Looking For The 7,000
Looking for the 7,000
Act 2:21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the Name of the Lord shall be saved.Rom 10:13 For whosoever shall call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved.(Joel 2:32) And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the Name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD has said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.(Isaiah 12:4) And in that day shall you say, Praise the LORD, call upon His Name, declare His doings among the people, make mention that His Name is exalted.
Rom 11:2-3 God didn't reject His people, which He foreknew. Or don't you know what the Scripture says about EliYah? How he pleads with God against Israel: "Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have broken down your altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life."Rom 11:4-5 But how does God answer him? "I have reserved for myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to Baal (Lord worship - Ba'al)." Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace.
If then, so now. Paul's words confirm that this process of reserving a select few by the God of Heaven and Earth, is a continuing work, and to be of effect, this process has to be from generation to generation. Like Eliyah, not seeing those in that special election, not until he was informed by YaHWeH, Himself, did he understand that he was not alone. Those called into the election of grace may not know each other, but their unity is seen by their Father in Heaven and by the Angels. Notice how Eliyah thought he was alone, and yet he was not.
Later, from the New Testament writings, the Apostle Paul makes this very clear and if this is the case in his generation, so it is in every generation after, including this present time, and the next generation to come.
Paul, quoting Eliyah: "Lord, they have killed your prophets, they have broken down your altars; and I am left alone, and they seek my life."<And how does God answer EliYaH? >"I have reserved for Myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to Baal (Lord)."Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace. (read again -- Romans 11:3-5)
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Looking for the Seven Thousand
(Mat 11:27) All things have been committed to Me by My Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal Him. NIV
Utely's commentary:
“Anathoth” This name (BDB 779) comes from the Amorite goddess, Anath, who is the sister or consort of Ba'al. She was the most active warrior goddess (i.e., Anath, Asherah, Astarte, and Astoreth) called the Queen of heaven in the Ras Shamra poetry texts (found in the city of Ugarit, north of Israel. A city by this name, Beth-anath, is mentioned in Jos_15:59; Jos_19:38; Jdg_1:33.
1Ki 18:21-22 Elijah went before the people and said, "How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD (YaHWeH) is God, follow him; but if Ba'al is God, follow him." But the people said nothing. Then Elijah said to them, "I am the only one of the LORD's (YaHWeH's) prophets left, but Baal has four hundred and fifty prophets. NIV
1Ki 18:24 Then you call on the name of your god, and I will call on the Name of YaHWeH. The god who answers by fire--he is God." Then all the people said, "What you say is good."
(Rom 11:4-5)."...I have reserved to Myself seven thousand men, who have not bowed the knee to Baal (Lord). Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace". KJV
Let us not forget that Paul is the Apostle to the Gentiles (Acts 9:15, Romans 11:13, Gal 1:16; 2:7-8, Acts 13:46; 18:6 and this message he is delivering is going out to Gentile Believers. The question has been raised that this is possible only referring to Israel. So, Israel only? What about Judah? Apparently, if we are to take this revelation, first to EliYaH, from YaHWeH, then from Paul to us, I mean Israel, then what about Judah? Paul is using the revelation to EliYaH, that he was not alone, as he thought, and so, Paul too, is letting believers in YaHshua know they are not alone either and in this revealing, something else is made known, and not to Israel only, but to all believers -- our Heavenly Father and our Savior, YaHshua, have at their will chosen from among the people that He calls His a certain number to preserved and protect and battle for His Holy Name. How do we know this, then? Read Revelation Chapter 3:8-9, and ask yourself, What is it the chosen of YaHshua are doing in opposition to those claiming to be people of God the Father and followers of YaHshua -- They refuse to deny His Holy Name.
YaHWeH says to EliYaH -- The very same account Paul Quotes for us --
(1Ki 19:18) Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel--all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and all whose mouths have not kissed him." NIV (Baal was the Zeus of the day, the Jupiter, the Dionisus, the Jesus of today)
Hebrew Root Movement -- Opposing Christianity?
Do you feel alone in this world of confused religions and obvious false doctrines? Does it seem like your Bible is saying something different from what the preacher is saying? (Matt 24:4, 1 Cor 3:19)
Number One Principle "Let the Father be true and every man a liar" (Romans 3:4)
Who are the Seven Thousand?
