In this video, Ryan LeStrange and Patricia King share strategies to identify the spirit of Jezebel, and how to resist its assaults with effective Spiritual Warfare tools for Believers!
In Chapter 3 of The Bed Keeper, we determined that the reason God created gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people was simply answered by Jesus when He said,
For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother's womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.
Matthew 19:12 (King James Version)
Matthew 19:12 (King James Version)
As we explore additional accounts of eunuchs throughout Scriptures, we’ll see more specific illustrations of how it seems God intends to use gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people to assist the Church (both Catholic and Protestant) in clearing away any man-made traditional teachings against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people that go against the Word of God; teachings, that inadvertently (or perhaps intentionally) prevent the fulfillment of Isaiah 55:11-56:12, and subsequently, the return of Jesus Christ and our resurrection unto the eternal life He died to give us.
When examining these additional references to eunuchs within the pages of Scripture, an important spiritual relationship begins to emerge that describes gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people as intermediaries between God and His Church, or what I have come to call, “Messengers of the King.”
One of the roles is identifying the traditional teachings against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people as an incomplete understanding of God’s plan for eunuchs as portrayed in Scripture when we “unroll the scroll.” When we dig deeper into the truths contained therein, another role is then revealed that illustrates God’s intent to use gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender believers to deliver a message to the Body of Christ in an effort to identify the Apostate Church, which would include any congregation that preaches a false, misleading or incomplete doctrine regarding LGBT believers.
I see this role described most clearly in two Scriptural accounts. One is an allegory of King Jehu (as God), and Queen Jezebel (as the Apostate Church) in 2 Kings 9:29-37, when eunuchs help throw down and bury Queen Jezebel at King Jehu's command. At first glance, and based solely on this passage of scripture, we cannot infer any definition of the eunuchs' purposes or identifying behaviors, other than they were servants under Jehu’s command, so we cannot instantly establish them as an allegory of today’s LGBT believers. But as we look more closely, a mirror image of a future reality begins to emerge that reflects God's plan for the full inclusion of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people in faith bodies all over the world, for the sake of the Kingdom of Heaven:
29 In the eleventh year of Joram son of Ahab, Ahaziah's reign over Judah began.
30 Now when Jehu came to Jezreel, Jezebel heard of it, and she painted her eyes and beautified her head and looked out of [an upper] window.
31 And as Jehu entered in at the gate, she said, [Have you come in] peace, you Zimri, who slew his master?
32 Jehu lifted up his face to the window and said, Who is on my side? Who? And two or three eunuchs looked out at him.
33 And he said, Throw her down! So they threw her down, and some of her blood splattered on the wall and on the horses, and he drove over her.
34 When he came in, he ate and drank, and said, See now to this cursed woman and bury her, for she is a king's daughter.
35 They went to bury her, but they found nothing left of her except the skull, feet, and palms of her hands.
36 They came again and told Jehu. He said, This is the word of the Lord which He spoke by His servant Elijah the Tishbite, In the portion of Jezreel shall dogs eat the flesh of Jezebel.
37 The corpse of Jezebel shall be like dung upon the face of the field in the portion of Jezreel, so that they shall not say, This is Jezebel.
NOTE: We see in verse 30 that Jezebel "painted her eyes and beautified her head,” and when the King calls for her outside her window, who should look out at him? Eunuchs! Could they have been helping her “paint her eyes and beautify her hair?” Well, that would definitely be something modern gay men seem to be good at, is it not? We’ll later see even more examples of eunuchs assisting women with their beauty treatments as we explore the story of Queen Esther later in this chapter of The Bed Keeper.
Returning to this account, we also hear the indignant attitude towards Jezebel when King Jehu asks, "Who is on my side? Who?”…and two or three eunuchs looked out at him.
In one way, we can view this as proof that eunuchs were looked down upon by heterosexuals because of our peculiar talents being misunderstood. It’s almost as if King Jehu was asking "Is this the best you have to offer me to be on my side: A couple of eunuchs? (or in today's vernacular, “a couple of gay make-up artists?”) Can you hear the condescension in the king's words? You can if you've ever heard that kind of attitude coming from someone looking down on you as a second class for being gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender.
On the other hand, we can also look at this as God (King Jehu) saying, "Who is on my side in today's Church? Who?"…and only a couple of gay people look out at Him, possibly because they were the only ones who could still hear Him calling out to today's Christian Church (Queen Jezebel).
As we read the account, we see the eunuchs "throw Jezebel down" at King Jehu's command, as if to show gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender believers participating in our important role of identifying and throwing down the Apostate Church; not by violence, but by Scriptural truths such as those being shared in The Bed Keeper, that debunk the lies and dispel the myths so many Christians have bought into regarding gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.
We can even see this as an allegory of those who claim to be “delivered from homosexuality” who remain in the Church and become echo chambers for the erroneous teachings the Church uses to condemn gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people, instead of studying the Scriptures for themselves. There is no question that the ex-gay movement has created much spiritual damage for many people through the years, and it’s no secret that there is a lot of money to be made by ex-gay organizations.
It’s not difficult then to see that many who claim to be “freed from being gay” are deceived by the money they can make as they “think” they are serving God in a way that never appears in Scripture. They enter a spiritual torture chamber disguised as "reparative therapy," finally proclaim themselves to be "cured" when they can't take any more spiritual abuse, and then become part of the ex-gay echo chamber the Church continues to use to promote the "ex-gay business" by keeping up the "appearance" of being correct on the issue of homosexuality.
