Category Archives: Scripture

Scripture Studies

Are We Experiencing a Leftist Revolution in America?

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Are we currently witnessing a leftist revolution to take over America? If so, is this part of YHVH’s judgment against the United States for turning away from him spiritually? If so, what must we as the body of Yeshua do to prepare for the events to unfold and the new America that will emerge subsequent to this revolution?

I don’t use the term revolution flippantly. As an ardent student of history for 50 years, I have studied, in depth, several revolutions where societal minorities eventually gained power and influence and up-ended a nations social structure fundamentally changing them forever. This especially includes the American, French, Soviet, Fascist-Nazi, Chinese and Cuban revolutions.

There are revolutions that have had moral, Christian principles, more or less, driving them like the American Revolution. Then there are those revolutions that have been motivated by hatred of biblical values like the other revolutions mentioned. If a revolution is presently happening in America, its provocateurs are certainly not being motivated by a love for Elohim or the Bible—quite the contrary!

In the past, revolutions have been driven forward by small bands of rabble rousing agents of strife. Now they’re called community organizers. These thugs work overtime to stir up conflict between people, causing division and animus between various segments of society, and then use the conflict to their advantage to further the goals of their revolution.

The promulgation of propaganda plays a major role in revolutions. Many, if not most, of our major media outlets are pumping out much fake news, propaganda, innuendo, assumptions, biased opinions or even attempting to create news and calling it news in an attempt to sway public opinion toward the left. I can tell you as a former journalist (I studied journalism in high school and at two universities and was a reporter-writer for six newspapers including Oregon’s largest daily for a brief time), what passes for news today is, to a large degree, anything but fair, balanced and unbiased journalism as we were taught in J-school in my day.

Add to this the bands of masked street thug agitators (remember Hitler’s SA and Brown Shirts, the Bolsheviks, and let’s not forget about the French Revolution’s Committee for Public Safety that helped to enforce that revolution’s Reign of Terror where tens of thousands were murdered?) inciting riots and promoting violence, which is prevalent in all revolutions. Furthermore, who can not see the left pulling out all the stops to discredit and then to topple the presidency of of the US? How about the stifling of free speech (anything that doesn’t agree with the left is called hate speech) including the rewriting of history (toppling of statues—the modern day version of book burning). I could go on.

In all the revolutions mentioned above, a small minority of idealogues backed by their street thug enforcers with the help of the propagandists were successful in slowly and subversively turning the ship of state in their direction and then  commandeering it entirely. This is a matter of historical record. The nations the leftists have taken over have never been the same since. With the exception of the American Revolution, every one has been driving by a satanic spirit of Antichrist and has been the enemy of the church.

In the article I wrote about ten years ago entitled, “Is America in End-Times Bible Prophecy?” (https://www.hoshanarabbah.org/pdfs/america.pdf), I predicted, based on my study of Bible prophecy, that a revolution would happen in America (and other western, formally Christian, nations) prior to the second coming of the Messiah. These events would be a result of our turning our back on Elohim and his Word—the Bible. This would be the Almighty spanking us spiritually to bring us back to him. I even foresaw the hand of Edom—the Islamists—role in this. Moreover, a couple years ago, I made a video saying that the Islamization of America and the West is Elohim’s judgment against the apostate church. Not only is Islam at the forefront of the move to revolutionize America (and the West), but the left has joined forces with Edom against anything that remains of Christianity in our nation. My predictions seemed far-fetched ten years ago, but not so now.

About four years ago, I made a video that predicted that the remnant church in America would be driven underground because of persecution. (I’ll put a link to it below.) That may have seemed like a far-fetched idea then, but not so much now.

America and the west is so asleep—if not dead spiritually (and this includes the church)—that only the greatest of persecutions will shock it out of its death sleep. Is it beginning to happen in front of our eyes? I’m wondering.

The great and innumerable multitude of Revelations 7:14 that comes out of the Great Tribulation has to come from somewhere! Am I saying that American and the West will have a major spiritual revival? Not exactly, but there will be those who will awaken spiritually out of it as a result. Perhaps this is the trial by fire that Yeshua refers to that the lukewarm believers of Laodicea have to go through to help awaken them spiritually (Rev 3:18).

If what I’m suggesting is true, this begs the question: So what’s next? What must we do to prepare?

You tell me. This watchman has been standing shouting on the wall for years to prepare in every way possible. What more is there to say?

This I know. As Winston Churchill said at the beginning of Britain’s war against Germany in his first speech to parliament in June, 1940 in his famous, “This was their finest hour” speech, will this be our finest hour?

