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We
read very early in Genesis that Abel (whom Cain slew) was
a keeper of sheep, It is presumable that Seth who compensated
for the loss of Abel was also a keeper of sheep, because his
successors from generation to generation, have offered up
lambs from their flocks. In fact they were a sheep raising,
sheep sacrificing, sheep eating people.
These people possessing definite Nordic characteristics were
the Habiru or Hebrews of early archaeological and Scriptural
history who stemmed from Seth, through Noah and Shem in their
dynasties, and were a nomadic shepherd people. Abraham, of
this genealogical succession, was referred to in his day as
clan commander of the Habirus, Hebrews, Hibernians. He is
referred to in the Bible as the father of the Hebrews.
These people through Isaac and Jacob Israel and his twelve
sons and their descendants came in the course of time to Mount
Sinai and were there Divinely constituted God's Kingdom on
earth, and referred to as the Children of Israel, later the
whole House of Israel. They were given laws, statutes, judgments
and ordinances to live by. God frequently referred to them
"as the sheep of his pasture." Isaiah 40:11 reads:
"He shall feed his flock like a shepherd; he shall gather
the lambs with his arm, and carry them in His bosom and shall
gently lead them that are with young."
When Jesus entered upon His active ministry, he said, "I
come not but to the lost sheep of the House of Israel."
Israel was then in dispersion among the Ethnos.
When the forerunner of Jesus Christ, John the Baptist, was
baptizing in the Jordan, he saw Jesus coming towards him and
exclaimed "Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the
sins of the world."
Jesus was likewise a Lamb of the Israel flock, a Lamb without
blemish. I Peter 1: 18 19. "Forasmuch as ye know that
ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and
gold. But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb
without blemish and without spot."
As the Lamb of God and because it was necessary that one should
die for the sins of the people, He willingly gave Himself,
a ransom for many, and thus Redeemed Israel. Thus in His person
He fulfilled and finalized the sacrificing of Lambs from the
foundation of the Age.
With His resurrection He became the Great Shepherd of the
Israel sheep.
Our National Liturgy (as modern Israel) in the Book of Common
Prayer reads in the Venite: "For He is the Lord our God
and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His
hand." In the General Confession, we say, "we have
erred and strayed from Thy ways like lostsheep, we have offended
against Thy Holy Laws."
Rev. 5:2 "And I saw a strong angel, proclaiming with
a loud voice, who is worthy to open the book, and to loose
the seals thereof? And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep
not, behold the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David,
hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals
thereof. And I beheld, and lo, in the midst of the throne
and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders (i.e.
of Israel) stood a Lamb as it had been slain And He came and
took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the
throne and the four and twenty elders fell down before the
Lamb, and they sang a new song, saying: Thou art worthy to
take the Book, and to open the seals thereof for thou wast
slain and hast redeemed us (i.e. 12 Tribed Jacob Israel) to
God, by thy blood, out of every kindred and tongue, and people
and nation. And hast made us (Israel) unto our God, kings
and priests, and we shall reign on the earth."
Yes, Jesus is the Lamb of God, but you will notice a few lines
back that He is also the Lion of the Tribe of Judah, the Root
of David. In the blessings of Jacob to his twelve sons, (Genesis
chapter 49) we read that "Judah is a lion's whelp, from
the prey, my son, thou art gone up, he stooped down, he couched
as a lion and as an old lion, who shall rouse him up?"
"The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver
from between his feet, until Shiloh come, and unto him shall
the gathering of the people be."
We are Israel, the sheep of His pasture, and Jesus the Great
Shepherd of the 'sheep', is the Lion of the Tribe of Judah.
The British Royal House can claim descent from King David
of old and Shiloh (or Jesus) will take over that throne when
He comes according to the prophecy in Isaiah chapter 9, verse
6 "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given
and the government shall be upon his shoulder and his name
shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the
Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Of the increase of
his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne
of David and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish
it, with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever.
The zeal of the Lord of Hosts will perform this."
The Lord sent a word upon Jacob and it hatb lighted upon Israel.
Israel heraldry predominates throughout Anglo Saxon Israel.
The Lion of Scotland, the Bull of England, the Harp of Ireland,
are an ever present reminder that these heraldic insignias
mean something and definitely point the finger backward over
the years, to our forefather Abraham, the Man of Faith.
Isaiah 51:1 "Look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and
to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged, look unto Abraham
your father and unto Sarah that bare you." |
