"IRON SHARPENS IRON"

Knife Sharpening Set

Proverbs 27.17 -  As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.

I recently purchased the knife sharpening set pictured above. It is a set of different stones with different grits. One uses grit stones to "sharpen," so I wanted to look at this verse more closely. Here is what a little research tells me.

The proverb is using everyday metalwork as a metaphor, not trying to give a technical lesson in modern knife‑sharpening methods. In the ancient world, people did in fact use one piece of metal against another (files, scrapers, etc.), so “iron sharpens iron” was a recognizable image for friction and mutual improvement, even if a whetstone or grit was also used.

The Image Being Invoked

The saying assumes:  

  - Metal is made keener by repeated contact with something hard that resists it (another piece of iron, a file, or a hard surface).

  - The process involves pressure, abrasion, and even sparks, not something gentle or effortless.

- The Hebrew proverb compresses that whole workshop reality into a short, vivid line, focusing on the relational truth (“contact + resistance = sharper edge”) rather than the exact tool sequence.

Why It Doesn’t Need Literal Precision

- Biblical proverbs are often approximated or generalized images (e.g., “go to the ant,” “like a gold ring in a pig’s snout”), where the point is a moral insight, not technical detail.

- Even today, craftsmen distinguish between honing (realigning) and sharpening (removing metal), but most people loosely call both “sharpening,” which is essentially what the proverb is doing.

How the Metaphor Actually Works

- The “iron” is the other person’s character, mind, words and presence in close, sometimes uncomfortable interaction with you.

- The “sharpening” is:

•  Correction that scrapes away dullness  
•  Honest conversation that exposes flaws  
•  Encouragement that restores a bent or folded edge  

What did Proverbs 27.17 mean in its original Hebrew context

In its original Hebrew setting, Proverbs 27:17 pictures a demanding friendship in which honest, even abrasive interaction improves a person the way repeated grinding improves a blade. It is about covenant‑loyal companions whose words and presence “put an edge” on one another’s character, not about casual sociability.

Hebrew Wording and Image

- Hebrew: ברזל בברזל יחד ואיש יחד פני רעהו – literally, “Iron with iron is sharpened, and a man sharpens the face of his neighbor.”

- Sharpen: (חדד ḥdd) is used elsewhere for sharpening a sword for slaughter, a strong verb of grinding, cutting, and intensifying.

- Face: (פנים) is a figure of speech for the person’s whole presence—countenance, disposition, reputation—so “sharpening the face” means making the person keener, more ready, more formed.

Social and Historical Context

- The saying belongs to the Solomonic collection later copied by Hezekiah’s men (Prov 25:1), so it speaks into a royal, covenant community that valued skilled counsel, court debate, and wisdom training.

- By the Iron Age in Israel, sharpening iron tools and weapons was a commonplace, concrete experience; agrarian and military life made the image instantly intelligible: no edge stays sharp without frequent, forceful honing.

What “Sharpening” Meant Relationally

- Ancient Jewish commentators (Rashi, Gershom) already take this as a picture of students, sages, or companions “sharpening” one another’s understanding through argument, question, and instruction.

- The idea is mutual benefit: two minds or characters striking against each other in discourse produce clearer thinking, bolder virtue, and more effective action than either would alone.

Nuance: Constructive Friction, Not Mere Comfort

- The verb and workshop image suggest friction, heat, and even sparks—this is not a gentle pat on the back but the kind of faithful criticism and exhortation that can feel cutting yet saves from dullness.

- Read in the flow of Proverbs 27 (friends’ wounds, reliable counsel, danger, testing), the verse commends relationships that are loyal enough to confront and refine, especially under pressure, rather than flatter or leave one another unchanged.

Conclusion

In Hebrew context, the proverb says: just as iron implements must strike, grind, and press against hard iron to gain a sharp edge, so a man’s very “face” is honed by the intense, honest engagement of a committed companion.

The original hearers would have heard a call to intentionally seek and endure that kind of covenant friendship and disputation, because only through such sharpening does a person become truly fit for life’s conflicts and responsibilities.

"Iron sharpens iron” is quite accurate at the level it cares about: relationships that include friction, truth, and contact are what God uses to hone a person. 

Citations:

[1] What does it mean that iron sharpens iron? | GotQuestions.org https://www.gotquestions.org/iron-sharpens-iron.html

[2] As iron sharpens iron,so one person Sharpens another. - Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/949014812554526/posts/1928415214614476/

[3] How 'Iron Sharpen Iron' - Proverbs 27:17 Meaning and Significance https://www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/topical-studies/christian-as-iron-sharpens-iron-you-can-influence-others-for-the-better.html

[4] Is it true to not use others when they use yours? - Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/chizzyalichifans/posts/2075709133216873/

[5] What Is the Meaning of “Iron Sharpens Iron” in Proverbs 27:17? https://www.christianity.com/wiki/bible/what-is-the-meaning-of-iron-sharpens-iron-in-proverbs-27-17.html

[6] Iron Sharpens Iron (Part One) - Sabbath https://www.sabbath.org/index.cfm/library/weekly/id/933/iron-sharpens-iron-part-one.htm

[7] Iron Sharpens Iron (Proverbs 27:17) - Trochia Ministries https://trochia.org/iron-sharpens-iron-proverbs-2717/

[8] What "Iron Sharpening Iron" Does Not Mean - Sharon Hodde Miller https://sheworships.com/what-iron-sharpening-iron-does-not-mean/

[9] As iron sharpens iron : r/awakened - Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/awakened/comments/1edxjlh/as_iron_sharpens_iron/

[10] iron sharpens iron | Devotions by Chris Hendrix https://devotionsbychris.com/tag/iron-sharpens-iron/

[1] Proverbs 27:17 - Iron Sharpens Iron - Scripture Type https://scripturetype.com/pages/proverbs-27-17

[2] Sharpening One Another | Reformed Bible Studies & Devotionals at ... https://learn.ligonier.org/devotionals/sharpening-one-another

[3] Proverbs 27:17 - HMD - ברזל בברזל יחד ואיש יחד פני רעהו׃ https://www.studylight.org/bible/heb/hmd/proverbs/27-17.html

[4] Proverbs 27:17 Hebrew Text Analysis - Bible Hub https://biblehub.com/text/proverbs/27-17.htm

[5] When Iron Sharpens Iron, Sparks Fly (Proverbs 27:17) https://sundaymorninggreekblog.com/2012/03/31/when-iron-sharpens-iron-sparks-fly-proverbs-2717/

