In these increasingly dark and evil days in which we are now living where evil is made to appear to be good, down is up and black is white, and where YHVH’s people are being increasingly marginalized, persecuted and even killed, what should we be doing in the face of evil’s onslaught against us? The following list provides the answers from the Scriptures.
Watch and pray (Matt 26:41; Mark 13:33; 14:38; Luke 21:36).
Pray that you might be counted worthy to escape YHVH’s judgments that will be coming on the earth because of wickedness (Luke 21:36).
Endure to the end (Matt 24:13; Mark 13:13).
Keep your eyes on Yeshua the Lamb and follow him wherever he goes (Rev 14:4).
Occupy until Yeshua comes (Luke 19:13). Be busy doing what Yeshua has called you to do.
Engage in intercessory prayer, though at this time, it may not do much good, since biblical prophecy has to be fulfilled as end time events occur. This means that things will be getting worse and worse until Yeshua returns and destroys Babylon the Great New World Order.
Be an overcomer in every way possible. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good (Rom 12:21). Those who overcome spiritual evil will experience great rewards (Rev 2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 12, 21)
Be prepared to engage in civil disobedience as a last resort, if necessary. If civil laws violate YHVH’s laws, the Bible tells us to obey YHVH’s laws over men’s laws (Acts 4:19; 5:29; Ps 94:16).
Be prepared to help persecuted brothers and sisters in any way possible. You might be next the next one to be persecuted!
Continue to be salt and light to those around you in every way possible (Matt 5:13–16).
Don’t expect things on earth to get better. Yeshua never said it would get better, but only darker before his return. He’s coming at the midnight hour when evil will be the most pervasive and rampant on the earth.
Expect intense persecution of Bible believers (2 Tim 3:12; Matt 5:10–12; 10:22–25; 23:34; Mark 10:30; John 15:19–21; 16:2, 33; 17:14; 1 Thess 3:3–4; 1 Pet 4:12–16; Rev 7:14). Yeshua and the book of Revelation prophesy this will occur in the end times.
Be wise as serpents (Matt 10:16). Find ingenious ways to circumvent Caesar’s evil and unbiblical mandates without getting caught, while at the same time being obedient to YHVH’s higher laws.
Love not your lives unto death (Rev 12:11). Be willing to lose some or all of yourself for Yeshua including your material possessions. Greater rewards await you for your faithful obedience to Yeshua (Matt 10:39; 16:25).
Be inspired by the great faith of the biblical and Christian heros who have gone before us (Heb 11).
Come out of the end times Babylon the Great world system more completely (Rev 18:4) starting with the spiritual aspects of this evil and ungodly worldwide system. Eventually, this may mean leaving the cities and going into communal situations into the wilderness with others like-minded believers. Some of the Roman Catholic monasteries were started by those fleeing the corruption of Rome.
The more evil intensifies against you, love the light of YHVH’s truth, love Yeshua more and run to and hold on to him—the Rock of your salvation—more tightly.
Love your enemies, do good to those who despitefully use you and pray for them (Matt 5:44).
And finally…
Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. Let all that you do be done with love (1 Cor 16:13). Let the following scriptures admonish you:
Put on the whole armor of Elohim, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of Elohim, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of Elohim; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints… (Eph 6:11–18)
For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in Elohim for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of Elohim, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Messiah, and being ready to punish all disobedience when your obedience is fulfilled. (2 Cor 10:3–6)
A spiritual call is going forth across the planet to the people of Elohim—to those who look to the God of the Bible (YHVH Elohim) as their source of spiritual enlightenment and guidance. Our loving Father in heaven is urging his people to come out of spiritual Babylon. This plea and warning message is found in Revelation 18.
1 After these things I saw another angel coming down from heaven, having great authority, and the earth was illuminated with his glory.
2 And he cried mightily with a loud voice, saying, “Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and has become a dwelling place of demons, a prison for every foul spirit, and a cage for every unclean and hated bird!
3 “For all the nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth have become rich through the abundance of her luxury.”
4 And I heard another voice from heaven saying, “Come out of her, my people, lest you share in her sins, and lest you receive of her plagues.
5 “For her sins have reached to heaven, and God has remembered her iniquities.
6 “Render to her just as she rendered to you, and repay her double according to her works; in the cup which she has mixed, mix double for her.
