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In the beginning there was God’s choice of Abraham and Sarah – Isaac and Ishmael; Jacob and Esau, 12 Tribes of Israel (Jacob’s offspring). Seeds of hope and conflict – two ways – God’s choice, verse our choice; obedience and blessing – disobedience and cursing…
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The Jews accepted this Partition of Palestine & Arabs rejected it!: 5 Arab nations went to war to eliminate the Jews from the land, and lost!
Roger Waters Calls Bono an ‘Enormous Sh—t’ after Israel Tribute!
Read More: Roger Waters Calls Bono an ‘Enormous S—‘ After Israel Tribute | https://ultimateclassicrock.com/roger-waters-bono-enormous-shit/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral
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by Elisheva Mechanic (Author)
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This book is a guide for those beginning a lifetime of cross-cultural ministry and for anyone wanting to spend some time in a cross cultural situation such as a short term mission. It includes some Social Anthroplogy background as well as an understanding of cross-cultural communication and approaching ministry in a new cultual setting. It will help the reader to understand world view and how to overcome the negative effects of adjusting to a new culture and come to an understanding of the customs and outlook on life of a new community of people. Included are insights into understanding the Jewish community as well as several other cultural groups.The Biblical feasts are included as well as an order of service for a Messianic Jewish Passover. Personal anecdotes are included of the author’s experience of cross-cultural ministry and life experiences in ministry.
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Encountering This Jewish Jesus: Messianic Jewish Faith and Practice by Roni Mechanic | 27 Aug 2023
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Roni interviews Anders Moberg of Sweden concerning his faith journey:
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Anders’ Extended Testimony of His Journey to Faith
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Images by – Anders Moberg
Anders shares an experience that he had:
St. John Climacus is honored by the Church as a great ascetic and as the author of a remarkable work entitled, The Ladder of Divine Ascent, and therefore he has been named “Climacus,” or “of the Ladder.” In THE LADDER Saint John describes the ascent toward spiritual perfection, which is essential for anyone who wishes to save his soul. It is a written account of his thoughts, based on the collected wisdom of many wise ascetics, and on his own spiritual experience. The book is a great help on the path to truth and virtue. The steps of THE LADDER proceed gradually from strength to strength on the path of perfection. The summit is not reached suddenly, but gradually, as the Savior says: “The Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force” (Mt.11:12).
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Encountering This Jewish Jesus: Messianic Jewish Faith and Practice by Roni Mechanic | 27 Aug 2023
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South African ANC led Government in League with Iran
Axis of Evil fighting against Israel
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At the outset I need to say that this programme does contain distressing issues, particularly between members of the three Abrahamic faiths. Furthermore, it is not my intention to stir any anti-Moslem hatred. I sincerely, have the highest regard for all peace loving Arabs, Moslems, and Palestinians.
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In conversation with a longstanding Jewish friend we were discussing the current Israel – Gaza war and the huge world-wide fallout that has resulted towards Jewish people. Jews just don’t feel safe anymore.
On October 7th, some 3,000 Hamas terrorists invaded Israel from Gaza and perpetrated a barbaric massacre which included horrific atrocities. Days later, bodies were still being found. Now, a month later Israeli forensics teams are struggling to identify many of the remains.1 The Israeli medics and volunteers doing this work have been deeply traumatized by the atrocities.2 According to the latest count, 1,400 people were murdered, mostly civilians and over 240 were taken to Gaza as hostages. It was the worst massacre of Jews in a single day since the Holocaust. This report shows that as soon as news of the horrific slaughter broke, which was live–streamed on social media by some of the terrorists, United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) staff immediately celebrated and justified it on Facebook. UNRWA Gaza teacher Osama Ahmed posted “Allah is Great, Allah is Great, reality surpasses our wildest dreams.” UNRWA principal Iman Hassan justified the massacre as “restoring rights” and “redressing” Palestinian “grievances.” Rawia Helles, Director of the Khan Younis Training Center and featured in an UNRWA video, glorified one of the terrorists as a “hero,” “raider,” and “prince of Khan Younis.” English Teacher Asmaa Rafiq Kuheil excitedly called to “sculpture the date” adding a heart emoji. School Administrator Hmada Ahmed posted “welcome the great October.”
I have entitled this programme “Hate Didn’t Start Here.” So, where did it start, and what are the root causes? Why are Jews scapegoated and consistently blamed for the world’s ills? These and many other questions beg answers. I will attempt to address some of the underlying causes, and suggest some attempts to tell a different narrative about Jewish people.
Recently I was listening to a talk on ‘Dream therapy,’ and how to decipher our dreams. Sometimes our dreams don’t have any profound meaning, while at other times their meaning is quite straightforward, sometimes they require us to dig deeper to discover their meaning.
A particular troubling dream: I had a troubling dream the other night after having watched a news report in which Israel was being blamed for committing genocide, pogroms, and ethnic-cleansing of Palestinians. In the dream I had got into an argument with someone who had been accusing me of hating Arabs and Palestinians in particular. It was very life-like and in it I was robustly defending myself against these accusations, and in fact said unequivocally that neither accusation was true, and in fact I have Arab, and Palestinian friends, that include both Moslems and Christians. It was not difficult to discover the meaning to this dream.
A Chosen People – In the musical Fidler on the Roof, the main character Teviah, the milkman from his village Anatefka in the Pale of Settlement, in Eastern Europe is walking along the road pulling his milk cart by himself because his horse is sick. His back is aching and the sweat is running down his brow. He looks up to heaven and says, “God I know we are the chosen people, but would you mind choosing someone else for a change!” I need to add that life in general is tough for Jews with pogroms and hard time for the Jewish people from the authorities, and at times, their Gentile neighbours not treating well either.