[6] What historical context influenced the writing of Proverbs 27:17? https://biblehub.com/q/What_history_shaped_Proverbs_27_17.htm

[7] Proverbs 27:17 - Historically, did ancient ironworking practices ... https://biblehub.com/q/is_'iron_sharpens_iron'_historically_valid.htm

[8] What Is the Meaning of “Iron Sharpens Iron” in Proverbs 27:17? https://www.garbc.org/commentary/what-is-the-meaning-of-iron-sharpens-iron-in-proverbs-2717/

[9] What Proverbs 27:17 Means: As Iron Sharpens Iron - YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vH_NMrehY08

[10] Proverbs 27:17 | Hebrew Word Study - Skip Moen https://skipmoen.com/tag/proverbs-2717/

TRAGIC IRONY

History overflows with tragic ironies, where gatekeepers of truth are misjudged and pay a terrible price for their essential pivot role. Compounding the tragic irony is that they're seldom around to receive proper credit for how they shaped history. 

Secular Examples of Misjudged Vision

• Socrates, condemned by Athens' wisest for "corrupting youth," spoke truths about virtue that his accusers embodied in their injustice, birthing Western philosophy from his hemlock cup.
• Galileo, tried by church authorities expert in Scripture and science, saw heliocentrism they branded heresy; his house arrest preserved texts that dismantled geocentric dogma.
• Ignaz Semmelweis, pictured above, was ridiculed by medical elite for handwashing, died in an asylum from the infections his protocol prevented, vindicated generations later as germ theory triumphed.

Seeing the Tragic Irony of Israel's High Priest Caiaphas

Prophets like Jeremiah faced elite rejection despite foretelling Temple judgment. His words vindicated only after the nation's exile. In this post, I will make a case for Israel's High Priest Caiaphas, who I believe is unfairly scorned for his crucial role in prophecy fulfillment through Jesus's crucifixion.

COULD IT BE?

I have a theory that the High Priest is the most important misunderstood figure in the gospels. 

It is debatable whether or not Jesus would have been crucified, if not for Israel's High Priest. He pressured the Sanhedrin, even breaking protocols. He fooled Roman Pilate into crucifying Jesus despite Pilate figuring out Jesus was no threat to Rome. As it turned out, it was the false messiah Bar Kokhba who proved to be the actual threat to Rome and the Jewish nation. 

"YOU KNOW NOTHING AT ALL..." 

John 11:49 —Then one of them, named Caiaphas, who was high priest that year, spoke up, “You know nothing at all! 

It can be argued that the Israelite High Priest Caiaphas was the only person beside Jesus who knew Jesus HAD to be crucified. The High Priest is arguably the one person who really did understand the prophecies. 

Jesus came to fulfill a long list of prophecies, not the least of which are Psalm 22 and Isaiah 53. (In the epilogue of this article I added a list of some of the 300 aledged prophecies He fulfilled.) If Jesus had just done miracles and led a righteous life, but had not fulfilled those prophecies, we wouldn't have the gospels; the story would have been entirely different. Jesus laid down his life, but there had to be a High Priest who insisted on taking it.

Two Others Knew 

It may be fair to say that Nicodemus understood as well. However, his statements questioned whether the Jewish leaders really understood what Jesus was saying. He was less making a legal case against the crucifixion and more preparing the leaders for the future. Ultimately, his role with Joseph of Arimathea in taking Jesus down from the cross and placing him in the tomb, set the stage for the ressurection. They are evidence that Nicodemus and Joseph knew and understood their role in fulfilling prophecy.

Judas Iscariot knew Jesus was the Messiah, but he failed to foresee his role as Caiaphas understood it. Nonetheless, he served his purpose. 

I wonder if Nicodemus ever had a private confidential conversation with Caiaphas. Could they have been conspirators? Hmmm. Talk about a wild hypothetical!!

ESSENTIAL ROLE AND AUTHORITY

Historically, the High Priest was not only the religious head but also a political broker under Roman rule, appointed and removable at the pleasure of the Roman governor. That status explains how the Jerusalem priestly elite could both orchestrate a religious hearing and then channel the outcome into Roman legal machinery, urging Pilate toward crucifixion on a charge framed in Roman terms (“King of the Jews”).

Several historical analyses note that from a Roman standpoint, the decisive issue was potential sedition, NOT blasphemy. In that sense, the High Priest’s crucial function was to translate a religious issue and a threat to the Temple order and priestly authority into a political case Rome would act on; Thus making crucifixion—Rome’s punishment—realistic in the narrative world.

In John 11:49-52, Caiaphas reveals his unique calculus about sacrificing one man for the nation and the world.  By prophesying this, Caiaphas takes his statement about atonement and substitution to a providential level.

Maybe the crucifixion does not require Caiaphas as a metaphysical necessity, but the concrete story the Gospels actually tell would be unrecognizable without a priestly authority figure insisting that Jesus be eliminated and handing him over to the empire’s power.

Without Caiaphas's initiative, there is no formal charge, no referral to Pilate, and no priestly alliance with Roman power to bring about the crucifixion, 

The Gospels distribute responsibility across several actors—Judas, the chief priests, the crowd, Pilate, the soldiers—so that the passion becomes a kind of microcosm of humanity’s rejection of God, not the fault of a single villain. That distribution actually strengthens my thesis: precisely because so many figures are involved, the fact that the high priest’s role remains central and coordinating makes him one of the most theologically charged and narratively indispensable figures in the New Testament story.

Do Other Sources Support John 11 concerning Caiaphas?

While the Talmud isn't the source for Caiaphas' specific prophecy in John, the idea that God used his seemingly political words for a deeper, redemptive purpose is a core New Testament concept that resonates with themes found in Jewish understanding of prophecy and God's sovereignty.  The lack of an entry in the Talmud is not proof that the John 11 prophecy is false.

The Jewish Historian Josephus does not record specific words spoken by Caiaphas about Jesus, but he does confirm Caiaphas's role as High Priest and mentions him in connection with Jesus's brother, James, and the condemnation of Jesus by "principal men". While Josephus confirms Jesus's existence, crucifixion, and followers, his writings offer little on Caiaphas's direct statements.

Caiaphas's Prophecy Aligns with Daniel Prophecy

Surely Caiaphas was familiar with the prophet Daniel and his prophecy:

Daniel 9:26 in the Masoretic reads "And after the sixty-two weeks, [the] anointed one will be cut off, and he will be no more, and the people of the coming monarch will destroy the city and the Sanctuary, and his end will come about by inundation, and until the end of the war, it will be cut off into desolation."

