I have endeavored throughout this teaching to start with the simple
and go to the more complex; the more indepth teaching on God's New
Covenant between man and animal --trying to gradually awaken the
Christian conscience to God's intent, to God's love, to God's plan, and
to God's relationship with the animal kingdoms that has always been
there. Now, for those who are still stumbling over this because I'm in
areas that nobody else is talking about, here's where I'm going to give
some pretty intensive "shock treatment"! For those who've been able to
follow what I've been saying from the very first article til the present
one, this should come as some more welcomed revelation of the finished
work of the cross and of God's love for all of creation. Hope fully,
this will have a fair amount of shock value to those who are going to
oppose this message no matter what, but that in the process the
reconciliation power will not be diminished for those who would have a
greater heart towards animals than they already have if they understood
better what the Biblical perspective is on them and what their
responsibilities are (in these days) where both God and animal are
concerned. I'm going to be bringing up some scripture that I haven't
brought up before in these articles, so I need you to follow along very
very care fully, and hope fully this isn't the first article in this
series that you're choosing to read because if you're dressed in leather
and have a stomach full of dead animal right now, then you need to go
back to the first article in this series and gradually come up to this
level and have the foundational Biblical texts concerning this
systematically unfolded to you before you try to look too suddenly into
the brightness of this article any further.
There is a judgment side to this message that you can find yourself
on if you progress any further into this article without any intent to
obey what you're about to see. I will explain that aspect, hope fully,
towards the end of this article. But, I'm not kidding nor issuing
threats in any light, playful, or imbicilic manner. I know what God's
shown me! And I'm about to share more light on God's purpose for the
animal kingdoms than was even readily available to the most ancient
Ebionite(i.e. Nazarene, or Essene) Christians, whom Origen called the
very first Christians --who coincidentally taught the humane gospel of
Christ that encompassed the life of all creatures!
Anyway, beginning with Isaiah chapter 66, we read:
1 Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my
footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the
place of my rest?
2 For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have
been, saith the LORD: but to this man will I look, even to him that is
poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.
3 He that killeth an ox is as if he slew a man; he that sacrificeth a
lamb, as if he cut off a dog's neck; he that offereth an oblation, as if
he offered swine's blood; he that burneth incense, as if he blessed an
idol. Yea, they have chosen their own ways, and their soul delighteth in
their abominations.
4 I also will choose their delusions, and will bring their fears upon
them; because when I called, none did answer; when I spake, they did not
hear: but they did evil before mine eyes, and chose that in which I
delighted not.
5 Hear the word of the LORD, ye that tremble at his word; Your
brethren that hated you, that cast you out for my name's sake, said, Let
the LORD be glorified: but he shall appear to your joy, and they shall
be ashamed. (Isaiah 66:1-5 K.J.V.)
God says that Heaven is His throne and the earth His footstool, and
that there's not a temple that we can build Him, but then He says, "on
this one will I look", and for years people have taken that as a change
in subject, when in fact there was no change in subject on the part of
God. God looks to those who would tremble at His word and would abstain
from the murdering of animals for those who would be His temple! Look at
the above verses again! The Bible is just running over with passage
after passage of God's affectionate regard for the animals. Take for
instance the passage in Isaiah 63 where He talks about bringing Moses
and His people up out of the sea when He asks about His Shepherd and His
flock. His flock are both His human-people and His animal-people. The
conclusion is inescapable because of the following verses in which He
says that He led them through the deep, as a horse in the wilderness,
that they might not stumble; As a beast goes down into the valley, and
the Spirit of the Lord causes him to rest....so, the Lord leads His
people to make Himself a glorious name. He's made a glorious name by
causing the beasts to rest in addition to His people.
You can't ignore that point and be one who's trembling at His word,
according to the verses we started this lesson with. The following
chapter of Isaiah talks about people that continually are like smoke in
God's nostrils. Have you ever gotten smoke in your nostrils? Not a
pleasant feeling, right? God says that they provoke Him continually to
anger to His face....and then He talks about those who eat swines flesh
and have abominable broths in their pots! In both instances in Isaiah
chapter 65 and in chapter 66 God talks about these people that are doing
things that He absolutely does not delight in, and in both instances
He's talking about the eating of flesh and the continual sacrifices of
animals that they're making to their god of sensual indulgence.
