Wednesday, March 9, 2016

Prophecy From the Book of Proverbs


The prophecy of king Lemuel is beneficial end time instruction. “The words of king Lemuel, the prophecy that his mother taught him. What, my son? And what, the son of my womb? And what, the son of my vows (Proverbs 31:1-2)?” The word "mother" insinuates that Lemuel's understanding came forth from someone who was not a priest, but a helper of the church. The words “my son” confirm that Lemuel's prophecy is directed at priests. The words “the son of my vows” confirm that God remembers those promises that he made with his people. The words “the son of my womb” suggest that this prophecy is instruction for priests that are in God, for God is in them causing them to grow in their knowledge and understanding of his word. “Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power, in the beauty of holiness from the womb of morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth (Psalm 110:3).”

Give not thy strength to women (Proverbs 31:3).” This verse is warning and commanding priests that they are not to let their elders, nor any other church officials, have control over what is said in the pulpit. Priests are to put their confidence in the Lord, and do his bidding. “The Lord God is my strength (Habakkuk 3:19).” “The Lord spake thus to me with a strong hand, and instructed me that I should not walk in the way of this people (Isaiah 8:11).” “There is no king saved by the multitude of an host (Psalm 33:16).”

The second part of this verse, reads, “Nor thy ways to that which destroyeth kings (Proverbs 31:3).” This part of the verse is warning and commanding priests that they are not rely upon the mighty teachings of others, nor upon their own vain thoughts while they are leading God's people through end times. “Trust not in lying words (Jeremiah 7:8).” Be vigilant, and study the scriptures! Scripture is God’s voice, and if priests are not willing to hear God’s voice, then God will not hear them when they cry. “When you spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when you make many prayers, I will not hear (Isaiah 1:15).” Just as our forefathers were deceived by their teachers, so today's leaders are being deceived by the widely accepted interpretations of prophecy that are popular today. “Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God (Matthew 22:29).” Study the scriptures for the intentional purpose of truly understanding end times, and God will show you what he is doing. “Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it (Isaiah 43:19)?” “Hear, ye deaf; and look, ye blind, that ye may see (Isaiah 42:18).” Prayerfully studying the scriptures is the remedy for spiritual blindness. “In that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity (Isaiah 29:18).”

For the next few verses of Lemule’s prophecy, it is necessary to understand God’s parable use of the words, water, wine, and strong drink. In prophecy the words water, wine, and strong drink, are parable words which refer to teachings that were prepared for the purpose of quenching a believer’s thirst for understanding prophecy. The word, water, represents all the teachings which came about because one believer prayerfully studied the scriptures. The word, wine, represents prophetic teachings which came about because one believer, or a group of believers, incorporated their understandings of scripture with their religious beliefs, or else with other popular and acceptable teachings of prophecy. In other words, wine teachings are always teachings which have been built upon another man's work. “Wisdom… hath mingled her wine (Proverbs 9:2).” Strong drink is like wine, in that it is a concoction of several people’s understandings which have been mixed together, but strong drink is prepared for the purpose of causing believers to perceive their own contribution to the deception and confusion of God’s people. “Strong drink shall be bitter to them that drink it (Isaiah 24:9).”

God values those who work to prepare drinks for his people, and he blesses the preparers, as well as those who partake in the fruits of their understandings. “Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach’s sake and thine often infirmities (1Timothy 5:23).” To help God solidify his views on the matter, Jesus Christ took an actual cup of wine, and turned it into parable before the eyes of all his followers: Jesus made the communion cup represent blood. “Jesus took the cup… saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me (1Corinthians 11:25).” The parable of the communion cup pertains not only to Jesus, but also to every believer that has sacrificially worked to prepare end time understanding for God's people. God sees their efforts as if the preparers had poured a little of their own blood into the cup, and offered it unto his people to quench their thirst for knowledge and understanding.

In the day of our king the princes have made him sick with bottles of wine (Hosea 7:5).” However there is a downside to wine: wine is responsible for causing confusion, because lies and errs have gotten mixed into the cup. “They have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; The priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment (Isaiah 28:7).” “Mine heart within me is broken because of the prophets; all my bones shake; I am like a drunken man, and like a man whom wine hath overcome, because of the Lord, and because of the word of his holiness (Jeremiah 23:9).”

