19 Then He said, �I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I
will proclaim the name of the LORD before you. I will be gracious to
whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have
compassion.� (Exodus 33:19)
Because of how I chose to title this article, let's begin with a few
verses demonstrating the Scriptures attributing to animals a
consciousness of God:
9 �And as for Me, behold, I establish My covenant with you and with
your descendants after you, 10 and with every living creature that is
with you: the birds, the cattle, and every beast of the earth with you,
of all that go out of the ark, every beast of the earth. 12 And God
said: �This is the sign of the covenant which I make between Me and you,
and every living creature that is with you, for perpetual generations:
15 and I will remember My covenant which is between Me and you and every
living creature of all flesh; the waters shall never again become a
flood to destroy all flesh. 16 The rainbow shall be in the cloud, and I
will look on it to remember the everlasting covenant between God and
every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth.� 17 And God
said to Noah, �This is the sign of the covenant which I have established
between Me and all flesh that is on the earth.� (Genesis 9:9-10, 12,
15-17)
Several times God confirms in Genesis 9 that His rainbow Covenant
isn't just with mankind, which would be pointless if animals couldn't
grasp a Covenant with God. But God's as much reassuring animals as He is
Noah and his family. Remember that when considering God's Hosea 2:18 New
Covenant with animals, Genesis 9 is His Old Covenant with them. I teach
His New Covenant with animals. What many people will assert as the truth
of God regarding animals, as they believe it to be contained in His
Word, is merely His Old Covenant with them. They're not necessarily
wrong, but there is a superior [Biblical] paradigm because of the
boundless love of our Redeemer. They simply have incomplete knowledge of
the Lord's Declaration and Preparations in His Word and His Grace for
animals, from the times that we're living in, forward.
They're dealing in expired information about animals, if I may say
that that way, while still intending total reverence for the Scriptures.
What they believe about animals and our right to exploit them is in the
category of circumcision of male children at 8 days old from a New
Covenant perspective, as far as righteousness goes. There are parts of
the Bible that endorsed doing this and that to animals, according to how
we'd normally read those passages, as there are passages that say that
if you're not circumcised, then you can't be a part of the worship
experience and community life of God's Covenant people. Those who cite
Old Testament principles when dealing with animals are simply in the
position that Apollos was in, in the book of Acts:
24 Now a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent
man and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. 25 This man had been
instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke
and taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he knew only the
baptism of John. 26 So he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When
Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him
the way of God more accurately. 27 And when he desired to cross to
Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him; and
when he arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace;
28 for he vigorously refuted the Jews publicly, showing from the
Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ. (Acts 18:24-28)
Those who would bind animals to God's Old Testament dealing with them
have only the knowledge of sin, rather than the revelation of God's
righteousness where animals are concerned. Their knowledge is simply
incomplete, when they'd bring up the Scriptures to justify our continued
exploitation of them. They can be mighty in the Scriptures, as Apollos
was, but still falling way short of what's been brought to pass in our
days with what God's revealing of His New Covenant with animals. These
people only know what's gone on up until the baptism of John. They have
the knowledge of sin, but not the revelation of God's righteousness unto
all and upon all animals in Hosea 2:18, for there is no difference:
they'll all shake at His Presence. But I'm getting a little ahead of
myself and need to finish this portion up about animals having
consciousness of God, before we can leap into Ezekiel 38:19-20.
As of August 24, 2010, unfortunately, most Christians are thinking
His Old Covenant with animals is in force, which included their being
eaten. However, as the New Testament outweighs the Old in all matters of
a Christian's right standing with God and Christ's work to draw all men
to Himself, Hosea 2:18 far surpasses God's wisdom and kindness revealed
in the Genesis 9 �Old Covenant� with animals. There are two testaments
in the Bible for animals, as is witnessed by Jeremiah 31:27-28 where
animals were previously fair game, but are fair game no longer for
exploitation as �resources� to be devoured.
13 So we, Your people and sheep of Your pasture, Will give You thanks
forever; We will show forth Your praise to all generations. (Psalm
79:13)
It is commonly known that Old Testament Israel worshiped God with
their animals, though it didn't always end well for the animals,
depending on the level of participation required of them. But I do mean
to suggest that the aforementioned verse implies animals knew what it
was about.
