THE RELUCTANT PROPHET

Ezekiel 3:17-19 -- “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel. Whenever you hear a word from my mouth, you shall give them warning from me. If I say to the wicked, ‘You shall surely die,’ and you give him no warning, nor speak to warn the wicked from his wicked way, in order to save his life, that wicked person shall die for his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. But if you warn the wicked, and he does not turn from his wickedness, or from his wicked way, he shall die for his iniquity, but you will have delivered your soul. 

Ezekiel would likely have been familiar with the story of Jonah, as Jonah was a well-known prophetic figure and his story was part of the prophetic tradition preserved among the Israelites before Ezekiel's time. Jonah’s mission to Nineveh and the theme of repentance and God's mercy were significant narratives in Israel’s religious and prophetic history.

Although the Book of Ezekiel itself does not explicitly mention Jonah, the traditions and teachings circulating among the people during Ezekiel’s time would likely have included knowledge of Jonah’s story. Ezekiel’s ministry, which focused on the exilic community and included themes of repentance, judgment, and restoration, resonates with the lessons of Jonah, particularly regarding obedience to God and God’s mercy to Gentiles.

WE ARE ALL JONAH

The prophet Jonah is uniquely different from other biblical prophets because his story centers on his reluctance, personal flaws, and resistance to God's mercy—making him the “anti-hero” of prophetic literature.

A major theme in Jonah is God’s willingness to forgive even the worst enemies of Israel, emphasizing that divine compassion and mercy extend universally. Jonah’s resentment toward this mercy forms the central conflict, highlighting that reconciliation is preferable to destruction.

Jonah’s flawed humanity, ironic role reversal, and the focus on universal forgiveness make him profoundly different from all other biblical prophets.

Symbolism & Cross-Religious Significance

Jonah's story is also symbolic in many traditions—his journey in the belly of a great fish for three days is seen as a sign in both Christianity and Islam, sometimes likened to themes of resurrection.

Jonah is indeed the only prophet explicitly used to symbolize the resurrection in both Jewish and Christian tradition, particularly because Jesus directly referred to Jonah as the prophetic sign that foreshadowed His own death and resurrection.

The “Sign of Jonah”

• In the Gospels, Jesus specifically mentions the “sign of Jonah”—just as Jonah spent three days and nights in the belly of the fish, so the Son of Man (Jesus) would spend three days and nights in the grave and then rise again.

• This makes Jonah’s ordeal unique among the prophets: his temporary descent into darkness (the fish’s belly) and subsequent deliverance closely parallels Christ’s resurrection.

Symbolic Exclusivity:

• While other prophets spoke of bodily resurrections—such as Elijah and Elisha raising the dead—none of them are themselves described as typologically foreshadowing the resurrection of the Messiah in the way Jonah is.
• The symbolism is further emphasized by Jesus Himself, who points to Jonah as the sole prophetic sign of His victory over death, elevating Jonah’s story beyond mere miracle to a messianic prophecy.

Jonah stands out as the prophet whose story is a direct symbol of resurrection, uniquely referenced and fulfilled in the New Testament.

SAVED

Jonah is especially known for being literally saved by God in a dramatic, physical way—rescued from drowning by being swallowed and protected inside a great fish, then delivered safely to shore. While other prophets do experience divine protection or escape (like Elijah being fed by ravens, Jeremiah pulled out of a cistern, and others escaping danger), Jonah is the only one who is described as being miraculously saved from near-certain physical death in such an extraordinary, direct, and literal fashion.

Jonah’s Unique Rescue

God intervenes as Jonah faces certain death at sea, appointing a great fish to swallow him so he can survive, pray, repent, and ultimately fulfill his mission.

The story emphasizes not just spiritual deliverance, but a tangible rescue from “the belly of Sheol” (the pit of death) to new life.

Jonah’s salvation is seen as pure divine mercy, with no precedent or parallel among other prophetic stories

Jonah is the only prophet specifically sent to convert Gentiles, and through his message, the entire city of Nineveh—hundreds of thousands of non-Israelites—repented and were spared, making it the largest recorded mass conversion attributed to a single prophet in the Bible.

Jonah’s Mission to Gentiles

Unlike all other Old Testament prophets, Jonah was commissioned to deliver God’s warning to a Gentile nation, the Assyrians of Nineveh.

Prophets such as Isaiah and Jeremiah spoke oracles involving Gentile nations, but were not sent with the specific purpose of preaching repentance to save Gentiles from destruction.

Jonah’s preaching led both to the conversion of the Gentile sailors on his ship and, most dramatically, to the repentance of Nineveh’s entire population.

Largest Recorded Gentile Salvation

The Book of Jonah describes all of Nineveh, including its king, people, and even animals expressing repentance in sackcloth.

No other biblical prophet is credited with sparking such widespread Gentile repentance, neither by scale nor by immediacy—Jonah’s word led to salvation for more Gentiles at once than any other single prophet’s record in Scripture.

Jonah uniquely stands as the prophet whose word resulted in the greatest salvation of Gentiles, by both number and impact, in the entire Bible

Jonah’s interaction with the Gentile sailors during the storm vividly represents the meaning of conviction in a biblical sense. Jonah openly admits that the storm is because of him, and he instructs the sailors to throw him overboard to calm the sea and save their lives.

Conviction Through Jonah's Confession

When the sailors cast lots, Jonah is identified as the cause of the raging storm. Under their questioning, Jonah admits he is fleeing from God, and acknowledges that the storm is his fault.

This confession convicts the Gentile sailors, revealing Jonah as the source of their peril and forcing a direct moral reckoning for them.

Jonah’s Role as the Cause and Solution

Jonah tells the sailors that only by throwing him into the sea will the storm abate—he takes personal responsibility and offers himself as a sacrifice to save the others.

The sailors initially try to row to shore, reluctant to sacrifice Jonah, but eventually obey and throw him overboard; the storm immediately calms.

Symbolism of Conviction

Jonah personifies conviction because his presence and disobedience cause the storm, forcing the sailors to confront the truth and take decisive action.

The sailors’ terrified prayers to Jonah’s God after witnessing the power behind the storm show their conviction and awakening to the true God’s authority.

Thus, by revealing himself as the reason for the storm and urging the sailors to throw him overboard, Jonah literally embodies the concept of conviction—the recognition of guilt and the need for consequence to bring salvation and peace.

REPENTANCE IN ACTION

Jonah’s story is a literal illustration of repentance: after initially running away from God’s command, he reversed his direction and obeyed, demonstrating both the internal change and the external action that define true repentance.

Jonah’s Personal Turnaround

Jonah was commanded to preach to Nineveh but fled in the opposite direction, choosing to board a ship to Tarshish rather than obey God.

After being swallowed by the fish, Jonah prayed and genuinely repented for his disobedience; God heard him and gave him a second chance—he went to Nineveh as instructed.

This “turning around” (both spiritually and physically) is the core meaning of repentance, marking Jonah as a living example of this transformation.

Following his repentance, Jonah immediately obeyed God and delivered the message to Nineveh, resulting in the city’s mass repentance.

Jonah’s story powerfully shows that repentance involves humbly recognizing wrongdoing, turning away from it, and following God’s way instead.

