News Letter 5850-020
12th day of the 5th month 5850 years after the creation of Adam
The 5th Month in the Fifth year of the Third Sabbatical Cycle
The Third Sabbatical Cycle of the 119th Jubilee Cycle
The Sabbatical Cycle of Earthquakes, Famines and Pestilence

August 9, 2014

Shabbat Shalom Family,

In the Mail

Here are a couple of notes from our mail bag:

“Came back from Columbus today after seeing Joseph Dumond! Met some really interesting, friendly, sweet, like-minded believers eager to hear what Joe had to say. Many had that jaw-dropping experience that some of us have had after learning what comes down the pike in the oh so close future! So much to learn-so little time. You are definitely not “just a dumb ditch-digger”! You are smarter than the average bear.

Thanks, Joe. Jen

Shalom Joseph,

I am a “new” believer in Messiah, who came out of atheism, of 47 years with no belief and never having had any doctrine. I read the book, and believed Yah over man, and became torah observant. From one extreme to the other I suppose. What a journey it’s been! I have been at this now going into my 5th year, but I don’t agree with the Christians, I rejected their doctrine when I heard it, and I don’t agree with the messianics who bring in Judaism, or those in Judaism, so I don’t really fit in anywhere; I haven’t found my tribe, so to speak yet I have studied hard, but want to dig deeper. I have been watching your studies on Yah Tube and I am amazed that I find someone who agrees with Yah over man, and who has faith in the blood of Yahshua. I would love it if you would accept my offer to friend me on facebook. And I thank you for your teachings, for rejecting Judaism/Talmud, and their practices, and for stepping outside of Christianity and for speaking His truth and not being afraid to say you might change something as you learn it.

Shalom shalom!

Since the the invasion of Gaza, July 17, 2014, I have had a concerned feeling. My concerns are about what this will lead into. I have been praying that no IDF will be harmed in this job they must get done. But alas, almost 60+ have been killed thus far at the time of this writing and I hurt for each parent that must now bury their son or daughter who died while serving their country. This past week as we go to post, Israel has pulled out of Gaza as the 72 hour truce is in effect. But Hamas is not yet broken; they are still defiant.
While Israel has been at war, I too have been at war combating all the Palestinian propaganda about them being the victims, and I have been showing how they make up video footage in Pallywood for the world media about the atrocities that are supposed to be going on but are not. My facebook page is continuously showing the attacks from Gaza on civilians in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem and other cites. I see those protesting in support of Israel here in Canada being attacked by pro Palestinian protesters. I also see them in Europe becoming rioting mobs. Also in Europe these mobs turn and attack Jewish synagogues, and my heart sinks. They go on for days and attack the police and set cars on fire. The peaceful religion, my foot.
For years I have been warning you of the curses of Lev 26 and how they would come according to the Sabbatical cycles. Far too many of you think this is just another religion and you play the religious game and make out like you’re good, reformed Ephramites, but too many of you are still anti-Jewish and still carry your pagan Christian beliefs with you in your conversations. This, too, saddens me. You do not get it. You do not understand that Yehovah has had enough and it is now time for those in the House of Israel who will not obey to now have to pay for their rebellion and witchcraft with their own lives.

1Sa 15:23 For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idol-worship. Because you have rejected the Word of Jehovah, He has also rejected you from being king!

I read your comments, I see what is of concern to you. Do you not see the sword at the very door? Are you also dead asleep, like so many who think they are in the Philadelphian church? Yet, they become angry when someone like me dares to try and wake them up. You, like them, are leaning back on your laurels thinking you have already made it because you are attending the “right” Church or you sit in the front pew in the right church group.

Rev 3:14  And to the angel of the church of the Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Head of the creation of God, says these things: 15  I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I would that you were cold or hot. 16  So because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth. 17  Because you say, I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing, and do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, 18  I counsel you to buy from Me gold purified by fire, so that you may be rich; and white clothing, so that you may be clothed, and so that the shame of your nakedness does not appear. And anoint your eyes with eye salve, so that you may see. 19  As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten; therefore be zealous and repent. 20  Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him and he with Me. 21  To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me in My throne, even as I also overcame and have sat down with My Father in His throne. 22  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

Yehshua said we all could recognize them by their fruits. You would know His sheep by the works they did or Satan’s followers by the things they did or did not do. Just take a look in the mirror and look at yourself and not the guy down the road. Just look at yourself. Are you doing His will? Are you doing His work? Or is it just party party party?

Mat 7:16  You shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles? 17  Even so every good tree brings forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree brings forth evil fruit. 18  A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruits, nor can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19  Every tree that does not bring forth good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20  Therefore by their fruits you shall know them. 21  Not everyone who says to Me, Lord! Lord! shall enter the kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in Heaven.

Here is one commentators thoughts on this verse.

The sense of this verse seems to be this: No person, by merely acknowledging my authority, believing in Me, professing faith in the perfection of my righteousness, and infinite merit of my atonement, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven – shall have any part with God in glory; but he who doeth the will of my Father – he who gets the bad tree rooted up, the good tree planted, and continues to bring forth fruit to the glory and praise of God. There is a good saying among the rabbins on this subject. “A man should be as vigorous as a panther, as swift as an eagle, as fleet as a stag, and as strong as a lion, to do the will of his Creator.”

Like many others some of you will seek to quote the following verse to justify yourself.

Joh 6:39  And this is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all which He has given Me I should lose nothing but should raise it up again at the last day. 40  And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes on Him should have everlasting life. And I will raise him up at the last day.

So is that all you have to do, just believe in Jesus and your in like flint? Then what is James talking about?

