These Twelve Stones – Part II
And those twelve stones, which they took out of Jordan, did Joshua pitch in Gilgal. And he spake unto the children of Israel, saying, When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean these stones? Then ye shall let your children know, saying, Israel came over this Jordan on dry land. (Joshua 4: 20-22)
Good morning and another day of life, should we not celebrate in the Lord?
 The Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world has now come up out of the Jordan — the heavens are parted and God the Father declares And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. (Matthew 3:17) The Lord Jesus and John the Baptist have announced unto Israel that this is the one who was promised by Isaiah and all the prophets. The Lord Jesus is about to crisscross over Israel for 3 ½ years as He delights to fulfill the Father’s will. But before we consider His life’s journey as the polished stone, the tried stone, and the stone that the builder’s rejected; let’s return to the twelve stones at Gilgal, and the twelve stones in the Jordan. This was a promise of Jehovah, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. (Hebrews 13:5) ( Read: Genesis 28:15; Deuteronomy 31:6,8; Joshua 1:5; 1 Chron 28:20; Psalm 37:25) The shadow of sin has consumed Israel all the many years since that grand day of the crossing of the Jordan.
  In 70 A.D. the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and Herod’s great temple, and scattered the people of Israel all over the world. But He, who neither slumbers nor sleeps, has continually kept the promise of the twelve stones of Gilgal and the twelve stones of the Jordan. The Lord who sees all eternity from His own standing continually sees the twelve stones and the future glory of the nation of Israel. He will gather them one day as a hen gathers her chicks, and will lead them by His presence with them. The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords will reveal His glory to them as their Saviour and their God; and this time, they will receive Him with a full heart of love and adoration. The twelve stones of Jordan are just one of His many promises to Israel.
  In the number twelve (12) we see His promises continued for the nation of Israel, and asserted in the Book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ. First, in the 144,000 witnessses, 12,000 out of every tribe, that is 12 tribes x 12,000 which gives us 144,000. The repetition of the number 12 in the Book of the Revelation is a confirmation of God’s promises to Israel. Jehovah never forgets.
  All the numbers in Scripture are not just merely numbers, they reveal vital truths and stand for great principles. For example, the number 1, stands for one God, Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: (Deuteronomy 6:4) Unto thee it was shewed, that thou mightest know that the LORD he is God; there is none else beside him. (Deuteronomy 4:35) Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any. (Isaiah 44:8) The number 2 is the number of witness, the law stated that everything be established in the mouth of 2 or 3 witnesses. At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death be put to death; but by the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death. (Deuteronomy 17:6) One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established. (Deuteronomy 19:15) I refer you to the Gospel of John 3:11 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, We speak that we do know, and testify that we have seen; and ye receive not our witness. Here the Lord Jesus refers to the Godhead as “we” including Father, Son and Holy Ghost, that in the mouth of 2 or 3 witnesses everything shall be established.
  The number 3, of course, refers to the Godhead, Father, Son and Holy Ghost. The number 4, the four corners of the world The earth is the LORD’S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. For he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the floods. (Psalm 24:1, 2)
  And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. (Revelation 7:1) (Isaiah 11:12) The number 5, is the number of grace, the Lord Jesus bore 5 wounds, His grace is sufficient for me. (Genesis 43:34; Exodus 27:1; Exodus 38:1; 1 Samuel 17:40; Matthew 14:17) The number 6 is the number of man, and the ultimate evil seen in man will be the man of sin —his number is 6-6-6. The number 7 is the number of completion or perfection, six days the Lord created the heaven and the earth, and saw that it was good. On the seventh day, the Almighty rested. The number 8 is the number of new beginnings, Christ rose from the tomb on the 8th day, that was the day of resurrection. Concerning the death of the Lord Jesus and His resurrection there are four numbers which revolve around those days in the tomb. He would lay down His life and in 3 days would come forth in resurrection glory. Again, 3 is the number of the Godhead.
