Hosea 5:7 reads, “They have dealt treacherously with the LORD, For they have begotten pagan children. Now a New Moon shall devour them and their heritage.”
In order to understand the context, we need to consider several passages within the entire fifth chapter of the book of Hosea.
Verse 1 speaks to the priests, the house of Israel and the house of the king. Verse 3 says that God knows Ephraim and that Israel is not hidden from Him. Verse 5 says that Israel and Ephraim will stumble in their iniquity, and that Judah will stumble with them. Verse 8 says that the ram’s horn and the trumpet are to be blown, obviously referring to impending war, and verse 9 continues that Ephraim shall be desolate in the day of rebuke. Verse 10 speaks of God’s wrath; and verse 13 says that Ephraim won’t succeed in trying to find help from King Jareb of Assyria. Finally, verse 15 announces that ultimately Ephraim and Judah will earnestly seek God when they are being afflicted, indicating repentance.
The context of the entire chapter describes end-time events and addresses the modern descendants of the ancient houses of Israel and Judah. The reference to Ephraim is to be understood as, foremost, describing the nations and peoples of the United Kingdom; and perhaps Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the white populations of other English-speaking nations belonging to the Commonwealth of Nations [formerly known as the British Commonwealth], such as South Africa and Zimbabwe; and when Israel is mentioned in addition to Ephraim, it would refer to Ephraim’s brother Manasseh whose descendants can be found today in the United States. Judah, of course, is a reference to the state of Israel and the Jews in general, and the modern Assyrians can be found today in Germany and Austria. God speaks of the trumpet of war (referring also to the Feast of Trumpets, as we will see) and of His wrath which He will pour out on all nations during the Day of His Wrath, just prior to Christ’s return. Finally, reference is made to the priests—the religious leadership in all of the above-mentioned countries—and the house of the king, referring to the royal house and monarchy of Great Britain.
Since Verse 5 tells us that Ephraim, Israel (Manasseh) and Judah will all fall together, what then is the meaning of verse 7, telling us that because of their harlotry (verse 3) and the upbringing of pagan children, the “new moon” shall devour them and their heritage or posterity?
Commentaries are quite divided on the meaning of this verse.
In applying the verse strictly to Old Testament times and ignoring the prophetic end-time application, Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers states:
“Some reference is involved to the consequences of intermarriage with heathen. The ‘month’ may be a personification of the period of a month, during which takes place the now closely impending (perhaps already commenced) invasion by Tiglathpileser… This invasion was due in part to Ahaz having sought the aid of Assyria against Pekah and Rezin.”
The Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary makes the same mistake, pointing out:
“… a month—a very brief space of time shall elapse, and then punishment shall overtake them… The allusion seems to be to money loans, which were by the month, not as with us by the year. You cannot put it off; the time of your destruction is immediately and suddenly coming on you; just as the debtor must meet the creditor’s demand at the expiration of the month. The prediction is of the invasion of Tiglath-pileser, who carried away Reuben, Gad, Naphtali, and the half tribe of Manasseh.”
Other commentaries give similar explanations. Even though some of the statements are helpful, as describing historic forerunners of end-time events, they do not focus on the relevance of these passages for us today, and completely overlook the warning message to the modern DESCENDANTS of the ancient houses of Israel and Judah. However, when reading those comments, we should be able to view them in light of future events which will soon occur, just prior to Christ’s return.
For example, the Matthew Poole’s Commentary states:
“They, the whole house of Israel, priests, people, and princes, and their kings with them, have dealt treacherously; have falsified their word and promise of fidelity and constancy, of love and affection, when they entered covenant with me; have turned idolaters, and worshipped and relied on false gods. They have begotten strange children; as if it were not enough that they were idolaters, they have trained up their children in the same idolatry, partly by their instruction, and more by their examples…
“A month [shall devour them]; either the new moon… or rather, a time not long (as an age); not as to the old world, nor as to Nineveh, forty days, but a shorter time: possibly it may refer to Shallum’s short time of usurpation, which lasted but a month; a month shall devour them, the Assyrians shall make a speedy conquest over you… Shallum slew Zachariah before the people… implying the people’s concurrence herein, and [we know of] their accepting of Shallum with expectation of peace and prosperity, to the increase of their portion under his government, all which was blasted at the month’s end.”
