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Saraja's Friends' blogs

Dwaas, wilt u het bewijs dat geloof zonder daden nutteloos is?

March 9, 2010 by krachtvoorherstel   comments (0)

Dwaas, wilt u het bewijs dat geloof zonder daden nutteloos is?

Dwaas, wilt u het bewijs dat geloof zonder daden nutteloos is?
Zoals het lichaam dood is zonder de ziel, zo is ook geloof zonder daden dood.
Jacobus 2:20 en 26

Er zijn veel naam christenen in Nederland!

We leven in een individualistische maatschappij. We zien dat in alle geledingen van de maatschappij en het begint al bij de overheid.
We zien in deze tijd, zo vlak voor de verkiezingen, dat de leiders van de politieke partijen om het hardst roepen dat we meer moeten luisteren naar het volk en dat we anders politiek moeten bedrijven. Maar we zien ook dat na de verkiezingen, ministers van diezelfde partijen gewoon weg niet luisteren naar wat de kiezer nu eigenlijk wil.

Neem nu Geert Wilders: hij roept het hardst wat de kiezer denkt en wat hem beweegt, maar de oplossing van de problematiek heeft hij niet. Ook zijn aanhangers hebben geen oplossing en als ze dan ook met iets aankomen, dan is het wartaal die uitgekraamd wordt en totaal niet toepasbaar of haalbaar.
Wat te denken van de zogenoemde hoofddoekentaks?
Wat een waan idee!

Natuurlijk ben ik met Wilders eens dat iedere praktiserende Moslim er 1 te veel is!
Niet dat ik tegen de Moslim medemens ben, begrijp me niet verkeerd, maar het is een idealisme van mij als ik zeg dat ik wil dat ieder mens behouden blijft. En volgens mijn ideaal, welke is de Bijbel waar ik mijn inspiratie vandaan haal, is dat Jezus Christus.
Hij zegt van zichzelf: Ik ben de weg, de waarheid en het leven, wie in Mij geloofd zal niet verloren gaan, ook al sterft hij, maar zal eeuwig leven hebben (Johannes 11:25).

Ook christenen zijn individualistische mensen: we kunnen het wel alleen!
Ik heb er recentelijk een aantal blogs aan geweid en zal hier niet in herhaling vallen wat dat betreft. Het enige waar ik op wil wijzen is nogmaals die tekst uit Hebreeën 10:25: we mogen onze onderlinge samenkomsten niet verzuimen!
Uit die tekst blijkt al dat we het niet alleen kunnen. We moeten samenkomen als broeders en zusters onder elkaar. We moeten elkaar ontmoeten, van elkaar leren en elkaar bemoedigen in de naam van Jezus, onze Heer en Heiland.
Ik durf zelfs zover te gaan dat een ieder die zegt christen te zijn, maar zich niet houdt aan dit eenvoudige Woord van God, hij of zij GEEN christen is, zoals God dat bedoeld heeft!

Nee, we moeten gaan beseffen wat Ghandi al besefte:

Ghandi, geen christen maar hindoe, zegt over de Bijbel:

Jullie hebben een geschrift onder jullie hoede, dat genoeg dynamiek bevat om de hele beschaving op te blazen, de wereld op z'n kop te zetten en vrede te brengen aan een door oorlog verscheurde planeet. Maar jullie gaan ermee om alsof het slechts een stuk literatuur is.

Wat zou er gebeuren als wij beseffen wat Ghandi beseft? Dan zouden we in een andere wereld leven! Wat een kracht er in Gods Woord zit, dat moet een hindoe ons vertellen... De Bijbel is het geopenbaarde Woord van God, geen romannetje!

Hoe meer ik dit tot mij door laat dringen, des te meer versta ik de woorden die Paulus ons na laat in Romeinen 8:22 (Statenvertaling):

Want wij weten, dat het ganse schepsel te zamen zucht, en te zamen als in barensnood is tot nu toe.

Wanneer we nadenken over wat Ghandi zegt en we lezen dan dat de wereld in Barensweeën is, hoe veel te meer zouden we dan moeten bidden om de kracht van Gods Geest om deze wereld in te gaan en Zijn Woord te verkondigen?

Niet alleen die enkele christen die zijn samenkomst verzuimd is een individualist: ook de kerk/gemeente is in zichzelf een individualistische organisatie geworden!
De dynamiek van de Bijbel is over boord gezet! De kracht van Gods gedachten, die Hij voor ons op papier heeft doen zetten is met het badwater weggegooid, zoals het gezegde luidt: gooi niet het kind met badwater weg!

Wij hebben Jezus uit de kerk gegooid!

Onze individualistische houding heeft vat gekregen op de kerk en we kunnen het tij zelf niet meer keren!
We hebben nodig om de ogen opnieuw te doen openen en de weg van Jezus te volgen:

En vandaar verder gaande zag Jezus iemand bij het tolhuis zitten, Matteüs genaamd, en Hij zeide tot hem: Volg Mij. En hij stond op en volgde Hem.
Mattheus 9:9

Dit betekend dat wij anders moeten omgaan met onze levenshouding. Het betekend dat wij ons eigen ik, ons eigen individu de deur uit moeten gooien en moeten gaan beseffen dat wij genoeg dynamiek in bezit hebben om deze wereld te veranderen!
Wij hebben het Woord dat levend geworden is en we doen er niets mee!
We hebben voldoende dynamiek om deze wereld te veranderen en we lezen het als een romannetje!

In Mattheus 28:18-20 zegt Jezus niet voor niets:

Jezus kwam op hen toe en zei: ‘Mij is alle macht gegeven in de hemel en op de aarde. Ga dus op weg en maak alle volken tot mijn leerlingen, door hen te dopen in de naam van de Vader en de Zoon en de heilige Geest, en hun te leren dat ze zich moeten houden aan alles wat ik jullie opgedragen heb. En houd dit voor ogen: ik ben met jullie, alle dagen, tot aan de voltooiing van deze wereld.’

Ga dus op weg!
We zijn vastgeroest met de gedachte dat wij als kerk wel behouden zullen worden door simpelweg te geloven in God en aan onze plicht als trouwe kerkganger te voldoen.
Maar:

Zijn wij wel gered? Zijn wij wel behouden?

Ik heb een nieuwe baan, hoorde ik laatst nog iemand zeggen. Dolblij dat hij was aangenomen bij een andere werkgever en hij had het voor elkaar. Een goede job, leiding gevend en een riant salaris.
Nou we hebben het binnen hoor! Maar is dat ook zo? Is het werkelijk zo datje “het binnen hebt”?
Hoeft er dan werkelijk niets meer te gebeuren? Of zouden we ook nog arbeid moeten leveren? Zouden we er misschien iets meer voor moeten doen, zodat het geld wat beloofd is daadwerkelijk op de bankrekening gaat binnen stromen?

Ik denk van wel!
Wij moeten er wel iets voor doen willen wij ook daadwerkelijk zien dat het geld binnen gaat komen.
Wij moeten Jezus volgen op de weg die Hij ons wijst!
Allereerst mogen wij onze samenkomsten niet verzuimen, we lezen in het zendingsbevel uit Mattheus namelijk ook:

en hun te leren dat ze zich moeten houden aan alles wat ik jullie opgedragen heb.

We moeten er op uit gaan:

En zoals we eerder lazen in Mattheus 9:9: Volg Mij. En hij stond op en volgde Hem.

Jezus ging rond in deze wereld:

En Jezus ging geheel Galiléa rond, lerende in hun synagogen en predikende het Evangelie van het Koninkrijk, en genezende alle ziekte en alle kwaal onder het volk.
Mattheus 4:23

Jezus bleef niet zitten in een roestig kerkbankje, maar Hij trok van plaats naar plaats om het Evangelie te prediken. Zo moeten wij ook zijn en worden!
Wij moeten, willen wij ten volle de zegen ontvangen van onze behoudenis, rond gaan in deze wereld en het Evangelie verkondigen.
We kunnen, wanneer we ten volle beseffen het geen God ons heeft gegeven en zoals Gandhi al bekend was, niet de dynamiek van de Bijbel blijven lezen als een romannetje, maar we moeten getuigen van Hem, door Zijn Woord te verspreiden.

Paulus zegt hierover tegen Timotheus:

verkondig het woord, dring erop aan, gelegen of ongelegen, wederleg, bestraf en bemoedig met alle lankmoedigheid en onderrichting.
2 Timotheus 4:2

Zo is dan het geloof uit het horen, en het horen door het woord van Christus.
Romeinen 10:17

Zo, broeders en zusters, hoe kunnen wij de samenleving veranderen?
Door te luisteren naar het Woord van Christus en te doen al wat Hij ons heeft opgedragen!

Ga daarom dus in Zijn naam en verkondig het Woord gelegen of ongelegen en laat u opbouwen in uw geloof door samen te komen met uw broeders en zusters, opdat de wereld ziet en zal erkennen dat Hij, Jezus de Heer is over alles wat leeft en in Hem behoudenis is als we Zijn opdracht volbrengen.

