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The Mutilation of Uranus by Saturn
5857 | Calendar
Published: Dec 23, 2021 - (5857)
The 5th Year of the 4th Sabbatical Cycle
The 26th year of the 120th Jubilee Cycle
The 20th day of the 11th month 5857 years after the creation of Adam
The 4th Sabbatical Cycle after the 119th Jubilee Cycle
The Sabbatical Cycle of Sword, Famines, and Pestilence
1723 Days until the Two Witnesses
576 Days into the 2300 Days Started May 31st, 2020
Shabbat Shalom Royal Family of Yehovah,
Shabbat Zoom Meeting
There are many people in need of fellowship and who are sitting at home on the Sabbath with no one to talk to or debate with. I want to encourage all of you to join us on Shabbat, and to invite others to come and join us as well. If the time is not convenient then you can listen to the teaching and the midrash after on our YouTube channel.
What are we doing and why do we teach this way?
We are going to discuss both sides of an issue and then let you choose. It is the work of the Ruach (Spirit) to direct and to teach you.
The medieval commentator Rashi wrote that the Hebrew word for wrestle (avek) implies that Jacob was "tied", for the same word is used to describe knotted fringes in a Jewish prayer shawl, the tzitzityot. Rashi says, "thus is the manner of two people who struggle to overthrow each other, that one embraces the other and knots him with his arms".
Our intellectual wrestling has been replaced by a different kind of struggle. We are Wrestling with Yehovah as we grapple with His Word. It is an intimate act, symbolizing a relationship in which Yehovah and I and you are bound together. My wrestling is a struggle to discover what Yehovah expects of us, and we are "tied" to the One who assists us in that struggle.
Today, many say Israel means "Champion of God", or better — the "Wrestler of God".
Our Torah sessions each Shabbat teach you and encourage you to constantly challenge, question, argue against, as well as view alternative views and explanations of the Word. In other words, we are to "wrestle with the Word" to get to the truth. Jews worldwide believe that you need to wrestle with the Word and constantly challenge Dogma, Theology, and views or else you will never get to the Truth.
We are not like most churches where "The preacher talks and everyone listens." We encourage everyone to participate, to question and to contribute what they know on the subject being discussed. We want you to be a champion wrestler of the Word of Yehovah. We want you to wear the title of Israel, knowing that you not only know but are capable to explain why you know the Torah to be true with logic and facts.
We have a few rules though. Let others talk and listen. There is no discussion about UFO's Nephilim, Vaccines or conspiracy-type subjects. We have people from around the world with different world views. Not everyone cares who is the President of any particular country. Treat each other with respect as Fellow wrestlers of the word. Some of our subjects are hard to understand and require you to be mature and if you do not know, then listen to gain knowledge and understanding and hopefully wisdom. The very things you are commanded to ask Yehovah for and He gives to those who ask.
Jas 1:5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and with no reproach, and it shall be given to him.
We hope you can invite those who want to keep Torah to come and join us by hitting the link below. It is almost like a Torah teaching fellowship talk show with people from around the world taking part and sharing their insights and understandings.
We start off with some music and then some prayers and it's as though you were sitting around the kitchen back in Newfoundland having a cup of coffee and all of us enjoying each other's company. I hope you will grace us with your company someday.
Sabbath December 25, 2021, the room will be open at 12:30 PM Eastern with singing and prayers until about 1:15 PM. You are all welcome to join and watch. It is not recorded. We will have our afternoon service after this. You are welcome to come and join us before during and after we are off the air.
We look forward to you joining our family and getting to know us as we get to know you.
Joseph Dumond is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Joseph Dumond's Personal Meeting Room
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Septennial Torah Portion
If you go to Torah Portion at our archived section, you can then go to the 5th year which is the 5th year of the Sabbatical Cycle, the one we are in now, as we state at the top of every News Letter. There you can scroll down to December 25, 2021, and see that this Shabbat we could very well be midrashing about
Ps 132-134
If you missed last week's exciting discoveries as we studied that section you can go and watch past Shabbats on our media section.
Sightedmoon.com
Shalom Brethren, I want to share with you a message I just got from Pakistan.
Shalom shalom dear sir, I am studying the stuff which you've sent, shared the sermon from your book "it was a riddle not a command" about the coming of Mashiach.
I've shared the sermon on Shabbat where Shabbat and the types of Shabbat are briefly explained to the congregation.
After Shabbat lesson, I've explained Sabbaticals and Jubilees by using your book "Remembering the Sabbatical and Jubilee years" and showed that Vinyl Print Chart. Many of the congregation asked me, especially our brother from the Pastoral team asked me to send them soft copy or pdf. They were taking the pictures of that Chart (which you sent us by mail, thanks). My Congregation thanked you for this lovely gift.
I was also sent this note on one of our videos.
Hello Mr. Joseph Dumond, I am from India and born was in a Christian family in a country full of religious diversion and oppression, I am seeker of truth and follower of the teaching of Jesus Christ. I saw your video on the Jubilee year chart in the year 2009. I understand and agree with what you are trying to teach here. God bless you and the effort you take in getting the truth and clarification out to the world. I wish I can make this teaching available in our native Indian languages.
Brethren, I am sharing these notes with you so you know we are still trying to reach the rest of the world with this information. We continue to support our work in the Philippines and we are struggling to support the work in East Africa. The past couple of weeks have seen James dealing with malware that has affected our providers and now us. The site has crashed a number of times, with James working on it to get it back up and working around what the providers are doing. The updated securities are going to cost about $3000.
I am reminding you of the work at hand and just how close we are to the end of this age and I am asking you to continue to stand with us until we do reach the end. We can only help these other nations if you are backing this work.
If you can please consider a regular monthly donation to this work. One-time lump sum donations are also welcome. It does cost money to keep the website going so these other nations can find this work. We need your help and without you, we cant help others.
A Tale of Kings
This study will compare the lives and demise of two kings, Ahab and Josiah, by reviewing 2nd Chronicles chapters 18, 34 and 35. Although not limited to these three chapters, I recommend taking some time to read through them now to get the most out of this study.
Part 1 – Ahab
In review, Ahab was the king of the northern tribes of Israel who married a foreigner named Jezebel and mixed the beliefs of his ancestors with her pagan religious beliefs to such a point that it provoked Yehovah to anger more than all of the kings that were before him (1st Kings 16:30-33). Among other details, the most memorable event by most was when Yehovah, the One True God, instructs Elijah in confronting Ahab on Mt. Carmel (see 1st Kings Chapter 18). Our study here, however, begins in 2nd Chronicles 18, which focuses on the events directly preceding Ahab's death upon a grand visit by the king of Judah, Jehoshaphat:
2Ch 18:1 And Jehoshaphat had riches and honor in abundance, and he contracted a marriage with Ahab.
2Ch 18:2 And after some years he went down to Ahab to Samaria. And Ahab killed sheep and oxen in abundance for him, and for the people that were with him. And he persuaded him to go up with him to Ramoth-gilead.
Ahab saw Jehoshaphat as a strong king (see 2nd Chronicles 17:1-2), and thought to employ his strength in battle:
2Ch 18:3 And Ahab king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat king of Judah, Will you go with me to Ramoth-gilead? And he answered him, I am as you, and my people are as your people, and we with you in the war.
King Jehoshaphat was strong due to the fact that Yehovah was with him because he walked in the first ways of his father David, kept the commandments, and did not mix his religious beliefs in the same way that Ahaz had done (see 2nd Chronicles 17:3-4). Hence, Jehoshaphat naturally and immediately responded with the following request:
2Ch 18:4 And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel, Please inquire at the Word of Jehovah today.
("Holy Jumping Jehoshaphat, Batman!" That was the right response! Jehoshaphat was holy. This hits smack on to the thesis of our study today. If your heart responds in the same way, then the rest of this study is merely academic, and an affirmation of your faith. But, please keep reading anyway [it took me a long time to write this… so, it would be nice if someone reads it, lol]. Returning to the study…)
Ahab somewhat understands, and it makes sense to Ahab to have some positive feedback before going to war, so he calls his prophets:
2Ch 18:5 And the king of Israel gathered four hundred men of the prophets and said to them, Shall we go to Ramoth-gilead to battle, or shall I wait? And they said, Go up, for God will deliver it into the king's hand.
Ahab was a religious man… or, at least he supported the ministry (think about it, not just a few everyday religious guys to ask, but 400! And, prophets at that!)… and he enjoyed their positive feedback in the plans that he made to prosper. Who doesn't like prosperity? And, Ahab had another actual really good King with him, as well, who was also very religious. However, Jehoshaphat was a bit particular in his beliefs and specified exactly the type of "prophet" that he was referring to earlier when he asked that "Jehovah" be inquired of:
2Ch 18:6 But Jehoshaphat said, Is there not a prophet of Jehovah here besides, so that we might ask of Him?
One of the annoying things for many "religious men" is when one pokes at "specifics" and specifies "Yehovah" instead of just the God or Lord (note again that Ahab mixed his beliefs with less specific outside beliefs which referred to their God or Lord as "baal", which in the Hebrew simply means "lord" – see Strongs's #1167 – however, I'll leave this to you, the reader, as a side study to pursue). So, Ahab immediately expresses his "disdain" for that prophet of the specific true name, Yehovah, but sent for him anyway:
2Ch 18:7 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, There is yet one man by whom we may inquire of Jehovah. But I hate him, for he never prophesied good to me, but always evil. The same is Micaiah the son of Imla. And Jehoshaphat said, Let not the king say so.
2Ch 18:8 And the king of Israel called to a certain eunuch and said, Bring quickly Micaiah the son of Imla.
To make a long story short (remember, I recommended that you read the whole of this chapter ahead of time… but, this is a summation of 2nd Chronicles 18, so I'm jumping past a few verses here and there simply for time's sake), Micaiah, a true prophet of Yehovah, blatantly lies to Ahab by telling him to "go up and be blessed" – pretty much repeating what the other prophets said that his enemies will be delivered into his hand:
2Ch 18:11 And all the prophets prophesied so, saying, Go up to Ramoth-gilead and be blessed. For Jehovah shall deliver it into the king's hand.
But, Ahab knew that the prophet of Yehovah, Micaiah, was lying and demanded that he be told the truth!
What is really interesting here is that we see a prophet of Yehovah "telling a lie" after saying the following:
2Ch 18:13 And Micaiah said, As the Lord lives, even what my God says, that I will speak.
WHAT? A prophet of Yehovah lying? Even King Ahab was surprised by this. So, the Micaiah explains what Yehovah told him:
2Ch 18:16 And he said, I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains, like sheep that have no shepherd. And Jehovah said, These have no master; let them return, each man to his own house in peace.
2Ch 18:17 And the king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, Did I not tell you he would not prophesy good concerning me, but evil?
