WAR & ORDER (DEUT.20)
THIS SECTION IS ALL ABOUT HOW YISHARAL IS TO PREPARE FOR A SET-APART WAR, AND WHILE IT WOULD BE WISE TO USE THESE INSTRUCTIONS IN ANY KIND OF ARMED CONFLICT, THESE INSTRUCTIONS ARE SPECIFICALLY FOR FIGHTING A SET-APART WAR (MEANING A WAR THAT YAHUSHA INSTIGATES, STARTS AND FINISHES). MANKIND HAS ABSOLUTELY NO AUTHORITY TO DECLARE A WAR OR CONFLICT AS A SET-APART OR "HOLY" WAR EVEN IF THEY BELIEVE THEIR CAUSE IS JUSTIFIED OR RIGHT. ONLY YAHUSHA HOLDS THE SOLE RIGHT TO DECLARE WHAT IS SET-APART AND WHAT IS COMMON OR UNCLEAN. MANY WARS ARE FOUGHT IN THE NAME OF RELIGION BUT THAT'S NOT A SCRIPTURAL SET-APART WAR OF YAHUSHA'S. SO THERE ARE SPECIAL RULES THAT APPLY TO SET-APART WARFARE AND THAT'S WHERE WE'RE GOING HERE.
Yisharal, when you go to war, you may find yourselves facing an enemy army that is bigger than yours with way more horses and chariots. But don’t be afraid! Yahuah your Alahim rescued you from Egypt, didn’t He? So He’ll definitely help you fight your enemies as well. So before you march into battle, a priest will go to the front of the army and say, “Soldiers of Yisharal, listen to me! Today when you go into battle, don’t be afraid of the enemy, and when you see them, don’t panic, for Yahuah your Alahim will fight alongside you and help you win the battle.” TAKING THESE WORDS SERIOUSLY, BELIEVING THEM AND PUTING THEM INTO OUR HEARTS WILL BRING AN END TO ALL WORRY AND ANXIETY.
YISHARAL LIVED AS BEDOIN NOMADS UNTIL THEY ENTERED CANAAN. THEY DIDN’T HAVE CHARIOTS AND THE HORSES THAT PULL THEM AND FOR THIS ERA (THE 13TH OR 14TH CENTURIES B.C…) CHARIOTS WERE FEARSOME TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES BECAUSE THEY WERE USED AGAINST FOOT SOLDIERS. CHARIOTS WERE THE TANKS OF THAT ERA; THEY WERE BASICALLY QUICK MOVING PLATFORMS FROM WHICH FAIRLY STANDARD WEAPONS COULD BE LAUNCHED (IN THAT TIME IT WAS SPEARS AND ARROWS). THE USE OF CHARIOTS BROUGHT A TREMENDOUS ADVANTAGE ON THE BATTLEFIELD BUT FACILITIES AND KNOW-HOW WERE NEEDED TO MANUFACTURE THIS DEVICE OF WAR AND YISHARAL WAS IN NO POSITION TO DO THAT (BUT MANY OF THE CANAANITES WERE, AND DID HAVE CHARIOTS).
THEREFORE YAHUSHA FIRST DEALS WITH THE MENTAL (OR PSYCHOLOGICAL) SIDE OF WARFARE, WHICH IS FEAR. ON THE ONE HAND YAHUSHA ACKNOWLEDGES THAT YISHARAL WILL BE GOING UP AGAINST ARMED FORCES WHICH ARE BOTH LARGER THAN YISHARAL’S AND WHICH ARE MORE TECHNOLOGICALLY SUPERIOR ALSO. HOWEVER MOSES DISPELLS THAT FEAR BY TELLING YISHARAL TO RECALL WHAT HAPPENED IN EGYPT. YISHARAL NOT ONLY HAD NO WEAPONS, IT HAD NO ARMY AND NO ABILITY TO FREE OR PROTECT THEMSELVES FROM EGYPT EITHER AFTER BEING IN SLAVERY SO LONG; YAHUSHA SIMPLY BROUGHT A SUPERIOR POWER TO ITS KNEES IN SUPERNATURAL WAYS. THEREFORE SINCE YAHUSHA IS WITH YISHARAL, AND IT IS YAHUSHA’S SET-APART WAR IN THE FIRST PLACE, YISHARAL HAS NOTHING TO FEAR FROM THE VAST ARMIES THEY WILL FACE.
