Hosea "Symbolical (Introversion and Alternations.)" This Bible Study is written by Roger
Christopherson, and made available with written
permission by http://www.theseason.org Hosea, like the rest of the eleven minor Prophets, were classified as "Minor" because of the short length of their writings. The major and minor prophets are equally inspired by God. In all Hebrew manuscripts, and Hebrew printed Bibles, the twelve minor prophets are printed in unbroken sequences; and are all considered as one book. This is the same as the twelve tribes ("dodeka" is twelve, "phule" is tribes) all were one nation. The twelve books are divided into twenty one "Sedarin" and were used for public readings. Hosea 1:1, to 5:15 is the first reading; 6:1 through 10:11 is the second, 10:12 through 14:6 was the third reading, and 14:7-8, and 9 were part of the Joel chapters. Six of these minor prophets are dated and six are not. Thus you have a division into two groups. The book of Hosea was given by prophetic utterance, and the key to understanding the words spoken are from God directly, or of the thoughts of the prophet personally are "The word of the Lord by", "Hear the word of the Lord spoken by", or "the burden of the word of the Lord." This continues through out all the books of the minor prophets. Hosea was a prophet speaking to all 12 tribes. The 10 tribes of the "The House of Israel", was the Northern Kingdom, and the 2 tribes of "The House of Judah". was the Southern Kingdom, they were given good news by Hosea. The prophecy was given in the time of the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah; they were the Kings of the "House of Judah" (Judah). The time of Hosea's prophecy covered seventy two years, from the 14th year of Uzziah, to the start of the reign of Hezekiah. The first chapter of Hosea is a warning by God to the Northern Nation’s, the 10 tribes or "House of Israel." Their capitol is Samaria, and God is telling them, they are about to have a terrible end. Their nation is about to be destroyed, and separated from God. This falling away has come about by their worshipping of idols (the two golden calf's) and many other forms of idolatry and fornication. Hosea 1:1 "The word of the LORD that came unto Hosea, the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Herekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel. The name Hoses" means Salvation, and by tradition, the name "Beeri" is attached to the tribe of Reuben (1 Chronicles. 5:6). Hosea 1:2 "The beginning of the word of the LORD by Hosea, And the LORD said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the LORD." This is the start of many prophecies, and by fifteen different prophets, to prophecy against the "House of Israel". The "wife of whoredoms", is because the Northern nation refused to worship God, God's way. To worship at His altar, at His temple, in Jerusalem. Israel was divided into two nations following king Solomon's death. The name of Israel stayed with the majority of the tribes, for back in Genesis 48, Jacob told Joseph his name was "Israel" and would always be on the head of his, "Joseph's", son Ephraim. Judah, or "The house of Israel fell into calf worship, and all forms of idolatry, Judah held fast the worshipping of the one true God, Jehovah, in God's temple in Jerusalem. The religious forms of Israel are considered a "Woman", and all those worshipping them are considered idolatries. The subject of this chapter is the idolatries of the Northern Kingdom, and the children, or offspring of the people of that kingdom. This woman is an idolatrous. The "Land" is "eretz" in the Hebrew, meaning "earth." The people on that land committed these sin. Hosea 1:3 "So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; which conceived, and bare him a son." God ordered Hosea to go and marry a whore, "Take thee a wife of whoredoms", in verse 2. Hosea went and did exactly as God commanded them to do. His wife's name was Gomer, and in the Hebrew meaning completion. She was the daughter of Dibiaim, which in the Hebrew has two meanings; a double cake of figs, and also is symbolical of sensual pleasure. This, again, is an object lesson to Israel of what God is about to do to them. So pay close attention to names and events. It is not directed to the House of Judah, the Jews. Hosea 1:4 "And the LORD said unto him, "Call his name Jezreel: for yet a little while, and I will avenge the blood of Jezreel upon the house of Jehu, and will cause to cease the kingdom of the house of Israel." The name "Jezreel" in the Hebrew, is prophetic of a coming judgment. Note the Hebrew word, also "Paronomsia" means "Repetition in sound, but not in sense. "Jezreel" then is God's first warning to the "House of Israel" and states that a prophetic judgment is about to come upon them. At the proper time. It is God who will avenge Israel for her wickedness and idolatry. God said "I will cause the House of Israel to cease". That means no more are they going to exist as a nation, or be identified with God, as God's people. This is not directed to the Jews, only to the 10 tribes. King Jehu, the "House of Jehu", carried out God's judgment on the House of Ahab", and committed murder. What Jehu did was not God's will, but a power grab. He then continued in the same idolatries as Ahab's Kingdom followed. So Hosea's first son's named, "Jezreel" is God telling Israel in symbolic form, that He is about to scatter them (see also Jere. 31:10); and they will not exist as a nation anymore. Hosea 1:5 "And it shall come to pass at that day, that I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel." In reference to "That day", is the day Israel was overthrown, and carried away by the Assyrian's. It is recorded in II Kings 18:11. The "Bow" is "Metonymy" in the Hebrew (of the adjunct). It means "Bow" is substituted for everything representing "The house of Israel" as a nation. Their army, government, language, religion, and what ever else identifies them is belonging to the "House of Israel." It shall and did come to pass as God spoke it, most of all the offspring of the "House of Israel" have no idea who they are or how they are attached. Yet God's prophecies of these end times is saturated with the "House of Israel" in their lands, and dealt separately from the Jews. One key in understanding who they are is in the word "Caucasian", it is that race of people who migrated through the Caucasus Mountains, and spread out throughout the Western Europe, later to the Americas, and colonizing into