ERM - Tape 149 - IV Ezra And The Quakers

 

TAPE NO. 149    -  by ELLA ROSE MAST

 

IV EZRA AND THE QUAKERS

 

In the book the Armenian Version of IV Ezra translated by Michael Stone, we find comparison of his version with the Books of Ezdras I and II. Ezra the prophet of Israel is in captivity in old Babylon. He is very discouraged as to the position of Israel---this House of God---in the earth. However, Ezra has noticed, since he has been here in Babylon, that the people here were doing many worse things than the Israelites had done when in their own land. And yet here was Israel, the last of Israel in captivity. It looked to him as though God's people were finished in the earth. He could not quite believe this but he surely did not understand.

YAHWEH sent the Angel Uriel to comfort his servant Ezra, for He had work for him to do. Ezra is reminded that he does not of course, understand what makes the wind blow or the trees to grow so why would he question what was in the mind of YAHWEH for His people. Ezra acknowledges this but he is still disturbed. He has been a willing servant of YAHWEH up to now, and he does not question Him. He only wants to know why things have happened this way to Israel. The answer to Ezra is as it has always been to others:--'Be patient until the appointed time be filled. For YAHWEH measured the time in measure and weighed the Eternities on a scale, and has counted the hours by number. He will not move nor will He be aroused until the appointed hour arrives.' Ezra is told that when the time comes he will see and recognize the signs.

Actually what Ezra really wanted to know was, just when would all of this end and Ezra and his people be redeemed and restored. Ezra is then told that the days are coming when men will be amazed at so called 'wonders' when the 'true faith' shall hide from uprightness, when certain men shall speak perverse things with lying words and with varied fabrications. When certain ones having erred in hypocrisy thought the sanctity of worship, and when the earth will become a wilderness without rest and painless.

Ezra is told that then you will see wonders. For people will fight with people, and workers of signs shall hold power, and tellers of tales (lies) shall be mighty. The sea of Sodom will swarm with fish and sons will fight fathers, and mothers and daughters will oppose each other, brother with brother and Priest with Priest, and minister with minister. And they shall hid the just commandments of the MOST HIGH, and falsehood shall be mighty in them and wisdom shall depart from the Saints. And as Ezra saw these things in vision he thought---surely none of Israel can be saved after that?

The Angel tells Ezra to fast for 7 days more and he will again come and tell him more. Of course number 7 is symbolic and we know who it pertains to, but this book of Ezra is also written in symbolism and parables. Ezra still wonders why he was born and why he was chosen to see what he thinks is the destruction of Israel??

The Angel was trying to make Ezra see that there were some things that he cannot know. He is just to trust, and be assured that all good things will come which YAHWEH has prepared for His loved ones. But what he has been seeing is not making Ezra feel better.

Ezra then wants to know if YAHWEH will have those who have passed away and those who are and those who will be, come at the same time, so that this wicked world will be over and each Adamite then learn what is prepared for him?

The Angel replies that the earth could not sustain them all at one time. The earth was formed also, and the times are determined and ii has been commanded to be obedient. Ezra was also told that after all, he should remember that he can only be told all that is right for him to know. No more.

The Angel then tells Ezra that the MOST HIGH would come and act and teach which is referring to the coming of YAHSHUA the Savior. But because of certain situations there would be 'little Faith' until the end.

This brought more questions. For Ezra now wants to know just how HE will come. And he is told that HE would come in the form of 'a son of man.' And of course we know that HE did come as a babe. And the Angel said that the evil would dishonor HIM and reject HIM and do evil and we have seen this prophecy come to pass. Then Ezra was told that even after this coming as a babe and Savior, wickedness was to increase and the spirit of error would come which has led many astray. And even certain of the Holy Ones would also be led astray.

No wonder that Ezra was so disturbed. Even the coming of Messiah was not to change the situation, only make it more intense. Then Ezra was told that after that, the MOST HIGH shall come again in a vision of Great Glory. And He shall put an end to the spirit of evil, and HE shall rule and HE shall requite the Holiness of the Holy Ones and the wickedness of the impious. Then all wicked families of the people shall lament. And it will avail them nothing because they were rejected by HIM.