Jonah’s journey from resistance to obedience makes him a direct illustration of the essence of repentance—a change in heart, direction, and life.

Jonah’s being saved by the fish is deeply symbolic of Jesus and points directly to the message that "Salvation is of God." The fish represents the means of Jonah's deliverance, and Jesus is seen as the ultimate source of salvation, making Jonah’s story a profound metaphor for Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection.

Jonah as a Metaphor for Jesus

Jonah spent three days and nights in the belly of the great fish, a symbolic foreshadowing of Jesus’ three days and nights in the tomb before His resurrection.

The fish was not just a miraculous rescue but a divinely appointed means to save Jonah from death, paralleling how Christ’s resurrection brought salvation to humanity.

Salvation Is from God

Jonah’s prayer from inside the fish declares his recognition that "Salvation is of the Lord," which aligns with Jesus being the personal embodiment of salvation.

This connection deepens in the New Testament where Jesus calls Jonah’s experience “the sign of Jonah” as a prophetic pointer to His own resurrection and the salvation He offers.

Direct Pointing to Jesus

Jonah’s story is thus not only a story of personal deliverance but also a direct typological sign pointing to Jesus as the ultimate Savior, emphasizing that true salvation flows from God through Christ alone.

In sum, Jonah’s miraculous salvation by the fish metaphorically symbolizes Jesus’ resurrection, encapsulating the profound truth that salvation belongs to God and points to Jesus as its ultimate source.

JONAH IN THE FISH

Jonah's experience can indeed be viewed as him being "in Jesus" spiritually when he receives revelation. Before his miraculous salvation by the fish, Jonah already knew and acknowledged God, but it is only after this salvation that he is empowered—through the Holy Spirit—to fully recognize and deliver God's message as a prophet, effectively anticipating Jesus' later declaration of Jonah as "the sign" nearly 600 years ahead of time.

Jonah’s Spiritual Revelation and Empowerment

Jonah knew God before his salvation; he identified himself to the sailors as "a Hebrew who fears the LORD," demonstrating prior faith and recognition of God's power, even in his disobedience.

His salvation experience inside the fish and subsequent obedience represent a deeper spiritual transformation, akin to receiving the Holy Spirit’s enabling to proclaim God's message faithfully.

This empowerment allowed Jonah to preach to the Gentiles in Nineveh, an enemy city, leading to their repentance and God’s mercy—foreshadowing the broader revelation of salvation through Jesus Christ.

Jonah as a Prototype of the Gospel Message

Jesus refers to Jonah as "the sign," affirming Jonah's role as a prophetic precursor who prefigured Christ’s own death, resurrection, and salvation message.

Jonah’s journey and transformation illustrate how the Holy Spirit enables an individual to recognize and proclaim God's salvation effectively, even before Christ’s coming.

Thus, Jonah is both a believer in God and, after his salvation, a vessel empowered by the Spirit to deliver God's salvific message, embodying a prophetic anticipation of Jesus and the gospel nearly six centuries in advance.

JONAH IS A VESSEL OF GOD’S MESSAGE OF JUDGMENT AND DESTRUCTION

Jonah was indeed the vessel through whom God’s message of imminent destruction was delivered to Nineveh, a city known for its great evil. His preaching warned that the city would be overthrown in forty days unless they repented.

Jonah’s Role

Jonah’s word was a direct command from God, carrying divine authority and judgment for the people's evil ways.

Despite Jonah’s brief and somewhat reluctant message, it struck a deep chord in the hearts of the Ninevites, leading to profound repentance across all social strata—from the king himself to the common people and even the animals.

This repentance was so genuine and heartfelt that the king declared a city-wide fast, urging cessation of all food and water until they sought mercy from God through sincere turning away from violence and evil.

Impact of the Message

Jonah’s message resulted in what is seen as one of the greatest recorded mass repents in biblical history, sparing Nineveh from destruction and demonstrating God's mercy and willingness to forgive those who truly repent.

The story highlights the power and effectiveness of God’s word when delivered through His chosen vessel, showing that even a brief proclamation can transform a multitude of evil people into repentant ones.

In essence, Jonah served as God’s messenger, and his prophetic word brought about a powerful turning from evil to repentance for an entire city, illustrating God’s desire for repentance and mercy over destruction

Jesus indeed declares Jonah as the only sign given to the generation before His crucifixion, making Jonah the final prophetic sign pointing directly to Himself. This sign relates to Jonah’s experience and the repentance of Nineveh, which Jesus uses as a powerful end-times warning about judgment.

FINAL WARNING

Jesus rebuked the Jewish leaders for demanding signs, telling them the only sign they would get was “the sign of Jonah,” referring to Jonah’s three days in the belly of the great fish, which prefigured Jesus’s death, burial, and resurrection.

He made it clear that like Jonah’s preaching brought repentance and spared the Ninevites, His own resurrection would be the ultimate proof and call to repentance.

End-Times Judgment and the Ninevites

Jesus said that the men of Nineveh would rise up at the judgment and condemn the current generation of Israel for their unbelief and failure to repent despite witnessing greater signs than Nineveh had.

This declaration places Jonah’s story and the repentance of the Gentile Ninevites in a profound eschatological context, warning Israel that their rejection of Jesus, the greater sign, will have serious consequences at the end of days.

Directness of the Crucifixion and Resurrection Message

The “sign of Jonah” explicitly points to Jesus’s crucifixion and resurrection as the foundation for salvation and mercy.

Jesus offers a direct promise of mercy and resurrection, contrasting the repentance of the Ninevites with the hard-heartedness of His own people, emphasizing the significance of faith in Him for salvation.

In summary, Jonah is the final sign Jesus gives—a prophetic pointer to His own resurrection and the end-times judgment, underscoring the critical need for repentance and faith as the pathway to mercy and eternal life.

TIMING IS EVERYTHING

It is indeed significant and profound that the Book of Jonah is read during the Haftorah on Yom Kippur, the Jewish Day of Atonement, which is a day devoted to repentance and seeking God’s mercy for a fresh start in the Book of Life. The themes of Jonah and Yom Kippur closely align, reinforcing the message of teshuvah (repentance), divine mercy, and the possibility of being "washed of sins" for renewed life.

Jonah’s Connection to Yom Kippur

The story of Jonah being sent to call the people of Nineveh to repentance directly parallels the focus of Yom Kippur, when Jews repent for sins and ask for God’s mercy to cover them for the coming year.

Jonah’s experience of being “swallowed” and then delivered symbolizes the process of spiritual cleansing and renewal, much like the cleansing hoped for on Yom Kippur.

The repentance of Nineveh’s inhabitants is a powerful model of teshuvah, illustrating that sincere repentance can avert divine judgment, echoing the atonement sought on Yom Kippur.

Jesus and the Implication of Eternal Salvation

While Yom Kippur focuses on cleansing for a year of life, the New Testament offers the greater promise of Jesus, who symbolized in the "sign of Jonah," offers eternal salvation and the hope of resurrection beyond this temporal atonement.

The coincidence of reading Jonah at Yom Kippur can be seen as a profound foreshadowing of Jesus’s role as Savior, offering not just forgiveness for a year but an eternal covering for sin and entrance into the Kingdom of God.