He's saying that they've totally forgotten about Him and about
anything that He remotely cares about in the persuit of their "liberty"
as some of them would call it, talking about having greater holiness
under the New Covenant than under the Old Testament so that they think
that they can eat what they want with impunity!
I've said that Hosea 2:18 is an amendment to the New Covenant that
grafts the animals into the promises as children of the New Humanity
that's being birthed through the last Adam, Christ Jesus. Now, for
additional confirmation that Hosea 2:18 is talking about the closing
days of the Church age, but before the coming of Christ, let me
establish for you more certainly that it's not a future act that'll
reconcile man with animal, but that it's something that's always been in
a germ within the gospel ministry of the last 2000 years that at this
time animals would begin to walk in the peace of God and would begin to
have their temporal needs of security and protection from man as a true
year of release of the favor of God brought into their lives. All of the
Biblical days of God, as expressed throughout the Bible, except for the
seventh day of God's rest contain an evening and morning. This Hosea
2:18 Covenant is called in the book of Hosea, "The day of Jezreel". Not
knowing all of the teaching that's possibly gone on about "The day of
Jezreel" by people who have had no insight into this covenant, but
knowing the eternal punishment paradigm all too well and it's crippling
effects on the ability of Christians to rightly divide the word of
truth, let me say here that if you've heard any teaching claiming that
"The day of Jezreel" is Armageddon or something of that nature, let me
be quick to assure you that that may perhaps be what occurs during the
morning of the day of Jezreel, but the evening that precedes the
morning, and thus completes the "day of Jezreel" is this covenant
between man and animal. I know this because "Jezreel" means "God will
sow" and that is part of the language of Hosea chapter 2, that God would
sow the people of God with the seed of the animal nations and kingdoms.
So, this Hosea 2:18 Covenant far from being merely a day of release is
in fact the true time of Jubilee within the kingdom of God in which man
is regaining the Covenant wealth, wisdom, and other esoteric promises of
the New Covenant and animals are experiencing the life of the Holy
Spirit in a way that they've never experienced before. The Biblical time
of Jubilee was always the time of God doing the sowing in ancient days
via His wonders in the earth. Isaiah 63:14 is very definitely a promised
rest that has yet remained to these creatures of God of all of the
promises of God! There is a rest between man and animal that proceeds
the rest that will occur between animals during the millennial reign of
Christ. Animals begin to fully enter the kingdom of God at this time as
the human Sons of God are inheriting it. No, animals won't rule and
reign with us, but it's very possible that they may yet be instruments
of judgment in the future as they've been in the past throughout the
history of the Bible. I believe that all prophecy points to this, but
before events such as Revelation 6:8 and other areas of scripture can
take place, these animals must have the full blessing of the Body of
Christ so that when we're gone from the earth(i.e. should the
pretribulation rapture of the saints be true after all, then) they can
follow the promptings of the Spirit in those regards!
27 Lo, days are coming, an affirmation of Jehovah, And I have sown
the house of Israel, And the house of Judah, With seed of man, and seed
of beast.
28 And it hath been, as I watched over them to pluck up, And to break
down, and to throw down, And to destroy, and to afflict; So do I watch
over them to build, and to plant, An affirmation of Jehovah.
29 In those days they do not say any more: Fathers have eaten unripe
fruit, And the sons' teeth are blunted.
30 But--each for his own iniquity doth die, Every man who is eating
the unripe fruit, Blunted are his teeth.
31 Lo, days are coming, an affirmation of Jehovah, And I have made
with the house of Israel And with the house of Judah a new covenant,
32 Not like the covenant that I made with their fathers, In the day
of My laying hold on their hand, To bring them out of the land of Egypt,
In that they made void My covenant, And I ruled over them--an
affirmation of Jehovah.