The word "inundation" reads "flood" in most other translations.  That is the second definition of the Hebrew word. The other or first definition is an "overwhelming abundance of people (or things)." Consider events immediately after Yeshua is cut off from the people. The crowd (inundation) yells "crucify him." 

There is another interesting detail in Daniel's prophecy. It says "until the end of the war, it will be cut off into desolation." After Jesus's crucifixion the infamous Roman Wars begin. Jerusalem and the temple are destroyed. The Jews are driven into away the new "followers of the way" suffer terrible persecution. They are "cut off into desolation."

Within my larger theme of tragic irony, Daniel 9:26 intensifies the pattern: The very city and sanctuary for whose preservation the high priest fights, become the objects of destruction by “the people of the coming ruler” ‐ the Romans! The “flood” that first drowns the Messiah in rejection swells into wars that erase the very sacrificial system his death renders obsolete, forcing all future purification questions back onto the one “cut off.”

The crowd as inundation, Roman armies as flood, Roman wars and persecutions as the long “war of desolations” after the cutting off of the Anointed—fits both the Hebrew texture of the verse and the historical arc from the crucifixion through the fall of Jerusalem and the suffering of the early ekklesia.

Ironically, the high priest's rejection, is amplified by Daniel's timeline. Daniel 9:26's fulfillment—Messiah cut off, city and sanctuary destroyed amid wars and desolations—clears the historical stage for the deeper gathering that Caiaphas unwittingly prophesies in John 11:52.  

Caiaphas's words, "better that one man die for the nation than the whole nation perish," is generally interpreted as a political calculus to avert Roman wrath, but John reveals their divine repurposing: Jesus dies "not for the nation only, but also that He would gather together into one the children of God who were scattered abroad." 

"Scattered children of God" evokes the Jewish diaspora but expands to all who become God's family through the cross—Gentiles included—uniting them in the church as one body (Ephesians 2:11-22).

Daniel's desolations are the stage-setter. The prophecy's timeline aligns strikingly: after the Anointed One is "cut off" (Jesus' crucifixion ~AD 30), "the people of the prince who is to come" (Roman armies under Titus) destroy Jerusalem and the Temple (AD 70), with "flood" and "war desolations" matching the sieges, famines, and scatterings of the Jewish-Roman wars.  This cataclysm obliterates the old sacrificial center, forcing reliance on Jesus’s atonement and scattering both Jews and early Christians, priming the global mission of Acts. 

Linking the two prophecies:  Daniel's post-crucifixion upheavals (crowd "flood," Roman destruction, persecutions) create the conditions for Caiaphas' oracle to unfold—diaspora Jews and Gentiles "gathered into one" not by Temple restoration but by the Spirit-filled church exploding from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth. 

The Ultimate Irony

The highest authority of God in Israel, the High Priest, is the one who forces the issues in order to bring about the crucifixion and ultimately the destruction of the temple and the sacraficial system that Jesus came to replace. 

Furthermore, Caiaphas's anxious obsession with Jesus's death at Passover is palatable and underscores that the High Priest is acting according to a prophetic timetable.

Matthew 26:63-64—But Jesus remained silent. The high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.”

“You have said so,” Jesus replied. “But I say to all of you: From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven.”

In those verses, Jesus acknowledges the High Priest's authority and assessment.  By invoking Daniel 7:13 ("the Son of Man... coming on the clouds") and Psalm 110:1 ("seated at the right hand of Power"), Jesus transforms the High Priest's charge into a self-fulfilling declaration, confirming his messiahship in terms the High Priest would no doubt recognize. The High Priest's torn robes and cry of blasphemy (v. 65) thus become the scripted reaction to prophecy unfolding. His anxious obsession with eliminating Jesus at Passover unwittingly demands the very confession that seals the old system's obsolescence. Theologically, this moment casts the High Priest as prophecy's necessary antagonist: his authority forces Jesus' acknowledgment, which in turn fulfills the suffering Messiah's path and foreshadows the Temple's end.

Jesus' answer binds the High Priest's initiative to divine necessity, where rejection by the covenant's guardian, the High Priest, becomes the hinge for redemption, rendering the priest both villain and instrument in the Gospels' passion logic.

THE APOSTLES MISSED IT

The Lord says to my lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”

Psalm 110:1 promises the Messiah will sit at God’s right hand until his enemies are made a footstool, and this is exactly the text Jesus applies to himself in Matthew 26:64, “sitting at the right hand of the Mighy One". 

John 16:5-6 —but now I am going to him who sent me. None of you asks me, ‘Where are you going?’ Rather, you are filled with grief because I have said these things. 

The apostles should have connected Jesus's “going” not just with absence and death but with enthronement and priestly kingship. They missed it! 

By asking “What will happen to us if you leave?" the apostles reveal their ignorance and selfishness. 

In asking, “Where are you going?” the apostles are missing the direction of Jesus's mission—precisely the ascent to the Father anticipated in Psalm 110:1 and confessed before the High Priest.  

[Question: I want to tangent about the Messiah coming to judge the world. Psalm 110.1 seems to imply that Jesus will not leave his place at the right hand of God until his "enemies are made a footstool." To be "made a footstool means complete defeat, public humiliation. Is that happening in the world?]" 

Consider the irony in John 16—Jesus gently rebuking them for missing the same exaltation theme that frames his trial and the path of suffering that delivers Jesus to the "right hand of Power." Whereas, Caiaphas weaponizes his Scriptural knowledge to condemn Jesus in fulfillment of prophecy.  

The apostles fail to see a key shift in the story; that Jesus's departure is how the story will continue in the Spirit. Caiaphas, on the other hand, knows and declares that Jesus must die for prophetic reasons. 

Irony and Tragedy 

As I pointed out at the beginning of this post, tragedy and irony seemed to go hand in hand. 

The Bible overflows with irony, operating as a master literary and theological device that exposes human folly, divine sovereignty, and the reversal of expectations throughout its narrative arc.

Old Testament Examples: 

• Joseph's brothers sell him into slavery to eliminate a threat, yet this elevates him to Egypt's savior, forcing their dependence and fulfilling dreams they hated (Genesis 50:20).
• Pharaoh hardens his heart to crush Israel but funds their exodus through drowned armies, turning his might into Israel's wealth (Exodus 14).
• King Saul hunts David to preserve kingship, only to die by his own sword in the wilderness David spares (1 Samuel 31).

