at least 400 years after Naphtali was named by Rachel. It seems they were going through terrible ordeals. Who knows, maybe some o f them had even died under the whip of their Egyptian or Hebrew taskm asters, for som etim es the Egyptians used Hebrew taskm asters over their slave labour. In Exodus 5:14 they were called officers. These officers w orked under the com m and of Egyptian taskm asters. 3. Pedahel: Num bers 34:28,29, “ And the prince o f the tribe of the children of Naphtali, Pedahel, the son o f Am m ihud. These are they whom the Lord com m anded to divide the inheritance u n to the children o f Israel in the land o f Canaan.” Pedahel was prince o f the tribe whose work it was to officiate the dividing o f the land o f Canaan when they came in to possess it. The name “ Pedahel” m eans, “ to buy off, to ransom , to be set free, Jehovah has redeem ed.” His fa th e r’s nam e, A m m ihud, means “ my nearest relative, my covering is splen dour, my people are fam ous, splendid, high, h o n o u red .” Certainly this is a high and lofty nam e. As long as N aphtali lives with this a ttitu d e, she will succeed in her God. Naphtali pays a great price to be “ let loose.” The secret o f her freedom is her obedience to G od. She has learned the pow er o f fasting. Ramona Dicks has w ritten a beautiful song which the Olive Branch sings at our conventions, “ I’ve fasted and I’ve prayed, and I ’m free.” This is the glorious freedom o f the children o f God. The old yokes and bondages o f traditionalism have dropped off. God has called us out of bondage into the liberty o f the children o f God. (Rom ans 8:21) This is the only covering th at Naphtali needs, even the covering o f her P rotector, the L ord God o f Israel. 4. Ahim aaz: I Kings 4 :1 5 , “ Ahimaaz was in N aphtali; he also took Basm ath, the daughter o f Solomon to wife.” Ahimaaz was one o f the officers in Israel under King Solom on. The name “ A him aaz” means “ b rother o f pow er, m ighty one.” Basmath means “ the fragrant one.” 9

5. Hiram : I Kings 7 :1 3 ,1 4 , “ And king Solomon sent and fetched Hiram o u t of Tyre. He was a w idow ’s son o f the tribe o f N aphtali, and his father was a man o f Tyre, a w orker in brass: and he was filled with wisdom, and understanding, and cunning to work all works in brass. And he came to king Solomon, and wrought all his w ork.” The rest o f the chapter goes on to tell about the splendid work that this N aphtalite did in the tem ple o f Solom on. He worked along with the Danite who was gifted in o th er ways, to prepare the m agnificent tem ple for the Lord. One o f his m ost m agnificent works o f art was the casting of the tw o great pillars o f brass, 27 feet high, 18 feet around with 4 inch walls, which stood in the entrance of the tem ple. This was a very difficult task to accomplish. This son o f Naphtali excelled in all brass w ork. The name o f one o f the pillars was Jachin and the other Boaz. Jachin means, “ He shall establish” and Boaz “ in it is strength.” Beside the tw o great pillars he made the m olten sea, which stood upon 12 oxen, 10 bases o f brass, 10 lavers o f brass and many vessels for the house of the Lord. This confirm s the tru th o f the name Jezer. “ one who moulds, one who creates, one who constructs.” N aphtalites are im portant in the Lord s building programme and in the deg o f His dwelling place.

BARAK Please read Judges chapters 4 and 5. 6. Barak: Judges 4 :6 , “ And she sent and called Barak the son of Abinoam out of Kedesh-N aphtali, and said u n to him, Hath not the Lord God o f Israel com m anded, saying, Go and draw toward m ount Tabor, and take with thee ten thousand men o f the children of N aphtali and o f the children o f Z ebulun?” Barak is the great hero o f the tribe of Naphtali who has been ired and loved for centuries. The name “ Barak” means, “ lightning, lightning sw ord.” His father’s nam e, “ A binoam ” m eans, “ father o f grace, charm , sweetness, the h ero .” Barak was o f the tribe o f Naphtali. Let us first of all review again the characte ristics o f this tribe. Rem em ber she is a “ hind let loose.” Having been set free after some kind o f bondage, prison or confinem ent, she is just like a calf, leaping and jum ping around the fields, or like a little dog, just let o ff the chain, jum ping and skip ping about, barking, “ yip, yip, y ip .” She is so happy to get free. T hat is Naphtali. She never wants to get in to bondage o f any kind. She is a free-born soul. If you try to tie her dow n, you will really lose her. When you go back to find her, all you will find at the end o f her chain is the collar. She is gone! If you want to keep up with her, you had better get moving. She is n o t going to hang around. Naphtalis are quite im patient when they think it is time to get moving. This expression, “ let loose” has the implica 10

tion o f one who has escaped from the hunter. Once the hunter has caught you and you have escaped the ordeal, you are not easily caught the second time. You will praise God for y our freedom . It also speaks o f fleetness o f fo o t, a running deer. Barak was a typical N aphtali. He wasn’t the kind th at was easily conscripted to be a soldier. The Lord had already spoken to him and D eborah, the prophetess, knew it. She sent a message to him and said, “ Hasn’t the Lord God o f Israel commanded you to start m arching tow ards M ount Tabor and take 10,000 m en with you from the tribes o f Naphtali and Zebulun?” Her prophecy was really a confirm ation o f what the Holy G host had already told him. I think th a t prophecy should often be a confirm ation o f w hat God has already spoken to you about. It w asn’t easy for Barak to take up this challenge to go to war against the hosts o f Sisera because they had 900 chariots o f iron. T hat is like 900 big arm y tanks, and he d idn’t have one gun. He didn’t even have a sword. There was t a sword in Israel. Some would say he was a fool. Many would hang out the white flag o f surrender. I see m any people hang out their “ flag o f surrender” and give up even be fore they get started. Barak was no doubt hiding behind this white flag when God sent Deborah (which m eans “ bee” ) after him. She was a bee with a good “ stinger.” A bee doesn’t only make honey, she stings some o f the Baraks now and then who are slow in moving into their calling. That is why the Deborahs are not too often appreciated. They make them uncom fortable. You can’t calm a bee down either. But you sure can enjoy her honey! Barak was inspired by the Holy Spirit that came upon him through the prophecy o f this woman o f God. She was a wom an who could give him G od’s word for the hour. I know some o f the greatest men o f God in the world today who have allowed the Holy Spirit to use a w om an’s m inistry in their lives. Barak means “ lightning, lightning sw ord.” This is so typical o f Naphtali, the hind “ let loose,” the quick deer in the m ountains. Sometimes they are too quick, they run ahead o f the Lord and do their own thing and then they fall into a terrible snare and they cry and weep and howl and wail. And God feels sorry for them and blows their red nose clean w ith His big heavenly handkerchief, because He knows they didn’t really deliberately try to disobey God. It wasn’t easy for Barak to go to war because some o f the tribes had forsaken him. (Read verses 15-18) They were not standing with him, but God had given a word of prophecy and so he obeyed. As long as Naphtali obeys the word o f the Lord to her, she is safe. Barak is n o t afraid or embarassed to honour the w om an’s place in the m inistry. Barak said, “ If thou wilt go with me, then I will go: but if thou wilt not go w ith me, then I will n o t go.” (Judges 4 :8) He is not afraid o f sharing the glory with a woman. 11

He realizes th a t she will be his covering because she has the w ord o f the Lord for him. A m an o f the tribe o f N aphtali never feels intim idated or th at he is some kind o f an “ under dog” when a wom an o f God gives him the word o f the Lord. He will say, “ Praise God, sister. I’m glad y o u told m e th at! T hat really confirm s som ething I ’ve been feeling in my heart already.” He never feels beneath her ju st because God has sent her to him w ith His word. Instead h e ’ll p u t on his “ lightning shoes” and he will go after Sisera, taking her prayers w ith him , and he will defeat the enem y and when the battle is over, the tw o of them will share the platform in singing loudly the praises o f God and giving God the glory. There will be no jealousy, no resentm ent, envy or fear o f a woman usurping his place in his m inistry. O ur N aphtali brothers are the treasures o f God to the women o f God. They are the friends o f all wom en m inistries, the strength o f the prophetesses o f God. N either are the N aphtali m en effem inate. They are a m an’s m an and big enough to know th at they will n o t lose their respect because they respect and honour the daughters o f the Lord. Even as a N aphtalite man is m asculine, so the Naphtalite daughters are very fem inine, disliking anything masculine at all. You can hardly get them to wear slacks or to cut their hair short. What is m ore, they can sing. My, can they sing! One o f the m ost beautiful songs o f the Bible was sung th at day by Barak and Deborah. Read it. (Judges 5:1-31) They sang in the Spirit, bringing joy to Israel. God has anointed the Naphtalites to give goodly words in song, whereas Zebulun is m ore anointed to write them out. These two tribes work well together. T hat day Barak and Deborah sang a song o f freedom , o f being “ let loose.” They praised the Lord for the victory He had given Israel when the people willingly offered themselves. N aphtali, sing y our song o f freedom! Let others desire your freedom . Don’t let yourself be intim idated by the other prisoners o f war. You have been set free. Praise the Lord for it! God is using you to be an exam ple o f His liberated people. One o f the beautiful parts o f their song is found in Judges 5:18, “ Zebulun and N aphtali were a people th at jeoparded their lives u nto the death in the high places of the field.” These tw o tribes stood together as one in the heat o f the battle. Judges 4 :1 0 says, “ And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; and he w ent up with 10,000 men at his feet: (just as Deborah told him to ) and Deborah went up with him .” She even told him when to attack. Judges 4 :1 4 , “ And D eborah said u n to Barak, UP; for this is the day in which the Lord hath delivered Sisera in to thine hand: is n o t the Lord gone o u t before thee?” Barak attacked w ith such vengeance and anointing th a t “ all the host o f Sisera fell upon the edge o f the sw ord; and there was n o t a m an left.” (verse 16) The N aphtalite m en do n o t like to fight, b u t if they have to , w atch out! Under the anointing there is nothing th a t can stand before them , especially when they are united together w ith Zebulun, the tribe to their south. 12

HISTORICAL EVENTS IN THE TRIBE OF NAPHTALI When the children o f Israel came into the Promised Land, the tribe o f Naphtali was w ith those th at stood on M ount Ebal to u tter the warnings th a t would befall the nation if they forsook G od’s comm ands. A N aphtalite is called to warn G od’s people. Some o f us are called to bless and everybody loves us because we ju st go around smiling and blessing people. It would be so nice to belong to one o f these “ bless you” tribes, but some o f us have to belong to the tribes th at warn people o f coming judg ment? if they do n o t line up w ith G od’s holiness. Some o f us are sleeping in a bed o f comprom ise because we will not speak the word o f the Lord. Even in the midst o f their song o f praise, Barak and Deborah repri m anded the people who did not obey the call to warfare. They scolded Reuben and Dan and Asher, leaving a m ark against these three tribes that has never been blotted o ut until this day.

TH EIR FA ILU RE Read Judges 1:33, “ Neither did Naphtali drive out the inhabitants o f Bethshem esh, nor the inhabitants o f Betlianoth; but he dwelt among the Canaanites o f the land: nevertheless the inhabitants of Bethshemesh and of Bethanath became trib u ta ries unto th em .” Naphtali did not com plete their God-given task to drive out all the enemies. There was a spirit o f com prom ise in them also. They dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants o f the land. Instead of cleaning house, they collected taxes from their enem y. This is a warning to you Naphtalites. Do not comprom ise lest you lose y our inheritance. You have this weakness in you that you can settle down and live with “ the inhabitants o f the land” whom God wants to get out o f your life. You can even “ collect taxes” from them . That means, you receive financial or physical com fort from them . Beware, lest after the great freedom God has given you, you return to sleep in the bed o f comprom ise. May God fulfill in you the calling of a hind “ let loose.” B ethanath means “ the house o f the C anaanites.” Bethshemesh means “ the house o f the sun god.” He was an idol. The N aphtalite must be careful that he has no idols in his life. G et rid of the enem y in your life. Do not make concessions w ith anything the devil would use to destroy you and keep you from possessing the entire land which the Lord gives you to possess.

NAPHTALI UNDER KING DAVID I Chronicles 12:34, “ O f Naphtali a thousand captains, and with them w ith shield and spear th irty and seven thousand.” This was a part o f the great army o f Israel that gathered w ith David in Hebron. A ltogether there were 38,000 men from Naphtali. When you com pare the num ber o f soldiers th at came from the different tribes, you 13

realize that Naphtali was one o f the three greatest in num ber, only superceded by Asher’s 40,000 and Z ebulun’s 50,000. From the o ther side o f the Jordan came the tribes o f Reuben, Gad and half the tribe o f Manasseh, totalling 120,000 from them , making it about 40,000 in each tribe. So we can reckon that Naphtali was still dedica ted to the cause o f the Lord in a great way during the tim e o f David. I w ant us to see som ething beautiful regarding this tribe and the tribes o f Issachar and Zebulun. It says that they could keep rank, they came with a perfect heart to Hebron to make David king over all Israel. They were there with David three days, eating and drinking; for their brethren had prepared for them . Issachar, Zebulun and N aphtali, brought bread on asses, and on camels, and on mules, and on oxen, and m eat, meal, cakes o f figs, and bunches o f raisins, and wine, and oil, and oxen, and sheep abundantly: for there was joy in Israel. (I Chronicles 12:40) A true Naphtali will give and give and give and give. This is true o f Issachar and Zebulun also. Notice the loads o f food that they brought down to Hebron! Maybe it is because they like to eat! They gave because it was a time o f rejoicing. King Saul had died. Naphtali was like a hind “ let loose" and she was going to celebrate, for she came full with the blessings o f the Lord to King David.

NAPHTALI DURING REVIVAL Under Josiah: II Chronicles 34:6. “ And so did he (King Josiah) in the cities ol Manasseh. and Ephraim , and Simeon, even unto Naphtali, with their m attocks round ab out.” Josiah went up into Naphtali. breaking the idols which the tribe ot Naphtali had perm itted to be put up in their territory. This had no doubt happened during the days o f Jezebel, for she ruled over Naphtali also with her husband Ahab and w rought havoc in all of Israel. Terrible tragedy had happened because o f Israel's sins and now God was bringing them to repentance. He was using the holy King Josiah o f Judah to touch Naphtali one m ore time before she went into captivity.

GOD JUDGES NAPHTALI Because o f her backsliding, God began to punish Naphtali. In B.C. 958: 1 Kings 15:20, “ So Benhadad hearkened unto king Asa, and sent the captains o f the hosts which he had against the cities o f Israel, and sm ote Ijon and Dan, and Abel-beth-m aachah, and all C inneroth, with all the land o f Naphtali. This was the beginning of the suffering o f Naphtali. Asa, king o f Judah, made a league with Ben hadad, king of Syria, and hired him to invade Israel. This Benhadad is believed by some to be the same as Hadad, the Edom ite, w ho rebelled against Solomon. (I Kings 11:14)

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In B.C. 810: II Kings 15:29, “ In the days of Pekah king o f Israel came Tiglathpileser king o f Assyria, and to o k Ijon, and Abel-beth-m aachah, and Janoah, and Kedesh, and Hazor, and Gilead, and Galilee, all the land o f Naphtali, and carried them captive to Assyria.” II Kings 17:6 adds, “ In the ninth year o f Hoshea the king o f Assyria to o k Sama ria, and carried Israel away into Assyria, and placed them in Halah and in Habor by the river o f Gozan, and in the cities o f the Medes.” God goes on to enum erate the sins o f Israel and why He had judged them , and ends with “ So was Israel carried away out o f their ow n land to Assyria u n to this day.” (verse 23) It is a sad story. The beautiful hind was again caught in the snare that the hunter o f her soul had laid for her. But some day, God will again set her free to leap on the hills o f Galilee!

A PRAYER FO R NAPHTALI The psalmist in Psalm 68:27 prays for Naphtali, and rem em bers how she came up into the house o f the Lord playing upon instrum ents, her damsels playing tam bourines as he says, “ there is little Benjamin with their ruler, the princes o f Judah and their council, the princes o f Zebulun, and the princes o f Naphtal!. Thy God hath com m an ded thy strength: strengthen, O God. that which thou hast wrought for us.” He is looking into the future and seeing Naphtali coming into the tem ple bringing presents to the Lord w ith songs o f praise and their daughters playing the songs o f Zion, which is so typical of N aphtali, the tribe that honoured G od’s anointed daughters. The com forting thing is th at Naphtali is an intercessor. She bows low in her grief to travail through to victory. Isaiah 9:1 promises us, “ But there shall be no gloom to her that was in anguish. In the form er time he brought into contem pt the land o f Zebulun and the land o f N aphtali, but in the latter tim e hath he made it glorious, by the w ay, of the sea. be yond Jordan, in Galilee o f the nations.” (verse 1. Revised Version) “ The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land o f the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.” This is G od’s w onderful end-tim e promise to Naphtali and Zebulun. It was partly fulfilled when Jesus came preaching in their borders, b u t it will be com pletely fulfilled in the future, for Naphtali is able to travail herself through to victory. She knows the key to redem ption. She will cry and travail, and pray and praise and sing and prophesy and fight and leap over the hills and trust in God as her covering, and fast until she is FREE. And she SHALL BE MADE GLORIOUS. (

POSITION In the wilderness, around the tabernacle: Naphtali was located on the north with Dan and Asher. (Num bers 2:25-34) 15

In the Prom ised Land: N aphtali was located in the n orth. She was bordered by Asher on the w est, Zebulun on the south, Manasseh and the River Jordan on the east, the small p o rtion o f Dan (where the golden calf was) in the n o rth east and Lebanon in the n orth. Her borders touched Galilee, and Capernaum was in N aphtali. In the M illenium: Naphtali will be situated betw een Asher and Manasseh towards the n o rth . (Ezekiel 4 8:3) The G ate o f N aphtali: The Gate o f Naphtali in the New Jerusalem will be situa ted on the w est side together w ith the Gate o f Gad and the Gate o f Asher. (Ezekiel 4 8:34)

CONCLUSION God is surely rai His Naphtalites in the last days. The Baraks will be called forth to set the people free. Even as Barak went from M ount T abor and ten thousand men A FTER him , w ith his m en following, so the N aphtalites will com e, leaping ahead o f the troops, leading them to victory for they are the sure-footed hind, not afraid to climb the high places o f God and to win the victory, planting their ensign of liberty and freedom for those in bondage. Listen when Naphtali speaks. God has given her “ goodly w ords.” She comes, full with blessings, her heart is generous, ready to give to all. God has blessed her that she m ight bless others. She has paid the price in travail and now she is being sent forth like the dove was sent o u t o f the ark o f Noah to proclaim the good news that the judgm ent o f God is lifted and God is preparing to do a new thing in the earth.

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PRAYER “ Heavenly F ather, F ather and C reator o f all people since Adam, we hum bly ask You to open the heart o f o u r understanding to find Y our son, Gad, in the Spirit Truly he is a beautiful and special servant and son o f Yours, and our brother. We need to know o u r brother. There are some o f us who have his characteristics, his calling and his m arking in our lives. Let us learn the lessons th a t Gad learned th at we may conquer the evil one and be counted w orthy to stand before You, even as he was. In Jesus nam e. A m en.” TH E NAMING OF GAD “ When Leah saw th at she had left bearing, she took Zilpah her maid, and gave her Jacob to wife. And Zilpah Leah’s m aid bare Jacob a son. And Leah said. A troop com eth: and she called his nam e G ad.” (Genesis 30:9-11) Gad was Jaco b ’s seventh son, his first by Zilpah, Leah s maid.

T H E MEANING OF TH E NAME Gad comes from the Hebrew word gad (gad). It has more than one meaning. The first is “ a tro o p ,” and it also means “ fortune, to attack, to overcom e, to invade, and to gather tog eth er.” (This last one could be expressed in our m odern coloquialism as “ ganging up together for an attack. ) Gad was also the name o f a Babylonian deity. His m other, Zilpah, who bore him , was the handm aiden o f Leah. She was the sister o f Bilhah. Her name m eans, “ drop, tear, closeness, wet with m yrrh.” It was Leah who nam ed Gad. She had stopped giving birth for some tim e, but after Kache gave her m aid, Bilhah, to Jacob as a concubine, Leah decided to do the same with her m aid, Zilpah. This was no love-affair betw een Jacob and Zilpah; this was only for the purpose o f giving birth to m ore children. When Gad was b o m , Leah felt a great sense o f victory over Rachel and th a t is why she called this son of Zilpah’s Gad.

SYMBOL T he sym bol o f Gad is three tents. The larger o f the three is in the f° reSround * the center and the o th er tw o are on either side in the background. In those days the tent was the dwelling place o f th e Children o f Israel, the sons o f Jacob. They would not live in houses until they came into Egypt, and then m ost o f their dwelling places wou be very prim itive. It was n o t until they possessed the land o f Canaan that they would 1

dwell in houses. But Gad never did come in to his inheritance on the other side o f Jordan, th e Promised Land, because he chose his inheritance in the land o f Gilead. Therefore his whole life was one o f never really being settled down. He is known as the pilgrim and th e stranger. This is typical o f Gad to d a y ; he is a roam er. He loves to keep on th e m ove and n o t settle down long in one place. In fact we have used his nam e, gad, to coin an expression th a t m eans “ to wander about in an idle or restless w ay, as in seeking am usem ent.” The prophet Jerem iah, when rebuking Israel, said “ Why gaddest th o u ab o u t so m uch to change thy w ay?” (Jerem iah 2:36) One thing rem arkable about the sym bol o f Gad is the way the three tents rem ind us o f the scene o f Calvary where Jesus was crucified, w ith one person on each side of Him also being crucified. The te n t is a dwelling place, a habitation. The word “ te n t” comes from the Hebrew word ohel (o-hel) m eaning, “ a covering, a hom e, a taber nacle, a te n t.” In II Corinthians 5:1-4 we read, “ F or we know th at if ou r earthly house o f this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building o f G od, an house n o t m ade w ith hands, eternal in the heavens....For we th a t are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: n o t for th a t we w ould be unclothed, but clothed upon (covered), th at m o rtality m ight be swallowed up o f life.” So we see th at the “ tabernacle” is a type o f the body. Jesus’ body was a “ tabernacle” or a “ te n t” ju st as ours also is. The sym bol o f Gad, w ith the three tents, is a picture o f the three bodies that hung on crosses that day, w ith Jesus being the one in the foreground and the m ost prom inent. God is speaking to Gad to look to Calvary for the forgiveness o f his sins and then to live the crucified life. Gad m ust be crucified w ith Christ at all times or he cannot come into his full m aturity which God desires o f him.

TH E GEMSTONE OF GAD The gem stone o f Gad is called the ligure. This nam e is only used twice in the Bible, and b o th tim es are in connection w ith this stone in the breastplate o f the high priest. It comes from the Hebrew word leshem (le-shem) which has an unused ro o t o f uncertain m eaning, it is perhaps the jacinth. The jacinth is m entioned in Revelation 21:20 as being one o f the foundations o f the New Jerusalem . It is described in Strong’s Concordance as a gem o f a deep blue colour. There are beautiful deep blue gemstones in Egypt and Arabia which could easily be this stone. The breastplates o f the horses in Revelation 9:17 are described as consisting of, or appearing to be like, jacin th and brim stone. This speaks o f a terrible heat. We know th at the higher tem perature o f h eat is a blue colour. Gad is form ed in the heat o f the battle, through great trials and testings. It takes the m ost intense heat to perfect the Gadite. And G od, in His tender love, will perm it Gad to through these fiery trials th at he m ight com e fo rth in the likeness o f heaven, fo r blue is the colour o f heaven.

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PROPHECIES CONERNING GAD - JACOB Genesis 4 9 :2 0 , “ Gad, a troop shall overcom e him : b u t he shall overcome at last.” Jacob looks into the life o f Gad and sees a tim e in his life when he is defeated by the enem y. There is som ething very strange about this enemy. His enemy is called by the nam e “ a tro o p .” In o th er words, God is saying th at G ad’s worst enem y is Gad. Gad is a tro o p , his nam e means “ a tro o p ” and he will be overcome by “ a tro o p .” I feel th a t this is tru e o f alm ost everyone o f G od’s children. O ur own worst enem y is the “ s e lf ’ w ithin us. F o r Gad it was extra hard, because this troop is one th at is destined to overcom e th e pow erful enem y raised up against him, and appointed by his enem y to destroy him. Within each o f us is a trin ity : body, soul and spirit. The spirit is the innerm ost, purest p art o f o u r being, and the closest to the Spirit o f God. But working against the spirit is this soulish self o f ours which gets m uch encouragem ent from the flesh (the body). Paul recognized this warring in his innerm ost being and knew his only source of help was the Holy Spirit. So too w ith Gad, he is overcome by self, his strong will, his independent nature, his doing his own thing, and it is only as the Holy Spirit takes over in his life, th at he can overcom e “ the tro o p ” which is his w orst enemy. Gad has to fight Gad. G ad’s enem y is n o t his neighbour, it is th at man w ithin, th at old nature which m ust be overcome so th a t the beautiful blue o f heaven can shine through his life. God has given to Gad the symbol o f his victory in the cross of Jesus, the scene o f Calvary. I think there is som ething you may enjoy about this sym bol o f Gad. It is very m uch like the Chinese word for COME. Chinese is m ade up o f radicals and symbols. the character for “ m an.” The cross is the sign for ten (which is the num ber o f com pletion.) When you put a man on the cross and add another on each side, you have the word for come, lai. Do you see the resem blance betw een the Chinese w ord for COME and the sym bol o f Gad? Rem ember th a t the Chinese language is very, very ancient. Could there be some relationship betw een these two? C ertainly, it is only as Gad comes to the cross, th a t he can overcom e the old nature. Paul says, “ I am crucified w ith Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, b u t Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith o f the Son o f G od, who loved me, and gave him self for m e.” (Galatians 2:20) In Galatians 5:24 he says, “ And they th at are Christ’s have crucified the flesh w ith the affections and lusts.”

MOSES’ PROPHECY TO GAD D euteronom y 3 3 :20, “ And o f Gad he said, Blessed be he th a t enlargeth Gad: he 3

dw elleth as a lion, and teareth th e arm w ith the crown o f the head. And he provided th e first p a rt for him self, because there, in a portion o f the lawgiver was he seated, and he came w ith the heads o f the people, he executed the justice o f the Lord, and his judgm ents w ith Israel.” This is a trem endous prophecy and it is packed full o f w onderful and interesting m eanings. Let us take it p art by part. “ Blessed be he th a t enlargeth G ad:” Enlargem ent is a trem endous, im portant thing in the m inistry o r in business. When a m inistry stands still, it begins to die. This is true o f the business world also. Enlargem ent speaks o f expansion, grow th, larger volum e, broadening o u t increasing in size to speak or write at greater length, to reproduce, and to release from pnson. ( Webster’s New World Dictionary ) God promises a blessing to anyone who blesses Gad by helping them to grow in G od and develop into w hat He has called them to be, and w ho releases them from their prison. Gad does have prisons to o ; they are the prisons o f the lim itations which he sets for himself. Gad is hard to get moving. He w ants to stay wherever he is p u t. He needs constant encouraging and pushing and prodding to move o u t and to expand. It can becom e a tiring thing to try to get Gad to enlarge his borders and capabilities. T hat is why a special prom ise o f blessing is given to those who will take the effo rt and the tim e to encourage Gad to move into the things God has for him . “ he dw elleth as a lion,” This lion is called lebaoth in Hebrew. It is the same one th at is used in Genesis 4 9 :9 referring to Judah in his m aturity. This is the great, old, sto u t lion who has come to m aturity. Moses sees Gad as a “ lion” the king o f beasts, resting in confidence and strength. This reveals the ferociousness also o f this tribe. People surrounding Gad were afraid o f him , and we read th a t the countenance o f their warriors was like th at o f a lion. When the com panies o f the tribes came to David at H ebron, it is said o f the soldiers o f G ad, “ And o f the G adites there separated themselves u n to David into the the hold to the wilderness m en o f m ight, and m en o f war fit for the battle, th at could handle shield and buckler, whose faces were like the faces o f lions, and were as swift as the roes upon the m ountains;” (I Chronicles 12:8) Then it goes on to name eleven of these great lion-like m en. We will look into the m eaning o f their names later in this study. This was 700 years a fter Gad was born. Think how they kept their lion-like nature and how they grew in strength there on the east side of the Jordan! “ and teareth th e arm ” The arm is th e part o f the body th a t holds the spear o r bow and arrow. Gad does 4

n ot fool around. He goes straight to the source o f danger. He strikes out at the source o f hum an strength and hum an effort to disarm the enemy. “ w ith th e crow n o f the head.” T he only ones w ho wear crowns are royalty. Gad goes after th e ruling m onarch. He doesn’t waste tim e w ith the foot-soldier, he wants to get the king, the one w ith the crow n on his head. Those w ho are Gadites are called to a m inistry in deliverance, going right after th e ruling pow ers o f spiritual wickedness. He is trained for this kind o f war fare through his own experience in fighting these strong “ kings” in his own life. “ A nd h e provided the first p art fo r him self.” This part makes me smile. This afternoon I walked into our com m unity kitchen here in Bethlehem , Engeltal, the hom e o f the End-Time Handmaidens. There was a great discussion going on. Som eone had picked a nice big cucum ber o u t o f ou r garden. One o f o u r End-Time Handm aidens had come in to the kitchen and found it. She was asking th e cook to please pickle this one cucum ber just for her. It so happens th at this particular handm aiden who w anted the pickle is from the tribe o f Gad. When Israel was m arching and fighting their way through to the Promised Land they conquered m ighty kings and armies. Og was king o f th at region and he was a giant. He had the first “ king-sized” bed th at we read ab o u t in history. It was 15 feet by 6 feet, 8 inches. (D euteronom y 3 :11) Moses says, “ And this land, which we possessed at th a t tim e, from Aroer, which is by the river A m on, and half m ount Gilead, and the cities thereof, gave I unto the R eubenites, and to the G adites.” (Deu teronom y 3 :1 2 ) This was the land they possessed. The reason th a t Moses gave it to them is because when they saw it, they realized it was a beautiful land for pasture, and they had m uch cattle, so they asked for it. “ Now the children o f Reuben and the children o f Gad had a very great m ultitude o f cattle: and when they saw the land o f Jazer, and th e land o f G ilead, th a t, behold, the place was a place for cattle; the children o f Gad and the children o f Reuben came and spake u n to Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and u n to the princes o f the congregation, saying...let this land be given unto thy servants for a possession, and bring us n o t over Jo rd an .” (Num bers 32:1,2,5) C ertainly, Gad was looking out for himself. In this way, he is m uch like the tribe o f Benjamin who “ devours th e prey.” “ there, in a p o rtio n o f the lawgiver, was he seated.” The word translated “ lawgiver” comes from the Hebrew chaqaq (khaw-kak) m eaning, “ to be a scribe, to cu t o r engrave in to stones in prim itive times, to appoint, decree, governor, p rin t.” From this unique prophecy we see th a t the tribe o f Gad is gifted in anything that 5

had to do w ith writing o r printing the message o f God. This is their appointm ent. Put them in front o f a typew riter and they will have a message for som eone. Put them in a printshop and they will be able to learn the m odern art o f “ engraving” called printing! Now, the strange thing ab o u t Gad is th at he doesn’t know he is a scribe. He would be the last person to confess to having this gift. But as he allows the Holy Spirit to de velop the gifts, he will find th a t there are w ithin him m any treasures still lying dorm ant.

“he came with the heads o f the people,” I think God had to tell Gad th at he was the head and n o t the tail because th at is exactly where he thinks th at he is. Gad has such a tendency to think, “ O h, I’m only a G ad!” He doesn’t really appreciate his tribe as he should. God is saying to you G adites, “ You are com ing up together with the heads o f the people. You are on top! Stop feeling so inferior!” “ he executed the ju stice o f the Lord, and his judgm ents w ith Israel.” God is going to give Gad a portion with Dan, in th a t, as the head o f G od’s people and His scribe, even an old lion-scribe, he is going to have a portion in judging Israel. We see in Gad a resem blance to four tribes: 1. 2. 3. 4.

Judah...the old lion, Benjam in...providing the first portion for himself, Levi...the scribe o f Israel, D an...the judge o f Israel.

Maybe th at is because o f the fact And then of course th at they could take

w hy the Gads have a hard tim e identifying themselves, simply th a t they have the characteristics o f so m any o f the other tribes. they lived close enough to Reuben and the half-tribe o f Manasseh on some o f their identity also.

TH E FAM ILY T R E E O F GAD The sons o f Gad were: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 7th son

Ziphon or Z ip h io n : “ w atching, concealed, hidden, secret, occult” ; Haggai: “ celebrated, w elcom e” ; Shuni: “ peaceful, h ap p y ” ; Ezbon (also Ozni): “ splendid, beautifully form ed” ; Eri: “w atchful, m y w atcher, awake in G o d ” ; Arodi: “ a roam er, h u m py, hunchback, a com e-down, be reduced, sickly” ; Areli: “ warlike, one w ho fights over a thing, courageous o ne.” He was the o f a 7th son. 6

L et us look a little m ore closely at these names o f the sons o f Gad. 1. Z iphon: It is strange th a t Gad would name his first-born son Ziphon. speaks o f som ething dark, hidden, som ething th at one should w atch o ut for. It cer tainly is a negative nam e to give your first-born son. He m ust have been born during a tim e w hen G ad’s life was in turm oil. Z iphon was th e father o f the Ziphonites. In The Lost Books o f the Bible, the testim ony o f Gad is very interesting and very sad. He confesses the terrible sin o f anger and bitterness th at he had towards Joseph and he tells w hy. I would like to share a part o f it with you. “ Now Joseph, m y b ro th er, was feeding the flock w ith us for upwards o f thirty days, and being young, he fell sick by reason o f the heat. He returned to Hebron to o u r fath er, who m ade him lie down near him , because he loved him greatly. And Joseoph told our father th a t the sons o f Zilpah and Bilhah were slaying the best o f the flock and eating them against the judgem ent o f Reuben and Judah. For he saw th at I had delivered a lamb out o f the m outh o f a bear, and p ut the bear to death; but had slain the lam b, being grieved concerning it th a t it could n o t live, and th at we had eaten it. And regarding this m atter I was w roth w ith Joseph until the day that he was sold. And the spirit o f hatred was in me, and I wished not either to hear o f Joseph w ith the ears, or see him w ith the eyes, because he rebuked us to our faces saying th a t we were eating o f the flock w ithout Judah. For whatsoever things he told our father, he be lieved him . I confess now m y sins, my children, that oftentim es I wished to kill him, because I hated him from my h eart.” He told how such hatred entered his heart that it affected his liver. th at N aphtali said, that the “ liver is for prudence.” When a person loses their pru dence, they lose the pow er o f right judgm ent. This makes them act foolishly and do things which they will regret later. He said th a t he suffered mercilessly for eleven m onths and would have died if his father, Jacob, had not prayed for him. He told how he acted peaceably in the presence o f his father towards Joseph, b u t that when he was away from his father the spirit o f hatred and darkness entered his mind and stirred up his soul. He exhorted his sons to love one another from the heart, saying, “ If a man sin against thee, speak peaceably to him , and in thy soul hold n o t guile; and if he re pent and confess, forgive him , but if he deny it, do n o t get into a ion w ith him , lest catching the poison from thee he take to swearing and so thou sin doubly. If he be shameless and persistent in his wrong-doing, even so forgive him from the heart, and leave to G od the avenging.” This is the message o f Gad to the Gadites. It is a warning, th a t the Gadites must be careful lest hatred for a brother o r jealousy enter their souls and m ake them so b itter th a t th eir own life is destroyed. Gad was innocent b u t still he allowed bitterness to enter his heart when Joseph reported an incorrect story to his father and his father believed it w ithout finding o u t the details. You can be right and your brother wrong, b u t if bitterness enters y o u r liver, Gad, it will destroy your whole soul. 7

It

It probably was at this time that his first son was bom . 2. Haggai: “ celebrated and w elcom e.” You can see how God is beginning to do a w ork o f restoration in Gad. Haggai was the father o f the Haggites. 3. Shuni: “ peaceful and h ap p y .” Peace and happiness comes into G ad’s heart as he m akes things right w ith his G od. Shuni was the father o f the Shunites. 4. E zbon (also called Ozni) m eans, “ splendid, beautifully form ed, a listener, one w ho has ears.” Gad is growing into m aturity through the word o f grace God is doing in his life. Ezbon was the father o f th e Oznites. 5. Eri: “ w atchful, my w atcher, o r awake in G od.” Can you see Gad rising to his spiritual experience w ith God as he begins to cleanse his life o f th at hatred and jealousy and anger th at he had against his brother? You will never rise o u t o f darkness in to the realms o f G od’s beauty and glory and the final great victory o f being in the firstfruits, translated com pany, unless you can come with a fully repentant heart and get these things o ut o f y o u r life and y o u r heart. You m ay feel you have a right to be angry and h u rt over som ething th a t happened, b u t if it destroys you, what good is it? Eri was the father o f the Erites. 6. Arodi: This nam e has a negative m eaning, “ a roam er, hum py, hunchback, a com e-down, be reduced, sickly.” Here we see “ the tro o p ” coming against Gad. Gad had one last, great, terrible battle in his life that he had to win the victory over. We see him going through some great struggle. It could be that this son was born during the tim e when they were going through real suffering, as there was famine in the land. M aybe the child’s m o th er was starving at the tim e from lack o f nutritious food and the child was bom sickly because o f th at. Arodi was the father o f the Arodites. G ad, there will come times in your life when you will have to go through great trials and testings, even as y o u r forefather, the patriarch, did. Many tim es these things are w ritten for our exam ple so th a t we know th a t, as they came through into victory, we also can overcom e in the end. Satan is always on the alert, ready to attack us just about the tim e th at we are ab o u t to arrive at ou r perfection. When we are within sight o f the goal he tries to trip us up. So m any tim es, heaven’s view is before us, and for one m om ent, because o f th e sweat and the heat and the weariness o f the race, with o u r eyes blinded by perspiration, o u r bodies ready to collapse within sight o f the touchdow n, Satan sends a “ tro o p ” against us. T hat is the tim e to lift up our heads, take a second breath and press forw ard to the prize o f the high calling o f God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:1 3 ,1 4 ) 7. Areli: “ warlike, one who fights over a thing, courageous one.” God is going to bring the Gadites through in to herolike victory. He is rai His courageous ones o u t o f this tribe. Areli was the father o f the Arelites.

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GADITES MENTIONED IN THE BIBLE I Eliasaph: Num bers 1:14, “ O f G ad; Eliasaph the son o f Deuel.” m eans “ G od has added th e re to .” He was the head o f the tribe of Gad.

Eliasaph

2. Geuel was one o f the 12 spies who were sent to Canaan. (Num bers 13:15) Geuel m eans “ G od is sublim e, God is grand, God is saviour. 3. Machi: “ w ounded, beaten .” He was the father o f Geuel, the spy.

EXPLOITS OF THE TR IB E OF GAD Census- When the census was taken in the wilderness there 45 <550 Just before Israel came in to the Promised Land .here were 40,500. Over ,000 ha led n the wilderness. Again we see indications where they were overcom e by the troop th at came against them . (N um bers 26.18) One w onders what w ould have happened if all the tribes had taken their possessions on the west side o f the Jordan. They probably would have the giants and the enemies o f Israel. But because they were spread o u t so thinly, much o f the land th a t God had prom ised them was not possessed until m uch lcter. Even at the tim e o f David the Jebusites held the stronghold o f w hat is called Jerusalem to y. David’s m en to o k it in B.C. 1048 (400 years later). (II Samuel 5:1-9) When Gad decided to stay on the east side o f the Jordan River, Moses warned them th a t they would weaken the fighting strength o f their brothers if they did continue fighting at their side. So they continued in the_battle: w ithIsrael even thoug i their families stayed behind. 40,000 soldiers crossed the Jordan to fight with the sol diers o f Israel. It was five years before they could return hom e to their families. That w a s a great price to pay. They go. w hat they asked for, b u t they paid dearly. G ad h as to be careful, because in his heart there is a tendency to ju st go o ff and do h s o little thing.” And when he does, he often causes intense distress in all o f Israel lea g hurts and pains and m isunderstanding. The G adite has to be careful that e oe h urt the ones he loves the m ost because, often like U v i, he can dem and,.real o f himself. Som etim es, because o f their “ rough edges” they irritate others. O n e .mus be careful to n o t go to w ar against a G adite, because there is som ething in them that m a k e s you feel like going a fte r them , taking them by the hair o f the head and shaking them and saying "W hat are you doing?" U ke Reuben and Manasseh, they will find themselves o fte n 'b u ild in g an altar to Jehovah exactly w here ™ nt They are often zealous for the wrong thing. This is why they built the altar Ed. ( shua 2 2:34) They thought they were doing som ething helpful, b u t mstea ey causing “ confusion in the cam p.” The Gadites are w arriors, ready for the battle once they get stirred up. Otherwise 9

they will keep to themselves. You will rem em ber th at they to o k th e land o f the Am m onites. These were a very cruel people. Some o f them w ould attack the Gadites again and again. T hat is w hy Gad had to becom e a warring tribe, ready for instant warfare. They lived in their ten ts w ith their sword at their side, ready to go to battle at all times. But this was their fault. They had chosen th a t territo ry , and then asked God to bless w hat they had chosen.

GADITE SOLDIERS IN THE TIME O F KING DAVID Again we want to look at the great soldiers who came up to w ith King David at Hebron. (I Chronicles 12:8-17) They were m en o f m ight, m en o f war, fit for the battle. They could handle the shield and buckler. Their faces were like the faces o f lions and they were as swift as the roes on the m ountains. It is w ritten o f them , “ These are they th at w ent over Jordan in the first m o n th , when it had overflown all his banks; and they put to flight all them o f the valleys, b o th tow ard the east, and tow ard the w est.” (I Chronicles 12:15) These were G od’s kind o f m en — men who were not afraid to cross the Jordan when its banks were swollen. God said through his prophet Jerem iah in Jerem iah 12:5, “ If thou hast run w ith the footm en, and they have wearied thee, then how canst thou contend with horses? and if in the land o f peace, w herein thou trustedst, they wearied thee, then how wilt thou do in the swelling o f Jo rdan?” We know that the Children of Israel crossed over into Canaan when the Jordan overflowed its banks and God held back the waters. (Joshua 3 :1 5 ) God is looking for an arm y o f Gadites who will be fearless when the floods rise. I believe th at He will have them , and they will be fearless G adites, whose faces are like those o f the lion, swift as the roes on the m ountains. Through their lives o f suffering as nom ads, fighting against the A m m onites, defending their little ten ts and their pastures against the wicked enem y, they had become strong in. their G od, true m en o f m ight, men o f courage, men who were fit for the battle. Those are the qualifications th at God is going to find in Gad when the camp o f Gad is ready for the battle. God puts Gad through a stiff “ boot-cam p.” If you are a G adite and say to yourself, “ I w ould rather stay right here and not cross over to the b a ttle ,” then get ready for trouble. God is n o t finished working with you yet! He is going to take th a t “ little b o y ” o u t o f you and m ake a soldier o u t o f you who is fit for the battle. I d o n ’t know w hat He will use, b u t He knows how to train you until you can handle the shield and the buckler and y our face will be the face o f a lion, y our feet like the roe on the m ountain tops. Let us look at the names o f these 13 soldiers o f Gad. 1. Ezer: “ help” 10

2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

O badiah: “servant o f Jah ” Eliab: “God is fath e r” M ishm annah: “strength, rigour” Jerem iah: “ Jah is high” A ttai: “seasonable” Eliel: “ God is G od.” He becam e one o f David’s m ighty men

(I C hro

nicles 11:46) 8. Johanan: “ God is gracious” 9. Elzabad: “ God is endow ing” 10. Jerem iah: “ Jah is high” 11.M achbanai: “ th ick.” They added m uch to David’s strength. They were men th at could break through the greatest difficulties. They swam over Jordan while it overflowed all its banks. They are fit to be em ployed in the cause o f G od. Men who venture thus in dependence upon the Divine protection in spite o f difficulties or dangers, in obedience to the path o f d u ty , will surely play a great part in the end-tim e overcom ers’ arm y.

JEPH TH A H , THE JU D G E AND SOLDIER Judges 11-12 Jephthah was born in Gilead. (Gilead belonged to Gad and Reuben) His name means “set free.” He was a judge in the 12th century B.C. His father was called Gilead, and because there is a Gilead o f the tribe o f Gad m entioned in I Chronicles 5:14, it is possible th a t this could even be o f the same family. Jep h th ah ’s m other was a harlot. His half-brothers by his fath er’s lawful wife rejected him because they were afraid he would share in their inheritance. He fled into the land o f Tob, in the wilder ness, and there he becam e the leader o f a band o f robbers. Like David, he became a skilled and daring fighter. Judges 11:1 says he was a m ighty warrior. When the A m m onites came against Gilead, his people asked him to come back hom e and lead them in fighting the enem y. He was b itter about the way they had treated him and asked, “ D idn’t you hate m e, and drive me out o f my father’s house? Why have you come now , when you are in trouble?” (Judges 11:7, Amplified Bible) But he agreed to lead the arm y if they would accept him as the tribal leader. The covenant was m ade in M izpah, a place in Gad where the Israelite defenders had gathered together for the battle. The first thing Jephthah did was to atte m p t to secure a peaceful settlem ent, b ut when this was impossible he m arched south in a wide sweep and attacked the Am m onites from the rear. Israel still fights this.w ay today. He won the victory. But he had m ade a vow to God before he w ent in to battle th at he would sacrifice to the Lord whatever w ould come o u t o f the door o f his house when he returned victoriously. To his horror, his only child, a daughter, came o u t to welcom e him , singing and dancing 11

and playing the tam bourine. He tore his clothes in grief as he loved her dearly. But she encouraged him to keep his vow and at her request he let her go into the m ountains and bewail her virginity for tw o m onths, after w hich she returned and the sacrifice was carried out. A fter this quarrel broke o u t betw een the m en o f Gilead and the tribe of Ephraim across the Jordan. As the Ephraim ites came tow ards Gilead in battle array, Jephthah drove them back tow ards the river and sent detachm ents ahead to cut them o ff at the fords. All those w ho tried to escape back in to Ephraim were tested by a word. They were asked to say the word “ Shibboleth,” which means an “ ear o f w heat.” If they pronounced it “ S ibboleth,” according to the dialect they spoke, they were slain im m ediately. Many thousands o f Ephraim ites lost their lives. Jephthah judged for six years and was burned in Gilead. He was later m entioned by Samuel. (I Samuel 12:11) Jephthah is typical o f G ad. He does the unconventional thing, like building the m onum ent called Ed. No one asked him to sacrifice his daughter. It was one of those unnecessary sacrifices th at Gad is always ready to m ake for God, even when God does not require it o f him . We n ot only see a m an o f Gad in this sto ry , we see the beautiful strength o f a wom an o f Gad. His daughter, upon hearing about his vow to God said, “ My father, if th o u hast opened th y m outh u n to the Lord, do to me according to th a t which hath proceeded o u t o f thy m o u th ; foreasm uch as the Lord hath taken vengeance for thee of thine enem ies, even o f the children o f A m m on.” (Judges 11:36) The daughters o f Israel never forgot the great sacrifice th at this daughter o f Gad had m ade. Yearly they honoured her by a special day o f m ourning. The first woman m artyr th at we read about in the Bible is this daughter o f the tribe o f Gad. She was a wom an who had the courage to encourage her father to pay his vow to God. The women o f Gad are strong w om en, they do n o t go back on the vows th at they m ake to God. They have the courage to rise above their natural desires and to surrender their desires o f m otherhood to becom e “ virgins” for the Lord, living a life o f dedication and sacrifice. They are willing to lay dow n their lives as a sacrifice upon th e altar o f the Lord. They are strong, like th eir m en, and they to o are ready to cross Jordan when it overflows its banks.

