Rivqah Coover, 10-23-2007

I am one of those people who almost feels I cannot function without a daily planner. There is one thing about my planner that bothers me though, and that is that all of the holidays are listed there. Not being a holiday-keeper, whenever I see a holiday listed up ahead in my planner, I’ll black it out ahead of time and hope that by the time I get to that day, I’ll have forgotten what the holiday was..... because I really do enjoy being ignorant of those things. Yesterday I saw that the 24^th was United Nations Day. Immediately I blacked it out..... then reconsidered. "I need to write an article on this," I thought, and so I did an amazing thing for Rivqah Coover: I wrote "United Nations Day" BACK INTO my daily planner so that I wouldn’t forget. So there’s the background for this article......

There is one basic question which I would like us to consider, and that is whether the idea of "United Nations" is a Scriptural concept. All of our practices and customs ought to be based upon Scripture, so we would do well to consider this question.

Perhaps I need to back up a little bit first of all and give a brief run-down of which nation I believe our allegiance should be to:

1. The devil is the prince of this world. All physical countries are included in the world which he is the prince of. John 12:31 – "Now is the judgment of this world; now shall the prince of this world be cast out." We do not want to support the kingdom of the prince of this world, who shall be cast out.

2. We are to be in the world, but "not of the world", even as Yahshua is "not of the world". (John 17:14) We cannot be the Almighty’s children, and yet give our allegiance to this world. "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, 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 Elohim abideth forever." (1 John 2:15-17) "The friendship of the world is enmity with Yahweh. Whosoever, therefore, will be a friend of the world is the enemy of Yahweh." (James 4:4)

3. We must not try to be like the nations about us. 1 Samuel 8:5-7 – "Yahweh’s people said, ‘Make us a king to judge us, like all the nations.’ And Yahweh said, ‘They have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them.’ " We must reject either Yahweh or the world (which includes all allegiance to a nation, nations, or even a one world order set up by man).

4. Yahshua’s Kingdom is not of this world. "Yahshua said, ‘My Kingdom is not of this world; if My Kingdom were of this world, then would My servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now is My Kingdom not from hence.’ " (John 18:36) We are to be "strangers and pilgrims on the earth" (Hebrews 11:9-10, 13-16), seeking Yahshua’s Heavenly country, the New Yahrushalayim, which shall descend with Him when He returns. Revelation 21:1-2 – "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away, and there was no more sea. And I saw the set-apart city, New Yahrushalayim, coming down from Yahweh out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband." New Yahrushalayim is the only country that we should give our allegiance to. Yes, we all live in a physical country or nation, but we need not be devoted to it.

5. We must choose between Yahweh and the "strange countries" (See Hebrews 11:9) of this world. "No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other." (Matthew 6:24) "If it seem evil unto you to serve Yahweh, choose you this day whom you will serve, whether the idols which your fathers served, or the idols in whose land ye dwell; but as for me and my house, we will serve Yahweh. Yahweh forbid that we should forsake Yahweh, to serve idols (anything contrary to Yahweh, which can include excessive involvement with and devotion to carnal leaders, governments, countries, etc.). We will serve Yahweh, for He is Elohim." (Joshua 24:15-18)

Obviously, as Yahweh’s children we will choose Him. This makes us a part of Yahweh’s Spirit-and-Truth Yisra’el tree, the root of which is Yahshua the Messiyah, and the branches of which are composed of those who are grafted in from all nations (whether physically from any one of the twelve tribes of Yisra’el or physically a Gentile) "Wherefore remember that ye, being in time past Gentiles in the flesh, who are called Uncircumcision by that which is called the Circumcision in the flesh made by hands; that at that time ye were without Messiyah, being aliens from the commonwealth of Yisra’el (not of Judaism, Christianitiy, etc.), and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without Yahweh in the world: but now in the Messiyah Yahshua ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Messiyah. For He is our peace, WHO HATH MADE BOTH ONE, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition; having abolished in His flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments in dogma, for to make in Himself OF TWAIN ONE NEW MAN, so making peace; and that He might reconcile BOTH UNTO ELOHIM IN ONE BODY by the stake, having slain the enmity thereby: and came and preached peace unto you which were afar off, and to them that were nigh. For through Him WE BOTH HAVE ACCESS BY ONE SPIRIT unto the Father. Now, therefore, ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the set-apart ones, and of the household of Elohim; and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Yahshua the Messiyah Himself being the chief cornerstone; in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto a set-apart temple in Yahweh: in whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of Elohim through the Spirit." (Ephesians 2:11-22) "For if thou wert cut out of the olive tree which is wild by nature, and were grafted contrary to nature into a good olive tree, how much more shall these, which be the natural branches, be grafted into their own olive tree?" (Romans 11:24)