Jas 2:17 Even so, if it does not have works, faith is dead, being by itself. 18  But someone will say, You have faith, and I have works. Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith from my works. 19  You believe that there is one God, you do well; even the demons believe and tremble. 20  But will you know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

The demons also believe in Yehshua. Are they saved then?

Mat 8:28 And when He had come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, two demon-possessed ones met Him, coming out of the tombs, exceedingly fierce, so that no one might pass by that way. 29 And behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with You, Jesus, Son of God? Have You come here to torment us before the time? 30And there was a good way off from them a herd of many swine, feeding. 31And the demons begged Him, saying, If You cast us out, allow us to go away into the herd of swine. 32And He said to them, Go! And when they had come out, they went into the herd of swine. And behold, the whole herd of swine ran violently down a steep place into the sea and perished in the waters.

The demons knew who Yehshua was and they are not saved. They also know who you are, that you have the potential to be born into the kingdom of heaven. But you are not yet born and sitting on your duff hiding from the world is not doing the “will” of Yehovah. Many have thought that each of the messages to the seven churches was during a particular era since 31 C.E. Most of those today doing this then claim to be from the Philadelphia era today when in truth they do nothing and are in the Laodicean group. I want you to read all seven messages to the churches and then apply each of them to yourself. I have highlighted certain parts.

Rev 2:1 To the angel of the church of Ephesus write: He who holds the seven stars in His right hand, who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands, says these things.2 I know your works and your labor and your patience, and how you cannot bear those who are evil. And you tried those pretending to be apostles, and are not, and have found them liars.3 And you have borne, and have patience, and for My name’s sake you have labored and have not fainted.4 But I have against you that you left your first love.5
Therefore remember from where you have fallen, and repent, and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and will remove your lampstand out of its place unless you repent.
6 But you have this, that you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
To him who overcomes I will give to eat of the Tree of Life,
which is in the midst of the paradise of God. Rev 2:8 And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: The First and the Last, who became dead and lived, says these things:9 I know your works and tribulation and poverty (but you are rich), and I know the blasphemy of those saying themselves to be Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.10 Do not at all fear what you are about to suffer.
Behold, the Devil will cast some of you into prison, so that you may be tried. And you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful to death, and I will give you the crown of life.
11 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
He who overcomes will not be hurt by the second death.
Rev 2:12 And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write: He who has the sharp sword with two edges says these things.13 I know your works, and where you live, even where Satan’s seat is . And you hold fast My name and have not denied My faith, even in those days in which Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwells.14 But I have a few things against you, because you have there those who hold the teachings of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumbling-block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit fornication.15 So you also have those who hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.16
Repent! But if not I will come to you quickly, and will fight with them by the sword of My mouth.
17 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
To him who overcomes I will give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give to him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knows except he who receives it .
Rev 2:18 And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: The Son of God, He who has His eyes like a flame of fire and His feet like burnished metal, says these things:19 I know your works and love and service and faith and your patience, and your works; and the last to be more than the first.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.27 And he will rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of a potter they will be broken to pieces, even as I received from My Father.28 And I will give him the Morning Star.29 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. Rev 3:1 And to the angel of the church in Sardis write: He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars says these things.
I know your works, that you have a name that you live, and are dead.
2 Be watchful and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die. For I have not found your works being fulfilled before God.3 Remember then how you have received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you.4 You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments. And they will walk with Me in white, for they are worthy.5
The one who overcomes, this one will be clothed in white clothing. And I will not blot out his name out of the Book of Life, but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.
6 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. Rev 3:7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: He who is holy, He who is true, He who has the key of David, He who opens and no one shuts; and shuts and no one opens, says these things:8 I know your works. Behold, I have given before you an open door, and no one can shut it. For you have a little strength and have kept My Word and have not denied My name. 9 Behold, I give out of those of the synagogue of Satan, those saying themselves to be Jews and are not, but lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you.10
Because you have kept the Word of My patience, I also will keep you from the hour of temptation which will come upon all the habitable world, to try those who dwell upon the earth.
11 Behold, I come quickly. Hold fast to that which you have, so that no one may take your crown.12
Him who overcomes I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God,
and he will go out no more. And I will write upon him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of Heaven from My God, and My new name.13 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
I must ask you all this one simple question. How many of your Church of God groups deny the name of our Elohim, Yehovah? If you use another version, fine, but they all deny His name no matter which version you want to use. The Churches of God all claim to be the Philadelphia Church.
Rev 3:14 And to the angel of the church of the Laodicea write: The Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Head of the creation of God, says these things:15
I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I would that you were cold or hot.
16 So because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.17 Because you say, I am rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing, and do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked,18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold purified by fire, so that you may be rich; and white clothing, so that you may be clothed, and so that the shame of your nakedness does not appear. And anoint your eyes with eye salve, so that you may see.19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten; therefore be zealous and repent.20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him and he with Me.21
To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me in My throne, even as I also overcame and have sat down with My Father in His throne. 22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

Are you listening? Are you paying attention? DO YOU GET IT? Most of you do not. Do you know how I know you are not getting it? Because you’re not doing any kind of a work!!! Examine yourself. You who are to judge angels judge yourselves.

Mat 24:11 And many false prophets will rise and deceive many. 12And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many will become cold. 13
But he who endures to the end,
the same shall be kept safe. 4And this gospel of the kingdom shall be proclaimed in all the world as a witness to all nations. And then the end shall come.

Take a look at the word “endure”.

G5278   ?????????   hupomeno?   hoop-om-en’-oFrom G5259 and G3306; to stay under (behind), that is, remain; figuratively to undergo, that is, bear (trials), have fortitude, persevere: – abide, endure, (take) patient (-ly), suffer, tarry behind.

Now take a look at the word “overcomes” from revelation.