7 “In the measure that she glorified herself and lived luxuriously, in the same measure give her torment and sorrow; for she says in her heart, ‘I sit as queen, and am no widow, and will not see sorrow.’
8 “Therefore her plagues will come in one day–death and mourning and famine. And she will be utterly burned with fire, for strong is the Lord God who judges her. (Rev 18:1–8)
Babylon the Great is a worldwide economic, political and religious system whose tentacles literal reach into every aspect of every human endeavor going back for thousands of years. It’s a demonic system at whose heart is the spirit of rebellion against the laws of Elohim as revealed in the Bible. It seeks to draw humans into its sticky net through appealing to man’s base nature involving his lust for power, fame, possessions, wealth, antichrist spirituality and head knowledge. All this is in opposition to the truth of the Bible and to Yeshua the Messiah, who is the central figure of the Bible. It is a cosmic struggle between Elohim the Creator, the source of all good, versus Satan, a created being who is in total opposition to Elohim and who is the epitome of all evil. Man who is in the middle between the two has to choose who he will serve and follow. To not choose is by default to follow Satan. Babylon the Great is a poetic name for that end times worldwide system that stands in opposition to Elohim.
At this time, Elohim is calling his people out of the religious system of Babylon the Great in which they have unwittingly become entangled. We must first identify the problem and learn how it has ensnared us so that we will know what to come out of. It all starts when well-intentioned religious men start down a slippery slope called spiritual syncretism. This is what we want to discuss below.
Syncretism Defined
Syncretism is defined as “the amalgamation or attempted amalgamation of different religions, cultures, or schools of thought.” In a biblical context, it has to do with YHVH’s people mixing or combining the religious truths as given them by YHVH, the God of the Bible, with those of the surrounding pagan cultures to form a religious admixture. Scripture reveals this act as mixing the holy (set-apart) with profane (that which is polluted or defiled)—something which YHVH detests. When YHVH’s people do this, the Scriptures liken this to spiritual adultery or fornication. Unless YHVH’s people repent of adopting pagan customs and belief systems, YHVH promises judgement upon them.
Down through the ages from the birth of the nation of Israel in Egypt until the present time, YHVH’s people have had to fight hard to not be swept along by the currents of the cultures in which they find themselves. The history of the people of Elohim is a sad and repetitive story of YHVH revealing his truth to them, and their eventually abandoning it to one degree or another to curry the favor of the world. This process started long ago with ancient Israel.
Ancient Israel and Syncretism
The biblical record chronicles many examples of ancient Israel turning away (or apostatizing) from the truth of YHVH and adopting or syncretizing YHVH’s truth with the heathen practices of the nations around them. Here are a few of them.
The golden calf incident in Exodus 32. While worshiping the golden calf, the Israelites proclaimed a feast to YHVH (verses 3–4).
The incident where the Israelite men fornicated with the Moabite and Midianite women in Numbers 25:1–18 and 31:16 brought a curse upon Israel.
Jeroboam when he led the ten tribes of the Northern Kingdom of Israel to turn from YHVH and to worship false gods (2 Kgs 17:7–23). The Babylonian church system continues to walk in the religious spirit of Jeroboam.
Isa 1:13–14—Elohim says, your feasts, sabbaths and new moons he hates because their yours, not his.
Mal 2:11—Not only Ephraim (the church) has mixed itself with the paganism of the world, but so has Judah. Judah has profaned YHVH’s holy institution, which YHVH loves, and Judah (rabbinic Judaism) has married the daughter of a foreign god.
Resisting Baal worship—the religion of the pagans of Canaan where the Israelites lived—was one perhaps the greatest challenge the Israelites faced.
Baal Worship in the Bible
Baal was a Caananite god whose worship was characterized by nature worship and forbidden sorcery, divination, lewd sexual practices and other abominable practices that YHVH detested. Baal, whose consort (his sister-wife) was Ashteroth, had divine similar counterparts in Egyptian, Babylonian, Greek and Roman pagan religious systems.
In the book of Exodus, we read about the well known exodus of the children of Israel out of Egypt. In Jewish thought, this is referred to as “the first redemption.” Interestingly and unbeknownst to most Christians, there is a second exodus that will occur at the end of the present age before the return of the Messiah. The ancient Jewish sages refer to this event as “the final redemption.” This is because numerous biblical prophecies speak of this final redemption or second exodus. When will this second exodus occur, who does it involve and what do these people leave and where to they go? That will be subject of the discussion below.