Ik zegen een ieder die hoort de stem van Gods Geest en er naar handelt, totdat Hij komt.

Peter
www.gnj.pdh-ministries.org

Christelijke winkel

February 26, 2010 by Holy Passion Church   comments (0)

www.christelijkewinkel.nl

Het IPC (Israël Producten Centrum Nijkerk) is een Christelijke organisatie. Deze organisatie is ooit begonnen vanuit een groepje die zich verbonden voelden met Israël. Naast geven van lezingen verkochten zij hier ook wat spulletjes uit Israël. Inmiddels is dit uitgegroeid tot een organisatie met zo'n 200 Consulentes. (vrijwilligers) Zij geven voorlichting over Israël en verkopen een zeer gevarieerd assortiment aan artikelen (zie foto's) Hiermee worden de economie en de werkgelegenheid onder met name immigranten families in Israël gesteund.

Dit willen we doen om achter Israel te staan, mijn oudste broeder. Gods oogappel!
Daar is onze Verlosser geboren,en komt Gods woord vandaan.
Het profetisch Woord waarin we kunnen lezen wat de plaats van Israel is, en waar hun en ons heil vandaan komt.

Men kan bij ons artikelen kopen, die uit Israel vandaan komen. Iets voor u? Zoals de avondmaalswijn Kinor Sacramental,sweet red wine, shofars,kaarsen, zalfolie,enz

gr. en sjaloom,Ronald & Bob

Help us!!

February 26, 2010 by Holy Passion Church   comments (0)

Dear friends, partners and family,

 

The mission trips we recently made have been a great blessing, and it is clear that those trips are increasing in frequency- but tickets are expensive! However, there is a way that you can help us, without extra costs.

 

Those who will fly next time can help us collect extra Air miles. When you book your ticket, all you have to do is to ad (give this nr to you agent) this number: (UCC) NL 328510. This way you will help us, and get your own Miles as well! The more people participate, the quicker we collect the necessary Miles! An ideal way to not only bless us, but also the widows, orphans, brothers and sisters in other countries.

 

We wish you a pleasant journey!

 

The Holy Passion Church team.

Blessings for the New Year

December 30, 2009 by Holy Passion Church   comments (0)

Lord, as a New Year begins
We come to you and ask for your blessing
We pray that you would give us joy to fill our days
And peace to fill our hearts and love to fill our lives.
Thank you for the plans you have for us in the New Year.

Thanking God for you and praying your new year is blessed in every way

May God bless you abundantly for all you are doing for the kingdom. I look forward to hearing from you today with your most generous seed-gift to help us! Thank you for standing with me in this critical hour. May God bless you “exceedingly abundantly above all that you ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20)

Preaching the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ,
teaching the unchanging Word of God,
and expecting the mighty and miraculous
power of the Holy Spirit,

Gifts for the Holy Passion can be transferred to:
ING bank Almere, bank account nr: NL04 INGB 0651 2029 49 to Holy Passion Church Almere

If you wish to support us in our personal cost of living, then you can transfer to:
Fortus bank account nr: NL04 FTSB 081.88.89.012

Holy Passion, Langshof 127, 1353 GN, Almere, Tel: +31-36-5317658 Fax: +31-84-7230097
Bank: INGbank - Accountnumber : NL04 INGB 0651 2029 49.
Emailadres: info@holypassion.nl - Homepage: www.holypassionchurch.com

Also if you are not in a position to support us financially, but willing to pray for us regularly, we are very grateful.

The Bozrah Breakout Part 2: Carbon Dioxide, 666 and the Global Warming Religion of Al Gore

December 25, 2009 by Messiah Television International   comments (0)

Al Gore, CO2, Global Warming, EU, Bozrah

 

 

The Bozrah Breakout - Part 1: Recognising Latter-Day Edom

December 25, 2009 by Messiah Television International   comments (0)

Roman, hanukkah, breakout, Bozrah, USA, Europe, One world Government, Endtime, Empire, EU, Germany, Nazi


19 December 2009
The Bozrah Breakout  -  Part 1: Recognising Latter-Day Edom


 



Introduction

Shabbat Shalom kol beit Yisra'el and welcome back to our weekly assembly. Since we are nearly at the end of the secular year I thought a few words about the end-times might be appropriate while the militarism of Hanukkah wears off and before the idolatry of Christmas sets in.

 

Emergence of a United States of Europe

 

Today I wish to address a topic that has moreorless been thrust upon me because of the rife speculation in Messianic and other circles that the ratification of the European Union's Lisbon Treaty on 1 December 2009 is the beginning of an important chapter in world history that will see the visible emergence of the end-time Beast Nation. Many are saying that what we are witnessing is not only the beginnings of a new superpower akin to a 'United States of Europe' but perhaps more ominously the last resurrection of the Holy Roman Empire and the Antichrist State that will eventually unify the whole world into a single government called the 'New World Order' (NWO).

 

A New Nazi Germany?

 

Messianics in particular are claiming that the real power behind the EU is Germany and what what we are seeing is the resurrection of a German - and in particular a Nazi - superpower that has stealthily re-established the Holy Roman Empire under the guise of a Federal Europe. They are even claiming that the Germans are the ancient Assyrian oppressors of Israel who are about to precipitate World War 3 and a second Jewish holocaust. And many of these Messianics are turning to the late Herbert W. Armstrong of the Worldwide Church of God who made predictions of a revived Nazi Germany. 1

Objections to Anti-Germanism

There are numerous objections to these ideas which need stating here and now:

1. Right- and left-wing extremism always emerge in times of economic depression - the rise of neo-nazism in Germany is paralleled by similar movements in all European countries like the British National Party;

2. Right-wing extremists represent a tiny minority in Germany and other European countries. The vast majority of people these days are liberals unlike the former Weimar Republic between the two world wars which had substantial numbers of extremists in both the Communist and Nazi parties as well;

3. As we have proved, the German people are descendants of Israel, and in particular, the tribe of east Manasseh 2 and therefore we want nothing to do with this anti-Germanism any more than we want anything to do with so-called anti-Semitism;

4. Since the Scandinavians (Norwegians, Danes, Swedes and Icelanders), Dutch, Flems, and English are all Germanic tribes descended from the Germans, it is absurd to suggest that the Germans are Assyrians while the Scandinavians, Dutch and English are Israelites! How could Israelites be descended from Assyrians?

5. As we have also proved, the vast majority of modern Jews are not related to the Jews or Judahites of biblical times 3 so what happened during World War 2 and what is happening today in Europe cannot be a 'continuation' of the struggle between Assyria and 10-Tribed Israel because those who are accused of being 'Assyrians' are themselves Israelites - the terrible world wars in Europe have rather been Israelite Inter-Tribal Civil Wars caused by Satan blinding Israel's heart.

Errors of Armstrongism and Anti-Germanism

Though Herbert W. Armstrong was right about a number of things in the theological field 4 he was notoriously wrong when it came to prophetic matters 5. His contemporary supporters continue to ignore this and perpetuate the myth that he was some kind of prophet. That Messianics would recommend his materials is therefore not only highly alarming but does call into question their spirit of discernment. We must see beyond the sensationalism and propaganda and get to the real 'Plain Truth' 6. This reflex attitude of Jews and Messianics to demonise all things German has to stop for not only does it represent an antichrist spirit but it fogs up a true understanding of eschatology and promotes hate. The issue is not one of Germans vs. Jews but of the unsaved vs. the saved of all nations, kindreds and tongues. In the New Covenant there is neither Jew nor Greek/Gentile (Gal.3:28; Col.3:11) - we are all one as believers. Therefore we will permit no racial or national chauvanism in this ministry.

The European Union as a Political State has Arrived

One thing we can be certain of is that a little over two weeks ago the constituent nations of the European Union (EU) ceased to be sovereign states. We who live in Europe now certainly belong to a new political entity. We live in a federal state called the European Union in which countries like Britain, France, Italy and Sweden are no longer nations but more akin to the individual states of the United States of America, even though the illusion that they are autonomous states will continue to be propagated for a number of years. The power that once belonged to London, Paris, Rome and Stockholm has now been relocated to the symbolic capitals of the new Union, Brussels and Strasbourg (Straßburg).

The Leading Players of the EU

That a resurrected and empowered Germany will play - and has already played - a leading rôle in the new European superstate is not denied but it is not the sole power in Europe: the other key players are Great Britain, France and Italy - and in particular, the Vatican, headquarters of the international Roman Catholic Church which will enable the EU to one day become the centre of a politically and religiously united planet. And in the world of finance, Jewish financiers like the Rothschilds continue to dominate our economies. If we are to make any sense of what is going on, we have to see beyond the smokescreens of 'nazism' and 'anti-semitism' which are being used to conceal the real machinations of the hidden power élites.

What are the Signs of the Times for Gathering?

