Nathan on Prepping in Place at Home

Nathan and his family have been physically prepping at home and in place for the past 100 years. His great grandparents started the family farm 100 years ago where prepping was a way of life. Nathan is also a Boy Scouts of America Eagle Scout where the motto is “Be Prepared.” Nathan talks about how to prep or “bug out” in place at home and discusses his approach to “camping at home in place.” We are called to be victorious, not to be victims during tough times, so be prepared for what may come as you go forward in faith trusting in Elohim, walking with Yeshua and learning to hear from the Spirit of Elohim all the while storing up food, water, precious metals, ammo, meds and other emergency supplies.

 

What the Bible Teaches Us About Emergency Preparedness (or Prepping)

Nathan’s Eagle Scout medal. Notice the Boy Scout motto: Be Prepared.

Spiritual preparedness should be the first order of business in our lives. When we are prepared spiritually, then everything else will fall into place after that including mental and emotional preparedness, and finally physical preparedness. The main focus of the Hoshana Rabbah for more than 20 years has been on spiritual preparedness. That end we have written and published thousands of articles and made nearly 600 videos. Today, however, we want to focus briefly on physical preparedness. What can we learn from the Bible about “prepping”?

The foundation of preparing for lean times goes back to the beginning of the human experience. Hunter-gatherer civilization spent much of their time preparing for the coming winter season when food was scarce. Those who grew up on farms, like me, know all about gathering in the harvest and preserving it and then storing it up for the coming winter months and into the next year while waiting for the new harvest of fruits and vegetables to come in. Even the Boy Scouts, which has been around for more than a hundred years and has been preparing boys to become self-sufficient and capable men, has as its motto: Be Prepared. More recently, in America, the U.S. Homeland Security Department, the American Red Cross, many local state and city governments along with local utility companies have been urging people to be prepared and to have at least 36 hours or even 72 hours of food, water and other supplies in case of an emergency. This is old news. However, what happens if the whole economy collapses, or the power grid goes down, or law and order breaks down, or there is a war? Then what will people do?

As we are about to learn, the concept of preparing for the coming season or for hard times is a principle that is found throughout the Bible, with numerous passages dedicated to preparedness planning and survival. 

Noah

Noah was prepper for hard times—by Elohim’s command. He did not wait for the rains to start before building the ark. Needless to say, Noah did not run to the grocery store at the last minute to buy food nor did he run to the local boat dealer to buy an ark as the rain was starting  to fall. He prepared for 120 years! Those who people around Noah who were unprepared physically and spiritually were wiped out.

Make yourself an ark of gopherwood; make rooms in the ark, and cover it inside and outside with pitch. And you shall take for yourself of all food that is eaten, and you shall gather it to yourself; and it shall be food for you and for them.” Thus Noah did; according to all that God commanded him, so he did. (Gen 6:14, 21–22 cp. 6:3)

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The Cost of Not Prepping for Economic Hard Times

Genesis 47:13–26, The economic results of famine. Severe food shortages led to the people’s dependence on the government for food and survival. This is because the people had failed to prepare for such an event. 

Because of famine resulting in people starving, the Egyptian government was able to step in and literally take control of the people’s lives, their land and material possessions. The government then collectivized them by moving them into cities where it could “take care of” or control the people. In the process, the government became the master and the people became its serfs, if not slaves. 

This all happened in large part because during prosperous times the people failed to make preparations for hard times and thus became unwitting victims of natural circumstances and their own careless lifestyles. 

The more a person prepares for hard times such as famine, natural disasters or economic collapse, and the closer they are to the land thus giving them the ability to raise their own food, the less dependent upon the state they will be, the more freedom they will have, and the less likely the government will be able to control their lives. Spiritual freedom is tied to physical independence as well. 

In Revelation 13, the Bible prophesies a time coming when the end times Babylon the Great New World Order world ruling economic, political and religious system will exclude earth’s inhabitants from being able to buy and sell food and other life-sustaining essentials unless they take a subcutaneous “mark” on their bodies famously called “the mark of the beast.” 

Most people will take this mark resulting in their eternal spiritual damnation, while a few people will refuse to take it. 

Hunger and privation, whether man-caused or naturally occurring, can be means by which an evil governmental system can control its people simply because humans will do and accept virtually anything to feed their starving bodies. 

The more Elohim’s saints do now to prepare, especially spiritually, but also physically, for the horrifically hard times the Bible prophesies will occur globally in the end times, the more likely they will be to not deny their faith and to survive to meet King Yeshua the Messiah in the air as his glorified, triumphant bride!

Genesis 47:15, The money has failed. An economic collapse had occurred. When there is no food to buy, money is worthless, since you can’t eat money.

Genesis 47:24, One-fifth to Pharaoh. As dire as the economic condition was is Egypt, the government only taxed the people at a twenty percent tax rate!

Most people reading this are likely paying more than twenty percent in taxes to the government right now. Think about it!

 

Are you prepared physically and spiritually for the end times?