That would be the number of those found not to have given themselves to the popular religion of their day. Biblical speaking, the original seven thousand lived during the days of Elijah (Eli-YaH). Elijah, at one point in his ministry, Eliyah thought he was alone -- the only one worshipping the true Creator in all Israel, the only one worshipping YaHWeH, even after winning the "contest" over the "LORD" (BAAL) worshippers. He, however, was wrong, and had to be reminded by YHWH, that he was not alone --
There were "seven thousand" that had not bowed to the popular religion of the day and had not kissed (joined hands with this false religion and its priests) Baal. Baal, in the days of Elijah and the Seven Thousand, was the "Lord" worship of that day. Kissing the idol of one of the Baals demonstrated an intimate acceptance of this false worship. Kissing can be likened to a handshake of today sealing an agreement. Westerners and Europeans may sign an agreement then shake hands all around sealing the signed agreement. Even today some in other countries greet and seal agreements with a kiss. It is not uncommon in this modern era to see religious people kissing their idols whether they be square prayer boxes, holy stones, holy pictures, holy crosses, holy men, and even stone statues.
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Elijah thought he was alone (I Kings 19:14) but he was not. The mighty YHWH corrected him (I Kings 19:18). The people of YHWH were, in the days of Elijah, concentrated in the land of Israel while today, the people of the Almighty Living God, are like "salt" sprinkled out over the face of the whole earth (Matthew 5:13). We should not forget, our Savior told us in advance that the end days would be as the end days of Noah. Many point to His, our Messiah, saying, "they married and were giving in marriage", as a proof everything was NORMAL, but this is far from the point. How had the days of Noah been? There were around 120 years of people "marrying and giving in marriage", of 'buying and selling" -- 120 years, and how did it end? Only 8 survived the end of days at that time, ONLY 8 people out of millions. Yes, as in the days of Elijah, also, we are looking for a "remnant", that would be a few not a majority.
EliYaH, means, "My God is YaH". If Elijah did not know about the "seven thousand" souls back then, what about today? As the world is even closer to the coming of our Savior, YaHshua, how many have not bowed to another god? How many today remain true to the worship of the one Savior, the one who came and revealed the Father and have not bowed to any other god or gods? Today there may be many more than a mere seven thousand, then again maybe not (Luke 8:18), but we should realize the people of the Living God are hidden in a much larger area today - all of the earth. Think for a minute – Elijah did not know the 7,000 believers -- he thought He was the only one. YaHWeH reveals to him that there are 7,000 others. Considering the overall population of Israel the number 7,000 may be a much larger number according to population, per 1,000 -- of course, we do not know the population of the Northern Tribes. It is estimated that the Northern Tribes of Israel numbered around 450,000. Still, it is pretty amazing that 7,000 were virtually unknown. Certainly a man like Elijah, would have known about them if they were going around bragging about worshipping the true God, but they were not, and he did not. The Apostle Paul uses this as a comparison for his day, as we have already read, setting a principle that it would seem is still working today.
The emphasis is not on the number or a numbers but that the Creator God has decided that during every age, every generation there will always be those that do not bow to the religions of this world and this is His doing, not mine, not yours, not anyone but Him. Elijah thought he was alone just like many of you may think or feel but you are not. You are there and I am here, that is two, and I know of a couple of others also. Remain where you are, you are there for a reason, if, however, you are being persecuted then flee to another city (Matthew 10:23). When you pray -- you pray for all of us and we for you. The unity in the body of the Messiah is not as the world sees it but as the Spirit sees and knows it.
1 John 2:26 These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you. But the anointing which you have received of Him abide in you, and you need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teaches you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it has taught you, you shall abide in Him.
Ephesians 4:15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Him who is the Head, that is Christ (the anointed). From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work" NIV
Our part in the Body of the Christ is not with some group of flesh and blood. Our central teacher is our Father in heaven and His Son, Yahshua. They are Spirit, they are Holy and this makes them the Holy Spirit.
It is lost revenues for the fleshly churches to teach this singular truth of individual unity in the living, Spiritual Body, of the Messiah.
(Rom 12:4-7) For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office: So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith; Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teach, on teaching; KJV 1Cor 10:17; 1Cor 12:12-13; 12:20; Eph 2:13;
(Please read these verses, above, leaving out the gray, italicized words (as in the KJV), as these words were added by the translators to help the reader make better sense of a particular verse, as they saw it, with their own bias, sometimes, weighing toward that bias. Read without these words and these verses make even more sense, at times, and the truth in them is sometimes revealed to be different from what has been accepted, or popular.)
(Eph 2:18) For through Him we both have access by One Spirit unto the Father.
1 Peter 2:4 As you come to Him, the living Stone – rejected by men but chosen by God (The Father) and precious to Him – you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Yahshua the Christ.
This house, this spiritual house, is not of any fleshly group, but of those belonging to that spiritual Body of the Messiah -- that body as compared to a building of stones, as our Messiah and Savior is the Corner Stone.