21 The young lions roar after their prey, and seek their food from
God. (Psalm 104:21)
14 As a beast goes down into the valley, and the Spirit of the Lord
causes him to rest, so You lead Your people to make Yourself a glorious
Name. (Isaiah 63:14)
Here in Isaiah, we're faced with the issue of supernatural guidance
for God's Covenant animals and God's Covenant people. As His Covenant
with the people wasn't in it's final draft until the coming of Christ
Jesus, I wouldn't expect for people to necessarily see perfect guidance
of the animals fully manifested yet in the Old Testament. But the
promises of it are inferred all over the Old Testament for animals,
including in Ecclesiastes 3:19 when speaking of the vanity of life that
existed back then, uniquely so, prior to the coming of Christ.
In Jonah 3:7-10, we find animals sharing in the repentance [process]
of Nineveh and God sparing them because all of them were prostrated
before God without food and water:
7 And he caused it to be proclaimed and published throughout Nineveh
by the decree of the king and his nobles, saying, Let neither man nor
beast, herd nor flock, taste anything; do not let them eat, or drink
water. 8 But let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and cry
mightily to God; yes, let every one turn from his evil way and from the
violence that is in his hands. 9 Who can tell if God will turn and
relent, and turn away from His fierce anger, so that we may not perish?
10 Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and
God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon
them, and He did not do it. (Jonah 3:7-10)
In Joel 1:20, we see animals praying and Joel 2:21-24 is an example
of answered prayer for animals. Now, with having established that, in
Ezekiel 38:19-20, we read in the New King James Version:
19 For in My jealousy and in the fire of My wrath I have spoken:
�Surely in that day there shall be a great earthquake (center column
reference says, or literally �shaking�) in the land of Israel, 20 so
that the fish of the sea, the birds of the heavens, the beasts of the
field, all creeping things that creep on the earth, and all men who are
on the face of the earth shall shake at My presence. The mountains shall
be thrown down, the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall
to the ground.�
Matthew 27:51 indicates an earthquake, or a shaking, that occurred
when Lord Jesus died. And I noted previously in my series �His Blood
Sworn Oath� how St. Paul appeared to view that earthquake based on
Zechariah 2:4-5, and numerous other passages, as the tearing down of the
wall between Jews and Gentiles. However, Hebrews 12:26-28 appears to
have anticipated one more shaking that would occur.
Here in Ezekiel 38:19-20 you've got the shaking of every man's and
every animal's world in Israel. As I've noted previously, from Jeremiah
31:27-28, Psalm 122:6-9, Zechariah 2:4-5, Hebrews 12:18-24, and
Revelation chapters 21 and 22, among other Scriptures, Israel and Judah
in the Scriptures are viewed as the center of Christ's redemptive
workings, and you could read Christ and Christ's Church as Israel and
Judah in these Scriptures.
That's not to say that the Church replaces Israel in the Scriptures
in a sense of God having no redemptive place for Jews. Jeremiah 31:27-28
and Romans 11 speak very plainly to God's faithfulness to Israel and
Judah. Jeremiah 31:27-28 speak of God's sowing the seed of Gentiles and
the seed of animals into the house of Israel and the house of Judah.
Romans 11 speaks of a similar concept but side-steps the animal issue,
except very briefly in Romans 8:21 where St. Paul is alluding to Hosea
2:18 as is evident in Romans from how a few verses later in the 9th
chapter St. Paul is quoting from Hosea 2:18's context in establishing
the case for Gentile salvations. However, with many passages such as
Hosea 2:18, Ezekiel 38:19-20, Zechariah 2:4-5, a passage or two in the
Psalms speaking of us and of the sheep of His pasture being present in
His worship, and more than one passage with language similar to Ezekiel
38:19-20 and Revelation 5:13, it is clearly evident that we are not to
understand by St. Paul's elaboration on the salvation of Gentiles that
all such passages are summed up solely in those discourses of St.
Paul's. (There's quite a bit he didn't cover of Biblical significance to
you and me in these days that we're living in that we must prayerfully
explore the rest of the Bible for, relying on Holy Spirit to lead us
into all truth!)
