THE CANARY IS WARNING US

An accomplice of a thief is his own enemy. He hears the oath but says nothing. 

- Proverbs 29:24 TLV

Antisemitism has shot up to levels not seen since the 1930's. This should tell all of us that our society and the world are in very serious trouble. 

Jews are the scapegoat for the ills of society.  Jews are like some sort of supernatural thermometer.  A thermometer doesn't cause the temperature; It is a means of telling the temperature.  So it is with Jews and the level of sickness in society.  That's why they call us Jews the "canary in the coal mine." 

There is always antisemitism but very high levels of it are generally limited to certain countries or regions.  Today it's a worldwide phenomenon. 

At the same time that the antisemitism gauge is flashing red warning signals, we have a worldwide leadership vacuum. 

There is a lack of strong ethical moral leadership in the world. In America we have a President who get's confused laying a wreath on Veterans Day and can't find his way off stage. In Europe there is no central leader.  

Invented the first air pump and
used it to study the phenomenon
of a vacuum in the 1600's.

The combination of a very ill society and a leadership vacuum is a very risky and dangerous situation!  This combination sets the stage for a charismatic leader with oratory talents and the ability to capture and channel the passions of the populous.  Such an individual can rapidly rise to power. They can seemingly come out of nowhere and quickly command the masses!

The question is which side will they appeal to? Will they give voice to and unite the angry antisemitic population and propell the world into darkness? Or will they seek to return us to a better place?  Will they have good or evil intentions?  

The world, societies and each of us has to choose. When it comes to good and evil there is no middle. We have to pick a side.  It is time to recognize the consequences of our choices.  When dealing with true evil the options are never easy and good people often have to do things they never would otherwise.  We need to have the courage to take uncomfortable actions.

"Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak.  Not to act is to act."  Dietrich Bonhoeffer

There is an opening for both a messiah figure as well as an anti-messiah figure.  Surely, deception will be at work.  Will you be able to tell the difference? Don't be so sure!!

"For not only one (enemy) has risen up against us to destroy us, but in every generation they rise up to destroy us."  From the Vehi Shamda passage in the Passover Haggadah 

Living Water

Mount of Olives, Jerusalem 

Living Water in Hebrew is מַֽיִם־חַיִּ֖ים mayim-ḥayyîm. The expression "Living Water" appears in both the Tenach and the New Testament.  What is it?

To be a living water means constantly being in a state of refreshing, replenishing, and refilling. 

In Hebrew culture, the term "living waters" described pure, flowing water untouched by human hands. Living water is naturally filtered through rock which removes impurities while leaving behind beneficial minerals like magnesium, calcium and bicarbonate. Magnesium plays many crucial roles in the body, such as supporting muscle and nerve function and energy production.

The prophet Zechariah described Jerusalem as a source of "living water," "half [flowing] east to the Dead Sea and half of it west to the Mediterranean Sea, in summer and in winter" (Zechariah 14:8). The city of Jerusalem was abundantly supplied with water by many conduits and subterranean channels. 

Zechariah 14:4 prophesied  "On that day His feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward."

In Ezekiel 47, the prophet speaks of waters that heal and promote life.  "...wherever the stream flows they shall be healed and live." (Verse 9) Ezekiel continues to describe waters with a special nature. In Verse 12 he says "the waters will emanate from the Sanctuary, and its fruit shall be for food and its leaves for a cure." These waters "will grow every tree for food; its leaf will not wither, neither will its fruit end; month after month its fruits will ripen."  Surely these are living waters. 

In Jeremiah 2:13 and 17:13, the prophet describes God as "the spring of living water," who has been forsaken by his chosen people Israel. 

Water from the Rock sustained the children of Israel during The Exodus from Egypt. Water from the Rock of Miriam supplied living waters to millions of people and their livestock too. 

At the end of their journey after Miriam died the Rock went dry and the people rumbled greatly. Adonai instructed Moses to speak to the Rock rather than to strike it as he had in the past along the way when water was needed. 

Numbers 20:7-12 TLV

ADONAI spoke to Moses, saying, “Take the staff and gather the assembly, you and your brother Aaron. Speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will give out its water. You will bring out water from the rock, and you will give the community something to drink, along with their livestock.” So Moses took the staff from before the presence of ADONAI, just as He had commanded him. Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly in front of the rock. He said, “Listen now, you rebels! Must we bring you water from this rock?” Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with the staff. Water gushed out and the community and its livestock drank. But ADONAI said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust in Me so as to esteem Me as holy in the eyes of Bnei-Yisrael, therefore you will not bring this assembly into the land that I have given to them.”

Moses paid high price for his disobedience and lapse of faith. 

