The Egyptian Crisis and where it is found in Prophecy-The 3rd Sabbatical cycle

Joseph F. Dumond

Isa 6:9-12 And He said, Go, and tell this people, You hear indeed, but do not understand; and seeing you see, but do not know. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their hearts, and turn back, and be healed. Then I said, Lord, how long? And He answered, Until the cities are wasted without inhabitant, and the houses without man, and the land laid waste, a desolation, and until Jehovah has moved men far away, and the desolation in the midst of the land is great.
Published: Feb 3, 2011

News Letter 5846-055
1st day of the 12th month 5846 years after creation
The 12th Month in the first year of the third Sabbatical Year
The Third Sabbatical Year of the 119th Jubilee Cycle

 

February 5, 2011

 

Shabbat Shalom Brethren,

Last week I had asked many any of you in Australia if you knew of one Grace Hammond. I had also asked all the people I knew in Australia and even on the interview I did with Jono if anyone could contact her. This week I able to write you and let you all know she is fine. Grace lives in Too wamba which was the place of those devastating floods a couple of weeks ago.

I would like to share with you the letter I just got from her.

Thank you so much Joseph for your concern and for writing me. The area I am in was badly affected but I was protected with minimal damage to my land considering the amount of rain and the ferocity of the storms.

The power and the phone and all infrastructures were obliterated and we still have no phone, so no one would have been able to contact me. The road into the area is still closed to anything other than local traffic. Where I am is just the catchment area for a seasonal creek and nothing like this has happened in the area before as with all the T’mba area. It bears out what you have been saying.

The creek below me even when running is usually inaudible but it roared with a tremendous force and tore out all the road at the bottom of the mountain down below me for four kilometers.

Please thank all who prayed for me as it was a difficult situation without power and for a few weeks getting to town (the only source for provisions) was obstructed by landslides (not that T’mba had much in the stores – it was a good example of what we can expect in future).

I am in an isolated area on the south-eastern side of T’mba – the main damage to townships and people was on the north-eastern side.

Everything has normalized here now apart from the damage which needs to be repaired. It seems we are in for more severe storms which will be hard on everyone who has been affected so far.

I trust Him to keep me Joseph and greatly value the fellowship I have with other true believers. I am planning to go to Jerusalem for Succoth and am looking forward to fellowship with you all then.

Shalom and Yahweh bless,
Grace

At the same time I received this note from Grace, Northern Australia was being pounded by a cat 5 cyclone with a 7 meter surge as it came ashore at high tide. Brethren pray not for Yehovah to stop these punishing catastrophes, but pray the brethren of Australia will return to Torah and begin to keep His Holy Days. And not just Australia but all of Israel who are all around the world in these last days. As this is why He sends these curses, so the people will return to keeping Torah.

Here is a link to show you just how big this storm was. It was a monster storm.

http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/floodrelief/how-cyclone-yasi-compares-around-the-world/story-fn7ik2te-1225998762870

Jono of http://www.truth2u.org/2011/02/joe-dumond-what-is-happening-in-egypt.html and I discussed what is happening in Egypt and how it will escalate. Get ready to be shocked as no one else is going to share this with you. They do not share it because they have the wrong understanding and the wrong chronological order of prophecy because they do not understand or know the Sabbatical cycles. These events on the nightly news are explained in the book The Prophecies of Abraham. Read it. Order it if you do not have it.

This past week you all have heard of the riots in Tunisia and then Yemen and these were followed by riots in Jordan, but the news of the week was and is Egypt. Those of you who have read The Prophecies of Abraham will have known what this all means. It is clearly laid out on pages 91-103 of the book.

Even Israel considered these events very serious by having El Al fly into Cairo last Shabbat to take out many of the families of the embassy staff there. The geopolitical situation in the Middle East has changed dramatically, and not in the favour of Israel nor of the West.

In the book I show you where Yehovah tells you He is about to whistle for the bee of Assyria to come and overflow the land of Israel and how this leader of Europe is going to come and capture Egypt and lead her away captive and naked. But the question you should have asked when you read that in the book is why would the King of the North come?

The Prophecies of Abraham shows you that this event is to take place in 2012-2013, but these future events must have a precursor of events that lead up to them. What is taking place in Egypt now is one of these precursor events.

There is so much information in the Prophecies of Abraham that would help you to understand this. I again urge you to order it now so that you can understand what these world events are showing us.
http://www.authorhouse.com/BookStore/BookDetail.aspx?Book=286642

As I re read those pages this past week one verse on page 98 struck me. It was contained in the section I had quoted from Jeremiah 4:5-18. None of the talking heads on CNN even considered looking at those verses I had shared in The Prophecies of Abraham. But here in Jeremiah 4:14 O Yerushalayim, wash your heart from evil, and be saved. Till when would your wicked thoughts remain within you? For a voice is declaring from Dan, and is proclaiming trouble from Mount Ephrayim: “Announce to the nations, look, proclaim against Yerushalayim, that besiegers are coming from a distant land and raise their voice against the cities of Yehud?ah.

“Like keepers of a field they are against her all around, because she has rebelled against Me,” declares ????. “Your ways and your deeds have brought this upon you. This is your evil, because it is bitter, because it has reached into your heart.” O my inward parts, my inward parts! I am in pain! O the walls of my heart! My heart pounds in me, I am not silent. For you have heard, O my being, the sound of the ram’s horn, a shout of battle!

Take note of where this warning is coming from; Dan and Mount Ephraim and also note to whom this warning is going; To the Orthodox of Jerusalem. Those ways are what has led Judah to keep the Postponement rules which keep the Holy days at the wrong time, and they also keep holy Days which Yehovah never sanctioned and they have replaced the Torah with the oral laws.

I received an article a Rabbi had written and he too says similar things. Here is part of what he had said.
http://www.koshertorah.com/PDF/dangerousfuture2011.pdf

Does anyone really need the gift of prophecy or a crystal ball to foresee what the future holds for Egypt?

Does anyone really need clairvoyance to see what the future holds for Middle East peace?

Cannot everyone see that a major terrible war will inevitably explode in the region and from there engulf the entire world?

Yet, how many are so absolutely blind, ignorant and reliant on false faith to believe that nothing bad will happen to the Jews living in the Holy Land?

Unfortunately, as it was before the Holocaust in Europe, the majority of religious Jews living in Israel today are totally oblivious to the fact that there is presently no spiritual protection over the people due to their lack of merits.

Even if now is the time for the fulfillment of Messianic prophecies, those same Biblical prophecies are clear that the vast majority of the population of the Holy Land is destined to be wiped out. Some prophecies estimate that only two-thirds of the population will be “cut-off.” By modern count that would mean the deaths of over 4 million in the Holy Land. Other estimates make it even higher with only about a million Jews surviving world-wide. Being that prophecy is clear that many of them will be coming from outside the Holy Land when Mashiah gathers them in, the number to remain in the Holy Land is significantly less. Then there is the one ancient teaching that states only seven thousand righteous Jews will survive in the Holy Land to see the arrival of Mashiah.

The above was extracted from the latest email sent out by Rabbi Bar Tzadok [KosherTorah.com] – click here to read the entire message: Dangerous Future 2011

Brethren we are in the third Sabbatical cycle. Know and understand this. It was during this Sabbatical cycle when Judah fell in 586 BC; this exact same cycle. That year corresponds to our 2012-2013; the 9th of Av. Jerusalem today is going to be taken over during this time. It all starts with Egypt rebelling and rioting and losing control and NATO or a German led army coming down to put down the unrest. When this European army comes to Egypt it will also take control of Jerusalem.

Watch Egypt’s riots escalate; watch The Muslim Brotherhood rise up over the next couple of years and then watch Jordan.

Jordan’s King Abdulla is also facing civil unrest and just like Tunisia and just like Egypt the high prices in food staples is what has provoked these demonstrations. Jordan this week also replaced it leadership to try and thwart off what has happened in Tunisia and is happening in Egypt.

Also in Yemen the U.S.-backed president, in power for more than three decades, pledged Wednesday not to seek another term in office in an apparent attempt to defuse protests inspired by Tunisia’s revolt and the turmoil in Egypt.

The concession by Ali Abdullah Saleh signaled that another autocratic Arab leader once thought immune to challenge was ceding ground to pent-up fury and demands for reform of the kind that have swept the region.

Tunisia, Egypt, Jordan, and Yemen, all US supporters; all falling to civil unrest at the same time; all moving from a US supporter to a form of the Brotherhood Islamic Jihadist state.

In the Prophecies of Abraham on pages 72-77 I showed you how Hitler and Amin Al-Husseini met and formed a league against the Jews. Amin AL Husseini would later go on to form Muslim armies in Bosnia and the SS who hunted down Jews and executed them during WW II.

Many of you need to read this entire article at
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohammad_Amin_al-Husayni

He met dictator Adolf Hitler in 1941 in Germany. He asked Hitler to back Arab independence and requested that Nazi Germany oppose, as part of the Pan-Arab struggle, the establishment of a Jewish national home in Palestine (the future creation of Israel). The Muslim Mufti was paid “an absolute fortune” of 50,000 marks a month (when a German field marshal was making 25,000 marks a year).[ According the the American report, al-Husayni energetically recruited Muslims for the SS, the Nazi Party’s elite military command, was promised that he would be installed as the leader of Palestine after German troops had driven out the British and exterminated the more than 350,000 Jews living there[10]. During the 1948 Arab-Israeli War he represented the Arab Higher Committee and opposed both the 1947 UN Partition Plan and King Abdullah’s ambitions for expanding Jordan by capturing parts of Palestine.

On November 20, al-Husayni met the German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop[125] and was officially received by Adolf Hitler on November 28.[126] He asked Hitler for a public declaration that “recognized and sympathized with the Arab struggles for independence and liberation, and that would support the elimination of a national Jewish homeland”.[123] Hitler refused to make such a public announcement, saying that it would strengthen the Gaullists against the Vichy France,[126] but asked al-Husayni to ‘to lock …deep in his heart’ the following points, which Browning summarizes as follows, that ‘Germany has resolved, step by step, to ask one European nation after the other to solve its Jewish problem, and at the proper time, direct a similar appeal to non-European nations as well’. When Germany had defeated Russia and broken through the Caucasus into the Middle East, it would have no further imperial goals of its own and would support Arab liberation… But Hitler did have one goal. “Germany’s objective would then be solely the destruction of the Jewish element residing in the Arab sphere under the protection of British power”. (Das deutsche Ziel wĂŒrde dann lediglich die Vernichtung des im arabischen Raum unter der Protektion der britischen Macht lebenden Judentums sein). In short, Jews were not simply to be driven out of the German sphere but would be hunted down and destroyed even beyond it.’[127]

Amin el-Hussaini would help to get the Brotherhood organized.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muslim_Brotherhood
Underground links to the Nazis began during the 1930s and were close during the Second World War, involving agitation against the British, espionage and sabotage, as well as support for terrorist activities orchestrated by Haj in British Mandate Palestine, as a wide range of declassified documents from the British, American and Nazi German governmental archives, as well as from personal accounts and memoirs from that period, confirm.[33] Reflecting this connection the Muslim Brotherhood also disseminated Hitler’s Mein Kampf and The Protocols of the Elders of Zion widely in Arab translations, helping to deepen and extend already existing hostile views about Jews and democracy in Western societies generally.[34]

In November 1948 police seized an automobile containing the documents and plans of what was thought to be the Brotherhood’s “secret apparatus” (its military wing) with names of its members. The seizure was preceded by an assortment of bombings and assassination attempts by the apparatus. Subsequently 32 of its leaders were arrested and its offices raided.[6]

The next month the Prime Minister of Egypt, Mahmud Fahmi Nokrashi, ordered the dissolution of the Brotherhood.

In what is thought to be retaliation for these acts, a member of the Brotherhood, veterinary student Abdel Meguid Ahmed Hassan, assassinated the Prime Minister on December 28, 1948. A month and half later Al-Banna himself was killed in Cairo by men believed to be government agents and/or supporters of the murdered premier.