This sacred alignment shows how Jonah’s story serves as a powerful symbolic bridge linking Jewish repentance practices with the Christian message of salvation, mercy, and eternal life through Jesus Christ.

Jonah serves as a powerful sign for end-times, relevant both personally for individuals facing their own end and collectively for the world in the literal last days. His story is rich with symbolism that points to God's call for repentance, judgment, and mercy, which remain crucial themes in eschatology.

Personal and Global End-Times Message

Jonah's experience of being in the belly of the fish for three days symbolizes death, burial, and resurrection, which Jesus explicitly linked to His own resurrection as the ultimate "sign of Jonah".

For individuals, Jonah’s story is a call to repentance and a message that even when facing an end, there is hope and renewal by turning to God.

For the world in the end times, Jonah's preaching to Nineveh's wickedness and their subsequent repentance serves as a prophetic pattern and warning of impending judgment unless there is genuine turning from sin.

Eschatological Significance

Jesus said the "men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment" to condemn unbelieving Israel, highlighting Jonah’s message as an eschatological reference.

Jonah's story encapsulates the tension of judgment and mercy, central to end-times theology, urging both individuals and nations to repent before facing final judgment.

In essence, Jonah’s narrative transcends its historical moment to become a timeless sign of God’s judgment and mercy, a message that resonates deeply in both personal readiness for death and the global anticipation of Christ’s return and final judgment

THERE IS MORE TO JONAH THAN THE BOOK OF JONAH

The book of Jonah leaves off with God posing a question to Jonah. God asks Jonah to consider the morality of destroying people who had no did not know their right from their left. This implies that they don't know God’s word, His Torah. The book doesn't tell us what happens after that, but history does. Jonah stayed in Nineveh. We know this because Jonah’s tomb is in Mosul, which is modern day Nineveh. His tomb is revered by Jews, Christians and Muslims. Jonah stayed. He must have taught. And today, modern day Assyrians, are overwhelmingly believers in Jesus. This tells us something compelling about the one who is the sign.

The Book of Jonah ends with God asking a profound question about the justice and mercy of destroying the people of Nineveh, who did not know their right hand from their left—implying their ignorance of God's Torah and His ways. Although the scripture leaves the story open-ended, history and tradition provide compelling insight beyond the text.

Jonah’s tomb is located in Mosul, modern-day Nineveh, and this site is revered by Jews, Christians, and Muslims alike. This strongly indicates that Jonah did not leave but stayed in Nineveh, likely teaching and continuing his prophetic influence. Remarkably, today's modern Assyrians, descendants of the ancient Ninevites, are overwhelmingly believers in Jesus Christ.

This remarkable continuity suggests that Jonah’s role as the “sign” was not limited to a single moment but extended into a living legacy of faith. Jonah, the reluctant prophet and the sign of resurrection and repentance, became a foundational figure whose message ultimately transformed the heart of a people who initially had no understanding of God's word. The spiritual impact of Jonah’s presence and teaching in Nineveh points to the profound power of God's mercy and the enduring hope found in the one who is the ultimate Sign—Jesus Christ. This testifies movingly to the reach and redemptive power of the gospel across time, culture, and history.

Jonah did not leave Nineveh because, after his prophetic mission resulted in the city’s repentance, he was confronted with God’s question about mercy toward those who were spiritually ignorant—those who “did not know their right hand from their left.” Although Scripture leaves Jonah’s final actions unstated, historical tradition and the location of Jonah’s revered tomb in Mosul (ancient Nineveh) suggest he remained there.

Jonah’s original reluctance stemmed from his deep resentment toward the Ninevites (the Assyrians), whom he viewed as enemies who deserved judgment rather than mercy. However, witnessing their repentance and God’s compassion, Jonah was forced to reconsider his views. The enduring veneration of his tomb by Jews, Christians, and Muslims supports the conclusion that Jonah stayed, likely remaining as a teacher and witness to God’s mercy.

Jonah staying in Nineveh aligns with the overarching message of his story—God’s love, mercy, and willingness to forgive all who turn to Him, even those once thought beyond salvation. The ongoing faith among modern Assyrians is a testimony to Jonah’s legacy in the city he once sought to avoid.

NO KINGS - THE REAL STORY

Why "No Kings Day" Smells More Like a Billionaire-Backed Script Than Spontaneous Rage

On October 18, 2025, "No Kings 2.0"—branded as a massive, people-powered stand against Trump's "authoritarian" agenda—drew millions to over 2,700 rallies across all 50 states, from coast-to-coast chants of "No kings, no thrones, no crowns" to symbolic mock coronations. 

Organizers like Indivisible hailed it as a "decentralized, volunteer-fueled" explosion of democracy, echoing the Tea Party's populist vibe. But peel back the pre-printed signs and rehearsed hashtags, and the picture shifts: This wasn't a ragtag uprising from the heartland. It was a professionally orchestrated spectacle, bankrolled by elite dark-money networks, staffed by far-left radicals (including avowed socialists and communists), and laced with foreign-tinged funding that funnels cash to professional agitators. 

Far from empowering "we the People," this is spectacle that funnels power upward to unelected donors and ideologues hell-bent on derailing an elected mandate. Here's the case, built on public records, leaks, and on-the-ground reports.

1. The Money Trail: Billionaire Oligarchs, Not Backyard Barbecues

If grassroots means crowdfunded passion from everyday folks, "No Kings" fails the smell test. The engine? A web of shadowy nonprofits and donor-advised funds (DAFs) channeling hundreds of millions from progressive titans—often anonymously—to the exact groups coordinating the chaos. The Government Accountability Institute's (GAI) October 16 "Riot, Inc." report maps $294M+ (2019–2023) flowing to No Kings partners, with fresh 2025 infusions pushing it higher.

This isn't loose change for posters; it's infrastructure for nationwide mobilization.

Soros' Shadow Empire: 

George Soros' Open Society Foundations (OSF) alone pumped $7.6M into Indivisible—the protest's lead coordinator—over seven years, plus $72M+ to allied networks like Tides and Sixteen Thirty Fund for "civic engagement" (code for anti-Trump ops).

OSF's global reach (active in 120+ countries) funnels this through U.S. proxies, but records show direct grants to ACLU affiliates ($1.2M) and Sunrise Movement ($300K) for protest logistics.

Trump himself called for RICO probes into this "Soros agitation," noting how it mirrors past OSF-backed unrest.

Critics like Rep. Anna Paulina Luna label it "influence laundering"—tax-deductible dollars from a Hungarian-born billionaire buying U.S. streets.

The Dark-Money Octopus: 

Arabella Advisors' network (a DAF hub for anonymous mega-donors) shoveled $79.8M to No Kings allies, including $107K to Indivisible and $2M+ to eco-radicals like Sunrise for event staging.

Add Ford Foundation ($51.7M for "social justice" grants), Rockefeller ($28.7M to labor agitators), Buffett ($16.7M via family foundations), and Tides ($45.5M for rapid-response activism), and you've got a $294M war chest—more than enough for permits, buses, and bulk water stations spotted at rallies.

Even federal grants sneak in: $1M+ in DOJ/EPA funds to ACLU and partners for "community outreach," indirectly subsidizing the spectacle with taxpayer cash.

