Shake Hands with Jezreel

God asked Hosea to serve him in a unique way: Hosea was to take a wife of whoredoms and to have children of whoredoms (Hosea 1:2). This precarious act was purposed to conjure up images of an unfaithful, and an offensive church. Hosea’s willingness to serve the Lord in this fashion earned him the privilege of announcing the new names of Zion’s children: Jezreel, Lo-ruhamah, and Lo-ammi. These are parable names which are given to believers, who, when they learned of religion's mistakes, they followed the Lord and forsook the traditional teachings of their religion. Before their conversions these children went by the names of Ephraim, Judah, and Israel. "To him that overcometh will I give... a new name (Revelation 2:17)." Calling believers that obeyed his voice by their new names, separated them from the traditionalists, thus making it possible for God to prophesy blessings upon the obedient, and cursings upon the rebellious.

“Ephraim is my firstborn (Jeremiah 31:9).” The parable name of Ephraim was used in prophesy to represent the followers of Jesus Christ. His followers were given an opportunity to receive the Holy Spirit, therefore they are God's first begotten of the dead (Revelation 1:5). Unto Ephraim, but specifically unto those Christians, who, after learning of their religious mistakes, turned from them, God gave the new name of, Jezreel. This truth was revealed to believers by a physical depiction. When Hosea and Gomer had their firstborn son, God said: “Call his name Jezreel (Hosea 1:4).”

“I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu (Hosea 1:4).” In order to correctly interpret this prophecy, believer's must study the life of Jehu. Jehu was a prophet who was divinely anointed to be king over Israel (1Kings 19:16). After being anointed king, Jehu killed the reigning king of Israel, as well as the king of Judah, and then he caused the deaths of Ahab's seventy sons, and he killed all of Ahab's relatives, including all the priests that were associated with Ahab's house (2Kings 9:24; 9:27; 10:6-7; 10:14; 10:25). These violent acts were done because Jehu was zealously preforming God's will. “Thou shalt smite the house of Ahab thy master… for the whole house of Ahab shall perish (2Kings 9:7-8).” “So Jehu slew all that remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great men, and his kinfolks, and his priests, until he left none remaining… He came to Samaria, he slew all that remained unto Ahab in Samaria, till he had destroyed him, according to the word of the Lord, which he spake to Elijah (2Kings 10:11, 10:17).” This violence is recorded for our edification. It a pattern which should cause believers to wonder: How can believers judge what is righteous in God's eyes when it comes to acts of violence being done in the name of Lord? “I considered in my heart even to declare all this... no man knoweth either love of hatred by all that is before them (Ecclesiastes 9:1).”

To more fully understand why God chose to put Jehu's name in prophecy, believer's must investigate what happened to Jehu after he was crowned king. “Jehu took no heed to walk in the law of the Lord God of Israel with all his heart: for he departed not from the sins of Jeroboam, which made Israel to sin (2Kings 10:31).” In other words, Jehu continued to uphold those same religious practices which had caused the house of Ahab to be destroyed. After being appointed king, Jehu had a decision to make: would he serve God with his whole heart and clean up the mistaken practices of Israel's religion, or not? Jehu's heart was divided. He chose to support the ways of the people, and he forgot the Lord. Causing a "divided heart" is God's quarrel against religion (Hosea 10:2, 13:6). These lessons offer meaningful understanding to the prophecy: "For yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu; and will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel (Hosea 1:4)." God is testifying that in the day of his wrath he will avenge the blood of Christians that were bringing forth the truth, upon every leader and supporter, who, after being shown the truth of his word, and after being anointed by his Holy Spirit, forgot God and returned to the former ways and practices of religion. God will not spare them in the day of his wrath. These believers have, in essence, sanctioned violence, and in that day, not only will God destroy them, but he will also destroy every deceitful practice of their religion, forever.

Hosea prophesied disturbing and alarming evidence against Christianity under the name of Ephraim: He prophesied that Ephraim compassed God daily about with lies, and that those lies are increasing more and more (Hosea 11:12; 12:1). According to the word of God by Hosea, Christian's are being given bad counsel, and they will receive shame (Hosea 10:6, 11:6). "The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up, his sin is hid. The sorrows of a travailing woman shall come upon him: he is an unwise son (Hosea 13:12-13)." "As for Ephraim... Woe to them when I depart from them (Hosea 9:11-12)." "Woe to them! For they have departed from me: Destruction to them! Because they have transgressed against me: though I have redeemed them, yet have they spoken lies against me (Hosea 7:13)." Despite their rebellious ways, God has sworn that he will not execute the fierceness of his anger upon Christians, neither will he utterly destroy them forever: however the prophesied punishments of affliction and pestilence will come upon Ephraim's priests, for the good of the people (Hosea 11:9). "I will chastise them, as the congregation hath heard (Hosea 7:12)." 

