Article Eighteen, Part Two
Prepared by P. R. Reid, a bondservant of Yeshua HaMashiach
June 1, 2024
The Parable of the Prodigal Son
- Luke 15:11 – 32: “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.’”
In Part One we discussed the two sons, Judah the elder and Ephraim the younger. The Father in our parable represents YaHaVah. The portion of goods equals the “inheritance.” We now have an understanding of the “divided kingdom.” We also discussed the famine and swine, which is the unclean food.
- Who is Ephraim?
- He is the firstborn son of Jacob and recipient of one half of the birthright blessing ( Ge. 48:5). He is the Northern Kingdom aka Israel.
- He is the younger son mentioned in the parable of the Prodigal son.
- The name Ephraim means “doubly fruitful.”
- The numerical value of Ephraim is seven.
- In its ancient form Ephraim would read: “The leader will speak and be the head of the work to lead them out of the chaos.”
- The identity of Ephraim can be expanded into those who will comprise the “double fruit” of repentance and restoration.
- The first part of the “double fruit” would be those from the nations that choose to align themselves with YaHaVah and the “rules of the kingdom.”
- The second part of the “double fruit” are those native born Israelites that align themselves with His covenant values in lieu of Rabbinic Talmudism.
- At a future point in time, both parties will depart from man made dogma and embrace the “rules of the kingdom.”
- Ephraim, as the “firstborn” son of Jacob, now qualifies for the “redemption of the firstborn.”
- Ex. 34:20: “But the firstborn of a donkey you shall redeem with a lamb. And if you will not redeem him, then you shall break his neck. All the firstborn of your sons you shall redeem. And none shall appear before Me empty-handed.”
- One of Yeshuas’ tasks at His first advent was to redeem the firstborn. Recall Yeshua said in Mt. 15:24: “I have not come BUT for the lost sheep of the House of Israel.” The lost sheep of the House of Israel is the Northern Kingdom, Ephraim.
The blessings and the curses
- The Fathers’ protocol for worship was made clear to us in the first five books of Scripture known as the Torah. These precepts are also found in the book of Deuteronomy known as the “blessings and the curses.”
- Dt. 28:1 – 2: “Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe carefully all His commandments (אֶת־כָּל־מִצְוֺתָיו ) which I command you today, that the LORD your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the LORD your God.”
- Scripture tells us what will happen to Israel if she violates the “rules of the kingdom.” Their punishment for violating the “rules of the kingdom” was to be scattered among the nations of the world.
- Dt. 4:27: “And the LORD will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number among the nations where the LORD will drive you.”
- Dt. 28:64: “Then the LORD will scatter you among all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other, and there you shall serve other gods, which neither you nor your fathers have known—wood and stone.”
- These Scriptures are found within the confines of the “curses.” Centuries of disobedience would lapse before the Northern Kingdom would be taken into captivity by the Assyrian hordes in 721 B.C.
- Jere. 3:8 records The Father divorcing Israel: “Then I saw that for all the causes for which backsliding Israel had committed adultery, I had put her away and given her a certificate of divorce; yet her treacherous sister Judah did not fear, but went and played the harlot also.”
- It is important for the reader to understand that ALL Scripture relates only in the following way; the relationship between YaHaVah and Israel. Those from the believing nations are grafted into Israel so there are no other parties involved in the “covenants of promise.”
- Ephraim, as the younger son of Jacob by adoption, was preferred over his older brother Manasseh. Ephraim is therefore the younger brother also to Judah, the Southern Kingdom.
- Ephraim, as the “double fruit” and the numerical value of seven tell us that we should see the “double fruit” having a connection to the seventh millennia, Yeshuas’ millennia.
- The coming out of chaos tells us that at the onset of the millennial kingdom, Yeshua will gather, redeem and restore Ephraim.
- The blessings are numerated through verse 14. I recommend that you take a minute to read through these blessings and the curses.
- Since disobedience equals being removed to the nations, then it follows that obedience to “kingdom values” will bring about restoration to His kingdom.
- This teaching will expound on the final phrasing of the parable of the Prodigal Son, namely: “father, I have sinned against heaven and before you.” **This phrase is used twice. What does this mean?
Repentance
- As I said, our narrative uses this phrase twice. It is obvious that by this time in our parable, the younger son, Ephraim, has realized he made a momentous error in judgment i.e. by leaving His Fathers house and wasting his inheritance.
- I’m suggesting to you the following. There are two phases to Ephraim’s reconciliation process. The first part is found when he says “I have sinned.” This statement relates to the death of Yeshua at His first advent when He began the redemptive process of Ephraim the firstborn.
- Ephraim’s redemption will be completed at the onset of Yeshuas millennial kingdom, the seventh millennia.
- The first step in anyone’s repentance is that very statement, “I have sinned.” We recognize our own failings and seek restoration to The Father. In Hebrew thought, this process is called “teshuvah.”
- The word “repentance” is most commonly used by Christianity and found only once in the Tanach. In Hebrew thought the word is “return.” The goal for us is to “return” to kingdom values as outlined in the Torah.
- This action was the desire of the prodigal son, Ephraim, to “return” to the house of his Father.
- The Hebrew word for “return” is shuv, שׁוּב. The numerical value of shuv is 308; 3 + 8 = 11. Eleven is a number associated with Yeshua. Yeshua is, of course, the instrument of our salvation and the man whose death on the tree made our restoration to Yahs kingdom possible.
