"The Lord Has Chosen Zion; He Desires It For His Dwelling Place!"

At first, this post might seem designed specifically for Christian Believers, but I think it is an important topic for secular readers, as well.  We all need to understand each other and our different opinions concerning the land of Israel. But most of all, we need to understand what Zion means to God.

This subject has been on my mind for some time, and in regards to the current situation in Israel [which will affect the entire world], an understanding of who and what Zion is needs to be clarified. Whenever I write about my Biblical view of Israel and my interpretation of their role in these End Times, I am often called a "Zionist Christian" and I am often typecast with labels like "your pro-Feast, Jewish flair" .... whatever that means.  So I believe it is crucial for readers to know where I stand on Israel and how I view her.

For just a moment, let us table the horrendous news coming out of the Middle East, and focus on the subject of Zion. First of all, when I speak about Israel, most times I am referring to the land according to my Biblical worldview. I see the nation of Israel as that land promised to God's Chosen People in the Bible. And I recognize that there is a distinction between the future prophetic restoration of that land, and the existence of the current state of Israel. I know that Jesus will not return again until God turns the focus of His saving mercies on Israel again, and Israel responds to God through Jesus Christ. That hasn't yet happened in a national sense. 

In fact, there is not much about the modern state of Israel that coincides with the Biblical Israel. And that's where the confusion over "Zionism" comes in. Let me explain this term from my Biblical perspective first.  From an initial understanding of the word "Zion" in the Bible, it is synonymous with "City of God", and it is a place that God loves. (Psalm 87:2-3).  Zion is Jerusalem. Mount Zion is the high hill on which David built a citadel. After King David's conquest of the ancient city, he built his royal palace there, and Zion/Jerusalem became the seat of power in Israel’s ancient kingdom. When his son, Solomon, built the Lord's temple in Jerusalem, the word Zion expanded to include the temple area, what we call the Temple Mount today.

As Biblical time marched on, Zion grew figuratively to mean Israel as the people of God in the Old Testament. In the New Testament, Zion refers to God’s spiritual kingdom.  I admit it is confusing and covers a wide scope of understanding.

And to make matters even more complicated, in this modern century, the word Zion and Zionist have taken on negative connotations among a wide variety of people. As we've witnessed this last week, there are those who see the reestablishment of a Jewish homeland as illegitimate, and desire to "drive them into the sea" or destroy them completely. And there are obviously those who do not know the history of the Bible, or what it says about the Jews and their ancestral land, and why it is so important to them.  For centuries the Jews had been exiled around the world from the land that God promised them, and there was a collective desire to return and resettle their ancestral lands and to revitalize and cultivate their native Hebrew culture. They longed to return to the Biblical Zion.

But after the atrocities of the Holocaust and with the establishment of the Jewish state in 1948, this love of Zion became a nationalistic and political movement, rather than a religious or cultural identity.  Zionism, today, continues primarily to advocate on behalf of the nation Israel and address threats to its continued existence and security. It has little to do with God's view of Zion. 

Let me be clear in explaining my sensitive position, and please read the next couple of paragraphs before you pass judgment ... the state of Israel, as it exists today in the Middle East, does not represent the Israel that will say, "Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord." They are largely a secular and political state, with no religious connection to Yeshua, their Messiah at all.  They are true political Zionists.  However, the population also includes a sizable number of religious Orthodox Jews who remain blinded to their future, and most probably view themselves as Zionists from a historical, Old Testament perspective. But I also want to point out that there is a growing population of Messianic Jews, who know and believe in Yeshua as the Biblical Messiah, and are evangelizing "in the Name of the Lord". And I praise God for this remnant that is returning to the true identity of Zion in the land.

But the nation of Israel, as a whole, has a long way to go to return to their Scriptural identity. They are still in rebellion and refuse to recognize their Creator and Messiah. Tel Aviv has declared itself the "gay capital of the world", as proclaimed by one Israeli citizen: "Israel isn’t a regressive Taliban state based on ancient scriptures. It is a modern, democratic and progressive society built on democratic values. The people of Israel have chosen to have a free, secular, democratic and pluralistic society where gays are not only tolerated, but where gay culture is celebrated."  Does this sound like the Biblical Zion?

