News Letter 5846-047
18th day of the 10th month 5846 years after creation
The 10th Month in the first year of the third Sabbatical Year
The Third Sabbatical Year of the 119th Jubilee Cycle

December 25, 2010

Shabbat Shalom Brethren,

Immediately after last week’s News Letter I was told to stop deceiving the brethren into thinking they could come back to Israel. The News Letter was only posted but a few minutes. There is no way they could have read what I was trying to do in that short of time.

Many people do this. They sound off on me with just the introduction which then sends you if you’re willing to the News Letter.

Proverbs 18: 12 Before destruction the heart of a man is haughty, And before esteem is humility. 13 He who answers a matter before he hears it, It is folly and shame to him.

So without having read what we are trying to do with the 12 Tribes of Israel Farm Project they accused me of misleading you. In that News Letter I did tell you it was like giving birth to a baby. It does require some pain and it is not easy and it does take time to develop.

When Judah went back to Israel, the final stage was not until 1948, but there were baby steps that led up to that moment in time. Beginning in late 1895, Theodor Herzl wrote Der Judenstaat, (The Jewish State). It was published February, 1896 to immediate acclaim and controversy. In the book he outlines the reasons that the Jewish people, who so desire, to return to their historic homeland, Palestine. The book and the Herzl’s ideas spread very rapidly throughout the Jewish world and it attracts international attention. Then there was the Balfour Declaration of 1917, the rising persecution of Jews in Germany and Europe in the 1930`s, then the gas chamber where 6 million Jews died during world War II. Only after all of this did Judah go home.

The rest of the 12 tribes will travel a similar road. Pray you listen and do not have to go through Ephraim’s death camps that are coming.

Rabbi Felds who was a guest speaker at our Sukkot last year, and is a huge supporter of the ten Lost tribes coming home even said that sometimes the rules must be broken. As we work towards building these farms, we have no intention of breaking any laws and we will be keeping all the laws of Israel as we do this. But we must raise the money in order to make this farm come about. This is if you want to have some place during the coming wars where you can go to that is believer friendly. It is up to you. If the money is there then we will continue to do this and share with you what is happening. If it is not there then I will continue to feed you freely the bread of Torah as I know it, but when it is time to leave and that time is right now, then you will not have friends in place who can help you.

I received the following letter this week;

Hey Mr. Dumond,

I am crying like a baby, literally, because I can’t go with you (it is all I think about these days)…but I am praising God because some of us will escape to home. You know you will have leave very soon though (I would guess that if you haven’t left by summer 2011 you may not be allowed)? Things are accelerating so quickly (I have been working on Judah, every day, to try and get him to ‘see’ Joseph but I have no idea if I am making any progress).

I have been collecting seeds I have hundreds of dollars of Non GMO seeds, learning permaculture (I grew up on a farm but I would never defile the earth with pesticide, GMO’s or oil based fertilizer) and how to apply Torah to my land, since I have no money to travel with I am going to stay here and obey the Lord to the best of my ability.

I wish I could go with you…but then nobody just ‘goes’ to Israel…God has to invite you because the land is His. Don’t forget us when you are in the land, please pray for us.

Shalom,

Brethren I have been showing you the Sabbatical and Jubilee teachings and The Prophecies of Abraham so you can prepare to get ready. It is not easy, and we are not welcome. Neither was Judah when she went. She had to pay a price and so will we. But we still must go. So each of you must make up your own mind and plan on how you are going to go about this. If you have never been then you should at least go and see the land. Everyone I know who does falls in love. But you all can pray about this and ask Yehovah to make a way for you; to make the way for all of us. How much does it mean to you? Do you really want this or not?

Once again this past week we have been publicly attacked by those who do not want to see us succeed. Who do not keep Torah! And these attacks come from the Land of Israel. There are wolves who will pretend to be your friends and are as dependable as a bulrush for support. You need to choose whom you will listen to.

I want to share what one brother sent in and my response. He was writing in regards to Proverbs 29: 18 Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. Which I had quoted in the latest News Letter.

He said;

Where no Prophet is, there the people perish: but well is him that keeps the law.

the real scripture …from the Hebrew …you are using the king james …the very ones that tried to stop israel from becoming a nation ..britian (Gog and Magog)

desire proof …

http://www.thysayingistruth.com/

Hebrew comparison

for you and yours in spirit and truth for the love of God our father and Jesus our brother and Lord …

You will notice that he did not greet me nor bless me in our Fathers name, as he finished and as I do on all my emails now. Here is my reply;

Shabbat Shalom [name withheld], you are correct I am using the New King James. I also quote from the Scriptures.

When I look up the word vision in Strong’s it is as follows;

2377 chazown khaw-zone’ from 2372; a sight (mentally), i.e. a dream, revelation, or oracle:–vision. see HEBREW for 02372
2372 chazah khaw-zaw’ a primitive root; to gaze at; mentally, to perceive, contemplate (with pleasure); specifically, to have a vision of:–behold, look, prophesy, provide, see.

When I do this I can see that both ‘where there is no Prophecy’ and ‘where there is no vision’ are equally applicable. And for what I am trying to do here the phrase is perfect. Why? Because it is due to the prophecies of Abraham that I have come to know that we need to be in Israel. It is from the prophecies of the Sabbatical and Jubilee years that I have come to know that war is coming, and it is from the prophecies of the law of Niddah which I am about to show you that I have come to know when and where that war is to come.

So yes Prophecy has shown me that we must be in Israel in order to survive the wars. And in order to survive the famines we will need water and food. This is what I am trying to set up. I do hope you and many other brethren will help in this.

And yes it is because of Prophecy and it is a vision or something for all of us to aim for.

Thank you for this note. I think I will use it next week.

Yes Brethren without Prophecy the people do perish…..why? Why do the people perish if we do not have prophecy?

Amos 3: 6 If a ram’s horn is blown in a city, do the people not tremble? If there is calamity in a city, shall not ???? have done it? 7 For the Master ???? does no matter unless He reveals His secret to His servants the prophets. 8 A lion has roared! Who is not afraid? The Master ???? has spoken! Who would not prophesy?

Yehovah reveals to His people those things He is about to do. He gives us a far warning of what is about to happen just before the trap is shut tight and then no one escapes. I have been shouting out this Sabbatical and Jubilee warning since August of 2005 and then even louder after Yehovah revealed the Prophecies of Abraham. The horn is blown and do the people tremble? Yehovah is sending this calamity and He has revealed this secret so that it is no longer secret.

2 Peter 3: 1 This is now, beloved ones, the second letter I write to you, in which I stir up your sincere mind, to remember 2 the words previously spoken by the set-apart prophets, and of the command of the Master and Saviour, spoken by your emissaries, 3 knowing this first: that mockers shall come in the last days with mocking, walking according to their own lusts, 4 and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all continues as from the beginning of creation.” 5 For they choose to have this hidden from them: that the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by the Word of Elohim.

People today choose to ignore what is written in the Torah. They choose to ignore what is written in the Prophets, and they choose to ignore what is written in the psalms. They are doing what the ostrich does when trouble comes. They stick their heads in the sand with their butts exposed to the dangers.

Where is your head? Is it shoved so deep into Nicolaitan teachings that you can no longer hear the voice of Yehovah? Are you this week playing all the tunes of sentimental Christmas songs to get you into the Christmas spirit? A feel good type of religion steeped on traditions that you want to conjure up once again. Remembering all the family memories from this time of year when you used to worship Satan and did not know it. Are you partying real hard with all your friends this week? Are they going to save you when trouble comes? Here is a great Christmas video that you all should watch and study. I will have more to say on this next week. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJaE0xcVZIU&feature=player_embedded

Is your head shoved behind some man whom you follow faithfully; any man, any Rabbi, and Priest or Pastor or Messianic teacher including me? You are not to have any human between you and the Father, none, no one.

This is the very first Commandment found in Exodus 20: 1 And Elohim spoke all these Words, saying, 2 “I am ???? your Elohim, who brought you out of the land of Mitsrayim, out of the house of slavery. 3 “You have no other mighty ones against My face.

Those mighty ones turn out to be humans who become famous and powerful in their life times and cause the people to follow them. Nimrod did this and today Dec 25 is the day the world still celebrates in honour of him. Are you doing this? Are you giving honour to another mighty one and shoving it in Yehovah’s face?

Yehovah speaks to us by prophecy to warn us of coming dangers. To give us a heads up about what is about to happen so we can do the right thing.

But many of you will ask just as our brethren did at first, how do we know who is a prophet and who is not.

Deuteronomy 18: 15 “???? your Elohim shall raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brothers. Listen to Him, 16 according to all you asked of ???? your Elohim in H?or?b? in the day of the assembly, saying, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of ???? my Elohim, nor let me see this great fire any more, lest I die.’ 17 “And ???? said to me, ‘What they have spoken is good. 18 ‘I shall raise up for them a Prophet like you out of the midst of their brothers. And I shall put My Words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him. 19 ‘And it shall be, the man who does not listen to My Words which He speaks in My Name, I require it of him. 20 ‘But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My Name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other mighty ones, even that prophet shall die.’ 21 “And when you say in your heart, ‘How do we know the word which ???? has not spoken?’ – 22 when the prophet speaks in the Name of ???? and the word is not, or comes not, that is the word which ???? has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.

I do not claim to be a prophet. That is not my intention here. But I do want to show you what Yehovah has shown me by reading His words in Torah and then show you what is to happen next. All I am doing is showing you what is written in your own bible.

If you will take the time to watch the video about the Sabbatical and Jubilee years which I urge you to do in almost every News letter you will see me teaching you what the Torah says is about to happen. I began to teach this when I learned about it in August of 2005. This DVD was made in March 2008 two weeks before Passover.

I was telling people about the severe weather and how it was going to get worse and how things were going to get warmer. This year in Canada has been one of the warmest on records. And since I said that on the DVD all around the world have been record breaking weather events causing many to suffer from winds and fires and droughts and locusts and floods and severe snow storms. Does this make me a prophet? No! I only told you what the scriptures showed me and what was on the nightly news. It is Yehovah that is telling you these things if you would only read your bibles.

In 2008 on the video in the midst of an economic boom I warned you all that a severe recession was about to come if not a great depression. People were laughing at me because of the good times they were at that time in. They are not laughing now. Just this week it was reported how another 157 banks so far this year in 2010 have closed up and failed. You all know just how bad things are around the world. I have been reporting about the EU countries that are on the verge of failing, how the individual states in the USA are on the verge of bankruptcy. You have seen this on the nightly news unless you head is shoved in some hole like an ostrich. I learned this from the Torah and told you of it before it happened.

On the video I then told you how world history tells us that a pandemic or epidemic is about to break out in this third Sabbatical cycle which was at that time two years away. In the spring of 2009 Swine flu did break out, but it did not kill as many as what was expected. We are still in danger of a major outbreak of some disease that is going to kill millions. Watch the video again and listen to this. It has come at this exact same time for the past 350 years in each Jubilee cycle at the start of the third Sabbatical cycle, which we are now in.

I also warned you that during this third Sabbatical cycle we would expect famines, and I have been showing you how the world food supply has gone from a large surplus to a just in time situation to now where some people are going without. You should also be hearing on the nightly news how the prices for many staples have shot up this year due to this or that calamity in other parts of the world.