Meanwhile, gay kids are dying every day as the Church points to their latest ex-gay "pseudo-success story" (who is all too happy to announce his successful conversion in order to protect himself from even more spiritual abuse). The Church in turn then uses them to drum up more business by preying on yet others who struggle to reconcile their faith with their sexuality.
In doing so, we see the allegory of the eunuchs in the account of King Jehu as mere "window dressing" for the Church designed to perpetuate a message that was never issued by God, but is instead designed to make the Church “appear” to be correct in its traditional stance on gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people. In essence, such ex-gay people inside the Church are little more than eunuchs being used by the Church to "paint her face and beautify her hair," all the while ignoring that nobody has been called to make the Church “look” good, but only to “do” good.
Sadly, many of the ex-gay folks (and the organizations they become self-appointed spokespeople for) try to now woo us into their folds, and convince us that their congregations are "welcoming,” provided we commit to celibacy, stop calling ourselves gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender, and if at all possible, marry a person of the opposite sex and have children…all in an effort to make the Church “appear” correct on the issue of homosexuality. Unfortunately, it is little more than a man made façade put in place by Church leaders who have intentionally omitted any definition or teachings on the born eunuchs Jesus teaches on.
Further, these misguided leaders not only then prevent the offerings from gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people from ever reaching God’s altar (as He promised to accept in Isaiah 55:11-56:12), but in doing so, also become guilty of “robbing God of the tithes,” as Malachi 2-3 warned against. These leaders also then inadvertently prevent the Glory of the Lord from manifesting itself in the congregation to the extent testified to in 2 Chronicles 7 as the “fire fell from heaven and consumed the offerings, and the Glory of the Lord filled the temple.” (We explore that in more detail in Chapter 20 of The Bed Keeper).
Most significantly, these blind Shepherds also inadvertently prevent the return of Jesus Himself--all in an effort to gain more followers through procreation. But that simply doesn’t go far enough, nor does it align with what Scriptures actually teach about gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender believers through the eunuch Scriptures.
The way I see it, if the Church is not LGBT affirming, they are really missing the point of God's House of Prayer being a House of Prayer for ALL people, including gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people, whom God promised to make joyful in His congregations through His eunuch prophecy. I can tell you there is no joy for LGBT believers in the Church "painting up her face" and proclaiming "all are welcome" if we are not going to be affirmed as equal partakers of God's promises as outlined in His Word, including gay marriage as ordained by Paul. Therefore, my recommendation is for the Church to embrace these promises and begin to provide specialized training for welcoming congregations to also become affirming congregations as well. With a "welcoming but not affirming" stance from the Church, we are really not getting what God promised us, and neither is the Church.
Another way of looking at the King Jehu and Queen Jezebel account in relation to LGBT believers is inserted here (with written permission) by a Christian Brother named Len. It is astoundingly similar to what I just shared previously, but from a bit of another angle:
The spirit of Jezebel and the Gay Community
For thousands of years the spirit of Jezebel has had a personal vendetta against the gay community in the world. I recently heard Rev Jim Morgan discussing it at a church conference in Los Angeles, and looked up the related scriptures.
1 And it happened after these things, Naboth of Jezreel had a vineyard in Jezreel, near the place of Ahab king of Samaria.
2 And Ahab spoke to Naboth, saying, Give me your vineyard so that I may have it for a garden of herbs, because it is near my house. And I will give you a better vineyard than it. Or, if it seems good to you, I will give you the worth of it in silver.
3 And Naboth said to Ahab, Far be it from me, by Jehovah, that I should give the inheritance of my fathers to you.
4 And Ahab came to his house heavy and displeased because of the word which Naboth the Jezreelite had spoken to him. For he had said, I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers. And he lay on his bed and turned away his face, and would not eat food.
5 And his wife Jezebel came to him and said to him, Why is your spirit so sad that you are not eating food?
6 And he said to her, Because I spoke to Naboth of Jezreel and said to him, Give me your vineyard for silver. Or else, if it pleases you, I will give you another vineyard for it. And he answered, I will not give you my vineyard.
7 And his wife Jezebel said to him, Do you now rule over Israel? Rise up,eat food, and let your heart be good. I will give you the vineyard of Naboth of Jezreel.
8 And she wrote letters in Ahab's name, and sealed them with his seal, and sent the letters to the elders and to the nobles in his city, dwelling with Naboth.
9 And she wrote in the letter, saying, Proclaim a fast and set Naboth on high among the people.
10 And set two men, sons of Belial, before him to bear witness against him, saying, You blasphemed God and the king. And carry him out and stone him so that he may die. 1 Kings 21:1-10
NOTE: (Brother Len's Commentary): Ahab desired Naboth’s vineyard for himself. Naboth explained that it was his inheritance. It produced him a harvest. As a result of his reply Ahab went sulking in a state of depression. Jezebel came to the rescue and planned his demise. So by having Naboth falsely accused and murdered, she stole his harvest and his inheritance. The prophet Elijah prophesied her end and when the day arrived, the Bible describes it as follows:
30 And Jehu had come to Jezreel. And Jezebel heard, and had painted her face and adorned her head, and looked out at a window.
31 And Jehu came to the gate. And she said, Was it peace to Zimri the slayer of his lord?
32 And he lifted up his face to the window, and said, Who is with me? Who? And two or three eunuchs looked out at him.
33 And he said, Throw her down! And they threw her down. And some of her blood was sprinkled on the wall and on the horses. And he trampled her. 2 Kings 9:30-33
NOTE: (Brother Len's Commentary): So Jehu arrived at the palace where Jezebel lived. He needed to have her killed, but was unable to do so himself. He called up to see if someone else was there to help and 3 eunuchs looked down. When he instructed them to throw her down, they did so without hesitation. I cannot help but wonder why they were so eager to kill her. Perhaps she treated them with such contempt because she as a seducer was unable to seduce them. Perhaps this attitude of hers resulted in them despising her. Jezebel was dead. But since we were dealing with a spiritual entity, the opportunity arose for this spirit to deal with the eunuchs once and for all.