Why did God want Moses to speak to the rock? Was He seeking a different means for a relationship? Was God seeking to display something to the people? Why did Moses strike the Rock in a deed that seemed to signify anger or perhaps fear that with his sister Miriam dead the Rock would not perform?  Even Moses did not seem to understand. As it says in Deuteronomy 29:2-3 - "the great trials that your eyes saw, those great signs and wonders. But to this day ADONAI has not given you a heart to know, or eyes to see, or ears to hear."

Fortunately God's Everlasting Covenant with Abraham remained intact. Sustaining Waters flowed from the Rock and the Israelites continued on their path to the land that God showed and promised to Abraham.

In the New Testament, Yeshua claims to be the "Living Water." Jesus speaks to a Samaritan woman saying, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”

The Gosple of John, chapter 7 verse 37-38 Yeshua says, 

"On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Yeshua stood up and cried out loudly, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture says, ‘out of his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” 

Note: The "last day of the great Feast" is Shemini Atzeret. That is the day Hamas attacked Israel and massacred Jews.

The Jews would not have survived 40 years in a desert without Water from the Rock. There would have been no life in Jerusalem without מַֽיִם־חַיִּ֖ים mayim-ḥayyîm.  

I shutter to think of our world today without faithful believers in Salvation (Yeshua). There are only about 15 million Jews against a world of 8 billion wanting to destroy us and Israel. For survival Jews and Israel are depending on the prayers and support of believers.  The source of the living waters promises eternal life for all. 

Am Yisrael Chai!

IN PURSUIT OF JUSTICE

 

A Tzadik is someone who is righteous. Tzedaka means charity or good deeds.  These both have their root in the word justice - צֶ֥דֶק

The bible says:

"Justice, justice you must pursue, so that you may live and possess the land that ADONAI your God is giving you." Deuteronomy 16:20

צֶ֥דֶק צֶ֖דֶק תִּרְדֹּ֑ף לְמַ֤עַן תִּֽחְיֶה֙ וְיָֽרַשְׁתָּ֣ אֶת־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ נֹתֵ֥ן לָֽךְ

Notice the word for justice is repeated 2x. That is a significant! God emphasizes that way.

In war the army - the  commanders and soldiers -  are prosecutor, judge and executioner.  Death sentences are handed out and exercised with no "due process." The accused enemy has no "defence lawyer." There is no "judge" overseeing matters. The "execution" is carried out on the spot with no opportunity to appeal.

Israel doesn't start wars but once it goes to war it operates by principles of the laws of war.  Israel goes above and beyond those laws and to great lengths to avoid civilian deaths. 

Hamas, on the other hand, is the antithesis. Their ways are the direct opposite.  They are the manifestation of "evil." Israel uses violence -- Hamas literally IS "violence." 

That is why this war is different than a war to settle a dispute. This war won't determine whether the Palestinians have a territory or state.  This war is not only to defeat an enemy. This is a war to blot out the enemy.  

The historical tragedy is that Israel missed it's chance to do so.

1 Samuel 15:1-3 TLV

Then Samuel said to Saul, “ADONAI sent me to anoint you as king over His people, over Israel. Now therefore, listen to the voice of the words of ADONAI! Thus says ADONAI-Tzva’ot: ‘I remember what Amalek did to Israel, how he set himself against him on the way while he was coming up from Egypt. Now go and strike down Amalek and put all he has under the ban of destruction—so have no pity on him; but kill both men and women, children and nursing infants, oxen and sheep, camels and donkeys.’” 

Sadly, a war cannot blot out "evil." A war cannot end "violence."  As history shows, there is no war that ends all wars. The ideology of Amalek, Haman, the Nazis and Hamas will still exist after this current war is over.  

Israel will forever need to fight. Israel will have to go on pursuing justice so that Jews may live and possess the land that ADONAI our God gave us. 

Until ...

Isaiah 2:2-4

It will come to pass in the last days that the mountain of ADONAI’s House will stand firm as head of the mountains and will be exalted above the hills. So all nations will flow to it. Then many peoples will go and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of ADONAI, to the House of the God of Jacob! Then He will teach us His ways, and we will walk in His paths.” For Torah will go forth from Zion and the word of ADONAI from Jerusalem. He will judge between the nations and decide for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning knives. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, nor will they learn war any more. 

Am Yisrael Chai! 

Epilogue:

IRAN IS FIGHTING A GLOBAL JIHAD WAR -- A RELIGIOUS WAR AGAINST EVERYTHING THE WEST STANDS FOR.

"The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist”—Charles Baudelaire

“The second greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he is the good guy”—Ken Ammi

Jordan Peterson breaks it down extremely well. 

https://youtu.be/3s-22sMkYAs?si=nRWR67N9awGk6yVU

A SUPERNATURAL BATTLE

In Lebanon, Iran, London and elsewhere there have been massive crowds of bloody thirsty haters calling for the destruction of Israel and the killing of every Jew on the planet.  Even in the USA we see disturbing evidence of large scale antisemitism.  