REMEMBER YAHUSHA'S PRINCIPLE OF UNCLEAN, COMMON AND SET-APART IN RELATION TO APPROACHING HIM AT THE TABERNACLE? WELL BECAUSE THIS IS SET-APART WAR (MEANING IT'S ALL YAHUSHA'S IDEA AND THE OUTCOME IS ALL ON HIM TOO) THE SET-APART PRIESTS ARE AT THE CENTER OF ALL THAT WILL HAPPEN. BECAUSE PART OF THEIR JOBS IS TO BLOW TRUMPETS TO BOTH PRAISE YAHUSHA (TO HELP AND ENCOURAGE YISHARAL) AND ALSO TO DELIVER SIGNALS TO THE TROOPS (LIKE BATTLE COMMUNICATION).
MOSES ALSO SAYS THAT BEFORE THE VARIOUS BATTLES OF THE SET-APART WAR ARE TO COMMENCE, THE PRIEST (MEANING THE HIGH PRIEST) IS TO WALK FORWARD AND DECLARE: “SHEMA YISHARAL!” (YISHARAL, LISTEN AND OBEY WHAT IS ABOUT TO BE SAID).
Then the tribal officials will say to the troops, “Attention!! Anyone who’s just built a brand-spank’in new house, but hasn’t moved in yet, can bugger off, go on, go home! It’s not right for some other sod to come along and live in your new crib if you happen to die in battle is it? Also, if any of you have planted a new vineyard but haven’t had your first grapes harvested yet, you can go home too, cause it’s not right for a stranger to come along and enjoy your grapes if you happen to die in battle either. Also, if any of you are engaged to be married, see'ya later, go back home to your Mrs, it’s not right for some other Tom, Dick or Harry to move in on your girl if you don’t return, so go and get hitched quick smart ok! And finally, if any of you are just too afraid (boo hoo) you can get lost too, cause we don’t want you with your upset little ballerina tutu, discouraging all the other soldiers do we?”
THE FIRST POSSIBLE REASON TO BE EXCUSED FROM BATTLE IS THAT A YOUNG MAN MIGHT HAVE A HOME THAT HAS NOT YET BEEN OFFICIALLY DEDICATED AND SO IF HE DIES IN BATTLE SOMEONE ELSE MIGHT GAIN POSSESSION OF IT. THIS MIGHT SIMPLY MEAN THAT HE HAS RECENTLY ESTABLISHED HIS OWN NEW HOUSEHOLD (HE HAS RECENTLY MARRIED) AND SO HAS YET TO START A FAMILY. IF HIS WIFE WAS WIDOWED BEFORE THEY HAD CHILDREN THE HOUSEHOLD MIGHT WIND UP IN POSSESSION OF ANOTHER PERSON AND IN MIDDLE-EASTERN TRADITION THAT IS A SERIOUS MATTER.
THE SECOND REASON FOR A MAN TO GO HOME WAS IF HE'D PLANTED A VINEYARD. WHETHER IT’S FRUIT OF THE VINE (GRAPES) OR THE FRUIT OF THE ORCHARD, THE DIVINE LAWS GIVEN TO MOSES STATE THAT THE FRUIT IS NOT TO BE PICKED AND EATEN FOR THE 1ST THREE YEARS AFTER THE VINE OR TREE IS PLANTED. ONLY IN THE 5TH YEAR AFTER PLANTING MAY THE OWNER OF THE FRUIT EAT IT. THE IDEA OF THIS PARTICULAR CAUSE FOR MILITARY DEFERRAL THEN IS THAT THE NEW VINEYARD MUST BE 5 YEARS OLD, WHEREBY THE YOUNG MAN IS FINALLY ABLE TO MAKE USE OF ITS PRODUCE. OTHERWISE THIS YOUNG SOLDIER CAN CHOOSE TO NOT FIGHT, BUT RATHER GO BACK HOME AND WAIT UNTIL THE 5TH YEAR ARRIVES. SO THIS DIVINE LAW ACTUALLY GIVES US A TIME FRAME TO SHOW THAT YAHUSHA IS TELLING YISHARAL THAT THE SET-APART WAR FOR CANAAN IS GOING TO GO ON FOR YEARS AND YEARS AND NEW FIELDS AND VINEYARDS AND ORCHARDS WILL BE PLANTED AND MATURE DURING THE TIME OF THE SET-APART WAR ON CANAAN.