33 For this is the covenant that I make, With the house of Israel,
after those days, An affirmation of Jehovah, I have given My law in
their inward part, And on their heart I do write it, And I have been to
them for God, And they are to me for a people.
34 And they do not teach any more Each his neighbour, and each his
brother, Saying, Know ye Jehovah, For they all know Me, from their least
unto their greatest, An affirmation of Jehovah; For I pardon their
iniquity, And of their sin I make mention no more. Jeremiah
31:27-34(Y.L.T.)
In my New King James Version it says in verse 27:
Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, that I will sow the house
of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and the seed of
beast.
This clearly teaches me that animals have been grafted into Israel.
The Church is very clearly the Judah in this passage, so, here we have
it, the animal nations and kingdoms are very plainly taught by the New
Covenant to be of the house of Israel; of the family of Judah! Hence,
when any vegan likens the conditions in the slaughter houses and in the
egg factories and all of the other places of cruel animal servitude as
if it were in fact Auchwitz, then the analogy is VERY fitting and
scripturally very appropriate!
You can't ignore the immediacy of this passage of scripture as being
the very words that lead into one of the greatest declarations of the
New Testament in all of the Old Testament prophets, can you? It's from
this passage that the author of the book of Hebrews quotes from in the
8th chapter of Hebrews. Hosea 2:18 is what has all of the crops of God's
abundant provision for the church and for Israel so shook up as they
shout out about the sowing God in Hosea chapter 2.
We ARE one! Ecclesiastes anticipated this covenant in it's 3rd
chapter by concluding it's thoughts on a time for every purpose under
heaven by saying that God tests man to show man that man has no
preeminence over the animals.
Hosea chapter 2 begins with a note of temporary forsaking because of
the betrayal that the Holy Spirit's gone thru, but then it concludes
with God drawing, or alluring (kidnapping according to some commentators
{go to the public library if you don't believe me on that one and grab
every commentary you can find on Hosea and read their thoughts on Hosea
chapter 2}) --alluring His people into the pastureland and speaking
peace to her and promising a renewal of marriage vows before the
Bridegroom returns for His people --man and animal! Isaiah 54 continues
this thought with talking about a New Covenant that would be as the days
of Noah that as God swore that the waters of Noah (and the animals)
would no longer cover the earth, so He was swearing to never be wroth
with us nor to rebuke us ever again. God is betrothed to both man and
animal according to Hosea 2 and here in Isaiah 54 we have the marriage
vows!!! NO WEAPON FORMED AGAINST YOU SHALL PROSPER....ALL OF THIS FEAR,
OPPRESSION, AND TERROR THAT RISES AGAINST YOU SHALL FALL FOR YOU
SAKE....words that speak volumns to His previous promises in Hosea 2
about shattering(according to my N.K.J.V.) bow, sword, and war from the
earth. While the N.K.J.V. doesn't establish war as the third thing God
will abolish, there are as many translations that render the passage
that way as that render it bow and sword of war will I abolish from the
land. I've seen numerous translators and commentators that render this
Hosea 2:18 with three separate and distinct things that God will abolish
from the land --and not necessarily all three at the same time-- 1).
bow; 2). sword; 3). war.
Isaiah 54 promises both man and beast that they'll forget the shame
of their youth. That's a pregnant promise for those who deal with
animals that have been abused in various contexts in bringing them rest
from those situations.
In Hosea 2:18 we have both an immediate making of Covenant and a
listing of the three yokes that'll start falling away from creation,
from that moment forward. Bow and sword, as far as being used as weapons
by mankind against animals should totally collapse from the minds of men
as the way to treat animals. War, as it's been between man and animal
will fall away, and then from that Covenantal seed, bow, sword, and war
between men will start falling away --although there will be a major
flair up of them during the coming apocalyptic judgments, obviously. I'm
not saying that what's in the book of Revelation won't occur. This is
probably a part of how the animals will gain strength for that day
spoken of in Revelation 6:8 that at the opening of the seals by Jesus,
our High Priest, that they'll be part of the exocuted judgments in those
days when men will beg for the mountains to fall upon them and deliver
them from the day of the wrath of the lamb(and the goat in Revelation
12)! But, God's dealings with us now are for peace between us and
animals --that's unquestionably and undeniably within the Sovereign work
of the Father of the spirits of all flesh!
