Biblical History has a repetitive pattern. There is nothing new under the sun. We have not learned from history. Comparing the nation of Judah as it morally and spiritually declined to the nation of the United States of America, we can see some very interesting parallels. While the prophets were warning the kings and the people about what would soon come to pass, we find that Jesus spoke to us regarding our age. What Jesus told John to write is rather scary. There is a spiritual battle going on for the soul of the United States, and if we don’t fight against the ruler of darkness then we will end up like Judah. Just before the southern kingdom went into captivity, Judah was ruled remotely by Egypt and then by Babylon. Judah also paid taxes to those kingdoms, and the kings of Judah were just governors for those other countries. Jesus warned the world that in the last days the church would become lukewarm. Similarly, Judah became lukewarm spiritually, not fighting against evil. Daniel tells us that Judah was shameful and that there were unjust judges who brought more evil into Judah. While prophets warned the nation of Judah, we have the documented words of Jesus who tells us he is vomiting out those who are lukewarm.
Jesus told John to write the Revelation that God gave Jesus. While we can still hear from prophets today, we should take Jesus’ words a bit more seriously.
Rev 1:1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:
Rev 1:2 Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.
Rev 1:3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.
The time of the church age and the end of the age of man was at hand. From the time of Jesus’ death until today, 1,988 years have passed. We are close to the end of our age.
Rev 1:4 John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;
Jesus was, he is, and he is coming. This message is for our understanding. In fact, the things written before time are for our learning.
Rom 15:4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.
Learning the past is for our benefit. We can have hope. What is a coup d` état and how does that affect us today? We have many enemies that would like to over take the free world, and what is happening today is similar to Judah’s last years. Let’s explore.
2Ki 23:29 (Brenton) And in his days went up Pharao Nechao king of Egypt against the king of the Assyrians to the river Euphrates: and Josias went out to meet him: and Nechao slew him in Mageddo when he saw him.
Josiah the king, who cleaned up Judah and reinstated the passover, was killed. The Lord did not turn his wrath away from Judah because of Manasseh’s sin. This tells us that there were still people practicing the occultic worship which Manasseh had brought into Israel. Even though Manasseh repented, many people did not.
2Ki 23:31 (Brenton) Twenty and three years old was Joachaz when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem: and his mother's name was Amital, daughter of Jeremias of Lobna.
2Ki 23:32 And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his fathers did.
2Ki 23:33 And Pharao Nechao removed him to Rablaam in the land of Emath, so that he should not reign in Jerusalem; and imposed a tribute on the land, a hundred talents of silver, and a hundred talents of gold.
Jehoahaz/Joachaz begins to reign, but Pharaoh Nechoh/Nechao removes him. Nechoh had technically become a ruler over Judah. This is called a coup d`état. The Egyptian government assumed power over Judah without a war or a battle. Josiah was killed and Nechoh controlled Joachaz. Judah didn’t fight or rebel. Nechoh imposed a tribute or a tax which all the people paid. This starts to sound very familiar to our time. Someone in another country wants to rule over us, imposing taxes that we have to pay. It almost sounds like something called The Paris Accord, or The Green New Deal.
A few years ago someone essentially paid $150 billion in cash to an enemy government. This is a tax as it is taxpayer money. There was an additional $180 billion in hush money paid out with money belonging to the people of the United States. Central Bankers also impose taxes on the people who are paying back the loans of the government. Recently someone made a proposal for all people working from home to pay a $10 per day tax. Another proposal was 5% of an annual salary. We are forced to stay home and work, but now we are going to be punished for it. How can someone who is unelected decide to tax citizens of the United States? Who is in-charge?
https://musingsofawinsomeheart.blogspot.com/2020/01/hezekiahs-pallets-of-cash-sennacheribs.html
Nechoh then goes on to change out the government, making Joakim/Jehoiakim king of Judah.
