The excitement and joy people experience when they are released from a long-term situation of bondage is a feeling hard to surpass! Freedom is one of the basic ingredients in attaining genuine happiness. Jesus put the importance of truth at the highest premium when he said, “The truth will set you free!”
If the bible’s truth will set us free, it stands to reason, false teachings that twist the bible’s absolute singular truth, will keep us in captivity! The problem is; all of men’s traditional teachings claim to present truth. It appears the members of these diverse teachings are content to remain under this deluding influence because they sincerely believe the teachings they have heard their entire lives, or simply because they regularly attend and contribute to a church or religious organization! Now is the time to stop listening to the unrighteous deceptions of lawless ones who are building their own dynasties…. Now is the time to break the yoke of bondage and let the Word of God do the talking!
“The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth that they might be saved. And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who do not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” (2nd Thessalonians 2:9-12)
Although sincerity is the first step in learning real truth, these scriptures absolutely confirm that sincerity alone is not the answer. The apostle Paul was an excellent example of this fact. He was so sincere in his religious convictions, he approved as he watched the righteous man Stephen, be stoned to death. The only thing Stephen had done was explain the true meanings of Israel’s history. This infuriated the sincere followers of the temple’s teachings to the point of killing him. Paul did not change his thinking until he encountered truth through the spirit of Jesus on the road to Damascus. If this encounter with spirit and truth had not occurred, he would have remained in his sincerity of false teachings. He would not have been set free from them and his name would not have been changed from Saul to Paul.
As end-time events take place, the salvation plan God declared to the prophets will get closer and closer. As these things occur, a change from believing and following false teachings, to recognizing the promised end-time truth will become increasingly essential. The Seven Thunders and the accompanying precepts have explained many of the things God is going to do for the people that will eventually live under His Kingdom’s rule. The foundation of that future life will be proper worship based on truth! This is why the chief cornerstone of the temple that will be built inside the hearts of God’s people will be Jesus Christ!
This information is designed to introduce and prepare people for the method of salvation God has in store for those who will take the time to intensely study His word. This process will not be hastily accomplished, and will proceed according to God’s timeline. As the sign of Jonah and other prophecies take place, the light of truth will get brighter and more radiant. The people who are on the narrow path of understanding the bible’s truths before these events occur are fortunate indeed. (Matthew 7:13, 14) They will not only be able to help others, but will also be better prepared for all the things coming. Because of God’s perfect design, even the many that are now captivated by lifelong traditional beliefs and refuse to change their thinking, will eventually be quick to open their eyes.
When God awakens zeal, the captives will escape!!! This event during the final part of the days is explained in the following scriptures.
(Isaiah 49:25, 26) But thus says the LORD: “Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered; for I will contend with him who contends with you, and I will save your children.” “I will feed those who oppress you with their own flesh, and they shall be drunk with their own blood as with sweet wine. All flesh shall know that I, the LORD, am your savior, and your redeemer, the mighty one of Jacob.”
(Isaiah 42:13-16) “The LORD shall go forth like a mighty man; He shall stir up His zeal like a man of war. He shall cry out, yes, shout aloud; He shall prevail against His enemies.” “I have held my peace a long time I have been still and restrained Myself. Now I will cry like a woman in labor, I will pant and gasp at once. I will lay waste the mountains and hills, and dry up all their vegetation; I will make the rivers coast lands, and I will dry up the pools. I will bring the blind by a way they did not know; I will lead them in paths they have not known. I will make darkness light before them, and crooked places straight. These things I will do for them, and not forsake them.” “They shall be turned back, they shall be greatly ashamed, who trust in carved images, who say to the molded images, ‘you are our gods.’
Sincerely believing in false teachings is exactly why so many people chose the traditions of men over the truthful words of Jesus when he was on earth! In our day and time truth has once again begun to speak out in the midst of this world’s wide path of traditions…. recognizing it will be just as paramount as it was in those days! This appearance and guiding light of truth will not be presented from the hand-built altars of men who are seeking to grow their organizations through your money! (Isaiah 17:8) For everyone who has a hunger to learn about the sacred secret God declared to His servants the prophets, the promised end-time guidance will be free! (Revelation 10:7 & 22:17)
Everyone realizes that in the last days we all must become footstep followers of Jesus, but what exactly is involved in doing this seemingly simple thing? People all over the world are declaring their love for Jesus by saying they are taking him into their hearts. Is it really that simple? Can we honestly make that statement and continue on our merry way believing the same lies we always have?
We must realize Jesus represents truth! Recognizing and accepting truth is the only way to take Jesus into our hearts! This is what separates true love and respect, from idle talk! We can appear righteous to our friends on Sunday morning by boldly proclaiming our love for Jesus, however truly taking Jesus into our hearts is proven by dedicated study of God’s word, which is why Jesus is called “The Word.” Taking the word into your heart requires honest love, diligence, and the integrity to distinguish traditional lies from real truth! This is what stops sincerely believing in things that are not true!