Part of me wants to take my family and flee to Alaska and camp out when the you-know-what hits the fan. That’s the flesh in me. The spirit man in me realizes that faith must rise up. To live is Messiah; to die is gain, as Paul said. We must not love our lives unto death, as Yeshua said in Revelation 12. The gospel message is the thing the forces of Satan hate the most, and it’s our greatest weapon. Now is the time to get armed and dangerous for Yeshua! Now is the time to begin to pray for emboldened faith and to prepare our hearts and minds to be preachers of the gospel. You say “No I can’t.” I say, “Yes you can through Yeshua who will strengthen you and through whom all things are possible—the One who takes our weaknesses and turns them into strengths.” Your survival will depend on it! So now is the time for us all to gird up our loins and focus on Yeshua like never before and on becoming a dangerous and radical disciple—something we should have been doing all along anyway.

 

Blog Scripture Readings for 8-13 Through 8-19-17

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THIS WEEK’S SCRIPTURE READINGS FOR STUDY AND DISCUSSION:

Parashat Re’eh — Deuteronomy 11:26 – 16:17
Haftarah — Isaiah 54:11 – 55:5
Prophets — Ezekiel 44:1 – 48:35; Hosea 1:1 – 2:23
Writings — 1 Chronicles 9:1 – 15:29
Testimony — 1 Thessalonians 2:1 – 5:28; 2 Thessalonians 1:1 – 3:18

Our full Scripture Reading Schedule for 2016-2017 is available to download and print.

Most of this week’s blog discussion points will be on these passages. If you have general comments or questions on the weekly Scripture readings not addressed in a blog post, here’s a place for you to post those. Just use the “leave a reply” link below.

The full “Read Through The Scriptures In A Year” schedule, broken down by each day, can be found on the right sidebar under “Helpful Links.” There are 4 sections of scripture to read each day. One each from the Torah, the Prophets, the Writings, and from the Testimony of Yeshua. Each week, the Torah and haftarah readings will follow the traditional one-year reading cycle..

Weekly Blog Scripture Readings for 8/13/17 through 8/19/17.

 

Is Satan Elohim’s Archenemy or Not?

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I recently received a comment on this blog from a noted rabbinic Jewish apologist who doesn’t believe that Yeshua is the Messiah. He very politely took exception with my viewpoint (and that of the New Testament writers and Yeshua himself) that Satan is a major player in the affairs of men and that he is Elohim’s major end-times antagonist. This is, apparently, the viewpoint of modern rabbinic Judaism, which the commenter promotes.

Without trying to be offensive to this esteemed commenter, I must say that if the devil can get us largely to ignore him and his role in the promotion of evil in the end times, then he has gained a great victory over humanity. 

Now here is my response.   Natan

On this blog, we’re neither partial to nor attempt to promote either mainstream Christian or Rabbinic Jewish viewpoints; we endeavor, rather, to promote the truth as divinely revealed in the Scriptures from Genesis to Revelation.

Rabbinic Judaism is as divergent from second temple Judaism as modern era Christianity is from the religion of the disciples of Yeshua the Messiah as chronicled in the New Testament apostolic writings.

The same is true with regard to the more modern concept of rabbinic Jewish thought on the nature and work of haSatan as being more a force (the Yetzar Ra) than a personage. Indeed, the Tanakh has a broad view on the concept of “the adversary” or haSatan. On this we agree. But this view in no way precludes a literal personage by that name (which you admit), who is a major antagonist to Elohim (which you don’t admit). According to my research, this latter aspect of Satan’s role was widely accepted among second temple Jewish authors (for example, see Wikipedia’s article on “Satan”) as evidenced by many Jewish Apocryphal and Pseudepigraphal writers, the Dead Sea Scrolls and the LXX Jewish translators. Even the Gospels record that the Pharisees (the antecedents and spiritual forefathers of the modern rabbinic Jews), as did Yeshua, acknowledged the personality of Satan (Matthew 12:24–26 cp. Luke 11:14–18).

Furthermore, numerous New Testament passages acknowledge not only the personality of Satan, but his major opposition to Elohim. In fact, Yeshua even calls Satan “the ruler of this world” (John 16:11; 12:31). Elsewhere, Paul calls him “the god of this age” (2 Corinthians 4:4), whom we learn that Yeshua the Messiah will destroy him at his second coming (1 John 3:8; cp. Revelation 12:7-10; 20:2-10). We could go on.