Certainly it is not wrong to meet with brothers and sisters of like beliefs, but when the burden placed on the individual to comply with a group mentality that is contrary to what you see and understand in the Bible, perhaps it is time for you to reexamine this group. You should, in the fullness of love, be able to live at peace with all people but there are those that will not let this happen, especially as you, being personally taught by the Father and the Son will fall under suspicious scrutiny by those in authority. It seems that the closer someone actually approaches the truth -- striping away much of the fleshly desire -- the leadership feels more and more threatened. Don’t take this personally if this happens to you, as it is not you they are against, even rejecting, but it is the Christ in you -- not unlike the Messiah Himself when he confronted the religious leaders of His day -- they were afraid of Him and His message -- they could sense they had no power over Him.
Remember the questions that began this article – if you are fortunate enough not to have any of those problems of abuse within the organization or group you are joined with, you are most fortunate indeed. I pray this is the case as you will be able to share the truth of Yahshua’s teachings with others and may even be the tool by which others will be pulled out of the way of Babylon and its pagan practices and doctrines as taught by most of the Christian community.
Then again, perhaps you are one as in Elijah’s day, part of the invisible, spiritual Body of the Messiah?
Are you one of the Seven Thousand, or a like number, perhaps on of a greater number but not seen by the world? I hope so and in that hope we will all meet at the coming of our Lord and Master YaHshua, not some other Baal or Lord, but the one true Master of all, YaHshua and the One True Father of all. I pray you find this site a blessing and an encouragement. Hallelu-YaH
email comments to: dan@servantsofyahshua.com
Ellicott's Commentary: [Ashtaroth.—The plural of the feminine word Ash-tareth, or Astarte, “the goddess of the Sidonians” (1Ki_11:5), the Phœnician Venus—identified sometimes with the moon (e.g., in the name Ashtaroth Karnaim, “the city of the two-horned moon,” the name of Og’s capital, Deu_1:4), and sometimes with the planet Venus (2Ki_23:4; Cic. De Nat. Deor. 3:23; Euseb. Praep. Evang. i. 10). She is called the “queen of heaven,” in Jer_7:10; Jer_44:17, and was called Baalti (“my lady”) by the Phœnicians. The plural form may be, as Ewald thinks, the plural of excellence, or like Baalim an allusion to the different forms and attributes under which the goddess was worshipped. The worship of Baalim and Ashtaroth naturally went hand in hand. (See Jdg_10:6; 1Sa_7:4; 1Sa_12:10.) Ashtaroth is not to be confused with the Asheroth (rendered “groves” in the E. V.) mentioned in Jdg_3:7. The words resemble each other less in Hebrew, as Ashtaroth begins with ע, not with א. Mil. ton’s allusions to these deities are not only exquisitely beautiful but also very correct, as he derived his information from Selden’s learned Syntagma de Dis Syrüs:“With these in troopCame Ashtoreth, whom the Phoenicians call’dAstarte, queen of heaven, with crescent horns,To whose bright image nightly by the moonSidonian virgins paid their vows and songs;In Zion also not unsung, where stoodHer temple.”Par. Lost, i. 439.The derivation of the word is very uncertain. It probably has no connection with the Greek Aster, or the Persian Esther.]
Jer 44:16 We will not listen to the message you have spoken to us in the Name of the LORD (YHWH)!Jer 44:17 We will certainly do everything we said we would: We will burn incense to the Queen of Heaven and will pour out drink offerings to her just as we and our fathers, our kings and our officials did in the towns of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. At that time we had plenty of food and were well off and suffered no harm.Jer 44:18 But ever since we stopped burning incense to the Queen of Heaven and pouring out drink offerings to her, we have had nothing and have been perishing by sword and famine."Jer 44:19 The women added, "When we burned incense to the Queen of Heaven and poured out drink offerings to her, did not our husbands know that we were making cakes like her image and pouring out drink offerings to her?"Jer 44:20 Then Jeremiah said to all the people, both men and women, who were answering him,Jer 44:21 Did not the LORD (YHWH) remember and think about the incense burned in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem by you and your fathers, your kings and your officials and the people of the land?Jer 44:22 When the LORD (YHWH) could no longer endure your wicked actions and the detestable things you did, your land became an object of cursing and a desolate waste without inhabitants, as it is today.
Israel is no longer worshiping the Queen of Heaven. But a large community of those called Christians continue in this practice. This warning from the Prophets is as much for those claiming the Hebrew/Christian Word as their own, as it is to those specifically named, that is, Israel. Yes, Christians Too!
Comments and Questions to -- dan@servantsofyahshua.com