   The day of resurrection was also the 1st day of the week, we have one God in Jesus Christ, there was a week that just ended on the 7th day, the day of rest within the tomb, soon to be the day of life from the grave. Numbers are very important in the Bible and we should always consider them when God is delivering a message to the soul.Â
  Let’s return to the twelve stones. These stones have a long history with the nation of Israel. Not only were they a witness for Israel, but in her days of disobedience to Jehovah, they were a witness against them. For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth and they were watching all of Israel’s trespasses. For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of [them] whose heart [is] perfect toward him…. ( 2 Chronicles 16:9) The eyes of the LORD [are] in every place, beholding the evil and the good. (Proverbs 15:3) We must remember that these 12 stones are a symbol of the 12 sons of Jacob. They are not only to represent a unified nation, but they are to be a binding force for each one of the tribes. They both have a long history, and even though, these twelves stones were not remembered by Israel, the Almighty has always remembered the twelve sons of Jacob. Let’s go forward from the days of Joshua to the days of Elijah.
  Elijah was standing before an altar that had been torn down by the priests and prophets of Baal. And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down. And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the LORD came, saying, Israel shall be thy name: (1 Kings 18:30, 31) Elijah, as a prophet of God, stood all alone before a multitude, and asked them this question. ‘How long halt ye between two opinions — if the Lord be God follow him, but if Baal be god, then follow him.’ It is recorded that the people answered him not a word. And Elijah came unto all the people, and said, How long halt ye between two opinions? if the LORD be God, follow him: but if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him not a word. (1 Kings 18:21)
  The twelve stones of Jordan had been forgotten by the nation of Israel, the nation had been divided under Jeroboam (the son of a servant to King Solomon) and Rehoboam the son of Solomon; 10 tribes to the north, and 2 tribes to the south (Judah and Benjamin). The glory of God was replaced by false gods and false altars of Baal. Man, in his fallen state, always loves darkness and not the light of God. What was so glorious in their beginning had dimmed under Solomon and now had become only a flicker of light in the days of Elijah.
  So too, in the church today, are there many or are there few who uphold the truth of the Word of God? I emphasize that the Lord Jesus came in grace and truth. He declared that He was the truth and the life — and so we, as Christians must uphold the truth of God. Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. ( 1 John 2: 15, 16, 17) Let us ask ourselves this reverberating question of Elijah, “How long halt ye between two opinions?” I say, either Christ be your God, or the world be your god, you decide! We are built on the twelve apostles, Jesus Christ being the chief corner stone. Without Christ there is no faith, for He is the Author and Finisher of all faith. Why then, do we, as the children of God, allow so many prophets of Baal, and so many false teachings about our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ? Paul gave to the Corinthians a serious declaration “let a man examine himself, whether he be in Christ” and then the alternative, if he found himself not in Christ then he was a reprobate without hope. Paul was rejected by many for telling the truth, so was Elijah.
  Elijah stood before the people of Israel, even though there were only ten tribes present, God saw them complete in the altar of twelve stones that Elijah was rebuilding. The prophets of Baal used their symbols, and chant, and even cut themselves in their emotional tinsel-town religion, as in the tinsel-town church today. As Elijah took each stone, it was though the name of the tribe was written upon each one. The Scripture attests that each stone represented each one of the sons of Jacob.
  And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the LORD came, saying, Israel shall be thy name: (1 Kings 18:31) We have no record of who had originally built this altar, it could have been Jacob himself, or one of his sons, or some devout Israelite that wanted to remember the completion and the unification of the nation of Israel in those twelve stones as he worshiped before Jehovah. Elijah repaired this altar in it’s completeness of all twelve stones before fire would came down and received Elijah’s sacrifice. Read this section very carefully, notice that it was not easy for Elijah; his faith had to overcome the enemy, the repairing of the altar, the added water, the trench that he had to dig, and the water he had to carry — remember that there had been a drought in the land for 3 ½ years. The labor of the Lord is not always easy. Elijah saw himself as a rejected servant of God, all alone. Though God had set aside others who loved Him and obeyed Him, this was Elijah’s time to deliver the unbending truth of the Almighty God. God would see Israel complete in these twelve stones. The fire would come down and God Almighty would lick up the water, consume the sacrifice and receive Elijah’s offering for the whole nation. God works in mysterious ways to remind us of our unfaithfulness, whether by one prophet or many, by one voice in the wilderness, or by a thundering; He will always be able to awaken us and convict us of our sins.
