Divine Threads: From Jacob's Womb to the End of Days – A Shepherd's Tale Unraveled

Hey friends, it's me—your fellow pilgrim on this wild journey through Scripture. Lately, I've been peering through what I can only call "spiritual eyes," the kind that make the Bible feel less like a dusty anthology and more like a living heartbeat, pulsing with one grand story. It's the kind of vision that turns casual Bible flips into holy goosebumps, where a verse in Ezekiel's prophecies feel like echoes of a family feud from 4,000 years ago. 

For the last few days, I rolled up my sleeves and tried to unpack, in one blog post, how God's sovereign hand weaves the messy birth of a nation—through Jacob, Joseph, and those wayward brothers—into the fiery runway of end-times restoration. It's all there, declared "from the beginning to the end," as Isaiah so boldly puts it. Buckle up; this is going to feel like tracing constellations in the night sky.

The Primal Fracture: Jacob's Heel and Esau's Rage

Let's start where it all ignites like a spark in the womb. Picture this: Rebekah, heavy with twins, wrestling not just with twins but with destiny itself. God whispers to her, "Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you will be separated; one people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger" (Genesis 25:23). Enter Jacob—the heel-grabber, the supplanter—emerging not as the obvious heir but as God's audacious choice over Esau, the rugged hunter, the man of the fields. It's no fairy tale; Jacob snatches the birthright with a bowl of stew (Genesis 25:29–34) and cloaks himself in goat skins to steal the blessing: "May nations serve you and peoples bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers" (Genesis 27:29). This not as divine favoritism run amok, but as an early brushstroke of grace over merit. 

Jacob's limp from that midnight wrestle with God (Genesis 32:24–32) isn't just a battle scar—it's a foreshadowing of the wounded Shepherd who will rise to rule. Esau's bitter tears? They seed a rivalry that ripples through Edom's deserts into eternity, a brotherly grudge that mirrors every fracture in God's family. From this Jacob wrestles for his blessing and becomes Israel, father of twelve sons who carry the nation's DNA—flawed, fiery, and forever marked by God's unyielding election. It's here, in the cradle of covenant, that the end is whispered: A younger Son, rejected yet reigning, gathering what the elders scattered.

Backup--we missed it. What was the blessing that Jacob was wrestling for? What was his true desire? There is a foreshadowing in this ancient story of a 2000 year old parable. Here is a hint for you seekers: "fell on his neck and kissed him; and they wept." Put the two stories together and what do they spell? Brotherly love and fatherly love. If you see that you've got half the story. 

The Fields of Betrayal: Joseph's Pit and the Brothers' Shadows

Fast-forward to the pastures near Shechem, where the air still hums with the ghosts of Dinah's tragedy (Genesis 34). Jacob's sons—those tribal architects—are out tending the flocks, but something's rotten. They're not just slacking; whispers suggest they're dipping into the idol worship that tainted their plunder from Shechem's fall, those "foreign gods" Jacob would later bury under an oak (Genesis 35:4). Enter Joseph, the dreamer-son at 17, bringing a "bad report" to his father about their misconduct (Genesis 37:2). Is it laziness? Or something darker, like straying to high-hill altars for fertility rites, forsaking the one true Shepherd?

Jealousy erupts like a storm. "Here comes the dreamer!" they sneer (v. 19), stripping his coat, hurling him alive into an empty pit—a dry cistern, a foretaste of Sheol itself (v. 24). They sit down to eat, oblivious to their brother's cries echoing from the depths (v. 25), then sell him to Ishmaelite traders bound for Egypt. With spiritual eyes wide open, I see the crucifixion's shadow here: Israel's own—priests, elders, descendants of these very brothers—plotting to bury the innocent Beloved for exposing their hypocrisy. The fields of Dothan become Golgotha; the pit, the tomb. But oh, the mercy! Joseph rises from prison to palace, not to curse but to save: "You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives" (Genesis 50:20). From betrayal's bread crumbs, a famine's grace is born.

The Prophetic Indictment: Ezekiel's Shepherds and the Scattered Flock

Centuries later, in Babylon's dust, Ezekiel picks up the thread like a prophet's relay. His words in chapter 34 hit like thunder: "Woe to you shepherds of Israel who only take care of yourselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock?" (v. 2). These "shepherds"—kings, priests, the tribal heirs gone wrong—have fattened on the sheep, scattering them to wolves and high places of idolatry (v. 6). Sound familiar? It's Joseph's brothers writ large: Neglect in the fields, idol-dabbling in Shechem's shadow, leading the flock not to green pastures but to exile's jaws.

But Ezekiel doesn't stop at woe; he launches into promise. God will seek the lost, bind the broken, and raise "one shepherd, my servant David... who will tend them and be their shepherd" (vv. 23–24). This Prince—eternal, unifying the divided tribes (Ezekiel 37:24–25)—is no mere king; he's the covenant-keeper, forging "an everlasting covenant of peace" with a sanctuary among His people (37:26). My spirit stirs here: This is Jacob's stolen blessing fulfilled, not through deception but divine decree. The dry bones rattle to life (37:1–14), a resurrection echo of Joseph's pit-emergence, prepping the flock not for siesta but for storm. Chapter 34 is the runway, friends—accelerating from patriarchal fractures to the wars that test the regathered.

The Fiery Runway: Wars, Troubles, and the Pierced Prince

And what a takeoff! Ezekiel 38–39 unleashes Gog of Magog, a  northern horde hooked by God Himself to swarm the "secure" mountains of Israel (38:4, 8–11). Earthquakes, hail, and sword devour them (38:19–22), their weapons burned for seven years (39:9)—a divine purge that leaves the nations trembling: "They will know that I am the Lord" (39:28). This isn't random geopolitics; it's Jacob's Esau-rivalry gone global, Edom's grudge (Ezekiel 35) exploding into tribulation's forge.

