Luke 15:11-32 (NKJV)
Then He said: “A certain man had two
sons. And the younger of them
said to his father, ‘Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.’ So
he divided to them his livelihood. And not many days after, the younger son
gathered all together, journeyed to a
far country, and there wasted his
possessions with prodigal living.
But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he
began to be in want. Then he went and joined
himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the
swine ate, and no one gave him anything.
“But when he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have bread
enough and to spare, and I perish
with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him,
“Father, I have sinned against heaven
and before you, and I am no longer
worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.” ’
“And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his
neck and kissed him. And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer
worthy to be called your son.’
“But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand
and sandals on his feet. And bring the
fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began
to be merry.
“Now his older son was in
the field. And as he came and drew near to the house, he heard music and
dancing. So he called one of the servants and asked what these things meant.
And he said to him, ‘Your brother has come, and because he has received him
safe and sound, your father has killed the fatted calf.’
“But he was angry and would not go
in. Therefore his father came out and pleaded with him. So he answered and
said to his father, ‘Lo, these many
years I have been serving you; I never
transgressed your commandment at any time; and yet you never gave me a
young goat, that I might make merry with my friends. But as soon as this son of
yours came, who has devoured your
livelihood with harlots, you killed the fatted calf for him.’
“And he said to him, ‘Son, you
are always with me, and all that I
have is yours. It was right that we should make merry and be glad, for your brother was dead and is alive again,
and was lost and is found.’”
I have heard this story for
years. I have never made the connection that you will see in just a moment. I
was taught this is a story all about the sinner. The Father has always
represented YHWH, and the “older son” represented the “bad” Jew. Now, after
studying so much of the Old Testament, and learning the things I now know, I
believe it is close, but also way off. There is a much more specific
understanding of this parable. Everyone who knew the scriptures in the days of
Yeshua, would have definitely understood what He was saying when He spoke this parable.
In the beginning days of Israel,
there were twelve tribes. These twelve tribes made up the entire Kingdom of
Israel. Because of the reign of Solomon, Israel was split into two kingdoms.
There was the Southern kingdom known as the House of Judah, made up of the
tribes of Judah and Benjamin. Then there was the Northern kingdom known as the
House of Israel, made up of the remaining ten tribes of Israel. During the
reign of David, YHWH mad a promise to him that there would always be one of his
descendants ruling Jerusalem.
2 Samuel 7:12-16
“When your days are fulfilled and you rest with your fathers, I will set up your seed after you, who
will come from your body, and I will
establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for My name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom
forever. I will be his Father,
and he shall be My son. If he
commits iniquity, I will chasten him with the rod of men and with the blows of
the sons of men. But My mercy shall not
depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I removed from before you.
And your house and your kingdom shall be
established forever before you. Your
throne shall be established forever.” ’ ”
Psalm 132:11
The Lord has sworn in truth to David; He will not turn from it: “I will
set upon your throne the fruit of your body.
1 Kings 9:5
then I will establish the throne of your kingdom over Israel forever,
as I promised David your father, saying, ‘You shall not fail to have a man on
the throne of Israel.’
As we can clearly see, the house
of Judah, David was a Jew, will never lose mercy from YHWH. However, there is
no promise given to the House of Israel. David is the “older son” from the story.
So, what I was taught in Sunday school was correct in that aspect. The “older
son” does represent the Jews. But, the Jews are not bad, just jealous.
The parable talks about the
Father having two sons. If David represents the “older son”, then who is the
younger? Well, we also know David is a representative of the House of Judah, and
the whole of Israel was split into two kingdoms, therefore, we can conclude the
younger son is a representative of the House of Israel. This will make a lot
more sense in a few moments.
Let’s consider this idea. We know
that for much longer than the last 2000 years, only the Jews have been
practicing the keeping of Torah. Ever since the House of Israel was scattered
among the nations they have completely abandoned the Law of YHWH. In doing so,
they have wholly assimilated and adopted the gentile worshiping practices to
false gods.
Alright, so in the parable, we
see the younger son has gone out into the nations while the older son stayed
home with the Father. If I am correct, home is Israel and the nations are the gentile
nations of the world. This is exactly how the Bible explains what happened to
the two houses, Judah, the older brother stayed home, and Israel the younger
brother was scattered about the nations. The House of Judah kept Jerusalem
after the split, making it the “older brother” so to speak.
The Northern Kingdom was taken
captive into Assyria and never returned to Israel. The Southern Kingdom was
taken captive into Babylon, but did return to the land. When Judah came back,
they continued to keep the Laws of YHWH, known as the Torah. Israel did not.
Israel went the complete opposite way with this abandoning all of the Law of
YHWH. They continued to sacrifice their children to the false gods, they
worshiped other gods by decorating trees in their living rooms among other things.