The Angel tells Ezra that this is all he can tell him for now because all things have been prepared from before the existence of anyone who has dwelt in earth. But Ezra is still not satisfied and he asks for the sign which will take place at the end of Time. At this question then Ezra feels the earth shake and the Glory of YAHWEH ILLUMINATED the place where Ezra is standing and he heard a voice which sounded as though many streams of water were coming down like a huge waterfall. And the voice said:--'Behold'--or pay attention---'The days will come when I wish to visit the inhabitants of earth, and I shall see the injustice of the earth, and the wickedness of the wicked and the apostasy of those who made my people stumble. And when the suffering of My people is FULL, and when I wish to bring the end of this life of yours, this sign shall take place---Falsehoods shall be beloved, and envy shall be born. Wickedness shall be roused and justice shall be hated, and modesty shall be withheld. Wars shall grow and Peach diminish. Mercy shall be despised and avarice shall be glorified. The suffering of My holy ones shall be multiplied and the pride of wicked shall be increased. Because of this there will be famine and earthquakes and floods in various places. And there shall be a sign in the heavens. And fearsome things shall appear in the atmosphere and on earth signs in many places.

One year old children shall speak. And those who will be pregnant shall bear Grace and it will live and grow. And suddenly sown places shall be found empty without seed. And cities shall rise against cities, sons shall kill fathers, and brother---brothers and beloved ones---beloved ones, and families---families.

The rebellious one (Satan) shall come secretly with a new mutation of my indescribably glory and power, and he shall corrupt many and become mighty. And he shall subject those who believe in him. (Remember the pater on the Ultimate World Order which I did some time ago?) and after these signs, this shall be in many cities and in villages, and in provinces, the waters shall stop and not go from those days even for 3 hours. (floods?)

After the completion of these signs, books shall be opened upon the face of the heavens and "My glory shall appear"--and My holy ones will fly to Me and everyone found worthy of Me shall live and shall be glorified and shall be brighter than the sun.

Then the hearts of the inhabitants of the earth shall be turned to a different want. And evil shall be destroyed--taken away--and deceit shall pass away, and unfaithfulness shall be ashamed, and Faith shall flower. The truth shall be revealed which until now remains without fruit so many years. Falsehoods shall perish, and incorruptibility shall appear and corruptibility shall come to an end. And this world (order) shall come to an end.

Ezra was told to fast for another 7 days for there was more that he would be told. And we now realize that Ezra has now been shown the period of the Resurrection and how those who died in faith are raised, and how they stand now uncorrupted; how the long suffering will be gathered for faith will now show its fruits. And then Ezra is also shown the place of rest prepared for the Holy Ones, as the Almighty says to the righteous:--'See the place of your rest which was prepared for you from the beginning of Creation.' And He says:--'Enter in therefore and be at rest and caper like little calves which have just been released from stalls.'

But to the wicked He says:--'Look at the delight prepared for the righteous (right thinkers) whom you destroyed. But the day of Judgement for you has come. No more will you be tolerated. Wickedness will be no more.'

Ezra is about to collapse when he sees the end results of all these promises. But he still has one more question. 'Will all Adamites as sinner, be forgiven?' And the Angel assures him that a treasure of goodies has been prepared for him and his brethren---all of them. When the Commandment is given of death, then before an Adamite gives up the spirit, then at once the spirit is separated from the body and goes to the place of its determination. He will be joyous and rejoice in the rest of the 7 fold path--for there are seven paths of the soul of righteousness.

Again this answer brings another question from Ezra. So he is told to fast for 7 more days. In these seven days, he is in a field (world) and he sees this woman who we would say is symbolic of Israel just as Revelation 12:1-3--and she seems to be in great agony. He attempts to find out the cause of her agony. She is of course in symbolism--Israel--and is struggling to do her duty in earth, but has wandered away from her husband. ---Well--remember that YAHWEH said that He was married to Israel.---And now Ezra mourns with the woman because she (Israel) has not kept herself spotless. And Zion, the Kingdom has escaped her grasp. But as Ezra here watches this panorama the woman's face began to shine, and becomes like lightning. And now as he watches, instead of a woman, he sees a city which has been built upon a strong foundation. And Ezra realizes that in the end the Holy City has been for so long slowly being built and this is the Kingdom which will now take its place in the great plan of all things foreknown before the world was framed.

Ezra, as he watched, saw the great powers symbolized as Eagles who ruled the earth for a time and how they come and then go as time rolls on. They had not as yet all ruled at the time of Ezra but he could assure his people that they would disappear and the YAHWEH WOULD NOT FORGET HIS PEOPLE.