What are we to do with this knowledge that's been presented to us
today? Are we accountable for this, or is this just another thing to
know like those that try to figure out the gender and sexual orientation
of the antiChrist? In the book of Deuteronomy a precident is established
in Scripture for calling the law of God "the Covenant", and for calling
the Covenant "the law". Now, there are different laws, or covenants
spoken of within the Bible, but the same law of interpretation applies
to each, that in it's occaision of usage that it is both a covenant and
a law that settles issues for God's people. We shouldn't loose sight of
that Old Testament principle just because we're in the New Testament. We
should just recognize which covenants, or "laws" no longer apply to us,
right? Because we've got a better covenant established on better
principles; on better wisdom from the Mosaic flesh-eating covenant. Now,
here in Hosea 2:18 we've been presented with a Covenant --a new law, if
you will. This law doesn't replace the New Law of Christ of loving one
another as He's loved us, but it calls us to a higher level still than
just love for one another, over into the arena of loving the "least of
these" in creation. The book of Hosea is one book of the Bible, agreed?
Now things within the book of Hosea relate to one another as either a
historical event and/or as a prophetic event. It should be noted that
not all references to the law within scripture are references to the
Mosaic law and it's the height of sloppiness to insist upon that! Now,
after the Hosea 2:18 Covenant is clearly spelled out for us in
scripture, then are we to assume that God would use such a strong word
as "covenant" and then just drop the matter so quickly and devote the
rest of the message of a book to everything else but that reference to
Covenant and to never again bring that up in scripture? I personally
don't think so. All basis for scriptural interpretation and nearly all
doctrines would totally fall apart at that point. So, then, we may
safely assume, even if we've never noticed it before, that the Hosea
2:18 Covenant is the basis of "law" for the book of Hosea, right?
Otherwise, it's not only extremely sloppy theology in that book, but
totally incoherent writing without an understood subject ever carefully
layed out before the readers! Ok, with that established, have a look at
this passage:
6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast
rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no
priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also
forget thy children.
7 As they were increased, so they sinned against me: therefore will I
change their glory into shame.
8 They eat up the sin of my people, and they set their heart on their
iniquity.
9 And there shall be, like people, like priest: and I will punish
them for their ways, and reward them their doings.
10 For they shall eat, and not have enough: they shall commit
whoredom, and shall not increase: because they have left off to take
heed to the LORD. (Hosea 4:6-10 K.J.V.)
Don't look at me with that tone of voice! I didn't write the book of
Hosea! I wish I had, but I didn't! This very plainly says that if you
reject this law of God, this New Covenant between man and animal then
God will reject you from being a priest before Him and it will dearly
cost your spiritual lineage after you! This is very very serious. And
I'm not talking about everybody else that's never heard of this. I'm
talking to you right now! Hosea 7:12 says that God will chastise His
people according to what they've heard of His counsels!
Hosea 5:2 says that the revolters are deeply involved in slaughter
even though I rebuke them all!
And elsewhere, the book of Hosea says:
6 For kindness I desired, and not sacrifice, And a knowledge of God
above burnt-offerings.
7 And they, as Adam, transgressed a covenant, There they dealt
treacherously against me.
8 Gilead is a city of workers of iniquity, Slippery from blood.
9 And as bands do wait for a man, A company of priests do murder--the
way to Shechem, For wickedness they have done.
10 In the house of Israel I have seen a horrible thing, There is the
whoredom of Ephraim--defiled is Israel.
11 Also, O Judah, appointed is a harvest to thee, In My turning back
to the captivity of My people! (Hosea 6:6-11 Y.L.T.)
God has never wanted this senseless bloodshed that has gone on since
the very beginning of time. There was a season when it was a necessary
evil because of teaching the people about the coming of the Messiah, but
notice I say necessary "evil". Those of us who are Universalists tend to
pride ourselves on knowing about those with regard to how God's
accomplished His redemptive purposes for all, right?