2Ki 23:34 (Brenton) And Pharao Nechao made Eliakim son of Josias king of Juda king over them in the place of his father Josias, and he changed his name to Joakim, and he took Joachaz and brought him to Egypt, and he died there.
2Ki 23:35 And Joakim gave the silver and the gold to Pharao; but he assessed the land to give the money at the command of Pharao: they gave the silver and the gold each man according to his assessment together with the people of the land to give to Pharao Nechao.
Imagine what was happening among the people of Judah. Josiah had tried to clean up their spiritual idolatry, even having a passover, but there still must have been many people “double dipping” or practicing service to other gods as well as Yahweh. Yahweh honored Josiah, but his sons were evil.
2Ki 23:36 (Brenton) Twenty-five years old was Joakim when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem: and his mother's name was Jeldaph, daughter of Phadail of Ruma.
2Ki 23:37 And he did that which was evil in the eyes of the lord, according to all that his fathers had done.
Nechoh put Joakim/Jehoiakim in charge. How is it that Judah was not fighting against this? Judah lost her ability to govern herself. This was a soft coup or a silent coup. Instead of fighting with all the people, Nechoh killed two kings. Did Nechoh have a legal right to do this? Where was the army? The people didn’t even respond. Joakim was a vassal, a governor instead of a king, and he then collected money from the people for Nechoh.
Chronicles describes this time as well. Jehoiakim/Joakim reigned but he wasn’t really in charge, Necho was in charge. That seems bad enough but Jehoiakim was also evil.
2Ch 36:4 (Brenton) And Pharao Nechao made Eliakim the son of Josias king over Juda in the room of his father Josias, and changed his name to Joakim. And Pharao Nechao took his brother Joachaz and brought him into Egypt, and he died there: but he had given the silver and gold to Pharao. At that time the land began to be taxed to give the money at the command of Pharao; and every one as he could borrowed the silver and the gold of the people of the land, to give to Pharao Nechao.
2Ch 36:5 Joachim was twenty-five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem: and his mother's name was Zechora, daughter of Nerias of Rama. And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his fathers did. In his days came Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon into the land, and he served him three years, and then revolted from him. And the Lord sent against them the Chaldeans, and plundering parties of Syrians, and plundering parties of the Moabites, and of the children of Ammon, and of Samaria; but after this they departed, according to the word of the Lord by the hand of his servants the prophets. Nevertheless the wrath of the Lord was upon Juda, so that they should be removed from his presence, because of the sins of Manasses in all that he did, and for the innocent blood which Joakim shed, for he had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; yet the Lord would not utterly destroy them.
“Shedding innocent blood” encompasses many things. It can be a combination of abortions, sacrifices to Moloch and Baal, pedophilia, sending people into a battle they will not win, unjust judgments against the innocent, or simply murdering people who oppose Joakim. It also may have encompassed many people shedding innocent blood, not just Joakim. “Innocent” means the people were guileless, which also tells us that they could have been Zadok/Zedek priests like Jeremiah. Remember, it was Joakim who burned the prophecies of Yahweh from Jeremiah. What is even more evil, as the people were paying taxes to Nechoh, Joakim was building himself palaces and several homes with forced labor of the Israelites. So not only were the people paying Nechoh, they were forced to build and pay for several palaces for the fake king.
The Zadok/Zedek priests ministered alongside the Levites, but were not Levites, they were from the order of Melchizedek (Shem). They had resided in Jebus when David merged them with the tabernacle service, and later Solomon’s temple. The vessels, the items used in ministering to Yahweh, were taken to Babylon.
2Ch 36:6 (KJV) Against him came up Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and bound him in fetters, to carry him to Babylon.
2Ch 36:7 Nebuchadnezzar also carried of the vessels of the house of the LORD to Babylon, and put them in his temple at Babylon.
2Ch 36:8 Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and his abominations which he did, and that which was found in him, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah: and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead.
