A House Divided

 

The condition of our nation, of our people, even of the church, is one of division. Division is a tool that Lucifer used to separate one-third of the angels from God's Kingdom, and to separate Adam and Eve from God, their Creator. Jesus spoke of the desolation that results from division, its effect seen from the largest kingdom down to a single house:

"Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand."          Mt. 12:25

God's House is a house without division, standing forever. The first mention of "house" in scripture reflects His view of a united house:

"And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before Me in this generation."     Gen. 7:1

The command to Noah, whom the LORD saw as righteous, was to not only himself but to all his house, undivided. 

COME OUT/ENTER IN/SHUT IN

As the commandment to Noah said, Noah was to come from, or out of, something and enter into the ark:

"And they that went in, went in male and female of all flesh, as God (Elohim) had commanded him: and the LORD (YHWH) shut him in."       Gen. 7:16

God commanded it, and YHWH, the "Hand (Yod) Pierced By The Nail (Vaw)", shut them in.

Even out of a condition of division, the LORD calls us to come out, enter in, and be shut in.

Jesus tells the parable of the ten virgins who were divided: five were wise, having oil in their lamps, and five were foolish, being unprepared, having no oil. At midnight, signifying the end of an age, there was a cry made, "Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him,"

The five virgins who were prepared with oil in their lamps, "went in with him to the marriage and the door was shut."        Mt. 25:1-6, 10

This is the nature of the House of God. God is not just calling us to "come out" of something, but He is also calling us to "enter in" to His House. In Rev. 18:4, a voice from heaven commands God's people to "come out" of Mystery Babylon, so we will not partake of her sins, nor consequently receive her judgment plagues. These same people of God who were commanded to "come out" are now called "into" the marriage supper of the Lamb (Rev. 19:8). Like Noah, they are seen by God as righteous, robed in their fine, clean, white linen. As you "come out", you "enter in" the blood of the Lamb (Rev. 7:14-15), where your robes are washed clean by His blood. This is the place of the Father's House. Jesus, the Bridegroom, told us that He goes to His Father's House to prepare a place for us. This is the place we are being called to "enter in".

 

THE LAW OF THE HOUSE

 





God's House stands forever. It is not a House divided, and we cannot "enter in" to that House bringing those things that divide us from Him, or from each other. We cannot build our house of our own ways, and set it next to His House, and say we have "entered in". We must "come out" of that, leave it behind, put it away. We must repent of it:

"In their setting of their threshold by My thresholds, and their posts by My posts, and the wall between Me and them, they have even defiled My holy name by their abominations that they have committed: wherefore I have consumed them in Mine anger. Now let them put away their whoredom, and the carcases of their kings, far from Me, and I will dwell in the midst of them forever."      Ez. 43:8-9

God commands the law of His House. He shows us the true House, and what is necessary to "enter into" it:

"Thou son of man, shew the house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities: and let them measure the pattern. And if they be ashamed of that they have done, shew them the form of the house, and the fashion thereof, and the goings out thereof, and the comings in thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the laws thereof: and write it in their sight, that they may keep the whole form thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and do them. This is the law of the house; Upon the top of the mountain the whole limit thereof round about shall be most holy. Behold, this is the law of the house."     Ez. 43:10-12

It is the humble man, the contrite repentant spirit, that "comes out" of that old place, and desires to "enter in" to the House of God. God's House is a holy House, a sanctuary in the time of trouble, and resurrection revival to those humble souls. The proud and the haughty will be looking for places to hide, sanctuaries to cover them for fear of the LORD and for the glory of His majesty, but those useless sanctuaries will not be in God's House:

"And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; and said to the mountains and rocks, "Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?"   Rev. 6:15-17

(Isa. 2:3, 10-11, Isa. 57:15, Ps. 27:4-5, Ps. 91:1, Rev. 7:14-15).

 



Jesus said, "If a man love Me, he will keep My words: and My Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him."    Jn. 14:23

He also said, He "that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth", has opened a door that no man can shut. This open door is to the temple, the House of God. Those who overcome shall enter it, coming out of that divided house, the synagogue of Satan. He will be made a pillar of the Name, Ha Shem, in the Temple of God, and "he shall go no more out."  (Rev. 3:7-12).