2Ch 18:18 Again he said, And hear the Word of Jehovah. I saw Jehovah sitting on His throne, and all the host of Heaven were standing on His right hand and on His left.
2Ch 18:19 And Jehovah said, Who shall tempt Ahab king of Israel so that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead? And one spoke saying in one way, and another saying in another way.
2Ch 18:20 And a spirit came out and stood before Jehovah and said, I will tempt him. And Jehovah said, With what?
2Ch 18:21 And he said, I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And Jehovah said, You shall tempt him, and you are able. Go out and do so.
2Ch 18:22 And now behold, Jehovah has put a lying spirit in the mouth of these your prophets, and Jehovah has spoken evil against you.
Many might argue that Yehovah would not send a lying spirit. They might argue that Ahab was a total lost cause and that Yehovah had blotted him out, but I don't believe he had at this time. Sure, we see multiple times where Yehovah had hardened Pharoah's heart and such… a pagan leader through-and-through that was not of the seed of Abraham… but, it was only after five plagues in which Pharoah hardened his own heart that Yehovah said to have hardened Pharoah's heart! I'm under the opinion that Ahab, being a king of Israel in the line of David and hence the seed of Abraham still had at least little knowledge of and belief in Yehovah "mixed" in there with all of his false beliefs and might still have been in a position to where could have repented and changed his ways… had he only chosen to seek and listen to Yehovah.
For further study, read Numbers 25:1-9, where and how "the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Israel." (specifically verse 3) – the people brought trouble upon themselves through sin… immediately after multiple blessings were announced.
Still, many might even argue that this was just an Old Testament thing, or just limited to kings, as Yehovah sent a troubling spirit to king Saul (1st Samuel 16:14). However, the New Testament warns that Yehovah Himself will send a great deception (a great big lie) to mixed up believers, like Ahab, who do not have a love of the truth:
2Th 2:10 and with all deceit of unrighteousness in those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, so that they might be saved.
2Th 2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie,
2Th 2:12 so that all those who do not believe the truth, but delight in unrighteousness, might be condemned.
So to make a long story short, Ahab disguises himself and goes out to battle anyway against the warning of Yehovah and dies (2ndChronicles 18:28-34) a "random" death.
2Ch 18:33 And a certain man drew a bow at random, and struck the king of Israel between the joinings and the breastplate. And he said to the charioteer, Turn your hand, and you shall bring me out of the army, for I am wounded.
2Ch 18:34 And the battle increased that day; and the king of Israel was made to stand up in his chariot against the Syrians until the evening. And about the time of the sunset he died.
Regardless of his other faults, Ahab was a king of Israel where Yehovah was at least known enough to find a true prophet to seek advice from. Indeed, Ahab was warned not to make the decision that he did. Still, Ahab fatally made the wrong decision.
As one might say, "Dead is dead." (see Ecclesiastes 9:5)
Part 2 – Josiah
Some marry into a pagan culture, others learn pagan culture another way, and some are born into it. Josiah was a born into a culture, like that of modern times, which had mixed pagan culture with the culture of Israel. However, Josiah, King of Judah, set it in his heart to escape that culture at an early age and do what was right:
2Ch 34:1 Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years.
2Ch 34:2 And he did the right in the sight of Jehovah, and walked in the ways of David his father, and did not turn aside to the right nor to the left.
In fact, while still young, he "cleaned house", as one might say, of mixed up paganism all throughout the land.
2Ch 34:3 For in the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek after the God of David his father. And in the twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem from the high places, and the Asherahs, and the carved images, and the molten images.
2Ch 34:4 And they broke down the altars of the Baals in his presence. And he cut down the images which were on high above them, and the Asherahs. And the carved images and the molten images he also broke in pieces and made dust from them , and scattered on the graves of the ones who had sacrificed to them.
2Ch 34:5 And he burned the bones of the priests on their altars and cleansed Judah and Jerusalem.
2Ch 34:6 And so he did in the cities of Manasseh and Ephraim and Simeon, even to Naphtali, with their tools round about.
2Ch 34:7 And he broke down the altars and the Asherahs, and had beaten the carved images into powder, and cut down all the idols in all the land of Israel, he returned to Jerusalem.
If you have already read this 34th chapter of 2nd Chronicles, then you know already that this is a much more refreshing account of a king's reign than that of Ahab… even though King Josiah did not have knowledge of the words of the Torah (Moses' written account of the first five books of the Bible dictated by Yehovah himself) for almost two decades!
In the eighteenth year of his reign, he set about repairing the house of Yehovah his God (2nd Chronicles 34:8), during which, one of the priests found the Torah:
2Ch 34:14 And when they brought out the silver that was brought into the house of Jehovah, Hilkiah the priest found the Book of the Law of Jehovah by Moses.
When King Josiah heard the words of the Torah, he was distraught in knowing that his fathers before him had drifted so far away from the word of Yehovah and judgement and wrath was due.
2 Ch 34:18 And Shaphan the scribe told the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest has given me a book. And Shaphan read it before the king.
2Ch 34:19 And it happened when the king heard the words of the Law, he tore his garments.
2Ch 34:20 And the king commanded Hilkiah, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Abdon the son of Micah, and Shaphan the scribe, and Asaiah a servant of the king, saying,
2Ch 34:21 Go inquire of Jehovah for me and for those who are left in Israel and in Judah, concerning the words of the book that is found. For great is the wrath of Jehovah that is poured out on us because our fathers have not kept the Word of Jehovah to do according to all that is written in this Book.
Indeed, the prophetess, Huldah, confirms King Josiah's alarm:
2Ch 34:24 So says Jehovah, Behold, I will bring evil on this place and upon its people, all the curses that are written in the Book which they have read before the king of Judah,
2Ch 34:25 because they have forsaken Me, and have burned incense to other gods, so that they might provoke Me to anger with all the works of their hands. And My wrath shall be poured out on this place and shall not be quenched.
Before we go on… to those of you that understand that judgement is also coming in our time, and from an understanding of the same Torah that Josiah read, understand why that judgement is coming, I want to say right now, well done! Keep up the good work! Many read the scriptures and think none of this Old Testament stuff that we are studying together matters. Blessed are you! May Yehovah open your eyes even more, so that you may behold the wonderful things of His Law (Psalms 119:18). We can predict from the calendar that, if we live long enough, we will see this judgement in our lifetimes (see Psalm 91). As for Josiah, Yehovah spared him of seeing the judgement in his lifetime:
2Ch 34:26 And as for the king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of Jehovah, so shall you say to him, So says Jehovah, the God of Israel whose words you have heard,
2Ch 34:27 Because your heart was tender and you humbled yourself before your God when you heard His words against this place and against its people, and humbled yourself before Me, and tore your garments and wept before Me, I have even heard also, says Jehovah.
2Ch 34:28 Behold, I will gather you to your fathers, and you shall be gathered to your grave in peace, nor shall your eyes see all the evil which I will bring on this place and upon its people. And they brought the king word again.
Like many of you, once learning the Torah, you chose to follow it. Josiah made a covenant to do the same:
2Ch 34:29 And the king sent and gathered all the elders of Judah and Jerusalem.
2Ch 34:30 And the king went up into the house of Jehovah, and all the men of Judah, and the people of Jerusalem, and the priests, and the Levites, and all the people from the great to the small. And he read in their ears all the words of the Book of the Covenant that was found in the house of Jehovah.
2Ch 34:31 And the king stood in his place and made a covenant before Jehovah, to walk after Jehovah and to keep His commandments and His testimonies, and His statutes, with all his heart and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant which are written in this book.
2Ch 34:32 And he caused all who were found in Jerusalem and in Benjamin, and the people of Jerusalem, to stand to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers.
2Ch 34:33 And Josiah took away all the abominations out of all the territories that belonged to the sons of Israel. And he made all that were present in Israel to serve, to serve Jehovah their God. All his days they did not depart from following Jehovah, the God of their fathers.
This is wonderful! Like many of you, upon learning the truths found in the Torah and all of the scriptures, Josiah followed Yehovah all of his days. Also, as many of you can understand after beginning your walk in the Sabbaths, Josiah was excited about restoring the yearly Sabbaths in his and his people's lives. The next chapter begins (2nd Chronicles 35:1-19) with the largest day of Passover in history, followed by another 7 days of Unleavened bread. To help you understand the immensely large scale of this celebration, in addition to the numerous other offerings, the king himself supplied 30,000 sheep and 30,000 cattle from his own possessions:
Ch 35:7 And Josiah gave to the people from the flock, lambs and kids, all for the Passover offerings, for all who were present, to the number of thirty thousand, and three thousand oxen. These were from what the king owned.
To put that into modern perspective, search online and you will find that a 24-foot trailer will hold about 50 lambs, and a semi-truck will hold about 30 cows. Now just imagine 30,000 sheep and 30,000 cattle. It was a Passover like no other!
2Ch 35:18 And there was no Passover like that kept in Israel from the days of Samuel the prophet. Yea, none of the kings of Israel kept such a Passover as Josiah kept, and the priests, and the Levites, and all Judah and Israel who were found, and the people of Jerusalem.
Wow! Once again, this is a much more refreshing account of a king's reign than that of stupid Ahab. This king Josiah did great! Much like we are trying to do in our own lives these days, Josiah did on a national level – unlike Ahab, who was no shepherd to his people, Josiah made his people choose rightly to follow Torah and remove uncleanliness (see and compare 2nd Chronicles 18:16 to 2ndChronicles 34:32-33 & 35:25 for more info).
So, you are probably thinking, "This Josiah guy is remarkable!" And, he was. I agree. Like many of you, he seems like the ultimate of Torah converts.
But… he got dead, too… just like Ahab. Actually, remarkably similar in just about every way in the way Ahab died:
2Ch 35:20 After all this, when Josiah had prepared the temple, Necho king of Egypt came up to fight against Carchemish by Euphrates. And Josiah went out against him.
2Ch 35:21 But he sent messengers to him, saying, What have I to do with you, king of Judah? I do not come against you today, but against the house with which I have war. For God commanded me to make haste. You must cease from opposing God, who is with me, so that He does not destroy you.
2Ch 35:22 But Josiah would not turn his face from him, but disguised himself so that he might fight with him. And he did not listen to the words of Necho from the mouth of God, and came to fight in the valley of Megiddo.
2Ch 35:23 And the archers shot at King Josiah. And the king said to his servants, Take me away, for I am grievously wounded.
2Ch 35:24 And his servants took him out of that chariot and put him in the second chariot that he had. And they brought him to Jerusalem, and he died, and was buried in the tombs of his fathers. And all Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah.
2Ch 35:25 And Jeremiah mourned for Josiah. And all the singing men and the singing women have spoken of Josiah in their lamentations until this day, and made them an ordinance in Israel. And behold, they are written in the Lamentations.
