Hosea Prophecy Series #2

Hosea 2:13-Hosea 6:6

Fred R. Coulter | November 14, 1998

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We saw the in the 23rd year of Jehoash that Elisha died. Then there was a period of 79 years where there was not a major prophet listed. But what we find is that Amoziah and Uzziah were both righteous kings, except Uzziah in the last part of his reign when he went into the temple to usurp the authority of the priest.

When there is a righteous king, the king then pretty well sets the standard for the people and helps keep things in line. When you get to the next king, Jotham, beginning with the last of Uzziah's reign, then you're getting into when Isaiah his prophecy. But we have:

• Hosea beginning in 795B.C.
• Amos in 795B.C.
• Isaiah in 756B.C.

Hosea comes down and overlaps Isaiah a little bit. The reason for this is because at that time Israel was becoming very, very corrupt. You can't draw necessarily—as we will see when we get to Hosea—draw the exact parallel to the sins of Israel then and today. They're a bit different today, because we have the Bible. The English-speaking Bible was produced in England beginning with the Great Bible, which was done by Coverdale, who was the associate of William Tyndale.

Then we have the King James Bible and that was spread around the world. So, with the children of Israel, the ten tribes today—United States, England in the main, with the other English-speaking commonwealth nations such as Canada, Australia and New Zealand and used to be So. Africa—you have something that is unique and different.

While they have moved toward the Word of God in a substantial way, they never did get rid of Sunday when the Reformation took place, and they never did get rid of Christmas and Easter. They used a lot of the Word of God and a lot of the New Testament as a guide. As a matter of fact, the United States was built and educated by the frontiersmen with what we call the Geneva Bible.

The Geneva Bible was translated into English in Geneva. It's a little bit different than the King James, but not too much. Today, even though the Protestants have Christmas, Easter and New Years… Please don't misunderstand, I'm not endorsing what they do, but at least you have enough of the letter of the Law of the Old and New Testaments that people believe today, howbeit not being called, not being converted, at least it gives us a decent society compared to those societies that do not have it. So, we cannot draw the exact same parallel. Later on when they get rid of more of Christ it may come to that. But you can't draw the exact same parallel that the children of Joseph—basically speaking, the United States, Canada, England, Australia and New Zealand—are into total Baal-worship such as they were when we're reading the book of Hosea. They were into total Baal-worship in a major way.

You could liken that unto getting into what we would call today Hinduism, because it is more of a remnant and carryover of the ancient Baalism. It was modified somewhat with the Babylonians. It was modified somewhat with the Persians. So, there were always modifications going on with it.

In Hosea we have some parallels that apply. I think we need to understand that when we read and study the prophecies of the Old Testament, we need to realize that in the past we have applied too much of it to the end-time, when it was really meant for the time at hand.

So, the way that we're going to be able to understand the difference between the time that was there and the end-time is that there will be verses that which all of a sudden will just stand out and you know that that applies to the end-time. I think what we need to do with that is understand that the prophecies of the New Testament—such as Matt. 24, Mark 13, Luke 21, 2-Thess. 2, other places and especially the book of Revelation—give us the end-time perspective looking back to pick up these Scriptures.

We have an unusual situation today with Israel to where they have the Word of God—a lot of people try to live their lives by it in the letter of the Law: don't lie, don't steal, don't cheat, don't commit adultery and so forth. Granted, we've got more and more people who are violating those laws.

It is meaningful to God when He looks down on society, if there are people who are at least striving to keep some of the precepts of God. I think we need to realize that with the society in which we live.

Ken Starr (former special prosecutor in the Bill Clinton investigation) epitomizes a 'letter of the law' man who, in this society, does desire the truth. God will honor that. He's not called for salvation, but God will honor that. God says of the judges that they need to have truth, and they need to judge righteous judgment. God will honor that.

I've seen that in the letter of the law there's a distinct difference between the attitude of the Republicans and Democrats. It is really amazing that at least those who want to understand the problem want to get to the truth. Those who believe licentiousness say that 'everybody does it, so if you lie about sex that's okay.' That is setting a tone for a moral breakdown.

We have a lot of crime today, but in the main—as you look at the world from the United States—there are an awful lot of sincere upstanding people in the letter of the law—though they keep Sunday and Easter, etc. and though they do not have knowledge of salvation. Now, some people will think I'm endorsing Protestantism; I'm not endorsing Protestantism by no stretch of the imagination!

We will see today that Satan is set on taking away from the Protestants what understanding they had. That will happen. If someone has understanding of God's Word to a certain point, if they do not act upon it then they are going to lose it.

When God looks down on this society, because God is not unrighteous in His judgment of this society and the world, He sees that there are a good number of people who are trying to do things that are correct, even without knowledge. At least their personal lives are not totally corrupted. That's important to understand.

We find in Jer. 5 that the children of Judah were so corrupted, so given over to Baalism, so given over to licentiousness right in Jerusalem where the temple was.

God told Jeremiah, Jeremiah 5:1: "Run to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in her open places… [go all through Jerusalem] …if you can find a man, if there is one who does justice, who seeks the Truth… [just one man] …and I will pardon her.'"

In other words, He would pardon everything that He said He was going to do to Jerusalem because of that one man.

Verse 2: "And though they say, 'As the LORD lives'; surely they swear falsely." There we have a parallel today.