- When the verb shuv, שוּב is prefixed with the letter Tav, ת , it means “in the future.” In the future, the bride will “return” to the Father. This concept is further expanded by the suffix, the letter Hey, ה , which makes this word feminine in nature. Therefore, teshuvah tells us everything!
Teshuvah
Tav – mark, seal or covenant
Shin – consume, destroy, sharp or divine presence
Vav Cholem – to add to or secure
Bet-house, tent or family
Hey-behold or reveal
Teshuvah would read: “To return is to enter back into covenant with the divine presence while adding yourself to His family to behold Him.”
The final ingathering
- Just as The Father sent Ephraim into the diaspora, He also promised to gather him at His own appointed time.
- Dt. 30:3 – 4: “That the LORD your God will bring you (אֶת־שְׁבוּתְךָ ) 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.
Is. 11:11: “It shall come to pass in that day
that the Lord shall set His hand again the second time
to recover the remnant of His people who are left,
from Assyria and Egypt,
from Pathros and Cush,
from Elam and Shinar,
from Hamath and the islands of the sea.”
This is speaking to the “second exodus”
- Is. 11:12: “He will set up a banner for the nations, and will assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth.”
- Jere. 23:3: “But I will gather the remnant (אֶת־שְׁאֵרִית ) of My flock out of all countries where I have driven them, and bring them back to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase.”
- Jere. 29:14: “I will be found by you, says the LORD, and I will bring you back from your captivity ( אֶת־שביתכם); I will gather you from all the nations and from all the places where I have driven you, says the LORD, and I will bring you to the place from which I cause you to be carried away captive.”
- Jere. 31:8: “Behold, I will bring them from the north country, and gather them from the ends of the earth, among them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and the one who labors with child, together; a great throng shall return there.”
- Jere. 31:10: “Hear the word of the LORD, O nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, ‘He who scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him as a shepherd does his flock.’”
- Ez. 37:15 – 17: “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.”
- This is the restoration of the whole House of Israel. This event occurs at the “last trump” coinciding with the event of 1 Thes. 4:16.
- 1 Thes. 4:16 – 18: “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Messiah will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.”
- 1 Cor. 15:51 – 52: “Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”
- There is yet another group of people that will be redeemed from the earth. They are very familiar to us in Rev. 14:1 -5: “Then I looked, and behold, a Lamb standing on Mount Zion, and with Him one hundred and forty-four thousand, having His Father’s name written on their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of loud thunder. And I heard the sound of harpists playing their harps.
- They sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures, and the elders; and no one could learn that song except the hundred and forty-four thousand who were redeemed from the earth. These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. These are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were redeemed from among men, being firstfruits to God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no deceit, for they are without fault before the throne of God.”
- It is my opinion that these aforementioned events are one and the same. They are date stamped with phrases like “the last trump” and “in that day.”
- In my opinion, these events occur on the “day of the Lord.” I believe we can date stamp this day.
- Scripture tells us that the ingathering will begin at the “last trump.” The “last trump” ( the seventh trump) is recorded for us in Rev. 11:15: “Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, ‘the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Messiah, and He shall reign forever and ever!”
- Doesn’t this sound like the beginning of the millennial kingdom?
- The millennial kingdom is the seventh millennia. This millennia belongs to King Yeshua who will rule and reign for 1000 years on earth. He has taken the nations of the world and made them His.
- V 16 -17: “And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying: ‘we give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, the One who is and who was and who is to come, because You have taken Your great power and reigned.”
- Yeshua will have gathered His remnant bride by this junction.
- In conclusion, the parable of the prodigal son describes excactly what happened to Ephraim, the Northern Kingdom.
- The prodigal son rejected the “ruled of his fathers kingdom.” His inheritance, the portion of goods, would not have been disbursed to him until the death of his father. This would be considered willful rebellion. Willful rebellion was exactly the behavior of the Northern Kingdom. This behavior is what brought about the judgment of YaHaVah wherein they were scattered to the nations and given a certificate of divorcement.
- The nations where he was scattered were devoid of the “word of Yah,” thus creating the famine spoken of in Amos 8:11.
- Ephraim, the prodigal son, was forced to serve by tending swine, an unclean food, further exacerbating the famine for him.
- The true inheritance for Ephraim is the Torah, which if he desired to return to his fathers home, he would need to repent. This is exactly what the prodigal son did, he repented by claiming twice, that he had sinned against heaven and his father.
- Once he repented, he chose to return to his fathers house and be done with the harlotry of the nations. The harlotry of the nations is the worship of foreign gods.
- His repentance is received because his father said “for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” Ephraim, the prodigal son is received back into the favor of his father. Upon their mass repentance, the Northern Kingdom, Ephraim, will be received again into His Kingdom.
- Ephraim will then be gathered into the fold of “covenant loyalty.” They will be included in the “final ingathering.”
2 Baruch 30:2 – 5: “Then all who have fallen asleep in hope of Him shall rise again. And it shall come to pass at that time that the treasuries will be opened in which is preserved the number of the souls of the righteous, and they shall come forth, and a multitude of souls shall be seen together in one assemblage of one thought, and the first shall rejoice and the last shall not be grieved. For they know that the time has come of which it is said, that it is the consummation of the times. But the souls of the wicked, when they behold all these things, shall then waste away the more. For they shall know that their torment has come and their perdition has arrived.’