It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes strong drink: lest they drink, and forget the law, and pervert the judgment of any of the afflicted (Proverbs 31:4-5).” This verse is meant to cause priests to perceive that, in accordance with God’s word, they are to stop drinking and selling wine and strong drinks. Our wine teachings are causing God’s people to disregard truths that are needed for end times. “They were filled, and their heart was exalted; therefore have they forgotten me (Hosea 13:6).” Wine teachings are full of unsubstantiated and false claims that need to be removed from circulation: even those teachings which were enhanced by the covenant message. “Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart (Hosea 4:11).” “Awake, ye drunkards, and weep; and howl, all ye drinkers of wine, because of the new wine, for it is cut off from your mouth (Joel 1:5).”

Our wine teachings have been mingled with the mistaken philosophies of religion, and with the thoughts of men's hearts. Every preparer that compromised their end time teaching by mixing it with lies, does not want to be responsible for perverting the judgment of any of the afflicted. Misrepresenting prophecy can have serious ramifications: False teachings can offend persons of other faiths and cause them to fall away from the Lord; and false teachings can distract or delay believers from finding out the truths which are necessary for their deliverance; and false teachings can embolden oppressors and cause them to feel justified in their mistreat of others. 

Woe unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink (Isaiah 5:22).” Continuing to support and promote untrue and unsubstantiated end time claims, helps strengthen the arms of religion. “Ye are they that forsake the Lord, that forget my holy mountain, that prepare a table for that troop, and that furnish the drink offering unto that number (Isaiah 65:11).” Be wise and heed the warnings, and avoid having to be punished and corrected by the Lord. Those who refuse to follow this instruction are creating confusion. “They have caused Egypt to err in every good work thereof, as a drunken man staggers in his vomit (Isaiah 19:14).” God will cause those who create confusion to stay confused by their own teachings, until he performs the thing that is appointed for them. “I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine (Isaiah 49:26).” “I will make drunk her princes, and her wise men, and her captains, and her rulers, and her mighty men: and they shall sleep a perpetual sleep, and not wake, saith the King, whose name is the Lord of hosts (Jeremiah 51:57).”

Thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures (Psalm 36:8).” During end times God is bringing forth new understandings, therefore every believing priest, and every hearing priest will need to drink from the pure doctrine of God's word. “The Lord hath sworn by his right hand, and by the arm of his strength, Surely I will no more give thy corn to be meat for thine enemies; and the sons of the stranger shall not drink thy wine, for which thou hast labored: But they that have gathered it shall eat of it, and praise the Lord; and they that have brought it together shall drink it in the courts of my holiness (Isaiah 62:8-9).”

Before proceeding on to the next verse, it is necessary to note that when a priest drinks from the waters of the covenant message, if he takes that message to heart, then he will thoroughly mix it in with his own God inspired understandings of scripture, and the result will once again be wine. “They that dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall revive as corn, and grow as the vine: the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon (Hosea 14:7).” “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that… the mountains shall drop sweet wine, and all the hills shall melt (Amos 9:13).”

Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those that be of heavy hearts. Let him drink, and forget his poverty, and remember his misery no more (Proverbs 31:6-7).” This verse from Lemuel's prophecy is instructing hearing priests to give their understandings of prophecy to priests which were taken in God's afflicting pestilence. “Consider mine affliction, and deliver me: for I do not forget thy law (Psalm 119:153).” Priests that suffer affliction have already been humbled, so by showing them the newly revealed truths of prophecy, their joy will be increased, for knowledge will allow them to repent of their mistakes, and they can make their changes. “They shall perish… as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed (Psalm 102 26).”

Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction (Proverbs 31:8).” This verse is instructing hearing priests to warn those priests who are continuing to misrepresent God’s word: let them know that everyone who is still practing religion on Judgment Day, will be destroyed (Ezekiel 39:28). “Hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me (Ezekiel 3:17).” Priests are God’s messengers, and they have been shown the truth of God’s word so that they can warn the deceived (Malachi 2:7). “And it shall come to pass in that day, that the great trumpet shall be blown, and they shall come which were ready to perish in the land of Assyria, and the outcasts in the land of Egypt, and shall worship the Lord in the holy mount at Jerusalem (Isaiah 27:13).”

Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy (Proverbs 31:9).” Before believers can thoroughly understand this instruction, they must understand God’s parable use of the words, poor, and needy. The word, poor, is used in prophecy to represent believers, including priests, which have the Holy Spirit, but they are not able discern the hidden meanings of prophesy because they were, and are, blinded by their religious beliefs. These believers will be of quick understanding when God sends his messengers to them. “What hath the poor, that knoweth to walk before the living (Ecclesiastes 6:8)?” “The Lord hath founded Zion, and the poor of his people shall trust in it (Isaiah 14:32).” The word "needy" pertains to believers who walk by faith, but these believers walk in religions that reject the teachings of Jesus Christ, therefore the needy have not received the Holy Spirit. “The needy shall not alway be forgotten: the expectation of the poor shall not perish for ever (Psalm 9:18).”

Also, before believers can fully understand Lemuel's next instruction, it is necessary for them to know how God’s saints are going to judge the world. “Do you not know that the saints shall judge the world (1Corinthians 6:2)?” Believers will judge deceived offenders that have been taken in the snares of religion. This kind of judging has to do with helping others to either avoid, or recover themselves from the pestilences and judgments of God's wrath. Righteous judgment is done by impartially assessing the mistakes that believers are making against God's word, then showing the offenders the truths of scripture, so that these believers can recover cover themselves, and enter into God’s blessings. Wherefore people cannot judge righteously, unless, or until, they are equipped with the truths that will allow them to make godly assessments: for then, and only then will they that be able to correctly judge between the meek and the belligerent, and the renown as well as anyone else that is not cooperating with God’s word. “Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbor (Leviticus 19:15).”

Now once again hear the words of Lemule’s prophecy: “Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy (Proverbs 31:9).” The first part of this verse is instructing hearing priests to speak those truths which are necessary for the deliverance of offenders. The second part of this verse has to do with interceding to God on behalf of the religiously deceived, however this instruction involves more than just prayerful intercession. This instruction is motivating priests to consider the persons which are being bullied by the unsympathetic and noisome pestilences. “I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted (Psalm 140:12).” “Who is blind as he that is perfect, and blind as the Lord’s servant (Isaiah 42:19).” Deceived persons are sometimes victims of sincere religious convictions, and hearing priests that understand the covenant message are to help deliver them. “He shall deliver the island of the innocent: and it is delivered by the pureness of thine hands (Job 22:30).” “The righteous considers the cause of the poor: but the wicked regard not to know it (Proverbs 29:7).” “Blessed is he that considers the poor: the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble (Psalm 41:1).” “Whoso stops his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard (Proverbs 21:13).”

Having righteous judgment must include judging persons that hold positions of authority over God's people, which many of today's believers are failing to do. “Among my people are found wicked men… They are waxen fat, they shine: they overpass the deeds of the wicked: they judge not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, yet they prosper: and the right of the needy do they not judge (Jeremiah 5:28).” An example of someone who is possibly not being judged, is an elder. “Wilt thou judge them, son of man, wilt thou judge them? Cause them to know the abominations of their fathers (Ezekiel 20:4).” In scripture, the parable  word "fathers" refers to former leaders that led and influenced God's people. Today's hearing believers are to show their authorities the abominations of the forefathers which were recorded in scripture. In effect, if a believer shows an authority the scriptures and points out the pattern of their forefathers' sins, then they are judging them, for by studying the pattern of our forefathers' mistakes, our authorities can avoid making those same mistakes. Offenses which were recorded against the fathers include that of not returning to God's word when God began to move, and do a new thing: instead the fathers rejected knowledge and mocked God’s messengers. “They rebelled against me, and would not hearken unto me (Ezekiel 20:8).” Today's authorities have this pattern to study so that they can avoid making the same mistake, but some of them will refuse to consider it. “Ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when fear cometh (Proverbs 1:25-26).”