So, having said all this, when I look at modern Israel, I choose to focus my prayers on the small, but growing numbers of Messianic Jews who see the real reason they are "back in the land", and who recognize their calling and purpose. When I say I love and support Israel, I am looking beyond the nationalistic, political reality of the current state of Israel and seeing them as God sees them... His beloved Zion; I see the devoted Jews who have surrendered their lives to their Savior Messiah and are faithfully working to bring about His return.

So, for any Christians who believe in Replacement Theology and accuse me of supporting a Zionist state, you need to understand that I do not share your doctrine. I do not believe that the Church (and especially not the Western Church!) has replaced Israel as God's chosen people. I read Romans 11 and do not try to corrupt it. I accept it word for word ... Gods gifts and His call are irrevocable [He never withdraws them when once they are given, and He does not change His mind about those to whom He gives His grace or to whom He sends His call.] ... And so all Israel will be saved. As it is written, The Deliverer will come from Zion, He will banish ungodliness from Jacob. And this will be My covenant (My agreement) with them when I shall take away their sins.

And for the secularists and atheists who discount the Word of God, I will agree with you that the Zionist State of Israel is not perfect. I do not blindly uphold it as the Israel of the Bible. But you need to understand that it is not yet that Biblical nation of Israel with whom God established a covenant .... but one day it will be. And it is the future Israel that I pray for and long to see come out of its rebellion and recognize its Messiah.  I have close friends who are the beginning of that true Biblical remnant in Israel, and they allow me to see the hope and the promise of Israel's restoration. 

I do not expect this post to change anyone's mind, and it probably won't even help those who disagree with me to understand my position better. I already see people's minds and narratives changing regarding the slaughter of Israeli's this last week... from expressions of horror to voices that are already condemning Israel's divided government and its policies. But if we say we love Israel and we stand with her, we must love Israel through a Biblical lens; we must support her and pray for her to come out of her rebellion and reclaim the covenant of her ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and we must long to see her restored to the fullness of her power in God; restored to her true character and purpose in leading the world to Yeshua.  For all this, I make no apologies. 

And, finally, I pray that the land and people of Israel be returned to the holiness YHWH bestowed on Zion. May the God of Israel comfort them in the midst of this sorrow and tribulation, physically and spiritually living out Psalm 137:1... By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion. As we watch this conflagration unfold, let us keep God's view of His land and people in perspective. Let us pray that all Israel will come to know and see His Truth!

Isaiah 60:14      The sons of those who afflicted you shall come bending low to you, and all who despised you shall bow down at your feet; they shall call you the City of the Lord, the Zion of the Holy One of Israel.

  

They Gather For Battle In The Valley of Decision

Back in 2016, I wrote a post sharing how God was showing me the Biblical prophecies of what was to come during "The End Times". I was seeing how the world economy, the Middle East, and the growing presence of Russia and China in the area were driving the foreign policies of the nations in the world. At the time, economists were pointing to oil as the driving factor that would cause petroleum-hungry nations to invade Israel in order to control their newly discovered oil fields. This blessing from God would make their production roughly equivalent to that of Saudi Arabia. In fact, the "great minds" of the time were asking if oil might not be "the hook in the jaw" that would pull nations out of the north to the Valley of Jezreel (Ezekiel 38:4).

Fast forward to October 7, 2023, as the world watched [and continues to watch] the horrific evil that has invaded Israel. Our gut reaction is to see this as a battle between Evil and God's Holy nation of Israel. But we must step back and see the 30,000 foot view of all that permeates this tragedy. Biblically, and prophetically, we probably all instantly think of the Gog and Magog war [prophesied in Ezekiel 38] that signals the End Time battle between YHWH and the Anti-Christ [and the nations who support him] who will gather together against Jerusalem. This battle/war will trigger the Lord's fierce anger in the defense of His people in Zion. We also think of Joel 3:14 ... Multitudes, multitudes, in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.  

Now let's apply these prophesies to the unspeakable images that flashed across our screens in Israel this weekend. I will admit that I endured a sleepless night, crying out to God for Israel. I couldn't erase the images -- the innocent lives subjected to terror; those who were killed and for all those who will yet perish -- and the numbers keep rising. But the entire world needs to understand: this portends the wrath of God and it is real. God formed humanity to bring Him glory. He has set a holy and pure standard for mankind. But when the perfect Judge of the Universe looks upon those who rebel in wickedness and evil, He does not act in a reckless rage; or out of uncontrollable anger, a senseless fury, or an unjust vengeance. It is a precise and controlled response against those who belittle His Holiness and have sinned against Him without repentance. 