Joakim/Jehoiakim became a vassal to Nabuchodonosor/Nebuchadnezzar. He was a governor instead of a king. He was an administrator. This was a coup, a soft coup once again. The first two worked pretty well so why wouldn’t Nabuchodonosor do the same? This is the time when Daniel was also taken captive to Babylon.
Dan 1:1 (Brenton) In the third year of the reign of Joakim king of Juda, came Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon to Jerusalem, and besieged it.
Dan 1:2 And the Lord gave into his hand Joakim king of Juda, and part of the vessels of the house of God: and he brought them into the land of Sennaar to the house of his god; and he brought the vessels into the treasure-house of his god.
Dan 1:3 And the king told Asphanez his chief eunuch, to bring in some of the captive children of Israel, and of the seed of the kingdom, and of the princes;
Dan 1:4 young men in whom was no blemish, and beautiful in appearance, and skilled in all wisdom, and possessing knowledge, and acquainted with prudence, and who had ability to stand in the house before the king, and the king gave commandment to teach them the learning and language of the Chaldeans.
Nabuchodonosor took Joakim’s household to Babylon. Joakim had no power over anyone, yet we see that he rebelled against Nabuchodonosor. Is it possible that the people were willing to submit to Nabuchodonosor just as long as they were left alone? Is it possible they were lukewarm regarding the kidnapping of Daniel and the rest of the young men of Joakim’s household.
2Ki 24:1 (Brenton) In his days went up Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon, and Joakim became his servant three years; and then he turned and revolted from him.
After three years Joakim rebelled against Nabuchodonosor. In total he was a king for eleven years. Jeremiah brought the word of Yahweh to him but he rejected it.
Jer 1:1 (Brenton) The word of God which came to Jeremias the son of Chelcias, of the priests, who dwelt in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin:
Jer 1:2 accordingly as the word of God came to him in the days of Josias son of Amos king of Juda, in the thirteenth year of his reign.
Jer 1:3 And it was in the days of Joakim, son of Josias king of Juda, until the eleventh year of Sedekias king of Juda, even until the captivity of Jerusalem in the fifth month.
After eleven years Joakim was kidnapped by Nabuchodonosor. He was imprisoned and eventually killed. No one mourned his death.
Jeremiah was a prophet from the time of Josiah to the captivity of the southern kingdom. This is what Yahweh told Jeremiah:
Jer 1:10 Behold, I have appointed thee this day over nations and over kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to rebuild, and to plant.
Yahweh called Jeremiah to speak to nations. Notice the “rooting out and pulling down of nations” because of the power of Jeremiah’s words from Yahweh. There will also be rebuilding and planting. Jeremiah prophesied that Judah would be in captivity seventy years and then they would return.
While Joakim was building palaces and collecting taxes for Nechoh and Nabuchodonosor, Yahweh said this:
Jer 25:1 THE WORD THAT CAME TO JEREMIAS concerning all the people of Juda in the fourth year of Joakim, son of Josias, king of Juda;
Jer 25:2 which he spoke to all the people of Juda, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, saying,
Jer 25:3 In the thirteenth year of Josias, son of Amos, king of Juda, even until this day for three and twenty years, I have both spoken to you, rising early and speaking,
Jer 25:4 and I sent to you my servants the prophets, sending them early; (but ye hearkened not, and listened not with your ears;) saying,
Jer 25:5 Turn ye every one from his evil way, and from your evil practices, and ye shall dwell in the land which I gave to you and your fathers, of old and for ever.
Jer 25:6 Go ye not after strange gods, to serve them, and to worship them, that ye provoke me not by the works of your hands, to do you hurt.
Jer 25:7 But ye hearkened not to me.
Jer 25:8 Therefore thus saith the Lord; Since ye believed not my words,
Jer 25:9 behold I will send and take a family from the north, and will bring them against this land, and against the inhabitants of it, and against all the nations round about it, and I will make them utterly waste, and make them a desolation, and a hissing, and an everlasting reproach.
Jer 25:10 And I will destroy from among them the voice of joy, and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the scent of ointment, and the light of a candle.
