Duality in Prophecy
Translators don’t fully grasp the concept of duality. God inspired the Bible’s order, but these men have rearranged the books because they lack faith. The book of Chronicles is a prime example of duality.
Here’s what I wrote in my Chronicles booklet: “One of the most astounding things in the book of Chronicles is the conclusion. Chronicles is the last book in the Hebrew Bible and appears to be the last book that was written. We must remember that the book of Ezra/Nehemiah (originally one book) had been written several years before. Notice that [the author] did something quite strange: He ended Chronicles with the same words that begin the book of Ezra!”
The book of Chronicles originally was the conclusion to the Old Testament, but now it is hidden right in the middle. You can see why, to translators, events in Chronicles seem to make more sense chronologically before the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. They don’t understand duality.
Revelation concludes the New Testament and gives a time frame of all Bible prophecy. I would say getting the ending of the Old Testament right is crucial.
Duality Is Everywhere
Diligent study reveals the duality throughout the Bible.
“Let them bring them forth, and shew us what shall happen: let them shew the former things, what they be, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or declare us things for to come” (Isaiah 41:22). Most former events have a latter end. This is duality!
Paul reinforced the biblical principle of duality: “Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come” (I Corinthians 10:11).
To understand the book of Chronicles and the entire Bible, we must understand duality.
Chronicles Conclusion
The last two verses of Chronicles are nearly identical to the first three verses of Ezra. Here they are: “Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, that the word of the Lord spoken by the mouth of Jeremiah might be accomplished, the Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom, and put it also in writing, saying, Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia, All the kingdoms of the earth hath the Lord God of heaven given me; and he hath charged me to build him an house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Who is there among you of all his people? The Lord his God be with him, and let him go up” (II Chronicles 36:22-23).
Why would Chronicles direct us back to a book written several years earlier? First, we need some context.
“And them that had escaped from the sword carried he away to Babylon; where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia:” (verse 20). Babylon took Judah into captivity. Then, Persia conquered Babylon.
“To fulfil the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed her sabbaths: for as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath, to fulfil threescore and ten years” (verse 21). God ended the Babylonian captivity after 70 years, just as Jeremiah had prophesied (Jeremiah 25:11-12).
The author of Chronicles gave an overview of David’s reign on down to the captivity, and then he offers a callback to the book of Ezra in the conclusion. This gets complicated unless God helps us understand.
Such an odd conclusion certainly befuddled Lange’s Commentary: “The identity of the close of the second book of Chronicles with the beginning of the book of Ezra, especially as a passage presents no truly satisfactory close for our work. It raises the expectation that some connection exists between it and the latter book. What could it be?”
The key to unlocking the Chronicles mystery lies in the book of Ezra.
Four Notable Men
The book of Ezra includes four outstanding characters: two of them prophets, the other two builders. It is about some of the Jews building the second temple after returning from captivity. This building project is a type of the spiritual construction in this end time.
Here is what I wrote in the Ezra and Nehemiah booklet: “Haggai and Zechariah were the two leading prophets used in rebuilding the second temple. More importantly, these two prophets focus mainly on the end time. Two of the leading builders on the second temple were Zerubbabel and Joshua. But more importantly, they are two key figures in the building of God’s end-time, spiritual temple. We shall see that Haggai, Zechariah, Zerubbabel and Joshua are all key players in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. That means Ezra and Nehemiah can give us important spiritual insights into end-time prophecy.”
Though almost no one realizes it, the book of Ezra is prophetic! Two men in this age are the fulfillment of Zerubbabel and Joshua. The prophecies of Haggai and Zechariah contain powerful lessons for us, just as they did for the Jews back then. This is all dual.
“Remember, God does things in dual stages,” I wrote in the Zechariah booklet. “As Zerubbabel built the first temple of material stone, wood and other materials, he was a forerunner or type of one through whom Christ would raise up or build the spiritual temple, His Church of our time, prior to the Day of the Lord and Christ’s Second Coming.”
Zerubbabel and Joshua have come on the scene in our day. You must prove who these men are.
Proof of Duality
Haggai and Zechariah corrected the Jews for having a wrong attitude about the second temple. These people were disheartened because Zerubbabel’s temple wasn’t nearly as glorious as Solomon’s temple.
But a verse in Haggai seems to contradict this—if we fail to understand duality. “The glory of this latter house shall be greater than of the former, saith the Lord of hosts: and in this place will I give peace, saith the Lord of hosts” (Haggai 2:9). If Zerubbabel’s temple was inferior to Solomon’s, then what could this verse possibly be referring to?
Haggai wrote of a spiritual house (Ephesians 2:18-22; I Corinthians 6:19). As the Jews became bogged down in the physical details, he presented a tremendous spiritual vision. God’s saints are a spiritual temple vastly greater than Solomon’s temple. God is building a family.
Haggai 2 verse 9 proves the Bible’s duality.
By My Spirit
“Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the Lord of hosts” (4:6). Zerubbabel accomplished the impossible by using the Spirit of God. We all must learn this lesson.
“For who hath despised the day of small things? for they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the Lord, which run to and fro through the whole earth” (verse 10). Zerubbabel used a plummet, which is a builder’s measuring device, as he built the spiritual temple. He built far more precisely than any tradesman would a physical building.
Today, Zerubbabel is gone. Another work is following in his footsteps. “And I answered again, and said unto him, What be these two olive branches which through the two golden pipes empty the golden oil out of themselves? And he answered me and said, Knowest thou not what these be? And I said, No, my lord. Then said he, These are the two anointed ones, that stand by the Lord of the whole earth” (verses 12-14).
God uses two men in this age to pour out His golden oil—a type of the Holy Spirit. This power will solve all our problems and bring us the happiness and joy that God expects us to have.
Preparing the Way
“In that day, saith the Lord of hosts, will I take thee, O Zerubbabel, my servant, the son of Shealtiel, saith the Lord, and will make thee as a signet: for I have chosen thee, saith the Lord of hosts” (Haggai 2:23).
After the end-time Zerubbabel finishes his spiritual construction, God makes him a signet. Another man then comes on the scene and uses the signet, or stamp of authority, to prove who God is now using to do the work.
“Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the Branch” (Zechariah 3:8). One point to take note of here: the end-time Joshua and his fellows are corrupt rebels. They turn people away from Zerubbabel. When Zechariah wrote of Joshua, he wrote of the latter-day fulfillment. There is no evidence suggesting the original Joshua was disloyal.
The Soncino Commentary and the Jamieson, Faucett, and Brown’s Commentary say ‘men wondered at’ literally means a sign. The end-time fulfillments of Zerubbabel and Joshua are a sign of Jesus Christ’s imminent return! God will save mankind! The spiritual construction taking place today will continue on out into the universe!
Duality is found throughout Ezra, Nehemiah, Chronicles, Haggai and Zechariah. Zechariah chapter 3 talks about seven eyes, or seven church eras, that see what God sees. It talks about seven lamps, which is another way to describe these church eras that give light to the entire world. These prophecies are so inspiring, but we can only understand them and their ultimate fulfillment if we truly grasp the vital principle of biblical duality.