Prophets like Elijah mock Baal's priests (1 Kings 18), their frantic rituals ironically proving Yahweh's silence superior. Psalms revel in reversal: the wicked prosper briefly, then stumble, while the afflicted inherit Zion (Psalm 37). Irony culminates in the cross—wisdom to fools, weakness overthrowing power (1 Corinthians 1:25)—binding the high priest into Scripture's grand pattern.

If anyone could rightly interpret Jesus's reference to the "Sign of Jonah," it was the High Priest!  Ironically, this would be confirmation of prophecy after the crucifixion and resurrection, rather than a defense of Jesus that would spare Him the cross.

How tragically sad for the High Priest. His obsession secures redemption's story but costs him any place in it. He being the only one who knew that Jesus had to be crucified, and yet being scorned for all time for being God's instrument for the actual fulfillment of the prophecy. By the same token, who better?!

Temple Fall as Judgment Proof

The High Priest's accusation led to nullifying the old purification system for the Jews. Subsequent events like the 70 AD Temple razing—foretold by Jesus (Matthew 24)—would indict the Sanhedrin's priorities: their defense of sacrifices crumbled under Roman fire.

This cataclysm, paired with Judaism's pivot to synagogue prayer, mirrors Hebrews' argument that Jesus' "once-for-all offering" superseded Yom Kippur animal sacrifices. Thus making the high priest's rejection the catalyst for a new system of Atonement for the Jew and the Gentile. 

In addition, Rome’s scattering of the people, set the stage for the gathering that Caiaphas also prophesied.  

John 11:52-53—and not only for that nation but also for the scattered children of God, to bring them together and make them one.  53 So from that day on they plotted to take his life.

It could be said that the Jews took their marching orders from those verses. 

Broader Historical Vindication

The Jewish-Roman wars' failure to restore the priesthood, the diaspora church's explosion (fulfilling Acts' Gentile mission), and even modern Israel's regathering (echoing Ezekiel 37) would collectively testify that Jesus’s path—through Caiaphas' trial—unlocked prophecy's full arc.  

If Jesus were to be a retried today, the irony peaks: the very authority that condemned him becomes history's witness to his innocence, with Jonah's sign, the prophetic fallout demands recognition of the Messiah who was "forced" to the cross.

In my opinion, a "retrial" is already taking place. The forensic evidence has been fully studied and analyzed. The Shroud of Turin is the sign that has been kept for 2000 years and what makes it all the more amazing is that it calls Jesus to the witness stand. 

Epilogue:

The Bible contains numerous Old Testament prophecies that Christians identify as fulfilled in Jesus' life, death, and resurrection, often numbering over 300 depending on the criteria used. These span his birth, ministry, betrayal, crucifixion details, and ultimate victory. Below is a concise list of key prophecies most directly tied to the themes in my article—messianic identity, suffering servant, priestly role, and rejection by authorities.

Birth and Lineage Prophecies

- Born of a virgin: Isaiah 7:14 → Matthew 

k-23 [2]

- From Bethlehem: Micah 5:2 → Matthew 2:1-6 [4]

- Descendant of David: 2 Samuel 7:12-16 → Luke 1:32-33 [2]

- Called out of Egypt: Hosea 11:1 → Matthew 2:15 [4]

Ministry and Identity Prophecies

- Preceded by a forerunner: Isaiah 40:3; Malachi 3:1 → Matthew 3:1-3; 11:10 [5]

- Enters Jerusalem on a donkey: Zechariah 9:9 → Matthew 21:1-11 [4]

- Priest like Melchizedek: Psalm 110:4 → Hebrews 5:5-6 [1]

- Son of God declared: Psalm 2:7 → Matthew 3:17 [1]

Suffering and Crucifixion Prophecies

- Betrayed for 30 pieces of silver: Zechariah 11:12-13 → Matthew 26:14-16 [1]

- Silent before accusers: Isaiah 53:7 → Matthew 27:12-14 [1]

- Pierced hands and feet: Psalm 22:16 → John 20:25-27 [1]

- Lots cast for garments: Psalm 22:18 → John 19:23-24 [1]

- No bones broken: Psalm 34:20; Exodus 12:46 → John 19:32-36 [1]

- Suffering servant bearing iniquity: Isaiah 53:46 → 1 Peter 2:24 [1]

- Mocked and insulted: Psalm 22:7-8 → Matthew 27:39-44 [1]

Resurrection and Victory Prophecies

- Resurrection after death: Psalm 16:10 → Acts 2:31 [7]

- Ascension to God's right hand: Psalm 110:1 → Acts 2:34-35 [10]

- Enemies made footstool: Psalm 110:1 → Hebrews 10:13 [11]

- Victory over death: Isaiah 25:8; Hosea 13:14 → 1 Corinthians 15:54-55 [1]

Key Passion Prophecies (Tied to High Priest Narrative):

- "One man dies for the people": Echoed in Caiaphas' words (John 11:50), fulfilling Isaiah 53:12 [1]

Stricken by shepherd's rejection: Zechariah 13:7 → Matthew 26:31 [1]

These fulfillments form the backbone of New Testament claims, with Matthew and others explicitly citing them to show Jesus as the prophesied Messiah, including the ironic role of rejection by Israel's leaders.[3][5]

Citations:

[1] 351 Old Testament Prophecies Fulfilled In Jesus Christ https://www.newtestamentchristians.com/bible-study-resources/351-old-testament-prophecies-fulfilled-in-jesus-christ/

[2] 7 Major Old Testament Prophecies that Jesus Fulfills - Seedbed https://seedbed.com/7-major-old-testament-prophecies-that-jesus-fulfills/

[3] How many prophecies did Jesus fulfill? | GotQuestions.org https://www.gotquestions.org/prophecies-of-Jesus.html

[4] How Many Prophecies Did Jesus Fulfill? (LIST) - Bart Ehrman https://www.bartehrman.com/how-many-prophecies-did-jesus-fulfill/

[5] 55 Old Testament Prophecies Fulfilled by Jesus - Jesus Film Project https://www.jesusfilm.org/blog/old-testament-prophecies/

[6] Chart of Old Testament prophecies fulfilled by Jesus https://www.about-jesus.org/complete-chart-prophecies-jesus.htm

[7] The Top 40 Messianic Prophecies about Jesus https://jewsforjesus.org/learn/top-40-most-helpful-messianic-prophecies

[8] [PDF] 44-Prophecies-Jesus-Christ-Fulfilled.pdf https://parish.rcdow.org.uk/swisscottage/wp-content/uploads/sites/52/2014/11/44-Prophecies-Jesus-Christ-Fulfilled.pdf