G3528   ??????   nikao?   nik-ah’-o  From G3529; to subdue (literally or figuratively): – conquer, overcome, prevail, get the victory.
G3529    ?????    nike?    nee’-kay Apparently a primary word; conquest (abstractly), that is, (figuratively) the means of success: – victory.

He that hath an ear – Let every intelligent person, and every Torah observant man attend carefully to what the Holy Spirit says to the Churches. You are to endure and you are to overcome all the way until the very end. You are to repent when you need to and you will be protected. You must endure, which means you have not yet arrived. You have a job to do. You cannot sit back and let others do it. You have been called to do that job as only you can. Do not bury your talents in some church. Do not let them tell you to do nothing and to be quiet. The Holy Spirit that is in you is screaming to be heard. Make yourself heard. Do not quench the spirit. SPEAK OUT!
Remember how excited you were when you first learned about the Sabbath and Holy Days. Remember that feeling and get it back. You have been forced to be quiet far too long. SPEAK OUT!
Some of you who claim to be followers of Yehovah or Yehshua do so in name only, and are dead, Come back to life and be excited like you first were; SPEAK OUT like you use to when you told everyone about this new found love you had. SPEAK OUT! YOU, NOT SOMEONE ELSE, BUT YOU, used to be so hot for this truth and now you are almost dead because you are afraid to speak out, because you have allowed the leadership to rule over you and to silence you.
SPEAK OUT! YOU ALLOWED THEM TO SHUT YOU UP OR BE DIS-FELLOWSHIPPED. Get that HOT love that you had for this truth and be excited again. Stir up the Holy Spirit inside you by doing the work once again. Awake from your slumber for the Kingdom is nearer than you had thought. By understanding the Sabbatical and Jubilee cycles you can know just how near we are to the end and all the evidence is on the nightly news.

YOU MUST SPEAK UP AND YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN WITH YOUR GROUPS AND YOUR FAMILIES. YOU MUST SPEAK UP AND YOU MUST DO IT NOW!

You know the Kingdom is coming by using the Sabbatical Cycles, so tell people the gospel and do not stop telling them.

Since 2005 I have been telling everyone I could about the curses of Lev 26 and how they are revealing the end time events in a chronological order according to the Sabbatical cycles. Terror, we see this now in ISIS and in Hamas, and the uprising of the Arab world. We warned you of this in The Prophecies of Abraham.
The second curse is about extreme weather and these are events on the nightly news. As we go to post, not one but two hurricanes are about to hit Hawaii and they were preceded by a 4.3 earthquake on Thursday. Wildfires out west are now causing clouds of smoke to float over from the west coast of North America to cover the skies of Portugal. Then we also have this week the water in Toledo, Ohio not being able to be drank by the whole city. Some of those who attended our teaching last week live in that city and had no water.
The third curse of pestilence and famine and earthquakes is also in the news this week. Ebola is out of control in 4 countries and now a man has died from this disease in Saudi Arabia. People have been flown back to the USA and to Spain. Why would they take that chance and do that? We can now all see just how quickly this or any disease can be spread around the world on planes and via airports in a matter of days.
The 4th curse of war is due to get underway about 2017. We have Israel now pulling out of Gaza, to the disappointment of many who thought we had now entered the last 3 1/2 years of the tribulation. Once again they are wrong, using Daniel’s Timeline and those 4 blood moons to get themselves all worked up.
Our teachings on the Sabbatical cycles and the curses for not keeping them has been extremely and sometimes terrifyingly accurate about the events that are to come, and when they are to come. So why are you not telling everyone you can about them? If you were then why have you stopped?

California’s Exceptional Drought Just Keeps Getting Worse

By Tom Randall  Jul 31, 2014 4:43 PM ET
Source: Brad Rippey/U.S. Drought Monitor
 
California’s three-year drought just went from bad to dreadful. In the course of the last week, the crimson expanse of “exceptional drought” grew to engulf the northern part of the state.
The chart above shows the drought’s progression as reported today by the U.S. Drought Monitor. Archived maps show the end of July for each year since 2011.
All of California is in “severe drought” (shown in orange), and 82 percent is rated “extreme drought” (in red). The agency’s highest drought rating — “exceptional drought” (crimson) — now covers 58 percent of the state, up from 36 percent a week ago. Exceptional drought is marked by crop and pasture loss and water shortages that fall within the top two percentiles of the drought indicators.
The water reserves in California’s topsoil and subsoil are nearly depleted, and 70 percent of the state’s pastures are now rated “very poor to poor,” according to the USDA.
Reservoir levels are dropping, and groundwater is being drained from the state as farms and cities pull from difficult-to-replenish underground caches. The state’s 154 reservoirs are at 60 percent of the historical average, or 17.3 million acre feet lower than they should be. That’s more than a year’s supply of water gone missing.
It’s not the worst drought California has ever seen — in 1977, the state’s water storage was at 41 percent of the historical average — but conditions are still getting worse.
The Colorado River Basin, which feeds California and six other states, is “the most over-allocated river system in the world,” according to a study of satellite records released last week that shocked scientists with the magnitude of water loss.
Since 2004, the basin lost nearly 53 million acre feet of freshwater. That’s enough to submerge New York City beneath 344 feet of water.

The Colorado River Basin lost nearly 53 million acre feet of freshwater over the past nine years. That’s almost double the volume of the largest U.S. reservoir, Nevada’s Lake Mead, shown here. Photographer: U.S. Bureau of Reclamation

Chikungunya

(NaturalNews) The number of cases of the painful, mosquito-borne virus chikungunya spiked in New York and New Jersey in the last week of July, raising new fears for the potential that the disease will gain a permanent foothold along the U.S. East Coast.
“The arrival of chikungunya virus, first in the tropical Americas and now in the United States, underscores the risks posed by this and other exotic pathogens,” said Roger Nasci, PhD, head of the Arboviral Diseases Branch for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). “This emphasizes the importance of CDC’s health security initiatives designed to maintain effective surveillance networks, diagnostic laboratories and mosquito control programs both in the United States and around the world.”

