Chag Shavu'ot sameach kol beit Yisra'el and Mishpachah - welcome to the Feast of Weeks also known as 'Pentecost' but more accurately called Ekatost. Today is Messianic Israel's singular Summer Festival in which we commemorate and celebrate both our Heavenly Father's Torah or Teaching that includes His mitzvot (commandments) received on Mt.Sinai and the First Messianic Shavu'ot in which the first believers were supernaturally endowed with a filling by, and of, the Ruach haQodesh or Holy Spirit that sent them out into the nations as fully equipped witnesses of Christ (Acts 2).

Today therefore witnesses both the Torah way of life of the qodeshim (saints, set-apart ones) and their supernatural equipping for spiritual renewal and evangelism. With these two equippings we have our primary commission as talmidim (disciples) to preach and teach:

"Therefore go and make talmidim (disciples) of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Ruach haQodesh (Holy Spirit), and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the æon (age)" (Matt.28:19-20, NIV).

We also know that at the very end of the end-times we will need extra equipping both to be able to handle the opposition in the form of persecution and to lift the demonic veil obscuring the sight of a world falling ever deeper into sin and rebellion against the Creator. There is so much delusion amongst both unbelievers and believers who have compromised with the world system and have neglected either the Torah or the spiritual gifts or both. Even after some 40 years of ministry I continue to be astonished by the blindness everywhere.

But this year something big began, at first as a distant rumbling but now, increasingly, like an earthquake. I have been preaching about this day for many, many years, inviting people to prepare for it, the Day of the House of Joseph. Rather uniquely, today - this day of Shavu'ot - is a critically important General Election for the Tribe of Ephraim (England/Great Britain) in which British politics will likely be changed forever when the results come in this evening [1]. This was also the day the European Common Market was formed (in 1973) which has since evolved into the increasingly totalitarian and globalist precursor to world government, the European Union, which Britain (Ephraim) left in 2020 (Brexit). The leading nation of the Tribe of Reuben (France) just kicked out that nation's deep-state middle manager, President Emmanual Macron. Everywhere you look, the prophecy I have been making insistently for many years, that the élites would suffer a defeat in this Penultinmate Judgment, has been coming to pass, giving the Body of Christ a breathing space for the Final Gathering in this the tenth year of the Last Exodus.

But that isn't all that has happened on this Gregorian 4 July which, as I think you'll see, is uniquely a House of Joseph affair. This was the day the Nazi Party was formed in Weimar, Germany in 1926 (East Manasseh) in response to the defeat of that nation in the fratricidal war of 1914-18, engineered by the élites to deal a crushing blow to Western Christian civilisation in three stages, the second being World War II of 1939-45, and the third the developping conflict that is even now underway in the Ukraine and spreading. This 4 July was also the day, in 1845, that the Texas Congress voted for annexation to the USA (West Manasseh), and as you know we have received an important prophecy about Texas.

But most importantly of all for current world events as they stand on this 4 July, this was the day in 1796 that the first Independence Day was celebrated in the United States (West Manasseh), three years after rebellion and actual independence from England (Ephraim) in 1776. And what is happening in America right now? It is a Josephite nation that has been brought to the brink of destruction by the ruling élites and it too, like the United Kingdom, will be having a Presidential Election at the end of the year that will be every bit as tumultous as the one taking place in the UK today. The United States stands on the very brink of destruction as its power on the international scene is progressive stripped away, again in fulfilment of the ongoing prophecy about the fall of that nation. For those Americans putting their money on Donald Trump 'making America great again' or Nigel Farage putting the 'great' back into Great Britain again, I will only say this, and not for the first time: the salvation of the Josephite nations depends not only on a change of politicians but, far more importantly, on national repentance. And again, the very most Trump and Farage can achieve is one last short breathing space more for the qodeshim (saints, set-apart ones) before the Antchrist system finally seizes global power for its short but terrible seven-year reign of global terror.