Come out, and enter in.



A Spiritual Trojan Horse

 

The story of the Trojan Horse came from the war between the Greeks, and the City of Troy, located in modern day Turkey. After ten years of siege, the Greeks had not been able to penetrate the wall around Troy, nor force surrender. They convinced the citizens of Troy that they were retreating by ship, and left a large horse outside the wall of the city. The horse, the Trojans were told, was a peace offering. However, the Greeks had hidden a force of soldiers inside the horse. The Trojans brought the horse inside the gates of the wall, and when night fell, the hidden Greeks came out of the horse and opened the gates of Troy for the enemy Greek army to enter. Troy fell to the Greeks.

This message is about a spiritual Trojan Horse. It is a deception of the End Times. It is already operating in the American church. There are many in the church who profess Christ, but do not possess Christ. Many are not taught the scriptures, and rely upon what they hear about Christ from other sources.
Jesus offered this parable to describe the condition in Mt. 13:24-30:
"The kingdom of God is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way."
As the crops grew and matured, it became apparent that tares were also among the crop. Tares look like wheat while growing, but do not produce a head of grain at maturity. It was obvious that an enemy had done this, but the owner told his servants to wait until the harvest to separate the wheat from the tares, the false wheat. The wheat would be gathered into the barn, but the tares would be gathered for the fire. The purpose of the tares was to affect the fullness of the harvest with a counterfeit. As the time of spiritual harvest draws near, the time of the separation between the genuine and the counterfeit also draws near.
Jesus points out that the tares were able to be sown by an enemy while all were sleeping. The church is also seemingly asleep, not awake nor aware of the Last Days, nor the dangers of this age. This makes the church vulnerable to this kind of attack.
All of the apostles of the New Testament are united by their revelations, and in their descriptions, of the spiritual condition of the End Times. It is a time of deception and counterfeits. They are also in agreement that the deception will fool many.
"Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world....Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God...and every spirit that does not confess Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world."     1 Jn. 4:1-3
"But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you , who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that brought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of."   2 Pet. 2:1-2
Not only do the false teachings deceive many, but evil will be spoken about the truth of God, the truth of Jesus. We are already living in these conditions. As the Apostle John said, it "is now already in the world." Jesus also spoke about false prophets coming:
"Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. And because iniquity (perversity, depravity, moral evil, wickedness) shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold. But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved."   Mt. 24:11-13
The deception will be accepted by not just a few, but by many. Even those who love Him will believe the deception because iniquity has become so prevalent around them. We see that abounding iniquity now. Not only does it abound, but it is without repentance.
The Apostle Paul described manifestations of this iniquity:
"This know also, that in the last days, perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, truce-breakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of Godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away."    2 Tim. 3:1-5
Paul is describing the days in which we live. These men claim to know God, like the tares pretended to be wheat in the parable of Jesus. Paul goes on to describe how these men lead others astray into deception. The most vulnerable are those who are the least familiar with the truth of God (v. 6-7). These deceivers not only spread falsehood, but actively resist and rebel against the truth, and those who teach the truth (v.8).
These false doctrines teach deceptions about the Word of God, about who Jesus was in the flesh, what He taught and the miracles He performed. They also falsely describe the timing and manner of His soon return, and offer counterfeits of all. Jesus warned His disciples that false Christs and false prophets would arise. It would be claimed that Christ would be found in various locations, saying "Here He is". These false Christs and false prophets would show many wonders and great signs, so impressive, that even the most knowledgeable and elect of God's people will be fooled (Mt. 24:22-24).  Jesus concludes by warning us, "Behold, I have told you before."