Jeremiah names it: "The time of Jacob's trouble" (30:7)—that unparalleled anguish, a cosmic birth pang flipping the womb-struggle of Genesis 25. "He shall be saved out of it," God vows, breaking the yoke and raising "David their king" (vv. 7–9). Echoes abound in Jeremiah 23:3–6, where bad shepherds are scattered, only for a "righteous Branch" from David to reign as "The Lord Our Righteousness"—the antidote to Shechem's idols, the gatherer of Joseph's scattered family.

Zechariah seals the flight path with visceral poetry. The shepherd is struck, the sheep scattered (13:7, quoted by Jesus in the upper room), but from that wound flows a fountain for sin (13:1). Zechariah 11's worthless shepherd—paid 30 silver pieces, flung to the potter—mirrors Judas and the brothers' meal over the pit. Then the climax: Nations besiege Jerusalem (14:2), but the Lord fights for His people, His feet splitting the Mount of Olives (14:4), reigning as King over all the earth (14:9). And in the mourning? "They will look on me, the one they have pierced" (12:10)—Joseph's coat stripped, the Messiah's side lanced, birthing repentance like Esau's reconciliation with Jacob (Genesis 33).

Yet amid this siege and sorrow, another voice breaks through like a father's desperate whisper: Hosea, the prophet of relentless love, recalls the ancient call—"When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son" (Hosea 11:1). This isn't mere memory; it's the thread pulling Jacob's fledgling clan—from Joseph's Egypt descent (Genesis 46:3–4) through Moses' exodus—into the Messiah's own flight and return (Matthew 2:15). In the heart of Jacob's trouble, God refuses to relent: "How can I give you up, Ephraim? ... They will follow the Lord... trembling like birds from Egypt, like doves from Assyria" (Hosea 11:8–11). It's the primal pattern reborn—the scattered son summoned home, the shepherd's hook drawing every prodigal from pits and prisons to the Prince's peace.

The End Declared from the Beginning: Hope in the Sovereign Weaver

Through these spiritual eyes, it's all one seamless tapestry, stitched by the God who "makes known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come" (Isaiah 46:10). Jacob's heel-grab? The spark. Joseph's pit? The prototype rejection. Ezekiel's Prince? The blueprint. The wars and troubles? The refining fire. From womb to worldwide clash, it's not chaos—it's choreography. The brothers' bad report, laced with idol-dust, exposes the human shepherds' fail, but awakens the divine One: Jesus, the Good Shepherd laid down for the flock (John 10:11), pierced yet pursuing, regathering every lost son of Jacob into eternal peace.

What stirs in you as you trace this? For me, it's awe at a God who authors redemption in the mess—the deceptions, the daggers, the dry bones—and invites us to wrestle like Jacob, report like Joseph, and rest like the flock under the Branch. The runway's lit, friends. The Prince is coming. May our eyes stay spiritual, seeing His hand in every thread.

CONCLUSION:

Bible isn't a dry ledger of laws or a scattershot of stories; it's the epic of a cosmic Shepherd who, from Eden's shatter (the primal fall, humanity's Esau-like grasp for self-rule) to Gethsemane's garden (the ultimate "bad report" laid bare in sweat like blood), pursues His wandering flock with a love fiercer than the grave. We fall—into pits of jealousy, high hills of idols, the troubles of Jacob's lineage—and He doesn't abandon; He descends, exposes the rot (Ezekiel's woes, Joseph's truth-telling), and woos us to repentance, not with thunder but with tears: "How can I give you up, Ephraim? My heart is changed within me; all my compassion is aroused" (Hosea 11:8).

Redemption? It's His specialty—the dry bones breathing (Ezek 37), the pierced side pouring living water (Zech 13:1; John 19:34), the risen Joseph feeding the famished (Gen 50:20), all culminating in the Lamb who was slain yet stands (Rev 5:6–12). God doesn't just love His sheep; He is the Shepherd, leaving ninety-nine to bind the one (Luke 15:4–7), calling us by name from every Egypt, every Dothan field, every Gog-war grave.  Come. Bo! 

In the end, it's not about our heel-grabs or brotherly betrayals—it's His relentless "I have loved you with an everlasting love" (Jer 31:3), turning fractures into forever peace.

TO TOP IT OFF

Scripture isn't a museum exhibit but a mirror held up to the soul. We scroll through the epics of empires and exiles, nodding at the drama of long-gone shepherds and scattered tribes, only to freeze when the light swings inward. When we are realize this is my story, too, and we feel conviction.

The God who hooked Esau's rivalries into redemption's blueprint (Genesis 25:23) and whispered through Joseph's pit-cry (Genesis 37:24) isn't chronicling history for historians—He's courting you, right here in the scroll of your days.

Think of it: That "bad report" the brothers hated? It's the voice in us that exposes our own field-neglect—our idol-chasing distractions, our jealous side-eyes at others' dreams—yet God uses it not to condemn but to call us home, like the Father in Hosea 11:8, heart churning with compassion: "How can I give you up?" Ezekiel's Prince (34:23) isn't just for ancient Israel; He's the personal Shepherd who knows your wandering hills, your private troubles, and meets you there with a staff that comforts (Psalm 23:4). Whether you're grinding through a modern famine in a high-rise or a desert tent, the transformation is intimate: Fall into grace's arms, repent in the quiet (like Jacob's limp-born humility), and rise redeemed, demographics be damned—because His love doesn't check passports or timelines.

Life may leave us guessing, but Scripture doesn't; it builds to this resurrection roar. In the very end, all the tombs are opened. Daniel glimpsed it first: "Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt" (Daniel 12:2) It's the Bible's ultimate plot twist, isn't it?

IF NOT FOR THE REMNANT

"Hear the word of the Lord, O children of Israel, for the Lord has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land. There is no faithfulness or steadfast love, and no knowledge of God in the land."

Hosea 4.1

From TishaB'Av to TishaB'Av, from biblical times to today, if not for the remnant, where would Jews be? 

Despite numerous times of despair and desperation, when Jews were murdered by the tens of thousands, the Jewish people have survived. Whether the survival of the remnant was by our own power, or thanks to the mercy of God, is the question of the ages. 