Just a couple of weeks ago on http://www.truth2u.org/2010/12/joe-dumond-joe%e2%80%99s-conclusions-from-leviticus-2620-confirmed.html we heard from a farmer who had his bumper crop washed away from him just as I had said would happen. Why did I know this, because of what I had read in the Torah; because of what Yehovah had said to all of us in His word. None of this comes from me, but all of it is told to us by Yehovah. I am just repeating what He has already said.

The Sabbatical and Jubilee cycles also tells us to look for Earthquakes during this third Sabbatical cycle. And this year has not disappointed us in this regards.

My record is not based on my own thinking. It is all revealed to us in the pages of His Torah by Yehovah Himself. I am just telling you where I found this information. But I have also found that in just 6 ½ years from now, the USA and UK and her commonwealth nations of South Africa and Canada and Australia and New Zealand will begin to be at war and they will be defeated soundly in 2020, less than ten years from now. The News will talk of the fight for global oil or the huge debt that is not being paid back and of hyperinflation; but in truth Yehovah is bringing war upon a rebellious wife, the tribes of Israel.

If those things I have come to know by the Sabbatical and Jubilee teachings, and have been speaking out on since August 2005 have come true, then do you suppose the rest might come true as well. That these same teachings which you can read in your own bible are coming true and you have watched on the nightly new, then, do you think the rest that is told to us, that is coming might be true? And if you do then what are going to do about it? DO NOT PLAY THE OSTRICH! You and your family will die.

When all of these other leaders were telling you that this year Damascus was going to be destroyed, by Nuclear missiles and that the start of the last 7 years of the tribulation was about to begin in 2010 at Sukkot, what were they doing? They were selling you another DVD for the information and they never showed you the way out. They did not teach you what Torah says you are to do. And now what are they saying?

Yehovah does show you a way out and is telling you to get there and get ready. That way out is to get over to Israel now, before it begins.

Check what the Sabbatical and Jubilee year teachings show you, which Yehovah has shown you by the past events, and then seriously consider what these same teachings from Yehovah are showing you is about to happen. Prophecy is there for you to take action, not just to give you some secret knowledge that others do not know. It is there for you to take action with.

I have also shown you that Abraham was also a prophet and I have shown you in the book The Prophecies of Abraham exactly what those prophecies were and how they too matched the Sabbatical and Jubilee year.

In just 6 ½ years war is coming to the proud nation of the USA and it is going to be destroyed by 2020 in a single night. Will your retirement plan matter then? Well those renovations make any difference? Well all that overtime matter? What are you going to be thinking when you face your family who are then just shadows of what they are today due to the lack of food?

Have you forgotten what the scriptures say you will be eating if you do not obey? Let me once again remind you.

From the very curses for not keeping the Sabbatical and Jubilee years we read in Leviticus 26: 28 then I shall walk contrary to you in wrath. And I Myself shall punish you seven times for your sins. 29 ‘And you shall eat the flesh of your sons, and eat the flesh of your daughters.

This is part of the 5th curse of the Sabbatical and Jubilee years. And notice Yehovah has said He Himself will now punish you. We are currently in the 3rd Sabbatical cycle, and war is the 4th Sabbatical cycle and captivity is the fifth one.

It is again explained to you in Deuteronomy 28: 47 “Because you did not serve ???? your Elohim with joy and gladness of heart for all the plenty, 48 you shall serve your enemies whom ???? sends against you, in hunger, and in thirst, and in nakedness, and in need of all. And he shall put a yoke of iron on your neck until he has destroyed you. 49 “???? brings a nation against you from afar, from the end of the earth, as swift as the eagle flies, a nation whose language you shall not understand, 50 a fierce-looking nation, which shows no regard for the elderly nor show favour to the young, 51 and they shall eat the fruit of your livestock and the fruit of your land, until you are destroyed. They leave you no grain, nor new wine, nor oil, nor the increase of your cattle or the offspring of your flocks, until they have destroyed you. 52 “And they shall besiege you at all your gates till your high and fenced walls, in which you are trusting, come down in all your land. And they shall besiege you at all your gates in all your land which ???? your Elohim has given you. 53 “And you shall eat the fruit of your own body, the flesh of your sons and your daughters whom ???? your Elohim has given you, in the siege and distress in which your enemies distress you. 54 “The man among you who is tender, and who is very delicate, his eye is evil against his brother, against the wife of his bosom, and against the rest of his children whom he leaves behind, 55 against giving any of them the flesh of his children that he eats, because it is all that has been left to him in the siege and distress with which your enemy distresses you in all your gates. 56 “The tender and the delicate woman among you, who have not tried to set the sole of her foot on the ground because of her delicateness and tenderness, her eye is evil against the husband of her bosom, and against her son, and against her daughter, 57 and against her seed which comes out from between her feet, and her children whom she bears, for she eats them in secret for lack of all, in the siege and distress with which your enemy distresses you in all your gates. 58 “If you do not guard to do all the Words of this Torah that are written in this book, to fear this esteemed and awesome Name, ???? your Elohim, 59 then ???? shall bring upon you and your descendants extraordinary plagues, great and lasting plagues, and grievous and lasting sicknesses.

Far too many of you think Yehovah is a forever forgiving God and you have no responsibility to do anything except wait until He shows up and rescues you. You could not be further from the truth.

Consider the recent fires in Israel as you read the next verse in Isaiah 9: 17 Therefore ???? does not rejoice over their young men, and has no compassion on their fatherless and widows; for everyone is defiled and evil, and every mouth speaks foolishness. With all this His displeasure has not turned back, and His hand is still stretched out. 18 For wrongness burns as the fire; it consumes thornbushes and weeds, and sets the bushes of the forest ablaze, and they roll up like rising smoke. 19 The land shall be burned up by the wrath of ???? of hosts, and the people be as fuel for the fire. A man shall not spare his brother, 20 and cut down on the right hand, but shall be hungry; and he devours on the left hand, but shall not be satisfied; each one devouring the flesh of his own arm: 21 Menashsheh Ephrayim, and Ephrayim Menashsheh; together they are against Yehud?ah. With all this His displeasure has not turned back, and His hand is still stretched out.

Again we read of how Yehovah is going to cause the people to eat their own flesh in Jeremiah 19: 4 “Because they have forsaken Me and have profaned this place, and have burned incense in it to other mighty ones whom neither they, their fathers, nor the sovereigns of Yehud?ah have known, and they have filled this place with the blood of the innocents, 5 and have built the high places of Ba?al, to burn their sons with fire for burnt offerings to Ba?al, which I did not command or speak, nor did it come into My heart. 6 “Therefore see, the days are coming,” declares ????, “that this place shall no more be called Topheth or the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, but rather the Valley of Slaughter. 7 “And I shall pour out the counsel of Yehud?ah and Yerushalayim in this place, and I shall make them fall by the sword before their enemies and by the hands of those who seek their lives. And I shall give their corpses as meat for the birds of the heavens and for the beasts of the earth. 8 “And I shall make this city a ruin, and a hissing – everyone who passes by it is appalled and hisses because of all its plagues. 9 “And I shall make them to eat the flesh of their sons and the flesh of their daughters, and eat one another’s flesh in the siege and in the distress with which their enemies and those who seek their lives distress them.” ’ 10 “And you shall break the jug before the eyes of the men who go with you, 11 and shall say to them, ‘Thus said ???? of hosts, “Even so I break this people and this city, as one breaks a potter’s vessel, which one is unable to repair again. And let them bury them in Topheth till there is no place to bury. 12 “This is what I shall do to this place,” declares ????, “and to its inhabitants, so as to make this city like Topheth. 13 “And the houses of Yerushalayim and the houses of the sovereigns of Yehud?ah shall be as unclean as the place of Topheth, because of all the houses on whose roofs they have burned incense to all the host of the heavens, and poured out drink offerings to other mighty ones.” ’ ” 14 And when Yirmeyahu returned from Topheth, where ???? had sent him to prophesy, he stood in the courtyard of the House of ???? and said to all the people, 15 “Thus said ???? of hosts, the Elohim of Yisra’?l, ‘See, I am bringing on this city and on all her towns all the evil that I have pronounced against it, because they have stiffened their necks so as not to hear My words.’ ”

Also take note of what the people were doing here. At Topheth they were worshiping Molech which was done on Dec 25th the exact same way many of you who read this News Letter are doing. Yes Christmas is for the children and this is why. It was the time when they were sacrificed alive on a burning red hot statute of Molech also known as Nimrod. If you have not yet read this awful part of our history then please do so at https://sightedmoon.com/sightedmoon_2015/?page_id=81 Are you Worshiping Molech or just Keeping Christmas? Why do you compromise the Torah with your false traditions? Why do you do it? You think because you believe in the messiah you can do whatever you want?

I quoted this verse last week and do so now again James 2: 18 But someone might say, “You have belief, and I have works.” Show me your belief without your works, and I shall show you my belief by my works. 19 You believe that Elohim is one. You do well. The demons also believe – and shudder! 20 But do you wish to know, O foolish man, that the belief without the works is dead?

Consider what the Prophet Micah has to say in chapter 3: 1 Then I said, “Hear now, O heads of Ya?aqob?, and you rulers of the house of Yisra’?l: Should you not know right-ruling, 2 you who are hating good and loving evil, tearing away the skin from My people, and the flesh from their bones, 3 and who have eaten the flesh of My people, and stripped off their skin, and have broken their bones, and have cut it up as into a pot, like flesh in the cooking pot?” 4 Therefore, when they cry to ???? He does not answer them, and hides His face from them at that time, as they have made their deeds evil. 5 Thus said ???? concerning the prophets who lead my people astray, who are biting with their teeth and have called out, “Peace!” They even set apart a battle against him who does not give for their mouths. 6 Therefore it shall be night to you without vision, and darkness to you without divination. The sun shall go down on the prophets, and the day shall be dark for them. 7 And the seers shall be ashamed, and the diviners embarrassed. And they shall all cover their lips, for there is no answer, O Elohim. 8 But truly I am filled with power, with the Spirit of ????, and with right-ruling and with might, to declare to Ya?aqob? his transgression and to Yisra’?l his sin1. Footnote: 12 Chr. 24:20, John. 16:8. 9 Hear this, please, you heads of the house of Ya?aqob? and you rulers of the house of Yisra’?l, who despise right-ruling and distort all that is straight, 10 those building up Tsiyon with bloodshed and Yerushalayim with unrighteousness. 11 Her heads judge for a bribe, her priests teach for pay1, and her prophets divine for a price. Yet they lean on ????, and say, “Is not ???? in our midst? Evil does not come upon us.” Footnote: 1John 10:12. 12 Therefore, because of you, Tsiyon is ploughed like a field, and Yerushalayim becomes heaps, and the mountain of the House like a wooded height.

We read of this disaster in 135 AD when The Romans, under Hadrian, crushed a second Jewish rebellion for independence in a three-year war ending in 135 AD. The rebellion was led by Simon bar Kochba, who was declared to be the messiah by an influential sage named Rabbi Akiva.

Bar Kochba’s rebellion had disastrous results. Cassius Dio, a second century Roman historian, claimed that the Romans killed 580,000 Jews during the war. The Romans completely destroyed Jerusalem, and are believed to have run a plough over all or part of the city. The surviving Jews were expelled and were banned from returning to Jerusalem. Hadrian even made coins showing an Ox and plough going over where the Temple once stood.