While the younger brother was out
among the nations, he abandoned all the rules of the Fathers house, we see this
with the idea that he was living recklessly, or prodigal living. He even went
so far a joining himself to a country and ate what the swine ate. Now, we must
understand that pigs or swine was a reference to the gentiles. Furthermore,
joining oneself to a country simply means assimilating to that country or
becoming so much like the people of that country that you were
indistinguishable from them. Again, This is exactly what the prophecy foretold
would happen to the House of Israel. They were scattered among the nations, and
assimilated into the gentile nations, becoming gentiles themselves. They no
longer keep the Laws of YHWH and even eat unclean foods, just as the gentiles
do.
The parable goes on to say that
while in this state of being lost, the prodigal son realizes being back with
his Father is a much better life than what he has now. Again, this is what the
prophecy says about Israel. While living in sin among the gentiles, they will
long for the Laws of YHWH. They will begin to call upon His name and return to
His Laws.
When he does return to his
Father, He accepts him with open arms. There is a big feast to celebrate the return
of His son. We read about this feast in Revelation. After the full amount of
the gentiles have returned, there is the big marriage feast. This parable is an
exact match to everything else we see in the Bible. The only thing missing is
the link between Israel and the younger son. Even Judah is jealous of the fact
the gentiles are trying to keep the Torah today. Israel is waking up and
starting to return to the YHWH’s Laws. Prophecy is happening right before our
very eyes. The Jews are not happy about it, but soon enough, Israel will be
joined again back with Judah and they will be one stick combined just as the
prophet Ezekiel talks about.
Here is the prophecy given from
YHWH Himself.
Deuteronomy 4:23-31
Take heed to yourselves, lest you forget the covenant of the Lord your
God which He made with you, and make for yourselves a carved image in the form
of anything which the Lord your God has forbidden you. For the Lord your God is
a consuming fire, a jealous God. “When you beget children and grandchildren and
have grown old in the land, and act corruptly and make a carved image in the
form of anything, and do evil in the sight of the Lord your God to provoke Him
to anger, I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that you
will soon utterly perish from the land which you cross over the Jordan to
possess; you will not prolong your days in it, but will be utterly destroyed.
And the Lord will scatter you among the
peoples (nations), and you will be left few in number among the nations
where the Lord will drive you. And there you
will serve gods, the work of men’s hands, wood and stone, which neither see
nor hear nor eat nor smell. But from
there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your
soul. When you are in distress, and all these things come upon you in the latter days, when you turn to the Lord your God and obey His
voice (for the Lord your God is a merciful God), He will not forsake you nor destroy you, nor forget the covenant of
your fathers which He swore to them.
Deuteronomy 30:1-6
“Now it shall come to pass, when all these things come upon you, the
blessing and the curse which I have set before you, and you call them to mind among all the nations where the Lord your God
drives you, and you return to the
Lord your God and obey His voice, according to all that I command you today,
you and your children, with all your
heart and with all your soul, that the Lord your God will bring you back
from captivity, and have compassion on you, and gather you again from all the
nations where the Lord your God has scattered you. If any of you are driven out to the farthest parts under
heaven, from there the Lord your God will gather you, and from there He
will bring you. Then the Lord your God will bring you to the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall
possess it. He will prosper you
and multiply you more than your fathers. And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your
descendants, to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your
soul, that you may live.
From this point, I would like to
point out the link between this story, the prophecy given, and the prophecy of
the New Covenant found both in the Old and New Testaments. It is absolutely
amazing how this all fits so perfectly together with the identity of the lost
sheep of the House of Israel. Next you will read what is stated in the New
Testament concerning the New Covenant.
Hebrews 8:6-13
But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant,
which was established on better promises.
For if that first covenant had been
faultless, then no place would
have been sought for a second. Because
finding fault with them, He says:
“Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house
of Judah— not according to the covenant
that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to
lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they did not continue in My covenant, and I disregarded them, says the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after
those days, says the Lord: I will
put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be
their God, and they shall be My people. None of them shall teach his neighbor,
and none his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for all shall know Me, from the
least of them to the greatest of them. For I
will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” In that He says, “A new covenant,” He has made
the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to
vanish away.
First I want to make note of the
word better. Better means more effective considering it is being used as an
adjective and not a verb. Had this word been used as a verb, the argument could
be made that the covenant itself was better than the previous, but that isn’t the
case. As an adjective it simply means more effective. If this covenant is more
effective, it must be more effective at obtaining the original outcome or
purpose. The original covenant purpose was to get men to follow the ways or
Laws of YHWH. Therefore, we can conclude this “New Covenant” is a more
effective way of getting men to follow His Law. So, how is that possible? The
author goes on to tell us exactly that in the following verses. Next we read
the new covenant is built on better promises. So what is that promise? Again,
we will find out in just a few short verses.