The concept of the Messianic Age in Hebraic thought involves an understanding of the first and final redemptions, which are two separate events. The first redemption or first exodus occurred when the Israelites obeyed the Word of Elohim and placed the blood of the lamb on the door posts of their homes resulting in YHVH delivering them out of Egypt. It is understood by redeemed believers that Israel’s exodus from Egypt was prototypical of one’s placing their faith in Yeshua (the Lamb of Elohim) who redeems them from sin’s death grip through his shed blood at the cross, and then leads them out of their spiritual Egypt of sin and worldliness toward the promised land of a new spiritual life in Messiah Yeshua.
By contrast, the final redemption or second exodus is a series of events that will occur at the end of the age prior to the return of Messiah Yeshua at the beginning of the Messianic Age (or Millennium).
For those who have placed saving faith in Yeshua the Messiah, at the final redemption, the redeemed believers will receive their spiritual or glorified bodies at the resurrection of the dead, which occurs at the second coming of Yeshua. After that, they will rule and reign with Yeshua for a thousand years during the Messianic Age.
Now let’s explore some of the biblical prophecies that pertain to the second exodus. This will yield us more clues as to the timing of the return of Ephraim to the land of Israel.
Although consisting of two chapters, this passage of the Scriptures is part of the same prophecy and speaks about the coming of Messiah, and the regathering of the outcasts of Israel from the nations to which they have been scattered. Below is a list of the salient points that pertain to the second exodus along with my commentary.
11:10, The root of Jesse (the Messiah) will be an ensign or banner to the Gentiles of the nations. We know that Yeshua was that root of Jesse who commanded his followers to preach the gospel to the Gentile world. The gospel has gone to the entire Gentile world only in the 20th century via the means of modern travel and mass communications.
11:11, Here, the prophet seems to be talking about another group of people — a remnant of his people (the outcasts of Israel, verse 12) as opposed to the larger group of Gentile believers from among the nations (who have heard the gospel message) referred to in verse 10. YHVH will recover his people — the remnant of Israel — the second time (i.e. the second exodus) from all lands including the islands of the sea (North and South America, England, Australia, Japan, etc.).
11:12, YHVH will set up an ensign or banner for the nations and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel and the dispersed of Judah. Yeshua is that banner. Even though Yeshua is the ensign for the Gentiles of the nations and for the remnant outcast of Israel who are scattered among the nations, only the outcasts of Israel will be regathered along with the dispersed of Judah.
11:13, It is among this remnant group of scattered redeemed Israelites and dispersed redeemed Jews that peace between the two groups will occur. How may we ask are these two previously antagonistic groups brought together? This can only occur through a common adherence to Torah and a belief in Yeshua the Jewish Messiah who makes of Jews and Gentiles one new man (Eph 2:11–19). At the same time, the adversaries of Judah and Ephraim (the Edomites or Moslems and their Islamo-fascist terrorist allies [more on this later]) will be cut off.
11:14–15, Together, Judah and Ephraim will defeat Edom, the Philistines of the West Bank, and Moab. (Note that all these enemies of Israel are Moslem nations! Compare this with the prophecies of Obad 18 and Zech 9:13.) Perhaps there are two groups of Judahites and Ephraimites: the remnant and the greater group. It appears that greater or national (secular) Judah and national (secular) Ephraim will defeat Edom, as it seems less likely that a remnant of Yeshua-followers (the end times Torah-observant saints) will be the ones to do this.
11:16, The scene switches back to the remnant again where a highway will be formed for YHVH’s people to return to Israel from Assyria (the nation of their captivity). This second exodus will be similar to Israel’s leaving Egypt the first time. As YHVH led ancient Israel through the wilderness en route to the Promised Land, he will do the same in the last days when Israel will return to the land of Israel from the nations of her exile.
12:1–12, This chapter seems to describe a millennial setting. For example, verse three is understood in Hebraic thought to be a reference to Hoshana Rabbah, the last great day of the fall biblical Feast of Tabernacles (or Sukkot), which is a prophetic picture of the Millennium when the Spirit of YHVH will be poured out upon the earth.