In order to prepare us for the lies that will be told, and are even now being told, Jesus described for us His return. It will be unlike His first coming, when He was born in the flesh:
"For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of Man be."       Mt. 24:27
No one will have to go to a geographical location to find Him, for all shall see the moment of His return.
We read in 2 Pet. 3:1-8, that many in the last days will mock the idea of the return of Christ as taught by the holy prophets and the apostles by saying, "Where is the promise of His coming?...all things continue as they were..."
We see articles and books written now, even by spiritual leaders of the church, with these very same arguments and disregard for the Word of God. Even now, many are accepting these things as truth.
The deceptive Trojan Horse of history was accepted as a peace offering after years of terrible siege. Many today are quick to accept a similar "peace offering" of false prophets teaching false doctrine, even false Christs, because they sound and seem good. They are received as a relief from the turbulence and turmoil of our age. However, like the people of Troy, they will find that the deceptive "peace offering" of lies, once inside their gates, will only lead to their destruction. The turmoil will only grow worse in the days ahead, but the lies are not Christ, and they cannot save. In this age of deception, it will not be enough to know "about" Jesus. In order to withstand the deception, we will have to know Him for ourselves, and know His Word for ourselves, for His Word is saving truth.
As Jesus said, "Behold, I have told you before."



It's Time To Call Fire Down From Heaven

 

 There is a spiritual condition among us, the people of God, that mirrors a condition of the people of God in scripture. It is the failure to distinguish between the LORD God, and the gods of this world. 

Near the beginning in scripture, we see the birth of Adam's grandson, Enosh. The name Enosh means "mortal man, weak, sick, frail, incurable, woeful". Sin in mankind was already taking a toll, as Enosh's name reveals. It is at this time that "men began to call upon the name of the LORD." (Gen. 4:26). Men realized that they needed to call upon and rely upon the LORD God for their very lives.

As the generations progress, we are introduced to a god, an idol named Baal in Num. 22:41- 23:1. Baal's name means, "lord, master, husband". We are told that the high places had been dedicated to this god. The Moabite king, Balak ("devastator, lay waste, to make empty and void"), sought out a certain oracle, Balaam ("not of the people"), son of Beor ("burn up, wasted") from Pethor ("soothsayer"). King Balak wants Balaam to curse the people of God, whom he feared, who had settled next to his lands after escaping Egypt (Gen. 22:5-6). From these high places of the god Baal, the full extent of the people of God could be seen. Seven altars were built there, and sacrifices offered. The LORD God did not allow the oracle, Balaam, to curse His people even though Balaam was willing to do so for the reward he would receive (2 Pet. 2:15, Jude 1:11). It is interesting to note that Balaam does counsel King Balak to allow his people to have intimacy with the Israelites in order to destroy them from within. It is through this intimacy that Baal worship was introduced into their midst according to Moses (Num. 31:16). Jesus also warned His own church at Pergamos about the insidious counsel of Balaam within their midst, and its destructive effect, again because of reckless intimacy ( Rev. 2:14). The name Pergamos means a fortified tower of great height used to repel a hostile attack, and to enable a watchman to see in every direction. Instead of this church being a spiritual tower of defense, Jesus said that the enemy, Baal, was able to enter into it.

As the Israelites settled in their new land in Canaan, their leader Joshua, and the generation of elders with him, passed away. This generation had knowledge the great name of the LORD, and had witnessed the great works of the LORD God among the people of Israel. The generation of Israel that rose after them did not know the LORD, and did evil in His sight by serving the Baals (Judges 2:8-13). When our younger generations do not know the name of the LORD or His works, they become vulnerable to a counterfeit, and its consequences. This danger has come upon our own children as the knowledge of the LORD has been systematically removed from them.

The nature of Baal worship should sound very familiar to us today. Some of the practices included perverse sexual activity as part of worship, religious prostitution, human sacrifice, child sacrifice by burning in fire, even burying these children in the foundations of new building projects to insure economic favor and prosperity (I Ki. 16:34). It also included the worship of the creation - the sun, moon, and stars. The danger of Baalism is not just in the manner of worship. The danger lies in the fact that it inserts itself among the people of God in a way that makes them unaware that they are no longer worshipping God, but Baal.

