Circular Letters 2019

Concerning Our Security

An eTPL30 Analysis

December 30^th. Within the past two days, a lone intruder has wrought havoc on two religious groups in either their domestic setting or in their congregations.

A lone assailant reportedly tried to enter a synagogue in NewYork but was turned away. He then entered the adjacent home of the rabbi where a large number of the congregation were gathered and started to slash his victims with a machete. He was immediately attacked by the celebrants throwing a table and some chairs at him, driving him away. He was apprehended nearby a short time later.

In a second instance, a lone gunman on Sunday entered a church near Ft. Worth, Texas, and started to shoot the attendants at random. He also was quickly stopped by a congregant armed with a pistol.

These incidents are becoming more prevalent in recent weeks, and have brought back to the forefront the danger of such fatal encounters in any public gathering of “religious” people in this country.

It is sometimes a reflection of Islamic hatred ... or irrational convictions of atheists or even neo-Nazis such as “skinheads,” or perhaps violent gangs in others.

This is especially so if the target group is Jewish – or has Jewish leanings, favoring the People of God in their devotions.

We personally think of the exposure of our Ecclesial members to such possible attack on any given Sunday morning anywhere in the USA – or in the entire world for that matter.

And especially given that we are not open in any case to hiring armed guards to protect us...

Our Father Watches over His Flock

In considering this subject our foremost realization is that our daily and hourly protection is not temporal – but from above. The Psalmist David voiced his (and our) collective confidence of this reality in these sublime words from Psalm 27:

Psalm 27:1 A Psalm of David. The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? 2 When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. 3 Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident. 4 One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple. 5 For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock. 6 And now shall mine head be lifted up above mine enemies round about me...

Every Believer has this comforting reassurance of safety in times of trouble.

Yet, there is the factor of “time and chance,” a principle which we confess not yet to understand very well. The fact is, bad things happen to “good” people at seemingly random times.

In the Believer’s case, we take solace in our personal conviction that no event is entirely accidental or un-integrated from our Father’s personal plan for us individually.

We are soberly assured of our Father’s specific concern with each of His children at all times, and of His specific calling and election of each one in such writings as 2 Timothy 1:7 - For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. 8 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; 9 Who hath saved us, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began...

On the other hand, all of us know the old adage, “God helps those who help themselves.”

We should exercise prudence in our application of this adage...

What can we do?

Our dependence upon our Father – and our reliance upon His protection – rules out any consideration of hiring armed guards to “protect” our congregations.

But there are alternative actions that we can easily take in order to retard or even prevent violent intrusion upon our peaceful congregations.

I have suggested a few of my own thoughts here; you probably will think of other possibilities. If so, please let us know so we can pass the word along to our email list...

We have thought of several entirely benign but prudent measures that are open to us in every case.

Our suggestion of these measures being adopted in no way dismisses or downgrades our heavenly Father’s active protection of His flocks; but they do utilize his admonition to be “wise as serpents, but harmless as doves.” Matthew 10: 16.

One’s prudent election to utilize any of these suggestions should not be seen as a deficit of faith, but more as a practical, prudent, and realistic precaution to avert possible danger.

Door Locks. It probably would be prudent for each Ecclesia to designate only one (or at the most two) passageways for congregants moving into and out of the Ecclesial building.

All means of ingress should be locked by default (always locked unless actively unlocked), and access to the building admitted only by someone on the inside. In almost every case this procedure could be carried out without any inconvenience to any attendee. Its institution seems to the writer, given the present threat, to be establishable “decent(ly) ... and in order.” I Corinthians 14: 40.

Door Keepers. An old-fashioned term for an Ecclesia’s official “greeter” of strangers who occasionally visit our congregations is that of “door-keeper.” It is his expressed duty to welcome them and make them feel comfortable and welcome – and to answer any questions the visitor might have.

In our present climate of potential harmful aggression it would be prudent for each Ecclesia to appoint a designated door-keeper or keepers for each Sunday session.

His duties would strictly confine him to the doorway (or confine two such members if two doorways are utilized) throughout the entire span of Sunday services – from the beginning of Sunday School through the end of the Memorial Service and the departure of all members – or to the end of “potluck” luncheons on such special occasions.

It would be in his power, if he should notice a suspicious stranger or entirely unknown visitor, to leave the entry door locked until further inquiry is made and a friendly demeanor established with such an otherwise suspicious visitor. Any reasonable “visitor” should kindly defer to this elective procedure in light of the present climate of danger ...

911 Use. Everyone in North America knows that a telephone call to “911” receives urgent and rapt attention by operators in police facilities. The door-keeper should be equipped with a cell-phone with its telephone application displayed during his time “on duty” at the Ecclesia. At the touch of a button, he could access police assistance even at any hint of trouble – better to be “safe” than “sorry.”

A call to 911 can result in police appearance sometimes within a minute or so, averting any possibility of more serious trouble in many cases ... and if it turns out that there was no danger after all, the responding police personnel will surely understand the door-keeper’s concerns.

Secure Windows. Care should be taken to secure all windows against being merely raised by someone wishing to gain entry. Sliding bolts are effective against any entry short of the glass being broken and the entire window smashed. Such a violent intrusion as window-crashing would trigger an immediate call to 911 by the door-keeper and other measures (below) which can raise the attention of many others outside the building.

Special Training? The doors of the meeting places should be attended by the watchful and trained (if possible) attendant who might even be schooled in suspicious behavior or suspect activities by an unknown person or persons who may approach our meeting places.

It is well-known that this practice of keen observation (and pointed questioning) has worked extremely well for Israeli authorities at El Al (the Israeli national airline) and other agencies ... but the ability does require special training. At the present time, we are not personally aware of any domestic source of such training, so it may be a moot point, although help may be available from local law enforcement agencies ...

Car alarms. The practice of raising noisy alarms in cases of danger has been proven to be effective in many cases of such attacks on persons, especially those walking the streets, who are especially vulnerable to personal attacks.

This method of drawing widespread attention could be useful also in cases of Ecclesial intrusion or attempts to force entry into our meeting places. Nearly every automobile and truck manufactured in recent time is equipped with a remotely-controlled “panic” alarm feature, which is activated by a button on that vehicle’s key-fob.

If you have ever accidentally triggered the “panic” mode you are aware of the loud, intrusive alarms that sound immediately – signaling an urgent need for assistance. I believe it would be a prudent precaution if every driver in the congregation, during the entire service kept his key-fob in his pocket or purse – accessible to him or her instantly in case of such need. In case of any disturbance, every member would activate his car's "panic" alarm. The instantaneous din of noise would be extremely helpful!!

Most of these devices work up to about 200 feet away, so that they may be triggered remotely at the slightest hint of danger. Think of the din of noise raised by even five or ten vehicles sounding their “panic” signals from a single parking lot to the outer world! We believe that would be a significant deterrent to any threatening attacker in his right mind and hopefully would drive him or her away forthwith.

Conclusion: Our Exposure

Having considered all the above, we must soberly realize that our Ecclesial gatherings are often highly vulnerable to attack by an assailant. Many Ecclesial buildings are located in relative secluded or isolated places; some of our communities customarily meet in private homes, which may be even more vulnerable to attack.

Our highly visible stand on behalf of God’s people, the Jews of Israel, could place us in the crosshairs of any irrational Jew-hater in any location in the world. It is well that we take all prudent precautions to prevent active aggression against our congregants in light of the present climate of hatred against both the Jews and “religion” in general.

In closing this short discussion, we remember the poignant words of Moses as he addressed his people just before his death. He reminded them that ... There is none like unto the God of Jeshurun, who rideth upon the heaven in thy help, and in his excellency on the sky. The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms: and he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee; and shall say, Destroy them. Deuteronomy 33: 26, 27.

We pray fervently for His continued oversight ... His divine provision for our temporal safety until the appearance of His Son from heaven...

<>HEL ~1875 words. An eTPL30 Analysis. Published as a Circular Letter, December 30, 2019.

Biblical Hebrew Is The Mother Of All Languages:

Before And After the Tower of Babel

An eTPL30 Reprint

Breaking Israel News 27 October 2019

By Dr. Rivkah Lambert Adler

The Bible teaches that all humans originally spoke the same language. Everyone on earth had the same language and the same words. Genesis 11:1. Modern linguists have speculated that a single language that is the predecessor of all other human languages.

Dr. Isaac E. Mozeson’s life’s work has been to document that this original language, the one first spoken in the Garden of Eden, is the source for all the world’s languages. He named this proto-human language Edenics for its connection to the Garden of Eden. Not surprisingly, Edenics is very similar to Biblical Hebrew.

Assisted by his publisher James D. Long, Mozeson presented his work as part of a full-day seminar, sponsored by Yibonehand held in Jerusalem last week. Their session was called “How the 70 Nations Were Speakers of Hidden Hebrew.”

Approximately 70 people attended the live seminar and more than 400 others have watched the video of the presentation.

Long explained, “Edenics is pre-Jewish. It goes back to Eden. Edenics is a 30-year-old science with a few related books published on the topic.”Mozeson claims that Edenics is the ‘Semitic mother tongue’ that ‘was scrambled into 70 languages’ 3,784years ago, after the episode of the Tower of Babel.”

According to his theory, every human language today shares elements of Biblical Hebrew. “One language program for Adam and Eve gets diversified into 70 language families,” Long explained.

During the presentation, Long quoted Mozeson’s work, “An Intelligent Designer made this original language system to be very versatile and to be spun off into all African, Asian, European and Native American languages. All human words are made up of seven-letter sounds. Words from all languages are cognates and are related.”

In the seminar, the four global rules of Edenics and the seven groups of letter sounds shared by all human languages were introduced. Mozeson told Breaking Israel News that the fundamentals of Edenics can be taught in 30 minutes.

To see how this is applied to English, Mozeson presented a series of Hebrew words that are closely related to English words. In these few examples, note the similar letters and sounds that are capitalized. BakeSH in Hebrew means to request or beg. This is similar to the English word BeseeCH. DaRGa is the Hebrew word for a step or gradation. This is similar to the English word DeGRee. TiKuN means to fix or repair in Hebrew. In English, TiNKerhas a similar meaning, as does the related word TeCHNology ,

This is a small window into the application of Edenics, which Mozeson uses to support his claim that, “all languages are sourced back to the original Hebrew tongue.”

Originally toiling alone, Mozeson now has a team of researchers working “on several language families” besides English. They have already published a massive 2,100 page Edenics digital dictionary E-Word: tracing English and world words to the Semitic Mother Tongue attested in Biblical Hebrew.

Mozeson’s publisher James D. Long of Lightcatcher Books, explained his fascination with Edenics to Breaking Israel News. “Historically and culturally, the study of Edenics provides a very satisfying answer to the questions we’ve all had about the Tower story: What was the ‘one speech’ possessed by humanity prior to Bavel (Babel)?“ The fact that Isaac has discovered thousands of words, from every language, that can be traced back to Hebraic roots is very strong evidence.

Also, Edenics seems to confirm the Biblical account that there was a time (when) humanity spoke a common language and that there was a confusion of the tongues and the dispersion of people to all parts of the globe. “I first suspected this years ago when I saw the Hebrew word kohen (priest) and wondered why it sounded so much like the Polynesian word for a tribal priest, the kuhunah.”

Long, who describes himself as “a card-carrying Noahide” found his personal study of Edenics “expanded and enlarged my own understanding of the Hebrew in Tanach (Hebrew Bible) in a very profound way. It has demonstrated the richness and depth that can be conveyed in the most economical way via Hebrew. “No wonder [Hebrew] was originally a required course at universities during the founding days of [the United States]. Hebrew was considered, in those days, the Mother of All Languages.”

Speaking to Breaking Israel News, Mozeson said, “The message of Edenics to Gentiles is that you are hidden Hebrews. The language of our mutual ancestors is right there at the tip of our tongues.” He posts new word connections on his Facebook Timeline several times a week.