Now let’s note Isaiah 11:10–12:6 in the broader context of the chapters following this passage. Perhaps there is some additional understanding to be found as to the timing of Ephraim’s return by examining the event foretold therein.
Chapter 13:6, 9, 13 speak of the day of YHVH’s wrath, which occurs at the end of the age when YHVH will judge the nations as described in the seven bowl judgments of Revelation 15 and 16. The wrath in Isaiah 13 is directed at Babylon, and in Revelation 15 and 16YHVH’s wrath is toward the nations of the world as represented by Babylon the Great, which is a greater, world-ruling version of the original Babylon. Because of the proximity of Isaiah 11 describing the second exodus with chapter 13 prophesying the fall of Babylon, it would appear that these two events are related.
After this, chapter 14 goes on to talk about the fall of the king of Babylon with verses 13 through 20 and then curiously links this to Lucifer’s (Satan’s) rebellion against YHVH and his fall from glory and his being cast into a pit (verse 15). The Book of Revelation also speaks of similar events—Satan’s fall from heaven (Rev 12:7–9), Babylon the Great’s destruction (Rev 18) and Satan’s being cast into the bottomless pit (Rev 20:1–3). Are Isaiah and John’s prophecies speaking about the same events that are to occur at the end of the age, and to YHVH’s end times judgment of Babylon the Great with Satan the devil as its head (see Rev 13, 18, 19 and 20)? This could be the case.
In chapter 14, Isaiah then goes on to prophecy another judgment against the king of Babylon, then a judgment against the Assyrians, Philistines (Isa 14), Moab (Isa 16) and Syria (Isa 17) and America—a land beyond and due west of Ethiopia that is accessible only by ocean ships (Isa 18), and, finally, judgment upon Egypt (Isa 19–20).
Then chapter 21 readdresses the fall of Babylon where in verse nine the phrase “Babylon is fallen, is fallen” is repeated as if to say that Babylon fell once, but that it will fall again in the end times. Most people are familiar with this phrase from John’s Book of Revelation (Rev 18:2), but are unaware that John is actually quoting Isaiah. It’s as if John is calling our attention to Isaiah’s prophecy as a corollary antecedent statement that relates to his own prophecy.
Isaiah then goes on to pronounce judgment against Edom and Arabia (Isa 21), against Phoenicia (Isa 23) and then against the whole earth (Isa 24). Could these prophecies of Isaiah be what John is seeing in Revelation when he describes YHVH’s bowl judgments against the whole earth just prior to the return of Yeshua (Rev 15 and 16), which John refers to as the wrath of Elohim (Rev 14:19; 15:1,7; 16:2,19)? In the chronology of the Book of Revelation, the fall of Babylon the Great occurs after the bowl judgments of the wrath of Elohim are poured out upon the whole earth. After this, Yeshua returns to this earth with his heavenly army to bring final judgment upon the armies that have gathered at Armageddon (Rev 19 and Jude 14–15). At this time, Satan and his Antimessiah confederacy, who dared to exalt themselves against YHVH and his Anointed One, will be dashed to pieces and destroyed for good (Rev 19:11–21; 20:1–3)!
So we see from this series of passages additional clues as to the timing of the second exodus and the return of Ephraim to the land of Israel. As the first exodus of Israel from Egypt occurred in conjunction with Egypt’s judgment and demise, so it appears that similar events will surround the second exodus. YHVH will judge all the nations which are part of end times Babylon the Great, and the devil, who is the instigator of man’s rebellion against YHVH-Yeshua, andthen the dispersed captives of Israel will be set free to return to her promised inheritance.
Perhaps this whirlwind tour of all these prophecies is overwhelming, and my analysis may seem to be too broad and speculative. But before jumping to any conclusions one way or the other, let’s continue to examine other biblical prophecies on this subject to determine if a pattern of events will begin to take shape that will shed light on the timing of Ephraim’s return. After you begin to see how the pieces of the puzzle fit together to form the whole picture, you will be in a better position to determine if there is enough evidence from the whole counsel of the Scriptures to support what I am proposing. As the Scriptures say, “Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things, hold fast that which is good” (1 Thess 5:20–21).
Another solid second exodus reference is found in Jeremiah 16:14–15. Here we read,
“Therefore, behold, the days come,” says YHVH, “that it shall no more be said, ‘YHVH liveth, that brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt; but, YHVH liveth, that brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the lands whither he had driven them: and I will bring them again into their land that I gave unto their fathers.’”
