I showed in Chapter 1 how the prophecies of the slaughter of the innocents were partially fulfilled at the time of Jesus' birth when Herod killed the children of Bethlehem. I also showed that the prophecies were actually directed more toward Joseph than Judah. And since Christ has two manifestations, not just one--the first from Judah, and the second from Joseph--the modern laws permitting abortion on demand are the real fulfillment of these prophecies.

The first slaughter at Bethlehem was to try to destroy the Heir to the Throne, for Jesus came from the tribe of Judah in order to secure His Throne Rights. Judah had been given the Scepter (Gen. 49:10), and later this was given more specifically to David (Psalm 89:34-37), from whom Jesus was descended.

But in His second coming, His robe is said to be "dipped in blood" (Rev. 19:13). This is a direct reference to Joseph, who is the only man in Scripture whose robe was dipped in blood (Gen. 37:31). As I show in my book, The Laws of the Second Coming, this is also a reference to the second bird that was dipped in the blood of the first bird and let loose into the open field. These birds prophesy of Christ's two comings: the first being killed, and the second being dipped in blood.

Thus, Joseph's life is the primary prophetic pattern of Christ's second manifestation in the earth. He was the Birthright Holder (1 Chron. 5:1, 2). The second appearance of Christ is about securing His Birthright, even as His first appearance was about securing His Throne Rights. The Birthright is the inheritance of the Kingdom.

Joseph had two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, who were two of the twelve tribes of Israel. Ephraim became the leading tribe, for Jacob passed the Birthright to him directly in Gen. 48:17. So we can look not only at Joseph himself as our prophetic pattern, but also Ephraim.

There is a significant prophecy in Hosea 9 that refers to the slaughter of the innocents and specifically to abortion in the latter days. It is found in Hosea 9:11-17. In part, it says,

¹¹ As for Ephraim, their glory will fly away like a bird—no birth, no pregnancy, and no conception! ¹² Though they bring up their children, yet I will bereave them until not a man is left. Yes, woe to them indeed when I depart from them! ¹³ Ephraim, as I have seen, is planted in a pleasant meadow like Tyre; but Ephraim will bring out his children for slaughter . . . ¹⁶ Ephraim is stricken, their root is dried up, they will bear no fruit. Even though they bear children, I will slay the precious ones of their womb. ¹⁷ My God will cast them away because they have not listened to Him."

All of this is in the context of divine judgment upon Ephraim for sin. In biblical law, the judgment always fits the crime and is ultimately meant to correct us by making us "eat our own cooking." For this reason, we are to view the modern abortion laws as a part of God's judgment upon us, rather than as a reason to hate those who have submitted to the aborticide of their children.

There are those who view women who have had abortions in an unkind light, because they have not understood the full picture that is presented to us in Scripture. A partial understanding is the first step toward condemnation, lack of love, and hypocrisy. It should be avoided.

In the bigger picture, the Bible prophesies of a great world-wide oppressive system called "Mystery Babylon," which derives its power and ungodly laws from the Babylonian succession of empires set forth in the book of Daniel. The fact is, whether we like it or not, we are in a Babylonian captivity.

In the broad sense, this captivity has been with us since the days of Daniel, though manifested in different empires: Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome. But in a more restricted context, we came into the modern Babylonian captivity with the passage of the Federal Reserve Act, which President Wilson signed into law in February 1914. This was precisely 2,520 years after the original Babylon overthrew Assyria and became an empire (607 B.C.). I have written in other books of the importance of the number 2,520, for it is "seven times" (7 x 360 years).

The Federal Reserve System is the head of the modern, world-wide financial empire. It is a private banking corporation run by a secret coalition of self-styled kings of finance that are class-A stockholders in that private corporation. Even the U.S. Congress cannot learn their identities, though they tried back in the 1970's. Fed Chairman Arthur Burns refused to divulge their names to Congress.