So, what does choosiness imply? Chosen to be what and why did God choose the Jews? Well it actually started with one man – Abram, and one woman, Sarai, who latter became Abraham and Sarah, who were from Median which is Modern day Iran and Turkey. First Abraham received the call:
12 The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.
2 “I will make you into a great nation,
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.[a]
3 I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you.”[b]
4 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Harran. 5 He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Harran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there.
6 Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. 7 The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring[c] I will give this land.” So he built an altar there to the Lord, who had appeared to him.
8 From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord.
9 Then Abram set out and continued toward the Negev.
So, Abram who became Abraham was called a Hebrew and subsequently he became known as a Jew. The term ‘Jew,’ actually come from one of Abraham’s great grand children, the son of Jacob, called Judah from which Jew is derived.
The three Abrahamic faiths – Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, each in term refer to Abraham as their father. So why then all the rivalry, hatred, and killing? Why then the Moslem world who share an ancestor with Jews and Christians, is seeking to dominate in the name of Islam? Both Jews and Christians are being murdered by radical, fanatical Moslems in various parts of the world, particularly driven by the Iranian Moslem regime. But it is far more complex than that, and not all Moslems hate Jews.
Our special focus: The particular focus of the podcast is the current Israel – Gaza war, and the international hate that this has inflamed globally! Dry tinder only requires a single flame to light it, and that flame was the horrific attack by Hamas upon Israel on the 7th October, 2023.
More often, reflecting the refusal of Jews and Christians in Muhammad’s environment to accept his message, the Quran stresses their inability to comprehend the message they possess but do not put into practice and to appreciate that Muhammad’s teaching fulfills that message.
JEWISH POLITICAL STUDIES REVIEW
Volume 29, Numbers 3–4
Introduction
The question of the Koran’s attitude toward Jews is not merely a theoretical-academic matter. Because of the centrality of the Koran in the life of the Muslim and of Muslim communities past and present, this question has had, and still has in our day, a fundamental influence on the formation of attitudes toward Jews. True, this is not the only factor and more everyday ones also come into play. But the topic remains an important one to study and become familiar with.
This article will begin with the history of the first – and very problematic – chapter in Muslims’ relations with the Jewish groups in Arabia, particularly in the city of Medina. It will then present selected verses of the kind – and they are the majority – that propound a negative and hostile attitude toward Jews, along with verses – only few – from which a tolerant attitude can be derived. Finally, I will show the potential for a creative modern interpretation that bolsters the tolerant attitude, an interpretation that is now undergoing a certain revival against the backdrop of the struggles between extremists and moderates in the Islamic world.
The Historical Picture1
The Jews in Medina before the Hegira
In 622 Muhammad with his few believers moved to the city of Medina. More than 10 years of preaching to the residents of his own city, Mecca, had reached a dead end and he had been harshly persecuted. There is no credible information on Muhammad’s relations with Jews before the Hegira, but he may have encountered Jews in his journeys as a trader, which was his profession until he began to prophesize at the age of 40. It is clear, however, that the consent of several individuals and subtribes to receive him in Medina stemmed from these people’s exposure to a Jewish-monotheist influence; there was a significant Jewish presence in the city and its environs.
Three prominent Jewish tribes were in the city at the time of the Hegira: Qaynuqa, Nadir, and Qurayza. The latest research shows that their weight in the city was considerable; they dominated commerce, agricultural land, fortresses, and weapons. They were allies (not wards) of the two dominant Arab tribes, Aws and Khazraj.
The tribes had undergone a long process of Arabization (as reflected in their names, customs, and ways of life). There is no clear evidence of their religious-spiritual inclinations, but it is commonly assumed that they were rabbinic-Talmudic Jews of the familiar kind who observed commandments and were faithful to their God. An instance of this is the Beit Midrash in the city, a kind of “cheder” for the children of the Jews in which the sons of the Muslim elite also studied and, probably, assimilated a monotheistic attitude. It is not surprising that 7 of the 12 local leaders of Medina had been students in the “cheder.”
Attempts at Persuasion: Persecution and Killing
In the first period of his stay in Medina, Muhammad made great efforts to persuade the Jews to recognize him as a prophet and join his camp. To that end he was prepared to order his believers to pray in the direction of Jerusalem and to adopt Yom Kippur as a fast day. But his efforts were totally rebuffed. The Jews (with just a few exceptions) adhered to the rule that prophecy had already been annulled at the beginning of Second Temple days, and at most agreed that Muhammad may have been sent to spread a monotheistic message to the Arabs only. The traditions and the verses of the Koran show that the response to the Jews’ obduracy was a dramatic intensification of the polemics against them, centering on the accusation that they had distorted their own books, which, the Muslims claim, presage Muhammad’s revelation. This polemical escalation led to a staged process of removing the Jews, some of whom were deported and others killed. This process was reinforced by a gradual yet rapid joining of Muhammad’s ranks by non-Jewish residents of Medina. The Jews’ status deteriorated and they could no longer rely on the old defense pacts with the Arab tribes, whose leaders explained to them that “hearts have changed.”