Prophetically, God endorses this statement in Ezekiel 38 when He confronts Gog, from the land of Magog. [Note: Gog could be a person, and Magog is the geographical land or territory where he lives. He could also be a "demonic prince" and Magog is the land he has been assigned by Satan]. God confronts this ruler of Magog, and says to its king, Gog: Are you he of whom I spoke in former days by my servants the prophets of Israel, who in those days prophesied for years that I would bring you against them? ... You will come up against my people Israel, like a cloud covering the land. In the latter days I will bring you against my land, that the nations may know me, when through you, O Gog, I vindicate my holiness before their eyes. 

There is an excellent series of articles on the website, christinprophecyblog.org that I recommend you read. Dr. Nathan E. Jones, Director of Internet Outreach at Lamb and Lion Ministries, is the author. Dr. Jones gives us a 30,000 foot view of this Gog and Magog war; a war that has had religious leaders and writers speculating as to the participants for hundreds of years. I will emphatically state that I am not qualified to give an expert opinion on the subject, but Dr. Jones's argument is worth reading and praying about. He contends that Ezekiel wrote 2,700 years ago, prophesying a time when the Lord would pull different nations down to Israel so He could destroy them and show the world that He protects Israel. The ancient nations that are prophesied in Ezekiel 38, are now known by their modern names ... Russia, Iran, and Turkey, among them.  

That is definitely interesting and what I imagine most Western Christians will agree with. But there's a bigger picture that we need to see. While I believe that the whole world will see that God intends to protect His land, Israel, I also believe that God brings this Gog and Magog war against Israel to bring the nation to a saving knowledge of Him and His Son, Jesus Christ, the Messiah. You see, we need to understand that Israel, as it stands today, represents God's Chosen People. But, they do not yet walk in their true identity. 

Politically, culturally, and spiritually, the people of Israel are divided, just as we are in this nation. Allegations of corruption in the government; rampant moral decline in their society; and ridicule and persecution exists against the Messianic Jewish believers by their orthodox brothers in the Jewish faith. In many ways, the modern nation of Israel is following the rebellious ways of the Old Testament nation of Israel. Whether the recent [and on-going] events in Israel reflect the beginning of the Gog and Magog war, Dr. Jones wants us to comprehend that there will be a seven-year time period known as the Tribulation that will come upon the earth  following this War. We can be sure that God will make it so that people will know that there is a God. They will have to choose Him, or not. They will have the choice to choose God, or Satan through the Antichrist.    

This impending war will happen in the valleys of Israel. For myself, I'm not so caught up in which valley(s) -- whether the Valley of Jezreel or Jehoshophat -- as I am in discerning that people will need to make a decision... multitudes and multitudes will need to decide! Not only will the Gentile and Muslim nations need to make a decision regarding Jesus, but the inhabitants of Israel, too. Many people romanticize the Israeli people, thinking that because they are God's chosen, they worship Him and are followers of Yeshua. But for the last 2,000 years the Jewish people have been mostly at odds with their God. Like many in America, they are mostly Secular Humanists. But as God has always done, He is raising up a true remnant in Israel that will lead the world to the knowledge of the One True God. 

If this war in Israel turns out to be the Biblical End Times War prophesied By Ezekiel, we are seeing the wicked armies of Satan carrying out his orders against the Israeli citizens. And the world will soon see that Yeshua, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah will not abandon His people and He will orchestrate a miraculous victory for tiny Israel. We will see that God will use the evil perpetrated in Israel to bring His remnant to salvation! They will call on the Name of the Lord and be saved to witness to the rest of the lost world! The heart of God's people will turn back to their God. 

The events prophesied in the Bible are definitely coming together! We can see the coalition of nations coming against Israel, and their armies joining forces to destroy the Israeli people. We see the hatred and wickedness that fuels their evil hearts, and we cry for the suffering of the people in God's holy land. But does the world understand that God will not let evil go unanswered? He will soon step into world affairs and destroy the invaders. The Bible tells us that an earthquake will shake all of Israel, and the armies of Satan will suffer pestilence and bloodshed; torrential rains and hailstones, fire and sulfur. The whole world will know that God will defend Israel! 