New Jersey cases doubled in one week

Symptoms of chikungunya, which manifest three to seven days after a bite from an infected mosquito, are similar to those of dengue fever. The most common symptoms are high fever and intense muscle pain; other common symptoms include rash, headache and back pain. The disease is rarely fatal. There is no way to prevent the disease other than to avoid getting bitten by mosquitoes and no treatment other than symptomatic relief with painkillers.
New Jersey officials reported that the state’s number of reported chikungunya cases this year more than doubled in a single week, to a total of 25. In New York, 44 cases have been reported, more than any state but Florida.
So far, all of the cases in both states were in people who were bitten by mosquitoes while traveling in other countries. Florida is the only state where the virus appears to have already established itself in the local mosquito population.
Chikungunya is spread by two species of mosquito, Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus. Both species bite during the daytime and can be found in the southeastern and southwestern United States. A. albopictus has a wider range and is also found in the lower Midwest and across the mid-Atlantic states.

U.S. epidemic looming?

Although chikungunya was first identified in 1953, it did not reach the Americas until its appearance in the Caribbean in late 2013. Since then, the disease has been spreading rapidly. On July 17, Puerto Rico declared an epidemic. The Pan American Health Organization reports 354,000 confirmed or suspected cases across the Caribbean as of July 11.
“We’re seeing an epidemic ripping through a naive population, with a very large number of cases in the Dominican Republic and elsewhere,” said Peter Hotez of Baylor College of Medicine. “There is every reason to believe we could see similar epidemics along the US Gulf Coast maybe later this summer or starting next year.”
Until the disease became naturalized in the Caribbean, chikungunya was rare in the United States and only appeared in people who had recently traveled to Asia or Africa; only about 28 cases were reported per year. According to a CDC report issued in the last week of July, however, there have already been 400 cases of chikungunya in the non-Caribbean United States this year, plus another 215 cases in Puerto Rico. Of these cases, two were contracted locally on the mainland (in Florida), and 199 were contracted locally in Puerto Rico.
“With the recent outbreaks in the Caribbean and the Pacific, the number of chikungunya cases among travelers visiting or returning to the United States from affected areas will continue to increase,” the CDC said.
The only reliable way to avoid getting chikungunya is to keep from getting bitten by mosquitoes. The CDC recommends that people traveling in areas with infected mosquitoes wear long sleeves and pants, use insect repellent and stay in areas with window and door screens and air conditioning.
For more information, including chikungunya travel advisories, visit CDC.gov. Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/046313_chikungunya_viral_epidemic_New_Jersey.html##ixzz39TDavbpq

URGENT! 25 Critical Facts About This Ebola Outbreak That Every American Needs To Know

(by Michael Snyder, The Economic Collapse) — What would a global pandemic look like for a disease that has no cure and that kills more than half of the people that it infects?  Let’s hope that we don’t get to find out, but what we do know is that more than 100 health workers that were on the front lines of fighting this disease have ended up getting it themselves.  The top health officials in the entire world are sounding the alarm and the phrase “out of control” is constantly being thrown around by professionals with decades of experience.  So should average Americans be concerned about Ebola?  If so, how bad could an Ebola outbreak in the U.S. potentially become?  The following are 25 critical facts about this Ebola outbreak that every American needs to know… #1 As the chart below demonstrates, the spread of Ebola is starting to become exponential…

#2 This is already the worst Ebola outbreak in recorded history by far. #3 The head of the World Health Organization says that this outbreak “is moving faster than our efforts to control it“. #4 The head of Doctors Without Borders says that this outbreak is “out of control“. #5 So far, more than 100 health workers that were on the front lines fighting the virus have ended up contracting Ebola themselves.  This is happening despite the fact that they go to extraordinary lengths to keep from getting the disease. #6 There is no cure for Ebola. #7 The death rate for this current Ebola outbreak is over 50 percent, and experts say that it can kill “up to 90% of those infected“. #8 The incubation rate for Ebola ranges from two days to 21 days.  Therefore, someone can be carrying it around for up to three weeks without even knowing it. #9 For the first time ever, human Ebola patients are being brought to the United States.  And as Paul Craig Roberts so aptly put it the other day, all it would take is “one cough, one sneeze, one drop of saliva, and the virus is loose”. #10 This has already potentially happened in the United Kingdom.  A woman reportedly collapsed and later died on Saturday after she got off of a flight from Sierra Leone at Gatwick Airport. #11 A study conducted in 2012 proved that Ebola could be transmitted between pigs and monkeys that were in separate cages and that never made physical contact. #12 This is a new strain of Ebola, so what we know about other strains of Ebola may not necessarily apply to this strain of Ebola. #13 Barack Obama has just signed an executive order that gives the federal government the power to apprehend and detain Americans that show symptoms of “diseases that are associated with fever and signs and symptoms of pneumonia or other respiratory illness, are capable of being transmitted from person to person, and that either are causing, or have the potential to cause, a pandemic, or, upon infection, are highly likely to cause mortality or serious morbidity if not properly controlled.” #14 And as I noted the other day, federal law already permits “the apprehension and examination of any individual reasonably believed to be infected with a communicable disease”. #15 According to the CDC, there are 20 quarantine centers around the country that are prepared to potentially receive Ebola patients…
#16 The CDC has set up an Ebola “quarantine station” at LAX in order to help prevent the spread of the virus. #17 The largest health emergency drill in New York City history was conducted on Friday. #18 The federal government will begin testing an “experimental Ebola vaccine” on humans in September. #19 We are being told that the reason why we don’t have an Ebola vaccine already is due to the hesitation of the pharmaceutical industry to invest in a disease that has “only affected people in Africa“. #20 Researchers from Tulane University have been active for several years in the very same areas where this Ebola outbreak began.  One of the stated purposes of this research was to study “the future use of fever-viruses as bioweapons”. #21 According to the Ministry of Health and Sanitation in Sierra Leone, researchers from Tulane University have been asked “to stop Ebola testing during the current Ebola outbreak“.  What in the world does that mean? #22 The Navy Times says that the U.S. military has been interested in studying Ebola “as a potential biological weapon” since the 1970s…
Filoviruses like Ebola have been of interest to the Pentagon since the late 1970s, mainly because Ebola and its fellow viruses have high mortality rates — in the current outbreak, roughly 60 percent to 72 percent of those who have contracted the disease have died — and its stable nature in aerosol make it attractive as a potential biological weapon.
#23 The CDC actually owns a patent on one particular strain of the Ebola virus…
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control owns a patent on a particular strain of Ebola known as “EboBun.” It’s patent No. CA2741523A1 and it was awarded in 2010. You can view it here.
It is being reported that this is not the same strain that is currently being transmitted in Africa, but it is interesting to note nonetheless.  And why would the CDC want “ownership” of a strain of the Ebola virus in the first place?
#24 The CDC has just put up a brand new webpage entitled “Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations for Hospitalized Patients with Known or Suspected Ebola Hemorrhagic Fever in U.S. Hospitals“.
#25 The World Health Organization has launched a 100 million dollar response plan to fight this Ebola outbreak.  Others don’t seem so alarmed.  For example, Barack Obama is getting ready to take a “16 day Martha’s Vineyard vacation“. Many are attempting to play down the threat from this virus by stating that unless you “exchange bodily fluids” with someone that you don’t have anything to worry about. If that was truly the case, then how in the world have more than 100 health workers contracted the virus so far? Health professionals that deal with Ebola take extreme precautions to keep from being exposed to the disease. But despite those extreme measures, they are catching it too.