And last of all, 4 July 1054, was the day that the brightest known supernova, SN 1054, which created the Crab Nebula, as first reported by Chinese astronomers, burst into view, forever changing the night sky. I mention that because another supernova in the constellation of Orion is soon to dramatically burst onto the scene as it did in 1054. If you know where Orion's Belt is in the southwestern night sky, with its three bright stars Alnitak, Alnilam and Mintaka, a prominent and easily recognisable constellation that's mentioned three times in Scripture (Job 9:9; 38:31; Amos 5:8), then that is where you may expect the new supernova to appear, at the location of the red supergiant star Betelgeuse just above the trio. But don't get too excited, we don't know exactly when this star is going to explode, only that it will be 'soon', which on the larger scale could be within the next 300 years.

So there's a lot going on in Europe, America and throughout the world with a third world war brewing, if it hasn't already started. However, this isn't one of my prepping sermons, which you're probably sick of hearing but will, if you have responded to them, be very glad of when the balloon goes up and the economy shudders for its final descent into complete collapse. We're already feeling its early stages in rampant inflation and the deindustrialisation of Europe. So don't burst into a supernova-like messianic fit of passion if the élites suffer major political reverses in the UK, USA, France and elsewhere today and in the months ahead, but rather soberly fulfil Christ's commission to go out into the world, bring souls to Christ and teach them obedience to the Torah.

Today is 'Pentecost' (even though Christians and Messianics celebrated it far too early over a month ago and have been doing so for centuries - see The Wrong Shavu'ot) and our main theme today is the Joseph Tribes...but with a twist that most miss when projecting the future of the House of Joseph and what it will look like. Today we are seeing, as has happened in the past too when apostacy has set in, the Joseph nations descend into evil. It happened in the days of the Assyrian conquest when the ten northern tribes of Israel were deported and dispersed through the world, the bulk landing in northwestern Europe to settle the British Isles. The United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand are the main (but not eexclusive) fruits of Josephite colonising efforts, fulfilling the prophecy made in Genesis:

"Joseph is a fruitful bough,
A fruitful bough by a well;
His branches run over the wall"
(Gen.49:22, NKJV)

But what is Joseph exactly? What is his lineage?

"Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-Paneah and gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, to be his wife. And Joseph went throughout the land of Egypt. Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from Pharaoh's presence and traveled throughout Egypt" (Gen.41:45-47, NIV).

Now we have no idea what sort of a person Asenath was. All we know is that Joseph's marriage was arranged by Pharaoh, that she was the daughter of a pagan priest, and that nothing is said about her - positive or negative - in the Bible. Yet she was the seventh matriarch of Israel and this by Heavenly Father's own doing since nothing that happens is coincidental, and certainly nothing in the life of Joseph who is held up as a prophetic picture of the future Messiah. Yahweh guided and ordered his life every inch of the way, including his marriage. We are supposed to be half Egyptian and to be glad of it!

There are two Egyptian women of any prominence in the Egyptian story, one an evil one - the wife of Joseph's master who was a seductress and who falsely accused him of attempted rape, landing him in Pharaoh's dungeon for many long, hard years - and one whom Yahweh picked to be the mother of the Tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh. And although there is, to be sure, an apocryphal book known as Joseph & Asenath that purports to be a history of Joseph's wife, it is a piece of pure fiction like so many apocryphal and pseudepigraphical writings. For those of you who can remember that far back, which is three or four of us assembled here today, we many years ago studied and discussed this book. And whilst there may be some factual material in it, as there is in most apocryphal accounts such as the Book of Enoch, it is so mixed in with the false as to be impossible to disentangle. The most we have that can be said to be reliable is that the character of Asenath is hinted at in the blical text. The only other Egyptian woman we know anything about is Hagar, the wife of Abraham, and ancestor of the Arab peoples along with Abraham. She is largely referred to in negative terms as a rival to Sarah whose decendants likewise became rivals of the Israelites. Moses' first wife, a Cushite or African lady, became 'Egyptianised' culturally-speaking though Moses' high position in court as a Prince of Egypt before he renounced his Egyptianness to become the instrument in Yahweh's hands for the deliverance of Israel out of captivity.