So, when I say that "they gather for battle in the Valley of Decision", I mean that in reality and prophetically. Every nation and people will look upon the coming battles with trembling, and will answer for their contribution to the slaughter we are witnessing in the Holy Land. And everyone will have to make a decision ... do you say "Yes" to the Ancient of Days, the God of Israel? Or do you side with the rebellious ones whose fate lies in His hands? Will you pray for the innocent lives lost in Israel; for their families; and that they will be restored to righteousness through knowing Jesus Christ as their Savior? Will you join with me to pray for those whose hate has been stored up and incited by the Prince of Darkness whose jealousy of Israel has led to this conflagration? Will you pray that these haters will meet the Holy and Righteous One who loved them enough to die for them -- yes, even them -- IF they will repent and turn from their evil ways? Will you join with me in praying, "Lord, the world needs You! Come, Lord Jesus"!

Ezekiel 38:23     So [then] I will show My greatness and My holiness and make Myself known in the eyes of many nations. Then they will know that I am the LORD.    

End Times Revival: Does The Bible Prophecy It?

 

I must admit I have wrestled with this question for quite awhile. And what I am going to present to you is my evolving position on this subject. This is where I am today. I am well aware of the modern-day "prophets" who preach that an awakening in the spirits of men will lead to a worldwide revival before the awesome Day of the Lord. I never want to discourage anyone or be perceived as against a revival, but I honestly do not see a Biblical interpretation of an End Times Revival.

And please hear me .... that is not to say that revival isn't real or does not happen. I do not have any authority to declare that. Throughout history, Revivals have occurred in times of need -- the Protestant Reformation in the 17th Century; the 18th Century Revivals led by John Wesley and George Whitefield; the three Great Awakenings in America (18th-19th Centuries); and the Asuza Street Revival and the Toronto Blessing in the 20th Century, to name a few. And I know the heart of "the Church" is to see Revival. But it doesn't take a very discerning spirit to recognize that there has been no revival in the Church that has defeated the wickedness in the world. In fact, the Church that resides in the building has been more about maintaining their position of compromise and accommodation in order to try and remain relevant to modern society [and to keep their status within man's law]. But this position has only seen wickedness and lawlessness rise while abdicating any power and authority they might once have held to change the world. That has left the Body of Christ sitting on the fence in a Laodicean, lukewarm posture.

That being said, I do see revival in the midst of small groups who recognize that the Holy Spirit has left the Church building, and who are willing to be true Disciples of the Lord and take His Gospel of the Kingdom outside the building, wherever they are led. This Body is the Ekklesia, the representatives of God's government on earth; those willing to go on the offensive and take God's Truth of who we were created to be, in spite of opposition, whether from unbelievers or believers. And when discerning that Truth [in all things, including today's prophecies of a worldwide revival], I go to the Bible to see what Jesus prophesied.

Nowhere do I see Jesus telling us to look for such a revival before the end of the Church Age. In Matthew 24, His Disciples ask Him for signs that will signify the end of this Age and His Coming. He warns not to be lead astray by those saying they are coming in His Name. That includes false prophets and teachers, which are not necessarily men who are seeking to deceive others, but may be deceived themselves into thinking they are hearing from God. Jesus goes on to say that we will hear of wars and rumors of wars; nations and kingdoms rising up against each other; famines and earthquakes. Then comes tribulation and martyrdom; being hated by all those who hate Him. Then a great falling away will occur, meaning there will be those who stumble in their faith and will betray their fellow believers in order to save themselves from persecution. The lawlessness will cause hearts to grow cold, and love will escape them. Jesus says the one who endures [and perseveres in their faith to survive the persecution] will be saved [delivered; rescued]. 

Jesus doesn't sugarcoat it. It's going to be difficult to live on this earth as we get closer to His Return. Nowhere do I see Him say that we can expect a Revival to ease our suffering and usher Him in. In fact, rebellion comes first, which results in the falling away and hearts growing cold. Again, I pray for revival and rejuvenation and renewed strength among those who are willing to contend in fervent prayer [as the Ekklesia] in order to hold up the appearance of the Man of Lawlessness, who will set things in motion for Jesus's eventual Return. I recognize the purpose of the cycle of Revival throughout the history of the world because it snatches victory out of the hands of the Enemy every time someone repents and receives Christ as their Savior. Revivals please the Lord because the Father doesn't want to lose even one of His creation. Revivals are real and we can most definitely pray for them to happen because that is how the Gospel of Salvation has advanced across the globe. And now I see the revival in the Ekklesia advancing the Gospel of the Kingdom, which is what Jesus came preaching, and what I think is spurring the Enemy to advance his kingdom of wickedness and lawlessness.  