 



In the time of Gideon, whom the LORD used to bring deliverance to His people, Baal worship was flourishing among God's people. Gideon's own father had erected an altar to Baal. His father's name was Joash, which means "Given by the LORD, "The Altar Fire of the LORD", yet he built an altar for fire to Baal. Gideon destroyed this altar, as the LORD instructed him to do, and built an altar to the LORD and gave sacrifices upon it (Judges 6:25-26). When the men of the city found out that Gideon had destroyed Baal's altar, they wanted to kill him (v. 30). Gideon's father finally spoke up and told the mob to let Baal plead for himself! Challenging the worship of Baal, whether then or now, results in persecution, even the threat of death.

Later, in the times of the kings of Israel, King Ahab ("Kinsman or brother of the Father") married the daughter of Ethbaal ("with Baal"). This daughter was named Jezebel ("Baal exalts, Baal is husband"). After Baal worship entered in through this marriage, Ahab not only built altars to Baal, but temples as well. Because their king was under the influence of Baal, the whole nation became affected. Prophets served Baal and this queen, for the favor and riches they received at her table (1 Ki. 18:19). The religious and government systems enabled and supported each other in this idolatrous worship. We see a similar situation today as churches compromise the truth in agreement with the government in order to keep certain privileges. Those prophets of the LORD who did challenge Baal worship in Israel were persecuted and killed (v.4).

However, as the LORD knew, and as He instructed His prophet Elijah, the challenge and showdown with Baal and his servants would have to take place for the sake of the hearts and souls of God's children, Israel. The prophet Elijah set up the challenge between himself, as a prophet of the LORD, and the false prophets of Baal. To all the people of the land Elijah demanded:

"How long will you falter between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him. But the people answered him not a word."   1 Ki. 18:21

The people were unable to choose between the LORD and Baal. They could not distinguish between the two. This was their spiritual condition.

Elijah told the people that he would challenge the prophets of Baal in the following manner:

"Then you call on the name of your gods, and I will call on the name of the LORD; and the God who answers by fire, He is God." So all the people answered and said, "It is well spoken."   1 Ki. 18:24

The prophets of Baal built an altar and prepared a sacrifice for the god they served. Elijah repaired the altar in the name of the LORD that had been broken down, using twelve stones to represent the tribes of Israel. His offering was prepared. The prophets of Baal were in a frenzy, trying their hardest to move their god to answer them, even cutting themselves to draw blood, while Elijah mocked.

Elijah then had the LORD's altar and offering drenched with water several times and prayed,

"...let it be known this day that You are God in Israel...Hear me, O LORD, hear that this people may know that You are the LORD God, and that You have turned their hearts back to You again...Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench."

As they witnessed the fire of the LORD, the people fell on their faces and cried out,

"The LORD, He is God! The LORD, He is God!"   (1 Ki. 18:36-37,39)

In many cases, like the Israelites of scripture, the Church of our time has accepted the customs and beliefs of the people around them. Like the prophets of Baal, they are awash with corruption and worldliness in an effort to make the unholy, holy for the favor and advantages they receive at the queen's table. The Baal-type worship of abortion, sexual promiscuity and sin, the acceptance of lies about marriage, the worship of the creation rather than the Creator even in churches today, is practiced under the guise of "social justice", "love", "tolerance", and "relevance to the times". However neither the LORD God, nor Jesus changes (Mal. 3:6, Heb. 13:8). So how can a church change the intent and meaning of the Word of God, saying this is who Jesus and the Father now are, and this what They now say?  Baalism has infiltrated, and they are no longer able to differentiate between Jesus and Baal. At the same time, many in our nation, including in the church, are told that foreign gods, by whatever various names they are called, are the same as the only LORD God, but this is not the truth. As a result, there is no discernment in the peoples' hearts between the false gods of this world, the Baalim, and God who is Creator, Father, and LORD. All of these things are rooted in the same deception and darkness that stole the hearts of God's people away from Him so long ago.

This is the word for the churches: For those who still know the name of the LORD, for those who still know His works, and still serve Him, it is time to challenge the false prophets of Baal in our time, and to call down the fire from heaven. This is not a fire of judgment, as Jesus' disciples desired (Lk. 9:52-56). This is a fire of the revelation of the LORD God as it purges, and cleanses the hearts of His people, to turn them back to Him. It is a fire that comes to save lives, not to destroy them. Only then will we once again hear in our land, "The LORD, He is God!  The LORD, He is God!"