Lev 26:21  And if you walk contrary to Me, and will not listen to Me, I will bring seven times more plagues on you according to your sins. 22  I will also send wild beasts among you, who shall bereave you. And I will destroy your cattle, and make you few. And your highways shall be deserted.

Triennial Torah reading

We continue this weekend with our regular Triennial Torah reading

Gen 50       1 Kings 2         Ps 103-104      Luke 13-14:11

Death and Burial (Genesis 49:29—50:26)

After his father’s death, Joseph fulfilled Jacob’s request to be buried in the same cave in which Abraham and Isaac had been entombed at the time of their deaths. Joseph, who had sworn to take care of this, did as his father had asked, along with his brothers and even the Egyptian elders and the servants of Pharaoh. Mourning the death of Jacob with Joseph as they would for Egyptian royalty illustrates the great respect the Egyptians had for Joseph, the man whom God had used to save them from famine and by whom their nation was greatly enriched.
Joseph also wished to eventually be buried in the land of his fathers. Knowing that God would later bring the children of Israel out of Egypt and back to Canaan, he made them swear to “carry up my bones from here” (verse 25). However, as a national figure in Egypt, he was first put in a coffin in Egypt rather than being buried in his homeland right away. That Joseph anticipated his burial in Egypt and the Exodus as well is clear from the obligation he bound on the descendants of Israel. Moses would make good on the oath more than 200 years later by taking Joseph’s bones out of Egypt during the Exodus (Exodus 13:19). The bones remained with the children of Israel until they entered the Promised Land and were eventually buried in Shechem (Joshua 24:32).
The bones of the patriarchs being buried in the land of Canaan may well have symbolized their future inheritance of the Promised Land, itself representative of God’s coming Kingdom—and indeed that is where they will awaken at the inauguration of God’s Kingdom when Yeshua Messiah returns. Of course, regardless of where our bones might be buried, the saints of God will all be awakened at Christ’s return to establish the true Promised Land, God’s Kingdom, over all the earth.

Solomon Establishes His Kingdom (1 Kings 2:13-46)

When David responded to Nathan’s parable following the death of Uriah, he stated that the man in the story should have to pay fourfold for the death of the poor man’s lamb (see 2 Sam 12:1-6). It is interesting to note that the Scriptures explicitly record the subsequent untimely deaths of four of David’s sons: the child born of his adultery with Bathsheba, Amnon at the hand of Absalom, Absalom at the hand of Joab, and finally Adonijah by the order of Solomon.
Adonijah had been warned to watch his behavior very carefully (1:51-53). His natural birth order had given him a solid claim to the throne. He has the support of the former chief army commander and one of the two highest-ranking priests. Having Abishag would increase his claim a bit more, since the virgins of a king’s harem apparently were considered part of the royal property inherited by the next king (2 Samuel 12:8). “The Greek historian Herodotus says that among the Persians a new king inherited the previous king’s harem and that to possess the harem was taken as title to the throne. While no such custom is [explicitly] expressed in Scripture, Absalom’s earlier public appropriation of his father’s concubines did symbolize his determination to take David’s throne (2 Sam. 16:21-23). Solomon rightly took Adonijah’s request for Abishag, who had been David’s concubine, as an indication he was still plotting rebellion” (Bible Reader’s Companion, note on 1 Kings 2:13-25). Using Solomon’s own mother as an unwitting accomplice in the plot to boost Adonijah’s image was the last straw. Solomon is swift and decisive in dealing with his brother’s transgression.
Partly because of suspected collusion (verse 22), Solomon formally deposes Abiathar, and apparently the rest of his family, from any further role in the priesthood. Zadok’s appointment to replace Abiathar as priest fulfills the prophecy given long before that God would raise up a faithful priest to replace the line of Eli (verses 26-27, 35; 1 Samuel 2:35; Ezekiel 44:15).
Then Joab is executed as a suspected accomplice, which also fulfills David’s directive (1 Kings 2:5-6). Shimei, not part of the immediate incident, is given a rather mild sentence to remain in Jerusalem, but under penalty of death if he leaves. After three years, though, it seems he forgets the seriousness of the penalty, or Solomon’s resolve to carry it out, and he also is executed.