Already in 624, about two years after the Hegira, Muhammad laid siege to the strongholds of the Jewish tribe Qaynuqa and deported them to Syria. They left all their weapons and all their property behind them. About a year later the members of Nadir were also deported after Muhammad’s forces had cut down their date orchards, the source of their livelihood. Their homes and property were also confiscated by the Muslim community. The most dramatic events occurred in 627, when the men of the Qurayza tribe were massacred and the women and children were sold into slavery. The tradition tries to obscure Muhammad’s responsibility for the killing of hundreds of Jews by accusing them of violating agreements, but this charge lacks any solid historical basis. The anti-Jewish campaign concluded with the conquest of the Khaybar oasis north of Medina in 628, the deportation of some of its residents, and the turning of others into tenant farmers. The slogan heard until today (at least in Hamas processions) is “Khaybar, Khaybar, ya Yahud, jish Muhammad sa Ya’ud!” (Khaybar, Khaybar, o Jews! The army of Muhammad will return!). It has become a symbol of the Jews’ subjugation in Arabia only six years after the Hegira.
Two other phenomena are worth noting. First, alongside the physical struggle against the Jews, Muhammad removed Jewish elements from his new religion: the direction of prayer reverted to Mecca instead of Jerusalem; the month of Ramadan replaced Yom Kippur as the time of fasting; and other steps were taken to emphasize Islam’s more independent and elevated status. Second, interestingly, there are no signs of significant cooperation among the Jewish tribes in resisting Muhammad. For now it is hard to find the reason for this.
Some Koranic “Jewish” Verses
When the Koran refers explicitly to the Jews, it uses three different terms: Children of Israel, “Banu Israil;” the Jews, “al-Yahud;” and “the People of the Book,” a term that refers to Jews and Christians alike. The first category concerns the biblical Israelites and almost always echoes the biblical story, in many cases adding materials from the immense Jewish literature of interpretations and legends that do not appear in the Bible, mostly from the Midrash.
The vast majority of the verses are utterly pejorative and it is easy to understand why and how they have been used to justify Muslim anti-Semitic attitudes past and present. In the first category, the stories stress the grave sins of the Israelites, mainly their disobedience of God and their prophets, and the harsh punishments that were their lot throughout their long history of suffering. Some of the punishments will haunt them forever, according to some verses. The tales are shaped to maintain a similarity between the fate of the biblical prophets and the situation of Muhammad vis-à-vis the heathen Arabs and the Jews who rejected him. This setting puts Muhammad on an equal footing with Moses and Jesus, for example, and also provides him with a divine promise that notwithstanding all the hurdles his way and message will finally prevail.
In the second and third categories, the harsh allegations are directed against the Jews who confronted Muhammad and refused to join his new religion. These are basically verses of bitter polemic against the beliefs and actions of those Jews.
As a rule, the Koran lacks any mention of the specific context of the revelation. Nevertheless, the “Jewish” verses usually conform to the basic historical sequence laid down by Muslim tradition and widely accepted today by Western scholarship. So, roughly speaking, we find a few tolerant verses, probably dating to the period when Muhammad still hoped to gain the Jews’ support and/or lacked the power to act directly against them using violent means. These verses are also relevant to the period when he sought to convince his own Meccan tribe that he was God’s Messenger. Even then, and also in later stages, negative verses about the Israelites are also included.
The following is a small selection of relevant verses, each followed by a short summation.
Anti-Jewish Verses
An example of a grave sin of the ancient Israelites.
…The people of Moses took to them, after him, of their ornaments a Calf — a mere body that lowed. Did they not see it spoke not to them, neither guided them upon any way? Yet they took it to them, and were evildoers. (7:145-146)
The Jews are accused of unbelief and of killing their own prophets.
So, for their breaking the compact, and disbelieving in the signs of God, and slaying the Prophets without right, and for their saying, “Our hearts are uncircumcised” — nay, but God sealed them for their unbelief, so they believe not, except a few.… (4:154-155)
A clear reference to the destruction of the two temples and a warning for the future.
And We decreed for the Children of Israel in the Book: “You shall do corruption in the earth twice.…”
So, when the promise of the first of these came to pass, We sent against you servants of Ours, men of great might, and they went through the habitations, and it was a promise performed.
Then We gave back to you the turn to prevail over them.…
Then, when the promise of the second came to pass, We sent against you Our servants to discountenance you, and to enter the Temple, as they entered it the first time. (17:4-7)
The major allegation of falsification, which is much repeated in the Koran.
People of the Book, now there has come to you Our Messenger, making clear to you many things you have been concealing of the Book, and effacing many things.… (5:19)
Part of the sinfulness of the Jews is their adherence to their sages and not directly to the Torah.
The Jews say, “Ezra is the Son of God”; the Christians say, “The Messiah is the Son of God.”
…God assail them! How they are perverted!
They have taken their rabbis and their monks as Lords apart from God. (9:30-31)
Jews are hostile to Muslims:
Thou wilt surely find the most hostile of men to the believers are the Jews and the idolaters. (5:85)
One of the harshest verses, describing the Jews as apes and swine.
Say: “People of the Book, do you blame us for any other cause than that we believe in God, and what has been sent down to us, and what was sent down before, and that most of you are ungodly?…”
Whomsoever God has cursed, and with whom He is wroth, and made some of them apes and swine, and worshippers of idols — they are worse situated, and have gone further astray from the right way. (5:64-65)
An indication of the battles against the Jews, and a divine authorization to kill them.
And He brought down those of the People of the Book who supported them from their fortresses and cast terror in their hearts; some you slew, some you made captive. And He bequeathed upon you their lands, their habitations, and their possessions, and a land you never trod. God is powerful over everything. (33:26)
Tolerant Verses
If God had willed, He would have made you one nation; but that He may try you in what has come to you. So be you forward in good works; unto God shall you return.… (5:54)
No compulsion is there in religion. Rectitude has become clear from error. So whosoever disbelieves in idols and believes in God, has laid hold of the most firm handle, unbreaking…. (2:257)
How can we turn hatred into love? If we continue to perpetuate hatred between Moslems, Jews and Christians, we will continue to hate and seek ways to destroy each other – Love is all we need, the Beetles song says! Nice thought, but the ‘how,’ is much more complex, and that is going to require much more that having nice thoughts about each other!