I am sure that you, like me, are interested in knowing what the "signs of the times" (Mt.16:3) are so that we can measure where we are on the prophetic timetable. With some Messianics scrambling to relocate to the Republic of Israel or to Petra in Jordan (which is the last place anyone should be going to - that's like the American couple who relocated to Iwo Jima to find a safe haven before Word War 2 erupted), and prophetically-minded Evangelicals telling Americans and Canadians to 'head for the mountains', we need to be quite sure what's going on so that we don't do anything foolhardy. Yes, there definitely will be a time to gather into places of safety but unless we know where and when we are not only going to make fools of ourselves but likely endanger our families too. People who act precipitously and without proper revelation understandably earn for themselves the label of 'cult' from a hedonistic world which wants to put down Christianity and not be reminded of its sins. Christians without true prophetic authority are a liability and a hindrance to the Gospel message. We therefore need to make absolutely sure we know what we are doing. Granted mistakes have been, and will be, made by over-zealous believers, but the important thing is to learn from, and not repeat, them.

Before we take a closer look at the Holy Roman Empire and the theory that it has been resurrected following the signing of the Lisbon Treaty on 1 December 2009, we need to disprove the claims being made by Messianics that we must head to the Negev Desert or to Petra in Jordan. There may well be a new Middle Eastern War at any time too, and probably within the next two years!

The Truth About Petra/Bozrah

Messianics urging their flocks to emmigrate to the Negev Desert or to Petra in the Kingdom of Jordan (a Muslim country, incidentally) base their justification on the second chapter of Micah:

"I will surely assemble, O Jacob, all of thee; I will surely gather the remnant of Israel; I will put them together as the sheep of Bozrah, as the flock in the midst of their fold: they shall make great noise by reason of the multitude of men" (Mic.2:12, KJV).

Bozrah is ancient capital of Edom and literally means an 'enclosure' or 'sheep fold'. Many modern translations (including Messianic ones like the OJB, ISRV and HRV) simply render bozrah as 'fold' and not as a proper place name. Indeed ancient Bozrah looked much like a sheep pen, posessing a narrow entrance leading to a large enclosure with cliffs all around, making it an ideal defensive position. It has become famous in modern times as a major tourist attraction because of its ancient buildings carved out of sold rock in the cliff faces 7:

"I will surely assemble all of you, O Jacob, I will surely gather the remnant of Israel; I will put them together like sheep of the fold, like a flock in the midst of their pasture; they shall make a loud noise because of so many people" (Mic.2:12, NKJV).

Bozrah in Prophecy

That matter aside, there are a couple of other prophetic passages that speak of the literal Bozrah, today known as Petra, from the Greek meaning 'rock':

"The sword of Yahweh is filled with blood, it is made overflowing with fatness, with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams. For Yahweh has a sacrifice in Bozrah, and a great slaughter in the land of Edom" (Isa.34:6, NKJV).

Here Bozrah the capital and Edom the land are being used synonymously. Edom as a political state no longer exists in the modern world, its former geographical territory being divided between the modern day Republic of Israel and the Kingdom of Jordan.

Edomites Converted to Judaism by Force

The original Edomites were forcibly converted by the sword, circumised, and turned into Jews by the Maccabees. They have, to all intents and purposes, merged with Jewry and disappeared as a separate race. Wherever you find Jews you will therefore find Edomites mixed together with the orignal Judahites and the mediaeval Khazar converts and modern converts from around the world. And who was the orginal Edomite? Esau, the brother of Jacob. To understand better who Esau is today, please see my series of sermons, Jacob's Trouble 8. Bozrah-Edom is indeed a political power today having the rulership in the contemporary Republic of Israel and holding the balance of power in both the United States and the European Union too. Unless we understand this we are going to be looking in the wrong places for an understanding of prophetic scripture.

End-Time Bozrah

The most dramatic prophetic imagery of Bozrah/Edom comes a little later in the same book of Isaiah which clear messianic content. This is interpreted by the 'Petra Refuge' adherents to mean that true believers (Messianic Israelites) will be gathered to Petra (Bozrah), be cornered by antichrist forces, and then dramatically rescued by Yah'shua:

"Who is this who comes from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah, this One who is glorious in His apparel, traveling in the greatness of His strength? -- 'I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save.' Why is Your apparel red, and Your garments like one who treads in the winepress? 'I have trodden the winepress alone, and from the peoples no one was with Me. For I have trodden them in My anger, and trampled them in My fury; their blood is sprinkled upon My garments, and I have stained all My robes. For the day of vengeance is in My heart, and the year of My redeemed has come. I looked, but there was no one to help, and I wondered that there was no one to uphold; therefore My own arm brought salvation for Me; and My own fury, it sustained Me. I have trodden down the peoples in My anger, made them drunk in My fury, and brought down their strength to the earth'" (Isa.63:1-6, NKJV)

Yah'shua in Red Garments

But is this what the passage means? Let us examine it more closely. To begin with, there can be no doubt that there is a connection between it and a passage in the Apocalypse of John:

"He (Yah'shua) was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of Elohim. And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations" (Rev.19:13-15, NKJV).

Esau the 'Red Man'

Yah'shua's Second Coming, unlike His First, is to be one of Power and Conquest. The Lamb of the First Coming is returning as the Lion of Judah. Thus His robes are "dipped in blood" and He is attended by heavenly armies. Whose blood is this? We get a clue from Esau himself:

"So when [Rebekah's] days were fulfilled for her to give birth, indeed there were twins in her womb. And the first came out red. He was like a hairy garment all over; so they called his name Esau" (Gen.25:24-25, NKJV).

Israel vs. Esau

Bozrah and Edom are Esau who is "red". Yah'shua cames to shed the blood of 'Red Esau' - sinful blood - just as Esau will have shed the blood of Jacob-Israel - righteous blood - the true believers (Rev.16:6; 17:6; 18:24). Israel is all true believers and Esau is all those who refuse to believe of the non-Israelite seed of Abraham. The Second Coming of Yah'shua is Yahweh's Judgment against the House of Esau which was, is and will be a ruling world power until Messiah comes. Whereas Israel represents true theocratic power, Esau represents satanic power. And the economic system that is the foundation of this satanic Edomite power is known as 'Babylon', the city of unholy commerce (Rev.14:18; 16:19; 18:2,10,21).

Breaking Out from Edom and Babylon

What, then, is this prophetic breakout from Bozrah? Is it Messianic Israelites physically holed up in Petra (Bozrah) surrounded by hostile armies whom Yah'shua militarily defeats? No. The breakout from Bozrah is the breakout from the economy of Babylon and the political-military power of Edom in the world - first for the safety of twelve temporary cities of refuge 9 and then for the land of Israel itself.

Esau Rulers in the Israeli Republic

The land of Israel is today ruled by the Esau-power. It's rulers are Edomites, the descendants of those forcibly converted to Judaism by the Maccabees with their militaristic Hanukkah festival 10. Esau has ruled since 1948 by virtue of his birthright which Jacob stole from him. He has shown his cruel and oppressive method of government and the world hates him for it. And yet ironically the whole world is governed by the same system of 'might is right'. The modern day Republic of Israel is a picture of the World Beast System...and yet many Messianics want to take refuge in it!

The Esau Spirit of Murder and Violence

You and are are called to "break out of Bozrah" but we can never accomplish it in our own strength. The true believers of Messiah suffer from Esau's murderous spirit and violence which wishes to overcome us by force (Mt.11:12). We are hard pressed by him but not crushed (2 Cor.4:8) if we resist him IN Yah'shua our Messiah. This is the story of our life in this Edomite-ruled sphere. Whenever we resit the power of evil, trusting in Yah'shua, the "Breaker" goes out before us, enabling us to pour out of our carnal sanctuary (represented by Bozrah) through the breach Messiah makes, so that we can literally 'break out' of the world system.

The Spectacular Breakout and the Millennium

The prophecy of the 'Bozrah Breakout' is therefore a beautiful pastoral picture of Yah'shua as Messiah breaking forth from Esau's bonds of the flesh (which happens daily as we overcome) and leading the 'manchild company' (true Torah-obedient Yah'shua-trusting Christians) forth into a new set-apart history in the coming Millennium of Messiah. This momentous action will not happen until the end of this age. But when it does come it will be spectacular. The Bozrah deliverance will change the destiny of heaven and earth. The stars and angelic rulerships will fall. And on earth Messiah will establish His Millennial Kingdom. This will not be a 'kingdom of the church' as we know it. It will not be an existential 11 kingdom of ecclessiastical revery under the stained glass windows. Nor will it be 'kingdom of the church' in some sort of charismatic 12 mind game. This will be reality! The Millennium of Messiah will be a kingdom here on earth. And it will last for a literal one thousand years.