We need to understand that when we go through these prophecies that there are some prophecies that apply directly to that time, and in particularly when we come to the prophecies concerning Assyria. The prophecies of Hosea took place 75 years before the captivity of Israel by the Assyrians, the final captivity. So, it's talking directly about Israel and Assyria because they were neighbors at that time. The Assyrian Empire came down and it's southern and western boarder boarded right upon Syria and Israel.

Granted, there's plenty enough proof in the Bible that Assyria today, most descendants may very well be the Germans. There's plenty enough to prove that. But I don't think we can take every prophecy where it says Assyria and apply it to the end-time. The reason is that because, as we have seen, in the book of Revelation, we are now dealing with a worldwide system, of which the descendants of Israel become part of that prophecy as well as all nations of the world. Also, Assyria becomes part of that prophecy, howbeit, not in the major, keynote way that it was when we're reading the book of Hosea.

HOSEA 2:13: "And I will visit on her… [Israel] …the days of the Baalim…" These were the raw days of Baalim. Today there is Christmas howbeit renamed with Christian-sounding things on it. It is not the total depths of Baalism that they were in.

We very well may come to a time where it will degenerate into that, and we very well may have certain parts of society, which are like that, like centers in New York and San Francisco, especially on Halloween, where they really get into the full blown type of occult Baalism things if you could.

Even Protestants who try and keep the letter of the Law are appalled at that kind of behavior. See why I say that you can't necessarily draw the exact same parallel, though there are types we can come to.

"'…in which she burned incense to them, and she adorned herself with her nose rings and her jewels, and she went after her lovers and forgot Me,' says the LORD" (v 13). You can draw a parallel with that concerning what the United States does with all the foreign nations that they deal with.

But on the other hand, today, the overriding super thing that is coming is the United Nations. We have to be very careful how we handle these prophecies, and not read into them things that don't necessarily apply today.

Prophecy going into the Millennium(vs 14-23).

You will see this as we go through some of these prophecies. It will go along with something current, and then it will jump ahead to something to be fulfilled when the Millennium begins.

Verse 14: "'Therefore, behold, I will lure her and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably to her. And I will give her vineyards to her from there, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope. And she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt. And it shall be in that day,' says the LORD, 'you shall call Me Ishi… [meaning my Husband] …and shall no more call Me Baali… [meaning my Master or Lord] …for I will take away the names of the Baalim out of her mouth, and they will no more be remembered by their name" (vs 14-17). So, they will be.

Again, this can also apply to Israel being taken into captivity then, being in Assyria at that time, later migrating across northwestern Europe and on into England. He did take the names of Baalim out of their mouths when the Word of God was produced in England. Howbeit, they didn't give it all up; they just renamed some of the things. So, there's going to come a time when it will be taken away permanently.

Verse 18: "And in that day I will make a covenant for them, with the beasts of the field…" That has got to be the Millennium, because we read where the wolf is going to lie down with the lamb and the child is going to play at the hold of the asp, and so forth.

"…and with the birds of the heavens, 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. And I will betroth you to Me forever. Yea, I will betroth you to Me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in loving kindness, and in mercies" (vs 18-19). That has yet to be in the future when Israel is restored.

Verse 20: "'I will even betroth you to Me in faithfulness. And you shall know the LORD. And it will be in that day that I will answer,' says the LORD. 'I will answer the heavens, and they shall answer the earth, and the earth shall answer with grain and wine and oil. And they shall answer Jezreel. And I will sow her to Me in the earth. And I will have mercy on her that was shown no mercy. And I will say to her that was not My people, 'You are My people.' And they shall say, 'You are my God'" (vs 20-23).

That is a time yet in the future that is going to happen. We will see when we get to the book of Isaiah that there are many other Scriptures you can tie in with that.

HOSEA 3:

Hos. 3 is quite unusual. God told Hosea, 'I want you to take a woman of whoredoms, in addition to his wife, because his wife had left him to go after other men. He was longing for his wife, but she didn't return, so God gave him another lesson.

Don't everyone desire to be a prophet; God may require some things of you that you may not like. Ezekiel had to walk naked.

Hosea 3:1: "And the LORD said to me, 'Go again. Love a woman beloved by a friend, yet, an adulteress, according to the love of the LORD toward the children of Israel, who turn to other gods, and love raisin cakes.'" This specifically applies to that time.

We will see what much of the professing Christian world is today it's not quite the same as back then. At least they have the Word of God, they're not reading the writings of Baalim in their Protestant churches, though they may misapply some things.

Romans 10:1: "Brethren, the earnest desire of my heart and my supplication to God for Israel is for salvation. For I testify of them that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge" (vs 1-2). That applies to the Jews, but more particularly to the ten tribes of Israel that have the Old and New Testament.

Even in the New Testament they have a knowledge of God; they have a zeal of God, but they don't have the correct knowledge.

Verse 3: "For they, being ignorant of the righteousness that comes from God, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God." This is precisely where we find the majority of Protestantism today.

They are not quite in the same category as we have back here in Hos. 3 where they're going out to the other gods, knowingly offering to all the different Baalims.

Hosea 3:2: "So, I bought her for fifteen pieces of silver, and for an homer of barley and a half homer of barley. And I said to her, 'You shall abide with me many days. You shall not play the harlot, nor be with any man. And I also will be for you'" (vs 2-3).