2Ch 35:26 And the rest of the acts of Josiah, and his goodness, are according as it is written in the Law of Jehovah,
2Ch 35:27 and his deeds, first and last, behold, they are written in the Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah.
Regardless of his other successes, Josiah was a king of Israel where Yehovah was known well enough to where even the neighboring king of Egypt, Necho, knew God well enough to convey a message to tell Josiah not to go down to battle. Indeed, Josiah – just like Ahab – was warned not to make the decision that he did. Still, Josiah fatally made the wrong decision.
So, the people, even the prophet Jeremiah, really really liked Josiah. The people even wrote lamentations and sung about him.
But… as one might say, "Dead is still dead." (see Ecclesiastes 9:5 once again)
Part 3 – You
Great men and women both make mistakes. Joshua's famous mistake, commonly referred to as "the Gibeonite Deception" can be read about in Joshuah chapter 9. Think prophets don't make mistakes? It's an entire teaching in and of itself, but 1st Kings Chapter 13 records the story of a true prophet of Yehovah that listens to another person who also refers to themselves a prophet as well and gets dead (please, READ THIS chapter 13 after this study).
But, as one might say, "Dead is still very much dead." (see Ecclesiastes 9:5 once again, if you have not).
Why study these kings? First Peter 2:9 states that we are a royal priesthood; Revelation 1:6 states that Christ has made us kings and priests unto God. You may very well be destined to be a great man or woman… you may be placed in the role of a prophet of Yehovah. But, you too can end up dead, if you get headstrong in your own thoughts and slip up and forget to inquire of Yehovah.
Remember Jehoshaphat?
Jehoshaphat naturally and immediately responded with the following request:
We are to seek first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33)! Do not conform to the pattern of this world and rely on your own thoughts – you should be renewing your mind (Romans 12:2). We all struggle with this, but as you can see, this is fatally important at times.
Part 4 – King David
We have all heard that King David was "a man after God's own heart" – below is the verse where Yehovah says this:
1Sa 13:14 But now your kingdom shall not stand. Jehovah has sought Him a man after His own heart (David), and Jehovah has appointed him to be leader over His people, because you have not kept what Jehovah commanded you.
We have read about Jehoshaphat, that he inquired after Yehovah. Where did he learn this? From David:
2Ch 17:3 And Jehovah was with Jehoshaphat because he walked in the first ways of his father David and did not seek to Baals.
In the passage below, you will read where, unlike Ahab and Josiah, David inquires of Yehovah 4 separate times before going to battle:
1Sa 23:1 And they told David, saying, Behold, the Philistines fight against Keilah, and they rob the threshing-floors.
1Sa 23:2 And David asked of Jehovah, saying, Shall I go? And shall I strike these Philistines? And Jehovah said to David, Go and strike the Philistines, and save Keilah.
1Sa 23:3 And David's men said to him, Behold, we are afraid here in Judah. How much more then if we come to Keilah against the armies of the Philistines?
1Sa 23:4 And David inquired of Jehovah once again. And Jehovah answered him and said, Arise, go down to Keilah. For I will deliver the Philistines into your hand.
1Sa 23:5 And David and his men went to Keilah and fought with the Philistines. And they led away their cattle and struck them with a great slaughter. And David saved the people of Keilah.
1Sa 23:6 And it happened when Abiathar the son of Ahimelech fled to David to Keilah, he came down with an ephod in his hand.
1Sa 23:7 And it was told Saul that David had come to Keilah. And Saul said, God has delivered him into my hands, for he is shut in by entering into a town that has gates and bars.
1Sa 23:8 And Saul called all the people together to war, to go down to Keilah to besiege David and his men.
1Sa 23:9 And David knew that Saul secretly planned evil against him. And he said to Abiathar the priest, Bring the ephod here.
1Sa 23:10 And David said, O Lord God of Israel, Your servant has surely heard that Saul seeks to come to Keilah, to destroy the city for my sake.
1Sa 23:11 Will the men of Keilah deliver me up into his hand? Will Saul come down as Your servant has heard? O Jehovah, the God of Israel, I beg of You, tell Your servant. And Jehovah said, He will come down.
Pay very close attention to this next inquiry… Keep in mind that David had just saved the people of Keilah (see verse 5 above). Logic makes sense that he could safely go to Keilah again. Right? Most men would not bother asking… but, David inquired of Yehovah none-the-less.
1Sa 23:12 And David said, Will the men of Keilah shut up me and my men into the hand of Saul? And Jehovah said, They will shut you up.
1Sa 23:13 And David and his men, about six hundred, arose and departed out of Keilah and went wherever they could go. And it was told to Saul that David had escaped from Keilah. And he did not go forth.
1Sa 23:14 And David stayed in the wilderness in strongholds, and remained in the stronghold in the wilderness of Ziph. And Saul looked for him every day, but God did not deliver him into his hand.
This was King David's "Ahab & Josiah" moment – this was the point at which David would have most likely died… had he followed his own thoughts and not inquired of Yehovah. Consider how different the account of King David's life may have been had he died at this early time? Consider how the account of Josiah might have been had Josiah, like David, taken a moment to inquire of Yehovah.
A few more accounts of David's inquiries of Yehovah can be found in 1st Samuel 30:8, 2nd Samuel 2:1-2, 2nd Samuel 5:17-35, and 2ndSamuel 21:1. For the sake of time, I will not go into study on these accounts, but I find it beneficial to the time that we live in to mention the last:
2Sa 21:1 And there was a famine in the days of David three years, year after year. And David inquired of Jehovah. And Jehovah answered, For Saul, and for his bloody house, because he killed the Gibeonites.
This inquiry did not have to do with going to battle, rather David was inquiring of Yehovah for personal understanding. You see… there was judgement of a famine in the land, and David did not understand why. Maybe he thought that it was something he should repent from (something that he caused), or maybe he was suspected that it was something else that he needed to root out. The answer here is that the problem of the famine was unique in that it was from a previous time. Sometimes, we inherit issues. Sometimes, judgement happens due to things your predecessors have done. To toss out a thought here, I believe that the judgement that is upon the world now, and is increasing, is mostly of similar cause and effect from an accumulation of inherited issues.
Many people speak of entering into a personal and intimate relationship with Yeshua… But, do they always seek him? Or, do they rely on their own opinions and the opinions of others? Whether they are far away from the truth and surrounded by false mixed up religion like Ahab, or aligned well in the truth of the Torah like Josiah, but still not inquiring of Yehovah can have fatal consequences.
Part 5 – A Parable
When I was a child, my Dad used to tell a story about "A flood is coming". He livened up the story with a lot of details and enthusiasm, but I'll strip it down to the bare details here (feel free to add your own "flavor" to this story in your retelling to your family and friends):
Everybody knew that a flood was coming. But, a certain man decided not to leave his house because he felt a lot of bravado and just knew God was going to save him. When the rain started and the waters first began to rise, the man's neighbor offered to take him to safety in his fishing boat. But, he told his neighbor, "No. God's going to save me!" His neighbor must not have been as strong in the faith as him, he thought. After a while the water was up to the man's second story windows, and a police boat came by and offered to rescue him. But, he told the policewoman, "No. God's going to save me!!" After all, he never trusted them local bureaucratic types, anyway. Later, when the floodwaters forced the man up to his roof, a FEMA (Federal Emergency Management Agency) helicopter came by and offered to save him. This made the man furious, and he yelled, "NO!!! God's going to save me!!!" He definitely was not going to trust them federal government types. After all, ever since the local Walmart closed, he had heard on talk radio about those FEMA facilities that the government was building to put people like him in. And, the flood waters continued to rise.
The man died.
In the resurrection, the man asked God, "Why didn't you save me?"
God answered, "I sent you two boats and a helicopter."
Part 6 – What inspired me to write this study?
A good friend of mine died a few hours ago. He was more than a friend, really, he was family by marriage. He kept the Torah as well as he knew how, and he loved Yehovah dearly. We spent many a Sabbath together studying and discussing the Scriptures as our two families shared together. Something that we had in common is that He and I both are "patriarchs" of our families, in that we were the oldest living males in each of our families. He is survived by his wife, sons, daughters-in-law, and multiple grandchildren. In short, he was a wonderful God-fearing man.
Sadly, like Josiah, my friend did not inquire of Yehovah concerning the current pandemic, but rather was given over to the popular conspiracies about the pandemic and created an intriguing diorama in his mind that turned him against willingly accepting the aid of modern medicine or the government. He and his family spoke of Covid 19 as not being real, often claiming that the government and/or men like Bill Gates created the false pandemic. He refused to take the Covid vaccine… often referring to it as "the jab" to make it sound more sinister. After my family was vaccinated, my now daughter-in-law was told by her family at that time to "keep an eye on us" – as my friend's family believed that the Covid vaccine was the "mark of the beast". To my friend, the idea of the government telling him to "wear a mask" or "social distance" was a total invasion of his rights. He refused, and taught his family to do the same. Although he continued to have multiple in-house social events, I have not seen him in-person since the wedding between our two families at the end of summer, as I take the pandemic very seriously, and they simply do not.
As you can guess, my friend who was in perfect health only a few months ago, died a few hours ago of Covid 19 after several weeks of intensive and compassionate care by those very same caring doctors, nurses, and modern medicine that he previously ridiculed.
Hence, I wrote this study. I could have left this personal account, but I am going one step further to insert this personal experience to bring to your attention the reality of making potentially fatal decisions in today's time, rather than leave you "comfortable" in a nice palatable bible lesson. (ie: I'm making it real.)
Joe Dumond won't go down the road of talking about Covid. Joe's exasperated at the nonsense he hears from Anti-Vaxers. I understand, Joe. So am I. My study above stands in its own right – but, I hope you still are willing to print this last part. Because, as one might say, "Dead is dead." And, if by telling my story, a few listen and learn to inquire of Yehovah about the pandemic and the vaccine – rather than listening to popular conspiracies – then maybe a few won't get dead as the people are being made "few in number" (see Leviticus 26:22).
My personal opinion is obviously, "Yes, get the vaccine." I believe that the vaccine is the same as the "two boats and a helicopter" in my parable above. Yes, I believe that the virus was sent by Yehovah, and I also believe that the knowledge to make a vaccine was as well.
But, THIS IS JUST MY OPINION – If you are angry at hearing my opinion, or even persuaded to believing my opinion, then you have missed my point entirely. Anaphylaxis is that allergic reaction that many fear from getting a vaccine – after the first 20 million cases of coronavirus disease, 21 cases of anaphylaxis have been reported after vaccination. You may be one of those sensitive few. (data source: https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/70/wr/mm7002e1.htm) As for Covid and such, I won't speak directly of Covid much more in this study, as I believe that I feel very much the same exasperation on the matter as Joe Dumond does…
My point, and the point of this study, is for you to inquire of Yehovah on these matters… not to follow after any headstrong opinion, either your own or someone else's.
