Joseph Herrin (04-27-09)
Yahweh would have His people to understand the spiritual significance of the current swine flu outbreak. The Scriptures reveal that there will be an outbreak of plagues in the last days prior to the appearing of Christ (Luke 21:11, numerous references in Revelations). As Yahweh brings judgment to the nations and to His people, distresses of all kinds will increase as His grace is removed. Among these distresses will be plagues that will kill millions of people and will cast a great many into beds of sickness.
The judgments of God will begin at His own house, and the plagues will be found among His own people. The following words are written to the people of God.
Revelation 2:21-23
“And I gave her time to repent; and she does not want to repent of her immorality. Behold, I will cast her upon a bed of sickness, and those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of her deeds. And I will kill her children with pestilence; and all the churches will know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts…”
For many years the Spirit has been urging the people of God to come out of all of spiritual Babylon. Babylon is characterized by idolatry and mixture. A people who have attempted to serve God and mammon, who have sought to love God and love the world at the same time, who have named the name of Christ while living to satisfy their carnal appetites, will be judged. For this reason the Spirit has been entreating the saints to come out of all mixture that they might not become partakers of the judgments to be poured out.
Revelation 18:4
And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, “Come out of her , my people, that you may not participate in her sins and that you may not receive of her plagues…”
Notice that the word plagues is the word used to describe the various judgments that God will pour forth upon Babylon. Included in these plagues are pestilences, which include diseases and mental and physical afflictions of all kinds. All who are found participating in the sins of Babylon will receive of these plagues.
Swine flu is a particularly symbolic plague, and it should give the Christian reason to pause and consider deeply the things coming upon the earth and their own exposure to the plagues being released. In the presentation titled Parables, which I was led by the Spirit to share with the saints last night in Sierra Vista, Arizona, I have spoken of the parable of the pig. Christ compared certain men to swine, and He admonished His disciples to not cast their pearls of truth and purity before swine-like men, for such ones have no appreciation for that which is holy and will turn and rend those who cast pearls before them.
To understand what characteristics identify men as swine-like beasts, we need only look to the Scriptures. In the Old Testament Yahweh gave two criteria by which all animals were to be judged. All clean animals had to have a split hoof and to chew the cud. Both of these criteria serve as deep spiritual principles.
The split hoof is a picture of being able to divide between truth and error, between right and wrong. Chewing the cud is a picture of meditating on truth.
Another term for chewing the cud is ruminate, and we often use this word to speak of a person chewing on a thought or idea. Chewing the cud spiritually represents someone who loves the truth and who will therefore chew on what they have received, seeking to derive all the benefit from it.
The pig meets one criteria for a clean animal, but fails in the other. The pig has a split hoof, but he does not chew the cud. This is a picture of the worst type of person, for it speaks of a person who has the ability to discern truth from error, but they do not love the truth, so they do not derive the benefit from the truth they have received.
A great many Christians in this hour are as swine in the eyes of God. Being partakers of the Holy Spirit they have the ability to discern between truth and error, right and wrong, the holy and the profane. In this sense they have a split hoof. Yet, these ones have no love for the truth. They do not hold onto the truths of God. They do not ruminate on that which God delivers to them. Having impure appetites, the things of God pass through them quickly, and they also feed on many unclean things. This is a characteristic of Babylon, and many swine dwell in spiritual Babylon. They feed on the holy and the profane, and although they have the ability to distinguish between the two, they do not love truth enough to make the effort required to do so.
The Scriptures declare:
I Peter 4:17-18
For it is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us first, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? And if it is with difficulty that the righteous is saved, what will become of the godless man and the sinner?
The current swine flu outbreak is a parable of the judgment of God upon those men and women who are typified by swine. Yahweh requires purity among His people. He is demanding in this hour that His people turn away from Babylon. Those who participate in the sins of Babylon will partake of her plagues.
Let those who have ears to hear, hear what the Spirit is testifying.
Heart4God Website: http://www.heart4god.ws
Parables Blog: http://www.parablesblog.blogspot.com
Mailing Address:
Joseph Herrin
P.O. Box 804
Montezuma, GA 31063
I couldn’t have said it any better. Well done!