They were now her sworn enemy. She was going to rob not only the gay community, but all of humanity of their divine inheritance and harvest. And she did so. During the formative years of the early church, Jezebel as a controlling spirit got a foot in the door and became a powerful force in the church. Within a relatively short time control was at the order of the day. The eunuchs were booted out so hard and so fast that the only message the church has given to the gay community since, was that they were lost, and hopeless and going to hell.
This is the prevailing attitude to this day. But God has a prophetic purpose for the gay community. Just as they were the ones who got rid of her in the Old Testament, they will be raised up again to get rid of her in the New Testament. There is an interesting prophetic promise recorded in Rev 2:
20 But I have a few things against you because you allow that woman Jezebel to teach, she saying herself to be a prophetess, and to cause My servants to go astray, and to commit fornication, and to eat idol-sacrifices.
21 And I gave her time that she might repent of her fornication, and she did not repent.
22 Behold, I am throwing her into a bed, and those who commit adultery with her into great affliction, unless they repent of their deeds.
23 And I will kill her children with death. And all the churches will know that I am He who searches the reins and hearts, and I will give to every one of you according to your works.
24 But to you I say, and to the rest in Thyatira, as many as do not have this doctrine, and who have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak, I will put on you no other burden.
25 But that which you have, hold fast until I come.
26 And he who overcomes and keeps My works to the end, to him I will give power over the nations. So the spirit deceives God’s people and was given time to repent. But she did not. Revelation 2:21-26
NOTE: (Brother Len's Commentary): The promise was that those who do not tolerate her would be given power to rule the nations. This is a promise for a divine inheritance and a harvest, something that the church is looking forward to. But for as long as Jezebel is active and tolerated in the church, she prevents this revival and harvest to come to pass. As long as she keeps God’s people in darkness about their position, and the Truth, she has a free hand. As long as God’s gay people are pushed out and cast aside by the Body of Christ, the church will fail in her commission. Since God cannot raise up the church to free herself from the shackles of Jezebel, God will raise up a remnant outside of mainstream theology. God will call forth a band of survivors who will come out of Jerusalem and out of Mount Zion and expose Jezebel. God will then free the church of those shackles and we will become one as Jesus prayed in John 17.
And as we do so, we will become the glorious and mature bride for Christ God intended from the beginning, filled with love, free from fear, hatred and the controlling spirit of Jezebel. There will be no more homophobia, fear and hatred. Nobody will judge or condemn gay people because of their orientation.
(END OF Brother Len’s Commentary)
I want to once again thank Brother Len for permission to share his insights at this critical point in The Bed Keeper. I believe that as gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender believers deliver this message regarding eunuchs in Scripture to the Church, we will indeed become part of beautifying the Church, but from the inside out. In other words, we won’t just apply make-up to the outside of the sanctuary with insincere invitations to partake in worship in exchange for God accepting our offering on His altar, but by building the Church up with new members, joyful congregations, and best of all: by bringing an end to the stigma that too often comes from the Church towards those of us who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender believers that tragically continues to exist in many congregations all over the world today.
In this video, Ryan LeStrange and Patricia King share strategies to identify the spirit of Jezebel, and how to resist its assaults with effective Spiritual Warfare tools for Believers!
Let's look now at another allegory of how God uses eunuchs to identify the Apostate Church, but this time from the account of King Ahasuerus (also known as King Xerxes) and Queen Vashti, from the book of Esther 1:1-22.
1 It was in the days of Ahasuerus [Xerxes], the Ahasuerus who reigned from India to Ethiopia over 127 provinces. Esther 1:1
NOTE: It’s interesting that when read as an allegory, this verse involves a Kingdom that includes Ethiopia, and that it was an Ethiopian eunuch whom Philip baptized in Acts 8, as we learned in Chapter 3 of The Bed Keeper.
2 In those days when King Ahasuerus sat on his royal throne which was in Shushan or Susa [the capital of the Persian Empire] in the palace or castle,
3 In the third year of his reign he made a feast for all his princes and his courtiers. The chief officers of the Persian and Median army and the nobles and governors of the provinces were there before him. Esther 1:2-3
NOTE: It’s interesting that when read as an allegory, this verse involves a feast held in the third year of the King’s reign (which can be seen as an allegory of the Marriage Supper of the Lamb, as well of the resurrection of Jesus on the third day).
4 While he showed the riches of his glorious kingdom and the splendor and excellence of his majesty for many days, even 180 days.
5 And when these days were completed, the king made a feast for all the people present in Shushan the capital, both great and small, a seven-day feast in the court of the garden of the king's palace. Esther 1:4-5
NOTE: It’s interesting that when read as an allegory, this verse involves a seven day feast and that God chose the Seventh Day as the Sabbath.
6 There were hangings of fine white cloth, of green and of blue [cotton], fastened with cords of fine linen and purple to silver rings or rods and marble pillars. The couches of gold and silver rested on a [mosaic] pavement of porphyry, white marble, mother-of-pearl, and [precious] colored stones. Esther 1:6
NOTE: It’s interesting that when read as an allegory this verse even bothered to explain the flooring material in the King’s Castle, but it’s relevance becomes important when we realize its similarity to the description of the foundation stones of heaven as recorded in Revelation 21:19-20: “The foundation [stones] of the wall of the city were ornamented with all of the precious stones. The first foundation [stone] was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony (or white agate), the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst.”