But if no one shares the truth of revealed prophecy with the authorities, then how will these believers know to walk in agreement with the instructions of God's word? “Yea, there is none that sheweth, yea, there is none that declareth, yea, there is none that heareth your words (Isaiah 41:26).” During end times God is going to move in an unprecedented way, for he is going to fulfill the promises which were made to his people: and earth will receive its new covenant (Psalm 25:14). God’s people have a right to know how they can avoid the wrath, and the pestilences of these times. “If thou forebear to deliver them… If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? …And shall not he render to every man according to his works (Proverbs 24:11-12)?” God is calling on every believer who is hearing this message to judge their authorities by showing them the revealed truths of prophecy. “Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the king’s son… He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor (Psalm 72:1; 72:4).” 

Converting and turning from our previously held beliefs, is not optional. Every false teacher that is peddling religious lies in the day of God’s wrath, will be consumed by the power of God’s wrath. “His watchmen are blind; they are all ignorant they are shepherds that cannot understand… Come ye, say they, I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink; and tomorrow shall be as this day, and much more abundant (Isaiah 56:10-12).” “Who hath woe? Who hath sorrow? Who hath contentions? Who hath babbling? Who hath wounds without cause? Who hath redness of eyes? They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine (Proverbs 23:29-30).” “You cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils (1Corinthians 10:21).” “I will number you to the sword, and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter: because when I called, ye did not answer; when I spake, ye did not hear; but did evil before my eyes, and did choose that wherein I delighted not (Isaiah 65:12).”

At the conclusion of Lemule’s prophecy is the parable of the virtuous woman. This parable concerns God’s quest for his bride; for the lamb’s wife; for those believers that desire New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:9-10). “Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies (Proverbs 31:10).” At first glance the virtuous woman appears to be very righteous, however this woman represents imperfect believers which are still in need of correction. It is written that this woman is married to an earthly husband who sits in the gates: this implies that God's people are sometimes more faithful in serving their priest, then they are in serving the Lord. “Her husband is known in the gates, when he sitteth among the elders of the land (Proverbs 31:23).” “Thy maker is thine husband; the Lord of hosts is his name (Isaiah 54:5).”

This woman is credited with working to create clothing, which implies that she is working to fashion together truths which prompt righteous actions in others (Psalm 132:9); but this woman has compromised her works by selling them, whereas God’s word says that believers are not to sell the truth. “Buy the truth, and sell it not (Proverbs 23:23).” “She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivers girdles unto the merchant (Proverbs 31:24).” This imperfect bride is also credited with making herself “coverings of tapestry,” which is a word that was used elsewhere in scripture to envision the fabric that a whore uses to impress men. “I have decked my bed with coverings of tapestry (Proverbs 7:16).” “She maketh herself coverings of tapestry (Proverbs 31:22).”

There is no question that this woman is performing righteous acts, but there is evidence which confirms that she knows the truth of the covenant message, and she is allowing her household to remain uninformed: The woman’s clothing is purple and silk, whereas her household is clothed in scarlet. Purple is the color of cloth which was used to signify that the sacrifices upon the altar had been burnt up. “They shall take away the ashes from the altar, and spread a purple cloth thereon (Numbers 4:13).” This insinuates that the woman’s previous works have been rendered ineffective. The word purple also insinuates that this woman has not whole heartedly obeyed God’s word, for if she had, then she would be arrayed in white. Purple and silk and scarlet are among Babylon’s amenities. “Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour thy judgment is come…No man buyeth their merchandise any more: The merchandise of… purple, and silk, and scarlet (Revelation 18:10-12).”

Another incriminating aspect which is gleaned from the virtuous woman parable, is found in the verse, “She layeth her hands to the spindle, and her hands hold the distaff (Proverbs 31:19).” This verse is crediting the woman with being able to spin God’s word anyway she pleases. However, there are very real answers in her hands, answers which can, and which will make a difference; even to the religious authorities that have been silencing the covenant message, for they are the distaff. The Hebrew word which was translated “distaff” in this verse, was also translated “part” and it was used repeatedly in the book of Nehemiah to depict repairing “part” of the fallen walls of Jerusalem. This insinuates that God has been using the silencing power of the religiously deceived authorities to accomplish his word, and confirm the covenant message with many for seven years. In other words, the noncompliant attitudes of the religious dictates were a necessary part of God’s plan. Wherefore, even the silencing authorities will need a good dose of honest correction. “Fear thou not; for I am with thee... I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness (Isaiah 41:10).” The sum of the matter is that this woman has the power to do virtuously, and it is in her hands. “Favor is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised. Give her the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates (Proverbs 31:30-31).”