ELIJA H , TH E PROPHET “ And Elijah the T ishbite, w ho was o f the inhabitants o f Gilead, said u nto Ahab, As the Lord God o f Israel liveth, before whom I stand, there shall n o t be dew no r rain these years b u t according to m y w o rd .” (I Kings 17:1)

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In the m idst o f the idolatry and paganism o f Jezebel, God needed a prince to shake Israel. Everyone was afraid o f this wicked woman. Many prophets had already been slain. The whole o f Israel was given over to idolatry, and Ahab had no strength against his ow n w ife’s evil, for she was controlled by dem ons and she controlled Israel through dem onic powers. Suddenly, onto this scene steps a m an across the Jordan river from the land o f Gilead, called Elijah (“ my Lord is Jehovah” ) right in the m idst o f the courts o f Jezebel and Ahab. He lifts up his voice and announces th a t he is going to stop the rain from falling o u t o f heaven. Can you imagine the im pact? All o f Samaria was shaken by one man. His voice kept King Ahab awake on his bed at night and filled Jezebel w ith frenzied fury. Here was one G adite who fulfilled the prophecy o f Moses to his tribe, “ he dwelleth as a lion, and teareth the arm w ith the crown o f the head....In a portion o f the lawgiver was he se ate d ; and he came w ith the heads o f the people, he executed the justice o f the Lord, and his judgm ents w ith Israel.” (D euteronom y 3 3 :2 0 ,2 1) Surely Elijah ripped the pow er out o f Jezebel’s hand and tore the crown from off her head. He stood before th e throne, judging the leaders o f Israel. He broke through! Hallelujah! When the Spirit of God came upon him and the anointing of the Lord broke through upon his soul, he became that lion-man. He was the elect o f the elect. He broke through all the weaknesses of his tribe, the reservations o f his personality, and executed the justice o f the Lord in Israel. He called fire dow n from heaven and it fell. He sealed the clouds, and they held back the rain. He called for a dow npour and it fell. He ate angel-bread and ran in the strength o f it 40 days and 40 nights. He was fed by ravens and m ultiplied oil and meal. He was a m an’s m an, a lion in Israel. He anointed two men to be kings and one to be a prophet in his stead. He bequeathed a double portion o f his pow er to a farm er boy who w ent in th at anointing to work a double portion o f miracles. And last o f all, he broke through all lim itations o f the flesh and was translated in to the heavens, the firstfruits o f the tribes o f Israel to be ushered into the New Jerusalem , by-ing the valley of the shadow o f death. Elijah left us an exam ple o f a G adite who breaks through into ultim ate and per fect victory through the pow er o f the Holy G host in his life. And God is going to have an arm y o f Elijahs who shall en ter in to the fulness o f their destiny by the same resur rection power. Even as the Gadites were know n for their ability to swim the Jordan when it overflowed its banks, so shall they sweep through the “ deep river” of Jordan, called death, to stand before the Lord o f G lory in their resurrected bodies. Had Moses not said, “ He provided the first part for h im s e lf’? Yes, indeed! And th a t first part is not only the first part o f the land, b u t the first p art o f the promises o f G od, as he becam e the firstfruits o f them th a t are resurrected.

CITIES O F GAD Joshua 13:24, “ And Moses gave inheritance u n to the tribe o f G ad.” “Their coast was Jazer (Jah helps),” an A m orite tow n in Gilead. It was rebuilt by Gad and assigned to the Levites. It was fam ous for its vineyards. (Isaiah 16:8,9) It was west o f A m m on, and n o rth o f Heshbon. Isaiah lam ented because the enem y later destroyed this beautiful place, leaving it in ruins. “All the cities o f Gilead.” This shows us th at any city th at is in Gilead belongs to Gad. “ u n to A roer.” A roer m eans “ ruins.” Heshbon: “intelligence, reckoning.” It was the capital city o f Sihon (Numbers 21:26), king o f the A m orites, on the boundary betw een Reuben and Gad. The ruins are 20 miles east o f Jordan, opposite the no rth end o f the Dead Sea, on an insulated hill, scattering over a space m ore than a mile in circuit. There still are m any cisterns and a large reservoir near the base o f the hill, rem inding us o f the words in Song of Solomon 7:4, “ Thine eyes are like the fishpools o f H eshbon.” Ram ath-m izpah: “ high place o f the w atch-tow er.” It stands on the boundary o f Gad, where Jacob and Laban set up a m onum ent o f stones. Betonim : “ pistachio n u ts.” A city in Gad. M ahanaim: “ tw o cam ps.” It is 18 miles east o f Jordan now known as Birket Manneh. Here Jacob divided his people and flocks into tw o bands, through his fear o f Esau. It was on the border o f the tribes o f Gad and Manasseh, but given to Gad. Abner selected it as the capital o f the kingdom o f Ishbosheth, and crow ned him as king over Israel here. (II Samuel 2:8,9) David took refuge here when Absalom rebelled, and sat between the two gates o f the walled city when the news o f the death o f his son was brought to him. (II Samuel 1 7 :2 4 ,1 8 :2 4 ,3 3 ) It is m entioned in Song o f Solomon 6:13. Betharam : tw o miles east o f Jordan. Bethnim ra: “ House o f pure w ater,” opposite Jericho. It is possibly the same place as Bethabara o f John 1:28. This is where Jesus was baptized. It is an appropriate name. It is a blessing for the G adites to know th at it was in their land th at Jesus was baptized, and where m any o f Israel came to repent and be baptized. Succoth: “ b o o th s.”

It was here th at the m etal w ork for Solom on’s tem ple was

cast. Zaphon: “ n o rth w ard .” 14

POSITION O F GAD A round the tabernacle:

In the wilderness Gad was stationed on the south side

w ith Reuben and Simeon. In their inheritance: They were on the east side o f Jordan betw een Reuben in the south and the half tribe o f Manasseh in the n o rth . In the Millenium: The tribe o f Gad will be in the farthest south, just below Zebulun. T he G ate o f Gad: The G ate o f Gad in the New Jerusalem is situated on the west side w ith Asher and Naphtali.

TH E CAPTIVITY O F GAD B.C. 884: Gad, Reuben and the half tribe o f Manasseh were the first parts of Israel to be w hittled down by Hazael, king o f Syria who m urdered his m aster according to the prophecy which Elisha gave him. -(II Kings 10:32,33) He was very cruel. Elisha had w ept because he saw in the spirit the evil that this cruel man would do to Israel. “Their strong holds wilt thou set on fire, and their young men wilt thou slay with the sword, and wilt dash their children, and rip up their women with child. (II Kings 8 :12) All this was fulfilled, beginning w ith these three tribes on the east side of Jordan. B.C. 741: They were great warriors, but they gave themselves over to idolatry and were carried into captivity by King Pul o f Assyria and Tilgathpilneser. They were taken into Assyria. (I Chronicles 5:25,26)

GILEAD The name “ Gilead” means “ rocky region.” It is so m ountainous that it is some times called Mt. Gilead. (Genesis 3 1:21) The m ountains of Gilead included Pisgah, Abarim , and Peor, which is 2,000 to 3,000 feet. In the land o f Gilead there grew a shrub from which a sap or gum exuded. The shrub was 12 to 15 feet high. It was fam ous in m any parts o f the world as the “ Balm o f G ilead.” This balm was carried from there to Egypt, and travelled w ith Joseph down to Egypt when he was sold into slavery by his brothers. (Genesis 37 :2 5 ; 43:11) Jerem iah cried out to the people o f G ad, “ Is there no balm in Gilead; is there no physician there? why then is n o t the health o f the daughter o f my people recovered?” (Jerem iah 8:22) This was after they had gone in to captivity and he was grieving for what had happened td them . 15

Even to day, the Spirit o f the Lord is grieving fo r the healing o f the daughters o f Gilead, the daughters o f Gad. God has n o t cast o ff Gad. m arried to His beloved Gilead. land o f captivity, and use them lieve th a t in the M illenium, th e the nations.

He says in Psalm 108:8, “ Gilead is m ine.” God is still He w ants to gather them back in to the fold, from their to bring healing to the nations one m ore tim e. I be balm o f Gilead shall go o u t as leaves for the healing of

In Micah 7 :1 4 , the Lord gives a beautiful promise to the inhabitants o f Gilead, “ Let them feed in Gilead, as in th e days o f o ld .” And again in Zechariah 10:10, 12, He says, “ I will bring them again also out o f the land o f Egypt, and gather them o u t o f Assyria, and I will bring them in to the land of Gilead and Lebanon; and place shall n o t be found for them ....A nd I will strengthen them in the L ord; and they shall walk up and dow n in his nam e, saith the L ord.” Yes, the “ tro o p ” m ay overcom e Gad, b u t Gad shall overcome the “ tro o p ” at the end, and he shall once m ore be swift as the roes on the m ountains, even as he was in the days o f King David, the great King o f Israel. For, praise God, “ King David” shall return to His city, and take His seat on the throne o f Israel and u nto Him shall the tribes o f Israel be gathered, and Gad shall be there.

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ftsfier BY GWEN SHAW

This chart was taken from The A dam and Eve Fam ily Tree, produced by the Good Things Company. Used by permission.

Cover by Cynthia Peal!

Copyright 1982, Gwen R. Shaw End-Time Handmaidens, Inc. P.O. Box 447 Jasper, Arkansas 72641 All rights reserved.

Printed in the United States o f America

PRAYER Beloved F ather in Heaven, we thank You th at Y ou have th e key to knowledge. We are longing to know the tru th which You desire to reveal to us. As we approach these last days, we ask th a t Y ou will cause Y our tru th to be m ade know n u n to us, for Y our Word says th at knowledge shall increase. We ask for this increase o f knowledge and understanding concerning Y our Word. As we study the tribe o f Asher, we ask that you will open o u r hearts to understand these, Y our people. In Jesus’s nam e. A m en.”

TH E NAMING O F ASHER Genesis 3 0 :1 2 ,1 3 , “ And Zilpah Leah’s m aid bare Jacob a second son. And Leah said, Happy am I, for the daughters will call me blessed: and she called his name A sher.” Asher was Jacob’s eighth son and his second by Zilpah, his concubine.

M EANING O F TH E NAME T he nam e “ Asher” comes from the Hebrew w ord asher (aw-shoor) meaning, “ h ap p y .” Its root-w ord is ashar, m eaning, “ to be straight, level, right, to go forw ard, be honest, prosper, bless, guide, lead, relieve, blessed.” Asher is the happy tribe. His happiness is n o t the result o f th e blessings which he has received, b u t the jo y o f the Lord which springs up from w ithin. True happiness does n o t come from w hat we receive o r possess, it comes from what we can give to others, and Asher has the calling to give, “ He shall yield royal dainties.” Jesus said, “ It is m ore blessed to give than to receive.” (A cts 2 0 :3 5 ) Asher is blessed by giving. Asher’s jo y is a challenge to the o th e r tribes. Many tim es people think th a t Asher has no troubles a t all, b u t this is n o t true. Asher has the same share o f problem s and heartaches as any o th er tribe, b u t Asher has learned the great blessing o f turning the troubles in to “ bread.” Every Asherite will m ake a serm on o u t o f his b itter experien ces. Som ehow they find som ething good to preach about every tim e they go through a trial and a test. It seems th a t the m ore b itte r the trial, the m ore royal the “ dainties.”

SYMBOL T he sym bol o f th e tribe o f Asher is the big, fruitful olive tree. This is because Asher has to have a good supply to enable him to “ dip his fo o t in oil.” He doesn’t get th a t oil from some outside source, he him self is th e olive tree.

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In ZecharipT 4 we read a b o u t tw o olive trees th a t stand on either side o f the candlestick whiu* has a bow l fo r holding the oil. From the olive trees there are two golden pipes th a t drain the oil from th e trees in to the bowl. God tells Zechariah that these tw o trees are His tw o anointed ones, Zerubabel, the governor o f Judea and Joshua the high priest. These tw o trees are typical o f Asher, who has the constant supply o f oil th a t keeps the lam ps lit. This oil is a ty p e o f th e H oly Spirit. It is called “golden oil.” Gold speaks o f D eity in the Bible, so we know th a t this is Divine oil. The tribe o f Asher is called to be the source from w hich the Holy Spirit can be poured o u t to bring light and blessing to m any. In this way, Asher, like Naphtali and Zebulun, is called to be a shining light in the tem ple o f G od. In Revelation 11:1-12- we read about tw o witnesses who shall prophesy for 1,260 days. These are described as “ tw o olive trees, and tw o candlesticks standing before the G od o f the e a rth .” (verse 4) We can see th a t God is going to have His anointed ones during the tribulation tim es who shall know th a t they have the source o f their power and strength to witness (in spite o f terrible opposition and persecution), from the Holy Spirit th a t dw elleth w ithin them . They will be as olive trees. This does n o t mean that th ey are from the tribe o f Asher. But it does mean th at Asher is a type o f the kind o f w itness God needs in tribulation tim es. God is calling you to becom e th a t source of anointing oil. Jesus said, “ out o f his belly shall flow rivers o f living w ater.” (John 7:38) Thus spake He o f those who w ould received the Holy Ghost. When you have the indwelling presence o f the Holy Spirit, then y o u , yourself, becom e th a t source o f holy oil. You becom e that olive tree. This is especially spoken by the Spirit to Asher, b u t you and I can claim it to o through the prom ise which Jesus gave th at day at the feast o f taber nacles in Jerusalem .

GEMSTONE OF ASHER The gem stone o f Asher is the agate. The agate is one o f the m ore hum ble gem stones in th at it is m ore com m on, as it is found in m any countries th ro u g h o u t the world. It is n ot costly, nor is it difficult to find. There are different types o f agates. I would like to describe how they are m ade. “ The m ost agates occur in eruptive rocks o r ancient lavas, w here they fill the cavities w hich were produced by th e liberation o f gas during the solidification o f the m olten rock. These agates have a banded structure, successive layers being approxi m ately parallel to the sides o f th e cavity.” (Encyclopaedia Britannica) 2

When a cross section o f the agate is cut, one can see m any different bands o f colours, in circular design. This type o f agate is used for cutting cameos, one layer forming the m edallion, the other the design in relief. Some have a green colour, some black o r brow n. If the agate is artificially stained, it can have varied colours. If the agate is soaked in a sugar or honey solution for several weeks and then treated w ith sulfuric acid, it will change it to dark brown o r black. The acid carbonizes the sugar, thus colouring the m ore porous layers brown o r black, b u t leaving the m ore im perm eable layers w hite to obtain an alternation o f light and dark bands. Agates are stained red by ferric oxide, green by chrom ium and nickel solutions, and yellow by hydrochloric acid. Agate is created through a process o f intense heat and millenia o f tim e, w ith water w orking on it to polish it. You see, this gem is form ed o u t o f tribulation. God allows the Ashers to go through m uch tribulation so th at the agate can be produced out o f their lives. $ The agate stone is used a great deal in China for the purpose o f carving different things such as boats, pagodas, anim als, etc. Their varied types and colours make them beautiful. One o f the m ost beautiful pieces o f jew ellery th at is used today is th at of the cam eo, w here a part o f the layer is carved to stand out and give a three-dimensional image. Some cameos are exquisitely beautiful w ith fine w orkm anship. Italy has some o f the m ost m agnificent cameos. Asher is born o f the hum ble handm aid o f Leah, and yet he brings intense joy just because he is Asher. Asher means “happy.” I am sure th at every tim e his name was called, people would have smiled. “ H appy, com e h ere!” “ H appy, H appy, H appy.” Even saying the name is a positive confession. It produced a joyful spirit. This is what Asher is anointed to do. His happiness comes from the Holy Spirit, the fire o f God w ithin. The agate is created by the intense heat o f the erupted lava pouring through the earth. So Asher is created by the workings o f the Holy Spirit erupting from his innerm ost being in the intense flame o f Pentecost. And then the w ater o f the Word is poured over Asher’s being until he becomes th a t gem stone o f beauty and strength. Even as the agate can take on different colours so readily, so Ashers can adapt themselves easily to all kinds o f situations. They are n o t easily irritated by change o f scenery or ways o f living. In fact they enjoy w hat others find difficult. Also, the softness o f the agate m akes it adaptable to carving. God has put into Asher this same type o f softness and tenderness th a t they can fit in to any situation, and be carved easily into the “ cam eo o f the likeness and image o f Jesus Christ.” 3

PROPHECIES TO ASHER Jacob:

“ O ut o f Asher his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield royal dainties.”

(Genesis 4 9:20) Moses: “ And o f Asher he said, Let Asher be blessed w ith children; let him be acceptable to his b reth ren , and let him dip his fo o t in oil. Thy shoes shall be iron and brass; and as th y days, so shall th y strength be.” (D euteronom y 33:24,25)

JACOB “ his bread shall be fa t:” The word for bread does n o t ju st m ean a loaf o f bread. It comes from the Hebrew word lechem (lekh-em ) which m eans “ food (for m an o r beast), grain, fruit m eat, victuals besides b read.” It is th a t w hich you eat to obtain nourishm ent. God is saying through Jacob, th at out o f the tribe o f Asher there will come very rich, strong m eat. If God has ordained you in to the tribe o f A sher,you will n o t be a person who is content w ith “ Sunday-school preaching.” You will w ant to get the deep meat o f the Word o f G od. You will find th a t you are discontent and dissatisfied when you go to church if all th a t the preacher does, is give some little discourse or serm on which you, yourself, could ju st as easily have given. When an Asherite opens the Word, he sees tru th s th a t no one has ever seen before. God has given you a very special revelation in the d ep th o f y o u r soul. This word “ fa t” com es from the Hebrew shamen (shaw-mane) which means “ greasy, plenteous, rich .” Its root-w ord means “ oily,” or “ to shine.” It is an indication o f som ething th a t has been richly anointed. In M atthew 4 :4 we read, “ Man shall n o t live by bread alone, but by every word th a t proceedeth o u t o f the m o u th o f G od.” Jesus is saying that the Word o f God is the bread o f heaven. Bread is sym bolic o f G od’s Word. So we see th at the bread that Asher has to give to others is none o th er than the Word o f God. And because it is “ fat,” it m eans th at it is an o in ted , plenteous, and truly rich food for the soul. I like to think o f th e bread o f Asher as being like the European bread which is so full o f nourishm ent and rich in grain. If you eat one slice o f it, you feel as though you have just had a m eal. It is very strengthening and healthy. I have w ondered why so m any European people do n o t have grey hair, o r else they have very little. I believe it is because o f the bread th a t they eat which we can’t get here in the United States. Probably this is why God is speaking to m any Am erican wom en to start to bake their own bread. B ut I w ant to encourage y o u to be careful about w hat kind o f flour you use. If you do not use th e right kind o f flour, y o u m ight ju st as well buy y o u r bread. Ezekiel 4:9 lists six 4

ingredients th a t m ade a very nutritious bread. It had to be nutritious, because it was all Ezekiel w ould eat for over a year: “ Take th o u also u n to thee w heat, and barley, and beans, and lentils, and m illet, and fitches, and p u t them in one vessel, and m ake thee bread thereof, according to the num ber o f th e days th at th o u shalt lie upon th y side, three hundred and ninety days shalt thou e a t th ereo f.” “ and he shall yield royal dainties.” The word “ royal” comes from the Hebrew word melek (meh-lek), meaning “royal, a king.” It is the same word as is used in I Kings 10:13 where it speaks o f Solo m on giving to the Queen o f Sheba o f his “ royal” bounty. The w ord “ dainties” is maadannah (mah-ad-an-naw). It means “ a delicacy, delight, pleasure, som ething cheerful.” It is connected w ith anad which m eans “ to lace fast, bind, tie.” The w ord “ dainties” is only used once in the Bible, though it is found twice or three times in th e King James Version, b u t this particular w ord for dainties, maadannah, is only used once in the original. It means “ a delicacy, a pleasure, a delight.” It is like the ad verb for “ cheerful, happy, a b o n d .” We see by this how Asher shall be able to give forth words th at will n o t only be strong, healthy m eat, b u t also choice pieces which are real delicacies. When A sher preaches hard things, it m akes people uncom fortable, b ut then God gives this balance into the soul o f the Asherites, th at they can also give forth truths th at are ju st a pleasure to receive and a jo y and com fort to the soul. So we see the well-rounded and well-balanced m inistry o f Asher. When A sherites are preachers or teachers, we always marvel at the tru th s which they can find in th e Word o f G od. They are beautiful tru th s which we have never seen before. T hey d o n ’t need to spend long hours preparing to speak either; it seems as though G od reveals these choice “ dainties” in a few m om ents o f tim e. I praise God th a t this kind o f m inistry is available for G od’s saints today. So, I w ould like to encourage you, dear Asherites, don’t be tim id about w hat the Lord has given to you. Share it w ith others. We are waiting to hear the w onderful truths th a t God is revealing to us through you in these last days. They are “ royal” truths com ing straight from the throne o f God. These tru th s will strengthen us and enable us to continue in ou r work which God has called us to do. It was so w onderful th a t Solomon shared his “ royal b o u n ty ” with the woman from the south. She w ent hom e a new person because o f the royal blessings she re ceived from his hand. We look to you, Asher, for these royal dainties as we tu rn to face the heat o f the desert. We m ay n o t be able to sit at y o u r feet forever, but the tru th s you have taught us will live on in ou r hearts. 5

MOSES “ L et A sh er b e blessed w ith ch ild re n ;”

Jacob gave A sher tw o blessings and Moses gave him five, m aking it seven alto gether T h at is th e perfect blessing. And surely, Asher has been w onderfully blessed. One o f th e greatest blessings o f Asher is his children. God is going to bless Asher w ith natural children if he so desires, and also w ith spiritual children. Many w e lc o m e and call him “ fath er,” o r her “ m o th e r.” And it is no w onder. Watch the lady th a t hands o u t the cookies o r candy and you will always see th e children o f the neighbourhood m aking a pathw ay to her door. She is blessed with an abundance o f children because th ey like her “ royal dainties.” However, th e “ cookies and candy” th a t Asher gives o u t will be spiritual treats w hich will a ttrac t those w ho are hungry. They will be nutritious and strengthening, and the hungry will find th eir way to his door. They w on’t w ant to stay away. I be lieve th a t in A m erica and o th er parts o f the world G od’s people are still hungry for_the deeper things. T hey are tired o f the shallow serm ons preached by their m inisters. This is one reason th e End-Time H andm aidens have started to publish books. We believe we have an anointed, deeper-life message and people w ant it. We can’t get in to their churches, b u t they can pick up o u r books and read them and be blessed. We wouldn have tim e, or even th e strength, to go everyw here, b u t we can write one message and it will change thousands o f lives. The children Asher has been prom ised, are those whom God h a s decreed shall be his. I believe th a t as Asher enters into prayer and intercession, God is going to m ulti ply his m inistry. His church will grow, his organization will expand; he will have to stretch o u t his curtain, lengthen his cords and strengthen his stakes, for God has prom ised to bless him w ith children. “ let him be acceptable u n to his b reth ren :” There are som e things ab o u t the personalities o f some o f the tribes th at m ake it difficult to get along w ith th em . But this is n o t so with the Asherites. They don t get on o u r nerves.” Y ou can flow along w ith Asher. They are great pals to take a lo n g on a trip , drink coffee w ith, tell y o u r troubles to , go shopping w ith, and ju st chat w ith. In the church, th e p a sto r never has trouble w ith them . They never give him a “ headache like som e o f his o th e r tribes do. They are n o t trying to run the show, o r usurp authori ty . They will stay p u t w herever y o u place them . They are never pushy or dom ineering or insist on th eir ow n way. W hatever the pastor says for them to do, they will do it. If he says, “ L et’s clap our h an d s,” they will clap th eir hands. If he says, “ Move o u t in the holy dance,” th ey will dance. If he says, “ W ednesday night we are having a potluck dinner,” th ey will be th ere w ith th e biggest p o t o f stew. They are ju st th a t kind o f acceptable folks. They are called to the gift o f hospitality and have the gift o f helps. (I Corinthians 12:28) 6

A fight o r argum ent is agony for them . They w ant to please everybody, and al ways get along w ith people. There is only one thing th a t gives them the strength to contradict som eone they w ant to get along w ith, and th at is their strong convictions, which lie deep inside o f them . But then w atch out! If you get in the way o f w hat they feel is right, they will p u t th eir iron boots on and walk on to p o f you. They are loyal to their friends, to the point o f where they can t see their faults. T o have an Asherite as a friend and co-w orker is a blessing from God. “and let him dip his fo o t in oil.” This is n o t only a prophecy; it is a prayer. Moses begins the n e x t prophecy about the shoes o f iron and brass, and even before he utters the w ords, he prays quickly, for God to “ so ften ” the tread o f Asher, lest when he steps dow n on you with those feet, shod in brass and iron, there will n o t be m uch left o f all o f us. The word “ dip” comes from the Hebrew word tabal (taw-al) meaning “ to plunge,” as well as ju st to “ dip in to .” God calls Asher, through the prayer o f Moses to stop and plunge his foot in oil. In o th er w ords, he has to get his feet “ b ap tized ” in the oil. The oil is a type o f the anointing. God is calling Asher to be very careful th at his walk is anointed w ith the oil o f the Holy Spirit. The m ost im p o rtan t part o f Asher is his walk. He m ust keep walking in the anointing so th a t he can continue to give out the goodly words, those royal “ dainties.” You can know how im portant it is th at his walk is anointed, because who will listen to his words if he doesn’t w alk in the anointing? It is not only in the words th at are spoken, th a t we are edified and blessed and exhorted, but by the walk o f those w hom God uses to show us His way. We all see m ore than we hear. When the feet are bathed in oil, they are cleansed. There are a lot o f saints walking around w ith dirty feet. It is tim e for a Holy G host “ foot-washing” in the lives o f m any o f G od’s children. There is sin in the camp. Their walk is not holy. They have copied each o th er rather than Jesus Christ. They think th at because someone else can get away w ith it, they can too. So sin is ram pant in G od’s house. Our lives m ust be holy or God will judge us. God is calling Asher and all o f us to a new, holy, anoint ed walk. “T hy shoes shall be iron and brass;” When an Asherite puts on those shoes, after having plunged his foot in the oil o f the Spirit, he has a message to deliver th a t will shake the world. Those shoes o f iron and brass are the shoes o f G od’s judgm ent. He suddenly changes from som eone who is giving o u t “ royal dainties,” in to som eone w ho has a hard message, even one o f judg m ent th at will m ake people squirm in their seats and start to hate the Asherite whom God is using because his message is going to “ stand on their toes.”

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In his iron and brass shoes, the Asherite has strength to go into hard places, even very dangerous places, behind curtains o f iron. It takes shoes o f iron to walk behind curtains o f iron. But the shoes o f iron are n o t sufficient, rem em ber, the feet m ust be plunged in the oil! Asher is fearless. He ju st anoints his feet, puts on his brass boots and starts marching. The devil had b e tte r watch o u t, for som ebody is coming th a t has m ilitary footw ear to equal him . Surely the feet o f Asher are shod w ith the message o f the Gospel! (Ephesians 6:15) “ as thy days, so shall th y strength be.” Asher is promised strength for the day, n o t m ore than he needs, b u t just exactly w hat he needs. ‘If he tries to stretch it o u t, he may find he runs o u t o f strength. I am not an Asherite, b u t I have claimed this scripture through the years and God has given me supernatural strength to do the work that He has called me to do. I be lieve th at this strength is n o t only physical strength, but spiritual strength and m ental strength. No m atter the need, the supply is there. He giveth m ore grace when the burdens grow greater; He sendeth m ore strength when the labours increase. To added affliction He addeth His m ercy; To m ultiplied trials, His m ultiplied peace. His love has no lim it; His grace has no m easure; His pow ’r has no boundary know n unto men. F o r out o f His infinite riches in Jesus, He giveth, and giveth and giveth again. When we have exhausted our store o f endurance, When o u r strength has failed ere the day is half done. When we reach the end o f our hoarded resources, O ur F a th er’s full giving is only begun. His love has no lim it; His grace has no m easure; His pow ’r has no boundary known unto men. For o u t o f His infinite riches in Jesus, He giveth, and giveth, and giveth again! * One o f the secrets o f A sher’s strength is because he has anointed his feet in oil. Podiatrists tell you th a t m uch o f the health o f a person is determ ined by the con dition o f the feet. There are specialists in foot-care in the O rient who know the art o f medical science in how to tre a t people by foot-care. The nerve endings in the body end in the soles o f the feet, so the whole body is affected by the feet. G iveth More G race” by A nnie Johnson Flint and H ubert Mitchell, copyright 1941, renew ed 1969 b y Lillenas Publishing Com pany.

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It is no w onder th en th a t Asher has this supernatural strength. His nerve-endings are anointed. Much o f our strength depends on our nerves. God wants to get at the core o f o u r being and strengthen us from th e inside out. When A sher puts on those shoes, he can walk on thistles, stones, rocks and nothing will h u rt him. This particular Hebrew word for “ shoes” im plies “a shoe th at is laced u p .” It m eans, “ closing in and bolting up.” It seems to be a ty p e o f arm our for the feet, a covering o f iron, like th e soldiers wore in medieval tim es. When you wear th at kind o f shoes, the snakes cannot bite you, and you can m arch in dangerous places, because th e old serpent cannot get his siing in to your flesh, fo r you are protected by the shoes o f iron. Surely th e Lord has equipped Asher for end-tim e warfare! TH E FAMILY TR EE O F ASHER Asher had four sons and one daughter whose nam e is given. Genesis 4 6 :1 7 , “ And the sons o f Asher; Jim nah and Ishuah, and Isui, and Beriah, and Serah their sister: and the sons o f Beriah; Heber and Malchiel.” At the tim e o f their going into Egypt, Asher had 4 sons, 1 daughter and 2 grand children. Jim nah: Jim nah means “ fortune, success, prosperity, happiness, good results and effects, to get away successfully, and to make escape out o f a difficult situation.” With a name like Asher (happy), and a disposition like he had, he started o ff his family w ith the same “ positive word o f confession.” He w anted everything to keep on going, ju st like it had been. It seems as though Asher was a m an w ith few problems. He didn’t m ake problem s for others and he had none (or very few) o f his own. More over, if there was a possibility o f him getting into trouble, he had learned the key of how to “ escape o u t o f any difficult situation.” But how can one grow up like that? God has to train us, and He cannot do it while we are “lying on a flowery bed o f ease.” Ishuah: “ The Lord is sufficient, to m atch up w ith, to be adequate, to comply w ith, to be in accordance w ith, or to correspond w ith.” There is a m ystery about Ishuah. He is only nam ed here and then he disappears. A pparently, after Asher w ent to Egypt, his son m ust have died. So the tribal families of Asher do n o t include his second son. Isui: “ God has need o f him , or obedience to Jehovah.” The way Asher nam ed his sons describes how some o f ou r lives are. A t first, everything is going along ju st fine. Asher has had his first-born son, happiness and good luck, and everything is w orking o u t ju st perfectly. There are no problem s whatsoever. 9

He has the second one and it is the same “ positive confession.” Asher doesn’t expect anything to go wrong! He is going to be equal to the task, sufficient for the need, wise for the problem . Then suddenly, a tragedy happens. G od’s hand reaches down into that family, and tragedy strikes. Asher begins to wake up and realize that God has spoken. So, looking back and rem em bering the death o f his second son, he names the third one “ Isui,” m eaning “ God had need o f him .” The naming o f this son speaks o f a father coming into spiritual m aturity and an awakening. Suddenly he realizes that God needed his son. God took his son. God needs to wake m any o f us up to the realization that He is talking to us. He w ants us to wake up and realize that He has need o f us. Sometimes the only way th at God can speak to some o f us, is by taking our children or allowing our marriages to fall apart, or some other tragedy. Then we realize, “ God has spoken, He needs me. I m ust be obedient to Him. As long as we continue in ou r indifferent, prosperous, happy “ bless me attitude, we do not even know w hat life is all about. American Christians have been “ coasting along” just like that. We have been only thinking o f how we can make life more com fortable, more enjoyable, m ore rich, more happy, and suddenly, God is speaking to this nation! The bottom is dropping out o f our econom y and God is saying. “ America, 1 need you. 1 need your sons. 1 need your m oney. I need your tim e.” We have been spending our tim e on ourselves, our m oney on ourselves and we have allowed our children to do the same. There is a reckoning day coming and it is coming really soon. Beriah:

“ a gift, prom inence, eminence in tribulation and atfliction. distress and

sorrow, the unhappy o ne.” He probably was born during the time o f famine. But we see here a m aturity in the life and faith o f father Asher. He is learning to know that the God o f prosperous time is still around when things go bad and that He will give strength in tribulation and affliction. Beriah was a gift o f th e Lord in time o f sorrow. Serah: Serah is named a fter her great, great grandm other on her father's side. Sarah. This means “ princess.” Asher did well to honour the wife ot Abraham, his own great grandm other by nam ing his daughter after her. It was the lirst time that the name o f any o f the daughters was m entioned, except for Dinah. It is significant that her name was given. In Num bers 26:46 it is spelled “ Sarah." There are three tribal families in the tribe o f Asher (Num bers 26:47): Jim nah, the father o f the Jim nites; Isui, (also spelled Jesui), the father o f the Jesuites; Beriah, the father o f the Beriites.

CENSUS When Asher came o u t o f Egypt they num bered 41,500. When they were ready to cross in to Canaan there were 53,400. They had increased by 11,900. Surety this is an indication o f th e fulfillm ent o f the prophecy given by Moses, Let Asher be blessed w ith children.” In D euteronom y 2 7 :1 3 we read th a t Asher was chosen to stand on M ount Ebal to give the people th e warning o f th e curses th a t would come upon them if they did not walk in th e ways o f the Lord. FA U LTS IN ASHER It is hard to find anything seriously wrong w ith Asher. But the Word o f God tells us the whole story and so, in ord er th a t we may speak w ith the same honesty we, too, m ust warn G o d ’s Asherites so th a t they can beware o f the things th at would hinder them from having G od’s best in their lives. When we know our weaknesses, we can go to S o d for help Confession breaks the pow er o f sin. All the tribes had weaknesses and sins. All needed G od’s m ercy and help th at they m ight be corrected God is faith ful to chastise those whom He loves, especially His sons. (Hebrews 1 2 :7,«) In Judges 1:31 we read, “ N either did Asher drive o u t the inhabitants o f Accho nor the inhabitants o f Z idon, nor o f Ahlab, nor o f Achzib, n o r o f Helbah noi- o f A nhik nor o f Rehob: But th e Asherites dw elt am ong the Canaanites, the inhabitant of^the land: fo r th ey did n o t drive them o u t.” It was a terrible tragedy that they d.d n o t fulfill th e w ord th a t God gave them to drive them o u t and to take the whole land. Later during the tim e o f King Ahab, it was a daughter o f their possession Jezebel of Tyre and Sidon, who introduced the worship o f Baal in Israel and destroyed thousan s o f G od’s people. How m uch b e tte r, if they had been obedient to God when He sent them in to Canaan and told them to destroy the inhabitants! We m ay get by with a lot o f problem s for a while when we com prom ise, b u t later on, our children will suffer for it in a terrible way. Let us look m ore closely at the nam es o f the cities th a t Asher did not overcome. Perhaps they will reveal to us m ore clearly the weaknesses o f Asher. 1. Accho: Accho comes from the w ord akkow (ak-ko), m eaning “ to hem in. Satan wants to “ hem in” Asher and keep him from fulfilling G od’s will. He has many ways o f doing it. 2. Zidon: Zidon comes from the word tsiydon (tsee-done). Its Hebrew root-word means “ to catch an anim al, to chase, to catch a fish, to h u n t, to take provision. Asher was com prom ising w ith the hunters w ho would provide for his needs and 11

in doing this, he became the fish th a t was caught in th e net. 3. Achlab: Achlab comes from the root-w ord th a t m eans, “ fatness, fertile.” God had prom ised Asher his ow n “ fatness” through the anointing o f the Holy Spirit. He did n o t need th e “ fatness” th a t the world could give him. God has also promised him fertility. We m ust be careful th a t we do n o t look for the source o f ou r supply o r the fulfillm ent o f G od’s prophecy to us from any source o th er than G od, Himself. 4. A chzib: Achzib comes from the w ord akziyb (ak-zeeb) which means “ deceit ful (in the sense o f a w inter-torrent which fails in summ er). How m any times have we looked for a source o f o u r supply from stream s th at dry up when the heat comes! Asher was deceived by the deceitful one. The enem y had appeared to be Asher’s supply, only to becom e a disappointm ent in the end. Asher needs to be careful th at he does n o t “ forsake th e fountain o f living waters, and hew him out cisterns, broken cis terns, th at can hold no w ater.” (Jerem iah 2:13) 5. Helbah: Helbah comes from the word chelbah (khel-baw). It means “ fertili ty , richest p a rt, best, fattest, e tc ..” Again we see the same weakness as in the word “ A chlab.” 6.

A phik:

A phik comes from the word apheq (af-ake) meaning “ fortress.”

We can trust no o ther fortress than God. The psalmist says, “ He is my refuge and my fortress: my G o d ;in him will I tru st.” (Psalm 9 1 :2) 7. R ehob: Rehob comes from the word rechob (rekh-obe) which means “ a broad place.” Jesus warns us in M atthew 7:13, “ Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, th a t leadeth to destruction, and m any there be which go in th e re a t:” It was when Asher began to go th at “ broad” way that he lost the anointing on his feet and could no longer m arch in the name o f Jehovah with those special shoes o f iron and brass which God had given to him. One thing th at is typical o f Asherites is, th a t they ju st d o n ’t like to go to war. They aren’t the kind th a t really w ant to fight for their rights, and you have to keep encouraging them and stirring them up to rise up and take their God-given rights. In Judges 5 :17, we read again how Asher failed a t a tim e o f great national crisis. D eborah and Barak are singing the song o f victory and God is rebuking Asher in the m idst o f this song o f jo y . “ Asher continued on the sea shore, and abode in his breaches.” This w ord w hich is translated “ breaches” is only used once in the Bible. It comes from th e Hebrew w ord miphrats (mif-rawfs) meaning “ a haven, a break in the shore line.” Its root-w ord is parats (paw-rats) which means “ to break away from , to scatter.” 12

The New King Jam es Version gives it very clearly, “ Asher continued at the sea shore, and stayed by his inlets.” Lamsa Bible says, “ He rem amed m his harbours. In the tim e when the Children o f Israel needed help against th at strong army under th e com m and o f Sisera, and every able-bodied m an needed to play Asher was n o t available. There was great consternation and great trouble in Isr . Deborah is prophesying and Barak is preparing to go to battle, w ith the enemy who i m uch larger than he is, b u t Asher is staying hom e on the beach, enjoying the sea sho , resting in the sunshine and the sand. O h, beloved Asher, do n o t let your love fo r quietness and place in G od’s end-tim e arm y! Beware o f your ow n love to escape from the n° ise> turm oil and the strife o f the battle! Beware, lest your love for quietness and ^ shore o f the coast and the playing-in-the-water hinder you from answering the call o f Debo rah and Barak' G et those feet o u t o f the sea-water and into the oil, Strap your iron boots on y our feet and begin to m arch over the hills. There is a battle going on in Israel. You are needed. D on’t miss it, lest you grieve the Holy Spirit, and miss your destiny and y o u r life’s calling. ASHER ANSWERS TH E CALL TO BATTLE In Judges 7:23 we read, “ And the m<-n o f Israel gathered themselves together out o f N aphtali, and o u t o f Asher, and o u t o f all Manasseh, and pursued after the M.d.anites.’ We know the story o f G ideon’s 300 men. A fter the Lord used Gideon and his men to rout the M idianites, the battle-royal began. Asher, Naphtali and Manasseh got stirred up and ed in the chase o f the enem y. They fought right through till end o f the battle. If you light a fire under an A sherite, you are going to have som eone th at is going to be a good, loyal soldier right through till the end. They will stick by you. They wi be loyal and faithful. SOLOMON’S SOLDIERS I Chronicles 7:30-40 lists the names o f the families o f Asher. Verse 40 says, “ All these were the children o f Asher, heads o f their father’s house, choice and jnen o f valour, chief o f the princes. And the num ber throughout the genealogy o f the that were apt to the war and to battle was tw enty and six thousand men. The officer under Solom on was Baanah, the son o f Hushai. (I Kings 4 .1 6 ) His name means “ son o f suffering.” 13

It is through their suffering th a t Asher is raised up in the anointing to take their place as soldiers in th e arm y o f the King o f Kings. It is through hard trials th at the Asherites becom e experts in w ar, ready fo r b attle, m ighty men o f valour and chiefs am ong the princes o f Israel. Hallelujah! Do n o t be overcom e in the warfare. God is going to bring you through, dear Asherite.

ASHER DU RING TIMES O F REVIVAL II Chronicles 30:10,11 tells us ab o u t the revival that took place in Jerusalem under King Hezekiah in B.C. 726. When the call w ent out to the different tribes to come to Jerusalem and seek the Lord, the message also came to Asher. Praise God, they heard and came! It is w ritten concerning Asher, “ ...divers o f Asher and Manasseh and o f Zebulun hum bled them selves, and came to Jerusalem .” (verse 11) I am so glad th a t they were there for th e last great touch o f God. It was the last outpouring o f the Holy Spirit upon the ten n o rth ern tribes. A fter th at, they were carried into captivity. A fter th a t, it w ould be to o late. But here we see Asher com ing dow n, hum bling him self and going to Jerusalem . F o r hundreds o f years Samaria had been the capital o f Asher, and the people, in their pride, had refused to go up to the Holy City. But when the call o f the Spirit came to Asher, he hum bled him self and came. When he got there he found th a t the anointing o f God was still upon Jerusalem . God visited His people for 14 w onderful days o f revi val. Truly, G od was preparing Asher before he w ent in to captivity. It would be the last tim e th a t he w ould “ dip his fo o t in oil.” We never know when our last o p p o rtu n ity comes to plunge anointing, so we m ust make use o f every single o p p ortunity to upon our souls. As Asher leaves his beaches and his sea shores lem, he is preparing to m arch in to captivity, where, sad to say, chariah 7:14)

into the river o f G od’s get the touch o f God to com e up to Jerusa she still is today. (Ze-

CHARACTERS IN ASHER Pagiel: Pagiel, the son o f Ocran was th e captain o f the hosts o f Asher. (Num bers 1:13) In N um bers 7:12 he is called the prince o f Asher. The nam e means “ God (El) is m y destiny.” Sether: Sether, the son o f Michael was the representative o f Asher when the 12 spies w ent in to Canaan to spy o u t the land. Sether m eans “victor.” Sad to say he did n o t bring a victorious rep o rt back w ith him.

ANNA The m ost prom inent m em ber o f the tribe o f Asher was Anna. Let us look at her life and m inistry. Luke 2:36-38, “ And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter o f Phanuel, o f th e tribe o f Aser (New T estam ent spelling): she was o f a great age, and had lived w ith an husband seven years from her virginity; And she was a widow o f about fourscore and four years, which departed n o t from the tem ple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. And she coming in th at instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake o f him to all them th at looked for redem ption in Jerusalem .” A nna was 84 years old. She had been a widow after being married only seven years. She probably was about 16 or 17 years o f age when she m arried. Add 7 years to th at, and we can understand th at she was probably in her early or middle twenties when she became a widow. She never rem arried. She had lived in widowhood for about 60 years. She had dedicated her entire life to God, living in the tem ple and spending her tim e in prayers and service to the Lord. She witnessed a great deal and lived a life o f fastings. N otice, it does not say “ fasting,” but “ fastings.” That indicates there are m any ways for a person to fast. Food is not the only thing one can abstain from . One can fast from sleep, from sex and from am usem ents also. A nna’s life was com pletely devoted to God. She also served God by witnessing to people. I can see her moving about among the women o f Jerusalem , encouraging them and telling them w hat God was doing and w hat He was showing her would shortly come to . Surely she knew, for she was a prophetess. It does n o t say “ she prophesied.” She WAS a prophetess. This was her calling. She knew the secrets o f God. Her life of fasting and prayer had brought her into such a high plain o f revelation th a t she was able to know what God was going to do. This A nna surely was led tem ple th a t day and saw Baby tem ple. Y ou can be sure there o f Israel, b u t they didn’t know nized Him, b u t Anna did.

by the God th at she served, when she came into the Jesus. There were hundreds o f women around that were even thousands m ore who saw Baby Jesus in all who He was. Even some o f His relatives never recog

The life o f fasting and prayer has its rew ards. It was no d oubt a difficult thing for her to spend her life-time in the tem ple. Som etim es she m ust have gotten weary with the “ show-business” o f the religious w orld, the pride, the cerem ony, the tradition, the people w ho served God w ith their m ouths, b u t whose hearts were afar off, yet she did n o t becom e discouraged and give up ju st because others were n o t living w hat they were preaching. She kept to her calling. I believe th a t this precious daughter o f Asher came in right on schedule because her 15

feet were “ dipped in oil.” She had the anointing th at leads Asher in to the perfect will o f God- You will never miss y o u r appointm ent w ith God if y our feet are “dipped in oil.” You will be led by the Spirit o f God and see great and glorious things. When she saw Jesus, she p u t on her shoes o f iron and brass and started m arching around Jerusalem telling everyone w ho was looking for redem ption th a t the Redeemer had come! O h, w hat a glorious mission! She had prayed through! She had seen Him! Now she could go fo rth and tell it. But she did n o t tell all. No, she only told those who were looking for redem ption. She w ent through the streets o f the Royal City o f King David to give o u t the “ royal dainties” announcing th a t the Son o f David had arrived on th e scene. She, whose right it was, as a daughter o f Asher, to share the anointed BREAD, could tell all who hungered to hear, th at the “ Bread o f Heaven” had arrived. I am so glad th a t she was an older w om an, even a very old wom an. It tells me th at the Holy Spirit has no age barrier. Even if you are in y o u r 80s or m ore, you can dip y our feet in the oil and p u t on those iron shoes and go o u t with the message o f re dem ption to the w orld. I can imagine her walking into the house o f a friend, full o f excitem ent, her cheeks flushed red, calling at the door, “ Rachel, Rachel, I have w onderful news! Just w ait till you hear it! You will rejoice. I was led by the Lord to go in to the tem ple area where the w orshippers are and even as I came in, I saw som ething strange hap pening. There was old Simeon, you know him , he was standing there talking to a couple who had ju st brought a little baby for dedication. Sim eon’s hands were lifted up and he was crying; the tears were just running dow n his cheeks and I heard him say the m ost w onderful words. He to o k the baby in his arms and began to bless him , saying, ‘Lord, now lettest th o u th y servant depart in peace, according to thy w ord: F o r mine eyes have seen thy salvation, Which thou hast prepared before the face o f all people; A light to lighten the G entiles, and the glory o f thy people Israel.’ Rachel, He is here! At last He has arrived —ou r Saviour, our Prince, the Son o f David, our M essiah!” I can see her sinking in to th e chair th at is extended to her, overcom e with em o tion. I can see the w om en running together to hear the glad sound. How strange! It was a w om an who told the news th a t the Messiah had com e, and it was a wom an w ho to o k the glad message “ He is risen!” from the em pty tom b in the garden. A nointed feet th a t are dipped in oil, wearing shoes o f iron and brass, shall trium ph. And w ho know s, m aybe the daughters o f Israel will bring the end-tim e message to o , in a way th a t has never, ever y et been told.