Now, this is where everyone always
says, “see, there was a problem with the old Covenant, there was a problem with
the Law”. The problem is those who make this claim, fail to read the very next sentence.
The fault, or problem does not lie with the Law, or the Covenant itself, but
rather with the people who chose not to follow that Law. That is exactly what
we read about earlier. The house of Israel chose not to follow the Law of YHWH,
and YHWH “disregarded them”. It is because they chose not to do this, they were
divorced by YHWH and ultimately ended up getting scattered among the nations of
gentiles. This is the reason for a New Covenant. There must be a way for the House
of Israel to return to YHWH without breaking His own given Law. Also, notice
the New Covenant is going to be made with only the House of Judah, and the
House of Israel. There is no brand new completely different law given to only
the gentiles.
Now, for the answer to the
earlier posed questions, what is a more effective way to get men to follow His
Law, and what is the better promise, it is right here. The new covenant will be
different from the Old in terms of it wont be given to men and men have the
choice to keep it. Both questions are answered by the same thing, the Holy
Spirit. Notice, YHWH says “this is the covenant I will make with the house of
Israel after those days.” There is no mention of Judah here. It is very
interesting considering the link between the prodigal son, Judah has always
been with the Father, keeping His law, but Israel did not. Israel was divorced.
YHWH says, “I will put my laws on their mind and write them on their hearts”.
This is different than what happened “according to their fathers”. YHWH put His
law on a tablet and told them to put it on their minds and write it on their own
hearts. Notice, it is still the same Law. It is at this point where YHWH says
He will have mercy on them for their sin. Remember, when Israel chose to return
to his father, the father had mercy on him and took him into His house for a
celebration. The prophecy said the very same thing for the House of Israel.
So, how does the Holy Spirit
answer both questions? Following you will read the Old Testament prophecy
concerning the purpose of the Holy Spirit.
Ezekiel 36:24-27
For I will take you from among
the nations, gather you out of all
countries, and bring you into your
own land. Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean; I will cleanse
you from all your filthiness and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit
within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a
heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit
within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will keep My judgments and do them.
This prophecy matches almost
exactly with the parable of the prodigal son. YHWH takes “them” back from the nations
to their own home. He cleans them up, and rids them of their sinful ways. He
then gives them His Spirit that will cause them to do all His commandments.
This is how the New Covenant works! It does not have new laws, but the same
laws. It is better because it no longer requires men to choose to keep the Law
of YHWH, but rather, gives men the Spirit of YHWH which causes them to keep it.
Instead of the Law being written on stone, it is now written on the hearts of
men. Better promises, more effective covenant.
The Two Sticks Prophecy
There is another prophecy that
can be linked together with this particular parable. This is the prophecy of
the two sticks found in the book of Ezekiel. This particular prophecy has been
used to “prove” the gentiles and the Jews will be one under Jesus. That is, in
my opinion, a very close theory to what I saying here, but I think it misses
the bigger picture of who the gentiles actually are in this particular
prophecy.
Ezekiel 37:15-28
Again the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “As for you, son of man,
take a stick for yourself and write on it: ‘For Judah and for the children of Israel, his companions.’ Then
take another stick and write on it, ‘For
Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel, his companions.’
Then join them one to another for
yourself into one stick, and they will become one in your hand.
“And when the children of your people speak to you, saying, ‘Will you not show us what you mean by these?’—
say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Surely
I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim, and the
tribes of Israel, his companions; and I
will join them with it, with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick,
and they will be one in My hand.” ’
And the sticks on which you write will be in your hand before their eyes.
“Then say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Surely I will take the children of Israel from
among the nations, wherever they have gone, and will gather them from every side and bring them into their own land; and
I will make them one nation in the land,
on the mountains of Israel; and one king
shall be king over them all; they shall no longer be two nations, nor
shall they ever be divided into two kingdoms again. They shall not defile themselves anymore with
their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their
transgressions; but I will deliver them from all their dwelling places in which
they have sinned, and will cleanse them.
Then they shall be My people, and I will
be their God.
“David My servant shall be king
over them, and they shall all have one
shepherd; they shall also walk in My
judgments and observe My statutes, and do them. Then they shall dwell in the land that I have given to
Jacob My servant, where your fathers dwelt; and they shall dwell there,
they, their children, and their children’s children, forever; and My servant David shall be their prince forever.
Moreover I will make a covenant of peace
with them, and it shall be an everlasting covenant with them; I will establish them and multiply them,
and I will set My sanctuary in their midst forevermore. My
tabernacle also shall be with them; indeed I will be their God, and they
shall be My people. The nations also will know that I, the Lord, sanctify
Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst forevermore.” ’ ”
YHWH says take a stick and mark
it Judah, then take another stick and mark it Ephraim. The stick marked Judah
is for all those living in the land of Israel. The stick marked Ephraim is for
the House of Israel. These are the two houses that are continually spoken of in
all the prophecies and throughout the entire Bible. Once the two sticks have
been marked, they are to be joined together as one.