It was a lesson. God was telling Israel at that time that 'when you go into captivity if you don't go after other gods and commit adultery any longer then I'm going to be kind to you.'

We see later on in the first part of the book of Jeremiah that even God says that 'backsliding Israel has justified herself. So, when she was in captivity, she learned some lessons.

Verse 4: "For the children of Israel shall live many days with no king, and no ruler, and with no sacrifice, and no pillars, and no ephod, or teraphim. Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the LORD their God and David their king. And they shall fear the LORD and His goodness in the latter days" (vs 4-5). This is obviously into the Millennium!

HOSEA 4:

In chapter four I like to say that this is a chapter that applies at all times to the children of Israel. Then, at anytime during its history, and now at the end-time. There are some prophecies that apply at all times because of the meaning of it and the whole complexion of it. This chapter is one of those.

Hosea 4:1: "Hear the Word of the LORD, children of Israel, for the LORD has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land…" This happened then. Remember how Israel started out. How did Israel start out with King Jeroboam? What did he do? He set up his own priesthood:

• a religious center in Bethel in the south
• a religious center at Dan in the north, which always had a pagan religious center in Israel (see the book of Judges)

He put the golden calves there—didn't he? Today, we don't have the Protestant churches with a golden calf in it. So, you see the difference. However, this can also apply at anytime, because of what God says:

"…'There is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land'" (v 1). You can't say that totally today, but it is increasingly becoming that way, as they:

• drive God out of the schools
• drive God out of the churches
• drive God out of the political lives of the people

Verse 2: "By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and the committing of adultery they break out; and blood touches blood." Whenever this happens, they're going to be dire consequences. Whenever you get a violent society, it's going to breed more violence. That's what we're heading to. I think that it's interesting that we have more and more barbarian shows on television. I think we'll degenerate into barbarianism. That's what this is here when you have the society that way.

Verse 3: "Therefore, shall the land mourn…" Is the land mourning today? Yes, because of drought, floods, wind and because of crime. Maybe not to the same degree, but if there's not a turning to God, it's going to increase and increase today. What this does is it shows the mercy of God in using events to try and bring people to repentance toward God, even if it is just for the people of the land in the letter of the Law.

One of the things that is holding back a lot of these things—of course, it's really not holding it back in the strictest sense—if there are people in the Church of God having the Spirit of God, who love God and are keeping His commandments, God also counts this as a blessing to the whole land so that we may also be able to do what God wants us to do. So, we need factor in all these things as we go along.

"…and everyone who dwells in it shall languish, with the beasts of the field and with the birds of the heavens. Yes, the fish of the sea shall also be taken away" (v 3). That happened then and it's happening now.

That's why this is a prophecy is an ongoing one wherever the children of Israel are throughout history, because the children of Israel have something that they should be doing. When, as a nation, we began and then later in the 1800s when we began with the American Bible Society and taking Bibles to the whole world.

There came a point that God had to overlook Sunday; not to endorse it, but overlook it so that He could get the Bibles to the world so that He could call a people. God cannot call a people without Bibles. They have to learn the written Word of God. So, the American Bible Society did act as a priest for God in getting out the Bibles to the world. Almost every motel has a Gideon Bible. That doesn't mean that they're called to salvation. God even used carnal people—though they had a zeal for God without total knowledge for salvation—to get the Word of God out to the world.

Now that we have done it, what is happening? We're beginning to be corrupted, because we're ignoring it. Here's what's going to happen:

Verse 4: "Yet, let no man strive, nor reprove another, for your people are as those who strive with the priest. And you shall stumble in the day…" (vs 4-5). Whatever day of judgment may be.

• Did we not have a day of judgment with the Civil War in the United States? Read some of the things that Abraham Lincoln wrote! You will know that he saw that!
• How did he get his education? By reading a Bible by candlelight!

Though he was not called to salvation, he did remind the people of God, the God of the Bible! Read his Thanksgiving decree, read his prayer that he gave for a day of prayer—of fasting and mourning—that they could return to the Lord God of heaven. That was a very moving decree. Howbeit in zeal, but not according to total knowledge, at least enough knowledge so that people could come to their senses.

If they don't, then God says, v 5: "And you shall stumble in the day and the prophet also shall stumble with you in the night, and I will destroy your mother. My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I will also reject you from being as a priest to Me…." (vs 5-6).

This is also a prophecy at that time, a prophecy at anytime down through the history of Israel. Whenever they reject God then God will reject them. We need to think of this in relationship to the Church today, too. This has a prophecy in there for the Church. The prophecies can have more than one meaning or fulfillment.

Are we not called today the people of God? Yes! Therefore, we are correctly called My people by God; not only Israel but the Church.

• Do we have some people in the Church whose lives are being destroyed because of lack of knowledge? Yes!
• Do we have it because they have rejected knowledge? Yes!
• Do we have it that God is rejecting them? Yes!
• Can they come to repentance later on? That's their choice to make!

God will do all they can to help them repent! But in the meantime, He says, "…I will also reject you from being as a priest to Me. Since you have forgotten the Law of your God, I will also forget your children" (v 6). So, Israel goes through this cycle. Down through the history of Israel, you have this continuous cycle going on:

• between having the knowledge of God and rejecting God
• between having the blessing of God and having the cursing of God

All the way down to the end-time! We see today, right here the thing that is happening.