[9] Jesus fulfilled 351 Old Testament Prophecies : r/Christianity - Reddit https://www.reddit.com/r/Christianity/comments/1ms34j8/jesus_fulfilled_351_old_testament_prophecies/

[10] What does Psalm 110:1 mean? - BibleRef.com https://www.bibleref.com/Psalms/110/Psalm-110-1.html

[11] What does it mean that God will make our enemies a footstool ... https://www.gotquestions.org/make-enemies-footstool.html

SHEVAT AND ADAR -- ROLLING TOGETHER TIME, RELIGION, POLITICS AND LIFE

I was asked to write the Jewish Federation board blog for February issue of our newspaper, The Voice. This is roughly what I will be submitting. 
-----------

February begins with the holiday of Tu B’Shevat, the “New Year for Trees,” on February 2nd. Then, on the 17th, with Rosh Chodesh, we roll into the Hebrew month of Adar, marked by Purim. Two holidays in one month gives us much to reflect on.

It's been a cold & snowy winter thus far, but Tu B’Shevat, symbolizing nature’s awakening and spiritual renewal after winter’s dormancy, invites us to look ahead to Spring with gratitude. This leads us into Adar and the celebration of Purim—a month when our joy increases, knowing that ultimately, good defeats the evil Haman and light overcomes darkness.

Tu B’Shevat’s tradition of eating fruits & nuts, especially the 7-Species of Israel, connects us to the land to which we are rooted, while Purim inspires us to fight back with hidden spiritual assurance of Hashem’s protection for Israel and the Jewish people.

The world is moving rapidly. But to where? The answer is: toward the world we plant and fight for, and one that Hashem delivers.

The Jewish Federation of Dutchess County is an active participant in this world, locally speaking. All who engage with us through volunteer efforts, donations, and attendance help us make a positive difference—addressing real issues, strengthening the community, and improving people’s lives. How so? Read about it in this newspaper and our weekly JFED emails.

Reading is not enough though. It takes "doing" to achieve a harvest. It takes fighting to be victorious against the dark, evil forces that plot to destroy us.

I’m confident you’ve heard the phrase, “It is always darkest just before the dawn.” The first recorded use of it was in 1650 in a book by English historian and clergyman, Thomas Fuller called "A Pisgah-Sight of Palestine." Pisgah (פִּסְגָּה) means "height," "peak," or "summit." Mount Pisgah is where Moses viewed the Promised Land before his death (Deuteronomy 34:1–4) and where King Balak took the prophet Balaam to curse Israel (Numbers 23:14).

In 1650, when Fuller wrote his book, the rebirth of the "Promised Land" was but a dream. In 1867, Mark Twain described Palestine in his book "Innocents Abroad" as “a hopeless, dreary, heart-broken land.”

The dawn of Israel followed the darkest time, the Holocaust. On October 7th, 2023, Israel began another dark time as Hamas terrorists committed unimaginable atrocities and took ~251 people into captivity. Iran and its proxies proceeded to fire nearly 30,000 rockets, mortars, and missiles at Israel. It was one of the darkest times in Jewish history.

Today, a new day is dawning.  The hostage crisis is resolved. Iran’s nuclear program has been obliterated; its Islamist proxies—Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis in Yemen—are crushed; and the oppressive Islamic regime in Iran is collapsing. 

Thomas Fuller, the clergyman mentioned earlier, lamented the suffering of Jewish communities. He asked , “What good heart can, without grief, recount the injuries offered to those who once were the only people of God?” Fuller argued that the oppression of Jews was not only morally wrong but also politically unwise. 

History is full of lessons about what happens to civilizations that bless or curse the Jewish people. We are living witnesses to history. There is a new generation of modern survivors. 

We still have our enemies and we always will. But we also have allies like Thomas Fuller.  The Jewish Federation seeks to build relationships with supporters. We strive to partner with those who share our love for Israel and want to build a better community here in Dutchess county.

Let Tu B’Shevat and Purim be a reminder to us all that hope springs eternal. May a brighter dawn be ahead for us all. 

KAVOD — THE LORD IS NOT TO BE TAKEN LIGHTLY

Psalm 29.9—The voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth and strips the forests bare, and in his temple all cry, “Glory (Kavod)!”

This Post is Heavy

Kavod (כָּבוֹד) is the Hebrew word primarily meaning "glory," "honor," or "weight." Kaved and kavod share the same Hebrew root כ-ב-ד (k-b-d), linking concepts of weight and heaviness.

The word Kavod has worked its way into modern Jewish expression. I've said and heard countless times the modern Hebrew colloquial expression "kol hakavod" for "well done." You don't say kol hakavod for just any trvial thing -- it is typically something done in service of the Lord. It is common to say kol hakavod for an important good work, such as the delivery of a good sermon.

The First Use of the Word:  Exodus 16:7

אֶת־כְּב֣וֹד יְהֹוָ֔ה (Glory of the Lord)

Exodus 16:7—And [in the] morning, you shall see the glory of the Lord when He hears your complaints against the Lord but [of] what [significance] are we, that you make [the people] complain against us?

In this verse, Exodus 16.7 Moses tells the Israelites, "In the morning you will see the glory (kavod) of the Lord,..."Prophetic!! 

"...because he has heard your grumblings against him." This happens during the provision of manna in the Wilderness, marking God's initial visible manifestation of his weighty presence to the complaining people.

In Exodus 16:6-10, Moses and Aaron address the assembly, promising God's provision; as they speak, the glory (kavod) appears in a cloud, confirming divine response.

Exodus 17:12— Now Moses hands were (כְּבֵדִ֔ים Kavod) heavy; so they took a stone and placed it under him, and he sat on it. Aaron and Hur supported his hands, one from this [side], and one from that [side]; so he was with his hands in faith until sunset.

This precedes fuller revelations at Sinai (Exodus 24:16-17), establishing kavod as a tangible, fiery/cloud-like theophany. 

Exodus 24:16-17 — Now the glory (כְּבֽוֹד־) of the Lord rested on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day He called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud.  The sight of the glory (כְּבֽוֹד־) of the Lord was like a consuming fire on the top of the mountain in the eyes of the children of Israel. 

Together, these verses underscore God's "heaviness" in intervention, contrasting human complaints with divine honor. The Lord is not to be taken lightly! 