Zechariah speaks out against the false shepherds who devour the flocks in Zechariah 11: 14 Then I cut in two my other staff, Unity, to break the brotherhood between Yehud?ah and Yisra’?l. 15 And ???? said to me, “Take again the implements of a foolish shepherd. 16 “For look, I am raising up a shepherd in the land who does not visit those straying, nor seek the young, nor heal those that are broken, nor feed those that still stand. But he does eat the flesh of the fat and tear off their hooves. 17 “Woe to the worthless shepherd forsaking the flock! Let a sword be upon his arm and upon his right eye! His arm shall wither and his right eye shall be dimmed.”

When we speak of the The Siege of Jerusalem few ever consider what happens during this time to those inside the city.
One of the passages people find most troubling is Jeremiah 19:9: “I will make them eat the flesh of their sons and daughters, and they will eat one another’s flesh during the stress of the siege imposed on them by the enemies who seek their lives.” This did occur during the siege of Jerusalem (Lam 4:10).

The warning was originally given to the elders and priests in Jerusalem (Jer 19:1-2), those who should have been the most responsive to Yehovah’s words and who should have led the people to repentance. Jeremiah later informed King Zedekiah that he could end the siege and spare Jerusalem by surrendering to the Babylonians, which is what Yehovah wanted him to do (38:17-23). Also, the people of Jerusalem themselves were repeatedly told that they could save their lives at any time by surrendering (21:8-9, 27:16-17, 38:1-2).

Lamentations 4: 3 Even the sea monsters draw out the breast, they give suck to their young ones: the daughter of my people is become cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness. 4 The tongue of the sucking child cleaveth to the roof of his mouth for thirst: the young children ask bread, and no man breaketh it unto them. 5 They that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets: they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills. 6 For the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, that was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands stayed on her. 7 Her Nazarites were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing was of sapphire: 8 Their visage is blacker than a coal; they are not known in the streets: their skin cleaveth to their bones; it is withered, it is become like a stick. 9 They that be slain with the sword are better than they that be slain with hunger: for these pine away, stricken through for want of the fruits of the field. 10 The hands of the pitiful women have sodden their own children: they were their meat in the destruction of the daughter of my people. 11 The LORD hath accomplished his fury; he hath poured out his fierce anger, and hath kindled a fire in Zion, and it hath devoured the foundations thereof. 12 The kings of the earth, and all the inhabitants of the world, would not have believed that the adversary and the enemy should have entered into the gates of Jerusalem.

This word sodden in verse 10 is 1310 bashal baw-shal’ a primitive root; properly, to boil up; hence, to be done in cooking; figuratively to ripen:–bake, boil, bring forth, roast, seethe, sod (be sodden).

Cannibalism is reported in Jerusalem by Flavius Josephus during the siege that resulted in the destruction of Jerusalem by Rome in 70AD. He reports that two women made a pact to eat their children, but after the first mother cooked her child, the second mother ate it but refused to reciprocate by cooking her own child.

You can read where cannibalism has occurred in history at http://encycl.opentopia.com/term/Cannibalism

Even in WWII at Berken Belsen Prison camp they resorted to canibalism before they were set free. I have written on this in other News Letters.

Summing this up Brethren; we are just a few short years away from a war that is going to end up destroying the USA; Based on the teachings of the Sabbatical and Jubilee years, and The Prophecies of Abraham, and The Laws of Niddah. There will not be peace as some claim. We have just a short amount of time to do as the woman in Proverb 31 does. To prepare a field and plant crops and orchards that will be ready in time for the coming Sabbatical year. Yes we must plan for the coming Sabbatical year when we cannot plant or harvest. This is just over 6 years from now. Are you getting ready? Are you going to help us to get ready as the Bride of Yehshua?

11 The heart of her husband shall trust her, And he has no lack of gain. 12 She shall do him good, and not evil, All the days of her life. 13 She shall seek wool and flax, And with delight she works with her hands. 14 She shall be as the ships of Tarshish, She brings in her food from afar. 15 She also rises while it is still night, And provides food for her household, And a portion for her girls. 16 She shall consider a field and buy it; From her profits she shall plant a vineyard. 17 She shall gird herself with strength, And strengthen her arms. 18 She shall taste when her gain is good; Her lamp does not go out by night. 19 She shall stretch out her hands to the distaff, And her hand shall hold the spindle. 20 She shall extend her hand to the poor, And she shall reach out her hands to the needy. 21 She is not afraid of snow for her household, For all her household is dressed in scarlet. 22 She shall make tapestry for herself; She is dressed in fine linen and purple. 23 Her husband is known in the gates, When he sits among the elders of the land. 24 She shall make fine linen and sell them, And shall give girdles for the merchants. 25 Strength and splendour are her garments, And she rejoices in time to come. 26 She shall open her mouth with wisdom, And on her tongue is the Torah of kindness. 27 She watches over the ways of her household, And does not eat the bread of idleness. 28 Her children shall rise up and call her blessed; Her husband too, and he praises her: 29 “Many daughters have done nobly, But you have risen over them all.” 30 Loveliness is deceptive And prettiness is vain, A woman who fears ???? is to be praised. 31 Give her of the fruit of her hands, And let her works praise her in the gates.

And yes I am fully aware of the drought in Israel and the lack of water and the many other problems there. Where is your faith? He has promised to bless those who obey. There is only one way to find out if He will bless or not; and that is to obey and see if He will keep His promise. It will not be the first time He has made water come out of a rock.

Now having said this read the headline news once again and see what is happening around the world now.
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-12-04/australia-rains-will-cut-wheat-exports-commonwealth-bank-says.html

Australia Rains Will Cut Wheat Exports, Commonwealth Bank Says

December 04, 2010, 11:12 PM EST
By Luzi Ann Javier
Dec. 5 (Bloomberg) — Wheat exports from Australia, the world’s fourth-largest shipper, will be curbed as heavy rains and floods damage crops, the Commonwealth Bank of Australia said.

The bank, in a report issued today, cut its forecast for exports to 14 million metric tons in the 2010-2011 season, from an earlier estimate of 16 million tons. Australia shipped 14.6 million tons of wheat in the previous two seasons, said Luke Mathews, a commodity strategist at Commonwealth Bank.

“Many in the industry suggest the disruptions to the harvest this year and the implications for grain quality, are the worst in a lifetime,” Mathews said in the report. “Wheat producers will sell a greater proportion of their crop directly to the local stock-feed sector. This implies less grain will enter the bulk handling system as envisaged last month.”

Smaller shipments from Australia may drive up prices as the U.S. Department of Agriculture forecast a 22.9 million-ton shortfall in global production this season, the first deficit in three years. Rains are damaging Australia’s wheat crop after Russia’s worst drought in at least half a century slashed this year’s harvest in the world’s third-largest grower last season.

Wheat futures rallied 13 percent last week in Chicago on concern the rains in Australia and dry weather in growing areas in the U.S., the world’s largest shipper, will further curb global production of the grain.

The Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics, in a report due on Dec. 7, may lower its estimate of the nation’s harvest from 25 million tons and pare its forecast on exports from 18 million tons, Mathews said.

“Australia is traditionally a producer of quality milling wheat,” he said, referring to the grade used for food including bread, pasta, and noodles. The rains may lower the quality of 6 million tons of milling wheat produced in the east coast, with as much as 35 percent of the harvest, or 5 million tons, being classified as feed-quality, he said.

Rains were forecast in the next seven days, which may delay harvest in most of the east coast planted areas by at least a month, Mathews said.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-12-04/australian-floods-prompt-new-south-wales-disaster-declaration-crop-alert.html

Australian Floods Prompt New South Wales Disaster Declaration, Crop Alert

By Michael Heath and Angus Whitley – Dec 3, 2010 8:26 PM ET

Australia’s most populous state declared a natural disaster and flood warnings were issued for two other regions as rains swept the nation’s east coast, damaging crops and driving up global wheat prices.

New South Wales Emergency Services Minister Steve Whan said A$500 million ($497 million) was wiped off the state’s forecast A$3.2 billion winter harvest, according to a statement released today. Flood warnings were issued for rivers in the northern state of Queensland and the southern state of Victoria.

Flooding “has caused significant damage,” Whan said. “With continuing rainfall predicted in coming days and weeks, we are monitoring the situation across the state and will extend this declaration, if needed.”

Australia’s east coast is being affected by a La Nina event that’s cooling the Pacific Ocean and increasing rainfall, producing the wettest August-to-October period on record, the Bureau of Meteorology says. Crop damage may prompt a revision to third-quarter economic growth, the Australian newspaper reported, and helped push wheat to the highest price in almost four months.
Rains are likely to affect grain quality for all crops including wheat, barley, canola, chickpeas and lupins, the NSW state government said today.

“This is simply devastating to farmers who after 10 years of drought will now see one-sixth of their crop lost to rain,” Whan said. “The winter crop harvest has been brought to a halt across the state, with 60 per cent of the crop still in the paddock.”

Locusts Swarm
The damage from the floods may be compounded by a 25- kilometer (16-mile) swarm of locusts heading through southern NSW toward northern Victoria. The Victorian Department of Primary Industry said while the rainstorms in the region may have forced the swarm to ground, the pests remain a threat.

“Swarming locusts can damage a range of crops, including horticultural and immature cereal crops, as well as pastures,” said Russell McMurray, state controller for locusts.

Australia’s economy last quarter expanded 0.2 percent from three months earlier, the worst performance since a contraction at the end of 2008, the Bureau of Statistics said this week. Agriculture expanded 18.5 percent in the period, driven by “strong crop forecasts.”

The Australian newspaper today cited Mick Keogh, executive director of the Australian Farm Institute, as saying that if the data “for agriculture were corrected for the loss of value in the crop sector due to the rain, it is highly likely Australia would have experienced negative change in GDP for the quarter.”

Wheat Rises
Wheat futures for March delivery jumped 30.5 cents, or 4.1 percent, to settle at $7.79 a bushel at 1:15 p.m. on the Chicago Board of Trade yesterday, after touching $7.82, the highest for a most-active contract since Aug. 6. Prices were up 13 percent for the week, the most since early August.

Futures have surged 62 percent since the end of June, as drought in Russia and floods in Canada cut output, while dry weather in the U.S. Great Plains threatened winter crops.

“It’s the La Nina weather pattern, which is sending heavy moisture over northern and southeastern Australia,” said Michael Efron, forecaster at the Bureau of Meteorology in Victoria, calling it the largest La Nina since at least the 1970s. “Towards the middle or end of next week we’ll see drier air over much of eastern Australia. Victoria will get relief first.”

http://www.wdsu.com/r/26106598/detail.html

Crops Across South Bake In Drought
Ag Officials Declare Disasters In Parts Of 16 States

RAY HENRY, Associated Press
POSTED: 9:37 am CST December 12, 2010
UPDATED: 10:38 am CST December 12, 2010

LYONS, Ga. — Farmer Aries Haygood grabbed the top of a freshly planted onion and gave it a gentle pull. The green plant sprang from the ground with little resistance, a sign its roots weren’t grabbing hold because the powdery soil is too dry.

“Right now, we should start seeing that the roots are catching, and they’re not,” said Haygood, who was supervising planting of Vidalia onions on his fields. “The main reason is because we have not had the rain on them.”

Farmers across the South are contending with abnormally dry weather and a drought that began this spring. Crops in dry fields then baked during stretches of record-setting summer heat that scorched peanut fields, stressed cotton plants and stunted citrus fruit.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has declared disasters in parts of 16 states, with some of the driest spots in Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Alabama, Georgia and Florida.

Just 18 inches of rain have fallen since July on Toombs County in southeast Georgia, where Haygood and his workers had just planted four rows of Vidalia onions inside earthen beds running up and down his field. That is half as much rain as last year and less than what fell during the state’s last major drought that ended in 2009.