The main point here is that the Christian view (obviously minus its fantastical “devil” caricaturizations) of the personage and work of haSatan seems to be closer to normative Jewish second temple thought than is modern Talmudic rabbinic Judaism. Again, many examples could be given from second temple era Jewish literature, which viewed Satan not only as the instigator of sin at the tree of knowledge, but, even more importantly, was behind the demonic incursion (i.e. the nephilim led by Azazel at Mount Hermon) into the affairs of men in the antediluvian world thus precipitating Elohim’s flood judgment. The pre-rabbinic second temple era writers and New Testament apostolic writers make numerous references to Satan and his minions’ incursion at Mount Hermon as recorded in Genesis 6:2–6 as the source of the major evil that has fallen on this world and allude to the idea that divine judgments will be meted out against Satan, his fallen angels, demons and those humans that have sided with him in the last days (a major theme of the Book of Revelation) as precursor events leading up to the final redemption of Israel and the Messianic Era. May this day come soon! Amein!!

So we will have to agree to disagree on the point that the person of Satan is not a major player in the world of evil who Elohim will defeat. Divine scriptural revelation and ancient Jewish second temple documents just don’t seem to validate this viewpoint according to my research.

 

Children at the seashore waving their Bibles…

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We are all like little children playing by the seashore with our pails and shovels as we wave our Bibles at each other saying, ” Look at me! See me scoop some sand into my little pail. My pail is yellow and pink. My pail is prettier than yours. Look at the little hole I dug in the sand. See the ocean water fill my little hole.” Some of us are even building sand castles for ourselves that the next wave will wash away. How special!
 
I wonder what the Creator of the ocean thinks of us?
 
Thus says YHVH “Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, let not the mighty man glory in his might, nor let the rich man glory in his riches; but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am YHVH, exercising lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. For in these I delight,” says YHVH. (Jeremiah 9:23–24)
Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of Elohim! How unsearchable are His judgments and His ways past finding out! For who has known the mind of YHVH? Or who has become His counselor? Or who has first given to Him and it shall be repaid to him? For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen. (Romans 11:33–36)
 

Blog Scripture Readings for 8-6 Through 8-12-17

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THIS WEEK’S SCRIPTURE READINGS FOR STUDY AND DISCUSSION:

Parashat Eikev — Deuteronomy 7:12 – 11:25
Haftarah — Isaiah 49:14 – 51:3
Prophets — Ezekiel 37:1 – 43:27
Writings — 1 Chronicles 3:1 – 8:40
Testimony — Philippians 3:1 – 4:23; Colossians; 1 Thessalonians 1:1-10

Our full Scripture Reading Schedule for 2016-2017 is available to download and print.

Most of this week’s blog discussion points will be on these passages. If you have general comments or questions on the weekly Scripture readings not addressed in a blog post, here’s a place for you to post those. Just use the “leave a reply” link below.

The full “Read Through The Scriptures In A Year” schedule, broken down by each day, can be found on the right sidebar under “Helpful Links.” There are 4 sections of scripture to read each day. One each from the Torah, the Prophets, the Writings, and from the Testimony of Yeshua. Each week, the Torah and haftarah readings will follow the traditional one-year reading cycle..

Weekly Blog Scripture Readings for 8/6/17 through 8/12/17.

 

A Psalm of Natan—Can Anyone Relate?

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Like David, I write psalms from time to time. I have a small book full of them. Most never see the light of day.

There is a psalm in the Bible for every emotional high and low. That’s one of the beauties of the psalms. Most end in an upbeat praise to Yah no matter how low the starting point. Mine are no different.

I just now wrote a new psalm and I’m being led to share it with you. I labor over most of my psalms for days or weeks. This one was birthed in an hour. Maybe someone can relate, and it will bless someone. Then again maybe not…

Psalm X—A Psalm of Natan Lawrence

I’ve given it all and have nothing left except what You give me to give.

I’m running on empty, so where is Your heavenly filling station?

I am nothing except what You make of me.

I have nowhere to go except where You lead me.

I have nothing to say except what You put in my mouth.

For half a century Your word has been my breakfast, yet I know nothing.

You’re a vast ocean and I’m a single drop.

 

I’ve done it all:

Shepherded Your sheep who’d rather go astray,

Helped to gather the lost tribes here and across the nation—

But the rebels refused and divided.

Made disciples as You commanded of sheep who only bit and stomped.

Preached the gospel a thousand times till my voice was hoarse…

To those who stopped their ears and spat.

Poured out my soul to hearts of stone till my heart bled.

Prepared sumptuous meals to those who refused to eat till I was starving.