The Religious Counterfeits

This detailed picture of the deliverance of the elect by Messiah (and not the church) at the second advent is given to us in Micah chapter 2. This divine and earthly drama is laid out for us quite clearly and in detail. Note well that it is the Messiah who brings the breakthrough here. He and He alone is "the Breaker". No churchman will get Messiah's glory here even if he claims some super-anointed status as a latter-day 'apostle' or 'prophet' in the charismatic 'five-fold ministry'. No religious pretenders can usurp Messiah's role. None of them. Not even if they proclaim that they are up to the task of bringing in the 'Kingdom Now'. Neither the 'apostolic/prophetic', the messianic rabbinical, nor the Papal/Jesuit Catholic leaderships can fit the bill here. Nor can today's politically active Puritan leaders. Nor can our liberal politically savvy ecumenical leaders of the United Nations and the global scene. None of them can bring in that final glorious breakthrough. None of these religious champions can 'cut it'. None of them can lay claim to be our Deliverer.

Yah'shua Alone

We need to leave the religious rallies and all the hype and hoopla. We need to be wary of powerful Christian freemasons as they attempt to organize their 'last crusade' and Messianic Rabbis operating under judaic, kabbalistic and antichrist spirits. And we need get back to the Bible here. Yah'shua the Messiah is 'the man'. He is our Saviour and our Redeemer. He is also our future Deliverer. He tramples the winepress. And He tramples the grapes of wrath alone (Is.63). So if any religious leader comes offering you El Al tickets to the Israeli Negev or Royal Jordanian Airline tickets to Petra, promising you safety, mark them down as imposters. They will in any case be leading you into a holocaust zone which the ruins of ancient Bozrah can never protect you from.

The Bozrah Deliverance is a thrilling element of the Second Coming of Messiah. He is the Anointed One, the Expected One and our coming Messiah. The Micah 2 scripture shows this end-time deliverance well. We also see it laid out for us in spectacular fashion in Isaiah 63.

Learning to Operate Within a Dictatorship

The Bozrah Deliverance is also a thrilling element in your daily spiritual life as well as from dangerous circumstances. Our formerly democratic world is rapidly being transformed into a dictatorship. We will soon be living in fully fledged police states, first nationally and then globally. We need to learn from our Eastern European and Chinese brethren who know what it is like to be a believer under a muderous totalitarian system. When the whole world is a police state we will need Bozrah-type deliverances for us and our families. But it's primary meaning is end-time.

Doctoring the Bible

Yahweh is obviously telling us something here in the Bozrah scriptures since they relate so clearly to the return of Messiah. This is crucial information. Micah and Isaiah are telling us of a climactic deliverance of Yahweh's Elect at the end of the age. The word 'Bozrah' is very important. It is so sad to see that the modern translations have 'lost' it. It has been left out by most newer versions of the Bible. Bozrah establishes the Edomite connection. Reference to the word, 'Bozrah' indicates that Yahweh's Elect will be delivered at the end of the age from an Edomite sovereignty and from an Edomite incarceration. This is a key piece of information for the end-time believers. Why has it been omitted from Bible teachings on end-time themes? This is a prophecy of a magnificent deliverance of Yahweh's covenant people. It involves his Elect, His nation, His Messianic Community (Church). It is exceedingly good and encouraging news. Why haven't we heard this before?

Reasons Believers Don't Believe

The Bozrah scripture passages in Scripture brings out the deliverance element of the Second Coming. This aspect of climactic rescue and salvation is exceedingly good news. It is inspiring beyond measure. Yet many Christians have not heard this. Is it because of the current emphasis of Christians being a 'New Testament people'? Is it because deliverance presupposes an imprisonment of sorts? I think it is largely because most Christians have been sold on the 'Rapture Deception' 13 and are expecting to be whisked away into heaven, never to return to the earth. They have already walked away from Bozrah in their minds and from any responsibility as overcomers.

The Millennium-to-Come

The glorious Millennium of Messiah will follow the Bozrah Deliverance. Humanity and the ecosystems will be restored, precisely as the scriptures have laid out for us:

"The wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them, and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose; it shall blossom abundantly and rejoice, even with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the excellence of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of Yahweh, the excellency of our Elohim. Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are fearful-hearted, 'Be strong, do not fear! Behold, your Elohim will come with vengeance, with the recompense of Elohim; He will come and save you'" (Isa.35:1-4, NKJV). 14

Adjusting to a Captivity Mindset

What does the family of Esau have to do with the second coming of Christ? Why hasn't this question been addressed by our popular Bible teachers? Is it because they do not want to face the clear Biblical message here that Yahweh's people will be in some sort of captivity in the end-time? Absolutely. Because these prophecies contradict the 'Kingdom Now' theology of those who believe that Christ will return to a Christian world. They contradict the escapist Rapture teachers and believers who don't want to go through trial and tribulation under the Antichrist. They contradict the Preterist delusion that the Millennium started centuries ago. They contradict almost every non-biblical doctrinal fad.

Esau's 'Left-Over' Blessing

Edom and the Edomites do have a significant part to play in the end-time, as the prophet Daniel mentions (Dan.11:41) The patriach Isaac blessed wild man Esau with a 'left-over' blessing. That blessing clearly stated that Esau would eventually rise up against his nurturing brother Jacob and assume dominion over him for a time. This is an untold part of the end-time drama. It has been 'cloaked' by popular Bible teachers and Messianic Torah-teachers. They had to do this for politico-religious, socio-religious, and economico-religious reasons. Once you know who Esau is and start teaching the truth about him, your place in the socio-political and economic sphere is at an end! Where Esau rules Israel is expected to drool or get out and for those who love the world and its Esau spirit, getting out is the last thing on their minds. So no wonder they turn their minds off to the truth and prefer a delusion.

The Edomites, Money and Power

It is quite clear from this prophecy by Isaac and also from the Bozrah scriptures of the Second Coming that the sons of Esau are still with us! Furthermore Isaac said that the Edomites would be found in the rich places of the earth. Could that be in our rich western countries? Are they the 'bad guys' in our midst? Could they be the brutish and godless ones rolling in money that have taken over popular culture, the silver screen and Hollywood? Here is what the Bible says about the resergence of Edomite power in the end-time:

"Behold, your dwelling shall be of the fatness of the earth, and of the dew of heaven from above. By your sword you shall live, and you shall serve your brother; and it shall come to pass, when you become restless, that you shall break his yoke from your neck" (Gen.27:39-40, NKJV).

The Internal Spirit of Esau

This is a double prophecy. Firstly, let us consider the internal, spiritual application of this prophecy. It's saying to us - and mark this well - that if we do not have the carnal, Adamic, Esau nature burned out of us...if we suppress it in any degree and don't allow Yah'shua to crucify it...that it will, even if we are born-again believers, re-emerge and overthrow the spiritual man within! This is a warning about the possibility of losing your salvation if you refuse to repent and obey the commandments! Furthermore, I believe this will happen on a large scale within Christendom and within the Messianic movement if believers do not yield their all to Yah'shua - they will embrace Esau and Edom! You see it happening all around you today. Look carefully.

The Historical Aspect of Esau

Secondly, historically this is a prophecy about the emergence of Esau after he has broken away from Jacob's dominion. What is Jacob's dominion? The Gospel - Christianity! What group of people have lived within the borders of Christendom, endured abuses, persecutions and murders, and generally had to submit to the rule of carnal 'Christian' rulers? And what group of people have, principally by exerting financial power and using it in the political realm, risen up and to all intents seized control? The Jews!

The Edomites Among the Jews

Now before you start knee-jerking (as some of you will) let me tell you that this is not an anti-semitic tract. This is a presentation of facts in a way that you may never have seen them before. We're not saying that all Jews are Edomites. Neither are we saying that Edomites aren't living amongst other peoples too. We are saying that the bulk of Edomites are among the original Judahites and their Khazar converts. The people we call 'Jews' 15 consist of many types of people - they are first of all a religious group, not a homogenous racial one. And what may surprise you to learn is how Yahweh is using them today and how they will be used during the Great Tribulation. So how will these godless, violent Edomites come to dominate the nurturing people of Jacob? Just what rôle are these wild people, who escape from the control of the Antichrist, going to play in the endtime drama?

"He shall also enter the Glorious Land, and many countries shall be overthrown; but these shall escape from his hand: Edom, Moab, and the prominent people of Ammon" (Dan.11:41, NKJV).

Identifying the Hidden Edomites Today

Here is what the scriptures are telling us. The Edomites are still with us, hidden for the most part amongst the Jews and are, to all intents and purposes, 'Jews' themselves. They are all around us and are fellow citizens in our nations. Inclined toward paganism these people may still be very sophisticated. But in their heart they haven't changed. They still have the same hunt-you-down, take-you-down, hustling, domineering spirit their father Esau had four millenia ago. The prophet Daniel tells us clearly that the children of Esau are very prominent players at the end of the age. They are out of control and beyond control. Even the Antichrist, it seems, will not even bother to try to conquer them or rule over them during the régime of his 666 system (Dan.11:41). He will probably just let them rule over the outer fringes of his global empire. Apparently he will not even bother to mess with them during the Great Tribulation, those final 3½ years of this age. He will allow them to do what Edomites do - make money and wage war. They will run wild like goats. Esau will rise up in the endtime and achieve mastery over his brother Jacob precisely as Isaac prophesied that he would.