THE THIRD REASON A MAN COULD GO HOME WAS IF HE WAS ENGAGED TO BE MARRIED. THERE ARE RECORDS FROM MESOPOTAMIAN SOCIETIES OF THAT SAME ERA THAT BASICALLY OFFER THE SAME BENEFITS TO THEIR YOUNG MEN, AND THE REASON FOR THIS HAS TO DO WITH SUPERSTITIONS AND THE BELIEF THAT ENGAGED (BUT NOT YET MARRIED) MEN WERE PARTICULARLY SUBJECT TO DEMONIC INFLUENCES, SO IT WAS BEST FOR EVERYONE THAT THEY NOT BE PART OF THE ARMY. ANOTHER POSSIBILITY IS THAT IT WAS BELIEVED AMONG THE HEBREWS THAT WHAT PASSED FOR CONTINUED EXISTENCE AFTER DEATH WAS THAT A MAN’S LIFE ESSENCE LIVED ON IN HIS OFFSPRING. SO SINCE MARRIED COUPLES BEGAN HAVING CHILDREN IMMEDIATELY, PART OF THE GOAL OF HAVING CHILDREN WAS THAT IF THE MAN DIED, HIS LIFE ESSENCE WOULD NOT END BUT WOULD BE CONTINUED IN HIS CHILDREN. THEREFORE AN ENGAGED (BUT NOT YET MARRIED) HEBREW SOLDIER RISKED HAVING HIS LIFE ESSENCE PERMANENTLY TERMINATED IF HE HADN’T YET HAD A CHANCE TO PRODUCE CHILDREN? OF COURSE WE KNOW THIS SUPERSTITIOUS VOODOO IS POPPYCOCK, BUT AS WE KNOW, YAHUSHA OFTEN WORKS WITHIN OUR PRIMITIVE MINDSETS UNTIL SUCH A TIME THAT WE GROW AND ADOPT HIS WAY OF THINKING.
OF COURSE THE FOURTH REASON A MAN COULD GO HOME WAS SIMPLE FEAR (WHICH SEEMS LAUGHABLE TODAY IN OUR IRRESPONSIBLE, HONOURLESS SOCIEITIES, WHERE MANY WOULD SIMPLY BUNG-ON THE `FEAR-CARD'). BUT IN A TRUE SET-APART WAR IT WAS NOT ONLY AN ULTIMATE HONOR BUT SOMETHING A MAN WAS EXPECTED TO DO IN OBEDIENCE TO YAHUSHA. HOWEVER A YOUNG MAN WHO WAS SIMPLY TOO FRIGHTENED TO FIGHT QUALIFIED FOR DEFERRAL AS WELL BECAUSE SUCH A MAN WOULD BE A DISCOURAGEMENT TO THE OTHER SOLDIERS.
YAHUSHA'S SET-APART WAR IS NOT THE SAME AS SPIRITUAL WARFARE AS WE KNOW IT !
Yahusha's Set-Apart War obviously has a spiritual component to it (seeing that it's Yahusha Himself who's leading the charge) AND……while there does exists in Scripture a type of warfare that is confined to another higher dimension (or the spirit world), understand that this is NOT actually “spiritual warfare” because SPIRITUAL WARFARE IS ABOUT FLESH-AND-BLOOD HUMAN BEINGS COMING INTO DIRECT CONFRONTATION WITH FALLEN EVIL SPIRIT BEINGS WHO PROCEED FROM ANOTHER DIMENSION, AND WHO ARE INVISIBLE TO THE HUMAN EYE (like Yahusha casting demons out of people for example). So we can see that spiritual warfare is a kind of mysterious mix between the human and the spiritual can't we.
On the other hand, the Set-Apart War to take the land of Canaan is about flesh-and-blood men fighting against other flesh-and-blood men but behind the scenes Yahusha is working to ensure that His People will be victorious in the end. Therefore, at times, mind-blowing SUPERNATURAL EVENTS will occur such as the time when the walls of Jericho came tumbling down to the ground. But again, understand that this is NOT specific spiritual warfare.
All throughout the Scriptures we find kings, prophets, and even Yahusha’s followers using warfare metaphors and illustrations to help explain what Yahusha is doing, what Yisharal should do in response, and what Yahusha’s mission is and therefore what our duties are as His followers.