This isn't volunteer bake sales; it's venture capital for dissent. As one X observer quipped, "The grills were pre-lit. The signs were pre-printed... Real dissent doesn’t come with a QR code and free snacks."

June's inaugural No Kings drew 4–6M with similar backing; October's scaled up, but the blueprint stayed elite-funded.

2. Far-Left Radicals at the Helm: Socialists and Communists, Not Soccer Moms

The "diverse coalition" rhetoric crumbles under scrutiny: Sponsors read like a Marxist roll call, with avowed socialists and communists not just tagging along, but leading contingents. This isn't mild liberals waving flags—it's ideological warriors pushing wealth redistribution, open borders, and "global intifada" vibes.

Socialist Squad in the Spotlight: 

The Democratic Socialists of America (DSA)—America's largest Marxist outfit, with 92K members—co-sponsored rallies in 200+ cities, rallying for a "Socialist Contingent" to "smash fascism."

Party for Socialism and Liberation (PSL) mobilized in Eugene, OR, and Seattle, blending anti-Trump chants with calls for "workers' power."

Freedom Socialist Party and Socialist Equality Party set up tents, hawking lit and recruiting amid the crowds.

Communist Crossover: 

The Communist Party USA (CPUSA) openly endorsed and staffed events, with chapters in NYC and Chicago marching under red banners.

As one Michigan GOP official noted, "CPUSA, DSA, and far-left unions" were "orchestrators," not fringe add-ons.

X threads amplified this, with users spotting DSA/PSL banners dominating feeds: "Every single time... communist NGOs and nonprofits."

These groups aren't hiding: Their platforms demand nationalizing industries and defunding police—hardly the "defend democracy" pablum sold to normies. When CPUSA's involvement hit Reddit, liberals squirmed: "How do you feel about communists sponsoring?"

Answer? It's the backbone, turning "protests" into socialist recruitment drives.

3. Paid Agitators and Professional Polish: From Scripts to Stipends

Claims of "paid protesters" get eye-rolls from fact-checkers, but follow the funding: When orgs like Indivisible pay staff $60K–$100K salaries for "field organizing," and grants cover "mobilization incentives," the line blurs.

No smoking-gun payroll for sign-holders, but the ecosystem screams astroturf.

On-the-Ground Giveaways: 

Rallies featured uniform signage (e.g., "No Kings" tees via ActBlue, ~$20K raised), catered snacks, and shuttle services—hallmarks of budgeted ops, not DIY fury.

Training the Troops: 

ACLU webinars on October 9 and 15 drilled "de-escalation" and "know your rights," while Interfaith Alliance ran "nonviolent resistance" sessions—professional prep to keep optics clean amid "paid agitator" warnings.

4. Foreign Strings Attached: Soros' Global Web and Whispers of More

Soros isn't just a donor—he's a transnational player, with OSF's $25B+ endowment spanning borders, often accused of meddling (e.g., Ukraine color revolutions). Here, his U.S. grants to Indivisible and partners total $80M+, but the foreign flavor? OSF's international arm (Indivisible Abroad) coordinated "No Kings" solidarity events in Europe and Canada, blending domestic unrest with global anti-Trump narratives.

It's not QAnon fever dreams; it's the same playbook that turned local gripes into international spectacles.

CONCLUSION:

In the end, "No Kings Day" isn't rebellion—it's a $300M mirage, conjured by socialist syndicates and foreign-flavored funders to crown their own unelected elite. It mocks the very representation it claims to save, paying pros to play populist while real voices get drowned out. If this is "democracy," it's the kind where the people hold signs, but the billionaires hold the strings. Time to cut them.

Coverage of the real story at the "No Kings" protests and awful and disgusting it was. 

IT'S OFFICIALLY THE SEASON OF THE 25TH

The Hallmark Channel has started playing non-stop Christmas episodes, so it is officially "the season" of the 25th. For Christians, the 25th is clearly Christmas Day in December. For the Jew, it is the 25th of the Hebrew month of Kislev, when Hanukkah begins.

Soon the internet air waves will be filled with Christmas songs and videos. Jews have to do a bit more seeking.  I love the Hanukkah songs by acapella groups such as the Maccabeats and Six13.  

My favorite Hebrew song which speaks Hanukkah more than any for me is Maoz Tzur, Rock of Ages, and my favorite performance is by Hadassah Berne.

Lyrics to Ma'oz Tzur by Hadassah Berne:

Hebrew Chorus:
Ma'oz Tzur Yeshu'ati, lekha na'eh leshabe'ah.
Tikon beit tefilati, vesham toda nezabe'ah.
Le'et takhin matbe'ah mitzar hamnabe'ah.
Az egmor beshir mizmor hanukat hamizbe'ah.

English Chorus:
Rock of Ages, let our song, praise Thy saving power;
Thou, amidst the raging foes, wast our sheltering tower.
Furious they assailed us, but Thine arm availed us,
And Thy Word broke their sword, when our own strength failed us.
And Thy Word broke their sword, when our own strength failed us.

English Verse
Children of the Maccabees, whether free or fettered,
Wake the echoes of the songs where ye may be scattered.
Yours the message cheering that the time is nearing
When will see, all people free, tyrants disappearing.
When will see, all people free, tyrants disappearing. 

A Lot of History in a Little Poem

The original Ma'oz Tzur was a poem written about 900 years ago which speaks of Jews being saved from the recurring experience of Jewish persecution and oppression throughout the ages. The poem is a call to be strong and a prayer for Redemption. 

The hymn retells specific Jewish history in poetic form and celebrates deliverance from four ancient enemies: Pharaoh, Nebuchadnezzar, Haman and Antiochus. Like much medieval Jewish liturgical poetry, it is full of allusions to Biblical literature and rabbinic interpretation. 

The 25 connection - Hanukkah and Christmas

Catholics celebrate a "Jubilee Year," also called a "Holy Year," ever 25 years. This year is a Jubilee Year.  The Jubilee is a designated period of spiritual renewal, forgiveness, and grace, rooted in the biblical concept from Leviticus 25:8–13, where every 50th year was a time of liberation, debt forgiveness, and rest for the land. The Church adapted this tradition starting in 1300, not long after Ma'oz Tzur was written. 

Ma'oz Tzur was composed in the 13th century by Mordechai ben Isaac ha-Levi, likely during a time of Crusader persecution in medieval Europe. 

Stay with me, this is where it gets interesting...

The first letters of the first five verses spell the name Mordechai. Obviously, "Mordechai" is the first name of the author, however, there is another interesting connection to the name Mordechai and the general theme of the song. 

In 2 Maccabees (one of the primary historical sources for the Maccabean Revolt and Hanukkah's origins), is the account of the victory over the Seleucid general Nicanor—led by Judah Maccabeus. It explicitly links the great battle on the 13th of Adar, which resulted in the rededication of the Temple in Jerusalem (Hanukkah) to "Mordecai Day," a reference to Purim from the Book of Esther. That association is reflected in Ma'oz Tzur. 

This reference occurs at the climax of the second Book of (2) Maccabees, after the decisive battle at which, Judah, the great leader of the Maccabees forces triumph through faith and divine aid.

2 Maccabees 15:36 establishes a decree by public vote to never let to Mordecai Day go uncelebrated. "This day" is the day after the actual great battle on the 13th day of Adar, the 12th month. The 13th of Adar is celebrated still by some religious Jews in Israel. It is called "Nicanor Day" to remember the defeat of the Seleucid General Nicanor.