As for this real life example which inspired me to take the time to write this study, the curse of a pandemic is truly a life and death matter. Don't be like either Ahab or Josiah. Do what Jehoshaphat did, and do what David did: Inquire of Yehovah!
Do this in all of your major decisions in life. Do it in your minor ones, too.
Part 7 – An extra word about "Bravado"
I could stop here, but I want to make one last point about what I've been calling "Bravado" lately, as I've heard a lot of "Bravado" from other believers, especially online and in the media. Just like the man in the parable above, many speak boldly about how God will save them from whatever comes their way.
Let me give an example to help you understand… many animals big and small tend to want to eat you! Because Daniel was saved from lions, one should not expect to pet the lions at the zoo (remember the lion tamer that was killed a few years ago by his beloved "pet"?). Because the Apostle Paul was not killed by a venomous snake that bit him, one should not bring venomous snakes to church (some insane preachers actually do this). These events were all exceptions to the normal. Because a virus is too small to see, one should take pride in exposing one's self to the risk. Regardless of their size, a lot of animals tend to want to eat you.
So, as Joe Dumond might say, "Don't be stupid." But, please know, though, if you do mess up and find yourself swimming in a pool of piranhas, cry out to Yehovah like Jehoshaphat did (2nd Chronicles 18:31), and perhaps you will be delivered.
This subject of "Bravado" is a separate study and of itself. However, I feel that I should leave you with at least a handful of scriptures to contemplate:
Pro 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.
Act 10:34 Then Peter opened his mouth and said, Truly I see that God is no respecter of persons;
Act 10:35 but in every nation he who fears Him and works righteousness is accepted with Him.
Rom 2:11 For there is no respect of faces with God.
Isa 66:2 For all those My hand has made, and all those exist, says Jehovah. But to this one I will look, to the afflicted and contrite spirit, and the one who trembles at My Word.
Mat 4:7 Jesus said to him, It is written again, "You shall not tempt the Lord your God." (see also Luke 4:12 & Deuteronomy 6:16)
James 4:10 Be humbled before the Lord, and He will lift you up.
Thank you for taking the time to walk through this study together. And, thank you, Joe Dumond, for being gracious enough to print it.
יהוה bless thee, and keep thee:
יהוה make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee:
יהוה lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
Syncretising
Last week we shared with you our teaching on how syncretizing of faiths took place over the first 300 years after Yehshua died and Christianity came out of it. Today I am seeing pictures of Brethren with Christmas trees set up.
I am not talking about those who live with unconverted mates. But where both spouses are in the faith as they claim.
This year I have had a number of brethren who keep the Sabbath and the Holy Days wish me a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. Not only have I endured this from those who do not know better but even the brethren who do know better are wishing me a Merry Christmas. At least they should know better than to say that to me let alone to say it at all. I had already prepared this week's message years ago.
And some do not get it nor will they change.
Our Brethren have gone whoring after other gods. They are mixing the profane with the Holy.
Deu 12:1 These are the statutes and judgments which you shall be careful to do in the land which Jehovah, the God of your fathers gives you to possess it, all the days that you live upon the earth.
Deu 12:2 You shall completely destroy all the places in which the nations which you shall possess served their gods, on the high mountains and on the hills and under every green tree.
Deu 12:3 And you shall overthrow their altars and break their pillars, and burn their pillars with fire. And you shall cut down the carved images of their gods, and destroy their names out of that place.
Deu 12:4 You shall not do so to Jehovah your God.
Deu 12:5 But you shall seek to the place which Jehovah your God shall choose out of all your tribes to put His name there, even to His dwelling place you shall seek, and there you shall come.
Deuteronomy 12:30 take heed to yourself that you do not become snared by following them, after they are destroyed from before you, and that you do not ask about their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods, that I too may do likewise?
31 You shall not do so to Jehovah your God. For every abomination to Jehovah, which He hates, they have done to their gods; even their sons and their daughters they have burned in the fire to their gods.
Deuteronomy 16:21 You shall not set up for yourself pillars of any trees near the altar of Jehovah your God which you shall make for yourself.
22 Nor shall you set up an image, which Jehovah your God hates.
Deu 20:16 But of the cities of these people, which Jehovah your God gives you for an inheritance, you shall save alive nothing that breathes.
Deu 20:17 But you shall utterly destroy them: the Hittites, and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, the Hivites and the Jebusites; as Jehovah your God has commanded you,
Deu 20:18 so that they may not teach you to do according to all their abominations which they have done to their gods. So you would sin against Jehovah your God.
Leviticus 20:23 And you shall not walk in the ways of the nation which I cast out before you. For they committed all these things, and therefore I loathed them.
We are not to worship Yehovah our Elohim in the same way the heathen do their gods which Yehovah Hates. Israel did it and they were cast out of the land and slaughtered for it. Now you the brethren are doing the same and thinking nothing of it. You are becoming whores again just as you were before 723 BC. and before you knew the truth.
New Years Day-Father Time
And he shall seek to change times and laws
Dan 7:25 And he shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and plot to change times and laws. And they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and one-half time.
New Years. Where did this notion come from? How is it tied into Christmas? Why do we do this celebration and not know anything about it?
It all started after 2181 B.C. That was the year of the Great Flood of Noah. I am not going to get to the exact year, but it would be one or two generations after the flood that we get this New Year celebration from. Let me now explain that.
Noah had three sons.
Gen 5:32 And Noah was five hundred years old. And Noah fathered Shem, Ham, and Japheth.
Two Years after the Flood Shem had Arpachshad.
Gen 11:10 These are the generations of Shem. Shem was a hundred years old and fathered Arpachshad two years after the flood.
Also after the flood Ham had the following sons.
Gen 10:6 And the sons of Ham: Cush and Mizraim and Phut and Canaan. 7 And the sons of Cush: Seba and Havilah and Sabtah and Raamah and Sabtecha. And the sons of Raamah: Sheba and Dedan. 8 And Cush fathered Nimrod. He began to be a mighty one in the earth. 9 He was a mighty hunter before Jehovah. Therefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before Jehovah.
Everything seems to be going okay. These sons would have come along and then grown up to then have their own sons. I am speculating that all of this took place within 100 years after the flood. So, say by 2081 B.C. Again, I am just guessing approximately when these things took place.
But now the narration goes back to explain something. It specifically mentions Canaan and that Ham is his father. Why does it do this?
In Chapter 10 we have Canaan being the 4th child after Cush, Mizraim and Phut. Now read what we are told in Genesis 9.
Gen 9:18 And the sons of Noah that went out of the ark were Shem, Ham, and Japheth. And Ham is the father of Canaan. 19 These are the three sons of Noah, and the whole earth was overspread from them. 20 And Noah began to be a husbandman. And he planted a vineyard. 21 And he drank of the wine and was drunk. And he was uncovered inside his tent. 22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside. 23 And Shem and Japheth took a garment and laid it upon both their shoulders. And they went backwards and covered the nakedness of their father. And their faces were backwards, and they did not see their father's nakedness. 24 And Noah awoke from his wine, and came to know what his younger son had done to him. 25 And he said, Cursed be Canaan. He shall be a servant of servants to his brothers. 26 And he said, Blessed be Jehovah, the God of Shem, and Canaan shall be his servant.
In verse 21 we read that Noah was uncovered and then in verse 24 that Ham had done this to Noah. To understand what is going on here we must look at this word and where it is used to get the meaning behind the scene.
H6172 ervah er-vaw'
From H6168; nudity, literally (especially the pudenda) or figuratively (disgrace, blemish): – nakedness, shame, unclean (-ness).
The Merriam Webster dictionary defines pudenda as;
Full Definition of pudendum
plural pu·den·daplay-d?
: the external genital organs of a human being and especially of a woman —usually used in plural
Origin of pudendum
New Latin, singular of Latin pudenda, from neuter plural of pudendus, gerundive of pud?re to be ashamed
When a woman is raped she feels shame for having her pudenda violated or uncovered by that man.
Brown Driver Brigg's define the word as this;
H6172 ervah
BDB Definition:
1) nakedness, nudity, shame, pudenda
1a) pudenda (implying shameful exposure)
1b) nakedness of a thing, indecency, improper behaviour
1c) exposed, undefended (figuratively)
Total KJV Occurrences: 54
nakedness, 51
Gen_9:22-23 (3), Gen_42:9, Gen_42:12, Exo_20:26, Exo_28:42, Lev_18:6-19 (24), Lev_20:11, Lev_20:17-21 (7), 1Sa_20:30, Isa_47:3, Eze_16:8 (2), Eze_16:36-37 (3), Eze_23:10 (2), Eze_23:18, Eze_23:29, Hos_2:9
shame, 1
Isa_20:4
unclean, 1
Deu_23:14
uncleanness, 1
Deu_24:1
Of this list above are the following verses which are relevant.
Lev 18:6 None of you shall approach to any who are near of kin to him, to uncover their nakedness. I am Jehovah. 7 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father or the nakedness of your mother. She is your mother; you shall not uncover her nakedness. 8 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's wife. It is your father's nakedness. 9 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your sister, the daughter of your father or the daughter of your mother, born at home or born away. Their nakedness you shall not uncover. 10 The nakedness of your son's daughter, or of your daughter's daughter, you shall not uncover their nakedness. For theirs is your own nakedness. 11 You shall not uncover the nakedness of the daughter of your father's wife, begotten of your father. She is your sister. 12 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's sister. She is your father's near kinswoman. 13 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother's sister. For she is your mother's near kinswoman. 14 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's brother. You shall not approach his wife. She is your aunt. 15 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your daughter-in-law. She is your son's wife. You shall not uncover her nakedness. 16 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your brother's wife. It is your brother's nakedness. 17 You shall not uncover the nakedness of a woman and her daughter, neither shall you undertake to uncover her son's daughter, or her daughter's daughter. They are her near kinswomen; it is wickedness. 18 And you shall not take a wife to her sister, to vex her, to uncover her nakedness, beside the other in her life. 19 Also you shall not approach to a woman to uncover her nakedness in the impurity of her uncleanness. 20 And you shall not lie carnally with your neighbor's wife, to defile yourself with her.
Lev 20:11 And the man who lies with his father's wife has uncovered his father's nakedness. Both of them shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be on them.