The Brotherhood has been an illegal organization, tolerated to varying degrees, since 1954 when it was convicted of the attempt to assassinate Gamal Abdel Nasser, head of the Egyptian government. The group had denied involvement in the incident and accused the government of staging the incident to use it as a pretext to persecute the group and its members. On this basis from 1954 until Nasser’s death in 1970, thousands of Muslim Brotherhood members were systematically tortured under Nasser’s secular regime, highlighted in Zainab al Ghazali’s Return of the Pharaoh. More recently, since the mid-2000s, some young Muslim Brotherhood members have publicly identified themselves as members of the banned organizations on their blogs, where they have been critical of both the existing system as well as aspects of the Muslim Brotherhood organization itself.[35]

The Brotherhood is still periodically subjected to mass arrests. It remains the largest opposition group in Egypt, advocating Islamic reform, democratic system and maintaining a vast network of support through Islamic charities working among poor Egyptians.[36] The political direction it has been taking lately has tended towards more moderate secular “Islamism” and so-called Islamic Democracy.

In the 2005 parliamentary elections, the Brotherhood’s candidates, who had to run as independents due to their illegality as a political party, won 88 seats (20% of the total) to form the largest opposition bloc. The electoral process was marred by many irregularities, including the arrest of hundreds of Brotherhood members. One observer, Jameel Theyabi, writing in an op-ed for Dar Al-Hayat, noted that a December 2006 campus demonstration by Muslim Brotherhood university students that included the “wearing of uniforms, displaying the phrase, ‘We Will be Steadfast’, and the drills involving martial arts, betray the group’s intent to plan for the creation of militia structures, and a return by the group to the era of ‘secret cells’….” .[37]

Of course, the huge gains in the 2005 parliamentary elections allowed the Brotherhood to pose “a democratic political challenge to the regime, not a theological one” .[38] Initially, there has been widespread skepticism regarding the movement’s commitment to use its influence to push Egypt forward towards a democratic state. For instance, briefly after the elections Sameh Fawzy remarked in the Al-Ahram Weekly newspaper, “If the Muslim Brotherhood were in a position to enforce its ideological monopoly, the vast majority of the populace would face severe restrictions on its freedom of opinion and belief, not just on religious matters, but on social, political, economic and cultural affairs as well”

It was this Islamic brotherhood that would rise up and kill Anwar Sadat in 1981 for making peace with Israel. And it was Hosni Mubarak who was the Vice President at the time and has kept the brotherhood down ever since.

 

http://middleeast.about.com/od/egypt/a/me081006a.htm

The Assassination of Egypt’s Anwar Sadat

October 6, 1981
By Pierre Tristam

What Sadat Was Celebrating that Day

Oct. 7, 1981 marked Egypt’s Armed Forces Day, so called in commemoration of the Egyptian Third Army’s launching of a surprise attack on that day in 1973 against Israeli forces occupying the Sinai since 1967. The Third Army pushed Israeli forces back toward Israel for several days until an American weapons airlift helped Israel turn the tide in what became known as the Yom Kippur war. Egypt’s Third Army was encircled in turn, but not annihilated. Israel and Egypt settled for stalemate—a settlement largely seen as a moral victory for Egypt and Egyptian President Anwar Sadat.

The war strengthened Sadat’s hand vis-à-vis Israel, enabling him to launch his next bold move to break the stalemate: his famous visit to Jerusalem in 1977, which opened the way for negotiations between Egypt and Israel, culminating in the Camp David accords of 1978 and the Egyptian-Israeli peace treaty signed in 1979.

Sadat and Egypt were celebrating all those accomplishments—Sadat celebrating the peace accord more than the rest of Egypt, however—on Oct. 7, 1981.

The Assassination

French Mirage jet fighters, part of the day’s pageantry, screeched overhead at the very moment when several soldiers riding in a truck that was part of the military parade jumped to the ground and strode toward the reviewing stand. Most people watching, including, presumably, the people in the stand, believed the soldiers were conducting a pre-arranged performance. In a way, they were.

One soldier threw a grenade while others opened fire at Sadat and his entourage. One soldier was seen in a semi-crouch, taking aim and firing. Pandemonium immediately broke out in the stands as people rushed for cover, trampling others who’d either been hit or were frozen in shock. Blood pooled in the stands immediately.

Sadat was rushed to Maadi Military Hospital, where he arrived without a heartbeat. He was pronounced dead at 2:40 p.m. local time due, according to a hospital bulletin, to “violent nervous shock and internal bleeding in the chest cavity, where the left lung and major blood vessels below it were torn.”

Hosni Mubarak, Egypt’s vice president at the time, assumed power and in a speech to the Egyptian nation seven hours after the assassination said that Egypt was “committed to all charters, treaties, and international obligations that Egypt has concluded.” That sent a sigh of relief whistling around the globe, but in Israel and Washington in particular, and less so in Egypt, where Mubarak used the assassination as an excuse to declare martial law. The law was subsequently referred to by its euphemism, the “emergency law.” It has remained in effect ever since.

 

The Attackers

The attackers included four enlisted men, an army major and a lieutenant. The major and two enlisted men were killed in the swarm around the reviewing stand, once other members of the military realized what was taking place. The rest were arrested. The attackers would eventually come to be identified as Islamist nationalists associated with the Muslim Brotherhood under the name of Islamic Jihad.

The group was subsequently found to have hatched the assassination plot with Al Gamaa al-Islamiyya, a Brotherhood offshoot that would , in the mid-1990s, develop ties with al-Qaeda and be chiefly responsible for the 1997 terrorist attack in Luxor on Nov. 17, 1997, when six men dressed in black attacked tourists visiting the famous site in Upper Egypt. Sixty-two men, women and children were killed.

Among the group’s leaders: Ayman al-Zawahiri, subsequently al-Qaeda’s Number 2. Zawahiri was tried and imprisoned for three years for his role ion the plot, then expelled from Egypt.

Al Gamaa al-Islamiyya accused Sadat of apostasy and condemned him for the peace treaty he’d signed with Israel. Not keen on irony, Sadat’s attackers had killed him the one day he celebrated what he and Egypt perceived as a victory over Israel.

Israel will have an enemy force to the north, and they will also have one now to the West in Egypt after the fall of Hosni Mubarak. This new Egypt will be led by the Brotherhood if not at first then by elections or civil war.

Will Jordan be next as Iran makes all of these strategic moves in this giant game of geopolitics? Jordan has 65% of its population as Palestinians and only 35% are Hashemite. Jordan is also currently undergoing close integration with the European Union and the Gulf Cooperation Council. Jordan enjoys “advanced status with the European Union.

Jerusalem suddenly looses two nations on the west and the east who were basically negotiable. Now Jerusalem has and is about to become surrounded and in need of help; Lebanon and Syria on the North controlled by Iran, Egypt on the west controlled by whomever and then Jordan on the east which currently is stable but that could soon change. Jerusalem will be looking for help and they will not turn to Yehovah. That help will come from Europe and not the USA. This will cause conflict between the US and the European Empire due to the control over the oil and oil routes and Suez Canal which will fester until the US is destroyed in 2020.

Order The Prophecies of Abraham today and watch the DVD and begin to understand the Chronological order of prophetic events as they are to come. Tell everyone you know to read this book and know what is taking place and why.

Here are some front line pictures one sister has sent me from Egypt.
http://totallycoolpix.com/2011/01/the-egypt-protests/?sms_ss=facebook&at_xt=4d43321e92f98a9a%2C0

After writing the above I then received the following article.
Hamas gunmen from Gaza battle Egyptian forces in Sinai
DEBKAfile Exclusive Report January 30, 2011, 2:26 PM (GMT+02:00)

Hamas opens Palestinian front against Egyptian regime Gunmen of Hamas’s armed wing, Ezz e-Din al Qassam, crossed from Gaza into northern Sinai Sunday, Jan. 30 to attack Egyptian forces and push them back. They acted on orders from Hamas’ parent organization, the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood, confirmed by its bosses in Damascus, to open a second, Palestinian front against the Mubarak regime. The Muslim Brotherhood is therefore more active in the uprising than it would appear.

Consider what it means when you know the Muslim Brotherhood is active in this process and is in league with the Palestinian forces which are in league with Iranian forces. Then consider what Isaiah has to say in Isa 19:1 The message concerning Mitsrayim. See, ???? is riding on a swift cloud, and He shall come into Mitsrayim. And the idols of Mitsrayim shall tremble at His presence, and the heart of Mitsrayim melt in its midst.

“And I shall stir up Mitsrites against Mitsrites, and they shall fight, each one against his brother, and each one against his neighbour, city against city, reign against reign.

“And the spirit of Mitsrayim shall vanish within them, and I destroy their counsel. And they shall seek the idols and the mutterers, the mediums and the sorcerers.

“And I shall deliver the Mitsrites into the hand of a cruel master, and a fierce sovereign to rule over them,” declares the Master, ???? of hosts.

Egypt is going into a time of civil war and it will be ended when this cruel master comes. Isaiah 19:1-4 As you read The Prophecies of Abraham you will see that this cruel master is the king of North. This King of the North is explained to you in Daniel 11:

Hosea 9 and Muslim Hatred of All Israelites
http://britam.org/Hosea9Mahomed.html
The verse (Hosea 9:6) SHOULD BE TRANSLATED AS SAYING:
# For behold they have gone due to the Robbery of Egypt, Memphis shall gather them up. Machmad [i.e. Mohamed] shall bury them for the sake of their silver. Knettles [or Chemosh] will inherit them in their tents.#

We have a clear reference here to Mohammed and Islam and Islam wishing to destroy Israel and Ephraim (Britain and America) for the sake of monetary gain. We did not analyze the verse sufficiently (though we may succeed in doing so in the future) to give a fully coherent explanation as to what is being said but the gist of the message is clear. Islam and Egypt are a danger to Ephraim!

Another scripture you all are witnessing right before your eyes is the blessing Isaac gave to Esau in Genesis 27:40 And by your sword you are to live, and serve your brother. And it shall be, when you grow restless, that you shall break his yoke from your neck.”

With the removal of Hosni Mubarak a strong ally of the USA and Israel, and with the resignation of the Leaders of Yemen another US Ally, and Jordan too looks vulnerable, Jacobs brothers are now throwing off the yoke which for thousands of years has controlled Esau and Ishmael.

http://climateprogress.org/2011/01/30/egyptian-tunisian-riots-food-prices-extreme-weather-and-high-oil-prices/

Reports: Egyptian and Tunisian riots were driven in part by the spike in global food prices
Food prices were driven up by extreme weather and high oil prices
January 30, 2011
Political unrest has broken out in Tunisia, Yemen, Egypt and other Arab countries. Social media and governmental policies are getting most of the credit for spurring the turmoil, but there’s another factor at play.

Many of the people protesting are also angry about dramatic price hikes for basic foodstuffs, such as rice, cereals, cooking oil and sugar.

That’s from the NPR story today, “Rising Food Prices Can Topple Governments, Too.” [ http://www.npr.org/2011/01/30/133331809/rising-food-prices-can-topple-governments-too ]

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/bad-weather-set-push-record-food-prices-higher-20110203-001312-224.html
Food costs at records, no let up on prices: FAO
By Svetlana Kovalyova and John Mair | Reuters – Thu, 3 Feb 8:32 AM EST

MANILA/MILAN (Reuters) – World food prices hit a record in January and recent catastrophic weather around the globe could put yet more pressure on the cost of food, an issue that has already helped spark protests across the Middle East.

Up for the seventh month in a row, the closely watched Food and Agriculture Organization Food Price Index on Thursday touched its highest since records began in 1990, and topped the peak of 224.1 in June 2008, during the food crisis of 2007/08.

“The new figures clearly show that the upward pressure on world food prices is not abating. These high prices are likely to persist in the months to come,” FAO economist and grains expert Abdolreza Abbassian said in a statement.