Next, the people ask for help
understanding this prophecy. YHWH says He will take the House of Israel and
join them with the House of Judah to make them one stick, or one people group.
He will gather all His people from among the gentile nations and bring them
back to the land of Israel. In the land of Israel YHWH will have one king over the
entire combine nation. The two will be one and never again be divided into two
nations, and they will keep His Law, and no longer defile themselves. He even
says He will cleanse them. We see this terminology in the last prophecy,
indicating once again it is the very same prophecy given in a different way.
Once all this happens, these two Houses will once again be His people and He
will be their God.
David, who is a representing
Yeshua, will be the king over these people. These people will be keeping the
Law of YHWH, and doing them. They will dwell in the land He gave to Israel.
Next, there is the prophecy that states, during the time Yeshua is reigning
over them, they will be multiplied, meaning children will be born during the millennial
reign. The temple of YHWH, where YHWH will dwell, will be within the country
limits where His people live.
The House of Israel, the younger
brother, in this prophecy are scattered among the nations. They will be
gathered back together in the land of Israel. They will be joined together with
the House of Judah, who is the older brother. After all this, it should be
clear that all these prophecies are really the same one, given in many different
ways or parables.
Next I will link the prophecy of the
Valley of the Dry Bones to this very same idea.
Ezekiel 37:1-14
The hand of the Lord came upon me and brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord, and set me down in the
midst of the valley; and it was full of
bones. Then He caused me to pass by them all around, and behold, there were
very many in the open valley; and indeed they were very dry. And He said to me,
“Son of man, can these bones live?”
So I answered, “O Lord God, You know.”
Again He said to me, “Prophesy
to these bones, and say to them, ‘O
dry bones, hear the word of the Lord! Thus says the Lord God to these
bones: “Surely I will cause breath to
enter into you, and you shall live.
I will put sinews on you and bring flesh upon you, cover you with skin and put
breath in you; and you shall live. Then
you shall know that I am the Lord.” ’ ”
So I prophesied as I was commanded; and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and suddenly a rattling; and the bones came together, bone to bone. Indeed, as I looked, the
sinews and the flesh came upon them, and the skin covered them over; but there was no breath in them.
Also He said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, son of man, and
say to the breath, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” ’ ” So I prophesied as
He commanded me, and breath came into
them, and they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceedingly great army.
Then He said to me, “Son of man, these
bones are the whole house of Israel. They indeed say, ‘Our bones are dry, our hope is lost, and we ourselves are cut off!’
Therefore prophesy and say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, O My
people, I will open your graves and
cause you to come up from your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel.
Then you shall know that I am the
Lord, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up from
your graves. I will put My Spirit in
you, and you shall live, and I will
place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I, the Lord, have
spoken it and performed it,” says the Lord.’ ”
Here we have Ezekiel being taken
into the Spirit, similar to John in Revelation. I believe this is representative
of being taken to see future events. Considering in both cases, the author “sees”
what is to come. While in the Spirit, Ezekiel sees a valley full of dry bones
of slain, or murdered, men. He is ordered to prophecy to these bones to come
back to life. It is not until this occurs that “then” these people belonging to
these bones will know YHWH is God.
Even after they begin to know who
God is, they still have no breath, which is, in my opinion, the Holy Spirit.
But then we see they are prophesied to receive breath, or the Holy Spirit. Remember
from earlier, the Holy Spirits purpose is to cause them to keep and do the Law
of YHWH. Now, once these bones are brought back to life and given breath, they
stood up and are a great army.
Now, here is the part that always
is left out. YHWH says outright, these bones are the House of Israel. Now, let’s
think about this. YHWH scattered the House of Israel into the gentile nations.
While there, they were separated from Him. They were in a sense, dead
spiritually. They even went so far as to claim, “our hope is lost, and we
ourselves are cut off”. But, YHWH opens up their graves and brings them back to
life. This is all similar terminology to what Paul uses throughout his writings
in the New Testament. Once these bones are brought back to life, they are
physically taken back to the land of Israel. Again, this is the same prophecy
about the House of Israel, being scattered among the nations, then turning back
to YHWH, being brought back to life, followed by returning to His Laws, being
given the breath or Holy Spirit. After this, they are taken back to their original
land.
How amazing is all of this? The
prophecies concerning the “gentiles” and YHWH’s people all tell the exact same
story of how He plans to bring His people back to Him. They are all different
versions of the very same prophecy. Our God is amazing, and He truly does love
His chosen people, that is, all of Israel.
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