These writings were written over the course of the first decade of the 21st Century. Inconsistencies are purposefully left in their online format to meet people at each of those levels of understanding & to progress at their own pace in understanding
To summarize what’s in my heart on the subject of this collection of articles, I could think of nothing better or more appropriate than a quote from Andrew Jukes from March 25, 1867:
"Truth spoken before its time may be not hurtful only, but even most unlawful. The Christian truth, that 'there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek,' and that 'circumcision is nothing,' would surely have been unlawful, because untimely, in the Jewish age. So even now there may be many eternal verities which are beyond what St. Peter calls 'the present truth,' and which may therefore 'not be lawful for a man to utter.' But the fact that God Himself is ever opening out His truth seems a sufficient reason for making it know as far as He opens it. Is not His opening it to His servants an intimation to them that His will is that they should declare and publish it? Age after age the day arrives to utter something which till the appointed day is come has been 'a secret hid in God.' The very gospel which we all believe once jarred on many minds as a doctrine directly opposed to and subversive of the law given by God to Moses.
The doctrine here stated, therefore, though it runs like a golden thread through Holy Scripture, may, because as yet it has been hidden from many of God's children, be condemned by them as contrary to God's mind, just as Paul's gospel, when first proclaimed, was charged with being opposed to that old law of which it was but the fulfillment. In every age the man of faith can only say, 'We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak.'
Truth may, and indeed must, vary in form as time goes on,--Christ Himself, the Truth, at different stages appears differently,--for God has stooped to this, to give us truth as we can bear it; stooped therefore to be judged as inconsistent; because He is Love, and waits to reveal Himself till we are prepared for the revelation. But the end will justify all His ways..." [From the Preface to “The Second Death And The Restitution Of All Things” by Andrew Jukes]
(There are approximately 52 writings on this page if someone wanted to genuinely read everything, but at the same time had mixed feelings about the subject having importance to them, then that's one a week over the course of a year.)
These F.A.Q.s (I - LIX) go back to the original Hosea 2:18 series written in 2001 (first 7 articles on this page from the top) and might not necessarily reflect how Martin would answer these types of questions, presently. But these are posted for your edification and for any help that they may perhaps be until a new set are completed.
These F.A.Q.s (I - LIX) go back to the original Hosea 2:18 series written in 2001 (first 7 articles on this page from the top) and might not necessarily reflect how Martin would answer these types of questions, presently. But these are posted for your edification and for any help that they may perhaps be until a new set are completed.
These F.A.Q.s (I - LIX) go back to the original Hosea 2:18 series written in 2001 (first 7 articles on this page from the top) and might not necessarily reflect how Martin would answer these types of questions, presently. But these are posted for your edification and for any help that they may perhaps be until a new set are completed.
These F.A.Q.s (I - LIX) go back to the original Hosea 2:18 series written in 2001 (first 7 articles on this page from the top) and might not necessarily reflect how Martin would answer these types of questions, presently. But these are posted for your edification and for any help that they may perhaps be until a new set are completed.
These F.A.Q.s (I - LIX) go back to the original Hosea 2:18 series written in 2001 (first 7 articles on this page from the top) and might not necessarily reflect how Martin would answer these types of questions, presently. But these are posted for your edification and for any help that they may perhaps be until a new set are completed.
These F.A.Q.s (I - LIX) go back to the original Hosea 2:18 series written in 2001 (first 7 articles on this page from the top) and might not necessarily reflect how Martin would answer these types of questions, presently. But these are posted for your edification and for any help that they may perhaps be until a new set are completed.
These F.A.Q.s (I - LIX) go back to the original Hosea 2:18 series written in 2001 (first 7 articles on this page from the top) and might not necessarily reflect how Martin would answer these types of questions, presently. But these are posted for your edification and for any help that they may perhaps be until a new set are completed.
These F.A.Q.s (I - LIX) go back to the original Hosea 2:18 series written in 2001 (first 7 articles on this page from the top) and might not necessarily reflect how Martin would answer these types of questions, presently. But these are posted for your edification and for any help that they may perhaps be until a new set are completed.
These F.A.Q.s (I - LIX) go back to the original Hosea 2:18 series written in 2001 (first 7 articles on this page from the top) and might not necessarily reflect how Martin would answer these types of questions, presently. But these are posted for your edification and for any help that they may perhaps be until a new set are completed.