Photo top: Elijah calls down the fire of heaven

Photo center: Gideon destroys the altar of Baal



Are You Ready To Come Out?

 

 

 

Jesus taught about a separation that must take place before the Son of Man would be revealed. It is a separation process directed by God. He pointed to examples of this in scripture:

"And as it was in the days of Noah, so it will be also in the days of the Son of Man:

They ate, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all.

Likewise, as it was also in the days of Lot: They ate, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they built; but on the day that Lot went out of Sodom, it rained fire and brimstone from heaven and destroyed them all. Even so will it be in the day when the Son of Man is revealed."        Lk. 17:26-30

Not only did Jesus teach about a physical separation between those who belong to God and His righteousness and those who have rejected it, but also a separation from anything that might continue the connection between the two:

"In that day, he who is on the housetop, and his stuff is in the house, let him not come down to take them away. And likewise, the one who is in the field, let him not turn back. Remember Lot's wife. Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it."     v. 31-34

Jesus refers to Lot's wife as a warning to those who do not make a complete separation.
Twice, the angels, who were sent to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah, had to separate Lot from Sodom. Once when Lot tried to reason with, and make a compromise with the inhabitants of Sodom who demanded access to the angels in Lot's house. Their desire was to molest the angels. The men of Sodom accused Lot of being a sojourner in their city, who now thought he could judge them. This sounds very similar to attitudes found in our society today toward those who do not compromise the Word concerning sin. The angels physically grabbed Lot to pull him back into his house, and they shut the door (Gen. 19:10). After this separation, the angels blinded the inhabitants of Sodom.
The second separation occurred after the angels commanded Lot to hurry and get out of the city:
"...whomever you have in this city-take them out of this place!...lest you be consumed in the punishment of this city."    Gen 19:12



Yet, even after the urgency of this command, Lot lingered (v. 16). The angels took hold of Lot's hands, and those of his family, and brought him out, and set him outside the city. The angels told him to hurry, because they could not do anything until he arrived at a safe place (v. 22). From that nearby city, disregarding the angels' warning, Lot's wife looked back behind Lot as the destruction of Sodom began, and she became a pillar of salt (v. 26). Sometimes we also are reluctant to separate from the world and the possessions of the world when the call comes. We try to reason and compromise with unrighteousness. We linger, and look back at what is supposed to be left behind. We waver because others, like Lot's sons-in-law, laugh and treat the idea as a joke.  As Jesus said, "Remember Lot's wife."
As Jesus emphasized, the separation must be complete, with nothing compelling us to "look back", or return. In fact, the angels told Lot that God's plan of deliverance could not proceed until His people, Lot and his family, had separated themselves for their own safety. Jesus taught that it would be the same, when He is about to be revealed.
What allowed Lot to finally be physically separated from Sodom, was the fact that he was spiritually separated from it. He was a righteous man who was vexed and oppressed in his soul from day to day hearing and seeing the lawless deeds of Sodom (2 Pet. 2:8). Are we also vexed and tormented in our souls as we witness the Sodom around us, or have we adjusted to it and become "tolerant" of it? We need to get out of it, and separate from it in order for the deliverance of the LORD to take place, in order for the Son of Man to be revealed.

Isaiah talks about a strong city that opens its gates allowing the righteous nation who keeps the truth to enter in. They are kept in perfect peace because their minds and their trust are stayed on the LORD. His name is the desire of their souls. Their souls have sought Him by night, and their spirits have sought Him by early morning. They understand that the judgments of the LORD are not just to punish and destroy, but to reveal hidden evil and teach righteousness to the inhabitants of the world, thereby saving those who will receive it (Isa. 26:1-9). However, though they have prayed and feel that the time of deliverance is at hand, they do not see the deliverance of God until they have come out, and separated themselves:

"Come, My people, enter your chambers, and shut your doors behind you; Hide yourself, as it were, for a little moment, until the indignation is past. For behold, the LORD comes out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; The earth will also disclose her blood(shed), and will no more cover her slain."      Isa. 26:20-21



This great deliverance that occurs upon the closing in, or separation of God's people, not only deals with the iniquity of bloodshed hidden by the earth, but also brings resurrection of the dead from the same earth:

 

"Your dead shall live; Together with my dead body they shall arise.

