Aim of study

To show the channel God is using now to bring Revival and Reformation to the SDA Church

Introduction

Hos 1:1-3: “The word of the LORD that came unto Hosea, the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, [and] Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel. 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. So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; which conceived, and bare him a son.”

Time of this prophecy = 793 - 687BC. Hosea prophesized to both the houses of Israel (10 tribes) and Judah (2 tribes). This was before the 10 tribes were captured by Assyria in 721BC. This marriage between Hosea the prophet and a harlot, cannot be a real one because God instructed prophets and Levites not to take harlots, etc., as wives (See Lev 21:1, 7, 13, 14). Gomer must be only a symbol of something else:

Hosea 2:13, 15

“And I will visit upon her the days of Baalim, wherein she burned incense to them, and she decked herself with her earrings and her jewels, and she went after her lovers, and forgat me, saith the LORD….. And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope: and she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt.”

If Gomer was a literal woman then she is here said to have lived during King Ahab's time to worship Baal, 80 years before marrying Hosea. Also lived during Moses' time for she is said to have been young at that time of the Exodus, making her 660 years older than Hosea – how can she still be an active sex worker at 670 years ! This life span only existed during the time of Noah: Shem is the last person to live 600 years. Gomer is a symbol of the Church of God, in the Old and New Testament times.

PK. 298-299 “….through Hosea was given a prophecy that set before them the privilege of having a part in the final restoration that is to be made to the people of God at the close of earth’s history….In symbolic language Hosea set before the ten tribes God’s plan of restoring to every penitent soul who would unite with His church on earth…”

HOSEA'S CHILDREN

Hosea 1:3-5: “So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; which conceived, and bare him a son. 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. And it shall come to pass at that day, that I will break the bow of Israel in the valley of Jezreel.”

First born boy ‘Jezreel’ means ‘God sows’-Jezreel is also the name of a town in Palestine (Joshua 17:16). This is where the prophets of God were killed by Baal worshippers (1Kings 16 and 18), also where Naboth was killed by Ahab and Jezebel for his land (1Kings 21). Jezreel is figurative of the slain prophets of God. JEHU was the commander of the Israeli forces. God instructed him to overthrow King Joram (Ahab's son) and make himself king and destroy Baal worship and worshippers in all Israel (II Kings 9 and 10). But he left Jeroboam's calves (I Kings 12) which Israel worshiped! Thus the 10 tribes of Israel began to decline.

Hosea 1:6-7 – “And she conceived again, and bare a daughter. And [God] said unto him, Call her name Loruhamah: for I will no more have mercy upon the house of Israel; but I will utterly take them away. 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, nor by horsemen.”

2^ndBorn girl -"Lo Ruhamah" means "not having obtained mercy." She represents the backsliding state and rejection of the 10 tribes of Israel. They were captured by Assyria in 721BC (II Kings 17/PK 29). During this war, God protected the two tribes of Judah by one angel killing 185 000 of the Assyrian forces in one night.

Hosea 1:8-9: “Now when she had weaned Loruhamah, she conceived, and bare a son. Then said [God], Call his name Loammi: for ye [are] not my people, and I will not be your [God].”

Third born boy - "Lo Ammi" means "Not my people" - - Represents the total rejection of even the remaining two tribes of Israel (II Chronicles 36:14-20) and were carried into captivity by Babylon in 587BC. They were in Babylon 70 years (Jere 25:9-12)

THE GLORY OF ISRAEL IN THE LAST DAYS PREDICTED

Hosea 1:10-11- “Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, [that] in the place where it was said unto them, Ye [are] not my people, [there] it shall be said unto them, [Ye are] the sons of the living God. 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.” = It is a forecast of the last days, when they will again be accepted by God as His people through believing in Christ. Paul preached thus Romans 9:24-26. This blessing started during the times of Christ and His disciples, onward, to the end of time when the 12tribes will be sealed as the 144 000 (Rev 7:1-8 / psalm 87:3-6 /Jere 31:7-10 /Hosea 3:4-5). Note that Jezreel is present in that gathering time! This makes him a symbol also. Hosea 1 is a record of the Old Testament church. Now we are turning to the New Testament church's record:

REV. & REFORMATION IN ISRAEL IN THE LAST DAYS

Hosea 2:1-4, 7 - “Say ye unto your brethren, Ammi; and to your sisters, Ruhamah. Plead with your mother, plead: for she [is] not my wife, neither [am] I her husband: let her therefore put away her whoredoms out of her sight, and her adulteries from between her breasts; Lest I strip her naked, and set her as in the day that she was born, and make her as a wilderness, and set her like a dry land, and slay her with thirst. And I will not have mercy upon her children; for they [be] the children of whoredoms…And she shall follow after her lovers, but she shall not overtake them; and she shall seek them, but shall not find [them]: then shall she say, I will go and return to my first husband; for then [was it] better with me than now.”