These F.A.Q.s (I - LIX) go back to the original Hosea 2:18 series written in 2001 (first 7 articles on this page from the top) and might not necessarily reflect how Martin would answer these types of questions, presently. But these are posted for your edification and for any help that they may perhaps be until a new set are completed.
I see a coming of Christ in the behalf of His animals that is distinct from the coming of Christ to His Church, [in a new dimension,] which many teach precedes His coming for the world. It is my hope to further show that there's absolutely no such thing as a futile life in the eyes of God and in the light of Christ's growing [saving, restoring, healing] Empire.
This perspective that I am sharing rather than stopping at reconsidering animals and what ideally should be our relationship to them actually calls for a reconsideration of what God Himself is saying about these animals and about ourselves.
I'll take this so far as to say that while the Blood of Jesus destroys sin and restores man's righteousness before God, to undo the death that entered by sin, THIS ISSUE of man's relationship with the animals MUST BE repaired in the sanctifying union of the Hosea 2:18 covenant. This covenant isn't to make me or anyone who believes or preaches it one of God's weirdoes. The specific purpose is to abolish death!
This Covenant necessitates a stand of Veganism. How can we be at peace if you were continually eating my children or spoiling them of their bodily fluids for your profit, pleasure, convenience, or in the name of your "liberty"? If the death penalty was mandated for animals who killed a man in the Old Testament, then these animals are more intelligent than 21st century Western-minded Christians give them credit for. Our inescapable, never failing, love in Christ DEMANDS veganism, if this Covenant is to come to the point where this age can close.
This clearly teaches me that animals have been grafted into Israel. The Church is very clearly the Judah in this passage, so, here we have it, the animal nations and kingdoms are very plainly taught by the New Covenant to be of the house of Israel; of the family of Judah! Hence, when any vegan likens the conditions in the slaughter houses and in the egg factories and all of the other places of cruel animal servitude as if it were in fact Auchwitz, then the analogy is VERY fitting and scripturally very appropriate!
I want to briefly deal with how to make Hosea 2:18 a reality. Because if my interpretation of Hosea 2:18 is correct, as well as my examination of it in context, then for those who would see the completion of the regeneration of all things, this can present a problem of "how" to inherit the promise.
According to Jeremiah 31:27-28 God has accepted the blame for everything that's ever made a prey of either man or beast in their spirits, souls, bodies, and everything else that pertains to them.
Some may casually ask:
"What's wrong with believing that this Hosea 2:18 Covenant isn't something that's inaugurated until the Lord returns?"
You can't make any area of the love of God revealed and manifested through the Cross of Christ an eschatological event.
Since His unchangeableness is part of what defines Him, Christ's love for animals isn't limited to an eschatological event.
However, were one to make a successful argument for Christ's love, manifested in a Covenant with the animals, as something that's only eschatalogical, what would move Christ towards compassion towards animals? Our faith in Him as the Good Shepherd of anyone who needs a Shepherd? The cries of the animals? Why this sudden change in the future life's expression of the unchanging Savior? Or have animals always been very very deeply on His heart?
Christ comes, according to Revelation 11, to destroy those who are destroying the earth. And yet there's more than one thing called "earth" in Scripture. When He comes, we see Him in ministry towards animals according to Isaiah chapters 10 and 11, Isaiah chapter 40, Isaiah chapters 65 and 66, and according to you (or anyone who would ask this question) in Hosea chapter 2. If animals are honestly primary on the agenda JUST FOR WHEN Christ returns, where does that leave you since the coming of Christ is the beginning of THE JUDGMENT? Where does this leave animal abusers? And why aren't you preaching about Christ the Savior of the animal kingdom at His appearing, if that's how you HONESTLY take Hosea 2:18 and other Scriptures along those lines? Where does this leave "Second Coming of Christ" preaching that hasn't majored on the eschatological interpretation of these passages that I'm teaching on? Where does this leave Bible prophecy teachers who because of the lust of their appetites won't preach the full meaning of the return of Christ where animals are concerned?
BOTTOM LINE: The thing that's wrong with your question "What's wrong with believing that this Hosea 2:18 Covenant isn't something that's inaugurated until the Lord returns?" and the assumptions that are at the foundation of this question is that that mindset relieves too many people of responsibility towards the animals and in Gospel preaching and teaching that it does not in any way, genuinely, relieve any of us of. You're still accountable for the false information that you're more than likely helping to spread/maintain in the general public about what animals being placed in our custody by God means.