“Forget Not All His Benefits” (Psalms 103-104)

Psalm 103, attributed in the superscription to David, is a psalm of praise for the wonderful goodness of God directed toward His people. David begins by talking with himself, demanding that his whole being “bless” the Lord (verses 1-2). This is in response to all of God’s wonderful benefits—the blessings He gives us. We cannot of course bless God in kind. A “blessing” from a human being directed to God is a word of heartfelt praise or thanksgiving or an expressed wish to see all of God’s purposes fulfilled, implying cheerful and committed cooperation with Him—submitting oneself fully to His will. Note that the psalm begins and ends with the same formula (verses 1, 22)—as does the next psalm (104:1, 35).
In Psalm 103:3-5, David calls attention to six personal blessings from the Lord: forgiveness, healing, redemption, lovingkindness, satisfaction and renewal. With “you” and “your” in these verses, David was still speaking to himself, but clearly these statements apply to all of God’s people. That is, each of us reading or singing along with the psalm could say the same things to ourselves. A seventh blessing—relief from oppression—is listed in verse 6 as applying to “all” (thus expanding the divine blessings out to others).
At the top of his list, David thanks God that He has the power and desire to forgive the perverse crookedness of our human nature that manifests itself in various iniquities (verse 3a). Next we are told that God “heals all your diseases” (verse 3b)—just as God “forgives all your iniquities” in the previous clause. Some, realizing that godly people sometimes must suffer ongoing infirmity despite repeated prayers (as even the apostle Paul had to), think God healing “all” our diseases here does not mean that He heals every single one. Rather, they interpret these words as meaning merely that all diseases we have that are healed are healed by God—that is, whenever we are healed, God is the One who heals us. This is problematic, however, as it would indicate the same meaning for the previous parallel clause—that all iniquities we have that are forgiven are forgiven by God (thus meaning that God is the One who does whatever forgiving is done and not all of our sins are necessarily forgiven). Yet the statement about forgiveness seems more clearly to mean that God forgives every one of our sins—which indicates that the healing clause means that God heals every one of our diseases. In fact, as an inspired scriptural proclamation about God’s nature, this would seem to be a divine promise. How then are we to reconcile this with faithful believers who are not healed?
First we must recognize that there are conditions that must be met for healing—just as there are for forgiveness. Forgiveness requires repentance and faith—and so does divine healing (especially in cases where the sickness or disease is a result of the afflicted person’s sins). But even when these conditions are met, God is not obligated to instantly and immediately remove affliction. Yet Psalm 103:3 would indicate that He has obligated Himself to heal the faithful at some point. He may choose to instantly intervene and heal—or, for His great and inscrutable purposes, He may decide to delay healing until much later. In fact, He may in some cases choose to delay healing until after a person has died—when, in the ultimate healing, He will return believers to life in the resurrection from the dead. In this, God still proves Himself faithful to the promise of Psalm 103. Indeed, faithful believers brought up in the resurrection will experience perfect wellness and be impervious to illness for eternity to come.
We find a further parallel in the benefit that follows. God “redeems your life from destruction” (verse 4a)—”from the pit” (NIV)—pulling us from dire circumstances and ultimately from the grave. This, of course, does not mean that we won’t suffer adversity or death. David suffered both. God’s own perfect Son, Yeshua Messiah, suffered intensely and died in His human life at a young age. So, while the promise of Psalm 103:4 is in part for our lives today—as God keeps us from various calamities throughout our lives and lets us endure others before rescuing us—the ultimate fulfillment of the verse will not come until our future resurrection in God’s Kingdom. Even so, in verse 3 God delivers us from physical ailments throughout our lives today, but He will not remove all illness from us for eternity to come until that same resurrection.
The same applies to being crowned with lovingkindness and tender mercies (verse 4b). On one level, David may have been speaking to himself of God having literally crowned him as the king of Israel—along with the advantages and privileges that brought. Yet he may also have been thinking of God more generally and figuratively heaping blessings and care upon his head (compare Genesis 49:26). The word for “lovingkindness” in Psalm 103:4 is hesed, meaning loyal steadfast love or covenant faithfulness, while tender mercies here refers to deep compassion and parental care (compare verse 13). Being the objects of God’s grace or favor “crowns” His people above all creation. And ultimately, they will be crowned as literal kings to rule in His Kingdom (Revelation 5:10).
That God “satisfies your mouth with good things” (Psalm 103:5) includes more than providing food. “The word translated ‘mouth’ is a bit of a puzzle since it is usually translated ‘ornaments’ or ‘jewelry,’ words that hardly fit this context” (Wiersbe, Be Exultant, note on verses 1-6). The NIV follows the Greek Septuagint translation in rendering the word as “desires” (Expositor’s Bible Commentary, footnote on verse 5). “Some students interpret the word to mean ‘duration’ or ‘years’ (see NASB [compare NRSV]). No matter how old we become, God can satisfy the needs of our lives and the spiritual desires of our hearts” (Wiersbe, note on verses 1-6). To be renewed like the eagle (verse 5) pictures having the strength to soar, to keep on (compare Isaiah 40:31). Both elements of Psalm 103:5 will find ultimate fulfillment in the Kingdom of God—as will God’s righteous and just intervention for the oppressed of verse 6.
David uses the past national experience of Israel to illustrate God’s blessings on His people—particularly His forgiveness, mercy and love. This was explained to Moses and demonstrated to the Israelites in how God dealt with them (verses 7-8, 17-18; compare Exodus 34:6-7). Though the Israelites, as we all do, deserved death for sin, God nevertheless continues to work with His people. His punishments against Israel’s constant rebellion were not without end but were intended to help rehabilitate the people, not to justly destroy them (Psalm 103:9-10). God is here praised for His willingness to temper His righteous anger with His vast mercy and care for His people as His little, weak children (verses 11-14). Whereas God’s anger is brief—required only during the fleeting physical existence of man—his “mercy” or loyal love is forever and will serve to perpetuate those who honor their commitment to follow Him (verses 15-18).
God’s benefits extend to all within His dominion. “And His kingdom rules over all” (verse 19)—so that all creation (in both the spiritual and physical realms) should praise God along with David, as the psalm calls for in the threefold address: “Bless…Bless…Bless…” (verses 20-22a), followed by the final repetition of the psalm’s opening line. This also serves to introduce the praise of God for His creation in the next psalm.
Though Psalm 104, a meditative hymn of creation, is unattributed in the Hebrew Masoretic Text, the Greek Septuagint translation names David as the author. This may have been reasoned on the basis of the psalm’s apparent relationship with the previous psalm (103), the Masoretic superscription of which credits David. Note that David in Psalm 103 opens and closes with the exuberant self-exhortation to “Bless the LORD, O my soul!” (verses 1, 22) and that the same opening and closing is found in Psalm 104 (verses 1, 35), making it seem a continuation. There is a thematic relationship as well. Psalm 103 dwelt on God’s benefits (verse 2), while Psalm 104 deals with God’s provision through creation. Psalm 103 concluded with a call for praise of God issued to “all His works, in all places of His dominion” (verse 22). Psalm 104 then concerns God’s works throughout His dominion in creation and “the fruit of [His] works” (verse 13). However, none of this is clear proof of Davidic authorship. For just as it would seem that later editors placed these psalms next to each other in the Psalter, it could also be that these editors, rather than David, copied the opening and closing of Psalm 103 over to the beginning and end of 104 to emphasize the continuity here.