She looketh well to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness (Proverbs 31:27).” This verse was pulled out of the parable of the virtuous women to give believers one final message to consider: there is a parable which compliments Lemeul's prophesies concerning wine, and that is the parable of the word "bread." Bread represents teachings which supply God’s people with the day by day nourishment that is necessary for their strength, and for their perseverance in the Lord. Bread differs from drink offerings in that drink offerings are specifically purposed to quench the believer’s thirst for understanding the hidden things of prophecy.

Both bread and the drink offerings are essential for the health of God’s people. “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeded out of the mouth of God (Matthew 4:4).” As in the case of wine teachings, bread teachings have a likelihood of being defiled by the misunderstandings of men. “Thou shalt bake it with dung that cometh out of man, in their sight… Thus shall the children of Israel eat their defiled bread (Ezekiel 4:12-13).” “Ye offer polluted bread upon mine altar; and ye say, Wherein have we polluted thee (Malachi 1:7)?”

God has given mankind an incorruptible bread. “The unleavened bread of sincerity and truth (1Corinthians 5:8).” Unleavened bread represents teachings which have not been defiled by religion, for religion contains inaccurate laws that misrepresent God's word. God refers to these laws as our leaven. "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees (Matthew 16:6)." "Leaven" is responsible for persuading believers to reject certain truths which come straight out of God's word. 

Consider the manna: Manna was an unleavened bread that came down from heaven. “This is the thing which the Lord commandeth, Fill an omer of it to be kept for your generations; that they may see the bread wherewith I have fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you forth from the land of Egypt (Exodus 16:32).” God had Moses lift up an omer of manna to cause believers to understand and see that Israel partook in two kinds of unleavened bread in the wilderness. Not only did she eat manna, but Israel also partook in a pure doctrine of bread which she had not known, and which came down from God the Father. “He fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee to know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord (Deuteronomy 8:3).”

Like the ancient prophets, Jesus Christ gave mankind an unleavened bread which came down from God the Father. “This is the bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eats this bread shall live for ever (John 6:58).” Jesus' doctrine is an unleavened bread that contains greater promises than those promises which came down through other prophets. Partaking in Jesus’ teachings allows believers to receive the Holy Spirit, and to experience eternal life while they are yet alive on earth. “I am the bread of life (John 6:48).” This means that believers who abstain from partaking in Jesus’ teachings are missing out on a tremendous blessing which God supplies exclusively through those teachings (John 14:23-26). “I have led you forty years in the wilderness… You have not eaten bread, neither have ye drunk wine or strong drink: that ye might know that I am the Lord (Deuteronomy 29:5-6).” This verse is suggesting that God allowed Jewish and Islamic believers to abstain from eating of any of Jesus' doctrine, so that they might know that he is the Lord.

The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ? For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread (1Corinthians 10:16-17).” This verse is identifying that all believers who serve the God of Abraham are partaking in one continuous doctrine of unleavened bread which came down from God the Father. Therefore, despite our religious differences, and regardless of our misunderstandings and misrepresentations of scripture, every believer that serves the God of Abraham has his part of the body of Christ, whether he believes it, or not (Romans 3:3). Consider this information very carefully. Whereas this message is revealing the truth about bread, it is also serving notice unto all believers, but especially priests: every believer who hears these messages is required to bring unleavened bread to God’s table. “Command the children of Israel, and say unto them, My offering, and my bread for my sacrifices made by fire, for a sweet savor unto me, shall ye observe to offer unto me in their due season (Numbers 28:2).” “Ye shall serve the Lord your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and take away sickness from the midst of thee (Exodus 23:25)."