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TWIN TIMELINES

Part XIII

In Parts XI and XII of Twin Timelines, we examined the life of Esau, as well as how the phenomenon of Prophetic Parallels was manifested in his descendants the Edomites -- including the treacherous reign of the Edomite King Herod. We also showed how the despotic king reiterated the two primary character traits of Esau, in that he dishonoured the will of the Father by twisting the requirements of God’s covenant with Israel through marriages with foreign women, even as he turned to murder, when he slaughtered the innocent children so he could sustain his position.    

As Herod lived during the earthly timeline of the only begotten Son of God, we also recognized that the similar evil (which was dubbed the Esau Effect) which was in Herod, migrated into the Jewish priesthood which rejected JESUS CHRIST as the prophesied redeemer. Thus, the mysterious two-fold iniquity documented in Esau and the Edomites, was also recapitulated in the Christ rejecting priesthood of the Jewish nation.

Once again, the first of two behavioral streams of that devilish duality may be characterized as the impulse to dishonor, diminish, or distort the revealed will of God, in order to justify the faulty decisions we make. The second impulse is the willingness to kill, in order to sustain our position, or eliminate threats to our standing.

“Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill [Jesus], because he not only had broken the Sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God” (John 5:18).

Although the above verse looks as though the Jewish priesthood rightfully sought to defend their covenant (which included the keeping of the Sabbath), Jesus plainly stated that since He was one with the Father, and His actions were an extension of the will of God, He was also the LORD of the law.

“I say unto you, that in this place is one greater than the temple. But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath day” (Matthew 12:6-8).

The Old Testament prophets make plain the fact that Israel had repeatedly broken their covenant with God, so it was their own actions which motivated the LORD to make a new covenant with Israel – and that New Covenant was a covenant which superseded the Old Covenant. This means the covenant which the Jewish priesthood sought to sustain through pressuring JESUS CHRIST, had long been abrogated by the priests’ own forebears.

“Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that 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…which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them” (Jeremiah 31:31, 32).

Moreover, in this very exchange between Jesus and the Pharisees (which occurred relatively early on in the earthly ministry of Christ), we already see a Temporal Recapitulation of the two Spiritual terminals which erupted in the life of Esau. As the priests insisted Jesus had broken the law of Moses (because His disciples harvested ears of corn to eat on the Sabbath day), they were attempting to sustain their position as priests of the law, well after the LORD had declared the new covenant was now underway. This was the 1^st Spiritual stream identifying the power that inhabited Esau.  

Furthermore, Jesus Himself noted how the priests “condemned the guiltless” (Mathew 12:7), an infraction which is likened to killing the innocent -- which is the 2^nd character trait of Esau. 

Just as Esau saw it all slipping away after the blessing went to the innocent Jacob, according to the elective will of God (wherein He stated the elder shall serve the younger in Genesis 25:23), in every exchange between the LORD and the two branches of the Jewish priesthood, these same Prophetic Parallels emerge. 

Beside the fact the Twin Timelines are indicative of a phenomenon which is Spiritually substantive, instead of looking at the timelines in which they are repeated, a closer look at the underlying powers which drive these patterns will be instructive. The New Testament book of revealing (entitled The Revelation of Jesus Christ) provides a detailed look into what the LORD referred to as “the powers of the heavens” (Matthew 24:29), and the two-fold (or divided) nature of the mysterious Spirit of evil that lurks behind the veil of physical existence. Those powers are further exposed in the astonishing writing in the book of Revelation. 

Just as we have shown how Esau (and his Spiritual heirs down through the ages) consistently exhibited a dark duality which supernaturally directed their steps, Revelation repeatedly describes two strange Spiritual factions embodied within the exotic images found in the visions of John. Although there are many images communicating details about this prophetic pair, at the top of the list we find the two beasts commonly referred to as Antichrist and False Prophet.

Actually, these two entities have already been described as the characteristics of Esau. The 1^st aspect seen in Esau, is the fact that he is deceived, as he devalues his birthright, and thinks he can ignore that which the Father has handed down to him without consequences for that choice.

“And [Esau] sold his birthright unto Jacob…thus Esau despised [had indignation against] his birthright” (Genesis 25:33, 34).

Once again, the 2^nd aspect of Esau’s path is characterized by a jealous willingness to condemn others for their role in the consequences of his own bad choices.

“And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him; and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob” (Genesis 27:41).

As the role of the Spirit within Revelation’s imagery associated with the False Prophet beast is related to deception concerning the will of God, this identifies Esau’s twisted thinking that the LORD’s election of him as having the birthright was unimportant, so he was deceived into believing that he could choose his own course in life without lethal consequences. The primary thread of the False Prophet’s Spirit is one of deception, in that he leads flesh and blood vessels into delusion.

“And [the Spirit of the False Prophet] deceiveth them that dwell on the earth….” (Revelation 13:14).

The net result of Esau’s Deception feeds into the 2^nd characteristic of Death, which is the primary feature of the Antichrist beast.

“And I saw one of his heads as it were wounded to death…” (Revelation 13:3).

Unfortunately, by falsely “interpreting” these images as representing two end time’s individuals, many believers in Christ still don’t realize just what it is we are fighting.

“For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers….against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Ephesians 6:12).

In multiple previous written efforts, we have sequenced this two stage formula as Deception Unto Death, and the two components form a system wherein the two impulses are inextricably intertwined.

For instance, if we apply this analysis to Herod, we see the Edomite King was clearly deceived when he dishonoured the LORD, in that he thought he could legislate the Edomites back into the family of the chosen people. Further, history records that he committed precisely the same offense as Esau, in that even as he sought to install the Edomites (then called Idumaeans as they had mingled their seed with the Jews) into the ranks of the Jews, he departed from the laws of Moses which the LORD created for Israel.