What stands out about this passage is that the second exodus will be much greater in scope than the first exodus, and will involve scattered Israelites being regathered from the countries north of Israel and from wherever else they have been scattered. It must be remembered that the lands of Babylon and Assyria into which ancient Israel was exiled was primarily east northeast of Israel, and not due north of Israel as this prophecy indicates. So this prophecy has yet a future fulfillment.
What’s more, in the future when these prophecies are fulfilled, YHVH promises to punish Israel for its iniquity (or Torahlessness, verse 17–18). This will happen when the Israelites who have been scattered among the Gentiles begin to wake up and realize that much of what they have been taught for religious truth is nothing more than worthless, anti-Torah lies (verse 19)! At the same time, they will come to know the name of YHVH (verse 21) — a possible reference to the restoration of the Hebrew-biblical names of deity, which is happening in our day among many who are rediscovering the Hebrew roots of the Christian faith.
This second-exodus prophecy is almost a direct quote from Jeremiah’s earlier 6:14–15 prophecy, which we have just discussed above.
It is interesting to note the timing of this prophecy’s fulfillment. This second exodus regathering corresponds with Yeshua’s reigning over this earth and executing judgment (verses 2–5) — something that will not happen until Yeshua’s second coming when he will defeat his enemies and establish his millennial kingdom on earth. So we see from this passage that the second exodus, when scattered Israel (including Ephraim) is regathered and returns to dwell safely in the land of Israel (verse 6), coincides with the second coming of Yeshua and the beginning of the millennium.
Recently in the comments section of this blog, someone wrote the following about the 666 reference Revelation 13:18,
The 666 is incorrect. It can’t be these numbers by Hebrew standards. The Aramaic proves this too. There are many teachings available to this regard. One being by [I deleted the name of a prominent Hebrew roots teacher].
This was my response:
With all due respect, simply making a statement why you disagree is not helpful to our discussion of the subject. Kindly give us Scripture and verse along with the meaning of the biblical words and contexts in which a biblical word or concept is found. Simply throwing out a name of someone who teaches differently on a subject is not helpful either. There are many well known personalities the world over who are wrong on many subjects. Name dropping means nothing to the discerning truth seeker. We want to know what the Bible has to say on the subject.
Figuring that many people out there would like to have a fuller understanding of the meaning of 666, these last few days I have been researching this subject. Here is what I have learned. Please enjoy. — Natan
Revelation 13:18,Six hundred threescore and six [KJV]/666 [NKJV]. Here is the full text of this verse:
Here is wisdom. Let him who has understanding calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man: His number is 666. (Rev 18:13, NKJV)
For six hundred threescore and six (KJV) or666 (NKJV), New Testament Greek-English interlinear translations show two variants as to the Greek behind these words. Some show the Greek words hexakosioihexekontahex meaning “six hundred and sixty six” (e.g. William Mounce’s Greek and English Interlinear New Testament and The Greek New Testament [fourth edition by Aland, Metzger et al]. Most Greek lexicons define these same words (e.g. Thayer and Arndt-Gringrich) as meaning “six hundred and sixty six”…
hexakosioi means “six hundred”
hexekonta means “sixty”
hex means “six”
For six hundred threescore and six (KJV) or 666 (NKJV), J.P. Green and J. J. Griesbach (in his Diaglott) in their New Testament translations have the Greek letters “χζς” behind the words 666 as does Vincent in his lexicon (Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament, vol. 2, p. 531).
As to why some New Testament Greek interlinears and lexicons simply have the Greek letters χζς, while others have the Greek words hexakosioihexekontahex, Vincent explains that in the earlier Greek New Testament manuscripts, it is written in full (i.e. hexakosioihexekontahex) as opposed to just the letters χζς, which correspond to the Greek numbers (ibid.):
hexakosioi/χ = six hundred
hexekonta/ζ= sixty
hex/ς= six
Curiously Strong’s Concordance lists the Greek words behind the English words six hundred threescore and six (KJV) as χζς or chi xi stigma (Strong’s G5516). chi/χ is the twenty-second letter, xi/ζ is the fourteenth letter and sigma/ς is the eighteenth letter of the Greek alphabet.