Again, the text of Ma'oz Tzur draws a parallel between those two miraculous Jewish survivals, Purim and Hanukkah—centuries apart—emphasizing recurring divine intervention against enemies.

Now, I'm taking it to a another level...

Here's what I think is the most wild aspect to this relationship and why I titled this post "It's Officially the Season of the 25th." 

The original Hebrew books of Maccabees were lost, but the Catholic church preserved them in the Septugent translation, which was then translated to English. In both the Greek and English translation the 12th month would be December in the Gregorian calendar.  Why the 25 day? The 25th is the date of Hanukkah. That is why Hanukkah and Christmas fall of on different days most years. 

Timing Adds Context 

Christians began celebrating Christmas—the feast commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ—as a formalized annual observance in the early 4th century CE, with the first recorded instance occurring on December 25, 336 CE, in Rome during the reign of Emperor Constantine. Ever wonder why Constantine picked that specific number, 25?

Consider this possibility...

Constantine played a significant role in separatng the relationship of Christianity from Judaism!  In the epilogue of this post I included some historical facts about this. 

This separation presented an interesting problem for the new Roman Catholic church formed by Constantine. How were they going to honor the decree in the Book of Maccabees which they preserved?! How would the new Roman Catholic Church remember the Maccaabees' decree concerning the "25th Day of the Twelfth Month" while still respecting Constantine's edict? Hmmm....do you see it??

I've blogged about other interesting connections between Hanukkah and Christmas.  Here is one such post I titled, "It Takes A Hammer To Drive A Nail." 

The opening lyric of Ma'oz Tzur, both the modern and original version praise the "saving power" of the "Rock of Ages." Coincidences? What do you think? 

Here are the original lyrics of Moaz Tzur (Rock of Ages). There was a 6th stanza added in the 18th century which I have left out. 

O mighty stronghold of my salvation (Yeshua),
to praise You is a delight.
Restore my House of Prayer
and there we will bring a thanksgiving offering.
When You will have prepared the slaughter
for the blaspheming foe,
Then I shall complete with a song of hymn
the dedication of the Altar.

My soul had been sated with troubles,
my strength has been consumed with grief.
They had embittered my life with hardship,
with the calf-like kingdom's bondage.
But with His great power
He brought forth the treasured ones,
Pharaoh's army and all his offspring
Went down like a stone into the deep.

To the holy abode of His Word He brought me.
But there, too, I had no rest
And an oppressor came and exiled me.
For I had served aliens,
And had drunk benumbing wine.
Scarcely had I departed
At Babylon's end Zerubabel came.
At the end of seventy years I was saved.

To sever the towering cypress
sought the Aggagite, son of Hammedatha,
But it became [a snare and] a stumbling block to him and his arrogance was stilled.
The head of the Benjaminite You lifted
and the enemy, his name You obliterated
His numerous progeny - his possessions -
on the gallows You hanged.

Greeks gathered against me
then in Hasmonean days.
They breached the walls of my towers
and they defiled all the oils;
And from the one remnant of the flasks
a miracle was wrought for the roses.
Men of insight - eight days
established for song and jubilation

The phrase "Eight days established for song and jubilation" commemorates the eight-day celebration that was instituted following the Maccabees' victory.  Although the origin of the "eight days" is commonly attributed to the miracle of the oil that lasting, in the Books of Maccabees the eight-day length was initially established to make up for the fact that the Hasmoneans could not celebrate the eight-day festival of Sukkot during the war. They celebrated it when they recaptured the Temple instead. The phrase "song and jubilation" highlights the joy and praise that accompanied the miraculous event and the rededication of the Temple. It also describes the spirit of the Feast of Booths.

Epilogue:

The Divide Edict of Milan (313 CE): Shortly after his conversion (symbolized by the Battle of the Milvian Bridge in 312 CE), Constantine co-issued this decree with Licinius, granting Christianity legal status and ending Roman state persecution. This empowered the Church to organize independently but also fostered anti-Jewish rhetoric among Christian leaders, framing Judaism as an obsolete "parent" faith to be superseded. It laid the groundwork for Christianity's dominance, indirectly pressuring Jews through economic and social disadvantages.

Council of Nicaea (325 CE): Convened by Constantine to resolve theological disputes (like Arianism), the council issued the first ecumenical creed and crucially decided to calculate Easter's date independently of the Jewish Passover calendar. Constantine's letter to the churches emphasized this to avoid "following the custom of the Jews," calling their practices "unseemly" and urging unity in a separate Christian observance. This was a deliberate liturgical decoupling, symbolizing Christianity's break from Jewish roots.

Promotion of Anti-Jewish Policies: Constantine enacted laws restricting Jewish rights, such as banning conversions to Judaism (339 CE, under his son Constantius II) and prohibiting Jews from owning Christian slaves, while elevating Sunday as the Christian day of rest to supplant the Sabbath. These measures, rooted in his vision of a unified Christian empire, deepened the rift and contributed to centuries of Christian antisemitism.

On last tidbit: Their was a 6th stanza added to Ma'oz Tzur in the 18th century. In this stanza was coded an appeal for saving the Jews from Christians. 

THE POWER OF A CONTRITE HEART

Simchat Torah is through. Temple scrolls around the world have been rolled back to the beginning. 

IN THE BEGINNING...THE LORD SAID, 

 “I will blot out man...for I am sorry that I have made them.” Genesis 6.7

WHY?

"...the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate."

WHY?

Man blamed Eve...The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.”

Eve blamed the serpent. The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”

One can understand how that happened. Afterall, God told us in the beginning that "the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made."

Blame cascades: Adam to Eve, Eve to the serpent, yet none to the self. The crafty one slithers away unscathed at first.

God looks on with the ache of a parent and profound grief over what His image-bearers had become. 

In time, the whole earth brimmed with violence (Hamas)—every intent of human hearts turned toward evil, unchecked and unrelenting.

And the Lord regretted that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him to his heart. So the Lord said, “I will blot out man whom I have created from the face of the land, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens, for I am sorry that I have made them. But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.

"The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually."

So the rains came, the ark rose and God "reset" the world, starting over with righteous Noah and his family. 

Eventually, "Everything on the dry land in whose nostrils was the breath of life died. He blotted out every living thing that was on the face of the ground, man and animals and creeping things and birds of the heavens. They were blotted out from the earth. Only Noah was left, and those who were with him in the ark."

BUT GOD remembered Noah and all the beasts and all the livestock that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind blow over the earth, and the waters subsided. 

God knew mankind would return to it's evil ways. 

BUT...

Then Noah built an altar to the Lord and took some of every clean animal and some of every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar. And when the Lord smelled the pleasing aroma, the Lord said in his heart, “I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man's heart is evil from his youth. Neither will I ever again strike down every living creature as I have done.  While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease.”

WHY?

This sentence may be the most confusing explanation by God in the entire bible.

I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man's heart is evil from his youth.

BUT... 

Notice why God relented. Repentance...an offering to God. In effect, Noah, representing all of mankind, acknowledged accountability. He had a contrite heart.