Paul in Ephesians and Corinthians used warfare metaphors to motivate the followers of Yahusha to behave obediently to His Instructions: “…….put on the whole armor of Yahusha…..wear the helmet of deliverance…….wield the sword of the Spirit………be fellow soldiers with Yahusha our warrior leader in a battle against evil……” etc etc, but this spiritual warfare is a personal battle within each of us against the evil that wants to control us and live through us, and this is a separate thing to the set-apart war that Yahusha wages.
THE SET-APART WAR TO TAKE CANAAN ESTABLISHED THE PATTERN FOR HOW YAHUSHA IS GOING TO EVENTUALLY ESTABLISH PEACE ON EARTH BY REMOVING THE FILTH FROM IT!
Warfare is going to be the way Yahusha brings all mankind under submission to Him but not necessarily warfare as man thinks of it, nor practiced as men practice it. True Set-Apart warfare is a confrontation with evil that has been AUTHORISED BY YAHUSHA and all other warfare is not Set-Apart warfare at all. INFACT MOST OF THE WARS WE SEE IN THE SCRIPTURES (aside from Canaan) ACTUALLY REPRESENT UNAUTHORISED WARFARE. Those wars were about men’s agendas and their disinterest in following Yahusha’s Divine Laws and Instructions in Spirit and in truth. While Set-Apart war was indeed an instrument of bringing divine policy, war itself (common war as determined by men) does NOT carry with it the stamp of Yahusha’s approval.
Even King David was denied the privilege of building the Temple because his hands were stained with blood, what about that! The one man who's heart connected with Yahusha the most (as similar with Moses) was denied the climactic finale of seeing or experiencing what he'd been called for in the first place because of his behaviour.
One of the features of the coming Millennial Reign will be the elimination of war in all dimensions. The fact that our society today still resorts to war proves nothing except that men are terribly resistant to the favour of Yahusha. King David’s wars of conquest were not all Set-Apart Wars and even when they were, he didn't always behave within the strict boundaries of Yahusha’s Divine Laws concerning Set-Apart War.
A SET-APART WARRIOR BEHAVING YAHUSHA’S WAY DOES NOT HAVE TO LIVE WITH BLOOD GUILT ON HIS HEAD DOES HE! King David bore blood guilt for the express reason that many of his decisions were carnal and self-serving in nature and the blood he spilled was at times for personal reasons and ego and he paid a steep price for it.
The Millennial Rest and reign of Yahusha will endure no war, yet (ironically) the Battle of Armageddon (the war to end all wars) will propel us into this age when there will be no more war. Why? Because Armageddon (let's just make it simple and call it the `Return of Yahusha' eh, since the word `Armageddon' is only used once in Scripture!).... anyway this will be a true Set-Apart War, and Yahusha will carry it out the way Joshua should have, in that all of Yahusha’s enemies will be brought to uncompromising destruction with such extreme severity that all wickedness on earth will cease to exist.
So let's make this original principle of Set-Apart War more personal. Remember the Hebrew concept of an `eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth’ that we discussed last episode? This was a principle meant to be used as a foundation for Yahusha’s civil and criminal justice system; IT WAS NOT A LIFE PRINCIPLE TO BE USED IN PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS.
We have a tendency to mix up instructions meant for use in the legal context with those used within inter-personal relationships. So since Set-Apart War involves the destruction of animals, property, and human life then here is another Scriptural principle that needs to be brought back into proper context:
THE SET-APART WAR'S RULES OF ENGAGEMENT DEMONSTRATE ABSOLUTELY ZERO TOLERANCE AND A COMPLETE LACK OF MERCY TOWARDS THOSE WHO YAHUSHA HAS MARKED FOR DESTRUCTION. So how do we know who these people are and view this principle in light of one of Yahusha’s most famous instructions to “love your enemies”? Did He just change His mind about the RULES OF ENGAGEMENT between the older texts and the latter ones?
MATT 5 (BYNV) . . .38“You heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth,’ 39 but I say to you, do not resist the wicked. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. 40 And he who wishes to sue you and take away your inner garment, let him have your outer garment as well. 41 And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two. 42 “Give to him who asks of you, and from him who wishes to borrow from you, do not turn away. 43 You heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those cursing you, do good to those hating you, and pray for those insulting you and persecuting you, 45 so that you become sons of your Father in the Shamayim. Because He makes His sun rise on the wicked and on the good, and sends rain on the obedient and on the unobedient. 46 For if you love those loving you, what reward have you? Are the tax collectors not doing the same too? 47 And if you greet your brothers only, what do you do more than others ? Are the tax collectors not doing so too? 48 Therefore, be perfect, as your Father in the Shamayim is perfect".