Esau and Jacob Protecting Each Other

According to the prophet Micah, Yahweh will allow the incarceration of His covenant people Jacob by the bad boy Esau. This will not, however, be all bad. Yahweh is allowing this for a purpose. Apparently the 'Bozrah incarceration' will provide some degree of nurturing, caring, and shelter for the covenant people of Yahweh during the Great Tribulation - the blood of Abraham is, remember, in Esau too! The Jewísh Edomites will be doing for genuine believers what true believers did for the Jews during the Second World War - sheltering them! It will be a kind of pay-back, a thank-you gift. Though the Christians of the 1930's and 40's thought they were sheltering biblical Judahites - the original decendants of Judah (and did indeed shelter some true descandants of Jacob and Judah) for the most part they were sheltering Edomites (descandants of Abraham) and Khazars (descendants of Japhethite Ashkenaz). Part of Jacob was protecting Esau from another very rebellious part of Jacob who himself was ruled by Edomite rulers deliberately mingled by the enemy with Ephraim 16. It is indeed a complex and convoluted story and not at all as it has been presented to us by the world!

The Exile and Nurturing of Jacob

We pick up the story in Revelation 12. In this critically important passage of scripture John sees the woman of Revelation 12 given the wings of a great eagle and flying off to a place of exile for 1260 days, or 3½ years. John saw her escaping from the face of the dragon. He saw her clothed in glory. They will be exiled to a place, (or places), where they can be nurtured in the things of Yahweh. This happens during the Great Tribulation! This is stated clearly in Revelation 12:6 and is retold using different time units in verse 14 (just in case we missed it the first time).

The 70th Week Gathering

The Bozrah story apparently involves a climactic end-time gathering of true Christian and Messianic people from all around the world. This will be happening during the latter half of the 70th week. They will be gathered together like sheep in the fold. Only this time 'the fold' apparently belongs to Esau. That is why the saints need deliverance! Esau's 'protection' will turn into full-blown slavery unless there is a divine rescue for Messianic Israel.

The Unfolding Drama

Now, armed with this information, we begin to see what this drama involving a 'deliverance at Bozrah' is all about. When He returns our Messiah will be coming to 'visit' Bozrah as He will have some business to attend to. He will be coming to break out His people from the clutches of the enemy! This is why the Ruach haQodesh, writing through the prophet Micah, calls him "the Breaker" (Micah 2:13).

Jacob Must Again Wrestle with Yahweh

I can understand why certain Christians might not like this story very much. It is less than flattering for 'victory-minded' Christians to be told that this sort of thing could happen to them. They refuse this information just as they refuse to see themselves as lost Gomer or belonging to the Assembly of Laodicea. It seems that Jacob is wrestling with Yahweh once again. He must go through his dark night of the soul just as he did beside the Jabbok River back in the times of the patriarchs.

History Repeats Itself

Bozrah is a dynamic yet untold part of the end-time. It tells a story of incarceration. A story of exile and nurturing. Finally, it is telling us a story of a glorious deliverance played out on the stage of world history before angels and men. The Bozrah drama takes place in the final 3½ years of this age. Jeremiah clearly tells us that it will be the time of 'Jacob's trouble' but that he will be saved out of it (Jer.30:7). We need none of the escapist myths to comfort us or massage our fear.

A New Separated-Out Messianic Community will Come to Pass

The Bozrah prophecy of the end-time, (as we can see), is too awesome for our modern church and our carnal Christian congregation to handle. So there will have to be a new congregation, a new called out 'ekklesia'. A new 'church' or 'messianic community' will go forward into the glory. There will be an end-time Sukkot 17 revival even in a time of great apostasy. The remnant messianic community will come into confluence with remnant of Judah hidden up amongst the Edomites, Khazars and other peoples. In exile together in the crucible of the latter days they will come together as one, with Judah accepting Yah'shua as her Messiah and Ephraim accepting Torah-rule. They will be refined just as Yahweh said that they would be (Mal.3) Out of the crucible of Bozrah the silver of redemption will be refined. And the

DO YOU KNOW WHAT A NECROPHILIAC IS? YOU SHOULD FIND OUT; YOU JUST MIGHT BE ONE: THE LOVE OF SIN! Proverbs 26:11

December 18, 2009 by Pastor Arie   comments (0)

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DO YOU KNOW WHAT A NECROPHILIAC IS? YOU SHOULD FIND OUT; YOU JUST MIGHT BE ONE: THE LOVE OF SIN! Proverbs 26:11

Proverbs 26:11 As a dog returneth to his vomit, [so] a fool returneth to his folly.

nec•ro•phil•i•a (nkr-fl-) KEY also nec•rophi•lism (n-krf-lzm, n-) KEY

NOUN:

Obsessive fascination with death and corpses.
Erotic attraction to or sexual contact with corpses.

OTHER FORMS:
necro•phili•ac

A NECROPHILIAC IS ONE WHO LIKES TO MAKE LOVE TO DEAD PEOPLE AND/OR ANIMALS! You will take note that I said, "MAKE LOVE"; for in the mind of a NECROPHILIAC this is what they are doing: "MAKING LOVE". In the mind of a sane person it is simply "HAVING SEX", BUT IN THE MIND OF A NECROPHILIAC IT IS "MAKING LOVE". So goes the spiritual mentality of so many, indeed; TOO MANY SAINTS OF GOD! WE LOVE TO "MAKE LOVE TO DEAD THINGS"!

Romans 6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

By the crucifixion and burial of the Lord Jesus Christ, WE ARE DEAD TO SIN: BUT IS SIN DEAD TO US?

Apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers, bishops, deacons, deaconess, ministers, choir members, ushers, praise song leaders, armor bearers, wives, husbands, men, women, teens, and on and on in the Kingdom of God! NO ONE IS EXEMPTED! MEMBERS OF THE BODY OF CHRIST ARE PRACTICING “SPIRITUAL NECROPHILIA”. MAKING LOVE TO DEAD SIN! THEY LOVE IT!

James 1:6 but let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.
7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord.
8 A double minded man [is] unstable in all his ways.

Oh come on: YOU KNOW YOU LOVE IT! I know I did when I was double minded! And with as much faith as I had, as many times that God responded to that faith; I WAS MISSING OUT ON THE FULLNESS OF THE BLESSINGS OF GOD! You didn’t miss it did you? “For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord”. We are blessed that we get any blessings from God at all. Yet He blesses us! And at the same time WE MISS OUT ON THE FULLNESS OF GOD’S BLESSINGS!

I remember when I finally came to the reality of my problem with LETTING GO OF SIN AND TO STOP MAKING LOVE TO DEAD THINGS. I was at Bible Study (this was really Bible Study for there was the opportunity to have exchange and to ask questions: ANYTHING ELSE IS BIBLE LECTURING AT BEST), and I was thoroughly convicted of the sin in my life. I sat in my seat crying; FOR I KNEW; I DIDN’T LOVE GOD ENOUGH!</</u>b> I told this to my pastor and confess all the sin in my life: AND GOD HEALED ME!

Matthew 22:36 Master, which [is] the great commandment in the law?
37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

Since that time I SEEK TO LOVE GOD WITH ALL THAT I AM AND HAVE!

Getting over “SPIRITUAL NECROPHILIA” is like getting over any other ADDICTION: YOU HAVE TO ADMIT THAT WE HAVE SIN IN OUR LIVES AND THAT WE LOVE IT! (It will only hurt for a little while). Then we must turn our lives over to God. For those who know, this sounds like the 12 steps of Alcoholic Anonymous doesn’t it? Well it is just like the 12 steps! So I am posting them with appropriate changes:

1. We admitted we were powerless over “SPIRITUAL NECROPHILIA” - that our lives had become unmanageable.

2. Came to believe that God; a Power greater than ourselves, could restore us to sanity and obedience.

3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God according to His Word.

4. Made a searching and fearless spiritual inventory of ourselves.

5. Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.

6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.

7. Humbly asked Him to remove our sins.

8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.

9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.

10. Continued to take personal spiritual inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.

11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry that out.

12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to Necrophiliacs and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

BY WAY OF TESTIMONY I CAN ASSURE YOU: YOUR LIFE ON EARTH WILL BE OH SO MUCH BETTER!

SELAH


Generals: War May Come Any Time - IDF Generals Deliver Sobering Chanukah Messages

December 16, 2009 by Messiah Television International   comments (0)

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Generals: War May Come Any Time - IDF Generals Deliver Sobering Chanukah Messages

 

Generals: War May Come Any Time

Head of Southern Command: quiet on southern front is temporary. MI Head: enemy can hit Tel Aviv. Chief of Staff: we have no illusions.