The 20th Century was the century of the Neo-Babylonian Captivity. Like the captivity of Daniel's day, it was a great financial success, and many became wealthy because of it. But it competes with the Kingdom of God for the inheritance of the Birthright.

This world empire conquered America in 1914 and then has used American troops and money to gain control of the rest of the world. This is now crumbling, of course, as also prophesied in Scripture. The value of the dollar is dropping like a rock, and there are getting to be too many discontented nations for our troops to control. The bankruptcy of the system is imminent. The Kingdom of God awaits this next great economic cataclysm.

The law of God gives us the laws of captivity in Lev. 26 and Deut. 28. It sets forth the reasons why God would put His people into captivity. America has violated His law (His will), and for this reason God has placed us into this captivity. He did so, because our forefathers made a covenant with God, knowing full well that if we were ever to forsake God, that He would bring judgment upon the nation as surely as He did with the ancient house of Israel.

There are two forms of captivity in Scripture. Deut. 28:48 speaks specifically of the "yoke of iron" form of captivity:

⁴⁸ Therefore you shall serve your enemies whom the Lord shall send against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in the lack of all things; and He will put an iron yoke on your neck until He has destroyed you.

A yoke is put upon an ox so that the ox may serve its master by pulling a plow. This iron yoke is defined as conquest, destruction, and removal of the people into a foreign land.

The second form of captivity is not mentioned by name until Jeremiah 27 and 28, specifically Jer. 28:13,

¹³ Go and speak to Hananiah, saying, Thus says the Lord, You have broken the yokes of wood, but you have made instead of them yokes of iron.

The wooden yoke is a lighter form of captivity that is seen primarily in the book of Judges. The people were put into tribute, but were allowed to remain in their land. In other words, it was captivity by taxation.

Jeremiah gave Judah and Jerusalem a choice. They were supposed to submit to GOD'S JUDGMENT by submitting to the king of Babylon, whom God had raised up to judge them (Jer. 27:5-13). They would then be put under a wooden yoke and be allowed to remain in their land, paying taxes to this king. If they refused, however, then God would empower the king of Babylon to destroy Jerusalem and deport the people to a foreign land.

The people chose poorly and were deported to Babylon for 70 years under the iron yoke.

The point is this: God brought judgment upon America a century ago for our sin. He also blinded us to this captivity, making it a "mystery," or "secret." Thus, He tricked us into submitting to the wooden yoke so that we would not have to be destroyed and deported.

Part of our wooden yoke judgment is the law permitting abortion. If we were under an iron yoke, abortion would be MANDATORY, as it is in China (after having one child). Under the wooden yoke, abortions are VOLUNTARY. Thus, only those who do not know the heart of God will volunteer to participate in the slaughter of innocents. It is, then, the non-believers who voluntarily "bring out their children for slaughter" (Hos. 9:13).

And so, while this is a terrible thing, keep in mind that it could be worse. There are many who say that God must judge America because of the millions of aborted children being slaughtered. In actuality, a study of Scripture shows that abortion IS the divine judgment—not the reason why God must judge America.

God judged America back in 1914 when He put us under the wooden yoke of Mystery Babylon. This was done nearly 60 years before Roe v. Wade legalized abortion in America. No, the reason for judgment is general lawlessness.

This judgment is upon us for the same reason that God judged Israel throughout the Scriptures. It was because of lawlessness. God said that if we were obedient to His law, “blessed shall be the offspring of your body” (Deut. 28:4). He also that if we do NOT obey Him, “cursed shall be the offspring of your body” (Deut. 28:18).

God’s laws are the laws of the universe. They give us the keys to understanding cause and effect. It is God’s will that we be blessed, and the laws were given so that we would know the path of obedience and blessing. The fact that America is under the curse of the law shows that the causes and effects outlined in the law are just as relevant today as they were in Moses’ day. The Church may deny the law’s validity, but no one, including the Church, can escape the effects of disobedience.