All of this being said, let us now move on to the "United Nations" concept.

First of all, when Yahweh originally made the world and mankind, everything was peaceful and beautiful. "And Elohim saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good." (Genesis 1:31a) However, because of man’s disobedience and mistake, there came to be an enmity which would never be removed until the end of the present age. "And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her Seed; It shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise His Heel." (Genesis 3:15) Thus we see that two sides exist between which there is great enmity: the good and pure side (which is led by the woman’s Seed, Yahshua) and the rebellious and bad side (satan’s seed). These two could be illustrated in the following way:

GOOD

bad

The good constituted of a very small portion of humanity: "the remnant whom Yahweh shall call" (Joel 2:32; Matthew 7:14)  The bad, on the other hand, is composed of most of mankind: "Wide is the gate and broad is the way that leadeth to destruction, and MANY there be which go in thereat." (Matt. 7:13b)

We have to admit that the bad side catches one’s attention a whole lot quicker than the good side does, and yet there are much greater rewards in choosing the small and narrow path which is not traveled by many.

Those traveling this narrow path are the remnant who have heeded Yahweh’s call to "Come out". "Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing; go ye out of the midst of her; be ye clean, that bear the vessels of Yahweh." (Isaiah 52:11) "Wherefore, come out from among them and be ye separate, saith Yahweh, and touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you" (2 Corinthians 6:17) As such, we are identified as Yahweh’s Yisra’el, and there is to be no alliance between us and the carnal nations of the world, nor any allegiance on our part to them: "Thus saith Yahweh, ‘Learn not the way of the heathen’ " (Jeremiah 10:2a) "When Yahweh thy Elohim shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to posses it, and hath cast out many nations before thee, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier than thou; and when Yahweh thy Elohim shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them, and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor show mercy unto them: neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter shalt thou not give unto his son, nor his daughter shalt thou take unto thy son. For they will turn away thy son form following Me, that they may serve other elohim: so will the anger of Yahweh be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly. But thus shall ye deal with them; ye shall destroy their altars, and break down their images, and cut down their groves, and burn their graven images with fire. For thou art a set-apart people unto Yahweh thy Elohim: Yahweh thy Elohim hath chosen thee to be a special people unto Himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth." (Deuteronomy 7:1-6)

It is obvious that the above verses are referring to a time when Yisra’el all dwelt in one land together. As Yisra’el has been dispersed throughout the whole world, is she not permitted to make affinity with the peoples around her? "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household. He that loveth father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he that taketh not his stake, and followeth after Me, is not worthy of Me." (Matthew 10:34-38) "Be not deceived; evil communications (associations; See Greek # 3657) corrupt good manners." (1 Corinthians 15:33) "Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil" (Exodus 23:2a) "Be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? And what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath the Messiyah with belial? Or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of Elohim with idols? For ye are the temple of the living Elohim, as Elohim hath said, ‘I will dwell with them and walk in them, and I will be their Elohim, and they shall be My people.’ " (2 Corinthians 6:14-16) Though dispersed, our identity is still Elohim’s Yisra’el, called from among all nations to BE SEPARATE. Thus we see that Yahweh’s Yisra’el, though mingled amongst the nations and peoples of this world, cannot partake of a uniting with these nations (a.k.a. "United Nations Day" or anything else).