This fact presents a big problem for all who desire to please God. The ones captivated by the false teachings of men…. Are not even aware of it…. Nor do they know who represents them in prophecy! Because they lack dedicated personal study, they have no idea the prophets constantly described this now existing, modern-day dilemma! (Isaiah 42:7 & 61:1)
By investigating and understanding the pattern of events that took place during the beginning of the original people God called Israel, we can see this identity problem was prophesied to be!
It began when Jacob obtained his father’s birthright blessing through a deception of false identity. The prophesied deception has continued on, through “The veil of Moses.” Moses wore a veil when he presented a covenant written on tablets of stone to ancient Israel. That covenant would pass away, but behind the veil was the excelling glory of a new covenant that would not be written on tablets of stone, but rather on the hearts of God’s people. This cleansing of the heart will be attained in the final part of the days, as God’s people understand the truth found in The Word…. or when they “Truly take Jesus into their hearts!” (2nd Corinthians 3:7-15)
“Moses put a veil over his face so that the children of Israel could not look steadily at the end of what was passing away.”
“But their minds were blinded, for until this day the same veil remains un-lifted in the readings of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ.” “But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart.”
It has continued to occur exactly as Paul said; the prophetic words of the prophets are not understood, because the veil of Moses has remained un-lifted! Down to this day, the real identity of the house of Jacob has remained a complete deception! Every religion of man has twisted this identity to fit their own narratives!!!
When a religion teaches that Jacob represents only the descendants of ancient Israel, and their members separately represent the church, they are teaching the same separations of people that Christ’s death brought to an end! By saying ancient Israel descendants are still under the old law covenant, they are saying Christ died in vain! (Galatians 2:21) (Hebrews 8:13) Why has the truth remained veiled on this particular matter? (2nd Corinthians 4:1-6)
Many keys to understanding the prophet’s salvation prophecies are linked to the proper identification of the house of Jacob. Not knowing this bible truth has kept the salvation plan hidden until God’s intended time for it to be revealed! The captive ones of Jacob will not be set free until the final part of the days…. when all Israel is gathered together. This unification and gathering of God’s people into lands that will be chosen by Him, cannot take place until the spirit of truth arrives! Because of the veil of Moses, when prophecies such as Ezekiel 39:25-29 are read, the timelines and locations of the lands God’s people will inherit are completely distorted and misunderstood! (Romans 4:13) This is why the musterion God declared to the prophets has remained a mystery down to this day!
Throughout the prophets the phrase, “The captive ones of Jacob” is used many times. Instead of continuing to listen to men who pass this unflattering title off on other people, it’s time to understand why the symbolic drama of Abraham and his descendants was told.
Abraham became a friend of God’s when he agreed to perform the hard to imagine act of sacrificing the life of his son Isaac. Who could do such a thing? Who could display that kind of obedience? Because this was the exact thing God Himself was going to do, He declared Abraham would become the father of many nations and the promise of salvation would be through him. He further stated that the promised salvation of all mankind would continue through his son Isaac. When Isaac’s wife Rebekah became pregnant with the twin brothers Esau and Jacob, God told her that 2 nations or 2 types of people were in her womb. As the story continues we begin to see the modern-day impact of Esau and Jacob.
When it comes down to the bottom line of how people feel about God, there exists only 2 types of people…. believers and non-believers…. those who are interested or concerned with God and those with no interest or concern whatsoever. The symbolic drama of Esau and Jacob actually represents the earth’s entire population.
Esau traded his birthright for a mere bowl of stew. This type of apathetic betrayal is seen in many people today. By properly understanding that Esau represents people that care nothing about God and Jacob represents the people that do, we can learn about the promised destinies of both.
The 18th verse of Obadiah reveals that in the coming day of distress and calamity, the house of Jacob will be set on fire with truth, but there will be no survivors in the house of Esau!
It will occur exactly as the prophecy of Genesis 35 foretold. When Jacob and his family stopped false worship and began to worship in a true manner, God told Jacob; “No longer is your name to be called Jacob, but Israel will your name become.”
God’s prophetic words to Jacob will not be fulfilled until the new creation of Israel, is born again during the final part of the days. (Galatians 6:15, 16) In our near future, Jacob will once again become Israel! The 27th chapter of Isaiah tells the whole story of how this will take place. When the captives are freed from Leviathan the twisted serpent…. When God makes the stones of the altars like chalkstones that are beaten to dust…. when this occurs, Jacob will take root and Israel will blossom and bud, filling the face of the world with fruit. The veil that is spread over all the nations will be lifted! Isaiah 25:6, 7 confirms this fact.
“And in this mountain (Micah 4:1, 2 explains the mountain) shall the LORD of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined.”