In this song the psalmist follows to some degree the days of creation of Genesis 1. He starts out by describing the great God as clothed with honor, majesty and light (verses 1-2)—paralleling God’s first recorded command in commencing the creation account, “Let there be light” (Genesis 1:3). God elsewhere declares that He is light and completely without darkness (1 John 1:5)—speaking not just of His radiant glory on the physical level but, in spiritual imagery, of His moral perfection.
Corresponding to the second day of Genesis 1, “the second creative act is ‘the firmament’ or ‘the heavens’ described here as a [curtain or] ‘tent’ [NIV] stretched out over the earth (cf. Isa 40:22). As a camper readily pitches his tent somewhere, so God without exertion prepared the earth for habitation” (Expositor’s Bible Commentary, note on Psalm 104:2). Genesis 1:6-8 says that the firmament of heaven or the sky divided waters under it from waters above it. This division of upper and lower waters appears to distinguish between water vapor in the atmosphere and liquid waters of the seas and other bodies of water on the earth’s surface. The imagery of God laying the beams of His “upper chambers” (or upstairs rooms) in the atmospheric waters (Psalm 104:3; compare verse 13) portrays Him as setting the lowest levels of the heavens, where He dwells, in the air above the earth.
Within this expanse God, in the person of Yeshua through whom God created all things (see John 1:1-3, 14; Ephesians 3:9), traveled on “clouds” and “wind” (Psalm 104:3b). These words here may connote more than atmospheric conditions, as God later led Israel in the radiant cloud of His glory and the word for “wind” here is ruach, translated “Spirit” in Genesis 1:2: “And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” Moreover, Psalm 104:4 uses the plural of ruach in describing the angelic hosts—”spirits.” God created these spirit beings, brilliant like stars in flaming fire, as His “angels” (meaning messengers) and “ministers” (meaning servants). Note that both these terms were used to address them in the previous psalm (103:20-21), showing a further tie between these two songs. Note also that Psalm 104:4 is quoted in Hebrews 1:7 to demonstrate the subordination of angels to Yeshua and later glorified members of God’s divine family.
Continuing on the second day of Genesis 1, God next focused on the “waters under the heavens” (verse 9), gathering them into one place and uncovering the dry land. This was necessary because the land had earlier been covered by “the face of the deep” (verse 2). The cessation of this flooded condition is described in Psalm 104:5-9. Verse 6 tells us that the earth was “covered…with the deep” and that “the waters stood above the mountains”—though the mountains may have been much lower in elevation at that time, an idea we will consider further in a moment. The flooded condition of the earth was evidently a result of global calamity between the earth’s initial creation and the six days of Genesis 1, which represent a renewal or re-creation of the earth and its life (see the Bible Reading Program comments on Genesis 1).
Psalm 104:7 says that an order from God caused the waters to retreat. As translated in the NKJV and many other versions, verse 8 describes the waters going up over the mountains and flowing back down into the valleys. This translation, however, is unclear. The Revised Standard Version renders the verse this way: “The mountains rose, the valleys sank down to the place which thou didst appoint for them.” This would imply major topographical changes as part of the reason for shifting waters. Many argue against this as a break in context—especially as the “they” in verse 9 for which God has set a boundary to prevent their returning to cover the earth is clearly the waters. However, it is possible that verse 8 is parenthetical and that the “they” in verse 9 refers back to the waters in verses 6-7.
Some see verse 9’s reference to God setting a boundary against global flood (evidently the coastlines of the world) as referring to His covenant after the Flood of Noah’s day (compare Genesis 9:11-15). However, it more naturally refers here to God’s establishments of the coastlines in Genesis 1. Note that Psalm 104:9 does not say, “…that they may not ever return to cover the earth.” Here the idea was probably “…that they could not return to cover the earth [on their own].” Later, in Genesis 9, God did state that the waters would never again destroy the world.
Rather than proceeding immediately to the next day in the Genesis 1 scheme, Psalm 104 next highlights the benefits of the fresh waters of the earth to the various creatures God later formed. Then the psalm moves to the third of the Genesis 1 days (verses 11-13), describing the production of grass and vegetation (Psalm 104:14). And again, before proceeding to the next day, the psalm describes the benefits of these things to later-created man and beast. Likewise, the psalm then moves to the fourth day of Genesis 1:14-19 regarding the appointment of the sun and moon to mark times and seasons—and again explains how these things serve animals and human beings (Psalm 104:19-23). In all this, we observe a connection with Psalm 103 in the recounting of God’s benefits.
The psalmist here pauses for summary and praise: “O LORD, how manifold are Your works! In wisdom You have made them all” (104:24). He then resumes his reflection, proceeding to day five of Genesis 1, highlighting the creation of teeming life in the sea. This is a benefit to human beings plying ships in maritime commerce (verse 26). Leviathan (same verse) may be a literal sea monster—some have suggested a giant crocodile—but is apparently figurative in various passages of human empires or the power behind them, Satan the serpent of Genesis 3 (see the Bible Reading Program comments on Job 41). Whichever is intended, all depend on God for existence—and they will play a role in fulfilling God’s purposes despite themselves.
Psalm 104:27-28 shows that all the creatures mentioned thus far (some formed as late as the sixth day of creation week) are utterly reliant on God for their existence and sustenance. If God does not provide for them and sustain them, they die (verse 29). And God does allow this to happen—sometimes on a large scale, as the calamities of Genesis 1:2 and the Flood of Noah both attest. Yet even in such circumstances, God’s providence continues—for He sends forth His Spirit, creates life once again and renews the face of the earth (Psalm 104:30). This could refer to the general cycle in which, as flora and fauna die, God provides new life to replace what returns to dust. However, in the context of the rest of this psalm, this verse may be directly referring to the six days of Genesis 1 as a period of renewal and re-creation on a global scale.
Considering the summary of the six days of creation through the psalm, it may be that the theme of the song’s conclusion concerns the day intended to memorialize creation—the seventh-day Sabbath (Genesis 2:1-3), which also symbolizes the time of God’s coming Kingdom (compare Hebrews 3-4). Note in verse 31 the desire for God’s glory to endure forever and that God may rejoice in His works (both very much Sabbath themes). The Sabbath teaches us that in observing creation we must view it as subordinate to God Himself. Verse 32 reminds us that God “is so much greater than his creation that with a look or a touch he could undo it” (Zondervan NIV Study Bible, note on verse 32). The Sabbath calls for singing, praises, meditation and glad rejoicing (compare verses 33-34).
The statement “May sinners vanish from the earth and the wicked be no more” (verse 35) seems to be a wish rather than a curse on specific sinners. The psalmist envisions a world without the pollution of sin and wickedness. “The psalmist is not vindictive in his prayer against the wicked but longs for a world fully established and maintained by the Lord, without outside interference” (Expositor’s, note on verse 35). This, too, is a powerful Sabbath theme as we look forward to God’s Kingdom.
As previously mentioned, Psalm 104 closes just as it opens (and as 103 opens and closes): “Bless the LORD, O my soul!” There is good reason to believe that the next phrase, “Praise the LORD!,” originally began the next psalm (as we will see in our next reading).