7 drinks were served in different kinds of golden goblets, and there was royal wine in abundance, according to the liberality of the king. Esther 1:7
NOTE: It’s interesting that when read as an allegory, this verse refers to “royal wine” which is a symbolic representation of the Blood of Jesus throughout the Scriptures.
8 And drinking was according to the law; no one was compelled to drink, for the king had directed all the officials of his palace to serve only as each guest desired. Esther 1:8
NOTE: It’s interesting that when read as an allegory, this verse states that no one was compelled to drink, for the king directed to serve only as each guest desired. This is very similar to Holy Communion, wherein nobody is compelled to partake of it, but only those who desire to. It’s also very similar to Jesus’ call to all people who “have ears to hear” and receive His message of their own free will, not under compulsion by a zealous Christian trying to “scare someone into heaven” by threatening gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people with the wrath of God and eternal banishment to hell. God calls us to Him based on our desire to love Him, not because of fearing the consequences if we choose not to.
9 Also Queen Vashti gave a banquet for the women in the royal house which belonged to King Ahasuerus. Esther 1:9
NOTE: It’s interesting that when read as an allegory, this verse shows Queen Vashti representing the Apostate Church, who is determined to not only give a banquet only for those whom she alone decides to invite (instead of to all those whom God invites), but is also held in a House which belongs to the King (God), and not the Church Shepherds who built the physical structure. God says “MY House will be a house of prayer for all people." (Isaiah 55:11-56:8, the Eunuch Prophecy).
10 On the seventh day, when the king's heart was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carkas, the seven eunuchs who ministered to King Ahasuerus as attendants, Esther 1:10
NOTE: It’s interesting that when read as an allegory, this verse mentions “the seventh day” which symbolizes the Sabbath throughout the Scriptures. Just a side note, but the seven eunuchs named herein appear to be the eunuchs from 2 Kings 20:18 whom Isaiah prophesied to Hezekiah about, saying that Hezekiah’s entire treasure would be carried away to Babylon, that some of his sons would be taken away from him, and they would become eunuchs in the palace of Babylon’s king. Realizing the prophet involved was once again Isaiah, we now have several Scriptural foundations for viewing this account as an allegory, and not solely in an historical perspective, although I indeed believe it is both.
Further, the seven eunuchs who "were attendants" to the King can also be an allegorical representation of the Throne of God surrounded by the seven fold Holy Spirit as described in several passages from the Book of Revelation:
John to the seven assemblies (churches) that are in Asia: May grace (God's unmerited favor) be granted to you and spiritual peace (the peace of Christ's Kingdom) from Him Who is and Who was and Who is to come, and from the seven Spirits [the sevenfold Holy Spirit] before His throne... Revelation 1:4
And to the angel (messenger) of the assembly (church) in Sardis write: These are the words of Him Who has the seven Spirits of God [the sevenfold Holy Spirit] and the seven stars;... Revelation 3:1
Out from the throne came flashes of lightning and rumblings and peals of thunder, and in front of the throne seven blazing torches burned, which are the seven Spirits of God [the sevenfold Holy Spirit];... Revelation 4:5
And there between the throne and the four living creatures (beings) and among the elders [of the heavenly Sanhedrin] I saw a Lamb standing, as though it had been slain, with seven horns and with seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God [the sevenfold Holy Spirit] Who have been sent [on duty far and wide] into all the earth. Revelation 5:6
Continuing on with our examination of the allegory of King Ahasuerus and Queen Vasthi...and the King's eunuchs:
11 To bring Queen Vashti before the king, with her royal crown, to show the peoples and the princes her beauty, for she was fair to behold.
12 But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king's command conveyed by the eunuchs. Therefore the king was enraged, and his anger burned within him. Esther 1:11-12
NOTE: In chapter 3 of The Bed Keeper, we were reminded what Jesus said in regards to His teaching on eunuchs in Matthew 19:12:
"For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother's womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.”
I asked the question “Do YOU accept it?” As I shared, most Christians’ first response to a teaching of Jesus that they were previously unaware of is “Why SHOULD I receive it?”
THIS, my friends is the answer:
We see Queen Vashti (the Church) refusing to come at the King’s (God’s) commands as it pertains to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people being included in His House of Prayer for all people. We also see from verse 12 above that by refusing the message conveyed to the church by LGBT believers, that the King became enraged and His anger burned within Him.
Further, we’ll see further Scriptures which, when read as an allegory, point to the ultimate fate of the Apostate Church if she decides to refuse this message from the King as we progress:
13 Then the king spoke to the wise men who knew the times--for this was the king's procedure toward all who were familiar with law and judgment—
14 Those next to him being Carshena, Shethar, Admatha, Tarshish, Meres, Marsena, and Memucan, the seven princes of Persia and Media who were in the king's presence and held first place in the kingdom. Esther 1:13-14
NOTE: It’s interesting that when read as an allegory this verse mentions “seven princes” who are “in the king’s presence and hold first place in the kingdom,” which is very similar to the description of the seven angels in the presence of God who pour out God’s wrath on mankind in chapters 8-10 of the Book of Revelation.
15 [He said] According to the law, what is to be done to Queen Vashti because she has not done the bidding of King Ahasuerus conveyed by the eunuchs?
16 And Memucan answered before the king and the princes, Vashti the queen has not only done wrong to the king but also to all the princes and to all the peoples who are in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus.
17 For this deed of the queen will become known to all women, making their husbands contemptible in their eyes, since they will say, King Ahasuerus commanded Queen Vashti to be brought before him, but she did not come.