The county is one of the state’s largest onion producers – a crop worth $83 million in the state in 2009 – and specializes in the famed Vidalia onion.

Conditions are not ideal for onion planting. Haygood pointed to the sandy, crusty topsoil on his field, then kicked his work boots an inch or two deeper to find what he wanted: moister, darker soil.

“Last year it wasn’t as dusty, it wasn’t as powdery,” he said.

Haygood irrigates his fields, though free rainfall helps. Heavy irrigation can cost up to $45 in fuel and electricity an acre every month, or thousands of dollars in additional expenses. Like many farmers, he said fields that benefit from the right amount of natural rainfall tend to produce more crops than even properly irrigated fields.

The dry spell will likely continue in Georgia. UGA professor David Stooksbury, the state’s climatologist, said dry conditions are common after a wet winter like last year’s that was caused by the El Nino weather pattern.

“It’s not unusual that come mid-April for the system to kind of flip and go into a dry period,” he said.

Three-quarters of Alabama’s land are either abnormally dry or in a drought. Conditions are worst in east-central Alabama near the Georgia line, where some areas are about 10 inches below normal for the year after going without rain for more than two months during the crucial late-summer growing season.

“It has really devastated the peanut and cotton crops, and the cattle producers have been feeding hay since midsummer. The pastures where they graze was just bone dry, and the grass just didn’t grow,” said horticulturist Chuck Browne, the extension coordinator in Lee County, Ala.

“Our farmers were digging peanuts this fall, and they’d pull up the plants and there would be no nuts in the shells,” Browne said.
Too little rain makes for smaller oranges, grapefruits, tangerines and tangelos in Florida, said Louis Schacht, manager of Schacht Groves in Vero Beach, right in the middle of the state’s most-drought afflicted pockets.

“The fruit’s less desirable on the foreign markets, Europe and Japan,” he said.
Abnormally dry conditions in North Carolina have covered much of the state since April, with 18 counties in the west and central regions still experiencing a moderate drought. Barbee Farms in Concord, near Charlotte, had to rely on irrigation to water all of its crops, resulting in a smaller yield than the farmers get with the help of average rainfall.

“It’s really hard to raise something without rainfall,” said Brent Barbee, a sixth-generation farmer. “When you’re watering stuff just to keep it alive, you’re not going to get the production out of it that you would from a rained-on crop.”

The farm grows fresh vegetables and fruit year-round, but Barbee said there’s not much point in picking the collard greens, kale and other winter vegetables they normally harvest through the end of December.

“They’re toast right now,” he said.
Losses can show up throughout the economic food chain. Randy Branch, a farmer based in Georgia’s Appling County, cannot irrigate all his fields because he rents farmland. He lost part of his peanut crop, which he calls “making a zero,” a first in his 25-year career. He sold it as cow feed.

Some of his dry cotton fields yielded about as little as a quarter of what he expected. He could face more losses because he owns a fertilizer businesses and is concerned other farmers with similar problems may have difficulty paying their bills.
“I’m double-whammied on this,” he said.

Irrigating fields helps, but University of Georgia agriculture extension agent Jason Edenfield said he and other longtime farmers believe nothing can replace rain.

“There’s just something about what we get from the good Lord above that’s just probably a little bit better than what we can do ourselves,” he said.

The above article is concerning and when we look at the current Drought map of the USA now in December the rainy season; you will be shocked at how dry things are in the south. http://www.drought.unl.edu/dm/monitor.html What will it look like come August? I am so surprised at this when I was preparing this article.

From Russia we have this report of how short the food supply is; http://notalemming.wordpress.com/2010/11/23/the-oncoming-unstoppable-international-food-shortage/

And then we must look at the Middle East and Israel. It too is in a severe drought and is in trouble.
http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Middle-East-Drought-Brings-Prayers-For-Rain-From-All-Three-Major-Religions/Article/201012215850028?f=rss
Go to this link to watch the Video.
Middle East Caught In ‘Biblical’ Drought
12:13pm UK, Thursday December 09, 2010
Dominic Waghorn, Middle East correspondent

The Middle East is in the grip of an almost Biblical drought which has brought the region’s three major religions together to pray for rain.

Israel’s main water source, the Sea of Galilee, is in serious trouble.
November saw it receive the least amount of water since records began in 1927.

While Britain and the rest of Europe battle arctic weather conditions, temperatures on Israel’s coast remain in the mid 20s.
The month of November saw virtually no rainfall.

There has not been enough rain in the region for the last seven years.

Channel 10 weather forecaster Danny Roop told Sky News: “If I look at the meteorology it’s something we didn’t see for many years, maybe from the beginning of the ’60s. It’s really troubling for Israel.”

The dangers of these dry conditions were made tragically clear last week with the country’s worst ever forest fires, which claimed more than 40 lives and devastated thousands of acres of trees.

Agriculture is threatened by both the lack of water and seasonal confusion.
Unusually clement conditions mean plants like fruit trees are now blooming, tricked into thinking it is spring.
The drought has brought the Holy Land’s three religions together to pray for rain.

Jews, Muslims and Christians have held joint prayer sessions calling for divine intervention.
In Jordan, the government has been encouraging special prayers and fasting to ask for rain.
The desert kingdom now has an estimated shortfall of 500m cubic metres of water.

Lebanon is in similar trouble.
Forest fires broke out in the north over the weekend, though not on the same scale as Israel.
Not everyone was complaining when Sky News filmed on the beach in Tel Aviv.

Israelis were making the most of the unusual conditions, sunbathing and eating ice creams, while sparing a thought for people shivering through freezing temperatures in Britain.

This week saw one day of heavy rainfall before conditions turned hot and dry again.
More rain is predicted but water authorities say not nearly enough.

California this week is flooded by torrential rains, as well as the East Coast of Canada and Europe has been paralysed by Snow. Hmmm, do you think the second curse of Lev 26 is taking place here or do you need more convincing? It is coming; just read your Torah to find out if you will not believe me.

Proverbs 1: 24 “Because I called and you refused, I have stretched out my hand and no one inclined, 25 “And you spurned all my counsel, And would not yield to my reproof, 26 “Let me also laugh at your calamity, Mock when your dread comes, 27 “When your dread comes like a storm, And your calamity comes like a whirlwind, When distress and anguish come upon you. 28 “Let them then call on me, but I answer not; Let them seek me, but not find me. 29 “Because they hated knowledge And did not choose the fear of ????, 30 “They did not accept my counsel, They despised all my reproof, 31 “Therefore let them eat the fruit of their own way, And be filled with their own counsels. 32 “For the turning away of the simple slays them, And the complacency of fools destroys them. 33 “But whoever listens to me dwells safely, And is at ease from the dread of evil.”

Is your complacency going to destroy you and your family? Or are you going to dwell safely by obeying Yehovah and heeding those things He has shown you through his prophets and teachings from Torah?

Take a step of faith and support our efforts to build a farm that can be a model of His way of life; One Obedient to Torah. You must also make plans on how you are going to get you and your family back to our homeland. The first step is to go and see it.

Proverbs 29:18 Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.

Here is an update from those in the Land about the farm they have found. They have about five others they are also looking at with various pros and cons. But we need your help.

We found an interesting farm that has two maybe three little houses in need of work. With room for lots more, in a nice area with nice folks nearby that we know. We are checking into it. We will keep ya posted, thanks

Get the vision, understand the prophecy and help us to get this ready.

Triennial Torah Cycle

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

We are now in our 41st week since we began this first year of this 3rd Sabbatical cycle of the 119th Jubilee cycles since Adam and we began at Aviv 1 which was March 20, 2010 on the Gregorian calendar. I do hope you are reading each of these chapters as we come to them and not just my own comments on them. Read it yourself and let Yehovah inspire you. If you go to our Newsletter archives Page you can find each of the studies we have done so far since 1st of Aviv/March 20 of this year 5846.

Gen 43     2 Sam 15-16      Ps 86-87     Luke 6

Genesis 43

The first thing that I notice when I read this chapter is that after Simeon had been imprisoned in chapter 42, the rest of the family returned to Canaan and did not return to fetch Simeon. Instead they ate all the food they had brought back from Egypt. And as the famine continued and was severe in the land, only after they had exhausted the food did they consider going back for more.

They were not concerned about their brother Simeon.
At the banquet when Joseph arrives they all sit down to a great feast. Joseph lines the brothers along their table in order of oldest to youngest. Because the brothers do not know who Joseph is, they suppose this to be some sort of divination and this is why they looked at each other in astonishment in verse 33.

2 Samuel 15-16

In chapter 15 is a very detailed discussion of how Absalom rebelled and took control of all of Israel. He did this over 4 years although the King James says forty years. If King David reigned 40 years then how could Absalom plan this rebellion for 40 years?
Absalom did this with great subtlety. When I read this I was reminded how subtle Satan is and that he will bring about the end times without our knowledge and he will if possible deceive even the very elect. You need to be constantly checking your thinking against what Torah says.

Then I read how King David and all of Jerusalem except those David tells to stay and be his eyes behind him, flees by the Mount of Olives and David worshiped Yehovah at the top of this Mountain. Those of you who have been here with me know this place. David wrote many a psalm from this place.

According to the story of Ziba (2 Sam. 16:1-4), Mephibosheth proved unfaithful to David, and Ziba was subsequently awarded all of Mephibosheth’s estate. However (2 Sam. 19:24-30), Mephibosheth later told David that he had remained loyal to him, and that Ziba had lied. David then ordered the estate divided between the two. Mephibosheth allowed Ziba to keep everything as he was simply content in knowing that David was safe. After this incident, Mephibosheth is only mentioned as having been protected by David (2 Sam. 21:7).

I want to look at Shimei who cursed David and all those with him. How many of you do the exact same thing. Shimei did not know Yehovah was working with David and was in fact working out his plan even though David was being forced from Jerusalem. Shimei was acting based on the limited knowledge he had, which many of you and I do as well.

We do not always see clearly the plan of Yehovah and shoot off our mouths at those we perceive to be wrong according to our own shortsightedness. Take a good lesson from Shimei and keep your opinions to yourself. You may not be as fortunate as Shimei who almost lost his head.

We are then told of Ahitophel (“Brother of Insipidity”, or “Impiety”) who was a counsellor of King David and a man greatly renowned for his sagacity. At the time of Absalom’s revolt he deserted David (Psalm. 41:9; 55:12-14) and espoused the cause of Absalom (2 Samuel 15:12).

David sent his old friend Hushai back to Absalom, in order that he might counteract the counsel of Ahitophel (2 Sam. 15:31-37). Ahitophel, seeing that his good advice against David had not been followed due to Hushai’s influence, correctly predicted that the revolt would fail. He then left the camp of Absalom at once. He returned to Giloh, his native place, and after arranging his worldly affairs, hanged himself, and was buried in the sepulcher of his fathers (2 Sam. 17:1-23).

Even though David left Jerusalem to Absalom, King David was not stupid as he did plant Hushai and Zadok in key positions that Absalom continued to use and who reported to King David what was going on in the city and in the Palace of Absalom. A wikileaks type of system.