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POSITION OF ASHER In the wilderness: Dan and Naphtali.

They were situated on the n o rth side o f the tabernacle with

In the Prom ised Land: Their lot fell to them on the northern sea coasts o f Pa lestine, b u t they did n o t possess all o f it. They were bordered on the north by Leba no n , the east by N aphtali, th e south-east by Zebulun. In the M illenium: In the Millenium Asher will be im m ediately below Dan. (Eze kiel 4 8:3) T he G ate o f Asher in the New Jerusalem : gether w ith the Gates o f Gad and Naphtali.

Asher’s Gate will be on the west, to

It is interesting how N aphtali who also is the son o f Zilpah is so closely connected with Asher all the tim e from the wilderness, to Canaan, in the Millenium and at the gate. God puts together those who belong to each o ther and who get along together in a beautiful way.

CONCLUSION In The Lost Books o f the Bible Asher leaves a very beautiful testim ony to his children. He tells th at when the unrighteous die, they are m et by the evil spirit whom they have served in lusts and evil works. And then he adds, “ But if he is peaceful with jo y , he m eeteth the angel o f peace, and he leadeth him in to eternal life.” He prophesied concerning the coming o f the Saviour, telling how the Most High shall visit the earth, coming as a m an, and eating and drinking with m an, and breaking the head o f the dragon. We know th at Jesus did th at in His death. (Genesis 3:15) He warned them concerning their sin and to ld them th a t God would judge them . “ And therefore shall ye be scattered as Gad and Dan m y brethren, and ye shall know not your lands, tribe and tongue. But the Lord will gather you together in faith through His tender m ercy, and for the sake o f Abraham , Isaac and Jacob.” Yes, God is going to restore Asher and raise him up in the last days. It m ay not be in the natural, b u t surely the spiritual tribe o f Asher shall arise again to receive his inheritance. The Word o f the Lord has spoken it and His pow er shall perform it. Asher shall see the Redeem er, even as the daughter o f Asher did th at day in Jerusa lem.

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Issachar BY GWEN SHAW

This chart was taken from The A dam an d E ve F am ily Tree, produced by the Good Things Com pany. Used by permission.

Cover by Carolyn Wright

Copyright 1982, G w en R. Shaw End-Time H andm aidens. Inc. P.O. Box 4 4 7 Jasper, Arkansas 72641 All rights reserved.

P rinted in the U nited S ta tes o j Am erica

PRAYER Lord we hum bly bow our heads and ask You to anoint us. We cannot do any thing w ithout Y our anointing. We th an k You for the Word o f God. It is truly a gold m ine” and as we begin to dig to d ay , we ask You to show us w here to p u t in the dnU. We w ant to find gold, Lord. As we look into the ancient prophecies concerning our b ro th e r Issachar one o f the princes o f Israel, w ith whom we will share e te rn ity , please 5 ? t “ 'e S . e n m e „ t th a , we’ m ay see the hidden tru th which is ,o be revealed » « these last days. Lord, it is said o f Issachar that he had understanding o f the tim es, please let this same gift be ours now. In Jesus name. Amen.

TH E NAMING O F ISSACHAR “ And Reuben w ent in the days o f the wheat harvest, and found m andrakes in the field, and brought them u nto his m other Leah. Then Rachel said to Leah, Give m e, I pray thee, o f th y so n ’s m andrakes. And she said u n to her, Is it a small m atter th at thou hast taken m y husband? and w ouldest th o u take away my son s m andrakes a so. And Rachel said, T herefore he shall lie w ith thee to night for thy son s m andrakes. And Jacob came o u t o f the field in the evening, and Leah w ent o u t to m eet him . and said T hou m ust come in unto m e; for surely I have hired thee w ith my so n s m an drakes And he lay with her th at night. And God hearkened u n to Leah, and she conceived, and bare Jacob the fifth son. And Leah said, God hath given me my hire, because I have given my m aiden to my husband: and she called his name Issachar. (Genesis 30:14-18) MEANING OF THE NAME The name Issachar comes from the Hebrew yissakar (yis-saw-kar). It means, he will bring a rew ard.” It comes from the root-w ord nasa m eaning “ to lift, to advance, arise, bring fo rth , carry away, exalt, high, hold up, lofty, raise up, etc.. Is this where our NASA space centre gets its name? The second root-w ord is sakar m eaning pay m ent o f contract, salary, fare, hire, price, rew ard, wages.” Issachar was b o m under very strange circum stances. He was conceived in the tim e o f the wheat harvest, the m onth o f Sivan which is from late May till m id-June. So his birthday would be in the m onth o f Adar, which is March (the first three weeks). His brother R euben, about whom we read under the tribe o f R euben, had found m andrakes in the field and was bringing them hom e to his m other, Leah, when Rachel saw him and took them away from him. This made Leah angry and she came over into Rachel’s tent and dem anded, “ Is it a small m atter th at th o u hast taken my husband, and wouldest thou take away my son’s m andrakes also?” There was m uch rivalry and jealousy between these tw o precious sisters. Leah had b o m Jacob four sons, and

Rachel had n o t b o m him any, b u t she had his love. However, Usah was miserable be cause she did n o t have her husband’s love and Rachel was miserable because she did not have any children. It was believed th a t m andrakes could m ake a wom an fruitful, so th a t she would be able to bear children. Rachel therefore w anted these m andrakes so th a t she could becom e with child. Leah also had stopped bearing children, so she needed them too. But w hat good were th e m andrakes to her, w ith o u t a m an? So she made a transaction w ith Rachel, w hich Rachel had herself suggested, th a t Jacob would be “rented or “ hired o u t” to Leah fo r one night in exchange for the m andrakes. From this we under stand th a t Jacob likely had stopped sleeping w ith Leah com pletely. Anyway he had four wives by now , so he was kept busy w ith the o ther three, Rachel, Zilpah and Bilhah. When Jacob cam e in from the fields, Leah w ent o u t to m eet him and tell him about th e arrangem ent she had m ade w ith Rachel. As one reads the story, it fills your heart w ith pity fo r this unloved and love-hungry w om an, Leah. She was so unasham ed, so hum ble to be able to hum iliate herself to such a degree as to tell her husband th at she had actually hired him for one night. And yet, m any wom en do the same thing to day, only they do it in o th er, m ore subtle ways. There are m any ways to get a man to bed w ith you. And som etim es a w om an’s m otive is n ot as pure as Leah’s. Leah w ant ed children, and she w anted them so badly, th a t she was willing to hum ble herself in order to conceive. T hat night, Leah prayed w ith all her heart, th at God would do a miracle and open her w om b which had now been closed for a long tim e. She had cast herself on God alone She was n o t trusting in the “ fruit o f the m andrakes” to give her fruitfulness, b ut in the goodness o f Jehovah. If she could not hold her husband in her love-hungry arms, at least she could hold the children th at God would give her, and she would be com forted. Many broken-hearted wom en fall asleep w ith their little children in their arms, and they are com forted by the presence o f th a t child o f their womb while the husband sleeps in another w o m an ’s arms. You wom en who have gone through it, know w hat 1 am talking about. How m any tim es have we been com forted by our own children. God heard her cry, and th a t night she received pow er to conceive seed. Issachar was b o m , not by flesh alone, though there was th at natural , b u t through the inspiration and Divine will o f G od. T hat is why she called him Issachar, which means “ I paid for w hat I h ire d ,” or “ I got paid back.” It also m ight m ean, “ It was w orth it all.” Issachar carried th a t token o f his m o th e r’s deed on his life all the days he lived. “ Hired! Hired! I was bought and paid for by a few m andrakes.” This token became stam ped in the very character and personality o f Issachar and all through his life, Issa char and his descendants have carried the m ark o f servitude and o f being hired and paid 2

for upon their lives. Issachar is a “ b o m servant.” He is b o m to serve He is a servan o f hum ility. He is a m an o f comion and he cannot get away from ^ because th a t the m ark th a t G od p u t upon the tribe o f Issachar from th e night in which he was con ceived. Issachar is a hum ble tribe, he is unobtrusively present. You do n o t notice him in a crow d b u t ju s t let him be missing and you will realize it im m ediately, because you really need him all th e tim e. If you w ant a job done, look for Issachar, he is ready o help, because this is his calling, this is his inheritance. T here is also som ething else ab o u t his nam e which we m entioned briefly and that is the root-w ord nasa which m eans “ to lift, exalt, raise up, e tc .” Was th e nam e o f he N ational A eronautics and Space A dm inistration chosen so its acronym , NASA, would be this Hebrew root-w ord? If it was n o t intentional, th en it is a strange coincidence. What happens at NASA? It is identified w ith o u r space program m e where research and m uch activity relating to our space travel takes place. I have visited the place and thrilled to see th e actual space ships th at have gone way up into o u ter space and even landed on th e m oon. I have seen movies o f ou r spacemen as they float around in side their space capsule-like a com bination o f a bird and a fish. And I have thrilled and w ept at the revelation th at in every hum an is th e natural, God-given desire to fly, to be lifted up, rise u p , to go up high, high, to just nasa. And I see in Issachar this longing to n o t only “ lift up the burden and carry it,” b u t to , him self, be lifted up high, in the presence of G od. This is one o f the meanings o f his name. And I thm k o f an Issachar whom I know very well, who is b o th a burden-bearer and also a pilot who was even in volved w ith the space program me. I believe th a t the Issachars are natural pilots, for it is in their nam e...“ to lift off, to raise up, to carry away, lo fty , high, etc.. And m the wings o f the planes they fly, I see the tw o burdens th at Jacob saw in his vision-prophecy he gave Issachar. Certainly, one reason that the Issachars m ake good pilots is because they are careful, deliberate, cautious, and n o t easily excited or disturbed. They keep cool under pressure, especially when they are in lofty, high places.

SYMBOL O F ISSACHAR The sym bol o f Issachar is the hum ble donkey. More recently I have also seen the sign o f a sun shining at noon-day surrounded by four stars to the left th at shine o u t o a dark night and four to th e right th at are darkened because o f the bnghtness o f the day This is a pictu re o f o u ter space w ith the heavenly bodies in plain view. Surely this is a significant sym bol for Issachar, whose nam e is derived from the root-w ord nasa, which means “ to lift up, high, lofty, e tc ..”

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TH E GEMSTONE O F ISSACHAR The gemstone o f Issachar is the am ethyst. It is a violet o r purple variation o f quartz. The am ethyst was used as a gem stone by the ancient Egyptians, and was large ly em ployed in ancient times for carving Figurines, etc.. The Chinese still use it for this purpose to this day. The nam e “ am eth y st” is derived from the Greek w ord am ethystos which m eans “ n o t intoxicating.” This expresses the old belief th at the stone p ro tected its owner from strong drink. It was believed th at wine, drunk o u t o f a cup o f am ethyst, would n o t intoxicate. This rem arkable belief about the am ethyst being able to guard against intoxica tion, fits w ith the life’s testim ony o f Issachar in The Lost Books o f the Bible. He states, “ I drank no wine, to be led astray th ereby.” The am ethyst’s royal colour m akes it a favourite stone. It is sym bolic o f the ba lance and poise in the life o f the Issacharite.

PROPHECIES TO ISSACHAR Jacob: “ Issachar is a strong ass couching down betw een tw o burdens: And he saw that rest was good, and the land th at it was pleasant; and bowed his shoulder to bear, and becam e a servant u n to trib u te.” (Genesis 49:14,15) Moses: “ And o f Zebulun he said, Rejoice, Zebulun, in thy going o u t; and, Issa char, in thy tents. They shall call the people u n to the m ountain; there they shall offer sacrifices o f righteousness: for they shall suck o f the abundance o f the seas, and o f treasures hid in the sand. (D euteronom y 33:18,19)

JACOB’S PROPHECY “ Issachar is a strong ass couching betw een tw o burdens.” There is no d o u b t about Issachar’s great strength. He is n o t only strong physi cally, he is also strong spiritually. I can rem em ber w hen I was in the Him alayian m ountains in India, som eone pointed o u t to me som ething very interesting about the donkey. They have m any o f them there. They are used for carrying loads up and down the m ountains. They are such sure-footed beasts th a t they can go w here no o th er beast o f burden can. They carry trem endously heavy loads. What I saw th at day on the back o f this little donkey brought tears to my eyes. It was the m arking o f a cross right on the to p o f his back 4

and dow n each side. I was inform ed th a t every donkey had this same m ark. Now, I do n o t know if this is true o f donkeys in o th er parts o f th e w orld, b u t I looked at enough donkeys in India to see th a t it was a fact there. This is w hat th e Issacharites are, they are carriers o f the cross. They not only carry their ow n crosses, b u t they are carrying half a dozen o th er crosses at the same tim e B ut praise G od, God says through Jacob, th at Issachar is a strong ass. God has built into this “ donkey trib e” sufficient strength to n o t only climb the Himalayan m ountains, b u t to also carry a load on the way up. It portrays a^very^beautiful strength o f character, th at the Issacharites are able to bear the burden th at is im puted to them to carry. T he Issacharite was bom to bear big and heavy burdens. God has given him an inbuilt strength The ass is the beast o f burden, the hum ble vehicle th a t was chosen by Jesus Christ to bring Him , the King, in to Jerusalem . Rem em ber He did n o t choose a camel; He did n o t choose a costly Rom an horse. Oh no! He chose the hum ble m ark o f Issachar to com e riding into Jerusalem . “ Rejoice greatly, O daughter o f Zion; shout, O daughter o f Jerusalem : behold, thy King com eth u n to thee: he is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal o f an ass. (Zechariah 9 :9) I would like to say a special word here to wome n w ho are asking God for a hus band. Be careful th a t you do n o t choose after the “ seeing o f the eye. God said to Samuel, “ Look n o t on his countenance, o r on the height o f his st a t u re; because I have refused h im - for the Lord seeth n o t as man seeth; for m an looketh on the outw ard appearance, but the Lord looketh on the h e a rt.” (I Samuel 16:7) Many marriages are falling apart because they were not based on the will o f G od. Women fell in love with big, husky, handsom e m en, and when they needed som eone to help them with the burden o f life, they found th at the one they had chosen w asn’t there to them or their children, o r carry their load. If they would ask God to give them men who would be willing to assume the burden and responsibility o f marriage and a family, even if they were n o t the handsom est in the w orld, they would find that life would be filled w ith unexpected happiness. “ couching dow n betw een tw o burdens:” The word “ couching” comes from the Hebrew w ord rabats (raw-bats) which means “ to couch, to lay dow n, to get dow n low .” Notice th at it says TWO burdens. Issachar is always carrying m ore than one burden. A nyone can carry ONE b urden; but an Issacharite carries a double portion. This is because he carries his own burden and som ebody else’s. He is always concerned about his neighbour. But this double burden gives him balance. In China y o u will never find a Chinese carrying a burden with one hand. They say 5

they can’t do it. Instead they use a “ carrying pole” which they lay across the shoulder. On both ends o f the pole you see the load th at they are carrying. They tell you that if you try to carry a load any o th er way, you will become crippled; it makes the back go out o f place. M aybe th at is w hy our “ spiritual backbone” is not in order. Maybe we need to ask God fo r one m ore burden, even His burden. Perhaps it w ould give us m ore spiritual balance in our lives, m ore poise. The Chinese will never carry ju st one pail o f water. They carry tw o, one on each end o f the pole. And they do not walk then like they norm ally w ould. They begin to walk com pletely different, w ith shorter steps and a swinging m otion. They have to swing like th at, o r the w ater would spill out o f the pail. If the burden gets too heavy, o r to o aw kw ard, m aybe it is because we have n o t learned to “ swing w ith it,” or “ roll w ith it” (as we w ould say in m odern collo quialism). Sometimes, I have seen in China, th a t when the load gets very, very heavy, they begin to sing a sort o f sing-song. “ Ah-ah, ah-ah. ah-ah.” This gives them strength, for they keep up with the rhythm and beat o f their chant. This is typical o f an Issacharite. He will call o u t, “ hee-haw. hee-haw” like a donkey braying. You will hear him as he comes into the house, or sits dow n in the chair, he will let o u t a big, long sigh. “ H m m m m !” You w onder if he is in pain. But when you ask. you find there is nothing wrong. He is ju st moaning and groaning under his burdens. But it expresses his feelings and you m ust n ot take offence over it either. Your Issachar is hum ble, he has learned that as he “ couches down beneath the burden and in hum ility accepts the load that is laid across his back, that he will receive the strength to carry the burden. He has learned long ago, that if he is too proud to get down low beneath the burden, he will never be able to carry it. When Jesus, the true Issacharite (though He was o f Judah, b u t in His perfection He is all things to all m en), bent over with the cross as He carried it, the load was so heavy that He even fell beneath it. “And he saw th at rest was good,” If there is anything that Issachar longs for, it is the day when he can sit down in the easy-chair and p u t his feet up in front o f him , but he never gets there. An Issa charite will never retire. Oh, he m ight “ retire” and even get a pension, but he will never stop working until the last day o f his life. Som etimes I w onder w hat happens to an Issacharite when he is put to rest in his coffin! I w onder if he is lying there worrying if the thing has been p ut together correctly, and if the nails are rust-proof! His hard work and his weariness has given him a great appreciation for rest but he never gets to it. He w orks until he is overcom e and then he falls asleep just where he is. It m ight be in the m iddle o f a ball-game, a church service, or a visit with a friend. His wife is so em barrassed, she could ju st shake him . She pokes him secretly and gives him a dagger-look. He shakes him self awake, feels a little sheepish, and soon nods o ff 6

to Sleep again' He will w ork and work, until he falls asleep on the job. He is worn out, a n d he asks for n o th in g for his long hours o f service, but a little love a little apprecia tio n and a little sleep. If an Issacharite was to be paid by piece work, he would be rich, except for the fact, th a t in spite o f his long hours, he is usually very, very slow. This is because he w ould ollapse if he hurried at w hat he was doing, for he works such long h o u K and cam es su c h ’a heavy toad for everyone else Can you imagine a donkey running and skipping up the m ountain w ith the tw o burdens. Icsachar is always going to read about 99 books, b ut he never gets around to it because when he goes to bed and props him self up with his pillows, he falls asleep at the b o tto m o f the first page. It makes him so upset and he w ould like to find someone to blam e b u t there really is no one to blame at all. God m ade him that way. Someone else will have to read the o th er 98 books, he will do well if he can get through one in a he m ight, it w on't w ork. He will wake up 4 hours later w ,th the book fallen out o f his h and, and w ith a stiff neck. “ and the land, th a t is was pleasant;” The Issacharite loves the good earth. He never is a “ city m an.” He doesn’t care for city life. He has a great appreciation for the creation o f God. He does not count the th fn L that oth ers value as im portant. He loves G od’s creation rather d,an manm ade "asphalt jungles." He loves the trees, the flowers, the hills, the sea and the sky. These are the things in which he delights. “ and bow ed his shoulder to bear.” For these simple things - to own a little plot o f land, a garden behind the house, a cottage in the hills, a river, or a brook running by. an Issacharite will become a s a . He w ilf never ask for anything. If you offer to pay an Issacharite. you cheapen him he dT sdllm m oney. He loves the things that God can give him . H - s t e mos w, hn love-slave. If you are married to an Issacharite. you are blessed. But please accep your gift from G od: d o n ’t try to turn him into a “ prince ot Judah. “ and becam e a servant unto trib u te.” This word for servant is not used anyw here else in the Old Testam ent. It is from the Hebrew word abaci (aw-bad). which means “ to w ork, to serve, to keep in bondage, bond-service. com pel, dress, husbandm an, labour. This reveals th a t there are things that can ensnare the soul o f an Issacharite. It is possible to get him all tied up so that he is never able to fulfill God s plan for his h e. Jacob, his father, saw it and warned him. It is not big things that bring Issachar into bondage, but a lot of little things, which to the rest o f the tribes seem insignificant, but to an Issacharite seem a lmpor7

tant. These are such things as the accum ulation o f innum berable odds and ends which m ost o f us would th ro w into the garbage. But not so with the Issacharite. He saves everything. He becom es a veritable “ pack-rat.” His house, his garage, his office, is literally littered with w hat we would call JUNK and he would call treasures. Most o f the tim e things are so piled up and in such orderly confusion, th at we just run to escape from it all. But not so with Issachar. This is his heaven. He expects he will need any one o f those odds and ends o f strings, bolts, screws, pieces o f glass, rem nants o f cloth, old shoes. 20 year old ties, pants, dresses (if it is a w om an), etc.. Issachar can’t get rid o f anything. He is sure that the day is not far hence when he will need ju st the very thing he threw away. We can become addicted to the things that we treasure and be unable to part from them . One o f the dangers o f the Issacharite is that he easily can becom e a “ w orkaho lic.” The word “ trib u te ” comes from the Hebrew word mic (m ees)...“a burden that causes one to faint, a tax in the form o f forced labour.” So m any Issacharites become enslaved by their need to do everything so perfectly correct. They spend hours re pairing old. broken-dow n m ixers, toasters, which only work a few hours after all the tim e they have spent on it. It would be better if they would throw it o u t and buy another. They become enslaved with details. Again it is a case o f “ there is no point in doing well that which should not be done at all.” O h. the wasted hours! They have to beware o f becoming enslaved with “ forced la b o u r/' God said this and He warned Issa char. I pray that the beloved Issachars will one day truly know what the correct priori ties are.

MOSES’ PROPHECY “ And o f Zebulun he said. Rejoice. Z ebulun. in thy going o u t; and. Issachar. in thy tents.” We see som ething rem arkable here. Zebulun and Issachar are linked together be cause they are two opposites. Zebulun rejoices in going out and Issachar enjoys staying in his tents. Zebulun is an extrovert and Issachar is an introvert. Yet they are linked together in this end-tim e prophecy that Moses gives. “They shall call the people u n to the m ountain;” “ T hey,” it says, not Zebulun alone and not Issachar alone, but the tw o o f them together. They need each o th er and God needs them to be together. They com pli m ent each other. One can chase a thousand, but the tw o. together, can put 10,000 to flight. (D euteronom y 3 2:30) God has linked them together by an affinity that comes through opposites. It is the positive and the negative, the conductor o f pow er, the 8

m agnetism o f creation. Zebulun is outgoing, and always going ou t. Issachar would rath er stay p u t It is th e hardest thing in the w orld to get him started on a journey. He w orks till the last m inute, packing everything he can th in k o ff in his sl“ tcase and ®V^ o th er suitcase he can find to p u t s tu ff in to , and the plane is already due to take off, before you get him o u t o f the door. Y ou pray all the way to the airport, th a t y o u wi n o t miss y o u r flight, and th an k G od, God answers prayer! B ut once y o u get them going o u t together, they are going to have a message for th e people! T hey will “ call them to the m o u n tain .” Issachar is n o t a grand-stander o a “ gate crasher” b u t wherever he goes, he will leave his tracks in the sand. People will rem em ber him w ith fondness. He does n o t seek fo r fam e or acclaim o r ™ recognition. He will never push people o u t o f his way. He is never at the fro n t o f the line, b u t he will be there, helping som e weaker, older person to get to the fro n t o f the line. Can you see th e w onderful team th at God has? Z ebulun’s going o u t his exube rance his spirit o f adventure, and Issachar’s strength and reasoning, always slowing Ze bulun dow n. T ogether, they call th e people to the m ountains. It does n o t say they call them “to th e c ity .” They w ant to get the people back to the basics, the true basics o f life They have a real m inistry for the end-tim es. Especially as God is calling m any people o u t o f the cities. Everyone th a t doesn’t NEED to live in the city, o r is not called there to do m issionary w ork, should GET OUT. The Zebuluns and Issachars are calling the people o f God to go in to the m ountains in these days. They are calling them “ to the lan d .” “ there they shall offer sacrifices o f righteousness:” It does n o t say th at they shall serve God in “ great tem ples.” No! They are not interested in “ tem ple-righteousness,” or “ tem ple-offerings ” R ather, they love the quiet, rem ote areas w here they can start a retreat centre, o r a camp m eeting and bnng together the alert people o f the end-tim e w hom God is calling to sim plicity and quiet w orship from a h e a rt th a t is filled w ith gratitude. They hate religious show-business.^ They detest th e smell o f “ burning flesh” on the altars o f our m odem synagogues. They w ant to serve God w ith a pure m otive and a pure.heart and they are looking for others who will do the same. They have discovered th at true w orship m eans to w orship the F a th e r in Spirit and in T ru th .” And o th er tribes will themselves to these for they to o will soon awaken to see the real need. But Zebulun, w ith his going o u t and adventuresom e spirit has found the tru th s o f God and Issachar (w ho has been lifted up in G od, even as he lifted o th er burdens) will be there ahead o f the other tribes, leading th em , because Issachar has the gift o f “ understanding o f the tim es, to know w hat Israel ought to d o .” “fo r they shall suck o f the abundance o f the seas,” Zebulun and Issachar will have a great harvest in this end-tim e. The “seas” in 9

th e scriptures is a sym bol o f hum anity, th e nations o f the w orld. God is saying here th a t Z ebulun and Issachar are going to possess th e abundance o f the wea a is hidden in th e nations o f th e world. The great w ealth o f the world is souls. Y ou will rem em ber th a t Zebulun lives on the coastal regions, he has th e ship as his sym bol. This depicts his going o u t, his sending the ships o u t to m any ports; in m any parts o f th e world. G od has promised these tw o tribes the hidden treasures o f the seas. These treasures are the deep tru th s o f God th a t are hidden from the eyes o f m m . G od is going to take his Zebulunites and Issacharites dow n in to the d ep th o f the seas where He will reveal to them the treasures hidden in the sands o f tim e th a t have ai there a t th e b o tto m o f th e earth since the beginning o f tim e. T hink o f the m any m u itudes o f souls th a t have suffered ship-wreck! Their ships have gone dow n, loaded with precious cargo. They are there at the b o tto m waiting for us to go and bring them back up. When Enoch was taken, when Noah laid his head in the arms o f Jehovah for the last tim e, when Moses disappeared on the m ountain, when Elijah to o k o ff ™ Nasa T p .c e centre, th ey to o k w ith them tru th s and secrets o f God which they had learned in their years o f living. We are going to go down in to the depths o f G o d s ocean o f love to bring these tru th s back up. I am not saying th a t these great saints and patriarchs suffered som e kind o f spiritual “ ship-wreck.” What I am sa y in g :is t h a : . is a great tragedy th a t th e y left, w ithout leaving us so m uch o f the tru th th a t God had1.or us But we will go dow n to the seas and in the sands o f tim e where we will discover again w hat they knew and possessed. These secret treasures that are hidden in the sand are only found w ith diligent seeking and hard digging. N ot only are their treasures found “ the sand. Now, the greatest place to find oil is in sandy areas o f the world. What else is in th e earth? Beside oil, there is gold and w ater and p reci o us jewels. God is saying th a t we are going to “ suck” oil and w ater and all these treasures out o f the earth. The Issacharite, the Z ebulunite and the Asherite have one thing in com m on. God ha prom ised them th at th ey will “suck” the treasures o u t o f the sand. As>her was told that he will dip his fo o t in oil. Even now , G od’s people are digging for oil in this spot, w here the “ fo o t” o f Asher is on the m ap o f ancient Israel and they are expecting to

find oil. These three tribes will n o t have to run here and there looking for “ oil.” They have their ow n prom ise o f a supply o f oil and w ater and all treasures o f the sand and o f the sea. They need it to o , because the people are going to come to them in droves looking for help and for advice and for m inistry. Then they will j ust have to dig another oil well to m eet the needs o f m ultitudes th at shall come to their m ountain. Y ou will n o t find these tw o tribes going o ff to look for a blessing in some dead church. They will n o t get m uch o f a blessing o u t of a ritualistic service, because mos 10

o f them get a far greater blessing o u t o f th eir ow n well. They have the s u p p ly jig h t tiipir nw n well They ju st “ p u t dow n the drill,” and glory to G od, just G od is going to give them tru th s in this end-tim e th a t have been hidden from th e foundation o f the earth. They will know tru th s tha they will n o t even be able to share w ith others. Tn the end-tim es the tw o will stand together as a du et o f trum pets, sounding the alarm ” or^pe^j^e to gather together, fo r they have this precious * f t o f ^ n erstandm g concerning th e tim es, to know w hat Israel ought to do. (I Chronicles 12.32)

TH E FAM ILY T R E E O F ISSACHAR Issachar h ad fo u rso n s. Genesis 4 6 :1 3 , “ And th e sons o f Issachar;T ola,andP huvah and Jo b , and S him ron.” 1 Tola: “ elongated, stretched o u t long, like a worm is s ti t c h e d o u t.” It also, means “ purple, crim son.” Tola was the father o f the Tolaites (Num bers 26.23) 2. Phuvah (also spelled Pua): “ shining, bright, to bray like a donkey, to call o u t.” Phuvah was the father o f the Punites. 3. Jo b (in an o th er place he is called Joshup):

“ It probably means “ Jehovah re

m em bered.” He was the father o f the Jashubites. 4. Shim ron: “ to w atch, to be w aitful, to be a keeper and a guardian.” He was the father o f th e Shim ronites. These fo u r nam es picture Issachar very exactly. At the beginning he will stretch him self o u t b ey o n d norm al. T he Issacharite has to be very careful, he is just like a w orm . He is always trying to do everything. He will take on five jo b s a t and th a t jo b and th e n e x t o ne, until he is going around in circles and has forgotten w hat he first o f all started o u t to do. He has usually got about ten pots on a fourburner stove and is trying to get them all cooking at the same tim e. He is so busy, th a t if you speak to him at the wrong m om ent he is irritated because, after a , e even pots are ju st to o m uch, even for an Issacharite! Catch him at the wrong tim e, and he will “ bray” it o u t a t you! The little donkey isn’t always th e docile angel th at he appears to be. I have heard him “brav o u t” in India. W hat a horrible noise! He w ould wake up anybody. “ Hee-haw hee-haw, hee-haw !” There are tim es, even in the life o f an Issacharite, when he ju st can’t take any m ore and then he “ explodes.” He might^even pick up one pot off the stove and thro w it o u t the w indow. Let us hope it isn t p o t num ber eleven. Afterw ards he is going to feel terrible, because he doesn’t w ant to be like th a t, and 11

he is so ashamed o f him self, b u t thank G od, he usually has the grace to say, I am sorry.” As Issachar com es in to m aturity he looks back and rem em bers the good things th a t G od has done fo r him and he is grateful to G od. The Lord finally fulfills the destiny o f an Issacharite as he becom es w atchful over his inheritance and enters into the m inistry o f guardian and keeper o f G od’s children. The Issacharites m ake beautiful spiritual fathers, pastors, and shepherds o f the flock o f the Lord. As a * w atcher he will be the last one to lock up the door at night, m ake sure the windows are closed if it rains, notice if there is gas in the tank and w ater in the radiator, when the car is ready for a jo u m ey , and all these little things, th a t m ost o f the tribes don t even think about. The Issacharite will w onder “ why couldn’t others think about these things? Why didn’t others get the car ready fo r the jo u rn ey ?” He won t understand these things. But they can’t, they are n ot Issacharites, and unless they are willing to be trained, they will only forget again. It is the d u ty and the responsibility o f an Issacharite to make sure th at there is air in the tyres. This is his personality, and he is a beautiful person. Any mission or m inistry that doesn’t have an Issacharite is going to have a lot more problem s because they are an essential part o f the body o f Christ. They will notice every “ loose screw” in the place. A woman who is an Issacharite is always going to be careful that there is enough m ilk for the baby, sugar for the coffee, bread for the children. She is n ot going to run o u t o f potatoes o r rice; n o t an Issacharite wom an! She is going to be stocked up ahead o f tim e, there will always be provision in her house.

HISTORICAL CHARACTERS O F TH E TR IB E O F ISSACHAR Census: When Issachar came into the wilderness there were 54,400. (Num bers 1:29) When they came to Canaan land, there were 64,300. God had surely m ultiplied them greatly. (N um bers 26:23) N athaneel: “ gift o f G od.” Num bers 2:5, “ And those th at do pitch next unto him shall be the tribe o f Issachar: and N ethaneel the son o f Zuar shall be captain o f the children o f Issachar.” Igal: “ God set free, God will redeem , God will buy back.” Num bers 13:7, “ O f the tribe o f Issachar, Igal the son o f Joseph.” This is n o t the Joseph who was one o f the brothers o f Issachar. This is a m an o f the tribe o f Issachar who was nam ed after Joseph. Igal was one o f th e twelve spies w ho w ent in to Canaan to spy o u t the land. He went into Canaan land w ith a nam e th a t he couldn’t live up to. Because he was not able to really believe th a t God w ould “ buy back Canaan from the devil.” Sometimes we find we have nam es we can’t live up to , b u t I believe th at if we are willing to n o t 12

ru n

w ith the crow d and n o , "

h

“ n nam ed hy th e L ord, even t h o u ^ our parents didn’t

know they were doing it by the com m and o f God. Paltiel- “ G od delivers, ou r salvation is o f G od.” Num bers 3 4 :26, “ And the prince o f the tribe o f the children o f Issachar, Paltiel th e son o f Azzan. Paltiel was prince of the tribe when Israel came in to Canaan. Historical acco u n t:

Issachar stood on M ount Gerizim to bless the Children of

Israel and to speak o u t the promises o f God. .

in - i

t

“ And after Abim elech there arose to defend

was buried in Shamir. Tola, who was nam ed after one o f the sons o f Issachar was a judge over Israel for 23 years. He was the 7th judge over Israel. He was the son o f Dodo, which m eans “ beloved, his friend or uncle or s itu a lll'b e 'c a u s e L X d t h r i f t o f being a true Issacharite, a guardian o f God s people. THE WEAKNESS O F ISSACHAR D u„. n 1 5 1 6 -1 6 :1 3 ) King Baasha, the second king over Israel was o f the trib e 'o f Issachar. (I Kings 15:27) Please read the story for full understanding. It seems as if God raised him up to destroy the h o u se o f Jeroboam , the>first king

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will make thy house like the house o f Jeroboam the son o f Nebat. (I Kings 1 6 .2 .J) We find in th is story such a tragedy. Issachar is such a beautiful p e jo n , but e^ „ in him we find weaknesses and sins. There is som ething w ronS ^ i Lord said that he “ did evil in His sight.” He becam e proud and hfted up. He was the 13

hum ble “ donkey” o f Israel. How could this happen to him? God rem inded him that he had “ exalted him o u t o f the d u st.” How could he fall so far, th a t God n o t only wiped him ou t, b u t also all his posterity? The trouble cam e when Issachar “ exalted him self.” God had lifted him o u t o f the dust, b u t he th o u g h t he had lifted him self up. W henever an Issacharite forgets th a t he came o u t o f the d u st, he is finished! An Issacharite m ust always rem ain hum ble. This is his strength. His greatest tem p tatio n comes to him when he is m ade a king or de liverer, or given a position o f prom inence. It is so easy, a t th at m om ent when he has an exalted position, to “ lord” it over those who he thinks are inferior to him . He’ll look dow n at them , as if they are so m any “ worm s crawling under his feet.” But as long as he rem em bers th at he him self gave birth to “ a w orm ,” (rem em ber Tola, his first-born, means “ w orm ” ) and th at he is a “ n o b ody,” there is absolutely no lim itation in the life o f an Issacharite. As soon as an Issacharite loses his hum ility, he loses his identity, and then he has no destiny. The curse o f God came on Baasha when he came against king Asa o f Judah who was really quite a good m an. He planned to do som ething against Asa. He built a great fo rt that he called Ramah. It was like a wall. It was the first wall ever recorded in the Bible that was built betw een countries. It rem inds me o f the Berlin wall betw een East Berlin and West Berlin which has been built by the Com m unists. Satan is always putting up walls betw een husbands, and wives, parents and children, a rd betw een m em bers o f the body o f Christ. When this happened, King Asa o f Judah got alarm ed. He saw that Israel was sepa rated by religion, separated politically, and now they would be separated by the wall. King Asa lost co n tro l, and in a m om ent o f frenzy and fear, he hired the enem y coun try, one o f the G entile nations, to come over and fight with him and to defend him. And o f course, God d id n ’t bless him for that. God sm ote him and he was crippled in his legs over that also, because God was saying to him , “ D on’t you know that the eyes o f the Lord run to and fro thro u g h o u t the earth to show Himself strong in behalf of those who put their tru st in Him. I could have helped you, why didn’t you ask Me? Why did you go and hire help from the enem y? Why d id n ’t you trust in Me?” They w ent to b a ttle ; King Baasha was destroyed and all his fam ily was killed. That was the end o f th e second dynasty. So we see an Issacharite’s weakness is this, th a t he can becom e tem pted to leave his hum ility and becom e lifted up. If he does he will lose his purpose fo r life. Pride cannot carry burdens. When I think that Issachar could have carried on the royal fam ily o f Israel, I realize w hat a tragedy happened to him. But then, I really believe th at it was never m eant to be. To the Issacharites I would like to say, “ D o n ’t ever try to be a Judahite. T hat is Ju d a h ’s place in God. If God exalts you, t h a t’s fine, but always rem em ber, you are exalted from the dust. Never forget it!”

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LATER GENEALOGY OF ISSACHAR I Chronicles 7:1-5 gives us an interesting record o f the genealogy o f Issachar dating about the tim e o f Kind David. It tells us th at the sons o f Tola were valiant^men o f m ight At the tim e o f David they num bered 22,600. They had m any wive and sons They were lusty, loving, big-hearted, valiant men and they m ade great soldiers and were the kind the Lord needs for His front-line battle fields. They were some of the greatest men in David’s arm y. MEN O F UNDERSTANDING 1 Chronicles 1 2:32 says, “ And o f the children o f Issachar, which were men that had understanding o f the tim es, to know what Israel ought to do; the heads o f them were tw o hundred; and all their brethren were at their com m andm ent. An Issacharite doesn’t speak m uch. He is usually a quiet, reserved person He is not a “ b labberm outh,” like some o f the rest o f the tribes are, b ut when an Issacharite has som ething to say, even if it takes him a while to get it o u t, you really ^ u l d l i s t e n . because he has understanding concerning the times. God is rai the 12,000 Issacharites to be His leaders in these days. They are going to be men who may never be seen behind pulpits, they may not even be great prayer-w arriors. but they are going o have understanding concerning the times. They are going to make preparations for what is coming and they will work together with the Josephs in laying up the store or the days o f fam ine. They see ahead, and know that born w ithin them is an instinct ot what is going on in governm ent and in high places. They will always try to keep up with what is happening politically and econom i cally in the c o u n try . They will always be subscribing to newspapapers and magazines that have this type o f inside inform ation, b u t never getting around to reading them , because they are ju st too busy to read, but they will read a headline here and a column there, and they will be alerted. It is the Issacharites who know when to buy up stock on the stock m arket and when to make investm ents. We need them in this hour to tell us (Israel) w hat to do. When David came into pow er, he founded a new dynasty. It was an eternal dynasty. A new kingdom was being established upon the earth , an eternal one. The Issacharites are going to be called o u t to stand up and do battle for a new dynasty that is going to take over all the world in these times.

THE GENEROUS SPIRIT O F ISSACHAR I Chronicles 12:40, “ M oreover they th at were nigh them , even u n to Issachar and 15

Zebulun and N aphtali, brought bread on asses, and on camels, and on m ules, and on oxen, and m eat, m eal, cakes o f figs, and bunches o f raisins, and wine, and oil, and oxen, and sheep abundantly: for there was joy in Israel.” This is what these three tribes did in David’s new kingdom . They brought these supplies for a great, big feast. First o f all, there was bread on asses. 1 w onder who supplied the asses. No d o u b t, they came from the “ donkey tribe.” Issachar will al ways have the vehicle, the m eans o f transport. They love cars, they love anything that moves Any old pile o f ju n k is like a treasure to them . If it is broken dow n and falling apart, som ething they paid $50.00 for, and 15 years old, it is even that m uch m ore an object o f affection. Haven’t they spent hours o f loving care, working on it? A fter all, th at old pile o f ju n k isn’t ju n k to an Issacharite. It has a personality, it is alm ost a living thing. Look at all they brought: m eat, flour, grain, figs, raisins, wine, oil, oxen, and sheep in abundance. This is one thing about the Zebulunites and Issacharites and N aphtalites, they are very generous people. They give everything they have got to give. They ju st give, and give, and give, and give. They have a giving heart. It takes that giving heart, when a kingdom is new. when a work is new (like David’s kingdom was), to stand behind it and believe in it and sacrifice for it, and make it grow. God needs people who ire generous-hearted, who will give their hom e, their car. their jew ellery, their pay-eheque, their tim e, and their love. He needs people who will dig deep into their bank . And that is how Issachar gives, and when there is nothing left to give, he cries. He is broken-hearted, because there is nothing left to give. But when they give, they are tilled with such joy and rejoicing because they know they have m ade a wise investm ent in the Kingdom. Hallelujah! One thing about Issachar is this, that because he has understanding concerning the tim es, he will only give to the m inistry that is doing som ething for God. He is not going to be deceived into ing som ething that is not a part ot King David s king dom. Then too, he will give, because he knows w hat is coming soon upon the earth and he w ants to make an investm ent th at will be eternal. He knows that no anti-christ system can take from him th at which has already been deposited in the bank of heaven. It is the only secure place that there is left now.

ISSACHAR IN TIMES O F REVIVAL II Chronicles 3 0 :1 8 ,1 9 , “ F or a m ultitude o f people, even m any o f Ephraim , and Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves, yet did they eat the over otherwise than it was w ritten. But Hezekiah prayed for them , saying, The good Lord pardon every one T hat prepareth his heart to seek G od, the Lord God of 16

his fathers, though he be n o t cleansed according to the purification o f the sanctuary.” When the great revival took place in Jerusalem under Hezekiah. Issachar had a p art in it. They had understanding concerning their tim es. According to the laws o f Judaism , they should n o t have been perm itted to eat the over. But Hezekiah prayed from th em , and although they did n ot go through the ritual laws o f purifica tion. G od saw th a t their hearts were pure before the Lord and He spared them and let them receive His blessing. WOMEN O F GOD IN TH E ISSACHAR TRIBE Abishag: (I Kings 1:1-4) Abishag is the beautiful Shunam ite woman who was chosen, for her beauty and tenderness, to take care o f David in his old age. She was very fair and she cherished the king. It was not a ionate affair, but a kind of “ m otherly love” th a t she had for him. Even though she was young, she had th at instinct o f know ing how to take care o f him. It was good th at they chose an Issacharite because the women o f Issachar are in deed “ m others in Israel.'7 This is their gift, just like the men are “ fatherly and guar dians.” Only an Issacharite would think. “ What does the dear, little, old man need now? O h. o f course, he needs his back rubbed." Only an Issacharite woman would be able to take this place o f hum ility, for even though she was young, she could accept not being able to be fulfilled by a normal marriage relationship. David d id n ’t need a ionate Bathsheba. His time o f love affairs was over. He needed an Issacharite who would love him in the gentle way as only a daughter o f Issachar can. Any man who is m arried to an Issacharite. though she may not be the “ belle o f the to w n .” will love her and appreciate her m ore and m ore, because she will be there to serve him. When he comes home from work, she will have the meal on the table. She will not be sitting, watching TV. because she wants to serve, she was born to serve. She has a beautiful servant's character. And you men should stop looking for “ glam our girls” and ask C.od to give you an Issacharite. I tell you th at anyone who marries “a d o n k ey ” will have a happy life...except the Balaams, because the donkey is going to keep the rebellious Balaams from going into sin. That stubborn instinct o f that donkey (Issacharite). will keep the one he loves from des truction. no m atte r how difficult. T he Shunam ite wom an: (II Kings 4:8-37) In this amazing story we read the story o f a great w om an o f the Shunam ite family o f Issachar. She seems to have had a great heart, a hospitable spirit, which is typical o f the Issacharite w om an. She asked her husband to prepare a “ p ro p h et’s cham ber” where Elisha, the man o f G od, could stay when he was travelling through the land. She put in a few pieces o f furniture, a bed, a table, a stool and a candlestick. And every tim e th at Elisha came through there, he stayed in th at hom e, and she “ m othered” this prophet. She was not a very old 17

wom an either. She was still in child-bearing age. The Bible says th a t he turned m th ith er to “eat b rea d .” So we can see how she fed him and blessed him . This is typical o f the generous, loving heart o f an Issacharite housewife. As a reward, Elisha prophesied th a t she would have a son. Like m ost Issacharites she had a hard tim e believing it. But nevertheless, it came to . When her son becam e sick, she had “ understanding concerning th e tim es and knew w hat Israel ought to d o .” When her son died, she laid him on the bed, shut the door, w ent o u t, saddled an ass, rode o ff as fast as she could to the prophet o f G od, not telling her husband one word (which is typical o f an Issacharite, rem em ber, they can keep th eir m ouths sh u t) and, casting herself dow n at Elisha’s feet, hung on to them te naciously until he prom ised to accom pany her back to her house. He returned with her and raised her son from the dead. Years later a fte r her husband seems to have died, Elisha warned her of a famine th at God would send on the land for 7 years, and he advised her to take her family and go wherever she felt was best. She left the area and w ent to live in the land o f the Philistines for seven years. At the end o f th at tim e she returned, and when she found th at som eone else had taken over her land, she w ent to see the king to ask him to give it back to her. G od was looking o u t for her. Just as she came before the king, it happened that G ehazi, the servant o f Elisha, was telling the king about the miracle that had happened to her. Even while they were talking about it, behold, the woman arrived in the royal court. When Gehazi saw her, he was amazed and said, My lord O king, this is the w om an, and this is her son, whom Elisha restored to life. When the king’ found this o u t, he im m ediately ordered th at her land should be restored to er plus all the fruits o f the field since the day she left the land until then. (II Kings 8. - ) That story shows you how the Issachartie women have understanding concerning the tim es. She knew exactly when to stand before the king. She was n o t one m m ute too early or one m inute to o late. T hat is the w onderful thing about the Issacharites, it seems th at even though they are often so slow, they still are always right on schedule with G od’s timing. Surely this Shunam ite was a “ m other in Israel” who knew how to claim and possess what was hers. DEBORAH I know some o f you will be surprised to see th at I nam e Deborah as an Issacharite. There is a great deal o f controversy over the tribe o f this woman o f G od. I have studied and searched and prayed and I believe God has shown me. But first o f a w ant to show you w hat tribes she m ight be, and why.

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N aphtali: Som e people believe she was o f th e tribe o f Naphtali because she prophesied to Barak who was o f N aphtali (Judges 4 :6 ), and she worked in co-operation w ith him m arching a t his side, to win a glorious victory over th e enemy. Zebulun: N aphtali and Zebulun are often found united in the same cause. (Judges 5-18) T he story tells us th a t she told Barak to “take with thee 10,000 m en of the children o f N aphtali and o f th e children o f Z ebulun.” Why would she call for m en o f these tw o d ifferent tribes, if she did n o t have some special influence on b o th o f them - Barak as a N aphtalite and herself as a Zebulum te? Surely b o th tribes res ponded to th e call o f these tw o leaders. Ephraim : M any believe th a t she belonged to the tribe o f Ephraim because she lived in a place betw een Ram ah and Bethel in M ount Ephraim (Judges 4 :5 ) It is high y probable th at she w ould be an Ephraim ite wom an if she lived in Ephraim . B ut then it is also possible th a t she could have m arried an Ephraim ite and moved to live in his tribal region. So this does n o t prove she was an Ephraim ite, just because she lived there. Israelite w om en were expected to leave their own inheritance to live w ith their husbands in theirs. Manasseh: The tribal sym bol for Manasseh from ancient tim es is the palm tree. Deborah lived under “ the palm tree o f D eborah.” Is it n o t possible th a t this palm tree, th at we identify w ith Manasseh could have its roots in D eborah’s hom e, the place where she prophesied and where the children o f Israel came up to her for judgm ent? (Judges 4:5) Issachar: One o f the sym bols o f the tribe o f Issachar, which is n o t often seen, is th at o f the sun, in all o f its brightness, even the noon-day sun. This sym bol is the sign th at Israel chose to use for its tribe-stam ps to signify the tribe o f Issachar. In Judges 5:31 we read, “ So let all thine enemies perish, O Lord: b u t let them th a t love him be as the sun when he goeth forth in his m ight.” The New King James Version translates it “ as the sun w hen it comes o u t in full strength.” This verse is th e very last verse o f D eborah’s song, which she w rote and which she and Barak sung together. Is it n o t significant and highly probable th a t this “ sun which comes o u t in full strength” and w hich is believed to be the sym bol o f Issachar, refers to Deborah herself? F or surely she loved the Lord and she was stating th a t the one who loves Him should be th a t shining noon-day sun. Jewish trad itio n identifies her as an Issacharite. I have accepted it. You can do w ith this w hat y o u wish. Looking u p o n her as an Issacharite, we see some m arks o f identity to this tn b e. 19

1 She was surely “ a m other in Israel.”

She even calls herself by this name.