Jer 25:11 And all the land shall be a desolation; and they shall serve among the Gentiles seventy years.
Jer 25:12 And when the seventy years are fulfilled, I will take vengeance on that nation, and will make them a perpetual desolation.
Jer 25:13 And I will bring upon that land all my words which I have spoken against it, even all things that are written in this book.
The captivity was prophesied by Jeremiah. In fact, Daniel prepared the people when the seventy years were fulfilled. These soft coups, where other countries rule by way of compromised leadership are still used today. If a country can control another country without starting a war, why wouldn’t they? We have similar situations in the United States as well. Communism is always trying to overtake the free world. The globalists are always trying to de-populate. The dominant rulers are always trying to elevate themselves while holding down the masses. But in our time this problem goes deeper.
While Judaism is/was a law and religion, meaning the people were under the law to practice religious service. If they didn’t adhere to religious service, they were breaking the law. In our day Christianity is separate from government mandate. No one has enacted a law to make us go to church. If our government is good or evil it is a separate issue from a Christian mandate. The problem we have is that churches have freedom to choose what they will teach. While that sounds nice, in the course of the ages we find that we are in the time period where Jesus isn’t in the church. Jesus told us that this would be the case and he told us why.
This is the same problem the people had when Josiah was king. There must have been a lot of lukewarm people in Judah, because Yahweh was holding them accountable for the idolatry and demonic service Manasseh instituted in Judah. So while Manasseh repented and king Josiah cleaned up the country, people did not clean up their own hearts. Even though Josiah instituted a passover, maybe not everyone was excited to participate, but it was the law. Today, no one forces us to participate in Christian rites. We have the choice. But it seems in our age of the Laodicean Church, we choose fat and happy. We choose not to stand up against evil. Jesus is going door to door, witnessing, looking for people who might want to choose life. Why can’t he come to the church? Have many church goers and church leaders become a vassal for a hostile government? We know that some church leaders are getting paid to oppose Christianity in its basic forms and tenets and instead promote global elitism which they hope to be a part of.
Revelation 3:14 G2532 And G3588 to the G32 angel G3588 of the G1722 [2in G* Laodicea G1577 1assembly] G1125 write! G3592 Thus G3004 says G3588 the G281 amen, G3588 the G3144 [4witness G3588 G4103 1trustworthy G2532 2and G228 3true], G3588 the G746 source G3588 of the G2937 creation G3588 G2316 of God.
Jesus has been announcing himself to the seven churches. The angels of the churches are the angels monitoring the churches. These are seven physical churches, and seven ages of the church. In time, we have gone through each church period almost two thousand years since Jesus died, until we come to our age, the Laodicean age.
Jesus says that he is the archē beginning or chief of the original formation of the Elohim. As Paul told us, everything was created by Him, for Him, and through Him, for His purposes. Our Creator is speaking to us here. He has something to say to us.
Revelation 3:15 G1492 I know G1473 your G3588 G2041 works, G3754 that G3777 [2neither G5593 3cold G1510.2.2 1you are] G3777 nor G2200 boiling hot; G3784 ought G5593 [2cold G1510.3 1you should be] G2228 or G2200 boiling hot.
2200 Dodson:ζεστός boiling hot boiling hot; met: fervent.
Thayer:
1) boiling hot, hot
2) metaph. of fervour of mind an zeal
ζεστός
zestos dzes-tos' From G2204; boiled, that is, (by implication) calid (figuratively fervent) KJV Usage: hot.
5593 LSJ Gloss:ψυχρός cold, chill
Dodson:ψυχρός cold, cold-hearted cool, cold; fig: cold-hearted.
Thayer:
1) cold, cool
1a) of cool water
2) metaph.
2a) cold i.e. sluggish, inert
2b) in mind: of one destitute of warm Christian faith and the desire for holiness
ψυχρός
psuchros psoo-chros' From G5592; chilly (literally or figuratively) KJV Usage: cold.
