New Life Restoration Series #3 Patriarchs and Covenants
As we approach the soon coming Rapture in these last days and as a Prophet of God, I have written this series to help us to make sure that we have no roots of Pagan Babylon in our beliefs. Besides my restoration services in the Port St. Lucie area (please see my page on the front of the website entitled “Calendar of Events” for information as to where and when these powerful life changing services are held) the LORD has instructed me to do this restoration series on my website. The lives of so many people are being changed through healing, prophetic impartation and restoration teaching in my services. This series will teach you some of what is happening at these services. We would love to have you attend if you are in our area. Again, please see the “Calendar of Events” page on the first page of my website.
In the fourth century Constantine brought paganism into the church and wiped out anything that was Jewish from Christianity. There was a false Christianity that was developed that most of us came from. It wasn’t that paganism just crept in a little into the church; for the most part the church became assimilated into pagan beliefs. This Restoration series will also help us to get back to the Elohim (YAHweh) that created everything and demands that we put no idols or other gods between us and Him. The same Elohim that spoke from Mount Sinai is the same Elohim that came inside of YAHshua (Jesus). I pray that you study this series with an open mind and know that YAHveh wants us to worship no other gods and make sure that we have no pagan practices that we may be unaware of in our lives. We have to please the ONE and only True God or YAHveh. In this series we will go back to the beginning of Babylon and trace its roots right into the “Christianity” that Constantine of Rome started. We have to go back to our roots in Abraham, Isaac and Jacob through the Blood of YAHshua (Jesus). There are many blessings that are just waiting for as we go back and we need to receive our inheritance in YAHshua (Jesus). Because of pagan tradition in many churches, the glory of God is departing from some ministries and they don’t even recognize it (Ezekiel 10:4, 19, 11:23). The spirit of antichrist is going to get much stronger in these last days and some Christians and their churches may not be able to stand against it because their roots are attached to a false Christianity and not back to the YAHveh who started everything. Most of the Ten Commandments were meant to keep His people from worshipping the gods of their pagan neighbors (Exodus 20 verse 1-17). Here is the third part of my series entitled “Patriarchs and Covenants”:
Having examined the influence of Babylon that created a false system of worship that has perpetuated throughout history, let’s turn our attention to the righteous patriarchs that walked the straight path in the midst of the evil that surrounded them:
After man was expelled from the garden they knew what conduct pleased the Almighty. As we look at our ancestors in the faith we can see how they knew the straight way and how to walk in it. For example Abel knew the correct sacrifice to bring to Elohim but Cain did not (Gen. 4 verse 4-5). Adam lived for 930 years and was a positive influence on mankind. In fact, he was the High Priest of all creation. After his death things became very bad on the earth and Noah was the only one walking righteously before Elohim (Gen. 6 verse 5-8). In verse 9 the word says that Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations and that he walked with Elohim. Noah obeyed the instruction of the Almighty and he and his entire family lived as a result. It was the rest of mankind choosing not to live righteously, that fell under judgment. After the flood we read that the covenant was made with the rest of mankind through Noah. Notice that the entire family of Noah was covered because of his conduct not just Noah and the covenant made with him included future generations. We see this as a common pattern in the covenants made between YAHveh and man. A mediator is chosen to represent those that would benefit from the promises of the covenant. Now many think of a covenant as a contract or an agreement but it has a much deeper meaning. In Hebrew the word for covenant is brit and it literally means “cutting.” This is why we see sacrifices as part of covenants. Typically, when making an ancient blood covenant the parties to the covenant would cut the sacrifice in two and then pass between the pieces walking in the blood of the covenant. This was intended to symbolize the consequences to anyone who broke the covenant: “may they be as the slaughtered animal” (Jeremiah 34:18). If you break a contract in most societies it is deemed a civil matter, and there are usually monetary damages assessed for the breach. When you break a blood covenant, someone is supposed to die – just as the sacrifice died when the covenant was formed.