In an email I received from Pastor for Israel was the following note.

The toppling of Tunisia’s longstanding corrupt dictator (who was a good friend of Washington) in mid December has inspired the people in Egypt think that maybe they could do the same thing with their longstanding corrupt dictator (who is also a good friend of Washington, in fact, the most important ally the US has in the Arab world.)

The Egyptian people are protesting against the dictatorship of Hosni Mubarak, who has been the “President” of Egypt for 30 years.

The Moslem Brotherhood, which is the parent organization of Hamas and the Islamic Action Front in Jordan as well as the Islamic Organization in Israel, and many other groups in different Moslem countries, assassinated Anwar Sadat, the Egyptian leader who signed a peace treaty with Israel, in 1981.

Mubarak was Sadat’s Vice President and before that he was the Air Force Chief of Staff.

When he took over there was a real danger of further violence from the Moslem Brotherhood so Mubarak imposed an “emergency law” which gave the military and police broad powers, suspended most civil liberties (to the degree that there had ever been any) and basically gave the President dictatorial powers. At the time, no one questioned the need for this.

But the “emergency law” was never lifted, and so Egypt has remained a military dictatorship for 30 years.

Under Mubarak it has also continued the policy of “Cold peace” with Israel, and this has ensured that the other Arab countries would also refrain from starting a war with Israel because they know they have no hope of defeating Israel without Egypt. Egypt is the largest and most powerful Arab country, and the others are all too small to be able to take on Israel without it.

But the peace treaty with Israel has never been popular among Egyptians and there is a real worry in Israel (and Washington) that if Mubarak is overthrown the Moslem Brotherhood could take it over and change the power dynamic in the Middle East decisively. This would be an unmitigated catastrophe for Israel and for the US in the region.

Mohammed El Baredi, the Nobel Prize laureate and former director of the International Atomic Energy Agency has returned to Egypt from his self imposed exile in London to lead the protesters to what he and his supporters hope will be a toppling of Mubarak’s regime and its replacement with himself. El Beradi is rumored to have strong ties to the Moslem Brotherhood and is definitely no friend of Israel or the US.

The other possibility is that Mubarak, who will be 83 in a few months and is rumored to be suffering serious health problems, will turn over power to his newly appointed Vice President, Omar Suliman, who has been chief of military intelligence for many years and has had broad contacts with the West, as well as Israel. He is widely regarded as the best chance that Israel and the West have of keeping Egypt as a country that is stable and not interested in war with Israel.

There are two problems with Suliman though.

One, he’s 73, so at best it’s a temporary solution.

Two, he’s widely identified with Mubarak and the people who are out in the streets right now protesting against Mubarak might not be satisfied if Suliman replaces him. They seem to want real change.

If rumors are to be believed, one of the biggest changes they want is an end to the peace between Egypt and Israel.

Keep praying!

Many of you are trying to plan when the Holy Days are this coming year. Here is a note from Nehemiah Gordon about this.

 

Karaite Korner Newsletter #493

Upcoming Aviv Search and Biblical Holidays

This year’s Aviv Search will take place March 4th and 6th, the last two days of the 12th Biblical Month. The examination of the barley throughout the Land of Israel will determine whether the new biblical year will begin at sunset on March 6 or sunset on April 4. Here are the possible dates for Chag HaMatzot (Feast of Unleavened Bread) depending on whether or not the barley is Aviv by the end of the 12th Biblical Month:

*If we find Aviv by March 6, Chag HaMatzot will be March 20 at sunset through March 27 at sunset.

*If we don’t find Aviv by March 6, Chag HaMatzot will be April 18 at sunset through April 25 at sunset.

The potential dates of all the biblical holidays for the year and expected sightings of new moons are posted here:
http://www.karaite-korner.org/holiday_dates.shtml
We need your help to carry out the Aviv Search. It is a costly undertaking. Please support this work by sending a check to:
Makor Hebrew Foundation, POB 13, Mansfield TX 76063

You can also support the Aviv Search online by clicking on the “donate” button at:
http://makorhebrew.org/donations.shtml

To learn more about Aviv Barley in the Bible please visit:
http://www.karaite-korner.org/abib.shtml

Many people have asked me to predict whether or not we will find Aviv by March 6. The real answer is that I don’t know. March 6 is early in the solar year but it is still possible. Israel has had little rain this year which could make the barley become Aviv later rather than earlier. The bottom line is there are too many factors to predict when the barley will ripen. It is largely dependent on weather which no one can predict past next week let alone a month from now. We will just have to “observe the Month of the Aviv” as Scripture commands (Dt 16:1).

Nehemia Gordon
Jerusalem, Israel

 

Over the past few weeks I have shared with you the many disasters that have and are happening around the world. I have been showing you how all of this fits like a glove the Prophecies of the Sabbatical and Jubilee cycles, and The Prophecies of Abraham.

When I first came to know many of these things which I have been sharing here with you, I went out and purchased some food that you can store for many years from e-foods direct. At that time I was planning on hunkering down for the long haul and riding out the coming storm.

Since then I have come to learn that we are not going to be here in North America. I say this because North America is going to be destroyed by war very soon as we have been sharing with you.

Once again I urge you to buy The Prophecies of Abraham and learn this for yourself. You will not be able to go hide in the back woods and avoid those things that are about to come.

Recently I received an email from a brother telling me about e-foods and how he was loading up and how many of the things I had said rang true to him. Is this what we all should be doing?

I have been presenting my case to you for some time now. My position is no you should not be storing up food now, where you are; but if you are going to ignore the solution I have been sharing, then yes you should stalk up. At least it could come in handy for those who raid your house after they have killed you.

When that brother wrote me to let me know about e-foods I will admit I was disappointed. He had learned many things from reading the News letter and he now believed we would be entering a time when we are going to be short of food. And now many others are saying the same thing.

But what this brother forgets is what is coming after this; after this food shortage which continues, and after the blood moons, and after the pestilence, after the many weather related disasters and after the persecution of the saints. The next curse of Lev 26 is the one of sword, WAR.

When this war comes it will not matter how much food you have stored up in your home here in North America. Those Germanic and Muslim armies are not going to ask you for any; but they will take it and they will do so as they walk over your dead family members to get it.

Lot`s family had a choice before Sodom was destroyed. Gen 19:12 And the men said to Lot, “Have you anyone else here? A son-in-law, and your sons, and your daughters, and whomever you have in the city – bring them out of this place!

“For we are going to destroy this place, because the cry against them has grown great before the face of ????, and ???? has sent us to destroy it.”

And Lot went out and spoke to his sons-in-law, who had married his daughters, and said, “Get up, get out of this place, for ???? is going to destroy this city!” But to his sons-in-law he seemed to be as one joking. And when morning dawned, the messengers urged Lot to hurry, saying, “Get up, take your wife and your two daughters who are here, lest you be consumed in the punishment of the city.”

Lot`s son-in-laws could have fled with him. The Angels would have allowed them to go. But the Daughters of Lot and their husbands and their children did not go. Yehovah in His mercy would have let them escape even in their unrighteousness, but they would not go.

In another example we have Rahab who was told to gather her family and to be in that one room if they wanted to be safe.

Joshua 6:17 Now the city shall be doomed by the Lord to destruction, it and all who are in it. Only Rahab the harlot shall live, she and all who are with her in the house, because she hid the messengers that we sent.

Joshua 6:23 And the young men who had been spies went in and brought out Rahab, her father, her mother, her brothers, and all that she had. So they brought out all her relatives and left them outside the camp of Israel.

Joshua 6:25 And Joshua spared Rahab the harlot, her father’s household, and all that she had. So she dwells in Israel to this day, because she hid the messengers whom Joshua sent to spy out Jericho.

Were the family members of Rahab righteous? Rahab was a harlot so I would say they were not righteous yet Yehovah spared her whole family and she would go on to be the ancestor of Yehshua.

I am sharing this with you Brethren so you can know and hopefully understand. Yehovah has given us cities of refuge in Israel and present day Jordan. He has lifted the curse on us which removed us from our homeland in 723 BC for 390 X 7 times. That curse was over in 2010 and we can go home. Yes there are many obstacles in the way and because of that many of you do not prepare to go. Some of you assume you will be raptured out before all of this happens and these same people are going to be the most disappointed when they are still here after it has begun.

Many are stalking up on food and water and taking survival courses and others are buying ammo and guns. When it comes, and it is going to come, those who do these things will be like the family members of Lot. Any that do survive will be dragged away into captivity where they will languish for another Sabbatical cycle of 7 years. Or they could die there.

Many of you are investing in your own self preservation. Very few of you are investing like an Israelite. Like the Israelite woman of Proverbs 31 who bought a field and looked after her children who did not hunger or lack and were warm in the winter.

When you read Jeremiah it was the same thing at that time. They did not believe that Babylon was going to come against them. They all believed in Yehovah the same as many of you do; They kept the Holy days the same as many of you do; They went to the Temple three times a year which none of you do; they knew His name at that time as many of you do; they studied Torah as many of you do and yet we all know how that turned out with many of them being killed by sword or famine or pestilence in 586 BC.

I continue to ask you to invest in the purchase of a number of farms in Israel and Jordan. Some of you claim you do not have any money, yet it is the widows who have been coming forward so far; if they can find the will to do this then each of you can find $5-$20 dollars to send in. But there are many others who have jobs and could give $1500. And many who could give smaller amounts over the next few months.

You can spend $1744 on a one year supply of food for one person from e-foods direct. If you plan on living for 7 years you would need to spend $12,208 just so one person can live for 7 years. That is if it is not destroyed in war or disaster or fire or flood or tornado or stolen at gun point. The Sabbatical and Jubilee years shows us that Satan will not be locked away until Atonement 2033. That is 32 years from now. Can you store that much food? For one person the cost of food would be $55,808.

You can spend this on preparing to stay in a war zone, or you can invest less than that in a farm in the land where Yehovah is telling us to go. Where just like Abraham He will protect us from the Armies around us. But some will not be protected as Ezekiel has shown us by the hairs thrown into the fire.

Brethren there are farms in Israel with Olive trees and Almond tree, and Apple trees and many other fruit trees that are already for sale. There are other farms there just waiting for help to come and work with those already on the land. We have Citizens of Israel living there right now who are willing to help us and see things coming as I have been sharing with you. We have many ideas as to how to make it viable and how to have the Brethren live there and work there all legally. What we do not have is your confidence. What we do not have in enough money to purchase the farm.

If you wait until the army is at the door it will be too late. If you wait for one person to do it all then you will have no part in it and no claim. But like many investors in a company, you can take part with a small investment or a large one.

My friend Steven Collins had an article about getting ready to bug out. I share it with you now.

 

SHOULD CHRISTIANS PREPARE FOR FUTURE HARD TIMES?

By Steven M. Collins
PO Box 88735
Sioux Falls, SD 57109-8735

As this is written, the USA is in the worst recession since the Great Depression and the global economy almost collapsed in Autumn, 2008. Debt creation by the US Congress and the Federal Reserve Board (and other foreign nations and central banks) has reached unprecedented levels. Many Christians look at the “signs of the times” and wonder if they should be preparing for future hard times. This article will examine this subject from a biblical viewpoint, and offer readers clear biblical guidance on this issue.

Two Opposing Viewpoints:

Christians tend to have two differing opinions on the answer to the question: “Should Christians prepare for hard times?” One camp holds to the view that Christians should simply “trust God” and it cites the command God gave the Israelites in Exodus 14:13 to “stand still and see the salvation of the Lord.” The other camp believes Christians should prepare for trying times in the future and it cites the example of Joseph storing up quantities of grain in Egypt when Pharaoh’s dream warned there would be seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine. Which approach is the right one for our modern times? While I am no one’s judge and I respect anyone’s personal decision as a believer, I believe the Bible strongly supports the viewpoint that the Bible warns Christians to make preparations when God warns us about approaching dangers.