Our Creator knows our works and deeds. He knows that we are not hot or cold. Our Creator wants us to pick, hot or cold. What are we supposed to be hot or cold for? Him. This is the plight of our age. Where is our zeal for Jesus? Where is our zest for Jesus? Shouldn’t we be zealous for Him?
When we hire hirelings/hired servants, they are concerned with adding more sheep, they don’t want to be perceived as too hot because the non-believers may not want to come to church. As long as the heat is controlled, the hireling believes he can gain more people. But the hireling that takes the heat out of the called out, ends up rejecting Jesus. The hireling who wants to control the temperature also causes the called out to cool down, not stand strong, then people lose faith until they are compromising with the world.
Revelation 3:16 G3779 Thus, G3754 because G5513 you are lukewarm, G1510.2.2 G2532 and G3756 not G2200 boiling hot G3777 nor G5593 cold, G3195 I am about G1473 to vomit you G1692 G1537 from out of G3588 G4750 my mouth. G1473
5513 LSJ Gloss:χλιαρός warm, lukewarm
Dodson:χλιαρός lukewarm warm, tepid; of persons: lukewarm.
Thayer:
1) tepid, lukewarm
2) metaph. of the condition of the soul wretchedly fluctuating between a torpor and a fervour of love
χλιαρός
chliaros khlee-ar-os' From χλίω chliō (to warm); tepid KJV Usage: lukewarm.
“Thus because you are tepid, and not boiling and not chilly, I intend to vomit forth from out of the mouth.”
The lukewarm people of our age are going to be vomited out of the Creator’s mouth. Jesus would rather us be boiling hot, or ice cube cold. But being lukewarm is not palatable. Is this why Jesus is not in the church? He is looking for hot people because with hot or cold people everyone knows where they stand. The lukewarm people are wishy-washy. They compromise when they shouldn’t. They don’t stand up for Jesus. They don’t fight. How many churches have taken up today’s fight?
If we look at recent examples of communism, we see that the people are promised many things, but it never lasts long. After a while, communism imposes its own state religion or overrides all religion. Once the people have been lukewarm for a while they don’t bother to fight any more. Would it be better to have a Bible with the words that Jesus spoke, or a Bible with all the red letters torn out? Would it be better to have the ten commandments or the ten sayings of the country’s leader? Would it be better to worship Yahweh or the political party?
Revelation 3:17 G3754 For G3004 you say G3754 that, G4145 I am rich G1510.2.1 G2532 and G4147 am enriched, G2532 and G3762 [2no G5532 3need G2192 1have]. G2532 And G3756 you do not G1492 know G3754 that G1473 you G1510.2.2 are G3588 the G5005 miserable, G2532 and G3588 the G1652 pitiable, G2532 and G4434 poor, G2532 and G5185 blind, G2532 and G1131 naked.
Jesus points out, the lukewarm people of our age say that they are rich and wealthy and have no needs. It is interesting that these people do not realize that their earthly riches are really nothing compared to what Jesus has for us. This makes them lukewarm. There seems to be nothing more dangerous than a lukewarm hireling. When the wolves come the lukewarm hireling runs away. The lukewarm congregation invites the wolves in and attempts to make friends with them.
Revelation 3:18 G4823 I advise G1473 you G59 to buy G5553 gold G3844 from G1473 me G4448 purified G1537 by G4442 fire, G2443 that G4147 you should be rich, G2532 and G2440 [4garments G3022 3 with white G2443 1that G4016 2you should be covered], G2532 and G3361 [4should not G5319 5be made manifest G3588 1the G152 2shame G3588 G1132 3of your nakedness]; G1473 G2532 and G2854 [2collyrium G1472 1rub] G1909 upon G3588 G3788 your eyes, G1473 G2443 that G991 you should see!
Jesus tells the people of our age to work for him instead of for themselves. He tells us to rub a poultice over our eyes to fix our vision. Something to think about here is the abundance of medications we have. In our age, we have more manmade cures than at any other time in the last two thousand years. What I find interesting is that we are more sickly than we should be. Is that also our problem, misplaced trust?
