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Fruitfulness in the Kingdom

There were two mandates inherent in the Birthright at the time of the creation: the Dominion Mandate and the Fruitfulness Mandate. The first established Kingdom Authority; the second established Kingdom Purpose, which was to "be fruitful and multiply" (Gen. 1:28).

Most take this second command in a purely physical sense, thinking that it has only to do with begetting more children and increasing earth's population. But actually, that is a perversion of the Mandate. The Mandate was given before Adam sinned, and if he had fulfilled his Mandate without sin and death being involved, he would have produced children in his image and likeness--which in turn was the image and likeness of God (Gen. 1:26).

Yet because his children were conceived and born after he had lost the image of God through sin, he was able to produce children only after his fallen likeness. For this reason, the divine plan for this Mandate has yet to be fulfilled. The Sonship message that is more clearly set forth in the New Testament is actually the fulfillment of this Fruitfulness Mandate.

The primary theme of the Gospel of John is found in John 1:12, 13,

" (12) But as many as received Him [Christ], to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, (13) who were born not of blood(line), nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God [i.e., God's will]."

Thus, we find the feast of Tabernacles to be central to the Gospel of John. The eight miracle-signs in John were recorded in that particular order to reveal to us the eight days of Tabernacles. This is because the feast of Tabernacles is the final step in attaining Sonship and fulfilling the Fruitfulness Mandate.

The three main steps, of course, are revealed in the feasts of Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles. Passover speaks of our justification by faith; Pentecost speaks of sanctification through the infilling of the Holy Spirit; Tabernacles speaks of glorification and transfiguration into full Sonship.

The increase in world population produced potential children of God, but did nothing to produce children in the image of God. They are children in the image of the first Adam who was "dead"; but Christ came as the Last Adam (1 Cor. 15:45) to produce children in the perfect Image of His "life-giving Spirit".

Those who have lost the vision of the feast of Tabernacles tend to remain content with the revelation of the first two feasts. Some Christians have no vision beyond Passover (justification by faith). They "get saved" or "born again" and then go about their lives feeling secure that they have purchased their one-way ticket to heaven. Other Christians catch a vision of Pentecost and seek the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Once received, then they go about their lives feeling sure that they have received the greatest gift of all with nothing further to seek except more of the same.

The Church has thus largely lost its way in its journey to the Promised Land. They lost the vision and the map to the Promised Land when they lost the revelation of the feast of Tabernacles. Most of them know something about Sonship, but they lack a clear vision of it, because they have forgotten the law itself which prophesies of Sonship through this feast day.

I have found it extremely helpful to study these feast days, along with other laws of Sonship and even the history of Joseph, son of Jacob-Israel. After Jacob received the Birthright and the Blessing, representing the two Mandates, he divided them between Judah and Joseph. Judah received the Dominion Mandate; Joseph received the Fruitfulness Mandate.

1 Chron. 5:2 says,

"Though Judah prevailed over his brothers, and from him came the leader["chief ruler"], yet the birthright belonged to Joseph."

Probably not one in a thousand Christians recalls reading this verse, because it carries little meaning to most Bible teachers. Most teachers today claim that the birthright belongs to the Jews, when, in fact, it NEVER belonged to the tribe of Judah at all, even if we were to consider all Jews to be of that tribe. Judah's Dominion Mandate was fulfilled in Christ, for He came of that tribe in order to claim His throne rights. Only those who follow Him as King have any right to claim a share of the Dominion Mandate.

But Christ must come a second time in order to claim the Birthright of Joseph. The two comings of Christ were made necessary when the two Mandates were separated and divided between Judah and Joseph. In coming twice, Christ becomes the "repairer of the breach" (Isaiah 58:12), uniting the two sticks of Judah and Joseph (Ezekiel 37:15-20).

In other words, the two Mandates must again become united into a single Birthright as at the beginning. Neither of them are of much use without the other. Of what use is a king without a kingdom? Of what use is dominion without sonship? The divine plan calls for both.

The story of the Bible is a story of the divine plan and the opposition to that plan. It includes many illustrations of opposition and usurpation so that we would know how to rule by the mind of God as well as how to come into the manifestation of the Sons of God. In the Old Testament, we see it illustrated in King David, whose throne was usurped by his son, Absalom, with the help of David's friend, Ahithophel. In the New Testament we see it illustrated in King Jesus, son of David, whose throne was usurped by the chief priests with the help of Jesus' friend, Judas.

In more modern history, we see the same thing happening with the Birthright as what happened with the throne many years ago. The Birthright, too, has been usurped by the Zionists who call themselves by the Birthright name, "Israel." That name was given to the sons of Joseph in Gen. 48:16. No other nation has the right to call itself by the name of Israel. Individuals of each tribe may call themselves Israelites in a generic sense, but even that is not lawful if the law has cut them off from among their people for certain sins.

The law of sacrifice in Lev. 17:1-9 makes it clear that if any man of any tribe does not bring the blood of the Sacrifice to the Sanctuary (temple) and apply it properly to the altar of his heart, he was to be cut off from his people, no longer considered a member of the tribe or nation. This law prophesies of Christ and His Sacrifice on the Cross. It was needful for the priests to make that Sacrifice to fulfill the law's prophecy, but only those who appropriate His blood and apply it to the temple where God now dwells can legitimately claim to be of the tribe of Judah. This is why Paul so carefully defines who is and who is not a Jew (Rom. 2:28, 29).

If a person has not first become a Jew (i.e., of the tribe of Judah) by following King Jesus, son of David, then he cannot share in the Dominion Mandate held by the King. Only Jesus' disciples and those who came to accept Him later, are of the tribe of Judah.

Likewise, no one can go on to attain the Birthright of Joseph and Sonship itself, unless he accepts Christ as the Birthright Holder in His second coming. Jesus Christ is the one whose robe is dipped in blood (Gen. 37:31; Rev. 19:13).

In the New Testament time, those who agreed with the priests in rejecting Jesus as Messiah-King, were cut off, including also Jesus' disciple and friend, Judas, who lost his position among the apostles (Acts 1:20) according to the pattern of Ahithophel in the time of David.

What shall we say, then, about those today who usurp Jesus' Birthright in the so-called State of "Israel"? What shall we say of Jesus' disciples today who help them? I pray that they repent before we know the answer.