Palsm 86-87

http://www.ucg.org/bible-commentary/Psalms/84)-Yearning-to-dwell-in-God’s-house;-85)-Prayer-for-restoration-after-captivity;-86)-Prayer-for-mercy-and-help-against-enemies;-87)-God’s-special-love-for-Zion/default.aspx
Psalm 86 is a prayerful lament of David, wherein he cries out to God for mercy. This is the only psalm in Book III with David’s name in the title. Certain key phrases are found in other psalms of David. “I am poor and needy” (verse 2), referring to his lowly, humbled state and need for God’s saving help, is also found in Psalm 40:17 (repeated in 70:5). “To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul” (86:4) is also found in Psalm 25:1 (compare 143:8). And “Teach me Your way, O Lord” (86:11), showing his deep longing to know and follow God’s laws, is also found in Psalm 27:11.

David doesn’t give the specifics of his affliction but it is dire—as he perceived himself headed toward “the depths of Sheol” (verse 13), that is, the grave. And his predicament involved a proud mob of violent, godless men who sought his life (verse 14). David is troubled by his situation “all day long” (verse 3), and its remedy requires God’s forgiveness (verse 5). A number of other psalms of David follow this familiar pattern.

In the NKJV translation of verse 2, David prays, “Preserve my life, for I am holy.” The word translated “holy” here is not the typical Hebrew word meaning holy, qodesh or kadesh. Rather, the Hebrew word here is hasid, translated “godly” in Psalm 4:3: “But know that the Lord has set apart for Himself him who is godly.” However, the word hasid is closely related to the word hesed, used in Psalm 86 for God’s mercy, lovingkindness or covenant faithfulness. In context of the rest of verse 2, David seems to be stressing his relationship to God—that he is loyal and faithful to God. The NIV translates his words as, “…for I am devoted to you.” Thus, David is not saying he is worthy of saving because of some self-inherent goodness. He is instead basing His plea on the relationship He has with God—one of mutual covenant faithfulness.

“Among the gods there is none like You, O Lord,” David declares in verse 8, answering the rhetorical question posed in Exodus 15:11. None of the pagan gods of the surrounding nations are even real—though real demonic spirits may pose as them (compare 1 Corinthians 10:20). That David does not believe in pagan gods is clear, for he states, “You alone are God”—appropriately spelled in English with a capital G (verse 10). He foresees the time when the nations worshipping false gods will learn about their true Creator and glorify Him (verse 9)—which we see more about in the next psalm.

Besides expressing his desire to know and follow God’s teachings (verse 11), David also asks for an “undivided” heart so that he can properly fear God and sincerely praise Him (verses 11-12). And note that he is confident that he will be able to do so forevermore (verse 12) because, as he is sure, God will have delivered him from his life-threatening situation (verse 13).
The description of God’s compassion and mercy in verse 15 appears drawn from God’s description of Himself to Moses in Exodus 34:6.

David concludes Psalm 86 with a final plea for mercy, strengthening and deliverance (verse 16), asking for a positive sign on his behalf (verse 17)—not to help him believe, as he already does, but so that his enemies will be put to shame.

Psalm 87, another Korahite psalm in the final cluster of Book III, is a song of Zion—yet a remarkably unusual one in that other nations are included in the ranks of Zion’s citizenry. The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, in its introductory note on this psalm, says that it’s “difficult to postulate an original life-situation for the psalm. It may well have been associated with any of the three pilgrimage festivals, when Israel together with proselytes [from other nations] joined together in the worship of God at the temple.” While there may have been some application for that time, the psalm when composed was clearly forward-looking—prophesying of the future. Thematically, this psalm follows David’s remark in the previous psalm about all nations eventually coming to worship the true God (86:9).

“The holy mountains” of 87:1, where sits the foundation of God’s worship system and from where He will ultimately rule all nations, refers either to Israel and Judah or to the hills of Jerusalem. If the former, verse 2 narrows the focus to Zion. If the latter, verse 2 simply defines the mountains as those of Zion. “The Lord loves the gates of Zion” because they form the entrance to the temple through which His people have a relationship with Him. The Nelson Study Bible states that “the verb loves includes the idea of choice (see Deut. 6:5) as well as emotion. God chose Jerusalem, and He also has an enduring affection for the city” (note on verses 2-3).

In verse 4, the end of the phrase “I will make mention of Rahab [i.e., Egypt (see Isaiah 30:7)] and Babylon to those who know Me” could be translated as “….AS those who know Me” (note on Psalm 87:4)—or perhaps “…AS OF those who know Me.” The NIV renders verse 4 this way: “I will record Rahab [Egypt] and Babylon among those who acknowledge me—Philistia too, and Tyre, along with Cush [i.e., Ethiopia or perhaps all of east and southern Africa]—and will say, ‘This one was born in Zion.'” This is saying that people born in other nations, even nations that were troublesome to Israel, will be considered as “born in Zion” once they repent and worship the true God. Verse 6 affirms, “The Lord will record, when He registers the peoples: this one was born there.”

This process begins with the Church of God today: “But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem…to the general assembly and church of the firstborn who are registered in heaven” (Hebrews 12:22)—spiritual Zion according to the New Covenant, “the Jerusalem above…which is the mother of us all” (Galatians 4:26). The New Testament describes the gentile nations generally as “aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers of the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world” (Ephesians 2:12). Yet those who come into God’s Church have a drastically changed status—to that of being “no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God” (verse 19). Through Jesus Christ, they become “Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:29).

Then, when Christ returns, these will all be spiritually born of Zion in the resurrection. As Isaiah 66:8 says: “Shall the earth be made to give birth in one day? Or shall a nation be born at once? For as soon as Zion was in labor, she gave birth to her children.”

Afterward, God’s holy mountain, His Kingdom, will grow from Zion to fill the entire earth—so that all nations will become part of Israel in a spiritual sense. All will be born in Zion. How marvelous is God’s plan for all people! It is a cause for singing and rejoicing (Psalm 87:7). The phrase “all my springs are in you” (same verse), or “all my fountains are in you” (NIV), calls to mind the “river whose streams shall make glad the city of God” (46:4), the life-giving river of the New Jerusalem (Revelation 22:1-5), the “fountain of life” (Jeremiah 2:13) and the “wells of salvation” (Isaiah 12:3), from which living water will be drawn with joy.

Occurring as it does near the end of Book III, which contains a number of psalms about Israel’s devastation at the hands of enemy nations (previewing the time of the great tribulation ahead), perhaps this psalm was placed here to remind God’s people to not focus on wishing ill on their enemies but to long for the day when all will be reconciled, dwelling happily together in the family of God.

Luke 6

Right here again at the beginning of the chapter the reader is confronted once again with the fact that Yehshua kept the Sabbath. And yet this is the one Christians use to justify not having to keep the Sabbath. That Yehshua worked on the Sabbath.

When they say such things it just shows their ignorance of the law. So let us once again look at the law of Torah.
Exodus 20: 8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to set it apart. 9 “Six days you labour, and shall do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath1 of ???? your Elohim. You do not do any work – you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. Footnote: 1There are other Sabbaths, but this is the weekly Sabbath. 11 “For in six days ???? made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore ???? blessed the Sabbath day and set it apart.

Now many people question what can be done on the Sabbath? Here we have just read that Yehshua and the apostles were picking grain. We read in Deuteronomy 23: 24 “When you come into your neighbour’s vineyard, you shall eat to the satisfaction of your desire, but do not put any in a receptacle of yours. 25 “When you come into your neighbour’s standing grain, you shall pluck the heads with your hand, but do not use a sickle on your neighbour’s standing grain.

They were picking the grain by hand to feed themselves on the Sabbath. You were allowed to do this but you were not allowed to use a sickle as then it was considered to be working or harvesting. The same for picking grapes; you could eat whatever you wanted but you could not load up a container as this was considered harvesting.

We then read 2 And some of the Pharisees said to them, “Why are you doing what is not right to do on the Sabbath?”
What is going on here? The Pharisees are using the Talmudic teachings that they had devised over the years which now were over riding what the Torah said and replacing Torah with Talmudic teachings. This where Yehshua and the Pharisees had most of their disagreements.

Here is some more on the Sabbath you might want to know about.
http://water-desert.wetpaint.com/page/Sabbath

The Sabbath, a Wedding Gift

The Torah gives the word Sabbath (Shabbat) the female gender. Within the Jewish community, Sabbath is called, “the Queen of Days.” It has the female gender because it symbolizes the bride of the Messiah. All the Feasts and the Sabbath are wedding gifts from Yeshua to His Bride that she can enjoy before He comes to get Her. These gifts have so many symbols and aspects that remind her of Him and things about Him. As you open up this gift of the Sabbath every week, you are thinking of Him, His love and compassion towards you and it is if He is there with you every time, and He actually is. Through His Spirit, which you cannot see, He is there with you, inside of you and you can have fellowship with Him. The Sabbath can also be seen as a wedding ring, a special symbol of the covenant relationship between the bridegroom and the bride. Its circular construction speaks of a never-ending relationship. The precious metal speaks of the vows that formed the marriage. The ring is worn as a reminder.

Feast of Creation

It is a covenant sign between Elohim and His people. It dates back to the very creation of heaven and earth. This is the day that YHVH rested from His work and this is the sign that He is the Creator.

But as for you, speak to the sons of Israel, saying, “You shall surely observe My Sabbaths; for this is a sign between Me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I am YHWH who sanctifies you.”EXO 31:13

It is one of the Ten Commandments. The Torah calls Sabbath the commandment of remembrance. Sabbath was known to man prior to the giving of the Torah; therefore, the Torah’s instruction is; “Remember to keep the Sabbath holy.” Remember Him every Sabbath, the Sabbath is about Him and to think on His things, His Word and His ways. The observance of Sabbath serves as a stepping stone to a new awakening of Elohim. Instead of always going to Elohim’s house to visit Him; keeping Sabbath shows people how to invite Elohim to their home and He comes to visit them to celebrate and remember that He is the Creator Who created everything. This gives Him back His authority in the World that proves that He is above all and all things as stated in the New Testament also.

Set apart day of rest

Sabbath is a day of rest and refreshment. According to Elohim, the very labeling of days is based on Sabbath. There is the first day after Sabbath, the second day after, the third day after, the third day before, the second day before, the day of preparation, and finally the Sabbath. The whole week is build around the Sabbath and everything revolves around it. This day is His day where He can show Himself to you. You should not be busy with your things or pleasures that can distract you from the whole purpose of the Sabbath. ISA 58:13-14 If because of the Sabbath, you turn your foot from doing your own pleasure on My holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy day of YHWH honorable, and shall honor it, desisting from your own ways, from seeking your own pleasure, and speaking your own word, then you will take delight in YHWH, and I will make you ride on the heights of the earth; and I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father, for the mouth of YHWH has spoken.

JOS 1:8 This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.

Use this day to focus on Him, His Creation and His Word. Try to find Him in the Scriptures, search and meditate on it and then He will respond with Himself and the essence of His Being.

Keeping Sabbath Holy

In traditional observant homes, a simple ceremony called “Kiddush” (to make holy) is performed on Friday evenings at the beginning of Sabbath. Keeping the Sabbath holy is initiated by recognizing the beginning of Sabbath and blessing the name of Elohim and the Sabbath. The husband or leader of the home pronounces a blessing with the Kiddush cup (a special cup set apart for Sabbath and holidays). Then he breaks the Sabbath bread (two loaves of challah) and blesses Elohim for the daily bread. Traditionally, two loaves are used to remember the double portion of manna given on the sixth day. The bread loaves are usually made from three pieces of dough each braided to form a pattern of hills. Sesame or poppy seeds adorn the top to appear as manna on the hills. The Last Supper ceremony requires the bread of Passover unleavened bread. Challah used with Kiddush is leavened bread. Then the father and husband blesses his wife and children as part of Sabbath. This entire ceremony, called Kiddush, is a way to remember and keep Sabbath separate (holy) from other days in the home. But is this the only way to remember to keep the Sabbath holy? Probably not. Again, judgment and discernment are required to fulfill this commandment. {We have purposely removed the sentence here about the lighting of Shabbat candles. As this is not a commandment which the prayer says it is. This is in fact an Oral false teaching and as such we do not do it.}

Not working on the Sabbath

This is a difficult thing to do because we tend to think that “Saturday” is our day in the week to do the things we have no time to do during the week. In other instances we use this day to catch up on work or to make an easy buck. Is this what Sabbath was intended for?