In a related lesson about the weekly Torah portion that contains the story of the Tower of Babel, Rabbi Tuly Weisz, publisher of Breaking Israel News, wrote, “The ultimate purpose of the return of the Jewish people to the Land is to serve God and to correct the sin of Babel, and to speak the one ‘language of purity,’ Hebrew. And in these days of redemption, not just the Jews, but all the people of the world will learn the Hebrew language.” With Mozeson’s Edenics curriculum, that prophecy appears to be closer to being fulfilled today than anyone might have imagined. <>From Milestones to the Kingdom (Pearce)

The Israeli Elections, now Ongoing

An eTPL30 Editorial

September 17, 2019

Good afternoon everyone:

The second Israeli elections of this current year are underway in Israel, and the polling places are closing at about the present time – 7 p.m. in Israel I believe. Observers are saying that this election is a referendum on Benyamin Netanyahu, and his suitability to be prime minister again.

But in Israel, the population does not elect a prime minister. Their votes go to parties, instead. The parties receiving the most votes win seats in the Knesset (parliament) according to their plurality. Then the elected parties take their seats and allow the majority party or parties to get down to the business of deciding on a candidate for prime minister who is then charged with forming a majority coalition of the elected parties. If he or she is successful in forming a majority coalition then he or she becomes prime minister.

The last Israeli election in May resulted in a failure of Mr. Netanyahu to form a coalition capable of governing...so a new election had to be called. Bibi Netanyahu is now the longest-serving PM that Israel has ever had, surpassing even the length of service of David Ben Gurion.

As I post this dispatch the polls will be closing and the winning parties will begin to be announced. By the results of this election we may be able to determine the lay of the land as to who might be invited to try to form a majority government and become prime minister.

Bibi Netanyahu is an excellent candidate as he has gained a reputation as a world-class statesman during his tenure in office. But Benny Gantz and his Blue and White party is crowding Likud, the party of Mr. Netanyahu. Mr. Netanyahu is somewhat disadvantaged by the indictments of criminal activity that are being leveled against him by opponents. Those matters are due possibly to be addressed shortly after the election but present a valid question as to his suitability to be prime minister (?).

Then, there is the Trump "Deal of the Century," details of which are scheduled to be released "shortly." We don't know that time frame yet, but Jared Kushner, the president's special assistant and an architect of the Plan, will probably come forth with details sometime soon.

The Deal appears doomed to defeat at the starting gate because of the intransigent "Palestinian" attitude that it will not even consider the plan because it originates with President Trump, who "betrayed" the "Palestinians" by recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and officially proclaimed Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights. Additionally, he has tacitly agreed to the Israeli takeover of the Jordan Valley which was only two days ago announced by Mr. Netanyahu - that if he gains the premiership in this election, that he will take direct control of about 30% of the territory that the PLO controls now comprised of the Jordan Valley areas within Israel, but not to include the city of Jericho.

Within the mix of consideration in the minds of Israeli voters today must be their evaluation of Israel's position with regard to the destruction of the Saudi oil refinery over the weekend by ... someone. Will Israel side with the Saudis and assist them in their attempt at retribution to the guilty party?

A determination seems to be being made by the USA that the drones and missiles which destroyed the refinery came from the Iranian mainland as well as from Iranian proxies operating in Iraq with impunity. The Yemenite Houtis took ‘credit’ for the attack immediately after it happened but this is deemed by some to have been proclaimed to prevent the accusation of Iran of being directly involved.

Our highly aware and intelligent readers will readily appreciate just how complex the entire state of affairs is in the Levant today! It boggles the rational mind...because much of it is irrational – a reflection of the Islamic mindset, which blames all its problems on Israel and it "occupation" of Arab lands.

But that is a decision which in our opinion will soon reach a decided conclusion when the Christ of the Second Advent sets foot upon the actual soil of His appointed kingdom territory (Israel) and begins to clear out the detritus of centuries of foreign occupancy of His Lands, and rapidly to achieve His goal of consolidating His authority and Kingdom in the lands between the Rivers and the Seas.

In case any of our readers wish to follow the details of the Israeli election more closely, the entire affair is being covered (in the American mode of ongoing “expert” televised comments and observations of the event). One may opt in to watch intelligent Israeli commentary on the ongoing process at this web address: https://www.jns.org/2019-israeli-election-special-broadcast/

I hope each of you has a profitable day in our LORD’s service, and enjoys His blessing of spiritual health in our blessed Hope...

Shalom in Christ Jesus,

H. Edward

The Toes of Daniel’s Image

The prophecy of Daniel contains a detailed explanation as to the meaning of the Image seen by King Nebuchadnezzar in his mysterious dream, including details of the feet. The Image was that of an humanoid. It portrayed a faithful human form with a head, two arms, a body and two legs with feet which are especially noted as consisting partially of iron and partially of clay, mixed: Daniel 2: 42.

Human feet feature ten toes – five on each foot – as the normal human design.

This researcher believes that the diligent student sees the feet of the Image represented in the present day by the European Community – the international organization of the states of Europe for economic and military advantage.

We have often discussed the “toes” of the image, although the vision of Daniel only describes the feet; it does not mention the number of the toes thereof (some human beings have an abnormal twelve toes, similar to Goliath the Philistine giant, who had twelve fingers and twelve toes – II Samuel 21: 20; I Chronicles 20:6).

But the European Community has now grown to a membership total of 28 member states, and critics argue that such an expansion does not conform to either ten or twelve toes on the feet of the Image. So, ask they, How can that interpretation be correct? Two feet cannot possibly feature 28 toes as such does not conform to our expectation of the consistency of the vision. Such an Image would be bizarre.

That is an easy question to answer on a scriptural basis.

We must logically suppose that the number of toes of the Image would be ten.

The number of “ten” as related to the toes remarkably came to the forefront early in the history of what was first known as the European Iron and Coal Community as formed by the Treaty of Rome.

In the wisdom of the earlier Community, an assortment of TEN nations was selected to be the defense and war-making arm of the organization. That subdivision was named “The Western European Union,” and consisted of specific nations: Belgium, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands; Portugal and Spain became members in 1988, and Greece (1995).

Those specific nations were charged with the goal of forging common foreign, and eventually defense policies, and would one day be the defense arm of the organization.

There, in our view is the logical fulfillment of the formation of the feet and toes of the Image of Nebuchadnezzar’s dream as interpreted by God to Daniel.

The Revelation also contains a comment, we believe, on the number of toes as being “ten.” In the words of the LORD Jesus, discussing the “horns” of the Beast (equivalent to the “toes”?) it is recorded: Revelation 17:12 - And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings (rulers of ten nations otherwise depicted as “toes”), which have received no kingdom (no overall authority) as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. 13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. 14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

The simple fact that ten horns inhabit the “head” of the Beast, and subsequently give their power (their mandate, or purpose) over to the Beast seems clearly indicated by this revelation. This “giving ... power” to the Beast was accomplished in 2006, when those ten designated nations of the WEU officially gave up their policy- and war-making charter to the greater Beast as these named nations self-dissolved their previous identity and signed their authority over to the European Union as such.

Note well, please, that the relinquishment of TEN nations to a greater number of nations (the greater Beast) reflects precisely the conditions which we have observed as historical accomplishment! This marked change is as notable as any could be in verifying the accuracy of the prophecy – a smaller number of (ten scripturally-designated) members “giving over” their power to the greater number – to the total of 28 present members of the Body of the Beast.

In our studied opinion, it is this entity, the European Union – in perhaps its present configuration –that, under the spiritual leadership of the Vatican, will prosecute the immense conflict of the Beast and the False Prophet against the expanding Kingdom of Jesus Christ as it enlarges to fill the whole earth with the glory of the LORD. <HEL> ~750 words. Circulated as an eTPL30 Circular Letter, September 2, 2019.

Toward a European Superstate?

An eTPL30 Analysis

The Prophet Daniel gave details of four beasts in, for example, Daniel 7 – a description which embodied the four empires which conquered and exercised hegemony over God’s people and Land in the period of the exile of the People of God – the interim period of time after the loss of their kingdom to its restitution in the end-time.

Discussion of this end-time “beast” begins in Revelation 11 and continues through Revelation 20 – to the point at which the beast and the false prophet are cast into “the lake of fire and brimstone” ... a description which is indicative of the final termination of these entities bearing toward the purification of the earth and its final perfection under the authority of the Christ of the Second Advent as King of Israel and of the whole world.

At various times in history the strength and authority of this entity – after its first appearance – waxes and wanes. These swings in prominence are outlined in detail by the Apocalypse in the ten chapters indicated above, and are reliably traceable through the records of history.

But in the last days of Gentile domination, the Beast is described as regaining its final resurgence of power and authority in the earth. In our opinion, the Apocalypse is directly indicating that it is this final iteration of the Beast which shall confront the LORD Jesus Christ in His move to expand His Kingdom to the outer world – the lands beyond the Nile and the Euphrates, and between the Mediterranean Sea and the Persian Gulf, as defines the Land of the First Dominion of His Kingdom (Micah 4: 8).

That entity (the Beast) will not arise “out of the blue,” but will logically develop during these end-times and as history progresses inevitably toward that final confrontation – a conflict which in our understanding is the THIRD PHASE of the conflicts of Israel with the world as the Kingdom of Jesus Christ is rapidly founded and expanded.

In our understanding, that serial confrontation of the nations is the second overall initiative to be undertaken by Christ after His Second Advent, the first being His convening of the Judgment Bema for the final assize of every called and elected Believer from every age and culture – both living and resurrected Believers. These shall stand before His throne of judgment (the bema) and be “judged for those things done in (our) bodies, both good and bad.” The full reference to this event is found in 2Corinthians 5:10 - For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. The “all” here includes only baptized believers in Christ such as those to whom the apostle was writing in Corinth – not a reference to “all” the people of the world...

The Second Series of His activity shall be observed in rapid order: Phase One: the conquest of all the Proximal Islamic enemies of Israel in the primary territory of His kingdom, followed by the destruction of the Gogian host of Ezekiel 38 and 39, as Phase Two.

After that point in time, it appears that Christ determines quickly to expand His kingdom beyond these primal borders to the rest of the world as He sends forth the Everlasting Gospel, “Fear God and give glory to Him...” (Revelation 14: 7)

In our opinion, we may be seeing the first discernible movement toward this terminal formation of the Beast of the Phase Three conflicts, with ferocious power and might.

An article dated today, July 8^th, and published by Gatestone Institute, could be describing the initial stages of the prophesied terminal establishment of The Beast; it contains many pertinent observations about the European Union and its next president (the president of the European Commission), describing the most likely candidate and her convictions as to the new directions upon which the European Union should now embark.

The first paragraph of the article is in itself a blockbuster! Quoting, it says, “German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen, nominated to be the next President of the European Commission, has called for the creation of a European superstate.’My aim is the United States of Europe...’ she said in an interview with Der Spiegel. She has also called for the creation of a European Army.”

Gatestone Institute is an organization which describes itself as “Gatestone Institute, a non-partisan, not-for-profit international policy council and think tank is dedicated to educating the public about what the mainstream media fails to report...” The present officers of the organization are Nina Rosenwald, President, and Naomi H. Perlman, Vice President.

We have been perusing their work for many weeks and have found it credible and authoritative as well as we can determine

The current article, “European Union: Toward a European Superstate,” is authored by Soeren Kern, and may be accessed at https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/14503/european-union-towards-superstate.

The article, subtitled “The EU is a Sham Democracy,” is about 3,000 words in length and is a comprehensive discussion, in our view, of the current direction of the European Union and its political orientation. We believe it worthy of your consideration directly as its content is too complex and extensive to consider in this communiqué...

This article was begun in July. Since that date Ms. Leyen has taken her position as President of the European Commission. We wait with interest to discover in what new direction she will take the organization. <HEL> ~900 words. Circulated August 22, 2019

Have You Noticed...?

An eTPL30 Opinion

Tension over the Trump “Deal of the Century” is growing even more acute as peripheral discussions of it take place under various circumstances throughout the Middle East.

The Plan, as it will be presented in the (intended) near future, will be the biggest thing that has happened in the tangled and always confusing events of the complex Middle East.

Our cautious feeling is that we are surely witnessing the terminal phase of a long-term initiative to bring “peace and safety” to the troubled area – a process which has seen many failed attempts in recent history.

The Apostle Paul wrote under divine inspiration that ... when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape. I Thessalonians 5:3.

It is our carefully-formed opinion that this specific, highly-touted, dramatically publicized Peace Plan may fill that bill to a far greater extent than any past ones has done.

Notice that the apostle did not write that there would be a “cry” for peace and safety – a common past misconception – not a plea for peace as in desperation – but a “saying” that HERE IS PEACE AND SECURITY. It seems to be a tacit recognition of what is perceived as FACT – not as a hope, but as an accomplished “deal.”