(Judges 5:7) 2. She had understanding concerning the times and knew what Israel ought to do. 3. In a. b. c. d. e.

her wisdom she could see: whom G od had called to lead His people: w hat tribes should go to battle: how m any soldiers were needed: the strategy o f where to attack : when to attack (“ this is the day in which the Lord has delivered Sisera into

thine h a n d :" ): f. she knew th a t God had gone out before them (Judges 4:14): g. she knew th a t a woman would get the honour (Judges 4:9): h. she m arched right along with Barak. (Judges4:10> Josephus says. “ Barak said that he would not be the general, unless she would also go as a general w ith him .” She was a real soldier herself, fearless, wise, daring, and courageous. She had the characteristics o f the m ilitary nature o f her tribe who were true warriors in Israel. Deborah left us all an example o f the greatness that God can put into one o f His daughters. She was a judge in Israel for apparently quite a long time. Josephus says that Barak was judge for 40 years and that they both died almost at the same time.

POSITION OF ISSACHAR In the wilderness, around the tabernacle: Issachar was situated with Zebulun and Judah on the east side. I w ant to draw your attention to the fact that Issachar and Zebulun are alw ays together. They were com panions throughout history and on into the future. In the Prom ised Land: The lot for Issachar fell from M ount T abor, towards Jezreel and in the area o f Shunem (this is where the two Shunam ite women we m en tioned came from ). The fact that Mt. Tabor is located at the boundary o f Issachar. is also a p ro o f that D eborah was an Issacharite. The location o f Issachar is listed in Joshua 19:17-23. T heir neighbouring tribes were Manasseh on the south. Zebulun on the n o rth , w ith the Jordan River located on the east. In the M illenium:

Issachar will be located betw een Simeon and Zebulun.

(Ezekiel 48:25) T he G ate o f Issachar: In the New Jerusalem , the Gate o f Issachar will be on the n orth side with Simeon and Zebulun. 20

And so we see again the close relationship w ith Issachar and Zebulun. You know th a t they are bound to succeed as they live together and labour together, loving each o th er and serving the Lord. What God has ed, let no man put asunder!

CONCLUSION Issachar, you beautiful tribe, in conclusion let me say a few things. Please listen to m e, and listen carefully. One thing a b o u t you is, that you do take tim e to listen. It is hard for you to always be ob ed ien t to w hat the Lord says to you. You try . but you have m any doubts because your ow n nature is very firm and unm ovable. I would speak to you as a m other in Israel,” even though I am not o f Issachar. but I am closely related to this tribe, in th at I feel I can find you “ in the Spirit.” Y our nam e signifies tw o opposites in your nature. One: you are a servant with a servant’s h eart, low ly, burdened and faithful. The o th er thing is that there is another m eaning to y o u r nam e, a m eaning that has been hidden through the centim es, and that is the root-w ord nasa , which means “ to lift up high, to fly." Please rem em ber this beautiful tru th when the burden gets so heavy that you do not know how you will carry it any longer. Lay it at the feet of the Lord. He said. “ Come unto m e. all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (M atthew 1 1:28) There are burdens you do not need to carry. These are burdens ot your own making. Satan knows your weakness is in your strength and in your own calling. He would “ bog you d o w n " with a lot of unnecessary burdens, which are not ot the Lord, b ut rather from y o u r own heart and your own spirit. Learn to take all these things to God and let Him sort them out for you. so that your back is not broken spiritually. You will lose o u t with G od. if you are not careful. You are troubled about many things that d isturb your quiet spirit. Learn to take each day at a tim e. Spend more tim e in prayer, reading the Word o f God. Do not becom e a slave to work. Be careful that you do n o t let the devil tell you that you will get rewards for all the unnecessary burdens which you carry. Jesus is standing there at your desk. He wants you to share your burden with others. Do n o t assume th at no one else can do as perfect a job as you can. Maybe it is true that they can ’t, but let them at least try to help you. We love you! We need you! Please try to let your soul be freed from the shackles o f your own slave-labour cam p. God w ants to give you your wings. The tim e for them to be given to you is now . He w ants to lift you up high into His presence. How will you ever rise to meet Him in the clouds if you can’t rise to m eet Him day by day in the spirit?

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Force yourself to pick up your Bible in the morning when you get out of bed. Discipline yourself in Godliness and spiritual devotion. And one day, all those burdens will be left behind at Calvary and you will be lifted up into the glory of His presence and realize what a servant to tribute you have been for so long. And I pray for you. beloved Issachar. that that day will be this very day.

Z ebulun BY GWEN SHAW

This chart was taken from The A dam an d E ve F am ily Tree, produced by th e Good Things Com pany. Used by perm ission.

Cover by Cynthia Peal!

C opyright 1982, Gwen R. Shaw End-Time H andm aidens, Inc. P.O. Box 447 Jasper, Arkansas 72641 Ail rights reserved.

P rin ted in the U nited S tates o f A m erica

PRAYER “ Beloved F a th er in heaven, we hum bly ask You to come now and to u ch us, th at we m ay see beyond the natural and beyond our own lim itations o f understanding to discern w hat You w ould have us to know concerning Your son, Zebulun. We know th a t this is a special tribe in so m any ways, for you have blessed them beyond w hat they deserve. Help us today to share the blessing w ith the anointing that comes from the “ pen o f th e w riter.” (Judges 5:14) In Jesus’ name. A m en.”

TH E NAMING O F ZEBULUN “ A nd Leah said, G od h a th endued me w ith a good dow ry; now will my husband dwell w ith m e, because I have born him six sons: and she called his nam e Zebulun. And afterw ard she bare a daughter, and called her nam e Dinah. (Genesis 3 0.20,21) Zebulun is th e te n th son o f Jacob and the sixth son o f Leah. He was the last son th a t Leah bore her husband.

TH E M EANING O F THE NAME Zebulun was nam ed by his m other. You will have noticed th at all o f Jacob’s sons were nam ed by th eir m others. The only one th at was nam ed by the father was Benjam in, and th a t is because Jacob changed it after his wife, Rachel, died. Z ebulun comes from the Hebrew word zebuluwn (zeb-oo-loon) which m eans “ to dwell in ,” and comes from the root-w ord zabal (zaw-bal) which m eans, “ to enclose, to reside, dwell w ith .” With his b irth , Leah breaks fo rth in trem endous m aturity in G od. Her striving, her struggle, has been transcended. She has moved into the m atu rity o f know ing th at God has done it. She said, “ G od has endued m e w ith a good dow ry.” The w ord “ d ow ry” com es from the Hebrew w ord zebed (zeh-bad) and m eans “ a gift, a dow ry.” Please notice the sim ilarity betw een these tw o words. Leah is saying, “ God has endued m e w ith a good zebed, and she called his nam e Zebulun. It is alm ost like a play o f w ords, and I feel th at Zebulun m eans m ore th an dwelling, th a t it also m eans “ a gift.” She thanked God fo r her dow ry o f six sons. Webster defines dow ry as, “ The p ro p erty th a t a w om an brings her husband at marriage. A natural talent, gift o r endow m ent.” Surely Leah had given Jacob the double p o rtio n , for, as I explained earlier, if a w om an gives a m an three sons in the O rient, she is consi dered to be a very special and honourable wom an w ho has received great gifts from “ the gods.” Leah had twice as m any as th at. She was happy and she was content. Her 1

arm s were full o f love. The burning ion, th e unfulfilled needs o f the night had becom e a thing o f the past. She had a dowry and for th a t she praised God. The wom en o f Am erica are destroying their “ dow ry” by abortion. They do n ot realize the greatness o f their inheritance in God. They are casting their treasures out o f th eir bodies and rejecting the greatest gift th a t any wom an can have while on this earth , her children. A w om an’s dow ry is still her children. “ N ow will my husband dwell w ith m e.” This w ord, which has been translated “ dw ell” in the King James V ersion, is used only once in the Bible. It comes from the Hebrew word zabal (zaw-bal) w hich, as I said, m eans “ to enclose, to dwell w ith, to reside.” You know th at she had to “ hire Jacob” on the night th at she conceived Issachar. But now , she knows in her h eart th at Jacob is going to move over and live in her tent. She believes that God is going to cause Jacob to turn to her fully and m ake his habita tion in her ten t. She is going to “enclose,” to surround, to wrap some invisible fence around him , so th at he is hers, and hers alone. Zebulunites w ant to do this. They have an inner instinct o f w anting to protect others against the w orld. T h at is why they are hospitable people. They w ant to put their arms around o th ers End keep them safe from all h u rts and evils. They would gladly build walls around th eir best friends and children, n o t w anting them to ever leave the safety o f hom e, because they have th a t natural, God-given instinct th a t every body who lives w ith them will be safer than out in the w orld. They m ay n o t always be able to express it (Zebuluns find it very hard to express their true feelings), b u t they feel it deeply, when those w hom they love, leave them to strike it out on their own. It grieves them to see th eir children leave hom e, their co-workers take o th er jobs, their friends to depart. A ny division or separation is to rm e n t for the Zebulunite. One o f the reasons th a t the Zebulunites cannot share their true feelings easily, is because they n o t only p u t a wall around the ones whom they love, they also p u t a wall around their own hearts. They are so afraid o f being h u rt. A ctually they are very, very sensitive people, b u t because o f th a t wall they have around their hearts, very few people know how sensitive they are, because they try so hard n o t to show it. Only those who are close to th em , can see the “ weeping behind the curtain o f the ten t.

SYMBOL The sym bol o f Zebulun is the ship. This sym bol comes from the prophecy th at Jacob gave Zebulun, and also from the one th a t Moses gave him . I will enlarge on its m eaning in detail u n d er th e prophecies. 2

Because a ship is referred to as fem inine, I will speak o f Zebulun in the fem inine gender.

GEMSTONE T he gem stone o f Zebulun is very fitting. It is the aquam arine. The aquam arine was form erly know n as th e beryl. The Encylopaedia Britannica states, “ The aquam a rine is a transparent variety o f th e beryllium ore beryl. It is valued as a gem , having a delicate blue or bluish-green colour, suggestive o f the tin t o f sea w ater. Em erald is the green variety o f th e same m ineral. Some o f the finest come from the U.S.S.R.. When you realize th a t the em erald and the aquam arine are so closely connected, you can understand the relationship th a t exists betw een Judah and Zebulun, for there is an affinity betw een these tw o tribes, even though Zebulun and Issachar are linked together alm ost as though they were twins. Because Z ebulun’s inheritance is related to th e sea, it is very fitting th at the gem stone o f this tribe is the aquam arine. The word “ aquam arine” comes from tw o Latin words: aqua, m eaning “ w ater,” and marine, m eaning “ the sea.” Every tim e a Z ebulunite looks at her beautiful aquam arine ring, she is lifted up out o f the land and in her spirit she is “ sailing the blue-green seas.” She feels the call o f d istant shores, th e far away places w ith strange sounding names begin to call Zebu lun. She wears th e stone well, and it fits her personality and her spirit. Both the gem stone, and the colour are beautiful on a Z ebulunite wom an.

PROPHECIES - JACOB “ Zebulun shall dwell at th e haven o f the sea; and he shall be for an haven o f ships; and his border shall be u n to Z idon.” (Genesis 49:13) When Zebulun stands on the sea shore and looks o u t in to the distant horizon, she can see far, far aw ay. Z ebulun has this view o f far horizons. She sees ahead, and this is why she fits in so well w ith Issachar who also has understanding into the future. Zebu lun has a view and a vision. This gives her a concern for distant lands and people. People who they m ay never see in this lifetim e, will still be rem em bered and thought about by the Z ebulunite. Som ething inside o f her goes o u t to those far-away people, som ething calls her to them . The Z ebulunite at the haven o f the sea looks o u t in to the distance and w atches the ships going o u t in th e face o f the storm . She also sees th e little ones, trying to come into th e shelter because a storm is apppoaching. Zebulun watches the d ark clouds covering the sky. She sees the storm -tossed sailor on his ship, trying to m ake it safely 3

to the shore, and Zebulun cares and prays. Zebulun will always feel the need to throw o u t th e life-line across the dark waves. T hrow out th e Life-Line across the dark wave, There is a b rother whom som eone should save; Som ebody’s brother! oh, w ho then will dare To th ro w o u t the Life-Line, his peril to share? R efrain: T hrow o u t the Life-Line! T hrow o u t the Life-Line! Som eone is drifting away; T hrow o u t the Life-Line! Throw o ut the Life-Line! Som eone is sinking today. T hrow o u t the Life-Line w ith hand quick and strong. Why do you tarry , why linger so long? See! he is sinking; oh hasten to d ay — And o u t w ith the Life-Boat! away, then away! Refrain T hrow o u t the Life-Line to danger fraught m en, Sinking in anguish where y o u ’ve never been: Winds o f tem p tatio n and billows o f woe Will soon hurl them out w here the dark w aters flow. Refrain Soon will th e season o f rescue be o’er, Soon will they drift to e te rn ity ’s shore; Haste th en , m y brother, no tim e for delay, But thro w o u t the Life-Line and save them today. Refrain This burden for souls will m otivate the life o f Zebulun. T hey, like Issachar, have a burden to o , b u t it is a burden for souls, whereas Issachar’s burden is m ore o f a bur den for th e work th a t m ust be done so th a t these souls can be reached. Zebulun is a winner o f souls. She will go and go and go, and when she cannot go any longer, she will look for other ships th a t she can send o u t to sea to find the ship-wrecked souls th at are crying for help in the darkness and the storm . The Z ebulunite will climb the highest m ountains, cross the h o t and burning desert, to reach these souls th a t need to be brought into the “ enclosure, even the fold o f the sheep (sheep-fold). “ and he shall be a haven fo r ships;” 4

The Z ebulunite has a special m inistry for the traveller who is weary w ith the journey o f life. Her m inistry is to m ake a hom e for the w anderers, the lost, the deso late ones. The Z ebulunite always has a stretched-out hand, a concern for the soul that comes w andering by. The d estitute will always find an open heart w ith the Zebulunite. N or m ust they ever close up th a t h eart o f com ion, for they will suffer if they do. There are times w hen God would have them to be firm , and to guard the lam bs in His enclosure, against the w olf, who also comes knocking a t the d o o r o f the Zebulunite, looking fo r a way in which he can come in and rend the sheep because he knows that the loving Zebulunite can hardly tu rn anyone aw ay, even a wolf. And this is th e weak ness o f the Zebulunites. They som etim es have perm itted wolves to come in and make strong in-roads in to their hearts and m inistry, only to find later, th at they have paid very dearly for it. The devil always uses o u r strong points and o u r good points to destroy us. “ and his border shall be u n to Z idon.” Zidon Was G entile territo ry through all o f the Old Testam ent tim es, b u t it was given to Asher, only he never possessed it. Rem em ber th a t the nam e Zidon comes from the Hebrew tsiydon (tsee-done), which m eans, “ to catch fish.” This is so fitting a prophecy for Zebulun. They are called and appointed by G od to catch “ fish,” even big fish. They are fishers o f m en. It was in the area o f the Zebulun territory th a t Jesus said to His disciples, “ Follow m e, and I will m ake you fishers o f m en.” (M atthew 4 :19) This word “ fishers” comes from the G reek halieus (hal-ee-yoos) and it means “ sailor,” as well as “ fisher.” It is quite a different thing to be a fisher on a river o r lake and one o u t on the ocean. The fish are different, the dangers are greater, the am ount th a t one can catch out at sea is stupendous. I rem em ber going fishing w ith m y husband and some Nova Scotia fisherm en o ff the coast o f Canada. In several hours we caught over one hundred huge blue-fish. It was unbelievable. They were so big and heavy. I couldn’t have pulled them on to th e boat. And they were caught so quickly and with tw o or three lines o u t, we were pulling them in constantly. This is the life o f Zebulun. When the o th er tribes stand on the shore and ire the view, Zebulun is looking beneath the surface and “seeing the fish” who are waiting to be caught by th e life-line o f the Blood o f Jesus.

MOSES D euteronom y 3 3 :18, “ And o f Zebulun he said, Rejoice, Zebulun, in th y going o u t; and, Issachar, in thy tents. They shall call the people u n to the m o u n tain ; there they shall offer sacrifices o f righteousness: for they shall suck o f the abundance o f the seas, and o f treasures hid in the sand.”

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“Rejoice, Zebulun, in thy going out.” This is a com m and to Zebulun to rejoice when she prepares to go on a journey. Zebulun is n o t p erm itted to stay hom e very long. There are tim es when she would like to unpack her suitcase long enough to get her clothes in to the draw er, but God has a way o f pu ttin g the “ hornets after her.” God has ways o f making it easier for Zebulun to say good-bye to h er fold, which she loves so m uch, and go out across the w aters to those o th er folds w here she m ust also preach the Gospel. Once she gets on the road, it is n o t so hard to keep going. It is th at last day, just before the journey, when all the packing has to be d one, and the heart has to get itself ready to say good-bye, th a t the call o f the Z ebulunite is the m ost difficult. To be a Zebulunite does n ot always mean th a t one LIKES to travel. It means though th at one is CALLED to travel. The com m and to REJOICE is from the Lord, and He fulfills what He comm ands. He does create His jo y in the heart o f the Zebulunite, as she obeys the L ord’s com m and. N ot all Zebulunites are com m anded to leave their hom es. Some m ust also go in prayer and intercession, or in their finances (by sending others). If you are a Zebu lunite, you may never get to the missionary field, but you will always have the call and the burden for missions all the days o f your life, and you will radiate His joy from your life, only as you fulfill the calJ o f God on your life, to “ go o u t” in any way th at you can. The Word o f God says, “ And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is w ritten, How beautiful are the feet o f them th at preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings o f good things!” (Rom ans 10:15) Zebulun has tw o office-works. One is to go and the o ther is to send others. Many o f the great missionaries (the “sent ones,” for that is the m eaning o f the name “ m issionary” ), when they have grown too old to travel, have organized great missionary organizations th at have sent thousands to the missionary fields. Once a missionary - always a missionary. Once a Zebulunite - al ways a Zebulunite. And oh, the “ fish stories” th at the Zebulunite can tell! You just can’t keep her quiet. She is always talking. She always has one “ b e tte r” to tell than the last one. As a Z ebulunite, I m ust confess, th at I DO know one b e tte r too. After all my years of experience on the mission field (since 1947), I have so m uch to share. I have been in over 100 nations. I have lived with the people. I know their heart-beat. I know better stories about the devil than anyone else. I know better stories about angels than any one else, b u t I always ask the Lord to help me n o t to talk so m uch. But a Zebulunite is “ out-going” and so she cannot keep it to herself. If she cannot tell it, then she wants to write it. Tell us Zebulunites to keep quiet, and we will “ die.” “They shall call the people u nto the m ountain;”

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W ith Z ebulun’s gift o f speech, she m akes a good “ tow n crier.” She is never happier than when she is sounding the alarm, preaching the gospel or shouting it from the housetops. Like Issachar, th e Zebulunites have a vision, and so they call the people in to the place o f revelation, new revelation; “high m ountains” speak o f new revelation in God, new heights in God th a t have been conquered. “ there they shall offer sacrifices o f righteousness:” The Zebulunites are ready to offer the sacrifice o f righteousness because they have th e burden o f the Lord. They m ake w onderful prayer warriors. They often have been given the m inistry o f intercessory prayer. They w ant purity and honesty and real holiness. They cannot stand sham or false spirituality. They hate the Babylonian sys tems. There is no way th at they can work along w ith m an’s program m e. It means nothing to them . N either is there any lim itation to the sacrifices th a t Zebulun will m ake. They are radicals, when it comes to serving the Lord and giving the best that they have to Him. D on’t try to stop them , they will only pull up the anchor and sail for a b e tte r fishing spot. They love th e freedom o f the open seas and they will take advantage o f fulfilling their calling by setting th eir sails to take them to lost horizons and unchartered seas where they will discover lost continents not yet know n to m an. “ fo r they shall suck o f the abundance o f the seas,” And no one know s the secret o f the abundance o f w ealth and supply o f food, th at lies in the seas, like Zebulun. She does n o t only go o u t in the day tim e. Even in the hours o f the night her boats are o u t there, w ith their lights on, attracting the fish into their nets. For Zebulun shall dwell in the light and this light will a ttrac t others to her.

ZEBULUN IN BATTLE Zebulun makes a w onderful fisherm an, b u t a terrible soldier. She will avoid any confrontation as long as it is possible. But when the tim e comes th a t she m ust defend her fold, then she is ready to m uster her arm y, and when th a t happens, w atch out! It will seem as though she has saved all her energy for one BIG battle. In Judges 4 and 5 we read the story o f Deborah and Barak. D eborah was o f the tribe o f Issachar and Barak was o f the tribe o f N aphtali. But Zebulun knew a righteous cause when they saw one and so they were forced into battle. Besides, they heard the call o f the Holy Spirit. When God spoke in prophecy through D eborah, His prophetess, “ Take w ith thee ten thousand men o f the children 7

o f N aphtali and o f the children o f Z ebulun,” Zebulun was ready to obey the comm and o f the Lord. If Z ebulun is convinced G od has spoken, nothing will hold her back. They had suffered under the cruel sword o f Jabin, the king o f Canaan long enough. It was tim e to be liberated. They were faced w ith an issue from which they could n o t escape, and they knew that the hour had come when they had to come face to face w ith the enem y. There was no turning back. She could n o t bear the suffering o f the people any longer. T hat is the only thing th at will challenge a Zebulunite.-.love and comion for her people. It is the only thing th a t will m ake h er go to battle. She will not fight for herself, but she will for er little ones whom the Lord has given her. If it was just herself who was concerned, she would unfurl the sails and sail on. What a battle th a t was! Josephus says that when “ they came down to close fight, there came dow n from heaven a great storm , w ith a vast q u an tity o f rain and hail and the wind blew the rain in the face o f the Canaanites, and so darkened their eyes, that their arrows and slings were o f no advantage to them , nor would the coldness o f the air perm it the soldiers to m ake use o f their swords; while this storm did so m uch incom m ode the Israelites, because it came in their backs. They also to o k courage, upon the apprehension th a t God was assisting them , th at they fell upon the very midst o f th eir enem ies, and slew a great num ber o f them ; so that some o f them fell by the Israelites, some fell by their own horses, which were put into disorder, and not a few were killed by their ow n chariots.” The hail and heavy rains turned that battle field ot Jezreel in to deep m ud and their chariots were useless. God gave Zebulun and Naphtali a m ighty victory on th a t day. God honours these tw o tribes in the words of the song o f praise th a t Deborah w rote and sang w ith Barak, “ Zebulun and Naphtali were a people that jeoparded their lives unto the death in the high places o f the field.” (Judges 5:18) This kind o f sacri fice is w hat Zebulun believes in. They love the cause th at is pure and righteous and for it they are willing to lay down their lives, if need be. They are fearless o f t e strongest enem y, and they will willingly stand up and fight, even if it is a WOMAN who has given them the challenge and called them forth, for they have the ability to under stand it is n o t flesh o r b lo o d , b u t the Holy Spirit who is doing the calling. “ In the high places o f the field.” This word “ high” com es from the Hebrew marowm (maw-rome) m eaning, “ ele vated, height, upw ard, far above.” It means th a t Zebulun is n o t only ready toi sail the seas b u t to climb th e m ountains for her God. She hears the call o f the Spirit. Zion,...get thee up in to the high m ountain;...and say u n to the cities..., Behold your G od!” (Isaiah 40:9)

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“ OUT OF ZEBULUN THEY TH A T HANDLE THE PEN OF TH E W RITER” Judges 5:14 G od has given Zebulun the gift and the anointing to use the pen as o th er men use the sw ord. But let us look m ore closely at this verse. It comes from the Hebrew word shebet (sheb-awt). It has m any interesting meanings, “ to branch off, a stick used for punishing, w riting, fighting, ruling, walking, correction, rod, sceptre, staff, trib e .” Its Hebrew word is only used once in the entire Bible. T he word ‘w riter” is caphar (sef-ar), meaning “ to score with a m ark, as a tally, to record, to inscribe, to enum erate, to declare, scribe, speak, shew fo rth , tell out, w riter.” God has given Zebulun m any gifts. These gifts will enable her to branch o ff into m any directions and grow far o u t o f the range o f her im m ediate surroundings. God has also given her the rod o f counselling, and the ability to give correction to those who are entrusted into her care. She can use th at rod to punish the one who needs correction. Zebulun has the sta ff for guidance, and the sceptre to rule her tribe is also a part o f her inheritance. T hen, she has been given in this same shebet the pen that will score with a m ark, tally up, record, write out w hat God wants recorded. The shebet is also used to conduct music by the leader. So we see the musical ability o f Zebulun, for she can sing as she can speak. God will give her songs in the night, poetry in her deep valleys and high praises on her m ountain tops. Blessed is Zebulun, indeed! Zebulunites are gifted people. They are m uch m ore gifted than they th ink they are. Because they have a tendency to run away from even their gifts, because every gift or talent th at we receive from God has responsibility, and with responsibility comes sw eat, and sacrifice, and also criticism . This is what Zebulun fears, th at som eone will n o t like the thing th at she has produced through her anointing and th at they will criti cize w hat she feels God has given her, for she knows th at w ithout His help, she could not have done anything at all. I never knew I was a writer. When I was a young girl o f 15, I used to wish that I could be a w riter. I wished th at I could some day write songs and m ake up little stories. But everything I tried fell flat. I lacked som ething. It was the anointing o f the Holy Spirit. W ithout this anointing my pen was dry, my poem s were dead. But one day, w hen I was m any years older, through heartache that I was ing through, I cried o u t to God from the agony o f my soul and a still voice w ithin me said, “ D aughter, read the Song o f Solom on!” I knelt dow n by my bed, m y Bible open in front o f m e and I began to read. Suddenly the “ Teacher” came and began to teach me. I was lifted up above m y situation, m y environm ent, m yself, and as the T eacher taught m e, I listened. I saw things th at no man could teach me. When I opened my eyes, three hours had gone by. It had seemed like 5 m inutes. I sat in G od’s presence day after day from 9 o ’clock in the m orning till 12 noon, five days a week, and always the 9

Lord spoke to me and I recorded it. I never dream ed it would turn into a book. I didn’t th in k anyone w ould read it. But it has been published and been a blessing to thousands o f people. It is the song o f the bride and her heavenly Bnedgroom . It is our song o f love. I give all the glory to God. A fter the experience G od has given me m any m ore beautiful books and songs, and He constantly increases the anointing to do m ore and m ore for Him, for everything we have comes from Him and everything we do, belongs to Him.

IN TH E TIME O F GIDEON Judges 6:35, “ Arid he (G ideon) sent messengers throughout all Manasseh; who also was gathered after him : and he sent messengers unto Asher, and u n to Zebulun, and unto N aphtali; and th ey came up to m eet them .” • When the angel o f the Lord called Gideon to lead his people in a battle against the Midianites, he called fo r the Zebulun tribe to him in the battle and they came willingly to help. I do n o t know how m any o f them returned hom e, but certainly o the num ber o f those th a t were left (300), there m ust have been some from Zebulun. Zebulun is faithful to answer the call when there is a need. They are true fie n d s , even willing to lay dow n their lives for a friend. They are loyal and n o t double hearted. IN THE TIME OF KING DAVID When the soldiers o f the tribes came dow n to w ith David in H ebron, it is w ritten o f Zebulun, “ O f Zebulun, such as w ent forth to battle, expert m war with all instrum ents o f war, fifty thousand which could keep rank: they were n o t o f double h eart.” (I Chronicles 12:33) This word “ double-hearted” means th at they were not double-m inded. People who are double-m inded are unreliable. James says (James 1:8) A double m inded m ind is unstable in all his ways.” Zebulunites will shun someone whom they have found to be double-m inded. They fear th at person like the plague. You only need to deceive a Z ebulunite one tim e. You will never win their confidence again, un less you have proven y o u r loyalty after a long tim e. They will watch you to see if you have changed. A Z ebulunite dem ands o f her friends the same loyalty as she gives them . The trem endous num ber o f 50,000 soldiers in the tim e o f David who were “ ex*“ Song o f Love” by Gwen R. Shaw available from End-Time Handm aidens, P.O. Box 447, Jasper, ARK 72641 S3.95 plus postage and handling.

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pert in war” proves th a t Zebulun was ready for the b a ttle when the need arose. There were m ore from this tribe than any o th er in Israel w ho ed themselves to David and this was because th ey were tired o f the corruption in Saul’s reign. They knew th at David was genuine, and th a t he was anointed o f God and they w anted th e real thing, the “ righteous sacrifice.”

THEY COULD KEEP RANK This is arm y The didn’t w ant to shoulder.

a beautiful quality. It speaks o f the ability to know their place in the buck-private didn’t w ant to be the drill sergeant and the drill sergeant to be th e general. They m arched in perfect unison, they fought shoulder It also m eans “ to m uster th e b a ttle .”

T hey ed in the celebrations w ith King David, bringing along their share of good things to feast on like Issachar and N aphtali did. (I Chronicles 13:40)

ZEBULUN AS JUD GE In Judges 1 2 :11,12 we read about a Z ebulunite w ho was a judge. “ And after h im , Elon, a Z ebulonite, judged Israel; and he judged Israel 10 years. And Elon the Z ebulonite died, and was buried in Aijalon in the country of Zebulun. Elon means “ th e prom inent, elated, exalted, noble one; oak, strong o ne.” He is nam ed after one o f the sons o f Zebulun.

FAM ILY TR E E O F ZEBULUN Zebulun had three sons. Genesis 4 6 :1 4 , “ And the sons o f Zebulun; Sered, and Elon, and Jahleel.” Sered: the fath e r o f the Saradites. His name m eans “ to get away, escape, flight, save, pasture-land.” Elon: the fath e r o f the Elonites. The m eaning o f Elon is “ the prom inent, elated, exalted, noble one, oak, strong one.” Jahleel: the fath e r o f Jahleelites. Jahleel m eans, “ wait upon G od.” Let us look a t the m eaning o f these names m ore closely. Surely they describe the nature o f Zebulun.

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Sered reveals the weakness o f Z ebulun to flee from a situation, to escape and get away from anything th a t will give her pain. She is an “ escapee.” You w ould call this kind o f person an “escapist.” And certainly this is true. If she has no place she can flee to in order to escape a d ifficu lty , she will escape in to herself, pull down her shade, o r build up her wall around h e r and y o u ju st try to get inside o f that! It is practically im pos sible. It m akes her look hard and cold, b u t really, it is only her protection against the pain she feels. The d efinition fo r this word, “ pastureland” also reveals how when one is fleeing from a situ atio n , he is looking for greener pastures elsewhere. Zebulun in herited this trait from his fath er, Jacob, who fled from the face o f his b ro th er, Esau. He also fled from his father-in-law , Laban. The Z ebulunite is never going to stand and face an issue if she can avoid it. If she has to , th o ugh, she will face it w ith courage and strength. But if she can avoid it, she certainly will. She will escape on the first b o a t leaving, the first plane taking off, or the first car driving off. If she sees a battle getting ready, and she can avoid it, she will sneak o u t a t the back door. This is especially true o f a Zebulun in her im m ature nature. As she grows in to m atu rity , God begins to p ut “ iro n ” in her soul. She will her self be surprised at th e strength she suddenly finds inside herself. Elon: As Z ebulun grows in to m atu rity , she becomes the L ord’s strong oak. She is n o t always looking fo r an easy way to escape the situation. She realizes th a t there is no place to get away to and she m ust face the problem s sooner or later. This is the beginning o f her prom inence in the Lord and God can begin to make a “ noble one” o u t o f her. If you are a Z ebulunite, you will never becom e strong in G od, unless you stop running away from difficult situations. You have to determ ine to get hold o f your natural weaknesses and p u t dow n roots right where you are, so th a t you can be th a t strong oak th at stands firm , no m atter how the storm blows. Then you will see the pow er o f God w ork on y o u r behalf. Jahleel: This nam e m eans “ w ait upon G od.” When a Zebulunite reaches her m aturity in G od, she learns, th a t the secret and the key o f being strong, is to wait upon God. She is n o t in a hu rry to board the first ship leaving the harbour. She enters into a place o f rest where she know s th a t she can trust for God to w ork things o u t in her life. She rem em bers th a t th e W ord o f God says, “ They th at wait upon the Lord shall renew th eir strength; th e y shall m o u n t up w ith wings as eagles; they shall ru n , and not be w eary; and they shall w alk, and n o t fain t.” (Isaiah 4 0 :3 1 ) She knows it, not because she read it, b u t because it has becom e an experience to her. It works!

ZEBULUN ON MOUNT EBAL In D euteronom y 2 7 :1 3 we read th at Zebulun stands w ith R euben, Gad, Asher, Dan and N aphtali to u tte r th e warnings to the people o f G od. This is the only place where Zebulun and Issachar are separated. Issachar stands on Mt. Gerizim to bless, while Zebulun stands on M t. Ebal to curse. They are n o t together. But I rem em ber I 12

told y o u they were opposites. So it is still all in the plan o f God. One m ay preach the Word from this angle and another from th at angle, but it is still the same message and we are united in th e Lord.

WEAKNESSES O F ZEBULUN In Judges 1:30 we read, “ N either did Zebulun drive o u t the inhabitants o f K itron, no r the inhabitants o f Nahalol; b u t the Canaanites dw elt am ong th em , and becam e tri butaries.” While it is true th a t Zebulun drove o u t m ore o f the enem y than m any o f the other tribes, still there were tw o different ones th at they did n o t get rid of. Let us look at them . 1.

K itron com es from kithliysh (kith-leesh) and it m eans,

wall o f a man.

One can still see by this the wall th a t Zebulun builds around herself. It is a long standing weakness in her character, which she only can overcom e through the power of the Holy Spirit w orking in her life. If she is n o t careful, she will becom e separated from the ones she loves, because th a t wall will cause a com m unications break-down betw een herself and those w ho love her. Many marriages have fallen apart because the dem on “ K itron” sits betw een husband and wife, and the wall he builds up is so strong th at only prayer and fasting can break it dow n, and som etim es even th a t does not w ork, because everyone is a free m oral agent. 2. Nahalol com es from th e Hebrew nahalol (nah-halole) which m eans “ bush and pasture.” Y ou see, the weakness - the desire to escape to the pastures or in to the bushes rem ains still in Zebulun. It m ay seem ridiculous, b u t the tru th is that if we know our weaknesses, we have won h alf our battle. Zebulun did n o t drive o u t all o f these inhabitants. They only fought as m uch as they had to fight. They felt th a t if it wasn’t necessary, they would ju st settle down and m ake “ peace treaties” w ith the adversary. Many people are like th at. ‘ Peace, at any price” is their m o tto . And it is true th at peace is blessed, b u t n o t at ANY price.

REV IV A L IN ZEBULUN II Chronicles 3 0 :1 0 , “ So the posts ed from city to city through the country o f Ephraim and Manasseh even u n to Z ebulun: b u t they laughed them to scorn, and 13

m ocked them . Nevertheless divers o f Asher and Manasseh and o f Zebulun hum bled themselves, and came to Jerusalem .” We have m entioned this revival under King Hezekiah earlier, b u t we will ju st trace it briefly in connection w ith Zebulun. Here again we see the weakness in Zebulun. “ They laughed them to scorn and m ocked th em .” This is the im m aturity o f a Zebu lunite before God gets hold o f her. She will m ock and laugh and deride u ntil she is convinced it is God. Before the Lord cam e in to my life, I was ju st like th at. I would sit in a revival m eeting and ju st m ock and ridicule th e messenger o f God. It was a part o f m y nature. It was only after God cam e in to m y life, th a t He to o k the m ockery out o f me. But I thank G od, th a t even though Zebulun has a tendency to m ock, th a t some of them hum bled themselves and came to Jerusalem . There are those who will hum ble themselves when the call comes fo rth to go up to Jerusalem , the place o f revival, the place o f G od’s visitation. I th an k God th at, in spite o f the fact th a t I was a m ocker, when the Holy Ghost got a hold o f me, I hum bled m yself by the grace o f God and came “ up to Jerusalem ,” the city o f sacrifice, and laid m y life on the altar and m y life was com pletely turned around. I was no “bench-w arm er.” I said, “ Yes L ord!” I dedicated my life to God. I gave God 100%. And this is the way the Zebulunites m ean business when they surrender their lives to G od. They cannot bear to live a double life. It is n o t in their character. They give all to G od, or nothing at all.

A T TH E MOVING OF TH E ARK In Psalm 68:27,28 we read, “There is little Benjamin w ith their ruler, the princes o f Judah and their council, th e princes o f Zebulun, and the princes o f N aphtali. Thy God h ath com m anded th y strength: strengthen, O God, th at which thou hast w rought for us.” When David m oved the ark, Zebulun was there in Jerusalem rejoicing and praising the Lord. Zebulun always enjoys the blessings o f the Lord; the moving o f the ark has always been a tim e for Zebulun to come and sing and shout and praise the Lord. And God has promised to strengthen them . God knows th at Zebulun needs the extra strength in their life, so they w o n ’t run away from the challenge, but rather fulfill G od’s will in their lives.

LIGHT IN ZEBULUN In Isaiah 9:1-5 th ere are five w onderful prophetic verses concerning Zebulun. I 14

love these verses. They are full o f promise for Zebulun. “ Nevertheless the dimness shall n o t be such as was in her vexation, when at the first he lightly afflicted the land o f Zebulun and the land o f N aphtali, and afterw ard did m ore grievously afflict her by the way o f the sea, beyond Jordan, in Galilee o f the nations. The people th at walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in th e land o f the shadow o f d eath, upon them h a th the light shined. T hou hast m ultiplied the n atio n , and n o t increased the jo y : they jo y before thee according to the jo y in harvest, and as m en rejoice when they divide the spoil. F or th o u hast broken the yoke o f his b u rd en , and the staff o f his shoulder, the rod o f his oppressor, as in the day o f M idian. F o r every b a ttle o f the w arrior is w ith confused noise, and garm ents rolled in b lo o d ; b u t this shall be w ith burning and fuel o f fire.” This is a prom ise o f a special visitation o f God upon Zebulun and Naphtali. God says th a t though they were in gloom and darkness and they were lightly esteem ed at the first, afterw ards, in Galilee o f the G entiles, He is going to send a great light th at will come shining o u t upon the Gentiles from Zebulun and N aphtali. The light will be so bright th a t those w ho are sitting in darkness are going to see it, even those in the land o f the shadow o f death. God prom ises to send them w onderful jo y , even the jo y o f the harvest tim e, when they divide the harvest because He is going to break the yoke and the burden th at is upon their shoulder like He did on the day He broke the yoke o f Midan. Zebulun understood this language. They loved the tim e o f harvest w hen there was feasting and rejoicing and laughter. As m issionaries, they have a great concern to bring in th e harvest. And when God sends a wave o f revival, they will be right there in the m iddle o f it, rejoicing and shouting and praising the Lord. They know th a t when the blessing o f the Lord falls, all the yokes are broken and all the burdens are lifted o ff their shoulders. No one can force a Z ebulunite to carry any yoke or burden that is not o f the Lord. They ju st shake it off. You m ust rem em ber, they run from trouble, so they will run also when it is good to run. Som etim es it is good to get away from trouble. It is n o t always necessary to stay and fight things o u t till the finish. God also said, “ Be still and know th a t I am G o d .” Zebulunites love this scripture. Verse 5 is a very descriptive and sad verse. God says that the sandal o f everyone o f the soldiers w ho fell in the b attle, and everyone o f the garm ents (uniform s) th a t are covered in blood will be used for fuel to light a big fire. T hat could refer to enemy soldiers, b u t it could also refer to soldiers o f Zebulun. Sometimes in the battle we lose our shoe, we get o u r garm ents bloodied, b u t if God turns ou r bloody garm ents into a covering o f fire, then th a t is good to o . I know He has done that w ith m e, and I praise Him for it, though at the tim e it was n o t easy. We m entioned th a t Elon, the Z ebulunite judge, was buried in Aijalon o f Zebulun. Aijalon was the place where Joshua com m anded the sun to stand still and the m oon 15

n o t to rise up over the valley. It was in the land o f Zebulun where the sun shone for m any hours longer th an the day is naturally. “ So th e sun stood still in th e m idst of heaven, and hasted n o t to go dow n ab o u t a whole d ay.” (Joshua 10:13) How fitting it is, th at God let the sun shine these long hours over the tribe o f Zebulun. God was helping Zebulun to fight for th eir possessions. They removed the wicked o ff the face o f the earth and possessed th eir land. Zebulun is the land o f light. T he Z ebulunites love to have all the lights on in the house. They are always w asting electricity. They cannot stand darkness. They hate to pull dow n th e shades. They d o n ’t even care th a t m uch for candle-light. They w ant all the bright lights sw itched on, big picture windows. They hate dark glasses and can’t stand to see people w earing them all the tim e. If they go into a dark restaurant, they feel like saying to the w aitress, “ Please, tu m the light on here.” The Zebulunites are “ children o f light.” T he sun d oesn’t go dow n easy over their heads. They will be up till the last one goes to bed at night, they ju st d o n ’t w ant to waste the tim e sleeping. There is so m uch to do. They w ant to stretch the day o u t ju st as long as they can stretch it. If you get a Z ebulunite and an Issacharite together, they just never get to bed.

JESU S IN ZEBULUN Jesus came preaching the Gospel o f light and glory all through the district o f Zebulun. The scripture o f Isaiah was fulfilled here at the Sea o f Galilee, ju st as the prophet Isaiah had prom ised. Here the Light shone and covered the area around it, reaching o u t in to the G entile nations. Perhaps, this is where Zebulun got its missionary heart, even when Jesus’ sandaled feet walked over it. It was His garm ents, rolled in blood, that bought Z eb u lu n ’s salvation, and from His sacrifice the fire was started which burns in the heart o f every true Z ebulunite today.

POSITION OF ZEBULUN In the wilderness: Zebulun was located on the east side o f the tabernacle to gether w ith Judah and Issachar. In th e Prom ised L and: Zebulun was given its lot tow ards the north. Its northern tribe was N aphtali, its so u th ern Issachar, its western Asher, and the Jordan River and the Sea o f Galilee were on th e east. In the M illenium: In th e Millenium Zebulun will be in the far south just betw een Issachar and Gad. Gates o f the Holy C ity: and Simeon.

Z ebulun’s gate is located on the south side w ith Issachar

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Did you notice th a t throughout tim e Zebulun and Issachar are together? They surely have a special relationship w ith each other, which we already m entioned under Issachar. ZEBULUN’S TESTIMONY In The Lost Books o f the Bible Zebulun tells an interesting story o f how he loved Joseph because they were so close together in age and when his brothers tried to kill Joseph, Zebulun fled behind him, beseeching them not to kill him. He tells how Si m eon, Gad and Dan were the ones who hated Joseph the m ost and wanted to kill him, b u t were convinced by the other brothers to sell him . He grieves over the terrible deed they did, b u t is afraid to tell his father Jacob. Zebulun tells how God spared him sickness when all his brethren were sick and th at G od rewarded him , for he said, he had lived a pure life w ithout known sin. When he lived by the sea-coast, he m ade a boat to sail upon the sea. He said that God told him how to do it, and he describes what it was like, sailing along the shore. He started catching fish for the house o f Jacob and ed the family in this way, until they came into Egypt. Every sick, aged, or stranger th at came his way, was al ways given a free fish-fry. The strange thing is th at this custom still continues in northern Scotland today among the fisherfolk. One day, in w inter, he saw a man w ithout clothing and he secretly stole a garment from his father’s house to give to the poor m an, so great was his comion for others. He gave a warning to Israel that in the day they are divided into tw o heads, they would lose their strength and be swallowed up by their enemies. He prophesied that after m uch suffering, the Lord would arise and He would be seen in Jerusalem . He closes by saying, “ I shall rise again in the m idst o f you, as a ruler in the midst of his sons; and I shall rejoice in the m idst o f my tribe, as m any as shall keep the law of the Lord and the com m andm ents o f Zebulun their fath e r.”

CONCLUSION In closing, I would like to say a word to my fellow-Zebulunites. Surely you are a blessed and beautiful people. The Lord has given you some o f the greatest blessings of all o f the tribes. He has given you the sea w ith its riches, the sands o f the earth with its w ealth o f oil, w ater and m inerals, the burden for th e nations and the ability to go out to distant ports and bring the Light to those who sit in darkness. He has blessed you with the true Light that lighteth every man th a t com eth in 17

the world and has called you His children o f Light. It is your task to send it out to others. God has given you the shebet, th at powerful ability in your hand for writing, fighting, ruling, correcting, guidance and leading others. Use it wisely. Do n o t waste this gift. N either disregard it as though it were not im portant. Treasure it! He has given you the com panionship o f Issachar and Naphtali and the under standing o f Judah. The Lord has walked on y o u r shores and done miracles there. He has graced Ze bulun w ith the true light o f heaven. You have been given the word o f revelation, the secrets o f eternity and com missioned you to share it w ith others by word o f m outh and by pen. You have a peaceable spirit, but you are ready to fight when it is necessary. God has given you the gift o f hospitality and m ade you a haven to m any ships. Keep the heart enlarged and th e doors o f your house open, and God will surely bless your going o u t and y o u r com ing in, even as you.do the same for others. R em em ber your weaknesses. God has warned you. Do n o t run from a difficult situation and seek o u t those green pastures to get away from the crowd. Do not build a wall around yourself w hen you are h urt or offended. Forgive! When I come to see y o u , have y our supply o f fish ready to share it with me! To gether we will enjoy a good fry, dear Zebulunite.

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Zebulun - Hymn

Used by permission.

Words and Music by

5.

For ships a haven to maintain the open sea Thy fish domain, Thy sons are fishing free and frank, throw out their nets on bo th its flanks.

Thus blessed Jacob Zebulun before captivity began this blessing bro’t Him to the coast where he may dwell, called by our Host.

7.

Thy Holy Ghost blows us thus far, with loyal minds, unlocked we are; We pray to Thee, Emmanuel: “ Light \^>^11 tribes o f Israel!”

(Christmas) Now standing, Lord, close by Thy sea,

If people see in their own mind 1 their descent from real Isr’el kind, thus Zebulun will firstly see His coming Light Which set them free.

Twelv’ thousand out of Zebulun arise before His Light’ning Throne Extol the Lamb and praise His name, All Israel a golden flame.

8.

on Christmas Eve, expecting Thee, we pray to Thee, Emmanuel: “ Light up all tribes o f Israel!”