Psalm 38.4 --For my iniquities have gone over my head; Like a heavy (יִכְבְּד֥וּ - Kavod) burden they are too heavy (יִכְבְּד֥וּ - Kavod) for me.

A Prophetic Image

Speaking of the heaviness (kavod) of Moses hands (arms) in Exodus 17:12, consider medical analyses of crucifixion. The body's weight hanging from the outstretched arms would cause the shoulders to dislocate and stretch the arms beyond their normal length. This would put immense pressure on nerves and muscles, causing intense pain and a sensation of extreme weight (Kavod).

Ingratitude Leads to Downfall 

Ingratitude leads to spiritual downfall, hardened hearts, and divine discipline, as exemplified by the Israelites' wilderness wanderings.

The Israelites' pattern of grumbling persists even after God's miraculous manna provision in Exodus 16, revealing deep ingratitude and lack of faith.

God does not overlook this; he responds with righteous anger through Moses (Exodus 16:20) and later sends fire on the outskirts for further complaints (Numbers 11:1), emphasizing that murmuring against provision questions his kavod and sovereignty. These events culminate in prolonged wandering, as the generation fails to enter the land due to unbelief.

The Israelites' persistent complaints despite God's faithful provision carry a profound warning about ingratitude and unbelief in our own lives.

Weight of the Matter

Grumbling dishonors God's kavod—his weighty glory—by doubting his goodness and sufficiency, much like Pharaoh's hardened (kaved) heart escalated judgments. We must cultivate contentment, remembering past provisions as memorials (like manna in the ark), to avoid similar consequences.

Gratitude or Grumbling — Is a Choice

Gratitude anchors prayer and worship by countering the human tendency toward complaint, as seen in the Israelites' manna cycle.

In the Psalms, praise precedes petition (Psalm 100:4). In the wilderness narrative, ingratitude veiled God's kavod, but gratitude unveils it, shifting focus from self to divine provision.

Gratitude embodies honoring (kaved roots) God's weighty faithfulness, fostering humility and trust. It transforms rote prayer into relational dialogue, preventing hardened hearts and inviting sustained presence. Daily practice aligns us with heavenly worship, where elders ceaselessly thank the Lamb (Revelation 4-5). 

It Doesn't Get Any Heavier Than This

I love this last fact.  The Hebrew root of kavod/kaved is כבד (k-b-d). Its standard gematria value is 26: כ (kaf=20) + ב (bet=2) + ד (dalet=4). This 26 links numerically to YHWH (יהוה=10+5+6+5), symbolizing glory's divine weight.  

כבד = יהוה

Does gematria give us any clues about the year 2026? Some spiritual Jews have noticed '26 because it equals Kavod "glory" and YHVH. 

BUT, let's look at the whole year. Gematria adds it up this way:
2+0+2+6=10 
1+0=1 

2026 is the year of ONE GOD. GOD IS ONE...A GOD OF GLORY.

Ordinal Value

Hebrew Gematria can also be calculated using "ordinal value." Hebrew gematria's ordinal method (mispar siduri) assigns values based on letter position: aleph=1, bet=2, up to tav=22.

The total ordinal value for the root כבד is calculated as follows:

כ (kaf, 11th letter) = 11
ב (bet, 2nd) = 2
ד (dalet, 4th) = 4
11+2+4=17

In Hebrew tradition, the number 17 often signifies divine purpose, overcoming enemies, and spiritual perfection, linked to events like Noah's Ark resting (Genesis 8:4) and God's judgment. 

Genesis 8:4 — the ark came to rest in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on the mountains of Ararat.

Either way you add it up, Kavod is heavy!

Happy New Year '26 --  May it be a year filled with gratitude for the Glory of the Lord!

Epilogue:

It just occurred to me...You've probably heard the expression "Glory of the Lord." Watch what happens when we convert the words Glory and Lord to Hebrew Gematria. 

Glory >  כבד (Kavod) = 26

Lord > יהוה (YHVH) = 26

Now put the numbers back into the saying "Glory of the Lord." In gematria terms it is the same as saying "26 of 26." 

Saying "X of X" (like "friend of a friend") when the numbers/items are the same emphasizes a shared connection or source, meaning it's not just anyone, but someone related to that specific connection, highlighting the link's importance. 

The expression "X of X" is used to stress sameness in kind or origin, not necessarily identical things, but a shared principle or category, often to show deep understanding or shared experience. 

It's a way of saying something is not just similar, but fundamentally of the same nature, source, or principle, underscoring a deep resonance or shared identity/origin that goes beyond superficial likeness. 

With this understanding in mind, now let's look at a few key verses in the bible where the expression "glory of the Lord" is found.

Isaiah 60:1 says, "Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you," 

It is somewhat hidden in this next verse:

John 1:14 "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth". 

In every case below, the "Glory of the Lord" represents a manifestation:

Exodus 16:10: "The glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud" as God provided for Israel in the wilderness.

Exodus 40:34-35: "Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle," showing God's dwelling place.

1 Kings 8:11: "The priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the temple of the Lord," at the dedication of Solomon's Temple. 

In these verses below, the phrase is prophetic:  

Isaiah 40:5: "And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken," promising future revelation.

Ezekiel 1:28: "Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord," describing Ezekiel's vision.

Habakkuk 2:14: "For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea," a prophetic hope. 

This verse from Isaiah emphasizes the profoundly unique connection between glory and the Lord:

Isaiah 42:8: "I am the Lord; that is my name; my glory I give to no other, nor my praise to carved idols," affirming God's unique glory. 

In closing, consider the verse just after Isaiah 60.1:

Isaiah 60:2—For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and a gross darkness the kingdoms, and the Lord shall shine upon you, and His glory shall appear over you.

And for "followers of the way:"

Jude 1:24-25

Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, 25 to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.

"26 of 26" is very 26!

"Glory of the Lord" is very heavy!!

CRYING DOESN'T COME EASY

I have trouble crying. Decades ago I discussed this with a psychologist. I wanted to cry, to release, but it wasn't happening. 

Some things could make me cry -- like a beautiful touching story about an animal that rescued someone. I remember crying myself to sleep when I was 14 years old the night my horse was dying. 

Sometimes, rarely, I would burst out crying, sobbing, because something deeply sentimental would finally hit me. Like crying about the death of my parents, long after the funeral. Or weeks after dropping our children off at college for the first time and realizing that they'd never be "living at home" again. Or the loss of my dog when another dog reminded me of Benji.

I don't think I'm that unique. What is it about men? I can't speak for all men of course. But I have one theory about some men, in particular, some Jewish men. 