Jerusalem, July 31, 2019. The Jerusalem Post reports that “Special envoy Jason Greenblatt, U.S. Ambassador David Freidman, special envoy Jared Kushner, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Ambassador to the U.S. Ron Dermer met in Jerusalem, July 31, 2019.”

According to the report, Mr. Kushner included a visit with the prime minister as part of a five-part tour of countries in the region as Washington decides on the next step in its presentation of the Plan following the economic workshop held in Bahrain in June.

Have you noticed the extreme prolongation of this entire process?

It never seems to reach any firm conclusion.

As such, it is intentionally (we believe) consistently raising the expectation of a highly beneficial result for all parties as tiny portions of it are revealed – favorable portions, we might add – a technique which, in the minds of the presenters visibly increases the degree of overall acceptability of the overall Plan.

The “Palestinian” leadership says it wants no part of it, although recent indications are that the “Palestinian” street (its individual persons)DO want to hear more...especially that portion in which the Palestinian economy will benefit to the tune of many billions of dollars in economic incentives and structural support as well as an economic investment in their region. This much was revealed in Bahrain recently.

The Plan is said to have the aim of developing the Palestinian Territories in much the same way as Israel itself has benefitted from foreign investment – and to point the Territories in much the same direction which Taiwan, for example, has been privileged to enjoy.

It would seek to take advantage of the capabilities of many in the region to take on the challenges of technology and cultivate a great benefit for the peoples of the region. It is said to be designed to bring the “Palestinians” into the twenty-first century...

The next step appears to be that Kushner and his team will now report to President Trump and Vice President Pence, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and the national security team to “discuss the many potential next steps to expand upon the success of the Bahrain workshop.”

The process of its revelation, you see, is being yet further extended...

No one can possibly accuse this team of presenters of being sloppy in its task of preparing its prospective “buyers” of the Plan! Indeed, to the outside observer, it has seemed sometimes to be that the team doesn’t know exactly what to do next.

But we believe it is a reflection of the meticulous approach that is being attempted in this latest of a long series of attempts to bring peace and stability to the entire region...a process which many see as coming down to the one simple focus of making lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians.

But, in our opinion, it is not to be.

True to the apostle’s words, the upshot of the entire process will be that “sudden destruction” comes upon them. Not just aggression and conquest, but obliteration, as the divine diktat states.

Many deductions as to coming events point to no satisfactory conclusions for the “Palestinians” and others of their ilk. All these Peoples are part of the hostile nations “round-about” Israel of today and as such, are identical with the enemies of the Jewish people as nominated in such prophecies as Psalm 83, in which all the hostiles round about Israel are named – a limited partnership of aggressors who hate Israel as prophesied in Luke 1: 71-74 by Zacharias.

This expectation couples perfectly with the prophetic words of Isaiah 59:18 – According to their deeds (the deeds of the nations round-about), accordingly he will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompence to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompence. 19 So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a Standard against him. 20 And the Redeemer shall come to Zion...

In our considered opinion, this event is the tripwire for the Second Advent of Jesus Christ! It is described here as the inflow of aggressors as the waters of a flood – unstoppable (in human terms), irresistible, un-quenchable. Only a DIVINE personage can combat it – the “Standard” of the LORD’s provision...

The “Standard” of the above verse is nus, which means causatively to “chase, impel, or deliver.”

The Deliverer, in this case, is to be none other than the Redeemer Who shall come to Zion...finally, in person!

We firmly believe that there is a principle here which cannot be overstressed: That this total obliteration of the nations round about Israel MUST be accomplished before there can be any degree of “peace” or “security” as specified in Ezekiel 38: 8, 11, 14.

That the “peace and security” will not come from any agreement of such, but by the physical destruction of all Israel’s Proximate Enemies – the nations “round\-about” her.This fact, along with the enormous future wealth of Israel (containing a “great spoil” – the accumulation of riches of conquest on Israel’s part – Zechariah 14: 14!), is one of only two requisites for Gog’s fatal decision to descend upon the People who have been recovered from many nations (Ezekiel 38:12) dwelling in peace and security (as above noted).

Conclusion: We confidently submit that the above is a brief summary of events of the end-time as we Believers should understand them – a sober realization which should indicate to us more perfectly just where we stand in relation to the Event of the Ages – the Second Coming of the LORD from heaven.

<HEL> ~1200 words. An eTPL30 Opinion Published July 31, 2019.

Increasing Tribulation for Israel

Approaching the “Crisis” of the Ages

An eTPL29 Analysis

Have you noticed that the long-term effects of increasing threats for Jews and Israelis is often the harbinger of better times ahead for Israel? It certainly seems to be the usual pattern, bringing to mind the old adage, “The darkest hours are just before the dawn.”

We are thinking of at least two instances of just this pattern...

1. The year 1492 brought to a climax the centuries-long persecution of the Jews of Spain and their final expulsion from their ancient Iberian refuge. Roman Catholic attempts to convert (or to expel) the Jews of Spain along with the remaining Muslims of the day had reached the point of no return: they were summarily commanded either to “convert” or to depart – or die.

It was a severe time for the remaining Jewish holdouts from the Catholic offer to “convert,” and these poor, persecuted people were ready for their final departure from the land they considered home.

As the huddled, impoverished masses of Jews hastily gathered in the larger ports of the Spanish fleets, preparing to immigrate to Africa or to the Ottoman Empire, they crowded out other ocean traffic of great importance.

Thus, as the oppressed Jews of Spain were being forced out of their homes, having had their property confiscated, or stolen with extremely low prices to local buyers, they faced a future of uncertainty and great anxiety.

But God was even at the same time, making a long-term provision for them in another way.

Another process was rapidly developing. In the less significant port of Palos de la Frontera in southern Spain, just outside the Gibraltar Strait in the Atlantic Ocean, at that same moment in history, Christopher Columbus had assembled his final crews and taken provisions on board three small ships, making final preparations for his monumental search for a western route to China.

Palos was not a large port but featured the Customs officials and other government agencies needed for his final arrangements for departure. And its lack of congestion made Columbus’ preparations much easier than would have been possible in the larger seaports.

Christopher Columbus would venture forth upon the high seas in a daring voyage to the New World – a continent unknown to most of humanity at the time – and would bring about the establishment of a new nation in North America which would be a special friend for God’s people in future centuries, and which even today, contains the largest concentration of Jews of any nation in the world (Israel is now a close second to the USA). In this strange twist of fate, the uncertainty faced by the Jews of 15^th century Spain would in future years be greatly alleviated by the generosity of the United States of America in some of their darkest hours.

2. The year 1942 marked a significant increase of danger to the Jews of Europe as the Wansee Conference – the Wanseekonferenz in German – was convened in a suburb of Berlin on April 20^th. It was a high-level meeting of senior German government officials which had been convened by SS-Obergruppenführer Reinhard Heydrich, to devise a method to accomplish what was termed “The Final Solution of the Jewish Question,” (in German, Endlosung der Judenfrage) – an official scheme under which most of the Jews of German-occupied Europe would be rounded up and shipped in cattle cars by rail into special camps in occupied Poland and other countries, and murdered.

And another threat was being leveled at another group of Jews of the same era.

At the same time, General Erwin Rommel, commander of the Afrika Korps – the German army in North Africa – was steadily making progress toward Egypt, overwhelming the British forces stationed there, eventually having great success in the second battle of El-Alamein.

His objective is said to have been the Jews who were then assembling in the British Mandate for Palestine – in the future State of Israel – all of whom would be marked for execution should he reach Palestine of the day. In this effort, Nazi Germany was being assisted by the Arabs as a whole and by the Mufti of Jerusalem in particular, who spent the entire war in Germany, assisting the Germans against the Jews of Europe!

But soon an interruption to Rommel’s successes caused the Desert Fox great apprehension – and rather quick defeat. It was Operation Torch – the invasion of Morocco by American and British forces in an attempt to compromise Rommel and to defeat him in Africa. Rommel immediately faced two Allied armies – one in the east, and another in the west.

It was a classical military “pincer” movement that proved successful. That invasion of Morocco occurred on the 8^th of November 1942 and had accomplished its purpose by 13 May 1943, when the Axis forces surrendered and 250,000 prisoners were taken.

Erwin Rommel and some of the Afrika Korps escaped to Germany at the last moment.

The stage was now being set for the invasion of Italy two months later. All these developments, including the D-Day invasions from Great Britain would lead to the defeat of Germany and the end of the Nazi program of extermination of the Jews.

And the Jews of Palestine were saved from the Nazi Holocaust which had been so devastating to their race in Europe. Their progress toward statehood in Palestine and a place of secure refuge was the mitigating factor against the Shoah. At the end of WWII, most of the remnant of the Jews of Europe made arrangements to migrate to other areas – and many hundreds of thousands made their way to Palestine – the refuge that was being created at the time of their deepest distress in Europe and Western Asia.

As we view Israel today there is a similar solution to the tiny nation’s increasing, sinister, menacing encirclement by the hostile Arabs of the region. Yes, Israel has an inherent strength of force at the moment and has been eminently successful in thwarting all the vicious assaults against her in her modern history. She is arguably identifiable at this moment as “an exceeding great army” as Ezekiel 37: 10 forecasts. The Israeli leadership has not been overly concerned about the Islamic aggression of the nations roundabout. Moshe Dayan once remarked in a press conference, “The Arabs we can handle – but I’m not so sure about Russia.”

It seems a strange statement with little logical connection between the two adversaries at that moment in time; but students will realize that the position was one of purely secular insight on Dayan’s part. Not a particularly religious Jew, his outlook was governed by his awareness of Israel’s military readiness.

But there is a factor which he could not have foreseen.

Just as was the divine provision of the earlier cases mentioned above (1492 and 1942) a mitigating power was “already in the works” for the ultimate salvation of the remnant of Israel – a more overtly divine solution this time, in our opinion.

As we have noted on prior occasions, the quiet prophecy of Zacharias, the father of John Immerser is often overlooked. He spoke under divine inspiration about a time when YHVH “... hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David; as he spake by the mouth of his holy prophets, which have been since the world began: that we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hand of all that hate us.” Luke 1:69-71.

The accomplishment of these words necessitates the personal return of the LORD Jesus Christ!

At the present time, such a scenario might seem impossible to Israeli thinkers, but the divine Word reveals the clear picture: Israel will at this future time require “outside help” in dealing with their immediate adversaries! That assistance shall come from the “house of David” at just the right time from an un-esteemed Brother (not unlike Joseph in Egypt) in the person of Jesus the Christ!!

There comes to mind another parallel prophecy of the same series of events which is also often overlooked. It was again, divinely inspired, and was written by the Prophet Isaiah, in his 59^th chapter: speaking of the nearby enemies of the end-time nation of Israel, Isaiah wrote: “According to their deeds (the enemies’ deeds), accordingly He will repay, fury to His adversaries, recompence to His enemies; to the islands He will repay recompence. So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and His glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in (into Israel) like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a Standard against him. And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the LORD.” Isaiah 59:18-20.

In our simple logic, an enormous inflow of “His adversaries” from the nations round about Israel shall force their way into Israel perhaps by sheer advantage of enormous numbers. Both Hamas and Hezbollah threaten just this action nearly every week in their vile cup of threats. This action is entirely parallel to another account in Obadiah 1: 21, which clearly states that after military action exactly like that above, “... Saviours shall come up on mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau; and the Kingdom shall be the LORD'S.”

Our Conclusion:

The terminology of the last phrase cannot be accomplished prior to the Advent of the Lord from heaven; if “Saviors” are to come up on Mount Zion, they will be led by Him, personally, to execute the prophecy of Zacharias as noted above in Luke One. We believe this approach proves conclusively that the LORD Jesus returns to assist Israel against His Proximal Islamic enemies, the end result of which shall be the “peace and security” so wonderfully stressed in Ezekiel 38 and 39 as one of only two suasive factors in Gog’s decision to come against Israel – the other of which is “to spoil the despoilers” (to take a spoil and a prey).

This reasoning should settle the “question” in the minds of some as to whether Jesus Christ is the visible, ruling King of Israel at the time of the Gogian conflict.

<HEL> ~1700 Words. An eTPL29 Analysis. Published as a Circular Letter on June 24, 2019.