I suspect any Christian would make sensible preparations if they lived on a coastline and knew that a strong hurricane was approaching. If Christians live in tornado country (as I do) anyone would logically head for a basement or shelter if you knew a tornado was heading for your city. While we hope that our homes will be safe from such hazards as fire, hailstorms, etc., we buy homeowners insurance to guard against such hazards. Many renters buy renters’ insurance policies to safeguard their investment in their possessions. If you were on a coastline and heard a tsunami warning for your city, you would surely “head for high ground” as quickly as possible! If Christians and non-Christians alike would take such reasonable measures to prepare for any impending natural disaster, why should they not also make reasonable preparations for a prophesied danger that is imminent? I think the Bible indicates they certainly should do so. However, before examining biblical evidence to support that assertion, let’s first examine the viewpoint that Christians should not prepare for prophesied dangers and simply “trust God.” Such Christians sometimes believe that it is a lack of faith in God’s promised protection if they prepare for dangers. They regard this as “relying on one’s own strength” rather than relying on God. However, let’s examine the Exodus 14:13 account which they cite and see that Christians who do not make any preparations are mistakenly taking that scriptural account out of context.

Examining the “Stand Still and Let God Do It All” Approach:

When God led the Israelites out of Egypt, he did mighty wonders and miracles to punish and plague the Egyptians to compel them into finally letting the Israelites leave Egypt. The Israelites were slaves and there was nothing that they could do to prepare for any threats. They had no choice but to wait until God provided a way out of Egypt. However, when the Passover night approached during which God was going to send a death angel to kill all the first-born in Egypt, God did tell the Israelites to make advance preparations to save their first-born as well as to prepare to leave Egypt in haste (Exodus 12). God told them to put lamb’s blood on the doorways, eat the Passover meal, get dressed, have shoes on their feet and their staffs in hand to be ready to march the instant they received word to do so. To put it in modern terms, God told the Israelites to “have their bug-out bags” ready because their departure was imminent. This is an example that when God does give warning about something that is about to happen, he expects his people to “get ready” and make advance preparations. If any Israelites had failed to make these commanded advance preparations, their first-born would have died and they risked being left behind.

After the Israelites left Egypt, they had no warning from God that Pharaoh’s army would pursue them and would overtake them when they were boxed in by the Red Sea and had no way of escape or retreat. Indeed, it was God who put them in this situation because he intended to show his power to deliver them from Pharaoh’s army so that they would grow in their faith in his power to protect them (Exodus 14:1-1-4, 9). This is a biblical example of how to rely on God when sudden dangers come upon you for which you have no advance warning. Since there was nothing the Israelites could do about their circumstances, they had no choice but to rely on God and God alone. It is in such a context that Moses told the Israelites in Exodus 14:13: “Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord.” He told the Israelites this to reassure them because the Israelites had lost faith and thought they were about to be slaughtered (verses 10-12).

God Divinely held back Pharaoh’s army (verse 19-20) that night and miraculously opened a way through the Red Sea for them to march across “dry ground” as they walked through the Red Sea’s seabed (Exodus 14:21-22). They didn’t even get their shoes muddy. God took care of every detail! When the Egyptians tried to follow them, they were drowned as God allowed the Red Sea to crash down upon them. When God led the Israelites through 40 years of wandering through a dry wilderness, they again had no choice but to rely on God for everything. There was no arable land, no supermarkets, restaurants, etc. They were forced to rely on God for food, water and their needs. God miraculously provided manna on a daily basis (Exodus 16:4) which Psalm 78:24-25 calls “angels’ food.” God led them to locations with water supplies or he miraculously caused it to gush out of the desert rocks (Exodus 17:1-7). Again, all these instances are examples that one should have faith and rely on God when there is nothing you can do for yourself or when God commands you to do nothing for yourself and simply rely on Him (as he did in Exodus 14:13).

However, even after the Israelites’ escape from Egypt, God did not always do everything for the Israelites on his own. When the Israelites were faced with a battle against the attacking Amalekites, God did not do their fighting for them. The Israelites had to do their own fighting against the Amalekites and God blessed their fighting skills when Moses’ hands were held high and God withdrew that blessing when Moses’ arms were weary and he lowered them. Aaron and Hur held up Moses’ arms so victory would be assured. Do I believe this actually happened? Absolutely!

In another case, Elijah was divinely protected from a severe drought which he himself had caused to fall on the ancient kingdom of Israel. In this case, Elijah was told by God in advance what to do to save himself during this drought. First Elijah was told to go to a particular river where he was fed by ravens until it dried up after which God told him to go to Zarephath, a suburb of the Phoenician city of Sidon (I Kings 17:1-9). As I note in my book, Israel’s Lost Empires, God purposely directed Elijah to a place his enemies would least expect him to go. Ahab and Jezebel searched all over the earth for Elijah via caravan routes and via the globe-girdling capacity of the extensive Phoenician fleets (I Kings 18:10). Zarephath was a suburb of Sidon, Jezebel’s hometown, a place she and Ahab would never think Elijah would be hiding (I Kings 16:31). In these cases, Elijah obeyed God’s specific instructions re: where he was to go in order to be protected. If God gives such directions to Christians through a powerful prophet like Elijah (such as might occur during the ministry of the Two Witnesses during the reign of the beast power in the end of this age—Revelation 11), then one should obey such instructions. However, the Two Witnesses have not yet been revealed by any deeds and Jesus Christ warned in Matthew 24:11, 24 that “many false prophets” would appear in the latter days and you risk following a false prophet into danger or death unless God has already demonstrated with very powerful miracles that they are Divinely-ordained prophets like Moses and Elijah were. Now let’s examine biblical examples where God did give his people advance warnings about looming disasters and what their response proved to be.

The Biblical “Prepare in Advance” Option:

One of the first times God gave advance warning of an impending disaster was when he warned Noah that a global deluge was going to destroy all life on earth. God told Noah to make preparations for that event by building an Ark (Genesis 6). Noah obeyed God and built the Ark. When the Deluge came, Noah and his family (along with species of animals, birds, etc.) were spared because Noah made advance preparations. If Noah and his family had not made advance preparations by building and provisioning the Ark, all flesh would have extinct.

A second major example of the necessity of making advance preparations when God warns about future events is the example of Joseph preparing for a great drought in Egypt. Pharaoh received a dream from God which he did not understand. Joseph, known to be an interpreter of dreams by one of Pharaoh’s staff who had temporarily been in prison with Joseph, was called into Pharaoh’s presence to interpret the dream. Joseph revealed that the dream warned that seven years of tremendous surpluses would be followed by seven years of terrible crop failures, and Joseph was exalted to become Regent of Egypt to supervise the food storage program for Egypt so the nation could survive the years of crop failures (Genesis 41). The Bible devotes many chapters to Joseph’s life so this is an important example for us to understand. If Joseph and Egypt had not prepared for the extended drought by storing immense stockpiles of food, the Egyptians and Israelites would have starved.

In both the above cases, it would have been a severe lack of faith to refuse to make necessary preparations when God gives an advance warning about a looming danger. Choosing not to make advance preparations when God has warned of an impending disaster is to place your own life and your family’s lives in great jeopardy.

A New Testament example in the same vein is given in Acts 11:28-30. A prophet named Agabus received a warning from God that a “great dearth” (a food shortage) was imminent. The early Christian Church took the warning seriously and made such advance preparations as they could. The elders gathered up food supplies and sent Barnabas and Saul (later named “Paul”) to deliver the food to the brethren in Judea so they could survive the prophesied food shortage. The word received by Agabus must have specified that Judea was to be particularly hard hit by the food shortage for the Christians to direct their main food storage effort to that location. Again, we see the believers took the warning seriously and made advance preparations. There was no hint in any of these three examples that anyone thought the right approach was to “stand still and do nothing.” Both Old and New Testaments are consistent that when God warns his people about an impending danger, he expects them to show faith by acting on his warning and preparing for it.

Prophesied Warnings about the Latter Days:

What about our modern times? Christians in many denominations and with many differing doctrinal concepts can see that our modern times are fulfilling the prophecies about the “latter days” to occur at the end of our age. To examine much evidence that we do, indeed, live in the latter days, please read my article, Are We Living in the Latter Days?, available at the articles link at my website, .

The Bible has many warnings that the end of our age will witness many traumas and hardships. I do not want to be a scaremonger so I’ll state very clearly that I do not know how soon these events will occur. Will the entire globe suffer each prophesied disaster or will various plagues and disasters strike various regions of the earth in different ways? Again, I claim no foreknowledge on this matter. However, the Bible‘s prophecies to date have always come true (as my books document in many ways), so the end-time prophesied dangers will befall the earth sometime in the future.

Because God has given latter-day believers many advance warnings about the looming dangers and disasters coming upon the earth in the latter days, we are in a situation where God would logically expect us to heed his warnings and make advance preparations for the dangers as best we can. Latter days Christians are in the same situation that faced Noah, Joseph and the early Christians in the time of Paul and Agabus. They all took God’s warning seriously and made necessary advance preparations. That is the response that modern believers should also take today because we have also been told in advance via God’s Word that many dangers are certain to occur in the latter days.

What are the specific dangers that are prophesied in the Bible to occur in the time between now and the return of Jesus Christ?
Specific Threats Prophesied for the Latter Days:

As I know from my reader emails, people in a wide variety of nations visit my website and read my materials. Some of the prophesied dangers in the latter days have already happened (or are happening now) in various nations on earth. However, in many western nations, large parts of our populations live in such a personal “comfort zone” that they scarcely realize that these dangers could threaten them as well. Here are some of the dangers and traumas which the Bible specifically warns us will occur in the latter days.

Wars

Jesus warned in Matthew 24:7 that “wars and rumors of wars” will occur in the latter days. Revelation 6:4 and 8 warn that wars will be widespread during the end of this age, and prophesies that “the fourth part” of the earth will be slain with war and the other plagues personified by the “four horsemen of the apocalypse.” If there are eight billion people on earth by the time this prophecy is fulfilled, a literal application of the Bible’s math indicates 2 billion people will die of these plagues. Joel 2 and Ezekiel 38 prophesy that the nations of the ten tribes of “Israel” will be invaded at the end of this age with horrific casualties all over the earth in a global World War III. Zechariah 14 warns that modern Judah (the Israelis) will also be invaded at the end of this age.

Famines and Pestilences

Whenever there are famines, pestilences (disease epidemics) inevitably follow as malnourished people have weakened immune systems. Matthew 24:7 prophecies “famines and pestilences” will befall the earth in the latter days, and Revelation 6:5-6, 8 offer the same warning. The wording of Revelation 6:6 infers that food will be rationed in the latter days due to food shortages. Such food shortages can come from drought, premature frosts in temperate growing zones, locust and grasshopper plagues, floods, plant viruses, natural disasters, etc. The die-off of bees due to Colony Collapse Disorder threatens many crops which need bees as pollinators. Famines and pestilences can easily also strike refugee populations that are dislocated due to warfare.

Earthquakes

Matthew 24:7 also prophesies that there will be “earthquakes in various places” in the latter days. Since their have always been earthquakes throughout history, this prophecy must indicate that there will be greater tectonic activity in the latter days to make this period of time unique. Volcanoes could also fit in this category. Other “latter day” prophecies in Isaiah 2:19, Ezekiel 38:20, Joel 2:10 and Revelation 6:12 and 11:13 also warn about earthquakes of historic intensity occurring at the end of our age. There have been many damaging earthquakes around the world in recent decades. The phrase “in various places’ means earthquakes will occur in many different regions of the globe in the latter days. Whenever California does experience the “Big One” that is eventually expected, it will cause incredible dislocations within the USA.