Revelation 3:19 G1473 I, G3745 as many as G1437 I should G5368 be fond of, G1651 I reprove G2532 and G3811 I correct. G2206 Be zealous G3767 then G2532 and G3340 repent!
Jesus loves us so he reproves us. Imagine having to reprove an entire age. Calling us to repent of our lukewarmness is important for us. We don’t know what year of the age of the Laodicean church we are in. Therefore our repentance and change is important now.
Revelation 3:20 G2400 Behold, G2476 I stand G1909 at G3588 the G2374 door G2532 and G2925 knock; G1437 if G5100 any G191 should hear G3588 G5456 my voice, G1473 G2532 and G455 should open G3588 the G2374 door, G2532 even G1525 I will enter G4314 to G1473 him, G2532 and G1172 have supper G3326 with G1473 him, G2532 and G1473 he G3326 with G1473 me.
Jesus wants to eat at our house; he is knocking at the door. Instead of coming to the church to find hot believers he is going door to door in the community. Does this tell us that many churches are lukewarm? Why is Jesus outside? Why is he knocking on the doors of individuals? Why is he waiting for an invitation in? Wouldn’t we all love it if Jesus came for dinner?
If we are lukewarm we will allow governments to overtake our freedom to assemble. If we are lukewarm we will compromise when someone takes our Bible from us. If we are lukewarm we will submit to authorities that want to erase Jesus from history and our hearts. When we are lukewarm we will stop singing praises because unelected officials in our government say so. The only people standing against the satan and standing against his complete take over of the United States are people who are hot.
Revelation 3:21 G3588 The one G3528 overcoming G1325 I will give G1473 to him G2523 to sit G3326 with G1473 me G1722 on G3588 G2362 my throne, G1473 G5613 as G2504 even I G3528 overcame G2532 and G2523 sat G3326 with G3588 G3962 my father G1473 G1722 on G3588 G2362 his throne. G1473
22 G3588 The one G2192 having G3775 an ear, G191 hear G5100 what G3588 the G4151 spirit G3004 says G3588 to the G1577 assemblies!
We have to overcome lukewarmness. We have to be hot for Jesus. We seem to make Jesus sick, as he vomits us out of his mouth due to our lukewarm behavior. It seems as if it is hard to be hot for Jesus because we like our comfort. Our age is not as spectacular as we might think. We really are pathetic and blind.
Let’s just assume that each of the seven ages is about 285.5 years long. Out of two thousand years, from 32 AD when Jesus was crucified, takes us to about the year 1745 as to when our age of the lukewarm church started. People were coming to the “new world” to flee religious persecution. Thirty years later when the English King, George lll, tried to impose taxes and random laws, the people rose up and fought against him. In doing so they preserved freedom of religion in the Constitution of the United States of America. While that is a wonderful contract, it caused people to not have to fight to assemble. When we are threatened with that freedom being taken away, we do not know how to fight. We have not had to. We are lukewarm, comfortable, and rich. In this last church age, Jesus isn’t inside the church, he is out in the communities going door to door. He isn’t looking to add the nations from inside the buildings, he is adding to the numbers from outside the building, Romans 11:25, the fullness of the nations.
Like Laodicea, our church age in the United States has had very little persecution. The church has never been in danger of being eliminated in the USA. That is up until now. There are several other countries attempting to control the United States. They have tried to subvert our elections. If you don’t believe Christianity is at stake, what does Christianity look like in those countries who are trying to dominate us? If we look at China, Christianity doesn’t have a voice at all. In Iran, Christians are persecuted. In Europe, Christianity is not predominant but has given in to Islam. In Venezuela and Cuba, Christianity doesn’t stand up for the people but allows the government to treat citizens unjustly. It is easy to see how and why our enemies want to install a vassal in the United States. After our enslavement to another government we will not have an opportunity to regain our Christian voice. It will be too late and impossible.