Genesis 47:13–26, The economic results of famine. Severe food shortages led to the people’s dependence on the government for food and survival. This is because the people had failed to prepare for such an event. 

Because of famine resulting in people starving, the Egyptian government was able to step in and literally take control of the people’s lives, their land and material possessions. The government then collectivized them by moving them into cities where it could “take care of” or control the people. In the process, the government became the master and the people became its serfs, if not slaves. 

This all happened in large part because during prosperous times the people failed to make preparations for hard times and thus became unwitting victims of natural circumstances and their own careless lifestyles. 

The more a person prepares for hard times such as famine, natural disasters or economic collapse, and the closer they are to the land thus giving them the ability to raise their own food, the less dependent upon the state they will be, the more freedom they will have, and the less likely the government will be able to control their lives. Spiritual freedom is tied to physical independence as well. 

In Revelation 13, the Bible prophesies a time coming when the end times Babylon the Great New World Order world ruling economic, political and religious system will exclude earth’s inhabitants from being able to buy and sell food and other life-sustaining essentials unless they take a subcutaneous “mark” on their bodies famously called “the mark of the beast.” 

Most people will take this mark resulting in their eternal spiritual damnation, while a few people will refuse to take it. 

Hunger and privation, whether man-caused or naturally occurring, can be means by which an evil governmental system can control its people simply because humans will do and accept virtually anything to feed their starving bodies. 

The more Elohim’s saints do now to prepare, especially spiritually, but also physically, for the horrifically hard times the Bible prophesies will occur globally in the end times, the more likely they will be to not deny their faith and to survive to meet King Yeshua the Messiah in the air as his glorified, triumphant bride!


 

Are you spiritual naked and unprepared for Yeshua’s coming?

Mark 14:51, A certain young man…naked. The reason for the inclusion of this detail in the Gospel record has puzzled many commentators. For example, Matthew Henry suggests that it was added to show the barbarous nature of the Jewish gang that arrested Yeshua, and how narrow was the disciples’ escape from their hands.

There seems, however, to be a greater spiritual lesson to be learned from this story.

Previous to this, Yeshua, as he and his disciples were coming into the Garden of Gethsemane, admonished them to sit and pray with him (v. 32), to stay and watch (v. 34), to watch and pray so as not to fall into temptation because of the weakness of the flesh (v. 38). Instead, the disciples slept (vv. 37, 40). Elsewhere, Yeshua instructs the elect saints of the last days to endure tribulation and spiritual apostasy to the end (Matt 24:13), and to watch vigilantly and be ready for his second coming (Matt 24:42, 44; 25:13). These warnings are in the context of his Parable of the Ten Virgins. All slept while awaiting the bridegroom’s arrival. While five were spiritually prepared, five were not. Those who were unprepared were dubbed as foolish and weren’t allowed into the wedding. Likewise, in the end times, there will be believers who YHVH views as wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked because they have grown lukewarm spiritually (Rev 3:14–17).

The point of this discussion is this: If the disciples of Yeshua fail to maintain a state of spiritual preparedness (by watching, praying, keeping oil in their spiritual lamps, enduring to the end) while awaiting his return, they, like the young man in Gethsemane and the Laodiceans in the Book of Revelation, will be found to be spiritually naked lacking robes of righteousness on the day of his return and thus unprepared to meet him (Rev 19:7–9 cp. Matt 22:2, 11–12).


 

Watch, Pray and Be Prepared So You Won’t Be Naked!

Mark 14:51, A certain young man…naked. The reason for the inclusion of this detail in the Gospel record has puzzled many commentators. For example, Matthew Henry suggests that it was added to show the barbarous nature of the Jewish gang that arrested Yeshua, and how narrow was the disciples’ escape from their hands.

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There seems, however, to be a greater spiritual lesson to be learned from this story. Previous to this, Yeshua, as he and his disciples were coming into the Garden of Gethsemane, admonished them to sit and pray with him (v. 32), to stay and watch (v. 34), to watch and pray so as not to fall into temptation because of the weakness of the flesh (v. 38). Instead, the disciples slept (vv. 37, 40).

Elsewhere, Yeshua instructs the elect saints of the last days to endure tribulation and spiritual apostasy to the end (Matt 24:13), and to watch vigilantly and be ready for his second coming (Matt 24:42, 44; 25:13).

These warnings are in the context of his Parable of the Ten Virgins. All slept while awaiting the bridegroom’s arrival. While five were spiritually prepared, five were not. Those who were unprepared were dubbed as foolish and weren’t allowed into the wedding.

Likewise, in the end times, there will be believers who YHVH views as wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked because they have grown lukewarm spiritually (Rev 3:14–17).

The point of this discussion is this: If the disciples of Yeshua fail to maintain a state of spiritual preparedness (by watching, praying, keeping oil in their spiritual lamps, enduring to the end) while awaiting his return, they, like the young man in Gethsemane and the Laodiceans in the Book of Revelation, will be found to be spiritually naked lacking robes of righteousness on the day of his return and thus unprepared to meet him (Rev 19:7–9 cp. Matt 22:2, 11–12).