Visited You while You were in prison,

Fed You when you were starving,

And clothed You when You were naked.

Written volumes unlocking the delectable mysteries of Your word,

But they refused to eat—

Preferring instead their play toys!

Begged, pleaded, threatened, encouraged Your people to seek You,

Till I have no more voice, am empty of tears, weary of strength and faint of heart.

Led them to green pastures and to still waters,

But the manna from heaven was to them as dirt.

Blazed new paths in the forest and no one followed.

Made a tabernacle camp in the wilderness, and Your children merely complained.

Raised high the banner of Yeshua, and they went back to sleep.

Worshipped, danced and shouted like David,

While they sat unmoved, glued to their chairs.

Raised my voice in prayer crying out to the Most High,

While the sound of snoring rose from the back row.

 

Unfulfilled dreams have come and are now long past.

My dreams or Yours?

I cannot tell.

Are my failed visions merely launch pads to something yet to come—

My Master’s plan yet unrevealed?

Were these ventures pointless cisterns of my own hewing,

Merely tests of my character, refinements of my soul,

Preparing me for the real mission over the next hill?

 

All that I’ve done, learned, studied, taught, preached, written—

And still no revival!

Is it all vanity of vanities?

Has my focus been misplaced on doing instead of being?

 

So what now?

 

Like Samuel and Jeremiah, You’ve called me from my youth.

Like John, I stand alone— a voice in the wilderness.

Like Joseph, I’m held captive in the prison of this world.

Like David and Jeremiah, I await Your deliverance from the miry pit weeping.

Like Elijah, in the cave’s mouth,

I stand alone discouraged awaiting Your voice.

Like Nahum, I’ve written down the vision and stand watch waiting.

Like Moses, I can’t go forward without Your Presence.

Though the land is dry, barren, desolate and destroyed,

Like Habakkuk, I will sing my hymn of faith and rejoice in Elohim my strength!

Like Isaiah, I await Your waters in the wilderness,

When, behold, You will do a new thing,

When You will rend the heavens and come down,

And the mountains will shake at Your presence,

And Your fire will consume, refine, ignite and defend Your defamed Name.

Like Isaiah, my lips are unclean,

So cleanse me…

Here I am!

Use me.

 

Until then, like Amos, I’ll go back to picking my figs,

And tending my flock,

Until You send me forth.

Like David, I will look to the hills from whence comes my help,

Lifting my eyes skyward as a servant looks up to his master,

As a dog to its owner.

Like Martha, I will sit myself quietly at Yeshua’s feet,

Quiet my anxious soul

Like a weaned child with his mother.

And I will wait patiently on Yehovah Elohim.

 

Maybe I’m finally coming to the end of myself…

And you can really use me now.

Sometimes it feels good to get things off your chest and out into the open!

 

Demonization—The Levels of What It Is

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Matthew 17:21, This kind. There are different kinds of demons that influence humans. The Testimony of Yeshua speaks of being “possessed with a demon” or “demons,”  “vexed with a demon,” or “severely possessed with a demon” (Matt 4:24; 8:16, 28, 33; 9:32; 12:22; 15:22; Mark 1:32; 5:15, 16, 18; Luke 8:36; John 10:21).

All these ideas are expressed by the Greek word daimonizomai meaning “to be under the power of or possessed by a demon, or demonized.”

There are levels of demonization. The Bible reveals that demons can influence humans (e.g. from fiery darts of Satan shot at the saints by which he attempts to influence them [Eph 6:16], by lying to humans [1 Kgs 22:22–23], through unclean spirits [e.g. Matt 12:43; Mark 1:23, 26; 3:30] and by literally living in or possessing a person. The latter is the most extreme form of demonization.

In this passage, a demon lived inside of a child (v. 18), and when Yeshua rebuked the demon, it came out of the child. When a person is possessed with a demon, prayer and fasting may be necessary on the part of the deliverer to cast out the demon. This is because the deliverer has, to one degree or another, himself been weakened spiritually by faithlessness and perverseness and therefore lacks the spiritual power and faith to cast out the demon (vv. 17, 22), or because he has been negatively influenced by those around him who are this way (v. 17), and thus has been weakened by his spiritual environment. This is why Yeshua, at times, had to put the spiritually weak and faithless people out of the room before healing a sick person (Mark 5:40).

Prayer and fasting energizes a person spiritually by afflicting the soul (the mind, will and emotions) and forcing it into conformity with the word, will and Spirit of Elohim through which one gains the spiritual power to accomplish supernatural feats such as  casting out demons.