Ask any Christian or Messianic what their spiritual instinct is regarding 'Egyptians' and it is pretty much overwhelmingly negative, unless of course you are an Egyptian Copt proud of his heritage. We recall, I am sure, the prophecy made through Ezekiel in which Yahweh declared:

"I mean to reduce Egypt to desert and desolation, from Migdol to Syene and beyond to the frontiers of Ethiopia...for forty years its cities will be a waste among ruined cities" (Ezek.29:10,12, JB).

Egypt has a long and dark history. It has been conquered by Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, Romans and Arabs, not to menion the mysterious 'sea peoples' and in more recent times, the UK. The Arabs forcibly converted it to Islam. But what it generally forgotten is that Egypt was a Christian nation before the Arab conquests (it was founded by the writer of the Gospel of Mark) and had many distinguished sons and doubtless daughters too - Clement of Alexandria, Origen and Anthony the Great immediately spring to mind. It's history is mixed, like every nation on the face of this planet, and it has been both a terrible oppressor of Elohim's (God's) people as well as a sanctuary for them. It was a haven for Jacob's family at a time of drout and famine, rescued by Yahweh though Joseph and his Egyptian wife Asenath. And it would become a a place of safety for the family of the boy Yah'shua (Jesus) and His parents during the days of the Idumean king of Judea, Herod the Great, who was trying to murder the infant Messiah. Egypt was therefore a part of Yah'shua's (Jesus') upbringing.

Later on, after its prophesied time of desolation, Yahweh is quite specific in saying that He will rescue Egypt in a similar manner to His rescue of Israel. Just note some of the similarities, if you will:

"...I shall scatter the Egyptians among the nations, dispersing them throughout the peoples. And Yahweh-Elohim says this: After 40 years have passed, I will gather the inhabitants of Egypt from the nations where they have been scattered. I will bring the Egyptian captives back and reinstall them in the land of Pathos (Upper Egypt), the land they came from. There they will constitute a weak Kingdom. Egypt will be the weakest of Kingdoms and no longer dominate other nations. She will no longer be anything for the House of Israel to trust in, but will be living evidence of the sins of Israel at the time when Israel turned to her for help. And men will learn that I am Yahweh-Elohim" (Ezek.29:12b-16, JB).

And that's where Ezekiel ends his prophecy and we hear no more of it from that particular navi (prophet); and so you might perhaps prematurely conclude that that is the 'end' of Egypt. Certainly Paul, in his letter to the Galatians, uses Hagar as a picture of historical Egypt, and does so negatively when he refers to the Jerusalem of his day (and by extension, of ours too and in the intervening years down to the early 21st century) as the 'City of Hagar' to be contrasted with the 'City of Sarah' which is the Christians' and Messianics' 'Jerusalem', the New Jerusalem, which is a heavenly city come down to earth (Gal.4:22ff.).

Let's go back to Genesis 41 for a little more context in the Joseph story:

"Before the years of famine came, two sons were born to Joseph by Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On [2]. Joseph named his firstborn Manasseh and said, 'It is because Elohim (God) has made me forget all my trouble and all my father's household.' The second son he named Ephraim and said, 'It is because Elohim (God) has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering'" (Gen.41:50-52, NIV).

Egypt is associated with suffering but is rescued by Joseph. Yahweh purposefully gives Joseph sons through an Egyptian wife. The firstborn He names Manasseh, to cause Joseph to forget his troubles, and his second-born, Ephraim, who is destined to become the spiritual firstborn, makes Joseph fruitful after years of apparent spiritual barrenness. Yahweh uses Egypt to bless and prosper but also to chastise and punish. I don't have time to go through Egypt's fascinating history which enamoured me as a boy as also one of my sons. But that is not the end of the matter. Yahweh did not permit Egypt to go extinct like the Phoenicians or Canaanites, for example. He has an extraordinary purpose for Egypt which we saw in the period before the Arab Moslem conquests in which they became a minority - the Copts - in their own land at the hands of another Abrahamic people through the lineage of Hagar. And by the way, lots of Arabs are coming to Christ in our day and spectacularly so!