  Did Israel turn back after this great miracle of God? No, in fact, Ahab did more to provoke the Lord to anger than any other king before him, or any king that came after him. It would be less than 200 years before all 10 tribes would be scattered throughout the world. We could say that this altar and God’s actions was their final call. Hoshea was the last king of the northern tribes, he did evil in the sight of the Lord. There was a continuance of evil that was not repented of. Nations, today, turn their backs to the truth of God and many, if not all, have received their final call! You cannot live in lasciviousness and the carnality of man, and not be judged of God.
  The number ten is the number of responsibility, we have the ten commandments of God. Read and study them in their simplicity, believe them and act upon them. As Christians we are free from the penalty of the law, but we should do all in our power to uphold and warn those who disobey God’s law. For if they are without Christ, they are not free from these divine commandments, and they stand condemned and under the right hand of God’s judgment and wrath. There has never been a nation that has been given the liberty to sin before an Almighty God. All governments are given of God, but they are to be upheld in righteousness, not in the evil and wickedness of man’s heart. God allows man to deceive himself with his own sin; but will not let allow man to stand guiltless before Him without Christ Jesus and the blood of Christ between man’s sin and God.
  As the responsibility was given to Israel, all nations have a responsibility to God. After this final call to Israel, that is the ten tribes, they not only continued to follow Baal to the point of offering their sons and daughters to the fire god Molech, but also allowed sodomites in their land. And they caused their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire, and used divination and enchantments, and sold themselves to do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.(2 Kings 17:17) And there were also sodomites in the land: [and] they did according to all the abominations of the nations which the LORD cast out before the children of Israel. ( 1 Kings 14:24) Is it any different in 2020? God still sees all things, for all things are open and naked before Him. The cup of the Gentiles is full! And some of the most severe judgments upon the earth are about to begin. Those who love the Lord Jesus will be translated into glory with the Lord Jesus Christ. The Spirit of God will be taken out of the world, God’s holy angels will receive their commands, and will issue out the judgments of God upon the whole earth. Man has not seen the wrath of God that is about to fall. The social agitation, confusion, turmoil and disasters that we are currently experiencing are just a prelude to the judgment and wrath of God that will soon befall the rebellious and evil inhabitants of the earth.
  Let’s look in the Book of the Revelation to brighter days. In Chapter 21, the holy city of Jerusalem descends out of heaven, having the glory of God and the light thereof, is like a stone, most precious. It has twelve gates, twelve angels, and the names written on the twelve gates are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel. The city also has twelve foundations, and in those foundations, the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb slain before the foundation of the earth. The city is 12,000 furlongs in length, and 12,000 furlongs in breadth. It has 12 stones most precious, does this not speak of the Jordan. And in Chapter 22 of Revelation, we have the tree of life on both sides of the glorious river of God that bares 12 manner of fruits for the healing of the nations. Although God has cast off Israel for a season, He will bring them back in the day of His own personal glory. They will no more be called ‘Loammi,’ not my people. Then said God, Call his name Loammi: for ye are not my people, and I will not be your God. (Hosea 1:9)
And I will visit upon her the days of Baalim, wherein she burned incense to them, and she decked herself with her earrings and her jewels, and she went after her lovers, and forgat me, saith the LORD.
Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her.
And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope: and she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt.
And it shall be at that day, saith the LORD, that thou shalt call me Ishi; and shalt call me no more Baali.
For I will take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth, and they shall no more be remembered by their name.
And in that day will I make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven, and with the creeping things of the ground: and I will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the earth, and will make them to lie down safely.