The Benson Commentary says:
“The expression alludes to children not lawfully begotten, or not born in wedlock. Now shall a month devour them — A very short time shall complete their destruction. It shall be sudden and unexpected.”
Barnes’ Notes on the Bible states:
“The children too of the forbidden marriages with the pagan were, by their birth, strange or foreign children, even before they became so in act; and they became so the more in act, because they were so by birth. The next generation then growing up more estranged from God than themselves, what hope of amendment was there?
“Now shall a month devour – The word ‘now’ denotes the nearness and suddenness of God’s judgments; the term ‘month,’ their rapidity. A ‘month’ is… a brief time… The iniquity was full; the harvest was ripe; ‘now,’ suddenly, rapidly, completely, the end should come…”
Again, even though perhaps not intended by this commentary, its wording clearly points at the end time: the iniquity is full, the harvest is ripe, the complete end is coming. These are all terms used in the Bible to describe end-time events.
Several commentaries do not overlook the fact that the “new moon”—the first day of the month—is mentioned in connection with blowing a ram’s horn and a trumpet; apparently referring to the annual Holy Day of the Feast of Trumpets. This day is of course still to be kept today by Christians and Jews, but without the sacrifices, and it symbolizes especially the seven last trumpets mentioned in the Book of Revelation, culminating in the return of Jesus Christ. The thought seems to be that as Christ will return quickly and unexpectedly at a time of worldwide war, so the destruction in war of modern Israel and Judah will likewise occur quickly and unexpectedly.
Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible applies Hosea’s prophecy to the observance of new moons (including the Feast of Trumpets) in general:
“… now shall a month devour them with their portions; the Jews understand this literally of the month Ab, the time of Jerusalem’s destruction… or the month Tammuz, in which the city was broke up… or rather… it signifies a short time, a very little while before the destruction should come… but others seem better to interpret it of their new moon, or first day of the month, which they observed in a religious way, by offering sacrifice…”
A similar explanation is given by the Pulpit Commentary:
“If (1) ‘month’ be the right rendering, it is a note of time like ‘the day of the Lord’ and the sense is that a short time shall see the end of them – not only of their persons, but their properties, that is, their hereditary portions in Palestine. But
“(2) if ‘new moon’ be the correct translation, the new moon, or sacrificial feasts celebrated at that season, will only rut, not relieve, them. Their sinful sacrifices and vain oblations, on which they now placed their reliance, will procure, not their salvation, but perdition.”
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges specifically refers to the new moon as including the Feast of Trumpets (compare too Psalm 81:3), which was used to determine the times for the other annual Holy Days—whenever the first crescent of the new moon was observed, it constituted the first day of the new month:
“… now shall a month devour them: The time for punishment has arrived. Instead of watching gladly for the new moon to fix the various hallowed festivals (comp. Hosea 2:11), they should have a ‘fearful looking for judgment’ increasing as each new moon arose…”
Hosea’s end-time prophecy in chapter 5 describes the sudden defeat in war of the USA and the United Kingdom; and perhaps Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the white populations of other English-speaking nations belonging to the Commonwealth of Nations [formerly known as the British Commonwealth], such as South Africa and Zimbabwe; in addition to the state of Israel and many Jews. This will occur through a modern King of Assyria—the “beast” or the “king of the North”—who will be leading a European collaboration of ten nations or groups of nations—referred to as ten kings in the book of Revelation, chapter 17, and ten toes in the book of Daniel, chapter 2.
These ten nations or kings will receive power for “one hour” (Revelation 17:12)—again, a very short time—to share it with the “beast”. They will fight with him, and he will also be accompanied and supported by the “false prophet,” a religious leader of a worldwide organization claiming to be Christian. As the reference in Revelation 17:12 to “one hour” does not mean 60 minutes (it apparently refers to 3 ½ years, note Daniel 7:25, or a somewhat shorter time span than that), the reference to the “month” in Hosea 5:7 does not have to mean a time span of 30 days either—what is expressed here is the very shortness of time. For instance, the day of the Lord will probably last 1 year… not just 24 hours (compare Isaiah 34:8; 61:2; 63:4).