Lev 20:17 And if a man shall take his sister, his father's daughter, or his mother's daughter, and see her nakedness, and she see his nakedness, it is a wicked thing. And they shall be cut off in the sight of their people. He has uncovered his sister's nakedness; he shall bear his iniquity. 18 And if a man shall lie with a menstruous woman, and shall uncover her nakedness, he has discovered her fountain, and she has uncovered the fountain of her blood. And both of them shall be cut off from among their people. 19 And you shall not uncover the nakedness of your mother's sister, nor of your father's sister. For he uncovers his near kin. They shall bear their iniquity. 20 And if a man shall lie with his uncle's wife, he has uncovered his uncle's nakedness. They shall bear their sin. They shall die childless. 21 And if a man shall take his brother's wife, it is an unclean thing. He has uncovered his brother's nakedness; they shall be childless. 22 You shall therefore keep all My statutes and all My judgments, and do them, so that the land where I bring you to live shall not spit you out. 23 And you shall not walk in the ways of the nation which I cast out before you. For they committed all these things, and therefore I loathed them.
So each time a man goes into a woman he is in fact uncovering her pudendum
Now let's look at the word 6168 Arah. The passages we are interested in are already quoted above but I share where this word is used and how it was translated also.
H6168 arah aw-raw'
A primitive root; to be (causatively make) bare; hence to empty, pour out, demolish: – leave destitute, discover, empty, make naked, pour (out), rase, spread self, uncover.
H6168 arah
emptied, 2
Gen_24:20, 2Ch_24:11
poured, 2
Isa_32:15, Isa_53:12
raze, 2
Psa_137:7 (2)
destitute, 1
Psa_141:7-8 (2)
discover, 1
Isa_3:17
discovered, 1
Lev_20:17-18 (2)
discovering, 1
Hab_3:13
leave, 1
Psa_141:8
naked, 1
Lam_4:21
spreading, 1
Psa_37:35
uncover, 1
Zep_2:14
uncovered, 1
uncovereth, 1
Lev_20:19
One of the things I also do to see if there are other words to help me understand is to go to each of the words between 6168 and 6172 and see what they mean. You can do the same.
From all of this we have or I have concluded that Ham went into his mother, the wife of Noah and had sex with her. As a result, she gave birth to Canaan.
Gen 9:21 And he drank of the wine and was drunk. And he was uncovered inside his tent. 22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brothers outside.
Lev 18:7 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father or the nakedness of your mother. She is your mother; you shall not uncover her nakedness.
Lev 18:8 You shall not uncover the nakedness of your father's wife. It is your father's nakedness.
It is for this reason, of Noah's wife the mother of Shem, Japheth and Ham, being pregnant with the child of Ham that Noah cursed the child Canaan, a bastard child. And for this same reason, Noah never had any more children. And also for this same reason, we are never told the name of Noah's wife.
Deu 27:20 Cursed is he who lies with his father's wife, because he uncovers his father's skirt. And all the people shall say, Amen.
Keep in mind in all that we are now discussing that we are talking about New Years' celebrations and Father time.
In Deuteronomy, we have a couple more verses to add to those we already have mentioned above. These will have more weight in a few moments.
Deu 23:1 He who is wounded, crushed, or who has his male member cut off, shall not enter into the congregation of Jehovah.
Deu 23:2 A bastard shall not enter into the congregation of Jehovah. Even to his tenth generation he shall not enter into the congregation of Jehovah.
The Phallus is the male Penis and is represented in Phallic architecture as such all the way back to ancient Egypt and Babylon. Even the Washington Monument represents the male phallus. It is the symbol of strength and vigour. It represents power.
I am showing you these things in order that you might understand the whole story.
Ouranos in ancient mythology was Ham. And Chronus or Kronos in ancient mythology is known to be Cush.
When Ouranos AKA Ham went into his mother, Ham was, in fact, usurping the authority of his father Noah.
In legends, Noah is said to have taken the animals from the Ark and spread them around the world. This would necessitate his being gone for long periods of time giving Ham the opportunity to usurp authority.
What Ham was doing was usurping the power and authority that belonged to Noah by "uncovering" his mother and at the same time "uncovering" Noah. It is this very same thing, which Absalom did when he was attempting to usurp his father King David.
20 And Abshalom said to Ahithophel, "Give your advice. What should we do?" 21 An Ahithophel said to Ab?shalom, "Go in to your father's concubines, whom he has left to look after the house. And all Yisra'el shall hear that you have made yourself a stench to your father. And the hands of all who are with you shall be strong." 22 So they pitched a tent for Abshalom on the top of the house, and Abshalom went in to his father's concubines before the eyes of all Yisra'el. (2 Samuel 16:20-22)
We also have another example of usurping the Throne found in 1 Kings. Adonijah was older than Solomon and was to have been King but Yehovah gave it to Solomon. By Adonijah asking to be wed to King David's concubine Abishag, he was, in fact, usurping the throne of Solomon and Solomon the wisest King ever, saw right through it.
1Ki 1:1 And King David was old, going on in days. And they covered him with clothes, but he got no heat. 2 And his servants said to him, Let there be sought for my lord the king a young virgin. And let her stand before the king, and let her nurse him, and let her lie in your bosom, so that my lord the king may get heat. 3 And they sought out a beautiful girl throughout all the borders of Israel, and found Abishag, a Shunammite. And they brought her to the king. 4 And the girl was very beautiful. And she nursed the king and served him. But the king did not know her.
1Ki 2:13 And Adonijah the son of Haggith came to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon. And she said, Do you come peacefully? And he said, Peace. 14 And he said, I have a word to say to you. And she said, Speak. 15 And he said, You know that the kingdom was mine, and that all Israel set their faces on me that I should reign. However, the kingdom is turned around, and has become my brother's. For it was his from Jehovah. 16 And now I ask one favor of you; do not turn away your face. And she said to him, Speak. 17 And he said, Please speak to Solomon the king, for he will not turn away your face, that he give me Abishag the Shunammite for my wife. 18 And Bathsheba said, Very well; I will speak for you to the king. 19 And Bathsheba came in to King Solomon to speak to him for Adonijah. And the king rose up to meet her, and bowed himself to her, and sat on his throne, and caused a throne to be set for the king's mother. And she sat on his right hand. 20 And she said, I desire one small favor of you. Do not turn away my face. And the king said to her, Ask on, my mother, for I will not turn away your face. 21 And she said, Let Abishag the Shunammite be given to your brother Adonijah for a wife. 22 And King Solomon answered and said to his mother, And why do you ask Abishag the Shunammite for Adonijah? Ask the kingdom also for him. For he is my older brother! Even for him, and for Abiathar the priest, and for Joab the son of Zeruiah! 23 And King Solomon swore by Jehovah, saying, May God do so to me, and more He shall do, if Adonijah has not spoken this word against his life. 24 And now, as Jehovah lives, who has established me and set me on the throne of David my father, and who has made me a house, as He spoke, Adonijah shall be put to death today. 25 And King Solomon sent by the hand of Benaiah the son of Jehoiada. And he fell on him so that he died.
Noah's wife is the one who is the "Mother of all Living," she is the one who came out of the chaos of the Flood and landed near the Euphrates. Actually, the myth says she came out of a giant shell on the shore of the Euphrates. This is, in fact, Noah's wife coming out the ark which looked like a giant shell. Another name for her is Aphrodite.
Noah's wife is also known as goddess Tyche as I have found her here in the Israeli Museum. She wears a castle wall because she is the one who invented the brick. And it was this invention that led to the building of the tower of Babel.
Her name is Semiramis. She was known to the Greeks and to the Romans as the goddess:
Of love by the name Aphrodite & Venus.
Of hunting & birth as Artemis & Diana
Of crafts, war & wisdom as Athena & Minerva
Of growing things as Demeter & Ceres
Of fertile Earth as Gaea & Terra
Of Marriage & Women as Hera & Juno
Of the hearth as Hestia & Vesta
As Wife of Kronos Rhea & Ops
Today her statutes consist of the Mother and Child, as the "Mother of God," and as the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Ouranos (Ham) was the first ruler of the universe, created by Gaea (Noah's wife and mother of Ham) when she emerged from Chaos. (the Great Flood) Ouranos, with Gaea, became the father of the Titans.
Ham, the third son of Noah, was the father of Cush, and his name comes from the Chaldean "khem," which means the "burnt one" or the "burning one" and is in reference, not only to Ham as the son of Noah, the father of Cush, but also as the name of their Sun-god.
From Pompei, we have this image of Mercury the messenger of the gods. It is Cush the burnt one strutting his Penis signifying his power. This too is from where we get the giant symbols of the Phallus from. Once again take note of the battle axe also known as the hammer. We explained the hammer of Vulcan which is Cush in our series on Assyria. Mercury is also a lover of Venus when he is known as Vulcan.
This means that Cush the grandson of Noah's wife was also having sex with her.
Cush is derived from the Hebrew "kvsh" and is Chaldean in origin. It comes from the word "khus," which in pronunciation is "kha wos." It is where we get the word chaos. This was the name of the first father of the gods, "Khaos," the Confounder, he who caused the confusion of tongues and scattered the inhabitants of the once united Earth abroad. Under the name Belus, which is another Chaldean word meaning "the Confounder," he is said to be the father of Ninus, the first king of Babylon.
Perhaps in resentment for the harshness God had shown towards his father when He cursed Ham's youngest son Canaan, perhaps in sympathy for his youngest brother, or perhaps in the same corrupt desire to be like God that Satan had, by the time his son Nimrod was born, Cush had developed a plan by which the suffocating religion of his righteous uncle could be replaced by his own.
Nimrod was the great-grandson of Noah and a contemporary with Eber, the great-grandson of Shem. Nimrod comes from the Chaldean words "nimr": leopard, and "rad": to subdue. Nimrod was famous for his exploits as a mighty hunter. Most Hebrew names in the Bible are based on puns and the name Nimrod is very similar in pronunciation to a compound Hebrew word, "niyn": progeny and "marad": be rebellious, rebel. The word carries with it the meaning of breaking covenant with someone, whether man or God. So, Nimrod the Mighty Hunter (the Hunter of Men's Souls) becomes Nimrod the Rebellious One, or the Son of Rebellion. Cush would carefully nurture his Son of Rebellion in this new religion, and thereby rule the world through him. Cush, declaring himself a prophet of "the Only One," and assuming the name Hermes, became the interpreter of the gods. Hermes is a compound word created from the Egyptian "her," which in Chaldean means the "burnt one," therefore it is synonymous with Ham. This is also the derivative from which the name Horus originates and connects him with both the Babylonian and Egyptian Sun-god. The second half of the word Hermes comes from the word "Mesheh," (Moses) which means to draw forth, to extract, to give birth. Therefore, Hermes means the child of Ham, or the son of Ham. This can be seen in the Pharaoh names Rameses and Thothmes which mean "son of Ra" and "son of Thoth."
In direct violation to the Commandments of God, Cush persuaded the people to establish one place where they could all dwell together to worship their god, and there to build a great tower to better observe the messages of their god written in the stars.