DEU 5:14 …but the seventh day is a Sabbath of YHWH your Elohim; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant or your ox or your donkey or any of your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you, so that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you.

The observance of Sabbath for them becomes a test of faith. Will YHWH provide for me and my family if I don’t work on the Sabbath. This was the very issue for the children of Israel in the wilderness. They thought that they needed to gather manna every day. They weren’t sure that YHWH would provide enough on the sixth day for two days. Until this test was passed, until they believed YHWH would provide, it was not possible to make the Sabbath a delight, to truly rest. Most people at the first observance of Sabbath are overwhelmed by the word “cease”. The first couple weeks will be met with family complaints like, “We can’t do anything. What can we do on Sabbath?”

One of the greatest misconceptions of Sabbath is that we are not told to “cease from everything”. We are told to “cease” from laborious work. There are many “good” things to do and not be “work.” Again, judgment and discernment are required to determine exactly what that is. For me, I enjoy family time. I enjoying sleeping in, taking a nap, reading, and relaxing. I look for those things that are delightful. I also am prepared to rise and do good. It is on this point that the New Testament has much to say concerning Sabbath. Accusers of Yeshua said that He did not keep the Sabbath. He did good (healed and helped people) on Sabbath. He argued not against Sabbath but those who restricted any activity (including doing good) on Sabbath. In fact, Yeshua specifically healed certain men on Sabbath to illustrate this point. His logic was straight forward.

And He said to them, “What man shall there be among you, who shall have one sheep, and if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will he not take hold of it, and lift it out? Of how much more value then is a man than a sheep! So then, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath” MAT 12:11-12

Part of “ceasing” from laborious work is to be refreshed and renewed by good things. For those of you who want to keep Sabbath but are facing an employment situation which conflicts with its observance, my counsel is simple. Ask YHWH to solve that problem by giving you a new job, a different work schedule, or a promotion. Many can give their testimony of how Elohim helped in this matter. The commandment also says that we should not cause others to serve us. This even includes family members, paid servants, and animals (other living creatures).

This is especially the case in your household where you teach for instance, your children, to rest but you give them chores to do, this is contradicting what you are teaching and you should finish your chores before Shabbat and after Shabbat. Going to a shop, filling you car with petrol or buying a coffee on your way to the Assembly is an act of commerce and if we all stopped doing this then these people would not have business on Sabbath and be able to keep Shabbat as well. These people are not convinced by your beliefs and do not follow Torah’s instructions regarding the Sabbath. Here the onus is on you not to engage in things, like shopping, that is not a “set apart” act that helps you to focus on YHVH. I always see Shabbat as a time to spend with YHVH, your Family and fellowship with other believers. If you and your Family decide to go on a pick-nick, enjoying each other’s company and YHVH’s creation, go for it!

Sunday or Sabbath

It is because we don’t believe. We don’t believe YHWH or His instructions. Some have even gone so far as to say, “Sabbath can be any day you want. It is really the concept of resting one day in seven.” The Sabbath we are speaking of is YHWH’s Sabbath. It is the day that He rested from His labors. Some say that it was changed. They say that YHWH’s day of the New Testament is Sunday. In fact, they even change the Old Testament as well. The Ten Commandments for the Catholic Bible simply changes the fourth commandment to “keeping Sunday.” The Catholics are not bashful about explaining that the “church fathers” made this change; they believe they had the authority to do so.

Protestants may think they are different from Catholics, but the fact is that they agree with and submit themselves to this same authority of the “church fathers.” Protestants are just “protesting Catholics”. But, on the matter of Sabbath, they don’t change the Bible text, but they agree with the teaching. They believe Sabbath has changed. What is it about the observance of the Sabbath ordained by Elohim that causes such a negative reaction for the traditional Christian community? I sincerely believe it has to do with misunderstandings of what Moses taught. One of the complaints against Sabbath is that it is Jewish. Actually, it isn’t; traditional Jews do observe it, but Sabbath began before there were any Hebrews or Jewish people. Sabbath is explained in Genesis chapter two. Adam kept Sabbath, as did Noah, before Abraham, the first Hebrew. But maybe the greatest misunderstanding of Sabbath seems to be the nature of the commandment itself.

Many people, coming from a church attendance mentality, think that Sabbath is a commandment of assembly. That is, they think Sabbath is a commandment of assembly on the seventh day rather than the first day of the week. The commandment of Sabbath is not “Thou shalt assemble and hold church on Saturday”. So then what is the commandment of Sabbath and how are we to observe it? Actually, there are six commandments concerning Sabbath according to Moses. If you follow the oral tradition of Judaism there are 1,583 commandments about Sabbath, but we will confine ourselves to what Moses taught. Every Sabbath day he shall set it in order before YHWH continually; it is an everlasting covenant for the sons of Israel. LEV 24:8 The Sabbath should be kept, as all people before us since Adam did, and it is a sign unto all people for all eternity.

Depth of the Sabbath

The word Sabbath is constructed of a Shin – Bet – Tav and expressed as “ shaw-bath’”, changing the vowels it is then expressed as “ sheh-beth” meaning; “sitting still”, “seat” or “dwelling place”. All these are feminine nouns and shows it is meant for the Bride and it should be the reaction of the Bride to these words. Shin means fire and is on the right or spiritual side. Bet is the object and is in the middle and means house. Tav is on the left or physical side and means cross. Their numbers are; 300, 2, 400 and it represents the work of the Messiah, as seen in His dying on the tree (cross). The Sabbath should remind us of the work He did for us so that we can enter His house, Bet, by the restoration of the relationship (2) between us and it should also remind us of His covenant (300) and that the Shabbat is a seal at the last day of judgment, Shin – fire. By doing the Shabbat we establish a good relationship with Him (2), meditating on Him and His Word, and we are also obedient to His ways, establishing His covenant in our lives so that we might also be invited into His house, as we invited Him to our houses every Shabbat.

Messiah working on the Sabbath

There are numerous examples in the New Testament where Yeshua “worked” on the Shabbat, the question is; did He break the Law concerning the Shabbat and is this an example of Him teaching us to break the law? The answer is no, He never teaches anyone to break the law and doing good deeds on the Sabbath is permitted in the Torah. To explain this concept of the work He did we have to go to John and look at one of these examples where He “broke” the Sabbath, to understand what is the misperception most people have concerning Yeshua and the Law. A Man was lying at the pool of Bethesda (pool of kindness) and there was no one to carry him into the water after it was moved. He was thirty-eight years stricken by this problem he had and asked Yeshua to help Him into the pool. Yeshua responded by instructing him to take up his bed and walk. What is interesting is that the oral law concerning “work on the Sabbath” had 39 precepts of things not to do on the Sabbath and the one Yeshua told him to do was the last one, number 39. It was the man’s 39th year of illness, see the correlation, and he broke the 39th law.

This law was compiled by listing all the work that is needed to construct the Tabernacle, very interesting, of which the 39th one was forbidding you to take something and carry it into a different place. Yeshua asked the man to carry his bed, but in the spiritual realm, Yeshua took the man’s infirmity and transferred it, and swapped it with health, see the picture. Then when the Pharisees confronted Yeshua He told them that His Father is working up to now and so is He. This was like fat on the fire and they wanted to stone Him. Did Yeshua breake the law? No, these laws were made by man but other than that, the Sabbath is the time YHVH uses to work within man. When you take off and rest, you enable YHVH and give Him the time to work in your life, this time is set apart for YHVH to do just that and that is why you must “rest” on this day so that He can do a changing work within you, taking garbage from your life in this realm and move it away from you into another realm. This process is called the exchange of life, death taken from your life and filled with new life from YHVH. The medium in which this takes place is through meditating on His Word and talking to YHVH and others concerning His Word of Truth.

Millennial Sabbath

Yeshua also says that He is YHWH of the Sabbath; He is the Bridegroom. The whole concept of the millennial kingdom is based on the Sabbath. It is the seventh 1,000 year day in the history of the earth. For with YHWH, one day is as a 1,000 years, and 1,000 years as one day. The millennial Kingdom begins with the wedding of the Lamb. Having said all this, and there is no dispute over these facts, how is that we as a believing community of YHWH do not observe such a weekly event with diligence, deep conviction, and overwhelming joy?

Ending of Sabbath

At the close of Sabbath, Saturday evening, another simple ceremony is convened to end Sabbath. It is called Havdalah (separation) of Sabbath. {Again the part about the candles is removed}

A Kiddush cup is filled to over flowing into a saucer. Sabbath has given us over flowing joy. Or, some of the cup is simply poured out into the saucer representing a loss of joy because the Sabbath is going away. Sweet spices are sniffed to keep the memory as long as possible of the sweetness of Sabbath. This ceremony, Havdalah, is the reason for Paul gathering with his brethren in Acts 20:7.

End Times & the Sabbath

The Bible says that Sabbath sanctifies us to Elohim and it is perpetual, permanent, continual and everlasting. What husband would tolerate another man telling the husband’s wife that her marriage covenant was only temporary and she should take off her wedding ring and never wear it again? I dare say that the husband would take issue with the man. Yet, many men today say that Elohim’s marriage covenant has ended and the sign of that covenant is no longer valid for believers of Elohim. I think they are very mistaken and should seriously rethink the very character of Elohim. I think they should consider the counsel of Isaiah as he prepares us for the second coming of Messiah Yeshua.

ISA 56:1-2 Thus says YHWH, “Preserve justice, and do righteousness, for My salvation is about to come and My righteousness to be revealed. How blessed is the man who does this, and the son of man who takes hold of it; who keeps from profaning the Sabbath, and keeps his hand from doing any evil.”

This is a scary thought in thinking that Sabbath is still required for a sign between YHVH and man and yet so many people disregard the instruction and will of YHVH for His people. Sabbath is not salvation but Sabbath is part of learning and knowing YHVH.

Mat 7:21-23 (21) Not everyone who says to Me, Lord! Lord! shall enter the kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in Heaven. (22) Many will say to Me in that day, Lord! Lord! Did we not prophesy in Your name, and through Your name throw out demons, and through Your name do many wonderful works? (23) And then I will say to them I never knew you! Depart from Me, those working lawlessness!

Lawlessness can be defined as 1 John 3:4 Lawlessness is the transgression of the law; people doing man’s instructions and not YHVH’s instructions. Assembling on a Sunday was invented by man and not YHVH and you are the servant of the one’s who’s instructions you follow. Think about it.

Today some have begun to question when is the Sabbath. I recently wrote this reply to a brother who was asking.

Let the scriptures show you when the Sabbath begins and ends.

Gen 1:2 And the earth came to be1 formless and empty, and darkness was on the face of the deep. And the Spirit of Elohim was moving on the face of the waters. Footnote: 1Or the earth became. 3 And Elohim said, “Let light come to be,” and light came to be. 4 And Elohim saw the light, that it was good. And Elohim separated the light from the darkness. 5 And Elohim called the light ‘day’ and the darkness He called ‘night.’ And there came to be evening and there came to be morning, the first day.