18 This very day the ladies of Persia and Media who have heard of the queen's behavior will be telling it to all the king's princes. So contempt and wrath in plenty will arise.
19 If it pleases the king, let a royal command go forth from him and let it be written among the laws of the Persians and Medes, so that it may not be changed, that Vashti is to [be divorced and] come no more before King Ahasuerus; and let the king give her royal position to another who is better than she. Esther 1:15-19
NOTE: When read as an allegory this verse is strikingly similar to what Jesus told the angel to deliver to the Church at Ephesus in Revelation 2:4-5, saying, “I have this [one charge to make] against you: that you have left (abandoned) the love that you had at first [you have deserted Me, your first love]. Remember then from what heights you have fallen. Repent (change the inner man to meet God's will) and do the works you did previously [when first you knew the Lord], or else I will visit you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you change your mind and repent.
20 So when the king's decree is made and proclaimed throughout all his kingdom, extensive as it is, all wives will give honor to their husbands, high and low.
21 This advice pleased the king and the princes, and the king did what Memucan proposed.
22 He sent letters to all the royal provinces, to each in its own script and to every people in their own language, saying that every man should rule in his own house and speak there in the language of his own people. Esther 1:20-22
NOTE: When read as an allegory this verse once again sounds very similar to Jesus sending letters to each of the seven angels of the seven churches in Asia in Revelation 1-2, saying to every single church,
“He who is able to hear, let him listen to and heed what the Spirit says to the assemblies (churches).” (Revelation 2:7, 2:11, 2:17, 2:29, Revelation 3:6, 3:13, 3:22)
Through all this, I believe we begin to see an allegory of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender believers being called to become Messengers of the King. I believe we are to take a message from the King of Kings (Jesus) to the Queen (the Bride of Christ, the Church) that says something like this:
Dear Body of Christ,
The King (God) has set a table for all to come eat at, (the Marriage Supper of the Lamb). Today, He is inviting the Church (Queen Vashti) to come eat with Him, instead of holding your own feast just for yourself and those whom you decide should be invited. The King wants to see you and feast with you, but you're going to have to come to Him. He has sent us eunuchs (LGBT believers) to bring you His message that He Himself prophesied through Isaiah 56:1-8, saying:
1 Thus says the Lord: Keep justice, do and use righteousness (conformity to the will of God which brings salvation), for My salvation is soon to come and My righteousness (My rightness and justice) to be revealed.
2 Blessed, happy, and fortunate is the man who does this, and the son of man who lays hold of it and binds himself fast to it, who keeps sacred the Sabbath so as not to profane it, and keeps his hand from doing any evil.
3 Let not the foreigner who has joined himself to the Lord say, The Lord will surely separate me from His people. And let not the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree.
4 For thus says the Lord: To the eunuchs who keep My Sabbaths and choose the things which please Me and hold firmly My covenant—
5 To them I will give in My house and within My walls a memorial and a name better [and more enduring] than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that will not be cut off.
6 Also the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord to minister to Him and to love the name of the Lord and to be His servants, everyone who keeps the Sabbath so as not to profane it and who holds fast My covenant [by conscientious obedience]
7 All these I will bring to My holy mountain and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on My altar; for My house will be called a house of prayer for all peoples.
8 Thus says the Lord God, Who gathers the outcasts of Israel: I will gather yet others to [Israel] besides those already gathered.
He wants you (His Bride, the Church) to come feast with Him as the day of the Marriage Feast of the Lamb approaches, but He wants you to also invite the eunuchs, the foreigners, the strangers, and anyone else who is willing to choose the things that please Him, who take hold of His New Covenant, and keeps the Sabbath holy. He wants us to remind you that Christ cannot return to this Earth until ALL prophecies have been fulfilled. Won’t you please reconsider your traditionally held positions regarding gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people (eunuchs) for the Sake of The Kingdom of Heaven?
In Jesus’ Mighty Name. Amen!
In the case of Queen Vashti, (the Apostate Church) she "refused to come at the King's command conveyed by the eunuchs," and she was separated from the King by Divorce Decree and left to fend for herself without Him.
ERROR CORRECTED: (wrong Queen)
I'll bet it makes God angry to see His Church refuse anyone, especially if full inclusion of everyone in His House of Prayer for ALL people is to include gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people. I'm sure it grieves His heart to know all that the Church has done to willfully ignore His Word in favor of using the social issue of homosexuality as a political tool and how she has preyed on so many gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people who “claim” to be “delivered from homosexuality” in order to make them “salesmen” and “spokespeople” for the ex-gay conversion therapy industry. They have too often made making God’s House of Prayer a house of ill repute instead, selling out to the highest bidder.
So maybe it's time the church listens and finally comes to the Marriage Supper that so many have waited for all these centuries. But what if the Church doesn't come to this realization? Well, if we continue with the allegory in 2 Kings 9:29-37, it would seem to me that the Church would then be destined to share the same fate as Queen Jezebel: Death.
ERROR CORRECTED: (wrong Queen)
And sure enough, as the Church continues to refuse the Message, worldwide church attendance continues to drop, with studies now showing that among the generation coming up after ours (12-20 year olds), attendance will drop to a paltry 4% of all people. The enemy has been winning the eternal battle between good and evil by cloaking the truth of God's Word (as well as His prophecy regarding gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people being included in Church) hidden behind strife, and division. By doing this, the enemy prevents the prophecy from coming to pass, prevents LGBT believers from bringing our offerings to God’s altar, prevents the Glory of the Lord from manifesting in the house of prayer, prevents the return of Christ, prevents our own individual resurrections, and prevents the resurrections of every Christian who ever lived and died before us.