IDF Generals Deliver Sobering Chanukah Messages

by Gil Ronen

Three of the Israel Defense Force's (IDF) top commanders delivered sobering warnings of the country's vulnerability to attack in public lectures and Chanukah ceremonies.

Maj-Gen Yoav Galant, Head of Southern Command, said in a conference at Ben Gurion University that the recent quiet period on the southern military front would probably prove temporary.

"Whether it is a matter of months or years,” he said, “we see the ill-boding clouds in more than one place. We need to utilize the time that we now have in order to prepare – for war or for smaller threats.”

Good winter so far

Military Intelligence Chief Maj-Gen Amos Yadlin said Tuesday at a conference held by the Institute for National Security Studies that “Syria, Iran and Hizbullah have the ability to threaten Gush Dan [the greater Tel Aviv a. Our enemies do not rest for a moment.”

"Even the lecture hall we are in is now under threat of steep-trajectory fire from three different fronts,” he said.    

He added, however, that a peace treaty with Syria would trigger a positive change in the region. “Taking Damascus out of the circle of hostility and ending its support for terror will reduce the threat on Israel,” he explained.

In the winter of 2009, not one Israeli soldier or civilian has been murdered in a terror attack, Yadlin said, noting that this is the first such winter in the past decades. The reason for the quiet, he explained, was a combination of Israeli deterrence and the price paid by Hizbullah in the Second Lebanon War and by Hamas in Operation Cast Lead in Gaza.

Iran, he said, has made advances in its nuclear project. “In 2009 Iran accumulated enough uranium for building its first bomb at the enrichment facility at Natanz, but at a level of enrichment that is lower than that needed [for a bom,” he said. 

IDF Chief of Staff Lieut-Gen Gabi Ashkenazi said Monday at a Chanukah candle lighting ceremony that the quiet which followed the Cast Lead campaign, which was launched one year ago, could be broken at any moment. “The situation can change. It can be in these days or in the days to come. We harbor no illusions and we are sober.”

 

 

 

The Strong into the Hands of the Weak - Mikeitz(Genesis 41:1-44:17)

December 15, 2009 by Messiah Television International   comments (0)

Strong, hands, weak, Mikeitz

 

Mikeitz(Genesis 41:1-44:17)

The Strong into the Hands of the Weak

During most years, the Shabbat of Parshat Mikeitz coincides with the festival of Chanukah. Hence, tens and tens of commentaries have established links and hints between Miketz and Chanukah. But there seems to be a more simple connection as well -- Joseph's attitude toward his success.

We read happily of Joseph's release from jail for a crime he did not commit (allegedly seducing Potifar's wife). Joseph was called out of jail to interpret Pharaoh's dream after having a good track record in interpreting dreams for Pharaoh's butler and baker. The narrative continues:

Pharaoh says to Joseph, "I dreamt a dream, but there is no one who can interpret it. Now I heard it said of you that you hear a dream to interpret it." Joseph answered Pharaoh saying, "That is beyond me! God will respond to Pharaoh's welfare." (Genesis 41:15-16)

Truly amazing! Here, Joseph has his shot at real power. He is standing before the King of Egypt, the world's superpower at the time. And this superpower King needs him! Joseph would be able to request virtually anything he would want. Yet, Joseph risks it all by failing to hide the truth of God's support and guidance. Pharaoh could have easily reacted to Joseph by saying, 'Oh, if indeed it is not you, but God, that has the dream interpretation, then you shall return to jail.' True, Pharaoh did not react this way but Joseph could not have known this in advance. Joseph wanted to give God His credit, especially before the world's superpower, in order to publicize God's power and wisdom -- even if this meant the personal risk of being sent back to jail without receiving any recognition or benefits from Pharaoh.

This attitude of Joseph was exactly the attitude of Mattisyahu and the Chashmonaim, otherwise known as the Maccabees, during the time of the Chanukah victory. They could have easily looked at their stunning and unlikely military victory over the Greeks as a reflection of their prowess and brilliant strategy. Didn't a great U.S. army lose a guerilla war in Vietnam?

But the Maccabees understood the true source of their strength and military successes. They didn't react by establishing an annual victory parade, in which they would display their latest technology in weapons. Rather, they reacted by establishing the holiday of Chanukah. They lit the Menorah which publicized God's control over the world (in making the miracle of the oil lasting 8 days) and that only He could allow them to defeat the Greeks in battle.

This is reflected throughout the 'Al Hanissim' prayer that we insert in the thrice daily 'Shemoneh Esrai,' during Chanukah. The prayer describes the miracles of war against the Greeks. It does not discuss our strength and power but describes us as weak against a powerful army -- God delivered 'giborim beyad chalashim' (the strong in the hands of the weak). We end this prayer stating that the entire purpose of Chanukah is that we express thanks and praise to the Almighty -- 'lehodos u'lehalel LiShimcha Hagadol' -- "to express thanks and praise to Your great Name."

We not only defeated the Greeks in the physical battle of Chanukah but we defeated them spiritually as well. The Greek philosophy was to stress the power and wisdom of man. This is why they wanted so much to defeat the Jew. Everywhere else, when the Greek invaded, he was known as kind to his new citizens. He wanted to show his new advances and preach his ideas of the supreme man with science, sports, and statues. Yet, in the Jew, the Greek saw a people who were not interested in attributing their success to themselves, nor worshipping man, but they wished only to worship and thank God.

The Greeks could not tolerate this approach to life. It threatened their whole philosophy of existence. So, they were determined to wipe out the Jew and his belief system.

Chanukah, therefore, celebrates, not the courage of those who resisted tyrants and not the power of the Jewish army. It celebrates God and His dedication to helping the Jewish People against her enemies. It celebrates the defeat of the Greek civilization that wished to wipe the word God out of all dictionaries in the world.

Let us not forget that during our current national crisis, against suicide bombers and terrorists, we must once again pray to and rely on the Almighty. We need a victory over our enemies speedily so that there will be no more cries of orphans and no more blood spilled.

God can help us now as He did at the time of Chanukah. We must continuously cry out and beseech Him to send us His help and protection.

Strong, hands, weak, Mikeitz

In Your Dreams - Mikeitz(Genesis 41:1-44:17)

December 15, 2009 by Messiah Television International   comments (0)

genesis, Mikeitz, dreams

In Your Dreams - Mikeitz(Genesis 41:1-44:17)

Mikeitz(Genesis 41:1-44:17)

In Your Dreams

The First Two Dreams

Pharaoh has a dream. He is frightened and agitated, yet not one of his advisors can interpret his dream:

And it came to pass in the morning that his spirit was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Egypt, and all its wise men; and Pharaoh told them his dream; but there was none who could interpret them to Pharaoh. (Bereishit 41:8)

Why was this dream so troubling to Pharaoh? It seems to speak of produce and agriculture, subjects that would occupy a monarch's mind for a significant part of his working day; it should come as no surprise when these elements bubbled to the surface while he slumbered:

And it came to pass at the end of two full years that Pharaoh dreamed; and, behold, he stood by the river. And, behold, there came up from the river seven cows sleek and fat; and they fed in the reed grass. And, behold, seven other cows came up after them from the river, gaunt and thin; and stood by the other cows upon the brink of the river. And the gaunt and thin cows consumed the seven sleek and fat cows. And Pharaoh awoke. And he slept and dreamed the second time; and, behold, seven ears of grain came up as one stalk, plump and good. And, behold, seven thin ears, blasted by the east wind, sprung up after them. And the seven thin ears devoured the seven plump and full ears. And Pharaoh awoke, and, behold, it was a dream. (Bereishit 41:1-7)

Pharaoh's dreams do not seem overly difficult to understand. It seems strange that all the wise men of Egypt could not muster any suggestion or interpretation which would satisfy Pharaoh. In order to understand the source of their difficulty, let us consider the dreams through Egyptian eyes.

Pharaoh has two dreams which are similar, one focused on cows and the other on stalks of grain. To the modern reader these seem like innocuous, healthy symbols of a time and place where man was more connected to the land and nature: These are the basic symbols of the woop and warf of agricultural life, of the farmer and the shepherd. Yet the Egyptians may have viewed these symbols in a very different fashion. Yosef actually points out to the cultural divergence when, years later, he prepares his brothers for their meeting with Pharaoh:

And Yosef said to his brothers, and to his father's house, 'I will go up, and explain to Pharaoh, and say to him, "My brothers, and my father's house, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me; And the men are shepherds, for their trade has been to raise cattle; and they have brought their flocks, and their herds, and all that they have." And it shall come to pass, when Pharaoh shall call you, and shall say, "What is your occupation?", you shall say, "Your servants' trade has been keeping cattle from our youth until now, both we, and also our fathers." that you may live in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination to the Egyptians. (Bereishit 46:31-34)

Rashi explains that because the Egyptians regarded animals as deities, they considered it an abomination to herd, domesticate or cultivate flocks or herds.