Gods way: We like to sing, “I want God’s way to be my way as I journey here below, for there is no other highway that a Child of God should go…” Lovely sentiment, yet we cannot escape the harsh reality of all the conflict, hatred, war, and killing that is taking place all too often in the Name of God! Allah Akbar – God is great, as the suicide bomber blow him or her self up, and killing countless other innocent people with them in their declaration of God’s greatness – really?
Yeshua is the way: Jesus, Yeshua or Isa holds the key to unlocking the door upon God’s true love, and helping to end all the strife between the three Abrahamic faiths.
Isa (Arabic: عِيسَى, romanized: ʿĪsā) is a classical Arabic name and a translation of Jesus. The name Isa is the name used for Jesus in the Quran. However, it is not the only translation; it is most commonly associated with Jesus as depicted in Islam, and thus, commonly used by Muslims.
Encountering This Jewish Jesus: Messianic Jewish Faith and Practice by Roni Mechanic | 27 Aug 2023
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This gallery contains 11 photos.
The Twelve Monkeys are trying to make fools of us all! Lies and deceit – ranting mad man I have to conclude that Hitler was both evil and insane! Making Sense Bob Dylan – Saved! My Testimony – Saved by … Continue reading
No more Christmas, New Year or Easter!
I meet so many people on social media such as Facebook who claim to want to follow G_D, and yet are busy tearing down the ‘house’ of the faith community world-wide. The big bogy-man is usually the Pope who as head of the Catholic Church, that represents at least half of Christendom –with about a billion Christians followers of the approximately two billion believers in the world today.
These folk say, “Oh, didn’t you know the Pope (and not just this present Pope) is the Anti-Christ? He is to blame for the corruption of a biblically based faith.”
These instructive teachers – did I say ‘instructive teachers?’ – it is much more correct to call them out for who and what they are – destructive teachers, who know better than all of us, are busy exposing the corrupt Catholic, Protestant, and for that matter, Eastern Orthodox Churches. Some even have a go at Messianic, Yeshua-believing Jewish believers, saying that we are not real Jews at all, but Kazar Turks. Yes, this kind of stuff is all out there on the world-wide web.
The blessing and curse of the web – blessing, most definitely, as it is through the web that we have connectivity on a scale like never before and we are able to use this to boot God’s Kingdom world-wide.
Is that not a reason to rejoice? Yes, most certainly!
Notwithstanding, alas due to human depravity, multitudes use the web for destructive purposes – and this includes those demolition agents who get their strokes negatively by causing controversy, discord and are contentious. It is one thing to contend for the ‘truth,’ while it is quite another to cause discord and consternation within the body of Messiah.
What is the significance behind those who want to cancel Christmas? The are a number of reasons that some folk don’t celebrate Christmas, or Xmas, or now as in a secularised society it is called Winter feast. We must carefully consider their reasons, as they are not all negative of motivated by ‘kill-joys.’
Let’s list them and consider each one in turn and I also want us to consider their arguments that are put forward:
First, Jesus wasn’t born on the 25th of December! Well that is perfectly true, as he was probably born in late September, or early October – So what! Does it matter what the correct date is? Blame the Pope if you want to – What utter futile nonsense – Let’s be quite clear the Roman Pontiff does not deny the incarnation and birth of Jesus – belief in the incarnate Son of God is a central tent of the Catholic faith – okay, so you aren’t in amid with all the cultural trappings – it does not matter. I have a confession to make, neither am I that taken up with a lot of the Christmas trimmings, particularly coming from a Jewish heritage. There is also a big plus, I get to celebrate Hanukkah / Feast of dedication as well, which is not totally disconnected to the story of the incarnation of the Son of God – if there had been no Jewish context with a restored Jewish presence in Israel, there would have been no context for Yeshua to be born into.
Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water!
Oops – didn’t mean to do that! Help!
No baby, no nativity, no incarnation, no divine Son of God, and consequently no gift of eternal salvation!
“Don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater” is an idiomatic expression for an avoidable error in which something good or of value is eliminated when trying to get rid of something unwanted. It is a loan translation from the German phrase das Kind mit dem Bade ausschütten, literally to empty out the child with the bath, first recorded in 1512.
A slightly different explanation suggests this flexible catchphrase has to do with discarding the essential while retaining the superfluous because of excessive zeal. These two definitions get to the heart of the matter, and therein lies the problem. I observe that those who reject the Christmas concept are generally also those who are weak on emphasising the incarnation of the Son of God – Jesus/ Yeshua!
There is a rather sad song that goes like this…”A mother was bathing her baby…bring back oh, bring back, oh bring back may baby to me, to me!”
New Year has pagan origins – so don’t celebrate it either – real New Year should be in April, or how about the celebration of the Jewish New Year in the seventh month of the year. Israel has three New Years, the secular one on the 1st January; the New Year of Trees and Fruit; and the religious one as explained. If one rejects events like acknowledging the New Year, while it may not have a profound religious impact upon one’s life, it does help to make you into an odd-ball! Get over it, and get on with your life addressing the really important matters of how you best be serving God in the here and now.
New Year if not exactly cancelled – it is postponed as the sign below says.
Easter is also pagan and has been highjacked!
Yes, all that pagan stuff about Asteratae, Easter bunnies, and Easter eggs are unbiblical – very true, but don’t let it block out the most significant Messianic doctrine about the Redemption wrought through the Sacrificial death of Yeshua on the cursed tree/cross/stake!
