The Rain's Reign

Zechariah chapter 10 is a synopsis text which contains information about each house of Israel, and its respective destiny. In a mere 7 and a half verses (3b-12) the prophet menages to compress some of the history of each house, that which has already been fulfilled centuries past the life of Zechariah, and that which is yet to come. What's more, the prophet even refers to previous prophecies regarding, especially, the northern house of Israel, and responds to them. Only a word breathed by the Elohim of Israel, albeit through a human agency, can hit the mark in so few words, and be so comprehensive and detailed.

Zechariah's words about Judah's military prowess (vs. 3b, 4b, 5, 6a) have seen their fulfillment in our day and age. As to the "cornerstone" (v. 4a), that can easily be a reference to Yeshua ("the stone that the builders rejected has become the chief cornerstone" Ps. 118:22; Luke 20:17).  The "tent peg" has to do with taking over the land, if we compare the usage of this imagery to Isaiah 54:2: "Enlarge the place of your tent, and let them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings; Do not spare; Lengthen your cords, and strengthen your stakes". This word is still waiting to come to its fullness in the future. In verse 6b we encounter the "house of Joseph" who is qualified by "being saved", and by being "brought back" (to the land). And whereas in Hosea YHVH is said to have had "no mercy" on them, and that they would be "not My people", here it says "I have mercy on them", and "they shall be as though I had not cast them aside; For I am YHVH their Elohim".  Without a doubt, these words echo Hosea's. But while the latter's statements about Israel's northern house are still a fait accompli, this is not so in Zechariah's prophecy. Chapter 10 of his book goes on to describe Ephraim's future prowess, their joy, and their ingathering (v. 7). In the following verses there is even a reference to their "Jezreel" identity (see Hosea 1:4,5), also to their redemption, and their 'memory recall' (no longer being in the state of forgetfulness – Menashe). Those parts of the land of Israel, destined to be their inheritance, are also enumerated. Verses 11 and 12 end the chapter by stating that after going through a "sea of troubles" (echoing the Exodus and the crossing of the Sea of Reeds), Joseph will be further strengthened by their Elohim.

As mentioned, many more references (and elaborations) on these words may be attached to this brief account, especially so from Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel. However, there is one part of the chapter that we have completely ignored up to now:

"Ask YHVH for rain in the time of the latter rain. YHVH will make flashing clouds; He will give them showers of rain, grass in the field for everyone.  For the idols speak delusion; the diviners envision lies, and tell false dreams; they comfort in vain. Therefore the people went their way like sheep; They are in trouble because there is no shepherd.  My anger is kindled against the shepherds, and I will punish the goatherds… " (vs. 1-3a).

YHVH is adjuring us to ask for the "malkosh", which is the latter rain. Moreover, He is said to be engaged in making flashing clouds and promises to give rain. What is the connection of "rain", especially the latter rain, to the prophecy about Judah and Joseph? Let's continue…. YHVH points out the obstacles to the restoration of all of Israel. The leaders of the nation-in-the-making have been misleading the people, to the degree that their presence is as though they were absent (both Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel elaborate much on this topic). Thus, without righteous leadership, what has been tolerated, or accepted are "idols, delusions, diviners, lies, false dreams" all of which "comfort in vain" causing YHVH's people to go astray. Isn't Elohim able to deal with all of these, and obliterate them for the sake of His people? If so, why is He commanding His people to ask for the latter rain, and what kind of rain?

It seems that Elohim has a task for His people. He is desiring cooperation. "Ask for rain at the time of the latter rain….!" The latter rains are those that come at the end of the rainy season, in the spring of the year. But no doubt these rains, mentioned here, are referring to the rains of the Spirit for the purpose of demolishing the above-mentioned falsehoods.  Not having reliable leaders, YHVH is positioning Himself as the Leader who is calling upon His people to actively look to Him to send the Spirit of Holiness, the same Spirit that fell upon the disciples at Shavuot (during the season of the – literal – latter rain in Israel).

Let us now hear/read what Yeshua has to say about seeking the Spirit:  "So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.  If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish?  Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion?  If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!" (Luke 11:9-13 emphasis added).  

In another place Yeshua says the following about this very matter: "Therefore I say to you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven men.  Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it will not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come" (Matthew 12:31-32).

Hosea, whose message focuses greatly on Joseph and its reunion with Judah, says the following:   ^"Let us know, let us pursue the knowledge of YHVH. His going forth is established as the morning; He will come to us like the rain, like the latter and former rain to the earth" (Hosea 6:3 emphases added).