Jeremiah warned the people of Judah repeatedly for many years. He told them what was going to happen after Josiah. Josiah’s sons became puppets for other governments, and then the entire kingdom fell. If we want Yahweh to fight for us, we have to become hot. Jesus told us that He is not inside, but that He is outside, knocking.
Daniel knew the seventy years of captivity was over, so he prayed. Daniel took Jeremiah’s prophecy seriously. He also did exactly what we should be doing. He prayed and fasted.
Dan 9:1 In the first year of Darius the son of Assuerus, of the seed of the Medes, who reigned over the kingdom of the Chaldeans,
Dan 9:2 I Daniel understood by books the number of the years which was the word of the Lord to the prophet Jeremias, even seventy years for the accomplishment of the desolation of Jerusalem.
Dan 9:3 And I set my face toward the Lord God, to seek him diligently by prayer and supplications, with fastings and sackcloth.
Daniel diligently prayed and fasted. We should do the same, and set our face toward Yahweh Elohim.
Dan 9:4 And I prayed to the Lord my God, and confessed, and said, O Lord, the great and wonderful God, keeping thy covenant and thy mercy to them that love thee, and to them that keep thy commandments; we have sinned,
Did Daniel sin? No. But he prayed including himself with the nation. When people in certain states change laws decriminalizing drugs and pedophilia, and allow late term abortion, then we are all included in the sin.
Dan 9:5 we have done iniquity, we have transgressed, and we have departed and turned aside from thy commandments and from thy judgments:
Dan 9:6 and we have not hearkened to thy servants the prophets, who spoke in thy name to our kings, and our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.
There have been many prophets and prophetic warnings for us. We usually don’t like to hear warnings. Some hirelings even claim that prophecies are only for edification and not foretelling, thereby dismissing all warnings. No one will catch fire for Jesus without understanding the consequences of our lukewarmness.
Dan 9:7 To thee, O Lord, belongs righteousness, an to us confusion of face, as at this day; to the men of Juda, and to the dwellers in Jerusalem, and to all Israel, to them that are near, and to them that are far off in all the earth, wherever thou has scattered them, for the sin which they committed.
Dan 9:8 In thee, O Lord, is our righteousness, and to us belongs confusion of faced, and to our kings, and to our princes, and to our fathers, forasmuch as we have sinned.
The word translated confusion here is the word aischunē meaning “shame or disgrace”. The people are shameful, and the people are disgraced, not confused. At this point the entire nation was in captivity for seventy years. The first group to go into captivity was Joakim’s household. The second group to go was Ezekiel’s group. The third group was the rest of Judah. At that time Ezekiel saw the angels marking those who mourned for the temple. The others were allowed to be slain. So the people in captivity were not necessarily the sinners. They were the ones who mourned for the temple. The sad part is that they were the lukewarm people, they were not aggressively calling for holiness. They probably enjoyed Josiah’s cleaning up of Judah, but they didn’t help the sinners to understand why the passover was important. They let the sinners do what they wanted to do.
Dan 9:9 To thee, the Lord our God, belong compassions and forgivenesses, whereas we have departed from thee;
Dan 9:10 neither have we hearkened to the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in his laws, which he set before us by the hands of his servants the prophets.
Dan 9:11 Moreover all Israel have transgressed thy law, and have refused to hearken to thy voice; so the curse has come upon us, and the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against him.
All of Israel was living under the curses that Moses told them would take place if they did not follow Yahweh, Deuteronomy 28.
Dan 9:12 And he has confirmed his words, which he spoke against us, and against our judges who judged us, by bringing upon us great evils, such as have not happened under the whole heaven, according to what has happened in Jerusalem.
There were unjust judges in all of Israel. They were judging against the people, bringing great evil. This is a tactic of the satan. Bring litigations to unjust judges in the courts to impose contrary laws and rules, rather than letting the people vote for laws. They cannot win if the righteous vote, so the strategy is to usurp the will of the people via unjust judges who bring great evil into the nation.