Can you see the context with which Yahusha spoke His words to “love your enemies”. It’s said right after He mentions “an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth” because an eye for an eye was all about proper proportion of punishment in the legal justice system. When Yahusha spoke of loving your enemies, it was NOT about the reversal of the legal aspect of His justice system, it was about PERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS. “Your enemies” are those acquaintances or relatives or anyone who have something against you (for good reason or not) it’s not referring to a thief who might come and commit the crime of robbery against you. Your enemies (in this context) also refer to those in authority over you, or someone who might be close to you that treats you unfairly, insults you, offends you, and hurts your feelings; it’s not referring to someone who took a knife and killed your child in an act of violence.
Being slapped on the cheek and your turning the other is all about being unjustly berated or unfairly dealt with and your refusing to take revenge and to do the same right back (remember the rule to `not take it personal' and `let them have it'?) Slapping someone on the cheek was a Hebrew idiom for humiliating someone; it’s not about assault and battery. In the Middle East humiliating someone caused them to lose face, and so it was usual that revenge (even to the point of blood feuds and murder) was in order. So it’s not about the commission of a crime like moving a boundary marker hoping to steal land. In one case there is a justice system set up to deal with those civil and criminal violations against you, and in the other (love your enemies) these are personal issues left for YOU to deal with on a personal level. And Yahusha's Bride can feel through her portal power source whether she's walking in the basking light of His approving favor, annointing and presence or if she's not! It's a very personal path and no one can judge another's steps on it!
But understand this . . . THERE'S AN ENORMOUS DIFFERENCE BETWEEN YAHUSHA’S ENEMIES, AND OUR ENEMIES. Think about it! Yahusha tells us to love OUR enemies but NEVER does He tell us to love HIS enemies, because for us to love Yahusha’s enemies is to dissolve any union with Yahusha Himself, for we’re never to accept anything or anyone who Yahusha rejects (ie loving the world makes us an enemy of Yahusha doesn't it!) How can we love what Yahusha hates, and then call that unity? And even though we may not have anything personally against Yahusha’s enemies we are still NOT to accept them. We are to reject them just as Yahusha does. But to be absolutely clear, Yahusha defines His enemies as those who are in total and utter rebellion against Him to such a degree that they will not ever be eligible for redemption; it's those who He's marked for destruction because of their constant, determined abominable behaviour against Him, and because they'd rather stand with the Evil One. Sometimes we might not be able to discern which is which from an earthly point of view, so we have to be very careful in how we behave. And we need to err on the side of love and mercy (ie do the 3 Rules and you can't be wrong).
Another vital thing to understand as we go out into our day HATING YAHUSHA'S ENEMIES is that from a Scriptural perspective, to HATE someone is NOT so much about an enormous emotional dislike, bordering on the homicidal as we tend to think of it. IT MEANS TO THOROUGHLY REJECT SOMETHING OR SOMEONE, OR IN MOST CASES TO REJECT WHAT THAT PERSON BELIEVES OR STANDS FOR.
To love, conversely, is to wholeheartedly accept, rather than to simply like a person on a deeply emotional level. A person that is “hated” by Yahusha is rejected by Yahusha. A person who is loved by Yahusha is accepted by Yahusha. And that is the sense of hate (and love) that we need to grasp as we read the Set-Apart Scriptures, and it is the sense that (as Believers) we need to emulate in our behaviour through practicing the 3 Rules which a summary of all the behaviours in Scripture in a neat little package that anyone of any age and any knowledge-level can immediate'y start practicing in their own surroundings and see immediate results. CAN YOU SEE HOW THE BEHAVIOUR OF YAHUSHA’S 9 FRUITS (FROM HIS PORTAL) ARE ACTUALLY SPIRITUAL WARFARE IN OUR 21ST CENTURY LIVES?
So when the officials are finished giving these orders, they will appoint officers to be in command of the army and before you attack a town that is far from your land, offer peace to the people who live there. If they surrender and open their town gates, they will become your slaves, but if they reject your offer of peace and try to fight, surround their town and attack. Then, after Yahuah helps you capture it, kill all the men, but take the women and children as slaves and keep the livestock and everything else of value.