But, what about the rest of the nations? Is "United Nations" Scriptural for them? "Though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not be unpunished" (Proverbs 11:21a) "Everyone that is proud in heart is an abomination to Yahweh: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished." (Proverbs 16:5) We see that even if the nations of the world seeking a united state, it will avail little, for safety is not in numbers, but in Yahweh’s will. As wickedness flourishes in their midst, a joining of their hands together will accomplish nothing. (See Revelations 20:7-9 for an example of this.) Besides all this, true peace and unity can never be accomplished without Yahweh, which is why the whole concept of "United Nations" as the world presents it is incorrect. "And ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom" (Matthew 24:6-7a)

Yahweh is not looking for huge numbers; what He is seeking is a remnant from among all nations to JOIN THEMSELVES TO HIM. " ‘In those days, and in that time,’ saith Yahweh, ‘the children of Yisra’el shall come, they and the children of Judah together, going and weeping: they shall go and see Yahweh their Elohim. They shall ask the way to Tziyon with their faces thitherward, saying, Come, and let us JOIN OURSELVES TO YAHWEH IN A PERPETUAL COVENANT that shall not be forgotten.’ " (Jeremiah 50:4-5) As we come out from among all nations to be united to Him, a unity will be found among ourselves too. "The Word of Yahweh came again unto me, saying, ‘Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, For Judah, and for the children of Yisra’el his companions: then take another stick, and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephrayim, and for all the house of Yisra’el his companions: and join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand. And when the children of thy people shall speak unto thee, saying, Wilt thou not shew us what thou meanest by these? Say unto them, Thus saith the Sovereign Yahweh; Behold, I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephrayim, and the tribes of Yisra’el his fellows, and will put them with him, even with the stick of Judah, and make them one stick, and THEY SHALL BE ONE in Mine hand. And the sticks whereon thou writest shall be in thine hand before their eyes. And say unto them, Thus saith the Sovereign Yahweh; Behold, I will take the children of Yisra’el FROM AMONG THE NATIONS, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land: and I will make them ONE NATION in the land upon the mountains of Yisra’el; and one King shall be King to them all: and they shall be no more two nations, NEITHER SHALL THEY BE DIVIDED INTO TWO KINGDOMS ANYMORE AT ALL: neither shall they defile themselves anymore with idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions: but I will save them out of their dwelling places, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them: so shall they be My people, and I will be their Elohim. And My Beloved Servant shall be King over them; and they all shall have one Shepherd: they shall also walk in My judgments, and observe My statutes, and do them. And they shall dwell in the land that I have given unto Jacob My servant, wherein your fathers have dwelt; and they shall dwell therein, even they, and their children, and their children’s children forever: and My Beloved Servant shall be their Prince forever. Moreover, I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them: and I will place them, and multiply them, and will set My sanctuary in the midst of them forevermore. My tabernacle also shall be with them; yea, I will be their Elohim, and they shall be My people. And the nations shall know that I, Yahweh, do SET Yisra’el APART’ " (Ezekiel 37:15-28a) Therefore, we behold a gathering of Yisra’el from ALL NATIONS, and a making of peace BY YAHWEH, rather than by man’s carnal and futile attempts. And though we are dispersed, we make ONE NATION in Yahweh’s eyes, with His Word shining through us as a light and testimony in all the world. This gathering of Yisra’el from all corners of the earth into YAHWEH’s HAND is what truly constitutes the Scriptural United Nation.

As for the rest who join hand in hand, void of Yahweh, their demise shall be swift at Yahshua’s return: "And to you who are troubled, rest with us, when the Master Yahshua shall be revealed from Heaven, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not Yahweh, and that obey not the glad news of our Master Yahshua Messiyah, who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of Yahweh and from the splendor of His power, when He shall come to be esteemed in His set-apart ones and to be admired in all them that believe" (2 Thessalonians 1:7-10a) For Yahweh’s called-out nation though, there shall be eternal deliverance. "For whosoever shall call upon the Name of Yahweh shall be saved!" (Romans 10:13) "And it shall come to pass that whosoever shall call upon the Name of Yahweh shall be delivered, for in Mount Tziyon and in Yahrushalayim shall be deliverance, as Yahweh hath said, and in the remnant whom Yahweh shall call." (Joel 2:32) HalleluYAH!