Hosea 8:13 says: For the sacrifice of My offerings they sacrifice
flesh and eat it, but the Lord does not accept them. Now He will
remember their iniquity and punish their sins. They shall return to
Egypt.
Hosea 4:14 says that people who do not understand will be trampled!
There's absolutely no question about what God's been after all of this
time.
Hosea 3:5 says that they SHALL fear the Lord and His goodness in the
latter days!
Hosea 7:2 says that it's your own deeds that are going to surround
you on judgment day.
Do you want the fact that you let your appetites get in the way of
your merciful heart to be the cause of a partial loss of reward and
future placement in the kingdom of God? One of the greatest future
honors is going to be in relation to shepherding the animals of God and
bringing their level of awareness out of the cloud that they've been in,
in previous ages. Hosea 2:20 says that THEY shall know the Lord. D-uh!
--That's the reason for this Hosea 2:18 Covenant! God's wanted to
manifest Himself in the lives of these animals for all of this time, and
not just now. This isn't an afterthought on the part of God. He's always
had in mind that His animals should know Him. Psalm 104:21 says that
animals should seek their food from the hands of God! That doesn't mean
that we should turn them away as our little neighbors and no longer have
them as pets. I'm not saying that we shouldn't do all that we can to
help them as unintrusively as we possibly can. We should do all that we
can to spread mercy and grace towards them, knowing that it's only the
grace of God that's given us our technological sophistication over the
last thousand years! Haven't we learned anything over the last couple
hundred years, though, about God having given us our technologies out of
the goodness of His heart to not only get the gospel out to the ends of
the earth, but to also turn us away from having slave labor? God's not
the creator of slaves. Sin is! You'll become a servant of sin, again,
too if you don't listen to what I've told you!
Now, in closing this particular message, I want to tie some things
together regarding some of the scriptures that I've mentioned in this
teaching. Jeremiah 31:27 says that God would sow Israel and Judah with
the seed of man and beast.
This cannot be a millenial passage for the simple reason that the
31st through the 34th verses aren't a millenial passage. Jeremiah 31:27
is the reason why Isaiah 66:1-5 talks the way that it does about the
kind of temples that God is looking for in the New Testament that
tremble at His Word and don't have the blood of animals on their hands.
If God has called these animals holy, then why do we have a right to
"kill and eat". This plain word from God takes precidence over any
misinterpretations that people may give regarding any visions that have
occured in the New Testament because the Apostle Peter himself claimed
that the written Word of God in the Old Testament was a much more sure
word of prophecy than any audible voice of God that we might hear or not
hear(2Peter chapter 1). Stephen refered to this passage in Isaiah 66
when he was giving a defence for the hope that was within him in the
book of Acts chapter 7. I've heard some people try to blow off what I
was saying about Hosea chapter 2 as being "Old Covenant" because that's
a common tool of the devil to keep Christians in a place of lightly
esteeming the Word of God and thereby keeping them neutralized from any
kind of effectiveness against this present dark world. If Hosea chapter
2 is ONLY Old Covenant then we're going to have to rip the 8th and 9th
chapters of Romans out of the book of Romans because they make quite
extensive usage of the book of Hosea! Ephesians chapter 2 says that the
Church is built on the foundation of apostles and prophets with Jesus
Christ being the chief cornerstone. Those aren't just "New Testament"
prophets that Paul was refering to. Paul would be appauled by how
readily Christians have disgarded the Words of the Biblical prophets!
Absolutely appauled! Again for those who are slow of heart to have heard
everything I've said thus far, Romans 8:19-23 is very evidently a
radical New Testament application of Hosea 2:14-23 because they overlap
in concept too clearly. The fact that Romans chapter 9 makes usage of
the closing thoughts of Hosea chapter 1 and chapter 2 makes it very
evident that not only was Paul familiar with the Hosea 2:18 passage but
very evidently had it in mind while he was writing the book of Romans.