The children are now in plural form. "Lo" has been dropped out from their names. "Lo" means "not". Therefore "Ruhamah" will mean "having obtained mercy" and "Ammi" means "my people". This is the acceptance in the New Testament period though Christ (Rom 9:24). Jezreel, again is on the scene. He is seen here being instructed by God to go and tell his brothers (Ammi) and sisters (Ruhamahs), that they should go and warn mother Gomer about her whoredoms! The channel of the reformation here called by God is a tuff one! From children to mother! Will mother get such a counsel from her own children or will she pick up a rod to beat them because they insult her? What a test to Gomer! Does she know it is God who designed it that way, or she only thinks it is Ruhamah and Ammi? The characters in this family play are: Hosea represents God (Hosea 2:13). Jezreel, God's mouth piece = messenger, Elijah’s the 2^nd pipe in Zechariah 4 (see lesson 1:2).

Jezreel is the same as Elijah the prophet (Mal4:5-6 / Mal 3:1 /6T. 60 3T.62 etc.), the one who came up with this very judgment of the Living or 4^th Angel's message. Ammi and Ruhamah = The church male and female laity, making Gomer to be that part of the church which bears children = Ministry (the Angel of Laodicea). God is telling us that the last part of the Revival and Reformation is from children to mother (Laity to Ministry). Thus the great opposition and persecution we are already encountering.

THE CHILDREN OF WHOREDOMS

*Who are the children of Whoredoms (Hosea 2:4)? Who is their father (Hosea 2:5)? They are the tares - the unconverted on the church registers. Their father is not God, but Satan (Matt 13:38 - 42 /COL 70-71)! Now, God is saying He will not have mercy upon the unconverted - He will uproot them from the church at the appointed time (Ezek. 9) Today is then the time for the sinner to repent, to revive and reform!

Verses 5, 6, 8-10: Are reproofs pointing back to the time when the church was in the Dark Ages; when it lost its Sabbaths and taken over by tares. (GC 384 – 385)

Verses 12-14: “And I will destroy her vines and her fig trees, whereof she hath said, These [are] my rewards that my lovers have given me: and I will make them a forest, and the beasts of the field shall eat them. And I will visit upon her the days of Baalim, wherein she burned incense to them, and she decked herself with her earrings and her jewels, and she went after her lovers, and forgat me, saith the LORD. Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her.”

Her LOST vineyard, territory, estate (Isa 5:7) - her kingdom in Palestine. She fled into gentiledom (wilderness) See Acts 8:1 / Acts 13:46, 47 / Matt 24:15 - 16 / GC 26 - 35). Thereafter God points forward to our time when He will call for Revival & Reformation in preparation to receiving back her Vineyard (Kingdom).

HOSEA 2:15 “And I will give her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope: and she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt.”

The door of hope is in the valley of Achor. The literal valley of Achor is recorded in Joshua 7:24 - 26, a place near Jericho where Achan and his family were stoned. Isa 65:10 - 15 /Ezek 9:1-6 / 5T. 155 - 157 - represents the purification of the church (Ezek 9)

ANTITYPICAL VALLEY OF ACHOR - - DOOR OF HOPE TO SDA

Isa 65: 10-15 “And Sharon shall be a fold of flocks, and the valley of Achor a place for the herds to lie down in, for my people that have sought me. But ye [are] they that forsake the LORD,that forget my holy mountain, that prepare a table for that troop, and that furnish the drink offering unto that number.

Therefore will I number you to the sword, and ye shall all bow down to the slaughter: because when I called, ye did not answer; when I spake, ye did not hear; but did evil before mine eyes, and did choose [that] wherein I delighted not. Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, my servants shall eat, but ye shall be hungry: behold, my servants shall drink, but ye shall be thirsty: behold, my servants shall rejoice, but ye shall be ashamed: Behold, my servants shall sing for joy of heart, but ye shall cry for sorrow of heart, and shall howl for vexation of spirit. And ye shall leave your name for a curse unto my chosen: for the Lord GOD shall slay thee, and call his servants by another name.”

The typical two sins of Achan = (I) stealing silver and gold allocated only to God. (ii) stealing and hiding a goodly Babylonish garment. In the antitype, our day: (I) silver and gold = Tithe and offerings. (ii) Babylonish garment = coveting worldly dressing (hair, garments, shoes, ornaments, chemical cosmetics, etc).

5T. 157 - "If the presence of one Achan was sufficient to weaken the whole camp of Israel, can we be surprised at the little success which attends our efforts when every church and almost every family has its Achan?"

THE STATE OF THE CHURCH AFTER ITS PURIFICATION

Hosea 2:16 - 23: “And it shall be at that day, saith the LORD, [that] thou shalt call me Ishi; and shalt call me no more Baali. For I will take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth, and they shall no more be remembered by their name. And in that day will I make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven, and [with] the creeping things of the ground: and I will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the earth, and will make them to lie down safely. And I will betroth thee unto me forever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in loving kindness, and in mercies. I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the LORD. And it shall come to pass in that day, I will hear, saith the LORD, I will hear the heavens, and they shall hear the earth; And the earth shall hear the corn, and the wine, and the oil; and they shall hear Jezreel. And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to [them which were] not my people, Thou [art] my people; and they shall say, [Thou art] my God.”

SUMMARY:

• Hosea's family represents the Old and New Testament churches; rejected in the Old Testament period, but accepted in the New Testament time.

• The door of hope for the SDA Church now is the removal of tares from among its members, then God will glorify and use it fully.

• This Revival and Reformation - is a layman's movement - from Laity to the Ministry! Hence the opposition, however, it is God’s plan to test / humble the Leaders as in times past.

It is our chance to revive & reform now, then help others in the sda church. amen.

THE END