Verse 7: "As they were increased, so they sinned against Me…. [this is what we are seeing] …I will change their glory into shame. They eat up the sin of My people, and they set their heart on their iniquity. And it has become, like people, like priest; and I will punish them for their ways, and reward them for their doings, for they shall eat and not have enough. They shall commit whoredom and not increase, because they have stopped taking heed to the LORD" (vs 7-10). Increasingly, today we see that happening.
We have to keep this in mind. Here is another truism that comes down through history of Israel and God's people. Isa. 1 talks about how bad Israel was when Isaiah began his prophecy. Then he comes to what is also important:

Isaiah 1:9: "Except the LORD of hosts had left us a very small remnant, we would have been as Sodom; we would have become like Gomorrah." In other words destroyed! God always has a remnant! That can apply to the Church, and that can apply to Israel

• Why do I say that that can apply to Israel, as well?
• Where do you think the 144,000 are going to come from? From the children of Israel!

We'll cover that when we get to Hos. 5 & 6! Are they not a remnant that God saves, that are not destroyed. So, you have that mixed in with it as we go down in time. I'm convinced that:

• we're going to a lot of problems
• it's going to bring a lot of false prophecies
• we're going to have difficulties

God always leaves a remnant. I think that the remnant of the 144,000 of the children of Israel are going to be those zealous Protestants who did not have knowledge unto salvation, but believed in the return of Christ. When they see that happen—and the heavens roll back as a scroll (Rev. 6)—they're going to repent. God will open up their minds at that time.

God always has a remnant, because He's merciful. Even though we read these things here and see how bad they are, let's understand that God is still merciful! Even in the prophecies of Ezek. 33, God is interested in repentance, and that's the only reason that He does these things.

When you're suffering, in pain and agony, then you are more likely to repent, than when you're fed to the full and everything is just fine and you're laying back and everything is right there at your fingertips.

Hosea 4:9: "And it has become, like people, like priest; and I will punish them for their ways, and reward them for their doings, for they shall eat and not have enough. They shall commit whoredom and not increase…" (vs 9-10)—because with whoredoms comes abortion, which is nothing new; they had means of abortion back then, no question about it.

"…because they have stopped taking heed to the LORD. Whoredom and wine and new wine takes away the heart" (vs 10-11). This is on an individual basis, on a national basis or a group basis. It is a truism that always applies.
What happens when you get out with whoredom and drunkenness and things like that? You have like we saw with the situation with Bill Clinton! What they do in their private life doesn't count, but God says that it does. Chances are that those who say that are really those who, at some time in their life, did the same thing that Bill Clinton did. Therefore, since they desire to have that overlooked in their lives, they're willing to overlook it in his life. But it shows that by "whoredom and wine and new wine takes away the heart." Add to that:

• rock music
• rap music
• drugs

You can increase and intensify that! So, that can apply, and here's what the people end up doing:

Verse 12: "My people seek advice from their wooden idols… [whatever may be their favorite 'religious' thing] …and their rod declares to them, for the spirit of whoredoms has caused them to go astray, and they have gone awhoring away from under their God."

Let's see what happens when a people do this. The percentage of sin within the society as a whole is what God uses to judge the society. Even to the extent that God says that if there is one righteous person He will hold it back. But that doesn't mean He'll hold it back forever and ever.

Now, it was really bad during the days of Jeremiah. He was speaking to a people then that had just finished 55 years of Manasseh and two years of Amon before Josiah was able to affect his reform. It was a reform for a while.

Jeremiah 23:9: "As for the prophets my heart within me is broken; all my bones shake…." They had all kinds of false prophets back then.

Read what they said in other cases where during the days of Jehoshaphat, he wanted to know if there was a prophet of God because all of the false prophets up north in the ten tribes were saying, 'Go to war! Go to war!' Jehoshaphat said, 'Is there not one prophet of God here?' So, they got Micaiah, and he said, 'Don't go, you won't prosper.' But he was warned by the false prophets, 'You speak good things to him and tell him what he wants to hear.' He didn't do it. Neither did Jeremiah.

"…I am like a drunken man, and like a man whom wine has overcome because of the LORD and because of the words of His Holiness" (v 9). In other words, he heard the righteousness of God's words, how great they were. Then he looked out and saw the people, how awful and evil they were. It just put him into a whole 'mental tailspin.' Why?
Verse 10: "For the land is full of adulterers. Because of swearing the land mourns; the pleasant places of the wilderness are dried up, and their course is evil, and they wield power unjustly."

When you reach a certain degree of sin in a society overall, with false prophets mixed in with it, it effects the environment. What has the environment been doing to us? Why does God send hurricanes to poor people, especially Mexico? What you're dealing with is a major center of drug smuggling!

(go to the next track)

To the god's of the Aztecs; they are beginning to revive all these old temples. Where were they? Honduras! The Yucatan Peninsula! I feel sorry for the people, and I'm glad that the United States is able to help them, but there is a message for us.

Look at what has happened in Texas with hurricanes and floods and all the rain. Granted, it hasn't wiped us out; we're still going, but sooner or later there are going to be so many disasters that are going to happen that FIMA can no longer help.

The general level of disobedience, even in the letter of the Law to the commandments of God, have reached such a record-breaking level that God has to act. Even though God is merciful, He has to act.

Hosea 4:13: "They sacrifice upon the tops of the mountains, and burn incense upon the hills, under oaks and poplars and elms because its shade is good…."