The Church Shepherd’s own ignorance and/or willful refusal to recognize and obey God’s Word in regards to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people has prevented the Church from continuing to increase, by “robbing the tithes from God” by not allowing LGBT believers to include our on God’s altar. It has also cost the Church her moral authority in the earth, and the Church is dying a slow, agonizing death as a result.
If the enemy wins this war, the church dies, people stop hearing about God, and Christ NEVER returns. That is what is at stake, and I believe that's why God is sending us out as His Messengers to prevent the demise of His Bride, so that He may return to claim Her for His Own. Let's look at a similar prophecy from Malachi 2:1-10 that seems to support that assertion:
1 And now, O you priests, this commandment is for you.
2 If you will not hear and if you will not lay it to heart to give glory to My name, says the Lord of hosts, then I will send the curse upon you, and I will curse your blessings; yes, I have already turned them to curses because you do not lay it to heart.
3 Behold, I will rebuke your seed [grain--which will prevent due harvest], and I will spread the dung from the festival offerings upon your faces, and you shall be taken away with it.
4 And you shall know, recognize, and understand that I have sent this [new] decree to you priests, to be My [new] covenant with Levi [the priestly tribe], says the Lord of hosts.
5 My covenant [on My part with Levi] was to give him life and peace, because [on his part] of the [reverent and worshipful] fear with which [the priests] would revere Me and stand in awe of My name.
6 The law of truth was in [Levi's] mouth, and unrighteousness was not found in his lips; he walked with Me in peace and uprightness and turned many away from iniquity.
7 For the priest's lips should guard and keep pure the knowledge [of My law], and the people should seek (inquire for and require) instruction at his mouth; for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts.
8 But you have turned aside out of the way; you have caused many to stumble by your instruction [in the law]; you have corrupted the covenant of Levi [with Me], says the Lord of hosts.
9 Therefore have I also made you despised and abased before all the people, inasmuch as you have not kept My ways but have shown favoritism to persons in your administration of the law [of God].
10 Have we not all one Father? Has not one God created us? Why then do we deal faithlessly and treacherously each against his brother, profaning the covenant of [God with] our fathers?
(Also please be sure to examine Chapter 20 of The Bed Keeper for a more in depth look at this aspect).
Let's look at one final passage of Scripture from the same prophet who promises great rewards to those Churches who do see the light and become not only "welcoming" congregations, but "affirming" as well from Malachi 3:16-18:
16 Then those who feared the Lord talked often one to another; and the Lord listened and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him of those who reverenced and worshipfully feared the Lord and who thought on His name.
17 And they shall be Mine, says the Lord of hosts, in that day when I publicly recognize and openly declare them to be My jewels (My special possession, My peculiar treasure). And I will spare them, as a man spares his own son who serves him.
18 Then shall you return and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him who serves God and him who does not serve Him.
Could it be that gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people are God's "jewels" and "His special possession" and "His peculiar treasure?" Could it be He will use this message from gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people to determine which churches "serve God" and the churches "who do not serve Him?"
As you ponder that possibility, let’s turn our attention to another role of eunuchs in God's service as Scriptures begin to show our purpose in God's Kingdom to beautify the Bride of Christ, just like eunuchs did for Queen Esther. I am convinced that just as God allegorically used eunuchs to throw down Jezebel (the Apostate Church), and used us to allegorically convey a message to Queen Vashti (another allegory of the Apostate Church), He will also employ gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people to literally prepare His Church for the Return of Jesus Christ, just as he revealed to John in Revelation 21:1-3:
Then I saw a new sky (heaven) and a new earth, for the former sky and the former earth had passed away (vanished), and there no longer existed any sea.
And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, all arrayed like a bride beautified and adorned for her husband;
Then I heard a mighty voice from the throne and I perceived its distinct words, saying, See! The abode of God is with men, and He will live (encamp, tent) among them; and they shall be His people, and God shall personally be with them and be their God.
We’ll see an allegorical portrayal of this prophecy in the Scriptural account of King Ahauserus divorcing Queen Vashti, as the King (God) takes another, true Bride: Queen Esther. Many people are familiar with her story, but let's now take a look at what happens to the Church if we continue the allegory from the eunuch's perspective at the time, especially as regards Esther's preparation for the King.
First, let's look again at the account of King Ahauserus bidding Queen Vashti to come to feast with him, and we see again, an allegory to John's revelation of Jesus Christ, God calling the Apostate Church to the marriage supper of the Lamb, and the Church refusing to do so:
10 On the seventh day, when the king's heart was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carkas, the seven eunuchs who ministered to King Ahasuerus as attendants
11 To bring Queen Vashti before the king, with her royal crown, to show the peoples and the princes her beauty, for she was fair to behold.
12 But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king's command conveyed by the eunuchs. Therefore the king was enraged, and his anger burned within him. Esther 1:10-12
When read as an allegory, we now we learn what happens after the demise of Queen Vashti (the Apostate Church).
1 After these things, when the wrath of King Ahasuerus was pacified, he [earnestly] remembered Vashti and what she had done and what was decreed against her.
2 Then the king's servants who ministered to him said, Let beautiful young virgins be sought for the king.
3 And let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom to gather all the beautiful young virgins to the capital in Shushan, to the harem under the custody of Hegai, the king's eunuch, who is in charge of the women; and let their things for purification be given them.
4 And let the maiden who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti. This pleased the king, and he did so. Esther 2:1-4
When read as an allegory, we now see the eunuchs prepare Esther (the Body of true worshippers) for her marriage to the King as an allegory to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb.