It is a contrite heart where pride yields to plea, where the bruised soul turns back God.

In Psalm 51, David, scourged by his own shadows, cries out: "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise."

The prophet Isaiah amplifies the whisper: "For thus says the One who is high and lifted up... I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite."

And in Isaiah 66: "But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word."

The Psalms encircle the broken: "The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit."

We live in a world without accountability. Blame is cascading again. How long before God intervenes again?

Can you imagine the whole world being brokenhearted, with a contrite heart and crying out? It seems to me that is what it would be like if the world was coming to an end. I wonder: would God respond then?

JONAH KNEW WHO SPOKE TO MOSES IN THE CLEFT OF THE ROCK

Shadows in the Rock: From Moses' Cleft to Messiah's Empty Tomb—A Tapestry of Divine Mercy and Mediation

In the shadowed crevices of sacred scripture, where rock meets revelation, a profound biblical drama unfolds—one that bridges the thunderous peaks of Sinai with the quiet despair of Golgotha. At its heart lies a single, striking image: Moses hidden in the cleft of a rock, glimpsing the veiled glory of God (Exodus 33:21–23). This is no mere poetic flourish; it is a divine blueprint, foreshadowing the ultimate mediator's triumph in the empty tomb of Yeshua. Yet, as we trace this thread through the prophets—particularly the reluctant Jonah—we uncover a story of intercession that transforms judgment into grace, particular pleas into universal salvation. Here, God's self-disclosure to a seeking Moses contrasts sharply with Jonah's resentful familiarity, illuminating the mediators' sacred role: to stand in the breach, pleading for a mercy that echoes from the rock to the resurrection.

The Cleft of the Rock: A Veiled Encounter That Demands Our Awe

Imagine the scene on Mount Sinai: Israel, fresh from Egyptian bondage, has shattered the covenant with a golden calf idol (Exodus 32). God's wrath flares—"I will destroy them" (Exodus 32:10)—threatening to erase the nation before it begins. Enter Moses, the archetypal intercessor, whose bold pleas halt the divine hand: "Turn from your fierce anger; relent and do not bring disaster on your people" (Exodus 32:12). In response, Moses presses further, yearning not just for survival but for intimacy: "Now show me your glory" (Exodus 33:18).

God's reply is tender yet terrifying: “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live." (Exodus 33:20 esv). Instead, He carves a sanctuary in the stone: "There is a place near me. . . . I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back" (Exodus 33:21–23). As the glory sweeps past, God proclaims His essence—the famous "attributes of mercy": "The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin" (Exodus 34:6–7).

This cleft is no accident of terrain; it is a deliberate divine architecture.  

Here, in the rock's unyielding embrace, God introduces Himself—not as an abstract force, but as a relational Sovereign who veils His overwhelming holiness to draw humanity near. Moses, driven by a desperate hunger to 'know' what God "looks like," receives not a portrait but a promise: partial sight now, full communion later. Emerging, Moses' face radiates an otherworldly glow (Exodus 34:29), so fierce that he must veil it from the people—a poignant symbol of mediated glory, accessible yet still shrouded.

This moment stands as one of the Tanakh's most luminous revelations, a cornerstone echoed in psalms of praise (Psalm 103:8), prophetic calls to repentance (Joel 2:13: "Rend your heart and not your garments"), and communal confessions (Nehemiah 9:17). But its true depth emerges when we peer through the lens of the New Testament, where the rock's shadow morphs into the tomb's dawn.

Jonah's Bitter Knowledge: Familiarity Breeds Contempt for Universal Mercy

Fast-forward to the reluctant prophet Jonah, whose story is a satirical mirror to Moses' earnest quest. Commissioned to warn Nineveh—the brutal Assyrian capital, Israel's tormentor—of impending doom (Jonah 1:2), Jonah flees, not from fear, but from foreknowledge. When Nineveh repents in sackcloth and ashes (Jonah 3:5–10), God relents, and Jonah erupts: "Isn't this what I said, Lord, back home? . . . I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity" (Jonah 4:2).

Jonah 'knew' God intimately, reciting the Sinai attributes verbatim—yet this knowledge fuels resentment, not reverence. Unlike Moses, who begged to 'see' God's form and received a tailored introduction in the rock's shelter, Jonah weaponizes familiarity as complaint. He grasps the mercy's scope but chafes at its scandal: Why extend it to Gentiles, these "others" who deserve destruction? Jonah's intercession is inverted—his terse warning sparks Nineveh's turning, averting wrath despite his half-hearted delivery. Yet, in his sulk under the wilting gourd (Jonah 4:5–11), God gently reproves: Should not the Creator pity a city of 120,000 souls?

Herein lies the mediators' profound kinship and distinction. Both Moses and Jonah stand as intercessors, bridging divine justice and human frailty. Moses pleads selflessly for Israel, his words in the cleft unlocking covenant renewal. Jonah, thrust into gentile mercy, embodies the role's tension: intercession costs, exposing our narrow hearts. But Jonah's story universalizes Moses' revelation— the rock's mercy, once particular, now cascades to Nineveh, foreshadowing a salvation without borders.

From Cleft to Tomb: A Compelling Foreshadowing of Messiah's Mediating Glory

Now, the user's piercing insight elevates this typology to breathtaking clarity: The cleft in the rock is strikingly akin to a tomb—a sealed, shadowed womb of stone where death's grip yields to life's eruption.  In Exodus, the crevice entombs Moses temporarily, shielding him from glory's lethal blaze; in the Gospels, the borrowed tomb (Matthew 27:60) cradles Yeshua's lifeless form, the epicenter of humanity's sin. Both are rocky enclosures, carved by crisis—idolatry's fallout for Israel, crucifixion's shadow for the world—yet both birth transformation.

Consider the distinctions that make this parallel not mere coincidence, but divine poetry: 

God's hand, that protective barrier over the cleft (Exodus 33:22), mirrors the massive stone rolled across the tomb's mouth (Mark 15:46)—a blockade against the full force of light, preserving fragile flesh until the moment of unveiling. For Moses, the hand withdraws to reveal only God's "back," a merciful glimpse of trailing glory, sparing him annihilation. But in resurrection's blaze, the stone rolls away by earthquake and angel (Matthew 28:2)—not to temper light, but to unleash it. Yeshua, the "light of the world" (John 8:12), bursts forth unhindered, His glory no longer veiled but poured out for all nations, fulfilling the Caiaphas prophecy: "It is better for you that one man die for the people . . . and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God" (John 11:50–52).

This resurrection light finds a tangible echo in the Shroud of Turin, long venerated as Yeshua's burial cloth. Scientific inquiry has proposed that the shroud's enigmatic image—a faint, negative-like imprint of a crucified man—was formed not by pigments or scorching, but by an intense burst of radiation emanating from the body at the moment of resurrection.

Theories, including those from physicist Thomas Phillips, suggest neutron or particle radiation, akin to a coronal discharge or ultraviolet burst, could have oxidized the linen fibers to create the superficial, three-dimensional image—without scorching or residue—mirroring the veiled intensity Moses glimpsed in the cleft.

Just as the divine light passing Sinai's rock imprinted transformative radiance on Moses' face, so this resurrection radiation—unblocked and unrestrained—imprinted Yeshua's full form on the shroud, a forensic snapshot of glory's eruption that defies medieval forgery and invites modern scrutiny.