Is an abomination to the Egyptians - for they were deities for them. (Rashi, Bereishit 46:34)

The Ibn Ezra explains that it is not dissimilar to India in his day: These people worshiped cows and would not eat their meat or drink their milk, hence those who raised cows and ate their meat and milk were shunned by the Egyptians.(1) The Riva goes even further, pointing out that practices necessary for tending flocks were abhorrent to the Egyptians, who could not bear the use of force on their deities.(2) The B'chor Shor interprets Yosef's comment differently, reading it as a condemnation of Egyptian idolatry: the word 'abomination' refers to the Egyptian deities, and Yosef is passing a value judgment on Egyptian sensibilities and their worship of four-legged creatures.(3)

The word that Yosef uses to describe the clash between Egyptian and Jewish sensibilities is "toeva" ('abomination'), and this same word elsewhere in Yosef's story in another context: When the brothers unknowingly stand before Yosef and are invited to dine with the Prince of Egypt, the Torah describes a strange seating arrangement: the brothers are seated by themselves, Yosef by himself, and the other members of the Egyptian court by themselves:

And he washed his face, and went out, and controlled himself, and said, 'Set out bread.' And they served him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Egyptians who ate with him, by themselves; because the Egyptians would not eat bread with the Hebrews; for that is an abomination to the Egyptians. (Bereishit 43:31-32)

Some commentaries(4) see this as an indication of the arrogance and haughtiness of the Egyptians, who were not willing to eat with "lowly" strangers, yet this would not explain Yosef's exclusion. Other commentaries refer to the Egyptians' disgust at the profession of these guests; again, this would not explain the exclusion Yosef, a highly respected member of Pharaoh's court.(5) It might be possible to apply the same definition of the word toeva to this passage for a better understanding: One could posit that the word here also indicates a deity. The passage should then be interpreted along the lines suggested by the Bchor Shor: "for the Egyptians would not eat bread with the Hebrews, for this was (another) toeva, another idolatrous practice of the Egyptians." Eating bread, certainly publicly, went against Egyptian religious sensibilities.(6) This may provide us with a window into the religious world of Pharaonic Egypt: this was a slave-based society, developed not as a result of great affluence but as an outcome of a religious system that rejected all forms of physical labor. Egypt needed slaves - because the Egyptians themselves rejected the concept of physical labor. The production of bread required arduous work, and the Egyptians may have found all types of work and, by extension, those who were engaged in physical labor, an offense to their religious beliefs.

In this context, the two elements of Pharaoh's dream are of great symbolic importance inasmuch as they relate to "idolatrous" practices. Two additional elements of the dreams buttress this thesis: the "river" and Pharaoh himself. Both of these elements were also perceived as deities - the Nile was seen as the life-force of Egypt, and Pharaoh, who claimed to be the god of the Nile:

Son of man, set your face against Pharaoh king of Egypt, and prophesy against him, and against all Egypt; Speak, and say, Thus says the Almighty God: Behold, I am against you, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great crocodile that lies in the midst of his streams, who has said, 'My river is my own, and I have made it for myself.' (Yechezkel 29:2-3)

Only when we appreciate that all the elements in the dreams may have been perceived as deities to the Egyptians can we understand the silence of all of Pharaoh's advisors. They must have perceived in these dreams a foreboding message of a major cataclysm that could shake Egypt to its very core.

These same dreams may be understood in a completely different fashion in light of the ideological and religious worldview represented by biblical symbols. In this context, Pharaoh's two dreams represent an ancient dichotomy which has persisted from the very first day of man's existence. This may be concisely described as the dichotomy between man's perfect state of existence before the sin and man's post-Eden existence.

Before eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, Adam named the animals. This seems to have been the extent of the "work" with which he is charged:

And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the Garden of Eden to cultivate it and to keep it. (Bereishit 2:15)

After the sin, Adam is instructed to work the ground; sustenance, symbolized by bread, would now emerge only when man exerts himself:

In the sweat of your brow shall you eat bread, till you return to the ground; for out of it you were taken; for dust you are, and to dust shall you return. (Bereishit 3:19)

This same dichotomy is evident in the different orientations toward work in the next generation:(7)

And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering to the Almighty. And Abel also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat of it. And the Almighty harkened to Abel and to his offering. (Bereishit 4:3-4)

Cain and Hevel take different paths in their pursuit of God's Will, and these paths are expressed by their vocations. These enduring symbols of mankind's relationship to nature and to our place in the post-Eden reality were surely familiar to Yosef. Clearly Pharaoh and his advisors did not think in these terms, and Yosef's interpretation of Pharaoh's dreams ignores the biblical symbolism, while simultaneously steering clear of the minefield of Egyptian deities. The interpretation Yosef puts forth is firmly embedded in economics, in pragmatic planning which will enable Egypt to take advantage of the good years ahead in order to protect itself when the difficult times follow. This is an interpretation that does not threaten Pharoh or the religious system of which he is the apex, and Yosef is immediately catapulted to a position of power that enables him to implement the plan he had outlined.

* * *

TWO MORE DREAMS

Yosef's pragmatic interpretation of Pharaoh's dreams must be seen as part and parcel of his interpretation of a previous set of dreams - dreams that actually laid the foundations of his own liberation. As he languished in an Egyptian prison, Yosef interpreted the dreams of two fellow inmates:

And they dreamed a dream both of them, each man his dream in one night, each man according to the interpretation of his dream, the sommelier and the baker of the king of Egypt, who were confined in the prison. And Yosef came to them in the morning, and looked upon them, and, behold, they were sad. And he asked Pharaoh's officers who were with him in the custody of his lord's house, saying, Why do you look so sad today? And they said to him, We have dreamed a dream, and there is no interpreter of it. And Yosef said to them, Do interpretations not belong to the Almighty? Tell them to me, I beg you. (Bereishit 40:5-8)

And the chief sommelier told his dream to Yosef, and said to him, 'In my dream, behold, a vine was before me; And in the vine were three branches; and it was as though it budded, and its blossoms shot forth; and its clusters brought forth ripe grapes; And Pharaoh's cup was in my hand; and I took the grapes, and pressed them into Pharaoh's cup, and I gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand.' And Yosef said to him, 'This is the interpretation of it: The three branches are three days, and within three days shall Pharaoh lift up your head, and restore you to your place; and you shall deliver Pharaoh's cup into his hand, after the former manner when you were in his service. But think of me when it shall be well with you, and show kindness, I beg you, to me, and make mention of me to Pharaoh, and bring me out of this house; for indeed I was stolen away from the land of the Hebrews; and here also have I done nothing that they should put me in the dungeon.' When the chief baker saw that the interpretation was good, he said to Yosef, 'I also was in my dream, and, behold, I had three white baskets on my head; And in the uppermost basket there were all kinds of baked food for Pharaoh; and the birds ate them out of the basket upon my head.' And Yosef answered and said, 'This is the interpretation: The three baskets are three days, and within three days shall Pharaoh lift up your head off you, and shall hang you on a tree; and the birds shall eat your flesh off you.' And it came to pass the third day, which was Pharaoh's birthday, he made a feast for all his servants; and he lifted up the head of the chief sommelier and of the chief baker among his servants. And he restored the chief sommelier to his stewardship again; and he gave the cup into Pharaoh's hand; But he hanged the chief baker, as Yosef had interpreted to them. Yet the chief sommelier did not remember Yosef, and forgot him. (Bereishit 40:9-23)

These dreams contain symbols of the dichotomy we have discussed: The baker is actively involved in the process of making bread. The deeper connection with the post-Eden state of mankind, as well as the thematic connection with Pharaoh's dream, should not be overlooked. The wine steward, who is entrusted to discern good wine from bad, represents a major element of the sin committed in the Garden of Eden: according to many commentaries, the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil was none other than a grape vine, whose fruit causes confusion.(8) The wine steward's job, then, is a delicate one: he must, in his way, unravel the confusion of man's first sin.

The baker, on the other hand, performs his task by adhering to the rules of engagement in a post-sin world in which bread is brought forth by the sweat of man's brow. While both wine and bread are the results of a long process of fermentation which produce a finished product that is a vast improvement over the raw materials used to create it, Yosef sees only one of these processes carrying through to a successful finish: The sommelier will be returned to his former glory, which is analogous to a world before sin, before confusion. The baker's death seems to indicate a far weaker commitment to the post-Eden experience: Pharaoh has no interest in perpetuating 'bread', takes no responsibility for a world of work, of patient toil, and of death. These are left for the Egyptians' slaves to contend with, and it should come as no surprise that the Egyptian economic system eventually becomes dependent on slave labor. As a living representation of the human condition after the sin, the baker is doomed. He, his profession - and what that profession symbolizes - are an abomination to Egyptian theology, just as the Hebrew shepherds would be.