16 So Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus into his royal palace in the tenth month, the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.
17 And the king loved Esther more than all the women, and she obtained grace and favor in his sight more than all the maidens, so that he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti.
18 Then the king gave a great feast for all his princes and his servants, Esther's feast; and he gave a holiday [or a lessening of taxes] to the provinces and gave gifts in keeping with the generosity of the king. Esther 2:16-18
To drive the point home about how God used eunuchs to accomplish this, let's look at these verses from Esther 2:12-15:
12 Now when the turn of each maiden came to go in to King Ahasuerus, after the regulations for the women had been carried out for twelve months--since this was the regular period for their beauty treatments, six months with oil of myrrh and six months with sweet spices and perfumes and the things for the purifying of the women—
13 Then in this way the maiden came to the king: whatever she desired was given her to take with her from the harem into the king's palace.
14 In the evening she went and next day she returned into the second harem in the custody of Shaashgaz, the king's eunuch who was in charge of the concubines. She came to the king no more unless the king delighted in her and she was called for by name.
15 Now when the turn for Esther the daughter of Abihail, the uncle of Mordecai who had taken her as his own daughter, had come to go in to the king, she required nothing but what Hegai the king's attendant, the keeper of the women, suggested. And Esther won favor in the sight of all who saw her.
Considering all we have just looked at in this section, let's review now what the Apostle Paul admonishes us to do in what he teaches is a “deep and allegorical mystery” that will I believe will awaken true believers into a new relationship with Christ; a relationship where the entire Body of Christ becomes aware of the blindness of many false teachers that currently lead today's Apostate Church, and the remedies for it.
13 When anything is exposed and reproved by the light, it is made visible and clear; and where everything is visible and clear there is light.
14 Therefore He says, Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall shine (make day dawn) upon you and give you light. Ephesians 5:13-14
25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her,
26 So that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the Word,
27 That He might present the church to Himself in glorious splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such things [that she might be holy and faultless].
28 Even so husbands should love their wives as [being in a sense] their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself. Ephesians 5:25-27
32 This mystery is very great, but I speak concerning [the relation of] Christ and the church. Ephesians 5:32
Again, let us compare these verses with the following passage from Revelation 21:1-2:
1 Then I saw a new sky (heaven) and a new earth, for the former sky and the former earth had passed away (vanished), and there no longer existed any sea.
2 And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, all arrayed like a bride beautified and adorned for her husband;
Let us also recall what Jesus told the Samaritans after revealing Himself as the Resurrection to the woman at the well:
A time will come, however, indeed it is already here, when the true (genuine) worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth (reality); for the Father is seeking just such people as these as His worshipers. God is a Spirit (a spiritual Being) and those who worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth (reality). John 4:23-24
I realize that many Christians will find it easy to discount the notion that the accounts of Queen Vashti, Queen Esther, and Queen Jezebel can be applied to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender believers being modern day Messengers of the King. I also know some people may say, "Well, I'm not sure the Lord was talking about the modern Church.” I would respond by saying I agree that we should be cautious about "assuming" what God means through His Word, so let's look at something less ambiguous, and in Jesus' own words from Matthew 7:21-23:
21 Not everyone who says to Me, Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father Who is in heaven.
Was Queen Vashti doing the will of the King? Was Queen Jezebel? Were the shepherds who could not understand? NO! It would be foolhardy to believe that somehow Church Shepherds are exempted from doing the Will of God in terms of how they portray the Christian faith to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.
22 Many will say to Me on that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name and driven out demons in Your name and done many mighty works in Your name?
How many Church Shepherds and ex-gay folks have “bound the spirit of homosexuality” thinking that the sexual orientations of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people are anything but a natural, God-given, purpose-driven aspect of our humanity? How many have prophesied hate in Jesus name as they attempted to “drive out demons” from their church who (as it turns out) may have very well been sent by God as Messengers of the King, designed to prepare the Bride of Christ for the Coming of the Lord Jesus?
23 And then I will say to them openly (publicly), I never knew you; depart from Me, you who act wickedly [disregarding My commands]. Matthew 7:21-23
Again, did Queen Vashti regard the commands of the King? Did Queen Jezebel? Did the shepherds who could not understand? NO! Again, it would be foolhardy to believe that somehow Church Shepherds are exempted from doing the Will of God in terms of how they portray the Christian faith to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people.
As James said, “Not many [of you] should become teachers (self-constituted censors and reprovers of others), my brethren, for you know that we [teachers] will be judged by a higher standard and with greater severity [than other people; thus we assume the greater accountability and the more condemnation]. James 3:1
The most difficult part of writing The Bed Keeper has been in knowing the higher standard and greater severity of God’s wrath I am accountable to should I lead anyone to err spiritually. However, I am also reminded that each Christian must decide for themselves whether or not they receive the message.
Jesus said, “let him who can receive it, receive it.” Matthew 19:11-12
John gave an equally simple litmus test for judging teachings from the Word of God:
Beloved, do not put faith in every spirit, but prove (test) the spirits to discover whether they proceed from God; for many false prophets have gone forth into the world.
By this you may know (perceive and recognize) the Spirit of God: every spirit which acknowledges and confesses [the fact] that Jesus Christ (the Messiah) [actually] has become man and has come in the flesh is of God [has God for its source];
And every spirit which does not acknowledge and confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh [but would annul, destroy, sever, disunite Him] is not of God [does not proceed from Him]. This [nonconfession] is the [spirit] of the antichrist, [of] which you heard that it was coming, and now it is already in the world. 1 John 4:1-3
Again, we do not save a man by revealing to him his sin, but by revealing to him His Son.