Below is a list of notable times when a remnant survived: 

1. Egyptian Enslavement (c. 15th–13th century BCE): During centuries of oppression in Egypt, a faithful remnant of the Israelites, including the tribe of Levi and figures like Moses, preserved covenant traditions and monotheistic faith, leading to the Exodus and national redemption (Exodus 1–12).

2. Time of Elijah (c. 9th century BCE): Amid widespread idolatry under King Ahab, God revealed to Elijah a remnant of 7,000 in Israel who had not bowed to Baal, ensuring the survival of Yahwistic worship (1 Kings 19:18; referenced in Romans 11:4).

3. Assyrian Conquest of the Northern Kingdom (722 BCE): The ten northern tribes were largely exiled and assimilated, but a righteous remnant in the southern Kingdom of Judah—faithful to the Torah under kings like Hezekiah—survived as the core of continuing Jewish identity (2 Kings 18–19; Isaiah 10:20–22).

4. Babylonian Exile (586 BCE): After Jerusalem's fall, a remnant of exiles including prophets like Ezekiel and Daniel, along with faithful figures such as Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, Esther, and Mordecai, maintained piety in captivity, paving the way for the return (Ezekiel 11:16–17; Daniel 1–3; Esther).

5. Post-Exilic Return (c. 538–445 BCE): Under Persian rule, a devoted remnant led by Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah returned from Babylon to rebuild the Temple and walls of Jerusalem, restoring covenant observance despite opposition (Ezra 1–6; Nehemiah 1–13). This group is often called the "faithful remnant" of Judah.

6. Seleucid Persecution and Maccabean Revolt (167–160 BCE): During Antiochus IV's forced Hellenization, a remnant of pious Jews known as the Hasidim resisted assimilation, sparking the Maccabean uprising that rededicated the Temple and preserved Jewish law (1 Maccabees 2; Daniel 11:32–35). THIS IS HANUKKAH. (See 2 Maccabees 10 and 2 Maccabees 15.)

The prophet Daniel, gave an amazing prophecy foretelling the fall of empires and the rise of the Roman Empire. Daniel even foresaw the desecration of the Temple in Jerusalem as documented in the Books of the Maccabees. 

Daniel 9:24-27, NIV), is often called the most detailed messianic timeline in the prophets:

“Seventy ‘sevens’ are decreed for your people and your holy city to finish transgression, to put an end to sin, to atone for wickedness, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy and to anoint the Most Holy Place.

“Know and understand this: From the time the word goes out to restore and rebuild Jerusalem until the Anointed One, the ruler, comes, there will be seven ‘sevens,’ and sixty-two ‘sevens.’ It will be rebuilt with streets and a trench, but in times of trouble. After the sixty-two ‘sevens,’ the Anointed One will be put to death and will have nothing. The people of the ruler who will come will destroy the city and the sanctuary. The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed.

“He will confirm a covenant with many for one ‘seven.’ In the middle of the ‘seven’ he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And at the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him.”

7. Roman Destruction of the Second Temple (70 CE) and Bar Kokhba Revolt (132–135 CE): After the Temple's fall and further revolt, a small remnant of Torah-observant survivors fled to Galilee and the diaspora, where rabbis like Yochanan ben Zakkai established academies (e.g., at Yavneh) to sustain rabbinic Judaism and oral tradition.

Medieval and Early Modern Periods

8. Crusades and Medieval Pogroms (1096–1291 CE): Amid massacres during the First Crusade and later expulsions, faithful Jewish communities in Ashkenaz (e.g., Rhineland) produced martyrs and scholars like Rashi, who upheld halakha (Jewish law), ensuring transmission of texts and practices to future generations.

Church of the Shroud, Turin Italy

The Crusaders brought back the burial linens of Yeshua. I recently visited the Church in Turin Italy where the "Shroud of Turin" is kept. 

9. Spanish Expulsion (1492 CE): Following the Alhambra Decree, a remnant of Sephardic Jews—many practicing crypto-Judaism as "Marranos"—survived the Inquisition by fleeing to Portugal, the Ottoman Empire, and North Africa, covertly preserving rituals and eventually openly reviving communities.

Modern Period

10. Russian Pogroms (1881–1921 CE): Waves of violence in the Pale of Settlement killed thousands, but a resilient remnant of observant Jews emigrated to the U.S., Palestine, and elsewhere, founding synagogues and yeshivas that sustained Orthodox and Hasidic traditions amid secular pressures.

11. The Holocaust (1933–1945 CE): Nazi genocide decimated European Jewry, yet a remnant of survivors—many deeply faithful, including hidden children and camp liberators—rebuilt communities worldwide, contributing to the founding of modern Israel and the revival of religious life (e.g., through figures like the Lubavitcher Rebbe).

This pattern of a "righteous remnant" highlights Judaism's enduring theme of divine preservation through faithfulness, even in catastrophe. 

We Jews have moved around the globe and back again. Where ever we went, we contributed to society. Kings and countries gained wealth and intelligence. But we've always kept a bag packed, so to speak, because we knew the day would come when history would repeat. 

Today, the home for Europeans Jews is becoming increasingly threatening. So too in America. Where will escape to if we have to go again. Its hard to imagine a world that would be safe for Jews, even in Israel, if America joins all the other nations that are no longer standing up for Jews and Israel. 

With what's happening in NYC, when I see rabbis and the famous Jewish actor Mandy Patinkin who played Tevye in "Fiddler On The Roof," encouraging Jews to support Zohar Mamdani, I have to wonder if maybe Jews are getting what we deserve. 

Ezekiel 3:16-17 -- And at the end of seven days, the word of the Lord came to me: “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."

The season of the 25th is around the corner.

Epilogue:

The prophets have warned of us (Jews) of the errors of our ways, again and again. Are we being warned today? 

MAKING SENSE OF MELISSA

Sometimes, a tragedy arrives like a divine signpost, urging us to pivot in our lives. It might spotlight a harmful habit we've ignored or a neglected responsibility calling for attention.