Awake and sing you who dwell in the dust;

For your dew is like the dew of herbs,

And the earth shall cast out the dead."    Isa. 26:19

 

As Jesus told us in Lk. 17, the separation of God's people must come before God's deliverance is seen, and the Son of Man, seen above in Isaiah as The Resurrection, is revealed.

Scripture also describes the demonic stronghold of Babylon, which is drunk on the blood of the saints, and is the mother of all the abominations of the earth (Rev. 17:5-6). It will be judged, and the earth will be delivered from her. The earth will be delivered from the plagues of death, mourning, and famine which are contained within her (v. 8). As Jesus warned us in Lk. 17 not to even take the time to go back for our goods, all of Babylon's riches, luxuries, goods, precious objects, merchandise, all the things which are rich and splendid, even the bodies and souls of men belonging to her, will be destroyed with her:

"For in one hour such great riches came to nothing..."     Rev. 18:17
Some think Babylon is a false religious system, rather than a political/commercial power, perhaps even an apostate church, which opposes the true Church, the Bride of Christ. F.B. Meyer, commenting on this possibility said, "...the seat of the great apostasy. If that be the case, the merchandise described here does not refer to literal commerce, but to the carnal delights which are often permitted and fostered by false religious systems to win the adhesion of the worldly and unclean."

Many would say that an apostate church has indeed permitted, and even fostered carnality at its worst in order to draw souls with the promise that all is allowed and tolerated. This false religious system would also certainly prosper in a world where repentance is despised. Either way, as the time of this judgment and deliverance approaches, once again, the call goes out from heaven for the people of God to come out of her, and separate themselves from her:

"And I heard another voice from heaven saying, "Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues. For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities."        Rev. 18:4-5

 

The time grows near, and the call is going out from heaven to the people of God saying, "Come out of her!"  Are you ready to come out?

*Note: Top photo: Lot's wife looks back
            Second photo: Lot's Wife Pillar, Mt. Sodom, Israel



Last Days Priesthood Continued-Is There Yet A Zadok Remnant in America?

 

The above is a portion of a quote by French writer and philosopher Alexis de Tocqueville, from his book "Democracy in America" (De La Democratique en Amerique), published in two volumes in 1835 and 1840, after he visited America for nine months to perform a study for the French government. This is the full thought:

“I sought for the greatness and genius of America in her commodious harbors and her ample rivers – and it was not there . . . in her fertile fields and boundless forests and it was not there . . . in her rich mines and her vast world commerce – and it was not there . . . in her democratic Congress and her matchless Constitution – and it was not there. Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits aflame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because she is good, and if America ever ceases to be good, she will cease to be great.”  

 

De Tocqueville went on to write that the democracy existing in America was very unique, unlike the democracy found in Europe. He thought this was because American democracy was birthed from Puritan seeds of faith and scriptural truth, which were integrated into our earliest government. As the full quote above states, he found that America's continued greatness was still very much connected to the uncompromising Spiritual truth coming forth from pulpits at the time of his study.

Scripture established this connection between the preaching of righteousness and the condition of the land even before de Tocqueville revealed it. Scripture warns that the lack of goodness, or righteousness coming from the "pulpit", the priesthood, will cause loss of righteousness and create great woes throughout the land. The LORD gave His word to Ezekiel saying:

"The conspiracy of her prophets...is like a roaring lion tearing the prey; they have devoured people; they have taken treasure and precious things...Her priests have violated My law and profaned My holy things; they have not distinguished between the holy and unholy, nor have they made known the difference between the unclean and the clean;...Her princes in her midst are like wolves tearing the prey, to shed blood, to destroy people, and to get dishonest gain...The people of the land have used oppressions, committed robbery, and mistreated the poor and needy..."      Ezekiel 22:25-29 (excerpt)

Ezekiel notes above that the profane, unclean, unholy condition of the land began with the corruption of the prophets, then the priests, then the princes (government), and then, finally, the people. It started with the spiritual gatekeepers of the land, and continued to progress from there.