That being the case, then the "manifestation of the sons of God" IS in
the entrance of the animal kingdom into the liberties of the children of
God. I didn't say the "rulership". I said the "liberties". So, then, if
cannibalism is a New Covenant liberty as many proclaim and teach, then
these animals have every right to cannibalize us! But, then, how could
this be a New Covenant that's NOT like the Covenant that God made with
the Israelites when he brought them up out of the land of Egypt
according to Jeremiah 31:27-34? How would this be a time of a building
and planting instead of just another manifestation of plucking up,
breaking down, overthrowing, destroying, and afflicting (Jeremiah
31:28)? If the eating of one another's flesh is permissible, then how is
this a Covenant of Peace(Isaiah 54)?
Some people try to say that it's wrong to kill if you don't eat it.
That has nothing to do with regard for the life of the animals in
question. That's just a fear that you won't have anything to murder
tomorrow if we murder it all today! Did the fact that Jeffrey Dahmer ate
what he killed put him in the right? The day has come for people to be
just as appalled at the consumption of a "living creature" as we've been
in times past regarding the cannibalization of the human animal
(Ecclesiastes 3).
The time has truly come to repent before God of our hardness of heart
where these animals are concerned and to allow God to bring the healing
to creation that it's been lacking. In closing, pray this prayer with
me:
Father, in the Name of Jesus Christ,
I thank You for revealing to me the Hosea chapter 2 and Jeremiah
chapter 31 covenant that's sown the animals into my covenant with you.
Based on the atoning Blood of Jesus Christ and the promises of Your Word
regarding this covenant and our redemption from the curse, I take
authority over the enmity that's existed between me and the animals and
I nullify it with the power of the Spirit of Sanctification that's
gradually over powering all of creation with the transformation of
righteousness released for all life everywhere through the Blood of
Jesus Christ. I claim the mediation ministry of Jesus Christ between me
and the animals in the behalf of the Hosea chapter 2 covenant. I say
from my position of being seated with Christ in heavenly places that the
Blood of Jesus Christ has reconciled me with all animals every where.
While in this world I may have tribulations from the hands of sinfully
wicked men, I'm of good cheer because Jesus has overcome the world and
because in all of His warnings to live a sober life in His teachings,
there was not one mention of animals being able to stay at enmity with
me during my life time. I say it over and over and over again in joyful
thanksgiving and anticipation of what the Spirit of Reconciliation is
doing:
The Blood of Jesus Christ has reconciled me with all animals
everywhere. The Blood of Jesus Christ has overcome the enmity that's
existed between me and any animal any where that because of the curse
would seek my harm. I speak love, forgiveness, and healing to all of the
creation and I believe that from this day forward(and I mark the day on
my calendar in my spiritual life) I consider myself at peace with all
animals and I believe that through Christ they are all obligated to live
at peace with me. Just as in Biblical history the angels of the Lord
close the lion's mouth in my behalf and they close the mouth of every
other animal that would breathe a hostile breath against me. Love,
peace, and reconciliation flows between me and the animals based on my
seating with Christ in heavenly places and my stand on the Hosea chapter
2 covenant that God has shown me. With gratefullness I remember Jesus
Christ in all things to the glory of God the Father.
Amen!
Faith note: Go from having prayed this thanking the Lord because His
will is coming to pass for all of creation. Say it every day, as often
as you think of it, for at least the next 3 or 4 months(til you really
renew the spirit of your mind) --say: "The Blood of Jesus Christ has
reconciled me with all animals. Enmity is rebuked between me and the
animals that I come into contact with. I speak 'peace' and
'reconciliation' because that is my heritage in Christ Jesus." And every
time you see an animal, rejoice verbally(even if it's under your breath)
that the Blood of Jesus Christ has reconciled you with this animal. Name
the animal by name if you know it's name, during your prayer, worship,
and rejoicing times before the Lord and claim afresh with your faith the
atoning work of Christ between you and this animal. You'll be startled
in almost no time at the power of the Word of God believed and acted on
and by the faithfulness of the mediation ministry of Jesus Christ that's
available to mediate under the New Covenant anywhere that mediation is
needed and/or desired!
Go on to Part 4
Return to Hosea 2:18
Return to
Covenant Foundations
Animal Gospel