Luke 13-14:11

The Galilaeans are frequently mentioned by Josephus as the most turbulent and seditious people, being upon all occasions ready to disturb the Roman authority. It is uncertain to what event Yeshua refers; but is probable that they were the followers of Judas Gaulonitis, who opposed paying tribute to Caesar and submitting to the Roman government. A party of them coming to Jerusalem during one of the great festivals, and presenting their oblations in the court of the temple, Pilate treacherously sent a company of soldiers, who slew them, and ‘mingled their blood with their sacrifices.’ This account is only “supposed” as to what these people were speaking of to Yeshua.
Notice, Yeshua does not comment on whether what happened was right, wrong, good, or bad. He used the incident to teach – about repentance. No one knows the hour of his/her death in this life… but we can be assured of our position in the Kingdom if we take care to realize our sin and repent or turn back to The Way. Yeshua was not going to be trapped into a political – religious discussion. He was always about His Father’s business.
Next, Yeshua is teaching in the meeting place on the Sabbath. He healed a woman bent over so that she stood straight and praised Elohim. The leader of the congregation admonished the crowd not to come for healing on the Sabbath, but any of the other days of the week meant for work. For this – our Master calls this man a hypocrite! For he takes care of the animals, to loosen them and get them water on the Sabbath – but for Elohim’s people, they do not do but leave them bound.
Yeshua then tells us two parables concerning what the Reign of Elohim is like and both of them speak of how it began very small but has grown to be very large. It is now so large, that even the wicked are able to “hide” within it.
Another asked Yeshua, “Are there only a few being saved?” Yeshua answers with the well-known response, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate…” The narrow gate, many do not know, is persecution, it is tribulation. The narrow gate is a place of straights.
Yeshua again heals on the Sabbath a man with dropsy and as He tests the Pharisees He is eating with concerning healing on the Sabbath, they are unable to answer.
He then teaches about humility and the heart of those taking the seat of least importance at feasts and parties. For everyone who exalts himself shall be humbles, and he who is humbling himself shall be exalted.