Kronos is also known in history as Father Time. And the New Year baby is none other than Nimrod who usurped Cush as we are told in mythology. Over a period of centuries, Nimrod would also come to be known as Kronos in Greek mythology.
But also in Greek Mythology, you will find that Ouranos was known as Uranus. He was the first son of Gaia (the Earth) and he also became her husband.
Ouranos was the first ruler of the universe, created by Gaea when she emerged from Chaos. Ouranos, with Gaea, became the father of the Titans, the Cyclopes and the Hecatoncheires (hundred-handed ones).
Ouranos, Ham, usurped the authority of Noah by going into his mother. Over time Ouranos and Cush would go to war. Cush was not going to take authority from Ham and became the supreme leader of the Titans.
Ouranos was afraid that some of his children would rebel against him, so he imprisoned them within Gaea's Earth womb. Kronos, the youngest of the Titans, freed his siblings by castrating his father. Ouranos' blood gave birth to the Furies, and Aphrodite was born of the discarded member when it fell into the foaming sea.
Giorgio Vasari (1511–1574) and Cristofano Gherardi (1508–1556), The Mutilation of Uranus by Saturn
In this painting, we have Ouranos also known as Uranus being castrated by Saturn who was also known as Kronos. Notice the sickle being used. Remember how the male penis is a symbol of power and authority. Cush, Kronus has just removed the power and authority from Ham his father. He has also taken Hams wife, who was Noah's wife and usurped his authority by going into her. Cush was also known as Mercury who goes into Venus who was also known as Noah's wife or Cush's grandmother.
Notice the terminology here, as this is important to understand. Ouranos, also known as Uranos and also known as Ham, married his mother and had children. Gaia was the mother of Ham known as Ouranos and was also his wife. Yet this woman Gaia was said to be "the Mother of All Living." Think about that. Who exactly, is "the Mother of All Living?"
"The Mother of All Living" is Noah's wife. Gaea is the creator of Ouranos (the Ruler of the Universe) and this Gaea emerged from the chaos. The chaos was the Flood and Gaea is "the Mother of All Living." In other words, the only one to emerge from the chaos of the Flood and come forth as the mother of all that was alive and all to come thereafter was Noah's wife. Then, the Earth (Gaea) and the light (Ouranos) become both father and mother.
This leader of the Titan, Ouranos Ham, warred with his son Cush, also known as Saturn and Kronos, who defeated Ham and castrated him and took authority removing the phallus symbol of power.
You all know Cush is the father of Nimrod.
So when you see the picture to the right, you should recognize the people in it by the symbols they carry.
Kronos is where we get our modern word Chronology from.
Kronos is also known as Saturn and it is during this time of year known as the "Saturnalia" that the world commemorates his memory in the keeping of Christmas.
Here is what wikipedia says about Kronos with my notes.
Chronos (Greek: , "time," also transliterated as Khronos or Latinised as Chronus) is the Personification of Time.
Chronos is a god, serpentine shape in form, with three heads—those of a man, a bull, and a lion. Chronos and his daughter and consort called, serpentine Ananke (Inevitability), circled the primal world egg in their coils and split it apart to form the ordered universe of earth, sea and sky.
(Each of the three heads represents the three boys of Noah. Ham, Japheth, and Shem who came out of the ark which is represented as a giant egg because of its shape. The bull would represent the governing system set up by Ham. The Lion, the system set up by Shem and the man the system set up by Japheth.)
Chronos was confused with, or perhaps consciously identified with, due to the similarity in name, the Titan Cronus already in antiquity, the identification becoming more widespread during the Renaissance, giving rise to the allegory of "Father Time" wielding the harvesting scythe.
Chronos is usually portrayed through an old, wise man with a long, grey beard, similar to Father Time. Some of the current English words whose etymological root is khronos/chronos include chronology, chronometer, chronic, anachronism and chronicle.
It is in celebration of the Saturnalia that they used to pass their children through the fire to Molech which we talked to you about a few weeks ago. The children were murdered in worship to Saturn, to Molech which as we have shown you, was also known as Kronos, the Father of time. Kronos is also known as the Grim Reaper when your time is up.
This year and each year that you go out to celebrate and welcome the coming of the New Year and bid farewell to the old year, you are upholding a tradition that goes back about 4,000 years to the usurping of authority first from Noah to Ham by Ham having sex with Noah's wife and Hams mother. You are celebrating the castration of Ham by Cush and the end of the war they had with each other and Cush taking the authority to rule from Ham and also going into his grandmother, Noah's wife. You are celebrating the end of Cush's reign and the beginning of Nimrod's reign over men. Nimrod was, after all, a hunter of men. He too according to mythology went into his great grandmother sexually.
Your bible tells you when the year begins. I know you already know this, but let me just share this last little bit before I close.
This week we are about to watch the entire world say goodbye to the old year, and get drunk and drive, and let loose of any inhibitions. But in case some of you did not know Yehovah himself tells us when the New Year is.
Exodus 12: 1 And Yehovah spoke to Mosheh and to Aharon in the land of Mitsrayim, saying, 2 "This month is the beginning of months for you, it is the first month of the year for you. 3 "Speak to all the congregation of Yisra'l, saying, 'On the tenth day of this month each one of them is to take for himself a lamb, according to the house of his father, a lamb for a household. 4 'And if the household is too small for the lamb, let him and his neighbour next to his house take it according to the number of the beings, according to each man's need you make your count for the lamb. 5 'Let the lamb be a perfect one, a year old male. Take it from the sheep or from the goats. 6 'And you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month. Then all the assembly of the congregation of Yisra'el shall kill it between the evenings. 7 'And they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses where they eat it. 8 'And they shall eat the flesh on that night, roasted in fire – with unleavened bread and with bitter herbs they shall eat it.
The New Year begins the exact same month that Passover is. You have just read it here in Exodus 12:2 and yet much of the world is keeping it now during the winter Saturnalia Some will try to tell you that the New Year is in the fall at the Feast of Trumpets which is on the first day of the Seventh Month.
Okay, for those of you who are mathematically challenged, please go and get a three-year-old girl. I want you to ask her if the first month is number one or not. Then I want you to ask her what number is the Seventh Month? Is the Seventh Month the first month? Huh???? The three-year-old will give you the truth, even though many adults will still try to lie and justify all the screwed-up behaviour they do, in order to justify them not having to change and conform to the Torah!
The Month of December is Latin for the 10th month. November is Latin for the 9th month, October is Latin for the 8th month, and September is Latin for the 7th month. So January used to be the 11th month and February used to be the 12th month. These very Latin names still preserve which months are which at least during these months mentioned. The Bible also calls them the 7th, 8th, 9th, and 10th months. There is sometimes a 13th month depending on special situations, but this would make the first month in March or April depending on whether or not there is a 13th month. This is when Passover is just as we are told in Exodus.
The year used to begin on special dates during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire known as the consular year, which began on the day when consuls first entered office — probably 1 May before 222 BC, 15 March from 222 BC to 154 BC, but this event was moved to 1 January in 153 BC. In 45 BC, Julius Caesar introduced the Julian calendar, continuing to use 1 January as the first day of the new year.
Yehovah says the first month is when Passover is in the spring. So then what is the whole world celebrating now? They're celebrating the corrupt events that both Ham and Cush created through their warring actions with each other and then with Noah's wife. Are you going to be a part of this chaos?
I got a question for you.
In 70 AD or let's say 65 AD before the Temple was destroyed, Judah kept the Sabbath. They kept the Holy Days at the right time according to the crescent moon to begin the month and the barley to begin the year. And I have shown you that they also kept the Sabbatical years and had done so as we can show for at least 100 years before 70 AD.
Here is my question. These are all the very same things we have come to now learn and have restored them in our lives today now that we are being called at the end of this age. This is you and me. We are doing all of these things. So why did Yehovah destroy Judah at that time? And then run them out of the land over the next hundred years? And why did He allow the Temple to be destroyed? WHY?
I searched Josephus to find the following answer.
Why the Almighty Caused Jerusalem and His Temple to be Destroyed
The burning of Jerusalem and its Temple in 70 CE/AD created a profound dilemma for faithful Jews of the time. Hadn't religious observance throughout the land reached new heights in the years preceding the war? Wasn't the revolt against Rome directly the result of zealous people vowing to have "no master except the Lord?" (Ant. 18.1.6 23). Then why did the Lord allow the Romans to crush the revolt and destroy his Temple?
Josephus offered a variety of solutions to this problem. His overall goal was to defend the Jews against the accusation that their Lord had deserted them. A further goal, which he only hinted at, was to pave the way for approval by the Roman authorities, at some future time, for the rebuilding of the Temple.
Death of the High Priest
War 4.5.2 318
I should not be wrong in saying that the capture of the city began with the death of Ananus; and that the overthrow of the walls and the downfall of the Jewish state dated from the day on which the Jews beheld their high priest, the captain of their salvation, butchered in the heart of Jerusalem.
A man on every ground revered and of the highest integrity, Ananus, with all the distinction of his birth, his rank and the honours to which he had attained, had delighted to treat the very humblest as his equals. Unique in his love of liberty and an enthusiast for democracy, he on all occasions put the public welfare above his private interests. To maintain peace was his supreme object.
The revolt in part derived from class warfare. The High Priests had authority over the Temple worship and often acted as representatives of the Jews in dealing with the Roman occupation government. They had an interest in maintaining peace, some of them sincerely for the good of the nation, others no doubt to protect their own wealth and power.
As a result, many revolutionaries, especially the most extreme group, the Zealots,
considered their priests as the enemy. Although some of the younger and poorer priests joined the revolution, others opposed it and, as a result, were assassinated.
In the passage quoted above, Josephus explicitly connects Ananus' murder by the Zealots to the destruction of Jerusalem. This is one of his major themes, which we might call "The Pollution of the City." No religious motivation, Josephus is saying, can justify the atrocities that the Zealots committed. Not everything can be done for the Divine Name. The Lord destroyed the Holy City because the people had violated the basic principles of His Law and made the Temple unfit for worship.
The Pollution of the City
I cannot but think that it was because God had doomed this city to destruction, as a polluted city, and was resolved to purge his sanctuary by fire, that he cut off those who clung to them with such tender affection.
This explicitly states Josephus' opinion that the city was destroyed because of its transgressions during the war.
Pollution of the Temple with Blood
Assassins in the Temple
Antiquities 20.8.5 164-166 Certain of these robbers went up to the city, as if they were going to worship God, while they had daggers under their garments; and, by thus mingling themselves among the multitude, they slew Jonathan [the high priest]; and as this murder was never avenged, the robbers went up with the greatest security at the festivals after this time; and having weapons concealed in like manner as before, and mingling themselves among the multitude, they slew certain of their own enemies, and were subservient to other men for money; and slew others not only in remote parts of the city, but in the Temple itself also; for they had the boldness to murder men there, without thinking of the impiety of which they were guilty.