I saw on one of these specials about the revival of witchcraft right over here in the Redwoods, where they have a bonfire and a cauldron, and all the women gather around and they have their witchcraft thing. This is wonderful, wonderful thing! That is increasing, increasing, increasing! Back then it was under every green tree!

"…So, your daughters shall commit whoredom, and your brides shall commit adultery. Will I not punish your daughters when they commit whoredom, or your wives when they commit adultery?…." (vs 13-14).

Yes, because it's a living law! Just put in there venereal diseases. How many are there today? It's unreal! You use to hear of two major ones: syphilis and gonorrhea. Now there are about another 30-40 of them, which are worse. It's taking it's toll physically, mentally and emotionally; that's all part of it, because God must punish! If He's a righteous God, He must! Even though He's a merciful God, He is bound by His Word that He will! He will not lie!

"…Even the men themselves go aside with whores…" (v 14). This is why God said to take this other woman for whoredom; 'I want you to learn a lesson.'

"…and they sacrifice with temple prostitutes…." (v 14). Sounds like the municipal churches in the whoredom communities of San Francisco, Chicago, New York, and wherever they have those universal churches where homosexuals, lesbians and so forth go. This is what it's talking about.

"…The people who do not understand shall fall. Though you, Israel, play the harlot, yet, do not let Judah become guilty…." (vs 14-15). Judah had not done as badly, yet; here's a warning the Judah at that time. Israel went into captivity some 120 years before Judah did.

"…And do not come to Gilgal, nor go up to Beth Aven… [another name for Bethel] …nor swear, 'As the LORD lives,' For Israel slides back like a backsliding heifer. Now shall the LORD feed them as a lamb in a large place? Ephraim is joined to idols; let him alone. Their drink is sour; they have committed whoredom continually; her rulers dearly love dishonor" (vs 15-18).

In other words, with the shameless loving that they are doing, let them give themselves unto it. That's what he's saying.

Verse 19: "The wind has bound her up in her wings, and they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices." So, later on when they come to repentance, then they will.

Let's see what else happens to a society when it gets that bad. This is when it gets progressively worse than what it is here. We're going to see that. In other words, what we are dealing with are prophecies that are specific for that time, but prophecies that apply to Israel at anytime in its history when it does those things.

Ezekiel 7:23[transcriber's correction]: "Make a chain; for the land is full of bloody crimes, and the city is full of violence."

Just before the Flood of Noah it got be up to 99.9% evil, and only eight individuals survived. We're told that in the end it is as the days of Noah. How much of a percentage of evil in the general population are we looking at today? Are we reaching close to the 50% mark? I don't know, and we don't know exactly how God is looking down and judging the whole thing! That is God's judgment.

What we need to understand today is that for the Church, we need to realize that God's judgment is on the Church today. We are judged by the standards in the New Testament, by the spirit of how we keep the laws and commandments of God. Moreover, how much we love God and serve God.

So, when we read all of these prophecies—which many of them are gloom, doom and destruction—we need not get transfixed in that. That's why I'm not going to make this series an absolutely ongoing series. Even for me, I can't take all the death, gloom and doom. Just so we can learn the lesson, and I think we can learn it and hear and fear. Maybe by that to be motivated to help other people turn their lives around in the way that it needs to be.

Verse 23: "Make a chain; for the land is full of bloody crimes… [there are murders and deaths everywhere] …and the city… [Jerusalem] …is full of violence."

What is the percentage? I know that a decade or more ago in Oakland—just in that one city—they had a 148 murders, which is one every three days. You can just plug in there that also will include anything that's intoxifying like drugs. Wherever drugs go, it's going to bring adultery, fornication, thievery and murder, as well as death and destruction to those who take it. It will debilitate their bodies and bring on more diseases, etc.

Verse 24: "And I will bring the worst of the heathen… [that's what God did to Judah; this is to Judah] …and they shall possess their houses. I will also make the pomp of the strong to cease; and their holy places shall be defiled." Why? Because they were 'holy places' unto demons, not unto God!

Verse 25: "Terror comes; and they shall seek peace, but there shall be none." Again this is a prophecy that can apply at the very end-time, though it applied at that particular time right then.

Verse 26: "Disaster shall come upon disaster, and rumor shall be upon rumor. And they shall seek a vision from the prophet; but the Law shall perish from the priest, and wisdom from the elders." In other words, they shall have no answer. They won't know how to stop it.

When you have people so bent on sin, evil, murder and destruction, who knows what's right?

Verse 27: "The king shall mourn, and the prince shall be clothed with despair, and the hands of the people of the land shall tremble. I will do to them according to their way, and according to their uncleanness I will judge them; and they shall know that I am the LORD." That's why all of these things take place.

So, the point that I want to make in all of this is that whenever the children of Israel sin, wherever they are—at whatever point in their history—and they turn themselves away from God, this kind of judgment is going to happen.

When they start coming to their senses and begin repenting, then God will lift those kinds of punishments from them.

HOSEA 5:

Here is another one. We're going to find that most of this will apply to the time then. We might find a verse or two when we get to the end, which has a duality.

Hosea 5:1: "Hear this, O priests, and hearken, O house of Israel. And give ear, O house of the king, for judgment is toward you because you have been a snare for Mizpah and a net spread over Tabor." He's warning that you're going to get caught in your own trap.