BY GWEN SHAW

P rinted in the U nited S tates o f A m erica

PRAYER “We pray, oh Lord, th a t the Holy Spirit shall indeed come upon us and quicken us w ith th at pow er th at comes from on high. Thank You Lord for opening Y our Word to us now and giving us a quickening and discerning through the aid o f the Holy Spirit to understand th e tru th s concerning this w onderful tribe o f Manasseh. Am en.”

THE NAMING O F MANASSEH “ And u n to Joseph were born tw o sons before the years o f famine came, which A senath, the daughter o f Potipherah priest o f On bare u n to him. And Joseph called th e name o f th e firstborn Manasseh: For God, said he, h ath made me forget all my toil, and all m y fath e r’s house.” (Genesis 4 1 :50,51)

MEANING O F THE NAME The nam e “ Manasseh” means “ one who makes to forget, one th e suffering and the father’s house, replacem ent, substitute.” interpretation o f it is, “ The gaining back o f the inner balance in ces in spite o f being separated from the accustom ed and familiar you happiness.”

who lets you forget The m odem Jewish difficult circumstan life which had given

This is a beautiful name and one which will bring encouragem ent to those who belong to this tribe, or who are closely related in some way to a m em ber of the tribe. We are living in tim es in which we m ust go through m any heartaches and trials. So m any o f us have been deeply wounded in ou r spirits by past experiences and tragedies which we have had to suffer. Some have even been wounded in the spirit from the tim e they were in their m other’s wom b when they suffered rejection in a subconscious way. We m eet people whose m others tried to abort them , but were unsuccessful in the atte m p t physically, however still it has left a scar on the soul and the spirit. Others have been wounded in childhood by hate and rejection. And then there are those who have suffered rape, beatings, the cruelty o f war, the shedding o f blood, and the nagging o f a wife o r husband. The world is full o f deeply scarred people. Joseph suffered rejec tion by his ow n brethren and m any o ther terrible experiences, b u t when he held Ma nasseh in his arm s, th e miracle o f forgiveness took place in his heart, for it is impossible to forgive w ith o u t forgetting. The spirit o f Manasseh is the ability to forgive and n o t hold a grudge. If one is a Manassite and cannot forgive, then he never reaches his true calling. Satan tries to keep the Manassites from achieving this calling by constantly rem inding them o f the hurts they have suffered in the past, b u t as they enter into perfection, they will achieve this high place in G od where, because they can forgive and forget, they will be able to mi nister to thousands and reach o u t to save nations, as well as their own family. 1

Many tim es, because the Manassite is sentim ental and deeply fond o f certain indi viduals, he is m ore easily h urt than other tribes. He will love with a great deep love and becom e very attached to one individual, and then, when th a t one offends or disap points him , it is alm ost impossible for the Manassite to get over it. ^He just files it m his little “com puter” and says, “ I will never tru st th a t person again. But God is calhng him to rise above this tem ptation and weakness, to be able to n o t only forget and for give b u t to call o thers to forgive and forget, so th a t th e y , together, m ay e a e o gain’ back th at inner balance in difficult circumstances and adjust themselves to the new life which they m ust live, in spite o f being separated from th a t which they have learned to love and w hich has given them so m uch happiness in the past As Manasseh comes to perfection, he can say a good “ good-bye” to all th at he holds dear to his heart. But this is only as he reaches the strength which comes from the Lord, lh e Manassite does n o t like change o f anything. D on’t ever tell a Manassite th a t he is going to do som ething, and then change your m ind. You are in for a shock. A Manassite wants to know w hat th e future holds and wants to plan for it. He is very system atic and organized. The Manassites make good directors, pastors, secretaries and organizers. But they are apt to get so set in a pattern th at it is difficult for them to accept some thing new and different. They are loyal and faithful friends and are not easily fooled by a lot o f flattery and artificial friendliness. They look over a situation, judgm ent in a few m inutes and th a t’s it! D on’t try to change their m ind. All the talking in the world won t help. The Manassite has m ade up his m ind, and th a t’s it! And they usually are correct in their first impression o f people. The problem w ith this is th at they find it hard to love and have comion on those who are im perfect, so they have a real struggle in their spirits over it. But G od is able to give them His love, so that they can see their neigh bours” in the Spirit and love them with the comion o f Christ. When God brings a perfected Manassite into our lives, we are im m ediately com forted by th at beautiful, loyal friendship which brings com fort to ou r hearts and balance back into o u r lives after we have suffered the hurts o f separation from those whom we love and w hom we have lost. May God bring a Manassite into each o f our lives so th at we can rise above ou r “yesterdays” into the glorious future o f the children of God! SYMBOL The sym bol o f th e tribe o f Manasseh is the palm tree, even the Royal Palm-tree. The palm tree is one o f the m ost beautiful and well-loved trees in the world. There are probably betw een 3 ,0 0 0 and 4,000 species. The Royal Palm is one o f the m ost beauti ful o f all palm trees. Its great tall trunks resemble pillars that have been erected by a m aster architect. Psalm 92:12 states, “ The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree. The palm tree th at produces fruit is known fo r its ability to produce its best fruit m old age. The ro o t o f the palm tree is often the same length as the height o f the tree. 2

The palm tree is know n for several things. It grows in the desert; it stands strong and tall and firm when the winds blow. It is because o f its long roots th at the tree has such great strength. It also will bend w ith the wind. I have seen great typhoons come up in Hong Kong and when other trees are broken dow n by the strong wind, and chopped to pieces, the palm tree just bends w ith the storm . It bends, and bends, and bends. Now, th at has its disadvantages, if you bend when the devil makes you bend. But there are times when God wants to m ake you bend and you d o n ’t w ant to bend. If you do not have the ability to be flexible in a difficult situation, you will be broken by the storm . Som e people always w ant to fight, even when they cannot win, but it is better to “settle o u t o f co u rt,” as Jesus advised in M atthew 5:25, “ lest at any tim e the adversary deliver th ee to the judge, and th e judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.” I recom m end a message I preached on this subject.* When the wind blows you just say in your heart, “Well, today it’s m y turn to dip over this way, Lord, and so I’ll bend. Tom orrow the winds are going to turn around and i t ’s going to blow me another way, so then I will bend th at w ay.” You know that God is going to take care o f you in the storm . I have lived for m any years in the Orient where every year several typhoons through. I know the dangers that they bring, the loss o f lives and property. But I have never seen a palm tree broken by the storm . If you are a true Manassite, you will not “ crack u p ” when the storm s blow. The Chinese call the typhoon Kwei-feng which means “devil’s w ind.” And surely the devil blows up some real storm s against us, but the Manassite will still be standing tall when the storm is ed over. The palm tree grows best in the heat o f the desert. A true Manassite will flourish all by him self w ith o u t the help o f a lot o f Christian com panionship or churches to attend. In fact, he often would just as soon be alone at hom e with his Bible, enjoying the presence o f th e Lord. There, in the desert, he makes his own oasis and becomes a source of blessing to the pilgrims ing by. People think he is back-slidden because he does not w ant to run to every religious m eeting and so he is m isunderstood. But his roots are deep and he gets his water from hidden sources which nobody knows any thing about. A s,he comes into old age, he finds th at in his tw ilight years he produces even more fruit and blesses m ore lives than he has ever been able to do in his younger years. The branches o f some palm trees have leaves th at m ay grow 3 or 4 feet broad and 10-20 feet long and some exceed a length o f 50 feet. In the Bible they \yere used as a token o f victory. Every tim e a Manassite looks at his sym bol, he should rem em ber th at God has given him the sym bol o f VICTORY! There will be palm trees in heaven, as John saw them in the book o f Revelation. “ A fter this I beheld, and, lo, a great *G144 “ Settle O ut o f C ourt ” by G w en R. Shaw available from End-Time Handm aidens, P.O. Box 44 7, Jasper, A R K 72641 each tape $3.50 o r $10 .0 0 fo r 3 tapes plus postageand handling-

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m ultitude, which n o man could num ber, o f all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon th e throne, and unto the Lam b.” (Revelation 7:9,10) The palm tree has m any uses. Leaves o f some o f the palms are used as thatching material for prim itive tropical homes. I have preached in m any a thatched shelter called “ pandals” in India. The walls were open; the roofs were made o f palm leaves. O ther products o f the palm tree are sugar, starch, oil, coconut, wax, dates, and just plain beauty . M editate on these. There is a species o f palm which is valued for its “ cabbage,” the term inal bud which, if rem oved, will cause the death o f the tree. It is served in some o f the finest restaurants in the U nited States under the name millionaire s salad. In the heart o f every Manassite is a bud called the “ soul” which must be treasured because if it will ever be destroyed, it will cause the death o f th at one. A true Manassite will n o t easily sell his soul for the messes o f pottage that the world has to offer because he knows what it will cost him. GEMSTONE The gemstone o f the Manassite is the onyx. Many times we think of the onyx as being a black stone, b u t this is n o t necessarily the case. The onyx is a striped agate, a variety of quartz, in which white layers alternate w ith black. When brown or red bands occur, instead o f black, the stone is term ed sardonyx. The Romans applied this name originally to a type o f marble, now called onyx marble. Because o f the resem blance between its well-defined white and yellow veins and the shades in the finger nail, it was given the name onyx which is Greek for “ fingernail. It has been used a great deal in m aking cameos. Because of the different layers in the onyx, beautiful relief w ork is possible. The best cameos are those produced by the ancients. Beauti ful onyx is a true flesh-pink colour. This is the colour o f the tribe o f Manasseh and Ephraim because th ey do not have separate gemstones. There was only one gemstone in the breastplate o f the high priest for b o th o f the sons o f Joseph. They were sepa rated in their sym bols, but united in their gemstone. F or m any years cameos became almost extinct, but in the middle o f the 19th century a new source o f onyx was discovered in South America and so the art has been revived. Every w om an desires to own a beautiful cameo. The value o f the cameo de pends n o t only on th e stone, b u t also on the workm anship. The cameo is a com bina tion o f the creation o f God and the creative work o f m an. As Manasseh co-operates w ith God, a beautiful work o f the Holy Spirit can be w rought in his life to produce a gemstone th at is fit fo r the mansions o f eternity. Even as the onyx became rare and only recently has been discovered, so it is, th a t God is reviving and calling out the tribe 4

o f Manasseh in these days. And they are discovering their beauty and value as God works His w orkm anship into their lives by cutting and buffing and carving, so that the beauty o f the M aster’s touch can make them a special gemstone for the breastplate ot Jesus Christ, the true High Priest. PROPHECIES There is a great deal o f hidden m ystery in the prophecies o f Manasseh and Ephraim. When Jacob blessed them on his death bed, he blessed them under the name o f their father Joseph and did n o t separate them in a noticeable way. Moses did the same However, Jacob blessed the sons o f Joseph when he first came into Egypt and it is here th at we m ust search to find the difference in the blessings between these tw o tribes. JACOB “ And Joseph took them bo th , Ephraim in his right hand toward Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Israel’s right hand, and brought them near unto him. And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim ’s head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh’s head, guiding his hands w ittingly; for Manasseh was the firstborn. And he blessed Joseph, and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day, The Angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named on them , and the name o f my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a m ultitude in the midst o f the earth .” (Genesis 48:13-16) Father Jacob blessed them with the identical same blessing. It was only after Joseph interrupted and said som ething, th a t Jacob added to the blessing he had already given. “ And w hen Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him: and he held up his father’s hand, to remove it from Ephraim ’s head u n to Manasseh’s head. And Joseph said u n to his father, Not so, my father: for this is the firstborn; p u t thy right hand upon his head. And his father re fused, 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 m ultitude o f nations. And he blessed them that day, saying, In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God m ake thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh: arid he set Ephraim before M anasseh.” (Genesis 48:17-20) In Genesis 48:5,6 we read th at Jacob said earlier to Joseph, “And now thy two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, which were born unto thee in the land o f Egypt before I came unto thee into Egypt, are m ine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine. 5

And thy issue, which th o u begettest after them , shall be thine, and shall be called after the name o f their brethren in their inheritance.” There is no record or scripture o f Joseph having any o th er children. We m ust rem em ber that the eyes of Israel were “ dim for age, so that he could not see.” (Genesis 48:10) It was not something that he did o f his own voluntary will. The Spirit o f the Lord was no doubt upon him. He did n o t look at the beauty o f Ephraim and prefer him above Manasseh. God was revealing that Ephraim would become more powerful and m ore influential than Manasseh. But both o f them united together would be a blessing to th e world. God has the right to do what He chooses. It does not mean that He loves one tribe more than another. The blessing was the same to begin with. It was only after Joseph interfered that Jacob declared that the younger brother would be greater than the older and that his seed would become a m ultitude o f na tions. This word, translated “greater” by the translators, is only used two more times in the Bible. Once is in Genesis 4 1 :40 and the o ther time in Lam entations 4:6. It comes from the Hebrew w ord gadal (gaw-dal), which means “ to advance, boast, bring up, exceed, excellent, m ake great, increase, lift up, m agnify, be m uch set by, nourish, , prom ote.” It seems to refer to positions of power and government. And indeed it was in Ephraim th at the 10 tribes broke o ff from the rest o f Israel, separating the 10 tribes from Judah and Benjamin. In fact, it was an E phrathite, Jeroboam , who lifted up his hand against King Solom on and caused the kingdom o f Israel to be divided until 1948 when Israel again becam e a nation. (I Kings 11:26; 13:26-33) He not only was an anarchist, who com m itted treason against the throne o f Solomon, he also was the founder o f a rebel religion against Jehovah when he erected the golden calves in Bethel and Dan. He called the northern ten tribes “ Ephraim ,” and that name stuck. The ten tribes became known as Ephraim. Even God called them by that name. Throughout the book o f Hosea, God calls the 10 northern tribes by the name o f Ephraim. I believe that the Spirit o f God was looking ahead into the future and seeing just these things take place. There is a greatness th at power, valour, wisdom, and knowing the right people brings. But there is also a greatness that comes when the Lord pro motes you; and this is the kind o f greatness that we must strive after. Manasseh must never ever be envious o f Ephraim ’s greatness. For Manasseh has a greatness of his own which comes from the strength o f his deep roots in God and his ability to bend with the situation th a t he finds himself in. Also, God is able to change the Word He has spoken and leave a blessing in its place. Let us look m ore closely into the united prophecies given by Jacob and Moses.

JACOB’S PROPHECY TO JOSEPH “ Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall: The archers have sorely grieved him , and shot at him, and hated him: But his bow abode in strength, and the arms o f his hands were made strong by the 6

hands o f the m ighty God o f Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:) Even by the G od of thy father, who shall help thee; and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee w ith blessings o f heaven above, blessings o f the deep that lieth under, blessings o f the breasts, and o f the womb: The blessings o f thy father have prevailed above the blessings of my progenitors unto the utm ost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head o f Joseph, and on the crown o f the head o f him that was separate from his brethren.” (Genesis 49:22-26) “Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall:” The word “ bough” in the Hebrew is ben (bane) which means “ a son, anointed one, builder o f th e family nam e,” as well as “ a bough o f a tree.” The word “ branch” in the Hebrew is batli which also means “ daughter.” In this case it is the plural and can be interpreted, “ Joseph is a fruitful anointed son, even a fruitful son by a well; whose daughters run over the wall.” And this certainly became true o f the daughters o f Joseph, particularly o f the tribe o f Manasseh which we will look into more fully later under the heading of INHERITANCE. The word “ well” is used in connection with a fountain. It is typical o f the palm tree of Manasseh who gets his source of water from the hidden, underground springs and fountains through his great, long roots. “ The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him: This reveals the suffering of Joseph. The word “ archers” is chets (khayts) and means, “ a piercer, i.e. an arrow, a w ound, the shaft o f a spear. 1 It is in the wounding and the suffering that Manasseh becomes great. But this is not only true of Manasseh, it is also true o f Ephraim. Manasseh and Ephraim are united in their suffering and so they are united in the resurrection glory. Rem ember that Paul said, “That I may know him, and the pow er o f his resurrection, and the fellowship o f his sufferings, being made conform able u n to his d eath.” (Philippians 3:10) The Josephs (Manasseh and Ephraim ) are called to be united in suffering with Jesus. The “ archers” in the life of Joseph were his very own family. No one can hurt you like those to whom you are the closest. “ But his bow abode in strength, and the arms o f his hands were made strong by the hands o f th e mighty God o f Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel:)” Joseph is defending himself with the same weapon that is attacking him. Even as the arrows o f his enemy are shot from the bow, so, he too fights back with the bow. The Holy Spirit says that it is a strong bow, one th at “abides in strength.” It is only as 7

Manasseh and Ephraim stay grounded in the Lord th at they have the strength to con test their enemy. G od promises th at their hands would be m ade strong. The Ma nassite and Ephraim ite are also gifted in their hands to accomplish every task to which God calls them . “ (from thence is the shepherd, the stone o f Israel:)” Jacob, whose life was th a t o f a shepherd, was lifted in the spirit of revelation to see th a t there was an o th er shepherd, even the Great Shepherd o f the sheep, who came from the mighty God o f Jacob, and th at He was n o t only Chief Shepherd, but also the Rock o f Israel. “ Even by the G od o f thy father, who shall help thee; and by the Alm ighty, who shall bless thee with blessings o f heaven above, blessings o f the deep that lieth under, blessings o f the breasts, and o f the w om b:” This is a com plete and w onderful blessing. It includes the blessings o f the heavens which are the blessings o f the rain, the sunshine, the dew, good w eather, the planets, the stars and then the blessings o f God the Father and His mighty angels. If heaven is on your’ side, Joseph, w hat more do you need? And yet God has promised even more. The “ blessings o f the deep that lieth under.” The riches o f the world is reckoned by gold. Gold is “ dow n under.” God has promised to the sons o f Joseph the wealth o f the minerals, the gemstones, the oil, the fountains o f the deep, and the fertile ground. What more th an that can God promise Joseph, and yet He has promised even more than this, too. The “blessings o f th e breasts, and o f the w om b:” What good would all that riches be if we did not have children to hand it down to , or to share it w ith. It is our children who give us joy and w ho continue our life-line even after we have left this world. So God promises Joseph th e blessing o f children - children who will bring com fort and blessing to others, children who will be nourished from the m other s breasts. This also means spiritual children who are nourished by the Word o f God through the Ma nassite and Ephrathite. And who is this God who promises all this? Jacob calls Him “ the Alm ighty,” which is the femine nam e for God (the breasted one). God appears to Joseph as the God who has the special love (like th at o f a m other) for these tw o tribes. Perhaps it is because Joseph grieved so deeply the loss o f his own m other, Rachel, who died when she gave birth to Benjamin, while he was still a young boy o f about 6 years. So God, to com fort this m otherless child, reveals Himself as the God who loves like only a m other can love. “The blessings o f th y father have prevailed above the blessings o f my progenitors unto the utm ost bound of the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head o f Joseph, 8

and on the crow n o f the head o f him th a t was separate from his brethren.” Jacob is saying, the blessings th at Joseph’s father has given him are greater than the blessing which he received from his own forefathers. It seems impossible to believe th a t anything could be greater than the blessings o f Abraham and Isaac, and yet this is w hat Jacob is saying. It is because he blessed him , not as Jacob, the supplanter, but as Israel, the Prince o f God. “ Shall be on the head o f Joseph, and on the crown of the head.” This reveals th a t Joseph’s descendants would also have a royal line, as indeed they did through the kings o f the no rth ern kingdom , b u t n o t all the kings o f Israel were o f the family of Joseph. “ O f him th a t was separate from his brethren.” The w ord “separate” comes from the Hebrew w ord nazir (naw-zeer), which means “ to separate, consecrated, which is the exact same w ord used for the Nazarite. Surely God is calling the children o f Jo seph to a life o f separation from the conventional way o f living, even a life th a t is different than th e rest o f the Lord’s children. The Manassite and E phrathite are called to the holy life o f separation, no m atter how great the cost. In their suffering and in their dedication lies their greatness and their strength. To be separate means that one is different, and surely the family o f Joseph is different in m any ways. For exam ple, Manasseh was the only tribe th at was divided and received tw o portions. (Dan also had a second portion, b u t they did n o t receive it from God.) We shall learn more about their differences from the other tribes later.

MOSES’ PROPHECY TO JOSEPH “ And o f Joseph he said, Blessed o f the Lord be his land, for the precious things of heaven, for the dew , and for the deep th at coucheth beneath, And for the precious fruits brought fo rth by the sun, and for the precious things p u t forth by the m oon. And for the chief things o f the ancient m ountains, and for the precious things o f the lasting hills. And for the precious things o f the earth and fulness thereof, and for the good will o f him th a t dwelt in the bush: let the blessing come upon the head o f Joseph, and upon the to p o f the head o f him th a t was separated from his brethren. His glory is like the firstling o f his bullock, and his horns are like the horns o f unicorns: w ith them he shall push th e people together to the ends o f the earth: and they are the ten thou sands o f Ephraim , and they are the thousands o f Manasseh.” (D euteronom y 33:13-17) This prophecy which Moses gave the children o f Joseph is almost the saine as the one th at Jacob gave. It is n o t necessary to repeat word for word the explanation of w hat we have already covered, b u t there are some added points which I feel we would be blessed to look into. “ And for th e precious things p u t fo rth by the m oon,” 9

There is no d o u b t b u t that the m oon has a trem endous influence on this planet. But it is remarkable th at America, which is considered by some to be the land o f the children o f Joseph, should be the first and only nation so far to have landed on the m oon. “ and for the good will of him th at dwelt in the bush:” Moses was referring to his own great'visitation o f God, when the Lord spoke to him o u t o f the burning bush in the wilderness and his life was changed. It was from there th at he went fo rth to deliver the Children o f Israel. Moses knew that this same God could change the life o f anyone who would be visited by the Lord. The word for bush is ceneh (seh-neh) and is the exact same word as th at used in Exodus 3:2 where it says that the Lord appeared to Moses in the flaming bush in the desert. It is wonder ful to know that God wants to visit the children o f Joseph in the exact same way that He visited Moses, him self. Surely God is no respecter o f persons. Moses knew th at he, too, had been separate from his brethren for 40 years in the wilderness and th at as a result o f this lonely life, God prepared him and honoured him to be a deliverer and Saviour o f His people, even as He had prepared Joseph by the same means and for the same purpose. Joseph was 17 years old when he was sold into slavery. He was 30 when he stood before Pharaoh and his brothers came after the first 7 years o f abun dance. So Joseph m ust have been separated from his brethren for at least 20 years, which was just half as long as Moses was separated from his people. “ His glory is like the firstling of his bullock,” The firstling is the portion th at belongs to the Lord, and although it suffers, be cause it m ust be laid upon the altar, still there is glory in knowing th at it is G od’s offering com pletely, and this is the honour o f the family of Joseph. God calls for com plete dedication o f this family line. Half dedication will never suffice for a m em ber of the family o f Manasseh or Ephraim. “and his horns are like the horns of unicorns:” This “ unicorn” is believed to have been the Urus, an extinct species o f buffalo and not the rhinoceros. It is spoken o f as a pow erful and violent animal. (Job 39: 9-12) So it is th at, as th e unicorn couldn’t be tam ed, the Lord is saying, the sons of Joseph have the same individuality and are only tam ed by the Lord. D on’t try to harness an unicorn, y o u m ight get a horn in your side. Only love can make them your servant. “ with them he shall push the people together to the ends o f the earth:” How w onderful, th a t the same horns which protect the unicom from being pushed around are th e instrum ent that he is going to use to push the people to the ends of the earth! The fam ily o f Joseph make great missionaries. They are pushers, and 10

they will push, and push, and push, till they get what they want. “and they are t he ten thousands of Ephraim ,and they are thethousands o f Manasseh” So this is Manasseh and this is Ephraim and they together make the tribe of Joseph and beside them there is no hidden tribe o f Joseph. They are both included in these tw o great blessings o f Jacob and Moses. Jacob made a difference when he blessed them as lads, but when they became older, he blessed them unitedly, and so did Moses except th a t Moses did m ention that Ephraim would have a greater num ber in the tribe, yet in the end-time we are going to find that God will unite them together again into one trib e , even the tribe o f Joseph. The first-born son o f Joseph was Manasseh. The Hebrews would call him Ma nasseh ben Joseph. And in some places in the Bible, the tribe of Manasseh is called the tribe o f Joseph, e.g. in Numbers 13:11, “ O f the tribe o f Joseph, namely of the tribe of Manasseh, G addi, the son o f Susi.” Here we see that Moses deliberately calls Manasseh by the name o f Joseph and clearly explains th at the tribe o f Joseph is the tribe o f Ma nasseh. In verse 8 he identifies the spy o f the tribe o f Ephraim and calls it the tribe of Ephraim . He does n ot identify Ephraim as the tribe o f Joseph, but rather Manasseh.

EXPERIENCES OF JOSEPH The experiences o f Joseph are so many that it would be impossible for me to m ention them all here in this study. You must read the from the Bible. Take time to slowly study from Genesis 30:22-24 and chapter 37 to the end o f Genesis. It is full o f the life story o f Joseph. And you need to know his life to be able to under stand the tribes o f Manasseh and Ephraim. When he was born, his m other, Rachel, called him Joseph which means God gives increase, he will gather together, he will bring in, he will take away.” The num e rical value o f the word “Joseph” is 156. One is for aloneness, five is for grace, and six is the num ber o f man. Even as Joseph lived those m any years o f loneliness as an unloved b ro th er, a slave who was a stranger in the land and an accused criminal in a lonely cell, so it was that he was prepared through the grace of God working in his life to m inister to hum anity. He gathered together the grain o f Egypt in the storehouses to provide for needy hum anity. He was indeed a saviour o f the people. All o f these blessings came upon the lives o f Joseph s sons.

FAMILY TR EE OF MANASSEH The fam ily tree o f Manasseh is very interesting. In Numbers 26:29-34 and I Chronicles 7:14-19 we read about the family tree o f Manasseh up to that time. Ma nasseh only had two sons, Asarchiel and Machir, and it was from Machir that the 11

Machirites came. I: ;;eems th at his first-born m ust have died, because there is no record o f his family line. The Lamsa Bible says, “The sons o f Manasseh; Asarchiel, who his concubine bore him ; she. also bore Machir the father o f Gilead.” Perhaps Manasseh’s wife was barren and could n ot give him children and so he took the concubine who be came the m other o f his children. The King James version says th a t she was an Aramitess, which means th a t she was a Syrian woman. The German Martin Luther transla tion also says that she was Syrian and that she bore Manasseh two sons, Asarchiel and Machir. Now, let us look at the meaning of these two sons o f Manasseh. Asarchiel means “ God is fighter, God is victor, God is praised, God is my help.” Machir means “ w ounded, stricken, sold, given away, a trad er.” It appears from this, that Manasseh’s sons were born through great travail. And it is no wonder, for he w ould always have been reminded o f the prophecy that his grand father Jacob had given him and how the left hand o f Jacob had been laid upon his head instead o f the right one, which was his birthright as the first-born. It seems that Manasseh hasn’t forgotten as m uch as he should forget! Also he is rem embering the suffering o f his father Joseph and he puts that mark o f identity on his own son, Machir, “ wounded, sold, given away, traded.” Machir was married to a woman called Maachah (a Benjaminite), and they had a son called Gilead. Gilead became known as the founder o f the family called the Gileadites. They are very well known. They lived in the land o f Bashan on the east side o f the Jordan. They were great warriors. It was these descendants o f Manasseh who fought against m ighty giants. Maachah: She was the sister o f Huppim and Shuppim. I Chronicles 7:12 tells us that they were Benjaminites, the children o f Ir. The name Maachah means “pressure, weight, burden.” The name o f their son was Gilead. Gilead means “ little hill, a stone-pile witness.” Gilead’s sons were (Num bers 26:30-32): 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Jeezer (the fam ily o f the Jeezerites); Helek (the fam ily o f the Helekites); Asriel (the fam ily o f the Asrielites); Shechem (the family o f the Shechemites); Shemida (the family o f the Shemidaites); Hepher (the family o f the Hepherites).

Hepher had a son called Zelophehad. Zelophehad died in the wilderness. When it came tim e for this generation to possess their inheritance, the children o f Zelophe had would n ot receive any in the Promised Land because they were all women and women were not given an inheritance. The names o f these five sisters were: 12

1. Mahlah: “ sick, weak, pleasant, charming, delicate” ; 2. N oah (should not be Noah, b u t rather Joah): “m ovem ent, to stir up, em otion, flexible” ; 3. Hoglah: “ partridge” ; 4. Milcah: “ advice, council, queen” ; 5. Tirzah: “ fear, scare, foundation, establishm ent, commercial or financial enterprise.” In those days it was a catastrophe for the family when there were no sons because the inheritance only went to the sons. But these daughters o f Manasseh dared to be lieve God for a new thing. Read Numbers 27:1-11. “ Then came the daughters o f Zelophehad, the son o f Hepher, the son o f Gilead, the son o f Machir, the son o f Manasseh, of the families o f Manasseh the son of Joseph, and these are the names o f his daughters; Mahlah, Noah, and Hoglah, and Milcah, and Tirzah. And they stood before Moses and before Eleazar the priest, and before the princes and all th e congregation, by the door o f the tabernacle o f the congregation, saying, Our father died in the wilderness, and he was n o t in the com pany of them that gathered themselves together against the Lord in the com pany o f Korah, b ut died in his own sin, and had no sons. Why should the name o f our father be done away from among his fam ily, because he hath no son? Give unto us therefore a possession among the brethren o f ou r father. And Moses brought their cause before the Lord. What kind o f a man was Zelophehad who had daughters like these? The name Zelophehad m eans “ the one to be feared is our protection, sharp wounds, the first break, the first-born.” They said to Moses, “ Give us therefore a possession among the brethren o f our father.” T hat m eant th a t they w anted the same portion th at their male cousins would have. They asked for their father’s portion in his name. Do you not see the horn of a unicorn here? This is th at horn th at is going to push and get the blessings whether they be man o r wom an. It stands before the Lord and dares to ask for m ore than what God has prom ised. “ God, I w ant my portion in what you are doing for the sons o f m en!” is the cry o f every true Manassite woman. She cries o u t for all th at God has for her and m ore. “ Lord, I w ant th at blessing! I w ant it in my body, I want it in my spirit, I want it financially, I w ant to be blessed in my m inistry, I want it for my fami ly, I want m y blessing!” Hang in th ere, Manasseh, you are going to get it all. D on’t worry! The Lord loves to see us ask great things o f Him. Moses to o k th eir request before the Lord. Moses did not m ake any laws on his own. He went to God for guidance in everything. “ And th e Lord spake unto Moses, saying, The daughters o f Zelophehad speak right: th o u shalt surely give them a possession am ong their father’s brethren; and thou shalt cause the inheritance o f their 13

father to unto them . And thou shalt speak t o the children o f Israel, saying, If a man die and have no son, then ye shall cause his inheritance to unto his daughter. And if he have no daughter,, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his brethren. And if he have no brethren, then ye shall give his inheritance unto his father’s brethren. And if his father have no breth ren , then ye shall give his inheritance unto his kinsman that is next to him o f his family, and he shall possess it: and it shall be unto the children of Israel a statute o f judgm ent, as the Lord comm anded Moses.” (Num bers 27:5-11) How wonderful th a t these five women dared to obtain the inheritance which would have been their father’s even though he “ died in his sins.” I praise God that we women o f God in this end-tim e are going to claim back our lost inheritance which was lost to us by the sins o f our forefathers. Daughter o f Manasseh, do not give up easily! The Lord has w ritten a statute for you, that you can have the blessings which your father lost because he refused to serve the Lord. God made an am endm ent to His own law. That is why “ wisdom is justified of her children.” (Luke 7 :35) If God has issued a decree, He has the prerogative to change it. God n o t only changed the law for the daughters o f Manasseh, but for all women of all tim e, because five women had the courage to go up to the great men and ask for their portion. We know that when we have five women fighting for their rights, poor Moses doesn’t have a chance! Can you imagine the storm they created in the whole campground? Five women demanding their inheritance! They were all single women too! The conventional thing which the law expected o f them , was to marry some man and be c o n ten t with the inheritance they received through marriage. But their vision was for more than that. They wanted their own independence, they wanted their own bank . Have you ever heard o f a married woman having her own bank ? Only in this m odern day. What is m ore, they wanted their own mi nistry. They were n o t satisfied with their husband to have all the inheritance while they trailed along behind, “ yes dear, yes dear, yes dear!” They wanted to hear G od’s voice. Who ever heard o f a woman hearing G od’s voice? But these women o f Ma nasseh had a case th a t stirred the very halls o f heaven, for God knew all about it and God gave a decision on it in their favour. I think that all o f us who are liberated in God have a little bit of the blood o f Ma nasseh in us for this end-tim e, for this blessing and this privilege was for all women of all times. It was such a sensational thing th at it was m entioned several times in the Bible. The religious scribes couldn’t stop talking and writing about it. (Numbers : , 2 7 :1 -1 1 ,3 6 :1 -1 3 ; Joshua 17:3). Numbers 27:8 says, “ ...If a man die, and have no son, then ye shall cause his in heritance to u n to his daughter.” Kathryn Kuhlm an said, “ I am preaching because the men w on’t answer the call.” 14

That is why so m any women have answered the call to go to the nations o f the world, to lay down their lives as missionaries in the foreign lands. The men would n ot answer the call and souls are perishing, so God is now calling out His daughters and giving them the inheritance which their fathers and their brothers are losing. When there is no man to answer this end-tim e call, God will call the daughters of Manasseh, and they will arise in the pow er o f the Holy G host and claim their inheritance. They will put on their m arching boots and their soldier’s uniform and go into the land o f that old giant, Og, and his m ighty pow er and size and strength will not even frighten them , be cause they know w hat God has promised them and He is going to fulfill His Word to them . Women o f God are going to “ blow Og right out o f his big bed.” They will take the land and possess it, and in th at land o f Gilead they will produce the balm o f Gilead. O ut o f the loins o f the daughters o f Manasseh will flow the balm which will bring healing for the nations o f the world. All good m edication came out of the balm of Gilead. In these last days, through the women o f God who dare to arise and take their possessions, there shall come a sweet, healing balm . But sisters, we have got to push with our horns! If you are not ready to push with your horn, if you are not ready to go up before th at Moses and the Joshuas and the high priests and demand your inheri tance in G od, you will be swept under the rug. Take your place in God, for God is on your side. Read it again in your Bible and underline it and put a great, big “ Halle lujah” beside it. (Numbers 27:7) We want our possessions and. God has said that we can have them because He wants to give the land o f the enemy to som ebody who cares enough to pay the price to take it and care for it. I am n o t trying to ridicule the servants of God. Those o f you who know what God is doing, recognize that you, too, need the women o f God on your side, fighting with you like Deborah fought with Barak, because so m any o f the brethren will not share your burden or your vision with you and if it was not for the women in your church who your m inistry with tithes and prayer and deeds, you would soon have no church. So give honour to whom honour is due.

LOCATION OF MANASSEH In the wilderness, around the tabernacle: Manasseh was situated on the west side together w ith Ephraim and Benjamin. Manasseh, Ephraim and Benjamin were the sons (and grandsons) o f Rachel, and they were correctly placed close together because they had the ability to flow together in the Spirit. There was a great kindred feeling among them because o f their m other and grandm other Rachel. Manasseh num bered 32,200. So you see, God had been with them and blessed them and they had m ulti plied in spite o f m uch persecution. In the Promised Land: The tribe o f Manasseh received a double portion. Now this is a contradiction to the blessing which was given to them by Jacob. But, remem ber, 1 told you that the Manassehs are going to push and fight for their portion, 15

and when they w ent up into the land o f one o f the greatest enemies o f Israel, they fought w ith the power o f God and won mighty victories. In D euteronom y 3:11-17 we read about King Og o f Bashan and his great bedstead o f iron which was 13% feet long and 6 feet wide. Joshua tells how he gave this portion o f land, which is now called M ount Gilead to the Reubenites, the Gadites and the ha tribe o f Manasseh. In Joshua 17:1-6 we read again the o f the inheritance given to the half tribe o f Manasseh. Verse 1 says, “ There was also a lot for the tribe o f Manasseh; for he was the firstborn o f Joseph; to w it, for Machir the firstborn of Manasseh, the father o f Gilead: because he was a man o f war, therefore he had Gilead and Bashan.” Verse 2 tells us th a t Manasseh also received a second lot which gave them the area which was on the west side o f the Jordan and Shechem was named after one of these warriors o f the children o f Manasseh. Verse 5 tells us th a t Manasseh had ten portions, and again the writer tells about the five daughters o f Manasseh who obtained their inheritance, (verses 3,6) Verses 7-9 tell ab o u t the portion of the land that was given to the second half o f the tribe o f Manasseh who came across the Jordan and possessed their portion next to their brother Ephraim . It was bordered by Asher, Zebulun and Issachar on the north-east and by Ephraim on the south. Jordan was on the east and the M editerra nean sea was on the west coast. The amazing thing is that Manasseh got the double portion. They pushed for it, fought for it and they even fought great and m ighty giants. King Og was one o f the last great giants, but n o t the very last, for David fought a giant in his day also and so did some o f his m en. T hat is why God gave Manasseh the land o f Bashan, for it was the land of King Og and they had conquered him and taken his land for their possession. They didn’t give up until they had it. I thank God that God can bless us beyond the prophecies and predictions that are given over us. God can take that litt e blessing, th at left-over portion, and give us a double portion th a t is even m ore than we expected. Manasseh was given the “left-handed” blessing but he received the righthanded” portion. So d o n ’t give up easily and say, “ Well, I guess I am n o t predestined to be anything special.” That is rubbish. You are predestined to be made in to His like ness and conform ed in to His image. You are destined to rule and reign with Him, and to take y our place in G od. Believe it and push for it. Some of you just sit on your rocking chair and sing, “ whatever will be, will be; the fu tu re’s not mine you see.... But God is calling you to rise up and possess the land! In the Millenium: (Ezekiel 48:4) shall be betw een Naphtali and Ephraim.

The portion o f land belonging to Manasseh

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T he Gate o f Manasseh: It is interesting to note that the Gate o f Manasseh is not m entioned b u t neither is the Gate o f Ephraim. There is only one gate m entioned for these tw o tribes, and th at is the Gate o f Joseph. (Ezekiel 4 8:32) So we see th at the two tribes will be able to come together in peace and unity and forget their differenc during the millenium o f peace on earth. They will stop pushing with their hom s^ They will come together under their father’s name. T hat is so beautiful. They lose their se parate identities and become one in the Kingdom o f God as they enter the Holy Jerusa lem , the city o f G od. In Genesis 48-5 Jacob says, “ And now thy tw o sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, which were bom u n to thee in the land o f Egypt before I came u n to thee into Egypt, are m ine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be m ine.” He gave them Reuben s blessing and he gave them Sim eon’s blessing. He, as it were, grafted them in, and th a t is what G od does for the Manassites and the Ephrathites. God grafts them in and gives em m ore than they are really supposed to have according to the law and according to tradition God gives them th a t special p ortion, that special blessing, and th at special provision o f w ealth and riches. If you feel th at God has m ade you a Manassite or an E phrathite, you will be blessed financially. With your little horn you can get just about anything y o u w ant from God. You will be blessed spiritually, physically, and you will be prolific in sons and daughters, either natural or spiritual or b o th, if you so desire. These two tribes together had m ore children than any o f the other tribes. So if you are a Manassite o r an E phrathite, get ready to have children. “ Enlarge the place of thy tent and let them stretch fo rth the curtains o f thine habitations: spare n o t, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes; F or thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and th y seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be in habited.” (Isaiah 54:2,3) And because Manasseh is a child of inner balance, God gives him the double portion o f trials and testings to m atch his great blessing, otherwise he would be a “m onster.” God has to keep working on him and cutting him until His work o f grace is done in his life. The Manassite will laugh w ith the blessing and weep and travail in the trial and shall becom e a “great people.” GIDEON, TH E MIGHTY W ARRIOR OF TH E TRIBE OF MANASSEH Judges 6 T —8 :32 tells us the story o f Gideon in detail. It is one o f the most amazing and encouraging stories in the Bible. It shows us again, how God can choose whoever He will, to accom plish His task. “ And the Lord looked upon him (G ideon), and said, Go in this th y m ight, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand o f the Midianites: have not I sent thee? (Judges 6:14) 17

God is try; to stir up the sons o f Manasseh to rise to their hidden greatness. But m ost of them ai^ ju st like Gideon was. He answered the Lord, “ Oh my Lord, where with shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” God looked at th a t fearful young Manassite who had n ot yet come into his great ness in God and said, “ Surely I .vill be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one m an.” The name “G ideon” m eans, “one who chops down trees, to break dow n, mighty fighter, destroyer.” When God told Gideon th at he would fight the enem y as “ one m an,” God was saying, “ I am going to be with you so that all the hordes will be ju st like one person.” Gideon was a true son o f Manasseh. He was going to m ake sure that he was hearing straight. He had to p u t o u t tw o different “ fleeces” before he was going to take a chance of doing anything th at wasn’t o f the Lord. And he did this A FTER the Spirit o f the Lord came upon him. Gideon had to have “ p roof.” The Manassite will not fall into error as quickly as m any o f the o ther tribes because he will surely ask God to reveal to him the way o f tru th . He called his arm y together. They came from the tribes o f Manasseh, Asher. Zebulun and Naphtali to m eet him. There were 32,000. It sounded like a lot, but the Midianites had at least 120,000 fighting men. (Judges 8:10) However, God was not going to let this M anassite get any glory, so God told him that he had too m any men. God said, “ Go to , proclaim in the ears o f the people, saying, Whosoever is fearful and afraid, let him return and depart early from m ount G ilead.” And the next morning 22,000 went home and there were 10,000 men left. Can you imagine how Gideon felt? What was 10,000 against 120,000? The enemy out-num bered them more than 10 to 1. But God was testing his faith.. Then God said to G ideon, th a t there were still too m any, and that this time He was going to test them Himself. “And it shall be, that o f whom I say u n to thee, This shall go with thee, the same shall go with thee; and o f whom soever I say unto thee, This shall not go w ith thee, the same shall n o t go.” (Judges 7 :4) When God finished testing the 10,000, only 300 were left. The Manassite m en knew they were great soldiers. Had they not taken the land of Bashan and won great victories under Joshua? But now God was saying, “ Manasseh, ju st get th at horn into your pocket, or better still, use it to blow o n .” God is Calling the perfected M anassite to take th at horn o f pow er which is on his head and cut it o ff so th a t he has a tru m p e t to use for the battle th a t is coming up. This last great battle is not going to be won by our “ horns,” but by the strength and the glory o f God. Turn y our horn into a tru m p e t and w atch what God will do for you. Rem em ber th at the trum pets in those days were m ade from horns. 18

But Gideon w h s filled w ith fear. So God said to him , Arise, get thee down to the host o f the M idianites and do a little spying around.” God says to you, dear Manassite, who is shaking and trem bling in his boots, you go dow n into the middle o f the camp o f your enemy and ju st listen, ju st spy around and you will see them shaking. God didn’t have to tell G ideon to be quiet and n o t talk. His m outh was so dry that he couldn’t have said a w ord anyway. Suddenly Gideon and his servant, Phurah, whose name means “ treader o f the wine press, fruitful, beautiful,” could hear the whisperings o f the enemy soldiers as they lay in their te n t. Gideon and Phurah bent their heads against the flap o f the tent to listen. “ Listen, I ju st had a nightm are. There was this huge loaf o f barley bread that came tum bling dow n into our camp. It h it our tent and knocked it flat!” The other soldiers replied, “ Y our dream can mean only one thing! Gideon, the son o f Joash, the Israeli is going to come and massacre all the allied forces o f Midian! ” The Living Bible says, “ When Gideon heard the dream and the interpretation, all he could do was ju st stand there worshipping G od!” He knew that God had spoken to him through th e words o f his enemy. At m idnight that night, just after the enemy had finished changing the guards, Gideon and his 300 men crept to the o uter edge o f the camp o f Midian; they blew their trum pets and broke their clay jars so that their torches shone in the darkness of the night, as they shouted on the top of their voices, “ The sword of the Lord and of G ideon!” The sword o f the Lord we know, is the Word o f God. “ ...and the sword of the Spirit which is the word o f G od;” (Ephesians 6:17) God is calling His dedicated soldiers to venture forth in holy faith and courage with the Word o f the Lord in their hearts and the anointing o f the Holy Spirit in their lives. He is going to win a great victory through them , ju st as he did through His soldier and servant, Gideon. Also, the Lord is showing the Manassite that he is the Lord’s “barley loaf.” You have to stay hum ble so th at God can use you to throw over the enem y’s tents. Always rem ember that you got the “ left-handed” blessing, but if you will be faithful, God will give you m uch m ore than you expected. T hat is w hat God did for Manasseh because they walked hum bly before the Lord. When they were counted at the beginning o f the 40 years in the wilderness, there were 32,200 and when they came into their inheri tance, there were 52,700. Whereas, Ephraim who received the “right-handed” blessing had 40,500 in th e wilderness, and only 32,500 were living to enter into the Promised Land. The “ left-handed” blessing is equal to the “ right-handed” one if the Almighty God gives you y o u r portion. 19

Manasseh was a fruitful people; they got four times as m uch territory as Ephraim did and they produced the healing for the nations. They had valiant daughters who rose up and took their possessions from God. I believe that in these last days, we are going to see the Manassites, especially the women Manassites, coming into their inheritance in God. Make Joseph’s portion your own portion, Manasseh. D on’t say that the promises o f God were only for Joseph 3600 years ago. Claim them for yourself today!