The Hebrew words for "whirlwind" are סוּפָה (sufah), סַעַר (sa'ar), and שְׂעָרָה (se'arah). These words are also translated as "storm", "tempest", "to rage" and are often used in biblical contexts to describe a violent and awe-inspiring force.

The word "whirlwind" appears in the Bible in multiple passages and is associated with dramatic events, God's power, judgment, and divine encounters. Here are several key locations where "whirlwind" is found:

2 Kings 2:1, 2:11: Elijah is famously taken up into heaven by a whirlwind.

Job 38:1; 40:6: God answers Job out of the whirlwind, symbolizing divine revelation and authority.

Job 37:9: Mentions the whirlwind coming out of the south.

Isaiah 66:15: God's chariots are likened to a whirlwind when executing judgment.

Jeremiah 23:19; 30:23: The "whirlwind of the Lord" represents God's wrath against the wicked.

Ezekiel 1:4: The vision of a whirlwind coming out of the north, introducing Ezekiel's prophetic visions.

Proverbs 1:27; 10:25: Used figuratively to describe sudden calamity or destruction.

Zechariah 7:14; 9:14: The whirlwind is associated with God's scattering of the people and marching with power.

Hosea 8:7: "They sow the wind and reap the whirlwind," referencing the consequences of wrongdoing.

As Jonah, I can appreciate the prophet Nahum's words of what God has to say about Nineveh: 

Nahum 1:2-3 The Lord is a jealous and avenging God;
    the Lord is avenging and wrathful;
the Lord takes vengeance on his adversaries
    and keeps wrath for his enemies.
The Lord is slow to anger and great in power,
    and the Lord will by no means clear the guilty.
His way is in whirlwind and storm,
    and the clouds are the dust of his feet.

All these examples underscore "whirlwind" as a recurring scriptural symbol and event. The use of "whirlwind" in these references is both literal (as a physical phenomenon) and symbolic of God's might, judgment, sudden change, or divine intervention.

What To Make Of Melissa:

The most powerfull "whirlwind" in Atlantic history has just hit Jamaica -- Hurricane Melissa. Many are asking if the storm is "a sign."

I am sure there is a price to pay for sin, and sometimes the price is excruciatingly high and difficult. But I am nobody to judge Jamaica, or to say Melissa has come to them as an act of judgment!  A sign of the times...?

Bill Gated has ironc timing! 

Gates appeared to soften his views on the dangers of climate change, writing that the "doomsday view of climate change" – in which global catastrophe would occur if rising global temperatures aren’t addressed – "is wrong."

Gates stated his, apparently new, view on "climate change" just as Category 5 Hurricane Melissa, with record wind speeds and low pressure, reaps death and destruction on Jamaica.  How ironic!?

Heaven Help One Caught In the Path

King David said in Psalm 55:8 (ESV): "I would hurry to find a shelter from the raging wind and tempest".  

Many pray and call for prayers for the innocent people caught in the path of a dangerous storm. Others wonder what sin brought out God’s wrath. While most people attribute events purely to science, there are many who chalk it all up to choas and simple good or bad luck.  

Natural disasters happen every day somewhere. Should we believe each & every incident is caused by the devine will of God to punish people?  Or is their another way to look at such tragedies, whether they take place in our own life or to people and places we don't know? 

How I Like To See It 

Asking why tragedy strikes or "how could this have happened," in search of something to blame, takes one down a rabbit hole. As they say,  _hit happens, but when it does, it is also a reminder of how precious life and our loved ones are!  

Tragedies can be "a sign" to cherish life and to take stock of our blessings.  When we see them as such, that awareness manifests a sense of gratitude. I try to turn that gratitude into a love that can be directed to others.  There are many ways to express gratitude! Use your own imagination to find a way. 

Turning Tragedy Around By Turning Ourselves Around

Sometimes a tragedy is "a sign" to change something in our life.  We all have bad behaviors that hurt us and others. There are duties we are neglecting. 

Take "Hurricane Melissa"—a stark reminder to audit our home's storm readiness or craft a family disaster plan before the winds howl. 

There are countless ways to alchemize tragedy into blessing: an act of seeking the silver lining amid the wreckage, where something profoundly good emerges from the depths of the bad. As Scripture assures us, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28, ESV).

GUILT IS PROOF OF GOD'S DESIGN

The day we learned shame.

"Why do you boast of evil, O mighty man? The steadfast love of God endures all the day."

Psalm 52.1 esv

Guilt is Proof of God's Design and Why Atheists Turn to Scapegoats. 

Feelings of guilt and shame are not accidents. They are built into human nature by our Creator. They show up in every culture. Religion explains them and provides ways to resolve them. 

When people reject God, especially in the West, the need for resolution does not go away. It leads to problems. Atheists often form groups and blame others. History shows they blame the Jews. Here is my theory, step by step.

Guilt and Shame Are Part of Human Nature

Guilt is that inner feeling when you know you did wrong. It pushes you to fix it. Shame is when that wrong affects others, and you feel exposed. I once thought this was just a Western idea, from the Bible and sin. But it is everywhere.

In China, guilt comes from failing your family, like not honoring your parents. In Arab cultures, it is about losing family honor. In India, it is a debt from bad actions that affects your karma. In African groups, it is breaking ties with your kin.

Listen to Yasmine Mohammed describe shame for women in Muslim culture and consider the treatment of woman in Islamic countries. 

Each society shapes what causes guilt or shame based on its values. In one place, it is stealing from the group. In another, it is not meeting family duties. But the basic drive is the same: feel bad, make it right. This keeps people working together. Without it, groups would break apart. No sharing, no trust.

This is not random. It is design. God put it in us. It works the same way in all humans. It proves we are made with purpose, to live in communities.

Religion Explains Guilt and Gives a Way to Fix It 

Religion does not create guilt. It names it and shows how to handle it. It says this feeling is a sign from God or the spiritual world. It tells you to turn back to what is right.

Religion matches our built-in need. Guilt is the problem. Forgiveness is the solution. God designed it this way.