In our day, quite soon, and specifically in the 'day' of the Last Generation, Egypt, and one other nation, is going to arise and walk by the side of Israel - not the Edomite Israeli Republic in the Middle East which has been at war with both of these nations but the (currently scattered) Nation of Messianic Israel. And this brings me to an astounding and glorious prophecy made by the navi (prophet) Isaiah:

"So Yahweh will make Himself known to the Egyptians, and in that day they will acknowledge Yahweh. They will worship with sacrifices and grain offerings; they will make vows to Yahweh and keep them. Yahweh will strike Egypt with a plague; He will strike them and heal them. They will turn to Yahweh, and he will respond to their pleas and heal them.

"In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians will go to Egypt and the Egyptians to Assyria. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together. In that day Israel will be the third, along with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing on the earth. Yahweh-Elohim will bless them, saying, 'Blessed be Egypt My people, Assyria My handiwork, and Israel My inheritance'" (Isa.19:21-25, NIV).

This is one of those many "in that day" prophecies with which we are familiar from the Book of Isaiah and refers to the Second Coming of Yah'shua the Messiah (Jesus Christ). Now when Messiah returns, all the nations that are not destroyed in the Great Tribulation and the wars before it will convert to Yahweh and worship but Isaiah singles out three in particular, and in this order:

• 1. [Messianic] Egypt My people;
• 2. [Messianic] Assyria My handiwork; and
• 3. [Messianic] Israel My inheritance.

This is pretty important, don't you think? Today the Assyrians are fleeing the wars in Iraq and Syria in particular and are scattered throughout the world as refugees. We have many of them here in Sweden. Yes, they are steeped in non-blilical traditions but Yahweh has a special love for them nevertheless. The Assyrian Christians have suffered much at the hands of the 'Religion of Peace'. Yahweh has brough them out of the Middle East to rescue and preserve them because He has a precious remnant within them. He calls them "my handiwork".

******************************* The Christian Copts of Egypt have likewise suffered terribly and though there are refugees scattered throughout the world, most of them yet remain in Egypt. We shall see what happens to them in the future. Amongst them also is a precious remnant whom Father calls "My people".

Christians used to compose 20 per cent of the Arab populations amongst whom they dwelt but because of war that has been reduced to about 4 per cent, that is, about 15 million people. Today there are about 22 Christian communities in the Middle East: 8 Protestant, 7 Catholic and 7 Orthodox, but the vast majority are members of indigenous Christian communities - the Marionites, Melkites (Greek), Armenians, Copts, Chaldeans and Assyrians.

And then, third on the list, are the Messianic Israelites whom Yahweh calls "My inheritance". And these three - Egyptian, Assyrian and Israelite are referred to as spiritual brethren. Now we have spoken a lot about true Israel vs. false Israel, and Messianic Israel vs. non-Messianic Israel and in so doing there might have developped, in the minds of some Messianic Israelites, a kind of 'ethno-centricity' which has led to pride and to an unjustified sense of exclusivity and entitlement. So now is a golden opportunity, on this Day of Shavu'ot, to be reminded that Yahweh is no respector or persons (1 Pet.1:17) or of 'ethnicities' - He is not occupied with race but with right-relatedness. So no Christian or Messianic group is so 'special' that they are allowed to assume they are 'teacher's pets'. And I want you today to open you hearts and arms to the Remnant Egyptians and Assyrians who though, in the past, may have been Israel's enemies and persecutors, are to be Messianic Israel's brethren. And it is not accidental that Yahweh lists Israel as being in third position, not because she is inferior, but because all are equal before Him.