Ezra was then shown how the multiply of Israel of that time would be moved and blessed. And it was because of his great yearning to know that YAHWEH had shown His servant what was to come and why all the things to happen would not come all at once.

Finally Ezra was told to go to His people there in bondage in old Babylon and tell them that he would be away for 40 days. He was to take 5 men with him and many tablets. And these men should be prepared to write down the words that YAHWEH would put in his (Ezra's) mouth. When he was finished, then Ezra was instructed as to what he should give of these written words to the people as a whole and what was to be reserved for the wise of the race, but which would remain in secret. This was called 'Hidden Wisdom'--hidden from the World Order.

As YAHWEH gave this wisdom to Ezra these 5 Scribes wrote the spoken signs in a script which they knew not. And they wrote for the 40 days. Then YAHWEH said to Ezra:--The first thing which was written, make known openly and the worthy will read it.-This seems to have been an outline of all that had happened to Israel and why, up to that time. The second part was for the wise or the leaders of the people. For in that second part it was said:--Was the proverbs of wisdom, and the spring of understanding of a river of knowledge.

After Ezra has completed all this work, we are told that he was then taken from earth. This story was to be a lesson for Israel. For you are to complete what you came to do, and then you go home. Sometimes some of Israel meet sickness along the path, but in the end the lesson holds true. If someone of Israel suffers it is said that this suffering is teaching a lesson to someone else. If the wold order people suffer, that also is a lesson. For they are following the wrong god and trying to lead you astray also.

 

THE RELIGIOUS SOCIETY OF FRIENDS CALLED "QUAKERS"

As we were tracing the 'Covenant People' in their westward migration, we were trying to show that they carried a Great Faith with them. This was something that the 'Dark Ages' could not knock out of them. The Apostles and Disciples moved out with the message that Jesus Christ was YAHWEH in the flesh, as Savior. And now all Israel would be grafted back on the their own Olive Tree which was of course Salvation for these Covenant people.

When the enemy could not stop this message, then they joined the church to change its doctrines. From history we trace the path of this infiltration and see how the enemy moved first especially in on the Roman Church installing some of the ancient teachings of Old Babylon to try to stop the message from the church. Here in Rome, since the coming of YAHSHUA, and the work on the Cross as the 'LAMB OF SACRIFICE', still the enemy, in their drive to stop this message were able to install a Priestcraft system that would once more put a lid on this idea that since the crucifixion and resurrection, now you as an individual could go direct to YAHSHUA because of the spirit in you and ask for forgiveness when you realize that you have done something wrong.

The Roman Catholic Church became very powerful using the money of the enemy and conquered much of Europe, and even gained a foothold in Britain, but was never permitted into the area of Glastonbury where the Christian faith had been planted by the Covenant People---Joseph of Arimathea and his group.

After Martin Luther broke with the Roman Catholic church because of the change of doctrine the enemy put on a great drive to hold the writings available about this Christian faith, and then they were gathered into a book --The Bible. But even then they would be withheld from the common people. The first Bibles were large books chained to the pulpits. The idea put forth was that only the Priest or ministers could understand what was written in the Book. Different men tried to break this strangle hold on Scriptures. And many lives were lost in that endeavor.

With the emergence of Protestantism more breaks came and denominations sprang up and all were proclaiming they were 'the way'. And then we would see religious wars, time after time. But still in all this trouble, the 'Covenant People' were moving in their migrations into their appointed places in the West. They still clung to their Faith, and now they knew that YAHSHUA had come and had redeemed them. And -Yes-, they declared that they were Israel and that they were building His Kingdom in earth.

Many times they demonstrated their faith by leaving the old world with its religious wars and crossing the great Atlantic Ocean, so as to be free in their faith. As they moved different people would catch a glimpse of what they thought the Bible said and another denomination would be formed. They all held, however, to the doctrines that there had been an Immaculate Conception, and that the birth of YAHSHUA, who was YAHWEH in the flesh, had set them free, and that they were a part of His Kingdom now building in the earth. As you think of the struggle of these 'Covenant' people, we do not question the plan or the purpose, but we see the determination of a people, to use their technology and wisdom to accomplish what they were in earth to do, whether they realized it or not.