Even as the Church grows "cold", there will always be pockets of Believers who remain "hot" to share the Gospel of the Kingdom; leading people to repentance, then salvation, and on towards entering the Kingdom of God on earth. And I believe the number of people who exemplify that kind of "revival" will be relatively small in number. You see, those I hear prophesying today of a great worldwide revival resulting in millions of people becoming part of "the Church" doesn't seem to correspond to Scripture. If that were so, wouldn't the Bible reveal an expanding and extension of the Church Age instead of it growing cold? I don't see the Word telling us that the Church will be purified in the Last Days. Instead it will "fall away".

I hear modern-day prophets using Scripture such as Psalm 22:27-28 to justify that this worldwide Revival is going to happen: All the ends of the earth shall remember and return to the Lord, and all the families of the nations shall worship before You. For kingship belongs to the Lord, and He rules over the nations. But when read in context, I believe this is referring to the Millennial Kingdom, the 1000-year reign of Christ after His return. And I also witness many today who like to take such snippets of Scripture as Joel 2:23 to point to a Revival in our time: Be glad, O children of Zion, and rejoice in the Lord your God, for he has given the early rain for your vindication; he has poured down for you abundant rain, the early and the latter rain, as before. I, too hope for vindication as we pray that Father God will forgive our complacency, our contentment, and our self-satisfaction in our selfish deeds. 

I know the American Church sincerely desires a Great Revival because we can no longer ignore the immoral state of our nation. We are awakened to how we have failed as the Church in living up to the covenant made with God when those first faithful servants stepped foot on this ground. We've always been a prosperous and blessed nation, and we see that identity in jeopardy. We're more divided than ever along racial lines; the Freedoms enshrined in our Constitution seem to be slipping away; and more people are leaving the Church building because they are not being fed in the Word. They intuitively know that there is more to walking in the footsteps of the Lord than church attendance, and their spirits are hungry for a true encounter with Jesus to discover their purpose on this earth. 

These are the people seeking personal revival and they will be the ones who advance the Kingdom of God -- right up until the moment of the corporate revival of the Jews. This is the promise of Revival in the Bible! This was made so clear to me some years ago when a dear friend opened up the Lord's revelation through Romans 11. For the first time, I saw that the Remnant of Israel [those who choose to call on the Name of the Lord], will receive their salvation and reclaim their original status as the nation who will lead the world to the knowledge of God. And the fullness of saved Israel will bring about the Glory of God on the earth, as Jesus returns and defeats Evil. Then all those who are saved will enter into the Millennial Kingdom. 

So, we can take heart that revival is real! It will happen as it has always happened -- in small pockets and in cycles. And we should pray for those revivals, because as Gentiles grafted into the cultivated olive tree that is God's Chosen People, it is our faithfulness to expand the Gospel of Christ [in both Salvation and Kingdom messages] that will provoke Israel to jealousy in the coming End Times, and they will want the security we have in Christ. While revival might not look like what we hear being prophesied throughout the modern Church, it will look like whatever God intends to use to redeem the world. Pray about what your part in that revival looks like, and how you can become part of God's Promise to Israel and the world!

Jeremiah 30:17     For I will restore health to you, and your wounds I will heal, declares the Lord, because they have called you an outcast: ‘It is Zion, for whom no one cares!’

 

Understanding the Wife of God and the Bride of Christ (Part 1)

     I'm about to tackle a very difficult subject that, frankly, I haven't quite figured out myself. I will tell you this ... I am increasingly hearing Christian women refer to Christ as "my Husband" [which I think is Biblically incorrect]. Furthermore, I have never heard a teaching on this subject matter anywhere in the Church. And since this topic has risen in more than one conversation I've had in the last few months, I think perhaps it's time that I explore what the Bible has to say so that I can respond in a responsible manner in the future. So, thank you for indulging my journey to discover what the Word has to say on these important issues.
     First of all, I have to admit that I never gave much thought to the difference in these identities, or what impact understanding them might have on how I walked out my faith. But as I dug in to see what the Word reveals on the matter, I was actually astonished at how some of our modern theology has disregarded [as well as distorted] the true identification of both the Wife of Yahweh and the Bride of the Messiah. As I said, I'm still figuring all this out myself, but this is what I've come to understand so far...