A second child was born to Hosea and Gomer, a daughter, and this daughter was given Israel's new name. “Call her name Lo-ruhamah: for I will no more have mercy on the house of Israel; but I will utterly take them away (Hosea 1:6).” When the name of, Israel, appeared in prophecy, it was used as a parable name representing believers of the Islamic and Jewish nations: believers within these nations generally never receive the Holy Spirit, wherefore they were given a separate name. Proof of this is written in the verse: "Israel is an empty vine... they shall say, We have no king, because we feared not the Lord; what then should a king do to us (Hosea 10:3)?" So, according to the evidences of scripture, the parable name of Lo-ruhamah applies to believers within the Jewish and Islamic faiths, who, although they believe the news that is coming from the covenant message, they still need to learn of Jesus. Hosea's prophecy concerning Lo-ruhamah insinuates that when Lo-ruhamah is born, God will rise up against every believer of the Islamic or Jewish nation, that will not receive the truth of their messages, or that tries to come against these converts. "I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel; but I will utterly take them away (Hosea 1:6)."   

Homer conceived again and bare Hosea a third child, a son, and he was named, Lo-ammi. This name represents Zion's converted priests. When Lo-ammi was born, God delivered a reprimand against unbelievers: “Call his name Lo-ammi: for you are not my people, and I will not be your God. Yet the number of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea (Hosea 1:9-10).” Through teachings pertaining to the covenant message, these priests have been set free from the laws of their traditional religious teachings. "I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will save them by the Lord their God  (Hosea 1:7)." Their new understandings will come before the congregation, and they will cause many to return unto the Lord, and to serve him in righteousness (Hosea 6:11). "It shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God (Hosea 1:10)." “The consumption decreed shall overflow with righteousness (Isaiah 10:22).”

"Plead with your mother, plead: for she is not my wife, neither am I her husband... I will not have mercy upon her children: for they be the children of whoredoms (Hosea 2:2; 2:4)." God is calling for true believers to plead with the corrupted church. The corrupted church is not framing its doings to return to him (Hosea 5:4), it is transgressing against his covenant (Hosea 6:7), and it is relying upon inaccurate teachings, and mistaken teachers (Hosea 10:13). Plead with these believers, and let them know that God's wrath is purposed against their iniquities, and against the hatred that some of them have for God's people of other religions (Hosea 9:7). Plead with, and for, every deceived soul: "Oh Israel, return unto the Lord thy God: for thou hast fallen by they iniquity. Take with you words, and turn to the Lord: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips... For in thee the fatherless findeth mercy. I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him... His branches shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree (From Hosea 14:1-6)."

“Then said the Lord unto Hosea, Go yet, love a woman beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress... So I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver… I said unto her, Thou shalt abide for me many days; thou shalt not play the harlot, and thou shalt not be for another man: so will I also be for thee (Hosea 3:1-3).” This act is a portrait of redemption. Although persons of Jewish and Islamic faiths have not known the truth, Jesus Christ already paid the price for his bride. God is overturning every religion, and his people will be rejuvenated, because God is establishing a new covenant for them. "In that day will I make a covenant with them with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven, and with the creeping things of the ground: and I will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the earth, and will make them to lie down safely (Hosea 2:18)."

“I will betroth thee unto me forever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in loving kindness, and in mercies. I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the Lord (Hosea 2:19-20).” What better promises can believers get than the promises of peace which come from God? Or what better proof is there that the covenant message is truth, than the prophesies of Hosea? Praise God for what he has done: for Hosea prophesied that they shall hear Jezreel! "The earth shall hear the corn, and the wine, and the oil; and they shall hear Jezreel (Hosea 2:22)." Simply put, the earth shall hear God's people, and God's people shall hear the converts of Christianity! 

"Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land: for great shall be the day of Jezreel (Hosea 1:11)!"