nations around the world. They came through the Caucasus Mountains at exactly the same historical time as the "House of Israel" was dismantled by God's servants, the Assyrian's, and taken to an area just south of these mountains. Hosea 1:6 "And she conceived again, and bare a daughter. And God said unto him, "Call her name Lo-ruhamah: for I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel; but I will utterly take them away." Hosea and Gomer have a second child, a daughter, and God told Hosea to call her name "Lo-ruhamah": which means "not compassionated", or "not beloved". This is why Paul in Romans 9:25 used the expression "not having obtained mercy, with respect to the "House of Israel" The "house of Israel", on Israel (not Jews) were utterly dismantled, as any remembrance of being God's people. They were so scattered they forgot who they were. Hosea 1:7 "But I will have mercy upon the house of Judah, and will save them by the LORD their God, and will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, not by horsemen." Verse seven is not a "interpolation", or "Inserting of new material" into the subject but rather a clarification that God is going to handle and treat Israel, and Judah separately from now on. Israel, God is going to divorce, while Judah He is not. Israel, and Judah are dealt with separately from now on. God will have "No mercy" (Lo-ruhamah) on Israel; while He will show mercy of Judah, even through Judah's captivity in Babylon. "By the Lord their God", is a commitment of Jehovah to Judah. Hosea 1:8 "Now when she weaned Lo-ruhamah, she conceived, and bare a son. Hosea 1:9 "Then said God, "Call his name Lo-ammi" for ye are not My People, I will not be your God." "Lo-Ammi" in Hebrew means "Not my people." Remember this chapter, as the book, is a symbolic gesture, using Hosea's family as a reminder of what God is going to do, and latter did, to the House of Israel" (not the Jews). In the Hebrew text, God told Israel, "I am not (I am) to you." I am is God's eternal name. God disclaims any ownership of Israel. "Lo-Ammi" is Hosea's third child, and through these three children, God has sent His message to Israel; "Jezreel" means, God will cease their Kingdom, "Lo-Ruhamah" means , God will not have compassion on their people; and "Lo-Ammi" means, you are not my people. Hosea 1:10 "Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured not numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, We are not My People," there it shall be said unto them, "Ye are the sons of the living GOD." This verse is directed to the latter days; The generation we are in now. It is talking only of the "House of Israel" (Children of Israel) and not Judah. Today the Jews are numbered, and in World War 11, the Germans reduced that number by a large percentage. God is saying here, that you cannot number Israel, so where are Israelites? They are comprise of all the Christian Nations around the world. All Western Europe is comprised of these Israelites; and America. The United States is Manasseh. Our Crest, seal and every thing about us is confirmed by scripture as to the makeup of Manasseh in the final generation. Most of the false ministers are teaching a doctrine which can not exist along side the truth of the word of God; and thus attribute any prophecy directed at Israel, to the Jews. This is why their interpretation of their Bible prophecy never works out. Many Prophets today write books explaining Bible prophecies, yet they rewrite their books, making changes to allow for the part of their prophecy which was untrue. This correction is necessary because their understanding of God's word is built upon man's traditions, and not God's word. They simply do not understand that God dealt with Israel and Judah separately. God divorced Israel, and scattered them. God allowed Israel to grow into many nations in these end times. Today when these Israelites, divorced by God, accept God's salvation message, and come to God through Christ's shed blood, they take on a new identity. They are now called "Christians" and are known as the Son's of God. Though they are Christians, they are still "Israel" with regards to Bible Prophecy, projected ahead to our generation, and living today in Christian Nations wherever those Nations exist. "There", in that place, "it shall be said unto (or) them, "ye are the sons of the living God". That name today is "Christian." If you do not understand that those son's of the living God or that (Christians) are Israel in our last generation, then you will be off on all kinds of interpretations regarding the end time prophecy. Judah has a totally different set of prophecies. Judah is, and has returned to Palestine, thus planting the shoot of the Fig Tree that started the countdown in this final generation. Israel does not move back; there are simply to many of them. That is why God told Hosea, "that in the place where I said unto them, ye are not my People.", that place is where ever they happen to call home, England, Canada, the U.S.A. or where ever they are; they are to be the ones to fulfill the prophecies pertaining to "Israel", or the "House of Israel". The two tribes to carry the name Israel, and Abraham's blessing was given to Joseph's two son's. This is recorded in Genesis 48: 14-20. The Scepter, was given to rule, over Israel and was given to Judah. Gen. 49: 8-10. Hosea 1: 11 "Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land; for great shall be the day of Jezreel." This "Day of Jezreel" is also called , the "Day of the LORD". It is the day that Israel will be restored with Judah as one people. We know this has not happened yet, but at the seventh trump, when our Lord Jesus Christ returns, this joining will take place. This is what Romans 11:14-16 is all about , the restoring of Israel. It is important to fix in your mind on this separation of Israel from God, yet in the end God will bring back Israel to Christ, by means of Christ's death on the cross. Remembering that Israel and Judah are dealt with separately. At the seventh Trump the battle of Armageddon is for the protections of Judah in the middle east; while Hamon-Gog (multitude of Gog") is for the protection of Israel. By the description in Obadiah and Ezekiel 38 & 39, I believe Hamon-God will be in Alaska, or Northern Canada. In order to check this out for your own understanding, use your Strong's Concordance, the King James Bible and ask the Lord to reveal His truth to you.
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