And whenever you capture towns in the land Yahuah your Alahim is giving you, be sure to kill all the people and the animals, for He’s told you to completely wipe out the the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites. So if you allow them to live, they will persuade you to bow down and serve their disgusting fake deities, and you will become an abomination to Yahuah just as they are.
Also when you are attacking a town, don’t chop down its fruit trees, not even if you’ve had the town surrounded for a long time. The fruit trees aren’t your enemies are they? Infact they produce wonderful food that you can eat, so don’t be silly and cut them down. Also you may need wood to make ladders and towers to help you get over the walls and capture the town. But use only trees that you know are not fruit trees.
JOSHUA AND YISHARAL WERE ABOUT TO BE GIVEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO EXTERMINATE UNIMAGINABLE WICKEDNESS. IT WOULD HAVE MEANT A LARGE-SCALE DESTRUCTION OF HUMAN BEINGS DONE IN A MANNER WE CONSIDER SO BARBARIC AND RUTHLESS AS TO BE ALMOST UNCONSCIONABLE. YET THE WORLD OF THAT ERA OPERATED PRECISELY IN A WAY THAT WARFARE OF THAT KIND WAS THE NORM, NOT THE EXCEPTION... IT WAS AWFUL, BUT IT WAS USUAL. EVERYONE UNDERSTOOD THE RULES OF TRIBAL SOCIETIES AND THE CONSTANT WARFARE, HOW NATIONS CAME AND WENT, AND THAT PEOPLE DYING EN MASSE WAS NOT ABNORMAL. THE YISHARALITES INDEED COULD HAVE NOT ONLY PUSHED OUT THE UNDESIRED FROM CANAAN, BUT COULD HAVE DESTROYED YAHUSHA’S ENEMIES THAT HE INSTRUCTED YISHARAL TO DESTROY IF THEY CHOSE TO; BUT INSTEAD THEY CHOSE TO GO ANOTHER WAY, ALLOWING MANY OF YAHUSHA’S ENEMIES TO REMAIN AND THEY FOUND OUT THE HARD WAY THAT IF YOU ARE A FRIEND OF YAHUSHA, THEN EVENTUALLY YAHUSHA’S ENEMIES WILL BECOME YOUR ENEMIES AS WELL (LIKE IT OR NOT).
THERE IS A GROUP OF 6 NATIONS THAT YAHUSHA SAYS ARE SO EVIL THAT HE DOESN’T WANT THEM PUSHED OUT, HE WANTS THEM DEAD. THESE NATIONS ARE THE HITTITES, AMORITES, CANAANITES, PERRIZITES, HIVITES AND JEBUSITES. THE TERM “CANAANITES” IS BOTH A GENERAL NAME FOR ANYONE LIVING IN THE LAND OF CANAAN, BUT MORE TECHNICALLY IT IS A TRIBE OR NATION OF DIRECT DESCENDANTS FROM NOAH’S GRANDSON CANAAN SO FROM A GENEALOGICAL AND TRIBAL STANDPOINT THEY ARE NOT NECESSARILY RELATED TO THOSE OTHER 5 NATIONS LISTED.
HERE’S THE PROBLEM WITH THOSE 6 NATIONS WHO REPRESENT MOST OF THE INHABITANTS OF THE LAND OF CANAAN: THEY WORSHIP FALSE DEITIES, HAVE ABOMINABLE BEHAVIOUR, AND STAND FIRMLY IN OPPOSITION TO YAHUSHA. FURTHER THEY REPRESENT A SEVERE SPIRITUAL DANGER TO YISHARAL BECAUSE YISHARAL WILL DEFINATELY ADOPT SOME OF THEIR WICKED PRACTICES IF THESE PAGAN FOLKS ARE ALLOWED TO SURVIVE AND INTERMINGLE WITH YAHUSHA’S SET APART PEOPLE.