Dan 9:13 As it is written in the law of Moses, all these evils have come upon us: yet we have not besought the Lord our God, that we might turn away from our iniquities, and have understanding in all thy truth.
Dan 9:14 The Lord also has watched, and brought the evils upon us: for the Lord our God is righteous in all his work which he has executed, but we have not hearkened to his voice.
They were warned by Moses. The prophets told them. Not enough people listened. The hierarchies became corrupt and the people had been suppressed. Over four hundred years of temple defilement put Judah in this position. The people became lukewarm. Remember what happened to the tribe of Benjamin? Almost all twelve tribes came against them and killed them for their sin. They had to find other people to procreate and call them the tribe of Benjamin. We don’t fight for righteousness anymore.
Dan 9:15 And now, O Lord our God, who broughtest thy people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and madest to thyself a name, as at this day; we have sinned, we have transgressed.
Dan 9:16 O Lord, thy mercy is over all: let, I pray thee, thy wrath turn away, and thine anger from thy city Jerusalem, even thy holy mountain: for we have sinned, and because of our iniquities, and those of our fathers, Jerusalem and thy people are become a reproach among all that are round about us.
Dan 9:17 And now, O lord our God, hearken to the prayer of thy servant, and his supplications, and cause thy face to shine on thy desolate sanctuary, for thine own sake, O Lord.
Dan 9:18 Incline thine ear, O my God, and hear; open thine eyes and behold our desolation, and that of thy city on which thy name is called: for we do not bring our pitiful case before thee on the ground of our righteousness, but on the ground of thy manifold compassions, O Lord.
Dan 9:19 Hearken, O Lord; be propitious, O Lord; attend, O Lord; delay not, O my God, for thine own sake: for thy name is called upon thy city and upon thy people.
Daniel prays for Yahweh not to hear his pitiful case because of their righteousness, but because of Yahweh’s manifold compassion. The time of the captivity was ending. Daniel was praying for all of Israel, but also for Jerusalem. Daniel was around 90 years old. He never went back to Jerusalem. But he was able to see that people did return to Judah. It wasn’t all smooth sailing when they did go back, they had people opposing them. Those who went back built their own houses first. The lukewarmness didn’t leave until after the temple was rebuilt and Ezra and Nehemiah dedicated it. Yet Judah was still under foreign rule. Israel is barely under her own rule today, meaning, while the nation is established, other world leaders weigh in on their inner conflicts. They are told how to behave.
The problem with lukewarmness is it allows others to control the nation. It allowed evil to rise up. It allows others to direct the lives of the Christian. Just like Judah, Christians are allowing others to manage the nation and not fighting for what is good and right. How many lawsuits have been made against Christians and Christianity, forcing people to go against their spiritual beliefs? Unjust judges are causing great evil, such as California now allowing judges to decide whether raping a child is a criminal offense.
Staying lukewarm means Jesus vomits us out of his mouth. We are shameful for not being hot for Jesus. We are shameful for not fighting for Him on the earth. We have allowed the hirelings to tell us that we cannot be too hot or others won’t come to visit our church. We have allowed the hirelings to bow to the wolves and they have told the church body to compromise with the wolves. There is no compromise. We are in a long race that we cannot lose if we are hot. There is no retreat, and there is no surrender. We know if we are hot and we know if we are lukewarm. It is time for the church to arise and take her rightful place in the nations. Fight for the overthrow of evil. Fight to dismiss unjust judges. Fight to remove the puppets who have sold us out. Fight until Jesus returns. Don’t be among the lukewarm who go along with evil, Jesus will vomit out the lukewarm. Come out from blindness and work for Jesus.
https://musingsofawinsomeheart.blogspot.com/2020/11/no-retreat-no-surrender-oppose-opponent.html
https://musingsofawinsomeheart.blogspot.com/2020/11/learn-to-hear-hired-servants-thief.htmlgt