I think many Jewish men have had the crying cried out of them even before they were born. That's right, before they were born. I never saw or heard my father cry. Although, when I went to his bedside when he was weeks away from dying, when he couldn't even speak, his eyes welled up with tears when he saw me. He reached for my hand and held on. I believe he knew it was the last time we would see one another. 

Generations of Jewish suffering, persecution, and profound grief and hardship have required resilience for survival. Eventually tears dried up, replaced by communal memory of pain without tears. Could that response somehow have been passed down? 

Jews cry when we reach safety; when we see a Jew rescued. That was a major theme in the book I just finished reading -- Hostage. 

Sometimes we cry when a non-Jew expresses love for us and Israel, and we get the sense that they understand.

Not Crying -- It's a Thing

Psychologist tell us that it's hard for some people to cry due to emotional suppression from past trauma or societal pressure, leading to numbness or being in "survival mode," which blocks emotional release. 

It's often harder for men to cry due to a mix of biology (hormones like testosterone potentially inhibiting tears, prolactin promoting them) and societal pressures, where cultural norms teach boys to be stoic, suppress emotions, and view vulnerability as weakness, leading to emotional containment or lashing out instead of crying.

Frankly, I am envious of men with a soft loving heart who cry easily, for the right reasons. I have a few dear friends like that. They are precious to me. One of them is in the hospital having life necessary surgery today.  Another mutual friend. I tell this friend, I cry through him. 

God's speed Tony. ❤️‍🩹🙏

We all look forward to seeing your smile again soon! 

JEWS ARE OCCUPIERS

LET'S GO BACK ~2000 YEARS

What did Jesus call the area some say is "occupied" by Jews? 

ACTS 1:8—But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

In this scripture verse scene, Jesus was addressing His disciples, the core group of followers present after His resurrection, commissioning them to be His witnesses. 

That core group of Jesus's disciples, the Apostles, were all Jewish, as was Jesus himself; they worshipped in synagogues, observed Jewish feasts. They were essentially a Jewish sect who called themselves "followers of the Way."

Prior to Jesus, 

Jesus walked in a land occupied by Jews. 

Eretz Israel, the Land of Jacob (Israel) has always been occupied by "Tribes." In addition to the Tribes of Israel, "the land" was occupied by the following tribes:

• Canaanites
• Amorites
• Hittites
• Jebusites
• Perizzites
• Hivites
• Girgashites
• Rephaim
• Anakim
• Philistines
• Kenites
• Kenizzites
• Kadmonites
• Amalekites
• Midianites
• Moabites
• Edomites
• Arameans

Notice there was no tribe called "Palestinians." 

Genesis 12.1—Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you.

Remember, Abraham lived in the land God showed him before the Nation of Israel returned some 400 years later. So did his son Isaac, "his only son" (Gen. 22 2), Isaac never left the land. Isaac's son Jacob also lived in the land before his mother told him to get away.  Jacob sent Joseph to check on his brothers who were grazing their sheep around the Valley of Hebron. Hebron is in the Judaean Mountains approximately 19 miles from Jerusalem. 

The Emergence of Isreal

The Kingdom of "Israel" emerges around 1200 BCE, NOT as an external invasion, but as a hill-country people who gradually displaced, absorbed, or coexisted with others. That "hill-country is around Hebron, Bethlehem, and Jerusalem (pre-1000 BCE). Hebron is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the region. Early Israelite settlements appear in small villages in this rugged terrain

Israel became a "United Monarchy" under King (David/Solomon) 1000–930 BCE. King David was born in Bethlehem, which is a few miles south of Jerusalem. 

The Tribes of Israel began to be called “Jews” only after the Babylonian Exile, roughly 6th–5th century BCE, and only in reference to the people of the Kingdom of Judah. Before that, they were called Israelites like all the other "ITES" in the Land, not Jews.

Before the Land of Israel there was Canaan and the Canaanites. Canaan is the Son of Ham, Grandson of Noah, who appears after the Flood. His descendants populate the land later called Canaan. This is explicitly stated in Genesis 10, the “Table of Nations.” (These were NOT descendants of Cain from the bible story of Cain and Able.) They were descendants of Ham which includes the Egyptians. In the bible, Canaan is cursed:

“Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be to his brothers.” (Genesis 9:25)

The Universal Pattern

For 95% of human history the entire earth was occupied by tribes at one time or another. There are still places such as in the Amazon that are "occupied by tribes." But that doesn't make the Amazon a nation! 

Nations forming from tribes follows a universal historical pattern:

Tribes →
Chiefdoms →
City-states →
Kingdoms / Empires →
Nation-states

Every civilization passed through tribal stages including Europe, China, and the Middle East.

On a relevant tangent, I am looking forward to starting a book today that was released in April 2025. It is called "Israel and Civilization—The fate Jewish Nation and the Destiny of the West" by the brilliant Josh Hammer, who was a close friend and personal advisor to Charlie Kirk. 

What Makes Israel Unique Among All Nations in the World

Israel is unique among the nations and tribes. Only Israel was promised to the children of the Patriarch by God in the bible. Israel is is the ONLY nation given it's name by God!  The nation of Israel is the only nation born as a result of sacrafice commanded by God—The command to sacrifice the Passover Lamb. Israel is the only nation of people who were lead out of another nation, Egypt, by the almighty outstretched arm and hand of God and shown the way to the land by God’s gloriful Light, his Shekhinah. 

Contrasting Israel with America

As a point of reference, the Land of America was "occupied" by Native American tribes until 1492—and in fact beyond—European colonization, but the point at which they lost political control and territorial sovereignty differs by region.

By contrast, the term “America” comes from the name of a European explorer, and it entered use in the early 16th century. The term "America" came into use after it originated from the name Amerigo Vespucci (1454–1512). He was an Italian navigator sailing for Spain and Portugal who explored the coasts of South America.

First Use of the Name “America” was in 1507, whrn a German cartographer named Martin Waldseemüller published a world map with a the new continent “America” on it. That was the feminine Latin form of Americus = Amerigo.

CONCLUSION

Should every nation be divided up and given back to the tribes that once occupied it? Good luck with that! 

Very few modern countries have maintained the identities of their original tribal peoples intact, because most nations evolved through conquest, assimilation, migration, or state-building. However, there are some notable exceptions where tribal identities remain strong, socially and politically, even if the nation itself has modern borders. Israel and America are two examples. Israel is still bringing home it's tribes! Israel is arguably the clearest historical example where a tribal identity survived millennia.