What Happens When the West Rejects God

The West was built on Judeo-Christian ideas. Guilt drove morals, laws, and kindness. But now, many do not believe in God. Atheism is common in Europe and growing here.

The feelings do not stop. You still feel guilt and shame. But without God, there is no sin. No clear reason for the ache. No real way to wipe it clean.

People try therapy or self-help. "Forgive yourself." But that does not work deep down. The need for true release stays.

Atheists are not alone in this. They join groups—forums, movements, protests. Groups feel like support. But groups need a target for the pain. They pick a scapegoat. Someone to blame so the group feels better.

Why the Jews Become the Target

The Jews are the main scapegoat. It is not random. Judaism gave the world the idea of one God and moral rules. It shaped the West's sense of right and wrong. The Bible's guilt and forgiveness come from there.

When people reject God, they resent what came before. The Jews provided the rules. Now, they blame them for the rules feeling heavy.

Look at history. In the French Revolution, Jews were blamed for money problems. In Nazi Germany, leaders who hated religion blamed Jews for losing the war. Today, some on the left blame Israel for all colonial guilt. On the right, they call Jews secret controllers.

This is the scapegoat trick. Humans copy each other, fight, then pick one group to punish. It calms the group for a while. Jews are easy targets. But even Jews fall into this trap when lose their faith. They become "self-hating Jews." 

Atheism makes it worse. No God means no final forgiveness. The pain turns outward. Blame the ones who started it all.

King David understood where the problem is when he said: 

Psalm 51:10-12 -- Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.

The Answer Is Clear

Guilt proves God exists. It is in every person, every place. It keeps us together. Religion shows the way out. Reject it, and we hurt each other.

I believe we need to go back to faith. Face the design. Use the tools God gave. Stop the blame. Start with real forgiveness.

Summary

God said in perfectly in far fewer words. I give you the last verse of Genesis chapter 2 and the first and seventh verse of Genesis chapter 3.

Genesis 2:25 -- the man and his wife were both naked and were not ashamed.

Genesis 3:1 -- Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.

Genesis 3:7 -- Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.

TWO BATTLES: ONE THEME

In Jewish history, two major battles took place on the 13th of Adar in defense against evil enemies who were plotting the destruction of the Jews. 

The first battle is against the Persian Empire in the 4th century BCE as described in the Book of Esther. Evil Haman plotted to wipe out the Jews on the 13th of Adar, but the battle turned and instead Haman, along with his ten sons were killed. To this day the "Fast of Esther" on the 13th of Adar remembers how God reversed Evil Haman's plan and gave victory to the Jews. This story is associated to the Jewish holiday of Purim, also known as "Mordechai Day."

The second battle on the 13th of Adar is the "Battle of Adasa" in ~161 BC. The evil Seleucid Greek general named Nicanor planned to wipe out the army of Judah Maccabeus on the Sabbath. The battle went the other way and evil Nicanor was killed. To this day the "Fast of Nicanor" on the 13th of Adar remembers that victory. This story is associated to the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, also known as the "Feast of Dedication" and the "Festival of Lights."

Why Hanukkah Falls on the 25th

The 13th day of Adar is in the 12th month on the Hebrew/Aramaic calendar. But Hanukkah is celebrated on 25th day in the month of Kislev, not Adar. Why?  

The 25th day marks the desecration of the Temple in Jerusalem when Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the Seleucid king, sacrificed a pig to Zeus on the altar and banned Jewish practices. This act was prophecied in the Book of Daniel who referred to it as the "abomination of desolation." 

Years later, on the same day the temple was profaned, the 25th, the Maccabees cleansed the temple, built a new altar and struck stones and "took fire out of them." "They offered a sacrifice and set forth incense, and lights, and shewbread." In other words, the Temple in Jerusalem was both profaned and then re-dedicated on the same day, the 25th of Kislev. This is the beginning of Hanukkah and last eight nights. 

After the Maccabees defeated the Greek Seleucids, Israel was united and began a very prosperous period known as the Hasmonean Dynasty. It lasted up until the Romans conquered Israel and the destruction of the 2nd Jerusalem Temple in 70 AD. 

Let's Settle This

There are details in the story of the Maccabees that have relevance to the currect conflicts in Israel. Namely, what we should call the land in Israel that is west of the Jordan River.

Concerning the debate over what to call the Land that is west of the Jordan River. Read the verse below: 

2 Maccabees 10:1 -- 

"When Nicanor learned that Judas and his companions were in the territory of Samaria, he decided he could attack them in complete safety on the day of rest."

The Battle of Nicanor took place at Adasa in the "territory of SAMARIA!" Much of the bible took place in Samaria. 

Samaria is a central region in ancient Israel encompassing Shechem, Sychar, and Mounts Gerizim and Ebal. Samaria features prominently in both the Old and New Testaments. It served as the capital of the northern kingdom of Israel where key historical, prophetic, and redemptive moments in Scripture took place.

The bible does not say "West Bank." The term "west bank" is a construct! Today, Samaria is ALREADY IN ISRAEL. It does not need to be annexed! The issue is "sovereignty." That is the question of rulership.

Sovereignty fundamentally boils down to the question of who rules—and how that authority is exercised, recognized, and limited (or not). At its core, it's the supreme power to govern within a defined territory or domain. 

Today, while Israel allows others to govern many villages inside Samaria, there are no foreign troops stationed in Samaria. The only the military power present in Samaria is the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF). It would be ludicrous and suicidal for Israel to allow ANY other military or armed forces to occupy Samaria! 

There are two other parallels between current events with Hamas and Maccabees. In both cases the evil offense was reversed on the anniversary. The Temple in Jerusalem was re-dedicated on the anniversary of the same day it was desecrated. And, the remaining hostages were returned on the anniversary of the same day they were tsken. 