The Scriptures speak of another shaking in Ezekiel 38:19-20 and
Hebrews 12:26-28 that is subsequent to the shaking that occurred at the
Cross, but that's clearly rooted in it, since Hosea 2:18 is in the Blood
of Jesus that speaks better things than Abel did, if in fact Abel was an
animal killer in his religious zeal. Many believe Isaiah 30:23-30 had
it's fulfillment, or the beginning of it's fulfillment with September
11, 2001, when the Twin Towers fell in New York City. While many
Premillenialist futurists who expect a Great Tribulation to come, in the
future, believe that Ezekiel chapters 38 and 39 begins that Tribulation.
Hilton Sutton and Jack Van Impe are examples of the latter.
Laying aside what other quasi-schools of thought believe about the
general time frame of some of these passages having a contextual
fulfillment, or a fulfillment of the surrounding verses according to how
they read them, it's sufficient to say that even Premillenialist
Fundamentalists would believe I was delivering a �Now Word� if it was on
any other subject from these passages, but that we're to understand
these passages to relate to our immediate era or what may transpire next
in world events, if taken literally and as a geographical depiction of a
war yet to come in the middle east. Again, speaking of the larger
context of these passages I'm quoting from. The Hosea 2:18 Covenant is
happening right now and will continue to increase in as much frequency
and intensity as any other sign and wonder or omen that's cited by
anyone else that teaches their view of the prophetic Scriptures.
The tearing down of every wall in Ezekiel 38:19-20 is in order to
make room for all of them, according to Zechariah 2:4-5 and because God
will not allow our defenses to be fortified with anything other than
Himself. People are needlessly brutal, needlessly exploiting of others,
and have a tendency to get into every form of covetousness, idolatry,
and licentiousness when anything is their defense other than Him. He
wants to be the hedge built around us (Job 1:10) that gives us richly
all things to enjoy (1Timothy 6:17). He's a hedge around people and
animals in these days, as every wall against His Presence for people and
animals is falling, according to Ezekiel 38:19-20.
He's brought us to New Jerusalem in Christ, according to Hebrews
12:18-24, Zechariah 2:4-5, Jeremiah 31:27-28, and Psalm 122:6-9. He
wants us seeking one another's good, according to Psalm 122:9, Jeremiah
31:27-28, and Isaiah 40:10-11. As His reward is with Him and His work
before Him, in Isaiah 40:10-11, so is ours if we're joint-heirs with
Christ, living out the Isaiah 58 realities of veganism exemplified, and
caring for both people and animals in annual care of the King, according
to Zechariah 14 and Matthew 25 so that we're not baring the indictment
of Ezekiel 34:10 and Zechariah 11:15-17 of those who don't carry out
Isaiah 58 duties in the behalf of people and animals as inhabitants of
New Jerusalem, according to Hebrews 12:18-24, Jeremiah 31:27-28, and
Zechariah 2:4-5. Jeremiah 31:27-28 says the age is over forever of
animal-harm having a godly endorsement.
Lord Jesus said in Matthew 13:31-32, Mark 4:30-32, and Luke 13:18-19
that if His Word is abiding in you and really developing the Deuteronomy
1:11 thousandfold, then the birds can tabernacle in what you're about.
Does His Word abide in you to where nothing hurts or destroys on the
level He's exalting you to? According to 1Peter 5:6-7, Isaiah 58:14,
Isaiah 11:9, and Ephesians 2:6, if you're really seated with Christ in
heavenly places, then nothing should hurt or destroy in your holy
mountain if you've really been following the Biblical path to exaltation
in Christ from the fall you'd formerly endured in the world (Romans
3:21-26; Ephesians 2:1-5).
What really matters isn't what either Lord Jesus or St. Paul did in
their earthly ministries if the Scriptures speak of ages to come after
them through which God would continue to show us the exceeding riches of
His grace (Ephesians 2:7). Lord Jesus was only sent to the lost sheep of
the house of Israel, implying, in His own Words, that He really wasn't
meant to minister to Gentiles. And just as that didn't mean the Door of
God's grace was permanently slammed in the face of Gentiles, since God
knew a St. Paul was coming, in the same way, we can expect more to be
revealed of God's redemptive purposes as time progresses.