Don’t forget that Yeshua’s betrayal, trial and death by crucifixion took place at Pesach/ Passover! I am not concerned about all the cultural trappings attached to this time of the year, and while the name
Easter may not be the correct biblical name, yet it is also known as Passion Tide, which recalls the death and then the glorious resurrection of Yeshua – He is alive forever more – Hallelujah!
Encountering This Jewish Jesus: Messianic Jewish Faith and Practice by Roni Mechanic | 27 Aug 2023
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Standing at Gate of the Year!
So, what does 2024 hold for all of us as humankind? There are two ways that folk respond to life’s challenges, with some having a positive worldview, while others are negative in the way that things happens.
Is the glass half-full, or is it half-empty? While there is very evidently difficult things taking place at present, that will spill over into next year, what new events await us?
Next Year
Click on the Link below to Listen:
At times when we say, “Next year,” it seems a long way off, yet within the next ten days 1st of January, 2024 Big Ben will toll at midnight. Bob Dylan’s song The Times They Are A Changing has something to tell us not only of time moving on, but the cultural revolution of the sixties through the nineteen eighties.
So, the Gate of the Year offers a multitude of opportunities to seek and serve God, in and through our trusting in Yeshua – Jesus Our Lord!
Please do purchase my book:
Encountering This Jewish Jesus: Messianic Jewish Faith and Practice
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Lies and Truth Contrasted
Lies and Truth contrasted – with God’s help I will fix it!
Click on the Link now to Listen:
How in this contemperory world are we to be able to distinguish between truth and error? Lies and falsehood are the order of the day. Just because someone says something to you does not mean that they are being truthful. They could be spilling a pack of lies. Fake news abounds – During the current Israel – Gaza war each time Hamas says something you can be certain they are engaging in deception.
When we fudge the margins between truth and falsehood, the consequence is that trust between people is undermined, and we then lack any certainty as to where we stand. In everyday layperson’s speech someone said to me the other day:
“By telling the truth it feels good! And consequently, by saying how it is, it has a way of clearing the air between people.”
And the converse is also true:
“If you lie to me, then you act like an enemy, and alas as an outcome because of your lies, you become my enemy!”
I bear witness to the certitude of both of these options, when on several occasions that I have experienced a misunderstanding or disagreement with someone, when I have spoken truthfully to them about what had transpired, clarify what happened, and having apologised, the positive outcome has been immediate. Peace, harmony, and concord is always effectively restored between those concerned.
Conspiratorial theories
Conspiratorial theories abound with large sectors of modern western society happily embracing what is all too often a concoction of nonsensical notions put forward as the truth. Some of these theories would be laughable in their ridiculousness if folk weren’t believing them. An example that we have only recently lived through is the global Corona virus – with its COVID variants has caused a global pandemic. Conspiratorial theorists having enjoyed a field day, and in many quarters are still being held as being the truth. The ‘no-jab’ campaigners saying that if you received the jab, you were micro chipped at the same time.
The micro chip allows the sinister ‘one world government leaders’ to track your every movement and action, making you into one of their zombies–robots that they can control at a whim. Some saying that this is the anti-Christ Mark of the Beast – 666: ‘You have been warned!’
Another equally disturbing issue at hand is the Russia – Ukraine war. On the Microsoft Edge news updates, the apparent misinformation, propaganda campaign being waged is equally misleading and confusing:
“Putin has been dead for over a year, and it’s a body double that has replaced him.”
“Russia’s war against the Ukraine is being pursued for the sole purpose of its ‘de-Nazification,’ despite the fact that Ukraine’s President Zelensky is a Jews.”
These types of nonsensical behavior are symptomatic of a much deeper problem taking place in today’s world, where truth is all too often in reduced measure.
A religious perspective
Equally from a religious perspective the end-time prophetic proponents are having a field day. It is important that I elaborate what is involved in any attempt to explain the prophetic.
Firstly, the Hebrew Scriptures (OT) is divided into three categories. The Pentateuch, also known as the Torah, or Five Books of Moses; Prophets or Nevi’im; the Writings or Ketuvim. In terms of the prophetic, the demarcation line is not clear cut, and it is wrong to assume that the Torah and the Ketvuvim don’t contain any prophetic acclimations or predictions. Notwithstanding, the major prophetic scriptures are found in the Prophets. In the New Covenant Scriptures, specifically the Book of Revelation is its major prophetic New Testament source. But similarly, the other books of these scriptures, particularly the Gospels also contain prophetic passages.
Prophecy into two categories, namely, ‘forth telling,’ and ‘foretelling.’ ‘Forth telling’ means to exhort or challenge individuals, and specific groups of people for them to take note, and to prepare to act when required. It is the ‘fore telling’ dimension of the prophetic that is our particular concern, and it is to this aspect of the prophetic that we now focus.
Two theological terms occur in the prophetic, namely, Apocalyptic, and Eschatological, or also referred to as eschatology. Firstly, apocalyptic may best be described as coming judgement and end of the world which culminates with the Battle of Armageddon as described in the Book of Revelation. It is popularized in cinema with films intitled ‘Apocalypse,’ ‘Apocalypse Now!’ According to Letterboxd [1] the 10 Best Apocalyptic Movies of all time are,
‘Interstellar’ (2014)
‘28 Days Later’ (2002)
‘The Cabin in the Woods’ (2011)
‘Terminator 2: Judgment Day’ (1991)
‘Melancholia’ (2011)
‘Shaun of the Dead’ (2004)
‘This is the end’ (2013)
‘Children of Men’ (2006)
The Book of Eli (2009)
‘I am Mother’ (2019):
I Am Mother: Ending Explained:
I Am Mother is a science-fiction film post-apocalyptic thriller directed by Grant Sputore. The cast includes Hilary Swank, Rose Byrne (the actors from the X-Men and Insidious series), and Clara Rugaard. The plot is set in a dystopian future where an unexplained global extinction event took place that killed most human life on the planet. An android raises a human girl, apparently all alone, claiming to help to repopulate Earth. ‘I Am Mother’ is in the genre of other films like Moon, Ex Machina, 10 Cloverfield Lane, and I Robot. The plot summary and the I Am Mother ending is inconclusive and needs explaining.[2] Currently there over 100 titles of films in this apocalyptic genre. So why this fascination and obsession with coming judgement? There are several plausible explanations for this rising tide of ‘doomsday,’ scenarios being acted out and portrayed in film, music, works of art, and popular books too.