IT'S ALSO INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT IT WASN'T ONLY THE BELIEF SYSTEM OF THE CANAANITES THAT WAS THE REAL PROBLEM; RATHER IT WAS THEIR ABOMINABLE RITUAL PRACTICES THAT YAHUSHA SO DETESTED. IT WASN'T JUST THE SLAP IN THE FACE TO HIM AND ULTIMATE AFRONT THAT ALL OF THESE 6 NATIONS WORSHIPPED THE MAZZAROTH (SUN, MOON, STARS) AS THEIR GODS AND GODDESSES, DAY AND NIGHT IN HIS FACE, IT WAS THE SEXUAL PERVERSION, SACRIFICE OF HUMAN CHILDREN, DRINKING BLOOD, TEMPLE PROSTITUTION/SODOMY AND ALL OTHER MANNER OF INFECTIOUS BEHAVIORS THAT YAHUSHA COULD REFUSED TO TOLERATE ANYWHERE NEAR HIS SET-APART PEOPLE. IS THERE ANY DIFFERENCE IN THE BEHAVIOUR OF THE WORLD TODAY?
SINCE SET-APART WAR HAD TO BE MADE UPON THESE 6 NATIONS WHO LIVED WITHIN THE LAND OF CANAAN AND THEIR DESTRUCTION WAS TO BE FINAL AND UNEQUIVOCAL, YAHUSHA MADE SOME OTHER RULES TO DEAL WITH MATTERS THAT WOULD NATURALLY OCCUR IN THE PROCESS. ONE OF THOSE RULES CONCERNED HOW TO TREAT THE TREES THAT GREW OUTSIDE THE WALLS OF A WALLED CANAANITE CITY. NOW, YISHARAL WAS NOT STUPID AND THEY WELL UNDERSTOOD THE VALUE OF FRUIT TREES. SO WHY DID YAHUSHA THINK HE HAD TO TELL THEM NOT TO DESTROY THEIR OWN FOOD RESOURCES, AS IT WERE, BY AVOIDING THE DESTRUCTION OF THOSE FRUIT TREES?
BECAUSE YISHARAL WAS OPERATING UNDER THE LAW OF HEREM, TRANSLATED AS “BAN”, AND SINCE THIS IS A SET-APART WAR, AND YAHUSHA IS YISHARAL’S SET-APART COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF, THEN ALL SPOILS OF THE SET-APART WAR BELONG TO HIM. HE WILL DECIDE WHAT IS TO BE DONE WITH IT. AND SINCE YAHUSHA IS NOT A MAN THAT NEEDS GOLD OR SILVER OR EXQUISITE JEWELLRY, OR BEAUTIFUL FABRIC, OR SUMPTUOUS FOODS, OR SLAVES TO DO HIS BIDDING, THEN THE ONLY MEANS TO SET ASIDE THESE ITEMS AS YAHUSHA’S ALONE IS TO MAKE THEM UNAVAILABLE FOR USE BY ANYBODY ELSE. AND SINCE THEY ARE SET-ASIDE FOR YAHUSHA, THESE ITEMS ARE CONSIDERED TO BE SET-APART AND THEREFORE NO MAN CAN PARTAKE IN WHAT IS SET-APART TO YAHUSHA. THEREFORE ALL OF THESE THINGS WERE BURNT AND DESTROYED BECAUSE THEY BELONGED TO YAHUSHA.
IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE, THE MOST HORRIBLE WAR EVER TO BEFALL MANKIND WILL HAPPEN. IT WILL BE A WAR THAT MOST BELIEVERS CLAIM TO LOOK FORWARD TO: THE WAR OF ARMAGEDDON AND IN THAT WAR THE IMMERSED BRIDE OF YAHUSHA WILL SURVIVE AND ALL OTHERS WILL BE DESTROYED. NO MERCY. NO EXCEPTIONS. YAHUSHA HAS ALREADY CHOSEN HIS BRIDE AND IDENTIFIED HIS ENEMIES, BUT IN HIS MERCY HAS DETERMINED THAT SOME OF THEM WILL REPENT AND GRAFT IN SO HE'S WITHHELD FINAL JUDGMENT FOR A TIME. BUT AT THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON (HIS RETURN) THAT TIME IS PAST. IT WON’T MATTER IF MILLIONS THROW THEIR HANDS UP AND SHOUT, “OH WE’VE BEEN SO WRONG! NOW THAT I SEE MESSIAH IN HIS UNBELIEVABLE ESTEEM, I BELIEVE!” TOO LATE MATE. THEY WILL DIE TO ETERNAL SEPARATION FROM YAHUSHA KNOWING THE TRUTH, BUT UNABLE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT. ONCE THE FINAL SET-APART WAR IS BEGUN, THE LIST OF THOSE WHO ARE DEFINED AS YAHUSHA’S ENEMIES IS ETCHED IN STONE AND CLOSED UP.