The other parallel is the Jewish holiday that was celebrated when the temple was re-dedicated, the Maccabees celebrated a holiday that they were not able celebrate while the temple was unpure. They holiday they were making up for was the Feast of Booths, which is the holiday of Sukkot, which culminates on 22 Tishrei, which is the 8th day, the day of the Great Assembly (Shemini Atzeret) and the holiday of Simchat Torah.  Hamas attacked Israel on Oct 7, 2023. That year is was Simchat Torah.  The remaining hostages were returned on October 7, 2025 which was the first full day of Sukkot. 

What Was Celebrated in the Temple on Hanukkah?

Specifically, what was being CELEBRATED in the temple "on Hanukkah." For that let's look at the historical book:

 2 Maccabees chapter 10:2-3 -- 

"they (the Maccabees) destroyed the altars erected by the foreigners in the marketplace and the sacred shrines.

After purifying the temple, they made another altar. Then, with fire struck from flint, they offered sacrifice for the first time in two years,* burned incense, and lighted lamps. They also set out the showbread."

Look a few verses down to see what the Jews celebrated: 

2 Maccabees 10:5 -- 

5 On the anniversary of the day on which the temple had been profaned by the foreigners, that is, the twenty-fifth of the same month Kislev, the purification of the temple took place.

6 The Jews celebrated joyfully for eight days as on the feast of Booths, remembering how, a little while before, they had spent the feast of Booths living like wild animals in the mountains and in caves.

7 Carrying rods entwined with leaves, beautiful branches and palms, they sang hymns of grateful praise to him who had successfully brought about the purification of his own place.

My friends, that is Feast of Tabernacles. That is Sukkot!  

The 7th and final day of Sukkot is called Hosanna Rabbah (also spelled Hoshana Rabbah) which means "Great Salvation." It is said that "THE 7th DAY IS HANUKKAH!"

On Hoshana Rabbah, Jews pray for abundant rainfall and the finalization of the year's divine judgment. Prayers include asking for a year of plentiful livelihood, salvation, and the overall well-being of the world. 

But Hanukkah is Celebrated for 8 Nights

There is another Jewish holiday immediately after the 7th day, the last day of the great feast of Sukkot. On sunset of the 7th day begins the 8th day in relationship to Sukkot. It is called Shemini (8) Atzeret (Assembly). It is the holiday of Simchat Torah. That is the day Jews complete reading the Torah. It is a day of great joy and celebration. In the temple Jews sing and dance with Torah. Then we roll the Torah back read "Bereshit," (In the Beginning) better known as Genesis. The Torah is put back in the Ark after the first few verses. 

Blended Threads of Sukkot, Purim, and Hanukkah

Here is an interesting way in which the holidays of Sukkot, Purim and Hanukkah are all blended together.  

Picture I took of 2 Maccabees 15 which is 

displayed next to the Shroud in Turin Italy. 

After the Maccabees defeated Nicanor at the battle of Adasa, Judah Maccabeus "hung Nicanor’s head and arm on the wall of the citadel, a clear and evident sign to all of the Lord’s help." (V15:35)

Then in the next verse, 2 Maccabees 15:36 reads:

By public vote it was unanimously decreed never to let this day pass unobserved, but to celebrate the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, called Adar in Aramaic, the eve of Mordecai’s Day.

Hanukkah, when we defeated the Selucid Greeks, we celebrated the Feast of Tabernacle, Sukkot, and remembered the defeat of the evil Haman and his Army of Persians.  

The holidays of Sukkot, Purim and Hanukkah are blended together in a way that is remembered on a holiday that started it all, the original Passover.

One Theme

On the 8th day, the day of great joy and celebration, that is the day that Hamas plotted to attack Israel in 2023. That is the day they robbed, killed and destroyed. After two years of fierce battle, Israel got back the hostages that were still alive. Hamas is committed to doing Oct 7th again. 

There is a prayer said during the Passover Seder called the "Vehi Sheamda." Here is the translation:

And this, Hashem’s blessings and the Torah, is what kept our fathers and what keeps us surviving. For, not only one arose and tried to destroy us, rather in every generation they try to destroy us, and Hashem saves us from their hands.

To this day, there is still an evil force in the world that would if it could destroy the Jews. The prophets have warned us again & again of what happens when we turn away from God. Each time we are miraculously saved because of the Covenant God made with our forefathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. 

The Season of 25

Ever wonder why Christmas is on the 25th, close to Hanukkah? Maybe it has something to do with why the Catholic Church displays the Book of Maccabees right next to the church beside the Shroud of Turin open to the verses I wrote about above.  Above is a picture that I took there. 

If none of this is making any sense it may be walled/fenced off to you. 8 is supernatural. We need spiritual sight for certain things. 

Psalm 139.6 -- Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high; I cannot attain it.

It may be because you don't have the knowing that surpases understanding as Jonathan Cahn speaks about in this sermon. 

I blogged about "knowing." Check it out. 

There is another parallel that I will make. That is to Deuteronomy 31:10–13, Moses commanded that at the end of every seven years, during the Feast of Booths (Sukkot). the Law should be read aloud to all the people. 

Deuteronomy 31:10 And Moses commanded them, “At the end of every seven years, at the set time in the year of release, at the Feast of Booths, 11 when all Israel comes to appear before the Lord your God at the place that he will choose, you shall read this law before all Israel in their hearing. 12 Assemble the people, men, women, and little ones, and the sojourner within your towns, that they may hear and learn to fear the Lord your God, and be careful to do all the words of this law, 13 and that their children, who have not known it, may hear and learn to fear the Lord your God, as long as you live in the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess.”

Notice that the Israelites are going to possess the land over the Jordan! 

Joshua's actions in Joshua 8—building an altar, reading the Law, and renewing the covenant with the entire assembly—are understood to be the fulfillment of Moses' command to be done during Sukkot. This was a profound moment of national recommitment to the covenant after the people had entered the Promised Land. 

In Conclusion

As I see it, God is making it clear who possesses the lands west of the Jordan. God is also reminding us of the blessings and curses and the importance 

Deuteronomy 4.1-14 --

4.1 And now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the rules[a] that I am teaching you, and do them, that you may live, and go in and take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your fathers, is giving you.