Hurricanes and Tsunamis

Luke 21:25 includes a warning about “the sea and waves roaring” in the latter days. When the seas and waves “roar,” we call them hurricanes and tsunamis. Hurricane Katrina (with immense property damage) and the Indian Ocean Tsunami (with immense loss of life as well as property damage) are prime examples of the fulfillment of this prophecy. In Revelation 8:8, the Apostle John described a vision of the latter days in which he saw “a great mountain burning with fire
cast into the sea.” If this prophecy is fulfilled by a meteor striking the earth (it would look like a “burning mountain” as it fell through the earth’s atmosphere), can you imagine the size of the tsunami that will strike the coastlands of every continent which borders the ocean in which it hits?

Planetary Disasters/Earth Changes

Isaiah 24:19-20 warns the earth itself will be “utterly broken down,” “moved exceedingly,” and that it will “reel to and fro like a drunkard” in the end times. This language indicates the earth will wobble on its axis as it orbits the sun. If the earth is hit by a meteor (Revelation 8:8), it would certainly cause the earth to wobble on its axis. A severe wobble in the earth’s rotation would also cause instability in the earth’s weather and tectonic plates (causing some of the the prophesied earthquakes in the latter days). Isaiah 24:1 prophesies “the Lord
turns [the earth] upside down.” This language could be fulfilled by a magnetic pole reversal or dislocation of continents, jets streams, ocean currents, climate patterns, etc. The earth changes that will occur will affect everyone on the planet. Some may be greater than our ability to foresee. Mankind will learn that it lives on a planet made and designed by a Creator we call “God.” The Creator will prove to mankind that its empires and politics are to God like the activities of ants in an ant hill are to a man who walks by and shuffles his feet through the anthill. The glory of the Living God will be made known to mankind in awesome fashion in the latter days.

The Two Witnesses

This heading might surprise some readers. However, Revelation 11:6 warns that all kinds of plagues will be caused by the Two Witnesses who will afflict and affect wide swaths of the earth. Imagine the hardship caused upon lands which have their “waters turned to blood.” The Two Witnesses will have divinely-delegated powers to “shut heaven,” thereby causing drought and famine wherever their plagues are directed. This verse prophesies that these Two Witnesses will even be empowered by God to “smite the earth with all plagues as often as they will.” Their plagues will be designed to bear witness to the earth that the Creator of the earth, the great God of the Bible, is very real and that he is about to return to the earth to rule all nations, and that mankind needs to repent and yield to its Creator’s authority. For more information about the extraordinary ministry of the Two Witnesses, please read my article, The Two Witnesses, available at my website, .

Global Panic

As if the above listing of traumas isn’t enough, Luke 21:11 adds that there will be “fearful sights and great signs
from heaven” at the climax of the latter days. Is it predicting near-misses by comets, a super-nova in a nearby star or divinely-caused miraculous signs in the heavens? I don’t know, but something big is prophesied to occur in the skies that will cause “fearful” responses among the nations. These heavenly signs will likely trigger a mass of false prophets trying to capitalize on what is occurring (false prophets are also prophesied in Matthew 24:24 to be common in the latter days). All the above factors will generate panics among the people of the earth, and panics have widespread effects in public health, food distribution, crime rates, economic activity, etc.

The above are a general listing of the plagues, dangers and woes that are prophesied in the Bible to occur on this earth just before its Creator returns. The earth will experience paroxysms of events that will be unprecedented. Luke 21:26 prophesies that many will die of heart attacks because they will be overwhelmed by events befalling the earth. I want to reiterate that I do not know how soon these events will occur. However, biblical prophecies prove we are already living in the latter days, and Matthew 24:44 and Matthew 25:1-1-13 warn that Jesus Christ/Yahshua will return unexpectedly and sooner than even his believers anticipate.

What Should Christians Do to Prepare?

Spiritual Preparation:

To endure future prophesied events, there is no substitute for developing as close a relationship as you can with God via prayer, Bible Study, fasting, mediation, fellowship with other believers, etc. James 4:8 promises that if anyone draws near to him, God will draw nearer to them in return. Luke 21:36 tells us to “watch” world events to understand the end times and to “pray
that you may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.” God promises protections to those who repent of their sins and turn to him. Revelation 12:13-17 prophesies that believers who are close to God will be divinely-protected in the end times while those who are not close to God will not be protected. I want to stress that I am no one’s judge, and do not want to be one. A person’s relationship with their Maker is a very individual thing, and God alone will judge the quality and closeness of each believer’s relationship to him. However, no one should wait too long to seek God. Isaiah 55:6-9 tells us that God’s mercies are so great to those who repent that they are beyond our ability to fathom them, but it also warns that he should be sought “while he may be found.”

Physical Preparation:

The above listing of traumas to come upon the earth in the latter days warns that food and water will be in short supply in various places, food will be rationed, diseases will be rampant, earthquakes, hurricanes and tsunamis will be experienced, etc. Obviously, where you live logically determines what specific threat that you might have to face. Those who live near oceans need to prepare for hurricanes or tsunamis. Those living inland are more likely to be affected by drought, floods or tornadoes. Anyone could experience food and water shortages wherever they live depending on what occurs in the future. People who live in regions of the earth where wars are occurring or are possible make preparations for shelter and the necessities of life in a time of war. Keep in mind future warfare may involve more than military combat. It may also include electronic hacking attacks to shut down power grids and essential infrastructures. People who live in northern climates need to have back-up plans for emergency shelter and warmth in the event electricity or gas supplies are interrupted during cold weather. People in some regions hit by ice storms have already had to go weeks before electricity was restored.

All preparations should be made in a common-sense manner. No one can prepare for every possible kind of event. Please don’t become a survivalist who heads for a cave or compound with your canned goods and guns! God can protect you wherever you are! Also, God knows what you can or can’t do to prepare for future traumas. Those who have many financial resources should prepare to help not just their own families, but others who will be in need. Matthew 25:31-46 makes that very clear.

I found the following link via the FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) website which offers a common sense listing of essential preparations everyone should make for any emergency. It advises storing enough food (and other essentials) for “at least three days.” See ready.gov/business/plan/emersupply.html. A three-day supply of essential supplies may be enough to enable one to cope with a very local disaster. However, Americans who witnessed the slow response of governmental agencies in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina realize that a three day supply of essentials wouldn’t be nearly enough to survive a disaster that affects several states at once. When the scale of biblically-prophesied events to befall the earth happens in the latter days, it is clear government responses will be inadequate to help so many in need. I recall seeing media coverage of people in the USA last winter who had to live weeks without electricity in the aftermath of an ice storm. Are you prepared to cope with such an emergency? The advice in the FEMA link above is valuable advice to follow even if no biblical traumas were prophesied. Local disasters can happen anywhere. You need to be prepared.

Ultimate Reliance on God:

In conclusion, believers of the Bible face a situation in the latter days like that faced by Joseph in ancient Egypt or Noah before the Flood. Just as these men were warned of an impending regional drought and a global Flood, we have been warned of many specific traumas that will affect the earth at the conclusion of our latter-day period of time. Even as Joseph and Noah were expected by God to show faith by preparing for imminent divinely-revealed dangers, people in the latter days should show faith by preparing as best as we can for the divinely-revealed dangers to come. The extent to which you prepare depends on your relationship with God, the means you have to prepare, the location in which you live, etc. As I said above, no one can prepare for everything.

The biblical prophesies are so apocalyptic that it may well be that no matter what preparations you make, you may eventually find yourself dependent on God for physical protection and the necessities of life. Psalm 91 contains many promises of God’s protections for those who obey him. Claim these promises in prayer. At the very end of this age, it is likely that we will all need to rely on God for our needs no matter what preparations we make. However, biblical precedents confirm that God does expect us to make preparations when he gives us advance warnings about impending dangers. Biblical prophesies about the latter days have many warnings about the dangers that will come to pass in the latter days. You should be making such reasonable preparations as you can.

Joseph and Noah were told by God about imminent dangers and they prepared for those dangers. Latter-day believers have been warned as well about dangers to befall mankind at the end of our age. As Jesus said in Matthew 24:25: “behold I have told you before [the latter day events occur].” Have you started to make your preparations to provide for your family and for others who will be in need? Those who help others in times of need are promised God’s favor, but those who hoard things for themselves and harden their hearts to the needy in a time of trouble are promised God’s punishment (Matthew 25:31-46). As you make your preparations for the future, remember that it always better to be able to give than to have to receive (Acts 20:35). If you can do so, prepare to have enough to be a giver to those who will be in need.

A friend has made me a commercial for The Prophecies of Abraham. You can view it at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRIuOJ2cHwg You can also help me by sharing it with everyone you know or on Face Book or the other social networks you are on.

 


Triennial Torah Cycle

 

We now return to our 3 1/2 year Torah studies which you can follow online.

Gen 49       1 Kings 1      Ps 99-102       Luke 12

Genesis 49

This chapter of Genesis is so rich as it explains the blessings to each of the 12 tribes of Israel. Moses too blesses the 12 tribes in Deuteronomy 33. It is when you take these two chapters and look at the Constellations and at the way the camp of Israel was laid out that many things are revealed to you.

I have had a very busy week this week and as such I urge you to read the book by E.W. Bulinger called The Witness in the Stars. I will give you the table of contents and preface.

Once you know these teachings you will understand the importance of the big Dipper and little dipper and the Ship Argo and the constellation of Cancer and how they relate to each of the three feast seasons; the Barley, and the Wheat and all the rest of the harvest. You will learn about the secret place of Cancer and the bee hive and the sheep folds. And as you do this you will learn what we are to do in the last days. There is much to study here and much to learn. I could spend five News letters on this subject, and I have touched on it a number of time in the past.

If you type in mazzeroth sightedmoon.com you can find a couple of articles and you can also go to:

  • Newsletter 5846-019    Hospitality and Shibboleth And Simon Magus, where I talk on this subject.

http://www.levendwater.org/books/witness/chap31.htm
Levend Water

The Witness of the Stars

E. W. Bullinger
1893

Table of Contents
Preface
Introduction

The First Book
The Redeemer
(His First Coming)
“The sufferings of Christ”

Chapter I
The Prophecy of the Promised Seed of the Woman
VIRGO (The Virgin. A woman bearing a branch in her right hand and an ear of corn in her left). The Promised Seed of the woman.
1. COMA (The Desired. The woman and child). The Desired of all nations.
2. CENTAURUS (The Centaur with two natures, holding a spear piercing a victim). The despised sin offering.
3. BOOTES (a man walking bearing a branch called ARCTURUS, meaning the same). He cometh.

Chapter II
The Redeemer’s Atoning Work
LIBRA (The Scales). The price deficient balanced by the price which covers.
1. CRUX, The Cross endured.
2. LUPUS, or VICTIMA, The Victim slain.
3. CORONA, The Crown bestowed.

Chapter III
The Redeemer’s Conflict
SCORPIO (The Scorpion) seeking to wound, but itself trodden under foot.
1. SERPENS (The Serpent struggling with the man).
2. O-PHI-U-CHUS (The man grasping the serpent). The struggle with the enemy.
3. HERCULES (The mighty man. A man kneeling on one knee, humbled in the conflict, but holding aloft the tokens of victory, with his foot on the head of the Dragon). The mighty Vanquisher seeming to sink in the conflict.

Chapter IV
The Redeemer’s Triumph
SAGITTARIUS (The Archer). The two-natured Conqueror going forth “Conquering and to conquer.”
1. LYRA (The Harp). Praise prepared for the Conqueror.
2. ARA (The Altar). Consuming fire prepared for His enemies.
3. DRACO (The Dragon). The Old Serpent–the Devil, cast down from heaven.

The Second Book
The Redeemed
“The result of the Redeemer’s sufferings”

Chapter I
Their Blessings Procured
CAPRICORNUS (The fish-goat). The goat of Atonement slain for the Redeemed.
1. SAGITTA (The Arrow). The arrow of God sent forth.
2. AQUILA (The Eagle). The smitten One falling.
3. DELPHINUS (The Dolphin). The dead One rising again.