And this seems to me to have been the reason why God, out of his hatred to these men's wickedness, rejected our city; and as for the Temple, he no longer esteemed it sufficiently pure for him to inhabit therein, but brought the Romans upon us, and threw a fire upon the city to purge it; and brought upon us, our wives, and children, slavery – as desirous to make us wiser by our calamities.
Josephus here seems to make a distinction between two concepts. First, the wickedness of these assassins, some ten years before the war, caused the divine rejection of Jerusalem; but furthermore, the Temple was no longer "pure" enough for the Lord to inhabit. In Jewish Law, ritual uncleanness caused by contact with blood can be removed by purification with fire. So beyond simply abandoning Jerusalem and its people, the area is purified so that it can again become fit for heavenly contact. The people are not rejected, but only made wiser by these calamities.
This may indicate why all the people were punished, and not just the murderers. Ritual impurity needed to be dealt with, regardless of its source. And the people as a whole did not work hard enough to keep the criminals from defiling the Temple – Josephus states the murder of Jonathan "was never avenged," thus emboldening them – everyone had a share in the impurity.
The Slaughter of the Guards
War 4.5.1 305-313
The Idumaeans ascended through the city to the Temple. The Zealots were also in great expectation of their coming, and earnestly waited for them. When therefore these were entering, they also came boldly out of the inner Temple, and mixing themselves with the Idumaeans, they attacked the guards; and those that were upon the watch, but were fallen asleep, they killed as they were asleep; but as those that were now awakened made a cry, the whole multitude arose, and in the amazement they were in, caught hold of their arms immediately, and betook themselves to their own defence. So long as they thought they were only the Zealots that attacked them, they went on boldly, as hoping to overpower them by their number; but when they saw others pressing in upon them also, they perceived the Idumaeans were got in; and the greater part of them laid aside their arms, together with their courage, and betook themselves to lamentations. But some few of the younger guards covered themselves with their armor and valiantly received the Idumaeans, and for a while protected the weaker people. Others, indeed, gave a signal to those that were in the city of the calamities they were in; but when these were also made sensible that the Idumaeans were come in, none of them durst come to their assistance; only they returned the terrible echo of wailing, and lamenting their misfortunes. A great howling of the women was excited also, every one having a relative in the guards who was in danger of being killed.
The Zealots also joined the the shouts raised by the Idumaeans; and the storm itself rendered the cry more terrible; nor did the Idumaeans spare anybody…and acted in the same manner as to those that supplicated for their lives, as to those that fought them, insomuch that they ran those through with their swords who desired them to remember the kinship there was between them and begged of them to have regard to their common Temple. There was no place for flight nor any hope for preservation; they were driven one upon another in heaps, so were they slain. Thus the greater part were driven together by force, as there was now no place of retreat, and the murderers were upon them, and having no other way, they threw themselves down headlong into the city, undergoing a more miserable destruction, in my opinion, than that which they avoided, because it was voluntary. And now the outer Temple was all of it overflowed with blood; and that day, as it dawned, saw eight thousand five hundred dead there.
This massacre of their countrymen on the part of the revolutionary extremists and their allies occurred within the court of the Temple itself. These and other murders, such as that of Jonathan, are associated by Josephus with the irrevocable pollution of the Temple. In Jewish Law, human blood and corpses cause ritual uncleanness; add to this that the blood was shed in the atrocity of mass murder, and the implication is that the Temple could never be cleansed.
The Idumaeans were descendants of the Biblical Edomites and had been forcibly converted to Judaism by the Hasmonean kings. The revolutionary party, the Zealots, manipulated them to increase their forces during the revolt.
The Murder of Zacharias
And now these Zealots and Idumaeans were quite weary of simple massacre, so they had the audacity to set up mock trials and courts of justice for that purpose. They intended to have Zacharias, the son of Baris, one of the most eminent of the citizens, slain. What provoked them against him was that hatred of wickedness and love of liberty which were so eminent in him; he was also a rich man, so that by taking him off, they did not only hope to seize his effects, but also to get rid of a man that had great power to destroy them.
So they called together, by a public proclamation, seventy of the principal men of the populace, for a show trial, as if they were real judges, although they had no proper authority. In front of these citizens Zacharias was accused of a design to betray their city to the Romans and to have traitorously sent to Vespasian for that purpose. Now there appeared no proof or sign of what he was accused; but they affirmed themselves that they were well persuaded that so it was, and desired that such their affirmation might be taken for sufficient evidence.
Now when Zacharias clearly saw that there was no way remaining for his escape from them, as having been treacherously called before them and imprisoned, but with no intention of a legal trial, he took great liberty of speech in that despair of life he was under. Accordingly he stood up, and laughed at their pretended accusation, and in a few words confuted the crimes laid to his charge; after which he turned his speech to his accusers, and went over distinctly all their transgressions of the Law, and made heavy lamentations upon the confusion they had brought public affairs into.
In the meantime the Zealots grew tumultuous, and could scarce refrain from drawing their swords, although they designed to preserve the appearance and show of judicature to the end. They were also desirous, on other accounts, to try the judges, whether they would be mindful of what was just at their own peril.
Now the seventy judges brought in their verdict, that the person accused was not guilty — choosing rather to die themselves with him, than to have his death laid at their doors.
Hereupon there arose a great clamor by the Zealots upon his acquittal, and they were all indignant at the judges for not having understood that the authority that was given them was but in jest. So two of the boldest of them fell upon Zacharias in the middle of the Temple, and slew him. And as he fell down dead they bantered him, and said, "Now you have our verdict also, and a surer release." They then threw him down out of the Temple into the valley beneath it.
The Zealots add the sin of bearing false witness to the crime of murder in the Temple.
As a side note: This passage has an intriguing parallel with the Book of Matthew: "…upon you [is] all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Barachiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar." (Matt. 23:35) Can this last victim, murdered in the Temple, be the same as the "Zecharias son of Baris" referred to above?
If so, it would be counted either as a prophecy that became fulfilled or a confusion on the part of Matthew. However, in this case, the resemblance seems to be mere coincidence. As Thackeray points out in his translation (Loeb edition), Matthew can be read as referring to Zecharias son of Jehoiada, who was stoned to death in the Temple court (2 Chronicles 24:21); Matthew had confused his name with Zechariach son of Berechiah. This is a reasonable explanation; still, the coincidence is quite curious.
The Lamentation of Josephus
War 5.1.4 19-20The darts that were thrown by the engines [of the seditious factions] came with that force, that they went over all the buildings and the Temple itself, and fell upon the priests and those that were about the sacred offices; insomuch that many persons who came thither with great zeal from the ends of the earth to offer sacrifices at this celebrated place, which was esteemed holy by all mankind, fell down before their own sacrifices themselves, and sprinkled that altar which was venerable among all men, both Greeks and barbarians, with their own blood. The dead bodies of strangers were mingled together with those of their own country, and those of profane persons with those of the priests, and the blood of all sorts of dead carcasses stood in lakes in the holy courts themselves.
Oh most wretched city, what misery so great as this didst thou suffer from the Romans, when they came to purify thee from thy internal pollutions! For thou couldst be no longer a place fit for God, nor couldst thou longer survive, after thou hadst been a sepulchre for the bodies of thine own people, and hast made the Holy House itself a burying-place in this civil war of thine. Yet mayst thou again grow better, if perchance thou wilt hereafter appease the anger of that God who is the author of thy destruction.
But I must restrain myself from these passions by the rules of History, since this is not a proper time for domestic lamentation, but for historical narrations.
The revolt fell apart into factions vying for power. The actions of the Jews against the Temple during this civil war, Josephus here asserts, were more terrible than that inflicted by the Romans. Again emphasizing the unclean blood in the Temple, Josephus laments that the later destruction by the Romans was necessary, and that these conquerors were acting as agents of the Lord — almost as priests — in their role as purifiers.
There is also a hint here, hidden in the form of an emotional outburst, that the Temple should be allowed to be rebuilt. "Mayst thou again grow better," he asks, pointing toward a return to its former state, and expects this after the Jews "appease" the author of their destruction, indicating that they act peacefully both toward heaven and its agents of destruction, the Romans. But it is too soon after the war, which greatly angered the Roman populace, for Josephus to make an explicit appeal to the Emperor that the Temple be rebuilt.
The Fulfillment of Ancient Prophecies
War 4.6.3 381-388 But these Zealots came at last to that degree of barbarity as not to bestow a burial either on those slain in the city, or on those that lay along the roads; but as if they had made an agreement to cancel both the laws of their country and the laws of nature, an, at the same time that they defiled men with their wicked action, they would pollute the Divinity itself also, they left the dead bodies to putrify under the sun.
…These men, therefore, trampled upon all the laws of man, and laughed at the Laws of God; and for the oracles of the prophets, they ridiculed them as the tricks of jugglers. Yet did these prophets foretell many things concerning virtue and vice, by the transgression of which these Zealots occasioned the fulfilling of those very prophecies belonging to their country.
For there was a certain ancient oracle of those men, that the city should then be taken and the sanctuary burnt, by right of war, when a sedition should invade the Jews and their own hands should pollute the Temple of God. Now, while these Zealots did not disbelieve these predictions, they made themselves the instruments of their accomplishment.
This passage segues into a different explanation of the destruction: that it had been prophesied in advance. The theme of prophecy is quite important to Josephus — indeed, he owed his life to one — and throughout his work he stresses that the observable fulfillment of prophecy is proof of the truth of the Jewish Bible.
Yet the idea that Jerusalem was destroyed as the fulfillment of a prophecy is not manifestly the same as stating it was destroyed because of the sins of the people. In the above passage, Josephus tries to link the two concepts. The prophecy is not that the Temple is destined to be destroyed, but that it would be destroyed due to a war started by the Jews that would pollute the Temple. This is an interesting sliding between two concepts. If it was ordained in advance that the Jews would pollute the Temple, how can they be held accountable? Did the Lord cause the destruction to fulfill a pre-ordained plan or instead to punish contemporary sins?
Josephus either wants it both ways, or else oscillates between them as events dictate. In a similar fashion, he notes elsewhere that the Pharisees, with whom he aligned himself, believed in free will but also that some things, although not all, were decreed by fate (War 2.8.14). The two concepts of the destruction pose the old question, are humans predestined or do they have free will?
Incidentally, the "certain ancient oracle" cited by Josephus in this passage is unknown to present scholars.
The Temple is Set on Fire
Introductory Comment
Here is Josephus' description of the moment when the first flame is put to the Temple. The agent of destruction is an anonymous Roman soldier, acting impulsively against the orders of the commander, Titus — but obeying the orders, Josephus implies, of the highest authority.