Additionally, the Israel – Gaza war, started of 7 October 2023, in which Israel has come face to face with an existential threat that has raise fears not experienced since WWII, when the Nazi genocide attempted to wipe out the Jews of Europe. This type of threat plays right into a doom and dread that has an apocalyptic sense. Many are asking, is this this the fulfilment of Ezekiel chapter 36 and 37, where the prophet speaks of coming judgment.
Bob Dylan’s 20 Best Songs About the Apocalypse[3]
Most people take the apocalypse as an article of faith, but what exactly the apocalypse entails are in the eye of their beholder. Questions asked include:
Will the universe dissolve and all matter cease to exist, or will the pillaging be more localized? Perhaps the sun will explode. Or, more specifically (and likely), the oceans might rise and drown large swaths of humanity. generated virtual reality simulation, with our robot overlords overseeing out inert sleeping bodies. But in reality, none of us know how it all will end. AI – Artificial Intelligence will take control of our world, becoming our over–lords, enslaving humanity to do its bidding in a dystopian world.
“A Hard Rains A-Gonna Fall” is at-times terrifying in its depiction of the dire aftermath of the Cuban missile crisis, but it also left room for the emergence of a visionary poet who would serve as a sort of bohemian Moses to lead his people out of the wilderness. The track Doomsday provided great grist for the mill when Dylan was a fire-and-brimstone preached in the late-70s and early 80s. This style of music followed Dylan’s profession of faith in Jesus as his Messiah and Lord, and he came under the influence of evangelical, hardcore gospel proclaiming Vineyard Ministry. Part of their message emphasised the Second-Coming of Christ, and the cataclysmic Apocalypse that will precede Jesus Second Advent.
Apocalypse
Firstly, this anticipation of an apocalypse is not a new phenomenon, by any means. And as described in Dylan’s Doomsday music, there numerous possible scenarios that will take place attending the Apocalypse. Since ancient times humanity has been fascinated, fearful, and apprehensive concerning human destiny. This is particularly when there are huge national or international disasters, such as wars, plagues, now called pandemics, cataclysmic earthquakes, volcanic eruptions drought and famine, to mention some of the most familiar tragedies that take place.
Secondly, it is of particular significance that at the turn of the century there is an increase in apocalyptic fervor which is often stimulated by a sense of uncertainty at the end of an epoch. It is as if people’s appreciation about what lies ahead is heightened by an impending feeling of doom. This fear is all too often irrational and may have no specific reason, nevertheless this often has driven individuals to speculate that some impending cataclysm is about to take place.
Thirdly, humanity is progressively sinking to such a low level of moral depravity, particularly in the western world, as the world leaders. It has become largely a-religious, with its having rejected its Judaic-Christian heritage, with ‘truth’ being in critically short supply. Few leaders can be fully trusted, and most are only concerned in their own self-interests. What transpires at the top, alas filters down into the farthest reaches of society, affecting everyone’s life. The biblical imperative, “Love your neighbor as you love yourself,” has largely been ignored, and rejected as being an outdated ideal. Nonetheless, the biblical concept of accountability, and judgement is so deeply imbedded into human psyche that an apocalypse is the inevitable outcome for our aberrant godless behavior. Thing cannot continue as they are, with humanity being hellbent with its own destruction. Who, or what, or how the end is triggered is in the realm of pure conjecture with the imagination running wild. Those who take a clear stand for the truth are labeled as being bigoted, fanatical and are viewed as swimming against the tide.
Apocalyptic art
The artist has the unique ability to portray ‘a window of the sole,’ offering an opportunity to give expression to the deep longing of humankind in a visual way. Visual illustrations, paintings, sculptures, glass window art, mosaics, etchings, and wood block printing, photography, and film, are just some of the artistic mediums often is used to represent apocalyptic imagery. Some of the great works of art stand as representations of our fears, our sense of foreboding, and our hopes, and dreams, that have been given expression through diverse media.
We have creation of Albert Durer’s Woodcut of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse of St John, 1497-1498:
‘The Four Horsemen’
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. These are described in the Book of Revelation 6:1–8 NIV,
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse – by Albert Durer of Germany
The Seals
61I watched as the Lamb opened the first of the seven seals. Then I heard one of the four living creatures say in a voice like thunder, “Come!” 2 I looked, and there before me was a white horse! Its rider held a bow, and he was given a crown, and he rode out as a conqueror bent on conquest. 3 When the Lamb opened the second seal, I heard the second living creature say, “Come!” 4 Then another horse came out, a fiery red one. Its rider was given power to take peace from the earth and to make people kill each other. To him was given a large sword. 5 When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, “Come!” I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. 6 Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, “Two pounds[a] of wheat for a day’s wages,[b] and six pounds[c] of barley for a day’s wages,[d] and do not damage the oil and the wine!” 7 When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, “Come!” 8 I looked, and there before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following close behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine, and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.