THE PHENOMENA OF TORAH

Genesis 8.11 - And the yona (dove) הַיּוֹנָה֙ returned to him...

The weekly Torah portion, known as 'parashat hashavua,' is a longstanding Jewish tradition where a specific section of the Five Books of Moses (the Torah) is read aloud in synagogues around the world each Shabbat, following a fixed annual cycle that completes the entire Torah over the course of a year.  We just finished this cycle last week. The holiday of Simchat Torah last week celebrates this completion. The Torah scrolls are rolled back to Genesis, where we hear the story of Noach. 

Rainbow today for Parshat Noach!

What many find profoundly "amazing"—and often described as a synchronistic or providential phenomenon—is how these ancient texts frequently appear to echo, illuminate, or even foreshadow contemporary global events, personal struggles, and societal shifts. This isn't mere coincidence to believers; it's seen as a sign of the Torah's timeless relevance, divine timing, or prophetic depth, inviting reflection on how sacred scripture speaks directly to the present moment.

This practice of reading/studying a weekly scriptural portion traces back to at least the Second Temple period (around the 2nd century BCE), when the Torah was divided into 54 portions to align with the lunar-solar calendar and Shabbat readings. 

In modern times, rabbis, scholars, and even some Christian and Messianic communities have highlighted these alignments, using them for teaching, prayer, and intercession. 

You can easily identity the weekly Parashat by simply doing an internet search on "this week’s torah portion." If you add the word "Chabad" you'll find many Jewish sources.

Surprisingly, the practice of reading the Torah alongside a selection from the Haftarah (collection of readings from the Books of the Prophets/Nevi'im) in the synagogue on the Sabbath is first explicitly described in the New Testament, specifically in Acts 13:14-15. This passage captures a first-century CE synagogue service in Pisidian Antioch (modern-day Turkey), where the Apostle Paul and Barnabas attend:

"But they went on from Perga and reached Antioch in Pisidia. On the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down. After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the leaders of the synagogue sent word to them, saying, 'Brothers, if you have a word of exhortation for the people, say it.'" Acts 13:14-15, ESV

Another and more dramatic instance, is found in Luke 4:16-30. This is actually the first documented case of reading the haftarah (a linked prophetic reading) that corresponds to the weekly Torah portion (parashat).

It's Jesus' homecoming to Nazareth, his childhood hometown in Galilee, where he reads from the prophet Isaiah in the synagogue on the Sabbath. This isn't just a routine reading—it's a bold, messianic declaration that ties directly into the biblical theme of the "Day of the Lord" described in Isaiah 61:1-2 with echoes from Isaiah 58:6.

Jesus is handed the scroll of Isaiah unrolls it to a specific passage, and reads aloud Luke 4:18-19 esv:

"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
because he has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty those who are oppressed,
to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."

The Torah portion that corresponds to Isaiah 61:1-2 is called "Nitzavim" which means "Standing" which is found at Deuteronomy 29:9:

"You are all standing this day before the Lord, your God the leaders of your tribes, your elders and your officers, every man of Israel."

Studying the parsha alongside current world events can reveal layers of meaning, fostering a sense of connection between past narratives and today's chaos.  As one observer noted, "it's like the Torah is unfolding in real time, guiding us through uncertainty."

This weeks Haftorah reading serves as another example of the amazing synchronicity of the scriptures. In this week's, October 24, 2025, parashat we find Noach (Genesis 6:9–11:32); the story of Noah's ark amid a cataclysmic flood sent as divine judgment on world filled with Hamas, violence and human corruption.

As much as the scripture portions relate to world events, the quiet magic of the parsha is not just a cosmic mirror. The scriptures have a personal whisper, tailored to the hidden currents of our own stories in our own individual lives. With Parashat Noach unfolding this Shabbat, the flood's roar can feel less like ancient myth and more like the chaos and deluge of private tempests in our own life.

In this video, Rabbi Dovid Vigler reads verses from Noach and illustrates the prophetic connection with Noach's Ark. Last night, Pastor Nathan Robinson at Chapel Falls church spoke of how the times we are living in relate to the prophetic "Days' of Noah." Parashat Noach this week naturally pulls us toward Jesus' words in Matthew 24:37-39 (paralleled in Luke 17:26-27).

For me personally, the day my son was born 39 years ago this week, the Haftorah portion being read that day was "The Book of Jonah." The story of Jonah speaks to me on a profoundly person level. Most who like to at least "check in" to the parashat for the week, find that we can almost always make a either a worldly or personal connection between the scriptures and the times. 

This coming December, at the annual meeting of the Jewish Federation of Dutchess County, for which I have served as Vice President for several terms, I will be doing the traditional "D'Var" for the 5th year in a row. A "D'Var" is a brief word (a short talk) about the coinciding Torah (or Haftarah) portion.

Last year I dedicated my D'Var to my 93 year old father who had passed away the month earlier. Each Torah portion has a title based on the first words in the related scriptures. That week's portion was called "And He Left" which is based on Genesis 28:10-22.  It was a perfect timing.

This year the portion that coincides with the D'Var I will be doing is called "Vayishlach," which means "And he sent." It is found in Genesis 32. Its no coincidence as I see it. But that is another story. 

In conclusion, Hebrews 4:12 tells us:

"For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart."  

The bible isn't just ink on ancient scrolls or in a prayer book. It is breath, fire, and has a pulse that syncs with our own. The bible has the power to reshape us. In the Noach swirl of global events and personal floods, one can find a private ark. Scripture doesn't just console—it confronts, convicts, and commissions, turning passive reading into holy collision. Scripture doesn't just demand more of us; it does a work in us.

Epilogue:

I did some research on verse 8.11, which I chose to base my post graphic on. Here is what I found:

The specification of "eventide" (or "evening," from the Hebrew *lə‘ēt ‘erev*) in Genesis 8:11 serves multiple layers of purpose in the text, blending practical observation, narrative craft, and deeper symbolic resonance. Here's a breakdown based on biblical exegesis and tradition:

A practical and observational take on the verse: Doves, as birds of habit, typically forage and explore during daylight hours before returning to a safe roost at dusk for rest, food, and companionship. This second release of the dove (after a seven-day interval) implies it had been out for a full day—longer than its initial quick return in verse 9—scouting for dry land. The evening arrival thus reflects natural avian behavior: having found no permanent resting place but discovering the olive leaf as evidence of receding waters, it naturally headed back to the ark at the close of the day.