“On this account it was that Herod revolted from the laws of his country, and corrupted their ancient constitution, by the introduction of foreign practices….by which means we became guilty of great wickedness afterward while those religious observances which used to lead the multitude to piety, were now neglected” (Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, Book XV, Chap VIII, Paragraph 1).

As we noted in Part XII of the present work, when Herod learned the legitimate King of the Jews was born, in order to sustain the deception that he was a legitimate Jewish royal fit to rule the nation, he murdered all the male children two years old and younger in the village prophesied to see the birth of the Messiah.

“Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not” (Matthew 2:17, 18). 

We have referred to this degenerative two fold evil, which functions in a symbiotic fashion, as the Perdition Engine. Just as the False Prophet entity (whose chief characteristic is deception), “causes” those in the world to follow the Antichrist beast (whose chief characteristic is death), the two driving forces can both reside in individuals (such as Herod, Esau, and many others), or the two spiritual streams can flow through two clusters of people.

The two spiritual factions can also be reduced to two proper names which occur in Scripture. Revelation describes a particularly evil symbolic image, when it tells of a Pale Horse, which is ridden by two proper names (which are both capitalized) associated with these mystical entities.

“And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill…. (Revelation 6:8).

Since the first character trait we’re examining (such as that found in Esau, Herod, or the Pharisaical sect of the Jewish priesthood) deals with the tendency to espouse a faulty version of the revealed will of God, we are indeed looking at “Hell,” a Spirit which occurs in a religious venue – and obviously, Hell is a very religious word. Thus, it follows that doctrinal beliefs (such as Herod’s mingling of Jewish religion with “the introduction of foreign practices,” as quoted by Josephus), conforms to the term.

This closely ties the impulse to that of Revelation’s False Prophet, who causes those that “dwell on the earth” to follow Antichrist. Moreover, if we juxtapose the earthdweller phrase with “them that dwell in heaven” (Revelation 13:6), we see that when the Scriptures speak of the “host of heaven,” the Word of God is not speaking of those who have passed on through the end of their flesh and blood existence, as it is addressing the believers who are still alive in our earthly bodies. This means that our Spiritual man (or woman) is seated NOW in the kingdom of God.

“And [God] hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 2:6, note the past tense).

Thus, “Death” and “Hell” are very precise monikers for the twin entities which course through those “who dwell on the earth.” In fact, when we begin to realize the Bible has been speaking in prophetic metaphor from the very beginning, we are in a position to perceive a great deal more. Further, just as Scripture flatly teaches, to behave in a hellish manner will inevitably lead to death.

“[They] changed the truth of God into a lie…knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them” (Romans 1:25, 32).

The dual phases of this “Perdition Engine” (which traces down through the Edomite Gentiles via Esau, the Edomites, and then the Jewish priesthood), even attempts to cross covenants and nest within the disciples of JESUS CHRIST. An episode in the Gospels illustrates the point. When the disciples followed Christ’s instructions to go forth and declare the kingdom of God, He first sent forth the twelve disciples, who are called the Apostles.

“Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases” (Luke 9:1).

When James and John were rebuffed by a particular village of the Samaritans, they became indignant – and eagerly asked the LORD if they could call fire down from heaven (just like Elijah was known to do), to destroy that village and its inhabitants.

“And [Jesus] sent messengers before his face: and they went, and entered into a village of the Samaritans, to make ready for him. And they did not receive him, because his face was as though he would go up to Jerusalem” (Luke 9:53).

The Samaritan village rejected Jesus because of doctrine. The text says they refused Him, because they knew He was a Jew who was going to Jerusalem, instead of taking their side of the religious split between Samaria and Judah. 

“The Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans” (John 4:9).

In the well known tale of the Samaritan woman at the well who encountered Christ, we are reminded that when Israel was divided from Judah (creating two parts as a signature of judgment and the earthly), the Northern tribes (headquartered in Samaria) erroneously sought to shift the worship of God to Mount Bethel, as part of their rivalry with Jerusalem.

“Our fathers worshiped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship” (John 4:20).

Thus, the Samaritan village refused Jesus because “his face was as though he would go up to Jerusalem” (Luke 9:53). In short, the “Hell” half of the wicked spirit found in Esau and his successors, which emerged in the stubborn Samaritan village, preceded the “Death” half -- which sought to be manifested in the disciples as they wanted to call Elijah’s fire down on the village.

“And when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, Lord, wilt thou that we command fire to come down from heaven, and consume them, even as Elias did?” (Luke 9:52-54).

Most Bible students know that Jesus vehemently rebuked the two for thinking that, under the new covenant, God would destroy the Samaritans for their insolence, even as the disciples’ assumption amounted to a serious misunderstanding of the Spirit of God which they were endowed with. 

”But he turned and rebuked them, and said, Ye know not what manner of spirit ye are of. For the Son of man is not come to destroy men’s lives, but to save them” (Luke 9:56).

With the Life found in Christ now in the world, in this enlightening instance, Death and Hell unsuccessfully sought to enter in to the two disciples, but JESUS changed the equation as He steered His sheep away from the urge to seek retribution. Further, it is in this very sequence, He even identified the two malevolent spirits.

When the Apostles and the 70 disciples which he had sent before Him to “every city and place” (Luke 10:1) returned to Him, in amazement because they found that “even the devils are subject unto us through thy name” (Luke 10:17), JESUS told them He had seen Satan fall from heaven as lightning. He further described the two fold evil which came into the world as a prophetic pair (which we’ve stated are named Death and Hell), but He had given the disciples the power they need to stand against the devilish duo.

“Behold, I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy” (Luke 10:19).

-- James Lloyd

To Be Continued

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