Chapter II
Their Blessings Ensured
AQUARIUS (The Water-Bearer). The living waters of blessing poured forth for the Redeemed.
1. PISCIS AUSTRALIS (The Southern Fish). The blessings bestowed.
2. PEGASUS (The Winged Horse). The blessings quickly coming.
3. CYGNUS (The Swan). The Blesser surely returning.

Chapter III
Their Blessings in Abeyance
PISCES (The Fishes). The Redeemed blessed though bound.
1. THE BAND–bound, but binding their great enemy Cetus, the sea monster.
2. ANDROMEDA (The Chained Woman). The Redeemed in their bondage and affliction.
3. CEPHEUS (The King). Their Redeemer coming to rule.

Chapter IV
Their Blessings Consummated and Enjoyed
ARIES (The Ram or Lamb). The Lamb that was slain, prepared for the victory.
1. CASSIOPEIA (The Enthroned Woman). The captive delivered, and preparing for her husband, the Redeemer.
2. CETUS (The Sea Monster). The great enemy bound.
3. PERSEUS (The Breaker). Delivering His redeemed.

The Third Book
The Redeemer
(His Second Coming)
“The glory that should follow”

Chapter I
Messiah, The Coming Judge of All the Earth
TAURUS (The Bull). Messiah coming to rule.
1. ORION, Light breaking forth in the person of the Redeemer.
2. ERIDANUS (The River of the Judge). Wrath breaking forth for His enemies.
3. AURIGA (The Shepherd). Safety for the Redeemed in the day of that wrath.

Chapter II
Messiah’s Reign as Prince of Peace
GEMINI (The Twins). The twofold nature of the King.
1. LEPUS (The Hare), or THE ENEMY trodden under foot.
2. CANIS MAJOR (The Dog), or SIRIUS, the coming glorious Prince of Princes.
3. CANIS MINOR (The Second Dog), or PROCYON, the exalted Redeemer.

Chapter III
Messiah’s Redeemed Possessions
CANCER (The Crab). The possession held fast.
1. URSA MINOR (The Lesser Bear). The lesser sheepfold.
2. URSA MAJOR (The Great Bear). The fold and the flock.
3. ARGO (The Ship). The redeemed pilgrims safe at home.

Chapter IV
Messiah’s Consummated Triumph
LEO (The Lion). The Lion of the Tribe of Judah aroused for the rending of the Enemy.
1. HYDRA (The Serpent). That old Serpent–the Devil, destroyed.
2. CRATER (The Cup). The cup of Divine wrath poured out upon him.
3. CORVUS (The Crow, or Raven). Birds of prey devouring him.

For Signs and For Seasons

Such are the contents of this wondrous book that is written in the heavens. Thus has God been speaking and emphasizing and developing His first great prophetic promise of Genesis 3:15.

Though for more than 2,500 years His people had not this Revelation written in a book as we now have it in the Bible, they were not left in ignorance and darkness as to God’s purposes and counsels; nor were they without hope as to ultimate deliverance from all evil and from the Evil One.

Adam, who first heard that wondrous promise, repeated it, and gave it to his posterity as a most precious heritage–the ground of all their faith, the substance of all their hope, the object of all their desire. Seth and Enoch took it up. Enoch, we know, prophesied of the Lord’s coming, saying, “Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousands of His saints to execute judgment upon all” (Jude 14). How could these “holy prophets, since the world began,” have recorded their prophecies better, or more effectually, or more truthfully and powerfully, than in these star-pictures and their interpretation? This becomes a certainty when we remember the words of the Holy Spirit by Zacharias (Luke 1:67-70):
“Blessed be the Lord God of Israel;
For He hath visited and redeemed His people,
And hath raised up a horn of salvation for us
In the house of His servant David;
As He spake by the mouth of HIS HOLY PROPHETS
WHICH HAVE BEEN SINCE THE WORLD BEGAN.”

The same truth is revealed through Peter, in Acts 3:20, 21: “He shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you;
whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all HIS HOLY PROPHETS SINCE THE WORLD BEGAN.”

These words have new meaning for us, if we see the things which were spoken “since the world began,” thus written in the heavens, which utter speech (i.e. prophecy), and show forth this knowledge day after day and night after night, the heritage of all the earth, and their words reaching unto the ends of the world.

This Revelation, coinciding as it does in all its facts and truths with that afterwards recorded “in the Volume of the Book,” must have had the same Divine origin, must have been made known by the inspiration of the same Holy Spirit.

We now proceed to compare the two, and we shall see how they agree at every point, proving that the source and origin of this Divine Revelation is one and the same.

Preface
Some years ago it was my privilege to enjoy the acquaintance of Miss Frances Rolleston, of Keswick, and to carry on a correspondence with her with respect to her work, Mazzaroth or, the Constellations. She was the first to create an interest in this important subject. Since then Dr. Joseph A. Seiss, of Philadelphia, has endeavored to popularize her work on the other side of the Atlantic; and brief references have been made to the subject in such books as Moses and Geology, by Dr. Kinns, and in Primeval Man; but it was felt, for many reasons, that it was desirable to make another effort to set forth, in a more complete form, the witness of the stars to prophetic truth, so necessary in these last days.

To the late Miss Rolleston, however, belongs the honor of collecting a mass of information bearing on this subject; but, published as it was, chiefly in the form of notes, unarranged and unindexed, it was suited only for, but was most valuable to, the student. It was she who performed the drudgery of collecting the facts presented by Albumazer, the Arab astronomer to the Caliphs of Grenada, AD 850; and the Tables drawn up by Ulugh Beigh, the Tartar prince and astronomer, about AD 1450, who gives the Arabian astronomy as it had come down from the earliest times.

Modern astronomers have preserved, and still have in common use, the ancient names of over a hundred of the principal stars which have been handed down; but now these names are used merely as a convenience, and without any reference to their significance.

This work is an attempt to popularize this ancient information, and to use it in the interest of truth.

For the ancient astronomical facts and the names, with their meaning, I am, from the very nature of the case, indebted, of course, to all who have preserved, collected, and handed them down; but for their interpretation I am alone responsible.

It is the possession of “that blessed hope” of Christ’s speedy return from heaven which will give true interest in the great subject of this book.

No one can dispute the antiquity of the signs of the Zodiac, or of the constellations. No one can question the accuracy of the ancient star names which have come down to us, for they are still preserved in every good celestial atlas. And we hope that no one will be able to resist the cumulative evidence that, apart from God’s grace in Christ there is no hope for sinners now; and apart from God’s glory, as it will be manifested in the return of Christ from heaven, there is no hope for Israel, no hope for the world, no hope for a groaning creaton. In spite of all the vaunted promises of a religious world, and of a worldly church, to remove the effects of the curse by a social gospel of sanitation, we are more and more shut up to the prophecy of Genesis 3:15, which we wait and long to see fulfilled in Christ as our only hope. This is beautifully expressed by the late Dr. William Leask:
And is there none before? No perfect peace
Unbroken by the storms and cares of life,
Until the time of waiting for Him cease,
By His appearing to destory the strife.
No, none before.
Do we not hear that through the flag of grace
By faithful messengers of God unfurled,
All men will be converted, and the place
Of man’s rebellion be a holy world?
Yes, so we hear.
Is it not true that to the Church is given
The holy honor of dispelling night
And bringing back the human race to heaven,
By kindling everywhere the Gospel light?
It is not true.
Is this the hope–that Christ the Lord will come,
In all the glory of His royal right,
Redeemer and Avenger, taking home
His saints, and crushing the usurper’s might?
This is the hope.

May the God of all grace accept and bless this effort to show forth His glory, and use it to strengthen His people in waiting for His Son from Heaven, even Jesus which delivered us from the wrath to come.
Ethelbert W. Bullinger

 

1 Kings 1

The year that Solomon began to reign as King was 970 BC.

http://www.azamra.org/Bible/I%20Kings%201-2.htm
I KINGS CHAPTER 1
Although the Book of Kings is divided for convenience into I Kings and II Kings, it is really all one book spanning a period of over four hundred years from the last days of David and the golden age of Solomon’s glory through the split of his kingdom into two and the succeeding eras of decline, revival and further decline leading eventually to the exile of the Ten Tribes, the destruction of the First Temple and the exile of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin to Babylon. The simple moral of the Book of Kings is that only through faithful obedience to the Torah of Moses can the people of Israel survive and flourish in their Land.

DAVID’S LAST DAYS

David never had a moment of rest and tranquility from the beginning of his career until the very end of his life, when new troubles broke out with the attempted seizure of the throne by Adoniyahu. Old age had jumped upon David – he was only seventy years old – because of the long series of exhausting wars he endured. The coldness from which he suffered is said to have resulted from his having been chilled by the specter of the sword-wielding angel he had seen in Jerusalem at the time of the plague, while his inability to be warmed even when covered with garments is attributed to his having shown disrespect for clothes when he tore the corner of King Saul’s garment (I Chronicles 21:30; Talmud Berachos 62b). David’s “coldness” also signifies his ascent to a supreme level of contemplative understanding, for “Cold of spirit is the man of understanding” (Proverbs 14:27).

Our text attributes Adoniahu’s rebellion to a pedagogical failure by David, who never properly disciplined his handsome, personable son, who went in the ways of Absalom (v 6). David’s commander-in-chief Joab supported Adoniahu’s bid for the throne because he knew that David was angry with him for having killed Avner, Amasa and Absalom and would make sure that Solomon took revenge on him if he ever came to the throne. Eviatar the Priest had taken refuge with David when Saul killed the priests of Nov and had served as High Priest thereafter until the time of Abasolom’s rebellion, when he failed to elicit an answer from the Urim Ve-Thumim and was deposed in favor of Tzadok. Eviatar was from the ill-fated house of Eli the Priest who had been rejected from serving in the Temple that Solomon was to build, and thus Eviatar had an interest in siding with Adoniahu.

The reason why Nathan the Prophet rather than Gad intervened on behalf of Solomon was because Nathan himself had prophesied to David that Solomon would reign (II Samuel 7:12; I Chronicles 22:9). It is said that when Batsheva’s first child from David died, she refused to agree to any further relations with David unless he swore to her that her child would reign – in order to dispel the aura of scandal that surrounded David’s marriage with her (II Samuel 12:24; I Kings 1:17).

Batsheva concluded her demand to David to fulfill his oath to her by pointing out that if he failed to assert Solomon’s rights to the throne and Adoniahu reigned, “I and my son Solomon will be LACKING”. The use here of the Hebrew word HATA’IM, which in other contexts is translated as “sinning”, throws considerable light on the Torah concept of HEIT, “sin”. The root HATA is explained by Rashi (on v 21) as “missing the mark”, as when an archer misses his target. In other words, if we “sin”, we FALL SHORT of what we could and should have attained.

THE ANOINTMENT OF SOLOMON

God had given the kingship over Israel to David AND HIS SEED forever, and according to the Torah law of kings, a son who succeeds his father as king is not normally anointed because the kingship is his by inheritance (Talmud Shekalim 16a). However, David saw that it was necessary to have Solomon ceremonially anointed in the presence of the High Priest together with the Urim Ve-Thumim as well as the prophet Nathan and David’s new Commander-in-Chief Benaya ben Yehoyada in order to publicly reject Adoniahu’s counterclaim to the kingship.

Riding on David’s own mule was itself a sign that Solomon was king, since nobody but a new king is permitted to use any of the appurtenances of the previous king. (Since a mule is a hybrid of a horse and donkey, it would normally be forbidden to ride on one because of the prohibition of KIL’AYIM, “forbidden mixed species”, but there is a tradition that David’s PERED was a unique animal dating from the six days of creation, Yerushalmi Kil’ayim 8:2). Solomon was anointed with the anointing oil prepared by Moses in the Wilderness. The ceremony took place at the spring of Shilo’ah, which is also called Ha-Gihon from the Hebrew root GI-AH meaning “to flow, be drawn”, signifying that Solomon’s kingship would continue forever. Benaya was not afraid even in David’s presence to bless Solomon that he should be even greater than his father, because Benaya knew that “a man is not jealous of his son’s success” (Rashi on v 37). Thus David gave over the throne to Solomon in his own lifetime with great joy (compare the opening section of Rabbi Nachman’s Story of the Seven Beggars), and Adoniahu was put under house arrest.