And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies.
I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the LORD.
And it shall come to pass in that day, I will hear, saith the LORD, I will hear the heavens, and they shall hear the earth;
And the earth shall hear the corn, and the wine, and the oil; and they shall hear Jezreel.
And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God. (Hosea 2:13-23)
  The blessings of God will be upon Israel and the fruit of the nations will be abundantly shed them. Eye has not seen, nor ear heard what blessings are to be poured out upon Israel; however, today they are still under the rod of God, although He will not allow them to be utterly destroyed; there has been a continuous weeping of Rachel for her children. Think of the glories of Israel as they came through the Jordan, and as Paul said to the church — we could say to them— ye did run well, who did hinder you? It was to the church in Galatia that Paul wrote these words ‘who had bewitched them?’ and asking them to account for their state before God. Now after all these years should not these words bring sober thoughts to our hearts.
  The first church, in the Book of the Revelation, Ephesus had given up their first love, which was Christ. They were given a space to repent, but as we see from our modern Church age this has not happened. Over the years of church history— that same Sidonian princess (Jezebel) brought her damnable heresies and Baal worship into the professing church. She has appointed priests and prophets, she has seduced the servants of God, and she has cast down the most precious things of the Prince of Glory. We see the church as naked, and poor, and blind, and miserable, it is abhorrent in the sight of God. As in Israel, so too in this miserable and poor Church, this phrase rings true ‘there had not been a true priest in Israel for a long time.’ (2 Chronicles 15:3) So too today, where are the true preachers, teachers, prophets — those who God has called— or would the masses of the church even accept them if they walked through the door? We don’t rely on God, but on frail committees of sinful and egotistical men. Their choice is based on vanity, pride, wealth, position, and worldly acceptance, is not this the doctrine of the Pharisees’ all over again? Yet, you say, where in have we done thus? Where have we wearied the Lord?
Ye have wearied the LORD with your words. Yet ye say, Wherein have we wearied him? When ye say, Every one that doeth evil is good in the sight of the LORD, and he delighteth in them; or, Where is the God of judgment? (Malachi 2:17)
Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God. (James 4:4)
Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. (James 4:7, 8)
Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: (2 Peter 3:3-6)
  These words were written by James and Peter by the Spirit of God, the same Spirit that stirred Malachi’s heart. Shall we listen to God’s Spirit and the Word of God, if the Almighty could keep twelve stones for 1500 years so that all righteousness would be fulfilled, can He not keep His Word? He has tried His Word 7 times (the number of completion) it is settled in heaven for ever. For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven. (Psalm 119:89)
  We live in a world that is void of spirituality, many who professs Christ are numb to the Spirit of God. (Read Exodus, chapter 20). Examine the society we live in, we have become numb to murder unless it is a special interest group! Husbands and wives think it is their right to commit adultery, and although God hates divorce it is big business, and no one sees the contempt and shame of it, because the heart of the world has become hard as stone.
  Our world is being prepared for the man of sin. He will be motivated by power, wealth, all manner of evil, and there will be no restraints on the tyranny of his government. As in th days of Jezebel and Ahab, they will worship gods made with their own hands. They will eradicate and kill the prophets of God. And only through God’s intervention will man be left on this earth. The Lord Jesus will shortened the days of man to save man and the earth. But, now, we are sitting on a volcano of sin that is about to erupt. Seven years of tribulation will make this earth barren, and complete the time of the Gentiles. Christ will come not as the man of sorrows, but as the God of judgment upon the whole earth. He will revive the Kingdom of Israel and reign over it. He will bring blessing to the twelve sons of Jacob, who will mourn and wail over Him who they had killed. But, as Joseph said to his brethren ‘God meant it unto good.’ But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. (Genesis 50:20) The twelve stones will be remembered. I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. Amen.
Copyright 2015, Michael Haigh
Article may be used, but not for gain. Freely ye have received, freely give.
All Scripture references are from the Authorized King James Bible. (KJV)