It appears in the Revelation 6:1-8 we are presented with the opening of the first four of the seven seals that bring forth the cataclysmic climax and catastrophe of the long anticipated apocalypse.
The first horseman, depicts a conqueror with a bow and crown, and he rides a white horse.’ Scholars occasionally interpret this to represent Christ or the Antichrist.
The second horseman reeking judgement upon humanity is given a great sword and rides a red horse, symbolizing war and bloodshed.
The third horseman is depicted carrying a balance scale, and he rides a black horse, that symbolizes famine upon the earth.
And the fourth and final horseman rides a pale horse and is identified with Death.
We must be aware that apocalyptic predictions are open to interpretation, and this alas has led to, and at times this subject continues to result in weird, fanciful, and very dubious interpretations. And has even spored suicide cults such as The Jones Town mass suicide of over 900 people in British Giana, and Branch Davidian massacre in Waco, Texas.
The outcome has had some dire consequences for the three Abrahamic faiths, that each in turn having development of a number of sub-Jewish, sub-Christian, and sub-Moslem sects. I have not included in this discussion other major faith groups such as Hindu, Buddhist, etc.
For just as Jews and Christians, so too Moslems have used their Sacred Texts in an attempt to interpret possible end-time apocalyptic scenarios. Some Islamic suicide bombers are a case in point, with those involved in perpetrating these destructive acts as fulfilling the will of Allah. For the non-Moslem it is vital to our understanding the rising cult of the suicide bomber, is not sanctioned by main-stream Islam.
Islamic apocalypticism[5] is a powerful force. According to a half of Muslims, and particularly in Muslim-majority countries, there is a growing conviction that the coming of the Mahdi is “imminent,” and could happen in our lifetime. The Islamic State, Islamic Jihad, El Shabab, and Al Kida just goes further by claiming that it is bringing the prophecies to life. This mentality is particularly one of the most influential factors driving the Islamic Revolution in Iran, and equally other centres such as Afghanistan where Sharia law in enforced. Even aside from jihadist violence, Islamic apocalypticism often continues to have negative consequences. When recent history and current events are seen as best explained by prophecies, it becomes difficult to analyse them. Take, for example, the main quandary of the Muslim world for the past two centuries:
“Why have we moved so far backward compared with the West? The apocalyptic narrative, revived since the 1980s by popular Islamic writers such as the Egyptian Said Ayyub and many of his followers, states that this happened because of the forces of “Dajjal” — Islam’s version of the Antichrist. This type of thinking is used by the more extremist elements within Islam to justify the use of jihad in preparation for the end-of-days and to vanquish the forces of the ‘Dajjal.”
Christian fundamentalist attitudes have had equally damaging consequences when coupled together with political power. Religious wars all too often have been carried out in an attempt to fulfil some perceived divine imperative. Christian Crusaders were encouraged by Emperor Constantine the Great to conquer with their
Eschatology
The terms eschaton and eschatology pertain to ‘things to come.’ It is an inherent characteristic in humankind that we desire to know what shape will coming events take. When will Messiah/Christ return? What will be some of the attendant circumstance surround that event? How should we prepare ourselves? What will be the ‘sign of the times?’ And several other important questions concerning his return. We must not discount a genuine concern about biblical truth connected with eschatology and consign it as belonging only to the lunatic fringe of faith. It is important that we are well informed, and also prepared for the return of Messiah, without getting swept along in some kind of prophetic hysteria. I have included a quotation from my recent book, Encountering This Jewish Jesus[6] :
“This brings us to the consideration of end-time things, severally know as Eschatology, Apocalyptic and the Parousia, which relates directly to the return of Yeshua at the end of time to this earth. The Scriptures have many texts that deal with this subject. In this area of Christian teaching there are many different interpretations about the end of time.
Premillennial, a-millennial, and post-millennial interpretations of the Scriptures have produced whole schools of prophetic interpretation. One thing that is abundantly clear to me is that Yeshua is coming again, as the long-awaited Messiah and the Scripture says in
Revelation 1:7 CJB,
7 Look! He is coming with the clouds![a]
Every eye will see him, including those who pierced him; and all the tribes of the Land will mourn him. Certainly, my heart’s cry is,
“Even so, come Lord Yeshua, come!”
This is a sin-sick world, that needs redemption, yet no one knows the hour of his return, not even Yeshua during his earthly life knew. We are encouraged to be watchful and alert, looking forward to his return but making the fullest use of being his faithful followers each day and telling others the good news of our Messiah and Lord.”
May our response be threefold, alertness, preparedness, and a keen anticipation expecting the return of Yeshua/Jesus as Messiah and Lord. We are promised in Holy Scripture that his return he will set up his kingdom, and it will be a kingdom characterised by righteousness, justice, and truth. No longer will humankind wage war anymore because universal peace will prevail.
Revelation 1:7 NIV,
7 “Look, he is coming with the clouds,”[a]
and “every eye will see him, even those who pierced him”; and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.”[b] So shall it be! Amen.
[1] https://www.bing.com/search?q=list+apocalyptic+movies&form=
[2] https://www.thisisbarry.com/film/i-am-mother-ending-explained-plot-spoiler-2019/
[3] https://www.the-dowsers.com/the-dowser-posts/bob-dylans-20-best-songs-apocalypse.
[4] https://www.bridgemanimages.com/en/duerer-or-duerer/the-four-horsemen-from-the-apocalypse-of-st-john-1497-98-woodcut/woodcut/asset/1706182
[5] https://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/04/opinion/the-problem-with-the-islamic-apocalypse.html
[6] Encountering This Jewish Jesus, Roni Mechanic, 2023, p 307-308
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by Roni Mechanic | 27 Aug 2023
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Why is hatred towards the Jews so easily stirred? It is shocking to think that since the Isreal – Gaza war started, anti–Jewish’s hatred has increased by 500% in Great Britain. What motivates this negative destructive mentality?