Verse 2: "And revolters have gone deep in slaughtering, and I chasten all of them." This directly to the religious leaders; you can apply this to any religious leader: to the Protestants, to the Catholic priests. They claim that they represent God, so this would apply.

Verse 3: "I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hidden from me, for now, O Ephraim, you committed whoredom; and Israel is defiled. Their doings will not allow them to turn to their God; for the spirit of whoredoms is in their midst…" (vs 3-4).

What does this tell us? There comes a time when the people have given themselves so much over to whoredoms that they just don't know how to think straight! It effects the mind and the body; it effects how to make choices.

Let's see how Paul expressed the same thing. 1-Corinthians 6:13: "Foods are for the belly, and the belly is for foods… [just the physical things] …but God will destroy both it and those. Now, the body is not for sexual immorality… [whoredoms] …but for the Lord and the Lord for the body."

That's why God made people, to be a temple for the Holy Spirit of God. In other words, just like Jesus said, 'Lo, it's written of Me in the volume of a book, you have prepared a body for Me' (Heb.)

• it's referring to Christ when He became a human being
• it's referring to Christ for the Church, which is the Body of Christ

But also, it can also refer to each one of us in this way, Paul said, v 19: "WHAT! Don't you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit…"—the temple of God!

The body is made for the Lord! That's what Paul is telling them. And "…the Lord for the body" (v 13), because He wants to put His Spirit in you.

Verse 14: "And God has also raised the Lord from the dead, and will raise us by His own power. Don't you know… [understand] …that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? MAY IT NEVER BE!" (vs 14-15). He's emphasizing the remnant here.

Verse 16: "WHAT! Don't you know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body? For He says, 'The two shall be one flesh.'"

This can apply physically and spiritually. He says later on that 'you cannot eat at the table of Lord and the table of demons.' So, it applies both ways.

Verse 17: "But he who is joined to the Lord is one spirit." You don't want to break that by adultery, fornication and whoredoms. So, Paul give the 'Joseph advice'—remember what happened to Joseph? He ran away!—flee fornication! When you get into situations like that, that's all you can do. That's what you have to do:

• physically get away from it
• mentally get away from it

and in some cases

• turn your head and close your eyes and get out of there

Here's why, v 18: "Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man may commit is outside the body,… [that's important] …but the one who commits sexual immorality is sinning against his own body"—because of all the uncleanness and disease that goes along with it. The defiling of the body for the purpose for which God never intended.

Verse 19: "WHAT! Don't you know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, which you have within you from God, and you are not your own?—to go commit these kinds of sins!

Verse 20: "For you were bought with a price. Therefore, glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's."

There is the spiritual lesson for us today. This can apply to the physical act and it can also apply to getting into the religious doctrines of the world, which are false, and bringing them into the Body of Christ. Both can apply.

Hosea 5:6: "They shall go with their flocks and with their herds to seek the LORD; but they shall not find Him…." In other words, you can come with all your physical things that you have. You're committing whoredoms, physically and spiritually, and you're going to go try and find God. You won't find Him! Why? Because it requires repentance first! 'Seek ye the Lord while He may be found.'

"…He has withdrawn Himself from them" (v 6). That's really quite a thing. If you ever have it that God withdraws, that is pretty heavy-duty stuff! I think we've seen it happen to one of the major Churches of God (WCG). God withdrew Himself from them, taking their money and their lands. The biggest insult that's going to be is that the pope bought the college land in Big Sandy, Tex. Not personally, but the Jesuits bought it. It's fitting reward for rejecting God. Do you not think? for committing spiritual whoredoms? Yes!

Verse 7: "They have acted treacherously against the LORD, for they have begotten strange children. Now, within a month invaders shall devour their land. Blow the ram's horn in Gibeah, and the silver trumpet in Ramah; cry aloud at Beth Aven, 'Behind you, O Benjamin!'" (vs 7-8). So, you've got:

• Benjamin
• Ephraim—includes Joseph and also reflects to Manasseh, because they were brothers

Verse 9: "Ephraim shall be desolate in the day of rebuke…. [that's exactly what happened when the Syrians carried them off into captivity] …Among the tribes of Israel I have made known that which shall surely be." God always makes it known!

This last part—vs 10-15—is a prophecy that can be at anytime that God gives a warning to Israel down through history. We're not living in a vacuum, and that the end-time is the only time that God is working. I got a little booklet at home printed in 1724 showing the Truth of the Sabbath, back then. That's why God has even used Sunday-keepers to get the Bible out, because they're the only ones that had the resources to do it. But out of that God could call those people, who then could come to understand the Sabbath, which they couldn't come to understand unless they had the Bible with them.

• we're not the first ones talking about he Sabbath
• we're not the first ones talking about Passover on the 14th

I've got another book that I've read: The Celtic church in Britain.

• Do you know that St. Patrick was really not a Catholic?
• Do you know that he taught out of the Scriptures?
• Do you know that he kept the Sabbath?
• Do you know that the Celtic Church kept the Sabbath?
• Do you know that the Celtic Church kept the 14th Passover?

They had some other doctrines that were not correct. So, God has had a witness to Israel wherever they have been. They've had their ups and downs. All of this can apply.

Verse 10: "The rulers of Judah were like those who move a border… [changing the boundaries; sneaking, cheating, etc.] …I will pour out My wrath upon them like water. Ephraim is crushed and broken in judgment because he willingly walked after vanity" (vs 10-11)—against the commandments. He willing walked against the commandment. When you have people who do that, that's not in ignorance, that is willingness.