You see, like the modern Joseph nations of the United States and Great Britain, ancient Egypt is represented as a king of 'split personality' because that is the condition of the human soul generally. So long as we walk in the flesh, those of us who are spiritually regenerated talmidinm (disciples) of the Master Yah'shua the Messiah (Lord Jesus Christ) must remember that we share this flesh with a carnal man too whom we can either crucify or yield to. Like Egypt and Israel and Assyria (for remember, Jonah brought the Assyrian capital of Nineveh to repentance), all are shown in the Bible both negatively and positively. Anciently Israel and Egypt shared a common border in the south, as Israel and Syria did in the north, and as Messianic Israel will in the future when it is restored to the Promised Land and when all three contemporary countries are cleansed of Yahweh's enemies. Nations that share border experience a lot of interaction, quite naturally, and this will be so in the Millennium too.

Now I don't want to belabour this because I am ill and tired for we could easily make of this a study over many weeks, which I am not allowed to do. I am only 'coming out of retirement', as it were, for one day to honour my Heavenly Father on this sacred, compulsory moed or divine apointment. My message today is essentially this: anciently Egypt was either an adversary or an ally, a place to flee or a place to flee to, and in the days to come Egypt, Assyria and Israel will walk side-by-side, hand-in-hand as co-equals in the same salvation. That doesn't mean they will be living different religious customs for all will worship Yahweh and His Son Yah'shua (Jesus), all with walk in Torah-obedience, and indeed we are told in Scripture that all three will come up to the New Jerusalem, the Holy City come-down-from-Heaven, to worship on the Pilgrim Feasts, and specifically Sukkot or the Feast of Tabernacles is named. You will remember that Assyria and Egypt are warned that if they do not, there will be dire consequences (Zech.14:16-19).

Today is the Feast of Weeks or 'Pentecost' which was fulfilled 2,000 years ago. We are not expecting a 'new' anointing today. What was given 2,000 years ago is still available and that we ask for again today. Refresh us and renew us, Father, for many are heavy-laden and weary! We are, however, most definitely expecting a New Anointing at the last of the as-yet three unfulilled moedim of Yom Teruah (Trumpets), Yom haKippurim (Atonements) and Sukkot (Tabernacles) which this year is from the 17th to the 24th of September. That will be of great importance to us this year.

The Bible shows that nations, just like individuals, are held accountable for their behaviour, and so it is no contradiction that Egypt was prophesied to receive curses when it did evil and blessings when it did good. The same is true of Assyria, the same is true of ancient Israel and the same is true of us today. Today the Joseph nations are coming under judgment for having done evil and a remnant will be gathered out from them. That is what we have been readying ourselves for now for the last 40 years. Whether I live long enough to see the beginning of it I do not know, for yesterday I felt deathly ill and thought at certain moments that I was about to be taken home. I pray that I will be granted days enough to at least see the metaphorical 'East Bank' of the Promised Land conquered. I expect you will hear from me again at Yom haKippurim and certainly at Sukkot...Yahweh willing, if I am still here.

So with these thoughts I take my leave of you again. Yahweh bless you and keep you is my prayer in Yah'shua's (Jesus') Name. Amen.

Endnotes

[1] The Conservative Party was utterly crushed, a new populist Party called Reform (formerly the Brexit Party) made dramatic inroads and the ultra-radical leftwing Labour Party achieved its greatest election victory ever.
[2] On (or Heliopolis in Greek) was a centre for the worship of the sun god Ra in Egypt. Thew priests of On were considered by Herodotus to be the most intelligent and cultured Egyptians throughout the land, their education being second to none. It would have been from this same caste that Moses received his own education. So when Joseph married into this family, whose priest held the title of 'Greatest of Seers', he joined a social class befitting a national leader who was himself a mighty seer. Pharaoh's giving of Asenath to Joseph also suggests that he sanctioned the Joseph the Seer's religion, allowing him to raise his family in the faith of his fathers. It is therefore not unreasoanble to assume that Asenath became a Yahwist like her husband. One thing we can be certain of is this: Joseph did not fall into idolatry in marrying Asenath, nor was he in violation of Moses' Torah which had not yet been written.