Woe unto You, Scribes and Pharisees...

An eTPL29 Opinion

As this present world plunges rapidly ever deeper into godlessness, our hearts are saddened by the corruption – the fraud – that we behold. Some of you might say, “It’s none of our business. Such was prophesied many years ago. Let it be.”

This commentator cannot accept that advice. One cannot read the “social comments” of the LORD Jesus in Matthew 22 – 23 while at the same time holding that conviction.

Even a small voice against the winds of change might make a slight difference for a few innocent souls... might sway someone’s convictions.

We are referring, of course, to the unborn – primordially innocent souls in our opinion. Whatever the source/fault or degree of negligence may have caused any of these to be conceived, the infants themselves cannot be adjudged to be at fault in any wise.

We, for one, will not be silent. In pursuit of that principle, we sometimes contribute our written opinion to our local newspaper for publication. Sometimes our letters are printed (usually) – but sometimes they are too “sensitive” for general circulation by the newspaper management [or they exceed the word count allowed (!)].

Although we don’t intend to become a rabid “social activist” in this raging public debate, we do hold that limited public statements by Believers must be admitted.

We consider this initiative to be part of our required public witness to Truth.

Voices of reason and of godly concern must not be suppressed or withheld.

This morning we were gratified to have another “letter to the editor” published in our local newspaper, the Herald-Mail of Washington County, Maryland. Here is the copy...

April 2, 2019

Letter to the Editor of the Herald-Mail

We saw an extremely telling interview of a Democratic member of the House of Representatives on TV last evening. She was advocating no restraint of those now crossing the southern border. Part of her defense of the potentially million illegal immigrants due to cross that border this year was, she opined, “there is no such thing as an illegal human being.”

But, by extension, I don’t believe this politician believes her claim. She certainly cannot support it logically. If so, how does she rationalize her party’s attitude about its condemnation of enormous number of babies (more than sixty million) who have been aborted over the last several years; are they not “human beings?”

The Democrat party is well-known as the party favoring abortion of infants at nearly every stage of pregnancy. Contrary to some, the living tissue growing in the womb of every pregnant female is not a tumor. If anyone disbelieves this truth we propose simply doing nothing for up to nine months and see whether that “tumor” diminishes the health of the mother (including possible death), or whether it produces a beautiful, tiny human baby.

How many geniuses have had their existence terminated by abortion? Has human stupidity destroyed the potential discoverer of a cure for cancer – or another lethal killer, heart disease? We will never know.

If there is “no such thing as an illegal human being,” why does society, in general, condone child murder of this scale? These tiny beings are not “illegal” either. Should these defenseless little ones not have privileges (of not being “stopped”) at least equal to the hundreds of thousands of foreigners who are pouring across the southern border each month – folk who, yes, are, beyond controversy, crossing into this country contrary to law (and therefore are “illegal)?”

Not only should late-term abortion be forbidden – “Roe v. Wade” should be eradicated, lawfully reversed – immediately.

H. Edward Lafferty

Some might inquire, “What right had we to express such an opinion in a public forum?”

The very positive and public denunciation of the officials of His day by our LORD Himself is given in our defense.

Consider these words of the Master from Matthew 22 and 23...excoriating words directed at the legal and “religious” leaders of His day. He minces no words!

Matthew_22:18 But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites?

Mat_23:13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.

Mat_23:14 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.

Mat_23:15 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.

Mat_23:23 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith: these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone.

Mat_23:25 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of extortion and excess.

Mat_23:27 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.

Mat_23:29 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the righteous,

Mat_24:51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Mat 23:36 Verily I say unto you, All these things shall come upon this generation.

Quotations of the KJV as presented by ESword, the electronic Word of the Lord.

Submitted in the service and devotion to the principles of our faith,

H. E. Lafferty, Hagerstown USA.

<HEL> ~1000 words. Circulated to our List on April 5, 2019. Published in eTPL as a Circular Letter.

Will the U. S. Recognize Israeli Sovereignty

Over the Golan Heights?

An eTPL29 Analysis

Rumors have long been circulating that the US is on the verge of recognizing Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights. Now senior Israeli officials are projecting that an announcement from the White House may come as early as next week (April 24^th), according to Arutz Sheva (Channel 11 in Israel) as reported by David Rosenberg.

For decades the US has been reluctant to make this declaration, withholding approval in every attempt to bring the strategic area into Israel proper – or even to recognize Israel’s annexation of it.

If the rumor is true, the declaration will probably coincide with Prime Minister Netanyahu’s upcoming visit to Washington early the same week. At that time the PM will meet with President Trump as well as address the annual American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) conference being held in the District of Colombia at that time.

If it is going to happen the move is long overdue.

Israel captured the vital territory during the Six Day War of 1967 ending the extended aggression (including artillery bombardment) of the rich Israeli farmlands in the Jordan valley spread out below the western escarpment of the Golan.

Israel has maintained firm control over the fertile volcanic soils of the Golan ever since that date, formally annexing it in 1981, effectively placing it under Israeli civil law, but has never made it a part of Israel. In the interim 14 year period, Israel administered the region under military law just as in the areas known as Judea, Samaria, and the Gaza Strip at the time.

Israel controls about two-thirds of the Golan’s total land area and is bordered on the east by a demilitarized zone between Syria and Israel.

Over the years, Syria’s demands for the return of the territory have been strident but unheeded by Israel.

During all that time the US, Russia, and the European Union have refused to recognize Israel’s annexation of the Heights. Only since the outbreak of the Syrian Civil War have some US lawmakers begun to call on the US State Department to recognize Israel’s annexation of the area; last year two senators (Tom Cotton, Arkansas, and Ted Cruz, Texas) proposed a resolution endorsing recognition of the Golan as sovereign Israeli territory.

Early in March of this year the State Department suddenly seemed to signal a change in its policy toward the Golan, shifting its terminology from “Israel-occupied Golan” to “Israeli-controlled Golan.”

The inference is infinitesimal in meaning but does signal more US neutrality in the affair.

Even some prominent Americans criticized the change in terminology saying that it contravenes the 1974 Israel-Syria Disengagement Agreement which has recently been invoked as the Israelis and Russians have given consideration to their mutual interest of keeping Iranian forces from encroaching upon the disputed border.

Israel’s prime minister has repeatedly stated that Israel will never give back control of the Golan to Syria. To do so would bring Iranian forces literally down to the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee!

We believe that this entire shemozzle will have its conclusion soon – when the final battle of Israel with its Islamic neighbors round about reaches to its starting date – “... when ... they (Israel) shall possess the fields of Ephraim and the fields of Samaria: and Benjamin shall possess Gilead (the Golan is part of Gilead). And the captivity of this host of the children of Israel shall possess that of the Canaanites, even unto Zarephath;” Obadiah 1: 19, 20. In our reckoning, this is probably the only solution to this thorny problem that Israel has with its noisy and troublesome neighbor to the north ... and all the others between the Rivers and the Seas.

<HEL> ~650 words. An eTPL29 Analysis - Published in Circular Letters on March 21, 2019.

Donald Trump’s “Deal of the Century”

An eTPL29 Analysis

Persons alive at this time in history are doubtless about to witness the Event of the Ages.

In our estimation, this can only be the Second Advent of the LORD from heaven in order to raise the covenanted Believers from the dead, and to assemble them with living Believers, and to transport them to the sacred and secret Place of Judgment.

According to scripture, this destination will be some designated location in the earth, within the atmosphere (“in the air”) where His people may be separated by the Master’s judgment as to worthiness to inherit immortality versus unworthiness to do so, and His changing of the mortal bodies of the acceptable ones to conform to the constitution of His glorious body – an operation essential to their preparation for their apocalypse to the world at large on behalf of Israel, the People of the Book now assembled in their future Promised Land.

The Apostle Paul wrote extensively of these times; some of his words are...

1Thessalonians 5:1 But of the times and the seasons, brethren, ye have no need that I write unto you. 2 For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night. 3 For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.

Note the prominence of the phrase, that it is “...when they shall say, Peace and Safety” that their catastrophe comes.

What do we suppose that catastrophe to be?

We believe it will be their perceived catastrophe (but an actual blessing!) of the abrupt end of their carefree lives as being lived entirely apart from the Almighty and His ways.

His righteousness and peace are about to be brought about among the nations by enforced action which no man or nation can effectively resist!

Jesus’ words in Luke 21:34 seem to indicate those conditions: And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting, and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares. 35 For as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth.

They proclaim “peace and safety” after a long period of much anxiety and uncertainty.

That saying is here the prime marker of the Second Advent; it is also a statement of the stated desire of all parties that has been prevalent for years and years – almost as a sigh of relief: “Oh! Finally we can have peace and safety!” – And everyone can now feel entirely free to pursue his own hedonistic goals of pleasure and heedless unrighteousness.

In the eyes of many pundits, one of the most hopeful occasions where this putative reality had been put forth was at the signing of the Oslo Accords between Yasser Arafat and Yitzhak Rabin in 1993.

But the year, in that case, was not significant prophetically – and we believe that factor to be a prime factor in this prophecy.

In contrast, the year 2018-19 IS prophetically significant for three reasons:

1. The modern-day rebuilding of Jerusalem began in 1969 – two years after the Old City was captured by Israel. When we add a Jubilee cycle of 50 years, to this date we arrive at 2018-19. 1969 + 50 = 2018-19.

2. The year is exactly seventy years after the establishment of Israel as a State. 1948-49 + 70 = 2018-2019.

3. It is within the Hebrew year marking 100 years since the liberation of the Land from the Ottoman Turks – the last king of the north, in our opinion. 1917-18 + 100 = 2018.

We must note that all these anniversaries mark dates on which the Almighty implicitly states His intention to bring Israel together in its homeland and to avoid its future division.

Is it significant that at the exact termination of all these anniversaries a powerful nation is forcefully putting forth a much-publicized plan intended to divide the Land?

On Wednesday, February 13, 2019, a world conference was convened in Warsaw. Its official designation is “Peace and Security in the Middle East.” It is the highest-profile effort in this regard to have been put forth since the conferences at Shepherdstown and Camp David – an occasion in which P. M. Ehud Barak of Israel ceded almost every demand of the “Palestinians” to Yasser Arafat – giving them essentially every line item that they had demanded, including a portion of East Jerusalem as the capital of “Palestine,” yet Arafat inexplicably said “No!”

The complete capitulation of an Israeli leader was only stopped by the enemy’s decision not to accept the offer! Incredible!

At the current meeting, which we see as being of paramount importance, U. S. Vice President Pence began the convention by praising the event as the “dawning of a ‘new era’ in the Middle East.” The meeting was headlined throughout the civilized world as of landmark importance in world affairs.

It is widely conceded that the Trump plan includes dividing the Holy City of Jerusalem by giving a portion of it to the “Palestinians” for their capital!

But it is clearly indicated that man’s plan is in direct opposition to God’s Plan.

A salient factor is that if the present “Deal of the Century” is designed to lead to some degree of seeming calm and otherwise peaceful accord between the chief actors in the events of the hour. And it is occurring on this significant anniversary – the convergence of so many noteworthy anniversaries!

This fact may satisfy the basic premise of the conditions specified by Paul to be prevalent at the time of the Resurrection of the dead and the Judgment.

It is not immaterial that that precise condition of calm – a lack of generalized conflict, apparently – is the characteristic of this present time in history, and of the time when the responsible dead and living are destined to be taken away to Judgment.

This condition of relative calm seems reflected in the phrases of Jesus’ words in Matthew 24:40 - Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 41 Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left.

This narrative depicts a civilization clearly not in hot conflict; instead, it is a picture of seeming normality of conditions in which people are not expecting disruption of such a scale as indicated by the “sudden destruction” spoken of by Paul.

It is such a time as now prevalent.

But is merely the calm before the divine storm!

The world, in general, is preparing on the largest scale ever attempted, to divide the Land, to contravene the will of the Almighty in doing so. Indications are that such a plan will fail drastically and that it will usher in a time of great trouble for the world, or “sudden destruction” of their precious ambitions of having things their own way and on their own terms!

Our urgent suggestion to our dear brethren is: Be ready! Be as ready as mortals can be, fearlessly to move into the future age of peace and eminent prosperity under Jesus the Anointed. <HEL> ~1200 words. Published as a Circular Letter on February 16, 2019.