Verse 12: "Therefore, I am as a moth to Ephraim, and to the house of Judah as rottenness." Remember, for the house of Israel, what two great prophets did they have who warned them? Elijah and Elisha! They knew!

Now, Hosea comes on the scene 75 years before their final captivity, and he's warning them again. Plus, he's also sending a warning to Judah.

Verse 13: "When Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah saw his wound, then Ephraim went to the Assyrian and sent to King Contentious. Yet, he could not heal you nor cure you of your wound." Why? Because it was from God!

We've applied this many times to the end-time about England going to Germany. That may or may not have some validity. I don't see where it has as much validity as we laid on it in the past. But it has direct validity to the time when this was given during Hosea's day. That's what they did; they sent ambassadors, emissaries and tribute money so they could have Assyria to help them, but it didn't.

Verse 14: "For I will be to Ephraim as a lion, and as a strong lion to the house of Judah. I, even I, will tear and go away. I will take away, and none shall rescue him. I will go; I will return to My place until they confess their guilt…" (vs 14-15).

I've applied this many times to the end-time to the 144,000. We'll look at that and see how that applies.

"…and seek My face; in their affliction they will seek Me earnestly" (v 15). The children of Israel always do that. You look back and WWI, and we can go back to the Civil War, God was always brought into that. When they have the afflictions of war, people will turn to God. I mean, maybe not Holy, maybe not to the point of being called to salvation, but as a country they turn back to God.

We did it in WWII also, but since then we haven't turned back to God. Not during the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and not during the different police actions, went on in 1990s. That's why when it applies to the end-time it's going to happen.

HOSEA 6:

Hosea 6:1: "Come and let us return to the LORD…" This is what they say when they've been afflicted. Can you imagine? Let's think on this:

The United States is taken down, and I believe it's going to be internally. It's not going to be some great invasion from without. There are enough United Nation bases around in the United States and all they have to do is just quietly supply it with troops. It says that 'the stranger within you will rise up high above you.' I think that's how it's going to happen. When we finally go into captivity, think of all those Protestants who believe in the return of Christ, and there are a lot of them, and they're carried off into captivity.

They have a knowledge of God by their zeal, but not according to the true knowledge unto salvation, because they didn't come to that point of repentance in their Protestantism. So, I think there's going to be a lot of repenting done as they are carried off into captivity.

Verse 1: "Come and let us return to the LORD, for He has torn, and He will heal us… [they'll understand that this is the hand of God] …He has smitten, and He will bind us up. After two days He will revive us…" (vs 1-2).

What I might direct your attention to is any of the sermons I've done on Pentecost, I go through and explain that a little bit more in detail. A day in prophecy is a year. So, if the Great Tribulation is three and a half years, what are we dealing with?

"…in the third day… [beginning in the third year] …He will raise us up, and we shall live in His sight. Then we shall understand, if we follow on to know the LORD. His going out is prepared as the morning; and He shall come to us as the rain, as the latter and former rain to the earth" (vs 2-3).

Here is a prophecy at the end-time, and we're doing what we can do with the prophecies to show that you must, for those end-time prophecies, fit them into the overall prophecies in the New Testament to have any understanding of it.

Rev. 6—here we have this great and tremendous event that takes place. I believe this is two years into the three and a half-year Tribulation. Remember that in the beginning of the third day God will 'raise us up.' After two years He will begin to revive us. I think the sixth seal of Rev. 6 is down two years into the three and a half-year Tribulation.

Imagine yourself a good Sunday-keeping Protestant; you keep the letter of the Law as you find it in the New Testament. You've been so lazy that you haven't studied anything concerning Sunday or Sabbath, so you think that Sunday is okay. Yet, you're going to be carried away captive. When you're in captivity, you're going to begin to understand that God is dealing with you. You're going to see a lot of people killed for their testimony of Christ; that's the fifth seal.

Then the sixth seal happens and here you are, wherever you are in captivity… I know that not all of them are going to repent to this extent, but God is going to specifically select a 144,000. All of a sudden you see this event take place. If you have any fear of God at all, what are you going to do? You're going to know that this is from God! Now you're going to being to think straightly.

Revelation 6:12: "And when He opened the sixth seal, I looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake…" The Protestants have read this; they have it in their Bible.

"…and the sun became black as the hair of sackcloth, and the moon became as blood; and the stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree casts its untimely figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind. Then the heaven departed like a scroll that is being rolled up…" (vs 12-14).

The whole earth is going to see this. Think of the children of Israel in captivity and what's going to happen. This is going to affect them. God is going to deal with them. God is going to open up some minds at that time.

"…and every mountain and island was moved out of its place. And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains… [Isa. 2, a prophecy there] …and the powerful men, and every bondman, and every free man hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains; and they said to the mountains and to the rocks, 'Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him Who sits on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, because the great day of His wrath has come, and who has the power to stand?'" (vs 14-17).

Revelation 7:1: "And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding back the four winds of the earth, so that the wind might not blow on the earth, or on the sea, or on any tree." That's going to be an awesome day! Stop all the winds on the earth!

Verse 2: "Then I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the seal of the living God…" This is a special calling that God is doing for the 144,000; that's why this ties in with Hos.6 where it says, 'Come, let us return unto the Lord.' They're going to return to the Lord.