CONCLUSION Let us look again at what the name Manasseh means. “ And Joseph called the name o f the firstborn Manasseh: For God, saith he, hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father’s house.” So Manasseh means “ one who makes to forget, one who lets you forget the suffering and the tim e you spent in your father’s house, replace m ent, substitute.” And the m odern Jewish interpretation is, “ the gaining back o f the inner balance in difficult circumstances in spite o f being separated from the accus tom ed and familiar way o f life which had given y our happiness.” God is calling the Manassites to forget, and it means to forget in such a way that you are able to '"orgive, and to forgive in such a way that you are able to cancel it out. God needs Manassites. A person who has this anointing in their life, this m inistry, this calling o f God in the Lord’s everlasting plan, is a great person. They do not hold a bitter grudge in their life. They are able to forgive and forget. They are able to try one more time and give the one who failed them a chance to try one more time. I thank God for the Manassites because, even though th ey ’ve been pushed to the side, and many times they are pushed to the side, and their brothers, who are younger, get the blessing which was m eant for them , still they are able to reach o u t past their lim itations and receive more than what God has promised them . They are also able to forgive their younger brother, and live with the situation and press in with their horn and get their portion o f the blessing. And they do get the blessing because they are “pushers.” They are not going to let anything keep them back from getting w hat they w ant from God, w hether the Manassite is 12 years, or 50, or 80, he will not give up until God hears his prayer. Watch out if a Manassite is coming down the road. He is going to get his sharp elbows o u t and get past you and get to the altar and get th a t blessing. He will hang on to the horns o f the altar, because he wants that touch o f God upon his life. He knows th at he is in com petition w ith his brother and he will never forget it, but he will strive against all opposition and get to the top with God. He will not be held back by all kinds o f opposition, traditions, or the reasonings o f m an. What the Manassite wants, he wants RIGHT NOW! And this is a very tim ely day for the Manassite, for he possesses some very strategic territory. Do you know that the 20

fertile valley o f Megiddo where the Arm ageddon is going to take place, belongs to the tribe o f Manasseh? Have you ever been to Megiddo? If you have, you have stood on Manasseh territo ry . Megiddo was know n as the mighty fort through all the history of the Old T estam ent. It was a place where m any great battles were fought. And this is where the last battle will be fought, called the battle o f Armageddon. Revelation 16:16, “And he (the Lord) gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue A rm ageddon.” This is where God is going to pour out His w rath upon the na tions th at have gathered against Israel. The word “ A rm ageddon” is Hebrew. It consists o f two words: har (har), “a m ountain, a range o f hills, co u n try ,” and m egiddow (meg-iddo), “rendezvous, to gather together in tro o p s.” Arm ageddon can be interpreted as “ m ountain o f the gathering to gether o f the troops, where the hosts are stopped, the cursed troop-gathering. That is where the last great battle between the forces o f the nations o f the world and Israel will take place. I fear th at even the United States will stand against Israel on th at day, because G od’s Word says th at all these soldiers will be utterly destroyed. Ezekiel 38:14-16, “Therefore, son o f m an, prophesy and say u nto Gog, Thus saith the Lord God; In th a t day when my people of Israel dwelleth safely, shalt thou not know it? And thou shalt come from thy place out o f the north parts, thou, and m any people with thee, all o f them riding upon horses, a great com pany, and a mighty arm y: And thou shalt com e up against my people o f Israel, as a cloud to cover the land, it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land, that the heathen may know m e, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes.” The rest o f that chapter tells how God will judge these nations and Ezekiel 39: 9-16 tells how vast this judgm ent will be. This could take place any time. When Israel invaded Lebanon in the late summer o f 1982, they discovered 18 miles o f tunnels, 45 feet around that were stored with weapons. Enough missiles, can nons, tanks and o th er arm oured vehicles to equip a m odern army were turned up in the underground depot. A special radar and electronic com m unication system occupied a self-contained wing o f the com plex. There are huge comm and and storage halls, some of them large enough to shelter fleets o f helicopters. All this was built and supplied by the Soviets w ith the co-operation of the P.L.O.. The devil knows that there is going to be an end-time war in Israel’s territory and he is trying to precipitate G od’s time plan, b u t Israel, led by the Holy Spirit, was able to abort his vast design because they were guided by the Holy Spirit to invade Lebanon. C ertainly, the devil hates Israel fo r th a t and will try to malign and destroy her and her leaders and many will believe his lies. An unexpected discovery in the Soviet fortress beneath' Saida of Lebanon was a group o f files listing im portant firms and personalities w ho, for one reason or another, including blackm ail, have been ing the Palestinian cause poli tically and financially; and m any turned o ut to be American. Yes, M anasseh, the last great battle o f all times will take place on your Promised 21

Land, and it is im p o rtan t to you th at you stand in the full anointing o f God in these last days. You defeated King Og 3400 years ago, and your daughters took his possession. Today th a t land o f Og is called the Golan Heights. It too is Manasseh territory. I call upon yo u , daughters o f Manasseh, to stand against the enem y, even your enem y. Do it now . Do not let him have your inheritance. There is another evil King Og (Og means “ long-necked giant” ) and Russia is a long-necked giant, reaching out even as far as Israel who is going to m ake warfare against y o u , b ut as you move in the Spirit and stand y o u r ground against him , you are going to defeat him . Daughters o f the Lord, your G od has decreed th a t you have spoken right, you shall have a portion in the land. Do n o t give up y our claim to victory. Jacob also prophesies th at your branches (th at is y our daughters) shall run over the wall. You will break all traditions and all barriers and all lim itations to fulfill your Divine destiny. A nd God bless you as you obey your calling in God.

22

“And he said unto them , Look on me, and do iik c w is c . and, behold, when I come to thp outside o f the camo. it shall be that, as I do, so shall ye do.” (Judges 7:17)

NOTES

BY GWEN SHAW

11 w i f e s = s P O TIP H A R

G 3 9 : 7 - 19

P O T I- P H E R A H p rie st o f O n G 46:20

J O SEP H ==

A SE N A T H

E g y p tia n " a d d in g " E g y p tia n G 4 1 : 4 5 . 50 G 3 0:2 4; 46:19 " C a p t a in o f t h e G u a r d ' 5 0 : 2 2 , 2 6 ; Jo 2 4 : 3 2 I 10 y r G 3 7 : 3 6 : 39:1 ( Z A P H N A J H P A A N E A H ) G 4 1 :45

EP"H RAIM fru itf u l G 4 1: 52 1 4 6: 2 0

E P H R A I M IT ES ( E P H R A T H IT E S )

f

I

B E C H ER

N 2 6: 3 5

N 2 6:3 5

S H U T H EL A H

TA H A N

(B E K E D )

S H U T H A L H IT ES B A C H R IT ES ER A N E R A N IT ES N 26- 36

T A H A N IT ES N

6: 35 .

I

Z U r n , E p h r a t h it e

TO HU ELI H U JE R O H A M PE N I N N A H = ELK A N A H = 1 S 1:2 c h il d r e n

:H A N N A H

I S 1:2 2 Ch 28: 7 o ffic e r u n d e r A H A Z

I S 1 :2

“J I---so ns

SA M O ET ask e d o f G O D N a z a r if e I S 1:11 : 2 0 ; 25:1 su c c e e d e d E L I

This chart was taken from The Adam and Eve Family Tree, produced by th e Good Things Com pany. Used by permission.

'J o r t

2 d a u g n fc rs

I S 2:21

-’ A BIA H

( V A S H N I)

1 Ch 6 :28

I S 8:2

h em X n

1 C h 6: 33 L e v i t e m u sic i a n

A M M IH U D C a p t a i n ^ LIS H A M A N 1 : 1 0 : 2 : 1 8 ; 10: 22

Cover by Cynthia Peall and Mary Ellen Rawls

b e r £d TAH ATH EL A D A H TAHATH ZABAD S H U T H EL A H E Z fcK , fct E AT) I C h 7 : 2 0 , 21

Copyright 1982, Gwen R. Shaw End-Time Handm aidens, Inc. P.O. Box 447 Jasper, Arkansas 72641 All rights reserved.

Printed in the U n ited S tates o f A m erica

r e p k Ia h RES H EP H T EL A H TAH A N LA A D A N A M M IH U D E LIS H A M A

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(N O N ) I C h 7 : 2 5 - 2 7 , N 1 1 :28

I

110 y e a rs J o 24 2 9: J u 2: 8 N 13:8 N 1 3: 1 6 I Ch 7 : 2 7 0 32:4 4 Ne 8:17

JOSH U A

(O SH EA ) ( JE H O S H U A ) ( JE H O S H U A H ) (H O S H E A ) ( JE S H U A ) ( JE S H U A H ) ( JE S U S ) A c ts 7 : 4 5 : He 4 : 8

E 1 7 : 9; 33:1 1 N 1 4: 6, 3 0, 38; 2 6 : 6 5 : 2 7 : 1 8 ; 3 2: 1 2 D 1 : 3 8 ; 3 : 2 8 ; 3 1 : 2 3 : 3 4: 9 J o 4 : 1 4 ; 14: 6, 13 t h e s u c c e ss o r o f M O SES w h o l e d th e Is r a e l i t e s a c r o ss t h e J o r d o n R i v e r

* The G r e e k form o f the H e b r e w , JE H O S H U A , m e a n i n g S a v i o u r.

m

PRAYER “ Beloved F a th e r in heaven, we hum bly beseech You to give us a special anointing to understand th e heart o f Ephraim . I rem em ber th e cry o f Y our heart through Y our p rophet Hosea, ‘How shall I give thee u p , Ephraim ?’ Y our heart has bled for Ephraim . T o no people have You expressed Y our love in a greater way than to Ephraim . Help us to capture this tru th as we begin th e study o f this great tribe. In Jesus’ nam e. A m en.” TH E NAMING O F EPHRAIM “ And th e nam e o f the second called he Ephraim : F o r God h ath caused m e to be fruitful in th e land o f m y affliction.” (Genesis 4 1 :52) Ephraim was Joseph’s second son by his Egyptian wife, A senath. Ephraim m eans “ double fruitful, double fruit, double portion in the inheritance, descendants, fruitful ones.”

A SENATH, THE M OTHER OF MANASSEH AND EPHRAIM Asenath m eans “ dedicated to N eith (a goddess o f E gypt), o bedient.” Asenath was th e daughter o f Potiphera, the priest o f On. The nam e Potiphera means “gift to th e sun-god, dedicated to the sun-god, belonging to the sun.” The name Potiphar, m entioned in Genesis 39:1 is the shortened form for this nam e. It could have been the same m an, b ut we have no proof. Potiphar was an officer of Pharaoh, captain o f the guard, whereas Potiphera was the priest o f On. Some people believe it was th e same m an, and th a t Potiphar later becam e a priest. The city o f O n was one o f the m ost im portant religious centres in E gypt. It was later know n by th e name o f Heliopolis, nam ed after helios, the Greek word fo r the sun, and the name o f an ancient deity , the sun-god. During the tim e o f the Old Testam ent, On was th e seat o f the worship o f the Egyptian sun-god Re (Ra). It stood about 7 miles from w hat is presently the centre o f m odem Cairo, and is now a suburb o f the city. The great tem ple o f Re stood there and its priesthood wielded great influence, particularly during the 5th dynasty (25th-24th century B.C.) when the worship o f Re becam e the state cult, and kings, claiming to be sons o f the sun, erected large obelisks, symbols o f th e su n ’s rays, by their tom bs. The priests were well educated in history. Its schools o f philosophy and astronom y are said to have been visited by Plato and o ther Greek scholars. Little rem ains today o f this great and learned city. Much o f the stone was taken by th e Arabs to build Cairo, and even the 12 mile circuit o f the walls is difficult to 1

trace. T he one rem aining m onum ent is the obelisk o f Sesotris at M atariya, the oldest obelisk in existence. In ancient tim es the city m ust have been filled w ith these m onu m ental shafts. O f th e obelisks erected by T hutm ose III, now known as C leopatra’s Needles, one stands on the Thames em barkm ent in London, and the other in Central Park, New York City. Unless one has been to Egypt and visited these great archeological cities, one has no way o f beginning to understand the im pact th at the worship o f these deities had upon the people o f E gypt. It was their whole life. It affected their political decisions and all the activities o f the people from the throne to the prison. A senath, the daughter o f the priest o f O n, was dedicated to this worship from her birth. Her name m eans “dedicated to N eith.” N eith was the warrior goddess who was also w orshipped as th e creatrix who wove the world on her loom . Her chief shrine was in the ancient Egyptian city Sai. (Sais in Greek) It seems th at Pharaoh arranged this marriage. It was the linking together o f the head o f the governm ent and the powerful religious family o f Egypt.

SYMBOL The symbol o f Hphraim is a cluster o f grapes. It is a beautiful sym bol and re minds one o f the cluster o f grapes th at the Children o f Israel brought back from the land o f Canaan and th a t they had cut dow n from the brook o f Eshcol. It was so large that they had to carry it betw een tw o men on a staff. It is the will o f G od for his people to be fruitful. This was the first com m and that He gave hum anity. While still in the garden o f Eden, the Lord said to Adam and Eve, “ Be fruitful and m u ltip ly .” He said it tw o times. (Genesis 1:22,28) Again, He said it to Noah, “ Be fruitful, and m ultiply, and replenish the earth .” (Genesis 9:1,7) God promised to make Abraham (Genesis 17:6), Isaac (Genesis 26:22), and Jacob (Gene sis 35:11) fruitful. Colossians 1:10 gives us the desire o f the Lord for His children, “That ye might walk w orthy o f the Lord u n to all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge o f G od;” I believe that Ephraim still has this promise o f fruitfulness in their lives and they must strive to attain u n to this blessing. God wants to make them fruitful in every way. No one has more right to claim the promises o f God to His people than Ephraim . “ And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if th o u shalt hearken u n to the voice o f the Lord thy God. Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field. Blessed shall be the fruit o f thy body, and the fruit of thy gound, and the fruit o f thy cattle, the increase o f thy kine, and the flocks o f thy sheep. Blessed shall be thy basket and thy store. Blessed shalt thou be when thou comest in, and blessed shalt thou be when thow goest out....T he Lord shall comm and 2

th e bleson thee in thy storehouses, and in all th a t th o u settest thine hand unto; and he shall bless thee in the land which the Lord th y God giveth thee....T he Lord shall m ake thee plenteous in goods, in the fruit o f th y body, and in the fruit o f thy cattle, and in the fru it o f thy ground, in th e land which the Lord sware u n to th y fathers to give thee. T h e L ord shall open unto thee his good treasure,” But these promises were conditional for Ephraim : 1.

“ If th at thou shalt hearken diligently to the voice o f the Lord thy G od.”

2. “ If th a t th o u hearken u n to the com m andm ents o f the Lord th y G od, which I com m and thee this day, to observe and to do them . And thou shalt n o t go aside from any o f the w ords which I com m and thee this day, to the right hand, o r to the left, to go after o th er gods to serve them .” (D euteronom y 28:1-14) Ephraim has this w onderful prom ise from G od, but Ephraim has a weakness w hereby they can lose it very easily, and th at is a part o f their inheritance also, through their m other A senath and their grandfather who was dedicated to the worship o f the false gods. Ephraim m ust never forget th at this is a part o f their inheritance also, even the idolatry o f Egypt is in their blood. So they have to keep a guard over their hearts at all times. GEMSTONE The gem stone o f Ephraim is the same as o f Manasseh. It is the onyx. I will repeat w hat I w rote u n d er the tribe o f Manasseh. Many tim es we think o f the onyx as being a black stone, but this is n o t necessarily the case. The onyx is a striped agate, a variety o f quartz, in which white layers alter nate w ith black. When brow n o r red bands occur, instead o f black, the stone is term ed sardonyx. The Rom ans applied this name originally to a type o f m arble, now called onyx m arble. Because o f the resemblance betw een its well-defined w hite and yellow veins and the shades in the fingernail, it was given the name o n y x which is Greek for “ fingernail.” It has been used a great deal in m aking cameos. Because o f the different layers in the o n y x , beautiful relief w ork is possible. The best cameos are those produced by the ancients. Beautiful onyx is a true flesh-pink colour. This is the colour o f th e tribe o f Manasseh and Ephraim because they do n o t have separate gem stones. There was only one gem stone in the breastplate o f the high priest for both o f the sons o f Joseph. They were separated in their symbols, b u t united in their gem stone. F o r m any years cameos becam e alm ost ex tin ct, b u t in the m iddle o f th e 19th century, a new source o f onyx was discovered in S outh America and so the art has been revived. Every wom an desires to own a beautiful cam eo. The value o f the cameo depends n o t only on the stone, but also on the workm anship. The cameo is a com bi

nation o f the creation o f G od and the creative work o f m an. As Ephraim co-operates w ith G od, a beautiful w ork o f th e Holy Spirit can be w rought in his life to produce a gem stone th a t is fit fo r the m ansions o f eternity. Even as the onyx becam e rare and only recently has been discovered, so it is, th at God is reviving and calling o u t the tribe o f Ephraim in these days. A nd they are discovering their beauty and value as God works His w orkm anship in to their lives by cutting and buffing and carving, so th a t the beauty o f the M aster’s touch can m ake them a special gem stone for the breastplate of Jesus C hrist, the true High Priest.

PROPHECIES There is a great deal o f Ephraim . When Jacob blessed o f their father Joseph and did same However, Jacob blessed is here th at we m ust search to

hidden m ystery in the prophecies of Manasseh and them on his death bed, he blessed them under the name n o t separate them in a noticeable way. Moses did the th e sons o f Joseph when he first came into Egypt and it find the difference in the blessings betw een these two

tribes.

JACOB “ And Joseph to o k them b o th , Ephraim in his right hand tow ard Israel’s left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand tow ard Israel’s right hand, and brought them near unto him. And Israel stretched o u t his right hand, and laid it upon E phraim ’s head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh’s head, guiding his hand w ittingly; for Manasseh was the firstborn. And he blessed Joseph, and said, G od, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long u n to this day, The Angel w hich redeem ed me from all evil, bless th e lads; and let m y name be nam ed on them , and the nam e o f m y fathers Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a m ultitude in th e m idst o f the e a rth .” (Genesis 48:13-16) F ather Jacob blessed them w ith the identical same blessing. It was only after Joseph interrupted and said som ething, th a t Jacob added to the blessing he had already given. “A nd when Joseph saw th at his father laid his right hand upon th e head o f Ephraim , it displeased him : and he held up his father s hand, to rem ove it from E phraim ’s head u n to M anasseh’s head. And Joseph said u n to his father, N ot so, m y father: for this is th e firstborn; p u t th y right hand upon his head. A nd his father re fused, and said, I k n o w it, m y son, I know it: he also shall becom e a people, and he also shall be great: b u t tru ly his younger b rother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall becom e a m u ltitu d e o f nations. And he blessed them th a t day, saying, In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God m ake thee as Ephraim and as Manasseh: and he set Ephraim before M anasseh.” (Genesis 48:17-20) 4

In Genesis 4 8 :5 ,6 we read where Jacob said earlier to Joseph, “ And now thy two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, which were b o m u n to thee in th e land o f Egypt before I cam e unto thee in to Egypt, are m ine; as Reuben and Sim eon, they shall be mine. And thy issue, w hich thou begettest after them , shall be thine, and shall be called after the nam e o f th e ir brethren in their inheritance.” There is no record o r scripture o f Joseph having any o th er children. We m ust rem em ber th a t the eyes o f Israel were “ dim fo r age, so th a t he could n o t see.” (Genesis 4 8 :1 0 ) It was n o t som ething th a t he did o f his own voluntary will. The Spirit o f th e Lord was no d o u b t upon him . He did n o t look at the beauty o f Ephraim and prefer him above Manasseh. God was revealing th at Ephraim w ould becom e m ore pow erful and m ore influential than Manasseh. But b o th o f them united together would be a blessing to th e w orld. G od has the right to do w hat He chooses. It does n o t m ean th a t He loves one tribe m ore than another. T he blessing was the same to begin w ith. It was only after Joseph interfered th at Jacob declared th at the younger brother w ould be greater than the older and th a t his seed would becom e a m ultitude o f nations. This w ord, translated “greater” by the translators, is only used two m ore tim es in the Bible. Once is in Genesis 4 1 :4 0 and the o th er tim e in Lam entations 4:6. It comes from th e Hebrew word gadal (gaw-dal), which m eans “ to advance, boast, bring u p , exceed, excellent, m ake great, increase, lift u p , m agnify, be m uch set by, nourish, , p ro m o te .” It seems to refer to positions o f pow er and governm ent. And indeed it was in Ephraim th a t the 10 tribes broke o ff from the rest o f Israel, separating the 10 tribes from Judah and Benjamin. In fact, it was an E phrathite, Jeroboam , who lifted up his hand against King Solom on and caused the kingdom o f Israel to be divided until 1948 w hen Israel again becam e a nation. (I Kings 11:26; 13:26-33) He not only was an anarchist, who com m itted treason against the throne o f Solom on, he also was the founder o f a rebel religion against Jehovah when he erected the golden calves in Bethel and D an. He called the northern ten tribes “ Ephraim ,” and th at name stuck. The ten tribes becam e know n as Ephraim . Even God called them by th a t nam e. T hroughout th e book o f Hosea, God calls the 10 n orthern tribes by the name o f Ephraim . Let us look m ore closely into th e united prophecies given by Jacob and Moses.

JACOB’S PROPHECY TO JOSEPH “ Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall: T he archers have sorely grieved him , and shot at him , and hated him: But his bow abode in strength, and the arms o f his hands were m ade strong by the hands o f th e m ighty God o f Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, th e stone o f Israel:) Even by the G od o f th y father, who shall help thee; and by the Alm ighty, who shall bless thee w ith blessings o f heaven above, blessings o f the deep th a t lieth under, blessings o f th e breasts, and o f the wom b: The blessings o f thy father have prevailed above the blessings o f m y progenitors u n to th e utm ost bound o f th e everlasting hills: 5

they shall be on the head o f Joseph, and on the crown o f th e head o f him th at was separate from his b reth ren .” (Genesis 49:22-26) “Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall:” The word “bough” in the Hebrew is ben (bane) which means “ a son, anointed one, builder o f the fam ily nam e,” as well as “ a bough o f a tre e .” The word “b ran ch ” in the Hebrew is bath which also m eans “daughter.” In this case it is th e plural and can be interpreted, “Joseph is a fruitful anointed son, even a fruitful son by a well; whose daughters run over the wall.” A nd this certainly became true o f the daughters o f Joseph, particularly o f the tribe o f Manasseh, as we already m entioned under the title o f Manasseh, although the daughters o f Ephraim were pro m inent also. “T he archers have sorely grieved him , and shot at him , and hated h im :” This reveals the suffering o f Joseph. T he word “ archers” is chets (khayts) and means, “a piercer, i.e. an arrow , a w ound, the shaft o f a spear.” It is in the wounding and the suffering th a t Manasseh becomes great. But this is not only true o f Manasseh, it is also true o f E phraim . Manasseh and Ephraim are united in their suffering and so they are united in the resurrection glory. Rem em ber th at Paul said, “T hat I m ay know him, and the power o f his resurrection, and the fellowship o f his sufferings, being made conform able unto his d e a th .” (Philippians 3:10) The Josephs (Manasseh and Ephraim ) are called to be united in suffering with Jesus. The “archers” in the life o f Joseph were his very ow n fam ily. No one can hurt you like those to w hom you are the closest. “ B ut his bow abode in strength, and the arm s o f his hands were m ade strong by the hands o f the m ighty God o f Jacob; (from thence is the shepherd, the stone o f Israel:)” Joseph is defending him self w ith the same weapon th at is attacking him . Even as the arrows o f his enem y are shot from the bow , so, he too fights back w ith the bow. The Holy Spirit says th a t it is a strong bow , one th a t “ abides in strength.” It is only as Manasseh and Ephraim stay grounded in the Lord th at they have the strength to con test their enem y. G od prom ises th a t th eir hands would be m ade strong. The Manassite and Ephraim ite are also gifted in their hands to accom plish every task to which God calls them . “ (from thence is th e shepherd, the stone o f Israel:)” Jacob, whose life was th a t o f a shepherd, was lifted in th e spirit o f revelation to 6

see th a t there was another shepherd, even the G reat Shepherd o f the sheep, who came from th e m ighty G od o f Jacob, and th at He was not only Chief Shepherd, b u t also the Rock o f Israel. “ Even by th e G od o f thy father, who shall help thee; and by th e Alm ighty, who shall bless thee w ith blessings o f heaven above, blessings o f the deep th a t lieth under, blessings o f the breasts, and o f the w om b:” This is a com plete and w onderful blessing. It includes the blessings o f the heavens which are the blessings o f th e rain, the sunshine, the dew, good w eather, the planets, the stars, and th en the blessings o f God the F ather and His mighty angels. If heaven is on y o u r side, Joseph, w hat m ore do you need? And yet God has prom ised even m ore. The “blessings o f the deep th at lieth under.” The riches o f the world is reckoned by gold. Gold is “dow n un d er.” God has promised to the sons o f Joseph the wealth o f the m inerals, the gem stones, the oil, the fountains o f the deep, and the fertile ground. What m ore than that can God prom ise Joseph, and yet He has promised even m ore than this, to o . The “blessings o f the breasts and the w om b:” What good would all th at riches be if we did n o t have children to hand it dow n to , or to share it w ith. It is our children who give us jo y and who continue o u r life-line even after v e have left the world. So God promises Joseph the blessing o f children - children who will bring com fort and blessing to others. Children who will be nourished from the m other s breasts. This also m eans spiritual children who are nourished by the Word o f God through the Ma nassite and the E phrathite. And who is this God who promises all this? Jacob calls Him “ the A lm ighty” which is the fem inine name for God (the breasted one). God appears to Joseph as the God who has th e special love (like th at o f a m other) for these tw o tribes. Perhaps it is because Joseph grieved so deeply the loss o f his own m other, Rachel, who died when she gave birth to Benjamin, while he was still a young boy o f about 6 years. So God, to com fort this m otherless child, reveals Himself as the God who loves like only a m other can love. “The blessings o f thy father have prevailed over the blessings o f my progenitors u nto the u tm o st bound o f the everlasting hills: they shall be on the head o f Joseph, and on the crow n o f the head o f him th a t was separate from his brethren. Jacob is saying, the blessings th at Joseph’s father has given him are greater than the blessings w hich he received from his own forefathers. It seems impossible to believe th a t anything could be greater than the blessings o f A braham and Isaac, and yet this is what Jacob is saying. It is because he blessed him , not as Jacob, the supplanter, but as Israel, the Prince o f God.

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“ Shall be on the head o f Joseph, and on the crow n o f the head.” This reveals th at Joseph’s descendants would also have a royal line, as indeed they did through the kings o f the n o rth ern kingdom , b u t n o t all the kings o f Israel were o f the fam ily o f Joseph. “ O f him th at was separate from his brethren.” The w ord “ separate ’ comes from the Hebrew word nazir (naw-zeer), which means “ to separate, consecrated, which is the exact same word used fo r the Nazarite. Surely G od is calling the children o f Joseph to a life o f separation from th e conventional way o f living, even a life th a t is different than th e rest o f the L o rd ’s children. The Manassite and Ephraim ite are called to the holy life o f separation, no m atte r how great the cost. In the suffering and in their dedication lies their greatness and their strength. T o be separate means th at one is different, and surely th e family o f Joseph is different in m any ways.

MOSES’ PROPHECY TO JOSEPH “And o f Joseph he said, Blessed o f the Lord be his land, for the precious things o f heaven, for the dew , and for th e deep that coucheth beneath, And for the precious fruits brought fo rth by the sun, and for the precious things p u t forth by the m oon, And for the chief things o f the ancient m ountains, and for the precious things o f the lasting hills. And fo r th e precious things o f the earth and fulness thereof, and for the good will o f him th a t dw elt in the bush: let the blessing come upon the head o f Joseph, and upon the top o f th e head o f him that was separated from his brethren. His glory is like the firstling o f his bullock, and his horns are like the horns o f unicorns: w ith them he shall push the people together to the ends o f the earth: and they are the ten thousands o f E phraim , and the thousands o f Manasseh. (D euteronom y 33.13-17) This prophecy w hich Moses gave the children o f Joseph is almost the same as the one th at Jacob gave. It is not necessary to repeat word for word the explanation of what we have already covered, b u t there are some added points which I feel we would be blessed to look in to . “A nd for the precious things p u t fo rth by the m oon,” There is no d o u b t b u t th at the m oon has a trem endous influence on this planet. But it is rem arkable th a t Am erica, which is considered by some to be the land o f the children o f Joseph, should be th e first and only nation so far to have landed on the m oon. “ and for the good will o f him th a t dw elt in the b u sh :” Moses was referring to his ow n great visitation o f G od, when the Lord spoke to him o u t o f the burning bush in th e wilderness and his life was changed. It was from there th a t he w ent fo rth to deliver the Children o f Israel. Moses knew th at this same 8

God could change th e life o f anyone who would be visited by the Lord. The word bush is ceneh (seh-neh) and is the exact same word as th a t used m Exodus 3.2 where it says that the Lord appeared to Moses in the flaming bush in the desert. It is w onder ful to know th a t G od w ants to visit the children o f Joseph in the exact same way that He visited Moses, himself. Surely God is no respecter o f persons. Moses knew th a t he, too had been separate from his brethren for 40 years in the wilderness and th at as a result o f this lonely life, God prepared him and honoured him to be a deliverer an saviour o f His people, even as He had prepared Joseph by th e same means and for the same purpose. Joseph was 17 years old when he was sold into slavery. He was 30 when he stood before Pharaoh and his brothers came after the first 7 years o f abun dance. So Joseph m ust have been separated from his brethren for at least 20 years, which was ju st h alf as long as Moses was separated from his people. “ His glory is like the firstling o f his bullock,” The firstling is the portion th at belongs to the Lord, and although it suffers, be cause it m ust be laid upon the altar, still there is glory in knowing th at it is God s offering com pletely, and this is th e honour of. the family o f Joseph. God calls for com plete dedication o f this family line. Half dedication will never suffice for a m em ber ot the family o f M anasseh or Ephraim . “ and his horns are like the horns o f unicorns: This “u n ico rn ” is believed to have been the Urus, an extinct species of buffalo and not the rhinoceros. It is spoken o f as a pow erful and violent animal. (Job 39: 9-12) So it is th a t, as the unicorn couldn’t be tam ed, the Lord is saying, the sons o Joseph have the same individuality and are only tam ed by the Lord. Don t try to harness an unicorn, you m ight get a horn in your side. Only love can m ake them your servant. “ with them he shall push the people together to the ends o f the e a rth :” How w onderful, that the same horns which pro tect the unicorn from being pushed around are the instrum ent th at he is going to use to push the people to the ends o f the earth! T he family o f Joseph make great missionaries. They are pushers, and they will push, and push, and push, till they get w hat they w ant. “ and they are the ten thousands o f Ephraim , and the thousands o f Manasseh. So this is Manasseh and this is Ephraim and they together m ake the tribe o f Joseph, and beside them there is no hidden tribe o f Joseph. They are both included in these two great blessings o f Jacob and Moses. Jacob m ade a difference when he blessed them as lads, but when they became older, he blessed them unitedly, and so did Moses, except th a t Moses did n o t m ention th at Ephraim would have a greater num ber in the tribe, yet in the end-tim e we are going to find th a t God will unite them together again into one tribe, even the tribe o f Joseph. 9

I believe th a t th e prophecies th a t were given under the very great anointing o f the Holy Spirit, are o f great im portance. T here is only one thing rem arkable about both o f the prophecies th a t Jacob and Moses gave the tribes. T hat is the fact th a t right after b o th o f these servants o f God prophesied to the tribes, they b o th were taken away by the Lord. “ And w hen Jacob had m ade an end o f com m anding his sons, he gathered up his feet into the b ed, and yielded up the ghost, and was gathered unto his people.” (Genesis 49:33) “A nd Moses w ent up from the plains o f Moab u n to the m ountain of N ebo, to the top o f Pisgah, th a t is over against Jericho....So Moses the servant o f the Lord died there in the land o f M oab, according to the word o f the L ord.” (D eutero nom y 34:1,5) The last words o f a great saint are always very im portant. They are w orthy of being rem em bered. I believe th at the reason these last words are so im portant is be cause the one who speaks them is standing betw een the gate o f earth and heaven and that suddenly the things o f this earth are n o t so im portant as the things o f heaven. When you stand on th e edge o f eternity, true values are realized. I rem em ber that beautiful chorus: Turn your eyes upon Jesus Look full in His w onderful face And the things o f this world Will grow strangely dim In the light o f His glory and grace. I would that m any o f us could have th at kind o f an experience w ith God so that we could know w hat th e true values o f life really are. Ephraim cannot come into his inheritance, unless he has “ given b irth ” to Manasseh. Ephraim cannot dare to hold any bitter feelings or h u rts o f the past, and still be fruitful. As long as dear Ephraim carries the scars of the past hurts, he will lose his fruitfulness and n o t be able to be the blessing th at he is m eant to be. Ephraim m ust always follow Manasseh. You cannot have a fruitful m inistry until you have experienced th e healing o f memories. The book A b u se d B u t Chosen by Elsie Isensee Hill is a w onderful story o f forgiveness. Though physically abused as a child by her m other, she forgave and overcame through the grace o f Jesus in her life. She lived a fruitful life w ithout bitterness, and was a missionary in South America. U ltim ately through love she led her dying m other to the Lord.* Ephraim ’s fath er, Joseph, had been sold by his brothers; he had been hated by them and separated from them . Some o f his brothers even wanted to kill him , so great was their hatred tow ards him . N ot m any o f you have been hated th at m uch by other Christians, that they w ould like to kill yo u , though, no d o u b t, some m ay have prayed that God would “rem ove y o u .” T hat is w itchcraft. D on’t you ever pray like this about any living person, except it be in comion th at the Lord will take them to Himself out o f their suffering and m isery, b u t then it m ust be only “in the will o f G od” * “Abused But Chosen” by Elsie Isensee

H ill

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that you pray like th a t, and never o u t o f y our own ion. Ask God to convict them , b ut never to strike them dow n. Rem em ber th at God is judge. You will rem em ber once Jo h n and Jam es asked the Lord to send fire dow n on a village th at had rejected Him and He told them th a t they d id n ’t know w hat kind o f a spirit they were of. (Luke 9:54) I believe th a t God wants us to reach th a t place o f glory where we can forget the grievous things th a t we have suffered in the past, and in the present, and n o t continual ly dwell on th em , speak about them , or brood over them . Hallelujah! This does not m ean th at we have to crawl back into the “ snake p it” o f our form er life to “prove” th at we have forgiven the one who has h u rt us. But we can love them and live the life God has called us to live w ithout any bitterness from yesterday in our hearts. One o f th e m em ories th at both Ephraim and Manasseh have to forget is their training by their m other and grandfather, the priest o f O n. Rem em ber th a t their m other Asenath had been dedicated to idols (th a t is w hat her nam e m eans). I am sorry to say th at w ithin that line and lineage o f Ephraim and Manasseh there is the ten dency to turn to idols, because o f the bloodline on their m o th er’s side o f the family. You can know th a t when her boys were little, she w ould take them on her knee and talk to them and tell them the stories th at her ow n m other and nurse maid had told her. She was a w om an o f high birth, born in idolatry. In her blood were m any centu ries o f worshipping idols, devils and dem ons. This m ark o f dolatry was to plague Ephraim the rest o f his life. T hat is why Ephraim broke away from the Lord God Jehovah, whose tem ple was in Jerusalem , and built a tem ple, and started another type o f worship. It was Ephraim who set up the golden calves. An E phrathite and Ma nassite may not worship “golden calves” b u t they m ust always be on the alert to iden tify their weakness and guard against setting up idols in their heart. Som eone m ay not always be near you to tap you on the shoulder and tell you th a t you are n o t supposed to have that “idol in your h eart.” D on’t allow Satan to m ake a golden calf for you. D on’t allow him to separate you from the fellowship you have w ith your brothers and sisters. You see, w hen they m ade the golden calf and worshipped it, they were sepa rated from their brothers and sisters of the rest o f the tribes. Sometimes we can be so busy with our own activities th at we can push aside the family devotions, and the gathering o f ourselves together for worship. Ephraim and Manasseh both have to be careful th at they are n o t so busy doing their “ ow n little thing” that they do not have tim e to pray and read their Bible. God has raised up a Jerusalem , w here He wants His people to gather together for His glory and it is im p ortant that you “com e up for the great feasts o f the L ord.” Rem em ber th a t it was Jeroboam , the E phraim ite rebel who said, “ It is too m uch for you to go up to Jerusa lem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up o u t o f the land o f E gypt.” (I Kings 12:28) This spirit o f independence and o f “ doing y our own thing” is one o f the things which b o th Ephraim and Manasseh need to fight against in their lives.

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THE FAMILY TREE OF EPHRAIM The genealogy o f Ephraim is confusing because there are tw o different ones given in the Bible. There is one in Num bers 26:35-37 and another in I Chronicles 7:20-29. In Num bers 26 three sons are nam ed. I will go by this one as it is m ore clear. The three sons o f Ephraim were: 1. Shuthelah: b y which the Shuthalhites were nam ed; 2. Becher: the father o f the Bachrites; 3. Tahan: the fath er o f the Tahanites. T he meaning o f th eir names is: 1. Shuthelah: “revolution, radical change.” I believe th at this was an indication of what was already beginning to take place in Egypt. In Exodus 1:8 we read, “ Now there arose up a new king over E gypt, which knew not Joseph.” The scripture goes on to tell o f the great persecution th a t began against the Children o f Israel in Egypt. It could be at this tim e th a t E phraim ’s son was b o m , if n o t, then it was prophetic o f what was to com e. 2. Becher: “ y o u th , first-born.” It is strange th at Ephraim gives his second son the nam e o f “ first-born.” Could that indicate th at he also received the first-born blessing, ju st like Ephraim did? If he did, th at was the fourth generation in a row to give the first-born rights to the second son. Jacob was born after Esau and yet he received the birthright blessing. Jacob’s son, Joseph, received the double portion blessing instead o f R euben. Joseph’s second son, Ephraim , received the double portion when he was blessed by his grandfather, Jacob. Now it seems like Ephraim gave his second son, Becher, th e first-born blessing. 3. Tahan: I like this nam e, Tahan. It sounds Chinese to me. It means “ campsite, new arrangem ents, goodness, m ercy.” God has to do some new arranging in our lives. And as we are m oving on in the Lord we will see His goodness and m ercy. The name “ cam psite” indicates th a t we are pilgrims travelling through the land, and, like Abra ham , we have no certain dwelling place, but “we look for a city,...w hose Maker and Builder is G od.” (Hebrews 11:10)

CHARACTERS O F THE TRIBE O F EPHRAIM Elishama: (N um bers 1:10) He was the captain o f the hosts o f Ephraim . His name m eans, “my G od has heard.” What a beautiful name! M aybe he was born in the wilderness, or during th e intense tim e o f suffering in Egypt. It is evident by this nam e, that God had heard th e cry o f His suffering people in Egypt. His fath er’s nam e was A m m ihud which m eans “ my covering is m ighty.” These people had to keep under the 12

covering o f the Lord. A nother meaning o f this name is “ m y covering is the cloud. We know th a t th e cloud o f the L ord’s presence was w ith them as they journeyed and they did n o t dare move w ithout the guidance which they received through this cloud o f glory. It is im portant in these days th at G od’s people have no o th er covering than the glory o f th e Lord and th ey move only as He guides them and directs them through the cloud. Read Exodus 40:34-38. Kemuel: Kem uel was th e prince o f the tribe o f E phraim . (Num bers 34:24) The nam e means “G od stands up, God has risen.” And truly, when the princes o f Ephraim are anointed o f G od, God does rise up to do His m ighty works.

JOSHUA Joshua is perhaps one o f the greatest men in history. No soldier ever fought like he did. There have been great soldiers like N apoleon, A lexander the G reat, Lord Nel son the great English Naval Com m ander, but only Joshua never lost a battle. In this he was unique. He lost a tem porary battle at the city o f Ai, b u t when he w ent to God and found o u t the reason w hy, then he im m ediately won the next battle. It was be cause there was sin in the cam p. A holy Ephraim ite cannot bear to live w ith sin in the camp. Like Joshua o f old, he is going to go to God and find o u t the tru th o f the m atter. He will lay on his face all night before the Lord until God talks to him. He wants to know th a t there is nothing wrong in his life before he goes o u t to serve the Lord. He was great, because he was a man o f faith and integrity. He was a pure man. He had been trained in the path o f hum ility as Moses’ servant. I have preached a message on the life o f Joshua, which I would like to recom m end you to listen to, as I know it will be a great blessing to your life.* When Joshua returned w ith the other spies from spying o u t the land, he ex perienced his greatest testing and his finest hour. He had to stand by his convictions, together w ith Caleb, against the angry m ob and the lying report th at the other spies brought back. He had giant-killing faith. He said th a t those giants were absolutely nothing in the sight o f God and th at they were well able to go up and take the land. Read again the words which Joshua and Caleb spoke to the Children o f Israel. (Num bers 14:7-9) “ A nd they spake unto all the com pany o f the children o f Israel, saying, The land, which we ed through to search it, is an exceeding good land. If the Lord delight in’ us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which flow eth w ith milk and honey. Only rebel n o t ye against the L ord, neither fear ye the people o f the land; fo r they are bread for us: their defence is departed from them , and the Lord is w ith us: fear them n o t.” *G158“Joshua, G o d ’s Man o f Faith and Power” by G w en R. Shaw available from End-Time Handm aidens, P.O. Box447, Jasper, ARK 7 2641. Each tape $3.50 o r $ 10.00 for 3 tapes plus postage and handling.

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Such words o f courage and faith are absolutely trem endous. And this is w hat lies in the heart o f every Ephraim ite who has a glimpse o f the greatness o f G od and wants to do the perfect will o f God in his life. His words o f faith were so g r e a tth a t people wanted to sto n e him. Have you ever been persecuted for y our faith. Not everybody wants to hear the word o f faith, some people enjoy their misery. They would far rather hear a w ord th at “ confirm s their unbelief” than one th at chaUenges their faith Tell them ab o u t God healing the sick, and they say it is n o t for today. Tell about miracles, and th ey say th a t miracles stopped when the apostles died moreover they will “ stone” y o u fo r believing th at Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. God called Jo sh u a to take Moses’ place because he had strong faith. God gave him the same anointing th at He gave Moses. Now, notice this Moses was a Levite and they have a very strong anointing for leadership and supplication. So when an Ephraim ite receives th e Moses-Levite anointing like Joshua did then we have a man dynam ic capabilities. It was strange th at God raised up a m an from a tribe o th er than the tribe o f Levi to lead His people, b u t God never “ gets in a ru t.” He always «^doing som ething new. T hat is why m ost religious organizations can t keep up w ith G . Joshua had the qualifications God needed: hum ility, obedience, love, sincerity, longsuffering honesty, and faith. When all-that received the anointing, then G od had a com m ander o f his arm ed forces whom He could send into battle to possess the land_ Rem ember that Joshua was Moses’ hum ble servant. He was n ot the vice-president of “ Levite Incorporated.” Joshua always stayed in the background. If Moses said, “ We go up the m oun tain,” Joshua answ ered, “ Yes, sir ” and up they went! Because he was a very humble servant and a very obedient servant, he was able to get closer to the glory than a others in Israel. E phraim ites, you can do it! You can have the glory o f Levi, but you have got to start by being Levi’s servant. This is very hard for an Ephraim ite because he re th a t he has received grandfather Jacob’s blessing. He rem embers that has th at special prom ise to be fruitful and to be great. He says to himself, D dn t God tell me that I was going to be wealthy and mighty and th at my branches would go over the wall? Why should I be ju st a little servant to some Levi? Not m e^ I have my own m inistry to tak e care of.” But th e key to greatness has always been HUMILITY Most o f us forget th a t the greatest gift we can have is hum ility. Jesus was the perfect exam ple o f this virtue. If we simply follow Him, He will give us this grace also. But in Joshua, the tru e Ephraim ite, Ephraim too sets us an exam ple o f the greatness and honour which G od bestow s to those who are humble. When Moses died, and Joshua came into his calling, God said to him , “ Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, th o u , and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them , even to the children o f Israel. Every place that the sole o f y our foot shall tread upon, th at have I given unto you, as I said u nto Moses.... There shall not any m an be able to stand before thee all the days o f thy life: as I was w ith Moses, so I will be w ith thee: I will n ot fail thee, nor forsake thee. Be strong and 14

o f a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware u n to their fathers to give them . Only be thou strong and very coura geous th at th o u m ayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my ser vant com m anded thee: tu rn n o t from it to the right hand or to the left, th at thou m ayest prosper w hithersoever thou goest. This book o f the law shall n o t depart o u t of thy m o u th ; b u t th o u shalt m editate therein day and night, th at thou m ayest observe to do according to all th at is w ritten therein: for then th o u shalt m ake thy way pros perous, and then thou shalt have good success. Have n o t I com m anded thee Be strong and o f a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dism ayed: for the Lord th y God is w ith thee w hithersoever thou goest.” (Joshua 1:2-3,5-9) God honoured Joshua by giving him these great promises. He even nam ed a whole book o f the Bible after him . He comes right into Moses’ inheritance. He has the same legal rights w ith God as the Levites. He can m arch over the land and claim every place th at the soles o f his feet step upon. God had prom ised him , As I gave the land to Moses, I gave it to y o u .” This is the highest h onour God can give Ephraim . The promises to E phraim were blessings, bessings, blessings, prosperity, prosperity, prospe rity. But all this was conditional. God said th at Ephraim m ust walk in absolute obedience to G o d . He dare n o t “ turn from G od’s will for his life,” to the right or to the left. If you do n o t keep the laws o f G od’s holiness, God cannot prosper you. I think that this is one reason m any ministries are failing and the leaders of these minis tries are getting desperate. Their need is n ot so m uch for m ore finances, but for holiness unto the Lord. God gives Ephraim a special calling to read the Word o f God and m editate on it. This o f course, is applicable to all o f us, but especially to the leaders whom God raises up. God says to Ephraim , “ I will prosper you, but you m ust be careful to ‘stick to the b o o k .’ ” If you start playing around with the w orld, the Holy Spirit will close up your purse and He will clean out your bank . T h a t’s right! He knows just how to do it. SAMUEL AND HANNAH Two o f the greatest characters o f Ephraim are Samuel and H annah, his m other, for he would never have been great, if she had n o t trained him in the ways o f dedica tion and love fo r G od. If y o u , daughter o f Ephraim , w ant to see a perfect Ephraim ite w om an, look at th e life o f Hannah. She came from a little village near Jerusalem and she had only one desire and that was that she m ight be fruitful. But she had a barren w om b. However, as she prayed and wept before the Lord, God gave her the promise through the high priest, Eli, th at God would grant her p etition. She asked God for a son and she prom ised God th a t she would give him back to the Lord all the days o f his life and th at no razor w ould com e upon his head. T hat m eant that he would be dedi cated to God as a N azarite. She travailed so hard, th at Eli thought she was drunk. He did not realize th a t she was drunk w ith grief. When she had received her gift o f a son, 15

she called him Samuel, “I have been heard by God.” A fter Hannah had weaned Sam uel, she took him to Shiloh where the tabernacle o f the Lord was and she gave him to Eli to be raised by the Lord. As her rew ard, God gave her three more sons and tw o daughters. God will reward the daughters of Ephraim as they give G od their best. While Samuel was only a young child, G od spoke to him , “ Behold, I will do a thing in Israel, at which both the ears o f every one th at heareth it shall tingle. In that day I will perform against Eli all things which I have spoken concerning his house: when I begin, I will also make an end. F or I have told him that I will judge his house for ever for the iniquity which he know eth; because his sons made themselves vile, and he restrained them n o t. And therefore I have sworn u n to the house of Eli, that the iniquity o f Eli’s house shall n o t be purged with sacrifice no r offering for ever.” (1 Samuel 3:11-14) Eli had to receive this message because he knew it came from God. The Bible says all Israel, from Dan to Beersheba, knew that Samuel was established to be a prophet o f the Lord. More than once, G od revealed Himself to Samuel in Shiloh. Samuel anointed Saul to be king o f Israel only because God told him to do it. When Saul failed the Lord, Samuel grieved as deeply as his m other had grieved for a son. He suffered a broken heart. Spiritual Ephraim ites are tender-hearted people and are easily grieved when they see G od’s people going astray. Samuel also anointed David to be king. Everything he did was guided by the Lord, b ut he too had one weakness; he could not see the sins o f his own sons (II Sa muel 8:15). and did n o t correct them . This is one o f E phraim ’s weaknesses. They find it hard to see faults in their own children, and therefore it is hard for them to train them and raise them u p in the holiness o f God. But Hannah did it, so it is possible. Let us n o t be blind to tru th . If y o u r child needs a rebuke, give it to him. If he needs a spanking, give it to him . He shall not die. Samuel died at a good old age and was such a m ighty prophet o f G od, that two books o f the Bible w ere named after him. He had power w ith God and moved the hand o f G od. God k e p t him alive, when Saul would have killed him. When God has His hand on you, no devil can take y our life. In Jerem iah 15:1 G od recognized Samuel as one o f the great intercessors, linking him with Moses.