Here, science and scripture converge: the partial, hand-shielded luminescence of the Tanakh yields to the tomb's full-spectrum unveiling, where light doesn't just illuminate—it resurrects, etching mercy's victory into cloth and cosmos.

(I took this photo on my recent trip to Turin, Italy.)

"The Resurrection" 
by Polish artist Bartosz Keska
Click to read about
"I WANTED TO SEE" 

Moses' radiant veil (Exodus 34:33–35), donned to shield the people from unbearable holiness, foreshadows the burial linens swathing Yeshua's body (John 20:5–7)—fabrics of death that, in the empty tomb, lie neatly folded, discarded like an outworn covenant. Moses mediates through shadow, his veiled face a sign of the old order's mediated access (2 Corinthians 3:13–18). Yeshua, the perfect intercessor, rends every veil: temple curtain torn (Matthew 27:51), linens abandoned, inviting unfiltered communion. No more glimpses of the "back"—now, the face of God in Messiah shines for the world (2 Corinthians 4:6).

These echoes are no accident; they weave the mediators' mantle across Testaments. Moses, seeking God's visage in the rock, intercedes to save a nation, birthing the mercy attributes. Jonah, knowing those attributes all too well, intercedes (albeit grudgingly) to redeem a city, stretching grace to outsiders. Yeshua embodies both: the bold pleader like Moses, turning wrath from the cross; the reluctant-yet-obedient like Jonah, drawing all peoples into one flock. As the ultimate High Priest (Hebrews 7:25), He ever lives to intercede, His tomb-cleft resurrection sealing the promise: mercy's light, once blocked by hand or stone, now floods the earth.

The Mediators' Legacy: From Sinai's Shadow to Eternity's Dawn

In this sacred interplay—Moses' questing gaze, Jonah's knowing ire, Messiah's conquering light—we glimpse the heart of biblical mediation: not power plays, but humble pleas that coax God's compassion into action. The cleft-tomb parallel drives it home with unforgettable force: what begins as a protective fissure ends as an empty grave, distinguishing shadowed safety from radiant release, particular intercession from cosmic atonement. Jonah's complaint, born of intimate knowledge, underscores the mercy's wildness—a God who introduces Himself to seekers like Moses, yet extends the invitation unbidden to the resentful and the remote.

This is no dry typology; it's an invitation to rend our hearts (Joel 2:13), to step into the rock's cleft or the tomb's echo, and emerge as mediators in our own right—pleading, like Moses, for glimpses of glory; yielding, like Jonah, to mercy's sprawl; and shining, like Yeshua, with light that knows no bounds. In the rock's unyielding truth, we find not entrapment, but the ultimate foreshadowing: death's stone rolled away, veils forever lifted, and God's face fully known in the One who intercedes for us all.

Addendum: Redeeming Jonah—Foreknown Reluctance and the Echo of Hallowed Tombs

Lest we judge Jonah too harshly, let us pause amid the waves of his story to behold the divine tenderness at play. As much as Jonah knew God—reciting the attributes of mercy with the familiarity of a prophet schooled in Sinai's light—God knew Jonah infinitely better, charting every tempestuous turn of his soul. The Almighty foresaw it all: Jonah's defiant rise from prayer to bolt eastward, away from Nineveh's shadow (Jonah 1:3); his "full fare" paid not in coin, but in the currency of his life, hurled into the maelstrom to spare the innocent sailors—those salty men whose terror turned to worship as the sea hushed in Yahweh's name (Jonah 1:12–16). God knew Jonah would, from the great fish's belly, dedicate his hard-won salvation to the Lord with vows of renewed obedience (Jonah 2:9), emerging to trudge the reluctant road to Nineveh's walls.

He anticipated the prophet's terse thunder—"Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown!" (Jonah 3:4)—and the city's improbable cascade of repentance, from the king's ash-strewn decree to the lowing cattle in sackcloth (Jonah 3:6–8). God knew Jonah would unravel in profound depression, craving death anew undcer the fleeting gourd's shade (Jonah 4:3, 8–9), unwilling to face his own people after his warning birthed mercy for Israel's sworn enemies. For Jonah, that grace—the very "compassionate and gracious" essence he quoted so bitterly (Jonah 4:2)—seemed a sacred reserve for Israel alone, not a scandalous torrent for Assyrian oppressors.

Yet in this foreknowledge lies mercy's masterpiece: God 'knew' Jonah would, in time, heed the tender rebuke of that final question—"Should I not have concern for... Nineveh, that great city?" (Jonah 4:11)—and choose to stay, teaching amid those he once fled, his life a quiet bridge from judgment to embrace. Tradition whispers that Jonah was buried in Nineveh itself, his tomb a hallowed sentinel over the city he helped redeem.

Atop the ancient mound of Tell Nebi Yunus in Mosul, Iraq, the Al-Nabi Yunus Mosque once enshrined his resting place, a site layered with Assyrian grandeur and prophetic piety, venerated across faiths as the grave of Yunus (Jonah).

Though ISIS demolished the shrine in July 2014, unearthing 2,700-year-old palace reliefs in the rubble—a defiant echo of destruction yielding revelation—the site's spirit endures as a treasured reminder of repentance's seismic power and forgiveness's unyielding reach.

Jonah's tomb, like Yeshua's empty sepulcher, stands as a hallowed echo—a rocky witness where burial births hope, not finality. 

It mirrors the Messiah's borrowed grave (Matthew 27:60), both hewn from crisis yet pregnant with resurrection's promise: what the great fish "entombed" for three days and nights (Jonah 1:17) prefigured Yeshua's heart-of-the-earth vigil (Matthew 12:40). Jonah gets an undeserved bad rap in our retellings, but we should all cherish that God-appointed leviathan, the merciful maw that swallowed reluctance and spat out redemption. For Yeshua Himself proclaimed the "Sign of Jonah" as the only sign (Matthew 12:39–41)—a prophet's shadowed rising as the ultimate attestation of mercy's sprawl. And in the empty tomb's hush, it was the burial linen, neatly folded and forsaken (John 20:5–7), that unveiled understanding to John and Peter: death discarded, veils rent, the light of resurrection breaking free.

In Jonah's foreknown frailty, we glimpse our own: known infinitely, used graciously, buried not in shame but in the soil of second chances. He teaches us to appreciate the fish's belly as a cradle of calling, the tomb as a threshold to teaching—and mercy, not as Israel's hoard, but as Nineveh's inheritance, cascading to all who turn.

God had a plan for the Assyrians from Nineveh. They would deliver destruction on the Kingdom before strengthening the faith of King Hezekiah and the nation. It wss a plan that Jonah could not understand.  

God also had a plan for Jonah. Jonah was sent to teach!  For me, that is a deeply personal point. Ultimately, in the end, God used Jonah. Jonah was to be the sign, preserved and handed down over 2000 years, just waiting for the knowledge and technology to exist in order to reveal the story of Yeshua's death on a cross, burial in a tomb and miraculous ressurection. Yeshua wrote he is personal testimony with his own blood onto a 14'3" long by 3'7" fine linen scroll so that his Jewish apostles Peter and John would understand He had to rise.  Two prominent and wealthy Jewish witnesses to Yeshua's death, Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, figured it out before the others. It was as Yeshua told Nicodemus who came to him at night. It was a love story. It always has been. And, the Shroud, is a love letter. 