"…and he cried out with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to damage the earth and the sea, saying, 'Do not damage the earth, or the sea, or the trees until we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.' And I heard the number of those who were sealed: one hundred forty-four thousand, sealed out of every tribe of the children of Israel" (vs 2-4)—because Israel is in captivity.

Then it starts right out with the tribe of Judah; God fulfills His promise that the tents of Judah shall be saved first. Then it lists all 12 tribes, with he exception of Dan. Don't ask me why Dan is not there, that's one of the questions we'll ask Christ when we're resurrected. We don't know exactly!

Then there's a great innumerable multitude. So, there are going to be a lot of people who repent at that time. It's going to be a tremendous thing! That's why I believe that Hos. 5:15 thru 6:1-3 apply to the 144,000 directly.

As we go along, we have prophecies that apply right then; all of a sudden here's a prophecy that 'sticks out like a sore thumb' in the flow of it, because it goes to the end-time.

Comments:

The tribe of Levi is also included, and I think that will be a great concentration of Levites over where the temple is going go be built. There may be some Levites who may be the descent of Israel scattered through some of the other tribes, because they were in all the tribes, but most of the Levites were really in the kingdom of Judah. I don't know the significance of separating Manasseh out separately from Joseph, that is listed later. I couldn't tell you the reason for it. Joseph, I'm sure, would apply to Ephraim. Manasseh is separate, but I don't know why it's listed that way, except that in the end-time—if America is Manasseh, which it looks quite clear that it is—that this is really one of the last countries on the face of the earth that's really preaching anything to do with the Word of God. The vast majority of Protestants are in America.

It's often been thought that Dan, early on going clear back the book of Judges, gave itself over to idolatry. Dan is supposed to be part of Ireland, and we know that right now are in the Church who have the Spirit of God and be in the first resurrection who pretty well know that they come from the tribe of Dan. So, God is not excluding Dan totally per se, but at the end-time for the sealing of the 144,000 He doesn't mention them. I do not know the reason why. We could speculate all different kinds of ways.

Do we think that in America today we have parts of all the 12 tribes? I'd have to say yes! That's where they might come from, instead of these other nations; could very well be! Think about it, we have those from Norway, Sweden, Denmark, England and Ireland. We have Jews, Levites, Simeonites and those from Issachar. Israel was among the Gentiles for quite a while and then later the ten tribes migrated—different ones at different times—to different locations in Europe. They were given a place there, but then God was also preparing America for another great migration of the tribes of Israel, too.

As a matter of fact, what became the United States—the new world—it was called 'New Canaan,' because they had a enough knowledge of the Bible to see that the land of Canaan was where the children of Israel went into. So, they named the new world 'New Canaan.' I think they had a little bit more understanding concerning at least who they were than we would give them credit for.

Now, we're just going to pick up some key verses in Hos. 6. This is one that Christ spoke of many times:

Hosea 6:6: "For I desire mercy and not sacrifice…" That is a whole premise for the New Testament. We could go through and show all the sacrifices, that if your heart isn't right, you can offer all the sacrifices you want, you can offer all the sacrifices you desire—even in the name of the Lord—but if you have hatred and no mercy, you haven't even learned the lesson of it. That's why He says:

Verse 6: "For I desire mercy and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings."

Micah 6:6—we'll see the same principle: "With what shall I come before the LORD, to bow myself before God the Most High? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my life?" (vs 6-7). All of this is sacrifice—isn't it?

Verse 8: "He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you but to do justice and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God?" This is a prophecy showing the type of ministry for the New Testament. But God even desired it then.

Think of it today; let's look at the Tibetan religion just for an example. One of the sacrifices that they do is the human sacrificial work of walking to the 'holy mountain.' To walk to the 'holy mountain' you have to have special pads on your hands, knees and elbows, and a special pad on the front of you, because you take two steps and you prostrate yourself down and mumble off a prayer to Buddha. Then you get up and take two more steps and you prostrate yourself on the ground and mutter a prayer. You do this for all the miles going up to this 'holy mountain.' When you get up there, then you have achieved something, which then is a 'religion by works or sacrifice.'

Where is the mercy in it? Someone ought to go up to those poor souls and say, 'Look, stop right here and take these things off and turn to the true God for He desires mercy. He's not delighted in all this walking and falling prostrate and all of these prayers to these pagan gods.

Just an example; that's the key verse we want with Hos. 6.

All Scriptures from The Holy Bible in Its Original Order, A Faithful Version

Scriptural References:

• Jeremiah 5:1-2
• Hosea 2:13-23
• Hosea 3:1
• Romans 10:1-3
• Hosea 3:2-5
• Hosea 4:1-10
• Isaiah 1:9
• Hosea 4:9-12
• Jeremiah 23:9-10
• Hosea 4:13-19
• Ezekiel 7:23-27
• Hosea 5:1-4
• 1 Corinthians 6:13, 19, 13-20
• Hosea 5:6-15
• Hosea 6:1-3
• Revelation 6:12-17
• Revelation 7:1-4
• Hosea 6:6
• Micah 6:6

Scriptures referenced, not quoted:

• Matthew 24
• Mark 13
• Luke 21
• 2 Thessalonians 2
• Isaiah 11
• Ezekiel 33
• Isaiah 2

FRC: bo
Transcribed: 11/24/17