Gen 1:6 And Elohim said, “Let an expanse come to be in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” 7 And Elohim made the expanse, and separated the waters which were under the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse. And it came to be so. 8 And Elohim called the expanse ‘heavens.’ And there came to be evening and there came to be morning, the second day.

Gen 1:9 And Elohim said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it came to be so. 10 And Elohim called the dry land ‘earth,’ and the collection of the waters He called ‘seas.’ And Elohim saw that it was good. 11 And Elohim said, “Let the earth bring forth grass, the plant that yields seed, and the fruit tree that yields fruit according to its kind, whose seed is in itself, on the earth.” And it came to be so. 12 And the earth brought forth grass, the plant that yields seed according to its kind, and the tree that yields fruit, whose seed is in itself according to its kind. And Elohim saw that it was good. 13 And there came to be evening and there came to be morning, the third day.

Gen 1:14 And Elohim said, “Let lights come to be in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night, and let them be for signs and appointed times, and for days and years, 15 and let them be for lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth.” And it came to be so. 16 And Elohim made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night, and the stars. 17 And Elohim set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, 18 and to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And Elohim saw that it was good. 19 And there came to be evening and there came to be morning, the fourth day.

Gen 1: 20 And Elohim said, “Let the waters teem with shoals of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth on the face of the expanse of the heavens.” 21 And Elohim created great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters teemed, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind. And Elohim saw that it was good. 22 And Elohim blessed them, saying, “Bear fruit and increase, and fill the waters in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.” 23 And there came to be evening and there came to be morning, the fifth day.

Gen 1: 24 And Elohim said, “Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: livestock and creeping creatures and beasts of the earth, according to its kind.” And it came to be so. 25 And Elohim made the beast of the earth according to its kind, livestock according to its kind, and all that creep on the earth according to its kind. And Elohim saw that it was good. 26 And Elohim said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over the livestock, and over all the earth and over all the creeping creatures that creep on the earth.” 27 And Elohim created the man in His image, in the image of Elohim He created him – male and female He created them. 28 And Elohim blessed them, and Elohim said to them, “Bear fruit and increase, and fill the earth and subdue it, and rule over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the heavens, and over all creatures moving on the earth.” 29 And Elohim said, “See, I have given you every plant that yields seed which is on the face of all the earth, and every tree whose fruit yields seed, to you it is for food. 30 “And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the heavens, and to every creeping creature on the earth, in which there is life, every green plant is for food.” And it came to be so. 31 And Elohim saw all that He had made, and see, it was very good. And there came to be evening and there came to be morning, the sixth day.

Gen 2:1 Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their array. 2 And on the seventh day Elohim completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. 3 And Elohim blessed the seventh day and set it apart, because on it He rested from all His work which Elohim in creating had made.

If the first day is from evening to morning and each of the other 6 days is from evening to morning then Sabbath should be from Evening to the morning. It includes the evening first and then the day second; Or from Sunset to Sunset.

Lev 23:1 And ???? spoke to Mosheh, saying, 2 “Speak to the children of Yisra’el, and say to them, ‘The appointed times of ???? , which you are to proclaim as set-apart gatherings, My appointed times, are these: 3 ‘Six days work is done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, a set-apart gathering.

Notice that the Sabbath is the first of the appointed times. He then lists all the other appointed times or Holy Days and then he gets very specific about the Day of Atonement and tells you when it is exactly so you have not excuse to get confused about it.

27 “On the tenth day of this seventh month is the Day of Atonement. It shall be a set-apart gathering for you. And you shall afflict your beings, and shall bring an offering made by fire to ????. 28 “And you do no work on that same day, for it is the Day of Atonement, to make atonement for you before ???? your Elohim. 29 “For any being who is not afflicted on that same day, he shall be cut off from his people. 30 “And any being who does any work on that same day, that being I shall destroy from the midst of his people. 31 “You do no work – a law forever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. 32 ‘It is a Sabbath of rest to you, and you shall afflict your beings. On the ninth day of the month at evening, from evening to evening, you observe your Sabbath.”

Now did anyone else keep the Sabbath from Sunset to Sunset?

Nehemiah 13: 15 In those days I saw in Yehud_ah those treading wine presses on the Sabbath, and bringing in sheaves, and loading donkeys with wine, grapes, and figs, and all kinds of burdens, which they brought into Yerushalayim on the Sabbath day. So I warned them on the day they sold food. 16 And men of Tsor dwelt there, bringing in fish and all kinds of goods, and sold them on the Sabbath to the children of Yehud_ah, and in Yerushalayim. 17 Then I contended with the nobles of Yehud_ah, and said to them, “What evil matter is this that you are doing, profaning the Sabbath day? 18 “Did not your fathers do the same so that our Elohim brought all this evil on us and on this city? Yet you bring added wrath on Yisra’el by profaning the Sabbath.” 19 And it came to be, at the gates of Yerushalayim, as it began to be dark before the Sabbath, that I commanded the gates to be shut, and commanded that they should not be opened till after the Sabbath. And I stationed some of my servants at the gates, so that no burdens would be brought in on the Sabbath day. 20 And the merchants and sellers of all kinds of wares spent the night outside Yerushalayim once or twice, 21 and I warned them, and said to them, “Why do you spend the night around the wall? If you do so again, I lay hands on you!” From that time on they came no more on the Sabbath.

So when I read these scriptures Brother I see that the Sabbath begins at Sunset on Friday evening and ends at Sunset Saturday evening. Each of the Holy Days also begins at Sunset and finishes at Sunset.

Please read all of Luke this week. There is so much here to talk about but I will share on just one more point.

20 And He, lifting up His eyes toward His taught ones, said, “Blessed are the poor,1 because yours is the reign of Elohim. Footnote: 1Isa. 11:4, Jas. 2:5. 21 “Blessed are you who hunger now, because you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, because you shall laugh. 22 “Blessed are you when men shall hate you, and when they shall cut you off, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as wicked, for the sake of the Son of Ad?am. 23 “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for look, your reward is great in the heaven, for that is how their fathers treated the prophets.

Luke does not seem to capture all that Mathew says on this same subject. The poor are the poor in spirit, those who do not think highly of themselves, who know they are redeemed and a price was paid for their salvation. They hunger for the word of truth, the Torah and they will be satisfied when they search for it.

Those who mourn or weep I liken to those in Ezekiel who mourn.

Ezekiel 9: 1 And He called out in my hearing with a loud voice, saying, “Let the punishers of the city draw near, each with his weapon of destruction in his hand.” 2 And look, six men came from the direction of the upper gate, which faces north, each with his battle-axe in his hand. And one man in their midst was clothed with linen and had a writer’s ink-horn at his side. And they came in and stood beside the bronze altar. 3 And the esteem of the Elohim of Yisra’?l went up from the kerub?, where it had been, to the threshold of the House. And He called to the man clothed with linen, who had the writer’s ink-horn at his side, 4 and ???? said to him, “Pass on into the midst of the city, into the midst of Yerushalayim, and you shall put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it.” 5 And to the others He said in my hearing, “Pass on into the city after him and smite, do not let your eye pardon nor spare. 6 “Slay to destruction old, young men, maidens and children and women, but do not come near anyone upon whom is the mark, and begin at My set-apart place.” So they began with the elders who were in front of the House. 7 And He said to them, “Defile the House, and fill the courts with the slain. Go out!” And they went out and smote in the city. 8 And as they were smiting them it came to be that I alone was left. And I fell on my face and cried out, and said, “Ah, Master ????! Are You destroying all the remnant of Yisra’?l in pouring out Your wrath on Yerushalayim?” 9 And He said to me, “The crookedness of the house of Yisra’?l and Yehud?ah is exceedingly great, and the land is filled with bloodshed, and the city filled with that which is warped. For they say, ‘???? has forsaken the land, and ???? is not seeing!’ 10 “But as for Me, My eye shall not pardon, nor would I spare, I shall recompense their deeds on their own head.” 11 And see, the man clothed with linen, who had the ink-horn at his side, reported back and said, “I have done as You commanded me.”

The word Sigh here is Strong’s # 584 ‘anach aw-nakh’ a primitive root; to sigh:–groan, mourn, sigh.

We all need to mourn and weep over what is happening to the truth of Torah and it begins in Jerusalem. And we shall be hated for this.

Now concerning those things I have been saying about getting ready for the coming war. Once again Luke 6:49 “But the one hearing and not doing, is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream burst, and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great.”

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 283-289. We also have commentary, with editing from me, again from http://theownersmanual.net/The_Owners_Manual_02_The_Law_of_Love.Torah

283 Not to crave something that belongs to another (Deut. 5:18) (CCN41).

(283) Do not crave something that belongs to another. “You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife; and you shall not desire your neighbor’s house, his field, his male servant, his female servant, his ox, his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.” (Deuteronomy 5:21) Maimonides has been caught padding the list again. This is merely the restatement of the Tenth Commandment (#282) for a new generation of Israelites—the Deuteronomy restatement of the Exodus 20 list. Moses used the very same word for covet: chamad. There is nothing new here. Although I must admit that the warning bears repeating.

284 Not to indulge in evil thoughts and sights (Num. 15:39) (CCN156).

(284) Do not indulge in evil thoughts and sights. “Again Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to the children of Israel: Tell them to make tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to put a blue thread in the tassels of the corners. And you shall have the tassel, that you may look upon it and remember all the commandments of Yahweh and do them, and that you may not follow the harlotry to which your own heart and your own eyes are inclined, and that you may remember and do all My commandments, and be holy for your God.’” (Numbers 15:37-40) Yahweh knew what temptations the Israelites were going to be faced with as they entered Canaan. He knew their hearts and eyes would be inclined toward the harlotry of the Land. So rather than merely commanding them to avert their eyes and don’t think evil thoughts, He gave them a means by which they would be constantly reminded of who they were—and Whose they were: Yahweh’s set-apart people. He instructed them to sew tassels on the corners of their garments, and to put a single blue thread within the tassel representing their ultimate salvation through the Messiah (see #18 for a full discussion of these tsitzit). Since everybody in Israel was to wear the tsitzit with the blue thread, it was a system designed to make it hard for God’s precepts to slip your mind.

God’s provision for our needs is thus demonstrated—even our need to avoid temptation. It reminds us of what Paul wrote: “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it. Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.” (I Corinthians 10:12-14)

Punishment and Restitution

In the matter of punishment and restitution, I would like to offer the following New Testament vignette to illustrate the concept of restitution. I do so because Maimonides barely mentions it. That’s a shame, because restitution—not punishment—is at the heart of Yahweh’s system of civil jurisprudence. Punishment was reserved for those cases where a spiritual principal was at stake, whether metaphorically or literally. At any rate, pay close attention to what Zacchaeus did, and what Yahshua’s reaction was.

“Jesus entered Jericho and made his way through the town. There was a man there named Zacchaeus. He was one of the most influential Jews in the Roman tax-collecting business, and he had become very rich. He tried to get a look at Jesus, but he was too short to see over the crowds. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore tree beside the road, so he could watch from there. When Jesus came by, he looked up at Zacchaeus and called him by name. ‘Zacchaeus!’ he said. ‘Quick, come down! For I must be a guest in your home today.’ Zacchaeus quickly climbed down and took Jesus to his house in great excitement and joy. But the crowds were displeased. ‘He has gone to be the guest of a notorious sinner,’ they grumbled.”