We have national leaders in Muslim countries blaming Israel for the massacre of Israelies. Russia and China are siding with Israel's enemies. Many are starting to wonder about the times we are in. 

Israel's last major war, fifty years ago in 1973 started on Yom Kippur. The war Israel is in now started on the Jewish holiday of Shemini Atzeret, which landed on October 7th. It is no accident that Iran and Hamas chose to attack Israel on this special holiday.  

Sukkot is a seven (7) day Jewish holiday. It is the last of the fall festivals in the bible. Sukkot goes right into the most joyous day in the Jewish calendar called Shemini Atzeret. The Book of Leviticus 23.36 declares this day, the eighth day to be a Holy Convocation.

Evil Chose the Most Joyous Day

Integral to all the festivals on the Jewish calendar – Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot is the mitzvah to rejoice. The Torah enjoins us to "Rejoice on your festivals!" Of all the festivals, however, only Sukkot is described as "the season of our rejoicing." The joy of Sukkot eclipses the joy of the other festivals as evidenced by Sukkot's nightly "Water Drawing Celebrations."

Then, on the last day of the Great Feast, there's the utterly unbridled joy of Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Torah (Joy of Torah), which surpasses even the joy of Sukkot.  

The Evil that is Hamas (violence and hate) sought to rob, steal and destroy Israel's joy!

8 IS SPECIAL! 

Creation lasted 6 days and the 7th day God reserved for Rest, the Sabbath. 8 represents a new beginning, a new order or a new creation. 8 has a supernatural quality.  

Seven is solid, perfect. 7 represents the natural order. 7 days in a week. 7 colors in a rainbow. 7 notes of the diatonic scale make one complete octave. 7 branches on the Temple menorah with 7 candles to illuminate the natural world with the glow of Light. 

While 7 symbolizes perfection, 8 has supernatural associations. Judaism teaches that eight symbolizes that which is beyond natural limits and higher than the natural order. 8 transcends the natural. 8 is infinite. 

After Sukkot and the 7 days of the Feast of Tabernacles, is the 8th day and the holiday of Shemini Atzeret, called the Last Great Day. It is also called Hoshana Raba, the day of "Great Salvation." 

On the previous 7 days the temple priests gathered water from the Pool of Siloam. On Hoshana Raba, the 8th day, is the ritual of the great outpouring of the spiritual waters.

Jubilee - 50 - Pentecost

Jews literally count every day during the 7 weeks (Seven 7's) before Pentecost/Revelation at Sinai.  It is called "counting the Omer." Then something supernatural happens on the 50th day. There is a great outpouring.  After 7 Shmita Years (seven periods of seven years) is the Jubilee. 

Jews who practice Kabbalah, work on perfecting 7 emotions: love, fear, compassion, ambition, humility, bonding and receptiveness (one emotion per week). Perfection leads to transcendence. 

New Beginning

Eight symbolizes a new beginning. God saved eight people on the ark in order to have a new beginning for mankind after the flood. Jews perform the brit milah, circumcision, on the 8th day of a new baby boy's life.  

Hanukkah, the holiday to rededicate the Temple to God after the Maccabees miraculous victory, lasts 8 days. According to most scholars, Hanukkah was born out of Sukkot and Shemini Atzeret, an eight day celebration. So the Maccabees rededicated the Temple and immediately set out to celebrate for eight days.

Psalm 27 is read at the end of Sukkot, which is the day Hamas attacked Israel. Read this prophetic Psalm. 

Iran and Hamas's choice to massacre Jews on Shemini Atzeret is an attack on Christians too. In the Gosple of John, chapter 7 verse 37-38 it says, 

"On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Yeshua stood up and cried out loudly, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture says, ‘out of his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” 

A Supernatural Battle

The 8th day, the last and greatest day of the Feast, Hoshana Raba, is when Iran and Hamas attacked Israel.  The day Jews are rejoicing in order to bring the Great Salvation, the ultimate evil, Hamas, strikes. Think about that! 

This attack marks a key moment in a battle between Supernatural Good and Supernatural Evil. It is a battle that is as old as Mankind on earth.  The Evil of Antisemitism is evidence of this battle. It is the only logical explanation for Antisemitism. 

This battle has a Supernatural origin and it will have a Supernatural ending.  When this battle comes to an end there will be a new beginning. 

The Torah tells how it all began. The Prophets and Writings foretold the future. The Book of Revelation tells us how it ends. Then there will be Supernatural New Beginning.  The earth will be born again.