     I've always been blessed by the extreme love that God has had for His people Israel. And the relationship He has had with them since He entered covenant with them resembles that of a marriage. In Exodus 19, His declaration to them reads like a wedding vow: Now therefore, if you will obey My voice indeed, and keep My covenant, then you shall be a peculiar treasure unto Me above all people... And when the people responded, All that the Lord has spoken, we will do, it was their vow to be faithful to that wedding covenant.
     True, the word "wife" is not mentioned in this particular passage, but as one looks upon the history of Israel's relationship with Yahweh, there are Scriptures that make it clear as to her relationship with Him. We are all familiar with how quickly Israel abandoned her covenant with God to be holy and faithful as a virgin bride, and began worshiping false idols and chasing after other lovers. Both Jeremiah 3:14 and Isaiah 54:5 make it clear that God considered Himself married to Israel ... Turn, O backsliding children, saith the Lord; for I am married unto you (Jeremiah), and For your Maker is your Husband—the Lord of hosts is His name—and the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; the God of the whole earth He is called (Isaiah).
     God loved Israel so much that He sent prophets and judges to try to convince the unfaithful people to return to the marriage covenant He had established with them. Time and again, they would go astray and backslide. Finally, running out of patience, God declares, "And I saw, even though [Judah knew] that for this very cause of committing adultery (idolatry) I [the Lord] had put faithless Israel away and given her a bill of divorce; yet her faithless and treacherous sister Judah was not afraid, but she also went and played the harlot [following after idols]" (Jeremiah 3:8). It was at this time in history that the northern kingdom of Israel [including 10 of the twelve tribes] was taken into captivity by the Assyrians and dispersed throughout the known world. It would be a little over 100 years later that the Southern Kingdom of Judah would be taken into exile in Babylon. But it is clear from these passages that God considered the twelve tribes of the nation of Israel as His wife.
     In a nutshell, this is how the course of events took place: The Marriage Contract. The entire format of the Book of Deuteronomy is that of both an ancient treaty and an ancient marriage contract. In this book, Moses took all the various facets of the three earlier books and presented them in the form of an ancient marriage contract. In this book we find the marriage contract signed between Israel and God whereby Israel becomes the Wife of Jehovah. The Acts of Adultery. In Jeremiah, Chapter 3, Israel is compared to a wife who has turned away from her husband, and in verse 20, the Bible says, Surely, as a wife treacherously departs from her husband, So have you dealt treacherously with Me, O house of Israel, says Jehovah. The Separation. God spent nearly 100 years, [as the Book of Isaiah shows us], sending judgments against Israel, in the hopes that she would return to covenant. The Divorce. When judgment and separation failed to produce repentance, God had no choice but to serve a bill of divorce to His beloved nation. The Lord said to me in the days of King Josiah: “Have you seen what she did, that faithless one, Israel, how she went up on every high hill and under every green tree, and there played the whore? And I thought, ‘After she has done all this she will return to me,’ but she did not return, and her treacherous sister Judah saw it.  She saw that for all the adulteries of that faithless one, Israel, I had sent her away with a decree of divorce. Yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear, but she too went and played the whore (Jeremiah 3:6-8).

      But make no mistake about this ... although Israel was served a bill of divorcement, God has not abandoned them and the Bible makes it clear that there will be future restoration and a new marriage contract between Israel, Judah, and God. It couldn't be more plainly stated than in Jeremiah 31:31-34: “Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” This is the glorious hope of a future reconciliation between God's treasured people and the One who has loved them with an undying love. 
     By now, I hope you can at least reflect on the idea that God considers Israel as His wife, and He as her husband. I think there is a mistaken theology in the modern Church that says we Christians, as the Bride of Christ, are married to Jesus and He is our husband. In the next post, I would like to take a look at who is the Bride of Christ; what is the significance of the Marriage Supper of the Lamb; and how is the Wedding Feast different? I think it is incumbent upon us as serious students of the Bible, and the redeemed children of God, to understand these distinctions and their significance for us in the Kingdom of God. We need to know who we are!

Hosea 2:16      And in that day, declares the Lord, you will call me ‘My Husband,’ and no longer will you call me ‘My Baal.’