This timing underscores the leaf's significance as a hard-won sign after extended effort, not an immediate or casual find.

From a narrative and literary perspective, the Hebrew phrasing "lə‘ēt ‘erev" (literally "at the time of evening") is a rare construction in the Bible, appearing only five times total, which draws attention to the moment's drama.

It builds suspense in the story: Noah waits, the dove departs (presumably at morning, echoing the creation rhythm of Genesis 1), and its return at evening mirrors the "evening and morning" structure of the world's original days. This frames the flood's resolution as a cosmic renewal, transitioning from watery chaos back toward ordered creation. The exclamation *hinnēh* ("behold" or "lo") immediately follows, heightening the revelation of the leaf like a punchline after a day's buildup—emphasizing Noah's dawning hope at dusk.

Jewish kabbalistic tradition (drawing from the Zohar), provided deeper symbolic and theological meanings. 

The evening return allegorizes a shadowed era of partial redemption amid ongoing trial. The dove represents the soul of Israel in exile; its homecoming "toward evening" evokes the Greek (Hellenistic) period after the Babylonian exile—a time of waning light, persecution, and murdered righteous ones, where relief flickered dimly rather than in full dawn.

The olive leaf, plucked amid this "twilight," signals survival through divine sparks (like the priests' Menorah lit with olive oil), but not yet full restoration. Christian readings often extend this to the dove as a type of the Holy Spirit, with evening hinting at eschatological hope: the "last days" before ultimate renewal, where signs of peace emerge just as darkness falls.

In essence, "eventide" isn't incidental—it's a pivot point, marking the flood's turning from judgment to mercy, grounded in the dove's real-world rhythms but elevated to evoke transition, endurance, and God's subtle faithfulness in the gathering gloom.

DO THE MATH

Isaiah 45:7 -- "I form the light and create darkness: I make peace and create evil: I the LORD do all these things". 

This post is about the 7 that leads us to 8. 

With Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights, around the corner, I was thinking about the supernatural meaning of Eight nights. Biblically or spiritually speaking, 8 has a supernatural meaning. Seven (7) is natural, eight (8) is after the natural. 

This concept of "8 following 7" is the very nature of the Jewish holidays of Sukkot (Feast of Tabernacles), a 7 day holiday, which is followed immediately by a holiday on the 8th day, Simchat Torah when Jews celebrate with immense joy the Torah. The very next holiday after Feast of Tabernacles and Simchat Torah is Hanukkah, the Festival of Lights; a holiday lasting 8 nights.  (We are coming into holiday season of Hanukkah and Christmas, which I refer to as the Season of 25.) 

On Simchat Torah, Jews finish reading the Torah. We go from the end of Deuteronomy, when Joshua is inheriting Moses staff and Moses is giving his final words, at the end of his physical life at age 120 years, back to the beginning, Genesis 1. The Torah scroll is literally rolled back. Back to when the earth was chaos and waste. 

Biblically speaking, throughout history there is a long arc of reversals. God creates, evil destroys, God restores, evil destroys again. Light and darkness. Once together, in the beginning, then seperated, Day and Night, making the 1st day of creation.

Darkness can not enter the Light, and when Light enters, the darkness is expelled. As the Light fades, the area becomes a state of darkness. It is like that with love and a relationship. When the love fades, darkness enters a relationship. Rekindle the light. 

Darkness is the absence of light. Light is a form of energy: made of photons. Darkness is the state that exists when light is not present. Darkness is not the opposite of light; it is the lack of it. Our eyes perceive darkness because, without light, they have nothing to see. A light source, however small, can instantly remove darkness from an area. Light reveals. 

Absolute total darkness is arguably impossible to achieve. The complete absence of light, or any electromagnetic radiation, is prevented by several natural phenomena, from the quantum level to the cosmic scale. 

Spiritually speaking, I believe it is our obligation to see the light, even in apparent darkness. Our role is to magnify the light. Every one of us has a Light inside us that we can bring out into the darkness. We can transform the state from darkness to light.

The Festival of Lights, Hanukkah, is around the corner. Think of a Hanukkah menorah being lit in a dark room. Each candle we light adds to the light. We are those candles. We have a servant candle, its called the Shamash. The Shamash candle is the 9th candle and it stands above the other 8 candles. The Shamash is used to light all the other 8 candles. We add one candle each night. The word Shamash means "servant" or "helper." We can be like the image of God by helping to light a candle in the world. 

God is pure, holy Light. The Light of the entire universe. God is so bright that if any of us saw God's full glory we would not live.

Exodus 33:20-22 -- But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.” And the Lord said, “Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by.

Creation is completed on the 7th day. The Creator, the Light of the world was finished. If we take away 7 from 7 we have 0. Zero is the state of the absence of God's Light; a state of chaos and waste before God spoke Light into the world. In the beginning they were together: the full potentiality of 7 and the absence of 7 which is zero. 7 and 0 together; that is 70. That is the Hebrew letter Ayin. Ayin is an eye. In a mystical sense, Ayin is "spiritual sight." Spiritual sight is the ability to see the Light, even the least bit of light, and to magnify it; to add our light to the light of others. 

Epilogue:

Christians should be interested to know, speaking of the last day of Sukkot, known as the "Great Day" (Hosannah Raba), have a listen to Messianic Rabbi Jonathan Cahn's brief message about the 21st day (3 sevens) of the 7th month, Hosannah Rabbah.  

THIS IS THE BEAUTIFUL SPIRIT OF AN ISRAELI HOSTAGES IN THE TUNNELS. 

LISTEN TO WHAT SUSTAINED THEM IN THE DARKENESS!!