“And He will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the veil that is spread over all nations.”
When these prophecies are properly understood, it becomes easy to see why discerning the correct identity of the house of Jacob today, is very important!
The 6th chapter of Amos reveals even more facts about Jacob’s current captivity in men’s religions. It begins by explaining how their false teachings have made them at ease or completely confident in their heaven bound future. This presumptuous theory is the main teaching of all religions. The Potter, not the clay, will determine who goes to heaven…. And When! They are then described as being a chief part of the nations. No single religion could be considered a major part of the nations…. this confirms that Jacob is in fact, represented by all religions of man!
In the 5th chapter God makes statements about things that have become common practice in all of men’s worship activities.
“I despise your feast days, and I do not savor your sacred assemblies.” “Take away from me the noise of your songs, for I will not hear the melody of your stringed instruments.” “But let justice run down like water, and righteousness like a mighty stream.”
In verses 5-8 of the 6th chapter, God begins to describe who they are, and how He feels about their activities.
“Woe to you who sing idly to the sound of stringed instruments, and invent for yourselves musical instruments like David. “Who drink wine from bowls, and anoint yourselves with the best ointments, but are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.” “Therefore they shall now go captive as the first of the captives, and those who recline at banquets shall be removed.” The LORD God has sworn by Himself, The LORD God of hosts says: “I abhor the pride of Jacob, and hate his palaces; therefore I will deliver up the city and all that is in it.”
Remember, the prophets are made up of similitudes and visions of the future. (Hosea 12:10) The very people these scriptures are talking about always apply them to the Israel that followed Moses, rather than the real subject, the new creation of Israel during the end-times. This is why Paul said, “When the prophets are read, the veil of Moses remains un-lifted down to this day.”
The teachings of all men’s religions imply that the bible is merely a history book. Even though the bible was written thousands of years ago, God has the unfathomable wisdom and foresight to use events of those times to describe everything going on in our world today! This rarely understood fact is verified by the following scriptures.
(Romans 15:4) “For all the things that were written aforetime were written for our instruction, that through our endurance and through the comfort from the scriptures we might have hope.”
(Acts 3:21, 24) “whom heaven indeed, must hold within itself until the times of restoration of all things of which God spoke through the mouth of his holy prophets of old time.”
“And all the prophets, in fact from Samuel on, and those in succession, just as many as have spoken, have also plainly declared these days.”
The real house of Jacob would never accept their true identity. Why? Because they would have to concede their many problems that are so perfectly described by the prophets! They say the bible’s constant prophecies concerning Israel are only talking about a few million people, and yet there are over 7 billion people presently on earth. If Christ’s death brought complete equality to all mankind, as the apostle Paul taught over and over, how could this demonstrate rational thinking?
The vision in the 5th chapter of Jeremiah addresses those who are the real captive ones of Jacob. Jacob’s captivity has occurred all over the world because of the many deceptions found in not just one…. but every religion of man! This prophecy certainly pulls no punches…. it tells it like it is!
“Declare this in the house of Jacob! Hear this now, O foolish people, without understanding, who have eyes and see not, and have ears and hear not.” “For among My people are found wicked men; they lie in wait as one who sets snares; they set a trap; they catch men. “As a cage full of birds, so their houses are full of deceit. Therefore they have become great and grown rich.” “The prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule by their own power; and My people love to have it so. But what will you do in the end?
Yes, what will we do in the finale of this world’s religious stronghold? Shouldn’t we at least investigate these houses of deception? Will we keep following those who claim the church or congregation of Christ has already been formed, and is found only within their walls? Or will we truly take Jesus into our hearts through intense study of The Word…. And allow the truth to set us free?
As this very important precept is closed, one of the most valuable truths any truth seeker can discern needs to be re-emphasized. The original chosen people God called Israel that was led out of captivity by Moses…. Does Not represent the Israel the prophetic visions of the prophets are referring to! When God makes the statement; “My People” in these prophecies, He is not referring to the small group of people men now call Israel!
The story of how God’s original Israel began with Jacob and his 12 sons, was a metaphoric explanation of how God will choose and unite a great nation of people in the final part of the days!
God’s people today are captivated in slavery to men’s ways of worship, exactly as they were in the symbolic story. People from all parts of the world and all walks of life are part of “The Captive Ones of Jacob.” Only God knows the hearts of those currently in the twisted serpent…. (Romans 11:32) Only His truth will set them free! When Jacob takes root, as John’s vision in Revelation 7 revealed, the 12 tribes of Israel will blossom and bud!
Every detail of the metaphoric story of Jacob will provide insight and direction to God’s chosen people during the conclusion of this system of things. The apostle Paul explains this in the 10th chapter of 1st Corinthians, and sums it up in verses 11 & 12.
“Now all of these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come.” “Therefore he who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.”
Truth will set the captives free…… Take Heed!!!!