One of the 'breaks' in this story of the unfolding of the Christian faith was called "The Quakers." These people began their society in England at the time of Cromwell. They called themselves 'The Children of Light'. They were considered 'further out' in their thinking than the mainstream and especially of the Rulers of that time. These so called 'Children of Light' advocated the idea that it was the Spirit in you which would guide you if you would be quiet and meditate and listen to this 'still small voice' inside of you. Thus you did not need Priests or Ministers, only someone to lead your worship service which was mostly silent. Thus this denomination faced much persecution in the old world. And many of these people also embarked on the great ocean and came West following the path laid out by the race over the years. Thus we see that YAHSHUA was moving His people Westward in that great drive to fulfill prophecy, to establish the last great Nation of His Kingdom here in the United States of America.

The Quaker's tried to transmit the love of God thru their lives instead of thru their words. And they had therefore suffered much persecution in England. And even in the New World as they tried to keep their faith alive here in the Wilderness, as a part of the 'Peaceable Kingdom' which the Covenant people were building in the New World. They carried the symbols of the Lion and the Lamb.

One of the reasons for this persecution of the 'Quakers' was their teaching that the common people who were almost in a slavery position, were also a part of God's people and should be treated as such. At that time of life there were great Estates and those who worked for the owner and his family were considered as servants and they were to always maintain that position. It was not considered as necessary for them to understand or even read the Bible. And in fact many could not even read. But knowledge was necessary. The 'Covenant people' were on the move and life styles would be changing.

Yes,--the 'Quaker' organization started in England in 1652. Later, Jan de Hartog, in 1971, wrote a novel about these people, and as he said it was purely fiction as to names except those who started this division of the Christian religion. He called his book "The Peaceable Kingdom". And being a Quaker himself, he devoted half of his book to the history of the 'Quakers'. He wanted the world to know the struggle his people had gone thru as they brought forth their thinking as to this 'Peaceable Kingdom's' being built here in earth by God's people. He wrote the fiction part of the book as all books of fiction would be and was more modern in the thinking of a modern world. But the history of how this part of the Covenant people started, and their progress in holding on to their faith was very interesting. Debbie found the book at a book sale at the Scott County Library this year and purchased it for fifty cents. And it yielded another piece for the puzzle we have been putting together of the coming of 'the Covenant people' to the New World and of their teaching.

The Quakers were put in jail in England. And yet because of the driving force of one woman, they were also coming together and would thus become a branch of the Protestant religion in America as well as the Old World. They played their part in taming the wilderness and some of them also reached high offices in our government.

On the other side of the story, we have often seen in the past, where people get so carried away as they gleam a bit of knowledge from the Book, that they try to almost act like what their opinion of God is, and this brings trouble to those who have tried to follow them. Many times we see people discovering what they think is a new idea and they drop all they have learned and run after the 'New'. To me, it seems that to get a glimpse of what 'The Book' portrays, then a person must start at the beginning and walk slowly thru it trying to put its message together like a picture on a jigsaw puzzle. Each piece can only fit in one place and in one way. To take a piece and form a theology out of it and try to change the world from that angle, only brings hardships to many. This seemed to have happened in the old world which had its set ways of beliefs and of worship.

Thus the theology of the Quakers shook the old line theologians and many bad things happened in the name of religion. Crimes were then said to be committed even by children as the parents took this route and children were thrown in jail. Whole families at times were put in those ancient dungeons. As Margaret Fell came into this thinking of the Quaker religion, she was disturbed by this situation. She was a Judge's wife and when she found that an 11 year old boy was to be hanged,--he had killed his step-father---and she went to the dungeon to see this child and she had not realized the conditions that these people were forced to live in. The teaching of the Quakers as they answered the question:--Why doesn't God do something about this situation?--was 'He has only you'. Thus the Quaker theology then was that they, these 'Children of Light', should correct this situation.

Now, this story is based back in the 1600's and yet there we found children committing crimes. And it reminded me of today. In those days the knowledge of the Bible had been hidden from the common people. And if someone tried to bring a little more light to the public, they were persecuted and thrown into the dungeons. Are we not today in sort of a 'Dark Age' when it comes to the knowledge of what really exists in the scriptures? Have we not joined too many alliances wherein there is no Christ?

As the Quakers came to the New World, they settled in the area which would today be Philadelphia. They were headed by William Penn in 1681, and this colony prospered and Philadelphia became the largest port in North America. The great Rock called 'Altar Rock' marked the channel of that port. The Quakers over the years fought many battles to maintain the position of that 'Rock'. For they thought it had a message for the race. Thus this explains a bit about this branch of Christianity and their contributions to the New World and its faith.

End of message