TH E SINS O F EPHRAIM In Joshua 17:14 we begin to hear the rumblings o f what ultim ately brings Ephraim to com plete disaster. “ And the children o f Joseph spake u n to Joshua, saying, Why hast thou given m e b u t one lot and one portion to inherit, seeing I am a~ great people, forasm uch as the Lord hath blessed me h ith e rto ? ” Rem em ber that 16

their b ro th er Manasseh had 52,700. T hat was 27,700 m ore. T hat is w hy G od, who is ju st, had given them the greater p o rtion o f land. And here is Ephraim saying, “ We’re so great, why did you only give us one lot? God has blessed us so m uch, we ought to have m ore.” How did Joshua, their ow n tribesm an, answer them ? “ A nd Joshua answered them , If th o u be a great people, then get thee up to the wood co u n try , and cut down for thyself th ere in the land o f the Perizzites and o f the giants, if m o u n t Ephraim be to o narrow fo r th ee .” God wants Ephraim to fight fo r their land and to be fearless o f the giants in it. Because th ey were fearful God told Manasseh to help them in the battle. (Joshua 17:14,15) Ephraim was a little to o spoiled. They w anted it all handed to them for free. A fter all, had th ey n o t gotten the big blessing? Som etim es G od’s people who have been given great prophecies ju st sit around and w ait for God to fulfill them , never realizing th a t th ey have to wrestle w ith strong dem on powers in order to get the promises o f G od. They need to fast and pray through and pay a price. Som etimes I see m inistries coasting along on the prophecy th a t they got tw enty years ago. I can hear them say, “ I can’t see why G od doesn’t bless m e. A fter all, I had a word o f prophecy from so and so. Yet I am still standing where I stood tw o years ago, Sister Gwen. Why can ’t I go on and see it fulfilled?” Maybe there are a few giants in y our spirit th at haven’t been dealt w ith. I have seen ministries destroyed because people have never been delivered from th e giants in their lives. T here are giants o u t o f our past which each one o f us has to fight. Until we conquer th em , we are n o t “ m eet for the M aster’s use.” God says th a t if you w ant to possess territory, you have to fight fo r it. Fight for it in fasting. Fight for it in prayers, fight for it in tears, and fight for it in sacrificing u n to the cause. You will have no m ore souls than those you travail into the Kingdom o f G od. Jesus said, “The kingdom o f heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.” (M atthew 11:12) We are G od’s storm troopers. We m ust believe th at we can take those m ountains. With Caleb o f old we m ust cry, “ Give me this m ountain! (Joshua 14:12) Joshua spoke the word o f faith to them , “ T hou art a great people, and hast great pow er: th o u shalt not have one lot only: But th e m ountain shall be thine, for it is a w ood, and thou shalt cut it dow n: and th e outgoings o f it shall be thine: for thou shalt drive o u t the C anaanites, though they have iron chariots, and though they be strong.” (Joshua 17:17-18) Those were m ighty words from their ow n tribes m an, Joshua. It takes an Ephraim ite to handle an Ephraim ite! It was only w hen Ephraim and Manasseh were united together against the giants th at they were able to win victory after victory.

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GIDEON’S PROBLEM WITH EPHRAIM When Gideon se n t to war a p in s t the M idianites, he

“ s e n t

messengers through

o u t all m ount E phraim , saying, Come dow n against them the waters u n to B ethbarah and Jordan. (Judges 7 .2 4 ) In the next v y I T i o u 7 7 h e Ereat victory Ephraim had. Then in 8:1 we read how the men o f . - I . r id e o n “Why hast thou served us thus, th a t thou calledst us n o t, fh “ w iS te?, to n h g h ? L h the M idianites? And they did chide w ith him sharply.” “ And he said u n to them , What have I done now in com parison o f you? Is n o t the gleaning o f the grapes o f Ephraim better than the vintage o f Abiezer? Then their anger was abated. Can you see w hat is in this story? They were cal ed to battle but because they felt th a t they did not get the glory because they did not rout out the entire Midianite arm y (instead, God gave them two o f the greatest Michanitp leaders, probably men like H itler and Stalin com bined), they were angry and full o f vexation. They were n o t c o n te n t w ith the gift and m inistry th at God had given them and t anointing, the deliverance and the victories th at they had. They were envious a were blaming Gideon fo r what God had n ot enabled them to do. Look at the w isdom o f Gideon. Rem em ber too th a t he is a Manassite and that probably there was “ brotherly jealousy” in the hearts o f Ephraim . He told them that they were great and th a t “ to get the head o f the leaders was m ore im portant tha get all the footm en.” T h at appeased them and they w ent hom e.

JEPH THA H’S PROBLEM WITH EPHRAIM Here again, we see the same spirit o f envy and contention. The m en o f Sphraim gathered themselves together and went n o rth ready to start a fight with J e p h th a i. “W herefore edst th o u over to fight against the children o f Am m on, and didst n call us to go w ith thee? we will b u m thine house upon thee w ith fire. (Judges U “ And Jephthah said u n to them , I and my people were at great strife w ith the children o f A m m on; and when I called you, ye delivered me not out o f their hands And when I saw th a t y e delivered me n o t, I p u t my life in m y hands and ed over against the children o f A m m on, and th e Lord delivered them into my hand: wherefore then are ye come up u n to me this day, to fight against me? Then Jephthah gathered together all the m en o f Gilead, and fought w ith Ephraim : and the men o f Gilead sm ote Ephraim , because th e y said, Ye Gileadites are fugitives o f Ephraim among the Ephraim ites, and am ong the M anassites.” The Gileadites captured the fords o f Jordan behind the arm y o f Ephraim and whenever a fugitive o f Ephraim tried to cross the river, the Gilead guards chaHenged him “ Are you a m em ber o f the tribe o f Ephraim ?” they asked. If the m an replied tha he was n o t, then th ey dem anded, “ Say S hibboleth.” But if he couldn’t pronounce the 18

“h ” and said “ S ibboleth” instead o f “ Shibboleth,” he was dragged away and killed. So 42,000 people o f Ephraim died there at th at tim e. This was a great hum iliation and tragedy for E phraim . But it was one th at he deserved because he lifted up his heart in envy against th e Gileadites who were the tribes o f Manasseh and Gad com bined. We m ust be careful th a t we are not jealous when som ebody else wins the victory in the battle. Have you ever had th at happen in y o u r m inistry? The devil comes against you and through those who are watching w hat you are doing for th e Lord. A nd he brings lies and accusations against you. He is a liar. Ephraim pretended that they w anted to help Jephthah in the b attle, but we know th at this is n o t true for when he called for them to help him in the battle, they w ould n o t come. B ut the pow er o f God fell on th e Gileadites who consisted, as I said, o f Gad and Manasseh and they fought Ephraim successfully. T hat tim e Ephraim m et som eone who could stand against him . It takes a brother to fight a brother.

TH E EPHRAIM ITE CATTLE RUSTLERS In I Chronicles 7:20 we read the interesting story o f how the sons o f Ephraim went out to steal som e cattle. They were killed during this escapade an d it caused their father, Ephraim , great grief. This is not Ephraim , the son o f Joseph, as this story takes place m any generations later. The whole tribe m ourned m any days and his brethren went to com fort him . The loss o f tw o sons at one tim e is a very terrible thing. It was after this, th at he had another son, Beriah, which m eans “ a tragedy has happened to us.” He gave him this name because he said th a t “ it w ent evil w ith his house.” Ephraim also had a daughter called Sherah who built Lower and Upper Bethhoron and Uzzen-sherah. Her nam e m eans, “ blood relative, fleshly, left over.” The name o f Beth-horon means “house o f m oulding, house o f the gap, o f the hollow way, hollow house.” T he name o f Uzzen-sherah m eans “ the ear o f Sherah, ear o f the blood relatives.” It could be th at her brothers were killed in this area and this gave her courage to do w hat she did. What a w onderful strength this young wom an had, th a t she could build three cities! B eth-horon was on the road from Gibeon to A zekah in the Philistine plain. It was on the b o rd er o f Benjamin and Ephraim . This shows us how strong the women o f Ephraim were. T ruly, their “ branches” w ent over the wall. Just like Manasseh’s daughters, th e w om en o f Ephraim had trem endous strength and capabilities. Some people think th a t perhaps D eborah was an Ephraim ite, and I thought so to o , because it says she lived in M ount Ephraim . B ut, if you read w hat I w rote about her under Issachar, you will understand w hy I th in k she is a daughter o f Issachar. But Deborah, to o , is typical o f th e daughters o f Ephraim . She lived am ong them and adopted m any o f their characteristics.

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O ne o f the ancient Aramaic translations, the Lamsa Bible, says, “she (Sherah) was a w om an physician, and she healed the sick. And she also healed Edan the son o f A m m ihud.” (I Chronicles 7 :2 4 , 5:26) N othing o f this is m entioned in o th er transla tions. It could be th a t she was the first lady physician m entioned in the Bible. Ephraim ite women have a gift o f healing in their hands and they are G od’s builders. God used Sherah to bring h onour back to th e family after the tragic loss o f her brothers, and also to bring healing to her broken-hearted father.

THE POSITION O F EPHRAIM In the wilderness: In the wilderness Ephraim was on the west side o f th e taber nacle beside his brothers Benjamin and Manasseh. (Benjamin really was his uncle). In the Promised Land: They were located in the m iddle o f the Promised Land, betw een Manasseh on th e n o rth (th at is the half-tribe th at crossed over the Jordan), on Dan on the south-w est, and Benjamin on the south. Their inheritance was not far from Jerusalem . If y o u travel by car, it is only about 20 miles. In the M illenium:

Ephraim will be situated betw een Manasseh and Reuben.

In the Holy City: The Gate o f Ephraim is n ot m entioned, just as the Gate of Manasseh is not m entioned. There is only the gate o f Joseph. Ephraim and Ma nasseh come together in a oneness o f perfection o f love, uniting together in the har m ony o f the Holy Spirit. They lose th at independent, self-prom oting egoism, that vying to be better th an their brother Manasseh. God wants all o f us to lose that spirit. I d o n ’t m ean th a t you should go around and copy o th er people. Som etimes you see people doing th a t. I have seen students o f a particular Bible school, who after their graduation, are a perfect copy o f the principal or some ideal teacher, only they are 20 to 40 years younger. When we receive the anointing, it will m ake it possible to be our selves.

SHECHEM Ephraim had m an y great cities. I cannot m ention them all. But I do w ant to m ention Shechem. It has a very im portant history. This is where Joseph is buried to day. Y ou can still see his tom b. There are a lot o f disturbances there and tourists have been killed by bom bs being throw n into the bus. Shechem is now called Nablus. It is in a beautiful location and was know n as th e paradise o f the Holy Land. Jacob purchased a parcel o f land. He told his son Joseph, th at he was giving it to him. (Genesis 33:19, 4 8:22) In Joshua 2 4:32 we read how Joseph’s bones were laid to rest in this place. In Joshua 16:5-10 we can see how the land was divided to Ephraim . It tells us th at they 20

did n o t drive o u t the Canaanites th a t dw elt among them , and th a t they dw elt among th e Ephraim ites even at the tim e th a t th e story about it was w ritten. Ephraim m ust be careful to “ clean house.”

WOMAN A T TH E WELL A significant thing happened here at Shechem during the tim e o f Christ. T urn to Jo h n 4. It was here, at the well which Jacob had dug alm ost 2,000 years earlier, th at Jesus m et and spoke w ith “ th e w om an a t th e well.” Many o f us who have gone to Israel, have visited this well and d runk w ater from it. It is a thrilling experience. It was here in Shechem th at Joshua gave his final farewell message. T urn to Joshua 24:1-25. “And Joshua gathered all the tribes o f Israel to Shechem , and called for the elders o f Israel,...And Joshua said u n to all the people, Thus saith the Lord G od o f Israel, Y our fathers dw elt on the o th er side o f the flood in old tim e, even T erah, the father o f A braham ,...and they served o th er gods....I have given you a land for which ye did not labour, and cities which ye built n o t, and ye dwell in them ; o f the vineyards and oliveyards which ye planted n o t do ye eat. Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in tru th : and p u t away th e gods which y o u r fathers served on the other side o f the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the Lord....choose you this day whom ye will serve;...but as for me and m y house, we will serve the L ord.” (Joshua 24:1-2, 13-15) He gave Ephraim and all the tribes o f Israel this stem warning because he felt in his heart th at Ephraim would go back to idolatry. He knew it in his spirit. Have you ever known som ething in y our spirit, and no m atter how m any times people go to the altar, they still have the idol o f th e past in their hearts?

REHOBOAM IN SHECHEM It was here th at Solom on’s son, R ehoboam , was m ade king over all o f Israel and it was here in Shechem o f Ephraim where the ten tribes broke o ff from Judah and re nounced R ehoboam as their king and transferred their allegiance to Jeroboam , the Ephraim ite rebel, who became th e king over the ten tribes. T here is a spirit o f re bellion still in this area. One can feel it as one visits the well o f Jacob. It was less than 20 miles from Shechem th a t the golden calf was set up in Bethel. All o f this area is alive w ith history and would be a trem endous place for archaeological diggings, b u t it is on the West Bank and so Israel does n o t interfere m uch w ith th at area.

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SPECIAL SCRIPTURES REFERRING TO EPHRAIM Isaiah 11:13, “T he envy also o f Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut o ff: Ephraim shall n o t envy Judah and Judah shall not vex Ephraim ” A fter the setting up o f the northern kingdom , the envy o f Ephraim towards Manasseh was directed against Judah. G od's Spirit is going to remove all these old grievances and smite them together because Ephraim and Judah together can rule the world. Jerem iah 31:6, “ F o r there shall be a day, th at the w atchm en upon the m ount Ephraim shall c r y ,’Arise ye, and let us go up to Zion u n to the Lord our God. Ephraim will be evangelistic in their calling, and will bring m ultitudes to the Lord. Ephraim does not have to wait for the Millenium for th at to happen. As they receive the m ighty anointing o f God which is available for the end-tim e, they can already en ter into this m inistry. Jerem iah 31:9, “ They shall come w ith weeping, and with supplications will I lead them- 1 will cause them to walk by the rivers o f waters in a straight way, wherein they shall n ot stum ble: for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.” Is it not wonderful that God gives these great promises to Ephraim and then He. Himself, tells them th at they are His first-born? It seems like the thing th at they have fought for and striven for becomes theirs only as they come w ith weeping and supplication. So m any people strive to be great in God, but the secret o f greatness and o f being used by God is still in fasting and prayer. Jerem iah 31-18 Read the cry o f repentant Ephraim . “ 1 have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning him self thus: Thou hast chastised me and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustom ed to the yoke: turn thou me. and I shall be turned, for thou art the Lord my G od.” As Ephraim comes into m aturity he realizes that he cannot turn himself. It takes God to turn him , and this is certainly true o f every one o f us. Ezekiel 37:15-17,19, “The word o f the Lord came again u n to me, saying, More over thou son o f m an , take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children o f Israel his com panions: then take another stick, and write upon it For Joseph, the stick o f E phraim , and for all the house o f Israel his companions: And them one to another in to one stick; and they shall become one m thine hand ...Thus saith the Lord G od; Behold, I will take the stick o f Joseph, which is in the hand ot Ephraim , and the tribes o f Israel his fellows, and will p u t them with him , even w ith the stick o f Judah, and m ake them one stick, and they shall be one in mine hand. When Ephraim stops envying Judah and Judah stops vexing Ephraim , som ething w onderful will happen. Envy is the root o f all their trouble. There is always a tem ptation for G od’s people to be envious o f each other. If you once get the spirit o f envy against one person, watch o u t, p retty soon you will envy som ebody else, be cause it is possible fo r an evil spirit to enter. But they will be healed, and Judah, who

used to stick a th o rn into Ephraim all the tim e and make them vexed will love Ephraim w ith the love o f G o d . Som etim es the biggest fights com e over the smallest vexations. Zechariah 10:7, “ And they o f Ephraim shall be like a m ighty m an, and their heart shall rejoice as through wine: yea, their children shall see it, and be glad; their heart shall rejoice in the L ord.” God is going to have His m ighty m en coming o u t o f Ephraim and it will be be cause o f the latte r rain, fo r verse one o f this chapter tells us th a t the rain o f heaven will fall on “every one grass in the field.” The Bible tells us th at m an is as grass. Ephraim is grass u n til the Lord’s rain falls upon him and then every blade o f grass turns into a mighty m an o f G od. It says, “ their heart shall rejoice as through wine. ’ Yes, they shall be d runk in the Spirit. Praise God! Hosea: The entire book o f Hosea is a cry from the broken heart o f God for Ephraim . It was w ritten by the p rophet Hosea to E phraim , during the years B.C. 784 to B.C. 724 (a period o f 59 years) when Jeroboam was king o f the northern kingdom. If you really w ant to m ake a study on Ephraim , you need to read this entire book. It would take m any pages for me to discuss it here. But you need to understand what God is saying, to feel His broken heart for Ephraim . I always feel the deep sorrow of the Lord when He says, “ How shall I give thee up, Ephraim ?” (Hosea 11:8) Hosea 7:8 , “ E phraim , he h ath m ixed him self am ong the people; Ephraim is a cake n o t tu rn ed .” God is saying th at Ephraim is only baked on one side. He leaps out o f the pan because he cannot stand the heat. But if Ephraim will only let God bake him on both sides, then he shall indeed becom e bread for the nations. Hosea 7:9, “ Strangers have devoured his strength, and he know eth it not: yea, gray hairs are here and there upon him , yet he know eth n o t.” It is possible to lose out w ith God and n ot be aware th at you have lost y our anointing. This happened to Sam son. He “ wist n o t” th a t the Spirit o f God had departed from him . (Judges 16:20) The grey hair speaks o f old age, infirm ity, senility. We know that as we walk w ith God and His resurrection life is upon us, He keeps us young in spirit. But weariness and hard labour will age one quickly. Ephraim turned from the joy o f the Lord to the bondage o f worshipping calves and soon they lost th at life o f the spirit. And this is true o f anyone w ho backslides away from the Lord and loses th e jo y o f th e Lord. For the jo y o f the Lord is our strength.

REVIVAL IN EPHRAIM It was only a fte r m ost o f the n o rth ern kingdom was in danger o f being carried into captivity th at revival came to Ephraim in part. B.C. 941:

Asa had a revival in Jerusalem th at spread to Ephraim and the idols 23

were rem oved. In verse 9 we read th at even the strangers who were in Ephraim at the tim e were affected by this revival. (II Chronicles 15:8) B.C. 896: Jehosophat brought people from th e tribe o f Ephraim into the awakening, “ ...and he brought them back u n to the Lord God o f their fathers.” (II Chronicles 19:4) B.C. 741: Under the reign o f King Ahaz Judah com m itted idolatry and abom ina tions against the Lord. F o r th at reason God delivered them into the hands o f the Syrians and Ephraim . (II Chronicles 28:5) When Ephraim w ent to war against Judah, Judah was terribly defeated. 120,000 were killed and 200,000 wom en and children were taken captives. But in verse 9 we read th at God dealt w ith the heads o f Ephraim through the prophet o f th e Lord, O ded, and they repented o f the way they had treated Judah. God put com ion in their hearts, and they clothed them , fed them , anointed the wounded ones and spoke kindly to them , and sent them hom e again. B.C. 726: During th e revival under Hezekiah they were called to come to Jerusa lem. (II Chronicles 3 0 :1 ) Some m ocked, b u t others came (verses 10 and 18) and God blessed them so m ightily th a t when they returned hom e, they cleaned up the idols in the land. (II Chronicles 31:1) B.C. 634: During the revival under Josiah the idols were also rem oved, but not the golden calves. (II Chronicles 34:6) Ephraim came up to Jerusalem to worship, (verse 9) So we see th a t deep w ithin the people there is a longing for the reality of God. Their problem was th at their leaders led them astray. Psalm 60:7: God says, “ Gilead is m ine, and Manasseh is m ine; Ephraim also is the strength o f m ine head; Judah is my lawgiver;” Here we see th at God not only acknowledges Ephraim as His beloved, but also those whom Ephraim envied: Gilead (Gad and the half-tribe o f Manasseh), Manasseh and Judah. In the end they will all be united in the love o f the Lord. What a w onderful thing it will be for the world when Ephraim enters into his in heritance and lives in th a t place o f anointing. F o r surely God has given Ephraim the birthright, but to Ju d ah He has given the sceptre. And as each one recognizes his calling and his blessing w hich God has given him , he will be content in th at which God is doing in his life. In closing I w ould like to say, God bless you, Ephraim ites. We need to eat from the wine o f your grapes. As your branches run over the wall, we to o will reach o u t and be blessed by your abundance.

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APPENDIX INTERESTING DISCOVERIES CONCERNING THE TRIBE OF EPHRAIM When the Children o f Israel crossed th e Jordan River, God chose Shiloh as the place fo r the first capital o f Israel, the site o f the Holy Tabernacle and o f the Ark o f the Covenant. F o r 369 years it was the headquarters o f Israel’s im p o rtan t religious and political activity. Here Joshua divided the land o f Israel among the tribes. Judges 21:19 tells us where Shiloh was. It was situated right in the centre o f the tribe o f Ephraim ’s lot. When Israel sinned and Shiloh fell to the Philistines, the Ark o f the Covenant was captured and taken into captivity. (I Samuel 1:1-4) Eli (the high priest) fell dead o f shock when his sons were killed in battle on the same day. The wife o f one o f them gave birth to a son and called him Ichabod which m eans “ the glory o f the Lord hath dep arted .” From then until now (som e 3,300 years) the glory o f the Lord has never visited Shiloh. Now new things are happening in Shiloh. Settlers are moving into Shiloh and archaeological diggings are taking place. Fifty-seven married couples live there with their 175 children. It is on a three-tiered hill. On top o f the hill the air is like wine. T em peratures never rise above some 31 degrees Centigrade on the h o tte st Israeli sum m er day, and .never fall below 3 degrees Centigrade in winter. Archaeologists working in Shiloh believe they have discovered the site o f the Holy Sanctuary where the Ark containing the Covenant was kept for those 369 years until the Philistines captured it and destroyed the sanctuary in B.C. 1050. This discovery was m ade after a five-week dig, led by Dr. Israel Finkelstein o f Bar-Ilan University with the assistance o f 400 volunteers, including university students from other areas. According to Finkelstein, there is evidence to believe th at they have uncovered the exact site o f the Holy Sanctuary m entioned in the Bible. They have discovered the bones o f anim als which probably were used for sacrifices there and m any clay vessels probably used to carry the sacrifices to the area. In addition, 30 large pitchers, virtually intact, were also discovered. It is doubted th at these large pitchers were for private use. So it is interesting to see how G od’s Word is confirm ed every tim e a shovel goes into the ground in Israel. How very true are the scriptures which say, “ F o r thy servants take pleasure in her stones, and favour the dust thereof.” (Psalm 102:14) Even the dust proves the tru th o f the Bible history. Last o f all, it is significant th a t Ephraim was originally chosen as the site where G od ordered Joshua to set up the tabernacle o f Moses, and it was there for 369 years.

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EPHRAIM

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^Benjamin BY GWEN SHAW

Cover by Carolyn W right

Copyright 1982, Gwen R. Shaw End-Time Handmaidens, Inc. P.O. Box 447 Jasper, Arkansas 72641 All rights reserved.

Printed in the United States o f America

PRAYER “ Beloved F ath er, as we approach Benjamin, the last o f the tribes, we hum bly ask that Y ou will give us a sovereign anointing to be able to present the tru th s concerning this w onderful tribe who we all love dearly and feel is our very own ‘little b ro th er.’ Let us see in the Spirit his perfections and his greatness and let us also see his weak nesses and failures, th at all those who belong to this tribe will know th e tru th s o f God which will enable them to order their lives in the plan and will o f God for them and n o t be deceived by Satan c r pulled dow n from their highest potential through the weakness o f the flesh. In Jesus’ name. A m en.”

TH E NAMING O F BENJAMIN “And they journeyed from Bethel; and there was b u t a little way to come to E phrath: and Rachel travailed, and she had hard labour. And it came to , when she was in hard labour, th at the midwife said u n to her, Fear n o t; thou shalt have this son also. And it came to , as her soul was in departing, (for she died) th a t she called his name Beno’n i: b u t his father called him Benjamin. And Rachel died, and was buried in the way to E phrath, which is Bethlehem . And Jacob set a pillar upon her grave: th at is the pillar of R achel’s grave unto this d ay.” (Genesis 35:16-20) Many o f us w h o have gone to Israel have had the privilege o f seeing Rachel’s grave w hich is on the outskirts o f Bethlehem . It is truly a soul-moving experience to go there to pray and m editate. Bethlehem is in the West Bank, where there is a lot o f terrorist activity, and that is why the grave site has been shut o ff for a number o f years. But one can easily see it from the road. When I w ent there the first tim e, I w ept, as I felt the presence o f the Lord. It was as if I could feel again the pain and the grief that both Rachel and Jacob, and also Joseph experienced in that terrible hour when the death angel took her from this world and from her loved ones. I had preached for many years on many missionary fields about Rachel, and to visit this site was a very deeply m oving experience.

THE MEANING OF THE NAME Benjamin was given two names. F irst, his m other named him Benoni. “ And she called his name B enoni.” Every one o f the sons o f Jacob was named by his m other. Benoni is taken from two root-w ords, ben and oni. Ben means “ a son,” and oni means “ to exert oneself in vain, to come to naught, affliction, evil, false idols, iniquity, mischief, m ourning, naught, sorrow, unjust and unrighteous, vanity and wickedness. The tw o parts together are “ son o f my o n i,” o r perhaps, “ son of my sorrow , son o f my iniquity, son o f my unrighteousness, son o f my vanity, son o f my false idols. When you understand this, you are seeing into the heart o f dying Rachel. As I said earlier,

the last words o f a dying person are very, very im portant. These were the very last words th at Rachel spoke before she expired. When som eone dies, their whole li e comes up before them , and they rem em ber every im portant detail. Certainly this was true in R achel’s case. In th a t m om ent, as she realized she was dying she was rem em bering her own sins th a t had brought this terrible judgm ent and w rath o f God upon her. RACHEL’S SIN Genesis 31:32, “ With whom soever th o u findest thy gods, let him n o t live:” A fter Jacob escaped from his father-in-law, Laban, w ith his wives and family and his sheep, Laban began a desperate chase after him . When he caught up to Jacob, Jacob was able, with the help o f G od, to m ake a reconciliation w ith Laban. But Laban w anted to know who had stolen his idols. He accused Jacob o f having done it. But Jacob in ignorance said that nobody had taken his idols. With confidence he said that Laban could search everyone and th a t if he would find that anyone had stolen them , that person should die. In Genesis 31:34 we read, “ Now Rachel had taken the images, and put them in the cam el’s furniture, and sat upon them . And Laban searched all the ten t, b u t foun them no t. And she said to her father, Let it not displease my lord that I cannot rise up before thee; for the custom o f wom en is upon me. And he searched, but found no the images.” Rachel had subtly stolen those images (idols) from her father’s hom e as they were departing but Jacob had no knowledge o f this and neither did anyone else. So it was in perfect innocence th a t Jacob boldly placed the terrible “ death sentence” on his own beloved Rachel. Why Rachel stole these idols is hard to understand (see the appendix). It indicates there was still hidden sin in her life. She was secretive and conniving and a th ie f I believe that this is why she called her son Benoni. Look again at the meaning ot that nam e. Sometimes our sin comes up before us, even though it may have been confessed. We know th at the “wages o f sin is d eath .” God always forgives our sins, but sometimes we have to suffer for it, there is just no way o f getting out o f it. “Whatsoever a man sow eth, that shall he also reap.” (Galatians 6:7) I do n o t know how long it was after this scene w ith Laban, before Jacob realized w hat Rachel had done, b u t in this same chapter from verses 1 to 15 we read how Jacob had a true m eeting w ith G od. God told him to go to Bethel and dwell there; and make an altar unto the Lord. When Jacob heard G od’s voice, he commanded his household and all that were w ith them , “ Put away the strange gods th at are among you and be clean, and change y o u r garm ents: And let us arise, and go up to Bethel; and I will make there an altar unto G od.” And we read, “And they gave unto Jacob all the strange 2

ESTHER

“ ...fast ye fo r m e, and n e ith e r e a t n o r d rin k fo r th re e days, n ig h t o r day: I also and m y m aidens will fast likew ise; and so will I go in u n to th e king, w hich is n o t according to th e law : a n d i f I p erish, I p erish .” (E sth e r 4 :1 6 )

gods which were in their hand, and all their earrings which were in their ears; and hid them under the oak which was by Shechem .” (Genesis 35:2,4) J a c o b

Josephus, in his writings about this story, says that when God appeared to Jacob, He revealed to him th at there were idols in the camp. Jacob still didn’t know that his wife had those idols hidden. Some o f you m en do n o t know what your wives have hidden away. They could have things hidden th at you would never dream in y o u r life were possible. The same is tru e wom en. The m en have w orkshops and places where they could hide certain things th at we could never hope to find o u t about. But God revealed to Jacob th at there were idols hidden in the camp. When God revealed it to him , Jacob searched throughout the entire camp and when he made th at search, he discovered these idols. The Bible says that he buried them there under the oak by Shechem. They are probably still there today. It was not long after th a t, that Rachel died in childbirth. As her soul was de parting, she gave witness to the convicting power o f the Holy Spirit of God in her life when she called her son Benoni, “ the son o f my wickedness, the son o f my falseness, the son of my sorrow, the son o f my mischief, the son o f my unrighteousness, the son of my wrong doing.” I am glad th at she called him th at, because that bears witness th at she made a total and com plete confession before God. Though the Lord took her, surely He forgave her. The beautiful thing was that so great was her release from sin, so great was her forgiveness, that the nam e was changed from Benoni to Benjamin.

BENJAMIN Benjamin also consists o f two Hebrew root-words: ben meaning “ son,” yam iyn (yaw-meen) meaning “ right hand, the right side, leg or eye of a person.” It also means “the south side,” which is the m ore pleasant side. There are some Bible scholars that say that it means “old age, m atu rity .” It also means “son o f happiness, happy o ne.” When Jacob changed the nam e, it was a token o f h onour to his wife, Rachel. Some people say th at it doesn’t make any sense. “ How could Jacob call his baby the son o f his right hand?” they argue. But Rachel had been Jacob’s right hand. She was his dearly beloved, she was as precious to him as his right hand. So when he called this baby who had just come o u t o f her loins Benjamin, he was saying, “ this is the son that came from the one who was as dear to me as my right h and.”

JACOB VISITS BETHEL What were the conditions just preceding the birth of this child? There are some very significant things th at happened in Bethel, where Jacob built the altar. 3

1. They gave up their false gods and buried them there. 2. They washed themselves elean. 3. They changed their garments. 4. They built an altar and worshipped God. 5. God renewed Jacob’s new nam e, telling him the second tim e that his name was not to be called Jacob, b u t Israel, the prince. Although Jacob had twelve sons, Benjamin was the only one o f his sons to be bom after his name was changed to Israel. So, while the others were sons o f “ Jacob (the supplanter), Benjamin was the son o f “ Israel.” Jacob reached a new place in God before he fathered Benjamin. So Benjamin can truly be called “ the son o f a pnnce. For now Jacob.has his royal title from the Lord. 6.

G od’s promise to give Jacob the entire land o f the Canaanites was renewed

here in Bethel. 7. It was here in Bethel th at Jacob renewed his vows to God and again gave the Lord an offering, even a poured-out offering calied the drink offering as well as a poured-out oil offering. You will recall th a t the first time Jacob stopped at Bethel as he fled from the anger o f his brother Esau, he slept on a stone and that night he was visited by the Lord. He dream ed that he saw. a ladder set up on the earth, the top o f which reached the heavens, and angels o f God were ascending and descending on it. God stood above it and said, “ I am the Lord God o f Abraham thy father, and the God o f Isaac: the land w hereon'thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed; And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the n o rth , and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families o f the earth be blessed. And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places w hither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will n o t leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken unto to thee o f.” (Genesis 28:13-15) It was at that tim e th a t Jacob took the stone which he had used for a pillow, stood it up and poured out an oil-offering upon it. Oil was the m ost precious thing he had, for his m other, R ebecca, had given it to him to p ut on his wounds which he would get during his journey into the far n o rth . I believe th at Jacob was a sentim ental soul. Now, as he again gave G od the drink offering, it was his way o f saying to the Lord, am back here now , and I am again going to give to You w hat I gave You at the be ginning o f my journey. It is good to go back to the old ways and to rem em ber what God has done in the 4

past for us and then to get a fresh anointing. We need a new anointing. Let us not think for one m om ent, that the anointing that we received back there at the start of “ our jo u rn e y ,” when we first came to “ Bethel” (Bethel means “house o f G od” ), is enough for our lives. We need to go back again and again. We need to renew our co venant w ith God and get a fresh touch from Him to renew our strength, our vision and our love. Many times I have had to build another altar to get th at fresh touch of the Lord in my life. And there have been m any salty tears that were poured out there as an offering u n to the Lord as I renewed my vows to God and pled for a new anointing. No anointing can come w ithout a wonderful touch o f God th at includes pain and hurts. But as our heart is w ounded, we come close to the Lord again. We all need to have this new experience w ith the Lord again. I am so glad that Jacob had this new anointing from G od, because God had to prepare him to go through the suffering and the heartbreak that was coming. There are a lot o f Christians that are not ready for the things that are going to take place in the near future. Some haven’t even got the strength to face w hat is going to happen to them in the coming year because they need a fresh anointing. When I was speaking at a m ilitary base in F ort Polk, Louisiana, Jim and I visited with the chaplain. F ort Polk is one o f the largest m ilitary bases in the United States. I asked the chaplain, “What do you think, is there going to be a war?” He answered me, “ Absolutely! A war is im m inent and it is not going to be very long before we are goirg to be in it.” He said that the sad thing is that these boys all know it and they are scared to death. “ Just before you came in here, I had a soldier boy in my office who said, ‘I’ve got to get out! I’ve got to get out! 1 can’t stand it! I ’ve got to get away, and if they don’t let me ou t, I’m going to run away because I d o n ’t want to die.’ The chaplain called his comm anding officer and told him, “ You better release him , because it is no use keeping him; he is no soldier, his spirit will infiltrate the rest o f the cam p.” I asked, “ What about the rest o f them ?” He said they are all full o f fear, but they know there is no use running away. I asked him, “What is the answer?” He replied that the only answer is that God would send an outpouring o f the Holy Spirit upon these soldier boys. “ The only ones th at are ready to face tom orrow are those whom God has been visiting here in the F o rt Polk area and in other cam ps.” And then he asked m e, “ Do you know who they are? They are the black boys. They are having a revival and God is pouring His Spirit out upon them . They are the only ones that are not scared to face tom orrow . They are not afraid to go into the battlefield. It is the anointing of God that has given them the strength to face what is com ing.” Later when I preached I witnessed the tru th o f this statem ent, as God poured o u t His Spirit on the m en. Benjamin was born after the anointing. I pray th at God will p u t such an anointing in our lives th at even in tribulation times, there will be bom out o f our lives this “ son o f sorrow ” who will turn into the greatest blessing the world has seen. I know that the tribulation is really going to be the son o f our own foolishness. God 5

didn’t give us the tribulation; our sins are bringing it upon us, just like the sins of Rachel brought the suffering upon her. SYMBOL The sym bol of Benjamin is the wolf. The wolf belongs to the dog family. The grev or tim ber wolf is the com m onest and m ost wide spread species. A northern male may measure seven feet in length, including the bushy tw o-foot tail. Females are smaller than males. S outhern races are smaller than northern. The grey w olf is a powerful animal. It is savage and fearless, quite capable of bringing down an elk, or horse. Wolves usually h unt in small groups, rarely in large packs, catching larger prey, deer, caribou and m oose by a chase during which they display both speed and en durance. Their diet consists o f flesh. Wolves are prodigious eaters and when ample food is available, will gorge themselves. They will return to an old kill to eat even after it has become putrid, although fresh m eat is preferred. Grey wolves m ature sexually in two or three years and after that they remain with the family group. They often mate for life. Breeding occurs between December and April and 4-14 pups are born 63 days later. o f the family group are friendly to each other but rarely accept an interloper; more often he is driven o ff or killed. All o f the group solicitously care for the young. The wolf tears and rends its victim. In seeking the Lord as to why Benjamin was given the symbol o f a wolf, I believe that the Lord showed me th at, as he was bom through great travail (which may have lasted days), his m o th er’s womb was torn and rent in the terrible contractions she endured to push him into the world. It was undoubtedly a case of death by haemorrhaging due to a to m uterus. When I was at a Baptist mission in Assam, India, I had the opportunity of watching an operation which I will never forget. A young woman was brought into the hospital half alive from one o f the tea plantations. She had been in the second stage of delivery, but the baby could not be born because it was a case of arm presentation only, and the rest o f the body could not be born. Because o f the terrible contractions the uterus was badly to m and hem orrhaging took place. There are very im portant veins and arteries which feed the uterus, and so, when bleeding starts, it is not long before the m other dies, unless there is medical intervention. When I arrived, the m other was unconscious from loss o f blood and almost ready to expire. The baby had already died. The Indian and American missionary doctors worked quickly to try to save the young m o th er’s life. They am putated the baby’s arm and then opened her abdom en. I saw them remove the dead foetus and imm ediately after that they per form ed a hysterectom y and removed her entire uterus. With plasma and blood transfu sions her life was saved. Rachel did not have this kind of expert care and so she died.

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GEMSTONE The gem stone o f Benjamin is the Jasper. Jasper was the last gem named in the breastplate You will rem em ber in the A p p en d ix to In trodu ction to th e Tribes we m entioned th at Josephus, the early historian, said th a t each stone was placed in the breastplate in the order in which the sons were born. Benjamin is the last-born son of Jacob. T he Jasper stone is also the first foundation o f the stone in the New Jerusalem. (Revelation 21:19) It is interesting to see how the laws o f God are carried through in such hidden ways, “Many th at are first shall be last; and the last shall be first.” (M atthew 19:30) T he Jasper stone is very interesting. Some scholars believe it comes from the m in eral from which copper is derived and is therefore the well-known Elath stone seen all over Israel. Mining has started again in th e area o f King Solom on’s mines, which were opened again after so m any thousands o f years after Israel becam e a nation. And so we see th a t th e last is becoming the first, and the first is again given to us in th e end-time. Jasper is a rich blue and som etim es green colour. It makes beautiful rings, earrings, and broaches, and it is also used in other ways. In ancient tim es they believed th at it had very special power. T here are a lot o f superstitious beliefs concerning the tw o colours o f blue and green. In Israel the Arabs paint their windows and doors blue and green. In ancient tim es th ey believed that these stones would prevent sorrow and give protec tion. It was supposed to bring healing and happiness. The one who owned it had a sort of “ good-luck charm .” In the tim e o f drought you would be able to cause it to rain (if you had this stone). It was also a defence against spiders and scorpions. Sm ith’s Bible D ictionary defines the Jasper stone differently, as th e diam ond, from the description in Revelation 21:11 o f “ m ost precious and like crystal and also infers from Revelation 4:3 th at it was a sto n e.o f brilliant and transparent light. I thank God th at in the Jasper stone we see the one perfect gem who is Jesus Christ. He is our true prevention and healing from sorrow. He is our protection, He heals us and He is the source o f all happiness. If we have Him, He is b e tte r than any charm and when we pray, He sends the rain. He is also our defence against all dangerous insects, even snakes. Now, we can understand why the Lord placed Jasper as the foundation stone o f the New Jerusalem . C ertainly, it is a very beautiful stone, and one o f my favourites.

PROPHECIES - JACOB Genesis 4 9 :2 7 , “ Benjamin shall ravin as a wolf: in the m orning he shall devour the prey, and at night he shall divide the spoil.”

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This prophecy was given by his own father, Jacob. When one is in the anointing, one is divorced from family relationship or friendship and one speaks as the oracle of God. Jacob therefore was speaking for God and n ot for himself. No father would like to call his son a wolf. That is one o f the m ost uncom plim entary things th at anybody could call his son. What is God therefore saying? I would like to draw your attention to the fact th at there are two different stages o f the w olf in this prophecy. One speaks o f him “ in the m orning” or in the early stages o f his life. In the beginning he shall ravin as a wolf, he shall devour his prey. T hat is just w hat the w olf does. The w olf is looking for food and he only thinks o f himself because he has this w olf nature in him that has to be satisfied and he doesn t care about anyone else. If you try to take his prey away, he will turn on you and tear you to pieces. In fact, the word “ ravin” means “ to tear to pieces.” This spirit o f w anting for himself all he can get at all costs, he has inherited from birth because he had a desperate struggle to get but o f his m o th er’s womb lest he die together with her. M any infants die at the tim e their m others are going through such an ordeal as Rachel had to experience. He tore his m other so badly, that she died, but he was born. This is symbolical o f the birthing o f the tribe o f Benjamin. It is at a great price and with a great struggle that they are birthed into the Kingdom o f God. They have to fight for their very existence. So in his y o u th , or im m aturity before he has overcome his nature, he is, as his father, the prophet, said under the anointing, a ravin wolf who shall devour the prey. But there is another w olf in this prophecy also. He is the older, more m ature wolf of whom it is said, “ at night he shall divide the spoil.” He comes into a new m aturity in which his whole nature is changed. He will share with others the spoil which he has captured. As Benjamin reaches a place o f m aturity, he is willing to make sacrifices and give out the good things which God has given him. No one has ever heard of a wolf giving or sharing the carcass he has torn, except with the of his “ family. So it shows us that th at which was a w olf to begin w ith, turns into a com pletely different natured creature who becomes a blessing to others. Isn’t that wonderful? This is what God can do in the lives o f the Benjamites. I believe that in these last days the Benjamites will come into a wonderful place of giving and sharing w ith others the glorious truths o f the Gospel.

MOSES D euteronom y 3 3 :1 2 , “ And of Benjamin he said, The beloved o f the Lord shall dwell in safety by him ; and the Lord shall cover him all the day long, and he shall dwell between his shoulders.”

This is one o f the sw eetest and m ost precious promises given in the Bible. special promise o f pro tectio n th at God has given to Benjamin.

It is a

“T he beloved o f the L ord” One can feel th a t special love that G od has for this tribe. God has found him in the Spirit. He does n o t only see him as a “ w o lf ’ but as a desperate, struggling creature who is fighting for his very life. God p u t His hand on Benjamin and saved him from death at childbirth because God had a plan for his life. You Benjamites are blessed by being called, “ the beloved o f the L ord.” “ shall dwell in safety by him ;” In these times o f danger the Benjamites can claim this special, Divine protection which is given to them by the Lord. If they wear the Elat stone, it is not because they trust in it as their p ro tectio n , like some “ good-luck charm ” b u t because it is a rem inder to them o f the special p ro tectio n which God has prom ised to give them . They can go into difficult and dangerous situations (in the will of God) and there they will find the special presence o f th e Lord w ith them , watching over them . “ and the Lord shall cover him all the day long,” “The day” doesn’t m ean only 12 hours, sun-up and sun-down, b u t it means 24 hours. The Lord shall cover him all the day long. That means constant, com plete, perfect protection. This is really the only “ covering” that is im portant. If you do not have the covering o f the L ord, you are finished. He is w ith you wherever you go, w hether you are in y o u r hom e, on the highway, flying in a plane, or in an area where all kinds o f terrible things are happening. Yes, even in the battle front the Benjamite can claim this special prom ise of protection from the Lord. I believe that it is a promise that we are going to claim m ore and m ore as the evil day approaches. As a m issionary, I have had to claim it m any tim es. I d o n ’t believe th at I could have accom plished the great things for God th at I have, if it were not for this promise which I too have claimed, even though I ’m not a Benjamite. “and he shall dwell betw een his shoulders.” I can just picture th a t great, big eagle flying through the air, w ith little Benjamin sitting on the back o f it, hanging on. The Lord is carrying Benjamin and delivering him to every appointed assignment. You only need to rest on His m ighty shoulders. I like this scripture because I have had to travel so very m uch by air in the m inistry. I must have gone well over one m illion miles for Jesus. I hope the angels have kept th e record! I’d like to find out some day. End-Time Handm aidens has an Aero Com m ander 680 FLP “ Mr. R.P.M. Executive 800,” which we use a great deal also. My husband, Jim, who has been flying for nearly fifty years, is our pilot. He is retired from th e United States Air Force and is a very experienced and very good pilot. But I am glad that 9

besides Jim , we have those “ Everlasting Wings” under us. Hallelujah! Som etim es we have to fly through very dangerous w eather and difficult situations in all hours, day and night. We have flow n over the northern part o f the Rockies several tim es. It was a very awesome experience a t th a t tim e, as we had a Cessna 206 which has only one engine. A t tim es like this I like to think th at we are resting on the wings o f the Lord and th a t His shoulders are holding us up. Have you seen th a t little bird ju st learning to fly, how its m other throw s it o u t of the nest and as it goes tum bling down into space, the m other bird comes and swoops right underneath it and the little bird lands right on the shoulders o f its m other? T o gether they make a w onderful landing. T hat is ju st w hat God says about the Ben jam ites. A special p ro tectio n is given to them and a special training, because the Benjamites are being trained for great warfare. They becam e the m ighty soldiers of Israel. When you are a fierce fighter in the front line, you have got to have th at special promise o f protection. When the battle starts, the Benjamites are not going to look for the first hiding place. Instead they will say, “ Lord w here do you need me on the front lines today?” BENJAMIN’S WEAKNESS I am glad that th e Lord said that Benjamin is His beloved, because he really was a pam pered and spoiled child in m any ways. When his m other died, those nurses must have spoiled him terribly. (There is nothing like a good, loving Jewish nurse to spoil you). Also, Leah m ust have really cared for him , because now there was nothing to vex her any more or m ake her jealous, for Rachel had died. It is evident that his brothers never picked on him like they did on Joseph. In fact, they did everything they could to protect him. Reuben even promised to give his two sons for the life of Benjamin. And Judah said th at he was willing to go to prison in his place. He was so carefully watched over and loved th at when Jacob sent his sons to Egypt for grain, he did not send Benjamin along. Genesis 42:13 says, “ the youngest is this day w ith our fath er.” He was “ dad d y ’s b o y ,” sticking close to his fath e r’s side. When Joseph told them to bring their youngest brother into Egypt, o r he would n o t release Simeon to them , they knew th at they could n ot return to Egypt for grain unless they had Benjamin w ith them . However, when their father wanted to send them back, because they were in desperate need, he refused to send Benjamin with them , even though he knew the circum stances. He even accused his sons, “ Me have ye be reaved o f my children: Joseph is n o t, and Simeon is n o t, and ye will take Benjamin away: all these things are against m e.” (Genesis 42:36) Then in verse 38 he reaffirms, “My son shall not go dow n w ith you; for his brother is dead, and he is left alone, if m ischief befall him by the way in the which ye go, then shall ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to th e grave.” Do you see how he p ro tected him? Everyone was hungry, the cattle were dying, 10

the little children were screaming o f starvation, the cupboards were bare, famine was all over the land, and father Jacob says, “ I will not let him go!” Benjamin was not a teenager either. He was only about 6 years younger than Joseph and Joseph was at least 39 years o f age at this time. T hat m ade Benjamin approxim ately 33 years o f age. We think o f Benjamin as a little fellow, about ten years o f age and daddy is saying, “ H oney, you can’t go dow n. I m ight lose you, my little boy!” Do you see how spoiled he was? And the tru th is that the Benjamites are always the pam pered, spoiled ones in the family. There is just som ething so sweet about them and they never get their due spanking. T hat sweetness and th at coyness and th at innocent look which makes them so cute gets anything they w ant o ut o f mom and dad. And often, when they need punishm ent, m other says, “ He ju st couldn’t be that bad,” and the blame goes on the older brothers. Benjamin! Benjamin! As long as you are spoiled like that you will not grow up into perfection. Benjamin has to fight against all these things, the family hanging on to him , everybody wanting and needing him , until he can fly w ith God in his own m aturity, guided by the Lord and not by all his devoted family. He has to break free! Finally, father Jacob is convinced that there is no way out and so he lets Benja min go with his brothers. When he gets to Egypt, what happens? Joseph sits the brothers down at the table, including Sim eon, whom he has just released from prison, and when the food is dished out, Benjamin gets five portions. He gets five times as m uch as the others got! Where the others get one helping o f potatoes, he gets five; where they get one piece of cake, he gets five. Som etim es, some people are just that way. I have eaten in m any homes and I have identified m any Benjamins! They fill up their plates and d o n ’t look around to 'see if anyone else is waiting to have the food ed to them . They are so hungry they can hardly wait for the blessing on the food before they take the first bite; in fact, m ost o f the time they have “sneaked a sample or two when no one was looking.” They will clean out the cookie jar (not all little boys are Benjamites), and they are never happier than when they are sitting in front of their “ five portions.”