For Yosef, bread was also a troubling symbol. The Torah stresses that his brothers sat down "to eat bread" after they cast him into the pit. Later, 'bread' helped land him in prison: When he starts he career in the house of Potifar, we are told that Yosef is entrusted with all of his master's possessions - save one:

And he left all that he had in Yosef's hand; and he knew not what he had, save for the bread which he ate... (Bereishit 39:6)

Later, this statement is clarified: When his master's wife tries to seduce Yosef, the "bread" is a symbol of something far more personal:

But he refused, and said to his master's wife, 'Behold, my master knows not what is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has to my hand; There is none greater in this house than I; nor has he kept back anything from me but you, because you are his wife; how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? (Bereishit 39:8-9)

The one thing that was off limits to Yosef, earlier described as 'bread', was, in fact, Mrs. Potiphar. Yosef was accused of "eating another man's 'bread' ", and he was thrown into the pit once again. Once again, Yosef had not, in fact, partaken of the bread. He alone among the brothers did not eat bread when he was in the pit, and he remained a tzaddik in the house of Potiphar, despite the temptation to partake of the "feast". We may go so far as to say that Yosef is a throwback to man's purest state, to a point before the sin in Eden, to a time before man began to eke out his sustenance by the sweat of his brow, before eating from the Tree of Knowledge - before Adam "knew" his wife, before bread replaced knowledge.(9)

* * *

YOSEF'S DREAMS

Yosef's vision remained unclouded, unconfused. He correctly interpreted the dreams of his fellow prisoners, as well as Pharaoh's dreams, while discerning within them a message that transcended the lives and times of the dreamers of these dreams. When the two former ministers reveal their dreams to him, Yosef's interpretation bears similarities to his interpretation of Pharaoh's dreams. In both cases, Yosef understands that God is revealing the future. But Yosef also sees much more. Yosef saw the hand of God touching his own life, and he believed that when God spoke to the staff of Pharaoh's palace, there was also a message for him in that communication. He heard within the wine steward's dream a harbinger of his own salvation. He understood from Pharaoh's dream the reason he had suffered all of the trials and tribulations that brought him to the position of HaMashbir HaGadol, the great sustainer of Egypt and of his own family. Perhaps Yosef connected these two pairs of dreams with yet another pair of dreams: his own dreams, the dreams that caused his brothers to hate him enough to wish him dead.

And Yosef dreamed a dream, and he told it his brothers; and they hated him even more. And he said to them, 'Hear, I beg you, this dream which I have dreamed. Behold, we were binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose, and also stood upright; and, behold, your sheaves stood around, and made obeisance to my sheaf.' And his brothers said to him, 'Shall you indeed reign over us? Or shall you indeed have dominion over us?' And they hated him even more for his dreams, and for his words. And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it to his brothers, and said, 'Behold, I have again dreamed a dream; and, behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars made obeisance to me.' And he told it to his father, and to his brothers; and his father rebuked him, and said to him, 'What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow down ourselves to you to the earth?' And his brothers envied him; but his father kept the matter in mind. (Bereishit 37:5-11)

Yosef himself has two dreams, and he tells his brothers and his father the content of the dreams but never offers them his interpretation. He is vilified by his brothers as a self-centered narcissist; they have obviously interpreted the dreams from their own jaundiced perspective. They understand the dreams to be an indication that Yosef dreams of ruling over them.

Significantly, there are elements of his dreams that appear to slip by the brothers, but should not go unnoticed by readers of the text: His first dream was of sheaves, a theme that is revisited in the other dreams we have analyzed, be it the chief baker's handiwork or the sheaves of Pharaoh's dream. In Yosef's dream, the sheaves speak of the larger issue that looms in the background of all of the dreams: sheaves are a symbol of an agricultural society, but Yosef and his brothers are shepherds.

On the one hand, we might interpret this vocation as an expression of their desire to identify with a "pre-sin" world, to identify with Hevel as opposed to Cain. On the other hand, we may attribute their source of livelihood purely to expediency: Although they live in Canaan, they are not masters of that land. Though the family lives in Hevron, the brothers travel a considerable distance to the north, to Shechem and Dotan, to graze their flocks. This has a distinctly nomadic ring to it: They do not own land, and therefore they cannot engage in farming. They may live in the Promised Land, but it is still just that - promised to them, not yet theirs.

For Yosef's dream of sheaves to be realized, their lives will have to change considerably. Does Yosef see the next stage of their lives as master of the Promised Land, or does his dream reflect a new phase of life in a different land?(10) The brothers never ask; they don't seem to care. As far as they are concerned, Yosef's dream is simply the product of his over-active, self-centered imagination. And as they reject his first dream, they hate him for his second dream. But did they pause to consider its message?

* * *

A VISION AND A DREAM

Yosef's second dream deviates from all the dreams which follow; he dreams of celestial bodies, of the stars, the sun and moon. Again, the brothers do not seem interested in the deeper meaning of Yosef's dream. Even his father interprets the dream as an expression of Yosef's self-image. They all overlook the symbolism used in this dream - symbolism which we should not, ourselves, overlook: There was another member of the family who had a vision which involved the stars. His name was Avraham:

After these things the word of the Almighty came to Avram in a vision, saying, 'Fear not, Avram; I am your shield, and your reward will be great.' And Avram said, 'Almighty God, what will you give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?' And Avram said, 'Behold, to me you have given no seed; and, lo, a member of my household staff is my heir.' And, behold, the word of the Almighty came to him, saying, 'This shall not be your heir; but he who shall come forth from your own bowels shall be your heir.' And He brought him outside, and said, 'Look now toward heaven, and count the stars, if you are able to count them'; and He said to him, 'So shall your seed be.' And he believed in the Almighty; and he counted it to him as tzedaka. And He said to him, 'I am the Almighty who brought you out of Ur Kasdim, to give you this land to inherit it.' And he said, 'Almighty God, how shall I know that I shall inherit it?' And He said to him, 'Bring me a three year old heifer, and a three year old female goat, and a three year old ram, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon...' (Bereishit 15:1-10)

The stars symbolize the number of Avraham's descendents: Avraham, who was childless at this point, receives God's promise that he will be the patriarch of a great nation, with descendents too plentiful to count, who will inherit the Land of Canaan. We would have expected the grandchild and great grandchildren of Avraham to have seen the significance of Yosef's dream of stars. We might even have expected them to reinterpret the first dream in light of the second dream, to make a connection with the second part of Avraham's vision that dealt with inheriting the Land. How did they ignore these symbols? Why did they not realize that Yosef's dreams were somehow connected to the future of the Children of Israel, Avraham's descendents, in the Land of Israel? When hearing these two dreams(11) the brothers should have understood that Yosef described a situation which did not exist yet, a future time in which they and their descendents would be free to work the Land. They should have remembered Avraham's dreams, especially the dream which immediately follows his vision of the stars:

And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Avram; and, lo, a fear of great darkness fell upon him. And He said to Avram, 'Know for a certainty that your seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge; and afterward shall they come out with great wealth. And you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age. But in the fourth generation they shall come here again; for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full.' And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning torch that passed between those pieces. In the same day the Almighty made a covenant with Avram, saying, 'To your seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates; The Kenites, and the Kenazites, and the Kadmonites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Rephaim, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Girgashites, and the Yevusites. (Bereishit 15:12-21)

Avraham dreams; he learns that the path to the Land of Israel will not be a short, direct route. The path his descendents will take will be a long, circuitous one which will take them far away from their land. This will be a 'descent for the sake of ascent', for when they return, the land will truly be theirs, earned through their labor as slaves. At that time, working the holy land as farmers will be perceived as the greatest blessing.

Yosef, like Avraham, sees the path to Israel. He understands that it will necessarily pass through Egypt. The dreams that he interprets teach him that it is there that he will rise to power, there that his family will become as numerous as the stars.(12) The wine steward's dream foretells his own redemption, and Pharaoh's dreams show him the path to the future. Yosef sees God's master plan unfold in the dreams of others; his own dreams speak of the time of their return to the land - not as a nomadic band of brothers but as a nation in possession of their Promised Land. His brothers never asked Yosef to explain his dreams; would they have understood the message had he revealed it to them? Did the brothers share Yosef's ability to see beyond the present, to discern and understand hundreds of years of history in the visions he is granted? It seems not; they saw their own personal rivalries and jealousies, and took no responsibility for the future. Yosef was, in more than one sense, a visionary: He saw beyond the present, and taught others to do the same. For Yosef, all these dreams are of one piece; they are all connected to the glorious dream of Avraham. Yosef understands that his own personal life story is a vehicle for Jewish history. Ultimately, this is his message to his brothers:

Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that you sold me here; for God sent me before you to preserve life… So now it was not you who sent me here, but God; and he has made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt. (Bereishit 45:5,8)

Yosef helps them to understand what he has already come to know: His brothers are not the reason he is in Egypt. Their own personal interests are a part of something much greater than themselves. Our lives - all of our lives - are part and parcel of the covenant between God and Avraham: God brought the Children of Israel to Egypt as the final step toward their return, as a great nation, to the Land of Israel. Only then, only there, will the descendents of Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov, the Children of Israel, one day live in peace, prosperity and freedom.