I think that if viewed through an allegorical lens, we see the Lord makes His point clear by letting the Church know that if they do not heed the Message of The King, they are doomed to utter destruction. Too many times we have heard the Church teach that it is those "outside" the Church who are doomed, but I'm beginning to see that God meant the Church itself; not those who truly worship, and welcome affirming fellowship with ALL God's people, but only those who call themselves part of the Christian Church without practicing what God told them to preach.
Some Christians don't seem to understand many gay people have left God and His Church, simply because they have been pushed away by those well meaning Christians who turned out to be…well; mean. They didn't portray God's ability to save me, but only my ability to save myself if only I wouldn't be gay. That is not a reasonable or Scriptural stance to take. We have no Scriptural commission to promote such a fallacious pretense of piety, and it will do nothing to win people to the Lord, or to make them heterosexual.
What it does do for some gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender individuals is to give them a sense that being gay is not “their fault.” Well, it isn’t our fault! It’s not our parent’s faults! It’s not some “homosexual recruiter’s” fault! It’s not the devil’s fault! It isn’t a result of the fall of man! It isn’t the “spirit of homosexuality’s” fault! No, as we learned in Chapter 1 of The Bed Keeper, we are who we are by God’s own design, will, and purpose, as Jesus Himself confirmed in Matthew 19:11-12.
Some Christians and ex-gay folks call being gay a “perversion.” But the only "perversion" would be for me to have discovered all these Scriptures that the Church never talks about, and shrink back in fear of the Church's reaction to it, sacrifice the freedom of speech, press and religion granted to me as a tax paying and law abiding citizen of the United States of America, and fail to publish it, fail to fulfill the call of God on my life to proclaim it, and fail to leave behind the legacy of hope every human being is designed by His Creator to do for generations who come after us--each in our own way--just so I could rest in my own grave hoping somebody else comes along and shares this message with the Church instead.
And what if that somebody never comes along? As a believer I simply cannot leave such an important task to the hands of fate when God has given me the past 35 years of my life to study His Word, and the last 7 years of my life to write The Bed Keeper. If this doesn’t transform the church, then so be it, but at least I can stand before God on Judgment Day with the clear conscience of knowing He will indeed say to me, “Well done, thy good and faithful servant.”
But I believe this message will be a part of transforming the Church. I believe it will be a part of opening eyes, and transforming lives of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people and our families. I believe it will help present the Gospel in a more complete form that is actually relevant to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people! And what's the worst that could happen?
First, you'd have to expect about 700,000,000 new Christian converts (the estimated 10% of the world's population who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender). You’d have to expect a 10% increase in financial resources as each of us begin bringing our offerings and sacrifices to God’s altar, which He Himself has already blessed by saying He will accept them in Isaiah 56:6. (You’ll also have to begin expecting God’s Glory to once again fill the Church as well!)
It would mean you're going to need 10% more pews in every church. You're going to need to train up 10% more pastors, elders, deacons, deaconesses, prophets and prophetesses, and worship leaders. You’ll have to expand your choir lofts, because that's usually where gay men serve in church.
You're going to have to train pastors about what is contained in God’s Word, and I hope The Bed Keeper will give you a foundational guide for beginning that journey of discovery and spiritual understanding of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people. You're going to have to prepare to pay less in taxes as more and more children are adopted by loving gay couples who pick up the tab for their care and support, and relieve the state of all the unwanted children of heterosexual people that are currently waiting for a good and loving and stable and Christian home.
You're going to have to prepare for the return of Christ as the Scripture in Isaiah 56:7 becomes fulfilled right before your very eyes, and God's house is FINALLY a House of Prayer for ALL People! You’re going to have to prepare to have our parents (who were shamed out of the church upon learning that we were gay) to return, so you may want to increase the number of pews by 30% instead of 10%, since ALL of us have 2 parents. You're going to have to prepare the church for passing out communion EVERY Sunday instead of just the second Sunday of every month, so that gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people can partake of the "memorial in God's House" (Holy Communion), and so we can "keep the Sabbath holy" in accordance with God's prophecy from Isaiah 56:4-5.
You'll have to prepare the church to teach all these new members about Jesus Christ, instead of sitting around comparing herself to other denominations of Christianity, or comparing gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people to demons.
And finally, you'll have to prepare the Church (both Catholic and Protestant) to become one worldwide unified body of Christ at long last, where the remaining denominational distinctions disappear, because we will all be ONE in Christ Jesus, building one another up in the unity of our faith. Finally, the Church will have to prepare herself to become adorned, like a Bride preparing to meet her Groom, and you'll have to prepare yourself for the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (save room for dessert!)
I realize that's quite a vision to cast, but again we are reminded what Jesus said in regards to His teaching on eunuchs in Matthew 19:12:
"For there are some eunuchs, which were so born from their mother's womb: and there are some eunuchs, which were made eunuchs of men: and there be eunuchs, which have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of heaven's sake. He that is able to receive it, let him receive it.”
In Chapter 3 of The Bed Keeper, I asked the question “Do YOU accept it?”
As I shared, most Christians’ first response to a teaching of Jesus that they were previously unaware of is “Why SHOULD I receive it?”
If I were to summarize my response to that question based on the allegories we just learned about, I would ask any Christian,
“Why WOULDN’T you?”
After all, as God said in His prophecy to eunuchs:
Blessed, happy, and fortunate is the man who does this, and the son of man who lays hold of it and binds himself fast to it... Isaiah 56:2
Now that we have explored more fully the message God seems to have planned for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people to deliver to the Church, in the next chapter of The Bed Keeper we'll explore the message God originally planned for the Church to deliver to us!
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