The LORD sadly continues in v. 30:

"So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one."

The Prophet Isaiah also describes the woes of God's judgments that would come upon the land:
"Woe to those who draw iniquity with cords of vanity, and sin as if with a cart rope;
Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and prudent in their own sight!
Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
Woe to men mighty at drinking wine,...Who justify the wicked for a bribe, and take away justice from the righteous man!...Therefore, the anger of the LORD is aroused against His people..."     Isa. 5:18-25 (excerpt)
What is the attitude of those involved in this cycle of unrighteousness? It is an attitude of mockery and scoffing towards the LORD, and His judgment:
"Woe to those...that say, "Let Him (God) make speed and hasten His work, that we may see it; and let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near and come, that we may know it." (v. 19).
The Psalms and Proverbs also mourn the effect of unrighteousness upon the land:
"Help, LORD, for the godly man ceases! For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men."    Ps. 11:3, 12:1-4, Prov. 29:18
These are the same spiritual conditions found in our own nation today.
However, the LORD has not left us in this desolate condition. He teaches us a remedy. The remedy will not be found in a political candidate, but in a remnant:
"How much more it shall be when I send My four severe judgments on Jerusalem...Yet behold, there shall be left in it a remnant who will be brought out...surely they will come out to you, and you will see their ways, and their doings...And they will comfort you when you see their ways and their doings..."  Ez. 14:21-23 (excerpt)

and



"But the priests, the Levites, the sons of Zadok, who kept charge of My sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from Me, they shall come near Me to minister to Me; and they shall stand before Me to offer Me the fat and the blood...they shall come near My table to minister to Me, and they shall keep My charge...whenever they enter the gates of the inner court, they shall put on linen garments...And they shall teach My people the difference between the holy and the unholy, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean."                   Ez. 44:15-17, 23 (excerpt)

Unrighteousness, uncleanness, and the failure to teach the people the difference between the holy and unholy marked the prophets and priests of Ez. 22, and the effects of these things trickled down to the governing princes, and eventually to the people as a whole, corrupting the whole land. Now, however, in the verses above, we see the opposite happening. The Zadok priesthood, that remnant, is coming forth to bring the righteousness of the blood (of Jesus), the righteousness represented by their linen garments (Ps. 132:9, Rev. 19:8), the righteousness from faithfully teaching the people the difference between the holy and the unholy. Here we see the effect of that righteous Zadok priesthood upon the land.
As corruption trickled down from a corrupt priesthood to all the people of the land, righteousness now trickles down from a righteous priesthood. This is a priesthood that stands in the gap. This is a priesthood that humbles itself, prays, seeks God's face, and turns from its wicked ways, embracing not their own righteousness, but the righteousness of God in Christ, and teaching that righteousness to others. They not only teach it, but they live it. That righteousness trickles down, like the oil of anointing poured upon Aaron's ("Light Bringer") head in Psalm 133. It continues to trickle down his beard, and down his garments. That righteousness is like the dew ("covering") over Mt. Hermon ("dedicated for destruction, extermination") that continued downward. The righteousness of this priesthood is like the righteousness of our High Priest, Jesus, that trickled down from His pierced head to His pierced feet and beyond. In the same manner, this Zadok priesthood's righteousness  trickles down to cover a nation.
Does this Zadok priesthood still stand in an America that has turned its back on its Puritan beginnings, whose people are no longer taught the difference between the holy and the unholy? Will this priesthood rise up and cause the pulpits of America to once again be "aflame with righteousness" as de Tocqueville described, a flame that transforms a nation?
These are the priests spoken of by the LORD to the Prophet Joel:
"Let the priests, who minister to the LORD, weep between the porch and the altar; Let them say, "Spare Your people, O LORD..."     Joel 2:17


Recommended Reading:  "Democracy in America" by Alexis de Tocqueville
                                           http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/815?msg=welcome_stranger

                                          George Washington's Third Vision of America
                                          http://ad2004.com/prophecytruths/Articles/Prophecy/Washington.html