Perhaps during this time of chaos and confusion, this season of violence characterized by the departure from all moral standards, what is 'left' to do, is that which Abba is beckoning us to, and that is to ask for the double portion of the Spirit's rain. With every area of life being in such disarray, natural solutions are far from being satisfactory. On the global level, things are even worse. But is it possible that YHVH's Spirit of Holiness – Ruach HaKodesh – is busy making use of every intent and action, be they good or evil, placing them in their rightful position jigsaw puzzle-fashion, thus bringing forth His Kingdom out of the present darkness that His Spirit is hovering over? If we seek Him for that greater measure of the Spirit so as to lead and guide us in removing the obstacles along His path (see Is. 40:3; 62:10), surely, He will not deny us.

 

 

 

Exclusivism

 It seems that when one comes to understand the history of the Word of Elohim and its connection to the two houses of Israel, as is stated, for example, in the following: "Then He shall become a sanctuary; but to the two houses of Israel, a stone to strike and a rock to stumble over” (Isaiah 8:14 emphasis added), one is often accused of “exclusivism.”  Yet it was YHVH who chose to make a covenant with the one father - Abraham - through whom a seed was born from a dead womb - Sarah’s.  This fact is also confirmed by Paul: “Neither are they all children because they are Abraham's descendants, but: ‘through Isaac your seed will be named’.  That is, it is not the children of the flesh who are children of Elohim, but the children of the promise are regarded as the seed/sperm. For this is a word of promise: ‘At this time I will come, and Sarah shall have a son’" (Romans 9:6-9 emphasis added).  YHVH also declared that this seed would be anointed and separated from all other seeds (see Amos 3:1-2; Deut. 7:6). "For you are a holy people to YHVH your Elohim; YHVH your Elohim has chosen you to be a people for His own possession out of all the peoples who are on the face of the earth” (Deut. 7:6). How? By His “Word” and through an oath, covenants, and promises.   No other seed in humanity received this special and peculiar calling. It was an election of race, “you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for Elohim’s own possession” (1 Peter 2:9).  But because YHVH sowed the life/germ of that seed into many races, tribes, and tongues of humanity, the only way to find out who the members of this race are is through the election of grace. ^“For this reason, it is by faith, that it might be in accordance with grace, in order that the promise may be certain to all the seed/germ, not only to those who are of the Law/Torah, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all…” (Romans 4:16 emphasis added).  

Israel was destined to experience multiplication by the Creator of the Universe, to be watched over by Him, and to be brought through a time of planting into a season of harvesting the first fruit of the sons of His new creation. “In the exercise of His will, He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we might be, as it were, the first fruits among His creatures” (James 1:18). Nevertheless, if one preaches or teaches this great mystery, one stands to be accused of exclusivism. However, another gospel, other than the one that the Father ordained through His Son Yeshua, the Anointed One, may turn out to be a message of ‘anti-Christ.’

The Almighty sowed just one seed of one father in the field of humanity, but the enemy came and sowed another seed.  Thus, in the end, only two seeds are in the field remain. We are all familiar with the parable that Yeshua taught on this subject (see Matt. 13:24-30). David describes the tares growing alongside the wheat: “The wicked are estranged from the womb; these who speak lies go astray from birth. They have venom like the venom of a serpent; Like a deaf cobra that stops up its ear, so that it does not hear the voice of charmers, or a skillful caster of spells” (Psalm 58:3-5).  Again, believing that YHVH will be harvesting both seeds, mixing His with the enemy’s, is not in accordance with YHVH’s redemption plan as is delineated in His Word. Another example of YHVH’s ‘exclusiveness’ is illustrated by the parable of the fishing net that yielded a multitude of fish, but then the fishermen had to sort them out, discarding the “bad” ones (see Matt. 13:47-49).

YHVH’s love toward all mankind has no confines or bounds. In His wisdom, righteousness, and mercy, having sown the seed mentioned above into many races, tribes, and tongues, He has included a great variety within His called-out first-fruit remnant.

“O seed of Abraham, His servant, O sons of Jacob, His chosen ones! He is YHVH our Elohim; His judgments are in all the earth. He has remembered His covenant forever, the word which He commanded to a thousand generations, the covenant which He made with Abraham, and His oath to Isaac. Then He confirmed it to Jacob for a statute, to Israel as an everlasting covenant…” (Psalm 105:6-10).