Here’s the punchline: “Meanwhile, Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, ‘I will give half my wealth to the poor, Lord, and if I have overcharged people on their taxes, I will give them back four times as much!’” The Roman system of tax collection in Judea employed Jewish tax-gatherers in the exaction of a dizzying variety of levies, duties, customs, and fees. They were authorized to collect a fraction in excess of the proper tax, which was their commission, their profit—an amount they frequently padded—adding to the already considerable ire they had earned among their countrymen. These men are called telones in Greek.

Zacchaeus was an architelones, a chief among or supervisor of a number of telones. Confronted and convicted by Yahshua’s holiness, he did two things. Knowing he had personally defrauded people, he promised to repay them as if he had stolen their sheep (see Exodus 22:1)—fourfold. But also knowing that much of his wealth had been derived from underlings who had extorted money from people in transactions he could neither trace nor set right, he did what he could to rectify the situation: he gave half of his wealth to the poor. In other words, Zacchaeus repented, changed his mind and changed his ways. And recognizing his guilt before God, he did what the Torah prescribed. He made restitution.

Here’s Yahshua’s reaction: “Jesus responded, ‘Salvation has come to this home today, for this man has shown himself to be a son of Abraham. And I, the Son of Man, have come to seek and save those like him who are lost.’” (Luke 19:1-10) Zacchaeus wasn’t saved because he gave the money back. He was saved because he “showed himself to be a son of Abraham,” that is, he believed Yahweh and his faith was accounted unto him to be righteousness. Punishment was the last thing on Yahshua’s mind as he called to the diminutive tax collector. He wanted to save Zack from that. Restitution does what can be done to undo a crime.

Punishment in the Torah is invariably an earthly picture of what can happen in the eternal state—a warning to those who would rebel against Yahweh’s sovereignty.

Early in the first century, Israel’s Roman overlords caused the “scepter to depart from Judah,” that is, they took away from the Jewish ruling council the legal right to impose the death sentence. This, of course, was a fulfillment of the prophecy that Shiloh, “He to whom the scepter belongs,” had come (see Genesis 49:10). It is therefore sad and ironic that Maimonides’ list of “Restitutions and Punishments” is fixated on the minutiae surrounding capital punishment, to the exclusion of the victim-centric body of law concerning restitution.

285. That the Court shall pass sentence of death by decapitation with the sword (Ex. 21:20; Lev. 26:25) (affirmative).

(285) The Court shall pass sentence of death by decapitation with the sword. “If men fight, and hurt a woman with child, so that she gives birth prematurely, yet no harm follows, he shall surely be punished accordingly as the woman’s husband imposes on him; and he shall pay as the judges determine. But if any harm follows, then you shall give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.” (Exodus 21:22-25) Also, “And if by these things [previously listed plagues sent upon a disobedient Israel] you are not reformed by Me, but walk contrary to Me, then I also will walk contrary to you, and I will punish you yet seven times for your sins. And I will bring a sword against you that will execute the vengeance of the covenant; when you are gathered together within your cities I will send pestilence among you; and you shall be delivered into the hand of the enemy.” (Leviticus 26:23-25) Huh? The “proof texts” offered do not under any circumstances authorize “the Court to pass a sentence of death by decapitation with the sword.” It’s another bald-faced rabbinical power grab—all the worse because the only wielding of the sword (and even there it is evidently symbolic of any weapon) in these verses is to be done by Yahweh. The Court, a.k.a. the Sanhedrin, has no such authority.

The circumstances under which the “Court” was to make decisions concerning retaliatory punishment are very clearly defined in the Exodus passage. Frankly, the circumstances described are so unlikely as to be laughable. (Two guys get into a fight; somehow a woman who happens to be late in her pregnancy gets in the way and gets hurt, resulting in her baby being born prematurely—c’mon: did that ever happen?) Yet the whole world latches onto the phrase “an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” and jumps to the erroneous conclusion that since God is just itching for vengeance and retribution, we can feel free to dish it out as well, never mind what the Torah actually said.

As far as bringing a “sword” to bear on a situation, that is Yahweh’s prerogative, not the Sanhedrin’s. In fact, the very tampering with scripture evidenced in the mitzvah at hand would qualify as reason enough for the sword of Yahweh to be applied to Israel—and especially its rabbis. Rewriting God’s instructions is nothing if not “walking contrary to” Him. However, there is one instance (recorded in Exodus 32:27-28) where the swords of men were used to punish Israelites. The occasion? The golden calf debacle at the foot of Mount Sinai. But it wasn’t an execution; it was a small-scale civil war—the faithful men of Levi against the idolaters of Israel. The “Court” had nothing to do with it. In fact, since the Babylonian captivity, the Sanhedrin have been the ones promoting the bull.

286. That the Court shall pass sentence of death by strangulation (Lev. 20:10) (affirmative).

(286) The Court shall pass sentence of death by strangulation. “The man who commits adultery with another man’s wife, he who commits adultery with his neighbor’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress, shall surely be put to death.” (Leviticus 20:10) Again, the “Court” isn’t part of the picture. It’s another blatant power grab on the part of the rabbis. Nor is strangulation. The Torah has nothing to say about the mode of execution in this particular case, though a few verses back, it specifies death by stoning for a worshiper of Molech: “The people of the land shall stone him with stones.” (Leviticus 20:2) But here, no method of execution is specified. The word for “put to death” is the Hebrew mut, a generic word meaning kill, slay, put to death, even assassinate.

From the New Covenant scriptures, however, it is clear that stoning was the accepted method of execution for this offense. John records (in Chapter 8) a scene where the religious leaders wanted to stone a woman caught in adultery. (It was the scribes and Pharisees who specified the method of execution, claiming Mosaic authority, but as we have seen, Moses had said nothing about it. Even here, they were making up their own rules, just as Maimonides would a thousand years later.) What I want to know is where was the adulterer? If she was “caught in the act,” they should have caught him as well, ’cause it’s real hard to commit adultery by yourself. Selective justice is injustice.

Lest we gloss over the underlying truth, remember that adultery is a violation of the God-ordained family structure. This is more significant than it appears at first glance. We are to be organized in family units—father, mother, and children—because that’s the way Yahweh reveals Himself to us. He’s our heavenly Father: Creator, Provider, and ultimate Authority. His Holy Spirit is our spiritual Mother: Comforter, Teacher, Conscience and Guide. And His “Son” is Yahshua our Messiah: Yahweh’s human manifestation, His representative among men, our Master and Savior. Adultery, then, being a perversion of the God-ordained family structure, is a picture of false belief—of unfruitful and destructive spiritual relationships. At the very least, it messes up Yahweh’s metaphor.

287. That the Court shall pass sentence of death by burning with fire (Lev. 20:14) (affirmative).

(287) The Court shall pass sentence of death by burning with fire. “If a man marries a woman and her mother, it is wickedness. They shall be burned with fire, both he and they, that there may be no wickedness among you.” (Leviticus 20:14) Only the rabbis could look at this verse and see nothing but an opportunity for the Sanhedrin to flex their muscles by imposing a particular form of capital punishment—in this case, burning at the stake. The whole passage is a litany of various sexual sins and the consequences Yahweh has ordained. It has nothing to do with rabbinical authority.

That being said, death by burning is authorized twice in the Torah, here and in Leviticus 21:9, where the daughter of a priest who has turned to harlotry must be executed by fire. The ubiquitous connection (metaphorical and otherwise) between sexual sin and the worship of false gods should not be overlooked. Every single mention of execution by fire in the entire Bible (whether advocated by Yahweh or not) is associated in some way with either sexual sin, the worship of false gods, or both. In God’s economy, one is a picture of the other.

288. That the Court shall pass sentence of death by stoning (Deut. 22:24) (affirmative).

(288) The Court shall pass sentence of death by stoning. “If a young woman who is a virgin is betrothed to a husband, and a man finds her in the city and lies with her, then you shall bring them both out to the gate of that city, and you shall stone them to death with stones, the young woman because she did not cry out in the city, and the man because he humbled his neighbor’s wife; so you shall put away the evil from among you. (Deuteronomy 22:23-24) As usual, this has virtually nothing to do with the authority of the Sanhedrin. This is one of several places, however, where death by stoning was the divinely prescribed punishment. Other instances include the overt worship (or merely the advocating of such worship) of false gods like Molech or Ba’al, and “cursing” Yahweh (which in one instance literally manifested itself in simply ignoring His Sabbath rest instructions—demonstrating the guilty party’s flippant attitude toward God). In the present case, the punishment is, once again, in response to adultery, since a “betrothed virgin” was legally married, even though the union had not yet been consummated.

In a fascinating display of wisdom, Yahweh built in a safeguard against a virgin being unfairly executed for being the victim of a rapist. If she were “in the city” when the sexual attack/encounter occurred, she would have been obligated to cry out for help. If she did not, it was to be presumed that she was a willing participant—hence an adulteress. (This system wouldn’t work in New York, you understand. It was designed for “cities” like bronze-age Beersheba or Shechem, close-knit communities where if you cried out for help, half a dozen guys would instantly come to your aid.) But what if the attack/encounter took place where no one was likely to hear her cries? Yahweh gave the virgin a get-out-of-stoning-free card: “But if a man finds a betrothed young woman in the countryside, and the man forces her and lies with her, then only the man who lay with her shall die. [Note that rapists get the death penalty.] But you shall do nothing to the young woman; there is in the young woman no sin deserving of death, for just as when a man rises against his neighbor and kills him, even so is this matter. For he found her in the countryside, and the betrothed young woman cried out, [it is presumed] but there was no one to save her.” (Deuteronomy22:25-27) As far as Yahweh’s metaphor of adultery/fornication equating to the worship of false gods is concerned, it is clear that it isn’t the sexual contact per se that condemns someone (because that can be forced), but rather the willing offering of one’s affection to an illicit lover. To me, this just screams that it’s not so much one’s mode of religious observance (or lack of it) that God is looking at, but the attitude of the heart. Note further that Yahweh’s justice, when administered by men, is supposed to err on the side of mercy if it errs at all. One wonders why Maimonides was so fixated on the Court’s legal authorization to impose the death penalty.

289. To hang the dead body of one who has incurred that penalty (Deut. 21:22) (affirmative).

(289) Hang the dead body of one who has incurred [the death] penalty. “If a man has committed a sin deserving of death, and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, his body shall not remain overnight on the tree, but you shall surely bury him that day, so that you do not defile the land which Yahweh your God is giving you as an inheritance; for he who is hanged is accursed of God.” (Deuteronomy 21:22-23) Yahweh is not saying the Jews must hang the body of an executed criminal on a tree, but is rather giving instructions as to what to do, and why, if they do so. He is looking forward to an event that wouldn’t take place for another fifteen hundred years or so—the crucifixion of His Son, the Messiah. Although crucifixions in first-century Judea were common enough, it was rare indeed for “you (that is, an Israelite) to hang him on a tree,” since the authority to impose the death penalty had been taken away from the Sanhedrin by the Romans, and besides, the preferred method of execution for them was stoning. It was the Romans who crucified their victims. But in the case of Yahshua, it was the Jewish leadership who caused Him to be “hanged on a tree,” making Him (as they well knew) “accursed of God.” What the Jews didn’t realize (and still don’t) is that Yahshua endured this curse for our sins, so that we might have life. “Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows. Yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement for our peace [i.e., in our covenant relationship with Yahweh. Shalowm also means welfare, health, prosperity, or soundness] was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:4-5)