Jeremiah 31:27-28 says He'd sow the house of Israel and He'd sow the
house of Judah with the seed of man, and He'd sow the house of Israel
and He'd sow the house of Judah with the seed of beast. Romans 4:16 says
�therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the
promise might be sure to all the seed...�; to all that the Scriptures
call �seed� and not just to how we've previously limited our reading of
�seed� in Scripture. Jeremiah 31:27 says He'd sow the house of Israel
and the house of Judah with the seed of beast, as well as the seed of
man.
Ezekiel 38:19-20 says that all of the animals and people that we'd
redemptively, eschatologically, and figuratively understand Him to be
drawing into Israel are about to absolutely shake in His Presence. In
closing, look with me at Jeremiah 33:7-16:
7And I will cause the captivity of Judah and the captivity of Israel
to return, and will build them, as at the first.
Right here, I would understand this to be talking about all of Israel
and all of Judah, as understood through Jeremiah 31:27-28, including
Gentiles and Animals of Ezekiel 38:19-20 that will shake at His
Presence.
There's a tiny bit of randomness to chapter number and verse number
designations in the Bible, since those only go back a few short
centuries and would relate to what someone believed the Bible said
within the past millenium. I personally believe the last clause of
Jeremiah 33:7 where it says �as at the first� relates to the next verse.
I take this �as at the first� plus the following verse to relate to the
Genesis 12 call of Abram where he was cleansed by what God said to him,
so that he could walk before Him and be blameless. It's alluding back to
this in a foreshadowing portent.
8 And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have
sinned against me (where applicable 'cause He's talking about people and
animals, contextually); and I will pardon all their iniquities, whereby
they have sinned, and whereby they have transgressed against me.
9 And it shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and an honour before
all the nations of the earth, which shall hear all the good that I do
unto them (people and animals: Jeremiah 31:27-28): and they shall fear
and tremble (and shake, in the language of Ezekiel 38:19-20) for all the
goodness and for all the prosperity that I procure unto it.
10 Thus saith the LORD; Again there shall be heard in this place,
which ye say shall be desolate without man and without beast, even in
the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem, that are desolate,
without man, and without inhabitant, and without beast,
11 The voice of joy, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the
bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the voice of them that shall
say, Praise the LORD of hosts: for the LORD is good; for his mercy
endureth for ever: and of them that shall bring the sacrifice of praise
into the house of the LORD. For I will cause to return the captivity of
the land, as at the first (i.e. Eden: Isaiah 51:1-3), saith the LORD.
12 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Again in this place, which is
desolate without man and without beast, and in all the cities thereof
(Zechariah 1:17), shall be an habitation of shepherds causing their
flocks to lie down.
13 In the cities of the mountains, in the cities of the vale, and in
the cities of the south, and in the land of Benjamin (which means �Son
of My right Hand,� or the Ephesians 2:6 seating with Him), and in the
places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, shall the flocks
pass again under the hands of him that counts them, saith the LORD.
Focusing on this Hosea 2:18 Covenant is imitating the Master,
according to this 13th verse, who leaves the 99 and goes after the 1
until He finds it. Although people have always taken that parable of the
100 sheep to only refer to people, in God's Sovereignty, all of these
redemptive Scriptures must be looked at again that have an animal
reference when studying this neglected part of God's Word where this
Hosea 2:18 Covenant is concerned. In the land of the Son of His right
Hand and in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah,
shall the flocks, including animals, pass again under the hands of him
that counts them. Our reward is with us and our work before us, in
Christ, according to Isaiah 40:10-11, if we're living an Isaiah 58
veganism.
14 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will perform that
good thing which I have promised unto the house of Israel and to the
house of Judah (sowing them with seed of man and sowing them with seed
of beast, according to Jeremiah 31:27-28).
15 In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of
righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and
righteousness in the land (which takes us back to Isaiah 11:4-10).
16 In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell
safely (in the midst of the Lord surrounding people and animals as a
wall of fire, that are trembling at His goodness: see Zechariah 2:4-5
and Jeremiah 33:9): and this is the name wherewith she shall be called,
The LORD our righteousness.
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