A Pathetic Example of Failure of a Public Official

An eTPL29 Editorial

Perhaps most of the people of the country have just become aware that the current governor of the State of Virginia, Ralph Northam, has fallen victim to the stain of racism as revealed on his personal page of the yearbook of his medical school in the 1980s.

The page contains four photographs, three of them depicting a younger Ralph Northam in various poses. The fourth has rightly caused a furor that has reached from coast to coast on this Groundhog Day, 2019.

It depicts two persons – one dressed in a dark suit, an Afro wig, and obviously blackened face. The other is dressed in a full Ku Klux Klan habit topped by a cone-shaped traditional Klan hat with large eyeholes. Neither person is identifiable from the images as shown.

Initially, the doctor admitted to his being in the photograph, although not designating which person he was. But this afternoon he denied being in the photograph because “he could not recall such an occasion.”

The disclosure has brought a colossally adverse reaction from colleagues in the Democrat Party on a national scale; these have demanded that he step down from the position of Commonwealth of Virginia executive.

Twenty four hours after the yearbook page was brought to the attention of the public, Governor Northam called a nationally televised press conference at the Virginia Capitol building and gave an extensive (40 minute) denial that he is one of those persons in the photograph, saying that the yearbook staff had “mixed up the photographs in (several) instances” and that this photograph did not depict him and did not belong on his page.

He claimed never to have seen the yearbook until it was brought to light yesterday – that he had already left medical school when the yearbooks were distributed and that he had not purchased a copy.

He did recall a different instance in which he did a blackface imitation of Michael Jackson in a San Antonio, Texas, “talent contest,” because he had learned to do Jackson’s famous (?) moonwalk. He said he won the top prize in that competition.

He claimed that the San Antonio incident happened after his leaving medical school and that it occurred during his subsequent army duties as a military doctor.

He also admitted to having a nickname while in Virginia Military Institute (premedical undergrad school) that also is racially-charged and highly questionable.

This 1920s-like, racially-slanted episode of the yearbook photograph is certainly not acceptable in contemporaneous American society – not in the 1980s or long prior to that – and is rightly the subject of universal condemnation.

The prevalent opinion is that he will be forced to resign his governorship.

An Earlier, More Serious Episode of (Medical) Misconduct

But earlier this week the governor made news that in our opinion surpasses this later episode of racial slurring. It has to do with his hearty approval of legislative action in Virginia related to late-term fetal abortion.

In a publicly-aired statement earlier in the week the governor had vigorously supported what can only be termed infanticide – the killing of infants both at the moment of birth and immediately after a live birth in cases where the delivering physician and the mother suddenly decide that the infant is not wanted!

Ralph Northam has now become a highly qualified pediatric neurosurgeon – a member of a sparsely staffed group of physicians who are expert in the surgical treatment of brain and spinal disorders in infants and young persons.

In his vigorous support of late-term abortion and even early-life infanticide, he has betrayed his profession’s long-standing claim of adherence to the Hippocratic Oath, one of the prime principles of which is “firstly, harm not the patient.”

In holding this radical view, Governor Northam has fallen in with the now widespread Democratic approval of abortion at every stage of pregnancy – a position more extreme than the Supreme Court’s establishment of earlier term abortion in the Roe v. Wade law of earlier time.

Under this abominable and unconscionable law, the United States has allowed the termination of the lives of over sixty million fetuses. Many abortionists have far exceeded its stipulations, terminating pregnancies up to the end of term.

The practice shows no hint of slowing or stopping because of this ungodly practice.

Permitting actions contrary to the reality, in our opinion (that life begins at conception), this nation has legally permitted the wholesale sacrifice of the lives of these millions of helpless, mostly viable but helpless little beings – individuals who should have been nurtured and protected through their first thirty six weeks of life – Yes, Life – and not snuffed out for often trivial personal reasons, or from shame.

In our opinion, this practice can only be recognized as the wholesale murder of infants. That is so because all human life begins in this magnificently ingenious and complex fashion from conception to live delivery of every child ever brought forth.

Just think of the beauty of the entire process as put in place by our heavenly Father.

Let us review this marvelous process in the graphic details of its sequence.

If you are squeamish, you may want to skip the next few paragraphs.

But our conviction is so strong that we believe our readers need to review and to visualize one of the most remarkable processes in the science of Biology, and the exquisite beauty and efficiency of this marvelous mechanism for the perpetuation of our race.

Its complexity and efficiency seems to us proof positive of the importance placed upon this process by our Creator, who in our earliest historical account commanded Adam and Eve: And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. Genesis1:28

I am going to review the usual course of this process from memory, so please forgive any minor errors.

It begins with the deposit of sperm cells in the birth canal – highly motile single-cell carriers of a half-complement of DNA from a father.

Literally millions of these units pass through the cervix and uterus out into the Fallopian Tubes, moving against the flagella which line these structures, which are “beating” in the other direction. They are “searching” for their target – the female ovum.

The sperm cells then pass out of the Fallopian tube and enter the abdominal cavity of the mother in search of the (usually) single ovum (egg) which has just been released.

It bears a half-complement of the mother’s DNA.

Only one sperm cell (usually) reaches the ovum first and attaches to it. At that point a “switch” is triggered in the ovum which “turns off” any possibility of further spermal contact. This usually limits the product of conception to one child – but not always.

Now the two cells interact to combine the two half-complements of DNA, giving the nascent infant its full complement of DNA – its entire 24^th chromosome.

The father’s 24^th chromosome – the sex determinant – governs the sex of the conceived child. His reproductive cell (sperm) can contain either an X or a Y chromosome. The mother’s DNA in the ovum always contains an X chromosome.

If his chromosome is a X chromosome it combines with the mother’s X chromosome and the resultant baby will be a girl.

If his sperm bears a Y chromosome it combines with the mother’s X chromosome and the result will be a boy.

XX=female; XY=male. This configuration is unchangeable, and will eventually inhabit all the estimated 60 trillion cells (every one of them except the reproductive cells) of an adult human being. This identity cannot be changed by any method.

This universally true constitution means that an adult or adolescent cannot decide on his or her own, that they feel like they are actually the other sex. No “sex change” procedure or intense hormonal therapy can change this inherent-from-conception DNA configuration. XX = female. XY = male. Period.

Now the resultant fertilized egg is drawn toward the open end of the Fallopian tube, which leads back to the uterus.

Entering the passageway, the progress of the fertilized egg is now aided by the millions of flagella (tiny “whips”) lining the structure, moving it toward the uterus.

The fertilized ovum arrives inside the uterus (the womb) and starts to search for contact with the inner lining of that organ.

It makes contact and immediately starts to implant in the lush lining, now furnished with an abundant blood supply generated by the mother.

The implantation of the fertilized ovum results in the formation of the placenta, which will grow larger in step with the developing fetus, and act as the fetal “lungs” (and kidneys!) during the pregnancy.

The placenta makes contact with the uterine shell outside the forming amniotic sac – an isolating structure in which the infant grows toward its coming birth completely without (direct) contact with its mother!

The blood of the mother in the uterus does not enter the developing fetus, but it does approach a semi-permeable membrane in the placenta. The hemoglobin of the mother’s red blood cells give up their oxygen, which passes through the membrane and into the placenta where, as the baby develops blood cells of its own, its own red cells pick up the oxygen molecules and transport them to the developing ovum though the umbilical artery.

The fetus by now has multiplied by the process of cell mitosis, to a multi-celled structure which is the developing fetus.

The fetus is now “breathing” oxygen from its mother’s blood and its stem cells are beginning to diversify into specialized structures (kidneys, liver, thyroid gland, skeleton, etc.) within the developing infant.

In a very short period of time it develops a functioning heart and cardiovascular system; the heart begins to “beat” and to circulate the infant’s red blood cells to the developing cells of its now macroscopic body.

Its primitive physiology from the very first gives off carbon dioxide – just as it will as an adult human being – and this waste product is transported by its red cells back to the placenta where the infant’s red cell gives up its CO2 content and instantly acquires molecules of oxygen at the binding sites on the infant’s hemoglobin.

The CO2 molecules it has released pass through the placental membrane into the mother’s blood interface and is picked up by her red cells to be taken to her lungs to exchange this waste product of her infant for a new complement of oxygen. You get the picture – an incredibly efficient system of respiration – from the very first!

Is this not a living, viable being at this stage? Is there not certifiable life present?

Yes! Life ... now dependent for nine months on a loving, caring mother surrounding and protecting and nourishing it entirely!

As the fetus grows toward its delivery date all it functional life-support structures and process are established in order.

From about the fourth week of pregnancy up until the delivery date, the fetus’ heart is only working at half capacity. Its oxygen-rich blood from the placenta passes up through the umbilical cord into the left side of the heart (into the left atrium) through a large opening in the middle partition of the heart (the foramen ovale). The right side (the pulmonary side) is not yet needed but is developing in lockstep with all the other structures of the infant.

This mechanism pumps the blood directly into its rudimentary cardiovascular system (aorta) to furnish the essential oxygen supply to the fetus. There are other simply miraculous processes and changes that take place during the fetus’ time of development but are too complex to detail in this account. (And all these marvelous and nearly impossible changes just happened by chance?? Bosh!)

As birth approaches the very muscular uterus is now very large, enclosing the entire fetus of course. As birth nears hormonal changes cause other delivery pathways to enlarge as well. The cervix begins magically to “dilate” as birth approaches. The birth canal itself becomes elastic and enlarges to accommodate the passage of the baby to the outside world!

The infant now (normally) reorients itself into final position for delivery – head first – through the birth canal.

If it does not automatically make this adjustment from its normal “fetal position” in the uterus, a “breech” delivery presents itself – a medical emergency which requires a Caesarean Section. Before this surgical procedure was developed many “breech” babies died because of pressure on the umbilical cord as it passed laboriously into and through the birth canal, cutting off its blood supply (oversimplified, but essentially correct).

As soon as the infant is fully delivered, clamps are used to prepare the umbilical cord from being severed and tied off.

Often, in order to prompt the baby to begin breathing on its own, it is suspended from its ankles and its bottom is slapped sharply. At some time near that instant, the highly ingenious foramen ovale closes tightly and begins to heal the opening in the cardiac septum.

This creates the discrete separation of the right and left sides of the heart and permits it to function efficiently for the rest of the person’s life.

This action in unison with some other very complex events, start to shunt the infant’s blood from the vena cava into the RIGHT side of its heart, where it is pumped into its own lungs for the first time!

In that vital organ its red cells lose their CO2 to the air that has been breathed from the environment for the first time by the newborn infant. As the red cells lose their CO2 they instantly “pick up” an equivalent number of oxygen molecules from its own pulmonary air supply and send those re-loaded red cells to the left side of its heart through the pulmonary vein – hence out to the aorta and the cardiovascular system.

Now the entire adult physiological cycle has been brought into play and is wholly operative!

Is that not a miraculous series of events?? (And I have had to simplify it greatly as there are hundreds of other aspects of this intricate, miraculous series of events at the beginning of life.

And it is this highly developed, beautiful little one which has been slain by the millions by the death-dealing abortionists of modern America ... as well as many other countries on earth.

As we have discussed in previous articles, this blood-sacrifice of untold numbers of infants is a crime of the deepest magnitude – “legality” be damned (or condemned: I am not “cussing”).

No man or woman is permitted such an immoral misappropriation of legalization.

This crime is precisely that which brought down the wrath of the Almighty upon Israel and Judah of old time. Assyria destroyed and took captive the Ten Tribes. Babylon destroyed and took captive the Two Tribes.

The unfaithful Hebrews had adopted the ungodly practices of their neighboring states, sacrificing their firstborn infants to Ba’al, to Molech, and to Ashtoreth, in the most heinous practice of burning them alive in order to insure the fertility of persons and lands. Their trust was not in the Almighty to provide for them. And for this terrible crime they suffered over 2,000 years of oppression, scattering, discomfiture, persecution, murder, scourging, and ill-treatment of every sort.

The Apostle Paul addressed a similar oppressor – the man of sin – in the following words. But the principle of disobedience is the same, and the condemnation reaped by such is identical ... eternal damnation is their just desert – perpetual separation from the God of Life and Righteousness, both being qualities which they have repeatedly denied to the helpless infants of many societies and cultures.

2Th 2:10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.

2Th 2:11 And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:

2Th 2:12 That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.