Covenants are a wonderful example of the favour of YAHveh – which is often mislabeled as grace. He did not have to enter into any covenants with man, but He did so as a gesture of His kindness and mercy and as part of His Plan to restore His creation. All of the covenants are specifically designed to bring about the Restoration of all things. Thanks to the mercy of the Almighty and the obedience of Noah we are all here today to participate in this process. Noah and his righteous seed continued to act in the priestly role for mankind, just as Adam had once done. The righteous line of Noah descended through his son Shem and when Noah pronounced a blessing over Shem he called Yahveh the Elohim of Shem and he prayed that Elohim would “dwell in the Tents of Shem.” According to extra-Scriptural records Shem confronted Nimrod and Babylonian sun god worship. These ancient writings even refer to The Academy of Shem where he taught the ways of the Almighty to mankind.
We see in the life Abraham a covenant which was made between YAHveh and a man, including the seed of the man. Unlike other covenants made between men, this covenant was different in that only Yahveh passed between the pieces of the slaughtered animals. We read about it in Genesis 15:9-11 when YAHveh told Abraham:” Bring me a three year old heifer, a three year old female goat, a three year old ram, a turtledove and a young pigeon’. Then he brought all of these to Him and cut them in two, down the middle, and placed each piece opposite the other, but he did not cut the birds in two. And when the vultures came down on the carcass Abraham drove them away.
Notice that he cut the three animals and did not cut the three birds. This provides for eight pieces through which the parties were to walk to confirm the covenant, only that did not happen. Interestingly vultures, which were unclean birds of prey, were attempting to take the clean animals that were part of the covenant process. Abram had to guard and protect the pieces until the covenant was executed.
In verse 18-21 the word says that the same day YAHveh made a covenant with Abram saying: ‘To your descendants I have given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river Euphrates – the Kenites, the Kennizites, the Kadmonites, the Hittites, the Perrizites, the Rephaim, the Amorities, the Canaanites, the Girgashites, and the Jebusites.”
There is one very important thing to point out: The covenant promise has never been completely fulfilled. This land grant is enormous – far greater than Ancient Israel or the Modern State of Israel ever experienced. It extends from Egypt through the Arabian Peninsula: Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq and possibly other countries the Middle East and Africa.
Now we read in Genesis 17:5 after YAHveh entered into covenant with Abram, He changed his name to Abraham by adding a “hey” or an “h” to his name. YAHveh then details the covenant of circumcision (Genesis 17:10 – 14). The covenant involved cutting his flesh and shedding his blood – not just the flesh and blood of the sacrificed animals. The fact that it was cut in the male organ is extremely significant.
In Genesis 17:15 YAHveh changed Sarai’s name from Sarai to Sarah. He added a “hey” or an “h” to her name also. This reveals that the covenant would pass from the seed of Abraham through the cutting of Abraham into the womb of Sarah. Just as Eve (Hawah) was a bride for Adam – YAHveh is showing us that through Abraham and Sarah – He was preparing a Bride for Himself.
An important part of the execution of this covenant is the fact that Abraham did not pass through the cuttings. YAHveh passed through the cuttings as a demonstration that He would bear the responsibility for both of the parties. All Abraham was responsible to do was carry the sign of the covenant in his flesh through circumcision and be perfect! Abraham was instructed to circumcise himself and every male in His household – not just his physical seed.
The significance of the circumcision was that Abraham’s seed would pass through the cutting of the covenant and then the promise of the covenant would pass through with the seed. The child would then be circumcised on the eighth day and when that child grew up to become a man – his seed would in turn pass through the cuttings of the covenant and so on – it was an everlasting covenant.
Notice the connection between the eight pieces of flesh that YAHveh passed through and the eight day circumcision when the flesh of the male child is cut. The number eight typically signifies new beginnings after the completion of the Scriptural cycle of sevens that began on the first day of creation. The number eight is the same as the letter het in Hebrew which means: “a fence” or “separation.” As I mentioned the number eight also denotes a “new beginning.” YAHveh wants to guarantee a “new beginning” if you believe and puts a spiritual fence around to ensure it.
Abraham obeyed YAHveh in the midst of pagan peoples and their customs. During Abraham’s time anybody who wanted to dwell with him could join into the covenant by following the ways of the Elohim of Abraham.
If you follow YAHveh, then you serve the same Elohim of Abraham who was our example in the faith. This study shows our roots in the patriarchs and makes us aware how they walked in obedience to YAHveh even in the midst of pagan customs. This is part of our restoration process.