There are several issues that triggers this among sections of the British population. The Far-Right; Far-Left; religious bigotry; Moslem antisemitism; a ayatollah coupled with anti-Israel nascent mentality; pro–Palestinian support; negative Christian Theology; ignorance; fake news; hatred of the God of Israel; and the God and Father of Yeshua the Messiah, plus, plus…
Far Right politics has been around a long time and saw its rise in the 1930’s coupled with the rise of Nazi antisemitic hatred in German. It spread like a cancer, crossing the channel into the UK under the leadership of Oswald Mosley and his Union of British Fascists. The Cable Street Fascist march though the East End of London, a densely populated Jewish part of London.
Far Left political antisemitism dates back to the 1920’s with the rise of communism, that falsely blamed Jews for economic woes and difficulties in the post WW1 era. Communism’s atheistic attitude included in its teaching a hatred of God.
Religious bigotry has been around for a long time. A definition of bigotry – an obstinate or unreasonable attachment to a belief, opinion, or faction, in particular prejudice against a person or people on the basis of their membership of a particular group. Therefore when related to Jewish people each of these factors play an important contribution towards this type of anti–Jewish thinking.
The position of Islam as a global religion has far reaching influence upon people’s thinking. Moslem believers, similar to Judaism and Christianity there many different expressions of faith. Some are more tolerant, right through to the extremist side of Islam. The current conflict is driven by Hamas that is a radical form of Islam that is designated as a terrorist organisation that stands for the destruction of the Jewish State, the murder of Jews, and the ultimate establishment of a world-wide Moslem Caliphate. Their ideological centre originates from Iran and its ayatollahs who stand for the destruction of Israel, and the death of all Jews.
What happened on 7.10.2023 began beginning in Sterot in Southern Israel and the surrounding kibbutzim, plus the wonton murder of over 200 people at a music festival. 1,400 were murdered in the most deliberate and brutal way, plus 240 hostages were taken into Gaza. Wonton disregard for human life, not only killing their victims, but violating anything to do with the sanctity of the living and the dead. These types of acts have not been seen since the Nazis, during the Holocaust.
Palestinian support – this is a very complex issue that is multi-layered.
There are those who support the concept of the two-state solution to the Israel – Palestinian conflict, which was agreed in the Oslo Accords. Some have agued that this is all, but dead.
Then there are those who advocate the total annihilation of the State of Israel (75 years old), and replace it with a Palestinian state that will be ‘Juden-rein,’ – ‘Jew free.’
So, what are the options? Either, or – the first offers a possible option, while the second is totally unacceptable! “From the river to the sea!” In other words, Israel can’t exist. This deeply offensive, and antisemitic.
British Jews feel very troubled and insecure with the exponential rise of antisemitism in this country, and around the world.
Some are saying, just forgive…
“Victims must just forgive!”
It is nothing new to resort to blaming the victims for the terror inflicted upon them – “They had it coming to them!” In other words, they deserve what has happened to them. Arguments like, “Jews deserve what happens to them, I mean look…” This type of argument is so vile and morally unacceptable. It says much about those who level this kind of accusation.
“Where was God during the Holocaust? Jacob Jocz replied, “It is not about where God was when the six million died, rather it was the question, where was humankind when the six million died?”
The way forward?
So, what is the way forward? Do Israeli’s have the right to defend to defend themselves and peace loving Israeli Arabs, Beduins, Druze, and other non-Jewish citizens, and expatriate others? In the film, ‘The Light We Cannot See,’ There is a quotation – “The most important light of all is the light you cannot see!” There is an inner illumination that supersedes any physical light that may shine.
13 “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
A Marginal Jew, a marginal Moslem Not every Jew, nor every Moslem can be tarred with the same brush –– We are so quick to tar everyone from a particular ethnic or religious group with the same brush. Generalisations always prove to be unhelpful when dealing with outlooks of perceived attitudes. Winston Churchill said, “Men, never give up!”
The great man, Winston Churchill arose to speak: ‘Young men; never give up, never give up, never give up.’ The entire speech lasted only a few seconds. Then he sat down.
“Never Give In” “This is the lesson: never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never—in nothing, great or small, large or petty—never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense.
I say, “Jews never give in!”
I say, “Jews never give up!”
“We cannot either give in; nor can we ever give up!” We must not, nor can we contemplate giving in to those who hate us, despitefully use us, want to marginalise us, and ultimately kill us.
“If Hitler’s lot have their way, soon you (a rabbi) won’t have anyone to preach to!” (A rabbi to Karl Wiseman, Detective in the film Bodies)
“If Hamas lot have their way, soon there will be no more Jewish people left to pursue and kill, for they will all be dead!” (Roni in Why this Great Hatred?)
Am Yisrael Chai –– The People of Israel live! There may be a time to forgive, but now is the time to stand firm, and resolutely fight for our dignity, respect, and very existence in the face of those who want to kill us and blot our names off the face of the earth.
Stand firm and fight for our survival!
16 Turn to me and be gracious to me,
for I am lonely and afflicted.
17 Relieve the troubles of my heart,
and bring me[a] out of my distress.
18 Consider my affliction and my trouble,
and forgive all my sins.
19 Consider how many are my foes
and with what violent hatred they hate me.
20 O guard my life and deliver me;
do not let me be put to shame, for I take refuge in you.
21 May integrity and uprightness preserve me,
for I wait for you.
22 Redeem Israel, O God,
out of all its troubles.
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