MORAL REVERSAL

The theme of moral reversal—where societal values are inverted—is prophesied in biblical scriptures as a sign of judgment and end-times peril. Such warnings are found in both the Hebrew Tenach and in the Christian New Testament. Here are examples in each

Isaiah 5:20: "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!"

Malachi 2:17: "You have wearied the Lord with your words. But you say, 'How have we wearied him?' By saying, 'Everyone who does evil is good in the sight of the Lord, and he delights in them.' Or by asking, 'Where is the God of justice?'"

Proverbs 17:15: "He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous are both alike an abomination to the Lord."

Those were all from the Hebrew scriptures. Here is one from the Christian:

2 Timothy 3:1-5: "But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people."

These verses highlight a deliberate twisting of truth and morality, tying directly into the end-times deceptions by portraying sin as virtue and righteousness as vice.

THE ULTIMATE CASE

Perhaps no better example of "moral reversal" has been in the news nearly every day since October 7th 2023 when Hamas attacked Israel. 

The name "Hamas" literally epitomizes the concept of moral reversal. Here is how:

In Hebrew, the biblical word Hamas (חָמָס) means "violence," "wrong," or "injustice". This Hebrew word is a homophone of the Arabic acronym for the Palestinian militant group Hamas. 

The word ḥāmās is found in the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) and is notably used in the Noah story in Genesis 6:11, which says, "Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight, and the earth was filled with violence." Hamas (חָמָס) in the Hebrew.

While often translated as "violence," biblical scholars note the term can encompass a broader range of destructive or unrighteous actions, such as oppression, cruelty, and injustice.

Now let's see how Islamists and the militant group Hamas and it's supporters reverse the meaning. 

Hamas is an acronym for the Arabic phrase "Ḥarakat al-Muqāwamah al-ʾIslāmiyyah" which translates to "Islamic Resistance Movement".  That is why so many people call Hamas a "resistance movement." 

The name is also intentionally associated with the Arabic word ḥamās which means "zeal," "strength," or "bravery".  

Thus for Hamas and it's supporters, what they do and represent is justified. Those who are killed in their fight are martyrs. 

REAL-TIME REVERSAL

For Israel and it's supporters, the war is a moral battle against violence, cruelty and injustice. 

Since October 7, rockets become "retaliation" and hostages "collateral," inverting aggressor and defender roles in real time. 

A WORLD FILLED WITH MORAL REVERSAL

The biblical concepts of end-times deception and the inversion of moral values, where "evil is called good and good evil" (Isaiah 5:20), resonate strikingly with modern dynamics. These warnings urge discernment amid pervasive manipulation of truth, where societal norms, cultural narratives, and political rhetoric often blur the lines of truth and flip righteousness and wickedness. Manipulated stories invert victim and perpetrator roles. 

TRUTH? 

Can you tell the truth? Its one thing to speak the truth and another to discern the truth. If we can't discern it, we can't speak it. 

Modern society increasingly grapples with fragmented views on truth and morality. A 2025 study on American beliefs revealed widespread contradictions: for instance, many endorse lying or "fibs" as morally acceptable in certain contexts, providing cover for broader deceptions that undermine trust in institutions like education and family.

We live in a culture where personal pleasure trumps objective ethics. As the scriptures fortell, peoples are "lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God."  Cultural outputs, from news to entertainment, amplify deceptions. Entertainment shows normalize sexual deceptions. 

Advancing AI exacerbates this, with 2025 analyses linking it to global-scale prophecies of delusion, where algorithms craft personalized "grand lies" that abandon truth for tailored narratives. We live in a world of engineered echo chambers that feed us custom realities, blurring truth into the truth of own choosing. Dopamine hits from TikTok videos and Facebook reels dish-up the truth we desire.

Tech leaders like Peter Thiel have even framed AI critics as "legionnaires of the Antichrist," signaling a cultural psy-op that positions innovation as salvation while dismissing ethical concerns as heresy— a clear echo of false prophets twisting good warnings into evil accusations. 

Polarized rhetoric and institutional corruption in political arenas embody the "wicked deception." Attacks on marginalized groups, like whites or Christians, receive scant coverage, normalizing violence as non-news.

In a world of deepening delusions, the antidote remains loving truth. But where is loving truth to be found? Especially in societies that hate it. Loving truth is the North Star: discernment over dopamine, clarity over chaos. 

I'm no better. I fall to deceptions. I struggle to figure out the truth and I'm certain to make mistakes. I keep trying and I know to be careful to even trust my own perceptions. Pride is my enemy as much as yours. We all have to guard our heart and recognize who we are accountable to. The source of truth.

Epilogue:

"Truth is a Sword."

The word zayin (ז) is the seventh 7th letter of the Hebrew alphabet, and its shape is literally that of a sword, with the top being the handle and the vertical line being the blade.

It's an ancient echo, rooted in the Bible's vivid imagery: Hebrews 4:12 describes God's word as "living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Now letter me bring this back to Hamas and today.

The hostages were just released on the 7th day of a 7 day feast in the 7th month, Tishrei. The day called Hosannah Raba. (Sun, Oct 12, 2025 – Mon, Oct 13, 2025). That is the final day of the festival of Sukkot when there are seven circuits around the synagogue with the Torah scrolls. The 7th day is called Hosannah Rabbah.

Hosannah Rabbah translates to "the great hosanna," meaning "great salvation" or "great help." It translates from Aramaic as "Great Hoshana" or "Great Supplication." The name comes from prayers for salvation and deliverance, particularly for rain.

Two years ago, on the same Hebrew date, the evil Hamas (violence) came to steal the joy of Israel.

Today, which began last evening, is Simchat Torah.

On Simchat Torah, the Torah verses read are the end of Deuteronomy (33:1-34:12) and the beginning of Genesis (1:1-2:3), read from two separate scrolls. A third scroll is used for the maftir reading (final reading) from Numbers (29:35-30:1) and the haftarah reading is from Joshua (1:1-18).

The Deuteronomy versus are amazing and relevant. They include, "And the Lord said to him, “This is the land of which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, ‘I will give it to your offspring."

Per the versus read in Numbers, seven (7) male lambs a year old without blemish are to be offered, together with other offerings. Altogether, there are more animal offerings made during Sukkot and Simchat Torah than any other appointed times. Numbers 30:1--Moses spoke to the heads of the tribes of the people of Israel, saying, “This is what the Lord has commanded."

In Joshua 1:1-18, God's commissions Joshua to succeed Moses as leader of the Israelites. The passage contains a divine charge for Joshua to be "strong and courageous," to obey God's law, and a promise that God will be with him as he leads the people to take possession of the promised land. 

The chapter describes Joshua's initial commands to the people to prepare for their conquest. 

This day, Simchat Torah, the day after Hosannah Rabba, President Trump demands Hamas to be disarmed or we will disarm them!!  That is a moral reversal! 

P.S. 

Both George Floyd and Charlie Kirk share the same birthday, today.  I can't think of a more ironic example of the concept of "moral reversal" which I just posted this blog article about!