BENJAMIN IS TRIED God used Joseph as an instrum ent to p u t Benjamin through a real trial. While they sat at the feast, Joseph ordered his servants to p u t his own silver cup into Benja m in’s sack. A fter the brothers left to return to their father, Joseph sent the officers after them who stopped them and searched their sacks, from the eldest to the youngest. When it was found in Benjamin’s sack, he was im m ediately arrested and accused o f theft. This started them all weeping and wailing, and you can be sure th a t Benjamin was full o f fear. This was one tim e th a t he could not get out o f the situation. In fact, it was the first tim e th at he had to stand on trial for anything. God knows how to train us. He puts us into situations that we cannot get out o f until He has worked His perfect work o f grace in our lives. Joseph may have m eant this to test his other brothers, but the shock that Benjamin went through was som ething th at he would never forget. 11

Som eone has said, “ If God is going to fix you, you b e tte r let Him fix you, or He will fix another fix to fix y o u !” It sounds hum orous, but there is a lot o f tru th in it. It was at this tim e th at Judah stepped forth and made one of the greatest pleas as an advocate that has ever been recorded in history. He stood before Joseph, not knowing th at he was his brother and pled for the release, o f Benjamin, offering himself in exchange. It was this that convinced Joseph that his brothers had changed. He hurried from the room to weep alone, and then returned, and while they were standing there trem bling, he told them who he was, “ I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into E gypt.” (Genesis 4 5:4) He made peace with them , gave them wagons and told them to return to E gypt, bringing all o f their families and his father with them . Besides th a t, he gave each m an a change of raim ent; but to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces o f silver, and five changes of raim ent. Again we see th at young man w ith the “ silver spoon in his m o u th .” Everything good seems to come his way.

THE FAMILY TREE There is a contradiction over the sons o f Benjamin. Genesis 46:21, “And the.sons o f Benjamin were Belah, and Becher, and Ashbel, Gera, and Naaman, Ehi, and Rosh, M uppim, and Huppim , and A rd.” 1. Belah which m eans “ throat, gullet, to gorge, to swallow up, devour, consume, eat up, waste, spend,” etc.. Does this not confirm what Jacob prophesied, in the morning he would raven as a wolf? This was typical of Benjamin’s nature and his first-born son was just like him. He had the same characteristics. He had the desire and ability to consume and devour and gulp it all down. But this characteristic within our soul has to be overcome by the grace o f God and he has to get to the place where he can share the spoil. In I Chronicles 7:7 it says th at he had five sons, “mighty men o f valour.” 2. Becher: “y o u th , young male camel, first-born.” He had nine sons, mighty men o f valour.” (I Chronicles 7:8-9) 3. Ashbel: “ correction, reprim and, reproof of G od, training, breeding, dis ciplining o f G od.” From him came the family o f the Ashbelites. (Num bers 26:38) 4. Gera:

“ foreign stalk, irritated, vexed, enm ity.”

There is no genealogy for

Gera recorded. 5. Naaman: “ the favourite, the beautiful, gracious, favourable. In Numbers 26:40 it says that Naamar. was a son of Bela. Many times in the scriptures grand children are called sons, so it could be th at he was not actually Benjamin’s son, but 12

rather his grandson. He is the father o f the Naamites. (Numbers 26:40) 6 Ehi: “ brotherly one, united, oneness.” Ehi is not m entioned any more in any o f the genealogies. The nam e, Gera, is not m entioned in the genealogy either but there is another nam e, A harah, the father o f the Ahiram ites m entioned and it is be lieved by some th at he is Gera. As you know , many tim es their names were changed in the Bible. (I Chronicles 8:1) 7.

Rosh: “ head, topm ost, highest, chief.” Rosh is n ot m entioned in the gene

alogies. 8. M uppim: “ darkness, dark business.” His name was changed to Shuphan (Num bers 26:39) which m eans, “ serpentlike, stinging.” He was the father o f the Shupham tes. 9 Huppim: “ covering, the protected, guarded, sheltered.” changed to “ H upham .” He is the father o f the Hupham ites.

His name was

10 Ard: “ strut, , get away, take off, be spared, the runaw ay the weak, sickly o ne.” He also was a son of Bela and not o f Benjamin. (Num bers 26:40) Read I Chronicles 7:6-12. 8:1 and Numbers 26:38-41 for inform ation on this family o f Benjamin and you will understand why 1 said at the beginning that it is quite confusing. As we study the meaning o f their names, we realize that God is doing a work of grace in the tribe o f Benjamin. Great glory, great strength, great beauty, great possibilities are in the tribe o f Benjamin, and also great weaknesses are in the tribe which God had to correct. EXPLOITS OF THE FAMILY LINE OF BENJAMIN When the Children o f Israel came into the wilderness, Benjamin num bered 35 400. It was one o f the smallest tribes but when they came out forty years later, there were 45,600; they had increased by more than 10,000. It is evident that God was with them in a w onderful way. Gideoni which means “ G od’s fighter” was the father o f Abidan who was one of the princes of Israel. Abidan which means “ father is judge” was the prince o f the tribe o f Benjamin. (Num bers 1:11) Elidad which means “God is a friend” was the prince o f the tribe o f Benjamin when they came into the Promised Land. (Num bers 34:21)

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BENJAMITE RUNNER In I Samuel 4:12 we read th at it was a Benjamite who came to Shiloh weeping, with his clothes rent and ashes on his head to tell Eli that the ark o f the Lord had been taken by the Philistines.

SAUL, TH E KING It was a Benjamite th at was chosen by God and anointed by the great prophet Samuel to be the first king o f Israel. (I Samuel 10:1) When he was hum ble in his own sight, God used him m ightily. But as pride came in and his heart was filled with jealousy against David, an evil spirit came upon Saul, “ and he prophesied in the midst of the house: and David played w ith his hand, as at other times: and there was a javelin in Saul’s hand. Saul cast the javelin; for he said, I will smite David even to the wall with it.” (I Samuel 18:10-11) It is a very strange and shocking thing to read that when an evil spirit came on Saul, he prophesied in the m idst o f the house. N ot all prophecies are o f the Holy Spirit. I have heard quite a few that were given by the flesh and some that were given by an evil spirit possessing a person. He tried to kill David by the sword and w ith his words. God cut him o ff in a terrible way. He died a suicide death on the battlefield and three of his sons died w ith him , including Jonathan. He led his nation into terrible defeat. (I Samuel 3 1 :3-6)

SAUL, THE APOSTLE There is another Saul in the New Testam ent who was anointed of God to be an apostle and prophet. Isn’t th a t strange? We see the first one as a ravenous wolf, just like a terror in the land, and the o ther one starts out the same. He is tearing the Christians apart, p utting them to death. We see this w olf nature in the Saul o f the New Testam ent. But, praise G od, on the road to Damascus he m eets w ith Jesus Christ and is struck blind. A fter three days o f fasting and a visit from the prophet Ananias he is healed, saved and delivered. His life is changed and he is transform ed into a new person who is ready to do great things for the Lord and to suffer for Jesus Christ. (Acts 9) What a contrast betw een these tw o Sauls! The first one comm its suicide and the second one lays down his life, a m artyr for Christ. The first one forces the suicide o f three o f his sons, including Jonathan, the crown prince o f Israel, and the second one anoints his sons in the Gospel, T im othy and Titus, to take the mighty message o f the Lord to the world. The first Saul pulls his country into shame and defeat. The second 14

Saul leaves this w orld in a scene o f glory and trium ph, having brought Israel the revela tion o f Jesus Christ and bountifully “ dividing the spoil.” What greater fulfillm ent to the prophecy could we ever see than this, when Saul gave his people the m ystery of the Gospel. Oh, how low a Benjamite can begin and how high he can rise in the glory of the anointing o f God! This w onderful victory in the life o f the second Saul is so great th at God changes his nam e from Saul, “ the desired one, the one who asks, desirer” to Paul, “ the small one th e lowly one.” It is only as the Benjam ite stays hum ble before the Lord, the small one, the low one” th a t God can elevate him to the glorious h onour o f a mighty apostle and missionary pioneer like Paul was. Rem em ber w hat God said to Saul, “ T hou hast done foolishly: thou hast n o t kep t the com m andm ent o f the Lord thy G od, which he com m anded thee: for now w ould the Lord have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever. But now thy kingdom shall n o t continue: the Lord hath sought him a m an after his own heart, and th e Lord hath com m anded him to be cap tain over his people, because thou hast n o t kept th a t which the Lord comm anded thee.” (I Samuel 13:13,14) In Philippians 3:5 we read Paul’s credentials, “ Circumcised the eighth day, o f the stock o f Israel, o f the tribe o f Benjamin, an Hebrew o f the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee.” Also in Rom ans 11:1 he says, “ F o r I also am an Israelite, o f the seed o f Abraham , of the tribe o f Benjam 'n.” He knew w hat tribe he was from. So we see this glorious Benjamite coming, giving us the “spoil,” the deepest meat o f the Word o f G od, and again we rejoice in the fulfillm ent o f the L ord’s prophecy to Benjamin through his father, Jacob.

QUEEN ESTHER One o f the greatest women o f God who ever lived was Esther, the queen. Read her pedigree in E sther 2 :5 , “Now in Shushan the palace there was a certain Jew, whose name was M ordecai, the son o f Jair, the son of Shimei, the son of Kish, a Benjamite; It is doubtful th a t she was the descendant o f Kish, Saul’s father, because there were several hundred years in betw een, b u t it could be if they left out the part o f the genealogy th at lies between. E sther was n o t nam ed “ E sther” (star) from birth. T hat is a Persian name. Her original Hebrew nam e was Hadassah which means “ m yrtle bush.” Her beauty and the way th at she was chosen to be the queen is a w onderful story. You need to take time to read it so th at you m ight understand the qualifications o f a true daughter o f Benja min. But the finest example o f true greatness in her life was when she said, “ fast ye for m e, and neither eat n o r drink three days, night or day: I also and my maidens will fast likewise; and so will I go in unto the king, which is n o t according to the law: and IF I PERISH, I PERISH .” (Esther 4:16) 15

There are certain qualifications 1 would like to mention briefly in the life of Esther. Her obedience to M ordecai, the man who raised her. (Esther 2:11) She pleased those w ho were over her and in charge o f her. (E sther 2:9) She obtained favour in the sight o f all. (Esther 2:15) She required nothing, but w hat the king’s chamberlain appointed her. (Esther 2:15) She had a loving concern for M ordecai, even though she was now queen. 5. (Esther 4:4) She knew th a t the power o f God and Divine intervention came through 6fasting. (Esther 4 :1 6 ) She had great courage, even risking her life. (Esther 5:1) 7. She had trem endous discernm ent and poise. (E sther 5:4 and 5:8) 8. She knew the right time to speak up, and w hat to say. (Esther 7:3-6) 9. 10. She knew how to reach the king’s heart. (Esther 8:3,4) 11. She saved her people.

1. 2. 3. 4.

To all you dear daughters of Benjamin 1 would like to say, always keep Esther as your example of hum ility, obedience, purity, courage and devotion, and God will make a queen out o f you. Certainly she succeeded as a queen while Saul failed as a king.

HISTORY OF BENJAMIN In Judges 1:21 we read, “ And the children o f Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites that inhabited Jerusalem ; but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Ben jam in in Jerusalem unto this d ay.” One o f the weaknesses o f the Benjamites is revealed right here in this verse. They did n o t drive out the enem y, even though they were great warriors. The only reason for this was probably because they were a bit lazy. The Benjamite, because he is spoiled, has a tendency to m ake him self com fortable and become indolent. The Germans have a word for it, “ bequem ”” Jerusalem belonged to the tribe o f Benjamin, but the Jebusites dwelt in it up until the writing o f the book o f Judges. Later, David’s men captured it. Perhaps th at is why Benjamin had to concede that Judah had a right to live there, for David was o f the tribe o f Judah. If you get some o f Benjamin’s territory, he is going to let you have it; he is not going to fight for it. Benjamin does not fight for his rights, except when he fights for the Lord and is inspired by someone else, usually a Judah. But this is only true as he comes into m aturity. As long as he is a “ ravin w o lf ’ he is ready to devour, but as he fulfills the prophecy given to him, he turns com pletely away from his form er faults. T hat is what God does in all o f our natures. O ur weakness becom es our strength. The very thing th at pulled us down is the thing th at God uses in our lives to make us more than overcomers.

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VOLUNTEERING FOR BATTLE When Deborah called for help certain o f the tribes did not come down, but in Judges 5:14 we read th at Benjamin did come to the aid o f the warriors. A Benjamite has no trouble working together with a woman. If you are a lady in the m inistry and you need a husband who will work with you, find yourself a Benjamite. He will stick together with you, fight along with you and he w on’t feel offended because God has given you the platform . He will be happy to co-operate with the one whom God has anointed and called to a position o f leadership. If you are a woman in the m inistry, don’t ask God for a Judah, you are going to have a hard time. The same is true o f a Levite, because both o f them are born leaders, they are anointed to be leaders, and they will always be leaders. They will push you out o f the way, even though they see G od’s anointing on you. Y ou’ll feel it in ^our spirit. They m ay'tell you to go ahead and do w hat you feel God wants you to do, b ut your spirit will pick it up and you will feel th at anointing which is on them , so you will always step back and let them lead, unless you are a Judah yourself, or a Levite, then you are going to have “ war in the fam ily.” N either do you need to be in the m inistry to have this kind o f a problem . The only tribe that can stand against Judah is the Levite who is anointed. Otherwise, he too will be controlled by the Judah.

TH E ALMOST TOTAL DESTRUCTION OF BENJAMIN It was a terrible thing for Benjamin that he did not drive out the Jebusites because they were very sinful, living a life o f sodom y and every kind o f evil. Because o f this, it wasn’t long before Benjamin fell into the same sins. In Judges 19-21 we read a story so terrible that it almost sickens us. A certain Levite was travelling w ith his concubine through the country and he had to spend the night in the tribal area o f the Benjamites, Gibeah. T hat night “ certain men o f the city, perverted men, surrounded the house and beat on the door. They spoke to the m aster o f the house, the old man, saying, “ Bring out the man who came to your house, that we may know him carnally!” But the man, the m aster o f the house, w ent out to them and said to them , “ No, my brethren! I beg you, do not act so wickedly! Seeing this man has come into my house, do not com m it this outrage. Look! here is my virgin daughter and the m an’s concubine; let me bring them out now. Humble them , and do with them as you please; but to this man do n ot do such a vile thing!” But the men would n o t heed him. So the man took his concubine and brought her out to them . And they knew her and abused her all night until morning; and when the day began to break, they let her go. Then the woman came as the day was dawning, and fell down at the door of the m an’s house where her m aster was, till it was light. When her m aster arose in the m orning, and opened the doors o f the house and w ent out to go his way, there was his concubine, fallen at the door o f the house with her hands on the threshold. And he said to her, “ G et up and let us be going.” 17

But there was no answer. So the man lifted her onto the d o n k ey ; and the man got up and went to his place. When he entered his house he took a knife, laid hold o f his concubine, and dism em bered her into twelve pieces, limb by limb, and sent her throughout all the territory o f Israel. And so it was that all who saw it said, “No such deed has been done or seen from the day th at the children o f Israel came up from the land o f Egypt until this day. Consider it, take counsel, and speak up!” (Judges 19: 22-30, The N ew King Jam es Version) As a result, all Israel ed together to go to warfare against Benjamin and although Benjamin fought bravely and won two battles, in the end the tribe was al m ost wiped out. Only six hundred, who fled to the wilderness, were left. Then the Children o f Israel sat dow n and m ourned and wept saying, “ why is this come to in Israel, th at there should be to day one tribe lacking in Israel?” (Judges 21:3) They built an altar and offered sacrifices to the Lord. When they found there were still some who had escaped, they sought G od’s will as to what they should do. Do you rem em ber th at the name o f the last son o f Benjamin (the grandson) was Ard which means “ the one who is spared, the one who got away, the one who es caped” ? Certainly this was prophetic of what happened in the tribe o f Benjamin. Israel felt led to give these fugitives another chance. On the day when the daughters danced in Shiloh the men o f Benjamin were given the opportunity to catch these girls and take them as their wives. They did this, and so the tribe of Benjamin was saved. The reason th at the leaders o f Israel did not arrange these marriages was because they had made a vow n o t to give any of their daughters to a Benjamite. (Judges 21:7) What drastic m easures the Lord had to take in order to put the rod across the back of Benjamin and train him in the way of godliness. It would have been better if father Jacob had done it long before. If he had, that stubborn, strong will would have been broken and the w olf nature would have been broken. That is why we have to correct our children when they are small. Because o f this negligence in early training God had to whip them down to 600 and then they were changed, then they were hum bled and they were ready to move with what God wgs doing.

BENJAMIN AND JUDAH In I Chronicles 12:16,18,29 we read th at the Benjamites and the children of Judah were the very first to go down into the wilderness to David while he was still a fugitive. This is rem arkable, because they were o f the same tribe as the king. But it proves th at they were willing to leave their own family connections, and their family loyalty to step over and jo in with David out there in the wilderness, even though he was o f the tribe of Judah. 18

When I read this I know th at they had discerning for the guidance o f God. They knew G o d ’s man o f the hour and they were more concerned to follow the anointed man o f God than to stay with the family back hom e. People say, “ Blood is thicker than w ater,” and often it is, but there is one thing that is more powerful, and that is the Blood o f Jesus which draws a sword through our lives and leads us into that higher path. AFTER ABSALOM’S DEFEAT A fter David’s terrible disappointm ent and the war with his son, Absalom, the Benjamites were am ong the first to go down to m eet King David as he was coming back to Jerusalem . There were one thousand Benjamites standing there, saying, “ Welcome back hom e, King David!” Isn’t th at a beautiful characteristic? The Benjamites are very loyal to the ones whom they love.

THE WARRIORS OF BENJAMIN The warriors o f the tribe of Benjamin had one unique thing about them . Many of them were left-handed. Judges 20:16 says, “ Among all this people there were seven hundred chosen m en lefthanded: even one could sling stones at an hair breadth, and n o t miss.” This is absolutely sensational. The ability to shoot stones from a sling so accurately from the left hand was an unexpected thing for their enemy, for the enemy always expects the danger to come from the right hand and not the left. This makes him vulnerable. Surely God has given the Benjamites a uniqueness which is not found among ordi nary people. God w ants to use them in every way.

BENJAMIN READY TO FIGHT WITH JUDAH When Rehoboam was rejected by the northern kingdom . 180,000 chosen men of the tribe o f Benjamin, who were warriors, were ready to fight against the house o f Is rael to bring the kingdom again to R ehoboam , the son o f Solomon. But the word of God came unto Shem aiah, the man o f G od, saying, “ Thus says the Lord, You shall n ot go up or fight against y o u r brethren! Let every man return to his house, for this thing is from Me.” And they all obeyed the word o f the Lord.” (II Chronicles 11:4, The N ew King Jam es Version)

A wonderful description is given by the Lord for the Benjamite warriors in I Chronicles 7:11, “ fit to go out for war and b a ttle .” Isn’t that beautiful? If you are a Benjamite, why d o n ’t you stick th at little m otto up somewhere where you can always see it? 19

BENJAMIN SAVED FROM JUDGMENT When David sinned in num bering Israel, and com m anded Joab to do this evil thing which God had forbidden, the tribe o f Benjamin was never num bered. (I Chronicles 21:6) This was true o f the tribe o f Levi also. Therefore, when the terrible plague broke o u t over Israel, it was in Jerusalem , the city o f Benjamin, th at the angel o f death stayed his sword, and so Benjamin was spared while in the rest o f Israel 70,000 pe rished. (II Samuel 24:15-16) Here we can see the w onderful promise o f God given to Benjamin through Moses fulfilled. “The beloved o f the Lord shall dwell in safety by him ; and the Lord shall cover him all the day long, and he shall dwell between his shoulders.” (D euteronom y 33:12)

BENJAMIN IN REVIVAL B.C. 726: In the great revival under King Hezekiah (II Chronicles 31:1) we see that Benjamin was in the m iddle o f the new move of God. They went out w ith Judah and said, “Come and repent.” They pulled down the high places where idols were worshipped, they burned up the devil’s idols, they tore up the temples of Satan. They cleaned up the place because they were warriors for God just as they had been on the battlefield. There were m any tribes th at didn’t move with revival. Some m ocked, some scoffed, some even persecuted those that came with the message. But the Benja mites were ready to go to battle. The same thing happened in the revival under Josiah. (II Chronicles 34:9)

^BENJAMIN SAVED FROM EARLY CAPTIVITY When the northern kingdom was carried into captivity, Benjamin was saved be cause he was united w ith Judah. It was only when Judah fell into sin, and Benjamin with him, th at they to o were carried into captivity in Babylon. But they were saved many years later.

PROMISES TO BENJAMIN FOR THE END-TIME Psalm 68:27, “There is little Benjamin with their ruler, the princes o f Judah and their council, the princes of Zebulun, and the princes o f N aphtali.” Isn’t it beautiful th a t after it is all over, and history, as we know it, is coming to an end, God still sees Benjamin as “ the little o n e” ? The characteristics we have God does not take away. He does n o t try to make a Benjam ite into a R eubenite or any other tribe. God loves you as you are. He does n o t w ant you to lose your identity and m odel yourself after some one else. 20

In Psalm 80:2 God says, “ Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh stir up thy strength, and come and save us.” The w riter of the Psalms is pleading for God to stir up His pow er and save Benjamin. I believe we will see this all fulfilled in the last days. There will be a m ighty dem onstration o f G od’s pow er through Benjamin. Jerem iah 1:1: Jerem iah, the great prophet, was sent first to the priests in the land o f Benjamin. He was a Levite dwelling in the tribe o f Benjamin. (R em em ber that Jerusalem belonged to Benjamin.) Jerem iah 6:1 , “ O ye children o f Benjamin, gather yourselves to flee o ut o f the m idst o f Jerusalem , and blow the trum pet in Tekoa, and set up a sign of fire in Bethhaccerem : for evil appeareth o ut o f the n orth, and great destruction.” Perhaps because Jerem iah was closely connected to this tribe, or because God loved it, a special warning o f coming judgm ent was given to Benjamin. God wants the Benjamites in these last days o f coming judgm ent to flee out o f the m idst of the cursed thing, blow the trum pet and set up signs o f warning through the fire o f the Holy G host, for evil is again coming from the north and great destruction. Jerem iah 3 3 :1 3 , “ In the cities o f the m ountains, in the cities o f the vale, and in the cities of the south, and in the land o f Benjamin, and in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities o f Judah, shall the flocks again under the hands o f him that telleth them (counts them ), saith the L ord,” What a wonderful promise for Benjamin for the future. No m atter how hard things go for him , he knows that there is coming a time o f rest and peace again. Jerem iah 37:12, “ Then Jerem iah w ent forth out o f Jerusalem to go into the land o f Benjamin, to separate him self thence in the m idst o f the people.” Jerem iah wanted to leave the doom ed city of Jerusalem to find a place of refuge in Benjamin because he ed the promises o f God to Benjamin, but he was arrested at the city gate and put in a dungeon.

POSITION OF BENJAMIN In the wilderness, around the tabernacle: with Ephraim and Manasseh. (Num bers 2:22)

They were situated on the west side

-In the Promised Land: Benjamin was right beside Judah. From that tim e on Ben jam in and Judah flowed together as they had the same vision. When they sinned, they sinned together, when they had revival, they had revival together, when they had a blessing, they had a blessing together, when they w ent to war, they w ent to war to gether. When they were attacked, they were attacked at the same time. They were so closely identified with each other th at Benjam in’s capital was Jerusalem , but we think of Jerusalem as belonging to Judah. Benjamin and Judah shared it together. Isn t that

beautiful? It was in Benjam in’s territory where the kings lived, even the kings o f Judah. God wants His people to be able to adapt themselves to flow w ith G od’s anointed ones. The way God placed them together with their neighbours reveals that God puts each one o f us in the right place. He knows where we belong and w hat kind o f people we will be able to work with so th at we can accomplish the work which He wants us to do for Him. If you have a Benjamite working with you he will do anything you ask him to do. He is ready to go to warfare w ith his “guns all shining and ready to shoot.’’ But don’t ask him to be the one th at is going to lead into battle. The Judahs are the leaders and the Benjamins are the followers. They make w onderful helpers and ers and ministers. I thank God th a t we have Benjamites in the camp of Jesus Christ today. We w ouldn’t be com plete in the body of Christ if God didn’t give us some good Benja mites to help us carry the burden. They are not the kind to fight against you or oppose you. They don’t w ant to “ put on their own show,” or do their own thing; they want to flow together and get G od’s job done. Benjamin’s portion was quite small but a very im portant, central area. In the Millenium: The position o f the tribe o f Benjamin will be between Judah and Joseph. Benjamin fits iit'betw een their natural relationships and their spiritual ones. Judah was their spiritual relationship and Joseph was their natural relationship. Truly, God has it planned perfectly. The Gates of the New Jerusalem : In the wilderness Benjamin was on the west side, now he is on the east, together with Dan and Joseph. Benjamin will always have that close connection w ith his own brother, Joseph. All the way through into eterni ty this close fellowship remains. Isn’t it a wonderful thing that a dear friendship is not only for life, but also for eternity? I believe that when we leave this world, and go home to be with the Lord, we will know our loved ones and they will know us. We will still have fellowship together and close intim ate relationships will continue, and all working comradeships with those that were close to us on earth will last. There are those who are close to us and who we have never yet m et. For instance, I have read of different characters in the Bible th a t I really love, and know that when I get to heaven I am going to meet them , and I will have wonderful com m union with them because they are my type of person. We are going to find th at th at “ certain som ething” which has made us one in G od, is going to be with us all through eternity.

CONCLUSION In closing I would like to remind you, dear children o f the Lord in this wonderful tribe, to believe God for His promises to you. Rem em ber the great heroes who went before you, like Esther and A postle Paul. They conquered because they knew that they were the beloved o f the Lord. Always rem em ber the slogan of Benjamin, “ sol diers fit to go out for war and b a ttle .” 22

CONCLUSION TO THE TRIBES OF ISRAEL While this concludes all I can share with you at present about the tribes, it certain ly does n o t give all th at is possible to know. I am sure that as you take tim e to study and m editate, the Holy Spirit will reveal m uch m ore to you. But it takes time. Last o f all, let me say, this is n o t y our key to salvation. The Blood o f Jesus and a holy life is th at. B ut these truths will be a blessing to you as they have been to me. God gave them to me as I searched the Holy Scriptures. I give all the honour to the Holy Spirit who still is. the Teacher today. If God should show you m ore, please share it w ith me. Let us e^er press in to know Him better. Gwen R. Shaw

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Life Changing Books from E n g eltal Press

UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER— Gwen Shaw. The life story of Gwen R. Shaw, lovingly known as "Sister Gwen” to thousands of people in over one hundred nations. You will laugh and cry with her as you feel the heartbeat of a great woman of God who has given all to Him, asking only for souls in return. Your life will be challenged as you walk with her through mission field after mission field. You will never be the same when you read how God pours out His Spirit and confirms His WordPaperback #000102 Video NTSC (North American format)...................... #GSLN-99 Video PAL (European format)....................................#GSLP-99 DVD .......................................................................#GSLN-99D Video PAL (European form at)...................................#GSLP-99 Spanish Video NTSC..........................................#GSLN-99SP

Receive a word from God each day with a Devotional Book! DAILY PREPARATIONS FOR PERFECTION —Gwen Shaw. This daily devotional comes to you exactly as the Holy Spirit spoke to the author's heart in her own private devotions. You will feel that Jesus is speaking to you every time you open it. It is loved by all. You'll read it and re-read it! Paperback #000202 DAY BY DAY— Gwen Shaw. This daily devotional book based on the Psalms will give you an inspiring word directly from the Throne Room each day to fill your heart with praise to God. Starting each day with praise is the secret of a joy-filled life. Softcover

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#000203 French Hardcover #000203FR German Softcover #000203GE FROM THE HEART OF JESUS— Gwen Shaw. This devotional book is like no other. It will take you back to Bible days and you will walk and talk with Jesus and His disciples as he ministered to the people, as He suffered and died and as He rose again from the dead. These words from the heart of Jesus will go straight to your heart, bringing comfort, peace, encouragement and hope! 923 pages. Hardcover #000207

GEMS OF WISDOM— A daily devotional based on the book o f Proverbs — Gwen Shaw. In the Proverbs you will find instruction for upright living, honesty, justice and wisdom. Every word applies to today's problems as when they were first written. If you are facing problems which seem to have no solution, have a Proverb and an inspired writing about it for each day

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NTHE BEGINNING — A daily devotional based on the book o f Genesis — Gwen Shaw. The Book of Genesis is perhaps the most important Book in the Old Testament. It is the foundation stone of all knowledge and wisdom. Deep and wonderful truths hidden in the pages of Genesis are revealed in this devotional book. You'll be amazed at the soul-stirring writings inspired by the well-known stories of Genesis. Hardcover #000211 French Hardcover #000211FR

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HE SENT ME BACK TO TELL YOU — Gwen Shaw. While Sister Gwen's body was in intensive care, her spirit was standing at the gates of Heaven. The intercessors were asking God to send her back. He heard their cries and returned her to earth with a message. Before she left the hospital, she picked up her pen and notebook and began to record the words in this devotional book #000213

O ther Books by Gwen Shaw ASHTORETH— GODDESS OF LUST — Gwen Shaw. This temptress has worked for millennia through base carnal desires, fueling the fires of ion in both men and women, to steal destinies and destroy lives. The manifestations of this evil spirit appeal to the flesh so cunningly, that few have been able to resist her allure. #000615 GOING HOME— Gwen Shaw. This book is a treasure which answers so many questions and comforts so many hearts. It gives strength and faith, and helps one to cope with the pain of the loss of a loved one. This book is not really a book about dying, but about Going Home to our Eternal Abode with our loving Heavenly Father. #000607

KEEPING GOD’S SECRETS— Gwen Shaw. This classic teaching on learning to keep God's secrets will help you discern many difficult situations you may face in the coming days. #000609

LOVE, THE LAW OF THE ANGELS—Gwen Shaw. Undoubtedly the greatest of Gwen Shaw's writings, it carries a message of healing and life in a sad and fallen world. Love heals the broken-hearted and sets disarray in order. You will never be the same after reading this beautiful book about love. #000601

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SIGI AND I — Gwen Shaw. An international best-seller in the 1970's, this exciting story about Sister Gwen's adventures smuggling Bibles behind the Iron Curtain with her co-worker Sigi will grip your heart with excitement. Be filled with courage to go beyond your fears and obey God. #000907 SONG OF LOVE— Gwen Shaw. She was a heart-broken missionary, far from home. She cried out to God for help. He spoke, "Turn to the Song of Solomon and read!” As she turned in obedience, the Lord took her into the "Throne Room” of Heaven and taught her about the love of Christ for His Bride, the church. She fell in love with Jesus afresh, and you will too

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SWORD OF LOVE — Gwen Shaw. Pakistan is playing a very important role in today's news, and many do not know the true history of that nation. Sis. Gwen was there during the war in 1971 with Sigi. They preached to the parents of today's Taliban. They saw God do miracles, signs and wonders among the people whose sons we are fighting today. Get a vision for Pakistan! #000906 THE FALSE FAST — Gwen Shaw. Now, from the pen of Gwen Shaw, author of Your Appointment With God (a Bible Study on fasting), comes an expose on the False Fast. It will help you to examine your motives for fasting, and make your foundations sure, so that your fast will be a potent tool in the hands of God. #000602 THE LIGHT WILL COME FROM RUSSIA — Gwen Shaw. The thrilling testimony of Mother Barbara, Abbess of the convent on Mount of Olives. She shares prophecies given her concerning the nations of the world by a holy bishop of the Kremlin, just prior to the Russian Revolution. #000606 THE PARABLE OF THE GOLDEN RAIN— Gwen Shaw. This is the story of how revivals come and go, and a true picture, in parable language, of how the Church tries to replace the genuine move of the Spirit with man-made programs and tactics. It's amusing and convicting at the same time. #000603

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THEY SHALL MOUNT UP WITH WINGS AS EAGLES — Gwen Shaw. Though you may feel old or tired, if you wait on the Lord, you shall mount up on wings as eagles! Let this book encourage you to stretch your wings and fulfill your destiny—no matter what your age! .

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Women of the Bible Series In the style of historical novels, Gwen Shaw opens a window into the lives of the women of the Bible. Get a ll 6 b o o k s ................................ #Bible St Women EVE—MOTHER OF US ALL — Gwen Shaw. Read the life story of the first woman. Discover the secrets of one of the most neglected and misunderstood stories in history. #000801

SARAH— PRINCESS OF ALL MANKIND — Gwen Shaw. She was beautiful — and barren. Feel the heartbeat and struggles of this woman who left so great an impact on us all. #000802

REBEKAH—THE BRIDE — Gwen Shaw. The destiny of the world was determined when Rebekah said three simple words, "I will go!” Enjoy this touching story of the bride of Isaac. #000803

LEAH AND RACHEL—THE TWIN WIVES OF JACOB — Gwen Shaw. You will feel their dreams, their pains, their jealousies, their love for one man. #000804

MIRIAM—THE PROPHETESS — Gwen Shaw. Miriam was the first female to lead worship, the first woman to whom the Lord gave the title "Leader of God's people.” .#000805

DEBORAH AND JAEL — Gwen Shaw. May God's "warrior women” now arise to take their place in the end-time battle for the harvest #000806

In-Depth Bible Studies

FORGIVE AND RECEIVE— Gwen Shaw. This Bible Study is a lesson to the church on the much-needed truths of forgiveness and restoration. The epistle to Philemon came from the heart of Paul who had experienced great forgiveness

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GRACE ALONE—Gwen Shaw. This study teaches the reader to gain freedom in the finished work of the Cross by forsaking works which cannot add to salvation and live by Grace Alone. #000402

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MYSTERY REVEALED — Gwen Shaw. Search the depths of God's riches in one of Paul's most profound epistles, "to the praise of His glory!” Learn the "mystery” of the united Body of Christ. #000403

OUR GLORIOUS HEAD—Gwen Shaw. This book teaches vital truths for today, assisting the reader in discerning false teachings, when the philosophies of men are being promoted as being the truths of God. Jesus Christ is the Head of His Body . #000404

THE CATCHING AWAY! —Gwen Shaw. This is a very timely Bible Study because Jesus is coming soon! The book of 1 Thessalonians explains God's revelation to Paul on the rapture of the saints. 2 Thessalonians reveals what will happen after the rapture when the antichrist takes over. #000407

THE LOVE LETTER— Gwen Shaw. Another of Gwen Shaw's expository Bibles Studies on Paul's Epistles. This study of the letter to the first church of Europe will give the reader an understanding of Paul's great love for the church that was born out of his suffering. #000405

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Beloved Bible Study Course THE TRIBES OF ISRAEL— Gwen Shaw. This popular and well-loved study on the thirteen tribes of Israel will show you your place in the spiritual tribes. Understand yourself and others better through this Course. #000501 - 13 CD set - #CTGS1

Classic Bible Studies BEHOLD THE BRIDEGROOM COMETH! — Gwen Shaw. A Bible Study on the soon return of Jesus Christ. With so many false teachings these days, it is important that we realize how imminent the rapture of the saints of God really is #000304

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• Russian #000304RU ENDUED WITH LIGHT TO REIGN FOREVER — Gwen Shaw. This deeply profound Bible Study reveals the characteristics of the eternal, supernatural, creative light of God as found in His Word. The "Father of Lights,” created man in His image. He longs for man to step out of darkness and into His light. #000306 • French #000306FR

GOD’S END-TIME BATTLE-PLAN—Gwen Shaw. This Study on spiritual warfare gives you the biblical weapons for gaining the victory through dancing, shouting, praising, uplifted hands, marching, etc. It has been a great help to many who have been bound by tradition. #000305 • Spanish #000305SP • French #000305FR • Russian #000305RU IT’S TIME FOR REVIVAL— Gwen Shaw. A Bible Study on Revival that not only gives scriptural promises of the end-time revival, but also presents the stories of revivals in the past and the revivalists whom God used. It will stir your heart and encourage you to believe for great revival. #000311

OUR MINISTERING ANGELS—Gwen Shaw. A scriptural Bible Study on the topic of angels. Angels will be playing a more and more prominent part in these last days. We need to understand about them and their ministry #000308 • French #000308FR • Russian #000308RU

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POUR OUT YOUR HEART— Gwen Shaw. A wonderful Bible Study on travailing prayer. The hour has come to intercede before the throne of God. The call to intercession is for everyone, and we must carry the Lord's burden and weep for the lost so that the harvest can be brought in quickly. #000301 • Spanish #000301SP • French #000301FR • Russian #000301RU • Italian #000301IT • Japanese #000301JA • Chinese #000301CH

REDEEMING THE LAND— Gwen Shaw. This important teaching will help you know your authority through the Blood of Jesus to dislodge evil spirits, break curses, and restore God's bleson the land.#000309 • Spanish #000309SP • French #000309FR • Italian #000309IT THE FINE LINE— Gwen Shaw. This Bible Study clearly magnifies the "fine line” difference between the soul realm and the spirit realm. Both are intangible and therefore cannot be discerned with the five senses, but must be discerned by the Holy Spirit and the Word of God #000307 • French #000307FR

THE POWER OF THE PRECIOUS BLOOD— Gwen Shaw. A Bible Study on the Blood of Jesus. The author shares how it was revealed to her how much Satan fears Jesus' Blood. This Bible Study will help you overcome and destroy the works of Satan in your life and the lives of loved ones #000303 • Spanish #000303SP • Chinese #000303CH • French #000303FR

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THE POWER OF PRAISE— Gwen Shaw. When God created the heavens and earth He was surrounded by praise. Miracles happen when holy people praise a Holy God! Praise is the language of creation. If prayer can move the hand of God, how much more can praise move Him!. #000312 YE SHALL RECEIVE POWER FROM ON HIGH Gwen Shaw. This is a much needed foundational teaching on the Baptism of the Holy Spirit. It will enable you to teach this subject, as well as to understand these truths more fully yourself

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YOUR APPOINTMENT WITH GOD— Gwen Shaw. A Bible Study on fasting. Fasting is one of the most neglected sources of power over bondages of Satan that God has given the Church. The author's experiences are shared in this Bible Study in a way that will change your life...... #000302 • Spanish #000302SP •Chinese #000302CH • French #000302FR • German #000302GE • Italian #000302IT • Japanese #000302JA • Russian #000302RU

Pocket Sermon Booklets THE ANOINTING BREAKS THE YOKE —Gwen Shaw. Learn how the anointing of God can set you free from your bondage— free to fulfill your destiny in the call of God on your life! #000710

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BEHOLD, THIS DREAMER COMETH — Gwen Shaw. Dreams and dreamers are God's gift to humanity to bring His purposes into the hearts of mankind. This message of the life of Joseph, the dreamer, will encourage you to believe God to fulfill the dream He has put into your heart #000707 • Spanish #000707SP

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BORN FOR SUCH A TIME AS THIS — Gwen Shaw. God is getting His army ready for the greatest battle ever— an army of volunteers; a people totally dedicated, totally surrendered, totally abandoned to the Lord, chosen by the works of God that have already been wrought in their lives #000720

BREAKTHROUGH — Gwen Shaw. If you need a "breakthrough" in your life, this book reveals the truth in a fresh and living way! #000708

THE CHANGING OF THE GUARD — Gwen Shaw. This seasoned General in God's army, challenges the next generation to take up the torch and "do or die” in following the call of God. You will be challenged to give up all for the cause of Christ #000719

THE CHURCH OF THE OPEN ARMS — Gwen Shaw. Sister Gwen had a life-changing dream that has given her a fresh vision for the lost and for loving the unlovely. It is time to answer the call to be "The Church of the Open Arms.” #000713

THE CRUCIFIED LIFE— Gwen Shaw. When you suffer, knowing the cause is not your own sin, having searched your heart; then you must accept that it is God doing a new thing in your life. Let joy rise up within you because you are a partaker of Christ's suffering . #000701

DON’T STRIKE THE ROCK! — Gwen Shaw. Moses first struck the Rock in obedience. When he became angry with the rebellion of the people and disobeyed God's new order to speak to the Rock, it cost him his entrance into the Promised Land. Don't allow anything to keep you from fulfilling God's perfect will for your life! #000704

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FROM PEAK TO PEAK — Gwen Shaw. Mountains are the challenges that God puts in our lives and the peaks are places of destiny that God lays before us. Press in to God to find the courage that only He gives to take you from peak to peak to fulfill His destiny for you. #000718 GOD W ILL DESTROY THE VEIL OF BLINDNESS “...as the veil o f the Temple was rent...I shall again rend the veil in two....for...the Arab, so they shall know that I am God....” This is the word of the Lord concerning God's plan for the Moslem nations in the days to come. #000712 HASTENING OUR REDEMPTION — Gwen Shaw. All of Heaven and Earth are waiting for the Body of Christ to rise up in maturity and reclaim what we lost in the Fall of Man. Applying the Blood of Jesus is the key to Hastening Our Redemption

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IT CAN BE AVERTED — Gwen Shaw. Many people today are burdened and fearful over prophecies of doom and destruction. But the Bible is clear that God prefers mercy over judgment when His people humble themselves and pray

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IT’S TIME FOR CHANGE—After 911, everyone has agreed that "Things will never be the same!” But thank God! The Almighty is still on the throne, and nothing can happen which He does not permit! #000714

KAIROS TIME — Gwen Shaw. That once in a lifetime golden opportunity is sovereignly given to us by the Almighty. What we do with it can change our lives and possibly even change the world..........#000709

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KNOWING ONE ANOTHER IN THE SPIRIT— Gwen Shaw. Find great peace as you learn to understand the difficulties your friends, enemies and loved ones face that help to form their character. "... henceforth know we no man after the flesh..” (II Cor. 5:16a)

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THE MASTER IS COME AND CALLETH FOR THEE — Gwen Shaw. How the Lord called Gwen Shaw to begin the ministry of the End-Time Handmaidens and Servants. Is the Master also calling you into His service? Bring Him the fragments of your life — He will put them together again. #000702 $2.00 THE MERCY SEAT— Gwen Shaw. The Days of Grace are coming to a close, and the Days of Mercy are now here. And oh, how we need mercy! There never has been a time when we needed it more!........... #000711 TEACH THEM TO WEEP —Gwen Shaw. "My people don't know how to pray!” I answered, "How can I teach them to pray?” He said, "It's too late to teach them to pray. But you can teach them to weep.” #000716 THAT WE MAY BE ONE — Gwen Shaw. Only one thing can unite the children of the Lord: the Glory of God. One of Jesus' last prayers was that all of God's children might be one. His prayer still rings out across the ages and convicts us of our lack of unity! #000715

THROW THE HEAD OF SHEBA OVER THE WALL! — Gwen Shaw. David's enemy led an insurrection against him immediately following Absalom's revolt. A great mother in Israel intervened to put a stop to the uprising and saved her city from destruction. Will you take a stand? #000717

Children’s Books LITTLE ONES TO HIM BELONG—Gwen Shaw. Based on the testimonies of children's visions of Heaven and the death of a small Chinese boy, Sister Gwen weaves a delightful story of the precious joys of Heaven for children of all ages

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TELL ME THE STORIES OF JESUS— Gwen Shaw. Some of the greatest New Testament stories of the Life of Jesus, written in a way that will interest children and help them to love Jesus.........#000902

Books A bout H eaven INTRA MUROS (Within the Gates) unabridged — Rebecca Springer. One of the most beautiful books about Heaven. Read the glorious of this ordinary believer's visit to Heaven. Learn what paradise is like. #109101

PARADISE, THE HOLY CITY AND THE GLORY OF THE THRONE — Elwood Scott. Visited by a saint of God who spent forty days in Heaven, Elwood Scott's detailed description will edify and comfort your heart. Especially good for those with lost loved ones. Look into Heaven. #104201

Prophecies and Visions THE DAY OF THE LORD IS NEAR: Vol. I - IV—Engeltal Press. "Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets." (Amos 3:7) A collection of prophecies, visions and dreams. This startling compilation will help you understand what God has in His heart for the near future. Vol. I - IV with binder #001000

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More Books Published by Engeltal Press BANISHED FOR FAITH — Emil Waltner. The stirring story of the courageous forefathers of Gwen Shaw, the Hutterite Mennonites, who were banished from their homeland and suffered great persecution for their faith. Index and epilogue by Gwen Shaw

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BECOMING A SERVANT — Robert Baldwin. Learn what is on God's heart about servanthood. We must learn to serve before we can be trusted to lead. If you want to be great in God's Kingdom, learn to be the servant of all. #006901 FIVE STONES AND A SWORD — Gene Little. The true of Jesus appearing to His lost Moslem children, and revealing Himself to these sons of Abraham. Your heart will leap with joy, and you will be encouraged, with new faith, that God will send a great revival to them #072501 FROM DUST TO GLORY— June Lewis. The Lord intends more than just salvation for us. He is making vessels of eternal Glory if we submit to Him. Rise up from your dust! #072001 HOLY ANN — Helen Bingham. This humble Irish woman moved the arm of God through simple faith and prevailing prayer. Read these modern miracles that are told like a story from the Old Testament. The record of a lifetime of answered prayer.

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IT WAS WORTH IT ALL — Elly Matz The story of a beautiful woman whose courage will inspire you. Feel her heart as she tells of her starving father, the young Communist engineer she married, the villages mysteriously evacuated, the invading German army, the concentration camp where she was a prisoner, and her escape into freedom. #078001 LET’S KEEP MOVING — Pete Snyder. Travel with Peter to Haiti where he struggles with the call of God to be a missionary. Identify with Peter's growth of faith through trials and tribulations as he travels on to China where new adventures await and faithful endurance is needed. A must for the called! #108801 RULING IN THEIR MIDST — June Lewis. The Lord has called us to rule even in the midst of all demonic activity and Satan's plans and schemes. Sister June has learned spiritual warfare from the Lord Himself, "who teacheth my hands to war," in the face of personal tragedy. #072002

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TAKE THE LID OFF — Sharon Buss. The autobiography of the End-Time Handmaiden who was raised up of God to stand in Gwen Shaw's place when the Lord took her home #016100 VOYAGE TO DOOM — Arthur D. Morse. The true of 930 Jews who boarded the S. S. St. Louis, believing they were bound for a safe haven in Cuba, only to find out they had been deceived. This heart-wrenching story will reveal to you the blood that is on the hands of the nations who refused to accept "the least of these my brethren.” #083001

P r ic e s a r e s u b je c t t o c h a n g e . F o r a c o m p le te c a ta lo g u e w i t h c u r r e n t p r i c i n g , c o n ta c t:

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