In the finality, such evil ones will come to understand that, as some say even now, “It is not a Choice ... it’s a Child!”

<HEL> ~2,700 words. Circulated February 2, 2019, as a Circular Letter.

Has Even Donald Trump been Upstaged by Israel?

An eTPL29 Analysis

This might seem to be the possibility when one examines closely the recent Trump announcement of troop withdrawal from Syria and the aftermath ... i.e., its failure to be carried out as originally stated.

What happened?

The answer seems to lie with National Security Adviser John Bolton, who last Sunday surprisingly announced an amended agenda for the intended move: namely that that “President Donald Trump’s call to withdraw U.S. troops from Syria would now be ‘coordinated’ with Israel, after meeting with top Israeli officials including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.”

That quote comes from an article by Whitney Webb from a website called MintPress on January 7^th. It seems that underlying discussions of the intended pullout have gone further than Mr. Trump originally planned, and that his stated intentions will now be fully coordinated with Israel – not as originally intended.

It is a diplomatic victory for Israel if true. And it has to do with assuring that the regime of Bashar Al-Assad in Syria, falls – a long-term objective of Israel from several years ago, even from the beginning of the Syrian conflict.

The likelihood that President Assad would remain in power would probably be strengthened if US forces were pulled out of Syria as originally announced.

This would not be in Israel’s best interests because if he does so remain, the likelihood of Israel’s gaining “official” possession of the Golan Heights is not favorable.

But it seems now that the US pullout from Syria might never take place (i.e., not intentionally, as we cannot disregard divine factors in any such decision, but these would probably be obscure to normal human assessment).

P. M. Netanyahu escorted Mr. Bolton to the Heights on the first Monday in January in order to help Mr. Bolton understand in greater depth just why the Golan is critically important to Israel, and why Israel’s hegemony over the area must remain in place.

What are these reasons?

There are multiple reasons.

Firstly, the Golan overlooks much of the rich agricultural basin in the north of Israel. When Syria held the Golan Heights as a direct interface with Israel the nation (up until the Six Day War of 1967); it regularly shelled the Israeli kibbutzim below with long-range artillery. The Heights was an excellent vantage point for such attacks which killed scores of Israeli farmers in the nineteen years of that status. Israel’s ownership of the Golan has entirely erased this possibility.

Secondly, the Golan is richly supplied with water. It is an important source of water for the Jordan River. This is extremely important for Israel who is suffering the worst six-year drought for the region in 900 years, according to NASA.

Thirdly, test drillings for petroleum deposits have been carried out and these indicate the proven presence of billions of barrels of petroleum lying below the surface of the Golan Heights. Israel needs this resource badly, but cannot exploit it until its status in the Golan is solidified in international law, which at present regards Israel as “an occupier” of the Heights. The oil production is on hold for the indefinite future while this stands.

Fourthly, the Golan is vital as an arms-length buffer with Syria’s short but hazardous frontier with Israel. From its military strongholds, Israel can more efficiently integrate its attacks upon any Syrian or Iranian encroachment on its border – can more easily defend itself.

But offensively, it also can more effectively strike Syrian and Iranian encroachment upon the Heights – a tactic which ensures greater stability to Israel’s hold upon that area.

Consequently, on Sunday last (January 6^th) Mr. Bolton abruptly announced that “the U. S. had no timetable for troop withdrawal from Syria, and that the troop withdrawal was (now) conditional.” A game-changer for sure!

And no one yet knows whether this abrupt change was coordinated with President Trump. Can it be that Mr. Bolton knows the mind of the president so thoroughly that he can mandate such a change without consultation?

We do not know.

The significant change in plans may have resulted in Israel’s immediate statement that it would step in and make up the U. S. reduction of forces within the Syrian state ... that is, that it would increase its activities in Syria against that regime.

Presumably, it meant that it would increase its airstrikes, but that would be ambitious because it has conducted hundreds of unilateral air strikes upon Syrian government positions, Iranian weapons depots, airfields, and other military targets in the past few years. And it has done so, it would seem, with the tacit approval of the Russians, who have infiltrated Syria also, and maintain moderate forces there as a means of propping up Mr. Assad.

It is a strangely tangled arrangement!

It therefore should come as no surprise that Syrian “rebels” gave prominence to its official recognition of Israel’s annexation (in 1981) of the Golan, which is not recognized officially by anyone else of which we are aware, if a regime-change could be achieved (i.e., if Assad could be overthrown) in favor of the rebels.

Over the course of the Syrian uprising, the rebels have offered to trade or sell the Golan Heights to Israel in exchange for military aid or an Israeli-imposed ‘no fly zone’ in Syria for its own protection.

So the confusing, extremely complex interactions within Syria go on and on, influenced by multiple factors and interests of several external parties.

Only one thing is really sure, and that is that Syria is destined to be wiped out completely in the rapidly approaching War for the Cleansing of the Land to be carried out by The LORD Jesus Christ at His Second Advent.

As proof of that hope, the critical words of Isaiah come readily to mind:

Isaiah 59:18 According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompence to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompence.

Isa 59:19 So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a Standard (without doubt, Jesus Christ) against him.

Isa 59:20 And the Redeemer (Jesus Christ) shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob (that is, those who at that date, have returned to their homeland), saith the LORD.

<HEL> ~1100 words and one photograph as circulated (photo not included here), Circulated as a PDF file on January 9, 2019, so photograph would be preserved in the document.

Utter confusion as to the Kings of the North and South!

An eTPL29 Analysis

It is frustrating to us to read widely circulated current prophecy commentary which is based in confusion – a deep state of confusion as to the identity of prophetic texts which seem to us to be relatively simple to understand.

A case in point is a recent blog which contained these three extensive quotations – all of which we will examine in this short review.[1] The sponsor of this website wrote...

1. “Turkey is part of the alliance of nations that joins forces with Russia and descends into Israel as an ally of Russia. Togarmah and Gomer were both parts of what we now call Turkey when Ezekiel wrote 2,500 years ago.” Comment: These statements are true. But we wish to point out the author’s correct assertion – and his emphasis on the fact – that “Togarmah and Gomer were both parts of what we now call Turkey WHEN EZEKIEL WROTE 2,500 YEARS AGO.” That fact is highly relevant to the prophecy – the identity of the area about which Ezekiel was writing...its precise identity. This statement is essentially negated, however, by a later bit of prognostication on the author’s part when he says ...

2. “Psalm 83 says that Assyria helps the enemies of Israel that want Israel destroyed.” We opine that this is also correct, for that is the thrust of Psalm 83. But then the writer makes a completely unsubstantiated assumption: he says, “Assyria could be a reference to Iran.” Comment: We heartily disagree that “Assyria” could be “Iran.” Iran is always PERSIA ... and has been for millennia. Assyria was a powerful kingdom entirely divorced from Persia (Iran of today) and lay immediately to its west; it corresponded most closely to today’s Iraq and Syria. Question: Why should any divinely inspired prophet confuse these two? When Ezekiel AND the Psalmist Asaph (author of Psalm 83) wrote, Assyria could not have been confused with Persia. If Asaph had meant “Persia” he would have SAID “Persia,” not “Assyria.” Not only were their locations entirely different, so were their societies, their internal makeup, their national policies, their ferocity in battle and other factors. They were in no way the same power. Why is it so important to recognize the accuracy of Ezekiel when he refers to Togarmah and Gomer (as in #1 above) and not give the same recognition to Asaph? The suggestion is ludicrous!

3. “The US and the Gulf States have a common enemy – Iran. [Agreed] The Bible says that Sheba and Dedan (Gulf States including Qatar, [where a huge air base has been built by the US]) would be allied to Tarshish (UK) [sic] and the young lions (USA) [sic].” In our rational minds this is a questionable theorem: it is true that, together these named entities surely voice a question to the Gogian host – but it is merely a question; it is followed by no response from Gog. The author continues: “This is exactly what we have seen develop. Together they form the King of the South in Daniel 11 verse 40 (sic). It has come together as God said (sic).” Comment: No...it hasn’t “come together as God said!” It is really unbelievable in our thinking that such commentators will just not even consider that the entirety of Daniel 11 has been fulfilled. It is a prophecy of the past. It has no future application whatever. Daniel 11 ends with the statement that the kings of the north and the south have been obliterated, and leads quite sensibly into the account recorded in Daniel 12.

The Kings of the North and the South were threats to the Promised Land ONLY when Israel was not present in the Land. Once Israel returned and possessed its land, at that time, if anyone is the “king of (either north or south)” it was ISRAEL, because Israel now has possession of the Land; but that suggestion is ludicrous, because the kings of the north and the south were always aggressors against the land. Israel is not an aggressor – but is the loving possessor of it!

The kings of the north and the south always come into Israel (Palestine of those days) from the Seleucid OR the Ptolemaic sectors (Turkey/Syria or Egypt). The present influx of Israelis into the land succeeded these earlier powers which rolled over the Land of Promise (“Palestine”) ONLY prior to the return of the People and their reclamation of the Land.

As Daniel 11 ends, Daniel 12 indicates a continuing, subsequent fulfillment no longer described as an invasion or a threat from the north or the south, and begins with the recovery (the resurrection) of Judah from the nations of the earth, for that is the reality as determined from history! No other scenario fulfills the prophecy. We have done exhaustive research in this subject and refer readers to a series of articles written in 2016, and posted on the eTPL website under “Other Items, 2016.”

4. 10 Gog as Distinct from the King of the North (1)

5. 11 Gog as Distinct from the King of the North (2)

6. 12 Gog as Distinct from the King of the North (3)

7. 13 Gog as Distinct from the King of the North (4)

8. 14 Gog as Distinct from the King of the North (5)

9. 15 Gog as Distinct from the King of the North (6)

10. 16 Gog as Distinct from the King of the North (7)

11. 17 Gog as Distinct from the King of the North (8)

12. 18 Gog as Distinct from the King of the North (9)

13. 19 Gog as Distinct from the King of the North (10)

Readers should be able to access any of these articles directly by left clicking on any of the above titles. If not, please navigate to the eTPL website (address below) and cursor down to “Other Items 2016” for access.

There are some 21 valid reasons to avoid this confusion of identities discussed here!

Please avail yourself of these to prove to yourself the very serious impossibility of Gog being the King of the North...in order to accurately unraveling the prophecy of Daniel 11. To do otherwise is to remain steeped in confusion and indecision – not a secure place to be in these critical end-times!

<HEL> ~1050 words. An eTPL29 Analysis Published January 26, 2019 as a Circular Letter.

“Hamas is the Seed of Amalek”

An eTPL29 Exposition

A prominent teacher in Israel today is Rabbi Nir Ben Artzi, a mystic whose sermon of last Shabbat (January 19^th) was published widely. In it, he referred to the zealots of Hamas in Gaza as “the seed of Amalek.”

What does that statement mean? Why is it important?

Bible scholars will be well aware that the first militant enemy that Israel encountered after leaving Egypt was the Amalekites of Exodus 17.

Amalek was the grandson of Esau, the fraternal twin brother of Jacob (Israel), and as such, is the archetypal enemy of Israel. His people inhabited the Negev region south of Jerusalem and Hebron, and were the primitive, uncultured Bedouin of that region.

They followed the original direction of Esau their forbearer who in spite first married a daughter of his uncle, Ishmael...

Genesis 28:8 - And Esau seeing that the daughters of Canaan pleased not Isaac his father; 9 Then went Esau unto Ishmael, and took unto the wives which he had Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael Abraham's son, the sister of Nebajoth, to be his wife.

Further dishonoring his father’s wishes, Esau, at age forty, took two wives of the Hittites (Canaanites) – Judith and Bashemath, “which were a grief of mind to Isaac and to Rebekah.” Genesis 26: 34.

In this we see a continuation of a career of disobedience to his parents’ wishes by Esau – the deep, purposeful rebellion of long-standing by this wayward offspring.

It was an extension of his disregard for the principles of God which Isaac wished for him.

Several hundred years after this event, his descendants had grown to become a significant clan now inhabiting the hostile territory which he had acquired.

As Israel trekked past his enclaves, Amalek attacked the stragglers and the weak ones of his brother Jacob – the migrating Israelites who encamped at Rephidim, being on their journey out of Egypt to Mount Sinai in Arabia.