Still, we find an interesting parallel passage in Zechariah 11:8 which reads: “I dismissed the three shepherds in one month. My soul loathed them, and their soul also abhorred me.” There is much speculation about this verse as well, and many apply it only to the time of Zechariah. Commentaries “identify” the three shepherds as three ancient kings, such as Zachariah, Shallum, and Menahem; or as three ancient leaders of factions in the Jewish war, namely John, Simon, and Eleazar; or as three ancient dynasties that oppressed Israel, i.e., the Babylonian, Medo-Persian, and Greco-Macedonian Empires.
However, as we point out in our free booklet, “The Book of Zechariah—Prophecies for Today!,” the prophecies in the book of Zechariah have end-time applications, as is the case with Hosea 5:7, and the reference to “one month” in both passages is striking. Some, understanding this, have suggested that Zechariah 11:8 refers to shepherds or leaders in various splinter groups of the Church of God who make merchandise of the brethren; live an ungodly lifestyle; preach wrong doctrines and practices; misappropriate religious titles to themselves which only belong to Christ; or claim ministerial positions of rank and stature which were not given to them by God, such as being an apostle, a prophet, or one of the two witnesses. Others suggested that the three shepherds might perhaps refer to leaders or influential persons of remnants of previous Church of God eras or of the very last era, whom God will deal with because of their disloyalty and faithlessness.
In light of Hosea 5:7, the reference to the “month” in Zechariah 11:8 could also refer to God’s quick intervention in regard to three ungodly entities which will be responsible, directly or indirectly, for the defeat and destruction of modern Israel and Judah:
One possibility is that God refers here to three leaders of “Ephraim,” “Israel” (Manasseh) and “Judah” (Hosea 5:5), who, due to their ungodly conduct, will inflict God’s wrath and who will thereby indirectly cause or contribute to the defeat of their sinful countries which will be falling together within a short period of time. God will bring about their defeat due to their many national sins, but God places the blame foremost on the ungodly political and religious leaders of those nations (compare Isaiah 1:5, 10; 3:12; 9:14-16; 28:7; Jeremiah 2:8; 23:11-14, 16-22, 26-27; Ezekiel 22:25-27; Micah 3:1-7).
These “three shepherds” might refer to the political leadership of the USA, the UK and the state of Israel at the time of God’s intervention. As God addresses in Hosea 5:1 the priests, the house of Israel and the house of the king, it is also possible that the three shepherds to be dismissed within “one month” could describe the religious, political and kingly leadership of the USA and the UK. In any event, the implication is that the collapse of these institutions and false religious and political leaders will occur suddenly and quickly. [For the defeat of the monarchy in Great Britain, please read our comments in our free booklet, “The Fall and Rise of Britain and America,” where we state on page 11: “The final king of the house of David, prior to Christ’s return, may cease to rule for a very short period of time: ‘At dawn the king of Israel Shall be cut off utterly’ (Hosea 10:15).”]
This destruction will be caused by modern “Babylon”—the last European revival of the ancient “Holy Roman Empire.” Therefore, another possibility of the dismissal of the three ungodly shepherds could be seen in the three powers or power blocs which will be directly responsible for the defeat of the modern descendants of the ancient houses of Israel and Judah—namely, the beast, the false prophet and the group of ten core European nations or groups of nations. As God will deal with and bring about the defeat of sinful USA, the UK and Judah in “one month”—in a very short time—so He will also deal with and bring about the defeat of wicked modern Babylon in “one month.” Revelation 18:8, 10, 17 tells us that the ungodly and demonically inspired end-time Babylonian system will be judged and destroyed “in one day” and “in one hour.” Again, the implication is that it will happen unexpectedly within a very short time.
In conclusion, Hosea 5:7 does not necessarily say that the downfall and defeat of the USA, the UK and the state of Israel—the ungodly religious and political leadership as well as the entire nations—will occur within a literal month, consisting of 30 days, but we are clearly warned that it will happen very quickly, and that they will all fall together at approximately the same time; and especially the Feast of Trumpets warns us that a coming ungodly European power bloc will begin a terrible nuclear war which will destroy, defeat and enslave the modern descendants of the ancient houses of Israel and Judah.
Lead Writer: Norbert Link