* * * The passage in I Kings vv. 1-31 is read as the Haftara of Parshas Chayey Sarah Gen. 23:1-25:18 * * *

 

Psalm 99-102

http://www.ucg.org/bible-commentary/Psalms/default.aspx
Psalm 99 is the last of the set of royal psalms beginning with Psalm 93. It appears to form a couplet with Psalm 98, as Psalm 97 does with 96. Psalms 97 and 99 both open with the same key phrase, “The LORD reigns,” and they both mention the special benefits of this reign to Zion. This can refer to the physical city of Jerusalem and its inhabitants or to God’s spiritual people. “Jacob” in 99:4 refers to the physical nation of Israel, wherein God has previously executed just and righteous rule and will do so again in His Kingdom—as a preview of how He will then extend His rule to all nations.

A running theme through Psalm 98 is God’s holiness. Note the similar refrain at the end of verses 3, 5 and 9: “He is holy…He is holy…the LORD our God is holy.” As The Nelson Study Bible explains: “Holy means to be ‘distant’ or ‘distinct from.’ This is the principle word used to describe the transcendence of God (113:4-6)” (note on Psalm 99:3). In line with this, verse 2 states that God is “high above all the peoples.” Another commentator says: “The word ‘holy’ means ‘separate, set apart, totally different.’ God’s nature is ‘wholly other,’ yet He was willing to dwell with His people and meet their needs” (Wiersbe, Be Exultant, note on verses 1-3). Indeed, despite how high above us God is (compare Isaiah 55:8-9), we are also told that “He is not far from each one of us” (Acts 17:27).

In response to the majesty and power of God’s reign, people on earth should tremble and shake with awe (Psalm 99:1, NIV). God dwelling “between the cherubim” (same verse) may refer to God’s exalted throne in heaven—yet the significance here may be that of God coming down to the earthly model of His heavenly throne in the tabernacle or temple. Recall the two golden cherubim fashioned to cover the mercy seat of the Ark of the Covenant (Exodus 25:18-20). During the time of Israel’s wilderness years, God met with Moses at the mercy seat: “And there I will meet with you, and I will speak with you from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubim which are on the ark of the Testimony” (Exodus 25:22). This would seem to parallel the later statement in Psalm 99 regarding God speaking to Moses, Aaron and Samuel “in the cloudy pillar” (verse 7), which came down into the tabernacle, evidently still in Samuel’s day as it later did in Solomon’s temple (see 1 Kings 8:10-11). Even so, when Christ comes in power to rule the nations, He will rule from the earthly temple in Jerusalem and the pillar of cloud and fire will be restored (Isaiah 4:5).

Worshipping at God’s “footstool” in Psalm 99:5 connotes a feeling of humility. From His throne in heaven, God looks on the earth as His footstool (Isaiah 66:1; Matthew 5:35). Yet more specifically, He refers to the place of His tabernacle or temple as His footstool (Psalm 132:7; Isaiah 60:13)—and that is evidently what is meant here, given the parallel mention of God’s “holy hill” (Psalm 99:9). “When the Israelites came to the temple in Jerusalem to worship, they pictured themselves as being at the feet of the Creator” (Nelson Study Bible, note on verse 5).

In verse 6, Moses is classed with Aaron as a priest in the sense of an intercessor between God and man. Indeed, all of the spiritually converted people of God are considered to form a priesthood (1 Peter 2:5, 9). The psalmist remembers that God answered the faithful men of old—Moses, Aaron and Samuel serving as examples of this (there having been many others). Although God punished their sins, He still answered them with forgiveness: “You were to them God-Who-Forgives” (verse 8).
The psalmist infers that, “since God answered the prayers of our ancestors, surely He will continue to answer the prayers of those who call upon Him” (Nelson Study Bible, note on verse 6). Indeed, He does so today and will do so even more dramatically when His coming reign over the earth is established. All of this again demonstrates that despite God’s high and holy transcendence above our lowly earthly existence, He is intimately concerned with His people and faithfully responds to their worship and prayers.

Psalm 100 is an unattributed psalm of public thanksgiving to God that follows the set of royal psalms from 93 to 99. “Perhaps the ancient editors felt that the royal psalms demanded the response of worship provided by this psalm” (Nelson Study Bible, note on Psalm 100). The psalm also closes the entire section of psalms beginning with Psalm 90. Psalm 100 is related to Psalm 95:1-2 and, as we will see, to 95:6-7. And its opening words in 100:1 are the same in Hebrew as the first line of Psalm 98:4, there translated, “Shout joyfully to the LORD, all the earth.”

The full response to this call will later come when Jesus Christ establishes the Kingdom of God on the earth. Under His rule, everyone will experience the gladness (verse 2) of living in harmony with God. At that time singing with joy to the Lord will be natural and spontaneous. In the meantime, worshippers come before Him anticipating the future with joy—in spite of circumstances of the world.

The basis for giving thanks is that God, as our Creator, has made us. We did not make ourselves (verse 3). “For in Him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28). Moreover, God guides us, cares for us and provides for us as a shepherd does his sheep (see Psalm 100:3b). The same basis for praise is laid out in Psalm 95:6-7.

We are commanded to enter into God’s presence and worship Him because He is eternally good, loving and merciful (verses 4-5). The gates and courts here picture the temple where people come through the gates into the courts to praise God as a congregation. It also symbolizes the fellowship and worship of God’s spiritual temple today, His Church, as well as the great throngs of worship in the coming Kingdom.

As the Zondervan NIV Study Bible points out, Psalms 101-110 appear to form “a collection of ten psalms located between two other groups (…Ps 90-100; 111-119) and framed by two psalms that pertain to the king (the first, the king’s vow to pattern his reign after God’s righteous rule; the last, God’s commitment to maintain the king—his anointed—and give him victories over all his enemies. This little psalter-within-the-Psalter is concentrically arranged. Inside the frame [of 101 and 110], Ps 102 and 109 are prayers of individuals in times of intense distress; [within these] Ps 103 and 108 praise the Lord for his ‘great…love’ that reaches to the heavens (103:11; 108:4); [within these] Ps 104 and 107 are complements, with 104 celebrating God’s many wise and benevolent acts in creation and 107 celebrating God’s ‘wonderful deeds’ (vv. 8, 15, 21, 24, 31) for people through his lordship over creation; and [finally within these] the remaining two are also complements, with Ps 105 reciting the history of Israel’s redemption and 106 reciting the same history as a history of Israel’s rebellion. This little psalter includes most of the forms and themes found in the rest of the psalter. Its outer frame is devoted to royal psalms and its center pair to recitals of Israel’s history with God…. As a collection it bears a distinctly redemption-history stamp and evokes recollection of all the salient elements of the O[ld] T[estament] message” (note on Psalms 101-110).

Given this apparent collection, there is the obvious problem of the book division occurring within it at Psalm 107. Recall, however, from the Bible Reading Program’s introduction to Psalms that the division between Books IV and V of the Psalter appears to be an artificial late change—seemingly made primarily to create a fivefold division of the Psalms to correspond with the five books of the Law, likely to have the temple songs follow along with the Scripture reading cycle. We will note more about this matter when we come to Psalm 107 in our reading.

Psalm 101 is a royal psalm of David composed in the form a commitment. As is the case with most psalms, it is not clear whether he originally intended this as a solely personal expression or planned from the beginning for it to be used by others. In any event, when included in the Psalter its words of commitment were certainly to be proclaimed by others—these being successor rulers (as only they had the power to administer justice in the fashion proclaimed in the psalm). Thus, the psalm could have become a sort of oath of office.

David is determined to “behave wisely in a perfect way” or, as the New International Version renders this, to “be careful to lead a blameless life” (verse 2). He begins by praising God, because God’s mercy (or lovingkindness) and justice motivate David to rule Israel with the same gracious care and upright fairness.

God had made known His expectations for the kings of Israel (Deuteronomy 17:14-20). The king was to write his own copy of the law and study it “all the days of his life” so that he would properly fear God, administer God’s laws and treat his subjects with respect. David vows that in his “house”—his royal office and administration—he will be scrupulous in matters of justice, love and mercy (Psalm 101:2b). By leading a “blameless” life, David meant that he would live with integrity and integrate his life with God’s purpose. He was not implying that he would never sin (though he would of course strive not to).

The question “Oh, when will you come to me?” (verse 2) may refer to David’s need for special help from God, or it may relate to the Ark of the Covenant. As one commentator explains regarding this verse: “Once David was established on the throne in Jerusalem, he had a consuming desire to bring the ark of God back to the sanctuary so that God’s throne might be near his throne. His question in verse 2, ‘When will you come to me?’ reflects this desire. The ark had been in the house of Abinidab for many years (1 Sam. 6:1-7:2) and then in the house of Obed-Edom after David’s aborted attempt to relocate it (2 Sam. 6:1-11)” (Wiersbe, Be Exultant, introductory note on Psalm 101). There was a great lesson in the latter episode. For God’s law, which David as king was to read and write his own copy of, clearly states how the ark was to be transported. God does want to “come to” us—but only on His terms.

David states that his administration will be different from how other kings in the region ruled. He says he will set “nothing wicked” or “no vile thing” (NIV)—literally, no thing of Belial (this word connoting utter worthlessness and later used as a name for Satan)—before his eyes. He may be referring to an idol or an evil practice or person—with setting this thing or person before the eyes meaning looking to it or such a person for guidance or affording it or him a place of honor and privilege in his presence. This would not happen in David’s reign.

By “the deeds of faithless men” (verse 3, NIV) or “the work of those who fall away” (NKJV), David may be referring to Saul’s administration—that he will have no part with that kind of leadership. David had a consuming desire to clean things up when he took office. “When David became king, first in Hebron and then at Jerusalem, he inherited a divided land and a discouraged people whose spiritual life was at low ebb. Asaph described the situation in 78:56-72 and named David as God’s answer to Israel’s problems. Everything rises and falls with leadership, but many of King Saul’s officers were fawning flattering ‘toadies’ who were unable to work with a man like David” (same note).

In support of David’s desire for a righteous administration, he states that no one in his employ will lie, practice deceit, slander, or demonstrate a lack of respect for others—rather, going to the heart of good leadership, he will look for the faithful of the land to serve with him (verses 4-7). The Expositor’s Bible Commentary states: “The king invites only people of integrity to ‘dwell’ with him and to serve in his presence as appointed courtiers. Only by surrounding himself with the best and most capable men who will advance the interest of God can the king rest assured that the kingdom of God is strengthened” (note on verse 6).

David closes the psalm with a vow that it would be part of his daily routine to rout evil and wickedness from the land, especially in Jerusalem—the standard would be set there in his capital city first (verse 8).

Of course, as a fallible human being, David did not always live up to his intentions. Consider that such a despicable person as his nephew Joab was high in David’s administration for the length of its duration. The commitments of this psalm will be perfectly fulfilled during the administration of David’s descendant Jesus Christ—which will include David himself, then resurrected and perfect, as well as all Christians who remain faithful to Christ, who will then serve as divine kings under Him.

Psalm 102 is a lamenting prayer by an unnamed individual in severe affliction and distress—apparently during a time of national distress: “The title…in accordance with vv. 1-11, 23-24…designates the prayer as that of an individual. But vv. 12-22, 28 clearly indicate national involvement in the calamity. It may be that the distress suffered by the individual, while its description suggests physical illness, is the result of his sharing in a national disaster such as the exile—a suggestion supported by references to the restoration of Zion” (Zondervan NIV Study Bible, note on Psalm 102 title). Indeed, beyond the lament, the psalm also looks forward with hope and faith to the restoration of God’s people—in an ultimate sense at the establishment of His Kingdom—making this a fitting psalm for its placement in Book IV of the Psalter, which points to the time of the coming messianic reign.