The account is recorded beginning in Exodus 17: 8 and recounts the memorable occasion when Moses was commanded to extend his walking stick (his rod) heavenward at Rephidim as his people fought with Amalek. As long as Moses held up the rod, Israel was victorious; when his arms became tired and he let it down, Amalek prevailed. This phenomenon brought Moses’ brothers Aaron and Hur to assist Moses in holding up the rod.

The result, as recorded in Exodus 17: 14, was that Amalek was “discomfited,” by Israel’s soldiers, and presumably thoroughly driven away. Although Amalek was not destroyed at that time, that particular incident established a principle which was then recorded in a scroll for Joshua: Amalek should in future time be utterly destroyed.

The clan had become an archetype of resistance to God’s people and to His wishes for them – a primary retardant to the beneficial destiny which YHVH had purposed in His People.

Exodus 17:14 - And the LORD said unto Moses, Write this for a memorial in a book, and rehearse it in the ears of Joshua: for I will utterly put out the remembrance of Amalek from under heaven. 15 And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Jehovahnissi: 16 For he said, Because the LORD hath sworn that the LORD will have war with Amalek from generation to generation.

The name of the altar, “Jehovahnissi” is more accurately YHVHnissi, meaning “The Lord is my banner” or “The Lord Who sees.”

What did YHVH “see?”

He saw the utter defeat of Amalek – the righteous future goal which He set for Israel on that fateful day!

The altar was a visible record, along with the scroll, as a reminder of the ultimate fate of Amalek as a “type” of all the enemies of God ... utter extinction!

Numbers 24: 17-20 recounts the later vision of Balaam in which he foretells that “... a Star out of Jacob, and a Sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall smite the corners of Moab, and destroy all the children of Sheth. 18 And Edom (Esau) shall be a possession...”

Obadiah 1: 18 foretells the same fate for Esau: And the house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau for stubble, and they shall kindle in them, and devour them; and there shall not be any remaining of the house of Esau; for the LORD hath spoken it.

Rabbi Ben Artzi wrote in his sermon that the commandment to blot out the memory of Amalek means that, as the Amalekites are “The archetypal enemies of Israel, Torah commands the Jews to wipe out the memory of Amalek.”

He applies this commandment to this time in history, and to the blood-lusting fiends of Hamas of the Gaza Strip, who like Pharaoh of Egypt oppressed Israel until retaliation came (the plagues, in Egypt’s case, and the “truces” with Hamas in modern Israel’s case), and then Pharaoh relents until he regains his animosity and again resists the will of God, just as we have observed in the case of Hamas.

That series of confrontations with Pharaoh ended with the death of all the firstborn of Egypt – an event that finally broke the resistance of Pharaoh who then released the People to leave Egypt. In the case of Hamas, it is slated to end in extinction!

Israel is today again “leaving Egypt” in great and unprecedented numbers ... and “Amalek” is again resisting His will.

Our Father is aggressively calling His People home; they are “returning to the (land of the) Children of Israel” as Micah specified that they would in his end-time prophecy of Micah 5:3.

Breaking Israel News interviewed other rabbis for its lead article yesterday.

Rabbi Yosef Berger, the rabbi of King David’s Tomb on Mount Zion told the author of its article (Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz) that “... the will of Hashem (literally, The Name) today is that Israel be regathered in preparation for the arrival of Moshiach.”

That is a view being expressed in a rising crescendo of opinion among Israeli scholars of today – and expresses the more general opinion that ONLY in Mount Zion (Israel) is redemption!

We cannot deny that the principle fully agrees with the previously referenced words of Micah 5, and in our opinion indicates that the core meaning of those words is that the People should, as we have plainly seen, should physically return to the Land of their fathers prior to the return of Messiah, “the ruler of Israel” of that day (verse 2) ... and that as a result, Messiah would physically return to them, and that “... He shall stand and feed in the strength of the LORD, in the majesty of the name of the LORD His God; and they shall abide: for now shall He be great unto the ends of the earth.”

These words add to the imperative of our day in significant ways, chief of which in our opinion is that His brethren increasingly give a concentrated preference to imminent preparation for His physical return to the earth, first to make all righteous hearts His own, as we so often sing.

Before the world is even aware that He has returned He shall already have done so “as a thief in the night” to the world, but not as such to His expectant brethren – to manifest Himself to the living believers, and to raise from the dead all past partakers of the Blood of the Covenant back to life – and to bring all of these together into one sacred, hidden location for His final assize.

The Apostle John was shown a comprehensive vision of that longed-for day: Revelation 20:12 - And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

These blessed words extend into the immediate future in our studied opinion, and depict the event of the ages for all those involved – all those who have entered into the race for life, dedicating their lives at some time in the past to His service, having made His calling THEIR calling, admitting themselves to have been elected to His service.

That precise date of his acceptance of this responsibility for the present writer was June 16, 1946 – a day of the greatest individual import for him nearly 73 years agone.

For some of you, that decisive moment predated that time in history – but for most it was concluded at some variably later time in history.

No matter. The workers in the vineyard of Jesus’ parable were rewarded uniformly when the end of the workday arrived; at that moment each received the accepted daily wage - a penny. Matthew 16: 1-15, q.v.

And in that way a just decision was expressed by the Owner of the vineyard – equal rewards for every laborer: the last were deemed first, and the first, last. For many be called, but few chosen (verse 16).

<HEL> ~1,600 words. Published as PDF file, January 22, 2019.

Israel’s Unusual Predawn Attack upon Syria

An eTPL29 Circular Letter

Since the United States announced its expected troop withdrawal from Syria the Israelis have stepped up their attacks on Iranian facilities in Syria.

On Monday last the Israel Air Force (IAF) carried out an enormous attack in predawn hours with a concurrent announcement that the attack was in progress – an acknowledgement which was a marked departure from its usual nocturnal attacks of the past – and did heavy damage to Iranian weapons storage centers at Damascus International Airport as well as Syrian antiaircraft missile bases as well as other enemy facilities.

Other targets included Iranian and Syrian military targets, air defense batteries and Quds forces positions in many parts of Syria; the Quds forces facilities destroyed were weapons storage sites, those at Damascus airport, an Iranian intelligence installation, and an Iranian training camp.

A Google Earth search shows the airport to be located a short distance southeast of the center of Damascus. Satellite images from the Israeli aerospace company ImageSat International show complete destruction of several sites within the airport complex, leaving the civilian facilities of terminals and boarding areas completely unharmed.

The attack was said to be retaliation for an Iranian ground-to-ground missile which was launched toward the Golan Heights earlier. The missile was loaded with a 1,000-pound warhead and was intercepted by an Iron Dome anti-missile near the Israeli ski resort on Mount Hermon. A video record of the interception from that vantage point showed the smoke trails of the two missiles intersecting and recorded the screams of frightened children at the ski resort.

The Israeli air-to-ground missiles were devastatingly accurate; in addition to the destruction of the Iranian weapons facility, a total of 21 people were killed in the strikes: six Syrian soldiers, 12 IRGC soldiers, and three other persons. It was the most concentrated and deadliest Israeli attack on Syria so far.

Israel is noted to have shifted its policy of silence about such attacks in that Israeli authorities (the IDF) issued a rare admission of responsibility even as the attacks were being carried out. It noted on Twitter (at 1: 42 am) that “We have started striking Iranian Quds targets in Syrian territory. We warn the Syrian Armed Forces against attempting to harm Israeli forces or territory.”

The warning to Syria and its proxies (Iran) went unheeded when Iranian forces launched the missile upon Mount Hermon. The enormous response noted earlier was largely the result of this assault upon Israel.

The IDf spokesperson’s unit added this information: that “... the Iranian attack on Israeli territory yesterday is yet another clear proof of the intention behind the attempts to establish Iran in Syria and the danger they pose to the State of Israel and regional stability. The IDF will continue to act decisively and firmly against the Iranian establishment in Syria.”

Syria’s response later in the day was to send a letter to the Secretary General of the UNO as well as to the Head of the UN Security Council with an urgent request “... to take immediate steps to prevent further Israeli air strikes and to hold it accountable for ‘its crimes against the Syrian and Palestinian people.’” The request was also said to claim that such aggressive actions by Israel would not be possible were it not for the US and other members of the Security Council abetting the Jewish state.

This episode is a distinctly sharp increase in Israel’s boldness toward destroying Iranian and Syrian military preparations against the Jewish state. Our considered opinion is that observers will now see a routinely much-enhanced level of aggression exerted by Israel against the Islamic Republic of Syria and its resident proxies of Iran and al-Queda forces located there as these continually advance nearer and nearer to the borders with Israel.

Still other related reports prove that Iran is now stirring the pot of aggression within its circles of influence in Jordan – acting to create a fourth front against Israel from Moab and Ammon of old, which echo the prophecies of Isaiah 11 and Psalm 83, as well as Obadiah – all of which are specifically-stated forecasts of events of the end-time.

Dear readers, these highly-specific prophecies against named enemies of God and His People cannot be ignored. They must be prosecuted in their precise times and in their hierarchy of importance, which in our studied opinion are some significant weeks or months prior to the Gogian invasion of Ezekiel 38 and 39.

We are aware that we “push” this prophetic interpretation energetically. But we believe it is immensely important for Believers to have a clear view of events on our very doorsteps.

In our view, The Master will appear to the Household of Faith at some time even prior to these events, sending forth his Reaper Angels to harvest (to raise and assemble) The Dead in Christ (or in Covenant for those of pre-Christian times), and to assemble them along with the living ones who are marked by the Blood of the Everlasting Covenant, also amenable to His righteous Judgment – and that their destiny shall be settled eternally before these decisive conflicts begin.

In light of the increasing crescendo of the specific movements of the end-times, such a view should give us a definitive message of assurance as well as reassurance, that our redemption draws nigh ... and that it is at the door.

We can visualize The Master now “stepping forth from the balconies of heaven and beginning his descent to the earth” at this moment, as a dear brother used to describe the Second Advent in poetic but graphic terms.

It is a day to which we look forward “with joy if yet with fear,” as a beloved hymn phrases it, and intensifies the realization that must fill our hearts with yearning for Him to come quickly! The inspired words of David in his memorable psalm come readily to mind ...

Psalm 72:1 A Psalm for Solomon. Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the king's son. 2 He shall judge thy people with righteousness, and thy poor with judgment. 3 The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness. 4 He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor. 5 They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations. 6 He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth. 7 In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth. 8 He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth... 11 Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him.

<HEL> ~1150 words – a five-minute read. A Circular Letter: January 24, 2019.

Activating Immune Cells Against Cancer Cells

An eTPL29 Analysis

For many years the principle has been attractive, and the mechanism sought, for medical science to formulate a technique of inducing the hunter cells of the human immune system to attack and eradicate a body’s newly developing cancer cells (neoplasms). It essentially would be an unique form of inoculation against cancer by agents already present in every living human being, without introducing harmful foreign agents into the cancer patient.

We have been aware that researchers in Israel have been involved in such techniques for several years, and that they have made measurable progress toward that goal.

The technique would induce the human body to begin its automatic assault upon cancer cells long before clinical symptoms or signs appear, giving each individual the best opportunity for survival due to the early warning and treatment “regimen” that would result.

It was recently noted that researchers have now discovered a surer way to ‘activate’ the immune system against cancer. The leap forward was made by scientists from Harvard University and Bar-Ilan University in Israel, who developed the breakthrough technique, details of which are sparse at the moment.

Their approach is said to enable immune cells that are native to normal, healthy individuals, to attack cancer cells better than ever before – an approach that has eluded the scientific community for decades since the technique first came under investigation.

The report was published recently in Nature, a peer-reviewed journal of scientific breakthroughs.

The study was led by Professor Nick Haining, of Harvard Medical School, and co-authored by a doctoral researcher, Ilana Buchumansky, of the Mina and Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences at Bar-Ilan University as well as an international team.

Our recollection of earlier, similar projects is that the technique is preferable to nearly every other approach to the successful treatment of cancer because it avoids several adverse components of earlier approaches.

Chemotherapy – the introduction of medicinal agents that are foreign to the human body – often results in horrible side effects, including extreme malaise, hair loss, and other pathology which are nearly equivalent to, or even surpass, the distressing effects of cancer as well as often being ineffective.

Tissue transplants often are helpful, but have the disadvantage of the “donor” site, for example, in the case of a patient’s own bone marrow being transplanted, becoming a greater source of concern than the desired goal of successful treatment of cancer. And tissues (or organs) taken from other individuals are always subject to rejection as foreign tissue and are destroyed by the patient’s immune cells.