War 6.4.5249-253 So Titus retired into the tower of Antonia, and resolved to storm the Temple the next day, early in the morning, with his whole army, and to encamp round about the Holy House; but, as for that House, God had for certain long ago doomed it to the fire; and now that fatal day was come, according to the revolution of the ages: it was the tenth day of the month Lous, [Av,] upon which it was formerly burnt by the king of Babylon; although these flames took their rise from the Jews themselves, and were occasioned by them; for upon Titus's retiring, the seditious lay still for a little while, and then attacked the Romans again, when those that guarded the Holy House fought with those that quenched the fire that was burning in the inner court of the Temple; but these Romans put the Jews to flight, and proceeded as far as the Holy House itself.
At which time one of the soldiers, without staying for any orders, and without any concern or dread upon him at so great an undertaking, and being hurried on by a certain divine fury, snatched somewhat out of the materials that were on fire, and being lifted up by another soldier, he set fire to a golden window, through which there was a passage to the rooms that were round about the Holy House, on the north side of it. As the flames went upward the Jews made a great clamour, such as so mighty an affliction required, and ran together to prevent it; and now they spared not their lives any longer, nor suffered anything to restrain their force, since that Holy House was perishing, for whose sake it was that they kept such a guard upon it.
We have here all three possible explanations for the Temple destruction: that it was a chance act of war, that it was a Divine response to the murderous actions of the seditious party, or that it was fated according to some vast and mysterious plan.
The aspect of fate is stated by Josephus in saying that "God for certain long ago doomed it to the fire," and then pointing out that the Second Temple was set on fire by the Romans on the same day that the First Temple was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BCE. (Thackeray notes that this date accords with Jeremiah 53:12 but not with the seventh of Av in 2 Kings 25:8, and that Jewish tradition memorializes both on the Ninth of Av.) This would seem to indicate a design greater than a direct response to freely committed sin. This was, says Josephus, "according to the revolution of the ages" — again, not due to specific human actions.
Josephus says rather directly that is was the Lord who started the flames by directing the activity of the anonymous Roman soldier. For this soldier set the fire "without any concern or dread upon him at so great an undertaking," as though he had the authority to do what he was doing. When he put the fire to the golden window he was "being hurried on by a certain divine fury." The Greek is daimnoioi horme tini chromenos, which can be translated also as in Thackeray's version "moved by some supernatural impulse." The soldier is an agent of heaven, and his impulsive attack may reflect divine anger at the people for their pollution of the Temple. The emotional "fury" is different from the cool, mathematical "revolution of the ages" that calendrically pre-determined the fate of the Temple. Josephus has jumped from one explanation to the other. Can they be joined into one?
I have read many explanations as to why Yehovah did this to the Jews and many of them claim it was because they killed Jesus 40 years before. Although that may have some traction, I think the answer is as a few wrote;
The reason the Temple was destroyed and the Jews thrust out of the land was because they did not have a love for one another. And the more I think about that the more terrified I become. Do we today as brethren in this walk love one another? If we can say yes to the that then Do we love others who are still in sin? Do we love those who do not yet know this walk or way of life?
The Parable of the Persistent Widow
Luk 18:1 And He also spoke a parable to them to teach it is always right to pray, and not to faint,
Luk 18:2 saying, A certain judge was in a certain city, not fearing God, nor respecting man.
Luk 18:3 And a widow was in that city. And she came to Him, saying, Avenge me of my adversary.
Luk 18:4 And he would not do so for a time. But afterward he said within himself, Though I do not fear God nor regard man,
Luk 18:5 yet because this widow troubles me, I will avenge her, that she not wear me down in the end.
Luk 18:6 And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge says.
Luk 18:7 And shall not God avenge His own elect who cry day and night to Him, though He has been long-suffering over them?
Luk 18:8 I say to you that He will avenge them speedily. Yet when the Son of Man comes, shall He find faith on the earth?
Luk 18:9 And He spoke this parable to certain ones who trusted in themselves, that they were righteous, and despised others:
Luk 18:10 Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a tax-collector.
Luk 18:11 The Pharisee stood and prayed within himself in this way: God, I thank You that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax-collector.
Luk 18:12 I fast twice on the Sabbath, I give tithes of all that I possess.
Luk 18:13 And standing afar off, the tax-collector would not even lift up his eyes to Heaven, but struck on his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner!
Luk 18:14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself shall be abased, and he who humbles himself shall be exalted.
Godlessness in the Last Days
2Ti 3:1 Know this also, that in the last days grievous times will be at hand.
2Ti 3:2 For men will be self-lovers, money-lovers, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,
2Ti 3:3 without natural affection, unyielding, false accusers, without self-control, savage, despisers of good,
2Ti 3:4 traitors, reckless, puffed up, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,
2Ti 3:5 having a form of godliness, but denying the power of it; even turn away from these.
2Ti 3:6 For of these are those who creep into houses and lead captive silly women loaded with sins, led away with different kinds of lusts,
2Ti 3:7 ever learning and never able to come to the full knowledge of the truth.
2Ti 3:8 But as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so these also resist the truth, men of corrupt mind, reprobate concerning the faith.
2Ti 3:9 But they shall proceed no further. For their foolishness shall be plain to all, as theirs also became.
What the zealots could not do was to forgive those who were not as righteous as they were. They did not love those who were not at their level of understanding.
The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant
Mat 18:21 Then Peter came to Him and said, Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Until seven times?
Mat 18:22 Jesus said to him, I do not say to you, Until seven times; but, Until seventy times seven.
Mat 18:23 Therefore the kingdom of Heaven has been compared to a certain king who desired to make an accounting with his servants.
Mat 18:24 And when he had begun to count, one was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents.
Mat 18:25 But as he had nothing to pay, his lord commanded that he, and his wife and children, and all that he had, be sold, and payment be made.
Mat 18:26 Then the servant fell down and worshiped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me and I will pay you all.
Mat 18:27 Then the lord of that servant was moved with compassion and released him and forgave him the debt.
Mat 18:28 But the same servant went out and found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. And he laid hands on him and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me what you owe.
Mat 18:29 And his fellow servant fell down at his feet and begged him, saying, Have patience with me and I will pay you all.
Mat 18:30 And he would not, but went and cast him into prison until he should pay the debt.
Mat 18:31 So when his fellow servants saw what was done, they were very sorry. And they came and told their lord all that was done.
Mat 18:32 Then his lord, after he had called him, said to him, O wicked servant, I forgave you all that debt because you begged me.
Mat 18:33 Should you not also have pitied your fellow servant, even as I had pity on you?
Mat 18:34 And his lord was angry, and delivered him to the tormentors until he should pay all that was due to him.
Mat 18:35 So likewise shall My heavenly Father do also to you, unless each one of you from your hearts forgive his brother their trespasses.
What about you? Do you love those who hate you?
Can you love those who have hurt you in the past? An incestual relationship? Someone who abused you or beat you or mistreated you? Can you love that person who committed adultery on you? Can you love your parents even when they have hurt you? Do you love those in the LGBT movement? What about those in the Islamic faith? What about those liberals that are way out to lunch and have no hope in this life, they are that far gone? Or maybe they are the ultra-conservatives that you hate, can you love them? Do you or can you love any of them?
Brethren, I asked this question when I wrote this article for the December 27, 2019 Newsletter. That was before COVID. The Brethren at that time were fighting with each other over calendar issues and the divide as to when to begin the year. Heated exchanges took place and tempers flared and people separated. Today December 25, 2021, I am again asking this question. The subject may continue to be the split amongst those of the Karaite calendar, but mostly now it is amongst those on either side of the COVID vaccine.
We know this world is about to be wiped out. We know that. Are those of us who are left going to humble our hearts and love the brethren even if they do not agree with our views? Can you love me when you do not agree with me on issues not found clearly laid out in Torah? Or will we also witness a great slaughter amongst the brethren as there were in 70 C.E. because we too cannot love one another?
Robert Marr	on 23 December 2021 at 1:33 pm
A common theme in this letter is self preservation. without Yehovah guiding your heart in truth and sound behavior it appears that
human nature is always to self preserve. For Kush to take from his father, self preserve with the hopes of self glorification. I think
its ironic that as Ham took from Noah, so too Kush took from Ham. Even further, Kush sets Nimrod up as a world leader so too that
city becomes a metaphor for the great harlot who opposes the true God, Babylon. I did not know about the Zealots defiling
Jerusalem before the Romans came. As we get closer to "the end" we are seeing greater degrees of depravity and its becoming
desensitizing. Therefore, it is easy to see how humans can do such wickedness, as they think its me vs them mentality. I think what
Ham did to Noah proves how horrible our nature is. Its repulsive to others but self preserving to that individual.
Dafydd	on 23 December 2021 at 10:38 pm
The Good King Josiah should be honoured by both the House of Judah and the House of Israel as he died defending a remnant of the House of Israel who returned to the land following their Assyrian diaspora. They were probably the children or grandchildren of the Israelites who were deported to the Caucasus, the Russian steppes and Persia who sat around their camp fires listening to their elders talk about the land from which they came.
They rose up against the Assyrian Empire and defeated it, and as Egypt was allied with Assyria, they came to fight against the Israelites. The Israelites, together with the Persians and Kurds, defeated the Assyrians and they went on to establish their own kingdoms in Persia and Asia till the great westward migrations.
The House of Israel never returned to the land, they were now cattlemen who numbered in the tens of millions who were at home on the wide grassy plains. They won't return to the land till the fall of Mega Babylon.
Sonia	on 24 December 2021 at 4:59 am
Just another perspective
I had a chat a couple of months ago with the leader of the Torah study that I attend. He is a much older gentleman and has been studying Torah for years. We were talking about the issue of Genesis 9 with the uncovering of nakedness. The leader pointed out that in
Genesis 9:24 it says "Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his YOUNGER SON had done to him". Then he pointed out in
Genesis 10:1 Now this is the genealogy of the sons of Noah: Shem, HAM and Japheth. " and
Genesis 10:6 "The sons of Ham were Cush, Mizraim, Put, and CANAAN."
So, Ham was the MIDDLE son of Noah, but Canaan was the YOUNGEST son of Ham. Keep in mind that the word for "son" in Genesis 9 does not necessarily mean direct son but can also mean grandson or descendant.
The leader of the Torah group said that the reason Noah cursed Canaan is that Canaan was the one uncovering the nakedness of (having sex with) his grandmother (Noah's wife) and his father Ham saw it and told his brothers! Noah cursed Canaan because Canaan was the one caught in the act having sex with his wife and Noah found out about it.
Phyllis Mannering	on 25 December 2021 at 1:31 am
Thank you Joe always for the news letter. All of them are informative. Teaching Gods Word and explaining difficult things out His Torah. I take notes, lots of notes. I then can go back over them. As I said, thankyou for the news letter. Phyllis Mannering.