In those translations that list χζς as the Greek behind the words 666, the question is this: What is the last letter in this three letter word? It appears to be the letter sigma, which is eighteenth letter in the Greek alphabet and looks like this: ς. However, Strong’s lists it as a stigma and defines this as “a non-existent letter in the Greek alphabet, and of this symbol says, “the primary meaning of stigma presumable derives from the primary word stizō (to ‘stick’, that is, prick); a mark incised or punched (for recognition of ownership), that is, (figuratively) scar of service.” Why Strong’s chose to call this letter a stigma instead of a sigma, is not explained. No other lexical reference that I could find calls the last letter of this word a stigma, but refers to it as a sigma.
So what is a Greek stigma? According to Wikipedia,
He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. (Revelation 13:16–17)
Edelstein confirms: Coronavirus ‘green passports’ on their way
Health Minister Yuli Edelstein confirmed on Wednesday that coronavirusgreen passports are on their way.”Two weeks after the second shot, a person who was vaccinated will receive a green passport,” he said during a Labor, Welfare and Health Committee meeting on Wednesday, speaking of the document which is intended to prove that its holder has been vaccinated and will give those who have it certain benefits and freedoms.
Edelstein said that while he could not yet give all the details of how the passports would work, he could confirm that “it will free people from isolation [requirement]” and it would “allow [people] to enter places that will still be restricted to other populations.” “It will be a difficult logistical operation,” he added. MK Ophir Sofer said that the green passport would be an excellent tool for encouraging the population to get vaccinated.
In these last days, the enemies of Elohim are crawling out of their caves and lairs, and from under the rocks where they have been hiding. This is because Satan knowns that his time as the god of this age is short, and he is pulling out all of the proverbial stops to make his last stand against the saints of the Mose High, and ultimately against the soon-coming Conquering King Yeshua our Messiah.
Until then, Satan has commissioned and empowered the biblically prophesied spirit of Antichrist to rise up against the saints all across the globe. All of this is against the backdrop of and partially empowered by the weakness of a lukewarm, apostate, largely money-driven corporate Christian church to stand against these evil forces.
The year 2020 has been especially a hot year in regard to the rising up of satanic forces. Satan is the author of confusion, fear and is out to kill, steal and destroy. This is occurring globally through the disease “pandemics” manipulated to bring earth’s population under the physical and psychological control of globalist tyrannical government as well as the modern sorcerers of the drug cartels, who make billions peddling their pharamaceia, while enslaving their drug-addicted cliental (Rev 9:21 and 18:23).
In the U.S., for example, there has been an unprecedented uprising of leftist, Marxists and anarchist criminal elements and the failure of supportive acquiescing morally weak and left-leaning political leaders to apply the rule of law against them. Moreover, we have witnessed the likely manifestation of a fraudulent presidential election that has given rise to leftist and criminal elements taking the reins of control over this nation. Through it all, the lives and businesses of millions are being ravaged and destroyed as the leftist leaders impose onerous restrictions and soft-martial law, civil liberty edicts in many areas across the country. Fear, uncertainty and hopelessness reigns as food lines, even in prosperous areas, lengthen, jobless rates soar and one-third of Americans, for example, are in danger of losing their homes unable to pay their mortgages and rent due to job loss.
Where do we go from here? Thousands of years ago, the Bible prophesied that these things would occur in the last days. Why should those who are awake, alert and or the Son’s of the Light who do not exist in spiritual darkness be surprised? Many of us have seen these days coming for a long time and have prepared ourselves physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually for them. Beyond that, our trust is in YHVH Elohim the promises of his Word to protect and provide for his saints. Trials and persecutions will occur. Some will even be martyred (a spiritual promotion). In the mean time, we stand against evil in the name and power of the resurrected Messiah, occupying until he comes, while being about our Father’s business of helping to spread the good news of the kingdom of heaven.
In conclusion, please keep this one thing in mind: The best and safest place to be in both good and bad times is in the center of YHVH’s perfect will for your life. Find it and rest in it trusting in YHVH to lead, lead and protect you as he is forming and shaping each of us into the perfect image of Yeshua!
And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. (Rom 8:28–29)
Are the Imprecatory Psalms at Odds With Yeshua’s Command to Love One’s Enemies?