One huge advantage of “teaching” one’s own immune cells to attack a body’s own neoplasms is that there is never any danger of such adverse reactions. The field of combat against the cancer is entirely self-contained – native to the patient, whose innate immune cells are “taught” to recognize the new tissues (the cancer cells) as foreign invaders (although they are not invaders from outside the body) and to kill them.

Radiation bombardment of cancer loci (if the neoplasm is discretely located, i.e., a solid tumor – not blood cancer, for example) has dangerous side effects such as collateral tissue destruction, and can itself be a source of cancer.

Radiation implants as “seeds” spaced throughout solid tumors have the advantages of limited radiation exposure and pinpointed application, but necessitate removal at the termination of the treatment regime – often fraught with complexity and hazard to the patient.

This new initiative of “teaching” immune cells to attack and destroy one’s own neoplasms is extremely promising and we intend to keep watch for future developments and further refinements of the technique.

<HEL> ~620 words and photograph. Circulated as Circular Letter: January 29, 2019, in a PDF file.

Putin and Netanyahu on Removal

of Foreign Forces from Syria

An eTPL29 Analysis

The dramatic movements occurred last week by certain principle actors having to do with important political adjustments in the Middle East as relative to Syria.

President Vladimir Putin of Russia warmly met late last week (February 27^th) with Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu during a visit of both to Ankara, Turkey.

Only two days earlier President Trump’s Special Envoy Jared Kushner met in the same city with Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey.

Near the same time, President Bashar Assad of Syria arrived in Tehran, Iran, for a surprise visit which had been kept entirely secret from the press and other interested agencies – indeed, from everyone except the Supreme Leader of Iran Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and Iran’s Middle East commander Gen. Qassem Soleimani.

All the parties involved with Syria were participating in an attempt to break, in one way or another, the deadlock on Syria’s future.

And for the first time, Israel’s leader was given a prominent place at the table by the Russian president.

One highly unexpected outcome was that President Putin of Russia made the surprise announcement “... that both Jerusalem and Moscow have a common goal, which is ‘to return the situation in Syria to what it was before the eight-year-long civil war.’”

To our knowledge this is a surprising new development; we had been under the impression that Russia firmly wanted the close assistance of its ally, Iran, in its attempts to get President Assad reestablished firmly in power and to get the unruly affairs of Syria under control and the Syrian rebels pacified.

But Mr. Putin’s deference to Prime Minister Netanyahu has always seemed to play a part in this “mix” also. He has been generally solicitous of Israel’s friendship and cooperation as to Russia’s involvement in Syria – even to the fascinating extent of allowing continued Israeli airstrikes against Iranian targets and materiel movements within Syria without a hint of retaliation against the Israeli planes.

Even the touted S-3oo Russian anti-aircraft missile defense systems recently installed by Russia in Syria (and the S-400s, too) have been silent when Israeli aircraft were engaged in operations nearby, seemingly being repressed by Russian “advisors.”

The Russian leader’s statement as to Israel’s and Russia’s common interest in Syria was apparently a direct result of Bibi Netanyahu’s approach to Mr. Putin, which was reported by DebkaFile as being “to prevent Iran from establishing a military presence in Syria.”

In our thinking, it is a wee bit late for such to take place since Iran already has thousands of surrogates and tons of military supplies and equipment already in Syria, and is also busily transporting such materiel through Syria to Hezbollah in Lebanon. It is not too late to reverse this situation, however, if The Bear decides to have it happen!

The visit of Bashar Assad to Tehran does not seem to have taken the same favorable track as it was reported that the Ayatollah directed Mr. Assad to award all the contracts for the immense reconstruction initiative in Syria be handed over to Iranian firms and to turn away all oil-rich Arab Emirates’ funding propositions. Iran wants firm control and all the profits as a means of firming up its hoped-for “bridge” to the Mediterranean all the way to Tehran!

The significance of Mr. Netanyahu’s acceptance by the Russian dictator was diminished by the unsettled Israeli election campaign now in progress and the Israeli attorney general’s ruling on the legal actions pending against the prime minister. But even in light of this adverse activity, Mr. Netanyahu put in place a deal with Mr. Putin for setting up a joint Russian-Israeli commission for the removal of all “foreign forces” from Syria – considering the American so-called “pullout” as well as the apparently unwanted forces of Iran.

Observers have said that Mr. Putin might have been a bit “put out” that Assad would travel to Tehran without informing Moscow – the force which had at least on the surface saved the Syrian regime – so much so that he was not reticent to bring Israel into the discussions on the future of Syria. Curious! Just goes to show that the quagmire in Syria may be even muddier than it seems.

As for Jared Kushner’s meetings with Erdogan, they discussed the need for a Turkish-led buffer zone in northern Syria as well as the sale of US Patriot air defense missiles for the Turkish army ... and whether Kushner could compel Erdogan to cancel his pending S-400 anti-aircraft missile deal with Russia. Ostensibly they also discussed the US Israeli-Palestinian “Deal of the Century.”

Whether all this intrigue will play out as planned no one can tell in advance.

PM Bibi Netanyahu may be useful in bridging President Donald Trump with Vladimir Putin on the Syrian question – a perhaps fortunate intervention because the US president is somewhat compromised by the conspiracy allegations in Washington about his possible close connections to Moscow (although these seem to be non-existent at the moment). Similarly, Mr. Netanyahu is hobbled by the intensely charged atmosphere over the allegations against him and the strident calls for his resignation.

Our opinion is that neither Mr. Trump nor Mr. Netanyahu will be overthrown by these current troubles and that both will survive these attacks. But we wait patiently for these intricate details to become resolved.

<HEL> ~900 words. An eTPL29 Analysis Published in Circular Letters, March 3, 2019.

Will Two-Thirds of Present Israel be Destroyed by Gog?

An eTPL29 Analysis

If the student of Bible prophecy has even lightly scanned the words of Ezekiel 38 and 39, he will be able to state with absolute certainty, that the Gogian host is destined to have NO SUCCESS whatever against the People of God now regathered in the Land.

This detailed account is virtually the only record extant of the Gogian fiasco. To import countless other scriptural references as being applicable to that episode is to wrest the word of God in the matter in our opinion...

To claim that two-thirds of the Jews now living in Israel will be destroyed is preposterous ... and unscriptural. To so claim is outrightly to deny the clear words of the Almighty’s prophets – several of them contradicting that outlook in unmistakable terms!

We are well aware of the “other” scriptures that the holders of such theories bring to the discussion: the chief one being the concrete statement of Zechariah...

Zechariah 13:8 And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, saith the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third shall be left therein. 9 And I will bring the third part through the fire and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name...

But are these words relevant to the end-time?

They might seem to be at first impression – but the diligent student of God’s word will quickly realize that this is a prophecy for the time of the first appearance of the LORD Jesus, and was the result of His People’s rejection of Him as Messiah in His time.

It describes the horrors of 70AD when it was fulfilled to perfection – and to exhaustion; it will never happen again.

How can the diligent student be certain of that fact? Many prophecies bear on the later times of Israel’s Second Recovery – that recovery from the nations of the world – and reveal no such prospect.

Consider the final words of Amos, for example...

Amos 9:14: And I will bring again the captivity of my people of Israel, and they shall build the waste cities, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat the fruit of them. 15 And I will plant them upon their land, and they shall no more be pulled up out of their land which I have given them, saith the LORD thy God.

These words cannot be construed to indicate any time other than the end-time restoration of Israel from the nations, namely the days in which we are now living, in which the People have obviously been regathered into their future inheritance and are successfully developing the reconstituted Nation which shall morph into the “first dominion of the kingdom” as prophesied by Micah 4:8 And thou, O tower of the flock, the strong hold of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall it come, even the first dominion; the kingdom shall come to the daughter of Jerusalem!

The process of doing so is well revealed in several extensive passages of scripture; an excellent example of such being this one from Ezekiel 36 – but it must be realized to be a summary statement of an extended process of recovery leading to the final status of His people as their “being His people, and His being their God” as in verse 28.

Notice, however, that there is NO disruption of the narrated process of recovery and restitution – and no possible catastrophic destruction of His People anywhere to be seen in the forecast.

Ezekiel 36:24 For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. 25 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. 26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. 28 And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God.

Again, Zechariah is a rich source of information as to these times, also – a rich source of information about our days.

A diligent study of Zechariah reveals many facets of the entirely FAVORABLE and BRIGHT future history of the Jews (Judah) of the end-time in a vast range of prophecies.

We see the following two verses as an illustration of such...the exact picture of the overpowering, divinely-given ability of the Jews of today to defend themselves.

Zechariah 12:6 In that day will I make the governors of Judah (this phrase speaks of the nation of Israel dwelling “alone” as it does today) like an hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; and they shall devour all the people round about, on the right hand and on the left: and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own. 9 And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.

That last phrase applies only to the time when the returning Jews control their Land, and in which Jerusalem is the focus of all the nations of the world (as only today – see preceding verses 2, 3) and to ALL future aggressors of His Kingdom – and pointedly indicates not only the long series of wars with the Proximal Islamic entities “round about” Israel but also the later incursion of the Gogian host coming into the Land from the territories outside the “first dominion” of the kingdom – from the lands lying beyond the Nile and the Euphrates, and the Mediterranean and the Persian Gulf.

These Promised Lands (Genesis 12, et seq) at a near future time shall be acquired by and governed by the Christ of the Second Advent, and as such, shall be inviolable!

The prophecy of Zechariah 13: 8, 9 (as quoted above) is NOT end-time prophecy.

We can be assured that it isn’t because of the preceding verse 7: Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith the LORD of hosts: smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered: and I will turn mine hand upon the little ones.

This “smiting” of the Shepherd will not occur in future time for no power on earth shall be capable of such, but refers to the crucifixion of Jesus in AD29, after which the awful events of 70AD were heaped upon the People for their rejection of Him.

Micah 5: 1-3 speaks of the same time frame and the same events. But those words are followed immediately by narrative having to do with the end-times and the inevitable consolation of Israel!

He would “give them up,” or abandon Israel UNTIL “she who travaileth shall bring forth” the modern State of Israel – literally – THEN, and only then “... the remnant of his brethren shall return unto the children of Israel.

One must be aware that prior to that establishment of Israel, the nation, the Jews were forbidden to “return” to their Land (“return to the (land of ) the children of Israel”) by Islamic law as enforced by the Ottoman Empire. Only the ousting of the Ottomans made that goal nominally feasible (although still resisted by the British Mandatory power), and only by the establishment of Israel were all prohibitions of “return” removed.

A Future Catastrophe for Israel?

Zechariah 14:2 is breathlessly quoted by some to prove a future catastrophe for the regathered Jews. The passage – written around the time of the first conquest of Jerusalem (600BC) forecasts events of both the First Coming and the Second Coming.

The passage reads, Zechariah 14:2 For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.

For these events to take place the Jews must be in control of their City – Jerusalem.

It did not happen in 70AD at the overthrow of Judea by Rome.

After that time the Jews did not have control of their City until the events of 1948, at a time when they controlled Western Jerusalem but could not maintain control over the Old City.

This condition resulted from the fact that the Arab League of Jordan was able to gain control of Old Jerusalem just before the truce of 1949, but could not conquer the Jewish defendants of the New City to the West.

So this was the precise outcome: the City was divided for the first and only time in history – with the Jews controlling half of it and the enemy controlling the other half.

To avow that this event is destined to occur AGAIN in a future time is preposterous in light of many, many other reassurances of Israel’s security in their ability to control their own lands until comes the Christ of the Second Advent to “save His people from their enemies and those who hate them” as attested by the prophecy of Zacharias in Luke 1: 71, 74 q.v.

Conclusion: To our minds, the above principles cannot be repeated often enough in light of the widespread, persistent misapplication by some students of numerous prophetic utterances which have no relevance to the events being discussed. For a complete, in-depth discussion of over fifty scattered and closely related passages of scriptures proving these principles, the writer refers every student to his 1999 work, Twilight of the Prophets, which will be emailed to anyone desiring to read our studied considerations, free of charge. If you would like a gratis copy, please email the author at helafferty@gmail.com and request an electronic copy.

<HEL> ~1600 words. An eTPL29 Analysis. Published as an eTPL Circular Letter on April 20, 2019.