The prayer opens with a plea that God would hear the psalmist’s cry and quickly come to his aid (verses 1-2). In these two short verses he makes five requests for God’s attention: hear me; let my cry come to you; don’t hide from me; turn your ear to me; answer me quickly. The situation is simply awful. Life, its delights gone, is ebbing away. In his constant grief and despair the psalmist forgets about and doesn’t feel like eating—leading to malnutrition and emaciation (verses 3-5, 9, 11). He feels forsaken, isolated, alone, vulnerable and unable to sleep—like some lonely bird eking out a tentative existence on its own (verses 6-7). His torment is magnified by the ranting reproach of enemies (verse 8)—perhaps referring to foreigners who have captured him and his countrymen. Where the NKJV says these enemies “swear an oath against me” (same verse), the NIV says that they “use my name as a curse.” That is, “they say, ‘May you become like that one (the one named) is'” (Zondervan, note on verse 8).

He sees his circumstance as God’s judgment (verse 10). And, as already noted, it seems that this refers to calamity that God has brought on the whole nation—not just this representative individual.

But things are not left in despondency and hopelessness. For there is confidence in God’s coming deliverance of His people. The ancient restoration of Jerusalem after the Babylonian exile is but a small foretaste of what is pictured here in this psalm. For the “set time” spoken of (verse 13) is the day yet future in which all nations and kings will fear God’s name and His glory (verse 15)—when God in the person of Jesus Christ will actually “appear in His glory” (verse 16) and all nations and kingdoms will gather to serve Him (verse 22). The building up of Zion (verse 16) refers to the coming restoration of Israel in the Kingdom of God—as well as the building up of spiritual Zion, God’s Church, to serve as the holy and perfect administration of that Kingdom. All God’s people who have suffered during all ages will have their prayers fully answered in an ultimate sense (see verse 17).

This wonderful message, the psalmist declares, would be written down for a future generation—a people yet to be created (verse 18). Given the whole context, and the verse that follows, it appears that this coming generation would also face terrible trials just as the psalmist. But given this good news—the gospel of the Kingdom—they would be able to look forward with hope in the midst of suffering and declare God’s praises (verse 18), just as in this psalm.

In verses 23-24, the psalmist remembers his immediate plight and pleas again with God to intervene and not cut his life off early—contrasting his brief existence with God’s eternal life and perspective. Yet it is in God’s eternal existence (verses 24-27) that there is hope for the future. For come what may, He and His purpose will endure. Because God continues, so would His people continue generation after generation (verse 28). This will allow the great restoration looked for in the psalm. And it will also bring, in God’s set time, the perfect restoration of the psalmist himself and of all who have placed their hope and trust throughout the ages in the Eternal God.

 

Luke 12

Last week we talked to you about the coming persecution of the saints. And as I begin to read the first part of Luke I get the feeling I am being told to stand firm and deny Him. Yehovah knows the very hairs on our head and will look after our needs. But we must do our part and proclaim this message to all we can while we can.

Next Yehshua speaks about the rich land owner who tore down his barns to build new ones. How many of you are building up your retirement packages? How many of you are renovating and or building new homes? How many of you are planning for your own selves and not investing in the promotion of Yehovah, Verse 21. There are just under 10,000 receiving this news letter each week. We are seeking to build up a number of farms in Israel. You all have read just how far along in prophecy we are, and yet there are only a little more than a bakers dozen who are contributing to this effort.

Luk 12:35 “Let your loins be girded and your lamps burning,
and be like men waiting for their master, when he shall return from the wedding, that when he comes and knocks they open to him immediately.
Luk 12:37 “Blessed are those servants whom the master, when he comes, shall find watching. Truly, I say to you that he shall gird himself and make them sit down to eat, and shall come and serve them.
Luk 12:38 “And if he comes in the second watch, or in the third watch, and find them so, blessed are those servants.

 


The 613 Mitzvot

 

We now continue to study the 613 laws of Torah which we can read at http://www.jewfaq.org/613.htm
We are doing 7 laws each week. We shall study laws 325-331 We also have commentary, with editing from me, again from http://theownersmanual.net/The_Owners_Manual_02_The_Law_of_Love.Torah

325 Not to love the enticer to idolatry (Deut. 13:9) (CCN24).

(325) Do not love the enticer to idolatry. “If your brother, the son of your mother, your son or your daughter, the wife of your bosom, or your friend who is as your own soul, secretly entices you, saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods,’ which you have not known, neither you nor your fathers, of the gods of the people which are all around you, near to you or far off from you, from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth, you shall not consent to him or listen to him, nor shall your eye pity him, nor shall you spare him or conceal him; but you shall surely kill him; your hand shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people. And you shall stone him with stones until he dies, because he sought to entice you away from Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. So all Israel shall hear and fear, and not again do such wickedness as this among you.” (Deuteronomy 13:6-11) Maimonides is going to wring the next five mitzvot out of this passage, so I figured I’d better quote the whole thing. The first thing we should notice is that Yahweh did not tell us not to love someone—even an idolater. What He is telling us to do is make the hard choices if we must: to put away the evil influences from among us, even if it means rejecting a member of our own family or turning our back on our best friend. The greater good must be considered. We are not being told not to love the enticer to idolatry—rather, we are being told to do something far more difficult: to slay someone we do love in order to protect the community from falling into idolatry.

The instruction to stone those who would entice us to idolatry was obviously meant to apply only within theocratic Israel. If we tried to keep this law today, we’d have to kill every politician, advertising writer, and rock star in the country, along with half the clergy. The principle, however, still applies to all of us. We are to “kill” the influence of those who would divert our affections from Yahweh to something else—anything else.

326 Not to give up hating the enticer to idolatry (Deut. 13:9) (CCN25).

(326) Do not give up hating the enticer to idolatry. “If [someone] entices you, saying, ‘Let us go and serve other gods,’ …you shall not consent to him or listen to him, nor shall your eye pity him, nor shall you spare him or conceal him; but you shall surely kill him.” (Deuteronomy 13:6-9) This is merely the negative restatement of the previous mitzvah. Again, hatred is not part of Yahweh’s instruction—but the merciless rejection of false teaching and false teachers is. Tolerance is not a godly virtue, as strange as that may seem. God wants us to know His word and unequivocally denounce the teachings that contradict it. The sort of lowest-common-denominator ecumenical spirit that passes for “Christian unity” today makes God want to puke—and those are His words, not mine—see Revelation 3:16.

327 Not to save the enticer from capital punishment, but to stand by at his execution (Deut. 13:9) (negative).

(327) Do not save the enticer from capital punishment, but stand by at his execution. “…You shall surely kill him; your hand shall be first against him to put him to death, and afterward the hand of all the people. And you shall stone him with stones until he dies, because he sought to entice you away from Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. So all Israel shall hear and fear, and not again do such wickedness as this among you.” (Deuteronomy 13:9-11) No, Maimonides, you pathetic wimp! It says that you—the one who has been enticed to follow strange gods—are to cast the first stone. Don’t “stand by” and let the mob do your “wet work” for you. You do it! Be personally involved in defending the faith.

I should interject here that “enticement away from Yahweh your God” is not remotely the same thing as rejecting the burden of religion that men have laid upon your shoulders in an attempt to subjugate you. First-century Pharisees were guilty of this, but they were pikers compared to the Roman Catholic Church, who killed millions of Christians over the centuries who merely wished to serve God and study His Word—Hussites, Albigensians, Waldensians, Huguenots, and others. Torquemada and his ilk were defending the Roman religious system, not the Word of God.

I should also note (because Maimonides doesn’t) that the reason the enticer was to be executed was not only to “put away the evil from your midst” (Deuteronomy 13:5), but also as a deterrent, “So all Israel shall hear and fear, and not again do such wickedness as this among you.” Political liberals today contend that the death penalty has no deterrent value. Yahweh begs to differ, but it has to be applied even-handedly, consistently, and without prejudice if we want it to serve as a disincentive. Otherwise, it’s just punishment.

328 A person whom he attempted to entice to idolatry shall not urge pleas for the acquittal of the enticer (Deut. 13:9) (CCN26).

(328) A person whom he attempted to entice into idolatry shall not urge pleas for the acquittal of the enticer. “…You shall not consent to him or listen to him, nor shall your eye pity him, nor shall you spare him or conceal him; but you shall surely kill him.” (Deuteronomy 13:8-9) Remember, the “enticer” in these verses is characterized in a worst-case scenario: one’s brother, child, spouse, or friend—someone near and dear to you. The natural inclination is to hide the crime, to go into a state of denial. Yahweh says, “Be honest with yourself, and be honest with Me. You know what you heard. Deal with it.” If a cancerous tumor is growing, you must cut it out, remove it, throw it away. I know it will be painful, but if you don’t do what’s necessary, the patient will die.

329 A person whom he attempted to entice shall not refrain from giving evidence of the enticer’s guilt, if he has such evidence (Deut. 13:9) (negative).

(329) A person whom he attempted to entice shall not refrain from giving evidence of the enticer’s guilt, if he has such evidence. “…You shall not consent to him or listen to him, nor shall your eye pity him, nor shall you spare him or conceal him; but you shall surely kill him.” (Deuteronomy 13:8-9) We must be very careful to define the circumstances under which one is not to listen to, pity, spare, or conceal the faults of the offender. This passage (quoted fully in Mitzvah #325) deals only with him who entices someone to false worship—in other words, a false or misleading prophet, someone who advocates serving something or someone other than Yahweh. It is not speaking of human retribution for ordinary sins—places where we all fall short of Yahweh’s perfect standard of conduct. In fact, our response to those foibles is precisely the opposite: “[Love] bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” (I Corinthians 13:7) “Above all things have fervent love for one another, for ‘love will cover a multitude of sins.’” (I Peter 4:8, quoting Proverbs 10:12) The point is, Yahweh knows we’re sinners. Because He loves us, He has provided a means by which our sins can be eliminated, so we can be restored to fellowship. Therefore, the only real evil is preventing people from availing themselves of God’s mercy.

330 Not to swear by an idol to its worshipers, nor cause them to swear by it (Ex. 23:13) (CCN13).

(330) Do not swear by an idol to its worshipers, nor cause them to swear by it. “In all that I have said to you, be circumspect and make no mention of the name of other gods, nor let it be heard from your mouth.” (Exodus 23:13) We saw this same text back in Mitzvot #320 and #322. On the face of it, Maimonides has betrayed a total lack of understanding of the Torah’s teaching concerning idolatry. Here he is describing the fine points of how God’s people are to relate to the idol worshippers among them: “Don’t try to gain their allegiance by giving lip service to their gods.” But the Israelites weren’t to relate with them at all—they were supposed to kill them—to rid the Land of their presence and memory. And although we no longer live in theocratic Israel (the only place physical death is prescribed), the principle still applies. We are to remain watchful, being careful not to commemorate the name or character of any entity that might vie with Yahweh for a place in our affections.

331 Not to turn one’s attention to idolatry (Lev. 19:4) (CCN16).

(331) Do not turn one’s attention to idolatry. “Do not turn to idols, nor make for yourselves molded gods: I am Yahweh your God.” (Leviticus 19:4) That’s pretty clear. Of special interest here is that “gods” and “God” are the same word in the Hebrew text—elohim, the plural form of ’el or eloah, the generic name for “deity” or “mighty one.” Things that are worshiped or revered are referred to as elohim. But Yahweh is One. How can “He” be plural? The answer lies in His willingness to manifest Himself in less-than-infinite forms we humans can relate to and fellowship with—Yahshua: Immanuel, God existing as a man, characterized as the “Son” of God; and the Holy Spirit (Ruach Qodesh): the maternal manifestation of Yahweh dwelling within each believer, comforting, guiding, and admonishing us. These are real. But idols we’ve manufactured (even if only in our minds) are none of those things. They are totally unworthy of our attention and devotion.

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