As for the Hittites, Jebusites, Perizzites, Hivites, Girgashites, Rephaim, Anakim, etc., forget about those nations. There is a greater chance of the Kingdom of Babylon reemerging. (Pun intended.)

Israel is held to a double standard. It is the only nation that isn't allowed to follow the same universal pattern as every other nation.  By the same token, it is the only nation whose pattern of establishment is of God.  

Epilogue:

People often see the Hebrew letter lamed (ל) in the outline of Israel, but that perception is symbolic and subjective. 

The letter lamed is a tall vertical stroke with a curved or angled top, like a shepherd's staff. Lamed is the only Hebrew letter that rises above the line. 

The silhouette of Israel does not objectively or intentionally resemble the Hebrew letter lamed, but some people perceive a symbolic similarity and use it devotionally or poetically — not historically or geographically.  It is similar to how Italy, a nation famous for footwear looks like a boot. 

It also must be a coincidence that Lamed is the 12th letter in the Hebrew Alphabet. 😉

THE MASKS ARE COMING OFF

When someone laughs, KACKLES, immediately after saying something that isn't funny, it often reveals something about their internal state or social awareness:

Below are some possibilities:

• Nervous energy or discomfort - They may be uncomfortable with what they just said, whether it's awkward, potentially offensive, or just landed poorly. The laugh is a release valve for their own tension.
• Seeking approval or connection - The laugh can be an implicit question: "Is this okay? Are we good?" It's a social lubricant attempting to smooth over uncertainty about how their comment was received.
• Undercutting their own seriousness - Sometimes people laugh after saying something sincere or vulnerable as a way to protect themselves. If you reject what they said, they can claim "I wasn't being serious anyway." It's emotional hedging.
• Awareness of transgression - If they said something slightly mean, inappropriate, or boundary-pushing, the immediate laugh acknowledges "I know I probably shouldn't have said that" while simultaneously trying to deflect consequences through levity.
• Habitual anxiety pattern - For some people, this becomes an automatic verbal tic during any potentially charged moment, regardless of content.

A manic kackle like Kamala Harris or Tucker Carlson (Qatarlson) often signals that something is happening beneath the surface that the person is trying to manage or discharge through laughter. It's rarely about finding their own comment amusing.

That nervous laugh can definitely be a tell that someone knows they're concealing their actual position or motive. It's the laugh of someone who:

• Knows they're being deceptive or evasive - They've just said something that doesn't represent their true belief, and the laugh leaks out as psychological discomfort with their own dishonesty.
• Is testing the waters - They're floating a controversial idea while maintaining plausible deniability. The laugh says "I'm just joking... unless you agree with me, in which case I'm totally serious."
• Feels guilty about manipulation - If they're attempting to influence you toward something they know you'd resist if stated directly, that laugh can be the sound of their conscience briefly breaking through.
• Is experiencing cognitive dissonance - The gap between what they're saying and what they actually believe creates internal tension that escapes as nervous laughter.
• This is different from garden-variety social anxiety. There's a quality of knowingness to it - they're aware of the gap between appearance and reality, and the laugh is the pressure release from maintaining that gap.

In spiritual direction or pastoral contexts, you learn to notice these moments. They're often invitations to gently create space for honesty: "I notice you laughed just then - is there more you're thinking about this that you haven't said?"

Tucker's bazaar kackling outbursts have become quite a signature move. They "tell" when he's:

• Saying something he knows is inflammatory - floating a conspiracy theory, making an accusation, or pushing a narrative that's controversial even by his own audience's standards. The laugh provides cover: "I'm just asking questions here, folks."
• Expressing something extreme while maintaining deniability - He can advance a position without fully owning it. If called out, the laugh retroactively frames it as performance rather than sincere belief.
• Signaling to his audience - "We both know what I really mean here, don't we?" It's a wink to those who share his actual views while giving him distance from explicit statement.
• Managing his own relationship to what he's saying - There's often a quality of "can you believe I'm allowed to say this on television?" to it.

His laugh functions as a rhetorical escape hatch. It's harder to pin someone down when they've wrapped their claims in performative amusement. And it creates a permission structure for the audience: "If he's laughing about it, it must not be that serious... but also, maybe it's totally serious."

It's a sophisticated technique, actually - whether conscious or habitual. The laugh does enormous work in terms of plausible deniability while still advancing ideas.

Tucker has a giant following on the Right and in the MAGA Movement. Tucker has come out from behind his mask. Now that he has been named "Antisemite of the Year" and called "the most dangerous antisemite in America," I suspect he will be laughing less and straight-talking his Jew and Israel hatred more plainly. 

The Timing Is No Accident

Charlie Kirk was holding back the dam.  When he was murdered a leadership vacuum* was created in the Conservative party. A rush to acquire the Turning Point USA audience, clicks and CASH ensued. A battle for the heart of the Conservative Party is underway. Make no mistake, Qatar is on the side of Tucker.

*The power of a vacuum: I blogged about another time in History four years ago when there was another "Leadership Vacuum."

THE MASKS ARE COMING OFF AND THE KNIVES ARE COMING OUT

Tucker is normalizing Jew Hatred. He is making it "OK," even valid, in the mainstream of the Conservative movement. 

When someone receives that kind of public designation - and from the Anti-Defamation League, no less - it can indeed function as a breaking point where the pretense becomes unsustainable or unnecessary.

Tucker's trajectory has been notable: platforming Holocaust revisionist Darryl Cooper, the "Churchill was the chief villain of WWII" conversation, his increasingly explicit rhetoric around "globalists" and power structures with clear antisemitic dog whistles, his commentary on Israel that goes well beyond legitimate policy criticism into something darker.

CONCLUSION

The mask is off!  Once you've been publicly named, the cost-benefit analysis of concealment changes. If you're already paying the social price, why maintain the exhausting dance of plausible deniability? The nervous laugh becomes less necessary when you've decided to own the position.

NO Laughing Matter:  What this means for Jewish communities is genuinely dangerous. Tucker has massive reach and influence. When antisemitism moves from coded language and nervous laughter to explicit statement, it normalizes and emboldens. History shows us this pattern clearly.

Epilogue:

Sinister stuff. This is important to know.  

https://youtu.be/8JVHdoE-i1M?si=rb5-02cJ97L4VDYq

Josh Hammer lays out the problem with Tucker very well in this interview, even though many people are not fans of Jonathan Tobin who is interviewing him.

https://youtu.be/dbVtAh4_bCk?si=LsaL6xX-VOUYevxt