Psalm 58 like many of the other imprecatory (from imprecation meaning “a spoken curse”) psalms expresses the extreme and overwhelming frustration, nay, the animus or antipathy that the righteous child of Elohim often viscerally feels toward the wicked evildoers that surround him, and the strong and yearning desire that one has for heaven to render judgment against those who hate all that is good. Is it a bad thing for righteous people to hate wickedness? Is it sinful for YHVH’s saints to desire justice from the heavenly courts for the wrongs committed against them by their wicked, evil-doing and God-hating enemies? More importantly, are the imprecatory psalms opposed to Yeshua’s teaching to love one’s enemy? While this may appear to be the case, and many Christian Bible teaches aver this to be so, we will answer these questions, and upon closer examination, see that these imprecatory psalms express some deeper spiritual truths that are consistent with the totality of Scripture and are actually in line with the teachings of Yeshua. In analyzing this subject, we will use Psalm 58 as our launch pad into examining a larger subject suggested by the imprecatory verbiage found in biblical psalmic literature.
At the outset of this discussion, let’s establish one important fact. The author of the fifty-eighth psalm knows a basic Bible truth that is found in both the Old and New Testaments. It is that judgment against one’s enemies is ultimately in the hands of Elohim (Deut 32:35, 43; Ps 94:1–2; Rom 12:19; Heb 10:30); it is the Almighty who will arise and tread down and scatter one’s enemies (Ps 60:12; 68:1). In the mean time, however, while waiting for Elohim to act, the earth reels and struggles under the heavy and constant attacks of the wicked, and the psalmist cries out to Elohim to render judgment against the ungodly (Ps 58:6), which Elohim will eventually do. At that time, the righteous will rejoice (Ps 58:10). The time when heaven will balance the scales of justice cannot come soon enough for the oft persecuted and downtrodden saints, for it will be then when YHVH will reward the righteous and judge the wicked when he comes from on high (Ps 58:11).
At that time when the scales of justice are finally balanced, the righteous will awaken at the resurrection to everlasting life and will shine like the stars, while the wicked will be condemned to everlasting shame and contempt (Dan 12:2–3 cp. Matt 13:43).
Psalm 46:1–11, Amidst geo-political turbulence, divine protection and a heavenly lifeline exists for the saints. What is the overall message of this psalm? Even though the chapter subheading of my NKJV Bible, for example, describes this psalm as “God the refuge of his people and conqueror of the nations,” there is a deeper, more inspiring message to be discovered here that this title misses. Let’s dig into this precious morsel of the Word of Elohim to discover what this life-changing message is.
When it comes to discovering the hidden golden nuggets in Scripture, one must be willing to become a spiritual hardrock miner who is not averse to the difficult work of picking away at the seemingly unyielding and implacable rock and soil to uncover the mother lode of hidden treasure underground. Like digging for gold, the deeper one digs into Scripture and the more time and effort one invests in the process, the more likely one is to pull the unspeakably valuable treasures out of the spiritual bedrock of the Bible. I have been digging into this Rock of Ages daily for more than fifty years, and my heart and mind still tingle and pulsate with enthusiasm (please look up the meaning of the word enthusiasm for a cool nugget of truth that reveals why I purposely chose this word) when I discover new treasures therein.
To uncover these nuggets that lay below the surface words of Scripture, it is critical to understand an important fact: There are at least four layers of understanding to be found buried in the Word of Elohim. Let’s discover and briefly explore what these are.
Laying on the surface of Scripture, we find the peshat or literal meaning of what has been written. For example, a literal man named Noah built a literal ark of wood that floated on a literal flood of literal water, Moses led the children of Israel out of Egypt, and Yeshua was a carpenter’s son from Judea who lived in the first century. On a moral or philosophical level, the ten commandments, for example, are literal rules of righteous conduct that apply to our daily lives.
Digging deeper, we come to the next level as we drill down deeper into the Word of Elohim. This is the remez or suggested or hinted at meaning of a scriptural passage. For example, the Torah talks about “an eye for eye” when it comes to criminal justice. This may be taken literally to mean that if you injure someone’s eye, your eye is to be similarly injured as payment for your crime, thus evening the scales of justice. Moreover, an injured eye does not require the death penalty, and the crime of murder requires more than a slap on the wrist. So what this verse is really saying or hinting at beyond its literal or peshat level meaning is that the punishment must fit the crime.