WHEN YAHUSHA RETURNS, THE BATTLE OF ARMAGEDDON WILL OPERATE PRECISELY ON THE RULES OF SET-APART WARFARE AS OUTLINED IN DEUTERONOMY 20 AND 21, BECAUSE (LIKE THE CONQUEST OF CANAAN) YAHUSHA'S RETURN WILL BE A SET-APART WAR STARTED BY HIM AND LED BY HIM AND ENDED BY HIM. YES, OUR MEEK AND MILD PACIFIST MESSIAH YAHUSHA WILL BE THE LEADER IN A GLOBAL ANNIHILATION NOT OF MILLIONS, BUT OF BILLIONS. YOU SEE, JUST AS THE LAW OF HEREM (PUT UNDER THE BAN) IS TO BE CARRIED OUT BY YISHARAL IN CANAAN, SO WILL IT ALSO BE CARRIED OUT BY YAHUSHA AND HIS ARMY (MESSENGERS/REAPERS) AT HIS RETURN. THE SPOILS OF THIS WAR, THE PEOPLE, ANIMALS, (EVERYTHING) BELONGS TO YAHUSHA, THE LEADER OF THE WAR, AND SO IN ORDER THAT NO MAN CAN UTILIZE THOSE SPOILS THEY MUST BE DESTROYED. THEREFORE JUST AS ORDERED FOR THOSE 6 CANAANITE NATIONS, SO IT WILL BE FOR THE WHOLE WORLD OF REBELS AND THE EARTH ITSELF AT HIS RETURN: IT WILL BE HEREM, PUT UNDER THE BAN, TOTAL GLOBAL ANNIHILATION AS THE INVISIBLE SEAM UNZIPS AND THE HIGHER DIMENSION OF SHAMAYIM (WHERE HE IS) MOVES INTO THIS REALM, DISINTEGRATING THE LOWER AND REPLACING IT WITH THE HIGHER. REMEMBER ANYTHING UNCLEAN (WHICH IS ALL FLESH) WHEN EXPOSED TO YAHUSHA'S PURE, CLEAN SET-APARTNESS . . . IS FRACKLED UP. THIS IS WHY THE PERFECTED BRIDE MUST PUT ON IMMORTALITY (SHED HER FLESH) AND BE CHANGED IN THE TWINKING OF AN EYE FOR HER SURVIVAL AND ULTIMATE CONSUMMATION.
So now that we've been through all this information regarding battle, can you see that the ultimate reason for Yisharal to conquer Canaan was so that Yahusha could dwell in a permanent residence among His people, and from there, begin taking back His earth (time & space) piece by piece, nation by nation using Yisharal as an example of what prosperity, protection and blessing is available within Blood-Covenant relationship with Him? Of course Yahusha can't be in the presence of evil and that's why such a massive annihilation was needed in Canaan, for He knew that certain nations would never bow the knee and obey Him, based on their constant behaviour and they would only lead His people into destruction too (as they eventually did). So fire (the ban) was the solution.
That was the ONLY set-apart war in human history and the next will be for the exact same reason: set-apart property, only this time Yahusha will be claiming back the whole earth, annihilating the evil and moving back into a transformed marriage home just like the garden of Eden. So until that time His chosen Bride has only one task: to prepare for His return by removing the filthy habits and disobedient evil behaviour from among her (and of course by doing this there will be a small select few who are drawn out of the world because of the witness in our behaviour).
HAVE YOU ENTERED THE BATTLE YET?
HAVE YOU EVEN TRIED TO BEHAVE ANY OF THE 3 RULES WHICH HELP US OVERCOME?
YAHUSHA HAS JUST TOLD US THAT `BECOMING ALL THINGS FOR ALL PEOPLE' IN OUR BEHAVIOUR IS HOW WE GET OUR LIVES IN ORDER, DIE TO OURSELF AND OVERCOME OUR SELF BY PLACING OUR FOCUS AND ATTENTION ONTO SOMEONE ELSE! AND THE RESULTS WILL BE ORDER, ROUTINE, PEACE AND HARMONY INSTEAD OF CHAOS, DRAMA AND CONSTANT CONFLICT. SO CAN YOU GO THERE?
