Ephraim Express

(From Jeremiah 31, 51, & Micah 6)

One of the great things about the BOOK – still the best seller – is that it radiates many facets of truth, and reflects light in various manners to different Bible students as they read it, and have special needs for its truths. In private study recently, verses from Jeremiah and Micah came together – shining light for our time and current events.  Stay with me and we’ll see if there can be some understanding between us on this.

 “For there shall be a day that the watchmen upon the mount Ephraim shall cry, Arise you and let us go up to Zion unto the LORD our God” (Jeremiah 31:6).

 “Hear you now what the LORD says,  ‘Arise, contend you before the mountains and let the hills hear your voice. Hear you, O mountains, the LORD’s controversy, and you strong foundations of the earth….”  (Micah 6:1&2).

 “…I will raise up against Babylon, and against them that dwell in the midst of them that rise up against me, a destroying wind”  (Jeremiah 51:1).

What are these portions of Scripture talking about? Do they relate to each other? And how do they relate to our title, “Ephraim Express”?

Starting with Jeremiah 31:6, we learn there will be a day when Ephraim’s watchmen will sound a unity cry to join Judah. Why Judah?  “…for out of Zion shall go forth the law and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem” (Isaiah 2:3 and Micah 4:2). This is recorded twice in the Bible, emphasizing its importance. It has been, is being, and will be more fully fulfilled in the Kingdom days.

Whether you agree or not that Christians have DNA of the lost tribes of Israel, if you are a Bible student you can’t help seeing parallels in spiritual, if not physical, terms.

Micah 6:1&2  links with, and is confirmed by, other Bible passages, such as Isaiah 34:8, “For it is the day of the LORD’s vengeance and the year of recompenses for the controversy of Zion.”  And from Hosea 4:1 we learn the cause of this controversy is “because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land(s).”

The “controversy” involves the entire world. “Mountains and hills” are symbolic Bible terms for large and small nations. And “strong foundations of the earth” speaks of super powers.

From Jeremiah 51:1 we learn that “Babylon” figures chiefly in the “controversy”. Babylon – the seat of idolatry – has now taken hold in every nation and represents greedy materialism and hatred of God’s love laws for LIVING. It is the battle of the sons-of-darkness versus the sons-of-light – death vs life. Will the “destroying wind” be the triumph of Light over darkness and caring Love over hatred? Will He destroy darkness with the wind of Light?  And are we on that wave?

“For thus says the LORD; Sing with gladness for Jacob, and shout among the chief of the nations [There’s the super power again.], publish you, praise you and say, ‘O LORD, save thy people, the remnant of Israel’.” (Jeremiah 31:7). This has been the purpose in the work of Bible Light: not to promote an organization or proclaim that we have the Bible’s only true light, but endeavoring to do our part in spreading light from His Word to this dark world. Our base is in the “chief” of the goyim (nations) and our focus is to publish good news. Often called ‘the Gospel’, the Good News has all come through Israel: “And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed” (Gal. 3:8 and Gen. 12:3).

Jeremiah 31:7 above tells us four things to do:

1) Sing with gladness for Jacob

2) Shout among America and other nations (mountains and hills). How? From the housetops, i.e., any means that will go for us.

3) Publish – print books and literature that will live on and on if it has God’s anointed truth (Isaiah 55:11).

4) Praise and pray, “O LORD, save thy people, the remnant of Israel.”

“Remnant” sounds like only a few, but consider the “remnant” is the end of the roll. We are coming to the end of Judah and Ephraim’s “roll” – i.e., their wanderings over the earth. Now is the day of ingathering and re-gathering.

Also today’s ‘remnant’ really is few when we consider all the previous generations. Judah was scattered, but preserved identity; Ephraim was scattered and lost among the Gentiles:  “Ephraim has mixed himself among the people” (Hosea 7:8). Remnants of Abraham’s seed is everywhere. The northern tribes intermarried and mixed to the extent they do not know who they are.

Does anyone know? The Lord through Hosea says, “I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hid from me” (5:3 “Ephraim” and “The House of Israel” refers to the northern kingdom that split from Judah).

Verses 8 & 9 of Jeremiah 31 explain more, ending with, “I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble: for I am a father to Israel, and Ephraim is my firstborn.”

And verse 10 proclaims again, “Hear the Word of the LORD, O you nations, and declare it in the isles afar of, and say, ‘He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd does his flock’.”

Doesn’t that remind you of John 10:16?

Listen, Christian,

“I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus, ‘Thou has chastised me and I was chastened, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke: turn thou me, and I shall be turned, for thou art the LORD my God’.” (Jeremiah 31:18) We cheated ourselves when replacement theology proclaimed, “Those Jewish laws are out dated, they are a yoke around our necks, and are not for us today.” We are not accustomed to the yoke of heaven (Torah’s love laws), and where has that ignorance landed us?

HOWEVER,  the mercy of God rewrites our lives: V. 20, “Is Ephraim my dear son? Is he a pleasant child? For since I spoke against him, I do earnestly remember him still: therefore my bowels are troubled for him; I will surely have mercy upon him, saith the LORD.”

V. 22, “How long will you go about, O you backsliding daughter? For the LORD has created a new thing in the earth, a woman shall compass a man.”

The last part of that verse has been interpreted in different ways. Consider: it speaks of woman/man relationship. Firstly, we can apply “husband” to the LORD as in Isaiah 54:5. It gives a challenge for us to run after Him – and at the same time, He is wooing us!

Secondly, I see a conciliatory romance between the two flocks of Israel as Ephraim “encompasses” Judah, i.e., helping Judah by encircling works of love and prayer, literally and spiritually – especially literally because we need to put our hands and dollars where our mouth is! Doers and not pray-ers only.

Will you join the Ephraim Express to speed the light?

Date palm trees will be planted at the entrance of Biblical Tamar Park by Bible Light friends.

I see this developing in many ways in the near future. At the present you can help by joining us at Biblical Tamar Park to help restore Israel’s desert region.  Come with me on tour, and/or give to establish the library and learning center.

Does it ring a bell in your heart? Go, please, and read more by clicking here. -